Recently Macedonia signed a good relations treaty with Bulgaria, so Macedonia cannot be said to have bad relations with all of its neighboring countries; they get along OK with Kosovo too. Israel is another possible candidate, although it could be argued that de facto relations with Egypt are not so bad. How about Palestine? Qatar is a country surrounded by hostile powers, and for the time being they win this designation.

Belarus is on increasingly bad terms with Russia, but Russia has quite a few adjoining countries, and I am not sure if all of those relations are so bad. China has frosty relations with many neighbors, although with Russia you would call it mixed and not yet negative. And relations with the Stans are not terrible. They dont like North Korea so much any more, even if they wont topple it.

I think of Chile as bordering on a hostile Bolivia, but relations with Argentina are acceptable, even if Portenos look down on the Chileans for being provincial.

Africa?

Then there are countries with only one neighbor, such as how Haiti and the Dominican Republic rather uncomfortably share the island of Hispaniola. Relations across Central America seem to have improved considerably.

Which countries are the other contenders for this honorary designation?
Israeli communication minister Sunday indicated that Tel Aviv will move to close Qatar-based Al Jazeeras Jerusalem bureau, revoke journalists credentials and cut the channels satellite connection over what the cabinet calls incitement for violence following clashes between Israeli Security forces and Palestinians in Haram al-Sharif compound in Jerusalem.

This is the second time in a short period of time that Israel threatens to shut down the bureau. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late last month indicated he would push for the channels Jerusalem bureau closure.

The Al-Jazeera channel continues to incite violence around the Temple Mount, he wrote in a Facebook post, referring to the Haram al-Sharif compound in Jerusalem, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.

I have appealed to law enforcement agencies several times to close the Al-Jazeera office in Jerusalem, he added

If this is not possible because of legal interpretation, I am going to seek to have the necessary legislation adopted to expel Al-Jazeera from Israel.

Communication minister Ayoub Kara pointed out that he would engage the Government Press Office to revoke Al Jazeera journalists accreditations in Israel. Thirty staff members, mostly Palestinians, are in the eye of the storm.

Kara also indicated that he had asked Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan to use his powers to close the channels offices in Israel, although a spokesman for Erdan said he doubted the minister had the authority to do so, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reports.

Our ministry is not the address. Try the police, spokesman Daniel Bar said.

An unidentified Israeli official from Netanyahus office indicated that Al Jazeera has fallen in the category of media inciting violence which the cabinet will not tolerate.

The Prime Minister is not too pleased with the constant incitement that you see and hear on Al Jazeera, a lot of it in Arabic. There is a lot being broadcast on that channel that is frankly dangerous, the official said.

There is no shortage of free speech in this country. There are plenty of dissenting voices. In democratic countries there are also things that are unacceptable, and a lot of what Al Jazeera is saying and broadcasting falls into that category.

Israel has backed Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt in their stand against Qatar accused to using Al Jazeera to incite unrest and revolutions in Arab countries. The bloc issued a list of 13 conditions including closure of the news channel that they have already banned on their territories.
The powerful Iranian Revolutionary Guard has announced the killing of two fighters of a militant group in West Azarbaijan province, northwest of the country.

The regular forces also wounded four other militants and seized some military equipment, local media reported citing Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour.

The forces did not name the militant group but gun battles with Kurdish forces based in Iraq are very common in the area.

Last month, the Revolutionary Guard engaged in heavy clashes with gunmen on the border with Iraq, killing three of them and sustaining one fatality, the Guard said in a statement.

The Islamic republic was victim of militant attacks in the heart of capital Teheran early in June. Iranian Kurds, identified as Islamic State fighters, stormed the parliament and mausoleum of Ayatollah Khomeini. Eighteen people were killed in the assaults.

The Revolutionary Guard fired several missiles at IS bases in Syria on June 18 in response to that attack, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reports.
Chicken will be the best-positioned protein due to its low price position in times of pressure on consumer spending power but rises in production costs and the long-term impact of COVID-19 threaten to disrupt the sector, according to Rabobank.
Mauritanians voted in a referendum for abolishing the Senate and changing the national flag of the West African nation, the electoral commission said.

On a turnout of 53.73 percent of the 1.4 million Mauritanians eligible to vote, 85 percent voted yes to abolition of the senate and changes to the countrys flag.

The new Mauritanian flag will feature red bands added to the current green flag with yellow Islamic crescent and star, to honor the blood spilt by those who fought for freedom from colonial France.

The Mauritanian President Mohammed Ould Abdel-Aziz has been in power from 2009. He is serving the second five-year term in office. The opposition is convinced that if these reforms do go through, that will open the door for him to stay until 2024 and possibly much longer, Al Jazeeras Rob Matheson, reporting live from the capital Nouakchott, said on Monday.

Several opposition parties and civil society groups have boycotted the controversial constitutional referendum and violent clashes had broken out in recent weeks after the authorities banned several rallies planned by opponents of the changes.

The Mauritanian President had called for the referendum in March after a majority of the 56-seat Senate members rejected his proposal to abolish the upper house. The proposal had been approved by the lower house of parliament.

Abdel-Aziz and his supporters have accused the Senate of corruption and repeatedly said during the referendum campaign that the chamber is costly, useless and does nothing.

Around 20 Senators were expected to hold a meeting Monday to consider the fraud committed by Aziz and his supporters.
This study follows reports released over the past several months documenting rising mortality rates among US workers due to drug addiction and suicide, high rates of infant mortality, an overall leveling off of life expectancy, and a growing gap between the life expectancy of the bottom rung of income earners compared to those at the top.

The same period has seen a massive growth of social inequality, with income and wealth concentrated at the very top of American society to an extent not seen since the 1920s.

Not so 'green' after all: Pollution from illegal California marijuana farms is forming toxic waste dumps that span thousands of acres

Chemicals of the kind have been linked to serious health effects in both animals and humans

The United States Environmental Protection Agency announced in 2011 its planned to ban toxic fertilizers like zinc phosphide

New data says the state holds '731,000 pounds of solid fertilizer, 491,000 ounces of concentrated liquid fertilizer and 200,000 ounces of toxic pesticides.'

California is responsible for the majority of illegal U.S. marijuana farming

In California, illegal marijuana farms are taking over thousands of acres of land as toxic wastes are increasingly corrupting ecosystems

Illegal marijuana farms are taking over thousands of acres of land as toxic waste continues to corrupt ecosystems in areas along the West Coast.

According to a new report accessed by Reuters, the state of California , which is responsible for more than '90 percent of illegal U.S. marijuana farming,' has shown a drastic increase in the use of nationally restricted fertilizers and pesticides such as carbofuran and zinc phosphide, ecologists say.

'Increasingly, dangerous, unregistered pesticides are being encountered by law enforcement officers who investigate illegal marijuana grows,' Special Agent-in-Charge of the Environmental Protection Agency criminal enforcement program, Jay M. Green, announced in a public release.



+7 Illegal marijuana farms are corrupting ecosystems on the West Coast



+7 Thousands of used butane cans used to process concentrated marijuana dumped in the forest in Humboldt County, California



+7 Fertilizer seen in a makeshift pond with irrigation hoses attached in order to funnel water to grow sites in Mendocino County is California

'Through their indiscriminate application, these unregistered pesticides pollute our lands and waters, create a significant safety risk to humans and animals, and present a mounting cleanup expense for taxpayers.'

Expert ecologist Mourad Gabriel, who reports over the issue for the U.S. Forest Service, said California is utilizing '41 times more solid fertilizers and 80 times more liquid pesticides' than the state's initial reported cited in 2013.

Chemicals of these kind have been linked to health defects and death in both animals and humans.

The agency cited 'a single swallow can be fatal to a small child, and carbofuran to be 'highly toxic to vertebrates and birds. In granular form, a single grain will kill a bird; for humans, one quarter of a teaspoon is a sufficient dose to be fatal.'



+7 Ecologist Mourad Gabriel said California is utilizing '41 times more solid fertilizers and 80 times more liquid pesticides' than the state's initial reported amount in 2013



+7 Blue tinted water with fertilizer at an illegal marijuana growing site in Mendocino County, California

The Environmental Protection Agency announced in 2011 the department would ban the inorganic chemical compound zinc phosphide.

Included in the unpublished data accessed by Reuters, Gabriel said federal land in California currently holds '731,000 pounds of solid fertilizer, 491,000 ounces of concentrated liquid fertilizer and 200,000 ounces of toxic pesticides.'

Illegal pot growers could face jail time and numerous charges for growing illegally, while taxpayers could expect to be left with hefty bills to aid in the sterilization of the toxic waste sites.



+7 A pot growing greenhouse is nestled into a clearing in Shelter Cove



+7 Taxpayers could expect to be left with hefty bills to aid in the sterilization of toxic waste sites

Since marijuana was legalized in the state of California, officials have been pushing to properly license growers and carefully supervise the production, testing and distribution of hemp.

Supervisor of Trinity County Keith Groves said there are roughly 4,000 illegal growers in the region currently.

'I'll be happy if we can get 500 of them to become licensed,' he told Reuters.

The expense and danger of cleanup has created a backlog of 639 illegal marijuana farms awaiting restoration in California, according to U.S. Forest Service data compiled for Reuters. Each farm covers up to 50 acres.

'We're getting contamination over and over again at those locations,' said Gabriel, as toxins move from unsafe containers into the soil and water.

At sites that state officials said they had cleaned up completely, his team found 30-50 percent of the chemicals were still there.

'They are like superfund sites,' said Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar,




BUILDING THE LA RAZA 'The Race' WELFARE STATE ON MIDDLE AMERICAS' BACKS: Months ago, the Biden administration publicly defended their proposal to begin providing federal identification cards to border crossers and illegal aliens who they plan to release into American communities. The goal of the proposal is to make securing public benefits easier.
Joe Kaufman, Republican congressional candidate from Broward, became the butt of a Daily Show joke when asked by Jason Jones to define a simple word in the name of his Islam-bashing group, Americans Against Hate.

Jones: What is your definition of "against?"

Kaufman: Ahh....(pause)....What is the definition of "against?"

Jones: Yeah

Kaufman: Ahh.... going against something that you believe is wrong

Jones: Well, you just used the same word

Kaufman: I know. But I don't exactly have a dictionary in front of me to figure that out

But, for now, this is a win for Kaufman. Getting mocked on liberal-leaning Daily Show isn't bad for a Republican (more here). And being an Islam basher isn't a killer in heavily Jewish South Florida. But it's a pretty disastrous prospect to be defined as an object of mockery, even if Kaufman was caught off guard. If Kaufman makes it out of the primary, he'll likely go up against Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who's not just beloved in her heavily liberal district. She can define words like "against."

Here's Kaufman's press release, explaining himself:
@alextdaugherty

Sen. Marco Rubio threw cold water over a plan backed by President Donald Trump that would curtail legal immigration and prioritize highly skilled English-speaking immigrants over immigrants with family ties to the United States during an interview with CBS 4 interview on Sunday.

"That bill's not going to pass," Rubio said to CBS 4's Rick Folbaum. "I think the White House knows that you don't have 60 votes for that in the Senate."

Rubio expressed support for prioritizing immigrants with skills after the White House backed the plan last week. But he stopped short of explicitly endorsing the bill, authored by Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia, dubbed the Raise Act.

"It actually has elements of it that were part of the 2013 proposal," Rubio said, referring to his bipartisan immigration overhaul effort which failed after the House decided not to vote on it. "In 2013 the very controversial Gang of Eight, four Democrats and four Republicans, proposed moving legal immigration to a merit-based system."

Rubio said he supports a point-based system that rewards immigrants for skills like knowing English.

"It wouldn't be entirely merit-based but it would be more merit-based and it has to be in the 21st century," Rubio said.

Folbaum pressed Rubio over what a merit-based system would mean for immigrants like Rubio's parents, who worked in a variety of low-skilled jobs after they immigrated to the U.S. in the 1950s.

"When my parents came here in 1956 we had a very different economy," Rubio said. "We had an economy that had a plethora of low-wage, low-skilled jobs. That's not the case anymore and our immigration system needs to reflect it. Our laws always are adjusted for the era in which we lived in."

Though Rubio supports giving more points on merit and less points for family connections, he did differ from Trump, Cotton and Perdue on one part of the proposal: cutting the number of legal immigrants in half.

"I don't want to limit legal immigration, I certainly want to change the way we conduct it," Rubio said. "Where I probably have a big difference of opinion with this bill is that it sets an arbitrary cap on the number of people that are able to come through with a green card. I don't think that should be an arbitrary cap, that number should be driven by demand."

Rubio was also asked about the possibility of running against Trump in 2020 if the president continues to struggle in the polls.

Not surprisingly, Rubio said he wasn't interested.

"I am enjoying my service in the Senate," Rubio said. "I think thats a hypothetical that isnt even worth exploring because it isn't going to happen that way. I expect the performance in the White House will improve significantly now with Gen. (John) Kelly there."
PITTSBURGH  When Becky Barr was little, she memorized her mother's credit card number and dialed into QVC to buy presents. She would then inform her bemused mom that even though the credit card was still in her pocketbook at work, a new watch was on its way.

Decades later, Barr, who lives just outside Pittsburgh, is on a first-name basis with the UPS driver who delivers her QVC orders.

"He knows if I'm not in one place, he'll bring it to me (at the other)," Barr said, adding that on a good week, she makes multiple purchases. "It's one of those things, 'You know you have a problem when ...' "

Barr is one of scores of shoppers who were shocked to learn in July that QVC, Liberty Interactive's home shopping television network, is merging with its longtime rival, the Home Shopping Network.

QVC, which already owned a 38 percent stake in HSN, announced the $2.1 billion deal on July 6.

The merger comes at a moment of shake-ups in the retail world, with companies like Amazon and Walmart expanding their e-commerce capabilities as many brick-and-mortar chains struggle. USA Today calculated that the combined companies ranked sixth in global e-commerce sales in 2016, trailing behind retailers like Amazon and Apple.

Uniting the networks strengthens them as a collective home shopping resource, but the two have very different profiles.

HSN got its start in Florida in 1977 when a radio station owner decided to auction off more than a hundred electric can openers over the air, leading to the creation of the "Suncoast Bargaineers" radio show. QVC  which stands for Quality Value Convenience  launched in 1986 in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

The two networks appealed to shoppers nationally. The first item QVC sold  an $11.49 shower radio  reached nearly 8 million homes in 1986 and brought in more than $110 million in sales during the year.

But viewership has decreased for both networks as a new generation of consumers turns to online shopping. While QVC still tapes in front of a live studio audience, both networks have added digital platforms like websites and apps.

QVC.com launched just over two decades ago, and nearly 58 percent of its e-commerce sales are now from mobile phones. The network also started streaming live programming on Facebook last year, which it said has reached 15 million people. HSN reported last year that digital efforts made up about 54 percent of its business.

***

A seemingly endless stream  QVC broadcasts 24 hours a day, 364 days a year  of pitches for cosmetics, exercise gear, jewelry and clothing  complete with hands-on demonstrations, bantering hosts and lots of "oohs" and "aahs"  can make for good parody, but also good publicity.

Celebrities like Marie Osmond, Rachael Ray, Lisa Rinna and Nicole Richie have appeared on the networks, and hosts and presenters can claim a similar status when it comes to name recognition from their loyal viewers.

QVC and HSN have also spawned fan communities. One private 7,260-member Facebook group called QVC Beauty Addicts formed over three years ago as a space for customers to post beauty product reviews, questions and deal alerts.

Barr is a part of it. So are Jan Aiello and Siobhan Huck, both of the Pittsburgh area.

And even as they wait to see what the merger means for them, members of this community have very definite opinions about the two networks.

***

For many loyal customers, the merger raises questions about convenience  some brands are specific to one network  and identity, as shoppers say QVC and HSN each have their own personality.

"It's going to be a wait-and-see thing, if they're going to keep separate identities," said Jan Aiello, who has shopped with QVC since 1995 and with HSN for more than a decade. "I would hope they would, because they each offer different things and each have positives and negatives."

Aiello said she has always considered QVC to be a bigger corporation and a more professional network, while HSN used to look like it was "broadcasting out of somebody's living room or something." She believes HSN has better customer service and is quicker with returns. And it sends out 20-percent-off coupons.

On average, Aiello buys from QVC about once a week and from HSN a few times a month, but she orders almost daily during the holidays.

***

"I don't watch it on TV  I mostly skim through my iPhone to see what they've had on," she said. "It's funny how something can be a flop on one station and on the next station it takes off."

Unlike Aiello, Barr shops only with QVC. She was put off years ago by the way HSN would change its prices during the countdown clock.

She has noticed that often, brands flip back and forth between the two networks. She said it is not uncommon for a line of products that has been carried on HSN to disappear and resurface on QVC and vice versa.

For example, Smashbox Cosmetics and Birkenstock shoes can now be found only on HSN.

Barr is not worried that brand identities and specific products will get lost in the merger. In fact, she predicted the merger would open up doors for shoppers like herself who order from only one network and might be missing out on items offered on the other.

"I only think it would be a positive thing for everyone, to be honest," she said.

***

Huck, who shops with QVC and HSN, questions what the deal means for the distinct benefits each network offers.

While both allow shoppers to pay for items in installments through Easy Pay and FlexPlay options and have reduced shipping costs, only HSN offers discounted shipping if multiple orders are placed in a single day.

And it remains to be seen whether any relationships with brands will be terminated.

"What are they going to take away and what are they going to keep?" Huck wondered. "HSN can be a nice change from QVC  it would be unfortunate if they became too similar or obsolete altogether."

***

All three women found out about the QVC-HSN merger through the Beauty Addicts page, where news articles and reaction posts "lit up" the group in a mix of positive and negative responses.

Huck described it as "very interactive" and said people post questions, often asking for general recommendations or specific reviews.

Barr offered to be one of the group's administrators, approving people's requests to join and moderating posts. She said the group usually gets a couple of new members each day, with a surge of requests whenever a QVC host mentions the page  as many as 44 in a single day recently.

While posters are reminded to be respectful, Barr said arguments occasionally occur because people feel strongly about particular products. In one recent hairy situation, group members argued about a shampoo that some loved, while some claimed it caused hair loss.

"What I like about our group is it's not all sunshine and rainbows," Barr said. "If they don't like it, they want you to know."

Aiello is a member of several other groups, including a Beauty Addicts spinoff called Q-ool Chicks. In this group, she has gotten to know a lot of women whom she has not needed to meet in person to earn the label of close friends.

"I feel like they're like my best friends almost, because we have shared a lot of things, not just beauty," Aiello said.

She added that Facebook, unlike online product reviews, allows consumers to take the reviewer's age and skin type into consideration.

Following the merger announcement, the group saw an influx of posts about the uncertainty that accompanies the QVC-HSN deal for loyal shoppers nationwide.

"There are people thinking like me that it could be a good thing and it's too soon to really react," Aiello said. "I'm somebody who likes change most of the time ... so it's kind of exciting to see where this is going to go. And I think there's been some other people that feel the same way  it could be something beneficial to all of us."

While no one knows exactly what the deal is yet, home shopping enthusiasts agree: Only time will tell.
This weekends cooler temperatures are bringing a much needed respite to western Montana as fires calm down momentarily.

Missoula saw near-normal temperatures over the weekend as a persistent easterly wind helped push smoke to the south and west.

Dave Noble, a meteorologist at the Missoula National Weather Service office said that a backdoor cold front would be rolling into western Montana in the middle of the coming week, dropping temperatures but also bringing smoke from the Canadian fires raging farther west.

Rice Ridge fire: While cooler temperatures and higher humidity have slowed the fires growth, smoke and an errant drone have caused delays and groundings for the aircraft assigned to the fire. Firefighters are working on fireproofing houses, thinning fuel and testing pumps in case they are needed.

Pre-evacuation orders are still in effect, and the American Red Cross has opened a shelter at the Potomac Community Center, 29827 Potomac Road. There is no cost and all evacuees are welcome.

A public meeting was scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday at Seeley Lake Elementary School.

Sapphire complex: The Sapphire complex is up to 617 personnel working the three fires that have now burned more than 20,000 acres in the Rock Creek drainage.

The Goat Creek fire is up to 7,659 acres with 55 percent containment as crews continue to patrol and extinguish hot spots near Rock Creek and Brewster Creek roads. A Hotshot crew completed a line tying the southern edge of the fire to the eastern portion Sunday, while crews continue to reinforce direct lines on the southern border of the fire.

The Little Hogback fire has burned 14,786 acres and is still 0 percent contained. Crews are currently working on indirect line construction and preventative burning as they prep structures while protecting Red and Yellow evacuation zones in the Rock Creek and Willow Creek drainages, according to Inciweb.

The Sliderock fire is at 837 acres and is 20 percent contained, as fire crews are monitoring and holding the fire line to the south of the fire while using aircraft to slow the northern expansion of the fire.

Liberty fire: The Liberty fire is at 3,769 acres and has reached 80 percent containment.

The fire has slowed, with observed behavior noted as minimal, backing, smoldering, and creeping while heavy fuels burn out according to Inciweb.

Currently, the action plan is to improve fire lines while monitoring inaccessible portions of the fire using aircraft and other observation tools.

Sunrise and Burdette fires: The Sunrise and Burdette Fires continue to burn as dry cold fronts have increased wind activity while promoting growth into previously unburned areas, according to Inciweb.

The Sunrise fire is at 12,900 acres and 15 percent containment with over 500 personnel assigned. Wind changes have caused the fire to move into previously unburned areas, while burnout operations around structures in Quartz Creek, Quartz Flats and Sunrise Creek have effectively directed the main fire front around these communities.

The Burdette fire is still growing slowly and is currently at 645 acres and 60 percent containment. Crews are "building handline, hotspotting, and cold trailing to confine the fire to its current footprint, meaning the potential for fire movement has significantly decreased, according to Inciweb.

Lolo Peak fire: The Lolo Peak Fire is at 7,177 acres and is still at 0 percent containment as crews are building indirect line away from the fire due to the rugged and difficult terrain in the Lolo Peak area.

John Peterson, a public information officer for the Lolo Peak fire, said that the fire hasnt been doing much the last couple days and the fire has been expanding slowly. We have to be careful for the firefighters, Peterson said.

Planned actions for the Lolo Peak fire involve using the three Type 1 helicopters assigned to the fire to limit flare-ups and check unwanted growth while fire crews improve primary control lines.
Firefighters from across the nation saluted one of their own when Brent Withams body was delivered to the Missoula Aerial Fire Depot for a flight back to his home base in California on Monday.

More than 500 people, including dozens of elite Hotshot crews, formed ranks to watch as Vista Grande Hotshot Withams casket was loaded into a U.S. Forest Service Sherpa plane. The 29-year-old firefighter from Mentone, California, died Wednesday, Aug. 2, while felling trees on the Lolo Peak fire south of Missoula.

A funeral procession led by Montana Highway Patrol cruisers passed through a corridor of Hotshot buggies, or crew trucks, all with their signal lights flashing. After the hearse parked near the airplane, the assembled firefighters walked single-file onto the flight apron usually reserved for retardant bombers and smokejumper planes.

Every guy in that line hates having their picture taken right now, Forest Service spokesman David Smith said as the firefighters raised a slow salute to Withams body. A bagpipe trio played Amazing Grace as six uniformed pallbearers loaded the flag-draped casket into the rear cargo door of the Sherpa.

The door closed at 9:45 a.m., and 15 minutes later the Sherpa took off for the flight to San Bernardino, California, operating base of the Vista Grande Hotshots. Withams family and Forest Service officials were arranging a memorial service for him in California on Thursday.

Friends and coworkers recalled the 10-year firefighting veteran as a hardworking team member whod worked his way up from filling retardant planes through ground- and engine-crew experience to eventually join one of the nations top firefighting Hotshot units. The 20-person teams must meet tougher physical requirements than typical Type 1 firefighters and have more extensive training in fire control tactics and equipment.

Smith said details of Withams death are still being compiled for a learning analysis of the incident.

Witham was the second firefighter killed by a falling tree in western Montana in two weeks. Grayback Forestry Inc. firefighter Trenton Johnson of Missoula died July 19 while his team was preparing to confront a half-acre fire northeast of Seeley Lake. Falling trees killed 4 percent of the 440 firefighters who died on the job between 1990 and 2014, according to statistics compiled by the National Interagency Fire Center.

The Lolo Peak fire has burned 7,292 acres in the mountains 10 miles southwest of Lolo as of Monday afternoon. An air inversion over the Bitterroot Valley blocked Lolo Peak from view from the airport as the Sherpa flew off to the west.
Billings attorney and restaurant owner John Heenan announced Monday he will seek the Democratic nomination for Montana's lone seat in the U.S. House next year.

The seat is currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, who defeated Democrat Rob Quist in a special election this spring to fill the seat vacated by Ryan Zinke, now Secretary of the Interior.

Heenan becomes the first Democrat to register a campaign committee to challenge the Bozeman Republican, who garnered wide attention after a bizarre election-eve assault on a reporter on May 24.

Gianforte has said he will run to keep his seat. No other Republicans have announced they are running.

Heenan, who has no previous political experience, said he started considering a bid before last May's election.

I watched Greg Gianforte spend millions of his own money to run for public offices that pay less than $175,000 a year. From the outside looking in, it felt like he was buying his way into power. That concerned me.

Heenan said he was also troubled by Gianfortes assault on a reporter and subsequent false statements about it. Gianforte body-slammed Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs and his campaign later released a statement blaming Jacobs.

Jacobs was asking about Gianfortes stance on Congressional efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. In a call Gianforte held with supporters before the special election, the then-candidate said he was "thankful" for the bill, while he had been telling Montana press he was undecided. The New York Times first reported Gianforte's comments on a call with lobbyists.

The icing on the cake to me was when he told all of us that he hadnt made up his mind about the health care bill and then got caught privately telling the donors and special interest folks that he was thankful, Heenan said Monday.

Health care will be a top issue of the Billings lawyer's campaign. Heenan cited clients hes represented who had to declare bankruptcy because of illness, saying hes dealt with the effects of a flawed system first hand and would advocate for a single-payer approach.

Ive seen the carnage that is our health care system and I believe strongly that we need to patch the holes in the net and the way to do that is Medicare for everyone.

His work has also brought to his attention consumer protection issues, something he said Gianforte does not side with Montanans on. Heenan referenced Gianforte's vote with other House Republicans to pass the Financial Choice Act, which would to roll back financial regulations on large financial institutions.

Heenan also cast himself as the opposite of Gianforte, who was a Bozeman businessman who became wealthy after starting RightNow Technology and selling it to Oracle in 2011 for $1.8 billion.

Im not a politican. I wont give politician answers. I have a view of how to make Montana better and how to make Montana work for the 99.9 percent that dont have a voice in Washington, Heenan said.

Last year Heenan joined with the Commissioner of Political Practices Office to prosecute a case against Art Wittich, a former Republican state representative from Bozeman who was found guilty of campaign finance violations.

He was also working for the office on a case against Billings attorney Emily Jones, who is accused of withholding evidence in a political practice lawsuit. During last year's election for a seat on the state Supreme Court, he requested the emails of candidate Kristen Juras, which produced conversations about religious freedom lawsuits that upset anti-discrimination groups. Juras lost to Dirk Sandefur.

Heenan said he feels Montana is in danger of returning to the days of the Copper Kings, magnates William A. Clark, Marcus Daly and Augutus Heinze who became wealthy from copper mining in Butte and used their money to influence elections and in some cases win them for themselves in the late 1890s and early 1900s

As Montanans we pushed to get campaign finance laws in place 100 years ago," Heenan said. "One of my top priorities is we need to amend the Constitution to reverse this terrible Citizens United decision and put us back to common sense. People should have a voice in democracy, not corporations with billions of dollars and not billionaires who use their money to buy influence.

While Montana has long been held up as an example of strong campaign finance laws, made tougher with the passage of the Disclose Act in 2015, the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling in 2010 gave corporations the ability to spend heavily in elections.

Heenan also said he would advocate to preserve funding for Planned Parenthood and work to preserve public access to public lands.

Acknowledging the race he's entering is likely to be expensive, in part because of Gianforte's ability to self-finance, Heenan said he had his work cut out for him if he makes it past the primary.

Youre not going to out-money Greg Gianforte. I certainly know that. Frankly this all starts at a grassroots level,'' he said. "No one knows who I am across the state. I understand that. Ive got a lot of people to introduce myself to.

Heenan was born in Pennsylvania and attended the University of Montana. He is married to Meagan Heenan and has four children, ages 14, 11, 8 and five. He also owns a restaurant in Billings that serves local food and in the past was an over-the-road trucker and forklift driver.
DEER LODGE  A man shot four times by a sheriff's deputy in Powell County on Friday has been identified as Mark William Collins, 61, Sheriff Scott Howard said during a news conference Monday.

The incident occurred when Collins attempted to ram the deputy's patrol car for a second time on a rural road north of Deer Lodge.

Collins remains in the intensive care unit in St. Patrick's Hospital in Missoula with bullet wounds to his shoulder and mouth area, the sheriff said, adding that they are non-life-threatening injuries.

The man's hometown, according to a public records search by The Montana Standard, is Philomath, Oregon, south of Salem. Howard said the 1989 Dodge van he was driving with Oregon plates was registered to him. The sheriff said they don't know a lot about Collins, but it appears he might have been panhandling and sleeping in the van. Collins moved all over the country and has an extensive criminal record, he said.

Howard did not identify the deputy, who has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation, but said the officer and his family are doing fine.

"Nobody wants to go through something like that; but the suspect was going to take after him or someone else. It was pretty strange behavior," Howard said.

"A vehicle is no different than a gun, especially with a full-size van versus a smaller vehicle. It is proven the deputy was going to get injured or disabled, and after witnessing the suspect trying to crash into others, the public safety was also at risk. Collins was randomly after anyone coming down the road," he said.

Collins has not yet been arrested, but when he is, the state Division of Criminal Investigation and County Attorney Lewis Smith will file charges. Howard said he expects one charge will be attempted deliberate homicide with a vehicle, but there are other people who are victims, too.

Mark Hilyard, an agent with the DCI, is investigating the incident.

The sheriff said Friday that several 911 calls from excited callers came in about 4:30 a.m. reporting an eastbound vehicle heading the wrong way on Interstate 90 and later traveling westbound in the wrong lane.

When officers were unable to find the vehicle on the interstate, the deputy, in an unmarked car, began searching secondary roads including the north frontage road.

One of the callers who reported the van on Interstate 90 went to the truck stop at Deer Lodge and was on his way to work at Rock Creek. He was surprised when the same van attempted to ram him, the sheriff said. He avoided being hit by driving into the ditch. It was later discovered that Collins had driven off the interstate highway and through the fence onto the frontage road.

The deputy spotted the van on the Beck Hill overpass north of Deer Lodge. When the suspect saw the patrol car, he attempted to ram it, but the deputy drove into the ditch to avoid being hit. He turned around and activated his emergency lights. At that time, the suspect tried to ram the deputy's car several times by repeatedly backing into it, the sheriff said.

When a resident pulled out of his driveway on the way to work, Collins tried to ram him. The vehicle Collins was chasing turned onto the Rock Creek Cattle Co. road; Collins overshot the road and went into the ditch, the sheriff said. The deputy stopped, and the van came backward at high speed, hitting the patrol car, shoving it sideways. Collins then pursued the pickup he was first chasing, but the driver was able to speed away on a side road.

Collins turned around at the intersection and at a high rate of speed came at the deputy in an attempt to hit him, Howard said. The deputy got out of his vehicle and discharged an AR-15 rifle; the van veered off into the ditch about 40 yards past the patrol car, he said.

"The deputy was justified in using deadly force because he faced the potential of serious bodily injury or death and to protect the public safety," Howard said at the news conference.

Howard said, after the shooting, Collins was alert and talking. The deputy and a city police officer removed him from the van and rendered first aid until the Powell County Ambulance arrived. Collins was transported to the Deer Lodge Medical Center and later to St. Patrick's Hospital in Missoula where he remains under 24/7 guard in ICU.

Howard said a blood sample was taken to test for alcohol or drugs, but a report from the Montana Crime Lab is not yet available.

"No weapon was found in the vehicle; but the van was definitely being used as a weapon against the deputy and the public," he said. "If the incident had occurred a few minutes later, more people would have been at risk. When I arrived at the scene, about 25 people headed to work at the Rock Creek Cattle Co. subdivision were there.

"People are more mobile today than they've ever been, and there are a lot of angry people. This is my 31st year in law enforcement, and we're running into things in rural Montana that we've not experienced before," he said.

According to public records, Collins has a criminal record, mostly in Oregon, dating back more than 20 years including multiple felony forgery charges; multiple theft and robbery charges; and charges of felon in possession of a firearm, kidnapping, and possession of a controlled substance. He also has been charged with multiple parole violations and a variety of other crimes including unauthorized use of a vehicle, attempted assault, possession of a forged instrument, negotiating a bad check, unauthorized use of food stamps, failure to appear, obstructing an officer, and several driving and traffic charges.

People with information about Collins are asked to call the Powell County Sheriff's Office at 406-846-2711.
BOZEMAN  A Montana sheriff was injured when his motorcycle struck a deer in central Montana.

Gallatin County Sheriff Brian Gootkin was injured Saturday in the collision near White Sulphur Springs. He was airlifted to a Great Falls hospital for treatment and is expected to make a full recovery.
Few can dispute that the Trump presidency is unwinding before our very eyes. The White House staff is being changed faster than a stunned populace and press corps can keep up with as this most childish of presidents rages and rants, disputes and denounces, assaults and insults administration members, Congress, legislation and of course, the press that is tasked with trying to find truth in this most mendacious of politicians. The upside, however, is both surprising and positive and for that, at least, Trump should be given credit.

For one thing, the vast majority of Americans no longer trust or believe Donald Trump. While thats a very bad thing for a sitting president, its good that Americans are having their naive belief in the sanctity of the presidency brought back to earth by Trumps endless lies and antics. Obviously, we can elect fools in this country, and that lesson should be carried in our hearts and minds going forward from Trumps "reign of error."

We have also learned that, in our democracy, its best not to play the nepotism game. While Trump has surrounded himself with family members appointed to positions for which they are totally unfit, the wisdom of anti-nepotism laws becomes manifest. His family members appear to be the only people in the world that Trump trusts, but that doesnt mean they are the best people for the difficult jobs in which he has put them.

Good case in point is certainly Jared Kushner who, besides suggesting secret back-channel communications with the Russians, is now being subpoenaed by a federal attorney for possible misuse of the federal EB-5 program in which wealthy foreign investors receive visas for themselves and their families by investing in building projects. Fits, doesnt it, with Trumps world view and rabid immigration policies where most are shut out, but if you have the money, you can buy your way in to anywhere, including U.S. citizenship.

Trump has also awakened the understanding in Congress that they are, indeed, a separate and equal branch of government that has, as one of its most fundamental tasks, to provide checks and balances on the executive branch, i.e., Trump.

Nothing illustrates this better than the recent Russian sanctions bill, which was approved almost unanimously by this severely divided Congress only to have Trump declare it unconstitutional while signing it into law. Its obviously cognitive dissonance on the presidents part, but an open and ugly insult to Congress, which clearly has the legal power to determine if and when to sanction other nations, despite Trumps claims of infringing on the power of the presidency.

But what may be the single greatest upside to the Trump disaster is the destruction of the long-standing myth that government should be run like a business. Its been repeated ad nauseum by Republicans and Democrats and never has been true since, fundamentally, government and business are two vastly different societal functions.

Whereas Trump still behaves like hes running his real estate empire, the reality is he simply cannot do what he wants, anytime he wants, to whomever he wants. Thats what the checks and balances of the judiciary and legislative branches of government are all about.

In short, Trumps presidency is an unmitigated disaster, but the silver lining to that very dark cloud is a strengthening of the roles of government, an increasing sense of independence from the White House, and the clarification that our government is not a business to be run by a crazed CEO  a very good upside to Trumps otherwise chaotic presidency.
It is claimed that one of the reasons for Donald Trumps popularity is a severe aversion to the political games that have come to dominate our elections.

So, it is with dark amusement we watch U.S. Sen. Steve Daines gaming U.S. Sen. Jon Testers bill to stop large-scale mining at the doorstep of Yellowstone Park, thus providing protection for the many businesses and livelihoods which rely on the relative pristine values found in this corner of Montana.

Daines claims to be preparing his own balanced bill, about which he would not discuss specifics of the different options contained therein. He did say that Jons bill will go nowhere. He is obviously counting on the current Senate polarity negating any bipartisan unity behind this locally united front.

It is consistent to knock another senators bill in order to undermine its, at this point, overwhelming public support, without revealing any better options promised in some proposed future bill.

Who can forget nearly eight years of the promise to repeal and possibly replace the Affordable Care Act? Also, lets not forget Senator Daines abject criticism of the ACA.

Tim Crawford,

Belgrade
The symbol of the blindfolded Lady Justice holding balanced scales represents legal impartiality and equal treatment under the law. The website Reference.com states, With regards to impartiality, the blindfold ensures that the law offers no leniency on account of outward appearance, nor the opposite. The scales also indicate the desire to treat all even-handedly, despite wealth, station, or any other criteria.

However, in Augusta, Georgia, when it comes to setting bail, sometimes Lady Justice removes the blindfold and places a thumb on the scale.

For example, two Augusta, Georgia teenagers were arrested on two different occasions. The first teenager was an 18-year-old black male arrested on March 28 and charged with entering vehicle to commit theft or felony. He was given a bail amount of $4,600.

Likewise, the second teenager was an 18-year-old white female arrested on Oct. 3, 2016, and charged with entering vehicle to commit theft or felony. She was given a bail amount of only $971.43.

As indicated by the noticeably different bail amounts, it appears Lady Justice may have played the racism card. As a result, the white female teenager was rewarded with a lower bail amount because of white privilege, while the black male teenager was penalized with a higher bail amount because of Dred Scott.

Kevin Palmer,

Martinez, Georgia
Human rights in China have not gotten any better.

In June 2016, Congress passed House Resolution 343 condemning the Chinese government for sanctioning the pillaging of organs from Falun Gong and other prisoners of conscience.

Falun Gong is a Buddha School teaching whose principles are truthfulness, compassion and tolerance. On July 20, 1999, over 18 years ago, this teaching was outlawed by the Chinese communist government as it was becoming too popular and they wanted it eliminated.

In 2006, investigators found those arrested were being blood-typed, killed and their organs sold for transplantation.

Illinois, Pennsylvania and Minnesota have passed resolutions condemning Chinas organ pillaging; these states alert their citizens to what is happening in China. Montana should do the same.

There is a Senate Resolution 220 which condemns the Chinese Communist Partys violent suppression of the Falun Gong spiritual practice, including the killing of practitioners and selling their organs for transplant. This resolution is an important step in further exposing this crime against humanity and will help our medical community make informed decisions to avoid becoming an accomplice.

Please sign this petition encouraging U.S. Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines to co-sponsor resolution: StopOrganharvesting.org.

Katherine Combes,

Kalispell
Police reports

Break-in, assault

A 27-year-old Butte man faces an assortment of criminal charges after police said he broke into a home where the mother of his 1-year-old child was staying, assaulted her with a wrench, vandalized the car of a male at the residence, and kicked out the window of a patrol car after his arrest.

Jacob Liedle was arrested outside a house on the 1800 block of Florida Street at 11:30 p.m. Sunday. He initially resisted police calls to stop then turned around and was seen to be holding a wrench. He eventually dropped the wrench and was arrested. In the process of cuffing him, police noticed a cut on his hand that required medical attention.

Witnesses told police that the female and male victims were watching TV inside a house in that block when they heard the sound of glass breaking and a loud bang from outside. As they got up to investigate, Liedle broke in through a sliding glass door, breaking it with the wrench, police said. The female victim hid in a bedroom where the 1-year-old baby was sleeping, and Liedle forced his way into the room, broke the TV in the room, and assaulted the female, hitting her on the side of the head with the wrench.

She managed to get outside and call police.

The baby was not injured, and the male victim suffered only cuts on his feet from broken glass.

Police transported Liedle to St. James Healthcare, but on the way, he kicked out the rear window of the patrol car, police said. He initially refused medical treatment but eventually was stitched up and taken to jail. The female victim was taken to St. James for medical treatment.

Liedle was charged with several felonies, including partner assault with a weapon, felony criminal endangerment for endangering the child, two counts of assault with a weapon, aggravated burglary, and criminal mischief. He was also charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest.

Grandma assaulted in cop car

Police were called at 5 a.m. Sunday to the 4800 block of Hope Road to check a disturbance involving two women. Police said they found Rhonda Gooding, 55, there with her sister and her 90-year-old grandmother. Gooding was intoxicated and not welcome at the home, which was her sister's, police said. Police were giving Gooding and her grandmother a ride to a hotel when Gooding grasped her grandmother's upper arm, causing her pain and bruising, according to the police report. Police then charged Gooding with partner-family member assault and took her to jail and took the grandmother back to Gooding's sister's house.

After-hours encounter

At 3:30 a.m. Saturday, police were called to the Party Palace at Park and Main Streets. An employee was swamping out the bar when a man repeatedly knocked on the door, asking to get in. After he was told the bar was closed, he left but came back a few minutes later and threw an outside barstool into the middle of the street, police said.

The bar employee went outside and was assaulted by the man, he told police.

Officers who responded arrested Cornelius Sublett, 24, of Huntsville, Alabama, who was charged with misdemeanor assault and criminal mischief.

Bozeman felony warrants

Gallatin County requested assistance Friday night after getting information that a man wanted there on felony warrants was in Butte.

Police said Shawn Arrants, 30, no known address, was wanted in Bozeman on charges of felony aggravated partner assault with a weapon and strangulation.

A Gallatin sheriff's deputy and Butte police found Arrants in a car on the 2700 block of Harrison Avenue. He initially resisted arrest but was taken to the ground, handcuffed, and jailed. He was charged with resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia. Another man in the car, Tyler Wetzel, 34, of Butte, was also arrested and charged with possession of dangerous drugs.

No sleeping, even if it is a motel

Police were summoned at 4:40 a.m. on Saturday to a motel on the 2700 block of Harrison Avenue, where they were told that a man who had been ejected earlier for sleeping in a second-floor hallway was back.

Police arrested Isaac Miller, 31, of Butte and charged him with criminal trespass. After the arrest, a syringe and a small amount of white crystal substance were found on him, so he was also charged with criminal possession of dangerous drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Burglary, drug charges

Police were summoned at 12:30 p.m. Saturday to a building on the 1000 block of Iowa Street by the owner, who reported a burglary was possibly in progress.

Matthew Allen, 29, of Butte was in the rear of the building when police arrived. He was in the process of removing items from the building, police said, including a rifle, a shotgun, ammunition, and a large light with a battery pack. The items were returned to the owner at the scene.

Allen was charged with felony burglary, criminal trespass, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Thousands of acres of Montanas forests and grasslands are on fire, the valleys around Missoula are choked with smoke, and the states firefighting funds are rapidly dwindling.

Forecasters didnt expect this summers fires to be quite this bad, but experts have long warned that we should prepare for larger and more intense wildfires with each passing year. Meanwhile, Montana and the other Western states most directly affected by catastrophic fires have been sounding the alarm about the urgent need to change the nations approach to wildfire prevention, suppression and funding.

It appears nobody is listening.

What more could it possibly take to convince Congress that immediate action is needed? The costs in terms of lost property and taxpayer dollars is many millions of dollars, and counting. The lasting damage done to personal livelihoods and public health is incalculable. And two firefighters have been killed battling fires in Montana this season alone  a tragedy that has no measure.

Yet it took pointed pressure from all three of Montanas congressional delegates to convince the Federal Emergency Management Agency to lend its aid to the Lodgepole Complex fires in eastern Montana, an action the agency initially resisted even after Gov. Steve Bullock signed an executive order declaring a fire emergency.

Despite persistent calls for reform, the nation still lacks a reliable source of wildfire-fighting funds, instead relying on the U.S. Forest Service to spend ever-larger portions of its budget fighting fires  instead of preventing them. The results of this policy are evident all across the scorched forests and fields of Montana. Clearly, something more needs to be done.

Last month, Governor Bullock announced plans to raise Montanas voice on the national stage. He hired a new chief of staff with federal experience: Tom Lopach, a former executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and U.S. Sen. Jon Testers former chief of staff. Lopach starts in his new position Monday.

And Bullock filed registration papers with the Federal Election Commission to form a new political action committee, named Big Sky Values, to fundraise for travel and appearances outside the state. He told reporters that he sought to add his perspective as a Democratic governor in a Republican-leaning state to the national conversation, and that the PAC would help him share Montanas story.

Bullock already holds a prominent national seat as vice chair of the National Governors Association, a position he was named to this summer. This means he will act as the organizations chairman after next summer.

In the meantime, Bullock is the 2017 chair of the Western Governors Association, a similarly bipartisan organization that seeks to find shared solutions to the challenges seen in Western states.

Wildfire is a challenge these states hold in common if ever there was one. If Bullock is sincere about elevating Montanas voice, and not just his own political prospects, he ought to use these influential positions to call for more effective action on the wildfires that threaten to burn up more of our public lands  and budgets  every year.

The $63 million Montana originally set aside for firefighting this biennium has been reduced by $30 million after automatic triggers tied to lower-than-expected revenue took effect. The governor and legislators agreed to patch up the budget with these funds well before the start of the wildfire season, not knowing that Montana would soon be grappling with the worst fires in the nation.

The state is currently fighting 20 large fires, and fire suppression efforts are costing about $1.5 million per day. The state spent $21 million fighting fires in July, leaving just $12 million left.

After the firefighting fund is emptied out, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation will start spending from the general fund. The department is authorized to use up to $22 million, and the fire emergency declaration authorized an additional $16 million.

FEMA will help cover 75 percent of the costs of fighting the states largest fires in the Lodgepole complex in eastern Montana, and the state is sharing costs with the U.S. Forest Service. The Forest Service, meanwhile, is now spending the majority of its budget on fire suppression. In 1995, the agency spent 16 percent of its annual appropriated budget on firefighting. In 2015, it spent more than 50 percent.

This leaves less money for the kinds of forest management that prevent wildfires in the first place.

Apart from the Forest Service, other federal agencies are being asked to provide assistance for those affected by severe drought, lost cattle and crops, farming equipment and fencing.

No state should have to beg the federal government for assistance to protect its people from the ever-growing threat of wildfires, or to help them recover from the damage caused by natural disasters. In fact, Western states with large amounts of federal land should have the assurance that the federal government will do its part to prevent such disasters in the future.

But such assurance requires a drastic shift in the way wildfire prevention and suppression is funded. Governor Bullock should be a vocal advocate for such change, and a force that unites across party lines to arrive at real solution.

We look to him for leadership on this issue. Wildfires are a matter of the utmost environmental and financial importance, at the nexus of federal, state and local public lands management. Finding a better way to manage them is critical to Montanas future  and to the nations as well.

-- The Missoulian
Editors note: Community Bulletin represents meetings or events that reoccur weekly or monthly. To make changes call 563-262-0534.

Tuesday

Organizations

Cedar Park Neighbors, 5 p.m., 1816 Logan St.

Free blood pressure checks daily, 10 a.m.2 p.m., Muscatine Urgent Care, 1903 Park Ave.

Farmers Market, 2:30-5:30 p.m., in front of the Muscatine Mall, 1903 Park Ave.

Friends of Muscatine Historic Preservation, 7 p.m. Walnut Room of First National Bank, corner of Walnut and Second Street, downtown Muscatine.

Izaak Walton League- Trap range open, 5 p.m.- 9 p.m., 2400 170th St., Muscatine.

Jessica Faye's Closet, 908 Ninth St., Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m., free clothing. For more information call 563-263-0800.

Jubilee Community Center, 3-6 p.m., 312 Iowa Ave., a safe gathering place for all ages.

Muscatine Adult Diabetes Support group- 6-7 p.m., Hy-Vee Food Store Club Room, 2400 Second Ave., (no meeting in July or December)

Muscatine Noon Kiwanis, noon-1 p.m., First Presbyterian Church 401 Iowa Ave., Muscatine.

Muscatine County Republican Central Committee, 7 p.m., County Administration Building, 414 E. Third St.

Pearl City Outreach, 513 Mulberry Ave., 9-10 a.m., free breakfast; 10 a.m.-2 p.m., food basket; 4:30-5:30 p.m., free supper.

Riverview Heights, 7 p.m., does not meet regularly, call Safe Streets for more information, 264-6062.

Salvation Army food pantry, 1000 Oregon St., hours 9-11:45 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. For an appointment, call 563-263-8272.

Together We Can-Walking Friends Group, 5:15-5:45 p.m., Muscatine Community YMCA, 1823 Logan St., meet in front lobby, inside walking option in inclement weather.

Support groups

Alcoholics Anonymous, noon, open, discussion, non-smoking, 704 S. Houser St.

Alcoholics Anonymous, open meeting, noon; 7 p.m., beginners meeting, steps 1-2-3, 704 S. Houser St.

Celebrate Recovery support group 7 p.m., at Church of Christ, 3603 N. Mulberry Ave., Muscatine. Open meeting. For more information, call 563-260-1504- or 563-260-3689.

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Group, 9-10:30 a.m., call the Muscatine Community Y for location schedule, 563-263-9996

Father's Support Group/"24/7 Dad's Group, 6-7:30 p.m., Muscatine Community Y.

Mother's Respite Group/Friends and Fitness: 9:45-11:4 a.m., Muscatine Community Y.

TOPS Iowa No. 1218, 6:30 p.m., Grandview Community Bible Church.

TOPS Iowa No. 551, 5 p.m., Church of Christ, 3603 Mulberry Ave.

Wilton Al-Anon, 6.45 p.m., Musser Public Library, 304 Iowa Ave., Muscatine

Library activities

Musser Public Library, Julie's Kitchen Table, 2:30 p.m.

West Liberty Library, 9:30 a.m., Morning Coffee Book Club. Bring your coffee and/or breakfast and join us. Childcare is provided by library staff, open to public.

Recreation

Muscatine Community Y, family swim, small pool: 5-7:30 a.m., noon-1 p.m., 2-4pm, 7:30-8:45 p.m.; rec swim, large pool: 1-4 p.m., 7:30-8:45 p.m.; open gym: 5-11:45 a.m., 1:30-2 p.m., 4:30-8:45 p.m.; participant child care: 8:45-11:30 a.m., 5-8:30 p.m.; free activities in Teen Center for middle school students: 4-7 p.m.
MUSCATINE  Renovations to Muscatine Community College's 40-year-old library will emphasize technology and collaborative learning, college officials said.

The $1.9 million library  which is expected to be completed Oct. 1, a month ahead of schedule  will have a modern design, rooms with glass walls and a new color palette of muted orange, green, blue and yellow. The space will include a new writing center with tables arranged in groups to foster collaboration, and large screens that will allow students to show their work to the group. There also will be a coffee shopa first on campus.

Its a game changer on campus for us  a real game changer, said Dean of Instruction Jeremy Pickard. In my mind, just the collaboration spaces for students and the ways you are able to teach and our writing lab  we dont have anything like that on campus.

Pickard said industry roles are becoming more collaborative, but existing spaces at MCC are not necessarily suited for such work. The new library, with its five collaboration rooms, updated Success Center and Veterans Center, will give the college's 1,600 students room to work together.

This change mirrors libraries across the country. A 2014 American Library Association report identified a trend toward libraries that feature open spaces, technology-rich rooms and enclosed spaces with glass walls. In academic libraries, the emphasis has been on creating "learning commons" where students can learn and create together.

With this increased emphasis on digital resources and technology, libraries have an opportunity to cull the printed materials collection. Nancy Luikart, associate dean for library services, said the new library will have fewer printed materials  older books and periodicals have been donated because of space constraints.

College President Naomi DeWinter said about 60 percent of the cost of the renovation is funded by donations, with the biggest gift coming from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust. Other organizations, such as the HNI Foundation, Kent Corporation and Monsanto also contributed. EICCs capital fund will pay for the balance, from money earmarked for facilities renovation and maintenance.

DeWinter said the library renovations are the first in a series of upgrades around campus. School officials are already working with an architect on next summers project: a virtual reality lab for science and agriculture courses in Strahan Hall.
Is there anyone who can point to the "Affordable Care Act" (aka Obamacare) and credibly claim it is accomplishing the goals set for it seven years ago?

Insurers are pulling out of the exchanges, premiums and related costs are going up, not down, as supporters of the misnamed law claimed they would. Many people who like their doctors are not being allowed to keep their doctors.

In a Facebook post last week, Obama himself didn't even bother to defend Obamacare. Instead, he criticized a proposed replacement, calling the Senate bill written by Republicans "a massive transfer of wealth from middle-class and poor families to the richest people in America."

Leaving aside whether the poor, and much of the middle class, have any wealth to transfer, much less to meet their own needs, who would know more about a massive transfer of wealth than Obama, whose own health care law is attempting to do just that?

In a statement following the release of a summary of the Senate Republican bill, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said: "In the coming days, we expect to receive a budget estimate on our plan. After that, we will proceed with a robust debate and an open amendment process on the Senate floor. I hope every senator engages. Senate Democrats may not have wanted to work with us in a serious way to address Obamacare's failures before, but I hope they will take this opportunity to do what's right for the American people now."

Good luck with that. In our politically polarized atmosphere, even a "Good morning" from a member of the opposition party might provoke a "says who?" response.

In business and in virtually every other area of life, when something doesn't work, most people would suggest trying another path. Not in Washington where failure is just another opportunity to spend more money. Here, it's all about intentions, feelings and appealing to "the base," not accomplishments. If your intention in supporting Obamacare was to fix what is wrong with health care that is all that matters, not whether your fix worked.

One senator is trying to solve a related problem that could serve as a model for his colleagues when it comes to a new health care bill. Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), who chairs the Budget Committee, wants to end duplicative government programs, along with unauthorized spending on programs whose legislative authority has expired. Enzi estimates duplicative government programs are costing taxpayers $310 billion and counting.

According to figures supplied to me by Enzi's office, there are hundreds of laws that duplicate each other. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro told a Senate panel in April that a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found 645 ideas in 249 areas that would reduce or eliminate overlapping and duplicative programs. So far, Dodaro testified, "...51 percent have been implemented, 31 percent partially implemented and 18 percent not implemented." More needs to be done.

The biggest challenge may be reducing unauthorized spending. Enzi says some spending is on "auto-pay" with some programs not having been re-authorized in 30 years. No wonder Ronald Reagan once quipped: "No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!"

Taxpayers are paying for 158 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs, and nearly 700 energy initiatives, according to GAO. Sen. Enzi wants to restore the historical link between authorizations and appropriations.

The real scandal in Washington has nothing to do with Russia. It is overspending, overtaxing and overreaching government. All of these programs, along with health care and unauthorized spending, can be fixed. All it takes is willpower and goodwill, two characteristics that are sorely lacking in Washington. While attention is focused on restructuring health insurance, Sen. Enzi is trying to highlight another problem that could save billions. His colleagues should listen and act.
MUSCATINE  The Iowa Attorney Generals Office said that 95 out of more than 4,200 untested sexual assault kits that have been sitting in evidence in law enforcement agencies across the state have been sent for testing as of Friday.

Eric Tabor, chief deputy Iowa Attorney General, said one of the 95 kits has been submitted from the Muscatine County Sheriff's Office. No kits have been submitted from the Muscatine Police Department. In addition, 17 were submitted from the Davenport Police Department, and one each from the Bettendorf Police Department and Scott County Sheriffs Office, he said.

Tabor said he expects the results to come back in the fall.

The submission of the kits is part of an ongoing effort by state and local officials to analyze the untested kits for potential evidence that could help prosecutors identify and charge assailants.

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller announced in March the results of the audit, known as the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, which found that there were 4,265 kits that have not been tested throughout the state. According to the audit, the Muscatine County Sheriff's Office has had seven untested sexual assault kits sitting in evidence, while the Muscatine Police Department has 28 untested kits.

The audit was the result of legislation passed in 2016 requiring the survey and a report to the Legislature. It is funded by a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice and is part of a nationwide effort to address a backlog of untested kits.

Iowa law requires law enforcement to retain sexual assault kits for 10 years for adult victims and 10 years following a minor victim's 18th birthday.

The law also has a separate statute of limitations for old sexual assault cases; the three-year time frame begins to run if, through the development of a DNA profile, investigators discover the identity of a previously unknown perpetrator, according to the attorney general's office.

The state survey found that 800 of the kits, or nearly 19 percent, were untested because the victim did not want to file charges. Lack of cooperation by the victim and doubt of the "truthfulness" of the accusation also were the most common reasons why kits are not sent, according to the survey.

Kits are provided by the state Division of Criminal Investigation, which also processes the kits at its crime lab in Ankeny.

The lab tests DNA from saliva, blood and semen as well as from sweat and skin. The sample then is uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System, or CODIS, to find a match to a suspect whose DNA sample already is registered in the national database. In Iowa, anyone convicted of a felony or a sex crime must submit a DNA specimen to that database.

The law enforcement agency that sent the kit can use a match in CODIS as evidence against a suspect.

Tabor said the state has contracted with Bode Cellmark Forensics, a private lab in North Carolina, to help test the kits and take some of the added caseload off the state crime lab.

He said the kits that have gotten priority for testing are those in which the statute of limitations may be in play.

Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane said he was happy to hear that a second lab would be testing kits.

Imagine youre a victim and information that is needed to make an arrest is eight or nine months out, he said. Its just ridiculous.
A roundup of state government and Capitol news items of interest for Monday:

DCA DIRECTOR STEPPING DOWN: Mary Cownie, director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs since January 2011, announced plans Monday to leave the post later this month. Her last day at the department will be Thursday, Aug. 17, according to a news release issued Monday by Gov. Kim Reynolds office. We have all benefited from Marys mission to stress the significance of our quality of life in Iowa and its role as an economic driver, Reynolds said in a statement. She has done a wonderful job at the Department of Cultural Affairs, and while we will greatly miss her, we will continue to feel the impact of her work for years to come. I wish her all the best. The departments deputy director, Chris Kramer, will serve as acting director until a new director is named, according to Reynolds office. Appointed by former Gov. Terry Branstad, Cownie oversaw the departments administrative functions and programs, along with the Iowa Arts Council, State Historical Society of Iowa and the Produce Iowa office.

IOWA DOES WELL: Gov. Kim Reynolds office Monday touted a new ranking that scored Iowa high for health care. According to the personal finance Website, Wallet.Hub.com, Iowa was ranked as second best for health care in 2017 among the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The governors office issued a news release noting that WalletHub used 35 measures of cost, accessibility and outcomes to determine where Americans receive the highest-quality services at the best prices. Iowa scored first for most hospital beds per capita and second for the lowest infant mortality rate. Iowa also was sixth nationally for the percentage of insured adults and 10th for the percent of insured children.

IOWA OFFERS NEW HISTORY RESOURCE: Students, teachers and other interested Iowans now have history virtually at their fingertips. Officials with the state Department of Cultural Affairs on Monday said scores of documents from the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Library of Congress now are available via a new free online resource now available at www.iowaculture.gov. Among the offerings are a video of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchevs 1959 visit to Coon Rapids at the height of the Cold War and a neatly typed script President Herbert Hoover used during his 1929 inaugural address. State officials say the trove of virtual treasures is the result of more than a year of research and almost $100,000 in grant funding from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program. The project was designed to help teachers develop lessons around first-hand accounts of major turning points in history. About 80 percent of the materials offer a national perspective, while the remaining 20 percent focus on Iowa. Were eager to give people a new tool to dig deeper into the past, said State Historical Society of Iowa Administrator Susan Kloewer. These multimedia documents bring history to life in ways that even the best textbooks simply cant. The direct link to all 12 new primary source sets is: https://iowaculture.gov/history/education/educator-resources/primary-source-sets.

DOT SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT: Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation will hold a meeting to gather public comments about the draft Iowa Statewide Transportation Improvement Program at its Ames headquarters later this month. The meeting will be held in the northwest wing first floor conference room at the Iowa DOT headquarters, 800 Lincoln Way, in Ames, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24. The draft STIP identifies all projects proposed to be authorized for funding provided by the Federal Highway Administration or Federal Transit Administration during federal fiscal years 2018-2021. It includes projects for state, county, city, and federal transportation systems. Development of the STIP is required by federal law. The draft STIP can be viewed on the Iowa DOT's website at: iowadot.gov/program_management/stip/20182021DraftSTIPAugust2017WebviewUpdated.pdf. Comments on the draft STIP can be provided at the meeting or by contacting Matt Chambers, of the Iowa DOT's Office of Program Management, at 515-239-1409 or Matthew.Chambers@iowadot.us.

FISH KILL INVESTIGATED: Officials with the state Department of Natural Resources said Monday a fish kill in a tributary of the Little Volga River east of Maynard in Fayette County reported Saturday has been traced to an empty hog confinement building. According to a DNR news release, state officials found dead fish and elevated ammonia levels in the unnamed creek. The fish kill was traced to an unused hog confinement building owned by Raymond Forsyth Farms Corp. of Maynard, according to the DNR. A contractor demolished the building Friday, a process that allowed manure to flow into the creek, state officials said. The buildings owner had contractors excavate contaminated soil and remove contaminated water so that by midday Monday about 350,000 gallons of contaminated water had been pumped from the stream. DNR officials say they are conducting a fish count and continue to monitor the cleanup operations. The agency may seek appropriate enforcement action and fish restitution, according to the DNR news release.

 Times Bureau
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 []
Born Carolyn Chero Oywa but known to many as Chero, the bubbly media personality hosts Str8Up which airs on KTN.

Chero was raised in the United States where she spent most of her teenage life. She returned to Kenya having cleared a course in medicine at the Montgomery College in Maryland.

She is married to David Oywa, and they have been together for almost 7 years. The husband is a designer who owns Positive Spaces Designs Service which mainly deals with interior designs.

Chero is also a doting mother to her three-year old son whom she likes to spoil on Sundays.

Speaking to Sunday Magazine, Chero revealed what a typical Sunday is like for her.

Sunday is the day

I relax with friends and family and take my three-year-old-son for outings ajibambe!

Once I am up

I wash my face, brush my teeth, go out for a jog, shower and get ready. Then I make a yummy breakfast, get my son ready, eat and we are out the door!

If I could replace Sunday with any other day it would be

A Monday. That is because its my second easy day to chill, bum and watch mindless TV. I also get my leg workout in.

What I love most about Sundays is

The fact that the whole nation takes time out to be with their loved ones, whether its in church, a barbecue or eating out.

What I dont like about Sundays is

The days seem short because most people are working the next day.

Sunday menu?

My friends love home cooking so bhajias, biryani, marinated fried chicken, barbecue marinated pork and a nice bottle of wine to wash it all down with.

Rules I break on Sunday

I eat anything. From fried foods, junky snacks, sugary desserts, sodas etc.

That one thing you have always wanted to do but havent done.

Go to church consistently!

Sunday activities include.

Family time.

Sunday tracks.

Any Spin Cycle mix. This is mostly old school 90s kind of music.

Read:

A quote by Anthony Hopkins. My philosophy is: its none of my business what people say of me and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. And it makes life so much easier.

Heard:

My three-year-old son recite a Fathers day poem to his amazing dad for Fathers day. It is forever engraved in my heart.
It is a great thing to see Kenyan musicians release socio-political conscious music in this election year.

From Delas Paza Sauti, MDQs Kenyan Message, Kenrazy and Visitas Amani, Julianis Machozi Ya Jana, it is only right to laud their efforts in using the art to make a change and impact society positively.

H_art The Band is the latest music collective on that list following the release of Think. The Afro-poetry band is back with part two of Think, a timely sequel to part one which was released in March.

Think is a spoken word composition urging Kenyans to sit and reflect on choosing the right leaders for our country.

H_art The Band breaks down the piece as follows:

They call it exercising Your Right as a Citizen ?They even go further to say that For a Better future you have to do this ?is this true??? we cant tell ? At the front of the Line, they hand you a paper with different faces / different choices ?At a second gLance it almost feels as if you are choosing the Lesser eviL? We have nothing against Politics as it is, But how comes it feels as if we are zero grazing as a Nation ? Same promises made 5years ago ,are still the ones being made now? Our Kids need to grow up knowing their future is safe and secure ? We need to be certain that, if your kid goes to school then the system ensures they dont tamarc for so Long or at all after that?Voting is everyones Right and Responsibility ,no doubt  But, we would like everyone to understand that we cant depend fully on our Leaders to effect the change they promised  Sad ThoTruE ? its upto us to be the change and to hold them responsible for their actions ?Lets not be swayed by cheap politics?Think about your Family, your Kids _& do the right thing .Whatever feels right to youBe Peaceful aLwayS .

Watch below:
Someone made a statement the other day that left me in thoughts.

That Kidero will get less votes in Nairobi than Raila, and Sonko will get more votes in Nairobi than Uhuru.

If we are to believe opinion polls, Raila is leading in Nairobi and is set to increase his 2013 tally. In the last election, he got (691,156) 49.4% of the city votes while Uhuru got 47.2% (659,490). This time round, the Nasa leader is tipped to get something in the region of 55%.

Its funny because in 2013, Kidero had more votes in Nairobi than Raila (692,490). Sonko however eclipsed everyone by getting 814,184 votes.

There has been a narrative that Kidero got votes from all sides, even from Jubilee supporters who had no faith in Waititus leadership.

But the numbers tell a different story. Kidero got almost as much votes as Raila, meaning very few UhuRuto supporters switched to Kideros side. Of course there was Jimnah Mbaru with 52,510 votes, which may explain where Uhurus supporters who didnt like Waititu ran to.

Therefore, we can conclude that the only candidate who got support from all tribes and parties was Mike Mbuvi Sonko.

So, will he do it again tomorrow?

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Several opinion polls have shown Kidero and Sonko virtually tied. This is a pointer to how hot things will be tomorrow.

Kidero should understand that the dynamics have changed. Why isnt he commanding the same percentage in the polls as Raila Odinga?

Well, perhaps its because of his performance.

Kidero is without exaggeration one of the worst performing governors in Kenya. Apart from paid bloggers and social media influencers, I have never come across anyone singing his praises.

The city is in chaos. Hawkers have taken over all verandas. Garbage flows everywhere. Sewer covers have disappeared leaving gaping holes even in the CBD. Street lights were abandoned. Matatus reign free. There is filth everywhere manifested by the recent cholera outbreak the list is endless.

For a capital city, hygiene should be the priority of every sane person in charge. But Kidero doesnt read from the same script as everyone else. The other day on JKL, Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli told how he once telephoned Kidero after encountering a huge, stinking pile of garbage somewhere along Mombasa road, on your way from the airport. This is the road every visitor coming to Kenya uses, and Kidero cant bring himself to tidy it up.

And weve not even talked about the corruption and rumours of corruption at City Hall.

Basically, any Nairobian with half a brain is tired of Kidero. But as we all know, Kenyans act like there is a huge No Entry for Brains sign outside the polling booth. All reasoning is abandoned and we vote based on party or tribe.

If Kenyans were as intelligent as they pretend to be, the next Nairobi governor would probably be Peter Kenneth or Miguna Miguna. But that will not happen. Were stuck with either Sonko or Kidero.

Kidero has displeased many Nairobians, and I have a feeling that his vote percentage will go down from last time. Even some die-hard Raila supporters are openly campaigning against him.

On the other hand, many people dont trust Sonko to manage a city for obvious reasons. But a good number will place their bet on him, just to get Kidero out of City Hall. If he has played his politics well, Sonko might run away with the entire Kamba vote.

There have been fears that Peter Kenneth will split the Kikuyu vote, but I believe Sonko will wipe the floor with him where the Mt.Kenya vote is concerned. All PK has done in this election season is cement his traitor/spoiler tag. That will be very hard to come back from.

Therefore, if tribe was a factor in Nairobi, Sonko will probably run away with the Mt.Kenya, Kalenjin and Kamba vote.

Miguna Miguna will not make any impact and will only be voted by those who are resigned to wasting their vote or those seeking a clean conscience.

All things considered, I think things look good for Sonko.

I strongly think Sonko is the next governor of Nairobi.
When you join one of Avital Ungars California food experiences, youll find an important, added ingredient: story-telling.

Its what the San Francisco native describes as tours that embrace quirky. In other words, people joining these experiences not only discover new tastes, but also the colorful owners and chefs of the restaurants where they sit down for a meal, be it in San Francisco or Southern California.

Its really about being part of the neighborhood, says the enthusiastic Ungar, being curious about whats going on in the neighborhood and the community.

And what could be a better example of this approach than Tommasos, an intimate Italian restaurant in the citys North Beach neighborhood with the first wood-fired, brick pizza oven on the West Coast, circa 1935.

I met Ungar, who was dressed casually in a white blouse and a pair of jeans, one morning in front of the legendary Italian eatery on Kearny Street, just up the way from Columbus Avenue, long identified as the citys slice of Italy and later with the Beat Generation and the City Lights book store, which opened in 1953. And while were at it, bustling Chinatown is nearby.

But what really makes this area of San Francisco so important historically is its connection to the Barbary Coast, what Ungar calls the most notorious neighborhood in America during the 1848 Gold Rush, a place dotted with gambling halls, saloons and brothels, all making for a really debaucherous history. Into this mix came many of San Franciscos early Italian fishermen, who needed to be near the coastal waters to ply their trade.

Inside Tommasos, intimate booths fill both sides of the room, which makes the restaurant one of Ungars favorite date spots for a night out. In between the booths is one long communal table. The walls next to the booths are decorated with paintings of Italian scenes done years ago by a starving artist who was paid with spaghetti and meatballs.

Tommasos original owners, the Cantolupo family, had come to America from Naples and named their restaurant Lupos. In 1971, they retired and sold the place to their chef, Tommy Chin, who changed the name to Tommasos.

Some years later the restaurant was sold again, this time to the current owner, Agostino Crotti, who was working at Caffe Trieste  another iconic North Beach institution  and serving Francis Ford Coppola cappuccinos while he wrote the script for The Godfather on his Olivetti typewriter.

The Crotti family carries on Tommasos great tradition to this day, cooking and meeting their guests.

To me, says Avital, pointing to a poster on the wall signed to Agostino by Coppola himself, thats the type of stories that bring (the restaurants) alive.

Another aspect of Tommasos that brings it all alive is its wood-burning stove and the idea that pizza on the West Coast really started here.

When you go to Tommasos, Ungar says, Agostino is not only going to show you the inside of his pizza ovenbut hell talk to you about how he sources his wood, and the recipe, and also tell the stories of the neighborhood.

He may even tell you about Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame in Berkeley, California, sending her brick layer to find out how the restaurants oven was constructed.

To me thats the back side, the story that youre getting (when you go) a little bit off the beaten path, says Ungar.

Ungar discovered how to go a little bit off the beaten path while sitting in the cafes of Paris. After studying art history, Mandarin and French at UCLA, she traveled to France after college and then bought a one-way ticket to China.

I found that by living abroad, you have this intense curiosity, she says, and at the same when youre traveling, youre always asking questions, youre willing to try new things.

When she returned to San Francisco in 2008, Ungar remembered some of her favorite moments while living abroad and thought, why not build something for the locals of her generation to basically explore their own city in the way that a traveler explores it with all that curiosity.

I wanted to build something that was an experience, she says, because Im a millennial and as youve probably heard, millennials really care about the experiences. Theyre not necessarily always buying thingstheyre buying experiences.

Ungar stresses that what she offers is not a tour in the accepted sense of the word, but more like something locals can do on a date night.

As she soon discovered, many people may have lived in a neighborhood like North Beach for many years, but they never actually have visited the restaurants theyve heard about because they get into a routine where they live.

Of course, her tours also appeal to travelers who may hunger for a chance to mix with the locals, so everything seems to strike a nice balance for locals and visitors alike.

Like her tours, Avitals name is also somewhat off the beaten path. As she explains, her parents, including her father who is a rabbi, were very involved in bringing Soviet Jews to the United States in the 1980s.

On one occasion, her parents went to hear Avital Sharansky, who was leading the international effort to free her husband, Natan Sharansky, from Soviet imprisonment.

My parents thought that Avital Sharansky was brave and courageous, Ungar says. They loved the name, and they wanted a daughter to emulate herso they decided to name me after Avital Sharansky.

Ungars tours accommodate up to 12 participants and feature four-course, progressive meals at four different restaurants. One can choose between San Franciscos Mission District, North Beach, or Union Square, the latter being a two-hour cocktail experience, including a tasting of Pisco Punch, a local invention.

She also offers food experiences in recently-gentrified downtown Los Angeles, as well as Southern Californias beachside Venice neighborhood.

But no matter which experience one selects, her goal is always to tell a bigger story.

(For more information, visit www.avitaltours.com).
The coming of the new school year will lead to a reduced schedule at the Yountville Community Pool, the town has announced.

Because most lifeguards at the Yountville swim center are high school and college students, not enough staffing is available to supervise the pool on weekdays once schools reopen, the town said in a news release.

Starting Aug. 16, community swimming will be restricted to Saturdays and Sundays for the rest of the pool season. The pool will be open from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and those with resident and family swim passes also can visit Sundays from 4 to 6 p.m.

The final swimming day is Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4, when the Yountville pool will be available from noon to 4 p.m.

Also starting next week, pool time for veterans', seniors' and adult lap swimming will be limited. Sessions will be offered from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 16-18, with the final program on the 20th.

Anyone interested in working as a lifeguard at the Yountville pool can contact the town facilities manager, Lisa Tyler, at 707-944-8712 or ltyler@yville.com. Recruiting adults as well as students may enable Yountville to extend weekday hours past mid-August in future years, the town said.

The next lifeguard recruitment is scheduled for April 2018.
My friend Lindsay was packing the next day's lunches when she noticed her son Cole's phone vibrating on the kitchen counter. Curious to see who was texting him so late, she picked up the phone and entered the password. Like most middle school parents, Lindsay had told Cole that she would occasionally check his phone. She wasn't snooping, she told herself, she was simply doing what any concerned mother would do.

What she saw was disturbing. The text was an angry message from Cole's best friend's older sister, Becky. As Lindsay looked back through Cole's messages, she saw why Becky was so upset. She opened Instagram on Cole's phone, where he had posted a picture of Becky, one of his closest friends, in her bathing suit, bending over to pick something up. It wasn't a flattering image, and by the looks of the picture, Becky did not know that her photograph had been taken.The photo had garnered many comments, most of which made fun of Becky's appearance.

Obviously, my friend was not happy, and she knew she had to do something. Our children rely on parents to help them understand how to navigate relationships in both the real world and online. "Tweens and teens are stuck between wanting to be seen/liked, and understanding the impact of actions," says Jennifer Sager, a psychologist in Gainesville, Florida. Children are going through tremendous inner confusion with regard to what they know they should do and what they think their friends want them to do. "An electronic share, 'thumbs up,' or in many cases, 'thumbs down,' is a placeholder for real self-esteem."

So was Cole's post simply an example of the impulsive and irrational teenage behavior Sager describes? Or was it something he has learned? As Lindsay stared at her son's phone, she couldn't help but recall the many times she'd posted pictures of him doing embarrassing things. Many of the pictures and stories were shared before Cole even knew what Facebook was. But as Cole got older, the sharing continued. He occasionally saw the pictures and seemed embarrassed, but he rarely asked his mother to take them down. Lindsay wondered if he ever felt empowered enough to do so. She was concerned that her own sharing had somehow influenced the habits Cole was developing.

Many of today's young teens were born in an era before social media. By the time they entered preschool, most of their parents had Facebook accounts. And many parents -- new to social media -- excitedly shared their children's personal and embarrassing stories. I have written in the past about how parents must consider the effect this sharing has on a child's psychological development. Children model the behavior of their parents, and when parents constantly share personal details about their children's lives, and then monitor their posts for likes and followers, children take note. While most parents have their children's best interests at heart when they share personal stories on social media, there is little guidance to help them navigate parenting in the digital age.

Children are constantly absorbing messages from many sources, including parents. They mimic these observed behaviors in adolescence and adulthood. It is quite possible that parental (over) sharing has taught children that sharing another person's personal pictures and stories is expected and appropriate. Indeed, many children spent their elementary school years with little recourse to their parents' online sharing.

Parents can help their children better understand the implications of nonconsensual online sharing even if they've shared about their children in the past. One powerful way to do this is to offer their older children the opportunity to delete posts that cause embarrassment or shame. Before sharing any future posts about their children, parents can ask permission. This can help teens understand the power and the importance of controlling one's own digital footprint. In turn, this helps teens understand why it is critical that they, too, obtain consent before adding to, or altering, the digital footprints of others.

After we spoke, Lindsay had a conversation with her son. While he quickly deleted the picture from his Instagram feed, much of the damage had already been done, causing hurt and embarrassment to Becky. To help Cole understand, Lindsay pulled up her own Facebook posts, many photos featuring Cole as a very young child. She watched as he processed each picture. While there was some laughter, she could tell Cole was also surprised by many of her disclosures. They talked about the importance of controlling one's own digital footprint. To that end, Lindsay offered to delete posts that Cole found embarrassing or inappropriate. After reflecting on the conversation with his mom, Cole offered a sincere apologize to Becky. He knew she still had a right to be angry, but he hoped that by taking responsibility for his actions, they could start to make amends.

I, like Lindsay, share pictures of my children online. I try to do so responsibly and to consider the best practices I've gleaned from my research. Perhaps most importantly, I no longer post pictures of my oldest child without asking him first. While I've spent years exploring this issue as an academic and as a mother, I still find it difficult to balance my drive to share my story while still protecting my children's privacy. It is too early to know how my own social media sharing practices will one day affect my children's online sharing habits. I can only hope that by being thoughtful before pressing share on social media, I am instilling in my children the importance of doing the same on their own social media feeds.

We are only beginning to develop road maps to guide us as we build communities and expand our lives through social media. As we explore the competing issues of protecting privacy and curating our lives online, it might be time to rethink our habits and reset the message, to teach our children the importance of consent and help them become responsible communicators and upstanding online citizens.
BART police said they arrested a suspect Monday in two recent violent attacks on trains, with the arrest coming only a few hours after they held a news conference seeking the publics help in catching the man.

BART officers arrested the suspect, a man from Berkeley whos about 30 years old, at Ninth Street and Broadway in downtown Oakland shortly after 8:40 a.m. Monday after an Oakland fire inspector told them hed seen the suspect in that area, Deputy police Chief Ed Alvarez said.

The fire inspector had seen a photo of the suspect that BART police released at a news conference at 6 a.m. Monday, Alvarez said.

Police believe the suspect is the man who hit a male victim in the head with a metal object in an apparently unprovoked attack on a train traveling between the San Leandro and Bay Fair stations at 7:31 p.m. Thursday, Alvarez said.

Police believe the suspect punched and kicked the victim before fleeing the train and running out of the station, according to Alvarez.

The victim was treated for a laceration to his head and was taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries that werent life-threatening.

Police believe the same suspect approached a man on a San Francisco-bound train approaching the Embarcadero station at about 7:30 p.m. Saturday, struck the man two times in the face with a closed fist and fled, Alvarez said.

The victim, who told police he doesnt know the suspect, was treated at the scene for injuries that werent life-threatening, according to Alvarez.

Neither victim was robbed and police dont yet know the motive for the apparently unprovoked and random attacks, Alvarez said.

We were very concerned he (the suspect) might hurt someone else and have questions about his mental stability, Alvarez said.

Police didnt find a weapon on the suspect when they arrested him, according to Alvarez.

The suspect is being held on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and battery and authorities hope to release his name later Monday after hes booked, Alvarez said.

Police are looking into whether the suspect, who has a previous arrest record, may have attacked other victims on BART trains.
Infrastructure is having a moment - rhetorically, at least. President Trump's"Infrastructure Week" in June came and went without a plan or any tangible changes. Meanwhile, congressional work on Trump's proposed $1 trillion infrastructure package may have to wait until next year. But before the president or Congress undertakes any big moves, here are five common misconceptions we should demolish first.

Myth No. 1: New infrastructure projects would reduce unemployment.

In his inaugural address, Trump vowed to "build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation" and explained that we will "get our people off of welfare and back to work rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor." This is a familiar theme. President Barack Obama said essentially the same thing during his time in office.

While it is certainly true that more projects would mean more demand for man-hours of work, Americans are mostly already working, with the unemployment rate of roughly 4 percent at its lowest point in years. And while there is regional variation, the building trades are getting lots of work overall. It isn't clear that there would even be enough skilled American labor to undertake any massive infrastructure program without cannibalizing existing projects and driving up the price of construction by private enterprise, thus reducing incentives to create new jobs.

Myth No. 2: Regulations kill infrastructure projects.

In explaining his plans for rebuilding America during "Infrastructure Week," Trump proposed that "a few simple pages" of rules could replace the current complex regulations, boosting infrastructure projects. Trump's promise echoed long-held conservative dogma that regulations, particularly environmental-review requirements, stifle major projects. For instance, in a report detailing alternatives for generating $1 trillion in infrastructure investment, the conservative Heritage Foundation suggested "reforming regulations that hamper infrastructure projects."

But if job data is any indication, regulations do not result in an overall reduction of activity in the infrastructure sector, though they may change what kinds of projects are undertaken.

Since the publication of Rachel Carson's classic book on environmentalism, "Silent Spring," 55 years ago, the implementation of regulations - specifically environmental rules - has spurred infrastructure projects all over the country, from air pollution control to solar-power installations and more.. In 2012, for example, a Maryland-based environmental group announced that cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay by upgrading sewage systems would create 240,000 jobs. And more regulations requiring, for example, smart grids to distribute renewable power would result in extensive project starts.

Myth No. 3: Private investment leads to infrastructure projects.

In his recent budget proposal, the president called for spending $200 billion to "incentivize" private investment to build infrastructure. Again, this is a familiar move. Obama regularly called for "leveraging" private companies to achieve a larger civil works agenda, focusing on an infrastructure bank that would organize this effort.

What Trump and Obama hoped was that investment in infrastructure equity by the private sector would fuel a building boom. What they have overlooked is that the private sector has always funded civil infrastructure by underwriting and buying municipal bonds, which allow local governments to borrow money from private investors in exchange for interest and tax benefits. What is now proposed is merely a different financing structure: private investment in equity - in other words, an ownership stake - in these public facilities, which supposedly will mean more new projects.

But this is a mistake. The mode of raising capital does not cause development. Projects happen either when there is an investable private opportunity or when the government levies a tax or authorizes a user charge, such as a toll, to fund the repayment of a capital investment. Private investment is a way to raise capital, but no evidence suggests that private investment itself causes projects to happen.

Myth No. 4: Infrastructure spending will spur growth.

The American Society of Civil Engineers annually issues a "report card" on the condition of American infrastructure. According to this year's report, we are not in good shape. What could fix our D-plus grade? The society reports that we need to close our "$2.0 trillion 10-year investment gap" with a healthy round of infrastructure spending. According to the Treasury Department, these kinds of investments are important for "spurring growth."

During the global financial crisis, economists saw infrastructure spending as a better option than "throwing money out of helicopters" - metaphorically speaking - to goose the economy. They may have had a point at the time, but these days, U.S. economic growth is not particularly slow, so speeding it up would probably take more than spending on infrastructure (or throwing money out of helicopters). And though the condition of our existing infrastructure is generally appalling, that's a repair and maintenance issue, not a result of too little investment to begin with. (If we have gotten to the point of calling filling potholes and repainting bridges "infrastructure investment," then we have a bigger problem than we thought.)

Finally, it's not clear that an infrastructure boom would necessarily result in economic growth, especially not in the short term, when big projects can slow things down. For instance, a recent study of Uber trips in Melbourne, Australia, demonstrated that major transportation projects are creating significant traffic congestion. "You've got these very large projects . . . that have a short-term impact on the travel pattern of a city," Brendan Lyon, chief executive of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia,told a Melbourne newspaper. And since congestion can slow economic growth, big projects shouldn't be deployed with short-term growth gains in mind.

Myth No. 5: We know what infrastructure we need.

With financing proposals on the table from the president and the Senate minority leader, among others, it seems we already know how we'd spend that capital. After all, if both parties want to drop $1 trillion on infrastructure, presumably they know where it should go.

Yet these proposals don't mention any particular projects. So it's worth asking: What exactly would we build if we could marshal the political will? Underground high-speed rail? World-class international airports? More roads? And where - in the growing urban centers or the declining Rust Belt? With all the talk about building something, the only specific "infrastructure" proposal that gets any national attention is a southern border wall.

Infrastructure spending is, more than anything, a public policy tool, a way to encourage or enable certain ways of life and modes of commerce. How and where will we live in the future? What kind of energy should we plan to consume? Do we accept a human role in climate change, and will we encourage patterns of commerce and life that reduce that? Should the global trend of urbanization be encouraged by investing in cities or discouraged by facilitating extreme commutes and rural lifestyles? Is potable public water a civil right or a costly service? What kind of jobs do we want for future generations of Americans?
Two years before Donald Trump became president, he tweeted, "Sadly, because president Obama has done such a poor job as president, you won't see another black president for generations!" But six months into Trump's tenure, there's a growing buzz among Democrats that the next black president has already been identified: first-term Sen. Kamala Harris of California. "She's running for president," one fundraiser told the Hill. "Take it to the bank." "The dominant trend in Democratic Party politics is fresh, new and interesting," another fundraiser told Politico. "And Kamala is the trifecta on that."

I'm bullish on the idea that we'll have another black president. But it's not a given that the next one will be a Democrat.

That might seem like a wild assertion, particularly given the role that racial resentment played in Trump's electoral victory. It's no secret that the GOP continues to fail spectacularly at messaging to black voters. The party's present approach to African Americans is best summed up by Trump's mockingly unserious entreaty last year to vote Republican: "What the hell do you have to lose?"

Black voters have lent long-standing and overwhelming support to the Democratic Party. And most of the nation's rising black political stars are Democrats: Harris, Sen. Cory Booker, N.J., and former governor Deval Patrick, Mass. - who is, reportedly, the preferred candidate of several prominent Obama administration alumni, including Valerie Jarrett.

The conventional wisdom assumes that a black presidential candidate can succeed only in the more racially progressive of the two major parties - the Democrats - and with the widespread support of black voters. But this isn't necessarily so.

An examination of gubernatorial and senatorial elections since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 shows that there have been comparable numbers of popularly elected black Republicans (eight) and popularly elected black Democrats (10). Though the two black governors were Democrats, the majority of the 10 black lieutenant governors have been Republicans, including the two currently holding office: Jenean Hampton of Kentucky and Boyd Rutherford of Maryland. In the Senate, there have been two black Republicans to four Democrats. At the statewide level, where gerrymandered districts aren't a factor, a black Republican in a top office is no more anomalous than a black Democrat.

More significant to the prospects for a black GOP presidential nominee is the specific convergence of trends playing out across the country, particularly the intensifying hyper-partisanship. As the nation has sorted itself along party lines and antipathy has risen between the two sides, white Republicans who might harbor racial animus are willing to shelve that impulse to ensure that Democrats lose elections. "At a minimum, the level of ideological polarization in American politics masks racially prejudiced voting behavior, and at a maximum, it renders it inoperable," according to a recent study on white conservatives in the GOP's base from professors M.V. Hood of the University of Georgia and Seth McKee of Texas Tech. The pull of partisanship is so strong and has become so central to the identity of white conservatives that their views on race take a back seat when they enter the voting booth.

Hood and McKee also found that "white conservatives are either more supportive of minority Republicans or just as likely to vote for a minority as they are a white Republican," and that "the base of the GOP does not discriminate against minority nominees in high-profile contemporary general elections." This finding helps explain the relative surge in black Republicans in Congress since the tea party movement, including Sen. Tim Scott, S.C., and Reps. Mia Love, Utah, Will Hurd, Texas, and Allen West, Fla. - not to mention Indian American former governors Nikki Haley, S.C., and Bobby Jindal, La.

This phenomenon also can provide an advantage to black candidates in primaries and the general election. In Republican primaries, voters are overwhelmingly white and are becoming more conservative; they tend to choose the more conservative candidate. Understanding this, minority candidates often run to the right flank. It's unsurprising, then, that Heritage Action for America, an advocacy organization associated with the conservative Heritage Foundation, scored Scott, Love and West as more conservative than the average House Republican. (Hurd, who represents a purple district that is majority Latino, necessarily tacks more to the center.)

Two related studies show that in South Carolina, "Nikki Haley and Tim Scott are more popular than their white Republican colleague Lindsey Graham," and that "conservatives, evangelicals, and less-educated individuals respond more positively to Scott when he is described as a 'Tea Party favorite' " than as the "first African American Senator from South Carolina since Reconstruction."

Consider Ben Carson's 2016 presidential campaign. Carson, an inexperienced politician, rode a strong evangelical message and critiques of media outlets - both of which play well with conservative audiences - to the top of the GOP presidential polls. He held steady there for a few weeks until terrorist attacks and national security concerns (not his strong suit) changed the tenor of the race in Trump's favor. In other words, it's not that racial animus doesn't exist, it's that the power of conservative identity can outweigh it.

The path to the presidency for GOP candidates requires winning a majority of white voters in the general election, not just the primaries. But every Republican presidential nominee since the Voting Rights Act has handily won white voters, except in 1968, 1992 and 1996 when margins of victory were smaller because of somewhat competitive third-party candidates. In the current hyper-partisan atmosphere, if a black candidate can appeal to Republican voters, he or she can capture the same coalition that white Republicans use to win elections.

The Democratic Party, for its part, is well aware of its poor performance among white voters and has begun focusing its attention on them, specifically the white working class. Post-election analysis shows that it was these voters, shifting from the Democratic Party to Trump, who were ultimately responsible for Hillary Clinton's undoing. Some progressives have expressed concern that the party's attempts to win back white working-class voters will come at the expense of black voters, despite the fact that black voters are the most reliable part of the Democratic base. "With its obsessive focus on wooing voters who supported Donald Trump," writes "Brown Is the New White" author Steve Phillips, "it is neglecting the cornerstone of its coalition."

The Democrats' intramural debate was evident in the recent race for the Democratic National Committee chairmanship, when an ally of eventual winner Tom Perez said of Rep. Keith Ellison - who, as the first black congressman from Minnesota and the first Muslim elected to Congress, holds more progressive positions than many others in the party - "Is he really the guy we need right now when we are trying to get all of those disaffected white working-class people to rally around our message of economic equality?" This quote illustrates a desire to address oft-cited white economic anxiety by subordinating issues of race and religion. Now Democrats must determine whether their next electoral victory lies in recapturing the white working-class voters who used to be part of their base or doubling down on the demographics-is-destiny strategy, which prioritizes appeals to the growing segment of minority voters.

So while a black liberal is fighting upstream in a political climate of racial and ideological polarization, that same climate could work in favor of the black conservative candidate. And though black Democratic candidates often increase black voter turnout - see 2008 and 2012 - the rash of restrictive state voting laws has suppressed turnout among black voters and those living in poverty. Because a black Republican nominee doesn't rely on black voters, the electoral factors that hurt black Democratic candidates don't have nearly the same effect. In an irony befitting today's bizarre political landscape, a black Republican nominee may benefit electorally from discriminatory voting laws.

This leads to yet another trend that could create a perfect electoral storm: growing black dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party. Even the election of a black Democrat to the presidency wasn't enough to compel the federal government to meet demands to address systemic racial disparities in a meaningful way. For all its loyalty to the party, the black electorate has not realized the policy gains that should accompany its voting power. Yet, black voters continue to support the Democratic Party for lack of viable options in the voting booth. This conundrum is called electoral capture, a concept that Princeton professor Paul Frymer describes as a bloc's overwhelming support for one political party as a result of the opposing party having no interest or making no effort to win the bloc's votes. As a result, some black Americans have turned to other forms of political expression - black turnout was down seven percentage points from 2012 to 2016 - such as rallies and demonstrations, the Black Lives Matter movement, protest votes, and principled exits from the electoral process. Black Americans' dissatisfaction hurt Democrats, not Republicans, on Election Day.

This is where black men put their finger on the scale. A black Republican nominee would peel away a small but significant portion of the black electorate, mostly men. Though black men largely hold liberal views, more of them than black women buy into the conservative mantra of self-determination, small government and economic sufficiency as a remedy to racial discrimination. Also, my research, supported by similar findings, found that black men are much more likely than black women to vote for a black presidential nominee regardless of party or policy views. This suggests that a black Republican candidate can cut into the Democratic base to some extent in the absence of a black Democratic candidate. If Trump managed to get 13 percent of black men to vote for him (Mitt Romney drew 11 percent in 2012 against Obama), a black Republican candidate is certain to exceed that by some noticeable margin. And in a razor-thin election, black men voting along racial lines could help tip the outcome.

Taken together, the current landscape provides fertile soil for the idea of a black Republican in the White House. Of course, when it comes to the presidency and electoral politics, good conditions are hardly enough to win. There are simply too many other factors at play, from candidates' likability to things they can't control, such as the state of the economy.

And race still matters: White Republican primary contenders could try to employ coded racial appeals to denigrate competitive black candidates (or to denigrate white candidates - recall the George W. Bush team's attacks on Sen. John McCain during the 2000 South Carolina primary). Further, being black and very conservative is insufficient (recall the Alan Keyes, Herman Cain and Carson campaigns). And there's the reality that the Republican bench for viable black candidates is basically empty, except, perhaps, for Sen. Scott.

Still, if the notion of a black Republican presidency occurring before the next Democratic one seems doubtful, it's becoming less so as our politics becomes more divided and stress fractures emerge in historic coalitions. Given the unpredictability and hyper-partisanship of the current political environment, the political winds now blowing could indeed fill the sails of a black Republican presidential nominee.
17:03

The Congress is facing an "existential crisis", senior party leader Jairam Ramesh today said and pitched for "a collective effort" by party leaders to "overcome" the challenges it faced from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. Ramesh also said that business as usual approach will not work against Modi and Shah and advocated for a flexibility in approach to make Congress relevant.



"Yes, the Congress party is facing a very serious crisis," Ramesh told PTI in an interview. He said the Congress had faced "electoral crisis" from 1996 to 2004 when it was out of power. The party had also faced "electoral crisis" in 1977 when it lost the elections held soon after the emergency.



"But today, I would say that the Congress is facing an existential crisis. It is not an electoral crisis. The party really is in deep crisis," he said, when asked whether the threat of "poaching" of MLAs posed by the BJP in Gujarat had forced the party to transport its MLAs to Karnataka to ensure party leader Ahmed Patel's victory in the Rajya Sabha polls.



He, however, justified the Gujarat Congress's decision to send 44 of its MLAs to a resort in party-ruled Karnataka on July 29 to fend off the alleged "poaching" attempts by BJP, saying the saffron party had also "transported" MLAs in the past.



He said it was wrong for the Congress party to think that anti-incumbency will work automatically against the Modi-led government in the states being ruled by the BJP in the elections.



"We have to understand we are up against Mr Modi, Mr Shah. And they think differently, they act differently, and if we are not flexible in our approach, we will become irrelevant, frankly," the Congress leader said.



He said the Congress party must also recognise that India has changed. "Old slogans don't work, old formulas don't work, old mantras don't work. India has changed, the Congress party has to change," he said.



The former union minister hoped that party vice-president Rahul Gandhi would end the uncertainty over his taking over as the Congress president to make the party ready for crucial electoral battles in key states in 2018 and the Lok Sabha polls scheduled a year later.



"I think in all probability, Rahul Gandhi will take charge (as Congress president) before the end of 2017," he said. The senior leader lamented that he had been proved wrong in the past about his prediction about Rahul's assuming charge of the top party job.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-06 23:44:23|Editor: Song Lifang

Foreign ministers link arms during the Gala Dinner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Related Meetings in Manila, the Philippines, Aug. 6, 2017. The foreign ministers of ASEAN commended on Sunday the growing role of China in this region, saying the region continues to reap the fruits of China's strong economic growth. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

MANILA, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) commended on Sunday the growing role of China in this region, saying the region continues to reap the fruits of China's strong economic growth.

In a joint communique of the 50th ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting, the ministers also stressed the need for more economic integration between ASEAN and China and the need to have more high-level dialogues and exchanges.

"We acknowledged China's growing role in the region and highlighted that China's economic growth continues to benefit the region," the ministers said.

"We called on both sides to continue promoting economic integration. We looked forward to more high-level dialogues and exchanges between ASEAN and China," the ministers said.

The ministers also welcomed the entry into force of the Protocol to Amend the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Certain Agreements thereunder between ASEAN and China (ACFTA Upgrade Protocol) and looked forward to the early ratification of the protocol by the remaining parties.

"This will help support the twin goals to reach a two-way trade and investment of 1 trillion U.S. dollars and 150 billion U.S. dollars respectively by 2020," the communique said.

The ministers also noted "with satisfaction" the progress made in the implementation of the ASEAN-China Air Transport Agreement (AC-ATA).

"We looked forward to working toward full liberalization of the AC-ATA and the full implementation of the upgraded ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement," they said.

The ministers also welcomed the various activities held in ASEAN member states and in China this year to celebrate the ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation to promote people-to-people exchanges, mutual trust and understanding.

"We noted that the ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation coincides with the Visit ASEAN@50 campaign, which seeks to promote ASEAN as a single unified travel destination," the ministers said, adding these mutually reinforcing events will further promote tourism cooperation between the two sides.

The ministers also noted the signing of the revised Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the ASEAN-China Center, which will further enhance the role of the ASEAN -China Center in Beijing in promoting trade, investment, tourism, equation and culture between ASEAN and China for mutual benefit.

"We agreed to work on the joint statement between ASEAN and China on Tourism Cooperation to be issued at the 20th ASEAN-China Summit in November 2017," the ministers said.

They said they also agreed "to work together to enhance cross-pillar cooperation in other areas of mutual interest, such as anti-corruption, and infrastructure and environmental protection."

The ministers said they look forward to the commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership in 2018 and agreed that both sides would issue an ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership Vision Statement at the 21st ASEAN-China Summit next year.

"We also look forward to the designation of 2018 as the ASEAN-China Year of Innovation Cooperation," the ministers said.

The ASEAN ministers held their meeting on Saturday. But they failed to issue the joint communique at the close of their meeting and instead release them to the media on Sunday.

China is one of the dialogue partners of ASEAN that groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 00:59:51|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Ronald Njoroge

NAIROBI, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- African states are expected to meet the October deadline to establish the continent's largest trading bloc by the end of 2017, an official said on Sunday.

Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya told Xinhua in Nairobi that 21 out of 26 countries have so far signed an agreement to merge three regional blocs.

"The formation of the Tripartite Free Trade Area by combining the East African Community, the Southern African Development Community and COMESA is going on as planned," said Ngwenya, who was in Nairobi as head of COMESA Election Observation Mission, which was flagged off on Sunday to monitor Kenya's Aug. 8 presidential polls.

Ngwenya said that the remaining five countries that are yet to ratify the agreement have made tremendous progress toward domesticating the deal.

In addition, two African states have also expressed interest in joining the economic bloc.

"By the end of the year, Somalia and Tunisia will also come on board to join the Tripartite Free Trade Area," Ngwenya said.

Somalia also plans to resume its membership in COMESA, which it lost due to the outbreak of civil war.

"Now that stability has begun to return to Somalia, the Horn of Africa nation will become a member of COMESA again during the COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit to be held in October," Ngwenya said.

The Tripartite Free Trade Area will comprise 28 countries, cover approximately 18.3 million square kilometers and hold about 61 percent of the continent's population.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 07:18:19|Editor: Yamei

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CHICAGO, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) grains futures closed lower over the trade week, as dry and hot weather in crop belt improves and fund investors tun to large selling.

Corn futures ended lower on fund liquidation and cool central U.S. temperatures. Weather will have much less of an impact on yield moving forward.

Supply-driven rallies occur in July, and unless crippling drought continues in August, it's just the wrong time of year to sustain the market.

However, more and more of the trade is putting U.S. corn yield 161-165 bushels per acre, which is not wildly bullish but does suggest that supplies will be down some 450-700 million bushels from the United States Department of Agriculture's outlook in July.

In 2017/18 agricultural year, U.S. corn end stocks will rest between 1.7-1.9 billion bushels. Like wheat, a multi-year high in U.S. and global inventories was achieved in 2016, and major price changes will hinge upon South American weather this winter, and northern hemisphere plantings next spring.

Wheat futures ended sharply lower mostly on falling corn prices and fund long liquidation as Russian crop estimates continue to inch higher. Russia looks to harvest a record wheat crop, barring drought in Siberia in the next 3-4 weeks.

However, northern hemisphere harvest pressure is in fast retreat and in each year since 2010 Black Sea cash prices have formed their seasonal lows in early August.

Already U.S. Gulf wheat is the world's low cost origin, and with EU, Black Sea cash markets to inch higher into late year, analysts say a bearish outlook is not advised.

It was a week of liquidation in the soybean market with fund managers selling out their market length on last week's better soybean crop ratings and light rainfall across the western Midwest.

Rainfall across most of Iowa state in the last 60 days has been less than 80 percent of normal, with large pockets that have had just 30-50 percent of normal.

Based on the past week's rain totals, most analysts look for national good or excellent soy crop ratings on Monday to be close to unchanged, but still well under a year ago and near the long term historical average.

National Agricultural Statistics Service will release the August Crop Report next week, and based on current crop ratings, analysts look for a U.S. soybean yield near 47 bushels per acre. This, along with bump in old crop soybean exports will further tighten old and new crop balance sheets.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 09:04:37|Editor: Song Lifang

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SYDNEY, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Police in the Australian state of New South Wales charged a third man in relation to the terror plot to bring down a plane on Sunday, after last week's raids saw two men charged with terrorism related offences.

Khaled Merhi, 39, was charged with possessing a prohibited weapon, but police have yet to say whether the charges against Merhi were related directly to the charges that were levelled against brothers Khaled and Marmout Karyat, who faced court last week on terror charges.

After being held in police custody for the past eight days following the raids conducted across Sydney, Merhi was released from custody late Sunday, and is scheduled to appear in court over the firearms charges later this month.

The Karyat brothers have been charged with what the Australian Federal Police allege was one of the "most sophisticated terror plots attempted on Australian soil," and said that it involved two aspects.

The first was the alleged attempt to plant an improvised explosive device (IED), disguised as a meat grinder, within luggage on a plane, while the second allegedly involved deploying a gas bomb in a public area.

According to police, the IED itself was a "high-end military grade explosive," but the plans were allegedly foiled when the men attempted to take the luggage on the flight, but were allegedly turned away at the check-in counter due to the bag containing the device being too heavy to place on board.

Police say the bomb was then dismantled, and the second alleged plot to unleash a hydrogen sulphide bomb in a public area was then hatched by the plotters. But at the time of the raids, the authorities were adamant that the gas device was nowhere near completion.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 10:50:22|Editor: Song Lifang

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SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's north-central state of San Luis Potosi are eyeing more investment from China and hopes to receive a business delegation from the Asian country before the end of the year.

San Luis Potosi Gov. Juan Manuel Carreras Lopez told Xinhua that Chinese companies are interested in doing business in his state, especially in the automotive sector, as well as in the fields of technology and aerospace.

"The state of San Luis Potosi has huge potential for Chinese entrepreneurs because we are located along the country's enormous Centro-Bajio (industrial) corridor, which offers the chance to create automotive clusters and also aerospace clusters," Carreras said, "I think San Luis Potosi is ideal for investment of an industrial nature, which any Chinese business leader can seek."

The two countries should continue to strengthen investment, scientific and technological cooperation, and labor training "since we are going to be able to generate enormous synergy," said the governor.

The state also has huge advantages as a trade hub since it could conveniently reach both the Atlantic and the Pacific, as well as the United States, added Carreras

Federal Senator Teofilo Torres Corzo, of San Luis Potosi, believes that the state is ideally situated for trade and transport.

"In addition to being in the center of the country, we border on seven Mexican states ...and in addition to being seven hours away from the United States, the state has aerial, highway and rail communications infrastructure," said Torres.

Torres, a former governor of San Luis Potosi, said the state has other qualifications to attract Chinese investment, including a qualified labor force and "abundant resources in diverse sectors."

In San Luis Potosi, there is strong desire for further economic growth, and the state officials "hope that in a month or two we meet with Chinese business leaders," said Torres.

"San Luis Potosi is a land of opportunity. We can do a lot together with Chinese firms in investment and also co-investment," he said.

According to Mexico's Economy Ministry, San Luis Potosi aims to become a key investment destination. In 2015, the state drew upwards of 1.6 billion U.S. dollars in foreign direct investment, and now ranks in the sixth place nationwide in terms of investment quantity.

China's ambassador to Mexico, Qiu Xiaoqi, acknowledged the interests among various Chinese companies to explore investment options in the state.

San Luis Potosi "is a dynamic state with an economic future and we are interested in promoting mutual knowledge between the two sides (and) promoting economic and trade cooperation. I think ties are more fruitful with each passing day," said Qiu.

Bilateral ties between Mexico and China are "at a good moment," said Qiu, adding that the two sides could have more cooperation in diverse fields.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 11:15:44|Editor: Song Lifang

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The White House said Sunday that U.S. President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in agreed that the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue is a grave and growing direct threat.

The pair also "welcomed the new United Nations Security Council resolution that unanimously passed 15-0," said a statement by the White House, adding that they called for fully implementing all relevant resolutions.

The UN Security Council, in an exceptional session on Saturday, unanimously adopted a new resolution to impose new sanctions on the DPRK for ignoring previous resolutions and its recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests.

Resolution 2371 (2017), drafted by the United States, bans DRPK's exports of coal (DPRK's largest source of external revenue), iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood.

Such measures will prevent the DPRK from earning over 1 billion U.S. dollars per year of hard currency that would be redirected to its illicit programs, according to the resolution.

Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the UN, said his country "is opposed to the DPRK's launching activities which are in violation of council resolutions and which are in defiance of the will of the entire international community."

China has always insisted on realizing denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, upholding peace and stability there and in seeking a solution through dialogue and consultation, said Liu.

"China has always and firmly been opposed to chaos and conflict on the peninsula," he said. "The fact that the council adopted this resolution unanimously demonstrates that the international community is united in its position regarding the nuclear issue of the peninsula."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 11:55:51|Editor: ying

Mourners pray for a victim of a terrorist attack during a funeral ceremony in Sari Pul province, Afghanistan, Aug. 6, 2017. More than 50 people, including several civilians, were brutally killed by militants in northern Afghanistan's province of Sari Pul, a provincial government spokesman said Monday. (Xinhua/Stringer)

SARI PUL, Afghanistan, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- More than 50 people, including several civilians, were brutally killed by militants in northern Afghanistan's province of Sari Pul, a provincial government spokesman said Monday.

Two rival groups of Taliban and the Islamic State (IS) militants made alliance and jointly attacked Mirza Olang village in Sayyad district on Thursday, and captured it on Saturday, the day when the killing took place, spokesman Zabiullah Amani told Xinhua.

"The militants overran the village on Saturday after two days of intense clashes with Afghan Local Police and allied local tribal militias, known as local uprising groups. They cowardly and indiscriminately shot dead the villagers together with local forces after capturing the area," he said.

Those among the killed were more than 20 civilians, including women and children, the source added.

Some victims were shot dead while several others were beheaded and most of the victims were Shiite Muslims from minority Hazara ethnic.

Taliban and the IS group have frequently been fighting in eastern and northern regions as well as in the restive south to gain territory.

The mountainous province has been the scene of heavy clashes over the past two years.

The Taliban militants have claimed that the attack was launched by their fighters and the killed were all local police and government-backed militiamen.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah strongly condemned the killings on their Twitter accounts.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 12:21:07|Editor: An

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HANOI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Mitsubishi Motors Vietnam and Audi Vietnam have decided to recall 4,218 Mitsubishi cars with technical faults and 33 Audi Q3 autos with brake light malfunction, local media reported on Monday.

Among the 4,218 Mitsubishi cars, there are 3,275 Pajero Sport vehicles manufactured between 2011 and 2016, and 943 Outlander Sport produced in the 2014-2016 period, newspaper Dau Tu (Investment) quoted the Vietnam Register as reporting.

The Mitsubishi recall is expected to last two years.

According to Mitsubishi Motors Vietnam, the supporting hinge of the backdoor can be rusted due to being incompletely painted, and can then be broken. The worst-case scenario is that the door can drop at any time, or the broken hinge can cause damage to people nearby.

Meanwhile, 33 Audi Q3 cars in Vietnam manufactured between June 2014 and November 2016 with brake light malfunction are being recalled until the end of October.

Vietnam spent over 1.1 billion U.S. dollars importing completely-built automobiles and components for assembly in the first seven months of this year, experiencing a year-on-year drop of 9.4 percent, said the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

In the seven-month period, Vietnam imported 57,000 completely-built automobiles worth more than 1.2 billion U.S. dollars.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 14:19:17|Editor: An

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Dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the Luqu Guozhuang Dance Performance at Luqu County of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Gansu Province, Aug. 6, 2017. The opening ceremony of the 6th Luqu Guozhuang Dance Performance was held here on Sunday. A total of 27 teams consisting of over 1,600 dancers attended the event to promote local traditional culture. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 13:11:16|Editor: Song Lifang

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SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- A militant belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant outfit was killed in an overnight fierce gunfight with Indian troops in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said Monday.

The gunfight between militants and joint contingents of police and army broke out Sunday night at Samboora village of Pulwama district, about 28 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"In an overnight gunfight, one militant of LeT was killed at Samboora," a police spokesman said.

Police said the search and cordon in the area was launched on specific intelligence information suggesting presence of militants.

"The hiding militants opened fire on the joint search party, triggering a gunfight, during which the militant was killed," the spokesman said. "Their slain militant has been identified as a foreign national."

Officials said government forces have not suffered any damage in the stand-off.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 13:16:18|Editor: Song Lifang

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by Raul Menchaca

HAVANA, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- About 100 Cuban children invited on board "Race for Water" in Havana's bay marveled at this solar, wind and water-powered, futuristic looking watercraft.

"It looks like a metallic island," Karen Silva, 12, told Xinhua as she gazed at the shiny 500-square-meter deck built entirely of solar panels, which help propel the vessel to sail the globe at the speed of about 5 knots, or 10 km, an hour.

Lithium batteries store energy for nighttime sailing or cloudy days, while sea water is processed into hydrogen gas to be converted into electricity to power propellers.

Add a 40-square-meter kite that can double the vessel's speed when winds are blowing and you have the model craft to raise environmental awareness about the plastic pollution of the world's oceans and what can be done about it.

In 2017, the Race for Water Foundation, started by Swiss entrepreneur Marco Simeoni, launched the vessel on its second world tour, Odyssey of Hope, following its first expedition in 2015, "to demonstrate that energy transition is happening now, and solutions do exist to protect our oceans from anthropogenic (or human-made) pollution."

At each stop, the crews consult with local experts and offers workshops, such as the one it held in Cuba, on how to turn plastic waste into energy to prevent it from ending up in the oceans.

"Race for Water," which sailed into Cuba on July 20 and sets sail on Tuesday for its next leg of trip, is considered the world's largest hybrid catamaran, measuring 35 meters in length. It is manned by a French crew and hosts a research team of Norwegian and German scientists.

"The project aims to find solutions and share experiences in the global problem of oceans polluted with plastic waste," the foundation's director, Serge Pittet, told reporters at a press conference.

Cuba's Center for Environmental Studies, based in the central province of Cienfuegos, has been collaborating with the team to do just that.

Camille Rollin, a foundation specialist in plastic waste-to-energy projects, said "it is important to be in Cuba (because) for an island, it is difficult to manage waste."

"The world needs to know how to preserve the ocean and how each can do that according to its own capacity," said Rollin.

The first global Odyssey, which made 18 stops around the world to conduct scientific assessment and raise public awareness of plastic pollution in oceans, showed the oceans have become a kind of "soup of microplastics" that are "impossible to clean," so that the solution must be land-based to keep plastics from dumping into the oceans in the first place, said Rollins.

To that end, researchers are trying to design a machine capable of turning this mix of plastic waste into energy.

Odyssey of Hope is a five-year voyage that began in Europe in April with stops including Tokyo during the 2020 Olympics and Dubai for the World Expo in the same year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 13:21:19|Editor: Song Lifang

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COLOMBO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese navy's hospital ship Peace Ark arrived at the port of Colombo on Sunday for a four-day stopover there.

The ship slowly sailed into the port at around 10:00 a.m.(0430 GMT) in its first visit to Sri Lanka, with some 300 people, including officials of both countries and representatives of various Chinese communities there, welcoming its arrival.

The hospital ship will be open to the public during the stopover and provide medical service for local residents, said Major General Guan Bolin, commander of the task.

This is the sixth time for the hospital ship Peace Ark to carry out "Harmonious Mission" and Sri Lanka is the first stop for its 2017 mission.

It is expected to visit Djibouti Port, Freetown Port in Sierra Leone, Owendo Port in Gabon, Pointe Noire Port in Congo and some other ports.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 13:36:24|Editor: Song Lifang

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NEW DELHI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- There is much potential to tap in the intra-BRICS cooperation in many areas such as trade and investment, an Indian expert has said.

While the last eight annual summits seeing this group of five emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) was gaining momentum in its growth, intra-BRICS cooperation has yet much room to improve, especially in the areas of trade and investment, according to Srikanth Kondapalli, professor at the Center for East Asia Studies of the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University.

"In general, the intra-BRICS trade is low as with investments or technology flows. Much of the global trade of the BRICS countries is with western countries," Kondapalli told Xinhua in an interview on Sunday.

"The total trade between the five BRICS countries accounted for only 4.9 percent of the total foreign trade of these countries," he said, adding that "much of the trade is of low end products or commodities."

Meanwhile, "the intra-BRICS investment flows are also not very high so far, resulting in the BRICS countries' dependency on the international lenders," Kondapalli said.

The Indian expert thinks the India-proposed New Development Bank (NDB) launched in 2015 within the BRICS framework will help alleviate the situation. Still, "India is advocating for more investment flows in the infrastructure projects," he said.

Kondapalli noted that the NDB, which is intended to focus on infrastructure and sustainable development projects, clearly "needs to expand infrastructure financing, currency internationalization, financial credit, mutual investment and trade facilitation so that these states could overcome the ill-effects of global financial crisis."

In his opinion, funding small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should also be among the bank's priorities.

The Indian expert believes cultural exchanges and tourism are also areas calling for further intra-BRICS cooperation.

"As with the intra-BRICS trade and investments, the cultural exchanges are also at a minimal (level) till recently," he said.

The development level of "the intra-BRICS tourism, people-to-people interactions, cultural/literary shows have so far not been very high," he said, blaming this mainly on a lack of infrastructure and financing.

On joint efforts against terrorism, Kondapalli said, "There is no concrete coordination between the security agencies," while expecting the upcoming BRICS summit to be held in September in the southeast Chinese city of Xiamen will help resolve the BRICS countries' differences in addressing terrorism.

Kondapalli also hopes for further progress to be made at the Xiamen summit in the BRICS cooperation on combating climate change, while noting differences remain within the BRICS group on issues of cyber security, making cooperation in this area unlikely at present.

In addition, the professor thinks both India and China will work to enhance the role of the BRICS group.

"It is clear from the previous eight summit meetings that both India and China, despite bilateral difference, have come together on a number of issues of common concern such as trade, etc. Both countries are at a juncture where they are increasingly integrated in the global trade value chain," said Kondapalli.

"Hence we could predict that their role would increase in shaping the BRICS phenomenon," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 14:21:42|Editor: Song Lifang

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MANILA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said the relationship between China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is moving on "a positive trajectory."

"ASEAN-China relations are in a positive direction, a positive trajectory," Balakrishnan said in a speech during the ASEAN-China ministerial meeting on Sunday. His statement was released to the media on Monday.

Team-up between ASEAN and China hinged on "strong trade and economic ties," Balakrishnan said, citing that the relationship was "substantive, multifaceted and mutually-beneficial."

"And this year the relationship is growing from strength to strength with each passing year," he said.

He said China is ASEAN's largest trading partner in the last seven years and the two have committed themselves to the twin goals of hitting 1-trillion-U.S. dollar trade and 150-billion-U.S. dollar investment by 2020.

"ASEAN and China continue to embrace a multilateral and free trade global economic system. And given the state of the world today, I think the fact that ASEAN and China still remain totally committed to free trade and closer economic integration is noteworthy," he said.

Moreover, he said that both sides were looking for new areas of cooperation, such as greater synergy between ASEAN's master plan for ASEAN connectivity and the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 14:26:44|Editor: An

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by Zhang Jianhua

VIENTIANE, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- In northern and central Laos, mountains seem to reign the area where population is scarce. There was almost nothing but primeval forests and traces of slash-and-burn cultivation left by mountainous residents.

However, since December 2016, within half a year since the beginning of construction of China-Laos railway, the area has been witnessing massive changes.

China-Laos railway starts from the Mohan-Moten border area between the two countries, running over 400 km to Lao capital Vientiane with designed operating speed of 160 km per hour. Over 60 percent of the route are bridges and tunnels.

Construction of the railway is scheduled to be completed in five years with investment of some 37.4 billion Chinese yuan (5.56 billion U.S. dollars). This is the biggest investment project of China in Laos so far.

Being the first overseas route connecting with the railway system in China using Chinese technology and equipment, China-Laos railway is a major strategic project which was reached and promoted by top leaders of the two countries, a major project in infrastructure interconnectivity between China and neighboring countries, and a major project in implementing the Belt and Road Initiative.

Ground-breaking ceremony of the railway was held in December 2015, and the construction of the whole route officially started a year later.

GREAT CHANGES

Within the first six months of construction, Chinese companies have built roads running through forests and drill tunnels halfway up the mountains.

The construction section of China Railway No.8 Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (CREC8) is located on Laos' northern Luang Prabang area along the Mekong river, some 220 km north of capital Vientiane.

The Mekong River runs around the area, creating a peninsula surrounded by water and mountain. There had been no power supply in the area, thus living and production conditions were quite hard.

Thanks to the Chinese construction team, the area was officially connected to electricity grid in July. The "No Man's Land" has now entered into the "power era".

The most obvious change brought about by the construction of the China-Laos railway is the new roads running through wild forests in northern Laos.

In Muangxay-Luang Prabang area in northern Laos, the 1801 provincial road used to be a narrow, steep and bumpy dirt road curving around slopes. After being included in the construction of China-Laos railway, the China Railway International Group set up a special maintenance team to widen the road and decrease slopes. Now the road is either covered with sand stone, or blacktopped.

According to Bai Qiang, Chinese Communist Party secretary of the railway section's working committee, "local villagers said that thanks to the new road, local girls don't have to worry about marrying afar, as the road is now so smooth and easy to get home after marriage."

HIGH HOPES

China-Laos railway is a big project under the Belt and Road Initiative. The railway runs through Lao mountainous area with many tunnels needed to be built, and now, along the route, it is easy to find advanced machinery and equipment in full operation alongside the thatched huts of local residents.

The Lao government hopes that the completion of China-Laos railway will bring powerful momentum to social and economic development, while the construction of the railway has already brought great changes in many areas along the route.

At Sinohydro Bureau 3 Co., Ltd's railway construction site between towns of Luang Prabang and Vangvieng, local staffs outnumber Chinese workers. Nearby hilly villages have over 300 people while some 20 of them have been employed to work for Sinohydro 3. Lao staffs are learning the advanced technology and management from their Chinese colleagues.

Chinese construction companies also donated money to local villages for building bridges and roads.

Nuanchanh, deputy chief of Phengsong village where the railway runs through in Vientiane province, some 70 km north of capital Vientiane, told Xinhua:" Local villagers are very excited after Chinese companies come to build China-Laos railway, and we welcome them here because this railway can bring a new look to our village."

Nuanchanh said Lao villagers and departments at all levels will work closely with Chinese companies in construction of the railway. "We are looking forward to the completion of the railway which will improve Laos' transport infrastructure, facilitate exchanges between peoples of the two countries, thus promoting tourism industry."

OFFICIALS' RECOGNITION

Lattanamany Khounnyvong, Lao Vice Minister of Public Works and Transport told Xinhua that China-Laos railway is the top project in the eighth five-year plan of Laos, and is of great significance for Laos.

"We are now working to assist Chinese contractors in the construction of infrastructure such as roads, education and healthcare facilities in villages along the railway. This is of great significance to the implementation of the eighth five-year national plan of Laos", he said.

Lao President of National Assembly Pany Yathoutou inspected the construction site of the railway in July.

"Laos-China railway is the project that has been promoted by leaders of the two countries. Management units and construction units must work closely together," she said.

She believed that the Chinese railway construction companies were more than capable of completing the railway construction, she said.

While meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing during the Belt and Road Forum, Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit spoke highly of the achievement in bilateral cooperation, expressing his satisfaction over the progress of bilateral projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 14:26:45|Editor: Song Lifang

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SINGAPORE, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Halimah Yacob, speaker of Singapore's Parliament, formally resigned as the speaker and a member of parliament on Monday, in order to contest in the presidential election next month.

She submitted the resignation letter to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday, which says she also resigns from the ruling People's Action Party, in which she was a member of the central executive committee and chaired the party's Senior Group.

She also sent the resignation letters to the Clerk of Parliament and the deputy speaker.

The 62-year-old Yacob will be the first woman in Singapore to participate in the presidential election.

"In running for the Office of Elected President, my passion and desire to serve the people continues," she said in her letter to the prime minister. "It is a heavy responsibility but I hope that with the support of Singaporeans, we can do more good together."

Yacob said in her letter to the Parliament's Deputy Speaker Charles Chong that she seeks Chong's assistance to lead the House until a new speaker is elected.

Many local political observers believe Yacob is a front runner in the upcoming presidential race.

Mustafa Izzuddin, researcher at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, was quoted as saying that Yacob is undeniably the pacesetter among the three potential candidates, given her long track record of public service and being a well-known figure not just among the Malays but also among the other ethnic groups.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 15:37:23|Editor: Lu Hui

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Photo taken on Aug. 1, 2017 shows the Inner Mongolia Museum in Hohhot, capital of north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This group of photos taken by drones shows landmarks of the city, reflecting the development of the city in recent years. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In local language, Hohhot means the "Blue City". It is the political, economic and cultural center of the region. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)

BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- As the grassland is in its most beautiful season, China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is set to embrace its 70th founding anniversary.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, the CPC Central Committee, with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, has always been concerned about life on the grand grassland.

Over the past five years, with a clear guideline on the development of the northern border region and driving force of President Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, the Party has united the people of Inner Mongolia in keeping their industries on the rise, ensuring a better environment, and leading better lives.

POINTING OUT THE WAY FORWARD

In Hohhot, the regional capital of Inner Mongolia, the sun burns hot high in the sky. An air of festivity precedes the anniversary with colored flags and banners along the streets.

It has been a history of glory. On May 1, 1947, in the midst of the War of Liberation, the people of Inner Mongolia established the autonomous government of the region, which marked the founding of the country's first ever ethnic autonomous region at the provincial level under the leadership of the CPC.

In the northern part of China, connecting eight provincial regions, bordering Russia and Mongolia, and home to 55 ethnic groups, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region occupies a strategically crucial position.

The past 70 years have seen the grassland evolve from a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society to a region of prosperity with modern cities and vigorous pastures.

Ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year in 2014, braving severe cold, Xi visited Inner Mongolia and inspected posts along the border, attended the traditional Nadam Fair and visited enterprises and communities, greeting local Party members, cadres, children in welfare houses and needy workers.

Based on his examination into the unique economic conditions and history of the region, Xi put forward a set of ideas on the long-term development of Inner Mongolia.

"I hope that cadres and people from all ethnic groups in Inner Mongolia can protect the border of the country and the spiritual home for the ethnic groups in the region," Xi said, stressing the importance for them to have a broader vision in terms of development.

"I also hope that all of you uphold equality and unity to look after and help each other, join forces to guard the border and lead better lives," he continued.

President Xi noted that Inner Mongolia should be a shield of ecological security for north China, as well as a shield of safety and stability for the northern border. It should also become the bridgehead for the country to open up northward.

The ecological conditions of the region make a big difference not only to the people here, but to the ecological security of north China and the entire country.

With the advantage in opening up along the border, Inner Mongolia should push forward reforms, boost the border economy, and improve cooperation mechanisms with Russia and Mongolia, Xi added.

Courtesy of the Belt and Road Initiative, goods transported and cross-border visits via the region have increased significantly from the early years of the country's reform and opening up policy. Manzhouli, a major land port in the north of Inner Mongolia, is now the port with the most routes of the China-Europe railway.

RESTRUCTURING ECONOMY AND BETTER LIVELIHOOD

The industrial development of Inner Mongolia used to rely too much on resource exploitation. The ratio of industries related to coal in the city of Erdos once almost reached 60 percent.

President Xi stressed economic restructuring during his tour of the region in 2014 and put forward a series of solutions.

According to Xi, the region should combine adjustment of development modes with optimizing the industrial structure.

The adjustment should also be combined with energy saving and emission reduction, as well as the comprehensive deepening of the reform and opening up policy, Xi said.

Sticking to Xi's instructions, Inner Mongolia has since made significant progress in industrial restructuring. The proportion of coal-related industries dropped to 22 percent in 2016, compared with 34 percent five years ago.

PROMOTING ECOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENT

With the economic achievements Inner Mongolia has scored over the years, Xi has also kept the ecological improvement in his mind.

During his visit to the region in 2014, Xi pointed out two methods for ecological protection -- firstly major ecological restoration projects, such as the sandstorm source control program and return of marginal farmland to forest and grazing land to grassland; and secondly the speeding up of institution building concerning ecological protection.

Since then, Inner Mongolia's ecological protection has been on a fast track, with more efforts in desert control, grassland protection and water and soil preservation.

To better protect the Hulun Lake area, more funds arrived, more legislation was enacted and limitations on fishing were imposed.

To date, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has 182 nature reserves and 43 national forest parks.

NUMBERS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

Inner Mongolia has made great strides since the 18th CPC National Congress, and the numbers speak for themselves.

The industrial structure is no longer over-reliant on coal, and is instead supported by various industries. Tourism saw an annual increase of over 20 percent on average, driving the economy to grow by an average of 7.9 percent each year from 2013 to 2016.

A total of 1.41 million people have been lifted out of poverty over the past five years, and basic medical insurance covers 98 percent of people from both urban and rural areas.

The urbanization rate of Inner Mongolia has surpassed 60 percent, with the total length of highways across the region reaching 190,000 kilometers.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 15:42:26|Editor: ying

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MAIMANA, Afghanistan, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Some 10 militants affiliated to the Taliban were killed and seven others wounded following airstrikes on Taliban hideouts in northern Afghan Frayab province, police said on Monday.

The strikes were conducted by Afghan security forces in Ghormach and Khawja Sabzposh districts Sunday night, Mahfozullah Akbari, police spokesman of the 808 Spin Zaar Police Zone based in the region, told Xinhua.

"Based on credible information by our police forces, no civilian was hurt by the air attacks," he said.

Some two militants' bunkers were also destroyed together with weapons and ammunition, according to the spokesman.

The Taliban had not still commented on the incident.

Fighting has escalated in Afghanistan as the Taliban insurgency spreads from its traditional strongholds in the south and east to the once peaceful region in the north, where Taliban have been recruiting from the youths.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 15:57:33|Editor: ying





Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong (R) arrives for a trial at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 7, 2017. South Korean prosecutors on Monday sought 12 years in prison for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, an heir apparent of Samsung Group, the country's biggest family-run conglomerate, on bribery charges. (Xinhua/Lee sang-ho)

SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- South Korean prosecutors on Monday sought 12 years in prison for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, an heir apparent of Samsung Group, the country's biggest family-run conglomerate, on bribery charges.

Special prosecutors, which had investigated the corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, said in the final court hearing of the Samsung heir that the case was a "typical corruption offense" based on cozy ties between politicians and businessmen, which severely damages the constitutional value.

The team of Park Young-soo, who was named independent counsel in November last year for the corruption case, demanded 12 years of imprisonment for Vice Chairman Lee, while asking seven to 10 years in jail for four other former Samsung executives.

The Seoul court will make a ruling on Lee on Aug. 25, before his six-month custody period ends on Aug. 27.

The undertrials had continued false statement and excuse, that was hard to make people understand, during the past court hearings that lasted for over five months, the special prosecutors said.

The Samsung heir was brought into custody on Feb. 17 and indicted 11 days later with detention on five charges of bribery, embezzlement, perjury, hiding assets overseas and concealing the proceeds of criminal acts.

A total of 53 public hearings had been held for the past months, indicating about three hearings being held every week.

A great public attention was paid to what the independent counsel called the "trial of the century." Scores of people waited in a long queue outside the Seoul court to receive admissions to the hearings, which were given on a first-come-first-severed basis.

The great interest was partly because of the rare public appearance of Lee, the third-generation heir of the country's biggest business empire, sometimes called here "Samsung Republic."

It was also because of the ruling on Lee affecting court rulings on the impeached Park and her longtime confidante Choi Soon-sil, who was at the center of the influence-peddling scandal and has been under trial.

Park was forcibly called in by the court to appear in the hearing of Lee as witness, but the impeached president denied it, violating another law.

The team of counsels defending Lee said in the final court hearing that the claims by special prosecutors were full of guesswork and based on circumstantial evidences. The team was reportedly composed of 26 famous lawyers.

In his final statement, Lee denied all of the charges levied on him, complaining of an injustice.

The princeling of the South Korea's richest family was charged with paying, or promising to pay, about 43.3 billion won (38.4 million U.S. dollars) in bribes to the ousted President Park and her decades-long friend Choi.

The payment was suspected of being made in exchange for political favors in the controversial 2015 merger of two Samsung affiliates seen as crucial to the father-to-son power transfer of the Samsung family.

The merger between Cheil Industries and Samsung C&T was made possible as the national pension fund, which is in charge of retirement savings for nearly half of the 50 million population, supported the 2015 merger. The National Pension Service (NPS) was then-biggest shareholder of one of the two Samsung units.

The merger was extremely crucial to the third-generation Samsung chief to inherit the management control from his ailing father Chairman Lee Kun-hee who has been hospitalized in 2014 for heart attack.

Samsung was the biggest donor to two nonprofit foundations, which Choi allegedly controlled for personal gains. As the impeached Park was branded as an accomplice to Choi, bribing Choi would be equivalent to bribing Park.

Samsung also signed a contract of millions of U.S. dollars with a German company owned by Choi and her daughter to finance the daughter's equestrian training in the European country.

The Samsung vice chairman was also accused of lying under oath during a December parliamentary hearing over the presidential scandal.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 16:37:52|Editor: Mengjie

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KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The importance of the Belt and Road Initiative for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries is evident as infrastructure is a key to boost the competitiveness of the region, said an economist.

"ASEAN developing countries need to invest heavily in infrastructure development in order to boost their competitiveness, so the Belt and Road Initiative helps to provide additional infrastructure financing to accelerate economic development," IHS Markit's Asia-Pacific Chief Economist Rajiv Biswas told Xinhua in an email interview.

Biswas believes it has many positive benefits for the long-term development of ASEAN countries, as the weak infrastructure is a key economic development hurdle for many ASEAN countries.

A recent report by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development showed that ASEAN would need infrastructure investment of 60 billion to 146 billion U.S. dollars per annum up until 2025.

China is providing assistance in rail infrastructure projects to many ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, the Philippines and Laos.

These include Indonesia's Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Rail link, Malaysia's East Coast Rail, China-Thai high speed railway, and China-Laos railway.

As China has become a world leader in infrastructure development such as for railways and ports, the infrastructure projects being built with Chinese support will have advanced technological standards, Biswas noted.

Meanwhile, improved transport links between ASEAN and China will also help ASEAN manufacturing industry become more closely integrated into the Chinese manufacturing supply chain.

"The rapid growth of China's economy has been a major growth driver for ASEAN over the past two decades as bilateral trade and investment relations have boomed," Biswas said.

This is because the Belt and Road Initiative will improve connectivity and modernize transport links, bringing more exporting ASEAN products to the fast-growing Chinese consumer market.

Biswas said an important factor for the long-term success of the Belt and Road Initiative in ASEAN will be that projects are inclusive of local construction companies, to help build the domestic capacity and technological capabilities of local companies as a win-win partnership.

He cited the new project consortium between Chinese and Indonesian companies to build the Jakarta-Bandung high speed rail as a good example of such a joint partnership.

He opined that it should be the government of the particular ASEAN country to ensure its fiscal responsibility for cooperation and projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.

Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes. It comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 16:52:59|Editor: ying

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KUALA LUMPUR, Aug.7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will undertake a two-day working visit to Malaysia starting from Tuesday, marking his first visit to the country since his appointment as the secretary of state.

Malaysian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Monday that the visit will provide the opportunity for both Malaysia and the United States to discuss and exchange views on a wide range of bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.

During the visit, Tillerson will call on Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak and meet with Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 17:03:12|Editor: ying

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by Xinhua writers Cheng Lu, Chu Yi and Xuan Liqi

BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- In a room in the service center of Anlelin Residential Community, Fu Guiling and her neighbors unskillfully fiddle with touchscreens, shaking their smartphones while giggling.

The 66-year-old woman was intimidated by mobile devices until she attended a course offered by See Young, a Beijing-based nonprofit group, which defines its mission as helping the elderly to harness technology.

Picture and video sharing, online chatting and shopping may be easy for the younger generation, but for China's more than 230 million elderly who grew up in a pre-digital age, technology often moves too fast for them to keep up.

THE GENERATION FORGOTTEN BY TECH

"What's the problem with my phone? The screen has turned black. I can't open it," Fu asks a See Young volunteer.

She is confused by the "screen lock" function. Two weeks ago, her daughter gave her an unwanted Huawei smartphone. It is her first time to own such a device.

"I only know how to answer the phone," she laughs.

However, the See Young course is teaching Fu and several of her neighbors the various ways to use social networking app WeChat, such as enlarging the font, using the "shake" function and how to create group chats.

Since it opened its doors in 2011, See Young has helped more than 18,000 senior citizens across the country and has more than 3,800 volunteers, mostly university students.

"Everything started from my beloved grandma," said Zhang Jiaxin, co-founder of See Young, which was developed by a student voluntary team at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.

Born in a small town of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Zhang was brought up by his grandma. In 2008, he went to university in Beijing, and the only way for his grandma to see him was through video calls.

"I taught her step by step, but she still failed to do it," Zhang said. "I realized that there must be many grandmas in China who could not handle computers and other modern gadgets. So I started See Young to make their old age easier."

Aging poses many challenges -- weaker eyesight, shortened memory, less agile fingers. The older generation often finds themselves excluded by the modern technology that the rest of society finds indispensable.

China had more than 230.8 million people aged 60 or above at the end of 2016, 16.7 percent of the total population, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The country's elderly will account for about one-quarter of the population by 2030.

Closing the gap between the elderly and new technology can be an effective way to solve many of the problems with aging. It can open up a whole new social world.

Fu used to work at Beijing Enamel Factory, a well-known enterprise producing cloisonne. Since retirement, she visits Beijing's Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park each morning, before going to the vegetable market and returning home to make lunch.

"My daughter was very busy. She installed some apps for me but had no time to show me how to use them. I'm a slow learner," Fu said.

Fu has pasted a small piece of paper on the back of her phone, with her screen name and phone number written on it.

"I can't remember many things. But technology helps me connect with old friends. I feel young again," she said.

THE OLD ARE STILL YOUNG

The name See Young derives from an ancient Chinese poem: "Glowing days never come again, and the sun never rises twice a day."

However, by navigating the wired world, "the sun really can rise again for the elderly," Zhang said. "The name can also be interpreted as 'See, the old guys are still young.'"

Zhang Jin, a 61-year-old former pharmacist, adds using shared bikes, managing money online and creating video on her study list.

"In a fast developing society, we are afraid of being left behind by the young. So we make valiant efforts to get to grips with new things," Zhang Jin said.

Supported by government funds and social donations, See Young's courses involve mobile payment, online hospital registration, WeChat use and creating video from images and music. Each course provides one lecturer and several volunteers.

"What kind of courses given are based on our research. For example, as the older generation treasures the memories of yesterday, we teach them to use an app to digitalize old photos," said Wang Xianggui, a 22-year-old See Young teacher and junior student with the university.

Digital groups provide safety too. Another co-founder Luo Xu says the elderly are often targets for financial fraud, so they offer a class on what to look out for.

The nonprofit group has summarized their experience and published three books. It has also been filming about 10 online courses since July. With online courses, local communities can organize lessons and activities even without See Young's participation.

"Our priority is connecting the older generation with technology. Later, we plan to involve more issues that they really care about, like heritage distribution," Luo said.

"In addition to enjoying the easier life given by technology, some come just to chat and avoid loneliness," Wang said.

Wang, an information engineering major, plans to work in an Internet company after graduation.

"At that time, perhaps I can help these grandpas and grandmas connect with technology in another way, like inventing more senior-friendly digital tools," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 17:03:15|Editor: ying

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GAZA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Israeli forces arrested 10 Palestinians in different parts of the West Bank at dawn of Monday, the Palestinian Prisoners' Club said.

In a statement, the club said the 20-year-old young woman was arrested in Hebron while seven others were detained in Bethlehem.

The remaining two Palestinians were arrested in northern Salfit.

Meanwhile, tensions have been on the rise at Israeli Rimon prison since the wee hours of today after Israeli guards raided Section 1, said the Palestinian Prisoners Authority.

Israeli guards beat up the prisoners, taking some of them out of the section.
 

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Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namadar Zanganeh (C-R) looks on as Patrick Pouyanne (L), Chairman and CEO of French energy company Total, and Ezzatollah Akbari, Managing Director of Petropars Group, sign an offshore gas field agreement in Tehran, on July 3, 2017. (AFP Photo)

TEHRAN, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Two Iranian companies signed a deal on Monday with French multinational automobile manufacturer Groupe Renault to produce 150,000 cars, the IRNA news agency reported.

The 778 million U.S. dollars deal follows the lifting of international sanctions after Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers.

The production will start in 2018. It's expected to create about 3,000 jobs for the two companies, Iran's IDRO and the privately owned Negin Group. Renault has a 60 percent partnership in the deal.

Last year, French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen reached a deal with Iran Khodro to open a plant producing 200,000 vehicles annually.

Iran produces about 1,350,000 vehicles a year, though authorities hope that number will reach 3 million annually by 2025.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 18:14:12|Editor: Lu Hui

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (7th R) poses for group photos with counterparts from other countries before the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, the Philippines, Aug. 7, 2017. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that ASEAN and its three dialogue partners - China, Japan and South Korea (10+3) - could deepen their cooperation against the backdrop of rising protectionism.(Xinhua/Wang Shen)

MANILA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that ASEAN and its three dialogue partners - China, Japan and South Korea (10+3) - could deepen their cooperation against the backdrop of rising protectionism.

Wang said in the group meeting that China is and will always be an active participant and promoter in the cooperation between the 10-member ASEAN and their three East Asian dialogue partners.

He said that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the start-up of the 10+3 mechanism and the practical cooperation in the group has made new progress since last year.

The Chinese top diplomat suggested the 10+3 mechanism should act as the main channel in deepening practical cooperation, so as to push the group's cooperation to a higher level.

Wang, who is in Manila attending the East Asia Summit foreign minsters' meeting and other related meetings, indicated that the 13 countries could deepen cooperation in six aspects.

The first is to pay more attention to planning and guideline for the group's sustainable development, Wang said.

"We can draw from the successful experience of ASEAN and build a platform for East Asia cooperation, following the example of ASEAN Community Blueprint," he said.

Wang pointed out that the second important thing is to promote the cooperation in ensuring food security and support exchanges and cooperation in agricultural sector.

"Thirdly, we should strengthen cooperation in sustainable development, enhance cooperation in poverty reduction and small- and medium-sized enterprises, and narrow the gap between the poor and rich," Wang said.

He called for a deepened cooperation in finance and economics in the group, saying they should strive for an early agreement on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

"The fifth important thing is to innovate industrial cooperation model. Everyone should exploit its advantages to the full and engage in industrial capacity cooperation," Wang said.

The last but not the least, Wang said the group should strengthen people-to-people exchanges to promote cultural and regional exchanges in the region.

ASEAN foreign ministers highly appreciated the role the 10+3 mechanism is playing as a main channel of regional cooperation, hoping the three dialogue partners to exert more efforts to help ASEAN nations achieve common development and prosperity.

Ministers of China, Japan and South Korea expressed support in the building of the ASEAN community and hoped that Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) could be reached as early as possible so as to protect global free trade.

Related:

Spotlight: China, ASEAN eye broader cooperation

MANILA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeastern Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed on Sunday that continued economic growth in China would benefit ASEAN members and the bloc anticipates a higher level of strategic partnership with China. Full story
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 18:19:14|Editor: Mengjie

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SEOUL, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held talks over the phone on the Korean Peninsula issues, Moon's office said Monday.

The two leaders held the telephone conversation for 23 minutes from 4 p.m. local time (0700 GMT), according to the presidential Blue House. Before the talks, Moon had a separate telephone dialogue with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump earlier in the day.

During the talks with Abe, Moon said the Korean Peninsula issues should eventually be resolved through negotiations in a peaceful, diplomatic way, reiterating his stance shown in his previous dialogue with Trump.

Moon said South Korea, Japan and the United States should discuss strategic measures to encourage the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to come to a dialogue table for the complete dismantlement of its nuclear program.

Abe said in response that finally having dialogue would be natural to resolve the issues, but he noted that it would currently be necessary to put pressure on the DPRK to make it positively respond to the dialogue.

Moon and Abe shared views that strengthening pressure and sanctions on Pyongyang would be needed under the current situations.

Around midnight on July 28, the DPRK test-launched what it called an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which flew about 1,000 km and was lofted as high as over 3,700 km.

It was an advanced version of what Pyongyang dubbed Hwasong-14 that traveled 933 km at a maximum altitude of 2,802 km at the July 4 test-launch.

On Saturday, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted new sanctions on the DPRK for its recent ballistic missile test-launches. It bans the exports of seafood and minerals such as coal, iron, iron ore, lead and lead ore.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 18:39:26|Editor: Mengjie

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FRANKFURT, Aug. 7 (Xinhua)-- A shelter for homeless and refugees in the southwestern German city of Markgroeningen caught fire Monday morning, leaving two people dead and three seriously injured, reported the local media.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 18:59:39|Editor: Mengjie

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ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has deployed an Election Observer Mission to Kenya to observe the presidential, governors and parliamentary elections scheduled to be held on August 8, according to an IGAD statement on Monday.

Stating its experience of observing elections in the region since 2010, the statement said, after every election observation, IGAD reports to its member states so that every country benefits from the different experiences of conducting elections

Led by Tewolde Gebremeskel, Director of the Peace and Security Division of IGAD, the IGAD Observer Mission is composed of participants from IGAD Secretariat from different member states.

Since their arrival in Nairobi on Aug. 3, the head and other members of the Observer Mission had paid courtesy visit to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), and were received by the Chair and other officials of the Commission.

The IGAD Observers had also met with the Principal Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya.

They also attended a briefing organized by the IEBC whereby the commission announced to the public IEBC's readiness to conduct the election and provided updates to the public on various aspects of the election including logistics and security.

The IGAD Observer Mission also held a meeting where the members have been briefed about the overall security and political situation of the country, as well as the Kenyan Election laws and overall observation details of the mission.

The mission will continue to interact with other observers throughout its presence in Kenya, said the statement.

The observers will closely observe the poll opening, polling, poll closing and counting and tallying stages of the election process to take place on the Elections Day, it said.

IGAD is composed of member states consisting of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda.

IGAD works to harmonize policies of member states in areas of peace and security, economic integration, agriculture and environment, and social development, said the statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 18:59:42|Editor: Mengjie

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by Olatunji Saliu

ABUJA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Seventy lecturers in the University of Maiduguri have resigned their appointments following recent attacks by terror group Boko Haram on the university community and its staff in Nigeria's northeast region.

The resignation of the lecturers, mostly professors, had affected research and learning in the university because some were specialists in their fields, said Dani Mamman, head of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the northeastern state of Borno.

"Usually, such exodus affects accreditation of some programs and courses," Mamman, also a lecturer, told reporters last Sunday.

He said chief among the reasons the lecturers resigned their appointments was a recent attack on some of their colleagues by Boko Haram.

The terror group killed five of the university's lecturers and held three others hostage, even up till now.

They were attacked during a collaborative work with the national oil corporation which embarked on oil exploration in the Lake Chad Basin two weeks ago.

That aside, suicide attacks on the university had increased since early this year.

A professor who was the director of veterinary at the university was among five people killed in an attack on the main campus by Boko Haram in January.

The admission figure of students had dropped since Boko Haram's attacks started in 2009, Mamman noted.

On July 28, the Nigerian government said there was no plan to order a temporary closure of the University of Maiduguri located in the largest city in the northeast region in spite of the increase in attacks on the institution by Boko Haram.

In spite of the brutal murder of some staff of the higher learning institution and the general security situation in the region, the government said it did not want academic activities there to be truncated.

Rather, the government was willing to provide "necessary support" in ensuring that the security situation was under control, Mallam Adamu Adamu, the nation's minister of education, said.

Boko Haram has killed more than 20,000 and displaced 2.3 million people in its attacks since 2009.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 19:04:50|Editor: Mengjie

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SHARAN, Afghanistan, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- As many as 25 militants were killed and 14 others wounded during a clash between security forces and Taliban militants in eastern Afghan province of Paktika, police said Monday.

"The clashes broke out after armed militants stormed Afghan Border Police (ABP) security checkpoints in surrounding areas of Gomal district on Sunday. As a result 25 insurgents, including several foreign militants, were killed and 14 others injured," provincial acting Police Chief Dadullah Hotak told Xinhua.

He confirmed that some units of ABP were still under the militants'siege in Gomal, bordering Pakistan, but reinforcement troops have been sent to the area to push back the attackers.

Security forces were not harmed during the clashes, according to Hotak.

The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since April when the militant group launched its annual rebel offensive in different places of the country, which had claimed hundreds of lives including militants, security personnel and civilians.

Taliban militants usually do not comment on their casualties and are yet to comment on the recent incident.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 19:04:52|Editor: Mengjie

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JUBA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The first batch of the Rwandan soldiers, part of the much-waited Regional Protection Force (RPF) have arrived in the South Sudanese capital Juba, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) spokesman said on Monday.

Daniel Dickinson told Xinhua that the 120 Rwandan infantry soldiers arrived in the war-torn country on Sunday and will join up with the 150 strong Nepalese and Bangladeshi troops made up of the quick responsive and engineering battalion respectively.

"Of course yes, 120 Rwandan infantry soldiers arrived over the weekend with equipment," Dickinson revealed in Juba.

South Sudan accepted the deployment of the 4,000 strong protection force in November 2016, and had been still reluctant to speed up the RPF deployment in Juba, following renewed clashes in July last year between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar who is in exile in South Africa.

The RPF takes charge of civilian protection, key installations in the country and reports directly to UNMISS which has 12,000 peacekeepers on ground.

The Head of the UN Peacekeeping Mission Jean Pierre Lacroix, said last week after holding talks with South Sudanese leaders that the RPF would help provide security in danger spot areas to avoid ongoing civilian killings by armed groups.

He added they were talking to regional countries like Kenya and Ethiopia to provide more troops to the largely African peacekeeping force.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Kiir and his former deputy Machar led to fighting that pitted mostly Dinka ethnic soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital forcing Machar to flee into exile.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions that have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 19:15:02|Editor: ying

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DOHA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Qatar, Turkey sealed the joint military exercise aimed at supporting counter-terrorism efforts, the official Qatar News Agency reported Monday.

The "Iron Shield" exercise, which ended on Sunday, included training of leaders to assess and control the situation on the ground, as well as strengthening coordination between the two sides, said Hadi Rashid Al Shahwani, commander of the exercise, according to the report.

The exercises, held under the patronage of Minister of State for Defence Affairs Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah, are considered as part of a mutual agreement aimed at strengthening the defence capabilities of both countries.

The exercise was held to combat "extremism and smuggling operations, as well as to maintain security and stability in the region," said the report.

Turkey has been the foremost supporter of Qatar since the Saudi-led siege began on June 5.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 19:15:04|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has sent a message to Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill to congratulate him on his reelection as the head of government of the South Pacific island nation.

On August 2, Papua New Guinea's parliament reelected O'Neill prime minister for a new five-year term.

In his congratulatory message dated Aug. 4, Li said that China-Papua New Guinea relations have achieved substantial development since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1976. The two sides have trusted each other politically and have launched mutually beneficial cooperation economically, besides supporting each other in multilateral affairs, he said.

The development of China-Papua New Guinea relations has brought tangible interests to the two peoples, and has also promoted stability and prosperity of the region of Pacific island nations, Li noted.

"I am looking forward to making efforts with you to deepen China-Papua New Guinea exchange and cooperation in all fields, and promote further development of the strategic partnership between the two countries, in the better interest of the two peoples," Li said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 19:15:07|Editor: ying

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GARISSA, Kenya, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan authorities said on Monday that they have deployed adequate security forces along the border with Somalia to ward off threats from Al-Shabaab insurgents ahead of Tuesday's elections.

Northeastern Regional Commissioner Mohamud Saleh told journalists in Garissa that the security arrangement will involve all security agencies and military who will enhance border patrols before and after the elections.

Saleh said that security is aware that Al-Shabaab might want to sabotage the elections as this has been their trend whenever the country is carrying out a major national event.

"The Al-Shabaab are known to take advantage of the slightest opportunity presented to them to disrupt the elections and being a national exercise we are not taking chances to ensure that the exercise goes on smoothly," Saleh said.

Following recent attacks by the Somali-based terror group, there has been concern that the militants may stage attacks to scare away voters and put the government in disrepute.

"Voters should turn out in large numbers to cast their votes and elect leaders that will address their plight. We have put up enough security measures to secure all polling stations in areas that Al-Shabaab have been targeting," Saleh noted.

The regional government official added that all Safaricom mast that were destroyed by the Al-Shabaab have restored and are 'up and running'.

He said the move to deploy more officers in the areas he described as hotspots was important so as to stop any threat that might be posed by Somali's Al-Shabaab group.

Saleh said that his office and those of the three counties of Mandera, Wajir and Garissa are in constant contact with all the elections managers to ensure that security issues are properly addressed.

Saleh said security attached to election managers who have received threatening measures have been increased so as to allow them discharge their duties without fear or favor.

The Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) County Coordinator Antony Njoroge recently hinted that in case the Safaricom network will be weak, then the electoral body will revert to use of satellite phones.

Meanwhile, the authorities have beefed up security ahead of Tuesday's general elections, the second such exercise since the East African nation's new constitution was approved in August 2010.

A senior police commander told Xinhua on Monday that specific measures have been put in place to ensure that the elections will be the most peaceful that Kenya has witnessed.

The police commander said over 150,000 security agents who will be used in Tuesday's polls have been deployed to places they will cover for at least four days, making it the highest number of personnel to be mobilized in Kenyan polls.

He said the officers were deployed to the places and briefed how they will conduct themselves for fairness and security, noting that commanders at various levels were asked to take instructions from IEBC at the polling centres.

"The commanders will make their decisions on the ground depending on the nature of issues at hand. We hope for the best," said the commander who did not want to be identified.

He said that police officers have also been sensitized on election regulations in order to strengthen their capacity in handling election offenses.

He added that a special team of Criminal Investigation Departments (CID) officers has also been dispatched all over the country to expeditiously deal with election offenses.

Many Kenyans are eagerly waiting to vote in the historic polls expected to propel Kenya's quest to attain a middle-income status.

However, despite the eagerness to vote, fear of election violence erupting in the East African nation is growing as the clock ticks towards Tuesday's polls.

This is despite police assurances that they are thoroughly prepared for the polls and have come up with concrete plans to ensure security prevails before, during and after the exercise.

Most of those fearing that they may be affected by violence are people living in presidential candidates' strongholds, where they are perceived to be supporting rivals because of their ethnic background.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 19:20:11|Editor: ying

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CAPE TOWN, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's ruling party African National Congress (ANC) on Monday lauded Rwanda's election as "another successful poll in Africa".

The election was a clear indication that democratic advances continue across the continent, which should be encouraged, the ANC said.

The ANC said the elections in Rwanda "were an expression of the will of the people and significant affirmation of their continued faith in the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and President (Paul) Kagame to guide their country to prosperity and security".

The poll saw the re-election of Kagame by a landslide win of 98.63 percent of the vote.

According to the country's National Electoral Commission, voter turnout in Rwanda's election was 96 percent of a total of 6.9 million voters.

Under Kagame's leadershipm, Rwanda has made significant progress, becoming one of the strongest economies in East Africa, ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe said.

"The country is also regularly lauded for its political stability," said Mantashe.

The ANC congratulates Kagame on his re-election and reaffirms its fraternal support for the RPF, Mantashe said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 19:20:13|Editor: ying

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BERLIN, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Stephan Weil (SPD), the governor of the German state of Lower Saxony, rejected calls for his resignation on Monday after allegedly manipulating a speech in favor of the carmaker Volkswagen.

"The supposedly new issue is actually outdated and was already discussed in Lower Saxony more than a year ago. This is just an election campaign maneuver," Weil told the newspaper Bild.

The SPD governor insisted that contrary to claims heard over the weekend, Volkswagen had not removed critically-worded passages in his official speech. As the state of Lower Saxony owns more than 20 percent of Volkswagen shares, Weil has a seat on the Wolfsburg-based carmakers supervisory board.

The public statement was originally made following early revelations surrounding the global "diesel gate" emissions cheating scandal in 2015.

On Sunday, an unnamed Volkswagen employee told the newspaper Bild that the company "re-wrote and softened" Weil's speech. The source claimed that the speech was sent to the carmaker in advance which proceeded to eliminate "problematic passages" and insert "more positive formulations."

Responding on Monday, Weil described these accusations as "groundless" and said that he had only sent a draft to Volkswagen with a request to "examine the legal implications and accuracy of facts" contained.

"We clarified certain legal matters, but the criticism remained. I always stood by my harsh criticism of Volkswagen's behavior," Weil told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland.

Volkswagen did not want to comment on media reports and instead released a statement that it was "perfectly commonplace for members of a supervisory board to coordinate planned statements about issues of relevance to the company with its leadership."

However, CSU secretary general Andreas Scheuer continued to demand Weil's resignation. "The wheeling and dealing surrounding the governmental declaration in Lower Saxony is a concrete affair and must definitely result in Weil's resignation," Scheuer told newspaper Neue Passauer Presse.

Lower Saxonian Left party (Linke) delegate Herbert Behrens said seeking the firm's approval for the speech was "absurd and a clear indication of the true balance of power in Lower Saxony."

Weil's party colleague Ralf Stegner on Monday described the accusations as a red herring. "This is an unsophisticated attempt to discredit the successful government of Stephan Weil," he said.

In response to criticism, Weil released two manuscripts on Monday, one edited and one unedited, of his speech concerning the German automotive industry. The published documents suggest that Weil accepted some and rejected other suggestions made by Volkswagen. The most critical passages in the speech were left unchanged.

On Friday, the Lower Saxonian Green party (Gruene) delegate Elke Twesten had defected to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), causing Weil to lose his government's one-vote majority in the regional assembly.

Weil has since called for quick re-elections in parallel to national elections in September, announcing his intention to run for the office of governor again. On Monday, the leaders of Lower Saxony's political factions will meet to discuss possible dates for an early regional poll.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 19:45:24|Editor: ying

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LONDON, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The number of British people enjoying foreign holidays is the highest since the financial crash, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Monday.

But in the last 20 years British tourists have turned their backs on traditional two-week holidays in favor of short breaks and week-long trips, said ONS.

British residents went on more than 45 million foreign holidays in 2016, up from 27 million in 1996, a 68 percent rise.

Another big change seen by ONS is the drop in the number of so-called "booze cruises" across the English Channel.

Thousands of people used to make the day-trips to France to stock up on cheaper alcohol.

The numbers started to fall after 1999 when duty-free sales within the European Union ended, coupled with prices for cigarettes in France also rising.

The arrival of budget airlines has also led to sky-high numbers of British tourists heading to tourism hotspots across Europe, said ONS.

In the two decades since 1996 the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said passenger numbers at British airports increased by 85 percent, from 135 million to 251 million, with half using the budget carriers.

"Around 50 percent of the traffic on low-cost carriers is newly generated, which means half of the people flying on budget airlines in Europe weren't making those journeys before," said ONS.

At the same time, the number of people making sea crossings to Europe has fallen by 33 percent, with more opting to fly instead,

ONS said not a lot has changed at the top of the destination chart over the past 20 years, with Spain and France staying in the two top spots.

"While the number of holidays to Spain has rocketed by 87 percent in 20 years, France is one of the few countries we're visiting less than we were in 1996 with the number falling by 9 percent," said ONS.

Germany has now joined the top 10 destinations for British holidaymakers, and another new entry is cruising along Europe's famous rivers, now four times as popular as it was 20 years ago.

Two destinations that have dropped out of the top 10 since 1996 are Belgium and Turkey.

Holidays to third placed Italy and fourth place Portugal have both more than doubled since 1996, with the only non-European destination in the top 10, the United States, in fifth place.

Further down the rankings, the countries that have seen a massive percentage increase in British tourists are the United Arab Emirates (UAE), heading towards 600,000 a year compared to around 25,000 in 1996, and Poland, also exceeding more than half a million tourists from Britain.

ONS said the big rise in tourism to the UAE is largely due to the popularity of Dubai, where there has been heavy investment in hotels and shopping malls.

And if there is any truth in the saying, every cloud has a silver lining, Iceland's success proves the point, said ONS.

Iceland's newfound popularity is less straightforward to explain, said ONS, with a rise in the numbers of British holidaymakers beginning around 2010, just two years after the economic crisis devalued the Icelandic krona, making the country much more affordable for foreign tourists.

But a volcano could also have played a part in explaining the secret of Iceland's tourism boom.

ONS explained: "2010 was also the year that the volcano Eyjafjallajokull erupted, sending clouds of ash into the skies above Europe and grounding planes across the world. Some think that the TV pictures of Iceland shown around the globe encouraged visitors to go there."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 19:45:27|Editor: Mengjie

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QINGDAO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Navy conducted live ammunition combat drills in water and air areas above both the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea simultaneously on Monday.

Dozens of missiles were fired in the drills, according to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy.

In addition to naval forces, which took a major part in the drills, forces from the PLA Air Force also participated.

The drills, involving dozens of surface vessels and submarines, more than ten aircraft as well as troops of the coastal defense force, carried out exercises including different forces' joint operations against offshore and onshore targets, as well as air interception.

The PLA Navy said the drills aimed to test the military capability of systemic combat, operation and training methods and weaponry, as part of regular arrangements organized in the military's annual exercise plan.

Senior naval officers attended the drills.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 19:50:37|Editor: Mengjie

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JAKARTA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's budget airlines of Lion Air has opened a new flight service to China's city of Sanya in southern Hainan province from capital Jakarta, adding dozens of routes linking cities in the two nations the airlines has operated so far.

Lion Air Group Spokesperson Andy M. Saladin said that the new flight service has commenced on Saturday, departing from Jakarta to Sanya.

In the following days Sanya-bound flights would be served from Jakarta on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Meanwhile the Jakarta-bound flights from Sanya would be conducted on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, he added.

Andy said the Jakarta-Sanya flight service resulted from a charter flight cooperation between Lion Air Group with Hainan United Airlines Travel Group Co. Ltd., expected to transport some 50,000 visitors from Sanya to Indonesia.

He added that besides Jakarta, the flight service would eventually open a new route linking Bali capital of Denpasar with Sanya.

The latest flight service to Sanya has added Lion Air's charter flight services connecting Indonesian cities of Denpasar, Manado, Balikpapan, Batam and Jakarta to Chinese cities of Changsa, Nanchang, Wuhan, Xiaoshan, Guangzhou, Luogang, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Jiangbei among others.

"This is part of our commitments to help the development of Indonesian tourism sector," Andy said.

Indonesian Tourism Minister Arief Yahya hailed the opening of Jakarta-Sanya charter flight, saying that it fits with his ministry's three main programs to develop tourism, consisting of air connectivity development, digital marketplace and homestay villages.

"We have urged national airlines to be more aggressive in opening new flight routes to destinations across the country in addressing air connectivity," the minister said.

According to the minister air connectivity is essential to boost arrival of foreign visitors as 80 percent of their arrivals are conducted via air transport.

China is an ultimate tourism market to Indonesia as visitors from the nation have dominated arrivals of foreign visitors to Indonesia in the past several months.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 19:55:40|Editor: ying

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BERLIN, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- German airlines are concerned that they are losing market share to foreign competitors in their home market, Stefan Schulte, the president of the German Aviation Association (BDL), told newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Monday.

According to BDL figures, local carriers such as Lufthansa, Air Berlin, Condor and TUI Fly saw a 5 percent annual increase in passenger numbers to a total of 76.8 million during the first half of 2017. Last year, the BDL had reported a 0.7 percent drop in passenger numbers.

Nevertheless Schulte warned that "German aviation firms are still losing market share."

German airlines were worried despite their strong recent figures because foreign airlines were experiencing faster growth, a circumstance which was increasingly reflected by their increased presence at German airports.

Business for competitors from abroad grew by 6.4 percent to 109.8 million passengers during the same period. In the first half of 2017 Lufthansa, including its low-cost carrier Eurowings, Air Berlin, Condor and TUI Fly only accounted for 56 percent of available seats, down from 62 percent a few years ago.

Schulte blamed aviation taxes and security costs for the loss in market share. Airlines delivered 1.07 billion euros (1.26 billion U.S. dollars) in taxes to German government authorities in 2016 and had to shoulder 656 million euros of expenses for passenger and baggage controls.

The BDL president argued that there were reasons to support local airlines aside from their roles as job creators. He stressed the importance of domestic carriers with international hubs in Germany as a means to preserve a diversity of routes.

"If we only relied on foreign carriers, Germany's connections in air traffic would be determined solely by whether we are a lucrative market for them," he said.

The growth of affordable airlines from other European nations including Easyjet, Norwegian and Wizz Air, is a major driver behind recent changes in the landscape of the German aviation market.

In total, non-German European airlines experienced 8.8 percent growth in Germany during the first half of 2017. The German market for low-cost airlines has more than doubled since 2011.

Non-European premium carriers such as Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways further contributed to German firms' shrinking market share.

Schulte hoped that the German government would revisit reform proposals to lower the financial burden of aviation taxes and enhanced security checks made by the Transport Ministry of Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) during the next parliament.

Schulte is also the CEO of Fraport AG, the firm which operates Frankfurt International Airport.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 20:20:50|Editor: ying

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By Peter Kenny

GENEVA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- If the recent warning by the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the "clear risk" of a trade war sparked by protectionist policies materializes, it would threaten poor and developing countries the most, says economist Martin Khor on Monday.

Khor, executive director of the Geneva-based South Center agreed with WTO director general Roberto Azevedo Azevedo's recent statement that should a trade war break out, countries "will in the end be worse off than when the dispute begins."

Khor said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua that "the developing countries especially the poorer ones would be the most affected victims of a trade war as they have no means to defend themselves."

The fears have been stoked with statements from President Donald Trump U.S. Administration that it is examining its trade practices with China and suggesting measures will be taken against its perceived distorted trade balance.

Azevedo said Aug. 2 at a forum in Panama that the global community must be attentive because "the risk of a trade war is very clear."

The WTO chief warned that whichever country applies unilateral measures, other countries would respond, triggering a domino effect.

Khor said he viewed a trade war as "a real possibility", noting that some leaders of the U.S. Republican Party that controls both houses of the Congress would like to introduce a trade adjustment tax equivalent to a 20 percent duty on all imports entering the U.S., as part of their tax reform plan.

"This would be really against WTO rules and will fuel outrage among U.S. trade partners who would retaliate," said Khor.

He said the U.S. could also use antidumping and anti-subsidy measures "especially against China" to prevent steel and other products from entering, estimating that it would trigger retaliatory measures against the U.S.

"The whole trade scene can quickly turn chaotic with a major trade war being unleashed which will not benefit anyone," he cautioned.

The South Centre director agreed with Azevedo's call for more dialogue, when he noted the potential influence that digital technologies can have on world trade.

"The cooler and wiser persons in the U.S. administration and Congress and opinion makers should take concerted efforts to try to prevent the president from going down this disastrous route" of protectionism, asserted Khor.
Kenya's Interior Ministry Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho (L), Kenyan Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet (C) and Administration Police (AP) Commandant Samuel Arachi attend a security briefing at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Aug. 3, 2017. Kenya has completed security preparations for the general elections slated to take place on Aug. 8, Karanja Kibicho said on Thursday. (Xinhua/Nyalwash)

GARISSA, Kenya, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan authorities said on Monday that they have deployed adequate security forces along the border with Somalia to ward off threats from Al-Shabaab insurgents ahead of Tuesday's elections.

Northeastern Regional Commissioner Mohamud Saleh told journalists in Garissa that the security arrangement will involve all security agencies and military who will enhance border patrols before and after the elections.

Saleh said that security is aware that Al-Shabaab might want to sabotage the elections as this has been their trend whenever the country is carrying out a major national event.

"The Al-Shabaab are known to take advantage of the slightest opportunity presented to them to disrupt the elections and being a national exercise we are not taking chances to ensure that the exercise goes on smoothly," Saleh said.

Following recent attacks by the Somali-based terror group, there has been concern that the militants may stage attacks to scare away voters and put the government in disrepute.

"Voters should turn out in large numbers to cast their votes and elect leaders that will address their plight. We have put up enough security measures to secure all polling stations in areas that Al-Shabaab have been targeting," Saleh noted.

The regional government official added that all Safaricom mast that were destroyed by the Al-Shabaab have restored and are 'up and running'.

He said the move to deploy more officers in the areas he described as hotspots was important so as to stop any threat that might be posed by Somali's Al-Shabaab group.

Saleh said that his office and those of the three counties of Mandera, Wajir and Garissa are in constant contact with all the elections managers to ensure that security issues are properly addressed.

Saleh said security attached to election managers who have received threatening measures have been increased so as to allow them discharge their duties without fear or favor.

The Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) County Coordinator Antony Njoroge recently hinted that in case the Safaricom network will be weak, then the electoral body will revert to use of satellite phones.

Meanwhile, the authorities have beefed up security ahead of Tuesday's general elections, the second such exercise since the East African nation's new constitution was approved in August 2010.

A senior police commander told Xinhua on Monday that specific measures have been put in place to ensure that the elections will be the most peaceful that Kenya has witnessed.

The police commander said over 150,000 security agents who will be used in Tuesday's polls have been deployed to places they will cover for at least four days, making it the highest number of personnel to be mobilized in Kenyan polls.

He said the officers were deployed to the places and briefed how they will conduct themselves for fairness and security, noting that commanders at various levels were asked to take instructions from IEBC at the polling centres.

"The commanders will make their decisions on the ground depending on the nature of issues at hand. We hope for the best," said the commander who did not want to be identified.

He said that police officers have also been sensitized on election regulations in order to strengthen their capacity in handling election offenses.

He added that a special team of Criminal Investigation Departments (CID) officers has also been dispatched all over the country to expeditiously deal with election offenses.

Many Kenyans are eagerly waiting to vote in the historic polls expected to propel Kenya's quest to attain a middle-income status.

However, despite the eagerness to vote, fear of election violence erupting in the East African nation is growing as the clock ticks towards Tuesday's polls.

This is despite police assurances that they are thoroughly prepared for the polls and have come up with concrete plans to ensure security prevails before, during and after the exercise.

Most of those fearing that they may be affected by violence are people living in presidential candidates' strongholds, where they are perceived to be supporting rivals because of their ethnic background.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 20:30:55|Editor: ying

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ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Militants of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch shelled a military base manned by UAE-backed Yemeni troops with several rockets in Abyan on Monday, a security official told Xinhua.

The al-Qaida militants fired a number of Grad rockets and targeted a coastguard base manned by UAE-backed Yemeni troops in the coastal city of Shuqra in Abyan province, causing injuries among soldiers, the local security source said on condition of anonymity.

"About five rockets were fired by al-Qaida terrorists and landed inside the coastguard base, causing heavy damage there," the local security source said.

The attack resulted in injuring several newly-recruited soldiers who joined the anti-terror campaign against bastions of the al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in southern Yemen, according to the Yemeni source.

An army officer near the scene confirmed to Xinhua that the al-Qaida attack aimed at bombing the command and control room inside the coastguard base, but it missed the target.

On Thursday, hundreds of elite Yemeni troops backed by the United Arab Emirates and America launched a fresh anti-terror campaign and targeted al-Qaida hideouts in neighboring southeastern province of Shabwa.

Tribal sources said that scores of mid-level al-Qaida commanders along with bodyguards fled their strongholds in Shabwa and arrived to other hiding places in Abyan's rugged mountainous areas.

In recent days, hundreds of elite counter-terrorism forces recently trained by the United Arab Emirates were deployed in different areas of Abyan province in an attempt to track fleeing al-Qaida operatives and storm their hideouts.

The Yemen-based al-Qaida branch, seen by the United States as the global terror network's most dangerous branch, has exploited years of deadly conflict between Yemen's government and Houthi rebels to expand its presence, especially in Shabwa and Abyan provinces.

Yemen's government, allied with a Saudi-led Arab military coalition, has for years been battling Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels for control of the impoverished country.

UN statistics showed that more than 8,000 people have been killed in Yemen's conflict, most of them civilians, since the Saudi-led coalition entered the conflict in 2015.

The impoverished Arab country is also suffering the world's largest cholera outbreak, where about 5,000 cases are reported every day.
Kalisa Mbanda (L), chairperson of Rwandan National Electoral Commission (NEC), speaks at a press conference in Kigali, captial of Rwanda, on Aug.5, 2017. NEC on Saturday declared Paul Kagame as the winner of the presidential elections, citing provisional results. (Xinhua/Wang Junbo)

KIGALI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of African Election Observer Missions (EOM) in Rwanda on Sunday commended Friday's presidential elections, saying it followed democratic principles.

The heads of mission from the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the International Conference of the Great Lakes (ICGLR) isued a preliminary report based on their observation during campaigns, elections and ballot counting.

The COMESA commended the professional conduct of electoral commission officials who have facilitated smooth elections.

But Bishop Mary Nkosi, who headed the COMESA observer mission, called for more budgetary allocation to the National Electoral Commission to facilitate more civic education.

Provisional results released by the National Electoral Commission released on Saturday showed that Paul Kagame garnered 98.63 percent of the votes, winning a third term as president.

Kagame, 59, won over 6.6 million votes in the election.

Independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana got 0.73 percent and Frank Habineza, candidate for the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, trailed with 0.47 percent.

The East African Community observers' report concluded that the election was conducted in a calm atmosphere following regional, and international democratic principles, according to former Kenyan vice president Moody Awori, who headed the EAC observer mission.

The team, however, called for reforms in the electoral law to further empower the electoral commission and better facilitate candidates.

Their report also commended security organs for their role in ensuring a peaceful election and security of electoral materials.

Arinaitwe Rwakajara, who headed the ICGLR observer team, noted that election officials showed commitment in their work with required capacity in handling election matters.

The team appreciated voter turnout as well as preparation of voting rooms. Voter turnout was over 96 percent, according to Rwanda's National Electoral Commission.

The exercise was free and fair, including ballot counting, in compliance with international standards and especially ICGLR democracy and good governance principles, he said.

Kagame, who is also the chairman of the ruling party Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), has been president since 2000 when he was elected by ministers and members of parliament following the resignation of then President Pasteur Bizimungu.

He was re-elected in the 2003 and 2010 presidential elections by winning 95 percent and 93 percent of votes respectively.

Rwanda, which has been recovering since the 1994 genocide, is now considered a model for developing countries, especially African ones.

People wait to cast ballots for presidential elections in Kigali, capital city of Rwanda, on Aug. 4, 2017. (Xinhua/Lyu Tianran)

Voters want to move country forward through presidential elections

On the election day on Friday, Rwandan voters queued at polling stations across the country for their turn to cast their ballots to elect the next president who will serve a seven-year term.

They want a president who would accomplish what was not done in previous years.

"The election is crucial," 98-year-old Suleiman Ntiruvuba told Xinhua after casting his ballot for Paul Kagame, the incumbent president, in Northern Province.

Kagame is a leader who has looked after the old people, Ntiruvuba said, expressing the hope that the leader of the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) would build on past achievements and move the country further ahead.

Linda Kanyana, customer representative of an internet service company, said that she also voted for Kagame, who will maintain the security, peace, and development that the country has already achieved.

"I have voted for RPF, because it will maintain the security of the country, promote youth empowerment by creating more opportunities leading to jobs, and improve the health sector to the best level," Kanyana said.

Winnie Kazoora, a 20-year-old student in Northern Province, hopes that the elected president would keep what has been achieved with RPF and move other sectors such as information communications technology to even higher levels.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 20:46:05|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (6th L) attends the signing ceremony of the amended version of the Memorandum of Understanding on Establishing China-ASEAN Center in Manila, the Philippines, Aug. 6, 2017. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

MANILA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeastern Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed on Sunday that continued economic growth in China would benefit ASEAN members and the bloc anticipates a higher level of strategic partnership with China.

CHINA-ASEAN PRAGMATIC COOPERATION WINS APPROVAL

In a joint communique issued here on Sunday, the ASEAN foreign ministers commended China's growing role in the region and expressed expectations for more high-level dialogue and higher level of economic integration.

They welcomed the entry into force of the Protocol to Amend the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Certain Agreements between ASEAN and China (ACFTA Upgrade Protocol) and looked forward to early ratification of the protocol by the remaining parties.

"This will help support the twin goals to reach a two-way trade and investment of 1 trillion U.S. dollars and 150 billion U.S. dollars respectively by 2020," said the communique.

The year 2018 marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership and the ministers expect to designate 2018 as the ASEAN-China Year of Innovation Cooperation, and formulate a 2030 Vision for China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership as a blueprint to guide future relations.

More cooperation in infrastructure construction, tourism, air transportation, anti-corruption, environment protection and other areas between the two sides should also be conducted.

These protocols coincide with the remarks of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi when he was interviewed by media. Wang said China and ASEAN are facing new opportunities for greater development, and that the China-ASEAN strategic partnership has stepped into a new phase of comprehensive development.

China and the ASEAN nations are close to each other geographically and share a long time of friendship. During the past 50 years, the two sides have harvested tremendous results in cooperation in many areas including two-way trade, said the joint communique.

China has become ASEAN's biggest trade partner, and the ASEAN countries look forward to participating in China's Belt and Road Initiative to further expand the scope and dimension for bilateral cooperation.

SOUTH CHINA SEA ISSUE

In the joint communique, ASEAN foreign ministers took note of the improving situation in the South China Sea over the past year, saying it reflected the positive results of cooperation in the region.

Participants at the meeting agreed that promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the South China Sea will benefit all parties.

They welcomed the adoption of the framework for the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea and the successful testing of the MFA-to-MFA (ministry of foreign affairs-to-ministry of foreign affairs) hotline to manage maritime emergencies. They look forward to the operationalization of the joint statement on the observance of the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) in the South China Sea, which is part of practical measures that could reduce tensions, the risks of accidents, misunderstanding and miscalculation.

For the first time ever, the communique underlined "the importance of non-militarization and self-restraint in conducting activities" by claimants and all other states, including those mentioned in the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).

Despite the consensus and joint endeavors made by China and most ASEAN members in easing disputes in the South China Sea, Vietnam tried to force its own agenda into the draft communique, a source close to the meeting told Xinhua.

Vietnam wanted to insert sentences such as "construction on islands and reefs" into the draft communique.

Such a move of Vietnam aimed at exerting pressure on China was futile, and the phrase was finally dropped due to opposition from other ASEAN countries, the source said.

More than one year after an ill-founded award at a South China Sea arbitration unilaterally delivered by an ad hoc tribunal in The Hague, the situation in the South China Sea has stabilized and improved thanks to the wisdom and sincerity of China and the parties concerned.

In such a cordial atmosphere, the move of Vietnam is not only against the positive trend in the South China Sea, but is also meant to undermine unity of ASEAN against the will of the people there.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 20:51:09|Editor: ying

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By Tao Jun, Dong Hua

HO CHI MINH CITY, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Some Vietnamese women, especially those unlucky in love, often receive surprising advice when they consult fortune-tellers about the prospects for their love life.

Dang Thu Thuy, born in 1983 in the northern Thai Nguyen province, is currently a lecturer of English at a well-known university in Hanoi.

She had previously worked as an assistant or a project officer at several Vietnamese and foreign organizations, including the British Embassy in Vietnam and the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training.

She has always been considered graceful and kindhearted by her colleagues.

"To be honest, I'm not picky at all and I do want to become a bride. But why hasn't my man turned up yet? No one can answer this question conclusively, so I have resorted to fortune-telling," the lecturer told Xinhua recently, smiling awkwardly.

On one such visit, Thuy was told that she was apparently being followed and disturbed by a jealous spirit who had been her lover in previous life. The spirit, the fortune teller claimed, had maintained its love for her and was trying to sabotage and ruin her love affairs.

"I'm not superstitious. But sometimes I use the fortune teller's remarks as an explanation for my prolonged unmarried status, whenever my relatives or my friends ask me about my future wedding prospects," Thuy said.

Many Vietnamese believe that every person has had a previous life. In that life, if a person loved someone but the relationship between the two failed, they often take a vow that they will continue their love affairs in their next incarnation. They then lead their own life until they die, and then go to the afterlife.

If for some reason, one of them is reincarnated, beginning a whole new life, and the other is left in the afterlife as a spirit waiting for a chance to be reincarnated, they invisibly watch their beloved's life, preventing them from getting married by interfering in and undermining their beloved's relationships, secretly forcing them to keep their promise.

This story is often used as an explanation for those with a series of unsuccessful love affairs, or those who remain unsettled in married life, with the majority of people who seek fortune tellers' help being women.

Nguyen Thuy Linh, a 25-year-old accountant from the Long Bien district in Hanoi, was told by a fortune teller that she was being followed by her husband from a previous life, who still loved her very much. If she did not hold a ceremony to "divorce" him, she would run the risk of being single for her whole life.

Linh has undertaken the divorce rite herself three times, with her mother also secretly conducting the rite for her four times, with the cost of each ceremony ranging from 44 U.S. dollars to 440 U.S. dollars depending on its scale.

"I've visited many wizards and fortune tellers, and with each of them, I found a new ghost lover. Some were from my previous life, some were unknown spirits who haunt the land near my house and fell in love with me," said the accountant.

Linh and many other Vietnamese women have had boyfriends, some of whom have undertook a driving-away or "divorce" rite.

To prepare for the rite, people cook certain dishes, including chicken, to be offered to the spirits along with fruits.

Offerings at these spiritual divorce ceremonies vary depending on the wizard, but it is necessary to have motive objects made of paper, such as bowls, plates, clothes, money and vehicles to be used as farewell gifts for the spirit, and two paper puppets, representing a male and a female.

During the rite, the wizard will cut the thin cord connecting the two puppets and declare that there will be no more involvement between the person and their ghost lover.

All the paper offerings will be burnt after the rite. Sometimes, people also burn another female puppet for the ghost to receive as a wife to help him forget his earth-bound love.

A 27-year-old kindergarten teacher named Bui Thanh Xuan from the Tho Xuan district, in the central Thanh hoa province, has experienced many difficulties and failures in her love life. Afraid of being left on the shelf, she has visited several fortune tellers to ensure she is spiritually free and single.

"I'm very sad. At the last ceremony, which cost me 3 million Vietnamese dong (133 U.S. dollars), the wizard told me that I would have a boyfriend within the next three months. But seven months has passed and nothing's happened," Xuan said despondently.

According to Dr. Le Van Ky from the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, the reason some find their real-life partner so soon after conducting their spiritual divorces, is more due to the fact that they are psychologically released by the ceremonies, and that they perhaps feel more confident in finding a life mate, which contributes greatly to their success.

Renowned psychologist Trinh Trung Hoa shares Ky's view that the greatest advantage of the practice is the creation of belief and confidence in people who long to find a life partner.

Those who have experienced many rites but still remain single, may not have overcome the psychological obstacles to open their hearts, Hoa said.

"They should look to themselves, and think about who they want to share their life with. They should open their heart and work on their communication skills and appearance, and learn how to be a real lover, since if they don't know how to maintain their relationship, it will be very difficult for them to resolve their problem," the veteran psychologist stated.

"They can't just blame their fate on such nonsense as ghosts," Hoa added.

Thuy does not believe in the existence of an after life or ghosts, but her mother does. "My caring mother has secretly conducted the ghost driving-away rite for me several times," the lecturer revealed.

"From time to time, one of my colleagues or even of my students woos me. But I don't think the rites work, but my improved communication skills do," Thuy said, tussling her curly hair, which for years used to be in a braid.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 21:01:13|Editor: ying

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MADRID, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Around 200 sub-Saharan migrants were able to force their way into the Spanish north-African enclave of Ceuta in the early hours of Monday morning when they stormed a frontier post.

Spanish Civil Guards report that the incident, which happened at 6 a.m. local time, saw the immigrants run through the Tarajal frontier post, which separates Morocco from what is effectively European Union territory.

They add that what is a complete change of strategy from the usual tactics of either attempting to enter the enclave hidden inside vehicles or climbing over the 6-meter high border fence, surprised both themselves and Moroccan security forces.

Indeed both Civil Guards and Moroccan forces had been covering the border fence after receiving information of an imminent attempt to cross into Ceuta and those left at the frontier post were unable to stop the avalanche.

The immigrants then made their way to the Center for Temporary Residence for Immigrants in the town.

The past week also saw a further group of 73 immigrants' force their way into Ceuta in what was the first major attempt to cross the border between the enclave and Morocco since February.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 21:01:15|Editor: ying

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PYONGYANG, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Monday rejected the new United Nations Security Council resolution on its nuclear and missile program.

"This U.N. sanctions resolution, to all intents and purposes, is an outcome of diabolical attempts of the U.S. to isolate and stifle the DPRK, which constitutes a flagrant infringement upon its sovereignty and an open challenge to it," said the statement of the DPRK government, carried by the Korean Central News Agency.

It said the successful test-launches of ICBM by Pyongyang is "a stern warning" to Washington over its "the policy of extreme hostility" toward DPRK.

The statement brushed off economic sanctions as useless means to pressure the country to abandon its nuclear and missile program.

The U.N. Security Council on Sunday unanimously passed the resolution to reinforce economic sanctions against the DPRK in a bid to cut its foreign revenues by one third or one billion U.S. dollars every year, reducing its fund for nuclear and missile development program.

It came after Pyongyang conducted two test launches of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 21:01:18|Editor: ying

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BERLIN, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- LGBT refugees are being deported by German authorities despite facing serious threats to their lives in their country of origin, Politico reported on Monday.

While there are no official statistics for the number of LGBT asylum seekers who have been ordered to leave Germany, Politico cited human rights groups which claim that up to 50 percent of their clients' applications have been rejected.

A spokesperson for the Federal Ministry for Migration and Refugees (BaMF) responded by saying that each case was reviewed individual and considered "if the asylum seeker can credibly show that they would be in danger because of their sexual orientation in their country of origin."

Germany only considers a small number of countries of origin, limited mainly to EU member states, the Western Balkans, Ghana and Senegal, as safe, but has also declined applications from migrants from other countries, according to lawyers and human rights groups.

Politico cited the case of a transgender person living in Germany since 2015 who now faces being deported to Lebanon despite having already been physically assaulted there because of her sexual orientation before emigrating. Only 12 percent of refugees from Lebanon were granted asylum in Germany in 2017, BaMF statistics show.

Asylum seekers from countries such as Morocco, Pakistan, Russia and Tunisia who are gay or trans, frequently complain that the German government's classification is inaccurate and that they would experience institutional or violent persecution in their home countries.

In Tunisia, for example, same-sex relations are punishable with a prison sentence of up to three years.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 21:11:21|Editor: Mengjie

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BERLIN, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The two Chinese tourists gesturing Hitler salutes in Berlin have left Germany without further criminal punishment, the Chinese Embassy said Monday, urging tourists to respect history and learn basic laws of their travel destinations.

The two tourists, two men aged 36 and 49, respectively, were caught by Berlin officers on a routine on Saturday, when they were snapping mobile phone pictures of each other and posing Hitler salute gestures outside the historic landmark Reichstag parliament complex in the center of Berlin.

Zhou Anping, counselor of the Consulate Division of the Chinese Embassy in Germany, told Xinhua that each of the two tourists have been fined for 500 euros and were released by the police.

Zhou added that the 500-euro fine was not bail and no further criminal punishment would be given. They might have already arrived in Italy on Monday.

The Berlin police told Xinhua that they are not banned from visiting Germany again in the future.

Germany has strict laws on hate speeches and symbols linked to Adolf Hitler, a notorious figure in the Second World War, and his Nazi Party.

It is not the first time that Chinese tourists were caught for posing Hitler-linked gestures. In 2013, a Chinese tourist was arrested for making Hitler salutes in Austria.

Zhou urged Chinese visitors to respect history and learn basic laws of their destinations to avoid such offenses.

The two Chinese tourists were widely mocked and criticized in China. Many accused the two of lacking basic knowledge of history about the Nazis and Hitler.

"They deserved punishment!" A person with an account named "2sxiong" said on Twitter-like Chinese social media Weibo.

"Shame on them!" said another Weibo user "renzidaoguolainianya."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 21:31:28|Editor: ying

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by Chrispinus Omar and Robert Manyara

NAIROBI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Some 19.6 million Kenyans will vote on Tuesday to elect the country's fifth president. Raila Amollo Odinga, the son of Kenya's first Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, has been an active political player in Kenya's politics since early 1980s.

Born on January 7, 1945, Odinga is a flag bearer of second liberation campaigning on the platform of reformist politicians in National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition, a coalition of five political parties that have nominated him to contest the upcoming Aug. 8 elections.

The 72-year-old Odinga has been associated with pushing for political reforms, sometimes taking leadership of the reform process that culminated into the new constitution that Kenyans approved in a referendum in August 2010.

A mechanical engineer by profession, Odinga who is former Prime Minister, is seeking the presidency in a fourth attempt to become the nation's fifth president.

Odinga received his early education in Kisumu, on the shores of Lake Victoria, and then at Maranda School in his ancestral home area of Bondo.

In 1965, Odinga joined the Magdeburg College of Advanced Technology (now Otto-Von-Guericke University) to study mechanical engineering (production technology). He graduated with a Master of Science degree.

Odinga returned to Kenya and in May 1970 and joined the University of Nairobi, where he taught until 1974 as a tutorial fellow in the department of mechanical engineering.

Odinga has held various cabinet positions under Moi and Kibaki administrations and controls the Odinga business empire.

Odinga is a firm believer in welfare state as reflected in the current manifesto of NASA.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 21:31:30|Editor: ying

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by David Musyoka and Njoroge Kaburo

NAIROBI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Some 19.6 million Kenyans will vote on Tuesday to elect the country's fifth president. Incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya's first president Jomo Kenyatta, is campaigning on the platform of generational change.

Uhuru as he is commonly known in Kenya was born on October 26, 1961. He attended St Mary's School in Nairobi. From there he went on to study political science at Amherst College in the U.S.

He is relatively a late comer in the Kenyan politics and was groomed into politics by the retired President Daniel arap Moi who encouraged him to contest Gatundu South Parliamentary seat in 1997 on KANU ticket, which he lost.

Despite him losing in the parliamentary elections, Moi nominated him to Parliament, propelled him to Cabinet, and then anointed him as his successor in a move that sparked a bitter fall out in KANU party ahead of 2002 elections.

After being anointed by former President Moi, Kenyatta made his first bid for the presidency in 2002, which ended unsuccessful.

His association with the former president did not work in his favour politically, until he left the former ruling party KANU to launch the The National Alliance party, which sponsored him in the March 2013 general elections, which he won under the Jubilee Alliance, a coalition with the United Republican Party and other small parties.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 21:36:33|Editor: ying

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ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) have vowed to further strengthen their collaboration towards the development and prosperity of Africa.

This has come at a time when the newly appointed Executive Secretary of ECA, Vera Songwe, met and held talks with the Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission, Thomas Kwesi Quartey, according to a statement from ECA on Monday.

Marking her second day in office, the new ECA chief on Friday met and held talks with representatives of the AU Commission (AUC), the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation, and with the dean of the diplomatic corps in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

Stating that the AU Commission has had great working relations with ECA over the past years, the Deputy Chairperson has expressed that the pan-African bloc is keen towards more collaboration with ECA.

"We look forward to absolute cooperation with you and your team," he has told the ECA chief.

The two sides have discussed education, migration, industrialization, the AU Reform, domestic resource mobilization and other issues pertinent to Africa's transformation.

The ECA Executive Secretary expressed her commitment to carrying on with the good working relations between the two institutions, stating, "having the ECA and AU working closely together makes for a wealth of knowledge and great potential to change the continent."

She has also expressed her desire to see more space for women in the AU agenda.

Songwe, who arrived in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa Wednesday, was appointed earlier this year by the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, and took over from former Executive Secretary, Carlos Lopes.

The Cameroonian economist and banking executive is the first woman to ever serve the post, and she officially took office last Thursday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 21:41:36|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) sent 16 inspection teams to investigate judicial misconduct and improve regulation of judicial acts nationwide in April and May, said the SPP Monday.

During the inspection tours, 31 provincial-level procuratorates, 35 city-level procuratorates and 41 county-level procuratorates were inspected, according to a statement on the website of the SPP.

The inspections revealed that some procuratorates actively corrected judicial misconduct that had been strongly criticized by the public, including coercive measures and overlooking human rights, the SPP added.

Local procuratorates need to focus on key problems according to their different conditions, rather than trying to correct everything all at once, said the SPP.
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (R) meets with visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Doha, Qatar, July 24, 2017. The two leaders held a meeting on Monday to discuss ways to end the diplomatic crisis in the Gulf. (Xinhua Photo)

DOHA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Qatar, Turkey sealed the joint military exercise aimed at supporting counter-terrorism efforts, the official Qatar News Agency reported Monday.

The "Iron Shield" exercise, which ended on Sunday, included training of leaders to assess and control the situation on the ground, as well as strengthening coordination between the two sides, said Hadi Rashid Al Shahwani, commander of the exercise, according to the report.

The exercises, held under the patronage of Minister of State for Defence Affairs Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah, are considered as part of a mutual agreement aimed at strengthening the defence capabilities of both countries.

The exercise was held to combat "extremism and smuggling operations, as well as to maintain security and stability in the region," said the report.

Turkey has been the foremost supporter of Qatar since the Saudi-led siege began on June 5.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 21:56:42|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) is looking forward to active involvement in the business of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the SAR chief executive, said Monday.

Lam made the remarks during her visit to the AIIB headquarters in Beijing, where she met with Jin Liqun, president of the multilateral development bank.

The establishment of the AIIB is an international initiative of prime importance, Lam said.

She said she hoped both Hong Kong and the AIIB would benefit from major projects in the future, and that Hong Kong would take an active role in AIIB business.

Jin congratulated Hong Kong on joining the AIIB as one of its first new members since inception. The SAR application to join the bank was approved in March.

The president said he expected Hong Kong to play an important role in the development of the AIIB.

With 57 signatories at its establishment in 2015, the AIIB aims to provide financing to address daunting infrastructure needs across Asia. The bank opened in January 2016 and now has 80 members or prospective members.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 22:01:47|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The China-Africa Renewable Energy Cooperation and Innovation Alliance (CARECIA) was established in Beijing on Monday to boost cooperation between China and Africa on clean energy.

Members of the alliance include finance institutions, smart grid providers and core manufacturers in renewable energy.

According to a sustainable development plan, CARECIA will help to establish power supplies and transmission systems in Africa through public-private partnership (PPP) projects.

The alliance will promote renewable energy, said Ding Yuxian of the China Industry-University-Research Institute Collaboration Association.

Wider application of Chinese standards in Africa will boost renewable energy in both China and Africa, she said.

"We need to combine resources and investment, and the alliance is a good platform for that," said Simon Pierre Adovelande, Benin ambassador to China.

He suggested that the alliance start with a few pilot projects, before expanding its influence across Africa.

"For any country to be industrialized, energy is important," commented Vincent E. Omuse, commercial counsellor from the embassy of Kenya in China.

According to Omuse, Kenya is focusing on solar, thermal, hydro and wind energy. It will welcome Chinese investors into key sectors.

The alliance will focus on the most practical, clean energy sources and on financing solutions.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 22:11:53|Editor: Song Lifang

People stay in the shades of trees to cool off themselves in Istanbul, Turkey, on Aug. 7, 2017. An extreme humidity and heatwave has gripped Turkey's biggest city Istanbul on Monday. Over 80 percent of humidity caused the so-called "perceived" temperature to be felt as 40 Degrees Celsius in most part of the city. (Xinhua/Cenk Baklan)

ISTANBUL, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- An extreme humidity and heatwave has gripped Turkey's biggest city Istanbul on Monday.

Over 80 percent of humidity caused the so-called "perceived" temperature to be felt as 40 Degrees Celsius in most part of the city.

The heatwave, combined with extreme humidity has intolerably forced most people to stay home or flock to the seaside.

The shores around the Bosphorus Strait, separating the city's European and Asian sides, was among the favorite spots for local residents to enjoy the cool.

Hudayi Dinler, a businessman on vacation, believed it is always better to be on the seaside rather than being trapped at home during the heatwave.

"It is much cooler here, The water is clean and very appealing," Dinler told Xinhua while having a rest under the shade of a tree near the Bosphorus.

"The heat at home is suffocating while Bosphorus is always cooler under any circumstances," said Recep Oruc, another Turkish citizen who also came to seaside to escape the extreme humidity.

However, meteorologists have warned people to avoid going outdoors especially during the afternoon hours when the humidity would reach highest levels.

Physicians, through media publications, are urging people to consume more liquid, adding the heatwave might be particularly dangerous for people suffering from chronic diseases.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 22:16:57|Editor: ying

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ISLAMABAD, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday agreed to enhance anti-terror cooperation as terrorism is a common threat for both countries, officials said.

President Ghani spoke to PM Abbasi by phone and congratulated him on his election as prime minister of Pakistan, the PM office said.

"We will work with Afghanistan for security and stability in the region," Abbasi said, according to a statement.

Abbasi said terrorism is a common enemy and both countries will work together to eliminate this menace from the region.

The two leaders also agreed to work together to address energy concerns in the region and improve the economic conditions in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Afghan president expressed satisfaction over the smooth transition and said it is good for democracy in Pakistan, the statement said.

Abbasi replaced Nawaz Sharif after the country's top court disqualified Sharif for holding any public office over corruption charges last month.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 22:21:59|Editor: ying

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TEHRAN, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Intelligence Ministry announced on Monday that it has arrested 27 members of the Islamic State (IS) militants.

The ministry statement said that 17 of them were detained inside the country and 10 others were arrested outside of the country in their command centers.

In the operations to arrest the IS members, the Iranian ministry has had intelligence cooperation with a regional intelligence service, it added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 22:32:03|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BAGHDAD, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi parliament on Monday voted by majority to merge the country's national and provincial elections in 2018, amid heated debates over the system of counting votes and provincial elections in the ethnically-mixed Kirkuk province, the official television reported on Monday.

"The Council of Representatives (parliament) has voted in merging the provincial and the parliamentary elections at the same date that was stated by the constitution for the parliamentary elections," the state-run Iraqiya channel said.

The latest decision meant that the parliament has approved the delay of the country's provincial elections which was originally scheduled to be held on September 16.

The parliament decision did not stated specific date for the merged elections, but according to the constitution the elections will be held late in the spring of 2018, as the last parliamentary elections was held in April 30, 2014.

The Iraqi constitution stated that the electoral term of the parliament is to be "four calendar years, starting with its first session and ending with the conclusion of the fourth year."

The parliament session, which was dedicated to approve the controversial draft of the provincial elections, witnessed heated debates between the political blocs mainly over an article of proposed law stating Saint-Lague system in counting the votes for the provincial councils' seats.

On Friday, dozens of thousands of firebrand Moqtada al-Sadr followers rallied in Tahrir Square in central Baghdad to protest wide spread corruption in the country and the provincial elections draft law which was seen by Sadr as taking into account the interests of the same old large parliamentary blocs and their corrupt people.

Moreover, the debates on Monday's parliament session included the controversial issue of holding provincial elections in Kirkuk, which is part of the disputed areas between Baghdad government and the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan.

The parliament passed most of the articles of the provincial elections draft, and postponed the voting for the rest of the draft to later sessions, including the article of the elections in Kirkuk after the Kurdish lawmakers walked out of the session.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 22:37:09|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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RIYADH, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Three Saudis wanted in the terror list handed themselves in to the police, Saudi Interior Ministry tweeted on Monday.

The ministry mentioned their names that are among the list of 23 wanted terrorists. It highlighted that their decision to hand themselves in would be considered according to the law.

The ministry urged all fugitives to hand themselves in and warned anyone sheltering or hiding them of legal actions. It also urged the public to report information about them to the police hotline 990 and they will get the announced money rewards.

The 23 list includes Saudi Shiite fugitives from Qatif region who have been accused or sentenced in terror cases against police personnel or civilians.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 22:57:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- One year after an overnight coup attempt on July 15, 2016, the country's recently reshuffled government has set the economy as their priority task, despite that pro-growth policy is still far from reaching a consensus among all layers of society.

In the cabinet reshuffle made by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in Mid-July, former Wall Street banker, deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek, who is seen as an anchor of investor confidence, retained his post and will have oversight in the new government.

Simsek, widely respected by investors, said that economy will be the new governments top priority with eyes set on structural reforms.

"Turkey has gone through a dark time. But now the worst is behind us ... The Turkish Economy has proved incredible resilient in recent years, despite political upheaval," said Simsek in remarks to the press.

Experts also stress the need for structural reforms that will lead Turkey to the path of sustainable growth and employment.

"The first and foremost thing necessary to build a sustainable and permanent model of growth is to ensure a climate of confidence. And to that avail you need to launch structural transformations in economy," said Enver Erkan, analyst with Istanbul based KapitalFX company.

And to make sure that growth is equally distributed to all categories of the society, Turkey needs to invest in research and development activities and modern technology, while also make efforts to have a more qualified and educated manpower, Erkan said.

President Erdogan's conservative ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) has been equivalent to the symbol of welfare and prosperity in the public eye since it first came to power in 2002, promising jobs and a better life for millions.

The AKP managed to stay unprecedentedly in power for nearly 15 years in a row, boosting growth to levels beyond expectations, amid giant infrastructure and construction projects in the G20 member country.

Erdogan's victory in successive elections was largely attributed to economic reforms launched after a severe economic crisis, to which Turks confronted at the turn of the century.

Since 2003, Turkey has grown at an impressive 5.6 percent of average GDP growth over 14 years, despite the 2008 global financial crisis, the war in Syria, terrorism and the failed coup.

However, cracks were already showing before the coup attempt with a rise of unemployment rate, at 13 percent in January but declining since then, and a stagnated growth.

After the botched coup which Ankara said instigated by rogue soldiers inside the army following instructions from the U.S. based preacher Fethullah Gulen, economic growth, the national currency and the country's credibility took a hit while world top rating agencies advised it was not wise to invest in Turkey.

But growth came back, hitting five percent in the first quarter of 2017, recovering from a 1.8 percent contraction in the third quarter of last year, namely because of government spending that has increased over the past year through an ambitious initiative to subsidize company.

Banks were encouraged to led throttle creation of a credit guarantee scheme, which allowed the government to underwrite nearly 50 billion U.S. dollars in new credit to businesses and executives, while taking on some of the risk of defaults from reluctant banks.

Economy minister Nihat Zeybekci said that Turkey expects a GDP growth above seven percent in the third quarter, a rather ambitious expectation viewed by some experts.

"After the failed coup, Turkey avoided to hit rock bottom because the government has heavily stimulated the economy. The fiscal situation still look solid and capital inflows returned due to favorable external conditions. The main weakness remains as the high external debt," said last week the Dutch bank ABN AMRO in a note to investors.

"We believe that the Turkish government will continue its stimulative policies, at least until the elections in November, as long as fiscal discipline does not come under question," said the bank.

However, it pointed out that Turkey's deteriorating relations with the European Union, where leader are displeased over Erdogan's negative rhetoric against, especially, Germany, Turkey's largest trading partner by far, and a massive crackdown against not only suspected coup plotter but all opposition circles, could harm the medium term prospects of the economy.

Amid a political turmoil and domestic uncertainty, Erdogan won very narrowly in April a critical constitutional referendum that granted him new powers after the 2019 presidential and parliamentary elections.

However, the rejection of some 49 percent of voters on the controversial project suggests that the president's popularity is not as before.

Ankara also had to deal with influence of some 3.5 million Syrian refugees fleeing the war to their neighboring country.

Deadly terrorist attacks in major cities shook further investor confidence.

Foreign tourists, a major income for Turkish economy, are also slowly returning to the sunny beaches.

For now, most of the tourists are from Russia with whom Ankara reconciled after a serious diplomatic crisis caused by the downing of a Russian jet over the Turkish-Syrian border.

Despite improvements and an aggressive government campaign, things seem still not what they used to be. "Yes the Russians are back, and we have also Middle East visitors, but on the way we lost most of the Europeans because of political tensions," said to Xinhua Timir, the manager of a hotel of Antalya, located on the so-called "Turkish Riviera," saying that the number of German visitors is decreasing because of German spats with Turkey.

"It's been a while since we saw a large group of Europeans in our region," he added, reminding that German officials have advised their citizens against traveling or doing business in Turkey amid tensions between the two NATO allies.

Experts warned that diplomatic tension has always a negative effect on the country's economy. "Constant changes in foreign policy could harm economy. Turkey is a country with a current account deficit. Turkey's deficit in 2016 was about 33 billion U.S dollars," said Enver Erkan, underlining the need to stabilize the political situation in Turkey to lure more direct investment.

The tourism sector provides more than one million jobs and is responsible for more than 10 percent of Turkey's GDP, valued at 800 billion dollars.

Experts also underline the negative effects of the brains drain from Turkey, as more educated and business oriented people are leaving the country, subjected to a state of emergency since coup attempt, in which tens of thousands people were arrested or dismissed from public service, leading to seriously political and social divisions.

Turkish official say that the purge is a must to restore stability and order while the opposition accuses Erdogan of leading the country down an increasingly authoritarian path.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 23:02:20|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NAIROBI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's opposition candidate Raila Odinga on Monday urged his supporters to turn out in large numbers for Tuesday's general elections, warning no voting should take place until the electronic system works perfectly.

Odinga who is challenging President Uhuru Kenyatta alongside six others, met with a group of European Union observers to discuss preparations for the elections, the second since the East African passed a new constitution.

Odinga told the European Parliamentarians observing the elections that his party, the National Super Alliance (NASA) was concerned about the integrity of the voters register, the reference point for tomorrow's vote.

"We have been demanding from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to give us copies of the register," Odinga told reporters on Monday.

Kenya's 19.6 million voters go to the polls Tuesday to elect a President, 290 Members of Parliament, 47 Governors, 47 Senators and members of the County Assembly.

Odinga said the fact that 11,152 polling centres lacked high speed internet was a ploy to rig the elections.

However, the opposition leader congratulated President Kenyatta for conducting an extensive campaign across the country.

Odinga said he hoped the best candidate would win and he hoped he would be well-placed to win.

International observers said the 2017 August 8 General Elections should be peaceful, free and fair.

"The candidates are cognizant of the need to work together," former South African President Thabo Mbeki, leading an African Union Mission observing the polls said.

Mbeki said the political parties should cooperate with the IEBC on matters still unresolved to ensure free and fair polls.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 23:07:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Intelligence Ministry announced on Monday that it has arrested 27 members of the Islamic State (IS) militants.

The ministry statement said that 17 of them were detained in Iran and 10 others were arrested outside the country in their command centers.

In the arrest operations, the Iranian ministry has had intelligence cooperation with a regional intelligence service, it said.

The suspects, arrested before the swear-in ceremony of President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday, "were intending to carry out terrorist acts in the Iranian central and religious cities," it added.

Some military hardware and ammunition were seized from the suspects.

On June 7, the IS militants carried out twin attacks in the capital Tehran on Iran's Parliament and the Mausoleum of Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeini, killing 17 and injured dozens.

Following the attacks, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps fired six mid-range ballistic missiles at IS bases in Syria's eastern region of Deir ez-Zor on June 18.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 23:07:24|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BUJUMBURA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- A soldier working in the Burundian presidential protection unit Sunday night died after shooting himself with his gun, the Burundian army spokesman said Monday.

"The soldier shot himself dead with his gun. He committed suicide at 21:30 at one of the military posts of the presidential protection unit," Burundian Army Spokesman Gaspard Baratuza said.

Baratuza said the victim had, in February this year, come back from a peacekeeping mission at the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

"Circumstances on the soldier's suicide are not yet known, but investigations have started," Baratuza said, adding that the victim did not have any "mental" problem.

He said that the victim did not say anything before committing the suicide and had "good relationships" with his colleagues.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 23:27:33|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NEW YORK, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group on Monday unveiled a joint venture with Marriott International to allow Chinese travelers to book Marriott hotels through Alibaba's travel service website and app.

According to an announcement on the joint venture, Chinese tourists will be able to reserve Marriott's over 6,200 properties in 125 countries on Fliggy, the Chinese group's online platform, as well as the hotel chain's Chinese-language digital channels.

The hotel company said it will also accept Alipay, the online payment platform owned by Alibaba affiliate company Ant Financial.

Through the partnership, Marriott said it will be able to get access to Alibaba's 500 million monthly active mobile users to better market and engage with China's ever-growing consumer class.

"Together, we are elevating and redefining the travel experience for Chinese consumers to be more seamless and personalized as they embark on adventures to discover the world," said Daniel Zhang, CEO of Alibaba Group, in a statement.

Shortly after the opening bell on Monday, shares of Alibaba soared nearly 2.1 percent to 156.50 U.S. dollars a share, while Marriott stocks rose nearly 1 percent to trade at 106.00 dollars a share.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 23:37:38|Editor: An

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MADRID, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- A third day of strike action by security staff at Barcelona's El Prat airport has caused considerable delays to travelers, Spanish media reported Monday.

The strikes are being carried out by employees of the company Eulen, which has the contract to run the security checks on travelers at the airport. Workers are protesting what they consider to be a lack of training, low wages and long shifts, which worker representatives claim can last up to 16 hours.

After the first days of the strike on Friday, passengers have arrived early at the airport expecting to be delayed.

Monday's strike went ahead after nine hours of talks on Sunday broke down after Eulen offered a pay rise of 150 euros (176 U.S. dollars) a month, while workers demanded a 350 euro monthly pay rise.

Spanish Secretary of State for Infrastructure Julio Gomez-Pomar has asked the security workers to "moderate their requests and to be reasonable when it comes to looking for an agreement," while workers' representatives comment that the participation of AENA, the company which runs Spain's airports, is vital in the negotiations.

If no agreement is reached the temporary stoppages will continue until Aug. 14 when an all-out strike has been called.
A farmer works in a greenhouse equipped with solar panels in Zhenghe County, southeast China's Fujian Province, July 20, 2017. A photovoltaic agriculture model is benefiting the farmers as the local government makes efforts to develop a solar panel integrated greenhouse system that also serves as tourist attraction and electricity provider. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

BRUSSELS, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) is currently calling for 20 young farmers to join an exchange program to share knowledge and farming experience with Chinese young farmers, said a press release published on EU's official website.

The scheme is open to any EU-based farmer aged under 40, and the deadline for applications is Sept. 10 for two study trips to China in November 2017 and June 2018.

Besides the maximum age limit, applicants should also have good knowledge of English, high level of experience and interest in sustainable agriculture and high level of interest in Chinese agriculture, said the EU.

The joint program was announced by EU agriculture and rural development commissioner Phil Hogan and Han Changfu, Chinese minister of agriculture, on April 21, in EU headquarters and is designed to help young farmers on both sides deal with their common challenges by sharing knowledge and information.

In the framework of this program, study visits for young professional farmers and agricultural professionals from both sides will be carried out.

The idea is to conduct exchanges and trainings in agri-businesses, innovative farms, governmental entities and local agencies, research institutes and universities, cooperatives, etc. in EU member states and Chinese provinces, said the Prospect Consulting and Services, a Brussels-based consultancy helping EU run the selection, on its website.

The project is co-funded by EU and China, and will last for 18 months. It will comprise two study tours in China for European young farmers and two study tours in Europe for Chinese young farmers and young professionals in agriculture, said the consultancy.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 23:47:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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Cairo, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court sentenced on Monday 12 Morsi supporters to death over storming Matay police station and killing its chief in 2013, official MENA news agency reported.

Meanwhile, 140 defendants were also sentenced to life in the same case, while 238 others were acquitted, according to MENA.

The case dates back to mid 2013, when members of Muslim Brotherhood broke into Matay police station in Upper Egypt's Minya Province, killing the station's chief in retaliation for the police's harsh crackdown on the supporters of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi who was ousted by the army in response to mass protest against him.

Morsi along with prominent figures of his Brotherhood group were sentenced to death over killing protesters, spying for foreign countries amid other charges pending appeals.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 23:52:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JUBA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least 25 people have been killed and scores wounded following rival community clashes over the weekend in South Sudan's western Gok state, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said Monday.

"On Saturday, UNMISS received reports that 25 civilians were killed and 27 wounded when members of the Waat and Ayiel sub-sections of the Dinka Gok clashed in Cueibet County," a UNMISS official who did not wanted to be identified told Xinhua in Juba .

He added that the UN mission is planning to conduct a patrol in Cueibet to assess the situation, and that the South Sudan army has been deployed to the area in an attempt to contain the situation.

The war-torn country has since the outbreak of violence in December 2013, been experiencing rival deadly community clashes driven by local rivalries over local grazing resources and animals that have tended to involve predominantly pastoral communities.

In May, the UNMISS and government helped broker a peace agreement between the Dinka and Murle ethnic groups that inhabit the north eastern Jonglei and Boma states respectively near the Ethiopian border following violent clashes amid child abduction and cattle theft.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Kiir and his former deputy Machar led to fighting that pitied mostly Dinka ethnic soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.

The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital forcing Machar to flee into exile.

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions that have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 23:57:46|Editor: Song Lifang

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SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Indian army claimed on Monday it had foiled a major infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) dividing Kashmir by killing five militants.

The infiltration bid as per Indian army officials was foiled in Machil sector of frontier Kupwara district, about 165 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

According to Indian army spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia, the group was trying to infiltrate deep inside Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"A major infiltration bid was foiled today on LoC in Machil sector during which five infiltrators were killed," Kalia said. "Five weapons have been recovered from the spot."

LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts.

A guerilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. The gunfight between the two sides takes place intermittently across the region.

New Delhi blames Islamabad for infiltrating militants into Indian-controlled Kashmir. However, Islamabad denies the charge saying it only provides moral and political support to Kashmiris.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 23:57:47|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- No one was hurt in the mosque blast in northern U.S. state of Minnesota at the weekend, but anxiety is accumulating in fear of more hate crimes against Muslims may occur across the country.

The blast happened as worshippers prepared for morning prayers at around 5 a.m. Saturday at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington in suburban Minneapolis, shattering windows, damaging a room but not causing any injuries, authorities said.

The FBI, still trying to determine whether the incident was a hate crime, said on Sunday that the suspects used an "improvised explosive device."

"It's so scary," Mohamed Omar, the center's executive director, lamented.

"We feel like it's much deeper and scarier than like something random," he was quoted by a CBS news report on Monday.

"It hurts me to know this is how we treat our neighbors, how we treat our fellow Minnesotans," a woman told the CBS Minnesota station.

Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton visited the mosque on Sunday, describing the bombing as "so wretched" and "not Minnesota."

"This is an act of terrorism. This is against the law in America," the governor said at a news conference afterwards.

The group offered a 10,000-dollar reward for information that leads to an arrest or conviction.

Minnesota hosts the largest Somali community in the United States, roughly 57,000 people, according to the latest U.S. census figures.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-07 23:57:48|Editor: Song Lifang

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono in Manila, the Philippines, Aug. 7, 2017. Wang Yi on Monday urged Japan "walk the talk" and put its positive expression of improving ties with China into action. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

MANILA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday urged Japan "walk the talk" and put its positive expression of improving ties with China into action.

As close neighbors, the long stalemate between China and Japan is not in the interest of either side, nor would it benefit regional peace and stability, Wang said while meeting with Taro Kono, who has recently taken over as Japanese foreign minister.

Wang also explained China's position on the South China Sea issue, urging Japan to respect the fact that the situation in the South China Sea has stabilized and respect the efforts made by China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in this regard.

He called on Japan to play a more constructive role in regional peace and stability, instead of following other countries' lead to stir up troubles.

Wang noted that the difficulties in the China-Japan ties in recent years originated from whether Japan is sincerely willing to see China as a cooperation partner and to accept China's development and growth.

The Chinese foreign minister said he hopes Japan to walk the talk, putting its positive expression to improve ties with China into concrete policies and actions, instead of making troubles for China after expressing readiness for better relations.

Wang showed respect to Taro Kono's father Yohei Kono. He described Yohei Kono as a statesman with conscience in history and independent personality who devoted himself wholeheartedly to promoting friendship between China and Japan for years.

Wang said he hopes Taro Kono could inherit the correct ideology of his father and make endeavors to truly improve the China-Japan ties in his tenure in office as Japan's foreign minister.

For his part, Kono said Japan attaches importance to China.

Shoulder to shoulder, Japan and China could make significance contributions to Asia's rejuvenation and world peace, Kono said.

As this year marks the 45th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China, Kono said he hopes the two countries could increase exchanges, resume dialogue, boost mutual understanding and constantly improve relations, and he is willing to make sincere efforts toward this end.
| 2017-08-08 06:36:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Omar, Mgidu and Musyoka

NAIROBI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Some 19.6 million Kenyans will vote on Tuesday to elect the country's fifth president, 290 members of parliament, 47 county governors, similar number of senators and women representatives and several hundred county representatives.

Eight candidates are contesting for the presidency--Uhuru Kenyatta of Jubilee Party, National Super Alliance (NASA)'s Raila Odinga, Cyrus Jirongo of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Ekuru Aukot of Thirdway Alliance, Abduba Dida of the Alliance for Real Change (ARC), and Independent candidates Joseph Nyagah, Michael Wainaina and Japheth Kavinga.

However, tight contest is expected between the incumbent and Odinga.

The seat for County Ward Representative has attracted the most number of candidates totaling 11,857, followed by the position of the member of National Assembly where 1,893 candidates have been cleared to run.

The Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) cleared 210 candidates to vie for various gubernatorial posts across the country.

The Senate contest has attracted 256 contestants while 299 women have been cleared to contest for the 47 County Woman Representative posts across the country.

Polling stations is scheduled to open as early as 6:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday morning across the country and close at 6:00 p.m.in the evening, with voting being extended in areas where more time is needed.

Kenyans of over 18 years are eligible to vote but one must be a registered voter to be allowed to cast the ballot.

About 5.2 million Kenyans will vote for the first time. The electoral body also stated that 53 percent of those registered are male compared to 47 percent female.

According to IEBC, about 51 percent of the registered voters represents persons aged between 18 and 35.

Results are expected to start trickling in by Tuesday evening and by Wednesday evening, the country's next president will be known, although the electoral body will have seven days to officially announce the results.

As a result of clauses in the new Constitution which was passed in 2010, it could also be a presidential election where presidential candidates might face a second round run-off between the first and the second if no one achieves a simple majority in the first round and 25 percent of the votes in at least 24 counties.

In a run-off, the candidate who receives the most votes in the fresh election will be declared president.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 00:18:06|Editor: Song Lifang

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BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Central Military Commission (CMC) on Monday told the armed forces to study the speeches made by President Xi Jinping around the Army Day and strengthen their sense of loyalty and responsibility, according to an official circular.

Study of Xi's speeches is of great significance to inspire the military to unite more closely around the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, according to the circular issued by the general office of the CMC.

The speeches were delivered by Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the CMC, at a military parade and a rally marking the 90th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army.

Xi lauded the contributions made by the PLA in its 90 years' history to the country and the people, calling for better combativeness of the army in his speech at the Zhurihe military parade on July 30.

In his speech at the rally on Aug. 1, Xi reaffirmed the importance of military reform and the CPC's absolute leadership over the army. China must step up transforming its armed forces into a world-class military that is ready to fight and win wars as the country will never compromise on its sovereignty, he said.

The study is important for the CPC to achieve its goal of building a strong army in current circumstances and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, according to the circular.

The CMC circular called on the armed forces to improve combat-oriented training and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests.

China will never allow any people, organization or political party to split any part of Chinese territory from the country at any time, in any form, the circular said.

The circular also ordered the military to act in accordance with the instructions of Xi and the CMC, bear in mind its duties, and boost national defense and military modernization.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 00:28:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BANJUL, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Gambian government has on Monday commenced a 10-day training for the members of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) in order to re-professionalize their activities, build their capacities and improve their capabilities in their protective roles.

The country's Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) Lieutenant General Masanneh Kinteh said the training will help his men-in-uniform perform better within their constitutional mandate.

"The military wholly and surely is answerable to the civil authority. The privilege given to us by this government to develop ourselves along professional lines is what is existing in democratic states world over," he said.

Kinteh said the study period will develop the competencies of his members intellectually and professionally in order to play their role in defending territorial integrity and sovereignty as spelled out in the Constitution.

Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang, Women's Affairs Minister and the Overseer of the Vice Presidency assured that the government will endeavor to train not only officers but all classes of soldiers in all fields of study in order to ensure security in the country.

The Gambia Armed Forces has had their larger responsibility taken by the ECOMIG forces since January due to lack of confidence in them by the new government following the exit of the former president Yahya Jammeh.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 00:33:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JINAN, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Three people have appealed against first instance verdicts handed down last month for their involvement in a telecom fraud case linked to the death of a teenager last year.

Defendants Chen Wenhui, Huang Jinchun and Chen Baosheng said that their punishments were too severe, the Higher People's Court of east China's Shandong Province said Monday.

The court accepted the case and set up a collegial panel for the second instance trial.

On July 19, Chen Wenhui was given a life sentence by the Intermediate People's Court of Linyi City, Shandong Province, for fraud and violation of personal information. The court also ordered the confiscation of all of his personal assets and deprived him of his political rights for life.

The sentences for six accomplices ranged from three to 15 years.

Of the six, Huang and Chen Baosheng were sentenced to 12 years and 7 years, respectively.

From November 2015 to August 2016, the defendants telephoned high school students preparing for the gaokao (college entrance examination) after illegally purchasing their information online. They managed to swindle more than 560,000 yuan (83,000 U.S. dollars) through more than 23,000 calls.

Xu Yuyu, a senior high school graduate from Linyi, died of a cardiac arrest in August 2016 after losing 9,900 yuan (1,500 U.S. dollars) to the fraudsters. She was to use the money to pay her university tuition fees.

The telecom fraud by Chen Wenhui and his accomplices was causally linked to Xu's death, according to the first instance verdict.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 00:38:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government on Monday disclosed that the construction of its Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has reached 60 percent completion rate.

The construction of the dam, which will be Africa's largest dam upon completion with a total volume of 74,000 million cubic meters, was started in April 2011 with a cost of 80 billion Ethiopian birr (about 4.7 billion U.S. dollars).

Disclosing the 60 percent completion rate of Ethiopia's landmark energy production project, Debretsion Gebremichael, Ethiopia's Minister of Communication and Information Technology who is also Board Chairman of Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation, said that construction activities are well underway despite the approaching Ethiopia's major rainy season.

The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract of the GERD was awarded to the Italian company, Salini Costruttori.

Gebremichael, who visited the progress of the dam at the construction site, also revealed that preparatory works are underway to commence preliminary electric power generation.

Aimed primarily at generating electric power, with an expected capacity of 6,450 megawatt, the Ethiopian government has regarded the construction project as an impetus towards the country's drive to renaissance.

The GERD project, owned and financed by the Ethiopian government, is under construction in Ethiopia's Benishangul-Gumuz regional state on the Blue Nile River, located some 40km east of Ethiopia's neighboring country Sudan.

Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt have formed a tripartite committee back in 2012 to create understanding and look into the benefits and impacts the project would have on the three countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 00:53:21|Editor: Mengjie

Panda Yang Yang (upper) and its baby Fu Ban play with birthday presents at Schoenbrunn zoo in Vienna, Austria on Aug. 7, 2017. A pair of panda twins, Fu Ban and Fu Feng, born last year here at Schoenbrunn zoo, celebrated their first birthday on Monday with a big party. The birth of the panda twins proved the successful adaption to the new life in Austria of their parents, Yang Yang and Long Hui. The panda couple arrived in Austria in 2003.(Xinhua/Pan Xu)

VIENNA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- A pair of panda twins, born last year here at Schoenbrunn zoo, celebrated their first birthday on Monday with a big party.

Being treated with their favorite foods, the panda twins lied leisurely in their pen to receive their guests, including visitors and media workers.

The birth of panda twins, Fu Ban and Fu Feng, in last August pushed the number of giant panda cubs naturally bred in Vienna to a new high of five. Three of them were sent back to China when they were big enough to leave their mother.

The birth of the panda twins also proved the successful adaption to the new life in Austria of their parents, Yang Yang and Long Hui. The panda couple arrived in Austria in 2003.

So far, no other European zoo has successfully managed to breed five giant pandas naturally. In Europe, most pandas are bred through artificial insemination.

Even in Vienna, how the panda pair was able to complete their historic task without human intervention remains mystery, and a hot topic for local media. But some attributed it to Vienna's livable environment.

Naming the cubs has been a big issue for the zoo, which followed Chinese tradition to give the first three male cubs names of Fu Long, Fu Hu and Fu Bao, which mean lucky Dragon, Tiger, and Leopard respectively. But when it came to the twins, the zoo turned to the public to solicit name suggestions through an internet vote.

The giant panda's keeper Renate Haider told Xinhua that Yang Yang was doing very well in taking care of the twins, leaving less work for the keepers team.

She said it was not easy to identify the twins, but she managed to find ways to recognize them by different behaviors. Fu Ban is brave but sleepy, and Fu Feng sometimes likes to hide, Haider said. Fortunately, their mother treats them equally.

In December, the cubs' father, 16-year-old Long Hui, died during an emergency examination. According to the zoo, there was a tumor measuring 10cm in his abdomen.

The zoo currently has no plan to find a stepfather for the cubs, as they are still young.

Giant pandas have helped raise the reputation of the Schoenbrunn zoo. In 2009 and 2010, it was voted Europe's best zoo.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 00:58:28|Editor: huaxia

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LJUBLJANA, Aug.7 (Xinhua) -- Passenger trains between Venice and Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, are expected to be back in operation next year.

Italy's Trenitalia will start operating trains between Ljubljana, Trieste and Venice next year, with a stop-over planned at Ronchi near Trieste airport, the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) reported on Monday, quoting a press release by the national rail company Slovenske Zeleznice.

The restored train service, said the STA report, is waiting only for an agreement to be signed between the Italian rail company and the authorities of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

The Slovenian rail operator believes the re-connection will pave the way for business, tourism and other kinds of cooperation between the countries.

Trains on the route will run twice a day and the journey is expected to take about two hours and a half to Trieste and between three and four hours to Venice at a competitive price, said Slovenske Zeleznice.

Slovenia and Italy have not had a direct rail passenger service since the night train between Hungary's Budapest and Venice via Croatia's Zagreb and Ljubljana was discontinued in December 2011 because the Hungarian and Italian railway operators failed to agree on contractual terms. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 00:58:34|Editor: Yamei

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Yu Zhengsheng (L), chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Li Jiheng, secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Committee of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, unveil a plaque in Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Aug. 7, 2017. The plaque with an inscription by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, was presented as a gift to Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to celebrate its 70th anniversary. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

HOHHOT, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng on Monday presented gifts to Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to celebrate its 70th anniversary, while leading a delegation from the central authorities.

Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, presented a plaque with an inscription by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

It reads "building beautiful Inner Mongolia, achieving the great Chinese dream" in both Chinese and Mongolian.

The 63-person delegation arrived in Hohhot on Monday morning, receiving warm welcome at the airport.

Visiting an exhibition marking the region's achievements made under the leadership of the CPC over the past 70 years, Yu lauded the progress in economic transformation, ethnic unity, poverty reduction and ecological security.

He also met with retired officials and people of various ethnic groups and from all walks of life, and extended greetings to them on behalf of the central delegation.

While meeting with senior military officers stationed in the region, Yu asked them to carry forward glorious military traditions, act in accordance with the instructions of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, and make new contributions to the reform, development and stability of Inner Mongolia.

Meeting with armed police forces based there, Yu asked them to always stay vigilant and ensure that they follow the Party, fight to win and forge exemplary conduct.

When meeting with the armed forestry police, Yu urged them to focus on fire fighting and prevention.

He also joined the people at a grand evening party, which presented a feast of traditional dancing and singing.

With an area of 1.18 million square kilometers, Inner Mongolia covers about 12 percent of the country's land area.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 01:08:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BRATISLAVA, Aug.7 (Xinhua) -- The co-governing Slovak National Party (SNS) has announced an unexpected withdrawal from the coalition agreement.

The announcement was made by the parliamentary chairman and SNS leader Andrej Danko on Monday.

The reason which Danko mentioned is the need for re-setting the rules and adjusting relations within the governing coalition. One of the other reasons he cited was the need to set new priorities that would be reflected in the process of drafting a new budget to restore mutual trust between coalition partners, as well as the public's trust in the coalition.

"The favourable socio-economic situation of 2017 shows the need to focus on new challenges and priorities that need to be reflected in the coalition agreement and the new government manifesto. When the country's economy is doing well, citizens themselves must feel it too," said Danko.

The step Danko took has surprised both coalition partners.

According to Most-Hid leader Bela Bugar, the Coalition Council should deal with withdrawals from the coalition agreement.

"This is an issue that needs to be discussed at the Coalition Council. We will require explanations. There are things that are solvable, while there are things that are not," stressed Bugar. As the leader of Smer-SD, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico hasn't commented the current political situation yet.

Political analyst Jan Baranek pointed out three possible scenario for the political situation in Slovakia. The first possibility is the coalition remain together but form the new government with different ministers and the same prime minister. The second one is the coalition will be formed by only Smed-SD and Most-Hid with silent support of SNS. The third possibility isn't very probable, a new parliamentary election.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 01:18:46|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DUBAI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday issued a directive to tighten control on importing eggs from the Netherlands amid fears of contamination.

The directive was issued by the UAE Ministry Of Climate Change and Environment, which urged local authorities to ensure UAE markets are free of contaminated eggs imported from the Netherlands, the Gulf Times reported.

The ministry has also tightened the control on shipments of eggs and other food products to ensure their safety and fitness for human consumption.

The entities responsible for implementing the directive include the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, and the cities of Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, the report said.

The step came after a warning issued by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) regarding eggs produced in the country. A report said the Netherlands eggs are unfit for human consumption due to high content of pesticide (Fipronil) residues as per the EU standards.

The ministry ordered the concerned UAE departments not to issue permits for importing eggs from the Netherlands if they carry the 28 codes listed on the NVWA website. The codes are clearly printed on the eggs' shells.

The UAE consumes two billions eggs a year, the report said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 01:23:50|Editor: huaxia

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ABUJA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of a massacre in a Nigerian church Sunday has risen to 11, local police said on Monday.

Earlier, at least eight worshipers were confirmed killed and 18 others injured in the early Sunday attack on St. Philip Catholic Church in Ozubulu area of the southeastern state of Anambra.

Citing casualty figures from a local hospital record, Anambra State police chief Garba Umar told reporters in Awka, the state capital, that more injured victims died while receiving treatment.

Some 18 injured victims are receiving treatment at the Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital in the state capital, Umar said.

The motives behind the shooting remain unclear.

However, the police's preliminary investigation has revealed the mass killing was likely to be a result of a feud between two individuals who are from the community but who live outside Nigeria. One of the individuals, the police noted, built the church where the incident occurred.

"It is definitely not a terrorist attack in the mold of Boko Haram or herdsmen attack," the police said.

The police had since launched a manhunt for those behind the killing but no arrest has been made so far. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 02:09:10|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The world "must not turn a blind eye" on the dire situation of children and families in the Grand Kasai region in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Monday.

"Children and women tell us of terrible acts of abuse. Many children have been recruited by armed forces, drugged and caught in the violence. Nothing can justify these actions," said Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa, in a statement.

According to Poirier, over the past 12 months, more than 1.4 million people, including 850,000 children, have been forced from their homes, and "their lives turned upside down by widespread acts of extreme violence." More than 200 health centers have been destroyed, and one in four health centers is no longer functioning normally. An estimated 400,000 children are at risk of severe acute malnutrition.

Children have lost a year of education, as hundreds of schools have been targeted and looted, teachers killed or fled for safety.

Poirier urged all parties to the conflict to protect children, end grave violations against children, and preserve schools and health services.

"Humanitarian actors must have unhindered humanitarian access to affected populations so that we can reach all those in need of assistance," she said.

UNICEF is responding to the escalating humanitarian needs, "but unless this violence stops, our best work will never be enough," she said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 02:09:11|Editor: Liangyu

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LAGOS, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government on Monday promised to arrest and deal decisively with perpetrators of Sunday's killings of worshipers at the St. Philips Catholic Church in southeast state of Anambra.

Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, who made the pledge in a statement reaching Xinhua in Lagos, Nigeria's economic hub, condemned in strongest terms the killings and assured that all hands will be on deck to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Dambazau commiserated with the Ozubulu community, families who lost their loved ones, the injured, and the entire people of Anambra.

He described the incident as a wicked and cowardly act which the police and other security agencies were working hard to unravel.

Unidentified gunmen had attacked the church in Anambra in the early hours of Sunday, killing scores of worshipers while many others were injured in the attack.

President Muhammadu Buhari and other prominent citizens had condemned the incident, describing it as an appalling crime against humanity and unspeakable sacrilege.
Emergency Ministry workers count miners walking out of Russia's top diamond producer Alrosa's Mir underground mine after the pit was flooded, near the town of Mirny in Sakha Republic, Russia, August 4, 2017. (ALROSA PHOTO)

MOSCOW, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Eight workers remained missing on Monday after 142 were rescued in a flooded diamond mine in Russia's Arctic, the mine owner company Alrosa said.

The diamond mine was flooded by some 300,000 cubic meters of water from a neighboring abandoned quarry on Friday, leaving over 150 workers trapped underground.

With immediate rescue efforts, 142 of the total 151 people were quickly evacuated after the accident occurred.

Another worker was lifted to the surface early Saturday, while eight others were still missing.

The Mir mine, one of the main deposits of Alrosa, the country's top diamond producer, is located near the town of Mirny in Sakha Republic in far northeastern Russia.

The rescue operation was still underway, with more than 300 salvagers and dozens of units of equipment on the spot, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said.

Relatives of the missing miners were flown to Mirny.

The mine, over one kilometer deep, was commissioned in August 2009.
Photo taken on Aug. 7, 2017 shows the panda twins at Schoenbrunn zoo. (Xinhua/Pan Xu)

VIENNA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- A pair of panda twins, born last year here at Schoenbrunn zoo, celebrated their first birthday on Monday with a big party.

Being treated with their favorite foods, the panda twins lied leisurely in their pen to receive their guests, including visitors and media workers.

The birth of panda twins, Fu Ban and Fu Feng, in last August pushed the number of giant panda cubs naturally bred in Vienna to a new high of five. Three of them were sent back to China when they were big enough to leave their mother.

The birth of the panda twins also proved the successful adaption to the new life in Austria of their parents, Yang Yang and Long Hui. The panda couple arrived in Austria in 2003.

So far, no other European zoo has successfully managed to breed five giant pandas naturally. In Europe, most pandas are bred through artificial insemination.

Even in Vienna, how the panda pair was able to complete their historic task without human intervention remains mystery, and a hot topic for local media. But some attributed it to Vienna's livable environment.

Naming the cubs has been a big issue for the zoo, which followed Chinese tradition to give the first three male cubs names of Fu Long, Fu Hu and Fu Bao, which mean lucky Dragon, Tiger, and Leopard respectively. But when it came to the twins, the zoo turned to the public to solicit name suggestions through an internet vote.

The giant panda's keeper Renate Haider told Xinhua that Yang Yang was doing very well in taking care of the twins, leaving less work for the keepers team.

She said it was not easy to identify the twins, but she managed to find ways to recognize them by different behaviors. Fu Ban is brave but sleepy, and Fu Feng sometimes likes to hide, Haider said. Fortunately, their mother treats them equally.

In December, the cubs' father, 16-year-old Long Hui, died during an emergency examination. According to the zoo, there was a tumor measuring 10cm in his abdomen.

The zoo currently has no plan to find a stepfather for the cubs, as they are still young.

Giant pandas have helped raise the reputation of the Schoenbrunn zoo. In 2009 and 2010, it was voted Europe's best zoo.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 04:10:22|Editor: Liangyu

Venezuela's prosecutor-general Tarek William Saab speaks during a press conference in Caracas, Venezuela, on Aug. 7, 2017. The prosecutor-general of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab indicated Monday that his predecessor Luisa Ortega Diaz was an "accomplice of violence" during opposition protests, that have left over 120 dead in over four months. (Xinhua/Str)

CARACAS, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The prosecutor-general of Venezuela, Tarek William Saab indicated Monday that his predecessor Luisa Ortega Diaz was an "accomplice of violence" during opposition protests, that have left over 120 dead in over four months.

In a press conference at his office, Saab said that "the prosecutor-general acted...as an accomplice of violence. History will remember the unpunished, premeditated actions of the prosecutor-general to take this country to a situation of war."

Saab, a former ombudsman, was named by the National Constituent Assembly (ANC) on Saturday to replace Ortega.

"We have reached this point so that there may be fairness and balance in these cases of human rights violations," he said, referring to the alleged violent protests organized by the opposition, including the burning alive of six people.

The opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) has denied this violence and blamed the government troops and police forces for the brutality.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 04:15:24|Editor: An

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the 7th East Asia Summit (EAS) foreign ministers' meeting in Manila, the Philippines, Aug. 7, 2017. Joint efforts by China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have greatly improved the situation in the South China Sea, Wang Yi said here Monday, pointing out that China and ASEAN have the ability and the wisdom to negotiate the Code of Conduct (COC). (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

MANILA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Joint efforts by China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have greatly improved the situation in the South China Sea, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Monday, pointing out that China and ASEAN have the ability and the wisdom to negotiate the Code of Conduct (COC).

From China's point of view, the most substantial progress made at the ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings and related meetings was that with the joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the situation in the South China Sea has been stabilized, Wang told reporters after attending the meetings.

"We have carried out effective cooperations and have brought it back to the track to resolve disputes through direct dialogue and negotiation by the parties directly concerned," he said.

China and ASEAN countries have successfully drawn up and adopted the framework of the COC in the South China Sea, announcing that they would initiate the substantive consultations on the text of the COC at a proper time within the year after preparation is completed, the minister said.

Speaking at the earlier 7th East Asia Summit (EAS) foreign ministers' meeting, Wang said the momentum of improvement on the situation in the South China Sea is obvious compared with last year.

"We should fully appreciate these important improvements and cherish the achievement made with our joint efforts," Wang said.

At the China-ASEAN foreign ministers meeting on Sunday, Wang said that ASEAN foreign ministers highly evaluated the stabilizing situation in the South China Sea and the COC framework adopted at the meeting.

"This is the current mainstream view of the countries in the region," Wang said.

Wang said that China will always take a responsible attitude in dealing with the South China Sea issue and that China will, on the basis of respect for historical facts and in accordance with relevant international law, solve disputes through dialogue and consultation with all parties concerned.

The positive change in the South China Sea was also reflected in the joint communique issued by ASEAN foreign ministers, said Wang.

He pointed out that the joint communique was a comprehensive document which fully demonstrated the key progresses in the China-ASEAN relations and various parties' confidence in the prospect of China-ASEAN relations.

As to the paragraphs on the South China Sea, Wang noted that the section was present in the joint communique every year, but was significantly shortened in this year's document.

Meanwhile, all ASEAN members fully acknowledged achievements in cooperating with China and the improving situation in the South China Sea, fully recognized the COC framework which they jointly drew up and adopted with China, and affirmed positive attitude on the initiation of the substantive consultations.

However, the minister said, some outside countries preferred to stay in the past, turned a blind eye to the positive change of the situation, not willing to recognized the achievement by the joint efforts by China and ASEAN, and even released negative information.

"We have to ask whether some countries are not willing to see the stabilization of the South China Sea. Is the further stabilization of the South China Sea is not in the interest of these countries?" he said.

Wang told the EAS meeting that China and ASEAN countries have the ability and wisdom to negotiate the COC.

"We don't want any non-regional countries to keep telling us what to do, and even try to play teaching chess games for us," he said.

He added that China and ASEAN will continue to press ahead with the negotiations of the COC with full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), in the hope of establishing commonly recognized regional rules.

"We have the same aspirations: the finally reached COC with be the upgraded version of the DOC," Wang said.

"We hope non-regional countries will take notice of the positive changes in the South China Sea in the past year and respect the efforts that China and ASEAN have paid to achieve the result," Wang said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 04:45:42|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HOUSTON, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Consulate General of China in Houston opens to work on Monday as usual after a fire accident happened Sunday afternoon.

Wang Yu, Chinese deputy consul general in Houston, told Xinhua the consulate is open this week as normal. The reason of the fire was not clear at this moment and it is still under investigation.

An accidental fire was caught in the consulate office building around 1 p.m. Sunday. The Consulate initiated the Emergency Response Mechanism, coordinated with the Fire Department of Houston to put out the fire quickly. No people were hurt and no serious property damage was caused.

On its website, the Consulate thanked the Fire Department of Houston, as well as the Houston Office of the Diplomatic Security Bureau of U.S. State Department for their quick and professional service.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 04:50:47|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SANAA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- A top United Nations official in Yemen said on Monday that a total of 201 children have been killed in the Yemeni ongoing civil war since the beginning of 2017.

"In 2017, 201 children have been killed in Yemen: 152 boys and 49 girls," UNICEF resident representative in Yemen Meritxell Relano said in her twitter account on Monday.

Relano's remarks came three days after an airstrike by a Saudi-led coalition hit a family's home in Mahdha area in the Yemeni northern province of Saada, killing six children and three women.

Commenting on Friday's airstrike, Relano condemned the attack but did not accuse any party behind it.

Relano also said that "377 boys have been recruited and used in the conflict since the start of 2017. We know there are many more...unfortunately."

Relano did not provide further details about which cities the children were recruited from nor parties behind the recruitment.

According to UN agencies, more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed during more than two years of war in Yemen that also displaced over 3 million.

In March 2017, UNICEF put the death toll of children from the war at 1,546, and other 2,450 injured. The country has also been hit by a deadly cholera outbreak and is on the edge of famine.

The war started in March 2015, after Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict by launching a large-scale air campaign to back internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who invaded the capital Sanaa militarily and seized most of the northern Yemeni provinces.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 05:00:57|Editor: huaxia

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HELSINKI, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- A decision by the board of the state majority owned airline Finnair to pay an additional pension to its CEO Pekka Vauramo has caused political consternation in Finland.

Mika Lintila, Minister of Economic Affairs and the cabinet politician supervising government owned companies, said he learned from the media last week that Finnair in 2016 decided that Vauramo would be paid annually 130,000 euros (153,322 U.S. dollars) as an additional pension.

However, ministerial level decisions were taken in the government in 2012 and 2016 that state owned or partially owned companies would not use additional pension as a perk. The then-CEO Mika Vehvilainen confirmed Finnair's adherence to the policy in 2013.

In Finnair, the alternative last year was to give CEO Vauramo a 20-pecent raise, and a plan to use additional pension was chosen instead of usual pay increase. Under the Finnish system, the pension contributions will result in a better net income than a pay increase which would be taxed heavily.

Lintila demanded both Finnair and the government unit supervising state owned companies to give explanations. However, Lintila said in a press release on Monday afternoon that the explanations were conflicting in content.

The state of Finland owns 55.8 percent of Finnair and as the majority owned it could have been able to block the plan to award an additional pension. However, since 2012 no actual government representative has been on the Finnair executive board.

The chairman of the Finnair board Jouko Karvinen told local media on Monday he acknowledged that the decision was not in compliance with the will of the state owner. The decision had been published last year and the government had not reacted in any way, Karvinen noted.

Newspaper Helsingin Sanomat's correspondent Iiro-Matti Nieminen raised the issue on Monday whether Prime Minister Juha SIpila had been informed about the pension decision. In 2016, Sipila was himself in charge of state owned companies and the duty was only transferred to minister Lintila in a reshuffle this spring. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 05:01:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HARARE, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Cotton-to-Clothing (C2C) Export Strategy launched by Zimbabwe in 2014 to boost domestic production and promote export of textiles and garments is still on course despite the devastating drought that hit the country in 2015/16, an official said Monday.

The strategy, which aims to increase cotton production three-fold by 2019, revive the cotton and textile industry and help boost the country's economic growth, was developed by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce with support from the International Center for Trade (ICT), a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.

It was funded by the European Union (EU) under the EU-Africa Partnership on Cotton, and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) with international and regional development partners expressing interest in financing and supporting activities elaborated in the strategy's plans of action.

ICT spokesperson Jarle Hetland told Xinhua Monday that while they were still hoping to see a three-fold increase in cotton production by 2019, the project had unfortunately not been progressing as fast as they had hoped.

"There are several reasons for this, including drought, which has severely affected cotton growers, but also the related limited investment in productivity.

"However, the implementation of the project carried out by ITC and COMESA is on track and is helping ensure that the sector is ready to grow and scale up its activities," he added.

Seed cotton production decreased by 23 percent to around 80,000 tons in 2015/16 following the severe drought that hits the whole of Southern Africa.

More than 100 stakeholders from the Cotton-to-Clothing sector, including representatives of the public sector, rural communities, small and medium-sized enterprises and civil society, were involved in defining a series of market-led development priorities to support the strategy.

The C2C strategy was launched as a part of the EU-funded regional "Coordination of African Regional Cotton Sector Strategy" led by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.

ITC was later invited by COMESA to assist Zimbabwe in the implementation of some aspects of the strategy, in particular training activities, market intelligence tools and market linkages, institutional capacity building to support private sector and carry out an industry wide audit for future business development in the COMESA Free Trade Area.

"The implementation of the strategy is still on course. The government working with the private sector is making all efforts to ensure that the activities identified are implemented," Hetland said.

He said part of the effort was being led by a local textile group and the Association for Cotton Value Adders of Zimbabwe.

"They are receiving support from the ministry on continued implementation of the strategy. In addition, what would be of benefit to the Zimbabwean cotton industry is agreement on the proposed strategic partnership with Cotton South Africa and other regional partners," he said.

The strategy has identified key markets in Africa, Asia and Europe where the value, diversity and attractiveness of 'Made in Zimbabwe' products has not yet been tapped.

It is hoped that the strategy will deliver a unifying roadmap with an ambitious set of targets, including a steep increase in yields to 1,200 kilograms per hectare that will benefit 250,000 smallholder farmers and increase production of cotton lint to 450,000 tons per year.

Zimbabwe produced about 150,000 tons in 2013 at an average 269 kg per hectare.

A substantial increase in cotton production to around 210,000 tons in the 2016/17 marketing year has been forecast on the back of the government's inputs support program to revive cotton production and the support given by ginners and merchants through contract farming schemes with smallholder farmers.

Export of textiles and garments is expected to reach 7.5 million U.S. dollars and set out a roadmap to help the country regain its leadership in quality and value addition in the C2C sector by 2019, when the implementation of the strategy is expected to be complete.

The sector extends from smallholder farming which contributes to the livelihoods of more than 1 million Zimbabweans to capital-intensive sub-sectors such as spinning and textiles that have played an integral role in the country's industrialization.

It also has important food-security implications with cottonseed processing by-products used as animal feed, while cottonseed oil is used for human consumption.

Zimbabwe's clothing and textile industry was once one of the country's biggest employers with about 24,000 workers, but problems such as inadequate capital, power shortages, high labor costs and obsolete machinery have led many companies to operate at below 10 percent of their capacity.

The labor force has also declined to less than 4,000 because of company closures which affected ginners, spinners, knitters and weavers, dye houses, clothing companies and retailers as some were either placed under judicial management or liquidated.

As a result, Zimbabwe is currently exporting most of its cotton lint without adding any value to it, while cheap imports from Asia are flooding the market. The local clothing industry is also only able to meet about 25 percent of local demand.
(FILE PHOTO)Former Commander of U.S. Central Command Gen. Anthony "Tony" Zinni (Ret.) speaks during a taping of "Meet the Press" at the NBC Studios in Washington. (REUTERS PHOTO)

DOHA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Two U.S. envoys arrive in the Gulf region this week to meet with officials there to help resolve a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and four other Arab countries that has lasted for more than 60 days, Qatar news agency(QNA) said.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed relations with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting "terrorism." Qatar rejects the allegations as "baseless."

Timothy Lenderking, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Gulf affairs, and retired U.S. Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni "are in the Gulf region this week to engage with the parties involved and support Kuwait's mediation efforts," QNA quoted a State Department official as saying.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, whose own trip to the Gulf in July resulted in a U.S.-Qatari accord on combating terrorism financing but no major breakthrough in the dispute, announced Zinni and Lenderking's mission last week.

Tillerson said that Zinni's presence would help maintain a constant pressure on the ground. He said "we are committed to seeing this disagreement resolved, restore Gulf unity, because it's important to the long-term effort to defeat terrorism in the region."

The diplomatic rift is the worst dispute in decades among the U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states, and came just days after President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia and touted U.S.-Arab unity in fighting terrorism finance and Iran's agenda in the region.

Qatar hosts the region's largest U.S. military base, where 11,000 Americans work. The U.S. Navy's 5th fleet is based in Bahrain, and U.S. surveillance planes fly from the United Arab Emirates.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 05:51:28|Editor: Liangyu

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez (C) delivers a statement at the Tiuna Fort in Caracas, Venezuela, on Aug. 7, 2017. An active-duty member of the military helped carry out a paramilitary attack on an army base that ransacked an arsenal of weapons, a top official said on Monday. Sunday's pre-dawn raid on Paramacay Fort in the northern state of Carabobo had the "complicity" of first lieutenant Yefferson Garcia Dos Ramos, who was in charge of the arsenal of the 41st Armored Brigade stationed there, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said. (Xinhua/Ministry of Defense/AVN)

CARACAS, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- An active-duty member of the military helped carry out a paramilitary attack on an army base that ransacked an arsenal of weapons, a top official said on Monday.

Sunday's pre-dawn raid on Paramacay Fort in the northern state of Carabobo had the "complicity" of first lieutenant Yefferson Garcia Dos Ramos, who was in charge of the arsenal of the 41st Armored Brigade stationed there, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said.

Dos Ramos "acted as an accomplice, providing information on the inside operation of the installation to the terrorist group, in exchange for huge amounts of money," said Padrino.

Authorities said on Sunday that a former lieutenant, Juan Caguaripano, had served as a spokesman for the attack, which was mainly carried out by civilians in uniform.

Caguaripano appeared in a video that was a call to arms against the government of President Nicolas Maduro, but at the same time denied the armed rebellion was a coup d'etat.

Padrino urged greater unity following the incident, saying it was designed to provoke "chaos and seize power through violence."

"I call ... for national unity. These imperialist attacks must unite us as a country, as a nation. They are intervening against a nation, not against President Nicolas Maduro, or Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez. It is against a country, a nation," Padrino said in a statement delivered at the Tiuna Fort in the capital Caracas.

Venezuela's National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) issued a statement on Sunday, condemning the attack that left one man dead and another seriously wounded.

While the FANB said it "successfully repelled the criminal paramilitary terrorists," members of the group managed to steal weapons before fleeing.

Seven others were captured and admitted to having been hired "by Venezuelan extreme right-wing activists, in connection with foreign governments," added the military.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 06:06:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Brazilian Odebrecht holding group is changing the names and logos of all its companies this month, as part of a strategy to distance itself from the Petrobras corruption campaign, which revealed Odebrecht paid millions in bribes across the Americas.

According to the Folha de Sao Paulo daily on Monday, while the name of the holding group will not change, the name Odebrecht will be removed from all businesses such as "Odebrecht Oil and Gas" and "Odebrecht Real Estate Developments."

The red color of the Odebrecht brand and its traditional font will also be eliminated.

The first brand to undergo this change will be Braskem, the largest petrochemical company in Latin America. While Braskem will keep its name, it will lose the associated name of Odebrecht. This will also be the case of the Foz and Enseada brands.

Marcelo Lyra, vice-president and responsible of communications for Odebrecht, said the company is undergoing a process to recover its reputation and meeting demands from its clients and the public.

These changes go against a decision taken in 2013 by then president, Marcelo Odebrecht, who decided to unify the Odebrecht brand by using the name for all its businesses.

Marcelo Odebrecht, the former president of the company, was jailed for 19 years in 2016 for corruption.

However, this change is in line with a statement by the company last December, in which it accepted the blame for its crimes, and recognized having taken part in "improper practices."

Odebrecht is accused of paying bribes to public officials in exchange for government contracts in at least 13 Latin American and African countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 06:26:43|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KUWAIT, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Two U.S. special envoys said Monday the United States would redouble its efforts to end the standoff in the Gulf, the official news agency KUNA reported.

U.S. Deputy Assistant State Secretary for Arab Gulf Affairs Tim Lenderking and former U.S. head of Central Command Anthony Zinni made the remarks during their meeting with Kuwait's Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Jarallah.

Both U.S. envoys reiterated the U.S. support of Kuwait's efforts to resolve the ongoing feud between Qatar and another four Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia.

They said the U.S. would double its efforts in pursuit of the joint goal, the report quoted a Kuwaiti official statement as saying.

The two sides also discussed discussed the U.S.-Kuwait bilateral relations along with regional and international developments.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed relations with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting "terrorism" and interfering in their internal affairs. Qatar has strongly rejected the charges.

Lenderking and Zinni are in the Gulf region this week "to engage with the parties involved and support Kuwait's mediation efforts," a U.S. State Department official said earlier.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, whose own trip to the Gulf in July resulted in a U.S.-Qatari accord on combating terrorism funding, without achieving a major breakthrough to end the crisis, announced Zinni and Lenderking's mission last week.

Tillerson said that Zinni's presence would help maintain a constant U.S. pressure on the parties, adding the U.S. is "committed to seeing this disagreement resolved, restore Gulf unity, because it's important to the long-term effort to defeat terrorism in the region."

The diplomatic rift, the worst dispute in decades among the U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states, erupted days after U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia in May.

The U.S. has vital interests in maintaining unity among the Gulf states. While Saudi is a major ally for the U.S. as well as the leading buyer of U.S. weapons in the region, Qatar hosts the region's largest U.S. military base. The U.S. Navy's 5th fleet is based in Bahrain, while U.S. surveillance planes fly from the UAE.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-08 06:46:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HOUSTON, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- BP recorded a high production of shale gas on land it bought from a U.S. shale driller two years ago, the Oil & Gas Journal reported on Monday.

The Journal said the well, which achieves the average 30-day initial production rate of 12.9 million cubic feet of gas per day, is located in San Juan County, northwest of New Mexico State, also part of the San Juan basin.

The journal quoted Dave Lawler, chief executive officer of BP's U.S. Lower 48 onshore business, as reporting that the result gives BP confidence to pursue additional development of the Mancos shale, which BP believe could become one of the leading shale plays in the United States.

BP acquired the well from Devon Energy Corp. in late 2015, which expanded BP's existing position in the San Juan basin and provided better access to the Mancos shale.

The Mancos Shale or Mancos Group is a Late Cretaceous (Upper Cretaceous) geologic formation of the Western United States, and was named for exposures near the town of Mancos, Colorado.

Linhua Guan, chairman of Houston-based Star Energy, told Xinhua that the fertile production of shale gas in Juan basin is a significant event, showing "the field controlled by BP has promising future."
Senior cop disappointed

On Facebook, the photographs were shared more than 3,000 times and there were more than 350 comments. One man said, What a disgrace. Remember when pride respect and integrity used to mean something? Another person said, I think she was joking around. It was very wicked for someone to possibly ruin this girls life and career because of a joke. Its probably some jealous person who did it. Newsday tried contacting TTPS head of Corporate Communications Ellen Lewis on several occasion but all calls went straight to her voice mail.

However, Head of the Tobago Division, Acting Snr Supt Joanne Archie yesterday said, I am disappointed about what I have seen, but that is the most I am prepared to say at this time.
Police search for Chinese restaurant bandits

The robbery occurred at the Kam Wong Restuarant, Eastern Main Road, Arouca at around 7.45pm. The men, who were unmasked, were armed with guns and robbed restaurant patrons of cash, cellphones and a womens handbag. There were no reports of injuries during the incident.

One of the men was wearing a blue and white striped polo shirt, blue three-quarter pants and a blue cap while the second wore a black cap, white vest and a red three quarter-pants. A video of the incident was posted on social media on Friday morning.

Investigations are continuing.

The incident was the latest in a series of crimes where Chinese nationals, mostly business people, have been targeted.

On July 12, 57 year-old Zhang Sijiu, the driver of Chinese Ambassador Song Yumin, was snatched along Hayes Street in St Clair shortly after 7 am. A call was made to the Embassy and a $20,000 ransom demanded. Arrangements were made for the money to be dropped off at the Roxy roundabout at 11 am. However, the kidnapped was unaware that the stolen car he used to transport Zhang, was outfitted with GPS and it was intercepted and forced to come to a halt by police. Zhang was rescued and taken to hospital while the suspect was arrested and taken into custody. On June 27 businesswoman Yana Zeng, 33, was robbed and shot dead at her mini mart in Santa Cruz.

Then on June 15 businessman Shirui Zhao and his employee Yanli Gu gunned down in the car park of Kosume bar, New Haven Avenue, Marabella. On June 13 Francis Lee Lon, 67, and his wife Sylvie, 77, were robbed at their Fourth Street, Barataria home by three men. The couple handed over cash and jewellery valued at $13,530 and were tied up. They untied themselves and alerted the police. The three bandits and getaway driver were held and the stolen items recovered.

Newsday also found four separate incidents of Chinese nationals being robbed in 2016.
Guns, drugs seized in Central; two men arrested

According to a report an anti- crime exercise was conducted in the Central Division by officers of the Central Special Crime Patrol Unit between the hours of 2 pm and 10 pm on Friday During the exercise officers seized two Smith and Wesson Revolvers and a quantity of narcotics in the Enterprise and Freeport areas. The unit was headed by Sgt Jodhan and included members of the K-9 and the Criminal Gang and Intelligence Unit Two men between the ages of 25 to 30 were arrested and are expected to appear in court today
Investigate Tobago ferries procurement

In his letter to the Commission, Maharaj said the factual matrix surrounding the procurement of the services of Bridgeman Services has been in the public domain since the beginning of July and has raised a number of questions that the Port Authority has failed or refused to adequately addressed.

He provided a summary of the events that occurred beginning with the installation of a new Port Authority Board on March 6, 2017.

He said on June 30, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan and Port Authority Chairman Alison Lewis at a press conference stated that Government gave the Port Authority approval to lease two vessels, Cabo Star, and the passenger boat, Ocean Flower, to service the sea bridge between Trinidad and Tobago. Maharaj said the Ocean Flower was secured without a local team inspecting the vessel however Sinanan said because it was a lease arrangement and not a purchase an inspection was not required. Maharaj said this contradicts a series of emails between Port Authority CEO Charmaine Lewis and Elias Bezas of Terajet requesting inspection or survey for a similar lease arrangement.

This is a wholly unsatisfactory state of affairs. The fact that one service provider was asked to subject itself to inspection while the other was not creates the unmistakable impression that favourable treatment was given to Bridgeman while the same was not offered to others.

There can be no question that such conduct constitutes an egregious breach of the Integrity in Public Life Act and constitutes a damning piece of evidence which creates a dark cloud over this entire transaction, Maharaj said.

Bridgeman Services LP and Bridgeman Trinidad Services LP are both registered in Canada and based in Vancouver. He said Bridgeman Services LP was registered in Canada on September 29, 2015 weeks after the General Election.

Maharaj said he conducted extensive online research utilized several personal contacts in Canada in an effort to find out if Bridgeman Services had any experience in shipping or ferry services in any part of the world. Despite my best efforts I have not been able to find any facts which support Bridgeman Services LP as a company with any experience in this field. It appears beyond contraction that Bridgeman Services LP and Bridgeman Trinidad Services LP have not registered any particulars of Directors or Shareholders.

This it would seem is a fairly sophisticated effort to hide from the public glare the true owners of both companies. That begs the question as to why someone would go to such lengths to hide the true ownership of the company if the company is a legitimate one and the transaction is a legitimate one. He said these issues in the public domain have generated many questions surrounding the procurement of Bridgeman Services LP as the ferry service provider of choice by the PATT. Who is Bridgeman Services LP / Bridgeman Trinidad Services LP? How can a company with no experience and not lawfully registered be contracted by the PATT.

When was the contract signed ? What was the due diligence done on Bridgeman Services LP? Is Bridgeman Services compliant with the Board of Inland Revenue, National Insurance, Financial Intelligence Unit, given that the PATT has paid and will be paying large amounts of cash to this entity on a regular basis. When Newsday contacted Sinanan yesterday, he described Maharaj as an expired politician who is trying his best to redeem himself and to become relevant trying to make a name for itself. He is well within the law to do what he is doing I have no objection to it. If the Integrity Commission sees it fit to investigate I welcome that however I have full confidence in the Port Authority and its Board and I feel very confident that the results will be exactly what I expect, he said.

Sinanan also expressed his intention to write the Commission on issues that occurred under Maharajs tenure as Transport Minister.
US visitor wants lifeguards for Stone Haven Bay

According to reports, Jaglal was seen entering the water with his two step-daughters.

A few minutes later, one of his daughters got into difficulty.

It is believed he drowned while trying to save her.

One man who helped pull Jaglal out of the water is calling on authorities to assign lifeguards to that beach.

Abdoull Lasheen, an American citizen who is currently vacationing in Tobago told Newsday yesterday what happened on that day.

He said he was walking on the beach with a friend when he heard screaming but he thought it was just children playing on the beach until the screams grew louder.

I just dropped everything and went into the ocean.

I saw two girls near a float that got away from them so I grabbed the float and I was able to get them on it thank God and I got them to shore, he said.

Lasheen said once the girls were safely to shore they screamed for their father but he could not see them.

A scuba instructor who was nearby went into the sea to look for Jaglal.

She pulled him from the bottom of the sea and with the help of Lasheen brought him to the shore.

He said what was frightening for him was the way the paramedics handled the situation.

I witnessed first hand how nonchalant they were about the whole incident.

The paramedics were strolling to the beach, there was no urgency whatsoever. The scuba instructor performed CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on him for 15 minutes before they arrived. When they came, they placed him on the stretcher and put him in the ambulance and that was it, he said.

Lasheen said that beach was a favourite of his and it needed a lifeguard.

I really want people to be safe, we dont want to lose more innocent lives, he said.
Women for HOPE donates $15,000 to Cancer Society

The event was hosted by the Women for HOPE Cancer Committee to show appreciation to their many sponsors including: First Citizens Asset Management Limited, Carib Brewery Limited, Art Concepts Limited, HADCO Limited and Blue Waters Products Limited among others.

The Women for HOPE Cancer Committee held its first walk event back in 2008 in support of the Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society (TTCS). This year they hosted their seventh walk and health fair around the Queens Park Savannah on July 21. The proceeds from the event, $15,000 was presented to TTCSs general manager, Kevin Cox who expressed his appreciation for the work Women for HOPE is doing.

We intend to continue this partnership with Women for HOPE because we are serious about what we do. The support of this committee goes a long way and the Cancer Society always advocates early screening for detection to help reduce the incidence of cancer, said Cox.

Women for HOPE is led by a team of hardworking and passionate women who are focused on changing the lives of those affected by cancer. The vice president, Hassina Mohammed, in an interview with Newsday said, We are focused on raising funds to help those affected by cancer. This year apart from our donation we decided to continue with our screening process, where we reach out to cancer patients who are in need of our assistance. This year the committees focus has been expanded to incorporate the HOPE mantra, Honouring those lost but not forgotten, encouraging participants to Overcome through early detection and health screening, Participate through support of TTCS events and Empower through knowledge of healthy lifestyles, symptoms, treatments and self-check techniques.
Nurses want stipends paid by month-end

In a telephone interview yesterday, Stewart said the government was currently cutting back in a number of areas related to nursing which is having a negative impact on the health sector.

Stewart said University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) nursing students have not been paid their stipends since July 2016, and they are giving the government a deadline to address the issue.

Their stipend is $800 per month and they are refusing to pay this amount to the students.

We are basically saying we cannot accept that the government does not have money to pay $800 a month when one consultant within the institution who works for only two hours a day sometimes on average, they are paid in excess of $50,000 a month. But they cant pay a nursing student. One consultant salary can pay all the nursing students from USC, and in COSTAATT put together.

He said if they are not paid at the end of the month, the students are prepared to go outside the Ministry of Education Towers and logged their dissatisfaction.

Nurses will support them because the nurses need the students, and the stipend is used to buy their books, uniforms and even help them travel to come to the wards. It will only grow from there. We already have another major issue of shortage of nurses in the country. Stewart said the government used to hire CARICOM nurses over the years from St Vincent, Grenada, and Cuba, and since taken a decision to stop all those contracts with the workers from those countries.

Each registered nurse has less people to work with, in addition the students which help with the shortage of nursing staff and who work on the ward to get the experience, the government has taken the decision to stop paying nursing students their stipend.

Now all the incoming batches will not get that stipend which is essential. Stewart added, the wards are normally supplemented by pool staff (extra duty staff ) and this to has also been cut back by the government.

He said the stipend is to assist students through the four year programme, and one of the reason for the stipend in the beginning of the programme was to attract people into the profession.

With the shortage of nurses patient care has already been compromised with the safety of patients because generally you want one registered nurse to four patient, on the medical ward you need to have one to four or one to six is the maximum. Anything over that it causes significant disruption.

The nurses are not even close to one to six or one to seven. We are looking at 20 to one.
BPTT empowers students to protect the environment

A sense of empowerment was conveyed in the words of Rio Claro West Secondary student, Ammy Boodhu, winner of the 16-18 age-group Art/Poster category: This is the fifth year Ive taken part and its the second year in a row that I won the art competition in my age division.

I am a better student because of my participation and in talking to other students from across the education districts.

We share a feeling of accomplishment, purpose and responsibility.

My dream is to be a pilot and I plan to travel all over the world and educate people about taking care of the environment.

I see it as my responsibility to make this world a better place. Students, teachers, principals, and other attendees sang the praises of participating students who demonstrated their knowledge of the environment in the Debate, Art/Poster and Essay divisions of the competition, which is endorsed by the Ministry of Education.

The initiative has been sponsored by energy company, BP Trinidad and Tobago, for the past 11 years.

Ronda Francis, Corporate Responsibility Manager, BPTT, was impressed with the quality of the student submissions, Environmental awareness and education are two of BPTTs key focus areas and this competition combines them admirably.

These students have developed and applied key skills such as reading, writing, critical thinking, research, analysis and creativity and the excellence of their work is testament to the importance of this competition.

Their work shows fulfillment of their potential and raises the level of environmental awareness around them.

Every year we are serving to create a cadre of all-rounded and environmentally conscious citizens, which bodes well for our nations future. This year more than 40 schools took part in the various divisions, held under the theme of Erosion and its Impacts on Coastal Communities.
Parents hit bookstores early

Newsday visited numerous book stores within the capital and got the view that textbooks were the main thing at the top of every parents back to school shopping list.

I am focussing on buying my childs books first because some of these primary school textbooks are scarce. I had to visit a lot of book stores before I found one book, said Onifa Murrey from Belmont.

Another parent from Diego Martin, Marcus Alexander, said that books were running out and he had to get them quickly.

The store manager of Ishmael M Khan & Sons Ltd, Norine Bazie said, The sale of books is following its usual pattern at our book stores.

While it is picking up gradually, parents are spending with a plan.

They are purchasing the scarcest books now and coming back for the rest later. Nickos Baptiste, father of one told Newsday that his main priority was purchasing textbooks.

It isnt that busy, yet, but wait until the end of this month, that is why I came early, said Baptiste.

Joanne Harriott, mother of four from Laventille agreed that the race for books is picking up but also found textbooks to be quite expensive. I am buying my childrens school supplies piece by piece, because down to uniforms are expensive around this time, said Harriott.
Caricom must keep eye on Venezuela

Dr Mark Kirton, senior lecturer in Latin American Studies at the Institute of International Relations, said the fallout from the referendum in the beleaguered South-American country can place additional pressure on social services in Caricom states, especially Trinidad and Tobago.

Therefore, there should be a coordinated Caricom policy established as a matter of urgency to deal with the potential humanitarian crisis, he told Newsday.

Kirton said many countries see the efforts by the Nicolas Maduro-led government to rewrite the constitution as an attack on democracy in Venezuela.

The lecturer, whose research interests include Latin American foreign policy, new regionalism and conflict transformation, predicted there will be sustained protests and higher levels of instability in Venezuela, in the wake of the move.

This can also lead to greater numbers of Venezuelans leaving the country and coming to Trinidad and other Caricom states as a result of the street protests and increasing inability to access basic supplies of food, medicine and other items, he said. Kirtons position came days after Venezuelan Ambassador to TT Coromoto Godoy Calderon assured Newsday there was no humanitarian crisis that would trigger mass migration to local shores.

Calderon also had sought to dismiss the view that her oil-rich country was on the brink of collapse.

I assure you that as we have our Constituent National Assembly, there is no need for this fear of Venezuelans coming across here in droves. We will be able to have increased democratic participation, empowerment of people and increased economic development, she had said.

Two Sundays ago Maduro convened a national vote to elect a constituent assembly to redraft the countrys Constitution in what Opposition forces saw as a grab for power.

The following day, two of Venezuelas leading Opposition figures - Leoplodo Lopez and Antonio Ledezma - were taken from their homes by State security agents in Maduros government.

The United States also slapped sanctions on Venezuela to freeze Maduros assets in its jurisdictions.
CJ in US for cyber crime trial tour

Yorke-Soo Hon will act as Chief Justice from today to August 14 after which Justice of Appeal Allan Mendonca will take over the acting reigns from August 15 to August 19.

Archie, a statement from the Judiciary said, was invited to the tour by the Embassy of the United States in Port of Spain. The tour will take Archie and other participants to Washington, DC, and Williamsburg, Virginia, and is hosted by the National Centre for State Courts.

The tour ends on August 12.

According to the Judiciary, the CJs participation in the study tour was in keeping with the Judiciarys continued committment to advancing reforms in the criminal justice arena as it pertains to technological innovation. The statement also said the tour was part of a continued partnership on security affairs between the US and T&T.

It also focuses on engendering and displaying further support to build the investigative and procedural capacity of the Judiciary of Trinidad and Tobago as it manages developing patterns in cybercrime, money-laundering an related crimes, the statement said.

A professional overview of the different forensic processes and the applications of digital evidence used in complex investigations and the unique legal and investigative issues raised by emerging computer and telecommunications technologies will be explored.

The Chief Justice is expected to benefit from advance specialised training and networks through meetings with judges who possess vast experience in the focused areas of digital evidence, comp; uter and intellectual property crimes, cyber crime trials and social media intelligence.

The Digital Evidence and Cyber Forensics Study Tour incorporates visits to the US Justice Departments omputer Crime and Intellectual Property Section which is responsible for implementing US national strategies in combatting computer and intellectual property crimes worldwide; the William and Mary law School/Centre for Legal and Court Technology which is dedicated to advancing the efficent use of technology in the administration of justice and the advancement of appropriate technology in courtrooms, as well as an opportunity to observe cybercrime trials involved computer- based wire fraud, money laundering and online scams.
Students get second chance at exams

Drawn from communities throughout Trinidad, the graduates proudly accepted their Certificates of Achievement at a function at the CCC headquarters in Port of Spain on Friday.

My family operates a mini mart and variety store. I intend to take over the running of the business sometime in the future. I know I need to do so in a professional manner and mathematics is a major factor in operating any business venture.

That is why I decided to do this course. I was not successful in math in the past but I intend to take the exam again in 2018. With the training I received at this camp, I am confident I will do better, said 21-year-old graduate Britanny Mohammed. Sponsored by energy company BP Trinidad and Tobago (BPTT) for the seventh year, the math experience is designed to remove the daunting fears some people have of the subject, putting them on a more confident path to pursue it at examination level.

The BPTT Young Adult Math Experience is conducted in five regions in Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain, Diego Martin, Mayaro, the Youth Training Centre (YTC) in Arouca, and Tobago. Approximately 120 persons complete the training every year. The courses are facilitated by training agency Cross and Associates.

Yafeu Rougier, corporate responsibility intern, BPTT, who recalled his own nervous experience when he sat math in 2013, told the graduates and CCC officials that the training initiative was an important component of BPTTs education portfolio. On my recent visit to one of the math sessions, many of the participants stated that they wanted to achieve qualifications in mathematics to kick-start their businesses, secure good jobs or enter tertiary level institutions. Success in all these ventures requires some level of proficiency in mathematics.

That is precisely why this math camp is so important to your future, Rougier pointed out.

Extending profound congratulations to the graduates, Rougier said: You have worked extremely hard over the past week and you deserve to be sitting where you are right now. I urge you to never let go of your dreams because starting young is an ingredient for success.

Although circumstances may get tough, I encourage you to always keep your head up. He noted that both BPTT and the CCC were aligned in their initiatives for youth development, helping young people to lead increasingly productive lives. It is this common vision that has allowed the BPTT Math Camp to find a natural home with the CCC, he added.

Vouching for the effectiveness of the math experience, Major Cheryl Richardson, Programme Director, CCC, said that students taking part in the training over the past years have gone on to do well at examinations. This workshop is delivering great results. The tutor, Nicole Lord, has offered personal attention to the students and has demonstrated great patience.

Participants were very excited on every single day when I spoke to them. This is proof that something good is happening at CCC. It is indeed a special honour for us to have a special partner as BPTT, Major Richardson declared.

Andrew Cross, Principal/Consultant, Cross and Associates, explained that the math experience was aimed at removing fear and de-mystifying the subject to enable participants to embrace the subject and pursue it at examination level.
Southern Sales & Service introduces 100 percent CNG truck

The Isuzu NPR82U CNG truck is currently available as a Demo unit to be test driven by various commercial operators, since this is the first OEM CNG Medium Duty commercial vehicle of its kind in Trinidad and Tobago (TT).

The first person to test drive the vehicle was Rishi Ramroop of 4Rs Hardware in Gasparillo.

Speaking at the vehicle handover on July 14, Southern Sales Managing Director, Imtiaz Ahamad, described the decision to bring a CNG truck to T&T as a pioneering one.

This is an important milestone, we have been knocking on Isuzus door for a long time to supply this model to the region, its a good decision to break into the CNG commercial market segment, Ahamad said.

While in testing, detailed data has to be compiled and submitted to Isuzus parent company, which will analyse the information to maximise the performance on the vehicle.

This Isuzu NPR model uses a naturally aspirated 4.5 litre four-cylinder engine, putting out 130 horse power at 3200rpm and delivering 353Nm of torque at 1400rpm.

This model has two CNG tanks which will have an approximate CNG capacity of 300 litres.

One litre of CNG costs $1.00. This model carries a tray length of 16 feet.

President of the NGC CNG Company Limited (NGC CNG), Curtis Mohammed, said he envisions success for this model of vehicle.

NGC CNG applauds Southern Sales for taking the lead in this market segment, as TT prefers new vehicles.
Imbert unfazed by Permells legal action threat

Responding to a statement issued on Saturday by Permell, Imbert said, If Permell was serious about a threat of legal action, he should have taken action five years ago. The minister asked, Who is he threatening to take action against anyway? At last Thursdays post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Anns, Imbert identified Permell and Carlton Reis as two of the mouthpieces for CL Financial (CLF) shareholders. Imbert said Permell has no shares in CLF and cashed in his Clico policy in May 2012. A subsequent statement issued by the Finance Ministry last Friday said, Permell received the sum of $75,000 in cash for each policy with the rest being paid in bonds.

On Reis statement that the transfer of shares in Dalco Capital Management Company Ltd from company owner Lawrence Duprey to him at a value of $99 was a private matter, Imbert said, The Companies Registry is a public forum.

So there is nothing private about a share transfer. He added, Further, being aware of the reported value of the shares and what is recorded in the Companies Registry, I am duty bound to investigate. Last week, Imbert said Reis publicly claimed CLF was worth $40 billion. With Dalco owning 26 percent of CLF, Imbert said this worked out to $10 billion.

The stamp duty on a transfer of shares worth $10 billion, is $50 million, he stated. However, Imbert observed, The stamp duty on a transfer of shares worth $99 is 50 cents. On this basis, Imbert said his ministry will be investigating this matter to find out why a company supposed valued at $40 billion by one of its owners, had its shares transferred for $99, instead of at a rate of $10 billion, attracting stamp duty of $50 million. Imbert said the court-appointed liquidators will investigate this matter.

He also said there will be an investigation into the leakage of some $1.1 billon from CL World Brands (CLWB) which was apparently used to settle debts owed by companies within CLF.
UNC MP: Rowley Govt against workers

In a statement, Couva South MP Rudy Indarsingh said trade unions must accept this as reality and the incumbent Dr Keith Rowley Administration is the most anti-union government in TTs history.

The time is now for continued unity within the labour movement to stop the PNM from further destroying, destabilising and traumatising families through their failed economic policies and the UNC will continue to be on those who are being oppressed and marginalised, Indarsingh said.

He said the UNC warned the country during the 2016/2017 Budget debate that, t job losses would occur in the thousands within the economy based on a budget which lacked substance and a plan for development. He reiterated the UNCs claim that Government, has surrendered the running of the country to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the multi lateral lending agencies. In a statement issued on Saturday, Rowley urged trade union leaders to rejoin the National Tripartite Advisory Council to address the socio-economic challenges confronting the country.
Fix the flooding, our roads  residents demand

According to Charles, the main cause of flooding in Williamsville was because of the overflowing of the Guaracara River.

He was speaking to the media during a tour of the constituency by Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan.

This river comes from as far as Rio Claro and through Tabaquite into Williamsville. With Williamsville being the lowest lying areas, we have the most flooding here, Charles said. He added that water flows from many tributaries to the Guaracara River and this results in flash flooding anytime it rains.

Sinanan said flooding in the area was not new but he and his ministry were developing plans to deal with the problem.

While there may be ways to deal with certain issues on flooding, where clogged drains are concerned, we intend to deal with the issue of flooding on the whole in Williamsville on a long term basis, he said.

He also said there may be no immediate relief for the residents of the area.

He also sought to assure residents that his technical team will review a comprehensive drainage plan for this area. What we found here is that the river definitely needs cleaning. I have spoken Drainage Division to look at it and deal with the issue of the clogging of water courses in this area, he said.

The ministers tour began at the Williamsville Community Centre and to Kent Road, Reform Village and Harmony Hall.

He listened to the complaints of villagers on clogged drains, broken bridges and bad roads in Williamsville.

Charles said residents wanted a comprehensive flood mitigation plan for the entire course of the Guaracara River.

He said this plan should examine the all impediments to river flow and ways and means in which this could be rectified within a time frame.

Charles also said that the residents of Reform Village have been calling for the roadway from Harmony Hall Junction to Williamsville to be paved and he also spoke to the minister about the other roads in urgent need of fixing.

He identified some of the roads as Garth Road, St Croix Road, Manahambre Road from St Clements Junction to Princes Town and the main road from Palmyra to Princes Town as well as Lengua Road, Papoorie Road and Jaipaulsingh Trace in Barrackpore.
Tens of thousands of people gathered Sunday in Hiroshima to reflect on a tragedy that changed the course of history. They're marking the 72nd anniversary since the US detonated an atomic bomb over the city in 1945.

About 50,000 people gathered at the Peace Memorial Park to honor the victims. Survivors known as Hibakusha joined the crowd. Their average age is now 81. Representatives from 80 countries also attended.

People observed a moment of silence at 8:15 AM, the exact time the bomb hit the city.

Officials placed a list of 308,725 victims in a cenotaph. It includes the names of 5,530 people who died or were confirmed to have died in the past year. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui delivered a declaration of peace. He quoted from survivors, who described the scenes of devastation and despair that followed the bombing and who spoke of their desire for peace.

The mayor said "This hell is not a thing of the past. As long as nuclear weapons exist and policymakers threaten their use, their horror could leap into our present at any moment. You could find yourself suffering their cruelty."

Matsui referred to a treaty to ban nuclear weapons that was adopted by 122 counties and territories at the UN.

Non-signatories are expected to include nuclear powers such as the US and Russia and countries that rely on the nuclear umbrella, including Japan.

Matsui urged the Japanese government to help bridge the divide over the treaty.

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Rising labor costs are casting shadows over the management of Japanese businesses amid escalating manpower shortages in the country.

According to a labor ministry survey for June released on Friday, the average hourly pay of part-time workers rose 3.1 pct from a year earlier, up for the 64th straight month.

With Japan's mandatory hourly minimum wage to be raised by the largest margin of 25 yen this year, retailers, wholesalers and restaurant operators, which hire many part-timers, are struggling with rising payrolls, as well as lingering budget mindsets among consumers.

United Super Markets Holdings Inc. <3222>, the holding company of three supermarket chains in the Tokyo metropolitan area, saw its operating profits fall by 25 pct in the March-May period, battered by an increase of some 1.4 billion yen in costs for sales and administration due mainly to higher labor costs.
California boots federal ICE agents from state offices: Is the Golden State ground zero for the next civil war?

Since Donald J. Trump had the bad taste to actually win the November election, no state reacted more negatively to his victory than California.

Millions of angry Left-leaning progressives and Democrats filed into the streets of dozens of cities around the state, vowing to fight and pledging war against his administration.

The issue that most riled Californias far-Left Democratic lawmakers was immigration. Trump began his campaign with a vow to crack down on illegal border-crossings and those in the U.S. illegally, not through threats and intimidation but by simply enforcing the laws on the books. It was a cornerstone of his American first platform.

Now that his administration is making good on his promise, California is rebelling.

Last week Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in following up on earlier comments, once more threatened to withhold Justice Department grant money from sanctuary cities  those municipalities whose elected leaders have made it official policy to openly defy federal immigration laws by forbidding police and other state authorities from helping immigration agents identify and remove people in the country illegally.

As reported by Fox News this week, Sessions identified four cities that would be targeted initially, and two of them are in California: Stockton and San Bernardino, as well as Baltimore, Md. and Albuquerque, NM. The decision follows Sessions declaration that he will begin enforcing rules for cities participating in the Justice Departments Public Safety Partnership program.

By protecting criminals from immigration enforcement, cities and states with so-called sanctuary policies make all of us less safe, Sessions said in a statement. We saw that just last week when an illegal alien who had been deported twenty times and was wanted by immigration authorities allegedly sexually assaulted an elderly woman in Portland, a city that refuses to cooperate with immigration enforcement. (Related: Sessions has said that illegal alien criminals are drawn to sanctuary cities.)

Just one day after Sessions made the announcement, officials in California have ordered federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents out of state government buildings. As reported by the Sacramento Bee, the decision was apparently made by Julie Su, the states labor commissioner:

Californias top labor law enforcer wants federal immigration agents to stay away from offices where state investigators weigh claims about underpaid employees and workplace retaliation.

Labor Commissioner Julie Su last month directed her staff to turn away Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents unless the federal officers have warrants.

The atmosphere of fear created by Trump and ICEs expanded dragnet hurt all California workers, said Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, who has sponsored a bill that would restrict immigration enforcement at workplaces. We have to do everything we can to fight back, and its great to see our labor commissioner taking a stand against the small minority of unscrupulous employers who are illegally retaliating against their employees.

Never mind that the president and his law enforcement chiefs swore an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution as well as the nations laws; could the next civil conflict in America start in the state that most hated the fact that Trump, and not Hillary Clinton, is sitting in the White House?

Its possible. The National Sentinel reported last month that a showdown is brewing between states and federal immigration enforcement agents, as the ICE chief prepares to send additional officers and deploy more resources to deep blue sanctuary cities in search of people in the U.S. illegally.

You can like President Trump, not like him, like his policies, not like his policies, but one thing no one can argue with is the effect theyve had, ICE head Thomas D. Homan said in July, adding that Trump has taken the handcuffs off of law enforcement.

As cited by The National Sentinel, the Washington Examiner added:

A key target are the 300-plus sanctuary cities and counties that do not cooperate with ICE and ignore requests that they detail criminal illegals for ICE arrest and deportation proceedings.

Homan called that ludicrous, noting further: In the America I grew up in, cities didnt shield people who violated the law.

California officials seem to think that just because they dont like Trump, they have some exclusive license to pick and choose which federal laws to follow and which to ignore.

I think theyre about to find out how wrong they are.

Its not clear what, if anything, the Trump administration plans do about Californias action banning ICE agents from some state offices. But it seems very clear the president wont tolerate state authorities threatening or otherwise attempting to prevent federal immigration authorities from doing their jobs. Nor should he.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

TheNationalSentinel.com

SacBee.com

Breitbart.com

Submit a correction >>
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Mobile technology solutions provider InterDigital (News - Alert) Inc. has joined 5TONIC, which is described as Spains first 5G laboratory.





The laboratory, which operates in Madrid, was founded by communications service provider Telefonica (News - Alert) and research institute IMDEA Networks. CommScope, Ericsson Spain, and Intel are also involved in the effort.

That effort is to provide an open environment in which academics and industry players can collaborate on 5G projects to advance business and technology.

5TONIC's mission is to help define 5G application scenarios and provide lab capabilities to outline suitable 5G infrastructure, the organization explains. The laboratory will operate at least until the first 5G products are commercially viable, which is expected to happen approximately in 2020.

The 2020 timeline may be the view of 5TONIC. But recent comments by cellular industry giants indicate 5G could arrive a whole lot sooner.

As we reported last week, Verizon (News - Alert) executive Matt Ellis recently said that his employer is confident it will be able to roll out 5G commercially next year. Around the same time, Nokia (News - Alert) CEO Rajeev Suri said he expects significant 5G trials to take place next year. And, he said, meaningful deployments of 5G should be in place in China, the U.S., and elsewhere by 2019. The Nokia leader added that his company initially expected 5G to take off in the 2020-2021 timeframe.

The 3GPP at its March plenary in Croatia agreed to a work plan proposal to accelerate the 5G New Radio specification schedule. The intermediate milestone the group discussed would enable 3GPP-based large scale trials and deployments as early as 2019, as wireless technology giant Qualcomm noted. Those involved in that effort include AT&T, Ericsson, NTT DOCOMO, Qualcomm (News - Alert), SK Telecom, and Vodafone. But Qualcomm in that same blog posting also mentioned 2020.

The next few years will be extremely exciting and challenging in the industry, as we continue to progress toward making our 5G vision a reality through technology standardization, prototyping and trialing, and ecosystem creation, blogged Qualcomm, which was a leader in driving the technology direction of past iterations of cellular networks. In fact, in addition to the approved Release 15 5G NR work plan, 3GPP also just approved the next wave of new 5G Study Items at [Marchs] Plenary Meeting that will define further evolution of 5G services and capabilities for deployments in 2020 and beyond.

Edited by Alicia Young
It started in mid-September  Black Friday specials. I took the bait when I saw an email from a retailer offering sales that were way ahead of the traditional Friday after Thanksgiving Black Friday sales. Beat the rush! Get all the deals before anyone else offers them and you lose out! Get y
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Some senior officials of the Moroccan administration, including cabinet members, governors, and local elected representatives may be pushed to step down as a result of the serious warnings expressed by King Mohammed VI in the Throne Day speech he delivered on July 29.

The royal speech appears to have sparked a wave of public administration purification.

Local daily Assabah, citing governmental sources, reports that a series of resignations from a number of public officials will be announced shortly.

A number of cabinet members, mostly from the majority Justice and Development Party (PJD) and the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) will step down or be forced to resign, Assabah notes.

The ministers may be followed by a number of secretaries of ministries, also singled out in the Kings speech for their failure to follow up the implementation of several social and economic development projects.

In his Throne Day speech, the King brought up the events taking place in some parts of the country, which have regrettably revealed an unprecedented lack of the sense of responsibility, alluding to the recent unrest in Al Hoceima, in Northern Morocco.

The monarch chided ministers in charge of the development and social projects in the region, accusing them of delaying the delivery of the projects.

Some elects of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region may also l be asked to step down, Assabah further notes.

King Mohamed VI in his speech laid into political parties for failing to mediate between protestors and the state institutions.

The wave of resignation may also target some local administration directors including directors of public enterprises, Assabah adds.

Governors of the regions hit by protests and where projects have been behind deadline have received warnings for the validation of projects even though lands for development schemes have not been procured or completely bought.

They are asked to secure the sites chosen to house the projects before the start of operations.

Prime Minister Saadeddine al-Othmani and the rest of the government have largely been seen as unable to address the tension. Many in Morocco have highlighted the absence of a national figure who can intervene to calm the situation, hear the protesters demands, and promise credible solutions.

At a Ministers Council held late June, King Mohammed VI had already criticized several ministers for the delay in the delivery of a set of development and social projects included in the Al Hoceima Lighthouse of the Mediterranean program, launched in October 2015, long before the wave of popular protests outbroke in the Rif.

The program, worth $665-million, is meant to promote the regions development through implementing a host of projects slated for completion in 2019. Unfortunately, many of the projects scheduled in the program never saw the light of the day due to the lack of follow-up by relevant ministries.
After launching the world largest solar complex, Morocco is busy working to construct the biggest desalination plant in the globe, a landmark project to cost 309 million.

The plant, to be built by Spanish company Abengoa in the city of Agadir, will be able to provide 275,000 m3 of desalinated water per day. The facilitys production capacity can be expanded to up to 450,000 m3/day.

This project is supported by Moroccan Office National de lElectricite et de lEau Potable (ONEE), the Ministry of agriculture & rural development and the ministry of waters and forests.

Abengoa has been present in Morocco since 1977. It has carried out major large-scale projects in the country, such as the worlds first ISCC (Integrated Solar Combined Cycle) plant located in Ain Beni Mathar.

With this new project, Abengoa consolidates itself as a major player in the desalination sector in the world with a global installed capacity of 1.5 million m3/d, to which we can add the recently awarded contract to build a 250,000 m3/d desalination plant for ACWA Power in Shuaibah, Saudi Arabia.

Abengoa applies innovative technology solutions for sustainability in the energy and environment sectors, generating electricity from renewable resources, converting biomass into biofuels and producing drinking water from sea water.

It specializes in carrying out complex turnkey projects for solar-thermal plants, solar-gas hybrid plants, conventional generation plants and water infrastructures, as well as large-scale desalination plants and transmission lines, among others.
Most scenarios for a compromise on must-pass spending and debt-limit bills dont factor in Trumps demands for border wall funding. Photo: Sandy Huffaker/Getty Images

Raising the debt limit and enacting appropriations are different from the other big funding decisions weve been talking about recently. Unlike tax reform and health care, there is no filibuster-proof path to getting these things done. So if the Republicans who control the federal government want to avoid shutting it down or risking its credit at the end of September, theyll need some Democratic votes.

Theres one big problem getting those votes: the strong possibility that the president will make a nonnegotiable demand for money for his pet border-wall project in exchange for must-pass legislation.

As slapstick as that may sound, Jonathan Swan of Axios assesses the risk of a train wreck over the border wall as quite high:

The wall is no metaphor to Trump. He will accept no substitutes to a huge, long, physical wall, which he believes his voters viscerally want. He told GOP Hill leaders in June he wants it to be 40 to 50 feet high and covered with solar panels. Hill Republicans privately mocked that idea, but some of those same people now recognize that Trumps big, beautiful  and in heir minds, ridiculous  wall could be the thing that brings the U.S. government to its knees.

If Republicans are privately mocking the wall, Democrats are publicly defying Trumps demands for one. So slipping an omnibus spending bill or perhaps even a bigger package that includes a debt-limit increase  past his desk without wall money might not work:

Hill leaders have discussed ways to get Trump enough on border security so he feels theyre making enough progress to sign their funding bills. This could mean modest funding for the wall or other border security measures that moderates could live with, and/or other avenues to add funding to fight international crime gangs like MS-13.

But sources close to Trump say hes dead serious about building an impressive wall and will go crazy when he realizes Congress has no plans to pay for it.

It is unclear what would constitute going crazy for Donald Trump, but most people in Congress would probably prefer, all things being equal, to avoid it.

Another entirely possible Trump reaction to a spending or debt-limit compromise that shirks the wall or other White House priorities is to renew his demands for the abolition of the legislative filibuster. A lot of observers laughed at him for blaming a 60-vote Senate threshold for the failure of Republicans to get to 50 votes on health-care legislation. But he might be right that he could get 50 votes for money for his wall. Theres no particular reason to think Mitch McConnell and the requisite 49 other GOP senators would support this fundamental change in the way the Senate works in order to facilitate the presidents vanity project. But if Trump indeed is inclined to go crazy for his wall, a lot of strange things could happen.

If Trump doesnt make the wall or some other poison pill a condition for his signature on must-pass legislation, you could see this all playing out by means of some partisan posturing before a compromise similar to what the Obama administration and congressional Republicans annually worked out. Conservatives would demand major defense-spending increases, which Democrats would partially accommodate so long as the appropriations caps established in 2011 are waived for non-defense as well as defense spending. Both sides would agitate for more concessions right up until the last minute. The safety valve on appropriations is to enact a short-term funding bill that delays the big fights until December, after (presumably) Congress has had a fighting chance to deal with tax legislation.

There are a number of possible developments that could destabilize the situation in a dangerous way, such as Democrats and members of the House Freedom Caucus combining to vote down a spending compromise in the House. Conservative demands to defund Planned Parenthood are an even more realistic threat, now that this hot-button item has been stranded by the failure of GOP health-care legislation.

But the most potentially destabilizing factor is the one that will sit brooding in the Oval Office.
Coal country. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump appears to set regulatory policy on a kind of reverse-utilitarian calculus, working diligently to do the greatest good for the smallest number. With the help of the congressional GOP, the president has made it easier for coal companies to dump mining waste in streams; given financial advisers the right to scam their clients; and made companies that routinely abuse their workers eligible for federal contracts again.

But with its latest deregulatory endeavor, the Trump administration has taken this governing philosophy to new heights: The White House appears to have found a way to put the profit margins of select coal companies ahead of not merely environmental conservation, climate sustainability, and federal taxpayers, but also coal miners in Appalachia.

Early in his tenure, Trump reversed the Obama administrations moratorium on leasing federal lands to coal companies, and canceled its proposed study on the environmental impacts of the coal industry. But Trumps Interior Department doesnt merely want the public to blindly absorb the environmental costs of fossil-fuel extraction on public lands  it also wants us to subsidize the financial costs of such activity. Late last week, the administration filed a repeal of an Obama-era measure designed to increase mineral royalties on federal lands. Or, more precisely, Trump moved to reopen loopholes that allow coal companies to avoid paying their full dues to Uncle Sam. As the New York Times explains:

Under federal rules adopted in 1920, coal companies are required to pay not less than 12.5 percent on sales of surface coal mined on federal lands. But for years, studies indicate, the companies paid far less  as little as 2.5 percent of the ultimate sale price  because they often negotiated large royalty discounts with sympathetic federal officials. Companies also often sell coal first to a corporate affiliate at a sharply reduced price, before reselling it to the intended customer, costing the government a chunk of its royalties, according to the Government Accountability Office study. The technique was particularly popular among mines with foreign buyers.

To eliminate the loophole, the Interior Department adopted a rule last year requiring that the payment be calculated on the first arms length transaction, meaning sales to corporate affiliates would not count. Such a change would be a blow to the bottom lines of companies mining in the Powder River Basin, which accounts for about 85 percent of all coal extracted from federal lands, with a growing share headed to Asia.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke fought this rule (on behalf of his coal-industry donors) while in Congress, and is now using his federal perch to finish it off.

Given the reality of manmade climate change, its more than a little insane that our government would lease any publicly held land to companies looking to extract the dirtiest of fossil fuels. The idea that we would provide it to them at a discounted rate is awe-inspiring in its madness; it is that rare breed of energy policy that manages to simultaenously undermine humanitys long-term survival and Appalachias near-term economic prospects: In 2015, the Center for American Progress found that the coal industrys ability to lease federal lands at below-market rate was giving coal companies that mine in Western states an unfair advantage over companies that mine in Appalachia, where most mineable territory is in private hands.

New Mexico, California, cattle ranchers, and the Cheyenne tribe are all fighting the Trump administrations regulatory rollback in the courts. But opposition to the presidents prioritization of energy extraction over environmental preservation brings together a far broader coalition.

There is nothing populist about the Trump administrations energy policies. We are not subsidizing the despoilment of our federal lands and planetary climate because of the American publics myopia, but because of their governments craven corruption.
New York Magazines 2017 Fall Fashion Issue. Photo: Maurizio Cattelan & Pierpaolo Ferrari

Supermodel Ashley Graham, who prefers curvy or curve to plus-size, covers New York Magazines Fall Fashion issue, and talks to contributing editor Jada Yuan about her status as the only such model to become a true mainstream star: I know Im on this pedestal because of white privilege. To not see black or Spanish women as famous in my industry is crazy! I have to talk about it. I want to give those women kudos because they are the ones who paved the way for me.

New Yorks fashion editor-at-large Amy Larocca first saw Graham in person on the runway at the Michael Kors show in February, and was struck by her very rare and very undeniable star power. Larocca says: Ashley is a lot like the original supermodels of the 90s, but she combines it with an incredibly upbeat, positive, and inclusive message. [New York photography director] Jody Quon had the brilliant idea to assign Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari to take the pictures, and Dolce and Gabbana let us raid their archives to dress Ashley. They had great chemistry together, and one of my favorite moments was when she took a break to check out the pictures on the monitor and made everyone promise not to retouch anything. I fully stand by our headline  she is definitely a supermodel for right now.
Eminent food writer and cookbook editor Judith Jones, who, as an editorial assistant picked Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl out of a reject pile, passed away this week at the age of 93. Jones has been credited for expanding Americans culinary curiosities as an editor  she oversaw Julia Childs Mastering the Art of French Cooking and Marcella Hazans The Classic Italian Cookbook, among others  and if youre looking to familiarize yourself with titles she edited and authored, heres a place to start.

The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best womens jeans, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, ultra-flattering pants, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.

Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.


In 2015, cabinet issued a directive on the controversial land along Plot 60/62 Alidina road in Jinja that, among others, government should take immediate repossession of the property from Simpson Birungi, proprietor of Birus Property Services and Movit Cosmetics, who continues to use the property.



Yesterday, Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire, the minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, appeared before the commis- sion into land matters to explain why, as then minister of Tourism, Trade and Industry, he wrote a letter of no objection to Uganda Land Commission on Birungi's request to take over the building.



ALI TWAHA and ZAHRA ABIGABA captured the proceeding as Ebert Byenkya, the commission's lead counsel, cross-examined the minister.

Minister Kahinda Otafiire

Byenkya: Name...

Otafiire: Retired General Kahinda Otafiire.

Byenkya: Designation...

Otafiire: Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

Byenkya: Residence...

Otafiire: Plot 9/11 Zone 3 Mbuya, Kampala.

Byenkya: The matter we are investigating for which you have been invited has you serving in different capacities...I think as the minister of Trade; can you confirm that you served as minister of Trade and Industry?

Otafiire: Yes, my lord...I was minister of Tourism, Trade and Industry.

Byenkya: During which period did you serve in that capacity?

Otafiire: My lord, it is from 2008 to 2011.

Byenkya: We are investigating the situation on Plot 60/62 Alidina road, Jinja. As a brief background, the building [on the plot] that used to host traders was reallocated to a private firm called Birus Property Services and ended up being demolished. Why we invited you is that you seem to appear in your capacity as minister of trade. Do you remember?

Otafiire: I recall an entrepreneur who produces Movit products coming to me to complain that he had applied to

be allocated this particular plot and that he was not getting a clear answer.

And I remember that we had agreed with colleagues from the ministry then we did not know who was involved and I told them that we should not object to people applying for development and industrialists or traders...and in this case, I recall Movit industries wanted to use the place to build an outlet for their products in Jinja.

I referred the matter to the PS [permanent secretary] and said: give this man, he wants to build an industry in Jinja. Why would I object because when it was going to serve the same purpose for which the property was acquired?

Byenkya: Who had Movit applied to?

Otafiire: He told us that he applied to Uganda Land Commission (ULC) and he came and told us to provide him with a letter of no objection. And, indeed, we had said: why should we object to African entrepreneurs developing these properties?

Byenkya: In the process of answering, you also believed the property belonged to the privatization unit.

Otafiire: Government properties which were not in our control belonged to the privatization unit.

Byenkya: And indeed that has been a bone of contention because the privatization unit belongs to the ministry of Finance...

Otafiire: Yes. But you see, as the user ministry, we were asked if we object to the land being given away, and that was our role.

Byenkya: But we are also looking at the context in which you played that role. Wouldnt it be more appropriate to refer them back to ULC for guidance?

Otafiire: No, my lord. We were the user ministry. I heard that the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry was in charge of the property but I found it irregular; so, we had no objection.

Byenkya: Unfortunately, we are doing postmortem now and see what had gone wrong. What we know is that the building was being used by local citizens and they seem to have historical connection to it under ATDF since 1963 and others were their descendants.

To that, we do not see how your ministry was the user ministry. Apart from that, Baguma Isoke [ULC chairman] said, normally, the user ministry is indicated against the title and in this case there was no user ministry; so, Im wondering why you were so certain that you had jurisdiction over this?

Otafiire: My lord, actually you have answered the question...if we were not the user ministry, then why were they coming to me? Because that is why I said we had no objection because we had nothing to give and allocate.

Byenkya: I believe it is government process when someone applies for land to ULC and it is the government process. We have also got evidence that one does not go to the ministry direct and one does not apply to the ministry directly.

The proper process is that you come and apply to the ministry of Lands, which writes the letter of no objection. But not government to government or ministry to ministry. In this case, this seems to have been bypassed; so, we are wondering if you were cautious about these procedures?

Otafiire: My lord, this man came to me and said he had been frustrated and the process was not my concern. If the whole process was followed, then we had no objection. Responsibility was for the ministry of Finance and ULC and other related bodies.

Gen Otafiire (R) with Fred Ruhindi, one of the commissioners

Byenkya: Following upon the process, I want to show you a letter and it was addressed to director of Birus Property Services and the permanent secretary. Quickly review that letter...

Otafiire: The letter is not in consonance with what I directed, I did not give this instruction as Gen Otafiire but all I said and did was a letter of no objection.

Byenkya: When you look at that letter, it seems to suggest that the PS was under the impression that it was really your directive...

Otafiire: Well, if the PS had copied that letter to me, I would definitely have objected to it and the letter was not directed to me... since he did not copy me, he is the one responsible. My lord, we give no objection to such people who want to develop these premises because these processes were no longer part of our program and I did not see why we should frustrate traders who wanted to develop these premises.

Byenkya: One of the reasons [submitted] by the PS is that in your view, the [sitting] tenants had shown no interest [in the building]...

Otafiire: My lord, I did not know about these people showing no interest and this information is new to me...I did not know that there were tenants. If I had given a no objection [directive], why didnt the tenants protest and report this matter to relevant authorities?

Byenkya: Gen [Otafiire], that is what the tenants did but things were beyond them. For your information, the tenants fought for their property and, among other things, they went to the Inspectorate of Government [IGG], court, but eventually, the [building] was demolished with assistance of police. Many things had gone wrong in different stages. In regard to that, why did you not show some concern?

Otafiire: My lord, that was not my responsibility; tenants going to IGG was not brought to my attention and still even if they did, I did not have the powers.

Byenkya: Would it be fair to say that maybe due to lack of information and following procedure, everything went very wrong during the allocation of this property?

Otafiire: My lord, I do not think so.

Byenkya: Despite the information given to you?

Otafiire: My lord, I was not privy to this information.

Byenkya: Evidence before the commission indicates that traders had a bid of Shs 80m but Birus Property Services paid only Shs 2m.

Otafiire: My lord, I find this strange.

Byenkya: According to Simpson Birungi [The owner of Movit], the brokers got Shs 80m out of the deal and government of Uganda made a loss.

Otafiire: My lord, If I was aware of that, I would have informed the police; but I was not aware that the government of Uganda made a loss. That was responsibility of the person managing the land.

Byenkya: Are you aware that this matter was tabled to cabinet? Otafiire: No, my lord, I do not

remember this matter yet Im a member of cabinet.

Byenkya: There is a cabinet extract here...maybe you can look at it. On top is the covering letter to cabinet secretary. Look at it and one of the minutes was referring to Birus Property Services.

Otafiire: Yes, my lord.

Byenkya: What is puzzling the commission is that two years later, Birus Property Services is still in possession of the property. I just want you to view that there is a citizen who is well-connected, has the capacity to walk into a ministers office, make an application of letter of no objection outside the procedure but then, even directives by the IGG, court and cabinet do not seem to bother him.. As a minister, what are your views in regards to such matters?



Otafiire: There is a ministry responsible for all the matters you are referring to me, my role was no objection and I acted in good faith.

Byenkya: Do you see this transaction raising eyebrows from the citizens?

Otafiire: My lord, the counsel is asking the wrong person the right questions...when I say no objection, that does not translate to not following the procedure.

Byenkya: Now that we are in this situation; many people translate this as impunity, somebody is sitting on government land with no rights and seems to be untouchable; is this really right in your view?

Otafiire: If I was part of the commission, my lord, I would look for the persons responsible. Why would somebody sit on government property and there is no action? But for me as minister of Justice, I cannot interfere with such but now that I have known, I will bring this matter to ministry of Justice.

Commissioner Mary Oduka Ochan: When did you get to hear that there was problem with this property?

Otafiire: Madam commissioner, I am hearing it now...like now and for the first time now.

Oduka: We also got information that the same case was bought to parliament and cabinet. IGG also has a report [on the matter], IGP [Inspector General of Police] and the former minister of Internal Affairs, late Aronda Nyakairima, also gave instructions but nothing was done and today as we speak, the so-called investor is on the property.

Otafiire: Madam commissioner, Im also surprised that all the authorities  as big as they sound  were ignored. This investor should have been brought to book and the authorities in this country. Somebody should take action... Who is Movit to ignore all these people, especially the police?

alltwaha9@observer.ug

azabigaba@gmail.com






Kenyans go to the polls tomorrow, Tuesday, with observers saying the two main rivals in the presidential race, incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition kingpin Raila Odinga have high chances of victory.

The too-close-to-call nature of the race has also heightened tensions among Kenyas neighbours, especially Uganda which depends almost entirely on Kenya as a trading route.

Uganda, being land-locked, uses Kenyas port of Mombasa to import up to 90 per cent of the cargo destined for Kampala and ship out nearly all of its exports. Violence in Kenyan polls means Uganda will be cut off  like it was the case with 2007/08 polls.

This leads to fewer supplies of essential goods and pushes up prices. Already, the anticipation of violence has seen a number of Ugandans living in Kenya return home.

Fuel prices are likely to go up if there is violence after Kenyan elections

Ofwono Opondo, the Uganda government spokesperson, said on Saturday on Capital radios political talkshow, Capital Gang, that his two daughters resident in Kenya had returned home to wait for Nairobi to go through polls. Ugandans living in close proximity of the Uganda-Kenya Malaba border have also returned home.

One of key products, which determine prices of almost everything in Uganda, is fuel. At least 92 per cent of the fuel consumed is imported through Mombasa.

Violence in Kenya would cut off the route and fuel prices could shoot through the roof. The Ugandan ministry of Energy and Development said in a statement that the country has 10 days stock. It added that the Jinja storage tanks would be stocked to cover six extra days.

The total stocks of sixteen days would be sufficient to avail room for mobilisation of other stocks should there be disruption, the statement read.

Opondo advised that Ugandans should nevertheless stock fuel if they can. Kenya Pipeline Company, which imports fuel into Kenya and supplies Uganda, says they have adequate supplies to address fears in Uganda. Our Eldoret and Kisumu depots will be operating 24 hours so as to serve the country and the region adequately, KPC managing director Joe Sang told reporters in Nairobi last week.

He added that they would import another 253 million litres of super petrol and 311 million litres of diesel to be delivered into the region this month.

Meanwhile, importers have been advised to use the Dar es Salaam port in Tanzania during the Kenyan elections.

The Dar port is expensive and quite a distance further from Kampala compared to Mombasa. It is in Ugandas interest that Kenyan polls are peaceful. While Kenya exports much of its goods to Uganda, the latter also has Kenya as its main market in the region.

Bank of Uganda figures show that Uganda exported goods worth $422m (about Shs 1.5 trillion) to Kenya last year, making the country the biggest market in the region. Only $239m (about Shs 860 billion) was earned from South Sudan, which has been affected by violence.

Kenyas election continues a famous multi-generational political rivalry stretching back almost five decades to the countrys first post-independence contest in which Jomo Kenyatta, father to Uhuru, and Railas father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, famously competed for control of the country.

amwesigwa@observer.ug
Calls within the ruling NRM for government to drop the hugely divisive constitutional amendment bill on compulsory acquisition of private land by the state are growing louder, galvanized by the piling bipartisan political pressure around the country.

NRM strategists are worried that the strong resentment for the draft legislation could have a knock-on effect on the proposed but yet-to-be tabled constitutional amendment on the presidential age limit removal.

Sources close to NRM promoters of the removal of Article 102 (b), which caps the upper age for presidential candidates at 75 years, have told The Observer that government may soon drop the land amendment legislation.

That bill has issues, land is a problem that cuts across and if we insist on having it passed, we may end up losing even this other project [age limit]. We have decided to shelve it such that we can push through [the amendment of Article 102 (b)], an MP who preferred not to be named said on August 3.

Minister Kahinda Otafiire (L) with President Yoweri Museveni

REVIEW

This comes days after Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire told this newspaper last week that government would review the bill.

We are going to revisit some of the issues in the bill and see how we can improve on them, Otafiire said on Tuesday, August 2, moments after appearing before the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee.

Before the committee, Otafiire and the minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development Betty Amongi had a difficult time making a compelling case for the necessity of the bill for a second time in a row.

If you are following what is going on in the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, you must have realised that, that bill is going nowhere, the MP said.

Another key promoter of the presidential age limit removal said theres a huge possibility that their group may join forces with opposition MPs to defeat the amendment of Article 26 supposed to allow government take compulsory possession of private land without prior compensation.

I can assure you that bill is going to fail and the one on age is going to pass, the MP said.

Though none of our sources sits on the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee, they claimed that at the expiry of the 45 days, which the Speaker Rebecca Kadaga gave the committee to scrutinise the bill, the committee will write a report suggesting that the existing land laws are sufficient to deal with issues of delays of national projects, which the government-pushed draft legislation seeks to cure.

Compensation disputes between government and landowners are blamed for the delay in the implementation of government infrastructural projects.

MINISTERS, MPs CLASH

Meanwhile, two ministers of state and two MPs at the weekend clashed at an ordination ceremony for Catholic priests in the western district of Rubanda.

Ministers David Bahati (Planning) and Chris Baryomunsi (Housing) clashed with Lwemiyaga MP Theodore Ssekikubo and Ndorwa East MP and Shadow Attorney General Wilfred Niwagaba at Kakoore Catholic parish church in Rubanda district where Bishop Callistus Rubaramira was ordaining two priests.

Invited to speak, Niwagaba spoke against the land bill. To wild applause from both the clergy and the lay Christians at the event, Niwagaba said the bill must be resisted by all Ugandans.

I told the congregation about the dangers of the bill on land and pointed out to them the implications of having such an amendment, and also why we should not scrap the age limit, Niwagaba said on Thursday, August 3.

Niwagaba then invited Ssekikubo who said that much as it is wrong to amend Article 26, it is evil for the president to think of amending Article 102 (b) to remove the age limit.

Baryomunsi accused the harsh critics of land amendment bill of politicizing the issue. Baryomunsi, who before his ministerial appointment, worked closely with Niwagaba and Ssekikubo who later were infamously branded as the rebel NRM MPs, said his former colleagues had misunderstood the amendment due to politics.

He urged them to stop presenting the two issues as one and the same. Speaking as chief guest, Bahati avoided talking directly about the proposed amendments but asked the congregation whether they would support Museveni again.

I asked how many will support President Museveni again and everyone raised their hands. That was testimony that the people of Rubanda support President Museveni and the NRM wholeheartedly, Bahati told The Observer on August 3.

sadabkk@observer.ug
Peter Ogwang

A section of NRM MPs, including Usuk County MP PETER OGWANG have come out publicly to support the removal of the 75-year age limit that would bar President Yoweri Museveni from seeking another term in office.

He spoke to Olive Eyotaru on why he fervently supports the amendments of Article 102 (b) and why he thinks the current law is unconstitutional.

You are among the few legislators who have publicly called for the removal of Article 102, even though parliaments leadership has barred legislators from discussing this matter.

As an MP, nobody is going to stop me from doing my work. The law permits me to even move a motion or bill; so, yes, even if the matter has not been brought to the House, it is a matter of national concern. We cannot pretend as far as the law is concerned.

It is public knowledge that President Museveni will not be eligible to stand in line with the provisions of the Constitution. So, the deputy speaker telling us that we should not discuss such a matter; I think it is my right to discuss any matter of national concern.

Arent you being defiant?

I dont think there is anyone who can gag me from speaking on something which is good for the peace and stability of this country. Do I believe that I should come out and support it? Yes.

The history of this country is very clear on where we came from. I was born in 1983, three years before the NRM took over power in 1986. Every time I sit down with my mother and my elders, they remind me about the history of this country.

I have grown up with this government, seen what they have done and I am beginning to believe that the future seems to be bright. For instance, the freedom of expression we have today, it is this government which has ushered it in.

The economy which we are boasting about is under the leadership of this government. Democracy is under this government. Peace and stability, which is very core, is because of the leadership of Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. So now, what do we feel that he needs to do?

In the NRM, we have four core principles: nationalism, socio-economic transformation, democracy and pan-Africanism. The problem of Uganda is not age but having good leaders who can help this country.

You can be 65,you can be 35 but you can fail to be a good leader and mismanage a country. What we need are consolidation of the existing programmes and some of the issues I am looking at critically for now and the future is peace and stability and I am 100 per cent convinced that Museveni has done it excellently.

I am happy a law firm from Soroti has gone to court over this. As an MP, I sought to uphold the Constitution; so, I cannot sit here and just look at provisions in the Constitution which are unlawful.

Unlawful in what sense?

Look at Article 32 of the Constitution. It is very clear. You cannot discriminate people on age and sex. I was not there when they were writing the Constitution. I must have been in primary school. Such must be made clear to the people.

So, if court rules that the provision is unconstitutional, as an MP, my role is to realign the law in line with the ruling.

Secondly, we must look at regional integration which we urgently need. As Uganda, we need the East African political federation. With South Sudan joining the EAC, we are now the size of India. We used to do a lot of business with South Sudan and our economy was growing but due to the problems there, we were affected.

So what do we need? We need a pillar and a personality like Museveni to realise the integration. The late Julius Nyerere was one of the core advocates of integration but he is no more.

Now today we are privileged that we have got Yoweri Museveni. We are not saying he will not leave power. Let me tell you that Uganda needs Museveni more. He is not looking for a job. At his age, he fought and liberated us.

You are 34 years and part of the largely youthful population. Shouldnt you be pushing for one of your own to take up the mantle of leadership?

Let me put this on record. The amendment must also, and I will propose this, lower the age for those young people to be allowed to stand, as long as you are a voter.

Why should the law bar you from standing for presidency? You cannot say scrap the upper age limit above and leave the lower one. The most important thing is the people. Why should you limit choices in terms of age?

For me, the amendment should also cater for 18 years as long as you satisfy the conditions of the Electoral Commission.

Recently, one of your colleagues, Simeo Nsubuga, was attacked by a citizen over his strong views on the age limit...

I want to tell the opposition that the habit of intimidation is uncalled for. By the way, the reason we still want Museveni is that you can abuse him, you can disagree with him but he cannot harm you.

Imagine if opposition was in power and they disagree with us on some of the ideas they feel are not correct. Now they are employing intimidation but I am warning them that they should not try me.

This is not the way of looking for support. If you see someone beginning to intimidate, know they have failed. Why attack Hon Simeo? If you think you are popular, why intimidate? It is very unfortunate and because of these attacks, the undecided will not support them.

So, if Museveni leaves power, should we go to exile because of our views? That is why I say I would rather be ruled by one lion than 100 rats? Some of these elements in the opposition will take us back to where we came from.

If they cannot tolerate me when I am in government, what will they do when they are in power? Let them know that they do not have the monopoly of intimidation. They should stand warned.

As a representative of the people, have you consulted them on this matter?

The county I represent has had its peculiar challenges and the biggest of them has been insecurity for our lives and property.

I can guarantee you that the reason the people of Usuk and Katakwi district have been voting for the NRM is because of security. That is the reason my people tell me they will always support Museveni.

Also, there are existing programmes which were pledged by the NRM in the 1996 manifesto. Before we were crying over the road from Soroti up to Moroto, it is being worked on.

We wanted electricity, clean water, schools and health centers but they are now there. What is left which President Museveni promised is compensation of our cows, which were taken away due to insecurity.
In its case versus Sudhir Ruparelia, Bank of Uganda levels several charges against the businessman.

Overall, Sudhir is accused of superintending the theft of about Shs 400bn from Crane bank before it collapsed last year. But last week, Sudhir filed a robust response to each and every charge at the Commercial court.

DERRICK KIYONGA carefully scrutinized Sudhirs 62-page defence and, in this article, relates each response to the corresponding BOU charge.

In its case, BOU claims that when Sudhir Ruparelia was still Crane bank owner, the bank paid US$10.2 million for the core banking system software and other attendant software services between 2003 and 2015.

Apparently at least $9.2m out of $10.2m was paid in 2013 to Technology Associates Group Limited, a Dubai-registered company related to Technology Associates Limited in Uganda. The Dubai company and its Ugandan affiliate, according to BOU, are run by Nair Girisch, a business associate of Sudhir.

Sudhir Ruparelia

The embattled tycoon, says the central bank, was until 2014 a director and shareholder in Technology Associates.

The bank allegedly paid other companies for upgrades and software that were not installed. In response, Sudhir said BOU in its onsite examination report of May 2013 asked Crane bank to upgrade its core banking software to fully support its operation before December 31, 2013.

Consequently, the Crane bank board in its meeting of September 4, 2013 resolved that management engages listed software vendors to get: Temenos, Infosys, Tata and Polaris.

Technology Associates then made a proposal to Crane bank on October 21, 2013, and the role of the company, according to Sudhir, was to provide the software and manage the migration from a distributive system to a core banking system.

On October 28, 2013, Sudhir said, Crane banks then managing director A.R Kalan wrote to the board and sought its approval to purchase T24 software from Technology Associates for the sum of $5,940,172 for Uganda and $1,300,000 for Rwanda.

Sudhir said he was not and has never been a shareholder or director of Technology Associates or any of its companies or subsidiaries as alleged.

To prove that he is not a shareholder in Technology Associates, the businessman said he will rely on documents from various company registries.

Furthermore, BOU alleges that $80m was siphoned from Crane bank on October 26, 2013 and over $9.2m extracted from the institution on different dates in the same year, purportedly for the supply of core banking systems and software licenses.

BOU claims that on October 26, 2013, some liabilities to the tune of $80m (Sh204b), caused by the siphoning of monies from the bank, which had been kept off-book, were brought back into the books of the nancial institution to create an impression that the books balanced.

However, Sudhir said that during trial he will seek disclosure of the accounts from which the alleged $80m was extracted and the accounts to which the money went but insists that at no time did he receive or know of the sum of money spoken of.

Sudhir said though he has repeatedly asked for the PricewaterhouseCoopers forensic report, which formed the basis of the BOU suit, the central bank declined to disclose it.

AUDITORS

Sudhir also said at all time, as a shareholder and board member of Crane bank, he relied on reports of audit firms that had been prequalified and approved by BOU.

At the earliest opportunity, he said, he will seek a third party notice against BOU auditors, PWC, KPMG and Deloitte purposely to indemnify him for any misstatements in the audited financial reports.

The first defendant as a non-executive board member, only saw accounts after they had been approved by the auditor together with a letter to the management by the auditors, known as a management letter, Sudhir said, adding that he only signed off the accounts after the board, the external auditors and BOU in a tripartite meeting had approved them.

According to court documents, in the 2009 audit report, PWC for instance, stated: Our responsibility is to express an independent opinion on the financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with international standards on auditing.

Those standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform our audit to obtain reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatement. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

In our opinion the accompanying financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of the companys affairs as at December 31, 2009.

Former Crane bank main branch

Sudhir added that in its 2013 report, KPMG said it performed the audit to obtain reasonable assurance that the financial statements are free from material misstatements.

In our opinion, the financial statements give a true and fair view of the financial position of Crane Bank Limited as at December 31, 2013, and its financial performance and its cash flows for the year ended in accordance with international financial reporting standards, KPMG stated.

LAND QUERIES

BOU alleges that Sudhir fraudulently transferred freehold titles of 48 plots of land (where the bank has its branches), purchased and developed using the banks finances into the names of Meera Investments from Crane bank.

The plots, according to the court documents, were then reportedly leased to the owner (Crane bank). Each plot was reportedly leased to the bank at Shs 100m as premium for 49 years and $6,000 in ground rent per year payable to Meera Investments.

Before delving into the merits of the allegations, Sudhir dismisses the allegations as presumptuous, speculative and founded on fanciful reasoning. He said they do not reflect the market realities of obtaining leasehold titles in Uganda.

He added that BOU shall be put to strict proof regarding the said allegations. According to Sudhir, BOUs allegation that Crane bank obtained over 14 freehold titles is false since the bank is a non- citizen, thus couldnt hold the land as a freehold owner as stipulated by the Land Act.

Consequently, Sudhir said that of the 48 bank branches, six were acquired by Meera Investments and leased to Crane bank, adding that the bank [Crane] acquired the rest of the titles.

As part of Crane banks expansion plan, he said, the bank acquired a number of leases with different tenure, some of which were to last just seven years. Apparently, Crane bank took a commercial view that it was better in the long run to obtain freehold titles in lieu of the said leases.

Subsequently, he said, after Crane bank obtained over 14 freehold titles, it was considered that pursuant to the Land Act, the bank could not hold the land as a freehold owner since it was a non-citizen within the meaning of the Land Act.

SHAREHOLDING

While BOU claims that contrary to the law, Sudhir is the sole owner of Crane bank, in his defence the businessman lists six other people and one company with whom he co-owned the bank.

Besides, Sudhir who had 28.8 percent share, others were: White Sapphire Limited with 47.33 percent, Jyotsna Ruparelia, 13.39 percent, Jitendra Sanghani, 4.00 percent, Meera Ruparelia, 2.00 percent, Sheena Ruparelia, 2.00 percent, Rajiv Ruparelia 2.00 percent and Tom Mugenga 0.1 percent.

Sudhir will further argue during trial that on August 6, 2013, Crane bank sought and obtained specific advice from MMAKS Advocates, who are now BOU lawyers, regarding the structure and shareholding of the bank.

According to him, MMAKS Advocates conducted a due diligence of the bank and confirmed the shareholding above and thus he said since BOU has never opposed or disputed the opinion of MMAKS Advocates, its therefore estopped [barred] from departing from the said opinion.

The plaintiff is estopped from denying that the persons to whom it has issued share certificates are its shareholders, and BOU is estopped from challenging the shareholding, he said.

INFINITY INVESTMENTS

According to BOU, over $3.5m and more than Sh8.2bn was taken out of Crane bank on December 27, 2014, disguised as credit facilities to Infinity Investments Limited and eventually written off as bad debts under Sudhirs instructions.

Infinity Investments Limited is reportedly owned by Sudhir. But Sudhir denies owning Infinity Investments. He said the company is run by Mahmoud Bharwani who he describes as a reputable businessman in Kampala and the loan facilities were advanced to the company on the strength of, among others, a personal guarantee of Bharwani himself.

Sudhir contends that there were efforts to recover whatever was outstanding on the loan facilities and consequently Crane bank still instructed MMAKS Advocates to conduct recovery, sell off the security and sue Bharwani.

The write-off was in accordance with the Credit Classification and Provisioning Rules and did not absolve Infinity Investments Limited from its obligations for which it remains liable, Sudhir said, adding, that all decisions in respect of Infinity Investments Limited were not made personally by him, but were decisions made by the Crane bank board at the recommendations of management.

He further said MMAKS Advocates handled the securitization, documentation and registration of the credit and security documents of Infinity Investments Limited facility and raised one of the issues to the board that are now raised in the plaint.

dkiyonga@observer.ug
So fucking sick of the chad/amelia nonsense. It takes up half the fucking episodes and they're both boring as shit

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ita basic boring middle school drama

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i feel like i am at a middle school dance and amelia just slow danced with sam even though she said she would dance with chad. it's embarrassing for grown ass adults. they literally sound like children.

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I blame the editing team

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his whole "i didn't come here trying to get a girl or anything" to amelia was just like the fuck... literally all he's done is talk about fucking



showmances are the worst part of big brother.

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ikr like who gives a fuck about either of them lol

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chad is such a tool, he needs to go

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He is disgusting.

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this iconic scene

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if u like Tiffany, support Famously Single, currently airing on the K! Network

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bring the good sis Tiffany back for every season, give ha all the shows ever, etc

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i forgot that she screams!!!



lol

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What's crazy is that David Gest ended up dying for real a few months later

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Is Chad truly only 29? He looks twice Amelia's age, even though he's only allegedly 7 years older than her. He's such a creep.

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agree with all of this. uuuugh

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shut the front door, he is NOT 29. he looks like he's at the very least pushing 40, if not already there.

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he screams skinnydik

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he has to be lying lol

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he's gotta be mid-30s at LEAST

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he's only 29?! i only caught the end of one ep (the one where he was talking about who he found attractive and was going to go after) and i thought he was late 30s at least. when he said amelia i was like 'is she not a bit young for him?'

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29 in dog years

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He has to be lying that fool looks a smooth 39

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He's my age and I don't look like that.

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lmao he got fucking hurt when someone (i forget who) guessed he was 30

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trying to find her highlights and i found this and i'd like to share with you





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the loud ass miley song ruined it

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This season has been so boring. The last good season was when Courtney Stodden was on with the ever crazy Lauren Harries.

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That season was great and I stan Lauren, but CBB15 and CBB17 are classics

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lmao this bitch is gonna win

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No way. British public is going to love to hatewatch her and she'll be in the finale, but def not win

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they literally did this for trish. she posts a video once a week eating a pizza. this was her ~moment like this~.

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Haha, damn it, Trish.

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lol the giggle at the end as her mouth is full of pizza

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she is the only entertaining part of this show

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did you check to see who @KaylebAlexander is

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LMAO

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"Trisha is the only housemate to take the pizza as she hates everyone in the house and loves food"



The only time I will ever identify with Trisha.

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lmao same. ONTD in a nutshell tbh

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lmao

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Karthik is so fucking annoying, he pissed me off more than those two douchebros



But instead of lipstick, it's eyebrows.

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pizza is my love language, I think

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love language? ...did you happen to watch this week's episode of i'm sorry?

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idk what that is

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GIVE TRISHA A WASHCLOTH

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She's such a bummer tho

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She's an antisocial idiot with the personality and intelligence of a fruit fly. She isn't the star of anything.

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Yes. She is truly the only reason I am watching this show. No one else is really memorable. I skip past everyone else. The younger guys are so annoying there tbh.

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idk why people are so into trisha's awful acting

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bc everyone in the house is so boring, she's our only hope

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I love that practically majority of the house has called out how insecure Chad is.



But I need this season to crank it up 10 notches. Even on BOTS they are saying how Brandi is holding back (which would be ok if she were still on HW) and they are right.

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I like how her diary room sessions are basically her youtube videos now. Emotional breakdowns and mukbang eating shows. Suddenly the Koons is Trish, etc.

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idk anything about any of the cast members this season but i'm surprised at how surprisingly well spoken brandi is when she's explaining her beef to someone. i mean, in comparison to some of the others who i can barely understand as they struggle to string a sentence together.



also, i think it makes perfect sense that trisha is having such a bad time of it. she's used to getting constant validation all day everyday and she's not getting that at all. i do think that the two young guys are nowhere nearly as annoying as bear was a few seasons ago so trisha is coming off really bad.



i'm glad chad is getting almost no attention from all the ladies he thought he was going to get. i'm shocked he and amelia are as young as they claim they are. they both look 8 yrs older than their actual age.

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When Brandi is sober and not fighting for $$$$ she is great even though she is great when she is dishing out the drama at a level 7.

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Honey those boys are annoying af. Like dumping water on somebody trying to sleep? The whole house accepts that they're annoying af. Just because they're not at the level of bear or whatever doesn't change that fact.

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thank GOD for trisha. everyone else is so fucking boring and she is giving hit after hit after hit. the pizza quote. the wash cloths. the only thing we probably share is stds. she's literally making the show. like the whole chad/amelia/sam thing is so lame. i do not need to see thirty-somethings who just met talking like 13 year olds who just finished twilight. JUST GIVE TRISH PIZZA AND LET HER RANT!!!



Edited at 2017-08-06 11:56 pm (UTC)

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Wasn't there a report that said the Chicago crew for all the shows were sexist assholes?

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I feel like whoever is behind these shows is sexist tbh. Idk if it's just Chicago PD or what but that often came across like it to me.

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how the fuck does Tracy Spiridakos have a steady job? She was unwatchable in Revolution

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she's a physical match for sophia bush on the show tbh, same costuming, hair styles, etc.



it's SO WEIRD.

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I'll die if they hook her up with the same guy lmao.

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I thought she improved quite a bit in season 2.

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Did he even know that LOTS of people watch the show because of Sophia?? and/or Linstead???? She was such a big part of the show because they refused to show other characters' side stories =_= "I don't think it will have any effect at all."Did he even know that LOTS of people watch the show because of Sophia?? and/or Linstead???? She was such a big part of the show because they refused to show other characters' side stories =_=

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I don't really know him but I love his expression on that gif lol

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She may not speak up if she was paid a severance fee.



Knowing Wolf there may be some contract clause that prevents her

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Yeah she's usually pretty open about stuff so I feel like they made sure she kept quiet. I hope she finds a great new project soon.

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I feel like her character was the heart of the show



mte. I'm shocked at her leaving. I don't think I'll be watching the show anymore

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she did mention something in an interview i think a few months ago? about how someone she worked with on the show had said something rude to her and she got mad. she also mentioned how a guest star on the show had come onto her at work.



i'm surprised she hasn't made a proper statement either though...its weird.

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dat ig post is definitely the overall mood tbh. you go girl

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My only interest in this show was Sophia Bush and I started getting bored with it last season anyway so BYYYEEE!!



It also got pretty fucking ridiculous how if a character's family member got introduced they were either going to get brutally murdered or horribly attacked. I think it happened like every other episode last season lmao. They also love describing really brutal rapes on this show which I'm sick of.

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I also think those statistics on Equal pay are wrong for Latinos. I think especially on the West Coast, Mexican Americans are often lumped in with the White Demographic in California and Texas. Especially multi generation. The ones reflected in that poll seem to be immigrants or 1st generation Americans.

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Mexican Americans are often lumped into the white demographic in California and Texas



Lmao what

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Mexican Americans are often lumped in with the White Demographic in California and Texas





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It's true. I see it on official forms a lot. If you're Hispanic you're supposed to put white for your race and Hispanic for your ethnicity. My niece will check black and white as her race and Hispanic as her ethnicity if given the choice. But unless it's a form that only lets you check one race, Hispanic/Latino is usually listed as an ethnicity and not a race. Don't know why. I see it a lot.



I also get salty with those forms because Middle Eastern isn't usually a choice, so I have to check Other or White if Other is not an option.

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lol... k

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Did you read what you wrote before you posted it? Are you serious?

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re: wage gaps, iit seems pretty close to what i've seen elsewhere. but for latinas, specifically,









another link, state by state idk why everyone's giving you shit. latinos - including mexican americans - often check off "white" on pretty much every box they're asked to check, so they DO get lumped into that category. unless i'm missing your point or the other people replying to you are seeing some other point, idg their confusion.re: wage gaps, iit seems pretty close to what i've seen elsewhere. but for latinas, specifically, this link's pretty good. in california, we get less, though. 43 cents on the dollar compared to white men.another link, state by state from fortune.com

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motherfucker. i'm waiting for the day he gets sick of paying mariska hargitay's salary and tries to keep SVU alive with carisi and rollins as the leads (and you know i stan carisi, but i'm being real rn, not even i would watch that). i just know he'll be like "eh, whatever, the show's even better without her" (and let's not forget meloni's exit).



btw i pity chicago pd fans because they now have the showrunner who ruined SVU last season (and who only got the PD job because he was still under contract and dick wolf wanted to save money)



speaking of exits, i don't think we had a follow-up post, but daniel dae kim just talked about his H50 exit: (



Its possible to be grateful for the opportunity and respectful of the colleagues and the people that I worked with and still maintain a steadfast sense of your self-worth. All good things come to an end.



fuck yeah. he's worth ten times what that beige lead is getting. good for him for sticking up for himself. "I don't think it will have any effect at all"motherfucker. i'm waiting for the day he gets sick of paying mariska hargitay's salary and tries to keep SVU alive with carisi and rollins as the leads (and you know i stan carisi, but i'm being real rn, not even i would watch that). i just know he'll be like "eh, whatever, the show's even better without her" (and let's not forget meloni's exit).btw i pity chicago pd fans because they now have the showrunner who ruined SVU last season (and who only got the PD job because he was still under contract and dick wolf wanted to save money)speaking of exits, i don't think we had a follow-up post, but daniel dae kim just talked about his H50 exit: ( http://tvline.com/2017/08/06/daniel-dae-kim-hawaii-five-0-departure-interview/ Its possible to be grateful for the opportunity and respectful of the colleagues and the people that I worked with and still maintain a steadfast sense of your self-worth. All good things come to an end.fuck yeah. he's worth ten times what that beige lead is getting. good for him for sticking up for himself.

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lmao ia, rollins and amaro had a couple of super-rough seasons (back when the show was totally melodramatic). amaro was ruined for good, but with rollins it's like the writers are pretending motherhood set her straight and she's totally normal and responsible now. she didn't have one intense/wild/unprofessional moment in season 18. i guess they reset her history? going from "this insane woman shouldn't wear a badge" to "aw what a competent cop" somehow??? idk idk i can't get a handle on her, and i don't really care enough to try, lmao. ngl, sometimes i think i just like rollins because i like the actress, lol. the character can be a real asshole.

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She was horrible in the beginning, I always felt like she was victim blaming.

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Regarding DDK, it's not necessary to bash Alex. It's not like he sets the pay grade for everyone. (Not to mention he's leaving as well)

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Rollins has grown on me too...she was annoying at first lol..but I believe by season 15 I was feelin her.

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The hubris of this guy. All the story lines on the show revolve around Lindsay. She was front and center in every promo I've ever seen, she was the only one to really get any kind of story arcs/development and was a daughter figure to Voight and one half of the central couple of the show. To act like her leaving would have no impact on the show is insulting but I've learned not to expect much from these show runners over the years. I'd love to see them try to keep SVU going without Mariska.





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If she was being underpaid....LOL. She's literally the most well known out of the whole cast. There's just no competition and I think she's a pretty decent actress.

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Dick Wolf is infamous for not paying well (Hargitay aside) and not negotiating with talent (ibid). He doesn't blink about firing people.

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Uhh, yikes. I never watched any of the Chicago ones, but from what I've seen in interviews she seemed really passionate about the story and about portraying a strong/complex female character, etc. So I kinda figured something had to have happened for her to leave suddenly. I'm loving all these women and people of color speaking out about this shit (as much as they can).

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Yeah, they are kidding themselves if they think her leaving isnt going to impact the ratings. The show was already boring last season and now Jon Seda is returning and his character adds nothing imo.

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I'll miss Sophia, but not the focus on her character. Hopefully we will get to see a little more about the back stories of the other characters. And a little focus on Burgess/dude(can't remember his name right now). Even if it only lasts a season. And yay Jon Seda!

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Seems like a lot of these shows are getting exposed for poor pay of women, if thats the case here

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I do not watch this show but I feel like she left because of reasons that they're not saying.

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lol @ saying nothing will change. she was the female lead and 90% of storylines revolved around her. fuck them.



i think she def left for a multitude of reasons and the majority of them being sexism. she's talked about it enough that it's a safe assumption to make even if she's not open to talking about it now.



i wonder if her and jesse soffer are still dating?

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iirc they broke up around Oct/Nov last year.

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A 17-company German consortium has announced plans to build a 34-GWh lithium-ion battery gigafactory, which is reportedly set to rival Teslas Reno facility. Rivalry, however, is too strong a word, and heres why.

Teslas gigafactory, with an annual capacity of 35 GWh, is already being built. Terra E Holdings facility will break ground in late 2019. Full capacity will only be reached in 2028. Meanwhile, Tesla plans to reach its initial capacity by next year, before the German rival even breaks ground.

Whats more, a recent Electrec report recalls that Elon Musks brain child is not stopping at 35 GWh. By 2020, the Reno gigafactory should have a battery cell capacity of 105 GWh, with battery pack capacity at 150 GWh. At that time, the German factory may still be under construction.

The German project is by no means the first non-Tesla gigafactory. There are, in fact, already ten other such projects in the works, according to a June report from Green Tech Media. From Australia to China, everyone seems to be building gigafactories so they can take a piece of the battery pie. EVs and energy storage systems are the key ingredients of this pie, and everything suggests that the pie will be a massive one. In fact, according to Volkswagen, the world will soon need more than 40 gigafactories.

The carmaker, which has plans to roll out 2-3 million electric cars annually by 2025, has estimated that its future vehicles alone will need battery cell capacity of 200 GWh by that year, which is about twice Teslas projected battery cell capacity for 2020. If, VW said, all other carmakers set a target to make a quarter of their total EV output, then the world will need 40 35-GWh gigafactories just for car batteries. Related: Nothing To See Here - Frackers Ignore Rising Well Decline Rates

In this context of soaring battery demand, the news about the German gigafactory starts to look more like just the latest in a string of gigafactory project announcements. Bloomberg estimated in May that battery manufacturing capacity in the world will rise to almost 280 GWh by 2021, from a bit over 120 GWh this year. This will be split mostly between car batteries and energy storage systems. And heres the other reason the German gigafactory is not a real rival for Tesla: it will focus on energy storage.

Granted, Tesla is big on energy storage, too, recently announcing it had won a contract for what will be the biggest lithium-ion storage system in the world. Yet it does not exclusively bet on energy storage, which is what Terra E is doing, or, as its chief executive, Holger Gritzka, put it to Bloomberg, it will focus on the emerging market of mobile and non-automotive power and storage.

Tesla, meanwhile, has three more gigafactories in the works, at least two of these in the U.S. The maker of the first gigafactory is not sitting around, waiting for the competition to catch upit is making sure it remains a step ahead of emerging rivals.

Most of the gigafactories that are currently being built have more modest annual capacity than the German one, except perhaps for Energy Absolutes project, which sees capacity of 50 GWh by 2020, when Teslas facility should reach 105 GWh.

We seem to be on the edge of the gigafactory era. If lithium-ion batteries remain the predominant solution in EVs and energy storage, more and more of these will pop up in the coming years, but it will take a lot to challenge Teslas leadership position.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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The U.S. Congress has passed new sanctions targeting Russias energy companies. Among the other notable aspects of the sanctions is that they take some authority away from the U.S. president (who used to be able to implement some measures but not others at his discretion) and give it to Congress.

Recognizing that a vital sector in its economy has even less chance of relief than it once had, Russia has retaliated. It has reduced the number of diplomats it has in the U.S. and has seized property used in Russia by U.S. diplomats.

Energy sales are an important source of revenue, of course, but for Russia they are more than that: They are an instrument of geopolitical power. They give Moscow considerable influence over the countries whose energy needs are met by Russian exports. If Russia intends to retaliate further against the U.S., its energy supplies, especially those it sends to Europe, may be its best option to do so.

Deliberate Dependence

But exactly how much oil does the rest of the world import? How can Russia use this to its advantage?

Collectively, the European Union imports 53 percent of the energy it consumes. This includes 90 percent of its crude oil and 66 percent of its natural gasa higher percentage than most other regions of the world, including North America, East Asia (but not Japan), and South Asia. All told, energy accounts for 20 percent of all EU imports.

(Click to enlarge)

Individually, some countries rely more on energy imports than others. Most European countries import more than 30 percent of the energy they consume. Norway provides roughly 35 percent of these imports, while Russia provides roughly 40 percent. Germany, which boasts the largest economy in the EU, imports more than 60 percent of the energy it consumes, and France, which boasts the third-largest economy, imports about 45 percent. Related: Barclays: Oil Prices To Drop This Quarter

Some Eastern European countries are even more dependent on foreign energy. Hungary, Austria, and Slovakia import approximately 6065 percent of their energy needs. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Romania, however, import less (37 percent, 32 percent, and 17 percent, respectively). In the Baltics, Lithuania imports roughly 75 percent of the energy it consumes. Latvia imports 45 percent, and Estonia imports 9 percent.

(Click to enlarge)

Most of this energy comes from Russia. In fact, Russia provides more than 70 percent of the oil and natural gas used in Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Finland. It provides 62 percent of the natural gas and 56 percent of the oil used in the Czech Republic, and 53 percent of the natural gas and 90 percent of the oil used in Poland.

Cultivating this dependency is a conscious move on behalf of Russia. Russias core security imperative is to maintain a buffer space between it and Western Europe that would help it repel any invasion, which it accomplished during the Soviet era by invading and occupying countries. Russia is not as powerful as it used to be, but it has developed economic leverage that enables it to exert pressure over countries that could pose a danger to it by threatening their energy security.

Aware of how dangerous a dependence on Russia can be, these countries are trying to diversify their energy sources accordingly. Poland and Lithuania, for example, have begun to import liquefied natural gas from the United States. This is a longer-term solution, however, since importing LNG requires the development of specialized infrastructure to receive and transport it.

The Best Bet

France and Germanythe de facto, if often irreconcilable, leaders of the European Unionillustrate how Russian energy can shape foreign policy. France may rely heavily on foreign energy, but most of its oil and natural gas comes from Algeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Libyanot Russia. France can therefore afford to be more aggressive and supportive of sanctions against Russia.

Not so with Germany, which receives 57 percent of its natural gas and 35 percent of its crude oil from Russia. Berlin must therefore tread lightly between its primary security benefactor, the U.S., and its primary source of energy, Russia.

This is one reason Germany has been such an outspoken critic of the recent U.S. sanctions, which penalize businesses in any country that collaborate or participate in joint ventures with Russian energy firms. Germany supports the construction of Nord Stream 2, a pipeline that would run through the Baltic Sea, circumventing Ukrainethe transit state through which Germany currently receives much of its energy imports. The pipeline would help to safeguard German energy procurement, since it would allow Russia to punish Ukraine by withholding shipments of natural gas without punishing countries such as Germany further downstream.

Related: How Will The EU Respond To Fresh US Sanctions On Russia?

Of course, Germany may try to diversify its energy sources, which include Libya, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Norway, and the Netherlands, but it would struggle to do so. Germany relies heavily on pipelines for its energy, particularly Russian natural gas. It has four cross-border crude oil pipelines, four domestic pipelines, and three oil ports in the North and Baltic seas. But Germany has fewer options for natural gas and no major LNG facilities. Simply put, Germany is beholden to the countries with which its pipelines have a connectionsomething that makes it vulnerable to retaliation.

(Click to enlarge)

But there is only so much Russia can do. Its geopolitical interests in Ukraine, for example, align with Germanys energy interests. Germany would benefit from Nord Stream 2 by getting a new natural gas route, and Russia would benefit by gaining more leverage over Ukraine. But Washington wouldnt want Moscow to halt energy flows through Ukraine at its leisure. The U.S. needs to try to manage the Ukraine situation in a way that prevents a greater general German-Russian alignment.

Russia, moreover, cannot bully the United States with its energy exports. Washington doesnt need them. But Russia could influence U.S. allies if it chooses to retaliate more than it already has. Since the U.S. is far more powerful than Russia, divide and conquer may be Moscows best bet.

By Zerohedge

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Libya and Nigeria pushed OPECs crude oil output in July to the highest this year, at 32.82 million barrels daily, a survey by S&P Platts has revealed. The cartel is reporting its production figures this Thursday.

According to Platts, the combined production of Libya and Nigeria, both exempt from the cuts agreed to last November, went up by 210,000 bpd last month, with Libya pumping about 990,000 bpd and Nigeria producing 1.81 million bpd. Saudi Arabia, according to Platts, pumped 10.05 million bpd in July.

Nigeria has agreed to stop boosting its output once it reaches a steady daily average of 1.8 million bpd, so if the Platts figure is confirmed by external sources in the OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report, the West African producer may move to cap its output. Libya, however, has announced no plans to limit production growth for the time being.

Platts also noted that if the figures, based on tanker tracking data, are true, then OPECs output last month had jumped to 920,000 bpd above the nominal production ceiling of 31.9 million bpd the cartel set itself last year. The figures include new member Equatorial Guinea and exclude Indonesia, which left OPEC when it agreed to start cutting production. Related: Is The EIA Exaggerating U.S. Oil Production?

An earlier forecast from Reuters saw OPEC July oil output 90,000 bpd higher than in June, again thanks to higher Libyan production. Reuters, however, pegged Libyas daily average at over 1 million barrels. Iraq also pumped more in July than in June, Reuters said.

Consultancy PetroLogistics also saw OPECs July output higher, by 145,000 bpd, to more than 33 million barrels daily. The figure was forecast to be over 600,000 bpd higher than the first-half OPEC average, the consultancys chief executive told Reuters.

The expected increase in the July production would mean that compliance with the cuts within the cartel is slipping, following the almost-perfect scores that OPEC boasted at the beginning of the output cut deal, which has since been extended into March next year.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Last month, the U.S. government certified Irans compliance to the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal  a required approval mechanism that dictates the life or death of the deal, reviled by the White Houses new resident.

The Secretary of State is in the process as we speak of certifying to the Congress that the conditions that are laid out in the [Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act] have been met based on information available to the United States, an anonymous official told The Hill in mid-July.

However, the Secretary of State and the President intend to emphasize that Iran remains one of the most dangerous threats to U.S. interests and to regional stability and to highlight the range of malign activities by Iran that extend well beyond the nuclear realm, the official added.

The Trump administration argues that the deal was intended to curb Irans support of President Bashar Al Assad via weapons transfers, open hostility to Israel, and continual human rights abuses. But a deal explicitly intended to prevent a nuclear weapons program cannot really aim to change a countrys entire foreign policy agenda.

Last month, U.S. Senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, David Perdue, and Marco Rubio wrote a letter to the White House alleging that Iran had violated the deals technical requirements  another untrue claim according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the deals main international watchdog.

The deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has accomplished one key shift in Irans domestic politics. It has given moderates and liberals strength in numbers in Tehran, signaling the peoples eagerness to cooperate with the international community on political issues for economic access.

Related: Barclays: Oil Prices To Drop This Quarter

In May, incumbent President Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian face of the JCPOA, beat out rival Ebrahim Raisi by an 18.5 percent margin. Raisi condemned the ruling government of dealing too closely with the United States, an inherently suspect country in orthodox Iranian politics since the ousting of Western-backed Shah Mohammed Reza in 1979.

Still, young Iranian voters, who will make up an increasingly large chunk of the electorate in the coming years (two-thirds of the countrys population is now under 35), voted to keep Rouhanis politics on top. This outcome was particularly vital for the selection of the next Ayatollah, which occurs by vote of the countrys legislature. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei turned 78 on July 17th and is reportedly suffering from advanced prostate cancer. His days are likely numbered, and he acknowledged this publicly in the days prior to the May elections, hoping to drum up support for conservative candidates who may elect a more traditional religious leader.

Stability in Tehrans adherence to the JCPOA translates to its continued participation in the international oil game. Since January 2016, when restrictions against the countrys oil sector were officially lifted, Tehran has managed to reach pre-sanction production levels. OPECs output quotas have prevented further growth, but those limits are due to expire in March 2018, which is a blink of an eye relative to the six years of economic ostracization Iran weathered before the deal went into effect.

The JCPOA, like NAFTA, is officially under review according to the State Department. The classification is decidedly vague and suggests that the administrations policy masterminds have not devised a plan succinct enough to replace the current deal without making the situation worse. Or the delay could mean Iran just hasnt been a U.S. priority lately.

The Gulfs well-orchestrated row against Qatar represents the single biggest development in anti-Iran sentiment in the Middle East since Trumps election. But like other international stories, this one isnt covered very well in TV news media. The Russia election scandal takes up most of the airtime. North Koreas recent ballistic missile tests, which suggest the pariah country could ostensibly hit the U.S., has taken Irans place as the biggest nuclear weapons concern for the State Department.

In short, the JCPOA lives because the Trump administration has not prioritized the deal in the current geopolitical landscape. Withdrawing from the unratified deal, like Trump withdrew from the unratified Paris climate change agreement, would take serious geopolitical capital, capital that he lost after leaving the Paris agreement. The European Union could stick to the JCPOA, which is just as well for them because their companies actually have skin in the Iranian oil scene. American oil majors are still barred from doing any business in Iran, so Tehran has nothing to lose economically from a U.S. abstention. At this point, Trump is forced to use carrots, not sticks, to get the policy outcome he desires from Iran.

By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com

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Uganda has picked a consortium including GE and Italian Saipem to build and operate the African countrys first oil refinery. The 60,000-bpd facility will process crude from fields operated by Tullow Oil, CNOOC, and Total. The consortium competed with 40 other companies, the Ugandan Energy Ministry said in a statement as quoted by Bloomberg.

Initially, Uganda negotiated the US$4-billion project with Russian RT Global Resources and South Korean SK Engineering & Construction, but after these fell through, Kampala cast its net wider. The combined experience of Saipem and GE, now that GE has acquired Baker Hughes, tipped the scales in favor of the consortium, which also includes venture capital company Yaatra Ventures and Intracontinent Asset Holdings Ltd.

Over the next two months, the Ugandan government should conclude the framework agreement on the project with the consortium, after which construction should begin. Initially, the refinery will process 30,000 barrels of crude daily. From 2020, the refinery will receive oil from fields with estimated total resources of 6.5 billion barrels.

Separately, Uganda, which is a newcomer on the oil scene, struck a deal with Tanzania that will see the landlocked producer reach international markets from the Tanzanian port of Tanga on the Indian Ocean. The two will build a US$3.55-billion pipeline from Ugandas oil-rich Hoima region to the port city, which will ship some 216,000 bpd at a transit cost of US$12.20 per barrel. The refinery that GE and Saipem will build will also be located in Hoima.

According to Ugandas Energy Ministry, the country consumes some 27,000 bpd of oil products. The daily consumption of petroleum products for East Africa is 200,000 bpd, growing at an annual rate of 7 percent. Kampala tasked Foster Wheeler to carry out a feasibility study on the refinery back in 2010, and the study found that a refinery would be commercially viable at a net present value of US$3.2 billion (at 2010-2011 prices), with the internal rate of return at a respectable 33 percent.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...
The Volta River Authority (VRA) is indebted to the Ghana National Gas (Ghana Gas) Company Limited to the tune of more than $526 million in respect of the supply of lean gas for power generation.



The amount covers the supply of lean gas for the past two years since the company started its commercial operations.



Press soiree



The Director of Finance of Ghana Gas, Mr Emmanuel Essel, announced this last Friday at a press soiree in Accra.



The event was organised by the company to enable its new Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ben Asante, to outline his vision for the company.



It was also to create an opportunity for the top management of the company to interact with journalists and also educate them on the companys operations, successes, challenges and the way forward.



Government bond



Describing the indebtedness as terrible, Mr Essel, said, but there is hope because the government is working on a bond and has rolled out this amount under the bond. If my memory serves me correctly, the portion of Ghana Gas is about half a billion dollars, which is owed by VRA.



He expressed the hope that if the bond was issued, the expectation was that Ghana Gas would get the money to enable it to improve on its finances.



Apart from that, going forward, the Ministry of Energy has put in place a mechanism that is going to help all the energy sector players to be able to receive their portion of the fund, especially from what is collected by ECG such that those of us that supply the fuel will also get what is due us, Mr Essel told the journalists.



Vision of Chief Executive



Outlining his vision, Dr Asante said his focus was on business development, personnel development and community engagement, explaining that those were the crucial pillars to move the company forward.



On business development, he said, I want to make sure that we develop this business, adding that he would focus more on operation and maintenance.



Dr Asante explained that human development was a strong pillar in his vision and, therefore, all the heads of departments had developed programmes for further training of all staff to equip them to take up their jobs anywhere they found themselves.



For the community engagement, I want to tell them that at this juncture, we have to work together. We have to focus less on where we come from, and more on where we want to go together, he asserted.



Dr Asante said the company currently produced 50 per cent of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) requirement of the country.



Local content



He said the mandate of the company was to make sure that it supplied gas for power generation and for the petrochemical industry, adding, we want to ensure that power prices are reduced to make it bearable for Ghanaians.



Referring to the local content policy, Dr Asante said within a short time since the company came on board, it had trained local engineers to handle critical installations in the company.



He announced that currently the Atuabo Plant was entirely manned by local engineers and commended the engineers, the Chinese counterparts, who trained them, as well as the previous administration for the successes chalked up so far.



Security



Answering questions from journalists, Dr Asante assured that the company took security as a critical component of the health, safety and security and environment protocol.



He said the company was aware of what was happening to other oil producing countries such as Nigeria and was putting in place measures to forestall some of those problems.



We have gone ahead, starting with our gas processing plan to have personnel who are manning the facility 24/7, he said, adding that even though the pipelines were buried about a metre deep, when you have a determined person who want to do you harm, they could actually puncture it.



He said the company was, therefore, installing three cameras, each of which could oversee 30 kilometres to cover the entire 100 kilometre pipeline stretch, so that when there is any third party incursions on the right of way, we are alerted.



Dr Asante said similar cameras were also installed off-shore to enable the company to ward off any traffic nearing the off-shore installation.



He further hinted that the company intended to install a leak system that would detect and alert the engineers of any leakage on any part of the pipeline.



Asked about whether the investment in oil and gas was worthwhile, Dr Asante said it was good for the government to attempt to diversify the economy.



Besides, let us ask ourselves what the situation would have been if oil and gas had not come on stream to add to the revenue of the country, he said.

Source: Daily Graphic









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This is the latest in a series of posts about second quarter campaign contributions in the 21st Congressional District.

Forest products industry political action committees contributed $9,000 in the second quarter to the re-election campaign of U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, according to a report the campaign filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Paper making and logging are major employment sectors in the 21st District.

Breakdown of contributors is as follows:

The Home Depot -- $2,000

Resolute Forest Products -- $1,000

International Paper Co. -- $5,000

Tree Care Industry -- $1,000

Click here to read the most recent previous report in the series.
SOUTH GLENS FALLS  The fire hydrants on Harrison Avenue will be fixed in the next two days, Mayor Harry Guthiel said.

Water to nearby residents will be turned off during the repair, which will take hours. Three valves need to be replaced on underground water lines. Work will be done Tuesday or Wednesday, if the parts are available.

If things go well it could be as soon as half a day, Gutheil said. So we need to make sure all the parts are on site, everything is assembled.

He spent most of Monday with the villages new engineering firm, Delaware Engineering of Albany. He and an engineer looked through maps and toured the village, opening manholes to look at various valves.

The engineer put together a proposed plan to fix the broken valve that has depressed water pressure on Harrison Avenue. The hydrants dont have enough pressure to function, Public Works Supervisor Rick Daley said.

Gutheil had hoped to buy just one valve  each one costs up to $1,900  but the engineer inspected and agreed with Daleys assessment that all three should be replaced. One valve is broken and will not open; anothers stem is badly bent. Since the road is already open, replacing the third would be sensible, Gutheil said.

It gives you the ability to turn off the water from one direction, he said.

It will likely cost $3,000 to $5,000 in total, plus fittings, he said.

In the meantime, village officials have come up with a plan for water if there is a fire. They could open a valve that would bring in water from the town of Moreau, backfilling the pipes all the way through to Harrison Avenue.

Wed have all kinds of pressure, Gutheil said.

Firefighters are concerned. Gutheil met with the fire chief Monday night, and the South Glens Falls Fire Co. formally requested that every hydrant in the village be tested. Then the village workers should paint each cap to tell firefighters how much water pressure would be received from each hydrant.

As of right now, when apparatus need to stop at a hydrant for water, there is no way for anyone riding the apparatus to know if they will get water out of the hydrant, or if the water volume and pressure will be sufficient for the operation, said South Glens Falls Fire Chief Keith Dickinson.

He emphasized that he wasnt blaming anyone, calling the problem the results of decades of neglect.

The situation has also led Delaware Engineering to take a close look at the villages water pipes. They quickly discovered that the villages maps are highly inaccurate. Not only are locations sometimes wrong, as village officials already knew, but the size of the pipes are sometimes misstated. That can make a huge difference in the speed of a repair, because new parts must be sized correctly to fit with each pipe.

I think were probably going to end up remapping the villages water lines, Gutheil said.
QUEENSBURY  A Queensbury woman was killed and another suffered life-threatening injuries in a three-vehicle crash on Route 149 on Monday morning that left a tractor-trailer teetering on its side off the road.

Caroline Bennett, 44, of Bay Road was pronounced dead at the scene and her passenger, Ellen Gipe, 41, was taken to Albany Medical Center via helicopter.

Bennett was driving a sport-utility vehicle that crossed into the wrong lane, hitting a tractor-trailer head-on. Gipe, who was married to Bennett, was a passenger in the front of the SUV.

Sheriffs Lt. Steve Stockdale said Gipe was in critical but stable condition Monday afternoon, and that she was undergoing surgery.

The tractor-trailer was knocked off the south side of the road, halfway down an embankment, by the force of the collision. It appeared held up by guidewires from rolling completely down the embankment.

Evidence at the scene seemed to show the collision happened well into the eastbound lane, with the tractor-trailer being struck head-on. Police said it was unclear where the women were headed or why the vehicle went into the wrong lane, but toxicology tests will be performed based on evidence that police uncovered at the scene that led them to question whether Bennett was impaired by drugs at the time of the collision.

Route 149 reopened just before 5 p.m. Traffic was diverted onto Oxbow Hill Road, Moon Hill Road and Martindale Road during the investigation and cleanup.

Neither the tractor-trailer driver, Larry Long Jr., 49, of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, nor the occupant of the car that was hit by the ricocheting SUV was hurt. The car was hit by the SUV after it was thrown back by the oncoming truck, and that driver was identified as Guy Fullen, 59, of Queensbury.

Long was pulling a trailer loaded with mattresses and box springs from Pennsylvania to Vermont when the SUV veered into the path of his truck. He said it wasnt clear whether the SUV had tried to pass a vehicle or had crossed into the wrong lane for another reason, but it did not appear to be speeding.

With a steep embankment to his right, he said he had no room to try to avoid the collision.

I saw it coming and looked and said Ive got nowhere to go, he said at the crash scene, as firefighters cut the SUV to remove its occupants. I was surprised it (the truck) didnt roll all the way over and I was able to get out.

He pulled over as far to the right as he could, Warren County Emergency Services Coordinator Brian LaFlure said.

The SUV had veered out of its lane as it headed west in a right-hand curve going up Oxbow Hill. It was knocked 20 to 30 yards backward by the force of the crash, its drive shaft ripped from the vehicle.

Long and other truck drivers who were at the scene said they know that 149 is a difficult, busy road, particularly for trucks during the summers heavy, tourist-related traffic.

Brad Watson, a truck driver from Endwell who was three vehicles behind Longs truck, said he saw two cars ahead of him drive right through the crash scene a split second after it happened, the drivers not stopping to see if they could help.

I couldnt believe it. They just kept going, he said.

Watson was part of a convoy that was headed to Addison, Vermont, with amusement park rides for a fair in Vermont.

The Sheriffs Office Criminal Investigation and Traffic Safety Unit is investigating the crash, assisted at the scene and helicopter landing zone by Bay Ridge, North Queensbury, South Queensbury and Queensbury Central firefighters and Bay Ridge, North Queensbury and Fort Edward rescue squads.
Heres a historical anecdote to enjoy while waiting for developer Elizabeth Millers completion in the coming months of the renovated historic Park Theater in downtown Glens Falls.

Kitty Payne, a singing comedian, and The Norrie Sisters, a clog dancing and dance-jump rope act, were a big hit when they appeared at the theater in 1912.

The S.R.O. sign was again in evidence yesterday at the Park Theater where the management presents its usual stellar vaudeville and moving picture programs, The Post-Star reported on Sept. 28, 1912, in an article that can found on the New York State Historic Newspapers website, a project of public libraries.

The applause that greeted the acts was ample evidence that the bill got over to the large crowds present.

I look forward to the return of standing room only audiences at the historic theater.

Out to Lunch

Musical duo Mark Rabin and the Lovely Missus will perform at Out to Lunch, the weekly Glens Falls Collaborative summer arts program, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at the bandstand in Glens Falls City Park.

Artists will be painting and sketching throughout the park.

Those who attend are encouraged to purchase lunch to go from a downtown restaurant.

Photo talk

Photographer Mark Bowie will discuss the philosophy and techniques of outdoor night scenic photography at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Chapman Historical Museum in Glens Falls.

Bowie is undertaking a project to photograph night landscapes in New York and New England.

The program is open to the public free of charge.

History program

Local author and historian Bob Bayle will speak about his book, An Adirondack Portfolio 1902-1935: The Hiking Stories and Photographs of Francis Bayle, at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Church of the King on Bay Road in Queensbury.

Francis Bayle, father of Bob Bayle, was active in the Adirondack Mountain Club.

The Warren County Historical Society program is open to the public free of charge.

Water music

Summerland Music Society will conclude its 2017 series with a program Upon the Water, at 7 p.m. Thursday in the community room in the basement of Crandall Public Library in Glens Falls.

The chamber music concert will feature music of Schubert, performed while images are projected of photographs by Seneca Ray Stoddard.

The program, presented in collaboration with The Chapman Historical Museum, is open to the public free of charge. Donations are appreciated.

Hot dog hike

Queensbury Land Conservancy will conduct its annual guided Hot Dog Hike at 4 p.m. Sunday at The Leon M. Steves Big Bay Preserve in Queensbury.

The preserve is located at the south end of Division Road, off Corinth Road one mile west of Northway Exit 18.

Hot dogs and fixings will be served at the end of the hike.

The hike is open to the public free of charge.
Youth groups settle dispute with Moreau

Bravos to the Moreau Town Board and the two youth leagues that use town fields during the summer for finally working out their differences in an open forum. It set a great precedent for a future relationship that will lead to better communication.

Postal employee should be applauded

Bravos to the U.S. Postal Service employee who brought a suspicious package to the attention of local security at the Warren County Municipal Center after finding it outside the mailbox at the Municipal Center. Security X-rayed the package and saw the outline of what appeared to be a grenade inside, along with other items that appeared it was rigged to explode. It turned out to be inactive, but the alertness of the postal employee should be applauded.

Stefanik holds veterans forum

Bravos to Rep. Elise Stefanik for hosting a veterans roundtable at SUNY Adirondacks Wilton campus to address local veterans issues. Rep. Stefanik has been at the forefront of veterans issues because of the presence of Fort Drum in the Watertown area, but it would be nice if she held some more roundtables on issues of concern here in the eastern part of her district.

Wick says Log Bay Day wont be back

Bravos to Dave Wick, executive director of the Lake George Park Commission, for being so adamant in his commitment that Log Bay Day is gone for good. The response to enforcing boating while intoxicated laws and a commitment to make Lake George and other waterways safer is welcome news, and Wicks statement that Log Bay Day is not coming back is a great sign for the future.

All must work together in tourism industry

Boos to those in the local hospitality community who have been sending insulting emails to tourism leaders. While continued discussion about how to improve the tourism experience and draw more visitors to the area should be welcome, it should always be a civil and productive conversation. Apparently, that has not been the case lately.

Honoring Lake George with new school

Bravos to Ghana native Sayuti Sulemana for his plans to honor Lake George by starting the Lake George International School. Sulemana, who now works for the Ghanaian government embassy in Turkey, spent the summer of 2008 cleaning rest rooms in Lake George as an international student worker and is trying to show his appreciation. He described his summer in Lake George as heaven on earth. He has acquired an acre of land for the private school project for elementary and junior high school students.

Fire hydrants should have been fixed sooner

Boos to village of South Glens Falls officials for failure to keep the local fire hydrants in working order. This could have easily developed into a tragedy. It was good to see the village take decisive action to get the hydrants fixed at once.

State committee needs to be consistent

Boos to the State Advisory Committee on Judicial Ethics for being so wishy-washy in its decision making. It decided in 2016 to allow Warren County Attorney Brian Reichenbach to serve as a part-time town judge in Lake George, but then reversed itself this past week. Reichenbach had been the town justice for 14 years. Post-Star editorials represent the opinion of the Post-Star editorial board, which consists of Publisher Robert Forcey, Controller/Operations Director Brian Corcoran, Editor Ken Tingley, Projects Editor Will Doolittle and citizen representatives Dan Gealt, George Nelson and Connie Bossie.

Post-Star editorials represent the opinion of the Post-Star editorial board, which consists of Publisher Robert Forcey, Controller/Operations Director Brian Corcoran, Editor Ken Tingley, Projects Editor Will Doolittle and citizen representatives Dan Gealt, George Nelson and Connie Bossie.
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
The arrival of Fresh Thyme Farmers Market this spring has been part of a healthy turnaround of the Davenport shopping center it now anchors.

With new owners, major renovations and the specialty grocer's opening, the Kimberly Crossing retail center is enjoying an upsurge in tenant interest. The former Spring Village Shopping Center, located at 2100 E. Kimberly Road, was well known for its departed anchors: Incredible Pizza and much earlier, one of the Eagle Country Market grocery stores.

But Aaron Zucker, the leasing director for property owner PEBB Enterprises, said the center has attracted several new tenants  and renewed some leases  since Fresh Thyme's opening in April.

PEBB, a Boca Raton, Florida-based real estate investment company, purchased the center in 2015 and gave its facade a facelift as part of Fresh Thyme's arrival.

"There's a good chance we will be 100 percent (occupied) in 2017," Zucker said. "But not everybody we've leased to, will be in by the end of the year."

Other new arrivals have included Salon Centric, T Nails, and iWireless. Tenants that have signed leases include Jujube Frozen Yogurt, which will move from Elmore Avenue, and a Jersey Mike's Subs, he said.

Of the five vacant storefronts, "there is a desire for every space," he said. But "until the deals are fully executed," he said developers continue to recruit other prospects.

Zucker said there also is a signed lease with a tenant, whom he could not yet identify, to build on the vacant outparcel. The site was the former Zeke's Island restaurant, which PEBB demolished as part of its redevelopment of the shopping center. Zeke's has relocated to Harrison Street in Davenport's Hilltop Campus Village.

Traffic a draw

In late April, Fresh Thyme opened what was its 59th store and second in Iowa at the renovated shopping center.

"The entire Quad-Cities has been very receptive, we're excited," said Corky Anderson, operations director for the Downers Grove, Illinois-based company. He said the Davenport store is among the three-year-old company's top producers with "a higher volume than our West Des Moines store."

Ahead of Fresh Thyme's market entrance, he said the community showed "a lot of excitement for us coming to that location." In part, he saw enthusiasm for another grocer in the complex.

Fresh Thyme, as well as PEBB, were drawn by the 35,000-daily traffic count on Kimberly Road.

But when PEBB acquired the complex, it was less than 30 percent occupied. Zucker estimated that 65,000 square feet of the 91,000-square-foot center was vacant.

"The Fresh Thyme deal definitely changed everything," he said of retail interest it has generated. "One year from today, I think you will see Kimberly Crossing where it is full."

Fresh Thyme, which has worked with PEBB in other markets, was not concerned by the high vacancy, Anderson said. "Especially because of the work they put in (renovating), we felt the vacancies wouldn't be there for long."

Kimberly Crossing also is home to longtime tenants Sanitary Cleaners, Dollar General, IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union and Vision for Less, the later of which will be getting a new facade next year. Zucker said Mediacom was the only tenant to leave the center. Half of its space will be the new Jersey Mike's, a national sub sandwich chain.

Market entrance

Kimberly Crossing marked the first Iowa development for PEBB, which manages about 2 million square feet, mostly retail space, in nine states. In addition to Iowa, they are in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Missouri.

At 90,000 square feet, Kimberly Crossing is "a sizeable investment for us," Zucker said.

Jersey Mike's will make its Quad-City debut, but it's a homecoming for Quad-City native Aron Lees, who will own and operate the new sandwich shop with his wife Camilla.

After 10 years away from the Quad-Cities, Lees was immediately impressed with the renovated shopping center. After surveying sites on bustling 53rd Street and bringing in a Jersey Mike's real estate expert, Lees said, "We knew right away (Kimberly Crossing) was where we wanted to be."

Zucker said PEBB has been choosy in its tenant mix. "We were really looking for the correct tenant mix. It involves selecting retailers who fit and work around the anchor tenant, Fresh Thyme."
1. Tug Fest

The rivalry is on. Tug Fest, the three-day festival centering around a tug-of-war battle between Port Byron, Illinois, and LeClaire, Iowa, is back for its 31st year. For the past decade, the Illinois team has won the tugging contest. Will this year be different? Head out to LeClaire and Port Byron, which both host festivals Thursday-Saturday, to see the action. Festivities include a parade, live music from bands such as Moonshine Run, Rolling Thunder and the Brat Pack, carnival rides, fireworks, food and drink vendors, and, of course, the Tug at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. For more, visit tugfest.com or tugfest.org.

Thursday-Saturday, LeClaire and Port Byron riverfronts. Free

2. Ya Maka My Weekend

Downtown Rock Island will soon transform into a tropical oasis, full of reggae music, Caribbean food, drinks and arts and craft vendors, for the one-day Ya Maka My Weekend festival. Back for its 26th run, the festival features live music from bands such as Rude Punch, Yard Squad and 40oz To Freedom outside along 2nd Avenue in Rock Island. For more info, visit downtownrockisland.org.

4 p.m. Saturday, downtown Rock Island, $9

Live music from The Candymakers, a Quad-City band known for playing original songs such as "Dip You in Chocolate" as well as covers, is on tap for this week's edition of Live@Five, the free outdoor concert series hosted by the River Music Experience, 129 N. Main St., Davenport. The series runs through Sept. 29.

5 p.m. Friday, River Music Experience courtyard. Free

4. Step onto the showboat

The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre is wrapping up its season with "The 39 Steps," which kicks off Thursday and runs through Aug. 19. "The 39 Steps" is a comedic take on Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 thriller of the same name. The on-stage show includes four actors playing more than 100 roles. See it this weekend on the showboat, 303 Riverview Drive, Clinton, Iowa. Tickets cost $16 for children and students; $20 for seniors; $23 for adults. For more information and tickets, visit clintonshowboat.org or call 563-242-6760.

7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, $16-23

5. 'Rock of Ages'

A new show is opening Thursday at the Black Box Theatre, 1623 5th Ave., Moline. "Rock of Ages," a rock 'n' roll fairytale set near the end of the 1980s in Hollywood, features hits from bands such as Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi and Whitesnake. You can also catch "Rock of Ages" next weekend, Aug. 17-19. Tickets are available at theblackboxtheatre.com

7:30 pm. Thursday-Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Black Box Theatre, $16

6. MBP's season ends

7. 'Sunset Boulevard'

Here's another last-chance alert for you. This weekend offers the final performances of "Sunset Boulevard," presented by Quad-City Music Guild. See the show, based on the 1950 movie by Billy Wilder, Thursday-Sunday at Prospect Park Auditorium, 1584 34th Ave., Moline. Tickets, $11 for children and $16 for adults, are available by calling 309-762-6610 or visiting qcmusicguild.com.

7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Prospect Park Auditorium, $11-16

8. Jam to ESSO!

Looking to kick off your weekend with a dance party? ESSO!, which stands for El Sonido Sonic Octopus, is a band that performs "funky Afro-Latin and roots rock inspired dance music," according to its Facebook page. The crew of musicians will take the Redstone Room stage, 129 N. Main St., Davenport, this week. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.

8 p.m. Friday, Redstone Room, $10-12

9. Birdtalker

The five-piece folk band, Birdtalker, fronted by husband-and-wife duo Zack and Dani Green, have been making music in Nashville, Tennessee, since 2013. Last month, the group set out on its first full tour around the country  and it includes a stop here. See Birdtalker, with The Rocketboys, on Saturday at the Triple Crown Whiskey Bar & Raccoon Motel, 304 E. 3rd St., Davenport. Tickets are available at raccoonmotel.com.

7 p.m. Saturday, Triple Crown Whiskey Bar & Raccoon Motel, $12
A Jersey favorite comes to Davenport

Jersey Mike's sub sandwich shop traces its roots to 1956 when Mike's Subs pioneered the sub sandwich in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Soon, you'll find it in Davenport. Orion native Aron Lees and his wife Camilla are the co-franchisees of a Davenport location, opening Sept. 20 at 2124 E. Kimberly Road in Kimberly Crossing shopping center.

Charges set in shooting

Davenport man Anthony Dwayne Clay Sr., 41, faces charges of intimidation with a dangerous weapon, a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and possession of a firearm or offensive weapon by a felon, a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison, for his alleged role in a Friday shooting. Police say Clay shot an unidentified occupant of a Davenport home in the leg after an argument.

Tug on

Tug Fest, the three-day festival centering around a tug-of-war battle between Port Byron, Illinois, and LeClaire, Iowa, is back for its 31st year. For the past decade, the Illinois team has won the tugging contest. Will this year be different? Head out to LeClaire and Port Byron, which both host festivals Thursday-Saturday, to see the action. Festivities include a parade, and live music.

Traffic

Traffic should be clear for your commute home.

Weather

Get a preview of fall weather as temps sink into the 60s tonight.
The cities of Moline, East Moline and Silvis have been awarded a Single Family Rehabilitation grant from the Illinois Housing Development Authority and are coordinating a lottery to select households for program participation.

The Single Family Rehabilitation Program will assist low-income homeowners to repair their homes and remove health and safety hazards by repairing or replacing costly maintenance items.

Low- to moderate-income homeowners may complete a lottery entry form at the city hall in the city where their home is located.

Owner-occupied lottery entries will be accepted now through Aug. 31 during normal business hours. Lottery boxes will be removed at 4 p.m. Aug. 31.

No faxed or emailed lottery entries will be accepted. Only one lottery entry per household will be allowed.

Attendance at the lottery drawing is mandatory for all applicants who want to participate in the program. The drawing will be held Sept. 16 at the Moline Public Library, 3210 41st St. Doors open at 8 a.m. with the drawing at 9 a.m.

Lottery entry forms are non-transferable. A select number of entries will be drawn for each city. City staff members will work through selected lottery applications to review eligibility for program services. The program has limited funding.

For more information, call KJ Whitley, community development program manager, 309-524-2044.
Kevin and Jessica Holst of Yellow Barn Farms in Eldridge will be recognized as one of six recipients of The Way We Live Award at the 2017 Iowa State Fair.

The award recognizes Iowa families for their hard work and love of farming.

The Holst family started farming in Iowa in 1889. An ancestor immigrated from Germany in 1852 and worked as a stone mason to save money to buy the farm in Scott County. He purchased some of the land where the Holst family now lives and farms.

The Holsts and their six children raise corn, soybeans, hay and Gelbvieh cattle. They also sell bulls to breeders, locally raised beef, eggs and fiber from their two Angora goats.

Kevin was in 4-H as a child, continued with FFA as a teen and most recently has served three terms with the Farm Service Agency, and board of directors of Samaritan Ministries. Jessica keeps a blog outlining their daily life, keeping readers informed about the busy days of a large homeschooling family living on an Iowa farm.
The trailers have loaded up and headed home. The exhibits are all packed away, eaten or used. The animals have returned home or have moved on to their next home. The ribbons are all hung on the wall. The annual project books are underway. Some of the animals and exhibits are headed for the Iowa State Fair under careful watch of children, parents and leaders. The memories burn brightly in the minds of the young 4-H members and FFA members who attended and exhibited at the Mississippi Valley Fair.

It was another successful fair as far as 4-H goes, I think. Great competition, great teamwork, great fun. Lots of memories of good and bad fair exhibits and livestock. There were great successes, and great disappointments. There were many smiles, and a few tears. There were sleepless nights and very busy days. And that white 4-H shirt had to be washed every night so the kids looked good each day.

I was never a 4-H member as a child  they just didnt have it in the suburbs where I grew up. Like many of you, I watched the 4-H shows at the local fair, and saw all the things that the kids did and made. Now, as a first-year 4-H mom, I live it and appreciate all the hard work that goes into the fair and the exhibits. Some members bring one thing and are content. Others will not rest unless they enter almost every single class. Each member has their own personal interests, and can follow his or her own path in 4-H. You dont have to show livestock. You dont have to grow the perfect tomato. You dont have to be good at public speaking. However, there is something interesting for everyone to try, and there are so many things to learn about in 4-H.

Watching my oldest son this year was an awesome experience. I have watched him work with his goats through the summer, experiencing both happiness and frustration with handling them. Through it all, he remained (mostly) calm and learned how to handle them and work with them. In the show ring, he had his struggles, but he kept his cool. In the last class, he finally had a smile on his face and enjoyed the experience. His projects all earned blue ribbons. He shocked Robb and I by doing an educational presentation  something I could never have done at his age. He is already talking about next year, and the projects he wants to do and the livestock he wants to try next. So, I guess we can call our first year in 4-H a success, and we can breathe a big sigh of relief that there were no major disasters.

Congratulations to all the 4-H and FFA members who showed, created, presented, exhibited or otherwise participated in the fair. You all deserve a big round of applause. Each and every one of you is developing characteristics that will serve you well in the future as bright, young men and women. Did you know that one out of every seven Americans is a former 4-H participant? The things you learn in 4-H or FFA will stay with you as you move on in life, using your head, heart, hands and health to serve the country. Great job, everyone!
CEDAR RAPIDS  Can we talk?

Thats what a group is asking U.S. Rep. Rod Blum, R-Iowa, as it delivered petitions signed by more than 700 northeast Iowa voters to the congressmans office Monday.

Theyre concerned the Dubuque Republican is not providing equal access to them and other U.S. House 1st District voters who might not agree with him, according to Amy Adams, a Cedar Rapids teacher and member of the Indivisible Iowa advocacy organization.

Adams and about 10 others delivered the petitions to Blums Cedar Rapids office in an effort to get Blum to schedule office hours while hes back in the district during the August congressional work session.

The petitions asks Blum to hold published office hours during the recess so voters can discuss issues with him.

Weve followed the requests weve been given, weve done the online questionnaire, filling in the blanks for dates and times to meet with him, weve written letters to him, Adams told Blum staffer Michael Keefer, who accepted the petitions.

However, Blum has met with other groups, such as a gun rights group, she said.

We feel he is sort of picking and choosing the people he wants to see, and it seems to be people who are Republican, people who are his donors, people who are a friendly audience  not that we arent friendly, Adams said. We feel average Joes like us dont have equal access.

Keefer explained that the gun rights event was not a public event because it wasnt Blums. He was a guest of the sponsoring groups.

Members of the Indivisible network have been in communication with Blum for months, but only through staff members or written communications.

We would like some feedback from Congressman Blum, Cindy Garlock said. Its so one direction now. We would like some feedback about these issues.

Keefer committed to passing the petitions on to Blum.

Ill let him know, he said. I will make sure that he gets it in the next few days. Sometime this week, hell have them in his hands.

He also said he would relay information that four potential Democratic challengers have agreed to meet with Indivisible at their weekly coffee shop meetings.

Indivisible Iowa describes itself as a nonpartisan group that is committed to resisting the Republican congressional and executive agenda and among its goals is to take back our state in 2018.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa  Iowa Regent Larry McKibben made clear from the outset of the tuition task forces first meeting that members are looking to be change agents.

Were going to find changes and find things that are more efficient and better that improve all three of our universities, said McKibben, who chairs the panel.

He added, This isnt going to happen overnight.  This is a long-term project to change how we function in the state of Iowa, because we owe to the citizens of the state of Iowa the kind of quality that we got when we went through school.

The task force, created by the Board of Regents in June, didnt offer specifics about plans for change, and that isnt the point of the campus meetings that kicked off at the University of Northern Iowa on Monday.

It was to get campus input, starting with one of the most important voices  students who are most affected by rising tuition.

Cade Olmstead, a Northern Iowa student government leader, was the lone student to offer input. The fall session doesnt start for another two weeks.

I appreciate your statement about how we need to be agents of change, Olmstead said. I think as a student, its time that we as a state start recognizing education as a public good, as it once was.

The meeting began with a look at how the university system compares nationally and a five-year budget outlook from Northern Iowa President Mark Nook.

The data showed Iowas tuition increases and fees are among the lowest in the nation, but Iowa ranks worst in terms of state need-based financial aid to students.

Tim Bakula, interim director of financial aid at Northern Iowa, told the task force about the success state universities have had reducing student debt, particularly through the live like a student program. But he cautioned against putting the whole burden of affordability on universities.

I dont want this to seem like our universities  Iowa, Iowa State, and UNI  are going to find a way to have predictable tuition and theres nothing that the state needs to do anymore, Bakula said. I think that discussion still needs to come up.

State Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Waterloo, who is Northern Iowa alumni, told the board he welcomed the conversation. He suggested regents continue to look for efficiencies and reduce redundancies. He also endorsed having different tuition rates at each university.

What has been supposedly fair for UNI in previous years, because it was kind of equal across the regents universities, was really not fair, Danielson said. "It was not a way for us to get the resources that we need."

Nook did not endorse any particular idea, other than arguing against further state cuts that would cause dramatic tuition increases, but he said he was open to different rates.

Nook noted that if Iowa and Iowa State increased tuition to the median in their peer groups  now both are at the bottom  and Northern Iowa increased to the same rate, Northern Iowa would be among the highest in its peer cohort.

I think Iowa and Iowa State need to have a conversation about what their tuition is, and if it needs to go up significantly, it should go up so that they have the revenues to deliver on their mission, Nook said. If we followed suit and keep our price point the same, we will price ourselves out of the market, and we will cripple our enrollment.

The next tuition task force meeting will begin at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Iowa State University. It will be streamed live at iowaregents.edu. Those who cannot attend the meetings can provide input at iowaregents.edu/plans-and-policies/tuition-task-force.
Two years ago, Micha Yehudi hit rock bottom.

The 25-year-old Israeli soldier was working 18-hour days and couldn't sleep at night. Instead he watched videos of women going through the processes of transitioning into men.

"I was in a very bad place emotionally and mentally," Yehudi recalls. "I would watch these videos and watch these people become whole people and become happy in a way that I never imagined."

Then one day, Yehudi had enough and went to his commanding officer. At first, the request to leave the army surprised his superior. Back then, the young female captain was known as a religiously observant Jew. The officer didn't expect Yehudi to come out as transgender.

"I had never told anyone before, I barely told myself. I was terrified," says Yehudi. "I cried during the interview from the moment the reaction came out of his mouth. He said, okay and that was it."

Within a month and a half -- what Yehudi calls light speed for Israel's military -- the army came up with a plan. The captain would retain his commission and the army would help with the transition by supplying medication and time off when needed.

"The protection I felt being in the army at the time. I don't think I could have been in a safer environment," Yehudi describes. "I was lucky enough as well because I had so much protection and support from my commanders, my friends and the soldiers under me."

According to Israel, roughly 60 transgender soldiers serve openly in the country's military.

In a statement, Israel's military said "their assignment to different units is based on the soldiers' abilities and the Israel Defense Forces' needs, regardless of gender identification or sexual orientation."

Now feeling like a whole person, Yehudi marched with other transgender Israelis for LGBTQ rights at Jerusalem's Gay Pride Parade on Thursday. Among the banners and flags was talk about recent developments with Israel's closest ally, the United States.

Trump tweets

It started with a tweet from US President Donald Trump.

"After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military," Trump said in a series of tweets last month. "Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail."

The president's decision reversed a policy initially approved by the Defense Department under President Barack Obama, which was still under final review. The policy would allow transgender individuals to openly serve in the military.

The tweet didn't come with a plan to implement it nor did it talk about the 1,320 to 6,630 transgender people believed to be serving in the US military.

Eden Arazi, who advocates for an organization, Kirtzno, that supports religious transgender Jews, was appalled by Trump's decision.

"I say it's nonsense," says Arazi, "They are just like other soldiers."

A Wider Bridge (AWB), which advocates for LGBTQ rights in Israel, also came out against the ban. AWB board member and veteran of the United States Navy Submarine Force, James Moon posted on the organization website.

"There is no objective data to suggest transgender service-members negatively impact unit cohesion and readiness, and denying them the right to serve their country is an affront to the very ideals the military is sworn to defend."

'I feel whole'

Israel also grapples with equality. Many religious conservatives see the LGBTQ community as an abomination.

Gay couples can't get married in Israel and only male-female couples can adopt children. Gay couples often go abroad to get married before returning to Israel where their marriage is recognized by the state.

Marriage in Israel can only be carried out through a religious institution. Israeli courts have ordered marriages abroad to be recognized by the state providing a loophole for same sex marriage.

But in the army, Yehudi said he felt appreciated and valued. He recalls the day, after seven years, he decided to leave the military.

"My superiors said no. We can give you money for a degree if you stay," You're no different from anyone else," Yehudi describes. "I said to them that I'm in a place where in the first time in my life I feel whole and I need to do more things with my life."

As for President Trump, Yehudi urges the US President to get to know some of the active duty and veteran trans soldiers.

"You out and meet your veterans who are trans just like me, people who are serving right now just like me. They're no different from anyone else, they just love their country like I love mine."
PIERRE | The lawmaker-lobbyist revolving door doesn't turn often in Pierre.

An Argus Leader Media review identified 14 former legislators who made the jump to lobbyist since 2012 after serving in office between 2006 and 2017, the Argus Leader reported.

Only four registered less than two years after vacating their legislative seats.

Under state law that took effect this month the required cooling off period was extended from one year to two.

Supporters said the added buffer time was needed to prevent undue influence of lawmakers returning to lobby their peers. Meanwhile lawmakers who transitioned to lobbyists more quickly said 12 months is enough of a time cushion.

Doug Kronaizl, spokesman for a group that brought the ethics and campaign finance proposal Initiated Measure 22, said it is important to expand the cooling off time to insure former lawmakers don't have undue influence.

"While the numbers are small, the numbers are still there," Kronaizl said. "It's a lot better to put the provisions in place before there is widespread scandal."

Represent South Dakota campaigned to pass ethics and campaign finance reform proposal Initiated Measure 22 on the 2016 ballot. Voters narrowly approved the measure, which included the two-year lobbying ban.

Lawmakers repealed the law in Pierre but approved the provision in a separate bill.

Sen. Blake Curd, R-Sioux Falls, brought the bill replacing the two-year policy. He said it was important to replace pieces of Initiated Measure 22 and worried that under the previous one-year lobbying ban lawmakers could serve in Pierre, leave office and return to lobby with their peers in the Legislature.

Those who'd served in leadership roles could also see an unfair advantage in lobbying lawmakers they'd previously worked with, he said.

"I'm not aware that anyone has abused this system," Curd said, "but I think it's important to increase that gap. A year is pretty short."

Former state Sens. Tom Nelson and Bob Gray and Reps. Kim Vanneman and H. Paul Dennert left the Legislature in 2013 and registered as lobbyists in 2014.

Nelson, Vanneman and Dennert said they thought the 12-month cooling off period was appropriate, and that the expanded window seemed unneeded as few people make the jump so quickly.

"I know they needed to get some things out of Initiated Measure 22, but the two year gap, I don't think that was necessary," Nelson said. "I don't know that it's a great fit for South Dakota."

The Republican from Lead lobbied on behalf of Foggy Notion Properties LLC, a non-residential building operator based in Lead.

Vanneman, a Republican from Ideal, said she felt the one-year gap between her departure from the Legislature and part-time return to Pierre as a lobbyist for Farm Credit Services of America constituted a substantial enough buffer period.

Extending that revolving door period likely wouldn't have much impact, she said, as former legislators could continue to advocate for causes without formal lobbying designation.

"I just don't know that it's solving anything," Vanneman said. "I don't know what kind of a fix they were thinking that was going to make."
When it comes to Sturgis, many people think of bikes, bikers, babes  and beer.

But in the latest evolution of the annual cycle rally, there's a new official beverage in town: wine.

As a sponsor of the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally, Josh Cellars winery officials say they are looking to buck the stereotype and break conventions when it comes to who enjoys wine.

In its 77-year history, the Sturgis motorcycle rally has had wines that carried the Sturgis motorcycle rally official logo, but Josh Cellars is the first wine brand to sponsor the event.

Josh Cellars representatives were corralling rallygoers at local bars and rally events, and asking them to taste the wine.

Mike Woody and Darcy Soltys of Lincoln, Neb., were approached by Josh Cellars folks at the bar at the Harley-Davidson experience near the Sturgis Community Center.

"I think it's amazing," Woody said of the Josh Cellars' Rose he sipped from a plastic cup. "It's very light, a perfect mid-day drink."

His girlfriend, Darcy Soltys, said the wine was "refreshing."

"It's not too sweet. It has a very cool, open flavor," she said.

Soltys said she typically drinks chardonnay, but said she liked the Josh Cellars Rose' better because it was lighter.

The wine is served chilled at a cool 39 degrees.

Jack Glasure said that within 48 hours of being in Sturgis, they realized they had made the right decision to sign on as a sponsor.

"The appreciation, not just from women, but men also, has been great," Glasure said.

Glasure said Josh Cellars officials discovered that their key sales demographic paralleled that of the Sturgis rallygoers, so he made a call to sign on.

"I think they were surprised when we called, but they have certainly been pleased since we arrived," Glasure said of Sturgis city officials. "We looked at the market and knew that this demographic would be a good fit."

Renato Reyes, chief marketing officer for Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, parent company of Josh Cellars, said it made sense to be the first wine brand to participate in Sturgis in a sponsor capacity.

The average motorcycle owner at Sturgis is affluent, educated and we know they love great wine," Reyes said. "We respect that they have a choice about which wines they drink and we want Josh to be the brand they reach for.

Sturgis Rally & Events Director Jerry Cole said it's about time a wine brand recognized what a great opportunity it is to get in front of more than half a million bikers.

People think were all tattoos and leather, but there is a lot more to us than that. We appreciate great wine just like everyone else," he said. "Josh is the perfect brand to take this first ride with us. I love the brands roots, values and all-American success story.

Sturgis City Manager Daniel Ainslie said the average rallygoer has a household income of about $85,0000, is in their 50's, and enjoys numerous outdoor leisure activities such as riding motorcycles, camping and hunting.

"They are appreciative of the arts and truly are foodies," he said.

Josh Cellars will host 10 separate wine tasting events at Sturgis. It began Friday with the opening ceremony. They will also be on hand for the 15th annual Mayors Ride today and at Military Appreciation Day festivities on Tuesday. They are also serving the wine at the VIP building for rally sponsors and visitors. The product is available at the Sturgis Liquors store and bars around town.
Second suspect in murder of European junior wrestling champion apprehended in Russia

Context Suspect in murder of European junior wrestling champion arrested in Russia

MOSCOW, August 7 (RAPSI, Yelizaveta Ponomareva)  One more suspect in the murder of the two-time European junior freestyle wrestling champion Yury Vlasko has been arrested in Russias region of Buryatia, according to the Investigative Committees press service.

On August 3, the first suspect in the case was arrested. He admitted his involvement in the sportsmans death but also claimed that he was defending himself from the wrestler. Investigators, however, doubt this version as it contradicts testimony of witnesses.

Both of alleged criminals were charged with murder and detained.

Investigators believe that on the night of July 28 to 29 several participants of a wrestling tournament in the city of Ulan-Ude arrived at the lake Baikal. There, on request of a friend, Vlasko intervened in a conflict between sportsmen and local residents leading to a fight. One of the suspects allegedly stabbed Vlasko in the chest while the other one repeatedly hit him in a head with a metal rod. Both perpetrators fled from the crime scene.
Russian opposition activist Udaltsov to be released from prison

MOSCOW, August 7 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul) - Russian opposition activist Sergey Udaltsov, who had been sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for participation in 2012 rallies in central Moscow, will be released from prison on August 9, his lawyer Dmitry Agranovsky told RAPSI on Monday.

He has fully served his sentence, according to the attorney.

Udaltsov has earlier applied for parole; however, his petitions were dismissed. Russias High Commissioner for Human Rights Tatiana Moskalkova has also asked for the opposition activists release, Agranovsky added.

Another 2012 riots organizer, Leonid Razvozzhayev, reportedly left prison in April. He was freed after the time served and put under administrative supervision for two years.

Over 400 people were arrested and scores injured in the Bolotnaya Square protests that turned violent in May 2012. Dozens were later charged with inciting riots and assault on law enforcement officers.

Riot organizers Razvozzhayev and Udaltsov were sentenced to 4.5 years in prison each based partly on testimony by Konstantin Lebedev, who was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison but released on parole.

Other convicts in the riots case received punishment ranging from suspended sentences to four years in prison. Several defendants were pardoned; one is undergoing compulsory mental treatment.
Russian citizen fined $830 for caricatures of Jesus Christ

MOSCOW, August 7 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul)  A court in the city of Sochi has fined a local resident Viktor Nochevnov 50,000 rubles ($830) for repost of Jesus Christ caricatures on a social media platform, his attorney Alexander Popkov told RAPSI on Monday.

Nochevnov pleads not guilty. The ruling will be appealed, the lawyer added.

The court found that Nochevnov, 32, had been affected by ideas expressing intolerance to Christianity due to a lack of established principles for conduct and well-formed critical skills. As a result, he opposed to universal social norms and values and became aggressive towards believers.

Between October 20, 2014 and August 31, 2015, during several Christian holidays Nochevnov published on his social media page seven caricatures including Jesus Christ hanging from a pull-up bar and dancing in a stadium, or represented as a weightlifter in front of the Olympic rings, according to Popkov.
Vneshprombank seeks $1.8 billion from its former president

MOSCOW, August 7 (RAPSI)  The Moscow Commercial Court has set hearings in a lawsuit filed by Vneshprombank seeking 113.5 billion rubles (about $1.8 billion) from the banks ex-president Larisa Markus for October 17, court documents read on Monday.

In May, Markus was sentenced to 9 years in prison for embezzling 113.5 billion rubles and later was declared bankrupt on request of VTB24 bank. According to the court sentence, a ruling in the lawsuit filed by Vneshprombank is to be made during civil litigation process.

Investigators believe that Markus along with her brother Georgy Bedzhamov, who once co-owned the bank, created an organized crime group to siphon money from the bank. The group allegedly granted loans to sub-companies and did not refund money to Vneshprombank. Allegedly, from May 2009 to December 2015, conspirators managed to embezzle over 114 billion rubles.

Bedzhamov was arrested in absentia and put on the wanted list.

In March 2016, the Moscow Commercial Court declared Vneshprombank bankrupt. Vneshprombank was one of the top 40 by assets before it lost its license in January of the same year.
Appeals court refuses to lift seizure of AFK Sistemas assets

MOSCOW, August 7 (RAPSI) - The Eighteenth Commercial Court of Appeals on Monday refused to overturn the seizure of 185 billion rubles ($3.1 billion) in assets belonging to AFK Sistema holding company, RAPSI learnt in the court.

On June 23, the Commercial Court of the Republic of Bashkortostan seized 31.76% of MTS mobile operators shares owned by AFK Sistema and its subsidiary Sistema-Invest as well as 100% of Medsi Groups shares and 90.47% of Bashkir Power Grid Companys (BESK) as part of 170.6 billion rubles (about $3 billion at the current exchange rate) lawsuit filed by Rosneft, Bashneft and Republic of Bashkiria against the companies.

AFK Sistema has filed an appeal against the ruling.

Press service of Rosneft has said previously that the lawsuit is connected with alleged siphoning of assets. Actions of AFK Sistema allegedly led to decrease of assets at this sum.

Initially, Rosneft sought to collect 106.6 billion ($1.8 billion) in damages from Sistema. Later the oil giant increased its claim to 170.6 billion. The plaintiff revised the claim damage upwards taking into account currency fluctuations, according to a companys representative.

According to AFK Sistema, the plaintiffs demands are illegal and groundless.

The Commercial Court of Bashkiria will continue hearing the oil companys lawsuit against AFK Sistema on August 8.
The University of Montana will have 24 fewer faculty members when students return to campus this fall, a headcount as of July 18 shows. And that number is expected to grow.

"There will be no automatic replacements, and in fact, there will not be very many replacements," President Sheila Stearns said Friday. "But there will be a few."

This year, UM offered two different sets of early retirement buyouts to full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty in an effort to save personnel costs and shore up its student-to-faculty ratio.

UM made an initial round of offers in May to 48 faculty ages 65 years or older. Eleven faculty members accepted offers and had a termination date of July 17, according to UM.

UM declined to provide a list of faculty members who accepted buyouts, citing personnel privacy.

However, the Missoulian requested and UM provided a list of all full-time tenured and tenure track faculty who taught in the last school year and their salaries, and all who were slated to teach in the upcoming school year as of July 18.

The list shows 24 faculty departures to date out of 538 who taught last school year. The departures should include the 11 who took buyouts as well as others who are leaving under different circumstances. (See corresponding list for names, salaries and departments of departing faculty.)

Collectively, the 24 faculty earned $1.87 million, from as low as $52,020 to as much as $127,163, according to the data.

The final tally of faculty who will no longer teach in the upcoming school year is pending a second round of buyouts.

***

An enrollment decline at the Missoula flagship has caused budget problems for UM, and the Montana Legislature set aside $2 million this year to help the university pay for buyouts. UM aims to save $4 million a year in the long run with buyouts, although it has not yet reached that target.

Officials in the Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education have said the campus must make faculty cuts to align its enrollment and resources with its personnel. Stearns, serving as interim president of UM, has also said UM spends too much of its budget on personnel, some 80 percent instead of closer to 70 percent.

Stearns said Friday a small number of positions will be filled based on accreditation needs, and the provost and deans will determine the posts that are "mission critical."

"We want to make sure that all of our good programs have all the faculty they need to meet our students' needs," Stearns said.

Five of the 24 faculty members who have left so far are from Missoula College, according to information from UM.

In a text, Missoula College Dean Shannon O'Brien said it feels premature to make any substantial comments on the situation. The data from UM show 33 faculty listed as being with Missoula College last school year.

"We are now simply preparing for the best experience and high quality instruction for our students and looking forward to a great year," O'Brien said.

***

The number of faculty who are leaving will likely increase because the second round of buyouts had yet to be finalized last week.

The termination date for faculty ages 60 to 64 who accepted buyouts was July 28. However, the six employees who had expressed interest in them had until Friday to revoke agreements, and Stearns said the second round of buyouts had yet to be solidified.

She said it's too early to tell whether enough employees will have departed to avoid layoffs, but she suspects UM will need to cut the faculty further.

"I think it is probably insufficient, which is why we really need to proceed with prioritization," Stearns said.

UM is in the midst of evaluating its academic programs, and it aims to have identified its priorities by December, the president said. Through the fall, a committee will determine which programs are staffed at adequate levels, which have too many employees, and which have too few, she said.

UM will use $580,000 of the $2 million appropriation to buy out 11 faculty and additional funds for possibly six others who accept the second round of offers.

Stearns said she hopes the Commissioner's Office will hold the funds that remain until December so UM can extend a third round of offers based on sector, ostensibly to faculty in academic programs deemed a lower priority for UM.
MANLIUS, N.Y. - "We love this house," is how Janice Geddes began the conversation about the home her and her husband, Dick, have lived in for 10 years on Mulberry Lane in Manlius.

"There is not a single room I don't enjoy sitting in," she said.

Geddes said the Paul Fowler home is "high quality and well-built," but it was its potential as a gathering place for family that originally drew them to it.

With both coming from big families, they wanted a home large enough to accommodate visitors and host parties, but was not "too ostentatious" from the outside.

"It's a house meant for a family," Geddes said.

It is truly a one of a kind. The main floor has everything you need on it: a spacious master suite, a great room with its wall of windows that looks out onto the well-maintained yard and a gourmet kitchen.

The lower level, which the couple have updated, has two bedrooms, bathrooms and a kitchenette. The entire level has radiant heating in the flooring.

It is essentially, Geddes said, "a house on top of a house," and would be a perfect home for parents with teenagers or college students looking for privacy or for visiting in-laws.

An open staircase or an elevator connects the two levels.

(The elevator is just one of the features in the house which make it wheelchair accessible.)

The most eye-catching feature is the indoor swimming pool. Geddes said the pool is easy to maintain, has a low-chlorine system which means there is no odor in the house, and can be closed off to prevent accidents.

Geddes also raved about her back deck, which she describes as incredibly private and looks out over 400 acres of woods. Deer, foxes and flocks of turkeys are frequent visitors.

The home has a whole-house generator and an advanced security system.

Geddes said her neighborhood is "wonderful and safe, with lovely people and lots of children."

With most of her family moving away, Geddes feels it's time to move into something smaller.

For an appointment to view the house, please contact the realtor below.

THE DETAILS

Address: 8866 Mulberry Lane, Manlius, N.Y. 13104

Price: $609,000

Size: 4,443 square feet

Acreage: 1.28 acres

Monthly Mortgage: $2,320 (based on this week's national average rate of 3.98 percent, according to Freddie Mac, for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a 20 percent down payment. Fees and points not included.)

Total taxes: $14,634 (Based on assessed value of $371,000)

Built: 1995

School District: Fayetteville-Manlius

Kitchen: The gourmet kitchen, the owner says, comes "with an acre of storage." It features three built-in pantries, an island, stainless appliances and a gas stove with a griddle and rotisserie. There is a small breakfast area that looks out on to the deck.

Master bathroom: It is one of four bathrooms in the house. The owner believes "you can have a party in my bathroom," it's so large. It has a double vanity, a soaking tub and a shower. It has radiant heating in the floor.

Master bedroom: One of four bedrooms in the home. It is extremely spacious and has access to a small deck off it. The walk-in closet is very large and has extra drawer space.

Living areas: The home's great room is what first catches your eye when you walk in the front door. Its wall of windows allows plenty of sunshine in, but they have been tinted so there is no sun damage on furniture or carpeting. The long window seats have additional storage. Current rooms like the morning room or office can easily be changed to bedrooms.

Lower level: The lower level has been updated and boasts two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchenette and radiant heat in the flooring. An elevator or staircase join the two levels. It is a great spot for teenagers or in-laws.

Indoor swimming pool: The indoor swimming pool the owner says is easy to maintain, and because it has a low-chlorine system there is virtually no chlorine odor in the home. The pool can be closed off and locked for privacy and to avoid accidents. A hoist system is available to help the elderly or handicapped into the water.

Outdoors: Built on over an acre of property, the home has a large, private, back deck that is great for entertaining and watching the area's wildlife. The property is up against 400 acres of woods. There is a three-car garage.

Agent: David and Debbie Pridgen

Coldwell Banker Prime Properties

Address: 6800 E. Genesee Street, Fayetteville, New York 13066

Phone: (315) 446-2910

Email: dave.pridgen@coldwellbankerprime.com or deb@debpridgen.com

To nominate a listing for House of the Week, send an email to home@syracuse.com.
America must return to conservative principles of less government,reduced taxes, less spending and a balanced budget! Cut,cap and balance!
Lalitpur, Nepal: A youth died in gun shot after Police opened fire at him at Kusunti of Lalitpur district on Monday afternoon.

The deceased has been identified as Prabin Khatri. Lalitpur district police has confirmed the incident.

It is claimed that Khatri was killed in retaliation of exchanging fire with Police team. However, locals have a claim that Khatri was killed in police firing but not in retaliation.

According to the Police, Khatri, 26, succumbed to bullet injuries after a team of police personnel reached the area to raid his house in suspicion of hiding illegal drugs and arms.

Khatri was declared dead at Patan Hospital as he was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
The EU

Google says the EU requires a notice of cookie use (by Google) and says they have posted a notice. I don't see it. If cookies bother you, go elsewhere. If the EU bothers you, emigrate. If you live outside the EU, don't go there.
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The Indian Express - August 2, 2017

Victim in the dock

Supreme Court order saying the law on cruelty against women is misused is based on erroneous conclusions drawn from NCRB figures that donat reveal the whole truth. It needs to be revisited.

Written by Indira Jaising

The Supreme Court on July 27, in the matter of Rajesh Sharma and Ors v State of UP and Anr, delivered a judgment, which the womens movement has rejected as biased against women. It is not often that a judgment of the Court invites protest from a cross section of society as this one has. There is an underlying assumption in the judgment that women "misuse" the law, and for this reason, the law itself must be emasculated.

In order to prevent the perceived misuse of the criminal law of cruelty against women, welfare committees, consisting of paralegals, volunteers, social workers, retired persons, wives of working officers and other citizens, who are found suitable and willing, have been put in place to scrutinise a complaint by a woman before the police take cognisance of it. The police must ensure that every complaint under Section 498A is referred to the welfare committee, which within one month will prepare a report, give its opinion and send it back to the police. Further, "till the report of the committee is received there will be no arrest".

Apart from giving a long rope to the accused to abscond, this is virtual privatisation of the policing function. That the members of the committee will be given remuneration makes it a parallel justice dispensation system. Only after the report of the welfare committee is submitted, can the police perform the policing function.

To complete the special treatment given to the accused in such cases, bail must be granted in one day, regardless of whether the dowry is recovered or not. Section 498A is particularly effective when invoked against an NRI husband who tries to evade the law and abscond to foreign land, never to return. In all such cases, the woman does apply for a red corner notice and the impounding of the passport of the husband. This will no longer be possible, allowing the NRI husband to abscond. As an act of grace, these directions will not apply to cases involving "tangible physical injuries or death".

What one may ask is the point of an arrest after the woman is dead? The purpose of all law is to sustain life, not support its destruction. What we see in our courts is a touching concern for the dead and condemnation for the living. After all, dead women tell no lies. But when will we learn that the whole point of the law is to prevent women from dying in the matrimonial home?

When law enforcement agencies have no respect for the rule of law, why should anyone else have it? After all, the rule of law does not collapse just one fine day dramatically like a pack of cards, but is eroded slowly for lack of respect, until one day, there is no rule of law, just the rule of the mob. Cognisable offences have been turned into non-cognisable offences, special rules for bail for husbands have been created, and the provisions of the Passport Act are given a go-by. There is nothing to prevent a violent husband from doing a Vijay Mallya trick to evade the due process of law.

By far the most devastating impact of appointing welfare committees drawn from the civil society is their potential to become non-state vigilante groups. It has happened with the gau rakshaks, who have received recognition by law to perform the functions of cow protection. The judgment has relied upon the data of the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) of 2005, 2012 and 2013. Relying on the figures of the number of people arrested, convicted and acquitted, it comes to the conclusion that since the conviction rate is low, most of the cases registered under 498A are "false". This data does not give a clear picture as there can be a number of reasons for acquittal, such as poor investigation by the investigating officer, settlement through mediation, or intimidation of witnesses and the complainant herself.

Before coming to the conclusion that women misuse the law, the court ought to have called for expert evidence and requisitioned the services of womenas studies centres which exist in all universities. Instead, they relied on NCRB data. The NCRB data, which is relied upon by the Court, indicates that in 2011, a total of 1,14,372 cases were registered under crimes against women in matrimonial homes. The Court does not correlate the data from NFHS-3 which indicates that in the same year there were at least 59 million women who experienced some form of physical or sexual violence in the preceding 12 months.

As per NFHS, a mere two per cent of these women may have sought police support, while the rest have not accessed the law. Low conviction rates exist across the board, in relation to all crimes. To isolate crimes against women is to miss the point that the criminal justice system is in need of serious repair. Evidence of reluctance on the part of women to register police complaints emerges from the analysis of service records of a public hospital-based crisis intervention centre, Dilaasa. Of all the women registered at the centre between 2001 and 2010, a total of 1,675 married women were considered for the purpose of this analysis.

The findings are illuminating: Forty-seven per cent of the women had sought police support against violence before coming to Dilaasa. Of these, almost all had only registered a NC. Merely two per cent had filed an FIR.

Fifty-three per cent of the women had never gone to the police. Among women who did not seek police support, one-third had experienced violence for three to five years; 64 per cent of them reported violence during pregnancy; 32 per cent reported they had attempted suicide in the past as a consequence of the ongoing abuse; 39 per cent experienced physical violence in the form of pulling of hair and banging of head; while 29 per cent were abused by punching in the chest, face and abdomen.

Sexual violence was also experienced by 27 per cent women in the form of forced sexual intercourse. Additionally, 26 per cent of them were abused with instruments which include hitting with blunt and sharp objects, use of belt and inserting objects into the vagina. Bias explains the manner in which enforcement agencies enforce the law. When it comes to the invocation of Section 498A, the first suggestion is that "disgruntled wives" are misusing the law to put "bed-ridden grandfathers and grandmothers" behind bars. To quote the judgement, "most of complaints under 498A are filed in the heat of the moment over trivial issues ". Hence short of an attempt to commit suicide, or "tangible injury", everything else is "trivial", calling for no intervention of the law.

Relying on the findings of the NCRB, the Court concludes that several complaints are "false". It is one thing to say there is no evidence to prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt, but another to say that a complaint is false. Uncritical acceptance of these statistics has led to an incomprehensible judgment based on police data alone. The power of the police is limited to finding evidence, insufficient evidence does not render the complaint false.

Lastly, the Court appointed two lawyers with no expertise on violence against women as amicus curiae. No effort was made to get a contrary point of view before giving a judgment which virtually rewrote the law and goes consciously contrary to criminal jurisprudence. The sooner the judgment is overturned, the better for the rule of law.

The writer is former additional solicitor general and senior advocate, Supreme Court
The authorities of Uruguay, one of the few Latin American countries that still support the Polisarios separatist claims, refused to seize a ship carrying 300 tons of Moroccan phosphate from the Boucraa deposit in Western Sahara.

Following suit to Panama, which eventually released a ship carrying a shipment of phosphate from southern Morocco destined to Canada, Uruguay inflicted a new blow to the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.

The separatist front, which has seemingly exhausted all its options in the diplomatic battle it is waging over Western Sahara, embarked on a new adventure in its attempt to challenge Moroccos exploitation of natural resources in the Moroccan southern provinces.

So far, all seizure requests made by the Polisario to the countries where ships loaded with phosphate or other products from the Sahara transit were turned down.

Only South Africa responded favorably to the separatists request and immobilized the vessel Cherry Blossom, loaded with 55,000 tons of Moroccan Sahara phosphates, that was heading to New Zealand.

This position, which has no legal foundation, finds its full explanation in the fact that corrupt President Jacob Zumas regime is fiercely hostile to Morocco and its interests and is aligned with the foreign policy of Algeria, the main supporter of the Polisario.

The request of the Polisario, which was trying to reproduce in Uruguay what it did in South Africa, was turned down by Uruguayan judicial authorities, as did Panama early June. The Panamanian Maritime Court had actually refused to seize the ship Ultra Innovation with a shipload of Moroccan phosphate from the town of Laayoune as requested by the Polisario and its lobbyists.

The Panamanian court simply declared itself incompetent to rule on a matter of international politics, especially since the Polisario Front was not the owner of the shipment, subject of the seizure request.

The decision of the courts of both Panama and Uruguay embarrasses South African justice and political authorities vis-a-vis not only Morocco and the owners of the Cherry Blossom vessel but also the entire international community and the World Trade Organization (WTO), because there is no justification for such a decision in maritime law and international trade law.
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Simon Rumley makes challenging films. Not for all tastes, certainly, but for those who want their genre cinema with a finely-honed sophistication in character and drama. His latest, Fashionista, is part relationship drama and part addiction character study, and it is not beyond wandering into some sinister back alleys.

Those who stay for (or make it to) the end credits will notice that the director dedicates the picture to British cinematographer and auteur director, Nicolas Roeg; one of cinema's great experimenters who is, remarkably, still with us at age 88. Roeg's 1980 picture, Bad Timing, serves as the starting point for Fashionista, but the director's filmography in general is a helpful guide to Rumley's fractured narrative structure and sensory-driven editing.

Amanda Fuller, reuniting with the director after Red, White & Blue, to perhaps become his Theresa Russell, turns in a complex performance as April, a vintage clothing owner-operator in Austin, Texas. She lives in a supremely cool apartment with her husband and business partner Eric, who is played by the ever-ubiquitous Ethan Embry.

We do not get to see this amazing pad right away, due to the piles and piles of clothes the couple have strewn on every conceivable surface. Rumley shoots these scenes of chic-hoarding like a dimly lit nest; the couple snuggling under a single light in the center. It is perhaps the film's signature image. And it is a good one. The film will slowly undress this apartment, as it does April's psyche.

On the surface, this massive, unsorted clothing collection is just good business sense. The couple are about to open a second shop in Dallas and need the inventory. There is a dark side, however, of being beholden to too much stuff, insofar as it threatens to swallow everything.

Case in point: April takes forever to find specific items to wear for specific outings. She changes outfits close to 100 times over the course of the film's 110 minute runtime. Feel free to do the arithmetic on that. There is a smashingly good montage early in the film, a classic shot tracking behind the actress, divided into a dozen cuts each with a different outfit. It sets a cool rhythm the film then meticulously deconstructs and de-glamorizes.

A new girl at the shop sets off flames of jealousy, threatening her marriage, and the business. April's paranoia and anger leads her towards Randall, a wealthy advertising man with looks that straddle the in-between Christian Bale and Keanu Reeves. He seems to dabble as upscale pimp, and in shady finance, besides. If Eric and April are the fading grunge-vintage-hip of the Austin scene, Randall is the cold, monied gentrification of Texas' blue dot personified. His neoliberal tastes tend towards dark sexual games. His sterile living quarters are all stainless steel appliances, with a swanky swimming pool patio. He probably never uses either.

Randall gives April a few thousand dollars to 'upgrade' her wardrobe to a more 1-Percenter sensibility. This is also a gateway to his sinister sexual proclivities. Unmoored and increasingly unhinged -- is she a girlfriend or prostitute? -- April becomes desperate to go back to a simpler existence, even as she burns much of her clothing inventory along with any possibility of real intimacy.

Meanwhile, Eric's apartment is emptied of all the bric-a-brac threads to reveal expensive, over-sized vintage movie posters of The Night Porter, Berlin Alexanderplatz, Mad Max and possibly a Fellini film. Is Eric, in his sweet but insensitive way, similar enough to Randall?

The film does not go all the way with the duality, but it certainly has things to say about materialism, collecting-culture, and the often emptiness of style, be it lowbrow or highbrow.

The movie never dictates these things in a straightforward manner, it only shows. Add into the mix the tall, dark and thin Alex Essoe, who plays a seemingly unconnected, unnamed woman in the process of coming out of a mental hospital in a haze. Even a dedicated cinema-goer might get lost in the fractured structure and experimental shooting and lighting styles.

There are these superb time-lapses of April tossing and turning in her (various) sleeping locations. They are particularly exceptional and relatively lucid, but when juxtaposed with the out-of-order structure, it implies the film exists in a kind of pragmatic dream-state; a very Roeg headspace.

Fashionista demands a lot of its viewers. Like April, we have to wander lost for stretches of the movie, unclear of what place or time we are in at the moment. Cause and effect are just as easily effect and cause. It is the addict's nightmare, rendered only as cinema offer. Only here there are no drugs or needles, only the reflecting skin and masks we are inclined to slide over our bodies and retreat behind.


Swiss filmmaker Lionel Rupp and producer Michael David Mitchell followed the campaign of Bernie Sanders during the last U.S. election, fascinated by the people's movement behind the Democratic Party candidate.

A Campaign of Their Own does not serve as an extended promo for Sanders but doubles as a report on unprecedented enthusiasm and the push people were willing to engage in what Noam Chomsky called the most remarkable thing about the 2016 election.

Rupp follows Sanders' rallies in New York and Philadelphia, witnessing the zeal but heartbreak as well, and above all the need for change organized in people's activism.

ScreenAnarchy caught up with Lionel Rupp to talk about the circumstances of the documentary, the method of capturing the events marrying journalistic and fiction filmmaking, and A Campaign of Their Own being a love story.



ScreenAnarchy: How come a Swiss filmmaker got to make a documentary about the U.S. election?

Lionel Rupp: Michael David Mitchell is a U.S. citizen who moved to Switzerland 15 years ago and I was interested in the U.S. election since I was a child. I followed each election since Clinton until Trump and in January 2016, we were discussing the upcoming election. I was very curious about it and Mike too, who was infatuated with Bernie Sanders. He kept talking about him and I also became intrigued by this outsider.

The more I was becoming interested, the more it was getting frustrating for us, due to Bernies representation on media or rather lack thereof. A week before the actual shooting, we decided to go to the U.S.A. We knew Bernie was at his momentum, he won the seven previous primaries and we knew if he won New York, he had a chance to win the primaries. We talked about it and the day after, we bought tickets to see what the campaign looks like.

Why did you zoom in on Sanders? There were also other odd figures in the running, such as the transhumanist Istvan Zoltan.

Sanders had the chance to last until the convention and had a really interesting message. We liked his ideas, but we really wanted to know it works today and this was the first candidate with such ideas since the 60s.

There was also a lot of enthusiasm behind this candidate, so there was no other candidate we would like to follow. We knew about a lot of Republican candidates but were not really interested in their candidacies. If I am making a documentary, I want to shoot people I would like to pass several months in the editing room with.

I will return to your previous effort on the omnibus film WONDERLAND, where you contributed one story along other emerging Swiss filmmakers. I cannot help but think the film had a strong political charge.

It was very, very, very political. It was the decision we made. At the time of writing the script, we really did not like the situation created by the political majority. We did not feel rightfully represented in the decision they were taking.

It was more like an angry film about what the country had decided to do. We did not want to hide it. And I believe it was a great way to make the film. I personally love these kind of strange Carpenter films from the 80s against Reagan policy, and Wonderland is the same about our country.

Despite making a documentary about an election, A CAMPAIGN OF THEIR OWN is not so much political.

It is political but I think it is subtle in Sanders, even though if you do not consider it that subtle since I am following only his campaign. It is not solely about Bernie Sanders' candidacy but about peoples feelings about politics.

And what happens if your candidate does not go further and you feel abandoned and this strange feeling you can feel in a love story, falling in love with a politician and having a heartbreaking story.

Did you face some dilemmas on the project?

I have made a choice to retard the dramaturgy and make it happen in the last moment. Everybody in Philadelphia knew that Bernie will give up but people in Philadelphia wanted to believe that there will be some chance, a kind of miracle.

But that was impossible. I really want to show the strange hope of people while we knew that Bernie will give up. At this point, when he made the speech at the convention, it is really the central point because we can see that it is impossible for people following the campaign to accept the situation as they are emotionally invested in it.

It is political for Bernie but for his followers, it is more emotional. They perceive it as a betrayal from his side. The gap between Sanders and Clinton is so wide that they cannot follow him. We can see it when Jonathan Katz, one of the films protagonists, speaks, and I agree most of the time with him, but sometime he says too much and too harsh things about Clinton. And that is the point of no return.

Did you have a sort of script or at least bullet-points regarding the dramaturgy?

Most of the time we were following various people to a certain point, then we heard about others elsewhere and went there, so were jumping from one group to another. The time was really short, the film was shot in 11 days so we had to shoot 12 hours a day.

Most of my decisions were to go there and have that instead of something else. Just one thing, I believe it was only once, when there was Bernies speech on the TV when I talked a little bit with Toby before the scene. I do not think it was conscious but I talked to Toby about the position of Bernie and I said to him that maybe he had no choice, that if you are on the Democratic roster you sign up for, that you had to support the nominee and that you do not have other choice.

And after that, when we shot the scene, I noticed that Toby played the role regarding the understanding of Bernie ,where she is trying to convince a little bit Jonathan, even though there was no chance of convincing him. She was a little bit more balanced and I believe it helped the film because it created a conflict between both and Jonathan could really argue.

Were you thinking about other elements besides what the campaigners were saying?

I was alone with my camera and I am always thinking about editing and I have more of a fiction filmmaking vocabulary in my mind so I knew I will need this shot, that angle and I moved a lot to capture all the material I know I might need once I get into the editing room.

What kind crew was there on the ground covering the events?

It was only me, Mike and a sound engineer and it was really more of a sprint work, six days in New York, six days in Philadelphia. Each night, I backed up the material. It was really light material so there were no problems with storing the footage.

Was it more of a journalistic approach in the documentary or did your filmmaking instincts also kick in?

It was a really small crew. I am coming from a fiction filmmaking background and in the last 10 years, I have mostly done short films. I cannot change myself so I am almost always thinking and working in terms of fiction filmmaking. It was journalistic in approach to the material, the content, but the way of shooting and editing comes from fiction filmmaking methods, in terms of composition and space.

Were there any difficult situations, some run-ins, during rallies?

Not so much. Most of the time, people were arguing and most of the time it was really strange because in the streets of New York and Philadelphia, you could encounter only Sanders' supporters, hardly any Clinton voters. It was like the streets were reserved for Bernie's supporters and the convention for Hillary's.

How did you pick people to appear in the film?

It was a choice during the shooting and during the editing. During the shooting, it was more of an instinct choice when I put on my headphones and heard what Jonathan was talking about. Almost immediately I liked him.

I really enjoyed his comic personality and his way of seeing things, I like his Jewish sense of humor. I felt like being in a Woody Allen film. He makes me laugh so much so I knew I like him like a character.

Each time I chose somebody in the editing room or during shooting, it was in this spirit that I knew she or he can be a character. What we discussed with Mike was to have a wide range of characters. It is a film about political movement and it does not need to be politically correct but we had to show the variety of people.

The majority were white but there were Native Americans; African-Americans were more for Hillary but there were some behind Bernie as well. There is this senator, Nina Turner, when she was speaking at people's convention, I really liked this kind of energy. It brought a balance into the film.

Did you work undercover?

Most of the time we were undercover but occasionally, we needed passes, like in a rally in Brooklyn. We talked a lot with Bernies campaign so we got some passes. In Philadelphia, we received access to some delegations to see Bernie closer with delegates but that did not make the final cut. But we had some discussions with Bernies campaign.

Have you been in contact with Sanders' campaign?

No, we never asked them. We only got releases from people that are in front of the camera. We did not show anything to Bernie.

I have to add, though, that we are planning to do a kind of follow-up in the form of a short film, something like Bernie and Me. We would like to organize a discussion between Bernie Sanders, Jonathan Katz and Toby. Right now, we are in negotiations with Bernie. It is really interesting, not only from sociological point-of-view but for Jonathan, it would be a great encounter.

What was the feedback on the film by people appearing in it?

We had shown the film to all our characters. Jonathan gets always emotional and cries but apart that, our characters like the film and they feel well represented.

Did you have any goal or ambition on your mind while making A CAMPAIGN OF THEIR OWN?

For me, the most important thing is to have the approval of people that are appearing in the film. I was very nervous from Jonathan and Toby's reaction when we showed them the film for the first time. Otherwise, I did not intend to make this film as an expansion of Bernies voice.

The film does not feel like a promo for Sanders but more of a portrayal of peoples activism.

Exactly, it does not lie in Bernie's portrayal but more in the notion that if we really want to live in a democracy, we need to be adequately represented in the government. If you believe in democracy, you have to be committed to it, go vote, discuss with people around you. If you do not believe in democracy, you try to change the system into another system. All in all, A Campaign of Their Own is a film against cynicism.

I read this book, A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, during the editing of A Campaign of Their Own and my next project will be a fiction film shot in Switzerland. However, after this project, I would really like to return to the U.S. to shoot a documentary because there is this relation between Americans, a camera and their own representation.

I am interested in their history, their politics. I was thinking a lot about Native Americans in North Dakota. If you remember, there is one in A Campaign of Their Own, the one that says he is also a millennial, and he says something interesting that I edited out in rush. He says that Native Americans are invisible and this is the sentiment I had about Sanders and his media representation.

The same about Native Americans, they appear from time to time but they are mostly invisible to the mainstream. I have to think hard about the project since it wont be easy for me to make that kind of documentary as a white dude. I am not sure what the subject will be but I know I would like to make a film about Native Americans.

Did the U.S. contribute to the project financially, somehow?

We made a little crowdfunding between New York and Philadelphia because at that time, we did not have money from the state's subvention. However, most of the funding came from our art collective Zooscope, there is a kind of financial solidarity among the members.

So, our collective decided to support the project A Campaign of Their Own. Aside that, towards the end, we received some financial support from the French part of Switzerland to finish the project. But no money from U.S. went into the project, just the individual contributions via crowdfunding.

Why would Switzerland support a documentary about political events in another country?

We sent them the rough cut but at that point they knew a several festivals became interested in our project. It was really a last minute support.

Before that, we never asked for money. We knew the film will have a career on the festival circuit, some people became interested in it, so they decided to support it.
 Guest post: "Its Time to End Life without Parole for Children in the United States" | Main | Horrible abuse and female defendant's demeanor lead Arizona jury to send child murderer to death row 

August 7, 2017

Effective reminder of plea realities and over-criminalization in modern US criminal justice systems

Emily Yoffe has this lengthy new Atlantic article that effectively reviews what most modern criminal justice practitioners know well about the criminal justice system: plea practices are the heart of criminal case processing. The piece is headlined "Innocence Is Irrelevant: This is the age of the plea bargainand millions of Americans are suffering the consequences." I recommend the piece in full, and here are excerpts:

This is the age of the plea bargain. Most people adjudicated in the criminal-justice system today waive the right to a trial and the host of protections that go along with one, including the right to appeal. Instead, they plead guilty. The vast majority of felony convictions are now the result of plea bargainssome 94 percent at the state level, and some 97 percent at the federal level. Estimates for misdemeanor convictions run even higher. These are astonishing statistics, and they reveal a stark new truth about the American criminal-justice system: Very few cases go to trial. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy acknowledged this reality in 2012, writing for the majority in Missouri v. Frye, a case that helped establish the right to competent counsel for defendants who are offered a plea bargain. Quoting a law-review article, Kennedy wrote,  Horse trading [between prosecutor and defense counsel] determines who goes to jail and for how long. That is what plea bargaining is. It is not some adjunct to the criminal justice system; it is the criminal justice system. ... Because of plea bargains, the system can quickly handle the criminal cases of millions of Americans each year, involving everything from petty violations to violent crimes. But plea bargains make it easy for prosecutors to convict defendants who may not be guilty, who dont present a danger to society, or whose crime may primarily be a matter of suffering from poverty, mental illness, or addiction. And plea bargains are intrinsically tied up with race, of course, especially in our era of mass incarceration. As prosecutors have accumulated power in recent decades, judges and public defenders have lost it. To induce defendants to plead, prosecutors often threaten the trial penalty: They make it known that defendants will face more-serious charges and harsher sentences if they take their case to court and are convicted. About 80 percent of defendants are eligible for court-appointed attorneys, including overworked public defenders who dont have the time or resources to even consider bringing more than a tiny fraction of these cases to trial. The result, one frustrated Missouri public defender complained a decade ago, is a style of defense that is nothing more than meet em and greet em and plead em.... Thanks in part to plea bargains, millions of Americans have a criminal record; in 2011, the National Employment Law Project estimated that figure at 65 million. It is a mark that can carry lifetime consequences for education, employment, and housing. Having a record, even for a violation that is trivial or specious, means a person can face tougher charges and punishment if he or she again encounters the criminal-justice system. Plea bargaining has become so coercive that many innocent people feel they have no option but to plead guilty. Our system makes it a rational choice to plead guilty to something you didnt do, Maddy deLone, the executive director of the Innocence Project, told me.... No one sets out to create bloated criminal codes, I was told by David Carroll, the executive director of the Sixth Amendment Center, which protects the right to counsel. But once they exist, vast resources are spent to justify them. In response to the crime wave, the United States significantly expanded police forces to catch criminals, prosecutors offices to charge them, and the correctional system to incarcerate them. Legislators have added so many acts to criminal codes that in 2013, Neil Gorsuchnow on the Supreme Court, but then an appellate judgepublicly raised concerns. In a speech sponsored by the Federalist Society, he asked, What happens to individual freedom and equalityand to our very conception of law itselfwhen the criminal code comes to cover so many facets of daily life that prosecutors can almost choose their targets with impunity?... No amount of tinkering, however, will matter much unless Americans stop trying to use the criminal-justice system as a tool for managing social ills. Why are these cases being pumped into the system in the first place?, [Professor Stephanos] Bibas said to me. Hes not alone in asking. Across the country, in red states and blue states, reformist state and district attorneys have recently been elected on platforms of rolling back harsh sentencing, reducing the enforcement of marijuana laws, and knocking down crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. And change is happening. Last year, for example, the New York City Council passed legislation that made offenses such as public drinking and urination civil rather than criminal violations, and thus subject largely to tickets and fines. Paring back our criminal code and eliminating many mandatory minimum sentences will be crucial to reform. In the long-running War on Drugs, the government has regularly prosecuted people for possessing small amounts of illegal substances, or for merely possessing drug paraphernalia. Often, on the basis of no evidence beyond a police officers assertion, officials have charged and prosecuted defendants for the more serious crime of intent to sell. But during Prohibition, when the manufacture, transport, and sale of alcohol were federal crimes, Americans were not arrested by the millions and incarcerated for drinking. And they certainly didnt plead guilty to possessing martini glasses and other drinking paraphernalia.... The United States is experiencing a criminal-justice crisis, just not the one the Trump administration talks about. By accepting the criminalization of everything, the bloat of the criminal-justice system, and the rise of the plea bargain, the country has guaranteed that millions of citizens will not have a fair shot at leading ordinary lives.

August 7, 2017 at 11:02 AM | Permalink

Comments

Lawyers are failing their clients, their country and need to revamp.

Posted by: Liberty1st | Aug 7, 2017 3:03:52 PM

"But plea bargains make it easy for prosecutors to convict defendants who may not be guilty, who dont present a danger to society. . . ." Whoever said that the convictions were only for those who present a danger to society? Sometimes it really is to disincentive negative, but not dangerous, behavior.

It is one-sided to characterize a defendant going to trial as suffering a trial penalty. These defendants are giving up the currency of a jury trial for a reduced sentence. Often a sentence offered by the court, not the prosecutor. I for one would like to see more trials but the defendants don't want them, they want me or the court to make them a offer. Frequently the court of counsel get angry when I won't make an offer (even in cases without a mandatory minimum). They want the penalty that is reduced because that they "pay" for it with the currency provided by the Constitution - a jury trial. Many judges like the system as is too. Why do you think articles like the above go nowhere? Because prosecutors have a stranglehold over the legislature? Not in California.

This pablum about increased prosecution power forcing the guilty to plead is a half truth and frankly is extraordinarily rare. It is true that the spread between a plea bargain sentence and a post trial sentence can be unreasonably wide, but it is NOT only prosecutors who drive this reality. Judges and defense lawyers who like the plea bargain discount drive it too.

I just wonder, if we decriminalized all drugs, will we finally stop hearing about all this angst about overcriminalization? What other crimes are they talking about that are dragging all these otherwise potentially productive people down? Credit card fraud, drunk driving, theft, crimes of violence, what? As if the former defendants would all be employable but for their record. What is rarely talked about in the over criminalization discussion is the reality that the vast majority of crimes are events that people agree should be crimes. Exotic crimes are just that and rarely committed or prosecuted.

One final note. What mandatory minimums do they want complete judicial discretion for?All crimes, including, murder, rape, armed robbery? Regardless, why is it not reasonable for society to say that if certain crimes are committed there is a floor which all defendants will get?

Here's a solution, if you want more jury trials, stop allowing the offering of such a steep discount for pleading guilty. Maybe for certain crimes a jury should be made mandatory. But please stop blaming it on over criminalization and prosecutorial power. That is simplistic and wrong.

Posted by: David | Aug 7, 2017 6:56:39 PM

David: How can you justify the unconscionable absolute tort immunity of the prosecutor? I think it is bad for the specialty, and not just for the victims of your carelessness.

1) Your specialty has a high error rates, even in $million budget cases, such as death penalty cases, with extremely high false negatives and false positives;

2) torts are a substitute for violence, and formal logic dictates that your specialty should be subjected to violence if you fail to waive the immunity;

3) your liability should be under professional standards of due care, even if your acts qualify you for strict liability. You are so bad, strict liability would bankrupt all governments, and in weeks;

4) you should be liable for not just prosecuting the innocent, but also for wrongful discretion that results in damages to a foreseeable victim of crime;

5) you may carry professional liability insurance as the lawyer forces everyone to do;

6) the pro-lawyer biased Supreme Court has ruled that you do not have a duty to an individual, the one that pays your salary, that one. If your duty is to an entire jurisdiction, then, OK, let's have an aggregate as you allow black citizens, as a class, to endure a five fold higher rate of murder victimization;

7) are the police your agents, or not? Should you not be made to pay for all their carelessness resulting in damages to plaintiffs? You need to control your dog better, being 100% responsible for their damages;

8) you are an at will employee of biased, and really stupid political has been hacks; that is unbearable,and you should have protection from their politically motivated order to prosecute or to not prosecute;

9) most laws, regulations are quackery not enhancing anyone's safety, you should be made to pay for enforcing a quack rule;

10) because malfeasance is not part of your job description, the taxpayer should not pay for the damages your specialty is causing;

11) lastly, your specialty allows 30 million crimes a year, and prosecutes only 2 million, prosecution being one of the strongest factors in suppressing crime, not quack reg gotchas, but the common law crimes and internet crimes. Then, when a victim fights back, you prosecute the victim to deter competition with your failed agents, the police. How much can a specialty suck and for how much longer before the public just gets rid of you?

Posted by: David Behar | Aug 7, 2017 7:46:38 PM

Law professors need to read this article. Much of the problem of the profession stems from the law schools and professors who never tried a jury trial in their lives.

Posted by: Liberty1st | Aug 7, 2017 9:59:33 PM

I appreciate David's perspective.

Posted by: Joe | Aug 8, 2017 10:09:34 AM

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 You be the federal judge: what sentence for "Pharma Bro" after his fraud convictions? | Main | Effective reminder of plea realities and over-criminalization in modern US criminal justice systems 

August 6, 2017

Guest post: "Its Time to End Life without Parole for Children in the United States"

I recently received a kind request to publish here a commentary authored by Rob Smith and Heather Renwick. Rob is the Executive Director of the Fair Punishment Project at Harvard Law School, and Heather is Legal Director at the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth in Washington DC. Here is what they have to say:

Sweeping reform over the past five years has brought the United States to a critical tipping point in the movement to end the arbitrary and cruel practice of sentencing kids to life in prison without parole. The Associated Press just reported that the number of youth serving life without parole around the country has dramatically fallen in the past five years due to legislative reforms and judicial opinions that recognize sentencing kids to life in prison is unnecessarily harsh and unconstitutional in most, if not all, cases. In 2012, only five states banned life without parole sentences for juveniles. Today, just five years later, the number of states that ban life sentences for children has nearly quadrupled, bringing the total to nineteen states and District of Columbia. Another four states do not sentence children to life in prison, despite the fact that penalty is technically available. The states that ban or no longer use life without parole for children reflect geographical, political, and ideological diversity. For example, West Virginia enacted the most progressive law in the country in 2014, and Nevadas Republican-majority legislature unanimously passed a law that provides parole eligibility for all children sentenced in adult court. Even Pennsylvania, the historical epicenter of juvenile life without parole in the United States, is moving unequivocally away from the practice. In the past year, over 100 individuals sentenced as children to life without parole in Pennsylvania have been resentenced, more than 60 of whom have returned home so far. When the U.S. Supreme Court abolished the juvenile death penalty in 2005 in a case called Roper v. Simmons, it looked to the number of states that legislatively or functionally abandoned the juvenile death penalty as evidence of national consensus. The rapid movement away from life without parole sentences for youth has far surpassed the pace of reform that preceded Roper. Yet a handful of states remain outliers in their treatment of young people convicted of serious crimes. Virginia has flouted U.S. Supreme Court opinions limiting the imposition of life sentences on children, and in Michigan, children continue to be sentenced to life without parole at a rate that far outstrips the rest of the country. So whether a child is sentenced to life without parole is entirely dependent on the state in which he or she is sentenced. Last year in a case called Montgomery v. Louisiana  a clarification of its 2012 opinion Miller v. Alabama  the U.S. Supreme Court said that a sentence of life without parole should not be imposed on a child in most, if not all, cases. The Supreme Court rooted these decisions in the understanding that even children who commit serious crimes are capable of positive growth and change. Yet as the AP just reported, inconsistent implementation of these U.S. Supreme Court decisions means that [t]he odds of release or continued imprisonment vary from state to state, even county to county, in a pattern that can make justice seem arbitrary. And our nations kids deserve more than arbitrary justice. Its time for the U.S. Supreme Court to recognize what a rapidly growing number of states already have: that no child should be sentenced to life in prison without parole.

August 6, 2017 at 09:28 PM | Permalink

Comments

Harvard, Washington DC? Dismissed. I am not even reading this pro-criminal propaganda trash. Get someone real, instead of a Blame America First, Hate America most Harvard asshole.

Hey, Harvard Asshole, let's have the home address, or STFU. All released murderers will be placed in the houses surrounding yours.

This Harvard asshole calls 17 year old super-predators and organized crime assassins, children.

Posted by: David Behar | Aug 6, 2017 11:20:34 PM

Great guest post. Ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child !

Posted by: peter | Aug 7, 2017 6:20:11 AM

Youth, kids, children. The authors are lawyers, please tell me what age you are now and forever advocating as ineligible for LWOP. Because they refuse to use an age, but rather use soft terms like youth kids in children tells me that it is not age 18. I expect more from legal educators.

Also they state that getting LWOP is " entirely dependent on the state in which he or she is sentenced." A significant and just as important variable is the comission of the qualifying crime. These people make it sound like these vile crimes are involuntary. That is not how our criminal justice system views this behavior. Regardless it is not unfair for different states to approach questions differently. That is the very nature of our republic.

Posted by: David | Aug 7, 2017 9:21:51 AM

Doug--where is the AP story? The hyperlink goes to an email. Thanks!

Posted by: Leah | Aug 7, 2017 4:25:35 PM

Sorry about that, Leah, I now think I fixed all the links.

Posted by: Doug B. | Aug 7, 2017 5:19:42 PM

I agree that we should execute people instead of giving them life without parole. But due to the anti-death penalty movement, life without parole seems a fair compromise.

Posted by: Who's your DABBY | Aug 8, 2017 12:36:09 AM

As we (and the authors)well know:

"children who commit serious crimes are capable of negative growth and even more violent change."

Posted by: Dudley Sharp | Aug 8, 2017 8:52:35 AM

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As regular readers know, I enjoy following up news of a high-profile conviction by asking what sentence readers think fitting for the high-profile convicted offender. As detailed in this MSNBC report, headlined "'Pharma bro' Martin Shkreli found guilty of 3 of 8 charges, including securities fraud," the high-profile offender this time around is a notorious pharmaceutical executive. Here are the basics about his crime:

A federal jury Friday found notorious "Pharma bro" Martin Shkreli guilty of three counts of securities fraud  but acquitted him of five other criminal counts related to hedge funds investors and a drug company he founded. The split verdict in Shkreli's trial came at about 2:37 p.m. on the fifth day of jury deliberations, after a more-than-month-long trial in Brooklyn, New York, federal court.

At that trial, prosecutors claimed Shkreli had defrauded multiple investors in his two hedge funds out of millions of dollars, only to repay them with stock and cash that he looted from a the biotech company he created, Retrophin. While the seven-woman, five-man jury clearly accepted some of the prosecution's evidence, it rejected other parts of their argument.

The mixed decision perplexed many in the courtroom, including the 34-year-old Shkreli, who first drew widespread public scorn in 2015 for raising the price of a lifesaving drug by more than 5,000 percent. He looked over quizzically at one of this lawyers, Marc Agnifilo, each of the three times that Judge Kiyo Matsumoto interrupted a set of "not guilty" announcements she was reading off of the jury's verdict sheet with a "guilty" one.

A juror who was quoted anonymously by the New York Times, said "In some of the counts at least we couldn't find that he intentionally stole from them and the reasoning was to hurt them."...

Shkreli, who remains free on $5 million bail, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. But he is sure to receive a far-less-severe punishment than that, given his lack of a criminal record, and other factors.

"I think we are delighted in many ways," said Shkreli said outside of the courthouse. "This was a witch hunt of epic proportions and maybe they found one or two broomsticks but at the end of the day we've been acquitted of the most important charges in this case." He almost immediately afterward used his new Twitter account, @samthemanTP, to comment on the outcome of the case, and also started a livestream on YouTube from his apartment.

Shkreli's lead lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, told a group of journalists, "I hope tomorrow's reports inform the public that Martin Shkreli went to trial and despite being Martin Shkreli he won more than he lost."

But acting United States Attorney Bridget Rohde, whose office prosecuted Shkreli, said, "We're gratified as we stand here today at the jury's verdict."

"Justice has been served," said Rohde, whose prosecution team next plans to try Shkreli's co-defendant and former business lawyer Evan Greebel this fall.

Brafman said the amount of money Shkreli could be made to surrender would have been much higher if he had been found guilty of ripping off Retrophin, to repay swindled hedge-fund investors. But Shkreli was acquitted of that charge, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which Brafman referred to as "the money count."

Brafman said that because the jury found that any loss suffered by Retrophin was either low, or non-existent, as the defense claims, the sentence recommended for Shkreli will be light. "I think we would love to have a complete sweep but five out of eight counts, not guilty, is in our view a very good verdict especially since count seven, the main count that impacts on the loss in this case, that was the most important count in the case from our perspective," Brafman said. "And for Martin to be found not guilty of that count is a very, very good result as far as we are concerned," Brafman said....

The charges against Shkreli were unrelated to his decision, while CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, to raise the price of the drug Daraprim from $13.50 per pill to $750 per pill in 2015. The price increase came as he was being investigated for the case that led to his trial.

Prosecutors said a mountain of testimony and evidence at that trial showed that Shkreli duped multiple investors into putting millions of dollars into two hedge funds he ran, MSMB Capital and MSMB Healthcare, by falsely claiming to have an excellent record of running such funds, and by falsely stating his investment strategy had a low level of risk.

After getting their money, prosecutor said, Shkreli quickly lost much of it, and also used some of it to capitalize his infant company Retrophin even as he continued sending out financial statements to investors claiming positive returns. And when investors asked for their money to be redeemed to them in cash, Shkreli brushed them off for months or more, inventing excuses and suggesting alternative ways to pay them back, according to the prosecution's case.

Two of the securities fraud counts for which Shkreli was convicted related to those hedge funds. Prosecutors said that he then improperly used Retrophin stock and cash from the young firm to pay off the the funds' investors. While Shkreli was acquitted of on Retrophin-related count, he was convicted of conspiracy to commit securities fraud in connection with Retrophin.
@SFPDMission station's night watch investigating a stabbing on @sfmta_muni bus in the 2000 block of Market. #sfpd pic.twitter.com/j3lj45w9XE  SFPD Night Captains (@SFPDnightWatch) August 6, 2017

Details have been slow to emerge in a weekend stabbing the San Francisco Police Department says occurred on a Muni bus.

According to the "official Twitter of SFPDnightWatch," as of 9:31 p.m. Saturday, police were investigating a stabbing on a Muni bus, as you can see from the tweet and photo above.

The stabbing occurred on the 2000 block of Market Street, police say, which is located between Dolores and Church Streets, and is perhaps best known as the location of the no-longer-24-hour Safeway at Church and Market.

Based on the photo shared by SFPD, it appears that the stabbing occurred on the J/N shuttle bus, a transit line running during Muni Metro's scheduled night and weekend shutdown as the transit system tests its new trains.

As of publication time, police had yet to release additional information on the circumstances of the crime, or on the suspect or victim. When that information is made available to the public, this report will of course be updated.

Related: Entire Muni Subway Is Closing Nights And Weekends For Four Weeks To Test New Trains
A savvy couple from the South Bay who do some real estate investing happened to catch that a private street, and all the common areas surrounding it including sidewalks and planted medians, went up for auction two years ago due to an unpaid property tax bill. That street is Presidio Terrace, part of what was built as a private, gated enclave around 1905 at the edge of the Presidio, and once home to the likes of Dianne Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi. There are 35 multi-million-dollar mansions facing the oval-shaped cul de sac, which has a manned guard station paid for by the residents, and as the Chronicle reports, a snafu relating to a $14-per-year tax bill that had been being sent to the wrong address for over 30 years led to Tina Lam and Michael Cheng buying Presidio Terrace for $90,000. And it's taken a while for the residents of the tony enclave to realize the implications of this, namely that Lam and Cheng want some return on their investment, which they may try to get by charging rent for street parking.

It's an amusing story, of course, especially because the "victims" here are all insanely wealthy, and naturally the Presidio Homeowners Association has lawyered up and is seeking to get the Board of Supervisors to nullify the 2015 sale of their street.

Attorney Scott Emblidge explained in an August letter to the city that the reason the property tax bill had gone unpaid was that it was being sent to the address of an accountant on Kearny Street whom the association had not employed since the 1980s. The bill, which amounted to $994 in back taxes, is what the city was seeking to recoup in putting the street up for auction.

The City Treasurer's office says there's nothing they can do about the sale now, and they doubt that the Board of Supervisors will be able to rescind the sale at this point. The homeowners now assume that the threat to charge them for parking is part of a plan by Lam and Cheng to get them to buy the street back for a tidy profit  which, not a bad plan.

For their part, though, they say they have no plans to sell right now, and they were quick to point out the irony of their purchase to the Chronicle as well: Presidio Terrace was, until the 1940s, a whites-only development protected by a racial covenant. That was struck down in a 1948 Supreme Court decision that banned the enforcement of such covenants.

A hearing about the potential rescission of the sale is scheduled for October.
Monday-BART police searching for this man. Accused of assaulting passengers in 2 separate incidents @kron4news pic.twitter.com/hMC0I3TxbT  Will Tran (@KRON4WTran) August 7, 2017

Did BART's decision to stop sending out their crime logs (a decision reversed a few weeks after it came to light) tick off local journalists to the point that now every attack and mugging on the transit agency is blessed with a headline? That's hard to quantify, though a July op-ed from SF Chronicle editor Audrey Cooper appeared to put BART on blast, saying they "initiated a campaign to discredit local media" and "accused the media of blowing news stories about the robberies out of proportion to make money."

While the latter accusation, reportedly made by BART Assistant General Manager Kerry Hamill, indicated a basic lack of understanding on 1) how the media makes money (not that we'd expect a BART staffer to know about generating profit!) and 2) what motivates reporters (if it were "making money," we, uh, wouldn't be reporters in the first place), one thing's for certain  Streisand effect, she is real, as you can see by the glut of BART news from the last few days. So, not to rain on BART's recent limerick parade, but here are several more worrisome BART news items we just can't get out of our minds.

Robberies and assaults on BART are up, felony arrests down

So reports the Chron, citing data from the first six months of 2017.

Calls seeking help from BART police shot up in the first six months of the year at all but two of 46 train stations, keeping pace with a 35 percent increase in robberies and a 27 percent jump in assaults compared with the same period in 2016, agency figures show. But while misdemeanor arrests were up through the end of June, along with citations for offenses such as fare evasion, felony arrests dropped 23 percent year to year. BART officials say crime within the Bay Areas backbone transit system remains relatively low, and there hasnt been a homicide since January 2016. But the latest numbers  released to The Chronicle in response to a public records request  underscore a recent surge in crime that has alarmed riders and prompted officials to boost patrols.

In response to the Chron, BART spokesperson Chris Filippi said When you look at it with the context  an average of 430,000 people ride BART a day  the number of crimes that occur relative to that number is small.

Deplorable teen maces riders on Embarcadero train

A female teen suspect accompanied by as many as ten other kids maced a couple during a robbery attempt on a Daly City-bound train at 8:48 p.m. Saturday, Bay City News reports. The train was at Embarcadero Station when the "black juvenile female, wearing a pink shirt and denim shorts" "pepper-sprayed the victim and a male companion" during a robbery attempt.

Her friends and she then fled the train, but BART police "were unable to locate the suspects in the area." As of publication time, they remain at large.

Random attack suspect nabbed

Via a press release sent at 10:40 this morning, the transit agency says they have arrested a suspect in two random attacks just hours after releasing a suspect photo to media. According to KQED, BART called a 6 a.m. press conference today to circulate photos of a suspect in two random attacks: a Thursday unprovoked assault at Bay Fair station in San Leandro and a second unprovoked attack on an Embarcadero train Saturday night.

In a press release sent this morning, BART says:

BART officers took a suspect into custody just hours after releasing to the public images captured by our train surveillance cameras. BART Police will outline details of the arrest at an 11:30 am press briefing at the Lake Merritt BART Station, 800 Madison St., Oakland. The suspect is under arrest for the following crimes: On August 3, 2017, at about 1931 hours, a male victim was seated on a train when a male suspect (Black male, late 30s, 6', muscular, grey shirt, tan shorts, black shoes) hit him in the head with an unknown metal object. The suspect also punched and kicked the victim before fleeing the train and running out of the station. According to the victim and witnesses, the attack was unprovoked. The suspect was not located. The victim was treated for a laceration to his head and transported to the hospital via ambulance with non-life threatening injuries. On August 5, 2017, at approximately 1930 hours, the same suspect was on a San Francisco Bound train approaching Embarcadero Station. The suspect approached a man on the train and struck the man two times in the face with a closed fist. The victim does not know the suspect. The suspect fled the scene. The victim received medical treatment at the scene for non-life threatening injuries. All 669 of BART's existing fleet have four working surveillance cameras. The 775 Fleet of the Future train cars will have six cameras each.

Sunday robbery suspect was toting crack

CBS 5 reports that a man who allegedly tried to steal a fellow BART rider's suitcase while on the Lafayette Station platform was carrying "rock cocaine and a crack pipe."

It was 10 a.m. Sunday when the suspect "attempted to take a suitcase from a BART passenger and then assaulted him." Other passengers intervened in an attempt to stop the robbery and attack. Eventually, BART police arrived and the suspect was arrested.

Man shaves, makes oatmeal during BART ride

It can't all be law and order, kids: during a Friday commute to his job in SF, tech marketing guy Chris Watters tweeted that he watched a man make himself a bowl of oatmeal.

well now this is a first pic.twitter.com/I4E2JnD4GT  Chris Watters (@CTWatters) August 4, 2017

Speaking with ABC 7, Watters says "It's watery, so once the train gets going you can see it's sloshing around. He's just sitting there like, 'Oh yeah, this is cool.'"

The man then pulled out a cordless razor and started shaving.

This has got to be one of the most give-no-fucks outliers of @SFBART behavior that I've ever seen, who could one-up thiBY GAWD HE'S DONE IT! pic.twitter.com/wcsBq95edR  Chris Watters (@CTWatters) August 4, 2017

"I'm like this is some of the craziest behavior I've ever seen on BART," Watters tells ABC 7, as he has apparently never seen a random attack on BART, which I myself would call "crazier" than some personal grooming but I'm in the media so clearly suspect, BART's Hamill might say.

"He one-ups it and takes out his razor and goes ahead. It's like taking care of his business," Watters says. The shaver "Didn't seem to position his bowl of watery oatmeal to catch his trimmings. He was asleep when I disembarked." Watters says.

In response, BART penned a poem shaming the cereal consumer/shaver:

Shaving on BART is disgusting

Your social skills beg for adjusting

As food makes a mess

& causes distress

The people around you are judging https://t.co/3JV7zpp6Y5  SFBART (@SFBART) August 4, 2017

As of publication time, BART's twitter account has kept mum on the random assault suspect, the Lafayette robbery suspect, the pepper-spraying teen mugger, or the Chron's report on BART's current crime stats. Perhaps if those criminals attempt to groom themselves or eat, they too will commit an offense that rises to a level deserving of BART's official Twitter condemnation.
At the packaging sectors meeting in Ho Chi Minh lately, chairman Sang said that during ten years from 2006 to 2016, the local packaging industry had grown both in the scale and quantity of newly established companies.

2,000 enterprises have been established in the country. Of which, the plastic packaging sector has grown fastest with rate of 15 percent.



The most outstanding fact is that a FDI company has sold packaging paper to foreign countries. For years, Vietnam had sold finished paper such as tissue or toilet paper to Cuba and processed for some other easy markets.

Vinapas said that packaging paper is expected to be major item for the packaging industrys export in the future when many projects will be put into operation.

It is scheduled that in 2017, the industry will have additional 1.56 million tons of packaging paper when all factories work at full capacity helping the sector to achieve 3 million tons of products a year. However, half of enterprises are FDI companies.





By LAC PHONG  Translated by UYEN PHUONG




The three- day event attracted more than 150 enterprises with over 170 pavilions.More contracts were signed between Vietnamese and Taiwanese enterprises during the exhibition.The 2017 Taiwan Machinery Equipment Forum was organized with aiming at introducing new applications in food production and industry 4.0.By the end of the exhibition, Taiwanese enterprises paid preferential policies about modern technology transfer plan for Vietnamese enterprises.

BY CHI KAN- Translated by Huyen Huong
Milwaukee Irish Fest, the worlds largest celebration of Irish and Celtic music and culture, is coming back to Henry Maier Festival Park Aug. 17-20 with a talent-packed lineup.

Dublins world-renowned TradFest Temple Bar will put on an all-star show, the first of its kind in the U.S. Celtic powerhouse Gaelic Storm will open the festival with a special Throwback Thursday performance. Aoife Scott, Goitse, Frankie Gavin, The Maguires, Dermot & Flo, The Young Folk, Paddy Keenan and Cuig will also perform.

Northern Ireland author, Tony Macaulay, will launch the American publication of his memoir, Little House on the Peace Line, at the festival. Macaulay will also appear in the Hedge School to discuss the work he and his wife do towards the reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

New to the festivals food and spirits lineup this year will be Failte Ireland Food Ambassador, Chef Padraic Og Gallagher of Boxty House in Temple Bar, Dublin sharing lively Irish stories, delicious food and recipes in the Celtic Kitchen.

Also new to the festival, Mulligan's Irish Pub will offer guests award-winning Irish Lamb Stew, Reuben Quesadilla and an Irish banger sandwich. Two new whiskeys, the Yellow Spot and Green Spot, will make their Milwaukee Irish Fest debut at The Jameson Lounge.

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In addition to the newest food and drinks at the festival, there is always classic Irish fare. Festivalgoers can sample traditional Irish stew, corned beef and cabbage or festival favorite, Gilles Jameson Frozen Custard.

With eight gate promotions, Milwaukee Irish Fest offers lots of great ways to save. Gate promotions for 2017 include:

Childrens Discount  Kids ages 12 and under are always free.

 Kids ages 12 and under are always free. Senior Citizens Discount  Seniors (60+) get $5 off general admission (regularly $20).

 Seniors (60+) get $5 off general admission (regularly $20). Thursday Promotion  $5 general admission or free admission with a donation of school supplies for Hope House on Thursday, Aug. 17.

 $5 general admission or free admission with a donation of school supplies for Hope House on Thursday, Aug. 17. Half-Price Friday  $10 general admission on Friday, Aug. 18.

 $10 general admission on Friday, Aug. 18. Arthritis Foundation Run/Walk to Milwaukee Irish Fest  Register for the 2017 Run/Walk to Milwaukee Irish Fest and receive free admission before 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19.

 Register for the 2017 Run/Walk to Milwaukee Irish Fest and receive free admission before 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19. College Day  College students receive $3 off general admission with a valid student ID between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 20.

 College students receive $3 off general admission with a valid student ID between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 20. Military Day  Free admission for active, reserve, retired and guard military personnel plus one guest, with valid military ID on Sunday, Aug. 20.

 Free admission for active, reserve, retired and guard military personnel plus one guest, with valid military ID on Sunday, Aug. 20. Fests Feed Milwaukee  Donate a non-perishable food item by 11 a.m. and receive free admission to the festival on Sunday, Aug. 20.

Two-Day Passes for Saturday and Sunday are also available and can be purchased online for only $30. To purchase advance tickets and to learn about special partner promotions and discounts, visit IrishFest.com.
MISSOURI VALLEY, Iowa | Two people were airlifted Sunday evening from the scene of a single-vehicle rollover crash that injured three people along Interstate 29.

The incident occurred shortly after 9 p.m. near the 78th mile marker in the southbound lanes of the interstate, according to a crash report from the Iowa State Patrol.

According to the report, 35-year-old Brandy Huddleston, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was driving a 2003 Ford Explorer southward when the vehicle partially entered the grass median. Huddleston over-corrected and lost control of the vehicle, which then went rolling and came to a rest in the west ditch, the release said.

Huddleston and 30-year-old Ralynn Francisco, of Council Bluffs, were airlifted to Mercy Medical Center in separate helicopters. Another occupant, 21-year-old Ramsey Edenburn, also of Council Bluffs, was transported by ambulance to a Missouri Valley hospital.

Huddleston and Edenburn had been wearing seatbelts while Francisco had not, according to the report.

The incident remains under investigation.
SIOUX CITY | The three children who received life-saving medical treatment in Sioux City after surviving a May 6 school bus accident in the east African nation of Tanzania will return home Aug. 16.

A farewell reception for the children and their parents will take place at the Leiter Room at Mercy Medical Center, following a news conference where Mercy representatives and key physicians will offer updates on the children's conditions.

Since receiving their treatment, a 13-year-old girl named Sadia, a 13-year-old girl named Doreen and a 12-year-old boy named Wilson have been receiving physical therapy at the Sioux City Ronald McDonald House.

The sole survivors of a crash that killed 33 of their classmates, two teachers and the bus driver, the children received medical assistance by representatives of Siouxland Tanzania Educational Medical Ministries (STEMM).

STEMM subsequently worked with Samaritan's Purse -- an international humanitarian group headed by the Rev. Franklin Graham -- to treat the children for their injuries in Sioux City.

Mercy donated tens of thousands of dollars in medical care to treat the kids, who sustained multiple fractures in the bus crash. The three were expected to make full recoveries.
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man has pleaded not guilty to the armed robbery of two auto parts stores.

Caleb Babb, 33, entered his written plea Friday in Woodbury County District Court to two counts of second-degree robbery and single counts of third-degree burglary and second-degree theft.

Babb is accused of robbing the Advance Auto Parts store at 3129 Gordon Drive on March 5 and the Auto Zone store on 2427 Hamilton Blvd. on July 17.

According to court documents, Babb robbed both stores at gunpoint before fleeing with cash. He left Advance Auto Parts with $1,600 in cash and $2,502 from Auto Zone, court documents said.

Babb is also charged with a Feb. 28 burglary.
SIOUX CITY | Western Iowa Tech Community College (WITCC) has been nationally recognized for its quality academic programs and the use of innovative technology in education.

WITCC ranked in the top 10 of the Most Innovative Digital Community Colleges in 2016-17. The Center for Digital Education honors community colleges utilizing technology to engage students and improve learning and services to students, faculty, staff and the community.

The college's Human Resources Diploma program has been ranked number seven in 2017 by LEAD (Leadership Excellence and Development). The academic programs were selected based upon both a nomination process as well as ratings from students and participants.

Western Iowa Tech was ranked number four, nationally in 2017, for its Online/Hybrid Nursing Program by RN to BSN Online Program. This service is dedicated to connecting nurses to online degree programs through their site and features the best online programs that meet quality education standards.

The college's Video Game Design program has been ranked number three in 2017 for Best Game Design Schools and Programs at two-year colleges. This ranking from the Community for Accredited Online Schools assures students that programs meet quality education standards.

"We have put an emphasis on completion and quality," said WITCC president Terry Murrell. "This shows we are creating quality programs that allow our region to receive the best education in the world."
SIOUX CITY | An employee of a Sergeant Bluff contractor pleaded guilty Monday to filing fraudulent invoices totaling more than $807,000 to the Iowa Department of Transportation for materials used in a highway project.

Jenna Wilson, 31, of Sergeant Bluff, entered her plea in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to one count of making false statements in connection with a highway project.

Wilson pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. Under terms of the agreement, Wilson will not serve any prison time. She will be required to pay restitution to the IDOT in the amount of $34,432.

According to court documents, Wilson worked at K&L Landscape and Construction and from January to July in 2016 altered and falsified invoices to the general contractor and the IDOT for stockpiled expanded polystyrene by $807,637 for the 2016 reconstruction of the Interstate 29 interchange at Salix.

Court documents said the polystyrene fill was produced and properly invoiced by K&L's supplier, and Wilson falsified the price on more than 51,000 units of the foam fill material, a lightweight foam used instead of dirt to reduce or eliminate settlement under a roadway.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Wilson's actions amounted to her wrongfully writing K&L a no-interest loan in an attempt to remedy the company's cash-flow problems, saving it $34,432 in interest costs, the amount of restitution Wilson will be required to pay.

The IDOT in October disqualified K&L from bidding or subcontracting on projects for three years, IDOT contracts engineer Mark Dunn said.
MOVILLE, Iowa | Jeff Johnson paused while talking about the overall showmanship trophy his daughter, Erin Johnson, won on Sunday, the final day of the 2017 Woodbury County Fair.

"She told us her goal coming into the fair was to win that trophy," Jeff Johnson said. After looking away to collect his thoughts and steady his emotions and voice, he concluded, "That's just what she did."

Erin Johnson, daughter of Jeff and Lisa Johnson, of Cushing, topped a field of 10 contestants that competed for the overall showmanship honor, one of the marquee titles awarded at the county fair. Competitors gain entry into the contest by earning champion or reserve champion showmanship honors in their respective animal categories: beef, swine, goats, horses and sheep. Competitors then show all five of those animals while fielding questions from a judge. The contest places a premium on knowledge, being cool under pressure, and versatility.

For example, Johnson, who has shown sheep and swine for years, is well-versed in those animals. However, she knows little about horses and had never shown a horse before stepping in the ring on Sunday.

"I was so nervous about this, especially showing a horse," said Johnson, 17, a senior to-be at Ridge View High School. "I learned how to lead one yesterday."

She leaned on a pair of teachers in her parents, who competed for the overall showmanship title nearly three decades ago at the Ida County Fair. Jeff won the crown in 1989, bettering a field that included his future wife, the former Lisa Hare.

"I still have the trophy from 1989," Jeff said. "We keep it in the front room at my parents' (John and Dolores Johnson, of Cushing) home. My dad just told our kids that the most important trophy they have is that one in the front room."

Erin Johnson, who earned reserve showmanship honors in sheep and third-place showmanship accolades in swine during the Woodbury County Fair, said she had always watched this Sunday contest as a young 4-H member, dreaming of the day when she might vie for the title. She got her first chance on Sunday and made it count.

"I studied last night and asked my dad all kinds of questions about different animals and the market conditions," she said. "I kept going over and over in my mind all the things we talked about."

"We've been throwing stuff at her and she was absorbing it," Lisa Johnson said.

The Rock-Kee-Union 4-H member said she'll keep the large traveling trophy, one handed out annually since 1986, in her room at home. She'll use the 24-foot Wilson Ranch Hand stock trailer to haul livestock to other fairs and shows this year. For the past few years, the winner of this contest has received the use of a new trailer for one year, courtesy of Wilson Trailer and Hofer Trailer Sales.

Johnson, 17, will use the trailer to haul sheep to the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines later this month, taking an early break from her work with the Ride View Raptors volleyball team. The first practice for her senior season, she said, was to begin at 7:30 a.m. Monday, mere hours after the conclusion of a busy -- and most memorable -- Woodbury County Fair.
SIOUX CITY | After a strong showing of support from its neighbor to the north, Sioux City will be asked Monday to declare its intention to back a 16-mile, two-county trail stretching from inside its corporate limits to those of Le Mars.

The Sioux City Council will vote Monday on a letter of intent written by Mayor Bob Scott showing the city's plans to assist with the PlyWood Trail, which is named for the first few letters of Plymouth and Woodbury counties, following a presentation on the proposed route.

Parks and Recreation Director Matt Salvatore told the Journal Thursday that city staff are strong proponents of the project, and the council has voiced strong support for continued expansion of its trail system.

"Sioux City is the largest city in Iowa that does not connect to a neighboring town," Salvatore said. "We would really like to see that happen. There's a lot of momentum with trails right now."

The letter of intent declares that necessary easements, rights-of-way and government grants would be obtained in the name of the city of Sioux City, and that the city would be responsible for contracting the phases of the trail stretching from the southern city limits of Hinton to inside Sioux City's corporate limits.

Sioux City's vote on its intentions follows a declaration of strong backing by the city of Le Mars. Earlier this year, Le Mars signed a letter of intent to serve as the contracting authority for developing and constructing the trail, approved engineering consultant agreements with McClure Engineering and Schlotfeldt Engineering, and agreed to work with Merrill and Hinton, two smaller Plymouth County towns along the route, to work out agreements over ownership and maintenance of the trail.

In Plymouth County, the trail would run for six miles in an abandoned railway, as verbally approved by the Iowa Department of Transportation, contingent upon final engineering plans. The other 10 miles would cross about 30 private landowners' parcels, where easements would be needed. It would also tie into an existing trail in Hinton, on the west side of Highway 75.

In a best-case scenario, construction could start in late 2018, after financing is finalized and easements settled.

Shelby Houlihan street

In other action Monday, the City Council will vote whether to rename a portion of Lincoln Way after Olympic runner Shelby Houlihan.

The proposal, brought at the request of the council, would re-title an existing stretch of Lincoln Way near East High School "Houlihan Run" after the 24-year-old East High alumna, who placed 11th in the 5,000 meters during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympic Games.

The portion of street to be renamed spans about two-fifths of a mile between South Lakeport Street and Sergeant Road, traveling to the east of Lakeport Commons Shopping Center and to the west of Nodland Elementary and East High. No homes front the street.

Two weeks ago, the proposal cleared the city's Planning and Zoning commission by a 5-0 vote.

'First Hour Free' proposal

The City Council will also discuss a proposal from parking operations staff to allow motorists to park in ramps for free during their first hour on a six-month trial basis.

Under the proposal under consideration Monday, motorists would receive reduced rates for each subsequent hour in addition to the free first hour. For example, parking in a ramp for two hours would only cost 75 cents, the current cost for one hour; parking in a ramp for three hours would cost $1.50, the current cost for two hours; and so on.

The project has the backing of the city's Parking and Skywalk System Board of Trustees, which advises the council on parking issues.
Canada  August 7, 2017  J. F. Conway

A dramatic shift in electoral politics is currently disrupting leading capitalist democracies, challenging the ideological hegemony and legitimacy of the global neoliberalism of late capitalism.

In the U.S., Bernie Sanders, a self-declared democratic socialist, almost won the Democratic Partys nomination for President. At the outset of the primaries, the nomination was widely viewed as a slam-dunk for Hilary Clinton. Some polls since the election report that Sanders may well have defeated Donald Trump.

In the UK, the Labour Party, under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, came close to winning the election, despite the conviction of the right wing of his own party, which repeatedly tried to oust him, and the mass media, that Corbyn would lead the party to its worst defeat in history. Corbyn, a militant socialist, ran on the most left-wing platform put forward by the Labour Party since 1945.

In France, Jean-Luc Melenchons La France Insoumise (rough translation: Rebellious France) missed winning a place in the run-off in the Presidential election by a few percentage points. Melenchon was painted by the world media and the world establishment as dangerously far left.

Such events lead to an obvious question for Canadians: whatever became of the CCFs dream?

The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) was founded in 1932 in Calgary, uniting various working class labour and socialist parties with populist farm organizations. In 1933, the CCF met in Regina and adopted the Regina Manifesto, concluding with a solemn pledge: No CCF Government will rest content until it has eradicated capitalism and put into operation the full programme of socialized planning which will lead to the establishment in Canada of the Co-operative Commonwealth.

Co-operative Commonwealth

In 1934 the Saskatchewan Farmer-Labour Party/CCF became the Official Opposition under the leadership of George Williams. Williams served as Leader of the Opposition from 1934-1941, when he went overseas to fight fascism. Williams initiated a planning process involving the legislative caucus and key party members to prepare for power  the plan was to move quickly on the realization of socialism. Upon victory under the leadership of Tommy Douglas, the plan was largely implemented from 1944 to 1948. It was a significant step in the eradication of capitalism in Saskatchewan, involving an ambitious program of public ownership through Crown corporations, aggressive government support for the establishment of co-operatives in all economic areas, the first steps in the construction of a universal publicly funded system of social and health security, and unshackling the urban working class through unapologetically pro-labour trade union laws.

The economic cornerstone of this new socialist provincial economy was the public ownership of natural resources and their development. This was supplemented by publicly owned industrial plants to process selected resources into finished products. The CCF dream now had legs, and became a beacon of hope all across Canada.

So what became of this dream?

The short answer is the CCFs parliamentary leadership killed it off and buried it, abandoning the visionary fight for a socialist society, where all could live in dignity and security. Instead, the leaders focused on winning elections through moderation and compromise, thus securing their careers as professional politicians seeking the ultimate prize  parliamentary power.

In 1948 Douglas led the CCF to another majority government, 31 seats of 52 with 48 per cent. The partys 5 per cent fall in popular vote (in 1944 the CCF won 47 seats with 53 per cent), resulted in a loss of 16 seats. Douglas, the senior bureaucrats, and the cabinet panicked, convinced that a sharp right turn was necessary to retain power. The public ownership of natural resources and their development, the partys foundational, and most controversial, socialist economic policy was abandoned. The left of the party lost its most effective champions  George Williams died in 1945 and Joe Phelps, the Minister of Natural Resources and Industrial Development, was defeated. Phelps had led the drive in public ownership from 1944 to 1948. The party establishment blocked efforts to find a seat for Phelps in a by-election, ensuring Phelps was kept out of the caucus and the cabinet.

The right turn was successfully executed. The CCF made peace with capitalism, inviting capital to lead in the development of natural resources. The publicly owned industrial plants were gradually abandoned and closed. The dream of the eradication of capitalism and building a socialist economy was unceremoniously buried.

Meanwhile, on the federal scene, M. J. Coldwell, a long time ideological opponent of Williams leadership in Saskatchewan, had replaced J. S. Wordsworth as national CCF leader. His primary focus in internal party politics was to ferret out and expel suspected communists, and to abandon the Regina Manifesto, which he described as a millstone around the neck of the party. Coldwell was finally successful in 1956 when the Winnipeg Declaration replaced the Regina Manifesto. The reborn, more right-wing and moderate CCF embraced a mixed economy and incremental steps in building the welfare state. There was no more talk of the eradication of capitalism. As far as the official party apparatus was concerned the old CCF dream was buried.

But it was a long and torturous road  the vision of socialism is hard to kill. There was resistance from the rank and file all along the way. The main problem for the leadership was that the right turn was a dismal failure, but each new leader continued the rightward march until the CCFs successor, the New Democratic Party (NDP, founded in 1961), finally embraced neoliberalism, the latest and most savage stage of capitalism.

The NDP

This complete capitulation to capitalism finally tantalized the party under Jack Layton. The years of compromise and ideological cleansing appeared to pay off. Over four elections from 2004 to 2011 Layton led the federal NDP to significant gains in seats culminating in 2011 when the party swept Quebec, becoming the Official Opposition, one election away from power. Laytons death in August 2011 and his replacement by Tom Mulcair set the stage for the lunge for power. In the best tradition of past party leaders, Mulcair pushed through the final compromise  rescinding the partys commitment to apply democratic socialist principles to government, carefully hidden in the constitution.

The last vestige of the partys socialist roots thus expunged, Mulcair transformed the NDP into a non-ideological government in waiting, able to provide prudent neoliberal economic leadership. In 2015 Mulcairs NDP ran on a bold neoliberal platform: balanced budgets; debt reduction; no new taxes on the rich; and the slow realization of increased program spending over years of balanced budgets. Justin Trudeau and the Liberals pounced, campaigned from the left promising immediate deficit spending on infrastructure, job creation, and greatly enhanced program spending. Mulcairs NDP finished third, behind the Liberals and the Tories. The party promptly drove him from office in April 2016.

This brings us to today, where the NDPs rank-and-file membership, and its electoral base, the loyal 15 to 20 per cent, remain considerably to the left of the parliamentary leadership. No candidate in the current leadership race has provided an engaging vision for the future. In fact, the race has been greeted with yawns not only among the public, but within the party.

The dream therefore lingers on, bursting onto the historical stage at key political conjunctures. The Waffle Manifesto emerged from the new activism of the 1960s and galvanized the party in an effort to make a turn to socialism. It was defeated in 1969. In 2001 the New Politics Initiative advocated disbanding the NDP and building a more clearly socialist party with organic links with progressive social movements. Though briefly widely influential, it was defeated at the 2001 convention and disbanded in 2004. More recently, as a result of the increasingly urgent politics of the climate change crisis, and of the suffering resulting from global neoliberalism, the Leap Manifesto again galvanized the party. Its fate has yet to be determined, but the party establishment is firmly opposed. No candidate in the leadership race has tied his or her star to the manifesto.

Can the dream be resurrected for these times and move enough people to build a new vehicle for its realization? The first dream came out of the nightmares of the Great Depression and World War II, horrific disasters resulting from crises of capitalism. The dream this time must face the fact that the present stage of capitalism promises a series of worsening natural and social disasters, putting the social and natural worlds as we know them at risk  the biggest nightmare of all. 
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.
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.

(August 07, 2017)The Prince Frederick Barrack of the Maryland State Police (MSP) today released the following incident and arrest reports.CONCEALED WEAPON: On 7/31/2017 at 12:06 am, Trooper Backus stopped a vehicle for traffic violations on Rt. 4 north of Industry Lane in Prince Frederick. During the search incident to the arrest a metal baton was located in the vehicle., was arrested and incarcerated at the Calvert County Detention Center.DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY: On 8/2/2017 at 12:27 pm, Trooper First Class McCombs responded to the 2000 block of Timberlake Drive in Owings for a reported destruction of property. The victim reported the gate lock/handle and four trespassing signs had been removed from the swimming pool area of the home. A K-9 scan of the area was conducted. Investigation continues.Corey L. Johnson, 46, of Port Republic, arrested on 08/02/2017 @ 11:46 pm by TFC S. BarlowScott T. Maratta, 22, of Huntingtown, arrested on 08/03/2017 @ 04:14 pm by TFC T. DavisCurtis Pollitt, 58, of Pr. Frederick, arrested on 08/06/2017 @ 09:51 pm by TFC S. Matthews
Like most resorts along South Floridas beaches, the Forbes Five-Star Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa offers all the usual amenities upscale travelers expectfine dining, exotic spa services, luxurious rooms designed by Jonathan Adler. But, for the serious foodie, Eau Palm Beach offers this customized experience:

The resorts Chef de Cuisine, Manlee Siu, has partnered with Delray Beach mango farmer Chris Wenzel of Truly Tropical Farms to offer guests a sneak peek inside the fascinating world of mango farming. While the local supermarket may sell one or two varieties of this tropical fruit at most, there are actually more than 200 varieties and Wenzel grows more than 70 on her 100-year-old, five-acre farm, nestled between multi-million dollar mansions just steps from Delray Beach.

The Mango Farm Tour Experience begins in the morning at the resorts Temple Orange Mediterranean Bistro, with a light breakfast of coffee and mango-filled croissants. Guests then accompany Siu for the short ride to the farm.

Upon arrival, Wenzel gives an overview of the operation and discusses the 70 different varieties of mangos she harvests each season. Wenzel and Chef Siu then guide guests through an educational and delicious mango tasting, where participants can taste the eccentric and unexpected mango flavors that grow on the farm, including Cotton Candy, Fruit Punch, Lemon Meringue, Ugly Betty and Royal Purple. Before departing, guests have the opportunity to pick their favorite varieties to enjoy at home.

Prior to moving to Palm Beach, I only knew of three different types of mangosI was shocked to learn that so many more varieties were available here, said Siu, who incorporates fresh mangoes into the daily menu at the resorts Angle restaurant, and Im always surprised by new flavors every time I visit.

Guests then return to the resort, where Siu prepares a private, mango-inspired picnic lunch served in one of the resorts oceanfront cabanas. After a fresh mango margarita from the resorts brand new margarita cart, the meal includes a bottle of rose, house made charcuterie, lobster salad and a mango-infused dessert.

In the industry, we hear the term farm-to-table so often, but to me, thats just cooking, said Siu. You cant get any fresher than picking the fruit yourself, right here on the farm.

For more information about Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spas Mango Farm Tour Experience, visit EauPalmBeach.com or call 561-540-4850.

Manlees Mango Chutney

1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped

2 large mangoes, peeled and chopped

 medium sweet red pepper, chopped

1 cups granulated sugar

1 cup onion, finely chopped

 cup golden raisins

 cup white vinegar

 tbsp. gingerroot, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. curry powder

 tsp. each: ground nutmeg, cinnamon, salt

Combine first 8 ingredients, bring to boil and cook on low for 20 minutes.

Add the remaining items and cook for 5 minutes.

Chris Wenzels Mango Crisp

6+ cups sliced mangoes

lime juice (optional)

1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup oatmeal

1/3 cup melted butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

Place mangoes and optional lime juice in baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients. Top mangoes and bake until topping is brown and crisp.
After Trump took to Twitter to announce his decision to bar transgender individuals from serving in the military, he and the proposed ban were met with a number of criticisms and studies that negated his arguments of health care costs and readiness.

Despite the wave of criticisms, however, the policy seems to be making its rounds and becoming more than just a series of tweets.

According to the Los Angeles Blade, a new policy has surfaced. Tilted A Guidance Policy for Open Transgender Service Phase Out the policy reportedly encourages early retirement, ushers out enlisted personnel after their contract is up and bars transgender officers from promotion.

This policy has not been made public, but a Los Angeles Blade source said it is on its way, and that the administration want[s] to get rid of transgender servicemembers as fast as they can.

The policy does not detail a complete ban, allowing transgender service members currently enlisted to continue their service. However, there are no protections specified against harassment.

This proposed ban has been challenged from a number of sides. Many LGBT groups and organizations have released statements against such a ban, and last week 56 retired generals and admirals came out with a statement condemning Trumps proposed ban, The Hill reports.

This proposed ban, if implemented, would cause significant disruptions, deprive the military of mission-critical talent, and compromise the integrity of transgender troops who would be forced to live a lie, as well as non-transgender peers who would be forced to choose between reporting their comrades or disobeying policy, the officers said.

As a result, the proposed ban would degrade readiness even more than the failed dont ask, dont tell policy, the statement continues. Patriotic transgender Americans who are serving  and who want to serve  must not be dismissed, deprived of medically necessary health care, or forced to compromise their integrity or hide their identity."

Trumps initial claim that transgender healthcare costs in the military are too high and a threat to the readiness of the military have already been disproven by the Rand Corporation study, which estimated that the medical costs for transgender troops would be 0.01 percent of the militarys annual budget.

The Los Angeles Blade confirmed with two White House and Pentagon sources the new policy is on its way to the Secretary of Defense.

OutServe-SLDN, an LGBT legal services and watchdog organization, has announced they will be filing a lawsuit along Lambda Legal to challenge the upcoming policy.

The Presidents order to remove transgender service members from the United States armed forces is nothing less than a purge, Matthew F. Thorn, Executive Director of OutServe-SLDN said in a statement. He is implementing this purge based on bigotry, motivated by agents of an ideology that has no concern for the national defense, and in blatant disregard of the experience of career officers who spent more than a year developing and implementing the current policy.

Thorn continued, We recognize this purge for what it is  a discriminatory attack on the people who have volunteered their lives for the defense of the country. It is arbitrary and capricious, a callous and questionable exercise of constitutional authority which is beneath the dignity of a Commander-in-Chief.
San Juan is a city of contrasts: 500-year-old brick casas sit next to gleaming glass-and-steel hotels. Caribe Indian, Spanish and African cultures compete and combine in every conceivable way. Busy highways divide affluent and struggling neighborhoods. An U.S. commonwealth, its residents are Americans, but more proudly Puerto Rican.

Nowhere are these contrasts more apparent than on the tables of the citys homes, restaurants and hotels. The cuisine is a tribute to the islands multi-cultural heritage, colonial rulers and global commercialism.

Eat Like a Tourist

An UNESCO World Heritage site, Old San Juan is a 500-year-old city, ringed by stone walls and guarded by picturesque forts. Millions of visitors descend on the cobblestone streets, many arriving on cruise ships, eager to take a trip back in time to a colorful period in history.

Tourism is a crucial industry for the cash-strapped island teetering on bankruptcy and there are plenty of businesses content to take some of that money. Its not enough to walk the streets or hop on a bus to experience the real history and culture of San Juan.

Flavors of San Juan is one of a handful of companies that offer three- to four-hour culinary walking tours of the old city for $69  79 per person at SanJuanFoodTours.com. Our tour, on a muggy June afternoon, was led by Pam, a perky 20-something with a degree in physical therapy, an interest in history and a love of food. We met at the art deco Banco Popular tower near the cruise terminal and learned that our tour would include 10 tastes and three drinks.

We headed along the base of the old city walls to Princesa restaurant, the citys only completely outdoor eatery. Operated by Rums of Puerto Rico, the islands rum marketing organization, the arborial restaurant featuring dishes inspired by an 1859 cookbook. After a rum tasting led by master bartender Emedin, we settled down for a croquette made with chicken, Iberico ham and 20 secret ingredients and fried eggplant dusted with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Moving inside the 20-foot-thick, two-ply city walls, we wound our way up the hill for panoramic views of the bay and stories of San Juans founding. After enjoying a refreshing passionfruit popsicle from Senor Paleta, a local craze, we learned about the competing histories of the pina colada, reportedly invented by two bartenders named Ramon, one at a local restaurant and the other at the famed Caribe Hilton on Condado Beach.

Along the way, Pam pointed out local landmarks, including the six-foot wide apartment that once held a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, the famed Parque las Palomas or Pigeon Park and La Fortaleza, the Governors mansion. We also passed one of Old San Juans newer gay bars, Polo Norte, which advertised drag performances and is reportedly popular with the bear crowd. A cold cocktail would have helped beat the heat, but this club doesnt open until the sun goes down.

Our tour then took us to the 16th-century Cathedral de San Juan Bautista where Spanish explorer Ponce de Leons remains are buried and ringed by streets with distinctive blue cobblestones that served as ballast in the ships. There we mashed fried green plaintains into mofongo, the Puerto Rican national dish, and sipped sangria at Rosa de Triana, a Spanish restaurant housed in the vaulted jail cells in the basement of the first city hall.

Pam led us through the modern town square, Plaza Da Armas, named for the armory, to our last stop, Casa Cortes ChocoBar. There we sipped the slightly bitter Puerto Rican hot chocolate and even dipped cheese, a local custom. It seemed counterintuitive, but then again, Americans are known to melt cheddar cheese on a warm slice of apple pie.

A multi-generation, family-owned business, Cortes manufactured popular chocolate bars that included miniature comic books inside the wrapper. Generations of Puerto Ricans learned to read and write with the help of these books. The familys educational mission continues with a non-profit art museum located about the restaurant, that serves up chocolate in every sweet and savory dish.

As Pam departed, many of us headed back to our favorite spots to take advantage of the discounts for tour participants, all a little wiser about Old San Juans history, culture and food.

Eat Like a Local

San Juans professional and hipster crowds congregate nightly at Lote 23, Calle San Sebastian #148, an outdoor food court nestled between towering office buildings in the Santurce business district. The long and narrow space, decorated with colorful murals by street artists and pulsing with music by a young DJ, is divided into four terraces featuring 16 different culinary concepts and even a rotational kiosk, all staffed by rising local chefs.

Youll find everything from perfectly fried chicken sandwiches by chef Pierre-Philippe Saussys Hen House to steamed Korean bao buns with a Puerto Rican twist at Paxx Caraballos El Baoricua. Dont skip the tomato and onion confit abu relish, named after Paxxs abuela (grandmother), and the vegan kimchi. At Doroteas, chef Raul Correa uses a custom-made wood-burning oven to bake crispy, thin-crust Neapolitan pizzas. Doroteas is reportedly named after Correas pet chicken from childhood. Hows that for a colorful island story?

At El Joint Burger, chef Franco Buso Garcia grills creative burgers with a myriad of pickled veggies, gourmet cheeses and delicious sides. And in the next kiosk, Bayard, salty French fries are served up in paper cones and dipped in both sweet and savory tomato sauces and mayonnaises. Other stands offer traditional Puerto Rican pork dishes and tangy, fresh Peruvian ceviche.

Wash it all down with a local beer, or better yet, a potent slushy cocktail from La Factoria, a creative cocktail bar housed in a converted silver Airstream trailer. Finish the meal with a popsicle from Senor Paleta, a local chain that has locals addicted to fruity and creamy frozen treats.

Most dishes and drinks at Lote 23 kiosks were under $9, with some even more affordable. The best way to enjoy the experience is with friends. Order a variety of dishes and then share at the picnic tables while passing the night playing giant versions of checkers, jenga and other games.

For a more authentic Puerto Rican experience, enjoy a quick meal at Espana, AO-23 Centro Comercial Villamar, Marginal Ave. Baldorioty de Castro in Carolina near Isla Verde. You cant miss the sign from the highway. The Spanish cafeteria, a family operation founded in 1972, feeds a steady stream of locals all day long. Breakfast might include fried or scrambled eggs, Mallorcan cheeses and ham and toasted baguette slices. For lunch and dinner, step up to the sandwich counter and order one of their signature Cuban or Media Noche sandwiches or a toasted sandwich filled with nearly a pound of ham, Bonito Espanol or beef. Dont forget a side of Spanish potato salad.

Dinner might start with a crispy chorizo or ham croquette, followed by the saffron-tinged, seafood-laden paella or, for a heartier meal, rice with pigeon peas or red beans. Styled after European markets, a meal might involve stops at several different counters and the dessert case should not be skipped. The guava tarts and Mallorcas are to die for.

If you really want to eat like a local, take a trip outside the city on the Pork Highway. The Pork Highway, or La Ruta del Lechon, is a roughly three-mile stretch of Route 184 in a central area of the island called Guavate, about 45 minutes south of San Juan. This winding road is lined with more than a dozen casual roadside restaurants, known as lechoneras, specializing in slow-roasted whole pig, lechon. Each restaurant uses a unique (and usually secret) combination of spices to season the pig, which is then roasted over an open fire for six to eight hours.

A weekend tradition, a trip along the Pork Highway is also a cultural experience as the locals turn out to enjoy food, music and dancing. The Pork Highway is hardly undiscoveredits been featured on television by Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmernbut still retains plenty of charm. Several local tour companies offer three- to four-hour bus trips starting at around $45 per person.

Eat (and Drink) Like a Gourmet

Executive chef Victor Woods of the Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde Beach Resort got his start in the kitchen, cooking traditional Puerto Rican dishes alongside his mother. After completing his culinary training, he joined the hotel a decade ago, working his way through the ranks to the top position in the kitchen.

Its not work to me, its more like a hobby, the handsome young chef said of his job with a humble grin. I enjoy it every day.

The menus of the Courtyards five restaurants and bars all pay homage to the heritage instilled during hours in the kitchen with his mother. But, hes not afraid to experiment with the fresh seafood, fruit and local staples, either, transforming common ingredients into sophisticated gastronomic delights.

The tapas menu at his beachfront restaurant, Sirena, features crunchy fried lobster bites coated with smoky chicharrones (pork rinds), deep red ahi tuna tartare with a tangy tamarind glaze served on a crispy seaweed risotto cake and crispy Cuban sandwich spring rolls loaded with salty ham, Dijon mustard and creamy cheese to be dipped in green mayo ketchup.

For dinner, try the pan seared Atlantic halibut served with risotto laced with longaniza Spanish sausage and finished with a lemon saffron broth or his signature Sirena Strip and Shore, a perfectly cook tenderloin accompanied by large fried shrimp coated in a golden codfish batter. Decadent is the only word to describe the dish.

At the LaConcha Renaissance San Juan Resort, mixologist Timmy Ortega is a superstar. He serves a worldy clientele at the Condado Beach resort, located in the heart of San Juans upscale shopping and hospitality district, and he always has to be on his game. A protege of famed Spanish restaurateur Jose Andres, he was instilled with an insane attention to detail and quality ingredients.

He taught me what real flavors are about, said Ortega of his mentor Andres. We have to tell the guests a story with every taste.

A simple pina colada wont do for the guests at his bar. He might add a spritz of aromatic chocolate bitters to a martini, a sprig of fresh herbs to a mojito or whip up a salt-infused foam on top of a margarita. Smoke, foggy dry ice? Hes prepared. His inventive creations have been the ticket to prestigious bartending competitions around the world.

He laments the latest trend in Puerto Rico, frozen cocktail machines. Most churn out sugary slush. If one of his customers desires a frozen cocktail, Ortega is more likely to pull out a canister of liquid nitrogen and do it himself.

Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde Beach Resort

7012 Boca de Cangrejos Ave.

Carolina 00979

SJCourtyard.com

The Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde Beach Resort is like no other Courtyard property youve ever stayedguaranteed. While Courtyard is one of Marriotts budget-conscious, sensible business and family-travel brands, thats definitely where the comparisons end. This hotels recently-remodeled 260 rooms are located on the pristine, Blue Flag-certified Isla Verde beach, voted best urban beach on the island. Swing on a restful hammock, sip cocktails at the swim-up pool bar or take in a surfing lesson at the nearby Waterworld Surfing School. The jewel of the property is Sirena, the hotels beachfront fine dining restaurant, featuring a menu of creative contemporary tapas and fresh seafood. The only reminder of civilization is the occasional sound of jets taking off from nearby Luis Munoz Marin International Airport. After the spectacular sunset on Isla Verde Beach, the night is only beginning in Picante, the lobby bar that features spicy salsa music, and the adjacent Casino Del Sol. Courtyard by Marriott Isla Verde Beach Resort is a 10-minute cab or Uber ride from LGBT nightlife in Condado and Santurce, and 20 minutes from Old San Juan.

La Concha Renaissance San Juan Resort

1077 Ashford Ave.

Condado, San Juan 00907

LaConchaResort.com

Located in Condado, San Juans bustling shopping and nightlife district and a short walk (or shorter ride) from many of the most popular gay bars and nightclubs, La Concha Renaissance San Juan Resort is a tribute to mid-century design with its historic, floating sea shell restaurant, Perla, formerly the resorts nightclub and today, one of the islands highest rated. After a $220 million renovation, the resort features 485 comfortable, contemporary guest rooms, most with sweeping ocean views; a stunning adults-only infinity pool that overlooks one of the most popular corners of Condado Beach; and a fully-appointed spa, business center and event spaces. After the sun goes down, the action moves to the hotels expansive lobby, managed by J.C. Pappas. Most nights, DJs spin Latin rhythms and dance beats into the early hours of the evening and the mojitos and designer cocktails flow. Pappas, along with his equally handsome husband, was featured in the islands first gay marriage ads and also leads a staff committee that plans activities for the hotels LGBT guests and community. The hotel hosts 15 to 20 same sex weddings each year.

Mofongo is Puerto Ricos national dish, a staple of any meal. The fried and then mashed green plantains, flavored by smoky pork rinds and garlic, are the ultimate comfort food, hearty and filling, and often crowned with tangy chicken, beef or seafood. Any local will proudly tell you that his (or her) mother or grandmother make the best mofongo theyve ever tasted. Our friends at Taste of San Juan shared this recipe for mofongo and creole chicken so you can sample this Puerto Rican classic for yourself.

Mofongo

Serves: 2-4 people

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

4 firm green plantains

Thyme

1/2 lb. fried pork rinds

1/2 cup chicken stock

Salt and pepper to taste

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

Pilon and mortar (Puerto Rican mortar and pestle)

Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Peel plantains and cut into several 1 inch wheels. Place plantains in water, with 1/2 cup chicken stock and pinch of salt for 5 minutes. Create a paste with the garlic cloves and a teaspoon of salt by mashing them together in the pilon. Strain partially boiled plantains and place in deep fryer until golden brown (for about 5 minutes). Place plantains in the pilon and begin mashing them together with garlic and salt until you can no longer see the individually cut plantains (but not too mashed like mashed potatoes; never use a food processor), adding a little bit of the garlic mixture at a time. You will have to work a few slices at a time in order to get everything mashed. The mofongo is complete once everything is mixed up and there is even distribution of seasoning. Once youre done, push all the sides down at an equal level, leaving room for the chicken to sit in the mofongo.

Chicken in Criollo Sauce

Serves: 2-4 people

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless

1 onion

1 yellow pepper

1 green pepper

8 oz. tomato sauce

4. oz tomato paste

2 garlic cloves

1 pinch oregano

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 pinch cilantro

Directions:
Pacers contested over $380,000 in purses on a windy Civic Holiday (August 7) card at Century Downs, with Da Magician and Yoga Pants proving best in the Mid-Summer Classic Day co-featured events for three-year-olds, the Ralph Klein Memorial and the Lady Luck.

Da Magician Survives Objections, Wins Ralph Klein

Da Magician ($3.70) survived two post-race claims of foul and lived up to odds-on billing in the $152,410 Ralph Klein Memorial for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

The open-length winner of the Brad Gunn Breeders Stake on Canada Day was widest of four leavers from the gate, and was parked the entirety of the first turn before clearing well after Mateo (Jim Marino) clicked off a :27.1 first quarter. Mateo yielded to the pocket with a circuit to go, but Da Magician would not relinquish the pacesetting duties, controlling middle splits of :56 and 1:25.4 before facing a second challenge from Mateo at head-stretch. Trainer-driver Serge Masse called upon Da Magician for all he had through the stretch, and the son of Dragon Again prevailed by half a length in 1:55.



Da Magician (5) holds off Mateo (3) in the 2017 Ralph Klein Da Magician (5) holds off Mateo (3) in the 2017 Ralph Klein

Marino claimed foul against Da Magician, citing interference in the stretch, and Kelly Hoerdt, driver of third-place finisher American Dreamer likewise claimed foul, citing interference on the first turn, but both objections were disallowed by the stewards.

We got in close, but I didnt touch him, commented Masse, who also owns 11-time winner Da Magician. Hes a small, little horse with a super nice, easy gait. The heart and the set of lungs on him is unbelievable.

Yoga Pants Wires Lady Luck Rivals

Yoga Pants ($3.40) kept her undefeated three-year-old season intact in the $129,080 Lady Luck final, wiring eight other three-year-old pacing fillies in a track record 1:54.1.

The daughter of Sportswriter protected position at the pegs from the outset, forcing Cardinal Rule (Philip Giesbrecht) into the pocket en route to the first turn. The two travelled one-two through splits of :28, :56.1, and 1:25.1, with Yoga Pants withstanding stern wind while dictating the terms throughout. After Wedding Dance (Serge Masse) weakened after a brief first-over bid from third, Cardinal Rule was able to angle from the pocket at the eighth pole, but Yoga Pants maintained a one-length lead throughout while hand-driven to the winning post.

Trainer-driver Jim Marinos J J J Stables owns the 10-time winner, who also captured the $75,000 Penny Bath Memorial at Fraser Downs in April.

Shes a really nice filly; Im just a passenger, commented Marino following the race. She trained down like a nice filly, and when I started qualifying her and in her first couple starts, she showed there was no end to her mile.

Emerald Filly, Century Bets Stakes Highlight Undercard

Two-year-old pacers were prominent throughout the undercard, with two $25,000 Emerald Filly Stake splits for fillies and a trio of $16,667 Century Bets Stake divisions for colts and geldings comprising the first half of the 10-race program.

Pez Dispenser ($8.20) was the faster of the two victorious freshman fillies, using a steady first-over ascent from mid-division to wear down pacesetter Paperback Thriller (Mike Hennessy) and edge away by a length to break maiden in her second career start. Owner J. F. Gagne drove the daughter of Big Jim and Camifosolasi Do to a 1:57.4 victory for trainer Marjorie Dumont.

The other split went to Maid In Alberta ($12.10), who pushed to the fore up the backstretch to overtake Noisy Nora (Marino) and subsequently parry a stand-side challenge from You Talk Too Much (Keith Clark) by a scant nose, breaking maiden in 1:58.1. Serge Masse was aboard the daughter of Vertical Horizon and Exquisite Alberta for trainer Harold Haining and owner Donald Richardson.

In the Century Bets Stake, first-time starter Boiling Oar ($9.00) proved fastest of 20 colts and geldings, taking his division from well off the pace in 1:56.1. Owner-trainer-driver Jim Marino located a seam to vacate the pegs coming off the far turn, and he angled the gelded son of Shadow Plan and Arm In Arm three-wide in the stretch to collar Outlaw True Grit (William Tanish, Jr.) and Screen Test (Brandon Campbell) in the final strides. Paradise Hill ($22.60, Hennessy, 1:56.3) and Gonna Funku Up ($28.60, Giesbrecht, 1:59.1) upset even-money or shorter favourites to take the other two divisions.

To view Monday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Monday Results  Century Downs.
By Olivia Rose

FORMER premier Michael Misick says the recent hike in crime could irreversibly damage the countrys tourism industry.





Misick, who is currently on trial for government corruption related charges, released a media statement calling on the current Government to commit to action.





He condemned the recent violent acts committed on citizens, residents and visitors alike.





"No one is immune from these acts; we have worked so hard in the last years to build and brand Turks and Caicos as a luxury and safe destination.





"We cannot sit idle and watch our hard work; good name and reputation go down the drain. We must act so as to ensure that our Islands are safe.





He said that tourism is the territorys only industry and unless tourist safety can be guaranteed "our industry will be irreversibly damaged.





"While there is enough blame to go around we must search ourselves for the solution and the root of the problem, he stressed.





"The truth is that it's always easy to blame others. But the fact is most of the crime that is taking place is home grown we must solve these problems by attacking their root.





He said that the territory should not look to the British to solve its problems and instead solve them internally.





Misick added: "The British could care less about what is happening here but just want to hang on to us for the strategic importance of having prime real estate 500 miles away from the US.





"The answer does not lie in having British troops or police in any form.





The former premier reiterated his calls for the Commissioner of Police to resign and be replaced by a Turks and Caicos Islander.





He added: "The Governor should take full responsibility for the wave of crime as he is directly responsible for the police and internal security.





"Clearly by his press release he is clueless, incompetent and has no idea where to start.





He also criticised the Government under the leadership of Premier Sharlene Cartwright Robinson for not being assertive enough to make the changes the country needs.





"Our country is going through the worst crisis we have ever gone through, one that if not contained immediately will cost us our economy and livelihood in the meanwhile the leader is nowhere to be found.





Misick, who is on trial for alleged corruption also bemoans the cost of the trial, which he contends is senseless.





He said the price tag is $2 million per month of public funds and total spend if $100 million.





"the prosecution is getting rich on the backs of our country and its outstanding, upstanding, law abiding citizens, he said.





"These monies should be going to towards buying more boats, airplanes, helicopters and equipment to fight crime and illegal immigration.





"This money should be spent on putting CCTVs on every street and corner of our country and could be spent on setting up a defence force to protect our borders.





He said that there are some people who still believe that the British will rescue the territory by sending in a warship to protect its boarders or soldiers to "hunt down illegal immigrants.





"Let us wake up from that dream of dependence and move to the reality of self-reliance. Then and only then will we solve our problems.





Misick said that in most countries the public would be outraged with the crime wave and would hold demonstrations demanding the resignation of the Governor, Premier and the Commissioner of Police.





"As we celebrate Emancipation Day let us have a day of rage. Let us march for more autonomy over our affairs, lets march against crime, let us march for resources to fight crime and the flow of illegal immigration.





"Let us take our streets back, our neighbourhoods back, and our homes back and let us finally take our country back.





"Back from the gun man, back from the illegal immigrants, back from the British Government, back from the Grace Bay boys that are robbing our country with impunity just like the gunman except without a gun and in plain daylight.




By Olivia Rose

AKIERRA Missick, Member of Parliament for the Leeward and Long Bay constituency, is planning to lobby the Government to implement a community security protocol aimed at reducing the incidents of violent crime in the community.





The MPs plans come following the shooting of yet another American tourist vacationing with his family in the Turks and Caicos Islands.





According to police reports 57-year-old Michael D Jones, a partner at a Washington DC law firm was shot around 10pm on Friday, July 28, during an aggravated burglary.





The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force said the US citizen was shot by a masked gunman while in his vacation villa in Leeward, Providenciales.





The man suffered from a single gunshot wound to his upper body and was immediately transported to a local hospital.





Jones was later medically evacuated to the United States and taken to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida, where he was listed in stable condition Sunday morning.





Fridays most recent violent robbery comes just after another incident where Alabama resident Kevin Newman was also rushed to South Florida for treatment when he was shot during a July 22 armed robbery.





In her statement the Leeward and Long Bay MP said the country was shaken by reports of another assault on a visitor in the community.





Missick, who acknowledged that she is duty bound to act, noted that during the last few weeks she has met with property managers, security companies, police officers and residents in the community to develop a plan to disrupt these incidents and all criminal activities.





She said: "Prior to this incident Id requested a meeting with His Excellency the Governor and Commissioner of Police to discuss the community security protocol we would seek to implement in Leeward and Long Bay.





Missick emphasised that crime has reached beyond a point of zero tolerance.





She said: "The community must draw an indelible line and declare that we will take no more.





"Never before have we as a nation seen a relentless assault on our society and our way of life.





"We as a people deserve to live at peace as we work to build a better Turks and Caicos and continue making this the best small country in the world.





The former Deputy Premier stressed that she will be lobbying for amplified police presence in communities.





"I met again with property owners and managers, hotel and tourism officials, where I reassured them that they have my full support and Ill lobby for increased policing resources for our communities.





"I have received an update about the victims of the incident and want to offer to them thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery on behalf of the people of Leeward and Long Bay.





"There are many among us who are victims, the former Premier, former Speaker of the House, teachers, chefs, students, PR professionals just to name a few, our nation supports them all. Their plight will never be in vain and we salute them all for their bravery.





"To the persons affected I say that the people of Leeward and Long Bay hear your story, the entire nation hears you and the persons that have sought to bring harm and steal from us will hear all of us and hear us in no uncertain terms when we say crime must stop now.





Missick optimistically expressed her unwavering faith that the crime situation affecting the TCI will be addressed and peace and tranquillity will be restored.





"I am confident that as a nation we will recover from this scourge but it is important that we recover to a stronger position of safety and security.
By Daisy Handfield

MINISTER of Tourism Ralph Higgs said that the recent increase in crime will not only affect the tourism industry in a negative way, but in fact all businesses will feel the hit.





He expressed these sentiments during a recent interview on a local television news station.





He said: "While we are still one of the, if not the safest destinations in the Caribbean if not in the world, any act of crime is too much crime and if it continues to go unchecked then it will certainly have an adverse effect on tourism arrival.





"While the eyes of the investors are on the country, persons here must do their best to fight the criminal element.





Higgs urged residents to contact local authorities with any information relating to any crime that they may know about.





"So, I want to say again and I want to appeal to persons in our community, if you do not say something today, tomorrow you and your family will be victims of crime, he said.





The minister noted that crime will not only affect the tourism product, but the pockets of all who benefits.





He said: "If that continues to happen, it will hit you where it hurts the most; right in your wallet.





"You think that it is tough to get a job now? It will be tougher later if you see our tourism numbers start to fall off.





"I want to appeal to the community to cooperate with law enforcement to help them in any which way you can to solve crime and bring the perpetrators of crime against any Turks and Caicos Islander or any visitor to our Islands to justice.
By Olivia Rose

OPPOSITION Leader Washington Misick on Saturday criticised the Government over the crime situation in the country and called on the premier to take decisive, effective action to protect and safeguard citizens.





Misick issued a strongly worded statement on Saturday (July 29) - the day after a US tourist was robbed and shot while on vacation in the Leeward area.





"By any definition we are in the middle of a crisis in these Islands. Predictably in some quarters it is being described as a crisis of leadership, Misick said.





"One thing is sure however, there is now a pervasive crisis of confidence in the institutions responsible for law and order.





"We find ourselves at a crossroads  a watershed moment when out-of-the-box thinking is required.





The opposition leader noted that in order for effective solutions to be crafted and implemented, the leader must re-examine the root causes of the recent crime wave.





He said: "The guerrilla tactic being used by the criminal cowards to wreak havoc in Providenciales should no longer be considered solely random.





"The perpetrators may very well be influenced by a mastermind or may themselves have a social or political agenda.





"We must spare no cost to analyse the cause and effect of the current chaotic spate of criminal activities and remove the root of it regardless to any short-term inconvenience or adjustments we may have to make.





Misick lamented that to do otherwise will be to ignore the obvious decimation of the country`s economy and confinement to poverty.





He called on the Government to forget the political spin and rhetoric.





Misick negating the Governments touted 12 point crime plan said: "The Turks and Caicos is not a recovering alcoholic that needs a 12 step plan.





He underscored the need for a vision and a strategy that can fight the scourge of crime.





"As a member of the National Security Advisory Council, I have not been invited to a meeting since December 15, 2016, so I am unable to say if there is a strategy to attack the problem or what it is.





"Locking the opposition out of this and other national discussions unfortunately has become a hallmark of the current administration.





"However, the Government including the British government must now come to the realisation that despite or because of the current threat, it has a unique opportunity to work with all sectors of the community to eradicate serious crime, so that TCI can once again boast of being a low crime destination.





The opposition leader in his release also raised concerns about the UK governments commitment to the safety and wellbeing of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
By Daisy Handfield

A SLOOP containing 99 illegal Haitian migrants was intercepted in the vicinity of the Bluff off Providenciales on Monday morning (July 31).





The Coastal Radar Station first detected the wooden vessel, which contained 79 men and 20 women, at about 12.47am.





The Marine Branch of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force and the Immigration Task Force were sent out to intercept the boat.





Just after 2am the passengers were captured and detained. They will now be processed for repatriation and entered on the Immigration Stop List.





This measure nullifies any opportunity for future grant of entry into the TCI.





A Government press release stated that the Ministry of Border Control and Employment Services is continuing investigations into illegal trafficking.





Anyone who has information that can assist the police or Immigration Department in their efforts to eradicate human trafficking can contact Crimestoppers anonymously.





The press release added that anyone found in breach immigration laws will be dealt with accordingly.





Border Control officers have apprehended and repatriated 751 illegal migrants so far this year.





An unknown number of illegal immigrants who arrived in TCI waters on a sloop managed to escape local authorities and enter the territory on July 24.





Migrant workers whose work permits and or visas have expired have until August 15 to leave the Turks and Caicos Islands or be prosecuted and deported.





The announcement came from the Deputy Premier and Border Control Minister, Sean Astwood, last week during a sitting of the House of Assembly.




By Delana Isles

THE GOVERNMENT has outlined a strict and comprehensive plan for the maintenance of Government assets inclusive of buildings, vehicles and equipment throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands.





In outlining the new policy, Minister for Infrastructure, Housing and Planning, Goldray Ewing stated that his ministry is actively embarking on increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of Government assets.





He stated that all buildings will be rated in terms of their resilience to hurricane force winds, heavy rainfall or storm surge induced flooding and fire or other insured risk.





The Public Works Department will be ensuring that all buildings have handicap accessibility and adequate parking spaces.





They will also define the target condition for an asset, which is the condition from which recurrent routine annual maintenance and periodic replacement will maintain full functionality in order to optimise value of each asset.





The condition of each building or building component in terms of the effort required to return the facility to the target condition will be described in the policy, as well as a description for each building or building component annual maintenance effort and periodic replacement required.





It will also include an estimated value of the asset using open market values, depreciated replacement costs and full replacement costs as appropriate and as agreed with TCIG, sufficient to develop a capital charge system which identifies the full costs to users of occupying or owning government assets.





Buildings

The minister stated that in terms of maintenance of government buildings, his ministry will be assessing the backlog of work associated with costs to bring them to a reasonable condition.





They will also develop a building maintenance schedule and manual for each building, evaluate

maintenance unit costs developed from first principles, draft inter-departmental contract for maintenance services so as to allow the formation of a clear contract between the user and the maintenance unit.





They will also put in place a draft user or contractor term maintenance contract to allow a clear contract between the user and the maintenance contractor.





They will develop an established routine maintenance cost for each building, summarised into departments or ministries to clarify the actual extent of maintenance necessary on an annual basis.





And establish building requirements for each department or ministry to ascertain the actual requirements for government buildings and enable planning of purchase, rental or disposal on the most economic basis.





Vehicles

In terms of vehicular maintenance, Ewing outlined that they will be defining vehicle types, conditions, ages in order to allow rapid transfer of responsibility for purchase and maintenance to users.





They will also be assessing backlog work and associated costs necessary to bring the vehicles to a reasonable condition, designing their maintenance schedules and departmental transport management manuals, assessing unit maintenance costs for each vehicle.





Drafting inter-departmental contract for vehicle maintenance and repair services, as well as user or contractor term maintenance contracts.





In addition to that the policy will also design an established routine maintenance cost for each vehicle summarised into departments and ministries.





It will include transport requirements for departments and will assess fuel needs and costs based on the aforementioned.
By Olivia Rose

AN INCREASE in the number of armed robberies is a threat facing US citizens in the Turks and Caicos Islands, according to US government officials.





This statement was made by the Embassy of the United States in Nassau in a travel advisory to Americans residing in and travelling to Providenciales.





It warned tourists to be aware of their surroundings and remain on heightened alert to avoid being a victim of crime.





In the past year, a number of US citizens have fallen victim to armed home invasions while in hotel rooms and private homes, as well as armed robbery while walking after dark, the advisory said.





It pointed out that two American citizen victims were shot and seriously injured.





The embassy advised US citizens visiting the TCI to: "Review your personal security plans; remain aware of your surroundings, including while attending local events; avoid walking on roads and beaches after dark and monitor local news stations for updates.





"Maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security.





"Due to the surgical limitations of hospitals in Turks and Caicos, emergency care frequently requires medical evacuation to the United States.





"Check in advance with your insurance company that your health insurance covers the cost of medical evacuation to the United States, or obtain travellers insurance that offers such coverage.





"If you are the victim of a crime abroad (including the loss or theft of a US passport), you should immediately contact the local police (dial 911 or 999) and obtain a police report. Contact with the Embassy should be made as soon as possible thereafter.





The US Department of State issues travel warnings for tourists to consider the risks of travelling to these places and to strongly consider not going to them at all.





Examples of reasons for issuing a travel warning might include an unstable government, civil war, ongoing intense crime or violence, or frequent terrorist attacks.





Some travel warnings remain in place until the situation changes; some have been in effect for years.





Government and law enforcement officials in the TCI are yet to comment on the travel advisory.





Attempts by this publication to reach the premier for a response proved futile.
Poppy is coming with Sona Bondhu in Eid

Sheikh Arif Bulbon :

Last Thursday the whole day popular film actress Poppy was engaged with dubbing of her last acted movie Sona Bondhu directed by Jahangir Alam Sumon. She took part in dubbing in a studio in the citys Dilu Road area. Poppy finished her dubbing there. Besides her, director Sumon was also present on the occasion.

Director Sumon informed that he is taking preparation to release the movie in Eid-ul-Azha.

Besides Poppy, DA Tayeb, Pori Moni, Anwara, Jhuna Chowdhury, Mahmudul Islam Mithu, among others, also acted in different roles in the film.

While sharing her feelings about working in upcoming Eid movie Poppy told this correspondent, Viewers will watch me in a challenging role in Sona Bondhu. I always try to portray my role properly on the screen. In this movie, I had tried my level best effort to make it perfect. It is said that viewers will watch me a new Poppy in this film. I am very much optimistic about the film.

She also informed that Mahbuba Shahrin wrote story, script and dialogue of Sona Bondhu.

In last Eid, Poppy was seen to work in several plays and telefilms but till now she did not act in any work for Eid-ul-Azha. She yet not finalised the matter.

It is mentioned that Poppy acted last released movie was Nargis Akters Poush Mash-er Piriti. In last Eid, Poppy was seen to act in Kaiser Ahmeds Mental, Sadeque Siddiquis Kushumpurer Kushum Koli and BU Shuvos Dupur Akash-ey Ekla Chil.

Poppy got the National Film Award for three times. These were for Kalam Kaisers Karagar, Nargis Akters Megher Koley Rode and Wahiduzzaman Diamonds Gangajatra. Within very short time Poppy will start shooting of her new movie titled Rajpothey under Javed Mintus direction. Zayed Khan is expected to work against her in this film who is present General Secretary of Bangladesh Film Actors Association.


Fund for city drainage system lost to the drain

MEDIA report on Monday said Dhaka WASA, Water Development Board and two of our City Corporations have jointly spent around Tk 2,000 crore; much of it over the past eight years in the name of building and upgrading water drainage system of Dhaka city. The money was spent for building and maintaining drainage facilities, digging and cleaning of canals, installing of new pump stations and other activities. However, the money has visibly and also provably went in vain. Otherwise, why the city-dwellers had to suffer so miserably during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons this year? Why so many city sections are experiencing frequent waterloggings here and there?



It is time to hold the stated three authorities accountable for their irresponsible and unaccountable spending. The authorities should not be allowed to get away without detailed explanations. Instead of ensuring smooth outflow of rain water the money spent in the name of various development programmes has shockingly created more waterloggings, we experienced recently. We call for detailed investigations on how was the money spent and where did it go?



The culture of chaotic spending and looting public money should not be allowed without transparency and accountability. There are enough reasons to suspect -- more than just hasty spending -- bulk of the 2,000 crore was looted in various capacities. It is right now to get hold of the engineers, project directors, construction firms and officers concerned or whoever were responsible for carrying out the various medium and small-scale projects carried by the three public organisations. Also much of the funds were spent in the last eight years, so the responsibility for investigating into the questionable expenditure hugely falls in the shoulders of the ruling party in power.



The undivided City Corporation alone has reportedly spent a mammoth amount of Tk 1,270 crore only to aggravate prolonged water-logging in the city. The other two have spent nearly 730 crore, but the million dollar question - what were their output? In the last two and half years not even one new drain was built.



The truth is - the three agencies have all miserably failed to address the clogged drainage system.



Lastly, it is not only a mere matter of investigating into the misuse or abuse of government fund for infrastructure development, it has much to do to address the organised nature of bureaucratic corruption in Bangladesh. If such a big amount of reckless public expenditure is not investigated, we fear corrupt government officials will loot even more in the future.






Medical team without medical persons

THE government is sending a 171-member Hajj Assistance Delegation to Saudi Arabia this year mainly to provide medical help to pilgrims but it has only 8 persons linked to medical profession. Surprisingly, the remaining 163 are office assistants, drivers, gunmen, policemen, security guards, cleaners, personal assistants, pump operators, typists, compositors, carpenters, store keepers and so on. The Hajj Ministry has selected most members of the team reportedly based on their loyalty to the party leaders although they have no skill to be helpful to the pilgrims anyway. The government every year sends medical team and it also includes party loyalists at different levels. But this year's selection appears quite scandalous having no relevance to their supposed duty to the pilgrims.



In fact the entire Hajj management is now more of a business to people organizing the trips from within and outside the government defying the religious sanctity it deserves. Corruption, extortions and harassing the pilgrims are what is distinctly noticeable at every step of the holy journey from registration of Hajj candidate to ticketing, booking of accommodation and Hajj flights operation. It is almost every day news now that the scheduled Hajj flights of the day remained grounded either because of delay in sorting out visa or placing replacement candidates against originally registered name of pilgrims that Hajj agencies now do for their Hajj slot. Such irregularities are more regular now instead of being treated as a fraudulent practice and crime. The rise of mushroom Hajj agencies under the shelter of the ruling party is playing the biggest role to violating the functional discipline of Hajj to turn it into a regular business. But it can't be acceptable; it must stop.



So the selection of the team is not anything so surprising as the Religious Affairs Minister and others have taken the advantage to give favour to people for loyalty on personal or political ground. Exchange of money also is being alleged in some cases.



The so-called medical team alone includes 40 persons from the constituency of the Religious Affairs Minister. There are only three medical technologists, two pharmacists, two senior staff nurses and a health assistant. The number of office assistant is 45, drivers of Religious Affairs Ministry 27, gunmen and police 15. Ministers from other ministries recommended some of them. The team members are supposed to provide medical help to sick pilgrims and assist them at airports in Jeddah and Madina. But what the gunmen, drivers and plumbers are to do is not clear. In fact it is free of cost luxury trip for them and the cost is indirectly covered from dues paid by regular pilgrims. Meanwhile, past experience shows such team members maintain hardly any contact with the pilgrims in need of such support service.



It is so sad that the government is abusing Hajj by allowing the power to be misused. We must say the religious sanctity of Hajj should be held high and pilgrims must be protected from harassment at different levels.
Israel to close offices of Al-Jazeera for 'inciting violence'

An employee of the Qatar-based news network and TV channel Al-Jazeera is seen at the channel\'s Jerusalem office on July 31. Israel said Sunday that it planned to close the offices of Al-Jazeera after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Arab sat

AFP, Jerusalem :

Israel said today that it planned to close the offices of Al-Jazeera in the Jewish state, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Arab satellite news broadcaster of incitement.

Netanyahu had said on July 27 that he wanted Al-Jazeera expelled amid tensions over a sensitive Jerusalem holy site.

"Al-Jazeera has become the main tool of Daesh (ISIS), Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran," Communications Minister Ayoob Kara, a member of the Druze community from Netanyahu's Likud party, told a press conference.

He accused the Qatar-based broadcaster of "inciting violence which has provoked losses among the best of our sons", referring to two Druze policemen who were killed in a July 14 attack near the Al-Aqsa compound in east Jerusalem.

Netanyahu tweeted his congratulations to the minister "who on my instructions took concrete steps to end Al-Jazeera's incitement" in Israel.

The communications ministry said that "nearly all countries in the region including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, have concluded that Al-Jazeera incites terrorism and religious extremism."

It had become "ridiculous that the channel continued to broadcast from Israel".

The ministry said it would also demand the revocation of the credentials of journalists working for the channel and cut its cable and satellite connections.

The closure of Al-Jazeera's offices would come under the remit of security officials. Israeli authorities would also seek to limit access by the Jewish state's Arab citizens to the station's broadcasts in Arabic, the communications ministry statement said without elaborating.

Arab Israelis, the descendants of Palestinians who stayed after the state of Israel was created in 1948, make up 17.5 percent of the country's population.

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.

"The Al-Jazeera channel continues to incite violence around the Temple Mount," Netanyahu wrote in a Facebook post, referring to the Haram al-Sharif compound in Jerusalem, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.

Protests erupted at the contentious site after Israel last month installed new security measures including metal detectors, following the shooting dead of the two Israeli policemen by attackers who emerged from the compound.




South Korea, US agree to pressure North Korea, China hopes for North-South talks

US President Donald Trump (L) welcomes South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House in Washington.

Reuters, Seoul :

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, agreed to apply maximum pressure and sanctions on North Korea in a telephone call on Monday, while China expressed hope that North and South Korea could resume contact soon.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Saturday aimed at pressuring Pyongyang to end its nuclear programme. The sanctions could slash North Korea's $3 billion annual export revenue by a third.

The U.S.-drafted resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood following Pyongyang's two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July. It also prohibits countries from increasing the current numbers of North Korean labourers working abroad, bans new joint ventures with North Korea and any new investment in current joint ventures.

During the hour-long phone call, Moon and Trump said they would continue cooperating to rein in North Korea, particularly ahead of a regular joint military drill set for late August, South Korean presidential office spokesman Park Su-hyun told a media briefing.

Moon was also cited as saying there was a need to show North Korea the door to dialogue is still open, should Pyongyang give up its nuclear programme.

In a separate statement, the White House said the two leaders "affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world".

"The leaders committed to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well," the White House said. In a Twitter post, Trump said he was "very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote" on the sanctions.

North Korea has accused the United States and South Korea of escalating tensions by conducting military drills. North and South Korea are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The Korean standoff has been in focus at a weekend regional security forum in Manila, where the South and North Korean foreign ministers briefly met on Sunday evening ahead of a gala dinner, according to a South Korean foreign ministry official.

South Korea's Kang Kyung-wha asked the North to swiftly respond to the South's proposals to improve ties with North Korea, the official said of the meeting.

North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong Ho said Seoul's proposals lack sincerity when South Korea is imposing sanctions on the North with the United States, the official added.

Speaking to reporters at the forum, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said he hoped North and South Korea could improve relations, and that he felt that North Korea's foreign minister did not entirely reject proposals voiced by his South Korean counterpart.

"We also support the positive proposals put forward by the new (South Korean) government. We are ready to see the North and South resume contacts soon," Wang said.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the support of China and Russia for the latest sanctions sent a strong message to North Korea about what was expected of it.

"When the conditions are right then we can sit and have a dialogue around the future of North Korea so they feel secure and prosper economically," Tillerson told reporters at the same regional security meeting.

China, North Korea's biggest trade partner, has said it is committed to fully enforcing sanctions, but that sanctions are not a lasting solution.

In a front page commentary on Monday, the overseas edition of the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily said North Korea's open flouting of U.N. rules with its missile launches meant that it had to be punished, but sanctions had to be targetted to avoid hurting ordinary people or other countries.

"A precision blow is the essential part of sanctions."

China also called for Washington and Seoul to help lower tensions by reining in their military activities and drills, and by withdrawing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system.

The influential Global Times, published by the People's Daily, said in an editorial that the United States needed to curb its "moral arrogance over North Korea".

"The West should be reminded to exercise restraint. If it believes it is only North Korea rather than the U.S. and South Korea as well to blame for the nuclear issue, this ill-fitting mindset will not help solve the crisis," the strongly nationalist publication said.


N Korea vows to retaliate against US over sanctions

North Korea has vowed to retaliate and make "the US pay a price" for drafting fresh UN sanctions over its banned nuclear weapons programme. The sanctions, which were unanimously passed by the UN on Saturday, were a "violent violation of our sovereignty," the official KCNA news agency said.

Separately, South Korea says the North has rejected an offer to restart talks, dismissing it as insincere.

The sanctions will aim to reduce North Korea's export revenues by a third.

The unanimous UN Security Council decision followed repeated missile tests by the North which have escalated tensions on the peninsula.

In its first major response on Monday, North Korea insisted that it would continue to develop its controversial nuclear weapons programme.

The state-run KCNA news agency said Pyongyang would "not put our self-defensive nuclear deterrent on the negotiating table" while it faces threats from the US.

It threatened to make the US "pay the price for its crime...thousands of times," referring to America's role in drafting the UN sanctions resolution.

The remarks come after reports emerged that the North and South Korean foreign ministers had met briefly on Sunday evening on the sidelines of a regional forum in the Philippine capital, Manila.

South Korean media reported that its foreign minister, Kang Kyung-wha, had shaken hands with her North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong Ho, in a brief and unarranged meeting at an official dinner event held by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

A South Korea official told the BBC that Mr Ri had dismissed his counterpart's offer of talks as "insincere".

South Korean news agency Yonhap reported Ms Kang as saying that Mr Ri's rejection of the talks proposal appeared to be connected with the new sanctions.

"I told him that [the two offers for talks] are an urgent matter that should be carried out immediately with any political agenda put aside and asked him to proactively react," she was quoted as saying.

The foreign minister of China, which is Pyongyang's closest ally, told journalists on Monday: "My feeling is that the North did not entirely reject the positive proposals raised by the South." Wang Yi added that China also supported the South's initiatives.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is also at the Asean forum, where he spoke about North Korea.

Noting Russia and China's participation in the unanimous vote, he told journalists it was clear there was now "no daylight among the international community" on their desire for North Korea to stop its tests.

"The best signal that North Korea can give us that they are prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches," he added.

Russia and China have previously differed with others on how to handle Pyongyang, but in recent months have joined calls for North Korea to stop its missile tests while also urging the US and South Korea to halt military drills.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump spoke to his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in over the phone about relations on the Korean peninsula.

They agreed that North Korea "poses a grave and growing direct threat" and the two leaders were committed to fully implementing the latest round of UN sanctions, the White House said in a statement.
Wife killed Salman Shah?

US migrant's video goes viral on social media claiming of having evidences

Million's heartthrob and superstar of Bangla film in 90's Slaman Shah did not kill himself; he was murdered by the accomplices of his wife Samira. This was revealed in a recent video message, which went viral on the social media networks including Facebook. A Bangladeshi born American migrant Rabeya Sultana Rubi claimed that her Chinese husband and brother had killed Salman Shah with the help of victim's wife. Twenty one years have passed after the death of popular movie star, but the incident still remains shrouded in mystery. Though different departments of police conducted joint and separate investigations into the incident, they failed to prove whether it was an incident of suicide or homicide.

Salman Shah, born Shahriar Chowdhury Emon, died on September 6 in 1996. He was then 25. At that time, there was a common belief that the actor had committed suicide at his Eskaton residence.

But refuting such claim, his father Kamaruddin Chowdhury filed a murder case with the concerned police station accusing 11 persons, including Samira and influential film producer Aziz Mohammad Bhai.

Rabeya Sultana Rubi, who recently released the video, was also one of the eleven accused in the case filed by Salman's father. Now Rubi claims that Samira's family members were involved in the murder.

At that time, the case had taken a dramatic turn when one Rezvi Ahmed in a confessional statement given to the police said that he had killed Salman with the help of Salman's wife and mother-in-law and eight other accomplices. But Rezvi later disowned his confession given before the police.

Meanwhile, drawing attention of Salman's mother Nilufar Chowdhury [Nila], in the video Rubi said: "I know every detail of the murder [of Salman]. In any way, the case should be investigated again. I'll be present in the court to testify to the truth."

"Salman Shah didn't kill himself, he was murdered. My husband had committed the murder with the help of my brother. They were all Chinese. The killing was planned and committed by Samira's family," she continued in the video.

Rubi also claimed that she fled the country after her Chinese husband tried to kill her. "In the meantime, my younger brother Rumi was also killed, who was involved in Salman's murder. I still don't know where Rumi was buried. If it is possible to exhume the body of Rumi, it will be proved that he was strangulated to death," the video message said.

My husband Chang Ling Chang, known as John Chang in Bangladesh, was the owner of Shanghai Chinese Restaurant at road-27, Dhanmondi in the city, she also said.

Earlier on February 10 this year, Nila Chowdhury claimed that her son didn't commit suicide, he was murdered. She also expressed hope that justice will be served to the bereaved family.

"During this government's tenure many longstanding cases have been solved. So, I hope the mystery in this case will be revealed too. There were intentional efforts to establish the incident as a suicide case," the actor's mother had said.

A Dhaka court transferred the case to the Police Bureau of Investigation on December 7 last year for fresh investigation. The order was passed by the court when Salman's mother filed a no-confidence petition against the order given on February 10, 2015 which issued directives to the Rapid Action Battalion to investigate the case.

Metropolitan Magistrate Imdadul Haque submitted a probe report on July 9, 2014 which found no indication of murder.


12 females get raped in a day

Victimized hardly report in fear of social dignity: Minor girls, physically challenged, elderly women violated easily

Md Joynal Abedin Khan :

Police have recorded that on an average 12 females, including girls and women, were raped in a day in three months from April to June this year, according to a data of Police Headquarters.

But the victimized girls and women hardly report such an awful incident with the law enforcers following threat of perpetrators, cops harassment and fear of dignity in society, sources said.

The data revealed that around 810 rape incidents occurred from January to March and 1,109 from April to June and this year. The average figure is 11.67 per cent.

But the actual figures of such incidents are more than 10 to 15 times of police's recent records, said experts, different rights groups and the law enforcers.

Minor girls, school and college goers, physically challenged females and elderly women are being raped easily, they claimed.

After a complaint is registered or a case is filed, the trial of the cases hardly even take place. Even just two per cent of rape cases go to trial each year, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court's sources told the media.

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistic claimed in 2015 that only 1.1 per cent women went to police for reporting after being tortured (sexually, physically and mentally) by their husbands and others.

A recent survey of BRAC mentioned that the incidences of rape and other sexual violence have increased alarmingly in the country in the year 2017 compared to 2016. But 68 per cent incidents of rape and sexual violence against girls and women were not reported or recorded in any way.

At least 263 baby girls were raped in last six months while Bangladesh Shishu Audhikar Forum claimed that 347 juvenile and physically challenged girls were raped in last seven months, according to a report of rights organisation - Odhiker.

Another police data said, 18,668 cases were filed in connection with rape and violation incidents in last five years. Of these, 3,717 cases were in 2016, 3,928 in 2015, 3,689 in 2014, 3,650 in 2013, and 3684 in 2012. Only 4 per cent accused awarded punishment in these cases and the rest were acquitted from the charges.

The One-Stop Crisis Centre (OCC) of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital said at least 22,386 rape victims had got treatment at the OCC from 2001 to 2015 and 5,300 cases registered in the same time. Only 101 proprietors were punished in 802 cases while the rate of announced verdict and punishment was 3.66 per cent and 0.45 percent respectively.

It also said about 5,321 females sought help at the centre after being emotionally or sexually harassed, but a mere 43 people received punishment in the cases.

A research paper of Action Aid Bangladesh in 2015 said, 81 per cent sexually harassed women unwilling to go to police for help as they have idea that cops may increase the problem.

A raped victim said that police tortured rape them mentally if they went to cops for legal actions.

The violated girls and women also keep silent to report such as incident in fear of threat of perpetrators, cops harassment and life leading with dignity in the society, she said.

Contacted, Kazi Reazul Hoque, Chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), expressed concern over the growing incidents of rape in the country and attributed such hatred acts to social instability and the culture of impunity.

The NHRC chief said, the criminals involved in such crimes have gone out of control as justice cannot be ensured timely.

Professor Zia Rahman, Chairman of the Criminology Department at Dhaka University, said, "From childhood, boys are exposed to a patriarchal mode of thought."

Institutions which work on sex education also fail to provide proper knowledge and create awareness, resulting in the rise of rape cases, Prof Zia said.

Salma Ali, Executive Director of Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers' Association (BNWLA), said, "Laxity in applying the law, failure of police to investigate properly and delays in the trial process are behind the rising trend of rape."

The absence of a victim protection and delays in police investigations were a major factor in explaining the trend, she said, adding that police often take too long to file cases giving perpetrators time to go into hiding.

Farhana Afroj, Chief of Arban Programme, Plan International Bangladesh, told The New Nation on Saturday, "The juvenile girls refrain to complain any violation incident in fear of social stigma as only 'bad girls' have victimized of rapes."

The victimized also avoid to seek legal action against the rapists due to inability to face threat of the propagators, lack of concept of law, lack of confidence on judiciary system and absence of female friendly environment in courts and police stations.

She said that a cycle had now been created in rape cases because the criminals get bail using loopholes in the law and then rape again.

Abdullah Al-Mamun, Deputy Inspector General (operations) of police headquarters, said: "The investigation of rape cases gets top priority from us.

He said every police station across the country had been instructed to help rape victims receive proper attention and service.

"If any police official is found to be negligent in investigating these cases, we will take action action against them," the DIG said.


Cabinet dissatisfied

PM asks minister to make people understand the verdict: Govt plans to request CJ to withdraw objectionable portions: Law Minister may hold press conference on Thursday

Staff Reporter :

Cabinet members on Monday expressed their dissatisfaction over the recent Supreme Court's verdict scrapping the 16th constitutional amendment that restored the parliament's authority to remove Supreme Court judges on grounds of incapacity or misconduct.

Taking part in an unscheduled discussion in the weekly meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair, they also termed many portion of the judgment as 'objectionable', according to the meeting sources.

On behalf of the government a written application will be submitted to the Chief Justice to withdraw what they term 'many objectionable portions of the judgment, the meeting sources said.

The sources said after the weekly meeting, the issue relating to the scrapping of the 16th constitutional amendment was discussed widely for about two hours.

All the cabinet members expressed their dismay over the issue, a cabinet member preferring not to be named said.

He said the Law Minister Anisul Huq placed the judgment of 16th constitutional amendment before the cabinet meeting.

"Many irrelevant issues have been included in the judgment. And these irrelevant issues were not needed to be included in the judgment. Fifth and sixth constitutional amendments have also been mentioned in the judgment. Even, the judgment termed the January 5 parliamentary poll as questionable," the law minister was quoted as saying.

Besides, the cabinet members agreed in principle to enact a new law if it is needed in a bid to protect the peoples' right.

The meeting sources said the Law Minister Anisul Huq is likely to hold a press conference on Thursday on the judgment of 16th constitutional amendment. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that she earlier heard about the judgment.

"Now I have obtained a copy of the judgment. I went through it and understood. I found many portions of the judgment, especially about the government and people, are objectionable. So that whenever you (cabinet members) get chance you will make people understand about the judgment, as we are the representatives of the people. And people have also the right to know the judgment," the Prime Minister was quoted as saying.

Talking to journalists State Minister of Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque said a two-hour long discussion took place on the judgment of 16th constitutional amendment.

"The judgment termed the current parliament as questionable and immature. I want to say that current parliament's lawmakers elected the President. It does mean that the President is immature and his appointment also. And that questionable President appointed the Chief Justice. Now our question is that whether the Chief Justice is also questionable and immature," he said.

Cabinet members, state ministers and concerned secretaries were present during the meeting.

On July 2, the Supreme Court upheld a High Court verdict that declared illegal the 16th amendment to the constitution, dismissing a state appeal against it.

A seven-member apex court bench led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the order. On June 1, the apex court concluded hearing on the state appeal against High Court verdict that had declared illegal the 16th amendment to the constitution, which had empowered parliament to remove judges for incapacity of misbehavior.

Earlier on February 8, 2017, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court appointed 12 senior jurists as amicus curiae to give their opinions during the hearing on state appeal.

The High Court on August 11, 2016, released the full text of 165-page verdict that declared illegal and unconstitutional the 16th amendment to the constitution, which had allowed the parliament to remove Supreme Court judges on grounds of incapacity or misconduct.

A three-member High Court bench led by Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury delivered the verdict by majority on May 5, 2016. The two other judges were Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal. The state later filed an appeal against the High Court verdict.
Ctg cocaine haul: Accused files

UNB, Chittagong :

Now, an accused in the case filed over the seizure of liquid cocaine at Chittagong port on June 8, 2015 has filed a Tk 100-crore compensation case against seven business establishments in connection with the incident.

Nur Mohammad, owner of edible oil importer 'Khan Jahan Ali Limited', filed the case with Chittagong Joint District Judge Court-3 on Sunday.

Judge Abdul Quader took cognigance of the complaint and asked the owners of the seven business houses to appear before the court on October 4.

The seven business establishments are Cosco Container Lines, Cosco Shipping Lines, SRL, South Freight Logistic, MV Thorostilian, PIL Ltd and an organisation of Bolivia.

Ibrahim Hossain Chowdhury Babul, a lawyer of the plaintiff, claimed that Nur has no link with the import of cocaine under the cover of edible oil through Chittagogn port. "The accused brought the cocaine in connivance with each other keeping Khan Jahan Ali Limited in the dark, thus harassing my client financially and socially," he said.

The presence of liquid cocaine was found in 107 drums of a consignment of Bolivian sunflower oil which the customs intelligence officials seized at Chittagong port on June 8, 2015.
3 college students among 5 killed in Gazipur road crash

Five people including three college students were killed when a human hauler hit a covered van on Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway at Masterbari area in Gazipur on Monday.

UNB, Gazipur :

Five people, including three college students, were killed and seven others injured as a human hauler hit a covered van on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway at Masterbari in the city on Monday.

Two of the deceased were identified as Sadia Afrin and Farzana Afrin Shikha, students of Iqbal Siddique College.

Quoting witnesses, police said the accident took place around 3 pm when a human hauler coming from Rajendrapur dashed a covered van from behind, leaving four people dead and eight others injured.

The injured were admitted to Shahid Tajuddin Medical College Hospital where Sadia died.
IsiS claims to have killed 68 Iraqi soldiers

International Business Times :

Isis claims to have killed 68 Iraqi soldiers in a suicide bombing in al-Furat, a province in western Iraq near the border with Syria, according to a message intercepted by the SITE Intelligence Group. The group reported that their fighters stormed barracks in the Jamouna area, near al-Tanaf in Syria, on Monday 7 August.

They launched the attack from three directions and clashed with Iraqi troops, according to their message. Isis said 68 Iraqi soldiers were

killed in the suicide bombing and fighting that followed. Six of the military barracks were set on fire, seven vehicles were destroyed and one soldier was taken hostage, the group claims.

"The attack began with a martyrdom-seeking operation carried out by the brother Abu Hassan al-Iraqi - may Allah accept him - and followed with storming the barracks of the apostates and clashing with them using different weapons," the message, translated by SITE, reads.

"It resulted in killing 68 apostates and taking an element prisoner, and destroying 7 vehicles and disabling a tank, and burning 6 barracks. Allah granted His worshippers the monotheists 3 four-wheel drive vehicles equipped with machine guns, rocket launchers, and various weapons and ammunition as spoils, and unto Allah is all praise for His granting of success."

Over the weekend, the US said it had managed to retake almost a third of Isis' territory in Iraq and Syria. Brett McGurk, the special presidential envoy for the global coalition to defeat Isis, said President Trump's strategy had "dramatically accelerated" the campaign to destroy Isis in the region.

"Nearly 30% of all the territory that has been retaken from ISIS-about 20,000 square kilometres-has actually happened in the last six months," he said.

McGurk explained that this was partly due to Trump's decision to delegate the mission to battlefield commanders and the rapid growth of the anti-Isis coalition, which now consists of 73 members-69 countries and four international organisations.
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.
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WEST FRANKFORT  The West Frankfort City Council will take up business during Tuesdays City Council meeting to fill more stalls at the Factory Stores of America outlet mall.

West Frankfort Mayor Tom Jordan said the newest additions wont be big corporations.

That area, we are just going to make it for some local people, Jordan said, adding that in the next two months they hope to fill between 2,000 and 3,000 square feet of retail space.

Jordan said the city will be welcoming Lazy Daisy Yarn and Needlecraft to the mall. John Nolen Chiropractic will also be making the move.

Nolen, who has been in his current location on Van Buren Street in West Frankfort for 27 years, said he had been in negotiations with Glenwood Equities LLC for nearly two years before finally selling to them. They wanted his lot in order to build the new Dollar General store coming to town.

Nolan said he looks forward to renting as he will have less responsibility for maintenance. He said his last day of work in his current spot will be no later than Aug. 31, and he said the city plans to have his new, 2,200-square-foot stall in the mall ready within the first week of September.

Jordan also said there could also be a big announcement within the next 90 days regarding the development of the property adjacent to the front of the mall. Jordan said the location could be home to a new gas station/convenience store. However, Jordan declined to provide further details as the deal is not final. He did say if it goes through, the mall property could see a boost in traffic because of the pending development.

The city purchased the failing mall in 2015 after watching it decline for years. Jordan said its been slow but steady progress.

Im not disappointed in the development that we have, Jordan said.

2017 has had its ups and downs for the property. In February it was announced a Taco Bell would be moving into a lot in front of the mall, which generated a lot of local excitement. However, this year also saw plans fall through for West Frankfort to be the new home of Little Egypt Beer.

We tried our best to help him, Jordan said of Little Egypt's owner, Ken Rhude. I just dont think it was meant to be. I wish him well.

Still, Jordan said while he would love to see the property teeming with businesses, he knows it will take time and said he thinks the decision for the city to purchase the property was a sound one. He said it gave the city more power to control the destiny of a huge development.

If people want to come here, we have a seat at the table, Jordan said.
MEXICO CITY  U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says he considers the United States' current farm-visa program to be "unworkable" but the issue probably will not come up in NAFTA talks in August.

Many U.S. farms depend on temporary agricultural workers who enter on special visas, but there have been complaints about red tape, delays and limits on the program.

"Frankly we have a system now that's essentially unworkable for many farms," Purdue said during a July visit to Mexico City, without elaborating.

While Mexico has said it wants an "integral" approach to renegotiating the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement that addresses issues such as immigration, Perdue said the matter of guest workers was not likely to be involved.

Mexico has also suggested it could turn to South American grain if talks don't go well.

But Perdue displayed confidence in the competitiveness of U.S. grain, which supplies most Mexican feedlots.

"We have such productive and logistical advantages from the U.S. to Mexico, I think while they may talk about that, they may act as if they're having conversations, but we have a corner-store location for their supply," Purdue said.

Perdue noted that U.S. manufacturing has not benefited as much from NAFTA as the farm sector, and said President Donald Trump is "very rightly concerned about that." He also expressed hope that U.S. agricultural products will not be targeted in retaliation.

"The unfortunate thing is that in many trade renegotiations, or trade negotiations, the anxiety of our producers is that the agriculture is always used as a retaliatory measure," Perdue said, "and that's why I'm speaking to all of them, the president. .... Our goal is to do no harm in agricultural sector."
Al Gore expects us to believe that climate change science is settled. According to the former vice president, scientists know, with a high degree of certainty, that our emissions of greenhouse gases, 82 percent of which are carbon dioxide (CO2) in the United States, is causing dangerous climate change.

The solution, Gore tells us, is a dramatic reduction in our use of fossil fuels, the source of 86 percent of the worlds energy supply.

For Gores position to be rational, there is a string of postulates that would have to be known to be true, or, at least very likely. The Trump administrations proposed red team-blue team climate science investigation must carefully examine each of these suppositions. For essentially nothing in science, especially a discipline as immature and rapidly evolving as the study of climate, is a known fact. They are merely the opinions of experts based on their interpretations of the observations and their understandings of todays theory. And different experts have different opinions, even about issues that many scientists assume are settled.

Scientists taking part in the red team-blue team exercise will undoubtedly examine the degree to which recent climate change is natural versus human-caused, the efficacy of computer modeling for forecasting future climate, trends in extreme weather, and other topics of current debate. What they will probably not look at, but should, are the very basics underlying todays climate change concerns.

For example, the experts should be asked to properly re-examine whether the Earth really has warmed in the past century. They should look more closely at the CO2 record and determine if levels really have risen since the 1800s and whether human activities are known to be the main cause of the assumed CO2 rise.

Contrary to Gores assertions, these sorts of basic issues are not settled. Former University of Winnipeg climatology professor Dr. Tim Ball is an example of a well-qualified expert who does indeed question these fundamentals of the climate debate.

For instance, Ball explains that, while it is claimed that there has been a 0.7 degree Celsius temperature rise in the past century, it is not really possible to know this.

The best weather stations in the world, in terms of the density of the network, the quality of the instruments, and the monitoring of the sites, are in the United States, Ball said. But even there, meteorologist Anthony Watts Surface Stations study showed that only 7.9 percent of existing stations achieved accuracies better than +/-1 degree Celsius. So how can you claim that a 0.7 degree increase over 100 years has any meaning whatsoever?

While many people assume that CO2 concentrations have risen in recent decades, some scientists dispute this. Ball said, The CO2 level from pre-industrial times was completely manipulated to show a steady rise from 270 parts per million [ppm] to the current 400 ppm. Scientifically valid chemical measurements of 19th century CO2 levels in excess of those of today were simply ignored.

And if there has been a rise in CO2 levels, it may not be as a result of human activities. It could simply be a result of outgassing from the oceans as they warmed due to solar changes. Ball points out that the total estimated human contribution to atmospheric CO2 concentration is less that the uncertainty in the estimate of CO2 emitted from the oceans, so detecting the human contribution is not currently possible.

There are scientists who do not agree with Ball, of course. But even they cannot rationally claim to be 100 percent sure of their position. The red team-blue team participants must leave no stone unturned and assign probabilities to even these, the most basic assumptions of the climate change debate. For, as Mark Twain said, It aint what you dont know that gets you into trouble. Its what you know for sure that just aint so.
Bahrain's government is formualting effective policies to develop the kingdoms economic and investment structure and adapt it to attract more investors, His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has said.



The kingdom aims to expand the circle of investment and economic cooperation, regionally and internationally, he said.



Economy is the mainstay of development and its main artery, and this is why the governments strategy and economic plans are more dynamic to ensure that the government-led development can always move towards wider and more comprehensive horizons, the Premier said, according to a BNA report.



He was speaking as he received a number of state officials, as well as economic, intellectual and media personalities, at the Gudaibiya Palace yesterday (August 6).



HRH Premier affirmed that the Bahraini peoples distinguished qualities, including co-existence, kindness and enlightened thought, are investment-stimulating elements, highlighting Bahrainis innumerable success stories in the trade and business sectors.



He praised the major role played by Bahrains pioneering businessmen who, he said, had set an example in building the nations progress and prosperity. He also stressed the need to document the efforts and contributions of everyone who have exerted dedicated efforts for the kingdoms prosperity so that their works remain beacons that lead generations to come.
Abdul Rahim Architectural Consultants (Araco), a leading design and project management consultant in the UAE, has been selected to provide design and consultancy services for Abu Dhabi Housing Authoritys (Adha) Bayti initiative.



The Bayti initiative streamlines the process of building homes for Emirati nationals.



Launched in late 2016, the initiative reduces the time taken for Emiratis to design and approve a house from three months to only three weeks. Houses are constructed in 58 architecturally and structurally pre-approved exteriors  of which Araco designed 12  with modular interiors adaptable to the needs and size of each individual family, said a statement.



Full construction of each house can be completed within two years, with the process reducing consultants fees to three per cent, from four per cent or higher.



Commenting on the project, Araco Abu Dhabi branch manager, Yousef Abu Shaaban, said: In the past, this process included searching for suitable consultants, preparing the design, assessing the presented blueprints before issuing a building permit and starting construction. That process could take as long as three months. Now, the clients can choose from pre-approved designs already licensed by the Department of Municipal Affairs. After that, the presented blueprints will be assessed and a building permit will be issued, within two weeks, before the construction begins.



The designs are approved by authorities, including municipalities, to make the process of construction smoother and more convenient for Emiratis granted a loan for housing in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Up to 3,000 loans are approved each year and houses are permitted for construction in Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain and the Western Region.



Designed in modern, Andalusian, Islamic and heritage styles, the homes range from four to eight bedrooms and homeowners can select wall colours, fittings and fixtures.



Abu Shaaban added: The Bayti initiative provides citizens with houses based on the highest standards of quality in accordance with all the government regulations and standards in force. The wide range of designs offers different housing styles, which range between modern, Eastern and Arabic.



In line with Abu Dhabi Municipalitys strict building codes, Araco has adhered to all regulations and standards enforced by various entities, confirming the designs compliance with the expectations of future homeowners, it said.



Abu Shaaban concluded: The Bayti initiative makes the process of building a property much easier and faster for Emiratis, a process which took a lot of time and effort in the past due to the required agreements, procedures and design approvals. With this initiative, the designs, blueprints, and issuing of the required approvals has been developed in collaboration with the municipalities and engineering consultancies to guarantee a smooth and organised construction process and a house fit for the most discerning family. - TradeArabia News Service


Arabtec has won a Dh363-million ($98.8 milion) contract to build a new mall in Dubai South, a 145-sq-km development in Dubai, a report said.



The mall will be built at the Emaar South project within the Dubai South development, said a Zawya report.



Emaar South is a joint venture between Emaar Properties and the Dubai South. Emaar South plans to build more than 15,000 homes in its development that will contain the new mall, hotels, community parks, schools and other facilities.



Arabtec said that the mall will have 83,000 sq m built-up area over three levels. Work is set to start on site this month, the report said.



Dubai South houses the Al Maktoum International Airport, the Expo 2020 site, a logistics district and a residential district containing up to 10,000 new homes. The development will ultimately sustain a

population of one million.
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the Bahrain-based international aluminium smelter, has promoted Masood Toorani to the post of manager for Carbon 1 & 2 division.



Toorani joined Alba as a trainee senior operator in Paste Plant 2 as part of Line 4 expansion. In 2012, he was promoted to senior superintendent in carbon operations, followed by his recent promotion, said a statement from the company.



He holds a Bachelor Degree with honours in mechanical engineering from Huddersfield University, UK, and he is currently pursuing his MBA from De Paul University, Chicago, US, it said.



Albas chief executive officer Tim Murray said: We believe in promoting from within the company through continuous training and development of our workforce.



Toorani proved to be an example of resilience for taking new challenges and turning them into opportunities, and I am confident that he will capitalize on his experience to improve the efficiency of our carbon plants, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Swisslog, a leader in robotic, data driven and flexible automated solutions, has presented two new reports that address the challenges of energy efficiency and small order fulfilment.



Experts at Swisslog have recently presented their two new whitepapers "Goods-to-Person Solutions: Solving the Challenges of Small Order Fulfillment" and "Energy Efficiency in Automated Distribution Facilities", where they provide detailed insights into the impact of smart automation technology in both ambient and temperature controlled warehouses, said a statement.



Swisslog is at the forefront of these Industry 4.0 initiatives providing innovative solutions for the retail/e-commerce, pharmaceutical, food and beverage and automotive industries.



The first of the whitepapers addresses the challenges facing fulfillment operations in the rapidly growing e-commerce industry.



The report concludes that an omni-channel or dedicated e-commerce fulfillment centre utilising a streamlined, highly-efficient automated goods-to-person solution can expect to see a doubling or tripling in picking activity over conventional manual-based picking methods.



Providing extensive knowledge and insight into the options available to distribution centres facing the challenge of small order fulfillment, the report discusses Swisslogs latest innovation, AutoPiQ, and how it enables direct cooperation between pickers and robots.



When networked with automated goods-to-person warehouse systems, such as CycloneCarrier, AutoStore or CarryPick, AutoPiQ is able to assist human workers with picking tasks, permitting workers to focus more on value-added services.



Jeff Ross, vice president implementation for e-commerce/retail, Swisslog WDS Americas, said: We see a much more willing attitude on the part of logistics executives toward accepting automated goods-to-person solutions.



The technology has definitely advanced over the past five years. It is very clear that these high-performance systems can deliver the productivity they require, he said.



While automation has offered endless benefits to operations around the globe, some are concerned with the increased energy demands required to run the systems.



A second whitepaper addresses these concerns and looks at how businesses can benefit from automation while remaining energy efficient.



The report finds that refrigerated warehousing, while an expanding sector, is the most energy intensive. Energy is one of the largest expenses for the sector, second only to labour costs. Goods-to-person solutions, Swisslog says, can recuperate energy from the braking and lifting of carrier vehicles, and this, combined with energy sharing technologies, can see energy use reduced by up to 20 per cent.



The most efficient shuttle and robotics systems have been engineered to reduce carrier weight and optimise weight/payload ratios for lessened energy requirements, the whitepaper states.



Since these systems provide dense storage capacity, they are also ideal for minimising refrigeration energy costs, when compared to manual small quantity picking in traditional refrigerated warehouses, it added.



The whitepaper also highlights how positioning power monitoring devices throughout materials handling equipment gives logisticians the ability to measure, visualise and track energy consumption throughout the distribution facility in real time.



Swisslogs Samuel Schaerer, controls development manager with Swisslog Warehouse and Distribution Solutions Technology Center, located in Buchs, Switzerland, said: This provides an unparalleled level of transparency into energy usage, and allows the distribution systems to operate in a very energy efficient manner.  TradeArabia News Service
Hilton has signed a management agreement with Fahd Abdallah al-Harbi & Sons Limited to open DoubleTree by Hilton Jeddah Al Salamah District in Saudi Arabia.



The hotel is expected to begin welcoming guests in Q1 2020.



"Saudi Arabia features our largest pipeline in the Middle East, and we are pleased to be expanding our portfolio in the country with the addition of this property, said Carlos Khneisser, vice president of development, Middle East, North Africa & Turkey, Hilton. As Saudi Arabias second largest city and the biggest seaport in the Red Sea, Jeddah is a key business and leisure destination. We are delighted to have signed the first DoubleTree by Hilton property in Jeddah and are confident that the upscale brand is a good fit for the city.



DoubleTree by Hilton Jeddah Al Salamah District will be conveniently located just 10 kilometres from King Abdulaziz International Airport. It will be near Al Madina Al Munawwarah Road, the main artery connecting the airport with the rest of Jeddah, offering easy access to Jeddahs business districts. The 114-guest room hotel will feature a fitness centre, outdoor pool and spa, and will also offer a business centre, large multifunctional meeting room, meeting room and boardroom. Dining options include an all-day dining restaurant and a lobby cafe.



We look forward to welcoming travellers to Jeddah with DoubleTree by Hiltons unique style of hospitality, which begins with our signature, warm DoubleTree cookie upon arrival and continues with excellent service throughout a guests stay, said Dianna Vaughan, senior vice president and global head, DoubleTree by Hilton.



Jeddah has a large port and is home to several company headquarters, making it a logistical and commercial hub. In addition, King Abdulaziz International Airport offers direct flights to destinations around the world, and expansion plans are expected to increase the capacity of the airport to approximately 80 million passengers by 2035. The airport also features a Hajj terminal built specifically for pilgrims going to Makkah - Jeddah acts as a gateway to the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah,. The area is also a popular destination for travellers within Saudi Arabia because of its location along the coast of the Red Sea and its range of retail and dining options.



Fahd Abdalah Abdelrahman al-Harbi, the principal shareholder of Fahd Abdallah al-Harbi & Sons Limited together with Finesse Al Finesse, the owner representative and CEO of Vin & K development company, said, We are very pleased to have partnered with Hilton to open this upscale hotel. DoubleTree by Hilton is a leading brand globally with a strong presence in Saudi Arabia - we are confident this hotel will meet the highest standards in international hospitality. - TradeArabia News Service
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and KPMG have come together to launch the first FinTech Abu Dhabi Innovation Challenge to identify game-changing innovations for the regions financial services industry.



The Innovation Challenge, on October 22, will be held as part of the inaugural FinTech Abu Dhabi event (October 22 and 23). It includes an intensive five-week program, which will allow innovative and mature start-ups to conceptualise and present market-ready solutions that can address real business challenges identified in the financial services industry in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region.



During the programme, 10 finalist teams will work on developing solutions to specific problem statements, divided into six focus areas: Financial and Investment Management, Financial Inclusion, RegTech, Trade Finance, InsurTech and Private Capital Markets.



The finalists will showcase their solutions at the FinTech Demo Day in Abu Dhabi to a panel of industry experts. Each finalist will benefit from a number of different sessions, including start-up initiation and mentoring sessions, opportunities to enter or expand into the MEASA financial services sector and join adoption programs and collaborative ecosystems in the MEASA region, access to guidance and support from industry leaders, subject-matter experts and regulatory authorities, and fast-tracked consideration for admission to ADGMs Regulatory Laboratory (RegLab) programme. They will also win a $15,000 cash stipend to cover any costs associated with travel matters and/or accommodation.



Wai Lum Kwok, executive director (capital markets), Financial Services Regulatory Authority of ADGM, commented: We are excited to team up with KPMG in developing and organising the FinTech Abu Dhabi Innovation Challenge. This is a great opportunity for FinTech start-ups to interact with the brightest minds in the industry to leverage the guidance and mentorship of industry experts to come up with solutions to address and solve some of the sectors challenges and pain-points. As part of ADGMs FinTech collaboration with the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the winners will be able to participate in the Singapore Hackcelerator event to demonstrate their innovative solutions.



"As an International Financial Centre and leading FinTech hub, ADGM will continue to keep its finger-on-the-pulse, listening to and anticipating the needs of our market, working closely with our FinTech bridges and partners, and maintaining an open and conducive ecosystem that is relevant today, and builds the economy of tomorrow, Kwok said.



Umair Hameed, partner, financial services, KPMG in the Lower Gulf, said: The FinTech Abu Dhabi Innovation Challenge is truly a progressive initiative for the industry, and KPMG along with ADGM is very pleased to be able to lend its support and assist emerging start-ups in the region to achieve their objectives. The industry has a responsibility to support and encourage innovation, especially across start-ups in the UAE in line with the UAE Vision 2021 which aims to transform the country into a diversified, knowledge-based economy."



Individuals and mature start-ups with a working prototype and go-to-market strategy are encouraged to apply to the FinTech Abu Dhabi Innovation Challenge via https://matchi.biz/Abudhabifintech. Submissions will be accepted until August 25.



Two Innovation Challenge winners will be announced on October 22. These winners will have the opportunity to demonstrate their solutions at the upcoming Global FinTech Hackcelerator in Singapore. - TradeArabia News Service
A joint meeting of the Opec-Non-Opec Technical Committee is convening today in Abu Dhabi in order to identify ways and means of raising the levels of conformity with their pledges to cut oil production.

The two-day technical meetings are being held to better understand the difficulties and obstacles faced by some Opec and non-Opec participating countries and to assess how conformity levels can be improved with the goal of achieving a faster rebalanced global oil market, for the benefit of producers and consumers alike, said a Wam news agency report.

The meetings are being co-chaired by Kuwait and Russia, in the presence of representatives from Saudi Arabia, which is serving as president of Opec for 2017.

The meeting was called during the 4th meeting of the Joint Opec-Non-Opec Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) in St. Petersburg, Russia, on July 24, 2017, when the Joint Opec-Non-Opec Technical Committee (JTC) was instructed to convene.

Other members of the JMMC/JTC will not be attending as they have delegated the responsibility of conducting these meetings and reporting back to the JTC and the JMMC accordingly to the co-chairs, the report said.
Bahrain's Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning has unveiled a new scheme to license pearl diving activities, said a report.



Starting from August 9, individual applicants can obtain a pearl diving license according to local laws and regulations with fees of BD25 ($65.8) per individual and BD1,000 ($2,633.8) per diving centre, said a report in BNA.



Moreover, all previous license owners, whether expired or not, are obliged to submit an application for renewal as per the requirements of ministerial order (43/2017).



The scheme, which will be run from the Marine licensing office located in Budayia, comes following the directives of the Government Executive Committee chaired by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister.



Essam bin Abdulla Khalaf, minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, said that applicants will be required to attend a pearl diving workshop which will be held by the Supreme Council of Environment following initial registration.



The initiative will boost pearl diving by encouraging sustainable catching activities and ensuring Bahrain retains its position as an international centre for the industry.



In doing so, the new initiative will bring significant positive impacts to the kingdom, including the creation of new jobs for Bahrainis in the marine sector.



The minister also clarified that the regulation of pearling activities is one of the main objectives of reviving this deep rooted industry, which seeks to maintain a sustainable environment for natural pearls.

Official pearl diving trips will take place from August 26.



The minister announced the establishment of the first pearling center at the port of Ras Rayah in Muharraq following his recent visit to the project site.



The minister confirmed the implementation of Resolution No. 43 of 2017 to regulate pearling through an annual license made available to individuals and centres to practice the pearling activity in permitted areas, obtainable only from the Agriculture and Marine Resources Affairs office in Budaiya.



As for diving centres, instructors, diving masters and vessel crew members are requested to obtain one year licenses from the Marine Monitoring Directorate in Agriculture and Marine Resources Affairs to be able to take part in pearling trips. Ras Rayah fishing harbour in Muharraq is the designated entry and exit location for pearl diving trips. Pearl divers will have to purchase a BD5 ($13) ticket from the Bahrain Exhibition and Convention Authority.



Diving centres must provide a list of participants to the Coast Guard Directorate before any trip and are obliged to follow safety laws and regulations. Divers are restricted to a maximum of 60 oysters per trip.



Conditions for pearl licensing trips include:



-To take part in pearl diving trips, organisers and centres must be registered with the Commercial Registration System (Sijilat) at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism

- Centres must have a diving boat licensed by the Coast Guard

- Instructors must have a (Padi Master) certificate or any other international equivalent certificate

- CVs for trainers should be provided with a proof that the trainers have passed a Supreme Council of Environment training course on how to preserve and sustain the marine environment

- All participants must hold an insurance certificate for diving vessels

- Applicants must submit a written pledge to uphold national laws and regulations for the protection of marine resources, avoid using illegal fishing gear and pay application fees.


Spring earnings have already revealed some modest numbers for coal producers. The second quarter of the year, between winter and summer demand, generally shows a decrease in production and revenue for Powder River Basin coal companies. Oil and gas companies are also reporting for the period from April to June, months marked by crude prices under $50 a barrel and natural gass spot price hovering near $3. But the PRB, for oil and gas, continues to deliver.

Heres a breakdown of some of Wyomings biggest companies with recent earnings reports:

Peabody Energy

The operator of Wyomings largest coal mine, Peabody Energy, came in at a $20.2 million loss for the second quarter of the year. However, the St. Louis-based firms Powder River coal shipments increased by 6 percent. The increase was in part due to contracts the company had with buyers, but it was also thanks to the higher price of natural gas.

When gas prices rise, coal becomes more competitive as power companies switch to the cheapest source of fuel.

PRB is a strong competitor in a $3 gas environment, said CEO Glenn Kellow in a call with investors Tuesday.

Demand increased some 25 million tons in the first six months of the year compared to 2016, he added.

Peabody is also operating in a new normal coal environment, since the dramatic downturn of previous years, its CFO said.

Weve noted for some time now that the new Peabody isnt about volumes, but about margins and return, said Amy Schwetz. Based on early analysis, Peabody Powder River Basin margins of 23 percent once again top the competition.

The company ended the quarter with $1.1 billion in cash, up $28 million from the end of the first quarter.

Peabody spent some $180 million between April and June in exit settlements and fees leftover from its bankruptcy.

EOG Resources

An active player in Wyomings Powder River and DJ basins, EOG Resources reported a net income of $23.1 million for the second quarter, a far cry from 2016 when the company announced a $293 million net loss for April to June.

The Houston-based firm completed eight wells in the PRB and 10 in the DJ for the quarter.

The PRB wells had an average lateral length of 8,700 feet and initial 30-day production rates of 1,745 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Earlier this year, the companys executives extolled the virtue of Wyomings PRB.

We look forward to a more active program in the Powder River Basin throughout the remainder of 2017 and beyond as we continue to block up acreage on our current plays and explore for new plays in this resource-rich basin, said executive David Trice.

Chesapeake Energy

Chesapeake Energy reported $470 million in net income for the second quarter, a 40 percent increase from last year.

The Oklahoma City-based company is operating two rigs in the PRB and plans to bring in a third by the fall, officials told investors Thursday.

Executives were hopeful when talking about formations they are tapping in the PRB. Wells are economic at low crude prices and longer laterals and bigger fracs are seeing strong results, executives said.

What weve seen so far in the Sussex and the Turner, those are probably the lowest cost producers we have in our inventory, said executive Frank Patterson of wells in two PRB formations. Those are low $30 breakeven prices. You know, were going to step on the gas on those. We will focus on those.

Many operators have reported a growing understanding of how to utilize directional drilling and new technologies to the greatest advantage in the oil basin of northern Wyoming. Those discoveries continue to surprise in the PRB, and many believe a PRB renaissance is just beginning.

The Turner has been fantastic, Patterson went on to say Thursday. Weve basically drilled the edges. We have not drilled the core of the field, yet.
A Wyoming man died Sunday evening after his car collided with a semi truck near Pathfinder, according to a Wyoming Highway Patrol report.

John Romero, 65, was heading west on Wyoming Highway 220 at about 9 p.m. when his Mercury Cougar crossed into oncoming traffic and struck the semi near milepost 79, according to the report.

Authorities dont know why Romero crossed into the other lane, but they suspect he might have been under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash, the report states.

The crash caused extreme damage to the Mercury. The semi truck came to rest on the east side of the highway, where its engine oil and fuel ignited. That sparked a small grass fire on the shoulder of the highway, but witnesses acted quickly and extinguished it, according to the highway patrol.

The flames also temporarily trapped the semis driver in his cab, but a witness with a fire extinguisher doused the flames.

Romero was wearing a seat belt.

Highway 220 was closed overnight between Muddy Gap and Alcova, according to the Wyoming Department of Transportation.
Michele Chulick isnt shy about saying shes just starting to get her feet under her at Wyoming Medical Center.

Ill be very frank: Im in the learning process, the new president and CEO said Thursday after being asked what shed like to improve at the hospital.

Theres a lot to learn: Chulick, a career health care administrator with a background in finance, arrived in Casper last month to take charge of one of the largest hospitals in a state where distance and weather can present unique challenges to patient care.

The health care world outside of Wyoming is even more complicated: Senate leaders in Washington nearly repealed the Affordable Care Act last month, a move that health officials have warned could have dire effects on hospitals here  including Wyoming Medical Center.

Sitting in her new office at WMC, Chulick said that anybody in health care today has a concern about the future of funding but added that the industry is always changing and that her hospitals mission  delivering quality care  wont change.

Chulicks predecessor, Vickie Diamond, warned earlier this year that repealing the ACA could cost the hospital $70 million in the coming years. Just two weeks into her tenure, Chulick said shell be prepared to deal with any sweeping policy changes once they become more concrete.

Diamond retired last month after leading the hospital for nine years, through the joy of major expansions and the hardship of layoffs.

Im not sure how Im going to fill her shoes because shes left a legacy, Chulick said.

Chulick started on July 17, and Diamond stuck around for two weeks to help the new CEO become acclimated to the hospital.

Chulick graduated from Duke University with a bachelors degree in nursing. She also has a masters in business administration from Wayne State University. Before coming to WMC, she was the president of the ventures division at Childrens Health System of Texas.

Chulick said her background had made her well prepared to handle serious fiscal situations  like those that could arise from sweeping policy changes. She knows what happens behind the financial curtain.

I understand the intersection between the financial side and the day-to-day operations, but I also understand the impact on patient care, she said.

She acknowledged that WMC has faced financial problems  it laid off 58 workers in June 2016 to save $7.2 million. But thats the health care industry, she said.

Every facility has. This is not unique, Chulick explained. Whats unique is the close-knit community and how it affects the whole community.

She praised Casper and laughed that shed been recognized several times around town. She said she was attracted by the culture and the level of sophistication at WMC, which she called a jewel for the city and for the state as a whole.

Two weeks into the job, shes still meeting with hospital leadership and hasnt identified her specific goals yet. But generally, she wants to explore collaboration with rural hospitals whiling focusing on improving the patient experience.

Working together with smaller facilities can address the challenge of treating patients in a rural state, in which not every county has a hospital.

How does Wyoming Medical Center expand and provide care across a greater region within the state? Chulick said. I think (collaboration) is a key focus. It has to be.

So what will that look like?

I think thats yet to be determined, she said. I think collaboration means a lot to a lot of different people. Collaboration might mean within the state, within the existing facilities within the state. It might mean services that you bring or new physicians that Wyoming Medical Center brings to the state.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some Aug. 7 papers in history. With a subscription to newspapers.com you can search the Arizona Daily Star and many other newspapers using keywords or dates, and download articles or pages.
"MY WIFE WILL FORGET ME," SOBS COAKLEY, HEARING SENTENCE

Clerk Who Embezzled $10,000 from Postoffice Will Spend Five Years at McNeil Island; Pleads for Lighter Punishment; "I'll Come Out an Old Man."

Walter D. Coakley, convicted embezzler of postoffice funds, was sentenced yesterday afternoon to serve five years on McNeil Island. Coakley took $10,000 from the postoffice in the form of a registered package of bills.

Coakley pleaded for a lighter sentence. Judge Sawtelle was considerate and tried to impress Coakley with the measure of his felony. Coakley, however, thought the sentence very hard.

It was perhaps the longest sentence Judge Sawtelle had ever imposed. He told Coakley that the federal attorneys had been lenient with him. Had they thought it desirable, they could have brought a charge that would have required a sentence of 15 years.

When Coakley was called to face the judge, United States Attorney Flinn and his assistant, W. J. Bryan, Jr., who had brought the prisoner from the jail, was outside the rail. Miss Effie Botts acted as clerk, Mose Drachman remaining in his office rather than witness the scene, for he knew Coakley knew him.

Postmaster Ronstadt and his assistant, Oakley, were in the room by the side of Inspector Dutton.

"You have made a statement in writing," began Jusge Sawtelle, "which the court has read and considered."

He declared there was a double responsibility upon the court, the punishment of the crime and the safeguarding of the postal service from repetition of such acts. The people trusted the postal service. That faith must be preserved. The sentence must be one that would deter others from following Coakley's footsteps. He finished by giving the sentence of five years on McNeilo Island.

Coakley, his voice shaking, said that he thought the sentence was hard, he would be an old man when he had finished, his wife would have forgotten him, and that he had returned the money.

The judge reminded him, gently, that while he had returned the money, he had done so after he had been caught and that for a long time he had refused to tell where he had placed some of it. This conduct did not mitigate the offense, even if he had turned it over.

Coakley, sobbing, declared he could have stolen two or three times as much but had not. Again the judge said this in itself was not a mitigating circumstance.

Then Coakley pleaded that five years was a long time, that he would be old, and his wife would have forgotten him. The judge said that sometimes the government exacted only one-third of the sentence imposed and that might be true in his case if a pardon were sought. This, of course, would depend probably on the prisoner's conduct under sentence. This was a matter aside from the court's duty. He had not expected to discuss the matter with Coakley, but he wanted him to know that beyond the act itself, the government sought to protect the money of the people deposited in the postoffice. There had been repetitions of such acts in this district and light sentenced did not seem to act as a deterrent. If clerks thought they could steal $10,000 and be required to serve only a year or two in jail, they might be induced to steal. So far as Coakley was concerned, if he thought he was receive a severe sentence, he must realize that had the federal prosecutors desired they could have brought a charge that would have required a sentence of fifteen years.

"After a while," concluded the judge, quietly, "as time passes, I may aid you. I don't think there is anything else."

Coakley wiped his eyes and followed Treahey back to county jail.
A single motorcyclist is listed in serious condition after driving off the Mt Lemmon Highway Sunday afternoon, said Ryan Inglett, a public information officer with the Pima County Sheriff's Department.

The male motorcyclist was airlifted to Banner-University Medical Center after going off the road around 3:20 p.m. near milepost 20, Inglett said.

The roadway was closed for several hours to allow the helicopter to use the area to airlift the man off the mountain.
PHOENIX  The organizer of a recall drive against Gov. Doug Ducey says he did not have the 376,604 valid signatures on petitions needed by Fridays deadline to force a special election.

So how many signatures did Leonard Clark and his allies get?

Hes not saying. But Clark conceded that with no money and no real organization, there werent that many.

And with failure on the horizon, Clark said he didnt even reach out to circulators to turn in their petitions.

The 52-year-old Clark, a regular fixture at the Capitol who testifies on many bills, had hoped to use public dissatisfaction with Ducey on two key issues to fuel recall efforts.

One was the governors decision to sign two measures designed to make it harder for Arizonans to propose and enact their own laws.

One replaces the current standard that petition drives need be only in substantial compliance with the law to appear on the ballot, replacing it with a strict compliance standard. The other eliminates the ability of groups seeking to create laws to pay petition circulators by the number of signatures they collect.

I can put up with a lot of things, Clark said Friday. But he said he drew the line when you take away (and) pretty much make it impossible to have initiatives by regular citizens that dont have a lot of money.

On his petitions, Clark also mentioned Duceys signature on legislation to remove all restrictions on who can qualify for a voucher of state dollars to send a child to private or parochial school. He said the governor twisted the Legislature into passing a theocratic measure which would use our public tax dollars to indoctrinate favored religions into school children.
A 64-year-old Sierra Vista man is jailed after police say he stabbed his roommate several times during an alcohol-fueled argument.

Rick Pastika, 64, was taken into custody about 7:30 Saturday night after officers were called to a house in the 300 block of Peterson Street, said Corporal Tim Wachtel, of the Sierra Vista Police Department in a news release.

Kurt Freeman, 57, was found stabbed multiple times in his abdomen, Wachtel said. He was listed in stable condition at a Tucson hospital.
Please learn how insurance works

Re: the July 27 letter to the editor This older Arizonan is OK with paying more

The letter writer said that as an older American he should, and is willing to, pay higher premiums for his health care because older people make more demands on the health-care system. He has no idea of the concept of insurance and risk.

Insurance is a system that is designed to spread costs and coverage over all the insured. For insurance to work, the healthy must pay for the unhealthy, knowing that when the healthy, young person gets injured or ill, they will have affordable coverage.

Even with the Affordable Care Act, people who require more health coverage can buy the more comprehensive and expensive silver, gold or platinum plans. So they already do potentially pay more if they choose better coverage. In insurance, the healthy pay for the sick, because eventually the healthy will be older and sicker. This is how insurance works.

Jeffrey St Clair

North side

Let states have their say on marijuana use

Re: the July 30 column On marijuana policy, feds cant get out of their own way

We dont need a constitutional amendment to legalize pot. What we need is for so-called conservative legislators to live up to their ideology. Supposedly conservatives believe that domestic issues should be left to the states; that the government should not be telling us how to lead our lives. Yet we have Attorney General Jefferson Sessions, a darling of the conservative movement, doubling down on the pot laws.

Steven Brown

Midtown

Misogyny, thy name is Trump

Re: the July 31 letter to the editor Making America great again

What could the letter writer possibly know about misogyny and Donald Trump? When it comes to women, Trump is the crudest, rudest, most disgusting president we have ever had. Dont believe me? Watch some footage of President Obama, either of the Bushes or Ronald Reagan. Even President Bill Clinton, to the best of my knowledge, at least kept his comments private.

Nancy Allen

Green Valley

With new publisher, hope for a fresh start

Congratulations to John DOrlando for taking the helm of the Arizona Daily Star as its new president and publisher. This now provides a great opportunity for him to bring long overdue political balance to the paper, especially in its local editorial department.

The historical and repeating criticism of the Star has been that it is biased towards Democrats and it jokingly referred to by some as the Red Star. Public survey after survey conducted by the Star has pointed this out as an issue to many readers.

Recently, Sarah Garrecht Gassen, an outspoken liberal and a harsh critic of President Trump and Republicans, was named as the editorial page editor. I had hoped that a more politically balanced person would have been named instead.

Time will tell as to what changes may come to the Star with DOrlando in charge. I hope that he will implement balance in the news reporting and local editorial opinions that serve the entire metro area, not just the Democrats.

Alice Moreno

Northwest side

McSally should step up on climate change

Re: the July 31. article Rep. Martha McSally: Why I helped draft a new practical plan that fixes health-care woes

I was cautiously optimistic reading McSallys column about leading the Problem Solvers Caucus on health care. She notes that her military service taught her not to walk by a problem, and she doesnt shy away from tackling some of the toughest problems my constituents and our country face.

I hope her experience finding common ground with those across the aisle on health care will translate into her stepping up on another critical issue: climate change. The House Bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus added four members this week to reach 52, evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. California, Utah, Nevada and Colorado are represented in the caucus, but Arizona isnt. With our ample sun, record heat and a 20-year drought, Arizonans stand to gain  or lose  a lot in the transition to clean energy.

Being cynical is easy; facing the challenge shows true leadership. Its time we had a seat at the table. Its time for McSally to join the Climate Solutions Caucus.

Claire Herrick

Downtown

The Star is doing a good job

I grew up in Chicago with the Tribune and the Times; I also spent 27 years in Los Angeles reading the L.A. Times. Ive got to say that the Arizona Daily Star is a fine newspaper. I especially enjoy reading Tim Stellers column. There seems to be an overabundance of nostalgia, but keep it going.

Wednesday there was much to do about the rainfall and I welcomed the additional listing of different rainfall totals within the Tucson metropolitan area. Please continue this during the rainy season. As I understand it, when we hear the total rainfall for Tucson its only measured at the airport. This can be very misleading as the rain falls in one of a dozen different areas so its more accurate.

Finally I noticed that John DOrlando was named publisher of the Star. Im not in the newspaper business so I dont know whos got the control, but please dont make wholesale changes. Youve got a fine thing going. Keep it up!

Stuart Teichner

Northeast side

The swamp is housing new guests

I may or may not have been in favor of draining the swamp of alligators, but Im not comfortable with loading the swamp with the military-industrial complex.

Michael Blasinski
Taxis in Hanoi will no longer bare their companys individual colors, with the municipal Department of Transport keen to introduce a uniform look to all cabs.

The plan is part of a draft regulation on managing taxi operations in the Vietnamese capital that is currently open to public feedback.

According to the regulation, the single color scheme for all Hanoi cabs will be confirmed in 2018.

Starting in 2019, the new color scheme will be rolled out on all taxis operating in Hanoi, with a view to completely replacing existing individual taxi colors with one standard one by 2025.

The regulation will also require all traditional taxicab companies in the capital to introduce taxi-hailing mobile applications by July 2018.

Hanoi will be divided into two operating zones for taxis, with the first including all urban districts and the second covering rural areas.

Taxi firms will be required to register their zone of operation with local authorities, with those operating in the second zone not allowed to pick up passengers in the first and vice versa.

They can still drop passengers off in either zone as long as the pick-up point is within their registered operating area.

Additionally, taxis in Hanoi must not be over eight years old, according to the draft regulation.

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Foreign ministers of Southeast Asia and China adopted on Sunday a negotiating framework for a code of conduct in the East Vietnam Sea, a move they hailed as progress but seen by critics as tactic to buy China time to consolidate its maritime power.

The framework seeks to advance a 2002 Declaration of Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea, which has mostly been ignored by claimant states, particularly China, which has built seven manmade islands in disputed waters, three of which are equipped with runways, surface-to-air missiles and radars.

All parties say the framework is only an outline for how the code will be established but critics say the failure to outline as an initial objective the need to make the code legally binding and enforceable, or have a dispute resolution mechanism, raises doubts about how effective the pact will be.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the adoption of the framework created a solid foundation for negotiations that could start this year, if "the situation in the [East Vietnam Sea] is generally stable and on the premise that there is no major interference from outside parties."

He told reporters there had been "really tangible progress" so there was "a need to cherish momentum on the [East Vietnam Sea]".

Signing China up to a legally binding and enforceable code for the strategic waterway has long been a goal for claimant members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), some of which have sparred for years over what they see as China's disregard for their sovereign rights and its blocking of fishermen and energy exploration efforts.

Beijing insists its activities are for defense purposes, in areas it considers its waters. Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines, however, all claim some or all of the East Vietnam Sea and its myriad shoals, reefs and islands.

Some critics and diplomats believe China's sudden interest in the code after 15 years of delays is to drag out the negotiating process to buy time to complete its strategic objectives in the East Vietnam Sea, through which more than $3 billion of ship-borne trade passes annually.

Weaker hand

Opponents also say it is being pushed through at a time when the United States, long seen as a crucial buffer against China's maritime assertiveness, is distracted by other issues and providing no real clarity about its security strategy in Asia, thus weakening ASEAN's bargaining position.

The framework has not been made public but a leaked two-page blueprint seen by Reuters is broad and leaves wide scope for disagreement.

It urges a commitment to the "purposes and principles" of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) but does not specify adherence to it, for example.

A separate ASEAN document, dated May and seen by Reuters, shows that Vietnam pushed for stronger, more specific text in the framework, wanting mention of a dispute resolution mechanism and respecting "sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction".

Sovereign rights cover entitlements to fish and extraction of natural resources.

Several ASEAN countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines, have said they still favor making the code legally binding, something experts say China is unlikely to agree to.

Wang said he would not try to anticipate what the code will comprise, but said whatever is signed must be adhered to.

Robespierre Bolivar, foreign ministry spokesman of host Philippines, said the adoption of the framework symbolised the commitment to creating a "substantive and effective" code.
A critically injured one-year-old boy is receiving intensive treatment in Hanoi after he was taken to a hospital and abandoned there by his abusive guardian.

The boys condition has deteriorated since his hospitalization and he is currently on life support, according to doctors at the National Hospital of Pediatrics.

Police have identified the boy as T.T.A., born in 2016 as the fifth child of his mother D.L.H., 34, a resident of Hanois Hoan Kiem District.

H. was jailed last month for a drug-related crime, and had entrusted the care of her son to a friend.

Last week, the friend became occupied with work and asked Nguyen Thanh Hang, 39, to help take care of the child for a while.

On Thursday, Hang took the one-year-old to St. Paul Hospital in Hanoi with multiple injuries, including bruises that spread along his legs, a traumatic brain injury, and genital wounds.

The woman reportedly fled while doctors were busy attending to the childs injuries.

According to the hospitals information, Hang invented different names for herself and the child when declaring their personal details for the hospitalization.

As the boys condition became critical, he was transferred the same day to the National Hospital of Pediatrics for treatment.

When Hang returned the next day with a group of relatives to check on the boys condition, she was escorted to a local police station for questioning, where she admitted to having abandoned the boy at the hospital.

According to doctors at the National Hospital of Pediatrics, the boys condition has taken a turn for the worse, with constant seizures and periods of unconsciousness.

Doctors suspected the boy had been a victim of child abuse following examinations of his injuries.

On Saturday, Hanoi police officers prosecuted the case and opened an investigation into the alleged crime of deliberately inflicting injury by his guardian.

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Help India!

By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net

New Delhi: Six years after National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) recognised Jamia Millia Islamia as a minority institution, the HRD Ministry has decided to file an affidavit in Delhi High Court declaring that granting minority institution to Jamia was an error, retracting from the earlier stand of the government.

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The Ministry will tell the court that declaring JMI a religious minority institution was an error in its understanding of the legal position and it was never intended to be a minority institution as it was set up by an Act of Parliament, and is funded by the central government, the Indian Express reported.

Importantly, the Attorney General of India, Mukul Rohatgi had advised the HRD Ministry, then under Smriti Irani, that it was entitled to change its view in court and revert to the stand that JMI is not a minority institution and respecting the ruling of NCMEI was not in accordance with the law.

According to the students in Jamia Millia Islamia, the withdrawal of minority status will have a potential backlash and students will take to the streets if the government tries to impinge upon the university minority character.

The BJP government is known for its anti-Muslim stand and time and again they have been targeting minority institutions. Jamia Millia Islamia is one of the only two higher learning seat for Muslims in Northern India (the other being Aligarh Muslim University) and snatching minority status will lead to downfall of the confidence of Muslim students and negatively impact the growth of Muslims, said Ateeb Maaz Khan, National Joint secretary, Muslim Student Federation and student at Jamia Millia Islamia.

He added that students would be forced to come on roads and protest if the government moves ahead with its plans of withdrawing the university minority status.

Another student activist Khusbhu Khan from Jamia said, Tinkering with minority status is like robbing the community of its valuables and we wont stay silent on it. It is their attempt to Hindutva-ise the university, as any such attempt is not possible until it remains Muslim-majority university.

It is the minority quota of Jamia which ensures that Muslim students get a chance to study in this prestigious university. Most of the students coming from our community either have done their basic schooling from Islamic seminaries or schools back in villages which flats their chances of competing with students coming from relatively good schools and colleges, said Sameern Saifi who is doing her degree from Department of Education, JMI.

Students Islamic organisation also severely criticised the Central governments retraction of the Universitys minority status. Nahas Mala, President, SIO, stated that the controversy regarding Jamia Millia Islamias minority status is ill founded and wrongly taken.

The retraction of central government from its earlier stand on the Minority status of JMI amounts to the denial of historical factsSIO firmly believes and asserts that the character of JMI cannot be determined unless the specific historical context of their establishment is taken into consideration, the organisation said in a release.

Professor Saima Saeed, Deputy Media Coordinator while reacting to the news told TCN, These are mere speculations and we havent heard anything from the government yet. When anything comes as such we will reply and act accordingly.

Recognising Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) as a minority institution, the university administration had in May 2011 issued a circular, implementing the 50% reservation to Muslim students for admissions in all courses of the university. Only 42% seats were open for the general category students. If minority status of the university is withdrawn, the Muslim quota will automatically be discarded and reservation for SC/ST and OBC will be applied as followed in other central universities.
Help India!

By Mirza Mosaraf Hossain, TwoCircles.net

It has only been a month since Basirhat was engulfed in communal tensions and in an effort to provide a healing touch and promote communal harmony, Hindus and Muslims of Basirhat celebrated Raksha Bandhan on Monday by tying Rakhi to each other under the banner of Bangla Sanskriti Mancha.

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About 100 people, including over 20 intellectuals from various fields like literary world, artist, writers, poets, teachers and journalists, attended the programme. NGO Rights to Life Foundation and a local media Times Bangla organised the programme.

Speaking at the occasion, Pannalal Mallick, a Bengali writer from Bashirhat, said, The present time political situation in Bengal makes it necessary to bring back the days of Tagore when he thwarted the British Divide and Rule policy in Bengal over religion and united all Hindus and Muslims under a single umbrella, namely Bengali culture and tradition. With this attempt of Raksha Bandhan today, we hope to reinstate our glory of peaceful coexistence.

112 years ago, when the British government decided to partition Bengal in 1905, Rabindranath Tagore had used the occasion of Raksha Bandhan that coincidentally that year fell on the same day when partition plan was to take effect on October 16, to send a political message of communal-harmony by encouraging Hindu and Muslims to tie the sacred threads of fraternity and unity on each others wrists and urged everyone to keep fast for a day. Incidentally, August 7 is also the death anniversary of the Nobel Laureate.

Bengal is the Land of RabindranathTagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Netaji Subash Chandra Bose where Hindus and Muslims have lived together peacefully. Through this program, we want to send the message of peace and harmony, said Samirul Islam of Rights to Life Foundation, adding, Bengalis will stand firm and fight all kinds of communal forces.

Nirmal Ghosh from All India Peoples Forum, said, The citizens of this country are being deprived and the rights guaranteed to them under the Indian Constitution are being denied by a group of intolerant people. Until and unless this is revoked, the political situation will be more worsening throughout the country.

Poets like Ali Fazrul Jahan also attended the event along with Krishna Ghosh, Bimal Chakrabarty and madrasa teachers Maulana Samsuddoha Quashemi and Masudur Rahaman among others.

Earlier, on the birth anniversary of the world poet, on May 7, a similar program was organized at Dhulagarh under the same banner of Bangla Sanskriti Mancha.
A senior Conservative MEP has warned Britain that it will not have the same access to the Single Market it presently enjoys post-Brexit.

Ashley Fox MEP, who is the current leader of the Conservative group in the European Parliament, said it is inevitable the UK will fail to export goods and services to Europe, which he says is an enormous disadvantage of quitting the trading bloc. He told The Independent Brussels will do everything in their power to make life difficult for Britain during the Brexit negotiations.

This news comes as the Government's Brexit strategy is coming under fire from many of Theresa May's own MPs.

Tory MP John Redwood told LBC Radio that it is completely ridiculous to pay the EU 36 billion to leave the trading bloc and that the Government does not owe them a penny.

Over the weekend, former Bank of England governor, Mervyn King, attacked the Prime Minister's negotiating strategy, saying the Government is under-prepared in the likely event of reaching no deal with Brussels. He said the Department for Exiting the EU has completely wasted a year of preparing for a no deal scenario.

Advantages and disadvantages to Brexit

Despite this, Mr. Fox said he reckons Britain will reach a deal that will enable the Government to spend more of the money it sends to Brussels in other areas and one that allows Westminster to govern British borders.

But he said it would be much harder for the UK to access European markets.

He said that there are advantages and disadvantages to Brexit, but he says he sympathises with Brussels' position. Mr. Fox said he does not believe the EU will provide the UK with a trade deal that enables them to thrive outside of the trading bloc because it would spur more countries on to leave.

The MEP criticised the EU's inability to form trade deals with nations outside of Europe. He said Brussels' trade deal with Canada is a particularly good example of how long it takes for the trading bloc to be able to negotiate satisfactory trade agreements. The senior Tory said Brexit provides Britain with an opportunity to forge trade deals across the globe.

Take it or leave it

However, Mr. Redwood disagrees with the senior Tory, saying the EU is in a weaker position than the UK when it comes to trade discussions. He lambasted the suggested bill the Government needs to pay to leave. He said that for this reason, Brussels will eventually agree a trade deal with the Prime Minister.

Three senior Whitehall officials said they will provide the trading bloc with a take it or leave it deal over a 36 billion sum to leave the EU. They said it may be necessary to do this to end the current impasse in the negotiations.

The Tory MP said this was all part of the trading bloc's tactic to try and divide the Government over its Brexit strategy.

Brexit will never happen

Lord King, who became a crossbench peer for Lothbury since retiring as Governor of the Bank of England in 2013, said Mrs May's words 'no deal is better than a bad deal' ring hollow. He said regardless of whether people voted to leave the EU or not, the Government knew they would be entering some tricky negotiations and they should have prepared for the worst case scenario.

He added that failing to reach a deal was not the first preference of the Brexit team, but he warned that the EU will not take the Prime Minister's threat of walking away seriously if there are no contingency plans in place.

Brexit minister Steve Baker said his department were already preparing for the possible event of failing to reach a deal with Brussels.

Mrs May faces the likelihood of rebellion from Conservative and Labour MPs when Parliament returns from its summer break in September. Many of them are attempting to keep Britain in the European Economic Area until 2022 to avoid economic chaos.

Earlier last week, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said in an interview that Britain's EU exit will continue despite the many complications that have arisen recently. However, the Maltese Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, said he hopes Brexit will never happen.

Ashley Fox MEP campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU last year.
Leading private equity firm Thomas Bravo is on a shopping spree. The company has just announced plans to acquire the Pennsylvania-based Software specialist, Frontline Education. Thomas Bravo made the big announcement this week.

According to the companys press release, the Chicago, Illinois-based private equity firm has announced plans to acquire Frontline Education, a provider of administrative and HR software solutions for educational organizations.

The deal, which is still subject to customary closing condition and regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the third quarter of this year.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed to the public. As mentioned in the companys press release, Frontlines investor Insight Venture Partners will retain minority stakes in the Frontline Education.

Willkie, Farr & Gallagher LLP and Cooley LLP will be the legal advisors for Frontline Education, while UBS Investment Bank will serve as the lead investment advisor. Kirkland and Ellis LLP will advise Thomas Bravo.

Thomas Bravo, a close look at the American investment giant

Founded in 2008 and based in Chicago, Illinois, Thomas Bravo is a leading private equity and growth capital firm that focuses more on the software and technology space. The company has already completed approximately140 software and technology-focused acquisitions, which has an enterprise value of around $30 billion.

The company, which currently manages private equity funds representing over $17 billion in fresh capital, employs some sort of acquire and build investment strategy in the business world. It invests in growth initiatives and makes strategic acquisitions intended to increase the value of the business and achieve steady revenue flow.

In addition to its head office in Chicago, Thomas Bravo also runs an office in San Francisco, California.

Frontline Education, the target company

Founded in 1998 and based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, Frontline Education develops and provides a suite of administrative and HR software for K-12 schools and educational organizations.

The company has around 650 employees and operates in five locations around the US market. The companys core software solutions serve more than 12,000 educational organizations with more than 5 million education employees and 1.2 million substitutes teachers using its administrative tool every day.

In the past three years, the company has made some significant expansion, expanding its core software solutions business through organic growth and strategic acquisitions. The company has acquired companies whose products range from recruiting and hiring tools to special education software and professional providers. These include Aspex Solution (2014), CRS (2015), My Learning Plan (2015), Centris (2016), EdTraining Center (2016), eSped (2016), Excent (2016), Teachscape (2016), School Improvement Network (2017) and Teachers-Teachers (2017). Currently, the company has approximately 650 employees in five locations around the U.S.
The Washington Examiner reported that Hillary Clinton and her husband Bill attended a special screening of Wonder Woman in New York this weekend. The former United States secretary of state reportedly watched Wonder Woman for the first time, since the movie opened in cinemas several weeks ago.

According to the report, Hillary and Bill Clinton were treated to the special screening of the movie on Saturday that was hosted by the movie theater chain in Brooklyn. Movie theater chain Alamo Drafthouse reportedly contacted Hillary Clinton on social media, when they learned that she had not seen Wonder Woman, a movie about a female superhero.

The former First Lady was generous enough to say "yes" to the offer. The movie houses spokesperson Mike Sampson said that Clinton read the tweet and asked if the offer still stood. He added that their team was delighted to put up a private screening with a guest list that included Hillary and her husband Bill.

We were obviously thrilled to invite them as guests to our theater and they are also invited to come back any time in the future, Sampson said in the report.

Wonder Woman

Blockbuster hit movie Wonder Woman opened in theaters in June and is still being shown. The movie told the origin story of Diana from her home planet until she reached Earth. Diana is the alter-ego of Wonder Woman.

The movie stars former Miss Israel Gal Gadot in the title role, and actor Chris Pine.

According to Mashable, Wonder Woman has earned almost $400 million. The film has been up for nine full weeks, reportedly making $7.5 million in the eighth week and $5.5 million on the ninth week.

Hillary as a preacher?

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton reportedly looks to move forward to her next chapter through religious preaching.

A separate report on The Atlantic stated that Hillary told her longtime pastor that she wanted to preach. After losing two presidential campaigns, she reportedly now works toward rebuilding her public image, and religion is a huge part of this venture.

After several months of struggling to convince Americans that she is trustworthy, moral and authentic, Clinton is lifting up an intimate, closely guarded part of herself, the report stated.

There are no more voters left to lose. Through sharing her belief, perhaps Clinton sees that there is something left to win.

She lost two presidential campaigns, giving way to former President Barack Obama and incumbent president Donald Trump.
Four women are facing first-degree murder charges for the killing of 55-year-old Ralph Cross on Aug. 1. The night before the incident, Cross was helping the women change their Flat Tire according to a report from International Business Times.

Brittany Curry, 28, Lauteshia Dotson, 23, Ponesha Taylor, 23 and Johniesha Simmons, 19, stayed at Crosss home in Missouri while he purchased a replacement for the flat tire. All four women are said to be adult entertainers.

Crosss body was discovered Tuesday morning by police officials with a gunshot wound on the back.

The death of a Good Samaritan

According to the report by the International Business Times, witnesses revealed that they saw Cross arguing with three of the women at 6:30 AM on the day he was killed. The other woman was sitting inside a white Nissan parked outside his home.

A witness recounted that he heard noises coming from inside Cross home and saw the women leaving as they entered the white vehicle and fled.

At the crime scene, police officials were able to discover 9mm shell casings and the acting Mississippi county sheriff has told reporters that Cross has been shot with a 9mm handgun, KFVS 12 reported. He also speculated that the crime might have been motivated by robbery as witnesses recalled to seeing Cross with a large sum of cash which has not been recovered by the police.

In addition, officials saw the pockets of Crosss pants were inside out, indicating that the women committed robbery as well.

The four women turned themselves in to give their side of the story

Curry, Dotson, Taylor and Simmons were all convinced by their relatives and friends to turn themselves in. They all went to the sheriffs office in Mississippi County on Aug.

3 and reportedly explained their side of the story.

None of them admitted to having killed Cross, although they do admit to having stayed at the house. However, according to witnesses, Curry was the one who shot Cross inside the home. Witnesses also told investigators that Taylor saw the whole thing take place.

All four women are being detained in different locations and are held without bond.

According to the community that Cross has left behind, he was a 'Good Samaritan' who was always looking to help others, especially kids. Cross would help out children by giving them school supplies and sometimes gives them cash to buy food.

One of Crosss neighbors said, Ralph was a cool person, hed give you money if you didnt have it. He added, It touches my heart in many ways but I gotta stay strong.
On Thursday, the legislation of Rhode Island passed a law making Community College tuition-free for the upcoming fall semester through a program called the "The Promise Scholarship." There will be a $2.8 million budget for the first year of the four-year deal.

Signed into law

Democratic governor, Gina Raimondo, immediately signed the bill into law following the state Senate's vote after a month of no progression on moving the bill forward, following a defeated bill proposing free tuition for the first two years at the state's public four year schools on top of tuition-free education at community college that was Governor Raimondo's idea.

This tuition-free bill will join New York, Tennessee, Oregon, and states with similar programs as the few that offer free education to residents looking to further their education by supplementing additional grants and scholarships awarded to students to cover additional fees such as books, technology fees, parking, etc. Rhode Island will be the fourth state to have tuition-free community colleges, and Tennessee seems to be leading the way by offering free tuition to all students within the upcoming year.

This bill will pay for all tuition at the community colleges, regardless of the student's household income or financial need. The $208 fee charged to students each semester on top of all other fees will be covered as well.

This scholarship is offered to any high school senior that graduated within the previous semester, are enrolled full-time, and maintains a 2.5 GPA. 1,200-1,300 students will receive tuition-free education through the scholarship during the fall semester and it is believed an additional 200 students will enroll at the Community College of Rhode Island due to the new policy.

The Catch

Amongst one of the more progressive tuition-free programs, the scholarship requires students to agree to live and work within the state of Rhode Island for some years after receiving it. Despite this being the catch to the scholarship, its helping pave the road to provide free college for all and make higher education more accessible.

The scholarship will also exclude most of Rhode Island's only community colleges' students, which is about 15,000, due to the availability being for recent high school graduates within the state. However, it seems to be just the first step by the Rhode Island legislation to make college affordable.
The grand jury has now been entrenched to evaluate the evidence of connivance with the Russian Kremlin. The summoning of a different jury, suggests that Robert Mueller will make an extensive use of his office, which is right next to the White House. This assessment has tightened the legal string around President Trumps hard-pressed presidency, for the grand jury holds the comprehensive power to issue indictments and subpoenas. The former FBI chief Robert Mueller is also one of the special counsel, who is investigating Russian intrusion in the US election campaign.

In Virginia, Mueller is using another grand jury, to get his group's requests approved for witnesses and records.

What can Grand Jury do for Donald Trump?

Scott Horton, a lecturer at Columbia Law School, said, that this set up will lead to criminal trials, against Trump, where serious charges will be pressed in the most subjugated dominion. The jury has presented evidence, which indicates that the inquiry is widening where special counsel is likely to explore the potential crimes performed within the Columbian District. NYT reported that Muellers investigators requested the White House, to release documents pertaining to the former national security adviser, Michael Flynn. Flynn had reportedly resigned, after concealing his connections with the Russian officials, however, is under careful examination for his contribution to the campaign.

Meanwhile, senior Federal Bureau of Investigation officials, have been considering themselves as the prospective witness in the investigation of the justice obstruction. The former FBI chief, James Comey testified, that, he was pressurized by Trump to quit the Flynn investigation. Comey was terminated from his position after he refused to take part in Trump's plans.

James Comey, however, made voluminous notes, to keep the top FBI advisors, informed of the day-to-day developments.

White House, the budding crime scene

Presidents lawyer maintained his unswerving statement, about Donald Trump, weighing-in on Trump Junior's meeting, with the Russian intelligence. In the meanwhile, Trump Junior told media that, he met the Russian lawyer, Veselnitskaya, to discuss an adoption program for the Russian children.

It was later discovered, that Donald Trump Jr, had in fact, met the Russian lawyer, to acquire disadvantageous information on Hillary Clinton. Authorities investigating the emails reveal that Trump Junior replied to the email, by stating that he loves the information. This act clearly, suggests an intentional conflict of national interests, like Trumps call for Russia, to discover the missing emails of Hilary Clinton.

The Washington grand jury has issued subpoenas for the meeting that was conducted in New York at the Trump Tower. This is a strong sign from the investigating authorities, that, this investigation will sooner or later close-in-on the President's family.
US President Donald Trump has signed new sanctions on Russia. As a result, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has blamed him for pursuing a 'full-scale trade war' against Moscow

He said in a Facebook post that the measures taken by Donald Trump show how feeble he is. From 2008-2012 Medvedev filled in as Russian president before Vladimir Putin took over the position

The new sanction was passed following the allegations by the US intelligence community that Russia meddled in the US election to help Trump. Right now Congress and an investigator are researching the matter.

President Trump has time and time again rejected any affirmations that his campaign staff connived with Russia to enable him to win.

The sanctions come months after previous US President Barack Obama removed 35 Russian ambassadors.The Russian Foreign Ministry has cautioned of conceivable new revengeful measures.

Details of new sanction bill

On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump reluctantly signed the new sanctions against Russia. This came as the closure of the proposed desires for better ties between the Trump organization and Russia. Trump has over and again said he needs to enhance relations with Russia. Congress had overwhelmingly affirmed the enactment a week ago.

The law expects to penalize Russia for its activities in Ukraine along with it's affirmed interfering in the 2016 US decisions.

in Ukraine along with it's affirmed interfering in the 2016 US decisions. The bill also restricts the amount of cash Americans can put resources into Russian energy tasks.

tasks. As well as it makes it more troublesome for US organizations to work with Russia.

for US organizations to work with Russia. Iran and North Korea are additionally imposed with the sanctions.

The sanctions are additionally in light of Russia's extension of Crimea.

Responses on the Sanctions

Mr. Trump blamed Congress for exceeding on the enactment. He said he could make "much better arrangements" with governments than Congress can.
The battle between the Donald Trump administration and the mainstream media doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon. After the president revealed his latest attempt at immigration reform, a top member of the White House clashed with a big name reporter.

White House clash

It all started back in June 2015 when Donald Trump stood on the floor of Trump Tower in New York City with his family by his side and announced his plan to run for president. During his speech, the former host of "The Apprentice" addressed illegal immigration, while claiming that the majority of those entering the country illegally from Mexico were "rapists" and "murderers." Trump's rhetoric quickly resulted in a partisan divide in the country, with those on the political left calling him out for apparent racism, while others cheered on the billionaire real estate mogul.

After seven months in office, little to no progress has been made on the issue, leading to the White House releasing what is known as the "RAISE ACT." The new proposal aims to cut legal migration into the country by prioritizing those who already speak English and who have financial means to support themselves and their families. As reported by C-SPAN on August 2, Senior White House Adviser stephen miller clashed with Glenn Thursh of the New York Times over the issue at hand.

During Wednesday's press briefing at the White House, Stephen Miller took questions about the aforementioned "RAISE ACT" before becoming visibly irritated with the line of questioning coming from the New York Times. "There's been a lot of studies that don't show correlation between low-skill immigration and the loss of jobs for workers," Glenn Thursh said, before pressing Miller on providing statistics to back up their proposal.

Pres. Trump endorses bill aimed at reforming immigration system by scaling back number of immigrants entering U.S. https://t.co/g7DhJM0Vew pic.twitter.com/RgBh1Q3qVn  CBS News (@CBSNews) August 2, 2017

As expected, Stephen Miller was quick to push back, getting into a near shouting match with Glenn Thrush. "Maybe we'll make a carve-out in the bill that says The New York Times can hire all the low-skilled, less-paid worker they want from other countries and see how you feel then about low-wage substitution," Miller said.

Both sides went back and forth, highlighting the wide gap and divide between the administration and the press.

Moving forward

While Donald Trump and his team continue to argue with the media and reporters, the president has many other issues on his plate. From the growing Russian scandal, to the questions that remain around health care and the possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act, Trump is struggling to get the job done and is sitting on just a 35 percent approval rating for his efforts.
According to a report by Los Angeles Times reporter Patrick McGreevy, Marijuana growers in California are producing way too much product. Producers in the state are growing anywhere from five to twelve times the amount that is needed for consumption in the country's largest state.

Scaling back production would be painful

As part of his report, McGreevy went to a panel discussion on the topic at the Sacramento Press Club. Hezekiah Allen, who is the executive director of the California Growers Association, spoke at the event. Allen stated that scaling back marijuana production would be a painful thing for California growers to do.

He said growers are going to have to scale back despite this. Last November, the state finally legalized the use of recreational marijuana (Proposition 64) 57.13 percent to 42.87 percent. It legalized the possession of up to one ounce (about 28 grams) of the drug for recreational use. Now, the state faces an excess of the drug and a new federal regulation will likely make matter worse.

Consequences of too much marijuana

California currently has a glut of marijuana that will only get worse unless steps can be taken to lower the amount grown. A new federal regulation will ban exports of the drug starting on January 1st, 2018. Allen also mentioned this during the panel discussion, saying that some growers on the black market would probably export the marijuana they cultivated outside of California in violation of federal law.

They would not scale back and may just never apply for a state license. Chief of Cannabis Policy and Enforcement for Sacramento Joseph Devlin, who was a member of the panel discussion, estimated that the marijuana growers in the state were producing five times the amount of the drug consumed in the state. Allen placed his estimated at eight times the amount, while McGreevy reported a consultant in the crowd said it may be twelve times the amount.

Steps toward legalization across the country

California became the first state in America to legalize medical marijuana back in 1996. Fast forward to 2017 and 26 states and the District of Columbia now have laws broadly legalizing medical marijuana. Last November, California, along with Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada, all passed measures to legalize the recreational use of the drug. Now those four states, along with Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Washington D.C., allow recreational use.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders challenged Jay Sekulow's statement on Tuesday regarding the president's involvement with Russia. She cited that Trump Jr.'s statement is verifiable, however, the president had limited information regarding the meeting. Therefore, he said what any father would have said, under the circumstances.

Trump's controversial statements

On Monday, another disclosure indicated the president's involvement with Russia. The investigation evaluating potential ties between the presidential campaign and Russia is led by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Donald Trump Jr. told the media that he and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya met to discuss an adoption program for Russian children.

Alternate media reports reveal that the meeting, in fact, was organized to share damaging information about Hillary Clinton. In light of current events, Donald Trump Jr. was asked to reveal the email exchange regarding the meeting.

The president's statement seems to take away from the potential significance of the meeting between Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort, and the Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. In addition, it has been speculated that Natalia Veselnitskaya had access to highly-confidential information about Hilary Clinton.

Emails reveal a different story

On Tuesday, Jay Sekulow had to release many statements after the sporadic leaks of the meeting's details. On the other hand, Huckabee Sanders said that President Trump certainly didnt domineer. However, he did refute allegations like any father would.

The emails reveal that Trump Jr. was inevitably informed about the Russians' plan to back up the Trump campaign.

According to The White House report, the meeting was not in President Trump's knowledge. However, alternate reports confirm President Trump's presence in Trump Tower the day this meeting was held. Either way, these allegations about the meeting have placed an already-beleaguered president under the microscope. The federal investigators are looking into the possible collusion between the presidential campaign and Russia.

There are a lot of fresh questions demanding answers from the Justice Department. Special counsel Robert Mueller will examine for obstruction of justice, if any. Richard Painter, White House ethics lawyer, told The Guardian that media is drawing a witness into a false story, which will result in him turning around and lying under oath. He fears that Trump might obstruct justice by lying to be consistent with their story. Painter added that Trump knowingly drafted a false statement to protect his son, who is a significant witness.
There are new stars coming in NCIS Season 15 that will definitely make watching the new installment more worthwhile. Added with new details revealed by the shows executive producer Frank Cardea, it will surely be another mind-blowing chapter.

In an interview with TV Line, the showrunner talked about the police procedural dramas continuation. He also unveiled the future of Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) and Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) in Paraguay.

The first episodes continuation

Frank Cardea revealed that NCIS Season 15 Episode 1 will exactly pick up where the previous season left off.

We pick up where we left everybody off at the end of last season, he told TV Line. The television producer revealed that there will be a lot of flashbacks about season 14s final episode. This to remind the viewers what happened to Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Timothy McGee, who are both still in a great danger.

In fact, he even teased that the world is going to come down on these two agents. Two months later, Frank Cardea said that they are going to pick up the show back in Washington. However, Gibbs and McGee will still be stuck in Paraguay at that time.

To recall, the roles of Mark Harmon and Sean Murray made their way to Paraguay with Nicholas Torres (Wilmer Valderrama). The three were going to help free the children kidnapped by the rebel army.

Unfortunately, the offenders arrived the moment they were going to transport the kids with the helicopter. From there, the conflict started.

To secure the childrens protection, Leroy Jethro Gibbs decided to stay behind to face the mutineers. But Timothy McGee chose to stay with him so Nicholas Torres could take the kids and run free.

If ever McGee survives the event, Frank Cardea teased that he and Delilah (Margo Harshman) will be expecting their baby to come sometime in October, IBTimes reported.

Two new additions

Meanwhile, Maria Bello will be coming in NCIS Season 15 as another NCIS agent. She is a second lieutenant who has served two tours in Afghanistan and is the best forensic psychologist there is.

Her role is described as a positive force, mischievous and at times acerbic. She, too, might be Leroy Jethro Gibbs match in the agency, although they fully respect each other.

The 50-year-old actress has signed a three-year contract as the shows series regular after being away from the small screen for awhile. The news emerged after the Girl Meets World star Cheryl Texiera revealed that she will also be seen in the upcoming television series.
It was reported at the end of July that four terror suspects had been arrested in Sydney, Australia on suspicion of planning to blow up a plane flying out of the country. More details have now come out, which reveal a senior member of ISIS was behind the plans to bomb an Etihad plane and to launch a toxic chemical gas attack in a public place in Australia.

An ISIS leader gave instructions on potential attacks

As reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Michael Phelan said in a media statement that a senior ISIS member had been behind plans to blow up an Etihad plane out of Sydney, Australia and that parts for the bomb had been sent to the terror suspects from Turkey.

The terror suspects had also been instructed by ISIS on how to construct the bomb, using military-grade explosives, concealed in a suitcase. The explosives were hidden inside a meat mincer in the suitcase, which arrived, undetected, at Sydney airport on July 15.

Plans to blow up an Etihad plane

Last month 49-year-old Khaled Mahmoud Khayat of Lakemba in Sydney was arrested after he was suspected of attempting to blow up an Etihad plane which was to fly from Sydney to Abu Dhabi. His brother, Amer Khayat, unknowingly carried that suitcase into Sydney airport. However, Sydney police foiled the plot before the suitcase bomb could be detonated.

Amer Khayat accompanied by brother to Sydney Airport, oblivious to bomb allegedly planted in luggage https://t.co/IK6uFLR4S9 @rachelolding  Ava Benny-Morrison (@avabmorrison) August 4, 2017

Most sophisticated plot on Australian soil

Calling the terror plot one of the most sophisticated ever attempted on Australian soil, Phelan said not only did they stop the plane bomb attack, but they also stopped the use of an intended chemical dispersion device. Phelan said messages between the ISIS leader and the suspects in Sydney detail which chemicals to use in the device, the best combinations to use and how to do the most damage with the lethal gas in a confined space.

Tip-off led to terror plans being foiled

Both plans were foiled after Sydney police received a tip-off on July 26, leading to the arrest of the four terror suspects on July 29.

Khayat and his other brother, 32-year-old Mahmoud, have both been charged with terrorism offenses and were denied bail. Both are due back in court on November 14 where they could face life imprisonment.

Of the other two terror suspects arrested on July 29, Khaled Merhi, the Khayats brother-in-law, remains in custody as police continue to question him, while his brother Abdul Merhi has since been released without charge.
The Polish government is looking into whether they can demand reparations stemming from World War II from the German government. An official confirmed this on last Wednesday, saying that Poland was considering the option due to the massive losses that Germany inflicted on them over seven decades ago.

Polish government exploring legal right to do so

Apparently, the research office of the Polish government's parliament is looking into the reparations matter and making a report on it. The man who requested the reparations report is lawmaker Arkadiusz Mularczyk, who is a member of the ruling Law and Order Party in the Sejm (the lower house of parliament).

Mularczyk said that the report should be ready by August 11 and it will be an analysis on if Poland can legally make a claim to demand World War II reparations from Germany.

This all came days after Jaroslaw Kaczynski said on Radio Maryja (a Polish radio station) that the Polish government is preparing itself for a historic counteroffensive. Kaczynski is the leader of the ruling Law and Order Party and was Prime Minister of the country from July 2006 to November 2007. When he was Prime Minister, he called for reparations, which caused tension between the two countries.

Germany's response to possible Polish reparations

Ulrike Demmer, a spokeswoman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, started in regards to this news that Germany stands by its responsibility in World War II, politically, morally and financially. Demmer went on to state that Germany has already paid for the general damage it causing during the war, to Poland and other countries.

In 1953, the Communist People's Republic of Poland under pressure from the Soviet Union agreed to waive its rights to any further reparations claims from Germany. Since then Germany has argued that the matter of more reparations for Poland has been dealt with, while Poland says that the decision may not have been valid since Poland was a puppet state of the Soviet Union.

History of Poland and Germany during WWII

On September 1st, 1939, the Germany army invaded Poland and started World War II. On September 17th, the Soviet Union invaded Poland from its western front. On October 6th, the two sides divided the country as agreed to in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. During the war, Poland lost about 16% of their population, 62% of their industry and 84% of their infrastructure.

This all comes up as last week Poland honored the anniversary of the start of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, which resulted in about 200,000 Poles being killed and the city almost being completely destroyed. During the observance, the Polish defense minister, Antoni Macierewicz, said that Germany needs to pay back the terrible debt they owe to the Polish people.
Hu Weiwei, founder of bicycle-sharing startup Mobike Technology Co Ltd, speaks at a news conference in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]

Hu Weiwei, 35, founder of bicycle-sharing startup Mobike Technology Co Ltd and a former auto reporter, thinks entrepreneurs and journalists have a lot in common.

Running one of the country's fastest-growing startups is not very different from writing a well-rounded story, she said.

"In a sense, all reporters are their own bosses. The whole process of selecting a topic, doing the interview, writing, fact-checking, rewriting, giving a different spin... all this is time-consuming, and comparable to working overtime to refine an internet product."

Before setting up Mobike in 2014, she had been an auto reporter for almost 10 years. Sheer enthusiasm for tech-based, GPS-enabled bicycles pushed her to a new direction.

Three years on, Mobike is a darling of big investors such as Tencent Holdings Ltd and Sequoia Capital.

In June, Mobike raised more than $600 million in its latest round of financing, taking this year's funding past $1 billion.

"Both journalists and entrepreneurs bet on logical thinking to make critical decisions and they are driven by a strong inner desire for breakthroughs," Hu said.

Pursuit of a breakthrough in commuters' last-mile connectivity drove Hu to give up her career in journalism and become an entrepreneur.

That was the easy part. Leading Mobike on its ride to the top of the bike-sharing market was tougher. And, Hu said, it's not easy to coast on past success in the fast-expanding market.

Mobike is locked in a fierce battle with archrival Ofo Inc for pole position in the burgeoning sector, both at home and abroad. Both companies claim their services are now available in more than 150 cities globally, but mostly in China.

Mobike said it now operates in five countries (China, Singapore, Japan, the UK and Italy). Ofo is running pilot projects in six countries, including Thailand, Singapore, the US and Kazakhstan.

Hu said experience in journalism is useful but not enough in helming Mobike to out-compete Ofo. "I used to be a lone hand, but now teamwork is the key. I used to be highly individualistic, but now I need to build and lead a team. That's where I have made the biggest progress and I need to keep learning."

To better run daily business operations and deal with financing issues, Hu invited Wang Xiaofeng, former manager of Uber Technologies Inc's Shanghai branch, to be a co-founder and CEO of Mobike, and assumed the role of president herself.

"Wang is more like the brain, while I function as the heart," Hu said, adding that should not be taken to mean she is highlighting male-female differences. In work on products, passion needs to be complemented by business sense to avoid negative outcomes, she said.

In recent months, Hu's focus has been on accelerating overseas expansion. Mobike aims to expand its presence to 200 cities globally by the end of this year.

It is an ambition shared by Ofo, which is backed by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Chinese car/taxi-sharing market leader Didi Chuxing.

To make Mobike stand out, Hu has been personally involved in overseas promotions. Europe is a focus area for Mobike. Late July, she rode a Mobike bicycle along with Dario Nardella, mayor of Florence, and Beppe Sala, mayor of Milan, in Florence, Italy.

Commercial services will start this month with about 4,000 bikes launched in each of the two cities.

Earlier, she attended an exhibition in Amsterdam in the Netherlands explaining the company's philosophy to government officials from different countries.

"Bike-sharing is a Chinese innovation, different from previous technology fads learned from the West. We've the scale and experience to help foreign consumers benefit from our innovation," Hu said.

But not every city is welcoming as Florence and Amsterdam. "Some are rolling out the red carpet while others ... well, we spend a lot of time to ease their concerns."

So, Mobike is tailoring its promotions to the specific situation of each city. For example, it highlights how bike-sharing services can help ease urban traffic congestion, or focuses on building tech-based transportation projects, or encourages social participation.

Mobike has launched a new bike model to abide by UK laws that stipulate all bicycles must have headlights and taillights. It also partnered with local governments to ensure that users do not park bicycles haphazardly on sidewalks inconveniencing pedestrians.

On a personal note, Hu said work-life balance is not easy to achieve running a Chinese startup. Hu often takes her 7-year-old ingenious son along to office where he plays games such as counting the number of bicycles in the parking lot while she is busy with work.

"I believe showing him how mom looks like when at work and showing the bigger world is also important (education for a child)."
With more banks offering services for inclusive finance, companies offering credit reporting systems based on big data analysis will benefit, said analysts.

Financial technology or fintech companies, particularly those focused on credit analysis, will greatly reduce cost of lending and also reduce credit risks. So, they are likely to experience fast growth on market demand as commercial banks are joining the inclusive finance market.

That market is currently dominated by smaller, private financial institutions, such as peer-to-peer or P2P lending platforms and consumer finance platforms.

Li Bin, CEO and president of Shanghai-based fintech company Huaxia Finance, said the size of unmet inclusive financing is "significant" because lenders often have concerns over non-performing loans.

In China, only 30 percent of citizens are covered by existing credit reporting system, while in mature markets the percentage could be 70 percent or higher.

"Infrastructure for credit reporting systems remains to be completed, but it will take time. But we can't just wait. Fintech solutions help build models that keep non-performing lending rate to a stable level that guarantees steady scaling up without expanding risk exposure," said Li.

By the end of July, the five biggest banks in China-Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Bank of Communications and Bank of Chinahad launched inclusive finance arms, just two months after the authorities concerned called for better financial services for a wider group of people across China.

More banks are to set up inclusive financing to better finance smaller enterprises, farmers and underprivileged people who have little access to financing services, Zhongtai Securities said in a research note.

A research note by Beijing-based Analysys International said the market for financial information and fintech solutions related to inclusive financing could reach 100 billion yuan ($14.7 billion) in the next decade.

Credit investigation and reporting technologies could reduce operational cost of lending 1 million yuan to 2 yuan from 2,000 yuan, according to Analysys research.

Wu Xiaoling, a NPC Standing Committee member and former deputy governor of the People's Bank of China, said banks should "update their understanding" of inclusive finance, and take advantage of technologies and infrastructure related to credit reporting systems.

By using internet-based technologies, mobile payment technologies and big data analysis, banks could have better access to data than ever before, which would help understand small borrowers' credit record and financial situation.

For first-time small borrowers, technologies could fill in, in terms of compensating for the lack of record of previous borrowings, said Wu.

Xue Zhenghua, chief technology officer of Beijing-based Hengchang Finance, a fintech provider, said internet-based technologies will help lenders to collect information in an effective and precise manner.

"Internet technologies offer complete solutions beyond just a channel of lending. The point of inclusive finance is to be as inclusive as possible, making financing accessible to more clients without expanding risks," said Xue.
Time for Vietnam to readjust attitude and promote peace in South China Sea

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-08-07 15:18

MANILA -- In a joint communique issued on Sunday night, the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) applauded the economic and security achievements China and ASEAN have made in the past year, yet Vietnam stood out in a wave of positive efforts.



The ASEAN ministers commended the "growing role" of China in the region, saying the region continues to reap the fruits of China's strong economic growth.



On the South China Sea issue, the ministers said the progress made on a code of conduct showed that the two sides have the ability to control differences and manage disputes.



Despite the shared expectation of and joint efforts made by China and most ASEAN members in calming the disputes in the South China Sea, Vietnam tried to force its own agenda into the draft communique, a source close to the meeting told Xinhua.



Vietnam, who started the land reclamation work on illegally occupied Chinese islands and reefs in the South China Sea as early as in the 1980s and 1990s, "expressed serious concerns over recent developments in the area and wanted to insert 'such as extended construction' into the draft communique."



Such a trick of "thief crying stop thief" aimed at putting pressure on China was futile, and the phrase was finally dropped in the face of opposition from other ASEAN countries.



The facts speak for themselves. Vietnam is the very country who has vigorously seized islands, reclaimed lands and pushed for militarization in the South China Sea.



After years of gradual encroachment of Chinese islands and reefs, figures show that since 2007, Vietnam has increased the pace of its large-scale land reclamation on 21 of the illegally occupied islands and reefs, and even built a number of new military facilities in the South China Sea.



The situation in the South China Sea has been largely stabilized after a year of joint efforts, with China and the ASEAN continue to enjoy a good relationship. The cordial atmosphere in the China-ASEAN meetings and the upbeat content of the communique this year are evident to the tide.



Vietnam's unconstructive attempt to poison the already improved situation in the South China Sea and to sow discord between China and the ASEAN is not welcomed in the region.



China and ASEAN ministers adopted on Sunday the Framework of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. It was lauded as a significant step towards a regional code of conduct and in reducing tensions in the area.



Wilfrido Villacorta, former Philippine ambassador and permanent representative to ASEAN called the framework "a tribute to China as a leading strategic partner of ASEAN that respects its neighbors and shares its Asian values of reciprocity, solidarity and good neighborliness."



It is high time that Vietnam readjusts its approach and attitude, and sincerely joins the efforts of regional countries to promote peace and common prosperity in the South China Sea.
When talking about the South China Sea, US officials, especially those in the previous Obama administration, liked to emphasize the importance of the shipping route to global trade.

The figure often cited since late 2010 is that $5.3 trillion worth of goods each year transit through the South China Sea.

The waterway is clearly vital to world trade. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimated that some 80 percent of global trade by volume and 70 percent by value is shipped by sea. Of that volume, 60 percent of maritime trade passes through Asia, with the South China Sea carrying an estimated third of global shipping.

Comments by US officials, scholars and news outlets have often suggested that China is most likely to disrupt global trade flow through the key sea route.

However, a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) dated Aug 2 shows that this is highly unlikely, confirming the belief of many Chinese that China has a bigger stake in the peace and stability in the region.

Using its own calculations, the CSIS reports finds that the real figure for global trade through the South China Sea in 2016 was $3.37 trillion. Though it is 36 percent smaller than the original $5.3 trillion, it still accounts for 21 percent of global trade.

The report - How Much Trade Transits the South China Sea? - finds that over 64 percent of China's maritime trade transited the South China Sea in 2016, while nearly 42 percent of Japan's maritime trade passed through those sea lanes in the same year. The US is less reliant on the South China Sea, with just over 14 percent of its maritime trade passing through the region.

Based on those figures, the report says that China's economic security is closely tied to the South China Sea. China's reliance on the South China Sea leaves it vulnerable to maritime trade disruptions.

Given the significance of the South China Sea for Chinese trade, Beijing may be more inclined to take steps to preserve the free flow of trade than it is to disrupt it.

The CSIS report is probably its most balanced and objective report on the issue so far, given that its past reports on the issue have been almost all highly critical of China and regarded as biased by many Chinese, especially Washington-based Chinese journalists.

The report says that even under extreme hypothetical conditions where Chinese capabilities expanded to the point where it was capable of letting its own commerce pass while stopping that of other countries, such a move would be risky. Long-term interference with shipping traffic would increase insurance premiums on commercial vessels and force shippers to consider more expensive trade route alternatives.

Even during the height of tensions in the South China Sea a year ago, Chinese officials, including China's ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai, cited the stability of insurance premiums to dismiss the hyped concern expressed by US officials over disruptions in global trade.

The report does not exclude an unlikely scenario. It notes that dire circumstances may compel China to take disruptive action, but this would come at a considerable financial cost to China, greatly degrade China's standing among other countries, and could even precipitate an assertive response by outside powers.

Energy or commodity disruptions could have even more far-ranging economic consequences for the global marketplace. This is especially true for China - the world's top crude oil importer, according to the report.

Contact the writer at chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
Talks between foreign minister, Tillerson help prepare for Trump's visit this year

Foreign Minister Wang Yi greets US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson before their talks in Manila, Philippines, on Sunday. ROMEO RANOCO/REUTERS

Senior Chinese and US diplomats agreed on Sunday to work together to make US President Donald Trump's visit to China this year benefit healthy development of the two countries' ties and to map out their relations for coming 50 years.

The agreement was announced by Foreign Minister Wang Yi after his meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in the Philippine capital.

Wang and Tillerson, in Manila for a series of meetings regarding the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, both hailed the recent positive interaction between their two countries.

As long as the two members of the United Nations Security Council boost mutual understanding and engage in dialogue and cooperation, they can expect to see progress in the relationship, a more sustained development and benefit to the world, Wang said.

During President Xi Jinping's trip to the United States in April, the two sides agreed to engage in four dialogues.

Senior officials from both sides later held the first meetings of two of those dialogues, on economic affairs and diplomacy and security.

Wang said he and Tillerson both endorsed the two dialogues, and they expected an early start to and results from the remaining two dialogues, which will focus on cultural exchanges, law enforcement and cyber security.

The start of the four dialogues will help better prepare Trump's visit, Wang said.

He and Tillerson also talked about the South China Sea issue and the Korean Peninsular situation.

In another development, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed on Sunday to China's proposed initiatives that will pave the way for launching formal negotiations on an actual code of conduct in the South China Sea, a spokesman for the Philippines said.

Robespierre Bolivar, spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs, said the ASEAN foreign ministers and China support the steps that both sides will take to launch formal negotiations on the COC, Xinhua reported.

"There is a consensus between ASEAN and China," he said at a news conference at the end of the ministerial meeting.

Wang announced in a press briefing after the meeting that China had proposed three steps for discussing the COC.

These steps include announcing the initiation of the substantive consultations on the COC at a proper time this year.

They also include leaders of China and ASEAN member states announcing the start of negotiations on the text of the COC at the China-ASEAN Leaders' Meeting in November.

Wang said all the achievements made have testified to China and ASEAN having the wisdom and ability to properly manage disputes, formulate a set of regional rules that all recognize and preserve peace and stability in the South China Sea.
A Chinese woman whose body was recently found in Yosemite National Park might have drowned while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, according to park officials. Investigation results are expected to be released this week.

Wang Chaocui, 27, was last seen by other hikers on July 17. Her body was recovered from a river in Kerrick Canyon late last month.

Wang, also known as Tree, had lived in Shanghai before quitting her job to fulfill her dream of hiking the iconic Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,600-mile route that runs along the West Coast and draws thousands of long-distance hikers each year, according to Chinese media reports.

She was found about a half mile downstream of a trail crossing. It is unknown if she had moved downstream or upstream from the trail before trying to cross, according to statements posted on the hikers' Facebook group.

"She was a sweetheart. She always had such an amazing attitude and smile," said a hiker under the name "Rhaven" in a comment posted on reddit.com. Rhaven said they climbed Forester Pass - the highest point of the trail - together four weeks earlier.

Another hiker "cantor0101" said the reason why she was alone was probably because "she had made it through the heart of the Sierras and was almost out of the really treacherous stuff".

"I have no idea if there was friction between her and her hiking mates or what, but it seems like she thought she could make it," said Cantor0101. "It was a seemingly small decision that had delayed consequences."

This winter's heavy precipitation had swollen rivers and obscured some segments of the Pacific Crest Trail with snow, making summertime hikes on the route more treacherous than usual.

Stories have been reported that some hikers slipped into fast creeks and were swept away by the current.

Only a week prior to Wang's death, the body of a Japanese tourist who was hiking the trail was found in a river in Kings Canyon National Park.

The body of 32-year-old Rika Morita was found on July 23 submerged in the south fork of the Kings River at the 3,000-meter level of the park.

In late May, Marvin Novo, of Turlock, California, died while hiking near Whitewater Preserve. He was 58 and had been planning his PCT hike for at least a decade. It is suspected that his death was heat related, according to a post at the Pacific Crest Trail Association's website.

"For all its beauty and splendor, the wilderness can be a cruel teacher. The PCT remains a wilderness trail with real risk. The elements can be harsh and know no boundaries or show no mercy," said trail information manager Jack Haskel in a post.

Members of the Chinese woman's family have arrived in the US and are in contact with authorities.

The increasing number of incidents and accidents involving tourists has raised safety concerns and affected the tourism industry, Luo Linquan, Chinese consul general in San Francisco, said in a previous interview.

liazhu@chinadailyusa.com
China joins Russia, US in Security Council move over missile tests

China urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to adhere to a UN Security Council resolution after the council on Saturday imposed new sanctions on the country over its recent missile launches - cutting one-third of its $3 billion annual export revenue.

"China urged the DPRK to abide by relevant UN Security Council resolutions and cease to take actions that might further escalate tensions on the peninsula," said China's Ambassador to the UN Liu Jieyi after the vote at UN headquarters in New York.

"We hope relevant parties will immediately take effective actions to prevent the situation from further escalation, create conditions for the resumption of talks and make efforts to bring the issue at an earlier date back to the right track of seeking a peaceful solution through dialogue and consultation," Liu said.

The US-drafted resolution was adopted unanimously by the 15-member Security Council. It bans all exports of DPRK's coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. It prohibits new joint ventures or cooperative commercial entities with the DPRK and additional investment in existing ones. It also bans countries from allowing in additional numbers of laborers from DPRK.

The sanction also blacklisted nine DPRK individuals operating abroad as representatives of designated entities for asset freeze and travel ban and four DPRK commercial entities designated for an asset freeze.

DPRK launched two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) on July 3 and July 28, respectively.

China opposed the DPRK's launching activities, which are in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and against the will of the entire international community, Liu said.

"China has always insisted on realizing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula and seeking a solution through dialogue and consultation. China has opposed chaos and conflicts on the Korean Peninsula," Liu said, adding that it's what Resolution 2371 is about.

The fact that the resolution was adopted unanimously demonstrates that the international community is united regarding the nuclear issue on the peninsula, he said.

As Liu put it, the new resolution has three components: further sanctions against DPRK's nuclear programs; no intention to have an adverse effect on activities that are not prohibited by the resolution (such as economic activities and cooperation, food and humanitarian aid); and a call for resumption of the Six-Party Talks that expresses a commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation and the importance of working to reduce tension on the peninsula.

"All parties should implement the provisions in the resolution fully and earnestly," Liu said.

This resolution is the single-largest economic sanctions package ever leveled against the DPRK, said US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.

"The resolution we've passed is a strong, united step toward holding North Korea accountable for its behavior," Haley said. "The US is taking - and will continue to take - prudent defensive measures to protect ourselves and our allies."

She said the US' joint military exercises with the Republic of Korea will continue.

China hopes the "realistic and feasible" China-Russia joint initiative, which put forward a road map for resolving the nuclear issue on the peninsula, can get response and support from relevant parties, Liu said.

The joint initiative issued on July 4 is based on China's proposal of a dual-track approach and a "suspension for suspension" initiative, and Russia's step-by-step approach.

Dual track urges advancing denuclearization of the peninsula while establishing a peace mechanism on the peninsula. The suspension for suspension initiative calls for DPRK's suspension of its nuclear programs accompanied by suspension of large-scale military exercises by the US and the ROK.

Liu said that China has noted recent US remarks again that it's not seeking a regime change nor a regime collapse in the DPRK; it's in no hurry to push for the reunification of the peninsula; and its troops will not cross the 38th parallel north.

"It's our hope that the US side will translate these four notes into concrete policies toward the DPRK," Liu said.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said at a State Department press briefing on Aug 1 that the US is willing to sit down for talks with the DPRK on the condition that it give up its nuclear programs.

At the meeting, Liu also urged a halt to the THAAD deployment process and dismantling of related equipment

wanglinyan@chinadaily.com.cn
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HCM CITY  Vietjet on Monday introduced a five-day promotion on August 9-13, offering 200,000 super-promotional air tickets priced only from zero dollars.

The offer is aimed at welcoming the most exciting travel season of the year.

The promotion, which will be available during the golden hours from noon to 2pm, is applicable on all Vietjets international routes from HCM City, Ha Noi, a Nang and Hai Phong to Seoul, Busan (South Korea); Hong Kong; Kaohsiung, Taipei, Tainan, Taichung (Taiwan); Singapore; and Bangkok (Thailand); as well as Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Yangon (Myanmar) and Siem Reap (Cambodia), for travel from September 1 to May 31, 2018.

This transitioning weather is always favoured by tourists for travel. This is also the best time for everyone to show their beloved ones they care by traveling to international destinations thanks to the cool weather, Vietjet said in its statement.

In another move, Vietjet is continuing to increase its flight frequency for several international routes, including the HCM City-Seoul route that will have 14 return flights per week from October 29, increasing from the previous seven return flights per week. Meanwhile, the a Nang-Seoul route will be also increased from seven to 14 return flights per week from November 6.  VNS
The General Department of Taxation has ruled that from 2018, firms will have to obtain their invoices from the department instead of printing their own.  Photo tienphong.vn

HA NOI  The General Department of Taxation has ruled that from 2018, firms will have to obtain their invoices from the department instead of printing their own.

The move is part of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) units proposal to replace Decree No 51/2010/N-CP and Decree No 04/2014/N-CP on invoices for sales of goods and services.

According to the MoF, the goal is to deal with obstacles while implementing Decree No 51, which allows most companies to print their own invoices instead of receiving them from tax authorities.

The change will help limit the amount of printed paper invoices and prevent firms from printing too many invoices to avoid paying tax, MoF said.

The new decree also stipulates that by 2020, electronic invoices must be used by 90 per cent of businesses. The regulation will apply to enterprises in industrial parks, economic zones, export processing zones, high-tech zones, non-business public units performing production or commercial activities and newly established enterprises.

Besides issuing paper invoices for enterprises, tax authorities will also support firms in shifting to electronic invoices with tax codes provided by authorities to expand the application of electronic invoices among firms.

From early 2019, many other types of enterprise, including household businesses with revenue of more than VN3 billion (US$133,000), will be forced to issue e-invoices with tax codes provided by tax authorities.

The use of e-invoices would help reduce the time and expense relating to invoices for enterprises, while contributing to limiting fraudulence, according to the MoF.

According to the ministry, the number of businesses using e-invoices has increased significantly in recent years, rising from 30 enterprises in 2011 to 331 in 2015 and 656 in 2016. The number of electronic invoices issued has also increased sharply, from 9,014 in 2011 to more than 277 million in 2016.  VNS
HA NOI  The Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam), or PVN, produced 9.23 million tonnes of oil in the first seven months of this year, exceeding the target set for the period, said the groups CEO Nguyen Vu Truong Son.

Speaking at the meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Ha Noi on Saturday, Son said the group earned January-July revenue of VN278.5 trillion (US$12.21 billion), surpassing the seven-month target by 14 per cent and fulfilling 64 per cent of the yearly goal, making an after-tax profit of VN14.1 trillion.

The PVN sent VN50.8 trillion to the State budget, said Son.

The CEO said the group made significant progress in oil drilling and exploration, with the discovery of a new basin named Ca Trich (Sardinella) well at block 11-2 and a number of oil wells with good volume, such as Thien Nga-3X at the White Swan oil field and Bach Ho-48 well at the White Tiger oil field.

Son also reported that the White Rabbit 3 oilfield saw its first stream of oil extracted from well 37P on May 7, 13 days ahead of schedule.

PetroVietnam implemented science, technology and training activities, as well as ensuring oil and gas security and safety, and environmental and labour safety. The prevention of fire at oil and gas facilities was controlled while social welfare was ensured, said Son.

Based on the good results in the first seven months of this year, PVN expects to earn VN471 trillion in revenue, exceeding its yearly goal by 7.4 per cent. About VN89 trillion will be contributed to the State budget, a 20 per cent increase over the plan.

The group strives to produce at least 13.28 million tonnes of crude oil and 10.61 billion cubic metres of gas in 2017 and keep a close watch on world oil prices to promptly cope with any fluctuations, said Son.

At the meeting, Prime Minister Phuc recognised the groups contributions to affirming national sovereignty and increasing the State budget.

He urged the group to speed up restructuring, reorganising production, and improving management in order to achieve its goals set for 2017 and following years.

PVN boosts non-score business with Vinatex

In another development, heads of PetroVietnam met leaders of Viet Nam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) on Friday in an attempt to continue implementing their agreement on fibre consumption of the inh Vu Polyester Fibre Plant.

The plant is one of five major projects under weak management, causing losses of State capital. PetroVietnam and Vinatex have invested nearly VN7 trillion (about $310 million) in the plant.

The two sides discussed issues related to the plants operation, the testing use of polyester fibre, supervision, evaluation of fibre quality, marketing and training.

Vinatex General Director Le Tien Truong committed that the group would enhance the consumption of the inh Vu Plants polyester fibre by all the groups units, from the current volume of 50 per cent.

The Vinatexs consumption capacity was about 60,000 tonnes of polyester fibre per year, meanwhile the local business demand has grown from 10 per cent to 15 per cent annually, said Truong.

Truong said the price of fibre was between $1.1 and $1.12 per kilogramme, higher than that of 2015, while the price of materials for polyester fibre production is also lower than that of 2015  two important elements for resuming the plants operation.

At the meeting, PVN CEO Son said his group would try to re-operate the inh Vu plant in the shortest time, providing a stable supply of polyester fibre for Vietnamese businesses.  VNS
HA NOI  Vina T&T Import  Export Service Trading Co Ltd last week exported its first batch of fresh coconuts to the US, which is considered to be a difficult market.

The coconut is a special fruit of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Ben Tre, which is known to be the countrys premier coconut growing region.

General Director of Vina T&T Nguyen inh Tung said that the fruit had been checked and radiated, as per the international standards in Viet Nam, before they were shipped to the US.

The companys partner will check it again in the US. After that, we will export five containers of fresh coconuts to this market, which is known to set high standards in terms of the quality of fresh fruit imports, Tung told Viet Nam News.

The company successfully negotiated with its partner to export coconut to the US, which mainly imported the fruit from Thailand, he said. A disadvantage for the Vietnamese coconut is the price, which is about 20 per cent higher than that of Thailand, making it difficult to negotiate. We finally overcame it, Tung said.

Vina T&T occupies 40 per cent of the Viet Nams export market share in the US. The company has exported longan, dragon fruit, durian, rambutan and coconut to the US. It has received the licence to export star apple to the US and is awaiting the fruit harvest season.

We buy fruits from the areas that grow them in bulk. We then radiate and package them before exporting. Each variety of fruit has a unique manner of radiation and package. We have to strictly follow the standards given by our US partners, he said.

"I have recently signed a contract to buy 60 tonnes of longan, a specialty of the northern province of Hung Yen, for export to the US. I will transfer the packaging technology to the local growers, and then ship the fruit to HCM City for radiation, he added.

Viet Nam last year earned US$2.4 billion from the export of fruits and vegetables, of which $6 million came from Vina T&T.

With the market showing positive signs last year, the company has set the target to earn $12 million, doubling last years figures. In the first seven months of this year, the company earned $8 million.

Export value up

According to the latest figure from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Viet Nam made $360 million through the export of fruits and vegetables in July, taking it to $2.03 billion in the first seven months of this year, while marking an increase of 48.9 per cent, compared with the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the country spent $216 million to import fruits and vegetables in July, taking the total value since early this year to $852 million, doubling the figure in the same period last year. The countrys largest export markets were Thailand and China, with a market share of 57 per cent and 16.8 per cent, respectively.

To reach the target of $3 billion from the export of fruits and vegetable this year or a higher target next year, Tung said it was necessary to have the businesses consulting and participating in the countrys trade promotion programmes.

In addition to this, we should choose fruits that can be harvested throughout the year, such as pomelo, soursop, mandarin and orange, for export. The businesses need the Governments support on storage technology, Tung added.  VNS
The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) released data as of December 31 last year showing bad debts on balance sheets and those sold to the VAMC accounted for 5.81 per cent of total outstanding loans.  Photo ndh.vn

HCM CITY  At its third session the 14th National Assembly passed a resolution to trial various policies on bad debt settlement and the handling of secured assets for bad debts of credit institutions, branches of foreign banks and State-owned organisations to speed up the settlement of bad debts, which are acting as speed bumps in the banking sectors development.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc recently issued a directive on execution of this resolution.

It calls on related ministries and other agencies to implement measures to prevent bad debts, improve credit quality, promote the role of the Vietnam Asset Management Company (VAMC) in handling bad debts.

He advocated a stronger role for the VAMC in tackling bad debts. He also called for appropriate measures to bring the non-performing loans (NPL) ratio down to 3 per cent or less by 2020 -- exclusive of NPLs, also called bad debts -- at weak banks through specific methods approved by the Government.

The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) released data as of December 31 last year showing bad debts on balance sheets and those sold to the VAMC accounted for 5.81 per cent of total outstanding loans. If rescheduled bad debts were taken into account, the rate was 10.08 per cent.

Analysts said with bad debts being banks biggest problem, the resolution (No 42) with its many provisions to handle the assets mortgaged against bad debts will encourage foreign and domestic investors to participate in the banking sectors restructuring process.

So far there has been no provision for a final resolution of the secured assets meaning it was difficult to persuade investors to buy the debts.

VAMC has so far bought VN182 trillion (US$8.08 billion) worth of bad debts, but sold only VN9 trillion ($400 million).

Besides a debt trading market, a streamlined legal framework for bad debt trading and settlement of secured assets is also necessary to help the VAMC recover bad debts.

The new resolution creates such a framework with many new measures to handily address the bad debts.

They include authority for credit institutions to seize the mortgaged assets which are in the possession of the borrower or a third party if the agreement allows it. Such foreclosure will be assisted by local authorities including the police.

Now a credit institution does not have the right under law to foreclose secured assets.

The resolution also allows credit institutions to sell bad debts at market prices which may be lower than the principal amount of the debt.

Another barrier to investors taking part in the debt trading market is that Viet Nam does not have independent assessment agencies.

Investors will not participate in a market unless they know assets true value, the potential to resell such assets, and bad debt trading procedures.

The VAMC is allowed to buy bad debts from banks and sell them at a price determined by an independent valuer agreed between it and the selling banks.

Those policy changes included in Resolution No 42 are expected to encourage both domestic and foreign investors to participate in the restructuring of banks particularly those that have been bought by the State Bank of Viet Nam at zero ong.

The central bank bought three joint-stock lenders, Viet Nam Construction Bank, GP Bank and Ocean Bank, at zero price and assigned commercial State-owned banks to restructure them.

The SBV has said Ocean Bank has already been bought by a foreign investor and is now in the second phase of restructure.

The two remaining banks also interest some foreign and domestic investors who want to take part in their restructuring.

This means that the number of mergers and acquisitions in the banking sector is set to increase significantly.

Breweries out of reach?

The Government has decided to sell its entire 89.59 per cent stake in Sai Gon Beer Alcohol Beverage Corp (Sabeco) for $1.8 billion and its 82 per cent holding in Ha Noi Beer Alcohol Beverage Corp (Habeco) for $404 million through auctions, and many global brewers are interested in buying them, hoping to enter what is a hugely promising beer market.

Viet Nam is in fact one of the worlds most attractive beer markets and the biggest in Southeast Asia, thanks to a young population that is expected to consume four billion litres this year, averaging 42 litres per capita.

Sabeco and Habeco have 60 per cent of the market. The former is the largest beer company in the country, having produced nearly 1.64 billion litres in 2016 for a 46 per cent market share. Habeco was third with 717.4 million litres and a 17.3 per cent share.

Sabeco has set itself a profit target this year of VN4.7 trillion ($207.1 million), up 1 per cent from 2016, on a turnover of VN34.5 trillion ($1.52 billion), up 9 per cent.

Sabecos main market is Viet Nam, but it exports its beers to some 20 countries.

Habeco expects sales of VN8.7 billion and profits of over VN1 trillion.

Sabeco is planned to be sold in two tranches in 2016 and 2017, while Habeco is scheduled to be divested this year.

However, no firm plans have been announced yet.

Australias largest brewer, Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), has expressed interest in becoming a strategic investor in both Sabeco and Habeco.

Besides, several other foreign breweries have been eyeing Sabeco since it was earmarked for equitisation, including San Miguel, Heineken, SABMiller, Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, Asahi Group Holdings Ltd and Kirin Holdings Co.

In mid-July, the State Securities Commission called on the Ministry of Industry and Trade to make divestment plans with a maximum foreign ownership of 49 per cent.

If the Prime Minister approves the proposal, foreign investors obviously cannot acquire a controlling interest in the two brewers.

Along with policy barriers, the cost involved could also be a factor in acquiring controlling stakes, according to securities analysts.

At July 26 closing prices the market capitalisation of Sabeco and Habeco were VN151 trillion ($6.66 billion) and VN18.7 trillion ($824.5 million).

Thus, foreign investors will have to shell out at least VN76 trillion ($3.39 billion) and VN10 trillion ($44.09 million) to buy more than 50 per cent of their shares.

The analysts said not many investors including foreigners can manage that kind of money.

After being equitised in 2008 Habeco signed a strategic agreement with Denmarks Carlsberg Breweries A/S. The latter has always been interested to further invest in the company to acquire a controlling stake.

Habeco is now preparing a plan for the Governments divestment.

For Sabeco, divestment will be simpler it is not bound by strategic partners unlike Habeco.

Provinces seek air links

Two months ago leaders of Can Tho city met with tourism and airlines executives to discuss starting flights to destinations in Viet Nam and other countries.

The city government plans to provide financial support to airlines which are ready to fly on new routes. It may be in the form of waiver of office rents for a 12-month period or a reduction in ground service fees in the beginning.

Can Tho estimates that it would have to make up losses estimated at VN4.5-8.5 billion per airline, depending on the routes they fly.

Many other provinces in the country also have plans to operate new air routes.

Among them is the central province of Quang Binh, from where direct flights to Thanh Hoa Province began recently.

It is soon expected to be linked with Chiang Mai in Thailand.

The central province of Thua Thien-Hue wants to increase the frequency of flights on current routes and add new routes like Hue-Can Tho-Phu Quoc; Hue-Luang Prabang-Bangkok; Ayutthaya-Bagan (in Myanmar).

Leaders of the provinces that are eyeing new new airline routes said they are aimed at diversifying transport modes to not only help attract more tourists but also advertise local tourism attractions.

Tour company Vietravel was an early mover when, in collaboration with some localities, it begun operating air services linking famous tourist attractions in Viet Nam and other countries.

They included Can Tho-Lam ong; Can Tho-a Nang; and Vinh-Bangkok.

The company plans to start a service between Hai Phong and Bangkok.

Operations have ceased on some of these routes due to lack of demand, but Viettravel executives have no regrets about their investments since they helped the company expand its market share, promote its brand name and support localities where the it has offices.

They cite the Can Tho-Bangkok route as an example. They said in the beginning the route made big losses, but this summer for instance the fights on this route were all 93-95 per cent booked.

An airline executive said his company has been asked by many provinces which have airports to begin new services with pledges of financial support.

But financial support is not a decisive factor in the decision to operate on a new sector, he said.

Airlines carefully study demand, potential for future development, ability to connect to existing networks and impacts on existing routes before deciding to start a new route, he said.

Demand is the primary factor, he stressed.

Experts said pricing is an important factor in the success of air routes.

If airlines and provinces want to encourage more people to come to a particular destination they must offer a good price, they said.

A Saigontourist spokeswoman said provinces need to combine road and air routes in an efficient way to serve their tourism needs.

It is also necessary for them to advertise local air routes as well as tourism products if they want to attract tourists, she added.  VNS
HCM CITY  The HCM City Music Conservatory is organising a summer music camp to provide participating youth with a platform to showcase their talents during their annual break from school.

The camp is one of many activities that the conservatory plans for 2017. To take part in this camp, applicants were required to display a sound understanding of music and submit video clips of their performances to the organisers via YouTube links or compact disks (CD).

50 applicants aged 7 - 24 from HCM City, Nha Trang, Hue City, a Nang, Ha Noi, Hai Phong and South Korea were selected for the camp.

During the one-week camp, theyll receive training in different music genres and instruments, including classic piano, classical guitar, classical vocals, jazz, flute and others. They will also have the opportunity to join performances with experienced artists, including practicing dancing with teachers from the HCM City Dance School.

After final tests, participants will perform on August 8 at the conservatory.

Organisers aim to make this summer music camp an anticipated annual event, attracting both Vietnamese and foreign students from the Southeast Asian region.

This is the first time the conservatory is organising an international standard music camp, said senior artist Ta Minh Tam, deputy director of the conservatory.

We hope that the camp will add an interesting twist to the citys music industry, he said, adding that other music institutions in HCM City should also consider hosting similar activities.

Despite some limitations in facilities and infrastructure, the conservatory has launched other meaningful projects for both students and teachers.

A mini concert held every Saturday morning outside the conservatory is an example. This event has gained in popularity, bringing academic music closer to mainstream audiences.

In a recent seminar, the conservatory proposed that the city authority funds some of its activities this year, including organising concerts and sending students overseas for further education.

Though the plan was approved, a delay in funding has prompted the conservatory to call for support from other sources, including lecturers friends and families and some companies, said Ta Quang ong, director of the conservatory.

With minimal funding, many projects could not be as professional as the conservatory had planned them to be, he added.

Meanwhile, the conservatory is preparing for three significant events in months to come: a music tour of Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria in October, a national guitar contest in November, and a national classical singing contest in December.

ong said he hopes the conservatory would become a high-quality music institution recognised not only in Viet Nam but in Asia as a whole.  VNS
HCM CITY  Die Fledermaus (The Bat), an operetta by Johann Strauss II, will open the biennial Autumn Melodies arts festival in HCM City, to be held from August 19-27.

The festival was organised by the HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) in 2005 to highlight classical music, opera and dance.

More than 200 Vietnamese and international artists will take part in 12 performances at the citys Opera House.

For the opening performance, HBSO and the Goethe Institute in HCM City have prepared for more than a year to stage Die Fledermaus for the first time in Viet Nam.

The operetta, set in Vienna in the 19th century, features Dr Falkes plan to embarrass his friend Eisenstein who leaves him at a park after a costume party.

The works libretto was written by German dramatist Karl Haffner and author and composer Richard Genee.

First staged in 1874 in Vienna, it is regarded as the most celebrated and most frequently performed operetta.

The Vietnamese version will be directed by German director David Hermann.

German vocal master and conductor Askan Geisler is training HBSO artists to sing in the original language of German.

The performance will feature Cho Hae Ryong of South Korea, Pham Duyen Huyen, ao Mac, and Phan Huu Trung Kiet, together with HBSOs vocalists, musicians and dancers.

Conductor Geisler and HBSO conductor Tran Nhat Minh will lead the orchestra on August 19 and 20, respectively.

On August 22, young Russian talents from the Maestro Foundation and the Spivakov Foundation will continue the festival with a concert.

Young Vietnamese talents, pianist Nguyen Lan Anh and violinist Tran Le Quang Tuyen, will introduce works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Prokofiev and Sarasate on August 24.

The festival will include a performance featuring compositions for guitar on August 25, featuring guitarists Nguyen Thanh Huy of Viet Nam, Anton Isselhadt of Germany and Pongpat Ponpradit of Thailand, and the Saigon Guitar Quartet.

Musicians from the International Chamber Players and Viet Nam National Academy of Music will present three concerts from August 23-25.

The first, titled A Night with French Chamber Music, will feature compositions for piano and violin by Faubre, Debussy and Chausson.

In the second concert The Eight Seasons with Vivaldi & Piazzolla on August 24, the artists will play with violinists Bui Cong Duy, Tran Huu Quoc and Vu Viet Chuong and American violinist Gregory Lee.

The last concert, European Journey: Countries and People, will include works by Wagner, Dvorak, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Glinka and Hummel.

On August 26, HBSO will host a performance of contemporary Vietnamese music by Nguyen Manh Duy Linh and Vu Viet Anh, and a ballet Gone through Love choreographed by Nguyen Phuc Hai and Nguyen Phuc Hung.

The festival will close with a special concert featuring violinist Hoang Tuan Cuong, German cellist Ulrich Horn and HBSO Symphony Orchestra. They will perform works by Brahms, Smetana and Tchaikovsky.

The two concerts will be led by conductor Le Phi Phi, who lives and works in Macedonia.

The festival includes two outdoor concerts on August 19 and 27, featuring the Brass Ensemble from HCM City Conservatory of Music.

The Opera House is located at 7 Lam Son Square in District 1. More information on the festivals schedule can be found at www.hbso.org.vn. Tickets are available at www.ticketbox.vn.  VNS
NEWPORT  The Newport Jazz Festival wrapped up Sunday with a closing performance from the legendary hip-hop band The Roots as a new artistic director put his stamp on one of the worlds most venerable jazz carnivals. The three-day festival in Rhode Island, which began in 1954, has been headlined over the years by jazz greats such as Miles Davis, Duke Ellington and John Coltrane under the stewardship of its founder-promoter George Wein.

Since Wein stepped down last year, new artistic director Christian McBride has introduced a more eclectic line-up, featuring soul, Afro-Cuban and DJs as well as more traditional jazz stars such as Branford Marsalis who appeared on Saturday night.

McBride, who is himself a Grammy Award-winning bassist, said he was proud to feature The Roots, a band regarded as godfathers of hip-hop and best known in the United States as the house band of late-night comedian Jimmy Fallon.

"The one thing I think all these musicians have in common is that they all strive and achieve excellence," said McBride.

"Whatever style there is that they are in, they are excellent at it."

The festival is regarded as one of the highlights of the summer cultural calendar in the northeastern United States and is held at the same venue as the Newport folk festival. AFP
HA NOI  An art photography project, I Femme, has been launched to help poor girls access education and to fund schools for poor children in Viet Nam, India and Nepal.

The project was initiated by Vietnamese photographer Viet Ha Tran and Ukrainian fashion brand Simplifis co-founder Tetyana Kretova.

The team has raised EUR10,885 (US$12,929) via the GoFundMe website within one month of launching the project. They aim to raise EUR100,000 ($114,338) in the first year.

Driven by the passion to change the world, coupled with a strong interest in art and fashion, the initiative, which aims to empower women, is slated to launch in late 2017 in cities such as Madrid, Moscow, London, Paris and Tokyo.

The photographs that Ha will create for I Femme will paint the picture of modern, independent, liberal, successful women of the 21st century who are the owners of their own destiny as they strive to retain their cultural identity.

These limited edition photographs, to be sold through exhibitions, auctions, and cultural events that will take place around the world, can be acquired by art collectors, galleries, museums and advocates of charity projects.

The money from the artwork sales will be donated directly to the non-profit organisation Room to Read, which helps build schools for poor children in Asian developing countries and provides scholarships for girls with no access to education.

Room to Read, which is headquartered in San Francisco, US, is a leading non-profit focused on girls education and childrens literacy in Asia and Africa. The Founders of I Femme believe that Room to Reads vision best fits the concept of their project.

Ha is a Ha Noi-born and Madrid-based fine art photographer known for her emotionally intense, compelling photographs of women. Her art emphasises fantasy and imagination as a source of aesthetic experience. Her work has appeared in renowned magazines, including Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair France, The Times of India, as well as at Saatchi Gallery London, and has been auctioned by Christies Hong Kong for charity.

She is listed as global artist by Artprice, a world leader in art market information, and represented by Art+Commerce/Vogue Italia, a large global photo agency based in New York.  VNS
TAY NINH  The Traditional Resistance Club of the Party Committee of the People  Government  Party Bloc of the former Central Bureau for Southern Viet Nam last Saturday hosted a ceremony that recognised a military base in Tay Ninh Province as a national historic site.

Attending the event were former President Nguyen Minh Triet, standing deputy secretary of the Tay Ninh Provincial Party Committee Nguyen Minh Tan, and former officials who worked at the base.

Nguyen Van Khoi, representative of the club, said that during the American war, the Party Committee of the People  Government  Party Bloc was instructed by the former Central Bureau for Southern Viet Nam to take charge of ideological leadership and build the partys organisation.

In 1968, the Party Committee of the People  Government  Party Bloc encouraged officials and locals to join forces with Southern Viet Nam in the Mau Than Spring 1968 Uprising.

In April 1968, the central bureau separated the Party Committee of the People  Government  Party Bloc from the base for a new task, assigning Huynh Thanh Mua to be secretary of the Party Committee.

The committee contributed its part to the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, leading to the liberation of the South and the unification of the country on April 30, 1975.

It was disbanded in April, 1977 by the central bureau after Viet Nams liberation and completion of its appointed tasks.

The Traditional Resistance Club of the Party Committee of the People  Government  Party Bloc of the former Central Bureau for Southern Viet Nam collaborated with the Sai Gon Construction Corporation to build a relic house at the base, to mark its significant contributions and to pay tribute to more than 10,000 officials from 24 government organisations and 2,000 martyrs.  VNS
Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh meets with Lao FM Saleumxay Kommasith in Manila on Saturday.  VNA/VNS Photo VInh Binh

MANILA  Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, and Laos in Manila on Saturday, on the sidelines of the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM 50).

Meeting Singaporean FM Vivian Balakrishnan, both officials agreed on measures to accelerate the implementation of high-level commitments to achieve joint benefits.

Vivian Balakrishnan stated that Singapore will work with Viet Nam for the successful APEC Year 2017, especially the APEC Economic Leaders Week in a Nang in November.

Meanwhile, Minh and Indonesias FM Retno Marsudi asserted the importance of maintaining contacts and high-ranking meetings to bring bilateral ties to a new height.

Minh suggested the two countries coordinate in protecting their fishermen, combating criminals at sea, while asking Indonesia for humane treatment of Vietnamese fishermen it arrested.

At the meeting with the Philippine FM, Alan Peter Cayetano, Minh affirmed that Viet Nam supports the Philippines as ASEAN Chair in 2017 in speeding up the ASEAN Community building process, reinforcing the blocs solidarity, and safeguarding the groupings central role in tackling regional issues.

He asked the Philippines to ensure safety for Vietnamese nationals being held by terrorists in the country, as well as hasten necessary procedures for the entry of Vietnamese vegetables, fruit and poultry products.

Alan Peter Cayetano pledged to work with relevant agencies in his country on facilitating Vietnamese farm product import and to ensure the safety of Vietnamese nationals.

At the meeting with Lao FM Saleumxay Kommasith, the officials vowed to work closely to implement agreements, including an agreement on resolving the status of undocumented migrants and marriages without licences in the two countries border areas.

With Australian FM Julie Bishop, the officials agreed to step up efforts to fully tap the potential to develop bilateral ties. Minh asked Australia to continue facilitating the presence of Vietnamese farm and aquatic products and supporting the country in education and training.

Minister Julie Bishop hailed Viet Nams participation in the Colombo programme, which is tailored to enhance people-to-people exchanges, and education and training cooperation, including the reception of Australian students in Viet Nam.

Regarding regional and international issues, Minh and his counterparts agreed on pushing efforts to build the ASEAN Community, and increasing coordination to maintain ASEANs unity and central role in the region.

The sides agreed to continue coordinating to maintain the blocs basis principles in addressing issues relating to peace and security in the region, including the East Sea issue on the basis of international law, the 1982 UNCLOS, to safeguard overflight and maritime freedom, security and safety in the East Sea, and seriously implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).  VNS
MANILA  ASEAN Foreign Ministers (FMs) have welcomed the initiative to combine ASEAN Community Vision 2025 with the UNs 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, saying this should be accorded top priority.

This consensus was reached in talks held at the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM 50) that opened in Manila, the Philippines, on Saturday, which chalked out major development orientations for the ASEAN Community in the coming time.

Reviewing the blocs progress since its inception 50 years ago, the FMs agreed that creating favourable conditions for peace and stability, generating collective strength and fostering a culture of dialogue and co-operation for growth were among the greatest achievements of the bloc.

In discussing ways to realise ASEAN Community Vision 2025, they agreed to promote co-operation in economic development as well as efforts to narrow development gaps and increase connectivity, especially by implementing the third phase of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI), the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) and measures to ensure social welfare.

Applauding the initiative to combine ASEAN Community Vision 2025 with the UNs 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the FMs said it should be a priority.

On ASEANs external affairs, the FMs lauded the positive strides made in relations between the group and its partners and the contributions of the partners to the formation of the ASEAN Community. They, therefore, agreed to deepen the partnerships in a more pragmatic fashion.

Solidarity and unity have helped ASEAN overcome various difficulties and challenges, they said, stressing the need to hold on to such values to reap more successes.

They also said ASEAN should highlight its common stance and viewpoints on regional issues in order to contribute to peace, stability and development in the region.

The FMs agreed to promote the formation of a law-based regional structure on the basis of current ASEAN-led forums and mechanisms.

They expressed common concern over traditional and non-traditional challenges facing regional security, including increased terrorism and piracy, and the situation in the Korean Peninsula and the East Sea.

On the East Sea issue, there was consensus on the need to maintain peace, stability, navigation and aviation security and safety.

Viet Nams Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh, head of the Vietnamese delegation to the event, highlighted the significance of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and the groups achievements.

He also listed stagnant intra-bloc trade, negative impacts of the anti-globalisation movement and slow application of outcomes of the fourth industrial revolution as challenges facing the group.

Given these challenges, Minh suggested the adoption of policies and measures that facilitate the growth of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, saying these would make the ASEAN Community more efficient.

He also stressed the need to enhance education and training, establish a network of agencies and institutes for scientific and technological research, and accelerate the Initiative for ASEAN Integration, particularly in education and training.

Minh also reiterated Viet Nams consistent stance on the significance of peace, stability, navigation and aviation security and safety in the East Sea for regional peace and stability.

Disputes should be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and respect for legal and diplomatic processes, he said, stressing the need for concerned parties to back efforts to build trust and prevent conflict.

He noted that developing a suitable and satisfactory approach to the East Sea issue was ASEANs practical contribution to long-term peace and stability in the region, proving its competence, efficiency and central role in regional and international matters.

Talking about non-traditional security challenges, Minh highlighted adverse impacts of terrorism and piracy on security and social order in the region.

Viet Nam will work together with other ASEAN members to strengthen comprehensive co-operation within regional mechanisms and frameworks in order to cope with the problems, he said.

Meeting with dialogue partners

Meetings between the ASEAN foreign ministers and their counterparts from the blocs dialogue partners of Canada, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand took place in Manila, the Philippines, yesterday, as part of the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting.

At the ASEAN-Canada meeting, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland pledged her countrys support for driving back extremism in the region.

At the meeting with their ASEAN counterparts, the foreign ministers from the Republic of Korea (RoK) and New Zealand, affirmed the role of the bloc in the region and expressed their desire to step up ties.

RoK Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha asserted that the RoK government sees ASEAN as a key partner in its strategy to expand external relations. New Zealands Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee said with its 50-year history, ASEANs political and economic role has been affirmed.

Additional ASEAN+1 meetings - with China, Japan, India, the US, Russia and the European Union - are planned.

Concerns about DPRKs weapom programme

The foreign ministers of the 10 ASEAN member states on Saturday criticised the missile and nuclear weapons programme of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK).

In a statement issued at their meeting in the Philippines, the foreign ministers expressed concern about increasing tensions in the region after the DPRKs two ballistic missile tests last month.

They also urged the DRPK, a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), to strictly abide by relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and under take constructive, practical actions to contribute to peace, security and stability in the Asian-Pacific region.

The DPRK has affirmed its launch of a Hwasong-14 ballistic missile on July 28, the second consecutive launch of its intercontinental missile.

On August 7, foreign ministers of ASEAN and 17 dialogue partners are scheduled to hold an important ARF multilateral security dialogue to discuss issues of concern in the region.  VNS
MANILA  The foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China officially approved a draft framework for the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) on Sunday in Manila, the Philippines.

They called it the first step in a pragmatic negotiation process for an effective, legally-binding COC, contributing to maintaining peace and stability in the region."

Viet Nams Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung said this was a positive step towards a practical and efficient COC negotiation process.

The document will be submitted to the ASEAN Summit in November.

On Saturday, Viet Nams Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh had suggested that ASEAN boost exchanges with China towards an early start of COC negotiations.

He had affirmed Viet Nams consistent stance on the importance of peace, stability, overflight and maritime security and safety in the East Sea for peace and stability in the region.

At the ASEAN-China meeting on Sunday, a memorandum of understanding was signed on establishing the ASEAN-China centre that would assess reports on the implementation of action plans agreed by the regional bloc and its dialogue partners.  VNS
The Government of Viet Nam has implemented numerous concrete measures to promote gender equality and womens empowerment, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said at a seminar in the Philippines yesterday.  VNA/VNS Photo Xuan Vinh

MANILA  The Government of Viet Nam has implemented numerous concrete measures to promote gender equality and womens empowerment, Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh said at a seminar in the Philippines yesterday.

The seminar on the Investing in Women Initiative, part of the activities of the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM 50), was chaired by Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, and attended by Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and representatives of female entrepreneurs from Australia and other ASEAN nations.

Minh praised the pioneering role of the Government of Australia in promoting gender equality and womens empowerment in the region.

Support for the participation and enhancement of womens role at micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) is an effective way to give more power to women in socio-economic development while boosting the sustainable growth and development of MSMEs, contributing to the development of prosperity, Minh said.

The Investing in Women programme is an initiative of the Australian government, worth A$46 million. It aims to empower women in socio-economic activities in the Asia-Pacific region. It provides financial assistance for MSMEs, develops legal frameworks and establishes female entrepreneurs alliances, creating favourable conditions for job opportunities. It also aims to create more education opportunities for girls.  VNS
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has stressed the need to boost road, waterway and aviation connectivity in order to fully tap co-operation potential between Mekong nations and India.  VNA/VNS Photo

MANILA  Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has stressed the need to boost road, waterway and aviation connectivity in order to fully tap co-operation potential between Mekong nations and India.

Minh made the statement at the 8th Mekong-Ganges Co-operation (MGC) Ministerial Meeting held yesterday within the framework of the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting and related meetings in Manila, the Philippines.

The meeting also saw the participation of foreign ministers from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and India.

Along with the transport sector, Viet Nam also asked participating countries to facilitate trade, especially in customs procedures, strengthen co-operation in protecting the environment, coping with climate change, and using and managing the Mekong and Ganges rivers water resources sustainably.

The participating countries acknowledged these proposals, agreeing to establish a working group on transport to seek measures to intensify road, waterway and aviation connectivity, build a Buddhist trail through MGC countries, and boost co-ordination between their travel agencies.

The ministers also emphasised the importance of expanding co-operation in new areas to consolidate economic linkage and promote potential in trade and economic ties.

They suggested developing micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs), organising a global MSMEs Summit, strengthening co-operation among businesses, holding an annual MGC Business Forum with the first to take place in India in January 2018, and stepping up co-operation in health care, especially in malaria prevention.

At the meeting, participants applauded the achievements the two sides have gained over the past time, including the Asian Traditional Textiles Museum in Cambodias Siem Reap, a MGC scholarship programme with over 900 scholarships granted to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Viet Nam each year, and a data centre at Indias Nalanda University.  VNS
Thousands of slaughterhouses in the central province of Thanh Hoa are operating without licences and failing to meet hygiene and food safety requirements, the provinces Animal Health Division has announced.  Photo dantri.com.vn

THANH HOA  Thousands of slaughterhouses in the central province of Thanh Hoa are operating without licences and failing to meet hygiene and food safety requirements, the provinces Animal Health Division has announced.

According to the division, more than 80 per cent of the provinces 2,473 slaughterhouses are substandard, failing to meet hygiene and food safety requirement and lacking waste collection and treatment systems.

The substandard slaughterhouses, mostly in households, process more than 90 per cent of cattle and poultry in the province.

Deputy head of the Animal Health Division Le Van Son said that in 2013, there were over 2,800 small-sized slaughterhouses in the province. Most of them were unlicensed.

In September 2013, the province Peoples Committee approved a plan worth VN974 billion (US$42.84 million) to develop 100 industrial slaughterhouses in the province by 2020 to replace the substandard ones.

However, in the last four years, only 400 substandard facilities were removed.

Meanwhile, eight industrial slaughterhouses have been completed since 2003, when the province called on investors to develop slaughterhouse projects.

However, half of the industrial slaughterhouses halted operation, and the remaining ones lack clients.

Vu Tien Ngan, an owner of an industrial slaughterhouse in Sam Son City, said that in 2003, he spent VN1.1 billion ($48,400) to build a 2,000sq.m slaughterhouse which can deal with 50-70 pigs daily.

His slaughterhouse starting operation in middle 2014 received only 30-40 pigs per day in about six months and then, he had fewer and fewer clients, Ngan said.

The slaughter was unused for years until 2013 when local agencies encouraged me to re-start the slaughterhouse, saying that they would call on more engagement from local farms, Ngan said.

However, he said that he hardly saw changes.

The slaughterhouse of Thanh Hoa Farming Product Ltd Company which was invested over VN6 billion ($264,000) but also unused for years, causing losses especially it was equipped with boiler, drying system and a shelter for about 300-400 heads of cattle.

Son said that household-based slaughterhouses should be banned, and their unquarantined products should be restricted from sale on market.

If so, farmers would take their cattle/poultry to industrial standard slaughterhouses, he said, but local agencies have so far failed to deliver sufficiently strict actions.  VNS
HA NOI  Ha Noi resident Nguyen Phung Hung didnt get into his first choice university, Ha Noi Medical University, despite a high score of 29.25 points in the national high school exam. The number of top scorers was so high, that admissions officials had to add criteria to enable their selections.

Hung was one of many students who scored high on this years national high school exams - that also serve as university entrance tests - but were still not admitted to their school of choice.

Associate Professor Nguyen Ngoc Khoi, head of the training department of HCM City Medical University said, We predicted admission scores would be high. But the admission council was still surprised. The highest score was 32. It shows the tests this year did not classify students well. In fact, many students got maximum points or 29.25. We had to use two extra criteria for admission.

The universitys minimum score for the general practitioner department was set at the highest level of 29.25, 2.5 points above last year. The lowest admission score was 22.25 for the public health department.

Pham Tan Ha, vice principal of University of Social Science and Humanity under HCM Citys National University said that this year, multiple choice tests were used for the first time in all subjects except literature, making it easy for students to get high scores.

This year, for the first time also, Ministry of Education and Training allowed candidates to apply to as many as universities as they want.

However, candidates would have to list their priorities in order, so if they failed to get into their top choice university, they would be considered for the second option.

This led to too many registered options. National Economic University, for example, had 60,000 faculty options registered by more than 29,000 candidates.

The admission scores of this university also hit record highs. Fourteen of 25 faculties accept candidates with 25 points or more. The highest, international economy and accounting, required 27 points, a surge of 1.5 points compared to last year.

Due to the high scores this year, several universities have extra criteria besides admission scores such scores for each subject.

Extra points still work?

According to exam rules, candidates from rural, mountainous and disadvantaged areas or children of war invalids and martyrs have added scores to their total scores, called region priority scores. These scores range from 0.5 to 1.5 points depending on the region.

Many educational experts proposed that region priority scores be removed in the context of high scores this year. Others said that to create equality between rural and urban students, each school should have admission quota, for example, 80 per cent rural students and 20 per cent urban students.

Vu Khac Ngoc, a chemistry teacher in Ha Noi, said that region priority scores are a good policy and should be maintained. However, the scores should be cut to create equality.

Ngoc said that educational approaches in localities have changed. Students can learn online and exams are held locally, shortening the gaps between rural and urban areas.

If we keep adding scores, candidates in urban areas will struggle to get into top universities. We will see migration: Ha Nois students move to Thai Binh, Hai Phong and Thai Binh, Hai Phong students flock to Ha Noi to study medicine, he said.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga said that only one per cent among 4,000 majors have admission scores higher than 30.

Nguyen Thi Kim Phung, head of the Ministry of Education and Trainings Higher Education Department said that admission scores this year are not abnormal. Candidates with 30 points who were rejected by their first option were rare cases.

We cannot look at this case to assess the whole exam, she said.

Ga said that The (added score) regulation specifies priority policy of the Party and State for candidates in disadvantaged areas. When this policy changes, added scores will also change. For example, provinces which used to be in the disadvantaged list have been developing and are now no longer in the disadvantaged list. Added scores for these localities will be reduced.  VNS
AK NONG  Rampant deforestation in the Central Highlands left to fester for many years by forestry authorities negligence has cost the region hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest, according to the Central Highlands Steering Committee. As a result, the Government recently decided to dissolve six companies it had assigned to protect the forests.

Specifically, recent inspections conducted by the Committee showed that 209,993ha of forest  29.32 per cent of the total assigned area  have disappeared under the watch of commune-level peoples committees.

State-owned forestry companies and forest management boards kept silent over this significant loss, and only when the inspectors came to investigate, did it become known that vast tracts of forestland had for long existed solely on paper.

Obdurate poachers

A land encroachment in Tuy uc District of ak Nong Province is a case in point.

Pham Hoa Dung, Director of the South Central Highlands Co Ltd in Tuy uc District said there are currently 30 obdurate people refusing to move from a forest area in Quang Truc Commune. Dung said they had set up camp and have been clearing the forest for agricultural purposes since last years November.

Understaffed forestry authorities failed to dislodge the group and the resulting loss of forest has reached 16.3ha, Dung told Nong thon ngay nay (Rural Today) newspaper.

Last June, Tuy uc and Bu Gia Map district authorities met and decided that if the group refused to give in to blandishments, police would be deployed. However, this decision has not yielded results.

Similarly, in Quang Son Commune of ak Glong District, Hop Tien Co-operative are at a loss over how to deal with 125 households that have poached into the forestland assigned to its management by the province, occupying currently 218ha of natural forest. More worryingly, they have responded with violence when confronted by enforcement authorities.

Military-controlled forestland was not spared the same fate, as evidenced by an incident on April 28 in which 17 people deployed trucks and knives to encroach on forestland only 70m from a rangers station.

It might not be just local people who lack land for living and making an income. We dont exclude the possibility of the involvement of underground criminal mercenaries, said Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Van Thuyen, head of Quang Son Defence-Economic Unit of Military Region 5.

Falsification and deliberate obfuscation of actual figures of forest loss have also been discovered.

The ak Nong Peoples Committee has found that since 2008, under the management of uc Hoa Forestry Company, 2,600ha of forest have been destroyed to make way for residential houses and agricultural land. However, the company only reported the loss of 67ha of forestland.

Within the same timeframe, many other state-owned companies have lost control of nearly all forest areas they were tasked with managing. Truong Xuan Forestry Company now manages 146ha of forest, a meagre piece of the original 7,000ha it was tasked with managing; Thuan Tam company now controls 711ha out of the original 4,600ha, Quang Tin company controls 2,000ha out of the original 9,000ha.

Failure to fully address the encroachment and failure to report to higher authorities have led to the current situation, the the ak Nong Province report said.

Le Quang Dan, vice head of the provincial agriculture department, said that despite being listed as "companies", most of these units barely conduct any production activities due to lack of working capital, and their responsibility is reduced to protecting forests.

After the ban on exploitation of forestland wood, forestry companies received only VN200,000 ($9) as annual remuneration for each hectare, so they totally gave up on their protection duty as well and let violators roam free, Dan said.

Avoiding responsibilities

All six forestry companies that the Government recently decided to dissolve are based in ak Nong. The provincial Peoples Committee will assign the areas to district-level authorities, however the latter are not enthusiastic about the new responsibility.

Le Hoang Vinh, head of ak Song Districts department of agriculture, said the district just received 10,000ha of forest and forestry land from two dissolved companies, but most have been occupied illegally and are scattered in several communes so the management would be a nightmare. Vinh added that the district is asking that the province hand these tracts over to someone else, preferably military units.

The Central Highlands Steering Committee admitted that even though 386,000ha has been handed over to commune-level authorities, accountability and financial mechanisms have not been clearly established so the protection effectiveness has been sub-par.

Another issue is ownership of these newly transferred forestlands, which are still technically owned by the companied that have yet to be dissolved.

Difficult reclamation

The Central Highlands Steering Committee reported that 282,000ha of forestry land being encroached or in dispute in Kon Tum, Gia Lai, ak Lak and ak Nong provinces have been handed over to specific agencies for management.

However, the recovery works remain fraught with difficulties.

Le Van Ba, head of the ranger force of Mrak District (ak Lak Province), said that the recovery of illegally encroached forest was not easy since the perpetrators are ethnic minority people who have no other means of livelihood except for clearing the forest to produce crops. A heavy-handed approach might lead to hot spots of complicated unrest, he warned.

ak Lak-based forestry companies like Buon Ja Wam and Chu Ma Lanh face another kind of problem  destruction of reforested areas. The former has re-planted 65ha of forest but 34ha were encroached upon again, while the latters 106ha of replanted forest have been uprooted by local residents.

According to the steering committee, one of the hardest challenges in forestland recovery is dealing with migrants from northern mountainous regions. The Central Highlands provinces have solved resettlement and livelihood issues for 15,400 households in 57 projects, while another 20,711 households fate remains uncertain as the available budget only met 30 per cent of the needed amount.

The steering committee is mulling a measure that would cede encroached forests to the poachers, with unsettled ethnic minority groups prioritised, allowing them to make their livelihoods and take direct responsibility for the management and protection of the forest areas they are assigned. This measure is also expected to prevent the forests from being converted into agricultural land and then resold, the committee said.

However, as it stands, the measure would only be effective in barren uplands where forestry authorities can persuade people to replant trees. In lower altitude land with richer red-basalt soil suitable for industrial plantations, people still refuse to listen and go through with reforestation scheme.  VNS
HA TINH  The central province of Ha Tinh has asked the Government not to resume activities of the Thach Khe iron mine, the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia.

The iron exploitation project was approved in 2007 at a cost of VN1.59 trillion (US$69.9 million) and the relocation of 3,000 households, but suspended in 2011 after local authorities proposed closing the mine over environmental concerns.

Despite the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)s rejection last week of a proposal to shut down the mine, Ha Tinh authorities want the suspension of activities to continue.

Duong Tat Thang, vice chairman of the provinces Peoples Committee, said this would not be a good time to resume iron mining since local residents are still recovering from the mass fish deaths caused last year by the Taiwanese Hung Nghiep Formosa Steel Corporation.

Shortcomings of the iron mining project were revealed during the committees recent meetings with scientists, Thang said.

Some legal documents on which the environmental impact report was based have expired, since it was written a long time ago, he added. Insufficient infrastructure has been developed to serve the iron exploitation and no long-term solutions have been offered to support the livelihoods of the affected households.

The projects investor should conduct extensive studies of waste discharge points by the Thach ong River and Thach Hai Beach, Thang added.

Environmental monitoring stations should be established on both sides of each waste discharge point to provide overall monitoring of heavy metals, he said.

This is an important issue that should be taken into careful consideration after last years environmental catastrophe, he said.

Provincial authorities have requested, in written documents, that the Government clarify the investors capital investment, the projects long-term economic benefits, its exploitation, processing, and marketing techniques, as well as its plans to help workers move to other jobs after it is completed, as well as solutions to protect the local environment, he said.  VNS
NAM INH  The Trung Lao Church in Trung ong Commune in the northern province of Nam inh was destroyed in a blaze on Saturday night.

Around 100 fire-fighters were dispatched to the scene and spent more than three hours bringing the fire under control. However, they were unable to save the 129-year-old building. An electrical short circuit and strong winds were blamed for causing the fire.

Trung Lao Church, built in 1888, is a unique combination of Spanish Gothic architecture and Vietnamese tradition artisan crafts, reflected through sophisticated carvings.

It took eight years to lay the foundations and carve patterns in the church. The building was 50 metres long and 16 metres wide, roofed with dragons scale tiles.

The whole interior was made from precious wood by Vietnamese artisans.

The dome was decorated with statues of the Virgin Mary and various Saints on a magnificent altar, which included intricate detailing.

A century has passed but the Trung Lao Church has never needed repair, said Nguyen Van Binh, a local Christian.

The inferno destroyed almost all of the wooden carvings. Thousands of people gathered at the scene, and most looked devastated at the loss.  VNS
SEOUL  Top diplomats of the two Koreas met on the sidelines of a regional forum in Manila, the Souths Yonhap news agency reports today, citing an official from Seouls foreign ministry.

The Souths Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha had a brief encounter with her Northern counterpart Ri Yong-Ho ahead of an ASEAN Regional Forum dinner on Sunday, Yonhap said.

Kang urged Ri to accept Seouls offers of military talks to lower tensions on the divided peninsula, and for discussions on a new round of reunions for divided families.

But Ri retorted: "Given the current situation in which the South collaborates with the US to heap pressure on the North, such proposals lacked sincerity," the unnamed official was quoted as saying.

The encounter came a day after the UN Security Council passed sweeping sanctions on the North over its first successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which sparked global alarm.

The growing threat from the nuclear-armed North dominated the annual forum, which came days after the Norths second ICBM test.

US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-In on Sunday agreed that North Korea "poses a grave and growing direct threat," in a phone call one day after the UN Security Council backed fresh sanctions on the North.

"The two leaders affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world," the White House said of the call, in which the pair welcomed the sweeping sanctions.

"The leaders committed to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well."

In a bid to pressure North Korea to abandon its nuclear missile programme, Council members voted 15-0 for a partial ban on exports aimed at slashing Pyongyangs foreign revenue by a third.

Trump hailed the vote, thanking Russia and China for backing a measure that either could have halted with their UN veto.

On Sunday, following his call with Moon the US president reiterated on Twitter that he is "very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions."

The United States began talks on a resolution with China a month ago, after Pyongyang launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile on July 4, followed by a second ICBM test on July 28.

But the measure does not provide for cuts to oil deliveries, which would have dealt a serious blow to the Norths economy.

China accounts for 90 per cent of trade with North Korea, and Beijings attitude to its volatile neighbor will be crucial to the success or failure of the new sanctions regime.  AFP
Access Systems

expands

DECORAH  Access Systems is opening a branch at 204 College Drive in Decorah.

The technology services company, with its corporate headquarters in Waukon, has expanded into the northeastern part of Iowa to meet the growing demand of businesses in the surrounding areas.

Foundation gets

school donations

WATERLOO  The Waterloo Schools Foundation has approved its $1 millionth donation to the Waterloo Community School District.

Over the last five years, the organization has funded 65 teacher grants, 31 student grants and eight districtwide initiatives, totaling $1,001,933.

The Waterloo Schools Foundation funds a variety of academic programs and pilot projects that would otherwise be unavailable to students.

Graduate named

4-H director

AMES  The Iowa 4-H Foundation announced Emily Saveraid has been named executive director of the Iowa 4-H Foundation.

Saveraid has been with the foundation since 2015, serving as director of development. A former Linn County 4-Her, Saveraid spent nine years in the program and participated in numerous projects. She was a member of the State 4-H Youth Council, served as a youth trustee on the Iowa 4-H Foundation Board of Trustees and was a State Project Award recipient. She graduated from Wartburg College and has a masters degree in philanthropy and nonprofit development from the University of Northern Iowa.

Prior to joining the foundation in 2015, she worked for the Iowa Wine Growers Association and the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation. She replaces Albert Grunenwald who left the Foundation in April.

BioTech tour

set Sept. 13-14

CHARLES CITY  The Iowa Biotechnology Association and the Charles City Area Development Corp. are collaborating to lead business development, economic development and policy leaders on a tour of the regions bioscience facilities Sept. 13-14.

The event will start with a tour of Valent BioSciences at 2 p.m. in Osage and a welcome reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Pub On the Cedar in downtown Charles City. A bus tour will be held the morning of Sept. 14, consisting of presentations at the Zoetis facilities in Charles City. More than 80 leaders are expected to participate. To register, go to www.iowabio.orgiotechspotlight.

Conservation

event in Traer

TRAER  An event, Conservation in Your Land Lease, will be Aug. 22 at the Traer Public Library, 531 Second St. Dessert and registration will begin at 6:30 p.m., with the event at 7 p.m.

It is being sponsored by Tama County Women, Land & Legacy and Benton/Tama Nutrient Reduction Demonstration Project. Sara Berges, Allamakee SWCDs conservation lease specialist, will speak. RSVP by Aug. 21 by calling (641) 484-2702, ext. 305, or by emailing melody.bro@ia.nacdnet.net. This event is free and open to the general public, both women and men.

Shorts website

mobile-friendly

WATERLOO  Shorts Travel Management Inc. recently launched a mobile-friendly version of its proprietary online booking tool, Shorts Travel Online.

Travelers are able to book air, car and hotels on their mobile devices, in addition to being able to access itineraries and view trip details.

Veridian ranks

in new report

WATERLOO  Veridian Credit Union recently ranked second among nearly 6,000 credit unions nationwide in the value provided to members, according to the Return of the Member report released by Callahan & Associates, a credit union research and consulting firm located in Washington, D.C.

The quarterly report is a comprehensive scoring system of member value with consideration to three core credit union functions: savings, lending and product usage. Veridian earned a total score of 99.98 percent in the most recent ROM report reflecting data from the first quarter of 2017.
CEDAR FALLS  Walking into Cedar Valley Art and Wine, one notices the tables  in each of three studios  set up and waiting for would-be artists to take their places.

Table-top easels, brushes, water cups and paper towels are arranged at each seat. Paint-splattered aprons hang over the backs of chairs.

In fact, nearly everything in the space is paint splattered  the table covers, the chairs, the floor, even the walls in places  a testament to the energy and creativity that fill the space.

Cedar Valley Art and Wine owner Kim Blakesley opened her business on State Street in September 2014. A year later the business moved to its current location at 307 Main St.

In the nearly three years since, business is booming.

We probably tripled our business in the first nine months, Blakesley said.

Blakesleys approach to art and wine includes instructors leading guests  during public events or private parties  through creating a painting of their own, and they are, of course, invited to bring along wine, beer or nonalcoholic beverages to enjoy.

She supplies all painting supplies, snacks, paper plates, wine glasses and music.

Everyone can paint, Blakesley said. Everyone has a creative spirit, a creative edge.

We dont tell you, we show you. But we wont expect you to do the same thing we do. We tell people not to look at the colors, but look at the subject matter and tailor it to you.

The studio is an extension of my home, of who I am, Blakesley said. Everyone who walks in, I want them to feel the friendliness. Come in, enjoy and have a good time.

Blakesleys background is in art education.

Everything Ive done in my past has culminated in this, she said.

Blakesley is growing the business in a variety of ways, doing company Christmas parties, events at colleges, in the schools, with Girl Scouts, during staff development events. She even held a teacher inservice in Muscatine with about 150 people in attendance.

It was really fun, she said. Teachers get locked into this is the way we do it, whether its science or math or English. They need to start thinking outside the box. All students can get their subject. They just have to find the way that works for them.

To expand on that, Blakesley is researching how she can set up a workshop or art camp where kids can come and paint for free.

Kids are not getting the art in school, or it is limited, she said. Reading, writing and arithmetic dont give kids the opportunity to use their hands. Its a shame. They have a lot to say, but not always with words. Some express themselves in visual form.

We are looking into raising funds, getting donations.

The business also is garnering attention outside of the Cedar Valley. It was twice named to The 10 Best Places for Paint & Wine in Iowa list by Best Things Iowa.

I was very happy that we were one of the only mom and pops on the list, Blakesley said.

Instructor Sarah Carpenter  who was preparing to welcome a group for a bachelorette party  has worked at Cedar Valley Art and Wine for two years.

Ive kind of dabbled in a little of this and that, she said of her art experience.

Working here is fun and rewarding, she said. A good share of my job is telling people it is OK to try. Once they get past the initial fear, they have fun and their creativity comes out. My goal is for them to leave with something they love. A lot of customers say this is paint therapy.

We go step by step, but if you want to do something different, go for it, Carpenter said. We arent too restrictive. I am more than happy to help them with making it their own.

I understand the little things to set them up for success, she said. Theres always more than one way to paint the same thing.
WAVERLY  Nancy Edwards remembers her late former husbands struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder from his military service during the Vietnam War.

She remembers how hard it was not only on him, but on their family.

Now, Edwards and Judy Meyers, both longtime volunteers with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Black Hawk County, are putting on what may be one of the first classes for family members, partners and caregivers of and to veterans with PTSD.

The class, called NAMI Homefront, will be offered from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 25 through Oct. 30 at the Waverly Area Veterans Post, 1300 Fourth St. NW. The class is free. Registration may be made by calling 235-5263 by Sept. 7.

Meyers and Edwards both have taught NAMIs Family to Family classes, but the organization recently secured support from a number of organizations and businesses, and recently received certification to lead the classes.

Meyers said her family, too, is going through some challenges with her father-in-law, who is in assisted living and receiving Veterans Administration assistance.

NAMI Homefront is more geared toward families of veterans, addressing family stresses resulting from military deployment and the impact on children.

Deployed troops may be trained not to show emotion in battle and to follow orders, Edwards said. But when they come back its hard to connect with family members and spouses. Its hard to re-adjust, being on hyper alert with everything.

She recalled a time when she and her husband went out to dinner, and he started to figure out escape routes from where they were dining. I didnt realize he was going into that state of hypervigilance. All I could do was to try to calm him down. Hed always sit where he could see anything. I didnt realize how much stress hed been in.

They met two years after his service. Now I know. But in 1976, I didnt know that. It affects the whole family.

Eventually they divorced; her husband died in 2003 of cancer related to exposure to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange, a carcinogen. She said a class such as NAMI Homefront would have helped them through the tough times prior to his illness.

This just gives people the tools and education and information to understand some of what theyve been through, some of how the brain works and the coping skills that family members can use to help balance things out, get them the help they need, she said.

More attention has been focused on PTSD with returning veterans of more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan who already have started families of their own as adults, but the condition spans all eras and conflicts, said Kevin Dill and Neal Jarnigan, executive directors of the Black Hawk and Bremer Veteran Affairs offices, respectively.

We probably average 10 to 15 veterans a month coming in to seek help with their PTSD. Really, they range from World War II all the way to today, Dill said. Most of them now are Vietnam vets. Were starting to see an increase in post-9/11 and the (1991 Persian) Gulf War. But I still have the World War II and Korea vets, with their wives bringing them in, looking for assistance with their PTSD, and their wives looking for assistance. So its a wide range, still today.

We have about the same number that come in with PTSD, Jarnigan said. When we do our interviews with veterans, we at least broach that subject. What we found is the majority of our veterans seeking support are Vietnam era. The younger veterans  which the Vietnam veterans did when they came back  they suppress a lot of that stuff, I think it doesnt take too much work to kind of pull that out.

Edwards said the WAVP, home to multiple veteran organizations, gives people who individually may be members of those different organizations a chance to support and serve each other  including numerous veterans who are not experiencing PTSD.

Attendance at the NAMI Homefront class is confidential and will be held in a private classroom at the post. Its a family peer driven class, with those peers leading the class trained and certified, Meyers emphasized.

There are many veterans who are OK and are just looking for resources, Edwards said. Its not every veteran who has PTSD. And I dont want employers to think they cant hire veterans. Some do very well in jobs even if they have PTSD. Its not a fault of theirs. Its just a normal response to abnormal circumstances.
CEDAR FALLS  Iowa Regent Larry McKibben made clear from the outset of the tuition task forces first meeting members are looking to be change agents.

Were going to find changes and find things that are more efficient and better that improve all three of our universities, said McKibben, who chairs the panel.

He added, This isnt going to happen overnight.  This is a long-term project to change how we function in the state of Iowa, because we owe to the citizens of the state of Iowa the kind of quality that we got when we went through school.

The task force, created by the Board of Regents in June, didnt offer specifics about plans for change, and that isnt the point of the campus meetings that kicked off at UNI on Monday.

It was to get campus input, starting with one of the most important voices  students who are most affected by rising tuition.

Cade Olmstead, a UNI student government leader, was the lone student to offer input. The fall session doesnt start for another two weeks.

I appreciate your statement about how we need to be agents of change, Olmstead said. I think as a student, its time that we as a state start recognizing education as a public good, as it once was.

The meeting began with a look at how the university system compares nationally and a five-year budget outlook from UNI President Mark Nook.

The data showed Iowas increases and fees are among the lowest in the nation; but Iowa ranks worst in terms of state need-based financial aid to students.

Tim Bakula, interim director of financial aid at UNI, told the task force about the success state universities have had reducing student debt, particularly through the live like a student program. But he cautioned against putting the whole burden of affordability on universities.

I dont want this to seem like our universities  Iowa, Iowa State, and UNI  are going to find a way to have predictable tuition and theres nothing that the state needs to do anymore, Bakula said. I think that discussion still needs to come up.

State Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Waterloo and a UNI alumni, told the board he welcomed the conversation. He suggested regents continue to look for efficiencies and reduce redundancies.

He also endorsed having different tuition rates at each university.

What has been supposedly fair for UNI in previous years, because it was kind of equal across the regents universities, was really not fair. It was not a way for us to get the resources that we need, Danielson said.

Nook did not endorse any particular idea  other than arguing against further state cuts that would cause dramatic tuition increases  but said he was open to different rates.

Nook noted if Iowa and Iowa State increased tuition to the median in their peer groups  now both are at the bottom  and UNI increased to the same rate, UNI would be among the highest in its peer cohort.

I think Iowa and Iowa State need to have a conversation about what their tuition is, and if it needs to go up significantly, it should go up so that they have the revenues to deliver on their mission, Nook said. If we followed suit and keep our price point the same, we will price ourselves out of the market, and we will cripple our enrollment.

The next tuition task force meeting will begin at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Iowa State University. It will be streamed live at www.iowaregents.edu/. Those who cannot attend the meetings can still provide input at www.iowaregents.edu/plans-and-policies/tuition-task-force.
DES MOINES -- Gov. Kim Reynolds office Monday touted a new ranking that scored Iowa high for health care. According to the personal finance Website, Wallet.Hub.com, Iowa was ranked as second best for health care in 2017 among the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The governors office issued a news release noting that WalletHub used 35 measures of cost, accessibility and outcomes to determine where Americans receive the highest-quality services at the best prices. Iowa scored first for most hospital beds per capita and second for the lowest infant mortality rate. Iowa also was sixth nationally for the percentage of insured adults and 10th for the percent of insured children. Click here to read the full study.

History resource

Students, teachers and other interested Iowans now have history virtually at their fingertips. Officials with the state Department of Cultural Affairs on Monday said scores of documents from the State Historical Society of Iowa and the Library of Congress now are available via a new free online resource now available at www.iowaculture.gov. Among the offerings are a video of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchevs 1959 visit to Coon Rapids at the height of the Cold War and a neatly typed script President Herbert Hoover used during his 1929 inaugural address.

State officials say the trove of virtual treasures is the result of more than a year of research and almost $100,000 in grant funding from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program. The project was designed to help teachers develop lessons around first-hand accounts of major turning points in history. About 80 percent of the materials offer a national perspective, while the remaining 20 percent focus on Iowa. Were eager to give people a new tool to dig deeper into the past, said State Historical Society of Iowa Administrator Susan Kloewer.

These multimedia documents bring history to life in ways that even the best textbooks simply cant. The direct link to all 12 new primary source sets is: https://iowaculture.gov/history/education/educator-resources/primary-source-sets.

Public input

Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation will hold a meeting to gather public comments about the draft Iowa Statewide Transportation Improvement Program at its Ames headquarters later this month. The meeting will be held in the northwest wing first floor conference room at the Iowa DOT headquarters, 800 Lincoln Way, in Ames, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 24. The draft STIP identifies all projects proposed to be authorized for funding provided by the Federal Highway Administration or Federal Transit Administration during federal fiscal years 2018-2021. It includes projects for state, county, city, and federal transportation systems. Development of the STIP is required by federal law. The draft STIP can be viewed on the Iowa DOT's website at: https://www.iowadot.gov/program_management/stip/20182021DraftSTIPAugust2017WebviewUpdated.pdf. Comments on the draft STIP can be provided at the meeting or by contacting Matt Chambers, of the Iowa DOT's Office of Program Management, at (515) 239-1409 or Matthew.Chambers@iowadot.us.

Cownie leaving

Cownie, director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs since January 2011, announced plans Monday to leave the post later this month. Her last day at the department will be Aug. 17, according to a news release. We have all benefited from Marys mission to stress the significance of our quality of life in Iowa and its role as an economic driver, Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a statement. She has done a wonderful job at the Department of Cultural Affairs, and while we will greatly miss her, we will continue to feel the impact of her work for years to come. I wish her all the best. The departments deputy director, Chris Kramer, will serve as acting director until a new director is named, according to Reynolds office. Appointed by former Gov. Terry Branstad, Cownie oversaw the departments administrative functions and programs, along with the Iowa Arts Council, State Historical Society of Iowa and the Produce Iowa office.
CEDAR RAPIDS  Can we talk?

Thats what a group that delivered petitions signed by more than 700 Northeast Iowa voters to U.S. Rep. Rod Blums office Monday is asking the congressman.

Theyre concerned the Dubuque Republican is not providing equal access to them and other U.S. House 1st District voters who might not agree with him, according to Amy Adams, a Cedar Rapids teacher and member of the Indivisible Iowa advocacy organization.

Adams and about 10 others delivered the petitions to Blums Cedar Rapids office in an effort to get Blum to schedule office hours while hes back in the district during the August congressional work session.

The petitions asks Blum to hold published office hours during the recess so voters can discuss issues with him.

Weve followed the requests weve been given, weve done the online questionnaire, filling in the blanks for dates and times to meet with him, weve written letters to him, Adams told Blum staffer Michael Keefer, who accepted the petitions.

However, Blum has met with other groups, such as a gun rights group, she said.

We feel he is sort of picking and choosing the people he wants to see and it seems to be people who are Republican, people who are his donors, people who are a friendly audience  not that we arent friendly, Adams said. We feel average Joes like us dont have equal access.

Keefer explained that the gun rights event was not a public event because it wasnt Blums. He was a guest of the sponsoring groups.

Members of the Indivisible network have been in communication with Blum for months, but only through staff members or written communications.

We would like some feedback from Congressman Blum, said Cindy Garlock. Its so one direction now. We would like some feedback about these issues.

Keefer committed to passing the petitions on to Blum.

Ill let him know, he said. I will make sure that he gets it in the next few days. Sometime this week hell have them in his hands.

He also said he would relay information that four potential Democratic challengers have agreed to meet with Indivisible at their weekly coffee shop meetings.

Indivisible Iowa describes itself as a non-partisan group that is committed to resisting the Republican congressional and executive agenda and among its goals is to take back our state in 2018.
Grand Wailea Resort(NEW YORK) -- After exchanging messages on the dating app Tinder for three years, college students Michelle Arendas and Josh Avsec finally went on their first date.



It all started in September 2014, when they matched up on the app. The two then texted back and forth for over three years, taking months to reply to each other and giving increasingly creative excuses for the delay.



When Tinder caught wind of the two Kent State University students' epic 21st century love story, the company decided to send the pair on a romantic first date to a destination of their choosing. They chose Hawaii, and after a long-anticipated first meeting in New York on "Good Morning America" in July, the two went on a once-in-a-lifetime first date to Maui.



"I never in a million years could have expected that when this story first started, when he first tweeted out our conversations, that something so simple could turn into something so amazing," Arendas said.



"GMA" got an exclusive look at their date at the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui, where the two soaked up the sun and beach, went on a scenic bike ride and enjoyed tropical drinks by the pool.



"Never did I imagine our first date would be on a resort like this ... it's like something from a postcard. It's amazing," Avsec said.



"On this trip I have learned about Josh's incredible energy. He is just always excited and always energetic, even on like a hot day like today, he's always ready to go," Arendas, 21, said.



And Avsec, 22, had nothing but glowing things to say about his date.



"You should hear her talk about her dreams and her passions and her career path ... [her] determination and perseverance, it's really rare and awesome to be apart of," he said.



Both parties said they are hopeful they will see each other again.



"We're heading back to Kent soon and I know we don't have any concrete plans yet," Arendas said, "but I'm sure our paths will cross once we get back there."



"With everything going on, it's been hard to talk about the little things like when we do go back. She's so much fun I know once we get back home we're gonna want to meet up again," Asvec said.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
DES MOINES  After spiking to a 20-year high in 2015, Iowa pedestrian deaths dropped slightly in 2016, according to data from the state transportation department.

An incorrect figure for 2016 was provided by the Iowa Department of Transportation in error and published in a story June 25.

In Iowa, pedestrian deaths as a result of vehicle accidents have been trending downward since the late 1980s, according to DOT data.

But that trend reversed for one year in 2015, with 28 pedestrian deaths in the state, the most since 1995.

That number began to fall again in 2016, with 23 pedestrian deaths, according to the department.

That number is way higher than any of us would ever want, said Steve Gent, with the Iowa DOT. Our goal is always zero.

Gent said pedestrian deaths comprise 7 percent of all traffic fatalities in Iowa.

Thats a really high number considering all the cars and trucks and SUVs and motorcycles, all the other users of the transportation system, he said. Thats a very significant number, and it goes to show how vulnerable pedestrians are in the road environment.

Gent said one challenge to reducing pedestrian deaths is they typically do not occur in the same area from year to year. Because they are more random, pedestrian deaths cannot be reduced by making changes at specific areas of the states road system. Instead, systemic changes must be made in order to bring the number of deaths down, Gent said.

Pedestrian deaths are worse nationally, where the figures have been on the rise in the past few years.

After many years of decline, pedestrian deaths increased 25 percent from 2010 to 2015, according to figures from the national Governors Highway Safety Association. And pedestrian deaths are becoming a larger percentage of overall traffic fatalities, from 11 percent in 2007 to 15 percent in 2015, according to the association.
WATERLOO -- Authorities confirmed that a worker caught in a grain bin in Waterloo has died.

Crews were called to the East Central Iowa Co-Op elevator at 1750 Broadway St. around 11:30 a.m. Monday for a worker who was trapped in soybeans.

The mans identity hasnt been released.

Firefighters cut several holes in the bin and co-op employees used a vacuum to drain the bin while rescue workers entered the structure in attempt to reach the man. Authorities said the man was later declared dead.

This was the second grain container death in northeast Iowa this year. In May, 74-year-old James Schweitzer died of suffocation after being engulfed in a grain wagon at Viafield in Winthrop.
The Mooch was not long for the White House.

But former communications director Anthony Scaramuccis tenure, while brief, was long enough to provide a lesson in how political journalists interact with the people they cover.

For those who were in another country a week ago, Scaramucci was fired as White House communications director July 31, just 11 days into his tenure and only four days after The New Yorker published his expletive-laced rant to a reporter.

Scaramucci was upset New Yorker reporter Ryan Lizza had learned and tweeted Scaramucci was having dinner at the White House with President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Fox News talk show host Sean Hannity and former Fox News executive Bill Shine.

Scaramucci called Lizza and delivered a now-infamous rant. He pleaded with Lizza to reveal his sources, appealing to Lizzas patriotism and threatening to fire the entire White House communications staff if he didnt. (Lizza, naturally, did not reveal his sources.)

That was only the beginning.

Scaramucci then disparaged  in colorful language, to say the least  former White House chief of staff Reince Preibus, who resigned the next day, and Steve Bannon, Trumps chief strategist. The rant was filled with graphic, sexually charged insults.

In the aftermath of the story, which published Thursday afternoon, Scaramucci offered a pair of responses via Twitter.

First, he said that he sometimes uses colorful language and pledged to refrain from doing so in the future.

Then he shot the messenger.

I made a mistake in trusting in a reporter. It wont happen again, Scaramucci tweeted Aug. 3.

Theres one big problem with that.

Every communications staffer at any level of politics or government knows if one does not wish a conversation with a reporter to be published, one makes the simple request to discuss matters off the record.

Can we go off the record?

Sure.

It is simple as that.

Ive worked with comms staffers for the top presidential campaigns down to state campaigns. Every one of them has known if theyre talking to me and dont want what they say published, they ask to go off the record.

Scaramucci did not ask for his phone call to Lizza to be off the record. So one of two things happened.

Its possible Scaramucci made a critical oversight and paid dearly for it. But he didnt ask to go off the record before the phone conversation or afterward. Thats on him. Pleading ignorance does not work for the top communications staffer to the president of the United States.

Or its also possible Scaramucci knew full well his conversation was on the record, did not care if it was published and attempted to repel any ire by shifting blame to the reporter.

In fact, Lizza told CNN in a later conversation Scaramucci had second thoughts about what he had told Lizza but agreed the conversation was on the record.

Scaramuccis problem was not trusting a reporter. Scaramuccis problem was underestimating the impact his inflammatory comments would have.

Iowa and Medicaid

Iowa received the second-highest score in the nation for patient satisfaction with management of the states Medicaid program, according to a report published this week by J.D. Power.

The study surveyed 2,145 managed Medicaid health plan members in 36 states and Washington, D.C., from January to March. The study measured overall satisfaction based on six factors: provider choice, coverage and benefits, customer service, cost, information and communication, and claims processing.

Iowa scored highest in the total ratings, trailing only Utah.

Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad shifted management of the states $5 billion Medicaid program to three private health care companies. Republicans have said the transition has been a success; Democrats have criticized the move, saying it has not saved money and caused frustration for many patients.

Governors report

Using past midterm elections as a predictor, the Crystal Ball predicts Republicans will suffer a net loss in governors in the 2018 elections.

The Crystal Ball is produced by the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

Republicans control 36 gubernatorial seats, and 26 are up for election.

The presidents party has lost gubernatorial seats in 14 of the past 18 midterm elections, according to the report. Its prediction is based on generic ballot responses in polling in which respondents are asked generally whether they would support a Republican or Democrat for governor.

The report predicts Republicans will lose anywhere from six to nine gubernatorial seats.

We are a long way from November 2018, so national conditions could change, the report cautions, also noting the quality of candidates obviously will impact outcomes. Still, Republicans will have so many seats at risk in next years gubernatorial elections that they are almost guaranteed to suffer a net loss of seats.
Once the longest-running democracy in South America, Venezuelans are now simply running as the nation continues its descent into political and economic chaos brought about by its repressive socialist regime.

According to the United Nations, 50,000 Venezuelans sought political amnesty by July, mostly in South America but 18,000 in the U.S.  an increase from 14,728 in 2016, the highest total for any nation.

Despite sitting on the worlds largest oil reserves, a 2016 Survey on Living Conditions by Caracas academicians found three-fourths of Venezuelans reported losing an average of 19 pounds because of the lack of food.

Food imports are down 50 percent. Farmers cant produce without access to seed and fertilizer from overseas. Eighty percent of bakeries lack flour. Rice, beans, milk and eggs are among the products rationed.

Basic medical supplies are lacking. Eleven percent of children younger than 5 are malnourished, infant mortality is up 30 percent and maternal mortality, 66 percent.

Last week the Trump administration slapped sanctions on President Nicolas Maduro, calling him a dictator who disregards the will of the Venezuelan people.

Maduro and 13 other Venezuelan leaders had their U.S. assets frozen, are forbidden from doing business with Americans and face travel bans. Sanctions were previously imposed on other members of the government.

Unfortunately, similar sanctions imposed against Bashar al-Assad of Syria, Kim Jong-un of North Korea and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe havent changed their behavior.

After the opposition coalition won 60 percent of National Assembly seats last December, Maduros lame-duck United Socialist Party filled 12 Supreme Tribunal vacancies with judges who nullified the legislatures lawmaking powers  giving itself the responsibility  and refused to seat some of his foes.

The nullification was reversed April 1 after an outcry that included Maduro allies. But a week later the government banned opposition leader Henrique Capriles, who narrowly lost the presidency in 2013, from involvement in politics for 15 years.

With support from the Supreme Tribunal, Maduro held an election July 30 to create a new Constituent Assembly  made up entirely of government supporters  with the power to dismantle the National Assembly. The opposition boycotted it. After Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz, a former Maduro ally, called the vote illegal, he threatened to banish her to a mental institution.

Political unrest has been filling the streets  more than 110 killed, 15,000 wounded and 3,000 arrested.

Maduro is the heir to the legacy of President Hugo Chavez, a self-styled Marxist revolutionary, who ruled from 1999 to 2013, when he died of cancer.

In the early years, Chavez was exceedingly popular among the poor and many in the middle class wary of economic stagnation and the power of oligarchs in a nation with a huge income disparity.

Chavez used oil revenues to improve education  literacy became among the highest in the hemisphere  and health care, importing medics from Cuba in exchange for oil.

Even with his attacks on democratic institutions and the media, Chavez was the darling of the U.S. and European left, no matter the unsustainable expenses he was racking up.

Venezuela ran large budget deficits every year, even as oil prices skyrocketed between 2005 to 2014, wrote Francisco Toro, editor of the Caracas Chronicles, in the Washington Post. That meant the country was piling on debt even as government revenue exploded  a senseless, pro-cyclical policy that left Venezuela up a creek without a paddle when commodity prices tanked.

In a textbook primer on how to decimate the private sector and economy  the Chavismos imposed price controls, nationalized factories, broke up big farms and took over food distribution. Everything was state-directed in the economic war on the bourgeoisie owners, even if expertise was lacking.

The London Telegraph reported the state agency that replaced private food-distribution chains, flourmills and grocery stores failed to transport food from docks. The result was 80,000 tons of rotting food, including meat. The stench was described as akin to 100 dead dogs.

The Trump administration doesnt have a lot of options in dealing with Maduro, particularly when it comes to oil and the state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela.

Venezuela sells more than 700,000 barrels of oil daily to the U.S.  10 percent of our imports. Pdvsas subsidiary Citgo operates nearly 4 percent of U.S. refining capacity, stations and pipelines. Any action against Pdvsa would force the U.S. to import more oil from the Middle East, with higher transportation costs.

U.S. consumers could expect to pay an extra 25-30 cents at the pump, while global oil prices would increase, creating a windfall for Russias Vladimir Putin.

Change in Venezuela must happen from within. When a regime is reduced to rewarding the misplaced loyalty of the military or police with rare rolls of rationed toilet paper, the end, hopefully, is in sight.
Roundabouts

CLEO CROSS

CEDAR FALLS  I read the guest column by Tom Hagarty (July 30). What a breath of fresh air to hear from one of our great city councilmen who represented the people. He and Stan Smith and now Susan deBuhr all represent the people.

Our present City Council is still talking more runabouts on Main Street to the tune of a million taxpayers dollars. They know exactly how we feel and they just keep destroying our streets. We dont want fluff! We want it finished as is. We have tried to put our foot down to no avail. They have thrown away petitions with thousands of names and given us five minutes to talk, and they wont listen. They have completely destroyed University Avenue. Many businesses have lost lots of money because people wont drive the runabouts.

Oh, how we wish we had Stan Smith and Tom Hagarty back again and some common sense sitting on the bench. Id like to congratulate the Waterloo City Council for using common sense in finishing its share of University Avenue. Our only way to solve this big problem is voting in a new council to represent us. Be sure to vote.

Admiral recalled

PAUL E. PIETSCH

CEDAR FALLS  Aug. 7 marks the 75th anniversary of the allied invasion of Guadalcanal. Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher was in overall command of the expeditionary force that carried out the invasion. While the initial landings were practically unopposed, the fight over the island lasted around six months. It finally ended when the last Japanese troops were secretly evacuated.

Frank Jack Fletcher was born in Marshalltown, and he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1906. He commanded at the Battle of the Coral Sea and at the Battle of Midway. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for action at Vera Cruz, Mexico, in 1914.

Bad roads

CRAIG HUNDLEY

WATERLOO  Whats happened to Waterloo? The streets are a disaster. Its almost like no planning went into this mess. Fletcher has been torn up for what feels like months. I go past there often, and other than tearing it up, I see no progress. Downing, the same thing. Last year Downing was ripped up and left until school started. Then they finished in front of Fred Becker School and walked away, leaving about 30 feet of torn-up, impassible street until fall.

This year, they ripped it up once again in May and seldom has anything been accomplished. I havent seen radar being run or police motorcycles since (former chief Tom) Jennings left, and now the answer is to install a revenue generator called a speed camera. Where will it stop?

Ten years from now, every movement you make will be on candid camera. Elections are just around the corner, and it has become apparent a complete change of leadership is needed. I really wish Tim Hurley would come back and fix this. Dont you current council members drive here? If you do, why dont you question this mess? Waterloo, are you happy with this leadership? Im not!
Q: Who is Christine Flowers whose columns appears in The Courier? Also, what is Alex Jones background? We havent heard of him before the recent Megyn Kelly story.

A: Christine Flowers is a lawyer and a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News. Email her at Christine M. at cflowers1961@gmail.com. Alexander Jones is a far-right talk show host and conspiracy theorist. His website, InfoWars.com, is considered a fake news site by mainstream outlets. He has pushed several conspiracy theories, including that the U.S. government was behind the Oklahoma City bombing and the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the Sandy Hook massacre was staged to promote gun control laws. During divorce proceedings this year, his attorney claimed Jones is playing a character and described him as a performance artist.

Q: Isle Casino in Waterloo advertises they are giving away cars, campers, lawn mowers, etc., but why dont we ever hear who wins the car?

A: The Isle responds: Winners names are announced on the casino floor at the time of the drawing and are also posted at the Fan Club. When we receive permission from those winners we post names and pictures on our social media channels as well as on some of our mailers.

Q: Why dont you still list the phone numbers of our senators and congressmen in the paper?

A: We do, just not daily. We will work on making a more concerted effort to get it in a little more often.

Q: Why are there no longer obituaries printed in the paper from outlying areas but only Waterloo-Cedar Falls residents? Can you put them back in?

A: We are not holding any obituaries out. It is up to families whether to publish in The Courier.

Q: What date was the daily rain and temperature published for June?

A: It ran on page B6 of the July 13 paper.

Q: What is the address for the newspaper in Cocoa, Fla., and also the address for the police chief?

A: Write to Florida Today at P.O. Box 419000, Melbourne, FL 32941-9000, or send email through the website at www.floridatoday.com. Write to the Cocoa Police Department at 1226 W. King St., Cocoa, FL 32922.

Q: How long do marriage licenses last after applying for one?

A: According to the Black Hawk County Recorders Office, licenses are now issued to the parties the day they apply, but they are not valid until three days later. If they do not use the license within six months, it will expire.
By The Associated Press Aug. 06, 2017 | 12:46 PM | FANCY FARM, KY

Two prominent Kentucky Democrats' appearance at Fancy Farm has increased speculation about the 2019 governor's race.

Attorney General Andy Beshear and House Minority Leader Rocky Adkins were prominent speakers at the annual Fancy Farm picnic. The picnic is a fundraiser for the St. Jerome's Catholic Church but is known for its "political speaking" event that has politicians from both parties give speeches before a rowdy crowd.

Adkins said he is seriously considering a run for governor in 2019. Beshear said he has not decided. But his speeches throughout the weekend drew direct comparisons between himself and Gov. Matt Bevin. Beshear also released his tax returns and challenged Bevin to follow suit.

Republican Party of Kentucky spokesman Tres Watson said the Bevin has nothing to fear from any potential Democratic challenger.
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The main results of the 2017 Varsity blind-tasting match, held on February 15th, are depicted above. Two teams of seven tasters each (including one reserve per side) were presented with 12 wines, six whites and six reds. The judges granted each taster between zero and 20 points per wine, depending on how close (in their estimation) the drinkers guesses were to the correct answers, and how convincingly they explained their reasoning. However, we prefer a simpler scoring system: one point for getting the country of origin right, another point for getting the grape variety right and a judicious half-point of partial credit only in a handful of specific cases.

The groups overall accuracy was far superior to what could be expected from random chance. Given the thousands of potential country-variety pairs, a monkey throwing darts would have virtually no hope of getting a single one right. But 47% of the Oxbridge tasters' guesses on grape variety were correct, as were 37% on country of origin.

Recently,magazine tried to champion the cause of blind tastings by using the results of the 2017 wine-tasting contest between Oxford and Cambridge universities ( Think wine connoisseurship is nonsense? Blind-tasting data suggest otherwise ). The conclusion was that the tasters "performed far better than random chance would indicate." However, very little data analysis was performed, and so a look at their data is in order.notes:does point out the rather obvious variation in success, among both the tasters and the wines  some tasters did much better than others, and some wines were identified much more commonly than others. However, a variance-components analysis of the data indicates that it is the variation among the wines that dominates the dataset  for the successful identification of grape variety, 90% of the variability is due to the variation among the wines and only 5% is due to the variation among the tasters; and for the identification of country of origin, it is 65% and 25%, respectively.So, any general comments about the success of blind wine-tasting must be tempered by the fact that some wines are apparently much easier to identify (by grape or country) than are others.'s assessment of the probability of success is based on a mathematically naive set of assumptions. As an example of their "dart-throwing" calculation: there are c. 100 common red-grape varieties, and so there is a 1% chance of me getting one right at a blind tasting by simply guessing. I would then have a 6% chance of getting at least one wine right if I simply guess the same red grape each time, for the six wines. This makes the 47% success rate of the tasters look pretty good.However, this calculation is mathematically naive because human beings are not monkeys, with or without darts. Some grape varieties occur in wines much more commonly than do others, and those grapes are more likely to be represented in the tasting contest; and human beings know this, even if the monkeys do not. Similarly, some countries are more likely to be represented in a wine tasting than are others, especially given the presence of certain grape varieties. For example, how many Gamay wines are made outside of France? If I simply assume "Beaujolais" for a Gamay wine then I have a 95% chance of being right!We therefore cannot assume that an educated wine taster is the same as a monkey throwing darts. The wine taster is not guessing, any more than a motor mechanic is guessing when diagnosing a fault in your car. They both have prior knowledge, which even at worst produces an educated guess (and at best is professional expertise). That is, an "educated guess" should be the basis of our statistical comparison, not a "random guess", as done bySo, in order to work out the actual probabilities of success for each grape (and country) I need to know the probability of one of the wines in the contest being, say, Chardonnay. That is, I would need to know the probability of the competition organizers choosing each of the grape varieties and countries for the tasting. Sadly, I do not have this information.As a realistic substitute, I will use how common the different varieties/countries are in liquor stores. That is, I will assume that the bottles have chosen from the selection available in the shops.For this, I will use the wine database of the Systembolaget liquor chain, in Sweden. I have used this database before (eg. How many wine prices are there? ) because, being the third largest liquor chain in the world, it's selection of wines is extensive. Furthermore, being a European chain, it is likely to match the British organizers' probabilities of choice better than would many other sources. Indeed, for both the red and the white varieties, the organizers chose 4 of the 5 most common grapes in the Systembolaget database (out of the 6 chosen). So, my probabilities may be pretty good, at least from the point of view of the participants working out which wines they are likely to encounter in the tasting.As an example, 25% of the white wines in Systembolaget's database have Chardonnay listed as a principal grape variety. This means that we would expect an 82% chance of at least one of the 6 white wines being Chardonnay. The participants actually had an 86% success rate at identifying the Chardonnay. So, my analysis suggests that in this one case they have not actually done any better than they could have done by taking an educated guess based simply on how common the wines are in the shops. The question they are answering in the tasting is not "is this a Chardonnay?" but "which one is the Chardonnay?"!So, my basis for estimating the prior probabilities of expected success for the participants is to work out the probability ofof the wines being of that variety or region (based on its frequency in the Systembolaget database). We can then compare this to the tasting results for each grape variety and each country, to see if the participants actually did better than an educated guess.For each of the graphs presented below, the interpretation is as follows. Each variety or country is represented by a horizontal line, as indicated by the legend. The central point on each of the lines represents the percentage of the tasters who succeeded at the task for that wine. The two end points on each line are the boundaries of the estimated 95% confidence interval (formally: the Score binomial 95% confidence interval). This interval gets smaller as the sample size (the number of tasters) gets larger, as it represents our statistical "confidence" in the results. The asterisk represents the expected results if the tasters are performing in accordance with the estimated prior probabilities. So, if the asterisk is within the 95% confidence interval for a particular wine, then the tasters have done no better than an educated guess for that wine, whereas if the asterisk lies outside the 95% confidence interval then the tasters have done better (or worse) than expected.The analyses indicate that in only 2 out of 12 cases did the participants identify the grape variety with any more success than would be expected based on the commonness of the wines: the Pinot Noir and the Gamay. Otherwise, they did as well as we would expect using an educated guess  except in the case of the Riesling wine, where they did rather poorly. In this case, Riesling is apparently a more common wine grape than the participants realize!The analyses also indicate that the tasters did both better and worse than expected with the identification of country of origin. In three cases they did better than expected (France and New Zealand for the red wines, and Australia for the white wines), and in three cases they did worse than expected (Spain for the red wines, and France and Italy for the white wines). That is, French white wine is apparently a more common type than the participants realize, as also are Italian white wine and Spanish red wine.I have indicated before that blind tastings are notoriously hard (see Can non-experts distinguish anything about wine? ). The results and analyses presented here confirm that conclusion  for some wines the participants did very well, but in most cases they could have done just as well by guessing based on how commonly the wines are encountered.'s optimism in this case is misplaced, due to a naive assessment of the prior probabilities of success.
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River Nile state - located in Ad-Damir city of Sudan - a 287km north of Sudans capital Khartoum, stands a new type of architecture quite unfamiliar to the Sudanese architecture even though the architect inspired from the local architecture.

Rofaqa Village for orphan families has been funded by Rofaqa, one of Qatar Charity initiatives that seek to support the rehabilitation and education of children and orphans worldwide by providing necessary care and promoting their psychological, academic and social wellbeing.

Image courtesy of Rofaqa Initiative

Image courtesy of Rofaqa Initiative

The project was sponsored by Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and was handed over by Sheikh Thani bin Hamad al-Thani. It was completed at the end of April 2017. 200 families benefiting from the project received the keys to their homes. In addition, Sheikh Thani bin Hamad al-Thani pointed out that Rofaqa city provides job opportunities for more than 300 people and education for about 2,000 students as well as vocational education.

Image courtesy of Rofaqa Initiative

The village designer and consultant Octantis Architects won the design competition for this project at the end of 2014. The architecture company that is famous for its promotion of local materials and support of local technologies as well as providing sustainable solutions in their designs, has adapted their style in this project as well.

The architects were inspired from the Qatari environmental solutions such as the wind catchers and some of the Qatari building esthetics and they mixed it with Nubian architecture elements all in a modern melting pot.

Image courtesy of Octantis Architects

The orphanage, built at a cost of QR32mn, comprises 200 housing units, a kindergarten for pre-school children, two primary and two secondary schools, a clinic, a mosque with a capacity of 800 worshippers, a commercial market, two water stations, children's playgrounds and green yards, public services such as sanitation for the entire village, and an administrative office for the compound.

Image courtesy of Octantis Architects

The village includes a large landscape area to help reduce the heat, each house occupies a 180-square-metre area with a semi-closed family area and shares open space that includes a water cooler - the designer tried to promote the use of public spaces for families and children.

Image courtesy of Octantis Architects

Top image courtesy of Rofaqa Initiative

> via Octantis Architects
A startup needs to test an idea quickly. For this, an MVP is created. MVP, Minimal Viable Product  a test version of a product or service with a minimum set of functions (up to one or two), which allows you to see the product's value for consumers and the market. MVP is created to test hypotheses and check the viability of the intended product: is it worth developing the project further, what changes should be made? The sooner a startup brings its MVP to market and tests the idea, the better. This article will look at how no-code technology can help founders achieve their business goals.

This article will try to cover everything that a founder needs to know about no-code at the initial stage of creating a startup.

What is no-code?

No-code, zero-code platform is a tool for creating websites, applications, chatbots, and other programs without the need for direct code writing by programmers. No-code is a valuable alternative to traditional development.

No-code is confused with low-code, but there is a difference in these terms. Low-code includes no-code and the ability to "finish code", add parts of code and the functionality.

A user of a no-code platform usually does not need to know layout, programming languages, or hire a team of programmers. The user of the no-code tool creates an application using a visual block constructor, which he fills with the necessary content and functions, and the no-code platform itself does the processing of requests, compiling the application and other "magic." It generates code using AI and/or contains blocks of code pre-written by programmers.

No-code allows the startup founder to create an MVP himself, entrust it to his employee with basic technical literacy and understanding of the project, or hire a no-code developer. Even in the case of hiring a no-code developer, the cost of creating an MVP will be significantly lower than with classical development with programmers. For example, you can read the interview of a startup and no-code developer on our website, who initially worked as a Product Manager and was able to master no-code for his project himself.

Benefits of no-code for a startup founder

There are the following key advantages for a startup founder in using no-code technology:

a large selection of no-code tools, platforms, and their integrations at the moment  already in 2022, there are many tools and platforms for creating an MVP, a larger project, or even a finished product on no-code, but few people still know about them, and others are far from all startups and founders use their potential;

cost  no-code development saves the money by speeding up the development process, not hiring professional programmers or no need to maintain a developer department, monitoring functions and quick bug fixes, avoiding or reducing the growth of technical debt;

speed is the main advantage over classical development  no-code allows you to build a simple application in a weekend, and a more complex one can be built in a month. In this way, you can test an MVP and even several versions of an MVP very quickly;

low entry threshold  to master a no-code platform, you often do not need technical education at all, but only an understanding of a company's business processes or product from the inside. In the case of pro-level no-code platforms, technical education is required, but you can get used to it hundreds of times faster than with any programming language. This makes no-code available to almost everyone who wants to work with technology;

ease of use  no need to write hundreds of code lines  just move the blocks and assign links between them. Work on a project can be entrusted to your employee without communicating with a team of third-party developers. You can speak "in your language" without the need to understand the "inner kitchen" of developers;

flexibility  with the help of no-code, it is easy for a startup founder to add new functionality and new features right during a project or a MVP testing without a significant increase in development costs.

Possible disadvantages of no-code for a startup founder

As often, any property can be, under certain conditions, both a disadvantage and an advantage. In no-code, many of the benefits with the wrong choice of tool can turn into disadvantages:

no-code is not always a budget solution for a project. Sometimes in a no-code development package, you get unnecessary functions and additions (on AppMaster.io you can separately connect the frontend and pay only for the backend or only for those functions that you are using); if you do not understand the needs of your project, then you can make a mistake with the choice of a no-code tool and not be able to implement the necessary functions on it, or it will be too difficult to implement them; often, no-code tools fail to ensure proper data security and contribute to data leakage (but AppMaster.io allows you to host a finished application on any server); no-code tools often do not provide the ability to upload source code or provide uploading in an inconvenient format, which makes it difficult to move to another tool or to your development. You have to choose a no-code tool "once and forever immediately" (AppMaster. io gives you the ability to download the source code. Also, we generate human-readable code and you will not have any difficulties with its transportation); most no-code tools on the market are not suitable for creating a finished product, and there are significant difficulties with scaling the project if the MVP is successful (AppMaster.io is a professional no-code platform and our capabilities allow us to implement and support the finished product and scale it in the future).

Forewarned is forearmed. Choose your no-code tool wisely and take full advantage of your choice.

Types of no-code platforms

Conventionally, all no-code tools can be divided into several types: no-code devices with a low entry threshold (you can create frontend and not very powerful backend on them), integrators that help connect applications and services, and professional no-code platforms (they strive to replace the code completely, provide the ability to create a robust backend and high bandwidth).

The basic principle of operation of your MVP and the choice of a no-code platform depend on such a conditional division into types. For example, if you make a simple application like a diary, you can limit yourself to a no-code tool with a low entry threshold and a beautiful design.

If your application has powerful potential, high bandwidth, multi-user interface, and works with large amounts of data or real-time data, it is better to choose a professional no-code platform like AppMaster.io or Direcual.

If you use several services at once, link them on integrators like Integromat and Zapier.

Adalo

An easy-to-learn designer with a relatively user-friendly interface. The free version is helpful for learning. The free version contains Adalo watermarks and does not allow you to upload your applications to GooglePlayMarket and AppStore. Beginners often choose this no-code platform to create their first applications with simple logic.

Bubble

It will take more time to learn Bubble , but the platform allows you to work with the backend, databases, business processes, and layout. There are many plugins. The free plan allows you to master the tool, and you can start developing at the middle rate. The price increase is due to the rise in the number of users.

Integromat

It is an integrator. Experts talk about it as a simple and affordable platform for linking applications and services. Scenarios can be created personally, or you can use templates. If you need to connect an application with a service not from the Integromat database, fill out the form and connect to its API via HTTP.

Zapier

This is an integrator for linking applications with each other or with other external services. You can transfer data between thousands of applications. There is a script constructor (one event starts a chain of necessary actions).

Directual

The no-code platform positions itself for creating MVP applications (Minimal Viable Product, minimum viable product) and full-fledged applications of finished products. Scenarios are the backbone of the platform. Using scripts, you can automate the backend logic of the application, create and combine workflows. The Directual catalog includes out-of-the-box connectors, HTTP requests, webhooks, database listeners, and integration with popular services.

AppMaster.io

No-code next-generation platform for creating native and web applications on a real backend. Visual drag-and-drop designer, user-friendly business process designer, one-click app publishing to AppMaster Cloud, or integration with any cloud platform. Push notifications, authorization using social networks. Networks, email, and more. Connect applications to hundreds of services or programmatically access them using APIs. The ability to upload source code and documentation in a human-readable format and transfer it to your servers. Documentation auto-generation. Modern and fast language GoLang at the core.

No-code perspectives for startups

No-code development is gradually gaining popularity around the world. There are already more than 500 no-code tools for creating websites and various types of applications.

According to the forecasts of IT world experts, no-code will develop more and more actively and capture parts of the market responsible for medicine, small online business, small business, and all niches where it is possibly necessary to optimize and automate development processes.

The mass shift of businesses and their customers online and to gadgets has increased the demand for the fast and inexpensive creation of mobile applications that would work according to a single quality standard and have a simple, understandable, user-friendly interface.

Conclusion

No-code is visual programming in the form of a constructor without directly writing code. Usually, basic knowledge in development is enough to build applications on no-code.

The logic of no-code constructors is intuitive: the application interface is assembled from blocks, icons, buttons, and text which are connected to the database. Usually, you can choose a suitable template or do everything from scratch. Speed and economy are the main advantages of no-code tools.

No-code is suitable for creating an MVP, testing an idea or new features in a product, saving time for solving standard tasks. PRO level no-code platforms can provide you with a finished product, an application.

If you don't have an account on AppMaster.io yet, join us. After registration, you will be given a free trial period for 14 days, in which all the basic functionality of the platform is available. It will allow you to learn the intricacies of working with a professional-level no-code platform and understand its potential.
Toledo police say 82 year old Ricardo Jimenez was stabbed to death multiple times in his own home.

Detectives say a neighbor was concerned she hadn't seen him in a few days.

The neighbor went to check on him and found Jimenez on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood. Police have no motive or suspect.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, August 07, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- After spending 27 years in prison for trying to overthrow the pro-apartheid government, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela became the first black President of South Africa, and his tireless, selfless work for equality changed the country forever. He dedicated his life to achieving a better future for everyone in South Africa.



About Credico: http://www.credico.com/who-we-are/about/



This month, Mr Mandela would have turned 99 years old, and to mark this special anniversary, Credico South Africa has released a statement on his achievements and how today's business leaders can learn a lot from his experiences. 'Mr Mandela's memory shall forever be embedded in the hearts of this country and its people, his dedication, leadership and passion is something we can all learn from and aspire to' stated Theuns Bezuidenhout, General Manager for Credico South Africa.



One of the biggest lessons gained from Mr Mandela's life is that to initiate positive change and make a lasting difference, it takes more than one heroic individual. Mr Mandela's legacy is one of a charismatic leader who cared about the cause he fought for, and the reason why this legacy is so ingrained in the country is because he worked to empower others and create a whole new generation of leaders. In business, leaders need to inspire in the same way; they need to build people up and share their vision with such passion that people are motivated to be the best version of themselves. This approach also offers self-belief and support - helping to create and nurture future leaders. 'A leader's job is to create new leaders, not followers, and we think this is something everyone can take from Nelson Mandela's Life' stated Credico South Africa.



The second important lesson is that character is hugely important in leadership. 'Strategy and skill are elements that can be learnt along the way, and which can be improved with experience. However, character is hard to learn, it is natural, it's your integrity.' The firm stressed. Mr Mandela was without a doubt a courageous and committed man who wasn't afraid to change course to better the nation. It is this character that has made him such an icon around the world, having a strong sense of character, and being true to these characteristics is vital in building a positive and trustworthy reputation.



Credico South Africa is a leading sales and field marketing agency, which is helping to transform the way brands across the country connect with their consumers. As part of a global network of entrepreneurs and industry leaders, Credico South Africa is confident that taking on the wisdom of Nelson Mandela will help the sales and marketing community soar.



For more information on Credico South Africa, 'like' their Facebook page.



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Aug 7, 2017 | By Benedict

Its the start of the week in 3D printing (and everything else), and weve compiled some of todays smaller stories into a roundup of bite-size snippets. Find out how 3D printing is affecting the Australian dental industry, helping the construction of photon funnels in Florida, and more.

Australian Dental Industry Association reviews 3D printing regulations

The Australian Dental Industry Association (ADIA) is reviewing the regulatory issues associated with 3D printed dental products in order to encourage the creation of new 3D printed products. The association says 3D printing could give Australias dental laboratory sector the ability to compete with cheap overseas imports.

Australias dental laboratory sector is going through a period of immense change and there is no better example of this than 3D printed crown and bridge work, said Troy Williams, ADIA Chief Executive Officer. Something that was a concept only a year or two ago is today a very real option with dental laboratories now having access to this technology, even here in Australia.

Since 3D printing can be carried out quickly, it would enable Australian companies to reduce total labor time and consequently save money. High wages in the country have historically been an obstacle in the way of domestic production.

To change 3D printing regulations, ADIA will have to lobby Australias regulator of dental products, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

ADIA has been asked to provide advice and guidance to the TGA as it sets about developing a regulatory framework for 3D printed dental products, Williams said. We are pleased that the TGA has engaged with the dental industry, through ADIA, on this matter, as it reflects the fact that the regulator acknowledges the role of the dental industry in introducing new and pioneering patient treatment options.

Will Australia soon be all smiles thanks to some newly approved 3D printed dental products? Time will tell.

3D printing helps University of Central Florida scientists build photon funnels

Multiphoton lithography, a kind of laser 3D printing, has been used to create nanoscale 3D lattices known as photon funnels. The funnels are being built by a University of Central Florida-led team that has received a $400,049 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The photon funnels will be used to concentrate and control light in a more effective way than conventional lenses.

Sensors and detectors can lose energy as the source of light moves, and the efficiency of an optical device is often limited, said Stephen Kuebler, leader of the research project. Our team will explore a fundamentally new approach for concentrating light called photon funnels.

According to Kuebler, photon funnels circumvent the limitations that refraction puts on ordinary optical systems, and are made to leverage an optical phenomenon called self-collimation to control how light propagates within an engineered lattice.

Multiphoton lithography will be used to create the funnels, which are made to direct the flow of light within them by adjusting the orientation of a self-collimating lattice.

Other contributors to the project include UCF Associate Professor of Optics and Photonics Sasan Fathpour and Raymond Rumpf, associate professor of Electrical Engineering and Director of the EM Lab at the University of Texas at El Paso.

NZs Victoria University of Wellington 3D printing artifacts from Ancient Greece

Researchers at New Zealands Victoria University of Wellington have used 3D printing to recreate a number of Ancient Greek artifacts. Dr Diana Burton, senior lecturer in Victoria's School of Art History, Classics and Religious Studies, thought up the project as a way to teach students about historical objects without damaging originals in the universitys Classics Museum.

"In Greek art, pretty much everything is functionalthey don't really have art for art's sake," Burton said. In order for students to really get to grips with the way the use of an object has informed its design and decoration, they need to be able to use it and handle it in the ways the ancients did. 3D printing objects is a safe way to facilitate this.

3D scanning was used to digitize some artifacts in the Classics Museum, and these items could then be made into 3D printed replicas. Students were also encouraged to design their own ancient-style artifacts, five of which were also 3D printed.

"Coming up with a design for the amphora [jug] was great fun, said student Isaac Bennett-Smith. It was the most fun I've ever had doing an assignment. I really enjoyed the hands-on aspect.

Rather than use a 3D printer of its own, the university sent its 3D printable designs to Shapeways, which returned the 3D printed items by mail.

The 3D scanned artifacts will also be stored digitally, and Burton hopes to create an online 3D gallery of the Classics Museums collection.

The Engineering Guy posts beginners guide to DLP & SLA 3D printing

Bill Hammack, better known by his YouTube handle The Engineering Guy, has posted a 12-minute guide to Direct Light Processing (DLP) and Stereolithography (SLA), two 3D printing processes that use light to cure liquid resin. In his video, Hammack uses an Autodesk Ember 3D printer to demonstrate the process.

The video focuses on the role of micromirrors, light-reflecting surfaces that direct light onto light-sensitive resin, in the 3D printing process. It has already racked up more than 100,000 views, proving that the general publics interest in 3D printing remains alive and well.

Watch the informative video in full here:

Posted in 3D Printer Company

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Aug 7, 2017 | By Tess

Interactive rides at Disneys amusement parks could soon get a whole lot more interesting thanks to a recent augmented reality project unveiled by Disney Research. Called the Magic Bench, the project lets users become a part of a mixed reality experience without the need for a mobile device or headset.

In its current form, Disneys AR technology consists of a room with a bench at the center of it. The room is equipped with various color and depth sensors which are used to reconstruct the environment and its occupants digitally. These sensors make it possible to insert virtual characters into the scene and have them interact with the user. A large display screen at the front of the room lets the user visualize the mixed reality (MR) environment.

There are a few things that make Disneys Magic Bench technology very exciting. For one, the technology is one of the first to demonstrate multi-user AR/MR interactions. Currently, most augmented reality experiences rely on the user having a handheld or head-mounted device, which means the experience is user specific.

Disney says that it has created a solution for multi-user interactions in AR/MR, where a group can share the same augmented environment with any computer generated (CG) asset and interact in a shared story sequence through a third-person POV. [Its] approach is to instrument the environment leaving the user unburdened of any equipment, creating a seamless walk-up-and-play experience.

As the video demo shows, users can sit on the bench and watch themselves interact with various characters. In one example, a virtual elephant hands the user a ball; in another, a frog comments on the user trying to touch him.

More than just interacting visually, the Magic Bench technology also has haptic qualities which make the augmented reality experience feel more real. That is, under the physical bench is a complex array of actuators that give haptic feedback depending on the movements of the virtual character. In other words, the user can actually feel the virtual characters weight on the bench, as well as hear sound effects.

In one demonstration, for instance, the user begins to feel raindrops falling on the bench, until he moves over to sit underneath an umbrella held by a humanoid giraffe. "This platform creates a multi-sensory immersive experience in which a group can interact directly with an animated character," explained Moshe Mahler, principal digital artist at Disney Research. "Our mantra for this project was: hear a character coming, see them enter the space, and feel them sit next to you.

(Images: Disney Research)

Disneys Magic Bench technology was recently demonstrated at SIGGRAPH 2017, which wrapped up in Los Angeles last week.

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by Ashutosh Jogalekar

The Nobel Prize winning animal behaviorist Konrad Lorenz once said about philosophers and scientists, Philosophers are people who know less and less about more and more until they know nothing about everything. Scientists are people who know more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing. Lorenz had good reason to say this since he worked in both science and philosophy. Along with two others, he remains the only zoologist to win the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine. His major work was in investigating aggression in animals, work that was found to be strikingly applicable to human behavior. But Lorenzs quote can also said to be an indictment of both philosophy and science. Philosophers are the ultimate generalists, scientists are the ultimate specialists.

Specialization in science has been a logical outgrowth of its great progress over the last five centuries. At the beginning, most people who called themselves natural philosophers  the word scientist was only coined in the 19th century  were generalists and amateurs. The Royal Society which was established in 1660 was a bastion of generalist amateurs. It gathered together a motley crew of brilliant tinkerers like Robert Boyle, Christopher Wren, Henry Cavendish and Isaac Newton. These men would not recognize the hyperspecialized scientists of today; between them they were lawyers, architects, writers and philosophers. Today we would call them polymaths.

These polymaths helped lay the foundations of modern science. Their discoveries in mathematics, physics, chemistry, botany and physiology were unmatched. They cracked open the structure of cells, figured out the constitution of air and discovered the universal laws governing motion. Many of them were supported by substantial hereditary wealth, and most of them did all this on the side, while they were still working their day jobs and spending time with their families. The reasons these gentlemen (sadly, there were no ladies then) of the Royal Society could achieve significant scientific feats were many fold. Firstly, the fundamental laws of science still lay undiscovered, so the so-called low hanging fruit of science was ripe and plenty. Secondly, doing science was cheap then; all Newton needed to figure out the composition of light was a prism.

But thirdly and most importantly, these men saw science as a seamless whole. They did not distinguish much between physics, chemistry and biology, and even when they did they did so for the sake of convenience. In fact their generalist view of the world was so widespread that they didnt even have a problem reconciling science and religion. For Newton, the universe was a great puzzle built by God, to be deciphered by the hand of man, and the rest of them held similar views.

Fast forward to the twentieth century, and scientific specialization was rife. You could not imagine Werner Heisenberg discovering genetic transmission in fruit flies, or Thomas Hunt Morgan discovering the uncertainty principle. Today science has become even more closeted into its own little boxes. There are particle astrophysicists and neutrino particle astrophysicists, cancer cell biologists, organometallic chemists and geomicrobiologists. The good gentlemen of the Royal Society would have been both fascinated and flummoxed by this hyperspecialization.

There is a reason why specialization became the order of the day from the seventeenth century onwards. Science simply became too vast, its tendrils reaching deep into specific topics and sub-topics. You simply could not flit from topic to topic if you were to understand something truly well and make important discoveries in the field. If you were a protein crystallographer, for instance, you simply had to spend all your time learning about instrumentation, protein production and software. If you were a string theorist, you simply had to learn pretty much all of modern physics and a good deal of modern mathematics. Studying any topic in such detail takes time and effort and leaves no time to investigate other fields. The rewards from such single-minded pursuit are usually substantial; satisfaction from the deep immersion that comes from expertise, the enthusiastic adulation of your peers, and potential honors like the Nobel Prize. There is little doubt that specialization has provided great dividends for its practitioners, both personal and scientific.

And yet there were always holdouts, men and women who carried on the tradition of their illustrious predecessors and left the door ajar to being generalists. Enrico Fermi and Hans Bethe were true generalists in physics, and Fermi went a step further by becoming the only scientist of the century who truly excelled in both theory and experiment; he would have made his fellow countryman Galileo proud. Then there was Linus Pauling who mastered and made seminal contributions to quantum chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry and medicine. John von Neumann was probably the ultimate polymath in the tradition of old natural philosophers, contributing massively to every field from pure mathematics and economics to computing and biology.

These polymaths not only kept the flame of the generalist alive, but they also anticipated science ironically coming full circle. The march of science from the seventeenth to the twentieth century might have been one toward increasing specialization, but in the last few years we have seen generalist science again blossoming. Why is this? Simply because the most important and fascinating scientific questions we face today require the meld of ideas from different fields. For instance: What is consciousness? What is life? How do you combat climate change? What is dark energy? These questions dont just benefit from an interdisciplinary approach but they require it. Now, the way modern science approaches these questions is to bring together experts from various fields rather than relying on a single person who is an expert in all the fields. The Internet and global communication have made this kind of intellectual cross-pollination easier. And yet I would contend that there is a loss of insight when people keep excelling in their chosen fields and simply funnel the output of their efforts to other scientists without really understanding in what way its used. In my own field of drug discovery for instance, I have found that people who at least have a conceptual understanding of other areas are far more likely to contribute useful insights compared to those who simply do their job well and shove the product on to the next step of the pipeline.

I thus believe there is again a need for the kind of generalist who dotted the landscape of scientific research two hundred years ago. Both the poet Archilochus as well as the philosopher Isaiah Berlin have fortunately given us the right vocabulary to describe generalists and specialists. The fox, wrote Archilochus, knows many things while the hedgehog knows one big thing. Generalists are foxes; specialists are hedgehogs.

The history of science demonstrates that both foxes and hedgehogs are necessary for its progress. But history also shows that foxes and hedgehogs can alternate. In addition there are fields like chemistry which have always benefited more from foxes than hedgehogs. Generally speaking, foxes are more important when science is theory-rich and data-poor, while hedgehogs are more important when science is theory-poor and data-rich. The twentieth century was largely the century of hedgehogs while the twenty-first is likely to be the century of foxes.

Being a fox is not very easy though. Both personal and institutional forces in science have been built to support hedgehogs. You can mainly blame human resources personnel for contriving to make the playing field more suitable for these creatures. Consider the job descriptions in organizations. We want an In vivo pharmacologist or Soft condensed matter physicist, the job listing will say; attached would be a very precise list of requirements  tiny boxes within the big box. This makes it easier for human resources to check all the boxes and reject or accept candidates efficiently. But it makes it much harder for foxes who may not fit precise labels but who may have valuable insights to contribute to make it past those rigid labels. Organizations thus end up losing fine, practical minds who pay the price for their eclectic tastes. Academic training is also geared toward producing hedgehogs rather than foxes, and funding pressures on professors to do very specific kinds of research do not make the matter any easier. In general, these institutions create an environment in which being a fox is actively discouraged and in which hedgehogs and their intellectual children and grandchildren flourish.

As noted above, however, this is a real problem at a time when many of the most important problems in science are essentially interdisciplinary and would greatly benefit from the presence of foxes. But since institutional strictures dont encourage foxes to ply their trade, they also by definition do not teach the skills necessary to be a fox. Thus the cycle perpetuates; institutions discourage foxlike behavior so much that the hedgehogs dont even know how to be productive foxes even if they want to, and they in turn further perpetuate hedgehogian principles.

Fortunately, foxes in the past and present have provided us with a blueprint of their behavior. The essence of foxes is generalist behavior, and there are some commonsense steps one can take to inculcate these habits. Based on both historical facts about generalists as well as, well, general principles, one can come up with a kind of checklist on being a productive fox in an urban forest full of hedgehogs. This checklist draws on the habits of successful foxes as well as recent findings from both the sciences and the humanities that allow for flexible and universal thinking that can be applied not just in different fields but especially across their boundaries. Here are a few lessons that I have learnt or read about over the years. Because the lessons are general, they would not be confined to scientific fields.

1. Acknowledge psychological biases.

One of the most striking findings over the last three decades or so, exemplified by the work of Amos Tversky, Daniel Kahneman, Paul Slovic and others, is the tendency of human beings to make the same kinds of mistakes when thinking about the world. Through their pioneering research, psychologists have found a whole list of biases like confirmation bias, anchoring effects and representativeness that dog our thinking. Recognizing these biases doesnt just help connect ideas across various disciplines but also helps us step back and look at the big picture. And looking at the big picture is what foxes need to do all the time.

2. Learn about statistics.

A related field of inquiry is statistical thinking. In fact, many of the cognitive biases which I just mentioned arise from the fundamental inability of human beings to think statistically. Basic statistical fallacies include: extrapolating from small sample sizes, underestimating or ignoring error bars, putting undue emphasis on rare but dramatic effects (think terrorist attacks), inability to think across long time periods and ignoring baselines. In an age when the news cycle has shrunk from 24 hours to barely 24 seconds of our attention span, its very easy to extrapolate from random, momentary exposure to all kinds of facts, especially when the medias very existence seems to depend on dramatizing or exaggerating them. In such cases, stepping back and asking oneself some basic statistical questions about every new fact can be extremely helpful. You don't have to actually be able to calculate p values and confidence intervals, but you should know what these are.

3. Make back-of-the-envelope calculations.

When the first atomic bomb went off in New Mexico in July, 1945, Enrico Fermi famously threw a few pieces of paper into the air and, based on where the shockwave scattered them, came up with an accurate estimate of the bombs yield. Fermi was a master of the approximate calculation, the rough, order of magnitude estimate that would give the right ballpark answer. Its illuminating how that kind of thinking can help to focus our thinking, no matter what field we may be dealing with. Whenever we encounter a fact that would benefit from estimating a number, its worth applying Fermis method to find a rough answer. In most cases its good enough.

4. Know your strengths and weaknesses.

As the great physicist Hans Bethe once sagely advised, Always work on problems for which you possess an undue advantage. We are always told that we should work on our weaknesses, and this is true to some extent. But its far more important to match the problems we work on with our particular strength, whether its calculation, interdisciplinary thinking or management. Leveraging your strengths to solve a problem is the best way to not get bogged down in one place and being able to nimbly jump across several problems like a fox. Hedgehogs often spend their time not just honing their strengths but working on their weaknesses; this is an admirable trait, but its not always the most optimal for working across disciplinary boundaries.

5. Learn to think at the emergent level thats most useful for every field.

If you have worked in various disciplines long enough, you start realizing that every discipline has its own zeitgeist, its own way of doing things. Its not just about learning the technical tools and the facts, its about knowing how to pitch your knowledge at a level thats unique and optimal for that field. For instance, a chemist thinks in terms of molecules, a physicist thinks in terms of atoms and equations, an economist thinks in terms of rational individuals and a biologist thinks in terms of genes or cells. That does not mean a chemist cannot think in terms of equations or atoms, but that is not the most useful level of thinking to apply to chemistry. This matching of a particular brand of thinking to a particular field is an example of emergent thinking. The opposite of emergent thinking is reductionist thinking which breaks down everything into its constituent parts. One of the discoveries of science in the last century is the breakdown of strict reductionism, and if one wants to be a productive fox, he or she needs to learn the right level of emergent thinking that applies to a field.

6. Read widely outside your field, but read just enough.

If you want to become a generalist fox, this is an obvious suggestion, but because its obvious it needs to be reiterated. Gaining knowledge of multiple fields entails knowing something about those fields, which entails reading about them. But its easy to get bogged down in detail and to try to become an expert in every field. This goal is neither practical nor the correct one. The goal instead is to gain enough knowledge to be useful, to be able to distill general principles, to connect ideas from your field to others. Better still, talk to people. Ask experts what they think are the most important facts and ideas, keeping in mind that experts have their own biases and can reach different conclusions.

A great example of someone who learnt enough about a complementary field to not just be useful but very good at his job was Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer was a dyed-in-the-wool theorist, and at first had little knowledge of experiment. But as one of his colleagues said,

He began to observe, not manipulate. He learned to see the apparatus and to get a feeling of its experimental limitations. He grasped the underlying physics and had the best memory I know of. He could always see how far any particular experiment would go. When you couldnt carry it any further, you could count on him to understand and to be thinking about the next thing you might want to try.

Oppenheimer thus clearly learnt enough about experimental physics to know the strengths and limitations of the field, imparting another valuable piece of advice: know the strengths and limitations of every field at the very least, so you know whether the connections you are forming are within its purview. In other words, know the domain of applicability of every field so that you can form reasonable connections.

7. Learn from your mistakes, and from others.

If you are a fox trying to jump across various disciplinary boundaries, it goes without saying that you might occasionally stumble. Because you lack expertise in many fields you are likely to make mistakes. This is entirely understandable, but whats most important is to acknowledge those mistakes and learn from them. In fact, making mistakes is often the best shortcut to quick learning (Fail fast, as they say in the tech industry). Learning from our mistakes is of course important for all of us, but especially so for foxes who are often intrinsically dealing with incomplete information. Make mistakes, revise your worldview, make new mistakes. Rinse and repeat. That should be your philosophy.

Parallel to learning from your mistakes is to learn from others. During her journey a fox will meet many interesting people from different fields who know different facts and possess different mental models of thinking about the world. Foxlike behavior often entails being able to flexibly use these different mental models to deal with various problems in different fields, so its key to keep on being a lifelong learner of these patterns of thought. Fortunately the Internet has opened up a vast new opportunity for networking, but we dont always take advantage of this opportunity in serious, meaningful ways. Everyone will benefit from such deliberate, meaningful connections, but foxes in particular will reap rewards.

8. The opposite of a big truth is also a big truth  Niels Bohr

The world is almost always gray. Foxes must imbibe this fact as deeply as Niels Bohr imbibed quantum mechanics. Especially when you are encountering and trying to integrate disparate ideas from different fields, its very likely that some of them may seem contradictory. But often the contradiction is in our minds, and theres actually a way to reconcile those ideas (as a general rule, only in the Platonic world of mathematics can contradictory ideas not be tolerated at all). The fact is that most ideas from the real world are fuzzy and ill defined, so its no surprise that they will occasionally run into each other. Not just ideas but patterns of thinking may seem contradictory; for example, what a biologist sees as the most important feature of a particular system may not be the most important feature for a physicist (emergence again). In most cases the truth lies somewhere in between, but in others it may lie wholly on one side. As they say, being able to hold opposite ideas in your mind at the same time is a mark of intelligence. If you are a fox, prove this.

These are but a few of the potential avenues that you can explore for being a generalist fox. But the most important principle that foxes can benefit from is, as the name indicates, general. When confronted by an idea, a system or a problem, learn to ask the most general questions about it, questions that flow across disciplines. A few of these questions in science are: Whats the throughput? How robust is the system? What are the assumptions behind it? What is the problem that we are trying to solve? What are its strengths and limitations? What kinds of biases are baked into the system and our thinking about it?

Keep on asking these questions, make a note of the answers and you will realize that they can be applied across domains. At the same time, remember that as a fox you will always work in tandem with specialized hedgehogs. Foxes will be needed to explore the uncharted territory of new areas of science and technology, hedgehogs will be needed to probe its corners and reveal hidden jewels. The jewels will further reflect light that will illuminate additional playgrounds for the foxes to frolic in. Together the two creatures will make a difference.
by Paul Braterman

Ten minutes difference, and Earth would still be Planet of the Dinosaurs

We have suspected for some decades that the dinosaurs1 became extinct as the result of a massive meteorite, an asteroid, hitting the Earth. We have known where the impact site was since 1990, if not before. But it is only last year that we successfully drilled into the impact site, and only now, for the first time, do we really understand why the impact was so fatal. And if the meteorite had arrived ten minutes earlier, or ten minutes later, it would still no doubt have inflicted devastation, but the dinosaurs would still be here and you wouldn't.

Too many suspects

L: Ammonites (Haeckel, 1904, via Wikipedia). Click on this and other images to enlarge

66.1 million years ago, dinosaurs covered the Earth. 66 million years ago, there were none. And not only the dinosaurs, but the pterosaurs in the skies, the long necked plesiosaurs and even the ammonites in the oceans, and 75% of all complex animal life. No terrestrial vertebrate heavier than around 25 kg seem s to have survived. What happened?

There was no shortage of theories. Quite a lot was going on, geologically, at the time. There was massive volcanic activity in India, giving rise to what are known as the Deccan Traps, containing over a million cubic kilometres of basalt. Such major volcanic episodes have been connected with other mass extinctions. They are accompanied by the ejection into the stratosphere of sulphur dioxide, which in turn slowly reacts with atmospheric oxygen and water vapour, forming a haze of sulphuric acid far above the Earth's surface. This partly blocks out the Sun, affecting the plant growth on which almost2 all life on Earth depends. We saw such an effect on a much smaller scale with the 1991 eruption of Mt Pinatubo in the Philippines, which caused a two-year slowdown in global warming and reduced crop yields worldwide, far beyond the reach of the actual dust cloud. Continents were on the move, with the reopening of the North Atlantic, polar icecaps reappeared after prolonged absence and led to lowering of sea levels, affecting ocean productivity, and all these things may have added to ecological stress. But all this hardly seems enough for such a wide-reaching die-back, nor does it account for the suddenness of the process.

Above, Mt Pinatubo, caldera formation phase, USGS

And so, we saw the emergence of the asteroid impact hypothesis. The Solar System still contains fragments of rocky material left over from its formation. This material is mainly concentrated in the asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter, but small fragments continually come our way. Most of these are tiny particles, which burn up in our atmosphere (meteors or shooting stars). Some are large enough to survive, falling to earth as meteorites, and their chemical composition tells us a great deal about the stuff from which Earth was originally formed. Very occasionally, the meteorite is large enough to dig out a crater, such as Meteor Crater in Arizona. During the early years of the Solar System, major impacts were frequent and dramatic, as we can see by looking at the Moon and at the other inner planets, but on a geologically active planet such as Earth the evidence will long since have eroded away. However, there are still plenty of small asteroids whose orbits intersect the Earth's. What if one of these happened to crash into the Earth, and trigger catastrophe?

L: Meteor Crater, Arizona; image from Visitors Center site.

Such an idea was proposed in 1973 by Harold Urey, the leading geochemist of his time (now most widely remembered for the Urey-Miller synthesis of the building blocks of life).

The search for a smoking gun

But would such a collision have left any trace, still detectable 66 million years on? In a word, yes. Worldwide, there is a layer of mudstone separating the rocks of the Cretaceous period from those of its successor, the Palaeogene. Up to this K/Pg (Cretaceous-Palaeogen)3 boundary, you find dinosaurs, ammonites, and the other creatures I mentioned. Above it, none; but then, within a few million years, a dramatic proliferation of mammals as they evolved to fill the niches left vacant by this mass extinction. Yet there is no difference in the nature and chemical composition of the rocks directly above and below the boundary layer, showing that the boundary event was a single catastrophic occurrence, rather than part of a long-term trend. And embedded in the boundary mud are glassy spherules, like those formed when molten rock ejected by volcanoes cools in the upper atmosphere. There are also traces of soot, microdiamonds, and shocked quartz, a substance formed from normal quartz when subjected to enormous sudden forces.

Below, R: Glass spherules from Wittenoom impact layer, Hamersley, Precambrian. Image by Traveling Geologist. Click to enlarge

A crucial question here is how long it took to form this layer, and the father and son team of Louis and Walter Alvarez thought they had an ingenious way of finding out (Louis, the father, was a Nobel Prize nuclear physicist; Walter, his son, a geologist studying the boundary layer where it lies exposed in Italy's Appenine mountains). They would test the layer for the element iridium. Iridium is rare in the solar system, as we can tell from analysis of meteorites, but it is even rarer in the Earth's crust. That is because iridium is very soluble in iron, so that when the Earth's iron core formed, it took most of the iridium down to the centre with it. (The same, incidentally, is true of gold.) Yet some iridium rains in on Earth continuously from meteors, at a rate that can be estimated, so the total amount of iridium in the layer would tell them how long it took to accumulate.

Below: Louis and Walt Alvarez at the exposure of the K/Pg boundary layer in Gubbio, Italy. US Govt image



To their surprise, the boundary layer was enriched twenty-fold in iridium, relative to the rocks above and below, and other geologists soon confirmed high amounts of iridium in that layer wherever it was exposed. Where could it all have come from? Nowhere on Earth; comparison with natural waters showed that no amount of concentration could have generated such amounts. The boundary layer also anomalously high amounts of other metals, including nickel, cobalt, and zinc. (As I have said before, scientists where possible seek multiple lines of evidence.) And within three years, the iridium spike in the boundary layer had been confirmed at 50 other sites around the globe.

So we are looking at the debris thrown up by the impact of an iridium-containing extraterrestrial body, that is to say a small asteroid. Moreover, the K/Pg boundary corresponds precisely to the general mass extinction. Not only of the dinosaurs, but of ammonites, and even many single-celled marine organisms that flourished up to the very boundary but are completely absent beyond it. Cause and effect?

Rush to judgment?

The general public readily accepted this idea. The scientific community was more circumspect, and rightly. As I already mentioned, there were a lot of other things that might have been involved. The sharpness of the extinction event was for some time a matter of controversy, obscured by statistical fluctuations and by local die-backs in the last million or so years before the impact, while checking that the impact and the extinction happened at the same time required precision dating by the then still relatively novel argon/argon method. The history of the controversy is detailed in a full-length book (Night Comes to the Cretaceous, critically reviewed here), while the Wikipedia entry on the timeline of the research has over 130 references. As late as 2010 the presitigious journal Science published (here and here) papers arguing over single versus multiple causation. It was not until 2013 that we had sufficiently precise datings for the impact and the extinctions to be sure that they really coincided, and even then debate continued as to whether we should consider the impact as a single dominant cause, or merely as the last straw for a biosphere already under stress.

First find the gun

The next step, then, is to find the crater and see what it tells us.

We can roughly locate the impact by the thickness of the boundary layer. This is measured in centimeters away from the Americas, rising to metres in northern Mexico and tens of metres further south, pointing to a location in the Caribbean. More than one group seems to have discovered the exact location. The area was explored from the 1950s onwards by Pemex, Mexico's state-owned petroleum company, who understandably regarded their findings as commercial secrets, but eventually released drill samples showing shocked quartz. Further information came from studies of gravitational anomalies (places where the Earth's gravitational pull is slightly stronger or weaker than average), and aerial photography. Stronger gravity signifies pileup of material, as at the rim of a crater, while aerial photography shows sinkholes, places where the rock has been weakened. In the figure below, the US Geological Survey has combined both of these in a single map of the impact area.

The map shows the northern coastline (white line) of the Yucatan peninsula at the southern tip of the North American Plate, and the sea area directly to the North of it. The entire region is a limestone plateau, formed (and, where submerged, still forming) by deposition from the shallow waters of the continental shelf. The gravitational map clearly shows two concentric rings, known collectively as the Chicxulub crater, after the Mayan name of the village nearest the centre. The centre itself is a few miles offshore. The outer ring is 120 miles across, the inner ring some 55 miles. The white dots are sinkholes, such as commonly occur in limestone landscapes, in an arc along the outer ring, corresponding to weakness in the limestone. What does this mean?

Most of us have seen slow motion images of drops hitting water, forming a crater with an inner mound (see image, R), before the water collapsed back down again. But recently I saw one where the inner mound was so large that it was unstable under its own weight, and collapsed to form an inner ring within the crater. Similar effects are predicted when a sufficiently large impact occurs at the surface of a moon or planet. While the shock wave of the impact is travelling through the rock, the rock moves almost like a liquid, with a column of material bouncing upwards, and these features are preserved when the shock has passed and the rock once more sets solid. So what we are normally left with is a crater with an outer rim and a central impact mound, and we see such features routinely on the Moon. But with the very fiercest impacts, as with the largest water drops, the central mound it so high that it collapses outwards under its own weight, and instead of a central peak we are left with what is called an impact ring. This is what we are looking at here; an outer crater rim, and an inner impact ring. The Chicxulub crater is the only one on Earth known to show this kind of structure, although it has been observed in craters on the Moon and on Venus.

L, below: Schroedinger Crater on moon, showing impact ring concentric with crater rim

If we want to sample the rocks most severely affected when the crater was formed, that impact ring is the right place to look. And so, last year, a team involving 38 scientists from 34 separate institutions in 11 different countries, under the auspices of the International Ocean Discovery Project, drilled (see here and here) through overlying younger sediments into the impact ring. The drilled cores are now in a repository in Bremen, Germany, where they are stored at low temperature to prevent the growth of bacteria, and can be examined at leisure. We will be learning more about them in detail over the next year or so, but an overall picture is already emerging.

The findings tell us just how drastically the Earth's crust was deformed by the impact, and finally give us the answer to those two long-standing questions; was it really this impact that killed off the dinosaurs, and, if so, how exactly. The investigation was the subject of an excellent recent BBC programme, The Day the Dinosaurs Died, on which the rest of this post draws heavily, and which I hope will be made widely available for educational viewing.

Here's what the drilling found:

As expected, 600m thickness of marine deposited sediments, dating from recent (top) through Palaeocene (bottom), as shown by examination of index fossils.4 Confirmation that at the time of the impact this area was, and has been ever since, part of a shallow sea at the southern tip of the North American continent, lying between the Pacific to the West and the newly opened mid-Atlantic to the East. The sediments, mainly limestone (calcium carbonate) and gypsum (calcium sulphate), characteristic of such an environment. This will turn out to be extremely important.

At the base of this section, a 12m thick layer of sand, coarser at the bottom. This is ascribed to the tsunami produced by the impact, with the coarser grains having fallen out from the water more quickly. Beneath this, we have the rocks disturbed by the actual impact. There is a layer of rock that had been molten, with different texture and colour, followed by a jumble of granite derived from deep beneath the impact site, with fragments of the pre-impact sedimentary rock that had lain above it. There is shocked quartz, and the granite fragments also show shock damage, and are so greatly weakened that they can be snapped by hand. And significantly, there is a shortage of the expected fragments of gypsum in the entrapped sedimentary debris.

The asteroid itself would no doubt have been volatilised by the energy of the impact. So large an object could not have been appreciably slowed down by air resistance, and would have landed at a speed of some 40,000 miles an hour into the shallow sea. As for its size, we can estimate this in a rather surprising and indirect way. Nuclear testing in Nevada released known amounts of energy, and left craters containing shocked quartz. By comparing what is observed there with the Chicxulub crater system, we can estimate the total energy of the impact. It works out at the equivalent of 10 billion Hiroshimas. From the energy and the speed, we can work out the total mass, and hence the size. About nine miles across, a little bit larger than the Alvarez estimate, but still I think remarkably close. Since the most reliable Alvarez estimate was based on the amount of iridium, I suspect that their shortfall may be due to part of the impactor vapour having escaped earth gravity altogether.

Then survey the carnage

We can now estimate what the effects would have been at different distances, using what we know about the behaviour of materials under extreme forces, and compare these estimates with what we observe.

The initial impact would dig a hole 20 miles deep, and 120 miles across. Deep rock would rise as high as the Himalayas, and then collapse to form the observed impact ring, all within 10 minutes. The impact fireball would kill everything within a 600 mile radius. A shock wave would spread out through the solid earth, and a monstrous tsunami through the oceans. The atmosphere would have seen hurricane force winds, and rock condensing in the upper atmosphere would produce a rain of tiny glass spheres, such as those still preserved in the mudstone boundary layer. The glowing hot rockdust would generate heat several times greater than that coming from the Sun, roasting to death all surface animal life up to a distance greater than a thousand miles, and starting firestorms in the vegetation.

Below: hadrosaur family tree, in the 30 million years up to obliteration by impact. Debivort via Wikipedia. Note scale. Click to enlarge



We can see the effects of the tsunami at Edelman Fossil Park in New Jersey, 1700 miles from the impact site. There we find the expected range of Cretaceous remains up to the boundary layer, with a clear cut-off above it. The boundary layer itself is around four inches thick, but full of a jumbled assortment of fossils, and fragments of wood. There is a surprising mixture of species, bird next to crocodile next to giant turtle, land creatures next to shallow water turtles next to deep sea turtles. No tooth marks, no scattering of limbs; this was sudden indiscriminate killing.

L: Nothofagus (southern beech tree). Genus dates to before the impact. Still with us.

At the tip of South America, in Patagonia, 4000 miles from the impact, abundant fossils show that at the time of the impact the area was home to herds of hadrosaurs, duck-billed dinosaurs thirty foot long. It was also home to trees not too different from the southern beech trees still flourishing in the area. So the trees survived, but the dinosaurs didn't. Why not?

At last, the gunsmoke

The drilled cores give us the answer. As I mentioned earlier, they are surprisingly deficient in gypsum, although gypsum is abundant both in the more recent sediments, and in nearby sediments laid down before the impact. So the missing gypsum must have been destroyed by the heat of the impact, sending sulphur dioxide gas up into the atmosphere.5 We already know from studies of volcanic eruptions that over months or years this sulphur dioxide would slowly react in the atmosphere to form a haze of sulphuric acid droplets, scattering sunlight and cooling the Earth. That haze, rather than simply dust, is how the Mt Pinatubo eruption affected climate.

Extrapolating from Mt Pinatubo and other recent eruptions, and taking into account the enormous volume of gypsum sediments in the impact zone, we can estimate that the haze produced by the Chicxulub impact would have blocked enough sunlight to reduce temperatures worldwide by more than 10oC (18oF), while acid rain would also have contributed to the death of much marine life. On land, trees would have shed leaves and shut down as if for what would turn out to be an unusually long winter. The dinosaurs, hugely diverse and successful as they had been through some 180 million years, had no such way of adapting. The herbivores, and the carnivores that fed on them, perished.

Where did those ten minutes come from? From the rotation of the Earth. The asteroid is falling towards Earth on a fixed trajectory, but the Earth itself is spinning beneath it, one revolution every 24 hours. This corresponds to around 1,000 miles an hour in the region of interest. So arriving ten minutes earlier or later would have placed the impact some 150 miles further to the East or West. And if this had happened, the asteroid would have missed the shallow gypsum-rich continental shelf, and encountered only the oceans on either side. No gypsum in the impact zone, no sulphuric acid haze, no long deep winter. While things might have been pretty rough for anything living within a couple of thousand miles or so, the rest of the world would hardly have noticed.

R: Ancestral primate (~3 mY post-impact), artist's reconstruction

The fossil record tells us that over the following months or years, ferns, and then other plants, resumed their cycle, and whatever animals survived would be free to adapt to new niches. Who survived? Small creatures able to feed on insects and seeds, not dependent on the products of day-by-day photosynthesis. And larger creatures if they can survive for long periods between meals, and become torpid in cold weather. Snakes and crocodiles, birds, and those small mammals that had managed to survive in the shadow of the dinosaurs. Among them, our ancestors.

I thank Mark Boslough (Sandia), Phillipe Claeys (Free University Brussels), and Paul Marshall (University of North Texas) for helpful discussions. Drop image, blue dye into milk; note that it is milk material that forms the inner column. T Blackwell via Wikimedia Lunar crater image NASA, enhanced James Stuby, via Wikimedia. Primate image (Purgatorius Unio), drawing by Nobu Tamura via Wikimedia



1] More correctly, non-avian dinosaurs. Birds fit in among the dinosaurs in much the same way that humans fit in among the great apes.

2] The exceptions are those ecosystems based on the reactions of minerals, such as the rich communities surrounding hydrothermal vents.

3] Formerly known as the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K/T) boundary

4] The method is based on the fact that the exact forms of many marine microorganisms changed over time, so that sediments with similar fossils must be similar in age. The method is 200 years old, and gives reliable relative dates, now calibrated against absolute dates determined radiometrically.

5] This is not a new idea; see here and here.

Equations: On heating, CaSO4 > CaO + SO3 and 2SO3 > 2SO2 + O2 (CaO will dissolve in the melt, or will react with atmospheric CO2 to make calcium carbonate)

Slowly, in the upper atmosphere, 2SO2 + O2 + H2O > H2SO4; this sulphuric acid will form tiny droplets, scattering sunlight, and the haze will take months or even years to disperse.
(Audio version available here!)



Last month I got a job as a ghostwriter.

Ghostwriting is a lot like being a doula. Only for books not babies. It's a long term, semi-intimate relationship based on delivering something new. I'm there to make the process as smooth and easy as possible.

The author I'm working with is a behavioral and family therapist with a specialty in children's play therapy. She has over 30 years of experience in her field and came to the point in her career when it was time to put the pen to paper (or fingers to keys, as it were) to share what she's learned. But she wanted help. So she hired me.

One of her stories is intense. It involves a repressed memory of an early childhood kidnapping flooding back into consciousness and overwhelming the woman 20 years later. Like I said, intense.

Three psychological concepts are central to her story: traumas, triggers, and implicit memory. As a writer, not a therapist, I didn't have a great grasp of what these ideas were and how they were related. Here's what I've learned

Traumas are anything in our lives which impact us greatly and are beyond our control. Note how broad a definition this is: Uncontrollable events, which happen, regardless of our wishes and wants, and have a large impact. Yeah, that's another name for "life."

Triggers happen in the present. They are circumstances which relate to traumas from our past and activate (or trigger) our implicit memories.

Implicit memory is what it's called when our bodies store emotions from events in non-brain places like our hips, shoulders, digestive tracts, skin, etc. It's an unconscious process and usually the result of experiencing trauma. Our implicit memories can surface in a number of different ways when triggered.

Basically, it goes like this. Things happen to us which we don't like and can't control (traumas). Our bodies, unbeknownst to us, store our emotional reactions to these events (implicit memory). Then, when we encounter similar events in our current life (triggers), our implicit memories activate.

Sometimes the symptoms of this activation are physical. Joint pain, abdominal distress, skin rashes, and full-on sensory flashbacks are all possible. Sometimes the symptoms are emotional. Outsized or extra reactions to seemingly innocuous events is another example.

In order to shine a little more light on how these three idea are related and the havoc they cause, I'm going to use my own life as an example.

My Trauma

During and after college I was in a serious relationship with a woman named Gwen. Things with Gwen were great. Until they weren't.

When I was 26 my relationship with Gwen fell apart.

She loved to travel and decided to go study yoga in India for three months. Two-thirds of the way through her trip, we were going to meet in Nepal and hike in the Annapurnas.

About a month before I was supposed to fly around the world and meet her in Katmandu, things got weird. Communication faltered. Our normally consistent email chain became infrequent and sparse. Instead of her usual ashram rhapsodies, she started writing a lot about her new friend, Scott.

I was in agony. My insides were in knots. I barely slept. I hardly ate. I was working sixty hours a week, saving what money I could, and probably drinking more than I should. All the while I had a not-so-good feeling about what was happening in India.

And, I was right to. Upon landing in Nepal, after what amounted to about 40 hours of travel, I learned the truth. Gwen explained to me how she had sleeping with Scott. How we were done.

I was shattered. And stubborn. And stupid.

Instead of believing what Gwen told me, I thought I could save our relationship. I thought I could win her back and force us to be what I wanted. I went far as to get down on one knee and propose.

With tears in her eyes, on New Year's Eve 2007, she shook her head and said, "No. It's too late."

Implicit Memory

I didn't take it well. But instead of mourning the dissolution of my seven-year relationship, I forged ahead with a brave face. I told everyone who asked I was doing fine.

But I wasn't. I was tamping down my emotions. I refused to admit the bitterness, anger, or even sadness I felt. And the more I denied my feelings, the worse I got physically.

There were days without eating. There nights without sleeping. Eventually there were shooting pains assaulting my abdomen regularly. Then, one day, all my symptoms disappeared.

At the time I thought it was because I had worked through all I needed to. But I was wrong.

After weeks of trying to pretend they didn't exist and bury the mess of my emotions, they finally got the hint. Since I wasn't making room for them consciously, they decided to go underground. My emotions sought refuge in the only place available to them, my unconscious.

All the feelings I refused to feel became implicit memory.

Gwen 2.0

Fast forward 10 years.

I'd spent the last decade looking for love. I dated a couple girls, none very seriously. I slept with a couple more, none for too long. Anytime things started to feel too real, I'd bolt.

Anytime anyone asked if I was over Gwen I'd answer, "Of course! It's been X-number of years. That's ancient history"

Then, one day while tending bar on a slow afternoon, in walks a fox. Blonde hair, blue eyes, legs for days, quick wits, and a headful of smarts. I had no chance.

We chat. We laugh. We flirt. At some point I offer my hand and say, "You're fun to talk to. What's your name?"

She shakes my hand and smiles. "Gwen," she says.

Gwen 2.0 and I date for the next 18 months. Things are pretty great. We have a lot of fun. There's a lot of love and an easy vibe between us.

But she's a teacher and couldn't find a permanent position with any of the schools in the small town where we lived. So she started looking elsewhere. She eventually found a gig in a different state.

"Ok, Max," I said to myself. "Last time you dated a Gwen and she wanted to leave you did everything in your power to make her stay and it didn't work. This time, do the opposite. Try everything you can facilitate this move and see what happens"

And I did. I tried to work with what was happening in my life instead of against it.

So, we got into a car and moved Gwen to her new home. I can honestly say I figured this would be the end of my Gwen 2.0 saga. But it wasn't.

We stayed in touch. She came to see me on all her breaks. She got a summer job where I live. Things were working. Mostly.

Triggers

See, Gwen 2.0 is great. I love her. I do. But she has what I call a hypothermic stress response. When she gets stressed, she pulls all her energy from the non-essential and re-routes it to the crucial.

Usually this means the communication between us degrades as she pours everything she's got into being a fantastic teacher. I know this about her. She's told me as much. But every time it happens I freak out.

"Holy shit!" I think. "She's got another dude down there. I know it."

That's the story I'd tell myself, automatically. As soon as there was any lapse in communication, a single unanswered text (trigger), my mind would spin tales of infidelity (trauma).

My body would react too. My appetite would vanish. Sleep couldn't be found. The entirety of my digestive track would feel like there were needles passing through it (implicit memory).

Things came to a head in February. Scared and confused by what has happening, I went to the doctor. They ran tests. A couple days later they called to say there was nothing physically wrong.

After a long heart-to-heart with Gwen 2.0 I began to feel better. My appetite returned. I started sleeping again. My innards stopped hating me.

A few short weeks later it was Spring Break. Gwen 2.0 and I spent a lovely couple days together. But, as our time together drew to a close, I witnessed myself behaving strangely.

I was short and on edge. Innocent questions like, "Hey, do you want me to make more coffee?" were met with petulant responses of, "Why? Did you drink it all already?" That's not normal for me.

The morning she left was worse. It was like sadness and anger were playing catch and I was the ball they were bouncing back and forth. One minute I was in tears because I felt like I'd never see her again. And the next I'd set my jaw, glare, and seethe.

It wasn't until landing the ghostwriting gig a couple months later that I began puzzling out what was going on with me.

Putting The Pieces Together

The circumstances of my relationship with Gwen 2.0 were a triggering traumas from my relationship with Gwen 1.0.

The visceral reactions I felt in my body  the digestive distress, the sleep disruptions, the outsized and unregulated emotions  were fossils. They were leftover relics from an earlier time in my life when similar events transpired. They were implicit memory.

Every lapse in communication (trigger) between Gwen 2.0 and I was met with suspicion, worry, and fear (implicit memory) courtesy of what had happened with Gwen 1.0 (trauma).

And that is profoundly unfair.

Gwen 2.0 is not same person as Gwen 1.0.

36-year-old Max is not the same person as 26-year-old Max.

Yet, my reactions to what was happening now were based entirely on what did happen then.

Wrapping Up

I wanted to share my story because I thought it might help. Lord knows, had it not been for getting the job I did, I'd never have put any of this together. Fortunately, I did.

The take away here has to do with reactions. Sometimes the way people respond to the situations they face has a lot more to do with their past than it does with what's actually happening in their present. And, as I said before, while common and understandable, it's also profoundly unfair.

Now is different than then. You are a different person. The situation you're facing is different. Even if it involves the same person, that person isn't the same as they were before. They can't be. Because Bowie was right.

Time changes us all. Our job is to appreciate the uniqueness of what is happening here and now, especially when it reminds us of a previous then. Allowing triggers, traumas, and implicit memory to run roughshod over our lives keeps us from doing that important job.

A couple hours ago I texted Gwen 2.0. The schools year is starting and she's stressed. I doubt she's texted me back. But it's cool. I know she's busy. So, I'm going to check my phone, make a sandwich, take a nap, and not worry about some dude named Scott.

*****

Max is a ghostwriter, evidently. See his work here. He also makes people think and laugh on a weekly podcast called Ignorant and Uninformed.

*****

Photo Credits  Fox  By en:User:Cburnett  Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1236077
Kienholz does it all to lead Pierre to sixth-straight 11AA title

Pierre quarterback Lincoln Kienholz had an interception and scored the game-winning touchdown on consecutive drives to seal Pierre's sixth-straight 11AA title.
More than 200 migrants stormed a border post between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Ceuta today, careering through with agents unable to stop them, authorities said.

They entered at five in the morning running through, a spokesman for the central governments representative office in Ceuta told AFP, adding there were 187 people in total.

Footage of the incident broadcast on local television showed the migrants from sub-Saharan Africa sprinting over the border from the Moroccan side while it was still dark.

Once on Spanish soil, they celebrated, raising their hands in joy to the camera, one man kneeling on the floor.

Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish territory on Moroccos northern border, have the EUs only land borders with Africa.

As a result, they are entry points for migrants desperate to get to Europe and who regularly try to climb the high border fences, swim along the coast or hide in vehicles crossing the frontier.

A police spokesman, however, said this type of border- crossing attempt  sprinting through manned posts  was very rare.

Its been a long time since weve had any attempt of this kind here, he said.

The migrants who reached Ceuta were eventually rounded up and taken to a reception centre, where they can apply for asylum in Spain.

Ceuta is ringed by a double wire fence eight kilometres (five miles) long. The six-metre high fence also has rolls of barbed wire.

Last week, about 200 migrants stormed the high border fence, with 73 managing to get through using wire cutters and mallets.
Arvind Sawant, Shiv Sena MP said, Even though social media has gained prominence today but print media has not lost its relevance. People who live home early in the morning are unable to catch up with the latest news when they reach office. AV is doing outstanding social work and is able to connect. The paper must also receive timely feedback from people to make further improvement. Actress Kishori Shahane said, Today news is being delivered to people through digital medium at a faster pace. Several incidents are happening in Mumbai. AV should publish genuine news to attract more readers.

Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said, Media should refrain from publishing photos of terrorist attack, crime incidents and accidents as it impacts readers. US has never disclosed the images of the 9/11 terror attacks incidents. Media should exercise self-restraint and should not publish such images. They must adopt self-regulation.

Senior journalist Nilesh Khare said, It is good to note that AV is giving more importance to the common man and civic issues which acts as a plus point for the paper. More work can be done through initiatives like involving citizen reporters.

NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik said, Newspapers have played vital role and it is their duty to offer genuine news to readers. They are sometimes sensationalising issue and at times withholding facts. There is no difference between news and views. After the advent of electronic media people had asked whether print media will survive but both of them are co-existing. Nobody takes responsibility for news published in digital media whereas there is lack of evidence in the electronic media but you can refer even backdated issues through print medium.

Congress MLA, Kalidas Kolambkar said, Afternoon Voice covers various topics and also has its impact on people. I had observed news stories published in various newspapers but I appreciate the manner in which AV reports stories. I laud the social initiatives undertaken by the firm. The newspaper covers the truth. It is not managed by anyone. I would like to congratulate AV for its anniversary. Surekha Manoj Patil BJP corporator ward no 27 said, AV gives more importance to issues faced by women and it is headed by a woman. The paper is known for publishing facts. I appreciate the edit column of this paper. I would like to congratulate AV and achieve greater heights in future. AV has played a vital role in providing justice to common people.

Bollywood choreographer Sandip Soparrkar said, AV is a complete paper and covers various information. Many papers print paid news but AV only publishes news if it is genuine and nowadays very few papers exist that covers the truth. The newspaper can improve its quality and it can provide vital information. There is no need to make it glossy. Since nowadays publications use high quality photographs so I would expect AV to use the same and be in sync with the modern times. BJP spokesperson Shaina NC said, AV has been doing a good work since a long period of time and covers Mumbai centric issues. I would like the paper to cover city centric news and unbiased news. It should be independent voice called Afternoon Voice.

BJP MLC Praveen Darekar said, Print media should focus on providing truth as it creates an impact on people. Journalism must not uproot any individual, firm or society and must cover facts. I would like to congratulate AV and it should continue to do good work and act as a guide for people and legislators like us.

Marathi actoress Smitha Tambhe said, Print media acts as a communicator and is a responsible medium. If a news is covered in an unbiased manner then it is worth it. However, if it is covered as per someones viewpoint then it creates confusion among readers. Journalism is a tough task and it requires efficient journalists to cover news stories.

Transport Minister Diwakar Raote said, I dont believe in news but I support the columns written by writers. If I get time then I read those columns printed in your paper. I would like to congratulate AV for completing its eight anniversary.

Actor Pradeep Velankar said, Your paper is not supported by any political party and everyone has the freedom to express his or her views. AV should make more progress in the years to come.

Actoress Samidha Guru said, AV is known for maintaining transparency while covering news and it looks authentic. Media is a mirror where we can watch our face. Many anniversaries will come and I would like to thank AV for the good work done by it. We should celebrate truth and transparency.

Anwar Shaikh Rehmani group, Kandivali president said, We have been reading this newspaper for a long period time. AV covers genuine news. After reading this newspaper people get different message. I would like to congratulate AV for completing eight years. It covers the truth.



Rupal Mistry said, Afternoon Voice has always conveyed unique perspectives to various national aspects. As a progressive newspaper, In future i wish to read more from them on international news. World is their canvas, and I want to read their take with global viewpoint.

Vaidehi Rele said, There is no suggestions while doing good work, I appreciate the way this publication house stands for social cause and justice. I wish them all the best for further growth. Good work needs appreciation, no suggestions.



Kai said, Its 2017, and we are still thriving. Life has no smooth road but bracing through this tough road is what makes us who we are today. Keeping the show on is not only moral imperative but also an economic necessity and a duty to keep doing good work.










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Super power USA continues to decide for the entire world and imposes its will on those that remain unwilling to follow the footsteps capitalist imperialists. American strategists believe continued pressure tactics and threatening tone of USA have made tremendous impact even on its strongest opponent Soviet Russia to fall in line by breaking up the mighty Soviet state and its Warsaw Pact military alliance and also forced its ally China to take a conciliatory approach in order to raise trade with capitalist nations.

Today, Iran and North Korea are the two nations that are stubborn and refuse to abide US rules. And so Washington pushes for punitive measures to weaken them by taking up the nuclear issue even while it is unserious about total denuclearization and disarmament globally. Both are indeed scared of USA and its terror ally Israel and therefore update their missile capabilities with regular missile tests. But USA calls these a serious threat to American security. .

USA opposes rapid missile tests being conducted by Iran and North Korea though it also is engaged in such terror operations as a routine matter. .

ICBM celebrated

North Korea's recent long-range missile tests have deepened concern about the threat Pyongyang poses to the US mainland, and strengthened determination here to prevent any strike. North Korea said it had conducted another successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile that proved its ability to strike the US mainland, drawing a sharp warning from Trump and a rebuke from China. The latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) celebrated by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was the latest to be conducted in defiance of a UN ban. "We do not seek a regime change, we do not seek the collapse of the regime, we do not seek an accelerated reunification of the peninsula, we do not seek an excuse to send our military north of the 38th parallel," said Mr Tillerson, referring to the border between the Koreas.

North's leader, Kim Jong Un, supervised the midnight launch of the missile and called it a "stern warning" to the USA that it would not be safe from destruction if it tried to attack China or its allies. However, two US intelligence officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Monday Kim wants to develop a nuclear-capable ICBM to deter any attack on his country and gain international legitimacy, not to launch an attack on the USA or its allies that he knows would be suicidal.

The ejection test was carried out on land at Sinpo Naval Shipyard, the US defense official told CNN. It gave no other details about the increased submarine activity. Ejection tests from submarines usually gauge the ability to "cold launch" missiles, when high pressure steam is used to propel missiles out of launch canisters. The shipyard is in Sinpo, a port city on the east coast where the North had previously conducted tests of submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

Acknowledgement

The Pentagon acknowledged that the latest test represented the longest test flight of any North Korean missile. The missile could fly at least 3,420 miles, the minimum range for what the Pentagon classifies as an ICBM. Two separate US officials who discussed the latest test, which lasted about 45 minutes, said it showed greater range than the July 4 ICBM launch, which North Korea said lasted 39 minutes. One of the officials said it had greater height, range and power than the previous test because it used force stabilizing engines, which counter the effects of winds and other forces that can knock an ascending rocket off course. A US defense official, reported later that North Korea had been showing "highly unusual and unprecedented levels" of submarine activity, in addition to its third "ejection test" this month.

According to a US assessment, North Korea's latest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile has shown that Pyongyang now may be able to reach most of the continental USA. The assessment, which the officials discussed on condition of anonymity, underscored the growing threat posed by Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, and could add pressure on President Donald Trump's administration to respond. Video of the latest missile test appears to show it breaking up before landing, indicating Pyongyang may not yet have mastered re-entry technology needed for an operational nuclear-tipped missile.

Range

Pyongyang claimed its latest missile could hit the US west coast.

Independent weapons experts also said they believed the launch demonstrated many parts of the USA were within range if the missile had been launched at a flattened trajectory. The top Democrat in the US Senate called on President Donald Trump to block some Chinese investments in the USA to pressure China "to help rein in North Koreas threatening and destabilizing behavior."

The Pentagon acknowledged military-to-military talks with US allies Japan and South Korea after the test. While the test missile had a lofted trajectory rather than the more direct one required to reach the USA, the military takes the threat seriously. The Hwasong-14, named after the Korean word for Mars, reached an altitude of 2,314.6 miles and flew 620 miles before landing in the waters off the Korean peninsula's east coast, according to KCNA. The flight demonstrated successful stage separation, and reliability of the vehicle's control and guidance to allow the warhead to make an atmospheric re-entry under conditions harsher than under a normal long-range trajectory, KCNA said.

A White House statement after the phone call said the two leaders "agreed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the USA, Japan, the Republi
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 42F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 42F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.
Jonah and the Eclipse in Ancient Nineveh

( Artist: Catherine Hobson) As we await the eclipse of 2017 AD, this post examines the possibility that the dramatic repentance of Nineveh in Jonah 3:1-10 may have been galvanized by a total solar eclipse there that dates to June 15, 763 BC, during the probable lifetime of Jonah. All sorts of details kick in to make this possibility highly plausible!

We here in southern Illinois are about to be at the center of the umbra for the eclipse of a lifetime. I've been waiting for this one ever since I heard about it when I was growing up here 48 years ago. Ozzy Osbourne will be performing near SIU-Carbondale at a music event called Moonstock. People are planning to flood the entire totality path to see it happen.

It's been ages since a total solar eclipse tracked all the way across America from Pacific to Atlantic. We'll see what the forecast holds. We'll also see whether the mathematical projections of the shadow's path by astronomers prove to be accurate; I find it mind-boggling to think that they can measure and crunch those kinds of numbers without mistakes that will leave Millstadt or Cahokia stuck in the sunshine after all.

But did you know that a total solar eclipse appears to have played a role in the story of the Biblical prophet Jonah? First, of course, we have to decide whether Jonah was a fictional character or a real, historical person. If you've read my three-part article Historicity: Does It Matter?, you'll know what I think. Taking Jonah to be historical as I do, the Bible's one specific clue as to when he lived was during the reign of Jeroboam II, or around 786-746 BC, if we take 2 Kings 14:25 as evidence of the latest that he could have prophesied.

A total solar eclipse over Nineveh in northern Iraq on June 15, 763 BC fits this time frame for the life and career of Jonah. Assyriologist Donald Wiseman, a former curator at the British Museum, and editor of Chronicles of Chaldean Kings and The Alalakh Tablets, published a lecture in the Tyndale Bulletin in 1979 where he argued persuasively that this eclipse would help explain the dramatic reaction to Jonah's preaching.

According to the Assyrian writings cited by Wiseman, here's what a solar eclipse would have meant to them: "the king will be deposed and killed, and a worthless fellow will seize the throne...rain from heaven will flood the land...the city walls will be destroyed." The Assyrians tell us that at such a time, there would be solemn fasting, and the king would hand over his throne to a substitute until the danger passed. At least once when there was a total solar eclipse, the Assyrians cry, "Nineveh shall be overthrown!" (in Assyrian, adi arbat ume alninuaki innabak, which can also mean, "Nineveh shall be made to repent!").

I believe that Jonah was in Nineveh in June of 763 BC during the total eclipse of the sun, which would help explain the remarkable response of the people of Nineveh. Jonah preaches at exactly the right time for the people of Nineveh to listen to him. The Assyrian nation was weak and in chaos in the decade around 760 BC. They had one earthquake (one sign of divine wrath). There was a famine from 765-758 BC. Assyria was losing battles and losing territory to its enemies. There were domestic riots. With all the trouble they already had going on, they could have easily believed that Jonah's warning would come to pass. Now was a perfect time for a prophet from far away to arrive on the scene and command a response.

The repentance of an entire pagan city the size of Nineveh would be a greater miracle than for Jonah to survive getting swallowed by a fish. By the way, I have no problem with that part of the account, either. (Our adult daughter theorizes that the fish was probably a basking shark, the only creature found in the Mediterranean big enough to do the job without deliberately chewing Jonah up for food.) Yes, such an experience would be near-fatal if not fatal, but that's part of the miracle, which is probably why Jesus cites Jonah as a sign comparable to his own resurrection (a sign that was still quite some time in the future to those who heard Jesus at first).

We are in no position to prove or disprove either Jonah's survival inside the fish, or the repentance of Nineveh, nor can we prove the admittedly daring hypothesis that Jonah was there for the 763 BC eclipse and that the eclipse helped produce the results recorded in the Biblical account. But if these propositions are not provable, they are at least perfectly plausible. Yet they do not remove the element of the divine. When can you get God to send a stupendous natural event right when you need one to back up your point?

The divine factor is why I doubt whether anyone will be moved to repentance by the eclipse of 2017 AD. God will have to use other means to make that happen on any scale like the repentance recorded in Nineveh in the time of Jonah. Jesus' resurrection, the mega-event foreshadowed by Jonah's brush with death inside the great fish, will do the job, if anything can. And we have far stronger reason to believe in the truth of Jesus' resurrection than in whatever happened in Nineveh as a result of the eclipse of 763 BC.
August 6, 2017

TEHRAN, Iran  When Hassan Rouhani first became president in 2013, he had a mentor: two-time President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. At the time, Rouhani's rivals hinted that the real president would be Rafsanjani, despite the fact that Rouhani had an unrivaled experience in diplomacy and security affairs, alongside his extensive experience in the parliament and his standing as a senior cleric.

Now that Rouhani is starting his second term, and Rafsanjani has died, Rouhani seems ready to start a new chapter that could differ from the previous one, given the achievements, failures and changes that took place in his first term, including reaching a nuclear deal with world powers and the emergence of US President Donald Trump, who has expressed his dismay over the deal.

This time, Rouhani seems to be very capable of absorbing differences under the umbrella of the Islamic Republics establishment, and some of what he said during the election campaign that stirred controversy he did not mention in his Aug. 3 speech at the supreme leaders residence or on Aug. 5 in the parliament, were he was sworn in as president for his second term.

In the grand plenary chamber of the Iranian parliament, dignitaries from all over the world watched Rouhani take the oath. Representatives of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Islamic Jihad sat with delegations from the European Union, the United Kingdom, France and other Western states. Gulf state representation from Qatar, Kuwait and Oman boosted the Iranian goal of the gathering, which clearly showed that the Islamic Republic  despite all the attempts by rival states  is neither isolated nor on bad terms with most of the world. The Iranian show of diplomatic power saw around 10 heads of state and a similar number of foreign ministers, with a special appearance from EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who seemed to be the special guest. On Aug. 5, Mogherini met with Rouhani, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, the supreme leaders foreign policy adviser Ali Akbar Velayati and Kamal Kharrazi, the head of Irans Strategic Council on Foreign Relations; upon her arrival in the parliament the media and even Iranian officials took pictures of her.

Rouhanis speech in the parliament was in effect the second part of his speech two days before at the supreme leaders residence, where the endorsement ceremony was conducted. Given its content and the words the president used, it is fair to say the inauguration speech was carefully crafted, very moderate and did not intimidate his rivals nor gave high expectations to his allies. Rouhani walked between mines, offered a hand for peace and raised other issues including a strong response to any violation of the nuclear deal.

On behalf of the Iranian people and authorities, I explicitly announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran will not start violating the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] but will not remain quiet against the United States' continuing to wriggle out of its commitments, said Rouhani, who addressed Trump without naming him. We have no business with novice politicians, but we announce to those more experienced that the process of the JCPOA can be used as a model for relations and international law.

Rouhani explained that his government is a peace-seeking administration in domestic and foreign affairs and prefers peace over war and reform over the status quo. He said, We stretch a hand of friendship to our neighboring countries.

While three of the six Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] countries were present at the ceremony  the aforementioned Kuwait, Oman and Qatar  the remaining three GCC members  mainly Saudi Arabia  were nonetheless indirectly present in Rouhanis speech. When Rouhani noted that foreign powers intensify instability and chaos in the region by selling billions of dollars of weapons, he implied that there are no real problems among the regions states and all that is happening is because of foreign hands. It was significant that Rouhani preserved a moderate rhetoric in tackling regional issues; even when he spoke of Syria and Yemen, he clearly indicated that the war on terror should continue, yet the best tool to combat terrorism is democratic governance  a message that could have several meanings. He also stressed that intra-Syrian dialogue and similarly dialogue between the parties in Yemen are the only way out of those crises.

Rouhanis mentioning of the armed forces and support of defensive capabilities for the second time in just a few days could be read as an attempt by the president to cool down his row with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and might be the result of the July 24 meeting that brought together IRGC commander Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, Quds Force commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, and others at the presidents office. Rouhani was accused during his election campaign of aiming at the powerful revolutionary forces on various occasions, which sparked several rows, including one over who ordered the launching of a missile attack on the Islamic State in Deir ez-Zor in Syria.

Rouhanis second term is his chance to officially inherit the political legacy of his late mentor Rafsanjani and be seen as even more of a main player whose voice is heard. To accomplish this, he will have to master the equilibrium game and gain more confidence from other leaders without giving up his red lines. In addition, he must reinvigorate the diplomatic skills that made him the countrys top negotiator while letting go of issues that might stir unnecessary confrontations that could block his ultimate goals. It seems Rouhani is doing well on this for now.
July 28, 2017

There has been a lot of talk lately about the possibility of a social reconciliation to bring to a close the societal ruptures caused by the 2007 killings stemming from Hamas and Fatah's battle for control over Gaza. The idea was a focal point of Egyptian-brokered agreements concluded in June between Hamas and dismissed senior Fatah member Mohammed Dahlan. The reconciliation would involve compensation being paid to those injured and the families of those killed.

Dahlan spoke about his reconciliation with Hamas on July 27 from the United Arab Emirates via a video conference during a meeting of Hamas Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) members and PLC members loyal to Dahlan. He said that the consultations to reach understandings between him and Hamas will return hope to the people of Gaza and alleviate some of their suffering, claiming they have already begun to bear fruit. A source close to Dahlan, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed to Al-Monitor that by fruit Dahlan was referring to a social reconciliation.

A social rapprochement, should it transpire, would definitively conclude this bloody chapter of the Palestinian conflict, during which hundreds were killed June 10-15, 2007, in violent clashes between Fatah and Hamas militants. That event  which Fatah characterizes as a coup and Hamas describes as a decisive military action  has been an open wound.

Ismail Radwan, Hamas' current representative to the Social Reconciliation Committee, told Al-Monitor, Hamas sees that bereaved families have been very responsive [to the efforts] to bring about reconciliation and restore national unity. They have been a great example of forgiveness. The movement [wants] a broad national reconciliation in the upcoming period and has the desire and determination to close this dossier once and for all. The committee will embark on turning the page on the dossier related to victims compensation in the upcoming days.

The Social Reconciliation Committee was established following the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation agreement of 2011, with all the Palestinian factions taking part. Its activities were frozen, however, due to Hamas and Fatah's ongoing estrangement. The committee, or a version of it in Gaza, was reactivated by the Hamas-Dahlan understandings.

Al-Monitor learned from sources on the Social Reconciliation Committee that the majority of bereaved families have agreed to accept compensation and end the dispute in exchange for pardoning those who took part in the killings. A pardon would involve prisoners being released, while the families of victims will accept compensation and provide a written pledge not to seek revenge against those who killed their relatives. While some have not yet responded, no more than five have rejected the settlement so far, on the grounds that justice should be served separately from any financial compensation.

The committee will distribute compensation payments in the next few weeks, in a public presentation, once the funds arrive from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is underwriting the effort. After that, it will declare the end of the dispute.

Imad Mohsen, media spokesman for the Democratic Reformist Current, Dahlan's breakaway Fatah movement active in Gaza, told Al-Monitor, In the next few weeks, the Social Reconciliation Committee will discuss the disbursement mechanism with human rights organizations, judges and tribal elders. The bereaved families, which total 700, have been very receptive. Among [those killed], we count 380 families for Fatah, 320 for Hamas and 800 injuries on both sides. A sum of $50,000 will be paid to each [deceased] victim's family, while the injured will obtain a smaller amount that is yet to be determined. The financial compensation fund now includes $50 million from the UAE.

Omar Karout, board member of Hemaya Center for Human Rights in Gaza, told Al-Monitor, The social reconciliation is based on family and tribal agreements and does not go against human rights principles and fair trials. The victims fell in political and factional conflicts, not in family conflicts. As a human rights institution, we are in favor of this move, as it would turn a sad page in Palestinian history, especially in Gaza.

The Social Reconciliation Committee, which has called on the rest of the factions to join its ranks, met for the first time July 23, in Gaza, in the presence of representatives from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Dahlans current, al-Saiqa, the Palestinian National Initiative, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) and the Popular Resistance Movement. Palestinian Authority President and Fatah Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said Fatah did not participate in the meeting. The committee met again July 29 to form subcommittees in the five Gaza governorates  Rafah, Khan Yunis, Deir al-Balah, Gaza and North Gaza  and chose as its chairman Khodr Habib of Islamic Jihad.

Speaking to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, a Fatah Central Committee member said, The Social Reconciliation Committees meeting that took place in Gaza is the product of deals serving common Hamas-Dahlan interests, and is not the product of political understandings. As a national movement, Fatah is removed from [these deals] and does not recognize them. It is unacceptable to undermine the families rights in exchange for money entering Gaza for political purposes, in light of the Palestinians need for it. The deep wounds need to be healed through the judiciary, and the PA needs to be at the heart of any settlement, rather than being excluded from it.

Mumin Bsiso, a political analyst, told Al-Monitor, It is no secret that enmity and hatred marked Hamas-Dahlan ties prior to the 2007 split. This phase was plagued by killings, bloodshed and destruction of property. Previously, Dahlan and his supporters had accused Hamas of the killings during the split. This is while Hamas accused Dahlan and his faction of initiating a military coup against its constitutional legitimacy and of forming special teams to kill Hamas cadres, paving the way for its elimination from the political scene."

He added, It would be naive to think that turning the page on the past will take place overnight, or that social reconciliation will manage to heal the wounds and close the dossier related to the bloodshed once and for all. The problem does not reside in both parties leaders and cadres, but rather in the presence of a good number of furious members of both parties. There are families of victims who refuse to forgive, demand that punishments be imposed and perceive Dahlan to be an enemy who should be faced. This makes the issue high risk and open to many possibilities.

The case of Gazas bereaved families is a thorny and outstanding issue between Hamas and Fatah. Many of the victims families run into each other on a daily basis on Gaza streets, and there is the possibility of revenge and retaliation, although no incidents have yet been recorded. Turning the page on this issue has become a pressing problem given popular pressure. If accomplished, it will have a positive impact on the rapprochement between Hamas and Dahlan. Unless all of the bereaved families agree to accept compensation, as Hamas and Dahlan wish, reconciliation is unlikely to succeed as long as Fatah is excluded. Dahlan's speech during the PLC session in Gaza before Hamas parliament members perhaps will boost the social reconciliation effort by encouraging hesitant bereaved families to agree to compensation.
August 4, 2017

CAIRO  Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Wali announced in her speech at Egypts Fourth National Youth Conference on July 25 the launch of a program to curb population growth in Egypt called Itnein Kifaya (Two is Enough).

At the conference, Wali said the program targets 1.3 million mothers who are younger than 35 years old and have one or two children. These women are the beneficiaries of the ministrys income support program Takaful and Karama.

In coordination with the Ministry of Health and Population, the Itnein Kifaya program aims to raise Egyptian womens awareness on the need to curb population growth through workshops, conferences and door-to-door activities. The program also includes the distribution of birth control methods to the targeted 1.3 million mothers to encourage them to have only two children.

The Ministry of Social Solidarity posted a video on the program July 21 on the ministry's official YouTube channel, explaining that implementation would take two years at a cost of 105.3 million Egyptian pounds (around $5.9 million), financed by the Ministry of Social Solidarity fund to support nongovernmental organizations and the United Nations Population Fund.

The Itnein Kifaya program focuses on 10 of the poorest governorates registering the highest birth rates: Sohag, Assiut, Minya, Giza, Beni Suef, Qena, Fayoum, Luxor, Aswan and Beheira.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi addressed population growth July 24 during one of the sessions of the Fourth National Youth Conference, saying, Terrorism and population growth are the two biggest threats in Egypts history.

In statements to Extra News Channel on June 14, the head of Egypt's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), Maj. Gen. Abu Bakr al-Gendy, said the population growth rate in Egypt is 2.3% per year, with 2.7 million births every year and 500,000 deaths; this means that the population is growing by around 2.2 million people every year.

Egypt, which long saw its fertility rate drop, has seen it rise in recent years.

In his speech at a ceremony celebrating International Population Day at the Ministry of Health on July 30, the Minister of Health and Population Ahmed Emad el-Din Rady announced the launch of the new population growth control strategy. The minister said Egypts current total fertility rate is 4 and warned that by 2030 the countrys population may reach 128 million if the strategy is not implemented.

Rady said the strategys objective is to reach a total fertility rate of 2.4 children per woman in order to limit the population to 112 million people by 2030. He said the mechanisms of this strategy depend on the need to reduce population growth rates while taking education and literacy issues into consideration in some governorates as well as the economic and educational empowerment of women.

Ayman Zohry, a population and migration studies expert, told Al-Monitor there were various factors behind the increase of population growth rate in Egypt since toward the end of the Hosni Mubarak era and after the 2011 revolution. Zohry said this is mainly due to the decline in health services, including reproductive health as well as the states neglect of family planning methods, including the lack of training of physicians on these methods. He also said, Uncontrolled birth was a means of expression [by the people] against the Mubarak regime. The rise of the Muslim Brotherhood was also one of the reasons explaining the high rate of population growth in light of a reduced age of marriage  and other phenomena such as the prohibition of birth control methods.

CAPMAS official website indicated Aug. 4 that Egypts population has reached around 93 million.

Egypts parliament is also seeking to cap population growth. Member of parliament Ghada Ajami submitted a bill June 1 linking parents rights to receive state benefits to family planning.

The bill is expected to be discussed during the third session, which begins Oct. 5. It aims to deny families who have more than three children the services provided by the government, such as education in government schools and other subsidized goods and public services.

Ajami told Al-Monitor, The Ministry of Solidaritys program aimed to limit the number of children to two only is very similar to the bill that I submitted to the government that deprives families with more than three children of government support. The bill stresses the need for state pressure on families to pay attention to the dangers of population explosion. Citizens are highly attentive to issues related to government support, which can be an effective pressure tool.

She added, It is important that all state agencies join forces with civil society organizations in order to face population growth, which will have serious implications on the country's development and the future of coming generations. It is also important to raise awareness on this matter and persuade families to have two or three children at most.

Zohry said, The dangers of overpopulation are mainly related to the deteriorating economic conditions in Egypt. A population increase of about 2.5 million per year is a significant increase and the state must interfere to limit it.

He said, Positive changes resulting from government efforts will be slow, but this does not preclude the necessity of dealing with population growth as a matter of national security.

It appears that the government is seeking to develop solutions to curb population growth in Egypt. But limiting population growth in Egypt requires more efficient efforts and cooperation between the government and civil society organizations.
ABC/Randy HolmesA public memorial in remembrance of Chester Bennington was held in Los Angeles Sunday night. According to ABC affiliate KABC, hundred of fans flocked to Grand Park in downtown LA for a candlelight ceremony in honor of the late Linkin Park frontman.

"He's lyrically touched so many lives, and he as a person was such a great human being -- whether it be his charity work or his love for animals," said event organizer Ashlee Kelly of Bennington. "He is a spokesperson for the teenager growing up."

In less-cool fan behavior news, memorabilia from Bennington's private funeral recently appeared on eBay. The items -- including backstage pass-type lanyards, wristbands and programs -- were being sold for upward of $30,000. The items have since been removed from eBay, which told TMZ that items that "attempt to profit from tragedy" are not allowed to be sold on the auction site.

Bennington died by suicide July 20. He was 41.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
August 7, 2017

Hassan Rouhani was inaugurated for a second presidential term during an Aug. 5 ceremony at Irans parliament. During a 30-minute speech, he spoke of more cooperation with the world. It was a relatively mild speech, with the exception of his vowing to reciprocate against sanctions and his stating that this was the era of the mother of all negotiations and not the mother of all bombs.

On Iranian social media and in news reports, much of the substance of Rouhanis speech was overshadowed, however, by events taking place on the sidelines of the inauguration. A number of Reformist parliamentarians from the List of Hope faction enthusiastically lined up to take pictures and selfies with the EUs top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, who was instrumental in negotiating the nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers.

Mogherini was seated in the center of the parliament floor, where seats had been placed for hundreds of foreign officials and official guests of the Iranian government. The legislators were physically separated from the guests by the parliament's stadium-like seating and by desks. This arrangement forced a few members of parliament to undertake some uncomfortable physical maneuvering. One parliamentarian, Farajollah Rajabi, had to twist and contort his body, while sitting on the counter and leaning on a screen, to get closer to Mogherini and take a selfie with her in the background. He later apologized.

If the parliamentarians had taken normal pictures, standing alongside Mogherini, the picture session would most likely have passed without controversy. However, given the physical distance and the jovial, highly enthusiastic nature of the members of parliament, who were all laughing and smiling while holding their cellphones, like tourists photographing a celebrity, the scene was bound to cause a stir.

Much of the criticism directed at the Reformist parliamentarians came from conservatives who are critics of the nuclear deal. They tweeted about it with a hashtag that loosely translates to selfie of humiliation. Some contrasted the selfie with Mogherini to soldiers on the front line posing with commander of the Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani. Others sarcastically noted that the selfie with Mogherini is the only thing Iran has gotten out of the nuclear deal.

Many Reformist-minded journalists and Twitter users also criticized the selfies, though in a more subdued way. They felt the incident was more of a cultural rather than a political issue. Hesamodin Ashna, an adviser to Rouhani, tweeted, It is not a political problem, it is a cultural problem.

Alireza Salimi, a legislator and member of parliaments supervisory board, said that the behavior of the parliamentarians taking pictures with Mogherini was contrary to the dignity of a representative and that the supervisory board would review their actions at their next meeting Aug. 9. In an indirect attack on moderates and Reformists who favor having closer relations with the West, Salimi said that the excitement of the parliamentarians at the prospect of a selfie with Mogherini showed that some politicians lose themselves in the face of Westerners. Mohammad Nabi Habibi, secretary-general of the conservative Islamic Coalition Party, criticized the whole affair, saying that while Iranian soldiers are fighting thousands of miles away, their representatives are taking pictures.
August 4, 2017

Iraqi authorities announced last month that UNESCO has started the first stage of the restoration of the ancient city of Nimrud, which is located on the banks of the Tigris River, about 20 miles south of Mosul. The city was liberated from the Islamic State (IS) in November 2016 and is the cradle of the Assyrian civilization founded in the 13th century B.C.

In 2015, IS wreaked havoc on archaeological sites in the city, using bulldozers and explosives to destroy monumental landmarks, while filming all these acts of vandalism and destruction. According to a press statement by Qais Rashid, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities, following Nimrud's liberation, 70% of the citys antiquities were destroyed. Moreover, Iraqi army Maj. Gen. Diyaa Kazem al-Saidi, who took part in the liberation of the city, said that 200 ancient paintings were stolen from Nimrud.

The relics around Mosul, including the ones in Nimrud, were discovered in 1845 by British archaeologist Henry Layard and Chaldean Mesopotamian archaeologist Hormuzd Rassam, who uncovered significant Assyrian relics in Ninevah. The discovered relics include the statue of the winged bull and the Library of Ashurbanipal.

On March 6, 2016, the Iraqi Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities confirmed that IS had deliberately demolished Nimrud for ideological reasons. This prompted Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova to confirm her support for the city on Nov. 25, 2016, the day Nimrud was liberated from the clutches of IS. Bokova stressed that UNESCO must help protect Iraqs heritage from further looting and destruction, calling for an assessment of the inflicted damage.

The Nimrud reconstruction project coincides with the launch of the Ministry of Planning and Development Corporation's 10-year reconstruction plan of the liberated areas, scheduled to start in early 2018, at an estimated cost of $100 billion.

Earlier this summer, the UNESCO mission visited the archaeological site of Nimrud and conducted preliminary inspections of the site to determine ways to proceed.

Faleh al-Shammari, the head of the Department of Antiquities for Ninevah province, told Al-Monitor, The committees formed by the Antiquities and Heritage Authority have begun to document the damage caused to the archaeological sites in the liberated areas  namely the city of Nimrud. This is the first step for the UNESCO reconstruction project.

Shammari said, In fact, the rehabilitation process has already begun with the construction of a 3-meter-high modern security fence around the city and strengthening the security points around the fence to prevent any breaches by citizens of nearby areas. Operations have been launched to demine the area and remove any booby traps and bombs, to create a more secure environment for the UNESCO project."

He added, The American Smithsonian Institution has begun to assess the damage caused to the destroyed artifacts and relics so they can be restored in an appropriate manner, starting with the palace of Assyrian King Ashurnasirpal II  whose remains are scattered around it after IS tried to destroy it.

Shammari noted that broken archaeological artifacts are being transferred to a secure storage area.

The US government announced June 28 that it intends to send a team of experts to Iraq to assess the damage caused to the archaeological city of Nimrud. Mark Taplin, the director of the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, said, The bureau granted the Smithsonian Institution $400,000 for the preliminary work [in Iraq].

Iyad al-Shammari, a member of the parliamentary Committee on Tourism and Antiquities, told Al-Monitor, Operations have been launched to secure the city, categorize the relics and determine the extent of the damage, and this information will be presented at the donors conference scheduled for September in Paris to obtain adequate grants for the restoration of Nimrud, in addition to funds earmarked by UNESCO.

He added, Until the necessary funds are approved, the Iraqi teams are collecting the scattered artifacts and sculptures and rehabilitating what was destroyed by IS. As part of the Iraqi plan for the reconstruction of Nimrud, the Iraqi state is keen to approach international bodies that have expressed their willingness to contribute to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the archaeological sites, including Italy and the United States."

The lawmaker noted, The plan also includes the training of local cadres on how to deal with the damaged sites and relics, and how to repair and rebuild them properly, without affecting their historical value."

On May 13, Dario Franceschini, the Italian minister of cultural heritage and activities and tourism, handed over to his Iraqi counterpart, Farid Rwandzi, the final report of the aerial survey of the destroyed antiquities in Mosul and other Iraqi areas, which was prepared by a specialized Italian team in coordination with UNESCO.

Head of Babil Antiquities, Hussein Falih, told Al-Monitor, The Babil antiquities department is ready to provide expertise and cadres to contribute to the reconstruction of the city of Nimrud and other affected archaeological sites.

The undersecretary of the Iraqi Ministry of Culture told the media on Nov. 14, 2016, Despite the massive destruction of Nimrud, Iraq is capable of restoring the site to its previous glory. However, this does not only require the support of UNESCO, but also funds from within Iraq and the training of locals who can take on the rehabilitation of Nimrud and other archaeological sites.
August 4, 2017

The Temple Mount crisis and violence has left the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah extremely frustrated. While the goal to restore the status quo on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif was achieved and the Israeli government indeed dismantled all security measures July 25 at the entrances to the Temple Mount, the credit for this in the Palestinian public opinion went to the radicals. The Palestinians feel that Hamas and the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, not President Mahmoud Abbas or King Abdullah of Jordan, are the ones who forced Israel to capitulate.

A senior Palestinian minister, an official with an extensive security background who is close to Abbas, told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the Fatah leadership is currently extremely concerned over the nature of the Palestinian struggle in the eyes of the Palestinians and the Arab and Muslim world. The leadership fears that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus security measures near Al-Aqsa Mosque added a religious layer to the national conflict.

The senior Palestinian official said, The Israelis do not understand the enormous dangers involved in a religious war. It would bring Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran to the forefront of the armed struggle and endanger the pragmatic elements in the Palestinian leadership. If Israel contrives to make Al-Aqsa a cause celebre, it is doomed to confront later on Islamic fundamentalist neighbors that will not shy away from any military, terrorist or popular violence.

The official warned that turning the Palestinian struggle into a religious one in nature would create an existential threat to the secular majority in the Palestinian leadership. The day will come that you will miss [PLO leader] Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas  especially if Israels government continues to be led by messianic settlers, he added. He defined Netanyahus current policies as pyromania.

The official noted that given recent events, the diplomatic window of opportunity regarding any possible initiative by US President Donald Trump and his team may close in the months after the UN General Assembly meeting in September. Given the current crises and the painfully slow process led by Trumps envoys, he said, the Palestinian leadership has begun to question its own future.

According to the official, Abbas has altered his rhetoric in internal leadership deliberations and is threatening, in the case of diplomatic failure and greater violence, to resign at the end of the year and dismantle the Palestinian Authority (PA). Abbas mood is more militant nowadays. The official recounted that Abbas was disappointed with the lack of Arab support during the Temple Mount crisis, and he found the US intervention through envoys Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt very lacking. Even during this crisis, Abbas was ready to call for the first time in many years on the military wing of Fatah, the Tanzim, to get involved in the protection of Al-Aqsa and its worshippers.

The official added, We were closer to an outburst of an intifada than Israel acknowledges.

What concerns the Palestinian leadership most is the split between the more religious and fundamentalist forces in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the more secular ones led by Fatah. Therefore, Abbas has decided to espouse a very nationalistic line, attempting to overshadow the religious one.

The official claimed that Abbas still objects to violence, as he always has, and that for him the last resort is the dismantling of the PA, placing the onus of the total diplomatic stalemate on Israel and the Arab League. The official said, Abbas has a clear vision of how this could take place. In his eyes, dismantling the PA would constitute a shock therapy to encourage the international community to act on a two-state solution.

If Abbas pursues the idea of dismantling the PA, he could make a series of announcements at the beginning of 2018. These could include the dismantling of the PA, the abolition of the Oslo Accord, the end of any security coordination with Israel, the temporary relocation of the Fatah leadership to Cairo and the distancing of the PLO from the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.

The official warned about dismissing such a possibility and said that the status quo must change  for better or worse.

A senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official told Al-Monitor that Israel senses the weakness of Abbas, 82, and that his health might be frail. The Israeli source argued that the security establishment in the PA would not allow Abbas such a move, as it wants to keep the clout of Fatah as strong as possible in its struggle against Hamas. Still, the source acknowledged that given the relative passivity of the international community, including that of the United States, which Israel welcomes, a crisis with the PA is looming. Such a crisis, he said, might occur sooner than Israel expects.
August 7, 2017

ALEPPO, Syria  Syrian regime forces continue to breach the cease-fire agreement with Syrias armed opposition in Eastern Ghouta in Rif Dimashq province. The agreement was ratified in Cairo under Egyptian-Russian brokerage July 22. However, the Syrian regime targeted Ein Tarma town in Eastern Ghouta on Aug. 3 with 10 ground-to-ground local FIL missiles, killing a woman and child and wounding others. Meanwhile, four people were wounded when the city of Harasta in Eastern Ghouta was shelled with mortars on the same day.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that four people were killed and 13 others were wounded in Ein Tarma in Eastern Ghouta on Aug. 1 in the wake of the ground-to-ground shelling and air raids that targeted the town.

According to the Observatory, 25 civilians have been killed, including seven children and seven women, while 145 people have been injured since the cease-fire agreement went into effect July 22. Fierce battles between the regime forces and the armed opposition were raging while the shelling and air raids went on in Jobar neighborhood in the east of Damascus and in Ein Tarma, where the regime forces are trying to tighten their grip to cement the blockade on Eastern Ghouta.

The regime forces and militias supporting them launched June 19 their military campaign on Eastern Ghouta under the pretext of fighting members affiliated with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of jihadi factions that include former al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra). It is noteworthy that all cease-fire deals between the armed opposition and the regime forces do not include Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Islamic State (IS). Despite its justifications, the Syrian regimes intentions were clear to the citizens of Ghouta even before the cease-fire went into effect.

Media activist in Eastern Ghouta Saria Abu al-Baraa told Al-Monitor, When the truce was declared, people felt optimistic and thought the situation would improve. Even the Sham Legion and Jaish al-Islam, the two biggest factions in Eastern Ghouta, welcomed the agreement and announced their commitment to it. But on the next day, July 23, we were surprised with cannon balls, missiles and air raids on Harasta, Ein Tarma, Arbeen and Douma, and the shelling goes on.

She added, The Syrian regime and its Russian allies claim there are militants from HTS [Hayat Tahrir al-Sham] in Ghouta. But, in fact, there are barely 200 of them, and they are nothing compared with the number of rebels in Ghouta who are estimated [to be in the] thousands. What kind of Sharia allows the destruction of cities and villages and the killing of innocent civilians, including men and women, to fight 200 militants who do not affect the military balance of power in Eastern Ghouta? We can see everything clearly. The regime wants to control Jobar neighborhood and Ein Tarma to starve the remaining citizens in Ghouta, and Russia is its partner in crime.

The military factions in Eastern Ghouta represented by Jaish al-Islam and Al-Rahman Legion (Faylaq al-Rahman) proposed to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham the option of disbanding itself and joining one of the two factions or leaving Ghouta toward Idlib with guarantees from the Syrian regime and Russia to spare Ghouta more destruction and bloodshed. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham issued a report Aug. 1 declaring its willingness to disband itself, provided that all factions in Ghouta merge into one. Negotiations about disbanding Hayat Tahrir al-Sham are ongoing, but there are no developments so far.

The daily escalation on Eastern Ghouta cities and towns forced civilians, mainly in Ein Tarma and Kafar Batna, to take to the streets July 28 to demand Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leave Ghouta. The protesters condemned the shelling targeting civilians, and they considered the presence of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Ghouta an alibi for the Syrian regime and Russia to commit more atrocities and destroy what is left of the infrastructure in Eastern Ghouta.

Omar al-Dimashqi, an Eastern Ghouta citizen, told Al-Monitor, We no longer buy the regimes excuses to shell and destroy cities and kill people by claiming that Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and IS are hiding [among] civilians. We staged protests and asked HTS to disband itself or leave Ghouta so that the regime and Russia run out of pretexts. But we are well aware that the regime has been wanting to take control of Ein Tarma and Jobar neighborhood for a while. The regime wants to impose a semi-complete siege on Ghouta so that military factions will not even think of striking its positions in Damascus in the future. We are protesting because we want to live in peace. We cannot take death and destruction anymore. The war has drained us.

Civilians in Eastern Ghouta hope for an effective implementation of the cease-fire and the allowing of access to humanitarian aid and letting civilians enter and leave Ghouta. The regime and militias supporting it have been besieging the city since Oct. 20, 2013. Citizens hope their lives will change after the cease-fire, which gave them a silver lining to break free from the hell they have been living in for five years.
August 7, 2017

Those alarmed by Turkeys dizzying descent into authoritarianism had found bleak solace in the fact that unlike the 1990s, when the conflict between Turkish security forces and the Kurdistan Workers Party was at its peak, at least the people aren't disappearing or losing their lives in extrajudicial killings.

That may be changing: The New York-based watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) has asked the Turkish authorities to urgently investigate what it called the "abduction and possible enforced disappearance" of at least four men in Ankara since March. One of them, a former school teacher, was located in police custody after 42 days. An eyewitness saw men who identified themselves as police nab Onder Asan in April, forcing him out of a taxi and shoving him into a van. His family finally learned of his whereabouts only after a call from the police. He has since remained in custody pending trial for his alleged terror links, which is shorthand these days for connections to Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based cleric who is accused of plotting last summer's coup attempt. Asan said he was held in a secret location where he was interrogated and tortured for 42 days. He has filed a criminal complaint.

HRW said the other three, who remain unaccounted for, shared several features. They were either teachers or civil servants and again had been bundled into a black or dark-colored Volkswagen Transporter van, accounts that are corroborated by security camera footage."

Emine Ozben, the wife of one of the abductees, said her husband had left the house on May 9 to buy bread and never came back. A group of female students present at the scene saw him being hauled away in broad daylight. They rang the police emergency hotline to report the incident but to no avail. Ozben told the BBC that she asked the witnesses why they hadnt intervened. They responded that one of the assailants, who wore a ski mask, wagged his finger at them threateningly, so naturally they were afraid. Ozben broke down in tears as she recounted her story, saying her only wish is that he is still alive. Her husband, an academic, was among tens of thousands purged from his institution over alleged ties to Gulen.

There are credible grounds to believe that government agents forcibly disappeared the missing men, said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

The government has yet to respond to separate petitions filed by opposition lawmakers demanding information on the missing.

The recent crackdown on human rights defenders is making such cases harder to document. At least 43 human rights defenders who sought to draw attention to the plight of two jailed hunger strikers were detained on Saturday in Istanbul and remain in police custody. According to Turkeys Human Rights Association, they include its Istanbul branch chair Gulseren Yoleri and executive board member Dogan Ozkan.

In July, Turkey arrested 10 prominent human rights activists, including Amnesty Internationals Turkey director Idil Eser, accusing them on the flimsiest of evidence of plotting to sow chaos. Among them are a German and a Swedish citizen who were training their Turkish colleagues to help carry out their work in the climate of repression cloaking Turkey. The seminar conducted at a hotel on an island off the coast of Istanbul included digital security and tips for coping with stress.

Turkey has been under emergency rule since last Julys coup attempt. In January, the government issued a decree reducing the period police may detain citizens without charge from 30 days to seven. It is allowing detainees early access to their lawyers again. "But these positive measures appear to have been insufficient to curb abuse of detainees in police custody, HRW said.
Is there room for another major automotive plant in Alabama?

That question came into focus last week after Toyota and Mazda announced they will build a $1.6 billion manufacturing plant in the U.S., which is expected to create as many as 4,000 jobs.

The plant is projected to be operational by 2021, but a location has not been announced.

For the U.S. factory, Toyota says it will build the Corolla, while Mazda will focus on crossovers. The plant could produce about 300,000 cars a year.

Alabama is already the fifth largest automobile producing state in the U.S., home to the Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Hyundai plants, as well as a Toyota engine manufacturing plant in Huntsville. Employment in the automotive sector tops 57,000, with 25,000 jobs in the automotive supplier chains among more than 160 companies.

Over the past year, those companies have announced more than $1 billion in new investment and projects.

So does Alabama have a shot? Yes, says Alan Baum, an independent auto analyst in West Bloomfield, Mich. He typically employs the "two senator" rule, saying that Japanese automakers have located plants in Southern states to build political support.

With any large manufacturing project, incentives will play a role. Every state will try to lure an auto manufacturer with a lucrative package, Baum said. But other, more traditional factors, such as an existing workforce and supplier base, will probably play a bigger role in where the plant is built.

"They'll be happy to accept any incentives, but that may be less important than whether suppliers are nearby," he said. "Does the existing workforce have the proper skills? After a point, you're back to standard issues."

Alabama does fit that description. Vehicles are Alabama's No. 1 export, with global shipments to more than 85 nations. Exports of Alabama-made vehicles and parts totaled $9 billion last year. And last month, Gov. Kay Ivey unveiled the first major policy initiative of her administration, the "Strong Start Strong Finish" education initiative, with a major push on workforce development.

Experts asked by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution named Alabama as a likely competitor, among other southern states. Bloomberg identified Mississippi as having an edge, in that Toyota has already been building Corollas there at its Blue Springs, Miss. plant, which opened in 2011. Much of the land around the plant is also still undeveloped but with existing roads and sewers.

Scott Vazin, a Toyota spokesman, said the Corolla already has an extensive U.S. supply chain which could be utilized.
She says she likes where I live because it's green and country and different. She says she thinks she wants to live in Florida one day when she is older. She likes palm trees and sunsets and she thinks she remembers being happy there once when she was younger. It was the last time she remembers seeing her dad. And she thinks her mama might have been happy there too...for a little while.

She has a natural ear for tone and can change pitch effortlessly with her voice. She was singing with my youngest daughter in the backseat of my car. They are both 13, both are about to enter the eighth grade, and they know every song on Sirius.

She likes to talk about Broadway shows I know nothing about, so I just listen. She does a Donald Trump impersonation about "the wall" and will start an impromptu slogan and commercial over any sign that catches her attention. I told her she should study broadcasting after she graduates. She laughed. She doesn't take compliments well.

She is ambitious and expressive and prettier than she can allow herself to accept right now. Prettier than she has been told. She has bright eyes and clear skin - barring a couple of childhood freckles fading fast across the bridge of her nose.

She makes too many self-deprecating comments. Old words seem to play like a tape in her mind, ruminating. They interrupt her sometimes, even when she is miles away and smiling. She is tenderhearted and will stand-up for others quicker than she will defend herself.

Our route out of the city took us by her school. It is a magnet school. She starts back in a few days. I asked her if there was anything she needed to do in order to get ready. She said it wasn't anything you could prepare for. It is just something you have to make yourself do.

She said she wishes she never ever had to go back. "Not because of the work," she quickly added. "I can do the work. It's just the people." She offered no further explanation.

We passed a church with a sign out front that read "Black lives matter here" beside a small rainbow flag. "Look at that," she said. I guess it is okay for anybody to go to church there. I like that. Everybody ought to be able to worship don't you think?"

I nodded, although I really hadn't given it much thought. I was still just listening. We were at a crawl in traffic. There was an accident ahead of us on the Interstate. We were two miles out from our exit.

"You know my mom has been staying at the women's shelter, right?"

I nodded. I did know.

"Well I hear she has started going to church some too and I figure that can't hurt, do you?"

She waited for an answer. A nod wouldn't do.

I told her to try not to worry, that one of the greatest mysteries in life is how God can take the most complicated of problems, even the ones we can't see any solution to, and working them out for the good.

Content with my response, she settled back, and they started singing again.

For her sake...I just pray I'm right.

Amanda Walker is a blogger and contributor with AL.com, The Thomasville Times, West Alabama Watchman, Alabama Gazette and Wilcox Progressive Era. Contact her at Walkerworld77@msn.com or at https://www.facebook.com/AmandaWalker.Columnist.
Four young men are now formally charged in the Saturday-night shooting in Avondale that left a little boy dead, and wounded two adults.

Birmingham police late Monday announced capital murder charges against Tyrone Smith, 18, D'Marco Harris, 21, Mykahl Harris, 20 and Joshua Carpenter, 21. All will be held without bond in the Jefferson County Jail.

No additional information has been released about a motive or details about their arrests.

Police Chief A.C. Roper and Birmingham Mayor William Bell earlier held a 3:30 p.m. press conference to discuss the slaying of 2-year-old Ron'Narius "Duke" Austin, and the wounding of his mother, Shay Austin. The driver of the vehicle they were in was shot in the back, but his name has not been released. Duke's father was also in the vehicle but was not injured.

"This past weekend there was another tragic incident of a young child being murdered at the hands of irresponsible individuals who would shoot into a vehicle and cause the death of a 2-year-old, as well as the injuring of several adults,'' Bell said. "In my mind, I can't understand any situation where someone would pull a gun and fire into an occupied vehicle with the intent of taking lives."

"I know there is concern whether or not the City of Birmingham and in particular the mayor of the City of Birmingham cares about that,'' he said. "Being the grandfather of a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old, I can assure that any loss of life of a child is a tragic situation. Under no circumstances will we accept that as an everyday occurrence, under no circumstances will we allow that to go un-checked."

"We're all concerned about the death of this child,'' Roper said. "It's absolutely unconscionable that a child could lose his life due to the reckless and careless actions of adults."

Birmingham police responded to the Avondale district just before 11:30 p.m. Saturday where they found the three wounded victims. Duke was shot in the head. His mother was hit multiple times in the arm and the unnamed driver of the vehicle was shot in the back. Ronald Austin was in the back seat with his son, and was not injured. He was holding Duke when police arrived on the scene.

Police said the shooting happened at least a block away but they stopped next to the Chevron across the street from Avondale Common House. Officers patrolling the area- a popular night spot - heard what they described as multiple, rapid shots fired and rushed to the scene.

The actual gunfire erupted in the alley in the 4200 block of Fourth Avenue South. A vehicle with at least four people in it was at some point involved in a shootout with someone inside the victims' vehicle. After the shooting, he said, the suspect vehicle left the scene. A gun was found in the back seat of the victims' vehicle.

Duke's grandmother, Cheryl Irby, spoke with AL.com earlier Monday and disputed that anyone in the vehicle carrying her family fired shots. She said son, Ronald Austin, and daughter-in-law loved their baby boy, and did not knowingly put him in danger. Ronald and Shay Austin, as well as their 2-year-old son Ron'Narius "Duke" Austin, were on their way home from a family barbecue in Birmingham Saturday night when the shooting happened, said Duke's grandmother, Cheryl Irby. She said despite their overwhelming grief, she is speaking out to set the record straight.

"They would have never put that baby in harm's way,'' Irby said. "That was their baby."

Bell said the police department has used multiple initiatives to fight crime, and will continue to do so. "We can't have a police officers on every corner. We can't have a police officer in every vehicle. We can't have a police officer in every home or apartment,'' he said. "The issues that face us are too many guns on the street, indiscriminate conflicts that should be resolved with discussion... but we've got to continue to strive to make our streets safer."

Bell was asked about how the shooting could impact the strides the city has made in the revitalization of the Avondale area, but he cut off the question. "That's not my concern. My concern is the loss of a 2-year-old who had a great future in front of him,'' he said. "We can talk about the economic impact, we can talk about all these other things but that's not my concern. My concern is finding justice for that 2-year-old that was killed."

Roper on Monday reiterated that people from within each vehicle fired shots fired at each other, and said investigators recovered guns from both vehicles involved in the shootout.

"So we're being very diligent in piecing together those critical moments that led up the shooting,'' Roper said. "The bottom line is at the end of the day, there is no substitute for person responsibility."

"As a department, we will do everything we can to bring the perpetrators to justice, but it takes all of us,'' the chief said. "It takes the community saying this is enough. As the mayor mentioned, we can't be everywhere. We wish we could."

The chief was asked if Birmingham had looked at other programs nationwide that perhaps could impact crime here. This was his reply: "The bottom line is it shouldn't take a program to make someone honor someone's life,'' he said. "There's no four-hour class that will make you value the life of another person."

Roper said police still need help from the public in building the case. Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
An investigation is underway in Chilton County where there was an officer-involved shooting Sunday evening.

Sheriff John Shearon said deputies about 5 p.m. were dispatched on a report of a person with gun. The location was on County Road 254.

Once on the scene, deputies encountered a man walking along the road with a gun. The suspect then pointed the weapon at deputies, the sheriff said in a news release. Deputies engaged the suspect and the suspect fired at them.

Deputies then returned fire, striking the suspect. The suspect was treated and released from Baptist South in Montgomery, and is undergoing booking at the Chilton County Jail on multiple charges. No deputies were injured.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's State Bureau of Investigation has taken over the scene and the investigation, which is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings. Corporal Jess Thornton said they took over the probe at the request of the sheriff's office and the 19th Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office.
Social media and the spread of alarmist fake news might be what will make the difference in this maturing democracy.

Nairobi, Kenya  Kenyans are heading to the polls on Tuesday to elect a president. Voters will also choose governors, members of parliament and senators. But Tuesdays election is different. It is the election in which social media came of age. It is the one where fake news made an entrance and became mainstream.

Western PR firms have been hired to polish up the images of candidates and tarnish that of competitors. Attack ads have become common.

A record amount of money has been spent to convince millions of registered voters.





Taxpayers are footing most of it  a $480m bill to execute the poll, according to Kenyas national treasury.

The successful presidential candidate will spend at least $50m to get to the state house, according to Johnson Sakaja, the former chairman of the party that put President Uhuru Kenyatta in power in 2013.

The financial strain of the most expensive election in the countrys history will be felt long after the August 8 election.

The two main candidates  President Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga  are going the extra mile to come out on top. Their main target: the youth  those between 18 and 35  who make up more than half of the 19.6 million registered voters.

To make sure the young voters cast their ballot for them, candidates have set up digital teams and are working round the clock posting photos, videos and giving live commentary from campaign rallies.

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are the new ways to reach these internet-savvy young voters.

READ MORE: Why Kenyas presidential election on August 8 matters

Dozens of slick campaign videos have been uploaded on Facebook in the past couple of weeks. When not sharing videos and photos on the social network the hopefuls are doing Facebook Lives to answer questions from voters who did not attend their rallies.

Nothing has been left to chance.

News conferences are having to compete with 140 characters posted on verified Twitter accounts of candidates.

Opponents have even traded virtual blows courtesy of social media.

Fake news of opinion polls claiming to be from the new channels BBC and CNN have been posted and widely shared on social media in an attempt to scare voters from opponents. Fake news sites have also popped up online.

The election in Kenya has changed drastically. And those candidates who do not adapt might find themselves out of office.

With polls suggesting a close election, social media and the spread of alarmist fake news might be what makes the difference in this maturing democracy.
Seventy years on, a now 92-year-old man returns to the home he fled during the poison of partition.

When Krishan Kumar Khanna, a 22-year-old worker in Sheikhupuras bustling rice market, left home, he had no idea that he would be gone this long.

When we left, we had just put a lock on the house, thinking that wed return within 10 or 15 days, he says. We were convinced of it.

But that return never happened.

We by Krishnan

military came and beat us out of our neighbourhoods.]

The date was August 27, 1947, just 13 days after the partition of the Indian subcontinent into Muslim-majority Pakistan and Hindu-majority India, as the region gained independence from Britain.

It is described by historians as perhaps the largest political migration in human history, with an estimated 15 million people fleeing their homes.

It was also, perhaps, one of the most violent.

Conservative estimates say that at least a million people were killed in the mass communal riots and widespread slaughter between religious communities that followed.

Trains carrying migrants heading in either direction  Muslims going west to the newly formed West Pakistan or east to East Pakistan; and Hindus leaving those areas  were attacked, sometimes pulling in to their destinations with hardly a living soul left aboard.

We wanted to stay, we wanted to remain where we were. Partition happened, even then we still remained, says Khanna, now 92 and with failing eyesight and hearing.

His family was Hindu, and their home was now in West Pakistan.

Then the [Pakistani] military came and beat us out of our neighbourhoods. There was a poison spreading then. People who had become Muslim refugees arrived [in the neighbourhood] as well, and questioned why these Hindus were still here.

The killings had started.

Outside my uncles house, I saw seven bodies, covered in blood, he says. Their blood was flowing into the street, and I stepped over it to get into the house. I still remember that blood today. The blood touched my feet and, as I was walking down the street, a man said to me: Is this the freedom that you wanted?'

Khanna could not comprehend the scale of the violence. For centuries, he says, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh communities had lived in harmony in his town. We were a symbol of unity, he reflects, ruefully.

But there was a strange atmosphere then, and people fell into it. Men did not have the will to kill people  but when the poison spread. It happened, and we had to flee.

The trauma of forced displacement

Khannas characterisation of a poison, or madness, overtaking people is fairly typical of narrative accounts of partition. Recent research, however, suggests that the violence was far more structured than previously understood.

Partition violence has been accepted by many as anarchic and chaotic in nature, as madness even, says Ali Raza, a Lahore-based historian.

[But] we need to seriously examine the role of paramilitary groups  Muslim, Hindu and Sikh  who carefully planned and orchestrated violence with varying success across North India. In the Punjab for instance, one would also need to look at the crucial role played by princely states and by the thousands of decommissioned, and in some cases, serving soldiers.

Moreover, Raza explains, there are accounts of battlefield weapons, such as machineguns and mortars, being used to target civilian populations in certain districts, forcing them to migrate.

WATCH: UPFRONT  India and Pakistan: Forever rivals?

For survivors, however, madness was often the only explanation left, and the sheer scale of the violence and the chaotic nature of their displacement have made notions of ever going home difficult.

This anxiety [around going home] is centrally related to the trauma of forced displacement and the sense of loss, helplessness and despair that accompanied it, says Kavita Panjabi, a partition scholar whose own family fled the Sindh region for present-day India during partition.

Parting makes that which one is estranged from even more dear, and violent partings leave one with the fear that all that one loved will have been destroyed.

The violence was traumatic, Panjabi says, not just for the generation that witnessed it, but for all those who came after, shaping their identities and, in some cases, cutting them off from their own history.

I want to see my home

Now, after 70 years, Krishan Kumar Khanna is finally going home.

I have a passion to see my home. My wife told me not to go. Who knows what might happen? But it was just a passion inside me to see my own home, my own town, what it is like now, says Khanna from his hometown of Meerut in India.

When pressed on what he hopes to discover on the trip, Khanna simply repeats: I want to see my home, I want to see my home, I want to see my home.

The need is clear, although the energy that drives it is difficult to articulate, he agrees.

His family, meanwhile, opposes his desire to visit present-day Pakistan, with whom India has fought three wars since independence in 1947 and who it accuses of fomenting violence in the disputed territory of Kashmir  a charge Pakistan denies.

We are totally against this trip. [Pakistan] isnt a place of pilgrimage for us, says his wife Kamla Khanna, 87, just days before he is due to leave. I told him not to go. What is he going to do there in Pakistan? Its the same place where we saw so much violence, so many fights. So why go there now?

But Khanna is determined. He has been trying to get a visa for 20 years, he says. His previous applications were all rejected, but this time, after securing the help of an influential former army officer, he is successful.

Maybe Ill find some of my friends. But who knows where they will be now, he reflects.

The soil is the same

I thought that partition was a mistake. This was the thought at the start, and it's the same now. It's wrong, and should not have happened on religious grounds. by Krishnan Kumar Khanna

After an overnight train journey from Meerut to the city of Amritsar, Khanna is finally at the border that was created all those years ago, wrenching him from his home.

This is one of the most militarised borders in the world, with the nuclear-armed neighbours allowing people to cross on foot at only one location: Wagah/Attari.

After an interrogation by an Indian border police officer, who makes an impassioned plea for him not to go, and similar questioning by Pakistani authorities, he is finally allowed to cross.

He moves slowly, leaning on his walking stick, and peering into the distance to catch sight of the fields beyond. All those years ago he made exactly this journey, but in the opposite direction, as he and his family were evacuated in Indian military trucks.

Khanna steps off the road and into a lush, green field.

I am thankful to God. I have now crossed the border into Pakistan, he says. Back home in our Punjab, the landscape is the same. The soil is the same, and the people are the same.

What follows is a whirlwind trip. The first stop is the historic Mughal city of Lahore, about 23km away, where Khanna once studied. He retraces his old neighbourhood of Rang Mahal carefully, finding one of the schools where he studied, and the places he used to frequent as a teenager.

I was sitting in this park reading, Khanna says, pointing to a bench in Lahores Gol Bagh. That was when the decision to create Pakistan was made. Someone came and told me that there is a curfew in the city, what are you doing sitting over here? I said I didnt even know there was a curfew.

At the time, Khanna, who was a youth worker for Mahatma Gandhis Indian National Congress party, opposed partition.

I thought that partition was a mistake. This was the thought at the start, and its the same now. Its wrong, and should not have happened on religious grounds.

Soon, it is time to move towards Sheikhpura, Khannas familys hometown.

Everything is the same, there are no differences

A bustling city of about a million people in Pakistans northern Punjab province, the Sheikhupura of today bears little resemblance to the place where Khanna grew up. Nevertheless, he is able to track down his neighbourhood of Guru Nanak Pura (now known as Jinnah Park, after Pakistans founder) with little trouble.

We knew where it was, and the neighbourhood was the same. There is no room for it to change. Theres no space, he says.

As he enters the street that he grew up in, he points to a small concrete building at the end of the alley.

This is my old house, he says, taking a hesitant step towards it.

When partition occurred, refugee families on both sides of the border were often housed in homes vacated by those who had fled to the other side. And so it was here  a migrating Muslim family had moved into Khannas family home.

They have made some changes to it over the years, but it is still recognisable to a visibly moved Khanna, who walks through the rooms, his eyes wide in wonder.

This is great, he says, touching the palms of his hands to the surface of his old wooden desk, and then to his forehead, repeatedly. Wow, he says.

The current occupants show him around, allowing him to dwell on his familys old belongings, and his own memories.

The book belongs to the person who reads it, he says, as he leaves the house. The pen belongs to the person who writes with it, and the house belongs to the one who lives in it. The house is theirs now.

A few days later, Khanna visits his old school, shown around by the government-run institutes headmaster. He points to a wall over which he once jumped to escape from class, to raucous laughter from the teachers, and answers questions from students excited to meet a rare visitor from the other side of the border.

And then it is time to return to India.

My heart doesnt feel like leaving. I feel like staying here for two more days, he tells his brother, who insists it is time to go.

On his return to Meerut, Khanna is mobbed by his children and grandchildren, anxious to hear his stories. But he is quiet, responding to their flurry of questions with short, simple answers.

When asked later what it felt like to be in his old town again, Khanna sounds almost melancholic.

I felt like I was walking around in Punjab  not in India or in Pakistan. And I was just enjoying myself doing that. I didnt feel like I was in India or Pakistan. The same people, the same faces, everything is the same, there are no differences.

Asad Hashim is Al Jazeeras Web Correspondent in Pakistan. He tweets @AsadHashim.

Watch Khannas journey in Going Back to Pakistan on Witness.
The Palestinian family fought for years in Israeli court to keep the home where they have lived since 1964.

Sheikh Jarrah, Occupied East Jerusalem  At the Shamasne familys basement home in Sheikh Jarrah, days before a final deadline to evacuate the property, there was no sign that the occupants intended to leave.

Dozens of ceramic teacups and bowls filled the kitchen cupboards, and the fridge was well stocked.

I will not evacuate voluntarily, said Mohammed Shamasne, a 45-year-old Palestinian who has resided in this home in occupied East Jerusalem his whole life. His parents first moved into the house in 1964, and they still live there, along with Mohammed, his wife and four children.

The Israeli high court has ruled that the family must evacuate the home before August 9, but Mohammed said his family would not hand over the keys voluntarily and would have to be forcibly removed.

The government has not made any offers of alternative housing, he told Al Jazeera. They dont care what happens to me. They will take us and throw us in the street.

READ MORE: Palestinians in East Jerusalem battle for their homes

When the Shamasne family first moved here in the 1960s, East Jerusalem was controlled by Jordan, and they paid a monthly rent to Jordanian authorities. Since Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967, the Shamasne family has paid their rent to Israels general custodian in order to remain in the building.

The family said that in 2009, their payments were suddenly rejected, and they were informed that the property had been claimed by Israeli Jews whose ancestors had lived there decades previously.

During the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, Jordan took control of East Jerusalem and thousands of Jews fled that half of the city. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian families fled or were expelled from the territory that would become Israel, before settling in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and elsewhere.

Under Israeli law, Jews who can prove ownership of property in East Jerusalem before 1948 are able to reclaim properties from the Israeli general custodian. There is no equivalent law for Palestinians who owned property before 1948 in West Jerusalem or other areas that became Israel.

The Shamasne family appealed against the 2009 decision and their case was eventually rejected by the Israeli high court in 2013, paving the way for their eviction. For four years, they were allowed to stay in the home  but just last month, they received a final eviction notice.

When we went through the Israeli judicial system, we knew they were not fair and that they were biased towards the Israelis, but we had to take this step, said Mohammed. After we lost the case in 2013, there were no more legal avenues for us.

At a recent demonstration in Sheikh Jarrah, organised to raise awareness about the Shamasne case, dozens of Israeli activists and local residents called for the eviction order to be cancelled and decried the governments support for Jewish-only settlements in occupied Palestinian territory. Mohammed led the group in a march around the neighbourhood to the sound of drumming and anti-occupation chants.

Nasser Ghawi, who was himself evicted in the most recent wave of evictions in Sheikh Jarrah in 2009, joined the crowd to show solidarity with the Shamasne family.

I dont believe there is anybody in the [Israeli] state who does not want to Judaise the state, Ghawi told Al Jazeera. I dont think that anything can stop the evacuation. The settlers are like wolves and they want to eat everything in Sheikh Jarrah.

Maybe [the evictions] will stop if Israel can understand our right to be in East Jerusalem, because, as the whole world knows, East Jerusalem is the Palestinian capital, he added. So what peace are they talking about if they dont want a Palestinian community in East Jerusalem?

READ MORE: Why Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel

Close to Jerusalems Old City and home to important historic and religious sites, Sheikh Jarrah has a strategic importance and would be strongly contested in any future peace negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships.

According to the Israeli NGO Peace Now, the Shamasne eviction is part of a wider government process to establish settlements in the Palestinian neighbourhood and create obstacles to a future compromise on the status of Jerusalem.

In July, a number of settlement-building projects in Sheikh Jarrah were advanced by the Jerusalem building committee, including plans to build a six-storey Jewish religious school and dormitories for the students. Of the four separate plans that were approved for the neighbourhood, two would require the demolition of buildings that are currently home to five Palestinian families, according to Israeli rights group Ir Amim.

Given how inflammatory it is for settlers to be moving directly into the hearts of Palestinian neighbourhoods, the rash of recent plans in Sheikh Jarrah could not be more problematic, said Betty Herschman, director of international relations and advocacy at Ir Amim.

The new plans will displace Palestinians to accommodate masses of Jewish students and their teachers, imposing a major piece of architecture at the entrance to their neighbourhood that virtually screams This is ours,' she added.
About 240,000 foreign maids work in Singaporean homes, but those from Myanmar are among the most vulnerable.

Girls from Myanmar, some as young as 15, continue to work illegally as maids in Singapore, despite both countries banning the practice, NGOs say.

Since 2014, the government of Myanmar has imposed a ban on domestic workers going to Singapore.

But a shelter for domestic workers in Singapore is reporting increasing numbers of women from Myanmar seeking help. Some of them are teenagers. Under Singaporean law, foreign domestic workers must be at least 23 years old.

There are also workers who are definitely under 18. It seems to be a particular problem with the Myanmar women by John Gee, Transient Workers Count Too

We see on average at least one case a week, says Stephanie Chok, from the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME), referring to underage workers from Myanmar.

Last year, 272 maids from Myanmar sought help at the shelter, up from 155 in 2015.

We are seeing more Myanmar domestic workers coming for help, says Chok. Previously, it used to be more Filipinos, Indonesians. There are some weeks in our shelter where up to 40 percent could be from Myanmar.

A 101 East investigation revealed that recruitment agents in Myanmar were giving girls passports with fake birthdates before sending them to work in Singapore.

A 15-year-old girl told 101 East she was given false documents and told to lie about her age before she was taken to Singapore, where she says she looked after two children and was forced to do housework until late at night.

A survey by Transient Workers Count Too, another non-governmental organisation, last year found that 16 of the 55 Myanmar domestic workers they interviewed had been under the age of 23 when they arrived in Singapore.

There are also workers who are definitely under 18, says the groups John Gee. It seems to be a particular problem with the Myanmar women.

READ MORE: Maids in a Malaysian dilemma

Ineffective mechanisms

Several cases involving maids from Myanmar working in Singapore have been reported by the Myanmar media in recent months.

In June, a 25-year-old Myanmar woman reportedly died after plunging from the 18th floor of an apartment building in Singapore.

In another recent case, it was reported that a 15-year-old domestic helper sustained spinal injuries after falling from her employers ninth-floor apartment.

Chok says little has changed since the Myanmar government banned domestic workers from coming to Singapore three years ago.

The women who most need help are the ones who are least able to access it by John Gee, Transient Workers Count Too

Were not seeing the ban have any real impact on the ground in terms of domestic workers being allowed to come to Singapore, she says. For us, its really business as usual.

The Myanmar Embassy in Singapore did not respond to requests for comment.

But the Singapore governments Ministry of Manpower said the number of underage foreign domestic workers was low.

A Ministry spokesperson said in a statement that it was important for authorities in the source country to ensure the accuracy of the foreign domestic worker details in the passport.

The government also expects employment agencies to carry out checks and interviews and examine workers documents.

From 2012 to 2016, the ministry took action against nine employment agencies that failed to comply with regulations.

The ministrys statement did not specify what action was taken, but agencies can face fines of up to S$5,000 ($3,668) and/or six months in prison, as well as having their licence revoked.

Other measures to detect cases of underage maids include the government conducting interviews, particularly with those who look relatively young, and a mandatory settling-in programme to educate new maids about the age requirements, the statement said.

READ MORE: Buy a discount maid at Singapores malls

Stiff fines or jail terms

About 240,000 foreign maids work in Singaporean homes. Most come from the Philippines and Indonesia but those from Myanmar are among the most vulnerable, according to NGO workers.

Chok says domestic helpers from Myanmar are less likely to speak English and often have no rest days stipulated in their contracts.

That really adds to their isolation, she says.

The Myanmar women who come to the NGOs Singapore shelter report problems ranging from unpaid wages to verbal, physical and sexual abuse by their employers.

Some also complained that their employers did not give them sufficient food, with some given only bread to eat.

I asked them, What do you do to stave off hunger? and they said they just drink water, Chok says.

Gee, from Transient Workers Count Too, says Myanmar domestic workers are more likely to be confined to their employers home and to not have access to a phone.

The women who most need help are the ones who are least able to access it, he says.

The Ministry of Manpower said employers or agencies who abuse maids face stiff fines or jail terms.

Abusers of foreign domestic workers face higher penalties of up to 1.5 times the punishment and may be banned from hiring foreign domestic workers in the future, the statement said.

Meanwhile, at the shelter run by HOME, there is not enough space to accommodate all of the women seeking help, according to Chok.

Its running at full capacity always, she says.
Pyongyang does business with dozens of countries but 80 percent of its trade is with its close ally China.

Despite being economically isolated, North Korea exports about $3bn worth of products and maintains trade relations chiefly with China, India, Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Russia, Thailand and the Philippines.

INFOGRAPHIC: North Koreas ballistic missile capabilities

The UN Security Council on Saturday imposed new sanctions on North Korea targeting the nations primary exports: minerals and animal products. The sanctions were slapped in response to ballistic missiles test last month.

READ MORE: Three things to know about North Koreas missile tests

Although China has historically been North Koreas primary trading partner and a close ally, it voted against Pyongyang at the Security Council.
Does Netanyahu need a smoke screen for his corruption scandal or is there a more sinister reason for banning Al Jazeera?

The present attempt by the government of Israel to close down Al Jazeeras offices in Jerusalem reflects a potentially far-reaching shift in the perceived power and role of critical media, not just in the Israeli occupation of Palestine, but across the Arab world and larger Middle East and North Africa.

The move is particularly odd since Al Jazeera and Israel have long had a symbiotic, if often adversarial, relationship. Despite long-standing and often harsh criticism of the Israeli occupation and its policies, Israel has afforded the channel relatively wide latitude in its coverage. There have been repeated grumblings over the years, and threats to close down its bureaus, but it hasnt prevented coverage and commentary by Al Jazeeras staff and contributing writers.





Al Jazeeras offices  like other media organisations  have been located for years in the same complex as the Government Press Office. Showing up for press credentials from the network has never caused any more trouble than Ive experienced when I requested credentials for US news organisations, for example. In fact, it often felt like the relationship with Al Jazeera was a source of pride for Israeli media and press officials, one that reflected the unique set of circumstances that served each side well.

For Israel, Al Jazeera, particularly the original Arab network, provided the government unprecedented opportunities to speak to Arab citizens across the region, beginning in the 1990s  at the height of the Olso peace process. The fact that Al Jazeera allowed Israeli officials and, through its reports, ordinary citizens to speak unfiltered was an unprecedented opening for Israel to the outside world, an opening worth what it perceived as negative coverage.

On the other hand, Al Jazeeras access to Israeli officials and commentators gave the network a chance to expand on the usual narrow set of viewpoints presented in other Arab networks and to challenge  on the air  the official Israeli narrative.

So why, after allowing Al Jazeera to operate during some of the most intense violence of the occupation (including the sieges of Nablus and Jenin and the various and increasingly deadly attacks on Gaza), would the Israeli government suddenly feel its so important to terminate Al Jazeeras presence in Jerusalem?

Is it to push attention away from the two corruption investigations of Benjamin Netanyahu  a scandal that some media have called the most serious political crisis for the Israeli PM? Perhaps Al Jazeera is a convenient scapegoat for Netanyahus failures and his increasing lack of popularity at home.

READ MORE: Al Jazeera statement on Israels plan to ban network

Or perhaps Israel is jumping on the bandwagon of the campaign against Al Jazeera launched by Saudi Arabia and the UAE?

It could be that Israeli media experts sense that the attacks on Qatar and Al Jazeera by so many other Arab governments are beginning to gain steam in the Arab public sphere, and thus Israel is trying, in its own twisted way, to support them, as a way of gaining favourable coverage in their official media.

Israeli Communications Minister Ayoub Kara has tried to justify the move by accusing Al Jazeera of causing Israel to lose the lives of the best of our sons, adding when we see that all these countries have determined as fact that Al Jazeera is a tool of the Islamic State [group], Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, and we are the only one who have not determined that, then something ludicrous is happening here. The ludicrousness of the charge that Al Jazeera is enabling the killing of Israeli soldiers is not relevant here; what matters is how Israel is trying to position itself as part of a larger, Arab-led, coalition against terrorism.

It also could be that the Israeli government has developed such good, and more or less open, relationships with Arab governments across the region that it no longer needs access to Al Jazeeras viewers. Perhaps the Israeli government has decided that it simply can do without communicating with Arab people directly, since both the rise of intense illiberalism, censorship and sectarianism have rendered such policies superfluous, and the changing mood in the Arab and official public spheres mean that many Arabs no longer even care about Israel or the occupation have equally rendered the exposure Al Jazeera afforded Israelis no longer important.

There is one other possibility, however: That Al Jazeera has become more dangerous than ever. The rise of the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement to global prominence as a mechanism of worldwide resistance to the occupation has occurred, in good measure, because of the constant negative media coverage of Israels intensifying grip on Palestine.

Among mainstream or major media outlets, few have been as successful and focused on placing the realities of the occupation before the court of world opinion as Al Jazeera and The Guardian. Thus, the attempt to shut it down now could be the result of a determination that its coverage is, in fact, seriously harming Israels standing internationally, and, perhaps even more worryingly, that the government plans on engaging in actions in the near future  from another all-out assault on Gaza to the de facto or de jure annexation of significant territory in the West Bank  that it cannot afford to have covered in the critical manner that Al Jazeera would provide.

Whatever the reasons for the change in policy, the decision to force Al Jazeera from Jerusalem hints at a shift in Israeli strategic calculations that should worry anyone who cares not just about freedom of the press, but about the explosion of yet another Israeli-Palestinian war.

Mark LeVine is a professor of Middle Eastern history at the University of California, Irvine, and a distinguished visiting professor at Lund University.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Activists demand BJP leaders removal accusing him of putting pressure on police to drop kidnapping charges against son.

Womens rights campaigners and opposition leaders in India have accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Haryana state of putting pressure on police to protect a ruling party officials son, who was accused of attempted kidnapping and sexual assault.

People on social media voiced outrage after Vikas Barala, the 23-year-old son of the BJPs state president Subhash Barala, was released on bail.

Jagmati Sangwan, the head of All India Democratic Womens Association (AIDWA) called for Subhashs resignation, claiming he had pressured police to quash the kidnapping and sexual assault charges.

Sangwan accused the BJP leader of political interference in the police probe.

The Haryana state is ruled by the party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has so far not commented on the issue.

Hundreds took part in protests across the state on Monday and burned effigies of Barala, Sangwan said.





The case is at the centre of a media storm in India, where scrutiny of sexual violence has grown since the 2012 gang rape and murder of a student in New Delhi.

It began on Saturday when 29-year-old Varnika Kundu said she was nearly kidnapped while driving in Chandigarh, the capital of Haryana.

In a widely shared Facebook post, she said two men in a car had followed her as she drove home around midnight on Friday, blocked her path and attempted to force open the doors of her car.

Kundu, the daughter of a senior Haryana bureaucrat, said she was rescued by the police.

The two suspects included Vikas and his friend Ashish Kumar, 27, local media reported.

They were arrested but freed within hours on bail, and face charges of stalking and drunk driving, both of which are bailable offences.

Kundu and AIDWA want the police to press harsher charges against the suspects.

Im also lucky, because Im not lying raped and murdered in a ditch somewhere, Kundu wrote on her Facebook page.

Police in Chandigarh, however, have denied allegations of political pressure.

We are looking into the matter from all the perspectives, said Eish Sehgal, a police spokesman, told reporters on Monday. We dont want to investigate the matter under any pressure.

Victim-blaming

Manohar Lal Khattar, the chief minister of Haryana state, has dismissed calls for Subhashs resignation and said justice would prevail.

The accused will be punished once found guilty, he said.

Kirron Kher, a BJP member who represents Chandigarh in Indias parliament, meanwhile denied media reports that CCTV footage along the streets Kundu drove had gone missing.

The police said it was looking into the matter, the ANI news agency said.

READ MORE: Digital tool teaches Indian boys about gender equality

Ramveer Bhatti, Baralas deputy, meanwhile invited derision when he, in an interview with CNN-News18 TV, questioned why Kundu was roaming around at night.

Sangwan, the womens rights campaigner, criticised what she called victim blaming by BJP officials, saying it was sending a very damaging signal to the women of India.

They are all commenting on her character. What about their son? she asked.

We are demanding a public apology from [the BJP], and the removal of Barala because he himself is intervening in the polices work. We also want charges of kidnapping and sexual assault against his son, she said.

AIDWA plans to hold protests on Tuesday and Wednesday, too, she said.

Bhattis comments also ignited social media in India. The hashtag ChandigarhStalking was the top trend on Twitter throughout the day on Monday.

https://twitter.com/HasibaAmin/status/894631464817483776

EXACTLY 

Who are you to ask me what I was doing? Whether it is 3 am or 3 pm, it is nobodys business: Varnika Kundupic.twitter.com/zfcUlmDSYH  Aarti (@aartic02) August 7, 2017

Unwillingness of law enforcement authorities to believe women who report sexual crimes, the immediate slut shaming https://t.co/k3umqwnlG3  Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) August 7, 2017

BRK:In FIR in #Chandigarhstalking, Varnika clearly said attempt to kidnap & outrage modesty by stalkers a.Why wer nonbailable chargs droppd? pic.twitter.com/YAxTtERv2L  Rohan Dua (@rohanduaTOI) August 7, 2017

New slogan of #BJP "Beti Darao, Beta Bachao" (Scare the Daughter , Save the Boy) #ChandigarhStalking  Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) August 7, 2017

Opposition parties meanwhile joined the call for Baralas resignation, also accusing him of a cover-up.

Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition congress, said the BJP must not collude with the suspects and the mindset they represent.

Condemn attempt to kidnap&outrage modesty of young lady in Chdgrh.BJPGovt mst punish the guilty;not colludeW/culprits&mindset they represent  Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 6, 2017

Kundus father, Virender Kundu, who works at the Haryana tourism department, said obtaining justice for his daughter was not going to be easy.

Influential families can sometimes take desperate measures to discredit or disable the complainants, he said in a Facebook post on Sunday.

He added: I feel if people with some privileges like us cannot stand up to such criminals, nobody in India can.








Clashes followed attack by BDK members on Kinshasas main prison and protests by other members against President Kabila.

Congolese security forces killed at least 14 members of secessionist rebel group Bundu dia Kongo (BDK) on Monday during clashes in the capital Kinshasa and southwestern city of Matadi.

At least one police officer also died, police said.

The clashes followed an attack by BDK members on Kinshasas main prison and demonstrations by other members against Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila in Kinshasa, Matadi and the southwestern city of Boma, witnesses and security sources said.





A series of large-scale prison breaks across the DRC in the past few months has aggravated insecurity since Kabila refused to step down after his mandate expired in December.

Assailants wearing red headbands characteristic of BDK members staged the attack on the high-security Makala prison but did not make it past the front door, a witness inside the prison told Reuters news agency.

We woke up to the deafening noise of gunshots, said the witness, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions. He said he had seen police and soldiers gather several bodies outside the prison walls.

BDK leader and self-styled prophet Ne Muanda Nsemi escaped from prison in May and had called on his supporters to rise up this Monday against Kabila, whom Nsemi accuses of being Rwandan  seen as a slur and quite commonly used by the presidents opponents.

The group aims to revive the pre-colonial Kongo kingdom, which thrived for centuries around the mouth of the Congo River.

Government orders internet slowdown

BDK demonstrators on Monday held signs that read, Rwanda for Rwandans. Congo for Congolese. Get out, Kanambe, using another slur to refer to Kabila.

The BDK movement is one of just many sources of opposition of Kabila that threaten to plunge the vast, mineral-rich central country into chaos. The opposition has called for nationwide strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Fearing further unrest, Congolese authorities on Monday ordered internet capacity be slowed down so that it cannot be used to transmit images via social media.

OPINION: Congo  A dictators dilemma

In order to prevent the exchange of abusive images via social media by your subscribers, I ask you to  take technical measures to restrict to a minimum the capacity to transmit images, post and telecoms chief regulator Oscar Manikunda Musata said in a signed letter seen by Reuters.

He listed social media he wanted the measure to target, including Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram and Twitter.

Police spokesman Pierrot Mwanamputu said in a statement that 12 BDK assailants in Kinshasa, armed with calibre-12 rifles and bladed weapons, were killed by stray bullets fired by security forces to disperse them.

The attackers killed one policeman.

Two others were killed in the southwestern town of Matadi, where three police officers were also injured, he added.

READ MORE: The Atlantic to Kinshasa  A journey on the River Congo

A security source told Reuters two army officers had been killed in Kinshasa while the citys police commissioner General Sylvano Kasongo told Reuters no one escaped from the prison.

Around 4,000 prisoners, including Nsemi, escaped from Makala in May during an attack by suspected BDK members.

The mounting unrest has led some of Kabilas allies to call for a state of emergency.

More than 50 people were killed on Friday in the southeast in inter-ethnic clashes, part of rising violence by armed groups across the country.

Ruling on killing of UN experts

In a separate development, a military tribunal in Kananga, in the DRCs troubled region of Kasai, gave an important procedural ruling on Monday in the case of two UN experts who were killed in March.

Michael Sharp, an American, and Zaida Catalan, a Swedish-Chilean dual national, were found murdered after they went to investigate violence in the region which began to flare in August 2016.

A UN specialist panel in New York said the attack was an ambush and did not rule out that members of the security forces may have been involved.

The tribunal, which is ruling in the case, gave the go-ahead for all parties to go to the scene of the crime.

The visit will take place on August 21, it said.
Tehran says 27 suspects tried to smuggle weapons and ammunition hidden inside home appliances for planned attacks.

Iran has arrested 27 people plotting attacks for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group, including 10 who were arrested in a regional country, the intelligence ministry said.

Intelligence agents succeeded in identifying and arresting a terrorist group linked to Daesh, who intended to conduct terrorist attacks in central provinces and religious cities, a ministry statement said on Monday, using the Arabic name for ISIL.

Ten of the suspects were arrested outside Iran through intelligence-sharing with one of the intelligence services in the region, the statement said, without naming the country or giving further details.

ISIL attack in Iran: Why now and what will happen next?

Five of the 17 were due to carry out the attacks in Iran, and the other 12 were supporting them, the statement said.

Weapons and ammunition were also recovered during the arrests, and the suspects were reportedly trying to smuggle them into Iran inside home appliances.

Tehran suffered a rare and deadly twin attack on June 7, claimed by ISIL, when gunmen and suicide bombers attacked the parliament complex and the mausoleum of revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, killing 18 people.

Iranian security officials have since arrested dozens of suspects linked to the attack, and claim to have killed its chief planner.

On June 19, Iran also fired missiles into north-eastern Syria in retaliation, targeting an ISIL command base in Deir Az Zor province.

ISIL fighters have threatened more attacks against Irans majority Shia population.

On Sunday, Iranian media said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had killed two people in clashes with a group of fighters in the north-west of the country, where shootouts with Iranian Kurdish fighters based in Iraq are common.
An Israeli court has decided to strip a Palestinian citizen of Israel of his citizenship, sources said Monday, in what rights group said was the first ruling of its kind.

The Haifa district court ruled to strip Alaa Zayoud of his citizenship on Sunday by applying a 2008 law that allows the interior ministry to deprive nationality from those involved in so-called terrorist activities, the sources said.

Adalah, an Arab rights group based in Israel, said it was the first court decision of its kind.

Zayoud, a 22-year-old from Umm al-Fahm, was convicted on four counts of attempted murder after he allegedly drove a car into Israeli soldiers in October 2015.

He was sentenced to 25 years in jail in June 2016.

His mother is an Israeli citizen, while his father is a Palestinian with permanent residence in Israel.

READ MORE: Israel to revoke Jerusalem residency of Palestinians

Adalah and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel in a joint statement said they would appeal against the ruling to the Supreme Court.

The court ruling allows the revocation of Alaa Zayouds citizenship [and] sets a most dangerous precedent. It is no coincidence that the concerned individual is an Arab citizen, the statement said.

There has never been a request to revoke the citizenship of a Jewish citizen, even when Jewish citizens were involved in serious and grave crimes, the statement added.

In 1996, the top court rejected a request to revoke the citizenship of Israeli Jewish citizen Yigal Amir, who assassinated then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995.

Unfortunately, the court today did not follow the lead of the Supreme Court which refused to order the revocation of the citizenship of Yigal Amir, assassin of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the rights groups said.

INTERACTIVE: Mapping the dead in latest Israeli-Palestinian violence

In July, Israels interior minister sought to revoke the citizenship of Palestinian activist Azmi Bishara, who is currently based in Qatar.

Palestinians who reside in Israel are the descendents of Palestinians who remained on their land when Israel was established in 1948.

They number around 1.8 million, nearly 20 percent of Israels population.

Since a wave of violence erupted in October 2015, more than 290 Palestinians and 47 Israelis have been killed, according to a toll by the AFP news agency.
Visit comes two weeks since a surge in violence in Jerusalem after Israel installed metal detectors at al-Aqsa Mosque.

Jordans King Abdullah II has begun a rare visit to the occupied West Bank to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, amid shared tensions with Israel over the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Abbas and Abdullah met for about two hours, after a red-carpet welcome for the king at the Palestinian government compound in the city of Ramallah.

Abbas thanked the king for efforts made on behalf of the Palestinians, including during the al-Aqsa crisis, said Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh.

Abdullah expressed support for Abbas and the Palestinians, the spokesman said.





The kings West Bank visit, his first in five years, comes two weeks since a surge in violence in Jerusalem after Israel installed metal detectors at entrances to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound  Islams third holiest site.

Jordan serves as the custodian of the site, which houses the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock shrine. The western wall of the compound is sacred to Jews.

Abdullahs role as custodian of the shrine is a key component of his legitimacy.

Al Jazeeras Scott Heidler, reporting from West Jersualem, said the two leaders agreed to form a crisis committee over the al-Aqsa compound.

They say there is a habitual encroachment by Israeli forces on the Al-Aqsa compound. And they want to work closer together to deal with future crises, which they say are inevitable because of the way Israel is dealing with the issue.

Moving forward, they are going to form a committee. They also said they will better coordinate and come up with a better plan when it comes to communications over the Al-Aqsa compound.

The crisis erupted when Israel installed metal detectors at the shrine after gunmen killed two Israeli policemen there. The gunmen were Palestinian citizens of Israel.

READ MORE: Sheikh Jarrah family faces eviction to benefit settlers

The restrictive measures triggered protests by Muslims, which forced Israel to remove the devices.

Abbas suspended security ties with Israel over the crisis.

In a separate incident last month, an Israeli security guard at Israels Amman mission compound killed a Jordanian teenager who he accused of attacking him. A bystander was also killed in the shooting.

King Abdullah harshly criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for warmly welcoming the security guard, who flew back to Israel.

Israeli police say an investigation into the deaths is being conducted.

The Israeli prime minister has to adhere to his responsibilities and take the legal measures that guarantee the killers trial instead of dealing with this crime in a political, showyamanner aimed at making personal political gains, Abdullah said last month.

Since the embassy shooting, Abdullah has said he would donate $1.4m to the Muslim administration of the shrine.

Separately, Abbas has said his self-rule government in the occupied West Bank will allocate $25m to improve services for Palestinians in Jerusalem.
Pyongyang says it will never put nuclear and missiles programmes on negotiating table, after US-led sanctions.

North Korea is ready to give the United States a severe lesson if Washington takes military action against Pyongyang, pledging it will under no circumstances put its nuclear weapons and ballistic programmes on the negotiating table, the countrys foreign minister has said.

We will under no circumstances put the nukes and ballistics rockets on [the] negotiating table, Ri Yong-ho said in a statement released on Monday in the Philippine capital Manila, where he was attending a regional meeting of the Association of the South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Neither shall we flinch even an inch from the road to bolstering up the nuclear forces chosen by ourselves unless the hostile policy and nuclear threat of the US against the DPRK [North Korea] are fundamentally eliminated.

INFOGRAPHIC: Who are North Koreas trade partners?

Ri said that the situation on the Korean Peninsula was becoming more extreme because of arbitrary actions by the US.

We have no intention to use nuclear weapons against or threaten with nuclear weapons any other country except the US unless it joins military action of the US against North Korea, he said.

The warning came two days after the UN Security Council unanimously approved new sanctions to punish North Korea, including a ban on coal and other exports worth over $1bn, for its Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) test-launches last month.

Tillersons remarks

North Korea was under fire at the ASEAN forum in Manila, where US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Pyongyang should signal it was prepared to resume talks by stopping its missile tests.

The best signal that North Korea could send that theyre prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches, said Tillerson.





However, he said it was not a matter of stopping the launches by a specific number of days or weeks.

This is really about the spirit of these talks, he said. And they can demonstrate that they are ready to sit in the spirit of finding their way forward in these talks by no longer conducting these missile tests.

Tillerson discussed the need to ramp up international pressure on North Korea to force it to abandon its nuclear weapons programmes in meetings with Australia, Japan and South Korea.

Tillerson, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono condemned in the strongest terms North Koreas unlawful pursuit of a nuclear weapons programme and unprecedented ballistic missile activity since last year.

They called on the 10-nation ASEAN bloc to maximise pressure on North Korea.

READ MORE: What are Trumps options on North Korea?

In an earlier statement released via its official KCNA news agency, North Korea threatened to make the US pay the price for its crime thousands of times for drafting the sanctions, which were supported by North Koreas ally, China.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who also attended the meeting, warned North Korea that Beijing, which is Pyongyangs biggest trading partner, would be resolute in implementing the sanctions.

China will for sure implement that new resolution 100 percent, fully and strictly, Wang told reporters, according to a translator.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who held a meeting with Ri, called for a de-escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Pyongyang also hit out at Beijing and Moscow, which has also offered North Korea diplomatic cover in the past.

On Sunday, North Koreas Foreign Minister Ri rejected Seouls offer of military talks saying it lacked sincerity, South Korean Yonhap news agency reported.
Punishing measures are in violent violation of Norths sovereignty, Pyongyang says, as it rejects offers of talks.

North Korea has come out fighting following fresh UN Security Council sanctions on Pyongyang and after the United States and South Korea celebrated the punishing measures.

North Korea on Monday condemned the sanctions imposed in response to its weapons programmes, saying it would not negotiate over nuclear arms while threatened by the US.

The sanctions passed at the weekend were a violent violation of our sovereignty, Pyongyang said in a statement carried by its official Korean Central News Agency, adding it would take righteous action in return.

The sanctions passed at the weekend were a violent violation of our sovereignty, Pyongyang said in a statement carried by its official Korean Central News Agency, adding it would take righteous action in return.





We will not put our self-defensive nuclear deterrent on the negotiating table while it faced threats from Washington, it said, and will never take a single step back from strengthening our nuclear might.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted on Saturday a US-led resolution, which bans mineral and seafood exports from North Korea worth more than $1bn.

China, a close ally of North Korea, also voted in favour of the sanctions.

The US and its regional allies, South Korea and Japan, have been alarmed in the wake of the test-launch of two Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) last month, which are believed to be capable of striking anywhere in the mainland US.

Top diplomats meet in Manila

Meanwhile, several Asian foreign ministers, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, are currently gathered in the Philippine capital, Manila, for an ASEAN regional summit.

There, North Korea on Sunday dismissed offers of talks from South Korea during a rare exchange between the two rivals foreign ministers, according to Seouls state-funded Yonhap news agency.

South Koreas Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha shook hands with her Northern counterpart, Ri Yong-Ho, before a forum dinner.

In the brief encounter, Kang urged Ri to accept Seouls offers of military talks to lower tensions on the divided peninsula, and for discussions on a new round of reunions for divided families.

Given the current situation in which the South collaborates with the US to heap pressure on the North, such proposals lacked sincerity, an unnamed South Korean foreign ministry official has quoted Ri as saying in response.

RELATED: Three things to know about North Koreas missile tests

Kang reiterated the Souths sincerity and repeated a call for Pyongyang to come forward for talks, the official told Yonhap.

Al Jazeeras Kathy Novak, reporting from Seoul, said: South Korea wants to say with the recent moves that the dialogue offer is on the table, but they wont be bullied and will impose more sanctions on North Korea in case of ballistic missile tests.

Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi supported South Koreas initiative, calling it a step in the right direction.

Al Jazeeras Jamela Alindogan, reporting from Manila, said that the cooperation of China to put pressure on North Korea might signal a shift in approach and policy of Pyongyang.

However, it remains to be seen whether the latest developments will produce concrete results or not, she said.

Moon and Trump discuss crisis

News of the brief encounter between the Koreas came as Moon Jae-In, South Koreas president, and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, agreed to apply maximum pressure on North Korea.

During a phone call Moon told Trump that South Korea cannot let another war to break out on the peninsula after the 1950-53 Korean War that sealed the division of two Koreas, the presidential Blue House said in a statement.

Even a conventional conflict on the peninsula could cost a million dead or wounded within months, estimates say.





The encounter of the foreign ministers was the first time cabinet-level officials from the two Koreas had met since Moon, who urges engagement with North Korea as well as sanctions to bring it to the negotiating table, took power in May.

Moons policy that is open to engagement with North Korea is different from his two conservative predecessors, who tended to reject anything less than strict enforcement of sanctions and punishment of Pyongyang.

Meanwhile, the US, Japan and South Korea have welcomed the tough new UN sanctions, as China cautiously approved of them but reiterated a call for dialogue.

North Korea has been conducting nuclear and ballistic missile tests despite warnings issued and sanctions imposed by the international community.
Milli Muslim League launched by Jamaat-ud-Dawa, whose chief is under US and UN terrorist sanctions.

Islamabad, Pakistan  A Pakistani charity designated by the United Nations as a front for armed group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) launched a political party on Monday, in a move that could see the anti-India group accused of carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attacks, enter mainstream national politics.

Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the chief of the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) organisation that launched the party, has been designated by the UN as a terrorist, and the United States has had a $10m bounty on his head since 2012 for his alleged role as the leader of LeT armed group.

Pakistani police have held Saeed under house arrest in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore since January under local anti-terrorism laws. His detention was extended for a further two months on August 1.

READ MORE: Despite sanctions, Pakistans terrorists thrive

The UN sanctions include the freezing of all assets, a ban on international travel, and an arms embargo.

At the formal launch of the Milli Muslim League (MML) party in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Monday, party chief Saifullah Khalid was clear that he held Saeed in high regard, although the question of what role he would play in the party remained an unanswered one.

What role he will play in the Milli Muslim League or in Pakistans ongoing politics will be seen after Allah ensures his release, said Akhtar, adding that the issue of Saeeds release was high on the MMLs agenda.

[Once he is released] we will meet him and ask him what role he would like to play [in the party]. He is the leader of Pakistan.

Link to Mumbai attack

Saeed has repeatedly denied any role in planning the coordinated attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai in 2008, which killed more than 160 people.

He also said that his JuD charity is distinct from LeT and has no connection with it.

The US, as well as several international governments and security analysts, however, disagree with that assertion, listing JuD as one of a number of charitable front organisations for LeT, with Saeed listed as the groups leader.





The UN listed LeT on an international sanctions list in 2005 for participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf or in support of [] supplying, selling or transferring arms and related material to [] or otherwise supporting acts or activities of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden and the Afghan Taliban.

Cooperation

The Pakistani government lists JuD as under observation on a list of banned terrorist organisations, rather than banning the group outright.

In 2015, Pakistans media regulator banned all coverage of the groups humanitarian activities by the countrys news media.

LeT has been listed as a terrorist organisation by Pakistan since 2002.

The MML party has submitted registration documents to Pakistans Election Commission, said Akhtar, but it was unclear if the partys links to JuD would prevent its official registration, which is required to put up candidates for elections.

Khalid said that the MML will work in close conjunction with JuD, which has a network of thousands of volunteers across Pakistan who work mainly in the education and disaster and medical relief sectors.

We will maintain coordination with Jamaat-ud-Dawa and all other like-minded organisations that hold the ideology of Pakistan  we will offer them our cooperation, and accept theirs.

Indias reaction

Mondays developments are likely to draw a sharp reaction from India, Pakistans neighbour to the east with whom it has fought three wars.





India has sharply criticised what it terms Pakistans tolerance of LeT and apparent unwillingness to prosecute those it deems responsible for the attack in Mumbai and numerous other attacks on the Indian military in the disputed region of Kashmir.

Khalid has long been a member of the JuDs central leadership.

In June, he led funeral prayers in absentia for those killed by Indian security forces in Kashmir, Indian media reported.

Ayesha Siddiqa, a security analyst, told the Reuters news agency that the new party was designed to cloak the group amid heightening pressure from the international community on Pakistan to crack down on LeT and JuD.

The making of a party indicates the need of JuD to hide itself further so to avoid criticism, Siddiqa told the news agency.

While Saeed was unable to attend the MMLs launch event in Islamabad owing to his arrest, Yahya Mujahid, a close aide and also subject to UN terrorism sanctions, was present at the news conference.

He confirmed to Al Jazeera that Saeed was challenging his detention in Pakistani courts.

He is in high spirits, said Mujahid.

Asad Hashim is Al Jazeeras Web Correspondent in Pakistan. He tweets @AsadHashim.








Rights groups decry death of 31-year-old Hamed Shamshiripour, who was found hanging by a tree, as an absolute tragedy.

An asylum seeker being held at an Australian detention camp on Manus Island has been found dead, hanging from a tree.

Hamed Shamshiripour, a 31-year-old Iranian national, was found near the East Lorengau refugee transit centre on Papua New Guineas Manus Island on Monday.

The Australian immigration department said it was aware of the death and the Papua New Guinea authorities are investigating the matter.

The circumstances surrounding Shamshiripours death are unclear.

But refugees on Manus are questioning initial reports that he had committed suicide after injuries were reportedly found on his body.

READ MORE: Why Australia is paying a $53m asylum seeker settlement

Shamshiripours death has sparked outrage by other refugees and human rights groups who blame officials for failing to treat him despite a long history of mental illness.

Behrouz Boochani, a journalist and Iranian refugee who has been held on Manus Island since 2013, said on Twitter that eight months ago, refugees had sent a letter to authorities stating [Shamshiripour] needs medical treatment.

He added that authorities did not care.

There are currently more than 790 asylum seekers are being held on Manus Island, according to government data from July.

Under Australian law, anyone intercepted while trying to reach the country by boat is sent to detention centres on Manus Island or the Pacific island of Nauru for processing.

The Australian government maintains they will never be eligible to be resettled in Australia.

Absolute tragedy

Rights groups, as well as the United Nations, have condemned the prison centres as inhumane.





Kon Karapanagiotidis, the chief executive of the Melbourne-based Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, said Shamshiripour would be alive today if an Oz hospital [got him] the urgent care he needed.

Daniel Webb, the director of legal advocacy at the Human Rights Law Centre, called the asylum seekers death an absolute tragedy.

This man deserved to be treated with basic decency and respect  Instead, [the Australian] government chose to be cruel, imprisoning him indefinitely on a remote island in truly awful conditions, he said in a statement.

#Manus Island 5 refugees now dead due to Oz Gov neglect Australian run 1,671 days 3 billion $ spent 850 imprisoned 0 safely settled pic.twitter.com/pTQBUqoFd7  Kon Karapanagiotidis (@Kon__K) August 7, 2017

Shamshiripour is the fifth man held on Manus Island, and the seventh refugee in total, that has died while detained in offshore processing centres since the Australian government began the policy in 2013.

A Papua New Guinea court ruled last year that the detention centre on Manus was unconstitutional, and Australia is set to close it by the end of October.

Many at the detention prison have refused to leave the camp and go to transit centres such as the facility where Shamshiripour was being held out of fear the local population will attack them.

Evacuate all

Refugees at the Manus Island prison camp had been protesting their treatment earlier this week following the leak of phone transcripts of a conversation between Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and US President Donald Trump.

The two leaders discussed a refugee deal between Australia and Trumps predecessor Barack Obama that would resettle up to 1,250 asylum seekers held in offshore prisons.

READ MORE: Offshore and off limits: Australias refugee centres

Trump is heard telling Australian prime minister that the agreement is stupid, while Turnbull calls on the US president to respect the deal, but implies that the agreement does not mean the US would have to take any refugees, only vet them.

Following Shamshiripours death, rights groups called on the Australian government to immediately evacuate those being held on Manus and Nauru.

Our government cannot guarantee their safety or that a single person will be resettled in America, the HRLCs Webb said.

After four years of fear and violence and shootings and death, the only humane and responsible way forward is to immediately evacuate every single man, woman and child held on Nauru to Manus to safety.

Otherwise, further tragedy is inevitable.
Rights groups, journalists and observers criticise Israels decision to shut down Al Jazeeras operation in Jerusalem.

Rights groups, journalists and media organisations have condemned Israels decision to shut down Al Jazeeras operations in Jerusalem.

Anger erupted after the Israeli communications minister, Ayoub Kara, on Sunday proposed to shutter the office in Jerusalem and revoke the press credentials of the networks Arabic and English journalists there.

Al Jazeera denounces this decision made by a state that claims to be the only democratic state in the Middle East,' the network said in a statement, adding that the reasons the Israeli minister of communications used to justify such a move were odd and biased.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said that Israel should abandon its undemocratic plans and allow Al Jazeera and all journalists to report freely from the country and the areas it occupies.

Censoring Al Jazeera or closing its offices will not bring stability to the region, but it would put Israel firmly in the camp of some of the regions worst enemies of press freedom, said Sherif Mansour, CPJs Middle East and North Africa programme coordinator.

READ MORE: An open letter from Al Jazeera

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel slammed what it described as a declaration of war by the Israeli prime minister  who has repeatedly called to ban Al Jazeera  and Kara, the minister of communications.

This joins a series of steps taken by the government against freedom of expression and against anybody that criticises government policy, ACRI said.

By Monday, however, it was still unclear what the next steps would entail.

The director of Israels government press office, which issues press credentials to journalists, said it would not distribute press cards if it believed that would endanger state security.

Therefore, I have contacted the security echelon and have requested a professional opinion regarding the Al Jazeera network, said Nitzan Chen. The [government press office] will make its decision after this opinion has been received.

On social media, the announcement to close Al Jazeera in Jerusalem elicited mixed responses.

Twitter users expressed their thoughts under two Arabic hashtags; We Are All Al Jazeera and Israel Shuts Down Al Jazeera Channel.

            #    #_  Hosam Alhashlamoun (@hosamalhashlamo) August 6, 2017

Hosam Alhashlamoun: I can hardly recall a raid or war in Palestine without Al Jazeera being part of the memory.

https://twitter.com/ZiadMosaab/status/894421693699174400

Al Jazeera is the voice of truth in this era full of lies.

Israel is shutting down free press so u won't get to see its aggressions and colonial oppression live to your screens. #AlJazeera #Jerusalem  Dima Sarsour  (@YasminWaQahwa) August 6, 2017

The "only democracy in the Middle East" is now following #SaudiArabia's lead on press freedom and shutting Al Jazeera offices https://t.co/8pj31afaDM  Alex Shams (@seyyedreza) August 7, 2017

Others were quick to point that Al Jazeera has hosted Israeli military and government figures  the first Arabic channel to do so.

The irony is that #AlJazeera is one of the few (if not the only) Arab channel that invited Israeli politicians on air. https://t.co/X8LDFaM6yM  Yusuf Sarfati #IstanbulSozlesmesiYasatr (@y_sarfati) August 7, 2017

                 . #_  Yasser (@yasserashour95) August 6, 2017

The occupation closed Al Jazeeras offices and [will] revoke the press cards of its journalists. We hope that Al Jazeera will not invite an Israeli guest to comment on this issue. #No_To_Normalisation





#___

                    (@meteabsaud) August 7, 2017

The closure of Al Jazeeras offices by Israel is merely an act of polishing the channels image as an enemy of Israel for the sake of gaining Arab and Muslim sympathies.





Still, there were those who managed to see the lighter side of the situation.

After hummus, they're claiming this Arab tradition as well? https://t.co/Ds0TanWJHS  Karl Sharro (@KarlreMarks) August 6, 2017

Additional reporting by Ibrahim Husseini.
Joint operation by armed groups led to massacre of more than 50 civilians in northern province, local official says.

The Taliban and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group jointly killed scores of civilians in a village in Afghanistan, officials claimed on Monday.

If confirmed, Saturdays attack would highlight rare cooperation between the armed groups.

Fighters killed more than 50 men, women and children in the remote Sayad district of northern Sar-e Pul province after overrunning government-backed fighters of the Afghan Local Police (ALP) in a 48-hour battle, according to local officials.

It was a joint operation by ISIL and Taliban fighters, Zabihullah Amani, spokesman for the provincial governor, told AFP on Monday. They had recruited forces from other provinces of the country and attacked Mirzawalang village.

READ MORE: Afghanistan  Who controls what

The spokesman alleged that dozens of Taliban and ISIL fighters under the command of Sher Mohammad Ghazanfar, a local Taliban commander who Amani claims pledged allegiance to ISIL, launched a coordinated attack on the area on Thursday.

The fighters overran the area, and it led to the massacre of innocent and defenceless civilians, he said.





Most of those killed were shot, but some were beheaded, Amani said.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday condemned the killings as a war crime.

This barbaric act of them is deemed a direct violation of human rights and a war crime, Ghani said in a statement.

Mohammad Noor Rahmani, head of Sar-e-Puls provincial council, said 44 of the 50 victims were believed to be civilians, with ALP also suffering casualties.

This is not the final toll, he told AFP. It might change because the area is inaccessible and no telephone networks are working to get an update.

Al Jazeeras Jennifer Glasse, reporting from Kabul, said the remote area of Sar-e-Pul had been under heavy pressure for the past two years with the presence of both Taliban and ISIL-related groups.

The fighting has been difficult up there, she said.

Taliban and ISIL fighters have regularly clashed since the latter gained a foothold in eastern Afghanistan in 2015, as the two vie for supremacy in the war-torn country.

READ MORE: Father of robotics team member killed in Herat attack

An Afghan security source told AFP there had been around three incidents in the past where fighters from both groups had teamed up to deal a blow to Afghan forces in certain areas.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, confirmed to AFP that it had captured Mirzawalang village but said it had done so alone.

It was an independent operation by our mujahideen forces, said Mujahid. There is no cooperation with the Islamic State on the operation,

The Taliban also rejected reports of civilian casualties as hollow propaganda by the enemy.

Intense fighting

Fighting has intensified this year across Afghanistan, with multiple security incidents recorded almost daily.





Last week, dozens were killed in a suicide attack at a packed Shia mosque in the western province of Herat.

In the first half of the year, 1,662 civilians were killed and 3,581 injured, according to the UN figures.

In a recent report, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), a US oversight body, said 60 percent of Afghanistans districts are under government control, while the remaining 40 percent are held by the Taliban or other armed groups.

At least 2,531 Afghan troops were also killed between January and May, SIGAR said.

Thousands of US forces have been stationed in Afghanistan since 2001 when the US forces drove the Taliban from power.

But the armed group has since regrouped and now poses a major security challenge for the US-backed government in Kabul.
Politicians will vote in secret on no-confidence motion on President Jacob Zuma, who has faced corruption charges.

A vote of no confidence on South African President Jacob Zuma will be held by secret ballot, the parliament speaker announced, in a move that could encourage some ruling party parliament members to vote to oust him.

I  determine that voting on the motion of no confidence in the president on the 8th of August 2017 will be by secret ballot, parliamentary Speaker Baleka Mbete announced on Monday.

The vote, scheduled for Tuesday, has become a test of African National Congress (ANC) unity as senior party figures have increasingly become critical of their leader.





The president, who came to power in 2009, has been implicated in multiple corruption scandals, while the countrys economy has fallen into recession and unemployment has risen to record levels.

The 75-year-old is due to step down as head of the ANC in December, and as president before the 2019 general election  lessening pressure for his party to seek imminent change.

The Speakers decision has been subject to a long legal battle waged by opposition parties, with the Constitutional Court ruling that a secret ballot was permissible.

The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party said the vote was an opportunity for us all to stand up to corruption and get rid of President Zuma and his cabinet.

Musi Maimane, DAs leader, urged ANC lawmakers to vote Zuma out.

ANC MPs now have no excuse, he said.

Al Jazeeras Haru Mutasa, reporting from Cape Town, reported that the opposition needs at least 50 members of the ANC to vote with them to oust the president.

The parliament has 400 members.

Our correspondent reported that the secret vote could embolden some ruling party members to vote for Zumas ousting.

But she also said that the ruling party is confident that Zuma will remain in power until the end of his term in office.
The process to shut down Al Jazeeras offices in Jerusalem is likely to be lengthy, lawyers say.

Shutting down Al Jazeeras offices in Jerusalem will be a lengthy process and involves multiple offices and official bodies, lawyers have said.

Their estimates come a day after Ayoub Kara, Israels communications minister, vowed to ban Al Jazeeras Jerusalem operations.

Kara repeated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus July 27 threat to shut down Al Jazeera over its coverage of last months protests at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Freedom of expression is not the freedom to incite and foment strife, he said. Even democracy has its limits.

Kara used similar words to Netanyahu in his announcement, but upon closer inspection, there was a distinct lack of detail over what comes next.

Revoking Al Jazeeras journalists media credentials, shutting down its cable and satellite transmissions, and closing its local offices in the country are all measures that must overcome many legal barriers, Fady Khoury, a lawyer with legal centre Adalah, told Al Jazeera.

READ MORE: Rights groups, reporters decry Israel ban on Al Jazeera

Kara called to revoke the press credentials of Al Jazeera journalists working in Israel.

However, the Government Press Office (GPO) which authorises these permits is not required to answer to the ministers requests.

Instead, security agencies must make a recommendation to the GPO director based on whether the issuance of such documents is liable to endanger national security.

After the recommendation is heard, a hearing would take place to determine the outcome.

Blocking Al Jazeera

The second issue is blocking the Al Jazeera network from broadcasting through cable and satellite companies, which requires special legislation.

Although Kara said that he has contacted these companies to obstruct the transmission of Al Jazeera, there has been no public confirmation yet.

Further, the decision to take down or launch channels rests in the hands of the Council for Cable TV and Satellite Broadcasting which,, according to the Israeli daily Haaretz, say they have not been part of the process.

READ MORE: Al Jazeera statement on Israels plan to ban network

Israel has no ability to restrict satellite transmission, as many Palestinian homes receive Al Jazeera broadcasts through private satellites that are not regulated by the state, said Khoury, the lawyer.

Lastly, the closure of Al Jazeeras offices has been a contentious subject between Kara and Gilad Erdan, the Israeli public security minister.

Kara appealed to Erdan to use his authority to close down the offices, but Erdan deflected the request to the police.

In turn, the police reportedly advised Erdan back to the communications ministry.

The closing of Al Jazeeras local offices can only be justified by a concrete threat to security, the substantiation of which is doubtful in this case, Khoury said.

According to Omar Shakir, the Human Rights Watch director for Israel and Palestine, Karas announcement is seen more as an attempt to shore up support for the Israeli premier, who is currently under investigation for allegations of corruption.

The timing of the communication ministers announcement suggests that this threat is more about signalling to Netanyahus political base than a concrete move to limit Al Jazeeras operations at this stage, said Shakir.
US secretary of state discusses Kremlins alleged collusion in last years US election with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov.

The United States has cautiously raised concern over Russias alleged interference in last years presidential election and its effect on relations between the two nations.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday that he had told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Moscows meddling in the vote created serious mistrust between the two countries.

Russian meddling in the elections was certainly a serious incident, Tillerson told reporters after meeting Lavrov on Sunday on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in the Philippine capital, Manila. We talked about that in the discussion that we had with Mr Lavrov yesterday.

OPINION: Is Russia a real threat to the West?





Tillerson said he had tried to help Lavrov understand just how serious this incident had been.

This had created serious mistrust and  we simply have to find some way to deal with that, he said.

Tillerson added that it was pointless to cut ties over disagreements between the two countries, adding that Lavrov had indicated some willingness to talk and find ways to move forward on the issue of Ukraine.

US Congress and a special prosecutor are investigating allegations that Russians managed to tip the results of the historic vote last year in US President Donald Trumps favour.

Russia has furiously denied the claims, which have been endorsed by US intelligence agencies.

Full-scale trade war

Trump has also played down the allegations, but the ongoing controversy has strained already tense ties.

Congress overwhelmingly approved new sanctions against Russia, which Trump grudgingly signed last week, for its role in the 2016 vote and the annexation of Ukraines Crimea.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said the new US sanctions against his country amount to a full-scale trade war.

WATCH: What do Trump and Putin want from each other?

In retaliation, President Vladimir Putin ordered the US diplomatic mission in Moscow to cut 755 personnel.

Tillerson said he had also warned Lavrov that Washington was deciding on a response to the Kremlins move.

I told the foreign minister that we have not made a decision about how we would respond to the Russian request to remove US diplomatic personnel, Tillerson said.

I asked several clarifying questions, just to describe the thinking behind that diplomatic note that we received, but I told them we would respond by September 1, he said, referring to Moscows deadline to shrink the mission.
Despite improvements and a partial closing of the inequality gap, minorities are still at the bottom of wealth pyramid.

Ethnic minorities in the UK continue to have significantly worse standards of living than their white counterparts, a study by the think-tank Resolution Foundation has found.





The report published on Monday says British Bangladeshis were worse off than any other community with average household disposable incomes of around 8,900 British pounds ($11,600) less than white households, which ranked the highest.

White British families have a median disposeable income of 25,300 pounds ($33,300), British Bangladeshis and Pakistanis have a median of less than 17,000 pounds ($23,300), and Black Africans households have just under 20,000 pounds ($26,600) on average.

British Indians, however, have average incomes significantly higher than other minority groups and closer to their white counterparts at 25,000 pounds.

The figures have been calculated after taxes and benefits and exclude the cost of housing, which disproportionately affects minorities because they are usually concentrated in more expensive cities such as London, where costs are higher.

READ MORE: Little hope for people reliant on food banks

The study recorded significant strengthening of income for British Pakistani and Bangladeshi males and rising employment for women from both of those communities, but still far behind white Britons.

Bangladeshi women saw a huge jump in employment rate from 17 percent in 2003 to 35 percent in 2017, a bigger increase than any other community, but still far behind white women at 72 percent.

Differences in living standards between ethnicities in Britain too often go ignored, said Adam Corlett, a senior economic analyst at the Resolution foundation, adding: This matters because income gaps between different minority ethnic groups and white British households are significant and persistent.

We should be encouraged by the fact that there have been big improvements in some instances, such as the impressive employment gains seen among black, Bangladeshi and Pakistani men and women.

Racial discrimination

Farah Elahi of the Runnymede Trust, a race equality think-tank, said she welcomed the findings and called for government action to address the causes of inequality between different communities.

The gap in living standards between ethnic minority and white communities remains large and shows that social mobility is bad overall but even worse for minorities, she said.

There are different factors as to why there are such unequal outcomes for ethnic minorities in the job market but the evidence suggests that racial discrimination from employers is the main reason by Farah Elahi, Runnymede Trust, Race Equality Think Tank

Despite improving educational attainment for ethnic minorities we are not seeing equivalent improvements in household income. Given the youthful age profile of most ethnic minority communities, now is the time to address the structural factors that give rise to these inequalities, Elahi added.

Asked by Al Jazeera about the causes of such inequality, she responded: There are different factors as to why there are such unequal outcomes for ethnic minorities in the job market but the evidence suggests that racial discrimination from employers is the main reason.

The Resolution Foundation is a non-partisan think-tank aimed at improving standards of living for middle and low-income Britons, headed by former Conservative Party minister David Willetts.
September 1 has been confirmed to be the first day of Eid al-Adha 2017, after moon sighting on August 22.

Saudi Arabias High Judicial Court (HJC) has announced that, based on confirmed sightings of the new moon crescent, the first day of the Eid al-Adha Muslim festival will be Friday, September 1, 2017.

Other Muslim countries will also observe Eid from September 1, whereas Pakistan will observe it from September 2.

In the Islamic calendar, Eid al-Adha begins on the 10th day of the Dhu al-Hijjah lunar month; the actual date for Eid was confirmed after moon sighting on Monday, August 21, the 29th day of the previous lunar month.

If the moon was seen on Monday, Eid al-Adha would have been 10 days later on August 31. However, since it was not seen, the lunar month carried on to 30 days and Eid al-Adha will be celebrated on September 1.

Official date

Saudi Arabias Um al-Qura calendar marks Eid al-Adha 2017 on September 1, but the official date is announced by the High Judicial Court (HJC) after the moon sighting.

The Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, which begins two days before Eid al-Adha, is also confirmed then.

The HJC had called for moon sighting on August 21, but since the moon was not sighted, it has called for moon sighting again on the evening of August 22.

On August 22, the High Judicial Court confirmed the sighting of the moon and officially announced September 1 as the first day of Eid.

Moon sighting on two days is technically unnecessary because a lunar month can only be 29 or 30 days. In 2016, when the moon was not sighted on the 29th, the Court announced the date for Eid al-Adha without moon sighting on the 30th. But for Ramadan 2017, the Court called for moon sighting on the 30th day, for the first time.

Muslim communities in Europe, the United States and Canada follow Saudi Arabias Eid announcement, as announced by the European Council for Fatwa and Research, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), and the Fiqh Council of North America.

Bangladesh, Pakistan and India only accept local moon sighting with the naked eye to determine the lunar months start and thus follow their local calendar.

In Pakistan, the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee called for sighting the moon on August 22, but having not sighted the moon, it announced that Eid will be observed from September 2.

At the International Hijri Calendar Unity Congress held in Istanbul in May 2016, members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation voted in favour of adopting a unified lunar calendar.

Scientific prediction

Astronomers calculated the Dhu al-Hijjah new moon birth to be on Monday, August 21 at 18:30 GMT, but have also predicted that it will not be visible to the naked eye and that in Muslim-majority countries the moon will set before sunset.

On August 22, the moon should be visible to the naked eye across the US but may require a telescope in other parts of the world.

Traditionally, visibility of the moon crescent depends on the sighting location and meteorological conditions. Recently, it has also depended on the imaging technology used to sight the new moon.

Steve Bell at the UK Hydrographic Office told Al Jazeera that specialised infrared digital cameras could photograph the new moon, which is invisible to telescopes due to their limited optical range.

Such sophisticated digital imaging technology has been used in the moon sighting of Eid al-Fitr 2017.

Local names

Eid al-Adha is Islams holiest festival celebrated annually around the world and is an official holiday in Muslim-majority countries, and in the Philippines. Schools in New York also close for Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr.

Eid al-Adha in Arabic means festival of the sacrifice, and for Muslims, it commemorates the day when prophet Abraham intended to sacrifice his son but was instructed by God to offer an animal instead.

Eid al-Adha is locally also known as:

Eidul Adha, as spelled in the Philippines legislation.

Eid el-Kabir, as commonly referred to in Nigeria and Morocco.

Tabaski, as referred to in Senegal and Gambia.

Kurban Bayrami, as referred to in Turkey.

Hari Raya Haji, as known in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Eid e Qurbon, as known in Iran.

Bakr-Id or Qurbani Eid, as referred to in India, Bangladesh, and in the Urdu language .

Eid al-Adha 2016

In 2016, Eid al-Adha was expected to begin on September 11. But having not sighted the moon on September 1, the High Judicial Court in Saudi Arabia announced on September 2 that Eid would instead be on September 12.

The High Judicial Court announcement came on the day after the moon sighting.

Bangladesh, India and Pakistan celebrated Eid on September 13. According to the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee in Pakistan, the first day of the Dhu al-Hijjah lunar month was September 4, whereas for Saudi Arabia it was on September 3.

Traditionally, the Eid al-Adha festival lasts for four days but public holidays vary from country to country.
A legendary friendship borne of youth and revolutionary zeal eventually succumbs to the strains of Cold War realpolitik.

Editors note: This film will be removed on February 27, 2020.

Could Che Guevara, the radical thinker from Argentina, and Fidel Castro, the political maestro from Cuba, ever share the title of liberators and saviours of Latin America?

As youthful friends and comrades, the men formed a power duo that led a guerilla army that toppled the Batista dictatorship in Cuba. But the treachery of Cold War politics eventually drove a wedge between these one-time guerillas and friends.

This episode of Face to Face narrates a legendary but ill-fated alliance.

Guevara and Castro: six defining moments

Over the course of 12 years, the friendship between Ernesto Che Guevara and Fidel Castro took many twists and turns. From the moment they met until the death of Guevara, the relationship between the two reflected a complex geopolitical game in which lies, manipulation and internecine power struggles sealed Cubas fate as the small Caribbean island that would play an outsized role in Cold War politics.

These are six key moments that shaped their friendship  and its downfall.

July 1955: Fidel Castro and Ernesto Che Guevara meet

While in exile in Mexico, Fidel Castro meets the Argentine doctor Ernesto Che Guevara. The two men click and they spend 10 hours talking and sharing their revolutionary ideals.

In his journal, Guevara writes of the encounter:

I talked all night with Fidel. And in the morning I had become the doctor of his new expedition. To tell the truth, after my experiences across Latin America I didnt need much more to enlist for a revolution against a tyrant. But I was particularly impressed with Fidel. I shared his optimism. We needed to act, to struggle, to materialise our beliefs. Stop whining and fight.

July 31, 1956: Castro waits and gets Guevara out of prison

In setting up his revolutionary organisation, the M26, Castro comes under the radar of the Mexican security forces and is imprisoned along with Guevara.

Castro is released before Guevara. Guevara tells Castro to leave him there, but Castro refuses and eventually gets him out of jail.

Ernesto Guevara, of course, will never forget this gesture, when his comrade became like a brother to him, says journalist and writer Serge Raffy.

In his journal, Guevara writes:

Fidels answer was irrevocable and I can still hear him say: I will not leave you. This was his decision and he never departed from it. This attitude of Fidels for the ones he cared about is key to the fanaticism that surrounds him. If you adhere to his principles, you adhere to his whole personality and thats what makes this rebel army an indivisible block.

January 8, 1959: After the revolution, Guevara lets Castro take the limelight

After proclaiming victory of the Cuban revolution in Santiago de Cuba on January 1, 1959, Castro had begun a week-long march to Cubas capital.

During this march towards La Havana, Guevara is ahead. And thats when Fidel Castro, whos no angel, whos a real politician, decides to restore some order, Raffy says. He demands that Guevara as well as all the other ones stay behind.

It needs to be a Cuban that arrives in the city to proclaim the revolution, says historian Simon Reid-Henry.

On January 8, 1959, Castro marches into Havana in triumph while the fiercely loyal Guevara, by now Castros faithful comandante, remains in the shadow.

1964: Castro appoints Guevara as ambassador to the revolution

Castro appoints Guevara as ambassador in order to keep him away from Cuba. Over time, the friendship between Castro and Guevara has changed. A pragmatist, Castro puts the future of his leadership ahead of his revolutionary goals on more than one occasion, while Guevara is making increasingly radical statements.

After the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, Guevara distances himself from the Soviet Union  on whom Cuba depends economically  while Castro is trying to cosy up to the superpower.

Ernesto Guevara, at that point, has become a bit of a nuisance because he has a disruptive effect on Fidels honeymoon with the Soviet Union, says Raffy.

He makes a few incredible statements  He says hes ready to erase New York from the surface of the planet. So the Russians are thinking: This one, were going to have to keep a good eye on him, because this is not the way we want it to work.'

February 24, 1965: Guevara publicly criticises the USSR

Speaking at the Afro-Asian Conference in Algeria, Guevara openly criticises the USSR in front of the countrys delegates, which angers the Soviets. It puts pressure on Castro to distance himself from his old friend.

In March 1965, when Guevara is back in Havana, Che Guevara is immediately kidnapped by Castro and sent to a security house, as theyre called in Cuba  We have a testimony from one of the security guards who was nearby and heard Fidel bellowing, says Latin America specialist Pierre Kalfon.

Benigno, a fellow guerrilla fighter and a former comrade of Guevara, says: After talking for 42 or 43 hours maybe, El Che got out. He looked miserable, I had never seen him like this. He came out with his green beret, like hed just been told he had contracted a fatal disease. His walk was heavy and he kept his head low.

October 3, 1965: Guevara is dismissed from the Communist Partys Central Committee

In the light of rumours of Castro assassinating Guevara  who has been out of the public eye for several months now  Castro announces El Ches dismissal from the Central Committee by reading out a farewell letter, allegedly written by Guevara, in public without Guevaras knowledge.

Once again, Fidel is all at once pragmatic and rather quite cruel towards El Che. If you want to pinpoint the exact moment El Che was abandoned by Fidel, maybe thats when, Kalfon says.

At the time, Guevara himself is unsuccessfully waging a guerrilla war in Congo  the result of what Serge Raffy calls Castros exit strategy to save his friend: Heres his offer to Guevara, Since all you care about is your internationalist war, so be it, youre going to do that in Africa.

After Guevaras defeat in Congo, Castro orchestrates another international guerilla operation for his former right-hand man  this time in Bolivia. There, he is wounded and arrested on October 8, 1967. The next day, Guevara is executed.

In Cuba, Guevara becomes a martyr, his myth only adding to the strength of Castro as a leader.
The case against Assange is as political as it is legal; where does it go from here? Plus, Kenyas election influencers.
Mr Khanna returns to Pakistan for the first time since he was forced to flee when India was split apart in 1947.

Before I die, I want to go back to where I was born.

Krishan Kumar Khanna grew up just outside Lahore, Pakistans second-largest city. After a childhood he remembers fondly, his life changed dramatically in August 1947.

As Britain left the Indian subcontinent, colonial planners hastily split it into Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.

Khanna was forced to join one of the largest migrations in human history, as sectarian violence erupted and millions fled in both directions to save their lives.

He has dreamed of going back ever since and, after trying for several years, Khanna finally obtained a visa to return to Pakistan.

Despite deep tensions, hes determined to show that people in the neighbouring nations still have much more in common than that which divides them.

READ: Remembering the poison of partition

FILMMAKERS VIEW

By Clement Gargoullaud

I first met Mr Khanna at Pakistans High Commission in India. He had been trying for years to get a visa to travel to Pakistan. He wanted to visit his place of birth, now not just in a foreign country but in an enemy nation.

The hatred isn't between people, it's between governments. by Mr Khanna

At first, I was astonished by the man. Aged 91, he was alert, active and articulate. Once I got to know him better, I was convinced of the importance of his quest and thought it was worthy of a documentary. I thought his razor-sharp memory would make him a reliable narrator to tell his story of the partition of India.

India and Pakistan are currently marking their 70th year of independence from the British empire.

The people of both countries share a linguistic, cultural, social, geographic, and economic background. But the relationship between the two has been far from cordial: a perpetual state of hostility exists between India and Pakistan and each views the other full of suspicion, wary of every move the other makes.

Through Mr Khannas journey, I wanted to reiterate a sentiment repeated frequently by people on both sides of the border  that Indians and Pakistanis are the same, and that people on both sides have this undying hope that the quarrel between their nations will end one day.

I had travelled extensively in both countries before I made this film, and during my travels I saw and witnessed things that were drastically different from the prevailing narrative pushed by the media in both countries. Newspapers and broadcasters in India and Pakistan often push a hostile narrative, which makes it look as though the people of these nations are sworn enemies.

WATCH Partition: Borders of Blood

The reality could not be more different. With each trip, I met people who challenged that narrative and who expressed warm, often loving, feelings for their brethren on the other side.

No one could have put it more succinctly than Mr Khanna himself when he told a classroom full of Pakistani students: The hatred isnt between people, its between governments.

As the last remaining witnesses of partition pass away, taking their stories with them, I believe and hope this film will encourage a conversation about an event in history which profoundly affected the lives of those who experienced it  experiences which are at risk of being forgotten.
Earlier this year media outlets such as USA Today, the Daily News, and Fortune magazine declared that the U.S.A. had been downgraded from a full to a flawed democracy. This, they reported, was the judgement of the British Economist magazines Intelligence Unit which, since 2006, has been rating and comparing 167 countries of the world.

Some other countries similarly flawed were Italy, Portugal, Chile, Ghana, Paraguay, Senegal, the Philippines, and Brazil, while the 19-member club of full democracies included such states as the United Kingdom, Uruguay, Spain, and Canada with the laurels for first place going to Norway.

Comparing with one from the first league

To choose one country from that group, one wonders what criteria was used to declare that Canada was more democratic. It obviously had nothing to do with how the chief executive (prime minister or president) was appointed as Canadas is chosen by members of parliament while Americas is democratically elected. Also, the right of the people to use initiatives to bypass recalcitrant politicians and change laws and constitutions themselves, as practised in many states below the border but not above it, was apparently not a factor. Surprisingly, one would think that members of the legislature being appointed by, and dismissed by, the voters would be a fundamental, and heavily weighted ingredient, but apparently not by the fact that members of Canadas Senate, which has full powers to block all legislation, are appointed at the discretion of the prime minister and normally cannot be removed until reaching the age of 75. Also, considering a loose definition of democracy would be the power of the voters to control the laws and the people who rule over them, one might think the right to elect judges, attorneys-general, secretaries of state, sheriffs, county commissioners, superintendents of schools, etc. would also be relevant, but again, apparently not. In fact, its truly had to see any aspect where Canada does excel. True, America does not grant minorities a voice with proportional representation, nor does it utilise preferential (choice or alternative) voting, but then, neither does Canada.

So what does the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) declare as relevant factors in creating their annual Democracy Index? In coming to their conclusions, the EIU measure each countrys tally as the total of the answers to 60 weighted questions asked by whom they describe as their experts. Initially, the fact the result comes from a plethora of questions rather than a handful, might give the reader high confidence in it, until one notices that with over 70% of them, either their relationship to democracy is questionable or they are subjective in nature.

So what criteria was used?

For example, Question 29 awards points according to the percentage of women in the nations parliament. But if the voters, both men and women, choose for whatever reason fewer women, why should that be undemocratic? Similarly, Q. 28 credits those states where minorities have a voice in the political process. Does that mean one of the most monocultural countries in the world, Japan, loses points because it has no minorities to give a political voice to? With obvious disregard for Charles-Louis Montesquieus theory of the separation of powers from the Enlightenment, another EIU question offers full points if the legislature [is] the supreme political body, with a clear supremacy over other branches of government

With regards to subjectivity, Q.6 asks if laws provide for broadly equal campaigning opportunities, and even if formally they do, in practice, [are] opportunities limited for some candidates? Just how does one accurately estimate that?

In the section of questions headed Functioning of Government the described experts are tasked with ascertaining: how pervasive corruption is; how open and transparent is the government; the public confidence in government, as well as in political parties; and the degree to which special economic, religious or other powerful domestic groups exercise significant political power, parallel to democratic institutions. Under Political Participation, results are somehow measured on the citizens engagement with politics, the preparedness of [the] population to take part in lawful demonstrations and the extent [the] adult population shows an interest in and follows politics in the news.

Some questions even combine the two aspects. Q. 24 enquires into the popular perceptions of the extent to which citizens have free choice and control over their lives. But if in a completely free and fair vote, a nations citizens, in precarious times, chose security over freedom in their preferred political party, how is that a negative reflection of democracy? And to the degree that it might be, how on earth do you gauge the extent to which the citizens believe they have free choice and control?

Choosing the experts

With this gargantuan task to get the correct answers to these many fluid questions, one becomes interested to know who the EIU has chosen as its experts, as well as the scores they gave each county for each of the 60 questions. To find that out appears equally difficult.

The so-called Subscription Service of the EIU was happy to return an email giving perfunctory information about its Democracy Index, but when questions were asked about experts and individual scores, correspondence was no longer returned. As the Wikipedia entry on the EIU Democracy Index states, "the report does not indicate what kinds of experts, nor their number, nor whether the experts are employees of the Economist Intelligence Unit or independent scholars, nor the nationalities of the experts. Some answers are provided by public-opinion surveys from the respective countries. In the case of countries for which survey results are missing, survey results for similar countries and expert assessments are used in order to fill in gaps."

The results of these bordering-on-the-meaningless questions may be weighted, but sooner or later the aggregation of them is going to earn more points than such measures as whether the voters have the right to elect the executive, or if citizens initiated referenda are tolerated.

Which bring us to ask: is it really that difficult to create a list of questions eliciting answers that do not depend on polls, interpretations or opinions of experts? For example, in ascertaining if there is a free press, rather than asking if our expert believes there is open and free discussion of public issues, with a reasonable diversity of opinions or perhaps formal freedom, but a discouragement of minority or marginal views, might not one ask: if non-government media is the majority source for news in the country; that subject to criminal or bankruptcy history, establishing a media outlet is an easily defined process and not subject to the arbitrary decision of a government official; that subject to exceptions such as libel, inciting criminal violence, or revealing state secrets, if anyone has ever been prosecuted for a published editorial?

In fact, many questions eliciting a degree of democracy can be objective, and when weighted, would seem to be a reasonable indicator of measuring democracy.

That even dictatorships such as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany) have aspired to assume the cachet of being considered democratic, would mean that to be described as such is a universally acclaimed good. If intelligence organisations should appoint themselves a public arbiter of this virtue, one would think they should adopt the professionalism to endeavour to be as correct as is feasible possible, rather than allow themselves to be viewed as sloppy in their procedures, or even using their position to create procedures to manufacture answers that align with their personal prejudices and preferences.

Philip Lillingston is the publisher of the website democracy.org.au which looks at various aspects of democracy as well as maintaining a glossary of political terms.
Last week, President Donald Trump endorsed an immigration bill put forth by Senators David Perdue and Tom Cotton. The reaction was swift yet predictable. A so-called Republican strategist, Ana Navaro, called it un-American, Unsurprisingly, she was a Jeb! supporter in the presidential primaries.

CNNs Jim Acosta, auditioning for Wolf Blitzers or Don Lemons gig on CNN, beclowned himself during a White House press conference by equating a contest-winning poem with the US Constitution. Big deal. CNN doesnt recognize the US Constitution as a founding document, instead relying on the front page of the New York Times or the Washington Post as the law of the land.

But all is not lost in the Beltway echo chamber. In a when pigs fly moment, Politico defended the immigration bill.

This rush to judgment is way over the top, and largely uninformed. The current immigration system is desperately in need of reform, and a careful examination of the proposal shows that not only will it likely create substantial economic gains for the country in the long term, it also eliminates elements of our current policy that are hard to defend.

Bingo! Common sense measures updating an immigration system devised when the Beatles released Ticket to Ride and Help. Now fifty years later, we have unfettered immigration plan giving unskilled and uneducated immigrants a ticket to ride on the back of US taxpayers. Who in the last election voted for Donald Trump as a cry for help.

The Cotton-Purdue plan, known as the RAISE Act, has two major provisions. A limit to how many immigrants should be allowed into the US and who exactly should be allowed in.

The how many is 140,000 visas. The who is based on the sort of skill-based point system currently in use in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Points are awarded based on education, occupation, age and English language proficiency.

I am quite familiar with New Zealands requirements, as I hold a work visa there. It was awarded based on my education, training and usefulness to the New Zealand medical system. And I did have to demonstrate my proficiency in English, despite my occasional inappropriate apostrophe use as pointed out by even more English proficient readers of American Thinker.

In a delicious bit of hypocrisy, Rolling Stone called Trumps immigration ideas deeply worrisome but at the same time posed a question about Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Why cant he be our president? Yes, the same Justin Trudeau and same Canada whose immigration policy Donald Trump just endorsed. Do they not keep track of what they write at Rolling Stone?

Suppose US colleges and universities instituted an admission plan like our current immigration policy. How might this work? Lets take Harvard University as an example. Harvard College admits 2000 undergraduates each year, enrolling just over 80 percent of those. Out of a pool of 40,000 applicants. Why dont they accept everyone who wants to attend? Why select only 5 percent of those who want to attend Harvard? Thats not fair.

After all, Harvard has an endowment of over $37 billion. If Harvard were a country and its endowment were its GDP, it would rank 96th among all countries in the world, ahead of Paraguay, El Salvador, Estonia and Iceland. An endowment of that size could easily support additional housing and teachers so that all of Jim Acostas huddled masses learning to breathe free who want to attend Harvard could do so.

Same for all the Ivy League schools, with similarly large endowments. What about 800 or so US colleges and universities with a combined endowment of $515 billion, which as a single country would be ranked 23rd in the world in terms of GDP, ahead of Sweden, Poland, Belgium and Austria. Why can they afford to admit all students, just as America is supposed to do with all immigrants?

But no. Colleges have admissions requirements. In other words, their admission is skill-based with a point system reflecting grades, SAT scores, extracurricular activities, accomplishments, recommendations and a language proficiency test in the form of one or more essays. Suppose colleges waived all such requirements and opened their classrooms to any and all who wanted to attend?

The Cotton-Purdue proposal also curtails the family preference system which allows US immigrants to bring in their relatives. As Politico points out:

A newly arrived immigrant can eventually bring in his or her sibling. That sibling will then be able to bring in his or her spouse. But the siblings spouse will eventually be able to bring in the siblings spouses parents and siblings, and on and on.

Why not for Harvard too? Buffy is admitted to the incoming freshman class. She is a straight A student with exceptional board scores. She was captain of the lacrosse and softball teams. She started a small business while in high school, sold it to Google, used the proceeds to fund an AIDS treatment clinic in Africa, and in her spare time tutors the homeless. Her college essay was published in The Atlantic. On the point system, she was a slam dunk admission.

Her brother Biff, on the other hand, flunked 10th grade, never took the SATs, spent 6 months in jail for larceny, has a cocaine problem, and is Hepatitis C positive. Shouldnt he automatically be admitted to Harvard by virtue of being Buffys brother? Suppose Biff is married to Candy, who he met in a Vegas strip club. Candy started working in the adult industry after 9th grade. She is quite accomplished and skillful, but not in the way Harvard admissions committees prefer. She would automatically be admitted along with Biff.

As would her mother Tiffany, only 14 years older than Candy, working as a waitress, believing that a Harvard degree would improve her lot in life. Once Tiffany is at Harvard, she can bring her brother Billy Bob, currently working in a Mississippi junkyard. And so on and so on.

Widener Library, Harvard

Foolishness and caricatures aside, why wouldnt the most desirable and wealthy country in the world choose its immigrants with a similar level of scrutiny and selectiveness as its prestigious colleges and universities do?

If the socially conscious and constant virtue signaling universities are so upset over President Trump and his policies, then why dont they adopt the same immigration program they defend as their own admissions policy?

Brian C Joondeph, MD, MPS, a Denver based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
The ancient Romans considered the hottest days of summer to be when the dog star Sirius appeared in the sky. Today, that would be primarily in August. This strikes us in the Western Hemisphere as very odd, since August is the month that our summer starts waning.

For the ancient Romans, the dog days of summer occurred from about July 24 to around August 24. -- Wonderopolis

To us in the United States, the hottest days of summer would usually be July.

The Old Farmer's Almanac lists the traditional timing of the dog days of summer as being July 3 until August 11. -- Wonderopolis

The explanation for this difference in ancient and modern timing is that the dog star Sirius has drifted in the night sky over the millennia; but there is more this than meets the eye to this -- and it involves more than constellational drift.

Here, in the Western Hemisphere, July is the scorcher in our calendar year; and that is what we would expect. July is the height of summer with longer days than August.

However, in the Mediterranean basis, a curious meteorological phenomenon occurs. Nice, France is hottest in August. The same is true for Barcelona, as well as Messina, Italy, Malta, Genoa, Italy, and Athens, Greece. It would seem that, independent of constellational drift, August really was the hottest month to the Romans.

The explanation for this unexpected -- at least to us Americans -- climate is the Mediterranean basin. The Mediterranean heats up slower than the landmass, and thereby holds heat longer. As the sun wanes in August, the Mediterranean starts to slowly shed the heat that it had stored up during June and July. Added to that are the Sirocco winds from North Africa. Likewise, during the winter, the Mediterranean sheds what remains of its stored heat to keep the coasts from going into a hard freeze. As the landmass heats up in spring and early summer, the Mediterranean is still cool enough to moderate the rise in temperature until August, when the process reverses again.

Though Nice and Barcelona are at latitudes roughly equivalent to Toronto and Chicago respectively, they can support coastal palm trees. The massive heat sink of the Mediterranean seems perfectly designed to moderate the climate that it would enable European civilization to flourish. The Mediterranean has long, dry summers, and mild rainy winters, with almost no snow along the coastal areas. This is where Greek civilization arose. This is where Rome (which by the way has the occasional palm tree) arose, even though it is at the latitude of Stamford, Connecticut.

This is why the French all seem to prefer taking their summer vacation in August.

If you walk around Paris these days, you'll see tourists, but not many Parisians. French people are on vacation, and the streets are deserted. But the emptying of the capital is not entirely voluntary. Many French people are obliged to take the bulk of their holidays in August, because their workplaces are closed. -- Network Europe Radio

It seems so crazy. July has longer evenings, later sunsets. It makes no sense to take a summer vacation in August until one understands that the Mediterranean makes August the warmest month in Southern Europe, and the ancient Mediterranean set the clock and practices for much of the rest of Western Europe.

And not just Europe. Beirut's hottest month is also August, and the same for Tel Aviv.

Here in the United States, the region of approximate Mediterranean climate in the California coast from San Francisco to Los Angeles, though the exact mechanism is different.

What is interesting is that across the globe, wherever Mediterranean climates abound, civilization abounds as well as prosperity. How could it be otherwise. Such a pleasant climate makes life easier. This is true for California, Central Chile, Western Australia, except 

Except when it comes to Islamic areas. Northern Africa is blessed with what arguably is the best climate on the planet. Were North Africa the possession of Germans or Japanese, one could only imagine that it would be fully developed and the most pleasant spot on the globe to live.

The ancient Romans were eager to conquer North Africa, and the whole region is today littered with the ruins of Roman metropoli. Roman planted colonies of veterans in the area. North Africa became the granary of the empire. Romans would retire to North Africa, the way our elders retire to Arizona or Florida.

Yet, when Islam took over, all of this stopped. The chief condemnation of Islam is that it kept the South Mediterranean basin from developing. This is what the dog days of summer have to tell us. For those of you yet to vacation, reflect on that as you sunbathe.

Mike Konrad is the pen name of an American who wishes he had availed himself more fully of the opportunity to learn Spanish in high school, lo those many decades ago. He writes on the Arabs of South America at http://latinarabia.com. He also just started a website about small computers at http://minireplacement.com.
The Founding Fathers believed that government's role in religion should be limited. We cannot discount that the First Amendment begins, "Congress shall make no law" either establishing a state religion or prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Rather than articulate an affirmative responsibility for government to protect religion, the Founding Fathers felt that it was enough to keep the government out. If nothing else, the language of the First Amendment makes it clear that the goal was to restrain government when it came to religion.

There is no suggestion the Founders felt the establishment clause and the free exercise clause were in any way competing. Otherwise, why would the Founders include the two clauses together? The point was to keep government out of both realms. Both clauses were needed because it was not sufficient to restrain government from establishing a state religion; government also had to be restrained from any attempt to interfere with religious practices and beliefs. The negative language of the First Amendment does not prohibit Congress from passing a law that promotes religion, provided the judgment does not promote one religion over others.

Before the bad law and judicial activism that started with the abuse of the Constitution by Justice Hugo Black in Everson v. Board of Education (1947), the states were not prohibited under the First Amendment from establishing religion, and nowhere in the debate on freedom of religion in the first Congress is there any mention of "separation of church and state." Our Founders' own writings clearly show that they never intended for public officials to check their convictions and beliefs at the door to their offices. They would have been shocked by the Court's excessively broad interpretation of the First Amendment, given the language the Founders crafted with the belief that it would protect open expression of religious beliefs in America. The Founders most certainly would have rebelled against the idea of an absolute "separation of church and state" and the use of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to eradicate all Judeo-Christian references to God from the public square, because these ideas are incompatible with the original intent and unalienable rights granted to each of us by our Creator, thus making them erroneous and historically unsupportable.

On New Year's Day 1802, Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptists to assuage their fear that the federal government might one day attempt to condition religious freedom as a right granted by the state. Jefferson, an Anti-Federalist, clearly stated his intention to keep government out of religious affairs rather than empower it to remove religion from the public arena: "Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in the behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural rights in opposition to his social duties."

The First Amendment compels government not to eradicate religion from the public arena. If the expression of religious beliefs is an inherent God-designed part of human nature, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims, then government acting to remove religion from the public sphere would have seemed to our Founding Fathers to be acting in a manner antithetical to our founding principles.

It is almost as if Justice Black decided that the First Amendment is equivalent to the biblical admonition to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's, under the assumption that a discernible distinction could be made without conflict between what is Caesar's and what is God's. The whole point of the First Amendment's attempt to protect freedom of religion is that over time, Caesar tends to intrude upon God.

In 1948, the Supreme Court ruled in McCollum v. Board of Education, 333 U.S. 203 (1948) that religious education provided by churches on public school grounds in Illinois during the school day is unconstitutional. Then in 1952, in Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306 (1952), the Supreme Court found that allowing New York students to leave school grounds for religious education is constitutional. Dissenting in Zorach, Justice Black wrote, "I see no significant difference between the invalid Illinois system and that of New York here sustained." If Justice Black, the author of the court's majority opinion in Everson, could not distinguish these cases, how could state, county, city, or municipal school officials be expected to make the distinction reliably?

A godless public square could not be more antithetical to what Our Founding Fathers thought they were achieving when drafting the First Amendment, and the courts distort precedent whenever they use the establishment clause to crush all things religious. Ironically, the very language crafted to protect religious freedom has now reached the point at which Americans can be assured freedom only from religion in all places within this nation, with the possible exceptions of prayer confined to church and free expression of religion confined to the privacy of one's home.

Jefferson made a poignant remark in "Notes on the State of Virginia," XVIII, p. 237, which clarifies his thinking: "And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure if we have lost the only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath?"

Why didn't the Supreme Court choose this text for its ruling? Or Jefferson's use of "natural rights" in other documents? Justice Clarence Thomas once stated: "[T]his Court's nebulous Establishment Clause analyses, turn on little more than 'judicial predilections[.]' ... It should be noted that the extent to which traditional Judeo-Christian religion is removed from the public square and the public schools, it is replaced by other religions, including Secular Humanism, which is specifically recognized as a religion by the Supreme Court."

In order to combat this assault on religious freedom and religious liberty, to date, twenty-one states have enacted Religious Freedom Restoration Acts since 1993. Ten states are considering legislation on the topic this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Virginia amended its state RFRA, but otherwise, no states have passed their legislation.

For eight decades, the ACLU has been America's leading religious censor, waging a largely uncontested war, until recently, against America's core values, utilizing every fallacy, piece of misinformation, and outright lie imaginable in its war against religious liberty, with the support of much of the current Marxist media. Both are intent on destroying traditional America, including the nuclear family. We now live in a country where our traditional Christian and Jewish faiths and religions  civilizing forces in any society  are openly mocked, persecuted, and increasingly pushed to the margins, and our weapon to stop them is the Founding Fathers' own words and their original intent regarding the U.S. Constitution.

Ultimately, two very diverse thinkers, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, concluded that without virtue based on a solid belief in God, liberty is inevitably lost. In other words, if the Supreme Court, through the efforts of communists and atheists and ACLU prompting, succeeds in removing the Judeo-Christian God from American public life, a foundation pillar upon which American liberty has depended will be removed, perhaps irretrievably. Without the open expression of religious freedom so fundamental to American liberty that it is written into the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights, American liberty will not long persist.

Americans cannot and must not allow the communists and atheists of this nation and the ACLU to secularize America to the point where our tolerance is turned into silencing and punishing religious speech. Life is valuable, marriage is a God-ordained institution between one man and one woman, and families comprise a father and a mother with any number of children. Any attack against Christianity and Judaism in America using the fallacy of "separation of Church and State" is simply an attempt to further undermine not only our U.S. Constitution and religious liberty, but also our entire traditional American way of life. Do not accept the fallacy.
If President Trump wants a winning general for Afghanistan, he can do no better than General Stephen Townsend, who is leading the fight against ISIS in Syria.

Townsend's leadership style has several elements: decisive plans, no-drama teambuilding, leading from the front, leveraging support, and working with local allies.

When then-colonel Townsend attacked the west side of Baqubah in the summer of 2007, he tried to maximize the element of surprise. Battalions first moved in one direction, before doubling back at nightfall to assault. Helicopters landed assaulting soldiers in the dark of night. The enemy was overwhelmed, surrounded, and attacked from all sides.

The plans and mission that Townsend gave his staff were clear. He wanted to drive the Islamic State from the town. He was not interested in the perception of success  he wanted the reality of success. During the battle, some bombs went off course and killed civilians. While investigations were launched into what happened, air strikes continued without a moment of second-guessing. He expected his staff to work professionally and do their jobs creatively. He did not micro-manage his staff, and he did not sweat the small stuff. They in turn gave 100%.

He was effective because he led from the front. His operations center was delegated to his second-in-command. He was not there. Wherever the main effort was, he was there. This was very different from the norm in the Iraqi theater. Most senior officers fly to outposts and talk to troops inside the walls of the outpost. Very few will stay in the field, day after day. The importance of this cannot be understated.

Townsend also knows how to work in the military halls of power. When given the mission to retake the city, he went to the top commanders to demand the maximum available support. He wanted and received essentially 24 hours of available on-call air and electronic warfare support. He placed firebases strategically around the battlefield so that the then-new precision-guided artillery could support each assault. His staff created some of the theater's simplest and quickest processes to coordinate rapid air and artillery strikes.

This battle also showed the power of local allies. Each battle group was partnered with a group of local fighters, "the Sons of Iraq." They were the secret weapon  they knew what houses were rigged to explode, where the enemy fighters were most likely to hide, and who was probably a foreign fighter instead of a local civilian.

The parallels between that decade-old battle and today are striking. It is the Syrian Defense Forces and Iraqi forces doing most of the fighting, with U.S. artillery firebases and air support providing needed firepower. The elements of surprise and audacity shown a decade ago are paralleled in the aerial assault of Syrian Democratic Forces at Tabqa dam. When the moment was right, Townsend surprised ISIS by rapidly moving Syrian allies via U.S. aircraft, something that had not been done before.

General Townsend is willing to take calculated risks and to apply overwhelming force in order to win. That is why we are winning in Syria and Iraq.
A survey from the University of Missouri's Reynolds Journalism Institute shows that most of the most trusted news sources in America are British.

Market Watch:

The most trusted news source in the U.S. is The Economist  a weekly magazine published in the U.K., according to a recent survey from the University of Missouri's Reynolds Journalism Institute. The second-most reliable is public television, followed by Reuters and BBC. Two U.S. nonprofit outlets, NPR and PBS, came in at fifth and sixth, while the U.K.'s The Guardian clinched the seventh spot. The U.S.-based Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Dallas Morning News rounded out the top 10 trusted names in journalism. The Wall Street Journal is owned by News Corp. NWS, -0.34% NWSA, -0.91% the parent of MarketWatch. At the other extreme, Occupy Democrats  a political website with a self-claimed agenda of counterbalancing the Republican Tea Party  won the dubious honor of being the most untrustworthy in the nation. Buzzfeed, Breitbart and Infowars also scored dismally on the trust-meter. The results were based on a survey of more than 8,000 people conducted by 28 media organizations in the U.S. Participation was voluntary but respondents tended to reside near the news outlets that made the questionnaire available on their websites, and leaned toward the liberal side of the political spectrum. The survey also showed that politically liberal respondents were more trusting than conservatives, while Caucasians were more likely than non-whites to have confidence in the media.

First, this survey is little better than an online poll, as the breakdown of the ideological tilt of respondents shows.

It's not surprising, then, that mostly liberal English media would be more trustworthy than even the New York Times or Washington Post. What sets British media apart is a virulent, knee-jerk strain of anti-Americanism  even more so than is found in major media in the U.S. Of course, that would appeal to many American liberals.

It's noteworthy that the New York Times and Washington Post are trusted less than Politico and the AP. The AP is supposed to be a wire service that reports the news factually and objectively. But in recent years, it has become reflexively liberal. This is serious, because so many local newspapers and TV stations rely on the AP for disseminating news  especially national and international stories.

Drudge is trusted about as much as NBC and CNN. And even liberals apparently can't stomach the blind partisanship of Occupy Democrats.

We shouldn't read much into this survey, but it is helpful in understanding the point of view dominating the American news-consumer.
For the left, it's always the intentions that matter. Hence, its whiny "nobody kill anyone" pleading from activists to the city's thugs, unveiled to great fanfare, didn't have much effect. Two were killed over the weekend in random shootings in the Maryland city north of Washington, D.C.

The Daily Mail reports:

A weekend ceasefire in Baltimore has collapsed after two people were fatally shot. Baltimore police said that two men were killed by gunfire in separate incidents on Saturday, shattering the 72-hour ceasefire called by desperate community members a little more than halfway through. The initiative, dubbed 'Nobody Kill Anybody', came as the number of homicides in Baltimore surpassed 200 for the year, putting the city on pace for its bloodiest year ever. Police said Saturday's first fatal shooting came around 5pm, when officers on patrol heard gunfire and responded.

How could this be? I'll venture a guess:

Democrats in general believe in Big Government. So if the government says something, it's only natural that all should bow down and do what it wants. That's all it takes, because Democrats are all about good intentions. Do this! Do that! Doesn't matter what  the government says so. Democrats certainly would, and certainly some Republicans, too. But thugs? Well, they're a different story. They view bowing down to government as an assault on their manhood. They naturally do the opposite of what government wants. They're thugs, for heaven's sake!

But with the Soros crowd particularly active in Baltimore, it's pretty obvious the left there doesn't believe there is a such thing as a thug. They're all good boys who, deep down, want to do the right thing. That's why "mass incarceration" must be stopped, in their minds.

Thugs see it differently. Thugs are thugs, they know they are thugs, and thugs gonna thug. Hence the shootings.

It's a pathetic idea not only to coddle thugs, but to imagine they follow directions. Baltimore's purported act of commanding the thugs to become Nice People makes the city look weaker than ever as it fails miserably to get a grip on crime. Sorry, Baltimorians  you don't stop killings by whinily asking thugs not to kill.
The slippery slope is real. Once the state gets in the business of killing off its citizens via euthanasia, the brutal logic of economics works its way through the system. In Canada, which legalized euthanasia just over a year ago, one of the most important forums for political discussion, Maclean's Magazine, published an article arguing that doctors ought to be paid a premium for killing off euthanizing terminal patients.

And of course, it was all so reasonable in tone. It really is a lot of work for the doctors, you see.

Most providers need to meet with their patient a couple times before the procedure. They need to review their medical history, which in many cases is lengthy and complicated, involving several specialists and care providers. They need to counsel the family, sometimes for hours and over multiple visits if some members oppose the procedure or feel conflicted. They need to pick up the drugs at the pharmacy and return the extra medication when they're done. And they often need to travel long distances to meet the patient in their home. The amount of time it all takes varies wildly from patient to patient, says Daws, but most providers say it takes a minimum of three and a half hours. In that time, a family doctor could earn double the MAID rate by doing routine office work, and many specialists could earn triple that amount at their day job.

So the solution obviously is to incentivize them.

The state incentivizing doctors to kill patients. And this is OK?
Society has gone too far in accommodating the left's pathological need to feel good about itself.

The left's knee-jerk reaction to most social issues is to display compassion for those it perceives to be marginalized, oppressed, or victimized, and to aid them through social activism or legislation. They are the social justice warriors. They are the self-appointed moral trustees, humanitarians, and guilt-dispensers of society. Their activism makes them feel good about themselves. But they have little or no concern regarding the consequences of their need to project empathy.

Leftists feel good about globalization. It embodies brotherhood of man, community of nations, multiculturalism, diversity, inclusivity  the ultimate state of equality. The fact that it has resulted in assimilation disasters in the E.U. and has contributed to job loss and income inequality at home is of no importance. Removing sanctions from Iran may as yet have disastrous consequences, but it is more important to make the Iranians feel part of the international community.

They feel good about open immigration. It's "who we are"! They are unconcerned over the number, intent, or productivity of the immigrants. There are about 250 million people in Mexico, Central America, and South America currently living in poverty. Opening the border to them, as well as to "refugees" from abroad, would have disastrous economic consequences in a nation already struggling with slow economic growth. But no matter.

Imposing a $15 minimum wage nationwide also makes them feel good. A recent University of Washington-National Bureau of Economic Research study has shown a negative impact of raising the wage to $13 on hours worked and net income on low-wage workers in Seattle. So what? The liberal press has simply declared the study bogus.

Affirmative action makes them feel good. It is fitting recompense for white privilege and our national legacy of slavery and segregation, although it can impact those guilty of neither. Asian students scoring 200 points higher than black applicants on the SAT are passed over for admission to college. They just have to deal with it. Awards for merit get in the way of diversity.

Ordering law enforcement to stand down also brings a smile to their faces. What better way to deal with racial profiling, or to allow demonstrators (and anarchist) to vent their just anger on the perpetrators of social injustices, such as conservative speakers at college campuses? And if it results in uncontrolled criminal activity in urban centers, so be it.

Marches and demonstrations make them feel good, a display of solidarity against the social injustice du jour. They are, in effect, massive group therapy sessions that have little or no impact on societal evolution. And if they are associated with a disruption of the lives of others, vandalism, or bodily harm, that's just the way it is.

What would make the left feel really good would be to railroad Trump out of office. He is a xenophobic fascist unsuited to be POTUS. They are pinning their hopes on the Mueller-headed special counsel process. If Democrats take over the House in 2018, they will seek impeachment, hysterically looking for high crimes and misdemeanors. Should they somehow succeed, it will constitute a severe blow to the integrity of our democratic structure  a political coup d'etat relegating us to the status of a third-world nation. But the left would be ecstatic.

The nation, in its laudable tradition as a tolerant and open society, has gone too far in accommodating the left. The outcomes of their self-indulgent rantings are at best costly and ineffective, typically counterproductive, and increasingly erosive of our national integrity. It is past time for the nation to squelch the culture of intimidation and assignment of guilt being perpetrated by the left.

Trump's efforts to temper globalization, control immigration, defuse affirmative action, support law enforcement, and bolster the military are steps in the right direction.
Independent Counsel Robert Mueller has an impossible task. He must conclude an investigation and convince people like me that it's all fair and balanced. Maureen Dowd just made that task more difficult.

Mr. Mueller is off to a bad start with all the news about Democrat donors on his staff and now leaks concerning the grand jury. More than that, it looks as if Mueller's investigation is going in so many directions that he may need a GPS to figure out where he is traveling next.

Mueller is turning into Exhibit A of why independent counsels are just a bad idea. The Founding Fathers intended for these investigations to be done by Congress. I don't remember reading anything about independent counsels in the U.S. Constitution.

Mueller's public image got a big punch between the eyes when Maureen Dowd cheered the investigation:

Going hammer and tong after hammer and sickle, Mueller has crossed Trump's Red Line, using multiple grand juries and issuing subpoenas in a comprehensive inquiry covering not only possible campaign collusion but also business dealings by Trump and his associates with Russia. The Times reported Friday that Mueller's investigators had asked the White House for documents related to Michael Flynn. A White House adviser told me recently about how scary Mueller's dream team is, and how Jared Kushner should be nervous. Every time Mueller adds a legal celebrity to his crew, the music gets cued for an "Ocean's Eleven" or "Dirty Dozen" array of talent. One lawyer helped destroy the New York City mafia; another helped bring down Nixon; another tackled Enron; others are experts on foreign bribery and witness-flipping. As GQ's Jay Willis wrote, "If these people were coming for you over a parking ticket, you'd be thinking about liquidating your life savings."

Maureen will get a big cheer from the left with this column. I'm sure that there are Democrats all over enjoying Miss Dowd's opinion. My guess is that Mr. Mueller is not one of those enjoying it. He now has Maureen Dowd cheering his work, on top of all of those Democrat donors and leaks.

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
No one expected North Korea to meekly accept sanctions against it and dismantle its nuclear and ICBM programs. But in common parlance, "this means war."

CNN:

North Korean state media has slammed the latest round of sanctions approved by the United Nations calling them a "flagrant violation of our sovereignty," and vowed retaliation against Washington. The UN Security Council unanimously adopted new sanctions Saturday in response to Pyongyang's long-range ballistic missile tests on July 4 and July 28. The measures aim to make it harder for North Korea to make money across the globe. They target North Korea's primary exports  including coal, iron and seafood  and attempt to cut off its additional revenue streams by targeting some of its banks and joint ventures with foreign companies. Speaking at the ASEAN Regional Forum Monday, North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho blamed the US for the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and said Pyongyang's "possession of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles is a legitimate option for self-defence in the face of a clear and real nuclear threat posed by the US," according to a statement released by North Korea. "We will, under no circumstances, put the nukes and ballistic rockets on the negotiating table," Ri said, adding Pyongyang would "teach the US a severe lesson" if it used military force against North Korea. Also on Monday, North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency said the country's missile launches were a "stern warning to the US," and warned Washington against "believing that its land is safe across the ocean." KCNA accused the US of "trying to drive the situation of the Korean Peninsula to the brink of nuclear war" and pushing the UN to pass new sanctions. "(North Korea) will make the US pay dearly for all the heinous crimes it commits against the state and people of this country," KCNA said.

It's extremely difficult to gauge what's going on in the minds of North Korean leaders. The defiant words were expected.

But do they mean it?

I think Kim is well and truly trapped. He can't be seen as giving in to the U.S. and the West, so dismantling his WMD programs is off the table. There are almost certainly factions in the Politburo and perhaps even in his inner circle that want to see him gone and would use his caving in to the U.S. as a pretext to overthrow him. On the other hand, a war with the U.S. may mean the same thing.

Perhaps Kim's best bet is to play for time while trying to drive a wedge between the U.S. and South Korea. An announced pause in missile tests and a call for negotiations may accomplish that. President Trump may insist that Kim dismantle his missile program before talks begin, but the pressure on President Moon Jae-in to initiate negotiations with the North would be intense. Moon has already shown a disposition for negotiations over military action.

On the other hand, President Trump will not take the chance that North Korea will be successful in marrying a nuclear warhead to one of its ICBMs. They aren't there yet, but they are close. You would think that regardless of what South Korea does, the president will take action if it seems that the North's military capability to strike the U.S. with a nuclear weapon is imminent.

With a U.S. attack on North Korea, there is always China to consider. But China's vote for sanctions at the U.N. may indicate that the Chinese would tolerate a limited U.S. strike on the North's missile infrastructure. That is sure to be one of the options given to president Trump as the decision for war gets closer.
Last week, the New York Times alerted its readers to a Justice Department plan to investigate whether colleges are discriminating against white applicants. The New York Times obtained a leaked memo that asked for lawyers interested in "investigations and possible litigation related to intentional race-based discrimination in college and university admissions."

The Times interpreted this to mean that the Justice Department wanted to investigate whether affirmative action violates the rights of white applicants. The Justice Department fired back that it was merely investigating a complaint filed by Asian-Americans that they were being discriminated against by Harvard.

Despite the Department of Justice's clarification, a variety of pundits rushed to condemn the Trump administration and defend affirmative action. Writing in Inside Higher Ed, Michael S. Roth characterized this as an effort by privileged elites to deny members of marginalized groups an education. Writing in Slate, Richard Thompson Ford called it a "reactionary attack on affirmative action" that "won't succeed."

In their rush to defend the use of race in college admissions, these defenders of race-conscious admissions failed to contemplate what precisely they are defending. Strictly speaking, they are defending the right of colleges and universities to use race and ethnicity as a factor in making admissions decisions.

In a country with close to five thousand degree-granting institutions, both four-year and two-year schools, nobody's opportunity to go to college is threatened. Racial preferences play a major factor only at top-tier universities. The question is not whether any particular student gets to go to college, but where.

In other words, defenders of affirmative action are defending the right of the wealthiest and most powerful universities to grant admissions preferences on the basis of race and ethnicity. These elite institutions use admissions preferences to ensure "diversity." In practice, the pursuit of "diversity" means using admissions preferences to ensure that a university's racial and ethnic makeup resembles underlying regional or national demographics.

From a policy perspective, the relevant question is whether publicly funded institutions should be allowed to do that. One could offer the argument that places like Harvard and Yale are private institutions and should be free to admit whom they want. However, as recipients of government largesse, these institutions are governed by anti-discrimination law.

Defenders of affirmative action argue that these programs benefit minorities, but this misses the point. Whether these programs are beneficial to minorities is separate from the question of whether publicly funded schools should be allowed to discriminate. And make no mistake: granting massive admissions preferences on the basis of race is discrimination.
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology announced that the equipment at several cold-weather temperature stations was being replaced to make it "fit for purpose." What the bureau didn't mention is that once the equipment was in place, temperatures from those stations dropped.

Climate Depot:

A record of the Thredbo Top station for 3am on Wednesday shows a temperature reading of -10.6C. This compares with the BoM's monthly highlights for June and July, both showing a low of -9.6C.

The BoM said it had taken immediate action to replace the Thredbo station after concerns were raised that very low temperatures were not making it onto the official record. Controversy has dogged the bureau's automatic weather station network since Goulburn man Lance Pigeon saw a -10.4C reading on the BoM's website on July 2 automatically adjust to -10C, then disappear.

Later independent monitoring of the Thredbo Top station by scientist Jennifer Marohasy showed a recording of -10.6C vanish from the record.

BoM initially claimed the adjustments were part of its quality control procedures. But bureau chief executive Andrew Johnson later told Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg that investigations had found a number of cold-weather stations were not fit for purpose and would be replaced.

The BoM has admitted that, in addition to Goulburn and Thredbo Top, stations at Tuggeranong in the ACT, Butlers Gorge and Fingal in Tasmania and Mount Baw Baw in Victoria would be replaced.

An in-house investigation that includes two independent experts has been called. The bureau said it rejected allegations aired in some media outlets that it had sought to tamper with temperature data.

It has been reported online that electronic smart cards were allegedly fitted to the BoM's automatic weather stations, which put a limit on how low temperatures could be recorded in official weather data. The BoM declined to comment ahead of the internal review.

The findings of a review into this matter will be made available after completion, a BoM representative said. We do not intend to publish detail prior to that.

The AWS program is part of the observing systems and operations program, separate from the climate areas.

On her website yesterday, Dr Marohasy said it was not the recording devices that were at fault. To be clear, the problem is not with the equipment; all that needs to be done is for the smart-card readers to be removed, Dr Marohasy said. (emphasis mine)
For a while there, it seemed believable: one of them inside Venezuela's military finally got fed up enough to attempt a coup by raiding a well fortified military base for weapons in the socialist dictatorship. The raid on the Valencia military base then failed; the military's loyalty to the Chavista regime held; the Cubans used their secret police powers, perhaps; and the bad guys got captured. Since then, all is back to normal, the government claims. Nothing to see here; move along.

But not so fast. There are experts from Venezuela who think none of this is quite what the government is claiming. Javier Nieto, a former military office now in exile, who is often a "go-to" guy on Venezuelan military affairs, is skeptical in this NTN24 Colombian television interview in Spanish, stating:

A group made up of a combination of active duty military, reserves and retired military captured the garrison of the 41st Armored Brigade located at Fort Paramacay, near Valencia. This is considered a highly secure military post staffed by what are considered elite units.

Nieto is of the opinion that the military objective was accomplished  namely, to capture a well fortified military base and to cart off with a sizeable amount of weaponry.

Nieto stated that the political objective of this operation, called "Operacion David Carabobo" in honor of the state of Carabobo, where the operation took place, and the biblical David who slew Goliath, was to demonstrate to the government that the military are not with them.

Nieto stated that this tactical success fits in with a more general strategic objective.

When asked about reports that seven had been captured, Nieto said any information coming from the government lacks credibility and tends to follow a script written by the Castro-communist Cubans.

Nieto prudently refused to give any hints as to what phases come next.

The government carefully crafts its words and avoids using the phrase "military rebellion" and chooses to say things like "terrorists" and "paramilitaries."

Nieto says that rather than a rebellion, this is a rescue of the "constitutional thread."

A former Venezuelan defense minister is skeptical, too. A source emails, with a link to another interview, this one on CNN en Espanol, now available on YouTube with this summary:

Retired General Raul Salazar, Defense Minister for a short time in 1999 under Hugo Chavez, was interviewed by CNN en Espanol. Salazar is skeptical as to the authenticity of the so-called rebellion. He suspects this might be a ploy by the government to create a distraction and establish a doubtful mindset such as wondering "who is who" or "where do they stand," as a way to prolong their time in power. He considers this lust for power to a be an illness of sorts. He is of the opinion that the idea of the Constituent Assembly is simply a strategy for staying in power that much longer. When asked if this was a staged "show" he said that "anything is possible" under this regime. This interview overlaps with that of Rocio San Miguel. She states that it is highly irregular and ambiguous that having been accused of conspiracy in 2014 and having an outstanding warrant for his arrest, Caguaripano was allowed to remain free and ambiguously still a member of the National Guard. Also, she finds it peculiar that the SEBIN (political police), a civilian unit, was called in to handle the situation of this "rebellion" that was of a military nature.

This one here is worth heeding, too.

From Miami, retired Admiral Ivan Carratu Molina, states that there are many military posts that are aligned with this rebellion. He is highly critical of what he considers to be treasonous elements within the opposition coalition known as the MUD. He claims that these opportunistic politicians, read that to be Henry Ramos Allup, and members of the business community who are stakeholders in the current regime. He says that they have been serious detractors from action that would otherwise be taken by what he considers to be the majority of the military. He also says to beware of disinformation coming from the government (and the MUD). He says the good military need the support of the civilian population, the idea being "we're all in this together."

This, too.

Exiled General Antonio Rivera vouches for Caguaripano and states that he has been in contact with Caguaripano and have shared plans. Antonio Rivera seems to be an honest human being who bailed out a few years ago.

With this the consensus so far: it seems pretty clear that these are far from peaceful times in the Venezuelan military, and nothing the government claims is believable. It's also known that there has been an actual resistance movement outside the military likely gaining strength. The takeaway here is that we should be hearing of more military raids and whatever follows from a newly armed fighting force that has its sights on the detested socialist regime of Nicolas Maduro.


Operation Ninja.

So what next in the wake of the weapons raid on the Venezuelan military base in Valencia? We know from the aggregated reports here that the government is probably lying about all being well in the wake of the attack. There are signs that the raiders did get away with a large cache of weapons, taken from the Chavistas.

My source emails:

Here is a new twist. Yesterday's operation was called "Operation David." There is now a new video out announcing a new plan of action from the same group called "Operation Ninja." Their plan is to act under cover of darkness as commandos to capture members of the leadership of the corrupt Narco-State that is Venezuela and turn them over to "international justice."

This is reminiscent of how the Israeli Mossad captured Adolf Eichmann in Argentina and took him to Israel to be tried. And he was tried, convicted and hanged.

Here is the link to the video on YouTube.

So what we are seeing now from these raiders, at a minimum, is a willingness to take the lead and run with it, not lie back on their laurels a la McClellan.

That they announced their plans suggests there's an element of psychological warfare as well. What Chavista won't go to bed at night with a twinge of worry that someone may raid their place, stuff them in the trunk of a car, and then haul them off to some tribunal? Wouldn't an exile in Miami seem a better way to go than hanging around Caracas and waiting to be snatched by the "Ninjas"  that is, if President Trump's sanctions aren't keeping them out? Obviously, they are trying to scare the Chavistas in a bid to weaken them.

...that is, if this really is what their next move is. Being clever military men, they might just do something else instead to maintain the element of surprise.

This sounds like a group whose moves are worth watching.
(ANSA) - Brussels, August 7 - Italy has had 371 forest fires so far this summer, the highest number in the European Union, according to an updated map of the situation produced by the European Commission's Emergency Response Coordination Centre. It said that Italy was second in terms of the area of land burned, 72,039 hectares, compared to 115,323 hectares in Portugal. The European Commission said Monday has helped mobilise three aircraft (2 Canadair and a reconnaissance plane) through the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism's voluntary pool of assets, following a request for assistance from Italy to battle forest fires.


(ANSAmed) - ROME, AUGUST 7 - The strong-arm over Italy's mission in Libya is continuing between the internationally-recognized al Sarraj government and Tobruk's authorities led by Gen. Haftar who oppose the agreement with Rome.

The Libyan Council of State has expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the presidential Council of al Sarraj with Italy, which he called ''a friend and brother country''.

The cooperation - he added in a note - is ''aimed at requalifying security institutions of Libya and strengthening the capacities of the Navy and Coast Guard in fighting against illegal immigration and human trafficking''.

Meanwhile Mohammed Ammari, member of the presidential Council, blasted as ''opportunistic'' and a ''publicity stunt'' criticism in Libya against the agreement with Rome.

But Tobruk remains critical. After the harsh tones used over the past few days following the Italian Parliament's green light to the Italian support naval mission in Libya, which it slammed as a ''violation of Libyan sovereignty'', yesterday the same position was stressed.

The Tobruk Parliament's foreign commission was quoted as saying by the online media outlet Al Wasat that the mission was a ''flagrant aggression against Libyan sovereignty''. The Commission rejected the accord with Rome and warned Italy and Tripoli of the consequences.

Authorities said they were ready to call on the UN, EU and African Union to take the necessary measures.

The powerful military strongman of Cyrenaica, Gen. Kalifa Hafter, has criticized the mission, ordering his forces to bomb Italian ships. Said al Islam Gaddafi, son of Muammar, has said Italy is ''nostalgic of its fascist colonialist past, when Tripoli's beaches were considered Rome's colonies''.

One of the four presidents of the Libyan Presidential Council, Fathi Al Mejbari, also called the mission a ''violation of the country's sovereignty'', invoking the UN's intervention.

These statements - sources close to the Italian foreign ministry said - ''are part of a dynamic regarding the Libyan domestic debate, which Italy fully respects, and don't affect in any way the relationship of cooperation between the two countries''. (ANSAmed).


TUNIS - The prime minister of Libya's national unity government, Fayez al Sarraj, meet on Monday with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi at Carthage Palace to discuss the situation in Libya.



At the end of the meeting, Sarraj made a brief statement to the press in which he said the solution to Libya's problems has to come by respecting the Paris agreement.



The spokesman for the Tobruk parlimament, Fathi Al-Mariami, said that the parliament doesn't support Sarraj's actions because they aren't in line with the country's Constitution.



The Tobruk authorities, in the country's east, are led by General Haftar and oppose the agreement with Rome on the Italian naval mission in Libya. Tunisia, together with Algeria and Egypt, has been working for months on a regional diplomatic initiative for a peaceful, shared solution to the Libyan crisis, with the backing of the United Nations


100 minors killed in Syria were 'ISIS little lions' In training camp near Dayr az Zor hit by airstrike

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, AUGUST 7 - The news of "100 minors" killed in Syria by a US-led coalition airstrike has also been reported by a group of Syrian anti-ISIS activists working secretly in the area hit, Dayr az Zor.



The group, which publishes news in Arabic online on the website Furat Post ("Furat" is the name of the Euphrates in Arabic), said "100 members of the Little Lions of the Caliphate", the militia of young ISIS jihadists, were killed in the airstrike.



The strike took place during the night between Saturday and Sunday in Kashkiya, between Mayadin and Albukamal, south of Dayr az Zor, 50 kilometres west of the Iraq border.



The activists said ISIS militants surrounded the area of attack and have banned civilian access.



The majority of jihadist militants in that area are from Central Asia and the Far East, they said.



At the end of 2016, in the battle of Mosul in northern Iraq, ISIS lost 38 members of its "Little Lions of the Caliphate", 31 of whom were originally from Raqqa, in northern Syria.(ANSAmed).




moodboard/Thinkstock(BLOOMINGTON, Minn.) -- Federal authorities are investigating an explosion at a Minnesota mosque this weekend that the governor deemed an "act of terrorism."



Officials say a "destructive device" in violation of federal law caused the blast Saturday in Bloomington, about 10 miles outside of Minneapolis.



Here's what we know about the investigation:



The blast



At 5:05 a.m. Saturday, Bloomington police responded to an explosion at the Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center, authorities said.



The blast shattered windows in the imams office, but no one was hurt, officials said.



About a dozen people were in a nearby room for morning prayers at the time, according to The Star Tribune.



The explosion woke many residents of the neighborhood, The Tribune reported.



The investigation



The investigation was turned over to federal officials, and the FBI said the preliminary investigation indicates the explosion was caused by a destructive device in violation of federal law.



Richard Thornton, special agent in charge of the FBI's Minneapolis Division, said this weekend the explosion was caused by an "improvised explosive device" and investigators had gathered components of the device and were studying how it was assembled.



"At this point our focus is to determine ... who and why," Thornton said.



Federal officials said investigators are following leads as they search for suspects.



The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement Saturday that it "fully supports the rights of all to freely and safely worship the faith of their choosing and we vigorously condemn such attacks on any religious institution. We are thankful that there were no injuries, but that does not diminish the serious nature of this act."



The DHS added, "We are in close contact with federal, state and local authorities and local community leaders as the investigation into this matter continues."



The governor and the Muslim community react



Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton called the blast an "act of terrorism," The Tribune reported.



"The destruction done to this sacred site is just unthinkable, unforgivable," Dayton said, according to newspaper. "I hope and pray the perpetrator will be caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law."



Officials with the Muslim American Society condemned the attack and said all indications point to a hate crime.



Officials said most of the imam's office was destroyed and that mosque members are saddened and shocked.



The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it is urging mosques and Islamic centers nationwide to step up security measures.



CAIR and the Muslim American Society are offering rewards for information leading to an arrest.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Del Ponte resigns from UN independent commission on Syria Says seven years of impunity 'shameful'

(ANSAmed) - ROME, AUGUST 7 - Carla del Ponte, who served as prosecutor on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, has resigned from the United Nations Crime Investigation Commission on Syria.



Del Ponte told ANSA there have been seven years of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria of a "ferocity and brutality" without equal.



She said the UN Commission has conducted preliminary investigations "that haven't done anything and the UN Security Council never took action".



"Now it's enough; this situation is unacceptable, it's shameful. I'm leaving," she said.



After having forcefully asked in recent months, without success, for the installation of a special tribunal on Syria, Del Ponte decided to announce her resignation during a debate at the Locarno Film Festival.



"My decision is in some ways also a provocation so that the UN Security Council decides to establish an international tribunal or send the investigations to the Permanent Court," she said.



"I've never seen such ferocity and brutality" as in Syria, Swiss prosecutor said. "Not even in the former Yugoslavia or in Rwanda".



"There's no one on any side of the conflict that isn't committing crimes," she said. (ANSAmed).




Sarraj meets with Essebsi, 'respect for Paris agreement' But Tobruk parliament insists, no support for premier

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, AUGUST 7 - The prime minister of Libya's national unity government, Fayez al Sarraj, meet on Monday with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi at Carthage Palace to discuss the situation in Libya.



At the end of the meeting, Sarraj made a brief statement to the press in which he said the solution to Libya's problems has to come by respecting the Paris agreement.



The spokesman for the Tobruk parlimament, Fathi Al-Mariami, said that the parliament doesn't support Sarraj's actions because they aren't in line with the country's Constitution.



The Tobruk authorities, in the country's east, are led by General Haftar and oppose the agreement with Rome on the Italian naval mission in Libya. Tunisia, together with Algeria and Egypt, has been working for months on a regional diplomatic initiative for a peaceful, shared solution to the Libyan crisis, with the backing of the United Nations.(ANSAmed).




ROME - The strong-arm over Italy's mission in Libya is continuing between the internationally-recognized al Sarraj government and Tobruk's authorities led by Gen. Haftar who oppose the agreement with Rome.

The Libyan Council of State has expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the presidential Council of al Sarraj with Italy, which he called ''a friend and brother country''.

The cooperation - he added in a note - is ''aimed at requalifying security institutions of Libya and strengthening the capacities of the Navy and Coast Guard in fighting against illegal immigration and human trafficking''.

Meanwhile Mohammed Ammari, member of the presidential Council, blasted as ''opportunistic'' and a ''publicity stunt'' criticism in Libya against the agreement with Rome.

But Tobruk remains critical. After the harsh tones used over the past few days following the Italian Parliament's green light to the Italian support naval mission in Libya, which it slammed as a ''violation of Libyan sovereignty'', yesterday the same position was stressed.

The Tobruk Parliament's foreign commission was quoted as saying by the online media outlet Al Wasat that the mission was a ''flagrant aggression against Libyan sovereignty''. The Commission rejected the accord with Rome and warned Italy and Tripoli of the consequences.

Authorities said they were ready to call on the UN, EU and African Union to take the necessary measures.

The powerful military strongman of Cyrenaica, Gen. Kalifa Hafter, has criticized the mission, ordering his forces to bomb Italian ships. Said al Islam Gaddafi, son of Muammar, has said Italy is ''nostalgic of its fascist colonialist past, when Tripoli's beaches were considered Rome's colonies''.

One of the four presidents of the Libyan Presidential Council, Fathi Al Mejbari, also called the mission a ''violation of the country's sovereignty'', invoking the UN's intervention.

These statements - sources close to the Italian foreign ministry said - ''are part of a dynamic regarding the Libyan domestic debate, which Italy fully respects, and don't affect in any way the relationship of cooperation between the two countries''.


MADRID - Exceedingly high fines are the newest weapon in the war against real estate speculation and out-of-control tourism on the Balearic Islands, where protests have taken place in Majorca in recent weeks. Starting Tuesday, a new law will go into effect that imposes fines from 20,000 to 40,000 euros to property owners who illegally rent out apartments or lodging to tourists.



For real estate agencies, intermediaries, or online sites such as Airbnb and HomeAway, sanctions could be as high as 400,000 euros.



The new law allows for individual city councils on each island - Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera - to authorise and discipline tourist rentals by quantity, time limits, and residential zones.



Local administrations will have a year to come up with plans for tourist lodgings, which partially contravenes the ban put into place by regional law.



In 2012 the Balearic Islands government, under the Partido Popular, decided to ban illegal tourist property rentals.



The current progressive administration, led by the socialist Francina Armengol and the ecologists of the Mes party, wants to make the ban effective with sanctions against real estate speculation that have made it difficult for local residents to rent lodgings at reasonable prices.



The sanctions for those who violate the law are accompanied by the activation of an electronic platform managed by the regional tourism council, where citizens can report illegal rentals and call for inspections by city offices.



Starting Tuesday, owners who rent illegal lodgings, residences or villas in one of the Balearic Islands without properly registering a rental control will risk sanctions that run into the thousands of euros.



In order to orient tourists to the new law there will be a smartphone app where one can check whether a particular lodging is legal or not.



Currently on islands such as Majorca there are 15,000 homes being offered as tourist lodging that aren't authorised for tourist use.



The islands' government also approved another project this week to try to curb real estate speculation.



Called the "first law of the home", it requires "large property owners" of lodging, such as corporations and banks (not private citizens), to rent out properties that have been vacant for at least two years, in order to meet the housing demands of local residents.
If, eventually, the referendum on independence slated for October 1 (1-O) is not held, it will be the end. But perhaps more for Spain than for Catalonia. If there is no vote, it will mean that the Spanish government will have resorted to impeding measures well beyond what is deemed reasonable. It will mean that a line will have been crossed to suppress those who support Catalonias right to self-determination which, it must be stressed and remembered, are a vast, wide-ranging majority in Catalonia and, above all, they form an entirely peaceful, democratic movement. Basque-style street rioting? Come off it! This movement is neither radical nor violent, but the best face of politics, the face of people who demand a basic right in the streets and in parliament, without a fuss. It is formed by many law-abiding, upright citizens who mean well and merely wish to exercise their right to decide the political future of their community and cannot understand how the law could possibly stand in their way. These are people who are simply asking to vote, as they did on November 9 2014, when 2.3 million Catalans cast a ballot in an unofficial referendum. What are they being accused of? What is their crime?

If these people a majority in Catalonia are not allowed to vote on 1-O, the feeling of grievance and abuse will grow and become widespread. The certainty that there is no hope within Spain will become more solid. Once again, Spains nationalism will have shown its intolerant face, its inability to listen to the voice of its peoples and reach a compromise with its diverse reality. Spain will have raised its time-honoured fear of freedom. As a result, independence support will grow among the Catalan people, who have historically seen themselves as a nation. Many of those who support self-determination today polls suggest that over 65 per cent are willing to vote on 1-O, even if the ballot is deemed unlawful would choose to vote No in a referendum granted by Madrid, but would have more reasons to lean towards Yes if the Spanish authorities blocked the ballot. Any hopes of transforming Spain, among those who still entertain any, would be wrecked once again. In Catalonia, the socialist party and the new alternative left, who endorse a federal solution, would struggle.

If the independence referendum is eventually aborted, Catalonia will grow stronger and Spain weaker. This argument is no sleight of logic. I am surprised that nobody in Madrid has come to the same conclusion, not even as a hypothesis. And, above all, I am surprised that the Catalans who want to remain in Spain have not rushed to put it forward to Madrid, desperately. How come they simply jump on the bandwagon of scorning the referendum? Cant they see that, sooner or later, all this will lead us to a vote? In the end, we will have to have a head count. I dislike using war as a metaphor but without a referendum Spain will have won a battle, but will be closer to losing the war. Mentally, Catalonia will have shifted further away.

A frustrated 1-O would immediately lead to a new election cycle. Does anyone honestly think that independence support would wane? Experience has shown us quite the opposite. The root of the conflict lies precisely with the reaction against the Constitutional Courts ruling that struck down the new Catalan Statute. The independence movement grows stronger with every blow it is dealt. Blocking the 1-O vote could easily boost separatism further. Imposition has merely strengthened the democratic reasons of self-determination and secession supporters.

So, I understand Rajoy and Sanchezs problem. Perhaps I understand it even better than they do, because they appear to be ignoring part of the problem. If they allow the referendum to go ahead, there is a risk that it might be a success; that is, that many people will turn out to vote and there will be a clear Yes win. They realise that and are afraid of it. But if they do whatever it takes to block the ballot as they have decided to do, they might find themselves with an even stronger secessionist majority in the Catalan parliament. Apparently, they have chosen to ignore this because they have been ignoring Catalonias reality for quite some time now. But, in the end, reality always prevails.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of EgyptAir Holding, Safwat Mosallam, said last week the aircraft would be withdrawn with the arrival of newer machines. The overall aim, he said, is to lower the average age of EgyptAir's fleet from the current 9.1 years, to no more than 4. A review of the carrier's fleet makeup shows the oldest aircraft in Egyptair's fleet centre on its A320-200s, A321-200s, A330-200s, B737-800s, and lone remaining B777-200(ER). EgyptAir Express (MSE, Cairo Int'l) is also due to see its fleet of twelve EMB-170s (averaging 9 years) replaced.

"There is an exercise to upgrade the fleet of 12 Embraers, which seat up to 70 passengers," he told Al Ahram newspaper in an interview. "They will be replaced with more modern aircraft able to accommodate 100 passengers during the next month. Following that, we will be considering putting the aircraft up for sale or lease.

"As soon as the new aircraft arrive, the current fleet will be retired immediately, and next year 25 aircraft will be put out of service," he said. "The fleet will consist of small- and medium-sized aircraft of 140 passengers and widebody models with 260 passengers."
Emirates customers will be able to book return Economy Class flights from Dubai to a wide range of destinations start at AED 910 to Mumbai, AED 940 to Beirut, AED 990 to Amman, AED 1,290 to Cairo, AED 1,310 to Colombo, AED 2,090 to Bangkok, AED 2,450 to Vienna, AED 2,460 to Prague, AED 2,470 to Hanoi, AED 3,410 to Mauritius, and AED 4,950 to Los Angeles. All prices are based on return fares. Terms and conditions apply.

Emirates customers will be able to book return Business Class flights from Dubai to destinations across the airlines extensive network starting at AED 3,300 to Mumbai, AED 10,150 to Phuket, AED 10,570 to Mauritius, AED 11,400 to Taipei, AED 11,500 to Casablanca, AED 14,070 to London Gatwick, AED 14,950 to Amsterdam, AED 16,300 to New York and AED 16,620 to Sydney. All prices are based on return fares. Terms and conditions apply.
This was in line with the 7.7% growth recorded in May. All regions reported growth. June capacity (available seat kilometers or ASKs) increased by 6.5%, and load factor rose 1.0 percentage point to 81.9%.

For the first six months of 2017, the industry experienced a 12-year high in traffic growth (7.9%) and a record first half load factor of 80.7%.

Middle Eastern carriers posted a 2.5% traffic increase in June, which was a slowdown from the already subdued 3.7% growth seen in May. Capacity rose 3.1%, and load factor slipped down 0.4 percentage points to 68.9%. While most markets have seen demand slowing, it is most visible on the Middle East-North

A brighter economic picture and lower airfares are keeping demand for travel strong. But as costs rise, this stimulus of lower fares is likely to fade. And uncertainties such as Brexit need to be watched carefully. Nonetheless, we still expect 2017 to see above-trend growth, said Alexandre de Juniac, IATAs Director General and CEO.

Asia-Pacific airlines June traffic jumped 9.1% compared to the year-ago period. Capacity rose 7.9% and load factor edged up 0.9 percentage points to 79.3%.The overall upward trend in seasonally-adjusted traffic remains strong, although volumes have slipped in recent months. Traffic on Asia-Europe routes continues to trend upwards following terrorism related disruptions in early 2016.

However, solid demand growth on international routes within Asia has paused.

European carriers saw traffic rise 8.8% in June compared to June 2016, which was up from a 7.5% year-over-year increase recorded in May. Capacity climbed 6.5% and load factor rose 1.8% percentage points to 85.9%, highest among the regions. The stronger growth reflects both a favourable comparison with the year-ago period, as well as increased momentum in the regional economic backdrop.

America market, which has been affected by a combination of factors including the (recently-lifted) ban on personal electronic devices, as well as a wider negative stimulation from the travel ban that has now been implemented for certain countries. However, passenger traffic between the Middle East and North America was already slowing in early 2017, in line with a moderation in the pace of growth of the largest carriers in the region.

North American airlines demand rose 4.4% compared to June a year ago. Capacity climbed 4.1%, with load factor inching up 0.3 percentage points to 84.5%. The comparatively robust economic backdrop in North America is expected to continue to support outbound passenger demand. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that inbound tourism is being deterred by the additional security measures in place for travel to the US.

Latin American airlines experienced a 9.7% rise in demand compared to the same month last year supported by strong travel within the region, while travel to North America is flat to down slightly. Capacity increased by 9.1% and load factor rose 0.4 percentage points to 82.1%.
Mauritius is the third new route for the airline this year and 87th destination overall.

Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines, Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser said: As a full-service carrier, SAUDIA provides an extensive selection of routes for leisure and business travelers alike. The start of services to the island of Mauritius provides guests with a unique destination to visit. We thank the Government of the Republic of Mauritius and the civil authority for welcoming SAUDIA and extending their full support.

Flight SV481 will operate from Riyadh to Mauritius, with a brief one hour stop in Jeddah. The total flying time to Mauritius is 9 hours from Riyadh and 7 hours 20 minutes from Jeddah.

The three-times-weekly service will be operated with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in a two-class configuration of 24 fully-flat seats in Business Class and 274 seats in Guest Class.
Not the least of the many ways in which my life has changed in the course of the past quarter-century is that I now spend as much of it as I can by the sea, which is where Mrs. T and I are today. We drove up to Maine on Saturday to see a show, the Ogunquit Playhouses revival of Ragtime, and were staying, as we always do when we go to Ogunquit, at Cliff House Resort, a hotel perched on the edge of Bald Head Cliff, which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. Originally built in 1872, Cliff House started life as a family hotel. It was still a bit on the shabby-genteel side when we first stayed therethat was part of its charmbut has since been transformed by gradual installments into a fully up-to-date resort, albeit one whose windows look out on seascapes that Winslow Homer could easily have painted a century ago.

In 2003 I visited Maine for the first time and fell in love on the spot with its myriad natural beauties, above all the turbulent, forbiddingly rocky coastline that was unlike anything I had ever seen or imagined. Soon thereafter, I started seeking out professional and personal opportunities to be beside the seaside, in Maine and elsewhere, and have been doing so ever since. As I wrote in this space in 2005 after my first trip to the Jersey Shore:

Coming as I do from the middle of America, I find at the age of forty-nine that I can count on the fingers of both hands the number of nights Ive slept by an ocean. Like everyone who falls in love with the sea in adulthood, Im incapable of saying anything about it that hasnt been said a million times before: its ever-changing, self-renewing presence instantly reduces me to cliches. As I sat on the boardwalk and watched the waves that my beloved Fairfield Porter painted so well, I could do no better than to recall the words of Jean de la Ville de Mirmont that Gabriel Faure set to music with such exquisitely apposite simplicity in Lhorizon chimerique, the most perfect of all his song cycles: The sea is infinite and my dreams are wild.

Five months later I met Mrs. T, a New England girl who had spent many a youthful summer on the beaches of Connecticut, and five years after that the two of us went to Floridas Sanibel Island for the first time. Since then weve returned to Sanibel every winter and visited Maine nearly every summer, irresistibly lured by the sea, about which I still have nothing even slightly original to say. I take comfort for this abject incapacity in a remark that Dave Tough, the great jazz drummer, made to his friend and colleague Bud Freeman when they went to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1922 to look at a still life by Cezanne. I wish I could say something about this magnificent work, Freeman told Tough, who replied, Thats the best thing youll ever say about it.

Part of what I love about the sea is the fact that it is not merely a visual phenomenon but an auditory one as well, making it accessible to those musicians who are, like me, seduced by the sound that it gives off, sometimes gently susurrating and sometimes overwhelming in its random splendor. Even so, I suspect that it is the painters art that has been most powerfully shaped by proximity to the ocean, and as much as I delight in listening to the crash of the surf, it is the sight of the unstill sea that fills me with something not far removed from ecstasy.

One of the things that keeps me coming back to Cliff House is its outdoor hot tub, which is close to the edge of Bald Head Cliff. I sat in the tub for a half hour after dinner last night and gazed at the full moon, which shone down so brightly on the Atlantic that no stars were visible, only the endlessly blinking beam of a lighthouse far in the distance.

By then Mrs. T had returned to our room to escape the chill of the night air, but I found it impossible to look away from the white golden glow of the moon and the rippling surface of the ocean far below. All at once a sentence by W.H. Auden popped into my mind: Looking up at the stars, I know quite well/That, for all they care, I can go to hell. Bemused by the thought of the coolly indifferent moon that will be shining down on Bald Head Cliff long after I and everyone I know have crumbled into dust, I clambered out of the hot tub, dried myself off, and went up to the room, where Mrs. T greeted me with a broad smile.

Look! she said proudly as she held up her iPad, on whose screen I saw a photo of the full moon at which I had been gazing minutes before. I got a pretty good picture, didnt I?

You sure did, my darling, I replied, turning away for a moment to dry my eyes. You sure did.

* * *

Gerard Souzay and Jacqueline Bonneau perform Gabriel Faures La mer ist infinie, from Lhorizon chimerique, composed in 1921:

Richard Hickox and BBC National Orchestra of Wales perform Moonlight, a movement from The Sea, composed in 1911 by Frank Bridge, Benjamin Brittens composition teacher:

Benjamin Britten and the Royal Opera House Orchestra perform the Moonlight interlude from Brittens Peter Grimes, composed in 1945:
The artists studio is different things to different people. Ive been in quite a few of these (often magical) spaces. The first I can remember is Barbara Hepworths in Cornwall, and most of what I recollect about that visit is the ashtrays, which were everywhere. Duncan Grants studio at Charleston had half-full ashtrays as well, also a decorated fireplace with a lovely metal stove, bottles of whisky, painted screens and over-stuffed chairs.

Younger artists studios I recall ranged from the one hung floor to ceiling with the painter/sculptors own work, to the one  no prizes for guessing who this was where moveable screens hid all but the works the painter wanted the visitor to see.

Several of the painters studios Ive viewed contained paintings by other hands, usually by friends or other admired artists; but even more contained objects  furniture, ceramics, sculptures, vases, mirrors, textiles, carpets, coffee-pots, suitcases, even pots and pans  which the artist valued for aesthetic reasons of one sort or another. In the case of some artists, some of these had fairly obviously become fetishes, to be sketched, drawn or painted over and over. One very great artist collected fine examples of all the above, but admitted none of them into the studio except the odd chair or table.

Matisse was clearly of the fetishist persuasion, which is why the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and now the Royal Academy were able to mount the exhibition called Matisse in the Studio. Of course there were some items shown in Boston and not in London, and vice versa  but its a nicely manageable show of a hundred or so items ranging from the ethnographic (Kuba embroidered textile and a Congolese mask or two) to the ecclesiastical (maquettes for chasubles) to the almost practical (the staggeringly ornate 19th century Venetian chair).

Ultimately the viewer wants to know not what Matisse had in his studio, but why he made space for these objects  which means seeing what use he put them to in his work. While the fact that he collected them might tell us something about an artists psyche, in Matisses case, at least, the really interesting questions are only answered by pinpointing the objects in his work.

Blown glass, 28.5 x 21 cm Former collection of Henri Matisse. MusAe Matisse, Nice. Bequest of Madame Henri Matisse, 1960, 63.2.195 Photo A FranAois Fernadez, Nice

For example, one of the first displays is a blue-green early 20th century blown glass vase from Andalusia. Perhaps this is one of those ambiguous duck-rabbit images, and I am only perceiving the duck  or the rabbit. But I cannot help seeing in this vase a slightly stout woman with her fists resting on her hips. This seems so evident to me, that I cannot imagine that Matisse himself wasnt reminded of a determined (or complaining) woman, and bought it because the idea amused him. (It is not a thing of outstanding beauty or delicacy or great craftsmanship.)

Oil on canvas, 80 x 65 cm Private collection Photo A Private collection A Succession H. Matisse/DACS 2017

However, when Matisse used the vase as a prop  or subject  in at least two paintings, it seems to me that he masculinised the object. Im not saying that in either the Vase of Flowers, 1924 in the Boston show, or Safrano Roses at the Window, 1925 at the RA, the vase has turned into a phallus. But as I think you can see from these illustrations, hes altered the proportions of the vase. Its less squat, more elongated and slimmer in both paintings, and the frowning or resolute old woman-aspect has all but vanished. (But you might disagree with me; one person to whom I showed these illustrations already has done.) This speculation (or reflection) leaves me a bit puzzled, as I feel so certain that Matisse saw in the vase what I see in the vase when he bought it. Yet this property, this quality, is not present in either of the paintings. Why not? Though this seems to me a prima facie instance of a really interesting question, I cant pretend to have an answer. This bothers me more than the relationship of many of the other objects in curator Ann Dumas invigorating show, chiefly because most of them have some compositional role or  dare we say it?  decorative purpose in the paintings, drawings, cut-outs and graphics displayed alongside them. I love the idea in the press handout that Matisses objects formed a secret history hiding in plain sight. I only wish I understood what this means. Even the essays in the splendid book, also entitled Matisse in the Studio, havent answered the question for me.

If the RA show is just a touch light on paintings, there is another, amazing Matisse show just across Piccadilly. The Bernard Jacobson Gallery, 28 Duke Street, has a lot of very covetable prints for sale, but also hanging is Lartiste et le modele nu, 1923, which foregrounds the artist in his striped pyjamas, sitting at his easel, painting his model, Antoinette Arnoud. On the dressing table is our blue-green vase. What a coup to be showing this painting and Nu aux jambes croisees, 1936, depicting his studio assistant, Lydia Delektorskaya! And according to the handout, all works will be available for sale.
Joy In An Ancient Ystad Church

Swedish bassist Hans Backenroth and Danish guitarist Jacob Fischer played in the 11th century Klosterkyrkan, not far from Ystads center. Among the most experienced European jazz artists, they found ways of dealing with the acoustical challenge created by the churchs recesses and stone surfaces, famous for causing sound delays of as much as six seconds. Indeed, they made the phenomenon work for them. The resonating effect was enchanting when Backenroth bowed his bass, as he did on Look For The Silver Lining. Their first piece, whose title was not announced, had harmonic progressions reminiscent of classic bebop tunes like Confirmation.

The duos repertoire included Crazy He Calls Me, a song forever connected with Billie Holiday, especially when its played with the swing feeling Backenroth and Fischer gave it. Following their statement of the theme, they took Summertime at a lively waltz tempo , then into lively waltz time and into straight 4/4. Fischer used his guitars body to make it sound as if a bongo player had materialized. An enchanting medley of Antonio Carlos Jobims A Felicidade and Fischers Latino set off the rhythmic unison clapping which, in Europe, means that the audience demands an encore. Backenroth and Fischer responded with trumpeter Clifford Browns Joy Spring. It is a harmonically demanding piece that has accumulated velocity over the decades and is often taken at barn-burner tempos as a cutting-contest battleground. Not this time. They made Joy Spring slow and rhythmic. In a solo that had a little funk and a lot of heart, Fischer emphasized the tunes innate lyricism.

Oskar Stenmark & Piatruba

One reason I looked forward to this years edition of the Ystad Sweden Jazz Festival was that it would be an the opportunity to hear members of the new generation of musicians springing up on the continent. The young flugelhornist Oskar Stenmark and his colleagues are among them. Rained out of their intended outdoor performance space, they and their audience took refuge in Scala, the venerable downtown Ystad cinema. Stenmark, pianist Robin Skarin and bassist Linus Fredin specialize inaccording to the festival program Swedens rich folk tradition. After three years in New York City, Stenmark said that hes back in Sweden to keep contacts. He is staying close to, among others, his large extended family in Dalarna in the mountains north of Stockholm, near the Norwegian border. He and his father are so close that the senior Stenmark, seen here on the right, sat in as a hand drummer on two tunes.

Some of the folk music Stenmark played in Ystad has been in his family for ten generations. Yet, his improvising is thoroughly modern, perhaps disclosing the influence of the flugelhorn and trumpet master Art Farmer but also incorporating the element in Swedish music that pianist Jan Lundgren has identified as between sadness and happiness. That quality was evident in Day of the Bride, a folk song about a bridal couple who drowned on their wedding day. In balance, the trio played a wedding celebration song, used in Stenmarks ancestral region to accompany the carrying of the bride around the room. A piece that Stenmark introduced as a walking tune featured a Fredin bass solo that was slow and firm, ending with a piano solo over the flugelhorns whole notes for a hymn-like ending. What Stenmark described as a calling tune, a horn song, featured Fredins bowed bass. Through all of this music based in Swedish country arcania, Stenmark, Skarin and Fredin improvised with modern uses of harmony. Their music is at once nostalgic and thoroughly up to date or, as I heard an audience member say, So old, so hip.
One step in this fight is greater focus on renewable energy such as solar and wind to meet the energy demand.

Hyderabad: Thanks to the United States President Donald Trump, almost everyone, has heard about the Paris Accord  an agreement between nations to combat climate change  now.

One step in this fight is greater focus on renewable energy such as solar and wind to meet the energy demand.

While the United States plans to renegotiate for an improved deal, India aims to meet its set target.

In recent days, power tariffs in the renewable sectors keeps falling to new low and private companies are now ready to pitch in.

Hyderabad-based startup, Freyr Energy, plans to help the country meet its target via its mobile app, SunPro, which could be used to get an estimate in a matter of few touches for solar installation.

The SunPro app, available in both iOS and Andriod, allows the user with quite a few customisation option.

Saurabh Marda, co-founder and managing director, said, The industry, we felt, is pretty unorganised. We soon found out that there were two paths to go forward for bringing in the orders.

We could hire a sales team for every location or could disrupt the ecosystem. We decided to use the craze of mobile apps as our way for disruption.

Along with co-founder Radhika Choudary, whom Mr Marda has known for a long time, the duo set out to change the dynamics but soon realised the challenges that impede the growth.

With the sector seeing increased interest, we didnt want to become yet another company jumping in and later being forced to wind up when a bigger player with greater capital venturing into the sector, Ms Choudary said.

She added, We are an integrator and thus help the customer get the lowest price for their installation. The lower tariffs works as an additional benefit for us.

As of June 30, 2017, the nations solar grid had a cumulative capacity of 13.11 GW. Meanwhile, the solar-generation capacity as per date till March 31, 2017 rose to 12,289 MW from 2,650 MW on May 26, 2014 in India.
Several producers had expressed concern about the new tax, but the superstar has come out in support of GST.

Kolkata: Coming in support of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in film industry, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has said it will have a positive long term effect.

"GST will help the film industry in the long term. It is a good step", Shah Rukh told reporters to a question here on Saturday night.

The 'Jab Harry Met Sejal' actor debunked the theory that GST has caused escalation in ticket prices.

"From figures I know, the ticket prices of Jab Harry Met Sejal haven't risen as a result of GST," he said.
Close friends claim theyre not allowed to visit or enquire about his health.

Anxious enquiries from all quarters about thespian Dilip Kumars health have finally been answered by his wife, Saira Banu. She sent out a text message to us saying, He has improved.

However, close friends of the veteran actor and Saira claim that theyre not allowed to visit, or even enquire about his health.

Says an entertainer, who has known the couple for decades, Ive known them forever, and was a constant visitor to their Pali Hill bungalow. But in recent years, all my attempts to meet Yusuf saab, or even know about his health have been stonewalled by his wife.

The 94-year-old actor was rushed to Lilavati hospital on Wednesday due to dehydradation and a urinary tract infection. He was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), where he is expected to spend a few more days under observation.
The victim was harrassed and stalked by Vikas Barala, a Haryana BJP leader's son in Chandigarh.

IAS officer Virender Kundu acknowledged in his post that the 'difficulties' he might face in fighting this case is nothing as compared to what his daughter Varnika has to. (Photo: Screengrab)

New Delhi: The father of Varnika Kundu, the 29-year-old girl who was allegedly harassed and stalked by Haryana BJP chiefs son in Chandigarh on Saturday, has praised his daughter for taking on the "worst form of chauvinism" in the society.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Virender Kundu said that they would not back out and fight against the culprits till the end.

IAS officer Virender acknowledged in his post that the "difficulties" he might face in fighting this case is nothing as compared to what his daughter Varnika has to.

"You have chosen to take on the worst form of chauvinism manifested in our society. My difficulties on account of this decision are nothing compared to yours," wrote Kundu.

"Our target is to ensure that the guilty are brought to book. They are adult men, students of law, who are fully aware of the consequences of their actions, and hence must be appropriately punished for their offences committed," he said.

Virender's daughter has alleged that Haryana BJP chiefs son Vikas Barala and his friend harassed and chased her while she was driving, alone, on her way to home on Saturday. She alleged that they even tried to open the door of her car.

Also Read: Lucky, wasn't lying raped, killed in ditch: Woman stalked by Haryana BJP chief's son

Vikas and his friend were arrested after she filed a complaint with the police soon after the incident took place. Medical reports have confirmed that the accused were in inebriated state at the time of the incident, officials said.

Praising the Chandigarh Police for its swift actions, he said, "We firmly believe that after 70 years of Independence and democracy, the legal system of our country is mature and geared up to deliver justice."

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Sunday assured justice to the victim and said action will be taken against the accused once proven guilty.

"I came to know about this incident. Chandigarh Police has filed the complaint and I believe they will take appropriate action. This matter is not related with Subhash Barala but with an individual. So action would be taken against his son," Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said.

Later on Sunday, the Congress accused the BJP government in Haryana of protecting Vikas from punishment.

Also Read: Fight or face injustice against your daughter: Father of woman stalked by BJP chief's son

In an earlier Facebook post, Virender had narrated the incident in detail.

He wrote: "As a father of two daughters, I feel compelled to take this matter to its logical conclusion. The goons must be punished, and the law must take its course. As would be expected, the goons are from influential families."

Following this, on Monday he took to social media and added, "the criminals must be punished."
Nitin Gadkari conveyed Indias readiness to aid Iran in taking up operations in Chabahar Port during the interim period.

The Iranian side earlier had requested India to provide up to 150 million dollar credit and had made it a condition for activation of the Chabahar Port contract. (Photo: AFP/File)

New Delhi: India and Iran have expressed commitment for early completion and operationalisation of Chabahar Port besides strengthening bilateral ties.

Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari was on a two-day visit to Tehran on August 5 and 6 to represent India at the inauguration and oath taking ceremony of Hassan Rouhani as the President of Iran for a second term where he also held discussions with Iranian officials on wide ranging issues including Chabahar Port and proposed rail link between Chabahar and Zahedan.

"In the meetings, both sides positively assessed the progress in implementation of the decisions taken during the Indian Prime Ministers visit to Iran last year, including the progress of Chabahar Port. Both sides reiterated their commitment to complete and operationalise the port at the earliest," Ministry of Shipping said in a statement on Monday.

Besides meeting Rouhani, Gadkari also called on the first Vice President E Jahangiri and highlighted the issue of activation of contract of Chabahar Port development and conveyed to him that India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) has finalised procurement of critical equipment such as Rail Mounted Gantry Crane and is close to finalising orders relating to Rubber Tyre Mobile Crane, MT Container Handlers, Truck and Tractor Trailers Containers and related equipment.

The statement also said he has conveyed Indias readiness to aid Iran in taking up operations in Chabahar Port during the interim period between the actual activation of contract.

He requested the Iranian side for an early submission of loan application for Chabahar Port Development to Exim Bank of India so that the contract agreement between the two countries can be activated.

The Iranian side earlier had requested India to provide up to 150 million dollar credit and had made it a condition for activation of the Chabahar Port contract. The application for loan to Exim Bank of India is still awaited.

Later, Gadkari met Abbas Akhoundi, the Iranian Minister for Roads and Urban Development, and conveyed to him the latest update on procurement of equipment for the two terminals - multipurpose and container - that are covered under Chabahar Port Agreement, the statement said.

He also requested Akhoundi that in the interest of supporting operations of Chabahar Port, the Iranian side should consider waiving the condition of submission of loan application as it was taking time.The Iranian side assured that the application shall be presented to Exim Bank of India early.

The Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act (FIPPA) application was also presented by the MD, IPGL to the Iranian authorities in the presence of Gadkari and Akhoundi. India has opened an office of IPGL in Tehran.

The statement said in his meeting with Akhoundi, Gadkari stressed upon the need for marketing of the Chabahar Port to attract cargo.

He said, Iran and India should jointly organise a workshop at Chabahar for this purpose at an early date. Gadkari also emphasized the need to develop rail connectivity from Chabahar to Zahedan, and said that the MoU with India in this regard may be extended, it said.

The issue of ratification of the trilateral Transit Agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan was also discussed. While India and Afghanistan have signed the agreement, Iran is yet to do the same.
This comes amid chaos in the state over the killing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan Vijayan said his government is ready to handover the case of the RSS worker's murder to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if necessary. (Photo: PTI/File)

Trivandrum: Intelligence reports had earlier suggested that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might carry out attacks in some parts of the state to divert the attention from the party's medical college scam, said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

"The government had Intelligence reports that the BJP might carry out attacks in some parts of the state to divert the attention from BJP's medical college scam," Vijayan said in the Kerala Assembly in Trivandrum.

Stressing on the same, Vijayan said the government took precautionary measures to control this and is ready to handover the case of the RSS worker's murder to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if necessary.

He also informed that the internal probe report conducted by the BJP will also be considered by vigilance investigation team.

This comes amid chaos in the state over the killing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker.

Earlier on Sunday, Union Minister Arun Jaitley met the grieving family members of RSS worker Rajesh Edavakode, who was killed during political clash in Kozhikode.

Addressing a gathering after meeting Rajesh's kin, Jaitley condemned the dastardly attack and said that "even enemies would not be as brutal as those who are involved in the murder".

"I visited the family of our deceased karyakarta, who was slaughtered in the most barbaric manner...he was an ideal karyakarta..This kind of violence will neither suppress ideology in Kerala nor it will be able to scare our workers. It will only increase their determination to work harder against those who are perpetuating this operation," he added.

"He belonged to the weaker section of the society. . Rajesh belonged to a poor family and now his family has no means of a livelihood. He was stabbed mercilessly and there were 70-80 wounds inflicted on his body, even enemies would not be as brutal as those involved in the murder. In the past few months party officers are being attacked, our workers are being attacked and their houses are being set ablaze," he added.

A series of clashes between CPM and BJP-RSS activists had rocked Thiruvananthapuram last month in which the 34-year-old RSS worker was murdered in Kozhikode.

Earlier, the RSS urged the Central and state Government to take strict action towards bringing this series of murders to an end in Kerala.

"Centre must intervene in state sponsored violence in Kerala," said RSS Joint General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale.

RSS also passed a resolution in RSS Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal meet regarding these attacks on the RSS by CPM cadres in the state.

Eight suspects were detained in connection with the murder.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on July 4 issued notice to Kerala Government over growing incidents of political violence in the state and sought a report on the issue within four weeks.

The Commission also asked the State Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to take effective measures to stop such incidents.

As per reports, Kerala BJP general secretary MT Ramesh, name figures in the report of the medical college scam.

It has been alleged that the owner of a medical college in Trivandrum district had paid Rs 5.60 crore as bribe to Kerala-based BJP leaders for influencing the Medical Council of India (MCI).
Talking to reporters in Patna, he said three companies  Broadson, Bansidhar, and Mor Mukut were given the tender of mining worth Rs 237 cr.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi (right) said the director of all three companies, is a 'right-hand man of Lalu Yadav (left) and was given sand mining contract in six districts of Bihar'. (File photo)

Patna: Stepping up his attack on RJD president Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday claimed that the family has close links with people associated with mining mafia in Bihar.

Modi said that the director of three companies dealing with illegal sand mining is closely associated with Lalu Yadavs family and has been investing in their properties.

While talking to reporters in Patna, he said that three companies  Broadson, Bansidhar, and Mor Mukut  were given the tender of mining worth Rs 237 crores.

He said Subhash Prasad Yadav, the director of all three companies, is a right-hand man of Lalu Yadav and was given sand mining contract in six districts of Bihar.

Documents presented by the deputy chief minister also revealed that Subhash had bought three flats from Lalus wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi on June 13, 2017, at the cost of Rs 1 cr 72 Lakh.

Buying three flats on one single day raises doubts. I will be sending all documents to the Income Tax Department seeking an investigation regarding payments made to Lalu Yadav and his family, Modi said on Monday in Patna.

The attack on Lalus family comes days after Modi had claimed that he would come out with documentary evidence to prove that the sand mining mafias were involved in funding RJD and also associated with the family.

Modi had earlier told this newspaper that the NDA government were reviewing files to find whether irregularities occurred when RJD was part of the government.

Nitish Kumar had resigned as Chief Minister of the Grand Secular Alliance government in Bihar last month after Lalu Yadavs younger son Tejashwi Yadav repeatedly refused to give explanations about corruption charges he has been facing.

Within 24 hours of his resignation, Kumar was sworn in as the Chief Minister of the NDA government along with Modi, who took oath as the Deputy Chief Minister.

It was Sushil Modi, who had earlier raised a string of corruption charges against Lalu Yadavs family. He had accused the family of laundering money through various shell companies to purchase properties in Patna and Delhis high profile locations at a throwaway price.

Lalu Yadav must come out with the truth about their links with sand mining mafia and selling three flats in a single day to Subhash Prasad Yadav, Modi said.
They had launched fast on July 27, demanding proper rehabilitation and resettlement of those affected by Sardar Sarovar Project.

File photo of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar during her indefinite fast on August 2. (Photo: PTI)

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Police on Monday took social activist Medha Patkar and 11 others to hospitals from Chikhalda village of Dhar district, where they have been sitting on an indefinite fast since past 12 days.

Patkar, the founder of the 'Narmada Bachao Andolan', and her associates had launched the fast on July 27, demanding "proper" rehabilitation and resettlement of those affected by the Sardar Sarovar Project.

All of them, including Patkar, were taken to hospitals by the administration as their health was deteriorating, Indore Division's Commissioner Sanjay Dube told PTI, without disclosing which hospitals.

They were taken in different ambulances, he said, adding six policemen suffered injuries in the process.

Thousands of families along the Narmada river in MP's Barwani, Dhar, Alirajpur and Khargone districts are at risk of getting displaced with the closing of gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in neighbouring Gujarat and the resultant rise in water level in its catchment area.

The Centre recently gave the nod for closing the gates.

The water level in the catchment area reached 121.90 metres today, nearing the danger mark set at 123 metres. The dam is likely to be filled to its capacity by August-end.

On Sunday, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti had urged 62-year-old Patkar to end the hunger strike while expressing concern over her health.

Patkar, in response, had urged the minister to support her in saving Narmada river.
India Vision Institute acknowledged the support of Essilor Vision Foundation in providing sunglasses to 150 fishermen.

Sunglasses help to eliminate glare off water, give a wider scope of vision, see across water, improve clarity when fishing in sandy lakes or stream beds. (Photo: File/Representational)

New Delhi: In a unique initiative of its kind, the India Vision Institute (IVI) and Essilor Vision Foundation have come together to distribute free sunglasses to 150 fishermen from the Chinna Neelangarai community in Chennai on Monday.

The sunglasses will help protect the fishermen from UV radiation that can lead to vision loss.

The sunglasses were distributed at Chinna Neelangarai Kuppam in the presence of Mr VE Mathiazhagan, Secretary, Shollinghanallur, East Zone; Mr Aravind Ramesh, MLA Shollinganallur; Vinod Daniel, CEO-India Vision Institute and Essilor India Pvt Ltd's Mr Dharmaprasad Rai and MrVinayak Raman.

Vinod Daniel, IVI CEO, said, "the sunglasses will help protect the fishermen from damage to their eyes. The healthy side of sunlight notwithstanding, prolonged exposure to it increases the risk of potential eye damage and vision loss."

"Fishing folk, farmers and other manual labourers who remain outdoors for prolonged periods of time are at great risk from UV radiation. People who work outdoors receive 5-10 times more UV doses than those indoors. Sunglasses bring down the risk of potential eye damage," Mr Daniel noted.

"Events such as these also help in spreading awareness among community members. Simply wearing sunglasses by fisherfolk out at sea will not only help protect them from UV rays but also improve their vision and improve their catch," he added.

Mr Ramachandran, Group Chief Operating Officer, Essilor India Pvt Ltd., said "Essilor is pleased to be able to associate with the program through the Essilor Vision Foundation. The sunglasses distributed today should help fishermen protect themselves from harmful UV rays."

IVI acknowledged the support of Essilor Vision Foundation in providing sunglasses to the fishermen community of Chinna Neelangarai Community.

The advantages of sunglasses are; eliminate glare off water, give a wider scope of vision, help see across water, improve clarity when fishing in sandy lakes or stream beds, protect from many sunburn ocular diseases like cataract, Pterygium, Keratitis, macular degeneration etc.
After news of the missing footage broke, the Congress on Monday accused the ruling BJP of conspiring to hush up the case.

Chandigarh: In what has come as a major embarrassment for Chandigarh police, the footage of nine CCTVs installed along the road on which Varinka Kundu was allegedly stalked by the Haryana BJP chiefs son has gone missing.

Apart from rising political pressure, this is a major setback to the investigation in the high-profile case. The police claims that it has written to the National Informatics Centre to retrieve the footage at the earliest.

After news of the missing footage broke, the Congress on Monday accused the ruling BJP of conspiring to hush up the case.

While the BJPs Kiron Kher said that Chandigarh police was not facing any political pressure, the BJPs Chandigarh unit vice-president Ramveer Bhatti sparked outrage by blaming Ms Kundu for staying out so late in the night.

Speaking to a news channel, Mr Bhatti said, Why was she allowed to roam around at night? Parents should not allow their children to stay out late... what is the point of roaming around at night? He has since back-tracked his statement.

Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala has remaining tight lipped over the stalking case involving his son.

Ms Kundu, a DJ, has alleged that Vikas Barala (23) and his friend Ashish Kumar (27) chased her while she was driving home on Saturday. They even tried to open the door of her car, she has said. The two were arrested after she filed a police complaint, but were later released on bail as they were booked under bailable sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act.

All India Congress Committee media in-charge Randeep Surjewala said the Chandigarh police comes directly under the Union home ministry and the government is trying to protect Subhash Barala and his son.

Mr Surjewala said, The Union home ministry is conspiring to hush up the case in a bid to protect the Haryana state BJP president and his son. Will PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah tell the nation why they (Subhash Barala and his son) are being shielded? Even before one has lodged a case, the CCTV footage goes missing from the cameras. How is it possible?

The Congress also released three videos of the changing statements of DSP Satish Kumar, who is probing the case, and Ms Kundu narrating the incident.

We have also released the video of the girl in question this young girl has clearly said that she has stated before the magistrate in a statement under Section 164 and she is saying so again on camera that there was a clear cut unequivocal attempt to abduct her. But why has no FIR been lodged? Mr Surjewala asked.

The Congress also demanded the resignation of the BJPs state chief.

Senior BJP leader Anil Jain, in-charge of the BJPs Haryana affairs, ruled out the resignation of its state unit chief. Subhash Barala has nothing to with the Vikas Barala case. The law is taking its own course. There is no reason for Subhash Baralas resignation, Mrr Jain said.

His statement comes a day after Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar also said that the BJP state unit chief had nothing to do with incident.

Coming to the victims aid, the Indian Administrative Service (Central) Association, which claims to represent all 5,004 IAS officers across the country, tweeted, Absolutely shocking. Time we made our nation a safe place for women. Exemplary and timely punishment for such offences is a must.

Responding to Mr Bhattis comments, Ms Kundu told a News channel, It is none of his business, it is my business and my familys what I do and where... If it wasnt for men like these, I wouldnt be unsafe going out... whether it was 12 am or 2 am or 4 am.

If it happens at night its my fault? Can the men not control their urges at night? Why am I being questioned? I am the one who was under attack...but they are not questioned..., she added.

Virender Kundu, the girls father and a senior Haryana IAS officer, who had taken to the social media to urge people to fight crime against women, told reporters that he had full faith in the system and was grateful to Chandigarh police for saving his daughters life. He has also written a post on Facebook praising his daughter for the stand she has taken.
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are members of Brics.

New Delhi: Despite the Sino-Indian military tensions amid the Doklam standoff, China is pitching for a successful Brics summit in the Chinese city of Xiamen next month, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be present, on the grounds that its in the interests of all nations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping had attended the Brics summit in Goa last year. At an informal Brics meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg last month, Mr Modi was quoted as saying last month: Under President Xis chairmanship, the progress and positive momentum of Brics has further deepened our cooperation. President Xi had also appreciated the momentum of Brics during Indias chairmanship.

The successful holding of the summit is in the interests of all nations, diplomatic sources said in New Delhi. China appears to be trying its best to delink the Doklam standoff from the multilateral Brics forum and summit that it will host. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are members of Brics.

Whether the Doklam standoff will be resolved by the time the Brics summit takes place will be keenly watched in view of Mr Modis expected visit. China has lambasted India over the past several weeks, demanding the withdrawal of Indian troops from Doklam. Indian and Chinese troops have been involved in a seven-week faceoff at Doklam, which India and Bhutan consider Bhutanese territory. China, however, regards it as its own territory and calls it Dong Lang.

China has maintained that there cannot be any room for discussion except that India withdraws its troops, and that New Delhi should not resort to any stalling tactics or harbour any illusions..
Condemning the teacher's inappropriate behaviour, Leader of Opposition in Assam Debabrata Saikia demanded strict action from the government.

While it is unclear as to who clicked the photographs, the pictures reveal that they were taken within the school premises itself, and the teacher was willing to pose for the pictures with the minor student. (Photo: Twitter | ANI)

Katlicherra (Assam): In a shocking portrayal of inappropriate behaviour, the police on Sunday arrested Faizuddin Laskar, a teacher who earlier posted obscene pictures with his students online.

A faculty member of Model High School in Katlicherra in Assam's Hailakandi district, the teacher was allegedly clicked in objectionable poses with his student, a minor girl, and the photos were later posted online.

Condemning the teacher's inappropriate behaviour, Leader of Opposition in Assam and Congress Party leader Debabrata Saikia demanded strict action from the government.

Taking it further, Saikai lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for improper implementation of their 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme.

"This sort of behavior is very unfortunate. It is surprising that the state government and education departments have not reacted upon the case. This kind of incident will only further discourage girls from pursuing education. Even the Centre has not reacted upon this. I think the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' will remain as just a slogan, rather than a constructive move," Saikai said.

While it is unclear as to who clicked the photographs, the pictures reveal that they were taken within the school premises itself, and the teacher was willing to pose for the pictures with the minor student.
Expelled leaders propose to form alliance to get dalit votes.

Lucknow: Expelled leaders from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are making an effort to come together and form an alliance that will dislodge Ms Mayawati form the position of being the sole custodian of Dalit votes in politics. The Federation of the Bahujan Organisations of India, led by former BSP MP Pramod Kureel, is taking the initiative and all former BSP leaders have been invited to join.

The idea is to thwart the chances of the BSPs revival under the leadership of Ms Mayawati and preserve the ideology of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and late Kanshi Ram. The Rashtriya Bahujan Manch, floated by Mr Naseemuddin Siddiqui who was expelled from the BSP in May, will also be a part of the new alliance.

According to Mr Kureel, the basic idea is to bring together various former BSP leaders and other Bahujan ideology-based social groups to create a strong political alternative. He said Ms Mayawati had strayed from the path of the Bahujan movement and was on her way to becoming a spent force in politics.

There is a vacuum in Dalit politics and we want to fill that space, he said. He added that it was a matter of great concern that all old timers in the BSP were either leaving the party or were being thrown out. Ms Mayawati has outlived her political supremacy amongst the Dalits. The debacle in the Lok Sabha elections and then in the UP assembly elections have only exposed the chinks in her political armor, he said.

Interestingly, the initiative is also being supported by the president of Maharashtra-based Bahujan Republican Socialist Party, Suresh Mane. Another Dalit leader and former BSP minister R K Chaudhary who now heads the Dalit Shoshit Samaj Sangharsh Samiti (DS4), has also been invited to join the new alliance.
Relations between police and community at Broadwater Farm have been poor for decades. In 1985.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, known as Mozart, is regarded as a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era (Photo: Pixabay)

London: In a novel initiative, Scotland Yard is using classical music as its latest weapon to fight crime in London.

A Metropolitan Police officer was set to pump the tunes of Mozart from a speaker system into a notorious housing estate here in an attempt to calm the atmosphere, relax residents and disperse troublemakers, The Sunday Times reported.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, known as Mozart, is regarded as a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era.

Adam Weber, a 23-year-old constable in-charge of law and order on the Broadwater Farm estate in Tottenham, was inspired by the idea of classical music as a crime-fighting tool following a pilot scheme to pipe music into 40 London underground stations to reduce anti-social behaviour.

"Incidents of verbal and physical abuse fell, so I thought let's give this a go," he told the newspaper.

Relations between police and community at Broadwater Farm have been poor for decades. In 1985, there was a riot that resulted in the murder of a police officer.



When Mr Weber was assigned to the estate, his instructor told him: "It's a maze that they know better than you. Good luck".

Mr Weber, one of a new batch of recruits from the Police Now scheme that attracts graduates to policing to help drive reforms and innovation, also had the idea of asking the local authority to cut the electricity to a communal area in Tangmere block on the estate where gang members used to charge their phones.

"I hoped they would go home when their batteries died. And it seems to be working," he said.
The flight had 130 passengers on board, besides crew members.

New Delhi: An Air India flight from Varanasi suffered a tyre burst after landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on Sunday.

All passengers deplaned safely, an Air India spokesperson said.

The flight had 130 passengers on board, besides crew members, he added.

"One of the tyres of the Airbus A321 aircraft, operating Varanasi-New Delhi flight, deflated when it landed at the IGI Airport here," the spokesperson said.

The flight landed at 5 pm, he added.
In the Saturday evening incident, the woman, in her 20s, was allegedly forced into a car by five men, who also tried to disrobe her.

New Delhi: Two persons have been arrested for allegedly abducting a woman, who was later rescued by locals, in outer Delhi's Mangolpuri, police said on Sunday.

In the Saturday evening incident, the woman, in her 20s, was allegedly forced into a car by five men, who also tried to disrobe her, they said.

On hearing her cry for help, the locals followed the car.

It was intercepted by another vehicle and the woman was rescued, the police said, adding the incident was reported around 1 am.

Two of the accused were caught by the people, thrashed and handed over to the police. The car, in which the accused were taking the woman was set ablaze by the public, they said.

The others are absconding and it is being probed whether the woman knew the accused, police said.
The agency registered the case on the basis of a complaint from Delhi government deputy secretary vigilance K.S. Meena.

New Delhi: The CBI, probing the alleged irregularities in awarding some contracts by the Public Works Department (PWD) of Delhi government involving health minister Satyendra Jain, has collected fresh documents pertaining to certain contracts from the department.

The agency, sources said, has decided to seek clarifications from two senior officials of the department in connection with the alleged irregularities in hiring 24 architects to set up a creative team for the PWD through a detective agency.

The CBI is probing the role of Mr Jain in several other contracts also pertaining to the health department.

Sources said, "The CBI has scrutinised all documents pertaining to the PWD's decision to hire architects through a detective agency as part of its investigation into a regular case. It will soon be converted into a regular case. The agency has also decided to seek clarifications from two senior PWD officials". Mr Jain is holding additional charge of the PWD also.

"There are allegations that the minister tweaked the tender documents to facilitate the contract for hiring 24 professionals who were to work on Mohalla clinics and other PWD projects", added sources.

The preliminary investigation by the agency has revealed that the detective agency was ineligible for bidding but the minister tweaked the tender process to bring it on board, they added.

Besides, CBI is also planning to examine Mr Jain in connection with the alleged irregularities in appointment of Dr Nikunj Aggarwal as his OSD. duties, said sources.

The agency registered the case on the basis of a complaint from Delhi government deputy secretary vigilance K.S. Meena.
Ministers and politicians were invited by the organisation that held the event, to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with them.

The special event was organised by the Durbar Mahilla Samanvaya Committee , one of the largest community-based organisations of sex workers in West Bengal. (Photo: ANI)

Kolkata: On the eve of Raksha Bandhan, sex workers of Sonagachi, Kolkata, tied Rakhi around the wrists of passers-by, in the hope of receiving equal respect in society.

The special event was organised by the Durbar Mahilla Samanvaya Committee , one of the largest community-based organisations of sex workers in West Bengal.

Sex workers from Sonagachi (Durbar) celebrated Rakhi Purnima by tying Rakhis to passers-by.

"We thought of celebrating this auspicious festival to erase the difference between us and other communities. No discrimination should be there" said Putul Haldar, Durbar president.

Ministers and politicians were invited by the organisation to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with them.

"All political, non-political people, officials and intellectuals were invited to attend the event. Our main motto is to celebrate every festival with everyone. " Seema Bhogla , a sex worker said.

"We want to show the world that being a sex worker we can enjoy as any other human being. Also, like every year we are also planning to celebrate Durga Puja here" she added.
The petitioners lawyer Asif Naqvi told the court that there have been incidents of cow vigilantes attacking people who transport cattle.

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has asked the state government to file its reply over a PIL by Bandra businessman Shadab Patel against cow vigilantes. The petitioner has expressed apprehension, saying that anti-cow slaughter vigilante groups could stir up trouble during the upcoming Bakri-Eid festival. Mr Patel had sought directions from the court to protect citizens and cattle traders.

The petitioners lawyer Asif Naqvi told the court that there have been incidents of cow vigilantes attacking people who transport cattle. He also added that incidents of Vashi and Pune are the latest example of mob lynching.

Mr Naqvi also expressed apprehension, saying that more attacks are expected during Bakri-Eid on September 2.

A division bench of Justice Bhushan Gavai and Justice Makarand Karnik asked the state government to file its reply within two weeks.

According to the petition, since 2014, cow vigilantes have killed around 24 persons across India. He mentioned the names of those who were killed by cow vigilantes. He also highlighted that a man by attacked by cow vigilantes in Nagpur.

The petition stated that state and central government had failed to curb such attacks, therefore it is necessary for the court to issue guidelines for preventive and safety measures.

The petition sought 24-hour helpline to register a complaint against cow vigilantes. It further stated that directions should be given to the state that each police station must maintain a list of such vigilant groups in their areas and submit a report to the court on action taken against them.
Though this is not a full-fledged start of a revolution of having 'designer babies', the first steps, however, have been laid.

This is the first time such a feat has been achieved (Photo: Facebook/OHSU)

New Delhi: For the first time, genetically modified human embryos have been developed in the US, and Kashmir-born doctor Sanjeev Kaul has played a lead role in this breakthrough.

Scientists have now demonstrated an effective way of using a gene-editing tool to correct a disease-causing gene mutation in human embryos and stop it from passing to future generations.

Though this is not a full-fledged start of a revolution of having 'designer babies', the first steps, however, have been laid. China attempted this earlier.

A team of scientists has altered human embryos using a new technique called CRISPR CAS9 that edits genes and in this case it helped remove a fatal mutation that leads to heart attacks.

This now opens up an ethical 'Pandora's Box' if germline repairs and enhancements may become a thing in vogue.

As of now, the human embryos were not implanted in humans. But this now opens up exciting prospects of the world having designer babies soon.

The research published in British journal Nature shows the first genetically modified human embryos made in America.

A team of South Korean, Chinese and American scientists has identified how they could edit out a faulty gene that causes heart attacks in later life due to the thickening of heart walls.

One of the team members is Dr Kaul, who was born in Kashmir, studied in New Delhi and later immigrated to America.

"Although the rare heart mutation affects men and women of all ages, it is a common cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young people, and it could be eliminated in one generation in a particular family," said co-author Kaul, a professor of medicine (cardiovascular medicine) in the OHSU School of Medicine and director of the OHSU Knight Cardiovascular Institute.

"Thanks to advances in stem cell technologies and gene editing, we are finally starting to address disease-causing mutations that impact potentially millions of people," says Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, a professor in California-based Salk Institutes Gene Expression Laboratory and a corresponding author of the paper.

"Gene editing is still in its infancy so even though this preliminary effort was found to be safe and effective, it is crucial that we continue to proceed with the utmost caution, paying the highest attention to ethical considerations."

CRISPR CAS9 or Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats is a kind of a precise molecular scissor the scientists use to edit faulty genes.

Only selected healthy embryos were allowed to grow further that too only for a few days. The embryos were not implanted in humans.

The big step forward is that a higher percentage embryos were found to have been repaired in this American experiment than earlier attempts.

CRISPR holds promise for correcting mutations in the human genome to prevent genetic disease. Using an enzyme called Cas9, it is possible to snip a specific target sequence on a mutant gene.

The new study found that human embryos effectively repair these breaks in the mutant gene using the normal copy of this gene from a second parent as a template.

The resulting embryos contain now repaired, mutation-free copies of this gene.

The technique already has been used in animals for generating mutant models; however, the new study is the first to demonstrate that technique can be used in human embryos to convert mutant genes back to normal.

The study also demonstrated a way for overcoming a crucial problem in genome editing in embryos known as mosaicism.

Mosaicism refers to an outcome when not all cells in a multicellular embryo get repaired and some cells still carry a mutation.

"Every generation on would carry this repair because we have removed the disease-causing gene variant from that family's lineage," said senior author Shoukhrat Mitalipov, PhD, who directs the Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), in Portland, Oregon, USA.

"By using this technique, it is possible to reduce the burden of this heritable disease on the family and eventually the human population."

The study provides new insight into a technique that could apply to thousands of inherited genetic disorders affecting millions of people worldwide.

The gene-editing technique described in this study, done in concert with in vitro fertilisation, could provide a new avenue for people with known heritable disease-causing genetic mutations to eliminate the risk of passing the disease to their children.

"If proven safe, this technique could potentially decrease the number of cycles needed for people trying to have children free of genetic disease," said co-author Paula Amato, associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology in the OHSU School of Medicine.

Designer babies could be in the offing

"Our results demonstrate the great potential of embryonic gene editing, but we must continue to realistically assess the risks as well as the benefits," adds Belmonte.

In this landmark study, the researchers worked with healthy donated human oocytes and sperm carrying the genetic mutation that causes cardiomyopathy or the thickening of heart walls.

Embryos created in this study were used to answer pre- clinical questions about safety and effectiveness. The study noted that "genome editing approaches must be further optimised" before moving to clinical trials.

"This research significantly advances scientific understanding of the procedures that would be necessary to ensure the safety and efficacy of germline gene correction," said Daniel Dorsa, senior vice president for research at OHSU.

"The ethical considerations of moving this technology to clinical trials are complex and deserve significant public engagement before we can answer the broader question of whether it's in humanity's interest to alter human genes for future generations.
Nasreen, a mother of three and a resident of Shamke Bhattian, was found dead yesterday by her children and neighbours in her house.

Initial investigation shows the woman was killed by her husband Afraheem in the name of honour, said Maher Mumtaz, Superintendent of Police Saddar Division. (Photo: Pixabay/Representational)

Lahore: A man in Pakistan's Punjab province has decapitated his 37-year-old wife with a chopper for refusing his demand to quit her job, a media report said on Monday.

Nasreen, a mother of three and a resident of Shamke Bhattian, was found dead yesterday by her children and neighbours in her house in Manga Mandi, 41 kilometres from Lahore, police said.

The forensic experts accompanying the police collected evidence from the crime scene, recorded statements of eyewitnesses and later shifted the body to the city morgue for an autopsy, Dawn news reported.

Initial investigation shows the woman was killed by her husband Afraheem in the name of honour, said Maher Mumtaz, Superintendent of Police Saddar Division.

He said the woman worked as a labourer in a factory in Raiwind area, but her husband did not like her job and would ask her to resign.

Despite opposition by her husband, Nasreen continued with her job, he added. The official said quoting the deceased woman's children that she was asleep when the husband allegedly attacked her with a chopper after locking the room.

He said after the suspect left the house, the children with the help of some neighbours opened the room and found the woman lying dead with her head severed, the report said.

The official said the hunt was on to arrest the husband.
Beijing has for years turned a blind eye to these holes in its Great Firewall, but recent events suggest virtual tunnels may soon brick up.

Tech giants Apple and Amazon, too, have moved to limit their customers' access to VPNs in China in what has been seen as a voluntary move to get ahead of the impending crackdown. (Photo: AFP)

Enterprising internet users in China fear the tools they use to tunnel through the country's "Great Firewall" may soon disappear, as Beijing tightens its grip on the web.

Tens of millions of people are estimated to use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass Chinese internet restrictions -- getting access to blocked websites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Beijing has for years turned a blind eye to these holes in its Great Firewall, but recent events suggest the virtual tunnels may soon be bricked up.

In January China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) announced it would be banning the use of unlicensed providers of the services.

In the months since the rule's announcement, rumours have swirled that a crackdown was coming, but there was little clarity on what exactly the rule meant and how, or even if, it would be implemented.

In the past few weeks, however, omens of significant tightening seem to be everywhere.

Several luxury hotels in Beijing have said they will stop using the tools, which once provided unfiltered Internet as a convenience to their customers.

On Thursday, a cloud service provider in the capital notified users that it would practise shutting down and reporting VPN providers on the orders of Beijing's Public Security bureau.

Tech giants Apple and Amazon, too, have moved to limit their customers' access to the tools in China in what has been seen as a voluntary move to get ahead of the impending crackdown.

On Sunday, Apple said it was removing a number of the programs from its app store, while Amazon's Chinese partner said that customers would no longer be allowed to use "illegal" VPNs on its cloud service.

"There have been many rounds of government murmurings about VPN crackdowns, and foreign and Chinese businesses had grown used to only minor or temporary restrictions," said Graham Webster, a senior researcher scholar at Yale Law School.

But "this time appears different."

-- 'You cannot lock the heart' --

For now, however, it still remains unclear who will be able to access VPNs and under what circumstances, a situation that has left both companies and regular users on tenterhooks.

Ordinary people have reacted to the new rules with a mixture of annoyance and quiet defiance.

"You've blocked the last way to watch US TV dramas, as well as my Facebook friends!" one user of China's Twitter-like Weibo platform said after the Apple announcement.

"You can lock my cellphone, but you cannot lock my heart."

Firms are casting around for information about the developments and have expressed alarm at the potential impact on the way they do business.

In a statement, the European Chamber of Commerce told AFP it "has not seen any updated official document concerning restrictions on VPN use by companies," adding that in a recent survey of its members almost half expressed concern that the "continued strengthening of measures to tighten Internet control and access are having an even bigger negative impact on their companies".

"Our members' success depends on instantaneous access to information worldwide, and the ability to freely communicate with affiliates, suppliers and customers around the world," William Zarit, Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China said in a statement to AFP.

"Recent regulatory developments, including limiting VPN use, have created uncertainty for cross-border data communication."

Apple has come under fire for bowing to the rules, but in an earnings call Tuesday CEO Tim Cook said the firm had to follow local laws.

He said Apple was "hopeful that over time the restrictions we're seeing are lessened, because innovation really requires freedom to collaborate and communicate".

-- 'Tighten Internet control' --

Analysts said that Beijing was likely not looking to choke off VPNS completely, but was instead seeking to control them more tightly.

James Gong, an expert on Chinese cyber law at Herbert Smith Freehills, said that the regulations are not targeted at companies.

The government can "shut things down, but that's not their purpose," he said.

Instead "they want to drive all the traffic through the network operators so all of the connections will be transparent to them".

Paul Triolo, head of global technology at the Eurasia Group, said he believes that the ultimate goal is not to cut off all VPNs but to "get visibility on (their) use so that they know what is going in and out and can turn off selectively if they want to or need to".

In a statement to AFP last month, MIIT explained that under the new rules, companies will only be allowed to rent VPN services from "telecommunications operators that have set up an international communications entry and exit office in accordance with the law".

Previously released MIIT regulations state that only state-owned telecoms can set up the offices, effectively guaranteeing that all licensed VPNs are operated by the state.

A representative from state-owned telecom China Unicom confirmed to AFP that it was legally allowed to rent VPN services to businesses, as long as they provide proof of registration in China.

"It's highly unlikely that all VPN access would be eliminated," Yale's Webster said, but added in the future the software might be increasingly "expensive and government-controlled".
HMD Global-backed Nokia is expected to introduce its Nokia 8 flagship smartphone sometime soon.

The upcoming Nokia 8 smartphone is expected to look like a traditional Nokia smartphone, with regularly-sized bezels and an aluminium unibody design, further complimented with rounded edges.

HMD Global-backed Nokia took the market by a pleasant surprise, when the Finnish technology giant announced its plans of foraying into the smartphone market. The device-manufacturer began the year by reviving its classic feature phone, Nokia 3310 at the MWC, event held in Barcelona. The firm later went on to introduce Nokia 3, 5 and 6 smartphones, thereby targeting the mid-range segment. Finally, the company is heavily-speculated to conclude this year with the introduction of its high-end smartphones, and competitor to the leading flagship devices  Nokia 8 and 9. This article particularly talks about Nokia 8, its specifications, release date and pricing as per the leaks that have flooded up on the internet till date.

DESIGN: The upcoming Nokia 8 smartphone is expected to look like a traditional Nokia smartphone, with regularly-sized bezels and an aluminium unibody design, further complimented with rounded edges. In terms of dimensions, the device is expected to measure 151.55 x 73.7mm in size and will come in the following colour variants: Black, Copper, Copper-Gold, Silver, and Blue. The official Nokia branding will most probably appear on both, rear and front sides of the device. The smartphone is also expected to sport an IP68-certification, thereby making the smartphone dust and water resistant.

INTERNAL SPECIFICATIONS: The smartphone is expected to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip, and will either come in 4GB RAM or 6GB RAM option, further accompanied with 64GB of internal storage and an added expandable microSD card-slot option. The smartphone will sport a massive 3,800mAh battery with Quick Charging technology and will run on the latest Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system.

DISPLAY: The handset is rumored to feature a 5.3-inch display with 2,560 x 1,440 pixels resolution and an added layer of 2.5D glass. The physical home button will come integrated with a fingerprint scanner on the front panel of the smartphone.

CAMERA: The upcoming Nokia flagship smartphone is expected to sport a dual rear camera setup, complimented by Dual-LED flash, comprising of 13-megapixel sensors by Carl Zeiss and an 8-megapixel front shooter for selfie lovers.

RELEASE DATE AND PRICE: Nokia hasnt made any mention of any specific date as of yet, however; the smartphone is expected to launch on August 16th, at a starting price of $696 or roughly Rs 45,000.
On August 5, 2012, six Sikhs were killed and three more were wounded, along with the Oak Creek police officer

Several eminent Sikh-Americans from across the US, lawmakers, government officials and local leaders participated in prayers held on the weekend to mark the five-year anniversary of the mass shooting. (FIle Photo)

Washington: Sikhs are one of the top targets of hate crimes and sectarian violence in the US, the community leaders have said as they remembered victims of the 2012 mass shooting by a white supremacist that claimed the lives of six Sikhs at a Gurudwara in the Wisconsin city.

Several eminent Sikh-Americans from across the US, lawmakers, government officials and local leaders participated in prayers held on the weekend to mark the five-year anniversary of the mass shooting.

"We have made commendable efforts to secure our Gurudwara Sahib's all across the country and taken many preventive measures. But Sikhs are still one of the top targets of hate crimes, sectarian violence, and bullying in American schools. In recent years, attacks have rather increased in manyfold," said Gurinder Singh Khalsa, who heads the Sikhs Political Action Committee.

"Hate has no colour. Hate has no face. Yet we all saw hate five years ago," Blahair Dulai, president of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, said, addressing the gathering. "When you come together and those hearts and minds connect, the presence of the divine is there and you don't even have to say a word," he added.

Among the speakers on Sunday at the Gurudwara was retired Oak Creek Police officer Brian Murphy, who was shot fifteen times before the shooter was brought down.

"When something is stolen from you, when the lives were stolen from everyone here, you can't get that back," Murphy said.

Remembering the victims, he said, "The voices of the people that were lost are still here. August 5, 2012 changed a lot of people's lives, but remember the people that were here on August 4 and all the times before that."

On August 5, 2012, six Sikhs were killed and three more were wounded, along with the Oak Creek police officer, when the white supremacist armed with a gun attacked the Oak Creek Sikh Temple in Wisconsin.

On Saturday, the Gurudwara organised a six-mile run. The House Speaker, Paul Ryan, sent a two-minute video on the occasion. Vanita Gupta, former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights were among prominent people to speak on the occasion.
A security source said that there had been around 3 incidents in the past where fighters from both groups had teamed up.

The Taliban and ISIS fighters have regularly clashed since the latter gained a foothold in eastern Afghanistan in 2015, as the two vie for supremacy in the war-torn country. (Photo: AP)

Kabul: The Taliban and Islamic State group jointly massacred dozens of civilians in an Afghan village, officials said Monday, highlighting rare co-operation between the insurgents that could increase the strain on Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces.

The fighters killed more than 50 men, women and children in the remote Sayad district of northern Sar-e Pul province on Saturday after overrunning the Afghan Local Police (ALP) -- a government-backed militia -- in a 48-hour battle, according to local officials.

"It was a joint operation by Daesh (ISIS) and Taliban fighters. They had recruited forces from other provinces of the country and attacked Mirzawalang village," Zabihullah Amani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, told AFP.

The spokesman alleged that dozens of Taliban and ISIS group fighters under the command of Sher Mohammad Ghazanfar, a local Taliban commander who Amani claims pledged allegiance to ISIS, launched a co-ordinated attack on the area on Thursday.

Read: Taliban creeping back to Kabul, with Pak aid

"The fighters overran the area and it led to the massacre of innocent and defenceless civilians," he said.

The majority of those killed were Shiites. Most were shot but some were beheaded, Amani added.

Verifying information from poor, mountainous areas of Afghanistan made inaccessible by fighting and with patchy communications is difficult, and AFP was not able to access the village.

Mohammad Noor Rahmani, head of Sar-e Pul's provincial council, said 44 of the 50 victims were believed to be civilians, with the ALP militia also suffering casualties.

Read: ISIS claims Iraq embassy attack in Kabul; police kill all 4 militants

"This is not the final toll. It might change because the area is inaccessible and no telephone networks are working to get an update," he told AFP.

The Taliban and ISIS fighters have regularly clashed since the latter gained a foothold in eastern Afghanistan in 2015, as the two vie for supremacy in the war-torn country.

An Afghan security source said that there had been around three incidents in the past where fighters from both groups had teamed up to strike Afghan forces in certain areas.

Read: Taliban militants kill 15 Afghan soldiers in Kandahar

"This is not the first time that they have co-operated. There are no strict ideological distinctions between them so they build bridges when it helps them both. It's very opportunistic," the source said.

ISIS has been adding a sectarian twist to the Afghan conflict, with a number of deadly attacks on Shiites in the past year.

Last week two suicide bombers throwing grenades killed more than 33 worshippers at a mosque in Afghanistan's western city of Herat, in an attack claimed by IS.

Read: Attacks on embassy, Shia mosque signs of ISIS bringing Iraq war to Afghanistan

A resurgent Taliban, whose ranks are mostly made up of Sunni Muslim ethnic Pashtuns, is at the peak of its summer fighting season.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, confirmed to AFP that it had captured Mirzawalang village but said it had done so alone. It also denied allegations it had killed civilians.

"It was an independent operation by our mujahideen forces. There is no cooperation with the Islamic State on the operation," said the spokesman.
The three countries oppose Beijing for building giant artificial islands that could be used as military bases.

China claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. (Photo: Representational Image)

Manila: The United States, Australia and Japan on Monday denounced Beijing's island-building and militarisation of the South China Sea, in contrast to the increasingly tepid response from Southeast Asian nations over the festering issue.

The three countries oppose Beijing for building giant artificial islands that could be used as military bases, fearing it will eventually establish de facto control over the waters.

China insists the nations should stay out of what it says are purely bilateral disputes with its neighbours.

On Sunday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned any interference from "outside parties" could jeopardise negotiations over the code of conduct.

China claims nearly all of the sea, through which US$ 5 trillion in annual shipping trade passes and which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits.

Its sweeping claims overlap with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei - all members of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc - as well as Taiwan.

But in recent years Beijing has managed to weaken regional resistance by courting some ASEAN members.

On Sunday, Beijing scored a coup when ASEAN ministers issued a diluted statement on the dispute and agreed to Beijing's terms on talks during a security forum which the bloc is hosting in Manila.

China insists that a much-delayed code of conduct between it and ASEAN members over the disputed sea must not be legally binding, a demand to which Southeast Asian countries have so far acquiesced.

But in a joint statement after their foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the same gathering, the US, Japan and Australia delivered a noticeably sterner rebuke to Beijing.

Criticising ongoing "land reclamation, construction of outposts, militarisation of disputed features" in the disputed sea, the trio said any code of conduct must be "legally binding, meaningful and effective", a demand noticeably absent from the ASEAN statement.

The three nations also called on China and the Philippines to respect last year's international arbitration ruling which dismissed much of Beijing's claim in the sea.

The Philippines had been one of the most vocal critics of China and filed a case before a UN-backed tribunal.

But after the election of President Rodrigo Duterte last year, Manila has played down the verdict in favour of pursuing warmer ties with Beijing, a move that led to offers of billions of dollars in investments or aid from China.

Critics of China have accused it of assiduously dividing ASEAN, which operates on a consensus basis, with strong-arm tactics and chequebook diplomacy, enticing smaller countries in the bloc such as Cambodia and Laos to support it.

Vietnam, which had been pushing for stronger language in Manila, has been largely left to fend for itself since Duterte's China rapprochement.
Italian police said they are looking for at least 1 other man following the arrest of British-resident Pole Lukasz Pawel Herba.

On July 17, for reasons that are still not clear, Herba drove the woman back to Milan and released her close to the British Consulate, where he was arrested. (Photo: AP)

Rome: A hunt for possible accomplices to the terrifying abduction of a British model in Italy was underway Sunday after the alleged mastermind told police he planned to auction her off as a sex slave on the dark web.

Italian police have confirmed they are looking for at least one other man following the arrest of British-resident Pole Lukasz Pawel Herba, 30, on charges of abduction and illegal imprisonment.

According to Italian media reports, citing leaked files from the investigation, the 20-year-old mother has told police she saw two men and was aware of three others but never saw their faces during her week-long ordeal in July.

The model, who returned to Britain on Sunday, was drugged and kidnapped on July 11 after going to what turned out to be a set-up photo shoot in downtown Milan.

Somebody wearing black gloves came up from behind me and put one hand on my neck and the other over my mouth, while a second person wearing a balaclava injected me in my right arm, the woman, was quoted as telling police by Italys Corriere della Sera, which named her as Chloe Ayling.

Read: UK man gets life term for raping, humiliating woman hours before marrying fiancee

I think I passed out because when I woke up I only had on my pink chenille body and socks and I realised I was in the boot of a car, bound at the ankle and wrists with my mouth taped up. I was in a luggage bag with only a small gap to breathe through.

After a three-hour journey from Milan to a remote mountain village, the model was held until July 17, spending most of her time handcuffed to furniture while her abductors considered their options.

Many details of the extraordinary case remain unclear, although police have confirmed that the victim was injected with the tranquiliser ketamine and said they believe Herba may have been capable of causing her serious physical harm.

However, his account of events in other respects has been described by the prosecutor in charge of the case as barely credible.

Detectives are unclear as to whether Herba was involved in a credible attempt to auction his victim or if it was an elaborately staged threat intended to extort a ransom from the models agent and family.

No one took part in the online auction, so it was unclear if Herba had the necessary contacts to organise such an operation or was something of a fantasist, according to the police.

Fantasist or not, what is clear is that he is a very dangerous man who drugged his victim as soon as she was kidnapped and put her inside a large travel bag in the boot of a car, Milan deputy prosecutor Paolo Storari told a press conference on Saturday.

His version of events is barely credible but clearly he does not deny that he was with her for the time she was missing, Storari said.

Read: UK man rapes, sexually abuses children; beat them to stay silent, gets 22-yr jail

On July 17, for reasons that are still not clear, Herba drove the woman back to Milan and released her close to the British Consulate, where he was arrested.

He had told the model that he could not go on holding her because she was a mother of a young child and such abductions were prohibited by Black Death, a nefarious web-based group he claimed to belong to.

Police are not sure the group actually exists or if Herbas depictions of it are accurate. Investigations are continuing in collaboration with police in Britain and the suspects native Poland.

Ayling told reporters at her home in south London Sunday that she had feared for her life throughout the terrifying experience.
A visit by Indian journalists, sponsored by China, turned into a propaganda exercise by the Chinese army for delivering its message.

An article in the official China Daily today said "geostrategic miscalculations" were behind India's border "trespassing". (Photo: AFP/Representational)

Beijing: Senior Col Li Li of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) may be thousands of kilometres away from Doklam but has a stern message for the Indian Army - withdraw from the Chinese territory to avoid confrontation.

A visit by Indian journalists, sponsored by the Chinese government, turned into a propaganda exercise by the Chinese army for delivering its message on the prolonged standoff between troops of the two countries in Doklam near Sikkim.

Sr Col Li claimed, "What the Indian troops have done is an invasion of Chinese territory.

"You can report about what the Chinese soldiers are thinking about. I am a soldier, I will try my best to protect territorial integrity. We have the resolve and determination," he told Indian journalists taken to visit this garrison on the outskirts of Beijing.

The visit included a rare demonstration of combat skills of the PLA troops before the Indian media.

Read: China capable of wiping out Indian troops: Chinese media on standoff

The demonstration included sharp shooting skills with small arms, capture of "hostile forces" in close combat, counter-terrorism and laser simulation force-on-force training of reinforced infantry squads.

Li, however, clarified that the demonstration had no particular reference to Doklam where China says 48 Indian troops still stayed put along with a bulldozer.

"In addition, there are still a large number of Indian armed forces congregating on the boundary and on the Indian side of the boundary," the Chinese Foreign Ministry had said earlier.

Responding to questions on the present impasse in Doklam, he said, "What the PLA will do depends on the actions of the Indian side. We will take appropriate action when it is necessary."

"We will follow the orders of the CPC (ruling Communist Party of China) and the Central Military Commission (the overall high command of the 2.3 million strong army headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping)."

The garrison is one of the oldest and most important training centres of the PLA officers and troops. It is also responsible for the security of the Chinese capital.

About 11,000 troops are stationed at the garrison.

The state media also continued the tirade against India.

An article in the official China Daily today said "geostrategic miscalculations" were behind India's border "trespassing".

Read: Sikkim standoff: Our restraint has 'bottom line', China tells India

"For China, the trespassing by Indian troops was unexpected and it is unacceptable as it happened in a section of the boundary that has hitherto been considered beyond dispute by both sides in the otherwise long drawn out and arduous boundary negotiations," it said.

India's "trespassing" amounts to no less than a violation of China's territorial sovereignty, and China has the lawful right to take "whatever measures" it deems necessary to defend its territory, it said.

"While misunderstandings between neighbours are understandable, India should engage in candid dialogue, not lawless provocations."

Time, it added, is fast running short for India to pull out from Chinese territory and on that basis explore a face- saving solution in consultation with China. "India should do well to remember that its neighbour has the capability to defeat all invading enemies," it said.

India and China have been locked in a standoff in Doklam since June 16 after Chinese troops began constructing a road near the Bhutan trijunction.

Bhutan has protested to China, saying the area belonged to it and accused Beijing of violating agreements that aim to maintain the status quo until the boundary dispute is resolved.

India says the Chinese action to construct the road was unilateral and changes the status quo. It fears the road would allow China to cut off India's access to its northeastern states.
Police investigators, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Usman's confession helped them identify several key terrorists.

Hundreds of people have been killed in attacks on Pakistan's small Shi'ite community, heightening fears in the Sunni-dominated country of an escalation in sectarian bloodshed that has been a persistent threat for decades. (Photo: AFP/Representational)

Shikarpur (Pakistan): The confession of a Pakistani teenager who was captured moments before carrying out a suicide attack has given police a rare glimpse into a terrorist network they say is behind the recent surge in sectarian violence.

Usman's testimony, a copy of which has been seen by Reuters, describes a web of radical seminaries and training and bomb making facilities stretching from eastern Afghanistan, where the young man was recruited, to Pakistan's southern Sindh province.

Hundreds of people have been killed in attacks on Pakistan's small Shi'ite community, heightening fears in the Sunni-dominated country of an escalation in sectarian bloodshed that has been a persistent threat for decades.

Pakistani police believe the network, which Usman says aided him on his 2,000 km journey, has also helped ISIS spread its extremist agenda in South Asia, even without proven operational links with its core in the Middle East.

Read: False sense of empowerment drawing women to ISIS: report

The Pakistani network brings together several known terrorists belonging to extremist groups that have targeted religious minorities for decades, police said, providing fertile ground for ISIS's ideology to spread.

Usman's confession does not name ISIS directly, but police say they believe the network that recruited and trained him was behind five deadly sectarian bombings in Pakistan, four of which have been claimed by the group based in Syria and Iraq.

"ISIS has no formal structure (in Pakistan). It works on a franchise system and that is the model that is being used in Pakistan," senior Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officer Raja Umer Khattab told Reuters.

By that he said he meant ISIS could claim attacks as its own, even if it had no direct role in coordinating them.

Usman, 18 at the time of the thwarted attack, is currently on death row in the town of Shikarpur, where he was caught.

Read: ISIS claims Iraq embassy attack in Kabul; police kill all 4 militants

Reuters was unable to contact him for this story, but Usman's court-appointed lawyer said the family had shown no interest in the case.

"I am not sure if an appeal has been filed against the sentence, since no one from his family ever turned up to even meet Usman," advocate Deedar Brohi told Reuters, adding that his client had been sentenced by an anti-terrorism court in March.

Police say the network emerged relatively recently - the main suspects became known to police over the last two years - but it is not clear whether it is acting alone or on the orders of other groups like ISIS.

Under interrogation, Usman, arrested last September, described his recruitment in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, where U.S. and Afghan forces have been fighting a local offshoot of ISIS estimated to number a few hundred fighters.

Originally from the Pakistani valley of Swat, his family fled to Nangarhar after his father, a member of the Pakistani Taliban, was killed in a drone strike.

Read: Attacks on embassy, Shia mosque signs of ISIS bringing Iraq war to Afghanistan

Usman told investigators he came home one day to find his brother sitting with an older man.

"My brother said that you should join jihad ... you should become a suicide bomber," Usman said in the confession.

He left that day and travelled with the older man by bus to the Afghan province of Kandahar, where they crossed into Pakistan's Baluchistan province.

From there, they rode a motorcycle to the remote desert town of Wadh in southern Baluchistan, where Usman began his training and stayed at the home of a man called Maaz.

"In our room, Maaz took out explosives from a bag and prepared two suicide jackets," Usman told investigators.

Police suspect Wadh is where several terrorist movements, including al-Qaeda, the Pakistani Taliban and other local banned groups, have been active.

Read: Bodies of ISIS terrorists lie in freezers, countries refuse to claim them

The media wing of Pakistan's military did not respond to requests for comment for this article, including how terrorists could use Wadh as hub.

An intelligence official, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the press, denied Wadh was part of a terrorist network.

"No training camp in Wadh or safe (haven) for militants now," the official said in a Whatsapp message.

After about a month in Wadh, Usman said he travelled by motorcycle with an escort on dusty back roads to Shikarpur. A few days later, he was dispatched with his explosives vest to attack a prayer meeting attended by Shi'ite Muslims.

The attack failed when one worshipper spoke to Usman in the local Sindhi language, which he could not understand. A crowd gathered and grabbed him before he could reach his detonator.

Police investigators, who spoke about the case on condition of anonymity, said Usman's confession helped them identify several key terrorists including a suicide vest maker and the man who oversees the network - a former Pakistani intelligence services asset named Shafiq Mengal.

Read: I just want to go home, says German girl who joined ISIS

"Our intelligence shows that he has 500-1,000 terrorists working under him and is living in the mountains," said a senior police official.

Reuters was unable to contact Mengal or independently confirm the assertions of the police official. But his father, a prominent Baluch politician during the military regime of General Zia ul Haq in the 1980s, said his son had no links with terrorist networks.

"Shafiq has not given shelter to any terrorist outfit and their activities," former Baluchistan chief minister Naseer Mengal told Reuters.

However, the older Mengal added that his son had been active in supporting Pakistani security forces in battling Baluch separatist groups.

"Shafiq fought against those elements who challenged the writ of State and were involved in target killings of innocent people and security forces," he said.

An internal police profile of Mengal seen by Reuters said he attended an elite school in the eastern city of Lahore before completing his education at a madrassa.

According to the document, prepared by a Baluchistan police official, Mengal "was set up by the intelligence agencies to counter separatist Baloch militants" that fight the government in Baluchistan.

Read: Search ops on for 39 missing Indians abducted by ISIS: Iraq Embassy

The report said that, more recently, it appeared Mengal shifted his efforts to helping terrorists.

The intelligence official said Mengal no longer had any association with the military.

The armed forces have launched several major offensives against groups including Al Qaeda and the Taliban in recent years, but they have also been accused of using terrorists as proxy fighters in Kashmir and Baluchistan - a charge they deny.

Police said another important suspect in the network was Hafeez Brohi, already on Pakistan's wanted terrorist list. He comes from Shikarpur, and it was at Brohi's residence that they said the teenager stayed before the failed attack.

Usman did not name Brohi directly but said a man named Umer Hafiz, who police officials say was actually Brohi, took him from Wadh to Shikarpur by motorbike.

Usman's police case file also identifies Brohi as one of the main suspects in the failed bombing. Case files seen by Reuters on several other sectarian attacks in Shikarpur also single him out.

The town itself, some 250 km east of Wadh but several times that distance by road, is seen as an increasingly important centre of sectarian extremism, according to officials from the counter terrorism department.

Read: The battle against ISIS is far from over

Two local Shi'ite mosques were targeted by attacks in 2015.

Several new madrassas have been built in the area in recent years, and members of the Shi'ite minority suspect that they are used by Sunni hardliners to spread religious intolerance.

"The madrassas are concentrated in remote villages," said Syed Atta Hussain Shah, the imam of the Shi'ite mosque in Shikarpur. "Preachers show up from elsewhere and stay in these madrassas and deliver hate-filled sermons."

Police officials said they suspected Brohi was the point man for the network in southern Sindh province and was involved in the bombing at Sehwan Sharif shrine that killed 90 people - the most deadly attack in Pakistan claimed by ISIS.

Brohi has been in hiding for the last three or four years, according to CTD officials.

Usman was sentenced to death in March along with 10 terrorists in absentia, including Brohi.
by Melani Manel Perera

The lack of rain has hit eight of Sri Lankas nine provinces, affecting more than a million people. Reservoirs and farmland have dried up. Electricity is in short supply. The authorities are providing water but the need is huge.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  At least a million people have been affected by drought in eight of Sri Lankas nine provinces.

Livestock and wildlife are also suffering from the lack of water with the added danger that wild elephants could stampede their way through villages in search of water.

Although the Meteorology Department has forecast rain in the next few days, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) reports that 1.093 million people (more than 300,000 families) have been affected by drought.

The most affected area is the Northern Province, followed by the Eastern and the North Central provinces. However, people and farming in the North Western province have not been spared.

Due to the lack of rain, wells, reservoirs and rivers are running dry. This has forced the DMC to distribute drinking water to the population, but the quantity is inadequate given the need. Electricity too is in short supply.

In Kilinochchi, the Iranamadu Tank, a large reservoir, has been hit and the farmland it supplies has become parched, causing additional headaches for peasants. At least 20,000 families have been affected.

The Forest and Wildlife Department also reports that wild animals too are suffering. To cope with the situation, the Department has placed buckets filled with water at certain locations in and near the jungle.

People living in or near the jungle have also been warned that wild animals might be looking for water near their homes.

Villages are especially concerned about wild elephants, who could destroy homes, fences, and trees.

Photo: Prasad Purnimal
by Sumon Corraya

He is the only son of the family. His father died a few years ago. His sister is already nun. His mother encouraged him to follow his vocation. The example of PIMEs Italian missionaries in Bangladesh will help him become a true missionary. Fr Regan John Gomes, from Tumilia parish in Gazipur, is the fifth PIME missionary from Bangladesh.

Gazipur (AsiaNews)  PIME Deacon Regan John Gomes was ordained last Friday at St John the Baptist Church in Tumilia parish, Gazipur, by Mgr Shorot Francis Gomes, auxiliary bishop of Dhaka.

PIMEs newest priest told AsiaNews that he drew inspiration from the example of Italian PIME missionaries working with Bangladeshi youth.

"I spent two years at a hostel run by PIME fathers, he said. At the time, I saw and met many Italian PIME clergymen like Fr Paolo Ballan, Fr Franco Cagnasso, Fr Livio Prete, and Fr Arturo Spezile. I observed their life and I thought: If I could be a priest like them!

After he completed his studies, becoming a chartered accountant, he realised that for him the best path was that of the seminary.

"I know that becoming a missionary I will not be able to stay in my native land, he said. I would like to go to a country where there are not many Christians. I will love to work for the Kingdom of God. I have chosen this life. "

He will leave Bangladesh for Guinea-Bissau, a tropical country on the west coast of Africa, known for its national parks and wildlife.

The eldest sibling and the only son, Fr Regan will leave his family behind. Although his father passed away a few years ago, he still has his mother, a sister who is a nun, and other sisters who are still in school. "My mother always encouraged me even though I am the only son, he said.

At home, the rosary is recited every evening, and he asked that others pray for him so that he may preach Gods word.

PIME has 18 missionary fathers in Bangladesh, mostly Italians. Father Regan is the fifth PIME missionary native to Bangladesh, the first one from the parish of Tumilia.
The mayor spoke yesterday during the ceremony at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on the 72nd anniversary of the city's destruction. In his address, he urged the Japanese government to sign the United Nations nuclear prohibition treaty. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is working with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Poland, to ensure that two of the worst horrors of the 20th century are never forgotten.

Hiroshima (AsiaNews/Agencies)  In his annual Peace Declaration, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui urged nations to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

Mr Matsui spoke during the ceremony yesterday, 6 August, at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on the 72nd anniversary of the destruction of the city by a US atomic bomb.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and representatives from other nations placed wreaths in front of the cenotaph.

A moment of silence was observed at 8:15 am as the Peace Bell rang out to sound the moment the bomb detonated over the city, killing tens of thousands of residents. Then, the mayor again described nuclear weapons as an "absolute evil."

Referring to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons approved July 7 at a UN conference, he said "the governments of all countries must now strive to advance further toward a nuclear-weapon-free world."

Matsui thanked the 122 nations that voted for the treaty, which demonstrated their unequivocal determination to achieve abolition."

However, the worlds nuclear powers did not attend the conference where the treaty was approved. Neither did Japan and other allies of nuclear powers protected by their nuclear umbrella.

Matsui said that Japans constitution, one of the most peace-oriented in the world, should be respected.

In his address, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not refer to the nuclear weapons nor the prohibition treaty. The Japanese government has made it clear that it will not sign the treaty.

The treaty will deepen confrontation between nuclear-weapon states and non-nuclear-weapon states further and therefore does not match our country's stance of placing importance on cooperation between them, said former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida previously.

During the ceremony, the names of atomic bomb survivors (hibakusha) who died over the past year were placed in the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims, which was erected at the Memorial Park to keep alive the memory of the tragedy.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is teaming up with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland to ensure that memories of two of the 20th century's worst horrors will never be forgotten.

"Auschwitz and Hiroshima are extremely symbolic locations in terms of world history," said Kenji Shiga, the director of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. "We want to strengthen our ties."
The collision between two ships in the Pearl River (Guangdong) led to the oil spill. Hong Kong authorities were warned two days later. Expert says that two days could be too late for marine life.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews/Agencies)  At least 11 of Hong Kongs best beaches  as well the centrally located Victoria Harbour  have been invaded by a whitish, gelatinous substance, which turns out to be palm oil.

According to the authorities, the palm oil spill is due to a collision between two ships in the Pearl River (Guangdong), in the mainland.

Residents in Lamma and Lantau Islands as well as users of some of the most exclusive beaches of Hong Kong Island  Repulse Bay, Middle Bay, South Bay  saw the beaches covered with the whitish substance. The beaches were closed yesterday.

Among environmentalists, controversy is growing over why Hong Kong was not informed right away. The collision and the spill occurred on 3 August, but the authorities in Hong Kong were notified only on August 5.

For some marine life, two days could be too late, said Dr Tsang Po-keung, an associate professor of science and environmental studies at the Education University of Hong Kong.

According to Tsang, Hong Kong and Guangdong should work together on such disasters and work out a mechanism to inform each other so as to contain spills of polluting substances.

This time they may think its fine because its just palm oil, but what if next time it is gasoline? he said.
by Mathias Hariyadi

The pontiff calls on young Asians to look at the Mother of the Lord, and listen ever more attentively to Gods call and respond with faith and courage to their vocation. More than 20,000 Catholics from the island of Java join participants for the AYDS closing ceremony. The 8th edition is slated for India, in 2020.

Yogyakarta (AsiaNews)  Card Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, sent a message on behlf of Pope Francis to the young people who took part in the 7th Asian Youth Day (AYD 2017) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, on the theme of "Joyful Asian youth! Living the Gospel in Multicultural Asia.

The Catholic youth meeting, which attracted more than 2,000 participants from 22 Asian countries, ended yesterday with a solemn Eucharistic celebration in the presence of the leaders of the Catholic Church of Asia and senior Indonesian government officials.

In his message, the pope urged young people to be ever more attentively to Gods call and respond with faith and courage to their vocation .

Before giving his Apostolic Blessing, the pontiff called on young Asians to look at the Mother of the Lord as a "model of missionary discipleship" and "speak to her as they would a mother, as well as trust always in her loving intercession."

More than 20,000 Catholics from the island of Java, along with AYD participants, took part in the closing ceremony (pictures 1 and 2), held at the Indonesian Air Force Academy in Yogyakarta. The service was led by Card Oswald Gracias of Mumbai (India).

Card Louis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila (Philippines), Card Patrick D'Rozario, archbishop of Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Card Julius Darmaatmadja, archbishop Emeritus of Jakarta (Indonesia), co-celebrated the function.

In his homily, Mgr Ignatius Suharyo, archbishop of Jakarta and president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Indonesia (KWI), mentioned the spiritual experience of St Theresa Benedicta of the Cross and of a Javanese catechumen. He urged AYD delegates to bear "witness" to Gods glory.

The latter sometimes manifests itself in the face and heart of humans who can transform hardship into a biblical joy, Mgr Suharyo.

The archbishop of Jakarta urged young people to stand together and united despite their differences on the basis of three Christian virtues: faith, hope, and love.

In a reference to St Irenaeuss famous line, Gloria Dei, vivens homo (The glory of God is a living human), the archbishop said, May all of us be blessed with the joy of biblical virtues so that our daily life may be enriched and shine the glory of God that has made it possible to spiritually improve our lives.

At the end of the ceremony, the KWI president made a plea for peace and coexistence, a very current topic in Indonesian society and politics. In recent months, a number of incidents of intolerance against religious minorities have been recorded in Indonesia.

Despite the Islamist push by some radical political movements and political parties, many civil society groups have reiterated the need to defend pluralism, the foundation of the Indonesian nation.

The Catholic Church plays an important role in interfaith dialogue, and the AYD became an important venue for this, with some moderate Muslim organisations and several Muslim leaders taking part in the event.

Important government officials (pictured 3) were present at the closing ceremony, including Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Youth and Sport Minister Imam Nahrawi, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan, and Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X. Provincial army and police chiefs as well as the governor of the Indonesian Air Force Academy were also present.

In his address, Mgr Suharyo praised the national values of the founding fathers and invited young people to become peacemakers.

Indonesian Vice President Kalla spoke reiterating the spirit of pluralism and mutual respect the nation needs.

"We Indonesians know very well our national motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity). It means that our power lies in our diversity, he explained.

The vice president then praised the spirit of AYD. "I am proud to be here with all of you, for I am well aware that the future of Asian nations lies in the hands of young people."

At the sound of a gong, a traditional Javanese musical instrument, the vice president finally declared the 7th edition of AYD closed.

Card Oswald Gracias, president of the Federation of Asia Bishops' Conferences (FABC), announced that the 8th edition would be held in India in 2020 (pictured 4).
In the 21st century wars will be fought less on ground and more in cyberspace. The battle for the control of the minds is the ultimate one where a country can break its adversary by influencing opinions of its subjects and seek a psychological victory. This is the work of propaganda which seeks to influence or mould the public opinion as part of Psychological Warfare (hereinafter referred to as Psy-War). We have already elucidated at length the core reasons for the Dolam Standoff between India and China on Bhutan-China border; however what is more astonishing is the mindless propaganda and war mongering from the Chinese Media, ostensibly the front of the Communist Party of China. The Chinese media including the state run Peoples Daily and its off shoot Global Times have been continuously spouting venom on India ever since the Dolam standoff took place where India has effectively trapped China into a Catch 22 situation of retreat and a credible face save for the PLA and President Xi as he heads into CCP Congress in November 2017.

The Global Times (an off shoot of the Peoples Daily, the CPCs official mouthpiece) is known for belligerent and hawkish stands aimed at provoking reactions and forming international opinions while The Peoples Daily is more circumspect in tone and tenor firmly stating the partys views. The Global Times, since the Dolam Standoff, has written provocative Op-eds and articles targeting India accusing it of being an aggressor and intruding into Chinese territory in the Dolam Region. Moreover, its Op-eds and articles have threatened to promote secessionist movements in Sikkim & parts of North East India and an escalation of standoff into a wider conflict and warned India to not count on the illusionary support US and Japan against China. It has even called Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj a Liar on denouncing the Chinese claims in Indian Parliament. The Peoples Daily has not been far behind either disdainfully warning India about 1962 war loss at the hands of China along with clippings of that time while going into selective amnesia about its 1967 and 1987 losses against India.

All this propaganda flowing out of China is a carefully orchestrated campaign aimed to build and mould public opinion both inside and outside China on the Dolam Standoff advocating Chinas stand while painting India as an aggressor. It is therefore essential to understand how the Chinese Propaganda machinery works and how it has evolved with time into a potent disinformation campaign taking its core values from the Soviet era propaganda techniques. Chairman Mao drew on the experiences of imperialist and nationalist regimes across the world like Nazis, the Soviet Union etc. to formulate a propaganda machine and control the flow of information across China. The Chinese Communist propaganda system represented the Leninist transmission belt for indoctrination and mass mobilization and is known as Agitprop in Soviet terminology.

The CPC propaganda system had its origins in Yanan and the movements carried out there by Mao in an effort to transform Chinese society after 1949 Revolution. Mao used various techniques to control the flow of information and the peoples way of thought which included mass mobilization campaigns, creation of study groups and ideological monitors in society, incarcerating people for brainwashing, documents, control of education system, control content of newspapers and editorials, controlling media broadcasts and the nationwide loudspeaker system. These propaganda techniques were embodied in terms like xuanchuan dui to indoctrinate specific segments of the population.

The current Propaganda system in China is similar to that of the Church in Medieval Europe where Propaganda is considered spiritual work and Chinese propagandists are like priests guiding their flocks. In the aftermath of Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, Jiang Zemin set out a new propaganda policy which is being followed to this day. Jiangs doctrine of propaganda was Seize with both hands, both hands must be strong (liang shou zhua, liang shou dou yao ying), re-emphasizing that the CCP should focus on the twin strategy of economic growth and rigorous propaganda to spread political thought across China.

The CCPs propaganda department is known as Zhong Xuan Bu in Chinese or the Central Publicity Department in English; and is the actual nerve center of the entire system. CCPs propaganda is divided into two categories i.e. Internal (duinei) directed towards the Chinese people and External (duiwai) directed towards foreigners and the outside world. The kind of propaganda that this department disseminates can be broadly classified into 4 categories i.e. political, economic, cultural and social. The Central Propaganda Department (CPD) of CCP oversees internal propaganda while its brother organization, The Office of Foreign Propaganda (OFP) oversees the department of external propaganda. Both the CPD and OFP are supervised and controlled by a small powerful group comprising of the bureaucracy and leaders belonging to the Communist Party of China and are closely interlinked.

The control of the CCP is so tight on propaganda and information dissemination that all editorials of major dailies like Peoples Daily, Guangming Daily, China Youth Daily, Workers Daily, Xinhua News Service are formally vetted and cleared by the CPD prior to publication and in some cases are drafted by CPD for publication. Chinas biggest state news agency Xinhua is another part of the domestic propaganda wing of CCP and serves as an organ of the State council. Xinhua plays a dual role of reporting news and disseminating party propaganda. Xinhua, like any other communist state run organization runs two set of news services  one for the general public that is influenced by propaganda and censorship and another for the party officials which is uncensored. As per Chinas Statistical Yearbook 2004, the Central Propaganda Department or Publicity Department has supervisory control over 2,262 TV Stations, 2119 Newspapers, 9074 periodicals and 1123 publishing houses, 68 million Internet accounts with 100 million users and 300 million mobile phone users!

The Central Propaganda Department of CCP has a guiding role and does not implement policing and censorship. This is generally tasked to state run organizations like State Bureau of Publishing, The Public Security Bureau, The Ministry of Culture, Party and non-party newspapers, television and so on. Thus, CCP through its domestic propaganda arm as we have seen above indoctrinates and brainwashes its public and military through controlled and censored information while the Party officials at the top remain well connected and apprised of world developments.

The foreign propaganda wing or the Office of Foreign Propaganda/State Council Information Office as it is known unlike CPD both guides and implements Foreign Propaganda dissemination. External propaganda works on four principal objectives: (1) tell Chinas story to the world, publicize the Chinese government policies and perspectives, and promote Chinese culture abroad; (2) counter what is perceived to be hostile foreign propaganda (such as the so-called China threat theory); (3) counter Taiwan independence proclivities and promote unification; and (4) propagate Chinas foreign policy. Along with these primary goals, the other guidelines of the propaganda arms of CCP are avoiding bad news during holiday periods or sensitive dates like Tiananmen massacre or Democracy movement in Hong Kong, hushing up stories that reflect poorly on China such as the 1998 SARS epidemic, pushing Chinas growth, praising its fast growing economy and a clear ban on any contrarian views while moulding international opinion on China. The CCP is very conscious of its perception and image is everything in China to maintain an iron grip. CCP does not encourage humour or jokes and does not tolerate any kind of dissent or any opinions that would make it appear weak, effete, etc. In a first of its kind, the CCP banned the cartoon character Winnie the Pooh after several memes and comparisons were made between Pooh and President Xi. For CCP any criticism is not only respectful but in sync with the communist paranoia of undermining the government and the authority of the ruling party.

The Foreign propaganda wing researches and develops Chinas foreign publicity material activities while monitoring, policing and censoring all such activities in China which may come under the ambit of foreign propaganda like the activities of foreign journalists, monitoring foreign social science research on China, and controlling the Internet. The MII (Xinxi Chanye Bu) was created as part of State Council Organizational reform plan of 1998 which assimilated several ministries and departments and was tasked to manage the technical aspect of electronic communications in China i.e. hardware and telecom networks. Parallel to MII is GAPP (General Administration of Press & Publication/Guojia Xinwen Chubanshu or Guojia Chuban Ju) which deals with the publishing industry for copyright infringements, regulating ISBNs, piracy, and audio and visual guidelines for other ministries like the Ministry of Culture. The Office of Foreign Propaganda covers a wide variety of media including Radio Beijing, Peoples Broadcasting System Taiwan and Hong Kong services, CCTV broadcasting to Taiwan of Cross-Strait Voice (Haixia zhisheng), publications such as Peoples Daily foreign edition (haiwai ban), China Today, Beijing Review, Peoples China, China Pictorial, China Daily, Voice of China, Liaowang weekly edition and various other publications of the Foreign Languages Press. Xinhuas international department also comes under the purview of the external propaganda department. Though the hawkish Global Times unlike Peoples Daily is not connected to CCP or PLA directly, Global Times chief editor Hu Xijin has unabashedly admitted to endorsing the party view in blunt language which is masked in diplomatic language in the People Daily.

External propaganda is also done through United Front Works Department which carries out exchange programs with Chinese Peoples Institute of Foreign Affairs (Foreign Ministry), China Association for International Understanding (CCP International Department), China Association for International Friendly Contact (PLA General Political Department), China Institute of International Strategic Studies (PLA General Staff Department Second Department), Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Think tanks like China Institute of Contemporary International Relations (Ministry of State Security), China Institute of International Studies (Foreign Ministry) and others.

In addition to the domestic propaganda machinery under CPD controlled by CCP, the PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) has its own propaganda system at two levels, (1) General Political Department (GPD) and (2) Party Committee (dangwei), Party Branch (dang zhibu) and Party Small Group (dang xiazou). While the second primarily deals with party members inside the PLA, GPD deals with propaganda work for all members of PLA. GPDs role has been to indoctrinate the rank and file of the PLA and seek obedience of the military institutions to the party. GPD also deals with officers management, welfare of carders, military courts and some intelligence functions. The GPD in this context manages the education, publication, literature, film, television and arts tightly controlling the information consumed by the PLA carders.

Apart from the above domestic and external propaganda arms, the other modes through which China exerts Foreign Propaganda is by opening Confucius Institutes around the world. These institutes work with foreign universities in liaison with the local Chinese embassy offering no strings attached courses through huge funding from CPD via Chinas Ministry of Education. These institutes provide courses for promoting Chinese culture, arts, language etc. along with small riders of the host universities promoting the One China policy and refraining from raising controversial issues like Tibet, Taiwan, Falun Gong, Persecution of Uighurs, Hong Kong independence, Democracy and human rights inside China etc. We have also elaborated on the role of Chinese intelligence, MSS in our earlier article about how it actively works in censoring the internet and creating propaganda to prevent the Chinese citizens from knowing facts that are outside the acceptable norms of CCP. Recently a Chinese billionaire turned dissident Guo Wengui, part of MSS also revealed that China has 20,000 spies operating in United States, some of them recruited locally to work for China in US.

As we have read above, the Chinese propaganda machine is highly organized and potent especially when combined with Social Media and Cyber Space in 21st century digital world. The Chinese propaganda dissemination has not even left US untouched by way of organizing Festival of China at Kennedy Center in Washington DC in September 2005. Similarly China also broadcasted its propaganda video on South China Sea at Times Square, New York last year. We have already analyzed the Chinese penetration within the United States in our book The New Global Order. Recently, to promote OBOR, China launched a propaganda video using children to showcase its role as a defender and promoter of free trade and globalization. The video says , When trade routes open up, thats when the sharing starts. Resources changing hands and shipping auto parts! This is quite ironical for a country that is only using other countries to dump its goods to solve its burden of oversupply while putting them in a debt trap they cant escape from.

The penetration of Chinese intelligence & propaganda is far more shocking in Australia where recent revelations of funding of CCPs activities in Australia have raised suspicions. Dr Chong Yi Feng, another dissident hauled up by China made detailed revelations to ABC News in Australia as to how systematically the CCP propaganda department- CPD has funded the local Chinese media in Australia. He exclaimed that Central Propaganda Department (CPD) of CCP is carrying out External Propaganda Program for which it has invested billions of dollars in major state media outlets establishing overseas offices and is helping the Chinese diaspora in target countries to setup Chinese media outlets promoting Chinese viewpoints. He also explained how China is funding civil society organizations in Australia and funding programs of Australian university campuses promoting Chinese viewpoints through Confucius programs in a three prong strategy. Recently Australias Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) made a worrying disclosure on how China has been interfering in Australia, influencing minds on an unprecedented level specially targeting the Chinese diaspora. A Chinese Expert and Swinburne professor John Fitzgerald has also elaborated that the agency responsible for Overseas Chinese Strategy and policy today is the Communist Partys United Front Work Department. The phrase United Front (Tongyi zhanxian, literally Unified Battlefront) is a term of war in the orthodox Communist Partys language dating back to 1920s and that China is targeting 1.3 million people of Chinese descent as resident Australians through cultural exchanges.

On Friday, Singapore expelled and permanently banned from the country a professor of Chinese descent Huang Jing and his wife. Huang has written extensively on China and contributed articles to Xinhua and the Peoples Daily. The Singaporean Government has accused him of acting as an agent of influence and engaging in activities inimical to Singapores national interests. While China and Singapore have enjoyed good relations, there were tensions after Singaporean troops conducted military exercises with Taiwan earlier this year along with raising Vietnams stand in the South China Sea against China last year. It was thus unsurprising that the Chinese propaganda machinery went into overdrive and gloated in June this year when Singapores first familys feuds went public.

Similar Chinese propaganda was carried out in a leading Indian daily with a full page on Chinese claims in South China Sea with sponsored excerpts by Xinhua news agency coinciding with the Hague tribunal verdict in July 2016. The Chinese propaganda machinery during the current standoff at Doklam is adopting a similar tone where it seeks to reassure its public about Chinese superiority over India while underplaying Indias Chess moves in the current standoff that has put China in a flummox. Chinas domestic propaganda seeks to portray that India is the aggressor and an inferior power trying to match up to the Chinese influence in the region while conniving with the west. This domestic propaganda is also intended to secure President Xis CCPs Congress due in November 2017 while nudging India into a corner with Pakistan internationally by using a host of useful idiots within India who spout the Chinese propaganda and talk of the PLAs might.

However, unlike previous times, the Chinese Psy-War has miserably failed thus far to break the Indian leaderships resolve; leave aside installing any fear in the Indian public mindscape of an impending conflict in the region. Though India has so far stood resilient to the Chinese Psy-War onslaught against it in the form of daily threats and war mongering, the battle for control over the mindscape is far from over and a long duel between the two Asian giants lies ahead. It is time that India started its counter propaganda war and answered the Chinese in kind laying bare its umpteen Faultlines, exposing its imperialist agenda, bubble economy, oversupply and hollow threats showing it for the bully that it truly is.
It does not matter where they are, most use Skye or the likes and email.



This actually can be better as they then only get the docs you forward to them - the same as you supply DIBP (you wont get to see your Case Officer).



There are about 6 Registered Migration Agents that regularly post on this forum, they are all very good. I have personally used 2 of them.



Careful using a lawyer.
Email Dan Walters of CALmatters at dan@calmatters.org. CALmatters is a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining Californias policies and politics. For more columns by Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary.
Contributing columnist Jose Gaspar is a news anchor for KKEY Telemundo Bakersfield. Email him at elcompa29@gmail.com. His work appears here every third Monday; the views expressed are his own.
The Wofford Heights wildfire has burned 50.5 acres as of Sunday. The Calgary fire, which ignited near Calgary Road and Evans Drive, is now in 
A couple is set to be sentenced Thursday after pleading no contest to charges filed in connection with the death of their infant son.
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.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET(WASHINGTON) -- Congresswoman Maxine Waters, D-Calif., offered a thorough response to all the attention shes received in her very public battle against President Trump at BETs Black Girls Rock! celebration on Saturday night.



Waters is known for her candid and direct remarks, recently saying that she is working to impeach the president and proudly proclaiming that shes a strong Black woman in a broadcast interview, and she brought the same fiery soundbites to the New Jersey Performing Arts Center as she received her social humanitarian honor.



After taking a moment to share her admiration for her peers, the Waters said that if not for the "love and respect" shown to her by other black women, her Republican counterparts would "have me believe Im too black, Im too confrontational, that Im too disrespectful of them."



She also doubled down on her calls for impeachment.



Not only will we resist you, we will impeach you, Donald Trump she said to an enthusiastic crowd.



What started off as a simple acceptance speech with thank yous and admonishments of self-love ended in a rallying cry to reclaim lost time as the recent social media sensation extended her advice to the young people who have dubbed her Aunty Maxine.



I love it, said Waters speaking about the new name given by the millennials whove adopted" her.



Though the Missouri-born politician made sure to thank her peers, she also made mention of the mission she set out on after Election Day.



Whether its the president of the United States of America or anybody in his cabinet, we will say to them we will resist you. We will not allow you to damage this country in the way that youre doing, she said as she gripped her award.



The acceptance speech ended with a roar of applause as Waters shouted her now-famous words from her questioning of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin during a House committee meeting: reclaiming my time.



Black Girls Rock! will air August 22 on BET.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
A Walt Disney World bus was involved in a crash Sunday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

SUV hit Disney World bus



19 perople were on bus



Bus driver taken to ORMC

SUV driver taken to Dr. Phillips Hospital



The crash happened at about 6:30 p.m. along Osceola Parkway and Buena Vista Drive, near Disney's Blizzard Beach and the All-Star Resort area.

Troopers said a Disney World bus was traveling westbound on the off ramp from Osceola Parkway when a black SUV hit the front left side of it.

Witnesses told troopers that the driver of the SUV, identified as 34-year-old Ritesh Bhagani, ran a red light.

Bhagani was taken to Dr. Phillips Hospital with minor injuries.

The bus driver, 47-year-old Collins Yakep, suffered serious injuries and was taken to Orlando Regional Medial Center.

According to the FHP report, 19 people were on the bus at the time of the crash.



The crash is under investigation and charges are pending against the driver of the SUV, FHP said.


A St. Petersburg man is accused of stabbing three people after stealing a woman's purse outside a Publix, the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office said.

Bobby Watson accused of snatching woman's purse

Deputies say he stabbed her and two others



Watson arrested, charged with aggravated battery



Rosanna Lynd, 44, was sitting in her car outside the grocery store on 113th Street in Seminole, when 49-year-old Bobby Watson approached her, deputies said.

Watson opened the car door and grabbed Lynds purse, the report said. When Lynd tried to pull the purse from his hands, Watson stabbed her in the abdomen and left thigh.

Christopher McMann, 44, who was nearby, saw what happened and came to Lynds aid. Watson stabbed him in the upper back, the report said.

Deputies said Watson then ran toward the Seminole City Center shopping complex, while McMann and another man, 31-year-old Travis Jones, pursued. Donald Rush, a third Good Samaritan, saw the altercation, retrieved a gun from his vehicle and joined in the chase.

According to deputies, McMann and Jones were able to tackle Watson in the parking lot of the Seminole City Center. During the struggle, Watson stabbed Jones in the abdomen. Rush held Watson at gunpoint until deputies arrived.

Watson was taken into custody and transported to Pinellas County Jail after being medically cleared. He was charged with armed robbery and three counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

The three people who were stabbed were taken to Bayfront Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.
Nearly 30 companies are participating in a job fair in Hillsborough County.

Commissioner Sandy Murman hosting job fair

Friday, Aug. 11 at HCC SouthShore



Nearly 30 companies are participating

Commissioner Sandy Murman and CareerSource Tampa Bay will host the 2017 South County Job Fair on Friday, August 11 at Hillsborough Community Colleges SouthShore Campus.

From 8:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. job seekers can talk with dozens of employers who have hundreds of positions to fill.

Some companies may conduct interviews on the spot, so make sure to bring plenty of resumes.

We are very excited this year to have employers like Mosaic, Spectrum, Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office, Manpower, Florida State Fair Authority and many more, said Murman in a news release.

Other companies set to attend the job fair include Bank of America, Carter Hospitality Group, The Boys & Girls Club, TrueCore and HomeTeam Pest Defense.

The South County Job Fair is free and open to the public.

For more information, call CareerSource Tampa Bay at (831) 930-7836 or email Angela Lyons at lyonsa@careersourcetampabay.com.
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Baytown police on Monday searched for a 30-year-old man whom they believe has information related to a botched home invasion on Sunday that left an 18-year-old dead.

Police have identified Jeremy Jamal Wheaton Ardion, 30, of Baytown as a person of interest in the case. Ardion, who has not been accused of a crime in connection with Sunday's gunfire, pleaded guilty in January to evading police, a misdemeanor.

He was sentenced in 2008 to eight years in state prison after being convicted of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.

READ ALSO: Mugshots of people charged with murder in Houston so far in 2017

Police were alerted shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday to the deadly home invasion at an apartment in the 300 block of South Pruett in Baytown.

Two armed, masked men  including Jalen Cole, 18, of Baytown  are believed to have forced their way into an apartment, police said in a news release.

READ ALSO: Homeowner tied up, beaten in Memorial home invasion (w/video)

The occupants of the apartment fought back; police believe they fired shots at Cole and the other masked man, both of whom returned fire.

Cole was hit at least once. A stray bullet also entered a neighboring apartment, where it hit a 44-year-old Baytown man in the shoulder, according to the news release.

Cole and the other masked man tried to escape the apartment, police said. Cole collapsed at the residence; police said he was dead by the time officers arrived.

READ ALSO: Home invasion ends with suspect killed by relative

The injured neighbor was taken to a hospital in Houston. His condition was not immediately known. He was in surgery early Monday, according to the news release.

Police believe Cole and the other masked man knew the occupants of the apartment.

"They didn't just pick this apartment out of the blue," said Baytown police Lt. Steve Dorris. "There had to be some kind of purpose to it. We just don't know what the purpose is at this point."

Cole had been charged in Harris County with three misdemeanors since February  possession of less than 28 grams of a controlled substance, carrying a handgun in a motor vehicle and unlawfully carrying a handgun.

He was out of jail on bail at the time of his death.

As of early Monday, the masked man who was with Cole was still at large.

Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting or Ardion to contact Baytown Crime Stoppers at 281-427-TIPS (8477).
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One block from where Brandon Pratt was shot and killed on Wednesday, several Beaumont residents turned in firearms on Friday night as part of a community initiative to tackle gun violence.

Not In My City's Gun Buy-Back Program, organized by Cathedral and Antioch Missionary Baptist churches, collected 153 guns in almost three hours at five different locations around the city.

At the Judge John Paul Davis Community Center, across the railroad tracks from where Pratt, 32, was gunned down, Arthur Louis volunteered to help distribute money to participants.

"I'm here because I love Beaumont," Louis said. "We all need to do our part because we love our community."

The churches partnered with the Beaumont Police Department and offered cash in exchange for guns - $100 for rifles, $200 for handguns and $300 for large magazine assault-type firearms. The guns will be tested by BPD to see if they match any reported crimes and then destroyed.

Donors were guaranteed anonymity.

Eleven guns were brought to Cathedral Church within the first 15 minutes Friday night.

"There were a lot of nay-sayers," said Pastor Suzann Feldshau. "And I think there were so many people against it because they didn't quite understand what it was about."

The program was intended to target people in possession of illegal guns and those who had firearms that had the potential to get into the wrong hands.

"We're not naive," Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens said. "We know that we're not getting guns from the people committing murders. Those types of firearms are only collected through good investigations or information provided to police. One of the things this does is prevent guns from getting stolen by lawful citizens in burglaries or car thefts, which can get into a criminal's hands."

There has been conflicting evidence from various gun buy-back programs across the country about how effective they can be, especially in a country where many citizens have large arsenals.

Numbers vary about how many guns there are in the U.S., but a Congressional Research Service report from 2012 estimated that there were 294 million firearms in homes and businesses in 2008.

With numbers that high, organizers and supporters of the Beaumont gun buy back said they know this isn't a solution to gun violence.

"This is not a fix for all of the crime in Beaumont," Feldshau said. "But if there is at least one death saved from a gun brought here today, it's worth it."

Money for the firearms, which was all donated by private residents, was beginning to run-out within the first hour of the program.

Feldshau said there have been talks about hosting another buy-back event.

"We have no way to measure if it has any impact on crime," Stephens said. "But what it does is spotlight gun violence and gun safety."

MGstalter@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/morgGstalt
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A dating app link-up may have lured two Houston-area men to their deaths in what could be the work of serial killers, Harris County sheriff's investigators said Monday in warning the public to be wary of meeting strangers online.

Investigators didn't publicly identify the app, but said the killers may have been targeting Asian men when they went after Glenser Soliman, a 44-year-old St. Luke's Medical Center nurse whose body was found Feb. 25, and An Vinh Nguyen, a 26-year-old University of Houston student last seen March 31.

UPDATE: Lead investigator explains how dating app came up in case

Both of their vehicles were found abandoned in the Spring area. Nguyen's credit cards were also taken, though details were not available about whether items were stolen from Soliman.

Detectives warned there may be additional victims.

"It is possible that there were other victims, or victims that did get away who could give us more information," said lead investigator Mike Ritchie at a Monday news conference.

Harris County Sheriff's Office

Two cousins who lived together in the Spring area in northwest Harris County are suspected in the deaths, Ritchie said.

On Monday, a capital murder charge was filed against Brandon Alexander Lyons, 18, who is accused of strangling Soliman and striking him with an unknown object. Lyons has been held in the Harris County jail under a $200,000 bond since April, when he was charged with stealing Soliman's vehicle.

Lyons cousin, Jerrett Jamal Allen, 26, a suspect in Nguyen's death, is being sought on a charge of unlawfully using the student's credit cards. He was last spotted in April, using the cards in El Paso, detectives said.

NGUYEN CASE: University of Houston student goes missing

Investigators have not ruled out the possibility the men were slain by serial killers though robbery appears the most likely motive, Ritchie said.

Mags Salvan-Silverio/Facebook

The slayings echo a recent Dallas-area case in which federal prosecutors in May filed hate-crime and conspiracy charges against four young men accused of using a fake profile on the Grindr dating app to carry out at least four home-invasion robberies in the Dallas area.

Ritchie and Chief Deputy Edison Toquica warned Monday that people using websites, chat rooms and apps to arrange in-person meetings should meet in public, bring along another person and avoid inviting strangers to their home or going to a stranger's home.

The detective said people should always consider "that this person might not be wanting to meet up for the same reason that you do."

SOLIMAN CASE: Man walking dog finds body of missing man in Spring

Soliman was reported missing Feb. 16. Nine days later a man found his body while walking a dog on a trail in the Spring area, just five miles from the dead man's home. His house didn't show signs of a break-in, but a friend told the Houston Chronicle at the time that his bedroom was in disarray  something out of character for the orderly nurse manager.

Nguyen's family reported him missing April 1 after they couldn't contact him. Nguyen, who was studying hotel and restaurant management at UH, also missed a scheduled job interview.

"He's very close to his family," Ritchie said. "They're tight-knit; they talk often. He had a job interview in Florida just a few days before he disappeared and he did not show up for that job interview. So he had a lot of things going for him, was a U of H student, a good family person and this is unlike him."

Deputies presume Nguyen is dead, though Ritchie said his body has not been recovered despite an extensive canvassing by Texas EquuSearch.

Anyone with information is asked to call detectives at 713-274-9226 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).
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Authorities on Monday rescued two drivers whose cars became submerged less than half a mile apart from each other.

One of the drivers sat atop his SUV amid rising water as rescuers, unable to reach him with ladders, prepared to deploy a boat. He was eventually able to clamber across an extended ladder to safety.

The other driver was rescued from her car, then was swept away by water again when she tried to return to the vehicle for her keys.

A San Antonio Fire Department water rescue team first encountered the woman standing on top of her sedan around 10:30 a.m. near West Commerce Street and West Military Drive.

RELATED: Heavy rain, thunderstorms flooding streets during morning commute

Now Playing: A young man became trapped trying to cross over Pinn Road near Highway 151 on Monday, Aug. 7, 2017, as flood waters inundated the area. Two fire engines had their ladders extended as far as they could go, but couldn't reach him. A boat rescue unit prepared to deploy, but authorities ultimately decided the ladders were the safer option. Video: JW Player

A rescue unit used a boat to cross the flooded street and rescue her. An officer at the scene said she would likely face criminal charges for endangering the lives of the first responders.

The woman declined to comment on the incident.

A police officer took her to a nearby Valero gas station to meet with her mother. After the officer left, the mother drove the woman back to the scene, where she waded into the water towards her car to try to retrieve her keys.

She was swept down river, according to police, but managed to make it to a river bank.

RELATED: Homes in Leon Valley evacuated due to flooding, fire department urges residents to seek shelter

Police met her at the scene and detained her. She will now face criminal charges.

Around the same time as the first time the woman was rescued, a young man became trapped trying to cross over Pinn Road near Highway 151.

Wearing a pink shirt soaked through by the rain, the man sat atop his SUV as rescue units determined the best way to save him.

Two fire engines had their ladders extended as far as they could go, but couldn't reach him. A boat rescue unit prepared to deploy, but authorities ultimately decided the ladders were the safer option.

RELATED: Several San Antonio-area parks closed Monday after heavy rain

Firefighters used a step ladder to bridge the remaining gap. The man delicately crawled across the ladder and made it to safety without serious injury.

It is unclear at this time if he will face criminal charges.

Check back to mySA.com for updates to this story.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

cdowns@mysa.com

Twitter: @calebjdowns
The Massachusetts Insurance Department now controls Minuteman Health, a co-op based in Massachusetts, according to New Hampshire Union Leader.

Here are five takeaways:

1. In June, Minuteman announced it would cease offering insurance in 2018 due to less capital and surplus.

2. The co-op insures 27,000 individual members and three dozen small group members in New Hampshire.

3. Bay State Insurance Commissioner Gary D. Anderson is the "receiver" for Minuteman, which means he controls the company.

4. According to state regulators, Minuteman will be able to meet its members' and healthcare providers' obligations through the end of 2017.

5. A Minuteman spokesperson said the receivership is part of an initiative to restructure the company into a corporate insurance company.
Some senators are concerned a continued emphasis on healthcare could hinder legislative progress on tax reform this year, reports Politico.

Senators are currently on a recess and will return to Washington, D.C., next month. When they return, the chamber's health committee plans to hold hearings regarding stabilizing and strengthening the ACA's individual insurance market. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has not made a decision on whether to keep up the cost-sharing reduction payments  which help insurers subsidize the cost of coverage for low-income Americans.

But key Senate tax writers are concerned about their own looming deadlines  they hope to overhaul the tax code before 2017 ends  particularly if healthcare reform remains at the forefront of the legislative agenda, according to the report.

"We're not going back to healthcare. We're in tax now. As far as I'm concerned, they shot their wad on healthcare and that's the way it is. I'm sick of it," Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, told Politico Wednesday.

Lawmakers face various goals and deadlines beginning next month. For instance, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said there is a Sept. 29 deadline to raise the debt limit to keep the government running, reports Politico, noting that other congressional initiatives next month include reauthorizing the National Flood Insurance Program as well as the Federal Aviation Administration.

Current and former congressional aides told Politico many decisions regarding next month's issues "will be made above the committee level" so Mr. Hatch's committee can focus on tax reform.
Hancock, Mich.-based Upper Peninsula Health System-Portage CEO Jeff Lang is leaving his position, reports The Daily Mining Gazette.

Mr. Lang will leave UPHS-Portage at the end of the month "to take on a new position with a different organization," according to the report. The report did not include details about the new position.

"We realize that this is an important change for our hospital and our community," UPHS - Portage said in a news release obtained by The Daily Mining Gazette. "  and we will keep the community informed of our progress as we search for the right person to lead UPHS-Portage forward."

The system named Mr. Lang CEO in 2015. Roy Vinson will take over as interim CEO. He has more than four decades of healthcare management experience.
As legislators continue to debate and vote on crucial measures that would drastically change the underlying foundation of our health system, it is important to remember not all meaningful healthcare policy is crafted by lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Much of the salient work to research and enact preventive care measures and curb chronic, debilitating illnesses is the cumulative product of on-the-ground efforts to evaluate and implement innovative solutions at the community-level.

A healthcare leader who has demonstrated the value of hard public health work at the local level is Indianas own Jerome Adams, MD, who has been nominated to act as the nations leading health and wellness spokesperson as the Surgeon General of the United States.

In his tenure as Indianas state health commissioner, Dr. Adams has built a solid reputation on both sides of the aisle as a true patient-focused community health advocate. His career as a highly respected anesthesiologist combined with his attentive, down-to-earth people skills will aid him in navigating not only the politics of Washington, but also the disparate and pressing health concerns affecting communities coast to coast.

One such issue of highest concern is the opioid epidemic, the most threatening public health crisis we face in 2017. Just two years ago, drug overdoses accounted for more deaths in Americaover 52,000than HIV/AIDS did at its peak year in 1995. And while opioid use affects some regions more than others, few would debate that the crisis is a national public health emergency.

Dr. Adams is no stranger to this epidemic. In March 2015, four months into his post as Indianas state health commissioner, Dr. Adams sat in then-Gov. Mike Pences office alongside CDC and state health officials to discuss a potentially devastating emergency: Scott County was experiencing an unprecedented HIV/AIDS outbreak with no end in sight. The outbreak stemmed from intravenous drug use with shared needles. In January of that year, eight people tested positive for HIV. By May, that number had exploded to 160.

Relying on a body of conclusive and convincing evidence from the medical community, Dr. Adams successfully persuaded the governor to authorize a 30-day emergency needle exchange, arguing that doing so would contain the outbreak without encouraging opioid use.

Because of Dr. Adams hard-fought advocacy, by September the spread of HIV/AIDS in Scott County had plummeted. Pence then enacted legislation allowing syringe exchanges in other Indiana counties experiencing a similar outbreak. And by January 2016, Congress had lifted a long-standing ban on federal funding for needle exchange programs.

The Scott County epidemic is just one example of Dr. Adams resolve as a physician and his dedication to serving the most vulnerable of populations with compassionate and sensible solutions. Recognizing the need for a multifaceted and preventive strategy in the struggle against opioids, Dr. Adams has continued to work tirelessly to raise awareness about the dangers of opioid use and to combat the unjust and counterproductive stigma attached to those with mental illness and behavioral health issues. As two leaders of a Catholic health system whose ministry often focuses on those who need care most, we applaud his leadership.

While skill and courage are essential to an effective public health official, a truly transformative Surgeon General must also possess the capacity to communicate and connect with a diverse population of patients from all backgrounds. Dr. Adams has demonstrated this crucial ability time and again.

As an example, during his time at the University of Maryland, Dr. Adams worked on the ground in Zimbabwe, conducting medical research on the countrys Ebola outbreak during the 1990s. This experience later proved fruitful in 2014, as Dr. Adams worked to educate Indiana residents about the factsand mythsof the disease during the West African Ebola outbreak.

In a time of anxiety and divisive rhetoric surrounding our countrys health system, Dr. Adams is a rare bipartisan leader with the ability to unify stakeholders of disparate backgrounds and opinions to find consensus on the public health issues that matter mostfrom tobacco cessation to infant mortality. He understands the merits of preventive care and has shown a keen interest in applying grassroots programs to improve the overall health of the populations he serves.

We believe our country would be hard-pressed to find a healthcare official better suited for Surgeon General of the United States, and were pleased to support his nomination for the position.

Anthony Tersigni, EdD, is President and CEO of Ascension and Jonathan Nalli is CEO of Ascension's St. Vincent Indiana.
As Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic begins to transition inpatient services from its Albert Lea location to its Austin location, one more Minnesota lawmaker has come out against the health system, according to the Post-Bulletin.

State Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, claims Mayo mislead him and his fellow legislators to approve a Destination Medical Center bill that gave the system $585 million in public funding while not stating that the system planned on consolidating services.

"Countless local officials, Mayo employees and area residents have contacted me about their fears and Mayo's lack of transparency," Mr. Sparks said. "I empathize with the residents of Albert Lea and the surrounding communities, because these hospital services are vital to the quality of life in our towns."

Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., sent a letter to the CEO of Mayo last week also condemning the system's move to Austin.

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Atlanta-based Piedmont Healthcare will open retail clinics in 27 Walgreens stores across the Atlanta metro area with an aim of improving access to healthcare services.

The 27 clinics, named Piedmont QuickCare at Walgreens, were designed to compliment Piedmont Healthcare's telehealth service, primary care facilities and urgent care clinics.

The Piedmont QuickCare locations will have extended walk-in hours and online scheduling. They will also offer healthcare services for minor injuries and non-life-threatening illnesses.

"Our goal in opening Piedmont QuickCare locations is to make it as easy as possible for people to get the care they need, when they need it," Kevin Brown, CEO of Piedmont Healthcare, said. "We're proud to be able to expand into these areas and provide high-quality, patient-centered care close to home for our patients."

News of the clinic openings comes about six months after Walgreens and Piedmont Healthcare announced they would form a collaborative council to share ideas to improve patient care, quality and satisfaction while simultaneously reducing cost of care.
Bruce Lawrence, president and CEO of Oklahoma City-based Integris Health, penned an op-ed in NewsOK addressing what he labeled "misinformation" provided by Tulsa-based Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma about the organizations' negotiation stalemate.

Here are five things to know.



1. An in-network agreement between the payer and provider concludes Aug. 31. All Integris hospitals and ancillary facilities will be out-of-network with BCBSOK by Sept. 1 if a resolution is not inked. Employed phyisicians will be out-of-network on Oct. 24.



2. In the op-ed, Mr. Lawrence wrote, "At the outset of negotiations, Integris indicated it was willing to keep its current contract terms along with a modest 3 percent rate increase. BCBSOK has denied this request and demanded more than 130 changes to our current agreement. We find this unacceptable."



3. Mr. Lawrence said Integris' position as a nonprofit health system depends on a contract "that covers costs and supports the work we do in communities across the state."

4. BCBSOK  the state's largest insurer and only participating payer on Oklahoma's ACA exchange  told Becker's Hospital Review, "Healthcare is changing and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma is updating all our contracts to include language that will protect our members. We are fighting to protect our members from national trends we see in healthcare, including practices that result in surprise billing, balance billing and unfair billing practices. We will fight to help keep members' out-of-pocket expenses and premiums as low as possible."



5. Mr. Lawrence wrote Integris intends to remain in-network with BCBSOK "if a fair agreement can be reached."
Here are spine surgeons and neurosurgeons who recently received awards or promotions.

American Association of Neurological Surgeons' Maintenance of Certification Committee honored Victor Kareh, MD, with the Continuing Education Award in Neurosurgery.

The Scoliosis Research Society honored two surgeons with the 2017 Whitecloud Award at the Scoliosis Research Society's 2017 International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques in South Africa. Peter Newton, MD, received the clinical award and Sebastien Pesenti, MD, received the basic science award.

The American Health Council named Christopher DeMassi, MD, standing medical director of Hollywood, Fla.-based Memorial HealthCare System, to its physician board.

Newton-Wellesley (Mass.) Hospital named Louis Jenis, MD, its new chief medical and innovation officer.

Kansas City, Mo.-based Saint Luke's Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute named Cheerag D. Upadhyaya, MD, a surgical co-director.
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A former accomplice of Ciaran Maxwell has denied setting up the Royal Marine turned renegade republican.

Maxwell (31), from Larne in Co Antrim, was jailed for 18 years after an arsenal of weapons and explosives was found in 43 purpose-built hides at eight locations in Northern Ireland and England.

Maxwell, who was with 40 Commando based in Somerset at the time of the offences, pleaded guilty to preparation of terrorist acts between January 2011 and August last year, possessing images of bank cards for fraud and possessing cannabis with intent to supply.

During the case the Old Bailey heard that in 2009 Maxwell decided to try and fulfil an "ambition" to join the Marines and, shortly before a deployment to Afghanistan, met old acquaintance Niall Lehd and told him about his career.

Maxwell's lawyer said Lehd was "interested" and later revealed he had connections to those in the republican movement who thought Maxwell was "someone who might well be someone of use".

Maxwell feared for his life and the safety of his family if it became widely known he was in the British military, the lawyer had said.

He added: "He (Maxwell) was building small devices and it became apparent that Mr Lehd was keen that their acquaintanceship should continue and become deeper and Mr Maxwell should take a part in what in the beginning was a rather unusual hobby."

Lehd was arrested in February 2013, having test-detonated one of Maxwell's pipe bombs, and he immediately admitted his guilt.

He then took police to a nearby field, from which he retrieved weapons and explosives stashed in two barrels hidden in the ground.

The arms had been put there by Maxwell, whose two other hides in Carnfunnock Country Park and Capanagh Forest in Co Antrim were later stumbled upon by members of the public last year. Despite being caught with an arsenal including high-powered military grade explosives never seen before in Northern Ireland, 28-year-old Lehd was jailed for just three years.

Lehd has now denied that he led the authorities to Maxwell. "I was not set up and did not set up Ciaran Maxwell or anyone else," he told the Sunday Life. "I can't go into this, I can't say anything further."

It was also reported that neither Maxwell nor Lehd were members of any established dissident republican group, despite claims to the contrary.

During Maxwell's sentencing, Lehd, said in court to have the mind of a 12-year-old, was named as being "associated with the Continuity IRA". But Lehd, who was not charged with CIRA membership, served his three- year sentence on the criminal wing of Maghaberry Prison.

Republican sources said they were "baffled" at the linking of Lehd and Maxwell to the CIRA.

One said: "No one had heard of either of them until their arrests. The fact that Lehd or Maxwell didn't bother trying to get on to the republican wing at Maghaberry, or seek assistance from republican prisoner support groups, tells you everything."
Police and forensic officers at the scene in Lurgan where a mans body was found

Police have launched a murder investigation after the body of a 45-year-old man was discovered in a Lurgan apartment block yesterday afternoon.

Police were called to the scene on Victoria Street, where officers discovered the victim, who is believed to have been Lithuanian. No details of his injuries were released.

Another 45-year-old man, also believed to be a Lithuanian national, was arrested and at the time of going to press was in custody helping police with their inquiries.

Yesterday's grim discovery took place in the same apartment complex where the body of dental nurse Laura Marshall (21) was found just over a year ago in an unrelated incident.

Local DUP MLA Carla Lockhart said the whole community had been stunned by the news.

She said: "This is horrendous news. My thoughts are with those now mourning the loss of a loved one. I sympathise and assure them of my prayers.

"Local residents are in shock and the area is currently cordoned off with PSNI investigations ongoing.

"I have spoken with the police and been briefed about their lines of inquiry.

"I would encourage anyone who has any information to come forward and report it to the PSNI."

Last night a police spokesman said detectives from Serious Crime Branch had begun a murder investigation.

Detective Inspector Darren McCartney said: "Police received the report of the death shortly after 2.15pm this afternoon.

"A 45-year-old man has been arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and he remains in police custody at this time.

"I am appealing for anyone with any information that can assist with the investigation to contact detectives in Lurgan on 101, quoting reference number 769 of 06/08/17. Information can also be passed anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."

The flats complex is situated in the former Johnston Allen linen factory, and is occupied mainly by single people, according to local sources.

Local Sinn Fein councillor Keith Haughian said everyone in the densely-populated area was in total shock at the discovery of the man's body.

"This is a tragedy. My thoughts go out to the family of the victim - and to the family of Laura Marshall, whose body was found in the same building last year.

"This crime must also bring back dreadful memories for them," he said.

SDLP Upper Bann MLA Dolores Kelly offered condolences to the dead man's family.

She also voiced concern about a recent upsurge in crime in the area.

"This was a quiet residential area for many years," she commented, "but in recent years there has been a worrying increase in the number of violent deaths in the Lurgan area - often related to domestic abuse, and with alcohol involved."
Sir Vince Cable said the martyrdom of the old came cheap, since few had jobs to lose

Tory Eurosceptics have insisted the UK should not pay a so-called divorce bill to leave the European Union following suggestions the Government could be prepared to offer Brussels 36 billion as part of a Brexit deal.

Whitehall sources have sought to play down speculation Theresa May would be prepared to pay a 40 billion euro bill in order to strike a comprehensive free trade agreement with Brussels.

Tory MPs warned that handing over money to Brussels after Brexit would be unacceptable to voters - with one suggesting Brussels should be giving money back to the UK instead.

The so-called divorce bill has been one of the main stumbling blocks in Brexit negotiations between the Government and Brussels.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that the Government will only agree to pay the sum if the EU treats it as part of a deal on future relations - including the comprehensive trade agreement sought by the Prime Minister.

The EU's stance is that trade talks cannot begin until significant progress has been made on the financial settlement, citizens' rights and Northern Ireland.

The newspaper quoted a senior Whitehall source as saying the EU's position was that the fee should be 60 billion euro (54 billion), but the "actual bottom line" was 50 billion euro (45 billion); the UK's position was 30 billion euro (27 billion) and "the landing zone is 40 billion (36 billion) even if the public and politicians are not all there yet".

The proposal would see Britain offer to make net payments to the EU of some 10 billion a year for up to three years after Brexit as a partial down-payment on a final 40 billion euro settlement.

A senior Government source told the Press Association that "no such figure has been agreed" while another Whitehall source said it was "speculation".

Conservative MP Peter Bone said a Brexit fee of that magnitude was unlikely to get through Parliament.

He said : "One of the prime reasons the UK voted to leave the EU was to stop sending them billions of pounds per year, so it would be totally bizarre to give the EU any money, let alone 36 billion, given also that over the years that we have been in the EU or its predecessor we have given them, net, over 200 billion.

"So if there was going to be any transfer of money then it should be from the EU to the UK."

The Wellingborough MP said: "I think it would be very strange of Parliament to pay billions of pounds to leave an organisation that you have given hundreds of billions of pounds to and got nothing in return. That would be a very strange decision, so I don't think it would happen."

Jacob Rees-Mogg, MP for North East Somerset, said: "There is no logic to this figure, legally we owe nothing."

Former Cabinet minister John Redwood told LBC Radio it was "completely ridiculous" to suggest the UK would have to pay to get Brussels to talk about trade because the EU "desperately" needed a deal.

He added: "Ministers would be quite wrong to be talking about any figures, we don't owe them any money.

"It would be silly to be offering something when the EU is still not very willing to talk and is not coming up with anything constructive on its own side.

"The EU's tactic is very clear. It's divide and rule to try and get Britain negotiating with herself."

Meanwhile Sir Vince Cable lashed out at hardline Brexit "martyrs" who view economic pain as a price worth paying to break away from Brussels.

His strongly-worded attack came after a YouGov poll suggested 61% of Leave voters would consider significant damage to the British economy to be a price worth paying for leaving the EU.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday the Liberal Democrat leader said: " To describe such masochism as 'martyrdom' is dangerous. We haven't yet heard about 'Brexit jihadis' but there is an undercurrent of violence in the language which is troubling."

Sir Vince, 74, added that the "self-declared martyrs" appeared to be "predominantly elderly".

He said: "The old have comprehensively shafted the young. And the old have had the last word about Brexit, imposing a world view coloured by nostalgia for an imperial past on a younger generation much more comfortable with modern Europe.
The aftermath of the Maze escape when 38 IRA inmates fled in a food lorry

Filming on a controversial new movie on the notorious 1983 Maze prison escape has been postponed until next year with the availability of leading stars in doubt, it's been reported.

H-Block tells the story of how 38 republican inmates fled the maximum security facility in the biggest prison breakout in British history.

Warder James Ferris died of a heart attack after being stabbed by fleeing prisoners, while two others were shot but survived.

Nineteen inmates were recaptured within a short period. Among the escapees was Old Bailey bomber, now Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly, who wrote a book about it.

The movie, which has received funding from the Irish Film Board, is set to be directed by six-times Oscar nominated director Jim Sheridan, but the Irish Times is reporting delays in cast schedules and financing are behind a decision to push filming back until spring 2018.

Cillian Murphy has been cast as the head of the ring of IRA prisoners, while Co Down man Jamie Dornan will play a violent prisoner who starts discovering weaknesses in the prison. It's understood Pierce Brosnan is in talks to play the warden of the facility who is pitted against the escapees. Sheridan told the Irish Times production would start in March next year, as that is the earliest Brosnan would be available.

However, Murphy is likely to be shooting BBC series Peaky Blinders that month, casting doubt on his participation, with Sheridan quoted as saying: "He's not out. I don't know if he's in."

News of the movie's production drew criticism from unionists when it was revealed earlier this year.
A London based videographer has captured the beauty of Northern Ireland's coast during a road trip from Belfast to Portrush.

CJ Ducker created an epic record of his trip to NI with his team Khawaja, Hannah and Ismail, taking in the amazing views that are right on our doorstep.

CJ said: "This all started with a vision to create in a country where you don't see very often. I put out the word on Instagram to see who else was interested in coming along and fast forward to present day and this is what we got up to in five days.

"We hired a car and road tripped all over Belfast and Portrush and everything in between to capture all we could see.

CJ added: "I wanted to capture what Northern Ireland was all about, the patriotism, the nature, the animals and the untouched beauty and ruins it had to offer."

Video courtesy of CJ Ducker.
Northern Ireland risks falling behind in the fight against HIV if the infection prevention drug PrEP is not rolled out in the region, a charity has warned.

Positive Life called for the introduction of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) after the NHS in England announced that the drug would be offered to 10,000 people in a three-year trial.

The pill, which is taken before sex, has been shown to reduce the risk of infection in high-risk individuals by around 86%.

Positive Life chief executive Jacquie Richardson said the move in England represented a "pivotal moment".

"There is still some way to go, but we must welcome the fact that this development is taking place," she said.

Ms Richardson noted recent statistics which indicated that HIV infection rates in Northern Ireland were on the rise, with 100 people diagnosed in 2015.

"We want to make sure that everything that can be done to support those in need, or ensure those at most risk, have opportunities to prevent themselves from contracting HIV," she added.

"HIV is indiscriminate and we have a real opportunity to empower people to take charge of their own sexual health and reduce the instances of HIV diagnoses here.

"We are encouraged to hear this announcement and will be following the outcomes of the trial closely.

"Rolling out PrEP to Northern Ireland needs to happen as soon as possible as it will lead to the improvement of many lives."

A spokeswoman for Stormont's Department of Health said: "The department recognises the important challenge of preventing new cases of HIV in high risk groups.

"Whilst we continue to emphasise that practising safe sex and wearing condoms is highly effective in preventing the transmission of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, we are working with the Health and Social Care Board, the Public Health Agency and the Belfast HSC Trust to determine how we could potentially provide PrEP in Northern Ireland for high risk groups.

"We are currently undertaking an analysis of the implications of this approach which includes estimating demand for such a service, overall impact on public health and the resources required and will present advice to a new minister for health when they are appointed."
The Department of Infrastructure said greenways encourage more people to walk or cycle on their everyday journeys

Three new greenway projects are to be developed in Northern Ireland.

The 75,000 investment will cover the Comber to Newtownards, Carryduff and Greenisland routes, the Department for Infrastructure said.

Andrew Grieve, a spokesman for the department, said: "Encouraging greater use of active travel is a Programme for Government aspiration and the development of greenways has an important role to play in achieving this.

"They are a key part of our infrastructure as they provide safe and easy access to fresh air and exercise by encouraging more people to walk or cycle on their everyday journeys on a traffic-free route."

The work would extend the Comber greenway into Comber town centre by following the Enler and Comber Rivers on the approach to Strangford Lough.

It would continue along the shoreline to Island Hill, then into Newtownards, with a total length of 12km.

The greenway at Greenisland will create a 2.7km traffic-free path between Monkstown and Greenisland

The proposed Carryduff greenway travels northwards to Cairnshill park and ride, where it has the potential to link with other routes, giving access to local and regional parks or further sustainable transport routes.

Gordon Clarke, Sustrans Northern Ireland director, said he was eager to see the Government commit more money.

"A lot of work goes into acquiring land and community consultation as Sustrans has experienced throughout the UK.

"We know of the huge benefits for all - environmental, health and economic. These greenways will contribute to the development of the National Cycle Network (NCN), which is Sustrans' vision."
A war of words has erupted between Oscar-nominated actor Stephen Rea and the DUP over the film and theatre star's use of the 'F-word' against Arlene Foster.

Gerry Adams, whose voice-overs Belfast-born Rea did during the Sinn Fein broadcasting ban in the late 1980s, has been sucked into the row by DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

The actor's four-letter foray was sparked in an interview he gave the Sunday Times.

Mr Rea - who married and had two sons with Old Bailey bomber Dolours Price, though they divorced before her death four years ago - targeted the former Stormont First Minister's controversial "crocodile" comment when the DUP leader countered Sinn Fein's demand for an Irish Language Act by saying that "if you feed a crocodile it will keep coming back and looking for more".

Interviewed for the Sunday Times Culture magazine, it noted that Mr Rea was born to parents "who were Protestants on paper but who never saw the inside of a church except for funerals". After his father attended a Catholic funeral, he first observed that "some people in the north behaved very well with both groups".

He then said: "But officially it's a nightmare when you see what's going on now with crocodiles and everything."

He pinpointed Mrs Foster and said: "F*** her. She pushed it right back to (former Stormont Prime Minister Lord) Brookeborough, right back to 'wouldn't have a Catholic about the place' - that's what Brookeborough said.

"It's an outrage and she hasn't apologised for it."

The actor refused to accept that Mrs Foster subsequently stated that she regretted using the word crocodile, and that she said the comment referred to Sinn Fein and not the Irish Language Act, and that she was not anti-Catholic.

But last night DUP veteran Mr Donaldson hit back, accusing the actor of misrepresentation.

He said: "It is highly regrettable that Stephen Rea has sought to misrepresent what Arlene said.

"The comment she made was focused on Sinn Fein and not Catholic people in general."

The MP noted that the actor made no reference to what Mr Adams said at a Sinn Fein meeting in Fermanagh in 2014 when he referred to the DUP in terms of "breaking the b******s".

Referring to the actor's marriage to Price, he added: "Perhaps Mr Rea would be better reflecting on the actions perpetrated by the IRA for over 30 years, and the impact that had on their victims and the families of those victims."

Regarding the use of the F-word in respect of his party leader, he commented: "If Stephen Rea really wants to make a contribution to reconciliation, this kind of intemperate language is not the way to do it."

In the magazine interview, when asked if he was a nationalist, Mr Rea replied: "I've always had an Irish passport, long before Brexit, long before the EU even. I am an Irishman."

He added: "I absolutely believe there should be a united Ireland."

Although he provided Mr Adams' voice after the broadcasting ban was introduced in 1988, he said he wasn't "hired", but he did it after journalist Mary Holland asked him to, telling him she detected a "relaxing of positions" from Sinn Fein and that "the people have to hear what they're saying".

And the actor revealed he turned down an offer to play the Sinn Fein president in recent film The Journey.
The anti-internment parade makes its way to North Queen Street in Belfast

A heavy security presence ensured four protests in Belfast yesterday passed off peacefully - with only a fraction of the expected crowds at some of them.

They included republicans opposed to internment, loyalists opposed to the republicans, a far-right group piggy-backing on the loyalist protest, and a left-wing group opposed to that.

Between 200 and 300 republican demonstrators marking the anniversary of internment without trial were blocked from entering the city centre after a Parades Commission ruling intended to protect law and order.

They had claimed 5,000 could attend.

Protesters from the Loyal People's Protest (LPP) opposed to the republican parade had listed the possibility of up to 10,000 supporters taking part.

After a morning of heavy rain, however, only a small crowd of about 10 loyalists gathered at Belfast City Hall around midday.

The LPP draped Union flags on railings at the front of City Hall while playing marching band music from speakers.

Around the corner in Donegall Square East the Northern Ireland Against Terrorism group held a separate rally attended by a larger crowd of 50 people, hearing speeches from two leaders of the far-right Britain First group.

Independent Belfast councillor Jolene Bunting opened the rally with a prayer and speech condemning republican violence.

Opposing them was a group of around a dozen demonstrators from Belfast Says No To Fascism, who had hoped for 50 protesters.

The only ones not subject to a Parades Commission restriction, they chanted slogans throughout such as "fascist scum off our streets" and "refugees are welcome here, no hate, no fear".

Britain First's deputy leader Jayda Fransen attacked Islam and Muslims in her speech before announcing she would be leading a new branch of Britain First in Northern Ireland.

Before speaking, Britain First leader Paul Golding had a soft drink can hurled at him, prompting police to arrest a 23-year-old man for disorderly behaviour.

Mr Golding told the crowd he started his party while living in Northern Ireland, basing it on Ulster loyalism. He also praised controversial Belfast preacher James McConnell for calling Islam Satanic during a sermon.

Elsewhere, the anti-internment parade had been ordered by the Parades Commission not to pass beyond North Queen Street and to stay out of the city centre. Ten police Land Rovers and around 30 officers lined up along the road to prevent the protesters going any further.

Just before 1pm the group of up to 300 people with a marching band appeared holding banners urging 'End British Internment'. Having set out from Ardoyne Avenue, there was a brief moment of tension as marchers stopped around 200m from the police line before proceeding to walk face to face with them. In 2015, members of the anti-internment parade clashed with the PSNI in the city centre, while 56 police officers were injured in 2013 by loyalist protesters during the same event.

This time the mood was more subdued when protesters and police finally met. Speaking in front of the police barricade, march organiser Dee Fennell told the crowd: "The only people that are denied entrance to Belfast city centre are the republican people of Belfast, of Derry, of right across this country and beyond."

The march focused on the continued imprisonment of leading dissident republican Tony Taylor in Maghaberry. Convicted of a bomb attack in his home city of Londonderry in the 1990s, Taylor was released from prison under licence after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. He later served a three-year sentence for possession of a rifle with intent to endanger life, being released on licence again in 2014.

The Secretary of State revoked that licence in March 2016 after the independent Parole Commissioner advised of "the risk he poses to the public".

He is due for release in August 2019 if his licence is not reactivated before then.

Speaking at the rally, his wife Lorraine said: "I know little about Tony's politics, other than he is a committed republican and wants to see society here at peace free from failures of the past that gave rise to conflict.

"Internment was one of those failures of political malpractice.

"But I can tell you that as a person he is a wonderful father, husband and son and that we, his family, miss him terribly."

Some individuals taunted police officers with insults. But the atmosphere was not as highly charged as in the past, and the band started and the marchers turned around 15 minutes later.

Speaking after all the events concluded, Superintendent Melanie Jones said: "Today's parades and protests concluded largely without incident and police were able to ensure the city centre returned to normal business as quickly as possible."
Alliance leader Naomi Long is going into hospital today for surgery to address a long-term illness.

Mrs Long revealed that she suffers from aggressive endometriosis which causes excruciating pelvic pain and heavy bleeding.

The condition involves tissue normally lining the womb growing outside it and can have a huge impact on quality of life.

The East Belfast MLA wrote on Facebook that she had suffered the condition most of her adult life. "However, the chronic pain and other symptoms of the condition have become increasingly severe and hard to manage over the last few years, resulting in a couple of emergency admissions to hospital," she wrote.

"It has generally become quite debilitating, so I've decided that surgery is now the best option."

Mrs Long said she had postponed surgery in January after Stormont collapsed and the Assembly election was called, and again in April due to the Westminster election and talks process.

"However, I now need to put my health first and am hopefully having my operation on Tuesday," she said. "It's routine but quite big surgery, with a slow recovery time, so I will be off work for about 8-10 weeks recuperating.

"I will also be taking a social media break for at least some of that time, though maybe not all of it!"
Belfast man is charged of fraud campaign

A Belfast man allegedly claimed he had lost part of his leg in a car crash as part of a 12-year campaign of mortgage fraud, a court has heard.

Liam Buckingham, 46, is accused of obtaining nearly 300,000 in loans through a series of bogus income declarations.

He also dishonestly portrayed himself as a security firm owner and a landscape designer in mortgage application forms, according to the prosecution.

Buckingham, of Beechmount Grove in the city, appeared before Belfast Magistrates' Court to face a total of 22 charges.

They include 15 counts of fraud by false representation, another four charges of obtaining services by deception, two of converting criminal property, and transferring criminal property.

The alleged offences were committed between December 2003 and June 2015.

During a preliminary enquiry hearing Buckingham confirmed he understood all the charges against him.

He is accused of obtaining loans of 112,565, 95,000, 82,405, and 5,000.

According to the Crown case one of his false representations involved claiming to earn 5,000 a month from running a security firm.

He also allegedly stated that he had lost part of a leg in a car accident and expected to receive compensation.

Prosecution submissions that Buckingham has a case to answer were not contested.

The accused declined to give evidence or call witnesses at this stage in proceedings.

He was then returned for trial at Belfast Crown Court, on bail, at a date to be fixed.

Defence lawyers confirmed their plans to have two barristers represent him due to the scale of the case.

Counsel said: "Essentially this is a series of alleged mortgage frauds spanning a period of over a decade."
There was a heavy PSNI presence in the area following the attacks

Police have been attacked and cars torched by masked youths apparently angered by the removal of wood from the site of a nationalist bonfire in Belfast.

The disturbances in the Markets area, close to the city centre, saw officers targeted with petrol bombs, bricks and bottles while a number of cars were totally destroyed.

The incidents have centred in the Stewart Street and Friendly Street areas of the predominantly nationalist neighbourhood.

While a number of cars were burned out, the windows of other were smashed, with paint also thrown over them.

Police Service of Northern Ireland superintendent Andrea McMullan said the "localised" disorder was the fault of a "small group of youths".

"We are working with local representatives and members of the community to address the situation," she said.

"There has been some stone-throwing, damage to parked cars and a number of petrol bombs have also been thrown.

"Local residents of the Markets do not want this kind of activity on their doorsteps and we would urge those engaged in violence and criminal damage to stop - and go home."

The vandalism unfolded after wood from a bonfire site was removed from the area in a Belfast City Council operation on Monday morning.

Tensions have been raised in some loyalist and nationalist areas in Belfast this summer amid efforts by the council to take action against a number of unregulated fires.

Bonfires will be lit in some nationalist/republican areas later this week to mark the anniversary of the introduction of the controversial state policy of internment without trial.

A council spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that bonfire material was removed from a car park during an operation in the Markets area today."

The streets are adjacent to Belfast Central train station. A number of the cars are understood to belong to commuters.

The Sinn Fein councillor for the Markets area, Deirdre Hargey, said: "The damage to cars in Stewart Street is unacceptable and I condemn those responsible in the strongest possible way.

"Both commuters and residents have been affected. Cars have been smashed with stones and several have been set alight. It is nothing short of mindless vandalism."

Ms Hargey said there had been other incidents of vandalism over the weekend.

"There is no defending this behaviour at all and it needs to stop now," she said.

"I'm asking all parents to take responsibility for their children and know where they are at all times.

"The community does not want this type of behaviour and it's not representative of the people of this area."

The trouble later spread to other parts of Belfast.

In the Divis area at the Lower Falls Road, a derelict Credit Union building was set alight.

SDLP councillor Tim Attwood condemned those responsible.

"Outrageous old credit union building torched in Divis - no place for mindless thugs destroying our community," he tweeted.

There have also been unconfirmed reports of attempts having been made to hijack vehicles in the area.

Democratic Unionist former minister Paul Givan tweeted: "Senseless acts of vandalism that endanger communities and damage services.

"Thinking of police and fire crews dealing with these incidents."
The leader of Britain First has said that the far-right group has now registered as a political party here and plans to run candidates.

Paul Golding was speaking after the Northern Ireland Against Terrorism rally yesterday, which saw him and deputy leader Jayda Fransen address a 50-strong crowd of supporters outside Belfast City Hall.

Mr Golding said that the event was just the first of many in Northern Ireland and that the group was now planning a "massive full-on Britain First rally" outside City Hall next month.

"There was a little hostility from about 10 unwashed today," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

"I had a can of something thrown at me, but managed to block it at the last minute.

"But our turnout was good and we were pleased at how it went.

"In about five weeks' time we are going to hold a massive, full-on Britain First rally outside City Hall.

"All the speakers who were there today will be at it, plus some more people.

"It will be much more organised and we will put a lot more effort into getting people along, and I think we will have a really good turnout at that.

"The theme will basically be Britain First coming to Northern Ireland, and it will be to gain more support.

"We are set up as a formal political party now in Northern Ireland, so we are going to be standing candidates for upcoming elections. You will absolutely see a Britain First candidate in the next Northern Ireland election."

Davy McAuley from the Belfast Says No To Fascism group says it will oppose Britain First every step of the way and will bring thousands of anti-fascists on to the streets in September. "I don't think Britain First will have the guts to come back to Belfast," he said.

"There were a lot of distractions today with the other rallies and marches, so he thinks he got a pass.

"If Paul Golding wants to hold another rally we will bring thousands of people on to the streets. We will show them what the anti-fascist movement is.

"As far as running candidates in local elections goes, the far-right have attempted that in Northern Ireland before and got absolutely nowhere.

"I hope they will be able to accept that they will only get maybe 20 votes.

"The situation here is so sectarian at the minute, with people voting orange and green. The last thing we need is a crowd of Nazis coming into the mix. They will be rejected completely by loyalists and republicans and by everyone else, and rightly so."
Ex-Labour MP Kevin McNamara, who sat in parliament for almost 40 years and was shadow Northern Ireland secretary, has died at the age of 82.

Mr McNamara, who represented Hull North from 1966 to 2005, died at his home in Formby, Merseyside, after he was suddenly taken ill while on holiday in Spain.

His family said he became unwell while staying in the town of Carboneras and was diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer, despite having no previous symptoms and being pain-free.

They said he was evacuated from Spain by air ambulance on July 28 and spent two nights in Southport and Formby District General Hospital before returning to his home.

In a statement his family said: "He died peacefully at home surrounded by his family following a short and unexpected illness."

It said: "Kevin's family wishes to thank all those in Carboneras and Almeria, including medical staff, cleaners and caterers, and the local Catholic clergy, for their professionalism, care and consideration.

"The family would also like to recognise the smooth administrative process in Spain, delivered through the EHIC system.

"Thanks are also due to the Free Spirit insurance company for facilitating Kevin's desired return from Spain, and to all the NHS medical and other staff, including district nurses and the palliative care team in Southport and Formby."

Mr McNamara was born in Liverpool in 1934, was educated at St Mary's College, Crosby, and University College Hull where he obtained a law degree and met his future wife Nora. They married in 1960.

He became head of history at St Mary's Grammar School, Hull, and then a law lecturer before unsuccessfully contesting Bridlington for the Labour Party in 1964. He entered the Commons when he won Hull North in 1966.

During his long parliamentary career he took on a range of different jobs including chairing select committees and taking on opposition portfolios before becoming shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland between 1987 and 1995.

He was shadow minister for the Civil Service between 1995 and 1996 but did not hold a government post in either of Tony Blair's first two Labour governments between 1997 and 2005, when he retired.

Mr McNamara is survived by his widow, three sons and a daughter.

Another of his sons died before him.

The current Labour MP for Hull East Karl Turner said on Twitter: "Sorry to hear that former MP for Hull North Kevin McNamara passed away earlier today. He was widely respected and will be missed greatly."
There is renewed hope that the government will provide proposed solutions for the thorny issue of post-Brexit Irish border arrangements as early as this week.

While Dublin has been cautious in its response to the prospect of Prime Minister Theresa May's administration finally setting out such plans, Fianna Fail TD Stephen Donnelly said such a move would be "very welcome" as the "clock is ticking" on the Brexit talks.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that the position papers outlining the UK's approach to future customs arrangements with the EU and the Irish border could be published as early as this week in a bid to provide Brexit negotiations with momentum.

It also cited Whitehall sources who suggested the government is prepared to pay as much as 36bn as a so-called 'divorce' settlement, provided it's part of a comprehensive deal on future trade arrangements with the EU.

However, other government sources poured cold water on that suggestion last night, insisting "no such figure has been agreed".

The first phase of Brexit negotiations, which resume at the end of the month, are focused on citizens' rights, the 'divorce bill' and Ireland.

Talks on trade won't begin until after the European Union is satisfied with the outcome of these initial talks.

Last night an Irish government spokesman said it wouldn't be appropriate to comment on "speculation" in the British press.

He said Ireland is engaging in the Brexit negotiations as part of the block of 27 EU Member States led by chief negotiator Michel Barnier. The spokesman added: "As the Taoiseach said in Belfast, the Irish government will do all we can, in Brussels, in London and in Dublin, to achieve the best outcome for everyone on this island - to protect our peace, our freedom, our rights, and our prosperity."

Irish Foreign Affairs minister Simon Coveney welcomed the progress that's been made in Brexit negotiations to date.

He noted that the next round of talks will include further discussions on the financial package, and commented: "My officials and I will continue to work with the negotiating teams to ensure that sufficient progress is made."
The old Holywell Hospital is in a state of disrepair

A Victorian era mental health hospital in Antrim that a health trust has deemed no longer fit for purpose must be replaced, an MLA has urged.

Ulster Unionist Roy Beggs made the comments after visiting Holywell Hospital, a large mental health facility built in 1898.

The 140-acre site for acute and inpatient mental health services has 149 beds and is divided into two main services.

The main buildings house the addictions unit, continuing care, challenging behaviour, rehabilitation and intensive care beds, while the detached buildings are used for acute admission and dementia assessment.

One constituent who contacted Mr Beggs after being denied a place in Holywell due to a lack of beds said there was a stark difference in quality when he was temporarily placed at the Bluestone unit in Craigavon.

"I recently visited staff and patients at Holywell Hospital's dedicated dementia assessment unit located within the hospital's Victorian building," said Mr Beggs.

"My constituent had also highlighted the need for improved personal space at the Tobernaveen facilities to aid recovery.

"During my visit the staff acknowledged that there was a need for improved personal space, common rooms and treatment facilities. Better designed facilities also lessen the likelihood of a patient's exposure to stressful traumatic events involving others."

He said health watchdog the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority had acknowledged good practice and care at the site, but had written to the Department of Health expressing concerns regarding parts of Holywell's dated design, which did not fit modern standards.

"Maintaining the ageing, listed building and its infrastructure is expensive. In addition, the preferred option of a new-build facility close to the main Antrim Hospital site will improve access to wider health care for patients and reduce travel and supervision costs," Mr Beggs added.

The MLA said a case for capital investment had completed the assessment process within the Northern Health Trust and Health and Social Care Board, and needed approval from a Health Minister.

Mr Beggs said he had written to the department's permanent secretary.

And he added: "I hope that mental health patients are not suffering as a result of the refusal of Sinn Fein to enable the Executive to be re-established and to allow this important investment decision to be made."

In response, the Northern Health Trust told the Belfast Telegraph: "The trust acknowledged, at that time, that the physical condition and functional suitability of Holywell Hospital was not fit for purpose.

"It was proposed that a purpose designed unit built to modern standards would be necessary to meet patient needs.

"The outcome of the public consultation was support for the proposal for a new unit to be located on the Antrim Area Hospital site."

The trust has since submitted a business case to the Department of Health for the new unit, seeking an allocation of capital funding.

It added: "This is currently under discussion with the Department of Health, alongside the other capital priorities for the Northern Trust for the next budget period."
Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets area of Belfast after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Divis area of Belfast as the Credit Union is set alight after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 7th August 2017 General view of the Credit Union office building in the Divis area of the Lower Falls, west Belfast this evening after Nationalist youths set fire to it during disturbances in Northern Ireland. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.

Trouble erupts in the Divis area of Belfast as the Credit Union is set alight after bonfire material was removed on August 7th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Trouble erupts in the Markets and Divis areas of Belfast [Photos] Close

A derelict building has been set on fire in the Divis area of west Belfast during disturbances involving nationalist youths on Monday night.

The fire at the disused Credit Union office in the Lower Falls area came hours after police were attacked and cars were set alight by masked youths during disorder in the Markets area of south Belfast.

Paul Maskey, Sinn Fein MP for West Belfast, condemned the violence as "wanton destruction by a number of young people causing havoc in the Falls area."

He told the Belfast Telegraph the destruction was totally against the will of the people in the area.

"I would call on all on those involved in this to desist, I call on parents to know where their children are this evening and over the coming days."

It is totally unacceptable what we're seeing on the streets. Sinn Fein MP Paul Maskey

SDLP Councillor Tim Attwood said: "It is outrageous that the old credit union building has been torched in Divis.

"Local residents are appalled and frightened by these actions. The people of West Belfast will unite against such attacks.

"Those who have done this must be brought to justice and anyone with any information should pass it immediately to the PSNI."

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Trouble first erupted in the city on Monday afternoon when a number of vehicles were set alight and others were damaged by stones and paint in the Stewart Street area, near Belfast Central train station.

A large police presence remained in the Markets area on Monday evening, as officers in riot gear dealt with "some localised disorder in the Friendly Street area".

Officers were targeted with petrol bombs, bricks, bottles and other missiles.

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The trouble broke out in the area after republican bonfire material was removed on Monday morning.

Police say it was caused by a small group of youths.

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Superintendent Andrea McMullan said: We are working with local representatives and members of the community to address the situation."

"Local residents of the Markets do not want this kind of activity on their doorsteps and we would urge those engaged in violence and criminal damage to stop  and go home.

There has been some stone-throwing, damage to parked cars and a number of petrol bombs have also been thrown. Superintendent Andrea McMullan

A number of vandalised cars are understood to belong to commuters.

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Sinn Fein Councillor for the area, Deirdre Hargey, said the damage was unacceptable.

"I condemn those responsible in the strongest possible way," she said.

"Both commuters and residents have been affected. Cars have been smashed with stones and several have been set alight.

"Over the weekend there were a series of incidents of vandalism in the Market area. This has seen the local Sure Start facility damaged resulting in the main gate into the facility being destroyed.

"There is no defending this behaviour at all and it needs to stop now."

It is nothing short of mindless vandalism. Councillor Deirdre Hargey

The councillor urged parents to "take responsibility for their children and know where they are at all times.

Earlier SDLP MLA for South Belfast Claire Hanna said she was appalled at the "criminal damage to cars parked in the Market".

"Hope those responsible are brought to court", she tweeted.

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Local Alliance Councillor Emmet McDonough Brown condemned those behind the disorder as thugs who have no place in the community".

He has appealed for calm in the area.

"Belfast is a thriving, cosmopolitan city and we cannot allow the thugs behind these recent attacks to detract from the positive image of Belfast that attracts investors and tourists alike, he added.

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A council spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that bonfire material was removed from a car park during an operation in the Markets area today."
Sinn Fein MP Mickey Brady has dismissed criticism over his role in the Venezuelan elections, saying that his party "has never and will never tell the people in Venezuela or any other country how to vote".

The Newry and Armagh MP was invited to observe the country's elections and the redrafting of its constitution by the National Electoral Council, a branch of the Venezuelan government that operates independently.

The US government has described the elections for a new legislature as a "sham" and imposed sanctions on Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro, freezing his personal assets.

The Venezuelan president has also had to defend himself against accusations from Smartmatic - the e-voting company that administered the country's election - that the official turnout figures in the election had been manipulated by at least a million votes.

Mr Brady was responding to criticism from Fianna Fail TD and party spokesman on foreign affairs Darragh O'Brien, who accused Sinn Fein of giving "cover to an underhand regime that is actively interfering in elections and over-inflating turnout figures".

"In my opinion, no party which believes in democracy and the rule of law can stand over what is currently happening in Venezuela," he said.

Mr O'Brien also called on the party to join the "growing number of voices who unreservedly condemn those who are pursuing an anti-democratic agenda in Venezuela".

Responding to these remarks, Mr Brady said: "It has yet to be revealed just what Darragh OBrien or Fianna Fail has ever done to assist the democratic process in Venezuela. They have issued four statements attacking Sinn Fein since April despite not mentioning the country publicly in decades."

Mr Brady accused Fianna Fail of being a "hurler on the ditch" in relation to issues affecting nationalists in Northern Ireland, and that "now it seems they are doing so with foreign affairs".

Earlier this year Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin was a " hurler on the ditch" after he criticised the party for refusing to take its seats in Westminster.

On Sinn Fein's role in the Venezuelan elections, Mr Brady said: "We simply stand for the principles of democracy, human rights and self-determination, and against poverty, inequality, imperialism, and oppression."

He said that his party were "concerned" about the reports of voter fraud and would condemn any potential irregularities that may be found through investigation, and also acknowledged the Venezuelan opposition's right to boycott the election.

In recent months, more than 120 people have died in a wave of anti-government protests while amid a weakening economy, Venezuela's 30 million citizens have been suffering from basic goods and food shortages.
Colin Horner was shot dead in a supermarket car park in Bangor in May

Sinn Fein is to meet Northern Ireland's police chief to discuss UDA activity.

Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill said she would raise concerns with George Hamilton about continuing violence attributed to the group, including the murder of loyalist Colin Horner in a supermarket car park in Bangor in May.

Mr Horner, 35, was shot dead by a lone gunman moments after he had put his three-year-old son in the back of his car. The murder has been linked to a feud among loyalist rivals.

"There is huge public disquiet about continued UDA activity and criminality which includes murder, drug dealing, extortion and intimidation," she said ahead of Tuesday's meeting.

"Sinn Fein asked for this meeting with the Chief Constable in the wake of the UDA murder of Colin Horner, who was gunned down in front of his child in a Bangor retail park.

"This is the fourth killing carried out by the UDA in the last three years."

The party also intends to discuss issues around delayed police disclosure of evidence to courts.

Mrs O'Neill said she would raise with Mr Hamilton the recent court judgment that criticised the PSNI for a failure to conduct an overarching examination of the extent of alleged state collusion with the Glenanne gang.

The Glenanne gang was a unit of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) that counted renegade police and Army personnel among its members.
A South Down unionist MLA has voiced his surprise that the GAA is to open a new centre of excellence at Ballykinler Army Barracks.

It emerged on Friday that a major training centre is to be built on part of the sprawling MoD site in Co Down

Parts of the complex are still in regular use by the police and Army for training, but it will close completely next year.

The Down county board of GAA announced on its Facebook page that its committee had approved advanced negotiations to base the new centre of excellence at Ballykinler.

The move will see the organisation lease part of the facility from the MoD.

Ballykinler has been owned by the MoD since 1901.

The last resident battalion pulled out of the camp in 2014, leading to speculation over future uses of the site.

Down GAA said early discussions with the MoD had focused on the "potential lease and development of part of the Abercorn Barracks site at Ballykinler into a multi-purpose GAA complex" and that "all parties are working towards bringing this exciting plan to fruition".

In a statement to the Belfast Telegraph, the MoD said: "We can confirm that the MoD is in discussion with the Co Down GAA in relation to a proposed centre of excellence in the Ballykinler area."

But Mr Wells expressed surprise at the move.

"The relationship between the security forces and the GAA has been an uneasy one in the past and many will be surprised that Ballykinler has been selected for this facility," he said.

He called for broader plans for the future of Ballykinler. "More significant long-term investment is required for this strategic site," he said.

"Down GAA have announced that they are seeking to lease part of the site to build the centre. I assume that this will be similar to the facility recently built near Dungiven in Co Londonderry.

"The number of new jobs which will be created by this proposal will be small, and I will be seeking assurances that its construction will not preclude the much larger investment the site needs.

"The removal of a permanent Army battalion from Ballykinler led to the loss or transfer of 200 jobs from Down district.

"The vacant site is an ideal location for major investment to provide sustainable long-term employment for this rural area.

"I have always maintained that Ballykinler was an ideal site for a new police college following the shelving of the Cookstown proposal.

"Many of the facilities on the site were modernised just before its closure was announced, and could be readily adapted for the needs of the PSNI.

"This, or a similar proposal, would bring huge economic benefit to Down district."

Ballykinler has had a varied history, from hosting the training of the 36th Ulster Division during the First World War to being an internment camp during the Irish War of Independence in 1919, to housing troops from the United States during the Second World War.

In 1974 a 300lb IRA van bomb killed two soldiers and destroyed some buildings.

The facility was used as a training centre for the UDR during the 1970s and 1980s, and has been used by various Army regiments as a base since then.
The Sunday Times has apologised for publishing a column by Kevin Myers which gave rise to accusations that his remarks were anti-Semitic and anti-women.

The controversial column led to Myers being sacked within hours of its publication the previous week.

The newspaper yesterday published a short, four paragraph, editorial at the bottom of its comments page on page 14 which contained an apology, without naming Mr Myers.

In his article about the BBC gender pay gap, Myers had referred to the Jewish faith of high-earning BBC presenters Claudia Winkleman and Vanessa Feltz, stating that Jews are "not generally known for their insistence on selling their talent for the lowest-possible price".

Myers (70) had later claimed he believed he was paying the two women a compliment. But he admitted: "I am the author of my own misfortune."

The editor of the Sunday Times Irish edition, Frank Fitzgibbon, was absent from Twitter over the weekend. Associate editor John Burns, tweeted the front page, merely stating it was "the end of a difficult week".

Four letters on the controversy were published in the newspaper's Letters To The Editor section. Two were critical of the editorial process in the newspaper which had failed to prevent the remarks being published.

One letter from a woman in Wexford stated Myers' writings over the years were "far from anti-Semitic" and she believed him to be "a deeply compassionate and honest man".

A fourth letter writer claimed Myers' past writings had demonstrated his "pro-Israel" stance in the troubled Middle East.

The newspaper's apology was entitled 'Overstepping The Mark' and stated the column "included unacceptable comments that caused offence to many, in particular to the Jewish community".

It stated that the column was removed and the newspaper had apologised to the two female BBC presenters.

"Newspapers publish controversial articles that often cause upset. It is important to generate forthright debate about issues affecting our lives. It is also important, however, not to publish comments that overstep the mark. Where this column did so, we are deeply sorry," it stated.
Police officers representative of the gay community in the PSNI and An Garda Siochana arrive for a Gay Pride breakfast at the Northern Whig in Belfast ahead of the Gay Pride parade in Belfast

Uniformed officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and An Garda Siochana have taken part in Belfast's gay Pride parade for the first time.

They were greeted with massive cheers from the crowds who lined the city's streets to watch the colourful annual event.

Around 40 uniformed officers from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and other UK police forces were amongst the 8,000 people who marched from Custom House Square in the city centre, watched by an estimated 15,000 supporters.

It was the biggest parade to take place in the region this year.

The PSNI has come under some criticism for allowing officers to join the parade, with accusations their participation will undermine the organisation's stated neutrality in the region.

However, the PSNI has insisted that participation in the event "is about inclusion and representation".

Belfast Pride comes amid heightened scrutiny throughout the UK on LGBT issues in Northern Ireland after the Democratic Unionists' parliamentary deal with the Conservative Party.

The region's continued ban on same-sex marriage is one of the issues preventing the restoration of a powersharing government in Belfast.

Sinn Fein has said it will only agree to re-enter a coalition administration if the DUP stops blocking a law change.

The DUP has used a controversial Stormont voting mechanism - the petition of concern - to prevent a law change, despite a majority of MLAs supporting the move at the last vote.

The party rejects any suggestion it is homophobic, insisting it is instead protecting the "traditional" definition of marriage.

Many participants in Saturday's parade carried banners and placards calling for the introduction of gay marriage.

A handful of posters with anti-DUP slogans were used by a small number of marchers.

Earlier, Irish Premier Leo Varadkar attended a gay Pride breakfast in Belfast. He insisted it was not a political gesture, but a "gesture of solidarity".
Jeremy Clarkson has joked that James May is the "only functioning member" of the Grand Tour team left after he was admitted to hospital for pneumonia.

The driving show's 57-year-old host fell ill during a family holiday in Majorca and was admitted to hospital on Friday.

His fellow presenter Richard Hammond is still recovering from a car accident in June - leaving May as the one host with nothing wrong.

Clarkson posted a picture on Instagram showing May with his hair standing on end, and quipped: "The only functioning member of the Grand Tour team right now.

"God help us."

Earlier the star shared a snap of tubes in his arm and his hospital identity tags around his wrist, writing: "Not the sort of bangles I usually choose on holiday."

A spokesperson for The Grand Tour said: "Jeremy Clarkson was admitted to hospital on Friday morning during a family holiday in Spain and is being treated for pneumonia."

He had planned to return to work after his holiday.

In a message on Twitter the ex-Top Gear host told friend Jemima Goldsmith that he was "in a wheelchair, connected up to tubes, in a hospital".

The incident comes two months after Hammond (47) was airlifted to hospital when his car crashed while filming The Grand Tour.

The TV presenter was driving an electric super car in Switzerland when it crashed and burst into flames.

Hammond escaped the crash, which left the vehicle scorched and on its roof, with no serious injuries.

The NHS website describes pneumonia as "swelling (inflammation) of the tissue in one or both lungs", which is usually caused by a bacterial infection.

The condition affects around eight in 1,000 adults in the UK each year.
Senior military leaders have dismissed concerns over Britains next generation warplane, calling it game changing for the UKs military prowess.

Commodore Andrew Betton, commander of the Royal Navys carrier strike group, said the F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter would give the UK a world-beating capability alongside two new aircraft carriers.

The US-built jet was subject to a damning investigation by The Times, which found a series of technical deficiencies.

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The newspaper also found that hidden costs were pushing the price of each plane to more than 150 million.

Manufacturer Lockheed Martin had said the aircraft will cost the UK between 77 million and 100 million each.

Speaking to the Press Association aboard American aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush, Cmdr Betton said the F-35B marked a true step forward for British warplanes.

Expand Close F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (PA graphic) Press Association Images / Facebook

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It will enable us to operate at very high tempo, high sortie generation rates with a significant payload and significant reach, he said.

Im confident that the F-35B, combined with the Queen Elizabeth class carrier, will give us a world-beating capability.

Royal Marine Lieutenant Colonel Phil Kelly, a former Harrier jet pilot who is now the strike warfare commander in the UKs carrier strike group, also praised the new aircraft.

Expand Close How the USS George Bush compares with the HMS Queen Elizabeth (PA graphic) Press Association Images / Facebook

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Cost is not something I can comment on, thats not my business  Im just lucky enough to be able to receive the goods that are bought for me to go and employ, he told the Press Association.

Im more than happy having a fifth generation fighter coming to us, with a lot of the capabilities that they will bring will be game changing for us.

The Times investigation found the F-35B cannot transmit data to British ships or older planes without revealing its position to the enemy, while also claiming it was vulnerable to cyber attack.

Defence minister Harriett Baldwin last month told Parliament there are around 19 important deficiency reports that remain open, out of 2,600 deficiency reports raised for all three variants of the F-35 to date.

Captain Ken Houlberg, the UK carrier strike group chief of staff, said: These are generation five aircraft, so theyre going to take us from a level and take us right to the top.

These are aircraft that can be used across a range of mission sets at the very highest end and Im very excited about them  theyre going to really make the Queen Elizabeth carrier strike group very special indeed.
A British model who was allegedly kidnapped in Milan and detained for six days while her captor tried to auction her online has reportedly returned to the UK.

The 20-year-old woman, named in reports as Chloe Ayling, was attacked on July 11 by two men as she attended an arranged photo shoot in Italy.

She is believed to have been drugged and transported in a bag to Borgial, an isolated village near Turin, before being released on July 17, Italian police said.

It has been reported that she was set free when the kidnapping gang, known as Black Death, found out she was a mother of a two-year-old boy.

Ms Ayling has now flown back to the UK and returned to her home in Coulsdon, south London, according to reports.

Speaking on her doorstep she told how she had feared for her life. "I've been through a terrifying experience. I've feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour," she said.

"I'm incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release. I have just arrived home after four weeks and haven't had time to collect my thoughts. I am not at liberty to say anything further until I have been debriefed by the UK police."

She said that during her ordeal, a person wearing black gloves came from behind "and put one hand on my neck and one on my mouth to stop me from screaming".

"A second person wearing a black balaclava gave me an injection in my right forearm. I think I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was wearing a pink bodysuit and the socks I am wearing now," she continued.

"I realised I was in the boot of a car with my wrists and ankles handcuffed, adhesive tape on my mouth. I was inside a bag and was only able to breathe through a small hole."

A Polish man, who lives in Britain, was arrested on July 18 on suspicion of kidnap and extortion, state police said. Officials have released a mugshot of the suspect, named as 30-year-old Lukasz Pawel Herba.

It is alleged two men tried to sell Ms Ayling online for more than $300,000 (230,000) and demanded the model's agent pay to secure her safe release.

She was kept handcuffed to furniture but was freed after six days and taken to the British consulate in Milan, despite the ransom not being paid.

It has been reported the captor demanded 50,000 upon her release and threatened to kill her if she told police about the incident.

Milan police officer Lorenzo Bucossi told reporters the group the suspect was allegedly working for offered "mercenary services" on the dark web.

According to a translation on Sky News, he said: "Certainly the author of this very serious crime is a dangerous person, don't forget he was also ready to carry out a 'final solution', as he called it.

"He was a killer and was working for an organisation on the deep web that is offering mercenary services such as bombing attacks, kidnapping and the selling of girls on the dark web."

Italian police said they are working with officials in Britain and Poland as they continue to investigate. A spokeswoman for West Midlands Police said an address in Sampson Close, Oldbury, was raided on July 18 in connection with the investigation.
Michael Flynn was forced out of his role as US national security adviser in February (AP)

A British firm connected to the data mining and analysis company Cambridge Analytica has said former national security adviser Michael Flynn was in talks about taking an advisory role less than a week before the US election day.

SCL Group said in a statement to The Associated Press that Mr Flynn signed a "statement of work" with the company on November 2 2016, about "possible advisory work". Mr Flynn did not take the position after USW President Donald Trump's victory and Mr Flynn's subsequent appointment as the top national security aide.

The statement came just days after Mr Flynn disclosed his interactions with the firm in an amended public financial disclosure filed with the White House. The AP reported the contents of the filing last week. The White House has since released it publicly in response to an AP reporter's request.

On the disclosure, Mr Flynn lists briefly serving as an adviser to a Virginia-based entity of SCL Group, which is the British parent company of Cambridge Analytica, the firm that worked with Mr Trump's campaign.

Wealthy Republican donor Robert Mercer, a hedge fund manager who also supported the Trump campaign, is a financial backer of Cambridge Analytica. The president's chief strategist, Steve Bannon, was also a vice president at the company before he joined the Trump campaign.

Congressional Democrats and Mr Trump's critics have singled out Cambridge Analytica as they have pressured congressional committees to scrutinise the Trump campaign's data operation as part of probes into Russia's interference in the 2016 election and any possible collusion with Trump associates.

Trump campaign officials have denied any connection with Russia. They have also downplayed Cambridge Analytica's role in the campaign, saying they used the company briefly for television advertising and paid some of the company's employees.

The AP reported last week that Mr Flynn ultimately performed no work for SCL Group and was not paid. A person close to Mr Flynn told the AP last week that Mr Flynn had agreed to the advisory role just before the end of the campaign but the details of the position were never fully determined.

SCL Group confirmed it did not pay Mr Flynn, and he did not perform any work. It said Mr Flynn signed the statement of work but "no contract agreement was signed" and the advisory role was never formalised. In response to questions, SCL Group declined to say the nature of the planned advisory role or share the signed statement of work.

Mr Flynn's filing of his amended financial disclosure came as special counsel Robert Mueller and congressional committees are scrutinising his business deals and foreign connections.

Mr Flynn was forced out of his national security post in February for misleading the US vice president about conversations he had with the then-Russian ambassador to the US.

AP
A Mississippi Air Force base is on lockdown as officials look for a retired staff sergeant who may be armed.

A Mississippi Air Force base has lifted its lockdown, with officials saying they believe a man reported as armed has left the installation.

Sergeant Tammie Moore says the base lifted the lockdown before noon local time and is working with local police to look for a retired staff sergeant who was reported to be carrying a gun on the base.

Airman 1st Class Travis Beihl said base security was alerted that the man was armed.

Mr Beihl said no shots were fired and no one was injured.

The Twitter account for the 81st Training Wing at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi said the man was driving a four-door red truck.

Keesler is mainly a training base, with more than 11,000 employees.

AP
South Africa's parliament will vote by secret ballot on a motion of no confidence on President Jacob Zuma, the legislative body's speaker announced.

The surprise announcement on the vote, which could end Mr Zuma's presidency, was made by National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete at a news conference in Cape Town.

She said her decision shows that parliament is responsive to the public.

"The people of South Africa look to parliament to give direction in challenging times. The people of South Africa also look to parliament for signals of hope," said Ms Mbete, a long-time Zuma ally.

Mosiuoa Lekota, leader of the opposition Congress of the People, described the secret ballot as "ground-breaking".

"It places the responsibility of the motion of no confidence squarely on the shoulders of the men and women who sit in the National Assembly," Mr Lekota told reporters.

Scores of anti-Zuma protesters marched through Cape Town to the parliament building on Monday.

Larger demonstrations, both for and against Zuma, are planned for Tuesday at the parliament building before the vote.

Opposition parties have lobbied for months for an anonymous no-confidence vote to provide cover to disgruntled members of Mr Zuma's African National Congress who may fear coming out against their leader in an open ballot.

The motion, which was introduced by the opposition Democratic Alliance, needs 201 out of 400 votes to succeed.

The ANC holds 246 parliamentary seats, but several members have already indicated publicly that they will vote against President Zuma.

In June, the nation's highest court said it was up to the speaker of parliament to decide whether the vote could be done by secret ballot.

President Zuma, dogged by corruption scandals and waning popularity, has faced public calls for his resignation by leading members of his own party, the African National Congress.

The ANC has told its politicians to vote against the motion, intending to use its parliamentary majority to back Mr Zuma, as it has in earlier attempts to oust him.

"Voting in favour of this motion will be tantamount to throwing a nuclear bomb at our country," an August 4 statement from the office of ANC Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu said.

In recent weeks, two ANC politicians who publicly said they intended to vote against President Zuma were quickly censured by the party.

Mr Zuma has survived six earlier no-confidence votes since becoming president in 2009.

AP
Wyndham Lathem, a microbiology professor at Northwestern University, is due to appear in court in California (Chicago Police Department/PA)

A US university professor accused in the stabbing death of a Chicago man is a "gentle soul" and the allegations run contrary to how he has lived his life, the professor's lawyer said before an initial court appearance in California, where he was arrested.

Kenneth H Wine, a lawyer for Wyndham Lathem, urged the public to withhold judgment until all of the facts come out.

"Since the beginning of this case, the defence has received dozens of calls and letters in support of Dr Lathem, from friends and colleagues who have known him for decades," Mr Wine said in a statement.

"They all describe him in the same way - a kind, intelligent, and gentle soul, and a loyal and trusted friend. What he is accused of is totally contrary to the way he has lived his entire life."

Lathem, a Northwestern microbiologist, and Andrew Warren, an Oxford University financial officer, surrendered to San Francisco Bay Area authorities on Friday night after more than a week on the run.

They face preliminary charges of first-degree murder in Illinois in the July 27 killing of Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau, 26, in Lathem's Chicago apartment.

Lathem and Warren have not been formally charged. Lathem, who surrendered in Oakland, California is being held without bail in Alameda County.

Mr Wine said Lathem will plead not guilty to charges and plans to waive his right to an extradition hearing, which he said would put him back in Chicago within weeks.

Mr Wine added that Lathem, 42, came to the San Francisco Bay Area to see his closest friends and family members. Asked about Lathem's mental state, Mr Wine said he is fine.

Warren, a British national, surrendered in San Francisco and does not have an initial court date yet.

Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive for the killing.

AP
The British family was attacked in the Brazilian holiday resort of Angra dos Reis

Brazilian police say a family of British tourists who made a wrong turn while travelling in a car outside Rio de Janeiro was shot at and a woman was wounded.

Civil police said on Sunday that a couple and their three children were driving in Angra dos Reis, a popular coastal holiday destination about 90 miles from the city.

The authorities say a group approached the car and apparently told the family to get out and then opened fire.

Police said the woman was hit in the abdomen and was being treated at hospital. It did not give her condition.

Police released no names or home town.

Tourists in Brazil have occasionally been attacked when they accidentally stray into slums, which are often controlled by criminal gangs.
Myers comments about Vanessa Feltz and Claudia Winkleman were taken as an attack

Massed self-righteousness is an ugly animal, and it invariably spawns an uglier beast still  the lynch mob. Listen: cant you hear its baying in the wind?

So wrote my friend Kevin Myers in July 1999 after the convictions of an ex-nun called Nora Wall  who had lived a life of humble service to desperate people  and a homeless man for raping a 10-year old girl.

Like Kevin I believed two innocent people had been wrongly convicted on dodgy evidence because hysteria over child abuse meant suspicion fell on any clergy who had looked after vulnerable children.

Kevin wrote the Irishmans Diary in the Irish Times and mostly had a free hand to write what he liked, which was often strongly against the grain of public opinion.

His article was pulled before publication because the quashing of the convictions that he was calling for came through, although it would take more than six years before the trial was legally declared a miscarriage of justice.

So he provided instead a magnificent piece on the lessons we should draw from these terrible events.

We should always beware the deeds of good men and women when there is a public war against vice of any kind.

The witches of Salem were not persecuted by bad men or women; people then genuinely lived in fear of witchcraft, just as they did of communism in the 1950s.

In the witch-hunt to remove it from public life in the US, innocent peoples lives were ruined, yet through often honourable motives.

Ive been thinking about the compassion and courage of this magnificent writer since he told me at the West Cork History Festival that his career had just been destroyed over a sentence in his column in the Irish edition of the Sunday Times.

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Mentioning that two of the best-paid female presenters, Claudia Winkleman and Vanessa Feltz, were Jewish, he had written: Good for them. Jews are not generally noted for their insistence on selling their talent for the lowest possible price, which is the most useful measure there is of inveterate, lost-with-all-hands stupidity.

Intended as a compliment to Jews for being good negotiators (which they famously often are), it was ill-phrased enough to make it easy to twist.

No one ever praised Kevin Myers for his tact.

That extract was posted on Twitter and the lynch mob began to bay about anti-Semitism and misogyny.

Among those who rushed to retweet it was J.K. Rowling, who sent it to her 11.4 million followers with the comment: Women and Jews quite literally deserve what they get. This filth was published in @thesundaytimes. Let that sink in for a moment.

It certainly seemed to have sunk in with Rupert Murdoch, who appears immediately to have ordered Kevins firing as a form of damage limitation.

Then the lynch mob got hold of a quote from a 2009 article that was grotesquely misrepresented as Holocaust denial.

I doubt if Ms Rowling, any more than most of those who went after him, knew anything of Kevins record.

If they had  like the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland who came immediately to his aid  theyd have known that he had enraged anti-Semites for decades by writing frequently both in defence of Israel and about the horrors of the Nazi mission to wipe out the Jews.

It was also Kevin who, over decades, more than anyone stirred the conscience of nationalist Ireland over the atrocious treatment of those who had served in the British Army in two World Wars as he also fought the good fight against the obscene activities of paramilitaries.

A brilliantly comic writer, he has also targeted the nonsense that characterises so much of the rights agenda, extreme feminism and the politically correct.

So, apart from the ignorant, those in pursuit of Kevin include armies of anti-Semites, republicans and those whom he maddened by mercilessly mocking hypocrisy, cant and virtue signalling.

He is a fine man and I am proud to be his friend.

I hope that when the hysteria dies down and the lynch mob  which shamefully included many commentators who personally dislike him and, indeed, the Taoiseach  disperses, possibly the greatest journalist Ireland ever produced will be allowed to write again.
The first visit to Northern Ireland by new Taoiseach Leo Varadkar certainly made an impression on different levels, and its importance was underlined by the impressive turnout of civic leaders and politicians at Queen's University when he made a major speech there on the Brexit implications for all of us.

It was a carefully nuanced address in which he stressed the degree of change that has taken place across this entire island, and he offered realistic suggestions as to how the post-Brexit border dilemma might be solved.

He was also critical of the UK Government's lack of information as to what it wants from Brexit, and specifically how, with its current European partners, it hopes to solve the complex question of the border.

His intervention at a time of such confusion and so little clarity is to be welcomed, though some people may query his forthrightness in challenging the UK Government so directly in his first major speech on Northern Ireland soil.

People may also wonder about his support for the Belfast Pride event on Saturday, and some unionists have criticized him for this. However, he showed that he is not a man to shy away from controversy on this issue as the first openly gay Taoiseach in the history of the Irish State.

He also underlined his great frustration at the lack of progress at Stormont, and he asked the pointed question: "Who speaks for Northern Ireland?" The short response is that we hardly know the answer to this ourselves while our politicians continue to show their inability to reach an agreement that could, and should, benefit everyone.

Mr Varadkar's pledge to help directly if necessary to find an agreement is welcome, and he provided a reminder that both the Dublin and London governments have a crucial role to play in injecting the necessary urgency and focus into the renewed talks at Stormont.

The Taoiseach undoubtedly has his own agenda, and some people here might resent the directness of his intervention on all fronts, but it is important that he keeps a clear focus on Northern Ireland as we all continue to try to find an agreement in the midst of some very choppy political waters.

There is much at stake for people on both sides of the border in the run-up to Brexit, and this will require considerable political skills, tolerance and understanding from all concerned.
Donald Gale (Write Back, August 1) believes that God intended personhood to begin at conception. But, even if there were a god, there is no obvious reason why this should be so.

Indeed, early Christian theologians, like Augustine and Aquinas, did not think that the foetus acquires a soul until 'animation' ('fetus animatus'), or 'quickening', and, therefore, early abortion was not 'murder', though later abortion was. Donald agrees with me that personhood is the main criterion of moral rights and is, therefore, the central issue in the abortion debate. But a small foetus is not a person.

The characteristics of personhood include sentience, emotionality, reason, the capacity to communicate, self-awareness and moral agency. An entity need not have all of these six attributes, but if it has none of them, then it is not a person.

A small foetus is not even minimally sentient, let alone capable of emotion, reason, or any of the other attributes. As the individual develops biologically, the rights of a person develop, too. Most of the scientific literature indicates that the brain connections required to feel pain are not formed until at least 22-24 weeks - the time when a foetus becomes viable outside the womb. Viability, therefore, seems to be a reasonable criterion for personhood.

It is when the foetus can survive on its own as an independent human being, with all the moral rights of a member of the human community.

Brian McClinton

Editor, Irish Freethinker
Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Cayatano (left) meets with his North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong Ho, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum conference in Manila, Aug. 7, 2017.

Pyongyangs missile tests and Beijings expansionist moves in the South China Sea dominated a regional security meeting in the Philippines on Monday, with the United States and two other powers urging ASEAN to take a robust stance on both issues.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano met Monday in Manila with North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho to personally drive home a collective message of consternation from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations about the communist states recent nuclear and missile tests that defied a slew of U.N. resolutions.

The statement was not borne out of lost friendship but is because of frustration that there seems to be no opening for discussions or dialogue to address the impasse on the issues in the Korean Peninsula, Cayetano told Ri, referring to grave concerns about Pyongyangs nuclear program that were articulated in an unusually strong joint statement by ASEAN two days earlier, according to a press release.

The Philippines and the nine other ASEAN nations all have diplomatic ties with North Korea, including five that maintain embassies there. But in recent days and months, the United States has led international calls for Pyongyang to be isolated on the world stage because of its stepped-up nuclear weapons testing program.

Last week, the U.S. even suggested that North Korea be suspended from the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), whose annual meeting this year took place Monday in the capital of the Philippines, this years chair of ASEAN. North Korea is one of 27 members of ARF.

The encounter between the top Filipino and North Korean diplomats occurred on the sidelines of the ARF meeting. Cayetono said that, on behalf of ASEAN, he wanted to convey to Ri the importance of engaging North Korea in dialogue through the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). But, he said, it was equally important for Pyongyang to reciprocate and be open to lowering tensions centering on the Korean Peninsula through diplomatic means.

[T]here is a sentiment across ASEAN that for this engagement to be truly productive and beneficial not just to ASEAN but to our region and the world, we need to ensure that there is a mutual openness and communication amongst us, Cayetano said.

We say this in the spirit of our common goal of maintaining peace and security for our peoples, he added.

Trilateral statement

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson praised the tone of the very strong statement sent out by ASEAN over the weekend. He said it demonstrated the blocs commitment to supporting a denuclearized Korean Peninsula and that it was a statement thats probably stronger than any weve seen from ASEAN in terms of a view on this particular issue, according to a transcript from the State Department.

However, Tillerson and his counterparts from Australia and Japan on Monday issued a trilateral statement calling on the international community to implement strictly U.N. Security Council resolutions that have placed North Korea under sanctions for its nuclear and missile tests.

They asked other countries to make stronger efforts to persuade Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program, and urged ASEAN member states to maximize pressure on North Korea.

Australia, Japan, and the United States also condemned in the strongest terms North Koreas recent ballistic missile activity.

These actions blatantly violate multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions and clearly demonstrate that North Korea increasingly poses new levels of threat to regional stability and global security, they said.

A legitimate option for self-defense: North Korea

Ri, Pyongyangs top envoy, said his country fully understood ASEANs concerns, but signaled that it was not ready to sit down for talks with its rival South Korea, according to an account of the Filipino-North Korean meeting as reported by Yonhap, Seouls official Yonhap news agency.

He apparently was referring to Seouls recent offer to hold military-to-military talks to ease tensions.

South Koreas offer lacks sincerity, Ri Yonhap said during his discussion with Cayetano.

At the plenary session of the ARF meeting, Ri defended his government against international criticism over its nuclear weapons program.

The DPRKs [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] possession of nukes and ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) is a legitimate option for self-defense in the face of a real and clear nuclear threat posed by the U.S. against DPRK, Ri said, according to a statement issued by North Korean officials to reporters in Manila.

Ri blasted the U.S. for having allegedly rigged up several sanctions resolutions at the Security Council, to make it appear that the issue was between two Koreas, which have been at war technically since 1953.

He said that the development of nuclear weapons was meant to deter the U.S. from invading North Korea. Its Korean Central News Agency at the same time stepped up its angry anti-American rhetoric.

We are ready to retaliate with far bigger actions to make the U.S. pay a price for its violent crime against our country and people, it warned on Monday, two days after the Security Council approved new sanctions against the country in response to two intercontinental ballistic missile tests carried out last month by the regime in Pyongyang.

The sanctions include a stop on North Korean exports of coal, a vital revenue stream for Pyongyang. The resolution was the eighth of its kind in 11 years, since Pyongyang conducted its first nuclear test.

South China Sea

In their trilateral statement, Australia, Japan, and the U.S. also expressed concerns over maritime disputes in the South China Sea, and vowed to continue with sailing and flights over the contested region.

The ministers voiced their strong opposition to coercive unilateral actions that could alter the status quo and increase tensions, it said.

China, Taiwan, and four members of ASEAN  the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei  all have territorial claims in the sea, and overlapping claims have been a source of tensions. The sea is strategically important because it is home to a third of the worlds shipping lanes.

The statement called on all claimants to the potentially rich sea region to refrain from land reclamation, construction of outposts, militarization of disputed features, and undertaking unilateral actions that cause permanent physical change to the marine environment in areas pending delimitation.

It said it acknowledged a consensus that was struck over the weekend between China and the ASEAN countries to reach a framework for a code of conduct in the disputed region.

But Australia, Japan and the U.S. urged both the Southeast Asian bloc and China to ensure that a code be finalized in a timely manner, and that it be legally binding, meaningful, effective, and consistent with international law.
Facebook and YouTube complied with a court order and removed almost 2,000 web pages since early May that Thai government media monitors had deemed unacceptable, but authorities said Monday they still expected social media firms to take down another 1,786 URLs.

Thousands of web pages appearing on these and other social media platforms in Thailand were tagged for removal after being deemed to have violated national security laws and Lese-Majeste, a strict law that guards against defaming, insulting or threatening the king and other Thai royals, officials said.

Social media firms removed 1,940 pages out of 3,726 that were blacklisted because they contained prohibited and offensive material, Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of Thailands National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), told reporters Monday.

Facebook has removed 1,039 out of 2,556 URLs. YouTube took out 779 out of 779 links, Takorn said, referring to the illicit Web pages or links that were taken down by the two firms between May 1 and July 16.

Facebook did not respond immediately to emails sent by BenarNews for comment.

82 arrested, charged

Since the military seized power in a coup in May 2014, at least 82 people have been arrested and charged on suspicion of violating Lese-Majeste.

Some have been charged under the law for merely sharing or liking articles about the king on Facebook and other platforms that were seen as offensive or defamatory.

On June 9, a Bangkok military court convicted a 34-year-old man to 35 years in prison for posting content on Facebook deemed as insulting to the monarchy, a lawyer said.

Last month, the Digital Economy Ministry announced a law calling for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to remove illicit content within 24 hours after being notified, or face imprisonment. But the ministry did not clarify what constituted illicit content.

ISPs, which function as local servers for the social-media and tech giants, had previously received an ultimatum from NBTC to block Web pages by Aug. 8.

In mid-May, Takorn gave Facebook a deadline to take down more than 130 posts on its network that were seen as in violation of Lese-Majeste and Thailands Computer Crimes Act, threatening legal action that could lead to Facebook being banned in the country.

But when the deadline was met, Takorn toned down the threat to block access to Facebook, citing its cooperation in removing about 6,300 URLs over the past three years.

Facebook spokeswoman Clare Wareing, who is based in Singapore, told BenarNews in an email at the time that when government officials believe that an Internet posting violates their countrys laws, they may ask the company to restrict access to that content.

When we receive such a request, we review it to determine if it puts us on notice of unlawful content, she said. If we determine that it does, then we make it unavailable in the relevant country or territory and notify people who try to access it why it is restricted.

Rights advocacy groups view Thailands threats to shut down Facebook as the newest effort by the junta to restrict online speech and free expression.

The threat against Facebook means that users will be constantly looking over their shoulder in fear that they could be sent to jail for posting or sharing commentary about the monarchy, Brad Adams, Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said in a statement in May.
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For Immediate Release, August 7, 2017 Contact: Catherine Kilduff, Center for Biological Diversity, (530) 304-7258, ckilduff@biologicaldiversity.org

Carl Safina, The Safina Center, (631) 838-8368, csafina@SafinaCenter.org

Andrew Ogden, Turtle Island Restoration Network, (303) 818-9422, aogden@indra.com

Taylor Jones, WildEarth Guardians, (720) 443-2615, tjones@wildearthguardians.org

Deb Castellana, Mission Blue, (707) 492-6866, dcastellana@mission-blue.org

Shana Miller, The Ocean Foundation, (631) 671-1530, smiller@oceanfdn.org Trump Administration Denies Pacific Bluefin Tuna Endangered Species Act Protection After 97 Percent Decline, Species Faces Extinction Without Help SAN FRANCISCO The Trump administration today rejected a petition to protect imperiled Pacific bluefin tuna under the Endangered Species Act. This powerful apex predator, which commands top prices at fish auctions in Japan, has been overfished to less than 3 percent of its historic population. Although the National Marine Fisheries Service announced in October 2016 that it was considering listing the Pacific bluefin, it has now concluded that protections aren't warranted. If the paychecks of fishery managers and federal officials were tied to the status of this marvelous creature, they would have done the right thing, said Carl Safina, president of the Safina Center and a scientist and author who has worked to draw public attention to the plight of the bluefin tuna. Japan, South Korea, Mexico, the United States and other countries have failed to reduce fishing enough to protect this iconic species, a luxury item on sushi menus. One recent study found that bluefin and other large marine organisms are particularly vulnerable to the current mass extinction event; their loss would disrupt the ocean food web in unprecedented ways, and they need more protection to survive. Pacific bluefin tuna will spiral toward extinction unless we protect them. The Endangered Species Act works, but not when the Trump administration ignores the plight of animals that need help, said Catherine Kilduff, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. This disappointing decision makes it even more important for consumers and restaurateurs to boycott bluefin until the species recovers. In June 2016 petitioners requested that the Fisheries Service protect Pacific bluefin tuna as endangered. The coalition includes the Center for Biological Diversity, The Ocean Foundation, Earthjustice, Center for Food Safety, Defenders of Wildlife, Greenpeace, Mission Blue, Recirculating Farms Coalition, The Safina Center, SandyHook SeaLife Foundation, Sierra Club, Turtle Island Restoration Network and WildEarth Guardians, as well as sustainable-seafood purveyor Jim Chambers. The Trump administration's war on the oceans has just launched another hand grenade  one that hastens the extirpation of bluefin tuna from U.S. waters and ultimately hurts fishing communities and our food supply, said Todd Steiner, biologist and executive director of Turtle Island Restoration Network. Almost all Pacific bluefin tuna harvested today are caught before reproducing, putting in doubt their future as a species. Just a few adult age classes of Pacific bluefin tuna exist, and these will soon disappear due to old age. Without young fish to mature into the spawning stock to replace the aging adults, the future is grim for Pacific bluefin unless immediate steps are taken to halt this decline. Instead of celebrating the Pacific bluefin tuna for their impressive and important role in the ocean, humans are sadly fishing them to the brink of extinction in order to put them on the dinner plate, said Brett Garling of Mission Blue. It's more than regrettable that this gastro-fetish is robbing the ocean of one of its most iconic species. The time is now to wake up and realize that tuna are worth much more swimming in the ocean than in soy sauce on a plate. We're in the middle of an extinction crisis, and the Trump administration, in typical anti-environmental fashion, is doing nothing, said Taylor Jones, endangered species advocate for WildEarth Guardians. The bluefin tuna is just one of many species that will suffer or disappear because of this administration's hostility to conservation. With today's decision, the U.S. government left the fate of Pacific bluefin tuna to fisheries managers whose poor track record includes a rebuilding' plan with just a 0.1 percent chance of recovering the population to healthy levels, said Shana Miller, a tuna expert at The Ocean Foundation. The U.S. must champion increased protection for Pacific bluefin at the international level, or a commercial fishing moratorium and international trade ban may be the only options left to save this species.
The march will start from Mandi House at 4pm and end at Jantar Mantar.

August 9 will witness science rallies in major cities of India. The motive of the pan-India march will be to do away with unscientific beliefs and to press for increase in funding for research activities.

Spearheaded by Breakthrough Science Society (BSS), the gatherings would see the members of scientific community standing in defence of science and scientific attitude in an open and visible manner as done by scientists and science enthusiasts worldwide.

Scientists from research institutes across New Delhi will take part in a rally, March for Science on August 9 to protest against cuts in research funding.

The march will start from Mandi House at 4pm and end at Jantar Mantar.

The March for Science movement started globally in April. On Earth Day on April 22, scientists ditched their labs and hit the streets in over 600 cities, in what was dubbed as the largest ever protest by science advocates against US President Donald Trump.

It is an organic thing. We will start the march at 4pm and express our views as we move along, said Dr. Chetana Sachidanandan, Senior Scientist, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi.

We expect around 500-600 people to be a part of this rally, stated Dr. Vinay Kumar, Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University.
The ignominy of it all. SA Breweries (SAB) was once a colossus that strode across the global beer market, inspiring fear and respect (well, sometimes) wherever it went.

Now, 20 years after it first stuck its toe into the world market, SAB has been tucked into that catch-all category used by multinationals for territories they haven't yet quite made up their minds about: Europe, the Middle East and Africa. At least SAB had the benefit of ABInBev's $104bn payout to shareholders last year - cash that does compensate for lots of ignominy.

For SA shareholders who agreed last year to swap their shareholding in SABMiller for those in AB InBev, last week's results for the three months to June (its second quarter) were the first ray of sunlight to emerge since the takeover.

Since AB InBev listed on the JSE in October at R1,845/share, the stock has tumbled 13.3%. But with last week's results - earnings up 12% to $5.35bn as it took a hatchet to $335m in costs - the share price soared 6.8% on the JSE. Sentiment, it seems, has shifted.

This is why a number of analysts, including Standard Bank Securities, Societe Generale and HSBC, raised their target share price for the company. It says much that of the 36 analysts who cover AB InBev, 24 rate it a buy, 11 a hold and just one a sell.

For those worried that SA might become a distinctly forgettable second fiddle in the wider AB InBev, the good news is that the country did make it to the top of the highlights list in the results. This is because the SA business reported stellar 10.8% volume growth - the strongest growth on record at SAB, as far as anyone at AB InBev can tell.

"It is the highest beer volume growth by some measure in SA for a decade and more," says Marcel Regis, business unit president: SA.

What is intriguing is that this has happened now that the former SABMiller has been placed under the control of the notoriously tight-fisted Brazilian team that controls AB InBev.

Other factors are involved, of course: the timing of Easter helped, as did unseasonally warm weather and the introduction of powerful AB InBev brands in local markets, such as Stella Artois and Corona.

But the boost from AB InBev brands seemed to be a pattern across much of the old SABMiller territory. CEO Carlos Brito told analysts that the introduction of AB InBev's global brands had done very well in every SAB market into which they were introduced.

As it stands, AB InBev now owns seven of the top 10 global beer brands, including Budweiser, which is the most valuable beer brand in the world, worth $24.6bn, according to Forbes.

In SA, where the group recently announced a R2.8bn expansion, there was also a concerted effort to push near-beer products such as Flying Fish and Brutal Fruit. And, reversing seven years of double-digit declines, the cider product Redd's achieved remarkable 20% growth.

But the analysts who spoke to Brito in a teleconference seemed uninterested in the outstanding SA performance, asking just one SA beer question, which was about the prospects of relaunched Lion Lager cannibalising Castle and Hansa.

Brito was adamant that the relaunch, which was targeting cheap liquor options in the market, was being done in a controlled fashion, "There is no rush; we are very careful," he said.

Bernstein's lead analyst Trevor Stirling wasn't overly impressed with the SA volume growth. "It strikes us as unsustainable," he wrote in a report after the results.

Only it wasn't just an SA feature; elsewhere in Africa growth was also impressive. Beer volumes grew by over 20%, fuelled by strong growth in Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda. "We also saw high single-digit beer volume growth in Zambia and marginal growth in Mozambique, with share gains in both markets," says Regis.

Overall, AB InBev did better than expected globally, with strong sales in Mexico, Argentina and China. (Volumes fell in the US, Brazil and Colombia, however.)

JPMorgan describes it as "better than expected", saying it has "confidence in AB InBev's ability to generate superior growth through best-inclass management ability".

But it was the rapid cost-cutting - at this stage $100m more than it flagged - that raised eyebrows.

It shouldn't have been that much of a surprise: AB InBev is renowned for being ruthless with costs (down to having to justify requests for new stationery). But it does indicate that the company is moving faster than expected in its bid to make $2.8bn in savings over the next few years, while shedding 5,500 jobs.

On this point, brokerage Vestact says: "There is only so much you can do about your customers consuming more beer; there is a lot you can do about costs."

Brito says the better-than-expected cost savings are not uncommon. "We see it as a learning process; synergies tend to accelerate in the first quarters . it reflects the good planning our teams did," he says.

Shareholders will be relieved to hear that Brito is happy with the SABMiller integration process. "Our new colleagues have really embraced our culture, they are now part of our 'one company, one culture, one dream', so we're very happy," he says.

However, while the ink isn't even dry on the SABMiller deal, speculation is already mounting about yet another megamerger - a sign that Brito's dynamic Brazilian management team behind AB InBev's dominance of the global beer market has regained its form.

Right now that would be a bridge too far: much as there was a lot to be happy about, there are still some big holes in AB InBev that need fixing.

Central to this are sluggish sales in ABInBev's two most important markets - the US and Brazil.

In America, where Budweiser and Bud Light are household names, AB InBev's market share is down 85 basis points. So while global revenue rose 4.4% in the six months to June, sales in the US fell 1.3% over that time. (Though this was mitigated by stricter cost cuts, which pushed earnings up 3.9%.)

It'll be especially disappointing for Brito, given that the company bought 10 domestic craft breweries over the past six years. It's due entirely to the waning performance on home turf of Budweiser and Bud Light, however.

Brazil was equally depressing, even though the political upheaval would have given people a reason to drink. But volumes were down 3.8% and margins were 334 basis points lower in the second quarter.

Bernstein's Stirling says there are concerns about currency risks surrounding Brazil's real as well as uncertainty about economic growth.

But some analysts, such as Eamonn Ferry from Exane BNP Paribas, believe the "worst is over. AB InBev is back in business".

More cautious investors will want to see whether the trend can be repeated next quarter. But either way, the results were a welcome respite for AB InBev after a tough year.

If the volume growth in places such as SA and Mexico doesn't become a sustained characteristic of the new era, AB InBev may need to produce more tricks to breathe life back into the share price. Like another megamerger.

Source: Financial Mail
The Thavhani Mall in Thohoyandou is ready for its big opening on 24 August 2017, when local businesses, as well as national companies, will benefit from the 50,000 sqm regional shopping centre's economic opportunities.

From the beginning, it has been a local initiative. Seven years ago, local businessman Khosi Ramovha of Thavhani Property Investments had the vision for a regional mall in Thohoyandou. To achieve this goal, this local owner collaborated with South African shopping centre developers and investors, Flanagan & Gerard Property Development and Investment, which secured the co-investment of JSE-listed retail REIT Vukile Property Fund.

Ramovha explains, Thavhani Malls founding vision was inspired by the positive impacts a large mall can have on its community. This foundation has ensured the golden thread of community runs throughout all areas of the initiative. We have gone to great lengths to invite and enable local participation in the mall.

The malls representation of local retail brands with strong roots in the region includes VBS Mutual Bank, Zoe Exclusive, PIB Holdings, Vhutambo Edu-Toys, Nextfashion, Spectacle Hut and Zwawe Restaurant, with more to come.

In addition, local franchisees operating from Thavhani Mall include MultiChoice, PostNet, Link Pharmacy, Spar Pharmacy, News Cafe, Spur, Steers, Debonairs, Fishaways, Milky Lane, Romans Pizza and Sausage Saloon joining its leasing mix.

The mall owners have appointed three local companies as service providers for its major operational areas: the security services of Gwala Security, cleaning and hygiene provider Musukume Investment Holdings and landscapers Gauflora.

Local opportunities

Showing continuing community commitment, the mall has nurtured key local relationships, including its relationship with the Thulamela Business Forum (TBF). As part of our local stakeholder outreach, we pass on numerous opportunities at the mall to the TBF, which then distributes the opportunities to its stakeholders, explains Paul Gerard from Flanagan & Gerard Property Development and Investment. TBF also provides Thavhani Mall with insight into the needs of local business, their concerns and suggestions.

Thavhani Mall has already created jobs throughout its construction process. To secure local employment, Thavhani Property Investments issued a call for CVs on radio and social media. Prospective employees were asked to submit CVs to the Thavhani Mall website, which generated 97,000 job applications. Each job applicants name, ID, contact details and residential address are included on a database of CVs. The 137 retailers coming to Thavhani Mall have access to this database.

There is virtually infinite demand for a finite number of job opportunities. Looking at these numbers, every job that is created is needed and makes a difference. The mall is having a positive impact on the jobs it has created. We have also made it very clear to the malls retailers that they need to employ local, emphasises Gerard.

Larger plans

This is only the beginning of the opportunities that Thavhani Mall holds for its community because it is the heart of a much bigger development. It is the focal point of the large mixed-use urban precinct mega development, Thavhani City, which is being developed on a 27 ha site in Thohoyandou. As a shared vision between Thavhani Property Investments and the Thulamela Local Municipality, it will add the Thavhani Office Park, a motor-city and private healthcare facilities to the existing facilities, which will include a library, community centre, information centre and the 40 000-seater Thohoyandou Stadium.

Thavhani Mall will be a significant boost to the local economy and its future. It will also offer the community the biggest and best selection of shopping and leisure options in a mall they can be proud of, concludes Gerard.
ABC News(NEW YORK) -- President Donald Trump will travel to New York City for meetings next week during his 17-day working vacation from Washington, a White House official confirmed Monday.

Earlier in the day, Trump tweeted that he was "working hard" in Bedminster, New Jersey, "while [the] White House goes through long planned renovation."

Working hard from New Jersey while White House goes through long planned renovation. Going to New York next week for more meetings.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017

The White House reported that Trump will stay overnight at Trump Tower sometime during the "beginning portion" of next week, but did not provide additional details about his schedule or the total length of his stay.



While Trump has garnered criticism for frequent trips to his privately-owned clubs in Florida and New Jersey -- he has traveled seven times to Mar-a-Lago since the inauguration, for example -- he has yet to return to his 58-story Fifth Avenue skyscraper since the inauguration in January. He first returned to his hometown for a summit with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in May.



Last week, the United States Secret Service moved out of its command post in Trump Tower after a disagreement over lease terms between the General Services Administration and the Trump Organization. For now, the Secret Service is operating out of a command post on the sidewalk in front of the building as it "continues to work with GSA" to acquire a new location.



Before leaving for New York, Trump will be joined in Bedminster for a day by Vice President Mike Pence. The White House said that Pence and a number of senior policy advisers and cabinet secretaries will be arriving on various occasions for meetings on health care, tax reform and other pieces of the administration's agenda.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Climate change is not something that will just go away. It is already affecting global biodiversity food security and human migration , and the situation is not expected to improve soon. Rising temperatures and regular extreme events will produce new selection pressures.

The grey long-eared bat. Anton Alberdi / Bat conservation trust, Author provided

These will force many species to move to find more suitable conditions, or adapt. Their ability to respond to these pressures will depend on the rate and extent of change, their ability to adapt to new conditions or their ability to move away. Understanding how biodiversity responds to climate change requires an interdisciplinary perspective, combining ecological, molecular and environmental approaches.

As part of our work to establish a new way of studying biodiversity, we developed an integrated framework to help guide conservation efforts by identifying wildlife populations under threat from climate change. We assign levels of risk to populations based on their exposure to changing climate conditions, their sensitivity due to genetic variation and their ability to alter their range (range shift potential).

Image from Razgour et al. 2017, Molecular Ecology Resources, Author provided

We show how our approach can be applied in a bat species, the grey long-eared bat, Plecotus austriacus. This bat is one of the rarest mammals in the UK, with a population estimated at less than 1,000 individuals. This bat has also been in decline across Europe. Our previous work showed that its geographic distribution is limited by climate, and current patterns of genetic variation were shaped by changes to the climate. We collected wing biopsy samples for genetic analysis from eight populations in the Iberian Peninsula and two populations in England  the southern and northern edges of their range.

Making models

We used ecological modelling and climate data to look at where changes are likely to be most extreme. And to identify climate-driven genetic adaptations we looked at genomic data. This allowed us to assess which populations are likely to be most sensitive to the effects of climate change. Finally, we use a combination of genetic and geographic data to predict the ability of populations to track suitable conditions in the future.

We show that while conditions in the UK could actually improve for the bat, populations in southern Europe that hold the key to the survival of the species as a whole could be devastated. We identified those likely to be most sensitive to future changes because they do not contain enough climate-adaptive variation.

We also looked at landscape connectivity to show populations that will become isolated in the future. As the suitability of the environment changes, the movement of individuals will be affected. This will limit the ability of populations to move to more suitable areas, and limit the chances of spreading adaptive genetic variation into populations that are at risk.

Alexandre Roux/ Flickr, CC BY-SA

We identified one population, along the eastern coast of Spain, as being high risk. It will be exposed to high changes in the suitability of the climate, has a low levels of climate-adaptive genetic variation and will experience limited landscape connectivity.

We identified two other populations in the central regions of Spain that are medium-high risk. Despite high exposure to changes and limited connectivity, they have a higher frequency of adaptive genetic variation. In contrast, populations along the Atlantic coast of the peninsula and in the UK are at lower risk from climate change, because they will experience less change in the suitability of the climate, and keep higher landscape connectivity.

Implications for conservation

Assigning levels of threat to populations can help us to set conservation priorities. Conservation management can focus on rescuing high risk populations. This could be by moving of the population to more suitable areas, or moving individuals with the right adaptive variation into the population.

But such intense management is likely to be costly and irrelevant when considering the number of species likely to be in need of these measures. Alternatively, we could focus on reducing threats to medium and medium-high risk populations by increasing landscape connectivity, this would allow range shifts and the spread of adaptive genetic variation.

Long-lived, slow-reproducing species with smaller population sizes are unlikely to adapt to climate change fast enough by spreading new mutations. They will depend on the spread of adaptive genetic variation caused by the movement of individuals between groups. Therefore a better understanding of movement processes and landscape connectivity is needed for predicting population persistence under climate change.

The framework we developed can be widely applied to other population groups and ecological systems to help decide how to focus conservation efforts to help species survive.
Attended by approximately 200 delegates from nine African states and a further 10 countries from other continents, the inaugural African Marine Waste Conference recently took place in PE. The conference aimed to continue the concerted effort of better managing marine litter with the help of governments, NGOs, researchers and other stakeholders.

Leaders in the local plastics and packaging industries participate in a panel discussion chaired by Douw Steyn, sustainability director at Plastics|SA.

"By bringing together delegates primarily from Africa, along with advisers from other continents, a variety of different sectors and insights were represented. We participated in various fruitful discussions and debates on issues relating to marine waste in Africa, enabling us to develop a strategic plan entitled Marine Waste Strategy: Guide to Action for Africa, for tackling and alleviating the continents waste problems, disclosed Douw Steyn, sustainability director at Plastics|SA.

Making waste profitable

In addition to presentations, panel discussions and parallel sessions, workshops on microplastics, data and research, and mobile applications were also held over the duration of the conference. Plastics|SA chaired an industry workshop featuring participants from various sectors. Industry representatives, scientists, educators, waste disposal experts and the maritime sector were encouraged to engaged in a debate which aimed to identify the issues that have the biggest impact on the marine environment.

"We recognise that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done, but look back at very big inroads that we have already managed to make to address the problem head-on and offer real solutions.

"If we continue to take the right steps, we believe that waste can indeed become profitable to countries of Africa. The environment, human health and tourism are but a few areas that stand to benefit significantly if we are to devise a workable strategy for managing waste in and around our continent, Steyn concluded.
The city and the car have been interacting for generations, but this latest phase of their evolution is different.

Photo by Rikki Chan via Unsplash

Ever-increasing urbanisation and the subsequent demand for development of cities is the catalyst needed to bridge both the greatest challenges and most creative solutions for a future of the automotive sector. What we face now is undoubtedly the next automotive revolution.

And, it makes sense.

The city is where human life is expected to take the most significant quantum leap. Associated with this, is demand for technology that keeps (or even exceeds) the pace of how society will itself expect to be mobile.

Automotive sector's investment in technology, innovation must adapt

According to McKinsey, Africa is urbanising faster than any other region  where cities are projected to gain an estimated 24 million more people each year until 2045. If the McKinsey numbers stack up, then it follows course that as an automotive sector, our own investment in technology and innovation must adapt at a faster pace to meet what will be changing mobility demands.

Trevor Hill

The most logical question is, how?

For Audi, this starts with the integration of the car and its environment, especially as physical car ownership is expected to decline over time. Critical to this is an appreciation that ownership is not necessarily an indication of slower mobility demand, but rather points to the need to drive progress around innovation in the mobility space.

Our work through the Audi Urban Future Initiative is just such a case in point. The initiative is an internal, interdepartmental think tank dedicated to issues of urban mobility.

Designing cars around the functionality of the city

The city and the car have been interacting for generations, but this latest phase of their evolution is different. Instead of urban planners designing cities around the automobile, engineers and developers are now designing cars around the functionality of the city.

With this in mind, Audi has pushed ahead with cooperation agreements with Boston and Mexico City, where we are working in partnership with local government to explore how Audi innovation technologies can be applied in an urban environment to trigger maximum benefit for both residents and businesses.

In the Boston metropolitan area, the brand is testing the advantages of its new technologies for the city in two different pilot projects. In the transformation of the city centre, car-to-X technologies will improve the traffic flow; while at the same time, automated parking will contribute to creating more space for other modes of traffic.

In addition to this, Audi is working with the real-estate developers to combine the benefits of automated parking and smart fleet management.

The third Audi Urban Partnership is a joint project in Santa Fe, one of the leading business districts in Mexico City. Here, we are working with the association of the business district to develop ways to end permanent traffic congestion. All three projects profile the successes of our investment in technology and our ability to adapt to changing demands that will respond to the next automotive revolution.

Paradigm shift towards mobility

This paradigm shift towards mobility that is compatible with the city will eventually make for an intelligent, sustainable and liveable city with zero emissions and networked traffic that flows easily. And at the heart of this new concept will be the individual, accessing mobility in the way most convenient to him or her, in harmony with the city, the environment, and other road users.

As automakers, we are privileged to be at the apex of this pivotal innovation moment, where digitalisation, sustainability, and urbanisation come together for our next great leap forward. While we are synonymous with making cars, we are also reinventing the way cars are used. In the future, many will choose not to own their cars, but to access them on demand.

Part of the newly defined future will be machine learning, where a computer, in our case the car operating system, learns from specific situations, and can later handle unforeseen events. The more miles it clocks, the better it becomes. We have already developed a model car that uses machine learning for intelligent parking strategies. In the next step, we will transfer that to a real car.

One car knows little; many cars know a lot

Indeed, the car of the near future will be constantly collecting masses of data to facilitate automated driving in a type of traffic swarm intelligence. One car on its own knows little; many cars know a lot. Each individual car can help enhance the overall performance of all cars by providing data via the cloud.

Carmakers are finding solutions for many of cities greatest challenges. Electric mobility will  for example  reduce emissions. Self-parking cars will cut the space needed for parking, freeing up room to improve the quality of urban life. Intelligent car interfaces with traffic light information will optimise traffic flow.

With the legacy mobility model, having caused many of the environmental issues we currently face, a reinvention according to principles of artificial intelligence and connectivity could make city living more efficient and more enjoyable while also helping to put life on earth on a more sustainable path.

The trigger to a smart future mobility system is one that benefits all stakeholders. For us, urbanisation is a vital source for future business solutions. Thats why it has become a central part of our corporate strategy. It is something that we are gearing our business and our cars towards and something we are excited to share with our customers in the places they live, work and shop.
In the 160 or so years since the first skyscrapers were built, technological innovations of many kinds have allowed us to build them to reach astonishing heights. Today, there is a 1,000-metre (167-storey) building under construction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Even taller buildings are possible with today's structural technology

But people still dont really live in skyscrapers the way futurists had envisioned, for one reason: elevators go only up and down. In the Harry Potter movies, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and others, we see cableless boxes that can travel not just vertically but horizontally and even diagonally. Today, that future might be closer than ever. A new system invented and being tested by German elevator producer ThyssenKrupp would get rid of cables altogether and build elevators more like magnetic levitation trains, which are common in Japan and China.

Our work at the non-profit Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat studies how tall buildings can better interact with their urban environments. One aspect is a look at how buildings might work in a world of ropeless elevators. We imagine that people might live, say, on the 50th floor of a tall building and only rarely have to go all the way down to street level. Instead, they might go sideways to the next tower over, or to the bridge between them, for a swim, a trip to the doctor or the grocery store.

This research project, set to conclude in September 2018, will explore as many of the practical implications of ropeless elevator travel as possible. But we already know that thinking of elevators the way ThyssenKrupp suggests could revolutionise the construction and use of tall buildings. Builders could create structures that are both far taller and far wider than current skyscrapers  and people could move through them much more easily than we do in cities today.

Its hard to get high

Very few buildings are taller than 500 metres because of the limitations of those everyday devices that make high-rise buildings practical in the first place  elevators. Traditional, steel-rope-hung elevators can travel only around 500 metres before the weight of the rope itself makes it inconvenient. That takes more and more energy and space  which all costs developers money.

Dennis van Zuijlekom, CC BY-SA

Replacing steel ropes with carbon fiber ones can save energy and space. But even so, people who want to go to the uppermost floors from the lowest floors dont want to wait for the elevator to stop at the dozens of floors in between. That means developers need to make room in their buildings for multiple shafts, for express and local elevators, and for sky lobbies where people can switch between them. All of that space devoted to vertical transportation reduces the amount of rentable space on each floor, which makes the economics of the building more difficult the higher it gets.

Travelling in three dimensions

A new elevator system uses electric linear induction motors  the same kind of contactless energy transfer that powers magnetic levitation trains  instead of cables to move elevator cars around. This also lets them move independently of each other in a shaft, which in turn means multiple cabins can be working in one shaft at the same time. That reduces the need for parallel shafts serving different floors and frees up more real estate for commercial use. And theres no inherent limit to how far they can travel.

CC BY-ND Without ropes, cars can move horizontally and share shafts and passageways through buildings. ThyssenKrupp

Even more exciting is that these cabins can travel horizontally, and potentially even diagonally: the motors pivot to follow the powered track, while the floor of the cabin remains level. That opens up a whole world of possibilities. Without the ropes, it is also feasible to reduce the number of shafts a building requires, by allowing more cars to travel in one single shaft. It also becomes feasible to build massive building complexes interconnected by motorised vehicles operating high above the ground.

The difference between an elevator and a car, or even a train, becomes less clear  as does the difference between a building, a bridge and an entire city. Instead of descending from your 50th-floor apartment to the street in an elevator, then taking a taxi or the subway to another building across town, and going back up to the 50th floor, you might instead have a door-to-door ride between buildings, at height, in a single vehicle.

Creating the cities of the future

Is the world actually ready for this? Probably not right away. In the short term, we can expect to see systems like carbon-fiber-roped and ropeless elevators used in some of the very tallest, most high-profile (and expensive) buildings. Many of these structures house spaces used for many different purposes  residences, restaurants, retail stores, offices, cinemas and even sports. The people who live in, work in or visit those buildings have a wide range of destinations  they might want to stop at a shop to pick up something before going to a friends apartment for dinner before heading to a movie. And so they need options for travelling within the building.

At the moment, these systems are far more expensive than the conventional alternatives. Building owners wont use them until they can save  or earn  lots more money by building systems like this. But as weve seen with computers and many other forms of technology, the cost goes down rapidly as more people buy the systems, and as research advances improve them.

There are probably physical constraints and efficiency limits on how many elevator cars could share a particular complex of shafts and passageways. And structural engineers might need to analyse what supports and reinforcements are needed to move people and machinery throughout large buildings. But the tall building industry has no standard data or recommendations to guide designers today. Thats what were trying to develop.

The technology is arriving  and with them the certainty that the old ways of travelling through a building are about to change more substantially than ever before.
Described as the 'Oscars of the hotel world', the Distell Inter Hotel Challenge has become a red-letter annual event on the hotel industry calendar. The role of the competition is to provide a vehicle and public platform for creating an environment of mentorship for the country's hospitality industry.

The winners of the fifth annual Distell Inter Hotel Challenge was announced at a gala awards dinner on 5 August 2017 at the Southern Sun Cape Sun. Attended by Richard Rushton (MD Distell) and Volker Heiden (area vice president, Protea Hotels of Marriott International), the cream of South Africas hoteliers, chefs, sommeliers and vintners as well as top companies that supply the hospitality industry.

Best Wine Steward 2017, Michelle Swart, NH The Lord Charles Best Chef 2017, Eugene Ramcharan, Beverly Hills

The initiative, championed by Distell, is hotly contested as hotels around South Africa present their proteges. The candidates compete in different categories over a period of months culminating in a glittering gala event where the winners of the 2017 Challenge are announced.

In the chef categories

 Best Chef 2017: Eugene Ramcharan from Beverly Hills

For a starter, Chef Ramcharan produced a Woodview Wagyu beef brisket and herb crusted kingklip, served with roasted garlic and Lancewood Cheese cream cheese and parsnip mousse, carrot and citrus mousse, pickled baby radishes and candy stripe beetroots, passion fruit gel and a veloute - Nomonde Dlamini paired the dish very well with Durbanville Hills Wine Chardonnay

For main, the chef presented glazed Woodview Wagyu beef short rib and beef cheek ragout served with jewelled sweet potato mousse, honey glazed rainbow carrots, snap peas, charred sweetcorn segments and jus filled baby onion cups - paired with Durbanville Hills Wine.

Chef Ramcharan finished off with a delectable Dark Choc & Orange Delice which he served with an almond brandy snap, macerated strawberries, cognac cream and a mixed berry gel paired with exquisite Bisquit Cognac.

 Best Chef first runner up: Gizelle Els from NH The Lord Charles

 Best Chef second runner up: Samkelo Hlophe from One&Only Cape Town

 Most Promising Chef 2017: Sive Godena from Cape Town International Convention Centre

 Best Starter: Nicholas Freitas from The Palazzo

 Best Main Course: Marcas Hendry from Belmond Mount Nelson

 Lancewood Best Dessert: Andile Ndlovu from Hartford House

 Best Presentation: Litha Salimani from Southern Sun Waterfront

 Scanpan Excellent Kitchen Practice Award: Andile Ndlovu from Hartford House

 Best Bread Baker: Togara Mabharani from Belmond Mount Nelson

 Best Bread Bakerfirst runner up: Cecelia Adams from Cape Grace

 Best Bread Baker second runner up: Brian Baumann from One&Only, Cape Town

 Showcook Man of the Match: Shaun Munro from Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani

 Best Team: NH The Lord Charles and The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa

 To celebrate the fifth anniversary, British Airways is flying the winning Executive Chef Tony Kocke, Beverly Hills to spend a weekend at The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa.

 Hotel Awards: The Best Table Decoration won by Sun International Table Bay Cape Town, was for their sensational representation reflecting the ethos of the rich floral kingdom of South Africa. The Most Glamorous Table was Protea Hotel Edward, Durban and The Table We Would Wish To Dine At, One&Only Cape Town.

Our gorgeous table representing our rich Cape Floral kingdom @TableBayHotelSA #InterHotelChallenge pic.twitter.com/NnaWl6Ve33  Joanne Selby (@GMTheTableBay) August 5, 2017

In the wine steward category:

 Best Wine Steward 2017: Michelle Swart from NH The Lord Charles representing Allesverloren & Van Ryns

 Best Wine Steward first runner up: Alvezo Abrahams from Cape Grace representing Fleur du Cap and Bisquit Dubouche et Cie

 Best Wine Steward second runner up: Melikhaya Grant Sondezi from One&Only Cape Town representing Durbanville Hills and Bains Cape Mountain Whisky

 Most Promising Wine Steward: Nkululeko Khohlokoane from the Cape Town International Convention Centre representing Pongracz and Monis.

 Up and Coming Wine Steward (The Wonga Prize): Marie Manyoha from The Palace at the Lost City representing Fleur du Cap and Black Bottle

Apart from receiving sought after prizes, the winning candidates use this spotlight to springboard into the industry. Most candidates go on to take on jobs that fast-track them into key positions in hotels, safari lodges, restaurants and other parts of South Africas hospitality industry. Some go on to successful careers internationally, becoming ambassadors for our hospitality industry. The hotels regard the challenge as a platform for their own skills upliftment programmes. The culminating gala evening is an opportunity to offer tangible recognition and public acknowledgement of their own candidates. Many use the programme to ultimately promote from within.
Chinese company Huawei, which has had a presence in SA for almost two decades, went from being a name no-one could pronounce, to a brand of cellphone that most consumers are well aware of.

The telecommunication company - which had had contracts with mobile operators well before it launched its handsets in SA - has only recently gained broader recognition since it entered the smartphone market in 2010. In the past, its work in SA was limited to network infrastructure.

Today, Huawei occupies the number three spot in an assessment of the market share of mobile phones. At 9% it is just behind Apple's 10% but still a long way behind Samsung - which enjoys a market share of 40%, according to research by Effective Measure.

In 2015, a Huawei representative said its estimated market share was 3%. By the end of that year, the International Data Corp put it at 7%, and Samsung's share at 56.6%.

Huawei's growth is thanks to a focused, relentless marketing and visibility campaign. It aims to eventually take the top spot, says Strategy Worx CEO Steven Ambrose.

Zhao Likun, GM of Huawei Consumer Business Group in SA, confirms that the firm wants to challenge Samsung's dominance.

To do that, Huawei has shifted focus to mid- and high-end devices, a departure from sales of affordable low-end phones, where it has shown strong growth.

Last year Huawei imported between 1.3m and 1.5m handsets but most were low-end phones, says Likun. This year, its goal is to import 1.5m handsets, though 65% of these will be mid- to high-end devices.

The difference, Likun says, will reflect on the group's margins. Though there is still demand for cheap handsets, the margins on such devices are low, and don't necessarily justify more investment. To survive in an increasingly competitive market, Huawei will have to increase its revenue and produce higher margins, and high-value devices.

Ambrose says Huawei has targeted almost all market segments from entry-level to high-end, and has offered a competitive and well-priced product.

Main losers

The main losers because of Huawei's entry into the SA market have been smaller and less-known brands such as Motorola and HTC, says Ambrose. The slow demise of BlackBerry's sales in SA has also helped, he says. In the lower to mid market, Huawei has also taken market share from Samsung.

That advance fits into the global picture.

"Huawei has made no bones about being number one globally in a few years," says Ambrose. "It has the marketing clout and deep enough pockets to at least sustain its current growth."

He expects Huawei to become SA's second-largest seller in a few years. However, he adds that SA's market is mature and fairly stagnant, making it a tough environment in which to expect growth.

The other hurdles for Huawei are brand awareness and customer perception of its quality.

Likun says brand awareness has increased in SA. Huawei's challenge is to convert that into sales. Stronger marketing, better promotions with providers and good service are what Likun hopes will do the trick.

To some extent, he says that approach has had results. Sales of its flagship P10 and P10 Plus devices are up 68% against previous models, the P9 and P9 Plus.

International Data Corp research manager Ramazan Yavuz says the release of the P9 in 2016 was a turning point for Huawei in the minds of consumers. The high-quality device presented a real competitor to high-end devices from other manufacturers.

Huawei may still cater to a market for phones valued at less than $300, Yavuz says, but it is no longer associated with "cheap and low quality". Its position has shifted to: "better and more preferable compared to the overpriced ones".

The P9 came equipped with two cameras built in collaboration with Leica, setting it apart from the competition.

Likun says more innovation is on the cards, such as the planned release in September of a new chip to combine CPU (central processing unit), GPU (graphics processing unit) and AI (artificial intelligence) functions.

But how easy will it be to challenge Samsung's dominance? The South Korean company couldn't be reached for comment. But it has aggressively defended its turf with a number of mid-range devices. The international launch of its flagship S8 may have helped it recover some lost ground after the disaster of the exploding Note 7.

Yavuz believes Huawei is a strong candidate but it will need to introduce more flagship products, while increasing its marketing if it wants to challenge Samsung.

He says prejudice against Chinese brands has tended to soften over time.

Source: Financial Mail
The inaugural Singularity University South Africa Summit takes place on 23-24 August 2017 at the Kyalami Grand Prix and International Convention Centre in Midrand.

The Summit will explore how disruptive technologies drive change in a South African context, side-by-side with South African leaders, change makers, entrepreneurs and innovators. It will have speakers from across the continent and South Africa talking about the changes in the education, finance/business, medicine, automotive and energy sectors.

Mann Made Media will produce the Summit, in collaboration with sponsors Standard Bank, global partners Deloitte and strategic partners MTN and SAP.

For more information, go to singularityusouthafricasummit.org.
The Oppenheimers argued in court this week that the Guptas were behind the government's decision to block their plans for a luxury international terminal at OR Tambo airport.

Photo by Rob Bye via Unsplash

But Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba's counsel, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, countered that the Guptas might have done a better job of running it if the project went out to tender. The Oppenheimers were seeking private use of pubic services, he said.

"They want a suite of immigration services to be taken away from the public " to be used by them and their VVIPs," Ngcukaitobi said.

Oppenheimer aviation company Fireblade wants to offer in-house customs and immigration facilities at its terminal built on the Denel precinct at OR Tambo airport near Johannesburg.

Fireblade has asked the North Gauteng High Court to review a decision by Gigaba to reject its application, which he made last year when he was still home affairs minister.

Security concerns

Ngcukaitobi said Gigaba was simply responding to an objection from Denel, which had raised security concerns after initially supporting the project.

"Denel told him it was fine. Now they are saying it's not okay," Ngcukaitobi said. Gigaba could not disregard "what Denel is telling them".

But Fireblade's counsel, Alistair Franklin SC, argued that Denel's last-minute security concerns were "an obvious pretext" to "throw the spanner in the works".

There was no need for a tender because Fireblade had spent "hundreds of millions" to build the terminal and would cover the cost of immigration and customs services.

He said the only plausible reason for Gigaba's change of heart was pressure from the Guptas exerted through Denel.

Denel was previously an enthusiastic supporter of the project, which had been approved by half a dozen government entities, including the finance ministry and the Airports Company SA.

Gigaba rejected it after receiving a letter from Denel chairman Dan Mantsha.

Fireblade said in its court papers that Denel's sudden about-turn was done at the behest of the Guptas, who wanted to muscle in on their airport, citing damning information received from two Gupta pilots.

"Pilot 1" conveyed a message to Fireblade director Robbie Irons that the company needed to find a new black empowerment partner if it wanted Gigaba's approval.

Fireblade said the pilots did not depose affidavits or want their identities disclosed because they feared for their lives. In a responding affidavit Denel described Fireblade's claim as "scandalous, vexatious, spurious, speculative [and] defamatory".

Source: Business Day
Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo should cease harassing and detaining journalists and should allow them to cover protests and other events of public interest without interference, the Committee to Protect Journalists said.

 Kheng Ho Toh via 123RF

Security forces harassed, detained, or beat at least 18 journalists across the country on July 31 as they covered anti-government protests, according to media reports and Congolese press freedom advocates. Security forces released all of the journalists by the end of the day, but deleted many of the journalists' photographs and recordings first.

Security forces arrested more than 100 people in the nationwide protests demanding that President Joseph Kabila leave office by the end of the year, according to media reports.

"Detaining journalists and deleting their photographs and recordings is a crude attempt at censoring news of protests and sends a chilling message to the press in the Democratic Republic of Congo," said CPJ Africa Program coordinator, Angela Quintal. "Journalists must be permitted to report freely, without fear of being arrested or harassed by security services."

According to the DRC Association of Online Media (MILRDC), an independent advocacy group, security services on July 31 detained at least seven journalists in the capital, Kinshasa, including: Pascal Mulegwa, a reporter for Turkey's Anadolu news agency; Christine Tshibuyi, a reporter for ACTUALITE.CD; Emmanuela Zondi, a reporter for Vox Congo; and journalists for BBC Afrique, Reuters, and China's Xinhua News Agency, whom the association did not name.

"All the journalists [at the demonstration] were subject to immediate arrest without explanation. We stayed inside a school under police supervision," one of the journalists detained in Kinshasa told CPJ, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

Goma detentions

At least four journalists were detained in the eastern city of Goma on July 31, including: the BBC Afrique's Ley Uwera; Daniel Chube Ngorombi, of Radio France Internationale's Swahili service; Etienne Mosengo, a reporter for the community radio station Radio Tele du Graben Beni (RTGB); and Justin Kabunga, a reporter for Congo Synthese, according to media reports. Uwera wrote on Twitter that security services deleted material she had gathered reporting on the protests.

The same day, security forces in in the northeastern city of Butembo detained at least two journalists - Radio Soleil journalist Merveille Kakule Saliboko and George Kisando, who works for the radio station of the Catholic University of Graben (UCG) - according to the journalists and media reports. Officers seized Saliboko's phone, and, as of August 2, 2017, had not returned it to him, he wrote in a blog post.

Security forces in the eastern city of Bukavu also detained at least two journalists - Esther Lubago and Christian Safari, both from the private television station Canal Futur - Lubago told CPJ. Security forces deleted the journalist's recording of the protests before releasing her, she told CPJ. Josue Musole, of the community broadcaster Radio Nenolauzima, and BBC reporter Byobe Malenga individually told CPJ that security forces beat them as they were on their way to cover the July 31 demonstration in Bukavu.

"The commander ordered the policemen to search us and to take everything: camera, recorder," Malenga told CPJ. "They started to beat us."

In the southeastern city of Lubumbashi, at least one journalist from the UN-funded Radio Okapi was detained, according to media reports and the journalist, who spoke to CPJ on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. CPJ's repeated phone calls to Mwana Mputu, spokesperson for the national police, went unanswered.

The Congolese government has in recent weeks sought to control independent reporting. The Ministry of Communication and Media on July 12, 2017, issued new regulations restricting foreign journalists' ability to report on socio-economic issues and politics, as well as "strategic locations" such as military barracks, telecommunication installations, and embassies, according to directives seen by CPJ and a statement by the Congolese press freedom group Journaliste en Danger. The orders also require that foreign journalists obtain government permission to cross regional borders within the country.

In a separate incident, on July 25, 2017, three men in plainclothes who identified themselves as military intelligence officers assaulted and briefly detained two Agence France-Presse journalists reporting on a doctors' strike in Kinshasa, AFP reported. An officer accused the journalists of taking images aimed at "smearing the country" abroad, but released them after roughly half an hour, according to AFP.

Source: Committee to Protect Journalists (CJP).
The KNU is one of the eight initial signatories to the nationwide ceasefire agreement and has promoted the pact at peace meetings. The KNPP has preliminary ceasefire with the government, but has not inked the NCA.

Khu Hte Bu, a central committee member of the KNPP, said the aim of the meeting was to hear about the experiences of signatory ethnic armed organizations, especially in terms of carrying out the peace process and implementing the NCA.

Over 30 people, including leaders of the KNPPs central committee, heads of districts and departments and representatives of Karenni civil society organizations attended the meeting, which was held from August 1 to 3.

KNU joint secretary Pdoh Saw Hla Tun attended the meeting on the second and third day.

The KNPP wanted to know about how the peace process is being implemented by the KNU, said Pdoh Saw Hla Tun.

During the meeting, he discussed the various peace process mechanisms, including, the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC), and addressed issues relating to the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee (JMC) and the national-level political dialogues.

Khu Hte Bu said the KNPP leaders and the Karenni social organizations feel more prepared after hearing about the KNUs experiences and challenges.

This was the first time the central committee leaders of the KNU and the KNPP met to exchange views on the peace process.

The KNPP is part of the United Nationalities Federal Council, an ethnic armed group alliance currently negotiating preconditions with the government before each of the members decides whether or not to join the NCA. The KNPP was one of the five ethnic armed groups that the state counsellor announced in March were going to sign the NCA. The groups disputed the announcement, and responded that they had yet to reach a final decision.
PR Newswire

LONDON, Aug. 7, 2017

LONDON, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The Global Military IT, Data and Computing Market 2017-2027SummaryGlobal military IT, data and computing market is estimated to value US$60.0 Billion in 2017 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.01% to value US$73.2 Billion by 2027. The cumulative market for global expenditure on military IT, data and computing is estimated at US$697.4 Billion over the forecast period. A major factor driving expenditure in this sector is the transition of modern warfare, from battlegrounds to networks and cyber space, with militaries across the world spending significantly on the development of their defensive and offensive capabilities in the areas of network-centric warfare and cyber security.Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/2108016/Military IT, data and computing market is expected to be dominated by North America, followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific. The US is the highest spender in the global military IT, data and computing market, with a large number of programs being pursued in the areas of enterprise resource planning (ERP) software products, the tactical local area network (TACLAN) family of systems, software support for radars, net-centric networking products, a transition to cloud computing, and cyber security. Europe is anticipated to emerge as the second largest market for military IT, data and computing, with a major portion of expenditure attributable to the UK, Russia, and France. Asia-Pacific is another major spender in the domain, with most major militaries formulating programs to establish robust communication networks among various tactical units and securing critical networks and infrastructure from cyber espionage.In terms of segments, networking and software are expected to account for 32.9% and 28.3% of the military IT, data and computing market respectively, followed by cyber security and hardware, with a cumulative share of 38.8%.The military IT, data and computing market is estimated to be led by North America, with a share of 52.8% over the forecast period, followed by Europe at 24.9%, and Asia-Pacific at 14.3%. The Middle Eastern market for military IT, data and computing is expected to account for 5.0% of the market, followed by the Latin American and African markets with a cumulative share of 3%.The US accounts for the majority of expenditure in North America, with several significantly large projects being formulated on acquiring and deploying advanced IT infrastructure. The importance being placed on military IT, data, and computing stems from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, where technology and IT enhanced the effectiveness and efficiency of the US Armed Forces in the fight against unorganized adversaries in difficult terrains.The report "The Global Military IT, Data and Computing Market 2017-2027" offers detailed analysis of the global military IT, data and computing market over the next 10 years and provides market size forecasts. Furthermore, it covers key technological and market trends in the industry, and analyzes factors influencing demand for military IT, data and computing.In particular, it provides an in-depth analysis of the following -- Overview: Snapshot of the military IT, data and computing market during 2017-2027, including highlights of the demand drivers, trends, and challenges. It also provides a snapshot of the expenditure with respect to regions as well as segments.- Market Dynamics: Insights into the technological developments in the military IT, data and computing market, and a detailed analysis of the changing preferences of governments around the world. It also analyzes changing industry structure trends and the challenges faced by the industry participants.- Segment Analysis: Insights into the military IT, data and computing market from a segmental perspective and a detailed analysis of factors influencing the market for each sector.- Regional Review: Insights into modernization patterns and budgetary allocation for top countries within a region.- Regional Analysis: Insights into the military IT, data and computing market from a regional perspective and a detailed analysis of factors influencing the market for each region.- Trend Analysis - Key Defense Market: Analysis of the key markets in each region, providing an analysis of the military IT, data and computing segments expected to be in demand in each region.- Key Program Analysis: Details of the top three programs in each segment expected to be executed during the forecast period.- Competitive Landscape Analysis: Analysis of the competitive landscape of the global military IT, data and computing industry. It provides an overview of key defense companies, together with insights such as key alliances, strategic initiatives, and a brief financial analysis.Companies mentioned in this report: Exelis, Inc., Raytheon, Booz Allen Hamilton, Presagis, Elbit Systems, SAP AG, Thales, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, DRS Tactical Systems, Dynamic Research Corporation, SAIC, Microsoft, General Dynamics, Hewlett Packard.Scope- The global military IT, data and computing market is estimated to value US$60 billion in 2017, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.01% to value US$73.2 billion by 2027.- In terms of segments, Networking is expected to account for 32.9% of the military IT, data and computing market, followed by Hardware with 28.3% of the market share, Cyber Security and Security comprise remaining of the market, with share of 21.0% and 17.8% respectively.Reasons to buy- Determine prospective investment areas based on a detailed trend analysis of the global military IT, data and computing market over the next ten years- Gain in-depth understanding about the underlying factors driving demand for different Military IT segments in the top spending countries across the world and identify the opportunities offered by each of them- Strengthen your understanding of the market in terms of demand drivers, industry trends, and the latest technological developments, among others- Identify the major channels that are driving the global military IT, data and computing market, providing a clear picture about future opportunities that can be tapped, resulting in revenue expansion- Channelize resources by focusing on the ongoing programs that are being undertaken by the internal ministries of different countries within the Military IT, Data and Computing marketDownload the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/2108016/About ReportbuyerReportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishershttp://www.reportbuyer.comFor more information: Sarah Smith Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 208 816 85 48 Website: www.reportbuyer.com

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Win McNamee/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The U.S. is open to talks with North Korea if it halts its testing of ballistic missiles, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said at a summit of Asian leaders Monday.



Asked about how long those tests must stop before talks can begin, Tillerson quipped, Well know it when we see it.



Tillerson spoke to reporters on the sidelines of a major summit hosted by Southeast Asian countries in the Philippines, where he has been meeting with regional partners to turn the heat up on North Korea after the country tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles in July.



The best signal that North Korea could give us that they are prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches, the U.S.s top diplomat said, but added, This is not a Give me 30 days and we are ready to talk. Its not quite that simple. So it is all about how we see their attitude towards approaching a dialogue with us.



The Trump administration has been criticized for sending mixed messages on talks with North Korea, with Vice President Mike Pence saying last week that the right strategy doesnt involve engaging North Korea directly.



That contrasted with Tillersons push for North Koreas economic partners to cut back on ties with the brutal regime in order to weaken Kim Jong-uns government and force them to negotiate.



Tillerson did not mention a freeze on North Koreas nuclear program, previously a paramount condition for any negotiations - but it was unclear if that was an oversight or a new policy.



Tillerson also praised the United Nations Security Council vote that passed sweeping new sanctions Saturday as a sign that the entire international community is united in its opposition to North Koreas provocations.



The new sanctions ban exports of coal, iron, lead, and seafood; halt North Koreas guest worker programs and blacklist over a dozen individuals and entities, including the countrys primary foreign exchange bank. They could target as much as one-third of North Koreas export revenue, but Tillerson conceded it may take some time before the Kim regime feels their bite.



On the heels of that win at the U.N., the U.S. has been trying to isolate North Korea at the gathering of leaders in Manila, campaigning for its expulsion from the ASEAN Regional Forum.



China and Russia both still met with the North Korean delegations on the sidelines though -- a slight snub to the American campaign - although China did take a rare step to publicly warn North Korea of further missile or nuclear tests.



Do not violate the U.N.s decision or provoke the international societys goodwill by conducting missile launches or nuclear test, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Sunday.



Tillerson in turn warned that the U.S. would diligently watch China and Russia to ensure that they and all countries fully implement sanctions.



Noting that the two countries can have some influence on how North Korea is thinking, Tillerson added that the world expects of China and Russia that you will do everything you possibly can to help North Korea understand the reality of their future as well and bring them to the negotiating table.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Gardai are appealing for information following the murder of a 32-year-old man in a suspected knife attack in Dublin last week.

The man's body was discovered in a ditch in county Dublin, but it is believed he was killed at a different location.
Gardai boarded a train from Dublin to Belfast Saturday night after reports of a disturbance on board.

GAA fans returning from the Tyrone v Armagh match at Croke Park in Dublin reported an affray to staff.

Gardai at Drogheda boarded the train at around 10.20pm on Saturday night and say they spoke to a number of passengers and calmed the situation down.

No complaints were made and no arrests were made.

Gardai have said the train left the station a short time later without further incident.
Commuters in Dublin are facing travel disruption again today as cross city works continue on the Luas.

Extensive disruptions are in place around the O'Connell Bridge area, which caused major traffic delays yesterday.
Nearly 900 pints of homemade alcohol was confiscated from prisoners in Irish jails last year, new figures have revealed, writes Darragh McDonagh.

The potent home brew, or hooch, is made by inmates using basic ingredients including water, sugar, fruit, and bread. The mix is hidden in cells until it ferments.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show that a total of 873 litres of homebrew was seized last year, bringing the total seized in the last four years to almost 6,500 pints of this ad-hoc alcohol.

Last year, the largest quantity of the illegal homebrew was seized at Castlerea Prison in Co Roscommon, where the equivalent of 226 pints was confiscated by prison officers.

A total of 200 pints was seized from inmates at Midlands Prison in Portlaoise, where detainees include twisted murderer Graham Dwyer and convicted serial killer Mark Nash.

Prisoners at Cork Prison were forced to surrender more than 160 such pints during 2016, while a further 116 pints were seized by the authorities at Portlaoise Prison.

Portlaoise is the States only maximum-security facility, where inmates currently serving long-term sentences include three of the Dundon brothers Wayne, John, and Dessie.

No home-brewed alcohol was found at the Dochas Centre in Dublin last year, where female offenders are detained. Similarly, there were no such seizures at St Patricks Institution, which accommodates young offenders.

Hooch, or prison wine, can be made from a variety of makeshift ingredients including apples, oranges, potatoes, and bread, which provides the yeast required for the fermentation process.

A sock can be used to separate the pulp from the liquid, and the finished product can be extremely potent, depending on the amount of sugar used and the length of time it is left to ferment.

Prison brewing is a dangerous process that has been known to cause outbreaks of botulism  a disease caused by bacteria produced during the fermentation process. Its symptoms can include muscle weakness, paralysis, and blindness.

In the UK, some prisons have banned inmates from buying large quantities of fruit  especially apples and pears  to prevent their use in the brewing process and clamp down on the production of hooch.

The Irish Prison Service (IPS) has said that extensive efforts are made to reduce the flow of contraband in Irish jails, and this has resulted in a reduction of illicit items seized in recent years.

A range of enhanced measures including the establishment of a dedi- cated group of staff was introduced in May 2008 with the aim of reducing the supply of contraband into our prisons, said the IPS.

This included the introduction of security screening areas in all closed prisons, the introduction of a canine unit, increased searching of cells and their occupants, and the installation of nets over exercise yards.

This story first appeared in the Irish Examiner.
A volunteer lifeboat provided medical assistance to a student who received an injury after a fall last night.

Baltimore RNLI lifeboat crew received a request from the Irish Coast Guard at 10.11pm after a female was injured off the coast of West Cork.

Three volunteer crew members went ashore and were brought by minibus to the casualty.

They administered casualty care before transferring the injured female back to the all-weather lifeboat and returned to Baltimore lifeboat station.

Speaking following the call out, a spokesperson said: "The lifeboat is often called upon to act as an ambulance service between the islands and mainland, and our volunteer crews are trained to a high standard in first aid and casualty care.

"If you find yourself at sea or on an island in need of medical assistance, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard. We wish her a full and speedy recovery."
Taylor Swift has arrived in federal court in Denver for the start of jury selection in her lawsuit against a disc jockey involving a groping allegation.

Swift wore a white dress with a black jacket as the eight-member jury was being chosen from a pool of 60 prospects.
Renowned former war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte is resigning from the UN's Syria panel, saying in five years it has had no success at all.

Talking to the Swiss magazine Blick, she expressed frustration about the independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria and criticised President Bashar Assad's government, the Syrian opposition and the international community.

"We have had absolutely no success," she told Blick on the sidelines of the Locarno film festival on Sunday. "For five years we've been running up against walls."

Ms Del Ponte gained fame as the prosecutor for the international war crimes tribunals that investigated atrocities in Rwanda and Yugoslavia.

She has repeatedly decried the Security Council's refusal to appoint a similar court for Syria's civil war that is estimated to have left at least 400,000 dead.

Permanent member Russia, which can veto council actions, is a key backer of Assad's government.

"I give up. The states in the Security Council don't want justice," Ms Del Ponte said.

"I can't any longer be part of this commission which simply doesn't do anything."

Appointed in September 2012, Ms Del Ponte was quoted by Blick as saying she now thinks she was put into the role "as an alibi".

"I've written my letter of resignation already and will post it in the coming days," she said.

In her comments to Blick, Ms Del Ponte described Syria as a land without a future.

"Believe me, the terrible crimes committed in Syria I neither saw in Rwanda nor ex-Yugoslavia," she said.

"We thought the international community had learned from Rwanda. But no, it learned nothing."

At first in Syria, "the opposition (members) were the good ones; the government were the bad ones," she was quoted as saying.

But after six years, Ms Del Ponte concluded: "In Syria, everyone is bad. The Assad government is committing terrible crimes against humanity and using chemical weapons. And the opposition, that is made up only of extremists and terrorists."

The commission issued a statement saying it was aware since mid-June of Ms Del Ponte's plans to leave and insisted that its work must continue to help bring perpetrators in Syria to justice.

The resignation shrinks the commission to two members after Thai professor Vitit Muntarbhorn left last year to become the first UN independent expert investigating violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The commission was set up in August 2011 by the Human Rights Council to investigate crimes in Syria, no matter who committed them.

Since then, it has compiled thousands of interviews and keeps a list of suspected war criminals under lock and key at the offices of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.

But Ms Del Ponte said as long as the Security Council did not put in place a special tribunal for war crimes in Syria, all commission reports were pointless.

The issue of accountability for war crimes in Syria has largely taken a back seat to diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in recent months.

The commission's relevance has also come into question after the UN General Assembly, acting in the face of Security Council inaction, voted in December to set up an investigative body to help prepare legal cases to possibly prosecute the most serious violations in Syria.

AP
Looking at the Grenfell Tower disaster is "like peeling the layers of an onion", the leader of a nearby residents' association has said.

Samia Badani argued that behind surface issues such as building safety lies a "history of systematic contempt, neglect and discrimination".

Writing a blog for HuffPost, she said those who witnessed the tragedy will never forget "the pain, the despair and the suffering" caused by the blaze, which killed at least 80 people in June.

The chairwoman of the residents' association of Bramley House, which lies in the shadow of the burnt-out 24-storey tower block in north Kensington, west London, argued that occupants were given unsafe housing and ignored because of who they are.

"Looking at Grenfell is like peeling the layers of the onion," she wrote.

"Behind that is the history of systematic contempt, neglect and discrimination against the low-paid, the vulnerable and BME (black and minority ethnic) and migrant communities. This enabled those building regulations failures.

"But behind that is the reality of discrimination: the process that decides who it is gets burned to death and who sleeps happily in their comfortable homes."

Ms Badani called on authorities to deal with the "root causes" of the Grenfell tragedy and said the public inquiry must listen to the community, which has been excluded from crucial decisions in the past.

"Put simply, those in power value our lives less than they do the lives of the rich and powerful," she wrote.

"That is the fundamental cause of the regulations that failed to ensure our safety, and also why, when people like us have raised concerns, we have been systematically excluded, ignored and sidelined."

AP
North Korea has vowed to bolster its nuclear arsenal and gain revenge of a "thousand-fold" against the United States in response to tough UN sanctions imposed following its recent intercontinental ballistic missile tests.The warning came two days after the UN Security Council unanimously approved new sanctions to punish North Korea, including a ban on coal and other exports.

The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, called the US-drafted resolution "the single largest economic sanctions package ever levelled against" North Korea.

In a statement carried by the Norths state-run Korean Central News Agency, North Koreas government said the sanctions were a "violent infringement of its sovereignty" that was caused by a "heinous US plot to isolate and stifle" North Korea.

"We will make the US pay by a thousand-fold for all the heinous crimes it commits against the state and people of this country," the statement said.

The North said it would take an unspecified "resolute action of justice" and would never place its nuclear programme on the negotiating table or "flinch an inch" from its push to strengthen its nuclear deterrence as long as US hostility against North Korea persists.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho made similar comments during an annual regional security conference in Manila on Monday.

South Koreas government said that North Korea would face stronger sanctions if it does not stop its nuclear and missile provocation.

Lim Eul Chul, a North Korea expert at South Koreas Kyungnam University, said the comments by the North demonstrate how angry it is over the UN sanctions, but that the country is not likely to launch a pre-emptive strike against the United States.

He said the North could still carry out further missile tests or a sixth atomic bomb test in the coming months under its broader weapons development timetable.

North Korea test-launched two ICBMs last month as part of its efforts to possess a long-range missile capable of striking anywhere in the mainland US.

Both missiles were fired at highly lofted angles and analysts say the weapons could reach parts of the United States such as Alaska, Los Angeles or Chicago if fired at a normal, flattened trajectory.

The centerpiece of the UN sanctions is a ban on North Korean exports of coal, iron, lead and seafood products - and a ban on all countries importing those products, estimated to be worth over one billion US dollars a year in hard currency.

The resolution also bans countries from giving any additional permits to North Korean labourers, another source of foreign currency for the North, and prohibits all new joint ventures with North Korean companies.

Analysts say that North Korea, already under numerous UN and other international sanctions, will feel some pain from the new sanctions but is not likely to return to disarmament negotiations any time soon because of them.

Mr Lim, the North Korea expert, said the North will probably squeeze its ordinary citizens to help finance its nuclear and missile programmes.

Shin Beomchul of the Seoul-based Korea National Diplomatic Academy said sanctions that can force a change from North Korea would include a ban on Chinas annual, mostly free shipment of 500,000 tons of crude oil to North Korea and the deporting by UN member states of the tens of thousands of North Korean workers currently dispatched abroad.

- AP
President Nicolas Maduro has vowed that anti-government fighters who attacked a Venezuelan army base will get the "maximum penalty" as his administration roots out his enemies.

Troops killed two of the 20 intruders who slipped into the Paramacay base in the central city of Valencia early on Sunday, apparently intent on fomenting a military uprising, Mr Maduro said in his weekly broadcast on state television.

One of the invaders was injured, seven captured and 10 got away, the embattled leader said.

"We know where they are headed and all of our military and police force is deployed," Mr Maduro said.

He said he would ask for "the maximum penalty for those who participated in this terrorist attack".

The attack came as Venezuela's controversial constitutional assembly is getting down to work, signalling in its initial decrees last week that delegates will target Mr Maduro's foes as he had warned.

The new assembly, whose powers supersede all other branches of government, voted to remove the nation's outspoken chief prosecutor on Saturday.

On Sunday, Mr Maduro announced that a new "truth commission" created by the assembly had been installed to impose justice on those fuelling the unrest that has wracked the country since early April.

The constitutional assembly is expected to meet again on Tuesday, while MPs in the opposition-controlled National Assembly scheduled their own session for Monday, pledging to continue fulfilling their responsibilities no matter what the assembly might do.

Leaders of opposition groups, which boycotted the July 30 assembly election, called for renewed protests on Monday, though turnout at demonstrations has been sparse in recent days.

Residents who live near the army base in Valencia attacked on Sunday said they began hearing bursts of gunfire around 4.30am.

A video showing more than a dozen men dressed in military fatigues, some carrying rifles, began circulating widely on social media around that time.

In the recording, a man who identified himself as Captain Juan Caguaripano said they were members of the military who oppose Mr Maduro's socialist government and called on military units to declare themselves in open rebellion.

"This is not a coup d'etat," the man said. "This is a civic and military action to re-establish the constitutional order."

Mr Maduro said 20 men entered the base and managed to reach the weapons depot undetected, but then an alarm sounded alerting troops to the incursion.

He said 10 of the invaders fled, some carrying off arms, while those left behind exchanged gunfire with soldiers until about 8am before all were either killed or captured.

"Today we had to defeat terrorism with bullets," Mr Maduro said.

More than 120 people have been reported killed in four months of unrest that has been fuelled by anger at the socialist government over food shortages, soaring inflation and high crime.

Defence minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez characterised the attackers as a "paramilitary" expedition, saying the intruders were civilians dressed in uniforms.

He did not identify any of the participants, but said they included a lieutenant who had abandoned his post.

He said the man who recorded the video was a former officer dismissed three years ago after being charged with rebellion and betraying the homeland.

In 2014, Capt Caguaripano released a 12-minute video denouncing Mr Maduro during a previous wave of anti-government unrest.

He later reportedly sought exile after a military tribunal ordered his arrest, appearing in an interview on CNN en Espanol to draw attention to what he said was discontent within military ranks.

Opposition leaders have urged the military, which historically has served as an arbiter of Venezuela's political disputes, to break with Mr Maduro over what his enemies consider violations of the constitution.

But the president is believed to still have the military's support.

AP
A US professor suspected of stabbing a 26-year-old Chicago man to death is due in a California courtroom on Monday.

Wyndham Lathem and Oxford financial officer, Andrew Warren, were wanted on first-degree murder charges for the death of Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau.
The United States will respond by September 1 to Russia's attempt to force a major reduction in American diplomatic staff, Rex Tillerson has said.

The US secretary of state spoke after talks with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.

They met on the sidelines of a regional gathering in the Philippines capital, the first time the top American and Russian diplomats had sat down together since President Donald Trump reluctantly signed into law a package of new sanctions targeting Moscow.

President Vladimir Putin responded by saying the US will have to cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755.

After the meeting, Mr Tillerson said he told Mr Lavrov the US still has not decided how it will respond, and that he asked him "several clarifying questions" about the act of Russian retaliation over the American sanctions.

There has been confusion because the US is believed to have far fewer than 755 American employees in Russia. Russia also closed a US recreational retreat on the outskirts of Moscow.

Earlier this month, Mr Trump grudgingly signed what he called a "seriously flawed" package of sanctions against Russia.

The legislation is aimed at penalising Moscow for interference in last year's presidential election and for its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria, where the Kremlin has backed President Bashar Assad.

Mr Lavrov said he explained to Mr Tillerson how Russia will carry out its response, but he did not give any details.

He told reporters that despite strained relations with Washington, his country was ready for more engagement with the US on North Korea, Syria, Ukraine and other pressing matters.

His upbeat assessment came amid what the US has called a diplomatic low point unseen since the end of the Cold War.

"We felt that our American counterparts need to keep the dialogue open,"Mr Lavrov said. "There's no alternative to that."

The Russian said that Mr Trump's special representative for Ukraine negotiations will soon make his first trip to Moscow.

He said Mr Tillerson made the commitment during their meeting, and American Kurt Volker will travel to Russia to discuss the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Mr Volker will meet Vladislav Surkov, the Russian envoy for the Ukraine crisis.

The Trump administration named Mr Volker to the position in July, and he made his first trip to eastern Ukraine last month.

Mr Lavrov also said Mr Tillerson agreed to continue a dialogue between US undersecretary of state Thomas Shannon and Russian deputy foreign minister Sergey Ryabkov.

That channel was created to address hot spots, but Russia suspended it after the US tightened sanctions on Moscow.

AP
Two ACT Policing officers have avoided jail time after illegally accessing the AFP's database to get a recording of a confidential Crime Stoppers tipoff.

ACT Policing and AFP officers face two years jail for accessing information off the Police Real-Time Management information System (PROMIS) not in line with their official duties.

The officers involved somehow accessed a confidential Crime Stoppers tip.

The matter was subject of an internal conduct report obtained by the Canberra Times under a freedom of information request.

The heavily redacted report does not provide the nature of the tipoff but the author of the report believed the officers involved "gained no benefit".
ACT police made 19 drug seizures over the weekend in an operation targeting street dealers in Canberra's city centre.

Operation Ghar involved plain-clothes officers from ACT Policing's Drugs and Organised Crime unit as well as the Regional Targeting team.

ACT Policing are targeting drug dealing in Canberra's city centre. Credit:Fairfax Media

Detective Sergeant Mark Steel said the sting had resulted in nine seizures of party drug MDMA and 10 seizures of cocaine.

"We want everyone to enjoy themselves without putting themselves at risk with illicit drugs," he said.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Huang Gan, executive director of HNA Group, and Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Robb during a visit to Shanghai in 2014. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Adding to speculation were claims by high-profile Chinese businessman turned fugitive Guo Wengui that high-ranking Community Party officials were secret HNA shareholders. Amid this mounting pressure, HNA sought to ease concerns about its ownership but managed to only fuel the intrigue. The company revealed a fortnight ago that two charities - one based in New York and one in China - owned 52 per cent of the company. Corporate filings in China had previously showed that an unknown Chinese businessman, Guan Jun, was HNA's top shareholder with a 29.5 per cent stake. But HNA's management played down his involvement, with its chief executive officer Adam Tan telling the Financial Times that Mr Guan's shares actually belonged to HNA, and that he had just "held the stake for us".

Mr Guan had donated his shares to the now-dominant charities, HNA said last month, without explaining why he held them in the first place. HNA said that of the remaining shares, two founders and co-chairmen held 14.98 per cent each, 10 other company officials owned a combined 17.5 per cent, and its airline subsiduary Hainan Airlines owned 0.25 per cent. How the charities are managed has not been revealed. Investment boon For Virgin Australia, HNA's investment has been a boon, opening a door for the airline to start flying to Hong Kong and form alliances with HNA's carriers.

But does it matter who ultimately owns 19 per cent of its shares and has nominated a director to its 12 member board? Virgin said its had strong corporate governance protocols to "ensure that the best interests of the company and all of its shareholders are upheld". Etihad, Singapore Airlines and Chinese carrier Nanshan each also own about a fifth of Virgin. "The Virgin Australia Group conducts due diligence on potential directors. We are confident that this due diligence practice and our broader corporate governance protocols ensure that the best interests of the company and all of its shareholders are upheld," a Virgin spokeswoman said. Alice de Jonge, a senior lecturer in law at Monash University Business School, said Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board would have had to assess HNA's investment in Virgin because it was above the monetary threshold for investments in transport companies.

The Treasury said it did not comment on FIRB decisions. Treasurer Scott Morrison has the discretion to discuss FIRB decisions but opted not to when contacted by Fairfax Media. A Treasury spokesman did point out that all applicants had to show who they were owned and controlled by. Dr de Jonge said FIRB would have only blocked HNA's investment if it deemed that it posed a threat to the national interest, and FIRB had the power to hold up the investment until it had enough information to make a decision properly. "If there were suspicious circumstances behind a lack of full information about the final controlling interests in HNA, for example, it could have been deemed so opaque that it was a threat to the national interest," Dr de Jonge said. "Obviously is has satisfied itself it's made a proper decision."
Shares in media companies seen as potential merger targets have rallied to year highs just days before the Senate considers lifting Australia's 30-year-old ownership restrictions.

Changing the rules would open the door to mergers and acquisitions as media companies try to increase their reach, in a bid to win back advertising dollars from online search engines and social media.

However, not everyone is sharing in the surge, with Seven West Media and News Corp largely missing out (although Seven has lifted a little in recent weeks off a low base).

Their share prices have tracked along the broader market while Nine, Southern Cross Austereo, Fairfax and Prime Media have outperformed the ASX 200 in the past week.
Typical mining industry workers would be able to opt out of union-bargained agreements and instead negotiate individual contracts under a new push from the mining industry.

The Minerals Council of Australia will on Tuesday unveil its industrial reform blueprint including proposals to suppress industrial action, limit areas covered by enterprise bargaining and expand the freedom to use contract labour.

The federal government has so far been reluctant to embrace similar proposals recommended by the Australian Productivity Commission.

The Minerals Council argues that employees above a high-income threshold should be able to choose between an enterprise agreement and an individual employment agreement.
If the politicians who oversee Canberra's public service workforce had to comply with a new social media dictate about public comments, Treasurer Scott Morrison would be the first person in trouble.

The guide on making comments through social media channels, issued by Public Service Commission boss John Lloyd on Monday, says "liking" a post on Facebook or Twitter "will generally be taken to be an endorsement of that material as though you'd created that material yourself".

On two recent occasions Mr Morrison has raised eyebrows after his Twitter account was seen liking problematic posts, including one critical of government budget cuts.

In April last year, he said the account had been hacked after it liked a post calling for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to get tough with China on the sensitive issue of human rights.
They've been called rebels and saboteurs, and accused of using "kamikaze tactics" to undermine their own party. One anonymous colleague even called them the "Balibo five"  a reference to five Australian journalists killed in East Timor in 1975.

Dean Smith, Trent Zimmerman, Tim Wilson, Trevor Evans and Warren Entsch are the five Liberal MPs who have been pushing for same-sex marriage to be legalised in Australia through a free vote in Parliament. On Monday their day of battle finally arrived.

Amid the hyped-up rhetoric, it's been easy to overlook what a polite and patient rebellion this has been. It would be hard to imagine a more gentle group of guerrilla fighters than these five men. Even Entsch  the ocker north Queensland crocodile catcher turned gay rights champion  has shown atypical restraint.

The group came together after the Senate rejected the plebiscite last year and have held regular telephone meetings over many months. They shared a common goal, but were not necessarily close friends. It took a long time to build up trust and there were tactical disagreements along the way. Each time a development leaked out to the media, the whole operation was at risk of blowing up.
Until the turn of this century, there was little sense in Western medicine that gender mattered. Outside the niche of female reproductive medicine, the male body was the universal model for anatomy studies.

Clinical trials mainly involved males and the results became the evidence base for the diagnosis and treatment of both genders. Medication dosages were typically adjusted for patient size and women were simply "small men".

Gender impacts how, when and why a person accesses medical care, and the outcomes of that access.

Medical academia has also been male-centred, with teachers, professors and researchers being mostly male. Twenty-five years ago, most college boards representing medical specialities around the world were almost exclusively male.

But in the last 20 years, mainstream medical research has begun to seriously explore gender differences and bias in academic and clinical medicine. This explicit recognition of gender  along with factors such as ethnicity and socioeconomic status  helped determine how healthy all people's lives are likely to be.
Labor has called on the Coalition to explain new guidelines for the use of social media by public servants, warning disciplinary action over private communication or posts by family and friends is unfair.

The public sector union and the Greens called a new social media guidance released by the Australian Public Service Commission on Monday "overreach" and called for government employees to be allowed to participate in normal democratic debate.

Labor's employment spokesman Brendan O'Connor. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Commission boss John Lloyd said the 3200-word guidance was no more restrictive than existing rules and was designed to clarify what public servants can and cannot say online.

Shadow employment minister Brendan O'Connor and shadow special minister of state Don Farrell said it was reasonable to expect public servants to work within the existing APS Code of Conduct, but threatening them with serious consequences for not deleting social media posts by others represented "a step too far".
The wreckage of a US Marines heli-plane that crashed during a training exercise north of Rockhampton on Saturday has been found.

Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne confirmed Australian Navy ship HMAS Melville had found the missing MV-22 Osprey overnight on Sunday, submerged in waters off Queensland. Navy divers were now helping with the US recovery effort.

"The Australian Defence Force has commenced its support to US-led recovery operations following the MV-22 Osprey incident in Shoalwater Bay on Saturday," the statement said.
Jean Claude Perrottet comes from a large family that describes themselves as "their own best friends".

But Mr Perrottet, the younger brother of NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet, was out of the gaze of his tight-knit, religious family the night he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at the St John's College formal in 2015.

Jean Claude Perrottet has pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual intercourse without consent.

Crown prosecutor Fiona Gray gave her closing address to the NSW District Court jury on Monday, noting Mr Perrottet's family had given evidence of his good character.

"There was not a family member present that night. It was not a family function," Ms Gray said.
A jury has been unable to reach a verdict in the trial of a New Zealand father-of-three charged over the death of a man on a busy Queensland motorway in 2015.

Tamate Henry Heke is fighting allegations he unlawfully killed Shane Merrigan by punching the 50-year-old before he was fatally hit by a rubbish truck on the Gateway Motorway.

Tamate Heke leaves the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Friday. Credit:AAP Image

Brisbane Supreme Court jurors retired shortly before 11am on Friday to start deliberations but were discharged at 3pm on Monday after they were unable to reach either a unanimous or majority verdict.

EARLIER
The second of three US Marines presumed dead after an aircraft crash off the central Queensland coast has been identified as Lieutenant Benjamin Robert Cross.

Ryan Cross confirmed his younger, 26-year-old brother was one of the men missing during an interview with CBS Radio in the US.

US Marine Nathan Ordway is missing off the Queensland coast. Credit:Facebook

Mr Cross said Lieutenant Cross, from Maine, always knew he wanted to be a pilot in the military.

"It had been his dream," he told CBS on Sunday.
Andrew Bolt, are you up to the challenge?

Mechanical engineer, author and social justice activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied has provoked the right-wing columnist: "If Andrew Bolt cares so much about freedom of speech as much as he reckons, he should have defended me.

"Where were all the defenders of freedom of speech in my case?"

Ms Abdel-Magied  who describes herself the most "publicly hated Muslim in Australia" - made the comments after months of intense criticism following a Facebook post on Anzac Day, in which she suggested Australians should also remember the suffering on Manus Island, Nauru, and in Syria and Palestine.
Perth Detectives are seeking witnesses to an assault in the Perth CBD in early June which left a man with a fractured skull.

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A woman was also assaulted in the same incident, which happened in Murray Street on Sunday, June 4.



Police say the 22-year-old male victim was with the 20-year-old woman when he was approached by a group of men near Pier Street.



The victim was assaulted, before he fell to the ground and hit his head.

Police wish to speak to these men over the incident. Credit:WA Police

He was knocked unconscious and received a fractured skull. The woman was also assaulted.



Police say the men pictured may be able to assist with the investigation.



Anyone who recognises them is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online at www.crimestopperswa.com.au
Bangkok: Foreign ministers of the Association of South-East Asian Nations linked arms on stage after adopting a "negotiating framework for a code of conduct" in the South China Sea, hailing a breakthrough in territorial disputes over the world's tensest set of waterways.

The moment on Sunday was portrayed as particularly special as it was on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the grouping of 10 nations with a combined population of almost 700 million and an economy of $US2.4 trillion ($3 trillion).

Foreign ministers from Southeast Asia and their dialogue partners link arms during the gala dinner of ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in the Philippines on Sunday. Credit:AP

But hang on, haven't we heard this before?

Fifteen years ago ASEAN foreign ministers signed an even more strongly worded document committing the countries to begin negotiations with Beijing over China's claim to almost all of the South China Sea, through which passes one third of global shipping, including much of Australia's.
Cape Town: The speaker of South Africa's parliament ruled on Monday that a motion of no-confidence in President Jacob Zuma brought by opposition parties will be held through a secret ballot  a decision which increases the chances he will have to step down.

The decision could embolden members of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) to vote against Zuma and puts him in a precarious position as he struggles to fend off opposition accusations of corruption and mismanagement of the economy.

A secret no-confidence ballot could spell trouble for South Africa's President Jacob Zuma. Credit:AP

If the motion succeeds, Mr Zuma  in power since 2009  and his entire cabinet would have to step down. The rand extended its gains, bonds firmed and banking shares advanced after her announcement.

Speaker Baleka Mbete, who is also the ANC national chairwoman, told a news conference that her decision was meant to ensure the outcome of vote was credible.
Ankara: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan accused Germany on Monday of assisting terrorists by not responding to thousands of files sent to Berlin or handing over suspects wanted by Turkish authorities.

"Germany is abetting terrorists," Erdogan told a conference in the Black Sea province of Rize, in comments likely to further escalate tensions between the two countries.

"We gave (German Chancellor Angela) Merkel 4500 dossiers, but have not received an answer on a single one of them," he told members of his ruling AK Party.

"When there is a terrorist, they can tell us to give that person back. You won't send the ones you have to us, but can ask us for yours. So you have a judiciary, but we don't in Turkey?" he said.
Washington: Rod J Rosenstein, the deputy-attorney general, said on Sunday that the Justice Department was not pursuing reporters as part of its growing number of leak investigations, just two days after he and other department officials had appeared to signal a harsher line toward journalists.

"We don't prosecute journalists for doing their jobs," Rosenstein said on Fox News Sunday. "That's not our goal here."

He had declined to answer such a question on Friday, telling reporters who asked whether the department would prosecute reporters that he would not "comment on any hypotheticals".

Rosenstein's appearance on Fox came two days after administration officials heralded a new and stiffer posture on government leaks, with Attorney-General Jeff Sessions telling reporters that leak investigations had tripled under the Trump administration.
Calls about rising levels of distressed debt amongst the Australian mortgage market are unfounded, according to one leading property advisor.Paul Mirams, real estate partner at advisory and investment firm KordaMentha, said he had never seen the level of distressed debt in the real estate sector as low as it is now.Mirams was talking on a panel at the S&P Global Ratings 2nd Annual Australian Property Sector Briefing: Foundations Are HoldingFor Now held in Sydney on Thursday (3 August).I cannot think of a single trend in real estate that is giving the banks a problem at the moment. Rather, I would characterise all of the things we see as bad deals. People make mistakes in every economy. People make mistakes and theyre the things that are falling over at the moment. We dont have widespread issues in sectors; we have spot fires.Talking to Australian Broker after the event, Mirams flagged the emergence of non-traditional banking as a potential risk for the future economy.Historically, non-traditional lenders did the deals that traditional lenders didnt. The implication of that is that theyre taking credit risks that big banks wont. The implication of that is that theyre worse deals so thats why they charge so much.While prior to the GFC, banks took deals they shouldnt have, Mirams said that we are nowhere near this scenario currently.Its just a warning sign, he said.
Increasing the maximum exposure to a borrower or guarantor from $2m to $2.5m on the lenders Altitude Home Loans

Increasing the maximum loan amount on the Altitude Home Loan Full Doc for LVRs of less than 80% from $1m to $1.5m

Non-bank lender Bluebay Home Loans has announced a series of changes to its Altitude Home Loan range, coming into effect on 31 July.The following changes affect new borrowers in the Sydney and Melbourne metro areas on all Altitude Home Loans (Prime):Bluebay has also increased the required LVR threshold for non-genuine savings from 80% to 90% (inclusive of fees) on all Altitude Full Doc Home Loans.Finally, the lender has announced that interest only repayments and/or investment purpose loans will be available on its Altitude Near Prime PLUS product only.Bluebay Home Loans provides self-branded mortgages financed by Pepper Money
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Sheepshead Bays least-favorite son  Pharma Bro Martin Shkreli  was convicted of fraud on Aug. 4, but the Most Hated Man in America still left the Brooklyn federal courthouse smirking, since the 12-person jury threw out most of the eight charges, including the most damning.

This was a witch hunt of epic proportions, and maybe they found one or two broomsticks, but at the end of the day, weve been acquitted of the most important charges in this case and Im delighted to report that, Shkreli said outside the Cadman Plaza courthouse on Friday afternoon.

The former hedge-fund manager gained infamy, and several of his nicknames, when he jacked up the price of a drug for AIDS patients from $13.50 to $750 per pill overnight in 2015, trolled a journalist and the popular hip-hop group Wu Tang Clan on social media, and made plenty of other crude comments across social media  none of which he was on trial for.

Prosecutors charged Shkreli with eight counts of fraud for a Ponzi-like scheme, and the case kicked off at the end of June. The seven-woman and five-man jury began deliberating on July 31, and after asking the judge for just a few clarifications on the law on Aug. 1, they were relatively quiet until reaching the verdict.

The federal jury, kept anonymous, convicted the Sheepshead Bay-born-and-bred 34-year-old on three of the eight fraud counts  he was free to walk on $5 million bond, and faces up to 20 years in prison, but no sentencing date has been set yet, and hes suspected to walk away with a much lighter sentence.

Shkreli took to his live YouTube channel just about an hour after leaving court  with a cold bottle of IPA in hand  talking out his case with viewers. Hes delighted, he told them, but still hopes he doesnt have to spend much time in the slammer.

Backpfeifengesicht: Martin Shkrelis still smirking even after his conviction, because he was acquitted of the most serious charges. Community News Group / Julianne Cuba

No jail time would be definitely ideal, said Shkreli, who also said hes still extremely wealthy but doesnt think he wants to manage a hedge fund again.

And Shkreli isnt buying his title as the Most Hated Man in America  as he told one of the viewers who asked him if he believed he still fits the name.

I dont think its me, if it was me Id think I have a few black eyes, said Shkreli, who famously auctioned off a chance to punch him in the face to raise money for the family of a recently deceased friend.

The government is still pleased with the jurys verdict.

Justice has been served, said Acting United States Attorney Bridget Rohde.

Reach reporter Julianne Cuba at (718) 2604577 or by e-mail at jcuba @cngl ocal.com . Follow her on Twitter @julcuba.
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
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...
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October 31, 2022

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Rutgers vs. Michigan State: 5 takeaways from the Scarlet Knights' loss

Rutgers football suffered a loss to Michigan State as it failed to take advantage of a vulnerable Spartans team.
In the past 98 years of its history, biscuits major Industries Ltd (BIL) is coming up with its largest plant ever in Ranjangaon in Maharashtra where investment of Rs. 1,000 crore over a 2-year period will be made which will make the company less dependent on outsourced manufacturing of its products.

"We have already acquired 96 acres for this project and have applied to the government for another 48 acres", the company's managing director, Varun Berry said here after BIL's annual general meeting (AGM).
France-based ACOEM Group which has recently set up its India subsidiary in Vadodara is eyeing collaborations in defence sector for its patented gun shot detection systems, apart from bringing its noise monitoring technology to industries in the country.
Masayoshis interest in Uber, Lyft



SoftBank Groups Masayoshi Son expressed interest in the US ride-hailing market, saying he would be willing to invest in Uber or rival Lyft. Its the clearest indication yet that Son is serious about putting cash on the table. SoftBank has backed Ubers competitors elsewhere, including Chinas Didi Chuxing, Indias Ola and Grab in Southeast Asia, fuelling the notion that Son is helping organise an anti-Uber alliance.

Masayoshi Son, chairman and CEO of the SoftBank Group, confirmed that the company was in talks to invest directly in Flipkart, Indias largest e-commerce marketplace.We respect the decision of the Snapdeal founders and we are engaged with Flipkart, Son said during the firms earnings briefing on Monday, without revealing any further details. SoftBank-funded Snapdeal recently called off merger talks with .Sources had revealed to Business Standard last week that the SoftBank Vision Fund was in talks to invest up to $2 billion in . Sons statement confirms this.SoftBank had earlier tried to take on Amazon through Snapdeal but since the US retailer became Indias second largest e-commerce marketplace, it has written off its $900-million investment in Snapdeal. Not all of the $2 bn SoftBank is planning to invest in will go towards helping the company fight off Amazon. About half the investment will be used to buy a part of investor Tiger Globals stake in the company, while the rest will be ploughed into building a war chest.The move will not only give SoftBank a sizeable shareholding in Flipkart, which in April raised $1.4 bn at a valuation of $11.6 bn, it will also reduce Tiger Globals prominence on the Indian firms board. The US hedge fund calls the shots at Flipkart with its nominee Kalyan Krishnamurthy in the position of CEO. An investment by SoftBank will help Flipkart mobilise funds to take on Amazon. SoftBank, on its part, is looking for its next Alibaba, where it can turn a $20 mn investment into $50 bn.
The connection

Corporate governance advisory entity Stakeholders Empowerment Services (SES) has objected to two resolutions put up by Tata Steel, regarding appointment of statutory auditors and an independent director, citing a past professional relationship. These are on the agenda for shareholder approval at the annual general meeting (AGM) on TuesdaySES has asked shareholders to vote against resolutions to appoint Price Waterhouse & Co Chartered Accountants LLP, as statutory auditors, and to approve the appointment of Deepak Kapoor, former chairman of PwC India, as an independent director (ID).A Tata Steel spokesperson declined to comment.While there are arguments that Kapoor was part of PwCs consulting division, housed under a separate legal entity and therefore not directly related to its audit firms, entities such as SES contend that corporate governance standards demand that top should adopt the best practices, beyond the written word of law.Kapoor has been associated with PwC for almost 40 years and was its managing director between 2007 and 2016. SES is of the opinion that, though appointment of PwC may not be in contravention of the law, the mere presence of Kapoor on the board of Tata Steel may have an adverse impact on the audit process and give rise to ethical issues. According to SES, recommendation of PwC as the statutory auditor is not reflective of good governance practice and may lead to conflict of interest issues, it has declared.
If it was the shirshasana yoga pose that Baba Ramdevs Patanjali had been showcasing to the consumer goods sector so far, it's time now for the company to try the padmasana pose  settling itself on a stable base. While over the past few years the diversified Patanjali Group has set an unprecedented example of growing by leaps and bounds before laying down a strong in-house manufacturing and widespread distribution base, it is now transforming its business model by expanding its production capacity and distribution reach, much in line with other consumer goods majors.
It has not been a great year for big-ticket deals. Some have been stuck in negotiations for months, some have been called off and some were called off after being stuck for months. Let us look at a couple of big deals, the flow around this, who gained and who lost.
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Tata Steel, the countrys largest steel producer, came back to the black by reporting a consolidated net profit of Rs 921 crore in the April-June quarter, as strong performance of domestic operations continued to lead the show followed by improved earnings scenario from European operations. The company had posted a huge loss of Rs 3,183 crore in the corresponding period last year.
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao have contracted swine flu, and both of them are being treated at their residence in Mumbai.

The actor, through video-conferencing during the 'Satyamev Jayate Water Cup 2017' event organised this evening in Pune by his NGO Paani Foundation, revealed that he has been diagnosed with swine flu.

The 52-year-old actor was scheduled to attend the event, but had to skip it due to the infection.

"We really wanted to attend the ceremony, but recently, after a test, I was diagnosed with H1N1, that is swine flu...I have been asked to take rest and cannot go and attend any public function so I am skipping the event so that others do not contract it," Aamir told the audience.

His wife Kiran Rao, co founder of Paani Foundation, was seen sitting next to him during his video address.

A source close to the actor told PTI, "Today, during the video conferencing of Paani Foundation he confirmed that he has got it (swine flu). He is getting treated at home".

"Kiran contracted it from Aamir. As a result of the infection, they (Aamir and Kiran) were not able to remain present for the most important day of Paani Foundation- the annual prize distribution," the source said.

Superstar Shahrukh Khan attended the event on Aamir's behalf.

Talking about it, Aamir said, "Since today is friendship day, I requested my friend Shahrukh to attend the function on my behalf and he readily accepted".

The 'Lagaan' actor congratulated all the villages, who took part in 'Satyamev Jayate Water Cup 2017'.

Maharashtra Chief minister Devendra Fadanvis, Reliance Foundation founder Neeta Ambani, industrialist Rajiv Bajaj were also present.
The Bombay High Court on Monday accepted Maharashtra government's statement that it would not allow children under the age of 14 years to participate in the 'Dahi Handi' festival.

A division bench of Justices B R Gavai and M S Karnik, however, refused to impose restrictions on the height of human pyramid formations during the festival.

"It is not for the high court to impose restrictions on the age of the participants and height of the pyramids as this falls exclusively in the domain of the state legislature," Justice Gavai said.

"We accept the statement made by the state government that it would ensure children below 14 years of age would not participate in the Dahi Handi festival," the judge said.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, told the court that as per the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, children below 14 years of age will not be allowed to participate in the festival since the government had in August last year declared 'Dahi Handi' as an adventure sport.

The court was on Monday hearing two petitions filed by city residents, raising concerns over the participation of minors in the festival and lack of safety measures, due to which several untoward incidents occur.

In 2014, the high court had passed an order saying children below the age of 18 years cannot participate in the festival, and had also imposed a height restriction of 20 ft for the pyramids.

The state government had then appealed in the Supreme Court, which on August 1 this year referred the matter back to the high court directing it to hear the petitions afresh.
The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) is gearing up to host an international-level cyber security competition in collaboration with institutions based in the US, Israel and other countries.
A ten-year-old girl was recently denied an abortion by the Supreme Court of India. She was a victim of rape, which she alleges was perpetrated by her uncle several times over a period of seven months. Her pregnancy was discovered after she complained of stomach ache and was taken to the hospital, but in late July the court decided it was too late in the pregnancy for her to have an abortion.
Indian information technology (IT) services now own about two-fifth of the global Internet of Things (IoT) market. In all, about 43 per cent or $1.5 billion of the global $3.5 bn market, says a report by research and strategy consultancy Zinnov Zones.
Over 100 women Congress workers on Monday staged a novel protest here by carrying a mock coffin of a gas cylinder to condemn the Centre's proposed move to withdraw subsidy for LPG.

The workers took out the mock funeral procession symbolising the death of gas cylinders, and placed them near the South Taluk office here.

The workers also brought earthen pots and firewood to show that poor families have to depend on these materials if the subsidy was withdrawn, the District Mahila Congress President, Uma Maheswari, who led the agitation said.
Social activist was on Monday forcibly removed by Madhya Pradesh Police from the site, where she was on the twelfth day of her indefinite fast to protest against the closing of the gates of the Sardar Sarovar dam in neighbouring Gujarat.

According to the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), about 2,000 police personnel "marched" to the protest site and "evicted Patkar" while other 11 people, who were on fast too, were left untouched.

Police baton-charged and beat up protesters, who opposed the police action, alleged NBA.

"Police broke the stage, chairs, pendals before taking Patkar into their custody. It is shameful that they never chose to hold dialogue with us in last 12 days but used force to stop our non- violent protest. Many have suffered physical injury," said Madhuresh Kumar of NBA.

NBA condemned the police action and said the agitation and fast would continue.

Patkar was on the indefinite fast in Chidhalda village in Dhar district seeking proper rehabilitation as project affected have said the government has given them homes without proper facilities, where they cannot be rehabilitated.

Several activists have already expressed their anguish over the forceful eviction of project-affected in the wake of closing of gates of the dam.

According to the locals, the government has deputed about 8,000-10,000 policemen in the area.
An Indian Navy officer was on Sunday detained after he created a security scare by claiming he was carrying a bomb aboard an flight, which later turned out to be a hoax, a security official said.

An official of the CISF, which manages security at all airports in the country, said the accused, who has denied making any bomb claim, was detained by police in Jodhpur.

The Navy officer allegedly warned the airline crew of a bomb on the aircraft flying from Delhi to Jaipur via Jodhpur when he was denied permission to deboard at Jodhpur as he had booked the flight up to Jaipur.

"The officer had a tiff with the airline staff when the flight touched down at Jodhpur. He told them he wanted to deboard and threatened he was carrying a bomb when the crew stopped him from disembarking. The passenger has been handed over to local police," said the Central Industrial Security Force officer.

The bomb hoax delayed the flight by three hours.

The airline said the incident took place on AI 475 flight with 175 passengers onboard on the Delhi-Jodhpur-Jaipur route.

"At Jodhpur, a person who claimed to be a naval officer wanted to de-board. For security reason, deboarding was not allowed... he forcibly tried to deboard... he revealed he had planted a bomb on the flight and that was the reason he wanted to deboard," the AI spokesman said.

He said the CISF was alerted and all passengers evacuated.

"The aircraft was searched as per the standard operating procedure but nothing was found. The person has been detained by the CISF," the spokesperson said.

"The flight search and other security related procedures lasted from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the flight took off from Jodhpur to Jaipur at 6.30 p.m."

(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.)
A Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant was killed in a gunfight with the security forces on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said.

"The encounter took place in Pampore town's Sambora area. The victim has been identified as Umer from LeT's Abu Ismail faction," police officials said.

"One AK-47 rifle was recovered from the encounter site."

On Sunday, the police confirmed the Abu Ismail group's involvement in the July 10 attack on an Amarnath Yatra bus in which eight pilgrims were killed.

(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.)
Non-EU visitors including Indians arriving in the UK will soon be no longer required to fill the "outdated" landing cards as part of the ongoing digital transformation of border controls, the Home Office has said.

Landing cards are filled out by an estimated 16 million international visitors from outside the European Union (EU), including Indians, annually.

Under proposals published yesterday, the UK Home Office said the paper-based system, which costs the UK public around 3.6 million pounds ($4.6 million) each year, will be replaced as part of the UK Border Force's ongoing digital transformation of border controls.

"We are modernising border technology to ensure Border Force staff stop dealing with outdated paperwork and can continue to focus on security and protecting the public," said Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis.

"In addition, this change will improve the experience for arriving passengers so they get an even better welcome when they land in the UK," he said.

The withdrawal of landing cards, filled out by non-EU passengers since 1971, will not result in the loss of any data that is used for security checks, the Home Office said.

All passengers arriving from outside the EU will continue to be checked against the variety of police, security and immigration watch lists which are used to verify the identity and confirm the status of every passenger arriving at the British airports.

The Home Office has launched a four-week consultation with carriers/airlines, ports and those that use statistics gathered from landing card data before it comes into force later this year.

According to the department, the changes are expected to free up staff and enable Border Force to better deploy their resources.

At the same time, the changes will improve the experience for travellers as passengers will no longer need to fill out the paper cards while on board the flight or in queues at airports and ports.

The airports and ports, on the other hand, will no longer have to purchase and distribute them.

It is expected that queue lengths will be shortened and passenger flows improved at British airports, a move welcomed by Heathrow airport, the largest UK hub.

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said in a statement: "We warmly welcome this proposed change which would give visitors to Britain an improved experience, whilst maintaining a secure border into the UK".

"In post-Brexit Britain, it will be even more important to show we are open for business and make sure that we give investors, tourists and students a great welcome to our country.

"We look forward to continuing to work closely with the new Immigration Minister and Border Force over the coming years to keep improving the passenger experience at the UK's border," Holland-Kaye said.

The proposals have been characterised as part of the Home Office's ongoing transformation at the border which is enhancing Border Force's ability both to facilitate legitimate travel and ensure the security of the border.

"This programme of work has already seen the introduction of 232 e-gates at 21 ports and since June has seen more than a million passengers use them each week. This has enabled Border Force officers to work on other security and intelligence matters," the Home Office said.

The changes are in addition to the ongoing Digital Services at the Border (DSAB) programme, which is modernising technology at the border to improve intelligence gathering on goods and passengers and increase security.

The UK Border Force has also increased the use of Advance Passenger Information, with systems in place to receive data on 100 per cent of scheduled flights for all international journeys to and from the UK.
State-owned power generation firm NTPC may soon be asked to relocate a biodiversity park at its Dadri thermal power plant, Uttar Pradesh, to meet the fly ash requirement of the highway sector.
American companies are primed to invest in civil aviation, e-commerce and multi-brand retail in India, says Khush Choksy, acting president of the US-India Business Council (USIBC). In the Capital to meet with government officials and private sector representatives, Choksy tells Subhayan Chakraborty that some of these areas have witnessed long-standing policy disputes but discussions are necessary. Edited excerpts:
The Union Public Service Commission is inviting applications for the post of Specialist Grade-III (Bio-Chemistry) to be hired by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Candidates willing to take up the post can apply for the same till August 10. There are total three vacancies; one for Unreserved Category (Open) and the rest for OBC and SC, respectively. The qualified candidates would be offered the salary as per PB-3 i.e. Rs.15, 600 - 39,100 with Grade Pay Rs.6600/- plus N.P.A as admissible (Pre-revised).
Public sector have "written off" nearly Rs 2.5 lakh crore loans in the last five financial years, the ministry said quoting RBI data.

As many as 27 public sector banks, including SBI and its five associates, in 2016-17 have written off Rs 81,683 crore, the highest in the last five fiscals. The amount was 41 per cent higher than that in the previous fiscal.

SBI and its erstwhile associates alone have written off Rs 27,574 crore in 2016-17, according to the RBI data on "write offs" done by public sector . SBI merged its five associate with itself from April 1, 2017.

The written off amount by PSU banks soared from Rs 27,231 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 57,586 in 2015-16 and further to Rs 81,683 crore in 2016-17.

During 2013-14, write off figure was Rs 34,409 crore which rose to Rs 49,018 crore in the subsequent fiscal.

So, the cumulative amount written off in the last five fiscals ending March 2017 was Rs 2,49,927 crore.

Punjab National Bank has written off Rs 9,205 crore, followed by Bank of India (Rs 7,346 crore) and Canara Bank (Rs 5,545 crore) in 2016-17.

Among other PSU banks, Bank of Baroda has written off Rs 4,348 crore, followed by Corporation Bank (Rs 3,574 crore), Indian Overseas Bank (Rs 3,066 crore) and IDBI Bank (Rs 2,868 crore).

As per the RBI norms, loans are written off after making adequate provisions to take advantage of tax benefits. In respect of technical write-offs, the RBI has permitted write- offs at headquarter level while recovery efforts are still continued at branch level.

It is to be noted that the gross NPAs of public sector banks were 12.47 per cent of gross advances as on March 31, 2017. Gross advances were Rs 51.42 lakh crore while gross NPAs were Rs 6.41 lakh crore.

As on March 2016, gross advances were Rs 51.04 lakh crore while gross NPAs were Rs 5.02 lakh crore. So as a percentage it works out to be 9.83 per cent.

The CPI(M) has demanded an explanation from the BJP on state-run banks loan write off to the tune of Rs 81,683 crore in 2016-17.
Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Shipping and Road Transport & Highways returned to India yesterday after a two day visit to Tehran. He was there to represent the Indian Government at the inauguration and oath taking ceremony of HE Dr. Hassan Rouhani as the President of Iran for a second term, on 5th August, 2017. .

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In an interaction with Dr. Rouhani, Shri Gadkari conveyed the Indian Prime Ministers greetings and best wishes for a successful tenure to him. He also handed over the letter of felicitations from Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi extending an invitation to the President of Iran to visit India. .

.

Shri Gadkari later held wide ranging discussions on many issues including Indias cooperation in the development of Chabahar Port and proposed rail link between Chabahar & Zahedan. In the meetings, both sides positively assessed the progress in implementation of the decisions taken during the Indian Prime Ministers visit to Iran last year, including the progress of Chabahar Port. Both sides reiterated their commitment to complete and operationalize the Port at the earliest. .

.

Shri Gadkari called on the first Vice President Dr. E. Jahangiri and highlighted the issue of activation of contract of Chabahar Port development and conveyed to him that India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) has finalized procurement of critical equipments such as Rail Mounted Gantry Crane (RMGC), and is close to finalizing orders relating to Rubber Tyre Mobile Crane (RTMC), MT Container Handlers(MTCH), Truck and Tractor Trailers Containers and related equipments. He also conveyed Indias readiness to aid Iran in taking up operations in Chabahar Port during the interim period between the actual activation of contract. He requested the Iranian side for an early submission of loan application for Chabahar Port Development to EXIM Bank of India so that the contract agreement between the two countries can be activated. It may be recalled that the Iranian side had requested India to provide upto 150 million dollar credit and had made it a condition for activation of the Chabahar Port contract. The application for loan to EXIM Bank of India is still awaited. .

.

Later Shri Gadkari met Dr. Abbas Akhoundi, the Iranian Minister for Roads and Urban Development, and conveyed to him the latest update on procurement of equipment for the two terminals - multipurpose and container - that are covered under Chabahar Port Agreement. He also requested Dr Akhoundi that in the interest of supporting operations of Chabahar Port, the Iranian side should consider waiving off the condition of submission of loan application as it was taking time. The Iranian side assured that the application shall be presented to EXIM Bank of India early. .

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The Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act (FIPPA) application was also presented by the MD, IPGL to the Iranian authorities in the presence of Shri Gadkari and Dr Akhoundi . India has opened an office of IPGL in Teheran. .

.

In his meeting with Dr Abbas Akhoundi Shri Gadkari stressed upon the need for marketing of the Chabahar Port to attract cargo. He said, Iran and India should jointly organize a workshop at Chabahar for this purpose at an early date. Shri Gadkari also emphasized the need to develop rail connectivity from Chabahar to Zahedan, and said that the MoU with India in this regard may be extended. The issue of ratification of the trilateral Transit Agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan was also discussed. While India and Afghanistan have the agreement, Iran is yet to do the same. .

.

Besides the Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari , the Indian delegation comprised of Dr. Alok Srivastava, Special Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, Shri Saurabh Kumar, Indian Ambassador to Iran, Shri Deepak Mittal, Joint Secretary(PAI), MEA and Shri Raj Gopal Sharma, OSD to Shri Gadkari. .

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The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) on Monday said a software error was behind most of the roughly 53,700 times it allegedly broke anti-money laundering law, in a case that could see the country's biggest lender fined several billion dollars.

Financial intelligence agency AUSTRAC filed a civil case on Thursday accusing the bank of several breaches of law including failing to identify, monitor and report money transfers over $10,000, in contravention of the anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing Act.

It also said the bank did not act upon police instruction to suspend accounts linked to criminal activity.

The following day, the bank's share price saw its steepest one-day decline in 18 months.

CBA said intelligent deposit machines introduced in 2012 did not create so-called threshold transaction reports (TTRs), which would have alerted it to any suspicious activity, due to a coding error that went unnoticed until it was fixed in September 2015.

"Within a month of discovering it, we notified AUSTRAC, delivered the missing TTRs and fixed the coding issue," CBA said in a statement on Monday. "The vast majority of the reporting failures alleged in the statement of claim (approximately 53,000) relate specifically to this coding error."

As such, it said penalties should be just and appropriate.

CBA Chief Executive Officer Ian Narev told The Australian Financial Review he would work through the "difficult matters" and that it was for the board to decide whether his job was on the line.

Stephen Mayne, a director at the Australian Shareholders' Association, which aggregates about A$500 million worth of CBA's shareholders proxy votes, said the issue was a very serious challenge for the bank's board.

"At this point, we don't want to hear from management, but from the independent Chairman Catherine Livingstone, on what she and the board think about the allegations against management."

The bank's share price ended up 1 per cent on Monday, in line with the benchmark index.

Criminal activity

AUSTRAC also said the bank failed on several occasions to follow instructions from law enforcement to suspend accounts flagged as suspicious and linked to criminal activity.

"We recognise that there are other serious allegations in the claim unrelated to the TTRs," the bank said.

AUSTRAC said some accounts were used for "cuckoo smurfing", a form of money laundering involving multiple people such as a syndicate that make numerous small deposits to avoid detection. The syndicate then obtains details of a bank customer to make seemingly legitimate money transfers in that customer's name.

"These are really serious accusations," said Daniel Smith, general manager at CGI Glass Lewis, which advises local funds with assets over A$1 trillion. "We are interested in how the board determines responsibility and how vigorously the bank disputes these accusations."

The case comes less than half a year after AUSTRAC fined bookmaker Tabcorp Holdings Ltd almost A$420,000 ($333,000) for each of 108 breaches, resulting in the biggest civil penalty in Australian corporate history at A$45 million.

The maximum penalty per breach is A$18 million. Based on the Tabcorp case, analysts at wealth manager Shaw and Partners put CBA's potential fine at A$22 billion.

Mayne said it would be appropriate for the bank to note a contingent liability for a potential fine in the financial accounts to be released on Wednesday.
When Jeff Bezos, then a New York hedge fund employee, decided to start Amazon in 1994, he quickly moved to the West Coast. So did Mark Zuckerberg, who moved from Harvard to California in 2004 to find the technology talent and financing needed to build up Facebook.
Despite being bombarded with headlines about the migrant crisis facing Europe, little is really known about how European citizens perceive and experience migration in their daily lives. As part of our ongoing research weve found that rather than linking irregular migration with fears of terrorism, EU citizens have a more nuanced position on border security. The people weve interviewed rejected both border walls and open borders as political solutions to the issue of migration into Europe.
Israel plans to revoke the media credentials of Al Jazeera TV journalists, close its Jerusalem bureau and pull the Qatar-based station's broadcasts from local cable and satellite providers, Communications Minister Ayoub Kara said on Sunday.
Vice President has pushed back against a news report suggesting he is laying groundwork for a possible presidential bid in 2020 if President Donald Trump does not run.

In a statement released by the White House, Pence said today's story in The New York Times "is disgraceful and offensive to me, my family, and our entire team." He added that "the allegations in this article are categorically false."



Pence continued, saying his team will "focus all our efforts to advance the president's agenda and see him re- elected in 2020."



The report details efforts of several Republicans looking ahead to 2020, calling it a "shadow campaign." It notes Pence's political schedule and active fundraising, though it also says unnamed advisers have signaled that he'd only run if Trump doesn't.

Trump has not suggested he won't seek a second term. But his first six months in office have been turbulent, marked by staff infighting, legislative struggles and a series of investigations.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway also dismissed the report and said Pence is readying to run in 2020 alongside Trump.

"Vice President Pence is a very loyal, very dutiful, but also incredibly effective vice president, and active vice president, with this president," said Conway on ABC's "This Week."



''He is a peer to the president in the West Wing." New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said in an emailed statement: "We are confident in the accuracy of our reporting and will let the story speak for itself.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The United States, Australia, and Japan on Monday denounced Beijing's island-building and militarisation of the South China Sea, in contrast to the increasingly tepid response from Southeast Asian nations over the festering issue.

China claims nearly all of the sea, through which $5 trillion in annual shipping trade passes and which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits.

Beijing's sweeping claims overlap with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei  all members of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc  as well as Taiwan.

But in recent years Beijing has managed to weaken regional resistance by courting some ASEAN members.

On Sunday, Beijing scored a coup when ASEAN ministers issued a diluted statement on the dispute and agreed to Beijing's terms on talks during a security forum which the bloc is hosting in Manila.

China insists that a much-delayed code of conduct between it and ASEAN members over the disputed sea must not be legally binding, a demand to which Southeast Asian countries have so far acquiesced.

But in a joint statement, after their foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the same gathering, the US, Japan, and Australia delivered a noticeably sterner rebuke to Beijing.

Criticising ongoing "land reclamation, construction of outposts, militarisation of disputed features" in the disputed sea, the trio said any code of conduct must be "legally binding, meaningful and effective", a demand noticeably absent from the ASEAN statement.

The three nations also called on China and the Philippines to respect last year's arbitration ruling which dismissed much of Beijing's claim in the sea.

The Philippines had been one of the most vocal critics of China and filed a case before a UN-backed tribunal.

But after the election of President Rodrigo Duterte last year, Manila has played down the verdict in favour of pursuing warmer ties with Beijing, a move that led to offers of billions of dollars in investments or aid from China.

Critics of China have accused it of assiduously dividing ASEAN, which operates on a consensus basis, with strong-arm tactics and chequebook diplomacy, enticing smaller countries in the bloc such as Cambodia and Laos to support it.

Vietnam, which had been pushing for stronger language in Manila, has been largely left to fend for itself since Duterte's China rapprochement.

The US, Australia, and Japan oppose Beijing building giant artificial islands that could be used as military bases, fearing it will eventually establish de facto control over the waters.

China insists the three countries should stay out of what it says are purely bilateral disputes with its neighbours.

Yesterday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned any interference from "outside parties" could jeopardise negotiations over the code of conduct.
A British security researcher, who became an internet hero after he was credited with stopping a malicious software attack this year, was arrested at the Las Vegas airport and charged in connection with a separate attack.
At least 40 Afghan villagers have reportedly been killed by Taliban insurgents in Mirza Olang village of northern Sar-e-Pul province of Afghanistan.

According to the police, the Taliban beheaded some villagers and shot others dead. They have also taken dozens as hostage.

"The incident happened last evening in Mirza Olang village after the insurgents seized control of the area. The insurgents, after capturing the village, took dozens of civilians as hostage. So far, no contact has been established with the hostages," Tolo News quoted, Sar-e-Pul governor Mohammad Zahir Wahdat, as saying.

Meanwhile, the Afghan Ministry of Interior (MoI) has confirmed that Afghan security forces are battling insurgents in Sayyad district of Sar-e-Pul where the village is located. However, it did not confirm the number of casualties.

According to Tolo News, the provincial governor had warned that the insurgents could overrun the entire district if the security forces do not retaliate on time.

So far, no militant group has claimed responsibility for the massacre.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Monday expressed confidence on winning Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat.

He exhumed confidence to win the seat with surprising numbers "despite ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) conspiracy" against him.

Speaking to the reporters, Patel said, "I have full confidence of my victory tomorrow despite the BJP's attempts and the numbers will surprise everyone. I will also hold meeting with all our Gujarat MLAs individually. If anyone cross-votes tomorrow, they will face action from party or even disqualification".

Accusing the BJP of engineering defections, Patel said the party has threatened and applied pressure on the families of the 44 Congress MLAs, whom the grand old party sent to Bengaluru to save them from horse trading.

"It is unfortunate that BJP has forced us to keep MLAs huddled. BJP has threatened and pressurised families of 44 MLAs but they remain committed to the Congress," he said, adding that a whip will also be issued in this regard.

Patel added that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has also announced its support to him.

The NCP has said that it will support Congress in the Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat.

At least 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs were camping at a resort in Bengaluru since July 29 to prevent their possible poaching by the ruling BJP ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections.

All the MLAs were holed in Bengaluru's Eagleton Resort, after six of the Gujarat Congress MLAs quit the party and joined the BJP.

All the Gujarat Congress MLAs returned back to the state earlier in the day.

As soon as the MLAs landed at the state capital they were taken to the Neejanand Resort in Gujarat's Anand district, located 77 km from Ahmedabad. The Gujarat Rajya Sabha election is slated to be held tomorrow for three seats.

The BJP has fielded party president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Balwantsinh Rajput.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mumbaikars will have to face problems commuting on 'Raksha Bandhan' as the local public transport division BEST Workers' Union is on a strike from today to press their wage-related demands.

The BEST Workers' Union on Sunday threatened to go on a strike starting midnight of August 6, if the Mumbai Corporation did not render a written acceptance of their demands.

"It is the responsibility of the Mahanagara Palike to give us a written acceptance of our demands. We are fighting for our rights. We work day and night; we must be entitled to our salary. We will protest if a written acceptance is not given to us," BEST Workers' Union General Secretary Shashank Rao told ANI.

"We are a force of 36,000 workers who are backing this strike. We have been in talks for three months, but there has been no proactive solution to our problems. We will demand what is rightfully ours," he added.

All the nine unions of 36,000 employees have supported the decision.

Earlier today, the union had a meeting with the Mumbai Mayor, who assured them of accepting their key demand of salaries being paid by the 10th of every month.

However, the union is adamant to get their demands accepted in writing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday informed that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress MLAs are joining the saffron party, adding that Tripura will be headed by a BJP Chief Minister in 2018.

"They are joining my party, a strengthened party in Tripura. It is very clear that next party in Tripura will be headed by a BJP Chief Minister," Pradhan told media here.

Meanwhile, TMC MLA Sudip Roy Barman said that his party was searching for a platform from where they can give a solid fight to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), thereby defeating and uprooting it form the government.

"We have been observing the BJP since a long time, their natural leadership and the central government. We thought for the greatest interest of the people of state that the BJP has given a platform to fight the CPM in Tripura," he said.

"Therefore, we have preferred to join the BJP. There will be heavyweight leaders of West Bengal also joining our footsteps and within few months they will also join the BJP to dislodge the communist forces in West Bengal as well," Barman added.

Former leader of the opposition and Congress MLA Ratan Lal Nath said that the BJP has no link with the CPM at any level and they would work together to eradicate CPM from the state.

Nath is also set to join the BJP but it may get delayed for some time due to legal issues.

Less than seven months from assembly elections in Left-dominated Tripura, the BJP is set to become the main opposition party in the state with six members of legislative assembly (MLAs) of TMC expected to formally join the BJP today.

The development is politically significant because the BJP has never won an assembly seat in Tripura, whose politics is dominated by Manik Sarkar-led CPM.

The BJP has seen a recent surge in support in the North East, after winning elections in Assam and forming governments in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, it wants to establish a strong presence in Tripura as well.

Currently, the ruling CPM has 50 seats in the assembly and its ally, the Communist Party of India (CPI) one seat.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday expressed confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win all three seats and Congress' Ahmed Patel will lose in the upcoming .

"The BJP will win three seats and Ahmed Patel will definitely lose," he told the media.

He further said that at a time when people are dying due to floods, the Congress MLAs are hiding in a resort.

At least 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs were camping at a resort in Bengaluru since July 29 to prevent their possible poaching by the ruling BJP ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections.

"People are dying in flood and MLAs are enjoying in a resort. Their (Congress) MLAs are not under their control. They don't trust them," he added.

All the Gujarat Congress MLAs returned back to the state earlier in the day.

All the MLAs were holed into Bengaluru's Eagleton Resort, after six of the Gujarat Congress MLAs quit the party and joined the BJP.

As soon as the MLAs landed at the state capital they were taken to the Neejanand Resort in Gujarat's Anand district, located 77 km from Ahmedabad.

The Gujarat Rajya Sabha election is slated to held tomorrow for three seats.

The BJP has fielded party president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Balwantsinh Rajput against Congress' Ahmed Patel.

(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.)
Chicago has sued United States President Donald Trump's Justice Department over its plan to withhold enforcement grant funds from so-called sanctuary cities.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's Law Department on Monday filed a lawsuit filed in a U.S. District Court to prevent Trump administration from enforcing new policies that would withhold money from so-called sanctuary cities that deny U.S. immigration officials the access to local jails.

Reacting to the lawsuit filed by Chicago's Mayor, the Justice Department (DoJ) said that last year more people were killed in Chicago than New York and Los Angeles combined and alleged that the Mayor was protecting criminal aliens and putting the city's law enforcement at greater risk.

Emanuel said on Sunday that Trump's policy would damage efforts to tamp down crime, as people in the city without documentation would t be afraid to cooperate with police.

Describing U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' new policy as unlawful and unconstitutional, Emanuel it was an effort to set precedent that could result in the withholding of further grant money.

Under the new Justice Department policy, contained in conditions attached last week to applications for Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant funding, the city would have to meet three conditions to receive funds that the city has used in the past to buy police vehicles and other equipment.

The conditions: sharing immigration status information with federal officials enforcing deportation laws, providing unlimited police station access to those officials, and giving the officials 48-hours notice of an arrested person's release in cases of potential immigration violations.

"These new conditions - which would give federal officials the power to enter city facilities and interrogate arrestees at will and would force the city to detain individuals longer than justified by probable cause, solely to permit federal officials to investigate their immigration status - are unauthorized and unconstitutional," the Chicago Tribune quoted the lawsuit as saying.

The lawsuit added that neither federal law nor the United States Constitution permits the attorney general to force Chicago to abandon its policy of promoting cooperation between local law enforcement and immigrant communities, ensuring access to essential city services for all residents and makes all Chicagoans safer.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India-born UK economist and politician Meghnad Desai on Monday said that China is creating the border problem and India has to be psychologically prepared for it.

There is a stand-off between India and China over Doklam area in Sikkim where New Delhi strongly objected Beijing's bid to build a road.

Speaking to ANI, Desai said, "China is creating the border problem. They are aware of everything. It is trying to assert its arrival and India has to be psychologically prepared for everything".

He further said that China always tries to humiliate its enemy.

"Something is going to happen very soon. May be I am wrong, but circumstances and situations direct in that way. I am not a military or any other expert, but I think something like this will be going to happen soon," he asserted.

China is being very aggressive after its road building bid was thwarted in Doklam.

In a fresh warning to India, Chinese state media People's Daily has said that India should not underestimate China's resolve to defend its territorial sovereignty.

The daily alleged that Indian border troops had crossed the China-India boundary in the Sikkim sector into Chinese territory and that it was totally illegal.

It said China will take "all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate and lawful rights and interests."

It has also warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to push India into a "reckless conflict" with China as People's Liberation Army, as the latter is sufficiently capable of annihilating Indian troops in the border region.

The editorial even ridiculed Defence Minister Arun Jaitley's recent remark that India of 2017 is different from what it was in 1962, in which China had defeated Indian forces.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has reiterated that India's road map is peace and talks are going on to resolve the issue diplomatically.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The latest 15 page 'Fact Sheet', titled "The Facts and China's Position Concerning the Indian Border Troops' Crossing of the China-India Boundary in the Sikkim Sector into the Chinese Territory", issued by China does not bring out anything new or significant, said former Ambassador Saurabh Kumar.

Kumar, who anchors the "India in the Chinese Media" project (www.niasindiainchina.in) at the Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, told ANI, that what has been put out, has already appeared in the Chinese press since the military face-off between Indian and Chinese forces in the India- Bhutan-China tri-junction area as a result of the Chinese attempt to construct a road leading to the Bhutanese Army camp at one edge of the Doklam plateau (Zompelri).

He said that the Fact Sheet is in furtherance of the false narrative of Indian intrusion into Chinese territory that has been projected in the Chinese media in a bid to divert public attention away from the real issue, which is, China's attempt to unilaterally alter the position on the ground in the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction area, in brazen violation of accords reached with it by India and Bhutan (separately) not to change the status quo in areas of dispute pending a final agreement to the mutual satisfaction of both parties.

"There are written understandings to this effect, not to unilaterally change the status quo on the boundary on the ground, between China and India (1993 Agreement on Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity on the Border), on the one hand, and between China and Bhutan (of 1988 and 1998, on the other, as mentioned by Bhutan in its June 29th, 2017 Press Release on the matter."

"As such, it (the Fact Sheet) does not call for any refutation or 'response', beyond the clarification regarding the origin of, and the facts relating to, the military stand-off already made by the Ministry of External Affairs on June 30, 2017", he added.

Last week, India had issued a one line statement negating the claim in this 15 page Chinese document about the reduction of Indian troops at Doklam amidst the standoff: "India considers that peace and tranquillity in the IndiaChina border areas is an important prerequisite for smooth development of our bilateral relations with China."

Ambassador Saurabh Kumar, who speaks Chinese, having begun his diplomatic career in Hong Kong and Beijing in the mid-seventies (when Chinese politics was yet in the throes of the tumultuous upheavals of the Cultural Revolution, with Mao and Zhou arbiting the charged debates from their deathbeds, as it were) under late President K. R. Narayanan, who was then the Ambassador to China, gave a point-wise reply to questions on the Chinese Fact Sheet, as follows:

(i) The claim that Doklam is, or has been, undisputed Chinese territory is completely false. The Doklam plateau is one of the many areas claimed by both Bhutan and China (and remains unoccupied and demilitarised in consequence by common consent, with only graziers and military patrols visiting the plateau periodically). The Bhutanese Government has reported these disputes to its Assembly on a number of occasions. [This has appears to have been made to justify the PLA's attempt to effect a major shift in the status quo on the ground, cheek by jowl with two neighbouring countries, as 'normal road building activity' in its own territory, well within the sovereign right of a State.]

(ii) The claim that there was an 'international boundary' between China and India in Sikkim which Indian troops had crossed is, likewise utterly false. No 'international boundary' exists between China and India, in Sikkim or anywhere along their 3500 km. long border. [This claim appears to have been made in order to be able to hurl the charge of violation of international law and norms of conduct of interstate relations, including the UN Charter, by India in a bid to cover up China's own culpability of seeking to change the status quo on the ground in violation of recent written agreements with both India and Bhutan. And to prepare the ground for military action against India in the future, i.e. seek 'to teach it a lesson', as the Chinese are wont to do all over their neighbourhood.] The citing of the 1890 Convention between the UK and Qing China on Sikkim and Tibet by the Chinese in a bid to shore up their false narrative is disingenuous. That Convention is pertinent only in a bilateral India-China context, not in relation to the tri-junction area (which naturally involves Bhutan too, which was not a party to the Convention, as well). The India- Bhutan-China tri-junction would have to be agreed upon by India and China with Bhutan, so the Sikkim sector of the (India-China) boundary can hardly be described truthfully as "settled". There are issues there that the three countries would have to resolve together, not the least of which is the fact that some provisions of the 1890 Convention, and its follow-up, are contradictory when it comes to the tri-junction area.

(iii) The fact that the Chinese cannot deny - and are therefore silent on in all their propaganda blasts - is that the Indian action was a defensive one, triggered entirely by China's aggressive posturing in the sensitive tri-junction area overlooking the Siliguri corridor, which is land-locked Bhutan's life-line. China had to be stopped from going ahead with construction of the road on the Doklam plateau before it became a fait accompli, as a new 'fact on the ground' (as happened in the South China Sea in recent times, much to the consternation of the international community).

(iv) The intensity of the Chinese propaganda media blasts, and shrillness of tone, suggest anxiety at not being able to explain the miscalculation on the part of their military to their public. (PLA-Party relations are an extremely sensitive matter in China, with no good mechanisms to ensure observance of the desideratum-dictum 'The Party commands the gun".)

(v) A scenario in which the PLA might have thought it could get away with this 'advance' in the tri-junction area against a usually vacillating India and fearful Bhutan, on the one hand, and a Party leadership in Beijing preoccupied with an unprecedented topmost (Politburo) level purge (that took place at about the same time as when the Doklam stand-off was unfolding), on the other, cannot be ruled out. What level the decision to go ahead with construction of the road in what is perhaps the most sensitive area of the India-China border was taken is difficult to say, obviously. While a purely local level initiative is unlikely, a senior (Theatre Command) level PLA calculation, and move, to present the Party leadership in Beijing with a fait accompli on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the PLA (August 1st) is certainly not implausible.

Talking about Indian public opinion on the Doklam Standoff, Ambassador Saurabh, who served as Ambassador to Austria, IAEA & UNIDO (2007- 2009), Ireland (2003- 2007) and Vietnam (2000-2003), and also held other senior appointments in the Cabinet Secretariat and Ministry of External Affairs, said, "the Indian press has, like the Government of India, shown considerable maturity in not getting provoked unduly by the aggressive Chinese posturing. It would do well to continue to 'guard against the anger of the moment (going overboard at the Chinese miscalculation), while preserving the wrath to fight against injustice (of Chinese unreasonableness and aggressiveness)', as a Confucian insight exhorts, in case that becomes necessary on account of any Chinese adventure stemming from pique at not being allowed by India to lord it over Bhutan in this first round of test of nerves at Doklam."

"It is important that the latest Chinese Fact Sheet be seen for what it is - an element in the service of the coercive Chinese diplomacy in India's neighbourhood and strategy of pushing for advantage on the border, not a 'media information activity' common in free press societies/polities by any stretch. It is an exercise in obfuscation, not clarification, that does not merit serious consideration," said Ambassador Kumar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
iStock/Thinkstock(MILAN) -- A 20-year-old British model who says she was drugged and kidnapped in Milan in an alleged effort to sell her to the highest bidder on the so-called "deep web" has been freed, Italian police said.



Lukasz Pawel Herba, a 30-year-old Polish citizen, was arrested July 17 after allegedly releasing the woman and dropping her off at the British consulate in Milan, according to police. Herba was charged with kidnapping for the purpose of extortion, police said.



Police did not say why the suspected kidnapper wanted to release the model, Chloe Ayling.



Ayling told police she arrived in Milan on July 10 for a photography job that was requested through her agent, police said. She was sent to a Milan apartment, but when she arrived, two men attacked her, loaded her body into a bag, and then stuffed her into the trunk of a car, she told police.



She said the suspect then drove her to an isolated cottage in Borgial, Italy, a village near the French border, according to police.



Ayling said she was handcuffed to a wooden chest in a bedroom of the cottage until the morning of July 17, when she was ultimately released and accompanied to the British consulate.



"She demonstrated a braveness and a strength of will that one would not expect in a 20-year-old," her attorney, Francesco Pesce told ABC News. "What she has been through is truly terrifying and I hope that what she did to help the investigation will subsequently help other potential kidnapping victims."



The alleged abductors used encrypted accounts to ask the models agent for $300,000 to stop the auction from taking place, claiming to work on behalf of something called the "Black Death Group," which operates within the so-called deep web, police said.



The deep web, or "dark web," is a network of websites that cannot typically be found by search engines, and are often protected through encryption. Billions of dollars in drugs, weapons and other items have been illegally traded on the sites.



Investigators discovered evidence that the suspect, Herba, may have previously organized several online auctions of abducted women, through ads he allegedly described the women and set starting prices. Police said it is unclear whether he actually abducted the women or whether they had ever really been for sale.



Italian police described Herba as a "dangerous subject with aspects of mythomania," which is a pathological inclination to exaggerate.



"It is unclear ... whether the young people were really kidnapped or whether the man invented everything," Deputy Prosecutor Paolo Storari said at a press conference. "The man also presented himself as a professional killer."



The head of the Milan Police Mobile Squad, Lorenzo Bucossi, said that evidence confirms Herba had spent time with Ayling at some point, but added that the suspect has a "different perspective" of the events.



Police from Milan, the State Police Central Service, the Postal Police Department of Lombardy and the Anti-Mafia Police all contributed to Herba's arrest.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
An angry and peeved North Korea has rejected the imposition of tough new United Nations sanctions and also said that it will continue to develop its nuclear arsenal. It also said that there shall be no talks with any country so long as the country is being threatened by the United States.

Pyongyang said in a statement carried by its official Korea Central News Agency that the UN sanctions were a "violent violation of our sovereignty".

The message of defiance was the first major response to the US-drafted sanctions that the UN Security Council unanimously approved over the weekend that could cost North Korea $1 billion a year while restricting crucial economic links with China.

North Korea threatened to make the US "pay the price for its crime... thousands of times".

The statement came as North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho was in the Philippine capital of Manila for a security forum with top diplomats from the US, China, Russia and other Asia-Pacific nations.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday ruled out a quick return to dialogue with North Korea, saying the new sanctions showed the world had run out of patience with Pyongyang's nuclear weapons ambitions.

Speaking to reporters at the forum, Tillerson said Washington would only consider talks if Pyongyang halted its ballistic missile programme.

The UN sanctions were in response to the North conducting its first two intercontinental ballistic missile tests last month that Kim boasted showed he could strike any part of the US.

US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-In, spoke on the phone on Sunday and agreed the North "poses a grave and growing direct threat", according to a White House statement.

Trump later took to social media to hail the vote, thanking Russia and China in a Twitter post for backing the sanctions that either could have halted with their UN veto.

Trump said he was "very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions".
Indian Army on Monday foiled an infiltration bid and gunned down five terrorists in Machil sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier in the day a Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) terrorist Umer of Abu Ismail group was killed in an encounter with the security forces in Samboora area of the state.

Role of Umer in different crimes committed by Abu Ismail group is being ascertained.

One AK 47 rifle has been recovered from the encounter site.

Awantipora Police, 50 RR and CRPF jointly participated in the encounter.

In wake of the gunfight, authorities blocked the internet services in Pulwama as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order in the district.

(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.)
Goa Agriculture minister Vijai Sardesai on Monday asserted that the western Indian state will not compromise on its interests over the ongoing Mahadayi inter-state river water dispute case with Karnataka.

Speaking to ANI here, Sardesai said, "State interest is not negotiable. It is a major water source. It is the lifeline in Goa and we are winning in Court. Karnataka has a weak case. Matter is sub judice, so I will not make a statement."

Sardesai further said that Karnataka should know that the big brother attitude cannot work in Goa.

State BJP president B.S. Yeddyurappa on Saturday announced in Karanataka that he would soon lead a delegation to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar over the issue.

Speaking on the issue, he added, "Yeddyurappa is a senior politician and he is on the verge of facing an election in Karnataka. So naturally...some statement will come. The BJP, Goa Forward and Congress know how important the river is for the state," he added.

On July 27, the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal rejected Karnataka's demand for 7.56 TMC of water and protests erupted in the region.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday said that it will support Congress in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat.

Speaking to ANI, NCP leader Majeed Memon said their party president Sharad Pawar has made it extremely loud and clear that they are going to support Congress candidate Ahmed Patel, who is contesting for a Rajya Sabha seat.

"Pawar has already made it extremely loud and clear that we are going to support Ahmed. We have been with UPA for 10 long years and our association with the Congress continues not withstanding a bit bitterness here or there, not withstanding some adamants on part of Congress..we are still with UPA and we will continue to help Congress in distress. And the Congress should remember that we come in rescue when they are in distress," he added.

Memon further said that one small seat for the Rajya Sabha has turned into a matter of prestige between the Congress and the BJP.

Meanwhile, expressing confidence of winning the upcoming Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress said that all political parties along with the Communist Party (NCP) will support the grand old party and its candidate Ahmed Patel.

Ahmed Patel, who is contesting for a Rajya Sabha seat from Gujarat, will meet the 44 party MLAs who returned today morning from Bengaluru.

In the wee hours today, all the 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs who were holed in Karnataka's resort as a result of the alleged horse-trading by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Rajya Sabha election, returned back to the state.

As soon as the MLAs landed at the state capital they were taken to the Neejanand Resort in Gujarat's Anand district, located 77 km from Ahmedabad, ahead of the Rajya Sabha Election which is to be held tomorrow for three seats.

After reaching the resort, senior Ahmed Patel expressed confidence on his party and said all the MLAs of the party stand united.

"We are confident of victory, all MLAs are with us," he told ANI.

All the MLAs were whisked away to Bengaluru's Eagleton Resort after six of the Gujarat Congress MLAs quitted the party and joined the BJP.

The BJP has fielded party president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Balwantsinh Rajput against Congress' Ahmed Patel.
Expressing confidence of winning the upcoming Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress on Monday said that all political parties along with the Communist Party (NCP) will support the grand old party and its candidate Ahmed Patel.

Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala alleged that the Central government was indulging in vendetta politics but will not succeed.

"Let the BJP use all kind of cheap tactics, let them do how much ever political conspiracies they want to, they will never be successful. They can never get majority from the people. Therefore in both Rajya Sabha and in Gujarat's Vidhan Sabha Congress will win and that is why t he BJP is panicking. All political parties along with NCP will support congress and Ahmed Patel will win," he added.

Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, who is contesting for a Rajya Sabha seat from Gujarat, will meet the 44 party MLAs who returned today morning from Bengaluru.

In the wee hours today, all the 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs who were holed in Karnataka's resort as a result of the alleged horse-trading by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Rajya Sabha election, returned back to the state.

As soon as the MLAs landed at the state capital they were taken to the Neejanand Resort in Gujarat's Anand district, located 77 km from Ahmedabad, ahead of the Rajya Sabha Election which is to be held tomorrow for three seats.

After reaching the resort, senior Ahmed Patel expressed confidence on his party and said all the MLAs of the party stand united.

"We are confident of victory, all MLAs are with us," he told ANI.

All the MLAs were whisked away to Bengaluru's Eagleton Resort, after six of the Gujarat Congress MLAs quitted the party and joined the BJP.

The BJP has fielded party president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Balwantsinh Rajput against Congress' Ahmed Patel.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Janata Dal Party JD(U) on Monday advised the Congress Party that hiding its MLAs is not the way to give a strong response to Bharatiya Janata Party-led ruling government's horse trading.

Speaking to ANI, JD (U) leader Ali Anwar cornered the BJP for misusing the power for political vote trading.

"Open misuse of power, pressurizing and blackmailing is happening blatantly. Some are running to Karnataka, some are staying here. The Congress party should understand that public is the one who takes the decision. They should understand that who is weak in everyone's eyes is actually the strongest. Going to some other place and protecting yourself is a shortcut measure but this is the fact that ruling government is misusing the power," Anwar told ANI.

Earlier in the day, all the 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs who were holed in Karnataka's resort as a result of the alleged horse-trading by the BJP ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, returned back to the state.

As soon as the MLAs landed at the state capital they were taken to the Neejanand Resort in Gujarat's Anand district, located 77 km from Ahmedabad, ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections which is to be held tomorrow for three seats.

After reaching the resort, senior Ahmed Patel expressed confidence on his party and said all the MLAs of the party stand united.

"We are confident of victory, all MLAs are with us," he told ANI.

All the MLAs were whisked away to Bengaluru's Eagleton Resort, after six of the Gujarat Congress MLAs quitted the party and joined the BJP.

The BJP has fielded party president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Balwantsinh Rajput against Congress' Ahmed Patel.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and Afghanistan should and must respond positively to Pakistan's peace moves and not mistake Islamabad's desire for peace and good relations with its neighbours as its weakness, said Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday at the PML-N House in Sialkot, Asif said Pakistan has always wanted to have good relations with its neighbours, and especially with India and Afghanistan, and maintained that both countries are currently not responding positively to Pakistan's initiatives for durable peace in the region.

The Dawn quoted him, as saying, "It's high time for both India and Afghanistan to come forward as good neighbours and give positive response to Pakistan's peace initiatives and end the blame game."

He alleged that India is violating the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and attempting to destabilize Pakistan economically and politically

He also said that Pakistan is fully capable of defending its territory through its armed forces.

On the issue of terrorism, Asif said that the federal government has been battling it successfully for several decades, by uprooting and crushing terrorists. He said that the was praising Pakistan's frontline role against terrorism.

He also alleged that India and the United States were involved in an international conspiracy to sabotage the 1960 Indus Water Treaty, posing great danger to the subcontinent.

He pointed out that Pakistan had never been taken into confidence by the international community on all the clauses of the treaty.

Pakistan has now effectively taken up the burning issue of stoppage of water by India into Pakistani rivers with the Bank which had been playing its role as a guarantor in the Indus Water Treaty. He said Pakistan wanted an amicable solution to the problem and was making all-out sincere international efforts to resolve this prolonged issue as soon as possible.

He disclosed that the issue of construction of the controversial Kishanganga dam had almost been resolved by Pakistan and India about one-and-a-half years ago, but progress on it was halted due to suspension of further talks by India thrice afterwards.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Intelligence reports had earlier suggested that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might carry out attacks in some parts of the state to divert the attention from the party's medical college scam, said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

"The government had Intelligence reports that the BJP might carry out attacks in some parts of the state to divert the attention from BJP's medical college scam," Vijayan said in the Kerala Assembly here.

Stressing on the same, Vijayan said the government took precautionary measures to control this and is ready to handover the case of the RSS worker's murder to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if necessary.

He also informed that the internal probe report conducted by the BJP will also be considered by Vigilance investigation team.

This comes amid chaos in the state over the killing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker.

Earlier on Sunday, Union Minister Arun Jaitley met the grieving family members of RSS worker Rajesh Edavakode, who was killed during political clash in Kozhikode.

Addressing a gathering after meeting Rajesh's kin, Jaitley condemned the dastardly attack and said that "even enemies would not be as brutal as those who are involved in the murder".

"I visited the family of our deceased karyakarta, who was slaughtered in the most barbaric manner...he was an ideal karyakarta..This kind of violence will neither suppress ideology in Kerala nor it will be able to scare our workers. It will only increase their determination to work harder against those who are perpetuating this operation," he added.

"He belonged to the weaker section of the society. . Rajesh belonged to a poor family and now his family has no means of a livelihood. He was stabbed mercilessly and there were 70-80 wounds inflicted on his body, even enemies would not be as brutal as those involved in the murder. In the past few months party officers are being attacked, our workers are being attacked and their houses are being set ablaze," he added.

A series of clashes between CPM and BJP-RSS activists had rocked Thiruvananthapuram last month in which the 34-year-old RSS worker was murdered in Kozhikode.

Earlier, the RSS urged the Central and state Government to take strict action towards bringing this series of murders to an end in Kerala.

"Centre must intervene in state sponsored violence in Kerala," said RSS Joint General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale

RSS also passed a resolution in RSS Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal meet regarding these attacks on the RSS by CPM cadres in the state.

Eight suspects were detained in connection with the murder.

The Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on July 4 issued notice to Kerala Government over growing incidents of political violence in the state and sought a report on the issue within four weeks.

The Commission also asked the State Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to take effective measures to stop such incidents.

As per reports, Kerala BJP general secretary M.T. Ramesh, name figures in the report of the medical college scam.

It has been alleged that the owner of a medical college in Trivandrum district had paid Rs 5.60 crore as bribe to Kerala-based BJP leaders for influencing the Medical Council of India (MCI).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The gorgeous Italian actress Madalina, who is best known for her role in Paolo Sarrentino's popular show 'The Young Pope', opposite Jude Law, is all set for her pop debut in Arko's new single AAINDA- AN ODE TO IDEALISTIC LOVE.

Composed and sung by ARKO himself, the song has a tune that is instantly hummable and will stay with listeners for a long time. The song lyrics penned by ARKO, is about a couple at the brink of separation trying to find possibilities to find love in each other again.

Excited on her debut, Madalina says, "The song is just amazing with a hook that would stay with you forever. I will soon reveal who is my lead star. But what I can say is that I feel so honored to be working with such a great person and a great actor. And so happy to be a part of this project."

Talking about his single, Arko says, "AAINDA is all about second chances and I am sure a lot of people will relate to this concept. I had a great time working on this video with talented artists like Prawaal, our director and my cast and crew."

Sony Music Pop, the pop division under global music giant Sony Music will release the song on August 10.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Launching an attack on the Communist Party of India (Marxist) over the political violence in the state, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday labeled the Left as the "Communist Party of Murderers."

Speaking to ANI, BJP leader GVL Narsimha Rao accused "architect" Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of shielding and patronising the CPM cadres involved in murders

"CPM has actually being functioning as Communist Party of Murderers. And there has not been any governance for that. Last 13 months our cadres, the BJP, RSS cadres have been killed in a very gruesome, barbaric and a violent manner. The people of this country know the real face of the communist party. The real face of CPM and its Chief Minister Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan was the architect of violence in the Kannur district, which is the epicenter of all such violence," Rao told ANI here.

"So, today rather than functioning as the CM of Kerala, he is functioning more like a chief murderer for the Communist Party in Kerala. This is highly condemnable," he added.

Echoing similar sentiments, another BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Kerala, under the present government, has become a safe house for violence-loving elements.

"Kerala has become a safe house for such people. This has become so under the present government. Both the houses expressed concerns and discussed about this issue in Kerala. We also said to the Kerala government that whoever is the perpetrator action should be taken against them," he said.

Yesterday, condemning attacks on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members in Kerala, Union Minister Arun Jaitley said that the state government needs to have a hold on its own cadres rather than letting them loose on the opposition party leaders.

"This sort of attacks on political leaders has never happened in the past. Political will and determination by the state government is needed to discipline its own cadres rather than let them loose on political opponents. It is predominantly state government's responsibility to ensure peace restoration," Jaitley said while addressing a press conference after meeting the grieving family of the slain RSS worker.

A series of clashes between CPM and BJP-RSS activists had rocked Thiruvananthapuram last month in which the 34-year-old RSS worker was murdered in Kozhikode.

Earlier, the RSS urged the central and state government to take strict action towards bringing this series of murders to an end in Kerala.

RSS also passed a resolution in RSS Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal meet regarding these attacks on the RSS by CPM cadres in the state.

Eight suspects were detained in connection with the murder.

Earlier, Vijayan condemned the murder and called for an all-party meeting on August 6 regarding the same.

He said that party offices and workers' houses can't be attacked and political parties should be more vigilant and ask workers to keep away from such incidents.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had called on Vijayan to nab the perpetrators and bring them to justice expeditiously.

He even requested the Chief Minister to curb the political violence in the state and said, "I expect that the political violence in Kerala is curbed and that the perpetrators are brought to justice expeditiously."

The Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on July 4 issued notice to the Kerala Government over growing incidents of political violence in the state and sought a report on the issue within four weeks.

The Commission also asked the state Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to take effective measures to stop such incidents.

(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.)
On the eve of Raksha Bandhan ,sex workers of Sonagachi , Kolkata ,tied Rakhi around the waist of passerby, in the hope of receiving equal respect in society.

The special event was organised by the Durbar Mahilla Samanvaya Committee, one of the largest community-based organistions of sex workers in West Bengal.

Sex workers from Sonagachi(Durbar) celebrated Rakhi Purnima by tying Rakhi's to passers-by.

"We thought to celebrate this auspicious festival to erase the difference between us and other communities.No discrimination should be there" said Putul Haldar , Durbar president.

Ministers and politicians were invited by the organisation to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with them.

"All political, non-political people, officials and intellectuals were invited to attend the event. Our main motto is to celebrate every festival with everyone. " Seema Bhogla , a sex worker ,told ANI

"We want to show the world that being a sex worker we can enjoy as any other human being. Also, like every year we are also planning to celebrate Durga Puja here" she added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan's Opposition party, held a demonstration here against Pakistan over human rights violation and extra judicial killings of the party workers.

Scores of people gathered here in protest and raised slogans holding placards against Pakistan.

'Stop Racism against Mohajir in Pakistan', 'Stop enforced disappearance of MQM workers', 'I.S.I is abducting Mohajir in Pakistan, Stop Mohajir Genocide in Pakistan', 'Para-military Rangers are abducting, torturing and extra-judicially murdering Mohajir in Pakistan,'- were some of the slogans written on the placard showcased by the protestors.

Earlier, the MQM staged a massive demonstration in front of the White House against enforced disappearances, paramilitary operation and extra judicial killings of its party members in Karachi, capital city of Sindh province.

A statement issued by the MQM said the protestors called on the Pakistani establishment to "immediately stop the ongoing inhuman tactics of enforced disappearances of party chief Altaf Hussain's relatives."

They also urged the U.S. to drag Pakistan into the court of justice for being "involved in human rights violations, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, torture, ban on MQM activities and media blackout of Altaf Hussain."

Hussain, while addressing the participants of the demonstration, emphasised on the U.S. Government to play its role in putting an end to the genocide of Mohajirs and Balochs and condemned the role of the Pakistan Army in these barbaric acts.

"The military and civilian U.S. aid to Pakistan must be made conditional on the human rights record of the country. Mohajirs are optimistic in U.S. President Trump administration to support them in their struggle for an autonomous province," he said.

Earlier in June, Pakistan's crackdown on the Mohajir community was brought up at the United Nations.

Drawing attention towards Pakistan's heavy-handedness on the MQM and Mohajir community, a UN member said it is expected that that the Government of Pakistan, instead of targeting the religious extremist outfits which threaten the peaceful society, the state is going to take extreme measures to silence Pakistani politician Altaf Hussain by charging him false and fabricated cases.

Asserting that membership of the UN is not a privilege to kill people, the lawyer said the Mohajirs are facing genocide.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton has called the explosion at a Bloomington mosque as "an act of terrorism."

Describing the attack as "a hate crime," Dayton said that he would be glad to do anything he could do to put a stop on such type of attacks.

"What a terrible, dastardly, cowardly act was committed," Minneapolis Star-Tribune quoted Dayton as saying.

Dayton made these remarks during a visit with a delegation of public officials to the Dar Al Farooq Islamic center in Bloomington.

An explosion had occurred at Bloomington's Dar Al Farooq Community Center on Saturday, which reverberated beyond the neighborhood.

However, no one was injured in the blast.

Executive director of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota Asad Zaman has announced a USD 24,000 award for any information leading to the perpetrator.

Well-wishers came to express support for the centre and its members throughout the Sunday morning.

They also left flowers near the window shattered by the explosion.

According to the reports, the blast had heavily damaged the imam's office and sent smoke wafting through the large building.

Meanwhile, the FBI is continuing its investigation into attack, which it said was caused due to an improvised explosive device.

The blast at a Bloomington mosque comes amid a rise in reports of anti-Muslim incidents in the U.S., including vandalism at mosques.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) under the banner of Kruti Samiti, an association of BEST unions launched an indefinite strike in Mumbai on August 7 . As a result Mumbaikars faced problems commuting on 'Raksha Bandhan'.

Unhappy with the irregular payment of salary ,around 3800 buses went off. Around 36,000 workers of state's run transport buses joined the strike making it completely non-functional.

All nine unions of the 36,000 employees have supported the decision. The BEST buses are parked in their depots.

Commuters are angry as BEST strikes on 'Raksha Bandhan' . Moreover, online cab aggregators such as OLA or UBER are in demand because of the stike. Rickshaw,Auto are charging extra amount for the same.

"It is difficult as it wasn't informed . We could have planned something earlier to go to office." Told Kripa, a commuter to ANI.

"I have been travelling by BEST bus for many years, this is very inconveniencing specially on Raksha Bandhan" another Commuter on BEST strike.

The BEST employee said that the salaries should be timely paid and the the union is adamant to get their demands accepted in writing.

"Three days time was given to Ministers and BMC to call off the matter and end the strike,but they din't do anything worthwhile. We will end the strike only when Mumbai will render a written acceptance of their demands."BEST employee Rajesh Jaisingh told ANI.

Maharashtra's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis along with his ministers will meet BEST and BMC management employees to resolve the matter.

"It is the responsibility of the Mahanagara Palike to give us a written acceptance of our demands. We are fighting for our rights. We work day and night; we must be entitled to our salary. We will protest if a written acceptance is not given to us," BEST Workers' Union General Secretary Shashank Rao told ANI.

Today in morning the union had meeting with the Mumbai Mayor, who has assured them to accept their one of the important demands to get the employees their salary on 10th of every month.

However, the union is adamant to get their demands accepted in writing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Handloom Day is being observed today to encourage people to use hand-made loom in the country. The main event will be held in Guwahati to celebrate the third Handloom Day.

Central Government has declared August 7 as Handloom Day, to be celebrated every year due to its significance in India's history, as 'Swadeshi Movement' was launched in 1905 on this day. The movement involved revival of domestic products and production processes.

Union Minister of state for Textile Ajay Tamta, Assam Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal and other senior ministers of the state will be attending the main event in Assam.

This event will give a boost to weavers of Assam, who are known for producing Pat and Muga silk. The Assam government has already announced an ambitious Muga Mission to increase production with a cost of 100 crore rupees.

Over one thousand weavers from North East India are expected to participate in the celebration of the National Handloom day in Guwahati.

A documentary on handloom will also be screened on the occasion.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the first National Handloom Day on August 7 in 2015, at a national level function in Chennai.

According to government data, 95 percent of the world's hand woven fabric comes from India. This sector contributes nearly 15 percent of the cloth production in the country. It also contributes to the country's export earnings.

Meanwhile, Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani has said that weavers in the northeast would be given several services through Weavers Service Centres.

Addressing weavers in Guwahati yesterday, Irani said these Services Centres will serve as one-stop centres for various services like banking, passport, insurance, PAN card, Voter ID and Adhaar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Binod Prasad Adhikari

Kathmandu [Nepal], August 8 (ANI): Nepal has asked India and China to show restraint over the continuing border standoff between the two sides and called for a peaceful diplomatic dialogue to solve the issue.

Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister as well as Minister for Foreign Affairs Krishna Bahadur Mahara on Monday called for a peaceful resolution between India and China over the border standoff.

"Nepal has a clear policy. The dispute which is being seen in the border side in Doklam, we wish for peaceful, diplomatic and dialogue to resolve the issue. This is Nepal's policy, this is Nepali perspective. Nepal is not in favor of war and never expects a solution from the war," Mahara said during a press briefing.

Nepal will face dire consequences in case a war between India and China breaks out, halting the trade and supplies from India with whom Nepal shares an open border and commonality.

The trade between Nepal and China is not frequent in comparison with India as there has always been a problem with the transportation from the Northern side.

Mahara, in his briefing, also talked about the upcoming visit of Nepal's newly elected Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's to India.

"We are preparing for the Prime Minister's visit to India. The most potential date for the his visit to India would be from 23rd to 27th August," Mahara said.

Prime Minister Deuba's five-day visit to India is expected to focus on implementing the previous agreements and engagement with the senior Indian politicos.

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 stand-off emerged after the Chinese troops were stopped by the Indian Army from constructing roads along 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.)
Though China continues to maintain neutrality on Pakistan's internal affairs, there are doubts surfacing in Beijing about the over landmark USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative losing momentum and speed because of the current political crisis in Pakistan.

An editorial published in the Dawn has said senior officials in Islamabad, who coordinate with the Chinese side on CPEC, have admitted that the political crisis has hampered the pace of progress, particularly on projects that are already in the pipeline.

The daily quoted a businessman, as saying on condition of anonymity that, "..For CPEC to stay on course, a conducive investment environment is absolutely necessary."

Dr. Nadeem Javed, Chief Economist, Planning Commission, who has admitted to there being a comparative slow down on CPEC, was quoted, as saying "However, security-related issues and Pakistan's weak track record of public project implementation suggests that the pace of execution will be relatively slow."

While insisting that the fortnightly coordination committee on the CPEC meets regularly to monitor progress, Dr. Javed further said, "How can anyone deny that happenings of the past two months (have) distracted the government's attention from the economy and compromised its effectiveness? Yes, we could have covered more ground had we been able to handle the situation better."

He said that while there has been two-way exchanges and travelling by relevant Chinese and Pakistani ministers and officials over the past two months, the private sector in Pakistan has withdrawn into its shell, citing uncertainty.

Dr. Javed said, "The reluctance of local investors is hard to digest. Their attitude might change as plans of nine special economic zones start materializing."

Business leaders have blamed the tilt in policies that suit Chinese investors better for the slow pace of CPEC activity.

"The policy framework is unfair towards locals. In their enthusiasm, policymakers go the extra mile and roll out the red carpets for foreign investors. However, if we ask for what is our due they play deaf", the Dawn quoted a business leader, as saying.

"PM Abbasi may claim what he wants, but hollow words will not instill confidence in the private sector. The government will need to move decisively towards confidence-building measures to motivate local investors," he added.

"Moving forward, continued support for the CPEC project across all branches of government will be critical to its success and full implementation," said Moody's in a current report on the country.

The Chinese Embassy in Islamabad has issued a statement that "hopes that all parties and sections in Pakistan can prioritise state and national interests, properly deal with their domestic affairs, maintain unity and stability and keep focusing on economic and social development.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on chaired a meeting of the opposition on Monday to deliberate the relevance of Article 35 (A), and said that the state is ready to stand up against it.

After the meeting at his residence, Abdullah said in a press conference that Article 35 (A), which provides special rights to the state, might harm the region of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

He said that the Opposition will take up the issue with the common people and ask them for their support.

"We'll tell people about it and raise awareness and make sure that the people stand up against it. Don't forget the Amarnath Yatra attack, people rose overnight; this will be a far greater revolt," he said.

Abdullah also reminded Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti about her promise to step down if 35 (A) is removed.

He added, "It's important for people to know about it as people from other states come in to dilute our culture. The people are the masters and they should be the ones opposing it."

Abdullah also accused the BJP and the RSS of trying to erode the autonomous structure of the state.

Apart from this, the minutes of the meeting, as revealed by a member of the Opposition, include talks on the implementation of the new Goods and Services Tax (GST), and discussions about the current situation prevailing in the Valley.

While it is perceived as a meeting to strengthen the Opposition and achieve greater consensus on these issues, the leaders are expected to discuss and opine on the latest developments in the state, in an attempt to instigate pressure on the ruling PDP-BJP government.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday warned against meddling with Article 35(A) of the Constitution

She said, "Any tinkering with the article will not be acceptable," she said. "I will not hesitate in saying that nobody will even carry the corpse of the flag in Kashmir [if the article is scrapped]."

She further said that opposing Article 35(A) would mean "weakening the forces who have accepted India". "They make efforts to integrate Jammu and Kashmir with India with respect and dignity," Mufti said. "You are weakening them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Members of Gujarat's Koli community met and greeted President Ramnath Kovind and his wife on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan on Monday. President Kovind hails from the same community.

A delegation of 116 women and 27 men, representing the Koli Samaj in Gujarat, tied the traditional 'rakhi' on the hands of both President Kovind and his wife, Savita Kovind.

The Koli community refers to a section of people belonging to the Other Backward Classes or OBC faction, a huge chunk of which lives in Gujarat.

The appointment of President Kovind was seen in the light of garnering votes from this community, as he was hailed to be the leading figure for them. Media reports even suggested that President Kovind was the head of the Akhil Bharatiya Koli Samaj.

On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, the festival celebrating the love and duty between brothers and sisters, President Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended their greetings to the nation.

The two leaders took to twitter to convey their greetings to the nation on this auspicious occasion.

Earlier, few widows from Vrindavan and students from various schools welcomed the festival by tying home-made rakhis for Prime Minister Modi at his official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg.

Meanwhile, in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his son Lokesh on Monday celebrated Raksha Bandhan with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) women leaders.

Cabinet minister Paritala Sunita, Mrunalini, Peetala Sujata, Zilla Parishat Chairperson G Anuradha, Brahamakumaries took part in the celebration.

In a symbolic gesture of extending gratitude to Prime Minister Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for their efforts towards ending the practice of triple Talaq, Muslim women from Lucknow sent Rakhis for the two leaders, wishing them to continue the good work they initiated.

"Prime Minister Modi and CM Yogi have supported us in our fight against triple talaq and played the role of being a brother. Because of that we all have decided that we will also take the responsibility of being their sister by sending rakhis to our brother PM Modi Ji and CM Yogi ji," one of the Muslim women told ANI.

Carrying the photographs of both the leaders, Muslim women sitting at Imambada said, "Maulana did not support us, our voices were suppressed but PM Modi, CM Yogi stood by us and raised their voices against this issue. I say, what Modi is doing for the country is very good. What he is doing for women, especially for Muslim women, is very good. We also hope that our brothers will be with us in future as well, we pray for them that Allah will make their efforts even better."

In another part of the state, students from Moradabad made a 100- feet long 'Rakhi' for the Indian soldiers at the border, depicting the culture of every state and unity of every religion.

Similarly, school girls in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district celebrated Raksha Bandhan with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldiers deployed for Amarnath Yatra security.

The students from Poonch Sector visited the CRPF camp of 137 Bn Udhampur to tie rakhi to the soldiers deployed for the security of Amarnath Yatra from the last 40 days.

Raksha bandhan means "bond of protection". On this day, a sister ties a rakhi (sacred thread) on her brother's wrist with a prayer for his prosperity and happiness. This symbolises the sister's love. In return, the brother gives her a gift and a promise to protect her.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sex is one of the most basic physiological needs.

But millions of people spend at least some of their adulthood not having sex.

People who have more sex report higher self-esteem, life satisfaction and quality of life. In contrast, lower frequency of sex and avoiding sex are linked to psychological distress, anxiety, depression and relationship problems, reports CNN.

Researcher, Alfred Kinsey found that up to 19 percent of adults do not engage in sex.

This varies by gender and marriage status, with nearly no married males going without sex for a long duration.

Other research also confirms that women more commonly avoid sex than men. In fact, up to 40 percent of women avoid sex some time in their lives.

Pain during sex and low libido are big issues.

The gender differences start early. More teenage females than teenage males abstain from sex.

Women also are more likely to avoid sex because of childhood sexual abuse. Pregnant women fear miscarriage or harming the fetus and can also refuse sex because of lack of interest and fatigue.

The most common reasons for men avoiding sex are erectile dysfunction, chronic medical conditions and lack of opportunity.

For example, heart disease patients often avoid sex because they are afraid of a heart attack. Other research has shown the same for individuals with cerebrovascular conditions, such as a stroke.

Chronic pain diminishes the pleasure of the sexual act and directly interferes by limiting positions.

The depression and stress it causes can get in the way, as can certain medications for chronic pain.

Metabolic conditions such as diabetes and obesity reduce sexual activity.

In fact, diabetes hastens sexual decline in men by as much as 15 years. Large body mass and poor body image ruin intimacy, which is core to the opportunity for having sex.

Personality disorders, addiction and substance abuse and poor sleep quality all play major roles in sexual interest and abilities.

Many medications, such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs, reduce libido and sexual activity, and, as a result, increase the risk of sexual avoidance.

Finally, low levels of testosterone for men and low levels of dopamine and serotonin in men and women can play a role.

Few people talk with their doctors about their sexual problems. Indeed, at least half of all medical visits do not address sexual issues.

Embarrassment, cultural and religious factors, and lack of time may hold some doctors back from asking about the sex lives of their patients. Some doctors feel that addressing sexual issues creates too much closeness to the patient. Others think talking about sexuality will take too much time.

Yet while some doctors may be afraid to ask about sex with patients, research has shown that patients appear to be willing to provide a response if asked.

This means that their sexual problems are not being addressed unless the doctor brings it up.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday announced it will support the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat. This has come as a major blow to Congress, which had announced having the support of the NCP.

NCP leader Kandhal Jadeja said that his party has decided to support the saffron outfit.

"Our party has asked us to support BJP in tomorrow's RS elections," Jadeja said.

However, Congress' candidate Ahmed Patel earlier in the day said that the NCP is extending its support to him.

"The NCP has said that it will support Congress in the Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat," Patel said.

The Gujarat Rajya Sabha election is slated to be held Tuesday for three seats.

The BJP has fielded party president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Balwantsinh Rajput.



ALSO READ: Edge of the seat Rajya Sabha contest likely in Gujarat today

The state has been witnessing political upheaval in the recent past. The political temperature in the state had risen when six Congress MLAs joined BJP. The Congress accused BJP of horse-trading and sent its 44 MLAs from Gujarat to Bengaluru since on July 29 to prevent their possible poaching by the ruling BJP ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections.

The Income Tax department raided Bengaluru's Eagleton Resort, which belonged to Karnataka's Energy Minister DK Shivakumar. The Congress alleged resort was raided because its 44 MLAs were staying there.

All the Gujarat Congress MLAs returned back to the state earlier in the day.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue Rakesh Sinha on Monday compared the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to .

Speaking to ANI here, Rakesh Sinha said, "The kind of attack and violence the CP(M) are perpetuating in Kerala makes them no different than talibanis."

Claiming that the pattern of killings that have been happening in Kerala is distinct, Sinha said that the CP(M) are killing Dalit activists because they are dejecting them and coming to RSS.

"Attack against Rajesh is not a mere killing of an RSS worker, but a message to Dalits, who constitute 9.2 percent of Kerala's population, that they cannot choose party and ideology according to their choice," he added.

Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday met the grieving family members of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker Rajesh Edavakode, who was killed during a political clash in Kozhikode.

A series of clashes between CPI (M) and the BJP-RSS activists had rocked Thiruvananthapuram last month in which the 34-year-old RSS worker was murdered in Kozhikode.

Earlier, the RSS urged the Central and state Government to take strict actions towards bringing this series of murders to an end in Kerala.

"Centre must intervene in state sponsored violence in Kerala," said RSS Joint General Secretary.

Dattatreya Hosabale RSS also passed a resolution in RSS Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal meet regarding these attacks on the RSS by CPM cadres in the state.

Eight suspects were detained in connection with the murder.

Earlier Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the murder and called for an all-party meeting on August 6 regarding the same.

He said that party offices and workers' houses can't be attacked and political parties should be more vigilant and ask workers to keep away from such incidents.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had called on Vijayan to nab the perpetrators and bring them to justice expeditiously.

He even requested the Chief Minister to curb the political violence in the state and said, "I expect that the political violence in Kerala is curbed and that the perpetrators are brought to justice expeditiously."

The Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on July 4 issued notice to Kerala Government over growing incidents of political violence in the state and sought a report on the issue within four weeks.

The Commission also asked the State Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to take effective measures to stop such incidents.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Russian Foreign Ministry has said that they are ready to normalise talks only if the U.S. gives up the confrontational line.

"Naturally, such actions [the US sanctions], including the illegal seizure of our diplomatic property since December last year, could not be left unanswered. This will be in this way from now on. At the same time, we are ready to normalize the dialogue, if Washington gives up the confrontational line," Tass news agency quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement on Sunday.

The statement came after a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the sidelines of the ASEAN regional forum in Manila.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he had a lengthy meeting with the US Secretary of State during which he explained Tillerson about Moscow's counter-measures in response to U.S sanctions.

"He wanted to know, first of all, and he started with this, the details of those decisions, which we had had to take in response to the law on anti-Russian sanctions adopted in the US Congress. We gave these explanations," Lavrov said.

Few days back, United States President Donald Trump had said that his country's relationship with Russia is at all time "dangerous low."

"Our relationship with Russia is at an all-time & very dangerous low. You can thank Congress, the same people that can't even give us HCare!," Trump tweeted.

Earlier, Trump had signed a bill overwhelmingly approved by the Congress that imposed new sanctions on Russia.

The sanctions bill targets Russia's mining and oil industry and aims to punish the country for interfering in the 2016 presidential election as well for its military aggression in Ukraine.

The U.S. lawmakers on Thursday passed a legislation imposing new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea and that will now head to the President Donald Trump's desk for his signature.

The bill was approved overwhelmingly by the Senators 98-2 and that gives Congress new powers to block Trump from easing sanctions. It passed the House on Tuesday 419-3.

This is one of the first major bipartisan pieces of legislation passed during Trump's presidency.

"Since this bill was first introduced, I have expressed my concerns to Congress about the many ways it improperly encroaches on Executive power, disadvantages American companies, and hurts the interests of our European allies. My Administration has attempted to work with Congress to make this bill better," Trump said on signing the "Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act".

"We have made progress and improved the language to give the Treasury Department greater flexibility in granting routine licenses to American businesses, people, and companies. The improved language also reflects feedback from our European allies - who have been steadfast partners on Russia sanctions - regarding the energy sanctions provided for in the legislation. The new language also ensures our agencies can delay sanctions on the intelligence and defense sectors, because those sanctions could negatively affect American companies and those of our allies," the statement added.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev described the US sanctions as a "full-fledged economic war" on Moscow and said that Washington has crushed hopes for repairing the estranged ties.

"It is regrettable that the law on sanctions against Russia has come into effect in the United States. Its very title - "Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act" - speaks for itself. Its initiators are trying to impress on the US public a certain image of our country. This is a very short-sighted and even dangerous policy fraught with undermining stability for which Moscow and Washington bear special responsibility," Russia's Information and Press Department said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former deputy chief minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday urged the Chandigarh administration to take strong action against Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Subhash Barala's son, who is accused of stalking daughter of an IAS officer.

Urging for stringent cognizance, Badal said that a case of such serious nature should be dealt carefully and the charges in the matter should not be diluted.

"Chandigarh admininistration should take strong action. Whoever the person is, what they have done is very bad. No charge should be diluted, it's a very serious case," said Badal.

However, the BJP earlier today dismissed reports of Subhash Barala's resignation, after his son, Vikas Barala, was arrest and later let off by police in a stalking case.

"BJP Haryana Chief Subhash Barala has not resigned. The matter is related to his son. The law will take its own course," BJP sources revealed.

Earlier, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar too opined that the incident had no involvement of Subhash Barala. However, he assured that the accused, of found guilty, will be punished.

"I have complete faith on the Chandigarh Police. Justice will prevail. The accused will be punished once found guilty. This is my official stand on this matter. This case has nothing to do with Subhash Barala. Such act is highly condemnable if proved correct," the Chief Minister told the media.

A case was registered by the Chandigarh Police against Vikas and other youth under Section 354 D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 185 (Motor Vehicle Act) of the CRPC on the basis of complaint filed by the woman.

In the latest development, the CCTV footage of five cameras reportedly went missing, thus resulting in further criticism of the BJP-led state government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A group of terrorists tried to snatch rifle of a bank guard at Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam.

The guard resisted and foiled the attempt.

The security forces have launched the search operation to nab the terrorists.

Earlier in the day, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Umer of Abu Ismail group was killed in an encounter with the security forces in Samboora area of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Role of Umer in different crimes committed by Abu Ismail group is being ascertained.

One AK 47 rifle was recovered from the encounter site.

Awantipora Police, 50 RR and CRPF jointly participated in the encounter.

In wake of the gunfight, authorities blocked the internet services in Pulwama as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order in the district.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Donald Trump spoke to South Korean President Moon Jae-in and expressed his happiness after the United Nation Security Council backed sanctions on North Korea over its missile tests with 15-0.

Trump took to his Twitter handle to inform about the same.

"Just completed call with President Moon of South Korea. Very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions (sic)," Trump tweeted.

Just completed call with President Moon of South Korea. Very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017

Earlier, with 15 votes in favour, Russia and China backed the US-drafted resolution 2371 which was passed unanimously.

Ahead of the vote, Russia's UN envoy, Vasily Nebenzya, called on Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear and missile programs and to return to a non-proliferation regime.

Moscow and Beijing had previously blocked the passage of a similar resolution, insisting that the Chinese-Russian "double freezing" initiative was the sensible solution for the region, Russia Today reported.

Apart from calling for dialogue, the Russian and Chinese envoys reiterated the need to scrap America's THAAD deployment in South Korea, and urged Seoul and Washington to halt military drills in the peninsula.

The sanctions will slash North Korea's annual export revenue of $3 billion by more than a third, according to a statement from the office of Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations.

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On the auspicious occasion of Raksha-bandhan on Monday, while the whole nation is enjoying the brother sister festival, some widows from Vrindavan tied Prime Minister Narendra Modi home-made rakhis at his official residence in Delhi's Lok Kalyan Marg.

A widow, while speaking to AN, said, "We were very happy to tie the Prime Minister home-made rakhis on his wrist. We have invited him to come to Vrindavan. We poured our blessings on him."

She further shared that it was a wonderful experience for them to celebrate the festival with Prime Minister Modi in a peaceful ambience.

Besides, there were some school students who too tied Prime Minister Modi home-made rakhis.

A student from RBS International School, Anjali, asserted that she was very happy to meet the Prime Minister for the first time.

She further expressed, "The works and contribution by the Prime Minister for the development and self dignity of Indian women is highly appreciable and we as Indians would always extend our support towards the betterment of the nation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Through its Dubai based subsidiary - Asian Oilfield & Energy Services

Asian Oilfield Services announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Asian Oilfield & Energy Services DMCC, Dubai has received a Letter of Intent (LOI) for a contract of US$ 20 million from Stratum Energy Romania, LLC for acquisition of 730 sq km of 3D Seismic Data in EV-1 Moinesti Block in onshore Romania. This LOI is subject to the parties concluding a contract with mutually acceptable terms.

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Autoline Industries rose 13.13% to Rs 83.55 at 11:29 IST on BSE after the company said it entered into an agreement to sell its manufacturing unit in Pimpri, Pune.

The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 4 August 2017.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 28.31 points, or 0.09% to 32,353.72.

On the BSE, 2.14 lakh shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volumes of 24,980 shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 84.50 so far during the day, which is also a 52-week high for the counter. The stock had hit a low of Rs 76.15 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 44 on 22 November 2016.

The stock had outperformed the market over the past one month till 4 August 2017, rising 32.82% compared with 3.05% rise in the Sensex. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 24.01% as against Sensex's 8.26% rise. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one year, rising 44.95% as against Sensex's 15.13% rise.

The small-cap company has equity capital of Rs 16.03 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

Autoline Industries said it will utilise the sale proceeds to settle the debt that has a charge on the Pimpri land holding and reduce overall debt exposure of the company. The activities of the company's Pimpri unit will now shift to its Chakan facility in Pune, it said.

The company believes that the consolidation of facilities will accrue substantial operational efficiency, cost savings, and smoothening of supply chain management by utilizing the available resources in Chakan Unit.

On a consolidated basis, Autoline Industries reported net loss of Rs 2.64 crore in Q4 March 2017 as against net loss of Rs 1.24 crore in Q4 March 2016. Net sales rose 26.06% to Rs 109.22 crore in Q4 March 2017 over Q4 March 2016.

Autoline Industries is an engineering and auto ancillary company, manufacturing sheet metal components, sub-assemblies and assemblies, foot control modules, parking brakes, hinges, cab stay and cab tilt, exhaust systems, tubular structures, fabrications, etc. for large original equipment manufactures in the automobile industry.

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Bank of Baroda (BOB) said that its board on 5 August 2017, approved issuance of AT-1 Capital Bonds compliant with Basel III Capital Regulations of the Reserve Bank of India for minimum amount of Rs 500 crore with Green Shoe Option of total issuance not to exceed Rs 1500 crore. This is within overall Board approved limit of Rs 3000 crore for AT-1 Bonds, filed with the stock exchanges on 27 May 2017. The announcement was made on Saturday, 5 August 2017.

Separately, BOB announced on Saturday, 5 August 2017 that it has decided to keep its marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) at the existing level in between 8.1% and 8.65% for tenors ranging from overnight to five years with effect from 7 August 2017.

IndusInd Bank said it has recently inaugurated its first branch in Faridkot, Punjab. With the inauguration of this branch, the bank now has 101 branches in the state of Punjab. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 4 August 2017.

Wipro announced the availability of Data Discovery Platform, its big data analytics-as-a-service solution on Microsoft Azure. The solution accelerates insight-driven decision making through pre-built applications for specific industries, such as banking and financial services, retail, energy, education and manufacturing. The announcement was made before market hours today, 7 August 2017.

Maruti Suzuki India announced that its total production rose 14.78% to 1.56 lakh units in July 2017 over July 2016. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 4 August 2017.

ONGC said it has bought 80% Participating Interest (PI) and operatorship in NELP-III Block KG-OSN-2001/3 (Block) of Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) in Krishna Godavari Basin offshore. GSPC remains in the Block holding 10% PI which it acquired from the outgoing partner Geo Global Resources and other partner in the block is Jubilant Offshore Drilling with 10% PI. The announcement was made after market hours on Friday, 4 August 2017.

ONGC and GSPC had entered into a Farm-in- Farm-out Agreement (FIFO) on 10 March 2017 to firm up the methodology and modus operandi to give effect to this transaction.

Following approval of Government of India for transfer of PI and Operatorship as per provisions of the Production Sharing Contract, ONGC on Friday, 4 August 2017 has taken over the Block against a purchase consideration of $995.26 million for Deen Dayal West Field in the Block. ONGC has also made an advance payment of $200 million to GSPC in respect of future consideration for six discoveries other than Deen Dayal West Field, which will be adjusted upon valuation of the these discoveries subsequent to approval of their Field Development Plan by Management Committee of the Block.

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On 12 August 2017

Hindusthan National Glass & Inds. will hold a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company on 12 August 2017, to approve the Un-audited Fiancial Results for the quarter ended 30th June, 2017

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Around 200 migrants managed to breach the border fence that separates Morocco from Spain, security forces said on Monday.

Border guards were deployed along the fence after warnings were issued that a mass breach attempt could take place, but they were taken by surprise when at 6 a.m. (local time) the migrants managed to cross the official checkpoint in the region of Ceuta, reports Efe news.

Although official figures are yet to be made available by the immigration office, it is estimated that around 200 people formed part of the group that managed to enter Spain's North African enclave.

A week ago, following a period of relative calm since February, some 73 migrants breached the border fence, while guards managed to prevent another group of 300 persons who were preparing to enter the Spanish territory.

--IANS

ksk/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The 40-day-long Amarnath Yatra ended on Monday with the arrival of the 'Chari Mubarak' (Lord Shiva's Mace) at the cave shrine where final prayers were performed.

Swami Dipendra Giri, the custodian of the Holy Mace, reached the shrine. A small group of devotees who had reached the Baltal base camp in the northern part of the Kashmir Valley on Sunday also reached the shrine on Monday.

This year around 2.60 lakh pilgrims performed the pilgrimage, up from 2.30 lakh last year.

This year, 48 pilgrims lost their lives: 17 in a road accident and eight in a terror attack while 23 died due to natural causes.

The pilgrimage started on June 29 and concluded on Monday on Shravan Purnima coinciding with Raksha Bandhan festival.

Situated at 3,888 metres above sea level, the shrine houses an ice stalagmite structure that waxes and wanes with the size of the visible moon.

Devotees believe the ice stalagmite structure symbolizes mythical powers of Lord Shiva.

During the pilgrimage, the cave is approached by pilgrims either through the 46-km-long traditional Pahalagam-Chandanwari-Sheshnag-Panchtarni trek or through the 14-km-long Baltal-Dumail trek.

More than 35,000 security personnel drawn from the Army, the CRPF, the ITBP, the SSB and Jammu and Kashmir Police were deployed this year.

--IANS

sq/mr

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Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Bimal Jalan says anti-defection law should be amended to reduce the built-in incentive for the fragmentation of parties and to improve governance by making members to seek re-election if they switch sides.

He also feels it is of utmost importance that the anti-defection law be made applicable to all parties and so-called Independent members who choose to join a coalition government in power.

"In other words, parties that join a coalition should not be able to defect without having to seek re-election. Such an amendment to the anti-defection law will go a long way in strengthening the principle of collective responsibility of the cabinet to the people, as enshrined in the Constitution," says Jalan in his book "India: Priorities for the Future" published by Penguin.

Under the present consitutional provisions, Jalan says, as a consequence of amendments carried out in 1985 and in 2013 to prevent defections, now there is also a "built-in perverse incentive" for the fragmentation of political parties at the time of election.

This is because the smaller a party, the greater the ability of an individual legislator to defect to another party in search of political power. Thus, for example a member elected from large national party has very little discretion to defect without the support of a substantial number of other members who also wished to defect.

Jalan, who was a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from 2003 to 2009, says that, however, if the same person is a member of a small party of five or ten members, a consensus to defect among all of them or only three or four of them, and switch from one coalition to another, is easier to achieve.

"The same is true of the so-called 'Independent' members who are supported by some political party during elections. In a situation where multi-party coalitions are the norm, all regional or caste leaders with a handfull of constituencies naturally have a much greater incentive to form their own separate parties rather than join a large party," he says.

In the Lok Sabha, with 543 elected members, a party with, say 10 or 15 members (even less), can join the government, enjoy ministerial berths and then delay or help in amending a cabinet decision on an important policy measure.

Similarly, he says, a party with even three or four seats can join the government and choose the portfolio it wishes. If things don't work out, any small party or a combination of such parties can threaten to leave the government and destablise it.

Referring to the functioning of Parliament, Jalan, who was Reserve Bank of India Governor between 1997 and 2003, says it does not matter whether Parliament meets or not because even during disruptions what the government wants to do is anyway done regardless, in one way or the other.

"The responsibility of the executive to the legislature is also largely a myth and is of no particular consequence. There are, of course, occassions and debates in Parliament on important national issues or of exceptionally high quality, and the government is responsive to the concerns expressed by members in Parliament (for example, in respect of Goods and Services Tax in 2016-17)," he says.

Jalan also suggests some steps for implementing the strict rules of business in Parliament which should not be violated. He says, in theory the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha have powers to expel a member from the House or suspend him or her.

But these powers have seldom been exercised. A convention has been developed whereby the house can be adjourned several times during a day in the event of disruption by a few members.

He feels it may be specifically provided, by legislation, that either house of Parliament cannot be disrupted more than twice in a week unless the listed business, including carried over business from previous occassions, has been completed after full discussion as scheduled.

Jalan also says no bill or legislative business should be approved by a voice vote. Is should be made compulsory to adopt all Bills after division and counting of votes. It should be made compulsory for the Budget and the Finance Bill to be passed only after consideration by standing committees of Parliament concerned.

The Speaker and the Chairman, he says, should be required mandatorily to suspend or expel the members who frequently disrupt the house.

About criminals in politics, Jalan says, a related urgent political reform is to reduce the attractiveness of as a career of choice by persons with criminal records.

The per cent incentive for persons who have criminal cases pending in higher courts of appeal should be effectively reversed by giving such cases the highest priority if the person concerned is actually elected to Parliament or state legislatures. Fast settlement of such cases would provide relief to persons with criminal charges who are actually innocent.

And those who are actually guilty may choose not to contest elections so that they are in a position to delay hearings through normal legal procedures, says Jalan.

--IANS

aks/vsc/vd/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
On the occasion of Rakshabandhan on Monday, a string of celebrities, including Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Manoj Bajpayee and Farah Khan, wished their siblings and fans a year full of love and happiness.

Here is what Bollywood personalities had to say:

Amitabh Bachchan: On the auspicious occasion of Rakshabandhan, wishing all our brothers and sisters a most wonderful day of love protection and blessings.

Anupam Kher: On the occasion of Rakshabandhan, I give you all a lots of love. This day may be celebrated just one day, but follow this on all 365 days.

Manoj Bajpayee: A very happy Rakshabandhan.

Farah Khan: Brothers and sisters, the friends God chose for you.

Mallika Sherawat: Happy Rakshabandhan to my brother Vikram Lamba, thank you for being my pillar of strength, you are the best brother in the whole world. Happy Rakhi.

Ashoke Pandit: Happy Rakshabandhan day.

Sunil Grover: Raksha Bandhan ki badhai sab ko bahot bahot (A very happy Rakshabandhan to all)! Along with our sisters let's respect others' sister too. Girls are precious.

Kailash Kher: Happy (Rakshabandhan) to all good humanity... May the aesthetics of relation and bond be as pure as purity. May the dignity of such festival grow more meaningful and higher. May our tradition lifestyle be less questionable by coming generations. Love to all.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Well-known cinematographer Binod Pradhan, popular for his work in films such as "Rang De Basanti" and "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag", will be making his Malayalam debut with upcoming film "Kayamkulam Kochunni", based on the life of Kerala's most dreaded thief.

To be directed by Roshan Andrrews, the film stars Nivin Pauly as Kochunni, popularly known as Kerala's Robin Hood in the 1990s.

"The principal shooting starts from next month in Udupi. Binod Pradhan will crank the camera. The rest of the technical crew is in the process of being finalised," a source from the film's unit told IANS.

Amala Paul and debutante Priyanka are playing the female leads.

"Amala's character played a pivotal role in Kochunni's life. She doesn't play his love interest but is remembered for her contribution," the source said.

On the career front, Nivin currently awaits the release of his Tamil film "Richie" and Malayalam film "Hey Jude".

He is also set to commence work on another Malayalam film called "Kairali", based on the disappearance of Kerala's biggest cargo ship.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A month after Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress expelled its six Tripura legislators, they formally joined BJP on Monday in presence of ministers from the Union and Assam governments.

Sudip Roy Barman, Ashish Kumar Saha, Diba Chandra Hrangkhawl, Biswa Bandhu Sen, Pranjit Singh Roy and Dilip Sarkar, accompanied by hundreds of former Trinamool leaders and workers, joined at a meeting where Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and a host of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders were present.

"With the joining of six MLAs, for the first time, the BJP has not only got lawmakers in the house but also become the largest opposition group there," said Tripura unit President Biplab Kumar Deb.

He expressed confidence that his party would win all the state's 60 assembly seats in the February 2018 assembly elections.

On Saturday, the MLAs led by Barman met BJP President Amit Shah in New Delhi and finalised their entry into the party.

Barman said: "We left Congress last year and joined Trinamool to strengthen Mamata Banerjee's hand to fight against the CPI-M led Left parties. But 'Didi' (as Banerjee is popularly known) has changed her stand and now become soft to the Left Front.

"We have on a number of occasions told Mamata Banerjee not to see BJP as the enemy. Since student life, we are fighting against the CPI-M, how can we change our stand now?"

The six had resigned from the Congress in June last year and joined the Trinamool to protest the Congress' electoral alliance with the Left for the 2016 West Bengal assembly elections.

They had, along with rebel Congress legislator Ratanlal Nath, also voted for National Democratic Alliance's Presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind.

A BJP leader said that Sarma, a former Congressman who joined BJP before the Assam elections and is convener of the BJP-led Democratic Alliance, facilitated these MLAs' entry into the BJP. "Ratanlal Nath will also join the BJP soon," he added.

The Congress has already served a show-cause notice to Nath for "anti-party activities and meeting BJP leaders" and according to party sources, he may be expelled soon.

Nath, however, has been evading queries about his joining the BJP though he has meeting its leaders, including Amit Shah, for the past several months.

(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.)
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were "isolated" in the state with no support from the people.

"The BJP and RSS is an isolated system in Kerala. They are trying to become a major political party but people (have) rejected them. That is a reality in Kerala," Vijayan told NDTV.

A war of words has been going on between the BJP and the CPI-M, with the two blaming each other for the violence involving cadres of both the parties in the state.

Congress MLAs on Monday disrupted the proceedings of the state assembly over rising political violence involving the ruling CPI-M as well as the BJP and RSS.

Vijayan accused the "BJP-RSS people" of propagating lies and said the government has appealed to all political parties "including BJP and CPI-M" to cooperate with the government's measures to maintain peace in the state.

"People of Kerala are aware this is a malicious campaign... This is not a campaign against LDF (Left Democratic Front), this is against Kerala, the most peaceful state... The Congress is joining them for political gains," he said.

"We have also appealed to all political parties to take utmost vigil to ensure that their followers are not indulging in violence. There may be criminal elements who have cut into all political parties," he said.

Earlier, Vijayan told the assembly that violence had taken place in Kerala in the past also but this time "lies are being spread... with a purpose.

"What must be noted is that the police have acted swiftly. They have taken into custody all the perpetrators involved in the attacks -- both at the state BJP office and those behind the killing of the RSS worker," he said.

On radicalisation of Muslim youth in the state, Vijayan said the police with the help of central agencies was "closely watching the developments" and that religious fundamentalism would be defeated with the strength of secularism.

"There are a few cases of young people absconding from their places and landing up in Afghanistan or some other countries. The police are taking stringent measures to prevent it with the support of central agencies including the NIA.

"Police are closely watching the developments. In fact religious fundamentalism has misled these youngsters and trapped them. People should be vigilant about such tendencies... Because of the strength of secularism in Kerala we can face this and defeat them."

Vijayan also defended his government's decision to ease the liquor licence norms in the state, saying a total ban was not in the interest of the state or the country.

"There was no total ban on liquor in our state when we came to power. The UDF government limited bar licence only to five star hotels. We have decided to give licences to to foreign five star hotels too.

"The Left parties in the LDF are not for total prohibition. Because nowhere in the country or the world it was successful. It will promote illicit liquor and drugs. The restriction will affect our tourism as well as hospitality in our state. We have eased norms," he said.
FMCG major Britannia Industries plans to set up its largest plant at Ranjangaon Food Park in Maharashtra with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore, a company official said on Monday.

"The company is planning to set up its largest plant at the Ranjangaon Food Park...," company Chairman Nusli Wadia told shareholders at the 98th Annual General Meeting here.

Addressing a press conference here, the company's Managing Director Varun Berry later said: "We have made application to Maharashtra government and we are looking at a mega food park.

"It (plant) would be made with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore and the investment would go in for four to five years."

To start with, the plant will have six biscuits lines, one cake line and one filled croissants line, Berry said.

The biscuit maker is also looking at putting up a plant in Nepal and Rs 55 crore would be invested in the Himalayan country, he said.

The company entered into a joint venture agreement with Chipita S.A., a Greek company, for the manufacture and sale of ready-to-eat filled croissants which is a very large category in certain countries demographically similar to India.

According to the company's latest annual report, it will continue to scout for many such profitable growth opportunities to ensure that it stays ahead of the market while transforming itself into a total foods company.

Wadia said that the focus of the company would be on investments on new products and cost reduction. He also said that the company was planning to set up a dairy project.

Berry said progress in the dairy project was to the tune of 85 per cent.

"If we have dairy back-in, it is going to be Ranjangaon," he said adding that the belt is known as the highest cow milk producer across the country.

According to Berry, the company acquired 96 acres of land for the Ranjangaon project and is looking at another 48 acres.

The company remains committed to the strategy of strengthening its position in bastion categories - biscuit, cake, rusk and bread, the report said.

Wadia said the company has the higher ratio for own manufacturing as compared to third party manufacturing.

Presently, own manufacturing constitutes about 55 per cent and in two years' time, it is expected to be 65 per cent.

The report also said a greenfield plant was underway in Assam.

To improve the company's competitiveness in the international market, a greenfield project in the Mundra Special Economic Zone was being put up and was expected to be commissioned in the coming year, it added.

Berry said the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has had short term impact in June and July.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The two most significant arguments that noted commentator on international affairs, Meghnad Desai, makes in his latest book are that the year 2016 witnessed the collapse of the Liberal Order -- liberty, freedom and free trade, among others -- and that there are a lot of similarities between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the US President Donald Trump.

Titled "Politicshock: Trump, Modi, Brexit and the Prospect for Liberal Democracy", (Rupa Publications/ Rs595/ 200 Pages) the book analyses Trump and Modi and other "outsiders" who have come to the fore not as "freaks but as results of systematic forces" -- economic, social, political and cultural -- who will now shape the critical destiny of the time that we live in.

"Liberal Order reached its fullness in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is obviously a Western dream, a North Atlantic philosophy but some sort of freedom was realised. By and large, people coming together and agreeing on major things and only differing on minor things is what defined the liberal order. That is what got threatened in 2016 through its numerous surprises," Desai told IANS in an interview before listing a series of events, particularly Brexit and the victory of Donald Trump.

He also said that Brexit was much more than just a referendum. It was something in which the "outsiders" came and won against the liberal elite. "These outsiders," he elaborated, "were always there but the mainstream media failed to recognise their potential and misunderstood the appeal of things like Brexit to them."

But what makes Liberal Order so significant to the contemporary times?

"My book also examines whether the Liberal Order was as good as it claims to be. It also explores the reasons why it is threatened. Since 1991, human rights are being asserted, things like transgender identities, gay rights and other similar things are being honoured. Of course, equality has not been achieved, but at least in our language and behaviour we are expected to respect diverse identities as equals. That is the fundamental idea of Liberal Order," Desai, a Labour Peer in the British House of Lords, elaborated.

A significant chunk of the book has been dedicated to chronicling the life, decisions and prospects of two contemporary leaders -- Trump and Modi. Desai argues that there is a lot in common between them but yet they are two totally different people.

The major connecting link between the two is "the brutality with which they were greeted by the mainstream media" when they entered the race for the highest seats in their respective countries, he added.

"I could see the parallel between the fact that the media was almost unanimously trashing down Donald Trump and Modi faced the same sort of things when he started off his Lok Sabha campaign. We forget how vicious the media was in 2013 to Mr Modi. He was called a fascist and compared to Hitler. It is a very parallel comparison because there you have a very successful businessman, a very adept television producer, a publicist. Why didn't the people recognise that the way his campaign was carried out was sufficiently planned?" he asked.

Desai maintained that they are both outsiders in the sense that "all the well-spoken people were against them" while they had an appeal among the masses. He, however, agreed that on the personal level they are "two different people" with "very different" lifestyles.

But despite all the similarities that have been drawn between the two leaders, why has India not been able to strike major trade dealss with the US under Trump?

"The President of the United States is a very powerful person. He can push the nuclear button but he cannot make Congress change its mind on trade policies. America has a very strict separation of powers. On most occasions, it is Congress that takes the call on trade relations. India-US trade negotiations will highly depend on the US Congress agreeing with Trump. Secondly, these are early days to reach a conclusion," he contended.

In this perceptive book, Desai, a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour, also analyses Asia's challenge to Western hegemony and asks if the conventional wisdom about the hegemony of free trade liberalism needs re-examination.

(Saket Suman can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Thiruvananthapuram district and sessions court on Monday denied bail to Congress legislator M. Vincent, arrested on charges of sexually harassing and stalking a 51-year-old woman.

Vincent, a first-time legislator representing the Kovalam assembly constituency in the district, was arrested on July 22 and sent to 14 days judicial custody.

A trial court had earlier denied bail to the legislator last month, after which he had approached the district court.

As in the trial court, the prosecution expressed fear that if Vincent was given bail, he could harm the victim as he was an influential politician.

This is the first time a legislator in Kerala has been arrested for sexual harassment.

Vincent and his party have accused the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist and its leaders of framing him and this issue is all set to reverberate in the assembly, whose session began on Monday.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress MLAs disrupted the proceedings of the Kerala Assembly on Monday over rising political violence in the state involving the ruling CPI-M as well as the BJP and RSS.

The Speaker adjourned the opening day of the session soon after Question Hour as Congress members reached the House with banners to highlight the ongoing violent clashes in the state.

Senior Congress member K. Muraleedharan sought leave for an adjournment motion to discuss how the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were destroying peace and tranquillity in the state.

Muraleedharan said there appeared to be some sort of a pact between the two parties. He said the political violence had helped the BJP to increase its profile.

"The BJP state unit, which is struggling to save its face in the wake of a scam, got a new lease of life when CPI-M workers ransacked their office and then killed an RSS worker," he said. "And Governor (P. Sathasivam) finally summoned Chief Minister (Pinarayi Vijayan)."

Vijayan said canards were being spread about the situation in Kerala.

"Violence has taken place in our state in the past also but this time lies are being spread and this is being done with a purpose," he said.

"What must be noted is that the police have acted swiftly. They have taken into custody all the perpetrators involved in the attacks -- both at the state BJP office and those behind the killing of the RSS worker," he said.

The Chief Minister also presented a few cases from the rest of the country where Muslims have been killed by what he said were "communal forces".

Hitting back, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said it was strange to hear Vijayan mention the killings of Muslims while feigning ignorance about killings in Kerala by his own party.

"Did you speak a word after Rahul Gandhi was attacked in Gujarat? You should see everything in totality and that you are not able to do is because you behave like a CPI-M leader only -- when you should have risen to the level of a statesman," the Congress leader said.

"What's happening in Kerala is a stage-managed event launched by the BJP and the CPI-M and we have strongly opposed the manner in which the Governor summoned you.

"In West Bengal, the Chief Minister refused to meet the Governor while you met the Governor. It was a shame for Kerala to see you sitting before the Governor. You and your government have been a miserable failure on all fronts," said Chennithala amidst thumping of desks.

When Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan refused to take up the issue for debate, the opposition was up on its feet and shouted slogans.

The Speaker rushed through the listed business for the day and adjourned the House for the day.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress on Monday said it was confident of party nominee Ahmed Patel's win in Tuesday's Rajya Sabha polls from Gujarat, despite the BJP's attempts to lure MLAs through money, power and threats.

"BJP, by adopting cheap methods, is conspiring to turn minority votes into majority in Gujarat," the Congress said.

"They can make all attempts to insult the people's mandate... But we are confident that Ahmed Patel is going to be victorious...," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala while briefing reporters.

"People have rejected them. It will be proven in the assembly elections. BJP is worried about the loss in Gujarat, therefore they are trying their best to further lower the level of .

"However much they (BJP) try to conspire, Congress will walk the path of truth and will win," he added.

Asked about NCP leader Praful Patel's comment about his party yet to decide about its support in Gujarat, Surjewala said: "When NCP chief (Sharad Pawar) had already made it clear then we don't think we should comment further on any other leader's remarks."

Surjewala said: "Congress MLAs and other MLAs, who belong to the ally parties will vote in favour of Ahmed Patel." Patel, political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, is seeking a fifth consecutive term.

Forty four Congress MLAs from Gujarat, who were flown to Bengaluru to prevent "poaching" by the BJP ahead of Tuesday's polls, returned to Gujarat on Monday.

They were then lodged in the Nijanand Resort near Anand. They will directly go to state capital Gandhinagar to vote on Tuesday.

Of the 57 party legislators in the 182-member Gujarat assembly, six quit the party on July 26 and three of them joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on July 28.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) will meet here on Tuesday, the 75th anniversary of the Quit India movement, and is likely to adopt a resolution on it.

The meeting will take place on a day of polling for Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat, where the fate of senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel hangs in balance due to resignations from the party days before the election. Seven Congress MLAs have resigned from the party over the last fortnight.

CWC, which is the party's highest decision-making body, is likely to affirm party's role in the freedom struggle and also attack the BJP and its ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

The Congress meeting also assumes significance in the wake of assembly polls later this year in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. It comes days after party Vice President Rahul Gandhi's car was pelted with stones while he was on tour of flood-affected areas of Gujarat. The windowpanes of his car were shattered and his personal security officer injured.

The meeting, to be chaired by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, will be held a day before the special sitting of the two houses of parliament to mark the anniversary of Quit India Day.

The Indian National Congress had launched the Quit India campaign in 1942 that called for India's immediate independence from Britain.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Raksha Bandhan was observed across the city on Monday with much fervour as families celebrated the brother-sister bond.

Feasts and exchange of gifts marked the occasion with women tying rakhis on their brothers' wrists amid prayers for well-being.

Delhi Transport Corporation offered free rides to women from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., while Delhi Metro ran additional trains to meet the demand on the festival day.

Even heavy rains could not dampen the festive spirit and decked up shops could be seen selling rakhis - the sacred thread - henna, bangles and sweets.

"Rakhi celebrates the brother-sister bond. The festival is also a culmination of the holy month of Sawan, and there are traditions like applying henna, and wearing green bangles which relate to the green colour associated with this monsoon month," said Ritika Goel, a housewife from Kalkaji of South Delhi.

For Radhika Sharma, a 30-year-old from Sarojini Nagar area of Delhi, her biggest concern was not to buy Made in China Rakhis.

"We were not so aware in the past years, but this time, we had pledged not to buy Chinese Rakhis," Sharma said.

She also said that the shopkeepers assured her the Rakhis were Made in India. "It may be slightly costlier but it ensures the festival is what it should be - celebration of the Indian culture and traditions," she said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal meanwhile celebrated the festival with school girls and a group of Brahma Kumaris who tied rakhis on his wrist.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The establishment of an India-Afghanistan air freight corridor this year was welcomed by all stakeholders at a meeting hosted by India of the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process, a platform to encourage security, political, and economic cooperation among strife-torn Afghanistan and its neighbours, here on Monday.

"With regard to the bilateral initiatives taken by India, the recent establishment of the air freight corridor between India and Afghanistan was welcomed as providing fast and assured access to farmers of Afghanistan to the large markets in South Asia and beyond," the External Affairs Ministry said in statement following the eighth meeting of the Regional Technical Group of Confidence Building Measure on Trade, Commerce and Investment Opportunities under the Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process.

"India's assistance for capacity building and training of Afghan officials, including on PPP mode of project implementation; and the WTO-related matter, programmes for which that were conducted by the Ministry of Finance and the Department of Commerce, Government of India the past few months were also acknowledged positively," it added.

The India-Afghanistan air freight corridor was established earlier this year with the first flight taking off from Kabul for New Delhi on June 19.

Monday's meeting was co-chaired by the Acting Director General, Economic Cooperation Department in Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hassan Soroosh, and Joint Secretary in India's Ministry of External Affairs Deepak Mittal.

It was attended by representatives of 17 participating countries and supporting international organisations, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Egypt, Germany, Britain, the US, the European Union and the UN.

"The participants shared the view that Afghanistan acted as a natural bridge in promoting regional connectivity and economic integration.

"There was consensus that economic development was an important factor in ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan and the Heart of Asia region," the statement said.

The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was established in November 2011 to expand coordination between Afghanistan and its neighbors and regional partners in facing common threats, including counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, poverty, and extremism.

The US and over 20 other nations and organisations support the process.

According to the statement, the participants in Monday's meeting shared views on various measures and steps to promote transit and trade and realising reliable and robust connectivity, with Afghanistan as the hub.

"This included the recognition of the need to make the existing transit and trade agreements more inclusive and comprehensive by expanding them both northwards and southwards to connect South Asia with Central Asia; strengthening growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and involvement of women in economic development, including through women entrepreneurship; and simplifying customs procedures," it said.

The initiative by India to develop a web portal, with participation of industry body Ficci, for exchanging information on regional markets, trade and investment opportunities, and facilitating networking between businesses for the participating countries also came in for appreciation.

According to the statement, the steps taken for development of transit and transport through Chahbahar port in Iran involving India, Afghanistan and Iran, the proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, and the CASA-1000 (Central Asia-South Asia power project) were appreciated.

The TAT (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan) railway line and the Lapis Lazuli corridor were also assessed positively.

The Lapis Lazuli corridor connects Afghanistan with Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia to the Black Sea and ultimately through Turkey to the Mediterranean Sea and Europe.

"All sides agreed on the value of such connectivity and economic integration projects to overall growth, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan," the statement said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Low-cost carrier Go Air is evaluating the launch of overseas operations from October, a top company official said on Monday.

"We are evaluating 'October launch' for overseas operations", the company's Managing Director Jeh Wadia said here.

The Wadia Group-owned airline is looking for destinations "within Asia".

The airline, which had ordered 140 odd Airbus neo A320 aircraft to add to the existing fleet strength, has got the delivery of five of them only.

Wadia said the airline has "no interest" in the proposed divestment of Air India.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Goa Assembly on Monday unanimously passed the amendment to the Goa, Daman and Diu Protection of Trees Act, 1984, as a result of which the coconut palm is now re-classified as a tree.

"We have delivered what we promised. We had said that this government would revert tree status to the coconut palm," Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai said, after the bill was passed on the concluding day of the monsoon session of the Goa legislative assembly.

The amendment had been cleared by the state cabinet on August 2.

The Opposition as well as civil society had repeatedly accused the previous BJP-led coalition government in Goa of amending the Goa Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees act 1984 in 2016, and dropping the tree status accorded to the coconut tree, to unfairly hasten real estate and industrial development at the cost of environment.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Speaker of the Goa legislative assembly Pramod Sawant on Monday banned the use of mobile phones on the assembly floor.

Sawant, in his concluding remarks on the last day of the Monsoon Session, said that the decision was taken after it was seen that the legislators were answering phone calls or using their smartphones while proceedings of the house were on.

"Some members have even been answering calls while seated in the house. The use of mobile phones will henceforth not be permitted on the floor of the house," Sawant said in his valedictory remarks.

The ban will be enforced when the state legislative assembly is convened for its next session.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
School-children tied rakhis on wrists of President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Raksha Bandhan as the festival marking affection between brothers and sisters was celebrated across the country with traditional enthusiasm and gaiety.

Women and children from various segments of society visited Modi at his residence and tied rakhis on his wrist. Among them were Sharbati Devi, a 103-year-old widow who lost her brother about 50 years ago and Pakistani-origin Qamar Mohsin Shaikh, who has been tying rakhi to Modi for the past 23 years.

Sharbati Devi had been missing her brother, specially on Rakhi, and her son wrote to Modi who invited the family to his residence on Raksha Bandhan.

Shaikh, who has been living in India for the past 35 years, travelled from Ahmedabad to tie the thread of sibling bonding on Modi's wrist.

"I have been tying rakhi to Narendra Bhai for the last 23 years. I am extremely excited to be able to do it this time too," Shaikh, who came to India from Pakistan after her marriage, told a news channel.

She got a call two days back from Modi and started preparing for Raksha Bandhan.

Shaikh said Modi spent a few seconds with each visitor who had come to greet him and tie rakhi, but "I was surprised and extremely happy that he spent more time with me".

Schoolchildren and members of the Koli community tied rakhis on the wrist of President Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Children, attired in colourful traditional outfits as also in school uniform, greeted the President along with a delegation of 116 women and 27 men, representing the Gujarat Koli Samaj.

Bollywood celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Manoj Bajpayee and Farah Khan wished their siblings and fans a year full of love and happiness on the occasion.

In Delhi, the occasion was observed with traditional fervour along with feasts and exchange of gifts.

Delhi Transport Corporation offered free rides to women from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., while Delhi Metro ran additional trains to meet the demand on the festival day.

Heavy rains that lashed the city could not dampen the festive spirit and decked up shops could be seen selling rakhis, henna, bangles and sweets.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal celebrated the festival with school girls and a group of Brahma Kumaris who tied rakhis on his wrist.

In Punjab, women and girls from across the state, dressed in traditional, colourful attires, converged at the Attari check post along the international border with Pakistan and tied rakhis to the Border Security Force officers and troopers.

In Patna, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday tied rakhis to trees here and urged people to protect the state's green cover.

Clad in his usual white cotton kurta-pyjama, Nitish Kumar said: "It is a symbolism to protect trees to increase the green cover. It is important for the environment."

In Hyderabad, Telangana's Industry and Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao received 'rakhi' and a helmet as gift from his sister and Parliament member K. Kavitha.

Kavitha, MP and daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, through her social media campaigns 'Sisters4Change' and 'GiftAHelmet', had appealed to all sisters to gift a helmet on Rakhsha Bandhan for their brothers' safety.

Voicing concern over death of 400 people in two-wheeler accidents every day across the country, Kavitha said it was because the riders don't wear helmets.

Truebil, a verified virtual marketplace for pre-owned cars, unveiled a new digital film, #SafetyKiRakhi. The 3.07 minute long film highlights the importance of wearing a seat belt to the journey safe while also strengthening the brother-sister bond.

--IANS

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An alert bank guard on Monday foiled an attempt by three persons to snatch his weapon in Jammu and Kashmir's Badgam district, police said.

The incident took place in Charar-e-Sharief town and was captured on CCTV cameras, police said.

"The alert guard has foiled the weapon snatching attempt by three persons whose CCTV footage is available with us," a police officer said, adding that a manhunt has been launched to nab the culprits and anybody helping in their arrest would be suitably rewarded.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The police handling of the incident of stalking and alleged attempt to kidnap the daughter of a bureaucrat snowballed into a major controversy with the opposition on Monday accusing the BJP government in Haryana of shielding the state unit chief and his son, an accused, while the police said it has an open mind and could add further charges in the case.

The government headed by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar continued to draw flak for the pressure that was allegedly brought on the Chandigarh Police to dilute the case against Vikas Barala, son of Subhash Barala, and his friend Ashish Kumar, who allegedly stalked and intimidated a 29-year-old woman last week.

Under criticism from various quarters over its flip-flop in the incident involving the daughter of a senior Haryana IAS officer, Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Eish Singhal said: "We are investigating the case with an open mind. If any section has to be added at a later stage, we will do it."

Singhal tried to evade direct questions on the role of the police in trying to shield the main accused, Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar.

However, he did not answer questions on reports that video footage of seven of the nine CCTVs had gone missing.

"We have reconstructed the scene of the crime. We are trying to get the CCTV footage. We will get the technical analysis of this done. We have been investigating it only for three days," he said.

"We are not doing anything under pressure. We are a professional investigating agency and we are doing our job," Singhal said.

He accused the media of conducting a "media trial" in the matter.

Defending the police action in this matter, Singhal said that the police officials immediately booked the accused and arrested them though they were later released on bail.

Chandigarh Police on Saturday booked and arrested Vikas Barala and his friend, both of whom were drunk, on charges of stalking the young woman after chasing her car in their SUV. The victim alleged that the youth tried to intimidate her and abduct her.

Earlier, police said there was no CCTV footage of the incident.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Satish Kumar told the media that they tried to get CCTV footage from nine CCTV cameras along the route, from Sector 7 to Housing Board traffic light point, but all were found to be "non-functional".

The route along which the two accused stalked Varnika Kundu, daughter of Haryana Additional Chief Secretary V.S. Kundu, passes through some prominent and busy parts of Chandigarh including the Sector 26 Police Lines.

"It is strange that the CCTV cameras of such high-profile areas were not working. This seems to be a cover-up," a junior police officer told IANS.

The victim and her family have said they will fight the case to its "logical conclusion".

The Congress on Monday accused the Union Home Ministry of trying to protect the son of Haryana BJP President Subhash Barala.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the Chandigarh Police, which comes under the Home Ministry, diluted the charges and booked Vikas Barala under bailable offences.

Surjewala said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah should say why the BJP leader's son was being protected and sought the Haryana BJP President's resignation.

"He (Vikas) followed the woman for seven kilometres, tried to stop the car. They even tried to open the door and enter the car. Is it not a case of attempted kidnapping and abduction? Is it not a case of molestation and outraging the modesty of a woman? If it is so, why were these charges not pressed against the accused?" asked Surjewala.

"The Home Ministry and the police is conspiring to hush up the entire matter to protect the Haryana BJP president and his son," he added.

He said the police initially said it was a case of abduction and outraging the modesty of a woman, both of which are non-bailable offences. However, the police booked the FIR under different sections which were bailable offences.

"The police changed its statement. They said we have only enforced the offence of stalking, not even that of outraging the modesty. They said it was forceful restraint but omitted abduction... She said there was an attempt to abduct her, why was it not written in FIR? This is dereliction of duty."

"Does it not prove that between 2.30 p.m. and 5 p.m., the message from the Home Ministry and the Centre reached the Chandigarh Police? Why are they going out of the way to hush up the matter instead of punishing the guilty?"

He accused Modi and Amit Shah of trying to save the BJP leader's son.

"Five CCTV footages from five different cameras out of seven have gone missing. How is it that suddenly all those CCTV cameras have stopped functioning and have gone missing," asked Surjewala.

Accusing the BJP of adopting double standards, he said a few years ago a Haryana Congress leader was made to resign after an incident involving his son.

"When a similar incident had happened involving the son of a senior minister in the Haryana government a few years ago the BJP had demanded the minister's resignation holding him accountable."

Chandigarh's Deputy Superintendent of Police Satish Kumar said Barala and a friend were booked under Section 354D (stalking a woman) of the Indian Penal Code. Section 341 (wrongful restraint) was later added in the FIR.

(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.)
Sports utility vehicles (SUVs), racing cars, station wagons and 10-seater cars, including high-end cars and those on rentals, may soon become more expensive. The GST Council has asked the Centre to raise the cess cap on these vehicles to 25 per cent from the current 15 per cent, an official statement said.

After the cap on cess is raised, the total tax under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on such motor vehicles may go up to 53 per cent from the current 43 per cent as these have been placed under the highest tax slab of 28 per cent.

Luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz India has voiced its disappointment at the government's latest decision.

The decision was taken at the Council's meeting on August 5. Though the Centre has been advised to increase the ceiling on cess, the decision on when to bring it into effect is still pending.

"The GST Council considered the issue of cess leviable on motor vehicles in its 20th meeting held on August 5 and recommended that central government may move legislative amendments required for increase in the maximum ceiling of cess leviable on motor vehicles falling under headings 8702 and 8703, including SUVs, to 25 per cent instead of present 15 per cent," said a Finance Ministry statement on Monday.

The Schedule to the GST (Compensation to State) Act, 2017, currently specifies 15 per cent as the maximum cess rate for motor vehicles.

"However, the decision on when to raise the actual cess leviable on the same would be taken by the GST Council in due course," it said.

The government said that the decision was taken because it was noticed that after the roll-out of the GST, the total tax incidence on motor vehicles had come down as compared to pre-GST regime.

"We are highly disappointed with the decision. We believe this will be a strong deterrent to the growth of luxury cars in this country," Roland Folger, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India, was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the company.

"As a leading luxury car maker, this will also affect our future plans of expansion under 'Make in India' initiative, which aims at making and selling world-class products in India, with the latest technology for end-consumers," he added.

According to Folger, the government's decision will reverse the positive momentum that the industry wanted to achieve with the introduction of the GST.

"With this hike in cess, we expect the volumes of the luxury industry to decelerate, thus offsetting any growth in the potential revenue generation that could have come with the estimated volume growth," Folger said.

He also called for the need for a long-term road-map for the luxury car industry in India.

"The constant shift in policy makes our long-term planning for the market highly risky, and we think this would only have an adverse impact on the country's financial ratings," Folger said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A middle-aged man committed suicide in West Bengal on Monday after allegedly being threatened by police to give a bribe in order to avoid being arrested.

Police confirmed the suicide but did not accept the allegation of asking for money.

Bimal Bairagi (43), a resident of South 24 Parganas district's Falta, hanged himself near his house on Monday morning.

According to locals, Bairagi's name came up in an electricity theft case during an inspection by personnel of the state electricity board last week. The officials of the board then lodged a complaint against him and a few other villagers in the nearby Falta police station.

The locals alleged that an officer from the police station pressurised Bairagi for money to drop the charges against him. They claimed Bairagi committed suicide on Monday after he failed to arrange the amount.

"Police took Rs 2,000 from him and asked for another Rs 10,000 to avoid jail term. The brother of the deceased was also given notice by the police. He was forced to commit suicide under constant pressure from the police," a villager alleged.

The police denied the allegation and said they have not received a complaint against any of the officers.

"There is no question of asking for money. His (Bairagi's) name came up in a complaint lodged by the electricity board. Also we haven't received any complaints against any of our officers for asking money," the officer added.

After the suicide, the locals gathered at the spot and protested against the police, demanding punishment for the accused police officer. They also stopped police from taking the body.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man has been arrested here for slitting his wife's throat after he suspected she was having an extra-marital affair, police said on Monday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Romil Baaniya said Minakshi, 30, was murdered by her husband Parveen, 32, at their house in south Delhi's Badarpur area on Saturday.

The officer said the accused, a driver, was arrested the same day.

Baaniya said the couple was married for 12 years and had two sons aged 10 and 4. He said the deceased had injury marks on her neck and head.

Baaniya said the incident happened early on Saturday when the children were not in the house.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan-origin woman Qamar Mohsin Shaikh, who has been living in India for the past 35 years, is in awe of her 'rakhi' brother Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She credits him for everything she is today.

Presently living in Ahmedabad, Shaikh travelled to Delhi on Monday to tie the thread of sibling bond on Modi's wrist, the way she says she has been doing for the last 23 years.

"I have been tying rakhi to Narendra Bhai for the last 23 years. I am extremely excited to be able to do it this time too," Shaikh, who came to India from Pakistan after her marriage, told a news channel in Delhi.

What made this year's rakhi special for her was the fact that she had thought Modi would be too busy and she would not get to meet him.

But to her surprise, Shaikh said, she got a call two days back from Modi and "I was very happy to know that and I started preparing for Raksha Bandhan" with the Prime Minister.

She said Modi spent a few seconds with each visitor who had come to greet him and tie rakhi, but "I was surprised and extremely happy that he spent more time with me".

"I told him whatever I am today is because of you. He put his hand on my head to bless me. He asked me about my son Sufian and my husband Mohsin. I feel like the luckiest and happiest person in the world."

Shaikh said her first Raksha Bandhan with Modi was when he was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker.

"When I first tied rakhi to Narendra Bhai, he was a karyakarta but with his sheer hard work and vision, he has become the Prime Minister," she said.

"This relationship is now 23 years old. I am proud to be a sister of the Prime Minister Modi," Shaikh told Zee News.

She said she was apprehensive when she came from Pakistan and married an Indian man. "But life became easier when I got a brother like Narendra Bhai. He has never made me feel that I don't have my brother around."

Asked what gift she wanted from Modi on Raksha Bandhan, Shaik said: "I just need his blessings. His blessings are what count the most. His blessings are with me and that is why I am here. I will always remember him. His hand is behind my every success."

She also shared how Modi would express the desire to see the paintings drawn by her husband and how he would also joke with his son, who she says is a swimmer and calls the Prime Minister "maama".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a blow to the Congress in Gujarat and a further setback for Ahmed Patel's attempt to enter the Rajya Sabha for the fifth term, an NCP MLA said he and his party colleague have been asked to vote for the BJP.

Nationalist Congress Party MLA Kandhal Jadeja told local TV that they had been asked by senior party leaders to vote for BJP's Balvantsinh Rajput in Tuesday's Rajya Sabha election.

The latest development muddies the situation for Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, with the BJP all out to stymie his efforts in the biennial elections.

Earlier, the 44 Congress MLAs, who were flown to Bengaluru to prevent "poaching" by the BJP, returned to the state on Monday.

They were moved to the Nijanand Resort near Anand. Their family members visited the resort for the Raksha Bandhan festival.

Of the 57 party legislators in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, six quit the party on July 26 and three of them joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on July 28. Of the remaining 51 MLAs, seven, including Shankersinh Vaghela, did not join those who were flown to Bengaluru.

Patel, who needs 45 first preference votes in a House with an effective strength of 176 MLAs, expressed confidence that he will win the election with the support of 44 party MLAs, and the backing of two NCP and a lone JD-U member.

"I have spoken to (NCP chief) Sharad Pawarji and he has promised all help to the Congress. They have even issued a whip. As for Vaghela, he has himself promised that he will vote for me and I believe he will keep his word," he said.

Asked about allegations of surveillance on him and Congress MLAs by the ruling BJP, he said: "I don't know why I am targeted like this. This is an example of a banana republic.

"I have full confidence in my victory tomorrow despite the BJP's attempts and the numbers will surprise everyone," Patel said at the private resort near Anand where the 44 MLAs are lodged.

On Tuesday, the legislators will directly go to state capital Gandhinagar to vote for Ahmed Patel.

BJP chief Amit Shah and Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani are contesting the other two seats, which the BJP is sure to win. The party fielded Congress defector Balwantsinh Rajput as the third candidate in its bid to defeat Patel.

"As all of us are united. The BJP cannot threaten any of our MLAs. Horse trading is not possible with those who are with us," party's lawmaker Shaktisinh Gohil told reporters earlier.

In New Delhi, the Congress expressed confidence of Ahmed Patel's win, despite the BJP's attempts to lure MLAs through money, power and threats.

"BJP, by adopting cheap methods, is conspiring to turn minority votes into majority in Gujarat," the Congress said.

"They can make all attempts to insult the people's mandate... But we are confident that Ahmed Patel is going to be victorious...," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala while briefing reporters.

"People have rejected them. It will be proven in the assembly elections. BJP is worried about the loss in Gujarat, therefore they are trying their best to further lower the level of .

"However much they (BJP) try to conspire, Congress will walk the path of truth and will win," he added.

Gujarat has seldom experienced political suspense since 1995 when the first BJP government came to power, and after Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has fortified the state like a fiefdom. All the 26 Lok Sabha candidates in the state are from Modi's party.

Problems started when Congress veteran, the maverick 77-year-old Vaghela, called it quits at a public show of strength on his July 21 birthday over not being made the chief ministerial candidate for the 2017 assembly elections and not being handed over the complete reins of the campaign.

On Monday, Vaghela said he was not in touch with Congress MLAs.

He also said his relations with Congress leader Ahmed Patel were "very cordial".

Vaghela, who resigned from the Congress in July, told NDTV in an interview that there was no question of getting any offer from the BJP.

Asked about his vote, Vaghela said voting was the "property of a MLA". I don't want to expose it."

Asked about speculation that he had been offered the post of Governor by the BJP, Vaghela said there were no talks between him and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"There is no question of any offer," he said and added that BJP leaders were not in touch with him.

Earlier, the NCP had extended its support to Patel.

Lone JD-U MLA Chhotubhai Vasava has also extended his support to Patel's candidature.

(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 Union Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela said on Monday that he was not in touch with Congress MLAs ahead of the crucial Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat on Tuesday.

He also said his relations with Congress leader Ahmed Patel were "very cordial".

Vaghela, who resigned from the Congress in July, told NDTV in an interview that there was no question of getting any offer from the BJP.

Asked if he was in touch with Congress MLAs, who returned to Gujarat on Monday after being in Karnataka for almost 10 days to prevent "poaching" by the BJP, Vaghela said: "On moral grounds, I should not be in touch. I am not."

Asked about his vote, Vaghela said voting was the "property of a MLA". I don't want to expose it."

Vaghela said Congress leader Ahmed Patel, who is in the fray for the third Rajya Sabha seat from the state, had telephoned him on Monday and will again talk to him on Tuesday.

Vaghela, who was the Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly before he resigned, said he had known Patel for about four decades and their relationship was beyond political affiliations.

.

"Even today, our relations are very cordial," he said.

Asked about speculation that he had been offered the post of Governor by the BJP, Vaghela said there were no talks between him and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"There is no question of any offer," he said and added that BJP leaders were not in touch with him.

He said Balwantsinh Rajput, who had been put up by the BJP for the third Rajya Sabha seat in the state, was a friend of Ahmed Patel before he became his relative.

Rajput was the Congress Chief Whip in the assembly and was named BJP candidate soon after resigning from the party in July.

Vaghela said he had been asked what he will do for the victory of his relative but it was the BJP's outlook. "Where I find it necessary, I will speak," he said.

Forty four Congress MLAs from Gujarat, who were flown to Bengaluru on July 29, returned to Gujarat on Monday. They were taken to Karnataka after six party MLAs resigned from the party in July with some of them joining the BJP.

Ahmed Patel faces a tough contest in the Rajya Sabha election on Tuesday. BJP President Amit Shah and Union Minister Smriti Irani are also in the fray for the three seats from the state.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Under criticism from over its flip-flop in the case of the stalking of a senior IAS officer's daughter by the son of Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala, Chandigarh Police on Monday said that it was investigating the case with an "open mind" and more sections could be "added at a later stage" if required.

Chandigarh's Senior Superintendent of Police Eish Singhal told media here that the incident was being investigated thoroughly and legal opinion was being taken in the matter.

"We are investigating the case with an open mind. If any section has to be added at a later stage, we will do it," he said, while trying to evade direct questions on the role of the Chandigarh Police in trying to shield the main accused, Vikas Barala, and his friend Ashish Kumar.

"We are not doing anything under pressure. We are a professional investigating agency and we are doing our job," Singhal said.

He blamed the media for conducting a "media trial" in the matter.

"We have reconstructed the scene of the crime. We are trying to get the CCTV footage. We will get the technical analysis of this done. We have been investigating it only for three days.," he said.

Defending the police action in this matter, Singhal said that the police officials immediately booked the accused and arrested them though they were later released on bail.

Chandigarh Police on Saturday booked and arrested Vikas Barala and his friend, both of whom were drunk, on charge of stalking the young woman after chasing her car on their SUV. The victim alleged that the youth tried to intimidate her and abduct her.

Earlier, police said there was no CCTV footage of the incident.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Satish Kumar told the media that they tried to get CCTV footage from nine CCTV cameras along the route, from Sector 7 to Housing Board traffic light point, but all were found to be "non-functional".

The route along which the two accused stalked Varnika Kundu, daughter of Haryana Additional Chief Secretary V.S. Kundu, passes through some prominent and busy parts of Chandigarh including the Sector 26 Police Lines.

"It is strange that the CCTV cameras of such high-profile areas were not working. This seems to be a cover-up," a junior police officer told IANS.

The victim and her family have said they will fight the case to its "logical conclusion".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In his first foreign tour after assuming office, Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba will embark on a five-day state visit to India from August 23, it was announced on Monday.

Amid military standoff between India and China, the visit is significant as Deuba choose to visit New Delhi first after being elected two months back.

At a press conference here, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara said that preparations for the visit and its agenda are underway.

Besides holding talks in New Delhi on August 24 with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and top political leaders from ruling and opposition parties, Deuba will visit Bodh Gaya and Triputi Balaji Temple in Andhra Pradesh.

"We are working on some concrete outcome during the visit," said Mahara, adding discussions on the visit will take place only after the 15th BIMSTEC Ministerial Meeting to be held here on Friday for which Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will reach Kathmandu on Thursday.

Officials in Kathmandu also indicted that Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar is also likely to visit Nepal ahead of the visit, probably after the visit of Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang on August 14.

Officials said that dozens of bilateral issues will be discussed during the visit of Deuba who had already paid three officials visits to India in 1996, 2004 and 2005.

Some of the key issues like execution of decade-old Mahakali Treaty, an MoU on reconstruction projects in Nepal, expediting the India-funded projects in Nepal and some other cross-border connectivity-related projects will be discussed during the visit.

Mahara said that Nepal wants peaceful resolution of military standoff between India and China and does not want to be dragged into their boundary disputes, calling on both their big neighbours should maintain cordial relations through peaceful diplomacy and dialogue.

On the current Indian-Chinese standoff where Nepal is facing diplomatic pressure to swing before either, Mahara said: "We do not support any of our neighbours in this case."

Indian and Chinese diplomats are regularly meeting with Nepali officials and diplomats in Kathmandu, New Delhi and Beijing to get support but Nepal has been maintaining "equidistance" over the issue.

"We do not support any outcome that comes out of war," he added, saying that Nepal will maintain its nonaligned policy over the issue while denying that no pressure on Nepal from India or China to tilt to either side.

"We have seen some media reports that Nepal was dragged or tilted to one side which is wrong," he said, while unveiled an action plan which stated that Nepal will strengthen and widen its foreign policy with both its neigbhours and will push trilateral partnership with India and China, two Asian giants, for Nepal's prosperity.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Suspense mounted over the fate of Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, seeking a fifth term in the Rajya Sabha, with the BJP going all out to stymie his efforts in the biennial elections on Tuesday.

The 44 Congress MLAs, who were flown to Bengaluru to prevent "poaching" by the BJP, returned to the state on Monday.

They were moved to the Nijanand Resort near Anand. Their family members visited the resort for the Raksha Bandhan festival.

Of the 57 party legislators in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, six quit the party on July 26 and three of them joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on July 28. Of the remaining 51 MLAs, seven, including Shankersinh Vaghela, did not join those who were flown to Bengaluru.

Patel, who needs 45 first preference votes in a House with an effective strength of 176 MLAs, expressed confidence that he will win the election with the support of 44 party MLAs, and the backing of two NCP and a lone JD-U member.

"I have spoken to Sharad Pawarji and he has promised all help to the Congress. They have even issued a whip. As for Vaghela, he has himself promised that he will vote for me and I believe he will keep his word," he said.

Asked about allegations of surveillance on him and Congress MLAs by the ruling BJP, he said: "I don't know why I am targeted like this. This is an example of a banana republic.

"I have full confidence in my victory tomorrow despite the BJP's attempts and the numbers will surprise everyone," Patel said at a private resort near Anand where the 44 MLAs are lodged.

On Tuesday, the legislators will directly go to state capital Gandhinagar to vote for the party's Rajya Sabha nominee Ahmed Patel.

BJP chief Amit Shah and Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani are contesting the other two seats, which the BJP is sure to win. The party fielded Congress defector Balwantsinh Rajput as the third candidate in its bid to defeat Patel.

"As all of us are united. The BJP cannot threaten any of our MLAs. Horse trading is not possible with those who are with us," party's lawmaker Shaktisinh Gohil told reporters outside the airport before leaving for Ahmedabad.

In New Delhi, the Congress expressed confidence of Ahmed Patel's win, despite the BJP's attempts to lure MLAs through money, power and threats.

"BJP, by adopting cheap methods, is conspiring to turn minority votes into majority in Gujarat," the Congress said.

"They can make all attempts to insult the people's mandate... But we are confident that Ahmed Patel is going to be victorious...," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala while briefing reporters.

"People have rejected them. It will be proven in the assembly elections. BJP is worried about the loss in Gujarat, therefore they are trying their best to further lower the level of .

"However much they (BJP) try to conspire, Congress will walk the path of truth and will win," he added.

Gujarat has seldom experienced political suspense since 1995 when the first BJP government came to power, and after Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has fortified the state like a fiefdom. All the 26 Lok Sabha candidates in the state are from Modi's party.

Problems started when Congress veteran, the maverick 77-year-old Shankersinh Vaghela, called it quits at a public show of strength on his July 21 birthday over not being made the chief ministerial candidate for the 2017 assembly elections and not being handed over the complete reins of the campaign.

On Monday, Vaghela said he was not in touch with Congress MLAs.

He also said his relations with Congress leader Ahmed Patel were "very cordial".

Vaghela, who resigned from the Congress in July, told NDTV in an interview that there was no question of getting any offer from the BJP.

Asked about his vote, Vaghela said voting was the "property of a MLA". I don't want to expose it."

Asked about speculation that he had been offered the post of Governor by the BJP, Vaghela said there were no talks between him and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"There is no question of any offer," he said and added that BJP leaders were not in touch with him.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Saudi Arabian court on Sunday sentenced a member of the Islamic State militant group to 20 years in prison for plotting terror attacks, local Alyaum online news reported.

The person was accused by the court in Riyadh of planning terror attacks targeting foreign embassies, officials and the Arar airport in the northern border of Saudi, Xinhua reported.

The person has taken part in the IS camps in Syria and Iraq, before returning to Saudi for terror acts.

The court also issued a 20-year-travel ban on him.

The tough sentence is part of the measures taken by the Saudi government to punish extremists and terrorists, following a number of bloody blasts that erupted in various parts of the country in recent years.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Schoolchildren and members of the Koli community on Monday tied rakhis on the wrist of President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan here to celebrate Raksha Bandhan, a festival that denotes ties of affection between brothers and sisters.

Children, attired in colourful traditional outfits as also in school uniform, greeted the President along with a delegation of 116 women and 27 men, representing the Gujarat Koli Samaj.

Earlier, in his greetings on Raksha Bandhan, the President wished that the festival, symbolising the virtues of love, affection and mutual trust, brings happiness and prosperity to the people.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Sundeep Kishan, who has had a phenomenal year with hits such as "Maanagaram" and "Shamanthakamani", is likely to collaborate with filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon for a bilingual soon, a source said.

Sundeep is currently shooting for Gautham's upcoming Tamil production "Naragasooran".

"Sundeep and Gautham Sir have been discussing about working on a Tamil-Telugu bilingual. Both have known each other for a long time. In fact, even before he became an actor, Sundeep assisted Gautham briefly. An official announcement can be expected soon," a source in the know told IANS.

They are currently busy wrapping up "Naragasooran". If everything goes as planned, they might join hands next.

"Gautham Sir is really impressed with Sundeep's knack for choosing diverse roles. He really loved his work in 'Maanagaram'. They had planned to work together in the past but things didn't fall in place," the source said.

Directed by Karthick Naren, "Naragasooran" is being shot in Kerala. The film also stars Arvind Swami, Indrajith Sukumaran and Shriya Saran.

Gautham Menon, on the other hand, is busy wrapping up Tamil spy thriller "Dhruva Natchathirama, which stars Vikram in the lead.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Sunday renewed calls on the UN to dissolve the US-led anti-terror coalition over crimes against civilians in Syria, according to the state news agency SANA.

"The US systematic massacres against Syrian civilians constitutes a flagrant violation of the International law," the ministry said, urging for "the immediate dismantling of the coalition that has been formed without the request of the Syrian government and outside the framework of the UN."

The ministry referred to several incidents where civilian casualties were caused by the airstrikes of the US-led coalition, saying the US has used white phosphorus in its attacks on civilians in the northern city of Raqqa, Xinhua reported.

It also said the attacks destroyed houses and hospitals in Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State (IS) group.

The ministry noted that the coalition's "crimes" were repeated in the provinces of Hasakah, Aleppo and Deir al-Zour.

The condemnation comes a day after US-led airstrikes killed 43 civilians in the several areas in Raqqa.

Over the past two months, the US coalition has upped its attacks on Raqqa, coupled with the ground offensive of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which captured half of Raqqa from IS.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Monday urged North Korea to put a stop to its missile tests and return to the negotiating table at a time of maximum international pressure.

"The best signal that North Korea could give us that they're prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches," Tillerson said here. He is participating with 26 other foreign ministers in the the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) meeting.

This is the first time that Tillerson has mentioned any concrete step in relation to Pyongyang in order to start multilateral negotiations on the increasingly advanced North Korean nuclear weapons and missile programme.

Tillerson, who did not specify how much time North Korea has to put an end to its missile tests, said that the US has other channels of communication to establish contact with the Kim Jong-un regime.

Tillerson on Sunday met Foreign Ministers Wang Yi from China and Sergey Lavrov of Russia, and said that they both reiterated their support for the sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council on North Korea.

After a month of negotiations, the 15 member-countries of the UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously adopted a resolution to veto North Korean exports of coal, iron, lead and shellfish, as well as other measures against companies and entities that support the country's weapons programmes.

North Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs Ri Yong-ho is also participating in the Asean meeting in Manila where he plans to attend a regional security forum later on Monday.

--IANS

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The Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) suffered a major setback after a key aide of its wanted leader Sohan D.Shira surrendered to police in Meghalaya's South Garo Hills district on Monday.

Baltus N. Marak alias Chachat, the area commander, surrendered to Abraham T. Sangma, the police chief of South Garo Hills district.

"It is a huge setback for the GNLA leadership. We are expecting more of them to surrender," Sangma told IANS.

However, the surrendered militant did not deposit any arm or ammunition.

"Marak told us that he decided to give up the GNLA in view of the intensive counter-insurgency operation in the district," Sangma said, adding that the rebel leader also admitted that he had a narrow escape in the recent gunfight with the SF-10 commandos in South Garo Hills.

"They (rebels) have been under intense pressure and the only option for them was to surrender. We are hopeful more of them will follow suit," he added.

The GNLA, which claims to be fighting for a separate Garoland in western Meghalaya, is headed by police officer-turned-rebel Champion R. Sangma, who is now in the Shillong jail after being arrested from near the India-Bangladesh border in 2012.

It has forged an alliance with the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent.

--IANS

rrk/vd

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Tripura Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan teachers on Monday called off their indefinite hunger strike on the seventh day after the state Governor assured that talks would be held to resolve their demand for regularisation of their jobs.

"We have called off our indefinite hunger strike after Governor Tathagata Roy assured that tri-partite talks between him, the state government and us would be held to decide our demand," Tripura Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Teachers' Welfare Association President Sajal Deb told the media.

"The Governor is now in Kolkata for medical treatment. We had a talk with him over phone. He will return to Agartala later this week and then he would hold the meeting," he added.

Deb said that several states in the country had already regularised the jobs of SSA teachers.

Opposition parties, including Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party, have supported the demands of the SSA teachers.

The Tripura government earlier urged the agitating SSA teachers to withdraw their strike, saying the state government was "sympathetic to their demand".

"The SSA teachers in Tripura are getting salaries and some facilities similar to the regular government teachers. The government would soon introduce EPF (Employees Provident Fund) for the SSA teachers," Tripura Education Minister Tapan Chakraborty told the media.

"We have collected information about SSA teachers from many states. Most states have not regularised their jobs. Our Lok Sabha member Jitendra Chowdhury raised the issue in Parliament, but the Centre has remained silent on the regularisation of service of the SSA teachers," he said, adding that if the Centre allocates funds and amends the necessary rules the state government is ready to regularise the jobs of SSA teachers.

The SSA, introduced in 2001 as a central scheme, is meant to implement the Right of the Child to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009, which aims to universalise elementary education.

In Tripura, around 5,200 SSA teachers are getting pay and allowances similar to regular teachers of the state government.

According to the agitating SSA teachers, unlike the regular teachers, they are deprived of various facilities like provident fund and leave travel concession.

--IANS

sc/rn

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Typhoon Noru, the fifth this year, made landfall on Monday in Japan's Wakayama prefecture, the weather agency said.

The typhoon, with central atmospheric pressure at 970 hectopascals, had winds at a speed of 30 metres per second near its centre, with gusts reaching nearly 45 metres per second, Xinhua news agency quoted the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) as saying.

Heavy rains battered western Japan and the JMA has warned about possible flooding, mudslides, violent winds and high waves.

As of 3 p.m. (local time), a total of 73,000 people in 32,000 households in western Japan's five prefectures were ordered to evacuate.

On Sunday, two people were killed and 15 others injured as typhoon Noru drew near the main islands of Japan, bringing violent winds and torrential rains with it.

--IANS

ksk/vt

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Paris, Aug 7 (IANS/AKI) Unesco chief Irina Bokova on Monday condemned the recent killings of two Iraqi TV reporters, calling such slayings "an intolerable war crime".

"I condemn the killing of Harb Hazaa al-Dulaimi and Soudad al-Douri.

"Targeting journalists in conflict situations is an intolerable war crime, recognized as such by the Geneva Conventions," she said.

Dulaimi and Douri's deaths were "a terrible reminder of the unacceptable toll paid by courageous workers dedicated to keeping us informed", Bokova said.

Both men were reportedly killed by militants from the Islamic State jihadist group in a village near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on July 7 while covering fighting in the former IS bastion for Iraqi TV channel Salaheddin Television.

A total seven reporters have been slain in Iraq this year alone - one of the deadliest countries in the world to be a journalist - according to watchdog Reporters without Borders.

--IANS/AKI

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Full-service airline on Monday said it will offer all-inclusive fares at Rs 799 for economy class and Rs 2,099 for premium economy in its two-day "freedom to fly" sale starting August 8.

According to the airline, the bookings under the sale will be available on August 8-9 for the travel period between August 23, 2017, and April 19, 2018.

"Minimum 15 days advance purchase is required," the airline said in a statement.

The airline said the offer will include discounted fares for destinations like Goa, Port Blair, Leh (Ladakh), Jammu, Srinagar, Kochi, Guwahati, Amritsar, Bhubaneswar, as well as metro cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru.

"The lowest fare under this sale is available on the Srinagar-Jammu route, while other routes are also available at highly discounted fares," the statement added.

Currently, the airline operates to 19 destinations with over 625 weekly flights operated by a fleet of 15 Airbus A320 aircraft.
Top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress suffered pangs of nervousness on the eve of elections to three Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat. The BJP has laid much in store to ensure that Congress leader Ahmed Patel is defeated. The Congress has tried all it can to frustrate the BJP machinations. On poll eve, former Congress veteran Shankersinh Vaghela (pictured), who recently quit as its leader in the Gujarat assembly, was unwilling to announce his choice in Tuesdays contest. Each and every voter is the owner of his vote. The vote is the personal property of an MLA (for the Rajya Sabha election). Therefore, I do not want to reveal whom I will vote for, Vaghela said. He, however, said Patel and he have been friends since 1977. We have been friends since then and we remain friends till now. Even today, we talked over phone. Our relationship is not limited to politics, Vaghela said. BJP chief Amit Shah has appointed party general secretary Bhupender Yadav to be in Ahmedabad to oversee the partys preparations.
The Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJPs) return to power in Bihar in alliance with Chief Minister Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United) has seen the aggressive revival of the same beef politics that assailed Uttar Pradesh soon after the partys overwhelming victory there. Within hours of his appointment, state Animal Husbandry Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras said there would be no new slaughterhouses in Bihar and that the ban on cow slaughter, enshrined in a 1955 state law, would be re-imposed. Almost on cue, cow vigilantes from the Bajrang Dal attacked three men on suspicion of transporting cow meat and an illegal abattoir was closed and three people arrested.
Expressing confidence of winning the upcoming Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections, the Congress on Monday said that all political parties along with the Communist Party (NCP) will support the grand old party and its candidate Ahmed Patel.

Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala alleged that the Central government was indulging in vendetta but will not succeed.

"Let the BJP use all kind of cheap tactics, let them do how much ever political conspiracies they want to, they will never be successful. They can never get majority from the people. Therefore in both Rajya Sabha and in Gujarat's Vidhan Sabha Congress will win and that is why t he BJP is panicking. All political parties along with NCP will support congress and Ahmed Patel will win," he added.

Meanwhile, Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, who is contesting for a Rajya Sabha seat from Gujarat, will meet the 44 party MLAs who returned today morning from Bengaluru.

In the wee hours today, all the 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs who were holed in Karnataka's resort as a result of the alleged horse-trading by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Rajya Sabha election, returned back to the state.

As soon as the MLAs landed at the state capital they were taken to the Neejanand Resort in Gujarat's Anand district, located 77 km from Ahmedabad, ahead of the Rajya Sabha Election which is to be held tomorrow for three seats.

After reaching the resort, senior Ahmed Patel expressed confidence on his party and said all the MLAs of the party stand united.

"We are confident of victory, all MLAs are with us," he told ANI.

All the MLAs were whisked away to Bengaluru's Eagleton Resort, after six of the Gujarat Congress MLAs quitted the party and joined the BJP.

The BJP has fielded party president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Balwantsinh Rajput against Congress' Ahmed Patel.

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Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday condemned a stalking incident allegedly involving Haryana BJP President Subhash Barala's son in Chandigarh and demanded punishment for the guilty.

"Condemn the attempt to kidnap and outrage the modesty of a young lady in Chandigarh. BJP government must punish the guilty; not collude with culprits and mindset they represent," he said in a tweet.

On Saturday, Chandigarh Police said Vikas Barala, the son of Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party chief Subhash Barala, and his accomplice had been arrested on charge of stalking a senior IAS officer's daughter.

Condemn attempt to kidnap&outrage modesty of young lady in Chdgrh.BJPGovt mst punish the guilty;not colludeW/culprits&mindset they represent  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) August 6, 2017

The victim later shared her traumatic experience in a Facebook post.

Subhash Barala is a state legislator from Tohana seat.

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was appointed the Bharatiya Janata Party president on 9 July 2014. The BJPs council stamped its approval on the decision of its parliamentary board a month later on August 9, 2014. Shah, therefore, officially completes three years as the party chief on Tuesday, when he is, incidentally, also on the cusp of taking the next big step in his eventful political career.
An 18-year-old girl was raped by three youths when she had gone to relieve herself in a nearby field near Yaqubpur village here, police said today.

According to a complaint by Ram Kumar Sharma, his daughter was gangraped by Akash (22), Pawan (21) and Saurabh (24) last night, SHO Salempur, Shokendra Pal Singh said.

"So far, one of the accused has been nabbed," he said, adding, the girl has been sent for medical examination.

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Two passengers, including a woman, who were to fly to Dubai, were apprehended at the Pune airport for allegedly trying to smuggle out foreign currency worth Rs 1.29 crore by concealing them in hotboxes containing 'upma'.

A senior official involved in airport security said two separate incidents occurred yesterday at the airport there when an immigration officer found the documents of a man, identified as Nishant Y, suspicious.

He said the immigration officer alerted the Customs authorities at the airport who ordered a repeat check of the man's check-in luggage. He was booked on a flight to Dubai.

"The bag contained a hot case with 'upma' inside. But, the weight of the eatable was more than usual and hence it was checked, only to reveal a black polythene having USD 86,600 and Euro 15,000 inside," the official said.

The immigration authorities, after some time, similarly alerted Customs officials about another doubtful passenger, identified as H Ranglani, travelling to Dubai on the same flight on which the man was booked.

Her baggage was checked by CISF security personnel which led them to a hot case kept in her bag.

"This hotcase, containing upma, was opened and foreign currency of USD 86,200 and Euro 15,000 was found concealed in it," he said.

The Customs officials are probing if the two cases are related, the official said.

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An explosive device went off inside a truck tonight in Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province, injuring at least 22 people, police said.

The blast happened at Bund road area, which is part of the route former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had finalised for his return to Lahore from Islamabad on Wednesday.

An official of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said Sharif's route in the city would be revised now.

Police and rescue officials have cordoned off the area.

A rescue official told PTI that an explosive device hidden inside the truck went off at around 9 pm local time.

The kind of device and the explosives used were not yet known.

"At least 22 people have been injured and shifted to hospitals. A minor girl is stated to be critical," he said.

DIG Haider Ashraf confirmed that it was a bomb blast.

"The device was planted in the fruit truck," he said, adding a huge crater has developed at the site of the blast.

"We have launched investigation on all aspects," he said.

Azim Hanif, an eyewitness, said he was going to the parking stand in the area when a powerful blast took place.

"Due the impact of the blast, I fell on the ground. After a couple of minutes when I gained my senses, I saw some people injured," Hanif said.

Th explosion shattered the windows of nearby buildings. A number of bikes and cars were damaged due to its intensity.

Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan, has witnessed several terror attacks in recent months.

On July 24, a Taliban suicide bomber struck a police team near residence-cum-office of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif here, killing 27 people, including policemen.

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.

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An explosive device went off inside a truck parked on the route former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif is to take on Wednesday for a public rally in Lahore, injuring at least 35 people, officials said.

Official sources told PTI that the explosives were placed in the truck laden with fruits on the Out Fall Road - the route Sharif is to take on his return to his hometown for the first time since the Panama Papers scandal verdict on July 28.

Sharif was initially scheduled to travel to Lahore from Islamabad via the famous Grand Trunk Road on Sunday, but the rally was postponed to Wednesday.

"It appears the explosive device was to target Sharif's cavalcade," the sources said, adding that Sharif is now likely to review his Wednesday's planned march through the route.

The truck was parked there for the past three days, police said citing initial reports they had received.

"It appears to be a message for Nawaz Sharif to cancel or defer his planned rally on coming Wednesday," the sources said.

The PML-N has planned a "million march" against Sharif's disqualification by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case. Opposition leader Imram Khan has expressed concern over the ousted prime minister's plan to travel to Lahore with a cavalcade, terming it "a deliberate attempt to undermine the Supreme Court" and its judgement in the high-profile scandal.

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said Sharif's travel plans were making Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders anxious.

"Khan's is afraid of the strong solidarity that will be demonstrated by the masses for the ousted prime minister, who is now emerging as the people's prime minister," Iqbal said.

A rescue official told PTI that an explosive device planted in the truck went off at around 9pm local time.

The kind of device and the explosives used were not yet known.

Police and rescue officials have cordoned off the area.

"At least 35 people have been injured and admitted to hospitals. An injured minor girl is stated to be critical," he said.

DIG Haider Ashraf confirmed that it was a bomb blast and said that the blast has created a huge crater.

"We have launched investigation on all aspects," he said.

Azim Hanif, an eyewitness, said he was going to the parking area when the powerful blast took place.

"Due the impact of the blast, I fell on the ground. After a couple of minutes when I gained my senses, I saw some people injured," Hanif said.

The explosion shattered the windows of nearby buildings. A number of bikes and cars were damaged due to its intensity.

Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan, has witnessed several terror attacks in recent months.

On July 24, a Taliban suicide bomber struck a police team near residence-cum-office of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif here, killing 27 people, including policemen.

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.

(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.)
A 40-year-old woman was allegedly raped in a district women's hospital by the son of a cleaner epmloyed there, police said here today.

The woman, said to be mentally disturbed, was admitted to the hospital where she was raped last night by the accused, ASP (east) Gyananjay Singh said.

The accused was arrested after people caught him in the act and handed him over to police.

The woman, who is in a serious condition, has been referred to Lucknow for a medical examination, he added.

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Six girls were declared finalists from the city to vie for the coveted Miss Diva India Universe 2017.

The winner of the event will represent India at Miss Universe 2017, the organisers said.

Chum Darang, Aishwarya Jena, Ankita Kumari, Jessica Aaron, Kasturi Borkotoki and Satabdi Roy were judged on various parameters including ramp walk, perfect body, communications skills and personality at a ceremony here last night marked by pomp and glamour.

The girls, mentored by Miss Universe 2000, Lara Dutta, were judged by celebrity panelists including fashion designers Komal Sood and Abhishek Dutta.

While the auditions in Lucknow are already over, they will now be held in Indore, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, New Delhi, Chandigarh with the final leg of 'Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva 2017' in the country's fashion hub Mumbai on September 7, they added.

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The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today accused Congress of cheating farmers by making "false" promises of debt waiver.

"Congress has cheated the farmers fraternity by making false promises of complete debt waiver," AAP MLA and leader of opposition Sukhpal Khaira said while addressing a political conference on the occasion of 'Rakhar Punia'.

People believed the assurances of Capt Amarinder Singh made during the election rallies but the chief minister has shattered the dreams of the farmers, alleged Khaira.

He alleged that "anti-farmer" policies of governments have led to a rise in the suicides and if remedial steps were not taken immediately there would be severe repercussions.

Khaira appealed to NRI Punjabis to come forward to help the poor farmers and farm labourers in the state.

He suggested that the NRI should stop spending money on cultural events being held in Punjab and use that money to form a fund for debt ridden farmers.

He criticized the state government for turning a "blind eye" to the pitiable situation of farmers.

Speaking during the conference, party's state unit chief Bhagwant Mann said that AAP had repeatedly warned the people before the Punjab Assembly elections that the SAD-BJP and the Congress were in a "secret alliance" to form government in state.

He claimed both the parties have agreed "clandestinely" to use all means to keep AAP away from the centre of power.

Mann said that they were very well aware of the fact that in case the control of state comes into the hands of AAP, "illegal" businesses being run by Akali-Congress in partnership will come to halt and their "nefarious designs" exposed before the public.

The AAP state president said that the sole objective of Congress was to "grab" the power and after formation of government Amarinder Singh is running away from fulfilling most of the promises made during the polls.

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A heightened level of alertness and a strong multi-tier security set up prevented terrorists from disrupting the annual 40-day Amarnath yatra in the Jammu region, a senior CRPF official said today.

While the yatra ended peacefully in Jammu, a terror attack on a bus on July 11 in Anantnag district of Kashmir left eight devotees dead and several others injured.

"Barring the July 16 road accident near Banihal which claimed the lives of 17 pilgrims and left 26 injured, the yatra ended peacefully here and it is because of coordinated efforts by all security agencies," Inspector General of the CRPF (Jammu sector) Abhay Vir Chauhan told reporters here.

He said there were intelligence reports about a possibility of terror attacks but the terrorists could not succeed due to the alertness of the Army, CRPF, police and other agencies.

"No such thing (terror attack) was witnessed in the Jammu region, but we were fully prepared to deal with any situation," the CRPF officer said.

He said the government reposed faith in the force and gave it the added responsibility of securing the entire route from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here to the base camps in Kashmir.

More troops were deployed and gadgets were used this year as against previous years in view of the intelligence inputs "suggesting a determined attempt by terrorists to target the yatra", Chauhan said.

The pilgrimage began from here on June 28, a day ahead of its commencement from the twin routes of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district.

A total of 2.60 lakh pilgrims performed the yatra, which ended today. The pilgrimage concludes on the festival of Raksha Bandhan every year.

He said adequate steps were taken for the peaceful conduct of the pilgrimage "but there's still a place for improvement".

Timely departure of devotees from the Bagwani Nagar camp will help them reach their destination in time before dusk, he said.

"Ensuring timely departure of convoys was a major challenge. Traffic snarls were another cause for concern. If the pilgrims could leave the camp early, we could avoid traffic congestion on the highway," the CRPF rpt CRPF IG said.

"At times, convoys reached the base camps in Kashmir after dusk, which is not good from the security point of view," he said, adding the delay was due to unavoidable circumstances.

He said the Bhagwati Nagar base camp, which was his area of responsibility, was fully fortified.

"The CRPF, for the first time, used unmanned aerial vehicles to keep a close watch on everything. Where naked eyes could not see, we deployed UAVs," Chauhan said.

While CRPF and police personnel were deployed on road opening duties on the highway, the Army secured the hills overlooking the arterial roads.

"Landslides is not in our control but we were prepared to deal with such a situation to ensure normal traffic movement on the highway.

"The personnel, who were to be deployed in landslide- prone areas, were given a special one-week training at Nagrota," the CRPF officer said.

The force also set up a booth at the railway station for helping pilgrims out.

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A local court today granted the transit remand of a suspected Bangladeshi terrorist to Uttar Pradesh police's Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), a day after his arrest here.

Chief Judicial Magistrate Gopal Tiwari allowed the ATS transit remand of Abdullah after which it took him to Lucknow.

Abdullah is allegedly associated with Islamic extremist group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).

He was living in the area for the past one month, IG, ATS, Asim Arun said.

Earlier, Abdullah had been residing in the Deoband area of Saharanpur district since 2011. He had managed to get an Aadhaar card and passport prepared on the basis of fake identity, the officer said.

He was associated with the ABT and involved in preparing fake identity proofs of terrorists, especially from Bangladesh, and help them find safe hideouts in India, Arun alleged.

According to the police, ABT is an Al-Qaeda inspired Islamic extremist group based in Bangladesh.

ATS teams from Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar and the district police team from Shamli conducted searches after Abdullah's arrest, the police said.

During interrogation, Abdullah told ATS sleuths that he used to prepare fake identity proofs with the help of one Faizan, resident of Deoband, IG Arun said.

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Luxury vehicle manufacturers today hit out at the move to hike cess on large cars and SUVs to 25 per cent, saying it was against the spirit of liberal market dynamics and would affect future plans of expansion under 'Make in India' initiative.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW were unanimous that increase in cess on large, luxury cars and SUVs that had become cheaper after GST rollout would dampen the spirits of the industry across the entire value chain.

The companies also said a constant shift in policy makes long-term planning for the market highly risky, and it would only have an adverse impact on India's financial ratings.

Under the current GST rates, SUVs, large and luxury cars attract top tax rate of 28 per cent with an additional 15 per cent cess.

"The message that we are getting from the government from such a move is that it is not looking at the auto sector to spur economic growth," Toyota Kirloskar Motor Vice Chairman and Whole Time Director Shekar Viswanathan told PTI.

He further said increasing cess on large cars and SUVs will "selectively benefit some companies, while putting others at a disadvantage".

Mercedes-Benz India MD and CEO Roland Folger said the company was highly disappointed with the move and it would be a strong deterrent to the growth of luxury cars in this country.

"As a leading luxury car maker, this will also affect our future plans of expansion under 'Make in India' initiative, which aims at making and selling world-class products in India, with the latest technology for end-consumers," he said in a statement.

Expressing similar sentiments, Audi India Head Rahil Ansari said: "We will be forced to re-evaluate our business plans in light of this development. This move unfortunately is against the spirit of liberal market dynamics and we can only request to reconsider this proposal."



This proposed increase in cess will most definitely adversely impact the sales, he added.

Companies such as Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota had reduced prices on several of their luxury cars and SUVs by up to Rs 10 lakh passing on GST benefits to consumers.

Ansari further said although the luxury car industry in India is small in volumes, it contributed over 10 per cent in value terms.

"The proposal of further increasing the cess on the luxury car industry will dampen the spirits of not only the companies, dealers and customers but also workers and employees working in this industry," he added.

The taxes were already very high and the industry was expecting that the unfulfilled potential of this segment to increase after the implementation of GST and rationalisation of taxes, Ansari added.

BMW Group India President Vikram Pawah also said that long-term stability in tax reforms and regulations are of paramount importance to foster growth of any industry in the country.

He further said, "While BMW Group India welcomes the implementation of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) in India, immediate changes and fluctuations on motor vehicles cess will adversely affect the stability and growth of the automotive industry in India."



The finance ministry today said the GST Council has approved a proposal to hike cess on large cars and SUVs to 25 per cent from 15 per cent now. A decision on when to raise the actual cess leviable on the same will be taken by the GST Council in due course.

Folger said the move once again reiterated the need for a long-term roadmap for the luxury car industry, "which has been at the receiving end of arbitrary policies".

"The constant shift in policy makes our long-term planning for the market highly risky and we think this would only have an adverse impact on the country's financial ratings," Folger said.

He claimed that the government was causing more damage to the environment and slowing down overall growth pace of India's economic growth, which it is striving to achieve by making better technology more expensive.

Increase in cess would also reverse the positive momentum that the industry wanted to achieve with the introduction of the GST.

"With this hike in cess, we expect the volumes of the luxury industry to decelerate, thus offsetting any growth in the potential revenue generation, that could have come with the estimated volume growth," Folger added.

He further said one month was too short a period to consider an upward revision in rates and market performance should have been watched for at least six months, before it was relooked.

"The current proposal of increase in cess, clubbed with the increased road tax rates, will take the effective consumer price much above the pre-GST scenario level," Folger said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bank employee unions have called for a nation-wide strike on August 22 to protest against privatisation and merger of public sector banks, among other demands, a union leader said today.

The All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), which represents nine bank unions and employees of public and private sector banks, has called for a nation-wide strike on August 22 to press for various demands, its general secretary C H Venkatachalam said.

Nearly 10 lakh employees would participate in the strike to protest plans to privatise public sector banks, merger and consolidation of banks and other demands including not to write-off non-performing assets (NPAs) in banks, Venkatachalam said in a statement.

Some of the other demands put forth by the unions include declaring wilful default of bank loans as criminal offence, implementation of the recommendations of Parliamentary Committee on recovery of NPAs.

Giving some financials, Venkatachalam claimed that bad loans that were written off by State Bank of India group in the last five years stood at Rs 93,041 crore.

While bad loans by the country's largest public sector lender State Bank of India as of 2016-17 was Rs 20,339 crore, for SBI Group as a whole it was Rs 27,574 crore.

Stating that people should not be penalised for corporate default, he said after the proposed stir on August 22, a massive rally would be conducted on September 15. Some time in October or November, continuous strike for two days would be conducted, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sixteen hours after the BEST buses went off the city roads as employees of the transport body went on a strike, the stir was withdrawn this afternoon following Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's intervention.

The BEST workers' union had decided to go ahead with the bus strike from midnight to press for their demands, including timely payment of salaries.

However, the stir was called off around 4 pm, after Thackeray, whose party is at the helm of affairs in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), assured that the budgets of the civic body and the BEST would be merged.

Talking to reporters at his residence 'Matoshree' here after his meeting with the BEST union representatives, Thackeray said, "One of the main problems the BEST workers were facing was their salaries, which they did not get on time. I assure them that their dues would be paid to them by the 10th of every month."



He added that in order to solve other problems being faced by the BEST employees was that the budgets of the BMC and the transport body will have to be merged.

"We will try to do it at the earliest. However, for that to happen, we have to approach the state government, move certain amendments in the law. Once it is done, automatically, all the problems faced by the workers will be addressed," he said.

Meanwhile, Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray tweeted that the strike was called off after the unions met the party president for talks.

"Uddhav Thackeray ji has assured the unions that all the BEST staffers will get their salaries on time, which was the main concern. Uddhav Thackeray ji also discussed and assured the restructuring of the BEST, along with the merger of BMC & BEST budgets soon," he said in a tweet.

"Measures to restructure the BEST with regard to the BMC are a Manifesto for @ShivSena and we will fulfil it," he said in another tweet.

A union representative, who was also present for the press briefing along with the Sena president, said that BEST decided to call off the strike after the Sena chief agreed to take responsibility of the public sector undertaking.

"Strike was our last resort after all the other options failed. We are happy that the demands of workers who work tirelessly all year will be finally met," the union representative said.

BJP legislator Narendra Mehta took a dig at the Sena and said the party failed to meet the demands of BEST workers.

"It is the Sena that is responsible for the BEST strike and Mumbaikars had to face problems commuting on the day of 'Raksha Bandhan'" the BJP MLA told reporters.

He added that while the BJP was fighting for real development, for the Sena, it was all about "its own development".

Nearly 36,000 BEST employees went on strike since midnight, putting lakhs of commuters to inconvenience, especially as 'Raksha Bandhan' is being celebrated today.

The BEST operates around 3,700 buses on 483 routes, ferrying over 30 lakh passengers every day. Its transport wing is facing daily losses of over Rs 2 crore.

The BEST employees and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have been at loggerheads for the past few days over several issues, including irregular payment of salaries.

In a bid to provide some relief to the commuters, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) ran additional 75 buses on major routes, while the Central Railway (CR) opened additional booking windows. The Western Railway (WR) also ran four more services between Churchgate and Virar.

An MSRTC spokesperson said, "We operated 73 buses from Kurla to BKC (Bandra Kurla Complex), Thane to Mantralaya, Mantralaya to Panvel and Dadar to CSMT (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus), etc. But it is obvious that 73 buses can not do the job of 3700 buses."



Many autorickshaw drivers refused to ferry short-distance passengers, and aggrieved commuters took to social media to vent out their anger.

"Not a single Ricksawala ready to ply to Veera Desai from Andheri West Railway Station #beststrike @MumbaiPolice #incredibleindia," tweeted Siddhesh Sardesai.

Vatsal Surotia reacted, "It is possibly THE worst day to travel by road in #Mumbai today. Rakshabandhan traffic plus BEST strike plus rains.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Invoking "Tamil pride", BJP youth wing national chief Poonam Mahajan today highlighted the welfare initiatives undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Tamil Nadu fishermen and asserted that the time was ripe for the lotus to bloom "everywhere in the state".

Asking if "Tamil pride" was ever "respected" during the previous UPA regime at the Centre, she said though votes were garnered by invoking it, it was quickly forgotten by the political parties once they reached Delhi.

That was not the case with the BJP, which had resolved to stand by the people of Tamil Nadu, she claimed.

Addressing a state BJP youth wing rally here, Mahajan listed the Centre's recent initiatives, including a Rs-1,500 crore plan to convert bottom trawlers into deep sea long- liners for the fishermen of the state.

The plan was announced by the prime minister last month when he inaugurated a memorial of former president A P J Abdul Kalam at Rameswaram.

Lauding the late Kalam, Mahajan said Modi had shown respect to the former president and taken forward his initiatives, including the 'blue revolution' for the fishermen.

Modi had said his government would usher in a 'blue revolution' by developing the country's coastal regions and working for the welfare of the fishermen.

"The fishermen from Tamil Nadu, who were stuck in Sri Lanka, were also brought back expeditiously," said Mahajan.

She added that during his visit to the island nation, Modi had met "our Tamil brothers and sisters" there, a "first" by an Indian prime minister.

Referring to the current political scenario in the state, Mahajan took potshots at DMK working president M K Stalin for "taking lessons" from Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

Repeating the "lessons" jibe used by senior BJP leader Muralidhar Rao, who spoke before her, she wondered why did Gandhi not opt for a bulletproof car during his recent visit to Gujarat's Banaskantha district, where a cement brick was hurled at the Congress vice-president's car.

"We don't want to throw stones at people who do nothing for the nation. We would use our hands to do better things for the country," said the BJP leader.

Referring to the two major Dravidian parties, she said, "The sun (DMK's poll symbol) is setting, the leaves (two leaves, the AIADMK's poll symbol) are falling apart and what we have to do now is see that the lotus blooms everywhere (in Tamil Nadu)."



Expressing satisfaction at the turnout at the rally, Mahajan said if this was the BJP youth wing's "trailer", the film would be "super hit".

Likening Modi with the "real sun", she said the prime minister was "burning himself" without even taking a single holiday to serve the people.

Anyone could directly connect with the prime minister through the "Modi app", she said and asked if it was possible to do the same with leaders like Stalin.

Beginning and ending her speech with "vanakkam", the BJP leader said she would try and speak in Tamil the next time and be a "Tamil sister".

The rally was held to urge the Tamil Nadu government to conduct the local body polls soon, shut down the state-run liquor outlets and improve the standard of education in government schools.

Mahajan also called on actor Rajinikanth yesterday and visited the house of a party functionary today.

Posting photographs with the actor on her Twitter handle, she wrote, "One of the most humble couples I have ever met Lathaji and Thalaiva @superstarrajini ji (sic)."



The BJP has been wooing Rajinikanth of late.

The actor has recently hinted that he may consider joining politics.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
FMCG major Britannia Industries Monday reported a 1.40 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 216.12 crore for the June quarter, impacted by the GST rollout and subdued growth in international business.

The company had posted a net profit of Rs 219.21 crore in the April-June period a year ago, Britannia Industries said in a BSE filing.

Its net sales were up 6.41 per cent to Rs 2,300.93 crore as against Rs 2,162.16 crore in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

"It has been a good quarter in the face of challenging market environment and de-stocking in trade due to GST. While GST created a short term impact, it is expected to generate a positive momentum going forward," Britannia Industries' MD Varun Berry said.

Britannia's total expenses were up 7.12 per cent to Rs 2,045.76 crore as against Rs 1,909.78 crore.

Its focus on enhancing direct reach along with rural push has helped the firm drive growth and sustain momentum during this difficult time, he added.

"Growth in our international business continued to be under pressure due to deteriorating geopolitical situation and currency fluctuations in geographies like the Middle East and Africa," he said.

"Growth in dairy business has also been subdued primarily due to our focus on driving products with high profitability and reducing our play in the less profitable commoditised products," he added.

Shares of Britannia Industries were trading at Rs 4,197.80 on BSE, up 7.27 per cent.
Leading FMCG company Britannia Industries will invest Rs 1000 crore at its proposed largest plant at the Ranjangaon food park in Maharashtra, a company official said.

"There will be an investment of Rs 1000 crore at the Ranjangaon food park over a period of four to five years with an employment potential for 3000 people", MD of Britannia Industries Varun Berry told reporters after the company's AGM here today.

The plant would have six biscuit lines, and one each for rusk and croissant, he said, adding that plans were there for a flour mill and a dairy unit also.

The company would make a capital expenditure of Rs 400 crore in the current fiscal, he said.

Britannia was already having 98 acres there and another 48 acres would be added, Berry said.

Besides, Britannia would set up its first greenfield unit in Nepal, he said, besides commissioning two plants one each at Mundra and Guwahati.

Post completion of all the plants, total biscuit manufacturing capacity would be 13 lakh per annum.

Earlier at the AGM, chairman of Britannia Industries Nusli Wadia said that the JV with Greek company Chipita would come up at the food park and be commissioned in June 2018.

He said that the company had been to gain market share year-on-year making it the leader in the country.

Wadia said the main focus of the company would be cost saving and product innovation. He said that the company would go for consolidation of its brands in its portfolio.

He said that despite being a tough year due to demonetisation, the company performed well.

On GST, he said there was no impact on the company.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China has denied a report in the US media that it is planing to hire a foreigner to run the world's largest radio telescope in Southwest Guizhou Province, saying there is no such requirement as the prestigious post has been filled already.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said on its Sina Weibo account yesterday there was no such recruitment of chief scientist for the 500-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in Pingtang county.

It said that the post of the FAST chief scientist was filled when the project had been launched in July 2016, state-run Global Times reported.

However, the CAS has not identified the chief scientist.

The academy said it will continue to support and encourage the participation of top Chinese and international scientists in FAST-related work.

The US news-magazine 'Newsweek' reported on its website on Thursday that China was offering a 1.9 million yuan research grant and free housing plus besides other perks for the foreigner-only job.

The world's largest radio telescope was completed in July 2016, when the remaining of 4,450 panels were installed in the big dish, the state-run Xinhua agency reported.

In the first two or three years in operation, the telescope will undergo further adjustments, and Chinese scientists will use it for early-stage research before it is opened to international scientists, said Peng Bo, director of the NAO Radio Astronomy Technology Laboratory.

Scientists can also engage in remote observations in other cities, Peng said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amid rhetoric in the state-run media here about China contemplating a "small-scale military operation" to evict Indian troops from Doklam within two weeks, a top PLA official today declined to back it but said that India should withdraw its soldiers unconditionally to end the 50-day long standoff from escalating.

"This kind of reports represents the view of the media and think-tanks. For official information please refer to the statements of foreign ministry and defence ministry spokespersons," China's Defence Ministry's spokesman Sr. Col. Ren Guoqiang told an Indian media delegation here.

He was asked to comment on a report by the state-run Global Times quoting a think-tank that China is contemplating a "small scale military operation" to dislodge Indian troops from Doklam area within two weeks.

"China will not allow the military standoff between China and India in Doklam to last for too long, and there may be a small-scale military operation to expel Indian troops within two weeks," Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, was quoted by Global Times on August 5 as saying.

Hu said that the military operation would aim to "seize Indian personnel illegally lingering in Chinese territory or to expel them".

"The Chinese side will inform the Indian Foreign Ministry before its operation," Hu said, without elaborating on how a scholar based in Shanghai could have such an information about the plans by the Chinese military.

In his two-hour-long interaction with Indian media delegation being hosted by the official body, the All China Journalists Association (ACJA), Col. Ren refused to comment on Hu's claims beyond referring journalists to the foreign and defence ministry spokespersons. He, however, took pains to make a case that Doklam is Chinese territory and Beijing has "ample legal and historical proof".

"We have all the legitimate rights to construct the road in Chinese territory," he said, referring to the action on June 16 which triggered the crisis leading to the Indian troops intervening to stop its construction.

Accusing the Indian troops of illegally crossing into the Chinese territory, he reiterated China's stand that the Indian side should withdraw its troops "immediately and unconditionally".

New Delhi has expressed concern over China's road building activities in the border areas, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India's access to its northeastern states.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

Col Ren also questioned why India has maintained silence over China's plans to build the road even after Beijing informed New Delhi twice. He said China informed India on May 18 and followed on June 8. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said earlier that the information was conveyed through the border meeting mechanism to resolve the disputes.

He had a word of praise for the border meeting mechanism saying that it is a "very mature and stable border exchange mechanism between China and India".

He also denied allegations that China was an expansionist country and a hegemonistic power.

"This is not in our genes," he said when asked about public perception in India that China was an expansionist power because of its backing to Pakistan to prevent a UN ban on JeM terror group leader Masood Azhar and building of USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan- occupied Kashmir (PoK).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy of China arrived at the Colombo Port on a four-day goodwill visit, the Sri Lankan Navy announced today.

Hepingfangzhou', the state-of-the-art ship has been constructed for engaging in in humanitarian response to disasters around the world. It is popularly known as Ark Peace.

The ship is comprised of a crew of 381 people and has treated over 120,000 people across from the globe during its circumnavigation.

Further, this modern platform is equipped with all in- house facilities such as; theatres, intensive care units, consultant medical services, residential treatment units and Computerised Tomography Machines.

Meanwhile, the helicopter onboard can be utilised in swift transfer of patients at any given time of emergency.

The medical staff of the ship partnering with the medical personnel of the Sri Lanka Navy is scheduled to conduct several medical camps as well.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress MLAs from Gujarat, who were camping in Bengaluru ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls, returned here this morning and were taken to a resort in neighbouring Anand district, party leaders said.

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, the political secretary to party president Sonia Gandhi, is in the fray for the Rajya Sabha polls which will be held tomorrow.

Upon their arrival at the Ahmedabad airport this morning, the 44 MLAs were whisked away to a resort in Anand.

The 44 Congress MLAs will stay at Nijanand Resort, located on the outskirts of Anand, till tomorrow morning, Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said.

"All our MLAs have invited their family members to the resort to celebrate 'Rakshabandhan'. The MLAs will be taken to Gandhinagar tomorrow morning for the voting," Doshi said.

Earlier, Congress party chief whip and senior leader Sailesh Parmar told reporters in Anand, "All our MLAs have decided not to go to their home even on 'Rakshabandhan' and be loyal soldiers of the Congress."

"They will stay together and they will go to vote in the Rajya Sabha polls tomorrow (to Gandhinagar) from Anand," Parmar said.

"Ahmed Patel and state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki will come to Anand to meet them," he said, adding they have not taken police security at the resort.

As the Congress MLAs refused to take police protection inside the resort, the Anand police has deployed security personnel outside the premises.

Anand district Superintendent of Police Saurabh Singh said, "Since the party did not want any policemen inside the resort, we have deployed our force outside the resort to secure the premises. We are coordinating with Congress workers to stop any unauthorised person from entering the resort."

Congress leader Indravijaysinh Gohil, who is looking after the security arrangements at the resort, said they do not trust the police following the attack on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's car in Banaskantha recently.

"We have deployed NSUI and Youth Congress workers in and outside the resort to guard our MLAs, as we do not trust the police after what happened to Rahulji in Dhanera. We have barred policemen from entering the resort. Our workers will guard the MLAs inside the resort," Gohil told reporters.

The resort is located in Vanskhilia village of Anand taluka, considered a stronghold of the Congress.

The elections to three Rajya Sabha seats will be held tomorrow. Patel will take on BJP candidates including party chief Amit Shah, Union minister Smriti Irani and former Congress party chief whip Balwantsinh Rajput who recently joined the BJP.

A pitched battle is on between the two parties to win the Rajya Sabha elections after senior Gujarat Congress leader Shankarsinh Vaghela quit the party.

In a jolt to the Congress, six of its MLAs had quit the party on July 27 and July 28.

In the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, the strength of the Congress has gone down to 51 from 57.

Subsequently, the rattled Congress tucked away 44 of its MLAs to a Bengaluru resort to insulate them from alleged "poaching" attempts by the BJP.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The CPI(M) today condemned the alleged high-handedness with which social activist Medha Patkar, fasting for rehabilitation of Sardar Sarovar oustees, was removed from the protest site in Madhya Pradesh by the state police.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury also accused the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in the state of focusing on arrests of the protesters than taking steps to rehabilitate people whose villages will be submerged due to the dam.

The All India Kisan Sabha, a farmers' body backed by the Left party, charged the government with "forcefully" removing Patkar and 11 other protesters and said the action was taken "purposefully" to influence the Supreme Court.

The AIKS, in a statement said that the apex court is set to hear tomorrow a petition filed by eminent citizens and the project affected people (PAP).

The farmers' body also questioned the Centre's "silence" on the "precarious" situation being faced by the PAP.

"We condemn the high-handedness with which protests are dealt with. Far from addressing issues, protesters get lathi- charged in BJP-ruled MP.

"State government is focused on arrests instead of taking steps to rehabilitate people whose villages will now be submerged. @medhanarmada," Yechury tweeted.

The AIKS alleged that the state government did not take any initiative to engage in a dialogue with the agitators and instead resorted to the "authoritarian and violent" attack on them, which was "unacceptable".

The farmers' body has claimed that 40,000 families were affected by the project and the Chouhan government not rehabilitated all the PAP before gates of the dam were lowered in Gujarat, another beneficiary state of the project. Maharashtra is the third beneficiary state.

The Centre had last month said that 18,063 families were affected by the project in Madhya Pradesh. As on July 31, 6,724 of these continued to live in the submergence area. Of these, 884 project affected families (PAFs) were in the process of shifting and all the PAFs had been given resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) package as per the Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal (NWDT) award and a February 8 Supreme Court order.

The government had also said that there were no PAFs remaining in the submergence areas in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Patkar and 11 others were today taken by the police to hospitals from Chikhalda village of Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district, where they have been sitting on an indefinite fast since last 12 days.

Patkar, the founder of the 'Narmada Bachao Andolan', and her associates had launched the fast on July 27, demanding "proper" rehabilitation and resettlement of those affected by the Sarovar.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The cross-LoC bus service through the Poonch-Rawalakot road continued to remain suspended for the fifth week in a row, triggering protests by stranded residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) today, officials said.

The weekly bus service was suspended on July 10, due to heavy firing and shelling by Pakistani troops in Poonch sector, leaving 116 PoK guests stranded at the houses of their relatives on this side of the Line of Control (LoC).

Though there was no fresh ceasefire violation reported in the sector since July 21, the bus service was not allowed to resume for the fifth consecutive week today.

The PoK residents staged a protest at the Poonch stadium, the place where the passengers travelling on the route usually gather before leaving for Chakan-da-bagh crossing point, demanding early return to their homes.

"The PoK residents staged protest and later met me in my office demanding early return," Deputy Commissioner, Poonch, Tariq Ahmad Zargar told PTI.

The protesters were concerned about the welfare of their families back home and some complained that they had taken leave from work for just a fortnight.

"I assured them that we are hopeful of a solution within shortest possible time," Zargar said adding "we are doing our best to ensure early return of the PoK residents and have taken up the matter with the Army authorities".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- North Korea said Monday it will take "thousands-fold" revenge against the United States in response to new international sanctions over its nuclear program.



The statement came through a state-run media outlet, the Korean Central News Agency, two days after the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved new sanctions to penalize the isolated regime for its escalating nuclear and missile programs, including its recent launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, most recently in late July.



North Korea slammed the penalties  which could slash a third of the countrys $3 billion in export revenue  as a violent infringement of its sovereignty and part of a heinous U.S. plot to isolate and stifle the country.



The sanctions ban North Korea exports of coal, iron, lead and seafood products, estimated to be worth $1 billion.



But North Korea asserted the punishment will not lead it to change course.



Its a wild idea to think the [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] will be shaken and change its position due to this kind of new sanctions formulated by hostile forces, Pyongyang said in its statement.



Bang Kwang Hyok, a spokesman for the North Korean delegation at an international summit in Manila, echoed the statement, suggesting that the U.S. is the villain in the conflict over his countrys nuclear program.



"We have already explained that unless the U.S.s villainous policies and nuclear threats are solved and settled, our nuclear arms and ICBM will never be up for negotiation, and we will never give way in the path of nuclear development we have selected," he told reporters.



Nikki Haley, the United States ambassador to the U.N., said the sanctions package is "the single largest economic sanctions package ever leveled" against North Korea. President Trump took to Twitter to celebrate the vote.



The United Nations Security Council just voted 15-0 to sanction North Korea. China and Russia voted with us. Very big financial impact! he wrote.



Meanwhile, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who was also at the summit in Manila, said the U.S. is open to talks with North Korea if the country stops testing ballistic missiles.



Asked by a member of the press how long North Korea would have to refrain from conducting missile tests before talks could begin, Tillerson said, Well know it when we see it.



He added that the United States willingness to enter talks would depend on the North Korean regimes attitude.



The best signal that North Korea could give us that they are prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches, Tillerson said. This is not a Give me 30 days and we are ready to talk. Its not quite that simple. So it is all about how we see their attitude towards approaching a dialogue with us.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The four-day Monsoon session of Delhi Assembly begins tomorrow with the opposition BJP planning to corner the AAP government over several issues including what it claimed were unfulfilled poll promises of the ruling party.

The Arvind Kejriwal government will also re-introduce three bills in the Monsoon session which were earlier sent back by the Centre with some objections.

The Minimum Wages (Delhi) Amendment Bill, 2015, The Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound Delivery of Services) Amendment Bill, 2015 and NSIT Bill (amendment) were among the 14 bills passed by the House, but the Centre had sent back most of the proposed legislations.

Last month, Kejriwal had directed the law department to submit a "way forward" roadmap on legislative bills which are awaiting clearance from the Centre.

Meanwhile, the BJP, which has four MLAs in the 70-member House, said that its legislators would taken on the AAP government on what it called its "U-turn" on promises made to the people and "repression" of the opposition.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Vijender Gupta has alleged that the government was adopting "unconstitutional measures" and "repressing" the opposition as well as senior government officials.

"The opposition will launch an all-out attack on the government in the Monsoon Session for the U-turn on its promises, repression of the opposition and senior government officers and unconstitutional measures adopted by it," Gupta had told reporters last week.

He had also said he would also raise the issue of House committees and questioned their way of functioning.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Deputy Chief of Air Staff (DCAS), Air Marshal R Nambiar, today arrived at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, in Kannur district on a day's visit.

On his arrival, Nambiar was received by Vice Admiral S V Bhokare, Commandant of the INA.

During his stay at the academy, the DCAS was briefed on training facilities and processes there.

He was also taken on a guided tour of all training and station facilities, an INA release said.

Nambiar expressed happiness at seeing the facilities and the clean environment at the Academy, it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Legendary actor Dilip Kumar, who is being treated for dehydration and kidney-related ailments, is recovering but is still kept in the ICU for observation, a senior official said today.

The 94-year-old actor was admitted to the Lilavati hospital in suburban Bandra on August 2 due to dehydration and urinary tract infection.

"He is improving. He is doing fine. His creatinine levels have reduced. He is not on ventilator but is in the ICU. Due to the age factor, we have to keep him under observation," Lilavati Hospital's vice president Ajaykumar Pandey told PTI.

"He will be in the hospital for a few more days," Pandey said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
"I have the power of the people behind me," the young woman who was allegedly stalked by Haryana BJP chief's son and his friend said today as politicians, bureaucrats and women rallied around her.

Three days after the 29-year-old was chased through the streets of Chandigarh on her way home late on Friday night, the high profile incident involving the daughter of a bureaucrat and the son of a politician led to a political slugfest and put the issue of stalking in the crosshairs of national attention.

While Haryana's opposition Congress accused the Centre and the BJP of "conspiring to hush up" the case against the son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy said he would file a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for a court-monitored CBI probe.

The Indian Administrative Service (Central) Association demanded "exemplary and timely punishment" and the National Commission for Women (NCW) said it had written to the Haryana director general of police, seeking a free and fair probe.

The Chandigarh police also fought back charges that it was being partial and said it was conducting a "fair investigation" into the case against Vikas Barala (23), and his friend, Ashish Kumar (27).

The two were earlier arrested for allegedly stalking the woman and later released on bail as they had been booked under bailable sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act.

As the controversy swirled, highlighting the vulnerability of women even in public spaces, the woman at the centre of it all said she was grateful for all the support.

"? I have the power of people behind me, never before in my life have I felt so much support," said the DJ by profession.

Had she not been the daughter of an IAS officer, things could have ended differently.

"If I had been a village girl, probably I would not have the resources to fight these guys," said the complainant who appeared on television with her father by her side to present her viewpoint.

"If we don't do it (pursue the case), then who will."



Her father said that "unless somebody from the family (of the accused) was trying to sabotage the investigations, we are very clear. We do not hold the family responsible in any way".

His response came as the opposition stepped up its demand for Barala's resignation and criticised the Chandigarh police for not charging his son with attempted kidnapping.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said the Chandigarh Police came directly under the Union home ministry and they were trying to protect Barala and his son.

The BJP ruled out Barala's resignation.

"Subhash Barala has nothing to with the Vikas Barala case. The law is taking its own course in this case. There is no reason for the resignation of Subhash Barala," said BJP's Haryana in-charge Anil Jain.

Faced with flak from the opposition as well as people like Subramanian Swamy, who accused them of doing a "somersault", the Chandigarh Police said it was not working under any pressure.

To a question on why the two accused had not been charged with attempted kidnapping, Chandigarh Police SSP, Eish Singhal said, "We are proceeding in this case with an open mind and if any such Section is to be added, we will definitely add it (in the FIR already registered in the case)."



BJP MP Kirron Kher, who represents Chandigarh in the Lok Sabha, assured the young woman and her family that justice would be done.

The Chandigarh police, she said, was not facing any political pressure and dismissed as "wild allegations" some reports that the CCTV footage had gone missing.

"As a mother, I can understand the sentiments of the victim's family at this time. Whatever is legal and correct in this case, will be done."



Kher also referred to her party colleague Chandigarh BJP Vice President Ramveer Bhatti's reported comments that girls and women should not go out alone at midnight.

"I think this is a very unfortunate statement, which reflects the mindset of many men in this country. I think that Bhatti should have exercised restraint," Kher said.

However, Bhatti clarified his remarks later and said, "What I meant to convey is that it is the responsibility of parents to watch over their children and their activities."



He described the stalking incident as "unfortunate and shameful".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said today that the Congress government in the state should not try to shift the onus of farm loan waiver on the Centre and should instead apologise to Punjabis for betraying them.

Addressing a rally at Baba Bakala near here, he said the Congress government should not try to shift the blame on the Centre.

"The Congress party got lakhs of forms filled by farmers promising complete loan waiver to the tune of Rs 90,000 crore. Its finance minister Manpreet Badal however allocated only Rs 1,500 crore for this purpose in the state budget. Now the government is saying it cannot release even this amount. I want to ask Manpreet Badal just one thing. Why did he cheat the farmers in this manner," Sukhbir Badal said.

He claimed that Manpreet Badal knew the state of Punjab finances and also whether farmer loans could be waived or not.

"It is because of his false promise and inability to deliver that nearly 200 farmers have committed suicide in around 150 days," Sukhbir Badal alleged.

If there was one thing the Congress government has done in the last five months, it was inflicting repression on the poor and Dalits besides false cases against Akali workers, Sukhbir Badal said continuing his attack.

"I have been to five assembly constituencies as part of the party's Jabar Virodhi Lehar and learnt that no one has been spared," he said.

Young boys and even old women have been implicated in false cases, he claimed.

Stating that the SAD would not be cowed down by false cases, the SAD president asked party men to face repression boldly. He asked them to gherao police stations if they were implicated in false cases.

"We will also initiate cases against any police officer found indulging in vendetta at the instance of Congress leaders," he added.

He alleged Congress leaders were selling sand at rates five to six times the price during the earlier SAD-BJP regime.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A number of daily use products ranging from idli/dosa batter to kitchen gas lighter may cost less as the Council is considering lowering rates on these items.

Tax rates on over two dozen products are being sought to be lowered by the Council after anomalies in their fixations were pointed out, official sources said.

To deal with businesses that are deregistering their brands post to avoid taxes, the fitment committee has proposed to the GST Council to consider May 15, 2017, as the cut off date for considering as a registered brand for the purpose of levy of GST, irrespective of whether or not the brand is subsequently deregistered.

A final decision in this regard would be taken by the GST Council, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising representatives of all states, at its next meeting on September 9 in Hyderabad.

Unbranded food items are exempted from GST, whereas branded and packaged food items attract 5 per cent rate. Hence, many businesses are deregistering their brands to avoid the levy.

Sources said that the GST Fitment Committee has approved new rate structure of over two dozen items and forwarded the proposal to the apex decision-making body.

The GST Council in the August 5 meeting considered and approved lower rates for some of these items and the remaining will be taken up in the next meet on September 9, they said.

Sources, however, could not state the items on which the tax rates have been lowered.

They said GST on dried tamarind has been proposed to be lowered to 5 per cent from 12 per cent currently and so will be the case in roasted gram.

Custard power would attract 18 per cent GST as against 28 per cent currently while idli/dosa batter would be charged with 12 per cent tax against 18 per cent currently.

Oil cakes would be charged with a uniform 5 per cent GST irrespective of end use as against present practice of nil rate on oil cake for animal feed.

GST on dhoop batti, dhoop and other similar items has been proposed at 5 per cent, down from 12 per cent at present. This brings dhoop batti at par with agarbattis which attract a 5 per cent tax rate.

Plastic raincoast, rubber bands, rice rubber rolls for paddy de-husking, computer monitors and kitchen gas lighters would see GST being lowered from 28 per cent to 18 per cent.

GST on corduroy fabrics is to be lowered to 5 per cent from 12 per cent currently and the same is to be done for saree fall. Tax on textile caps is to be lowered to 12 per cent from 18 per cent and that on idols made of clay to 5 per cent from 28 per cent currently.

Brooms and brushes would be tax-free as against 5 per cent GST levied currently while rosaries and prayer beads would be charged with 5 per cent tax as compared to 18 per cent now.

Hawan samagri would be charged with 5 per cent GST as compared to nil now.

(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.)
British Prime Minister Theresa May's office today denied weekend media claims that the UK government was reconciled to paying the European Union nearly 40 billion euros as part of a so-called Brexit divorce bill.

"I don't recognise the figure," said May's official spokesperson when asked about the figure published by 'The Sunday Telegraph', quoting three separate sources within the British civil service and government with knowledge of the UK's Brexit negotiating strategy.

"As the secretary of state for Exiting the European Union has made clear, we will meet our international responsibilities but the UK will not pay more than it needs to," added a UK government spokesperson.

A prominent Conservative MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg, said there was "no logic to this figure. Legally we owe nothing."



His fellow MP Peter Bone also said it would be "very strange" for Parliament to vote in favour of such large sums.

The paper had claimed that UK government negotiators for Britain's exit from the European Union have been able to ascertain that the EU's actual opening position is around 60 billion euros - not 100 billion euros as previously suggested.

"The 27 say they can't knock off the bits of their 'bill' until the very end - but politically we can't move on money until the 27 member states start to show compromise. As a negotiation process, it just doesn't work," a senior civil servant based at Whitehall in London told the newspaper.

"We know their position is 60 billion euros, but actual bottom line is 50 billion euros. Ours is closer to 30 billion euros, but the landing zone is 40 billion euros, even if the public and politicians are not all there yet," the source added.

Asecond Whitehall source confirmed the UK bottom line was "30 billion euros-40 billion euros", while a third political source put the figure in May's mind at "north of 30 billion euros".

British Brexit negotiators concluded after second-round talks last month that the EU had created a non-negotiable stanceby refusing to talk about trade until it had reached a settlement on citizens' rights, money and Northern Ireland.

UK officials have been looking at a compromise by proposing a transition deal in which Britain would offer to continue to make net payments to the EU of some 10 billion euros a year for up to three years after Brexit.

EU budget commissioner Guenther Oettinger told Germany's 'Bild' newspaper today that Britain would remain bound by some previous commitments to long-term projects after Brexit and "will therefore have to transfer funds to Brussels at least until 2020".

He has forecast that in the long term, Britain's withdrawal from the 28-member economic bloc will mean a loss of about 10 to 12 billion euros per year to the EU budget, which will be made up through a combination of cuts and higher payments from other members.

The issue of a so-called one-off "divorce" payment by the UK to the EU has been the focus of intense speculation, with many hard-core Brexiters insisting Britain owes the economic bloc nothing at all.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Economic development is an important factor in ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan, a meet to explore confidence building measures (CBMs) on commercial opportunities in the war-torn country felt today.

The eighth meeting of the regional technical group of CBMs on trade, commerce & investment opportunities under the 'Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process' also shared the view that Afghanistan acted as a natural bridge in promoting regional connectivity and economic integration.

"There was consensus that economic development was an important factor in ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan and the Heart of Asia Region. In this context, the participants shared views on various measures and steps to promote transit and trade and realising reliable and robust connectivity, with Afghanistan as the hub," a release by the external affairs ministry said.

The meet recognised a need to make the existing transit and trade agreements more inclusive and comprehensive by expanding them both northwards and southwards to connect South Asia with Central Asia; strengthening growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and involvement of women in economic development, including through women entrepreneurship; and simplifying customs procedures, it said.

Hosted by India, the meeting was co-chaired by acting director general of economic cooperation department in Afghanistan foreign minister Hassan Soroosh, and joint secretary in the MEA Deepak Mittal.

Attended by representatives of 17 participating countries and supporting international organisations, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, UAE, Australia, Egypt, Germany, the UK, the US, the EU and the UN, the release said.

"The steps taken for development of transit and transport through Chahbahar Port involving India, Afghanistan and Iran, TAPI gas pipeline, CASA-1000, TAT railway line, Lapis Lazuli corridor were assessed positively. All sides agreed on the value of such connectivity and economic integration projects to overall growth, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan," it added.

The release said the recent establishment of the air freight corridor between India and Afghanistan was welcomed as providing fast and assured access to farmers of Afghanistan to the large markets in South Asia and beyond was acknowledged positively as also New Delhi's assistance for capacity building and training of Afghan officials.

India's initiative to develop a web portal for exchanging information on regional markets, trade and investment opportunities, and facilitating networking between businesses for the participating countries was appreciated, the release added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After weeks of dramatic political developments, Gujarat looks set for an on the edge of seat contest in the Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday, which will decide among others the fate of Ahmed Patel, the influential political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

It is after a gap of about two decades that a contest is happening in Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, where official nominees of major parties used to get elected unopposed after the BJP fielded a Congress rebel against Patel, who is seeking a fifth term.

The ruling BJP has fielded party chief Amit Shah, Union minister Smriti Irani, and Balwantsinh Rajput, who till recently was Congress' chief whip in the House, for the three RS seats.

While its first two candidates will sail through, the BJP will have to manage extra votes to enable Rajput beat Patel.

Ahmed Patel, who met Congress MLAs after they returned from their Bengaluru sojourn, said he was confident of his victory.

"This poll is not at all about anyone's prestige. I have full faith in my MLAs. Apart from these 44 (Congress) legislators, two of NCP, one of the JD-U would vote for me," Patel told reporters.

These MLAs have now been hosted at a resort in Anand district.

The Congress, which has been out of power in the state for over a decade-and-a-half now, was rattled by the surprise exit of party stalwart Shankarsinha Vaghela recently.

It was jolted further when its six MLAs, including Rajput, a relative of Vaghela resigned from the Assembly. Three of them later joined BJP, setting off alarm bells for the party in Gujarat where Assembly elections are due later this year. The beleaguered Congress flew its 44 MLAs to Bengaluru to ward off any threat of "poaching" by the BJP.

However, six of the 51 MLAs still in the Congress, apart from Vaghela, have not put their cards on the table. They were not among the MLAs packed off to Bengaluru.

Vaghela, who resigned from the party and as the leader of the opposition, has not quit the House yet, giving the Congress a major cause for worry.

The Congress had faced a major embarrassment in the presidential election when joint opposition candidate Meira Kumar could manage 49 votes when the party's strength then was 57.

A candidate will require 45 votes for a straight win in the poll, and the BJP with 121 MLAs can secure easy victories for Shah and Irani. The party will be left with 31 surplus votes for Rajput, who will require the backing of rebel MLAs of the Congress and smaller parties to win.

For now, Ahmed Patel looks like having the clear backing of 44 Congress MLAs, but even if none of them cross-votes or uses NOTA (None of the Above) option, the Congress candidate will require one additional vote for his victory.

The Congress is also banking on the support of two NCP MLAs, and one each of JD(U) and Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP).

However, NCP leader Praful Patel on Sunday said his party had not yet made up its mind on whom to support. The NCP and JD(U) MLAs had accompanied Patel when he filed his nomination.

JD(U) MLA Chotubhai Vasava has been saying he will only support those who will give something to his constituency.

Keeping his cards close to chest, Vaghela on Monday chose to maintain silence on his choice of candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls, but said Congress nominee Ahmed Patel remained a "friend."

"Each and every voter is the owner of his vote. The vote is the personal property of an MLA (for the RS polls). Therefore, I do not want to reveal whom I will vote for," Vaghela told reporters.

The 77-year-old veteran said he was no longer in touch with the Congress and dismissed the talk that he was in contact with the BJP.

According to Election Commission officials, a candidate would require one-fourth of the total number of votes plus one to get elected. This would mean a contestant has to muster 45 votes.

The MLAs have to give their preferential votes indicating first choice, second, third, fourth (as per number of candidates) or they can choose NOTA, they said.

Meanwhile, Amit Shah, who has helmed the party to spectacular victories in several elections since 2014, is camping in Gujarat strategising on how to get all three BJP nominees win.

(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.)
A retired railway employee and his daughter in-law were murdered by a kin who also injured two other family members in Bihar's Munger district today, according to a police officer.

The incident took place in Ashiqpur locality under the jurisdiction of East Colony police station.

A man identified as Satyam barged into his uncle Jagdish Hari's house early this morning and fatally slit the throat of Hari and his daughter-in-law Seema Kumari with a knife, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashish Bharti said.

Satyam also attacked his cousins Kiran Kumar and Ranjita Kumar. They were injured in the attack, the SP said.

The motive behind the incident was under investigation, Bharti said, adding that the bodies have been sent for post-mortem and the injured persons admitted to Sadar hospital for treatment.

Satyam was absconding, the SP said, adding that raids were being carried out to nab the assailant.

Satyam was out on bail in the murder case of his wife, Bharti said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Five persons, including two siblings, drowned in separate incidents in Morbi and Jamnagar districts of Gujarat today, police said.

Bhavna Chauhan (13) and her cousins Lalo Chauhan (8) and Jago Chauhan drowned while bathing in a pond near their house in Tankara town of Morbi district.

"Locals tried to save them and rushed them to the government hospital where they were declared dead," said a police officer.

Two men drowned in river near Jalasan village in Kalavad tehsil of Jamnagar district.

The deceased were identified as Paresh Makwana (20) and Sanjay Makwana (25). A third man who was also drowning was saved by locals, police sub inspector A D Vala said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India's leading FMCG Britannia Industries would set up its largest plant in Maharashtra in a food park at Ranjangaon.

"We are planning to set up our largest plant at the Ranjangaon food park in Maharashtra", chairman of Britannia Industries Nusli Wadia told shareholders at the company's AGM here today.

Wadia said the park would have the largest biscuits manufacturing plant with six lines, along with cake and rusk.

He said that the proposed JV plant with Greek company Chipita would also be located there, adding that it would on stream from June 2018.

Wadia said that the company was also planning to set up a dairy project at the food park with a capacity of seven lakh litres per day.

Relating to the Chipita JV, Wadia said Indian consumers would be introduced to a new variety of croissants.

Wadia said that the focus of the company would be investments on new products and cost reduction.

He said over the last three years, the company had been able to increase market share y-o-y.

Commenting on the first quarter results, he said that net profit had risen despite a tough year due to demonetisation.

Wadia said rural growth had been in double digits.
Following are the top stories of the northern region at 2030 hrs:



DEL7 JK-AMARNATH



Srinagar: The 40-day annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas ends, with 2.60 lakh pilgrims offering prayers this year despite a terror attack on a bus that left eight devotees dead.

DEL8 JK-LOC



Srinagar: The Karavan-e-Aman weekly bus service across the Line of Control on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road resumes, a week after it was suspended.

DES9 STALKING-NCW



New Delhi: The National Commission for Women seeks a free and fair probe in the case of alleged stalking of a Chandigarh-based woman by the Haryana BJP chief's son.

DES7 JK-AMARNATH-CRPF



Jammu: A heightened level of alertness and a strong multi-tier security set up prevented terrorists from disrupting the annual 40-day Amarnath yatra in the Jammu region, a senior CRPF official said today.

DES6 CBI-POLLUTION



New Delhi: The CBI has registers a case in connection with toxins released by illegal industrial units in North East Delhi residential areas which purportedly claimed the lives of two people.

DES4 DELHI-TRAFFIC



New Delhi: Festive rush, rains and breakdown of a number of DTC buses brought traffic in parts of the national capital to its knees.

DES2 HEALTH-VACCINATION



New Delhi: The Union health ministry rolls out the second phase of measles and rubella (MR) vaccination campaign under which 3.4 crore children are expected to be covered to reduce incidences of these diseases in the country.

DES5 UP-AKHILESH



Lucknow: In the backdrop of three MLCs recently quitting the party and joining the BJP, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav says those who wanted to go, should go without offering any excuse, so that he could ascertain who were with him in "bad times".

DES8 DL-SCAVENGING



New Delhi: Toxic fumes inside gutters and sewers have snuffed out seven lives in the national capital within a month, but agencies are busy passing the buck, or washing hands off by pinning the blame on private contractors.

DES10 DL-ASSEMBLY-SESSION



New Delhi: The four-day Monsoon session of Delhi Assembly begins tomorrow with the opposition BJP planning to corner the AAP government over several issues including what it claimed were unfulfilled poll promises of the ruling party.

DES16 JK-BORDER-RAKSHABANDHAN



Jammu: Beats of 'dholaks' reverberated along the LoC in Poonch sector when local girls and women thronged the Army camps and tied 'rakhis' to soldiers.

DES17 MHA-ASSAM-AFSPA



The Centre declares entire Assam as a "disturbed" area under the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for one more month, citing various violent activities by insurgent groups ULFA, NDFB, and others.

DES15 IDAY-SANKLPDIWAS



New Delhi: The Centre will observe this Independence Day as 'Sankalp Parva' and has asked the people to dedicate themselves to social causes and share their ideas to make a new India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Centre has declared entire Assam as a "disturbed" area under the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for one more month, citing various violent activities by insurgent groups ULFA, NDFB, and others.

The Union home ministry also declared Meghalaya's border areas adjoining Assam, and three districts in Arunachal Pradesh as "disturbed" under the AFSPA for two more months with effect from August 3.

In separate gazette notifications, the home ministry said the entire Assam, has been declared "disturbed" under the AFSPA with effect from August 3 till August 31.

The ministry said the 20 km belt in Meghalaya bordering Assam will also continue to be a "disturbed area" under the AFSPA with effect from August 3 to September 30.

It has also declared as "disturbed" under the AFSPA three districts of Arunachal Pradesh -- Tirap, Changlang and Longding - and areas falling within the jurisdiction of 14 police stations in nine other districts of the state with effect from August 4 to September 30.

The 14 police stations fall under the districts of Papumpare, West Siang, East Siang, Lower Dibang Valley, East Kameng, West Kameng, Namsai, Lohit district, Lower Subansiri in Arunachal Pradesh.

A home ministry official said there were 75 incidents of violence in Assam in 2016 in which 33 people, including four security personnel, were killed and 14 others were abducted.

The violence were perpetrated in Assam by insurgent groups like ULFA, NDFB and others, the official said.

AFSPA has been continuing in Assam since November 1990.

The official said continuing violence perpetrated by NSCN(IM), NSCN(K), ULFA, NDFB, and others were key reasons for continuing with AFSPA in Arunachal Pradesh.

The AFSPA has been in force in the three Arunachal Pradesh districts of Tirap, Changlang and Longding since January, 2016.

Meghalaya too has been witnessing violence by ULFA, NDFB militants in the recent past.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government will soon float a request for proposal (RFP) for selection of transaction advisor, legal advisor as well as asset valuer for the proposed disinvestment of national carrier Air India.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), the apex body for formulation of government's economic policies, had on June 28 granted its in-principle approval for considering strategic disinvestment of Air India and five of its subsidiaries, which include Air India Express as well as engineering and ground handling units.

"The announcement of RFP for appointment of a transaction advisor, a legal advisor and asset valuer is expected to be made soon for disinvestment of Air India," an airline source said.

Though the government has not yet set any timeline for disinvesting its stake in the loss-making flag carrier, the whole process is expected to be completed in 12 months to 18 months time.

"The announcement of the RFP will set in motion the stake sale process," the source said.

A group of ministers, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, has been mandated to decide on the treatment of unsustainable debt of Air India, hiving off certain assets to a shell company, spinning off and selling stakes in three profit-making subsidiaries, the quantum of disinvestment, and the eligibility criteria for the bidders.

Launched by JRD Tata as Tata Airlines in 1932, its name was changed to the Air India in 1946. The government decided to take it over in 1953.

Air India, which has a debt burden of more than Rs 52,000 crore, is staying afloat on taxpayers money. The previous UPA government had extended bailout package worth little over Rs 30,000 crore to the national carrier for a ten-year period starting from 2012.

Air India's net loss after tax narrowed to Rs 3,643 crore and operating profit rose to Rs 300 crore in the last financial year, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha had informed Parliament last month.

The airline's total debt stood at Rs 48,876.81 crore (provisional figures) at the end of March 2017 and the out go on account of servicing the debt stands at around Rs 6,000 crore.

The employees' unions at Air India are opposed to the privatisation of the two government-run entities.

Air Corporation Employees Union (ACEU), which is a grouping of Air India's non-technical staff and comprises nearly 8,000 of the total 21,137 employees, has termed the decision as 'arbitrary'.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Telecom regulator Trai today shot off a letter to anti-trust watchdog CCI asserting its power and expertise to deal with matters relating to competition and predatory pricing in telecom tariffs.

Countering Competition Commission of India's contention over jurisdiction on market dominance and predatory pricing, Trai emphasised that it has the wherewithal to examine all matters  even competition issues  falling within its tariff-related powers, an official said.

Trai is reviewing rules of tariff assessment, which among other issues, deals with promotional offers and predatory pricing. The consultation paper in this regard is being widely seen as a flashpoint between the two regulators.

In the 2-page letter to CCI Chairman Devender K Sikri, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) said that as telecom regulator, its core responsibility is to look at tariffs.

While Trai has adopted the principle of forbearance, there are reporting requirements involved and the regulator has to ensure competitive behaviour is maintained by the all telecom operators in the interest of consumers, Trai has argued.

The provisions of the Trai Act too require it to facilitate competition and promote efficiency, the official said citing the correspondence.

Trai has stressed that it has experience and capability to examine all matters, even competitive issues, falling within the purview of tariffs.

The telecom watchdog held that it had earlier in 2006 too initiated a consultation on tariff plans with lifetime validity that had dealt with predatory pricing issues.

"Trai has in the past and will continue to deal with such issues in a careful and nuanced manner," Trai said in the letter today.

The telecom regulator outlined the dynamic nature of the sector and pointed out that special expertise is required to examine complex tariffs, including bundled promotional offers.

In February this year, Trai had floated a consultation paper on 'Regulatory Principles of Tariff Assessment'. The issues being debated include new measures that need to be prescribed to ensure transparency in tariff offers of telecom operators and strengthening the definition relating to "non- discrimination".

Trai is also debating which tariff offers should qualify as "promotional offers" and the need to limit the number of such offers that can be launched by an operator in a year, one after another, or concurrently.

As part of the paper, Trai is reviewing the definition and criteria for "dominance" in relevant telecom markets.

Trai, in its letter to CCI, has now said: "Reliance on definition and provisions of the CCI Act in the consultation paper is evidence of Trai's efforts to interpret the Trai Act and the CCI Act harmoniously to avoid uncoordinated regulatory intervention."

Trai has also proposed a meeting between the two regulators to deliberate on the matter, if need be.

Issues such as predatory pricing, market dominance and extension of promotional offers have led to some high-decibel public spats between new-comer Reliance Jio and established operators Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular.

The incumbent operators have squarely blamed the aggressive offerings of Jio for their shrinking profitability and revenue squeeze.
Actor Ian Ziering said he almost turned down the the original "Sharknado" as he thought the script was horrible.

The 53-year-old actor admitted that he took up the role of Fin Shephard to support his family as he had a child on the way, reported Digital Spy.

"I thought it (script) was horrible. There were so many holes in the story that needed to be fixed with visual effects. I couldn't see how it could even be possible.

"I did it to provide for my family. My pregnant wife said I needed to go to work. I wanted to pass it on, honestly, I just felt like it just wasn't worth it. But I was having a baby and that was a little slap of reality," Ziering said.

But the TV film franchise went to become a major hit, with the fifth installment, "Sharknado 5: Global Swarming" airing yesterday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and Iran have expressed commitment for early completion and operationalisation of Chabahar Port besides strengthening bilateral ties.

Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari was on a two-day visit to Tehran on August 5 and 6 to represent India at the inauguration and oath taking ceremony of Hassan Rouhanias the President of Iran for a second term where he also held discussions with Iranian officials on wide ranging issues including Chabahar Port and proposed rail link between Chabahar and Zahedan.

"In the meetings, both sides positively assessed the progress in implementation of the decisions taken during the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Iran last year, including the progress of Chabahar Port. Both sides reiterated their commitment to complete and operationalize the port at the earliest," Ministry of Shipping said in a statement today.

Besides meeting Rouhani, Gadkari alsocalled on the first Vice President E Jahangiri and highlighted the issue of activation of contract of Chabahar Port development and conveyed to him that India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) has finalised procurement of critical equipment such as Rail Mounted Gantry Crane and is close to finalising orders relating to Rubber Tyre Mobile Crane, MT Container Handlers, Truck and Tractor Trailers Containers and related equipment.

The statement also said he has conveyed India's readiness to aid Iran in taking up operations in Chabahar Port during the interim period between the actual activation of contract.

He requested the Iranian side for an early submission of loan application for Chabahar Port Development to Exim Bank of India so that the contract agreement between the two countries can be activated.

The Iranian side earlier had requested India to provide up to 150 million dollar credit and had made it a condition for activation of the Chabahar Port contract. The application for loan to Exim Bank of India is still awaited.

"Later, Gadkari met Abbas Akhoundi, the Iranian Minister for Roads and Urban Development, and conveyed to him the latest update on procurement of equipment for the two terminals - multipurpose and container - that are covered under Chabahar Port Agreement," the statement said.

He also requested Akhoundi that in the interest of supporting operations of Chabahar Port, the Iranian side should consider waiving the condition of submission of loan application as it was taking time.The Iranian side assured that the application shall be presented to Exim Bank of India early.

The Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act (FIPPA) application was also presented by the MD, IPGL to the Iranian authorities in the presence of Gadkari and Akhoundi. India has opened an office of IPGL in Tehran.

The statement said in his meeting with Akhoundi, Gadkari stressed upon the need for marketing of the Chabahar Port to attract cargo.

"He said, Iran and India should jointly organise a workshop at Chabahar for this purpose at an early date. Gadkari also emphasized the need to develop rail connectivity from Chabahar to Zahedan, and said that the MoU with India in this regard may be extended," it said.

The issue of ratification of the trilateral Transit Agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan was also discussed. While India and Afghanistan have signed the agreement, Iran is yet to do the same.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India and South American nation Peru would start formal negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) from this week, a senior official said today.

The FTA aims at liberalising norms for trade in goods and services with a view to further boost bilateral economic ties between the countries.

"This will be the first round of negotiations," the official said.

The two-day deliberations would focus on contours of negotiations and decide on structure of different working groups such as goods, services and investments.

Approval for the talks was given by the Union Cabinet earlier this year.

A joint study group, constituted by both the sides had agreed to carry forward the discussions on the proposed agreement.

In an FTA, two countries significantly reduce or eliminate duties on most of the goods traded between them besides relaxing norms and rules to promote trade in services and increase bilateral investments.

Peru ranked third among export destinations for India in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region during 2015-16.

The bilateral trade between the nations increased to USD 1.8 billion in 2016-17 from USD 1.52 billion in 2015-16.

Latin America is one of the important markets for Indian exporters.

India has recently expanded preferential trade agreement with Chile.

Chile is the fourth largest trading partner of India in LAC region after Brazil, Venezuela and Argentina.

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An Indian-origin data scientist, who was a victim of a growing number of moped-riding thieves in London, has taken to social media to track the gangs operating on the streets of the British capital.

Dr Hira Virdee has launched a new Twitter account - @MopedSpotted - after his mobile phone was grabbed by a moped gang while walking in Lincoln's Inn Fields area of central London last month.

The 28-year-old then took a taxi to chase the four youths who were on three mopeds and also witnessed them snatch a phone from another victim nearby.

While he reported the thefts to Scotland Yard, days later he received an email from the Metropolitan Police saying they were taking no further action because there were no leads.

"I understand the police are overwhelmed but I doubt whether they followed up all the CCTV leads they could have. I decided if no one else was going to collect evidence then there was an opportunity for someone else to collect information on moped crimes and suspects," Virdee told the 'Evening Standard'.

His Twitter account asks people to report sightings of possible moped suspects so they can be tracked in real time.

It is aimed at then passing on the information collected to police.

Dr Virdee, who has a PhD in physics and engineering and works for a data company, says he has already tracked one suspect group in Finsbury Park, north London.

"It means we can quickly identify hotspots of crime and build up a picture of where these criminals are operating. I get a lot of cab drivers reporting sightings of mopeds," he explained.

The Met Police are also planning to test a tagging spray that could link moped bandits to crime scenes.

They are working out how to deploy the liquid, which leaves a chemical footprint on clothing or bikes visible under UV light.

Virdee's fight-back comes as it emerged that moped- enabled crime has multiplied in London, with more than 16,000 moped-related crimes being logged in the past 12 months - a threefold increase on the previous year.

It is also believed that a large number of police officers are deciding not to give chase to moped criminals for fear they will not have the support of senior officers if something goes wrong.

Detective Superintendent Stuart Ryan, head of the moped crime task force for the Met Police, admitted tackling offenders on motorbikes poses significant challenges for his officers.

He said:"If you look at the cohort that are currently doing this crime, they are 13 to 19 year olds. The average age is about 15, and it seems to have become their crime of choice.

"The reality is that with mopeds, it is a challenge for us to slow the mopeds down or stop them because of the speed they're going."



Mobile phones are often stolen using mopeds, resulting in delayed police response because the victims have no way to report the offence quickly.

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Iran's intelligence ministry says its forces have detained 27 militants linked to the Islamic State group who planned to carry out terrorist operations in religious cities inside the country.

The ministry says today in a statement on its website, vaja.Ir, that they were identified during an exchange of intelligence with one of the regional services, ahead of President Hassan Rouhani's inauguration.

The report did not say which country Iran exchanged the intelligence with, or mention where they were arrested.

It said 10 of them were detained at a "control center" abroad, and sent to Iran, while 17 others were arrested in Iran.

The ministry added five of them had planned to carry out terror attacks inside Iran and the others were their supporters.

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Iran signed the country's biggest-ever car deal with French multinational automobile manufacturer Groupe Renault today to produce 150,000 cars, beginning in 2018.

The USD 778 million deal follows the lifting of international sanctions after Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers.

It also comes just days after new US sanctions on Iran were signed by President Donald Trump.

The US legislation also imposed new sanctions on Russia and North Korea.

During the ceremony in Tehran, Iran's Minister of Industry Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh said the deal with Renault would "establish a research and development center for designing" in the country.

A Renault executive, Thierry Bollor, said it would help transfer technology to Iran.

The car deal is expected to create about 3,000 jobs for the two Iranian companies involved: IDRO, or the Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran, and the privately owned Negin Group. Renault has a 60 per cent partnership in the deal.

The plant in a Tehran suburb will produce Duster and Symbol cars starting in 2018. Renault will be majority shareholder, and have its own distribution network in Iran for the first time.

Last year, French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen reached a deal with Iran Khodro to open a plant producing 200,000 vehicles annually.

Peugeot was a major player in Iran's car market before international sanctions were imposed over Iran's controversial uranium enrichment program a possible pathway to nuclear weapons.

At the time, PSA group said negotiations for the deal began before the sanctions were lifted.

France and other European nations have moved quickly to create stronger business ties with Iran's large market since international sanctions were lifted.

On September 2016, during the Paris auto show, when Iran's President Hassan Rouhani visited Paris, Renault reached a deal with Iran's government to open the plant with IDRO.

Iran produces about 1,350,000 vehicles a year, though authorities hope that number will reach 3 million annually by 2025.

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An Israeli court has decided to strip an Arab Israeli attacker of his citizenship, legal sources said today, in what a rights group said was the first ruling of its kind.

The Haifa district court decided to strip Alla Zayud of his citizenship yesterday by applying a 2008 law that allows the interior ministry to deprive of their nationality those involved in "terrorist activities", the sources said.

Adalah, an Arab Israeli rights group, said it was the first court decision of its kind.

The 22-year-old, from Umm al-Fahm in northern Israel, was convicted on four counts of attempted murder after driving a car into Israeli soldiers and stabbing civilians in October 2015.

He was sentenced to 25 years in jail in June 2016.

His mother is an Israeli citizen while his father is a Palestinian with permanent residence in Israel.

Adalah and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel in a joint statement said they would appeal the ruling to the supreme court.

They said the court decision deviated "from the principles of international law, and from the general rule according to which an individual cannot be stripped of (their) citizenship and left stateless".

Arab Israelis are the descendents of Palestinians who remained on their land when the Jewish state was established in 1948.

They number around 1.4 million, some 18 per cent of Israel's population.

Since a wave of violence erupted in October 2015, more than 290 Palestinians or Arab Israelis and 47 Israelis have been killed, according to an AFP toll.

Israel says the majority of Palestinians are attackers, though others were killed at protests or during raids.

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Separatists in Kashmir today called for a shutdown on August 12 to protest what they termed attempts to abrogate Article 35-A of the Constitution and other issues.

People are appealed to observe a shutdown on Saturday, August 12 against the attempts to abrogate the state subject law (Article 35-A) which has been in vogue here for centuries, separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chief Yasin Malik said in a joint statement here.

They warned the Centre and the state government of a protest agitation if attempts are made to fiddle with Article 35-A.

If these plans are not stopped, then we will appeal to people to come out and start an agitation, the statement said.

The also alleged that atrocities were being committed in the state.

Article 35 A empower the Jammu and Kashmir legislature to define permanent residents of the state.

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Japan's new defence minister today told the US military of his "many concerns" after it flew an Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft in the country following a weekend crash off Australia, the defence ministry said.

The Japan-based US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey crashed on Saturday during an exercise off the Australian coast, leaving three service members missing.

An Australian naval ship has found the wreckage and drivers were preparing to try and locate the three, the defence ministry said Monday in Canberra.

Itsunori Onodera, appointed Thursday as Japan's defence minister, had asked the US to temporarily stop flying the aircraft in his country following the accident.

"We have still many concerns," Onodera said during a meeting with Maj Gen Charles Chiarotti, deputy commander of US Forces in Japan, according to a defence ministry spokesman.

Japanese media said the flight took place on the southern island of Okinawa, where a squadron of Ospreys is stationed at the US Marines' Futenma base.

Chiarotti told Onodera the flight was necessary for operational reasons and that safety was confirmed, according to the ministry.

US Forces in Japan could not immediately be reached for comment.

The MV-22 -- a hybrid helicopter-turboprop with a chequered safety record -- has two engines positioned on fixed wingtips that allow it to land and take off vertically. It can travel much faster than a helicopter.

The Okinawa-based aircraft which crashed was in Australia as part of a joint military exercise called Talisman Sabre, which has just ended in Queensland state.

There have been a series of deadly incidents, mostly in the United States, involving the aircraft.

In April 2000, 19 Marines were killed in an MV-22 crash in Arizona.

Locals on Okinawa have protested at the deployment of Ospreys to Futenma, which sits in the middle of a crowded city.

In December a "controlled landing" of an Osprey just off the Okinawan coast during a training flight sparked local anger. The aircraft broke into pieces but no one was killed.

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Tomas Walsh of New Zealand won the men's shot put world title with a stunning series of throws climaxing with a best of 22.03 metres.

The 25-year-old -- a former builder which he credits for his body strength -- yesterday edged out America's defending champion Joe Kovacs, who posted a best of 21.66.

There was a heated moment, though, after Kovacs's final throw thjat appeared to be over 22m as the American punched the air with delight, only to see the red flag raised.

He demanded an explanation but there was to be no going back on the decision as his trailing foot clipped the board as he launched the shot.

Croatia's Stipe Zunic took the bronze with 21.46m whilst there was crushing disappointment for Olympic champion Ryan Crouser, who could finish only sixth with 21.20m.

Walsh pumped the air with his fist after his second throw and he had good reason to as he took the lead from Kovacs, who had hurled his shot out to 21.46.

Walsh consolidated his lead with his third effort recording a mark of 21.75m but things weren't going well for Crouser, who slipped to fifth by the third round.

The American's third effort a massive throw but to his consternation it was ruled a foul as Crouser wrung his fists in despair.

The pressure increased on Crouser as his fourth throw also resulted in a foul and he went into the sixth and final round in sixth spot.

However, there was to be no grandstand finale for the 24 -year-old.

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A man in Pakistan's Punjab province has decapitated his 37-year-old wife with a chopper for refusing his demand to quit her job, a media report said today.

Nasreen, a mother of three and a resident of Shamke Bhattian, was found dead yesterday by her children and neighbours in her house in Manga Mandi, 41 kilometres from Lahore, police said.

The forensic experts accompanying the police collected evidence from the crime scene, recorded statements of eyewitnesses and later shifted the body to the city morgue for an autopsy, Dawn reported.

Initial investigation shows the woman was killed by her husband Afraheem in the name of honour, said Maher Mumtaz, Superintendent of Police Saddar Division.

He said the woman worked as a labourer in a factory in Raiwind area, but her husband did not like her job and would ask her to resign.

Despite opposition by her husband, Nasreen continued with her job, he added.

The official said quoting the deceased woman's children that she was asleep when the husband allegedly attacked her with a chopper after locking the room.

He said after the suspect left the house, the children with the help of some neighbours opened the room and found the woman lying dead with her head severed, the report said.

The official said the hunt was on to arrest the husband.

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Manipur Governor Najma Heptulla today said that she had informed the prime minister of the 'flying doctor' plan mooted by her, which she said would be help to the people of the hill areas of the state and its neighbours.

Heptulla, who is away in Delhi, told PTI over phone that she had tied the rakhi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the day and informed him of the plan.

"The scheme is one of its kind and will be very useful for other hill areas in the NE region as the neighbouring states in the area share similar topographical features," the governor said adding she had requested the prime minister to inaugurate it after the completion of the official and mandatory requirements.

Heptulla had told a function here last week that the North Eastern Council has allocated Rs 25 crore for the flying doctor scheme and that various districts, both in the hills and valley would be covered through choppers equipped with medical necessities.

Manipur was recently hit by the worst flood in 20 years and had been plagued by vector-borne diseases like Japanese encephalitis and dengue both in the hill and valley areas where surface transport services are difficult due to landslides during the monsoons.

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American hospitality group Marriott International Inc will have 100 operational hotels in the country by 2018, a top executive has said.

The world's largest hotel chain which begun its operations in the country in 1997 with a project in Goa, currently has 86 hotels and 15 brands spanning 35 cities.

"Marriott International has 86 hotels in the country and we are the biggest hotel company in the world. We have so far opened four hotels in the country this year and will open six more during the year," Marriott International South Asia president Neeraj Govil told PTI during opening of Le Meridian at Calangute in the coastal state.

He said they are looking at tertiary cities like Indore, Amritsar, Coimbatore, Jaipur and others for more properties.

"We will hit our hundred in 2018. We also have another 100 hotels in the pipeline, so we are looking at opening somewhere between 15 and 20 hotels a year in the country every year over the next five years," Govil said.

He further said the tourism growth has been very strong due to the measures introduced by government which has made the destinations more people-friendly. "One of the pillars of growth, as projected by the government is tourism. The government is also very proactive in infrastructure development which helps bring in lot more people."



Marriott as a company, he said, is targeting all the customers, be it leisure or groups. "Most importantly we've turned our focus towards domestic consumers. Because we've 15 brands we play at various price points. We don't get into the market from pricing perspective. We try to win the customers."



The hotel chain nets 75 per cent of its business from domestic consumers.

The company, a couple of weeks ago, launched an initiative called as 'Shadi by Marriott' a wedding focused campaign. "It's a big signal that consumer her is the consumer of today and the future," he said. It is looking at different kinds of weddings including overseas, seven-star, five-star, beach wedding, destination wedding and others.

"We have 86 hotels and 15 brands, so there is a brand for every segment. Annual growth is high double-digit. Since the time we have been here, we've been growing above the market and also growing our market share," Govil said.

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Pakistan's banned militant group Jamaat-ud-Dawa is seeking to enter the political sphere by launching a new party.

Saifullah Khalid, a religious scholar and longtime official of the group, is president of the newly-formed Milli Muslim League party.

He told reporters in Islamabad today that his party will work to make Pakistan "a real Islamic and welfare state" and that it's ready to cooperate with like-minded parties.

The US has offered a $10 million rewards information leading to the arrest and conviction of JuD's founder Hafiz Saeed. Pakistan placed him under house arrest earlier this year.

The JuD widely is believed to be a front for Lashkar-e- Taiba, the militant group behind the 2008 deadly attacks in Mumbai, India.
A court here today sentenced 16 Somali pirates to seven years in jail for hijacking a fishing vessel which had sailed from Iran in 2011 and taking its Iranian and Pakistani crew hostage.

"Sessions judge J C Jagdale sentenced the accused to seven years in jail for conspiracy, attempt to murder, kidnapping and offences under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act," said special public prosecutor Ranjeet Sangle.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 14,000 on each of them, while directing the government to deport them to Somalia after they serve their prison terms.

The judge, however, acquitted them of the charges of 'kidnapping for ransom' (for which the maximum punishment is death), murder and offences under the Arms Act.

Indian naval ship Suvarna, on anti-piracy patrol off the coast of Lakshadweep, was informed on March 26, 2011 that Maersk Kensington, a merchant vessel, was attacked by pirates operating from MV Morteza, a hijacked vessel, and two skiffs.

INS Suvarna rushed to the spot and directed the pirate vessel to stop engines. However, the pirates opened fire.

The retaliatory fire by the Navy led to a blaze on MV Morteza. The Navy rescued its crew members  12 Iranians and four Pakistanis  and took 16 Somali pirates into custody.

MV Morteza had set sail from Chah Bahar in Iran with 18 crew members. It was hijacked near Seychelles and taken to Somalia by the pirates, who rigged it up as a 'mother vessel' for launching piracy attacks.

The crew were kept captive on board, and witnessed several piracy attempts, the prosecution said.

One of the crew members committed suicide due to torture by the pirates, while another was shot dead by the pirates when INS Suvarna was approaching it.

The Navy and the Indian Coast Guard had nabbed a total of 120 pirates between January and March 2011. All of them were handed over to the Yellow Gate police in Mumbai, and tried in a court here.

One of them died during the trial. All others pleaded guilty.

On August 2, the court had sentenced 15 pirates to seven years' imprisonment. Judgements in remaining two cases are awaited.

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US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In today agreed that North Korea poses a "grave and growing direct threat" to most of the world as the two leaders in a telephone call welcomed the new sanctions imposed on Pyongyang by the UNSC.

The phone call comes a day after the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to increase sanctions on North Korea for its continued intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing and violations of UN resolutions.

They discussed North Korea's July 28 launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the White House said.

"The two leaders affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world," the White House said in a statement.

Trump and Moon welcomed the new United Nations Security Council resolution that targets North Korea's primary exports, including coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. The sanctions also target other revenue streams, such as banks and joint ventures with foreign companies.

"President Trump and President Moon welcomed the new United Nations Security Council resolution that unanimously passed 15-0. The leaders committed to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well," the White House added.

After the phone call, Trump reiterated on Twitter that he is "very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions."



Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha in Manila yesterday, the State Department said.

The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said that it is time for Pyongyang to realise that the US is "not playing anymore".

"It is time for North Korea to realise, we are not playing anymore," Haley told Fox in an interview.

The UN Security Council sanctions sends a strong message in this regard, she said.

"A third of their trade exports have been hit, and we basically gave them a kick in the gut with a billion dollars of sanctions that they are going to begin to feel right away," Haley said.

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National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) chairman Manhar Valjibhai Zala today visited the site where three men had died allegedly after inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning a sewer pipe in southeast Delhi's Lajpat Nagar.

The NCSK chief directed the Delhi Jal Board to give a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family members of each of the three victims within 24 hours as per the orders of the Supreme Court.

The commission called senior officers of the Delhi Police, Delhi Jal Board and South Delhi Municipal Corporation, and the District Magistrate of South East Delhi to the spot to enquire about the incident, an official statement said.

A senior police officer said that an FIR had been registered under various sections of the IPC. Zala directed the Delhi Police to invoke relevant provisions of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 in the case.

He said that by invoking the legislation, family members of the victims would be entitled to seek compensation admissible in such cases.

The NCSK chief further directed the Delhi Police to arrest the contractor, who, according to the police, was on the run, at the earliest and take appropriate action against him.

He also directed the Delhi police to take action against Delhi Jal Board officials, if found guilty, in the matter.

According to the statement, the DJB chief engineer told Zala that the board had not awarded any work order/contract for carrying out any work in the sewer.

The DJB has ordered a probe to find out how these men entered the sewer without authorisation.

The three men -- Joginder (32), Annu (28) and Mohan (25) -- died after inhaling toxic fumes inside the sewer pipe yesterday.

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The National Commission for Women has sought a free and fair probe in the case of alleged stalking of a Chandigarh-based woman by the Haryana BJP chief's son.

The commission has also asked for regular updates in the case, NCW Chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam told PTI.

"In the letter (to police) we have asked them to conduct a quick, immediate, fair and free investigation in the case and let us know what is happening in every stage," she said.

The comments by the commission head came amid allegations by the Congress that the central government and the state BJP were conspiring to hush up the case.

In a Facebook post yesterday, the woman's father, an IAS officer, also asked people to fight crime against women while sharing the ordeal his family was going through.

The woman also expressed her anguish in another post saying she was "lucky not to be the daughter of a commoner or else who knows what her fate could be".

The son of Haryana's ruling BJP chief Subhash Barala, Vikas (23), and his friend and Ashish Kumar(27), were arrested and later released on bail. The two were booked under bailable sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act.

Kumaramangalam also said, "I have always said that who are these people should not matter who the person is their antecedents don't matter, they could be rich poor political religious, doesn't matter. Crime against women is crime against women."



She further said that, "Unfortunately the police and the judicial system comes under a lot of pressure from the so- called VVIPs and that is not correct."



Kumaramangalam also described as "regrettable and unfortunate" the reported remarks by Chandigarh BJP vice president Ramveer Bhatti that girls and women should not be going out alone during midnight.

However, Bhatti denied making such comments and said, "What I meant to convey is that it is the responsibility of parents to watch over their children and their activities. It is a general statement and not one directed at the victim.

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Several non-governmental organisations today joined over 600 inmates of district jail here on the occasion of 'Raksha Bandhan' festival to spread the message of love and harmony.

Several women prisoners visited the jail at Amphalla in the city under the banner of Vichar Kranti Manch International (VKMI) this morning and broke down while tying 'rakhis' (sacred thread) on the wrists of NGO volunteers.

"We organised the programme as part of our efforts to spread love and harmony," VKMI president S K Jain told PTI.

The function started with several bands of inmates performing a colourful folk dance in Punjabi, Dogri and Kashmiri which was followed by "serious talk" in which several guests addressed the prisoners and asked them to learn from their mistakes and lead a normal life once they are out of jail.

Tying of rakhi came at the end with both NGO volunteers and prisoners exchanging greetings.

"We are very thankful to jail superintendent Javed Masood Fazli for permitting us to observe Raksha Bandhan with the inmates," Jain, a yoga master, said.

He said while about 50 women prisoners tied rakhi on the wrists of NGO members, the women members also tied rakhi to a number of male prisoners as per traditional norms.

"It is a small effort on our part and we wish this will help change the lives of the prisoners for good," I D Soni of Bharat Scouts and Guides said while addressing the prisoners.

Rattan Lal Mahajan, a social activist, lauded the jail authorities for their support and said such functions are programmed to create a sense of belonging in the hearts of the jail inmates.

Later, sweets, biscuits and juices were distributed to all the inmates.

Deputy jail superintendent Surinder Singh said the prison authorities have organised a special programme to mark the Raksha Bandhan festival and the NGOs who are working for several years for betterment of the inmates were allowed to take part.

"It was a goodwill gesture and such interactions are expected to have a good impact on the jail inmates," he said.

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As many as 20 students from Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri sector today met Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator V P Singh Badnore as part of 'Operation Sadbhavana', an educational-cum-motivational tour conducted by the Army.

Badnore appreciated the Army's role in conducting such tours which would not only provide the students an opportunity to visit various places in the country but also inculcate a sense of national pride by witnessing the cultural and religious diversity of the country, an official release said.

He said such tours would go a long way in providing more exposure to the members of the 'Sadbhavana' team regarding the rich, vivid and vibrant heritage of the country.

Earlier, giving a brief description regarding the purpose of the tour, Major Nikhil Dhawan, officer in-charge of the tour, said the tour was aimed at generating better trust and goodwill among the local populace besides winning their hearts and minds.

During the tour, the students will visit important historical places and also Ludhiana to study the industrial set up there and also culturally rich cities like Chandigarh, besides interacting with prominent dignitaries of the state, he said.

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National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah said today that opposition parties and the people would oppose any move to abrogate Article 35 A of the Constitution.

He was speaking to reporters here after chairing a meeting of various parties including the leaders from the state unit of the Congress, the CPI(M) and several independents.

"When it will come to that decision (abrogation of Article 35 A), you will see this mass (of people) rising. Do not forget when that Amarnath Yatra (land row) thing happened, people rose overnight. So, ...35 A will be far greater revolt and I wonder whether they (government) will be able to hold that," Abdullah said.

The NC president, who is the member of parliament from Srinagar, said the opposition parties were united on the issue and would make people aware of the fallout if the Article is done away with.

"The need was to sit together and discuss the issue of Article 35-A because it affects the whole state - Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. So, it is very important that the people understand as to why we are against the abrogation of Article 35-A, because it (government) wants to do away with our basic thing," Abdullah said.

Article 35 A allows the Jammu and Kashmir legislature to define permanent residents of the state.

We have decided that we will take the issue to the people as a united front, Abdullah said.

"All parties - whether in Jammu or Kashmir or Ladakh - will try to make people understand that what effect it (abrogation of the Article) will have on the state," he said.

Asked about the course of action by the opposition parties, the NC president said the issue is in the Supreme Court which has not given its decision yet, so the parties would take the issue to the people.

"We will first raise this issue among the people like we did on the GST (recently). We will put it up vociferously before the people," he said.

The state subject law should not be eroded at any cost, Abdullah said. He alleged that it was a BJP and RSS conspiracy to erode the special status of the state.

"As far as conspiracy is concerned, you all know that the agenda of BJP and RSS is basically to erode the autonomous structure of this state. And we, as a united front, are going to bring this to the people so that they know the fallout," he said.

He said Article 35-A was for protecting the people of the state and its abrogation would have effects in all the three regions of the state whether Jammu, Kashmir or Ladakh.

Abdullah claimed that the state government had not put up a strong representation before the Supreme Court after an NGO had filed a writ petition seeking the striking down of Article 35 A in 2014.

"It is now being fought legally. The state government has represented in the Supreme Court. Only unfortunate thing is that they did not put the high class representation that should have been put before the Supreme Court," he alleged.

Abdullah said that he had heard that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had said that if Article 35-A is removed, she will quit the chair.

"I hope she stands by that statement of hers," he said.

The NC president said the chief minister should tour every region of the state and explain the fallout of the abrogation of the Article to the people.

Speaking on the occasion, senior CPI(M) leader and Kulgam MLA said M Y Tarigami said they had also decided to appeal to the democratic voices of the country.

"Please try to understand the dangers ahead and the serious implications it can have if Article 35-A is removed. This will be a dangerous move, dangerous for the state and the country as a whole," he said.

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Pakistan today rejected as "malicious campaign" the allegations by Afghan officials that its military operation in the northwestern tribal region was meant to push militants into Afghanistan.

Foreign Office (FO) spokesman rejected the statement attributed to the governor of the Afghan province of Kunar about operation Khyber-IV pushing militants into Afghanistan.

"Such statements were contrary to the spirit and understanding arrived at during recent engagements at the leadership level of the two countries. Such media headlines are misleading and part of the malicious campaign," the spokesman said.

He said Khyber-IV is part of the ongoing counter- terrorism operation Radd-ul-Fasaad and Pakistani security forces have achieved success in fighting back terrorists.

The political leadership of the two countries had agreed that the two sides would coordinate and cooperate in their action to eradicate the menace of terrorism, which is a common challenge.

The Afghan Defence authorities were accordingly informed about operation Khyber-IV.

"Terrorists fleeing military action were to be dealt with by Afghan security forces. So far we have received no support from Afghanistan in operation Khyber IV," he said.

The spokesman said that the effective border management is imperative to curb cross-border movement of terrorists.

"Border management measures would facilitate movement of people, trade, and transit and would be instrumental in curtailing the activities of terrorists, drug and human smugglers and other undesired elements," he said.

Pakistan stated that the country has received no support from Afghanistan despite being assured of it prior to the beginning of the Khyber-IV operation.

Last month, the Afghan Defence Ministry's Spokesman Dawlat Waziri had claimed that Pakistan had not carried out any coordination while launching the military operation in the Rajgal Valley despite an understanding about having coordinated operations on both sides of the Durand Line.

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Outgoing Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya today held an inter-ministerial meeting to examine risks related to virtual currencies like bitcoins.

The meeting was attended by home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and representatives from the finance ministry.

The government has been debating over the issues concerning bitcoins and in May had sought public opinion on allowing virtual currencies.

The circulation of virtual currencies has been a cause of concern among central bankers the world over for quite a while now. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) also cautioned the users, holders and traders of virtual currency, including bitcoins.

Earlier in March, the finance ministry had constituted an inter-disciplinary committee to take stock of the present status of virtual currencies both in India and globally and suggest measures for dealing with such currencies.

Bitcoins were in recently after a massive global ransomware attack triggered by the WannaCry virus that hit systems in over 100 countries. The cyber criminals demanded a fee of around USD 300 in crypto-currencies like bitcoin for unlocking affected devices.

Recently, a domestic app-based bitcoin exchange Zebpay said it has five lakh downloads on the Android operating system and was adding more than 2,500 users every day.

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The CPI took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Haryana BJP chief's son allegedly stalking a woman in Chandigarh, saying he is accepting rakhis from sisters, but has not uttered a word for the "daughter from Haryana".

CPI national secretary D Raja also questioned the "silence" of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and the Union Home Ministry on the issue and accused the ruling party of trying to hush up the matter.

"The chief minister has not spoken a word, the prime minister is accepting rakhis from sisters, but has not uttered a word for the daughter from Chandigarh," Raja said.

The Rajya Sabha member termed their response to the incident as "shameful".

The son of Haryana's ruling BJP chief Subhash Barala, Vikas (23), and his friend and Ashish Kumar(27), were on Saturday arrested for allegedly stalking the daughter of a senior state IAS officer and later released on bail.

The two were booked under bailable sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act.

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Social activist Medha Patkar and 11 others were today taken by the police to hospitals from Chikhalda village of Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district, where they have been sitting on an indefinite fast since last 12 days.

Patkar, the founder of the 'Narmada Bachao Andolan', and her associates had launched the fast on July 27, demanding "proper" rehabilitation and resettlement of those affected by the Sardar Sarovar Project.

All of them, including Patkar, were taken to hospitals by the administration as their health was deteriorating, Indore Division's Commissioner Sanjay Dube told PTI, without disclosing which hospitals.

They were taken in different ambulances, he said, adding six policemen suffered injuries in the process.

Thousands of families along the Narmada river in MP's Barwani, Dhar, Alirajpur and Khargone districts are at risk of getting displaced with the closing of gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in neighbouring Gujarat and the resultant rise in water level in its catchment area.

The Centre recently gave the nod for closing the gates.

The water level in the catchment area reached 121.90 metres today, nearing the danger mark set at 123 metres. The dam is likely to be filled to its capacity by August-end.

Yesterday, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti had urged 62-year-old Patkar to end the hunger strike while expressing concern over her health.

Patkar, in response, had urged the minister to support her in saving Narmada river.

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Sleuths of Punjab Vigilance Bureau today nabbed an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) at Nabha in Patiala district, while allegedly accepting a bribe.

On Harinderpal Singh's complaint, ASI Tehal Singh, posted at Kotwali police station, was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe of Rs 35,000, an official spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau said.

Harinderpal had complained to the bureau that the ASI was demanding Rs 40,000 for presenting cancellation report against an FIR in his favour in the court.

After verifying his information, the vigilance team laid a trap and the ASI was arrested, the spokesperson said.

A case under Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against the accused at the Vigilance Bureau police station in Ludhiana and further investigations was underway, he said.

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Congress leader and former MP Ponnam Prabhakar's 'fast unto death' continued for the third day today, which he has launched over the demand for a government medical college in Karimnagar.

Prabhakar has been on a fast at his residence here, as police did not allow him to do so at Indira chowk in the city.

According to sources, his health condition has worsened, with changes in is his sugar levels.

Congress MLA T Jeevan Reddy said that police have registered a case against Prabhakar for going on a fast.

He demanded that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao should sanction the medical College at the earliest.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief Uttam Kumar Reddy also made a similar demand here.

Prabhakar had earlier said that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had promised to establish a medical college in the town in 2014.

Even after three years, no steps have been taken to set up the college here, while a medical college was announced for Siddipet district last year, he had said.

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"Star Wars" fans across the globe are delighted to know that Princess Leia not only had a PhD, but that she earned it at 19.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the revelation was pointed out by Twitter user Becca Harrison, a University of Glasgow professor, who discovered the in the book "Superwomen: Gender, Power, and Representation" by Carolyn Cocca.

According to Cocca, George Lucas said in the 2004 commentary for "A New Hope" that Leia obtained her doctorate - among other accolades - while Luke was a "naive farm boy."



"She's like a very sophisticated, urbanised ruler, a senator, so she's a politician," said Lucas, according to Cocca's book. "She's accomplished, graduated, got her PhD at 19 and she rules people."



Carrie Fisher's General Leia Organa will appear in the upcoming franchise installment "The Last Jedi". It will be her final appearance.

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South Korean prosecutors on Monday demanded the heir to the Samsung empire be jailed for 12 years over his role in the corruption scandal that brought down the country's last president.

At the final hearing in the trial of Lee Jae-Yong, the vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, prosecutors called him the "ultimate beneficiary" of crimes committed in the scandal, which culminated in the impeachment and dismissal of president Park Geun-Hye.

Lee and four other executives are accused of bribing Park's powerful confidante with millions of dollars to win presidential favours and ease a controversial 2015 merger deal.

"The defendants were closely tied to power and sought personal gains," the prosecutors said.

They sought a 12-year sentence for Lee, and terms ranging from seven to 10 years for three of his co-accused.

Lee, 49, has effectively been at the helm of the vast Samsung group, the world's biggest smartphone maker and a sprawling business empire since his father suffered a heart attack in 2014.

Taking the stand for the first time in his defence last week, Lee claimed that he had no role in decision-making at the wider Samsung group and "mostly listened to other executives".

His lawyers say the allegations were unjustified and the defendants never sought anything in return for the money that was donated.

The verdicts are expected later this month.
A court here rejected the anticipatory bail application of actress Rakhi Sawant and issued a fresh arrest warrant against her for failing to appear in the court today in a case of hurting communal sentiments.

Judicial magistrate Vishav Gupta posted the matter for September 5.

Lawyers of Sawant, meanwhile, moved an application in the court of district sessions judge Gurbir Singh seeking extension of the bail on the plea that she could not appear in the court today as she was in USA.

The district sessions judge had on August 5 granted anticipatory bail to the actress on the condition that she would surrender before the trial court on August 7 and furnish surety bonds to the satisfaction of the court.

Advocate Narinder Adiya had filed the complaint against Sawant on July 9 last year, claiming her comments -- allegedly made on a private television channel -- had hurt the sentiments of the Valmiki community.

The actress had tendered "an unconditional apology" to the Valmiki community after its members voiced outrage over her alleged remarks.

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SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son today said he respected the decision of Snapdeal founders to call off merger talks with Flipkart and the Japanese firm is now pursuing separate discussions with the largest Indian e- tailer.

SoftBank, which announced its June quarter financials today, has been reported to be in talks with Snapdeal's rival and India's largest e-commerce platform Flipkart for investing up to USD 2 billion.

"We respect the decision of Snapdeal founders and we are engaged with Flipkart," Son said after the results were announced.

Son, however, did not specify the details of the discussions with Flipkart.

SoftBank holds close to 35 per cent stake in Snapdeal. Over the past few months, it had mediated the sale of the company to the larger rival.

However, last week, the talks fell apart after Snapdeal announced that it had decided to pursue an independent path and was terminating all strategic discussions.

Sources had said that after the Snapdeal transaction did not work out, SoftBank is now looking at investing upto USD 2 billion in Flipkart through its SoftBank Vision Fund.

For the June quarter, SoftBank posted over 50 per cent rise in operating profit on the back of inclusion of the Vision Fund as a new segment.

The SoftBank Vision Fund, which is billed to be the world's largest private equity fund, booked a valuation gain this quarter.

Net sales were up three per cent year-on-year to 2,186.1 billion yen, while net income was lower by 98 per cent to 5.5 billion yen in the June 2017 quarter.

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Nepal's disgruntled Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal, a key Madhesi party, will participate in the third phase of the local level elections to be held next month, Federal Socialist Forum Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav claimed today.

Speaking at an event in eastern Nepal, Yadav said "Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal's (RJP-N) participation in the polls will mean a victory for it irrespectively of whether it wins or gets defeated".

He claimed that the RJP-N will participate in third phase of the local level elections to be held on September 18.

He, however, said that the government made a mistake by not holding the local level elections in the Province 2 in the second-phase while stressing the need for addressing the remaining issues through the Constitutional amendment.

Some Madhes-centric parties have opposed the elections until the Constitution is amended to accommodate their demands like more representation in parliament and redrawing of provincial boundaries.

Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, launched a prolonged agitation between September 2015 and February last year against the implementation of the new Constitution.

Meanwhile, Minister for Supplies Shiva Kumar Mandal said that it would be a big achievement for the government if it could ensure the participation of the RJP-N in the third phase of local level elections.

He said the government was committed to bringing the RJP-N on board for the polls while continuing activities initiated by the erstwhile government in a bid to increase ownership of the new Constitution.

Mandal claimed that the government was serious about holding elections - provincial and federal - within the stipulated time-frame of January 21, 2018.

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South African police said today they were investigating a deputy minister accused of kicking and punching women in an alleged assault at a nightclub in northern Johannesburg.

Police spokesman Vuyo Mhaga confirmed to AFP that a case of assault had been opened against higher education deputy minister Mduduzi Manana.

The incident occurred yesterday at the upmarket Cubana club in Johannesburg's Fourways district.

"As we were leaving we were assaulted by Deputy Minister Manana and his group of friends," one of the victims told the eNCA television channel.

"They kicked me, they punched me as well as my cousin."



A journalist with the public broadcaster, Lumko Jimlongo, witnessed the incident.

"She fell on the floor... Then he proceeded to trample (her)... He kicked her, his foot was on her head," Jimlongo said on SABC.

Manana "was pulling her by the hair while she was still on the floor," he added.

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula said the allegations were "disturbing" and vowed that the case would be fully investigated.

"No one is above the law irrespective of their position in society," he said.

The ANC expressed "great disappointment" at the alleged actions of one of its ministers.

The main opposition Democratic Alliance party called on Manana to apologise and resign.

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The Congress today demanded that Maharashtra Housing Minister Prakash Mehta be sacked and a judicial probe be instituted for his alleged role in a mega land scam in Mumbai.

Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan accused Mehta of giving almost one lakh square feet of land in the MP Mills compound in Tardeo in Mumbai in violation of the rules to a builder, who allegedly benefited by Rs 500-800 crore.

He said the MP Mills SRA scam exposed the "tall claims" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi about not allowing corruption and also that of the BJP governments at the Centre and the state of providing corruption-free administrations.

Chavan said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had ordered an inquiry into this and had cancelled the minister's orders that "benefited" the builder, but not sacked Mehta.

"We demand that the chief minister drop Prakash Mehta from the cabinet till the inquiry is completed. We also demand that there be a judicial inquiry conducted by a judge of the High Court under the Commission of Enquiry Act," Chavan, a former CM of the state, told reporters here.

The controversy relates to a slum rehabilitation project at the compound in Tardeo, allegedly sanctioned by Mehta without the CM's consent.

Chavan also demanded that 137 files cleared by the CEO of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), two weeks prior to his retirement, be reviewed and all current projects be investigated.

He said Fadnavis had ordered an inquiry after he "prima facie accepted the wrong-doing against the minister".

The Congress is all set to up the ante over the issue and raise it in Parliament tomorrow. Chavan said the party would bring the matter up in Parliament and demand action.

The Congress has also kept its options open on moving court, he said.

Chavan said Mehta "illegally" approved the transfer of slum dwellers' building rights to a major builder, SD Corporation, in the slum redevelopment project.

"While sanctioning the proposal the minister used the name of the chief minister and overruled specific objections raised by his secretary. The chief minister has denied his involvement," he said.

He said the matter raised "serious questions of probity and corruption and of flagrant and wilful violation" of rules.

"It is the word of the chief minister against that of the housing minister. Who is speaking the truth? I am requesting the BJP headquarters and the prime minister, who won by promising to provide a corruption-free government. The time has come for him to put his foot down and find out who is lying," he said.

Chavan said contrary to the minister's assertion, the CM, speaking in the House on July 31, denied previous knowledge about the proposal, despite the minister's noting.

"Due to the seriousness of the charges, the CM ordered an enquiry against Prakash Mehta, his senior cabinet colleague, (it) being only the second time in his tenure that an enquiry was ordered against a cabinet colleague," he said.

Chavan also asked, "Was a prior verbal sanction given by him? Can a minister brazenly use the CM's name in writing in an official file without actually consulting him? Is the CM protecting the minister due to special blessings of the BJP high command?"



The Congress in Maharashtra demanded that the prime minister make good his promise before the election -- "Na Khaunga, Na Khane Doonga" (Will not be corrupt, and will not let others be corrupt) and said the party would continue to agitate till the demands were accepted.

He said earlier another inquiry was initiated against then Revenue Minster Eknath Khadse, who was dropped from the Cabinet till the pendency of the enquiry by a judge.

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South Africa's parliament will vote by a secret ballot on a no-confidence motion brought against President on Tuesday, a decision that could see some of his ruling party members voting for his removal.

The speaker of the parliament, Baleka Mbete, announced the move to hold a secret ballot this afternoon, ending weeks of speculation for the eighth motion of no confidence against Zuma.

Zuma, 75, and several of his Cabinet members have been accused of involvement in promoting "state capture exercises" that led to political upheaval, and due to which South Africa was downgraded to junk status by the rating agency S&P Global in April.

After Mbete previously claimed she did not have the power to decide on a secret ballot, opposition parties approached the highest court in the land, the Constitutional Court, which decreed that the parliament speaker did have such authority.

Tensions have been simmering within the factions of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) for months now amid huge public protests calling for Zuma to be removed.

Several ANC members of the parliament who publicly stated that they would vote with the opposition for Zuma's ouster received death threats, while have said they would vote "with their conscience" on the day.

ANC leaders said any member who voted for the motion "would be disciplined", prompting the call for a secret ballot to avoid such action and intimidation.

The allied opposition parties need a number of votes from the majority ANC members in order for the motion to succeed.

"Members of the parliament take an oath of faithfulness to the Republic of South Africa, and obedience to the Constitution and laws, and there is no constitutional obligation for a member to swear allegiance to his or her political party," Mbete said in her announcement.

"Considerations of transparency and openness sometimes demand the display of courage and resoluteness to boldly advance the interest of those they represent, no matter the consequences; including the risk of dismissal for non- compliance with party instructions," she added.

Describing the prevailing mood in the country as "highly charged", Mbete said the outcome of the vote tomorrow "must be seen to be credible".

With countrywide protests planned across the country tomorrow in a coordinated effort by a civil society coalition to get Zuma to step down, his removal will signal the end of his entire cabinet and the installation of a new leadership.

But analysts said the final test would be when voting takes place on Tuesday.
Average salary hikes and voluntary attrition levels in top sectors declined during April-June quarter over last year, amid uncertain hiring prospects and lesser job opportunities, says a survey.

According to online recruitment and career solutions portal Wisdomjobs.Com, most industries witnessed conservative appraisals that were considerably lower than the two-digit salary hikes seen in the previous year.

"Most sectors have seen conservative appraisals this quarter on the back of several external factors that impacted them in the previous two-quarters," Wisdomjobs.Com founder & CEO Ajay Kolla said.

Kolla further said, "hiring outlook of Indian companies, although still positive, will be characterised by a wait-and- watch approach as they come to terms with the real impact of automation - especially in the IT sector - and the consequent need for re-skilling their employees".

This trend is likely to continue for a couple of quarters before picking up again, he said.

The survey noted that while layoffs, especially in the IT sector, contributed to maintain the overall attrition levels, voluntary attrition levels declined in the first quarter of this year.

"This can be attributed to the uncertainty in the job market, and the consequent slowdown in hiring across most sectors," the survey said.

Amid conservative appraisals in most sectors, the survey said the IT industry was in the forefront with several companies deciding to defer appraisals for middle and senior level staff.

The healthcare and retail sector topped the chart at 10.8 per cent, followed by hospitality and IT with 9.9 per cent and 9.8 per cent, respectively, the survey added.

FMCG & Telecom gave a hike of 9.6 per cent, while employees in infrastructure and manufacturing got of 9.2 per cent and 9 per cent, respectively.

Location-wise, Bangalore topped the list at a 9.7 per cent followed by Chennai and Pune at 9.1 per cent & 9 per cent, respectively.

Hyderabad, Mumbai & Kolkata show nearly similar rates at 8.9 per cent, 8.7 per cent and 8.5 per cent, respectively. The capital city Delhi showed the lowest hike rate at 7.7 per cent.
Three Saudi Arabians wanted in connection with protests, unrest and attacks on police in the Shiite-majority eastern district of Qatif turned themselves in today, the interior ministry said.

The three men were on a "list of 23 fugitives wanted for crimes" in Qatif, the ministry said in a statement carried by the official SPA agency.

The statement also warned that people who "harbour or conceal" any suspects "could face consequences".

Qatif is home to a significant number of the Gulf kingdom's minority Shiites, who are estimated at around 10 percent of the population and who have long complained of marginalisation by the Sunni authorities.

Since 2011, there has been a crackdown on political dissent in Qatif which has seen a string of assaults on security forces in recent weeks.

Six officers were wounded yesterday when their patrol came under attack in the Al-Masoura neighbourhood of Qatif.

Last month, police shot three men wanted over what authorities said were "terrorist" attacks in Qatif.

Authorities have blamed the violence on "terrorists" and drug traffickers.

Four men were executed on July 11 after being convicted of "terrorist crimes", including attacks on police and riots in Qatif.

Amnesty International has warned that 14 other Saudis face imminent execution after a "grossly unfair mass trial" in which they were convicted of rioting, theft and rebellion in areas including Qatif.

Saudi Arabia has one of the world's highest execution rates. The ultraconservative kingdom has executed more than 70 people this year.

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The authorities here have ordered an inquiry into a recent incident, in which security personnel allegedly molested the girl students of a state-run residential school during a cultural programme held ahead of Raksha Bandhan in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district.

The district administration has constituted a five-member panel to look into the allegation and the police too have launched a probe after lodging a case in this regard.

The incident allegedly took place on July 31, when a Raksha Bandhan programme was organised by the CRPF troopers at a residential school in Palnar village under Kuakonda police station, Dantewada Collector Saurabh Kumar told PTI.

The paramilitary force, deployed to counter Left-Wing Extremism in the area, has been organising such events at Palnar for the last nine years.

Nearly 500 girls took part in the July 31 event, to be telecast on the local channels, and tied rakhi to the CRPF personnel, said Kumar.

"On August 1, we received a complaint from the hostel warden that three girls were searched by the security personnel on the pretext of frisking, which should not be done with kids," he added.

The collector said on August 2, he went to the hostel, along with the Dantewada Superintendent of Police (SP) and local CRPF Deputy Inspector General, and spoke to the girls in the presence of women officials, including the warden.

"The girls said they were physically searched by the men in uniform when they were returning from the toilet," he said.

Kumar added that according to the girls, one securityman physically searched them while another kept watching the act.

"Based on their statements, a five-member committee, headed by the Dantewada zila panchayat chief executive officer, was formed to probe the matter," he said.

The other members of the panel are the Dantewada additional superintendent of police (ASP), sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), district education officer (DEO) and tehsildar.

Subsequently, an FIR was lodged against the two unidentified security personnel under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act at the Kuakonda police station, said Kumar.

The CCTV footage obtained from the hostel premises was also being analysed, he added.

"We are in constant touch with the CRPF, which is also investigating the matter at its level, and trying our best to identify the accused, so that the harshest punishment can be meted out to them," said the collector.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Soni Sori accused the authorities of "trying to cover up" the issue.

"I was not allowed to meet the students when I went to the hostel. I spoke to the girls from the nearby villages, who study in the school. They told me that the incident had indeed taken place. Some security personnel followed the girls to the toilet, where they molested them," she alleged.

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Sikhs are one of the top targets of hate crimes and sectarian violence in the US, the community leaders have said as they remembered victims of the 2012 mass shooting by a white supremacist that claimed the lives of six Sikhs at a Gurdwara in the Wisconsin city.

Several eminent Sikh-Americans from across the US, lawmakers, government officials and local leaders participated in prayers held on the weekend to mark the five-year anniversary of the mass shooting.

"We have made commendable efforts to secure our Gurdwara Sahib's all across the country and taken many preventive measures. But Sikhs are still one of the top targets of hate crimes, sectarian violence, and bullying in American schools. In recent years, attacks have rather increased in manyfold," said Gurinder Singh Khalsa, who heads the Sikhs Political Action Committee.

"Hate has no colour. Hate has no face. Yet we all saw hate five years ago," Blahair Dulai, president of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, said, addressing the gathering.

"When you come together and those hearts and minds connect, the presence of the divine is there and you don't even have to say a word," he added.

Among the speakers yesterday at the Gurdwara was retired Oak Creek Police officer Brian Murphy, who was shot fifteen times before the shooter was brought down.

"When something is stolen from you, when the lives were stolen from everyone here, you can't get that back," Murphy said.

Remembering the victims, he said, "The voices of the people that were lost are still here. August 5, 2012 changed a lot of people's lives, but remember the people that were here on August 4 and all the times before that."



On August 5, 2012, six Sikhs were killed and three more were wounded, along with the Oak Creek police officer, when the white supremacist armed with a gun attacked the Oak Creek Sikh Temple in Wisconsin.

On Saturday, the Gurdwara organised a six-mile run. The House Speaker, Paul Ryan, sent a two-minute video on the occasion. Vanita Gupta, former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights were among prominent people to speak on the occasion.

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Singapore's Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob will contest for presidential election next month, becoming the first woman to run for the highest office.

Halimah, 62, will step down as speaker, a post she has held since 2013, and as an MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, The Straits Times reported.

She will also resign from the People's Action Party, where she is a member of the central executive committee.

Announcing her decision, Halimah, who had been in public service for 40 years, told residents and grassroots leaders that, "Taking part in the presidential election would allow me to continue with my service to the people of Singapore."



The upcoming election is reserved for Malay candidates, following changes to the law last year to ensure the presidency reflects Singapore's multiracial society.

She will also resign from the ruling People's Action Party, where she is a member of the central executive committee.

"It was a tough decision to make," Halimah, with her 62- year old husband Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee alongside her, told reporters.

She has been the speaker since 2013 and participated as Malay community leader in the 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2015 general elections.

This year's presidential election will be held in September. Applications opened on Jun 1 and will close five days after the writ of election is issued sometime this month.

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Six Tripura MLAs, who were sacked by the Trinamool Congress and voted for NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential election, today formally joined the BJP.

The six legislators, led by former leader of the opposition (Congress) in the Tripura Assembly Sudip Roy Burman, were welcomed into the saffron party by Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the party's North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convener Himanta Biswa Sarma, state BJP chief Biplab Kumar Deb and state party observer Sunil Deodhar.

Besides Roy Burman, the other MLAs are Ashish Kumar Saha, Diba Chandra Hrangkhawl, Biswa Bandhu Sen, Pranjit Singha Roy and Dilip Sarkar.

The MLAs had met BJP president Amit Shah in Delhi on August 5.

On July 3, TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee had said the party would have no relations with the six MLAs.

The six legislators had quit the Congress and joined the TMC in protest against the Congress' electoral tie-up with the Left, ahead of the 2016 West Bengal Assembly election.

In the run-up to the presidential poll, the MLAs had announced that they would not vote for a candidate supported by the CPI(M) and were sacked by the TMC.

Burman in his speech pledged to oust the "repressive and fascist" Manik Sarkar government.

"When Congress betrayed us in our movement to oust the Left Front government, we thought TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee would help us in our mission. But we found that she became close to Sonia Gandhi and Sitaram Yechury," he said.

"Had we been in TMC, it would have been comfortable for CPI-M to divide the opposition and remain in power. We did not want to give them this opportunity," he added.

Pradhan said law and order has completely collapsed in Tripura and crime against women has gone up.

"The LF government has no right to remain in power even for a moment."



Tripura, he said, is rich in natural resources like natural gas and could become self reliant but has remained poor and dependent due to its government's inefficiency.

Sarma said with the six MLAs joining BJP "the last nail in the coffin of the Left Front government in Tripura has been struck".

Exuding confidence that BJP would form the government in the state after the assembly elections slated for February next, he said "Development of the state would then be taken up with the blessings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who wants to convert the Northeast into a developed region."



In his speech, Deb expressed confidence that BJP would win the 2018 assembly poll in the state.

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SoftBank said today its quarterly net profit plunged after booking a big gain from the sale of part of its stake in Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba a year ago.

The Japanese mobile giant said net profit for the three months to June came in at 5.5 billion yen (USD 50 million), compared with 254.2 billion yen when it sold off part of its stake in Alibaba.

Operating profit for the April-June period, however, surged 50.1 per cent to 479.3 billion yen as it included gains from its SoftBank Vision Fund in the latest figures and as US subsidiary Sprint lifted its profitability.

The Japanese firm is setting up the USD 100 billion technology investment fund with Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund and other partners.

SoftBank's revenue in the quarter rose 2.8 per cent to 2.18 trillion yen, SoftBank said.

The Japanese firm also logged gains from its Yahoo Japan business, but they were offset by sluggish domestic telecom operations and losses at British iPhone chip designer ARM Holdings, which SoftBank bought last year.

The company did not release earnings estimates for the fiscal year through March 2018, which is not unusual for SoftBank.

Led by flamboyant founder Masayoshi Son, Softbank has embarked on a string of international acquisitions both big and small in recent years, while he was among the first business people to meet Donald Trump after his November election victory.

Son pledged to invest USD 50 billion in business and job-creation in the United States, winning open praise from the then president-elect.

Son also has his eye on a potential merger with T-Mobile US or making an offer for Charter Communications, the second largest cable provider in the US.

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Rubabuddin Sheikh, brother of Sohrabuddin, who was killed in an alleged fake encounter, today approached the Bombay High Court challenging the discharge of former Gujarat ATS chief D G Vanzara and Rajasthan IPS officer Dinesh M N from the case.

A special CBI court here had last week discharged Vanzara and Dinesh after observing that there was no prima facie evidence against them.

Rubabuddin, in his petition filed in the high court, however, claimed that there was sufficient evidence on record to establish that Sohrabuddin was "abducted, kept in wrongful confinement" and that he and his aide Tulsidas Parajapati, were killed in a fake encounter.

According to the CBI, Sohrabuddin, a gangster with alleged links to Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, and his wife Kausar Bi, were abducted by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad from Hyderabad when the couple was on their way to Sangli in Maharashtra.

Sheikh was killed in an alleged fake encounter near Gandhinagar in November 2005, after which his wife disappeared. According to the CBI, she too was killed.

Prajapati, Sheikh's aide and an eyewitness to the alleged encounter, was later killed by police at Chapri village in Gujarat's Banaskantha district in December 2006, the Central agency claimed.

Rubabuddin's petition will come up for hearing in the due course of time.

Vanzara, an IPS officer, was arrested on April 24, 2007 by the Gujarat CID in Sohrabuddin encounter case, which was later handed over to the CBI. He was heading the Gujarat ATS when the alleged fake encounters took place.

Dinesh M N had served seven years in jail in connection with the alleged fake encounter killings. He was granted bail in May 2014. He was promoted by the Rajasthan government to the post of Deputy Inspector General and then Inspector General with effect from May 9 the same year.

The Sohrabuddin killing case was transferred to Mumbai in September 2012 at the request of CBI for a fair trial. In 2013, the Supreme Court had clubbed the alleged fake encounter case of Prajapati with that of Sheikh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sri Lankan police today claimed that they have arrested the leader of a group in Tamil-dominated Jaffna blamed for the increasings incidents of gang violence in the north.

The Terrorist Investigation Division (TD) said at least 6 of them have been arrested three each from Jaffna and Colombo. Among them is Nisha Victor who is believed to be the leader of the group known as the Ava Group.

They have been blamed a series of sword attacks including the hacking of two policemen in Jaffna last week.

Police chief Pujith Jayasundera said that police would crackdown on the group with increased patrolling as the LTTE in their formative years had carried out similar violent attacks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BJP MP Kirron Kher today said Chandigarh police was not facing any political pressure in the woman stalking incident, in which the Haryana BJP chief's son and one more person have been booked, and assured the victim and her family that justice would be done.

She lamented that certain "wild allegations" like the one on CCTV footage going missing were being made and stressed that the law would take its course.

The victim's father, a senior Haryana IAS officer who had taken to the social media to urge people to fight crime against women, told reporters that he had full faith in the system and was grateful to Chandigarh police for "saving" his daughter's life.

He said he had requested the Home Department immediately after the FIR was lodged that care be taken to secure the CCTV footage.

He also said that "unless somebody from the family (of the accused) is trying to sabotage the investigations and the prosecution, they are not involved in this, we are very clear. We do not hold the family responsible in any way."



His response came as the opposition stepped up demand for resignation of BJP state chief Subhash Barala and criticised the Chandigarh police for not charging his son with kidnapping in the incident.

Kher, the MP from Chandigarh, today rubbished claims that the accused were booked under lenient provisions as one of them is related to the state BJP leader.

"The police are under no political pressure, this is absolutely baseless. The Chandigarh police are doing their job as any professional force does," she said



"During police investigation if something else comes up, I am sure police will follow through," Kher said.

The MP said that security will be further strengthened in the city so that such incidents are not repeated.

Asked about reported allegations that CCTV footage was missing, Kher said, "these people who are saying about footage going missing are making wild allegations.

"The police have assured the victim and her family that wherever CCTV cameras are installed and any footage that the cameras would have captured is going to be kept secure."



Assuring the victim and her family that justice would be done, Kher said, "As a mother, I can understand the sentiments of the victim's family at this time. Whatever is legal and correct in this case, will be done."



BJP leader Ramveer Bhatti stokes controversy



---------------------------------------------



Meanwhile, Chandigarh BJP Vice President Ramveer Bhatti drew flak for his reported controversial remarks on the incident.

Asked about a section of media quoting him as saying that girls and women should not go out alone at midnight, Bhatti said, "What I meant to convey is that it is the responsibility of parents to watch over their children and their activities."



"It is a general statement and not directed at the victim. I am saying, be it a boy or a girl, parents should be watching what they are doing. I am not saying that girls should be confined to their homes," he said.

He described the stalking incident as "unfortunate and shameful".

"It is a shameful incident. Whatever happened is unfortunate," Bhatti said.

Bhatti also attacked the Congress leaders, saying why did they remain "silent" in the rape and murder case involving a minor at Kotkhai in Himachal Pradesh.

"See their insensitivity... I am saying that such incidents, wherever these may take place in the country, are highly condemnable," Bhatti said.

However, Bhatti's reported statement that girls should not step out during the night alone did not go down well with his own party colleague Kher.

"I think this is a very unfortunate statement, which reflects the mindset of many men in this country. I think that Bhatti should have exercised restraint and not made this comment," Kher said.

"There are many young girls and women who work late, they work in hospitals as nurses, at call centres, various other places or go out to watch a movie, go to friend's houses, we have to provide them security and safety. We can't put the blame on them why they were out at night, whether it's a boy or a girl, both have equal rights".

Barala's son Vikas(23) and Ashish Kumar (27) were earlier arrested for allegedly stalking the woman here. However, both the accused were released later on bail as they were booked under bailable sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act.

The incident had come to light when the woman, around 28 years of age, called up the police on Friday night, complaining that two youth were chasing her along a stretch of over five kilometre from Chandigarh right up to a point in the Union Territory, which is adjoining Haryana's border.

Stalking victim, her father vow to continue fight



-------------------------------------------------



The victim, who has been interacting with the media after the incident, today said that had she not been the daughter of an IAS officer, things could have ended differently.

"If I had been a village girl, probably I would not have the resources to fight these guys," she said.

However, she also said, "If we (being daughter of IAS officer) don't do it (pursue the case), then who will. Like with my father and his post, if we are not going to do this (pursue the case), then how can we expect others to raise their voices," she said.

At the same time, she also said, "But I have the power of people behind me, never before in my life have I felt so much support."



The victim's father said he had full faith in the investigations.

"In all honesty, I must say Chandigarh police have actually saved my daughter's life and I am grateful for that.

"I have faith in the system and law of this land and I must say that my daughter is alive today because the system works. If the Chandigarh police system of helping out women in distress did not work, it is quite possible that she might not have been alive today," he said.

The IAS officer said that it was an issue of safety of a daughter.

"Had it been a daughter of a labourer being stalked by some petty criminals, will the offence become any less. They are as much citizens of this country as I am or as that boy is," the victim's father told the media.

The IAS officer said that Chandigarh police are carrying out their investigations.

"Wherever I have any concerns, I actually expressed these to the police authorities and they have assured me that they will do the needful. I had requested the Home Department immediately after the FIR was lodged that care be taken to secure CCTV footage," he said.

On the opposition demand that the Haryana BJP chief should resign as he can influence the investigation, the IAS officer said, "I am very clear that both the accused are young men, they are law students and they are fully aware of the consequences of their action. I do not hold their family responsible for their action."



About Bhatti reported controversial remark, the woman's father said, "that kind of statement is outrageous, but I do not want to join any political debate of any kind, I am an administrator, I am a bureaucrat, I do not want to join the debate.

"At the same time, I want to say that every daughter in the country has the right to live as free and equal citizen and I absolutely stand by that right. There is no way I can support anyone who say that girls should not step out at this time or that time. They have every right to carry out any lawful activity like any other citizen," he said.

The victim's father had taken to the social media and urged people to fight crime against women while sharing the ordeal his family had gone through due to the stalking incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The subsidy on LPG cylinder for domestic use for the poor will continue, Union Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Monday.

"We have no plan to withdraw subsidy on LPG for domestic use. Subsidy on LPG and kerosene will continue for the poor and common people," Pradhan told reporters here.

Pradhan said the ministry has taken up with Bangladesh the laying of a pipeline to carry natural gas from Chittagong to Tripura to tackle the LPG crisis in the North-East.

"We are laying a pipeline for transportation of diesel from Siliguri in West Bengal to Parvatipur in Bangladesh. There is a pipeline for carrying diesel from Numaligarh oil refinery in Assam to Siliguri," he said. "In exchange, we have given the proposal for a gas pipeline from Chittagong to Tripura. We are pursuing the matter diplomatically and I will visit Bangladesh soon."



The pipeline, if approved by the Bangladesh government, would be laid next to the railway line near the Indo-Bangla international border, he said.

Pradhan launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in Tripura here and distributed LPG connection to 20 below poverty line (BPL) families.

In Tripura, 9.22 lakh households have LPG connection and efforts are on to extend it to all.

The oil minister laid the foundation for a new 60 tmtpa (thousand metric tonnes per annum) capacity grassroots bottling plant here at an estimated cost of Rs 143 crore. It will be completed by 2019.

Pradhan said requirements of nearly 4.5 lakh households are catered to by the existing bottling plant. With the completion of the new facility, the capacity of LPG supply is expected to double and cover most households.
BJP MP Subramanian Swamy today accused the Chandigarh Police of doing a "somersault" on a case involving the Haryana BJP chief's son, accused of stalking a woman, and said he would file a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for a court-monitored CBI probe into the incident.

"With my associate lawyer AP Jagga on attempted abduction of an IAS officer's daughter by two drunk goons, I will file a PIL in Chandigarh," he tweeted.

Asked what prompted him to file a Public Interest Litigation, the Rajya Sabha member told PTI it appeared the Chandigarh Police was in no position to conduct "a fair and free" probe.

The police, he claimed, had first filed non-bailable offences against the accused and then "withdrawn them all and let him (accused) go after having caught him red-handed".

"Hence This matter should be court-monitored and the CBI should be asked to take it over. You can have an SIT if you want, other agencies also. This is my prayer," he said.

The woman had on Fridayb night called the police up, complaining that two men had chased her along a stretch of over five kilometres in Chandigarh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the backdrop of three MLCs recently quitting the party and joining the BJP, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav today said those who wanted to go, should go without offering any excuse, so that he could ascertain who were with him in "bad times".

Referring to the "excuses" put forward by the three MLCs -- Bukkal Nawab, Sarojini Agarwal and Yashwant Singh -- while leaving the party, Yadav said, "Some people are saying they were feeling suffocated as the atmosphere of the party had gone bad. This should not be an excuse for leaving the party, they should find a better excuse."



Asserting that the party was doing well and a large number of women, farmers and youths had joined it recently, he said, "Those who want to leave the party should not give any excuse...They can just leave. In that case, at least I will get to know who are with us during bad times."



The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister was addressing the party workers at the SP headquarters here on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

Yadav said he had paid a visit to Nawab on Eid and had 'sewai' (a sweet dish) with him.

"At that time, he (Nawab) had not mentioned that he was planning to leave the party. It has come to our notice that there was some land issue, due to which he was being pressured," he added.

In a dig at Nawab and the BJP, Yadav said, "They (BJP) are doing good work. It is ironic that when a person is not in the BJP, he is labelled as a land mafia and when he joins the party, he becomes honest, upright and a gentleman."



On Agarwal, who runs a medical college in Meerut in the name of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Yadav said he was not aware of what the matter was with her.

"There could be a land issue behind it as well," he added.

A number of women workers of the SP tied rakhi to Yadav on the occasion.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said today that a UN Security Council vote to impose sanctions on North Korea showed that world powers were united behind a push for a denuclearised Korean peninsula.

Speaking at a security forum in Manila, Washington's top diplomat said Kim Jong-Un's regime must halt ballistic missile tests if it wanted to talk to the United States about resolving the standoff.

"It's quite clear in terms of there being no daylight between the international community as to the expectation that North Korea will take steps to achieve all of my objectives, which is a denuclearised Korean peninsula," he said.

Yesterday, Tillerson held separate talks in Manila with foreign ministers Wang Yi of China and Sergei Lavrov of Russia, both of whom he said were in support of a tough stance on Pyongyang's arsenal.

While Wang called for a resumption of dialogue with North Korea, Tillerson insisted Kim must first stop the missile tests.

"The best signal that North Korea could send that they're prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches," he said, holding out the prospect of US envoys sitting down with Pyongyang's isolated regime.

But he would not set a timeframe on when this might be possible or how long North Korea might have to refrain from testing more long-rang missiles.

"We'll know it when we see it," he told reporters.

"I'm not going to give someone a specific number of days or weeks. This is really about the spirit of these talks.

"And they can demonstrate that they are ready to sit in the spirit of finding their way forward in these talks by no longer conducting these missile tests."



The UN Security Council on Saturday approved a US-drafted sanctions package against North Korea that could cost it $1 billion a year in an effort to halt its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.

This was in response to the North conducting two intercontinental ballistic missile tests last month that Kim boasted showed he could strike any part of the United States.

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President Donald Trump has asked his advisers "tough questions" about American strategy in Afghanistan and is not willing to continue on as before, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said today.

The White House has launched a review of the US plan for Afghanistan after 16 years of war, and reports suggest that Trump's national security team is divided on whether to send more troops or to pull out.

Speaking in Manila on the sidelines of a regional security forum, Tillerson did not reveal his own advice to the president -- but said Trump would not be content with continuing the fight as before.

"The president is not willing to accept that, so he is asking some tough questions," Tillerson told reporters.

Tillerson said the president's National Security Council has met three times on the issue and that Vice President Mike Pence has joined Trump in taking a close interest in the strategy review.

"The president is asking some very, very pointed questions, and I think good questions that he should be asking," Tillerson said.

"And perhaps these are questions that no-one has been willing to raise in the past," he continued.

"So we want to give him good thorough answers and good thorough analysis to go with that -- a very clear-eyed view, a very realistic view of what the future is likely to look like."



Trump's generals have called the Afghan conflict a "stalemate" and even after years of intensive help from the US and other NATO nations, Afghanistan's security forces are still struggling to hold back an emboldened Taliban.

In an early move to address the situation, Trump gave his Pentagon chief, former general Jim Mattis, broad powers to set troop numbers. But several months later the level remains stuck at about 8,400 US and about 5,000 NATO troops.

Mattis wants to wait until the White House has come up with a coherent strategy for not just Afghanistan but the broader region, notably Pakistan and how it deals with terror groups, before he commits to adjustments.

But reports have suggested that other Trump advisers, including his influential strategy chief Steve Bannon, favor cutting American losses by pulling out or sending private military contractors to replace troops.

"How does this all play out and where does this go?" Tillerson asked, rhetorically.

"It's one thing to say we're just going to keep fighting because there's no other options. There are always other options," he said.

"And so that's what the president's asked us to fully explore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress today said India should use the diplomatic route and also try to take help of its old friends like Russia to ensure that China withdraws its troops from Doklam.

Congress spokesman Ajay Kumar said that India should endeavour to broker peace on the international border, including using the diplomatic route to ensure that China withdraw its troops from Doklam.

"If we lose Doklam, there is every possibility that we may lose the northeastern states to China," he told a press conference here.

Kumar, a former parliamentarian from the steel city, also asked the Centre to win back the confidence of "its old friends, like Russia, to face China strongly."



Asked about China's threat to launch a limited war to drive out Indian forces from Doklam, he said, "A face-off between India and China has never happened in the Sikkim sector. The sector is important for our national security".

Kumar criticised the NDA government for failing to tackle China's repeated intrusion in the country's territory.

"The government has itself admitted that China had entered into our territory 240 times last year but did not take any step to check it," he said.

The Congress spokesperson also questioned the Modi government's logic behind scrapping the proposal of the UPA government to raise a Mountain Division force.

The UPA government had proposed to raise Mountain Division force at a cost of Rs 60,000 crore in 2013-14 and had even released around Rs 7,000 crore to Rs 8,000 crore for the purpose but the NDA dispensation has cancelled the proposal, Kumar claimed.

Appreciating the country's stand over the Doklam issue, he supported the Modi government's stand and urged political parties to remain united on the face-off issue to give a "befitting reply" to China.

"We should exhibit unity to push China back," he said.

Kumar said attacked the BJP leadership of making an issue over AICC Vice-president Rahul Gandhi meeting the Chinese ambassador amidst the border face off in Sikkim, saying "its senior leaders have been visiting China frequently".

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Venezuela's military was hunting a group of "mercenaries" today who made off with weapons after an attack on an army base carried out against what they called the "murderous tyranny" of President Nicolas Maduro.

Around 20 men led by an army officer who had deserted battled troops in the base in the third city of Valencia for three hours yesterday, officials said.

The raid ended with two of the attackers being killed and eight captured, Maduro said on state television.

The other 10 escaped with weapons taken from the facility, according to officials who said an "intense search" was underway for them.

Maduro claimed the "terrorist" group had ties to Colombia and the United States.

The incident heightened fears that Venezuela's deepening political and economic crisis could explode into greater violence, perhaps open armed conflict.

Officials insisted afterward that all was normal across the country.

Military helicopters flew overhead and tactical armored vehicles patrolled the streets in Valencia, a major northwestern city, in a climate of tension on Sunday after the attack.

Locals said a nighttime curfew was imposed. Police dispersed protesters who had set up flaming barricades across roads.

The armed forces said in a statement "a group of civilian criminals wearing military uniforms and a first lieutenant who had deserted" carried out the attack.

Maduro said the lieutenant, among those captured, was "actively giving information and we have testimony from seven of the civilians."



Maduro congratulated the army for its "immediate reaction" in putting down the attack, saying they earned his "admiration."



Venezuela's opposition has repeatedly urged the military to abandon Maduro.

But Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, the head of the armed forces, has said the military's loyalty was unshakable.

In a video posted online just before the attack, a man presenting himself as an army captain named Juan Caguaripano declared a "legitimate rebellion... To reject the murderous tyranny of Nicolas Maduro."



Speaking with 15 men in camouflage standing by him, some of them armed, he demanded a transitional government and "free elections."



It was not known if he was the lieutenant referred to in the military statement, demoted for deserting, or whether he was another renegade officer.

That statement said the lieutenant involved had deserted three years ago and taken refuge in Miami, in the US state of Florida.

Venezuela has become increasingly isolated internationally as Maduro tightens his hold on power through a contested loyalist assembly that started work this week.

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Actor Elisabeth Moss said the audience will not be able to guess how the opening scene of "The Handmaid's Tale" season two will turn out to be.

The 35-year-old actor, who plays Offred on the dystopian drama, said she is ecstatic that the first scene of the Hulu show's upcoming installment does not fall under the category of run-of-the-mill, reported Digital Spy.

"Don't try to guess what happens in that first scene of episode one in season two.

"You will never get it, and I mean that objectively as a viewer. You just won't guess, and I love that so much," Moss told TV Guide.

The show, which is based on author Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name, returns to Hulu and Channel 4 in 2018.

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Vice President-elect M Venkaiah Naidu today offered prayers at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala near here.

Naidu arrived here with his family members last night and stayed at a heavily guarded Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) guest house on the hills.

On his arrival at the shrine, he was accorded a warm welcome and conducted to the the sanctum sanctorum of the shrine by TTD Executive Officer AK Singhal and other top officials.

He was in the shrine for about 20 minutes, temple sources told PTI.

After worshipping at the Sri Ranganayaka Mandapam, the vice president-elect was honoured with the sacred silk cloth and holy prasadams by the management of the shrine.

Later, speaking to reporters, Naidu said, "I have become the vice president because of the love of the people of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and importantly the blessings of Lord Venkateswara, my family God to whom I have been offering worship since I was 13."



"After getting elected to the august post, I must be totally independent to maintain the dignity and decorum of the institution and do my responsibilities as per the constitution," he said.

"I am going to begin a new chapter in my life as the vice president of India, which is totally apolitical," he added.

Naidu said it is the beauty of democracy that being the son of a farmer, he has risen to the top post of the country.

He Later took part in a function at the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences here.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The West Bengal Assembly today began discussions on the West Bengal Goods and Services Tax (WBGST) bill to replace the ordinance on the new tax system.

Though GST has already been rolled out across the country from July 1, West Bengal is yet to pass the state GST bill due to reservations in certain areas.

The bill was opposed by the Left members and the ruling Trinamool Congress who supported the bill criticised the Centre for GST, which it said will cause pain to the common man, and the lack of infratructure for the new taxation system.

TMC member Shilbhadra Dutta speaking during the discussion criticised the BJP-led government at the Centre. "Though we support introduction of GST as a noble concept, we don't agree to certain things imposed by Centre due to which the poor are being hurt."



Also the GST was introduced hurriedly without proper infrastructure, he said adding had the Centre introduced it with adequate infrastructure like internet connectivity across India then it would have been smooth and its benefits could have been felt.

He also criticised the Centre for raising the tax on flattened rice, which is a food of the common people and reducing tax burden on luxury cars.

Another TMC member Chandrima Bhattacharya questioned the imposition of 12 per cent tax on sanitary napkins at a time when Centre was focusing on hygeine.

BJP member Dilip Kr Ghosh supported the bill.

Congress member Sukhobilas Burman questioned the drafting of the bill.

The discussion will continue tomorrow.

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The Karavan-e-Aman weekly bus service across the Line of Control on the Srinagar- Muzaffarabad road resumed today, a week after it was suspended.

The trade on this route is scheduled to resume tomorrow.

"The Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service operated today after an agreement reached with authorities from Pakistan- occupied Kashmir last week," an official said here.

He said 116 passengers boarded the bus bound for Muzaffarabad, the capital of PoK, this morning.

"It includes 110 residents of PoK who are returning home after spending time with their relatives here while six persons from Jammu and Kashmir are going to meet their relatives on other side of LoC," he said.

The trade on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road was suspended two weeks ago following recovery of 66.5 kg of heroin and brown sugar valued at over Rs 300 crore from a truck coming from PoK on July 21.

The impasse was resolved at a meeting between officials of two sides held at Kaman Post last week.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As many as 400 senior executives of Cognizant have accepted the company's voluntary separation package (VSP), a move that the US-based company said will help it save about $60 million (Rs 3,900 crore) annually.

It is estimated that a large number of them could be from India, though the company did not reveal how many Indian executives accepted the offer. About 1.5 lakh employees of Cognizant's total 2.56 lakh workforce are in India.

The development comes after Cognizant's offer in May to pay up to nine months' salary as part of the package to some of its top-level executives in the US and India. "Of the $39 million of realignment charges, $35 million was for the roughly 400 associates who accepted our VSP.

We expect approximately $60 million of annualised savings as a result of the VSP," said Cognizant CFO Karen McLoughlin at a recent investor call. She added that Cognizant expects to incur additional cost related to advisory fees, severance, lease termination, and facility consolidation costs in the remaining part of 2017.

McLoughlin said the company has also made good headway in the June quarter driving utilisation rates higher by slowing the pace of our hiring and improving resource alignment to its re-skilling and multi-skilling programmes.

Cognizant's overall headcount decreased by about 4,400 people at the end of June from March 2017 quarter, even though it had hired 10,800 people (gross) during the June quarter. She explained that these adjustments will help improve the company's profitability.

"Our attrition level was higher than normal given reductions resulting from performance evaluations and the voluntary separation programme," said McLoughlin. She added that while the company will carefully manage headcount, it will continue to hire and invest in critical skills needed to grow Cognizant's digital business.

The annualised attrition rate for Cognizant stood at 23.6 per cent, including BPO and trainees, during the June quarter from 17.1 per cent in the year-ago period. ... we expect attrition to decline in the coming months, she said. Cognizant President Rajeev Mehta said the company is investing tens of millions of dollars this year to continuously deepen and broaden skills in areas like analytics.
In a bid to crackdown on fraudsters holding multiple PAN cards to evade taxes, the central government has deactivated around 11.44 lakh PAN cards by July 27 this year.

The move comes after the government made linking of PAN card with UIDAI-linked Aadhaar mandatory for filing income tax returns. The government had also made Aadhaar a pre-requisite to obtain a PAN card with effect from July 1.

According to rules, a person can only have one PAN number. The government had earlier unearthed fake PAN cards where people had submitted fictitious information about themselves.

Here's how you can check if your PAN number is still valid:

Log on to the income tax India website https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in. This site is used to file income tax returns.

Click on "Know Your PAN" option available on the home page of the website in the left hand column called 'Services'.

On the "Know your PAN" page, enter your surname, first name, PAN status, gender, Date of Birth and the mobile number used to register the PAN card.

Ensure that you enter the registered mobile number on this page. After filling out the details, click on "Submit" option. The system will send an OTP to the registered mobile number and the page will ask for the same to validate.

In case, you have multiple PAN numbers registered with your details, a notice will pop up saying, "There are multiple records for this query. Please provide additional information." You will be directed to a new page to notify about the validity of the PAN card.

If your PAN card is valid, it will be shown as "Active".

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Noted economist Rajiv Kumar said that he is looking forward to serve the country as the new Vice Chairman of Niti Aayog.

"Look forward to serve the nation with my role @nitiaayog @pmoindia," Kumar tweeted.

He was named the new Vice chairman of the government think-tank on Saturday, five days after the incumbent Arvind Panagariya announced that he would quit to return to academia.

In another tweet, Kumar said, "With Indias simultaneous triple transition-social, political and economic-well on course, our country will be global exemplar@Niti Aayog."

"Structural reforms by Govt are generating inflection point for India to achieve growth trajectory @NITIAayog will further contribute to this," he added.

Kumar, who holds a DPhil in economics from Oxford and a PhD from Lucknow University, is a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR).

Earlier, he was Secretary General of industry chamber Ficci and had also served as Director and Chief Executive of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).

He was a member of the National Security Advisory Board between 2006 and 2008.

He has also served as chief economist of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and has held senior positions in the the Asian Development Bank, the Ministry of Industries and the Ministry of Finance.

Kumar is also on the boards of several international and national institutions, including the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center in Riyadh, the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and Asia in Jakarta, the State Bank of India, and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.

The appointment for the post of Niti Aayog Vice Chairman was necessitated as the incumbent Panagariya on August 1 had announced that he will leave the government think-tank on August 31 and return to Columbia University.

Panagariya, an Indian-American, had joined the Niti Aayog in January 2015.

Industry chamber Ficci today praised the government for appointing Rajiv Kumar as the new Vice Chairman of Niti Aayog and said that the prompt decision will help the government think-tank maintain continuity in its policy advocacy work.

"Ficci welcomes the appointment of Rajiv Kumar as the new Vice Chairman of Niti Aayog," the chamber said in a statement.

The institution, Ficci said, has increasingly gained in importance given the focus the current government has placed on the subject of cooperative federalism.

"Ficci compliments the government for announcing the new Vice Chairman without any delay following the decision of Arvind Panagariya to join back academics. This decision of the government will help Niti maintain continuity in its policy advocacy work," the statement said.


Amid a cheering market response to the reduction in ex-showroom prices of up to Rs 11 lakh, following lower taxation post - GST, the luxury carmakers are crying hollow over hiked cess to 25 per cent from the earlier 15 per cent.

Mercedes-Benz the leader of the luxury pack said that the new decision will affect their future plans of expansion under 'Make in India' initiative, which aims at making and selling world-class products in India, with the latest technology for end consumers.

"We are highly disappointed with the decision. We believe this will be a strong deterrent to the growth of luxury cars in this country. We feel deprived as the leading manufacturer of luxury cars in India, who has been championing 'Make in India'. This decision will also reverse the positive momentum that the industry wanted to achieve with the introduction of GST. With this hike in cess, we expect the volumes of the luxury industry to decelerate, thus offsetting any growth in the potential revenue generation that could have come with the estimated volume growth."

The luxury segment had been facing reverses in the Indian market over spate of issues, right from the diesel ban in Delhi NCR last year that negatively impacted the sales for luxury brands. While an overall negative sentiment around demonetization led to insecurity in the market. Now these players allege that they have always been suffering due to the unfavorable taxation which kept out people who wanted to upgrade to luxury cars.

"Luxury car industry in India, while small in volumes, still contributes over 10 percent in value. The taxes on this industry were already very high and we expected the unfulfilled potential of this segment to increase after the implementation of GST and rationalization of taxes. However, increasing the cess on the luxury car industry will dampen the spirits of not only the companies, dealers and customers but also workers and employees working in this industry. We will be forced to re-evaluate our business plans in light of this development," said Rahil Ansari, Head Audi India.

Luxury carmaker had reduced prices by up to RS 11 lakh on their expensive brands following tax rationalization under the new GST regime. Some companies, keeping in mind the proposed increase in cess have introduced new offers on their best-selling cars. Likewise Audi for its A4 & A3 sedan along with Audi Q3 SUV is offering higher discounts and offers.

Company executives say that one of the original benefits expected out of GST was rationalization of tax rates. Luxury cars and SUVs are one of the segments that long required tax rationalization, as this segment remains highly taxed. "One month is too short a period to consider an upward revision in rates. The market performance should have been watched for at least 6 months, before it was relooked. The current proposal of increase in cess clubbed with the increased road tax rates, will take the effective consumer price much above the pre GST scenario level," Mr Folger added.



The automotive industry which has been at the receiving end of arbitrary policies has been demanding a long-term roadmap. Alleging that the constant shift in policy makes impact their long-term planning making the market highly risky, where the government is causing more damage to the environment by increasing tax on modern technology and slowing down the overall growth pace.


Sales have picked up in auto sector, with the uncertainty that ensued before the onset of Goods and Services Tax now clearing. Maruti Suzuki seems to have benefitted from this trend, posting its highest sales in a single month during July 2017. On the other hand, duriMaruti Suzuki Baleno saw the highest growth sales during last month.



Out of the ten best-selling cars, seven come from the Maruti Suzuki stable, whereas the remaining three vehicles bear the Hyundai logo, a News18 report said.

Maruti Suzuki sold 1.65 lakh units last month, which is a 20 per cent growth, the report said. The compact segment of the company contributed most to these figures with 63,116 units being sold from this category. Sales figures an year earlier in July 2016 stood at 50,362 units, amounting to a 25 per cent year-on-year growth.

ALSO READ: Hyundai unveils 5th gen Verna; launch later this month

Meanwhile, Maruti Suzuki Baleno registered highest sales in a single month in July this year, making it the second most sold car in India, a report said. The premium hatchback is sold by company's high-end subsidiary, Nexa.

In total 19,153 units of the vehicle were sold last month, promoting it to the second position from fifth position in June, the report said. The company managed to sell only 9,057 units of Baleno during June earlier this year.

Available in 12 variants, including the high-performance sport variant Baleno RS, the vehicle is priced between Rs 5.26 lakh to Rs 8.43 lakh.

ALSO READ: Prices of SUVs, sedan may go up after GST Council approves hike in cess on luxury cars

The petrol variants of the vehicle run on 1.2-litre K-Series VVT engine capable of dishing out 83bhp of power and 115Nm of torque. The petrol engine is coupled with a five-speed manual transmission or CVT automatic transmission. The diesel variants are powered by 1.3-litre multijet engine producing 75bhp power and 190Nm of torque. It is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox.

Meanwhile Baleno RS comes equipped with 1.0 Boosterjet direct injection turbo engine together with a 5-speed manual transmission.

Also watch:




| BY Ricki Green |

IAB Australia has launched three new digital glossaries to help drive forward digital market literacy as part of its renewed mission to help simplify and inspire digital advertising in Australia.

The Video, Audio and Mobile Glossary of Terms, which were prepared by the IABs Video, Audio and Mobile IAB Council respectively, aim to equip marketers with a common understanding of metrics and terms by introducing a single common language.

Marketers can test their own knowledge in a specially designed quiz to accompany the launch of the glossaries and have the opportunity to win a free ticket to IABs inaugural Measure Up conference to be held in October.

Says Danielle Uskovic, head of digital, Lenovo, APAC: IAB Australias series of Glossaries, designed to create a common language, will be an invaluable tool for both my team and the wider market. Digital advertising has so many strengths from being timely, efficient, measurable and personalised; but it can be complex. This is a fantastic initiative to help drive forward the digital advertising industry.

Says Vijay Solanki, CEO, IAB Australia: We need to ensure that disparate and confusing jargon is eliminated from the industry and drive understanding and awareness of the key metrics and standards across all aspects of digital marketing. Our efforts to help digital marketers in Australia are gaining momentum and todays glossary launches are just the latest in a series of recent initiatives.

In the last month alone, the IAB Australia has launched the worlds first Daily Content Ratings with Nielsen; launched an Advertising Awareness Glossary designed to foster better understanding of the metrics that gauge the impact of ad investments; and announced its inaugural full day measurement conference, Measure Up, which will take place on October 10 in Sydney.

Says Solanki: I joined IAB Australia a year ago with a clear vision of helping to simplify and inspire and it is incredibly satisfying to see the hard work of the IAB team and its reinvigorated council members being realised. The four Glossaries that have been launched in the last month have involved over 54 companies and 67 members across four IAB Councils, demonstrating the power of our collaborative network.
| BY Ricki Green |

Spikes Asia has today announced that this years Advertiser of the Year will be awarded to Samsung Electronics following a hugely successful 2016 Festival where the company were recognised with 21 Spikes awards.

The Award honours brands that set themselves apart through the quality of their campaigns and recognises innovative marketing and inspiring creative communications.

Says Terry Savage, chairman Cannes Lions and vice-chairman, Spikes Asia: Samsung Electronics is one of the worlds leading brands. By experimenting with what is possible through technology they try to make our lives and the world around us better.

Working with agencies across the region Samsung provides freedom to push the creative standard and were delighted to be able to recognise their commitment to excellence. Their campaigns encompass the full spectrum of cutting-edge technological expertise and creative bravery and we look forward to seeing what the future brings.

Winning Samsung campaigns at last years Festival ranged from product demonstrations using device detecting technology in Celebrity Tantrum to demonstrate the features of the new screen to fearless marketing in launching the Galaxy S7 in the region using CRM and social media to convert attitudes in Right the Wrong. While the ambition to improve peoples lives through Touchable Ink, a tactile ink that could be used by printers to make products and packaging more accessible for the visually impaired was lauded and awarded 3 Grands Prix, 1 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze Spikes.

In 2017 Samsung has shown remarkable growth, overcoming brand challenges amid a difficult market environment. To launch the Galaxy S8 and S8+, The New Normal and Breaking Out were released following a successful introduction of both The Ostrich and This is a Phone campaigns. In addition to these short films, Samsung is also rolling out a series of digital, social and out-of-home activations across the globe, such as Whale and Astronaut.

Younghee Lee, chief marketing officer of Samsung Electronics and head of global marketing for Samsungs Mobile Business will accept the Award onstage at the Spikes Asia Awards Ceremony on Friday 29 September.

Says Lee: I am deeply honoured and humbled to accept the Spikes Asia Advertiser of the Year Award. Our brand work is the first articulation of the evolution to create a new connection with our consumers through a shared value-based approach, rooted firmly in our companys philosophy that meaningful progress can only happen when you dare to defy barriers. Samsung is a brand focused on creating real human value with its technology and we want to build upon our tech prowess to become a human-focused lifestyle brand.
| BY Lynchy |

Tom Lawrence from NSW has been awarded Australias Top Student at the 2017 AWARD School National Announcement, which was held at The Dolphin Hotel in Sydney last night.

In an AWARD School-first, Lawrence (pictured) wins a once in a lifetime trip to New York where he will meet David Droga and compare their winning portfolios from AWARD School 1987 and 2017. Remarkably, this makes Lawrence the only person in the last 30 years (outside Drogas family) to see the portfolio that landed Droga his big break at OMON.

To determine the national winner, AWARD appointed a Super Jury comprising 10 leading creatives from around the world, who reviewed the state winners portfolios in an independent and blind-judging round.

AWARD School Super Jury:

 Sarah Barclay, Global ECD, JWT New York (AWARD School Winner 1984)

 Margaret Johnson, CCO, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners San Francisco

 Linda Knight, ECD, TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles (AWARD School 1992)

 Nick Law, Vice Chairman & Global CCO, R/GA New York

 James McGrath, Creative Chairman, Clemenger BBDO Melbourne

 Ben Priest, Founder & Group CCO, adam&eveDDB London

 Eric Quennoy, ECD, Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam

 Ted Royer, CCO, Droga5 New York

 Kate Stanners, Chairwoman & Global CCO, Saatchi & Saatchi

 Jureeporn Thaidumrong, Chairwoman/CCO, Grey Bangkok

View Super Jury bios here.

Top Students by State:

 QLD  Jackie Elliott

 NSW  Tom Lawrence (National Winner)

 VIC  Jesse Young

 SA  Layla Firth

 WA  Luke Williams

A total of 187 students across five states, including NSW, QLD, VIC, SA and WA graduated from AWARD School in 2017. Each student received 10 briefs, ranging from experiential and outdoor, to game changer and integrated campaigns, resulting in close to 2,000 brief submissions nationally.

Says Mike Spirkovski, AWARD chair and national chief creative officer at Saatchi & Saatchi Australia: With a long and proud history of nurturing and launching the careers of our industrys most recognisable pioneers, including David Droga, AWARD School remains the most relevant and highly regarded course in Australasia. As we celebrate the 2017 graduates tonight, we also reflect on the successes of the creatives and art directors who have walked in their shoes over the last three decades.

The 2017 graduates follow in the footsteps of many of todays creative leaders, including past students: Craig Davis, ex-chairman of AWARD and co-chairman/chief creative officer at Publicis Mojo; David Droga, founder and creative chairman at Droga5; Sarah Barclay, global ECD at J. Walter Thompson, New York; Linda Knight, ECD at TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles; Tom Premetico, co-founder/chief creative officer of Johannes Leonardo; and Matt Eastwood, worldwide chief creative officer at J. Walter Thompson, New York.

Commenting on Lawrences winning portfolio, Spirkovski said: Creating engaging, effective ideas in a simple scamp is difficult for even the most experienced creativeKudos to this creative for stripping it all back to what I believe is the reason we are all here in this business; to make great ideas.

Among the Super Jury comments, one judge said that the winning student had, Simple ideas that make you smile or thinkit made me feel slightly embarrassed that my student book wasnt this good.

While another judge said, Strong conceptual thinking. Sense of humor and wit. Clever, surprising solutions.

Reflecting on his course experience, Lawrence said: AWARD school was without a doubt the hardest but most rewarding thing I have ever done. I am so humbled to have won, and fear for my friends and family who will now have to put up with a lot more of what do you think of this idea.

Lawrence also thanked NSW School Heads Niccola Phillips (M&C Saatchi) and Brendan Willenberg (Clemenger BBDO) and his lecturers and tutors for their commitment, time and support throughout the 12 week intensive course. He was tutored by Jerome Gaslain, Oskar Westerdal and Rene Schultz from BWM Dentsu; and Karen Ferry and Sarah Parris from Leo Burnett.

For a full list of 2017 AWARD School Tutors click here.

The trip to NYC to meet David Droga has been sponsored by The Sweet Shop and Clerehan Pty. Ltd.

Esther Clerehan (left), who has been instrumental in developing the idea, proposed the NYC prize after Droga mentioned to her in a conversation last year in New York that he still had his AWARD School book from all those years ago. Wilf Sweetland (above, right) and The Sweet Shop jumped at the chance to co-sponsor, and together Clerehan and Sweetland developed the Super Jury and brought the national prize concept to life.
| BY Lynchy |

In celebration of Singapores 52nd National Day, The LampPost Project by DDB Singapore, has launched a unique collection of commemorative up-cycled tote bags. Its debut range features simple, lightweight, practical and unique bags that are made from recycled lamppost banners and flags produced for the occasion each year.

Giving the banners a new lease of life, each bag is individually cut and hand stitched by the LOOMs Artisans at social enterprise, The LOOMS Workshops, and clients at voluntary welfare organisation SAMH (Singapore Association for Mental Health). While no two bags are identical, they all carry within them the same promise that the profit earned from their sale goes towards making life a little brighter for the people who make them. Under the hashtag #DogoodLookgoodFeelgood, the project endeavours to make supporters not only look good about their purchase, but also feel good in the process.

The initiative, conceived by a group of designers aiming to create useful, eco-friendly souvenirs to commemorate special occasions, includes a five-part production process.

After being sorted to select the most striking graphics, the discarded banners are collected and distributed to the Singapore charity and social enterprise that run tailoring outfits. At the workshops, the banners are cut, patterned and stitched into LampPost bags by skilled craftspeople. Each piece is then individually labelled and packaged for sale, and, once sold, the profits returned to the makers of the LampPost bag.

We like to imagine that a LampPost bag gives new meaning to the word lifestyle, said Sharon Goh, associate creative director at DDB Group Singapore. Firstly, each bag helps to improve the life of the person that made it, and, secondly, represents the ultimate street-style accessory as it actually comes from the streets of Singapore. Add the two parts together, and a LampPost bag carries more meaning than any other designer bag.
Sunday, August 6, 2017 at 10:52PM

Google is known to try out certain features with a small group of users to see the reception for the feature and whether it warrants a wider release. One of the new features thats popped up on Google Search app on mobile was reported by 9to5Googles Justin Duino. It shows additional results from a pop-up window after you look for a particular thing or term. He tried looking up the price of a product and then some sort of pop-up cards, like youd see with Google Assistant showed up at the bottom of his screen with the words: People also view. Duino was running 7.8.17.21 version of Googles app. You can see what the pop-up search results look like in the image above.
Workers employed to screen passengers after check-in and provide other airport screening by contractor SNP Security are calling on the company to sign off on a new enterprise bargaining agreement, increasing their award pay from the current base rate of $21.13 per hour to $22.96 an hour, the amount paid to guards of the same level at Sydney Airport.
However a brief to the chief minister in May 2006 said there was likely to be blowback from the public if the standard of maintenance was lowered below community expectations.
LUSAKA  Chinese enterprises have taken advantage of Zambia's premier agriculture and commercial show to market their products.

The Chinese enterprises are among 95 foreign firms and 718 local firms exhibiting at the 91st Agriculture and Commercial Show in Lusaka, the country's capital which opened its doors to the public on August 2.

It is being held under the theme "Promoting Green Economy."

With the ever-improving bilateral relations between Zambia and China, a number of Chinese enterprises have invested in various sectors of the southern African country's economy.

However, competition is stiff and the Chinese enterprises are devising various ways of cementing their presence such as advertising as well as using events like trade fairs and shows to market their products.

There is no doubt that Chinese investment is having a positive impact on the Zambian economy as seen in the number of Chinese enterprises that have invested in various sectors.

According to Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, the two countries have expanded economic cooperation with an increased investment of close to $4 billion and an annual trade volume of around $3 billion.

There are over 500 Chinese firms operating in Zambia.

"Of course we are here to market our products. We want the Zambia public to know our products and we are taking advantage of this event to help local people know about our bank," Zhu Wenlong, Bank of China (Zambia) Deputy Managing Director told Xinhua in an interview.

Driven by its mission of "Serving Society, Delivering Excellence", the official said the bank was geared toward providing efficient and unmatched services to the Zambian people.

Established in 1997, the Bank of China Zambia is the first wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank of China and also the first Chinese financial institution in Africa.

It provides both corporate and personal services, including credit facility, account services, international settlement, exchange services and Chinese currency services. It launched its RMB notes business in 2011.

Zambian Jihai Agriculture Company Limited, which is involved in all-year round production of mushroom is another firm exhibiting at the event to market various products it was producing in Zambia.

Since its establishment five years ago, the firm has expanded its line of operations and apart from mushroom growing, the firm has opened other ventures such as the JCS Food Town, a center where various agricultural products are being sold not only to the Chinese nationals but local people as well.

The food market has about 79 small scale traders operating there.

According to Faith Mwale, assistant manager in charge of business development and administration, the firm has established a firm print on the Zambian market and was ready to offer various products and services to the people.

Camco Equipment Zambia Limited, a company that markets agricultural and other machinery made by various Chinese firms, is also exhibiting at the event, with the purpose of cementing its footprint on the market.

The firm, that has been in existence in Zambia since 1998, expressed happiness over the response the equipment has received in the country.

"The response has been overwhelming and we are here to ensure that we capture more customers," Josephat Ntolombita, the firm's sales and marketing officer said.

Confucius Institute is also participating at the event as it tries to capture more local people to learn the Chinese language and culture.

According to Professor Li Qingjun, the director of the institute, the growing relations between the two countries was enough reason to help the local people understand the Chinese culture and language.

She said local people who were learning the Chinese language have a greater chance of working for Chinese firm as well as enable easy communication when they go to China for business.

Since its launch in 2010, over 8,000 local people have registered at 18 teaching centers dotted in various parts of the country.

"We hope we can capture more people and entice them to enroll and learn Chinese," she said.

Other companies seen at the event included Chingases Company Limited which has been operating in Zambia since 2007 and is involved in the manufacture of gases such as oxygen, and Topstar, the Chinese firm engaged to provide digital broadcasting migration services.
The ANAO observed that the most effective conflict of interest policies in particular agencies tended to be tailored to the agency's specific area of activity, concentrating on conflicts that were most likely to arise for its own people in their own line of work. Such policies also included relevant examples of possible conflicts of interest with discussion of which conflicts were particularly serious and which could be ignored. A good example is the section on conflict of interest in DFAT's Conduct and Ethics Manual. By contrast, policies that did little more than repeat the general provisions in the Code and the APSC guide were unlikely to engage the interest of either staff or their managers.
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.
BMW has been hinting at the possibility of an i8 Roadster ever since the company unveiled the i8 Spyder concept at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show.



The wait could soon be coming to an end as Automotive News Europe is reporting the production model will likely be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.

BMW is keeping details under wraps but the company officially announced plans for the model back in 2016. The automaker has relatively quiet since then but a teaser video was released last month and BMW Chairman Harald Kruger recently confirmed many customers have already reserved a copy of the upcoming roadster.

Despite the radio silence, we already know the i8 Roadster will be joined by a facelifted coupe which features modified bumpers, restyled headlights, and an upgraded iDrive infotainment system.

Performance specifications remain unconfirmed but previous reports have suggested the coupe and roadster will be equipped with an upgraded powertrain that features a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine, a more powerful electric motor, and an improved battery. The system currently develops 357 hp (266 kW) but the new model could bring its output up to 420 hp (313 kW).

The report goes on to suggest the i8 could transition into an electric vehicle when the next-generation model arrives in 2022.

Photo Credits: CarPix for Carscoops

Photo Gallery
Imagine, if you have the stomach for it, that your cars been stolen. The police find it, but instead of returning it to you, they put it up for auction.



Thats what happened to an elderly woman in Colorado recently. And its only by chance that she managed to get it back.

The Drive reports that it all started on June 1 when the Ford Crown Victoria belonging the one Mary Antrim, 80, was stolen outside her home in Pueblo, Colorado  a couple of hours south of Denver, past Pikes Peak.

Four days after reporting it stolen, she got a call from the police department in nearby Colorado Springs saying that theyd found her car, but impounded it as evidence in an attempted robbery in which it was involved. Antrim says she called repeatedly over the course of the following five weeks asking when she could pick it up, explaining that she needed it to get to get doctors appointments. But she never got an answer. Instead, she found her Crown Vic listed online in as going up for auction in September.

I was dumbfounded, Antrim said. I thought how in the world can the car go from being on hold for evidence and now its on hand and being ready to go to auction. I couldnt believe that.

The Colorado Springs Police Department claimed that Antrim was notified by mail on July 7 that he car was ready to be picked up, but the letter that finally arrived was postmarked July 11  the same day that the local news station KOAA News 5 called the police seeking answers. With a little pressure from the station, Antrim was able to retrieve her car, who waived the $180 fee it initially tried to charge her. But we cant help but wonder how many situations like this, out of the public eye, dont end up resolved as positively.

Video

KOAA.com | Continuous News | Colorado Springs and Pueblo
Hyundais premium brand Genesis is planning to break ties from the mothership, as far as the sales network and retail strategy.



The brand will announce a new retail strategy for the U.S. this month that will accelerate its separation from the Hyundai brand and will reduce the number of authorized dealerships significantly, AutoNews reports.

Originally this transition wasnt supposed to happen until many years in the future and could prove to be an expensive problem for Hyundai and Genesis to solve. It also comes just after two years of the Genesis brand launch and one year after the sales launch of the G80 and G90 luxury sedans.

We dont see a path forward without a good, strong dealer network thats also profitable, Genesis General Manager Erwin Raphael said. And we sometimes have to make very difficult decisions in the short run in order to ensure that we take care of our  dealers in the long run.

Genesis will have the framework ready by the middle of next year, with this strategy reset coming after Hyundai Motor America grounded all Genesis sales in Louisiana, following allegations from the states Motor Vehicle Commission that the automaker and the dealers lacked proper licenses to sell vehicles under the new brand.

Right now, Hyundai Motor America allows any of its 835 dealerships nationwide to sell the Genesis G80, also formerly known as the Hyundai Genesis. Out of those dealers, 352 also decided to offer the larger G90 flagship, which requires them to create a special showroom-within-a-showroom for the Genesis brand.

The original plan included the launch of Genesis-only stores in two to three years after the brands market launch last August. The updated plan moves the timetable forward by one to two years, focusing solely to separating the two brands, with the details still not have been announced.

Only solo Genesis dealers will be able to perform warranty repairs on Genesis models, unlike the previous plan that allowed them to do factory-paid warranty work on them. For this brand to really survive and thrive, and for us to develop the culture within ourselves and within our dealer network to support and take care of these customers, we do in fact have to expedite our process of separating our brands, Raphael said.

PHOTO GALLERY
Jeremy Clarkson has been hospitalized with severe pneumonia while being on holiday in Spain.



The Grand Tour presenter was on a break from filming the new series when he revealed he was sick with a picture on his Instagram profile.

Jeremy Clarkson was admitted to hospital on Friday morning during a family holiday in Spain, and is being treated for pneumonia, a spokeswoman for the Amazon show said.

The health scare didnt prevent Jezza however from making fun of his co-host James May, posting a picture of Captain Slow with his hair standing on and the caption: The only functioning member of the Grand Tour team right now. God help us. Its been only two months since Richard Hammond crashed at the wheel of a Rimac Concept One and had to be airlifted to a hospital.

Clarkson also posted a message on DriveTribe, thanking everyone for the wishes. Thanks for all the good wishes. And to keep you up to date, Ill be out of action for quite some time apparently. Its really really annoying because Ive never had one day off work since I started in 1978, he wrote.

Get well soon Jeremy.

Not the sort of bangles I usually choose on holiday      Jeremy Clarkson (@jeremyclarkson1)   5, 2017, 6:20 PDT
Getting stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle in the left lane (or right) is surely one of the most annoying things that can happen behind the wheel.



Thankfully, lawmakers in Nevada are hoping to end the issue by fining people who travel below the speed limit in the passing lane.

KTNV reports that first time offenders will be fined $50, while fines will rise to $250 for third-time offenders. There are a number of exceptions to the law, including emergency vehicles and road maintenance vehicles performing official duties.

Speaking about left lane hogs, Nevada Highway Patrol trooper Dan Gordon said they are one of the key reasons for road rage.

What they will do is move over to the second lane, #2 lane, or middle lane. They will pass and then as soon as they clear the car, they will cut back in the fast lane, cutting the driver off that is going below the speed limit. And next thing you know, they are showing each other they are number one, and they are holding up the finger, he said.

Heres hoping other U.S. states and countries start enforcing similar laws.

VIDEO
A black Ferrari Enzo will hit the auction block on September 9, but not before RM Sothebys will look to sell another eye-catching Enzo, this time painted in Blu Tour de France.



As a 2004 example, this Ferrari Enzo originally left the factory in Matt Titanio Extra Campionario, a one-off paint scheme for the Italian hypercar. Afterwards, the car was sold to a member of the Middle Eastern royal family in London.

It was then auctioned off in 2008 with a Ferrari Classiche certification and repainted in Blue Tour de France by its new owner. A few years ago, it landed in the hands of its current owner and has a full dealer service history, original books and tools and its Classiche paperwork. The exterior of the Enzo has also been kept immaculate and is joined by a beautifully maintained interior with tan leather seats.

No pre-auction estimate has been publicized but considering it has only ever travelled 8,884 km and features such a unique color, a figure of at least $2 million seems probable.

PHOTO GALLERY
Photo: Alanna Kelly

Over 400 firefighters from New Zealand, Australia, Mexico and United States will join the fight against wildfires across the province of British Columbia.

An estimated 3,800 personnel are currently working throughout the province to respond to the ongoing situation.

Kevin Skrepnek, Chief Fire Information Officer, said with no relief in sight in the weather forecast, the wildfire emergency is expected to continue over the next few weeks.

This will be a mix of specialized support staff, including incident management teams, and highly trained and experienced wildland firefighting crews, said Skrepnek in a release.

The cost of bringing in the international personnel will be covered by the province.

"Given the unprecedented nature of the B.C. wildfires, we appreciate the assistance our international partners are able to provide, said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

Hot and dry conditions are expected to continue with unsettled weather suggesting lightning could be in the forecast.

Firefighting crews are on standby in all six of B.C.s fire centres in preparation for an anticipated increase in fire starts over the next few days.

For more information on the current wildfire status visit this link.
Photo: Facebook Jared Szabo was last seen on Aug. 1, 2017.

Friends of a missing man last seen in the Revelstoke area have sent out a plea asking anyone with information to contact police.

Jared Szabo was last seen on Tuesday in the Beaton area, where he is believed to reside.

Individuals posted to social media in the Vernon & Area Community Forum saying they were also searching for his 2004 white Dodge pick-up truck.

Castanet reached out to police in Nakusp and are still awaiting a response.
Photo: David Ogilvie An SUV was damaged and a garage door after a driver drove into the house.

A driver of a pickup truck crashed into a garage and fled the scene Monday morning.

The garage door of a duplex located on Riffington Place was destroyed and an SUV parked inside was damaged.

A neighbour walking in the area saw the truck in the driveway just before 6 a.m.

The driver drove off after staying at the scene for about 10 minutes.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact police.
If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,...
Mesenchymal stem cells. Cooper Thome is working with mesenchymal stem cells. What the heck are mesenchymal stem cells?

In regular folks terms, theyre stem cells that can grow into a variety of different cells, from bone to cartilage, from muscle to fat.

They have many therapeutic applications, from the treatment of orthopedic injuries to autoimmune diseases, Mr. Thome says. Knowing how various environments and factors affect stem cells is very important if we wish to make further advancements in the types and viability of stem-cell treatments.

Mr. Thome is a UTC Honors College student whos in Japan this summer, working an internship in nanotechnology at the National Institute of Materials Science in the city of Tsukuba. A chemical engineering major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, he has three semesters left before graduation.

Landing the Japanese internship is a major accomplishment, and Mr. Thome is one of only six students from across the U.S., from Florida to California, who were chosen. Hell be in Japan until early August.

After hes finished with the internship in Japan, hell fly into Atlanta to attend a research convocation for the various National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure REU participants from universities in the U.S, he says.

Translation: A national conference on real-world applications for nanotechnology. REU stands for Research Experiences for Undergraduates, so its geared to college students.

In addition to the terrific research hes been pursuing in that field  including an important internship last summer at Georgia Techs Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology and now this International REU in Japan  hes been an active and valued member of the Brock Scholars community in the Honors College, helping to mentor new students during our orientation retreats, leading nature hikes, and more, says Dr. Gregory ODea, associate dean of the Honors College.

Back in Japan, Mr. Thome takes tiny, tiny stem cells  usually about one millionth of a meter in size  and grows them for tissue engineering.

The fabrication and characterization of the patterns is an important part of the project. It has been shown that the actual patterns in which you grow the cells can influence their behavior greatly, so I am going to explore some of the implications of that.

What he learned at UTC has been critical to his success outside of the school, he says, including both the Japan internship and the one at Georgia Tech.

Im really thankful for the Honors College, as well as the faculty and staff of the CECS for all the help theyve given to me up to this point, he says. Ive been lucky enough to be around people and in an environment that has pushed me to pursue some really cool (and educational and professional) experiences and positions.

As for the difference between the societies in the U.S. and Japan, Mr. Thome understates that its quite different and, especially since I dont speak Japanese, it can be confusing at times.

In general, everyone here is extremely kind and helpful, though. Theres definitely a type of social structure and formality that isnt really prevalent in the United States.

Ive met a lot of people from all over the world here, too. Tsukuba is a science city with a high population of foreign researchers, and its really interesting to talk to people about various cultural differences.
Image of a chain of atoms taken with the quantum gas microscope. It demonstrates that atoms with different spin orientations are spatially separated. If the spin points downwards (green), the atom is located in the lower part of the double well structure of the lattice site, whereas it is in the upper part, if the spin points upwards (red). In addition, the holes can be detected directly.

Magnetism is a phenomenon that we experience in everyday-life quite often. The property, which is observed in materials such as such as iron, is caused by the alignment of electron spins. Even more interesting effects are expected in case that the magnetic crystals exhibit holes, i.e., lattice sites that are not occupied with an electron. Because of the interplay between the motion of the defect and the magnetic correlations of the electron spins, the magnetic order seems to be suppressed. In general, solid state physicists are not able to separate the two processes, so they cannot answer the question, whether the magnetic order is indeed reduced, or whether it is just hidden.

Now a team of scientists around Dr. Christian Gro from the Quantum Many-Body Systems Division (director Professor Immanuel Bloch) at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics has demonstrated that in one-dimensional quantum magnets the magnetic order is preserved even when they are doped with holes  a direct manifestation of spin-charge (density) separation. The quantum crystals were prepared by chains of ultracold atoms in an optical lattice. The observation was made possible with a unique tool which allows tracking the motion of holes and the spin excitations separately in one measurement process. In the next step the scientists plan to extend the method to two-dimensional systems. Here the interaction between holes and magnetic correlations is by far more complex. It could lead to the detection of exotic many-body phases that might be responsible for the occurrence of high-temperature superconductivity.

The Garching team starts with cooling an ensemble of fermionic lithium-6 atoms down to extremely low temperatures, a millionth of a Kelvin above absolute zero. The atoms are then captured in a single plane in a two-dimensional optical lattice that is created by laser beams. The plane in turn is split into about 10 one-dimensional tubes along which the atoms can move. In the last step, the tubes are superimposed with an optical lattice which mimics the periodic potential that electrons see in a real material. In analogy to electrons lithium atoms carry a spin-1/2 (or magnetic moment) which can point either upwards or downwards. In a previous experiment with a similar system the scientists have shown that below a certain temperature the magnetic moments of neighbouring atoms align in opposite directions such that antiferromagnetic correlations emerge.

In the follow up experiment they investigate the influence of holes on the degree of order of the quantum crystal. We achieve a certain amount of hole doping by making sure that the number of atoms loaded into the optical lattice is smaller than the number of lattice sites, says Timon Hilker, first author and doctoral candidate at the experiment. Now the questions arise, whether the holes are fixed or whether they can move, and how they affect the magnetic order of the system.

We are all familiar with the following situation: if in a theatre a seat in the middle of a row remains empty, a move goes through the crowd: one by one, the members of the audience move up  in other words: the hole migrates. Something similar can be observed in the synthetic quantum crystal with the help of the quantum gas microscope which images the precise position of each single atom or defect on their respective lattice sites. However, much in contrast to the empty chair in the theatre, the holes in the quantum crystal are delocalized. Their location is determined the very moment they are being measured, Timon Hilker emphasizes.

At first view the fluctuations of the atoms in the optical lattice hide the antiferromagnetic correlations. But the team of Christian Gro is able to have a closer look, because they have developed a method to spatially separate atoms with different spin orientations. To this end, the optical lattice is superimposed with a superlattice such that a double well is created on each lattice site. In combination with a magnetic gradient this results in a potential which is dependent on the spin-orientation. The big challenge of this method is to adjust optical lattice and superlattice with a precision of a few nanometres, i.e., a fraction of the laser wavelength.

In our system we can detect simultaneously holes as well as both spin states , Dr. Christian Gro, leader of the project, points out. We can directly investigate the environment of each hole. We observe, that the order is generally preserved, i.e., that the spins of the left and the right neighbour atoms are anti-aligned. Because the images display every spin and every hole, we are able to, as to speak, take the holes out in our evaluation. Such non-local measurements are experimental new territory and open new perspectives for the study of exotic phases of matter.

Now the scientists plan to apply this method to two-dimensional quantum crystals that are doped with holes. This would be a new approach to simulate two-dimensional holes-doped systems of correlated electrons. Experiments of that kind could lead to a better understanding of the so-called high-temperature superconductivity which was detected 30 years ago. The name describes the effect that in certain compounds with layers containing copper the electrical resistance vanishes already above the boiling temperature of liquid nitrogen. The interplay between defects and antiferromagnetic correlations is believed to play an important role in this puzzling phenomenon.
An American Airlines passenger jet takes off from Miami in 2016. The airline says a storm-related ground stop in early August 2017 at New York-area airports affected its operations. (Alan Diaz/AP )

It was a Chicago-to-New York flight that should have taken around two hours but turned into an eight-hour-plus odyssey.

The result was a trip that serves as a window into the travails of modern-day air travel. It also shows how a gap in airline customer service compels paying passengers to fend for themselves.

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And it reinforces this makeshift mantra: Let the flyers beware.

Our journey began with a simple plan: My wife and I would hop a plane and visit the Big Apple for a few days. But complications quickly arose as our midmorning American Airlines flight, which left early from O'Hare International Airport, approached a storm-engulfed New York City.

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The dicey weather forced the plane to reroute its scheduled LaGuardia Airport landing and take to safer skies above Pennsylvania. After circling for a while, the plane landed at the airport in Atlantic City, N.J., to refuel while letting passengers use the terminal's restaurants, restrooms and shops for a couple of hours.

Back on the plane, weary travelers' frustrations with American Airlines began to boil. It became clear the Texas-based carrier had no contingency plan for getting us to New York, where the weather had cleared, but planes were stacked up to land and depart.

As time ticked away and nighttime unfolded, our uncertainty grew.

The flight crew did its best to answer questions but didn't have a lot of information from the airline. Departure estimates came and went, as did talk that American was arranging for buses to transport us from Atlantic City to New York.

We did learn that our plane's New York-based crew risked bumping up against federally mandated flight limitation time. If they couldn't fly to New York, neither could we.

Rather than curse the information void, passengers coolly resorted to doing their own calculus.

A few quickly abandoned the plane while others huddled to determine whether it was smarter to stick around or hit the road.

The travel dilemma raised some interesting questions.

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Does it pay to rent a car and drive to New York? Is it worth the price of an Uber or Lyft ride? If we leave, will American send our bags directly to us or dump them at LaGuardia to be picked up?

Another big question was whether American would compensate stalled passengers for their rides or rentals, overnight stays or the expense associated with missing out on a night in New York.

One woman said her husband was waiting in the city with two tickets to the Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon."

That's disappointing, but at least it wasn't "Hamilton."

After nearly five hours on the ground and with a plane that looked to be half-filled, our flight got permission to get up and go to LaGuardia.

We landed, grabbed our luggage and moved on.

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This week, I asked American Airlines for an explanation of what happened. I also pressed the case that the information blackout that occurred while we were grounded in Atlantic City shouldn't have occurred.

The second-largest carrier out of O'Hare, American countered that the entire New York area was suffering at the time due to slow-moving storms. The weather caused extended "ground stops" at all three New York-area airports, said Ross Feinstein, a spokesman for the airline.

The passenger jet had to refuel at Atlantic City's airport, which is not an American base of operation.

Because that "diversion" airport is not staffed by American employees, the carrier doesn't have the support personnel needed to line up buses, unload bags or further assist passengers, the spokesman added.

The combo of lousy weather, backups at the New York airports and limited resources at the Atlantic City airport made it difficult for American to provide stranded passengers with timely flight information or a ground transportation plan, he said.

What's more, American contends this was a weather-related delay and passengers aren't legally entitled to any reimbursements.

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So, there you have it.

When it comes to vagaries of weather conditions, American has a valid point. You can't always predict those circumstances as you can a mechanical problem or delay.

But its on-the-ground communication with its own crew should have been better. There's no reason passengers should be left in the dark for hours about their travel options.

At every significant airport like Atlantic City's, American and other major carriers should have backup plans that use contractors and transit firms to move passengers from a plane and assist them in such situations.

Then there's the unexpected expense that passengers are legally bearing because of the delay.

Yes, American doesn't have to pay, but this is an example of how the commercial aviation industry's travel agreement is skewed to favor airlines and not customers. It's another reason why we need a strong federal airline passenger bill of rights.

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From a public relations standpoint, American should do something nice for my fellow passengers and, at the very least, reach out to them with an apology.

For my part, I don't want or need anything from the airline because of my recent traveling experience.

It's already provided me with this column.

roreed@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @reedtribbiz
For Chicago shoppers, what types of bags are taxed? What types are not? (Phil Geib/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago's ban on disposable plastic bags wound up on the trash heap. But the bag tax that replaced it is nudging Chicagoans to kick, or at least curtail, their use of the plastic sacks.

Retailers began ringing up the 7-cent tax, designed to curb the use of store-supplied bags that often wind up in landfills, Feb. 1. When shoppers pay for a bag  paper or plastic  5 cents goes to the city, and 2 cents to the retailer.

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Six months later, even Chicagoans irked by the idea of paying for something once handed out for free say the tax has encouraged them to plan ahead and avoid the disposable bags offered for a fee at checkout.

Sue Carzoli, 52, of Chicago's Near North neighborhood, says she's built up a stockpile of reusable bags, though she occasionally forgets to carry them.

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"I am getting better about it," Carzoli said. "I just hate having to pay. It feels like there's a charge on everything now."

Shoppers who were on the bring-your-own-bag bandwagon before the tax went into effect said it's pushed them to be more diligent.

Sheila Swann, 57, of Logan Square, sometimes carried her own reusable bags before the tax went into effect, "but it's about 90 percent of the time now," she said while shopping at a Near North Trader Joe's Friday morning. Swann didn't have a bag with her that day, but said it was a rare, spur-of-the-moment stop.

"If it helps to save the environment, I'm good with it," she said.

The tax replaced a ban on lightweight plastic bags, which city officials said wasn't as effective as they'd hoped at curbing usage. In response to the ban on lightweight bags, some retailers simply switched to thicker ones.

Tax collection data alone, because of the way the tax is collected and the variation in when retailers made their first payments, make it difficult to tell how consumers responded immediately after the disposable bag tax was introduced.

But the amount the city has collected so far  nearly $3 million as of July 25  is on pace to come in well below the $9.2 million the tax was expected to generate for city coffers this year. The city also had estimated retailers would garner $3.7 million from their portion of the tax, bringing the total collected to $12.9 million.

Any shortfall would be a tiny slice of the overall city budget, said city spokeswoman Mary Kay Accurso.

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The lower-than-expected tax collections fit with research commissioned by the city pointing to early signs that shoppers dialed back on their use of bags provided at store checkout counters when the tax went into effect.

Slightly less than half the customers at large grocery stores included in the study used disposable bags issued during the checkout process in the month after the tax was implemented, down about 33 percent from the month before, city officials said in an April news release.

Post-bag tax, shoppers used one store-issued disposable bag per trip on average, down from 2.3 bags during the month before the tax, according to the report from Chicago behavioral design lab ideas42 and researchers at New York University and the University of Chicago Energy & Environment Lab.

"We continue to be pleased with the environmental impact of this initiative," said Doug Palmer, senior associate at ideas42.

What's less clear is whether the early reduction will last as customers adjust to seeing the extra tax on their receipts and weigh the convenience of taking a bag against the 7-cent tax.

Many Jewel-Osco customers have remembered to bring their own reusable bags, but the grocery chain has recently seen an uptick in the number of bags purchased, said spokeswoman Mary Frances Trucco.

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Walgreens doesn't have specific data on bag use, but customers do seem to be using fewer disposable bags, opting for reusable bags or skipping bags altogether if they can carry purchases without them, said spokesman James Graham.

Palmer said ideas42 is planning a follow-up study looking at a full year's worth of data to assess the tax's longer-term effect, but pointed to research studying receipts at Washington, D.C., grocery stores that failed to find evidence disposable bag use crept back up in the 2 years after that city introduced a similar tax.

lzumbach@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @laurenzumbach
Amanda Farris works in accounting and likes to "play things safe" when it comes to her savings and investments. Her boyfriend, Andy Salmons, owns a coffee shop and is a serial entrepreneur not afraid to take risks.

The two have been together for nearly four years and are talking about marriage. But before they vow to stay together for better or worse, they've agreed to come up with a plan for how they would protect their finances on the  slim, they hope  chance that their relationship should head south.

"I wanted to find some middle ground," said Farris, 31, adding that a prenuptial agreement would separate her retirement savings from Salmons' business and the debt he took on to launch that and other ventures. "It's important for us to keep things separate," Salmons, 32, said. "I don't ever want my decisions to put her in jeopardy."

As more millennials put off marriage until later in life than previous generations, they are more likely to have careers, businesses and property. And that, financial advisers say, has made them more protective of what they have built. As a result, the prenuptial agreement is starting to lose its taboo.

For generations, the agreements have proven a sticking point for couples who deemed them unromantic. In some relationships, the contracts can signal a lack of trust or suggest that one person is foreseeing an end to the union.

But over time, the equation for when and why two people should marry has changed. In the 1970s, about 8 in 10 people had married by age 30, according to a U.S. census report. In 2016, that same percentage wasn't reached until age 45.

Millennials are also less inclined to get married while they're young and broke. More than half of people in their 20s and 30s say it is important for them to be financially secure before they get married, according to a 2015 survey by Allstate and the National Journal.

That increases the chance that when two people tie the knot, each will have a career or business that they want to protect, financial advisers say. In 1975, about 43 percent of women were stay-at-home moms or homemakers, according to the census report. In 2016, only 14 percent of women were home full time.

Now, some couples are using prenups as a way for each person to protect any assets they accumulated - be it a modest condo or a promising start-up. The agreements can also help people protect future income at a time when it's not unheard of for a popular smartphone app to bring sudden wealth or for a successful side gig to turn into a full-blown business.

And in the era of rising student loan debt, prenups have emerged as a way for couples to say upfront how they would like to separate their debt loads in the event of a divorce.

"Kids today are saying, 'How do I protect my ideas?' " said John Voltaggio, a wealth manager at financial firm Northern Trust who has noticed an increase in the number of young couples interested in prenups. "They're not shy about talking to their fiances about it."

A 2016 survey from the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, a trade association for divorce lawyers, found that 62 percent of members saw an increase in the number of couples seeking prenups over the past three years. And 51 percent said they noticed more millennials asking for the agreements.

Prenuptial agreements are a relatively modern concept. It was only within the past 25 years or so that the contracts became widely accepted in most states, coinciding with the rise of divorce, said John Slowiaczek, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Prenups also have evolved as relationships have changed. In the '70s, when couples generally married younger, prenuptial agreements were mainly used for estate-planning purposes, Slowiaczek said. And more commonly, those were situations where one partner had significantly more wealth or stood to inherit money.

But prenups aren't only for the rich. As young people have become more likely to delay marriage until they are more financially secure, prenups also have become a way for partners to protect their assets and future income, Slowiaczek said.

They're also emerging as a tool for dividing debt loads. About 41 percent of couples had student loan debt in 2013, compared with 17 percent in 1989, according to the census report. The size of that debt burden is growing as college becomes more expensive.

New college graduates left school with an average $30,100 in student loans in 2015, more than triple the average debt load of $9,400 in 1993, according to the Institute for College Access and Success, which tracks student loan debts. In situations where one partner has significantly more debt than the other, a prenup can detail who would be responsible for paying that debt should the two divorce, Slowiaczek said.

Some couples are still using prenups for more traditional reasons. Christopher Lee, 29, talked to his parents and then his fiancee about a prenup within days of his proposal. Lee said he knew the agreement would be important for his parents, who have a pharmaceutical consulting business and want to make sure any assets they pass along to their children would stay in the family in the event of a divorce.

Lee said that he views the agreement as a form of "insurance" to keep his parents at ease and that his fiancee is "totally on board."

They'll finish the paperwork before they say their vows near Denver in August - and they hope to never have to use it, he said.

To be sure, prenups are still off limits for plenty of couples. Some people view the agreements as the first step to a divorce.

The contracts may also not always make sense for two people with similar financial situations.

Tyler Dolan, a 29-year-old financial planner who works mostly with millennials, said the clients he works with are more preoccupied with paying down loans and opening 401(k)s than signing prenups. But the issue comes up with people who have been married previously or who have children from a prior relationship.

Some couples are turning to legal agreements after getting married to lay out how they would divide any property, savings and debt accumulated after tying the knot.

Phoebe Gavin, 30, didn't sign a prenup when she married her husband six years ago. But now that the two are planning to invest in several rental properties, they have agreed to draw up a postnuptial agreement.

The document, which they hope to formalize before they buy their first investment property at the end of next year, will lay out a plan for how they would divide their properties if they ever decided to separate. Gavin broached the topic before the two bought their first home in March, when she realized there could potentially be hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line, if not more.

"It's just on my mind that we should be really smart about all of our real estate investments," Gavin said. "Marriage is a financial decision, and divorce is a financial decision, and we should be smart about that."
The boom in Internet retailing has provided a rare bit of good news to the beleaguered U.S. Postal Service, which is delivering packages at a historic pace  and reaping revenue that helps offset billions of dollars of losses elsewhere in the agency's budget. But the Postal Service isn't the only one making money when a mail carrier brings a new pair of shoes or a school backpack to your door. Private companies compete fiercely to sell postage, prepare labels and help retailers find the best deals for shipping their products. And several of them argue that a single company, Stamps.com, is getting unusually good deals from the Postal Service, allowing it to undercut the prices of rivals and reap profits that should be going to the government.

As exhibit one, these competitors and other critics within the shipping industry point to a run of astonishing quarterly profit reports for Stamps.com  with gross margins often topping 80 percent  and a skyrocketing stock price that has increased by more than 500 percent over the past three years. It was up by more than 40 percent last week alone, following yet another sterling earnings report Wednesday.

This comes at a time when the Postal Service has run deficits for 10 years in a row, including $5.6 billion in losses in 2016.

The package-shipping business that Stamps.com and its rivals compete in is not the reason for these losses, which are driven largely by fixed personnel costs such as medical insurance and retirement. But the Postal Service's dire finances underscore the importance of maximizing the agency's revenue. And it is this point that has generated sharp controversy within the industry, with officials at several companies complaining that the Postal Service has tipped the scales against them while wasting money in the process.

"Everybody's getting cannibalized, and they don't know what to do," said Bert Hamilton, founder of Harvey Software, a developer of shipping software and a rival of Stamps.com, who has brought his concerns to the Postal Service, the Office of Inspector General and his representative in Congress  all to no avail.

At the heart of this dispute is the Postal Service's use of discount deals, called negotiated service agreements, that allow some companies to sell postage for less than others even though the underlying service  having the Postal Service deliver a package to a particular address within a specified period of time  is identical. The details of these deals, and even the identities of companies receiving them, are not public because of the Postal Service's broad exemption from public disclosure laws when it comes to its dealings with private businesses, leaving rivals to guess at who is getting better terms and why.

Several current and former industry officials say they believe that Stamps.com, through several subsidiary companies, has gotten particularly lucrative discount postage deals from the Postal Service and is using them in novel ways that give Stamps.com an unfair competitive advantage over other companies.

Stamps.com and Postal Service officials say that such negotiated service agreements are mutually beneficial, helping win customers away from private sector shipping rivals FedEx and United Parcel Service.

Stamps.com  directly or through subsidiaries ShipWorks, ShippingEasy and ShipStation  provides postage for hundreds of millions of packages each year, including one-third of the roughly 1 billion Priority Mail shipments by the Postal Service. These companies, Stamps.com said in a statement to The Washington Post, essentially act as the Postal Service's sales force, recruiting customers, selling postage and preparing deliveries in a system that has helped to dramatically increase its shipping volume amid fierce competition from FedEx and UPS.

"Like many other businesses, the USPS allocates a part of that discount to be shared with the customers, and the remainder is to be retained by its partners in order to help fund their sales, marketing, support, IT infrastructure and product development," Stamps.com said in response to written questions. "By sharing some of its revenue, the USPS has been highly successful in attracting a significant number of companies to focus their businesses around driving USPS growth."

Priority Mail is a particularly lucrative part of the Postal Service's shipping business, earning $1.7 billion in extra revenue in 2016  beyond the costs of running the service  helping to cover massive losses elsewhere in its budget as traditional staples, such as the mailing of letters, continued their long decline.

But several industry officials, some of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity because of their fear of damaging relationships with the Postal Service and business partners, estimate that the Postal Service could collect $100 million a year more in revenue by reforming or eliminating the discount programs that Stamps.com and some other companies use.

The startling growth of Stamps.com, meanwhile, has drawn scrutiny from journalists and investors as well. The Capitol Forum, a Washington-based investigative news and legal analysis publication, has run a series of articles over the past year detailing what it has portrayed as Stamps.com and several subsidiaries taking advantage of a poorly managed Postal Service discount program.

The coverage has illuminated a complex web of companies that profit from the Postal Service's shipping of packages. Some, like Harvey Software, make money mainly from monthly or annual subscription fees for providing software portals that allow businesses with products to ship to quickly find the best price, whether from the Postal Service, FedEx or UPS.

Others make money mainly by selling what is called "PC Postage"  meaning postage sold online rather than from a post office  and profit mainly from taking a portion of the discount allowed by the Postal Service on each package. The Postal Service has only approved a few companies, including Stamps.com, to sell postage in this way.

Stamps.com operates in both parts of the industry because, though it once was mainly a PC Postage company, in recent years, it has acquired several subsidiaries that more closely resemble Harvey Software and work directly with businesses looking to ship products through a software portal that compares prices and prepares labels. That has allowed Stamps.com to offer discounted postage to the customers of its subsidiaries.

Some industry officials were particularly surprised to learn in the Capitol Forum stories that postage discounts had been made available to businesses that ship relatively small numbers of packages, rather than the high-volume shippers that many in the industry thought were the typical beneficiaries of negotiated service agreements. That has raised questions about whether the Postal Service is administering its discount program in an evenhanded way.

"It's hard for me to say whether it's working well or not working well because it's opaque," said shipping industry consultant Gordon Glazer of Shipware, a San Diego-based shipping consultancy that helps businesses trying to trim transportation costs. "We don't get to see how others are using it. From what I can see, the program has net benefits growing volume" for the Postal Service. But Glazer added, "Greater oversight would make sure that the program is used as it was intended, which is to drive net new revenue to the Postal Service while protecting revenue at risk. The big question that remains is whether it is appropriate for very small shippers ... to participate in a ... program where the net costs to the USPS is the same as a larger shipper."

To determine the extent of the discounts, which are closely held secrets by the Postal Service, the Capitol Forum acquired dozens of shipping labels for three subsidiaries of Stamps.com and several other companies and had them analyzed by Yousuf Lodhia, co-founder of Micronite, a developer of postal software in Roseville, Calif.

Using a program that reads the bar codes on shipping labels, Lodhia was able to determine how much the various companies paid the Postal Service for the postage that was eventually provided to a shipping customer. For smaller packages, Lodhia found that discounts averaged $1 to $2  about 15 percent. It is a difference that adds up quickly for companies that sell postage for hundreds of thousands of packages a day. But for larger packages traveling longer distances, discounts studied by Lodhia have in some cases exceeded 30 percent and even more when a package was sent overseas.

Lodhia's research made clear that several companies, including some not affiliated with Stamps.com, had found ways to profit from the Postal Service's discount programs. But other companies, which don't benefit from the PC Postage rates, could offer their customers only the official  and invariably more expensive  rates available to any business dealing directly with the Postal Service.

"The post office also talks about needing to raise postage rates, so why are they giving these huge discounts?" Lodhia told The Post.

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The Postal Service has long had different prices for shipping depending on who was paying. The rate paid by an ordinary customer who walks up to a post office is the most expensive. Commercial shippers get cheaper rates, helping the Postal Service better compete with private-sector rivals. More than 1,000 shippers have gotten even deeper discounts by negotiating directly with the Postal Service for deals, the details of which are not made public. (Amazon.com, whose chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos owns The Post, has a discount agreement with the Postal Service. Amazon told Forbes in July that: "As is the case with all of its customers, our partnership with USPS is reviewed annually by the Postal Regulatory Commission, which has spent decades reviewing and approving USPS costing and pricing practices.")

The Postal Service declined multiple requests for interviews regarding its postage-discount programs and did not respond to written questions from The Post. The Postal Service did issue a statement saying, "Like any prudent business, the Postal Service does not publicly discuss the specifics of our business relationships. Nevertheless, every Postal Service [discount contract] is reviewed by our independent regulator and can only be approved after a finding that the arrangement will in fact be profitable."

Postal Regulatory Commission officials said they review only whether a discount deal will generate more revenue than it costs to provide the service. They do not assess whether a better deal  or no deal at all  would generate more revenue.

After declining The Post's requests for interviews, a senior Postal Service official, Chief Customer and Marketing Sales Officer Jim Cochrane, discussed negotiated service agreements and other discount programs Tuesday with a Stamps.com marketing executive for a blog post on the company's website. The use of discount deals, Cochrane told Stamps.com, "allows us to compete better for the larger shippers, and really customize a solution that looks at everything from the size of the packaging, the amount of the volume, where the packages are going to. So all that matters, and once again the key issue is to grow with our customers."

Cochrane attributed some of the Postal Service's success to its "excellent partners" such as Stamps.com.

But other companies are not as happy with how the Postal Service is handling its partnerships.

Window Book, based in Cambridge, Mass., said that it has lost many customers to rivals offering shipping discounts through the PC Postage program.

"We feel that the Postal Service has given an unbelievable deal to the PC Postage guys because no one else can get discounted postage. It's an unbelievable deal, and it's not fair," said Jeff Peoples, founder and chief executive of Window Book. "It just killed our business."

Peoples said he too has complained to Postal Service officials, saying, "Hey, look, guys, you guys have decimated my business" by allowing Stamps.com and other PC Postage providers to have access to discounts that Window Book wasn't allowed to offer. "If I could do that, I would be making billions."

As the controversy has grown, some investors have spoken publicly about taking short positions on Stamps.com's stock, hoping to profit from a drop in the rapidly growing stock price amid growing scrutiny of the postage-discount programs.

Prescience Point Research Group repeatedly tweeted about Stamps.com last summer, predicting "precipitous decline in $STMP revenue" in the weeks after the first Capitol Forum story.

But in the year since, the stock price for Stamps.com has more than doubled, not fallen as some investors had expected.

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Many within the industry say that the negotiated service agreements were intended to persuade large shippers to increase their use of the Postal Service, helping it bolster revenue. Many also say that the agreements functioned in a better and fairer way in an earlier era, when there was something of a wall between the few companies that were permitted to sell PC Postage  including Stamps.com  and the companies such as Harvey Software and Window Book that helped large numbers of business customers shop for the best prices and prepare shipments.

But the market fundamentally changed when Stamps.com made a series of acquisitions in recent years. One move that drew immediate attention was the purchase in 2015 of PC Postage rival Endicia, one of only a few companies that at the time were allowed to sell postage. Another, Pitney Bowes, had not yet moved into the PC Postage market aggressively, so a marketplace that once appeared to have several competitors had consolidated substantially.

"When I heard they were buying Endicia, I just panicked," said Hamilton, who founded Harvey Software in 1983. In addition to fearing the rising market power of the newly merged company, Hamilton had contracted with Endicia for some shipping services and worried that Stamps.com could poach his customers.

Hamilton said that he shared his concerns with the Justice Department, whose antitrust division was reviewing the deal. But the acquisition was approved over industry complaints.

Less controversial at the time was the company's purchase of several other companies  ShipStation, ShipWorks and ShippingEasy  that worked directly with hundreds of thousands of Internet retailers and other businesses. The massive volume handled by these companies allowed Stamps.com's subsidiaries to bundle the shipments of many smaller retailers so that their packages were eligible for the same discounts that many within the industry thought were available only to larger shippers.

Additionally, industry rivals expressed frustration that Stamps.com used the lure of its postage discounts to win customers away from them  including customers who already were using the Postal Service for most of their shipping. In the process, the amount paid to the Postal Service declined by the amount of the discount while the profit to Stamps.com grew.

Stamps.com, however, said such complaints reflected a misunderstanding of the Postal Service discount programs, which Stamps.com said are intended to keep customers from leaving for rivals such as FedEx and UPS. Federal law gives the Postal Service wide leeway to negotiate prices with individual customers so long as the cost of providing the service does not exceed the revenue collected for it.

"The reseller [discount] program is meant both for the acquisition of new package volume and the retention of existing package volume, both of which must happen in order for the USPS to generate growth in package volume," Stamps.com said in its statement. "The Postal Service's overall goal with the reseller [discount] program is to grow package volume, and the USPS has set up the program to be equally applicable to both 'new' and 'existing' customers."

But others such as Hamilton saw it differently, maintaining that a discount program they thought was intended to help the Postal Service take business away from FedEx and UPS was being used by Stamps.com and its subsidiaries to undercut rivals' prices.

The ultimate irony, said several industry officials, including some who support the Postal Service's discounts generally, is that much of the supposed competition for shipping customers was not real. The Postal Service, they said, generally offered better prices for smaller packages than FedEx or UPS. Most shippers would have used the Postal Service anyway  discounts or not.

"All this stuff has really changed my understanding of the U.S. government," Hamilton said. "I always thought they would always be there to help me if things went bad. Now, I realize I was very wrong."
In the battle over ownership of fact-checking website Snopes.com, creator David Mikkelson was handed an early victory Thursday that should keep him in power as CEO of the company, and return months of lost advertising revenue to the cash-strapped site.

Snopes' parent company Bardav and Mikkelson were sued earlier this year by the company's advertising partner and alleged co-owner, Proper Media, for breach of contract, civil conspiracy and corporate waste, among other things.

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Proper Media is seeking to be recognized as the beneficial owner of 50 percent of Bardav. The media firm is also attempting to have Mikkelson removed as a director of Bardav.

The suit, ongoing since May and involving counterclaims made by Bardav, is still months away from being decided, but three separate motions are scheduled to be heard on Friday.

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In a tentative ruling issued ahead of Friday's hearing, Judge Judith Hayes of the San Diego Superior Court decided in favor of Bardav in two crucial causes of action.

Legal battle has Snopes.com pleading for readers' financial support. (John Kelley, Jennifer Van Grove)

Proper Media cannot remove Mikkelson as a director of the company, the judge said.

"Proper Media does not have standing to seek removal of Mikkelson.  Plaintiffs have not presented sufficient evidence to prove fraudulent acts," Hayes wrote in her decision.

The judge also granted Bardav's request for Proper Media to release the advertising revenue the firm has withheld from the company.

Bardav contends that Proper Media has cut the company off from advertising monies since April. It estimates that at least $500,000 in funds are owed to date, and that monthly upkeep expenses total more than $165,000.

In July, Snopes.com successfully solicited the public for donations to keep the site afloat amid its contentious legal battle with Proper Media. To date, Snopes has raised more than $685,000 from backers on GoFundMe.

Thursday's tentative decision, which is not binding, looks like a partial victory for Bardav, despite the fact that Hayes determined that Proper Media can move forward with its breach of contract claim.

"This ruling is very favorable to Bardav and shows that the court understands the arguments we've made," said Paul Tyrell, the attorney for Bardav.

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Lawyers for Proper Media did not immediately return a request for comment.

The Snopes.com ownership dispute started with the 2015 divorce of Mikkelson and his then-wife Barbara. The couple shared 50-50 ownership over Bardav, first established in 2003, until Barbara sold her stake in July of 2016 to the five directors of Proper Media. At the time, those directors were Christoper Richmond, Drew Schoentrup, Ryan Miller, Vincent Green and Tyler Dunn.

Barbara's stake was divvied up among the directors, with Richmond and Schoentrup each holding 20 percent interest in Bardav; and Miller, Green and Dunn each holding 3.33 percent.

With their suit, Richmond and Schoentrup are asserting that Proper Media maintains a 50 percent stake in the company, and that Schoentrup holds a board seat. Mikkelson contends that the five individuals, and not Proper Media, each hold a minority interest in Bardav and that Schoentrup was never elected to the board.

Both sides will get to argue on behalf of their pre-trial motions at Friday's hearing.

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jennifer.vangrove@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1840 Twitter: @jbruin
Atlanta's SweetWater Brewing Co. began distributing beer in Chicago this week, but its most notable beer at the moment might be the one that's missing.

The Binny's Beverage Depot in Lincoln Park has declined to stock SweetWater's Happy Ending imperial stout due to what the store's beer manager called the "sexist, borderline racist" artwork on the bottle.

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Happy Ending (a reference to male sexual climax, presumably after a massage) features images on its bottle that include a box of tissues, the face of a man achieving what looks to be the pinnacle of pleasure and the silhouette of a geisha. It all added up to a bit more than the store's beer manager, Adam Vavrick, was comfortable putting on shelves.

"This label is about a female Asian sex worker manually masturbating a man to orgasm and cleaning up the ejaculate with tissues," Vavrick said. "Why is that appropriate on a beer label?"

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It's a question that has been increasingly asked in the rapidly growing craft beer industry. Responding to various labels construed as sexist  usually showing women in various states of undress or in suggestive poses  Time Out Chicago published a piece last year beneath the headline, "Time to grow up, breweries." Chicago-based blog Guys Drinking Beer asked, "Why does craft beer suddenly seem to have a problem with women?" And the founder of Twin Cities beer shop The Four Firkins published a blog post in February called, "Let's talk about sexist beer labels."

Though mostly just chatter until now, Vavrick sending back three cases of Happy Ending  36 large-format (22-ounce) bottles  is among the rare instances of a Chicago store declining to carry a beer due only to its label. According to SweetWater's Chicago distributor, Lakeshore Beverage, no other store, in the Binny's chain or otherwise, refused to stock the beer.

Vavrick said he became aware of the label when SweetWater beer arrived in Chicago this week, and a "visibly upset" male employee brought it to his attention. Vavrick said he polled three more Binny's staff to gauge their feelings.

"They all felt the same way  it's gross and it has no place in here," Vavrick said. "A female employee said she wouldn't be comfortable recommending that beer to anyone."

Vavrick announced his decision this week on social media: "Breweries: One thing I simply do not tolerate in my department is sexist or racist beer labels. I demand better and will not carry them," he wrote on Twitter. (With more than 100 "favorites," Vavrick said, the tweet was his most popular ever.)

Lakeshore Beverage picked up the three cases of Happy Ending the next day. Vavrick said he never considered blackballing the brewery entirely; at least four other SweetWater beers, including its popular 420 Extra Pale Ale, are on the shelves.

In an interview this week, SweetWater founder Freddy Bensch said he has never heard a complaint about the artwork on the 8-year-old beer that until now has been available in mostly Southern states. It was simply intended as a joke, he said.

"No harm was intended," Bensch said. "We maybe didn't think this all the way through."

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He said the brewery would take corrective action regarding the Happy Ending bottle, though he didn't specify what that might be.

"We're going to be thoughtful about it and make it right," Bensch said.

For Vavrick, and others who have claimed offense, the blowback was exacerbated by two factors: The text on the bottle describes the beer as "sporting a huge dry hopped stiffy resulting in an explosive finish!"

And the other was a promotional video uploaded to the Internet two years ago by the brewery that shows a man standing behind a bar taking a sip of Happy Ending, then staring into the distance and exclaiming, "Oh, god, that's good!" A woman dressed as a geisha then rises from behind the bar, fans her face, offers a suggestive look, then descends back below the bar. Bensch, who said he was unaware of the video until this week, said he had it taken down.

Jason Alvey, founder of The Four Firkins, which has sold craft beer in the Twin Cities metro area for seven years, said he has declined to carry "about five" beers during the last seven years due to "objectification of women or crass, lowbrow sexual innuendo humor." One of the offending breweries, he said, he refuses to carry at all because it showed no contrition when he raised the issue. He declined to name that brewery.

Alvey said he doesn't object to a "respectful portrayal of a pretty woman" on a beer label, but acknowledged that one person's respectful can be too far for someone else.

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"It can be a difficult topic," Alvey said. "We're trying not to get carried away with this and we're trying to be realistic. The ones we've said we're not going to carry are generally blatantly obvious."

The issue of sexist beer labels has only become more pronounced as more breweries open, Alvey said. Since 2012, more than 1,000 craft breweries have opened in the U.S., bringing the national total to 3,418, according to the Brewers Association, a craft beer industry group.

"We're getting more little breweries that don't have any training or professional experience in marketing, and they think this kind of thing will get them attention or is funny," Alvey said. "A lot of new breweries forget their customer base isn't just young males."

When a questionable label pops up, he said, he'll discuss it with his staff of 16, and put the matter to a vote. SweetWater is not distributed in Minnesota, but Alvey said he wouldn't carry Happy Ending.

"It's juvenile frat boy humor," he said. "If I see something damaging to the industry as a whole and insulting to women, I'm not going to carry it."

The Chicago area saw a similar blowup last year when Rockford-based Pig Minds Brewing Co. released a beer called PD California Blueberry Ale  the "PD" standing for "panty dropper"  featuring a label that showed a pair of female legs jutting from a short skirt and underwear hitched down to just above the ankles. Beer bloggers and social media took Pig Minds to task, accusing the brewery of promoting anything from sexism to date rape.

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When the summer-seasonal beer returns, it will be rebranded as "Happi Daze California Blueberry Ale," and with a new label featuring smiley faces, said Pig Minds' general manager and brewmaster, Carson Souza.

Like SweetWater, Souza swore there was no intention to offend with PD California Ale. The beer had been on draft at Pig Minds' brew pub for two years  with the same artwork on the tap handle that appeared on the bottle  with no complaints. The owner of the brewery, Brian Endl, drew the artwork, which was sold as an aluminum placard that became popular with both male and female customers.

"We never had one person sit there and say 'That's terrible, you should take that down,'" Souza said. "Quite the contrary  they said, 'How much is that placard? That's cool.'"

But he acknowledged that as breweries grow and reach wider audiences, the ability to offend increases. And in the era of social media, it can take mere hours for a beer label that barely raised an eyebrow for two years in a Rockford brewpub to incur the wrath of the Internet. The Guys Drinking Beer website, which publishes the Chicago-area beer labels approved each month by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, called PD's art "the worst beer label ever produced" after it was approved last August. The Internet quickly agreed, and the "PD" label became a hotly discussed issue on Reddit within days.

Souza said the label was part light-hearted joke, part homage to beer history (think of the standard Oktoberfest dress, he said) and nod to a certain reality.

"Let's face it, when people drink, they get laid  that's both men and women," he said. "It was just a joke. It takes a twisted mind to say that (the label) has something to do with rape."

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Though Souza said he was conflicted about changing the label, "the best business decision was to let PD subside."

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"We are not misogynistic and we are not sexist by any means," he said. "We're husbands, we have daughters and we are artists. But it was time to say goodbye to it. We offended too many people, and we don't want to do that."

Claudia Jendron, brewmaster at Evanston's Temperance Beer Co., and one of the relatively few female brewmasters in the U.S., said that in her experience, the industry has no trouble accepting women. At beer festivals and public events, Jendron said, she feels just as respected as any male brewer.

"But this doesn't help," she said. "It puts women in a position that we have to fight a little bit harder to get back to the same level (as men)."

Marie Cummins, who blogs about beer at Down the Hatch and is a moderator for the Chicago Craft Beer Enthusiasts Facebook page, said craft beer is clearly becoming inclusive of women. Overwhelmingly male just five years ago, beer festival crowds have become about 40 percent female, she said. And while she takes offense at the Happy Ending bottle because "it's so apparent that they're saying this beer is really for a certain segment of the population that's not me," she doesn't want to see the judgment of beer labels become too weighty.

"When you go over the line, as some of them have, it becomes obvious," she said. "But you can't get offended at every little thing. The moment you become too politically correct, you take some of the passion out of it."

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jbnoel@tribune.com

Twitter @joshbnoel
Twenty-seven people were arrested, 29 citations were given and 234 concertgoers were sent to local hospitals during Lollapalooza, the four-day Grant Park music festival that wrapped up Sunday night.

The numbers, reported Monday by the city, reflect fewer medical emergencies, but more arrests and citations. Arrests were made this year for battery, trespassing, drug possession and theft. Police reported detaining a cellphone thief Saturday, but later said charges were not filed because they could not obtain complaints from victims. Citations were mostly given for fence jumping.

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The festival, which draws more than 100,000 music fans each day, was shorter this year because concertgoers were evacuated about an hour before closing time Thursday amid a rainstorm. Twelve people were arrested, 16 citations were issued and 268 concertgoers were sent to hospitals during last year's festival.

A representative for Lurie Children's Hospital reported 19 festivalgoers were treated over the weekend, down from 32 last year.

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"We believe our efforts to create awareness of this issue coupled with the city's and the promoter's stricter policies around drinking at the festival have had an immediate impact on the numbers going down. However, we had to admit one teenager to the intensive care unit due to alcohol poisoning, so teen drinking is still an issue," Dr. Sally Reynolds, a Lurie emergency room attending physician who worked over the weekend, said in a statement.

Separately, a 27-year-old woman reported being sexually assaulted at 9:30 p.m. Friday in the 100 block of West Polk Street while walking home from Lollapalooza. She was treated at Rush University Medical Center, police said.

Park District officials will assess the state of the festival grounds later this week after tents and stages are dismantled. Festival organizer C3 Presents is on the hook for repairs to Grant Park. Last year's tab was $453,000.

The festival is set to be four days long again next year, from Aug. 2-5. Four-day platinum passes are already on sale for $4,200, while four-day VIP passes cost $2,200 plus fees. Chicago is set to host Lollapalooza at least through 2021.

tswartz@chicagotribune.com

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[ Everything you missed from Lollapalooza 2017  ]







Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 5 The punk-era singer shows up at the Kidzapalooza stage and shelves the nursery rhymes. Instead she regales the young'uns with "Qana," a song about a bombing in Lebanon with graphic imagery: "Little limp bodies caked in mud." (Roger Kisby / Getty Images)
"Belmont Rocks" was the destination from the 1970s to the 90s for Chicagos LGBTQ community. Owen Keehnen, a Chicago author and historian, is spearheading an effort to remember the Rocks with an anthology of stories and images. To share your memories and photographs, reach out to Keehnen at owenkeehnen@yahoo.com, and put Belmont Rocks in the subject line. Deadline is Oct. 1.

Belmont Rocks was the name for a stretch of Lakeview lakefront that was the destination in the 1970s, '80s and '90s for Chicago's LGBTQ community. It was, in the words of a tribute Facebook page, a "raunchy, wonderful, and unique spot." And it was right out in the open too.

"I had never seen a gay beach in the middle of a big city," recalled Doug Ischar, an associate professor of art at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "It was completely unmistakable. You couldn't drive past on Lake Shore Drive and not notice it. It was a marvelous example of the determination of gay men to be visible and to be public and leave their mark in a sense."

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The Belmont Rocks are no more, although you can still see traces of the "marks" etched, scratched and painted on a number of weathered limestone rocks that remained after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed a dramatic reconstruction of the lakefront. The jumbled rocks were replaced with a broad, tiered concrete retaining wall.

Then there are the memories of people like Ischar, who took a well-known series of photographs of the Belmont Rocks in the mid-1980s titled "Marginal Waters," and Owen Keehnen, a Chicago author and historian spearheading an effort to remember the Rocks with an anthology of stories and images.

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"A couple of weeks ago, I came down to the Rocks after not being here for a decade," Keehnen told me as we walked along the retaining wall one sunny Thursday in June. "And what I saw, what used to be so full of life and so full of energy, was this. This sterile, sanitized landing strip that just goes on and on. And it's nothing like what it was. To me, there's no life here."

Keehnen began to talk about what the Rocks were like  a locus of activity for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community at all hours.

"This was LGBTQ public space," he said. "We didn't have a lot of areas where we could just be gay outside. The Rocks was one of them.

"It was a place where, you know, there were unions here, there were memorial services here," Keehnen said. "There were people just doing everything and anything here. It was just a space of life."

I was recording video for this story, and Keehnen was worried he sounded angry. And he did, kinda. But I've known him now for close to seven years (one of my cats is even named for him  long story), and what I heard in his voice was more of a passionate determination to remember those who made the Belmont Rocks so special and the many who, tragically, are no more. Roughly half the friends he made there are dead, Keehnen noted later.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 13 The Belmont Rocks as pictured in the 1980s. ( Courtesy of Owen Keehnen )

"It was a huge part of our history, and it really pains me to see that history wiped away," he explained. "Because we saw so much of our history wiped away with AIDS and HIV that I think it's made a lot of us, myself included, hypersensitive to the need to preserve it. And this was just an aggressive act of wiping it away. It really  it hurts to see it like this."

What the Belmont Rocks used to look like can be seen in those "Marginal Waters" photographs taken by Ischar while a student at Columbia College. He was a fledgling photographer who had never owned a camera before. But it was these photos of the Belmont Rocks, particularly those taken with color film in 1985, that are arguably his best-known works today.

"I had recently moved to Chicago from San Francisco," Ischar remembered. "San Francisco being ground zero of the AIDS epidemic, I was very concerned to document and preserve evidence of gay public life. I was really concerned AIDS might wipe it from the face of the earth."

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Ischar feared the 1980s conservative political reaction to the AIDS crisis might force gay men "to retreat. Maybe not to the closet, but maybe stay home and not be seen or heard." And then there was the Belmont Rocks, "this incredibly public thing I had never actually witnessed before." He went practically every day; rarely did anyone object to his taking photos.

"I was young and, pardon my vanity, good-looking," Ischar said. "I was down there with my shirt off and my backpack and my little Leica camera. If someone asked, I told them the truth, I was doing a school project. I became sort of a resident there. People got used to me. I became a fly on the wall."

Ischar lives in an Edgewater high-rise now. His living room windows offer a sweeping view of Lake Michigan and, down below, the broad sandy strip that is Osterman Beach, which is considered Chicago's "gay beach" today. He hasn't been down to the Rocks in ages. No point, he added, given it's "pretty much demolished."

Suggest to Keehnen, as I did, that Osterman Beach might be the modern-day equivalent of the Rocks, and his dissent comes in a series of short, emphatic texts. The Rocks were unique, he insisted.

"They were a place to call our own  a place of erotic energy where we celebrated community,'' he wrote. "The Rocks could only exist at a time when a community was defining itself.

"The Rocks were a political statement as well. Osterman Beach  nope," he added. "We made it our own. It symbolized our right to exist to claim space. Not our right to tan. To be ourselves in the daylight and out of the shadows.  It was tied to our liberation."

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No wonder Keehnen has titled his planned anthology, "A Place for Us: LBGTQ Life at the Belmont Rocks." He's looking now for people to contribute written and visual memories to the work. You can check out some of the material gathered so far at a Facebook page called "A Place for Us."

One of those Chicagoans who shared photographs is Michael Brotebeck, an art director and designer. He began visiting the Rocks in summer 1990, shortly after moving to the city, and found it a "comforting space" despite having "dangerous steep rock cliffs" instead of a sandy beach.

"My group of friends would gather every Saturday and/or Sunday for major giggles, gossip and intimate talks. It provided a safe space to unite and soak up the sun," he said in an email. "Sometimes we made it an all-day outing of barbecues, beach, beer and boys.

"I recall that the early 1990s was a tumultuous time for gay men and women. Friends and acquaintances were dying from AIDS. Many of us were "OUT" to family and friends but not necessarily at work," Brotebeck added. "We were finding our identity, strength, resilience, independence and confidence while still battling the homophobia of the outside world. I believe "THE ROCKS" is a perfect metaphor for the men we became despite the obstacles that existed within the gay community during those days."

While the anthology will be something of a keepsake for those who were there, Keehnen hopes it will serve "as an avenue of understanding for LGBTQ people to come. It was a huge part of our history, and we shouldn't just let it go without an attempt to save it."

Want to share your memories and photographs? Reach out to Keehnen at owenkeehnen@yahoo.com, and put "Belmont Rocks" in the subject line. Deadline is Oct. 1.

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wdaley@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @billdaley

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Crystal Early's son took to breast-feeding right away. At 10 weeks, James was already more than 13 pounds and "hungry all the time," Early said recently. But in just two weeks, she would be back at work and would need to pump breast milk.

"I'm nervous about the time it takes out of the day, and making sure I can take that time to really do what I need to do and also not miss important pieces of my job each day," Early said. "I never want someone to think that I'm taking a quote-unquote break, or that I'm missing out on work."

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Early is one of the lucky ones: Her company, a Tampa, Florida, staffing firm where she's worked for six years, has a new pumping room with a door that locks, and has even decorated the space with photos of the babies whose mothers are pumping. Even so, she worries -- about leaving her son when he's "still so little," about what she might miss while she's pumping and about how she'll pump when traveling for work.

"That is one of the number one sources of stress: how they are going to manage" the breast milk supply, said Aimee Danielson, director of the Women's Mental Health Program at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital. "One of the biggest factors in whether it's something tedious versus truly stressful is the ability of the workplace to have institutional support for pumping."

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Earlier this year, The Washington Post's On Parenting section ran an article explaining what is required of companies that have workers who need to pump. In response, we received nearly 200 stories from federal employees, emergency workers, teachers and others at companies large and small. Some gushed about pristine pumping rooms, but many others had less pleasant tales.

In a country where there is no paid parental leave and where most leaves consist of just 12 weeks or less, women are returning to jobs when their bodies (and hearts) might be wanting them to do otherwise: They suffer from painful breasts, leaking milk, the stress of trying to balance a job with new family demands, plus a stigma that a mother can't excel at work.

We heard from new moms who pump as they sit on dirty floors in storage rooms and watch as roaches scurry in dark corners. We heard from teachers who pump during a short free period in their classrooms that don't lock, one with a video camera recording. And then there was this nightmare: "The CEO of the company used to announce when I was going to pump by singing a little song for everyone to hear: 'Pump, pump, pump it up!' " wrote a woman who worked in a Silicon Valley tech start-up. She also recalled a time when she wasn't permitted to leave a meeting and her milk began to leak through her shirt. (She quit and recently began her own consulting company.)

The workplace is full of obstacles for mothers, and pumping is a big one. Here, women share their stories.

So what does it take to pump breast milk? A room with a lock. And, of course, there's the pump, which typically costs about $300, although many pumps are now covered by insurance under the Affordable Care Act. New mothers also need sanitized bottles, storage bags, tubing and other accessories. Some very proactive employers provide a hospital-grade pump, and nursing moms bring their own equipment to hook up to it.

Women should have a space to set the equipment while pumping, a sink to clean the equipment, a refrigerator to keep the milk cold and a microwave, so the equipment can be sanitized after every pumping session, which usually lasts 15 to 20 minutes. (Add time for walking to the pumping space, storing the milk and cleaning the equipment.)

An employer, no matter its size, "has an obligation under the law to provide the space necessary to allow her to express milk in private and to have the time to do that," said Bob Simandl, a lawyer with von Briesen & Roper who focuses on employment and labor law. The area needs to have a locked door and no windows, or a covering over the windows. "The employer and employee need to have a very open discussion as to timing of breaks, whether they will coincide with paid breaks, expectations for where and when, and what is most convenient for employer and employee," Simandl said.

Sara McClusky of suburban Reston, Virginia, is a product analyst at a digital consulting company. The first person at her small firm to have a baby, she found there was no designated maternity leave or pumping space.

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But McClusky, who has a 1-year-old daughter, was more fortunate than some. "I basically was told to come up with a wish list, and we'd walk through it and make a plan," she said. "I was fortunate that my boss at the time had been a working mother and had done the pumping thing. Before that, no one would have understood what I would be talking about."

McClusky's pumping area is "in a small printer room, which also has a fridge. It's not too bad; sometimes I have to slide people's printouts under the door." But, she said, her company is so small that she was "really . . . paranoid" to ask for it.

After her daughter was born, McClusky took four weeks of paid leave provided by the company, two weeks of paid vacation time and then six weeks of unpaid leave.

She knew that she wanted her daughter to have breast milk for the full year recommended by pediatricians.

She put her pumping times on a shared calendar so people knew to try to avoid scheduling meetings with her during those two to three 15-minute breaks. That didn't always work, so she would call into meetings as she pumped. "I was pumping once while on an internal call, and someone asked if there was a large toad in the room with me," she said. "I work with a lot of younger developers, mostly men. So I said it was 'mommy time' and I just left it there."

Being the only new mother in a small office has been difficult. "It's been a bit lonely. I had very small, but very lonely, victories," she said. She would have liked to celebrate when she downgraded to pumping just twice a day, or even gloat when she pumped a whopping 20 ounces at work in one day. "It's kind of like, 'Who's going to commiserate with me?' You just don't realize how much time is going into thinking about it."

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The worst stories come from women with clueless (and in some cases crude) co-workers or bosses. Some reported male co-workers trying to peek, or banging on the door when they knew a woman was pumping. Others had co-workers tell them that they wished they could have a "break" like pumping mothers do. (Not only is pumping physically demanding, but many of the women we spoke to continued to work while pumping.) And some co-workers and bosses expressed frustration with schedule disruptions. But pumping can't wait: A woman needs to pump at regular intervals to avoid leaking, pain and potentially serious infections.

What happens when a company fails to create a culture that supports pumping employees? "Well, bad news spreads fast," said Julia Beck, founder of the It's Working Project, which helps companies bring parents back into the workforce. "A person who feels their needs were dismissed, they're not going to be quiet about it. . . . It will affect not just retention but recruitment."

The best stories are about organizations that understand the transition for women returning to work after having a baby.

Cynthia Calvert, president of Workforce 21C, helps companies manage their workforce and advance women. "If you support a new mother in the workplace, you gain loyalty, not just from her, but all her colleagues," she tells managers. And for women who feel guilty about asking for required accommodations? "What you're doing is making it possible to remain employed," she said. "Know your worth; this isn't special treatment. This is a setup required so you can continue to be employed. And it's just for a short period of time."

At Ayrika White-Mfoudi's workplace, pumping was the norm. White-Mfoudi has three boys, 7 and 3 years old and 20 months. When she returned to work as a veterinarian at a busy practice in suburban Catonsville, Maryland, within eight to 12 weeks of giving birth to each of her babies, she was one of several women who were pumping breast milk. So when they needed to pump, she and her colleagues took turns using the office of a vet who was in house only once a week, putting a covering over the window. "It was fine. I know we had it better than most," she said.

The all-women vet squad's male boss was understanding, so the women felt like they could actually take their breaks to pump. "He has daughters and a wife and is very supportive of family," White-Mfoudi said. "We got very lucky."

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Of course, even with a decent space and a break to pump, it wasn't easy. "No one understands. It's just you're attached to a machine for 15 minutes. There's no love, you're isolated, no one is talking to you," she said. "It's hard enough just to do it, then to hear these stories from women who aren't supported is just terrible. . . . It's just not understood."

For many women who don't work in an office, pumping may feel nearly impossible. This includes teachers, retail and fast-food workers, women in the military, and women who must travel often for work. (Trying to get through the Transportation Security Administration with dozens of ounces of breast milk adds another layer of difficulty; one mom suggested using frozen peas as ice packs.)

Twins Victoria Clark and Ryan Evans are police officers in the Washington area. Clark has a 2-year-old daughter and 6-month-old son, and Evans has a daughter, 8; a son, 6; and a twin boy and girl, now a year old.

Clark stayed home with her newborn daughter for eight weeks, then headed back to the police station, which had a space dedicated to lactation with a comfortable chair, a small table, an outlet, a microwave and a refrigerator.

Being in the station, rather than on patrol, gave her a degree of freedom. "I just told my supervisor that I needed to take a break, and I pumped twice a day," she said. "No one bothered me; it was great."

But soon enough, she was itching to get back "on the streets," she said. The first day she went out on patrol, she asked the dispatcher for a break. "In the middle of pumping, she said, 'We need you to go out!' " Clark had to radio back for all to hear: "I have no clothes on!" That was the last time she pumped at work.

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Evans recalled a supervisor telling her that she had to email him each time she went to pump and again when she came back. To her, it felt like a "violation." When people took a smoke break or ate lunch, they didn't have to email their supervisor, she thought. "I pumped at the same time every day. It was kind of like, 'Why do I have to do this?' " And after a few months, she stopped pumping because of stress.

If she had to give advice to other women considering pumping, Evans said, she would encourage them but also tell them to speak up. "Don't be quiet. Look up what your rights are. Look it up for yourself. You have every right," she said. "You can take care of your child the way you want to."

With the "patchwork of laws" that provide protections (including the Affordable Care Act, Title VII and the Fair Labor Standards Act), "even the most well-meaning HR departments may not be on the cutting edge of this," said Tom Spiggle, owner of the Spiggle Law firm in suburban Arlington, Virginia, and author of "You're Pregnant? You're Fired!"

"If you are paid an hourly wage, chances are you're entitled to" pumping breaks and a clean, private room to pump in, he said. It pays to know what's required and then ask for it. Employers and employees can educate themselves by reading the requirements on the Labor Department website.

Lauren Zelin has a 4-year-old boy, a 2-year-old girl and a 3-month-old boy. She is the media relations manager for a nongovernmental organization in Washington.

"I know there are a lot of horror stories out there, but there are exceptions," she wrote to us. "My co-workers and I are extremely lucky to have a great lactation room because we strongly advocated for it when our office was remodeled."

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Zelin said she compiled an email list of the moms in the office who had previously pumped at work, asking: "What do we need? What should we do? Would you go with us to HR and tell them what we need?"

Zelin and her co-workers requested eight bays, knowing they wouldn't get all of them (they got four). They also asked for a refrigerator just for breast milk, shelving to hold the pump, and a sink to wash pump parts.

Today, there's a schedule, and all four bays are usually in use. The organization has 370 employees in its D.C. office and is "steadily growing," she said. "As we grow, the number of moms grows."

"Some people think you're just sitting around, but moms want to work and get home," Zelin said. There's a desk in each bay where they can plug in laptops. "We pick up our work, drop it down and keep working," she said.

Such a welcoming setup can be a retention and recruitment tool, Zelin said. "Some of that was included in how we pitched it: 'This is a thing we need. Breast-feeding is good for babies' health, so it also cuts down on long-term health-care costs.' But we especially talked about how it makes a difference in the workforce. We can work and be moms and be supported in both."

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 13 In 1987, Mayor Harold Washington ordered the design of a new central library. The breathtaking Winter Garden on the ninth floor is a quiet locale, perfect for logging some hours. (Stevegeer/iStock)
A spokesperson said the district expects to have 500 vacant teaching positions when school starts. (tronc video)

Chicago Public Schools on Monday moved ahead with plans to lay off about 950 teachers and staff members but delayed the planned unveiling of its operational budget, citing a need to wait for state action on school funding.

A proposed budget for the fiscal year that began July 1 had been expected on Monday, two weeks after principals received spending plans that anticipated state lawmakers would send an extra $300 million to CPS.

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The state's education funding picture remains murky after Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner issued an amendatory veto on a plan approved by the General Assembly.

Rauner's amended version would reduce the amount of money going to CPS, though a district-by-district analysis of the proposal by the Illinois State Board of Education wasn't yet available. At a news conference in Chicago on Monday, Rauner elaborated on his school funding proposal and also repeated a frequent contention that CPS has been financially mismanaged for years.

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"I'm very sad. Our children in Chicago deserve better," the governor said.

Chicago Board of Education members are required to approve a budget by the end of August. The district said it would reschedule the group's planned Aug. 23 meeting for "a later date this month" while the ongoing school funding impasse unfolds in Springfield.

Principals were nonetheless expected to make staff adjustments that annually follow finalized enrollment projections.

The district said 356 teachers and 600 support staff would be let go as a result of what it described as "enrollment changes, program adjustments and/or changes in students' academic needs."

The district expects to have 500 vacant teaching positions to refill by the time classes begin next month. Teachers whose positions were eliminated will be able to apply for those jobs, and most are expected to get new full-time positions, district spokesman Michael Passman said.

CPS said 240 elementary school teachers would be affected by Monday's changes, along with 116 high school teachers. The district is cutting 466 high school staff and an additional 134 at elementary schools. Staff cuts included 174 teacher assistants and about 100 special education classroom workers.

The district said the number of teacher layoffs is the lowest since at least 2007. The number of teachers over that period has dipped from more than 25,000 to just under 21,000.

The Chicago Teachers Union was waiting to see the full extent of where the layoffs would land, a representative said.

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"We know that student-based budgeting doesn't hold the schools harmless," said Stacy Davis Gates, the union's legislative and political director. "So what we anticipate is more black and brown women losing their jobs straight away."

Last year, CPS laid off more than 500 teachers and 500 school-based staff members before the school year began. The district then let an additional 250 teachers and staff members go after the year began due to a steeper-than-expected drop in enrollment.

Under Rauner's rewrite of state school funding legislation, state financial support would be based on the assessed property values of each school district, regardless of whether they could tap into the value or not. As a result, districts that have tax increment financing districts and those under mandated property tax caps would receive less state money.

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Rauner labeled the decision of communities to create TIFs, or to not raise property taxes for schools in tax-capped communities, a matter of "consequences."

"When a community chooses to take a significant part of its property wealth and take it off the tax rolls for their schools, that's a choice. it's a legitimate choice, but it has consequences," Rauner said.

"And it's unfair to all the other taxpayers in this state and all the other communities and school districts in the state to say, 'OK, you took your property out of supporting your schools so therefore we're going to spend a lot more (state) money to send you extra to make up for your choice,'" the governor said.

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"That's not fair to taxpayers. That's not fair to other school districts that keep all of their property tax base for funding their schools."

Chicago Tribune's Rick Pearson contributed.

jjperez@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @PerezJr
At a DuPage County court hearing this fall, a mother found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2010 death of her youngest daughter in Bloomingdale, seeks release from a state mental facility, arguing she's no longer a danger to herself or the public. (Christy Gutowski / Chicago Tribune) (Videolicious - Chicago Tribune)

In her delusional mind, Marci Webber thought her daughter was in grave danger.

Webber said she felt as if members of a secret evil society were pursuing her and her youngest child, Maggie, intent on kidnapping and sexually enslaving the girl, whose soul would be cast into hell for eternity.

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And so, on that November morning in west suburban Bloomingdale, a month after she celebrated her child's fourth birthday and days after dressing her as the Little Mermaid for Halloween, the then 43-year-old woman slashed her daughter's throat and attempted suicide, first starting an audio tape recorder to document "angels taking us to heaven."

Webber was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2012 and sent to a secured state mental facility for up to 100 years of psychiatric confinement. Five years later, with recent treatment plan reports stating she is stable and free of signs of a major mental illness, Webber is seeking release. She hopes to convince a DuPage County judge that she is of sound mind and no longer a danger to herself or others.

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Since his insanity verdict, Judge George Bakalis has regularly reviewed Webber's progress reports and found she is in need of continued inpatient treatment. But, for the first time, a Sept. 26 court hearing is scheduled on a petition Webber filed nearly three years ago seeking discharge or conditional release.

Prosecutors are expected to object to her petition.

Her case offers a rare look at what happens to criminal defendants who are found insane, committed to state psychiatric hospitals for treatment and then, due to privacy laws, often forgotten about by a public that is unaware if the person is free or still in a secured setting.

In a series of Tribune interviews over four years, the now 50-year-old Webber has insisted she is not mentally ill. Webber said she takes "full responsibility" for her deadly actions but she believes they were fueled by a temporary psychosis due to her long-term use and sudden withdrawal from an array of antidepressant and antipsychotic prescription medications.

As the use of prescribed psychiatric drugs became more common, debate about whether some can be linked in rare cases to homicidal and suicidal behavior has failed to gain ground in criminal courtrooms. The issue was not addressed in Webber's trial.

I had no concept of pain or that I was hurting her. I thought I was saving her.  Marci Webber

Still, in the last four years, Webber's medical records show, she has refused all such drugs and remained free of the paranoid, psychotic delusions and hallucinations that she believes sparked the Nov. 3, 2010, tragedy. Her diagnosis of major depressive disorder is in full remission, according to the reports, which Webber provided to the Tribune.

Despite her progress, Webber's frustration with continued commitment and her refusal to follow some program directives, such as group therapy sessions, has led to conflict with staff, records showed. Webber said she meditates in her room, seeks coping advice in self-help books, and has sought out experts across the world for answers regarding the effects of psychotropic drugs.

During a recent interview at the Chicago Read Mental Health Center, Webber told the Tribune her continued hospitalization is not necessary. She hopes to transition to a group home in Arizona to be near her elderly father, who she said is ill, as well as work to strengthen other strained family relationships.

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Dressed in a vibrant blue turtleneck sweater and slacks, Webber over the next two hours unspooled a narrative of how a life filled with great potential descended into such violence.

She was tearful but lucid when the conversation turned to her slain child, Maggie, the youngest of her three daughters, who loved to swim, play with dolls and would often say, "I lub you momma."

Public sentiment regarding insanity verdicts and subsequent discharges is not on Webber's side.

"Everyone's reaction is, 'How can a mother do something like that?'" she said. "I understand that. I couldn't imagine that I could have done this either, but anyone who has a true psychosis knows you don't have the ability to make a choice.

"I had no concept of pain or that I was hurting her. I thought I was saving her."

Paranoid delusions

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Webber said she mostly passes time writing in her journal, penning poems about her life, and reading medical and legal publications to try to make sense of something so nonsensical.

She transferred to Chicago Read on the city's Northwest Side last October after four years inside the Elgin Mental Health Center, which she unsuccessfully sued in federal court alleging mistreatment by patients and staff.

A Woodstock native, Webber was once a highly functioning member of society.

She served two years in the Army and graduated from the University of Illinois in Chicago. Webber moved with her firstborn daughter to upstate New York in 1999 and attended law school off and on in Albany while working and volunteering for various environmental, youth, and legal causes.

But, she said, her reliance on psychiatric drugs increased over the years amid hospitalizations, two failed marriages, child-custody battles, a prolonged lawsuit against her psychologist and financial woes.

She gave birth to her third child, Magdalene "Maggie" Webber, on Oct. 5, 2006, after a brief relationship with a man who was never involved in the child's life.

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Marci Webber, shown on Aug. 2, 2017, is seeking release from a secured state mental facility, where she was confined for up to 100 years after being found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2010 slaying of her daughter Maggie Webber. (Family photos)

Webber said she stopped taking her medications around May 2010 after forgetting them during an extended trip to visit her mother in suburban Chicago. She returned home briefly that summer but, back in Illinois that fall, she resumed use of at least one prescription.

As her mental state and physical symptoms worsened, the court expert later noted, Webber suffered a "break from reality" and began having uncontrolled paranoid delusions. She now attributes that to psychiatric medication withdrawal.

In his insanity verdict, Judge Bakalis said Webber clearly loved her daughter but appeared driven by her psychosis.

"Love can be a very nurturing thing between a parent and a child," the judge said at the time. "Love apparently, when coupled with paranoia, can be a very destructive force."

Not guilty, not free

In the legal sense, Marci Webber is not guilty of a crime.

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The law recognizes that people cannot be found guilty if, due to a mental disease or defect, they do not have the mental capacity to appreciate the criminality of their conduct. So, instead of being treated as a criminal and hauled off to prison, they are treated as patients in a secured psychiatric hospital.

The goal is treatment, rather than punishment. A judge may mandate inpatient treatment at a state mental center for a period no longer than the maximum sentence allowed had there been a conviction. In Webber's case, that's 100 years.

She is one of 384 patients currently confined in Illinois after being found not guilty by reason of insanity, or NGRI, for various crimes, according to recent state data. Another 371 people found unfit to stand trial also are receiving inpatient services.

According to the most current discharge statistics available, compiled by the Tribune four years ago, more than one-third of the 173 NGRI patients involved in a murder case since 1995 had been discharged. Their average psychiatric confinement was about nine years and two months, the Tribune found.

Marci Webber in 2013 at the Elgin Mental Health Center. She transferred last October to the Chicago Read Mental Health Center. (Alex Garcia/Chicago Tribune )

The Illinois Department of Human Services operates the psychiatric facilities and is responsible for monitoring released NGRI patients. State officials caution it is a gradual process that begins with small steps, and only a judge may allow release, often relying on recommendations of the patient's treatment team and independent expert evaluations.

Early last year, a Cook County judge allowed a former Palatine man who decapitated his mother 13 years earlier to live in a supervised, long-term care facility in Waukegan. Karl Sneider, found not guilty by reason of insanity after a history of mental illness, had been allowed supervised trips outside a state maximum-security facility for several years without incident.

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Three months later, in May 2016, Tonya Vasilev was granted conditional release from a state psychiatric hospital in Elgin after about a decade of confinement as an NGRI patient for the 2005 stabbing deaths of her son and daughter in their Hoffman Estates home, court records showed.

Although there are no recent studies of state or national recidivism rates, experts agree, repeat offenses are much lower than for offenders released from prison.

After John Hinckley succeeded with an insanity defense for the 1981 attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan, public outcry prompted states such as Illinois to raise the legal standard of proof, shifting the burden onto defendants.

Illinois also has a guilty but mentally ill statute. State corrections officials said there are 236 inmates in prison under that designation. Ninety-two of them committed murder.

The insanity defense, raised in about 1 percent of felonies nationwide, is successful 15 to 25 percent of the time, according to research by Dr. Phillip Resnick, a forensic psychiatrist and professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland.

Many high-profile defendants have tried to use the defense but failed, including Jack Ruby in Lee Harvey Oswald's fatal shooting, as well as infamous serial killers David Berkowitz, John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer.

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"I think the concern many jurors have is that if they find somebody not guilty by reason of insanity they'll go free," said Valerie Hans, a Cornell University Law School professor who has studied juror behavior in insanity cases. "People think of it as a worrisome opportunity for someone who is dangerous to our community to be released. The statistics on that are not as complete or as good as we would like."

'I lost everything'

Webber said she is serving a life sentence of loss, pain and regret. The belief that NGRI patients escaped responsibility is unfair, she said.

"I lost everything," she said. "I lost Maggie. I have to live with what I did to her, and I destroyed my other two daughters' lives. I was a bomb in the middle of three beautiful girls that loved each other."

Her oldest daughter, now 24 and a mother herself, discovered the 2010 crime scene in the bathroom of a relative's Bloomingdale townhouse.

A one-minute 911 call captured her terror.

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"There's blood all over the bathroom," the sobbing teen told a police dispatcher, according to a recording of the tape obtained by the Tribune. "I think my sister is dead. Hurry up, please!"

Her mother, also in the bathroom with self-inflicted cuts on her wrists and throat, hushed her.

"Be quiet," police quoted Marci Webber telling her. "Your sister's sleeping."

Maggie, nearly decapitated, was in the bathtub. Officers reported finding words such as "Divine Mercy = Satan" written in blood on the walls.

To this day, Webber said she is thankful not to have a visual image of the moment she took her daughter's life. She described putting Benadryl in Maggie's sippy cup so she'd remain asleep. Webber said she closed her eyes during the killing.

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"In all my thoughts, in my crazy world of Satanists coming after us, lurking behind the bushes, in their cars ready to snatch us, the hallucinations, not once did I have a thought I was hurting anyone," she said. "That morning it was like I was in a driven frenzy with the most abject fear. And it was like a split second, in the blink of an eye, and it was over with."

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She continued, "I believed I was on a different plane and that we're just temporary bodies, like paper, like a jar of clay ... I had a tape recorder going to record angels taking us to heaven for posterity so that people could have evidence that there is a better world."

But Webber insists she is better now. In recent written reviews, a team of medical and mental health experts treating her at Chicago Read said she shows no signs of aggressive or "self-hurting behavior" and has long refused psychiatric drugs while still free of such hallucinations or delusions.

They note some progress in her cooperation with staff to follow program schedules and rules. In fact, a June 30 record noted, Webber "is ready for discharge when legal procedure and legal clearance completed."

It's unclear if that means the medical professionals will recommend to the judge that Webber begin the process of transitioning back into the community. But Webber said she wants to testify at the upcoming court hearing to convince the judge she has the coping skills to finally live a normal life.

cmgutowski@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @christygutowsk1
New forensic testing suggests Nevest Coleman and Darryl Fulton were wrongfully convicted of a 1994 rape. DNA from the victim's underwear is allegedly linked to a serial rapist. Coleman's family speaks out Aug. 7, 2017. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

New forensic testing suggests two men serving life sentences for a 1994 rape and murder in Chicago were wrongfully convicted because DNA from the victim's underwear is linked to a serial rapist, a petition filed Monday in Cook County court alleges.

The DNA from the underwear matches the serial rapist, who is not named in the filing, with "almost scientific certainty," the filing states. DNA found under the victim's fingernails and on her sweatshirt does not match the men serving time for the crime, but the serial rapist could not be excluded as the source of that DNA, the petition said.

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The Cook County state's attorney's office said it is doing an "intense review and investigation" into the case and is awaiting more DNA results.

A jury convicted Nevest Coleman and Darryl Fulton in the April 1994 rape and murder of Antwinica Bridgeman about three years after the crime.

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At the time of the slaying, Coleman worked as a respected, well-liked member of the groundskeeping crew at Comiskey Park, court records show. Fulton lived near Coleman in Englewood.

Bridgeman had just celebrated her 20th birthday at a small gathering with friends attended by Coleman. She disappeared that night and was discovered weeks later in Coleman's basement.

Nevest Coleman, left, and Darryl Fulton were convicted in the April 1994 rape and murder of Antwinica Bridgeman. A petition filed in Cook County court alleges that the two were wrongfully convicted of the crimes. (Illinois Department of Corrections)

Coleman and a friend found Bridgeman's body with a piece of concrete in her mouth and a pipe in her vagina.

Both Coleman, 25, and Fulton, 27, gave police confessions implicating themselves and another man in the crime. The two later said their confessions were coerced, and the third man would not give a statement after denying any involvement. Prosecutors dropped the charges against the third man.

Coleman's attorney Russell Ainsworth, with the Exoneration Project at the University of Chicago Law School, filed a motion Monday to temporarily vacate Coleman's sentence and have him released on bond pending the state's reinvestigation of the case. It also seeks to eventually have Coleman's conviction vacated.

Ainsworth's motion states that the "sole evidence" against Coleman was the confession, and his background did not fit with a rapist and murderer.

Coleman had no criminal history before Bridgeman's killing.

Judge Dennis Porter heard the original case in 1997 and also considered Ainsworth's argument on Monday. He delayed a ruling until Aug. 18 while prosecutors file a written argument against Ainsworth's motion.

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Mark Rotert, head of the Cook County State's Attorney's Conviction Integrity Unit, told the judge "we're not there yet" regarding vacating the sentence, and asked for more time.

More DNA testing is being done, and it could take months to sort out, Ainsworth said.

Fulton is represented by Kathleen Zellner, a Downers Grove attorney who has handled numerous wrongful conviction cases.

Nicholas Curran, one of Zellner's associates, attended Monday's hearing and said he is in favor of giving prosecutors more time.

Coleman will be transported from prison to attend the next hearing.

Ainsworth's motion details forensic reports that, he says, clear his client and Fulton.

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A forensic report dated May 31 of this year notes Coleman, Fulton, the third man and Bridgeman's boyfriend were all excluded as the source of semen collected from the victim's underwear, the filing alleges.

A July 21 forensic report notes Coleman, Fulton, the third man and Bridgeman's boyfriend were also excluded as the source of semen collected from the victim's sweatshirt, but that stain could not exclude the serial rapist, the filing states.

Coleman also "testified that his confession was the product of coercion and false promises," the filing alleges.

Detectives involved with the case have subsequently seen some of their cases fall apart by DNA testing, the filing said.

The recent DNA testing blows a hole through the government's theory of what happened in this crime, Ainsworth said.

For Coleman and Fulton to have raped and murdered Bridgeman, the filing notes, "the victim would have to had consensual sex with a serial rapist (who was not her boyfriend), sex that left his semen on her underwear and sweatshirt, and then Mr. Coleman, Mr. Fulton and (the third man) subsequently raped the victim without leaving any of their DNA on her underwear, sweatshirt or fingernails."

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After the hearing, a spokeswoman for State's Attorney Kim Foxx released a statement saying the case "remains the subject of an intense review and investigation by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office Conviction Integrity Unit."

Prosecutors are awaiting additional DNA results and have asked for an expedited examination from the laboratory. They "will continue to approach the investigation of Mr. Coleman and Mr. Fulton's convictions with urgency, and remain in contact with their counsel as the investigation proceeds," officials said.

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Coleman's relatives filled a bench in the courtroom during Monday's hearing. Coleman's brother, Micquel, was in court alongside their sister Jennice. Micquel said he'll host Nevest at his Evanston home if he's freed.

Nevest Coleman has maintained his innocence since day one, his siblings noted. The family became emotional while listing the events he's missed while locked up, including the death of his parents.

"We just want him out," Jennice Coleman said.

Coleman's two children, Chanequa and Nicholas, who are 25 and 23, also came to support their father. The children described Coleman as an attentive dad even behind bars, asking about what's going on in their lives and offering advice.

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"I feel like he's here, but he's not," Nicholas Coleman said.

gpratt@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @royalpratt
A surveillance photo of a man robbing an Albany Bank branch, 4400 N. Western Ave., on Monday, Aug. 7, 2017. A man was arrested after the robbery. (Surveillance photo via the FBI)

The FBI is investigating two separate bank robberies and an attempted bank robbery that happened in relatively quick succession Monday morning into afternoon.

One bank robber was apprehended after the first bank robbery, which happened about 9 a.m. on the North Side, according to FBI spokesman Garrett Croon. The robber was arrested after hitting an Albany Bank branch in the Ravenswood neighborhood, when FBI agents were called to 4400 N. Western Ave., at Montrose Avenue, Croon said.

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A man, who wore a nylon stocking over his face during the robbery, was arrested not long after the robbery. The FBI did not release any other details, and Chicago police do not comment on bank robberies.

The bank is across the street from Welles Park and is in an area with a lot of foot traffic.

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About 1:15 p.m. on the Far Southwest Side, a man wearing a fake beard entered the U.S. Bank at 11159 S. Kedzie Ave. in Mount Greenwood, officials said.

The robber showed a handgun, Croon said.

The man was described as white, with a husky build, standing 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-9 and wearing a fake beard. He was wearing a Calloway golf hat and a black hooded sweatshirt.

About 12:30 p.m. on the Northwest Side, a man entered the TCF Bank at 4660 W. Irving Park Road in Old Irving Park. He tried to rob the bank, but apparently wasn't successful.

No further details on that attempted robbery were released, other than that it was not a takeover attempt, in which patrons and staff are ordered to the ground, officials said.

The man who tried to rob the TCF Bank was described as black and in his 20s, standing 5-foot-3 to 5-foot-6, with a slender build. He was wearing a white T-shirt, a white knit hat, a white hooded sweatshirt, pink sweatpants and gray Nike gym shoes.

Anyone with information about the robberies is asked to call the Chicago office of the FBI at 312-421-6700.
A Chicago police officer photographs evidence at the scene where a 14-year-old boy was shot and killed in the 1700 block of South Newberry Avenue on Aug. 6, 2017, in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. The boy was standing on the porch of a residence when occupants in a passing vehicle opened fire. He died at the scene. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

A 14-year-old boy gunned down on the steps of a Pilsen home was among three people killed and 29 others wounded in shootings in Chicago over the weekend, according to authorities.

The violence brought the number of people shot in the city this year to at least 2,256, according to data kept by the Tribune. There have been at least 415 homicides.

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The three homicides over the weekend happened between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Fourteen-year-old Damien Santoyo was fatally shot about 2:35 a.m. Sunday outside of a home in the 1700 block of South Newberry Avenue on the Near Southwest Side. People inside a passing car yelled gang slogans and someone opened fire, hitting Damien in the head.

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"I'm so sorry," his mother cried out from the same wooden steps where he was killed. "I wasn't there for you. Oh, my baby. I'm so sorry. Get up, please."

A Chicago police officer photographs evidence at the scene where a 14-year-old boy was shot and killed in the 1700 block of South Newberry Avenue on Aug. 6, 2017, in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago. The boy was standing on the porch of a residence when occupants in a passing vehicle opened fire. He died at the scene. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Early Sunday, a 33-year-old man was fatally shot by a woman in a domestic altercation in the Clearing neighborhood on the Southwest Side, police said. Damien Hernandez was shot three times by a 30-year-old woman just before 5:20 a.m. in the 6900 block of West 65th Street. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Hernandez lived on the block where he was killed, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

The woman is in custody with charges pending.

About 10:40 p.m. Saturday, a 39-year-old man was fatally shot while in a car near Sherwood Park in the Englewood neighborhood. Officers found Marvin Hines after he crashed into the fence of a home. He lived in the 600 block of West 61st Street, according to the medical examiner's office.

On Sunday, two men were shot while riding in a car on the Near North Side about 7:55 p.m. , police said. The shooting in the 1000 block of North Clark Street critically injured a 33-year-old man.
A Chicago Fire Department battalion chief saw one of his firefighters fall to his death seconds after the chief radioed crews to be on the lookout for openings in the floor that weren't secured or covered, according to a federal safety report.



Daniel Capuano, 42 years old and a 15-year veteran of the department, fell through a 7-foot-square elevator shaft while fighting a fire in a former slaughterhouse in the 9200 block of South Baltimore Avenue in December 2015.



Capuano and another firefighter had split up after reaching the second floor and encountered heavy smoke as they conducted a search for anyone trapped, according to the report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.



The report recommended better use of the "buddy system" so firefighters aren't alone when searching buildings.



The report also noted that one of the engines responding to the scene was down a firefighter. If fully staffed, it "would have provided additional personnel for a more efficient rapid intervention and to aid in removing (Capuano) from the basement."



Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said firefighters normally do work in pairs, but not always.



"Our standard procedure is two in, two out. You go in as a pair, you go out as a pair," he said. "There are times when a firefighter will separate, but the intent is to keep them together.



"There was actually a group of four, and other people in the group literally missed that hole by inches," Langford said. "But they were together. The problem there was visibility and lack of proper safety measures in place, which should have been in place in a building like that. There should never be open floors in building without some form of railing or some barrier to prevent you from walking into a hole."



Langford disputed the report's assertion that an extra member on an engine would have helped in removing Capuano from the basement.



"When he went down, he was spotted, literally spotted falling," Langford said. "Crews were immediately dispatched to go get him, and multiple members went to that spot. An additional body in our opinion would not have made a difference in getting him out of there."



Capuano and another firefighter had been assigned to search the second floor, where the heaviest smoke was found by arriving crews around 2:50 a.m. Dec. 14, 2015, according to the report. They were the second pair of firefighters to check the second floor during an initial search of the building.



Capuano's lieutenant and another firefighter had made their way through the smoke using a pry bar and "right-hand" search, the lieutenant in front and the other firefighter immediately behind him. When Capuano and a firefighter from a different truck reached the second floor, Capuano went left and the other firefighter went right, according to the report.



After other crews had encountered open holes on the second floor, the battalion chief radioed firefighters to "watch where they are walking," the report states.



Seconds later, the chief saw something fall and asked what it was. He walked to the opening and saw Capuano in the basement. He radioed "mayday" to bring more firefighters and ambulances to the scene.



There was an aluminum ladder from the first floor through the elevator shaft to the basement, and a lieutenant climbed down while the chief went outside and directed crews toward Capuano. The firefighter was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead less than two hours later.



City officials later said the owners of the building had been removing the elevator without authorization and had failed to secure it.



The fire was caused by a welder who worked alone in the building about 12 hours before the fire was reported. He worked until about 1 p.m. and "had extinguished a number of small fires in the area where he was working on the second floor" but "did not recognize that fire was smoldering within the wall," the report states.



The fire smoldered until about 2:35 a.m. before someone passing by noticed smoke and called 911. Investigators from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health weren't able to get inside the building because of "ongoing criminal investigations," but the report stated that the Fire Department was able to track movement of firefighters by tracks in the powder left behind by the welder's fire extinguisher.



The first crews found heavy smoke on the second floor and glowing embers falling along the wall with the elevator shaft, according to the report. Despite the heavy smoke, the first engine's lieutenant didn't find "elevated heat conditions" using a thermal imager.



Fire crews had to return the next day to put out "deep-seated smoldering fire" in insulation materials that had been used to keep the building cool since it had once been a slaughterhouse.



The NIOSH report listed several factors that contributed to Capuano's death: searching the second floor alone; unsecured floor openings; deep-seated fire; zero visibility; and inadequate shielding of flammable materials during welding.



The report's first three recommendations deal directly with the search that led to Capuano's death. It notes that the Fire Department should ensure crew integrity, train firefighters on becoming proficient in limited-visibility searches and better train firefighters on situational awareness.



Langford said training and protocols for "large-area searches" over areas of low visibility have been revised since the fire to include the use of ropes. About 75 percent of department members have undergone "rope-assisted search technique" training, Langford said. The Fire Department fills a building on Pershing Road with smoke and the members go through a simulated fire search using ropes.



The report also recommends using "risk management" principles to evaluate how aggressive they should be in fighting some fires. It noted that "more caution" should be used fighting fires in abandoned, vacant and unoccupied structures or if there is no evidence of people inside. The first sweep of a building  meant to find possible occupants  is called a "primary search."



"Firefighters should anticipate the possibility of floor openings and other hazards whenever they enter buildings that may be under construction, renovation or otherwise unsafe," it adds. Obvious signs would be dumpsters and construction debris outside.



That's not the way the Chicago Fire Department evaluates fires, Langford said. Every building gets a primary search on the assumption it's occupied  and the only limiting factor is the safety of the firefighters making the search.



If the building is unstable or too engulfed, it would delay the search, Langford said.



"We're going to do a primary search. We do fires in a lot of abandoned buildings. They're supposedly abandoned, and vacant and many times we find people living them," Langford said. "We know fires don't start by themselves."



The report noted that fires in cold-storage buildings present a unique challenge: layers of insulation on outside walls. Six firefighters died in Massachusetts when they became lost in a "mazelike" cold-storage warehouse.



The report also refers frequently to unsafe building conditions and says the city should ensure firefighters have more information when rolling up on vacant buildings. There could be a marking system for buildings under renovation, including specifics about the work for a crew that is dispatched, it suggested.



The owners of the building had received permits in September 2015 for construction work, but none authorized the removal or demolition of an elevator. If they had, the city would have completed an elevator inspection to make sure it was safely decommissioned before issuing the permit for its removal, according to the building department.



"If building owners choose to ignore the permit process and (fail to put) commonsense safety procedures in place, a database won't help with that," Langford said. "There won't be any data in it. If building owners comply with requests for permitting and safety, a database would be filled with information that would be very useful to Fire Department. In this case, it wasn't done."
A Chicago store clerk has been charged with attempted murder after he admitted to shooting a 27-year-old man the clerk thought was "harassing customers" at a beauty supply shop in the Marquette Park neighborhood, prosecutors said Sunday.



Kevin Banton, 35, shot a man twice  once in the eye  during a dispute at It's Mark, at 2755 W. 63rd St., according to prosecutors. Banton was ordered held on $300,000 bail Sunday by Cook County Judge James R. Brown in a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.



Banton got into a dispute with a 27-year-old man Friday afternoon because he believed the man was "harassing customers," according to Assistant State's Attorney Kathryn Roy.



He brandished a .22-caliber revolver and ordered the man out of the store and onto the sidewalk. The man refused to leave the store, spat toward Banton from the doorway and threw a garbage can at a window, Roy said.



Banton shot the man in the left side and went back into the store, Roy said. He then shot the victim in the eye after the man threw a brick into the store window, according to Roy.



Officers arrived, reviewed security footage and placed Banton into custody. The gun was found in the back of the store and contained four live rounds and two spent shell casings, authorities said.



Banton admitted to shooting the man twice. He was found in possession of 13 small bags of cocaine weighing about 0.2 grams each, prosecutors said.



The wounded man was taken in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak lawn. He is having surgery Monday to remove his eye, according to prosecutors.

Banton, of the 7800 block of South Avalon Avenue, is a convicted felon, according to prosecutors. He faces additional charges of aggravated use of a deadly weapon and possession of a controlled substance.
With the March primary still months away, J.B. Pritzker already is approaching at least one state record  the most money spent by a Democratic candidate on himself in a primary. (Zbigniew Bzdak / 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

Billionaire entrepreneur and investor J.B. Pritzker pumped another $7 million into his self-funded campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor.

So far, Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt Hotels family fortune, has put all $21.2 million into his race for the nomination. State Board of Election reports show the latest donation was reported Saturday.

With the March primary still months away, Pritzker already is approaching at least one state record  the most money spent by a Democratic candidate on himself in a primary.

Right now, the record is the $29 million that commodities trader Blair Hull spent from his wallet in 2004, only to finish third in a primary contest for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination won by eventual president Barack Obama.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner spent nearly $28 million of his own money to win the primary and the governors office in 2014. The former equity investor also made the largest ever self-donation to a political campaign in Illinois when he put $50 million into his re-election bid in December of last year. That number could end up as its own primary record. (Rick Pearson)

What's on tap

*Mayor Rahm Emanuel has no public events scheduled, but the city is set to file a lawsuit against President Donald Trump's Department of Justice Monday morning.

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*Gov. Bruce Rauner will sign House Bill 2371, legislation about cyber security, at an afternoon news conference at the Thompson Center.

*On Monday or Tuesday, the Illinois State Board of Education could release detailed numbers related to Rauner's rewrite of school funding legislation. On Thursday, an evening parade in Springfield gets the Illinois State Fair started, and on Friday Rauner is expected to cut the ribbon to open the fair.

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From the notebook

Preckwinkle defends effort to seek damages against retailers: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle defended her efforts to get the Illinois Retail Merchants Association to pay $17 million to make up for lost revenue from the county's new sweetened beverage tax while the matter was held up in court.

Asked if people dont have a right to challenge the actions of government in court, Preckwinkle said sure they do.

In this instance, however, it had a very dramatic consequence in terms of county revenues, Preckwinkle told WGN-AM 720.

Noting the County Board approved the tax in November with a planned implementation date of July 1, Preckwinkle said more than 30 meetings and conferences were held with officials from the retail and beverage industry and that the rules and regulations were changed as a result.

You know, the retail merchants could have started this suit in November, in which case it would have been resolved by July 1st and we would have been in a much better position to determine where we were before the end of the fiscal year (on Nov. 30), Prekwinkle said of the tax, which was estimated to raise $67.5 million.

They timed their suit to inflict maximum damage on the county, she said. She contended that lost tax revenues were greater because July is a big one for beverage sales.

Asked if the county trying to recoup the lost revenue wouldnt have a chilling affect on those filing suit against government, Preckwinkle said, I think they exercised their right to challenge our action and were countersuing. ( Rick Pearson

*Quick spins: Among the bills that Gov. Rauner signed into law Friday was one declaring former President Barack Obama's birthday to be among Illinois' "commemorative dates." Sorry, it's not a state holiday that comes with the day off work.

*On the Sunday Spin: Tribune political reporter Rick Pearson's guests were Illinois Senate Republican leader Bill Brady of Bloomington, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Tony Arnold, political reporter for WBEZ-FM 91.5. The Sunday Spin can be heard from 7 to 9 a.m. on WGN-AM 720. Listen to the full show here.

What we're writing

*Rauner says his schools plan will "carry the day" after an analysis is done.

*U.S. attorney nominee called "more Joliet than Harvard."

*Emanuel on Friday: City to sue Trump Justice Department over funding threat.



*Emanuel on Sunday detailed more about the lawsuit, which is set to be filed Monday.

*Judge stops NIU from paying rest of ousted president's severance package.

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What we're reading

*Twists and turns as the Northwestern professor is arrested in stabbing death.

*50 years ago, the Picasso scuplture challenged Chicago's imagination.

*A Lollapalooza recap.

Follow the money

*Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here.

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Beyond Chicago

*GOP looks toward 2020.

*Mueller can look into crimes discovered during Russia probe.

*France rethinks romance with Macron.

*Venezuelan military quashes attack at base.
A video taken during a traffic stop in California is drawing debate over the officer's decision to keep his gun pointed at the passenger for more than nine minutes.

The stop took place last Wednesday morning along U.S. Route 101, south of San Jose, after an officer noticed a car pass him going 85 mph, according to the Campbell Police Department.

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After stopping the car for speeding, the officer requested the driver's license and additional paperwork. The driver and passenger spent several minutes looking for the paperwork before the officer walked back to his motorcycle to write a citation, police said.

It was at that point their stories diverged. According to police, the passenger began reaching "under his seat."

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"It is not clear why the passenger chose to reach under the seat since the officer was not requesting any other paperwork," Campbell police said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the passenger's unexpected movement towards the bottom of the seat, caused the officer to perceive a threat and draw his handgun."

However, a man sitting in the vehicle's passenger seat - the target of the officer's gun - maintained throughout the incident that he had simply been reaching for some papers on the floor to try to find the vehicle's license and registration, as requested.

A video that apparently was recorded by a woman in the car begins as the male passenger is expressing incredulity that the officer has pulled a gun.

"Wow," the passenger says in the video, laughing. "We're looking for the f-ing paperwork, bro. Oh my God."

"I understand that," the officer replies. "Don't move, all right?"

The passenger sounds indignant as his hands remain on his lap. "Why are you still pointing that gun at me, bro?" he asks the officer. "Why are you still pointing the gun at me, though? Record this sh-t. Why are you still pointing the gun at me, bro? My hands are right here."

"I understand," the officer says.

"No, you don't understand," the passenger protests, as the officer tells him to relax. "No, I'm not going to relax. Get the f-king gun off me."

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A woman in the car asks the officer: "Is that really necessary? His hands are both out."

The officer says that it is necessary as he waits for backup to arrive, eliciting another round of protests from the vehicle's passengers. For several more minutes, they remain at an impasse, with the passenger muttering periodic complaints as music plays in the background. The entire time, the officer's gun is trained on the man.

Toward the end, the officer relays something through the radio and the passenger begins protesting again. At one point in the video, the officer mentions that there had been a screwdriver on the floor of the car.

"Why are you trying to make this bigger than it is, bro?" the passenger says. "We complied with everything you asked for."

The video lasts a little more than nine minutes total, and the officer's gun is pointed at the male passenger the entire time. Police said in a statement the officer had to wait longer than usual for backup to arrive "and provide assistance in safely resolving the situation."

"We understand that it is never a comfortable position to have a gun pointed at you, regardless of whether it is a police officer," police said. "Unfortunately, the length of time that the officer's gun was drawn lasted much longer than normal based on his location."

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Police said the traffic stop was resolved amicably.

"In the end, the officer had a conversation with the passenger of the vehicle explaining his actions and why the gun was pointed at him," police said. "The passenger indicated he understood why it happened and actually apologized to the officer. Both the driver and the passenger were issued citations and were allowed to leave."

However, the video was uploaded to Facebook last Saturday with a caption that suggested there may not have been as much understanding as police thought. (Note: The video contains profanity.)

"CAMPBELL COP IS A B--!!!!!!!!!!" wrote a Facebook user named "Feo Mas" who identified himself as the passenger in the video. "(He) pulled out a gun cuz I reached for paperwork he asked for."

A week later, the video had amassed nearly 2 million views on Facebook, as well as tens of thousands more on YouTube. Online, a debate raged: Several people defended the police officer and said they felt the passenger should have remained quiet, while others were outraged at how long the officer had trained his gun on the passenger despite the man's hands being visible at all times.

Police departments are under increased scrutiny for violent, often fatal interactions with suspects. So far this year, 594 people have been shot and killed by police, according to The Washington Post's Fatal Force database. Last year, police shot and killed 963 people.

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The Facebook user who posted the video did not respond to an interview request sent by Facebook Sunday.

The Campbell Police Department said in a statement it was aware of the video circulating online, as well as the thousands of comments surrounding it. Police also cited an officer-involved shooting that had taken place in nearby Los Banos, California, as an example of the "unfortunate reality" that people sometimes attack police.

"As an agency, we can understand the response to the Facebook video, and that is why we have and will continue engaging our community," police said. "The comments on the Facebook video bring up a lot of different viewpoints about how the officer could have responded differently or used different tactics. Our officers receive a tremendous amount of training on a consistent basis and that training is what dictates our response. This is intended to protect our officers as well as those they come in contact with."

Police said they had reviewed footage from the officer's body cam, which included the beginning and end of the incident not shown in the Facebook video. The department did not release any footage from the officer's camera and did not immediately respond to an email Sunday.

"We are thankful that this incident resolved itself with no one getting injured and hope that this additional information provides clarification," police said.

The Washington Post's Cleve R. Wootson Jr. contributed to this report.
Every time I go on Facebook, I end up staring into the eyes of a puppy. Sometimes it has been mistreated, has a bad case of mange or worse. Sometimes it's looking for a home. I feel a tug on my heartstrings: What if I were that homeless puppy? It also makes me feel very important: Only I can save this puppy!

But in real life I have no place for an out-of-state puppy, and I'd rather save my GoFundMe donation for the friend of a friend who needs help recovering from a bike accident. And so I harden my heart and click along  to watch a cat consoling a crying baby, or Koko the gorilla showing her distress about the death of Robin Williams.

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So goes life in social media, which has become a marketplace for evoking, feeling, displaying and profiting off the gooey human emotion of empathy. In this new zone, it's not enough to support a cause; we literally become it  by remaking our own profile pictures with rainbows to show support of gay rights or solidarity with the sufferers of lupus. Here there's an implicit belief that more empathy will make the world a better place.

The only hitch in this scenario are the trolls, who make a great show of having no empathy. They attack those down on their luck with vicious glee. They make statements about which categories of people don't deserve to live. They post photos that make me feel sad and powerless. Freeing themselves from the sticky bonds of empathy is a release, an entry into an upside-down world with political implications, appealing to hyper-individualist Ayn Rand acolytes and those who are just plain mean. Make fun of reporters with disabilities or women who resist your advances and you'll gain followers, even become president. Not-empathy suddenly appears to be a thing as real and ubiquitous as the original.

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Empathy's history demonstrates its great and particular power. In the early 1700s, as religion and aristocracy were faltering, a craze for epistolary novels gripped educated Europeans and began a transformation of their interior sensibilities. By sympathizing so thoroughly with desperate heroines in the books they read, people began to sympathize with each other, too, and to recognize each other's humanness.

Recognition of others' interior lives led to the idea of inalienable human rights. First granted mainly to white Christian males, rights were then extended to other races, women and religions, and have given gay people the right to marry. Where will it stop? The human future, to the empathist, is one of ever more recognition, and ever more rights  for animals, trees, the whole planet.

But an emotion that powerful could not be left alone in the 20th century. Historian Susan Lanzoni tells the story of the English word's invention  borrowed from German  in 1907, and its quick repurposing in the treatment of World War II veterans, troubled marriages and as a remedy for a history of racist policies by the 1970s.

It wasn't until the 1990s, with the discovery of mirror neurons, that empathy became something meatier than an emotion. Since then, the study of empathy has partly been driven by researchers trying to understand autism (where people have strong sympathies for others but have a hard time cognitively understanding how others are feeling) as well as sociopathy (where people have strong cognitive sense of how others feel but do not feel empathy). Using ever more sophisticated tools to figure out where empathy happens in the brain, and how, researchers stripped off the sentimental aspects of empathy and made it scientific.

The weird empathy world of Facebook appears to be only the beginning of a larger process. Advertising, British researcher Andrew McStay concluded in a recent paper, will increasingly make use of both empathy and the web of machines and processors embedded in our lives. He writes that this raises serious "questions about the foundations of the ethics of advertising, i.e., whether it is about free choice of voluntary parties or not."

I initially assumed that the existence of online trolls  those anti-empathizers  meant that not everyone was susceptible to the charms of emotionally savvy machines. But recently I came across a study that put the trolls in a new light. Psychological researchers Natalie Sest and Evita March surveyed online trolls, who are more likely to be male, and found that they understand empathy all too well. "Trolls employ an empathic strategy of predicting and recognizing the emotional suffering of their victims while abstaining from the experience of these negative emotions. Thus, trolls appear to be master manipulators of both cyber-settings and their victims' emotions."

In other words, the trolls, the dog videos and the GoFundMes are all the same thing: a kind of manipulative empathy nightmare, an empathology. The internet has enabled the weaponization of empathy, for both good and ill. In the future, empathy could also tear us apart  in a painfully individualized fashion.

So it's only reasonable to take empathy more seriously, not only as a soft persuasive power but as one with serious consequences. Regulate its use in devices, and games and advertising. Stop designing social media to explicitly exploit empathy and its pathologies. Stop staring into puppies' eyes.

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And more deeply, reconsider the assumption that empathy will save the world. Even with the best intentions, empathy has always been an untrustworthy moral compass. By prioritizing emotional interaction as more genuine than intellectual engagement, empathy seems to offer a shortcut to moral answers and significant understanding. But it can also be a shortcut to the opposite.

Zocalo Public Square

Lisa Margonelli is a senior editor at Zocalo Public Square. This essay is part of a Zocalo Inquiry, "Is Empathy the 20th Century's Most Powerful Invention?"
When it comes to voting rights, any obstacles outrage liberals; even free government-issued IDs are viewed as disenfranchising poor and disproportionately black people. But when it comes to the right to own a gun for self-defense, liberals don't hesitate to pile on fees, ID requirements, expensive training and onerous background checks.

That's too bad, because many law-abiding citizens in crime-ridden neighborhoods really do need a gun for self-defense. Since poor, urban blacks are the most likely victims of violent crime, there is little doubt that they stand to benefit the most from owning guns. Research, including my own, has demonstrated this.

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A new report from the Crime Prevention Research Center shows that the average fee for a concealed handgun permit is $67, but it is much higher in the most Democratic states. Each 10-percentage-point increase in a state's presidential vote for Hillary Clinton was associated with an additional $30 in the concealed handgun permit fee. In California, where Clinton won by about 30 points, fees can be as high as $385 for just two years. In New York City, where she won by 60 points, a three-year permit costs $430.

In addition to prohibitive fees, some blue states  California, Illinois  require four times as many training hours as the national average, adding hundreds of dollars to the cost of obtaining a concealed-carry license. In California counties, the mandated cost of training can run from $250 to more than $1,000. Compare heavily Democratic Illinois, where the cost of permit and training runs over $450, with neighboring Republican Indiana where the total cost for everything is $50.

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In some states, the poor need not apply even if they are willing to pay these costs. In the Democratic-leaning states of California, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island, as well as the District of Columbia, people have to demonstrate need for a permit to a local public official.

Los Angeles County illustrates how this discretion results in only a select few wealthy and powerful individuals getting permits. If Los Angeles County authorized permits at the same rate as the rest of the country, it would have around 600,000 permit holders. Instead, only 226 permits have been issued within a population of about 7.9 million adults, and many of them have gone to politically connected individuals, including judges. Indeed, former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca earned a reputation for awarding permits to people who gave him campaign donations or generous gifts.

While women make up 36 percent of permit holders nationally, they only got 7 percent of the permits in Los Angeles County. Although almost half the county's population is Hispanic, only 6.5 percent of permits were given to Hispanics. Few were given to blacks.

In New York City, permits seem to go only to a politically approved segment of the rich and powerful. This includes union heads and people such as Donald Trump, Laurence Rockefeller, Howard Stern and Robert De Niro. Those who aren't politically approved  Fox News' John Stossel, for instance  don't get permits no matter how much evidence they provide about death threats they've received.

Are influential individuals really the only ones who have legitimate concerns for their safety?

Democrats continue to fight for higher fees. In Connecticut, the state fee for a concealed handgun permit is already $70. Gov. Dannel Malloy wants to raise it to $300. Adding local charges and additional payments for training and fingerprinting, this increase would bring the total cost of a permit to more than $500.

In Texas, the state fee for a concealed-handgun permit, $140, is one of the highest in the country. In May, the state legislature passed a bill that will reduce the fee to $40, starting Sept. 1. No Republican opposed the cut. In the state House, only 32 percent of Democrats supported it.

In 2013, the Colorado House of Representatives voted on whether to exempt people in poverty from a tax imposed on the transferring of guns between individuals. All but two Democrats voted against the amendment.

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After the Supreme Court struck down the handgun ban in Washington, D.C., in 2008, the city quickly imposed the most onerous licensing and registration fees in the country. The total costs for a permit temporarily reached an incredible $834. Who but the affluent can afford such a fee?

Dozens of published peer-reviewed studies have demonstrated that those who are the most likely victims of crime benefit the most from owning guns.

The cops can't be everywhere at once. Indeed, they rarely respond to live crime scenes at all. But unfortunately for poor people living in the country's most violent neighborhoods, Democrats just don't trust them with guns.

John Lott Jr. is the president of the Crime Prevention Research Center and the author most recently of "The War on Guns."
"I'm a son of a beach ball, and I just never, never give up," said Gov. Bruce Rauner during a speech in mid-Julyat the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association Conference.

"Beach ball." Yes. Unusual. Crisp. It went right into my collection of near-curses, a list I began compiling about a month ago when writer Louis Virtel tweeted that "'Sarah Huckabee Sanders' sounds like something your grandmother yells instead of swear words."

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These substitute expressions can come in handy, and not just for the aged and the delicate. They're words with much of the explosiveness and color of profanity but none of the risk.

The term of linguistic art is "minced oath." According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, it comes from the Old French word mincier meaning "make into small pieces." In the 1500s, "mincing" began to be used also to refer to clipping or shortening speech patterns "affectedly in imitation of elegance," and then to be used to refer to verbal restraint "in the interest of decorum."

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In the broader sense, when you "mince words" you use oblique phrases, circumlocutions and sometimes peculiar euphemisms to soften your meaning, sometimes out of cowardice, sometimes out of courtesy.

You know the familiar ones: Drat. Phooey. Heck. Gee. Shoot. Cripes.

The list is long and includes made-up words that are a little too close for comfort to the actual expletives  "frickin'" comes to mind  and words that make the speaker sound thoroughly priggish, such as "balderdash," "mercy sakes" and "fiddlesticks."

Given that it pays to be original and that people in distress exhibit no shortage of linguistic imagination, I asked readers for their most memorable minced oaths. Here are a few I liked and hope to put into my regular rotation along with Sarah Huckabee Sanders:

Sacramento Boulevard! Harpo Hosek said his grandfather would unleash this local geographical allusion in lieu of actual profanity, and it works. The hard "C" and the whiff of a barnyard epithet in the first syllable of "boulevard" combine to make an expression that sounds downright dirty.

Hocky-Bocky! Robert Rue said he figured out as a teen that this nonsensical singsong was "risky enough not to be prudish, but sufficiently vague to not get me in serious trouble."

Pham Van Dong! Dave Teichle said he's found that the name of the former prime minister of North Vietnam, who also went on to be the prime minister of the unified Vietnam, "absolutely rolls off the tongue in lots of situations."

And, when used around the young and impressionable, it allows you, once you have simmered down, to segue smoothly into a lecture about the futility of the U.S. entering land wars in Asia.

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Crime in Italy! Carol Alleman suggested this variant on the classic "criminy," which itself is a minced was of saying "Christ."

This gets us into a dicey area about mincing oaths. There are some who believe that even the most glancing allusion to taking God's name in vain  Gosh! Egad! Jeepers Creepers!  violates the spirit of the scriptural commandment forbidding it.

"Garbage is still garbage, even if it is placed in a nice container," says an essay on this topic posted online by the Middletown Bible Church of Middletown, Conn. "We need to detest all curse words and realize that the substitutes stink as well."

The essay goes on to say that "Holy cow, holy mackerel (and) holy smoke are expressions that make fun and make light of the awesome holiness of our God" and advises not to "call other things holy in a thoughtless and frivolous way."

Booger! I know. Even J.K. Brown, who nominated it, acknowledges that "booger" is favored mostly by 10-year-old boys. Some might hear it as a variation on the British expression "bugger," but "booger" threads a certain needle between unpleasant and truly vile substances invoked in classic cursing. Brown suggests such usages as "this new update of Microsoft Explorer has boogered-up my operating system."

Bob Saget! This one caught my fancy immediately when A.J. Marisca submitted it via his teenage son. The name of the well-known actor and stand-up comic is satisfyingly percussive and has the same metric pattern as the common profanity sometimes minced into "dagnabbit."

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Then Marisca wrote back with an advisory. He learned that his son had picked it up from a controversial former YouTube celebrity known as "Tourette's Guy," a man in a neck brace known for shouting absurd and at times inappropriate phrases.

Whether he actually has Tourette's syndrome or is just an actor goofing on neurological disorders I couldn't tell after going down several online rabbit holes. But mockery is the clear intent of the videos in either case, which adds an unsavory tinge to "Bob Saget" as a cuss word.

Will common usage one day weaken the association between "Bob Saget!" and its origins to make it fully acceptable, the way "poppycock" is now safely and utterly unmoored from its roots as a Dutch phrase meaning "soft dung"?

Saget himself evidently hopes not. In one of his stand-up specials he says of Tourette's Guy, "he's got, like 30 million hits, which is how many I want to inflict on him."

But who the Trump knows?

Re:Tweets

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In third place among 13 finalists in our reader poll for funniest tweet of the week: "Trump's White House is so terminally ill, I'm surprised Newt Gingrich hasn't tried to divorce it," by @slack2thefuture.

In second place, "Everyone who thought having a 'CEO President' would be a good idea, raise your hand. OK, now use it to punch yourself in the face," by @gknauss.

And the winner: "The only thing I do at the drop of a hat is pick up a hat," by @OctopusCaveman.

Don't miss your chance to vote. Email me and I'll put you on the list to receive a notification when new polls go live.

The Mincing Rascals podcast, on which I am a panelist, takes its name not from our avoidance of hard truths as we dissect the week's news, but from our habit of walking into the studio with short, dainty steps. Particularly Scott Stantis. The show is available free wherever fine podcasts are served.

ericzorn@gmail.com

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Twitter @EricZorn
Kass Kurzynski, 7, of Arlington Heights, did a bit of busking with his violin near Saturday's Taste of Arlington Heights street festival.

As the end of summer approaches, an estimated 20,000 partygoers gathered in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights this past weekend for two seasonal street festivals  the Mane Event and Taste of Arlington Heights.

Similar to a pair of mega block parties, the events on Campbell Street and Vail Avenue featured food and drinks from dozens of local restaurants, serving everything from homemade guacamole and frozen margaritas by Salsa 17, as well as red velvet cupcakes by Sweet T's Bakery, to jello shots by Cortland's Garage and Italian sausage by Via Arenella Ristorante and Pizzeria.

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The family-friendly festivals, which started with the Mane Event on Friday night and continued with the Taste of Arlington Heights on Saturday, arrived after months of planning by local volunteers with the Arlington Heights Special Events Commission and Chamber of Commerce.

"We start the ball rolling about six months prior and then ramp it up as we get closer," said Dr. Joe Musolino, a chiropractor and commission chairman.

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Both events this year featured a slate of musical acts, including School of Rock and Libido Funk Circus, as well as the finals of the Suburban Chicago's Got Talent competition, Musolino said.

For 7-year-old Kass Kurzynski, who will be a second grader at Olive-Mary Stitt Elementary School in the fall, the Taste of Arlington Heights provided the perfect opportunity for a bit of busking on the sidewalk outside the festival with his violin.

"My boys are entrepreneurs, and they save all of their money," said Kass' mom, Tanis Kurzynski, who said her son is a member of the youth orchestra at Olive-Mary Stitt. "People have been really nice. ... They've all said, 'great job.'"

kcullotta@tribpub.com

Twitter @kcullotta
The Rev. Deborah Tinsley Taylor will offer drive-through prayers Wednesday at Fourth Street United Methodist Church in Aurora. ( Fourth Street United Methodist )

Aurora pastor to offer drive-through prayers

An Aurora Methodist pastor will be offering drive-through prayers Wednesday.

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From 4 to 7 p.m., motorists can drive up to Fourth Street United Methodist Church, 551 S. Fourth St., Aurora, and receive a minister's prayer while in their cars.

The Rev. Deborah Tinsley Taylor, church pastor, said she will pray for motorists in the church's first "Prayers to Go" effort.

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All faiths are welcome, she said.

This isn't the first outdoor effort Taylor has made. In February 2016, she stood in snow on the corner of Fourth Street and Marion Avenue to offer ashes to motorists to celebrate Ash Wednesday.

West Side neighborhood group to meet

The West Aurora Concerned Citizens neighborhood group will meet at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 16 at the new 5th Ward Meeting Room in West Plaza at 1921 W. Galena Blvd.

The storefront is located between Dollar Tree and the barber shop at the shopping center.

Guest speakers at the meeting will be Michelle Hess and Neil McMenamin from Hesed House in Aurora.

For information about the meeting, call Pat Malin at 630-844-9223.

Kifowit sets community events

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State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, will hold informal coffee meetings in her district this month.

"At a time when political groups are misrepresenting what is happening in Springfield, I think it's important for residents to hear directly from me," Kifowit said in a press release. "Having a chance to sit down in a casual setting and discuss the recently passed bipartisan budget compromise, education funding reform, and other important issues is a valuable experience."

The events are scheduled from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., and will take place:

 Aug. 14 at Maxfield's, 2290 Ogden Ave., in Aurora.

 Aug. 21 at Benny's Place, 1158 Douglas Road, in Oswego.

 Aug. 28 at Panera, 2775 Showplace Drive, Suite 123, in Naperville.

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For more information, go to www.ILDistrict84.com or contact Kifowit's constituent service office at 630-585-1308 or Stephanie.Kifowit@att.net.

Oswego group for seniors needs board members

Oswegoland Seniors Inc. is seeking additional members for its board of directors.

Interested persons are asked to call Pat or Sandy at 630-554-5602 for more information and to get an application. Board members are required to live or work in Kendall County.

According to the group, its mission is to promote the general well-being of the Oswego area senior community.
Juan Thomas, left, with Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, at Thomas' induction as the new president of the National Bar Association. (City of Aurora)

The National Bar Association recently inducted Aurora resident Juan R. Thomas as the organization's 75th president during its 92nd annual convention in Toronto, Canada.

The associated is the nation's oldest and largest national network of predominantly African-American attorneys and judges, according to a press release about the event.

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Aurora Mayor Richard C. Irvin was in attendance at the event.

"I am proud to have witnessed one of Aurora's own, and my fellow legal colleague, take the oath to lead the National Bar Association," said Irvin in a press release. "As someone born and raised in Aurora, Juan is an example of what can be done with hard work, education, dedication and service. It was great to join many others from Aurora to watch this moment first-hand."

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Thomas, who has served the association as national vice president and secretary, succeeds Kevin Judd as president.

"I am humbled by the opportunity to serve this organization, that for 92 years has advanced civil rights in the context of the rule of law," said Thomas. "Our nation is at a critical moment, bordering on crisis, where we are facing social, economic, and political challenges for which we need to step up and present solutions."

Prior to founding The Thomas Law Group in 2003, Thomas' professional career was rooted in political and governmental affairs. He served as the legislative liaison for Citizen Action Illinois and Labor Counsel to Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.
Kane County prosecutors said a Midlothian man had almost four times the legal limit of alcohol in his blood when he was involved in a crash Sunday on Interstate 88 near Sugar Grove.

Steven A. Johnson Jr., 31, is charged with aggravated DUI, a class 4 felony; resisting a police officer, a class A misdemeanor; driving while license suspended; operating an uninsured vehicle and improper lane use, a traffic offense.

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Pprosecutors allege that sometime around 10:30 p.m. Sunday, Johnson had a blood-alcohol concentration of at least 0.316 when he was involved in a traffic crash while traveling west on Interstate 88 near mile marker 108, west of Route 47. The blood alcohol limit in Illinois is 0.08.

Johnson was taken to an Aurora hospital, where he unsuccessfully attempted to flee, according to officials at the state's attorney's office.

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At the time of the offense, Johnson was wanted on a warrant in Cook County and was driving on a suspended license because of a prior DUI, and was free on bond in a pending DUI case in Kane County.

A Kane County judge set Johnson's bail at $25,000. Johnson's next court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday in front of Judge John A. Barsanti.

Johnson remains in the County Jail.
Will County residents who want to be better prepared for emergencies can now download a free smart phone app  "Ready Will County."

"This is a very powerful app," said Tom Murray, deputy director of the Will County Emergency Management Agency, who explained its features at a recent meeting of the county board's Public Health and Safety Committee.

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"It's a way for residents to be better prepared, to know what to put in an emergency kit, know who to contact, how to endure an emergency, and what they should be doing."

The app, which went live in June, provides information on how to prepare for and what to do if there is a tornado, terrorism attack, a public health emergency, or other disaster.

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It guides users to make their own personal emergency plan and create a list of contacts to let people know whether they are OK or in need of help.

Other features of the app include:

A list of nearby hospitals, cooling centers, police and fire stations, veterinarians and even polling places.

Evacuation routes and emergency shelters.

Detailed checklist of items for an emergency kit, which can be tailored to individual needs.

Weather alerts, the latest news and notifications of an imminent threat.

Information on what to do after a flood, tornado, or other incident, such as how to clean a home after a flood, safely clear debris after a tornado, and how to properly dispose of debris.

How to set up an alarm on your phone so people can find you.

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Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Murray said residents who have gone through Community Emergency Response Team training can download a preparedness guide.

The app can run offline, but users would not receive notifications, he said.

"This is excellent," said committee member Don Gould, R- Shorewood.

Committee chairwoman Judy Ogalla, R-Monee, agreed.

"This is really great," she said, adding that she would like to host workshops to let people know more about this app.

slafferty@tribpub.com

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Twitter @SusanLaff
Ann LaFrance says: "Life is how you handle plans b, c, d, e, and f."

For the former U.S. Navy officer, one whose father served in the Marine Corps and whose mother was in the Navy, no plan seemed viable when in 1997 she was told she had stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma and that she probably had less than a week to live. "There is nothing more we can do" they said, and she was flown from her post in Sicily to the United States.

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LaFrance needed pain medication every two hours, but when she arrived at the hospital the nurses were on a short-lived strike and the medicine cabinet was locked. She woke up with a sore throat and was told she had been screaming in agony for hours. The only treatment available was massive amounts of chemotherapy continually pumped in and flushed out of her deteriorating body.

Two weeks after she arrived on the verge of death, one of the doctors who treated her overseas saw her and said in amazement, "you're still here." And by July of that year, her cancer was declared in remission.

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She continues to succeed against the odds. Now, despite three strokes in the last three years, the 62-year-old Park Forest resident has become a state powerlifting champion.

In 2014, LaFrance, out of the the service and a clinical psychologist who trained in the field of domestic violence and rape, wanted to set up a practice centered on treatment of veterans and others suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Then, one morning she woke up with a severe headache. She felt weak and dizzy. The doctors diagnosed it as ocular migraine. It was not.

It took time for her to recover, and in a personal travesty of two American holidays she was felled by two major thalamic strokes last year. The first was on July 4, Independence Day, when, in an incredible bit of irony, LaFrance, a member of the Park Forest Veterans Commission, was working in the Park Forest Veterans Closet, which provides essentials to former service personnel free of charge.

She was trying to recuperate when the second stroke came in her sleep on Nov. 11, Veterans Day.

LaFrance was still alive, but there was no feeling in her right side. It was as if she lost all contact with that part of her body. Her hearing was affected. Her balance was iffy. Afterwards doctors told her these were not her first two "events." That 2014 diagnosis of a migraine was also a stroke.

She went to other plans but as that doctor once said, LaFrance was "still here."

LaFrance served in the military for 20 years leaving the service with the rank of lieutenant commander in the Reserves in 2002. She saw duty in bases from Sicily to Hawaii and during the 1990s was part of a unit assigned to insure delivery of supplies to South Korea should North Korea start a conflict. This mentally strong woman resolved to win her personal battle with her body.

With recovery on her mind and down to another plan, she made her way to Quality Control Gym in Park Forest and talked to co-owner Earl Davis, who also was a Navy veteran. When healthy, LaFrance toned up by lifting weights in the facility on Main Street. She now needed Davis to set up a course of rehab for her.

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Slowly but steadily she began taking her first steps back, and when the Illinois State Powerlifting "Summer Bash" meet was scheduled for Rich East High School in Park Forest in July, LaFrance wanted Davis to set up a program where she could compete in her age and weight class.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Davis said no.

She asked again and again and Davis said "no" again and again. Three strokes in three years, coupled with a lack of feeling in her right arm below the bicep and a loss of hearing, could put her at risk of serious injury. Did I mention LaFrance has heard worse news? So finally a plan was put in place.

Each lifter in the 150-person competition must do squat lifts, bench presses and dead lifts. With her ongoing problems of balance, her inability to locate exactly where her arm and leg were in space and her hearing loss it might not seem wise for her to compete. But compete she did, setting three state records in her age and weight class. The only leeway given her was that judges gave her hand signals during the bench press because she could not hear the verbal command to "press."

She publicly dedicated her efforts to every disabled American veteran and she drew standing ovations from both competitors and those in attendance. "After all," she said afterwards, "the motto of the U.S. Navy is semper fortis or always strong."

As the amazed doctor once said, LaFrance is "still here," still with us and going as hard as she can as long as she can.

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Semper fortis.

Jerry Shnay can be reached at jerryshnay@gmail.com.
Deerfield Mayor Harriet Rosenthal, pictured at a 2016 event, says the village is keeping a close eye on state decisions as officials began ironing out the details of Deerfields budget. (Mark Kodiak Ukena / Pioneer Press )

As Deerfield begins its 2018 budget planning, officials are doing so knowing the state of Illinois is reducing revenue previously provided to the village by about $265,000.

The Village Board of Trustees and Mayor Harriet Rosenthal began budget discussions a couple of months ago to determine how to deal with less revenue, uncertainty from the state and other local issues.

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As part of the state's budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, Deerfield Finance Director Eric Burk said the village will get approximately $265,000 less from Illinois provided the state continues with the changes it implemented this year.

Burk said the state will reduce the money it sends municipalities from the Local Government Distributive Fund by 10 percent. It will also impose a two percent administrative fee on the portion of sales tax Deerfield imposes on businesses because of its home rule status.

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Though the reduction only represents 1.2 percent of current revenue, Burk said it is still significant. He said it represents the cost of between two and three full-time employees. He said there have been no discussions about layoffs but positions could remain unfilled if someone leaves.

Deerfield has continued to balance its budget each year despite uncertainty from Springfield, according to Rosenthal.

"We are disappointed when the state takes money away from us that has been promised to us," Rosenthal said. "In trying to solve their problems they are creating problems for the municipalities."

Rosenthal said this may the beginning of the state's effort to build its revenue at the expense of Deerfield and the other towns, though she is not sure what to expect next.

"I see a scattered approach," Rosenthal said. 'They're going to throw everything against the wall and see what sticks. It makes it difficult for us to forecast for our budget."

Another potential issue affecting revenue is a potential property tax freeze. Gov. Bruce Rauner has been talking about it and proposals have been introduced in the Illinois General Assembly. Nothing is nearing reality yet. Nevertheless, Burk will consider the possibility when forecasting revenue.

"I've heard two years, I've heard four years and I've heard permanent," Burk said. "I'm going to prepare some options for the board to review."

Rosenthal said she wants to make sure all new village construction including apartment projects totaling 448 units are part of the tax rolls.

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When it comes to potential new revenue, Burk said it is still early in the budget process and no ideas have been floated. Rosenthal said a tax on packaged alcoholic beverages is a possibility. She said any new revenue sources should be paid for both by the people who come into Deerfield as well as residents.

"We do not want to put it entirely on our residents," she said.

Rosenthal said her biggest concern arising out of the state's financial condition is the village's bond rating. She said bond rating agencies are looking at the state's precarious financial situation and she does not want it to impact Deerfield's ability to borrow.

"We don't want them to start asking how good is your credit," Rosenthal said. "It's very important we keep a large fund balance and don't over borrow."

Another element of planning for the village will be determining how aggressive to be with infrastructure improvements. Village Manager Kent Street said the village just finished a three-year program and is looking at a variety of ways to proceed.

Street also said the village is considering a pilot project where it will finance part of a homeowner's expense to bring their sanitary and storm sewer connections into compliance.

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Steve Sadin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Helping neighbors: Yesterday, I was at the Carpentersville dam and I pray to God nobody went near that water. What was really sad is the water was so high it didn't look like a dam anymore. There were barrels and they were washing over but wouldn't go downstream because they were caught by the under tow. I have been out here 50 years and have never seen it before. But the communities are coming together. Kids and people are all helping each other. That is wonderful.

New view on pregnancy: In the 1950s, terminating a pregnancy was out of the question. Marriage was the solution. Like the song says, "Get me to the Church on Time." Today it is get me to Family Planning on time.

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The despicables: What happens when you pour in a little Donald Trump and add in a little Mitch McConnell? You get crazy because that's what these two guys are to want to take insurance away from over 30 million people. Since they can't get their party together to come up with something sensible to help the American people and they hate Barack Obama so much, they are willing to take away over 30 million people's insurance. I don't know what to tell you except both of them are despicable people.

Minneapolis shooting: First, I do respect all policemen. Second, I think there's just a handful of bad policemen out here and they are giving all of these good officers a bad name and causing friction between civilians and police. It seems that all of these officers getting off. You know that they should have went to jail. It seems like they are given license to kill. Maybe, just maybe, something will come out of the lady shot in Minneapolis. Maybe it will open some eyes.

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Aurora study of contrasts: I find it amusing reading the Beacon-News at times. One day, they tell about how Aurora is the one of the best managed cities in the United States and how great it is to live here to get the American dream. The next day, there's an article about all the shootings in Aurora lately, especially the west side of Aurora and it's not safe for the kids to go outside and the cars, and the houses and people are getting shot. Well, at least the Beacon-News is telling both sides of the story.

LGBTQ community in America: Russian block countries will not admit gays exist. And Islamic countries keep their sharp knives out for them. The LGBTQ community should sing "American the Beautiful" the loudest when we celebrate this nation.

Justice for victims?: In Minneapolis, since Mr. (Philando) Castile could not get any justice for getting gunned down by Minneapolis police and since they killed this white woman, maybe some justice will come around.

Editor's note

Speak Out is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you see something you disagree with or think is incorrect, call us at 312-222-2460 or email couriernews@tribpub.com. Please include "speak out" in the subject line.
Taking a spin on a merry-go-round was a favorite attraction for many families who attended Maple Parks grand reopening in Franklin Park on Aug. 2. ( Rachel K. Hindery/Pioneer Press )

Even before cutting through blue ribbons marking Maple Park's reopening, children had already spun on a merry-go-round or climbed into the captain's seat of a rocket ship.

On Aug. 2, from 6 to 8 p.m., families celebrated anew at a park where playground classics merge with a celestial flair.

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Joseph Modrich, the director of parks and recreation for the Park District of Franklin Park, described how renovations made the 22-year-old park compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, adding more equipment while still maintaining trees and other natural space.

Beginning in 2014, community members of all ages shared ideas.

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" As we learned from the neighborhood parents and grandparents, the memories of parks stay with you forever," Modrich said, describing how the Hitchcock Design Group researched "equipment made today that fit the retro theme."

For the project, the park district received an Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant of $217,900 from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Modrich said the total budget for Maple Park, including design, was $487,700.

"We've been very successful at using grant money wisely so we have money for other projects," said Mark White, the president of the park district's board of commissioners.

White, Franklin Park Mayor Barrett Pedersen, state Sen. Don Harmon and Modrich each gave remarks at the reopening.

"Building a park is a community project, as it should be," Modrich said, thanking residents, local and state government, the board of commissioners, staff and designers.

Park district staff and members of the board of commissioners also celebrated with their families at Maple Park.

"I like the retro feel of the park," Stephanie Bersani said. Bersani, the superintendent of finance and technology at the park district, added, "it's my first park from start to finish."

Bersani enjoyed the park with her two boys, saying that Maple Park reminded her of parks she visited as a child.

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Commissioner Michael Vonesh also said the park reminded him of summers spent outdoors. He shared that both he and White have fond memories of their Franklin Park childhoods.

"Mark and I grew up here. I think it holds something special. It's basically the same  to have fun. It's all about the kids," Vonesh said.

Commissioner Susan O'Connell came to the Maple Park reopening with her two daughters, her son, and two grandchildren.

"The uniqueness of it, I think, is just awesome. The planets, the merry-go-round, that giant rocket ship the kids are playing on; the plantings, too. It's a nice neighborhood park," O'Connell said.

"What we try to do with our parks is get them into each neighborhood, so you don't have to cross major streets," White said.

A rocket ship ride was one of many space-themed objects at the newly redesigned Maple Park. Other celestial themed items include glow stones and hand-crafted bronze castings of the planets and sun. Families celebrated the reopening in Franklin park on Aug. 2. The park design also included natural elements, such as grasses and trees. ( Rachel K. Hindery/Pioneer Press )

Maple Park is one of 17 parks in Franklin Park. White described how some parks are an attraction for families in surrounding communities, such as River Grove, and predicts that Maple Park will be one of these.

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"It's becoming a destination park because of its newness," White said.

Maple Park's reopening celebration included a complimentary cookout, with hot dogs, hamburgers and lemonade provided by park district staff, three ribbon cuttings and cake.

Throughout the evening, children of all ages smiled and laughed as they tried out new playground equipment, and families talked with neighbors and friends.

"It's fulfilling. All the money, all the planning; it's worth it to see their faces," White said.

Many families will return to Maple Park, including Anna Trela and her family.

"I live very close to here, and I'll come here every time.  My kids always ask me to go to this park," Trela said.

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Rachel K. Hindery is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
The Flood of 2017 set some records, so it's understandable that flood recovery in Lake County has taken some time and people are still cleaning up, but a big move back to normal was the opening the Chain O' Lakes and the upper Fox River to boating as of Friday.

Joseph Keller, executive director of the Fox Waterway Agency, said he was not expecting any issues with the rain that fell Thursday, and on Friday morning he announced the waterways were open to full boating and not no wake.

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"Now we can give this waterway back to the people who are footing the bill for its care," he said.

Keller added that a debris advisory remained in effect, "and we would hope that people report debris directly to our (mobile) app from the water or at our website, www.foxwaterway.com."

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The lower Fox River, known as Zone A, will now be open to no-wake boating, which means boats have to idle and cannot produce a wake. Zone A extends from Algonquin to the Stratton Lock and Dam in McHenry.

Zones B and C, which include the upper river north of the Stratton Lock and the 15 lakes making up the Chain O' Lakes, were opened to full boating on Friday, according to a statement posted by the agency.

The Fox Waterway Agency has been hurrying to get buoys replaced and clear debris like floating trees, piers and even chunks of wetland called bogs.

The overall damage numbers along the waterways and beyond are being collected by the Lake County Emergency Management Agency and are still in flux as reports still come in, said Jennie Vana, communications manager for the county.

Vana added that "it's still too early to tell" whether or not public assistance funds will reach the $18.4 million level that would trigger help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Those are funds expended by the various villages, cities, townships and businesses in connection with the flood. There is a separate tally for residents, and the county reported that 3,500 residents reported flood damage.

"It's a multi-stepped process that could take a couple of months," Vana said, adding that the county was granted 30 days following the July 14 disaster declaration by Gov. Bruce Rauner to compile reports. The state can then take another 30 days, and then FEMA can take 30 days.

"It could take two or three months, or it could be sooner. It's hard to say," she said.

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According to a report released Friday by the county, the weather event that generated flooding July 11 and 12 was a tremendous rain storm that delivered 7 inches of rain in 24 hours. According to the Lake County Stormwater Commission, Gurnee and Lake Villa both experienced 160-year storm events.

The statement explained that a 100-year storm event doesn't mean it happens once every 100 years  it means "there's just a one percent chance of that storm occurring in that location in any given year."

Libertyville had a 130-year event, Lindenhurst and Lake Forest had 70-year events, Mundelein had a 50-year event, Old Mill Creek had 40-year event, Waukegan recorded a 30-year event, and Riverwoods and Wauconda had 20- and 10-year events, respectively.

All the rain created flash flooding, and because the storm systems stretched into Wisconsin, both river systems  the Fox/Chain O' Lakes and Des Plaines  filled quickly and continued to rise for six days after the rain. New river-gauge records were set at the Fox River in New Munster, Wis., at 17.5 feet, Fox Lake at 8.04, and the Fox River in Algonquin at 13.18.

The Des Plaines River gauges recorded records in Russell at 12.5, Gurnee at 12.09 and Lincolnshire at 16.53.

Lake County activated its Emergency Operations Center on July 12, and County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor proclaimed the county a disaster area later that day. Following a visit from Rauner on July 14, a state disaster declaration was issued, which can open the door for federal assistance, according to the report.

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The Lake County Division of Transportation's PASSAGE (Program for Arterial Signal Synchronization and Travel Guidance) live-traffic website became a must-see as the site was able to display both regular and major roadways that were closed due to flooding.

According to numbers reported by the county on Friday, PASSAGE had 162,508 hits to its website in an eight-day period during the height of flooding. The report added that "to put that into context, PASSAGE had 9,834 hits for the entire month of June."

The statement also reported that Lake County Public Works personnel "delivered more than 375,000 sandbags and 1,500 cleanup kits to municipalities and townships. Public Works also loaned out equipment like pumps, suction hoses, and machines to fill sandbags."

The county was also part of a Flood Resource Center with the American Red Cross and other agencies that were open for three days in Round Lake Beach and saw hundreds of people come in for help.

On Friday, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief crews from Illinois were stationed at the Wildwood Presbyterian Church with trailers of tools and supplies. Since their arrival two weeks ago, crews have received 300 work orders, said spokesman Jim Wieckersheimmer.

"We go in and take all the moldy furniture and appliances out, take out the drywall below the flood-line and any flooring that needs to be removed. Then we use a high pressure hose to hose it down and then we use a chemical to disinfect it," he said.

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The crews haven't gone through the 300 work orders yet, and Wieckersheimmer said they expect to be here through the month with fresh work crews coming in on a rotating basis from Kentucky, Missouri, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia and South Carolina.

"There is no cost. We do this for free as part of our ministry. If someone needs help they can call us," he said, adding that the number is 217-622-5101.

fabderholden@tribpub.com

Twitter @abderholden
Men, women and teenagers lifted their hands to the sky facing Lake Michigan on a cool, sunny, August Saturday morning as Marlene Runyard guided them through calming yoga poses.

The sky was brilliant blue. The sun was shining. The lake water was calm, and a gull cried from a distance.

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"Let the sun warm your shoulders," said Runyard, a retired Waukegan police officer who discovered yoga relieved her stress while she was on the job.

Now she is sharing that with others, hoping to give them the peace she finds in this ancient practice that originated in India.

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The free class is offered to the public at 8 a.m. Saturdays during the summer, through September, in the Stiner Pavilion, which is located near the south end of Waukegan Municipal Beach. Anyone can come to any of the classes.

"To have it on the beach, it's like we're in Jamaica," Laurene Ballenger said. A kindergarten teacher from Waukegan, Ballenger has taken yoga for years, working extra jobs to pay for it, she said. "It's expensive. Some of the people who come here to the free class never could experience this otherwise."

What they experienced that morning was Runyard helping them connect body, spirit and mind as they inhaled and exhaled slowly, following her cues to stretch, open and feel the earth beneath them.

"Listen to the occasional bird fly over," she said, as they moved into humble warrior pose.

"Feel the warmth of the sun," she said, as they moved their feet back and forth like windshield wipers.

Ballenger said Runyard connects with the beginners as well as the advanced yogis who come to the class, adding that, "You can tell Marlene is genuine."

Joining Ballenger in the class were her nieces, ages 15, 16 and 19. "Their focus is on Great America," she said. But she also encouraged them to rise early Saturday to try yoga with about 45 other folks who brought mats and water and wore comfortable clothing. Runyan also brings mats for those who don't have any.

"From every walk of life  we have teens; we have seniors; we have guys; we have everybody," said Runyan, who lives in Wadsworth.

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"It's a pretty cool group. The idea behind the yoga practice, especially this one, is it's a multilevel class," she added. "It's open to every level of experience. Not everybody takes the poses to the fullest level."

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 6 Yoga students sit cross-legged at the Stiner Pavilion during a free yoga class at Waukegan Municipal Beach. (Sheryl DeVore/Lake County News-Sun )

Runyard served on the Waukegan Police Department for 30 years and now teaches yoga for the park district, as well as through Northwestern Medicine in Lake Forest to a cancer survivor group and at Illinois Beach State Park Resort and Conference Center in Zion.

In 1995, she was named Waukegan's deputy police chief, the first woman in Lake County to achieve that status.

"The reason I got into yoga was for stress management," Runyard said. "As you move up through the ranks as a police officer, stress increases. Yoga has been a benefit to me, and I was hoping to take it to others.

"I was at a point I needed a more effective way to manage life in general. Every job is stressful. For the firemen or emergency room workers or the checkers at Costco who take complaints and criticisms from customers, every job has its level of stress. The key is to identify that stress and find a way to manage it and create an aura of tranquility."

Runyard added that yoga works for her. Yoga can reduce pain, relieve insomnia, lower blood pressure and provide an individual with better coping skills, according to the American Osteopathic Association.

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As a police officer, Runyard said, responding to a call requires calmness and alertness. She learned to attain that state through a yoga practice called alternate nostril breathing, which she taught the class that Saturday morning.

It involves holding one nostril closed while exhaling and then inhaling through the other.

"I'd be on my way to a call with the sirens going, and I'd do alternate nostril breathing and it just changed everything. You're so calm," and in turn that calms the people around you, she said.

"It's rebalancing the brain. Attitude is contagious," said Loyda Santiago, a Waukegan police officer who just started attending Runyard's Saturday yoga class. The women are neighbors, and Runyard has taught Santiago how to use deep-breathing yoga exercises to improve shooting skills when at the range.

Ballenger said yoga helps her forget about the worries and stress of teaching. "It connects you with the universe. It calms you."

Ballenger's three nieces finished the hour-long session with smiles.

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"I feel refreshed," said Serena Clark, 16. "I feel like a whole new person. I feel like I have the energy to go for the next five days."

Susan Dudek, a Waukegan resident, has been taking yoga for 25 years, including through the park district classes Runyard teaches.

But she said there's something special about the free outdoor class.

"It's mesmerizing," Dudek said. "Just to be with the birds and in the fresh air, it's a whole new yoga experience."

Sheryl DeVore is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
Keep conservation programs going

In light of Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue's "Back to Our Roots" tour around five Midwestern states, it is important to reflect on which pieces of the Farm Bill deserve attention in 2018. The conservation title is a vital piece of this legislation, as it supports programs that focus on landscape-level and sustainable practices that help preserve our nation's rural communities, wildlife and natural resources.

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One example of a conservation project in our own backyard is the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which has helped improve water quality and habitat in the Great Lakes region since 2010. The program works with local farmers to implement strategies that reduce runoff, decrease soil erosion and improve overall soil health, thereby increasing both agricultural productivity and bird habitat quality. The Farm Bill also provides funding for local organizations through the Regional Conservation Partnership Programs to implement geography-specific conservation projects. For instance, in 2015, the Farm Bill provided funds for a program in Illinois that installed new drainage management systems in agricultural fields to provide temporary habitat for migrating birds like the American Golden-Plover.

The health of agricultural and natural landscapes is intimately connected, and it is important to recognize that we cannot improve one without addressing the other. I encourage Secretary Perdue to celebrate the successes of the conservation programs so far, and extend them for years to come.

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Chris Geiselhart, president, Lake County Audubon Society

Share your views

Submit letters to the editor via email to suburbanletters@tribpub.com. Please include your name and town of residence for publication. Please include phone number and email address for confirmation. Letters should be no more than 250 words.
No tax dollars for sex change

I am going to tell you something  My taxes for going for plenty of stuff. But, this transgender thing. My tax dollars are supposed to go to someone who wants a sex change and join the Army? Guess what? Go get your sex change before you join the Army. I don't like my money spent on abortions. I don't like it spent on sex changes. I don't like it spent on a whole lot of garbage these left-wing guys want. This whole thing, "Transgendered on the losing side of culture wars" on the opinion page, is completely wrong. Whatever you want to practice in your bedroom is your deal. Don't get me involved. Transgendered people have nothing to do with fighting a war. It has everything to do with sitting in a hospital. All they want is give me, give me and give me.

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Where's money going?

It is real clear that the people getting the welfare and Link cards are selling them for something else. When you are getting all that help, your kids should not be hungry. I say, let's start drug-testing them. Let's make sure if you are a parent who gets assistance to feed your kids, that is what you are doing with the money and not spending it on weed or heroin. There has to be a connection to where the money is going.

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Out of touch

That Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg are so out of touch with the regular American people. I would hate to be one of Joy Behar's grandchildren. That woman has no direction. She is way out in left field.

Chicago sanctuary city

So Emanuel says this is a sanctuary city. Good. All the panhandlers will go to Chicago. The rest of the country has to go by the law of the land, and that means no more of this garbage. Everyone has seen the statistics on illegals and crime. It is about time someone does something. If you guys in Chicago don't think you have enough problems, wait till you get all the sanctuary people that want to hide out there.

Immigrants benefit Trump

The immigration system is fixed so the Trumpkin can hire immigrants to work in his hotels and resorts, and not pay Americans a living wage. Everything he and his daughter manufacture are done in foreign countries. Nothing is made in America. With him it is, "Do as I say, not as I do."

Lake County News Sun Twice-weekly News updates from Lake County delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Where's code compliance?

I have one question for the city of Waukegan that I am hoping someone can answer. Is there still a code compliance department? Driving around town, this town is getting to be such a mess. It is already bad, but it is getting worse. There is garage everywhere. There are cars parked on the grass. There are high weeds in places, and there are a lot of homes in disrepair. If there is a code compliance department, then they need to start doing their jobs. If not, we need to get a department in place as soon as possible. I voted for our mayor, Cunningham. I hope you can take care of this as soon as possible. The town is getting really bad, and it needs to be looked at as soon as possible.

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Select closures

I am reading News Sun on Aug. 3. It is a fine article about how the Chain of Lakes was entirely closed for boating. I was wondering how Blarney Island on Grass Lake was allowed to have their large Blarney Fest a week ago when our entire chain was closed, and all our marinas and restaurants suffered. I live on Grass Lake and hear people whooping and hollering on their way out to the island, and they stayed open until the wee hours of the morning. Was IDNR, the Conservation Department or Lake County Sheriff's Office or Fire Department aware of this in case something happened? I thought the Chain of Lakes was closed to everyone, not a very select few.

Absurd ideas

I think Trump should be sent to Guantanamo Bay and waterboarded until he releases his tax returns. This idea is as absurd as many of the things he has suggested recently.

Editor's note

Talk of the County is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you see something you disagree with or think is incorrect, please tell us. Call us at 312-222-4554 or email talkofthecounty@tribpub.com . For a continuously updating blog of Talk of the County comments, go to newssunonline.com/talk.
With state lawmakers at odds over how to pay school districts following Gov. Bruce Rauner's recent veto of an education funding bill, some districts in Lake County are planning to use more reserves once the new school year begins.

Although the issue has a greater effect on districts that rely more on state funding, school administrators in Barrington, Lake Zurich and Lincolnshire all have said they are concerned with how the financial uncertainty will affect funds the state already owes their districts and the possibility of larger deficits.

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But all three districts do plan to open school on time and avoid additional borrowing to keep budgets afloat, as the General Assembly weighs how to respond to Rauner's veto last week and rewrite of the statewide education funding bill that promised reforms to how state education money is divvied up to districts.

Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95 will open on time Aug. 23, regardless of the uncertainty over state education funding, said Superintendent Kaine Osburn. But if the issue is prolonged well into the new school year, the district will have to rely more on its reserves, he said.

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"Thanks to the fiscal stewardship of our board of education and our community's commitment to our schools, diminished state funding will not have an immediate impact on our school operations," Osburn said. "However, the state currently owes us more than $1 million, and if what it owes us continues to grow, that could affect operations over time."

Barrington School District 220 also plans to open on time Aug. 21, but officials find themselves in a similar financial position as District 95.

The state still owes the district $4 million after missing two payments last year covering transportation and special education, said Superintendent Brian Harris said.

"We ran buses and paid special education staff. We're using our reserves to cover that," Harris said. "My point is, we can't go too much deeper because of that."

Stevenson High School District 125 also will open on time for the first day of school Aug. 14, said spokesman Jim Conrey. The district can manage the financial uncertainty with the state since only 4 percent ($3.9 million) of its annual budget is funded through state dollars, he said.

"Fortunately, we rely relatively little on the state for financial support, so the funding uncertainty doesn't impact us as much as it does other districts," he said. "We will dip into our reserves as necessary until the state budget situation is resolved."

On Aug. 1, Rauner announced his amendatory veto to a state education funding bill that sought changes to how school state aid is distributed, rewriting the measure to strip out more than $200 million in grant money to Chicago Public Schools

The veto sets the stage for weeks  and potentially months  of uncertainty, kicking the issue back to Democrats who control the General Assembly, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune.

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As of Aug. 1, the Illinois Senate has 15 days to consider the veto, and then the Illinois House would have another 15 days to act on it. If lawmakers don't agree with the changes or overturn them, the legislation dies and the comptroller's office would be unable to send schools state aid payments until new legislation is approved.

The first checks are scheduled to be sent by Aug. 10, according to the Chicago Tribune. If that deadline is missed, many schools that rely on state funding would not be able to open, the paper said, while other districts may have to cut back on programs, borrow or tap into reserves.

A "worst-case scenario" at Stevenson, involving a situation where state education funding isn't resolved until the next budget cycle, the district would need to cover its $3.9 million in state funding by using its reserves, Conrey said.

District 95 would also rely on its reserves if the impasse is prolonged, Osburn said.

In budget year 2016, the district received about $6 million from the state, including $2.3 million in general state aid, he said.

The remaining state funding was provided through categorical grants, partial reimbursement for student transportation and special education services, as well as other minor reimbursements, Osburn said.

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District 220, which receives more than $10 million annually, or about 8 percent of its funding, from the state, plans to operate initially this school year under a budget that anticipates full state funding, Harris said.

"We'll be able to maintain our budget for a while without it. We need that money  don't get me wrong  but we think eventually they will come to a compromise," Harris said. "The impact in August is not huge, but at some point we will need that funding."

The issue is more critical in other school districts that receive up to 20 percent or more of their overall funding from the state, Harris said.

Osburn also urged state lawmakers to work together to reach a "democratic compromise" to fund schools adequately and equitably.

"Our kids' education should not be placed at risk due to an inability to compromise," he said. "We are all better than that and can set a better example for our kids."

Phil Rockrohr is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Morton Grove police officials said that the villages National Night Out event, held Tuesday Aug. 1, 2017 in Morton Grove, helps build police-community relations. (Morton Grove Police Department )

A group of police officers with flashlights walking down a darkened street is usually a cause for concern. But that was not the case in Morton Grove last week as dozens of officers and residents took to the streets as part of the nationwide National Night Out community-building campaign.

Organizers said about 750 people participated in National Night Out Aug. 1 in the village.

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They took part in various events including a climbing wall, pony rides, inflatable bounce houses, face painting, martial arts demonstrations and more, said Morton Grove police Commander Paul Yaras.

He said residents were also given free hotdogs, pizza, ice cream and tacos donated by local businesses.

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"It's just amazing the amount of support we got not only from our residents but also our businesses," said Yaras.

National Night Out was created by the National Association of Town Watch, a nonprofit organization dedicated to "the development and promotion of various crime prevention programs including neighborhood watch groups, law enforcement agencies, state and regional crime prevention associations, businesses, civic groups and individuals devoted to safer communities," according to information NATW distributes announcing the night out.

The event is held annually in municipalities across the country on the first Tuesday in August as a way to "promote police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live," according to the organization's website.

NATW reports that National Night Out now involves over 37.8 million people and 16,124 communities from all 50 states, U.S. Territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide.

"We are getting truly a grouping of people from our community. We get to see them and they get to see us. It's very laid back. It gives people a nice thing to do on a weekday night. It gets them out. It gets their kids out. It's a nice activity for everybody," said Yaras.

Other nearby towns that participated in the event include Evanston, Skokie, and Niles.

"The way it impacts our community is it definitely brings people closer to the officers," said Niles police Commander Robert Tornabene.

National Night Out in Niles featured events like a water balloon toss, free food, a chance to meet the department's police dog and see him in action, a distracted and impaired driving course and a dunk tank, as well as other events, the commander noted.

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He said the initiative gives people a chance to interact with police in relaxed  and fun  environment.

"They can talk to them (police officers) one-on-one in a non-criminal situation. It's more just people talking to people and developing those relationships," Tornabene said.

The Evanston National Night Out included various events around the city, including a walk on a section of Howard Street, barbecues, a movie shown a Wicks Park and events at the Evanston Public Library, just to name a few.

"It was great," said Evanston police Commander Joe Dugan. "We had a lot of participation."

"The high point is just being able to go out and get together with the police and community members and show some unity against crime, spent time in a positive atmosphere with everybody," said Dugan.

That's a big motivating factor behind the event, according to NATW on the National Night Out website.

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"National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances," the website states.

Dugan said the latter is a plus for police departments.

"Anytime we can get out and engage the public in a non-law enforcement scenario is good for improving community relations, building bridges and getting to know each other," Dugan said. "Each year it gets better. We get more people coming out."

Brian L. Cox is a freelancer.

Pioneer Press reporter Mike Isaacs contributed to this report.
A display features candy that can be used as an edible form of medical marijuana. (Dan Lambert / Pioneer Press)

In the lobby of a nondescript Vernon Hills office building on a recent afternoon, a crowd of onlookers watched a cooking demonstration featuring a recipe for marijuana-infused brownies.

Across the room, a table displayed glass smoking pipes and, a couple of booths over, samples were offer of foil-wrapped flavored chocolates that, should a customer have the proper licensing, can be laced with marijuana.

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Organizers estimated that several hundred people attended an expo Sunday sponsored by the three medical marijuana dispensaries currently operating in Lake County. The event was designed to be an opportunity for those looking to learn about medical marijuana and it was also hoped, organizers said, that current users would be able to connect with dispensaries, product vendors and researchers in an informal setting.

"The idea is to show that we are humans and that there could be something to this that may be a benefit if they have struck out with Western medicine or their own doctors," said Joseph Friedman, the chief operations officer at Buffalo Grove dispensary PDI Medical.

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The state's pilot medical cannabis program started in 2013 and dispensaries began to open in 2015. Dispensary representatives on hand Sunday said they have experienced growing customer rosters but note that the state's list of medical cannabis users has remained relatively small, limiting their customer base.

As of last week, Illinois had 23,300 medical cannabis cardholders who are able to purchase from 53 approved dispensaries throughout the state, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Local dispensaries attribute some of the program's slow growth to what they argue is a limited list of approved conditions for patients to acquire a medical marijuana card. They also cite a hesitancy on the part of doctors to suggest cannabis as a potential treatment option. Also, they add, medical cannabis is still somewhat taboo.

"By any stretch, this has not been a successful program," Friedman said of the state's current numbers.

Elizabeth Justus, the director of patient care at Elevele in Highland Park, said the North Shore dispensary has been open since March 2016 and has seen slow growth.

"There is not a lot of awareness  whether it be doctors, whether it be people who are perspective patients themselves or people with qualifying conditions," Justus said. "There's just a lack of knowledge."

That knowledge gap is something Robbie Robinson is hoping to address. The Lake County resident said he has helped about 30 medical marijuana patients over the last year navigate the process of acquiring a medical marijuana card. He said his own bout with cancer and several close family members' cancer battles inspired him to become an advocate for medical marijuana use.

"I have had nothing but positive reinforcement when I told people I was going public with this" Robinson said. "It was just the perfect storm in my life that I didn't have anything to lose if people knew."

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Robinson attended the expo with Steven Box who is currently going through the certification process. Box said he has experienced a litany of health problems in recent years, ailments that include kidney cancer and a spinal cord injury.

He hopes that cannabis allows him to reduce the number of doctor-prescribed painkillers he is currently taking.

"I don't want to take all the (narcotics) I take for pain," Box said. "I want to get off those pills and I think that this is one way to do it."

He said the process of acquiring a medical marijuana card can be a long one, and many patients have a difficult time discussing the option with their doctors.

"My doctor of 10 years would not give me the authorization or the certification that I have these things he's treated me for," Box said.

In Illinois, doctors do not prescribe marijuana. Instead, they give a written certification that a patient has a qualifying condition, according to state law.

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Both men said speaking about their health concerns helps demystify the use of medical marijuana and reduce the stigma.

"I'm the same person that people knew before they knew that I used (marijuana)," Robinson said. "I want them to know, they need to be educated about this."

As Marlene Schwan, supervisor of patient services at The Clinic Mundelein, scanned the expo's steady crowd on Sunday and remarked on the variety of age groups represented. She said when new patients come in for a consultation or to purchase cannabis, they often feel more comfortable with their decision to go the cannabis route.

"They see their peers, the other patients that come in, and it's not stereotypical," Schwan said. "You can't say it's these people coming in or those people. It's all people."

She said that when the dispensary first opened, many of the people she saw were already marijuana users. But within the last six months there has been a shift toward people age 55 and older who are looking for relief from long-time symptoms.

"At the beginning, I was a little hesitant on saying where I worked and what I did," said Schwan, who entered the field a year and a half ago. "Now I am very proud of it."

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dalambert@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @DanLambert22
Union Ridge School District Superintendent Michael Maguire: Currently were at the point where we have to be very cautious with our resources ... (Pioneer Press)

As a new school year approaches, Union Ridge School District Superintendent Michael Maguire takes time from his duties to make five or six home visits a week, checking on students' residency, in a role sometimes more befitting a private detective.

Maguire is usually joined by a principal as they visit homes and apartments, scanning mailbox names and talking to neighbors, making sure the families they've come to visit live there.

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The visits, referred to as "residency checks," are in line with Illinois School Code, which mandates that public schools ensure that students attending the school district on a tuition-free basis are residents.

With a spike in the Harwood Heights' school's enrollment "we're trying to protect the integrity of the district," he said during an interview in his office. "Currently, we're at the point where we have to be very cautious with our resources and try to make sure that we're catering to our residents."

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Union Ridge isn't alone. Other school districts in Harwood Heights and Norridge  sometimes referred to the as 'the Islands' because of their close proximity to Chicago (and funding-strapped Chicago schools)  are taking steps to tighten the residency process as well.

At Ridgewood High School District 234, ensuring that students reside in the district is a school board priority, pointed out Superintendent Jennifer Kelsall, "for the main reason that if you have people attending here who don't live here, it's taxpayer money. And at a time when state funding is uncertain, you're going to have even a bigger concern how much money we spend. And we need to make sure we spend it on our kids."

Formerly, the school, at 7500 West Montrose, Norridge, made students verify residency within the district only when they entered as freshmen. Now they have to prove residency every year, she said.

As in the case of Union Ridge, Ridgewood also conducts home visits, Kelsall said.

School districts accept a variety of documents establishing a student lives in a district. They include a utility bill, a driver's license, voter registration card and rental lease.

At Ridgewood High School, the Office of Student Services reviews the information "and if there is something missing or something seems off, they're flagged," said Kelsall.

"It could be they don't have a lease or the lease is out of date," she said, "or if they live with someone else and the lease is in that person's name."

School officials then set up a time for a home visit, looking to determine in line with school law, where "the child lays their head" during the school week, Kelsall said.

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On the visits, "they need to see a bed  they need to see a toothbrush," she said. "They're really trying to looking to see "do you really live here, or are they saying they do so they can go to school here?"

In some cases, the district has taken nonresidents to board hearings where, if found not to be resident, a family can be ordered to reimburse the district for tuition which, for Ridgewood, the state sets at around $22,000.

If someone had been attending school for a short time, "we take that on per-diem, and they get a bill for ... the days they were attending," she said.

"It's hard," Kelsall says about some of the measures, "but we do it because it saves taxpayers money. It's really about making sure the money that is supposed to go to our students, goes to our students."

Pennoyer School District 79, at 5200 N. Cumberland Ave., also has put in stricter measures to ensure residency, "to do our due diligence to our taxpayers," Superintendent Kristin Kopta said.

The district, which includes children in preschool through eighth grade, serves parts of Norridge, Harwood Heights and unincorporated Norwood Park Township.

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A Chicago elementary school, named for Everett McKinley Dirksen, sits kitty corner. "I can see it from my window," Kopta said.

Enrollment has gone up slightly at the school, which has 410 students, prompting the district to put in "a little stricter process," including having parents come to the school in July, bringing in documentation, she said.

Kopta, with a principal, has made house visits. In one instance, a student was removed from the district after the case went to a board hearing, she said.

In some cases, parents may get confused because of the school's close proximity to Chicago, Kopta allowed. On the other hand, "Pennoyer's funding base is basically our local homeowners taxes," she noted.

Norridge School District 80 officials "have been very diligent to assure the community that students are residents who live in the community," said Superintendent Paul O'Malley, responding to the question.

"We've been very diligent about, and we've actually had some challenges where we won," he said.

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He said enrollment at the school district, with about 1,100 students, has remained stable. As for enforcement of residence, "we use a very cost-effective manner  it's really a law of diminishing returns if you go door to door as opposed to making sure they (students) have the proper paperwork," he maintained.

Union Ridge School District, a K-8 school at 4600 N. Oak Park Ave. in Harwood Heights, uses a variety of methods to assure residence after seeing a spike in enrollment in recent years.

Enrollment at the school shot up from 494 students to 573 students between the 2013 and 2016 school years.

"This is a wonderful community, and I understand why parents would want to enroll their children into the district  you know, we feel we offer a lot to our students," said Maguire. "But I think if we continue growing at the rate we're growing, we're going to have to look at reducing some of the things we do for students."

The district has taken a number of steps to ensure that students being educated are residents, including instituting annual registration and putting in place stringent documentation process where parents or guardians must provide multiple proofs of residency.

Beyond main documents such as a student's birth certificate, a parent or guardian's ID, the district is also asking for backup information  such as a current mortgage, property tax bill, a signed and dated lease with proof of the most recent rent payment  a letter of residency to be used when the person seeking to enroll a student is living with a district resident.

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In addition, the district has stepped up its home visits, using a third party in some cases, Maguire said.

He acknowledged the extra vigilance has not always been appreciated.

"I've been on some home visits where they're very upset; they said we're harassing them. 'We're not harassing, we're just trying to protect,' he explained.

"People feel we shouldn't have to do it every year, but if we don't do it every year then we're going to continue to run into the same problem  people moving into the district and out of the district but keeping the students enrolled," he said. "And it's everybody  even the person who lives right next to the school. We know they live there, but we still ask them to prove that they live there."
U.S. Coast Guard Bossens Mate Duston Gentry has helped with search and rescue efforts on Lake Michigan since he was assigned to the Michigan City Coast Guard station two years ago.

But there's one aspect of search and rescue that he still can't get used to.

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"I am new to ice rescue. I do not like walking on ice," he added.

Gentry grew up in Southern Idaho, but he said that the ice is different. In Idaho, the little ponds may have 3 or 4 feet of solid ice, he said.

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"Here the lake doesn't ever completely freeze over," he said.

Gentry recently spoke to the Crown Point Rotary Club to celebrate the 227th Birthday of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Prior to his current assignment, Gentry was stationed in Texas along the Gulf of Mexico, where Coast Guard officers were primarily law enforcement watching for drug smugglers from Mexico or Cuba.

The Michigan City station has two helicopters that launch out of Detroit Naval Air Station.

"Currently, we have an HH 65 Dolphin and we are transitioning to the MH 60 Jayhawks," Gentry said of the station's air fleet. "Most people know it as a Black Hawk, the army has them. These helicopters can get here fast when we need them."

Crown Point Councilman Andrew Kyres, D-3rd, wanted to know how many Coast Guard stations cover the southern half of Lake Michigan.

Gentry said that there are three nearby. Michigan City is the smallest with a staff of 20, there is one in Traverse City, Mich., that has 30, and one in Chicago's Calumet Harbor. The commander of the Chicago station is Chief Warrant Officer Matthew James, who covers an area from North Avenue in Chicago all around the base of the lake to the east end of Gary.

Calumet is the largest station with 40 active duty Coast Guard officers, 12 reserve and over 200 Coast Guard Auxiliary.

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The south shore of Lake Michigan has a propensity for rip tides, and one questioner wondered if the Coast Guard patrols more often on days with rip tides.

"Usually when there is a big rip tide, the seas are really bad and we don't go out," Gentry said.

Out of Michigan City, Gentry said the greatest distance by boat is just 45 minutes away.

"We have a 45-foot response boat that can travel at 30 knots per hour," he said. "It is a big heavy boat. We also have a 29-foot boat that can travel at almost 50 knots per hour," he said.

According to Gentry, waves can reach up to 16 feet. On Lake Michigan, Gentry said conditions can get bad really fast.

"On the Gulf, it is spread out and you have time to correct the boat. On Lake Michigan, it is much worse. The waves just keep coming," Gentry said.

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Gentry served as a combat engineer in Afghanistan and Iraq with the Marines. But when he came home it was hard to find work.

"I led patrols with a metal detector to keep everyone safe," Gentry said.

Executive Petty Officer William Flores, second in command of the Michigan City station, said the Coast Guard also enforce maritime laws.

"We have made over 300 boarding inspections already this year," Flores said.

kconley@post-trib.com
Happy Birthday

August 4: U. S. Coast Guard, Happy 227th August 4, 1790. It is older than the US Navy.

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August 10: Tim Angel is 18 today

August 12: Mike Puente

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August 13: Barb Kortokrax, John Moos and Jim McCann share this date but not the year

August 14: Tim Tully

August 15: Leo Ruiz and Rachael Qualizza share this date

August 16: Kenzie Piper Kleven is 6 today she shares this date with Eric Olson

Happy Anniversary

August 8: Ruth & Dave Egofske

August 14: Jack & Marilee Halpin

August 10: The Lake County Fair ends on Aug. 13. If you want to go but have been putting it off, you better hurry. Try to avoid the rain drops. The Fair started in 1852, but because of World Wars, it is not the 165th consecutive fair.

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August 15: Holy Day of Obligation Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

August 17: Franciscan Health's Marian Education Center in Crown Point will hold a special program at 9 a.m. to discuss the differences between age related memory loss and Alzheimer's disease.

We should all be grateful for what we have and work to help those who don't have what they need to live. The next time we moan about living in a flat area with no waterfront view, think of those who we thought were lucky enough to have a beautiful water frontview that live along the Fox River in the northern suburbs of Chicago. I have to remind myself when I complain of the ice on my driveway that is at such an angle from the street  that it's the same angle and height above street level that keeps the rainwater out of our basement. I should be grateful that we have a home. When the basket comes by you in church or synagogue or mosque, make sure to share your treasures with those who need it to just survive.

The more than 1-year-old Lowell Rotary is having a blowout fundraiser. The top prize is Kubota RTV-X900 and John Deere 1023 E with D120 Loader. If you don't know what this tractor is, you probably don't need one. For us city folks, the winner can also choose $25,000 in cash, second place is $1,500, third is $750 and fourth through 10th is $150 each. Tickets are $100 each. If they only sell 250 tickets instead of the 350 needed to make up the big prize, the top prize is reduced to $9,600. Raffle purchases are not a charitable contribution. They will only sell a maximum of 500 tickets. If you are interested, call 219 690-1540 for more information. Good luck to the new Lowell Rotary.

The story about the corn to ethanol for E-15 missed one sentence in the story that bothered some of our readers. The farmer has 1,200 acres of land and only had 900 bushels of corn. The sentence missing told that corn was just one of his crops. He did not get just 900 bushels of corn over the entire 1,200 acres. Like a lot of the farmers from this part of the country, he hedges his bet on the weather and brings in a variety of crops. Sorry that got missed.

If any of you attended the boat races on Lake Michigan in Michigan City this weekend, please email me and tell me all about it.

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Quote of the Day: "An investment in education pays the best interest."  Benjamin Franklin

When some people refer to modern architecture, they often talk about Frank Lloyd Wright and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Wright was born in Richland Center, Wis., in 1866, and van der Rohe was born in 1886 in Aachen, Germany. Both have been dead for almost 50 years, but their designs live on. My grandfather wanted to buy a Wright house along Lake Michigan in Racine, Wis. My grandmother said "no!" The furniture was all built into the concrete  she couldn't rearrange the furniture without a jack-hammer.

The Colonel John Wheeler Middle School 7th Grade Team Denali have stepped up to the plate in their 2nd Annual "Bags of Hope" program to help the children in Lake County that have been rescued by the county Department of Child Services.

This year's batch of 7th graders have been going full steam ahead. Brian Jones is the 7th grade teacher heading up the academic team of Team Denali at Wheeler. There are around 160 students that make up this team. These students were so moved by last year's collection of things for the foster care children that they threw themselves into the program with great gusto.

This brought great joy to Jones. It is very personal for him as he and his wife are foster parents. Jones appreciates the charity and love shown by the kids in Team Denali. This year they have collected over 5,200 items that are made part of the "Bags of Hope" that were given to the representatives of DCS to be distributed to the children in their care. This will assure that the children will have something of their very own.

Team Denali filled 140 bags, having beaten their goal of 80 bags, plus there were 7 boxes full of children's items that were donated for DCS to distribute as needed. The students made bags for all age groups.

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Team Denali member Emma Nelson came from Jerry Ross Elementary in Winfield. She told her family she didn't want anything for Easter. She wanted them to help bring things to school for the "Bags of Hope".

"My great aunt is a foster parent so they are big about that stuff," Nelson said. "I started working on things for the bags the first day I got my packet."

Each bag contains some very specific items. Each child will get a blanket all their own as well as a stuffed animal, toys, blank journals/diaries, night lights, as well as age appropriate games, and inside and outside toys, hair accessories, posters and school supplies.

Twan Stokes, DCS Division Manager of Licensing, told the students that they currently have over 2,500 children in the system that they care for that have either been abused or neglected. Quite often when the go to rescue the children it can be in the middle of the night and the children leave with just the clothing on their backs.

"We often hear that they are thrilled to have a bed, and on top of that a bed of their own," she told the students. "It is important to our children that they know these things were put together by someone else that thought about them."

Jones has created an outreach program through Wheeler. On the Wheeler home page there is a link and Jones will manage the email domain. It is wheeleroutreach@cps.k12.in.us Jones said, "This will be a collaborative effort between Wheeler Middle School and the community of Crown Point to help those in need. Individuals can email the outreach program and I will facilitate the outreach efforts."

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kconley@post-trib.com
DunesAction! public meeting

DunesAction! will hold a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at The Baugher Center, formerly the Westchester Public Library Service Center,100 E. Indiana Ave., Chesterton. The purpose of the meeting is to update supporters on the current status of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Pavilion Reuse Project at the Indiana Dunes State Park. More information is with Jim Sweeney at 219-322-7239.

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Art gallery to celebrate exhibit opening with reception

The Purdue Northwest CHESS Art Gallery will host an opening reception for the exhibit entitled "Dark Matter by Artist Liz Mares" from 6-10 p.m. Thursday at 6725 Kennedy Ave., Hammond. More information is at eventbrite.com/CHESS Art Gallery.

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'Give Back' dinner to benefit Learning Center

100 Washington restaurant will host a "Give Back" dinner from 4-9 p.m. Thursday at 100 Washington St., Michigan City, with a portion of the evening's proceeds to benefit the Dunes Learning Center. Reservations are not required. More information is at duneslearningcenter.org or one00washington.com.

Prairie Magic Music Festival at Sunset Hill

Porter County Parks and Recreation will host the Prairie Magic Music Festival at 2 p.m. Saturday at Sunset Hill Farm County Park, 775 Meridian Road, Valparaiso. Doors will open at 1 p.m. Lineup for the festival includes the Nicholas Tremulis Orchestra, The Crawpuppies and The Planetary Blues Band. The Blues Project, a music program featuring students from Ben Franklin Middle School in Valparaiso, also will appear. The family-friendly event also will include vendors, food, ice cream, a beer tent, and bounce houses and activities for children. In addition, Sunset Hill Farm Campground will be open for camping the night of the festival. Families can rent space for $5. Tickets for the festival are $15 for adults, $10 for students with a student ID and free for children under 12. Proceeds will benefit the Porter County Parks Foundation and the Blues Project. Tickets are at prairiemagicmusicfest.brownpapertickets.com.

Decay Devils to host community party

To celebrate the completion of their Union Station project, The Decay Devils will host a community party from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at 247 Broadway Ave., Gary. The event will feature music, food and games. The Union Station project was funded by a grant from the Knight Foundation. More information is at decaydevils.org.

Take Steps for Crohn's and Colitis Walk

Team LoveLaila, named for Lauren Laila Townsend who lost her 10-year battle with Crohn's and Colitis disease in 2014, will sponsor the first Take Steps for Crohn's and Colitis walk in Northwest Indiana from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Wicker Memorial Park, 8554 Indianapolis Blvd., Highland. The two- to three-mile walk will help fund research for the disease. Pre-registration is $20. On-site registration will be available. More information is at 817-805-6181.

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HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson takes questions from the media during a visit to the U.S.S. Lead Superfund site in East Chicago. Aug. 7, 2017. (Jim Karczewski/Post-Tribune )

U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson visited the former Carrie Gosch Elementary School in East Chicago on Monday to meet with state officials and a handful of activists and former West Calumet residents about the U.S.S. Lead Superfund site.

"It's clear listening to some of the residents, they've had difficulty moving," Carson said during a brief appearance after the meeting. "We do have to clearly recognize the importance of getting our citizens out of harms way."

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"That's been done here," he said. "It's been done in a good way. Are there better ways to do it? Probably."

Carson met with officials including Gov. Eric Holcomb, Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., and U.S Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, who largely praised the coordination between governmental agencies.

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Earlier this year, Donnelly, Young and Visclosky invited EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt and Carson to visit East Chicago to see why the agencies' continued support is necessary. Pruitt visited in April.

HUD Secretary Ben Carson met with local officials and residents uprooted by East Chicago's lead crisis at the former Carrie Gosch Elementary School on Aug. 7, 2017. (Meredith Colias / Post-Tribune)

"The nation will use this a blueprint on how to deal with lead crisis or any other crisis across the nation," East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland said.

Some former West Calumet residents and activists disagreed with that characterization.

"The relocation as far as we were concerned was dismal," said the Rev. Cheryl Rivera, of the Community Strategy Group, who met with Carson. "There were two folks that have had a different experience and I would consider that an anomaly based on a number of famlies that we have worked with in the past year."

The role federal agencies played in relocating residents was "a blueprint of what not to do," former resident Tara Adams, who also met with Carson.

In February, Holcomb approved a disaster declaration for East Chicago to bolster efforts to assist residents affected by lead and arsenic contamination around the U.S.S. Lead Superfund site. As a part of that declaration, state officials would ask the EPA for funding to replace lead pipes at the Superfund site.

At Holcomb's direction, Indiana state agencies have already begun providing assistance to the city, including relocation assistance for the residents of the West Calumet Housing Complex and pledging to provide water filters to residents in the remainder of the Superfund site.

In the seven weeks since Demetra Turner left East Chicago, she had to quit her job when she finally found a housing complex outside Joliet, Ill., that accepted her Section 8 voucher.

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Now worried about money for basic deposits for water and trash, she is searching for a job as she sees how her 12-year-old daughter will adjust to attending school for the first time outside of East Chicago.

As one of the last families to leave temporary housing in West Calumet in June, she said their move has brought more uncertainty as they have had to start a new life with minimal guidance, Turner said.

"It's been an uphill battle," she said. "I can't even stand here and pretend like it isn't."

"I held out as long as I could, because I didn't want to leave my home," Turner said. "We were set off on our own to fend for ourselves."

Rivera's group pushed a list of demands including the creation of an "East Chicago Recovery Fund" to give residents options to move again and provide other homeowners environmental risk assessments; and giving former West Calumet residents the first right if replacement housing is built.

Other demands were for HUD to complete an environmental impact statement for the proposed demolition, a HUD inspector general review of the relocation process and a regular contact representative for the group in HUD's D.C. office.

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U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, waves to protesters outside of the old Carrie Gosch Elementary. (Jim Karczewski/Post-Tribune )

mcolias@post-trib.com

Twitter @meredithcolias
A former detective with the Porter County Sheriff's Department was booked into Porter County Jail Saturday on a felony charge of possessing child pornography and a misdemeanor count of furnishing alcohol to a minor.

A 16-year veteran of the department, Roger Bowles, 56, of Hebron, retired May 31, said Porter County Sheriff David Reynolds. He had been on paid leave since an investigation into the allegations began by Indiana State Police in February at the request of the sheriff's department. He worked as a jailer before being hired as a sheriff's officer, Reynolds said.

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According to court documents, one of Bowles' co-workers told investigators a 17-year-old girl he knew had been in a sexual relationship with Bowles.

The girl told police she met Bowles while both worked at the 2015 Porter County Fair. The two exchanged cellphone numbers at the 2016 fair and began communicating through text messages, according to the documents.

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The teen told detectives the two began a consensual sexual relationship, documents said. According to the court filing, "Indiana law does not prohibit this sexual activity because Juvenile's age was 16 or older," the document states.

The investigation revealed that Bowles allegedly had nude photographs of the teen on his phone, including one taken on or about Dec. 8, and the teen reportedly confirmed later that Bowles had taken the picture, court documents said.

The teen told the detective that Bowles reportedly provided her alcoholic beverages on more than one occasion, which she consumed, court documents said.

According to court documents, the investigating detective confirmed the information by finding texts from her to Bowles about her drinking. She was 17 at the time.

"The investigation also shows that both Bowles and juvenile participated in their relationship in secret, without the knowledge of juvenile's parents or the knowledge of defendant's professional acquaintances," the document states.

During an interview, Bowles reportedly confirmed for the investigating detective that he knew the girl but declined to answer further questions until he spoke with an attorney, court documents said.

Porter County Prosecutor Brian Gensel appointed special prosecutor David Thomas to handle the case in May to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

An initial hearing has been scheduled for Aug. 16 before Porter Superior Court Judge William Alexa. Online court records do not list an attorney for Bowles. He posted a $1,200 bond.

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Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Turning Point Behavioral Health Care Center CEO Ann Fisher Raney, left, pictured in this file photo, speaks at a town hall meeting on mental health services that included elected and other officials on a panel, that was held Feb. 13, 2017 at the Skokie Public Library. (Mike Isaacs/Pioneer Press )

Some social service agency officials have said that the state having a budget  after more than two years  will not resolve serious funding issues and concerns about long-term viability.

"When we think about now having a state budget, it doesn't necessarily mean our ship has come in and everything is now great," said Ann Fisher Raney, CEO of the Skokie-based mental health services provider Turning Point Behavioral Health Care Center. "We've come through a period of so much ambiguity and confusion, and making decisions has been really challenging. There still will be challenges ahead."

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Illinois got a budget in July after going 736 days without one.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed the Democrat-backed spending plan that included an income tax increase, but the Legislature voted successfully July 6 to override his veto.

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But how the spending plan will impact non-profits remains to be seen, according to some officials of those organizations  which are usually health or social service providers.

The agencies will still have to grapple with significant funding challenges with or without a state budget, they said.

Turning Point, a non-profit outpatient mental health center serving Skokie, Morton Grove, Niles, Lincolnwood and Evanston, has maintained programs over the last couple years even though times have been difficult, according to the organization's Chief Financial Officer Marsha Hahn.

"We've been determined to innovate and find initiatives that we can begin to do that create more financial stability because they are more in our control," she said.

Still, not having a state budget, she said, dings away at the confidence in which social service agencies like Turning Point make planning decisions for the future.

"A state budget gives us more ground to stand on in order to move forward, and more confidence to take some risks to develop new ways to serve the people we're supposed to serve, " Hahn said.

Over the last two years, Turning Point grants totaling about $571,000 from the state were eliminated, Hahn said. But it's difficult to know whether that funding would have been included had there been a budget those years, she said.

About $130,000 of that funding  one of the grants  was restored for fiscal year 2017 and will be handed out again in fiscal year 2018, according to Hahn. A larger grant covering psychiatry services will not be restored, she said.

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Still, Turning Point recently announced new psychiatric services available to clients ages 18 and over once they are established in agency outpatient services, said Raney.

Although the state budget did not factor into the start up of these services, Illinois having a spending plan in general is important, Raney said.

"The way I interpret the significance of having a state budget is now we have a stronger obligation for the state to fulfill paying its promised grant funds to us," Raney said. "The tax increase means there are resources that will allow there to be state money that comes to us."

Unlike Turning Point, CJE SeniorLife, which serves the elderly in Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles and Skokie, had to close a program earlier this year.

For eligible older adults, CJE once provided personal care services at home through a subsidized program for low-income seniors administered by the Illinois Department on Aging. The services included assistance with bathing, grooming, dressing, errands, light housekeeping, meal preparation and respite, officials said.

"This was an extremely heart-wrenching decision for our board and senior leadership team," CJE SeniorLife President and CEO Mark Weiner said when the decision to cut the program was made.

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CJE officials have not announced plans to restore the program even with the state's adoption of an appropriations plan. Those who were using the program were transitioned to other providers at the time, according to the Illinois Department on Aging.

CJE officials said that since July 2016, the non-profit had been reimbursed less that 40 percent of what it was owed by the state.

Under-funding out of Springfield continues to be a challenge for all social service providers, advocates lament.

Every year, non-profits apply to Skokie Community Development Block Grant funding that is provided by the federal government but distributed by the village. Although the program is intended mostly for brick-and-mortar projects, village officials said agencies in recent years have asked for more general programming grants because of state cuts.

"The need is great, some would say gargantuan," said Skokie mayor George Van Dusen. "The resources are limited."

This year, the village had to eliminate $50,000 from public service activity requests that social services agencies made.

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misaacs@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @SKReview_Mike
When the monstrous whale Moby Dick engulfs the stage in Lookingglass Theatre's thrilling staging of Herman Melville's seafaring classic, Skokie's Javen Ulambayer is swallowed into the belly of the beast, propelled by an massive force of nature that's a thrilling rendition of the real thing.

The actor/circus artist's journey from Mongolia to the northern suburbs  and a plum role in director David Catlin's haunting, ferociously physical adaptation of "Moby Dick"  is an epic as impressive as the voyage of Captain Ahab's ship the Pequod.

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The son of a world-renowned contortionist, Ulambayer didn't speak a word of English when he and his mother arrived in Skokie in 2005. Nor did he have any training in the aerial acrobatics and other circus skills he deploys as a member of the "Moby Dick" ensemble. Now, Ulambayer is building a resume as a as a world-class performer while teaching young people how to fly at Evanston's Actors Gymnasium.

"I never really did circus arts until I came to the U.S.," says Ulambayer, "Although my mother was a contortionist, so I grew up around it." Ulambayer's mother is Oyunchimeg "Oyuna" Yadamjav, one of Mongolia's most decorated contortionists.

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It was his mother's top-tier artistry that brought Ulambayer to the Midwest. When Ulambayer was still a teenager, Yadamjav was offered a spot at Minnesota's prestigious Circus Juventas, a school where many of the worlds best circus performers teach their craft. Yadamjav took the gig on the condition that her son be allowed to accompany her. The process wasn't easy: Ulambayer received permission only after the family hired a lawyer to help him through a complicated application proces that involved interviews with immigration officials in Mongolia, South Korea and the United States. It took another five years for Ulambayer to apply for naturalization  he became a U.S. citizen in 2010.

It was at Circus Juventas that Ulambayer initially decided to explore circus arts himself.

"I saw all these kids were doing all these cool things. And I thought 'why can't I do that?'" He could, and he did. He learned how to do aerial gymnastics while dangling from bolts of silk or rope straps; he honed high-flying tumbling passes launched from spring-loaded teeterboards; he became adept at scampering up and down Chinese poles; and he spent hours flying on trapezes.

"I had already graduated from high school in Mongolia," he explains, "but because of the language barrier and the fact that the U.S. school system is very different than Mongolia's, it made sense for me to spend some time catching up." The initial catching up was at Niles North. Before they made their way to Minnesota, Ulambayer and his mother landed in Skokie, where Ulambyer's older brother had previously settled.

"I think," says Ulambayer, "that there are more Mongolians in Skokie than anywhere else in the U.S."

He attended Niles North in 2005, ultimately getting his high school diploma in 2007 from the Minnesota school he attended while his mother was at Juventas. At 19, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota where he earned a bachelor's in kinesiology.

Ulambayer's initial audition for Lookingglass didn't result in booking a show. "I tried for 'Cascabel,' " he says, referring to the company's collaboration with chef Rick Bayless. The show offered audiences a gourmet dinner prepared by Bayless, as well as a drama that played out between courses.

"At auditions, I had no idea what 'reading lines' even meant," Ulambayer recalls. "I was terrified. But I walked in, and did my best." His audition on Chinese poles caught the attention of Actors Gymnasium founder Sylvia Hernandez-DiStasi, who encouraged him to try out for "Moby Dick." Ulambayer's second Lookingglass tryout succeeded. "At the final callbacks, we were devising this drowning scene. They told me to climb a set of crossbars as high and fast as I could. I'm pretty sure when I got to the top I started yelling 'Thar she blows!'"

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Maintaining the fitness level required to yell and battle the forces of nature for upward of eight shows a week isn't easy. In "Moby Dick," the cast is in constant motion, endlessly buffeted by ferocious gales, widow-making waves and  ultimately  the monstrous white whale that shapes their fates.

"If you walk past me backstage, I'm probably doing pushups or working with dumbbells," Ulambayer says. "But I've gotten to the point where I can really express myself on straps. I feel like I can make a story in the air."

'Moby Dick'

When: Through Sept. 3

Where: Lookingglass Theatre, 821 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago

Tickets: $45-$65

Contact: www.lookingglasstheatre.org
Pueblo East, Pueblo West football teams knocked out of playoffs

Both Pueblo West and Pueblo East high schools had their faced stiff competition Friday night on the road.
By Gidon Gautel





This is Part 2 of a two-part article on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in China. In Part 1, we discuss foreign investment opportunities within the industry.

Many business leaders across the world, including China, do not yet see AI as a priority; at least 40 percent of enterprises within traditional industries in China do not see AI as strategically important. Similarly, in the West, one study suggests only 43 percent of business leaders are likely to implement any type of artificial intelligence in the next three to five years.

A survey by Forrester has found that, of those businesses within the study who choose not to implement AI, 43 percent said there was no defined business case, 39 percent said they were unsure what AI could be used for, and 33 percent did not have the required skills for implementation.

This comes despite the fact that, according to PWC, 55 percent of near term gains from AI are set to come from productivity increases in labor. These gains will take the form of increased automation of routine tasks, greater devotion of time to higher value work, and through general augmentation of employee capability. All of these are highly relevant to SMEs.

Firms should study the structure and operation of their business, distinguish areas ripe for implementation, and survey the market for available AI services and associated talent to invigorate these areas. Even though AI is in its early stages, and not every business needs to implement immediately, the winners of tomorrow will be those who at least have a plan.

Application program interfaces

The simplest way businesses can start implementing AI into their business is with Artificial Intelligence Application Program Interfaces (APIs), which are readily available on the market.

To give an example, one company, iFlytek, has garnered significant appraisals for intelligent language tools extremely relevant for application in business, despite some delay in the application of Natural Language Processing (NLP) in applied solutions, such as smart speakers.

Many Chinese companies, and even the government, use the companys services for processes such as transcribing courtroom interactions. According to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, its software beats Apples accuracy rate for speech recognition of the Chinese language.

iFlytek currently offers software for industry enterprises that can sift through volumes of recording data, convert this into text, and analyse the content of this new data. Baidu also offers a wide range of APIs, including NLP tools.

To give one example of the strength of such software in customer service, such tools could be used to transform hours of audio of customer service interactions into a text-based format. Going over this data with text and sentiment analysis tools can offer insights into areas such as consumer preferences and current service standards.

RELATED: What Does Corruption in Your China QC Inspection Process Look Like?

Machine learning services

Currently, machine learning (ML) services are another area of AI where there is already an established market with several platforms to choose from.

The predictive prowess of ML techniques allows businesses to benefit from its applications in a wide variety of ways. Machine learning can improve customer loyalty and retention through the analysis of typical user behavior and optimization of the provision of offers and services based on this.

In logistics, more accurate ML models can replace old linear regression models to forecast demand. ML and other AI solutions can aid in fraud prevention by seeking out unusual user behavior.

ML also has a breadth of applications in manufacturing. Using data generated by monitoring sensors, manufacturing plants can integrate ML solutions to enhance efficiency. A graphic from General Electric estimates proactive equipment tuning can increase production capacity by up to 20 percent. Predicting production capacity could allow companies to reduce finished good buffers by up to 30 percent.

Machine learning can also reduce quality inspection resources by up to 60 percent. Neural networks can generalize historical quality control data and identify defects while ignoring other features, such as complex geometry or image noise, which are often mistaken for defects by human inspectors.

Baidu is currently rolling out more AI services and useful APIs. However, in the area of cloud-based machine learning as a service, Microsoft, Amazon, and other Western services are often a better option for businesses wanting to make use of advanced infrastructure over the cloud. Microsoft has built up dedicated data center services for Azure on the mainland.

Some firms may want to develop and run models locally on an open source AI platform instead of using cloud-based machine learning tools. This offers a higher degree of customization and allows businesses to easier comply with policies related to data confidentiality and sovereignty, which is important in China, considering its new Cybersecurity Laws.

In terms of open source AI tools, Googles Tensorflow is arguably one of the best options on the Western market. However, the platform is handicapped in China because users cannot access Google Cloud, through which it is optimized, due to the Great Firewall. Baidus own deep learning platform, PaddlePaddle, obviously does not have this problem.

PaddlePaddle boasts several other advantages. Baidu specifically advertises the fact that PaddlePaddle makes it easy to scale heterogeneous computing resourcessystems that use more than one type of processor. PaddlePaddle is designed to work well with clusters: several computers working together, and making use of GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) clusters to speed up deep learning can result in faster model training and inference times. Furthermore, the toolkit is simpler to use than its rivals. A translation program on PaddlePaddle requires up to 75 percent fewer lines of code than other platforms.

As Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent (BAT), as well as smaller players, continue the push to develop AI, more Chinese tools will present themselves for use by foreign businesses. It remains to be seen which services will rise to dominate.

RELATED: Information Technology Solutions from Dezan Shira & Associates

Finding the talent

Developing tools internally will require in-house talent. While there is currently an AI talent shortage in China, Christopher Piazza, Product Marketing Manager for PCs and Smart Devices at Lenovo, is doubtful whether this will serve as any real advantage over local firms for foreign businesses able to source in-house engineers from abroad. According to Piazza, Collecting data, aggregating it, and pushing that out to a better user experience is relatively boiler plate once the mechanism is in place.

Thomas Zhang, Group IT Director at Dezan Shira & Associates, adds: The shortage is for those people who can play lead roles. For general staff needed in the AI industry, I dont think there will be a problem for local companies. China has so many people and AI is such a hot topic, that this will attract many people shortly.

Looking ahead, Piazza maintains that firms implementing AI and looking for the talent to do so should be looking for individuals able to leverage AI in order to enhance added value. Piazza said, Offering end user services and a thought-out ecosystem creates a far more powerful added value, meaning more customer service facing positions in the AI job market that require technical AI savvy, with a sales/marketing approach to real benefit and execution.

Planning ahead

For foreign businesses wanting to implement AI, Chinas rise within the industry should lead to greater competition for the best talent and tools, and increase service options in the market.

AI is a far-reaching field and this article has not further explored the use of AI in autonomous driving, logistics or the financial sector, to name a few. Business leaders in all industries should spend the coming years studying their field for best practices and opportunity, as China continues its AI ascendance.

This is Part 2 of a two-part article on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in China. In Part 1, we discuss foreign investment opportunities within the industry.



About Us 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.

Internal Control in China

In this issue of China Briefing magazine, we provide foreign investors with best practices for implementing internal controls in China. We explain what makes Chinas internal control environment distinct, and why China-based operations need to prioritize internal control. We then outline how to execute an internal control review to gauge organizational resiliency and identify gaps in control points, and introduce practical internal controls for day-to-day operations. Finally, we explore why ERP systems are becoming increasingly integral to companies internal control regimes.

Dezan Shira & Associates
The art of Mogao Caves was displayed with 3D technology during the Summer Davos Forum in Dalian, Liaoning province, in 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

The popularity of the Mogao Caves, which house the world's largest collection of Buddhist art, is proving their biggest threat.

The caves, in northwest China's Gansu province, already have received many more visitors this summer than they can handle, and this is altering their environment. But new technology may help save the caves from their own success.

In July, 350,000 people visited the caves, twice the monthly cap and 20 percent more than July 2016, according to officials at the Dunhuang Research Academy, manager of the caves, which have survived for centuries.

The single-day peak number of visitors in July exceeded 18,000, triple its daily maximum, said Li Ping, who is in charge of visitor reception.

"The humidity and temperature inside the caves increases with too many tourists," said Li, adding the moisture and the carbon dioxide they exhale cause irreparable damage to the caves' frescoes and painted sculptures. Sand and wind also pose a threat. Archaeologists say the caves are deteriorating more rapidly than in the past.

To reduce the damage, a maximum of 6,000 visitors in the caves are allowed per day. Tourists can book visits a month in advance on the internet. But this summer, reservations have been filled up quickly and an additional 12,000 tickets are sold every second day at the site to accommodate visitors who did not book online.

The caves, 25 kilometers southeast of downtown Dunhuang, have seen an increasing number of visitors since they were opened to the public in the late 1970s, especially after they became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

The dilemma between preservation of the 1,651-year-old site and the demands of tourism has become more urgent, and the academy adopted a series of measures to try to strike a balance, aside from limiting daily visits.
Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou has announced the company plans to increase investment in both China and the United States, according to a report released by the Securities Times on Monday.

"We are doing business. Foxconn has ambition. Market and technology are both directions we are chasing for," Gou said in a recent interview with the newspaper.

"In terms of technology, Foxconn will have big development in China and the United States, with large investments on both sides. However, investing in one market does not mean other market's investment will reduce."

Foxconn, the world's largest electronics contractor, announced on July 27 the company will invest $10 billion to build a liquid-crystal display panel manufacturing facility in Wisconsin, United States, in the next four years.

The investment will be the largest new greenfield investment made by a foreign company in the history of the US, and will create a total of 3,000 new jobs and an additional 10,000 more in the future, Foxconn revealed in a statement.

On Aug 2, media also reported Foxconn planned to spend $30 billion on the project, which would be three times the amount of money the company has previously pledged.

"We are not sure if the investment figure will reach $30 billion in the United States," Gou said.

"Besides Wisconsin, Foxconn is also in talks with other states. We will cooperate with Michigan on next generation auto technology, such as Internet of Vehicle (IOV) and self-driving cars."

"The Michigan investment will be unveiled soon, yet the transaction amount cannot be released," Gou said.

On whether an Apple supply chain will partly transfer to US, Gou refused to comment on Apple, Foxconn's main customer, but added the most important thing is to complement each other's strengths.

Taiwan-based Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, is a major supplier to Apple Inc for its iPhones.
Image provided by Venezuela's Presidency shows Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (R) participating in a meeting with the 545 elected members of the National Constituent Assembly (ANC), in Caracas, Venezuela, on Aug. 2, 2017. [Xinhua/Venezuela's Presidency]

Despite the ferocious and violent campaign orchestrated by the U.S. backed Venezuelan opposition, the election of a Constituent Assembly was carried through successfully on Sunday, July 30. Delegates were elected from a wide range of organizations representing those sections of the population who have an interest in protecting the social gains of the revolution, by establishing mechanisms to reorganize economic and political power in the interests of the masses.

Venezuelas popular revolution began in 1998 with the election of Hugo Chavez as the countrys president. Four years after his election in 2002, the opposition, backed by the United States, orchestrated a coup detat, kidnapped the president, and installed a puppet regime. However, the depth of popular support for the revolutionary movement ensured that this coup detat was swiftly brought to an end by a mass popular uprising.

Chavez had an extraordinary capacity to express the hopes, dreams and aspirations of the Venezuelan masses. He attempted to use the rules of capitalist democracy to shift the balance of power in favor of the poor and the exploited. Venezuelas vast oil reserves gave Chavez leeway to secure progress in welfare, education, housing, womens rights, healthcare and indigenous rights, and to enact hundreds of other progressive social and economic reforms. The living standards of the upper strata of society rose at the same time as the poorest sections of society were elevated out of economic penury.

The elite in Venezuela, as in much of South and Central America, are overwhelmingly composed of the descendants of European settlers. Their opulent lifestyle  shuttling between Miami and Venezuela  was destabilized and threatened by the increasing empowerment of the poor and oppressed, who, like Chavez, are descended from indigenous people or Africans. However, what use is money to the elite, if their cleaners, servants, cooks etc., do not respect the authority of those who believe they were born to rule?

High oil prices, numerous electoral victories, and the symbiotic relationship between Chavez and the aspirations of the masses, ensured that the revolutionary democratic transformation towards socialism made dramatic inroads. This neutralized and divided the opposition movement  paralyzing its ability to mobilize successful revolts against the government.

The opposition has always cried foul. So, whenever Chavez won an election they claimed it was fraud. When policies were introduced that they did not approve of, they orchestrated campaigns of violence and sabotage. The struggle against the revolution has been carried out by any means necessary.

When Hugo Chavez died in 2013, Nicolas Maduro became his successor. It is certainly true, that he lacked the unique qualities of his mentor, who could express and incarnate the mood and spirit of the masses.

At each stage of the revolutionary process, bureaucratic administrators controlled the flow of resources  from oil revenue to society  and accumulated power and wealth. Too often this generated a self-serving elite within the government, who filled their own pockets first. They issued contracts, grants and loans to their own associates, friends and family.

Venezuelas capitalist elite resented this upstart bureaucratic power which was eating away at its own opportunities for accumulation. It is certainly true, that corruption inside the state bureaucracy served to undermine the popular enthusiasm for the revolution.

Maduro therefore faced an increasingly powerful opposition movement and this led to the defeat of the Socialist Party in the National Assembly elections of December 2015. Sensing blood, the opposition reignited its campaign to overthrow the president  emboldened by the growing popular discontent at corruption and by widespread anger at the economic crisis which followed from falling oil prices.

Nevertheless, the revolution retained a strong social reserve of support amongst the masses; although passivity took hold, as a consequence of shortages of basic commodities like foodstuffs, toilet paper, medicines etc., which drained the energy and enthusiasm for the revolution.

Some sections in the ruling Socialist Party and the state, horrified by increasing social polarization, proposed that conflict could be ameliorated by negotiations and deals with opposition leaders. However, an irreconcilable clash of class interests lies at the root of Venezuelas present crisis. This can only be resolved by the defeat of the capitalist opposition, or the defeat of the workers and the poor.

The Western media is full of wild claims about electoral fraud. In reality, Venezuela probably has the most secure system of voter verification in the world. So there is little doubt that the election of the Constituent Assembly was a legitimate process. Over 100 people have lost their lives this year most of them government supporters  as riots, terrorism, sabotage and wrecking have become the standard mode of operation of the opposition.

In fact, it is the inability of the opposition to galvanize sufficient support to overthrow the government that drives them to engage in acts of terrorism and violence. For example, a recent grenade attack against the Supreme Court was organized by a former Venezuelan intelligence officer Oscar Perez. This was widely praised by opposition politicians and by Western media outlets who treated this as a legitimate form of protest!

An increasingly desperate opposition will resort to increasingly desperate measures. And they have the backing of Donald Trump and the Spanish elite in particular. Governments throughout the Western world will denounce Venezuela as a dictatorship. Nicolas Maduro has warned that the revolution will protect itself by armed force if the opposition launches an armed rebellion.

It is undeniable that Venezuela is a society riven by sharp class contradictions which cannot be pacified by normal democratic channels. Both camps recognize that the more decisive their action the more likely they are to succeed.

Venezuela is therefore, a society heading towards civil war. This can be rapidly resolved, if the Constituent Assembly empowers the masses to take control of the decisive levers of power and to democratize the state. Then, it may be possible to rekindle the spirit of the revolution, and to create a more prosperous society based on popular organs of democratic control and administration.

Heiko Khoo is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/heikokhoo.htm

Michael Roberts is a London based Marxist economist. He published the "The Great Recession" in 2008 and "Essays on Inequality" in 2014

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn
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Arizona expects China to become the U.S. state's No. 1 source of international visitors in the not-too-distant future after 20 percent increasing in 2016, the Arizona tourism authority said.

"We are certainly confident that visitation from China to Arizona will continue to increase as Chinese travelers learn about Arizona experiences beyond the Grand Canyon. We are intensifying our efforts to provide resources about Arizona to tour operators and journalists in China," Debbie Johnson, director of the Arizona Office of Tourism told Xinhua via email.

Visitation from China increased 20 percent in 2016 compared to the previous year. Nearly 77,000 Chinese travelers came to Arizona in 2016, making China the state's No. 4 source of overseas visitors (behind Germany, Britain and France). But the potential for increased visitation from the world's most populous nation dwarfs that of its European counterparts, according to a research released last month by the Arizona Office of Tourism.

"First and foremost, Arizona is home to the Grand Canyon, which is one of the most photographed places on earth and is arguably America's most famous national park. Another advantage Arizona has over other U.S. states is the ease with which it allows visitors to transition from urban areas - where there are plenty of distinctive dining, shopping and lodging options - to iconic places where you can experience outdoor adventure and the beautiful landscapes of the American West. Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff are all launch points to national parks and monuments, American Indian lands, and destinations - such as Monument Valley - made famous in John Wayne movies. There is so much to see, and it's all located in one state," Johnson stated.

China is one of the fastest-growing overseas market of Arizona, which witnessed the seventh-consecutive year's increase of Chinese visitors. Johnson credits some of that increase to the increasing awareness of Arizona in China. The Arizona Office of Tourism has conducted several media and travel-trade missions to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Arizona tourism officials have also partnered with Brand USA to bring Chinese media, influencers and travel professionals to Arizona. These programs are designed to educate journalists, travel agents and tour operators about Arizona's tourism assets.

Chinese are active on social-media, and images of places like the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley have a huge impact on travel behavior of Chinese visitors. "Chinese travelers can expect to see more information about Arizona on websites such as Ctrip, Youku and Expedia," said Johnson.

"The northern region of Arizona has been very popular with Chinese visitors. This is where Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell and Monument Valley are located. But as more and more Chinese travelers visit Arizona each year, we see that they are expanding their itineraries to include places such as Saguaro National Park, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and the wild-west town of Tombstone-all of which are located in the southern part of the state. Self-driving tours along scenic or historic roads-such as Route 66-are also popular with Chinese travelers," she added.

The tourism authority said their marketing efforts in China are paying dividends. As more affordable and more frequent air service becomes available to China's exploding middle class, "I would not be surprised to see the growth in Chinese visitors to Arizona rise above 20 percent next year," the director told Xinhua.
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A tourist enjoys the sights in Bangkok, Thailand. More Chinese travelers prefer individualized travel. (Photo/China Daily)

Chinese tourists are spending more money on upgraded travel experiences when they go abroad, and more people are willing to take in-depth, individualized and customized trips, according to a report released this week by the China Tourism Academy and Ctrip.com travel agency.

"The middle class, who are the backbone of the outbound tourism market in China, are more willing to slow down their travel pace and enjoy in-depth travel experiences, no matter if it is in accommodations, eating, shopping or cultural consumption," said Dai Bin, director of the China Tourism Academy.

"More people prefer independent trips, instead of traveling with groups, and those who spend a lot of money shopping account for a smaller portion of Chinese tourists."

In the first half of the year, 42 percent of Chinese tourists chose to travel with groups and 58 percent took individualized trips, Ctrip said. The shift has coincided with the proliferation of travel websites and mobile applications to find travel information and book trips.

Take Lily Min, 26, a Hong Kong-based lawyer who traveled to Japan last month with a friend.

"I prefer to travel on individualized trips than go with groups because I will have a more flexible schedule and change it as needed," she said. "Besides, I like to plan the whole trip on my own, including booking hotels, choosing places to dine and exploring destinations."

Dai said the outbound tourism market in China has entered a steady growth period with low-to-medium growth rate.

During the first six months of the year, 62.03 million Chinese traveled abroad, a year-on-year increase of 5 percent, the report said.

Currently, 120 million Chinese have private passports, meaning 90 percent of passport holders have not traveled abroad yet, indicating a significant potential for outbound tourism.

As of July 11, 65 countries and regions had introduced favorable visa-free or visa-on-arrival polices to attract Chinese tourists, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Thailand was the most popular destination for Chinese tourists in the first six months of 2017, followed by Japan and Singapore. The number of Chinese tourists who visited South Korea dropped 41 percent year-on-year.

The total of Chinese tourists who traveled to Europe surged 65 percent, and 5.5 million Chinese are forecast to travel to Europe this year, the report said.

Chinese people from smaller cities are traveling abroad more frequently thanks to relaxed visa policies and more direct flights to foreign destinations, the report said.
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Heye Meadow, also known as Lotus Meadow, is the biggest sub-alpine grassland in North China. It has become an oasis for those wanting to escape the heat this summer. As large areas of China sweltered in high temperatures unexpectedly earlier this summer, tourists from Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and Inner Mongolia autonomous region swarmed Heye Meadow in search of cool air. It's also a favorite among photographers. At an altitude of 2,784 meters, the meadow is the highest peak of Guancen Mountain in Xinzhou city, Shanxi province. It features towering ancient trees, waterfalls and springs, and grass vegetation. The grasslands have an average temperature of 5 degrees Celsius for the year, with summer very short-lived. (Photo by Cao Jianguo for chinadaily.com.cn)
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with his Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) counterpart Ri Yong-ho on the sidelines of a series of ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings, in Manila, the Philippines, Aug. 6, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday called on both the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and the United States and South Korea to exercise restraint and make right choices.

They should be accountable to their people and regional peace in making such choices, he noted.

Wang made the remarks while meeting his DPRK counterpart Ri Yong-ho on the sidelines of a series of ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings in the Philippines.

Wang expounded on China's principles and position on the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula, noting that the situation on the peninsula is highly sensitive and complex, which has affected the China-DPRK relations.

While stressing that the situation of the Korean Peninsula is currently getting close to the critical point of crisis, the Chinese minister said it is also at a turning point to make a decision to resume peace talks.

He called on the DPRK not to violate UN Security Council resolutions any more, while urging the United States and South Korea not to escalate tension on the peninsula.

The parties concerned should exercise restraint and take positive signals released by related parties, Wang said.

Ri reiterated the DPRK's stance on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, saying Pyongyang is willing to maintain communication with China in this aspect.
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Chinese Americans are weighing new immigration policy proposals endorsed by President Donald Trump last week that would reduce the number of people eligible for family visas and cut overall immigration by 50 percent within 10 years.

The Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act, sponsored by Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia, would give preference to English speakers, educated immigrants, and high-wage earners by unveiling a "merit-based" system.

Many Chinese Americans, who have strong traditional family values, are concerned mostly about the bill's elimination of the prioritization of green cards for adult children and extended family of those already in the states.

"The bill prevents parents from uniting with their children here, and that makes them more vulnerable as they already have difficulties in adapting to the adopted country, this is what I worry about the bill," Wuchen Yihui, who immigrated to the states four years ago, told Xinhua in a recent interview in Chinatown, New York City.

Alice could agree no more with Wuchen. The young lady from Los Angeles felt very frustrated with the proposed policy changes.

"I think it's unfair to most people. if the bill is passed by the Congress, it would be difficult for my parents to come, and we can hardly go back to see them often, it's unreasonable," she said.

"I think to a certain degree the grading system is necessary, I can understand that. But the union of families must be considered, which is very, very important. The United States is an immigrant country, it can't be too interest-oriented on all kinds of issues," said a teacher surnamed Chen from Chicago.

The overwhelming majority of Asian immigrants come to the U.S. through the family-based system and those who come to the country on employment-based visas often rely on the family-based system to reunite with other family members, according to a report by HuffPost.

However the bill would cut family-based immigrant visas to 88,000 each year -- compare that to the 673,000 people who received green cards through the family based system during the 2015 fiscal year alone.

As to the language component and the "merit-based" system of the RAISE Act, quite a few Chinese Americans interviewed by Xinhua found them not a problem.

"Overall Trump's immigration reform has its own logic," said Huang Xingqun, a middle-aged man living in Los Angeles, "He wants to make America great again, he is right from the point view of a businessman, if too many immigrants come, some of them are too old to work, and just rely on welfare, it's unaffordable for any country."

"I think (Trump's) policy would be better, because all parties would get what they want, which means if you have a specialty you will be more recognized," said a white-collar worker from Chicago, surnamed Zheng.

Zhen Miaozheng, who immigrated to the U.S. with family visa, believed the policy changes make sense too.

"You have to speak English relatively well. You should not live on just welfare. You have to contribute to the country. All the new immigrants should work hard to make a decent living here, there is no such easy thing like only bending down to pick up money."

According to figures from the Department of Homeland Security, over one million immigrants were accepted into the United States for legal permanent residency last year; many are low or unskilled workers or working in low-skilled jobs.

More than 50 percent of all immigrant households receive welfare benefits, compared with only 30 percent of native households in the United States that receive welfare benefits, according to the White House.
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the sidelines of a series of ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings in Manila, the Philippines, Aug. 6, 2017. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

China and the United States, as two permanent members of the UN Security Council, should enhance mutual trust and strengthen dialogue and cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Sunday.

"This will not only benefit our two countries, but also show the world the bright future of more positive, more predictable and more sustainable relations between our two countries," Wang said at a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Wang and Tillerson met on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit foreign ministers' meeting and a series of other meetings which are being held in the Philippine capital city of Manila.

In the past over 40 years, confrontations have been avoided and development momentum has been kept in the relations between China and the United States. One important experience in achieving this is that the one-China policy and the three China-U.S. joint communiques have been observed, Wang said.

"Our two sides should adhere to the above useful experience and overcome any new obstacles that arise in the development of our bilateral relations," Wang said.

Wang pointed out that the relationship between China and the United States has on the whole maintained stable growth, but there are still some sensitive issues that need to be handled carefully.

Tillerson said that for the United States and China, as the world's largest and second largest economies, to stay away from conflicts and confrontations not only benefit both countries' interests but also global peace and development.

The two sides should seriously think about how to define the bilateral relations for the next 50 years based on current successes, he said.

The two sides also exchanged opinions on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and the South China Sea issue, among others.

Wang said that through joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the situation in the South China Sea has stabilized and shown positive progress.

He hoped that the United States would respect efforts made by China and ASEAN countries in maintaining regional peace and stability, and to play a constructive role in this aspect.

In an objective, fair and responsible manner, China has made great efforts in dealing with the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, Wang said.

To merely exert sanctions is not a solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, he said.

China hopes that the United States could seriously consider the "double suspension" proposal, which requires the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to suspend its missile and nuclear activities in exchange for the suspension of large-scale U.S.-South Korean military drills, Wang said.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday that Moscow "is ready to normalize its dialogue" with Washington if Washington abandons its "confrontational approach" with Moscow.

Lavrov met with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday on the sidelines of a series of ASEAN ministers' meetings in the Philippine capital.

Both sides discussed Russia's countermeasures to U.S. sanctions.

"Naturally, such actions (the U.S. sanctions), including the illegal seizure of our diplomatic property since December last year, could not be left unanswered," Lavrov said in a statement issued through the TASS Russian News Agency.

"This will be in this way from now on. At the same time, we are ready to normalize the dialogue, if Washington gives up the confrontational line," he added.

In the same statement, Lavrov said he "had a lengthy meeting with Rex Tillerson."

"He (Tillerson) wanted to know, first of all, and he started with this, the details of those decisions, which we had to take in response to the law on anti-Russian sanctions adopted in the U.S. Congress. We gave these explanations," Lavrov said.
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South Korean President Moon Jae-in Monday talked with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump over phone on the nuclear and missile programs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Moon said the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue should be resolved in a peaceful, diplomatic manner, based on close cooperation between South Korea and the United States, Moon's spokesman Park Soo-hyun told a press briefing.

The phone talks lasted for 56 minutes, according to the presidential Blue House.

The South Korean leader said it can never be tolerated that any more horrors of war happen on the Korean Peninsula.

The peninsula is technically in a state of war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in armistice, not a peace treaty.

On July 28, the DPRK test-launched what it called an intercontinental ballistic missile, which flew about 1,000 km and was lofted as high as over 3,700 km. It showed an advanced technology compared with the one, launched on July 4, that traveled 933 km at a maximum altitude of 2,802 km.

During the dialogue, Moon urged joint efforts to encourage Pyongyang to come to the dialogue table for dismantlement of the DPRK's nuclear program by using heavy pressure and sanctions.

The UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously adopted new sanctions on the DPRK over its recent ballistic missile test-launches. It bans the exports of seafood and minerals such as coal, iron, iron ore, lead and lead ore.

The South Korean president, who took office on May 10, said it needed to show Pyongyang that a door for dialogue would be open when the DPRK makes a right choice of giving up its nuclear program.

Top diplomats of South Korea and the DPRK had a brief encounter on Sunday on the sidelines of a series of foreign ministers meetings on East Asian cooperation, Yonhap news agency reported Monday.

An unnamed South Korean foreign ministry official was quoted as saying that South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha briefly encountered and exchanged opinions with her DPRK counterpart Ri Yong-ho at a reception dinner of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Manila, the Philippines.

It marked the first time since the new South Korean government was launched on May 10 that the foreign ministers of the two sides met, though briefly.

During the encounter, Kang told Ri that South Korea anticipated rapid response to Seoul's dialogue overtures, which Pyongyang has been mum about.

The top DPRK diplomat told the South Korean foreign minister that the dialogue overtures lacked sincerity as South Korea put pressures on the DPRK in cooperation with the United States.
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Twenty Chinese tourists were injured when their tour bus ran off the road in a hill in southern Thailand's Phuket, the Phuket Consular Office of the Chinese Consulate-General in Songkhla confirmed on Monday.

The accident happened at around 8 p.m. local time Sunday (1300 GMT) in Patong hill in Phuket province. The tour bus carrying 22 Chinese passengers failed to brake before going down the steep hill and hit a passenger van and a car, according to manager online.

No deaths were reported.

From photos posted by local media, the bus broke the guardrail, leaving half of it dangling over the hill.

One of the injured was still in hospital for further observation and the rest had been back to their hotel so far, according to authorities.

The cause of the accident was still under investigation.

On July 10, a tour bus crash killed a 10-year-old Chinese boy and his father in Phuket.
North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, Cambodia's Foreign Minister Prak Sokhon, Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, Brunei Darrussalam's Foreign Minister Lim Jock Seng, Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi link arms during the Gala Dinner of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings in Manila, Philippines, August 6, 2017.[Photo/Agencies]

In a significant step toward building peace and stability in the South China Sea and the region at large, the foreign ministers of China and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations endorsed the framework for a Code of Conduct in the waters in Manila on Sunday.

It once again underscores the strong political will of China and the ASEAN countries to work together to maintain stability in the South China Sea and sustain the positive momentum they have established in their relations.

The drawing up of a framework outline for the proposed code of behavior designed to prevent clashes in the South China Sea has been a significant achievement. And as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pointed out in Manila, the agreement on the framework has laid a solid foundation for substantive consultations on the Code of Conduct.

With their joint efforts to reach agreement, China and the members of ASEAN have also sent a strong message to the international community that they are fully capable of handling issues of common concern in the region without any interference from a third party.

For while China and ASEAN are looking to the future and seeking new prospects from working together for peace, stability, and prosperity, some countries outside the region seem intent on stirring up trouble and stoking tensions in the South China Sea.

This year, US President Donald Trump has continued the controversial practice of his predecessor and sent warships to the waters under the duplicitous pretext that such a show of force is to safeguard the freedom of navigation of commercial shipping.

The United States likes to accuse Beijing of trying to militarize the South China Sea, but it is the US and its close allies that are doing that: The United Kingdom being the latest to jump on the freedom of navigation bandwagon by proposing to send warships to the South China Sea next year.

If these outside forces really cared about freedom of navigation they would be supporting China and ASEANs efforts to promote peace and stability in the region rather than trying to undermine them.

To give substance to their words, they should join hands with China and ASEAN to safeguard and build on the hard-won positive momentum so that the South China Sea is a seaway for peace, friendship and cooperation.
At their meeting in Manila on Sunday, the foreign ministers of China and the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations spoke highly of the achievements made in China-ASEAN ties over the past 15 years and agreed to push their cooperation to an even higher level.

They also expressed satisfaction over the framework for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and agreed to make joint efforts so that their negotiations on a code of behavior in the waters can be started within the year.

As a hard-won result achieved through the joint efforts of the two sides to reach an agreement, the document mirrors the shared commitment to build peace and stability in the waters demonstrated by China and the ASEAN countries recently.

It seems, however, that Vietnam almost put a spanner in the works by attempting to push its own agenda during the meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers.

According to media reports, Hanoi struck a less harmonious note by hypocritically trying to insert tough language criticizing China's island building in the South China Sea, something Vietnam did first, resulting in a delay to the issuing of their joint statement on Saturday.

But with none of the other ASEAN members being like-minded, Vietnam's proposed phrases were not included in the communique released on Sunday.

As one of the 10 members, Vietnam should well know that it is by emphasizing consensus that ASEAN has become a major force in promoting integration and maintaining peace and stability in the region. Vietnam's attempt to sow seeds of discord does a disservice to itself, the other members and the region.

Since last year, tensions in the South China Sea have been ratcheted down due to the dedicated efforts of China and ASEAN to resolve their differences through dialogue, and both sides have been seeking to expand and deepen their cooperation.

With the situation in the South China Sea having "stabilized remarkably", as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted on Sunday, Vietnam should look to the future and focus on the bigger picture.

By readjusting its approach and attitude, and sincerely joining hands with the other ASEAN members to consolidate the positive progress made in ASEAN-China ties over the past year, Vietnam can help raise China-ASEAN relations to a new level.

China and ASEAN celebrate the 15th anniversary of their strategic partnership next year. By strengthening the synergy of their development plans and focusing on the Asian values of reciprocity, solidarity and good neighborliness, they can lead the process of regional integration and fully demonstrate its value.
By Meng Fanbin in Beijing and Yuan Hui in Hohhot | China Daily | Updated: 2017-08-07 08:13

Technicians of Mongolia Oyu Tolgoi Co Ltd and IMPC exchange experiences at a power station in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region. [Photo provided to China Daily]

State-owned, Hohhot-based Inner Mongolia Power (Group) Co Ltd or IMPC, the largest power exporter in North China, is seeking to exploit opportunities presented by the Belt and Road Initiative to go global.

The Chinese government has been encouraging domestic power companies to become global players. It is also keen that the country's power grids should connect with other countries' networks for optimal utilization of energy resources.

For IMPC, this is a positive situation because it has surplus electricity that it wants to export to new markets.

Mongolia in its neighborhood is the nearest export market. So, the company is focusing on it for now, but has plans to expand to other countries later.

Given the imminent development projects and exploitation of mineral resources, Mongolia's power output needs to be augmented manifold. So, the country is planning to build new power plants, and looking for partners that can bring in both capital and technology.

IMPC, through its subsidiary, is willing to get involved in the construction of power plants and power grids in Mongolia.

"We are willing to take part in the construction and operation of power plants in Mongolia.

"We are trying to promote development of the power sector in both countries through comprehensive, deep and multi-sector cooperation," said Wang Yucheng, chairman of IMPC.

"Mongolia's focus on power provides us with a good opportunity to enter its electricity market and contribute in terms of design, construction, operation and management of power plants and power grids."

In September, several technicians from National Power Transmission Grid, Mongolia's state-owned power company, the largest in the country, will visit China for a training course to be conducted by IMPC.

"We hope to share our technologies, management expertise and testing standards with them, so as to promote power development in Mongolia," said Guo Kang, deputy chief engineer of Inner Mongolia Power International Cooperation Co Ltd or IMPC International, a wholly owned subsidiary of IMPC.

Established in 2011, IMPC International was set up to construct a badly needed power supply line for Mongolia Oyu Tolgoi Co Ltd or OT, a copper mine.

The larger goal was to promote power cooperation between the Chinese autonomous region and Mongolia, and expand power services to neighboring countries.

IMPC International is the only 220-kilovolt power supplier to Mongolia in the west Inner Mongolia power grid, and its power accounts for more than 90 percent of China's electricity export to Mongolia.

From November 2012 to May-end this year, IMPC International exported 4,480 million kilowatts of electricity to OT, according to the company.

A four-year cooperation agreement between IMPC International and OT ended successfully in June. Another six-year cooperation agreement was signed after that.

Zhang Jianwei (fourth from left), general manager of IMPC International, shakes hands with B. Nyamsambuu, general manager of Mongolia's National Power Transmission Grid, at an agreement signing ceremony in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Galsan Batsukh, president of OT, has high praise for IMPC International's efforts in supplying stable power. He said as much when he met IMPC's Chairman Wang during the latter's visit to OT.

"We will, as always, keep our promises, honor the agreements and ensure safe power supply with high-quality services and advanced technologies," Wang said.

Guo said, "We also provide free services for our partner, such as power utility inspection."

On May 12, IMPC International signed an agreement with Mongolia's National Power Transmission Grid, for another six-year cooperation in electricity purchase and sale for OT copper project.

"We are actively participating in the planning and investment of the power industry in southern Mongolia, and looking forward to cooperating with Mongolia in the power sector," said Jia Zhenguo, general director of IMPC at the signing ceremony on May 12.

OT has 8,500 staff, and is one of the largest such facilities in the world. It is also a strategic project that is key to Mongolian economic development as it accounts for one-third of GDP.

Its largest shareholder is Rio Tinto with a 66 percent stake. Rio's senior managers help in operations and management.

IMPC International is planning to set up an office in Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia, so as to strengthen communication with its Mongolian partners.

Mongolia may find it difficult to establish on its own power plants at certain locations in Mongolia's key provinces, so IMPC International is willing to broaden its cooperation beyond energy for a win-win situation, Wang said.

"IMPC International has the ability to play an important role in power grid construction and operations, and can contribute capital, technology and management."

Mongolia's total installed capacity is 1,047 million watts, or less than 1/50th that of Inner Mongolia's western power grid.

IMPC International has another Mongolian client, Nalin Suhai Tu mine, for which it is setting up a 110 kV power supply line. Power from China's Ceke port will be supplied to the mine, said Wang.

"Once we receive the necessary approvals, we will begin design and equipment procurement work."

As of March 25, the company has exported 300.4 million kW to Mongolia, up 5 percent year-on-year.

Contact the writer at mengfanbin@chinadaily.com.cn
Customers fill out forms at a branch of China Merchants Bank in Haikou, Hainan province. [Photo by Zhang Mao/China Daily]

Improved net profit margin and asset quality will brighten prospects for China's banks in the second half of this year, and smaller urban commercial banks will likely grow the fastest, said analysts.

Average net profit of banks in the first half may see year-on-year growth, and it may grow further in the second half, they said.

China has 37 banks listed in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. They will start to release financial results for the first half from Friday.

According to Shenwan Hongyuan Securities, average net profit of 27 A-share banks in the first half is expected to grow 3.3 percent year-on-year, versus 2.5 percent year-on-year growth in the same period last year. The overall profit is expected to reach 700 billion yuan ($103 billion).

China Merchants Bank, among the first ones to issue first-half forecasts, said its net profit is expected to reach 39.26 billion yuan, up 11 percent year-on-year. Its non-performing loans or NPL rate at June-end is expected to be 1.71 percent, down from 1.87 percent at the end of 2016.

Banks' fundamentals are recovering. Lending is up amid strong demand for infrastructure development. Policymakers are encouraging mass entrepreneurship, said a research note from CITIC Securities.

Efforts to reduce the leverage ratio in the entire financial market to prevent bubbles and irrational lending have helped to recover asset quality and reduce NPL risks, CITIC Securities said in its note.

Meanwhile, ratings agency Moody's has upgraded its outlook for China's banking sector from "negative" to "stable", suggesting it is positive about Chinese banks' NPLs.

Wan Ying, an analyst with Moody's Investors Service, said policymakers are taking a consistent approach to curb shadow banking. This will help reduce financial risks and restore balance to the lending system.

Zhang Shuaishuai, an analyst with China International Capital Corporation, said net interest margin is expected to widen in the second half of this year, giving more room for net profit growth.

"Short-term lending continues to grow, which should expand banks' net profit margin. Short-term lending was on the lower side sometime back. This will give banks more room for flexible pricing," said Zhang.

As for retail banking, pressure may remain as individual small investors' deposit growth has slowed. Some banks have seen net outflow of deposits from individual clients.

"For many banks, the retail banking sector is not profitable because operational cost is high, and good assets are limited. Clients' loyalty is hard to maintain, and products are not diversified enough to meet various demands," said Zhao Jiancheng, an analyst with Bank of Qingdao.

A recent report by McKinsey & Company said the retail banking sector in China needs to improve efficiency and management of customer experience.

Under the current model, one wealth manager on average looks after more than 1,200 accounts. Consequently, customer feedback is not given a priority. Customer preferences are very often not acted upon by key departments.
Industry, business and professional associations in China will soon formulate and adopt standards for their respective sectors, which is an organizational innovation, industry insiders said.

A knowledgeable official with the Industry Standards Department of the Standardization Administration of China, who sought anonymity, said, "The Chinese government would like associations and such bodies to adopt standards for their constituent members to meet the demands of the market."

In 2015, the State Council issued a reform plan for deepening standards formulated by associations, breaking the tradition of over-reliance on the government for guidance in such matters, the official said.

Standards need to be formulated by members of associations, chambers of commerce and industry technology alliances through independent consultation and implemented voluntarily by related units.

Such standards should take into consideration the development trend and innovation level of the whole sector, and seek to stimulate innovation ability and enthusiasm for work among the market players, the official said.

Standards adopted by associations and industry bodies can help members to respond to the market demands in time.

Most standards at industry body level take only six to 10 months to formulate, much faster than the national average of two years.

For instance, the Chinese Institute of Electronics has adopted its own standards. One of them is "General Principle of Wheeled Robot Mobile Platform Design". It fills certain existing gaps in China, and effectively shapes the development of the robot industry.

On May 17, seven standards on energy saving and emission reductions were adopted by a sectoral association in Guangdong province.

Once associations start to establish standards, even legal social groups will likely quickly get on board, the official said.

So far, 723 social groups have registered on the platform for formulation of new standards, and have adopted 1,219 standards in various sectors, according to official data.

The platform, which was set up in 2016, provides information services to institutions and social groups, and addresses queries from the public.
Chinese banks in Beijing are increasingly offering loans to high-tech startups with equity investment, according to China's banking regulator.

Jiang Ping, a spokeswoman for the Beijing office of the China Banking Regulatory Commission said banks in Beijing had offered 1.36 billion yuan ($202.4 million) in loans to high-tech startups between the start of last year and June 2017.

Banks also invested 175 million yuan in 120 high-tech startups in the same period.

"The experiment can help solve the financing problem of high-tech startups," Jiang said.

She added the loan balance of Beijing's banks for high-tech companies had totaled 408.9 billion yuan by the end of June.

The Beijing office of the China Banking Regulatory Commission has issued a guideline for banks offering loans to high-tech startups with equity investment.

Three banks have established branches in the Zhongguancun Science Park where there is a total of 939 banking outlets.
BEIJING  China is working to make itself more appealing to foreign investors.

In the past month, commitments have been made by the Chinese government on further opening up.

China should create "a stable, fair, transparent and predictable business environment," and speed up efforts to build an open economy to promote the sustainable and healthy development of the Chinese economy, according to a meeting of the Central Leading Group on Finance and Economic Affairs in July.

Growing appeal

"Foreign investors used to be attracted by the cheap land and labor to China, but now we are more interested in the vast market and good business environment," said Jin Youhua, chairman and president of Whirlpool (China).

The US appliance-maker is expecting its China headquarter and global R&D center, which is now under construction in east China's Anhui province, to be put into operation in 2018, Jin told Xinhua.

Inbound foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by 0.1 percent year-on-year to 441 billion yuan ($66 billion) in the first half of this year, but the number of new foreign enterprises in China was up by 12.3 percent, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Meanwhile, a survey from the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai showed that 77 percent of US companies in China remained profitable last year, up 6 percentage points from 2015, and 73.5 percent reported revenue growth, up 12 percentage points from 2015.

Behind the growing appeal from the Chinese market was China's stable economic development and government efforts in opening up more sectors and relaxing restrictions for foreign businesses.

Starting on July 28, China implemented a revised foreign investment catalogue, which includes a "negative list" approach that identifies sectors and businesses that are off-limits or restricted for investment, as well as sectors and industries that the government wants to encourage foreign companies to invest in.

The catalogue shortens the list of sectors that are completely off-limits for foreign investment from 36 to 28.

In the southwestern province of Sichuan, where a free trade zone was launched this April, instead of lining up to submit paperwork, foreign investors now only need to upload files online to establish a company or make alterations on existing ones.

Today, over 95 percent of new foreign enterprises in China do not need government approval before they are set up, and the registry procedures take less than three days, compared with more than 20 days previously.

A win-win process

Just as a more open China means opportunities for the rest of the world, China is expecting inbound investment to play a larger role in its economic development, promoting the growth of new sectors and driving supply-side structural reform.

The FDI inflow into high-end sectors has been robust, official data showed. In the first half of this year, the high-tech manufacturing sector saw FDI up 11.1 percent to 34.97 billion yuan, while foreign investment in high-tech services rose 20.4 percent to 64.72 billion yuan.

Compared with the initial stage of China's reform and opening-up nearly 40 years ago, China is more consciously choosing the types of "investment" or "professionals" it wants to attract, said Zhang Jianping, a researcher with the commerce ministry.

"As an economy going through transition, China wants to bring in advanced technologies, professional personnel, brands and management by luring foreign investment, so it can increase its competitiveness and improve the quality and efficiency of growth," said Zhang.

To make China more appealing to talented people outside the country, the government will put in place a work permit system for foreigners working in China to streamline their working permit application procedures, expand visa issuance and extend visa expiration dates.

The introduction of the new system, together with a number of other measures, is expected to be implemented by the end of September in principle, according to a State Council meeting late last month.

"The inflow of foreign capital has been pivotal for China to maintain a relatively quick growth rate. Our industries are in general at the lower end of the global value chain. We must send a strong message of welcome to foreign investment," Premier Li Keqiang told the meeting.
VIENTIANE  In northern and central Laos, mountains seem to reign the area where population is scarce. There was almost nothing but primeval forests and traces of slash-and-burn cultivation left by mountainous residents.

However, since December 2016, within half a year since the beginning of construction of China-Laos railway, the area has been witnessing massive changes.

China-Laos railway starts from the Mohan-Moten border area between the two countries, running over 400 kilometers to Lao capital Vientiane with designed operating speed of 160 km per hour. Over 60 percent of the route are bridges and tunnels.

Construction of the railway is scheduled to be completed in five years with investment of some 37.4 billion yuan ($5.56 billion). This is the biggest investment project of China in Laos so far.

Being the first overseas route connecting with the railway system in China using Chinese technology and equipment, China-Laos railway is a major strategic project which was reached and promoted by top leaders of the two countries, a major project in infrastructure interconnectivity between China and neighboring countries, and a major project in implementing the Belt and Road Initiative.

Ground-breaking ceremony of the railway was held in December 2015, and the construction of the whole route officially started a year later.

Great changes

Within the first six months of construction, Chinese companies have built roads running through forests and drill tunnels halfway up the mountains.

The construction section of China Railway No 8 Engineering Group Co Ltd (CREC8) is located on Laos' northern Luang Prabang area along the Mekong river, some 220 km north of capital Vientiane.

The Mekong River runs around the area, creating a peninsula surrounded by water and mountain. There had been no power supply in the area, thus living and production conditions were quite hard.

Thanks to the Chinese construction team, the area was officially connected to electricity grid in July. The "No Man's Land" has now entered into the "power era".

The most obvious change brought about by the construction of the China-Laos railway is the new roads running through wild forests in northern Laos.

In Muangxay-Luang Prabang area in northern Laos, the 1801 provincial road used to be a narrow, steep and bumpy dirt road curving around slopes. After being included in the construction of China-Laos railway, the China Railway International Group set up a special maintenance team to widen the road and decrease slopes. Now the road is either covered with sand stone, or blacktopped.

According to Bai Qiang, Chinese Communist Party secretary of the railway section's working committee, "local villagers said that thanks to the new road, local girls don't have to worry about marrying afar, as the road is now so smooth and easy to get home after marriage."

High hopes

China-Laos railway is a big project under the Belt and Road Initiative. The railway runs through Lao mountainous area with many tunnels needed to be built, and now, along the route, it is easy to find advanced machinery and equipment in full operation alongside the thatched huts of local residents.

The Lao government hopes that the completion of China-Laos railway will bring powerful momentum to social and economic development, while the construction of the railway has already brought great changes in many areas along the route.

At Sinohydro Bureau 3 Co Ltd's railway construction site between towns of Luang Prabang and Vangvieng, local staffs outnumber Chinese workers. Nearby hilly villages have over 300 people while some 20 of them have been employed to work for Sinohydro 3. Lao staffs are learning the advanced technology and management from their Chinese colleagues.

Chinese construction companies also donated money to local villages for building bridges and roads.

Nuanchanh, deputy chief of Phengsong village where the railway runs through in Vientiane province, some 70 km north of capital Vientiane, told Xinhua:" Local villagers are very excited after Chinese companies come to build China-Laos railway, and we welcome them here because this railway can bring a new look to our village."

Nuanchanh said Lao villagers and departments at all levels will work closely with Chinese companies in construction of the railway. "We are looking forward to the completion of the railway which will improve Laos' transport infrastructure, facilitate exchanges between peoples of the two countries, thus promoting tourism industry."

Officials' recognition

Lattanamany Khounnyvong, Lao Vice Minister of Public Works and Transport told Xinhua that China-Laos railway is the top project in the eighth five-year plan of Laos, and is of great significance for Laos.

"We are now working to assist Chinese contractors in the construction of infrastructure such as roads, education and healthcare facilities in villages along the railway. This is of great significance to the implementation of the eighth five-year national plan of Laos", he said.

Lao President of National Assembly Pany Yathoutou inspected the construction site of the railway in July.

"Laos-China railway is the project that has been promoted by leaders of the two countries. Management units and construction units must work closely together," she said.

She believed that the Chinese railway construction companies were more than capable of completing the railway construction, she said.

While meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing during the Belt and Road Forum, Lao President Bounnhang Vorachit spoke highly of the achievement in bilateral cooperation, expressing his satisfaction over the progress of bilateral projects under the Belt and Road Initiative.
China Everbright Bank has become another Chinese bank to make Luxembourg its European headquarters, as the continent's financial centers vie to lure Chinese businesses, against the backdrop of uncertainty around Britain's exit from the European Union.

Beijing-based China Everbright Bank announced on Friday it has received approval from Luxembourg regulators to set up a subsidiary there.

"China Everbright Bank's Luxembourg expansion fits into the trend of Chinese banks trying to expand into European markets while mitigating themselves against potential Brexit-related risks," said Li Chengrong, a United Kingdom-based partner at Zhong Lun Law Firm.

Currently, Chinese banks issuing products through their UK subsidiaries can distribute them to investors in the European Union, through the "passporting" rule, but the UK may lose that right post-Brexit.

"Uncertainties with the passporting rule have prompted many Chinese banks to consider adding offices inside EU countries, so they may continue to distribute products among EU investors. Luxembourg, Dublin, Frankfurt, and Paris are all viable choices," said Li.

China Everbright Bank's Luxembourg expansion follows in the footsteps of six other Chinese banks- Agricultural Bank of China, Bank of China, Bank of Communications, China Construction Bank, China Merchants Bank, and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, all of which have made Luxembourg a key location of their European operations. Bank of China was the first Chinese bank to set up in Luxembourg, in 1979.

China Everbright Bank was established in 1992 with operations in corporate, treasury, investment banking, wealth management and mortgage businesses.

Shanghai Pudong Development Bank has also made an application to open a subsidiary in Luxembourg. Its application is awaiting the approval of both Chinese and Luxembourg regulators.
There are about 47 self-made billionaires under the age of 40 in the world, according to the latest Hurun Global Rich List released on July 4.

These young self-made billionaires' average age is about 36 and they come from eight different countries, Shanghai-based Hurun Research Institute reported.

Wang Tao, founder of Dajiang Innovation Technology Co (DJI), is the only Chinese self-made billionaire ranking on the top 10 list.

Let's take a look at the top 10 self-made billionaires in the world under 40.

No 10 Joe Gebbia

Wealth: $3.85 billion

Company: AirBnb

Age: 35

Age when made $1 billion: 33

Time it took to make $1 billion: 7 years

Country of residence: US
Workers check a car at FAW-Volkswagen's production line in Chengdu, Sichuan province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Xu Ping, 60, and Xu Liuping, 53, exchanged jobs last week. Altogether leading more than 200,000 workers, the sudden reshuffle of these two big names in China's car industry is as surprising as it is thought-provoking.

On August 2, Xu Ping, who joined FAW Group Corporation as its chairman in May 2015, was appointed by the central government as head of China South Industries Group Corporation, parent company of Changan Automobile Group.

On the same day, Xu Liuping, president of China South Industries Group Corporation and chairman of Changan, was announced as FAW chairman.

Changan sold 1.43 million cars in the first half of the year, ranking fourth among all car groups in China. It came after FAW, which ranked third by selling 1.6 million cars in the same period.

Despite the fact that his new employer sold fewer than his old one, Xu Ping might have heaved a sigh of relief.

That is because a closer look at the two's sales shows that Changan's self-developed cars accounted for some 45 percent of its total.

The percentage at FAW was a meager 7 percent. Self-developed cars have been one critical index to assess the work of State-owned carmakers' heads, and the poor performance of FAW's self-developed cars, especially its premium marque Hongqi, has been speculated as one reason for Xu Ping's job changes.

Some argued that he was not given enough time, saying he had brought some changes to the problem-ridden FAW in the past two years, including elevating FAW Car's Hongqi department into a FAW subsidiary late last year.

About a month before Xu Ping's transfer to Changan, Li Jun, FAW's deputy chief engineer, told the China Automotive News newspaper that the Hongqi brand is to rise soon, saying eight models ranging from sedans, SUVs and MPVs would hit the market around 2019.

It seems that whether Li's words would become a reality matters little to Xu Ping now, as Xu Liuping has already taken the helm of FAW.

The capital market was the first to give him a warm welcome.

When word spread on Aug 1 that he would take the job, the shares of FAW Car surged to their daily limit, while those of FAW Xiali rose 6 percent.

An Qingheng, a veteran of China's auto industry and the former chairman of BAIC Group, told the 21st Century Business Herald that what FAW needs is not money or technology but a young leader like Xu Liuping to push through reforms.

Some other industry insiders believe it is no easy task.

Wang Binggang, a senior expert on China's national new energy car program, said he is worried about Xu Liuping.

He admits that an excellent leader may help to reinvigorate a company but said Xu Liuping should be mentally prepared for FAW's habitual resistance to reform.

It is widely agreed that several factors, including its sheer size and hangovers from corruption, has sapped its vigor.

Wang said: "The conventional way of work may not produce results soon, which would get people discouraged, but unconventional measures are risky themselves. And who will empower him to act differently?"

Compared with the prospect of Xu Liuping's work, Xu Ping's job at Changan might be a little bit easier, but it also will require plenty of effort.

Despite its relatively balanced sales proportions, public statistics show that last year, Changan's self-developed cars contributed 660 million yuan ($98.21 million) in profit, accounting for 6.4 percent of its total. That means Changan has a long way to go before it can rely on its self-developed cars, said Sun Yong, a car reporter-turned analyst.

The self-developed cars' profit is expected to fall as Changan cut prices to maintain its sales earlier this year, and what makes things worse is that the revenue of its joint venture Changan Ford dropped to 49.4 billion yuan in the first half of this year, down 14 percent from a year earlier.

A harbinger of merger?

The management reshuffle is seen by some as a harbinger of merger because of past calls for merger and consolidation.

One of the most recent is a guideline the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued in 2013, calling for the auto industry to cultivate three to five large auto groups with core competitive strengths by 2015.

But analysts said there is little chance of an FAW merger with Changan because such a merger would not solve the existing problems.

The Economic Observer newspaper quoted an anonymous official at the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council on Aug 2 as saying the job changes had nothing to do with any merger.

The commission supervises central-owned enterprises including FAW and Changan Automobile's parent company China South Industries Group Corporation.

There were rumors of a possible merger in 2015, when Xu Ping moved from Dongfeng Motor Corporation to work as FAW chairman while Zhu Yanfeng, former head of FAW, was appointed to head Dongfeng. But nothing has happened so far.
A Toyota Vios car is displayed at an auto expo in Hainan province. [Photo by Shi Yan/For China Daily]

International automakers are increasingly turning to social media in China, the world's largest car market, where online networking has become part of life.

Toyota, Japan's largest carmaker, is the most recent example. On Wednesday, its president Akio Toyoda opened an account at Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, which had some 300 million active users by the end of 2016.

In his first post, accompanied by a picture of himself laughing, Toyoda said he would like to make friends with Chinese netizens.

The post drew nearly 20,000 thumbs up and more than 7,000 replies within a day, with almost 35,000 Weibo users having become his fans.

A public relations manager at Lexus China, which is currently operating the account, said: "Our president himself came up with the idea of opening this account instead of us. He would like to listen more to Chinese customers." Lexus is the premium arm of Toyota.

When it comes to collecting opinions, social media is indeed an ideal place.

In 2016, some 70 million Sina Weibo users chose cars as one of subjects they were interested in, a 126 percent rise from 2015, according to a report by Sina and Nielsen, a measurement company headquartered in the United States.

Of those users, 28 million expressed desires to buy cars and 11 million would like to change their cars.

Analysts believe the move would also help to shape a better image of Toyota among social media users and may give a boost to its already improving sales.

Its two joint ventures, FAWToyota and GAC Toyota, together sold more than 573,000 cars in the first half of the year, a 8.9 percent growth year-on-year, more than five times the average growth rate of the passenger car segment in the country.

Lexus saw its China sales surge 31 percent in the same period to 60,000 units.

Executives from German carmakers were even earlier to make the most of the digitalized part of people's life.

Nicolas Peter, a member of BMW's board of management, greeted fans and customers through BMW China's Sina Weibo account in late May when its joint venture BMW Brilliance Automotive unveiled its expanded plant in Shenyang, Liaoning province.

In the post, he expressed the automaker's respect for the Chinese market, calling it BMW's second home, and conveyed the message that the 5 Series is specially designed for Chinese customers.

Mercedess-Benz wowed people when its China sales chief Nicholas Speeks gave a live broadcast online giving his blessings at this year's Spring Festival.

The increasingly digitalized way of life in China is also prompting advertisers, including carmakers, to spend more online. Statistics from market researcher CTR shows internet-based advertisement revenue grew 18.5 percent year-on-year in 2016, while expenditure on traditional advertisement fell 6 percent in the same year.

But some experts are warning against squandering too much on digital commercials, with a statistic from Nielsen showing that 71 percent of money on them is wasted.
Cheng Zhengqing (center) hears a divorce case in Huilong village in Fengjie county, Chongqing.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Chongqing judge Cheng Zhengqing recalls clearly the first time he mediated a case in Huilong villagemainly because it required a terrifying journey on a 50-meter wire pulley bridge over a fast-flowing river.

"My feet were quivering, and my hands were drenched with sweat," he said of the experience in an interview with Chongqing Evening News. "I didn't dare look down.

"I just kept imagining the worst-case scenario, that the rope would break and I'd fall into the river."

The pulley bridge across Jiupan River was built in 2005 and is the only way to access Huilong, a community of only a few households in Fengjie county. The remote area is covered in steep karst mountains and deep valleys.

Judges with the county court regularly use the bridge in order to hold circuit court hearings or to mediate disputes in the village. Each time, they need to cross the expanse carrying the 50-centimeter-tall national emblem of China to hang in the court.

Cheng, 36, who started working at the court in 2007, said he quickly overcame his fear of heights, as he and his colleagues believe bringing legal proceedings to isolated parts of the county is vital to people's understanding of the justice system.

Their dedication has even earned them the local nickname of "pulley bridge judges".

Chongqing Evening News reported that Cheng and his colleagues have handled more than 3,000 cases in the Huilong circuit court over the past three years. Some 1,600 were concluded, 70 percent of which were withdrawn after mediation.

Almost every plaintiff and defendant who lost a case chose not to appeal the verdict over that period, while the higher court did not require even one case to be retried due to a lack of evidence or a procedural mistake, according to the report.

Cheng said although most cases were trivial disputes between relatives or neighbors, his work can make a real difference.

"Only by visiting homes and mediating in disputes can we ensure people see that justice is done and win their understanding and support," he said.

"Sometimes I feel a little jealous when I hear about a colleague at a higher court who is handling a more important or complicated case," Cheng added. "But when people say hello to me during my evening strolleven those who have lost a case I worked onthat makes me feel that my choice to work at this level was the right one."

Li Lei contributed to this story.
Judges at the Supreme People's Court's First Circuit Court in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, hear its first case, in 2015.[Photo/Xinhua]

In the past five years, the nation's judicial system has been overhauled to provide a more efficient and responsive service, as Cao Yin reports.

Since 2012, when the top leadership spoke of the need to improve the nation's courts, a number of measures have been taken to uphold the rule of law and improve the quality of hearings.

For example, special courts have been established in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong province to hear the rising number of disputes involving intellectual property rights, while proceedings have been improved and speeded up by the simplification of many court procedures and the introduction of technology.

Now, litigants can file lawsuits online, and the court must provide feedback and a decision on whether the case will be accepted within a day of the application being submitted. In other words, initiating a lawsuit has become much easier.

The process of taking a neighbor to court, or appealing decisions made by government departments - which previously attracted large numbers of complaints - has also changed a lot. Under the reforms, government departments are not allowed to interfere in case hearings, while related officials must attend trials to resolve problems.

Moreover, courts have been established to handle administrative disputes citywide. For instance, Beijing No 4 Intermediate People's Court can hear cases brought against government bodies from any district across the capital, a move designed to prevent interference by officials from the districts under scrutiny.

As the new courts and procedures have been rolled out, the nation's judges have witnessed the changes and have become part of the reform process.

To improve the quality and professionalism of hearings, the number of judges has been reduced, and the judiciary is now classified into three distinct branches.

The number of judges who have the right to hand down verdicts has been reduced, while a number of former judges have become judicial assistants responsible for providing case materials and evidence to the judges, or have been reclassified as court clerks.

There were two rounds of selection, and eventually 120,000 of the nation's 210,000 judicial officers were named as judges.

So what do China's judges think about the reform, and what have they experienced during the past five years?

China's Daily's Cao Yin spoke with five members of the judiciary to discover what they think of the reform.
Zhang Yan, 40, works at Beijing No 4 Intermediate People's Court. She has handled administrative cases for more than 11 years.

In the past two years, I have witnessed a large rise in the number of administrative cases being submitted. That's because the reform stipulates that cases must be accepted or rejected within a day of being filed, rather than after a preliminary review of the merits of the case. This removes unnecessary barriers and protects the right of litigants to submit cases.

In 2014, I handled more than 240 cases, but that number was overtaken in just three months in 2015.

A statement issued by the Supreme People's Court in June shows that, as a result of the reform, courts have seen a significant rise in the number of residents submitting and winning cases against government departments. Last year, for example, courts nationwide dealt with 225,020 cases - a year-on-year rise of 13.2 percent - which were mainly related to plaintiffs' standards of living, such as disputes over land or house demolitions.

The efficiency with which administrative disputes are resolved often reflects how effective government departments have been in implementing the reform.

The heads or leaders of government authorities are required to attend court hearings, which was rarely the case in the past. I feel government officers are paying more attention to the procedures in administrative cases because the high level of publicity means their departments are expected to provide better, fairer services.

I don't think case hearings are just about who is right and who is wrong. They also serve to popularize the reform by allowing people to see the improvements in our judicial process. The better government departments understand the laws and reform, the better able they will be to provide services for litigants and solve their problems.

I work at Beijing No 4 Intermediate People's Court, established as part of the reform, and I hear cases from across the city. The move is intended to prevent local government departments from interfering in court cases, and to ensure that all judgments are made independently.

At present, a major problem is that the judges in our administrative tribunal are overwhelmed by the soaring number of disputes. I often have to work overtime.

As a result, I think the next step will be to study ways of improving legal efficiency in administrative case hearings.
Cai Songlin, 54, is a senior judicial official at the Shushan District People's Court in Hefei, capital of Anhui province.

I never thought I would be able to use a computer to receive case materials provided by litigants or contact them via our computer system. I have witnessed many changes during more than 30 years in the legal profession, and I am delighted to see Chinese courts becoming more "intelligent".

In 1985, when I began work in the court's case-submission department, I used a bicycle to visit litigants and deliver judicial documents to other authorities. That's no longer necessary. A new online system, part of our efforts to build an intelligent court, has been welcomed by judges and litigants because it improves efficiency and saves time.

In the 1980s, all the cases, which were mainly related to divorce, were handled by me and one other colleague. Now, there are about 20 judges. That's because the number of disputes has risen so rapidly and they are so varied.

Thirty years ago, a judge who heard about 30 cases a year was the court's leading official, but last year, the average number of cases our judges dealt with reached 300.

The soaring number of disputes has forced us to change our way of submitting cases, which resulted in our online system being established in 2015.

We have set up a center in the court where litigants can register with our system and submit cases. We provide printers and scanners so they can access hard copies of materials related to cases.

The system also allows litigants to follow their cases once they have been submitted. It provides details, such as which judge will hear their case, and they can also use it to research verdicts handed down in cases similar to their own.

Volunteer and legal workers are available to help and guide seniors who are unfamiliar with computers.

Although my age means I do not have good computer skills, I am still passionate about learning, and the system allows me to share my experience with younger colleagues and guide them about which cases can or cannot be accepted, or any extra materials litigants should provide.

I regard the new system as a good assistant because it frees us from tedious work and streamlines the submission process.

That leaves us more time to focus on resolving disputes and researching legal issues.
International experts have refuted a claim the Falun Gong cult has long made that China harvests organs from its practitioners, saying that the accusation is made for political reasons.

"The Falun Gong fabricated the stories purely for political objectives," said Campbell Fraser, an expert on human organ trade from Griffith University, Australia. "It really makes people angry. Organ transplant is for giving life, and it is a beautiful thing, not for political objectives," Fraser said on Saturday at the China Organ Donation and Transplantation Conference in Kunming, Yunnan province

Health officials and experts from China and abroad attended the meeting.

"They have actually falsified data, I have no doubt about that at all," Fraser said. "I haven't found any evidence whatsoever that there has ever been a Falun Gong practitioner who had been executed and had organs removed."

"We cannot let cults stand in our way. Intimidation and harassment can never win," he said.

Fraser said he has met Falun Gong practitioners in places such as Australia, Taipei and New York, and when he would try to talk to a practitioner, the Epoch Times, the cult's newspaper, always would insist that one of its people must be present.

The newspaper's representatives gave practitioners a printed letter to read out saying things like they had been detained and tested for forced organ donation in China, he said, and they didn't even understand what they were reading.

The cult is using these people for anti-China political objectives. Falun Gong practitioners don't understand about organ harvesting, and they are being told what to say by a group of primarily US-based political activists who try to destabilize the Chinese government, Fraser said.

China banned the Falun Gong as a cult in 1999, accusing it of disguising itself as a religious group to brainwash practitioners, taking money from them, and even encouraging them to engage in self-immolation.

Philip O'Connell, former president of The Transplantation Society, said the Falun Gong accusations are groundless and many organ donation and transplant experts do not believe such accusations.

Last year, 4,080 people in China donated organs after death, and 13,000 transplant surgeries were performed in China, in both cases the second highest number in the world, Guo Yanhong, of the National Health and Family Planning Commission' Bureau of Medical Administration, said at the conference.

Marti Manyalich president of the International Society for Organ Donation and Procurement, predicted that by 2020, China will be the top country in the world in the number of donors and that it will be self-sufficient in organ transplants by 2030.
A thousand kilograms of overripe melons sold out in less than 10 hours to honor a melon farmer who was stabbed to death in Hebei province.

Cui Jingxiang, 47, was killed by gang members at a market fair in Langfang's Anci district on July 23 for warning others about them, the police said.

Six suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder.

Cui was the head of a family of six, including his wife, mother and a daughter who recently graduated from college.

The family's main source of income was a melon farm of just 0.4 hectares. "After my father died, the melons were left and were going bad, so they were hard to sell," said Cui Quanzheng, the victim's son.

Cui Jingxiang was seen as a hero for warning people at the fair about the gang.

His family's financial struggles were reported by a local newspaper on July 28. The report went viral on WeChat, which prompted hundreds of residents to buy the melons to help.

Cui was well-known for being helpful - even heroic. He was once beaten by thieves at a Beijing wholesale market after warning customers to watch out for them.

Another time, he saved the life of a 2-year-old boy by rushing him to the hospital after the child was attacked by a dog. Several years ago, he also helped a taxi driver who had been injured in a robbery.

On Tuesday, the Anci district government awarded Cui hero status and granted his family 100,000 yuan ($15,000).

In recent years, the family borrowed 300,000 yuan to build a greenhouse, pay the medical bills of Cui's mother and cover the cost of university tuition for his daughter. A total of 80,000 yuan is still to be repaid.

However, locals have pitched in to help with an array of activities. On July 30, an archery contest was held in the city. Instead of medals, winners were awarded melons. A local gym also said it would donate 100 yuan to Cui's family for every gym card it sold.

A volunteer organization bought all the remaining melons from this year's crop.

"Money sent. No need to deliver the melons. We can't allow a good Samaritan's family to suffer," said a WeChat user who donated 20 yuan.

Another WeChat user, who purchased 20 yuan of melons, said he was touched by Cui's actions.

"Please accept my respect. I hope the criminals are severely punished by the law," the netizen said.

As of July 31, people had donated more than 35,000 yuan to the family.

Xinhua
Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, chief executive of Hong Kong, told reporters before flying to Beijing on Sunday that she will discuss concrete measures to enhance her city's role in the Belt and Road Initiative during her first official visit to the capital since assuming office.

Lam discussed the main purposes of her visit, including plans to push development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and policies to help Hong Kong people work, study and live in the mainland.

She said she would also communicate with mainland authorities on optimizing arrangements for a West Kowloon terminus for the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong express rail link, after having received feedback from the Hong Kong public. The plan, announced by the government of the special administrative region on July 25, is to provide passengers with one-stop services to go through border controls, including Hong Kong and mainland customs, immigration and quarantine.

Lam's trip to Beijing, which will end on Wednesday, comes after her first overseas visits to Singapore and Bangkok from Aug 2 to 4, during which she aimed to enhance cooperation between Hong Kong and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Joe Chau Kwok-ming, president of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Small and Medium Business, said he hoped Lam would bring back the latest information on investing in the mainland and overseas.

Chau noted that many small and medium-sized enterprises in Hong Kong had limited access to, and outdated information about, regions and countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

He suggested Hong Kong's economic and trade offices get regular updates from the Ministry of Commerce, such as changes in the political landscape, laws and regulations.

Lam said earlier that the new Hong Kong government has achieved several goals since its inauguration on July 1, including getting approval from the Legislative Council to put an additional HK$5 billion ($639 million) toward education.

Youth exchanges have been a focus for Lam's government. More than 20,000 young people from Hong Kong have taken part in government-funded mainland exchange programs in the past year.

Now, 50 young people from the city are in internship programs in Beijing, as well as in Wolong, Sichuan province, and Dunhuang, Gansu province.
Ma Liqing works at her tailor shop in Baohua Lu in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, alongside her daughter, He Huizhen. LIANG FENGXIN/CHINA DAILY

City's last remaining bricks-and-mortar clothes repair shop struggles on

Clothes repair shops are a rare sight in Guangzhou these days.

The advent of fast fashion and e-commerce have changed buyers' habits in the capital of Guangdong province, with many now preferring to buy new clothes rather than having their old garments mended.

Ma Liqing's place, in Baohua Lu, is the last of its kind in the city - a shop that carries out repairs by hand. The 87-year-old shares 12 square meters of retail space with her daughter, who sells underwear.

Business may be slower than it once was, but seven decades of trade have earned Ma some loyal customers.

"After all these years, we have many old patrons. They come from other countries, from Shenzhen and Zhuhai," she said, as she sat in her sparsely decorated store, mending a nylon dress adorned with traditional Chinese patterns.

"We used to have more orders than we could finish, but business has decreased markedly in the past few years. People only bring expensive clothes now."

As a teenager, Ma would make money by knitting for some of the stores along Baohua Lu. That was before she met her husband, whose clothes repair shop specialized in mending qipao (a traditional Chinese dress), Western-style suits, cashmere jackets and stockings, among other clothes and accessories.

In 1958, the couple's store was merged with eight others and moved to its present address as part of a reorganization of the city's commercial sector.

Three decades later, as China was embracing reform and opening-up, clothes repair enjoyed something of a boom time.

"Dacron shirts, which appeared in the 1970s, were expensive then. Some customers brought us their Dacron shirts that they had worn for over 10 years to get repaired," Ma said.
The boom of summer tutoring programs has spread fiercely, consuming the time and money of parents and students.

A junior middle school student said in a live interview that he had nine hours of classes every day for his entire summer break. "All my classmates are in summer tutoring classes, " he said.

Summer classes, including math, English, and art are considered necessary for students, while many parents see overseas study tours as good opportunities for their children to get ahead, filling their children's days with a wide range of programs, despite the high costs of around $4,000 to $6,000.

Some courses are organized by the students' primary and middle schools, warned by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday. According to Sohu.com, the excessive pursuit of enrolment rates and school competition has led to the high number of summer programs, despite being prohibited.

A parent said she felt pressured by the current trend. "I don't want my son to have pressure at such a young age, but if I don't do this he'll fall behind his peers," she said. "It's not just the students competing, but the parents too."

The Ministry of Education released new restrictions on Wednesday to reduce the workload of primary and middle school students during the summer vacation. A more reasonable and meaningful summer program was encouraged, such as participating in social activities, getting close to nature, and conducting observation and inquiry-based learning, rather than all kinds of tutorial courses, said a notice.

Experts say that not all education pays off. Parents should not follow "bad trends" but rather engage education in a more meaningful way.
A court in Tianjin ordered stop to the auction of a landmark property heavily decorated with pieces of porcelain which was due on Tuesday  on concerns that the house may have historic significance, according to a statement released on Sunday on the court's Sina Weibo account.

The People's Court of Dongli District in Tianjin seized the property this year and announced a public sale after the property's owner Zhang Lianzhi defaulted on a loan provided by Xinze, a local credit company.

The lender said Zhang owed 100 million yuan ($14.9 million) to the company, Beijing News reported. But the owner  who was detained three times over the dispute since last summer  told China Daily that the sum was closer to 58 million yuan.

The court previously planned to do the public sale on July 22, but it was postponed for 17 days and was stopped on Sunday.

The statement released by the court said it has received reports that the porcelain house, a diplomatic residence in the 1920s and 1930s, was listed among "historic buildings".

The owner, who purchased the house in 2002 and spent a decade transforming it using tons of multicolored porcelain shards without approval from authorities, is suspected of violating local regulations on cultural relic's preservation, the court said.

The court halted the auction because the reports need to be verified and it needs to wait for the directions from related authorities, according to the statement.

Wang Dianxue, the owner's attorney, told China Daily in an earlier interview that he has filed an appeal with the court to postpone the auction.

The porcelain house, while popular with visitors and Tianjin's tourist industry, has long been controversial among heritage experts.

Under regulations issued in 2005 by the municipal government, buildings listed as major protection sites  which the house is  cannot be restructured or redesigned.

However, Zhang argued that when he bought the building it was in a dangerous condition. He said the porcelain and some concrete work had helped reinforce the structure.

There was also a dispute over the auction reserve price, which was set at 140 million yuan by the court.

Yet according to Guohongxin, an appraisal company commissioned by Zhang, the estimated market value of the property was more than 9.8 billion yuan, with most of that coming from the value of the porcelain.

Li Lei contributed to this story.
Firefighters in action. [Photo/VCG]

Beijing has recruited 682 full-time firefighters, the first time the city has employed and trained citizens to be professional firefighters.

The firefighters finished their month-long training in military formation, physical skills and firefighting on Friday before being dispatched to different brigades, according to the Beijing Youth Daily.

It is the first time the capital has recruited professional firemen from ex-servicemen as well as average citizens. After entering the service, they will take on duties of firefighting and emergency rescue along with Armed Police soldiers.

The new firemen in Beijing signed a three-year contract worth 100,000 yuan (about $15,000) a year. After the contract expires, they can choose whether or not to renew it.

Compared with the practice of hiring professional firefighters in many countries, China mostly relies on firemen from the Armed Police soldiers, who serve in the fire department for two years.

The advantage of that is militarized management leads to efficient operation and when the soldiers retire from the service, they can pass down their experience to their successors.

On the other hand, the firefighters are young on average - according to China's conscription law, a male citizen aged 18 to 22 can voluntarily apply to join the army or the armed police force - and the relatively short period of service in the fire department means they don't have enough time to accumulate firefighting experiences, which may have serious consequences in the event of fire.

In January 2015, a warehouse fire in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, killed five firefighters, with the oldest one being 22 years old and the youngest one 18.

According to statistics published by the Ministry of Public Security, the average age of firefighters who died in the line of duty from 2006 to 2013 nationwide was 24 years old.
Maggie Taylor constructs photomontages to create a dreamlike world inhabited by everyday objects. Runs through 9/9.

Opening & Artist Reception

Friday July 7, 57pm

On View: July 7  September 9, 2017

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

photo-eye Gallery is thrilled to announce Maggie Taylor: A tale begun in other days an exhibition of color photomontages from our newest represented artist Maggie Taylor opening Friday July 7th and continuing through September 2nd, 2017. An Opening and Artist Reception will take place on Friday, July 7th from 5  7 PM.

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Maggie Taylor constructs what she terms dreamlike worlds inhabited by everyday objects. An early adopter, Maggie Taylor has been utilizing digital technology to build her evocative and elaborate photomontages for more than 20 years. These whimsical narratives often begin as pastel background drawings with additional components such as 19th Century photographs, drawings, vintage toys, seashells, feathers, and taxidermy scanned and meticulously arranged over time to complete the scene. Working instinctively, Taylor crafts a surreal alternate reality rife with curious peculiarities and rich in symbolism.

"I work very spontaneously and intuitively, trying to come up with images that have a resonance and a somewhat mysterious narrative content. There is no one meaning for any of the images, rather they exist as a kind of visual riddle or open-ended poem, meant to be both playful and provocative. "  Maggie Taylor

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Maggie Taylor is an artist who lives amid the Spanish moss and live oaks at the edge of a small swamp on the outskirts of Gainesville, Florida. Taylors photomontages have been widely exhibited and have been collected by many museums including the following: The Center for Creative Photography, Tucson; The George Eastman House, Rochester; Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans; The Art Museum, Princeton University; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland; and The Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University among others. Maggie Taylor's work is also featured in the following publications: Adobe Photoshop Master Class: Maggie Taylor's Landscape of Dreams, Peachpit Press; Solutions Beginning with A, Modernbook Editions; Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Modernbook Editions; Album, Edizioni Si; and No Ordinary Days, University Press of Florida.

For more information please contact Anne Kelly - anne@photoeye.com | 505-988-5152 x202
A man, surnamed Xia, has been detained for five days due to renting his one-story house, located in Jinghai district of Tianjin, to pyramid sellers.

Police said Xia, who allegedly knew the lessees were using his house for criminal activities, failed to report to the public security organ, while still leasing out the premises on two occasions in November 2016 and March 2017.

A man from the rental agency, surnamed Chen, who also helped Xia rent out his premises, was also punished, local police said.

The death of Li Wenxing, a young Chinese university graduate who was reportedly lured into a pyramid scheme on a job-seeking website, has captured the attention of many after making national headlines.

On August 6, 2,000 law enforcement officers were sent to catch scammers in Jinghai, and reported spotting 301 places in the district, including 63 people, were involved in pyramid schemes, according to the official micro-blog of the Jinghai district government.

The district government issued a statement, on Sunday, which stated any whistle-blower identifying such activity would be eligible for a reward of 20,000 yuan ($2,970).

Zhao Fei, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China Tianjin Committee, said Jinghai was an area with rampant pyramid scheme activity and the activities must be eliminated within 20 days.

Zhang Yi contributed to this story.
The new sanctions approved by the United Nations Security Council on Pyongyang are in line with the denuclearization goal on the Korean Peninsula, and reflect the unanimous position of all Security Council members, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday.

However, new measures should avoid negatively impacting activities and cooperation that are not prohibited, he added.

The Security Council on Sunday unanimously adopted Resolution 2371 to impose new sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea that bans its exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood, in response to its two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July.

"This resolution serves the objective of safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, advancing the denuclearization process on the peninsula and upholding the international non-proliferation regime," Geng said in a statement released on the ministry's official website.

"It is also consistent with the spirit of the previous relevant Security Council resolutions and reflects the unanimous position of its members."

However, according to Geng, the resolution also stresses that the sanctions should avoid affecting economic activities and cooperation that are not prohibited by the resolution as well as activities that are not prohibited by the Security Council, including food and humanitarian aid.

"China calls on relevant countries to remain restrained and make positive efforts to ease tensions on the peninsula and properly resolve the Korean Peninsula issue," he said, reiterating China's position that the issue should be resolved through dialogue and negotiations.

China has put forward the "suspension for suspension" proposal, which calls for the suspension of nuclear and missile activities by the DPRK and the suspension of massive military exercises by the US and the ROK, and the "dual-track" approach which aims to promote parallel progress in achieving denuclearization and the establishment of a peace mechanism on the peninsula.

"The proposals are also consistent with the spirit of Resolution 2371," he said.



Related story:

'Tipping point' on Peninsula near, says Wang
BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has sent a message to Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill to congratulate him on his reelection as the head of government of the South Pacific island nation.

On August 2, Papua New Guinea's parliament reelected O'Neill prime minister for a new five-year term.

In his congratulatory message dated Aug 4, Li said that China-Papua New Guinea relations have achieved substantial development since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1976. The two sides have trusted each other politically and have launched mutually beneficial cooperation economically, besides supporting each other in multilateral affairs, he said.

The development of China-Papua New Guinea relations has brought tangible interests to the two peoples, and has also promoted stability and prosperity of the region of Pacific island nations, Li noted.

"I am looking forward to making efforts with you to deepen China-Papua New Guinea exchange and cooperation in all fields, and promote further development of the strategic partnership between the two countries, in the better interest of the two peoples," Li said.
QINGDAO -- The Chinese Navy conducted live ammunition combat drills in water and air areas above both the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea simultaneously on Monday.

Dozens of missiles were fired in the drills, according to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy.

In addition to naval forces, which took a major part in the drills, forces from the PLA Air Force also participated.

The drills, involving dozens of surface vessels and submarines, more than ten aircraft as well as troops of the coastal defense force, carried out exercises including different forces' joint operations against offshore and onshore targets, as well as air interception.

The PLA Navy said the drills aimed to test the military capability of systemic combat, operation and training methods and weaponry, as part of regular arrangements organized in the military's annual exercise plan.

Senior naval officers attended the drills.
BEIJING -- The final of a schools' contest to arouse interest in the exploration of space and in developing innovative space technology began in Beijing Monday.

The final, held in Beijing Institute of Technology, one of the country's most highly regarded science centers, featured 45 teams of primary and secondary school students from across the country.

Over the next two days, the students show off their skills and knowledge in a wide variety of simulations including "building lunar bases" and "launching rockets."

This contest is a way of cultivating enthusiasm for China`s aerospace endeavors, said Wang Xiaofeng, vice president of the institute.

The contest was sponsored by the Chinese Society of Education and the Chinese Society of Astronautics. The first round of the contest began on April 24, China`s second Space Day.

April 24 was designated Space Day in China last year to mark the anniversary of the launch of the country's first satellite Dongfanghong-1 in 1970.
BEIJING -- China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) sent 16 inspection teams to investigate judicial misconduct and improve regulation of judicial acts nationwide in April and May, said the SPP Monday.

During the inspection tours, 31 provincial-level procuratorates, 35 city-level procuratorates and 41 county-level procuratorates were inspected, according to a statement on the website of the SPP.

The inspections revealed that some procuratorates actively corrected judicial misconduct that had been strongly criticized by the public, including coercive measures and overlooking human rights, the SPP added.

Local procuratorates need to focus on key problems according to their different conditions, rather than trying to correct everything all at once, said the SPP.
BERLIN - Germany's solid job market has attracted tens of thousands of southern Europeans seeking an El Dorado while crisis strangles their home economies, but few view Europe's biggest economy as a permanent home.

As Spain, Portugal and Greece plunged into deep recession in the global financial crisis of 2008, unemployment rates urged, reaching 50 percent among the youth in Spain and Greece.

Faced with a glut of unfilled jobs in Germany, where the economy is booming and the working population is aging, Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2011 launched a call for young Spaniards to seek employment here.

In 2013, Berlin and Madrid signed a deal reserving 5,000 apprenticeship spots and full-time posts for Spanish school-leavers.

Between 2008 and 2015, more than 47,000 Spaniards and 27,500 Greeks aged 18 to 25 arrived in Germany seeking work, according to figures from Germany's statistics office Destatis.

But several years on, the immigration trend appears to be inversing.

The number of young Spaniards who have left Germany soared from 2,800 in 2012 to 4,300 in 2015, according to Destatis, as their home economy started to recover.

Albert del Barrio from Valencia was among those who benefited from Germany's welcome.

After a year's exchange program at a Prague university where he met his Italian girlfriend, he decided to move to Berlin, where "we can speak English" in his sector, he told AFP.

He found work quickly in a startup for smartphone industry marketing. "Clearly there are many more job opportunities in Germany," he said.

Some 600 kilometers to the south of Berlin, another Spanish national, 31-year-old Jose Ramon Avendano Fuentes is in an apprenticeship at an electricity firm.

The idea of trying his luck in Germany came from his employment agency in Albacete in 2014, after he failed to land a job at home.

"They told me that it's possible to find a job in Germany where they really need people," he said in halting German.

Since then, Fuentes has managed to integrate into life in Tacherting, a small southeastern village with 5,000 people located close to the Austrian border.

He now plays in a local orchestra and has no qualms about walking around in traditional Bavarian men's wear - lederhosen. "I have about 500 colleagues, most of them are great," he said.

But others feel less welcome and are returning to their home countries, disillusioned after struggling to settle in Germany, where they sometimes find themselves with precarious contracts.

Although the Spanish economy has been recovering, with growth expected to reach 3.1 percent this year, del Barrio acknowledged that the recovery remains fragile.

Agence France-presse

(China Daily 08/07/2017 page11)
Yu Long will lead the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland in August. [Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

City's symphony orchestra is one of the oldest in the world and it deserves to be celebrated as one of the best, says its artistic director Yu Long. Zhang Kun reports from Shanghai.

The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra will be the first musical ensemble from China to play at the prestigious Lucerne Festival in Switzerland.

The orchestra, led by artistic director Yu Long, will embark on a European tour, with a concert at the Lucerne Festival on Aug 20, followed by performances at Tirol and Grafenegg in Austria, as well as the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany.

"We are one of the best orchestras in the world today," says Yu. "We hope to perform with distinction at what is one of the most renowned music festivals."

According to Shanghai-based Jiefang Daily, the orchestra's European shows will be the "highest level international tour any Chinese music company has done".

Few orchestras from Asia have performed at the Lucerne Festival, and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra will also be the first orchestra from Asia to play at the new Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, says Yu.

The Lucerne Festival, founded in 1938, now stages three festivals every year, which are attended by more than 110,000 people annually.

The largest and most prominent is the summer festival, where internationally acclaimed orchestras and soloists perform more than 100 concerts and events in August and September.
The Palace Museum in Beijing has shared a range of photos featuring its collection of tureens with netizens on micro blog Sina Weibo in celebration of summer. While temperatures are high in summer, drinking hot water can also quench your thirst. Tureens are specifically used to sip tea, which can be seen in the list of relics below:

A carved lacquerware tureen, decorated with flower patterns, from the Yongle Period of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). [Photo/Official Weibo account of the Palace Museum]
A still shot of Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Reputed as the sequel of Empress in the Palace, another costume drama titled Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace has received public attention since shooting began.

Starring Chinese renowned actress Zhou Xun and Taiwan actor Wallace Huo, the drama tells the romantic love story of emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and his empress Ruyi.

The TV series is expected to hit the small screen at the end of this year.
Chinese and Canadian teenagers play at the Music Friendship Celebrating Canada 150 concert at Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Canada, on Aug 1, 2017. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

In collaboration with young Canadian musicians, China's Zhejiang Youth Symphony Orchestra played at an East-West fusion performance at Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Canada, on Aug 1.

The concert, titled Music Friendship Celebrating Canada 150, included classics and modern pieces from East and West, such as Chinese folk song Jasmine, Western classic Overture of Carmen and music from the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean.

The show is part of the cultural events to celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary. Sixty musicians from the Zhejiang Youth Symphony Orchestra were invited to Canada by the Canada-China Cultural Development Association. Zhao Haisheng, cultural counselor of the Chinese embassy in Canada, attended the concert.
Cactus by Li Linlin [Photo provided to China Daily]

Beijing-based artist and designer Li Linlin, 25, was awarded this year's Lalique Nova Art Prize in Beijing on July 31.

Her installations and a collaborative work with Lalique, the French crystal brand, are now on show at the 2017 Art Nova 100 Opening Exhibition through Aug 15.

Li received her bachelor's degree at Beijing's Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2016. Her works engage the audience in a semi-realistic and semi-fictional environment, by which she reveals the dramatic sides and life and subconsciousness of people.

Her collaboration with Lalique on display is an imaginative work called Cactus. She uses mixed materials to create birds resting on a blossoming cactus which rises from a glassy table, designed in 1951 by Marc Lalique. He was the son of French glassmaker and jewelry designer Rene Lalique who founded the brand in 1888.

Also on show are Lalique's decorative objects of limited editions in collaboration with artists, including the late architect Zaha Hadid.
46-centimer-high wucai [Photo provided to China Daily]

Wucai, (five-color) is one of the most prominent styles of Chinese porcelain. It features application of over-glaze polychrome enamels, mostly of red, green and yellow, combined with under-glaze cobalt blue (qinghua).

The technique developed into maturity in the 16th century during the rule of Ming (1368-1644) Emperor Jiajing. Both official and civil kilns produced exquisite wucai ceramics, which boast varieties of ornamental patterns and a vibrant palette.

One such ceramic will be auctioned in Hong Kong in November.

Christie's will hammer a 46-centimer-high wucai jar with a cover and bearing a production mark of Jiajing reign at the bottom.

The object is decorated with a lively scene in which fishes swim freely among weeds. A similar example is in the collection of Beijing's National Museum of China.

The jar to be sold used to be in the possession of Hu Huichun (1910-93), one of the most important Chinese connoisseurs and collectors of 20th century. He assembled a celebrated collection of Chinese works of art called the Zande Lou, or studio of temporary enjoyment.
One recent survey showed 42 percent of single men and 44 percent of single women between ages 18 to 34 were virgins, with some men calling women "scary". Another found nearly 25 percent of Japanese men and 14 percent women aged 50 were yet to marrythe highest figures since census began in 1920.

Surprisingly, even some married couples have lost the spark in the bedroom.

A Japanese family planning association's survey found almost half of the married couples had not had sex for more than a month and did not expect that to change in the near future-"sexless" marriage, as the association defines it. While 35.2 percent of married men said they were "too tired" to have sex, 22 percent of married women said they found sex "troublesome".

While sex may not be appealing to many Japanese, the pursuit of extramarital pleasure by some lawmakers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has contributed to the nosediving approval ratings of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his administration.

In September 2013, Toshinao Nakagawa, an LDP member of the lower house of parliament who is married and has three children, had a mock wedding ceremony with his mistress in Hawaii in the presence of a churchman. Apologizing to his voters for his misdeed, which he described as "lack of virtue", Nakagawa has left the LDP and stepped down as vice-minister of economy, trade and industry. But he continues to retain his upper house seat and has said he will contest it when his term expires in December 2018(if Abe does not call a snap election).

Eriko Imai, a member of the upper house and a single mother, according to media reports, has been having an affair with Ken Hashimoto, a member of the Municipal Assembly of Kobe city and a married man with two children. Both are LDP members.

The scandals have added to the LDP's woes. The burning hot summer seems to be scalding the embattled prime minister. To win back public support, he agreed to be grilled by opposition lawmakers at an ad hoc parliamentary hearing for suspected cronyism on July 24-25. The opposition claims Abe had intervened to help Kake Gakuen, an educational institution whose director Kotaro Kake is a long-time friend, get the approval for opening a veterinary school in a special economic zone.

Tomomi Inada, an Abe protege who shares his conservative values, resigned as Japan's defense minister on July 28 over allegations that she might have covered up information related to Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's operations during a United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.

Abe reshuffled his cabinet on Thursday, in a bid to save his political career. But to regain the trust of the Japanese people, he needs to focus on his economic initiatives so as to spur growth, which he promised while taking office in late 2012. But he has been preoccupied with several unpopular bills such as security-related legislation that for the first time allows Japan Self-Defense Forces to fight abroad.

The Japanese people are becoming increasingly skeptical about the effectiveness of Abe's policies. And Abe has not done enough to deliver on his promises of improving the economy and changing workplace culture.

When people in Japan don't have to work long hours, they will have more time to explore the spiritual world and address their libido. Japanese people's abstinence means fewer and fewer babies, which could be disastrous for the country. Japan's National Institute of Population and Social Security Research projects the country's population will plummet from 127 million now to 88 million by 2065, and further to 51 million by 2115 if the current trends continue.

The toxic combination of a low fertility rate and an aging population will add to the gloomy prospects of the country, which has the highest amount of public debt in the world.

The author is China Daily Tokyo bureau chief.
While offering its investigation feed backs to the government of East China's Fujian province on Mon day, the central environmental inspection team said the good ecological foundation of the province had prompted some local officials to be overoptimistic about the health of the local environment and thus not address the environmental problems, which undermined the efforts to preserve the unique local marine ecology.

The environment inspection team also discovered that the local government had failed to fully abandon local policies and rules by June 2015, as required by the top authorities, which in turn obstructed environmental protection monitoring.

What shocked the inspection team most is the Shishi local government convening a "special meeting" in December 2015 to urge the city's environmental protection bureau to revoke an administrative punishment imposed on a local enterprise for violating the environmental protection law. The local government's move amounted to conniving with the enterprise to breach the environmental protection law.

That some local governments have a "tolerant" attitude toward local enterprises' actions which violate the environmental protection law is not news as such. But the Shishi local government in Fujian has set a particularly bad example by calling a special meeting to "pardon" an enterprise which had broken the environmental protection law, especially because such local officials' behavior are rarely reported by local media outlets.

Had the central environmental inspection team not discovered the severe breach of the environmental protection law, or national media outlets not reported it, the public would not have known that a local government has gone so far as to protect a law-breaking enterprise in order to improve its performance with higher economic growth.

Why do some local governments still indulge in such malpractices?

The fundamental reason for that lies in the country's environmental protection monitoring and management system. China's localized environmental protection bureaus do not have the power to prevent Shishi-like malpractices or to punish the violators. So until the localized environmental protection management system is thoroughly reformed, it will be difficult to eliminate such malpractices.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection is the supreme administrative organ under the Chinese government for environmental protection supervision and management. And provincial-and lower-level environmental protection bureaus are set up under the auspices of corresponding level governments. In other words, these environmental protection bureaus are usually under the dual leadership of their local governments and higher-level environmental protection authorities.

But due to several factors, such as the asymmetrical fiscal and personnel management power, the local environmental protection bureaus end up functioning under their respective local governments. How else can one explain the Shishi local government's move to urge the local environmental protection bureau to "repeal" the administrative punishment it had meted out to an enterprise for violating the law?

The loopholes in the dual-leadership system of environmental protection were exposed years ago, which should be plugged as early as possible. Last year, the top authorities decided to change the country's local government-dominant environmental protection management system and adopt a vertical environmental inspection system under the provincial-level governments and planned to complete the reform within two to three years based on "experimental" measures.

It is now clear that to prevent Shishi-like fiascoes, the authorities should create favorable conditions for the implementation of the vertical management system for environmental protection agencies.

The author is a Chengdu-based freelance writer, and the article was originally published in China Youth Daily.


We are living in a seemingly rudderless world full of uncertainty thanks to the simultaneous existence of globalization and anti-globalization sentiments. As a result, the paradigm of global governance has begun a momentous yet bifurcated shift, making adaptation difficult for countries, large and small. Yet countries have to understand and timely adapt to this shift, both individually and collectively.

The global governance paradigm is shifting in two directions. The first shift is led by the United States and a few other Western countries, which are riding the rising tides of anti-globalization and populism, and blaming all the global and domestic troubles on the "clash of civilizations" and globalization. They seek solutions through "America First" or "Me/Us First" in order to gain more benefits in their dealings with other countries while shirking their responsibilities to maintain the right balance between market efficiency and social equality and justice.

In this context, the rhetorical question raised by US President Donald Trump in his recent Warsaw speech is really illustrative: "Do we have the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization in the face of those who would subvert and destroy it?"

Other senior US officials are less subtle, with one saying, "the world is not a 'global community' but an arena where nations, non-governmental actors and businesses engage and compete for advantage". The failure of the recent G20 Summit in Hamburg to reach a consensus on climate change and anti-protectionism is an example that has a clear US footprint.

Former US treasury secretary Lawrence Summers wisely said in the Financial Times that "the existence of the G20 as an annual forum arose from a common belief of major nations that there was a global community with common interests in peace, mutual security, prosperity and economic integration and the containment of threats even as there was competition between nations in the security and economic realms".

In the US, there are two schools of thought on globalization and what Washington's role should be: the "me-first" versus "community first" schools. Of course "community first" does not negate "me first".

Trump rejected the concept of global community right from the start of his presidential campaign. The fight over choosing to work alone to seek better bilateral deals and trying to build a better and stronger world order and global governance architecture has been going on within the US administration. The former seems to be winning for the time being.

The other paradigm shift is toward the world stage, with China leading the way, supported by many countries, both advanced and developing. President Xi Jinping gave the clarion call early this year at World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, when he appealed to the world to build a global "community of shared destiny".

Given the widening gap between the poor and the rich, both within and among countries, and the growing challenges before the international community, the old paradigm of global governance seems inadequate to overcome the challenges that include but are not limited to climate change and rising protectionism.

Xi's idea of building a community of shared destiny is nothing less than a call for concerted action to transcend ideological and other differences. The goal is to achieve a "meeting of minds and hands" to help build a world order in which countries with their political systems and cultures can cooperate and compete peacefully to build a community of shared destiny.

The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Xi in 2013 dovetails perfectly with the idea of building a community of shared destiny. And both are based on the successful experiences of China in domestic governance and fast-paced economic growth. No wonder the Belt and Road Initiative, the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, has gained much traction, with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Silk Road Fund and the BRICS New Development Bank as complementary vehicles for raising capital for large infrastructure projects, which is especially needed by less-developed countries that lag behind in terms of globalization and industrialization.

The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in May attracted a great deal of international attention, reflecting many economies' eagerness to engage in this innovative effort to improve global governance and develop a new type of international cooperation to transform globalization into a project "of the people, by the people and for the people".

It would not be inappropriate to mention here the G20 Communique of 2009 that declared, "we start from the belief that prosperity is indivisible". We should not veer away from that belief of "shared prosperity" and "shared destiny".

The bifurcated paradigm shift is something the world needs to take seriously, as it is unstoppable because of the fast changing world and increasing convergence of power between the "West and East" and the "North and South", as political pundits are fond of saying. The key issue is what is good for the international community as a whole in today's deeply interdependent worldmore clashes both within and between civilizations or coming together to tackle global challenges, because no country alone can deal with them, and thus paving the way for building a community of shared destiny.

Blaming everything on globalization and so-called clash of civilizations is actually an attempt to divide countries into ideological "camps" as was seen during the Cold War, which is not conducive to promoting the new era of globalization that has already bound all countries into a closeknit "community of shared interests".

The comment made by a US scholar at a seminar I attended recently is relevant here. He described today's world as a series of "rings of communities" within one another, from a local community a person lives in to the global community we all share.

Sharing and connectivity is the key link in those rings, he said and concluded that the idea is to "not to leave anyone behind" because we are all part of the same world. And shared interests and "one world, one dream", a slogan of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, are of great essence to China's idea of building a global community of shared destiny.

The author is former vice minister of Foreign Affairs. Courtesy: chinausfocus.com
A Foreign Ministry photo released on Wednesday shows Indian troops encroaching on Chinese territory. Provided to China Daily

The tensions caused by India's troops trespassing across the Sikkim section of the China-India border into Chinese territory show no signs of abating. This incident has brought back memories of colonial-era history and triggered fresh worries about a looming contest of will between the two giant Asian neighbors.

For China, the trespassing by Indian troops was unexpected and it is unacceptable as it happened in a section of the boundary that has hitherto been considered beyond dispute by both sides in the otherwise long drawn out and arduous boundary negotiations. The Sikkim section of the boundary was established by the 1890 Convention Between China and Great Britain Relating to Tibet and Sikkim, which was signed between Britain, the then colonial ruler of India, and China's Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The Convention clearly marks Donglang as Chinese territory.

As is the norm under international law, the People's Republic of China inherited the boundary line between Donglang and Sikkim. On its part, India accepted the boundary as shown in letters from prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to Chinese premier Zhou Enlai and through diplomatic notes and documents.

For 127 years, each side has exercised jurisdiction over its side of the boundary as delimited by the 1890 Convention without any dispute over the specific alignment of the boundary. These facts are clearly recounted in a recently published position paper by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The assertion by India that the 1890 Convention merely provides a basis for delimiting the boundary between the two countries is totally untenable. As the Chinese position paper makes clear, once a boundary is established by a convention, it is under the protection of international law and shall not be violated.

India's trespassing amounts to no less than a violation of China's territorial sovereignty, and China has the lawful right to take whatever measures it deems necessary to defend its territory.

India's initial lame argument was soon followed by another, as it claimed that its action was requested by Bhutan, which wanted India's help in defending its territory against China. Yet there has been no Bhutanese statement suggesting this was the case or even that it had prior knowledge of India's intent to trespass. This was borne out by the fact that Indian border troops crossed into China from the Indian side of the boundary in the Sikkim sector rather than from Bhutan.

Bhutan's frustration is well-captured by a recent blog by a wellknown Bhutanese commentator, who worried that India was getting Bhutan to claim territories that India itself had no right to claim.

Bhutan has had to follow Indian guidance in its external relations since 1949. Although a new treaty signed with India in 2007 nominally established equal relations between the two, Bhutan is not really free of India's interference in its external affairs. Using Bhutan as a cover for its trespassing only reveals India's true colors as a regional bully.

India's real motive is to make Donglang a disputed area. Donglang lies just dozens of miles away from the Siliguri Corridor, a narrow stretch of land known as the "Chick-en's Neck", which provides vital passage between India's northeastern states and the rest of the country. China's road construction in Donglang is seen by some Indian conspiracy theorists as an attempt to gain the capability to cut the Chicken's Neck.

Such zero-sum thinking has very much colored India's recent perceptions of China. Of late, it has harbored deep grievances at what it perceives to be China's obstructing of its ambitions to be a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and on the UN Security Council. And the fast progress China and Pakistan have made in advancing their economic corridor is a thorn in its side.

While misunderstandings between neighbors are understandable, India should engage in candid dialogue, not lawless provocations.

Defying an established boundary carries serious risks for India. If a clear boundary line bound by a legal instrument can be reneged on or tampered with, what about the hundreds of square kilometers of Tibetan territory that was lost to British Sikkim as a result of the 1890 Convention? If the boundary between Sikkim and China is no longer recognized as one between India and China, what would the status of Sikkim be? Furthermore, if India bends its border treaties at will, how can its neighbors be assured that their borders can be protected by international law and basic norms governing international relations?

When there are any bilateral differences, China's preferred approach is consultations to find a peaceful resolution. Yet it would be a grave mistake for India to take China's goodwill as a sign of weakness. China's resolve to defend its territorial sovereignty is unshakable. Time is fast running short for India to pull out from Chinese territory and on that basis explore a face-saving solution in consultation with China. India should do well to remember that its neighbor has the capability to "defeat all invading enemies".

The author is a Beijing-based researcher on international studies.
The United Nations' response to latest provocations by the Democratic People's Republic of Koreaits intercontinental ballistic missile launches on July 3 and 27has been prompt, with the UN Security Council unanimously approving tough, new sanctions on Pyongyang.

UN resolution 2371, with the expected condemnation "in the strongest terms", bans coal and other exports from the DPRK totaling upwards of $1 billion, as well as new joint ventures with the DPRK and additional foreign investment in existing ones.

The sanctions will bite deep. A$1 billion cut in DPRK export revenues means Pyongyang will possibly lose one-third of what it earned last year.

But no matter how tough the sanctions are, on their own they will never be enough to achieve a lasting settlement of the peninsula nuclear issue. Nor will the use of force, as some are proposing, resolve the issue; indeed it will only make the situation worse.

What is needed is for all parties involved to come back to the negotiation table to hammer out a deal that can finally bring peace and stability to the potentially volatile region.

That is why the call in the UN resolution for the long-shelved Six-Party Talks to be restarted should be both lauded and supported by the international community.

Given what has happened in the previous talks involving the DPRK, the Republic of Korea, the United States, Japan, China and Russia, it would be naive to expect the talks once restarted to achieve anything substantial in a short period of time. But it should be borne in mind that it was amid previous dialogues among the six that progress was made on the issue, and it was only since the talks stopped that the situation has threatened to get out of hand.

For the resumption of the Six-Party Talks, China proposes that the DPRK suspend its nuclear and missile program and the United States its military drills, which is the most realistic and reasonable way to decrease tensions and pave the way for all parties to return to the negotiation table.

As Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, sanctions are not the ultimate purpose but rather a means to bring all the parties concerned back to talks so they can realize the ultimate aim of resolving the peninsula issue for good.
Red flags on the Tian'anmen Square and atop the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. [Photo/Xinhua]

2017 is an eventful year for China, with several marquee activities on the political calendar, including the upcoming 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 90th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army early last week.

The world's attention has once again shifted to China with the CPC as the center of that attention.

Tasked with leading the country to rejuvenation, the CPC also has its own mission: to be the strongest party in the world.

The mission is determined by China's national conditions. The country's vast population, unbalanced economy, and the pressure of its two centennial goals require the leadership of a stronger CPC.

The mission is also the CPC's response to the international community. Under the CPC's leadership and endeavors of the generations of Party members, China's progress in social development has made the Party an example to all and the world looks forward to its contribution to global governance.

Over the years, the CPC has established an efficient organizational structure and strict party discipline, which helped it survive wars and revolutions and to continue to thrive after almost a century.

But the Party never rests on its laurels. The leadership has repeatedly warned that the biggest threat to the Party is corruption and the CPC must better serve the people and lead the second largest economy in the world.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, an anti-corruption campaign has swept across the country, putting at least 240 senior officials under investigation.

The campaign has reinforced people's confidence in the Party. In a survey conducted by Pew Research Center in 2016, 64 percent of the interviewees believed that corruption would lessen over the next five years.

Grassroots Party members and organizations are crucial to the strength of the Party. The CPC is setting up a better appraisal mechanism to allow more mobility within its organizational structure, so that any capable candidate from its 89 million members has a chance to shine.

Over the past year, the catchphrase of the Party has been "staying true to our founding mission", which is to serve the people.

"We won't have the support of the people if we cannot strive for the people's benefit," said Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China, in 1934.

"To meet the people's desire for a happy life is our mission," said Xi Jinping when meeting the press after being elected as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee in 2012.

Considering the achievements of China, the CPC is fulfilling its promise.

More than 700 million people have been lifted out of poverty since 1978. In the past more than four years alone, China has seen over 55 million reach a reasonable standard of living.

Under the leadership of the Party, China is sharing the benefits of its economic boom with the people.

Antaeus, the giant in Greek mythology, can absorb inexhaustible power from the earth. Similarly, as long as the CPC stays close to the people, it will never lose its vitality.

Throughout its history, the CPC has debunked and defanged so many prejudices and stereotypes. Now, as China finds itself at a critical point of its revival, the world is waiting to see how the CPC continues to impress.
The race to space is on. Perhaps one might say it has been on for years now. However, space exploration, and the launching of new-generation satellites, have been much in the news recently, taking on added significance with important regulatory implications.

Since 1970 when China launched its first satellite, through to sending its first Taikonaut into space in 2003, and landing the Jade Rabbit rover on the moon in 2013, China has become a space exploration superpower and, along with India, it has been making significant inroads towards a capacity to commercialize outer space.

Russia, Kazakhstan, the Ukraine, and Japan have also been active, and, just a few weeks ago, there were calls for Australia to become more proactive in space technology. In Africa, Ghana launched its first satellite GhanaSat-1, heralding the advance of more developing countries into space. In the Mid-East, the UAE is planning to build a city on Mars by 2117.

In general, commercialization of outer space has sometimes led by government; at other times by public private partnerships and most recently has been taken up by major commercial players. In Europe, for example, since 1980 the semi-private firm Arianespace was created and has been active in commercial space launches. However, the cost has generally been prohibitive.

However, the cost of launching pay loads is set to drop with the emergence of new technologies. Elon Musks SpaceX has already set the pace by outpricing competitors Arianspace and ULA.

With the launching of its Long March rocket series and plans to complete its first space station in 2020, China has signalled the arrival of affordable, if not cheap commercialization of space and is potentially making it possible for developing countries to launch their own satellites.

Commercial opportunities in space

The attraction of space-based resources is a big incentive. In 2015, the US Congress passed the Space Act which legalized and recognized the rights of American citizens to engage in space mining.

Diverse opportunities abound in this new frontier. In addition to telecommunication satellites and remote sensing, others (e.g. Deep Space Industries with its Prospector-1 mission) focus on resource mining, of nearby asteroids with estimates of trillions of dollars of potential resources on offer.

Entrepreneurs like Britains Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic are focusing on space tourism. A surprising number of people have already signed up and committed to travel.

Space-based solar panel farms are also being considered as a way to get cheap and reliable renewable energy for a post-fossil based resource world.

The pharmaceutical industry is also interested in space, for example through its potential for zero-gravity research and testing and possibility of producing products such as improved quality crystals to replace synthesized proteins for the next generation of drugs.

Meanwhile, the advertising industry is already looking for opportunities for branding and other promotions related to outer space exploration.

Yet, major obstacles exist in relation to outer space commercialization. The first one is political. Individual nation states are reluctant to recognize the rights of others in outer space. There is little enforceable law governing this new area of human activity. Understandably, countries are using their space expertise to advance their own agendas.

China is using its outer space telecommunications/satellite infrastructure to support all countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. Similarly, India is working with the 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to launch a SAARC satellite to provide communication services free of charge to SAARC members, with the exception of Pakistan which has opted out.

Chinas and Indias initiatives show the importance of avoiding a space divide between those nations that have the capacity to exploit outer space and those who dont.

Absence of an agreed legal framework governing outer space exploration is a big concern. Among the areas needing clarification are property rights, space registration and liability regime, rules governing launching services, telecommunications services, national space legislation and international space cooperation.

Another potential obstacle is the 1967 Outer Space Treaty which provides that no celestial body is subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.

Quite apart the obvious legal obstacles, space exploration is a risky business and fraught with perils. Commercial players especially require insurance products to manage such risks.

Another challenge is that of space wastes, junk and other debris. Thus far, there are only the Interagency Space Debris Mitigation Coordination Committee Guidelines, endorsed by the UN General Assembly, but remaining voluntary.

Finally, space commercialization efforts require huge sums of capital that have to be advanced for a risky venture. Such capital has never been easy to come by.

By Eugene Clark and Sam Blay
U.S. Gulf Coast ports are expected to benefit more than East Coast ports in the near term, and to the detriment of West Coast ports, according to a recent report from JLL.



Photo: Ed Metz / Shutterstock.com

The refining and processing of oil and gas into chemicals, plastics and other products has helped boost port volumes and industrial real estate demand along the Gulf Coast.



Chicago-based industrial real estate services and investment management firm JLL pointed out how U.S. West Coast ports are losing share to East and Gulf Coast ports in its JLL Ports Airports and Global Infrastructure (PAGI) 2017 Seaport report.

JLL said in the report, which analyzed 14 port gateways in the U.S. and Canada, that it expects the expanded Panama Canal will benefit the Gulf Coast ports in the near term more than the East Coast ports, to the detriment of West Coast ports.

The decline in oil prices has had a reverse effect on the Gulf Coast, fueling a boom in the petrochemical sector. In recent years, the refining and processing of oil and gas into chemicals, plastics and other products has helped increase port volumes and industrial real estate demand along the Gulf Coast, JLL said.

Even before the completion of the Panama Canal expansion in June 2016, West Coast ports had already been losing share to East and Gulf coast ports.

More industrial real estate is currently being constructed near U.S. East and Gulf Coast ports than near West Coast ports, despite the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Seattle-Tacoma have the highest occupancy rates as compared to other ports.

However, as of 2016, West Coast ports were still handling 53.8 percent of total U.S. TEUs.

JLLs report also touched on other supply chain trends worth keeping an eye on, including mergers and alliances. In the coming months, with multiple mergers and acquisitions occurring between ocean carriers, the control that carrier alliances  including the 2M Alliance, OCEAN Alliance and THE Alliance  have will shift, and vessel sharing will reorganize travel routes, JLL explained.

Meanwhile, as ocean carriers continue to deploy larger vessels, they are likely to reduce the number of port calls.

In addition, as larger vessels call at U.S. ports, more funds are needed for port infrastructure to move cargo profitably, JLL said. Although U.S. ports have been upgrading navigation channels and waterside infrastructure to accommodate these larger ships, inland road and rail infrastructure capacity has not increased in tandem, resulting in congestion, Walter Kemmsies, managing Director, economist and chief strategist for JLLs U.S. ports, airports and Global Infrastructure Group pointed out.

This may not be improved anytime soon, he said. Therefore, it makes sense to conduct more logistics operations closer to ports.

Meanwhile, the rail industry is expected to grow and see revenues rise, and since rail is seen as a less expensive option than trucking, shippers look to rail to carry large amounts of cargo quickly, JLL said.

However, due to large cargo volumes entering the U.S. via mega-ships, rail infrastructure must be able to operate efficiently, JLL said. Luckily, ports are investing in infrastructure improvements, with the Port of Baltimore hoping to raise the Howard Street Tunnel to allow double-stacked trains to pass through.

JLL also pointed out how labor shortage in the trucking industry remains a concern, as the majority of drivers are nearing retirement, and the sector is seeing a limited number of new entrants. However, the trucking industry is seeing a shift to utilizing technology, such as automation, to make the movement and tracking of cargo more efficient.

Looking ahead, although the expanded Panama Canal opened in June 2016, its fill capacity will not be realized in the near term because some East Coast ports are not prepared to receive the neo-Panamax vessels, according to Kemmsies.

In regards to NAFTA, JLL believes that if renegotiations lead to a reduction of trade between the U.S. and Mexico, particularly of manufactured products, the largest impact would likely be lower truck and rail volumes, since the majority of trade between the two countries is land-based.
BRICS ready to play its role in global governance

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-08-07 07:54

BEIJING -- There is less than 30 days till the ninth BRICS summit in Xiamen in September when the organization's role in global governance, a faltering economic recovery and setbacks in globalization will be the issues of greatest concern.



"BRICS: stronger partnership for a brighter future" will bring together the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in Xiamen, a coastal city in southeast China's Fujian Province from Sept. 3 to 5.

The "gold bricks countries" -- a Chinese translation of BRICS -- represent emerging markets and are the voice of the world's developing countries.



Strong economic growth means BRICS are now key players in the world economy and in global governance. Together, the five accounted for 23 percent of the 2016 global economy, almost double their share in 2006. The five have been the source of more than half of global growth in the past ten years.



"BRICS cooperation has not only helped the countries themselves, but enhanced the right to speak on global issues for all developing countries,"said Ruan Zongze, executive vice president of the China Institute of International Studies.



As the holder of the BRICS presidency this year, China is hosting the series of meetings which usually precedes the leaders' summit. Earlier this week, trade ministers met in Shanghai and agreed to unite against protectionism and to do all they can to ensure the survival of the multilateral trade system.



In late July, a BRICS security meeting was held in Beijing, with discussions on global governance, anti-terrorism, the internet, energy, national security and development.



In June, finance ministers and central bank governors agreed to strengthen cooperation in several fiscal and financial areas, including the BRICS New Development Bank and regulatory collaboration.



"I think this year's summit in Xiamen will produce more practical and concrete cooperation, and improve trust and confidence among BRICS," said Shen Yi, director of the center for BRICS studies at Fudan University.

China does not want to limit future cooperation to the five nations. In March, Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi said that China would explore expansion modalities for "BRICS Plus" and build a wider partnership through dialogue with developing countries and international organizations.



"BRICS plus" will provide opportunities for other economies and inject impetus into economic globalization, said the chief economist of the Eurasian Development Bank Yaroslav Lissovolik.



"The proposals of Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi regarding the expansion of the BRICS partnership zone are not only timely in the light of China's presidency of BRICS, but they are also aimed at giving new impetus to integration processes in the complicated conditions of protectionism's spread in the world economy," Lissovolik said.



With the progress of the past ten years and a more inclusive attitude, BRICS are prepared not only for the Xiamen summit, but for another golden decade to come.
SHI YU/CHINA DAILY

"A good life is created with one's own hands, so poverty is nothing to fear. If we have determination and confidence, we can overcome any difficulty," President Xi Jinping said on June 16, 2015.

During the 11th ASEAN-China Forum on social development and poverty reduction, held in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province for two days from July 26, Nick Beresford, United Nations Development Program (UNDP)-Cambodia country director, praised China for its great success in reducing poverty, lifting hundreds of millions of its people out of poverty. He said China's best practices and successful experiences in poverty reduction should be a "role model" for ASEAN countries.

Beresford added China, the most populous country in the world, made an active contribution to the world's poverty reduction. The nation is the largest contributor to the UN's Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people in poverty worldwide, and the success was delivered by a combination of strong leadership, comprehensive policies, targeted measures, increased investment and an incentive mechanism, providing inspirations for global poverty alleviation governance.



Since the reform and opening up policy in the late 1970s, the Chinese government has to alleviate poverty through development. After 37 years of effort, about 700 million people have been lifted out of poverty in China. Poverty reduction of this magnitude is unparalleled in human history, and never before have so many people been lifted out of poverty over such a brief period of time. The achievement has also been recognized by the United Nations.

The Chinese government launched a package of targeted poverty reduction programs covering areas including physical infrastructure, social development, industrial development and income generation. It also covers assisting disadvantaged households and areas, and improved their ability to share the benefits of national growth and generate more income by themselves.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) calculated China had contributed 76 percent of all global poverty reduction to date. The nation has been playing a role in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which benefits the international community by promoting its model and methods through knowledge sharing.

Ana Revenga, senior director of the Poverty and Equity Global Practice at the World Bank, praised China's poverty relief efforts and said "if anyone could show the world how to do the last mile of ending extreme poverty, it was probably China."

According to the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020), China, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, aims to eliminate poverty to become a "moderately prosperous society by 2020". To meet this goal, the Chinese government has vowed to lift 10 million people out of poverty each year from 2016 to 2020, 10 years ahead of the newly agreed UN Sustainable Development Goal poverty eradication target, through support for industry, education, employment and medical care.

The number of disadvantaged people in rural areas across China fell to 43.35 million by the end of 2016. President Xi Jinping said, while attending the annual session of the National People's Congress in Beijing on March 8, "it was the Party's solemn pledge to help all of the impoverished rural population out of poverty under the current standard and delist all poor counties by 2020." Certainly, setting a deadline for eradicating poverty is an extremely tough task; but there is no doubt China will again be the frontrunner in reaching the UN's post-2015 Development Agenda.



On the other hand, despite India's Five-Year Plan in developing economy, mechanical advance, commercial growth and scientific development, the demon of poverty has spread its tentacles all around the urban and rural areas. China is beating India in terms of poverty reduction and improvement in social indicators, such as life expectancy, health, per capita income level, education and infant mortality.

According to the World Bank's poverty line norm, India has the highest number of people living below the poverty line, with 30 per cent of its population under the $1.90 a day poverty measure. It's estimated millions of children in India live as modern-day slaves, and the grinding poverty forces parents and guardians to sell children into slavery. According to a study of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, at least half of India's under-18 population lives in acute poverty.

Thousands of families in India do not find enough to feed themselves and, in a moment of complete dejection, they commit suicides, often collectively. There are millions of people who sleep with empty stomachs most of the times. There's a life-and-death struggle on the railroad tracks as there are many people who live dangerously near railway tracks and often risk their lives and don't have sources to feed their families. They also want good food to eat, good clothes to wear, good place to live in, but they are helpless as they don't have any kind of support. This is the dark side of poverty.

It is a pity that after 70 years of India's independence, India lags far behind China in battling poverty and in advancing living standards such as health, education and other social conditions. A total of 48 percent of Indians don't even have access to toilets. Around 65% of rural households have no sanitation facility. A third of the population in India does not have any electricity connection. It's a fact that access to drinking water and electricity within homes continues to be a distant dream for millions of Indians.

Rural poverty is further compounded by India's enormous health burden; India accounts for more than one quarter of the world's TB cases and deaths. In India, most villages don't possess even a small hospital. Unfortunately, in India's noisy political democracy, politicians are not too interested in alleviating poverty.

Since Independence, year after year, India's anti-poverty programmes are getting bigger without getting better. The blunt truth is that India's poverty alleviation programmes such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the Pardhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY), Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana and other welfare schemes fail to reach the downtrodden. The outcomes in each programme are poor.

India's various welfare schemes will get a tremendous boost if it can learn lessons from China's experiences and achievements in poverty alleviation through the Southwest Poverty Reduction Project, the Poor Rural Communities Development Project, the Guangxi Rural Poverty Alleviation Pilot Project, the Qinba Mountains Poverty Reduction Project, the Gansu and Inner Mongolia Poverty Reduction Project, to mention a few.

Poverty is a huge stone on the path of India's development. It should be rooted out and the problem should not be tackled slowly. Poor Indians need money to fulfill their basic needs, not charity. The poor Indians deserve better than mere lip service or an entry in the government budget. Mother India would win then and only then if Indian political leaders make every effort to quickly eradicate poverty from the country, bringing prosperity into the lives of poor people through a sound political vision.

China is undoubtedly a world-leader in poverty reduction and improving health outcomes and there is a lot the rest of the world can learn from its experience. China is also willing to exchange and cooperation with India in the realm of poverty reduction. China's formula for reducing poverty could help India to accelerate its poverty alleviation programmes. Can India learn lessons from China's invaluable poverty reduction policies and rapid growth?



Rabi Sankar Bosu is the Secretary of New Horizon Radio Listeners' Club in West Bengal, India.
Have you ever walked into a room and caught everyone's attention at once? Have you ever been gazed at, from top to bottom, as if you were an ancient, foreign relic on display? Have you ever stared back, challenging, only to have your surveyors continue to watch you, unperturbed?

These are daily occurrences for foreigners in China. I am stared at every single day as I go about my daily life. Be it on the street, in a store, or on the subway, I am stared at like a walking spectacle. While I cannot speak for all foreigners, I can, however, seek to critique and expand upon my own experiences in a global context.

Chinese people are curious about the outsider, this I understand. However, staring is the least of it. Bolder strangers have asked to take a picture with me, or even of me. On a class trip, my two close friends and I, all women of color, noticed that people were sneaking pictures of us. Even worse, there was one older gentleman who approached us and asked to take photographs of us. Awkward and stunned into silence, he took our lack of response as an affirmative, and began positioning us the way he wanted us. Standing or kneeling, we did it all. I feel stupid now for having gone along with it, but as our professor stood behind the man and took pictures of us as well, laughing delightedly, it was difficult to see the insidious nature behind the hilarity of the situation.

On my street in Nanjing, where I lived for four months, my neighbors continued to fall into a hush at the sight of me, their heads swiveling around quickly to watch as I neared. I have become friendly with some of them, gone so far as to chat with them, but the staring never ends. I continue to be the visiting roadside attraction, promising the audience new and exotic sights. There are hushed whispers in my wake, and every time, I wonder: when will they grow tired of me?

The stares are not in anyway malicious. I am entirely aware of this, but they are still able to catch my attention every time, to correct me whenever I dare to think that I have grown accustomed to life here.

As a multi-racial woman, it is difficult not to see the differences in the way varying foreigners are treated. From what I have experienced in the past, most Caucasian men seem to be approached with a sense of awe. These Caucasian men are asked if they are celebrities, perhaps even compared to Brad Pitt, before a request to take a selfie is posed. This could be the epitome of Western idolization in the East and the effect of years of western media on Chinese culture. But perhaps, this is also tied into the colorism that is often entrenched in Chinese culture and media.

From every angle, Chinese people are bombarded with skin whitening products, with advertisements that feature Caucasian rather than Asian models, and whiteness continues to be idealized. The bud of racism in that very notion aside, foreigners have come to be equated with whiteness. While the intent is not that of discrimination, the result is shockingly close. Where this notion leaves the rest of us, people of color, I do not know. In a culture transfixed on whiteness, where do the rest of us stand?

From my experience alone, the lack of representation, and perhaps the lack of understanding about other cultures, fuel the curiosity that many people I come across tend to possess. Curiosity is welcomed, and even encouraged. Curiosity will even ultimately be the key to fixing this problem. With education and exposure to different peoples and cultures, China can and will continue to flourish as a global hub. However, when curiosity begins to breed a lack of respect and consideration for others, that is where it has the ability to morph into racism and even xenophobia.

While on my commute home the other day, I was once again confronted by the type of insensitivity that I detailed above. As a mother and daughter boarded the subway car, the older woman whispered to her teenager, in a barely hushed voice, to look at the "" or "the black person". The words shook me. In that moment, the other foreigner and I became mere objects, tools with which the mother could teach her child, and subjects to be observed under glass.

She pointed the other foreigner out with a single finger, the way one might at a bird or a beast. The mother pointed, and her daughter craned to look for the foreigner as she would an elusive and exotic creature. Throughout the ride, the young girl and her friend continued to sneak glances at the other woman, darting looks at her as if she were on display. I wonder how often I have been pointed out in the exact same way.

As China continues to globalize in an effort to make its mark on the economic marketplace and the cultural zeitgeist, I fear that it will be the lack of empathy and insensitivity that will stand in its way. Beijing is already a global epicenter, with foreigners on almost every street, and yet this type of insensitivity continues to occur. Foreigners are here to enrich their lives, to learn more about China's long history, and hopefully to make a positive impact on it as well. They are not here to be part of a human zoo for the Chinese people.
China handled 4.39 million cruise passengers last year, up 82 percent on the previous year. The country is expected to become the second-biggest cruise market in the world, after the United States, by 2020. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A holiday on the ocean wave is growing in popularity, especially for parents. Bookings rose nearly 50 percent year-on-year in July. Yang Feiyue reports.

Lyu Lian has booked a late August cruise for her family since the kids are on vacation. The Beijing resident will travel with her daughter, husband, parents and her sister's family, from Shanghai to Nagasaki in Japan aboard a cruise ship operated by the Florida-headquartered Norwegian Cruise Line.

Lyu says it would be difficult and demanding to keep the family together if she chose any other means of travel.

"We have almost 10 people traveling together, and taking a cruise allows us to spend quality time together," says Lyu.

The family group will visit Shanghai's Disneyland for two days before boarding the ship on Aug 22, and return to Beijing via Tianjin.

Many Chinese like Lyu are now taking cruises, especially those with children.

Cruise bookings from the mainland rose nearly 50 percent year-on-year in July, China's biggest online travel agency Ctrip reports. And the average age of Chinese cruise travelers who booked through Ctrip this summer stands at 36.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

In the past 70 years, Inner Mongolia has enjoyed rapid development. People have worked together to forge ethnic unity, social stability and maintain peace, harmony and coexistence.

To mark the occasion, 12 people spent a year filming 1,500 gigabytes of footage and snapped more than 30,000 of photos to capture the great beauty of their hometown in Gallop Inner Mongolia.
The situation on the Korean Peninsula is approaching "a tipping point for a crisis as well as a turning point for making decisions to return to peaceful dialogue", Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday.

Wang made the remarks when meeting with Ri Yong-ho, his counterpart with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in Manila, Philippines.

Before their meeting on the sidelines of a series of foreign ministers' meetings involving the 10 Southeast Asian countries, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution on Sunday sanctioning the DPRK's test launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles in July.

Foreign ministers of the ASEAN countries released a statement after their meeting on Saturday, reiterating their "grave concerns" over the escalation of tensions on the peninsula.

Wang said China urges the DPRK not to take actions that run against the Security Council's resolution.

Beijing also urged Washington and Seoul not to worsen tension, Wang added.

All the parties should exercise restraint, grasp the positive signals released by relevant parties and make the right choices that are responsible to the people of their countries as well as for regional peace, Wang said.

Currently, the Korean Peninsula situation is complicated and sensitive, which has affected the relationship between China and the DPRK, Wang noted.

Ri reiterated the DPRK's stance on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, saying Pyongyang is willing to maintain communication with China in this regard.

During Wang's meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov later in the day, both sides agreed that the top priority is to stop the tension from escalating round after round.

Ruan Zongze, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, said the two sides keep provoking each other, spiraling tensions upward between themPyongyang against Washington and Seoul.

What China has called for is to cool down through political means, and many regional countries, including China and Russia, support a political settlement, Ruan said.

When asked earlier on Sunday about the latest Security Council resolution, Wang said sanctions are necessary but "never the ultimate goal".

Wang said the resolution aims to bring parties concerned back to the negotiating table so as to seek a peaceful solution to the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.
MANILA-- The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) commended on Sunday the growing role of China in this region, saying the region continues to reap the fruits of China's strong economic growth.

In a joint communique of the 50th ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting, the ministers also stressed the need for more economic integration between ASEAN and China and the need to have more high-level dialogues and exchanges.

"We acknowledged China's growing role in the region and highlighted that China's economic growth continues to benefit the region," the ministers said.

"We called on both sides to continue promoting economic integration. We looked forward to more high-level dialogues and exchanges between ASEAN and China," the ministers said.

The ministers also welcomed the entry into force of the Protocol to Amend the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Certain Agreements thereunder between ASEAN and China (ACFTA Upgrade Protocol) and looked forward to the early ratification of the protocol by the remaining parties.

"This will help support the twin goals to reach a two-way trade and investment of 1 trillion U.S. dollars and 150 billion U.S. dollars respectively by 2020," the communique said.

The ministers also noted "with satisfaction" the progress made in the implementation of the ASEAN-China Air Transport Agreement (AC-ATA).

"We looked forward to working toward full liberalization of the AC-ATA and the full implementation of the upgraded ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement," they said.

The ministers also welcomed the various activities held in ASEAN member states and in China this year to celebrate the ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation to promote people-to-people exchanges, mutual trust and understanding.

"We noted that the ASEAN-China Year of Tourism Cooperation coincides with the Visit ASEAN@50 campaign, which seeks to promote ASEAN as a single unified travel destination," the ministers said, adding these mutually reinforcing events will further promote tourism cooperation between the two sides.

The ministers also noted the signing of the revised Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the ASEAN-China Center, which will further enhance the role of the ASEAN -China Center in Beijing in promoting trade, investment, tourism, equation and culture between ASEAN and China for mutual benefit.

"We agreed to work on the joint statement between ASEAN and China on Tourism Cooperation to be issued at the 20th ASEAN-China Summit in November 2017," the ministers said.

They said they also agreed "to work together to enhance cross-pillar cooperation in other areas of mutual interest, such as anti-corruption, and infrastructure and environmental protection."

The ministers said they look forward to the commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership in 2018 and agreed that both sides would issue an ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership Vision Statement at the 21st ASEAN-China Summit next year.

"We also look forward to the designation of 2018 as the ASEAN-China Year of Innovation Cooperation," the ministers said.

The ASEAN ministers held their meeting on Saturday. But they failed to issue the joint communique at the close of their meeting and instead release them to the media on Sunday.

China is one of the dialogue partners of ASEAN that groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd R) meets with South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (1st L) on the sidelines of a series of ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings in Manila, the Philippines, Aug 6, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

MANILA -- China urges South Korea to stop further deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and make efforts to improve their relations by removing the stumbling block between them, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Manila Sunday.

Wang made the remarks while meeting with his South Korean counterpart on the sidelines of a series of ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings in Manila.

Wang said that it is very important to maintain communications between China and South Korea as they are neighbors and relevant parties to the Korean Peninsula issue.

He mentioned that South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed his willingness to take care of each other's rightful concerns and try his best to improve the two countries' relationship after he took office.

However, Moon's hasty order of further deployment of the THAAD missile interception system recently has cooled down the momentum of the improvement of bilateral relations, Wang pointed out.

Wang said the deployment of THAAD goes beyond the defense need of South Korea and damages China's strategic security interest, which is neither the way that neighboring countries get along with nor the principle that strategic partners should follow.

China hopes the South Korean government could realize the essence of the problem right now and the damage THAAD brings to South Korea and make wise decisions in line with fundamental interests of South Korea.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha recalled that leaders of South Korea and China met last month at the G20 summit in Berlin and made important consensus on improving the two countries' relationship, adding South Korea also hopes to solve existent problems in their relations and promote substantive improvement.

The two ministers exchanged views on the current situation in Korean Peninsula during their meeting.

Wang hopes all relevant parties should weigh the pros and cons cautiously and refrain from activities that could escalate tensions and create conditions for early resumption of peace talks.

He hopes South Korea could consider China's "double suspension" proposal on the Korean Peninsula carefully, which refers to suspension of missile and nuclear tests by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and of joint military drills by the United States and South Korea.
Sources told China Daily that it was Vietnam who pushed for inserting "concerns" over land reclamation into a Sunday communique issued by all 10 Southeast Asian countries.

The sources, close to the matters and requesting not to be named, noted that Vietnam is like a thief crying "stop thief" as it has been working on land reclamation in the South China Sea in recent years and boosting its military deployment there.

Aside from concerns by some ASEAN countries about land reclamation, the communique released at the 50th annual foreign ministers meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations is "generally positive about the cooperation between China and ASEAN", the sources said.

Speaking on the discussions taking place at the meeting, one of the sources said ASEAN countries gave sufficient endorsement to the achievements of China-ASEAN ties.

In regard to the South China Sea issue, the countries also spoke positively at the meeting of the joint efforts by China and ASEAN in the past year in stabilizing the South China Sea situation, the source added.

The second source told China Daily that the contents involving China within the meeting's joint communique are "mostly positive".

Articles 118 to 123 of the communique, for instance, gives a sufficient account of the development of China-ASEAN ties, the source added.

The part regarding the South China Sea takes a smaller portion in this year's document in comparison to those of past years, and its tone is generally more positive, the source said.

The source noted that there is differences within ASEAN about the reclamation topic as the communique mentioned concerns expressed by "some ministers" on the land reclamation, and the document did not use the term "serious concerns".

"It was a standalone country, not the entire ASEAN, who has concerns over this. The country is Vietnam," the source said.

In recent years, Vietnam has invested a lot in land reclamation, and it has deployed a large number of military there, the third source said.

"Undoubtedly, what Vietnam has done is the trick of a thief crying 'stop thief'," the source added.
Wang Bin's parents, Wang Youqing and Chen Zhixia. Photo from Sina Weibo

The parents of a Chinese teenager who drowned while visiting a summer camp in Washington have arrived in the United States.

Wang Bin, 18, from Hefei, East China's Anhui province, was found dead in Lake Whatcom at Camp Firwood near Bellingham, Washington, on July 26.

Wang Bin's parents, Wang Youqing and Chen Zhixia, arrived in Seattle on Aug 5, with assistance from the Consulate General of China in San Francisco.

Wang Youqing had paid more than 50,000 yuan ($7437) for his son to attend a 20-day long summer camp in the United States. He said he never expected it would be dangerous. Their main priority now is to deal with Wang Bin's funeral and ship the body of their son back to China. But they also hope to get further details about the true cause of his accident.

Wang Bin was last seen on July 25 around 4:30 pm during a sailboat tipping drill with other campers. Photo from Sina Weibo

Wang was last seen on July 25 around 4:30 pm during a sailboat tipping drill with other campers, the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office said. Wang didn't participate in the drill but was seen at a beach near the water, authorities said.

Wang's shirt, shoes and other items of clothing were found nearby. Wang didnt know how to swim.

Authorities located the body of Wang Bin on July 26 using an underwater camera.

But the reason why he decided to enter the water is still unknown.

Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo said that the water goes quickly from being shallow to a steep 30-foot drop in the area where Wang was last seen.

Tom Beaumont, executive director at The Firs, which operates Camp Firwood, said there had been no other deaths there since it opened in 1955.
The crew of the hospital ship Peace Ark lines up on the board on Aug 6, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

The hospital ship of the Chinese Navy makes its first port visit to Sri Lanka from Aug 6 to Aug 10, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The ship, known as Peace Ark, is making the four-day goodwill visit as the first stop in a broader voyage across the Indian Ocean code-named "Harmonious Mission 2017".

The maiden visit to Sri Lanka began when the ship arrived at the port of Colombo around 10 am on Aug 6 local time, said Xinhua. The visit includes a welcome ceremony as well as a range of activities including providing medical services to the public and other medicine and military exchanges.

"As military cooperation between China and Sri Lanka strengthens, Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark makes its first visit to Sri Lanka," major general Guan Bolin, the commander of the mission, said at the welcome ceremony.

Yi Xianliang, China's ambassador to Sri Lanka, said Chinese Army is an important force for regional stability and world peace, and he hopes the Peace Ark's visit to Sri Lanka can further promote military cooperation between the two countries.

Aside from Sri Lanka, Harmonious Mission 2017 will also see the Peace Ark visit other locations around the Indian Ocean --Djibouti, Sierra Leone, Gabon and the Republic of Congo.

This is the sixth iteration of Harmonious Mission, with the first launching in 2010.
MANILA -- The foreign minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Ri Hong-Yo, said on Monday that his country has no intention to use nuclear weapons against any other country except the United States.

Ri, in Manila to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), said DPRK "is a responsible nuclear power and ICBM state," referring to the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.

"We have no intention to use nuclear weapons or threaten with nuclear weapons against any other country except the US, unless it joins action of the US against DPRK," Ri said in a statement to the ARF.

Ri lambasted the US for "trying to internationalize the issue of Korean Peninsula by abusing the United Nations" by claiming that DPRK's possession of nuclear weapons is a "global threat."

He also said that the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula was created and developed into the present phase today by the United States.
NEW DELHI -- Calls for boycotting Chinese goods began to rise in India in response to the ongoing China-India standoff a border area, but the boycott will harm both countries, Indian media said on Monday.

As tension continues, India's right-wing power as well as some organizations and individuals have called on Indians to boycott Chinese products.

Indian troops crossed the Sikkim sector of the China-India border and obstructed Chinese road works in the Dong Lang area (Doklam) on June 18, which resulted in the standoff.

The boycott, however, was described as "a revival of economic ultra-nationalism" by India's daily newspaper the New Indian Express on Monday.

The Economic Times, India's leading business news daily, said the belief that such actions will put pressure on China is "mistaken," and "will harm India and India is dependent on Chinese imports."

According to official data released by China Customs statistics, China's exports to India totaled $58.32 billion in 2016, a slight increase over $58.25 billion in 2015. Meanwhile, India's exports to China dropped 12 percent to $11.76 billion last year. This led to India's trade deficit of $46.56 billion.

China is India's largest trading partner, as India has huge demand for electronic products, manufactured goods and drug manufacturing goods imported from China, which are at competitive prices.

China accounted for 16 percent of India's total imports last year, according to data from India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Meanwhile, the number accounted for 2.8 percent of China's total exports.

"Even if Indians boycott all the goods imported from China, it will not make as big an impact on China as to bring it to its knees before India," the Economic Times said.

"In the short term, the boycott is more harmful for India than China," the article said.
British Prime Minister Theresa May makes her way to the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate to mark the centenary of Passchendaele, The Third Battle of Ypres, in Ypres, Belgium July 30, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - British Prime Minister Theresa May's botched gamble on a snap election has shaken public confidence in the government with nearly two thirds of voters now negative about her government's approach to Brexit talks, an ORB opinion poll indicated.

Britain has less than two years to negotiate the terms of the divorce and the outlines of the future relationship before it is due to leave in late March 2019.

May is reeling from a crisis of her own making - the loss of her parliamentary majority in a June 8 snap election which she had called to strengthen her hand. The EU's top negotiator has warned that formal talks could be delayed.

An Aug 2-3 opinion poll for ORB International showed 61 percent of British voters disapproved of the government's handling of the Brexit negotiations, up from 56 percent last month and 46 percent in June.

The data showed most voters approved of May's handling of Brexit negotiations this year until the start of June when May lost of her majority.

"This months Brexit tracker suggests the damage from a poor election result is continuing to cast doubt over Brexit," Johnny Heald, managing director of ORB, said.

"Confidence that the prime minister will be able to negotiate the right deal remains brittle," he said.

When asked if whether they were confident May would get the right deal, 44 percent of people said they were not confident. Just 35 percent were confident May would get the right Brexit deal while 21 percent said they did not know.

ORB asked 2,000 voters across the United Kingdom. The margin of error is around 2.2 percent.
PYONGYANG -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Monday rejected the new United Nations Security Council resolution on its nuclear and missile program.

"This UN sanctions resolution, to all intents and purposes, is an outcome of diabolical attempts of the US to isolate and stifle the DPRK, which constitutes a flagrant infringement upon its sovereignty and an open challenge to it," said the statement of the DPRK government, carried by the Korean Central News Agency.

It said the successful test-launches of ICBM by Pyongyang is "a stern warning" to Washington over its "the policy of extreme hostility" toward DPRK.

The statement brushed off economic sanctions as useless means to pressure the country to abandon its nuclear and missile program.

The UN Security Council on Sunday unanimously passed the resolution to reinforce economic sanctions against the DPRK in a bid to cut its foreign revenues by one third or $1 billion every year, reducing its fund for nuclear and missile development program.

It came after Pyongyang conducted two test launches of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
ASEAN joint communique 'generally positive' about relations with Beijing

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers in Manila, the Philippines, Aug 7, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Sources tell China Daily that it was Vietnam that pushed for inserting "concerns" over land reclamation into a communique issued on Sunday by all 10 Southeast Asian countries.

The sources, who are close to the matter and requested not to be named, noted that Vietnam is like a thief crying "stop thief" as it has been working on land reclamation in the South China Sea in recent years and boosting its military deployment there.

Aside from concerns by some ASEAN countries about land reclamation, the communique released at the 50th annual Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is "generally positive about the cooperation between China and ASEAN", the sources said.

Speaking about the discussions taking place at the meeting, one of the sources said ASEAN countries gave sufficient endorsement to the achievements of China-ASEAN ties.

Regarding the South China Sea issue, the countries also spoke positively at the meeting of the joint efforts by China and ASEAN in the past year in stabilizing the South China Sea situation, the source added.

The second source told China Daily that the contents involving China within the meeting's joint communique are "mostly positive".

Articles 118 to 123 of the communique give a sufficient account of the development of China-ASEAN ties, the source added.

Article 118 says: "We acknowledged China's growing role in the region and highlighted that China's economic growth continues to benefit the region.... We looked forward to more high-level dialogues and exchanges between ASEAN and China."

The part regarding the South China Sea takes a smaller portion in this year's document than in those of past years, and its tone is generally more positive, the source said.

The source noted that there are differences within ASEAN about reclamation as the communique mentioned concerns expressed by "some ministers" on the land reclamation, and the document did not use the term "serious concerns".

"It was a stand-alone country, not the entire ASEAN, that has concerns over this. The country is Vietnam," the source said.

Since 2007, Vietnam has accelerated its land reclamation on 21 illegally occupied islands and reefs, and has built military facilities, including helicopter pads.

"Undoubtedly, what Vietnam has done is the trick of a thief crying 'stop thief'," the source added.
BEIJING - There is less than 30 days till the ninth BRICS summit in Xiamen in September when the organization's role in global governance, a faltering economic recovery and setbacks in globalization will be the issues of greatest concern.

"BRICS: stronger partnership for a brighter future" will bring together the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in Xiamen, a coastal city in East China's Fujian province from Sept 3 to 5.

The "gold bricks countries" - a Chinese translation of BRICS - represent emerging markets and are the voice of the world's developing countries.

Strong economic growth means BRICS are now key players in the world economy and in global governance. Together, the five accounted for 23 percent of the 2016 global economy, almost double their share in 2006. The five have been the source of more than half of global growth in the past ten years.

"BRICS cooperation has not only helped the countries themselves, but enhanced the right to speak on global issues for all developing countries,"said Ruan Zongze, executive vice president of the China Institute of International Studies.

As the holder of the BRICS presidency this year, China is hosting the series of meetings which usually precedes the leaders' summit. Earlier this week, trade ministers met in Shanghai and agreed to unite against protectionism and to do all they can to ensure the survival of the multilateral trade system.

In late July, a BRICS security meeting was held in Beijing, with discussions on global governance, anti-terrorism, the internet, energy, national security and development.

In June, finance ministers and central bank governors agreed to strengthen cooperation in several fiscal and financial areas, including the BRICS New Development Bank and regulatory collaboration.

"I think this year's summit in Xiamen will produce more practical and concrete cooperation, and improve trust and confidence among BRICS," said Shen Yi, director of the center for BRICS studies at Fudan University.

China does not want to limit future cooperation to the five nations. In March, Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi said that China would explore expansion modalities for "BRICS Plus"s and build a wider partnership through dialogue with developing countries and international organizations.

"BRICS plus" will provide opportunities for other economies and inject impetus into economic globalization, said the chief economist of the Eurasian Development Bank Yaroslav Lissovolik.

"The proposals of Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi regarding the expansion of the BRICS partnership zone are not only timely in the light of China's presidency of BRICS, but they are also aimed at giving new impetus to integration processes in the complicated conditions of protectionism's spread in the world economy," Lissovolik said.

With the progress of the past ten years and a more inclusive attitude, BRICS are prepared not only for the Xiamen summit, but for another golden decade to come.
The New York Times has a story today on Donald Trumps trademark filings in Greater China, Trump Company Moves to Protect Brand in Chinese Gambling Hub. And here is something I never thought I would say: there is a lot to be learned from how Donald Trump (or at least one of his companies) is handling China trademarks.

According to the NYT article, the company that manages the Donald J. Trump brand has moved to protect the name in Macau by filing for trademark protection there. There are at least five things to be learned from Trumps Macau trademark filings.

The first lesson to be learned from is that protecting your brand name via trademark registrations in the PRC does not protect your brand name in Macau. To protect your brand name in Macau, you must register your brand name as a Macau trademark. This also holds true for Hong Kong and Taiwan. As I wrote in China And Hong Kong Trademarks. Think Puerto Rico, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan all have separate and independent trademark systems:

Hong Kong and China are the same way [as Puerto Rico and the United States]. And Taiwan and Macau too. I am constantly having to explain this to our clients, at least half of whom just assume that a trademark registration in the PRC operates as a trademark registration in Hong Kong and vice-versa. And who can blame them, since Hong Kong is one with the mainland, right? Same with Macau, right? Many have this same view regarding China and Taiwan as well. None of this is true.

If you want your brand or mark registered and thus protected in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, you must register them in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. If you thought you were protected in more than one of these places simply because you had registered in one, you had better get moving and start registering in one, two, or three more.

The New York Times article goes on to note that Trumps filing for trademark protection for Trump hotel and casino brand names in Macau does not necessarily indicate that President Trump or the Trump Organization will eventually open a Trump hotel or casino there. This gives rise to the second lesson, which is that it often makes sense to register your brand name as a trademark in China (and elsewhere) even if you are not doing any business there, at least just yet. China is a first to file country, which means that whoever registers your brand name in China first gets it. So if you are thinking you will be selling your product or your services in China three years from now, it probably makes sense for you to register your brand and your logo as trademarks in China now.

The third lesson to be learned is the need to make sure your trademark registrations are both current and include sufficient classes to truly protect you. Our China trademark lawyers are constantly getting contacted by foreign companies seeking IP protection based on their trademark filings, only for us to have to tell them that gaps in their trademark registrations are big enough for rival companies to drive a truck through or even that their registrations have expired or never existed. The article notes how Trumps company already owns more than a dozen trademarks in Macau (for casinos, constructions, hotels and real estate) and it is not clear whether it is adding to that total or just re-upping existing trademarks. Just last week I got a call from a U.S. company that four years ago paid a company in China to register three of its trademarks there and just learned that despite having received official confirmation of the approvals, no such filing was ever made. Needless to say the Chinese company (a fake law firm) that did this no longer shows up on the web nor probably ever really even existed. See The Fake China Law Firm Scam. I have no doubt Trump is using a real law firm for his filings.

The fourth lesson to be learned is that once you secure your trademark registration you monitor it to make sure nobody is treading on it and if they are, you do something about it. The article notes how Trump last year won a legal battle with a Macau company that had registered to use the name Trump in coffee shops and restaurants.

The fifth lesson is that you should consider securing a trademark that protects your brand in both the English language and the local language. The article notes that Trumps registrations include Trump, Donald J. Trump, Trump Tower, Trump International Hotel and Tower and Chun Pou  a Cantonese version of Mr. Trumps name.

Chun Pou? Who knew?
Arctic LNG 2 and Novatek-Yurkharovneftegas, two Novatek subsidiaries, have filed bids in a tender for three gas fields in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation's press service told RIA Novosti.

"Two companies  Arctic LNG 2 and Novatek-Yurkharovneftegas  have submitted bids in the auction for the Verkhnetiuteiskoye, Zapadno-Seyakhinskoye and Shtormovoye fields A one-time payment in the tender for the Verkhnetiuteiskoye and Zapadno-Seyakhinskoye fields will be 5.84 billion rubles, and 945.17 million rubles for the Shtormovoye field," the statement reads.

According to Russian estimates, the Shtormovoye reserves are 479.4 billion cubic meters (bcm) of C1+C3 gas and 39 million tons of gas condensate. The Verkhnetiuteiskoye and Zapadno-Seyakhinskoye fields are estimated at 882.4 bcm of C1+C2+C3 gas and 68 million tons of gas condensate and oil.

Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Sergei Donskoi said the tender to develop the three gas fields in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area would be held on August 25, while bids were accepted until August 4. Only Novatek could file a bid to compete in the tender as per the stipulated conditions.

According to RIA Novosti, the license requires that its holder must use the resources extracted from the field for the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) at existing facilities and those to be built in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area.
A little over a decade ago, no emblem of young Christians blooming justice activism flashed brighter than Invisible Children. It was born in 2004, shortly after Jason Russell and two other recent college graduates returned to the United States from Uganda with burning hearts and miles of amateur film footage.

The trio produced a shoestring documentary baring the pain of Ugandas civil war. Within three years, tens of thousands of activists were participating in the groups night commutes to raise awareness of Ugandas child soldiers. In 2012, Invisible Children launched another video, Kony 2012, which struck hard at warlord Joseph Kony and pressed for stronger government efforts to capture him. Time magazine declared it the most viral video in history, garnering 100 million views in the first week after release.

But the stunning rise was short-lived. In Uganda, Kony proved tenacious. In the United States, stress and the glare of the public eye sent co-founder Russell into a tailspin. Ten days after the videos release, another video went viralthis one of Russells public mental breakdown on the streets of San Diego. In December 2014, BuzzFeed announced The End Of Invisible Children. The pronouncement was prematurethe organization is still active todaybut many advocates parted ways.

Looking back on the battle that he and millions of supporters had waged against a single African war criminal, Russell concluded bluntly, I feel like Kony won.

An All-Too-Common Story

Russells story is dramatic, but he is hardly alone. His is merely the amplified tale of countless other advocates, activists, social workers, and nonprofit founders. ...

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A Central New York Psychiatric Center employee claimed he was too injured to work, but the state inspector general said he collected workers' compensation benefits while kayaking in the Caribbean and working in California.

Ryan Haley, 30, of Rome, has been charged with fourth-degree grand larceny, first-degree falsifying business records and two counts of fraudulent practices.

The charges followed an investigation by state Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott. Haley, a security hospital treatment assistant at the Central New York Psychiatric Center, allegedly applied for workers' compensation benefits on two occasions in 2016. He claimed he was unable to work due to a back injury he suffered in October 2015, according to a news release.

When Haley said he was unable to work, the inspector general learned he either was kayaking on vacation in Puerto Rico or working with his girlfriend while vacationing in California. Before going on the kayak excursion in Puerto Rico, the inquiry found he signed a medical release form acknowledging he was physically fit and didn't have a back injury.

Haley collected $2,693.85 in workers' compensation benefits he wasn't entitled to while vacationing in California and the Caribbean, according to the inspector general. The vacations were planned and paid for before he applied for the workers' compensation benefits.

Haley is also facing charges stemming from an alleged incident at the Central New York Psychiatric Center in May. He is accused of engaging in a verbal argument with a patient and putting his arms around the patient's shoulders and neck to force the individual to the ground.

He has been charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person.

"This defendant is accused of a contemptuous fraud in which he feigns being too injured to work while paddling a kayak on a Caribbean retreat," Scott said in a statement. "Moreover, with utter disregard for the critical responsibilities of his job, he allegedly attacked one of the very patients for whom he was meant to care."

Haley was arraigned and released. He is due to reappear Wednesday, Aug. 9 in Marcy town court and Wednesday, Aug. 16 in Lee town court.
I had the privilege or reading a pre-release version of "God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church." Here are 20 quotes from the book, which you should pick up.
President's Attorney, Jay Sekulow, Takes Major Pro-Life Case to SCOTUS

Petition on behalf of Troy Newman, challenges a gag order that bars the release of undercover videos filmed at NAF meetings to law enforcement even if they contain evidence of crimes.

info.operationrescue@gmail.com Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-683-6790 ext. 111; Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Vice President, 316-516-3034; both with Operation Rescue

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- A petition was filed last week with the U.S. Supreme Court by Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) on behalf of Troy Newman, who is the President of Operation Rescue and a founding board member of the Center for Medical Progress. Sekulow has a very visible public profile as a member of President Donald Trump's legal team.

Photo: Jay Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice (left) and his team are representing Operation Rescue's Troy Newman (right) in a crucial abortion case that is being appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court

The petition is seeking a full hearing with the Supreme Court in order to challenge the Constitutionality of a preliminary injunction that prohibits the release of undercover videos recorded at National Abortion Federation (NAF) meetings - even to law enforcement when they contain evidence of crimes.

Sekulow leads Newman's team of attorneys from the ACLJ in battling two Federal Court suits against him that were filed by the NAF and Planned Parenthood in an effort to prevent the release of further secretly recorded videos that uncovered the illegal trade in aborted baby body parts.

The petition, captioned Newman v. National Abortion Federation, states:

This Petition stems from an injunction forbidding the voluntary disclosure to law enforcement agencies, other governmental bodies, and the general public of recordings and other information that the enjoined individuals and entities-as well as Congressional investigators-believe are evidence of widespread criminal, illegal, and unethical conduct, including felonies.

Newman's original appeal to the Ninth Circuit was joined by state 14 Attorneys General who are seeking to review the evidence contained in the recordings.

Newman's Supreme Court petition notes that Congressional investigations conducted by the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives referred members of the National Abortion Federation and Planned Parenthood to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies for criminal investigation and prosecution.

Sekulow argues on behalf of Newman that the enjoined recordings corroborate the determination of the two Congressional investigations, which found evidence that NAF members (including several Planned Parenthood organizations) were engaged in the following criminal conduct:

* Profiting from the sale of fetal organs;

* Altering abortion procedures for financial gain;

* Performing illegal partial-birth abortions;

* Killing newborns who survived attempted abortions;

* Failing to obtain informed consent for fetal tissue donations;

* Violating federal regulations regarding Institutional Review Boards (IRBs); and

* Fraudulent overbilling practices.

Newman's petition further states:

It has long been a tenet of Anglo-American jurisprudence that individuals who believe that they have information concerning criminal or illegal activities should be permitted, and encouraged, to voluntarily provide such information to government authorities. Similarly, investigative journalism concerning matters of public concern, including the uncovering of illegal, unethical, or troubling activities, is a constitutionally protected, venerable undertaking.

As part of the most important abortion case currently under litigation, Newman v. NAF could have profound implications on the future use of undercover investigative techniques and the ability of law enforcement to gather evidence in criminal investigations.

[Note: This petition makes significantly different arguments from one also filed by the Center for Medical Progress last week.]

About Operation Rescue
Worldwide Marriage Encounter Releases a Perception Survey Across North America

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Aug. 7, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- As Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME) gears up for its 50th Anniversary Convention next year, it released a short perception survey that can be accessed by going to http://tiny.cc/WWME-Perceptions-Survey it was announced today by Carlos & Citlalli Palomares and Fr. Vincent Clemente, the WWME North American Weekend Pillar Ecclesial Team.

"We would like married couples from all over North America to complete the survey so we can clearly see how the movement is perceived by both couples who have completed a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend as well as those who have not," the Palomares and Fr. Clemente explained. They added that the survey is also available in Spanish at http://tiny.cc/EMM-Perceptions-Survey or http://tiny.cc/EMM-Percepciones-Encuesta

The survey takes 5 to 7 minutes to complete and can be completely anonymous. The results of the survey will be announced in October at a United States WWME board meeting.

"We are truly pleased and happy that this perception survey has been created so we can get a good look at how married couples perceive Worldwide Marriage Encounter and its various programs," said Gene & Maggie Tokraks and Bishop Bill Skylstad, the WWME North American leadership team.

A perception survey focusing on priests, clergy and religious is planned for later in the year.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter has been offering weekend experiences for over 49 years and is considered the original faith-based marriage enrichment program. The programs are continually updated to keep abreast of changes in society, and WWME now offers evening and half-day programs that are presented at parishes and other church facilities. The weekend program, traditionally presented as an overnight experience at a hotel or retreat center, can also be presented at the parish where the couples return to their homes in the evenings. WWME has a presence in almost 100 countries, which makes it the largest pro-marriage movement in the world. In North America, the WWME programs are presented in English, Spanish, French, and Korean languages.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers married couples the opportunity to spend time together away from the busyness of the world to focus on each other. Priests are also encouraged to attend a WWME weekend, which offers insights into their relationship with the church and their parishioners, and how their Sacrament of Holy Orders interacts with the Sacrament of Matrimony. WWME offers tools for building and maintaining a strong, Christian marriage in today's world. To learn more about the Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekends online, go to wwme.org , or contact the WWME national office at (909) 863-9963.
Child Evangelism Fellowship Wins Injunction Against Indiana School District

Contact: Rachel Hamel, Corporate Communications Manager, Child Evangelism Fellowship , 636-456-4321 ext. 1177

INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 7, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- On Tuesday, August 1, an Indiana Federal District Court granted Child Evangelism Fellowship's (CEF) requests for a preliminary injunction against an unconstitutional policy that the district used to discriminate against Good News Clubs. Liberty Counsel represents CEF nationwide. One of the ministries of CEF is Good News Clubs for children K-5.

The case, Child Evangelism Fellowship of Indiana, Inc. v. Indiana Metropolitan School District of Pike Township, was filed to secure the same access and benefits for the Good News Clubs that non-religious groups currently enjoy. The school district required CEF to pay facilities use fees for Good News Club meetings, while waiving the fees for similarly situated, non-religious groups. For nearly two school years, the school district ignored CEF's numerous attempts to resolve the constitutional violations. This deprived Pike Township elementary students of the Good News Club's program, which CEF offers to all interested students free of charge.

Horatio Mihet, Liberty Counsel's Vice President of Legal Affairs and Chief Litigation Counsel, recently presented oral argument before the court. Tuesday, Judge William T. Lawrence granted CEF a preliminary injunction against Policy 7510, which gives the superintendent unfettered discretion to determine which groups pay a facilities usage fee.

"We are pleased that the district policy has been blocked by the court," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. "The school district cannot discriminate against the religious viewpoint of Good News Clubs. This has been the clear ruling from the Supreme Court since 2001. This ruling comes just in time for the beginning of a new school year. Good News Clubs are good for children, parents, and especially good for schools," said Staver.

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.
home US American Muslims are more accepting of homosexuality compared to white evangelicals, study claims

A study conducted by the Pew Research Center has suggested that American Muslims are more accepting of homosexuality compared to white evangelicals.

The survey, conducted between January and May and released by Pew last week, showed that 52 percent of U.S. Muslims are more accepting of homosexuality, compared to 34 percent of white evangelical Protestants.

In 2007, only 27 percent of American Muslims said that homosexuality should be accepted by society. Among devout Muslims, the acceptance rate of homosexuality has jumped 25 percent from 2007. Lesbianism among American Muslim women also increased by 31 percent in the past 10 years.

White evangelicals appear the be changing their views about homosexuality in a much slower rate compared to American Muslims. The acceptance of homosexuality among evangelicals increased by just 11 percent between the period of 2006 to 2016.

Among the U.S. Muslim community, women and college graduates had the highest acceptance of homosexuality, both at 63 percent. The two demographic groups were followed by less religious Muslims at 62 percent and Millennials at 60 percent.

The study found that younger Muslims in America are more accepting of homosexuality than the older generation. Sixty percent of millennials within the U.S. Muslim community said homosexuality should be accepted in society, compared to 42 percent of Muslim "Baby Boomer or older" demographic.

The highest acceptance rate of homosexuality was found among white mainline Protestants at 76 percent, a 23 percent jump from the previous decade. The group was followed by Catholics at 66 percent and black Protestants at 50 percent.

The report, which includes date from over 1,000 adult U.S. Muslims, also revealed that 66 percent of American Muslims continue to identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party. Thirty-nine percent described themselves as politically moderate.

In last year's presidential elections, 44 percent of Muslims who were eligible to vote cast their ballots, compared to 37 percent in 2007.

Muslims overwhelmingly supported Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton at 78 percent, compared to eight percent for Donald Trump. Muslim leaders actively campaigned to register voters in mosques and at community events during the 2016 campaign, leading to higher overall turnout.

Pew researchers estimate that the number of American Muslims has been growing at the rate of 100,000 each year, reaching 3.35 million or one percent of the American population. The researchers have projected that Islam will replace Judaism as the second-most popular religion in the U.S. by 2050, with Muslims making up 2.1 percent of the future population.
home US Coast guard admiral vows to support transgender service members

The Admiral of the US Coast Guard has vowed to continue supporting transgender service members despite President Donald Trump's announcement last week that transgenders will not be allowed to serve in the military.

On Tuesday, Commandant Paul Zukunft told the Center for Strategic and International Studies forum that the first thing he did after he learned of the announcement was to have his office reach out to 13 transgender members of the Coast Guard.

"I reached out personally to Lt. Taylor Miller, who was featured on the cover of The Washington Post last week," Zukunft said, as reported by Military.com.

"If you read that story, Taylor's family has disowned her. Her family is the United States Coast Guard. And I told Taylor, 'I will not turn my back. We have made an investment in you, and you have made an investment in the Coast Guard, and I will not break faith,'" he added.

Miller, 27, is believed to be the first openly transitioning member of the Coast Guard. Her transitioning process began in 2016 when the Pentagon lifted the ban on openly transgender service members.

Trump announced in three tweets on July 26 that transgender individuals will not be allowed to serve "in any capacity" in the U.S. Military, citing "tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail."

The announcement prompted the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to announce that no policy changes will take place until the administration issues a clearer guidance to the services.

On Tuesday, the Palm Center, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that promotes the study of gay and transgender people in the armed forces, released a letter signed by 56 retired generals and admirals who disapprove of Trump's transgender ban.

The letter also pointed out that two other four-stars and former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, namely retired Army Gen. Martin Dempsey and retired Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, have publicly expressed their support for transgender service members.

The Family Research Council (FRC), a Christian public policy ministry in Washington D.C., commended Trump's decision to overturn the Obama-era policy allowing transgender service members.

"As our nation faces serious national security threats, our troops shouldn't be forced to endure hours of transgender 'sensitivity' classes and politically-correct distractions like this one," FRC President Tony Perkins, a military veteran, said in a statement last week following Trump's announcement.

The White House has not issued any additional guidance, leaving the fate of the estimated currently-serving 4,000 transgender service members in limbo.
home World Cuba bans pastor from working as church leader for homeschooling his children

The Cuban government has banned a pastor from working as a church leader after he was sentenced to house arrest earlier this year for homeschooling his children.

On July 31, officials in Guantanamo province informed Ramon Rigal, pastor of the Church of God in Cuba, that he is no longer permitted to work as a church leader. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), the pastor was told that his new job is to check for mosquitoes in the water supply of local houses.

Rigal was sentenced to a year in a correctional facility in April for his decision to educate his children at home instead of sending them to state schools. He said he and his wife decided to homeschool their children because they felt that the state school teaching emphasized a Marxist-Leninist atheist ideology, which conflicted with their Christian faith.

In July, his sentence was reduced to house arrest on the provision that his children return to a state school in September. Rigal was later told that he can no longer work as a pastor.

CSW asserted that Rigal's punishment is part of a wider crackdown on Christianity. "This is a longstanding tactic of the government to ratchet up the pressure on church leaders and activists who are considered a 'problem,'" the organization stated.

"The punishment meted out to Pastor Ramon Rigal and his wife is unwarranted and places the family in undue hardship. We call on the Cuban authorities to repeal the sentences against the pastor and his wife, and to allow him to continue his work as a church leader," said CSW's Senior Advocacy Officer for the Americas, Anna Lee Stangl.

Rigal's case has garnered international attention in recent months and has prompted protests outside of the Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C. in May.

Protesters reportedly carried signs that read, "Free the Rigals," but the organizers and participants also focused on the larger problem of Cuba's repression and stronghold on education.

Under Cuban law, homeschooling is not permitted, on the grounds that it "promotes capitalist values" and thereby conflicts with the regime's inculcation of socialism.

CSW noted that there have been no significant improvements when it comes to Freedom of Religion or Belief in Cuba since Fidel Castro died in November 2016. The organization has claimed that the arbitrary detention, harassment, restriction and surveillance of religious leaders and adherents, as well as the confiscation of church properties, has continued throughout the first half of 2017.

As many as 185 violations of Freedom of Religion or Belief has been recorded by CSW in 2017, with many of the cases involving large numbers of victims.
home US Democrat campaign chief says there will be no abortion 'litmus test' for candidates

The chairman of the Democratic party's campaign arm has stated that the party will no longer withhold financial support from candidates who are pro-life.

In an interview with The Hill on Monday, New Mexico Rep. Ben Ray LujAn, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said that there will be "no litmus test" on abortion for Democratic candidates seeking to win a seat in the House in the 2018 mid-term elections.

"There is not a litmus test for Democratic candidates," LujAn said. "As we look at candidates across the country, you need to make sure you have candidates that fit the district, that can win in these districts across America," he continued.

Mitchell Stille, who oversees campaigns for NARAL Pro-Choice America, expressed her disapproval of supporting pro-life candidates in the Democratic Party.

"Throwing weight behind anti-choice candidates is bad politics that will lead to worse policy," Stille said.

"The idea that jettisoning this issue wins elections for Democrats is folly contradicted by all available data," he added.

In April, Democratic Party Chairman Tom Perez said that the party would not support any Democratic candidates who were pro-life.

"Every Democrat, like every American, should support a woman's right to make her own choices about her body and her health. That is not negotiable and should not change city by city or state by state," he said.

His remark drew criticism from some Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. Pelosi, who is pro-choice, warned against alienating pro-life Democrats, noting that many of her family fit that classification.

In June, representatives for Democrats for Life met with Perez at the DNC headquarters to discuss the party's stance on abortion. The pro-life group urged the DNC to issue a statement on its website, explaining that the party does not support an abortion "litmus test" and pressuring people to change their stance on the issue.

LujAn said that the party needs a "broad coalition" to win 24 seats and win back the House. On his office wall, he put up a map highlighting the districts held by Republicans that he hopes to oust in the 2018 midterm elections.

According to The Hill, the last time the Democrats gained control of the House was in the 2006 midterm elections, when the party supported a significant number of Democrats who were not entirely pro-choice.

A Marist poll conducted in January showed that almost six in 10 Americans, and four in 10 Democrats, believe that abortion is morally wrong.
home US Federal judge overturns Alabama law requiring parental consent for minors seeking an abortion

A federal judge has overturned parts of an Alabama law that would have required minors who are seeking abortions to obtain their parent's permission.

Minors in Alabama are required to obtain parental consent before an abortion, but since 1987, the state has allowed underage pregnant women to obtain a court order to bypass the requirement.

The hearings would typically involve only the judge, the minor and her lawyer, but amendments introduced in 2014 expanded the number of people involved in the proceedings, according to NPR. The amended law requires the district attorney to be involved, and the minor's parents or guardians can also take part if they learn of the hearing.

The amendments also allowed the court to appoint a legal representative for the interest of the unborn child. Additionally, it also allowed prosecutors to object to the wishes of the pregnant minor and call witnesses.

On Friday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Russ Walker struck down parts of the law, claiming that the provisions put an undue burden on young girls seeking abortions.

The judge argued that the provisions "violate a pregnant minor's long-established constitutional right to seek a judicial bypass to a state's parental consent law without the participation of her parent, parents, or legal guardian ... and her right to an anonymous judicial bypass hearing."

The lawsuit challenging the measure was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alabama in 2014 on behalf of the Montgomery abortion clinic Reproductive Health Services. The organization claimed that the legislation violates the rights of young girls to confidential proceedings.

"Today's ruling is a victory for women, for young people, and for reproductive health in Alabama," said Andrew Beck, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project.

"By undermining their confidentiality, this law put teenagers participating in the judicial bypass process in real danger," he added.

The State of Alabama argued that the measure would allow a meaningful inquiry to assess a minor's maturity while providing a "confidential, and expeditious option for a teenager who seeks an abortion without parental consent."

Walker pointed to the case of a 12-year-old pregnant girl, who sought an abortion after she was raped by a relative. The abortion was approved by a family court judge on June 27, but the district attorney appealed the decision on the grounds the fifth grader was not mature enough to make an informed decision. The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals ruled in favor of the minor on July 12.

The Alabama attorney general's office stated that it is reviewing the federal judge's decision.
home World Google temporarily disables account of professor who refuses to use gender-neutral pronouns

Google and YouTube briefly disabled the account of a Canadian professor who is known for his opposition to the use of gender-neutral pronouns.

On Tuesday, University of Toronto Professor Jordan B. Peterson tweeted that his main account on Google has been disabled and that he was also unable to access his YouTube channel. In a second tweet, the professor noted that Google had claimed he violated the platform's terms of service, but no further explanation was given.

According to The Daily Caller, Peterson sent an email to Google to dispute the decision to lock him out of his accounts.

"Please tell me what principle I have violated," Peterson stated in the email to Google. "I have not violated any terms that I am aware of and have not misused my account," he added.

The psychology professor gained media attention in Canada last year for opposing a bill that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression under the Canadian Human Rights Act. The measure also included provisions on hate speech against transgender individuals. He warned that the legislation could hamper free speech by punishing those who refuse to use gender-neutral or preferred pronouns.

"I will never use words I hate, like the trendy and artificially constructed words 'zhe' and 'zher,'" Peterson said at the time.

"These words are at the vanguard of a post-modern, radical leftist ideology that I detest, and which is, in my professional opinion, frighteningly similar to the Marxist doctrines that killed at least 100 million people in the 20th century," he added.

In April, Peterson was denied a grant by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, following the negative attention over his stance on free speech.

He stated that he will go on a hunger strike if he is jailed for refusing to use language dictated to him by other people.

Peterson's YouTube channel, which he uses to post his lectures, interviews, and Q&As, has more than 350,000 subscribers. He noted that his email account, which had returned an "Address not found" when emailed, contains "hundreds of thousands of emails from people all over the world."

The controversial professor initially thought that the ban was a mistake, but he suspected that there "there's something that's political going on that is associated with censorship" after he was informed that the company has reviewed the ban and decided that his account is not eligible for reinstatement.

Peterson later tweeted that his Google and YouTube accounts were reinstated, but the company still has not specified why he was banned from the platforms.
Last months Book Report discussed two novels dealing with marriage. This months edition reviews two books about sisters, and in both books, the ties that bind these siblings are fraught with conflict.

J. Courtney Sullivans Saints For All Occasions begins with the death of 50-year-old Patrick, the oldest son of Nora Flaherty. Patrick led a somewhat troubled life, and his three younger siblings always felt that Nora loved Patrick best and gave him most of her attention.

Nora places a call to a cloistered convent, asking that a message be relayed to Mother Cecilia Flynn that Patrick was killed in a car accident.

The book then moves back in time, to 1957 Ireland, where Nora Flynn is about to leave home to move to America with her fiance, Charlie. Charlie is her neighbor, and the plan was always that they would marry, and their family farms would be combined. But when Charlies father left the farm to his eldest son, Charlie had no choice but to go to America.

Nora convinced Charlie to bring her sister Theresa along with them. Whereas Nora was quiet and hardworking, Theresa, the youngest child, was "brave, and beautiful and brash and clever. She was simply the most.

Nora stayed mostly to herself in Boston, but Theresa loved to go to dances and have fun. When she ends up pregnant, her and Noras lives change forever.

We see the sisters over the next 50 years: Nora has become a mother of four, a loving wife to Charlie, a good neighbor and friend. Theresa ends up in a cloistered convent, having run away from her previous life.

The sisters dont see each other, and Noras children are stunned when Theresa shows up at Patricks funeral. They never knew that their mother even had a sister! Sullivan has said in interviews that this incident was inspired by a true-life family event, and says that having a wayward, previously unknown family member show up at a funeral is a common occurrence in Irish families.

We also see the interaction between Noras children: John, a successful political consultant; Bridget, who runs an animal shelter in New York and is keeping a secret of her own from her mother; and Brian, an athlete who almost made it to the big leagues and idolized his older brother, Patrick.

Saints For All Occasions is Sullivans best book to date, written with such empathy and compassion for these people, and she nails the sibling relationships so beautifully and realistically. Nora and Theresa are unforgettable. I give it my highest recommendation.

Jane Greens The Sunshine Sisters introduces us to Ronni Sunshine, a hugely popular film actress from the glory days of Hollywood. Now, Ronni is 65 and dying. Her final wish is to bring her three daughters to her bedside to make up for a lifetime of bad behavior.

Ronni was always the brightest light in any room. She loved the spotlight, all the devotion and attention from others. Her daughters, Nell, Meredith and Lizzie, suffered through tantrums, harsh words and criticisms thrown their way from their mother. Mother of the year she isnt.

Nell runs a farm near her mothers home, and is mother to River, a college student she gave birth to when she herself was just a teen. She has spent her life working hard to make the farm successful and give her son the love she never got, but her love life has suffered as a result.

Meredith ran away to London as soon as she could to get away from her mother. She gave up her art to become an accountant, and is engaged to marry an insufferable man, a man she does not love, because she believes she can do no better thanks to a lifetime of listening to her mothers withering comments about her looks and personality.

Lizzie is the youngest, and the one most like her mother. She was mostly spared her mothers worst criticism, because she was able to laugh it off. Lizzie is a successful chef, but her personal life is unraveling.

I loved reading about the sisters and their evolving relationship (although my favorite character is Greta, who is not a sister). They have grown apart, and now being brought back together has made them re-evaluate what they want from life and each other. Foodies will also love the chef storyline.

If you are a fan of books about families and siblings in particular, Saints For All Occasions and The Sunshine Sisters should both be on your to-read list.
home World Hungarian PM Viktor Orban warns of the 'de-Christianization' of Europe

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has warned that there is an effort to "de-Christianize" Europe and transform it into a "mixed, Islamicized" society.

During a speech in Romania in July, Orban spoke of a deliberate plan to "de-Christianize" Europe and said that the continent is currently being prepared to surrender its heritage and identity.

"We are observing the conscious, step-by-step implementation of this policy. In order for this to happen, for the territory to be ready to be handed over, it is necessary to continue the de-Christianisation of Europe a and we can see these attempts," Orban said, according to Church Militant.

"Priority must be given to group identities rather than national identities, and political governance must be replaced with the rule of bureaucracy. This is the aim of Brussels' continuous and stealthy withdrawal of powers from the nation states. This is the situation in Europe today," he continued.

The Prime Minister said that the effort is the product of a collusion between the EU political elite and Hungarian-American financier George Soros.

The Hungarian government has accused Soros of using his vast wealth to fund pro-mass migration organizations.

The "Soros plan," Orban said, is aimed at bringing migrants into the EU from the Muslim world by the hundreds of thousands annually, and distributed them "among the countries of Europe as part of a mandatory and permanent mechanism."

During his speech, Orban contended that the culture of migrants "contrasts dramatically" with European culture. He called on Europeans to resist the "de-Christianization" and fight to recover their sovereignty.

According to Breitbart, Orban delivered the speech at the 28th BAlvAnyos Open University camp on July 22, just days after his administration announced the total requests submitted for Hungarian citizenships had hit one million. The Prime Minister said he would continue to oppose migrants who seek to change the country's cultural identity.

Orban, who is said to be a runaway favorite to win a third straight term in an election in April 2018, stated that Hungary has spent about 260 billion forints ($1 billion) in recent years to deal with waves of migrants, but the EU had not offered compensation.

The 54-year-old prime minister contended that Hungary was also contributing to the success of the EU by providing German and other EU firms with cheap labor for their factories that have set up across the east European nation.

In his speech, he also offered to support Poland, which has received significant threats of punishment from the EU after it passed a series of significant reforms to its judiciary.

Orban accused the EU of launching an "inquisitional campaign" against Poland to stamp out dissent against the European project. He vowed that Hungary would come to Poland's defense and "use all legal options in the European Union to show solidarity with the Poles."
home World Iraqi forces find list of 173 ISIS militants ready to carry out terror attacks in Europe

Iraqi forces have discovered a document containing a list of 173 Islamic State fighters who are purportedly prepared to carry out attacks in Europe.

The document was found in an ISIS hideout in the ruins of Mosul, and it includes the names, photos and the country of origin of the militants.

A total of 132 fighters on the list were from Iraq, while the others are from Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Tajikistan and Saudi Arabia. Six of the terrorists are from Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany, The Sun reported, citing German newspaper Die Welt.

The document has been reviewed by American intelligence services and has been sent to global police authority Interpol.

Die Welt noted that the list was distributed in May among all European security agencies including Britain's.

One of the militants on the list is Sami J., a 27-year-old German from Solingen. Sami, whose battle name is "Abu Assid al-Almani" a which means "the German" in Arabic a was formerly a leading member of the Islamist group Fillatu Ibrahim.

He reportedly left his homeland in 2012 and traveled to Egypt, then Libya, and later to Syria via Turkey to join ISIS.

In mid-July, ISIS reported Sami's death via its propaganda service in Raqqa without mentioning how he died. Intelligence agencies suspected that the report may be false in order for him to be secreted back into Europe for a suicide mission.

Another militant listed on the document is a 24-year-old Belgian with the alias "Abu Omar Al-Belgiki," who is said to have Moroccan roots. The dual-nationality Belgian reportedly remained in Mosul until recently, but his whereabouts are currently unknown.

Al-Belgiki is said to be using the same alias as the ISIS emir who coordinated the November 2015 attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead and 368 injured.

Die Welt noted that the each photo on the document is "marked with a name and a date of birth, with a often martial-sounding battlename and information about the country of origin."

"Some smile joyfully, others seem shy, many serious and expressive. A few of the shots look like passport photos," the publication added.

The document also noted the specialty of the jihadists. A note next to the name Sami M. reportedly states: "Suicide bomber."

About 6,000 men and women from Europe have been lost to the ranks of ISIS, nearly 1,000 of them from Germany. It is not known how many hardened fanatics still remain in the embattled areas.

Interpol has expressly warned that the militants who originated from Europe could escape the siege of Mosul and get from Syria to the West through neighboring countries.
home US Judge appeals to Supreme Court to challenge censure over her refusal to officiate gay weddings

A Wyoming judge, who was censured in March for telling the media that she could not officiate same-sex weddings, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up her case.

In March, the Wyoming Supreme Court issued a public censure against Judge Ruth Neely and ordered her to stop solemnizing marriages. According to Christian News Network, Neely consequently lost her position as magistrate following the censure.

"This case presents an important free-exercise question," the petition, filed by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) on behalf of Neely, reads.

"Although the state has a system of individualized exemptions that permits magistrates to decline marriages for nearly any secular reason, the Wyoming Supreme Court held that Judge Neely could not refer same-sex-marriage requests (if she ever received any) to other magistrates for the religious reason she expressed," it continued.

Neely, who served as a part-time circuit court magistrate in Sublette County for approximately 15 years, told a reporter for Sublette Examiner in 2014 that she personally could not officiate a same-sex wedding. Her comment came after a federal judge struck down Wyoming's ban on same-sex marriage.

"I will not able to do them," she said at the time. "We have at least one magistrate who will do same-sex marriages, but I will not be able to. ... When law and religion conflict, choices have to be made," she added.

The Wyoming Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics conducted an investigation on Neely's remarks in January 2015, following a complaint from Democratic Party Chairwoman Ana Cuprill.

Neely has been accused of violating six rules of judicial conduct, including an allegation that she "manifested a bias" by her comments to the media and therefore possessed prejudice in regard to sexual orientation.

While Neely has served as a judge for over 20 years, she has never been asked to officiate a same-sex ceremony.

The commission offered to drop the matter is she admitted wrongdoing and resigned her position, but she declined.

In February, the commission asked Neely to issue a public apology for her remarks and agree to officiate same-sex ceremonies. When she refused, the commission then asked the Wyoming Supreme Court to remove her from office.

Although the high court found Neely's words to be a violation of the Wyoming Code of Judicial Conduct, it contended that she had not committed any acts worthy of removal. However, the justices declared in March that Neely must either agree to perform all marital ceremonies or none at all.

The court further noted that the circuit court judge who appointed Neely as a magistrate was to also decide whether she would be able to continue to serve in that capacity. Neely lost her position as magistrate the following week.

On Aug. 4, ADF attorneys asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Neely's case. The legal organization is asking the court to at least hold the petition pending the upcoming Masterpiece Cakeshop ruling.
home US Man who married laptop demands cake from Christian baker

A man who claims to have married his laptop is apparently demanding that a Christian baker from Colorado must be compelled to bake a cake for him and his computer.

Chris Sevier, a self-identified "machinist," has filed a lawsuit demanding that Utah recognize his man-object marriage, The Washington Times reported. He and several self-identified polygamists have also filed a lawsuit against Masterpiece Cakeshop, whose owner is already in court after refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding.

Sevier and three polygamists argued that if Colorado can force Masterpiece Cakeshop baker Jack Phillips to bake a same-sex wedding cake, then it can also compel him to bake a manamachine cake.

"If marriage based on self-asserted sex-based identity narratives is a 'fundamental right,' 'individual right,' 'existing right,' based on a 'personal choice' for homosexuals, then clearly it is also a 'fundamental right,' 'individual right,' 'existing right,' based on a 'personal choice' for polygamists, zoophiles and machinists," the lawsuit against the baker stated.

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Phillips' appeal, which was filed in July 2016 after the Colorado Supreme Court refused to hear the case in April that year.

Sevier has reportedly filed lawsuits against officials in Kentucky, Texas and Utah in the past year in an attempt to legally wed his computer. He also expressed plans to file lawsuits against Colorado and California.

"While it is undisputed that self-identified gays, polygamists, zoophiles and machinists can have wedding ceremonies, the states' selective legal recognition of gay marriage violates the establishment clause insurmountably," he stated in his latest filing in the Utah case.

The goal of the lawsuits, Sevier said, was to have the courts act honestly and restore the integrity of the Constitution. He argued that the issue should be governed by the First Amendment, not under the 14th Amendment as the courts have held.

"The entire Constitutional narrative is the wrong one," he told The Washington Times. "The courts have been incredibly intellectually dishonest in these matters. They are perpetrating unbelievable amounts of malpractice," he continued.

John Eastman, a law professor at Chapman University in California, said that the lawsuit against the Colorado baker was "nonsensical," but he noted that it could have merit under the reasoning of the 2015 Obergefell same-sex marriage ruling, which held that "biological sex has nothing to do with marriage."

However, Robert Tuttle, a law professor at George Washington University, expressed doubts that Sevier's case could put the legality of same-sex marriage into question because "by contrast, polygamy doesn't involve the same type of claims of things that are outside people's control."
home US Mayor refuses to remove Bible verse from courthouse wall despite complaint from atheist group

The mayor of a Tennessee county has refused to remove a Bible verse inscription from a courthouse despite a complaint from a prominent atheist group.

Henderson County Mayor Dan Hughes said that he was surprised to receive a complaint letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) last month regarding the Bible verse that has been engraved on the county courthouse for over 50 years.

"I wasn't expecting anything and had not been contacted about the verse or really believed half the people in county even knew the verse was on that side of the cornerstone," Hughes said, according to WBBJ.

In the June 30 letter, FFRF attorney Rebecca Markert stated that a "concerned local resident" alerted the organization about the Biblical inscription.

"We understand that a Bible verse is etched on the wall of the Henderson County Courthouse in Lexington, Tennessee. The verse reads, 'Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: Mercy and truth shall go before thy face. Psalms 89:14,'" Markert wrote.

The FFRF attorney argued that the inscription violates the U.S. Constitution's Establishment Clause, adding that it is "inappropriate" because "it conveys government support for religion." She urged the mayor to remove the verse from the courthouse wall "as soon as possible."

In response to the FFRF, Hughes stated that most of the Henderson County residents believe in God. "Our community is based on the belief of a true and living God," the mayor wrote.

Hughes claimed that he has received nothing but positive feedback regarding his decision and said he hopes to add another Bible verse, Psalms 33:12.

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD: and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance," the verse states.

Last week, the FFRF released a statement, saying they were "alarmed" by the mayor's decision to keep the inscription on the courthouse wall.

The organization pointed out that the Supreme Court has ruled that displays at courthouses that constitute religious endorsement violate the Constitution and that the First Amendment mandates that the government remain neutral between different religions and between religion and nonreligion.

The group also said that the significant Christian population in the county is irrelevant and does not justify the display.

FFRF co-presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker mailed another letter to Hughes, asking him to reconsider his decision.

The atheist group claims to have more than 350 members in Tennessee and over 29,000 members across the U.S.
home World Media outlets mistakenly claim new study disproves Biblical account of Canaanites

Various media outlets have mistakenly declared in their headlines that a newly released human genetics study disproves a Biblical account about the Canaanites.

The study, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics last week, suggested that the Canaanites, which was commanded by God to be annihilated in the Bible, has living descendants in present-day Lebanon.

Several media outlets published reports claiming in their headlines that the study disproves the Biblical account found in the Old Testament.

"The Bible got it wrong: Ancient Canaanites survived and their DNA lives in modern-day Lebanese," a Pulse headline published last week declared.

"Bronze Age DNA disproves the Bible's claim that the Canaanites were wiped out: Study says their genes live on in modern-day Lebanese people," the headline from U.K.'s the Daily Mail stated.

The Telegraph, which also published a story claiming that the study disproves the Bible, issued a correction and modified its headline.

"The original version of this story erroneously said the Bible claimed the Canaanites were wiped. However, elsewhere in the Bible, it says the elimination was not successful," the correction from the news website reads.

The research that prompted the headlines was conducted by a team of geneticists and archaeologists who sequenced five whole genomes from individuals, which are roughly around 3,700 years old, from the city of Sidon, a major Canaanite city-state on the Eastern Mediterranean coasts. The ancient genomes were compared with those of 99 individuals from present-day Lebanon. The researchers found that the present-day Lebanese "derive most of their ancestry from a Canaanite-related population."

The team noted in the study that there are still uncertainties regarding the origin of the Canaanites as well as the fate of the population because few textual records have survived. Most of their history is based on the Hebrew Bible, ancient Egyptian and Greek records as well as archaeological excavations.

God's call to annihilate the Canaanites is recorded in Deuteronomy 20:17, but the Book of Judges indicates that they lived on beyond the invasion.

"When Israel became strong, they pressed the Canaanites into forced labor but never drove them out completely. Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites living in Gezer, but the Canaanites continued to live there among them," a verse from the first chapter of the book states.

Radio host and author Michael Brown argued that the results of the study actually confirm the Biblical account, noting that the Israelites were not able to carry out God's orders to annihilate the Canaanites.

Greg Koukl, founder and president of Stand to Reason, noted in an earlier article that the Israelites were not able to complete their conquest of Canaan, citing Judges 3 which stated that the "sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites."
home US Millennial Christians more likely than older generations to question beliefs, survey finds

A recent Barna Group study has found that Millennial Christians in the U.S. are more likely than older generations to doubt their faith.

The findings of the survey conducted among 1,015 American adults between June 5a9 indicated that 38 percent of Millennial Christians have questioned their faith, compared to 23 percent of Gen-Xers, 19 percent of Boomers and 20 percent of Elders.

Overall, approximately 65 percent of American Christians have admitted having spiritual doubts. Twenty-six percent said they still have spiritual doubt, while 40 percent said they experienced it in the past but have worked through it. Only 35 percent of the respondents said they have never experienced doubt at all.

Among those who either currently or previously expressed spiritual doubt, 45 percent left their church or worship gatherings. About 29 percent discontinued reading the Bible, while 29 percent stopped praying. Another 25 percent refrained from talking about spirituality, God or religion with friends or family. The researchers noted that millennials were "significantly more likely than other generations to stop doing all of the above, and at rates much higher than the general population."

On the other hand, 39 percent of those who questioned their faith did not change anything in response to their doubt.

The report also found that 40 percent of those who experienced spiritual doubt went to their friends or family to find help or answers, while 19 percent turned to their spouse. Twenty-two percent turned to the church, while 29 percent looked to the scriptures for support.

However, only 18 percent turned to their pastor or spiritual leader for answers. Barna researchers suggested that this may be due to "the awkwardness of confiding in the individuals and institution that represent one's questions, as well as the challenges that ministry leaders face to create safe spaces for doubt."

Fifteen percent of doubters turned to books on God, spirituality or religion, while 12 percent turned to online resources for help or answers.

Twelve percent said that they lost their faith following the period of questioning, but 53 percent of self-identified Christians said their faith became stronger as a result of their experience with doubt. Twenty-eight percent said that the spiritual doubt they experienced had no effect on them at all.

"Spiritual doubt has been a reality of the Christian journey since the disciplesaand today is no different," said Roxanne Stone, editor in chief of Barna Group.

"Just like first century Christians, their twenty-first century counterparts question aspects of their theology, doubt the existence of God and mourn his seeming absence during hard times. Doubt remains a flip side on the same coin as faith. For the majority of Christians, this inevitable doubt is a catalyst to spiritual growth," she added.

Out of the 1,015 U.S. adults surveyed, the researchers examined the responses of 888 current and former Christians with an error rate of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
home World Sudanese MPs block order to open Christian schools on Sundays

Members of the Khartoum state parliament have blocked the Minister of Education's order to open Christian schools in Sudan's capital on Sundays.

On July 26, the Ministry of General Education of Khartoum State issued a letter ordering all Christian schools in Khartoum to stop regarding Sunday as a day off.

"In order not to affect the educational process and the ongoing plan, we ask you not to observe Sunday holiday," the ministry's Awadia El-Sheikh Saleh Omer stated in the letter.

The decision has been viewed by Christians in Sudan and around the world as another means of harassment and discrimination against the minority group.

"The government's decision to abolish Sundays for Christian schools is discrimination against Christians in Sudan," said a Sudanese church leader.

On Aug. 1, members of the parliament rejected the mandate, with the deputy speaker of the Khartoum state assembly, Mohammed Hashim, saying that the order had not been well thought through.

Hashim then asked Minister of Education Farah Mustafa to revoke his decision for the sake of peaceful coexistence, World Watch Monitor reported. He argued that Christians schools have been operating under the SaturdayaSunday system for years, adding that there is no evidence that it impedes the academic performance of the students.

Mustafa defended the order, arguing that he only gave instructions that all schools should adhere to the calendar adopted by the council of ministers.

Although Christians in some Muslim-majority countries worship on Fridays, Sudanese Christians perceive the move as part of a government campaign to eradicate Christianity in the country.

The day after the parliament members rejected Mustafa's order, the Sudanese government demolished a church in Omdurman, just west from Khartoum.

The Baptist Church in Omdurman was reportedly included in the list of 27 churches that have been designated for demolition by the government last year. The government has claimed that the churches on the list were in violation of the designated purposes of the land they were built on.

In March, the EU Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, JAn Figel', raised the issue of the demolition of churches during his visit to the country. He was told that some of the demolitions had been suspended, but at least two more churches have been destroyed since then, and a church worker who tried to intervene was killed.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said that he had raised the issue of religious freedom "strongly" with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir during his recent three-day visit to the country. Sudan has maintained that the country "enjoys religious freedom" and "unprecedented openness."

The U.S. State Department has been designated as a Country of Particular Concern since 1999, and it is ranked fifth in the Open Doors' 2017 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most persecution.
home World Vatican allows nun to officiate wedding in Canada due to priest shortage

The Vatican granted permission to allow a nun to officiate at a wedding in Canada due to a shortage of priests at a diocese in Quebec.

On July 22, Sister Pierrette Thiffault of the Sisters of Providence conducted the wedding of a couple identified only as David and Cindy at a Catholic parish in Lorrainville, Quebec, Catholic News Service (CNS) reported.

"It was a new experience for me," Thiffault said, adding that the experience was "precious" for her as well as for the couple and for the people in the parish.

"It was good for the diocese. It was also an experiment for the Catholic Church," she went on to say.

The Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments gave permission to Bishop Dorylas Moreau of the Quebec Diocese of Rouyn-Noranda in May to allow the nun to conduct the wedding.

While the story has been seen as a sign that the role of women is changing in the Catholic church, Moreau maintains that the wedding was carried out according to a long-established provision of canon law.

The provision carries an exception for a lay person a either a man or a woman a to be permitted to officiate at a wedding when a bishop, priest or deacon is unavailable.

"It is an exceptional situation, not something habitual," Moreau said in French, according to CNS.

The bishop was prompted to make the request due to the priest shortage, which was especially acute in the summer.

Moreau noted that he has only 16 priests for 35 parishes in a diocese that covers nearly 9,300 miles of rugged territory. There are more than 75 nuns in the diocese, but there are no deacons, although three are currently in formation.

Madeleine Dumas, the chancellor for Rouyn-Noranda diocese, stated that "the authorization was valid only for this marriage."

She further noted that Thiffault took time to prepare the couple and "to check well their free consent."

"And it is wise that such a law applies throughout the world because it shows the importance of the sacrament of marriage that should not be celebrated anyhow or by anyone," Dumas said.

Thiffault, who serves as a pastoral worker at a parish in Moffett, called her involvement a "work of evangelization" because she met with the couple several times to help them prepare for marriage.

She said that she would be happy to officiate at another wedding if the need arises. "I imagine the authorization will not be given only for one marriage. If I can help, I will accept," she said.
home World Vietnam releases imprisoned pastor on condition of exile to US

A Vietnamese pastor who has been sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment in 2012 has been released early on the condition that he leaves the country with his family.

Pastor Nguyen Cong Chinh, who was convicted of "undermining national unity," has reportedly arrived in the U.S. with his wife, Tran Thi Hong, and five children, following his release from prison on July 28. According to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the pastor was granted humanitarian parole by the U.S. government.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) noted that Chinh's health has deteriorated to a "potentially life-threatening degree" due to ongoing abuse while he was in jail. The pastor's wife, an activist with Vietnamese Women for Human Rights, was also interrogated, harassed and beaten by the authorities on several occasions, according to CSW.

CSW's Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas welcomed the news of Chinh's release, but he expressed his disappointment that the pastor has to be exiled.

"We condemn the targeting by the authorities of both Pastor Chinh and Hong, in particular the harassment and physical abuse they have both endured simply for advocating for the rights of their fellow citizens," Thomas said in a statement.

USCIRF Commissioner Jackie Wolcott, who has advocated on behalf of the pastor, maintained that Chinh was "falsely charged and imprisoned and treated cruelly, as are countless other religious believers and human rights activists who continue to be harassed, detained, and tortured in Vietnam."

The pastor's case was taken up by the commissioner as part of USCIRF's Religious Prisoners of Conscience Project, which works for the release of individuals who have been imprisoned for their religious beliefs, practices, advocacy, or identity and the laws and practices that led to their imprisonment.

USCIRF commended Hong for tirelessly working for the release of her husband, despite being harassed and surveilled by Vietnamese authorities.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese government has continued its crackdown on activists and religious freedom advocates.

On July 30, the authorities arrested an activist named Nguyen Bac Truyen and charged him with "carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people's administration." Truyen, a Hoa Hao Buddhist, has reportedly been harassed and attacked several times because of his advocacy for human rights and religious freedom. Three other activists, including Pastor Nguyen Trung Ton, have been arrested on the same charge, according to CSW.

Since 2002, USCIRF has recommended that the State Department designate Vietnam as a "country of particular concern" (CPC) due to the ongoing violations of religious freedom in the country.

According to the commission, the Vietnamese government, through law, policy and practice, perpetrates or tolerates serious religious freedom abuses, particularly against unregistered religious organizations and in rural areas of some provinces.
Kosmos Energy, a company behind some of the industry's largest recent oil discoveries, will begin drilling the first of a trio of so-called super-giant prospects off the coast of Senegal and Mauritania later this month.

The Dallas oil company said on Monday it plans to resume drilling operations soon off the coast of West Africa, where it has already drilled six wells and discovered some 40 trillion cubic feet of gas equivalent in recent years.

"Mauritania-Senegal is the largest new petroleum system opened along the last 15 years along the Atlantic margin," said Andy Inglis, chairman and CEO of Kosmos, in a conference call with analysts and investors. New 3D seismic data "support our view that our discovered resource base will continue to grow as we continue to drill."

The U.S. oil producer represents a dying breed. While others put money in domestic shale plays and retreat from deep-water ventures, Kosmos is still betting heavily on the offshore exploration side of the oil business.

Related: BP, Kosmos find another giant gas pocket off Senegal

On Monday, Kosmos posted a net loss of $8.5 million, or 2 cents a share, in the second quarter, still an improvement over the $108.3 million loss it had from April to June last year. Revenue climbed from $46 million to $136 million.

In recent months, onshore U.S. oil producers have seen oil field service costs rise with the increase in drilling activity in places like West Texas and Oklahoma.

Kosmos, though, told investors it has seen costs continue to fall over the past year, with exploration expenses cut nearly in half to $20 million amid reduced costs for geologic and geophysical services  a side effect of the continued stagnation in offshore drilling.

It also reduced its capital spending budget from $150 million to $100 million, not because of falling oil prices, but because of lower than expected project costs in Ghana. Three quarters of its reduced budget will go to oil exploration, including seismic activity.
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A 20-year-old British model opened up to press and officials about being drugged, handcuffed, stuffed into a bag, and nearly sold into the sex trade through an online auction, according to multiple reports.

Chloe Ayling, 20, spoke to The Telegraph and police about her week-long imprisonment about 120 miles outside of Milan, Italy starting on July 11. She was kidnapped after being tricked into a fake photo shoot with Polish native Lukasz Pawel Herba, 30, who was arrested on July 18 and confessed to the crime, the Associated Press reports.

HIS STORY: Milan police arrest man in kidnapping of British model

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After being released by her captors because she is a mother, Ayling went into detail about the horrors to the police. The Telegraph published a portion of her police report online.

"A person wearing black gloves came from behind and put one hand on my neck and one on my mouth to stop me from screaming," she said in her statement.

"A second person wearing a black balaclava gave me an injection in my right forearm. I think I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was wearing a pink bodysuit and the socks I am wearing now.

"I realized I was in the boot of a car with my wrists and ankles handcuffed, adhesive tape on my mouth. I was inside a bag and was only able to breathe through a small hole." She said she screamed so much that the captors had to pull over many times to try and silence her.

"The pair tied my feet and hands to a chest, I was forced to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag," she said. "They watched me, they stopped me from fleeing and they threatened to kill me if I did."

Herba, the confessed kidnapper, claims to be a part of an online organization called "Black Death."

During Ayling's abduction, Herba bragged about making over $17 million over the past 5 years by selling women to buyers in the Middle East. He allegedly said that after the men get tired of the women, the females become a "tiger meal."

Ayling's captors threatened to sell her on the 'deep web' if her agent didn't pay a ransom of $300,000. Later, the "Black Death" captors realized she was a mother of a 2-year-old boy and selling mothers is against their ethics code, according to the Associated Press. Herba took her to the British Consulate in Milan on July 17.

The Telegraph spoke to her on the doorstep of her family home in south London Saturday night, Ayling said: "I've been through a terrifying experience. I feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour."

"I am incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release."
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Change has rocked the staff at KPFT 90.1 FM for three solid weeks  and on Monday morning, the financially troubled radio station's listeners will hear some of those changes.

The mostly volunteer-run station currently leans heavily on progressive talk, with programs devoted to the drug war, vegan lifestyles and the LGBT community. But KPFT's music programming gets better ratings and more listener support.

Starting Monday, music will occupy more of the station's prime daytime hours. Weekdays on KPFT, said Larry Winters, KPFT's interim general manager, will become "a little more listenable, a little less helter-skelter."

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Winters, who's been manager for three weeks, said he will cancel, move or shorten programs that aren't successful, give better time slots to programs that are, and add popular syndicated programs.

One of the biggest changes in store: Roark Smith will return to host "Wide Open Spaces," an Americana/roots music program that has three times earned him best disc jockey honors at the Texas Music Awards.

Smith quit his popular show and left KPFT in disgust last fall. "I was just frustrated," he said, watching the station sink at least $200,000 in debt while the board was hobbled by infighting. "I said, 'Look. If you guys can get on a decent path, I'd love to come back, but things are just really chaotic right now."

Now, with Winters at the helm, he believes KPFT is on the right track. "I was just happy to see change."

But the chaos Smith cited hasn't disappeared. If anything, it's more visible.

The turmoil started July 14, when KPFT's interim general manager, Obidike Kamau, was fired after just three months on the job. Bill Crosier, the interim executive director of KPFT's parent company, the Pacifica Foundation, said Kamau was hired to come up with a plan to get the station out of debt, and he hadn't done so quickly enough. Crosier appointed Winters to take Kamau's place.

THE TURMOIL AT KPFT: What we know, what we don't

Station employees, listeners and volunteers immediately staged a protest, demanding that Kamau be reinstated. When Crosier let go of three more staffers the following week, police were called to settle a disagreement at the station's Montrose headquarters.

Kamau's supporters, including board chairman Ted Weisgal, didn't want Winters to be general manager. And they oppose the changes he's making to the station's programming.

The station's bylaws say the local board of directors should be involved in "making sure the programming meets the geographic and demographic needs of the community," Weisgal said.

"So now we have this new person who has not gone through any of the vetting process to become the general manager," Weisgal said. "He's coming in and he thinks he has the magic Midas touch. I don't know what his plan is going to be, but whatever it is, it has not been brought to the board."

The KPFT local board plans to meet Wednesday night to discuss the station's future. But Winters, a longtime KPFT deejay before his sudden promotion, said that he couldn't wait until then to start turning the station around.

KPFT is now "debt neutral" thanks to the firings in July and a reduction of some staffers' hours, he said. Now it's time to design a station that can attract more listeners and earn their financial support.

KPFT needs to focus on "broadcasting than narrowcasting," Winters said. Over the years, the station has given air time to so many people that the programming has started to serve "real small, narrow agendas," he said.

"We want to be something for everybody," he said. "We want to be accessible to the community. But we can't be everything for everybody."
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A University of Texas at Austin student said he was unfairly suspended from the university after President Gregory Fenves intervened in his sexual assault case.

In a lawsuit filed Monday, the student accused Fenves of unfairly intervening in an effort to take a hard-line stance on campus sexual assault, fearing that UT-Austin would "suffer the same public relations disaster that occurred at nearby Baylor University" if administrators did not appear to take the crime seriously.

An initial review had sided with the male student. Fenves sided with the female student on appeal.

"This sort of thinking is un-American," the lawsuit states. "It is political gamesmanship done to advance the reputation of a powerful bureaucrat and a wealthy university at the expense of truth about their own students. Public humiliation and punishment without a fair trial, done by insiders within the power structure, is a vestige of Middle Ages."

SEX ASSAULT DATA: Data shows UT-Austin reported largest number of on-campus rapes

UT-Austin spokesman J.B. Bird said in a statement that the university generally does not comment on pending litigation or student disciplinary measures.

"Our policies and procedures in such cases are followed and applied with care and diligence at all levels, including appeals to the president during which he makes decisions only based upon the record in the case," he said.

He told the Austin American-Statesman that Fenves responds to student disciplinary appeals, which attorney Brian Roark, who is representing the male student, confirmed in an email to the Chronicle.

The students, identified only as Jane Roe and John Does, were college sophomores in April 2016 when she invited him to be her date at a sorority formal. They drank alcohol at the event, and afterward, the two went back to the male student's apartment, where both students said she consented to having sex.

The female student later said her judgment was impaired and accused the male student of rape because she was incapacitated. A hearing panel sided with the male student in February 2017, and the female student appealed the decision.

Fenves then stepped in. Responding in a seven-page letter, he concluded that it was more likely than not that the male student assaulted the female student "while she was too intoxicated to give consent," according to court documents. He was suspended for five semesters.

Universities require a "preponderance of the evidence" standard in sexual assault cases, lower than the "beyond reasonable doubt" standard in criminal cases.

UT-Austin defines incapacitation as "a state of being that prevents an individual from having the capacity to give consent." The state, according to the university, could stem from a person's use of drugs or alcohol, being asleep or unconscious or because of an intellectual or other disability.

The lawsuit alleges that the university's definition is "unconstitutionally vague because it provides an entirely meaningless definition of the term incapacitation," and it suggests that Fenves overstepped so that the university would not be subject to criticism that it didn't take accusations seriously, naming Baylor as a cautionary tale.

HoustonChronicle.com: Baylor sexual assault victims met with skepticism, little assistance from university

The lawsuit also alleges that Fenves stepped in because the female student is the daughter of a wealthy donor, whom the lawsuit did not identify.

Roark declined to give more information on the timeline of the parent's donations.

"As the primary fund raiser for the University, President Fenves has a conflict of interest in deciding Title IX appeals generally, but especially when a donor's child is involved because of his potential bias towards donors and his role as a fundraiser," the lawsuit says. "The potential for abuse in this circumstance is significant, and the appearance of impropriety is striking."
A bigamist couple in Alabama have been indicted on murder charges following the killing of the husband's other wife and children.

Christopher Matthew Henderson, 42, and Rhonda Jean Carlson, 44, were indicted on multiple counts of capital murder in the slaying of five people in Huntsville, Ala., Al.com reports. Carlson is the first of Henderson's wives.
Construction of a new Police and Municipal Courts building along with a new City Hall and Civic Center building are underway in Bellaire.

According to www.bellairetx.gov, Bellaire residents voted to support an $11 million General Obligation Bond to finance the design and construction of the new municipal buildings in November 2013. A guaranteed price contract was passed and approved in April for $16,267,606. The groundbreaking was on May 5, with construction expected to be completed in multiple phases.

"We first did interior renovations in the current Civic Center space first so we were able to temporarily relocate the Police Department there without any disruptions," Project Manager Michelle Jordan said. "We have currently started on the underground work of utilities."

The police department will stay in the Civic Center space for the next 18 months approximately, until the new buildings can get built and the old ones can get torn down. Municipal court is currently being held in council chambers.

"Both police and court functions are all operating at 100 percent. We haven't had to make any service level changes at all. Mainly you just need to go to a different location for now," Jordan said.

The project is a joint venture by two construction companies, Christensen Building Group and Horizon Group International. Both companies have done construction work in the area, and have experience in larger projects with the same types of buildings. Recently, Christensen Building Group was picked to construct public safety buildings for Dayton, and a new fire station for Conroe. Horizon Group International recently completed Bellaire's Nature Discovery Center project located in Russ Pitman Park.

"Those buildings are quite a few years old. We had several needs analyses done and it was determined that we needed new infrastructure to meet our needs.

The buildings not meeting the operational needs of the staff right now. We are not able to keep up with today's technologies requirements," Jordan said.

When the new buildings are completed, Jordan said that Bellaire residents will notice a lot that is different.

In the current City Hall building, if Bellaire residents need to get an errand done such as pay a utility bill, they have to climb a set of stairs, which are hidden and there is a small waiting room and lobby upstairs.

"There will be a different mentality about customer services," Jordan said. "All of the customer service functions will be located downstairs off of the main lobby. Things will now be in a more central location. Everything that they want to do is located very easily downstairs."

According to Jordan, the council chambers will be bigger as well, which means that it will be easier for council members to see presenters and it will be easier for citizens to see what is being presented on the projection screens.

A larger Civic Center will be able to host more public events as well as better senior center programs. There will be a new drop off zone for senior citizens so they have better access to the building from their vehicles. The Police Station and Municipal Court building will be exactly where the current one is, and the new City Hall and Civic Center will be located just a couple hundred feet further north then where it is currently located.

"We expect to be done with the new portion of the city hall next summer of 2018, and be able to have staff move in. The new police department and courts should be finished late summer of 2018 and the civic center portion will be completed in the spring of 2019," Jordan said.

Jordan continued, "A lot of folks have been excited. We had a good turn out when we had our groundbreaking ceremony. Everyone seems to be positive."

However, there have been some issues with parking due to spaces being limited because of the construction, about which Jordan says they are doing everything they can to save every possible parking spot.

The city of Bellaire hopes to hold multiple celebrations for different milestones of the construction process. Nothing is planned yet, but Jordan asks residents to stay tuned and watch the Bellaire website, www.bellairetx.gov, for announcements.
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If there were ever a way to have a sense of urgency while being patient, Montgomery County Sheriff's Detectives Donna Rippley and Keith Echols may have mastered it.

The pair have been working to solve the murders of two young men found dead in a Tamina home last month. On Monday, in an exclusive interview with The Courier, Rippley and Echols announced they have made four arrests in the July 20 shooting deaths of Jaquise Williams, 23, and Akeem Russell, 24.

Conroe residents Roman Pray, 18, Tomas Lizcano, 17, and Roddrick Jordan, 30, have been booked into the Montgomery County Jail. Pray and Lizcano are charged with capital murder. Jordan is charged with aggravated robbery. A 16-year-old male was arrested but has not been charged with any crime yet. All are being held on no bond.

HOUSTON MURDERS: Suspects allegedly used gay dating app to lure victims

While Rippley and Echols declined to provide specific details about the shooting, Echols called it "a robbery gone bad."

"I can't say this was gang related, it was opportunity ... and it went bad."

Echols said there probably will be additional arrests.

"We aren't stopping with these four," he said.

If convicted of capital murder, Pray could face the death penalty, while Lizcano could face life without parole. You must be 18 to recieve the death penalty.

If Jordan is convicted, he could face 25 years to life in prison. Normal punishment for aggravated robbery is five years to life; but due to Jordan's criminal history, the range is enhanced to 25 years to life.

Jordan's criminal history in Montgomery County stretches back to 2006 when he was arrested for possessing cocaine. He ultimately spent two years in prison for that charge after breaking the rules of his community supervision.

He was again arrested in 2010 for possessing cocaine and was handed a 90-day jail sentence after pleading guilty.

In 2012, he was arrested for aggravated robbery but pleaded guilty for a 180-day jail sentence. That same year, he was arrested for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and pleaded to another 180-day sentence.

He most recently was handed a six-year prison sentence in 2013 for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute. A spokesperson with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles could not be reached.

Lizcano and Pray have no criminal history in Montgomery County, records indicate.

Williams and Russell were found dead at a home in the 9600 block of Bimms Drive. The men were discovered by family members who had not heard from them that morning. Williams' 3-year-old daughter was found in the home uninjured.

Detectives believe Williams and Russell were shot about 3 a.m. July 20.

According to Rippley, while on scene detectives were given the names of several people who had been at the home the night before the shooting. She said they were able to rule out those individuals as suspects. However, on July 21, Rippley received information that led investigators to those involved.

"I actually received information from a confidential informant in reference to the case and they were able to provide names of individuals that were possibly responsible for this," said Rippley, adding one of those names was Lizcano along with the names of two females. "Once we found out this information, we were able to find addresses and phone numbers. From there, we managed to track these individuals and bring them in for questioning."

Following interviews with Lizcano, Rippley said, detectives learned of Pray and Jordan's alleged involvement.

For Echols, the investigation has been intense and multifaceted.

"We started with one name," he said. "When people give you information, a lot of times they are only giving you basic information."

Rippley agrees.

"Once we run all the information down, we can bring people in for questioning," she said.

The pair credit others in the department, including patrol deputies and SWAT with the success of the investigation as well as help from the Texas Rangers and the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.

"It's a team effort," Rippley said.

Capt. Bryan Carlisle called Rippley and Echols "experts."

"They are able to do this on limited sleep and assist with other cases," he said. "Keith and Donna are a testament to the outstanding job our Violent Crimes folks do on a regular basis. The sheriff is extremely proud of what they have been able to accomplish."

Capt. Kevin Ray echoed Carlisle.

"The sheriff has made sure we are going to function as a family, as a team," Ray said. "These guys are experts in their field  they have been phenomenal. I think that is something that should be accentuated, the cooperation in-house and with outside agencies."

Reporter Jay Jordan contributed to this story.
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A flash flood warning for Bexar County has been extended until 2:15 p.m. Monday as heavy rain and thunderstorms continue to roll through San Antonio.

Up to 5 inches of rain have hit isolated pockets of Bexar County with widespread rain amounts of 2-4 inches since the storm hit the downtown area around 7 a.m. and has caused street flooding and road closures across the city.

At least two people were rescued from vehicles trapped in rushing water on the West Side.

EMERGENCY: Homes in Leon Valley evacuated due to flooding, fire department urges residents to seek shelter

Now Playing: A young man became trapped trying to cross over Pinn Road near Highway 151 on Monday, Aug. 7, 2017, as flood waters inundated the area. Two fire engines had their ladders extended as far as they could go, but couldn't reach him. A boat rescue unit prepared to deploy, but authorities ultimately decided the ladders were the safer option. Video: JW Player

At least 27 street closures have been reported in San Antonio.

Here's what you need to know about this morning's storm:

Forecast

Between 2 and 4 inches of rain have fallen across Bexar County with isolated pockets of up to 5 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

Additional rain is likely and it will take time for the current flooding to subside, meteorologists said.

RELATED: Father missing in Canyon Lake after saving daughter

The NWS also issued a flood warning for the San Antonio River near Elmendorf. At 11:30 a.m. the river was at 11.7 feet. Flood stage for the river is 35 feet and meteorologists expect it to reach flood stage Monday afternoon and reach 41.9 feet early Tuesday.

The river should fall back below flood stage early Tuesday afternoon.

RELATED: Two Texas Boy Scouts killed, another hospitalized after boating accident

Chances for storms will continue this afternoon and through Tuesday and Wednesday, though rainfall is not expected to be as severe or widespread.

Power outages

At 12:45 p.m., CPS Energy was reporting 341 outages affecting 8,934 customers.

View CPS Energy's outage map for a detailed look at outages across the area.

Traffic delays

At least 35 high water sensors have been activated Monday morning and there are at least 27 street closures city-wide with 19 traffic signals flashing. At least 16 traffic signals have already been fixed.

Here are the streets currently closed due to flooding:

Cave Lane at Kenilworth.

Chavaneaux West at Commercial

Commerce Street West from Pinn Road to West Military

Contour Drive East at McCullough

Danville Drive at Overbrook

Dreamland from Vance Jackson to NW Military

George Road from NW Military to Lockhill Selma

Gibbs Sprawl from Rittiman at Kirby Limits

Hausman Road South from Prue to Champions Gate

Hollyhock Road at Babcock

Ira Lee Road at Austin Highway

Lockhill Road from 2 to White Bonnet

Lookout Road at Old Connor

Maltsberger from U.S. 281 to Country Parkway

Mission Parkway from Padre to SE Military

Nancu Carole from Bobby Allen to Southton

Old Corpus Christi from Henderson Court to Graf

Old Grissom Road from Grissom to Culebra

Pinn Road from Brownleaf Street to SH151

Southwell Road from Verbena to Encino Park

Stahl Road from Bell to Haymarket

Vance Jackson at Orsinger

Vicar Drive at Perrin Beitel

Weidner Road North at Schertz

A complete list of road closures in San Antonio can be found here.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, high water is snarling traffic and closing lanes on the following roads:

Loop 410 East at I-10

Bus routes

Buses on two VIA routes are taking detours due to flooding:

Route 96 between Wurzbach and Huebner

Route 602, on Dreamland between Vance Jackson and Lockhill-Selma

Route 88, on Evers between Seneca and Poss Road

Route 21, I-35 North and South Access Road

VIA is posting updates to Twitter using the hashtag #VIAalert.

Closures

Northwest Vista College's main campus is closed due to weather and a power outage until further notice.

The University of Texas-San Antonio Alumni Office has been closed due to flooding, according to an post on Twitter from the organization.

Emergency rescues

SAFD spokesman Woody Woodward said the department was busy Monday morning due to heavy rain in the area.

"It's kind of crazy at the moment," Woodward said, adding that calls for help are "coming in really quickly."

The department responded to 22 high water investigations and conducted four water rescues and two technical water rescues.

Woodward said there had been seven structure fires, including four related to lightning, but none were significant.

The Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office has not conducted any water rescues. No flooding was reported in San Marcos or Hays County.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

cdowns@mysa.com

Twitter: @calebjdowns




Malay Underdevelopment Beyond Politics and Public Administration

M. Bakri Musa

www.bakrimusa.com





If Malay immaturity and underdevelopment are so blatant in areas where we dominate (politics and public administration), imagine the situation elsewhere. Again, we do not need expensive consultants reports or the academics graph-laden presentations to expose that sorry reality.





Consider our marginal role in the economy. Stroll down any street in any town, and that fact would be jarring and obvious. Even if we were to mandate that those business signs be Malaynized or in Malay, that would not alter the sorry reality. It would only make the situation worse by camouflaging the problem, as is happening in Thailand and Indonesia. Guess who owns Malaysias most successful conglomerate Berjaya (Malay word meaning success)?





If those Malay leaders and civil servants were to have a leak in their home faucets or their cars break down, the plumber or auto mechanic who respond would more likely be a non-Malay, or even non-Malaysian, just as it was half a century ago. At another level, every year thousands of houses expropriated from non-Malay developers and then offered to Malays at substantial discounts remain unsold.





Then consider our young. The overwhelming majority of unemployed graduates are Malays. They are not so much unemployed as unemployable, reflecting the quality of local public institutions, again under Malay leadership, by statutes. We Malays are also overrepresented in the dysfunctional categories, from drug abuse and HIV infections to abandoned babies and broken families.





maruah; they know no shame. Those glaring and embarrassing realties would preclude any self-respecting Malay leader from jetting around in luxurious private jets at public expense, or have their children own plush penthouse suites in London and palatial mansions in Beverly Hills. These Malay leaders should be embarrassed. Instead they, from Najib on down, flaunt their flamboyant lifestyles. They lack; they know no shame.





Malays are proud of such glorious government-linked companies (GLCs) as Khazanah (a holding company), Petronas (the giant oil company), and Sime Darby (a conglomerate). Those companies are Malays only in terms of their senior leadership and employees, not ownership. Being GLCs, they could easily change their character with a change in the government, as with the state GLCs in Penang. This Malay pride is misplaced for another reason. These GLCs have failed in their mission to spearhead Malay entry into the business world, its reason for being. Instead these GLCs have been debased into a cesspool of continuing corruption. 1MDB is only the latest, as well as most expensive and egregious.





These GLCs suck up scarce public funds. Few are profitable. Again, like the money pocketed by corrupt officials, the lost opportunity for those precious funds is enormous. Think of the good had those billions diverted to UMNO kleptocrats were instead used to better libraries and laboratories in rural schools!





The picture is equally ugly with education. Again, we do not need highfalutin reports to tell us that we are far behind. When Ungku Aziz led the University of Malaya many decades ago, it would consistently rank high; today, well, it is still ahead of the University of Timbuktu, but only slightly.





The sorry decline of our universities is but one example. Another is more simple and direct. In the 1980s I could still find some Malay students at Stanford and other elite American campuses. Today there are as rare as dew in a mid-Malaysian morning. Further back, when I was at Malay College in the early 1960s, it was still preparing students for entry into universities. Today those students have to go elsewhere for their matriculation.





Malay College started its first IB matriculating class in 2011, a full decade in the planning and nearly three decades after the college discontinued its Sixth Form. The college has an impressive governing board, with Raja Nazrin as its chairman. Despite having such luminaries, the pace of change was glacial. Imagine at lesser institutions! While IB everywhere is the top choice for students, not so at Malay College. Its students prefer going elsewhere.





Yet when we peruse the statistics in such publications as the Malaysian Quality of Life 2004 Report, we are assured that we have made great progress. Worse, we believe such reports! Consider the one sector where Malays pride ourselves in having a heavy presencepublic transportation. During my youth, nearly all public bus companies were controlled by non-Malays, except for the occasional ones like the one plying in the northeastern states and the old Sri Jaya Company (now defunct) in Kuala Lumpur.





Then there was the Malay Transport Company serving my village at Sri Menanti, Negri Sembilan. Granted, its service was erratic but at least there was a service. Today that company is long gone and the village is now without any bus service, erratic or otherwise.





In the 1980s matters seemingly improved, with many more Malay bus companies. That however, was achieved not through the initiatives of Malay entrepreneurs but through fiat. The government forced existing non-Malay companies to re-structure and include Malay partners.





The few savvy Chinese businessmen who saw that as an opportunity to cash out their investments by jacking up the values of their companies came out like bandits, quite apart from earning the enduring gratitude of Malay elite. That in turn smoothed the way for these Chinese businessmen to do even more lucrative businesses with their new masters.





The few arrogant holdouts came to regret their decisions. The owners of the Foh Hup Bus Company that plied the busy and highly lucrative Seremban-Kuala Lumpur route did not wish to share their pot of honey. They also smugly believed that Malays were not suitable business partners. With the completion of the new highway between the two cities and the license for that route awarded to a Malay enterprise, Foh Hups market collapsed. The company got to keep its jar of honey alright, but the bees were taken away.





Despite that jumpstart, today Malays are back to square one. Bus companies throughout the peninsula may be in Malay hands, but the system is broken down, mechanically and financially.





Malay underdevelopment is not just relative (as compared to other groups and nations) but also absolute. Meaning, as compared to a generation ago, we are today making even slower progress if not actually regressing. The examples cited here may not mean much in the greater scheme of things but they are emblematic of our overall inadequacies and underdevelopment. Our backwardness is worse when compared to the First World, and widening. That is hidden as our leaders continually compare us to the likes of Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea. It is also hidden because of the vibrant contributions from non-Malays. Malays are deluded into thinking that those achievements were ours too.





I am not revealing anything new much less profound here. The only difference is that I offer a different approach in analyzing and solving these problems.

revolusi mental, glokal Melayu, and Ketuanan Melayu, that is, when they are not busy blaming our culture and our innate nature, as well as our lack of unity and our straying from our faith. My approach would first require us to have an open mind so we could view our problems from different perspectives and not be trapped by our current preconceptions. The solutions would then be much easier to find. Our leaders are heavy into sloganeering, with such strident calls as, and, that is, when they are not busy blaming our culture and our innate nature, as well as our lack of unity and our straying from our faith. My approach would first require us to have an open mind so we could view our problems from different perspectives and not be trapped by our current preconceptions. The solutions would then be much easier to find.





Next: A Different Approach





Adapted from the authors book, Liberating The Malay Mind, published by ZI Publications, Petaling Jaya, 2013. The second edition was released in January 2016.








A meditation and sharing support group that brings together the practice of meditation, Buddhist teachings and the 12 steps of recovery integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation.

The Heart of Recovery is a meditation and sharing support group with the purpose of bringing together the practice of meditation, the Shambhala and Buddhist teachings, and the Twelve Steps of Recovery with the goal of integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation with our commitment to abstinence. We welcome all those who wish to share in these common interests.

There are no requirements to attend our meetings.

Suggested donation: $5

The Heart of Recovery is a meditation and sharing support group with the purpose of bringing together the practice of meditation, the Shambhala and Buddhist teachings, and the Twelve Steps of Recovery with the goal of integrating the basic sanity of the Dharma and the basic goodness of meditation with our commitment to abstinence. We welcome all those who wish to share in these common interests.

There are no requirements to attend our meetings.

Suggested donation: $5
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A former Houston highway patrol officer whose conviction for conducting unlicensed horse races at a Crosby-area ranch was overturned by an appeals court has sued the two Texas Department of Public Safety investigators who lodged the felony charges against him, according to his federal civil rights suit.

Richard "Rick" Rivera, 61, filed suit Monday after regaining his Texas peace officer's license last month based on appeals court rulings that overturned his 2014 horse racing conviction, the lawsuit states.

Rivera was among six law enforcement officers arrested after working security at events held at the 70-acre Rancho El Herradero near Crosby, following an undercover investigation conducted in October 2013.

"This case is about a dedicated state trooper with a spotless, 32-year service record who was falsely arrested and maliciously prosecuted for alleged conducting a horse race without a license," said Houston attorney Randall Kallinen, who represents Rivera. "And all he did was provide pedestrian traffic control at a rodeo."

The lawsuit was brought against a Texas Ranger and a DPS investigator assigned to probe allegations that law officers were involved in horse racing operations at a ranch that did not have a state racing license.

Rivera, contacted at his home in South Texas, stressed he had been given approval to work the extra job at the ranch by his DPS superiors, and stressed his principle job was to provide security at events.

The ex-trooper said his life has been "a real hell" following his arrest and prosecution on the felony charges.

"I lost a lot of friends, my integrity, my reputation, I had no job, no money. I couldn't even get an apartment because my status was I was a convicted felon," he said. "When you have that label, you can't do anything."
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A 57-year-old widow accused of killing her husband in 2012 and trying to cover it up in one of Houston's more bizarre cases in recent years is expected to begin trial Monday.

Sandra Melgar is accused of staging a home invasion and tying herself up in a closet in her northwest Harris County home to be discovered by friends arriving for a party the next day.

Prosecutors believe she was trying to cover up the fatal stabbing of her husband of 32 years.

THE CRIME: Man found tied up, dead in northwest Harris County

Friends of the Melgars arrived at the couple's home in the 9500 block of Kelsey Meadows Court about 4:30 p.m. on December 24, 2012. They had come to celebrate couple's wedding anniversary.

They found the garage door open and inside, they found 52-year-old, Jaime Melgar, tied up, stabbed, and stuffed into a closet. Sandra Melgar was bound in another closet.

She told investigators she had been in the bathroom with her husband around 1 a.m., then blacked out. She said she woke up to find herself tied up in the closet.

Police investigated the slaying as a home invasion.

THE ARREST: Wife accused of husband's murder, elaborate alibi

More than a year later, they arrested Sandra Melgar on a charge of murder, shocking her community and family. The arrest spawned national headlines. Dateline, a nationally televised news magazine, is expected to cover the trial.

After the arrest, Jaime Melgar's 89-year-old mother was incredulous.

"How could anyone do this?" the elderly woman said in 2014.

Ines Melgar said she brought Jaime and his two older brothers to the Texas area from Guatemala when he was just 3 years old.

She said the two were high school sweethearts who raised a daughter together.

The couple had a good relationship, Ines Melgar said after the arrest. She said the couple frequently invited her and her husband over for family dinners.

The couple had lived in the house about six years.

The trial, in state District Judge Kelli Johnson's court, is expected to begin with jury selection Monday and continue through the week.

If convicted of murder, Melgar faces the possibility of life in prison. She is free on a $50,000 bail.

brian.rogers@chron.com

twitter.com/brianjrogers




http://www.buzzfeed.com/mollyhensleyclancy/asians-very-familiar-profiles-princeton?utm_term=.ckObv6Onm#.ebYj8VZXk

Asians With Very Familiar Profiles: How Princetons Admissions Officers Talk About Race

Federal investigators highlighted comments associated with Asian stereotypes as part of a probe into allegations of racial bias at the Ivy League school.
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More than 1,000 containers of illicit alcohol have been seized at the Texas-Mexico border so far in the 2017 fiscal year.

This includes bottles that were not properly labeled, contained dangerous additives or were carried in improper containers that made the liquid unsafe for consumption.

STAFF SHUFFLES: Acting director of Texas liquor agency abruptly quits

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission officials have said that this is a common problem among travelers crossing into Texas from Mexico.

Story continues below...

Tax Compliance Officers from TABC's Ports of Entry Division have spoken out about the dangers of this type of smuggling.

BIG FINES: Texas liquor agency rebuked after investigation of Spec's

"It's not uncommon for our TCOs to identify alcohol in unmarked containers, such as a gasoline container or water bottle," TABC Ports of Entry chief John Reney said in a prepared statement. "These products, if allowed to enter Texas, could prove dangerous to consumers. For that reason, we seize the products and destroy them before they can enter the marketplace."

Recently, the topic of tainted alcohol has been a concern for American tourists vacationing in Mexico, even at upscale resorts.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BORDER: State Department warns tourists of 'tainted or substandard alcohol' in Mexico

The U.S. State Department has issued a warning to travelers going to Mexico regarding the potential hazard of consumed compromised alcohol.

The agency told tourists to drink "in moderation and to stop and seek medical attention if you begin to feel ill."

The TABC is the first line of defense, according to A. Bentley Nettles, TABC Executive Director, who explained the agency's goal.

"One of TABC's primary duties is upholding public safety," Nettles said. "While most people think that only involves our law enforcement operations, a huge piece of that mission includes keeping dangerous products like these out of Texas. We have people at the border crossings trained to identify and seize any illicit alcohol products which could prove harmful to Texas consumers."
A 33-year-old Abilene Police detective was killed Sunday while traveling to the Crimes Against Children Conference in Dallas.

Elise Ybarra's unmarked detective vehicle was struck by a Chevrolet pickup while she was near mile marker 296 on eastbound Interstate 20, the department wrote on Facebook late Sunday. Detectives Chris Milliorn and Robert Collins were also in Ybarra's vehicle.
Over 500 protesters from across the country converged outside the state Capitol and onto downtown streets Sunday afternoon in response to TransCanada's proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

The protest comes on the eve of week-long proceedings in front of the Nebraska Public Service Commission where local landowners, TransCanada representatives, Native American tribal leaders and others will present testimony on whether or not the pipeline serves the public interest.

The proceedings mark the last major hurdle TransCanada must get over for approval of the pipeline, which would carry nearly 830,000 barrels of oil per day from Canada through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska for export.

K Street on the north side of the Capitol was blocked off as hundreds of sign-bearing protesters gathered.

After speakers rallied the crowd, Native protesters astride horses led a march north down 16th Street.

Police cordoned off the rest of the march that swung down N Street and headed back to the Capitol down 13th Street, passing the Cornhusker Marriott Hotel, where the public service commission hearings will kick off Monday morning.

Jane Kleeb, an organizer of the protest and head of advocacy group Bold Nebraska, said the proposed pipeline has been stopped in the past and will be stopped again.

"There is absolutely no reason that the public service commission would grant a permit to a foreign corporation ... shipping foreign tar sands to the foreign export market all for their bottom line, when that has nothing to do with Nebraska's public interest," Kleeb said.

Native American protester Lydia West, flew in from San Diego, California on Saturday to attend the "Give Keystone XL the Boot" protest.

She said she wants to stand up with other Native tribes whose land the pipeline would bisect.

"Nebraskans have shown time and time again that they don't want this," said West, the daughter of a Omaha tribesman.

The proposed pipeline, which would complete the 1,719-mile route from Alberta to Nebraska, has spurred concern over potential oil spills that could pollute water and soil in the Sandhills and near the Ogallala aquifer.

It seemed as if the proposed pipeline had no future after President Barack Obama rejected TransCanadas application in November 2015.

But hope for TransCanada was renewed when President Donald Trump revived the project days after his January inauguration.

Nebraska farmer Art Tanderup, who owns land along the pipeline route, called the project a totally unfair business takeover in which only TransCanada stands to profit.

He also criticized the public service commission hearings for not allowing certain issues to be talked about, including safety, which state law prohibits from discussion.

There are so many reasons that this pipeline is wrong, Tanderup said. Yet we have to spend a week trying to get supposedly common-sense people to understand why its so wrong.

Jacqueline Rodkewich of Minnesota bussed to Lincoln with others pipeline protesters. Busses also brought in activists from places like Denver, Wichita, Kansas, and the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in Eagle Butte, South Dakota.

Rodkewich made the trip to stand with tribes like the Ponca and Omaha, whose land the pipeline would cross.

This issue is nationwide, Rodkewich said. And I would go to lift up whatever voice needs to be heard. I will go and stand with those people.

Protesters at Sunday's March carried signs blasting TransCanada and the oil industry.

Some carried pieces of a cardboard pipeline with painted slogans that equated Keystone XL to corporate greed and pollution.

On the other end of the issue, pipeline supporters prepared for the week-long battle ahead their own way, hosting a barbecue with TransCanada officials at the Laborers Training Center in Omaha.

Fred Brown with Common Sense Energy Solutions, a pro-pipeline organization, criticized Sunday's protest for inciting fear and opposition against American energy.

"The facts are that pipelines, like Keystone, will create thousands of jobs, raise millions of dollars in revenues for local communities, and bring in millions in labor wages," Brown said in a statement.

The Public Service Commission hearing will take place every day this week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Seating is limited.

Retired Lancaster County Judge Karen Flowers will preside over the hearing alongside five of the commissions elected members, who will decide the pipelines fate.

A decision from the commission is expected by November.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
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Paper: Foxconn Planning R&D Site in Michigan Published: 07 August 2017 by Mike Buetow by Mike Buetow

TAIPEI -- Fresh off a deal to build a large production site in Wisconsin, Foxconn is planning a research and development facility in Michigan, according to new reports.

CEO Terry Gou told Chinese media that Foxconn will develop "next generation auto technology, such as Internet of Vehicle (IOV) and self-driving cars" near the center of the US auto industry in Michigan.

"The Michigan investment will be unveiled soon, yet the transaction amount cannot be released," Gou was quoted as saying by China's Securities Times.

Michigan's governor also suggested plans could be in the works. No timetable or investment size was disclosed.

Last week, Foxconn confirmed earlier reports that it would build a display plant in Southeast Wisconsin. That deal is contingent of the state government passing a series of incentives for the world's largest contract assembler.

Register now for PCB West, the Silicon Valley's largest PCB industry trade show: pcbwest.com! Now with full-day electronics assembly tutorials!
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BEACHWOOD, Ohio -- Hello Bistro is getting ready to say hello to the area with its first location in Northeast Ohio.

The fast-casual concept, from the same people behind Eat'n Park, will open a restaurant at La Place in Beachwood sometime in the early fall.

The chain specializes in made-to-order salads and fresh, never frozen hamburgers.

"Clevelanders are going to love Hello Bistro because it's an entirely new way of dining," says Hello Bistro spokesperson Kevin O'Connell in a release. "Guests will have the opportunity to create a different experience every time they visit. If it's a day to be health conscious, we have kale and avocado for that; if it's a day to loosen the belt buckle, we have fresh-cut French fries and juicy burgers."

Hello Bistro features the familiar Chipotle-style set up, where customers go down the line, building their salads from a selection of nearly 60 toppings. Diners can also choose from a variety of pre-designed salads such as Apple Almond Crunch, Sesame Soba Salmon or Caribbean Shrimp. There's also the Quinoavocado, made with quinoa, avocado, kale, spinach and veggies.

Hello Bistro also serves 10 varieties of beef, turkey and veggie burgers. Popular choices include the Mushroom and Onion Jack Burger or Eat'n Park's famous Superburger.

Grilled sandwiches, soups, fries and hand-dipped milkshakes round out the menu. They even have their parent company's signature Smiley Cookies.

Hello Bistro currently has five locations, all in the Pittsburgh area. The Beachwood store, at 26300 Cedar Road, represents the company's first expansion outside of Pennsylvania.
WICKLIFFE, Ohio -- For the past 17 years, thousands have made the pilgrimage to the grounds of The Center for Pastoral Leadership to celebrate family, faith and community. The Fest, sponsored by the Diocese of Cleveland, offers something for everyone. This year's Fest theme was "A Full Life," honoring the theme the seminary used in 2000 at the first Fest. Event organizers explain that the theme represents saying "yes" to the Lord and receiving His promise of "a full life."

Christian musical acts including Crowder, Matt Maher and for King and Country drew the biggest crowds of the day, making the area in front of the huge stage look like a campsite -- a sea of tents and blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets.

There was a labyrinth, bmx bike shows, petting zoo, a place to pray the rosary and a chapel open for prayer. Johnsonville brats brought what they say is the biggest grill in the country to feed the masses, and various Catholic orders gathered in a recruitment tent to answer questions and encourage the next wave of Catholic clergy.

Plans for next year's Fest are already under way. The date is August 5, 2018.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When checking to make sure a carnival ride is safe, state inspectors do not look for internal corrosion -- the reason the Fire Ball broke apart at the Ohio State Fair, according to the Dutch manufacturer.

Checking for internal corrosion requires special equipment, such as ultrasound, experts say. The operator of the ride -- in this case Amusements of America -- hires a company to do the testing. These inspectors check where manufacturer guidelines tell them to.

The state is required only to confirm the special testing happened.

Ohio Department of Agriculture staff inspected the Fire Ball at least three times in the days before the accident, which killed 18-year-old Tyler Jarrell and injured seven other riders.

State documents show annual testing was completed in 2016 by Soil Consultants Inc., in Charleston, South Carolina.

Soil Consultants inspectors used ultrasound to check the ride's gondola pins and completed a visual check of the ride's structural components, according to the documents. An attorney for Soil Consultants could not be reached Monday to check whether any other tests were required for the ride.

A Facebook post by Dutch manufacturer KMG cited "excessive" corrosion on the interior of the gondola support beam that "dangerously" reduced the beam's thickness.

What is corrosion, and how long does it take?

Metals inevitably break down because of their chemical makeup; it's just a matter of engineering and maintenance that determines how long.

Scott Lillard, a professor with the corrosive engineering program at the University of Akron, said understanding corrosion is a case-by-case basis, based on the type of metal, type of coatings and outside factors such as weather.

A major culprit is water, but even how much that affects metal can change based on salt and acidity levels, he said.

There are different types of corrosion, said David Bahr, head of the materials engineering department at Purdue University. Pitting means that holes would appear in the metal, where uniform corrosion is what you'd think of as rusting.

Motion could also be a factor in speeding up corrosion, Bahr said. As something is shaken around, new surfaces could become exposed which could lead to corrosion.

So how do you check for corrosion?

Testing for internal corrosion can be incredibly difficult, Lillard said, pointing to the example of pipelines. There, inspectors have to send a tool called a pig through the pipeline to determine wall thickness based on ultrasound technology.

Inspectors must see both sides of a metal wall to check its thickness and how much it's changed since it was made.

Ricky Morgan, a ride inspector for nearly 30 years and the past president of the American Society for Nondestructive Testing, said there are various methods to check metal wall thickness, including volumetric testing and radiography.

"(Inspectors would catch outside corrosion) immediately during the visual inspection," he said. "You can easily repair it."

Corrosion can also depend on the age of the ride, but Morgan said he's inspected rides meant to last for 50 years. The Fire Ball was 18 years old, according to KMG's Facebook post.

KMG could not be reached Monday to comment on inspection guidelines and how engineers decide where to test.

Bahr said when comparing safety checks between stationary rides, like the ones at amusement parks, and fair rides, which are taken apart and put back together, both have advantages and disadvantages.

Stationary rides might have less opportunities for outside factors to get in, but individual parts can be checked more often for fair rides, since parts are routinely separated.

So what's next?

There's not enough information yet to say what caused the erosion, or if manufacturers could have predicted it, Bahr said. If other parts show the same level of corrosion, it could indicate a design flaw, he added.

Bahr said inspections are crucial to slowing down corrosion.

"One of the problems with engineering disasters, they tend to get attention when something really bad happens," he said. "(There are many) that are caught and checked and the world doesn't necessarily know."

Inspection guidelines vary from state to state. The Ohio State Highway Patrol, assisted by the Department of Agriculture, is continuing an investigation of the Fire Ball incident.

KMG is issuing a "safety bulletin" to update the testing and maintenance protocol for the rides, according to the Facebook post.

Jarrell's family's law firm is conducting its own investigation into the ride malfunction.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An 8-year-old cleaning out a study-space for the upcoming school year stumbled upon the dead body of a man shot in the chest.

Some 12 hours later, a 4-year-old boy riding in the backseat of his mother's SUV was shot in the head during an apparent road-rage incident as she drove on Interstate 90. His 7-year-old sister was also inside the car and was cut from the shattering glass.

No arrest has been made in either shooting.

As Cleveland police detectives investigate both shootings, family members are left to wonder how their introduction to violence at such a young age will come to affect them.

"This is going to jade him; he doesn't know how much it will affect him but it will," said Dejenaba Lockett, the mother of the 8-year-old boy. "That image will haunt him someday."

The effects of violence on children can have wide-ranging consequences. Rosemary Creeden is the associate director for trauma services at Frontline Service, a Cleveland agency that works with survivors of violence. She said children often regress developmentally after a traumatic event.

Children between 5 and 10 years old often struggle in school, experience difficulty with friends and have frequent nightmares.

"Some really withdraw and are really really quiet and numb," Creeden said. "Other kids at this age, the separation is so great they don't want to go to school.

Lockett said her son, an honor roll student, was setting up his study space for his upcoming school year at Cleveland's Campus International School.

He stepped outside their home in the 18300 block of Reese Road to take out the garbage when he saw a man lying near the steps of his home with a gunshot wound to the chest. Lockett saw blood on her car and called 911. She went outside and prayed while standing over 20-year-old Robert Thornton's body.

She said that she was upset throughout the day and that her son ended up comforting her.

"He was completely stoic," Lockett said. "He was forced into manhood to protect his mother. I fear for him every single day. My kids don't have the luxury of the childhood that I have because of this."

Lockett, a single mother who works for the Cuyahoga County Job and Family Services, said she's taken painstaking steps to ensure her son and three other young children-- between the ages of 9 and 4-- stay focused on academics so they don't stray into the street violence that often surrounds them.

They're all enrolled in summer programs, tutoring sessions and study everyday with their grandmother during the summer, Lockett said.

"I try to keep my kids from all the violence," Lockett said. "Yesterday was a cold slap in the face that I can't protect them. I do everything I can, but it's not enough."

About 12 hours later the 4-year-old boy was shot. His mother told police that she honked her horn at a car blocking Division Avenue, a narrow street with cars parked on both sides that runs through a busy public housing complex. Several people were standing just outside the car, which refused to move, police reports say.

She waited for more than five minutes for the man to move his white four-door Pontiac. She finally maneuvered around the man's car. The man followed her onto Interstate 90 eastbound, according to police reports.

The driver pulled up next to her SUV near the East 55th exit ramp. Someone in the car fired eight gunshots, four of which hit the woman's SUV. The bullets shattered the windshield and the side windows, police reports say.

Bullet fragments lodged in the 4-year-old boy's head, but didn't penetrate into his brain, according to police.

The shooters kept driving east on the highway while the woman got off the East 55th exit. She stopped when she saw a police officer out with a tow truck on the side of the road, police reports say.

The boy was taken to University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, where he had surgery. He is in serious condition, police said.

The woman told police she did not know the men in the car and was unsure why they followed her. Police searched the area of West 130th Street and Bellaire Road found a white Pontiac, but noted they were unsure if the car was involved in the shooting, according to police reports.

For children as young as the 4-year-old boy, Creeden said children are typically unable to sleep or eat and have crippling separation anxiety.

"They also lose some acquired skills, such as potty-training," Creeden said. "New fears develop that they didn't have prior to an incident like this. We also often see an increase in aggressive behavior with kids that age."

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Monday's crime and courts comments section.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Gov. John Kasich and state lawmakers last month quietly eliminated a state safety net program that provided cash benefits to about 6,000 disabled Ohioans with little or no income.

The state stopped accepting new applications for the Disability Financial Assistance program July 1 -- a change buried in the 3,300-page state budget bill. Ohioans receiving the $115 monthly assistance will be phased off the program by the end of the year, with many not receiving a check this month.

The Kasich administration says the program was intended to help people while they waited to receive federal disability benefits, and Medicaid managed care health plans can help expedite that process so monthly cash assistance isn't necessary.

But advocates for the poor say most Ohioans in the program will never meet the high bar for federal benefits but have disabilities that keep them from working. Bob Bonthius, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, said people rely on that cash to pay their rent and other basic living expenses.

"These are the very same people that the governor wanted to protect with the Medicaid expansion, and I'm baffled he does not want to protect these people," Bonthius said.

The program cost $9.6 million last year from the state's $34.5 billion general revenue fund budget.

"It's chump change in the budget, but to these individuals, it's everything," Bonthius said.

Eliminating a safety net

State officials acknowledged the "vast majority" of recipients would never receive federal federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in a memo from Kasich's Office of Health Transformation. Those individuals will be referred to the state's OhioMeansJobs offices for job training programs and help finding work.

People were eligible for the program if they could not work because of a physical or mental disability, make about $1,400 or less a year and did not receive help from other welfare programs. County job and family services offices determined eligibility based on documentation from a physician.

Bonthius said it can take years for an individual's application for federal disability to be accepted. Ohio's disability financial assistance program provided $115 a month -- a fraction of the maximum $735 monthly federal benefit -- to help in the meantime.

"Many have impairments that don't rise serious enough to get SSI but are serious barriers for them to get work," Bonthius said. "There's nobody who chooses this as a lifestyle; this is not a career choice."

Speeding up the disability qualification process

Disability Financial Assistance was the final remnant of Ohio's General Assistance program, which used to provide cash benefits to Ohioans facing a variety of hardships. The program was whittled away over time to serve fewer Ohioans with specific needs.

Enrollment in program has been declining for years, from 16,800 in 2008 to 6,400 in 2016. It dropped sharply after Ohio expanded Medicaid to more low-income, childless adults.

The program's latest iteration was limited to people who had applied for federal disability and were awaiting a determination, which could take several months. If approved, the state recouped the cash issued during the wait time from future federal payments. If denied, an individual could file an appeal and continue receiving DFA.

Greg Moody, health transformation director, said the program created an incentive for individuals to file appeals and continue drawing the cash benefit.

"The right thing to do is be as prompt as possible in the determination. If a person is eligible for federal disability, we want them to have access to that benefit as quickly as possible and if not, there are other programs available to receive support through the county to meet their basic needs."

Medicaid managed care providers, which oversee all aspects of care, can identify individuals individuals unaware they might be eligible for federal disability, which could lead to more Ohioans qualifying for the federal program. State officials estimate the change will reduce the wait time to about two months.

Giving little notice to recipients

Denine Pierce was surprised to get a notice in the mail a few weeks ago that she would be dropped from the program at the end of July. Pierce said it wasn't right that the program was eliminated in a bill without notifying or talking with the people the change would affect.

Pierce said she's been trying to get federal disability benefits for five years and receiving the state benefit for about three years. Without it, the 51-year-old Cleveland woman relied on friends and others who paid her phone bill, helped with rent or gave her toilet paper and other necessities.

Pierce's concerns weren't alleviated by the promise of job training.

"I'm young but when you've been out of work for some years, it's hard to get back in," Pierce said. "Especially with a disability -- who wants to take their chance on you?"
Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted recently argued in a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court that Ohio's method of purging voter rolls of inactive and nonresponsive voters followed federal law.

"Accurate and up-to-date voter rolls" are needed to ensure election integrity, Husted, a Republican, told reporters in a statement -- adding that Ohio's approach to voter purges has stayed the same under four secretaries of state, both Democrat and Republican.

In September, a federal appellate court, in a split ruling, had found the purges illegal because a trigger for starting the process was a failure to vote. That was deemed to be impermissible under federal law.

It's not clear how many voters might have been purged, although some analyses suggest it was tens of thousands. For last November's presidential election, a federal judge ruled that purged Ohio voters who still lived in the same county could vote provisionally, and 7,500 such ballots were counted, according to a Sunday NBC News special report.

The purges are being challenged by plaintiffs the Ohio A. Philip Randolph Institute, the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless and Larry Harmon, a 60-year-old Kent veteran and software engineer who was denied a ballot in 2015 after not voting since 2008 -- when he cast a ballot for Barack Obama.

Harmon was removed from Ohio's voting rolls after not responding to a mailing that he's said he doesn't recall receiving, that was prompted by his failure to vote in 2010, and then not voting in two more general election cycles, in 2012 and 2014.

The groups argue the Ohio voter purges, besides improperly punishing voters for not voting, disproportionately impact low-income, homeless, African-American and Democratic voters.

Husted says he's doing what a lot of states are doing to ensure the integrity of the voting rolls by keeping them up-to-date in a manner outlined in federal law.

That law, however, appears to contain contradictory directives regarding how nonvoting should factor into the process. In July 2016, our editorial board called on Congress to revisit the core 1993 National Voter Registration Act to remove those ambiguities.

The issue has become more politically fraught now that President Donald Trump says there was massive voter fraud that denied him millions of votes and has established, by executive order, a voter-fraud commission -- the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity -- that is seeking extensive personal data from states on their registered voters.

One of the commission's members is former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, an ex-mayor of Cincinnati who once wrestled a bear for charity.

In a July 19 story, Cleveland.com reporter Sabrina Eaton quoted some of Blackwell's election fraud claims from a recent column Blackwell posted at cnsnews.com:

"Counties across the country have more people registered to vote than they have residents eligible to do so. Some jurisdictions have on their rolls voters who've reached their 200th birthday and beyond. Thousands of non-citizens have been found to be registered to vote and across the nation that number may well reach into the millions."

Blackwell cited as an example Broward County, Florida, which is being sued by a group seeking more aggressive efforts to clean up the county's voting rolls.

NBC News, in its Sunday report, looked at other efforts to clean up voting rolls that also have run into problems, including "double voting" lists shared among states that too easily pick up different people with the same names. Florida Gov. Rick Scott found out in 2012 he'd been accidentally purged for that reason and had to cast a provisional ballot, NBC reported.

What should be Ohio's approach to keeping its voting rolls as accurate and up-to-date as possible? What are the key issues you hope the Supreme Court resolves in looking at the Ohio case? And how do you feel about President Trump's election-fraud commission?

Join Elizabeth Sullivan, cleveland.com's director of opinion, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. today for a constructive conversation about Ohio's voter-roll purges and election fraud. Comments will be reviewed by a moderator before they are published.

In our Talk it Out pre-curated conversation, comments are published after they are reviewed -- promptly -- to ensure they adhere to our community rules, which prohibit indecent, hateful, abusive or harassing comments, personal attacks, vulgar nicknames, personal information including telephone numbers and addresses, email addresses belonging to others, anything inciting criminal behavior and copyrighted material for which you do not own the rights.

Comments that are not on the topic of this discussion will not be published.

Criticism is fine, as long as it is respectful. We seek a robust and courteous discussion.
John Kasich has indicated to associates he may challenge Donald Trump for president in 2020, according to the New York Times. Sherrod Brown joins other Senate Democrats in proposing moving the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 55. And Richard Cordray continues to mull over a tough choice of whether he should leave the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to run for Ohio governor. Today's roundup is brought to you by Jeremy Pelzer.

More talk about Kasich 2020: In their look at Republicans who may challenge Trump in 2020, Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns of the New York Times write that Ohio Gov. John Kasich "has indicated to associates that he may run again" for president, "even if Mr. Trump seeks another term."

Martin and Burns also state that Kasich intends to step up his advocacy on health care reform (particularly against deep Medicaid cuts) by convening a series of policy forums, in Ohio and around the country.

Kasich spokesman Chris Schrimpf confirmed to cleveland.com that the governor will convene health care policy forums. As for Kasich's presidential plans, Schrimpf stated he could only point a reporter to the governor's "public comments" -- Kasich has said it's "very unlikely" he'll run for public office again, though he won't rule it out.

But a number of other Republicans are reportedly considering presidential runs of their own, according to the Times, including Vice President Mike Pence (who vehemently denied it) and U.S. Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Ben Sasse of Nebraska.

Kasich, of course, is doing more than policy forums: The governor appeared Sunday on CBS' "Face The Nation" with Democratic Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, saying he's hopeful that both parties can make compromises to reach a bipartisan health care reform deal. "Kasich said Democrats may have to be willing to allow more choices in the insurance marketplace to help drive costs down, while Republicans will have to admit that "there's going to be a group of people out there who are going to need help," according to CBS News' Emily Tillett.

Guv buds: Kasich also said on "Face the Nation" that he's "becoming friends" with Hickenlooper during their time working together on health care reform. For his part, Hickenlooper, speaking earlier this month, didn't rule out the suggestion of becoming Kasich's running mate in 2020.

Brown proposes expanding Medicare: Ohio's Sherrod Brown and seven other U.S. Senate Democrats have introduced legislation to move the minimum eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 55. As cleveland.com's Stephen Koff writes, the senators say such a move could solve a number of problems for that age group and even help prevent higher premiums for younger people. The bill would leave the details of implementing the plan to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Brown says it's not an entry route to total government-run health care or "Medicare for All."

But as Koff notes... "Congressional conservatives bristle already, however, at the thought of an expansive government, and given their status in the House and Senate right now, there is no chance the 'Medicare at 55 Act' will pass soon."

Should I stay or should I go? Richard Cordray is continuing to wrestle with the question of whether to resign as head of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to run for Ohio governor in 2018. "He has not made a decision," said Joe Rugolo, a longtime Cordray ally, according to the Columbus Dispatch's Jack Torry and Jessica Wehrman.

Torry and Wehrman write that an increasing conviction among many Democrats that Cordray will run "may be based on wishful thinking instead of direct knowledge." But one unnamed Dem says Cordray has been contacted by "terribly well-connected (people) back in Ohio."

Cordray's conundrum: As I find, so long as Cordray remains CFPB director, the Hatch Act of 1939 prohibits him from doing most of the groundwork needed ahead of a viable gubernatorial run: soliciting donations and endorsements, interviewing staff, or even planning a campaign announcement.

RGA rabble-rousing: The Republican Governors Association, hoping to catch Cordray in a Hatch Act violation, has filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking documentation of any emails or phone calls he made to a long list of Democrats and media figures.

As WVXU's Howard Wilkinson writes, "In other words, the RGA is a tad worried that Cordray will come back and jump into the race."

Return to sender: State Rep. Larry Householder, a frontrunner to be Ohio's next House speaker, has returned an improper $63,000 contribution from the Cuyahoga County Republican Party, according to the Dispatch's Randy Ludlow. Householder previously returned a separate $70,000 donation from the Summit County GOP. County parties aren't allowed to contribute that much to a candidate representing a district outside of their county. Anna Lippincott, Householder's fundraiser, chalked the error up to "a misinterpretation of the statute."

"Even with the return of $133,000, Householder raised nearly $600,000 in the first half of this year, the most of any legislative incumbent or challenger," Ludlow notes.

Craig seeks legislative promotion: State Rep. Hearcel Craig, a Columbus Democrat, will be running for term-limited state Sen. Charleta Tavares' 15th District seat next year, according to Jim Siegel of the Dispatch. Craig, an ex-Columbus city councilman elected to the House in 2014, will face Harvard Law School graduate and attorney Kyle Strickland in the Democratic primary. Already, the two other House members based in Senate District 15 - Democrats Kristin Boggs and Bernadine Kennedy Kent - have endorsed Craig, as has Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther.

In other Central Ohio legislative plans: Siegel reports that state Rep. Anne Gonzales of Westerville will run for state Sen. Kevin Bacon's 3rd District seat next year. Both Gonzales and Bacon are term-limited Republicans.

Two Democrats -- defense lawyer Troy Doucet and Dr. Beth Liston, an associate professor of internal medicine and pediatrics at Ohio State University -- have entered the race for Ohio House District 21, which is being vacated next year by term-limited Republican Mike Duffey.

The bad news first: Ohio state revenues in July were again short of projections, continuing a trend that has lasted more than a year.

Now the good news: The difference between estimated and actual tax receipts for July was only $2.2 million - or 0.1 percent. Cleveland.com's Laura Hancock writes that the close prediction came after state officials in June revised revenue projections down for the current and next budget year.

In July's report, sales and use tax receipts were 2.9 percent lower than projections, for reasons that aren't entirely clear. Personal income taxes were 5.1 percent higher than projections.

Fact check: President Donald Trump, speaking with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto on Jan. 27, said "In Ohio, they are having rallies for Trump right now because Trump has taken a hard stance on Mexico."

But the Dispatch's Darrel Rowland writes that he's "hard-pressed to recall any Ohio rallies for Trump in the first weeks after he took office, particularly involving partying in the streets over his get-tough talk about Mexico."

Rowland also takes issue with Trump's claim to Pena Nieto that "We lost a lot of factories in Ohio and Michigan, and I won these states -- some of these states have not been won in 38 years by a Republican, and I won them very easily."

Republican presidential candidates won Ohio in 2004, 2000, 1988, 1984, and 1980 - almost all by margins larger than Trump's 8.1 percentage-point win here.

School agrees to host marijuana lab: "A Northeast Ohio-based company announced Friday it will partner with a state school to test medical marijuana, the first indication any institution might participate in the program," writes cleveland.com's Jackie Borchardt. CCV Research CEO Jonathan Cachat said the school, which he wouldn't name, has agreed to let his company build a lab facility on its campus.

Several Ohio institutions of higher learning have said they don't plan to apply for a medical marijuana lab license because it could jeopardize federal funding.

Bow-tie Bill: State Rep. Bill Patmon, a candidate for Cleveland mayor, was voted as the "best-dressed" member of Cleveland City Council 20 years ago. Today, the Cleveland Democrat is known for his snappy bow ties - which, as Patmon tells The Plain Dealer's Allison Carey, he's been wearing ever since his mother put one on him at age 9.

Patmon: "If a taxpayer pays you to walk around and in some cases do nothing on some days, the least you can do is represent in a manner that is acceptable. It's part of my job."

Get Battleground Briefing, our FREE politics newsletter, delivered to your inbox: Sign up here. Tips or links? Send here. Follow along on Twitter: @JPelzer
The Greater Montana Foundation has awarded a $5,000 grant to the Billings Public Library Foundation to support the librarys First Chapter Society Early Childhood Literacy program.

According to a news release from the foundation, the goal of the First Chapter Society is to offer solutions to literacy issues in Yellowstone County by encouraging reading at a young age.

The Billings Public Library has many resources  not just books  that are readily accessible to individuals and families looking to encourage reading at all ages, said foundation director Leslie Modrow.

Grant funds will be used to offset the costs of a continued statewide broadcast media campaign that generates awareness about Montana literacy problems and highlights options offered by libraries to help improve literacy issues.

For more information about the foundation, visit billingslibraryfoundation.org or phone Modrow at 406-237-6149.
A discovery by scientists at Montana State University Billings may help forest managers battle the next epidemic of bark beetles.

Research at the university found that a specific molecule, as well as a few variants, slow the growth of fungi related to the mountain pine beetle and the western pine beetle. Managing the fungi could help slow the next large-scale beetle infestation.

MSUB science professors David Butler and Kurt Toenjes, who chairs the biological and physical science department, secured a patent for their findings on June 27 with lab manager Joy Goffena.

What is not known is if we disrupt the fungus, do we kill the beetle? Toenjes said.

The research builds off of more than a decade of research. Both professors have backgrounds in molecular biology and filed for the universitys first patent in 2007. That research focused on blocking a fungus found naturally in humans that can cause infections in medical patients whose treatments suppress the immune system.

That research led to a patent in 2010.

Toenjes said they started searching for other uses of the fungus-inhibiting drug. A light bulb went on while Toenjes met with people who work with Diana Six, a bark beetle researcher and professor at the University of Montana.

The fungi and the beetles have a symbiotic relationship and depend on each other to survive, according to patent materials filed by Butler and Toenjes. The beetles carry the fungi on their exoskeletons and deposit it inside trees as they colonize the wood.

Though not proven, some believe the fungus is directly responsible for the beetle kill, or dead trees left after infestation. The patent materials from Butler and Toenjes note that its unknown whether the beetle, fungi or some combination of the two cause the trees to die.

Nevertheless, Montana alone saw 6 million acres of infected forest from 2000 to 2013. Forestry officials believe the epidemic has peaked in the region.

But after hearing about the bark beetle fungi, Toenjes thought the inhibitor molecule might work. Six provided the first fungi samples, he said.

Out of those conversations, I thought, 'Why not?' Toenjes said.

Butler, Toenjes and Goffena secured their initial patent for the research molecules in 2016. Research began with grants from the National Science Foundation and the Montana Board of Research and Commercialization Technology.

Many MSUB students were key contributors to the lab work, Butler said. The researchers tested the inhibitor drug on the fungi  Grosmannia clavigera, Ophiostoma montium and Ceratocystiopsis.

The research worked; their inhibitor molecule slowed the growth of the fungi, and they received their patent. The professors are just beginning to announce the findings.

One thing we havent done yet is publish any papers on it, he said.

Its still unclear how exactly the inhibitor drug might be used to curb beetle infestations. Field tests will be needed to see how the drug works in an infected tree.

Toenjes said that it shouldnt be the intent to kill all bark beetles, which could have consequences in another part of the ecosystem. Its also not their goal to kill all the fungi. Other types exist in the forest and help break down organic matter.

In short, Butler said that their intention is not a mass-scale forest debugger.

Its more targeted, he said. Protecting high-value trees.
Ruling Overturns Lower Court Decision Against Popular Reform

Good news today from Illinois, where a federal appeals court has overturned a lower court ruling that blocked large counties from allowing their residents to register and vote on the same day.

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals found no evidence that Illinois same day registration law discriminates against residents of less populous counties. Patrick Harlan, a Republican candidate in the states 17th Congressional District, argued that the law works to boost Democratic Party registration and disadvantages Republicans.

Common Cause had filed a friend of the court brief in support of same day registration.

The Illinois law requires counties with more than 100,000 residents to offer same day registration; smaller counties are permitted but not compelled to do the same. Only 20 counties exceed the 100,000 resident threshold but they are home to 84 percent of Illinois residents.

Harlan argued that because Democratic voters tend to dominate in cities and Republican strength is in suburban and rural areas, the law gives Democrats an unfair advantage in signing up voters.

But the appeals court said research by a political scientist whose work was the basis of Harlans case comes nowhere close to demonstrating that Illinois voters would suffer any harm at all  let alone irreparable harm under the law.
While sitting on the banks of the Yellowstone River as it flowed past his Forsyth-area farm, Larry Rau was always amazed to think that the same stream that was so low and warm in the summer could be 20 feet over his head and raging cold by spring.

The power of that river is awesome, he said, comparing the loud cracks of ice jams breaking up to ice-breaking ships used in the Arctic.

So strong is the river that it continually chews up land, relocating rocks, whole trees and topsoil downstream, which is good for the regeneration of species like cottonwood and produces sandbars used by birds and side channels important to fish.

Conservation

To halt the loss of riverfront land, Rau contemplated armoring the bank with riprap or planting trees. But after getting a tip from a local Natural Resources Conservation Service worker, he instead contacted the Montana Aquatic Resources Services to discuss whats known as a channel migration easement. Like other easements, channel migration easements are purchased from willing landowners who are paid for land that will eventually be lost through erosion or channel movement, according to The Nature Conservancy.

It was MARS who stepped in to pay Rau for his 190-acre easement along more than a mile of river frontage, while the Nature Conservancy agreed to hold the easement  the first the group has ever held and only the second on the entire Yellowstone River.

Weve got a longtime interest in the Yellowstone, said Jim Berkey of The Nature Conservancy. One thing that scientists are recognizing is the importance of that river to move laterally over time.

The connection

The first CME on the Yellowstone was done through the Montana Land Reliance near Sidney. After it was proposed in 2014, that deal finally closed in 2016.

The link between both projects is MARS and its now-retired program development director, Tom Hinz. Rau credited Hinzs passion for channel migration easements for talking him into the deal.

Frankly, Tom was a great mentor, Rau said.

The Nature Conservancy said the easement is a pilot project with an ultimate vision of piecing together another 20 migration zones between Laurel and the North Dakota border. The Conservancy also hopes to use CMEs elsewhere in the state, including the Upper Missouri River basin.

The key in the future is to string more such easements strategically together, Berkey said.

The Yellowstone River is a great place to explore channel migration easements as a restoration tool, said Sierra Harris, Freshwater Conservation Program manager for The Nature Conservancy in Montana, in a press release. Over the past 15 years multiple partners have conducted a massive cumulative effects analysis on the river. Theres a lot of data to support where the channel migration zones are along the Yellowstone.

More interested

Raus property is downstream of the Sand Creek and Yellowstone River confluence, about 190 acres of which is wetland and non-wetland habitat along the Yellowstone River. When Rau first bought the farm 17 years ago, he could ride his horse down a gravel bank to the river. Now that same area is stacked 7 feet deep under sand and clustered with new cottonwood and salt cedar tree growth.

Its an amazing dynamic, he said. Its just flabbergasting how much it has changed.

Lauren Alleman, of MARS, said the channel migration easements have gained attention from numerous landowners along the Yellowstone River, but theres little funding to fulfill all of the requests.

We rely on grants and selling stream and wetland credits to people who need to build on wetlands or streams, Alleman said.

Even with funding, the process takes time because there are surveys and mapping to conduct, along with an agreement on price. Alleman said that value is often equal to or less than an appraised value since the nonprofit cant pay more than fair market value.

Rau said the process takes patience, taking about a year-and-a-half to wend its way to a conclusion.

Its kind of a bittersweet deal, he added.

After retiring from the BLM in 2009, Rau has decided to move to Colorado and lease the farm out, leaving a legacy and at least one remnant of a wild river behind.
Speaker Halimah Yacob of Indian and Malay descent to run for elections, could become Singapore's first female president

Should Mdm Halimah Yacob, 62, be elected to become the next President of Singapore, she would be set to make another first in the country's history.

She is currently the ninth Speaker of Parliment, having assumed the role in 2013 after the former Speaker Michael Palmer stepped down abruptly in December 2012 due to an extramarital affair, Todayonline said. A politician of Indian and Malay descent, she was the first women to hold the post in Singapore's history, and the third consecutive Speaker belonging to a minority race.

If elected in the inaugural reserved Presidential Election (PE) next month, Mdm Halimah will be the first female president in Singapore's history.

Speaker of Parliament Mdm Halimah Yacob. Photo courtesy: Facebook

Out of the three people who have announced their plans to contest, Mdm Halimah is the only who fulfills all the boxes of the eligibility criteria. Having first entered politics in 2001 as a Member of Parliament for Jurong GRC, she holds a long record of public service.

Ive served a period of 40 years in public service... Taking part in the PE will allow me to continue with my service to the people of Singapore, including you, my Marsiling residents, although in a different capacity, said Mdm Halimah at a National Day dinner for Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

She will be handing her resignation letter to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong today, August 7, and step down as Speaker of Parliament and a Member of Parliament, as required by law. Ill ask the PM to ensure there are proper replacements for me quickly, especially in the Marsiling division, so theres no disruption to you, my residents, she said in her speech, according to Todayonline.

A mother of five, Mdm Halimah was also the first Singaporean to be elected into the International Labour Organisation.

The upcoming PE has been reserved for the Malay community. Changes had been made to the Elected Presidency scheme, which were passed in Parliament last November to ensure that a reserved election will be triggered when a particular race has not had an elected representative for five consecutive terms.
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Yet more Cornwall businesses have rushed to offer up accommodation and transport for those affected by the Grenfell Tower tragedy or involved in the recovery effort.

Responding immediately to a plea last week by Cornwall Hugs Grenfell for local transport, First Kernow is offering free bus passes to the 100+ Grenfell Tower survivors and firefighters now booked to visit Cornwall this year on the different holidays offered by the initiative.

Alex Carter, managing director, First Kernow, handed over the family bus passes to Cornwall Hugs Grenfell founder, Esme Page, in Falmouth where she was meeting with the university to finalise plans for the group holiday later in August.

The 40+ Grenfell Tower survivors now booked on the Falmouth holiday will also receive Mussel cards from Fal River enabling them to enjoy the freedom of the river, in addition to unlimited travel on Cornwalls local buses.

This is first class gift in every way and comes at just the right moment, said Esme.

Most Grenfell survivors dont have a car so this really opens up the county to them. Our first guests are already in Cornwall and will be using their passes this week and Im imagining the children on an open top bus with the wind in their hair, enjoying a family day out and making new memories in all our Cornish beauty spots.

Its what the projects all about and First Kernows gift is a key part in making the vision a reality.

When we heard about Cornwall Hugs Grenfell we immediately wanted to help, said Alex Carter, managing director of First Kernow,

The work that Esme and the team at Cornwall Hugs Grenfell are doing is incredibly admirable and its fantastic to see the Cornwall community come together to welcome the survivors to our county with open arms.

What they have been through is unimaginably distressing, but we hope that the generosity from everyone across Cornwall can make a difference. Theres so much to see and do in Cornwall, its our pleasure to help them get around, make the most of their time here and create great memories that will last a lifetime.

So far Cornwall Hugs Grenfell has booked holidays for 20 firefighters and Grenfell Tower families in properties donated generously by individual owners in Cornwall.

In the last 10 days the project also booked a further nine families on to its set departure group holiday which takes place at the end of August on Falmouth University campus, thanks to a kind donation by Falmouth University and the University of Exeter. In total 100+ guests will visit Cornwall through the project this year and the number is rising daily.

Weve had a great response on the ground in Kensington, added Esme.

There are new sign-ups every day and the Grenfell residents tell us they are so relieved to know they can get away for a change of scenery and some rest. We need more availability to meet demand so would welcome all new accommodation pledges via our website.

Join the Vision

Cornwall Hugs Grenfell is calling for restaurants, cafes, further attractions and local cab companies to join the 20+ other businesses who have pledged vouchers for the guests. Organisations can pledge support through the Businesses: can you help? button on the website at www.cornwallhugsgrenfell.orgor cornwallhugsgrenfell@gmail.com .

Accommodation providers should pledge using the Accommodation Providers: pledge here button. Individual gifts can be made via the Just Giving page Cornwall Hugs Grenfell Phase 2.

London Connections?

To complete the last piece of the holiday puzzle, Cornwall Hugs Grenfell is looking for a London Cab Company to pledge free transfers to and from Paddington to make the journey easier, particularly for those with little children.

If you have London connections or use a specific London cab company, please ask them or tweet them for support - Im sure if they know what were doing one of them will step forward to help, appealed Esme Page.

Businesses that have pledged so far include:

Bedruthan Hotel - dinner for a family

Big Green Surf School - lessons

Bodmin & Wenford Railway - trips

Eden Project - free entry

Explore in Cornwall - free sight-seeing trips

Fal River - free Mussel cards for river travel

First Kernow - free family bus passes

Jelberts Ice-cream - free large cones

Kernow Adventure Park - wipe-out sessions

Kingsurf Surf School - surf lessons

Mullion Glass Studio & Workshop - lessons

Ocean High - SUP lessons

Perranporth surf school - surf lessons

Rumbles 2 - printing

St Michael's Mount - free entry

Tate St Ives - free entry

The Lost Gardens of Heligan -free entry

The Pandora Inn - dinner for a family

The Red Hand Gang - kids entertainment

The Travellers rest Pub - dinner

Plymouth Citybus - coach and bus travel
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Today marks the 75th anniversary of Bodmin's biggest WW2 tragedy, which tore a family apart and destroyed some of the town's major buildings.

The relative calm of Bodmin was shattered on August 7, 1942, at around 1.20pm, when two German Focke Wulf 190 aircraft dropped bombs in a working-class quarter of the town.

Within moments of this mini-blitz Bodmin's gasworks were ablaze and both aircraft were sweeping in low through the valley, each dropping a 500lb bomb and strafing with cannon fire.

One demolished a store occupied by a dairy company and a house and another damaged industrial premises.

On that day eight people were killed  seven from the same family  and another died of grief within the year and was laid in the same row of family graves as his nearest and dearest. 18 other people were reported injured.

Under the headline 'Enemy Planes' Daylight Swoop', the Cornish Guardian reported the tragedy at the time:

"Nine persons were killed, including eight members of one family, and several injured, when two German planes, flying very low, dropped bombs, fired canons, and machined-gunned a South West town early on Friday afternoon.

"It was the first time the town had been attacked."

Among the fatalities, eight people were from the Sargent family, whose home was wrecked. Few, if any, families in Britain could have been so cruelly hit as the Sargents.

Mike Sargent told the Western Morning News a few years ago that nine were together at a reunion as a family for a trip to Padstow that day.

His grandmother Edith, 76, was killed and so was her sister Hetty Couch, 53.

His father's sister Vida May, 37, and her daughter Doris, 11, died and so did Reginald Sargent, 33, one-year-old baby Brian Sargent, and Mike's aunt Inez Sargent, 46.

Seven in all from the family  and an eighth (the grandfather who survived the tragedy with young Bill, five, Mike's cousin) died of grief.

Edgar James Tibbett, 16, who was an employee of the dairy company, also died in the raid.

At the time Mike Sargent's father, George, was working in Bristol.

"He had the terrible news that all his family was wiped out and to come home right away."

Another witness was Michael Browning Lyne, the grandson of the editor, and then proprietor of the Bodmin Cornish Guardian newspaper.

He said: "I was right outside the gasworks with the fire service, on our way to St Lawrence's Hospital to build large static water tanks.

"There was a tremendous bang, a large red flash, and a roar. There was debris everywhere. The fighter bombers were very fast, each with one bomb.

"The first hit the dairy, a four-storey warehouse filled with butter and margarine. It was horrific: we saw it go up in a big ball of flame.

"I actually saw the bomb leave the second plane and hit the gasworks, catching the gasometer on fire. I could see cannon shells coming down the street like hailstones."

The previous night, at 7pm on August 6, a German Heinkel raided Truro. Two bombs were dropped, one hitting the City Hospital, where five staff and patients were killed.
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Whether you are looking to return to healthcare after a career break or are seeking to take the first step onto a career ladder in the industry, the NHS wants to hear from you.

The NHS and the local authority is looking for the brightest and best nurses, health care assistants, social care workers and health professionals to help deliver exceptional care in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The aim is to do this through One Workforce.

Sharon Linter, director of nursing, explains: Exciting things are happening in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and were on a journey to bring together organisations that care and support people in our communities by providing wraparound care that meets peoples needs, where they live.

Find the latest Cornwall job vacancies near you

We are looking for caring and compassionate people  nurses, allied health professionals, healthcare assistants and social workers of the highest standard to join us.

In return, well support your career development whether your heart lies with emergency care, general nursing, midwifery or any of the specialisms were looking to fill across the NHS and Cornwall Council.

(Image: Getty)

Best of all, working in our beautiful county means you can go from ward to the waves, or soak up our stunning scenery within an hour of finishing your shift.

The NHS says: Many people dream of working in a job that makes them feel valued, respected and where they make a real difference to peoples lives  across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly we have a multitude of career choices which would do just that!

Find the latest Cornwall job vacancies near you

To find out more, text One to 81156 or drop in to the special open day event this coming Friday.

Open day

Date: Friday, August 11  between 12.30 and 16.30

Venue: Knowledge Spa, Royal Cornwall Hospital, Treliske, Truro, TR1 3LJ
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Rebellious customers of celebrity chef Rick Stein's posh fish and chip shop have dubbed him "rip off Rick" after being asked to fork out up to 1.25 for dips to accompany their meal.

The restaurant and takeaway based in Padstow is hugely popular with visitors to the Cornish town and long queues form to sample the food, which goes for an eye-watering 11 for cod and chips .

But the high-profile TV chef, who now spends much of his time in Australia, has found himself at the end of bitter complaints on social media because of the charges added on to the bill for ketchup, mayo or tartare sauce.

A spokesman for the firm said that things like tartare sauce were handmade locally and worth the outlay.

But that hasn't placated diners, some of whom say the meal on offer just isn't worth the price tag in the first place.

And one visitor complained that diners didn't get much for their money in a two-star review on TripAdvisor.

"When we ordered two cod and chips the waitress asked if we wanted some sauce.

"The meal came in cardboard takeaway trays. When you pay top prices, you expect something better. We asked if the trays were recycled. We were told they were not.

"When we got the bill we found that we had been charged 1.25 for each tartare sauce. I pointed this out.

"The waitress said it was on the menu. Fair enough, but you would have thought that they were free and she was just asking for completeness.

"If she had said would we like mushy peas, then we would have asked if they were included. Presumably this is a sales ploy. I'm afraid I will not be watching Rick Stein on TV again."

The upscale fish and chip shop in Padstow, sometimes dubbed Padstein because of the number of the TV chef's businesses located there, is split into a sit-in section and a takeaway.

Anyone taking away their meal is asked to pay 1 for mayonnaise, aioli  made of garlic and olive oil  and tartare sauce, but if they eat in the charge roses to 1.25.

On unhappy customer labelled the enterprise "rip-off Rick" on TripAdvisor.

A spokeswoman for Stein told the Daily Telegraph: "Our tartare and mayonnaise accompaniments are homemade to Rick's recipes, they're made here in Padstow by our team of chefs.

"The chef time and quality of ingredients we use do add a charge of 1 to takeaway and 1.25 to eat in, these prices are listed on the menus.

"In the restaurant we offer Heinz ketchup for free, and in the takeaway we charge 35p for the takeaway sachet.

"Our homemade accompaniments are a very popular choice and we receive great feedback from our customers."
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Cornwall Councils Trading Standards team is investigating after former Miss England finalist Charlotte Thomson admitted selling weight-loss products she claims are illegal.

The company, Valentus, employs representatives around the world to promote and sell weight-loss products including Slim Roast Weightloss Coffee.

The product is being sold in Cornwall by a number of representatives, including Miss Thomson, who joined the team in January.

She confessed in a Facebook Live post that she'd been visited by Trading Standards at her Portreath home while in her dressing gown and they told her the company may be trading in the UK illegally.

In her video, which has now been viewed more than 30,000 times, she claimed to have had no idea that the products were illegal and said that she had been left heartbroken and devastated to have her entire business taken away.

Cornwall Council's Trading Standards team have confirmed an investigation is taking place but would give no further details.

Cornwall Live has not yet been able to make contact with Valentus, but according to executive agency Companies House, Valentus Limited in the UK was dissolved in April 2017, four months ago.

Heres everything we know so far about Valentus:

The company

The word Valentus comes from the Latin word meaning prevail.

The company was launched in the UK in November 2015, according to Companies House.

The founder and CEO of Valentus in Dave Jordan.

The products

Valentus has a number of products marketed at the health and weight-loss markets.

One of its biggest and most popular products is the Slim Roast Coffee, which is the same product seen being sold across Cornwall, and the same product Miss Thomson claims she has been told is illegal in the UK.

On the Valentus website, the coffee is described as a dark Italian roast, is said to contain feel good ingredients and detox components.

The active ingredients given on the site are:

Non GMO Dark Roast Instant Coffee, Green Coffee Bean Extract, Cassiolamine Extract, Garcinia Cambogia Extract, Phaseolamin, Green Tea Extract, L-Carnitine Fumarate, Natural Caffeine, Cissus Quadrangularis Extract, Ginseng Extract.

According to the website, the brew is said to control appetite, regulate sugar absorption, regulate fat absorption, promote brain health and focus, elevate your mood and provide antioxidants.

A number of testimonials can be seen on the website to back up the products claims.

The law

There are no mentions of licences on the companies website.

Miss Thomson said that she was told the company and the products were not registered in the UK and the products were not legally allowed to be sold here.

A file on the Companies House website shows that Valentus Limited in the UK was dissolved in April this year.
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A video of two police officers responding to an incident by speeding at 140mph on the M5 has sparked a strong debate on social media.

Devon and Cornwall Police sergeant Harry Tangye posted a video of himself and a colleague travelling at break-neck speed on the motorway while on their way to an ongoing suspected theft of metal from a scrapyard 15 miles away.

The video shows the BMW X5 marked cars, with lights and sirens on, travelling at more than twice the legal speed limit on motorways and dual carriageways to reach the incident as quickly as possible.

The video has sparked a lengthy conversation between Sgt Tangye and social media users, with some wondering whether such speed was really necessary for what could appear as a trivial incident.

Jackie Malton tweeted: "From the woman sitting on the Clapham Omnibus 140mph is out of proportion to incident. A scrap yard location?"

(Image: Sgt Harry Tangye / Twitter)

To which Sgt Tangye replied: "Many very nasty incidents have happened by scrap thieves when disturbed at night."

American firefighter and Twitter user Joe Loogan also waded into the debate, saying that kind of speed was 'irresponsible'.

He said: "It does nobody any good if you cannot safely get to the scene. I understand being in a hurry but 140mph is irresponsible. No reaction time."

Sgt Tangye said: "Training and experience shows where it is safe. We wouldn't risk anything. We are constantly reassessed."

However Mr Loogan was not having any of it, adding: "I respectfully disagree. I am a firefighter, 140mph at night is not acceptable. 80mph maybe. You would only gain a few seconds to scene."

Sgt Tangye replied: "Not the distances we cover."

User @Stubbsey5242, a police office based in Staffordshire also tweeted: "Under current law if the drive went wrong you would have just convicted yourself of dangerous driving. The IPCC would have field day."

(Image: Bath Chronicle)

Sgt Tangye replied: "I know. That's why I'm pushing for a law change. In the mean time, I have to take a risk which is unacceptable."

Other twitter users have praised the trained fast response police officers for being open and transparent about their job and for responding to what could have been a potentially nasty incident and explaining points of rule regarding fast response, driving and fire arm responses.

@EatStayFly said: "Great driving, and obviously you have been trained professionally."

Fellow tweeter @AronJoyce91 said: "I assume there isn't a speed limit you have to abide by whilst the blues are on?"

Sgt Tangye said: "No. Drive to advanced level trained to react to potential danger in front. Proportionate on empty motorway by trained drivers."

Paramedic Rob Etall wondered if the speed was proportionate to the job in question as no lives were at risk.

He said: "The speed should fit the job and in this instance it wasn't required. A scrap yard is not where people live, nobody is in danger. The only risk is the law being broken."

Sgt Tangye said: "Owners did live there and witnesses were on scene. Many nasty incidents have occurred by scrap thieves when disturbed."
CORNWALL, Ontario  Do you know the difference between a reptile and amphibian? The River Institute and the OPG St. Lawrence Power Development Visitor Centre are collaborating on answering just that question by co-hosting Reptiles and Amphibians  a free Science and Nature Workshop for the entire family at the Visitor Centre on Saturday, August 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Cornwall.

This fun and informative workshop encourages members of the community to come out of their shell and explore critters that slither, slide, crawl and hop. Workshop Coordinator Josh Filion says, Matt Ellerbeck is an award winning naturalist with a passion for salamanders and we are fortunate to have him join us. Known as the Salamander Man and founder of Save our Salamanders, Matt will bring to the Visitor Centre an amazing amount of interesting information as well as some of his special salamanders.

Matt Ellerbeck says, Salamanders are actually in a terrible crisis. Many species are disappearing from the wild and unfortunately due to their secretive nature they are not often seen by people. He adds, This means that their decline is largely going unnoticed and they are further at risk because very few conservation groups are dedicated to their recovery.

It is these concerns that led Ellerbeck to start his Save the Salamander campaign several years ago and that fosters his dedication to educating people of all ages on these shy and gentle amphibians .

Other activities of the day include hands-on science stations that feature information on turtles, snakes, frogs and other marsh dwelling friends. For more information on the days activities, visit the St. Lawrence Power Development Visitor Centre Facebook Page or go to www.riverinstitute.ca.
VAN HOOK TOWNSHIP, N.D.  Residents of a popular recreation and camping area on Lake Sakakawea are sandwiched this summer between two oil sites, with an active drilling rig on one end and a large sound barrier wall protecting a new site on the other.

But the manager of Van Hook Park near New Town in northwest North Dakota said oil development around the park is "better than expected" as developer Slawson Exploration works to minimize impacts.

"Obviously, this is not an ideal situation, but we're really pleasantly surprised with the way that Slawson has been handling this," manager Dawn Ritts told The Bismarck Tribune.

Others say, while they appreciate the company's efforts to be a good neighbor, they don't like how close the oil wells are to campsites, cabins and one of the busiest boat ramps on Lake Sakakawea.

Terry Fleck, president of the Friends of Lake Sakakawea group that fought to move oil development further away, said he'd like the regulators who approved drilling there to visit and see the impacts.

"Come sit on someone's desk and listen to the rig. There's no tranquility, there's no quietness. The whir of a drilling rig goes all night long. You can smell the fumes as well," said Fleck, a resident of one of 210 leased lots in the park.

This summer, Slawson is drilling two oil wells to the east of the recreation area, which visitors drive by as they enter the park.

After the company is finished drilling there, anticipated in the coming weeks, the rig will move to the opposite end of the park and remain for about a year as crews drill an additional 10 wells to access oil under Lake Sakakawea, said Eric Sundberg, environmental and regulatory manager.

The larger well site, known as the Torpedo pad, is about 800 feet from Lake Sakakawea and adjacent to a boat launch area, which Ritts said attracts as many as 150 to 200 boats on a busy weekend.

Slawson recently installed a 32-foot sound barrier wall around this site, the first time such a wall has been used in North Dakota, to muffle the noise from drilling and completion work, Sundberg said. The wall will be removed after the wells are completed.

Ritts joked she wants to have a naming contest for the wall, suggesting "the Great Wall of Van Hook" as one possibility.

"At first when it went up, I thought 'Oh my Lord, it's hideous,'" she said.

But now that it's installed, Ritts said she likes that it shields the work site and will cut down on noise for people who live on that side of the park.

Later this summer, it's expected that hydraulic fracturing crews will work east of the park at the same time that drilling crews work on the Torpedo pad to the west, Sundberg said. Each site is permitted for one additional well, but Slawson is waiting on a federal lease reinstatement before those two can be drilled, he said.

There may be additional wells at a third location between the two sites currently being developed. The state has approved a permit for a third location, but the company is waiting for a federal lease at that site, Sundberg said.

Slawson has taken several steps to reduce impacts to the park, including hiring gate guards to prevent trucks from entering the park. The company also uses an electric rig to reduce noise. Oil tanks, a natural gas flare and other production equipment for the Torpedo pad will be located about a mile north from the well site.

Natural gas flaring from the well sites will be minimal, Sundberg said, because gas pipelines will be installed before wells are drilled.

In addition, Slawson donated $50,000 to the Mountrail County Park Board so the park can tap into a rural water pipeline and provide potable water to residents and visitors from a kiosk near the boat ramp.

Wells in the area pump water the color of iced tea, and many residents have water delivered by a vendor. Construction on the project started last week and should be complete by the end of August, Ritts said.

"We were just beyond excited and grateful for that," she said.

Kay Nordloef, of Stanley, is one of many who camp every summer at Van Hook Park, which has about 150 campsites in addition to the leased lots.

"It's 30 minutes from home but it's like a world apart. It's such a relaxing atmosphere," Nordloef said.

This year, Nordloef's RV is parked near the drilling rig and the road workers use to access the site. She said it hasn't bothered her and she continues to sleep with her window open.

Her brother-in-law, Brad Reese, who camps a few sites away, also had no complaints.

"I thought it was going to be a lot worse," Reese said.

Robert Bruning, a North Dakota native who was visiting from Wisconsin last week, didn't like seeing the well sites so close to the lake.

"I hope they do what's right and there are no spills," said Bruning, as he cleaned walleye he caught in Lake Sakakawea.

Slawson has a detailed spill response plan on file with regulators, including participating with the Sakakawea Area Spill Response coalition that has equipment staged around the lake.

The plan includes notifying Parshall in the event of a spill. The city has the closest water intake to the oil development.

But members of the Friends of Lake Sakakawea group continue to have questions about the risk of a well failure that close to the lake and how the company would handle an emergency if the area were full of boaters.

"If there were a blowout with a west wind, what's the response?" Fleck said.

Slawson had a blowout in 2012 from a well near Van Hook that sprayed oil and brine, reaching the ice on Lake Sakakawea. Sundberg said that incident was caused by human error and the likelihood of a blowout is "extremely minimal." If an emergency occurs, the company would rely on local first responders to notify residents and the public, he said.

Don Longmuir, interim emergency manager for Mountrail County, said the county would use its reverse 911 system, a notification system that can alert cell phone users in the area and TV and radio to alert people to an emergency.

Other residents said the risk of Slawson having a blowout is no greater than any other company that's drilling around Lake Sakakawea.

Fleck said he thinks North Dakotans are becoming desensitized to all of the oil development.

"We don't hear it anymore. It's kind of like living in a city with lots of sirens," Fleck said. "I feel like we're losing little pieces of our society and we're OK with it. Because it's all in the name of economic development."
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And while Himmler committed suicide following his capture by the Allies, and Heydrich was killed by assassins, Mueller spent the final days of the war in the Fuehrerbunker, pledging allegiance to the regime until the very end. "The end" being something the Soviets were more than willing to provide him, but in the chaos of the war's last days he vanished and was never seen again.

It's possible he was killed in the Battle Of Berlin. In the years after the war, a few Germans said they thought they saw his body after the fighting, but no one was ever sure. In 2013, a researcher claimed that he'd been killed during combat and accidentally buried in, of all possible places, a Jewish cemetery, but no 100 percent conclusive proof was ever provided for this claim either.

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Still, this was not a dude you could just shrug your shoulders about. The Allies questioned everyone about his whereabouts. This was made a little more complicated by the fact that his name is the German equivalent of "John Smith." Whilst working for the Nazis, for instance, Mueller had to be referred to as "Gestapo Mueller." But the Allied investigators persisted, chasing up a bunch of bad leads, and still found nothing. His mistress denied seeing him again. The Soviets said that they didn't know where he was. Even the CIA had to refute allegations that they'd captured him; this being an era when they were known to be shipping off Nazis to work at Cape Canaveral.

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With so little to go on, it was just about safe to assume he was dead when Adolf Eichmann, an escaped SS officer and colleague of Mueller's, was captured in Argentina in the 1960s. He confessed to his Israeli interrogators that he thought Mueller was alive, and although there wasn't much evidence to support it, it left a weird itch in the back of everyone's mind that has never quite gone away.

So, are you Heinrich Mueller? If you are, could you make yourself known to the nearest authority or postman? It'd really settle everyone's nerves.

Adam Wears is on Twitter and Facebook. He also has a newsletter about depressing history, if you're into that sort of thing.

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Security News

FireEye Chief Marketing Officer Departs For New Role Outside Security Industry

Sarah Kuranda

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FireEye's chief marketing officer, Kara Wilson, is leaving the security vendor and taking a new role outside the security industry.

Wilson has led marketing at FireEye since September 2013, when she joined the company from Okta, where she was also chief marketing officer. Prior to that, she held the CMO position at SAP Cloud and Success Factors.

A FireEye spokesperson confirmed the departure in an email to CRN and confirmed that Wilson has taken a new role outside the security industry. The spokesperson credited Wilson with helping "grow FireEye marketing into a world-class global organization."

[Related: One Year Of Kevin Mandia: Partners Say FireEye Is Evolving Under New CEO, But Still Has Work To Do]

"Kara was instrumental in taking FireEye from pre-IPO to a global security company and we're excited to expand on the marketing foundation she built to tell the next chapter of the FireEye story," the spokesperson said.

Wilson's role has been filled in the interim by Vice President of Global Communications Vitor DeSouza. The spokesperson said DeSouza has worked closely with Wilson for the past four years and Wilson helped "position the department for the best possible transition" before leaving the company a few weeks ago. DeSouza has changed his position on LinkedIn to senior vice president of global marketing.

CRN reached out to Wilson directly for comment but did not receive a reply.

Wilson's departure also comes as FireEye looks to revamp the messaging around its security solutions. The Milpitas, Calif.-based company has been working for the past year to revamp multiple areas of its business, including its channel approach, product portfolio and profitability model.

FireEye partners told CRN that messaging and marketing is a key area the company needs to focus on going forward. One partner executive, who did not want to be named, said it is tough to lose a CMO at such a critical time for the company's brand as it looks to revamp its positon in the market. However, the executive said a fresh set of eyes could also be a win for FireEye's marketing strategy.

Wilson is the second top-level departure at FireEye so far this year, coming after the February departure of CFO Michael Berry. Berry took a role as CFO of Intel Security. FireEye also said in February that Executive Chairman Dave DeWalt had fully resigned from the company, a change the company said at the time was a "natural progression" of leadership after DeWalt stepped down as CEO the year prior.
The Park County Sheriff's Office in Wyoming has named two gunshot victims in a murder-suicide that occurred Monday morning outside Powell, Wyoming.

Mary Ann Bier, 64, had a gunshot wound to the back of the head and John Charles Bright, 74, had a gunshot wound to the right temple, according to a press release from sheriff's office spokesman Lance Matthews.

Both victims were transported to Powell Valley Hospital where they died of their wounds, the release stated.

"A suicide note was discovered at the scene," the release continued. "The investigation revealed that the victims, although not married, were involved in a long-time, live-in relationship. However, recently the relationship had soured and when Bright discovered Biers intent to leave him, he became despondent and shot her before turning the gun on himself."

The shooting, which took place at 818 Jonathon Road, was called in to the Park County dispatch center at 4:30 a.m., according to the press release.
Silicon Valley is home to the largest population of cybersecurity product companies in the world.

Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, California, is the epicenter of technology (and cybersecurity) venture capital. Scores of venture capital (VC) firms dotting the Bay Area have made it an attractive HQ location for startups seeking funding.

Investorsespecially angels and first round financiersprefer to be close to their portfolio companies. Simply put, where there are VCs, there will be startups.

Bob Ackerman is the managing director and founder of Allegis Capital in Palo Alto, California, one of the best-known and most successful VC firms that invests into early-stage cybersecurity companiesa bulk of them hailing from Northern California.

Now Ackerman is dropping a line in the Washington, D.C., Beltway waters. His phish-finder says there's 350 percent more cyber engineers and analysts in that area than the rest of the U.S. combined.

Mike Janke, former chairman of Silent Circle, a former Navy SEAL, and a highly respected cybersecurity industry veteran, has teamed up with Ackerman on their own startupFulton, Maryland-based DataTribea holding company that focuses on helping local entrepreneurs productize cyber technology solutions.

While the D.C. metro area is long on cybersecurity talent, its short on cybersecurity product companies, according to a paper written by Ackerman and Janke. They say Beltway cyber experts lack the commercial DNA essential to commercialize market growth.

DataTribe is an incubator of sortscomplete with venture capital, office space, in-house experts providing a range of start-up help, and most importantaccess to alumni who have transitioned to the private sector and built successful cybersecurity product companies.

While the D.C. metro area doesn't have nearly the number of cybersecurity product companies in proportion to its local cyber talent pool compared to San Francisco or Israel (the world's number two exporter of cybersecurity technology behind the U.S.)it does boast an impressive and growing roster.

Cybersecurity who's who in the D.C. metro area

A short list of some hot, cybersecurity product-centric companies in the Virginia/Maryland/D.C. region:

Arxan, Bethesda, Md.

Centripetal, Herndon, Va.

CYREN, McLean, Va.

Daon, Washington, D.C.

Distil Networks, Arlington, Va.

Dragos, Washington, D.C.

Endgame, Arlington, Va.

ePlus Security, Herndon, Va.

GigaTrust, Herndon, Va.

Haystax, McLean, Va.

IronNet Cybersecurity, Fulton, Md.

LookingGlass, Arlington, Va.

Nehemiah Security, Tysons Corner, Va.

Novetta, McLean, Va.

Ntrepid, Herndon, Va.

Oberthur Technologies, Chantilly, Va.

PhishMe, Leesburg, Va.

Protenus, Baltimore, Md.

RedOwl, Baltimore, Md.

Risk Based Security, Richmond, Va.

Saint Corporation, Bethesda, Md.

Surfwatch Labs, Sterling, Va.

Tenable Network Security, Columbia, Md.

ThreatConnect, Arlington, Va.

ThreatQuotient, Reston, Va.

Thycotic, Washington, D.C.

TrustedKnight, Annapolis, Md.

Verisign, Reston, Va.

Virgil Security, Manassas, Va.

Virtu, Washington, D.C.

ZeroFox, Baltimore, Md.

This list doesnt include all of the impressive product companies in the area or the much larger number of cybersecurity consulting, advisory and professional services firms.

Born and raised in D.C.

One company, Dragos, born in Washington, D.C., is a DataTribe resident. Robert Lee, founder and CEO at Dragos, partnered with DataTribe to get his startup off the ground.

Dragos is poised to raise venture capital shortly. Lees venture is focused on industrial control systems (ICS) security, an emerging and fast-growing cyber sector.

The highly experienced team of ICS and IIoT security experts at Dragos will benefit from the commercialization experience that DataTribe brings. Raising a product company is a lot different than raising a services firm, and Lee is smart enough to know the difference.

Much like many of his Beltway contemporaries, Lee is an ex-cyber military expert. He pursued cybersecurity in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a Cyber Warfare Operations Officer in the U.S. Intelligence Community.

The mashup of DataTribe and local cyber-preneurs is sure to breed new product companies in the D.C. metro area. But one startup studio will do only so much. It remains to be seen if more Sand Hill money will flow into the Beltway.

Visit SteveOnCyber.com to read all of my blogs and articles covering cybersecurity.

Follow me on Twitter @CybersecuritySF, or connect with me on LinkedIn. Send story tips, feedback and suggestions to me here.
Carol Kaliff / Hearst Connecticut Media

DANBURY  U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal will be in Danbury Monday afternoon to call call for major federal investments to modernize VA facilities.

His speech will take place at 1:15 p.m. in the Danbury Outpatient Clinic of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System.
In lean financial times, families across Montana know that the responsible thing to do is to prioritize spending and, in some cases, cut back on the wants so that the needs of their families can be met. Understandably, Montanans want to see state government take the same actions  prioritize spending, cut back on nonessential government operations and make due with less taxpayer money  until revenues increase.

It is worth noting that in the reports of jobs that may be lost due to necessary spending reductions, out of 13,000 state employees, none of the jobs cut were in the executive office. In fact, just days after revealing that 20 Montanans would lose their jobs, Gov. Steve Bullock announced that hes further expanding his government by creating the Office of Outdoor Recreation. That alone should infuriate every tax paying Montanan.

At the end of last summer, while Bullock was in full re-election campaign mode, it became clear that our state was experiencing a revenue problem and members of the legislature budget committee reached out to plead for action. The reasons for the revenue decline may have been outside of the governors control, but he was the only one who could have taken action at that point to prevent further loss. Instead, we entered the 2017 Legislature with a serious and immediate budget problem.

Not only did the Legislature do the incredibly hard work of passing a responsible, balanced budget that reduces the size of our state government. We also passed legislation to prevent future budget crisis. We worked with the governor and his budget director to set parameters so that in times of excess we will save, and in times of shortfall we know what agencies may have budget cuts due to revenue triggers.

The leaderships intent is clear: When revenue is low, we will prioritize essential services, cut back on budget increases and cut government bureaucracy.

I recently spoke with someone who questioned my assertion that families across Montana are experiencing tight financial times. He said that when he walks around Helena he sees people in shops and restaurants and there are good-paying jobs available. Herein lies the problem: Government is growing and the economy in our states capitol is doing just fine. Bureaucrats in Helena should pay visit to my part of the state. In Eastern Montana, families are faced with record-low ag and cattle prices and are literally fighting fires to keep their livelihood.

I encourage Montanans to take a step back to look at the big picture of our state economy. For a variety of reasons, revenues have continued to decline in the first half of 2017, and Our state government must make responsible and tough choices now to avoid further damage.
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For the third time since his inauguration, President Trump has unloaded on Sen. Richard Blumenthal over the senators 2010-vintage statements suggesting that he had served in Vietnam when, in fact, he had not.

The presidents outburst early Monday  three tweets in all  were in response to Blumenthals measure aimed at preventing Trump from firing special prosecutor Robert Mueller, who is investigating Trump campaign connections to Russian intelligence during the 2016 presidential campaign.

More News Blumenthal in Danbury to urge VA upgrades

Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con artist! Trump tweeted just before 7 a.m., minutes after Blumenthal had appeared on CNN to discuss legislation to protect special counsel Robert Mueller.

Never in U.S. history has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal, Trump tweeted. He told stories about his Vietnam battles and how brave he was, and it was all a lie  Now he judges collusion?

Blumenthal tweeted back: Mr. President: Your bullying hasn't worked before and it won't work now. No one is above the law. This issue isn't about me  it's about the Special Counsel's independence and integrity.

The Vietnam charge against Blumenthal harkens back to the his first Senate campaign when he ran against Republican Linda McMahon, who won confirmation earlier this year as President Trumps chief of the Small Business Administration with Blumenthals support.

At the time, he misstated his military record, telling audiences he served in Vietnam, when in fact he served in the Marine Corps reserves stateside.

Blumenthal characterized the misstatement as little more than a slip of the tongue. But his critics sought to cast it as more deliberate than accidental.

The McMahon Senate campaign used the incident in ads: If he lied about Vietnam, what else is he lying about?

Blumenthal quickly apologized and accepted blame, admitting he had not been as clear or precise as I should have been. He went on to defeat McMahon handily for his first Senate term. He easily won re-election in 2016.

Rep. Jim Himes took to Twitter to defend his fellow Democratic lawmaker from Greenwich.

The lies and pettiness of today's anti-@senblumenthal tweets from a man who avoided service lower the President's dignity yet again, Himes wrote, referring to Trumps avoidance of the draft in 1968 at the height of the Vietnam War. Trump won a medical deferment based on bone spurs in his heels.

Trumps harsh critique of Attorney General Jeff Sessions is widely viewed as a prelude to firing him in order to dismiss Mueller. Trump said in an interview that had he known Sessions would recuse himself from overseeing the Trump-Russia matter  and thereby set the stage for appointment of Mueller  he would not have hired him.

The Senate last week moved to block Trump from a recess appointment of a new attorney general during its August break. Blumenthal was on CNN promoting the measure when Trump lashed out at him.

I wont be distracted by this bullying, Blumenthal said in an interview Monday. These tweets simply reinforce my view that legal safeguards are necessary to protect the special counsel (Mueller). Thats why I proposed legislation that will stop President Trump from firing the special counsel without proper judicial review.

Trump has attacked Blumenthal twice before over Vietnam. The first was in February after Blumenthal reported that now Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch  a Trump nominee  told him Trumps attacks on judges were demoralizing and disheartening.

The second was in May in the wake of President Trump abruptly firing FBI Director James Comey. The president said in a subsequent interview that he had been motivated by this Russia thing.

Blumenthal believes his two Senate victories in 2010 and 2016 are proof the Vietnam controversy gained little traction with Connecticut voters.

The elections speak for themselves, he said.
These days it's rare for someone to go on a trip without posting on social media. Using data from Facebook, The New York Times found the overseas destination people from each state are more likely to visit compared to every other state.

"The results don't necessarily reflect the most popular destinations outside the United States  those are overwhelmingly Mexico and Canada  but instead show which locations are unusually popular with people in a given state, compared with where most Americans travel during the summer," The New York Times writes.
The most difficult cases in Montana District Courts involve children who have been abused or neglected in their own homes. When children are in danger, judges must decide where and with whom they will live, making rulings that could affect the children for life.

When Native American children are involved, the legal situation is more complex. In addition to state law, the federal Indian Child Welfare Act must be applied, and the childs tribe is part of the decision making.

At any given time, the number of Native American children in Montanas foster care system is much higher than their 10 percent share of the total child population would suggest. In Yellowstone County last year, 43 percent of the 550 civil child abuse and neglect cases filed involved children who are tribal members or eligible for membership. But there hasnt been court resources dedicated specifically to improving outcomes for ICWA children  until now.

4 courts collaborate

This month, the Yellowstone County District Court launched an ICWA court with Judge Rod Souza presiding. Souzas court is one of the first half-dozen in the nation, following models used in Denver and Los Angeles. Setting up the court required months of planning, training and communication between Yellowstone County court officials and tribal courts on the Crow, Northern Cheyenne and Fort Peck reservations. State and tribal child protection workers also have been meeting.

The concept is relationships, said Souza. Were going to do a better job of communicating; were going to do a better job of complying with ICWA.

The Yellowstone County ICWA court team includes Deputy County Attorney Heather Sather, Assistant Attorney General Brooke Baracker-Taylor, guardian ad litem Scott Pederson and two Montana state social workers, Naz Sanks and Megan Tenney. Souza said these professionals volunteered to be part of this new program.

The court has received substantial support from Casey Family Programs, a private nonprofit that works nationally to benefit children who are or have been in foster care. Nicole Walks Along and Yellowstone CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) also provided lots of help.

On Friday, about 50 people gathered for a day of training to kick off the ICWA court. Staff from the Montana Public Defender Office attended along with private attorneys who represent parents in civil child abuse and neglect cases.

Fridays training concluded with a panel of ICWA directors: Rebecca Buffalo of Crow; Phyllis Spotted Wolf and Twila Red Eagle, of Fort Peck; Michelle Littlewolf-Sandcrane and Joetta Yellowrobe of Northern Cheyenne.

'Gold standard' for kids

The ICWA was enacted 40 years ago at a time when non-Indians were adopting Indian children at an alarmingly high rate that threatened the survival of American Indian communities and culture. The aim of ICWA was to keep Indian children in Indian families, to connect them in positive ways with their heritage and culture.

ICWA is the gold standard for children in foster care, said Sheldon Spotted Elk, director of the Indian Child Welfare Program for the Casey Family Foundation. The law requires active efforts to maintain the child safely in his or her home, and if thats not possible, to place the child with relatives, if possible.

We applaud the new ICWA court team for taking on a difficult challenge. Resources for all foster children are limited, whether they are placed with relatives or in licensed foster homes. It can be hard to find a good foster home with non-Indian parents and much harder to find an Indian foster home. Chemical dependency, mental illness, family violence and poverty all contribute to child abuse and neglect.

By building up good working relationships between the court and child protection workers in Billings and in the tribal communities, communications can be faster and more effective. Establishing trust between the state and tribal child protection officials can encourage everyone to collaborate for the best interests of the child. The ICWA court gives us hope.
A former stonemason who moved to London from Kenya in the mid-90s

Set up the Gilbert Deya Ministries as a registered charity, with African and Asian branches

Known for his blend of charismatic, performance-style preaching

Had income of 652,800 ($858,000) for the financial year ending December 2015

Spent 609,300

Described by UK Labour MP David Lammy as a "modern-day snake-oil salesman"

Says he was consecrated as an Archbishop by a US evangelist in 1992

BBC NEWSAugust 4, 2017The UK has extradited a self-styled Kenyan pastor, who claimed he created miraculous pregnancies, to Kenya to face child-trafficking charges.Gilbert Deya's extradition came after he failed in his decade-long legal battle to remain in the UK.He denied charges of stealing five children between 1999 and 2004 when he appeared in court in Nairobi.Concerns were first raised about the conduct of Mr Deya, who ran a church in London, in a BBC investigation in 2004.Infertile or post-menopausal women who attended the Gilbert Deya Ministries church in Peckham, south-east London, were told they could have "miracle" babies.But the babies were always "delivered" in backstreet clinics in Nairobi, Kenya's capital.Mr Deya later moved to Scotland, and was arrested in Edinburgh in 2006 under an international arrest warrant issued by Kenya.His Gilbert Deya Ministries is being investigated by the UK Charity Commission for alleged mismanagement."Our statutory inquiry into Gilbert Deya Ministries is ongoing. We are currently considering the implication of Gilbert Deya's extradition on our investigation," the commission said in a statement.Gilbert Deya: 'The Archbishop of Peckham'When the BBC asked Mr Deya during its 2014 investigation how he explained the births of children with DNA different to that of their alleged parents, the 65-year-old Mr Deya said: "The miracle babies which are happening in our ministry are beyond human imagination."It is not something I can say I can explain because they are of God and things of God cannot be explained by a human being."Kenya's police spokesman Charles Owino told the BBC that Mr Deya had arrived in Nairobi aboard a Kenya Airways flight following his extradition.Mr Deya had opposed his extradition, saying he feared being tortured and sentenced to death.In 2007, his wife, Mary, was sentenced to two years in prison in Kenya after being convicted of stealing a baby.In 2011, she was sentenced to three years in jail after being convicted of stealing another child.Desperate women, some past the menopause and others who were infertile, were convinced that being prayed for by Mr Deya and travelling to Kenya would result in a child.Once there, they were convinced by Mrs Deya and others that they were experiencing labour and taken to illegal clinics where they believed they had given birth.But they were actually given babies which had been taken from local women.
When youre born and raised in Montana, preserving our outdoor heritage is one of the many values that is instilled at a young age. For the past few months, that value has been under attack by the Trump administration and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke through the unnecessary review of national monuments. Zinke has told us not to worry, and that The Upper Missouri River Breaks will go untouched. Well, I am worried.

Zinke has a record of saying one thing, but doing another. Remember when Zinke cited his personal observations of diminishing glaciers in Glacier National Park as evidence of climate change, but turned around and defended a million dollar cut to the parks budget? Or how about the time he threatened Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski over her health care vote, then called the reports laughable? Zinke campaigned in 2016 as a Teddy Roosevelt Conservative, but is undermining Roosevelts legacy piece of legislation, the Antiquities Act.

The current administration has shown their affinity for not telling the truth time and time again. I wont believe The Breaks are protected until the entire review is concluded, and in writing. If Montanans luck out, and we do get to enjoy all The Breaks have to offer for generations to come, lets use another Montana value: lending a hand. We need to help our friends across the country protect the monuments close to their homes. Stand in firm opposition to any changes to any national monuments.

Brenna Davis

Missoula
John McDonnell urged all Labour MPs to declare their solidarity with the Venezuelan radical socialist regime during 2007

Ten years ago this week, the world changed. On August 9, 2007, the French bank, BNP Paribas, froze three investment funds when it became clear that the credit markets were about to have the financial equivalent of a stroke.

Within a month, this loss of circulation became obvious to every Briton when a run started on Northern Rock.

But one man in Britain rejoiced. The backbench Labour MP John McDonnell crowed to a gathering of fellow socialists: Its a classic crisis of capitalism. Ive been waiting for a moment like this all my life.

That man is now Labours Shadow Chancellor, alarmingly close to running the British economy.

And he appeared as one of the central figures in a vast article in The Guardian last week  How Britain fell out of love with the free market  about the political consequences of the credit crunch.

Regime

The author, the socialist historian Andy Beckett, describes catching up with McDonnell at a Labour Party rally in Parliament Square last month: During the [Nineties] and [Noughties], I had been there repeatedly for slightly sparse anti-capitalist demonstrations.

But now the atmosphere was expectant . . . McDonnell made a short, fierce speech attacking neoliberal trickle-down economics. He ended with a promise: Another world is in sight. 

That alternative is indeed in sight. It is called Venezuela.

It was in the portentous year of 2007 that McDonnell urged all Labour MPs to declare their solidarity with the Venezuelan radical socialist regime of Hugo Chavez. Jeremy Corbyn is also fond of telling his followers in this country that a better way of doing things is possible. And Corbyn also regards the Venezuelan socialist path as that way which is better than the market economy.

He wrote an article (now, oddly, wiped from his website) which declared: Venezuela is seriously conquering poverty by emphatically rejecting the neoliberal policies of the worlds financial institutions.

Dominic Lawson argues that Jeremy Corbyn should pay a visit to Venezuela to see how that great hope of socialists is doing. Pictured is a burning barricade in the third city of Valencia

As recently as 2015, Corbyn phoned in to the weekly TV propaganda programme of Chavezs successor, President Nicolas Maduro, to declare congratulations, Mr President. Congratulations, presumably, on the great success of the Venezuelan in adopting socialism in place of neoliberal trickle-down economics  capitalism.

The Labour leader should pay a visit to Venezuela to see how that great hope of socialists  depressed by the collapse of the Soviet Union and by Chinas successful embrace of mass privatisation  is doing.

Or he could simply read the account filed last week by Hannah Dreier, the departing Associated Press correspondent in Venezuelas capital Caracas: The first time I saw people line up outside the bakery near my apartment, I stopped to take photos. How crazy: a literal breadline.

Catastrophe

Then true hunger crept in. People started digging through the trash at all hours, pulling out vegetable peelings and soggy pizza crusts and eating them on the spot. That seemed like rock bottom. Until my local bakery started organising lines each morning, not to buy bread but to eat trash.

Jeremy Corbyn is pictured at a Venezuelan Solidarity Campaign rally. The Labour leader phoned in to the weekly TV propaganda programme of President Nicolas Maduro to declare congratulations'

That is just one account of a financial collapse which leaves economic historians struggling to find the equivalent. The former planning minister of Venezuela, Ricardo Hausmann, notes that his countrys economic catastrophe dwarfs any in the history of the U.S., Western Europe, or the rest of Latin America.

Perhaps the nearest is what took place in the Soviet Union, when that countrys once-eulogised socialist economic system finally  inevitably  imploded.

Since 2013, the national income of what was once South Americas richest country has fallen by 51 per cent. Apologists for the regime cite the collapse in the price of oil  Venezuela has vast reserves of the stuff. Thats the excuse, not the reason.

The regimes economics wrought havoc upon the non-oil economy. Since 2012 Venezuelas non-oil tax revenues have declined by 70 per cent.

The result, in human terms, is dire. Measured in dollars at the prevailing black market rate, the minimum wage  which in Venezuela covers most earners  has over the past five years collapsed by 88 per cent, from $295 a month to just $36.

Failure

In this situation of near-starvation, those running the system are still living very well, thank you. Mike Gonzalez, a disillusioned former supporter of the regime, notes how they exploited their control of the price system  the defining principle of socialist economics: The state bureaucrats, the customs service and the National Guard all took their cut. En route, fortunes were made.

Departing Associated Press correspondent Hannah Dreier wrote a piece last week describing how she say people queuing to eat food from the trash. Pictured is a protest in Caracas

Gonzalez declares himself surprised that those who were responsible for transforming the Venezuelan state  for introducing redistribution policies  also took their share.

That is shockingly naive. It is what always happens under state socialism  as George Orwell depicted with imperishable clarity in his 1945 allegory Animal Farm.

Meanwhile, what has been the story in the economies of the U.S. and the UK  you know: those said by Corbyn and McDonnell to have demonstrated the historic failure of capitalism?

Since 2007, GDP in the U.S. has risen from $14.5 trillion to $18.6 trillion. In that same ten-year period the UKs GDP has risen from 1.53 trillion to 1.94 trillion.

Admittedly that British growth owes much to increased population. But even in per capita terms, British GDP has risen by 2 per cent in real terms since the last boom year before the world changed.

Its a paltry figure, the cause of much discontent among British families. But compared with the better way of Corbyn and McDonnell  socialism Venezuelan-style  we live in a workers paradise.

Buyer beware: Dont be thrifty with car hire

Let the Lawsons add our own experiences of car-hire firms chicanery to those the Mail has already set out.

Actually the Lawson parents  us  had no grounds for complaint from Europcar, from whom we picked up our vehicle at Trieste airport in the north-eastern tip of Italy. The woman at the Europcar office was delightful, and even threw in a free TomTom to help us with our navigation (we planned to make a number of trips into neighbouring Slovenia).

But our elder daughters experience with a firm called Thrifty (in fact part of Hertz) was quite the opposite.

Chicanery: A worker from car hire firm Thrifty shot off in the car Dominic Lawson's daughter and a friend had hired as the family holidayed in Italy

After a couple of days, she had decided she wanted to explore with her friend in the opposite direction  west, to Venice. Booking online via rentacar.com  and finding Thrifty to be the cheapest  she was asked to pay just under 100 on deposit, prior to picking up the vehicle. This she did by debit card.

Then when she got to the Thrifty office at Trieste airport to pick up the car and pay the full charge, she was told a debit card was unacceptable. But as a full-time student with a students bank balance she didnt have access to cash there and then (parents being deep in Slovenia). So the man from Thrifty  not at all pleasant, she said  just shot off with the car they had supposedly hired.

When she tried to get her deposit back from rentacar.com they told her that Thrifty had already taken the money from them, so they wouldnt refund her. And when she rang Thrifty, they said you should have read the terms and conditions. Which indeed seem to allow them to take online debit card deposits via a third party and then refuse the same (perfectly valid) card when you show up to pay in person. And then leave you in the lurch. As my daughter pointed out, they certainly live up to the name Thrifty  but at their customers expense.

Anyway, she then went to the Europcar office at Trieste airport and met the same charming woman we dealt with  who took pity on her plight and gave her a discount. So the moral of this is: choose your holiday car hire firms carefully  and when it looks very cheap, be wary.
An Australian mother has opened up about how people react to her young daughter's rare disability.

Holly and Joe Karten's daughter Koko was born with CHARGE Syndrome - a complex genetic disorder that meant she was born deaf and blind.

'There are days where it really gets you down and makes you want to burst into tears, why can't the world see my daughter for who she is?' Holly, 31, told Daily Mail Australia.

Holly Karten (left), 31, and her husband Joe Karten (right), 34, wear matching outfits as they have noticed it starts the conversation about their daughter Koko more gracefully

'There's days where it really gets you down and makes you want to burst into tears,' Holly told Daily Mail Australia

She and her 34-year-old husband often wear matching outfits with their two-year-old daughter, Koko, as they have noticed it helps open up conversation.

'It started unintentionally, we did it on a whim and we really noticed that the small talk people made with us was far less rude,' Holly, who is a columnist for Yahoo7 Be said.

'People tend to be unintentionally rude in terms of talking about her like she's a science project - she's a human being and she understands a lot.'

CHARGE syndrome creates extensive medical and physical difficulties that differ from child to child.

Koko has four different heart defects that her parents found out about when she was born.

Then as she recovered in hospital from heart surgery, her parents discovered something else.

'People tend to be unintentionally rude in terms of talking about her like she's a science project - she's a human being and she understands a lot.'

'She was having her ears checked and they said that it seems like she's deaf and they were having a look at her eyes, a routine eye examination, and the doctor also said that she's blind.

'They didn't know how blind she was and they said she was too young to figure it out so they told us to come back in four weeks and we were just left trying to process all of that.

'Yes she is legally blind, but they didn't really take the time to explain that doesn't mean she can't see anything.'

They won't actually know how blind Koko is until she is old enough to tell them and whether she will need braille or not, but Holly has learnt it just in case.

Koko was born with CHARGE Syndrome, which is a complex genetic disorder that involves extensive medical and physical difficulties that differ from child to child

'It started unintentionally, we did it on a whim and we really noticed that the small talk people made with us was far less rude'

Neither Holly or her husband are carriers of the syndrome but there is a spontaneous mutation of the gene at conception.

'It is one of the rarest syndromes in the world, one in every 10,000 births, and it's a rather complex syndrome,' Holly said.

'Like most syndromes the outcomes for each person vary quite broadly and it has a very high mortality, one in five don't make it to their fifth birthday but with improvements in medical development the rate is improving.'

Neither Holly or her husband are carriers of the syndrome but there is a spontaneous mutation of the gene at conception

CHARGE has a very high mortality rate with one in five not making it to their fifth birthday

'It was probably the most challenging four weeks of my life, it was very difficult because we had this gorgeous little thing in front of us.

'We were first time parents and we had experienced miscarriage before Koko but we were wondering how we were going to look after someone with such complex needs.'

Holly said that Koko has a sunny disposition and their days haven't been as difficult as she thought they would be originally.

'It seemed in the early days a dark terrifying experience and we didn't have any experience with disability in our family and were at a loss but these days mostly we're just getting on with life - a happy family of dorks dressed in the same outfits.'

Holly said that Koko has a sunny disposition and their days haven't been as difficult as she thought they would be originally

'It is one of the rarest syndromes in the world, one in every 10,000 births, and it's a rather complex syndrome'

'Koko is such a happy kid and she makes us laugh every day, where we are today two years on, we thought her life was going to be one full of suffering.'

Holly is happy to answer questions about CHARGE Syndrome and Koko as she wants to raise awareness about the issue and 'the amazing things that these kids do'.

'But it's all about the sensitivity in the way that you talk about her, she's a human first and not an oddity to be poked at or an interesting story to tell your friends.'

Holly said that she is aware that some of the questions people ask her about Koko are also posed to other parents of special needs children.

'I'd say 80 per cent of people are loving and gorgeous and interested and just want to connect with her.'

Holly is happy to answer questions about CHARGE Syndrome and Koko as she wants to raise awareness about the issue and 'the amazing things that these kids do'

'She's really smiley and very social and people are normally drawn to that first but there are the occasional people that assume a deficit.

'One of the worst things people say is "oh what's wrong with her" - there's nothing wrong with her, she is who she is.

'She has lots of challenges but there's nothing wrong with her,' Holly explained.

Holly explained that how she responds to the insensitive questions people ask depends on her mood.

The family don't match outfits every day, more often than not they will coordinate their clothes when they know they're going to an event where they're going to meet lots of people

'I do see them these days as an opportunity to model for Koko how you brush that off with grace because I know, I'm a realist, she's going to get questions like that all her life so she's going to need to know how to handle that.'

Although the family don't match outfits every day, more often than not they will coordinate their clothes when they know they're going to an event where they're going to meet lots of people.

'Just because we've found it to be a really effective way to frame people in a positive light and gets the communication off to a good start.

'That said, if Koko starts objecting and saying, "Mum, Dad, you're embarrassing me", we'll stop.'

Holly wants other parents who are going through something similar to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel

Holly wants other parents who are going through something similar to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

'I want them to see us and to see that there's a lot of fun and time spent sitting in the sun.

'That's why I started sharing our story and writing about it and getting on Instagram.

'She doesn't suffer, she has a great sense of humour but the hardest thing in the early days was that I didn't have a picture of what our life was going to look like.'
Campaigners are urging shoppers to boycott Tesco and Mothercare after the retail giants were accused of promoting 'harmful' gender stereotypes.

The children's clothing providers have come under fire from parents after marketing products specifically aimed at girls and boys.

Francesca Cambridge Mallen, founder of the Let Clothes Be Clothes campaign, took to Facebook to accuse Tesco of 'everyday sexism' after spotting that their school shoes were divided into 'Airtred soles' for boys and 'Sensitive Soles' for girls.

It comes after the group blasted Mothercare for a girls' clothing line featuring slogans like 'confetti, glitter, sparkle', while the boys' versions were science-themed and emblazoned with words like 'genius'.

Campaigners have slammed Tesco after spotting that their school shoes were divided into 'Airtred soles' for boys, featuring a dinosaur, and 'Sensitive Soles' for girls, with a butterfly

Tesco was targeted after promoting boys' shoes which feature a yellow dinosaur on the sole, while the female version are adorned with a pink butterfly. The image prompted a flurry of furious comments on the campaign group's Facebook post.

One wrote: 'Tesco are you kidding me' and vowed to boycott their products.

Eva Hoffmann declared the brand was 'out of the race for school shoes,' adding: 'Who comes up with this nonsense?'

Others said it was 'harmful' to divide products into girls and boys categories, writing: 'I'm assuming Airtred & Sensitive Sole are actually the same thing too?'

The campaign group also called out Mothercare this week, over its Nature Explorer collection aimed at girls and its Space Oddity collection aimed at boys.

Featuring pink, glitter and floral patterns, Nature Explorer is aimed at the 'little girl spreading her wings' while Space Oddity is described as an 'out of this world collection for boys filled with stars, planets and science themes'.

Furious parents have taken to Facebook to complain about the Tesco children's shoes, with mother Sarge Marge writing: 'Why can't it just be Airtred for everyone?'

Posting on Facebook, one campaigner wrote: 'I've never called for a boycott before but since Mothercare UK continually promote such harmful ideas, action is needed. Surely their designers grimace at such outdated ideas?'

The post attracted hundreds of likes and comments, with customers labelling the designs and 'lazy' and 'absurdly dated'.

Sarah Jackson wrote: 'We're moving backwards not forwards with all this rubbish! I grew up in the 70s and 80s... no pink glittery tat available and that was great! Honestly, why do people buy this stuff'

One said she had been left 'steaming' and had left Mothercare a 'furious message'.

The campaign group was equally enraged by two Mothercare childrenswear collections - Nature Explorer for girls and Space Oddity for boys - and wrote about it on Facebook

Francesca Cambridge Mallen told MailOnline: 'This week both Mothercare and Tesco have tried to show that it is still acceptable to use sexism in the marketing of childrenswear, but for how long?

'Many of their potential customers we spoke to are prepared to take their spending power elsewhere, and we hope the message is clear - people are angry about this. At a time when parental equality has made such excellent ground, it seems unwise for a company called 'Mothercare' to represent such 1950's views.

'Tesco may also find it worthwhile spending time with actual children to see just how similar their needs and interests are.'

Space Oddity is described as an 'out of this world collection for boys filled with stars, planets and science themes (left, a shirt reading 'Genius' and right, 'My daddy is the cleverest')

Critics suggested the slogans on girls' sweaters perpetuated 'absurdly dated' stereotypes

The post, shared on the Facebook page Let Clothes be Clothes, attracted hundreds of likes and comments, with customers labelling the designs and 'lazy' and 'absurdly dated'

Featuring pink, glitter and floral patterns, Nature Explorer is aimed at the 'little girl spreading her wings' - prompting social media commentators to accuse Mothercare of sexism

Francesca added: 'SEO and targeted marketing is no excuse for perpetuating the notion that girls are sensitive butterflies, eager to please and look beautiful, while being a boy means you are a genius.

'Space and the Sciences aren't just for boys, and girls weren't born with a natural inclination towards pink or flowers. As a society, including through our retailers, our media and in everything that targets children, we should have equality.

'We should demand better for our children.'

A Tesco spokesperson said: 'We have listened to feedback from our customers and will be updating the wording on our website.'
She is marking her 36th birthday with a romantic getaway at a 'honeymoon hotspot' in Botswana after being whisked away by her prince.

But Meghan Markle has reminded fans her life hasn't always been a fairytale after opening up in a candid interview about race.

The Suits actress spoke to Pride magazine about growing up 'ethnically ambiguous' with a black parent - and being at the receiving end of racist jokes.

Miss Markle, who also recalled her African-American mother Doria being called the N-word, told the magazine she felt an 'obligation' to speak about being half-black.

Miss Markle (pictured in 2016) has opened up on growing up 'ethnically ambiguous' with a black parent - and being at the receiving end of racist jokes

Appearing on the cover of Pride magazine's July issue, Meghan told how she has overheard racist jokes from people who did not realise she had a black parent.

She said: 'I dont care if Im fair-skinned and I dont care what it is, thats who I am and thats my family.

'My hope is for the world to get to a place where its colour blind.'

Her activism and willingness to speak out on issues she feels strongly about are said to be among the things that Prince Harry loves about the actress.

She described in the interview the 'countless black jokes people have shared in front of me, not realising I am mixed', and added that she feels an 'obligation now to talk about discrimination... or even to talk about the fact that most people can't tell that I'm half black'.

Meghan may soon have something to celebrate as bookies have slashed the odds on Harry getting down on one knee this week.

Insiders say Harry has had marriage on his mind for months - but this week's romantic getaway has sent the rumour mill into overdrive.

After wrapping filming for Suits last month, Meghan flew to London, where the pair then went onto southern Africa for their adventure.

The royal author Penny Junor has written of the 'significance' of Harry's decision to take his girlfriend to Botswana, where she says he wears his 'royalness' most lightly.

She has described it as an opportunity for the Prince to show his love the 'real man behind the royal persona'.

Ladbrokes have cut the odds to 6/4 that Harry will propose to his actress girlfriend while on holiday. A spokesperson for the betting company said: 'Its a case of when and not if'

Meghan (pictured with Harry at the polo on May) also recalled her mother Doria being called the N-word - and told Pride magazine she felt an 'obligation' to speak about being half-black

Botswana is close to Harry's heart thanks to his work with wildlife conservation - and he has also romanced former flames Natalie Pinkham, Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas there.

According to the Sunday Express, Ladbrokes have cut the odds to 6/4 that Harry will propose to his actress girlfriend while on holiday.

A spokesperson for the betting company said: 'Its a case of when and not if Harry pops the question and royal punters are convinced it will be while the happy couple are on holiday.'

The pair met in Orlando, Florida in May 2016 and have gone to great lengths to keep their trans-Atlantic love affair under wraps.

While Meghan celebrated turning 36 on Friday, her boyfriend will turn 33 in just a few weeks' time.
In a settlement, Minneapolis-based Questar Capital Corporation securities broker will pay $2.4 million to victims of a former agent's ponzi scheme.

In an investigation, the North Dakota Securities Department found Kevin Wanner, a registered securities agent of Questar doing business under the trade name Precision Financial, appears to have operated a ponzi scheme for more than 15 years. He allegedly victimized 66 North Dakotans, selling fictitious brokered certificates of deposit and unregistered interests in pooled investments.

Rather than investing the money, the department said Wanner was pocketing most of it for personal use, and, in classic ponzi-scheme style, using money from one investor to pay interest to the next in order to keep the scheme going.

In addition to seeking restitution for investors, the department made a criminal referral to the U.S. Attorneys office.

Inquiries on the settlement and investigation can be made at 701-328-2910
A young couple has opened up about their anguish as they spend whatever time they have left with their terminally ill baby daughter.

Sydney parents Johnny and Bethan McElwee were left reeling after their one-year-old girl Aviana was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1.

The rare muscle-wasting condition means their daughter will gradually lose the ability to move, swallow and breathe.

Sydney parents Johnny and Bethan McElwee were left reeling after their one-year-old girl Aviana was diagnosed with the rare muscle-wasting condition Spinal Muscular Atrophy

The condition means little Aviana will gradually lose the ability to move, swallow and breathe

'You just can't believe something so awful is happening, it's like a nightmare,' Mrs McElwee told 9News.

'When we were told she has SMA, we'd never heard of it... And then we were told "oh it's the biggest genetic killer [of babies under two]".'

The first-time parents vented their frustration amid a lack of awareness after learning the disease could have been prevented before falling pregnant.

The test allows would-be parents to undergo a genetic screening where they can find out if they are carriers for the severe condition before they plan to have a family.

'Why weren't we told? How did we not know? You go through all that anger,' Mrs McElwee said.

Building the final moments with Aviana, the parents are spending whatever time they have left

WHAT IS SMA? Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a rare inherited genetic muscle wasting disease that is characterised by a loss of nerve cells called motor neurons.

The affected muscles not only include the muscles you see like your arms and legs, but all your internal muscles like breathing, coughing and swallowing.

The loss of motor neurons leads to the progressive muscle weakness and wasting.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy is passed on by what is known as autosomal recessive inheritance and for an individual to be affected with SMA; they need to have inherited an altered gene from their parents.

One person in thirty-five unknowingly carries this gene. Source: SMA Australia Advertisement

Building their final moments with little Aviana, her father Johnny said the family are spending whatever time they have left with her.

'We're uncertain of the future. We know the future is probably not great,' he said.

'We don't know how long we've got her for. But what it does give us is the chance to have quality time with her... the chance to enjoy this moment.'

The couple are treating their daughter with a drug called Nusinersen. And despite her condition improving, the disease can not be cured.

Paediatric Neurologist Dr Michelle Farrar who specialises in SMA said there needs to be education to enhance the awareness to avoid the preventable disease.

'There is preconception screening and allows couples to know if they're carriers for severe, rare genetic disorders before they plan to have a baby,' she told 9News.
Our school days are supposed to be the best days of our lives, but the students captured in these hilarious photos might not agree.

Or perhaps the saying simply doesn't extend to clothes and hairstyles.

This excruciating gallery features everything from knitted sweater vests and shiny bomber jackets to gravity-defying fringes and orthodontic headgear.

Other students opted to include a nod to their extra-curricular activities in their class pictures, posing with bowling balls, microphones, pet rodents and even, in one case, a ventriloquist's dummy.

The photos came to light after the online invitation service evite issued a call for people to submit their most cringe-worthy school photos to be in with a chance of snagging a cash prize.

It seems would-be winners were only too happy to oblige, cracking open their photo albums to retrieve photos that captures their awkward teenage phase in all its glory.

A call-out for awkward school photos attracted some eyebrow-raising submissions

In the 1980s, you were never too young to sport a shiny bomber jacket and voluminous curls

Some kids like sport, others prefer to bury their nose in books. This boy liked puppets

In hindsight, this smiling schoolgirl could have run a brush through her hair before posing

School pictures often capture the trappings of childhood we'd rather forget - like braces

Many pupils chose to celebrate their hobbies in their class photos, potentially to their regret

Come over all shy? Not all schoolchildren enjoy their annual stint in front of the camera

It's not known whether this teen went to school in Texas, or simply enjoys a theme

Questionable hairstyles are all part and parcel of our school days. This girl knows all about it

Either this schoolgirl is a practical joker, or her teacher had a very unfortunate name

A male student smiles for the camera displaying a pubescent moustache in all its glory

A schoolgirl poses with a pretty pink flower... and an undeniably sinister expression

Not content with simply smiling for the camera, this schoolboy opted for an alternative pose

Sad times: The school photos capture almost as many tears and tantrums as they do smiles

For many of us, our school days bring back memories of milk bottle glasses and bad knitwear

A fresh-faced schoolboy shows off yet another impressively voluminous hairstyle

A Power Rangers t-shirt and a bum-bag - it can only be the early 1990s

No sibling rivalry here! Identically dressed sisters pose for a joint school snap

Having a class picture taken may be compulsory, but smiling for the camera isn't

This schoolgirl's parents ensured she was in her finest frilly blouse for school picture day

Each to their own: This pupil brought along his pet rodents for the occasion

Being asked to say cheese and look at the camera reveals who has multitasking as a strength

This student chose to share their photograph opportunity with an unlikely companion

There's always one student who thinks a school photo is a potential modelling opportunity

Distress has never stopped a school photographer getting a memorable shot

The need to blink always seems to come when someone else is in control of taking the photo

One student made use of early Photoshop to showoff their artistic skills

Unusually placed props have always been a staple part of school photography

Recongising which trends will stay and those which will haunt for years to come is a challenge
The Queen looked radiant in a powder pink suit as she arrived at Balmoral Castle today.

The 91-year-old monarch was greeted at the gates by a guard of honour - and a rather naughty Shetland pony named Cruachan IV.

The three-year-old pony, the regimental mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, made headlines last month when he tried to nibble the Queen's posy during a visit to Stirling Castle, prompting Her Majesty to tell him to 'go away'.

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The Queen stopped to greet Shetland pony Cruachan 1V, the regimental mascot of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, as she arrived at Balmoral Castle today

Cheeky: The pony nibbled on the Queen's posy during a visit to Stirling Castle last month

The Queen looked elegant in a powder pink suit as she arrived for the engagement today

Fortunately the Cruachan IV was on much better behaviour as he joined the royal welcome today, although he did neigh as the Queen turned to walk away.

Smiling, the Queen turned around and said to the pony: 'We know where you are'.

One Royal source said: 'The Royal Regiment of Scotland put on a great show as always. And Crucahan got it on the act as he always seems to.'

The Queen is moving into the castle after spending recent weeks at Craigowan Lodge, a smaller cottage on the Aberdeenshire estate, which is also known as the Enchanted Manor.

Well-wishers gathered to welcome the Queen, pictured inspecting the guard of honour

Mischievous: Crucahan neighed as the Queen turned to walk away during the engagement

Radiant: The Queen donned a powder pink skirt suit with matching hat for the occasion

The castle is open to the public until the end of July and has been prepared for the monarch's arrival over the last week.

Crowds of well-wishers gathered to welcome the Queen this afternoon. The monarch inspected the guard of honour before she made her way inside.

The Queen is expected to be in residence until early October.

Holiday: The Queen is moving into the castle after spending time in a lodge on Balmoral estate
A heartwarming video captures the emotional moment a father-of-two was reunited with the doctors who saved his life after he suffered a devastating heart attack.

Heartwarming footage shows Ken Henning, 65, doing a 'victory lap' in the intensive care unit and shaking hands with medics who saved his life after he was shocked a staggering 49 times in an effort to keep him alive after the attack.

The married dad, of Englewood, Ohio, works for a medical supply company and suffered a heart attack in early May while delivering a hospital bed. Henning had emergency quadruple bypass surgery, but went into cardiac arrest the next day.

Survivor: Father-of-two Ken Henning was reunited with the doctors who saved his life when he suffered a devastating heart attack

Patient: The 65-year-old works for a medical supply company and suffered a heart attack in early May while delivering a hospital bed

Doctors at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton shocked Henning 49 times to keep him alive. He was then taken to Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, where he spent 37 days unconscious in intensive care.

'The doctor looked at me and told me I was going to have surgery and I wanted to go back and think about it. That is the last thing I remember,' he said.

But the father defied the odds and pulled through.

After recovering at home, the dad decided to return to the hospital to say thank you to the team of doctors and nurses who worked tirelessly to save him.

Footage of the moving moment shows Henning being wheeled into the ICU to cheers and tears from members of staff.

He then pushes himself to his feet before hugging and shaking hands with each of the medics who treated him.

Hospital: The married dad (pictured with his surgical team), of Englewood, Ohio, had emergency quadruple bypass surgery, but went into cardiac arrest the next day

Meeting: Footage of the moving moment shows Henning being wheeled into the ICU to cheers and tears from members of staff, then pushing himself to his feet to greet them

Emotional: During his visit to the hospital, Henning exchanged handshakes and hugs with the staffers who treated him and saved his life

'I didn't know where I was or how long I'd been here, so there's a lot of people I really didn't meet,' Henning said, recounting his stay in the ICU.

'24/7, they were there. I did everything I could. I'm not a quitter. But I couldn't have done it without them.

'To be where I am now and see their faces, I think it gives them hope.

'I feel great. I'm beating it.'

For ICU nurse Stacey Daughenbaugh, who works at the center where Henning was treated, getting to meet him during his recovery led to a hopeful moment.

'There are rough days in nursing; there are very rough days,' she said. 'Days like this make it worthwhile. It makes you remember why you're doing this.'
A heartbroken bride has appealed for help finding her engagement ring after it was stolen from a church car park on her wedding day.

Lusea Warner was left distraught after thieves broke into her maid of honour's car moments after she tied the knot with husband James Gale at St John the Baptist Church in Symondsbury near Bridport, Dorset, last Wednesday afternoon.

The newlywed took to Facebook to plead for help in finding the bespoke white gold and simulated diamond ring, saying it 'meant the world to her'.

Newlyweds: Lusea Warner with James Gale on their wedding day last Wednesday

Stolen: Lusea was left distraught after thieves stole her bespoke engagement ring, pictured, from her maid of honour's car outside a church in Symondsbury, Dorset, last week

Plea: The newlywed took to Facebook to ask for help tracking down the stolen ring

The post has since been shared nearly 2,000 times by kind-hearted strangers across the UK.

Writing on Facebook, Lusea, from East Lulworth, Dorset, explained that sometime between 4.30pm and 6pm, thieves broke into two cars parked outside the church and stole bags, including her maid of honour's handbag.

She continued: 'Inside my Maid of Honour's bag was my engagement ring. This ring meant the world to me. I had designed this ring, and I loved it so very much.

'As a result, I was a heart broken bride and was reduced to tears on my special day.

'I'm begging the universe that if they know of its whereabouts or if they saw anything strange in Symondsbury on the 2nd, please could they let me know or the police.'

'Idyllic': The ring was stolen from a car parked outside St John the Baptist Church in Symondsbury near Bridport, Dorset, pictured, moments after Lusea said her vows

Ms Warner later added that she was especially shocked at the crime as 'Symondsbury is such an idyllic English country village'.

The ring was designed by Lusea, a landscape artist, to represent the sea and the love she shares with James.

Kind-hearted strangers from around the world have shared Ms Warner's post in the hope of reuniting her with her ring, with their posts highlighting just how far her story had travelled.

The newlywed told BBC news the response to her plea had been 'amazing'.

Friends and family also launched a CrowdFunder page to help Lusea buy a replacement ring. More information here.
The Swedish royals were in danger of stealing the show as the dusted off their finery for a lavish society wedding in Spain this weekend.

Queen Silvia, 73, and her daughter Crown Princess Victoria, 40, both wore show-stopping gowns for the nuptials of Helena Christina Sommerlath and Ian Martin at Palma de Mallorca Cathedral on Saturday amid a heavy police presence on the Balearic isle.

Helena, Silvia's goddaughter and fraternal niece, is the daughter of Hans Jorg Sommerlath, who died from cancer in 2006.

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Family affair! Queen Silvia, 73, and her daughter Crown Princess Victoria, 40, both wore show-stopping gowns for the nuptials of Helena Christina Sommerlath and Ian Martin

The bride wore an elegant sleeveless dress with lace detail and a sweeping train, featuring lace detail and a glittering belt, before heading onto a nearby banquet for 100 guests.

Princess Victoria, Silvia's eldest daughter and heiress to the Swedish throne, wore a sweeping cream dress with an elaborate floral pattern, holding a fan to keep cool in the Spanish heat.

Silvia, meanwhile, opted for a glittering blue two-piece festooned with sequins and paired with a pearl necklace - prompting locals to cry 'guapa!' as she left the ceremony.

Royal-watchers noted that the septuagenarian's dress is an old favourite, with Silvia having worn it at the opening concert of the Bayreuth Festival in Germany in July.

Blushing bride: Helena Christina Sommerlath, Silvia's goddaughter, is also the daughter of the Swedish Queen's late brother, Hans Jorg Sommerlath, who died in 2006

Royally good style: Victoria, who is heiress to the Swedish throne, wore a sweeping cream dress with an elaborate floral pattern, holding a fan to keep cool in the Spanish heat

Queen of thrift! Royal-watchers noticed that the septuagenarian's dress is an old favourite, having worn it at the opening concert of the Bayreuth Festival in Germany in July

High-profile: The ceremony lasted about an hour and was officiated by the representative of the German-speaking evangelical community in the Balearic Islands, Heike Stijohan

Fanfare: According to local media, crowds of locals and tourists gathered around the Cathedral after noticing the heavy security presence around the Swedish royals

Fit for a princess! The bride wore an elegant sleeveless dress with lace detail and a sweeping train, featuring lace detail and a glittering belt

Other guests at the wedding were equally dressed to impress with one reveller opting for a dusky pink gown with floral detail and a glittering clutch

According to local media, crowds of locals and tourists gathered around the Cathedral after noticing the heavy security presence surrounding the royal attendees.

ABS.es report that the ceremony lasted about an hour and was officiated by the representative of the German-speaking evangelical community in the Balearic Islands, Heike Stijohan.

Around 100 guests then travelled onto a second venue for a glittering banquet.
Game Of Thrones' budget has reached $10 million per episode more than oncebut it was apparently not the costume department's fault.

While most viewers probably think the eye-catching medieval outfits on the fantasy drama cost a fortune, the costume team once used surprising items in order to craft their furry capes: Ikea rugs.

Costume designer Michele Clapton made the revelation during a talk at the Getty Center in Los Angeles last year. A video of the session received new attention over the weekend as the show's seventh season continued to unfold.

Crafty! GoT' team once used Ikea rugs (left, file picture) as capes as part of the show's costumes for the Night's Watch battalion, of which Jon Snow (right) was once a member

Trivia: Costume designer Michele Clapton made the revelation during a talk at the Getty Center in Los Angeles last year, while discussing the Night's Watch costumes (pictured)

Clapton was detailing the process that went into designing outfits for the Night's Watch, the battalion tasked with guarding the Seven Kingdoms' northern border, when she told the audience about the Swedish retailer's rugs and their role on the show.

'I'm sadly not allowed to show you fitting photos. It's a shame, as they give such an insight into the process of design and how they help the actor find the character,' she said.

'For instance, here, the way the weight affected his gait. These capes are actually Ikea rugs.'

Clapton herself chuckled while the audience laughed at this bit of trivia. 'We take anything we can,' she added.

Tricks: It is unknown exactly which Ikea model was used to manufacture the capes, but the rugs were cut and broken down before appearing on the show

Evocative: 'I want the audience to almost smell the costumes. Here they were waxed and frosted so they belonged to the landscape,' Clapton added during her talk

It is unknown exactly which Ikea model was transformed into Game Of Thrones couture. The rugs, however, bear little resemblance to what they looked like on the furniture giant's shelves after going through an extensive transformation process.

As Clapton revealed, they were cut and shaven before being used on the show, and the team added leather straps to them.

They then made them look worn through a breakdown process, which the costumer said is like a 'religion' on Game Of Thrones.

That process is meant to make the costumes as evocative as possible for the show's viewers.

'I want the audience to almost smell the costumes. Here they were waxed and frosted so they belonged to the landscape,' Clapton added during her talk.
Dr John Zhang, head of the New York City embryonic team, holds the world's first 'three-person' baby after the boy was born in Mexico in April 2016

The FDA has reprimanded the New York doctor who created the first three-person baby.

Dr John Zhang made headlines last September after helping a couple with mitochondrial disease to deliver a disease-free child, by inserting their DNA into the egg of a donor.

The technique is banned in the United States, and Congress has even barred the FDA from reviewing proposals to test the method.

Since part of the procedure took place in Mexico, Dr Zhang avoided charges, but he was ordered never to use the technology in the US without permission, and to stop marketing it.

But now, the agency has hit out at Dr Zhang, claiming he continues to promote his experimental, unapproved, and unverified procedure despite promising not to.

New Hope's website touts having achieved the 'first live birth' using this technology, along with other advanced fertility treatments it offers.

The FDA's letter to Zhang cites several other marketing claims, including a reference to 'the first proven treatment for certain genetic disorders.'

The birth of the boy was disclosed last September.

The mother carries DNA that could have given her child Leigh syndrome, a severe neurological disorder that usually kills within a few years of birth.

The experimental technique involves removing some of the mother's DNA from an egg, and leaving the disease-causing DNA behind.

HOW THEY CREATED A 3-PERSON BABY The technique could be used for anything - from avoiding disease to altering a baby's appearance. For now, disease is the focus. The world's first 'three-parent' baby was created to prevent him inheriting a genetic condition his mother carries in her mitochondria. The disease - Leigh's syndrome - would have killed him within a few years. HOW IS THE PROCEDURE DONE? Take eggs from a mother with damaged mitochondria. Take eggs from a donor with healthy mitochondria. Remove and save the nucleus from the mother's egg. This contains the majority of her genetic material. Remove and discard the donor's nucleus. Place the mother's nucleus in the donor's egg with the healthy mitochondria. The egg can then be fertilized by the father's sperm. Advertisement

The healthy DNA gets slipped into a donor's egg, which is then fertilized.

As a result, the baby inherits DNA from both parents and the egg donor - producing what's been called 'three-parent babies' - though the DNA contribution from the egg donor is very small.

People carry DNA in two places, the nucleus of the cell and in structures called mitochondria, which lie outside the nucleus. The technique is designed to transfer only DNA of the nucleus to the donor egg.

A medical journal report on the case said the procedure was done at the New York clinic and the embryo was taken to Mexico, where it was implanted. The procedure isn't illegal in Mexico.

Last year, a report from a panel of U.S. government advisers said it is ethical to begin testing this approach in pregnancy as long as the first studies follow strict safety steps.

The studies must include women at high risk of passing on a severe disease and, at first, implant only male embryos, so the alterations wouldn't pass to future generations.

The FDA had requested the report, though the law against such experiments remains in force.

British regulators last year approved 'cautious use' of the technique, and this year issued its first license to use it.

The child born last year through Zhang's clinic is not the first to inherit DNA from three people.

In the 1990s, some children were born after researchers used a different technique. But federal regulators intervened, and the field's interest now has passed to the new approach.

A receptionist at Zhang's New Hope Fertility Clinic in New York said late Friday that no one was available to comment. Zhang heads the clinic and a related company, Darwin Life Inc.
Social media could be increasing cases of paranoia among regular users, a leading academic has warned.

One in five individuals suffer from paranoia  you are under threat even though there is no (or very little) evidence that you are.

Now a psychologist has said that number could dramatically rise as young people increasingly use social media.

Her comments come after a children's charity said social media is fuelling a nation of 'deeply unhappy' children.

'The digital world is changing society in a way that can make us feel like we are under surveillance,' Philippa Garety, professor of clinical psychology at King's College London told i.

The rising use of social media is being blamed for making people paranoid - especially young people (file photo)

'Our actions are tracked and everything we do may be recorded in some way through the internet.

'That may be triggering a greater sense of anxiety about whether people are in some sense harming you or following you.'

According to the mental health charity Mind, paranoid thoughts can range in severity, from experiencing delusions to having 'exaggerated suspicions'.

Biggest threat is to young people

Young people are most at risk because they are heavy users of social media, Professor Garety said.

Indeed, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) last December blamed social media on a rise in self harm among youngsters.

It said 18,778 children aged 11 to 18 in England and Wales were admitted to hospital for self-harm in 2015/16 - a rise of 14 per cent rise from the year before.

The charity revealed it gave 18,471 counselling sessions about self-harm last year - equivalent to 50 a day.

Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC, said then: 'It is clear from the thousands of calls Childline receives that we have a nation of deeply unhappy children.

'We know this unhappiness is partly due to the constant pressure they feel, particularly from social media, to have the perfect life or attain a certain image which is often unrealistic.

'They tell us that the need to keep up with friends and the 24/7 nature of technology means they feel they can never escape or switch off, adding to the misery that many feel on a daily basis.'

WHAT IS PARANOIA? Everyone will have a different experience of paranoia. But here are some examples of common types of paranoid thoughts. You might think that: You are being talked about behind your back or watched by people or organisations (either on or offline)

Other people are trying to make you look bad or exclude you

You are at risk of being physically harmed or killed

People are using hints and double meanings to secretly threaten you or make you feel bad

Other people are deliberately trying to upset or irritate you

People are trying to take your money or possessions

Your actions or thoughts are being interfered with by others

You are being controlled or that the government is targeting you

You might have these thoughts very strongly all the time, or just occasionally when you are in a stressful situation. They might cause you a lot of distress or you might not really mind them too much. Source: Mind Advertisement

Personalised app could help

Professor Garety is leading a major 1.3 million research project that could potentially help millions of people at risk of suffering from paranoia.

The academic and her team have developed an interactive app, created by the Royal College of Art, which will be tested on 360 patients to confirm its effectiveness.

Professor Garety said paranoia is a 'significant issue in Britain causing difficulties in everyday life' for the one in five people.

She said more severe cases cost the country billions of pounds every year.

The apps are personalised for the user and developed during sessions with a therapist so that it knows what kind of things trigger the person's paranoia and how best to help them cope.

So when a person starts to feel uncomfortable, they can open up the app to be presented with a series of bubbles containing lines such as 'They don't like me' or 'People are watching Me'.

The user can then press a bubble and, like a reassuring friend, a new bubble will pop up saying something like, 'They're probably not even looking at me' or 'I know I'm strong in these situations'.

The developers plan to develop separate apps for acute and and milder sufferers of paranoia in about five years.
Regularly getting less than six hours sleep a night could cause the same long-term damage as alcohol abuse, according to a worrying new study.

For the body, sleep deprivation results in increased risk of obesity, depression, heart attacks and strokes - causing experts to dub it the 'modern ill'.

However, the most worrying consequences are rooted in the brain and new research suggests the effects are far more destructive than previously thought.

Research suggests that being awake for 18 hours results in the same cognitive impairment people get from being drunk.

This is so severe that driving while sleep deprived could be as dangerous as driving when drunk, researchers found.

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Sleep deprivation is linked with acute cognitive impairment which is so severe that driving while sleep deprived could be as dangerous as driving when drunk (stock image)

TIPS TO SLEEP BETTER Whatever form your insomnia takes, however intermittent or relentless, there are simple steps you can take to guarantee a better nights sleep: Avoid late afternoon naps - Snoozing after 4pm will dilute your urge to sleep later. If you find it difficult to stay awake on a comfy sofa, perch on the edge of a hard chair instead.

Wear an eye mask - Eye masks block out light, which suppresses the sleep hormone melatonin.

Use foam ear plugs - This will erase any background noise that might be waking you up in the night or causing you to sleep lightly.

Don't sleep with pets - Animals tend to be nocturnal and a common source of allergies that may disturb your sleep.

Turn your alarm clock against the wall - Clock-watching can trigger stress over how little sleep youve had, how long until morning and how tired you are going to be the next day. Source: Professor Jason Ellis, director, Northumbria Sleep Research Laboratory Advertisement

Researchers from Quebec-based digital health company Medisys found people who regularly got less than six hours of sleep a night could suffer terrible cumulative health effects they may be oblivious to.

Although the odd night sleeping just six hours or less will not have a significant effect, frequently not sleeping enough is very dangerous, researchers found.

Sleep affects hunger hormones

'Sleep plays an important role in regulating the hormones that influence hunger (ghrelin, cortisol, and leptin) that's why sleep deprivation increases appetite and leads to overeating and weight gain', neuroscientist Dr Adrian Owen at Western University, who also works with Medisys, told Digital Journal.

Researchers found your brain becomes less stable for the longer you remain wake - which reduces your attention, ability to focus and use your brain on specific tasks.

Recent reports have suggested 1 in 3 Canadians are chronically sleep-deprived.

The brain 'eats' itself

The news comes on the heels of research that showed having too little sleep causes the brain to eat itself if it hasn't had enough sleep.

In May researchers studied lab mice, and found that 'clean-up' cells were more active in their brains when they were sleep-deprived.

The cells, known as astrocytes, act like mini Hoovers in the brain, sweeping up cells as the brain's connections become weak and break apart.

'We show for the first time that portions of synapses are literally eaten by astrocytes because of sleep loss,' lead author Michele Bellesi told New Scientist.

According to the research team at Italy's Marche Polytechnic University, the seemingly alarming process is actually a positive thing.

Researchers found your brain becomes less stable for the longer you remain wake - which reduces your attention, ability to focus and use your brain on specific tasks (stock image)

'They [our synpases] are like old pieces of furniture,' Bellesi said. 'And so [they] probably need more attention and cleaning.'

But he added that sleep-deprived brains showed ominous signs of activity that leads to Alzheimer's.

In sleep-deprived mice, brain cells called microglials were more active.

'We already know that sustained microglial activation has been observed in Alzheimer's and other forms of neurodegeneration,' Michele said.

More than half of all adults in the UK struggle to nod off, with 40 per cent saying they regularly get just six hours sleep - considerably less than the recommended seven to nine.
The 12 applicants for an interim position on the Bismarck School Board say projected growth, school crowding and facility planning are the major issues facing the district right now.

"Our city is developing rapidly, and our student population continues to grow at a high rate," said board candidate and attorney Ann Schaibley. "I would love the opportunity to participate in overcoming the resulting facility, funding and growth challenges facing the district."

The Bismarck School Board has five elected representatives, each who serve four-year terms. After board member Scott Halvorson announced he would be resigning at the end of July, applications for the remaining 10 months of his term were opened to the community. The applications closed July 31, and board members will conduct public interviews of the candidates Monday afternoon at the Hughes Educational Center.

Many residents have been outspoken regarding potential school closures after a committee of community members and school administrators  commissioned by the board  presented a list of recommendations to board members in June. The list included closing and repurposing Highland Acres and Roosevelt elementary schools. Board members have since rescinded the proposal to close Highland Acres, for now, and instead will focus redrawing district lines. The fate of Roosevelt remains unresolved.

The list of applicants for the board position is diverse, ranging from the owner of a bakery, a school principal and the head of a nonprofit. Most applicants indicated they will run or will consider running for a full-term position once the term is up.

Board candidates pointed to the need for school equity, as well as the district's financial constraints, coupled with a need for more space for projected student growth.

"Adding infrastructure where the community is expanding must be weighed against our commitment to serve students and families living in established neighborhoods," said board applicant Jon Klein, who is the vice president of procurement at Basin Electric Power Cooperative.

Janelle Moos, the executive director of the Council on Abused Women's Services North Dakota, said with all the discussion surrounding growth north of Interstate 94 in Bismarck, where there's burgeoning neighborhoods and few schools, she would like to see the board place more of an emphasis on the central part of town.

"I think it's time to refocus on the core of the city, and create opportunities for expansions and equity in the neighborhood schools," said Moos, who also served on the committee that made recommendations to the board in June. "The neighborhoods located in the center (of) the city are core to sustaining the vision of promoting the district's mission."

The district has consistently grown in a recent years, and it is projected to grow by an additional 1,900 students in the next five years.

"Few would argue the school district faces a tough few years of tight financial resources and rapid growth," said board applicant Robert Lindberg, a public affairs consultant at a local consulting firm. "We need to find ways to both increase output and improve quality of our education without demanding ever-increasing financial resources, because, in many cases, they simply won't be there."

Board members will select a new member to serve on Monday. Interviews start at 5:15 p.m.

The Tribune sent a questionnaire to all school board candidates. Click on each candidate's photo to read their full questions and answers. (Note: works best on a desktop computer or in landscape mode on phone browsers)
Cancer survivors are at a higher risk for addiction to opioid painkillers than people who never had the disease, a new study found.

The number of people addicted to opioids has skyrocketed in the United States in recent years, causing an epidemic.

Lawmakers are cracking down on the epidemic but ignoring the risk in cancer survivors, whose drug use is attributed to pain management.

There have been virtually no studies that look at opioid prescription in individuals who have survived cancer, and a team of researchers said this could be putting those individuals at risk.

Researchers at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto found that cancer survivors were 1.22 times more likely to be prescribed opioids than those who have never had cancer.

Lead author Dr Rinku Sutradhar told Daily Mail Online that the data should raise flags for physicians who deal with cancer survivors.

Cancer survivors are at a higher risk for addiction to opioid painkillers than people who never had the disease, a new study found

DRUG OVERDOSES ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN AMERICAN ADULTS UNDER 50 Figures released in June by the New York Times revealed drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death in American adults under 50. The data, published in a special report by the Times' Josh Katz, lays bare the bleak state of America's opioid addiction crisis fueled by deadly manufactured drugs like fentanyl. The figures are based on preliminary data, which will form part of an official report by the CDC later this year. Experts warn a key factor of the surge in deaths is fentanyl, which can be 50 times more powerful than heroin. The Times said its data showed between 59,000 and 65,000 people could have died from overdoses in 2016, up from 52,404 in 2015, and double the death rate a decade ago. In the past few years there has been an uptick in opioid addiction, with the most common being heroin and the powerful contaminant fetanyl. Fentanyl, the drug responsible for the death of musician Prince last year, is a man-made opioid 100 times more powerful than morphine. Advertisement

'I think cancer survivors weren't really on the radar for physicians in thinking about who was at the highest risk for addiction,' she said.

'Now doctors can be more aware about that risk when they are treating their patients.

'The main message we had is that there should be a more holistic and comprehensive plan to treat pain in cancer survivors.'

The research team also found that this the rate of prescription was increased even when survivors were 10 years past their initial cancer diagnosis.

The study, published in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, analyzed prescription information from 2010 in 8601 adults who were five years past their original cancer diagnosis.

Those individuals were matched with the same number of people who had never been diagnosed with cancer, based on their sex and year they were born.

Any follow-up was stopped at an indication of cancer recurrence, second malignancy or a new diagnosis.

Over a 36-month period, survivors were 1.22 times more likely to be prescribed and then fill a prescription for opioid painkillers than people without the disease.

On average, the survivors filled 7.7 opioid prescriptions, compared with 6.3 filled by the others.

The increased rate was also seen among survivors who were 10 or more years past their cancer diagnosis.

It was also found that younger individuals, those from rural neighborhoods, those in the lower-income brackets, and those with more than one chronic disease were at the highest risk of addiction.

'Our research findings raise concerns about the diagnosis and management of chronic pain problems among survivors stemming from their cancer diagnosis or treatment,' Dr Sutradhar explained.

'Physicians providing primary care to cancer survivors should consider close examination of reasons for continued opioid use to differentiate chronic pain from dependency.'
A sheriff in Ohio - one of the parts of the country where the opioid epidemic is hitting the hardest - has spoken out about his ex-wife's struggle with the drug.

Sheriff Robert Leahy filed for divorce from his wife in 2005 when she came in high after once again relapsing on heroin.

That was the breaking point, he said, when she walked through their front door at around 10pm, hours after she'd left for the grocery store, clearly high on the drug.

And when she came into their living room with an incoherent and vacant look in her eyes, he told CNN he was angry and embarrassed.

He'd been working in law enforcement for more than a decade, and now he was married to a heroin addict.

This all went down just weeks after Gretchen had returned to their home in Madiera, Ohio, from Crossroads Centre Antigua, the addiction treatment facility founded by Eric Clapton.

She received treatment multiple times for opiate addiction over a five year span, costing the family more than $16,000.

So when she relapsed again, Leahy filed for divorce and a temporary restraining order.

At the time, the opioid epidemic was in its early stages, with addiction having yet to truly ravage rural America.

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Sheriff Robert Leahy filed for divorce from his wife in 2005 when she came in high after once again relapsing on heroin

His wife dealt with opioid addiction for five years, and went to rehabilitation centers multiple times before Sheriff Leahy had to finally give up and file for divorce

THE EPIDEMIC: HOW OPIOID USE RIPPED APART LEAHY'S HOME, AND HOW HE VOWED TO TACKLE IT IN HIS JOB

WHAT HAPPENS IN A DRUG OVERDOSE? An overdose shortens breath and weakens the pulse. It turns lips and fingertips blue and shrinks pupils to the size of a pinhead. It can cause drowsiness, disorientation, choking, vomiting, a gurgling sound known as the 'death rattle,' and, eventually, a loss of consciousness. Death occurs when the brain stops sending the signals that make breathing automatic. Symptoms can kick in within minutes or hours, depending on the strength of the opioid and the user's tolerance. Highly potent batches of heroin, some mixed with the powerful anesthetic fentanyl, can accelerate the timeline. Advertisement

In 2005 nearly 15,000 Americans died from an opioid overdose, with 500 of those being from Ohio. Just 10 years later, those numbers climbed to 33,000 opioid-related deaths in the country, 2,700 of them in Ohio.

In fact, according to a New York Times study, drug overdose is now the leading cause of death in American adults under 50.

The data, published in a special report by the Times' Josh Katz, lays bare the bleak state of America's opioid addiction crisis fueled by deadly manufactured drugs like fentanyl.

Experts warn a key factor of the surge in deaths is fentanyl, which can be 50 times more powerful than heroin.

Leahy told CNN that at first, he could not understand how his wife let herself become addicted to the drugs. He thought it was a choice.

But watching her struggle to stay clean for years opened his eyes, helping him to see addiction as a disease in need of treatment.

Now, more than 10 years later, Ohio is grappling with one of the deadliest drug epidemics in American history.

And to have a chance at slowing things down, Leahy said, law enforcement officials and judges can't treat addicts like criminals, but have to start thinking like medical professionals.

In 2014, Leahy spearheaded an initiative that saw the sheriff's office equip their officers with Narcan, which reverses the effects of an overdose and is easy to use, as it's administered as a nasal spray.

He said it took a bit of convincing to get another sheriff to agree to it, and that speaking about his experience was the thing that best helped to make his point.

In 2014, Leahy spearheaded an initiative that saw the sheriff's office equip their officers with Narcan, which reverses the effects of an overdose and is easy to use, as it's administered as a nasal spray

OPIOID USE IN THE UNITED STATES: HOW THE DRUG RAVAGED COMMUNITIES, AND HOW POLITICIANS ARE LOOKING TO ADDRESS IT

DRUG OVERDOSES ARE THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN AMERICAN ADULTS UNDER 50 Figures released in June by the New York Times revealed drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death in American adults under 50. The data, published in a special report by the Times' Josh Katz, lays bare the bleak state of America's opioid addiction crisis fueled by deadly manufactured drugs like fentanyl. The figures are based on preliminary data, which will form part of an official report by the CDC later this year. Experts warn a key factor of the surge in deaths is fentanyl, which can be 50 times more powerful than heroin. The Times said its data showed between 59,000 and 65,000 people could have died from overdoses in 2016, up from 52,404 in 2015, and double the death rate a decade ago. In the past few years there has been an uptick in opioid addiction, with the most common being heroin and the powerful contaminant fetanyl. Fentanyl, the drug responsible for the death of musician Prince last year, is a man-made opioid 100 times more powerful than morphine. Advertisement

One of President Trump's campaign promises was to take control of the opioid epidemic ravishing the country.

So on July 31, the White House's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis went to hold him to that promise. The commission handed him a report that asked him to declare the epidemic a national health emergency.

Ohio, along with West Virginia and New Hampshire, is one of the states that's been hit hardest by the crisis.

In 2016, 86 percent of the deaths in the state involved opioid use. And within the state, certain counties are hit harder than others.

Montgomery County, for example, is at the intersection of interstates 70 and 75, making it the ideal distribution hub for Mexican drug cartels.

Police have said cartels ship drugs directly to Dayton, which is less than a 10-minute drive from that intersection. Local dealers can then hop onto one of those 'heroin highways' to bring the drugs around the country.

And most nights, the Montgomery County morgue is full of the bodies of addicts who died as a result up their drug use.

Since last year the county has had to hire six part-time coroners, two autopsy technicians and three field investigators, the head coroner, Dr Kent Harshbarger, told CNN.

Harshbarger also extended some staffers workday by three hours so they could perform more daily autopsies.

He also said that several times in the past few years the office was so overwhelmed that he had to put some of the corpses in mobile refrigerated trucks. The mobile-morgues were originally used after a mass-casualty event like a plane crash or terrorist attack.

Ohio, along with West Virginia and New Hampshire, is one of the states that's been hit hardest by the crisis. Pictured is the Clermont County Jail where Sheriff Leahy works

And the epidemic has gotten even deadlier in recent years as drugs like fentanyl and carfentanil have come on the market.

The drugs, which are thought to be heroin's opiate cousins, are significantly stronger. Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times stronger, and carfentanil, which was originally designed to be a large-animal tranquilizer, is 5,000 times stronger.

So for the most part, when addicts think they're purchasing the drug, it's more likely that they are buying one of these synthetic opioids.

In 2016, 251 of the 249 opioid-related overdose deaths in the country involved only one of these alternatives, with absolutely no heroin present. An additional 34 of those were caused by heroin laced with fentanyl.
Mourning a lost son: Paul and Michelle with their daughters Kitty, aged one, and Lulah, five

May 17, 2011, should have been the happiest day of Michelle Hemmingtons life. Nine days after the due date, her baby had decided to make an appearance.

When Michelle, then 33, was admitted to Northampton General Hospital shortly after 9am, accompanied by her partner Paul Buckley, a teacher, and her twin sister Donna, mother and child seemed set for a normal labour.

But by 11.46 that evening, 33 desperate minutes after he was born, Louie Hemmington Buckley had been declared dead, the 7lb 7oz victim of a shocking catalogue of incompetence and technical failures that starved him of oxygen.

I completely trusted that the midwives and doctors knew what they were doing, recalls Michelle, now 39, who is a school attendance officer in Northamptonshire. But they let us down.

Michelles dreadful experience is far from unique. In 2015, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists launched Each Baby Counts, a five-year initiative to reduce the number of such tragic events by 50 per cent by 2020.

But the grim conclusion of its review of hundreds of cases, published in June, shows the scale of the task. Each year between 500 and 800 babies die or are left with severe brain injury, it found  not because they are born too soon, too small or with an abnormality but, disgracefully, because of sub-standard care.

The critical question now being asked is why so many babies are being harmed by the health service in a wealthy nation like Britain. According to an NHS-funded review published last year, babies fare worse in the UK than in comparable countries. In Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland there are 4.3 stillbirths or deaths within 28 days of birth for every 1,000 births; in the UK it is 5.92.

The numbers are shocking, says Clea Harmer, chief executive at Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity. The death of a baby is profoundly painful for families and for a baby to reach labour at the end of pregnancy and yet to suffer harm that might have been avoided, is devastating.

Such tragedies also come at a huge cost to the NHS. In 2016-17, obstetric cases accounted for only 10 per cent of the 10,686 clinical negligence claims against the NHS, but for 50 per cent of the 4.37 billion cost of those claims  babies who suffer brain damage at birth will often need a lifetime of expensive care.

Two years ago, Catherine Dixon, the former chief executive of the NHS Litigation Authority, said it was time to address the fact that the clinical negligence bill is rising and [that] the only way to reduce it is to invest in safer NHS care.

In The Law Society Gazette, she wrote: You would think every action would be taken to stop damaging babies brains. If the cost runs into billions and the result is untold misery to babies and their families, isnt it worth investing more to stop this from happening?

Louie Hemmington was declared dead just 11 minutes after he was born

Unforgiveably, many parents whose babies die or are harmed through hospital errors face years of legal action before the NHS admits it is in the wrong.

After Louies death, his parents and their lawyers had a four-and-a-half-year fight before the hospital admitted it had failed them.

The internal hospital inquiry, seen by Good Health, identified a catalogue of 18 avoidable errors, compounded by a lack of leadership and by failures in communication and lack of adherence to guidelines during labour.

The hospitals report said Louie and his mother, who was looked after by eight different midwives during her 14-hour labour, suffered from a lack of continuity of care, a failure to start continuous foetal monitoring at the right time and failure to escalate to a consultant obstetrician when an urgent review was required.

When Louie was delivered, apparently lifeless, there were delays in starting resuscitation, compounded by the fact the Resuscitaire  a machine used to warm and give emergency oxygen to a newborn baby  wasnt working properly.

After birth, Louie was placed briefly on Michelles abdomen while his cord was cut, but her joy turned to dismay when he was whisked behind a curtain. At first we were elated, recalls Michelle. Then we heard alarms going off and people screaming for help. The horror continued for more than 30 minutes. Finally a doctor appeared and said: Your son has died. It was a total shock.

Each year between 500 and 800 babies die or are left with severe brain injury (stock image)

It was in a bid to reduce such unnecessary suffering and loss of life that the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists launched Each Baby Counts in 2015. Its June report reveals the college examined the cases of 1,136 babies who were harmed or died during childbirth in 2015 and unearthed tragic failings.

Sixty independent experts reviewed the local hospital investigations and found a quarter had been done so badly it was imposs-ible to draw conclusions about the quality of care provided.

But of the 727 that were adequately investigated, 76 per cent  556 babies  might have had a different outcome with different care. Shockingly, in a quarter of cases, parents didnt even know their babys death was under investigation.

The investigators identified 37 common critical contributory factors in the cases they examined, with an average of six in each.

But as with Louie, the most common failings related to cardiotocography (CTG), or continuous foetal monitoring.

In 2013, Michelle set up the Campaign for Safer Births

Here, mothers are wired up to a machine that continuously displays the babys heart rate in real-time, creating a trace that shows all-important variations in heart rate over time. CTG has been in use for 20 years and, in theory, offers the best chance of spotting problems.

But the Each Baby Counts report found a failure to act upon suspicious readings played a part in 63 per cent of cases, with crucial errors in interpreting the readings in 49 per cent.

An inquest in May into another babys death, that of Billy Wilson at Pinderfields Hospital, West Yorkshire, heard from an expert that its commonplace for midwives to qualify without having training in using CTG.

During her labour, Michelle Hemmington grew increasingly worried about Louies erratic heartbeat, which she could hear after continuous monitoring was finally started at 9.50pm, just over an hour before he was born.

I was told not to worry, everything was fine, Michelle recalls. Yet, as the hospitals internal inquiry revealed, midwives failed to monitor his heart rate properly, before and after continuous monitoring was started.

Michelle pleaded several times for a caesarean. Her fears were dismissed. I knew I couldnt deliver him on my own without intervention, she told Good Health. He seemed stuck and I knew he wasnt coming out without help. He was in distress for over an hour, which is why his brain injury was so bad.

Louie was born minutes after a midwife carried out an episiotomy. An obstetric expert retained by the familys lawyers concluded that was all he needed when he became distressed, but it came too late. If the midwives had listened, Michelle believes Louie would have been a healthy baby.

A spokesperson for the trust told Good Health it admitted Louie should have been delivered earlier and, had that happened, he would have been born alive.

According to an NHS-funded review published last year, babies fare worse in the UK than in comparable countries

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says that no normally formed, term baby whose mother labours should suffer death either during or shortly after birth, or suffer a severe disability as a result of an event in labour.

But if the causes of what it calls these devastating, life-changing events are known, why isnt the aim to reduce them by 100 per cent by 2020, rather than 50 per cent?

The answer, says Zarko Alfirevic, a professor of foetal and maternal medicine at Liverpool Womens Hospital and a co-principal investigator on Each Baby Counts, is complex: of course we hope to abolish such cases altogether, but weve tried to set a target thats both ambitious and achievable.

The problem, he says, is we find ourselves . . . in a system where in certain sets of circumstances you have well-trained, experienced people who can still make these mistakes. Staffing levels, he says, doubtless play a part. So, too, does inadequate foetal monitoring and a range of other factors, including missing antenatal notes and overwhelming case loads that mean staff miss signs a baby is in distress.

Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, says inadequate staffing is a key factor: Theres no doubt if you do get to the root cause of some of these tragedies staffing levels come into it.

In 2008, a Kings Fund report concluded that while it was accepted all women should have one-to-one midwife care during labour, staff shortages meant this was frequently not the case.

The Royal College of Midwives says that in England the profession is short of 3,500 midwives, and recruiting drives are failing to replace those leaving, netting just eight new midwives last year. As the Mail reports today, staff shortages are being partly blamed for maternity wards having to turn away women in labour.

Since Louies avoidable death, Northampton General Hospital Trust has made significant changes and improvements in our maternity services

A survey the college conducted last year found the main reason given for leaving the profession is, ironically, staff shortages. In Louies case, the hospitals report admitted unrealistic expectations by the labour ward co-ordinator, with one midwife expected to care for nine women in two separate locations.

Despite the hospitals internal inquiry concluding that the root cause of Louies death was a lack of effective leadership and a lack of care in labour, at first the trust denied it had caused his death.

We desperately wanted to know what had happened, and for the hospital to learn from its mistakes, says Michelle.

But it was December 2015 before the trust admitted liability. For Michelle, this meant I relived Louies death every day for four-and-a-half years, trying to analyse what had happened. When the legal action ended, we could finally just grieve.

A spokesperson said the hospital was guided by the NHS Litigation Authority (now NHS Resolution), the body that handles negligence claims against the NHS.

Sarah Harper of Access Legal Solicitors, who represented the family, says the NHS routinely denies liability and defends cases such as these. Sometimes, denials go on for years, which can only serve to add to parental anguish.

NHS Resolution strongly refuted that it automatically denies liability, saying it has made it a priority to ensure families receive answers as soon as possible.

Since Louies avoidable death, Northampton General Hospital Trust has made significant changes and improvements in our maternity services.

In 2013, Michelle set up the Campaign for Safer Births with Nicky Lyon, a teaching assistant from Cheshire. Nickys son Harry suffered brain damage due to errors at birth and after a short, difficult life, died of a chest infection in 2009, aged 18 months.

In the past four years, the campaign has been contacted by over 100 parents whose children have been harmed or died in birth  we hear the same things again and again, says Michelle.

Thats why were completely in support of Each Baby Counts so these dreadful tragedies dont keep happening.

On July 13, 2012, more than a year after Louies death, Michelle gave birth to a daughter, Lulah. I was petrified and I refused to go through a natural labour. Michelle had an elective caesarean and felt more in control but I was still convinced she was going to die, even after she was born.

After that, it took Michelle and Paul a little while to pluck up the courage to go through it all again. Kitty was born, also by caesarean, on July 27, 2016. Despite the joy the girls have brought, I am not the same person that I was before Louie died, says Michelle, and I never will be again.
Can enjoying late nights and lazy lie-ins at the weekends really kill you? That was the alarming claim made recently by U.S. researchers, who say the habit can raise our risk of dying from heart disease by 11 per cent.

The danger lies in what sleep scientists at the University of Arizona in Tucson, in the U.S., call social jet lag  where changing our sleep patterns at the weekend knocks our bodies and brains out of kilter.

Sierra Forbush, a research assistant at the universitys Sleep and Health Research Program, who led the study, says changing your sleeping habits at the weekend can wreak havoc on your biological clock.

The survey of 984 adults, published in the journal Sleep, found a link between people who habitually went to bed and rose late on weekends and an increased rate of cardiovascular disease and fatigue  although its not clear why.

Can enjoying late nights and lazy lie-ins at the weekends really kill you? (stock image)

Other studies have found links between lie-ins and other physical and mental problems. In 2015, a study of 225 volunteers by health psychologist Dr Patricia Wong at the University of Pittsburgh, in the U.S., warned that significant shifts in sleep routines between workdays and weekends are likely to raise the risk of diabetes.

Many had fatter waists and higher levels of sugar and fat in the blood  classic warning signs for diabetes  reported Dr Wong in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Lie-ins may also diminish your ability to think. A study in April by Dr Michael Scullin, director of the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory at Baylor University in Texas, in the U.S., tested 28 students and found that when they caught up on lost weekday sleep with long lie-ins, they performed significantly worse in tests of attention and creativity.

Consistent habits are at least as important for our cognitive abilities as total length of sleep, concluded Dr Scullin in the Journal of Interior Design.

Irregular sleep is a negative for the intense focus needed for planning, making decisions and correcting errors.

Yet other studies have shown that lie-ins may be good for our bodies and brains. In January, a study by the University of Chicago suggested they reduce peoples diabetes risk if theyve been deprived of sleep during the week. Chronic sleep deprivation may increase insulin insensitivity, and catching up on sleep may help undo the damage.

The research, in the journal Diabetes Care, found that getting only four or five hours sleep a night can raise the risk of diabetes by around 16 per cent.

But sleeping for nearly ten hours on two consecutive nights can reverse that damage, claimed sleep disorders expert Dr Esra Tasali, who led the investigation.

Her study found lie-ins improved the bodys response to insulin by 23 per cent. And rather than lie-ins causing fatter waistlines, other research suggests the opposite. In 2014, University of Chicago investigators reported in the journal Appetite a 90-minute lie-in at the weekend reduces hunger pangs.

The survey found a link between people who habitually went to bed and rose late on weekends and an increased rate of cardiovascular disease and fatigue

Its also known that sleep deprivation may disrupt the activity of appetite hormones such as leptin. The study concluded that: Obtaining adequate sleep is associated with less desire for high-calorie foods in overweight young adults who habitually curtail their sleep.

It appears that catching up with lost sleep may restore healthy levels of these appetite hormones. Researchers are similarly at odds over whether weekend lie-ins can boost your brain power.

In 2010, Dr David Dinges, chief of the Division of Sleep and Chronobiology at the University of Pennsylvania, reported in the journal Sleep that a ten-hour sleep can boost mental energy, alertness and attention after a week of restricted sleep.

So, should we be lying awake at night worrying about the pros and cons of enjoying a lie-in?

It would be a shame to be scared of a lie-in, says Jim Horne, a sleep neuroscientist and emeritus professor of psychophysiology at Loughborough University.

He thinks its not sleep  or the lack thereof  but chronic stress thats the main culprit behind poor-quality sleep and physical health. Indeed, with diabetes, numerous studies indicate that chronically raised levels of stress hormones can interfere with the regulation of blood-sugar levels.

Joseph Gannon, chief sleep physiologist at the Sleep Disorders Clinic in London, believes there is little to fear from the odd lie-in. He adds, however, that he does see patients suffering from extreme weekend lie-ins.

Dr Neil Stanley, an independent sleep consultant, says weekend lie-ins should only be necessary for night owls  people who function best in the evenings.

If youre a night owl, then you are probably sleep-deprived, as you will have gone to bed late and will then have to get up on weekday mornings before your system is ready. In all probability, being sleep-deprived during the week is worse for you than having a lie-in at the weekend.
Late one morning, heart surgeon Professor Martin Elliott was scrubbing up in preparation for a major operation when a colleague popped his head round the door and said: You need to go home urgently.

The colleague had no idea what the emergency was, nor did Professor Elliotts secretary  all she could tell him was that his son, Becan, had called, saying that his father had to get home straight away.

Unable to get through to anyone on the phone at home, he grabbed his coat, ran out into the rain and hailed a cab to take him on the half-hour journey from Great Ormond Street Hospital to the family home in West Dulwich, South London.

As the taxi turned the final corner, Professor Elliott felt a rising sense of panic: his house was surrounded by paramedics and ambulances.

He was met at the door by a strained-looking Becan, who broke the news that his older brother, Toby, had died in his sleep. He was 26.

Warning sign: Toby Elliott (pictured) had bitten his tongue during his sleep

As Becan told me what had happened, I felt as if the wind had been knocked out of me, recalls Professor Elliott.

As part of my job, I am trained to deal with trauma, but at that point, it meant nothing  my professionalism left me. I was struggling to take everything in.

Becan was like a rock and put his arm around me and guided me upstairs to Tobys room where my wife Lesley was. She was in tears.

It was Lesley who had found Toby, after going up to see why he had not come down for breakfast.

She was in the most awful state, says Professor Elliott. I just sat beside Toby for ages.

The worst thing was not being able to say goodbye  he was suddenly gone. You think of all those things you didnt get round to saying  the stories you wanted to share.

The grief hit the family hard. The way the books describe it is that you go through things in order  shock, denial, guilt, anger, despair  but what they dont tell you is that, sometimes, you will feel these things all at once, and sometimes, you will feel nothing at all  just a hollow numbness, says Professor Elliott.

In the immediate aftermath, as well as the grief, the family were left with the question: Why?

There was only one clue. A year before he died, Toby had bitten his tongue in his sleep.

Toby thought it had occurred during a nightmare  I had a vague thought that he might have had a fit, says Professor Elliott.

We took him to our GP to see what he thought and he said if it happened again to let him know.

We felt reassured, especially as it did not happen again.

But then, the night before Toby died, he bit it again, not too badly. Toby thought that it was just a bad dream, but my wife and I were worried that it might be a sign that he was having fits.

Unfortunately, we didnt get a chance to do anything about it as, at some point during the next night, he died.

A bitten tongue can occur during an epileptic seizure and the two incidents helped determine that Toby had epilepsy.

In fact, he had suffered SUDEP, sudden unexplained death in epilepsy, thought to be caused by an interruption with the autonomic nervous system, which controls our breathing and heartbeat, possibly triggered by anything from lack of sleep to a bright flash of light.

Typically, no physical problem is found by the post-mortem and while most of those who die will have had a history of major seizures, some may not have had a seizure before.

Seizures are the most common cause of death among those with epilepsy

It is the most common cause of death among those with epilepsy.

Professor Elliott knew nothing about SUDEP until a neurologist who attended Tobys funeral said to him: It must have been SUDEP. It is a significant risk to those with epilepsy  but awareness of it remains low, even among medics.

Neither I nor five professors of medicine who came to Tobys funeral had heard of it before, concedes Professor Elliott, who is also a professor of physic at Gresham College.

Sometimes when it happens, as there is no obvious cause, it is treated as a suspected murder, he says. I have heard from those whose homes have been turned into a crime scene in the aftermath of what is a SUDEP death.

It was weeks after Tobys death that Professor Elliott received the post-mortem results: having found nothing untoward, and given the tongue biting, the pathologist said SUDEP must have been the cause.

Around half-a-million people in the UK have epilepsy, caused by overexcitable brain cells that suddenly discharge electrical energy, resulting in a seizure. The type and scale depends on the area of the brain affected.

For example, if its in the temporal lobe (the area behind the ears, involved in hearing and perception), it might just cause an unusual memory, which people experience as a strong sense of deja vu, or cause them to have an unusual taste, says Professor Philip Smith, a consultant neurologist at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.

If its in the occipital area (at the back) of the brain, it may cause visual disturbances, and if the whole brain is affected, it can mean that someone becomes unconscious during a seizure.

The causes of epilepsy vary. Epilepsy is really a symptom of many different conditions, explains Professor Smith. Its best thought of as similar to pain, in that you get it through many different causes.

These include brain injury, a genetic susceptibility, a tumour or other brain diseases, including dementia. It can also be caused by a scar on the brain acquired typically before birth or in the first two years of life when the brain is at its most vulnerable  either by injury or an infection, says Professor Smith.

Sometimes, as in Tobys case, there is no obvious cause.

Treatment includes surgery to remove physical causes, or medication to reduce the excitability of the brain cells, says Professor Smith. Its a bit like treating high blood pressure  you might use three different tablets that work in different ways in order to get the desired outcome.

He adds: Trying to prevent major seizure is really important. Thats because they can prove fatal  they can lead to accidents, for example, but major seizures are also linked to an increased risk of SUDEP.

Professor Elliott says: Around 30 per cent of those who die of SUDEP havent been seen by a health professional for more than 12 months  even though they have had seizures. Both he and the charity SUDEP Action would like this to change.

Regular checks help detect any increase in seizures, then changes to medication or lifestyle can be suggested to better control them.

Yet 10 per cent of the 500 SUDEP cases a year occur in people who have not had a seizure before.

Toby, a budding film editor, died seven years ago, but Professor Elliott has only recently researched SUDEP and become involved with relevant charities. Before, it was all too painful for me, he says.

He would like a tissue and blood bank established for those who have died from SUDEP or cardiac sudden death to help determine why these deaths happen and to save others from the pain they went through.

The yearning to see Toby just once more never goes away, and not a day goes by without us thinking about him, says Professor Elliott. We all continue to struggle in various ways  we cope rather than win.

sudep.org
Expect the country's first bullet train project to roll down the tracks at a rapid pace.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will jointly lay the foundation stone of the 508-km corridor between Ahmedabad and Mumbai during the latter's visit to India in September.

Sources said the groundbreaking ceremony will be performed in Ahmedabad keeping in view the Gujarat assembly polls slated for November-December this year.

They said the bullet train project will be showcased as the biggest achievement of Modi who will start the project from his home state.

Also, the BJP will be going to polls with the PM as the party's face in the state.

Bullet train launch is on a fast track

It takes about seven hours to travel on rail between the two cities and the bullet train aims to reduce it to about two hours.

To ensure the dream project does not get delayed, Indian Railways is all set to hire a consultant who will look into land acquisition and other financial issues.

It will be the responsibility of the consultant to see that full compensation is paid to every land owner and also ensure jobs to their family members, said a senior railway board official dealing with the bullet train project.

The initial detailed project report (DPR) prepared by the Japanese authorities, which is providing technical assistance to Indian Railways, suggested constructing a major portion of the corridor on surface.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

But the DPR was modified to take the elevated route primarily to avoid delays.

As officials put it, the change would do away with legal and environmental hurdles regarding land acquisition.

PM Modi, too, has been pushing his ministers to speed up the big ticket projects that have often encountered legal barriers in several states.

According to a railway ministry official, approximately 850 hectares of land would be required for the bullet train project.

As the project was initially planned to run on the surface, it would have required more land.

This, however, would escalate the project cost, sources said.

'The consultant would prepare a comprehensive report on the quantity of land to be acquired and its socioeconomic impact.

'The consultant will maintain a record of the trade and industries that will be affected due to land acquisition. Accordingly, the compensation along with job to the affected families will be ensured,' a railway official said.

For an elevated corridor, the total compensation owed to land owners is not substantial.

Also, it will ensure speedy execution of the project. Already more than 440 rail projects are stuck over land acquisition.

Shinzo Abe, Japan's Prime Minister

This, according to a CAG report of 2015, has resulted in cost overrun of `1.07 lakh crore.

Railways also faced major hurdles in acquiring land for its ambitious dedicated freight corridors that will significantly decongest the railway network and increase the speed of passenger trains.

Officials said while the Indian Railways will acquire the financial assistance and bullet train technology from Japan, it will ensure maximum job opportunities to Indian companies in construction of the project.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Of the 508 km length, 450 km of work will be awarded to Indian companies while only 52 km will be given to Japanese companies.

Furthermore, work on seven km of under-sea rail track will be open for foreign players as Indian does not have the technology for constructing under-sea rail tunnels.

India's bullet train, at a speed of 320 km per hour, will match the speed of the leading high-speed train systems across the world.

The project will cost approximately `1 lakh crore and the funding of the project is being done by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Railway officials said the actual work on project would begin by 2018 and the work will be completed by 2023.
A few days ago, Congress lawyer-politician Kapil Sibal approached the Supreme Court that the NOTA option be removed from the Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat.

On August 3, the Supreme Court called this effort opportunistic. 'When it suited you, you did not come. You came here on the eve of elections,' it said.

Manipulation

The Gujarat Assembly is in turmoil due to defections after six Congress MLAs switched to the BJP camp amidst high drama.

Can India's constitutional democracy survive this onslaught? (file pic)

The BJP regime has become a symbol for manipulation and intrigue.

With President's rule in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand firmly in mind, along with post-election manoeuvres in Manipur and Goa, the BJP has grown in public imagination as one that will manipulate the Constitution itself to comprehensibly govern India.

In many ways, democracy lies in fear of all this which is capable of manipulating democratic processes to produce undemocratic results.

With Kerala burning over the death of an RSS worker, there is now a demand for President's Rule in the state, which was infamously a victim of such in 1959 and many times thereafter.

Can India's constitutional democracy survive this onslaught? Curiously, this onslaught has come from both sides in India's independent history.

The Indira Gandhi years (1967-77) were massive examples of such manipulation. Now the BJP era from 2014 represents the second high point of manipulated democracy.

Defections are back. President's Rule is back. Parliament is threatened by majoritarianism.

Supporters throw flower petals as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Narendra Modi rides in an open jeep

This essay is about the internal manipulation of the Parliament itself.

Recently, the Aadhar Act, 2016 was passed off as a Money Bill to disempower the Rajya Sabha to make amendments.

The example is a telling one as indeed, the issue is of a Money Bill. Why was this done? All Bills require the attention of both Houses.

If they disagree, unlike England, a joint session would have to be called (Article 108). Jaitley has often threatened joint sessions, but such thoughts have suffered forbearance.

A joint session would not have been an exercise in constitutionality or to restore matters constitutionally, but using numbers for the Lok Sabha to overwhelm the Rajya Sabha.

Such a manipulation should be a last resort. For the Aadhaar Bill, the way out appeared to be to call it a money Bill, which requires a special procedure (as mentioned in Article 110).

Since the Aadhaar Act contained incidental expenditure in the Consolidated Fund, it was stated to be as a money Bill. Once that is done, the Rajya Sabha can discuss it but not pass amendments binding on the Lok Sabha.

That is why this manoeuvre was called the subversion of democracy since it choked up discussion on Aadhar which does more than use unique identification for service delivery.

Face-off

The BJP regime has become a symbol for manipulation and intrigue

This created an impasse. Was the Lok Sabha Speaker's certification that this was a money Bill final?

When the matter went to the Supreme Court, a telling exchange took place between the counsel and the court, with Chief Justice JS Khehar confidently declaring, 'If the Speaker says green is blue, we will tell blue is blue.'

Khehar is fond of making off-the-cuff remarks for drama, but does this mean that the Supreme Court is willing to inquire into the Speaker's certification which is part of the Parliamentary process into which the Supreme Court does not dare to interfere?

If it does, a quarrel of gigantic proportions will be set up between legislature and the judiciary.

Of course, there is a view that the Supreme Court can, and should step in, to review the Speaker's decision.

But this is a big step. It is all very well to say that in defection matters, the Speaker's decision will not be final as in the Kihoto case (1992).

But, we can't have the Supreme Court regulating parliamentary procedures in every finite way. In such a clash of arms, both institutions will suffer. Indubitably, the Supreme Court has very limited, if any, powers of intervention, while parliamentary proceedings are actually taking place unless Parliament transgresses fundamental rights (as in the UP legislature case (1964) when the Assembly threatened to send High Court judges to jail.

Here, as in Cash-for-questions case (2007), the Supreme Court will define the privileges of the legislature so that the latter does not become a law unto itself by arrogating unlimited powers to itself. But can the Supreme Court go further.

SC intervention

Take the Money Bill example. While the Bill is going through Parliament (or Assembly), the court cannot interfere. But, after it becomes an Act, can the Supreme Court say that the 'procedure' followed was wrong because the Bill could not have been certified as a money bill by the Speaker.

In the UP Lokayukta case (2014) where I appeared, the court took the traditional view that the Speaker's view was final. This gets as back to our original dilemma. If Parliament blatantly cheats on itself by using ramrod procedures stifle discussion, it becomes a law unto itself?

Defections are back. President's Rule is back. Parliament is threatened by majoritarianism

The present answer seems 'Yes it can'. That is a blow to democratic constitutionalism.

We are in danger that the Constitution's internal procedures being grossly abused; and nothing can be done about it. The people seem helpless.

Our Constitution rests on two sets of principles: democratic and constitutional. Democracy cannot override constitutional balances.

Nor can these 'balances' throttle democratic discourse. Today, the BJP is threatening the very fabric of constitutional governance
A grim reminder of India's struggle with violence against women has arrived on the day of Raksha Bandhan, a religious festival when men vow to protect the life and honour of their sisters.

Delhi Police statistics reveal that till July 15 this year, the city reported six cases of rape and ten cases of sexual assault on average, daily.

While the data continues to present a sorry picture of safety for women in India's capital, there is a small reprieve in the marginal improvement compared to the corresponding period last year.

A girl selecting Rakhi at a shop in Chikmaglur, Karnataka on Saturday ahead of the Raksha Bandhani festival

The city registered 1,138 rape cases in 2017 as against 1,204 in 2016 (till July 15). Besides rape and assault, nearly 11 instances of abduction and eight of cruelty by husband and in-laws were reported daily.

The figures show that kidnappings have risen from 1,913 last year to 2,066 in 2017, up nearly five per cent.

'Instead of lauding itself for bringing down the crime against women, that too just a small amount, Delhi Police will do well to compare the statistics vis-a-vis other metropolitan cities,' said Aarti, an activist who helps city police in providing counseling to woman victims of various crimes.

'Women continue to feel unsafe, and in distress, whether at home or outside.'

While activists blame poor police patrolling and low conviction rate for the high crime rate, the police have maintained that in most rape cases, the accused is known to the victim.

While activists blame poor police patrolling and low conviction rate for the high crime rate, the police have maintained that in most rape cases, the accused is known to the victim

'There is little doubt that well-lit areas and police patrolling discourage outlaws from indulging in criminal activities.

'However, studies have proved that in rape cases, the victim is mostly someone familiar to the victim,' said a senior officer, associated with Delhi Police crime against women cell, who did not wish to be named.

The officer said, 'As compared to the last year, the incidents have come down. But this cannot allow us to be complacent.

'In future, we have to better our policing to bring down the crime rate further. We have to keep up the vigil and sensitise the force in handling cases of crime against women, so that more women come forward to report crimes against them.'

Delhi Police have about 1,000 PCR patrolling vans to man 13 districts in the Capital.

These vans are connected to the command room with a wireless integrated public address system. On average, the Delhi police helpline receives over 25,000 calls daily.

The data in possession with Mail Today reveal that till July 15, a total of 7,155 cases were reported by female victims for crimes ranging from molestation, kidnapping, cruelty, rape and murder.

Over 70 women died in dowry harassment-related cases in Delhi this year.

Delhi Police have come up with a facility where the commuters can access Delhi Police's mobile safety application for women 'Himmat' while travelling in any of cab aggregator like Uber.

This was intiated after a number of rape cases involved cab drivers. However, safety concerns remain.

On Saturday evening itself, a girl was kidnapped by three men in Rohini area of northwest Delhi, who tried to rape her in a moving car.

The girl raised an alarm and two men travelling in a car heard her screams.

The duo followed the offenders and blocked their vehicle.

A crowd of about 150 people gathered on the scene and burned down the Accent car used in the crime and bashed up two of the accused while the third managed to flee.

The crowd also shouted slogans against the police and lashed out at their late arrival and incompetency.
Union minister Arun Jaitley's visit to the family of a recently slain RSS volunteer has been criticised by the CPI(M) for trying to nationalise the issue of murders of its cadre - allegedly by the ruling Left workers - in Kerala.

Jaitley has come down heavily on the spree of violence against RSS-BJP members, which the Right-wing have been claiming as the handiwork of the Left cadre supported by the state government and perpetrated by the connivance of local police.

While the Union minister accused the Left of using its cadres to eliminate rival party workers, he said the RSS and BJP could not be suppressed through violence.

Jaitley with relatives of Rajesh, who was hacked to death in Trivandrum

People march against 'CPM Goons' attacking RSS members in the state

He said this at a condolence meeting after visiting the family members of slain RSS worker Rajesh Edavakkode.

SL Rajesh (34) was hacked to death on July 29 in Thiruvananthapuram. His left arm was chopped off while he was stabbed nearly 100 times with sharp weapons such as knives and swords. His face too was cut up and badly disfigured.

He was the RSS Edavakkode basthi karuyavah and was returning after attending a 'shakha' when he was attacked by around 15 people.

The minister questioned the complete silence of those who otherwise spoke against similar incidents in other parts of the country.

CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged that the political violence had increased in the state after the visit of BJP president Amit Shah (pictured) in early June

Anger after the murder of a RSS member

'If the prime concentration is to use the cadres of the ruling party to eliminate political opponents and create an environment of violence, then the party in power has to seriously introspect,' he said.

CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, however, alleged that the political violence had increased in the state after the visit of BJP president Amit Shah in early June.

He said the BJP is implementing Shah's plan in the state by allegedly attacking party strongholds.

'I have come here to express the solidarity of the central leadership with karyakartas. Those who perpetuate violence must remember that our organisation, our political party, and other sympathetic organisations have survived through generations despite these kinds of assault. This kind of violence will neither suppress the ideology, nor scare our workers and cadres,' Jaitley said.

'It is the responsibility of the state government to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book and a deterrent punishment is slapped on them. Police too are expected to be fair,' he added.

Meanwhile, ahead of Jaitley's visit, relatives of 21 CPI(M) cadre, killed in attacks allegedly by RSS and BJP workers, began a 'satyagraha' in front of Raj Bhavan.
Perhaps more than his father - Yadavindra Singh, the last ruling Maharaja of the erstwhile princely state of Patiala - Captain Amarinder Singh, who's now responsible for all of Punjab as its chief minister, took after his mother.

Mohinder Kaur, who passed away at the age of 95 years on July 24, was in fact the last reigning Maharani of Patiala, although since her husband's death in the Netherlands in 1974, Kaur has assumed the title of Rajmata (Queen Mother).

Born on September 14, 1922 in Ludhiana to Harchand Singh Jaijee of Sangrur, she was just 16 years old when she wed Yadavindra Singh in August 1938, just a few months after he succeeded his father Bhupindra Singh, as Maharaja.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh paying last respects to Rajmata Mohinder Kaur, mother of Punjab CM, Capt. Amarinder Singh during the Antim Ardas in Patiala on Sunday

Patiala was agog. Their Maharani, they said, was without contest the most beautiful young woman in the state. But while Kaur retained her poise and charm till her final conscious moments, it was her grit and generosity that eventually won hearts.

Well before Partition in August 1947, Patiala became a natural magnet for tens of thousands of Sikh and Hindu refugees arriving from their homes in what had been proclaimed as Pakistan.

All of Patiala and its royals took them all in. Just 25 years old at the time, Mohinder Kaur took the lead role in organising camps for the 'refugees' from West Punjab.

Mohinder Kaur, who passed away at the age of 95 years on July 24, was the last reigning Maharani of Patiala

Assisted by others, she set up round-the-clock langars (community kitchens) and ensured adequate measure of medical care through what was the most grueling Monsoon in living memory in Punjab.

Later, on Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's bidding, Kaur joined the huge campaign to track down, recover and repatriate Muslim women and girls abducted from refugee caravans as they were making their way to Pakistan. She was instrumental in reuniting scores of such young women with their families.

Former external affairs minister Natwar Singh, who was her son-in-law by his marriage to the Rajmata's oldest daughter Heminder Kaur, says, she grew particularly close to Indira Gandhi after Feroze Gandhi's demise in 1960.

Capt Amarinder Singh 'takes after his mother' Rajmata Mohinder Kaur, says Asit Jolly

Singh describes how the two of them spent a whole month at the Patialas' summer home in Chail (Himachal Pradesh).

She made a formal entry into politics in 1964 as a Congress member of the Rajya Sabha until 1967. She then won the 1967 Lok Sabha poll from her home constituency of Patiala.

But Kaur had an unhappy parting of ways with the Indira Gandhiled Congress and was denied the party nomination for a second shot at the Lok Sabha in 1971.

Yadavindra Singh, Mohinder Kaur's husband, died in the Netherlands in 1974

Kaur, who moved abroad with Yadavindra Singh when he was made ambassador to the Netherlands, may well have sought an early retirement from active politics. She returned to Patiala following her husband's death in 1974, choosing a largely quiet life with her grandchildren away from the glare of politics.

But said to be highly upset with the excesses during the Emergency of 1975, Kaur joined the Janata Party that formed the government under Morarjee Desai in 1977. A year later, she was elected to the Rajya Sabha for a full six-year term.

In the end, she became the example in politics that Amarinder Singh would emulate.

Like him, she never forgot a name or a face. 'You're Shobi!' she said to an old friend's daughter who came to see her a week before she died. Although given her frail health, the recognition dawned slowly.

And just as she taught her son, she remained full of grace and generosity. All of Patiala and beyond turned out to see their Rajmata off, many with tears in their eyes.
Petitioner Charu Wali Khanna, a Supreme Court lawyer and a native of Kashmir has raised the issue of Article 14 and 35A being in contradiction

The debate on the validity of Article 35A of the Constitution, which confers special status to Jammu and Kashmir, is back in the public and political domain.

Three weeks after the Modi government told the Supreme Court, in regard to two petitions seeking scrapping of the clause, that it wanted a 'larger debate' on the issue, a fresh plea has been filed on the ground that the provisions under Article 35A were discriminatory towards women natives of the state.

Petitioner Charu Wali Khanna, a Supreme Court lawyer and a native of Kashmir, stated: 'Article 14 of Constitution gives a fundamental right to equality before law.

'Unreasonable classification between males and females and between females and females is against the spirit of Article 14 of the Constitution.' Charu Wali Khanna

'But 35A is heavily loaded in favour of males because even after marriage to women from outside they will not lose the right of being permanent residents.

'A woman from outside the state shall became a permanent resident on marrying a male permanent resident of the state but a daughter who is born state subject will loss the right on marrying an outsider.'

Married out of her caste and settled outside the state, Wali Khanna became a non-permanent resident.

'Despite being a Kashmiri Pandit by birth, the state does not recognise me as its citizen,' Wali Khanna told Mail Today.

'I desired to build a home in Jammu and Kashmir in order to re-discover my roots but I was barred by the peculiar, discriminatory law in doing so,' she said.

'Unreasonable classification between males and females and between females and females is against the spirit of Article 14 of the Constitution.'

Article 35A allows the Jammu and Kashmir legislature to define the list of 'permanent residents' of the state, who are eligible to vote, work for the state government, own land, secure, public employment and college admissions.

Non-permanent residents are denied all these rights.

Wali Khanna contended that the rules restricted the basic right of a Kashmiri woman to marry a man of her choice by not giving her children any right to property if the husband is not holding a Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC).

'Even the kids of such a couple are also denied a permanent resident certificate  thereby considering them illegitimate,' she said.

Charu Wali Khanna has challenged the notification dated April 20, 1927 issued by the Maharaja Bahadur of Kashmir

Wali Khanna also argued that Article 35A can be struck down on the sole ground that it was incorporated in the Indian Constitution through a Presidential Order on May 14, 1954, bypassing Parliament.

She has challenged the notification dated April 20, 1927 issued by the Maharaja Bahadur of Kashmir.

'Look at the irony. I can work and buy property anywhere in India, in fact the world, except in Jammu and Kashmir to which me and my ancestors belonged to,' she said.

A bench of justices Dipak Misra and A M Khanwilkar sought Centre's view and kept the petition for detailed hearing on August 14.

The BJP in its election manifesto had promised to scrap or at least dilute the special status to the state given under Article 35A.

The RSS too favours abolition of the special status to change the state's demographics.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah

A petition in this regard filed by RSS-backed think tank called the Jammu & Kashmir Study Centre is already pending in the SC.

The RSS has termed the Article a recipe to several conflicts.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, on the other hand, has said that those seeking a debate on the special status accorded to J&K were 'playing with fire' as the issue is linked to the state's accession to India.

'How can you debate special status of Jammu and Kashmir without debating accession? You can't. They are two sides of the same coin. J&K acceded to India on the special status that was granted to it,' Omar said.
While Indians celebrated Raksha Bandhan with much fervour on Monday, Sameena Rakhshani, a 20-year-old Baloch woman living in the Capital who is waiting to reunite with her brothers and sisters back home in Afghanistan, spent the day in gloom.

Born as a refugee in Iran and having dealt with the atrocities there, Sameena went back to Afghanistan in the hope of a better future.

But finding unfortunate living conditions even there, she came to India along with her family, and now lives in West Delhi.

Baloch women tie the sacred band Rakhis to men from the Hind Baloch forum on Monday

Like Sameena, several other Baloch women are waiting to go back to their land and unite with their families.

In a symbolic gesture, some of these women tied Rakhi (a sacred band) to Indian brothers at Baloch-Hind forum, seeking their support to raise voice for the freedom of Balochistan from the atrocities of Pakistan.

Mahkan, a 25-year-old student of Jamia Millia Islamia, who left Afghanistan two years ago, said that people have been forced to leave their own land and families.

The Rakhi tying was a symbolic gesture, seeking support to raise the issue for freedom of Balochistan from Pakistan

'People have lost their family members in front of their own eyes. Nothing can replace the warm memories of being with our own people. The Indian government has been very kind to us and allowed us to stay here. I hope India would raise the issue of Balochistan's freedom even at the international platform,' she said.

On Independence Day last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech had raised the issue of violence being committed by Pakistan on Balochis. Three days after the speech, a student leader from Balochistan took the occasion of Raksha Bandhan to express her gratitude to the Prime Minister.

In a video, Karima Baloch, the chairperson of Baloch Student Organisation, had asked Modi to be a brother to Baloch women who have lost their brothers in the atrocities inflicted by Pakistan army in the region.

Hindu Sena activists stage a protest in support of the Balochistan Freedom Struggle at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi in August last year (file photo)

Meena, another 23-year-old Baloch woman, told Mail Today that the treatment Pakistan is meting out to Baloch people is awful.

'The (Pakistan) government is worse than the terrorists. They are killing their own people. The human rights violation of Baloch people has crossed all limits. They are not just feeling entrapped by Pakistan but also by Iran,' she said.

In the Raksha Parv event organised by Hind-Baloch forum, Baloch women tied Rakhis to the Indian male members of the forum to express their gratitude to Modi for raising voice against the injustice.

Ever since PM Modi's speech on August 15 mentioned Balochistan, several Baloch leaders have showered praise for his stance.
Survivors of the world's first atomic bomb blast in Hiroshima, Japan, are now wary that history may repeat itself as North Korea accelerates work on its nuclear weapons program, showing its growing prowess with increasingly frequent missile launches.

Many Japanese and others in North Asia seem resigned to North Korea's apparent newfound capacity to launch missiles capable of reaching much of the continental United States.

But the threat lends a deeper sense of alarm in Hiroshima, where 140,000 died in the U.S.'s attack on August 6, 1945, which was followed by another atomic bomb drop on August 9, which killed more than 70,000 people in Nagasaki.

Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui, right, hands over the name list of newly added people who died of the world's first atomic bombing over the past year during a ceremony to mark the 72nd anniversary of the 1945 bombing that killed 140,000 people

For the first time since the wake of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, residents on Japan's north-west coast are being ordered to take part in air raid drills, the BBC reports today.

'This hell is not a thing of the past,' Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said in his peace declaration at Sunday's ceremony.

'As long as nuclear weapons exist and policymakers threaten their use, their horror could leap into our present at any moment. You could find yourself suffering their cruelty.'

Today, a single bomb can cause greater damage than the two bombs dropped 72 years ago, he said.

'Humankind must never commit such an act,' Matsui said, urging nuclear states, as well as Japan, to join the nuclear weapons ban treaty adopted by the United Nations in July.

People gathered for a ceremony are seen above the Atomic Bomb Dome at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, to mark the 72nd anniversary of the world's first atomic bombing

Survivor: Kim Ji Nho, 71, was exposed to radiation when his mother, pregnant with him, went to the ruins of the city to search for a daughter who went missing in the blast

Fujimori said that each year, his late mother insisted on retelling the story of the bombing to children in their neighborhood, saying she had to keep reminding them to help prevent the same mistake from happening again.

'We must eradicate nuclear weapons from the earth to make the world a safe place to live,' he said in an interview.

'There is still a lot to do and we must keep working on it.'

He said the adoption of the U.N. nuclear weapons ban, which was boycotted by all nuclear-armed nations, shows that most of the world supports that cause.

The two Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missiles North Korea test-fired in July appear to have major U.S. cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago within their range.

Such missiles could be armed with nuclear, biological or chemical warheads, although many experts say North Korea hasn't fully mastered miniaturizing nuclear warheads and might not have the technology to ensure a warhead would survive re-entry into the atmosphere from space or even hit an intended target.

A woman prays for the world's first atomic bombing victims while a man with a girl takes photos at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, western Japan

Toshiki Fujimori, an atomic bombing survivor who is a top official at Hidankyo, a major Japanese organization for the survivors, stands in front of a painting of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima

Such developments draw mixed feelings from Kim Ji Nho, a pro-Pyongyang ethnic Korean who was born in Hiroshima. Kim, 71, is a 'hibakusha,' or atomic-bomb survivor, who was exposed to radiation when his mother, pregnant with him, went to the ruins of the city to search for a daughter who went missing in the blast.

He grew up in a community of ethnic Koreans in the city and has a relative who had since moved to North Korea.

He is critical of the U.S., and says only dialogue, not military actions or threats, can resolve tensions. But regarding nuclear weapons, 'We 'hibakusha' and our groups share a clear goal, which is to abolish nuclear weapons from the world,' Kim said. 'Nuclear weapons should never be used.'

Like his father, many Koreans were brought to Hiroshima, a wartime military hub, as forced laborers during Japan's colonization of the Korean Peninsula in the first half of the 20th century. They and their descendants have endured outright discrimination by Japanese. So have A-bomb survivors: Kim's father had told him to keep mum about his radiation exposure, because being 'hibakusha' could only mean more trouble.

The two survivors said Japan's refusal to join the U.N. nuclear treaty, apparently because it's protected under the U.S. nuclear umbrella, was heartbreaking.

Taxi driver Tamio Ishida, whose father survived the atomic bombing as a teenager, stands by his car in Hiroshima. 'What if that young (North Korea) leader (Kim Jong Un) pushes a nuclear weapons launch button? I think neighboring Japan has a risk of being hit,' said Ishida, 59. 'I think tensions have risen and many people in Hiroshima share a sense of urgency'

People attend a ceremony to mark the 72nd anniversary of the world's first atomic bombing that killed 140,000 people at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima

People offer prayers at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima during the ceremony on Sunday

On Saturday night, organizers of a peace prayer event light up torches on floats on the Motoyasu River next to the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima

Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui delivers a speech during a ceremony to mark the 72nd anniversary of the world's first atomic bombing that killed 140,000 people, at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, western Japan

In a statement yesterday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the presence of some 15,000 nuclear weapons along with 'dangerous rhetoric regarding their use' has exacerbated these threats.

'Yet our dream of a world free of nuclear weapons remains far from reality,' he said. 'The states possessing nuclear weapons have a special responsibility to undertake concrete and irreversible steps in nuclear disarmament.'

Hopes that the U.S. and Japan might support the nuclear weapons ban rose during former President Barack Obama's 2016 visit to Hiroshima. But such expectation has dimmed as North Korea's threat has escalated.

'What if that young leader (Kim Jong Un) pushes a nuclear weapons launch button? I think neighboring Japan has a risk of being hit,' said Tamio Ishida, 59, whose father was a survivor. 'I think tensions have risen and many people in Hiroshima share a sense of urgency.'

Ayaka Kajihara, 18, a college student, says she imagined her late grandmother, also a 'hibakusha,' suffered greatly, though she was reluctant to discuss her past. Even so, she feels it was very important to learn what happened to the grandmother and her hometown 72 years ago.

More than 300,000 of the 'hibakusha' have died since the attack, including 5,530 in the past year. The average age of the survivors is more than 81 years. Many suffer from long lasting effects of radiation.

'I hope more people from the rest of Japan and overseas will visit Hiroshima and just see and feel the reality of what the atomic bomb has done, and start from there,' she said. 'Because that's how I started thinking about peace - by meeting 'hibakusha,' including my grandmother and hearing their stories.'
This is the first picture of the tragic eight-year-old girl killed when a plane crash landed on a beach packed with holidaymakers.

Sofia Antonio died instantly when she was struck by the Cessna-152 light aircraft in front of her family in Portugal.

Sofia was today described as a friendly girl who loved dancing and who was excited about her forthcoming Holy Communion.

She was one of two people killed when the plane crashed on the Sao Joao beach near Lisbon on Wednesday afternoon.

Sofia Antonio died instantly when she was struck by the Cessna-152 light aircraft in front of her family in Portugal

Jose Lima, 56, a married father of two girls and an Air Force sergeant, was killed alongside eight-year-old Sofia when this Cessna-152 crash landed on a beach in Lisbon

The devastated father of an eight-year-old girl killed when a plane made a crash landing on a Portuguese beach has accused the pilot of putting his own safety before the lives of his victims

The tragedy happened at the Sao Joao beach on Portugal's Costa de Caparica coastline near the city of Setubal

Sofia was a pupil at the private Externato Grao Vasco school in Lisbon, who paid tribute to her on Facebook.

The school posted: 'Heaven has won an angel and a new star. We have lost our dear Sofia Antonio. To her parents, family and friends, our heartfelt condolences. Sofia, you will always be in our hearts.'

The young girl's family and friends packed Our Lady of Amparo church in Benfica on Friday for her funeral.

Hundreds of mourners gathered in silence outside the church as her small white coffin was carried inside.

Sofia was a Catholic who regularly attended mass at the church where her funeral took place and studied catechism there every Wednesday.

Catechist Sofia Antunes said: 'She was a very interested child, a great friend to her friends, and she loved to share her day-to-day stories with her friends.'

Ms Antunes said Sofia was 'diligent', loved dancing, and her favourite colour was pink.

Sofia's father Paulo Antonio, a computer scientist, has accused the plane's pilot of putting his own safety before that of the holidaymakers on the beach.

Paulo told how he managed to save his youngest daughter Marta, six, and his two nephews, when the plane crashed into the beach.

The family were on holiday for a week when the tragedy happened. It was not clear if Sofia's mother Susana, who works in a laboratory, was on the beach at the time.

Beach-goers yelled 'murderer' at the pilot following the crash, saying he should have ditched into the sea rather than landing on the sand

Recordings also show that the pilot attempted to land on a quieter beach but was unable to reach it before his aircraft ran out of power

Moments before the crash the pilot radioed a control tower saying 'engine failure, it's going to land on the beach', according to Portuguese media

Before his daughter's funeral Paulo said: 'I told the children to run and told Sofia to run behind me. When I saw the others were safe, I went back to get Sofia, when I saw her being hit by the aircraft and found her dead.

'I went up to the man who was piloting the plane and he told me he had lost control of the aircraft. I could have punched him, I had that right, but I didn't do it.

'My opinion is that that man wanted to land the plane without any concern for others. He's suffering, I'm sure, but his main worry was landing safely.'

Paulo added: 'I want to be alone. It's time to say goodbye to my daughter. Respect this moment please. We need to be alone.'

The two men in the plane, an instructor and a pupil on a flying lesson, were arrested and have been grilled in court by state prosecutors, who are investigating the tragedy as gross negligence manslaughter.

A chilling video, published last week, shows the moment the plane came down to crash land on the packed beach.

It shows families with small children enjoying a day at the beach seconds before the tragedy.

The plane flies low over their heads and then crashes off-screen - as sunbathers watched in horror.

The light aircraft is said to have come from an air club in the Lisbon neighbourhood of Torres Vedras

Police chiefs said the two people on board the plane had survived and were being questioned

The pilot, his apprentice and a lawyer arrive in court today after the fatal crash-landing. It is not clear which of those people is pictured here

Father-of-two Jose Lima, a 56-year-old Air Force sergeant, was also killed in the tragedy.

Friends paid tribute to Mr Lima, originally from Viseu, 180 miles north of Lisbon, on Facebook. One wrote: 'What fateful ironyAir Force Sergeant, together with those whom he always wanted to be with, on his beach, by the sea, is run over by a plane!'

Another described his death as as 'a tremendous injustice'.

His funeral took place in Viseu yesterday.
Soldiers battled for three hours against a small band of anti-government fighters who snuck onto a Venezuelan army base, apparently intent on fomenting an uprising.

Troops killed two of the intruders, wounded another and captured seven, but 10 others got away during the attack early Sunday morning.

'We know where they are headed and all of our military and police force is deployed,' President Nicolas Maduro said in his weekly broadcast on state television said.

He said he would ask for 'the maximum penalty for those who participated in this terrorist attack.'

Soldiers battled for three hours against a small band of anti-government fighters who snuck onto a Venezuelan army base early Sunday morning in a deadly attack

Anti-government activists stand near a barricade burning in flames in Valencia on Sunday

The incident happened during the early morning hours at the Paramacay base in the central city of Valencia. Residents who live nearby said they heard repeated bursts of gunfire starting around 4.30am.

A video showing more than a dozen men dressed in military fatigues, some carrying rifles, began circulating widely on social media around that time. In the recording, a man who identified himself as Captain Juan Caguaripano said the men were members of the military who oppose Maduro's socialist government and called on military units to declare themselves in open rebellion.

'This is not a coup d'etat,' the man said. 'This is a civic and military action to re-establish the constitutional order.'

Twenty men entered the base, catching soldiers on night watch by surprise. The intruders managed to reach the base's weapons depot before an alarm sounded, alerting troops to the incursion.

Maduro said 10 of the invaders then escaped, some carrying off arms, while those left behind exchanged gunfire with soldiers until about 8am before all were either killed or captured.

'Today we had to defeat terrorism with bullets,' Maduro said.

Soldiers patrol inside the Paramacay military base in Valencia on Sunday after troops quickly put down an attack at the army base

A National Guard vehicle goes through a barricade built by anti-government activists in Valencia on Sunday

Venezuelan Bolivarian National Guard officers fire tear gas towards resident that try to walks to the Military base Paramacay in Valencia

Residents who live nearby and saw the dissident group's video online gathered around the military base chanting 'Freedom!' Other protests also emerged spontaneously around Valencia into the afternoon.

Troops dispersed the protesters with tear gas and a man was fatally shot at a demonstration less than a mile from the base, said Haydee Franco, coordinating secretary of the opposition Progressive Advance party. More than 120 people have been reported killed in unrest that began in early April.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez characterized the attackers as a 'paramilitary' expedition, saying the intruders were civilians dressed in uniforms.

He did not identify any of the participants, but said they included a lieutenant who had abandoned his post. He said the man who recorded the video was a former officer dismissed three years ago after being charged with rebellion and betraying the homeland.

In 2014, Caguaripano released a 12-minute video denouncing Maduro during a previous wave of anti-government unrest. He later reportedly sought exile after a military tribunal ordered his arrest, appearing in an interview on CNN en Espanol to draw attention to what he said was discontent within military ranks.

He returned to Venezuela to lead Sunday's uprising, said Giomar Flores, a mutinous naval officer now in Bogota, Colombia, who said he is a spokesman for the group.

Padrino Lopez alleged the attackers were recruited by 'right-wing extremists' working with unspecified foreign governments. Maduro said the attack was 'paid for by Miami and Colombia' - cities with large numbers of Venezuelans who oppose his government. Neither provided specific details on how they had come to that conclusion.

'Today's terrorist attack is no more than a propaganda show,' Padrino Lopez said.

Venezuela's latest bout of political unrest erupted in protest to a Supreme Court decision in late March ordering the opposition-controlled National Assembly dissolved. Although the order was quickly annulled, near-daily demonstrations snowballed into a general protest calling for a new presidential election.

Opposition leaders have urged the military, which historically has served as an arbiter of Venezuela's political disputes, to break with Maduro over what his foes consider violations of the constitution.

Soldiers stop a vehicle, whose passengers hold their hands up, before detaining the two passengers who were circulating on the Paramacay military base

National Guard members enter a vehicle during the clashes with anti-government activists

National Guard vehicles are pictured descending on anti-government activists in Venezuela's third city, Valencia

But the president is believed to still have the military's support. He and his predecessor, the late President Hugo Chavez, worked diligently to assure their allegiance.

Like Sunday's uprising, most manifestations of dissent among troops have been small and isolated thus far.

'It's still very hard to know to what extent there are significant divisions within the military,' Michael Shifter, president of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue, said recently.

The attack capped an already tense weekend during which a new constitutional assembly that will rule with nearly unlimited powers voted to remove chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz.

Ortega Diaz, a longtime government loyalist who has become one of Maduro's most outspoken critics, reiterated her refusal to recognize that decision at a public appearance alongside opposition leaders Sunday.

'I am still Venezuela's chief prosecutor,' she said to applause.

The assembly ordered her replaced by Ombudsman Tarek William Saab, who was recently sanctioned by Washington for failing to protect protesters from abuses in his role as the nation's top human rights official.

Police on a motorcycle transport a man in civilian clothing, slumped between them, who they brought from outside the Paramacay military base where clashes broke out

An armored vehicle is parked outside of the Military base Paramacay following the uprising

In his Sunday address, Maduro defended the constitutional assembly's right to remove Ortega Diaz, comparing it to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to fire acting Attorney General Sally Yates after she publicly questioned his immigration order shortly after taking office in January.

He also announced that a new 'truth commission' was being installed Sunday, setting up its offices in a historic building in Caracas that also houses the Ministry of Foreign Relations. The commission will have the right to require those it summons to testify and those who lie can be charged with perjury, the president said.

Maduro said the assembly is considering creating a law against 'hate, intolerance and fascism' that would immediately punish those responsible for the current upheaval.

Maduro frequently refers to opposition leaders and protesters as 'fascists.'

The president singled out Julio Borges, the leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, warning him, 'Justice is coming for you and the terrorists you've helped advance.'

Residents shout slogans against Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro outside of Military base Paramacay on Sunday
Public housing tenants will no longer be able to run up huge debts under a federal government plan to automatically deduct rent from welfare payments.

About 9,000 social housing renters owe more than three weeks' rent while 2,300 more lose their public housing every year because of rental arrears, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Human Services Minister Alan Tudge says Australia's social housing systems are out of pocket more than $30 million a year from unpaid rent and the Automatic Rent Deduction Scheme will prevent people falling behind while allowing the development of more social housing.

Australian public housing tenants will no longer be able to run up huge debts under a federal government plan to automatically deduct rent from welfare payments (pictured is a former public housing block called Sirius)

Around 9,000 social housing renters owe more than three weeks' rent while 2,300 more lose their public housing every year because of rental arrears

'This is one of a number of measures the government is introducing to encourage private investment in social housing and consequently increase the availability of affordable housing,' Mr Tudge told the publication.

'Secure housing for those on welfare is an important priority for the government...we must not forget those who are really in most need of our assistance and this scheme will help them with secure housing.'

All states except for Tasmania, Victoria and ACT have signed up for the new plan, which would begin in March.

Much of Sydney's public housing network - including the Sirius building in The Rocks and boarding homes in Millers Point - has been dismantled and sold off to developers.

The government has pledged to spend the buyer's money on constructing more public housing in the greater Sydney area for those on the waiting list.

Southwest suburbs Condell Park, Padstow, Chester Hill, Yagoona, Kingswood, Beverly Hills, Casula, Gymea, and Miranda were previously listed by the Housing Minister as locations for new homes.
As the mother-in-law jokes would suggest, dealing with the family you marry into can be hard work.

Les Dawson famously joked that his mother-in-law had only one fault  that fault being that she kept breathing.

But research shows that in fact we do not fall out most with our in-laws, but with our own parents.

After having children, women fall out most with their mother-in-law however, and see a bigger rise in conflict than their husbands

A study of more than 1,200 couples found the biggest conflict was with their own family members  although that changed as soon as they had children.

That is the point at which the in-laws become more like family, as your childrens grandparents, start to interfere more and you start falling out with them too.

The findings, which were led by the University of Turku in Finland, suggest part of the conflict with our own parents may be part of our caveman instincts for competing over resources, as well as the fact we see them more.

After having children, women fall out most with their mother-in-law however, and see a bigger rise in conflict than their husbands.

The study, published in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science, states: The shared reproductive interest that is created through a grandchild among kin lineages provides new reasons for grandparents to influence and interfere in the lives of other family members, which in turn may be reflected in conflict proneness.

In our findings, conflicts were related to higher contact frequencies, suggesting, as could be expected, that the existence of a grandchild increases interaction with in-laws.

It may be that your parents in law feel more like family, as your childrens grandparents, which makes it more comfortable to have a row with them

However just seeing each other more did not account for the rise in arguments, when the researchers took this into account.

They also suggest that women can create conflict as the gatekeeper who guards and controls other peoples access to her child.

This could explain the findings that daughters in law were more likely to report conflict when a paternal grandmother spent more time babysitting.

The study only included couples, not single people, and they were asked whether they fell out with their mother, father, mother-in-law and father-in-law never, rarely, occasionally or often.

They were also asked to describe how close they were emotionally to the people in their family and the family of their partner.

Unsurprisingly people who were closer to their parents fell out with them less often, establishing a principle called the kinship premium which makes us do nice things for our family members because we are related, regardless of how much we like them at the time.

That may be of benefit to a new mother, who finds a closer bond with her in-laws will see them babysit more often.

But the researchers suggest there may also be a kinship penalty, which explains the greater number of arguments with in-laws after having children.

It may be that your parents in law feel more like family, as your childrens grandparents, which makes it more comfortable to have a row with them.

Despite the mother-in-law jokes, relationships with in-laws have been little studied previously.

Lead author Mirkka Danielsbacka said: Daughters-in-law were more likely to report conflicts when their mother-in-law provided more grandchild care. This indicates that the increase in conflicts between in-laws are related to grandchild care.
Labor under Bill Shorten has won its 17th consecutive Newspoll as frustrated voters describe Malcolm Turnbull as a 'do-nothing' prime minister.

The Turnbull Government continues to trail Labor 47 to 53 per cent after preferences.

This marks the sixth Newspoll, since the May budget, where the ruling Coalition has lagged behind Labor on a two-party preferred basis without making any improvement.

However it's the 17th successive Newspoll where the government has trailed the Opposition with Mr Turnbull as Liberal Party leader.

He had used Tony Abbott's 30 consecutive losses in September 2015 to challenge him for the leadership.

Malcolm Turnbull is seen as a 'do-nothing' prime by voters in Sydney, Melbourne focus groups

Malcolm Turnbull's Coalition trails Labor 47 to 53 per cent after preferences in Newspoll

The poll of 1600 voters, published in The Australian, comes as Mr Turnbull convenes an emergency Monday afternoon meeting of his Liberal colleagues to decide whether to proceed with a postal vote on gay marriage.

The prime minister's perceived inability to reach a decision on a contentious social issue is frustrating voters.

Focus groups in Sydney and Melbourne are describing him as a 'do-nothing' leader, research done by Ipsos for Fairfax Media shows.

'If he just had the guts, the political will,' one young Melbourne voter said.

Bill Shorten (second right) and Malcolm Turnbull (centre) at the Garma Festival in Arnhem Land

Malcolm Turnbull had more fun at the Mardi Gras last year than in the Liberal party room

An older voter in western Sydney was also frustrated with the prime minister's lack of conviction: 'He just needs to grow, pardon me, balls.'

But despite misgivings about Mr Turnbull, he still won in the preferred prime minister stakes, with a rating of 46 per cent compared to just 31 per cent for Mr Shorten.

In another surprising result, the popularity of the Greens actually rose from nine per cent to 11 per cent, despite the resignations of former senators Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam for being dual citizens of Canada and New Zealand, respectively.

Pauline Hanson's One Nation slipped from nine per cent to eight per cent.

Both the Coalition and Labor had a primary vote support of 36 per cent, with the Opposition slipping by one percentage point as the government's support remained steady, during the poll taken from Thursday to Sunday.
Celebrity animal expert Matt Wright has posed next to a crocodile captured in a remote Australian waterway - with the beast's mouth secured with just duct tape.

The man-eating monster, which Wright believes would weigh up to 800kg, was captured in the Northern Territory where crocodile attacks on humans are common.

Duct tape can be seen wrapped around the jaws of the gigantic predator, provoking heated debate on social media.

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Celebrity animal expert Matt Wright (pictured) the Outback Wrangler posted pics of a massive crocodile he captured in the Northern Territory

Wright (pictured) is the star of National Geographic series Outback Wrangler and is an animal expert and chopper pilot

The massive man-eater (pictured) could weigh more than 10 times Wright's body weight and measure up to five metres in length

Matt Wright is known as the Outback Wrangler, the name of his series on National Geographic.

The amicable animal lover is also a crocodile egg collector and chopper pilot, and has a passion for wildlife preservation.

His reputation did not stop some from criticizing the use of duct tape on the recently captured croc.

'Did you get enough tape on him? Hope that's not staying on for too long poor boy,' wrote a Facebook user.

The crocodile (pictured) was captured in the Northern Territory, where crocodile attacks are common

Wright (pictured, right) is no stranger to giant crocodiles, having captured the second-largest crocodile in Australian history in the past

'He is huge but time to take the tape off and let him go,' said another.

Others were quick to defend the practice, saying 'I'm sure he doesn't mind a bit of tape on his snout.'

The recent catch appears to be around five metres long and could be more than ten times the weight of the average human.

The Outback Wrangler is no stranger to massive crocs, having caught a one tonne behemoth in the past, and a 5.58 metre monster in 2009.

Some social media users (pictured) felt sorry for the crocodile due to the duct tape wrapped around the jaws of the crocodile

Others (pictured) seemed more sympathetic and aware of the dangers posed by a beast that big

Some users (pictured) were skeptical that a crocodile that size could be restrained by tape alone

Suspected crocodile attacks have claimed the lives of at least two people in Australia this year alone.

A 47-year-old man was killed wading across a flooded causeway near Kakadu National Park in January.

The death of a spearfisherman in March has also been blamed on a four-metre crocodile.

In May a 54-year-old was hospitalised after being attacked while crossing a waterway south-west of Darwin, suffering bites to his chest and arm.
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A British model spoke yesterday of her terrifying kidnap ordeal at the hands of a gang who threatened to auction her for sex online.

Chloe Ayling was lured to a fake photoshoot in Milan where she was drugged, stripped and handcuffed before being bundled into a suitcase in the boot of a car.

Driven to a remote farmhouse, the 20-year-old was held hostage for six days while her captors demanded 270,000 for her safe return.

Back in the UK yesterday after she was freed by the group, the mother of one said: Ive been through a terrifying experience. Ive feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour.

Chloe Ayling was drugged, handcuffed and loaded into a car boot in Milan before being driven 120 miles to a farmhouse in Turin where she was kept for six days. But she was set free when they found out she was a mother of a two-year-old boy

Chloe Ayling, 20, talking from her doorstep in South London this afternoon after her horrific ordeal in Italy and Paris

The British model, pictuered, who was drugged, stuffed in a bag, driven to a farmhouse and auctioned as a sex slave by a Dark Web gang has described how she woke up shackled inside a bag with tape over her mouth

It is thought that she was bundled into a car and taken to an abandoned industrial unit, where her kidnapper attempted to sell her on the dark web

Model Chloe Ayling at home with her dog in Coulsden, Surrey after returning from Milan following a kidnapping by Polish terror gang

When officers arrested him he was found in possession of a pamphlet on Black Death which offers the sexual services of women for auction

An image supposedly uploaded to the dark web by Black Death shows a woman alongside details including measurements and nationality, although the picture is believed to be a scene from a pornographic film

Lukasz Herba, a Pole who lives in the West Midlands, has been arrested on suspicion of kidnap.

The 30-year-old, believed to be a senior figure in a shadowy online network called Black Death, allegedly threatened to sell the Page 3 model for sex to the highest bidder on the so-called Dark Web if his demands were not met.

Miss Ayling flew to Milan on July 10 after her modelling agency was contacted by Herba, who pretended to be a photographer and asked her to go to an address in the city the next day. But when she arrived at a fake studio near the central station, she was attacked by kidnappers in balaclavas who injected her with the powerful horse tranquilliser ketamine, she said. While she was unconscious, they stripped her, handcuffed her wrists and ankles and put tape across her mouth.

The young mother was then stuffed into a suitcase and locked in the boot of a car, it is claimed, and driven 120 miles to a remote farmhouse near Turin.

Miss Ayling, who returned to her family home in Coulsdon, south London, yesterday after almost a month in Italy, said: A person wearing black gloves came from behind and put one hand on my neck and one on my mouth to stop me from screaming.

A second person wearing a black balaclava gave me an injection in my right forearm.

Her official statement said: I think I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was wearing a pink bodysuit and the socks I am wearing now.

Miss Ayling was stuffed into a suitcase and driven 120 miles to this remote farmhouse near Turin

The garden of the farmhouse where she was kept during her terrifying ordeal at the hands of her captors

A path leads further up the garden, much of which has become wild, overgrown and unkempt

The victim was kept shackled to a wooden chest of drawers at the farmhouse in Borgial, a hamlet near Turin

ODDBALL SUSPECT WHO CARRIED A RAT AROUND The suspect held over the kidnap of model Chloe Ayling is an oddball with a pet rat he carries on his shoulder, neighbours said yesterday. Lukasz Herba, 30, is believed to have plotted the audacious crime from a two-bedroom flat in Tividale, near Dudley, West Midlands. Neighbours said the Pole appeared to leave for work each morning in a suit  but returned repeatedly throughout the day in a battered red Toyota, sometimes carrying the rodent on his shoulder. The second-floor flat he is believed to share with his brother was raided by police on July 18, a week after 20-year-old Miss Ayling was abducted after being lured to Milan to take part in a fake photoshoot. Neighbour Ciaran Williams, 33, a carpenter, said: Every half hour or 40 minutes hed come back. I didnt think much of it at the time, but in hindsight it was a bit weird and shifty. Hed also carry a rat around with him sometimes. Police in Italy say Lukasz Herba , pictured, 'kidnapped and tried to sell a British model on the dark web for 270,000' Another resident, 23-year-old model Sinead Boyce, said: Hes a crazy bloke, he really is. He kept himself to himself a lot, I dont think we ever got a word out of him. Wed see him from time-to-time carrying this rat on his shoulder. Hed take it to the corner shop and all sorts. Other homeowners said Lukasz, from Szczecin in northern Poland, has not been seen at the council property for at least three weeks. One said they saw Herbas brother in the foyer of the block with a big bag. The neighbour said: I asked him what he was doing and he said he was moving out. Italian police said Herba had used the name Daniel Zawada on at least one passport they confiscated. On his Facebook page, he lists motorbikes, American muscle cars and online computer games amongst his likes. He also displays the logo of a mysterious online technology trade firm as his banner picture. Officers from West Midlands and Derbyshire carried out the early morning raid on his flat last month. Police reportedly found photos of the model and documents on Herbas phone and computer. Advertisement

Having been flown back to the UK speaking from her three-bedroom terraced home in Coulsdon, south London, Chloe Ayling spoke of her horrific experience

The online criminals, known as Black Death, lured the model, 20, whose identity has not been revealed, from Paris to an abandoned shop near Milan 's Central Station with the promise of a photoshoot

Chloe Ayling, pictured, describing how she woke up shackled inside a suitcase with her mouth covered in tape

In a list of terms and conditions, the advert states: 'Girls can be transported globally, we have contractors for that, for a price ... EU delivery is free, might take time dependant on current location and drop-off point.' It notes the British model's details as 'Born in UK; Abducted in Italy; Held in Germany; 19 year old; Caucasian; 34DD-25-35; Beginner model; Starting bid $300,000. Auction takes place 16.7.2017'

Two pairs of handcuffs were among the evidence which was seized by police following the discovery of the kidnapped model

Chloe Ayling's family feared they would never see her again having been lured from the UK with the promise of a photoshoot

I realised I was in the boot of a car with my wrists and ankles handcuffed, adhesive tape on my mouth.

I was inside a bag and was only able to breathe through a small hole. The model said the gang were forced to stop the hatchback every 45 minutes because of her continuous moans and movements in the bag.

On one occasion one of the masked men threw fizzy water directly into my mouth. In her statement, the model said there were at least five kidnappers, including Herba.

Investigators said the victim was kept shackled to a wooden chest of drawers at the farmhouse in Borgial, a hamlet near Turin.

She was forced to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag. Police said she was not raped. Herba is alleged to have told detectives he had sex with the victim but the circumstances of his claim remained unclear last night.

The Pole told the landlord of the rural property he was a painter in search of inspiration and that he had found the right spot.

After the alleged kidnap he is said to have threatened the modelling agency that if it did not pay up by July 16 he would put the victim up for auction on the Dark Web, a hidden part of the internet that is only accessible with special software.

The suspect is said to have posted semi-naked pictures of the model alongside her age, dress size and ethnicity.

Chloe was described as: 'Born in UK; Abducted in Italy; Held in Germany; 19 year old; Caucasian; 34DD-25-35; Beginner model; Starting bid $300,000. Auction takes place 16.7.2017'

Describing her horrific ordeal, Chloe Ayling (pictured left and right) said: 'A person wearing black gloves came from behind and put one hand on my neck and one on my mouth to stop me from screaming,' the woman told police

She was drugged with ketamine at an abandoned office, pictured, an Italian court heard, where she was told the photoshoot would take place

Officers have since cordoned off the property and say she was going to be released by the kidnappers because 'she was a mother with a two-year-old child'

She was loaded into the back of the vehicle and kept in the bag for two-and-a-half hours during the 120-mile drive from Milan to Turin, pictured

One of the disturbing images is of her dressed in a velvet body suit, looking dazed and lying on the floor with her left breast exposed.

Her captors even placed a calling card on her stomach that described delivery arrangements and that collection can be arranged. It is thought several requests were made to buy the model.

The online network Black Death has been previously investigated by Europol. It refers to victims as merchandise and boasts it can kidnap a specific target for your needs.

Herba reportedly decided to release the model after finding out that she has a two-year-old son. According to Italian police, the rules of his gang apparently ban kidnapping mothers.

Describing more of her ordeal, Miss Ayling told police: [Herba] tells me that his boss is furious as they have kidnapped the wrong person.

I should not have been taken because it is clear from my Instagram account that I am a mother of a small child and thats against the rules of the organisation.

He said the imprisonment couldnt stop as they had already published two pictures of me on the deep web, made when I was unconscious.

There were already some people who expressed their interest in me.

'THIS IS JUST BUSINESS': WHAT BLACK DEATH TOLD THE MODEL 'You are being released as a huge generosity from Black Death Group. Your release does, however, come with a warning and you should read this letter very carefully. 'You are certainly aware of your value on human slavery market (sic) and must make a note that this isn't personal, this is business. For your release we have taken a number of factors into consideration. 'A mistake was made by capturing you, especially considering you are a young mother that should have in no circumstances be lured into kidnapping. Second important factor (sic) you are very well aware of is your overall protection by one of our main and very well respected men who made a very clear and solid stance in your case. 'You will, upon your landing in your home country cease any investigation activities related to your kidnapping. You also agreed to sneak a pre-determined set of information in to the media and we will expect to see evidence that has been done in the near future. 'You and your family will, in no way ever talk about us in bad language and without respect. You have been treated fairly, with respect and we expect to hear exactly the same about us in return. You can release any information you have heard from MO while your holding as he would never give you any information that could harm our activities. We will not tolerate lying about anything that has happened. 'You have also agreed to pay outstanding costs of your release of $50,000. We expect that money to be paid in BitCoins within one month. 'Any sort of disobedience with the above will result in your elimination.' Advertisement

Police said the model was driven 120 miles to a farmhouse in Turin, pictured, and officers are now looking for accomplices after the model told them she was 'attacked by two people'

Pictured: The interior 'dungeon' of the farmhouse where the model was kept for six days before she was taken back to Milan to be released

Police found a small bedroom, pictured, in the property but it is unclear whether it was used by the model or the kidnapper

Prosecutors in Italy said Herba was linked to the 'Black Death' criminal organisation that works on the dark web

Police also released an image of Herba's passport in which he went by another name, Daniel Zawada, as well as a card with a bizarre image that appears to contain contact details for the 'Black Death' group

A court heard she had been lured to Milan from Paris but was kidnapped in a 'very well organised seizure' at the shop, pictured

He told me he had made more than 15million euros in the last five years. He explained to me that all girls are sold to Arab countries. When the buyer is tired of a girl he either gives her to other people or feeds her to the tigers.

Herba reportedly drove the model back to the British consulate in Milan on July 17  a move which led to his arrest. Before dropping her off he is said to have demanded 45,000 from her and threatened to kill her if she told anyone about her ordeal.

Detectives say Herba has confessed to the plot, which is said to have taken several months to plan. He appeared in a Milan court on Friday. Police investigator Serena Ferrari said: The psychological pressure on the girl has been extreme.

Detectives said Herba claims he is suffering from leukaemia and that the other members of the gang are Romanian.

He is said to have told police that the others forced him to write the blackmail emails to Miss Aylings modelling agency.

The model took police to the fake studio and the remote house where she was held before returning to Britain yesterday.

Police found several items belonging to the model. pictured, in the shop in Milan as well as a card with a picture relating to the 'Black Death' group

It appears the model was stripped of some of her clothing with items found abandoned on the shop floor by police

The shop, pictured, has been sealed off while a vehicle belonging to Herba was searched with the woman's hair found inside

Police say they have not established whether the online auction was a scam or if the kidnappers actually intended to sell the model

Prosecutors added Herba was contacted over the internet two days later with requests to 'buy' her for sexual purposes while she was at the Turin farmhouse, pictured

MYSTERY OF ONLINE CRIME SYNDICATE: WHO OR WHAT IS BLACK DEATH? Little is known about the Black Death criminal syndicate that is said to operate on the dark web. They are said to have been set up during the early days of the internet in 1994 and are involved in various crimes. When police arrested Herba they found a pamphlet associated with the group which said they operate in 'disturbing' areas including bombing, drug dealing, human trafficking and arms dealing. A note was also found addressed to the victim saying she was being released due to the 'huge generosity' of the group. It went on to say one of their members 'made a case' to release her which was granted due to her 'status as a young mother', with her kidnapping branded 'a mistake'. A leaflet advertising Black Death's services was found by police alongside a note to the victim explaining why she was being released But it came with a warning not to tell authorities about the kidnapping and she was told 'never to talk about us in bad language and without respect'. The note said the model had been 'treated fairly and with respect' and the group expected the same. A picture also showed a cartoon of doctors from the mid 1300s wearing 'plague masks' with hooked noses which they believed would protect them from 'putrid air' which was thought to carry the disease. There has been some debate as to whether Black Death is real or an online scam. Writer Joseph Cox who works for internet site Motherboard said he tried to investigate their dealings in 2015 and tried to enter an auction for a woman. After exchanging numerous emails, the group wrote to him: 'We don't invite strangers to auctions. We don't want popularity. No Europol. No people just looking around. No journalists or bloggers. Just serious business.' Advertisement

A car has been found and is being treated as evidence by police in the investigation into the model's kidnapping

A pair of trainers is among the evidence being examined by police following the shock discovery that the model had been kidnapped

It is understood the police investigation involved reconstructing the kidnapping scene and studying CCTV footage from the area

Her lawyer Francesco Pesce said: She shed a tear, she was so brave.

It must have been terrifying to be alone in this house being locked up by strangers in the middle of nowhere. She was told she was going to be sold. It was scary.

Speaking from the three-bedroom terraced home that she shares with her Polish mother Beata, Miss Ayling said it had been her first visit to Italy.

She said: Im incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release. I have just arrived home after four weeks and havent had time to collect my thoughts.

I am not at liberty to say anything further until I have been debriefed by the UK police.

Italian police revealed that Herba allegedly tried to kidnap the same model in Paris in April, having organised a photoshoot at an address in the French capital, but the bid was apparently aborted.

During the same trip, Miss Ayling said she was in the Champs-Elysees when a police officer was shot dead by a terrorist.
GRAND FORKS  Justin Mead traveled across the state to make hay.

The 370-mile trip from his ranch in Grassy Butte to a temporary home in Grand Forks took him from a brown-and-stunted world to a lushly green one.

Its different, thats for sure, Mead said with a smile as he stood in a field enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program that he and Aaron Reddish, his hired man and longtime friend, were haying.

Mead is one of many western North Dakota ranchers who are haying, or trying to hay, CRP land in Grand Forks County. The northeast North Dakota county  Grand Forks is its dominant city  has avoided the drought ravaging much of the state, including the Grassy Butte area. So, Mead and other ranchers hope to get enough CRP hay here to offset their meager hay crop back home.

CRP is a voluntary federal program that pays landowners to take environmentally sensitive land out of production and plant grass and other vegetation on it. Because of the drought, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is allowing emergency haying and grazing on CRP land in North Dakota, Montana and South Dakota.

Of the roughly 23.5 million CRP acres nationwide, North Dakota accounts for about 1.5 million acres and Grand Forks County about 74,000 acres. Though most of Grand Forks County is in the fertile Red River Valley, some of the countys farmland isnt well-suited to crops and has been in the CRP for years.

Its unclear how many CRP acres in Grand Forks County will be hayed, in part because not all types of CRP are open to haying. And some CRP land wont be hayed because weeds limit the value of hay from it, adding more uncertainty. Uncooperative weather in August also would work against haying.

Paul Sproule, a Grand Forks farmer whos connecting western North Dakota ranchers with Grand Forks-area landowners, said hes already visited with more than 20 landowners.

Theres so much need for this. And its a chance for those of us fortunate to have moisture this year help some of the people who dont, he says.

Sproule noted that Grand Forks received major, widespread support after the community suffered horrible spring flooding in 1997.

Social media can connect CRP landowners and ranchers who need hay, he says.

The North Dakota Department of Agriculture hotline might be helpful, too: 701-425-8454.

Big job ahead

Western North Dakota ranchers will cut and bale CRP hay, then move the bales close to the road, where they will be loaded on trucks and taken home.

Jason Kusmenko of Kusmenko Kustom Farming of Zap is among the western North Dakota agriculturalists haying in Grand Forks County. He and his 10-person crew already are cutting and baling and hope to begin trucking hay home before this article is published.

Transporting the hay home  economically and in full compliance with road restrictions  will be a challenge, but one hes confident of meeting, Kusmenko said.

When he visited with Agweek on Aug. 1, he was fine-tuning details. But his plan was to use 110-foot-long hay trucks, each carrying roughly 50 big bales.

He shrugged when asked about the time and effort required to make the bales and bring them home.

We need the hay, Kusmenko said.

Tough it out

The drought is bad enough, but Meads Seven Cross Ranch, which has 400 cow-calf pairs, was hurt by a massive wildfire in July, as well. Hes determined to tough it out, though.

Im a fourth-generation rancher, and we didnt get to the fourth generation by selling cows, he said.

So, he and Reddish are living in a camper in Grand Forks and hoping to make enough hay for Seven Cross Ranch. They want to make hay for hard-pressed neighbors at home, too.

Well be here as long as theres hay to get, and we hope that will be quite a while, Mead said.

He paused for a second and then added, The people letting us hay their land  we cant thank them enough. It means so much.
Computer hackers carried out at least one cyber-attack against banks and other lenders every week last year.

Figures from the Financial Conduct Authority, the City watchdog, showed there were 89 attacks against firms it regulates last year, compared with five in 2014.

The massive surge came as the countrys biggest banks were accused of covering up the threat to customers in an attempt to protect their reputations.

Computer hackers carried out at least one cyber-attack against banks and other lenders every week last year

Cyber-crime is seen by many senior bankers as the single biggest danger faced by their industry. Attacks on lenders cost consumers an estimated 8billion last year, up 122 per cent on 2015, according to the security firm ThreatMetrix.

But when the Mail asked the six largest banks and building societies how many threats they have thwarted since the start of this year, they all declined to comment.

Campaigners said customers were being left in the dark, making it impossible to tell how safe online banking is.

Attacks on lenders cost consumers an estimated 8billion last year, up 122 per cent on 2015, according to the security firm ThreatMetrix

Justin Modray, of the advice group Candid Money, said: Customers should be free to see the extent of the problems and judge how secure or otherwise the bank might be.

HSBC, Lloyds, Barclays, Santander and NatWest owner Royal Bank of Scotland all declined to comment, as did Nationwide building society.

Several lenders cited commercial confidentiality as a reason for staying silent. One insider suggested revealing information might encourage further attacks.

Few details of the problems scale exist, although the Bank of England said 28 per cent of the firms it oversees consider cyber-attacks as among their biggest threats.

The FCAs figures were only revealed in a little-reported speech from April.

Labour MP John Mann, a member of the Treasury Select Committee, said: This is a huge issue. The public have every right to know just how much of a threat there is and the banks should be honest about the problem.

It comes at a time when banks are encouraging customers to use their services online while closing branches.

James Daley, of the consumer group Fairer Finance, said: Banks need to be doing more to reassure customers its safe to use their websites.

Its weak to hide behind commercial confidentiality. If they were forced to publish this stuff, it would give them a real incentive to get it right.

The FCA is considering plans to force banks to publish details of major security incidents in quarterly updates.
Lara Trump showed off her growing baby bump during her last visit to the White House before giving birth to a boy in September.

The soon-to-be mother cradled her belly as she stood in the historic building and asked her sister-in-law Ivanka Trump to snap the black and white photo on Saturday.

Lara and her husband Eric Trump announced in March that they were expecting their first child together, after keeping it under wrap since January.

Although the 34-year-old's due date is next month, it hasn't stopped her from taking on a new role for her father-in-law, President Donald Trump.

Lara hosted the first episode of Trump's 'real news' program, which provided viewers with a recap of his 'wins' for the week.

Lara Trump cradled her baby bump during her last visit to the White House before she is set to give birht to a boy in September. The 34-year-old had her sister-in-law Ivanka Trump snap the photo on Saturday

Lara and her husband Eric Trump (pictured) announced in March that they were expecting their first child together. The new baby will be Trump's ninth grandchild

She signed off at the end of the video: 'Thanks for joining us everybody, and that is the real news.'

Lara is the latest member of the Trump family to find a place within the White House, after Jared Kushner and Ivanka became advisers to the president.

Eric said he found out that Lara was pregnant on his 33rd birthday on January 6, which was 'pretty cool'.

However, the expectant parents admitted that their secret was by no means an easy one to keep  particularly after they shared the happy news with Trump.

Their impending arrival will be Trump's ninth grandchild, and the couple said they had trouble coming up with a name.

Lara Trump (pictured) is now hosting a 'real news' video series that uncritically promotes Donald Trump's weekly actions and positive developments for the American economy

Lara has become increasingly more active in Trump's circle, spotted at rallies and even taking hold of the microphone. At a rally in West Virginia on Thursday, she said of the 'crazy story about Russia,': 'It's so crazy, you have no idea'

Ivanka Trump snapped the sweet moment and Lara credited it to her in her caption.

She wrote: 'Last trip to the #WhiteHouse before this bump can see it for himself.'

Lara has become increasingly more active in Trump's circle, spotted at rallies and even taking hold of the microphone at events.

In July she took the stage in Youngstown, Ohio, to speak to Trump supporters.

She attempted to dismiss the Russia investigation into her family, telling the audience they had to 'keep something in mind' when they hear the country's name in the press.

The former Inside Edition producer said: 'The same people touting this crazy Russia story are the ones who gave us the fake polls throughout the election, remember those?'

Lara once again decried the Russia investigation at a Make America Great Again rally in West Virginia, on Thursday.

She said of the 'crazy story about Russia,': 'It's so crazy, you have no idea.'
Top universities were labelled a money-making racket last night amid evidence they are favouring wealthy foreigners over British A-level pupils.

It has emerged half of the elite Russell Group, which includes Oxford and Cambridge, have cut their intake of British undergraduates since 2008, despite a 17 per cent increase in applications.

But the number of non-EU students  who pay up to four times as much as their British and European counterparts  has soared by 39 per cent.

The number of non-EU students  who pay up to four times as much as their British and European counterparts  has soared by 39 per cent.

As more than 250,000 sixth-formers await their A-level results next week, thousands of overseas students are being fast tracked into universities such as Manchester, Durham and Exeter without having the equivalent qualification in their own country.

This is being driven by private companies which have struck deals with dozens of universities,

A lucrative industry has sprung up offering short foundation courses lasting as little as six months and costing between 15,000 and 23,000.

One firm, INTO, offers a guaranteed place to anyone who passes the course. The figures do not include EU students, who pay the same as Britons and qualify for tuition fee loans.

We need to put our own country and own young people first, rather than favouring overseas students because they bring in more cash' said Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education

Former education minister Lord Adonis said British students were being discriminated against and described the finding as seriously alarming.

He said this was a betrayal of the mission of some of our greatest universities, adding: Oxford and Cambridge, Imperial and the Russell Group should be widening access for more British young people, not turning them away.

Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said: Universities have increasingly become a racket and their central focus has become making money rather than on education.

We need to put our own country and own young people first, rather than favouring overseas students because they bring in more cash.

The education committee needs to have a look at this. Universities putting their own financial needs over the needs of the country need to be held to account. Latest available figures, analysed by the Sunday Times, show that between 2008/9 and 2015/16, 12 of the 24 Russell Group universities cut their intake of British undergraduates, while increasing the number of non-EU students.

Liverpool University saw the biggest increase in non-EU students, with 3,795 more attending while British entries fell by 550. Cambridge has cut the number of British undergraduates by 29 per cent while increasing non-EU students by 18 per cent.

The trend has also been seen in universities outside the Russell Group, such as Lancaster where British student numbers fell by 17 per cent while the non-EU intake soared by 137 per cent.

A spokesman for the Russell Group said it was absolutely committed to ensuring talented UK students could access high-quality higher education.

INTO said its centres were approved by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education and by the universities.

A Department for Education spokesman said: Student admissions are a matter for individual universities as they are autonomous of government.
Sydneysiders can look forward to another week of blissful sunshine and warm weather before winter sets back in on Saturday.

The temperature is forecast to gradually warm to 23C on Thursday and Friday, before a sharp drop on the weekend with tops of 18C.

'We can expect cold nights followed by mild days with the temperature becoming warmer as the week progresses,' Weatherzone senior meteorologist Jacobus Cronje Cronje told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'The temperature will be in the low to mid-20s by the end of the week before cooling down a little on the weekend.'

Sydneysiders can look forward to another week of blissful sunshine and warm weather before winter sets back in on Saturday (beachgoer pictured)

Brisbane will swelter through highs of 28C on Friday, with clear winter skies and warm weather across the week carrying into the weekend (beachgoer pictured)

The temperature is forecast to gradually warm to 23C on Thursday and Friday (forecast for Friday pictured), before a sharp drop on the weekend with tops of 18C

Brisbane will swelter through highs of 28C on Friday, with clear winter skies and warm weather across the week carrying into the weekend and next week.

Further south of the country, Melbourne battled through strong weather warnings with damaging winds lashing most of the state over the weekend.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts more of the same for Victoria's capital, with average temperatures of 10C and showers carrying through till the weekend.

NSW's alpine regions enjoyed their biggest dump of snow this season on Monday, largely thanks to a low pressure system sweeping across the state.

Further south of the country, Melbourne will shiver through average temperatures of 10C, with showers and damaging winds tipped across the week

NSW's alpine regions enjoyed their biggest dump of snow this season on Monday

Snow lovers are making the most of the heavy dumps of snow before dangerous blizzards

SEVEN-DAY NATIONAL FORECAST Sydney Monday: Max 18, windy and sunny Tuesday: Min 9 Max 18, sunny Wednesday: Min 7 Max 20, sunny Thursday: Min 8 Max 23, mostly sunny Friday: Min 14 Max 23, sunny and slight winds Perth Monday: Max 21, cloudy chance of showers Tuesday: Min 13 Max 19, cloudy heavy rain Wednesday: Min 9 Max 14, heavy showers and thunderstorm Thursday: Min 6 Max 15, morning shower Friday: Min 6 Max 18, partly cloudy light winds Melbourne Monday: Max 12, few showers Tuesday: Min 6 Max 15, partly cloudy Wednesday: Min 8 Max 16, sunny Thursday: Min 11 Max 18, showers and windy Friday: Min 9 Max 14, shower or two Adelaide Monday: Max 16, slight chance of showers Tuesday: Min 7 Max 16, partly cloudy Wednesday: Min 9 Max 19, partly cloudy strong winds Thursday: Min 13 Max 20, light showers strong winds Friday: Min 9 Max 15, showers and winds Brisbane Monday: Max 25, mostly sunny Tuesday: Min 8 Max 23, sunny with light winds Wednesday: Min 6 Max 23, sunny light winds Thursday: Min 8 Max 25, sunny light winds Friday: Min 11 Max 28, sunny light winds Hobart Monday: Max 12, shower with morning fog Tuesday: Min 6 Max 13, possible showers light winds Wednesday: Min 5 Max 16, cloudy and windy Thursday: Min 7 Max 18, late showers strong winds Friday: Min 6 Max 12, showers and windy Advertisement

Parts of the Adelaide Hills remain on flood watch, but severe weather warnings for South Australia have been downgraded as the wind and rain that battered the state over the weekend subside.

The State Emergency Service is warning of localised flooding along the Onkaparinga River which may pose a threat to properties upstream from Verdun.

Heavy winds and rain battered the state over the weekend, causing damage to roofs, while roads had to be closed due to fallen trees.

Mount Barker road at Verdun was closed due to flooding at one stage but has since reopened. Adelaide's weather is tipped to ease on Monday.
A man has suffered a horrific cut to his head after a mammoth humpback whale crashed into an 8.5 metre charter boat off the Queensland coast.

A-One Fishing Charter owner Oliver Galea, 44, was among four people injured in the incident, suffering a laceration to his forward that required eight stitches.

The mammal that hit the boat was believed to be 'three times the size' of the vessel, striking it Saturday afternoon during its return to Airlie Beach.

Oliver Galea, 44, (pictured) suffered a laceration to his forehead on Saturday when a humpback whale struck his A-One Fishing Charters' boat

The mammoth humpback whale was believed to be 'three times the size' of the 8.5m vessel and its force knocked two men unconscious (stock photo)

Four men were taken to hospital following the terrifying incident where the boat was 'thrown into the air' knocking two men unconscious.

Mr Galea hit his head on the front railing of the boat, suffering a deep wound.

He said the six-person crew first thought they had run into a shipping container, as the incident happened so suddenly.

'We were only going about 45km/h, there were no blow holes and we didnt see any whales,' he told The Townsville Bulletin.

'All of a sudden its (the whale) thrown the boat out of the water and its come crashing down.

'Within a split second everyone was just down on the ground, we didnt know what had happened.'

A RACQ Rescue helicopter was diverted to the scene but the situation was considered to dangerous to winch the men to safety, so the air service followed the boat back to Abel Point Marina.

Mr Galea (pictured) received a significant cut to his head after hitting it on front railing of the boat, with three other men also injured when the boat was 'thrown into the air'

A RACQ Rescue helicopter was diverted to the scene to assist the injured men, including Mr Galea (pictured), but the situation was considered to dangerous to winch them to safety

The injured crew were met and treated by paramedics at the Marina around 6pm.

The whale's impact left a considerable dent in the boat's port side, and took out one of the engines, Mr Galea said.

'On the GPS coordinates theres a gap when it (the boat) left the water,' he said.

Three other men also suffered injuries from the incident, with one person sustaining a broken nose and another suffering broken ribs and a laceration to his arm.

A fourth person was also taken to Proserpine Hospital with facial fractures, as well as suspected spinal injuries that were later cleared.

A-One Fishing Charters has only been operating for a month, offering diving, snorkelling, fishing, island transfers and whale watching in the Whitsundays.

Mr Galea said that although the incident had shaken the crew, they would be back on the water soon.

'At first we all sort of panicked (but) well be back out on the water by the end of the week,' he said.

The whale's impact left a considerable dent in the boat's port side (similar to the vessel shown) and took out one of the engines

A-One Fishing Charter's has only been operating for a month, but Mr Galea said that although the incident had shaken the crew, they would be back on the water soon (stock photo)

Mr Galea's partner Rachel Carpenter told The Whitsunday Times that the group were lucky the incident had not turned out worse.

'If it had capsized or if it was a fibre glass boat it would have sunk,' she said.

'God was on our side because they didn't capsize or get broken into bits, we were just so lucky.'

She told the publication that it had made for a very interesting story when explaining it to the company's insurance provider.

'When I was talking to the insurance company and told them that our boat hit a whale they said "WHAT?" But they have been amazing,' Ms Carpenter said.

Volunteer Marine Rescue, the Water Police and Maritime safety were all involved in the incident.
The Republican majority leader of New York's state Senate has come clean about his struggle with alcohol dependency.

Long Island state Senator John J. Flanagan, 56, said in a statement on Sunday that he had completed an alcohol rehab program, drawing a supportive response from colleagues in both parties.

'Alcohol was becoming a crutch to deal with pressure I was under related to my responsibilities as Majority Leader of the New York State Senate,' Flanagan said in the four-paragraph statement in response to inquiries from Newsday.

Flanagan said he 'took control of the situation and sought immediate help so I could overcome it and move forward.'

Long Island state Senator John J. Flanagan, 56, said in a statement on Sunday that he had completed an alcohol rehab program

The married father of three entered the program last month and reportedly completed it successfully earlier this week.

'I took this step to ensure this dependency would not affect my ability to do my job or represent my constituents or the members of our Senate Republican Majority,' Flanagan said.

'This is a step I needed to take for myself and for my family, and it will allow me to continue to serve and to give back to my community and state,' he said.

Both Democrat and Republican politicians in the state expressed their support for Flanagan.

'This is a step I needed to take for myself and for my family, and it will allow me to continue to serve and to give back to my community and state,' Flanagan said

'NY Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan is setting a brave example by getting help. We stand beside him in full support,' tweeted Bill de Blasio, the Democrat mayor of New York City.

Flanagan concluded his statement by urging others who struggle with substance dependency to seek help.

'I would hope my actions serve as a reminder to all those who find that alcohol has become a means to confront personal or professional stress. It never has been and never will be,' he said.

'No one is immune. Seek help and regain your personal pathway through life.'
Levi Bellfield was caught in 2004 and could be one of the most prolific women attackers in UK history

Milly Dowlers killer has been linked to 24 attacks on women across the country that police failed to fully investigate, it has emerged.

Levi Bellfield was caught in 2004, but the Metropolitan Police believe he committed a series of bludgeon attacks and rapes over the two decades prior to his arrest.

This would make Bellfield one of the most prolific serial attackers on women in British history.

Intelligence gathered by detectives shows they believed that Bellfield was a suspect in nine attacks, as well as having links to rapes and assaults that were investigated but never prosecuted.

The new cases date back as far as July 1994, when a 29-year-old woman was bludgeoned by an attacker wearing a balaclava at a remote petrol station in Hinchley Wood, Surrey.

Two of the newly identified suspected victims of Bellfields crimes have since called for the Met to investigate their cases, both of which involved them being clubbed over the head, the Sunday Times reported.

Bellfield, 49, who is serving two life sentences at HMP Frankland in County Durham, was convicted of abducting and murdering 13-year-old Milly in 2011, nine years after she disappeared.

The former wheel clamper, from West London, was convicted in 2008 of killing Amelie Delagrange, 22, and Marsha McDonnell, 19, and for the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy.

Milly Dowler was kidnapped and killed by Bellfield in March 2002

Before then, national police unit the Serious Crime Analysis Section uncovered intelligence that attacks had taken place in London, Surrey, Middlesex, Sussex and Lancashire.

These all matched Bellfields movements at the time. The cases Bellfield has been linked to include six rapes of teenage girls, three rapes of older women, an attempted murder, one kidnap, an indecent assault and three hammer attacks.

They were found after the national crime database was searched for factors that matched his offending  female victims aged 15 to 40 with injuries to the head as a result of an attack with a heavy weapon and no evidence of sexual activity.

Sarah Spurrell, 38, has since been identified by officers as a potential victim. She was hit over the head in Hastings, East Sussex, in 2004. She has called for her case to be reopened, stating she was 100 per cent sure Bellfield was the attacker.

Colin Sutton, the detective chief inspector who led the murder investigations, told the Sunday Times: We were looking for blitz attacks on lone females, especially where there was no robbery or sexual assault ... Attacks of that ferocity for no apparent reason are rare. We couldnt find any similar offences that we couldnt link to Bellfield.

A Met spokesman said: We co-ordinated the national response, across ten police forces, in relation to information passed to police in early 2015 regarding serious crimes, alleging the involvement of Levi Bellfield.

All lines of enquiry were exhausted and the decision was taken to close this investigation in November 2016, as there was no evidence to link the individual to any case for which he has not already been convicted.
A family of five in New Jersey is known by their friends and neighbors as 'The Addams Family' for their love and appreciation for the macabre.

Tattoo artist Rick Schrek, his wife Kate and their three children live in one of the most unique homes in Milltown that's full of 100 Ouija boards, marionette puppets, creepy dolls and even a mummified goats head.

'Your home is supposed to be a place where you are comfortable, so we surround ourself (sic) with things that make us feel comfortable,' Kate told The New York Post.

In fact, Rick collects Ouija boards, which is an occult game that's supposed to offer a gateway to the afterlife.

The Schreks, a family of five in New Jersey, is known by their friends and neighbors as 'The Addams Family' for their love and appreciation for the macabre. They are pictured here during Thanksgiving last year

Rick Schrek, his wife Kate (pictured above) and their three children live in one of the most unique homes in Milltown that's full of 100 Ouija boards, marionette puppets, creepy dolls and even a mummified goats head

The family doesn't shy away from decorating their house on special holidays like Halloween

The family also rides around town in their hearse (above), which is used as their everyday vehicle. 'We bring it to Walmart,' Kate said. The hearse is pictured above with an Ouija board that Rick built

'The real reason why I collect Ouija boards is I've been in pursuit of living in a haunted house,' Rick told the Post of his collection.

The 46-year-old father-of-three has an Ouija board on every wall in their home, as he hopes to create a 'vortex' for spirits to enter.

He noted that so far it has not worked yet.

Rick explained that he first became interested in the dead thanks to his grandfather who owned a morgue.

Rick told DailyMail.com that he would love to get a second hearse for the family. Pictured above is the exterior (left) and interior (right) of their current hearse

He said that he built a custom Ouija board to go inside the back of the hearse they currently own (above)

'The reason why I think I might be into this stuff is cause I was running around a morgue at 4 years old,' Rick added.

'My grandfather used to babysit me in there and tell me, you know, 'Shh, people are sleeping.'

Outside of their home, the family rides around town in their hearse, which is used as their everyday vehicle.

'We bring it to Walmart,' Kate said.

The father of three said that for Thanksgiving, they dress up as zombies (above)

And for Christmas, he dresses up as a zombie Santa while his wife is a zombie Mrs. Claus (above)

They even pick their kids up from school in the Lincoln.

'There's some people who are really cool with it, they're like, 'Hey, can I ride with you after school?' their daughter Winter told the Post.

Though some maybe fearful of their home and lifestyle, the family thinks it's normal and nothing to be afraid of.

'I don't really think my home is very unusual at all. You know everybody in this town, especially this town here, they go nuts on Halloween,' said Rick, who has been tattooing for over 23 years. 'I just like it every day.'

Rick said that he doesn't think his home or collections are 'unusual at all'. Above his daughters are surrounded by some of the items inside their home

He said: 'You know everybody in this town, especially this town here, they go nuts on Halloween. I just like it every day.' He is pictured above with his wife and three kids

He revealed to DailyMail.com that he collects everything.

'What don't we collect? We collect everything. When E-Bay started up, I went nuts with Ouija boards because they were easier to get them. I was buying like two a day for a while,' said Rick, who is also very active with The Talking Board Historical Society.

He added that 'nothing really floats my boat like Ouija boards do.'

Rick also said that he would like to get a second hearse.

The father of three also said that for the last six years, the family dresses up like zombies for holidays like Thanksgiving.

He added that for Christmas he dresses up like a zombie Santa.
The NRA has targeted the New York Times in a chilling new ad that warns the newspaper that the organization is coming for it.

Dana Loesch, a spokesperson for the National Rifle Association, attacked the paper calling it an 'untrustworthy, dishonest rag', in the video released on Thursday.

The conservative pundit slammed the New York Times and said: 'We've had it with your constant protection of your Democrat overlords your refusal to acknowledge any truth that upsets the fragile construct that you believe is real life.'

Loesch chillingly says: 'In short, we're coming for you.'

This isn't the organization's first time with a controversial ad. The NRA came under fire in June for releasing a recruitment video that appeared to threaten to hit back at Obama and his 'resistance'.

Dana Loesch, a spokesperson for the National Rifle Association, attacked the New York Times calling it an 'untrustworthy, dishonest rag', in an ad released on Thursday

In the minute-long video, Loesch says: 'We're going to laser-focus on your so-called "honest pursuit of truth." In short, we're coming for you. Consider this a shot across your proverbial bow.'

She added: 'And we've had it with your pretentious, tone-deaf assertion that you are in any way truth- or fact-based journalism.'

Loesch hosts her own radio show and a television show for The Blaze. She was also an editor at Breitbart between 2009 and 2012 and has released two books.

The NRA's official TV outlet added in a tweet with the video: 'One non-#fakenews story is not enough.'

But it wasn't clear what story this was referring to or if it was directed to The New York Times.

Although Loesch is heard in the video telling the newspaper that the NRA is 'coming for you', she maintains it wasn't a threat or a call for violence.

She defended her choice of words, saying it was an action call 'in the battlefield of ideas', reported the Guardian.

The ad slammed the newspaper, claiming it was protecting 'Democrat overlords'. It is unclear what New York Times story was the tipping point for the organization

In June, the NRA appeared to threaten to hit back at Obama and his 'resistance' in a recruitment ad.

The advertisement started going viral on social media, with critics speaking out strongly against the controversial ad.

Dana Loesch aggressively narrates the ad, which begins by accusing the left of assassinating 'real news' and accusing Obama of endorsing the left's 'resistance', though the former president is never named.

Between shots of Loesch speaking the gritted teeth, the video cuts between peaceful shots from across America and images and video of protests and violence.

Loesch, who hosts her own radio show and a television show for The Blaze, said she wasn't threatening or enticing violence in the advertisement

Though some people have shown their support for the video on social media, the politically charged ad has sparked outrage among others, with some even going as far to say it is a call for another Civil War.

Even gun owners have called Loesch and the NRA out for not representing actual views of their members and for encouraging an us-against-them mentality.

Television personality Montel Williams vehemently disapproved of the ad.

He tweeted: 'This ad doesn't speak for me as a proud, responsible gun owner. I find it disgusting.'

DeRay Mckesson, a Black Lives Matter movement leader tweeted: 'This NRA ad is an open call to violence to protect white supremacy. If I made a video like this, I'd be in jail.'
The mother of a 36-year-old man who was allegedly murdered in his home over the weekend has begged for his killer to come forward.

Dejan Dimitrovski was discovered at his house in Balga, north of Perth, around 8.30pm on Friday, according to The West Australian.

Mr Dimitrovski, whose sister is serving a 17-year prison sentence for setting a Perth woman on fire in 2012, was treated by paramedics but died shortly after.

The mother of Dejan Dimitrovski (pictured), a 36-year-old who was allegedly murdered in his Perth home on Friday, has begged for anyone who may have information about his killer to come forward

His mother, Liljana (pictured), said she promised her son she would 'do anything possible' to find who was responsible for his death

Mr Dimitrovski reportedly died in suspicious circumstances and homicide detectives were seen on Sunday searching the Dallington Crescent home and asking neighbours for CCTV footage.

His mother, Liljana, told the West Australian her 36-year-old son's death has left the family devastated.

'I promised my son I would do anything possible ... and if there is anyone who knows anything in connection with his murder please come forward,' she said.

She said Mr Dimitrovski was 'full of life' and was a generous father, son and brother.

Detectives are yet to confirm how Mr Dimitrovski died.

Dimitrovski was discovered at his house in Balga, north of Perth, around 8.30pm

Mr Dimitrovski's sister, Natalie Dimitrovska, addressed her brother's death from jail, telling the West Australian she will miss him.

Natalie was previously convicted of dousing Dana Vulin in methylated spirits before setting her on fire.

It is believed Natalie became obsessed with the notion that her husband and Ms Vulin were having an affair.

Ms Vulin received third degree burns to two thirds of her body and had to undergo countless operations to reconstruct her face, arms and torso.

Anyone with any information about Mr Dimitrovski's death is urged to call Crime Stoppers.
FARGO  A pregnant dog named Vixey found a foster home, just in the nick of time.

The heeler mix was dumped at a health care center on the Spirit Lake Reservation near Devils Lake recently, and Homeward Animal Shelter here agreed to take her in.

A shelter full of animals is no place for a dog to have puppies, however, because of the noise and increased risk of infection.

Homeward manager Heather Clyde said a foster home opened its doors to Vixey, due to give birth any day now.

Even though we have foster homes, were always needing more, Clyde said.

Animal shelters and rescue organizations in the Fargo-Moorhead area all rely on networks of foster homes to take in animals up for adoption that cant be housed in shelters.

Animals needing foster care include pregnant animals and their litters, those recovering from surgery, and dogs that cant be around other dogs because they werent properly socialized when they were young.

Jill Lamp fosters animals for CATS Cradle Shelter in downtown Fargo. She almost exclusively takes in newborn kittens that have to be bottle-fed about every two hours, around the clock, for the first few weeks of life.

And because were a little short on fosters, it seems like just as one litter sleeps through the night, I get another litter that doesnt. So all summer, I dont sleep, Lamp said.

The 4 Luv of Dog rescue has only a small shelter in Moorhead for a half-dozen dogs, and thus relies almost entirely on foster homes.

Volunteer Karen Schneider of Moorhead said even when the rescue runs low on foster homes, it never runs out of time for the dogs.

As long as they are adoptable, we will keep trying to get them in a home, Schneider said.

No financial commitment

Animal shelters in the Fargo-Moorhead area are often at or close to capacity.

At CATS Cradle, executive director Gail Adams-Ventzke said volunteers have watch over 150 animals  100 kittens in foster care and 50 cats in the shelter. It has 25 active foster homes.

The 4 Luv of Dog rescue is working with just over 60 dogs, with 47 people actively fostering them.

At Homeward, they have nearly 100 animals in their care  more than half at the shelter and the rest in foster homes.

One dog in foster care through Homeward is Casey, an adult female pit bull terrier thats been in and out of the shelter multiple times, through no fault of her own, Clyde said.

She loves people, including children, but cant be around other dogs or cats, likely due to not being socialized as a puppy.

Shed rather have her people to herself, Clyde said.

Until she finds a home where shes the only pet, Casey will remain in foster care.

To foster an animal, no financial commitment is needed. In fact, local shelters provide food, litter, bedding and toys, and cover veterinary costs for the foster animal.

They only ask that the animal has its own room, preferably with laminate or linoleum flooring for easy cleanup, and that someone in the foster home can take the animal to the shelter for vaccinations and other medical needs.

If you have room, love in your heart and time to transport, look us up, Adams-Ventzke said.

One fostered, another to be saved

Most people can foster an animal for a shelter, even someone with limited experience as a pet owner.

If theyre willing to learn, were willing to teach them, Clyde said.

College students, retirees and families with children are good candidates, as are people who have recently lost a pet, but arent yet ready to commit to another one.

Schneider, whos personally fostered 79 dogs over about six years, said her organization especially needs pet-free foster homes.

That would help clear the small shelter of dogs that cant tolerate other dogs, but are otherwise loving and great with people.

Lamp is fostering three litters of kittens, some of which suffered hypothermia injuries in the spring when they were wet and cold for too long. Soon, shell turn them over for adoption.

Doing that is tough on some people, but one animal fostered means another can be saved.

We call it the love stop, Adams-Ventzke said, an opportunity for children, or anyone, to learn about responsibility and letting go.

And if someone adopts their own foster animal, making them a foster fail, thats OK, too.

Im one four times over, Adams-Ventzke said, laughing.
Businessman Alan Sugar shot to mainstream fame when he appeared in the Apprentice

Alan Sugar is so proud of his wealth that he recently shared with his fans a photo of a cheque he had written to the taxman for a staggering 59 million.

However, I can reveal that Lord Sugar of Clapton has put his most treasured possession on the market amid great mystery.

He is selling his 181ft superyacht, named Lady A after his wife, Ann, with a price tag of 12.6 million.

The glitzy gin palace includes a Jacuzzi and sleeps up to 12 guests in en-suite luxury.

Alex Koersvelt, at Edmiston Luxury Yacht Brokers, confirms the sale, but declines to discuss Lord Sugars reasons for putting it on the market.

No doubt he fears The Apprentice star telling him: Youre fired! Sugar, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, was spotted in June aboard Lady A in Puerto Banus, on Spains Costa del Sol, shortly after he had spoken publicly about his tax bill.

Posting a picture of his 58,646,028.44 cheque to the taxman, he wrote: To those who have responded to my advice not to vote for [Jeremy] Corbyn saying I want to avoid paying tax.

According to the Sunday Times Rich List, the 70-year-old tycoon, who is based in Chigwell, Essex, has a fortune of 1.25 billion.

Alan Sugar is selling his 181ft superyacht, named Lady A after his wife, Ann, with a price tag of 12.6 million

Sugar bought the yacht in 2015 for an undisclosed sum and renamed her Lady A, even though his wife, Ann, should correctly be referred to only as Lady Sugar or Lady S.

The couple have been married since 1968 and have two sons and a daughter.

The yacht has marble sculptures on the top deck, one twin guest and four double cabins, plus a state room that seats 12.

It was built in 1986 and named Southern Cross by its first owner, Australian tycoon Alan Bond, who sold her when he went bankrupt.

Perhaps Sugar plans to follow the example of Donald Trump, who presented the U.S. version of The Apprentice, and stand for election? The yacht could go down badly with hard-pressed voters.

Now over-sexed Spencer swaps ring with lover

Is Pippia Middletons brother-in-law, Spencer Matthews, who has boasted of sleeping with more than 1,000 women, including his best pals girlfriend, finally settling down?

The former Made In Chelsea star, who turned 28 yesterday, has been going out with Irish model Vogue Williams for five months (an eternity for him) and the couple have now exchanged rings.

Spencer Matthews has been dating Irish model Vogue Williams for five months and the couple have now exchanged rings

This weekend, the Old Etonian took Vogue, 31, on a romantic trip to Amsterdam, above left, where they showed off gold bands engraved with their initials, S and V, right.

Yes we are that couple! gushed Vogue, who thanked the jeweller who had created the rings.

Not only does roly-poly retailer Sir Philip Green have the worry of his daughter Chloe courting hot felon Jeremy Meeks, but now his most persistent critic has been commissioned to write a book exposing his colourful past.

I hear Penguin is to pay journalist Oliver Shah, whom Green called a disgusting individual, a whopping 100,000 for the biography.
China has urged North Korea to stop conducting missile and nuclear tests because it provokes the 'international community's goodwill'.

It warned the pariah state that it should abide by United Nations resolutions and not carry out the tests.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he and his counterpart in Pyongyang, Ri Yong Ho, had an intensive conversation during which China urged North Korea to maintain calm.

He said he told Ri 'do not violate the U.N. decision or provoke the international community's goodwill by conducting missile launches or nuclear tests'.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (pictured) has urged North Korea to stop conducting missile tests

Wang Yi appealed to other governments to resume the six-nation talks that involve the North, the United States, Russia, Japan and South Korea, as well as Beijing.

He said: 'The aim is to bring the peninsula nuclear issue back to the negotiating table and seek a solution through negotiations until the denuclearisation of the peninsula and the stability of the peninsula are achieved.'

North Korea pulled out of the talks in 2009 to protest international condemnation of a long-range rocket launch.

Last month, it test-launched two intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

On Sunday, a global pressure campaign on North Korea received a welcome boost from China.

Beijing called on its neighbour to halt its missile and nuclear tests and the Trump administration cautiously embraced China's apparent newfound cooperation.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho (pictured) had an intensive conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi

Though Beijing repeated its call for the United States and North Korea to resume talks, the US said that was still premature, and rejected yet again a Chinese call for the US to freeze joint military exercises with South Korea in exchange for the North halting nuclear development.

Susan Thornton, the top US diplomat for Asia, said Beijing had historically cooperated with sanctions after flagrant North Korean violations but then slipped back over time.

Speaking in Manila, she said: 'We want to make sure China is continuing to implement fully the sanctions regime. Not this kind of episodic back and forth that we've seen.'
A weekend ceasefire in Baltimore has collapsed after two people were fatally shot.

Baltimore police said that two men were killed by gunfire in separate incidents on Saturday, shattering the 72-hour ceasefire called by desperate community members a little more than halfway through.

The initiative, dubbed 'Nobody Kill Anybody', came as the number of homicides in Baltimore surpassed 200 for the year, putting the city on pace for its bloodiest year ever.

Police said Saturday's first fatal shooting came around 5pm, when officers on patrol heard gunfire and responded.

A 24-year-old male was found shot at the intersection of South Carey Street and Sargeant Street, and rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Devrone McKnight, who said he was shot Thursday on the way to work, attends the 'Stop the Violence' rally on Friday. The city-wide ceasefire collapsed the next day, with two shot dead

Baltimore residents are seen on Friday as the ceasefire began. Organizers say the initiative was a success in spirit even though two men were shot dead on Saturday.

Several hours later, around 10pm, police responded to reports of a shooting on Gertrude Court in the Coppin Heights neighborhood.

A 37-year-old male was found shot and later pronounced dead after transport to hospital.

The two murders on Saturday brought Baltimore's homicide count to 210 so far this year, more than in New York City, which has a population more than 13 times larger.

At least two other non-fatal shootings were reported in Baltimore on Saturday and Sunday.

Nevertheless, organizers said that the spirit of the ceasefire would continue and that they considered the initiative a success.

The citizen ceasefire initiative comes as the police department has reassigned 150 officers to the city's most dangerous areas, but is still struggling to curb the bloodshed amid internal turmoil and mounting criticism.

Mayor Catherine Pugh said she's developed a plan to stop the violence, but hasn't yet made it public.

A relative of a gun violence victim holds a sign at the 'Stop The Violence' rally at the intersection Friday during the 72 hour community-led Baltimore cease-fire

Erricka Bridgeford, a professional conflict mediator in Baltimore, is one of the organizers of the cease-fire.

Bridgeford says no individual or organization alone has taken credit for the event, and that's intentional: That way, she said, it belongs to every single Baltimore resident.

The idea is to persuade shooters to put down their guns for three whole days, and remember what it feels like to make a positive decision for themselves, and for their city.

'We understand that this is not what normal should be, and we deserve something better,' Bridgeford said.

'Looking at each other and saying, 'We deserve peace, for three whole days' - that's powerful.'

Erricka Bridgeford (pictured), a professional conflict mediator in Baltimore, is one of the organizers of the cease-fire

Danelle Pinder and her husband Jerome Pinder set up a sign near for the 'Huddle Up on the Wood' event and Cease Fire Community Jubilee on Friday

Bridgeford is no stranger to the effect of violence on communities: She first saw someone shot and killed when she was just 12 years old.

'I heard shots that woke me up out of my sleep (when) my friend Mike was shot. I saw him on the blacktop, I heard him crying not to let him die,' she said. 'I went to funerals all through high school.'

She's lost friends and cousins to gunshots, she said. 'So many cousins.'

Another resident, Tyree Colion, is on a mission to convert areas of gun violence into 'No Shoot Zones.'

He tries to create what he calls 'invisible force fields' against violence by spray-painting messages on buildings and other structures where violence has occurred.

Those most likely to pick up guns recognize these zones and neutral areas: They respect the space, he says.

Tyree Colion is trying to create an 'invisible force field' by spray painting the words 'No Shoot Zone' on a brick wall behind a convenience store near where a 13-year-old girl was fatally shot

The messages 'stop shootings, first and foremost,' Colion said. 'At worst, it looks like graffiti. But to different gangs, they know what this means: 'I don't fear police, I don't respect anything else, but I respect this.''

He's christened 27 such zones in Baltimore city. The fatal shooting of a 13-year-old girl Tuesday is what brought him across the line into Baltimore County for the first time.

He'd come to paint a brick wall behind a convenience store, near where the shooting had taken place.

The paint hadn't even begun to dry when four police cars and six uniformed officers showed up on the scene. The wall Colion had painted was privately owned, they said. Colion insisted he'd gotten permission from a store owner. After 20 minutes of back and forth, Colion was arrested and charged with destruction of property.

'You can't stop this,' Colion said to an officer as he was being handcuffed, pointing his chin toward a memorial to the girl set up on a staircase and decorated with teddy bears and a big bunch of balloons.

'I can.'
A high school principal's letter about a student's suicide has provoked outrage on social media.

Suicide prevention advocate Mike King was left 'speechless' after seeing the letter that was sent home to parents of Karamu High School, on New Zealand's east coast, and posted a copy to his Facebook page.

'Last night... a Year 11 student took her own life,' the letter states.

'This is an irreversible and unacceptable choice that she has made and one that, along with her family and friends, we are deeply saddened about.'

The statement (pictured) has been labelled as 'deeply disturbing' on social media after it was sent to parents from a high school principal following the suicide of one of their students

Principal of the high school Michael Leitch (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia the handling of how to deal with youth suicide is a topic that is hotly debated in New Zealand

The letter, signed off by school principal Michael Leitch, goes on to outline different support systems for other students who may likely be impacted and encourages parents to talk to their children about the topic.

King poses the question, 'Is this the way we should handle with youth suicide?'

Mr Leitch told Daily Mail Australia the handling of how to deal with youth suicide is a topic that is hotly debated in New Zealand.

'For those of us facing this sad issue in our schools, we try to do our very best for our students, our families and our community.

'Every one of us at this school feels deeply for the student and her family and friends, and we do not want the letter to overshadow what they are going through.'

Mr Leitch said their current focus is on the student's family and their community and there will be no further comment at this time.

Suicide prevention advocate Mike King (pictured) was left 'speechless' after seeing the letter that was sent home to parents and posted a copy to his Facebook page

His organisation Key To Life works to identify a positive approach to talking about a hugely negative problem (pictured: King (right with New Zealand politician Winston Peters)

The famed former comedian dedicates his efforts tirelessly to raising awareness around New Zealand's shocking statistics and works to promote safer handling of the issue.

His organisation Key To Life works to identify a positive approach to talking about a hugely negative problem.

King was sent the letter by a concerned parent on Friday and took the weekend to reflect on its message before posting it to his page on Sunday night.

'The letter was sent to parents after the tragic suicide of a Year 11 student last week,' he said in the post.

'A child who sees no way to escape her pain takes her own life and all she receives from us is blame, shame and judgement?'

The letter from Karamu High School (pictured) on the east coast of New Zealand, outlined different support systems for other students who may likely be impacted

He said the attitude of the letter might encourage other students facing issues of their own to feel criticised which stops '80% of kids who have recurring thoughts of suicide from asking for help'.

'When I first started speaking in schools and listening to suicidal kids, and seeking advice from kids who had lost friends to suicide, their message was clear and consistent, "We can't talk to your generation because when we do, you make it all about you and you make us feel worse."

'Four years on we are still doing the same thing, only now we are putting it in writing.'

Social media followers of King were quick to slam the letter posted to the Facebook page of Mike King

Many found it was a heartless approach to alerting parents to the tragedy

King was sent the letter by a concerned parent on Friday and took the weekend to reflect on its message before posting it to his page on Sunday night

Social media followers of King were quick to slam the letter, citing it was a heartless approach to alerting parents to the tragedy.

In 16 hours the post gathered more than 1,200 reactions, 220 shares and gained nearly 400 comments.

A representative from the Ministry of Education told Daily Mail Australia the high school was automatically offered help, however they had refused assistance.

The letter prompted outrage on social media with one woman thanking Mike King for bringing attention to the letter

In 16 hours the post gathered more than 1,200 reactions, 220 shares and gained nearly 400 comments

The famed former comedian strives to raise awareness around New Zealand's shocking statistics and works to promote safer handling of the issue

They also denied any connections of the wording of the letter to their office.

'We did of course automatically offer this school help, but the principal had arranged other support including from Child, Adolescent and Family Services at the local district health board,' Katrina Casey, Head of Sector Enablement and Support said.

'The school did not seek our advice or support for writing to parents and caregivers and it didnt use any of our templates.'

'Any school faced with a students suspected self-inflicted death struggles to find the right words to talk to students about this,' she said.

New Zealand has highest suicide rate for 15 - 19-year-olds in the developed world and the second highest suicide rate for under 25-year-olds (stock picture)

'These are the most difficult of conversations.'

All schools are offered support and help for the dealing with the aftermath of deaths by suicide through traumatic incident teams.

New Zealand has highest suicide rate for 15 - 19-year-olds in the developed world and the second highest suicide rate for under 25-year-olds.

During the 2016 financial year 579 New Zealanders died by suicide and 564 during the previous year.

For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14.
A British expat who spent three days lost in the Australian outback miraculously survived the near-freezing overnight temperatures by burying himself in the dirt.

Anthony Collis, 32, was travelling along the Canning Stock Route to Darwin with his partner Debbie Blomfield, 39, when they became separated on Thursday afternoon.

Ms Blomfield walked about 8km to Georgia Bore Camp and raised the alarm, leading to the discovery of the car on Friday afternoon. Mr Collins was nowhere to be seen.

Anthony Collis, 32, who spent three days lost in the Australian outback, miraculously survived the freezing overnight temperatures by burying himself in the dirt

The British expat was travelling along the Canning Stock Route to Darwin with his partner Debbie Blomfield, 39, when they became separated on Thursday afternoon

After a desperate search, the 32-year-old, though sunburnt and severely dehydrated, was found 'alive and well' on Sunday morning.

He told rescuers he had dug holes to stay warm during the night as temperatures dropped to near freezing, Seven News reported.

Police have not confirmed why the couple abandoned their vehicle or how they had become separated, but a disagreement between the pair could have been a factor, according to The Australian.

Ms Blomfield walked about 8km to Georgia Bore Camp and raised the alarm, leading to the discovery of the car on Friday afternoon. Mr Collins was nowhere to be seen

Mr Collis was found about a kilometre north of Lake Disappointment and was taken by helicopter (pictured) to Newman Hospital for treatment

Mr Collis was flown by helicopter to Newman Hospital for treatment and was released on Monday morning.

Originally from Wiltshire in England, according to Perth Now, a Facebook page for Mr Collis shows that he now resides in Perth.

The social media account also shows a white vehicle similar to the one found by police.

The 32-year-old suffered dehydration and exposure after he disappeared Thursday afternoon
A man who brutally bashed a random young woman before dousing her in petrol and leaving her to die plans to appeal his 24-year jail sentence.

Robert Black Farmer followed 18-year-old TAFE student Lauren Huxley into her Sydney home in 2005 and attacked her with fibro cutters.

She was found unconscious in her garage with horrific facial injuries, only surviving because the house did not catch fire when he set it alight.

Robert Black Farmer brutally bashed a random young woman in 2005 before dousing her in petrol and leaving her to die, now he plans to appeal his 24-year jail sentence

Lauren Huxley, 18, was found unconscious in her garage with horrific facial injuries, only surviving because the house did not catch fire when he set it alight

Ms Huxley spent six months in hospital where she endured nine major surgeries and countless procedures and was left partially brain-damaged.

But nine years after he was found guilty by a jury in 2008, Farmer, now 48, claims he will appeal his sentence and 'cannot wait for his day in court'.

The career criminal vowed to prove his innocence in letters to penpal Ruth Hodkinson written last year from Wellington Correctional Centre near Dubbo.

He claimed his cousin Adam was preparing his appeal with Queenslands Griffith University Innocence Project.

'Just compiling their review together with his own points etc, hope to file very soon,' he wrote in the letter obtained by the Daily Telegraph.

Farmer followed the 18-year-old TAFE student into her Sydney home and attacked her with fibro cutters

She spent six months in hospital where she endured nine major surgeries and countless procedures and was left partially brain-damaged

X-rays showed the horrific damage to Ms Huxley's face, her skull and facial bones shattered

Farmer admitted to being frustrated and anxious with delays to the proceedings, but hoped to have some 'normality' and 'positive, constructive direction' when the appeal was successful.

'Im okay just a little impatient but that is only normal under the current situation, proceedings take time so Im just holding on for the ride?' he wrote.

'I was a carpenter before coming to gaol & a very independent person, I have had many beautiful relationships & I have lived and travelled arround (sic) the world, I like fast cars, fast bikes, fast boats, I love the ocean & also have a love for animals.'

Farmer said he didn't have a much in common with many people and complained about the 'very selfish and very stupid actions' of fellow prisoners.

Ms Huxley and her family celebrate outside court after Farmer was found guilty and sentenced to 24 years behind bars in 2008

Ms Huxley three years after the attack after nine surgeries and six months in hospital

He said he was keeping 'fit and healthy' in jail with his Sony walkman as his only friend, but went into a 'little shell' when stressing about his sick mother.

Innocence Project director Lynne Weathered would not confirm whether it was still working on Farmer's case, citing privacy policies.

The project doesn't directly launch court action but brought together lawyers, academics and students to investigate DNA-based cases as a 'last resort'.

Farmer was convicted partially because his DNA was found at the scene, including on the petrol tin lying next to her bed that he used to douse her.

Ms Huxley (pictured in 2008) was given a five per cent chance of survival but recovered to work full time and live completely independently

Ms Huxley in 2014 after recovering from her injuries

She was given a five per cent chance of survival but recovered to work full time and live completely independently

Ms Huxley's mother Christine said Farmer had no remorse for what he did to her daughter, calling the appeal attempt 'horrible' and 'disgraceful'.

'He will never, never rehabilitate, 26 convictions and you know how you hear all those cases that its been 11 years but they get out and kill somebody, all those terrible things that happen to good people,' she told the newspaper.

Ms Huxley was given a five per cent chance of survival but recovered to work full time and live completely independently.

'Never be ashamed of your scars, as it simply means that you were, and are, stronger than the person that tried to hurt you,' she said last year at an event raising awareness about violence against women.
Pauline Hanson wants every Australian to carry a national identity card with an electronic chip in a bid to tackle terrorism and welfare fraud.

The One Nation leader is hoping Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and his boss Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull act on her proposal.

'For months, I've been talking to the prime minister and the immigration minister about the need for this,' Senator Hanson told her Facebook followers.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson wants every Australian to carry a chipped, national ID card

Pauline Hanson says it's 'time for Australia to get a security upgrade' with a new ID card for all

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton is expected to propose a national identity card to cabinet

'Good to see they have finally started to take some action. Let's hope it's not just more talk.'

Mr Dutton, Justice Minister Michael Keenan and Transport Minister Darren Chester are expected to present a proposal for a national ID card to cabinet in coming days, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Ironically, the Coalition opposition led by John Howard in 1987 rejected the idea of an Australia Card, as proposed by Labor prime minister Bob Hawke.

Three decades on, the national ID idea is gaining momentum, little more than a week after four men were arrested in raids across Sydney, as part of a police investigation into an alleged plot to bomb a passenger plane.

It comes as cargo from the Middle East undergoes more stringent checks.

The national ID proposal is gaining momentum following four terror plot arrests in July

A Lakemba home in Sydney was among the four properties raided by police on July 29

On Sunday, a 39-year-old man, arrested during the July 29 raids, was charged with one count of possessing a prohibited weapon .

He was released from police custody and given bail to appear at Downing Centre Local Court on August 24.

Three of the four men arrested last month have been charged.

One of them is out on bail and another was set free without being charged.

Senator Hanson said it was 'time for Australia to get a security upgrade'.

Former Labor prime minister Bob Hawke dumped his Australia Card proposal in 1987 after the Liberal Party led by John Howard rejected the idea

'This is a matter of national security and will also help reign in those abusing our welfare system,' she said.

Under One Nation's proposal, every Australian would be required to produce a national identity card with a photo and an electronic chip to access government services such as Medicare or Centrelink.

'This is ensuring that people no longer have the ability to defraud our system,' the party's website says.

'For anyone who does have a problem with holding a card, then they have the right to forego having one and pay full price for all taxpayer funded services.'
Attackers armed with machine guns murdered three men on a Mexican beach packed with tourists on Sunday.

The terrifying assault, which also left two injured, occurred at Playa Palmilla, a popular beach near San Jose del Cabo at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, the local prosecutor said.

Automatic weapon fire can be heard on video taken during the attack, and photos of the aftermath show three bodies laying in the sand.

These three men were gunned down on a busy Mexican beach on Sunday by attackers armed with machine guns. Two others were injured in the shocking violence

Authorities say the beach was crowded with tourists, both Mexican and foreign, when the shooting started, and police evacuated the area.

Prosecutors gave no motive for the attack.

Southern Baja California has seen a surge in violence this year, though mostly outside tourist areas.

Analysts blame much of the bloodshed on fighting among factions in the Sinaloa drug cartel and also clashes with the rival Jalisco New Generation cartel.

The attack, which also injured two, happened on Sunday at Playa Palmilla, a popular beach near San Jose del Cabo at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula
Mindy Kaling's brother who faked being black to get into college says affirmative action is racist and hopes President Donald Trump will put a stop to it in the same way 'Lincoln ended slavery'.

Vijay Jojo Chokal-Ingam, an Indian American, is a strong believer in eliminating affirmative action programs because he says it doesn't allow merit as a decider.

He said the only thing that should be considered when being accepted into a school is test scores.

Chokal-Ingam claims he was accepted into St Louis University's medical school in the 1990s by using his middle name Jojo, shaving his head and becoming a member of black student organizations.

Mindy Kaling's brother Vijay Jojo Chokal-Ingam, who faked being black to get into college, says hopes Trump will put a stop to it affirmative action the way 'Lincoln ended slavery'

He said despite his lower than average grades, he was accepted because he was posing as a black student.

'I believe that President Trump - by appointing conservative anti-affirmative justices and by using the Justice Department to go after the colleges and universities - I believe that he will end affirmative action like Lincoln ended slavery,' Chokal-Ingam told CNN's Michael Smerconish.

Chokal-Ingam, who wrote a book about his experiences, disputed reports this week that the majority of students in Harvard University's freshman class were non-white for the first time in history.

'I think that is very deceptive,' Chokal-Ingam said.

'I think you are forgetting the Pocahontas factor, that is there are a large number of people who are whiter than winter in Alaska who pose as minorities for flimsy reasons which skew the results.'

Chokal-Ingam told CNN 's Michael Smerconish the only thing that should be considered when being accepted into a school is test scores

Chokal-Ingam claims he was accepted into St Louis University's medical school in the 1990s by using his middle name Jojo and shaving his head (right) to appear black

Of the 2,056 students admitted as part of Harvard's Class of 2021, 50.8 percent are from minority groups, including African-Americans, Hispanics, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, and Native Hawaiians - up last year from 47.3 percent.

The news comes as the Trump administration intensifies its focus on affirmative action policies and suggests it will investigate how colleges shape the racial makeup of their campuses.

News came this week that the Justice Department is planning to redirect its resources from its civil rights division to investigating policies deemed to discriminate against white applicants.

The Trump administration said it was looking into a single complaint from a coalition of Asian-American groups filed in 2015.

The coalition filed a complaint against Harvard University, alleging that the school and other Ivy League institutions had racial quotas that shut out high-scoring Asians.

Chokal-Ingam, who wrote a book about his experiences, disputed reports this week that the majority of students in Harvard University's freshman class were non-white for the first time
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.
NRL star James Tedesco made a young fan's day after signing his ball, posing for a photograph and then giving him his pink game boots.

Wests Tigers diehard Ashton broke down in tears after the fullback stopped to share a special moment with him after Sunday's spirited loss to the Penrith Panthers.

His mother, also a Tigers supporter, took to social media to thank Tedesco for the gesture in a gushing post.

Heartwarming moment: Diehard Wests Tigers fan Ashton broke down in tears when his hero, star fullback James Tedesco, stopped for a photo and signed his football

Tedesco took the kind gesture one step further, gifting the young fan his signed game day boots, a personalised pink pair of Nike Mercurials

'The most AMAZING thing happened tonight our little man finally got to meet his idol James Tedesco,' she wrote.

'And even better he gave Ashton his boots and boot bag! Our little man's face was priceless the reaction from him and everyone in the moment was all but amazing.

'Thankyou James Tedesco for making my little man's dreams come true I will be forever grateful xoxo.'

In a set of photographs posted online, young Ashton can be seen grinning next to the personalised boots - pink with the nickname 'Teddy' emblazoned on the side.

Ashton even sleeps with the boots by his side, as shown in an adorable snap uploaded online by his mother.

Overjoyed: Ashton is pictured sleeping in his bed holding onto Tedesco's shoes in a bag

His mother, also a Tigers supporter, took to social media to thank Tedesco for the gesture in a gushing post
A Mongrel Mob bikie convicted of kidnapping, raping and murdering a Christchurch prostitute has had his murder conviction thrown out.

Tattoo-clad Mauha Fawcett was sentenced for the murder of Mellory Manning at the High Court in Christchurch and jailed in 2014.

But in the latest turn of events, Fawcett's family has revealed his sentence has been overturned after being wrongly convicted, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Tattoo-clad Mauha Fawcett (pictured) was sentenced for the murder of Mellory Manning at the High Court in Christchurch and jailed in 2014, but has had his conviction thrown out

Mellory Manning's body was found in the Avon River after allegedly being abducted by Mongrel Mob members, raped and murdered in December 2008

The decision comes after he moved to appeal his conviction, which came to a close today at the Court of Appeal in Wellington, and is remanded in custody until September 1 in the Christchurch High Court.

The reasons for the decision are withheld until final disposition at trial.

The victim's brother Rob Manning has revealed such a decision was anticipated by his family.

'We know that there are obviously other people responsible for it,' he said.

'Even though [Fawcett] got convicted of the crime, it was only one part of it and I was actually wondering what was happening with the rest of [the police investigation], I hadn't heard anything [over the past 3 years].'

Mellory Manning's body was found in the Avon River after allegedly being abducted by Mongrel Mob members, raped and murdered in December 2008.

The Crown said he was highly unlikely to have been the main perpetrator during her murder, yet played 'a pivotal role in the operation'.

Fawcett, who has the Mongrel Mob's emblem tattooed on his face, was reportedly trying to force his way into the gang.

Fawcett, who has the Mongrel Mob's emblem tattooed on his face, was reportedly trying to force his way into the gang at the time of Manning's murder

Fawcett claims on the night of the murder he wasn't in the company of the gang and had no ties to Manning's death

The decision comes after he moved to appeal the decision, which came to a close today at the Court of Appeal in Wellington (pictured)

Fawcett initially fled the city following the murder due to fears the gang would take him out or hand him over to the police.

When interviewed by the police, he incriminated himself to the crime, but then changed his evidence later on.

During his questioning, Fawcett allegedly told police another gang member had stabbed Manning.

During trial he relied only on the support of an amicus curie for his defence, where he claimed he had lied during initial interviews.

He also claimed police had coerced him into a false confession.

Fawcett claims on the night of the murder he wasn't in the company of the gang and had no ties to Manning's death.
In a tense argument, Jillian Michaels was filmed holding her ground with a yacht crew who demanded more money because the 'mafia in Capri' had depleted their fuel money, despite already paying them $60,000 to sail the Amalfi Coast.

Michaels said she feared for her safety after chartering a pricey yacht to cruise around the Italian coast for 12 days, only to be 'held hostage' for more money.

The health and wellness star said she booked a luxury boat online but later came to learn that the boat was filthy, had no hot water or wi-fi and had electrical problems.

The 43-year-old trainer said the crew then demanded extra money for fuel on the third day of the trip because the gas cash had been drained by mobsters in Capri.

In footage sent to the DailyMail.com, Michaels is seen arguing with a crew member as she insists for the interaction to be filmed and claims she is being scammed and held hostage.

In a tense argument, Jillian Michaels was filmed holding her ground with a yacht crew who demanded more money, despite already paying them $60,000 to sail the Amalfi Coast. Michaels' team claims that the broker told them the money for fuel had been depleted because of the 'mafia in Capri'

The wellness expert said she booked the Never One yacht (pictured) through a company called CharterWorld LLP online, but later came to learn that the boat was filthy, had no hot water or wi-fi and had electrical problems

Brilliante, the yacht broker, said in an email (pictured) that 'Capri is like mafia in particular', adding a winking face. Michaels' team also claims that Brilliante later explained that the money for was gone because of 'mafia in Capri'

Michaels added in a separate clip: 'You are essentially holding us hostage on the boat. You won't let us down, you won't let us go to dinner.

'I'm asking you for the 50th time, what do you need the money for?'

Michaels left for the trip on Tuesday, got off the boat on Saturday and is currently spending the rest of her time in a hotel.

The trainer took the vacation with friends, family members and her daughter, after finding pictures of the boat online and booking it through an online company.

Speaking to the DailyMail.com, Michaels said in an email: 'We are doing ok. Feeling really grateful to have our loved ones and health.

'I havent left the country yet and I am truly unclear of how far these individuals will go as I was physically intimidated and threatened in emails.'

She later added: 'Im focusing on what matters today: family, friends and good health. That said, I want my situation to be a warning to others and help them internet scams and extortion schemes like I was by Luxury Yacht Services, CharterWorld LLP, and their broker Amanda Brilliante.

'These scams are becoming extremely prevalent and theyre scary, particularly when youre with your family in another country, so be especially careful when you are dealing with rentals of any kind.

'Make sure to investigate as much as possible beforehand and should anything happen, do what we did - contact the US Embassy American Citizen Services. They have been enormously helpful in protecting my family and helping us with this whole ordeal.'

Michaels said: 'We are doing ok. Feeling really grateful to have our loved ones and health.' Pictured: Michaels in Italy with her friends and family on Sunday

The trainer, 43, said the crew demanded more money because the 'Mafia in Capri' had depleted the fuel fund

Michaels left for the trip on Tuesday, got off the boat on Saturday. She is currently spending the rest of her time in a hotel. Pictured: Michaels' friends and family left on the dock after the harrowing incident

Despite the horror incident, Michaels' friends and family still trying to have fun on the trip. Pictured: Austin Rhodes and Michaels' daughter Lukensia sipping on tropical drinks on Friday

Michaels said she booked the Never One yacht through a company called CharterWorld LLP and was aided by a broker named Amanda Brilliante.

The fitness guru said by the third day of the trip, she was being asked to fork over 6,000 euros to continue on, after paying nearly $60,000 up front for the yacht.

The crew refused to take them to shore unless she paid the extra money, claiming they needed the money for fuel, according to Michaels.

Brilliante, the yacht broker, said in an email that 'Capri is like mafia in particular', adding a winking face.

Michaels' team also claims that Brilliante later explained that the money for was gone because of 'mafia in Capri'.

Michaels said the crew told her they had burned through more than half of the fuel by the third day of the 12-day trip and by Saturday, the whole tank was empty.

She said they went no more than 70 nautical miles and docked for four nights.

The money demand was the second incident of Michaels' yacht trip, beginning with the boat looking nothing like the photos that she saw online.

Michaels also shared details of the harrowing experience on her Facebook page and wrote: 'Things became so escalated we literally feared for our safety.'

She added: 'The boat was shown in pictures as pristine. It was not only filthy, but it had no hot water, no air con when not docked, no wifi, partial electricity, it was clearly in total disrepair.'

She added: 'The boat was shown in pictures as pristine. It was not only filthy, but it had no hot water, no air con when not docked, no wifi, partial electricity, it was clearly in total disrepair.' Pictured: Photos of the 'pristine' Never One yacht

Noted hair colorist Justin Anderson was also on the trip and posted this photo on Saturday

Michaels posted photos of what she claims to be of the disgusting boat online (pictured). She said she paid $60k for the yacht for 12 days

The Biggest Loser star said the craft had no hot water or wi-fi and had electrical problems. Pictured: What appears to be an exposed electrical outlet

Pictured: Holes in wooded surfaces said to be on the yacht that Michaels rented

She continued: 'By the third day of our charter we were being extorted for money and things became so escalated we literally feared for our safety.

'Bottom line - this stuff is no joke. You could lose a lot of money and that sucks, but in some instances there is real danger. Be so so careful when dealing with rentals.'

When she initially complained about the condition of the boat, she was credited 6,700 euros, according to TMZ.

Michaels used her harrowing experience to warn her followers to be wary of booking things online and said this was the third time she was 'scammed'.

The fitness guru uploaded several photos of what she said her luxury yacht looked like when she arrived.

Photos appear to show rusted walls, blackened substances at the bottom of a fridge, loose electrical wires and holes in wooden surfaces.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the charter company for comment.

Michaels took the vacation with friends, family members and her daughter, after finding booking the yacht through an online company. Pictured: What appears to be dirtied panels of the said yacht

Photos appear to show rusted walls, blackened substances at the bottom of a fridge, loose electrical wires and holes in wood surfaces

Michaels shared the photos to warn her followers about online scams and shared tips on what they could do to protect themselves from being victims of such circumstances

Michaels signed off on the post by telling her followers what they could do to protect themselves from being victims of scams.

She wrote: 'Beware... You guys know I keep my social pretty straight forward. Fun memes, nutrition tips, fitness videos etc. But I feel compelled to ask you all to be VERY CAREFUL with any holiday rentals you book on line.

'You could lose a lot of money and that sucks, but in some instances there is real danger. Be so so careful when dealing with rentals.

'Ultimately, at the end of the day it's just money. Don't put yourself in harms way. If you start to sense real danger leave the situation immediately and if you are out of the country contact your embassy.

'They have a fraud investigator apparently and can help you. BE SAFE PLEASE AND ALWAYS TAKE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY.'
One Sydney man may have taken the title of Australia's dumbest suspect after leading police right to his own doorstep when taunting them online.

Macquarie Fields LAC shared CCTV images to their Facebook page on Thursday of a man who had allegedly punched a self-checkout machine while abusing staff at Woolworth's Eagle Vale store.

After urging anyone with information on the alleged felon in the pictures to come forward, the NSW Police Force had a response from one individual they were certainly not expecting.

Macquarie Fields LAC shared CCTV images to their Facebook page on Thursday of a man who had allegedly punched a self-checkout machine while abusing staff at Woolworth's Eagle Vale store

Officers were shocked to find one Facebook user taunting police with a comment that read: 'Come catch me if you can ya dooggs'.

And catching him was exactly what they did as on Monday, via Facebook, Macquarie Fields police confirmed that they were able to track down the brazen suspect, after shooting himself in the foot with his careless comment.

'Friday afternoon the challenge was accepted and I "unleashed the hounds" on the wanted fox,' their Facebook post read.

'Within 1 hour of their release, they found our hapless suspect. He was interviewed and will be receiving a court notice.'

Officers were shocked to find the alleged criminal taunting police with a comment that read: 'Come catch me if you can ya dooggs'

Macquarie Fields police (pictured) confirmed that they were able to track down the brazen suspect, after shooting himself in the foot with his careless comment

They also offered a tongue-in-cheek checklist for all wanted crooks who wished to remain at large.

'Don't post your Facebook profile to a Police crime story. Don't post derogatory comments about the local Police. Don't challenge the Police to catch you,' one officer advised.

Social media users were quick to point out the stupidity of the offender in an array of Facebook comments.

'Taking stupid to new levels...winning at life,' one comment read.

'He's that dumb he'd go to throw himself on the ground and miss,' another user joked.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday after a meeting in Manila with America's top diplomat that human rights were not up for discussion.

Asked directly if the topic came up, Duterte cursed at a reporter who asked about reported abuses and said not to 'go there.'

'Human rights, son of a b****,' Duterte said, arguing he shouldn't be questioned about alleged violations given the challenges he's facing. 'Policemen and soldiers have died on me. The war now in Marawi, what caused it but drugs? So human rights, don't go there.'

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had dodged on the issue, telling reporters before the chat that he saw 'no conflict at all' between the aid America is providing to the Philippines and the crimes against humanity that Duterte has been accused of being part and parcel to.

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday after a meeting in Manila with America's top diplomat that human rights were not up for discussion

As they shook hands, the two ignored a shouted question about whether they'd discussed the topic.

Duterte and Tillerson met in Manila at a regional Asia gathering, where the Filipino leader voiced solidarity with the U.S. amid global concerns over North Korea's nuclear program.

It was the highest-level interaction to date between a member of President Donald Trump's administration and Duterte, accused by human rights groups of flagrant abuses in his bloody war against illegal drugs.

Trump is scheduled to be in the Philippines in November. He has also invited Duterte to the visit the White House, irrespective of the complaints from rights groups.

Duterte cast himself Monday as a humble friend of Trump's top diplomat as they met to discuss North Korea and an insurgency in the Philippines of ISIS-linked militants.

'You come at a time when I think the world is not so good, especially in the Korean Peninsula,' Duterte told Tillerson as he introduced him to members of his Cabinet.

Ahead of the meeting, Duterte's presidential spokesman, Ernesto Bella, said human rights would indeed come up, along with other pressing matters such as global terrorism threats, economic cooperation and security in Marawi, the city that has been under siege by pro-Islamic State group militants for more than two months.

'We also welcome the opportunity to address concerns such as human rights if and when raised,' Bella said in a statement. 'We have always included this issue in our discussions and engagements with foreign governments, particularly Western democracies.'

If the two leaders did discuss those or other U.S. concerns about Duterte's government, they didn't do so in public

The U.S., too, said ahead of the meeting that human rights would be among the topics on the agenda.

If the two leaders did discuss those or other U.S. concerns about Duterte's government, they didn't do so in public.

Instead, the two focused on the alliance between the two countries and on the North Korea issue as reporters were allowed in briefly for the start of their meeting.

Human rights groups have questioned the Trump administration's willingness to engage with Duterte, who once called the previous U.S. president, Barack Obama, the 'son of a whore.'

But Tillerson argued Monday there's no contradiction presented by the U.S. decision to help his country fight the militants, whose insurgency in the Philippines has stoked global fears about the Islamic State group exporting violence into Southeast Asia and beyond.

U.S. State Secretary Rex Tillerson, center, links arms with ASEAN foreign ministers as they take part in the ASEAN-U.S. Ministerial meeting in the 50th Association of Southeast Asia Nations in Manila on Sunday

Nearly 700 people have died in the intense fighting, including 528 militants and 122 soldiers and policemen, since hundreds of black flag waving gunmen stormed into buildings and homes in the business district and outlying communities of mosque-studded Marawi, a center of Islamic faith in the southern third of the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.

'I see no conflict - no conflict at all in our helping them with that situation and our views of the human rights concerns we have with respect to how they carry out their counter narcotics activities,' Tillerson told reporters before the meeting.

He added that it appeared the Philippines was 'beginning to get that situation under control.'

To that end, Tillerson said the U.S. has been providing the Philippines with surveillance capabilities, training, information and aircraft to help it fight the militants. He said the equipment includes a few Cessna aircraft and a few drones.

'The real challenge is going to come with once they have the fighting brought to an end how to deal with the conditions on the ground to ensure it does not re-emerge.'
A wedding celebrant married a dying cancer patient to her partner as she lay in a coma in hospital.

Diane Caratozzolo-Waddington, from Perth, faces being banned from the industry after wedding the unconscious woman in October 2015.

The bride was in the final stages of the disease and was not awake for any of the ceremony, according to the Weekend Courier.

Diane Caratozzolo-Waddington, from Perth, who married a dying woman in a coma, is facing a possible life ban from the industry

Caratozzolo-Waddington reportedly pleaded guilty to purporting to solemnise a marriage last week at the Rockingham Magistrates Court.

'[The bride] was unable to articulate vows and she was unable to indicate or acknowledge she understood,' the prosecutor said, according to the local paper.

'The accused asked the male if he took the female as his lawful wedded wife and he said ''I do''.

'At this point she (Caratozzolo-Waddington) stopped and said: ''Oh, she can't answer but I know she wanted to get married when I saw her before''.'

President of the Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants Anthony Burke told The Australian he had never before heard of a case where a celebrant married a couple when either the bride or groom were in a coma.

Caratozzolo-Waddington, a veteran celebrant, has now had her status placed under review by the Attorney-General's Department.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted her for comment.

Caratozzolo-Waddington reportedly pleaded guilty to purporting to solemnise a marriage last week at the Rockingham Magistrates Court
Thousands of Woolworths customers have been left without enough money to pay bills and groceries after being charged multiple times for transactions.

Angry consumers have taken to social media saying they have been re-charged for purchases made in March and have been unable to pay for groceries, petrol and other necessities.

The supermarket giant's payment processor Cuscal has confirmed it has been experiencing errors in their data centre leading to customers being charged again for transactions.

Thousands of Woolworths customers have been left without enough money to pay bills and groceries after being charged multiple times for transactions

Angry consumers have taken to social media saying they have been re-charged for purchases made in March and have been unable to pay for groceries, petrol and other necessities

The Woolworths Facebook page has been bombarded by angry people who have been left in the dark over their missing money

The Woolworths Facebook page has been bombarded by angry people who have been left in the dark over their missing money, with many talking of 'unexplained charges' and asking 'when will you release a statement to let us know when our money will be returned??'

One expecting mother has even claimed she was unable to pay for scans because of the payment errors.

'Thanks for cleaning out our bank accounts woollies! Being 36 weeks pregnant and being unable to pay for a baby scan today without borrowing money due to your error!' the woman posted to the company's Facebook page.

'Love being charged twice for food that we bought back in March,' one disgruntled person posted on the supermarket's social media account.

'Couldn't put fuel in the car and go to work because of this!!!' another wrote.

People have voiced concern over their credit card details being held by Cuscal leading to the incorrect transactions.

Thousands of Woolworths customers have been left without enough money to pay bills and groceries after being charged multiple times for transactions

People have voiced concern over their credit card details being held by Cuscal leading to the incorrect transactions

Woolworths confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they are aware of the issues and are working with Cuscal to resolve the problems

Angry consumers have taken to social media saying they have been re-charged for purchases made in March and have been unable to pay for groceries, petrol and other necessities

The Woolworths Facebook page has been bombarded by angry people who have been left in the dark over their missing money

Woolworths confirmed to Daily Mail Australia they are aware of the issues and are working with Cuscal to resolve the problems.

'We have received confirmation from Cuscal, one of our payment processors that service financial institutions, that due to an error at their data centre a limited number of Woolworths customers may have received incorrect transactions on accounts processed by Cuscal.

We are working closely with Cuscal and can confirm any payment errors will be corrected as soon as possible.

We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause customers. If further information is required please contact 1300 767 969.'

Thousands of Woolworths customers have been left without enough money to pay bills and groceries after being charged multiple times for transactions
The All Blacks' team manager has told of his shock when a bug was found in the New Zealand rugby team's Sydney hotel.

Darren Shand, giving evidence via video link from New Zealand, told the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday that he and security consultant Adrian Gard stared at the listening device in disbelief.

Gard has pleaded not guilty to making up claims about finding the bug secreted in a chair in the team's meeting room last August.

Former All Blacks security consultant Adrian Gard (pictured) has pleaded not guilty to making up claims about finding the bug secreted in a chair in the team's meeting room last August

Darren Shand (pictured) gave evidence via video link from New Zealand and told the Downing Centre Local Court on Monday that he and security consultant Adrian Gard stared at the listening device in disbelief

The side had been staying at the InterContinental Hotel in Double Bay when Gard raised the alarm bells when finding a recording device inside one of the hotel's chairs in a meeting room

Mr Shand told the court Gard, who has pleaded not guilty to making a false representation resulting in a police investigation into the bug, had worked as a security guard for the All Blacks since about 2005.

He said Gard's role during the All Blacks' stay in the lead-up to the Bledisloe Cup match against Australia on August 20, 2016, was to ensure security for the players at the InterContinental Hotel in Double Bay and when they trained at North Sydney Oval.

Mr Shand said Gard had carried out bug sweeps for the team in the past but the team manager decided they needed a new contractor to do the job as they were staying in Sydney for a week, instead of the usual two or three days.

Mr Shand said given the sophisticated listening devices available on the market, he thought if they were going to sweep for bugs they should do the job 'thoroughly and properly'.

Gard's role during the All Blacks' stay in the lead-up to the Bledisloe Cup match against Australia on August 20, 2016, was to ensure security for the players at the InterContinental Hotel in Double Bay

Despite the alleged bug, the All Blacks thumped the Wallabies in the 2016 Bledisloe Cup 42-8

He said Gard called him at about 5pm on Monday, August 15 saying he needed to see him immediately.

Mr Shand said when he entered Gard's hotel room he saw two conference chairs taken from the team's meeting room.

Gard claimed the chairs had given off abnormal readings during a bug sweep, the court heard.

Material from one chair had been cut back and Mr Shand could see what looked like a battery and some wires.

Mr Shand remembered asking: 'What is that?', before both men stared at the bug in 'shock', coming to the realisation it was a listening device.

'It's not something I'd ever seen before,' Mr Shand told the court.

'I think both of us were shocked a bug sweep had potentially found this.'

The hearing continues.
More than 150 years after the death of their grandfather, a pair of grandson's belonging to the 10th President of the United States John Tyler are still alive.

They are both the son's of of Lyon Gardiner Tyler Sr., the presidents fourth son.

To put that in perspective, that means three generations of Tyler men have managed to span 227 years and counting.

The patriarch: US president John Tyler, who was born in 1790, has two living grandsons

'Both my grandfather  the president  and my father, were married twice,' Harrison Ruffin Tyler, born in 1928, told New York Magazine in an interview.

'And they had children by their first wives. And their first wives died, and they married again and had more children. And my father was 75 when I was born, his father was 63 when he was born.'

Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr. was born in 1924 to Lyon Gardiner Tyler, the son of the late president and still lives in Tennessee.

John Tyler, born in 1790, grew up on a Virginia plantation, became a lawyer, and went on to become the nation's tenth president after the death of his predecessor, William Henry Harrison in 1841.

Grandsons of a president: Harrison Ruffin Tyler, left, and his brother Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr., call the tenth president of the United States their grandfather

His first wife, Letitia Christian Tyler, died a year later while he was in office.

The widower president, who was dubbed His Accidency for the unusual manner in which he won the presidency, rose to fame from the Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too campaign.

Tyler's presidency is mostly remembered as being utterly unremarkable. Tyler, however, was the first president to have his veto overridden by congress.

Extended family tree: Both President Tyler and his son Lyon were married twice - their second wives, both much younger than their husbands, help explain the incredible time gap

The middle man: Lyon Tyler, Sr., was born in 1853, remarried in 1923, and had two sons within the next five years

Tyler, who presided over the office during a time of bitter national divide, would later side with the confederacy during the Civil War.

But the Tyler grandchildren still like to remind Americans of some of the positives things he did during his presidency.

'Hes been maligned in some ways, because he was elected to the Confederate Congress, so people say hes a traitor,' Harrison said.

'But actually, he should be known for his efforts as the organizer of the Peace Conference in Washington in 1861. He tried to get the uncommitted states to all agree on a program, and then get the other states to join in, and get everybody back together.'

Tyler married Julia Gardiner, a woman from a wealthy Long Island family, on July 23, 1844, towards the tail-end of his one-term presidency.

She was 30 years his junior at 24. He was also the first president to marry while holding office.

The couple had seven children, added to eight more from President Tylers first marriage, making his the most prolific family to inhabit the White House.

Lyon, Sr. had six children, according to his sons biography. His son followed in his fathers footsteps and became an attorney, practicing law in Tennessee.

His two surviving sons were with his second wife, Sue Ruffin, who was born in 1889.

Loving wife and mother: First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler married the president at only 24, though he was 30 years her senior

Harrison, meanwhile, has led several historical tours, and was the keynote speaker for the 250th Jubilee of the colonial settlement of Jamestown.

The three generations have seen a multitude of change. In 1842, the word dinosaur was coined and three years later, Charles Darwin published Voyage of the Beagle.

In Lyon Tyler's era, Theodore Roosevelt held office, the United Postal Service was founded, and a stone was laid to begin construction of the Washington National Cathedral.
A teen whose acceptance video to Cornell University warmed the nation tragically drowned near a waterfall just weeks before starting at the Ivy League university.

Winston Perez-Ventura, 17, was found dead near Ithaca Falls by police divers on Saturday at 7.20pm, five hours after he went swimming and failed to re-surface.

Ithaca Police Department Acting Chief Pete Tyler said the incoming freshman had been swimming in a prohibited area.

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Incoming Cornell University freshman Winston Perez-Ventura, 17, (pictured with his mother, right) was found dead near Ithaca Falls by police divers on Saturday at 7.20pm

Perez-Venutra made headlines in December when his acceptance to Cornell, which showed his Democracy Prep Harlem High classmates erupting into cheers, went viral (pictured)

Perez-Venutra pictured on his high school graduation day. He dreamed of being an architect

'The Ithaca gorges are so, so beautiful but they can be very dangerous if folks don't obey the posted signs,' Tyler said.

'I encourage everyone to please, please follow the posted signs on the gorge trails, especially those that prohibit trespassing and swimming. The signs are in place for no other reason than to keep folks safe when they enter our gorges.'

Perez-Ventura was in Ithaca for freshman orientation ahead of the start of classes on August 23.

He was profiled by ABC New York in December, when a video of him finding out that he'd been accepted early to Cornell went viral.

Perez-Ventura was nine years old (pictured) when his mother brought him from the Dominican Republic to the US

Perez-Ventura's mother Agnelli Gutierrez (pictured) was the first to give her son a hug after he found out he was going to Cornell in December

Winston participated in the Fellowship Initiative, an enrichment program for young men of color, in high school and loved to draw and paint

The sweet video shows Winston-Perez sitting down at a table with a laptop, his classmates nervously surrounding him as he waits to find out the news.

Are you ready? he jokingly asks as his friends at Democracy Prep Harlem High laugh.

He then pounds the table in happiness, yelling Yes! as the entire class bursts into cheers when the screen reveals he had been accepted.

Winston-Perez held his hand to his chest at one point in the clip, so overwhelmed with emotion at the news as his mom and friends brought him in for hugs.

The incoming freshman was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to Harlem with his mother Agnelli Gutierrez when he was nine.

Ithaca Police Department Acting Chief Pete Tyler said that Perez-Ventura had been swimming in a prohibited area near the falls (pictured)

Police divers recovered Perez-Ventura's body on Saturday at 7.20pm, about five hours after he went swimming and failed to re-surface

'As an immigrant, sometimes we cannot have maybe so much of a heritage to leave to our kids,' she told the network.

'But education is the main thing that we can definitely get for them.'

Cornell had always been Perez-Ventura's dream school, according to his high school homeroom teacher and college counselor Danielle Leach.

'He handed me a little piece of paper that said, "Cornell is my first choice and I want to study architecture,'" she told New York Daily News.

His mother dreamed of giving him a good education. He is pictured here on prom night

Perez-Ventura is pictured here smiling down at his newborn baby brother

One family friend told CBS New York that Perez-Venture was 'very creative' and loved to draw and paint.

'He was so into the community,' she added. 'Did a lot of volunteer work.'

Ryan Lombardi, Cornell's VP for Student and Campus Life, said Perez-Ventura also participated in an enrichment program for young men of color while in high school.

He described the young teen as an 'exceptional person, who would have contributed greatly to our university community'.

Tributes to the teen poured in on Facebook from former classmates and teachers over the weekend.

'I am still in shock and disbelief that such an amazing human being like Winston Perez-Ventura could be gone, wrote Estefany Angeles.

'Just a few weeks ago I stood and celebrated his high school graduation and congratulated him on his long awaited dream of attending Cornell.'

'It is devastating that his life was cut so unpredictably short.'
Kelly Green, 32, (left with her husband Shane Green) moved from Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the UK to Tristan da Cunha (pictured), one of a remote group of volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, in July 2013. The whole island descends from just seven families and has a population of just 138 inhabitants. It is only accessible by boat from Cape Town, South Africa, and the journey can take anywhere from a week to 15 days - depending on the weather. After going through a tough break up, Kelly travelled to the island to visit her parents in 2010 as her dad was a diplomat posted there. Kelly said she 'fell in love' with the island and it was there that she met her now husband Shane Green, 33. Shane, a carpenter who has lived on the island for his entire life, had helped Kelly carry her luggage off the raft and they soon became besotted with each other. Kelly made the move to Tristan da Cunha permanently in July 2013 and the couple now have two children together - Savannah, eight, and Seren, who is 16-months-old.
A Muslim politician who wants to become a senator in Federal Parliament has admitted she is still a dual citizen of Pakistan.

Mehreen Faruqi wants to replace left-wing firebrand Lee Rhiannon at the top of the Greens Senate ticket at the next federal election.

However, she has admitted she would not be eligible to sit in Federal Parliament right now if a casual Greens vacancy suddenly opened up.

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NSW Greens politician admits she couldn't constitutionally be a federal senator right now

Mehreen Faruqi (right) is hoping her dual Pakistani citizenship doesn't dog her at the election

'In case any one is wondering, I have applied to the Pakistan government to renounce my dual citizenship and I am assured the process will be completed well before the federal election,' she told her Facebook followers.

Ms Faruqi has not renounced her dual citizenship since being becoming a member of the New South Wales Upper House in June 2013.

This occurred 19 years after she had moved to Australia from Pakistan and continued practising as a civil engineer.

It is legal to be a dual citizen in state parliament but not the federal House of Representatives or the Senate.

Larissa Waters (left) quit as a senator for Queensland for being a dual Canadian citizen

Scott Ludlam also resigned as a senator in July, after learning he was a dual New Zealander

Greens MP Mehreen Faruqi told her followers she had applied to renounce her Pakistan link

This means that were Lee Rhiannon to resign or die from the Senate, Ms Faruqi would not be constitutionally allowed to replace her.

Her bid to run for the Greens at the next federal election comes only weeks after Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters were forced to resign from the Senate when they discovered they were dual citizens of New Zealand and Canada, respectively.

In early 2016, Ms Faruqi revealed to Daily Mail Australia how U.S. Customs officials interrogated her for one hour at Los Angeles airport as she visited the city for a drug policy conference.

'My husband and I were questioned about how we got our Aussie passports, then sent off to the interview room and interrogated separately about why we were in the US and my links to Pakistan,' she said.

This was a year before Donald Trump was sworn in as U.S. President, following a campaign to ban Muslim immigration.

Ms Faruqi became Australia's first female Muslim politician in mid-2013.

Mehreen Faruqi wants to replace left-wing maverick Lee Rhiannon (pictured) as a senator

Australia's first female Muslim politician has highlighted her support for her arranged marriage

In May, the Greens' advocate for women's policy told a parliamentary hearing into human trafficking that she was happy in an arranged marriage.

'Arranged marriages could be forced marriages but not necessarily all arranged marriages are forced marriages,' she said.

'Mine was an arranged marriage, it wasn't a forced marriage at all. I just want to clarify that.'

The next federal election has to be held in 2019 and Ms Faruqi announced her Greens preselection bid in late July.

If she were able to renounce her dual Pakistani citizenship, she would be Australia's first practising Muslim senator.

Labor's Ed Husic and Anne Aly are the only Muslims in the House of Representatatives.

Ms Faruqi has been contacted for comment.
The Israeli government is shutting down Al-Jazeera's Jerusalem office, and is seeking to ban the news network from broadcasting in the country.

Israeli Communications Minister Ayoob Kara accused Al-Jazeera of supporting terrorism, saying the Qatari-owned news organisation is 'the main tool of ISIS'.

In response, Al-Jazeera has denounced the decision, saying the measure is 'undemocratic' and that it will take legal action.

Ban: Communications Minister Ayoob Kara announced that the government will seek to ban Al-Jazeera from Israel, saying the Qatari-owned news organisation 'the main tool of ISIS'

Israel's move follows in the footsteps of four Arab countries that are aligned against Qatar as part of a months-long political dispute over Doha's politics and alleged support for extremists.

The channel and its affiliate sites have been blocked in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain. Israel has long accused the network of bias against it and incitement to violence.

The network responded in a statement on Monday, saying: 'Al-Jazeera denounces this decision made by a state that claims to be "the only democratic state in the Middle East".

'Al-Jazeera stresses that it will watch closely the developments that may result from the Israeli decision, and will take the necessary legal measures.'

Al-Jazeera's senior political analyst Marwan Bishara noted the irony of Israel following the lead of Sunni Arab states.

'Those dictatorships now dictate to Israel what it does about press and press credentials,' Bishara said on-air. 'Israel is taking its cues from Arab dictators.'

A barber gives a customer a haircut as a TV set shows a demonstration in Egypt, on the Al Jazeera channel, at a barber shop in Jerusalem's Old city

On Sunday, Kara announced he would revoke the press credentials of Al-Jazeera journalists, effectively preventing them from working in Israel, and would move to block its transmission from the country.

'Al-Jazeera has become the main tool of Daesh [ISIS], Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran,' Kara, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling Likud Party, told a news conference.

Kara said he has asked cable and satellite networks to block Al-Jazeera transmissions and is seeking legislation to ban them altogether.

But commentators noted that implementation of this would be highly unlikely, as the Israeli parliament is on break and such legislation would take a long time to materialize and would likely face stiff objections.

Additionally, many Arabs citizens of Israel watch Al-Jazeera broadcasts through private dishes rather than traditional transmission.

The Government Press Office, which issues press credentials in Israel, said it has asked security officials for guidance on Kara's request.

Al-Jazeera rose to prominence by airing messages of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks.

It was the first Arab satellite news channel to offer a range of views outside of the heavily censored state media across the region and extensively covered the 2011 Arab Spring.

It also was the first Arab-owned news outlet to host Israeli officials and commentators.
A Queensland photographer accused of using his studio as a front to procure his victims has been charged with sexually abusing seven more children.

The 39-year-old man was charged by child exploitation team Taskforce Argos in January 2017 with 79 sex-related offences relating to three children.

Police alleged the man solicited parents via social media to attend his Enoggera-based photography studio that specialised in 'fine art' and 'artistic dance portraits' of young children.

A 39-year-old photographer from Queensland accused of using his studio as a front to procure victims has been charged with sexually abusing seven more children (stock photo)

Last month investigators charged the man with another 49 offences relating to seven different victims over two decades.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, did not appear in person in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday and remains in custody.

It is not known if the recent allegations are connected with the man's business.

The earliest victim, a boy aged under 16, was allegedly indecently dealt with in Bundaberg on four occasions between April and December 1997.

Three other boys were also allegedly indecently dealt with on separate occasions at the photographer's Geebung home between 2010 and 2013.

The man was charged with 79 sex-related offences in January related to three children, and then another 49 offences last month relating to seven different victims (stock photo)

One of those boys, and a separate underage girl in 2006, were allegedly stupefied with alcohol in order for the man to commit an indictable offence.

Two girl victims were allegedly abused in remote areas, including a national park, as well as at the man's home.

Many of the offences against the man involve taking indecent pictures of the children and exposing them to indecent acts.

The case will return to court on September 4.
A British mother was shot in Brazil after her family's hire car strayed into a lawless slum following a language mix-up.

She was saved when her former paratrooper husband sped to the nearest police station  despite gunmen blasting all four tyres.

Teaching assistant Eloise Dixon, 46, narrowly avoided being killed in front of her three daughters who were in the back seat, after the family's efforts to ask where to buy water in Portuguese were misunderstood by locals.

Instead of being directed to the nearest supermarket, they were apparently shown the way to a dangerous shanty town called Agua Santa  'holy water' in Portuguese.

British mother Eloise Dixon (pictured) has been shot in front of her husband and three children after the family drove into a Brazilian slum by accident

Mrs Dixon's husband, Maxwell, was driving at the time and their three children were on the back seat

Only when gangsters ordered them to turn back and began firing at the car did Maxwell Dixon, also 46, realise they had made a potentially fatal error.

One bullet struck his wife in the stomach while another, apparently aimed at her head, slammed into the headrest.

Last night Mr Dixon's mother revealed her son  now a fireman  had bravely wrestled the Renault back to the highway and reached a police checkpoint from which his wife was taken to hospital for life-saving surgery.

Hazel Dixon, 76, said: 'Maxwell is a very good driver and an ex-paratrooper.

'He's very, very good in an emergency. The gunman shot out the tyres, but apparently he drove the car as fast as he could with four flat tyres to a safe area and to the nearest police stationit could have been so much worse.'

She added: 'Obviously I sing his praises but I think he would have been really gutsy. He's useful when it comes to the crunch because he's as calm as can be.'

Foreign Office travel advice warns tourists that Brazil's favelas, or shanty towns, are 'unpredictably dangerous areas' and are risky places to visit even with organised tours, adding: 'Violence can occur at any time and overspill to areas close to the favelas.'

The well-travelled family, who are understood to live in Hayes near Bromley, south-east London, have previously travelled to Newfoundland and Cape Verde.

As well as hitting the side of the car and bursting the passenger said front wheel, a bullet also hit the front seat head rest where Mrs Dixon was sitting

A British mother has been shot in front of her husband and three children after the family drove into a Brazilian slum by accident. Police are pictured pointing out a bullet hole in the car door

They flew to Rio de Janeiro last Monday with daughters Isabella, 13, Holly, eight, and Alice, seven, and were exploring the coast.

They were driving a Renault Fluence hire car on the main road from Rio to Santos, near the holiday resort of Angra dos Reis, on Sunday when they stopped to ask where they could buy water, 'agua' in Portuguese.

But due to a mix-up they were directed to the slum  and were challenged by an armed gang.

When Mr Dixon refused to heed their demand to turn back, they fired a volley of bullets, one of which hit Mrs Dixon in the stomach. Images shown on Brazilian TV showed how another bullet struck the headrest where the mother of three had been sitting, missing her head by inches.

That suggest the British mother-of-three had ducked to avoid being shot again, or was bent over in agony from the first shot that hit her in the stomach when the criminals fired at her a second time.

Eloise Dixon was hit twice in the stomach when a gang fired at their vehicle in a deprived part of the holiday resort of Angra dos Reis (file picture)

The two men who attacked the family were on the run last night.

Local police chief Bruno Gilaberte said the family 'mistook the information they were given  Because of the language difficulties, there was some confusion.

'They ended up going to the Agua Santa neighbourhood where they were targeted by criminals. They were shot at after failing to understand the order they were given to leave the area.'

Agua Santa - the slum the family ended up in - is home to drugs traffickers belonging to a Rio de Janeiro-based criminal organisation called Terceiro Comando Puro.

They split from the Terceiro Comando in 2002 following a bloody prison massacre.

Terceiro Comando Puro, whose members are thought to be behind the gun attack, are regarded as the second most important criminal organisation in Rio de Janeiro.

The victim underwent surgery after being rushed to Japuiba Hospital in Angra dos Reis on Sunday afternoon. Her condition today was described as 'stable' and she is understood to be out of danger

Police in Angra dos Reis say the family took a wrong turn after a language mix-up, having asked for directions to a place where they could buy water

The bullet missed Mrs Dixon's vital organs and after a two-hour operation to remove it from her bowel she was last night recovering at Japuiba Hospital in Angra dos Reis.

Rodrigo Muchelli, medical director, said: 'The bullet passed straight through her abdomen, and missed the vital organs and arteries. She was very lucky.'

Hospital staff said another bullet had 'grazed' Mrs Dixon's upper body. She is expected to be transferred to a private hospital in Rio once she is well enough.

Sebastiao Faria, another official at the hospital, said she was operated on Sunday to check for any damage and is now recovering well.

Dixon is awake and talking and will be ready to leave the hospital in 48 to 72 hours, Faria added.

The family were targeted after trying to find somewhere to buy water in a near-fatal language mix-up. The two men who attacked the their Renault Fluence car are still on the run (file picture)

Mr Dixon served five years in the Territorial Army before he became a fireman in Bromley, south-east London, in 1998.

His mother, who lives in Woldingham, Surrey, added yesterday: 'My son phoned me up at ten past nine last night and said Eloise has been shot. I had an hour before he phoned back and Eloise was just going in to theatre.'

The grandmother said she was overwhelmed with relief after hearing that her daughter-in-law was going to pull though.

She added: 'It could have been absolutely horrendousbut she's going to be OK. The bullet must have come through the car door and lost some of its velocity.'

Edward Paine, of South America tour specialists Last Frontiers, told the Daily Telegraph he would 'never recommend self-drives around any of Brazil's large cities, especially for those who don't speak or read Portuguese'.
Australia's race discrimination commissioner has slammed a Muslim businessman for suggesting the white race will die out in 40 years.

Halal Certification Authority president Mohamed Elmouelhy said Muslim men needed to 'fertilise' Australian women and 'keep them surrounded by Muslim babies' because Australian men were too busy smoking, drinking beer and injecting drugs to procreate.

However, Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane said such comments may contravene section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, which makes it illegal to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate a race of people.

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Muslim businessman Mohamed Elmouelhy (pictured) says he was being a larrikin when he said Australia's white race will die out in 40 years

Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane (pictured) has expressed his concern to Mohamed Elmouelhy about his racially provocative remarks

Halal Certification Authority boss defended his comments (pictured) about Australian women needing Muslim men to fertilise them, saying it was all tongue in cheek

'Our society is diminished by provocations based on race,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Monday, as he returned from leave.

'I have expressed my concern to Mr Elmouelhy.

'There is no place for any expression of racial hatred or hostility in our public debate.'

Mr Elmouelhy last week told Sydney radio presenter Chris Smith he was just being a 'larrikin'.

'I'm an Australian, Australians are known for being a larrikin,' he told 2GB's afternoon show.

Mr Elmouelhy said his Facebook post, calling on Muslim men to 'fertilise' Australian women instead of 'beer swilling, cigarette smoking, drug injecting' Australian men, was all tongue in cheek 'from beginning to end'.

2GB's Chris Smith (pictured) questioned Mr Elmouelhy's motives behind the Facebook post

The halal boss told 2GB his post was only aimed at 'Australian bigots', not all Australians.

'I'm only calling certain Australians bigots,' he said.

'I am writing to specific people who are bigots ... the thousands of people who assault me on a daily basis, insult my religion, insult Muslims, derogatory things are said every day.'

Mr Elmouelhy's Facebook post was in response to Hebrew University in Jerusalem which published research showing sperm counts in men from Australia, New Zealand, North America and Europe had declined by more than 50 per cent in less than 40 years.

'Your men are a dying breed, Australian women need us to fertilise them and keep them surrounded by Muslim babies while beer swilling, cigarette smoking, drug injecting can only dream of what Muslim men are capable of,' he said.

Mohamed Elmouelhy says Australian men are too busy drinking beer to be future fathers

Halal Certification Authority president Mohamed Elmouelhy weighed into the sperm findings

'Muslims have a duty to make your women happy.'

Mr Elmouelhy said Australia's white race 'will be extinct in another 40 years' if the country is 'left to bigots'.

The Muslim businessman called on these 'bigots' to kill themselves or plan to die.

'Because you are declining, better go choose a plot for yourself at your local cemetery,' he said.

'If you can't afford it, commit suicide. It is a cheaper alternative for bigots.'

The Muslim businessman said drug use among Australian men would see white race die out

The Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine in Jerusalem found male fertility had sharply declined by 52 per cent, between 1973 and 2011.

Mr Elmouelhy's post was written just days after he predicted more non-Muslims in Australia would be eating more halal food than ever.

The 2016 Census revealed that Muslims made up 2.6 per cent of the Australian population, up from 2.2 per cent in 2011.

Australia's Muslim population soared to more than 604,000 people, overtaking Buddhism as the most popular non-Christian religion, and marking a significant jump from 341,000 a decade earlier.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday that the U.S. 'has not made a decision' yet on how it will respond to Russia's demand that it remove hundreds if diplomatic personnel from Russia.

Vladimir Putin ordered the U.S. to cut its diplomatic staff by 755 people in response to fresh sanctions over its meddling in the US election last year. He gave the State Department until September 1 to comply.

Tillerson said Sunday that he'd notified his Russian counterpart that the U.S. would have a response by then - although he cannot say at this time what it will be.

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Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday that the U.S. 'has not made a decision' yet on how it will respond to Russia's demand that it remove hundreds if diplomatic personnel from Russia

Tillerson believes Washington and Russia can find a way to ease tensions, saying it wouldn't be useful to cut ties over the single issue of suspected Russian meddling in the U.S. election.

The U.S. secretary of state said Russia had also expressed some willingness to resume talks about the crisis in Ukraine, where a 2015 ceasefire between Kiev's forces and Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country is regularly violated.

'We should find places we can work together... In places we have differences we're going to have to continue to find ways to address those,' the top U.S. diplomat told reporters.

Tillerson met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of an international gathering in Manila on Sunday.

He says he told Lavrov the United States would respond to the Kremlin's order for it to cut about 60 percent of its diplomatic staff in Russia by September 1.

'We have not made a decision on how we will respond to Russia's request to remove U.S. diplomatic personnel. I asked several clarifying questions...I told him we would respond by September first,' Tillerson said.

The meeting was their first since President Donald Trump reluctantly signed into law the sanctions that Russia said amounted to a full-scale trade war and ended hopes for better ties.

Lavrov on Sunday said he believed his U.S. colleagues were ready to continue dialogue with Moscow on complex issues despite tensions.

Tillerson said he discussed Russia's suspected meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election with Lavrov to 'help them understand how serious this incident had been and how seriously it damaged the relationship' between the two nations.

But Tillerson said that should not irreversibly damage ties.

Vladimir Putin ordered the U.S. to cut its diplomatic staff by 755 people in response to fresh sanctions over its meddling in the US election last year. He gave the State Department until September 1 to comply

'The fact that we want to work with them on areas that are of serious national security interest to us, and at the same time having this extraordinary issue of mistrust that divides us, that is just what we in the diplomatic part of our relationship are required to do,' Tillerson said.

The United States sent its special representative on Ukraine, Kurt Volker, a former U.S. envoy to NATO, to Ukraine last month to assess the situation in the former Soviet republic.

Washington cites the conflict as a key obstacle to improved relations between Russia and the United States.

'We appointed a special envoy to engage with Russia but also coordinating with all parties. This is full visibility to all parties. We are not trying to cut some kind of deal on the side,' Tillerson said.
The grieving mother of a well-known custom car builder shot dead outside his NSW business three years ago says she has had to recognise the existence of evil for the first time in her life.

Dr Julia Starling also spoke of never being able to forget that her 29-year-old son Laurie Starling 'spent the last precious moments of his life in absolute fear and terror, in the dark and totally defenceless'.

Victim impact statements by Mr Starling's parents and two brothers were tendered at the NSW Supreme Court sentence hearing on Friday of former Rebels bikie boss John Richard Weston.

Laurie Starling, 29, (pictured) was shot outside his business The Chop Shop in July 2014

Mr Starling was murdered by former Rebels bikie boss John Richard Weston in 2014

Dr Julia Starling said her son (pictured) was 'always so full of life, of friendliness, of generosity of spirit, of plans, ideas and projects'

The 37-year-old ex-president of the Windsor chapter was found guilty in March of murdering Mr Starling outside his acclaimed business The Chop Shop in July 2014.

In February, another Rebels bikie, Timothy Steven Rolfe, 32, pleaded guilty to the murder at West Gosford on the NSW Central Coast.

In her statement, released on Monday, Dr Starling said her son was 'always so full of life, of friendliness, of generosity of spirit, of plans, ideas and projects'.

She was living 'a recurring nightmare of his last moments on this earth, and a gut-wrenching, unbelievable sadness for what could have been, a sadness that comes in such overwhelming waves at times that I feel that I will surely drown'.

Her husband, Dr Robert Neale Starling, said their son had developed into a 'confident, social, humorous, selfless, inspired, respectful and inspirational young leader in his chosen profession of motor vehicle design, engineering and fabrication'.

'On the 24th July 2014, in the dark, he was stalked by a number of individuals who did not even know him, and shot by one,' he said.

Victim impact statements by Mr Starling's parents and two brothers were tendered at the NSW Supreme Court sentence hearing on Friday of the former Rebels bikie boss

Mr Starling's father Dr Robert Neale Starling said his son had always chosen the profession of motor vehicle design, engineering and fabrication before he was murdered in Grafton

On July 24 2014 Mr Starling was stalked by a number of individuals who did not even know him, and shot by one in the dark, his father told the court Friday

The murder led to forced closure of Mr Starling's (pictured) business, but his father said he would not let his son's visions die with him

'This cowardly act to end such a life will never leave my mind, the scenes awakening me in the night, jolting me in the day - my peace denied.'

The murder led to the forced closure of his son's business, but Dr Starling said he would not let his son's visions die with him.

'I, with the family, established a scholarship in Laurie's name for apprentices to continue his driving force in providing opportunities for others, so much part of his personal ethic and that of the family.'

Siblings Geoff and James Starling also described the pain of losing their brilliant younger brother who was a friend to everyone he met.

Justice Stephen Rothman adjourned the hearing for directions on August 18.
A dodgy accountant is facing jail after scamming Dragons' Den stars Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis out of 33,000.

Akilan Selvathiravam, 34, Kingsbury, North West London, forged cheques while working at the pair's firm, Red Letter Days, which sells experience day vouchers.

Wood Green Crown Court heard that over a two month period finance officer Selvathiravam forged 'a large number' of cheques and signatures at the 22million firm, which the duo bought in 2005.

A dodgy accountant is facing jail after scamming Dragons' Den stars Peter Jones (pictured left) and Theo Paphitis (right) out of 33,000. He worked for their company, Red Letter Days

The Sun reports that married father-of-one Selvathiravam was in charge of monitoring cheques and cash in a safe at the firm's headquarters in Southgate, North London.

Prosecutor Linda Shamel told Wood Green crown court: 'He falsified cheques and signatures, claiming they were corporate refunds and then cashed them.

'There were a large number falsified. He admitted doing it because he had a gambling addiction.'

Judge Joanna Greenberg QC warned him: 'This was a serious offence, a breach of trust over considerable time. Custody is the most likely outcome.'

Dragons Den cast, left to right: Duncan Bannatyne, Hilary Devey, Theo Paphitis, Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones

Selvathiravam had his sentencing adjourned until August 23.

The firm, founded by former Dragon Rachel Elnaugh, 52, offers 'experience days'. Jones and Paphitis bought the company out of administration in 2005.

Barclays Bank compensated them over the scam.

In June a thief was jailed for more than two years after stealing a 45,000 customised car belonging to Paphitis.

David Cook drove off in the Land Rover Defender, which bears the licence plate 'TW11TER', after stealing it from outside the home of the entrepreneur's chauffeur.

The 31-year-old was jailed for two years and eight months following the 'creeper burglary' in Edenbridge, Kent, in August last year.

Cypriot-born Mr Phaphitis, 57, lives in Weybridge, Surrey, where he is a keen collector of cars. He owns stationery chain Ryman, homewares specialist Robert Dyas and lingerie retailer Boux Avenue.

Jones is the owner and chief executive of Jessops, is an investor n dozens of companies and boasts a large commercial and residential property portfolio.
A video has emerged of a goose battling an elephant in an amusing example of a David versus Goliath contest which proves that with tenacity and a determined focus even the most daunting odds can be beaten.

The battle of mind over very large matter erupted at the Hogle Zoo in Utah when Zuri, a young African elephant is challenged by a Canada goose whose aggression is so intense that it seems utterly oblivious to their obvious difference in size.

Despite a clear advantage on size, the adorable elephant cannot overpower the single-minded goose.

Zuri sprays water at the goose with its trunk but the goose will not budge, no matter how powerful the offensive.

The plucky bird then flies onto the elephants back and seems to peck aggressively at his neck.

It then flies just in front of Zuri, stands firm in the water with wings flapping and beak threatening attack.

The diminutive bird does not even back down when the elephant swings its trunk dangerously close.

Zuri then shoves the bird with its powerful trunk, and despite being momentarily knocked off balance, the bird quickly resumes its offensive on its much larger foe.

The bird chases the elephant which then charges back, knocking the bird back again.

Zuri then kicks the feathered crusader repeatedly, landing blows which could have been fatal for the bird.

But the tenacious Canada goose just flies at the elephant's head in retaliation.

Zuri the African elephant pictured during the stand-off with a determined Canada goose

The battle continues and the goose returns to its original perch on a rock, where it chirps to what may be a young chicks hidden below.

The entertaining video was posted on YouTube and it sparked a lively conversation online.

Boris Berlin wrote on YouTube: 'That's one courageous goose. That back-kick could've easily taken her to heaven and back. I'm impressed!'

Cole Wagner wrote: 'I love how he has to take time out to chase that chicken away, and then turns around to find himself immediately back at square one with the goose. The comedic timing is impeccable.'

Zuri sprayed water at the determined goose which still refused to stand down its offensive

Stage Name wrote: 'Geese are the true jerks of the animal kingdom. :)'

But Cheryl Snyder voiced concern for the elephant's welfare, and wrote: 'The elephant should not be penned up in such a small enclosure and with no other elephants. Not natural environment for elephants.'

But Denlow replied that the camera only showed a small part of the elephant enclosure: This looks like the Hogle zoo Utah. If it is, you're only seeing like a 1/4 of the exhibits size not including a large private area for the elephants behind the exhibit away from humans. Also, there are at least 2 other elephants off screen. This baby is Zuri, part of their successful breeding program and is very happy and healthy.'

And Skonenblades wrote: 'Geese are cute until you're on their turf or near their nest and then you suddenly realize how big and quick they are when they don't back down and start hissing and charging.'
Note: A few weeks ago I asked why conservative Christian outlets are increasingly promoting socialist ideas and policies. My friend Jake Meador weighed in to help provide some perspective on this trend. Jake himself is the editor of an online Christian magazineMere Orthodoxythat would be described as traditionalist conservative. While he is not a socialist, he admits he is somewhat sympathetic to the emerging leftism of young Christians, especially those within Catholic and evangelical circles.

Jake and I have been carrying on a dialogue about this issue in the hopes not only of better understanding each others positions but also in the hopes of finding more common ground on the role of economic liberty in the Christian life.

The first article in this series is How Christian conservatives are breeding Bolsheviks and the second was How government regulationnot free marketscaused the financial crisis. This post is a response to the first half of Jakes latest entry, Little Platoons and the Market.

Jake opens the latest entry in our engagement by saying:

In his response to Andrew Strain, Joe Carter noted that one of Strains problems is the assumption that some other peoplerather than those directly engaged in the market activityshould decide what is best for those involved. Well, yesat least in a way. This isnt a crazy idea or even a weird one. Seen rightly, it is both common sensical and a principle that many of us already follow in our daily lives. Because other people are implicated in the decisions we make, it is not unreasonable to think that someone other than ourselves should be involved when we make an economic decision.

Jake is right. Its not crazy or even weird to think other people should be involved when we make economic decisions. But thats not quite the claim I was making. My position is that in most cases other people not directly involved shouldnt get to decide what is best for those involved. This too isnt crazy or even weird, for while we often ask other people about what we should do when engaging in transactions we rarely let other people make the decision for us.

Jake continues:

We are part of all sorts of different mini societiesfamilies, churches, neighborhoods, companies, and so on. What one person does affects others. And it is not wrong to say that those others affected should have some role in making a decision. I suspect that Joe agrees with me on all these points.

I do indeed agree on all these points. He continues:

Indeed, much of the argument from Acton folks is, I think, an argument about how to maximize the liberty of those groups by minimizing the power of the group with coercive powerthe government. What I think Joe misses is how his economic individualism undercuts these other societies we are part of.

Here is where I think we finally get to the heart of the disagreementat least in part. Jake might be surprised to find that I mostly agree that economic individualism can undercut these other societies we are part of. My point is that this is often a necessary and reasonable tradeoff for those of us who put a premium on human flourishing and the creation of a virtuous society.

I hope I can convince Jake of this point by showing how economic liberty is merely a extension of what I believe are other necessary liberties that can undercut these other societies we are part of.

Both Jake and I are, by nature and temperament, social conservatives. We are both, for example, concerned with ordered liberty and the preservation of family and the Christian faith. Where we may disagree is with what level of economic liberty is necessary to conserve society and promote human flourishing.

I dont expect him to fully agree with my reasoning since many of my colleagues at the Acton Insitute may also disagree. The Acton Institute is an ecumenically broad organization, and while all of us here agree on the mission (to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles) and the core principles, we may do so for different reasons. My reasons are primarily rooted in my particular view of the American experiment and my religious tradition, specifically Southern Baptist. As both an American and a Baptist I believe the protection and primacy of certain individual liberties are necessary for virtuous people to truly flourish.

This is one of the reasons Im a hardcore defender of religious liberty for all people.

For example, though as a Christian I think Islam is a false religion that is leading people to hell, I support the right of Muslims in American to build their own houses of worship. I agree with Russell Moore when he says,

[M]ust a person who believes Jesus Christ is the only way to God defend religious freedom for Christians and non-Christians alike? One thing we need to be very clear about is that religious liberty is not a government benefit, but a natural and inalienable right granted by God. At issue is whether or not the civil state has the power to zone mosques or Islamic cemeteries or synagogues or houses of worship of whatever kind out of existence because of what those groups believe. When someone makes such a claim, that person is not standing up for Jesus and his gospel, but standing against them. To empower the state to command or to forbid worship is not fidelity to the Bible.

I believe religious freedom is a right given by God, not the government, and it necessary for our human flourishing. Yet I can also agree, and sympathize with, my fellow Christians who think religious liberty should be preserved only for Christians since it can undercut what Jake calls different mini societiesfamilies, churches, neighborhoods, companies, and so on.

Similarly, I support a broad right to freedom of speech. Unlike libertarians, I believe government has a duty to restrict certain forms of speech such as pornography. But in general, I think a government that can tell virtue-oriented people what we can and cant say hinders, rather than promotes, human flourishing. And yet, once again, I would say this individual liberty is worth defending even if the side effect is that it may undercut these other societies we are part of.

One of the core principles of the Acton Institute is that Human persons are by nature acting persons. Through human action, the person can actualize his potentiality by freely choosing the moral goods that fulfill his nature.

I believe freedom to choose ones religion and speech are necessary because they allow us to freely choose the moral goods necessary to actualize our potentiality and lead to human flourishing.

Whether or not Jake agrees with me about those liberties, he seems to disagree with another of the Acton Institutes Core Principles, the necessity of economic liberty:

Liberty, in a positive sense, is achieved by fulfilling ones nature as a person by freely choosing to do what one ought. Economic liberty is a species of liberty so-stated. As such, the bearer of economic liberty not only has certain rights, but also duties. An economically free person, for example, must be free to enter the market voluntarily. Hence, those who have the power to interfere with the market are duty-bound to remove any artificial barrier to entry in the market, and also to protect private and shared property rights. But the economically free person will also bear the duty to others to participate in the market as a moral agent and in accordance with moral goods. Therefore, the law must guarantee private property rights and voluntary exchange.

As James Madison argued in Federalist Paper No. 10, the first object of any government is the protection of property. Alexis de Tocqueville also noted in Democracy in America that protection of private property translates into the protection of political rights even to the least of all citizens. But the individual and the government are not the sole concerns, especially if we give the power of veto to other parts of society.

As Jake noted other peoplethe little platoonscan also be affected by how we use economic liberty. Neither of us disagrees that those affected should have input on the decision or that individuals should take such concerns into consideration. The question is whether those affected should be able to veto our individual decisions or be the sole decider in how a person should use her private property, including her most important propertyher labor.

In his article Jake quotes an article from Susannah Black in which she says, The Republicans, in general, seem to have undermined the solidarity that there is meant to be between employer and employed, and between different classes. Has the GOP really undermined such solidarity? I suspect the true reason we do not have the binding ties that say, a Japanese salaryman has with his company, is that we are more attuned in America to individual vocational preferences. And, I believe, we should be.

Lets consider a hypothetical example to show why this is the case.

In 1987 the Big Widget Company agrees to open a factory in LittleTown, Nebraska. The company concedes their economic decisions could have a huge impact on the sustainability of LittleTown. But they also recognize the townspeople have just as significant an impact on the sustainability of the Big Widget Company. No one will move to LittleTown just for work and if the labor force dries up the company will go bankrupt. So the company offers a proposal to the town leaders: We will build the factory and stay for a minimum of 50 years. But in exchange the town has to agree that the sons and daughters of the townspeople will be obligated to work in the factory for a minimum of twenty years. If any child turns 18 and refuses to work in the factory, the company will immediately shut down operations and leave the town. The townspeople agree to this arrangement.

Almost twenty years later, a young resident of LittleTown named Jake is notified that he must go to work in the factory. He had hoped to go to college and become a writerhe believes it is his God-given calling in lifebut is told his labor doesnt really belong to him. Because the decision about what he will do with his labor (his property) affects the whole town, he is told what he does with his property (his labor) will be decided by the town.

Now Jake may be willing to sacrifice his own flourishing for the perceived good of his fellow townspeople. Yet he will likely recognize there is something inherently unjust about taking away his economic liberty and would be hesitant (I hope) of forcing others to comply with such a draconian demand. It would likely be a cold comfort to Jake or others to know they could speak freely and choose their own religion while being kept in vocational bondage against their will.

(But then again, maybe not. Ill let Jake respond for himself.)

Do individuals make vocational choices and other economic decisions that detrimentally affect other people? No doubt. But is that sufficient reason to constrain individual human flourishing for all people? I dont think it is. Indeed, I think the little platoons of society are harmed more by impeding such freedom than they are from allowing virtuous individuals to make such decisions for themselves. But why that is the case is an argument well have to take up another time.

However, if we concede that we should have the freedom to determine how we use our property when it comes to labor, the question then becomes where and how do we place legitimate restrictions on virtuous people about how they can decide other market-based transactions?

Note: There is also more to Jakes article that I hope to respond to later this week.
The heatwave nicknamed 'Lucifer' continues to cause problems across south Europe, despite a slight drop in temperatures expected in many of the areas worst affected.

Parts of Greece and Macedonia have declared a state of emergency due to fear that multiple wildfires that have remained out of control throughout the weekend will continue to spread.

In Italy, three people died in freak accidents during violent storms which have followed the heatwave in the northern parts of the country.

Europe burning: The Greek island of Kythira has been declared in a state of emergency due to a raging wildfire that has been burning since Friday

Alright for some: People cool off in a river in Buzau, Romania, after days of temperatures of up to 42C across the country

All dried up: A furrow with water is seen between parched ground at Guadalteba reservoir during a strong drought in Ardales, near Malaga, southern Spain

In Italy, a volunteer firefighter has been arrested for arson after it emerged he and a dozen of his colleagues had started fires themselves and made fake emergency calls, in order to make money from being called out in response.

While the heatwave has seen wildfires scorch through several southern European countries in recent days, Sicilian police soon began to suspect some had been started on purpose.

Sicilian police investigated 15 people near the southeastern town of Ragusa who they suspected of conspiring to set or report non-existent fires to make sure they received the 9 (10 euro) hourly rate paid to them if they went out to deal with the emergencies.

Suspicions were raised when the group responded to 120 incidents, compared with the 40 dealt with by other groups in the same time period, police said in a statement.

Caught in the act: Davide De Vita, third from left, was arrested after it emerged he and a dozen of his colleagues had started fires themselves and made fake emergency calls

Davide De Vita and his colleagues made the fake calls and started fires to make money from being called to the scenes

Only the ringleader, Davide De Vita, was considered sufficiently dangerous to be placed under house arrest, because he continued starting the fires after the others had stopped, police said.

In collusion with the others, De Vita left the base in his car, lit fires or made a false report, then came back to the fire station and waited to be called out to deal with it.

'He demonstrated a sharp criminal ability and had no fear about the consequences of his behavior,' the statement said, adding the investigators had recorded the suspects' private conversations.

'On one occasion, De Vita even said he wanted to set off a bomb so as to take the money available if the emergency vehicles needed to be repaired.'

Tourists try to cover their faces in Athens where temperatures reached 39 degrees on Monday

A tourist holds an umbrella to protect herself from the sun at the entrance of the Acropolis hill in Athens which has seen high temperatures in the past few days

Stack em up: Tourists visiting the Acropolis double up on cold drinks in the hot sun

Running on emptu: The streets of Malta are abandoned in the hot sun

The conspirators either used their own telephones to make the false emergency calls, or asked family and friends.

Today, Seville in Spain can expect to see the mercury hit 40C, Rome, Italy, 39C, and Sicily some 42C-44C, but elsewhere, the areas which have experienced extremely high temperatures over the weekend should get a respite.

Athens, Greece is predicted a high of 37 degrees Celsius, Florence, Italy, 35C, and the French island of Corsica - which has been ravaged by wildfire in the past few days - around 34C.

No rain in Spain: The burned ground and trees left behind after a forest fire destroyed hundreds of hectares of land near the village of Artes, in Barcelona

Emergency: Firefighters turn their hose on burning debris in the area of Masia El Freixe in the wake of the forest fire, near Artes, province of Barcelona, northeastern Spain

The fire near Barcelona raged all weekend, and destroyed 400 hectares of land

Back home: One of the evacuated families go for a walk upon their return back to Artes

Parts of Macedonia are now in a state of emergency as a result of failure to get wildfires in its southwestern mountainous region under control.

Firefighters and volunteers have been battling wildfires in several regions of Macedonia for about two weeks.

The 30-day state of emergency announced late Saturday by Macedonian Interior minister Oliver Spasovskiby directs all available safety resources will be directed to the affected region.

Evecuation: Dozens of people have had to be evacuated around Artes village after the fire broke out on Sunday

Help needed: Fire fighters and emergency services from across Greece have been called to Kythira, etween Crete and the mainland, this weekend

Out of control: A helicopter tries to extinguish a fire on Kythira, where the blaze has has consumed at least 3,750 acres of forest and farmland

Small comfort: So far, no homes on the Greek island has been destroyed in the flames

Another hot one: Temperatures across south Europe are slightly lower than at the weekend, but still predicted near the 40C mark

Police confirmed that a burned body was discovered in a village near the capital, Skopje, while two houses and a barn were burned in the village of Mogilec in Macedonia's central region.

Water-dropping helicopters were requested after fires intensified in the southwest and threatened homes, mostly in mountain villages.

Meanwhile, in authorities in Greece say a wildfire that has blazed on the southern island of Kythira since Friday morning continues to burn unchecked.

So far, no homes have been damaged, but Kythira mayor Efstratios Harhalakis said the fire has consumed at least 3,750 acres of forest and farmland. Four villages and a monastery were evacuated Sunday and a fifth village remained evacuated for a second day.

The Fire Service wouldn't confirm the extent of the damage, but says gusty winds, hilly terrain and highly flammable vegetation make it difficult to control the fire.

The service says 200 firefighters are on the ground and almost all available firefighting planes and helicopters are battling the blaze from the sky.

As of early Sunday evening, more than 40 wildfires had broken out across Greece during the previous 36 hours. Only one remained uncontained.

School's out for summer: A boy plays in a lake in Silistea Snagovului, Romania on Sunday

Chilling out: A man sits in a waterfall to cool off in a river in Buzau, Romania,

Dried up: The Turon river is seen during a strong drought in Ardales, near Malaga, Spain

Bad harvest: A road is seen between freshly harvested fields in Teba, southern Spain

A fisherman catches a fish at Guadalteba reservoir during the drought in Ardales, Spain

Italian authorities have reported three deaths linked to violent storms in the wake of the heatwave.

A 41-year-old Belgian man was among the dead after a tree fell on his tent at a Rainbow Gathering counter-cultural summer camp in the Tramontina valley in the northeastern region of Friuli.

Another tree, uprooted by powerful winds, fell on a festival at Marzia in the Dolomites, killing another man.

A hiker was fatally struck by lightening on a path up a mountain in the same area, the Marmolada.

The weather-related deaths follow a storm-triggered mudslide on Saturday which swept a woman to her death on the outskirts of the ski resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Rainfall in July was nearly 50 percent lower across Italy than is normal and peak temperatures have been hitting at least 40C (104 Farenheit) across nearly the entire country for almost a week.

The highs are not unusual but the duration and widespread nature of the heatwave is, weather experts say.
A police probe is underway after thousands of neo-Nazis wearing 'I love Hitler' T-shirts and screaming 'heil' invaded a German town for a 'Rock against Foreign Domination' festival.

More than 6,000 members of the extreme-right descended on Themar in the German state of Thuringia to watch 12 radical right-wing bands performing.

Revellers were seen performing the Hitler salute and breaking Germany's strict anti-Nazi laws which forbids the use of symbols of 'unconstitutional organisations' or 're-engagement in National Socialist activities'.

A police probe is underway after thousands of neo-Nazis wearing 'I love Hitler' T-shirts and screaming 'heil' invaded a sleepy German town for a 'Rock against Foreign Domination' festival. Pictures emerged showing neo-Nazis performing the Hitler salute

More than 6,000 members of the extreme-right descended on Themar in the German state of Thuringia to watch 12 radical right-wing bands performing

Many were seen performing the Hitler salute and breaking Germany's strict anti-Nazi laws which forbids the use of symbols of 'unconstitutional organisations' or 're-engagement in National Socialist activities'

According to police, the event, on July 15, was relatively peaceful, with officers using the tactic of 'deescalation' to keep the peace.

Authorities in of the state of Thuringia said it was the biggest nationwide event in the neo-Nazi scene.

Visitors were dressed in t-shirts with slogans such as 'I love Hitler' and 'Sturm auf Themar' ('assault on Themar').

In images taken from the large tent on the festival ground, hundreds of concert visitors did the Hitler salute along with shouts of 'Heil!' while posters showing Nazi soldiers were visible on the walls.

According to police, the event, on July 15, was relatively peaceful, with officers using the tactic of 'deescalation' to keep the peace

Authorities in of the state of Thuringia said it was the biggest nationwide event in the neo-Nazi scene with 12 radical right-wing bands performing

Visitors were dressed in t-shirts with slogans such as 'I love Hitler' and 'Sturm auf Themar' ('assault on Themar')

The public prosecutor has in the meantime opened an investigation.

Six people were provisionally arrested and 32 criminal offences were registered for the use of signs of anti-constitutional organisations, property damage, illegal drug use and verbal abuse.

The citizens of Themar, which has a population of just 3,000, tried in vain to stop the concert but two separate courts ruled in favour of the neo-Nazis saying they had the freedom to organise the gig.

Six people were provisionally arrested in the sleepy German town and 32 criminal offences were registered for the use of signs of anti-constitutional organisations, property damage, illegal drug use and verbal abuse

The citizens of Themar, which has a population of just 3,000, tried in vain to stop the concert but two separate courts ruled in favour of the neo-Nazis saying they had the freedom to organise the gig

Around 500 citizens and anti-fascist protesters held a small protest against the concert with slogans such as 'out with the brown plague'

The event was held on grounds belonging to a former member of the far-right AfD party (Alternatives for Germany).

Around 500 citizens and anti-fascist protesters held a small protest against the concert with slogans such as 'out with the brown plague'.

The local hotel closed during the concert as it refused to offer neo-Nazis accommodation.
We users will be able to force social media firms to delete their personal information under new right to be forgotten rules unveiled by the government.

The Data Protection Bill will make it simpler for people to control how companies use their data, with extra powers for the information watchdog to issue fines of up to 17million.

Under the plans, individuals will have more control over their data by having the right to be forgotten and ask for their personal data to be erased.

This will also mean that people can ask social media channels to delete information they posted in their childhood.

A file photo of a woman on a computer. Consumers who have unwittingly handed over personal information will be protected in future by having to tick a box

They will be able to erase embarrassing information from the internet, such as posts on social networks or online dating sites.

The legislation will allow people to ask for their personal data held by companies to be erased, and enable parents and guardians to give consent for their childs data to be used.

It will also expand the definition of personal data to include IP addresses, internet cookies and DNA and make it easier and free for individuals to require an organisation reveal the personal data it holds on them.

The reliance on default opt-out or pre-selected tick boxes, which are largely ignored, to give consent for organisations to collect personal data will also be banned.

The bill will also require people to give explicit consent for their information to be collected online by opting in, rather than firms relying on pre-selected tick boxes.

It will be a blow to social media giants such as Facebook, which harvests details people share on their profiles, including where they went to school, their interests and where they live.

WHAT IS THE 'RIGHT TO BE FORGOTTEN'? Under the plans, individuals will have more control over their data by having the 'right to be forgotten' and ask for their personal data to be erased. This will also mean that people can ask social media channels to delete information they posted in their childhood. They will be able to erase embarrassing information from the internet, such as posts on social networks or online dating sites. The legislation will allow people to ask for their personal data held by companies to be deleted, and enable parents and guardians to give consent for their childs data to be used. Advertisement

People who sign in to social media sites are typically opted in automatically, allowing their data to be collected and shared.

Announcing Government plans to strengthen UK data protection law, Digital Minister Matt Hancock, said: Our measures are designed to support businesses in their use of data, and give consumers the confidence that their data is protected and those who misuse it will be held to account.

The new Data Protection Bill will give us one of the most robust, yet dynamic, set of data laws in the world.

It will give people more control over their data, require more consent for its use, and prepare Britain for Brexit.

We have some of the best data science in the world and this new law will help it to thrive.

Under the plans, it will also create new criminal offences to deter organisations from intentionally or recklessly creating situations where someone could be identified from anonymised data.

The legislation will bring the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) into domestic law.

This will help Britain prepare for Brexit because it will mean the systems are aligned when the UK leaves the bloc.

The Information Commissioners Office will be given significantly tougher powers, with the maximum fine it can levy being increased from 0.5m to 17 million, or 4 per cent of a firms global turnover.

Facebook's home page. Social media firms will also be required to delete information on children and adults when asked under new laws aimed at giving people a greater right to be forgotten online

The bill, which was announced in the Queens Speech, will be introduced in Parliament when MPs and peers return from the summer break in September.

Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said: We are pleased the Government recognises the importance of data protection, its central role in increasing trust and confidence in the digital economy and the benefits the enhanced protections will bring to the public.

Julian David, chief executive of industry body techUK, said implementing the GDPR regulations in full puts the UK in a strong position to secure unhindered data flows once it has left the EU, and gives businesses the clarity they need about their new obligations.
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A four-metre long baby whale has died after becoming beached on Moreton Island, off the coast of Brisbane.

The baby whale calf became beached at Bulwer Wrecks on the north-western side of the island about midday.

Ranger-in-charge Terry Christensen told AAP that rangers and Marine Parks staff were keeping the whale cool and wet until the tide came in enough to refloat it.

Rangers and Marine Parks staff did the best to keep the fore-metre-long whale cool and wet until the tide came back in

Rescuers gathered on the beach in a desperate attempt to save the baby whale calf after it became beached

Rangers and Marine Parks staff and volunteers used wet towels in a last-ditch attempt to keep the stranded creature alive

Rescuers used umbrellas to shield the stranded calf from the sun, while using wet towels in a last-ditch attempt to keep the creature alive.

Unfortunately their efforts were to no avail as Marine Parks staff made the decision to end the rescue attempt.

A woman involved in the rescue attempt who asked to remain anonymous told Daily Mail Australia it was a 'sad outcome'.

Rescuers attempted to save the stranded whale, using umbrellas and towels to keep it wet until the tide came in

'Everyone involved tried their absolute best,' she said.

Another man who was part of the attempted rescue wrote on Facebook that the decision was made 'because of his injuries and the fact we couldn't see the mum out in the bay'.

'Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to this amazing creature today although everyone put in a great effort to save him,' he wrote.

Unfortunately the rescue effort was to no avail as the baby whale died, with rescuers describing it as a 'sad outcome'
The photograph of Tobias Ellwood smeared in blood after vainly battling to help Pc Palmer became one of the defining images of the attack in March

A minister who desperately battled to save the policeman stabbed in the Westminster terror attack has spoken of his trauma.

Tobias Ellwood broke down in tears as he described his 'vivid memories' of attempting to help Pc Keith Palmer by giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and performing heart massage.

And the Tory MP said one of the hardest parts of the experience was coming home and having to explain to his eight-year-old son that there were 'bad people' in the world.

The defence minister opened up about the impact of the deadly episode as he launched a six-year strategy to improve the mental health and well-being of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families.

The photograph of Mr Ellwood smeared in blood in the shadow of parliament became one of the defining images of the attack in March.

Khalid Masood mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and stabbed Mr Palmer at the gates of parliament before being shot dead.

An emotional Mr Ellwood told The Daily Telegraph: 'The hardest thing, as well as stepping through with others to try and save PC Keith Palmer's life, was coming home and finding my eight-year-old boy on top of the stairs having refused to go to bed.

'It was 10 o'clock at night and he was really confused. He couldn't understand why a bad person would do what he did and he also couldn't quite understand why I had then stepped forward in the way that I did.

'I had to explain to him that there are some bad people in this world.

'There are bad people doing bad things, but there are more good people doing good things, and that's why we stand up to events such as this.'

Mr Ellwood urged war veterans not to 'bottle it up' and seek help for mental health issues.

He said he wanted to challenge the stigma that prevents people saying 'actually I'm affected by this, or I'm troubled by that'.

Mr Ellwood, pictured struggling to help Pc Palmer in March, urged war veterans not to 'bottle it up' and seek help for mental health issues

Pc Palmer, left, died in the terror attack in March. Right: Mr Ellwood inspects floral tributes left to the policeman in the wake of the atrocity

The strategy includes 'decompression' time for military personnel after being on operations, and specific training for GPS about dealing with veterans' issues.

There are concerns that soldiers affected by their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan are falling through gaps in NHS treatment.

Mr Ellwood backed the creation of a veterans' board within Whitehall.

'What I went through is something but we shouldn't forget that there are many people who have seen much worse and continue to be affected by it,' he added.

'That's why it is so important for us to have the mental health strategy that we need - a veterans support package that is understood and a covenant that obliges councils, businesses and communities to recognise the sacrifice that individuals have given.'

Mr Ellwood praised Prince Harry, who has revealed that had counselling to come to terms with the death of Princess Diana.
The tent city in Sydney's Martin Place, which has been housing the homeless on-and-off for years could be packed up as early as tomorrow morning, according to Sydney Mayor Clover Moore.

Ms Moore told reporters on Monday she has become 'increasingly concerned about the tough talk on the situation,' which she says has left residents of the area 'scared'.

She says the Council have committed $100,000 to go towards a safe space similar to the one currently run by Lanz Priestley, but without provisions for sleeping.

The Mayor said she had spent her weekend on the phone negotiating with Mr Priestley, which will see the camp begin to be demolished from as early as Tuesday morning.

Scroll down for video

The tent city in Sydney's Martin Place could be demolished as early as Tuesday morning following Council negotiations

Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore (pictured) told reporters the Council would put $100,000 towards a permanent safe space for the homeless, with the State Government expected to also put money towards the project

'The camp will be packed up as soon as our council trucks can go down and help [tent city residents] with [their infrastructure and belongings] and to store it,' she said.

Late on Monday night, Mr Priestley called in council trucks to collect some of the excess material in the camp, including three tents.

'We got rid of three tents vacated by people who we had either housed or who got jobs,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

But the 72-year-old said he had no intention of vacating Martin Place in the next 24 hours, as the Council were yet to provide accommodation to all the residents of the tent city.

'They've said they will organise a temporary building for us to move to, with the idea being we transition to a permanent place,' he said.

Pictures taken in Martin Place on Monday night show excess material from the tent city being loaded on to a council truck

The material included three tents which had been vacated by previous residents

Despite calling in a truck to collect excess material, Lanz Priestley said he would not be vacating the area on Tuesday as Council had hoped

Ms Moore told reporters the City of Sydney Council were committed to establishing a permanent safe space around the city.

'What the homeless people really wanted was to know there would be a safe place where they could meet and get support.

'The city will put up $100,000 to go towards that safe space, and the Government is going to co-sponsor that.

'In the meantime, a communal safe space will be found - somewhere where they can go immediately.'

As there will no longer be a safe public area for Sydney's homeless to sleep in, Ms Moore said temporary and permanent accommodation had been offered to those currently staying in the area.

She said a throwaway comment by a NSW Police officer about 'throwing people in the back of trucks', had left the homeless in the area feeling afraid, which motivated her to get the problem fixed as soon as possible.

Ms Moore said the new area would serve as a 24/7 safe space, with food and support available, but no accommodation

Following the press conference, 'residents' of the tent city met to discuss the implications of the decision

Following Ms Moore's press conference, those sleeping rough in Martin Place met to discuss the implications of the decision.

Mr Priestley told reporters he was not previously aware that the Council-sponsored area would not include areas for sleeping, and was concerned those living in the business district would not have anywhere to go.

'My understanding is that we have somewhere to transition the people to,' he said.

'If we don't have somewhere for them to sleep we will have the same problem.

'If, in the Lord Mayor's mind, we're talking about a different concept, I think we need to have another discussion.'

On Monday morning, Mr Priestley told Daily Mail Australia he 'really hopes [the safe space] works', but was conscious of the fact that there was still a better and more permanent solution.

Lanz Priestley (seen standing right), who set up the area, said he supported the idea but was concerned there were not provisions for those who needed somewhere to sleep

Mr Priestley has been negotiating with Ms Moore as to a sustainable replacement for the tent city, which Premier Gladys Berejiklian recently demanded be taken down

Mr Priestley recently told Daily Mail Australia those sleeping rough should be put up in what he believed were up to 240 empty homes in nearby Millers Point

'There were discussions from the Department to put up another one of these [24-hour safe space and kitchen], a more permanent version of this, but I think they're blindsiding the public to the fact that there could be [less homeless people] tomorrow if they just opened up the houses in Millers Point,' he said.

It is estimated 240 homes in the waterfront area are currently vacant, having historically been built for public service workers in the area.

Mr Priestley said 59 people were sleeping in the tents erected in Martin Place on Sunday night.

Police told Daily Mail Australia on Monday morning that four men had been arrested overnight following a protest in High Street, Millers Point, over public housing that had been left empty.

On Sunday night, four men were arrested following a protest over what is believed to be 67 empty homes on High Street in Millers Point (pictured)

Activists allegedly broke in to one of the homes, and riot police were called to the area to remove them from the property.

A spokesperson from the NSW Department of Family and Community Services told Daily Mail Australia the homes in Millers Point were being sold to 'fund more social housing'.

'On average, proceeds from the sale of a Millers Point property enables four to five new social housing dwellings to be built,' they said.

The Department claims the sale of 197 properties at Millers Point has raised $417.8 million, which has funded 1,077 new fit for purpose social housing dwellings.

Of these, the spokesperson says 617 homes are completed and 460 homes are under construction.
This is the moment a panicked woman rang emergency services after a suspected acid attack as the victim doused his face with water.

The man was seen emptying a bottle of water over his head after being squirted in the face with liquid.

As he wipes his face in a shop doorway, a horrified woman describes the scene to emergency services over the phone.

Onlookers watch as the victim walks to a convenience store, where a man hands him another bottle of water to pour over his face.

The victim was handed a bottle of water as he tried to treat his burning face following the attack in Hackney

Mobile phone video footage captured the aftermath of the attack on Wednesday, August 2.

The victim, aged in his 20s, was squirted in the face with the liquid after speaking with the occupants of a car in Victoria Park Road, Hackney.

He is shown cowering in the doorway of Wonderland Ceramics before seeking help from Victoria Supermarket next door.

Police were called to the incident in east London at 5.45pm, where paramedics treated the man, who then left the scene.

Enquiries continue and no arrests have been made.

After pouring water down his face in a doorway, the victim makes his way to a shop next door

The attack comes just nine days after two men were left 'screaming in agony' after they had acid thrown in their faces in Bethnal Green's Roman Road.

The incident was just half a mile away just outside the opposite end of Victoria Park.

The victims were heard shouting: 'We've got acid on us' as they staggered into an off begging for help just before 7pm.

Liquid was squirted in the man's face following an altercation with the occupants of a car in Hackney, east London

One of the victims, Shakwat Hussain, 24, was treated overnight in a specialist burns unit at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford.

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.

Shocking footage of the aftermath shows the men having bottled water poured over them before fire fighters arrived to douse with a hose.




North Korea has lashed out at the latest round of UN sanctions calling them 'a rampant violation of our sovereignty and a frontal challenge to our republic.'

Kim Jong-un will take revenge 'thousand-fold' on the US and unleash 'decisive justice' on the US, the statement said, vowing 'will never step back from strengthening our nuclear might.'

The dictator will also never negotiate over nukes 'as long as the anti-DPRK administration of the United States and its nuclear threat continue', it said.

The hermit-state issued the statement on Monday in response to the latest round of UN sanctions, which imposed a $1billion trade embargo on North Korean exports.

Kim Jong-un's regime has threatened 'decisive justice' against western 'provocations' after the UN passed a resolution hitting North Korea with $1billion worth of new sanctions

A statement released by the state news agency called the latest test of the Hwasong-14 ICBM 'a stern warning' to America, saying it 'will not hesitate to use any last resort' if threatened

It also comes after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson suggested the US would be open to talks with Kim provided he halted his missile program.

The statement laid the blame for the latest round of sanctions squarely at the door of the United States, despite the fact that the UN resolution was jointly drafted with China - the North's closest trading partner and reluctant ally.

Fresh sanctions are 'a product of the atrocities of the United States', it said, accusing the Trump administration of 'making extreme anti-hostility policies and nuclear threats.'

It called the latest test of the Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile 'a stern warning' to the US, saying it is time America learns to 'coexist with us'.

Instead, America is 'becoming more and more pernicious, and it is trying to drag the situation of the Korean peninsula back to nuclear battles.'

By imposing sanctions America will only 'hasten self-destruction', the statement says, adding that North Korea will 'will not hesitate to use to any last resort.'

It comes after Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi (second right) met with North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho (second left) to warn him not to conduct any more missile tests

The United Nations Security Council unanimously voted to approve fresh sanctions on North Korea, with Russia and China both backing the move

However, the statement, which was published by state news agency KCNA, insisted that its mission to develop nuclear missiles is only designed as a defensive measure

The statement came after a meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his North Korea counterpart Ri Yong Ho over the sanctions.

China urged North Korea to stop conducting missile and nuclear tests because it provokes the 'international community's goodwill'.

The United Nations Security Council at the weekend passed a new set of sanctions against Pyongyang over its weapons programmes, including bans on the export of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore as well as fish and seafood from the impoverished state.

The measures were approved unanimously - including by China, the North's sole major ally and economic lifeline, and Russia.

North Korea also said it will not negotiate over ending its nuclear program after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson suggests he would be open to talks if the missile tests stop

Kim Jong-un has long held the ambition to develop a nuclear weapon capable of ranging the mainland United States, and the most recent ICBM test shows he now has a missile capable of doing so.

However, it is not clear whether the North has yet developed a nuclear warhead small enough to be mounted to the missile.

It is also unclear whether the country has the technology to bring the warhead down successfully without it disintegrating.

But many weapons-control experts now believe the North will develop these capabilities some time in the next few years, a move that President Trump has warned 'will not happen.'

That ultimatum has raised the prospect of fresh conflict on the Korean Peninsula, if the US decides to stop Kim's nuclear program by force.
Clearly, there can only be one decisive winner in terms of taste.

But just because Britain's legendary KitKat recipe is much nicer compared to that of America's (sorry, but it is), does that also mean it will be more resistant to a heatwave?

The UK recently endured searingly hot weather during which hundreds, if not thousands, of chocolate bars likely met a messy, molten end.

And if KitKats are your treat of choice then it is critical to know which country's are the most heat-resistant, so you can better prepare for the next scorcher.

MailOnline decided to answer that age-old question and took to the streets of New York City  in our quest to prove, once and for all, which KitKat melts first.

Round One: It is the battle to end all battles and our British and American KitKats take their position in New York City's Central Park

At a sticky 93F (34C), testing conditions are perfect for establishing which country's chocolate is more resistant

Barely a few seconds in to our mouth-watering experiment and we are already seeing the first signs of our lovely chocolate bars melting

The Great British Bar seems to be performing considerably better than the United States', which has melted into a sticky mess

The results are in, the Union Jack remains upright and the UK bar is clearly the victor of the first round

Round two: Our competitors take their positions at Brooklyn Bridge Park, which is just 1F cooler than the initial testing ground at Central Park

Again, just seconds in to our test and the American KitKat is already starting to melt under the scorching summer sun

The American bar has melted so much already that you can barely make out the logo, while the British KitKat endures the heat

Rule Britannia: The UK bar has prevailed once again as the most heat-resistant KitKat and therefore better suited for the hot summer months

The American bar is all but unrecognisable whereas Britain's still remains relatively intact  if a little softened
A Tinder couple who spent three years exchanging messages and putting off meeting have been enjoying their week-long first date in Maui, courtesy of Tinder.

Josh Avsec, 22, and Michelle Arendas, 21, were spotted frolicking in the water on a Maui, Hawaii, beach over the weekend, just weeks after their love story went viral.

The Kent State University students started speaking on Tinder in 2014 and had been quietly exchanging messages without ever running into each other for three years until Avsec shared their story on Twitter in July.

Josh Avsec, 22, and Michelle Arendas, 21, were spotted frolicking in the water on a Maui beach over the weekend, just weeks after their love story went viral

The Kent State University students started speaking on Tinder in 2014 and had been quietly exchanging messages without ever running into each other for three years until Avsec shared their story on Twitter in July

After Tinder saw the story online, it offered the pair 24 hours to decide a location to have a first date, paid for by the dating app.

When Avsec said on Twitter that they chose Maui, Tinder responded: 'Aloha! We're sending you to Maui but you can't take two years to pack your bags!'

The couple, who both go to school in Kent, Ohio, headed down to Maui last week for their summer holiday.

In photos from their weeklong vacation, Arendas and Avsec were seen laughing as they enjoyed the sunshine.

Arendas, sporting a black bikini, held a drink in her hand as she tested out the water's temperature.

Avsec, who wore a blue swimsuit for the day out, held snorkeling gear is his hands as he emerged from the water.

'We are just now sitting down and getting the opportunity to know each other, so there's probably a lot of learning still left to do,' Arendas told People as she sat by the pool. 'It has been great to be able to go through this adventure and have a partner to go through all of this with.'

'All the things I knew about Michelle were through an interview or a phone conversation, and this is the first time we have the chance to just hang out and talk,' Avsec said. 'We're getting to know each other and it's very awesome.'

'She hasn't put any pressure on me and I haven't put any pressure on her, so as long as she and I stay focused on getting to know each other, things will go pretty smooth,'

The university students first met during an appearance on Good Morning America last month.

For several minutes, the pair answered questions about themselves on each other on either side of a partition wall.

The university students first met during an appearance on Good Morning America last month. For several minutes, the pair answered questions about themselves on each other on either side of a partition wall

Eventually, it was time to meet. Avsec, who dressed up for the occasion in a shirt, jacket and pants, wasted no time and wrapped his arms around Arendas upon first sight of her

Hosts Michael Strahan and Lara Spencer seemed just as excited about the meeting, firing off a series of questions at the love-struck duo.

Eventually, it was time to meet. Avsec, who dressed up for the occasion in a shirt, jacket and pants, wasted no time and wrapped his arms around Arendas upon first sight of her.

'It is so good to finally meet you Michelle,' he said bashfully, adding: 'I'm blushing like crazy!'

Their modern love story went viral in July after Josh shared screenshots of their humorous exchange.

It began in September 2014, with Josh making the first move.

'Hey Michelle,' Avsec wrote coolly. Like a seasoned dater, she made him wait - a whole two months - and finally replied on November 28 with: 'Sorry, my phone died!'

Her cheeky response set the tone for the next three years. Every few months, one replied to the other with a hilariously pathetic excuse for the time lapse.

Screenshots of their exchanges show that Avsec and Arendas kept a long-running joke of late responses up for three years. The pair used excuses like being in class and having a busy week for waiting months to respond to one another

Avsec shared screenshots of his conversation with Arendas on Twitter on July 7, and the post quickly went viral

In January 2015, another two months after Arendas's response, Avsec quipped: 'Sorry, was in the shower.'

Later that year, Arendas waited until December to respond to Avsec's May message.

'Hi, I really do apologize for just now getting back to you. I've had a really busy week,' she kidded.

The next came the following October, then the February after that, until Josh replied on July 7, 2017.

The internet was won over by their banter. Twitter users responded with pleas of 'please get married!' and 'can I be third wheel?'

Arendas told Good Morning America she let the joke carry on for so long out of stubbornness.

'I'm stubborn and I wasn't going to be the one to ruin a good joke like that. I'm stubborn and I'm committed to my sense of humor, that was definitely it for me.

'I didn't want to be the one to break the joke.'

As to what the future holds, the pair appear to be taking it easy but believe they'll stay in touch, no matter what.

'We haven't made any concrete plans, but I know both of us are open to the idea of staying friends and getting to know each other better,' Arendas told People.

Avsec agreed, 'It's impossible to have an experience and memories this remarkable without wanting to continue something in the future. Even if we turn out to be mortal enemies, we'll be hanging out in Kent together, I'm sure.'
 AFP Wrong on Western Wall | Main | C-SPANs Orgel Again Facilitates Disinformation and Defamation Concerning Israel 

August 07, 2017

The Washington Post Minimizes Islamic Hate Preachers Sermon



A Washington Post report on a California imams calls to annihilate? Jews minimized and obfuscated the clerics comments and overt antisemitism (California imam apologizes for sermon seen as inciting to Jews, condemns antisemitism?).

As CAMERA has noted, on July 21, 2017 Imam Ammar Shahin delivered a sermon at the Islamic Center of Davis. Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), a non-profit organization that monitors and translates Arab, Iranian and Russian media, translated the Shahins remarksafter it was first posted on the mosques website.

MEMRI highlighted that the imam called to liberate the al-Aqsa mosque from the filth of the Jews,? and to count them one by one and annihilate them down to the very last one,? among other statements. The imams exhortations happened after Palestinian violence against Jews occurred after Israel discussed increased security measures at the Temple Mount, Judaisms holiest site, following a July 14, 2017 terror attack. During that attack, three Arab-Israeli citizens murdered two Israeli Druze police officers with weapons hidden in the al-Aqsa mosque that sits near the Temple Mount.

Major U.S. news outlets ignored the story. Writing at Legal Insurrection, a conservative blog that often focuses on the Middle East, antisemitism and other matters, David Gerstman noted that The Washington Post failed to report the imams comments until July 28, 2017fully a week later and only after the mosque issued a non-apology apology that CAMERA termed insulting (for more, see Insulting Apology from Islamic Center of Davis?).?

Post reporter Michelle Boorstein noted that Shahins widely distributed sermon about Jews in Jerusalem set off controversy and fear of violence.? Boorstein minimized Shahins call for anti-Jewish violence, claiming that the sermon merely called [for] Muslims to come together to protest the closure? at the al-Aqsa mosque? and prayer for God to destroy Muslims opponents at the site.?

Boorstein failed to report an earlier July 14, 2017 sermon in which Shahin called to turn Jerusalem and Palestine into a graveyard for the Jews.?

Making matters worse, the reporter also sought to impugn MEMRI, implicitly questioning its translation and its motivations. Boorstein claimed that MEMRI monitors media coverage, particularly about Israel,? which, as noted above, is false. The Post correspondent also uncritically quoted the mosques statement, which falsely claimed that MEMRI had cut and past? the imams remarks.

Boorstein even quoted Nazir Harb Michel, a senior fellow at Georgetown Universitys Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, who provided a whitewashed translation of Shahins sermon. Michel, without evidence, expressed concern that MEMRI was hoping to stir up anti-Muslim sentiment?

In fact, Shahin was advancing, not just anti-Jewish sentiment, but condoning and encouraging anti-Jewish violence. As CAMERA pointed out to in correspondence to the Post reporter, the cleric was making use of the al-Aqsa libel?; the false claim that Jews are seeking to destroy or defile the al-Aqsa mosque. Palestinian Arab leaders have often employed this lie to provoke anti-Jewish violence (see, for example The Battle over Jerusalem and the Temple Mount,? CAMERA, July 24, 2017).

The Post also failed to note that the imam was wearing a scarf that bears a resemblance to a scarf distributed by the Fatah movement during the recent crisis over the Temple Mount. As Mordechai Kedar, an Israeli specialist on Islam has noted, the scarf has emblazoned on it the words, Jerusalem is ours.?

Contra to The Posts headline, the sermon was not merely seen as inciting to Jews,? it was an impassioned call for violence against Jews. And contra to The Posts attempt to muddy the waters, the meaning of annihilate? the Jews? is clear in any language.

Posted by SD at August 7, 2017 09:50 AM

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A female flower seller narrowly avoided serious injury after a Manhattan sidewalk collapsed allowing her to fall six feet down a hole.

Mariana Fuentes, 47, who sells flowers from a cart was outside her home on West 158th street when she fell into a hole.

Her husband Juan Trujillo, looked on in horror as she plunged beneath the sidewalk.

This is the shocking moment a woman fell into a six-foot hole after the sidewalk collapsed

Mariana Fuentes was preparing her flower cart on Saturday morning when she was injured

Part of the concrete sidewalk landed on her leg after she fell into the hole, pictured

Eyewitnesses said a large concrete slab landed on the mother-of-two's leg.

She was rescued from the hole by firefighters.

One eyewitness called Jorge told the New York Post: 'I heard the bang. I rush outside. Shes screaming. Shes just crying for help. Help me! Help me! It hurts! It hurts!'

She was rushed to Harlem Hospital where she was treated for a fractured right leg.

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The incident happened outside the family's home on West 158th street on Saturday morning

Workers boarded up the hole after a partial evacuation of the building was ordered

The family have lived in the building on Washington Heights for the past 25 years.

Following the collapse, the building was partially evacuated while engineers determined whether there was a risk of further collapse.

One of the first people on the scene used a short ladder to clamber into the hole and provide comfort for Fuentes, who was suffering intense pain.

Firefighters lifted her from the bottom of the hole using a backboard to immobilize her and reduce of the risk of causing any further injury.

Her husband Juan Trujillo told the New York Daily News: 'For me, its terrible. Shes standing there and a hole opens up.'
A security guard has been left wheelchair-bound after he was viciously attacked by a group of six men five minutes into his shift.

Ricky Wood, a security guard at the Burleigh Heads Mowbray Park surf club in Queensland said the men turned violent after he asked them to leave the club on July 29 for doing drugs.

The former bodyguard to the stars said instead of leaving, three men turned violent and started attacking Mr Wood who was alone at the time.

Ricky Wood (pictured) was vivaciously attacked by a group of six men at a surf club last month

As a result of the attack, Mr Wood (pictured) has lost his front teeth and is now unable to walk

They had pinned him down and punched him repeatedly.

This had left Mr Wood with a black eye, no front teeth and unsure about whether he will be able to walk properly again.

'I think I was just in and out of consciousness,' Mr Wood said.

'Got no teeth anymore, a black eye, just get the shakes when I get nervous and my left-hand side is pretty much gone.'

Nine New Gold Coast reports that doctors at the hospital treating Mr Wood believed that he might have suffered a mini stroke throughout the attack.

As such it may take months of rehabilitation for him to fully recover from the ordeal.

A tearful Mr Wood said he won't be able to work as a security guard again after being in the industry for 15 years.

A Queensland police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that investigations on the incident were still on going.

Police have quizzed six people, and will charged one man on Tuesday morning.

The man who is due to face court would be charged with two counts of possessing dangerous drugs and one count of supplying dangerous drugs, the spokesperson said.
A young mother was left for dead after an attacker 'danced on her face' leaving her needing reconstructive surgery.

Mary-Anne Connors, 23, was found unconscious at her home in Great Dunmow, Essex, by her neighbour in the early hours of July 23.

The mother-of-one was rushed to hospital and has since had reconstructive surgery for her cheekbones, nose and jaw as well as an operation to stop the internal bleeding on her spleen.

Mary-Anne Connors is being treated in hospital after she was the victim of a sickening attack

Ms Connors family have released shocking images of her injuries as police attempt to catch her attacker

Her mother, Mary Connors, 50, said her daughter could lose her sight from the damage caused to her left eye socket but she is just 'glad she is alive'.

Mrs Connors Snr claims the attacker, who the family say is known to her, put on 'hard dancing shoes' before the alleged attack.

Mrs Connors Snr, originally from Wicklow, in Ireland, said: 'I can't imagine what she went through. I'm just glad that she's alive. It was just horrific. He left her for dead.

'She is still in excruciating pain and still in critical care. It has been very traumatic for her and the family. The injuries are life changing.

'[Her attacker] told her, 'I'm going to dance on your face' and he put some hard dancing shoes on and she asked him to leave but he didn't.

'She tried to scream but he punched her and knocked her out and danced on both sides of her face. He hit her with a baby rocking chair.

'The attack definitely started the day before she was found and it went on for at least five hours. He has also damaged her teeth and she has lost some hair after he pulled on it.'

Her mother said her attacker put on hard shoes and 'danced on her head' during the attack

These distressing photos show the extent of the 23-year-old injuries after the shocking attack

It is understood Ms Connors' young daughter was left in the house with her after she was attacked.

Her mother added: 'The neighbour found Mary-Anne and the baby crying at 5.30am. That baby could've fallen down the stairs. Anything could have happened.

'She fainted when she found Mary-Anne but then rang us and said, 'she's hurt, she's like the elephant man. He's left her for dead. The baby is crying'.

'Mary-Anne only remembers ten seconds of the attack and remembers thinking about the safety of her child.'

Police are hunting for the attacker and no arrests have yet been made.

Mary-Anne's mother added: 'Mary-Anne has never been in trouble. She is a really kind and gentle person.'

She said the family are now concentrating on looking after her young daughter.

Police are looking for John Paul Berry in connection with an attack
Holidaymakers are paying up to 14 times more for flights to popular summer destinations by choosing the wrong British airport, it has been revealed.

A study has shown that families which choose particular departure cities risk paying hundreds of pounds more than necessary.

A family of four flying to Palma, Majorca this Saturday for seven days would pay 826 by heading out from East Midlands Airport, but would save over 500 if they flew out from Birmingham Airport, just 36 miles away.

Holidaymakers are paying up to 14 times more for flights to popular summer destinations by choosing the wrong British airport, it has been revealed

Four seats would cost at least 1,089 for a return flight to Faro, Portugal. But if they are willing to drive 80 miles east to Bournemouth, they will only have to pay 250.

A family traveling to Rhodes from Manchester would pay at least 1,082. But just over an hour's drive to Leeds could mean they only have to pay 666.

Ian Strafford-Taylor, CEO of FairFX, said: 'These sky-high price differences beggar belief and show how holidaymakers can unwittingly pay out extortionate sums if they happen to live near the wrong airport.

COSTLY AIRPORTS Reina Sofia Airport, Tenerife The dearest airport is Bristol, at 1,558 for the cheapest flight to Tenerife, compared to 545 for the cheapest flight from Edinburgh. Arrecife Airport, Lanzarote Belfast International offers the most expensive flights to Lanzarote  the cheapest flight from Belfast International coming in at 1,734. This is compared to 426 from Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Paphos, Cyprus Newcastle offers the most expensive flights to Paphos at a price of 1,684 for their cheapest flight on that day, in contrast to a price of 935 from Glasgow International. Advertisement

'Families travelling during the already expensive summer holidays will be disheartened to learn that this is yet another way in which they could wind up paying through the nose.'

Costs also vary wildly depending on departure times, the study by currency exchange website FairFX found.

Heathrow to Faro leaving at 4.25pm would cost 2,941, yet leaving at 5.20pm from Glasgow International Airport would cost just 201.

Mr Stafford-Taylor added: 'Many people will not care about which airline they travel with but merely be looking for the cheapest deal.

'And those looking for the best value face huge cost discrepancies across the UK.

'While it might seem extreme to travel a long distance to find the cheaper flight, it might save families a great deal of money in the long run.

'And these figures show that even choosing an airport a fairly short distance away could result in big savings.'

Figures were based on return flights for a family of four, including two children aged 5 and 3, leaving on August 12 and returning seven days later.
The 'disturbed' Polish loner who allegedly kidnapped a British model in Italy so he could sell her as a sex slave has been spotted in cryptic new pictures.

Lukasz Herba, 30, who was known for carrying a rat on his shoulder, is believed to have plotted the audacious crime from a two-bedroom flat in Tividale, near Dudley, West Midlands.

Today, cryptic Snapchat pictures of him waving a pint of beer in the air emerged, with the caption 'We're up for planet, you know it's getting grim now!'

It has also emerged that Herba allegedly handed a 'business' card to British man with a grim reaper printed on.

The 'disturbed' Polish loner who allegedly kidnapped a British model in Italy so he could sell her as a sex slave has been pictured in cryptic new pictures

Chloe Ayling, pictured, described how she woke up shackled inside a suitcase with her mouth covered in tape

Last month model Chloe Ayling was lured to a fake photoshoot in Milan where she was drugged, stripped and handcuffed before being bundled into a suitcase in the boot of a car.

Driven to a remote farmhouse, the 20-year-old was held hostage for six days while her captors demanded 270,000 for her safe return.

She was eventually freed after they learned she was a young mother and she flew back to the UK yesterday. She is understood to have spent today being debriefed at the Foreign Office in London.

Her lawyer, Daria Pesce, told the London Evening Standard that she was kidnapped because she is British.

She said: 'The organisation has been kidnapping girls for Arabian buyers for years, Italian girls, girls of all nationalities. They may have wanted a British girl so that is why they kidnapped Chloe.'

Herba now claims he was pulled into the plot under duress by a group of Romanians living in Birmingham, telling Italian police that while he admits writing ransom demands he was forced to do so by the group.

Model Chloe Ayling at home with her dog in Coulsden, Surrey after returning from Milan following a kidnapping by Polish terror gang

He also claims he is suffering from leukemia.

Today his devastated mother said she 'collapsed in horror' when told of his arrest.

Speaking exclusively to the MailOnline from her home in Szczecin, northwest Poland, distraught Lucyna Herba revealed she was 'completely horrified' when she learnt about what had happened.

The retired city council worker said the first she knew about the kidnapping was when her other son, Michal, who also lives in the UK, called her.

She told MailOnline: 'It was in the morning, I was getting ready to go to the shops when Michal phoned and said Lukasz was in jail.

Herba's devastated mother (pictured) said she 'collapsed in horror' when told of his arrest

Speaking exclusively to the MailOnline from her home in Szczecin, northwest Poland, distraught Lucyna Herba revealed she was 'completely horrified' when she learnt about what had happened

'He told me Lukasz had been arrested in Milan for taking a model out of the UK and trying to sell her on the internet.'

Visibly distressed and fighting back tears she said: 'I was so shocked I collapsed in my chair. All the time my head was spinning at the horror of it. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I just broke down.'

She continued: 'He was such a normal boy. He first went to England when he was 20. He was studying there. Why would he do this?

'He was a normal, polite boy. He worked so hard at school. He was very bright and kind. I can't understand what happened.'

Last week, Polish police contacted the ageing single mother who split with Lukasz's father Hieronim when he and his brother were young.

Police in Italy say Lukasz Herba , pictured, 'kidnapped and tried to sell a British model on the dark web for 270,000'

She told MailOnline: 'When they called I was too numb to say anything. Shortly after that, last week, I spoke to Lukasz. He called me from jail. It was only for a couple of minutes, not long.

'He told me he was trying to help this girl. He said he didn't know her, he just wanted to help her. I don't believe he did this. He told me he was trying to save her.'

Meanwhile, a man from Birmingham claims he was handed a 'business' card by Herba, featuring a picture of the grim reaper and the words 'Permanent Solution'.

An email address on the back references the letters 'MD' - what Miss Ayling allegedly was ordered to call her captor.

The card was reportedly given to a man in Birmingham city centre offering 'dark web services, according to The Sun.

Neighbours in the seaport city said they were also stunned at the news.

One who spoke to MailOnline revealed that Lukasz Herba had been working as a delivery driver in Birmingham.

Grzegorz, 60, who has been living in the pre-war apartment block for 15 years said: 'It is very weird. He always seemed a nice boy. Polite.

'I didn't know him well, but he was here quite often to visit his mother, and I saw him quite a lot.

The small block of flats in Oldbury, West Midlands, where Herba is believed to have lived

The flat where Herba lived with his brother - the door was broken during a police raid

'As I say, he was always polite and friendly. So, yes, this is a complete shock.

'And I have no idea why he would have a fake passport. As I say, the whole thing is very weird.'

The 30-year-old, believed to be a senior figure in a shadowy online network called Black Death, allegedly threatened to sell the Page 3 model for sex to the highest bidder on the so-called Dark Web if his demands were not met.

The second-floor flat he is believed to share with his brother was raided by police on July 18 and computer equipment was seized.

The raid took place a week after 20-year-old Miss Ayling was abducted after being lured to Milan to take part in a fake photoshoot.

Neighbours said the Pole often appeared to leave for work each morning in a suit  but returned repeatedly throughout the day in a battered red Toyota, sometimes carrying the rodent on his shoulder.

Other members of Lukasz Herba's family are believed to have been targeted in the police raid on his home.

The picture that saved her life? British model bound and gagged to be sold on the black market was only released when her kidnappers realised she was a mother These are the pictures believed to have saved the life of a British model after she was kidnapped in Italy and nearly sold as a sex slave - because they show she is a young mother. Last month Chloe Ayling was lured to a fake photoshoot in Milan where she was drugged, stripped and handcuffed before being bundled into a suitcase in the boot of a car. Driven to a remote farmhouse, the 20-year-old was held hostage for six days while her captors demanded 270,000 for her safe return. She was only released when the online network Black Death, believed to behind the kidnapping, discovered she was a young mother after spotting pictures of her posing with her infant son on Instagram. According to Italian police, the rules of the gang apparently ban 'kidnapping mothers'. Kidnapped model Chloe Ayling was only released by he captors when they discovered she was a young mother after spotting pictures of her posing with her infant son on Instagram She is being debriefed by the Foreign Office and police today, her agent has said. Chloe Ayling, 20, was attacked on July 11 by two men as she attended an arranged photo shoot. RELATED ARTICLES Previous

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Next Glamour model drugged and kidnapped in Italy tells how she... The picture that saved her life? British model bound and...

'I woke up with wrists and ankles handcuffed, tape on my... Share this article Share She is believed to have been drugged and transported in a bag to Borgial, an isolated village near Turin, before being released on July 17, Italian police said. On Monday, her agent, Phil Green of Supermodels Agency, said she is due to meet police and the Foreign Office for a debriefing following her ordeal. These are the pictures believed to have saved the life of a British model after she was kidnapped in Italy and nearly sold as a sex slave - because they show she is a young mother 'Today (Monday) Chloe is unavailable for interview because she is partly doing the debriefing with the Foreign Office and the police, and then would like the rest of the day in privacy with her mum,' Mr Green said. 'She hasn't been home 24 hours yet, she has been surrounded by press ever since she arrived, and after her ordeal, they maybe need to respect the fact she does need some time alone.' There was no sign of Ms Ayling at her terraced home in Coulsdon, south London, today. Advertisement

According to the Companies House website, Mikal Herba, a 36-year-old Polish national, is the director of a firm registered at the address. The company, Her Trans Logistics Limited, is listed as a road freight transport business and is active.

A neighbour who lives on the same floor as Herba described how the police broke down the door in the raid.

The man, who did not wish to be named, said: 'Police came storming in here and kicked the door down. It was really loud with lots of banging and shouting and it woke me up. I looked out of my door and saw them breaking his down.

'There was no sign of anyone in there.'

No one answered the door to the address on Sunday morning. A black Audi estate and a blue Mercedes, which neighbours identified as belonging to the brothers, were parked outside.

It is thought that she was bundled into a car and taken to an abandoned industrial unit, where her kidnapper attempted to sell her on the dark web

Neighbours revealed mysterious banging noises could often be heard coming from the flat during the night.

A retired nurse living in the apartment below also confirmed she had seen Lukasz's brother Michal since the arrest, but that he quickly ran off.

The nurse, who did not wish to be named, said: 'There used to be a lot of banging and scraping that came from their flat above us at all hours of the day. It sounded like they were constantly moving furniture around. I always thought they were doing DIY. Now I've no idea what to think.

'A few times I hammered on the ceiling with the broom to get them to keep quiet.

'I saw Lukasz chopping wood outside sometimes, the last time about three months ago. I have no idea what he was doing it for, but I thought they were nice so I didn't report him for it.

Chloe Ayling was drugged, handcuffed and loaded into a car boot in Milan before being driven 120 miles to a farmhouse in Turin where she was kept for six days. But she was set free when they found out she was a mother of a two-year-old boy

'Last year they had a leak that came through our ceiling and when my daughter went to complain to them. But later Lukasz came to me with a box of chocolates and said sorry. We heard the raid when the police came. It was so scary and we had no idea what was going on.

'There were two police vans outside. I could hear the officers shouting 'get the door open'. The investigation seemed to go on all night.

'It's really shocking to hear about what has happened. My daughter said it has given her nightmares.

'They always kept themselves to themselves.'

Describing her horrific ordeal, Chloe Ayling (pictured left and right) said: 'A person wearing black gloves came from behind and put one hand on my neck and one on my mouth to stop me from screaming,' the woman told police

The Times reports that Lorenzo Bucossi, head of the Italian investigation, said that while it remains unclear if Herba is 'a disturbed individual or someone who had a real plan', he was 'certainly a dangerous person and carried out a real kidnap'.

He said that police were looking for at least one accomplice but refused to comment on a report in La Repubblica that police wanted to interview Herba's older brother, who is director of a logistics company based in Oldbury.

Neighbour Ciaran Williams, 33, a carpenter, said: 'Every half hour or 40 minutes he'd come back.

'I didn't think much of it at the time, but in hindsight it was a bit weird and shifty. He'd also carry a rat around with him sometimes.'

She was drugged with ketamine at an abandoned office, pictured, an Italian court heard, where she was told the photoshoot would take place

Police said the model was driven 120 miles to a farmhouse in Turin, pictured, and officers are now looking for accomplices after the model told them she was 'attacked by two people'

Another resident, 23-year-old model Sinead Boyce, said: 'He's a crazy bloke, he really is.

'He kept himself to himself a lot, I don't think we ever got a word out of him. We'd see him from time-to-time carrying this rat on his shoulder. He'd take it to the corner shop and all sorts.'

Other homeowners said Lukasz, from Szczecin in northern Poland, has not been seen at the council property for at least three weeks. One said they saw Herba's brother in the foyer of the block with a big bag. The neighbour said: 'I asked him what he was doing and he said he was moving out.'

Italian police said Herba had used the name Daniel Zawada on at least one passport they confiscated.

Chloe Ayling, 20, talking from her doorstep in South London this afternoon after her horrific ordeal in Italy and Paris

On his Facebook page, he lists motorbikes, American 'muscle cars' and online computer games amongst his 'likes'.

He also displays the logo of a mysterious online 'technology trade' firm as his banner picture.

Officers from West Midlands and Derbyshire carried out the early morning raid on his flat last month. Police reportedly found photos of the model and documents on Herba's phone and computer.

Back in the UK yesterday after she was freed by the group, mother of one Ms Ayling said: 'I've been through a terrifying experience. I've feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour.'

Pictured: The interior 'dungeon' of the farmhouse where the model was kept for six days before she was taken back to Milan to be released

Police found a small bedroom, pictured, in the property but it is unclear whether it was used by the model or the kidnapper

She flew to Milan on July 10 after her modelling agency was contacted by Herba, who pretended to be a photographer and asked her to go to an address in the city the next day.

But when she arrived at a fake studio near the central station, she was attacked by kidnappers in balaclavas who injected her with the powerful horse tranquilliser ketamine, she said. While she was unconscious, they stripped her, handcuffed her wrists and ankles and put tape across her mouth.

The young mother was then stuffed into a suitcase and locked in the boot of a car, it is claimed, and driven 120 miles to a remote farmhouse near Turin.

Miss Ayling, who returned to her family home in Coulsdon, south London, yesterday after almost a month in Italy, said: 'A person wearing black gloves came from behind and put one hand on my neck and one on my mouth to stop me from screaming.

Police found several items belonging to the model. pictured, in the shop in Milan as well as a card with a picture relating to the 'Black Death' group

'A second person wearing a black balaclava gave me an injection in my right forearm.'

Her official statement said: 'I think I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was wearing a pink bodysuit and the socks I am wearing now.

'I realised I was in the boot of a car with my wrists and ankles handcuffed, adhesive tape on my mouth.

'I was inside a bag and was only able to breathe through a small hole.' The model said the gang were forced to stop the hatchback every 45 minutes because of her 'continuous moans and movements in the bag'.

On one occasion one of the masked men threw 'fizzy water directly into my mouth'. In her statement, the model said there were at least five kidnappers, including Herba.

Police also released an image of Herba's passport in which he went by another name, Daniel Zawada, as well as a card with a bizarre image that appears to contain contact details for the 'Black Death' group

An image supposedly uploaded to the dark web by Black Death shows a woman alongside details including measurements and nationality, although the picture is believed to be a scene from a pornographic film

Investigators said the victim was kept shackled to a wooden chest of drawers at the farmhouse in Borgial, a hamlet near Turin.

She was forced to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag. Police said she was not raped. Herba is alleged to have told detectives he had sex with the victim but the circumstances of his claim remained unclear last night.

The Pole told the landlord of the rural property he was a painter in search of inspiration and that he had found the right spot.

After the alleged kidnap he is said to have threatened the modelling agency that if it did not pay up by July 16 he would put the victim up for 'auction' on the Dark Web, a hidden part of the internet that is only accessible with special software.

The suspect is said to have posted semi-naked pictures of the model alongside her age, dress size and ethnicity.

Prosecutors added Herba was contacted over the internet two days later with requests to 'buy' her for sexual purposes while she was at the Turin farmhouse, pictured

Having been flown back to the UK speaking from her three-bedroom terraced home in Coulsdon, south London, Chloe Ayling spoke of her horrific experience

One of the disturbing images is of her dressed in a velvet body suit, looking dazed and lying on the floor with her left breast exposed.

Her captors even placed a calling card on her stomach that described 'delivery' arrangements and that 'collection can be arranged'. It is thought several requests were made to 'buy' the model.

The online network Black Death has been previously investigated by Europol. It refers to victims as 'merchandise' and boasts it can 'kidnap a specific target for your needs'.

Herba reportedly decided to release the model after finding out that she has a two-year-old son. According to Italian police, the rules of his gang apparently ban 'kidnapping mothers'.

Two pairs of handcuffs were among the evidence which was seized by police following the discovery of the kidnapped model

The online criminals, known as Black Death, lured the model, 20, whose identity has not been revealed, from Paris to an abandoned shop near Milan 's Central Station with the promise of a photoshoot

Describing more of her ordeal, Miss Ayling told police: '[Herba] tells me that his boss is furious as they have kidnapped the wrong person.

'I should not have been taken because it is clear from my Instagram account that I am a mother of a small child and that's against the rules of the organisation.

'He said the imprisonment couldn't stop as they had already published two pictures of me on the deep web, made when I was unconscious.

'There were already some people who expressed their interest in me.

'He told me he had made more than 15million euros in the last five years. He explained to me that all girls are sold to Arab countries. When the buyer is tired of a girl he either gives her to other people or feeds her to the tigers.'

Herba reportedly drove the model back to the British consulate in Milan on July 17  a move which led to his arrest. Before dropping her off he is said to have demanded 45,000 from her and 'threatened to kill her' if she told anyone about her ordeal.

Detectives say Herba has confessed to the plot, which is said to have taken several months to plan. He appeared in a Milan court on Friday. Police investigator Serena Ferrari said: 'The psychological pressure on the girl has been extreme.'

'THIS IS JUST BUSINESS': WHAT BLACK DEATH TOLD THE MODEL 'You are being released as a huge generosity from Black Death Group. Your release does, however, come with a warning and you should read this letter very carefully. 'You are certainly aware of your value on human slavery market (sic) and must make a note that this isn't personal, this is business. For your release we have taken a number of factors into consideration. 'A mistake was made by capturing you, especially considering you are a young mother that should have in no circumstances be lured into kidnapping. Second important factor (sic) you are very well aware of is your overall protection by one of our main and very well respected men who made a very clear and solid stance in your case. 'You will, upon your landing in your home country cease any investigation activities related to your kidnapping. You also agreed to sneak a pre-determined set of information in to the media and we will expect to see evidence that has been done in the near future. 'You and your family will, in no way ever talk about us in bad language and without respect. You have been treated fairly, with respect and we expect to hear exactly the same about us in return. You can release any information you have heard from MO while your holding as he would never give you any information that could harm our activities. We will not tolerate lying about anything that has happened. 'You have also agreed to pay outstanding costs of your release of $50,000. We expect that money to be paid in BitCoins within one month. 'Any sort of disobedience with the above will result in your elimination.' Advertisement

Detectives said Herba claims he is suffering from leukaemia and that the other members of the gang are Romanian.

He is said to have told police that the others forced him to write the blackmail emails to Miss Ayling's modelling agency.

The model took police to the fake studio and the remote house where she was held before returning to Britain yesterday.

Her lawyer Francesco Pesce said: 'She shed a tear, she was so brave.

'It must have been terrifying to be alone in this house being locked up by strangers in the middle of nowhere. She was told she was going to be sold. It was scary.'

Speaking from the three-bedroom terraced home that she shares with her Polish mother Beata, Miss Ayling said it had been her first visit to Italy.

She said: 'I'm incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release. I have just arrived home after four weeks and haven't had time to collect my thoughts.

'I am not at liberty to say anything further until I have been debriefed by the UK police.'

Italian police revealed that Herba allegedly tried to kidnap the same model in Paris in April, having organised a photoshoot at an address in the French capital, but the bid was apparently aborted.

During the same trip, Miss Ayling said she was in the Champs-Elysees when a police officer was shot dead by a terrorist.
A video has emerged of Thomas Cook baggage handlers throwing luggage into a plane's hold.

Disgruntled passenger Shannon Peppiatt shared the video on Twitter after her luggage was so badly damaged on a flight to Turkey that she chose to fly home with a different airline.

On her return flight she filmed Thomas Cook luggage handlers fling bags into the plane's hold.

'I guess this explains why my suitcase was severely damaged! Your baggage handlers clearly have no respect,' Shannon wrote on Twitter.

The Londoner who works as cabin crew for EasyJet told the Mail Online that she switched airlines on her return flight in an effort to protect her luggage.

'I was flying to Dalaman with Thomas Cook from Gatwick and my case was smashed open so chose to fly with EasyJet coming home and saw this departing Dalaman airport,' she told MailOnline.

Shannon Peppiatt was flying to Turkey when she said that her luggage was damaged

A Thomas Cook spokesman told MailOnline: 'Our customers' luggage should never be treated like this and we are investigating with the baggage handling team at Dalaman.

'Our records do not show that Ms Peppiatt was due to fly home with us from Dalaman on that day and we would encourage her to get in touch with us directly.'

Dalaman is a district and a town on the southwestern coast of Turkey, in the Mugla Province.

Disgruntled passenger Shannon'peppiatt shared the video of luggage handlers tossing bags into the hold of a Thomas Cook plane on Twitter after her luggage was badly damaged
A rapidly-growing Scottish craft beer brewery has announced plans to build a new bar which staddles the US-Mexican border offering Texan brews to those on the southern side and Mexican drinks to those on the north.

BrewDog wants to build the bar out of several old shipping containers and will feature a dotted white line to mark out the frontier.

The company, which was founded in 2007, recently opened its first tap room in Columbus, Ohio.

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This is an artist's impression of BrewDog's planned 'Bar on the Edge' which will straddle the border between the US and Mexico in an undisclosed location between Texas and Chihuaha

James Watt, co-founder of BrewDog said 'beer is a universal language' and he said he will seek permission from authorities to have the new bar actually straddling the international frontier

The bar - which will be classed as a temporary mobile building - will be constructed at a top secret location between Texas and Chihuahu, Mexico.

The company said they want 'The Bar on the Edge' to make a statement about 'collaboration and inclusivity' allowing craft beer fans from both sides of the border to enjoy a drink.

James Watt, co-founder of BrewDog said: '"The Bar on the Edge" will be set up in the furthest outskirts of the United States, reflecting our ambition to reach every corner of the country as we begin to brew our beers on US soil.

'Beer has always been a unifying factor between cultures  and our business was born from collaboration and an inclusive approach  so we thought it would be fun to place the bar a few feet further to actually cross the US-Mexico border too.

'We will request official permission from the local authorities to put it there and adhere to any red tape stuff, but I guess it would make it more difficult to build a wall if theres a BrewDog bar in the way. Were planning on putting the bar there anyway until someone tells us to move it.'

He continued: 'Beer is a universal language and has a heritage and legacy that far outdates the creation of most nation state. So we want to celebrate its capacity to bring cultures together with this "Bar on the Edge".

'Craft beer has always been a collaborative and inclusive industry  we certainly couldnt exist without being welcomed to the fold by many of the US breweries that inspired us  so we want to reinforce its social impact and capacity to bring people together.'

He added: 'It was JFK that said, "conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth". We love the US, and we already have an amazing army of fans over here, but we do not intend to bring BrewDog "lite" to the US. The "Bar on the Edge" is our line in the sand, quite literally.'
A French woman whose face was partially torn of by an exploding whipped cream canister has been awarded 1million in damages, it has been reported.

Mother-of-two Emilie Lada was preparing a mousse for her husband and two children when the plastic lid shot into her face.

A court in the French town of Montauban ruled she deserved the payout, having suffered permanent disabilities including memory loss following the accident in 2013.

Though surgeons were able to reconstruct her face, the court ruled her injuries were severe enough to warrant compensation from the canister's importer, F2J, and its insurance provider AXA.

The ruling comes months after French fitness blogger Rebecca Burger was killed when the cap hit her in the chest and gave her a heart attack.

A French woman whose face was partially torn of by an exploding whipped cream canister has been awarded 1million in damages, months after fitness blogger Rebecca Burger (pictured) was killed in a similar accident

F2J and AXA were also ordered to pay 10,000 euros to Mrs Lada's husband and two children because they witnessed the accident.

Mrs Lada's lawyer Emilie Petitgirard said there have been 60 incidents involving exploding whipped cream canisters since 2013, several with the same Ard'Time brand she was using, the Telegraph reported.

Petitgirard said the high payout was 'for a life snatched away', adding: 'There are serious consequences from the head trauma.

'She is a young woman who can no longer work, she suffers from memory loss, and has no sense of smell or taste,' she said.

AXA has appealed the ruling, claiming French supermarket chain Auchan - who recalled the canister in March 2013 - should also be blamed for selling it.

France's National Consumer Institute (the INC) has warned the public that such canisters are dangerous and may not be able to withstand the pressure of the carbon dioxide inside.

In June, fitness model Miss Burger's family announced her death on social media.

They said the 33-year-old died as the result of a 'domestic accident' at her home in eastern France, and later shared a photograph of the dispenser which killed her.

In their post, the family explained how it exploded and flying parts of it hit the young model's thorax.

French media reported that it brought on a heart attack and that this is what caused her death.

Warning others of the dangers, the family said: 'This is an example of the cream siphon which exploded and hit Rebecca's thorax, causing her death.

'The siphon which caused her death was sealed. Don't use this product in your homes! Tens of thousands of the faulty devices are already in circulation.'

In June, fitness model Miss Burger's (pictured) family announced her death on social media, while her employer described her as a 'generous' and 'kind' person

French consumer groups have been reportedly concerned about such accidents for years.

The BBC cites one which has been trying to raise awareness of the faulty connectors on the capsules through which gas is pumped into the canister.

A person was previously struck in the ribs by the device and claimed on local radio that doctors told them they'd be dead if it had hit their heart.
A white Audi has been daubed with rude 'park elsewhere' graffiti behind a police station after a row over a parking space spiraled out of control.

The unpleasant message, believed to be spray-painted onto the vehicle's bonnet in jet black paint, was discovered on a car parked in a quiet area in Hampshire.

Meg House, 22, was walking home from work when she noticed the Audi S3 - reversed neatly within the lines of a bay - had been vandalised.

'Park elsewhere ****': The unpleasant message was painted on the bonnet of a white Audi parked near a police station in Hampshire

The 22-year-old senior administrative assistant said she was 'stunned' to see the rude daubing on a car behind Winchester Constabulary's Operational Headquarters.

Miss House believes the graffiti is the result of a parking dispute that has got out of hand and suspects the culprit was annoyed at the repeat offender.

Stunned: Miss House said she thought it was 'completely horrible' that someone would paint a message onto another person's car

When she went past later in the week, the car had been moved and officers confirmed it was not a police vehicle.

Miss House said: 'I was just absolutely stunned - it's criminal damage.It's just completely horrible. Such a horrible thing to do to a person's car.

'I would be very annoyed if that was my car. If it was mine I would have certainly reported it to the police.

'I mean, that car perhaps shouldn't have been parked there but to write that over the car is a little bit over the top.

'I thought it might have been a police car because it was in what looked like a police car space. I just can't believe someone would do that.'

However the police have confirmed that they are not investigating the graffiti and were not aware of it.

Miss House said: 'I suppose it looked a bit like spray paint but the ink was running in the rain - I would like to think the rain has washed it off.

'I think perhaps it's a car parking space for someone who parks there regularly and the other person has just sprayed it.

Where it happened: The White Audi, which has now been removed, was parked close to Hampshire Constabulary's operational head quarters

She added: 'I was just going on my way home. I had just left work and I had just stopped to get my umbrella out. Then I just saw the car in the car park behind the police station.

'I was on the other side of the road but I just spotted the car out of the corner of my eye and I crossed the road to take a picture of it.

'I put my bag on the wall and put my umbrella to one side to take a quick snap and share what I'd seen.'

She said she believed it had now been moved because when she came back to look it had gone.

A spokesperson for Hampshire Constabulary said: 'We are not investigating a report of criminal damage connected to this car. This is not a police vehicle.'
The glamorous teenage daughter of Vladimir Putin's press secretary has been widely mocked after visiting a shipyard in annexed Crimea offering her 'expertise' on how to boost its public image.

Yelizaveta 'Lisa' Peskova, 19, had joined a pro-Kremlin lobby group for a visit to the shipyard in southern Sevastopol, Crimea.

The business student, who frequently documents her gilded life on social media, told employees at the shipyard that she 'didn't know a single person' who thought ships were built by people.

On official business: Yelizaveta Peskova, 19, poses with shipyard workers in Sevastopol, annexed Crimea, during a visit with a pro-Kremlin lobby group

Out of touch: Miss Peskova, the jet-setter daughter of Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, said after her visit in Sevastopol that she 'know a single person who would even think that there are people who build ships'

Caring about herselfie: By day, the stunning teenager lives in Paris, where she studies marketing and languages at university

Miss Peskova is the oldest daughter of Dmitry Peskov, who has been Putin's spokesman since 2012.

Despite her father's high status in Moscow, Miss Peskova has been spending her teenage years in Paris, where her mother lives since separating from Peskov.

However, it seems the teenager, who studies marketing and Oriental languages at university, may be following in her father's footsteps and working on behalf of the Russian government.

Miss Peskova visited the shipyard last week, as part of a pro-Kremlin delegation which she advises on 'youth politics'.

Speaking at press conference after the visit, Miss Peskova offered her take on how to attract young people to shipbuilding.

Nyetpotism: The teenager has been mocked for her inclusion in the lobby group, which she advises on 'youth politics' as she has little life experience

Controversial friends: Visiting shipyard, she wore a dress designed by the daughter of the leader of Chechnya, who is accused of torture and persecution of homosexuals

All glammed up: Miss Peskova has 52,400 followers on Instagram, where she posts images of herself dressed to the teeth, going on holidays - and recently - on pro-Russia business

'I don't know a single person who would even think that there are people who build ships,' The Times reported her saying.

She said that Russia needs to 'build a PR strategy for shipbuilding', to improve business and to show young Russians that 'it is prestigious work and is not something to be ashamed of.'

Miss Peskova then posed for photographs with shipbuilders at the yard which she posted on her Instagram, where she has some 52,400 followers.

Her account, which is an endless flow of seductive selfies, jetset holidays and glamorous parties, has been another point of contention among Kremlin critics, as she recently uploaded gushing posts about the leader of Chechnya.

Controversial friends: She is seen dancing with Chechnyan leader Ramzan Khadyrov - who has been accused of torturing and killing gay men in 'concentration camps' - days after he said in an interview that he condoned 'honour killings' of homosexuals

Showcasing her talents: The blonde beauty poses for a gym selfie, left, and with a shirt seductively tied underneath her bust

Making jokes: Another image from the teenager's social media flow sees her posing on a throne with a crown on her head

She visited Chechnya, part of the Russian Federation, in July, and uploaded snaps where she is seen dancing with its Ramzan Khadyrov.

Wearing a stunning lavender dress, the 19-year-old is led in a dance by a smiling Khadyrov.

Just days before, Khadyrov, who has been accused of torturing and killing gay men in 'concentration camps', said in an interview that he condoned 'honour killings' of homosexuals.

Miss Pestova has previously criticized Russia's ban on gay marriages, but in a Facebook post last October, she declared that she was against gay couples adopting, adding 'I believe that for the harmonious development of a child, as for all in life, a balance is needed - yin and yang'.

During her visit to the Sevastopol shipyard, she wore a dress reportedly designed by the daughter of Kadyrov.

Yacht life: The blonde is seen on a boat during one of her many travels abroad showcased on her popular Instagram account

High life: Miss Peskova has been living in Paris with her mother and two brothers since her early teens but frequently visits her father in Russia

All around the world: Miss Peskova, a university student, poses during a trip to Amsterdam

The inclusion of Miss Peskova in the lobby group, despite her lack of experience, and her speech at the shipyard led to several jokes made at her expense on social media.

Twitter user @Pigmeich wrote: 'Moscow Region Court building, damaged in a gang shootout with police, will be repaired by great ship-repairer Lisa Peskova.'

Another added: 'Liza Peskova will fly to Syria and deal with ISIS. After that she'll solve the North Korea-U.S. problems,' according to RadioFreeEurope.

MailOnline has been in touch with Lisa Peskova, who has declined to comment.

Earlier this year, Miss Peskova's father was accused of being one of the senior Kremlin officials who had interfered in the US presidential election.

The the 'dirty' dossier allegedly compiled by a former MI6 spy claimed that Peskov was the ringleader of a Kremlin 'PR team' which sought to 'aid Trump and damage [Hillary] Clinton'.

The report was later dismissed as fake by Trump and Russia, with Peskov calling its claims 'utter nonsense'.
The naked ladies of Times Square have split into two rival factions who are battling it out for the public's attention, it is reported.

One group, dubbed the de-good-as, claimed to be law-abiding models looking to make some money off tourists eager to take pictures with them.

While another group, nicknamed de-rude-as, are regularly caught straying outside of their designated police zone, harassing the public an intimidating the other girls.

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The desnudas models of Times Square have split into two rival groups, as one lot claim they are being bullied and harassed by the others (file image)

The so-called des-good-as say they stay within police-designated working zones, do not harass passersby, and abide by the rules (file image)

Saira Nicole, 31, leader of the 'desgoodas' group, told the New York Post that the rift began in 2015 when she asked some models to stop thrusting their behinds at children and was told to 'f*** off'.

Nicole and two other models broke off into the desgoodas group, leaving seven other women in the desrudeas group.

She claims the other women are giving their 'profession' a bad name after drawing newspaper headlines for their rude and sometimes violent behavior.

Another member of the desgoodas group, Jamilee Leary, 19, said she has been physically pushed around by the other models who steal clients from under her nose, then threaten to fight her if she answers back.

Angel Bunting, 34, the third member of the desgoodas group, said she has no desire for the other women to quit, but insisted they must start behaving themselves.

The desgoodas claim they are bullied and physically intimidated by a second group, the des-rude-as, who are giving their 'profession' a bad name

New York authorities have been attempting to crack down on the presence of the desnudas - the Spanish word for naked which has been adopted as a nikcname by the women.

Police have set out designated 'activity zones' for the women to work inside after complaints they were harassing tourists and turning Times Square into an area that was inappropriate for families in echoes of its seedy past.

Legally police are powerless to stop the girls posing topless, as New York law permits women to expose their chests.

Officers also cannot stop the women asking for donations from members of public, though the models cannot legally charge anyone for pictures.
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Their victory saved Britain from the tyranny of Nazi Germany as they fought the most important battle this country has faced in centuries.

And now fascinating photographs show how brave Spitfire pilots defended England from invasion as Hitler's Luftwaffe prepared to mount an seizure during the first month of the Battle of Britain.

Hitler turned his gaze towards Britain by July of 1940 after successfully invading France and holding most of Western Europe. Prime Minister Winston Churchill said at the time: 'Hitler knows he will have to break us in this island or lose the war.'

Named Operation Sea Lion, Hitler's plans focused on crossing the channel and mounting a successful land invasion on British soil for what would have been the first time since 1066.

These black and white images show German pilots brazenly flying across the English Channel in convey while the city of Plymouth in Devon went up in smoke as ships in the English Channel sunk after being heavily bombed.

But the RAF fought back as photographs document, with a Nazi aircraft Heinkel He 111 bomber pictured being sent to a scrapyard after being successfully shot down.

In a new book titled Battle for the Channel: The First Month of the Battle of Britain 10 July - 10 August 1940, author Brian Cull described in detail how British pilots managed to pull the country back from the brink of invasion.

Ready for take-off! A pilot pictured getting ready to fly during the first month of the Battle of Britain in July 1940. A new book has been published explaining the first month of the airborne conflict

A forward machine gunner sits at his battle position in the nose of a German Heinkel He 111 bomber, while en route to England in November of 1940. The model was described as a 'wolf in sheep's clothing' because a design project masqueraded the machine as civilian transport though from the beginning it was intended to be used as a fast medium bomber

Crashed: An aircraft from the Luftwaffe in the English Channel after being shot down by an RAF Spitfire pilot

Watch out! A German twin propelled Messerschmitt BF 110 bomber, nicknamed 'Fliegender Haifisch' (Flying Shark), over the English Channel, in July 1940

Destroyed: Merchant ships bombed in the English Channel during the first month of the Battle of Britain

Under attack: A great column of smoke billowing upward from a fire started in the city of Plymouth, Devon in November 1940 as a result of heavy enemy bombardmen

Growing victory tally: The fin of Nazi pilot Walter Oesau's plane kept a record of the number of Spitfire's he'd managed to destroy, keeping track of their dates

Pictured: A Nazi plane ploughed into a row of terraced houses in England. It is not known if this was a pilot error or battle damage

The flying pencil: A formation of Dornier Do 17Zs on their way to England in July 1940. Referred to as the Fliegender Bleistift (flying pencil), they were used as light bomber aircrafts during the Second World War

Plotting: A Dornier crew photographed in the summer of 1940 staring intently at maps as they prepared their next mission. Hitler turned his attention towards invading England that year after occupying France and most of Western Europe

Under fire: British ships in the English Channel come under attack after German planes dropped bombs during the Battle of Britain

Crash landing! The remains of German pilot Lieutenant Josef Schauff's Bf 109 of 8 found on July 24 on a British street in England. Police officers and residents look on in shock at the remains

Here they come! A German fleet of Ju 87s escorted by Bf 109s heading towards the UK during the Battle of Britain

Above: Ju 88 5J+ER of 7./KG4 remains near Bury St Edmunds on 30 July.

THE GLORIOUS FEW WHO STOOD BETWEEN UK AND NAZI DOMINATION They fought the most important battle this country ever faced and their victory saved Britain from the tyranny of Nazi Germany. The heroes of the Battle of Britain repelled Hitlers Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940, although only a few of them are still alive. At the time were in their late teens or early 20s when they took to the skies in Spitfires and Hurricanes from July to October 1940. Others flew in Blenheims, Beaufighters and Defiants, becoming the aces of the Battle, shooting down plane after plane. During the Battle, Sir Winston Churchill said: The gratitude of every home in our island, in our empire, and indeed throughout the world, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the world war by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. When it was over, 544 RAF pilots and aircrew were dead and had made the ultimate sacrifice to keep generations of Britons safe. BATTLE OF BRITAIN: TIMELINE OF THE SUMMER OF 1940 26 June  16 July: Storangriffe ('nuisance raids'), scattered small scale probing attacks both day and night in southern England. From 4 July, daylight Kanalkampf ('the Channel battles') against shipping in the Channel began 17 July  12 August: daylight attacks on shipping intensified through this period, with increased attacks on ports and coastal airfields, night raids on RAF and aircraft manufacturing 13 August  6 September: Adlerangriff ('Eagle Attack'), the main attempt to destroy the RAF in southern England, including massive daylight attacks on RAF airfields, followed from 19 August by heavy night bombing of ports and industrial cities, including suburbs of London 7 September  2 October: the Blitz started, with the main focus of day and night attacks on London 3 October  31 October: large scale night bombing raids began, mostly in London; daylight attacks were confined to small scale fighter-bomber Storangriffe raids luring RAF fighters into dogfights (Source: The Royal Air Force museum) Advertisement

Unsuccessful: A German Heinkel He 111 bomber on its way to the scrapyard somewhere in England after crashing
Disgraced politician Anthony Weiner has been 'truly ostracized' in his Manhattan apartment building, residents have claimed.

The 52-year-old former congressman is living in a Union Square apartment with his five-year-old son, Jordan, since separating from his wife, Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin.

And since pleading guilty to sharing obscene photos with a minor earlier this year, he's lost contact with many people in the building and wears earbuds to the gym, where 'nobody speaks to him'.

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Disgraced politician Anthony Weiner has been 'truly ostracized' in the Manhattan apartment building where he lives with his five-year-old son, Jordan

'Nobody speaks to him. He is truly ostracized,' a source told Page Six on Sunday. 'People won't even get on the elevator with him.'

Many of Weiner's neighbors voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election and blame him for her loss.

While investigating Weiner's relationship with the minor, federal authorities seized a computer from the couple's Manhattan apartment and found emails that they believed might be relevant to the separate investigation into Clinton's private email server.

Just days away from the November 2016 presidential election, the FBI made a public announcement about the new development, despite the fact that they had previously said the case was closed.

Clinton has also blamed the last-minute emails scandal for her losing the election to now-President Donald Trump.

Weiner has been pictured with his son, Jordan, in New York several times throughout the summer, and the duo were even joined by Jordan's mother and Weiner's soon-to-be ex-wife Abedin last month

Abedin filed for divorce on the same day Weiner pleaded not guilty to charges he sexted a minor. He is set to be sentenced on those charges in September, and could face up to 27 months in prison. They are pictured above together in 2016

Meanwhile, Abedin has been enjoying the single life, even attending a wedding alongside Hillary and Bill Clinton over the weekend.

She was all smiles at the wedding of Sophie Lasry, the daughter of Avenue Capital Group founder Marc Lasry, on Sunday night.

Weiner has been pictured with his son, Jordan, in New York several times throughout the summer, and the duo were even joined by Jordan's mother and Weiner's soon-to-be ex-wife Abedin last month.

Abedin filed for divorce on the same day that Weiner, who is still wearing his wedding band, pleaded guilty to charges he sexted a minor three months ago.

He is set to be sentenced on those charges in September, and could face up to 27 months in prison.

The allegations that Weiner carried on a months-long sexual correspondence with a 15-year-old girl were first brought to light by DailyMail.com in September.
A mother-of-three is being investigated by the police and social services for allegedly using bleach enemas on her young son to 'cure' his autism.

The woman, from Cheshire, was reported to police after she appeared to write on a secret Facebook group for parents who believe autism is caused by 'parasites' that she had used the 'treatment' on her son.

Parents on the highly-secretive group, which allegedly charges 60 for membership and has 8,500 members, routinely share images of the 'parasites' leaving their children after treatment while congratulating themselves.

The mother from Cheshire appears to confess to using CD on her young son and was reported to Cheshire Police. Posts appear to show her admitting to administering '25 drops a day' to her son, however becoming worried when he 'seemed weak' and wouldn't get out of bed

A mother-of-three is being investigated by the police and social services for allegedly using bleach enemas on her young son to 'cure' his autism (Pictured: A picture posted on the Facebook group showing a child's rash)

However autism campaigner Emma Dalmayne claims images in fact show children's bowel lining that has been burned out of their bodies by the bleach and is mistaken for parasitic creatures.

The treatment, known as CD (Chloride Dioxide) or MMS (Master Miracle Solution), is administered orally or via enema and is being sold in the UK by online dealers and in person.

Emma infiltrated the Facebook group and discovered the mother from Cheshire appearing to confess to using CD on her young son and reported her to Cheshire Police.

Posts from the mum appear to show her admitting to administering '25 drops a day' to her son, however becoming worried when he 'seemed weak' and wouldn't get out of bed.

Autism campaigner Emma Dalmayne claims images in fact show children's bowel lining that has been burned out of their bodies by the bleach and is mistaken for parasitic creatures

Emma is calling for the government to ban the treatments and has launched a petition calling for alleged 'autism cures' to be made illegal, which has more than 54,000 signatures.

Emma, an autistic mother-of-six from London, said: 'No parents will admit to doing this to their children publicly.

'This treatment is not illegal at the moment but we need to get rid of it. These parents are so ashamed of doing it in the first place.

'These people are brainwashed by [proponents of CD and MMS], who say that those against this support 'big pharma'.

'The biggest problem is that the government don't do anything about this. This is not illegal yet. It is not illegal to use CD on your children and it needs to be.

'The most extreme case I have seen to date is a six-year-old boy who had to have his bowel removed and a colostomy bag fitted after his parents gave him these enemas.

'What you see in these images is the bowel lining of these victims.

Genesis II church also advertises the use of MMS on their website and lists sellers of the treatment. The organisation has 27 churches worldwide, including one in London and Co. Kildare, Ireland

'Some of the people who disagree with my campaigning have told me I should die, I'm a whore, my children are vaccine damaged, I won't heal them because I want them to be autistic and I claim disability allowance so it wouldn't be profitable to heal them.

'It makes me so angry as an autistic person. I'm furious that people want to heal this.

'There is no cure for autism. It isn't a disease or a disorder, it's a neurological difference.'

The Food Standards Agency issued a warning that both MMS and CD 'should be avoided' and that the concentration of MMS is equivalent to 'industrial strength bleach'.

THE PARENTS USING BLEACH TO 'CURE' AUTISM Last year it emerged that parents in southern California were using industrial bleach to try and 'cure' their children of autism. The poisonous treatment, sold under the name MMS, was promoted by a 'church' with a branch in Los Angeles, where a group of mothers and fathers were reportedly duped into regularly dosing their kids with chlorine dioxide. The potentially lethal mixture has been touted as a cure for cancer, HIV, malaria, and Alzheimer's, in addition to austism. But doctors say there is no evidence to support claims the harmful substance has any medical benefits. Advertisement

The mother, whose son is severely autistic, refused to respond to attempts to speak to her.

A spokesperson from Cheshire Police said: 'This is an ongoing incident and we are investigating whether any criminal offences have taken place.'

Another parent, from Leicestershire, who claimed on the group that she had used MMS on her baby daughter, asked the group members if she was 'doing alright' because the baby was okay.

The woman and her husband, both originally from Algeria, claimed they did not want to comment and had 'noticed how opinions vary about this treatment'.

Her husband said: 'She is not happy to talk about. We are not there yet. I therefore have nothing else to say.'

On the Facebook group, there is advice on how to make 'protocol' (the formula for MMS), testimonials and also 'safe online practices' information.

Guidelines on the group that were published in 2014 advise members that use of CD is 'beyond the mainstream standard of care' and 'can get you into trouble'.

It also says if therapists, nurses or school officials come to your home 'please keep your supplies and dosing discreet'.

Recent posts from the website show concerned parents listing abnormal symptoms after administering CD to their autistic children.

One mother posted: 'Hi everybody, my son has the last few days blue lips, is that normal?'.

Others respond saying 'no, that is not normal. Check his heart'. The concerned mother replied 'I'm worried now. What can it be? But it started after we used CD'.

Another child also suffered a rash after undergoing the controversial treatment

On July 30, another parent posted a graphic image of her daughter's dirty nappy with long pieces of bowel lining laid out on a piece of kitchen roll.

The mother asks members to identify what parasite it is, and one respondent claims her daughter must be 'doing better if she expelled this without even an enema'.

An admin posted 'this is good. Keep doing enemas to pull them out'.

On July 26, a member posted a picture of a 'parasite' she had expelled dangling from a fork - though Emma believes it is 10cm of a child's bowel lining.

Along with the Facebook group, Genesis II church also advertises the use of MMS on their website and lists sellers of the treatment.

The organisation has 27 churches worldwide, including one in London and Co. Kildare, Ireland.

It offers a ten-day course for members to train as MMS doctors or ministers, after which they could be able to open their own church. Once the 'ministers' have healed 10 people, they will be given a 'doctorate degree'.

It also includes details about how it not only cures autism, but cancer, dementia, HIV, tumours and genital warts.

A spokesman from MHRA said: 'MMS contains sodium chlorite (bleach) and it has no proven, or conceivable, health benefit. We would advise people not to buy this product and the FSA have issued previous warnings to consumers against using this product.'

The church offers a ten-day course for members to train as MMS doctors or ministers, after which they could be able to open their own church. Once the 'ministers' have healed 10 people, they will be given a 'doctorate degree'

An FSA spokesperson said: 'FSA advice is that Miracle Mineral Solution, also known as Miracle Mineral Supplement (MMS) is not safe. It is not authorised as a food additive in the EU and so should not be sold as a supplement.

'MMS contains sodium chlorite which is commonly used as bleach and can be harmful. If ingested, it can cause serious damage to health. The product should not be on the market or even available for free.

'Anyone who has bought such products is advised to throw them away. If they have been taken and the person feels unwell, they should consult their doctor.

'If anyone knows of retailers or individuals selling such products or promoting their consumption, please contact the National Food Crime Unit.'
Construction operation manager Jerry Loughlin admitted grievous bodily harm at Cardiff Crown Court

A wedding crasher fractured a guest's skull by knocking him out cold with a punch - because his victim wouldn't let him dance with his wife.

Jerry Loughlin, 49, sneaked into Rhys and Fran Ireson's wedding reception at the Village Hotel in Coryton, Cardiff and dressed in a T-shirt, cargo trousers and work boots.

He repeatedly asked married women to dance with him - before one husband, Paul Owen, asked him to leave.

But Loughlin punched him so hard in the face that Mr Owen suffered a bleed on the brain.

Prosecutor Matthew Roberts said: 'Towards the end of the night he was making a nuisance of himself, asking women to dance, some with their husbands present.

'At one point Mr Owen was away from his table and saw Loughlin sitting next to his wife asking her to dance.

'When he realised he was not welcome he apologised and moved on.

'Later on at 11pm Mr Owen saw Loughlin come back to the table, and this time he was arguing with two females.'

Mr Roberts said Mr Owen tried to calm Loughlin down along with other guests and began walking him towards a door.

He added: 'He turned around and punched Mr Owen to the right of his head.

Jerry Loughlin, 49, sneaked into Rhys and Fran Ireson's (pictured) wedding reception at the Village Hotel in Coryton, Cardiff and dressed in a T-shirt, cargo trousers and work boots

Rhys and Fran Ireson pictured with family and friends at their wedding, which was gatecrashed

'It was a forceful punch, Mr Owen didn't have time to defend himself and was knocked out cold.'

Loughlin told police he mistook Mr Owen for another man who he believed struck him in the face as he was being ushered out.

Mr Owen was rushed to the University Hospital of Wales where he was treated for bleeding and bruising to the brain and a fractured skull.

Pictured is the Village Hotel in Coryton in Cardiff where the Ireson wedding was held

Construction operation manager Loughlin admitted grievous bodily harm at Cardiff Crown Court.

Loughlin, of Llandaff North, Cardiff, was jailed for a one year and four months.

Judge Vosper QC told him: 'You threw a swift punch which connected with Mr Owen.

'He was knocked to the ground and remained on the ground - he didn't get up again.'
Same-sex marriage could be legislated by the end of the year, despite the Government resubmitting its plebiscite Bill to a likely lost vote in the Parliament.

Liberal members attending a special meeting in Canberra on Monday stood by the policy taken to the 2016 election for a national vote on changing marriage laws.

However if the Bill fails a second time - which appears likely unless the Nick Xenophon Team changes its position - a voluntary postal ballot would be conducted.

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Malcolm Turnbull (with former Today entertainment reporter Richard Reid) called an emergency Liberal Party meeting to resolve a postal vote on gay marriage

Gay marriage could be legalised as early as next year after liberal party agrees to second plebiscite

If the postal ballot comes back with a majority 'yes', a private member's Bill would go to parliament with Liberal members exercising a free vote on it.

The coalition joint party room meeting on Tuesday will discuss the timing of the next steps, but the compulsory plebiscite Bill will be brought back to parliament this week.

Cabinet minister Mathias Cormann told reporters after the meeting the Government's preference was for a compulsory plebiscite, but if they cannot get it through the Senate a voluntary postal vote would be held.

'The Government is absolutely committed to keep faith with the commitment we made to the Australian people,' he said.

He said the Government had advice there was a 'legal and constitutional' way forward on the postal vote, but the specifics were a matter for the joint party room.

It is understood only six people spoke in favour of a private member's bill at Monday's meeting and a letter from Brisbane MP Trevor Evans was read out in support.

Trevor Evans (pictured) is another Liberal MP who wants to see the matter decided via conscience vote

If the bill fails a second time - which appears likely unless the Nick Xenophon Team changes its position - a voluntary postal ballot would be made

Before the meeting, same-sex marriage advocates released their own legal advice showing the government could not conduct a postal vote without its own legislation and that any move down that path would be open to challenge in the High Court.

Australian Marriage Equality co-chair Alex Greenwich told media the parliament needed to do its job.

'A postal plebiscite is a bloody stupid idea that will weaken the parliament because it basically says people are not prepared to do their jobs,' Mr Greenwich said.

'A postal plebiscite is a bloody stupid idea,' Australian Marriage Equality co-chair Alex Greenwich (pictured) said

Peta Credlin (pictured) says a postal vote may be the 'safety valve' Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull needs to save his leadership

Speaking before the meeting, WA Liberal senator Dean Smith said a postal vote was useless.

'It's a D-grade response to what is a defining A-grade social issue,' Senator Smith said.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott said the postal vote was 'certainly better than ramming the thing through the parliament', but he questioned whether it would carry the same authority as a plebiscite.

Australian Marriage Equality has legal advice it says confirms a postal vote would be unconstitutional.

Liberal members attending a special meeting in Canberra on Monday stood by the policy taken to the 2016 election for a national vote on changing marriage laws

MP Warren Entsch (pictured) is among a group of rogue Liberal MPs who are fighting for a conscience vote on the issue in Parliament

According to the advice, the Government does not have the power to spend money on a postal plebiscite without first passing legislation authorising use of taxpayer funds.

Advocates say they would seek an injunction to prevent the postal plebiscite from going ahead until a High Court decision on its constitutionality.

Tony Abbott's former chief-of-staff Peta Credlin said on Wednesday night a postal vote could be the 'safety valve' that preserves Mr Turnbull's leadership.

Backbencher Dean Smith (pictured) is expected to introduce the idea of a conscience vote to the party room when Parliament resumes next week

Speaking on The Bolt Report, Ms Credlin said a postal vote could happen before Christmas and help to satisfy growing rumbles in the Liberal party room.

Liberal ministers are confident a conscience vote would be shut down in both a Liberal and a Coalition party room.

But under Liberal Party rules, backbenchers are permitted to cross the floor and vote against their party.

There is yet to be a firm vow to cross the floor from any of the rogue MP's, who are currently leading the way in calls for changes to the Liberal policy.

The Labor caucus was briefed on Senator Smith's private bill on Monday, agreeing that it represented an 'acceptable compromise' and was in line with a Senate inquiry's findings.

Labor MPs would get a conscience vote on it if the bill came to parliament, which is possible if the compulsory or voluntary plebiscites pass.

Labor frontbencher Terri Butler said it was disappointing the Liberal Party continued to put up more obstacles to marriage equality.

'The Liberal Party is already aware the will of the parliament is not to have a plebiscite, because the plebiscite legislation has already been defeated,' she told AAP.

'The Liberal Party in keeping with the sentiment of the electorate and the desire to do the right thing should seek to remove this discrimination against same-sex couples or at least seek to have a free vote on the floor of parliament, not recycle old ideas.'

The Nationals have been staunch supporters of the plebiscite, with MP Andrew Broad warning the coalition could split if the policy was dumped.
British nationals Khong Tam Thanh (pictured), 22, Le Michael, 24, and Vu Thai Son, 24, face up to 20 years behind bars

Two of the three British men accused of gang raping an unconscious woman in a Singapore hotel were pictured smirking as they left the high court today.

British nationals Khong Tam Thanh, 22, Le Michael, 24, and Vu Thai Son, 24, face up to 20 years behind bars and whipping if they are found guilty of assaulting the Malaysian woman following a night out.

Last week the court heard how Son texted their group chat named 'Good boys on tour' after he allegedly raped her saying: 'Who's next?'

He claimed he was asking who was next to use the bathroom and that another message saying 'every man looking to go in at once' was a joke.

The manicurist was part of a group who came to the country in September for the Ultra Singapore music festival and a stag party.

His friend Trinh Viet Anh, who has since fled the country illegally, met the girl at the Zouk nightclub and brought her back to their room at the Carlton Hotel where they had consensual sex, the Straits Times reported.

Khong, Le and Vu, all British citizens of Vietnamese descent, are all accused of taking turns to enter the room and rape her as she lay drunk and unconscious - a claim they all deny.

Le Michael, one of the three British men accused of gang raping an unconscious woman in a Singapore hotel, was pictured leaving the high court today

Son also denied the allegation that the woman had sex with him thinking he was Anh, who brought her back to the room.

'I have tattoos on both my arms and chest which Richard does not have,' Son said in police statements read out in court.

Son said the woman started flirting with him when he walked into Anh's room wearing just a bath robe.

He said she definitely knew it was him, and not Anh, because the lights were on and they had talked at Zouk nightclub earlier.

During a very graphic description of the sex they had, he claimed she had said 'naught things' to him.

Trinh Viet Anh, who has since fled the country illegally, met the girl at the Zouk nightclub and brought her back to their room at the Carlton Hotel (file photo) where his friends are accused of gang raping her

Meanwhile Thanh is reported to have told police the woman, said to be a marketing and corporate communications officer who was visiting Singapore, consented to having sex with him.

'Having consented to having sexual intercourse with one individual, she was then raped by three other men,' Deputy Public Prosector G Kannan told the Singapore High Court.

'Intoxicated and asleep, she was unaware of what was going on around her. She was taken advantage of and raped in quick succession by the three.'

The men took care to make as little noise as possible but the victim woke up as Le assaulted her, the court heard.

They all face one count each of raping the alleged victim in the early hours of September 10 last year.

One of the men accused of sexually assaulting the woman claims he had spoken to her in Zouk nightclub (file photo) earlier in the night and that she consented to sex with him

Khong and Vu, who work as beauticians in Britain, face additional charges of sexual assault by digital penetration. Le is unemployed.

Ahn, 24, absconded while under investigation. The alleged victim lives in Johor Bahru, the southern Malaysian city bordering Singapore. She cannot be named because of a court order protecting her identity.

Rape is punishable by up to 20 years in jail and caning, a punishment which dates back to British colonial rule.
Incredible footage shows a group of daredevils standing on the antenna of a 450-metre-tall building in Jiangsu Province of eastern China.

The group of four young men can be seen taking selfies while having their body hanging loosely on the tip of Zifeng Tower in Nanjing.

Security guards of the tower had 'no clue' how the group went up to the top.

Hands free! Rooftoppers pictured himself dangerously holding on the grille by his foot only

The video was first posted on Weibo, a Chinese social media account, on August 5th by one of the rooftoppers, nicknamed Charlie.

Footage shows none of members in the group are wearing safety equipment devices or protective gears.

The rooftopping enthusiasts sneaked past security inside the 89-storey Zifeng Tower and climbed the structure which measures at a vertigo-inducing 450 metres (1,476 feet).

According to Yangtse Evening Post, Zifeng Tower representatives were not aware of the security breach by the four rooftoppers.

Spokesperson of Zifeng Tower said they will look into the matter and investigate unauthorised entry into the building.

The 23-year-old Charlie told the reporter that he has been rooftopping for a year and he had already climbed all the buildings over 200 metres tall in Chongqing city.

The group of four daredevils pictured themselves in a selfie sitting on the top of Zifeng Tower (left). The view captured below the 1,4756 ft building in east China (right)

No fear: Rooftoppers took a selfie of himself 'carefreely' hanging on the antenna of the building (left). Pictures and videos were posted onto Charlie's social media account (right)

The 89-storey Zifeng Tower (pictured) is now the world's 14th tallest building

Charlie explained that they went up to Zifeng Tower because there were three foreign teenagers climbing it in 2015 and would like to challenge themselves.

'We are a bit lucky, we took the lift to the top floor and walked to a platform. It was not locked,so we are able to go out and start climbing to the top,' he said

Scary footage shows one of the rooftoppers swinging an action camera with a selfie stick while the other three wave at the camera.

The rooftopping enthusiasts can be seen dangerously sitting on the metal cage of the antenna.

A report from Skyscraper Centre shows that Zifeng Tower, completed in 2010, is now the world's 14th tallest building that holds hotel and offices.

Charlie's video has over 2,140,000 views but most of the web users condemned the group that they were posing great dangers to members of public.

'What will happen if you fall from the tower and kill someone on the street? Please be considerate!' said web user 'rainlyq'.

Another user 'Nick_cqq' commented: 'is this legal, Jiangning Police?'
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A fascinating set of photographs of British railway stations dating back more than a century has given a remarkable insight into the golden age of steam.

The images on the photographic postcards, which are believed to date from as early as 1910, were taken when the landmark stations such as London Waterloo, York and Leeds were mostly empty.

Many of the travellers pictured are well dressed, with men in top hats and ladies in bonnets  and, instead of rows of taxis outside the stations, there were horse and carriages to take them on to their next destination.

 Slide me  London Waterloo was opened in 1848 and an average of 270,000 journeys are now normally made to or from the station every day, with South West Trains services serving 200 stations. The concourse in the old picture (left) is still recognisable today

 Slide me  York station can be seen with its spectacular large curved iron and glass roof, which is still a distinctive feature today. Opened in 1877, it is Yorkshire's third busiest station behind Leeds and Sheffield, and is located next to the National Railway Museum

 Slide me  Leeds was opened as 'New Station' in 1869, replacing previous temini including Wellington Station and Leeds Central. With 17 platforms, it is Britain's third busiest station outside London, behind Birmingham New Street and Glasgow Central

 Slide me  The first station at Slough was opened in 1840, and Queen Victoria's first ever journey started from there in 1842. The current building is the Berkshire town's fifth station and was opened in 1884, designed in the French Renaissance style

 Slide me  Peterborough is an important railway junction on the East Coast Main Line and was opened in 1850. Serving long-distance north-south routes as well as east-west services, the station is pictured (right) following a major remodelling in 2013

 Slide me  Wimbledon station, opened in 1838, is known for being the only London station that provides an interchange between rail, underground and Tramlink services. The station was rebuilt in the 1920s with its current Portland stone entrance

 Slide me  Ipswich station in Suffolk, managed by Abellio Greater Anglia, was opened in 1860 and sits on the line between London Liverpool Street and Norwich. This was the second station to open in the town, following Ipswich Stoke Hill in 1846

 Slide me  Preston station is known as the roughly halfway point of West Coast Main Line services between London Euston and Glasgow Cental. Opened in 1838 and rebuilt in 1880, it has eight platforms and also serves Caledonian Sleeper overnight services

The postcards, which are expected to sell for 2,500 at auction tomorrow, have been amassed over a lifetime by a Welsh collector with a fascination for train stations who has decided now is the time to put them on the market.

In one of the images, men in suits wait in a queue to buy their tickets at Oxford Circus booking office in London, while Waterloo concourse looks similar to its present day form, although it is rather more packed nowadays.

York station can also be seen with its spectacular large curved iron and glass roof, which is still a distinctive feature today, and a bustling scene is pictured outside Wimbledon station in South West London.

A steam train is photographed departing from Glenfarg station on the Perth to Edinburgh which was closed in the 1970s, while a small group of passengers are seen waiting for a train at Lewisham Road in South East London.

 Slide me  Radcliffe-on-Trent station on the Nottingham-Grantham line opened in 1850 and features station buildings designed by famed local architect Thomas Chambers Hine. The village station was renamed Radcliffe in 1974

 Slide me  Hawarden is an unstaffed station situated near the England-Wales border in Flintshire, North Wales, and opened in 1890. Trains run between Bidston and Wrexham Central and it is also located near Chester Hawarden Airport

 Slide me  Portsmouth Harbour is an unusual railway station in that it was built on a pier made out of wood and is served by trains to London Waterloo. Opened in 1876, it was repaired after being damaged by German bombs during the Second World War

 Slide me  Trowbridge station on the Wessex Main Line in Wiltshire is managed by Great Western Railway and was opened in 1848. Most of it services are local although there is also an early morning direct service to London Paddington via Newbury

 Slide me  Newcastle Central Station on the East Coast Main Line was opened in 1850 and is a Grade I-listed building. It has 12 platforms and is known for being one of the first major railway stations to use curved iron ribs as part of its roof structure

 Slide me  Wylam station in Northumberland is located ten miles west of Newcastle on the line towards Carlisle and was built in 1835. It is famous for being one of the earliest train stations still in passenger use in the world

 Slide me  Oxford Circus was first opened in 1900 for the Central line, before the Bakerloo line arrived in 1906. But it was rebuilt in 1912 to reduce congestion and then again in 1923, before a major redevelopment ahead of the Victoria line's arrival in 1969

 Slide me  Derby railway station has six platforms and it was first opened in 1839. Managed by East Midlands Trains, it runs on the line between Sheffield and London St Pancras, while CrossCountry services between Plymouth and Aberdeen also stop there

 Slide me  Wemyss Bay station is a terminus on the Inverclyde Line, located about 25 miles west of Glasgow Central. Opened in 1865, it is used by passengers catching a ferry to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, and has an impressive curved glass and steel structure

 Slide me  Weedon railway station was opened in 1888 and served the Northamptonshire village of the same name on the West Coast Main Line before it was closed in 1958. There were two serious derailments nearby, killing ten people in 1915 and 15 in 1951

Lewisham Road was opened in 1871 by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway before being closed in 1917 due to poor usage. Located near the present day St Johns station, its roadside building remains today as a salvage shop.

Also included in the collection of photographs being auctioned in Washington, West Sussex, are pictures of the concourses at Leeds and Nottingham stations, as well as external shots of Newcastle Central station

There are also images of the stations at Hawarden in Flintshire, North Wales, Portsmouth Harbour in Hampshire and Wemyss Bay near Glasgow.

Auctioneer Nick Toovey from Toovey's Auctions said: 'This is a lifelong collection from a Welsh collector with an interest in railway stations. The collection spans stations all over the British isles.'

Lewisham Road was opened in 1871 by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway before being closed in 1917 due to poor usage. Located near the present day St Johns station, its roadside building remains today as a salvage shop

A steam train is photographed departing from Glenfarg station on the Perth to Edinburgh which was closed in the 1970s

Shenfield railway station on the Great Eastern Main Line serves the Essex town and also serves as an interchange for various services. It is a stopping point on the route from London Liverpool Street to the likes of Southend Victoria and Colchester

Nottingham Victoria station was opened in 1900 before closing in 1967 and designed by the architect Albert Edward Lambert. He was also behind Nottingham Midland station, now known as Nottingham, which is now operated by East Midlands Trains

Colwick Level crossing lies to the east of Nottingham and has been plagued by trespassers and vandals in recent years. One incident in 2002 saw a commuter train smash into a concrete slab placed across the line at the crossing
A man who died from stab wounds on Saturday has been identified as the cousin of a female soldier who was found dead in a shower at a buck's party in Melbourne last month.

Marcus Rowley, 24, died from wounds to his back just metres away from Tottenham train station, in Footscray, inner-west Melbourne, about 7pm after he got into a fight with a stranger.

Last month his 20-year-old cousin, Natasha Rowley, from Perth was found dead after attending a buck's party in Melbourne's CBD on July 16.

Mr Rowley, a father-of-two, had just returned from Perth on Thursday, where he had attended Natasha's funeral.

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Pictured: Marcus Rowley, 24, of Melbourne died from stab wounds sustained on Saturday

Mr Rowley was the cousin of Natasha Rowley who died at a buck's party in Melbourne in July

Mr Rowley had spoken to the Australian two weeks ago and described his cousin's death as 'horrible.'

Mr Rowley's former partner, Caris Miles, paid tribute to him saying that she was sad for his children who will only know him through photos.

'I don't understand how you could take a father away from his kids, especially when they are so young and they will never know him,' Ms Miles, told 7 News.

'I still don't believe it.

'He was such a good person and taken way too soon.'

Mr Rowley had just returned from Perth on Thursday after attending his cousin's funeral

At the day of the assault Mr Rowley had tried to escape, but collapsed instead.

A passerby who tried to resuscitate Mr Rowley said their attempts were unsuccessful. Paramedics were also unable to save him.

His cousin Natasha Rowley (pictured) was laid to rest at a funeral in Perth

Victorian police have detained a 35-year-old Avondale Heights man in connection to Mr Rowley's death.

A 31-year-old Brunswick woman has also been to spoken to by investigators but has been released.

Natasha Rowley's death has been deemed not suspicious.

This is the second tragedy for the family in a month.

Mr Rowley had remembered his cousin Natasha through this July 23 Facebook post

News of Mr Rowley's death has come as a shock to many just days after his cousin's death

Mr Rowley was stabbed to death on Saturday night after getting in a fight with a stranger
Two members of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot have reportedly been detained by police after a protest outside a Siberian prison colony.

Maria Alyokhina and Olga Borisova had staged a protest in Yakutsk, Siberia, where a Ukrainian filmmaker is currently imprisoned.

Alyokhina, who was one of three Pussy Riot members jailed in 2012 for ridiculing President Vladimir Putin in a Moscow cathedral, tweeted that she and Borisova were detained early Monday.

A few hours later, Borisova also posted on her social media channels that the pair had been released.

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I predict a riot: Maria Alyokhina and Olga Borisova were detained after a protest calling for the release of a Ukrainian film maker

Protest: Alyokhina and Borisova are seen holding flares and a 'Free Sentsov' banner on the bridge nearby outside the prison colony in Yakutsk, Russia

'We're in Yakutsk police station No. 2,' Alyokhina wrote.

Borisova, in a video from a police car posted on Twitter, added: 'We're going to the police station... on suspicion of committing an administrative offence, (holding) an unsanctioned rally.'

Another video allegedly showing their arrest was released on a news website set up by members of Pussy Riot.

It reportedly shows police stopping the the car in which the two women were travelling, before taking them to the police station.

The protest called for the release of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, and saw the pair put a banner on a nearby bridge reading 'Free Sentsov!'

Before the arrest: The two women with their friend Alexander Sofeev, who was also taken to the local police station in Siberia

Taken away: Alyokhina and Borisova both tweeted about their alleged arrest, before the latter announced that they had been released a few hours later

Prep work: The pair are seen cutting into their colourful balaclavas ahead of the protest

Sentsov, who hails from Crimea - the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014 - was convicted of conspiracy to commit terror attacks in 2015 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

On Sunday, Alyokhina posted photos and a video of their brief protest on a bridge, calling Sentsov's case 'one of the key political cases in the history of our country.'

Charges against him were largely seen as politically motivated, and numerous high profile people within the Russian art scene has advocated for his release.

Fighters: Alyokhina with fellow Pussy Riot members Yekaterina Samutsevich, centre, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, right, at their 2012 sentencing in Moscow

Pussy Riot is a loose collective, most members of which are anonymous. The balaclava-clad women rose to prominence in 2012 with their daring outdoor performances aimed against President Vladimir Putin and the ruling elite.

But it was an impromptu 'punk prayer' at Moscow's main Cathedral of Christ the Savior, decrying close ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Kremlin, that got them into trouble.

Three band members were convicted of 'hooliganism motivated by religious hatred' for that stunt, and two of them including Alyokhina were sentenced to two years in prison.
British tourists are shunning France and terror-hit countries in north Africa as they flock to other sun-drenched resorts in Dubai and Croatia instead.

Spain is the UK's top holiday destination with 12.9 million Brits making the trip to the sunny Mediterranean country last year - up from 6.9 million in 1996.

But holidaymakers are rejecting the once popular destinations of Egypt, Tunisia and Kenya amid fears of being caught up in a terror attack, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

While France, which has also been targeted by terrorists in bloody attacks in Paris and Nice in 2015 and 2016, has seen the number of visits drop over the past 20 years from six million to 5.6 million last year.

And Belgium and Turkey - where jihadi extremists slaughtered dozens in bombings at Brussels airport and outside tourism hotspots - have both dropped out of the top ten since 1996.

Meanwhile, fewer Brits are going on the once-popular 'booze cruise' to Calais amid rising prices for cigarettes and alcohol across the Channel.

The ONS said the explosion in budget airlines offering cheap flights all over Europe could have contributed to France's downturn in popularity.

While the traditional two-week holiday is in decline as Brits opt for shorter breaks, according to the figures.

Britain's changing tourism habits were revealed in a series of statistics put out by the ONS today.

The number of trips made to Spain by British holidaymakers has soared to nearly 13 million as UK holidaymakers shun France and opt for different European countries instead. Germany has also proved a more popular holiday destination compared to 20 years ago, as has Greece

Theresa May and her husband Philip, pictured on their summer holiday in Lake Garda, are among the growing number of Brits opting to travel to Italy compared to two decades ago

They revealed that Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn - who holidayed in Italy and Croatia respectively - are both bang on trend with their choice of destination as both countries are enjoying a British tourism boom.

But there has been a collapse in the number of British visitors to North Africa and Turkey after a spate of terror attacks including the Sousse beach massacre which left 30 British tourists dead.

The number of trips to Tunisia dropped to just 2,200 last year - a tiny fraction of the 221,000 visits it had two decades before.

Egypt's tourism has also been hit hard by civil unrest with just 47,000 trips by British tourists last year - down from 186,000 two decades before.

While Turkey - where an Islamic State suicide bomber murdered 13 people in a suicide bomb outside the world famous Blue Mosque in Istanbul in January 2016, has also experienced a slump.

The number of trips by Brits was down from 954,000 20 years ago to 729,000 last year.

And France, where jihadi terrorists have murdered hundreds in a series of terror attacks which sent shock waves through the world, has also suffered a dip in visits.

There has been a dramatic fall in the number of British tourists taking holidays in the Middle East and North Africa amid fears of being caught up in a terror attack. Tunisia has seen tourism take a severe hit after the Sousse massacre, which left 30 Britons dead

ONS figures put out today show that Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, has enjoyed a surge in popularity among British holidaymakers. Poland and Croatia - where Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wen on his summer break this year, have also enjoyed a British tourism boom

In January 2015 12 were murdered when the Kouachi brothers burst in on the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices as part of a three day terror rampage.

Months later, in November, 130 were slaughtered in the Paris terror attacks which saw suicide bombers strike outside a football stadium and in the Bataclan theatre.

And 86 people were slaughtered when a terrorist rammed his 19 tonne cargo truck into the crowds who were enjoying a fireworks display in Nice on 14 July 2016.

And the sight of cars making the regular 'booze cruise' to stock up on cheap cigarettes and alcohol across the channel in Calais is becoming a rarer sight.

The ONS said this is down to the end of duty free sales within the EU, the rise in the cost of cigarettes as they are clobbered with higher rates of tax, and the fall in the value of the pound.

Gunman gunman Seifeddine Rezgui killed 38 people - including 30 Brits - when he opened fire at a beach resort in Sousse, Tunisia in June 2015. Figures put out by the ONS today show that tourism to Tunisia has collapsed compared to 20 years ago and in the wake of the collapse

Holidaymakers are being more adventurous in their choice of getaways, with the number of trips to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - which includes Dubai - Poland and Croatia soaring over the past two decades.

The statistics reveal Mrs May and Mr Corbyn are both bang on trend with their holiday choices.

Mrs May took a break with her husband Philip to the picturesque Italian resort of Lake Garda for the beginning of her holidays.

Italy has rocketed in popularity, with over 2.8 million trips were made to the country in 2016 - over double the 1.01 million made two decades earlier in 1996.

While the Labour leader has been sunning himself in Croatia- where the number if trips has soared from just 12,600 in 1996 to 394,000 in 2016.

The Levante beach in Benidorm, Spain (pictured), is a popular holiday destination with Brits - helping to push the Mediterranean country into becoming Britain's most popular holiday destination last year, according to the Office for National Statistics

The UAE has seen the most dramatic rise in the number of trips by British tourists in the past 20 years.

In 1996 fewer than 30,000 trips were made, but this soared to 565,000 last year.

And Poland has seen the next biggest rise, up from just over 30,000 two decades ago to 526,000 last year.

Brits are more likely to treat ourselves with a trip away, the figures show.

In 2016, UK residents went on more than 45 million foreign holidays, up 68 per cent from 27 million in 1996.

British holidaymakers are less likely to go on fortnight-long breaks, and instead week-long getaways and ten-night holidays gaining in popularity.
A gunfight broke out in a California liquor store after a clerk refused to sell a customer a single cigarette.

No one was injured in the incident, which took place at Star Market in Victorville on Tuesday.

Store clerk Rodney Abdelkadous said that the customer turned hostile after he told him he couldn't sell individual cigarettes.

Gunfire broke out between a store clerk and customer at Star Market in Victorville, California, on Tuesday after the clerk had told the customer that he couldn't sell individual cigarettes. No one was injured in the shooting

'He reach out for his gun and said, 'Would you sell me one now?'' Abdelkadous told NBC4.

Surveillance footage from the store shows the customer pulling a gun from his waistband and Abdelkadous grabbing his own firearm from behind the counter.

Abdelkadous's girlfriend was next to him when the customer and store clerk started firing bullets at one another in a gunfight that just lasted a matter of seconds.

The customer continued to fire bullets as he ran out of the store and Abdelkadous and his girlfriend ducked behind the counter.

Abdelkadou and his girlfriend were not struck with bullets, and it is believed that the customer, who drove off in a black, older model Mercedes, was also left uninjured.
A young father has died after an incident at a mine west of Mackay in Queensland.

Daniel Springer, 31, died following an accident at the Goonyella Riverside mine on Saturday.

He left behind a wife and baby son.

Young father Daniel Springer, 31, (pictured) died after an incident at a mine in Queensland

Mr Springer's friend, Jake Tredwell, posted a heartfelt farewell on Facebook following news of the death.

'My heart sunk last night when I heard that one of the biggest bloody legends of all time had been taken from us,' he said.

'I know you touched a lot of people brother and damn sure will be missed. Thoughts are with your family. See you on the other side Springer.'

Hundreds of family and friends took to Facebook to share their goodbyes, including his aunt, Julie Mann.

'A beautiful young man with a kind, gentle heart,' Ms Mann wrote.

'Words cannot describe the pain of all of us right now.

Hundreds of family and friends paid tribute to Mr Springer on Facebook, including friend Jake Tredwell who said he was one of the 'biggest bloody legends' he knew

It is believed Mr Springer died as a result of injuries at the Queensland mine during some maintenance work

'The only condolence is that our beautiful Dan will continue to live on through seven other people, including one child who will receive his organs.'

BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance told Daily Mercury the young father died as a result of injuries sustained during maintenance work.

Natural Resources and Mines Minister Anthony Lynham confirmed the death on Monday night and said investigations were under way.

'Our mines inspectors have been at the mine since the weekend undertaking a thorough investigation into the cause and nature of the incident,' Dr Lynham said.

'Every worker in Queensland deserves the right to come home from work safely each day.'
The desperate search for a Queensland mother-of-two ended in tragedy on Sunday as her body was found wrapped in blankets and dumped in a remote creek.

Police are treating the death of 42-year-old Donna Louise Steele, who was found dead in bushland north of Cooktown on Sunday, as murder.

Authorities are 'confident' that Ms Steele was killed by 'someone she knew', reported The Cairns Post on Monday.

Police believe that 42-year-old mother Donna Louise Steel was killed by somebody she knew

According to ABC News, a dive squad is expected to search Isabella Creek near Endeavour River this week for more evidence, and specialist police from Brisbane are attending the scene.

Detective Inspector Geoff Marsh said the lack of CCTV cameras in the town was an 'investigative block'.

'Even at the store, [CCTV] was within the store, there's nothing in the streets,' he said.

Specialist police from Brisbane are attending the scene at Isabella Creek near Cooktown, QLD

Ms Steele was seen at a caravan park on Tuesday and then a local supermarket on Wednesday

Ms Steele was last seen at a Cooktown supermarket on Wednesday, having been spotted the day before at a local caravan park.

Her friend Kath Pennell told The Cairns Post the remote community is in shock.

'I am so devastated that I can barely speak. I will say she was a beautiful mother and friend,' she said.

'She loved her children so much. I can't believe someone has done this to her.'

Detective Inspector Marsh told the paper several crime scenes had been established at the crossing and other sites around Cooktown.

Ms Steele's two sons, aged 10 and 8, are currently being cared for by their father.


We all wish we had the discipline to drag ourselves out of bed for a spot of exercise before the commute to work.

An ingenious German man has found a way to combine the two by swimming to the office in the morning with his laptop, wallet and clothes in tow in a waterproof bag.

For the last two years, Benjamin David, 40, has dodged the stress of traffic lights and stressed out drivers by swimming over a mile to work down the river Isar in Munich instead.

For the last two years, Benjamin David, 40, has dodged the stress of traffic lights and stressed out drivers by swimming more than a mile to work down the river Isar in Munich

'I'm not a monk... When I was on my bike, I would yell at cars,' he told CBC. 'When I was on foot, I would yell at cyclists, and so on and so forth.

'And just a few metres to the side of that is the river, and if you just swim down that, it's completely relaxed and refreshing.'

He even admitted to looking a little like former Baywatch hunk David Hasselhoff before correcting himself: 'Not that I look like David, but me with my - [bag] - I think you get me.'

Every morning, David zips up his computer, suit, shoes and mobile phone in an orange bag known as a 'Wickelfisch'.

Designed in Switzerland where swimming to work is more common, it is made to double up as a buoyancy aid which allows him to float easily if he gets tired.

But knowing the dangers of river swimming, Benjamin always makes sure to check the river temperature before diving in.

Every morning, David zips up his computer, suit, shoes and mobile phone in an orange bag known as a 'Wickelfisch'
Pictured: Shukri Yusuf, 45, pretended to be a struggling single mother

A benefits cheat who posed as a single mother to claim 102,000 to put her daughters through private school was caught out after it emerged she was married to a London bus driver.

Shukri Yusuf, 45, pretended to be a struggling parent for six years to rake in tens of thousands in income support and housing benefits.

But officials became suspicious and launched an investigation where it was discovered she was actually married.

It came to light to mother was using the lucrative income to pay for her daughters' school fees, according to The Sun.

It was found Somali-born Yusuf was married to bus driver Omar Tarab after arriving in Britain in 1999.

She was claiming benefits while living in Southall, West London from June 2008 until April 2014 - using some of the money to buy a new car.

Yusuf was due to stand trial at Isleworth Crown Court but changed her plea at the last minute.

She admitted she failed to notify Ealing District Council that she was married and her circumstances had changed.

The Sun reports she was jailed for six months, suspended for two years and was ordered to complete 175 hours of community service.

The court heard how one of the daughters was now training to become a teacher while another was finishing her sixth form studies.

The Department for Work and Pensions told The Sun: 'Cases like this show how hard our investigators work. We are seeking to recover the full amount of the overpayment and, if applicable, impose confiscation orders.
Devastated: Charlotte Thomson, 30, says she had 'no idea' the company she was representing was selling products illegally

A former FHM model and Miss England finalist has been left devastated after her coffee company is shut down for unwittingly selling weight-loss products not licensed for the UK market.

Charlotte Thomson, 30, used her vast social media presence as a model to promote and sell weight-loss products, including 'miracle' coffee Valentus.

But she was left red-faced this week when officers from Trading Standards arrived at her home in Portreath, Cornwall and asked her to close her business down.

She said she had 'no idea' the company was trading illegally and now wants to raise awareness to stop others from suffering a similar fate.

The model began working as a representative for the slim roast coffee firm after starting her own branch in Cornwall in January 2017.

She had built up a loyal customer base as well as creating jobs in the community by taking on people to help her.

But in a video posted on her Facebook page, Charlotte announced that her business would be stopping immediately after she had a visit from Trading Standards.

Miss Thomson said: 'I had a visit this week from Trading Standards. I was in my dressing gown holding my little puppy, just got out the shower, just having a normal day thinking everything was fine and I had two officers at the door, including an enforcement officer, telling me that I'm trading illegally.

Miss Thomson was left red-faced this week when officers from Trading Standards arrived at her home in Portreath, Cornwall and asked her to close her business down

The model began working as a representative for the slim roast coffee firm after starting her own branch in Cornwall in January 2017

She said: 'I am not the first person that this has happened to, and I won't be the last. I want everyone to know the truth, I want everyone who is watching this to know the truth. I think it's important.'

The business administration graduate, who studied at the University of Plymouth, said she put her 'heart and soul' into the company and worked 'every hour God sends' to make it a success.

In the video she continued: 'That's why I feel so heartbroken about this. They've trusted in me and I feel like I've let them down.

'But it's not me, it's been completely out of my hands. This is a decision that I have not taken lightly, but I have basically been told by Trading Standards that I cannot sell these products anymore, I cannot be associated with this company anymore, because it is trading illegally in the UK.

Devastated: In a video posted on her Facebook page, Charlotte announced that her business would be stopping immediately after she had a visit from Trading Standards

Miss Thomson said: 'I am not the first person that this has happened to, and I won't be the last. I want everyone to know the truth'. Pictured above, the former model on holiday

She said: 'My business has been completely taken away from me, out of my control and I'm devastated. But, I've got to move on. I'm not the first this has happened to, and I certainly won't be the last.

'We have been misled and we have been told a pack of lies. I'm making a life changing really difficult decision for me and my family and I am walking away from the business.'

Charlotte made headlines last year when she bought a 115,000 toilet block in Cornwall and transformed it into a luxury holiday home - and put it back on the market for five times what she paid for it.

The former model turned property developer converted the former public toilets in Charlestown, where Poldark is filmed, into a plush new home offering some of the best coastal views in the country.

Charlotte - a finalist in Miss England - bought the 502sq ft property in March 2015 for 115,000.

Valentus has been approached for comment.

Charlotte made headlines last year when she bought a 115,000 toilet block in Cornwall and transformed it into a luxury holiday home - and put it back on the market for five times what she paid for it

The former model turned property developer converted the former public toilets in Charlestown, where Poldark is filmed
A Fox News guest who says she was sexually harassed by Bill O'Reilly claims she was also on the receiving end of unwanted advances made by the network's now suspended host Eric Bolling.

Caroline Heldman, a 44-year-old Associate Professor of Politics at Occidental College in Los Angeles, made 'hundreds' of appearances on Fox between 2008 and 2011, many of which were on Bolling's show Bulls & Bears.

Between appearances, she claimed Bolling, 54, - who was suspended from his co-hosting role on The Specialists last week for allegedly sending photographs of his genitals to several female colleagues - called and texted her to invite her to New York to 'have fun'.

On one occasion when she was in town, he took her into his office and told her it was his favorite place to have sex, she said.

He called her 'Dr. McHottie' on air and, she said, would sometimes call her afterwards to apologize 'and then do it again'.

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Caroline Heldman claims she was the victim of unsolicited sexual advances from Fox host Eric Bolling between 2008 and 2011 when she would regularly appear on the network

Heldman made her accusations in a lengthy Facebook post on Saturday in which she also claimed that 'several other women' received similar treatment from him.

'My only surprise is that it took this long for people to come forward about Bolling's behavior, which has been wildly inappropriate for years,' she wrote.

During one appearance in 2011 when Heldman was taking part in a panel discussion on union workers, he referred to her as 'the great Dr. McHottie'.

'I pushed back with Mr. McSexist, but I shouldn't have had to,' Heldman said on Saturday, adding: 'This on-air behavior was perfectly acceptable to Fox executives at the time.'

Bolling denies ever making inappropriate and unsolicited contact with her.

His attorney Michael Bowe told DailyMail.com on Monday: 'Mr. Bolling never had any interactions with Ms. Heldman of a sexual nature, and any such accusation would be false and defamatory.'

During a 2011 appearance on Bolling's show Bulls & Bears, he referred to her as 'the great Dr. McHottie'

Heldman made the accusations in a lengthy Facebook post on Saturday after Bolling was suspended

Bolling himself later tweeted that he was 'overwhelmed' by the support he has received since being suspended from Fox.

Bolling later tweeted that he was 'overwhelmed' by the support he had received since being suspended

'Overwhelmed by all the support I have received. Thank you I look forward to clearing my name asap,' he wrote.

Bolling was suspended on Saturday after several female Fox employees came forward to claim he sent them unsolicited photographs of his genitals.

In a statement on Monday, a Fox spokesperson said the network was investigating Heldman's claims as part of its ongoing probe into his alleged misconduct.

Eric Bolling's denial Bolling's attorney Michael Bowe issued the following statement to DailyMail.com on Monday morning: 'Mr. Bolling never had any interactions with Ms. Heldman of a sexual nature, and any such accusation would be false and defamatory.' Advertisement

'We are investigating this matter and all claims will be taken into account,' they said.

He also denied sending the text messages, saying via his attorney.

Of those claims, Bowe said: 'The anonymous, uncorroborated claims are untrue and terribly unfair.

'We intend to fully cooperate with the investigation so that it can be concluded and Eric can return to work as quickly as possible.'

Heldman was among a handful of women who came forward last year to allege they had been sexually harassed by ousted host Bill O'Reilly.

On Saturday, she recalled how he was 'creepy in person' and claimed to have once told her: "When I was in college, professors didnt look like you."

Bolling (above with Fox hosts Steve Doocy and Elisabeth Hasselbeck) was suspended on Saturday

Heldman also said she was harassed by Bill O'Reilly who was 'creepy in person'. They are seen during a 2010 episode of The O'Reilly Factor

'Guests are also a problem': Heldman also claimed to have witnessed inappropriate behavior from Gene Simmons and Lenny Dykstra

'[He] then called me hysterical during a show, edited the interview, and retaliated by never having me on his show again,' she said.

In previous interviews, she claimed to have been 'blacklisted' by O'Reilly after fighting back on his alleged harassment. She said it torpedoed her career.

In April, Heldman said she filed a complaint against O'Reilly with Fox hours before he was ousted.

She also claimed to have witnessed inappropriate behavior from Gene Simmons and Lenny Dykstra.

She said she had to once 'console' a make-up artist who had been harassed by Simmons.

Concluding the lengthy post on Sunday, she wrote: 'There are a lot of great people working at Fox, many of whom I admire and respect to this day, but there is also a culture of sexual harassment that has not fully been addressed.

Heldman previously accused 82-year-old producer Woody Fraser (seen above with his wife Noreen in 2015) of pressuring her into sex. He denied the accusations

'I have faith that, given recent decisions to fire and suspend perpetrators, the new management will effectively shift this culture.'

On Sunday, Heldman told MSNBC's Joy Reid she continued appearing on the network because she 'interrupt the script'.

'You want to work. This is your life's work.

'You have spent years gaining expertise so that you can do this.

'I particularly wanted to do this at Fox even though it's a lot harder than the networks that I've been on because I wanted to interrupt the script so for me it was my life's passion and my life's passion was cut short because of sexual harassment and had I spoken out about it it would have been cut short years earlier.'

In May, Heldman claimed in court documents that producer and TV executive Woody Fraser, claiming he 'pressured' her for both a relationship and sex.

Fraser was a friend of the late network boss Roger Ailes who died in May after being engulfed by accusations of sexual assault. He hired Ailes to appear on The Mike Douglas Show and later claimed it was 'the best hire' of his career.

Heldman (third from right) joined Bill Cosby's accusers at his trial in Pennsylvania in June to support them. She is campaigning to abolish California's statute of limitations in rape cases

Heldman described the man as a 'mentor' to her but said he refused to give her a contributor role on Fox despite her countless appearances unless she agreed to an 'arrangement' whereby she would pay him for it with sex.

'Mr Fraser insinuated on several occasions that a contributorship at Fox was contingent upon me having a sexual relationship with him.

Heldman said she continued appearing on Fox despite the alleged harassment because she wanted to 'interrupt the script'

'Even though I was a popular guest with numerous appearances and high ratings (according to Mr. Fraser), I was not offered a contributorship because I rebuffed Mr. Fraser's sexual advances,' she said in the legal statement.

Her statement was part of a separate lawsuit filed by other women who say they were at one stage sexually harassed by him.

Fraser, 82, filed a preemptive statement denying the accusations before they filed their suit. He claimed he was the victim of a 'calculated attempt' to 'ruin' his career.

He lashed out at star attorney Lisa Bloom, who represents his accusers, accusing her of taking the issue to the media to try to land a large cash settlement from him for his alleged victims.

Heldman is an advocate for rape victims and spearheads a campaign to do away with California's statute of limitations in rape cases.

She joined Bill Cosby's accusers at his sexual assault trial in Pennsylvania in June.
British visitors to the EU could face questions about their health and why they are travelling after Brexit.

The potential shape of migration rules after the UK leaves the bloc are hinted at in draft plans.

The proposals for a new 'European Travel Information and Authorisation System' (ETIAS) aim to identify individuals who pose 'a security, or irregular illegal immigration or public health risk'.

The potential shape of migration rules after the UK leaves the EU are hinted at in draft plans for a new 'European Travel Information and Authorisation System'

Anyone entering the Schengen Area will need to fill in an online form, providing 'identity, travel document, residence information, contact details, education and current occupation'.

Travellers will also face questions about health, including any infectious diseases, as well as supplying information about serious convictions.

The address where the visitor is staying will be requested, and any visits to war or conflict zones will need to be explained.

The online form is also expected to cost 5 - around 4.30 - to submit.

However, whether the UK will need to take part in the system is likely to be subject to Brexit negotiations.

Britain is not currently in the Schengen zone, and could have faced many of the restrictions in any case.

Meanwhile, Downing Street has rejected a claim by the former head of the diplomatic service that the Brexit talks have not begun promisingly for the UK.

Sir Simon Fraser, who was the chief mandarin at the Foreign Office until 2015, said Cabinet divisions made it hard for the Government to establish a clear position and that it had been 'a bit absent' from the negotiations in Brussels.

His comments were rejected by the Prime Minister's official spokesman who said the two rounds of talks which took place between Brexit Secretary David Davis and the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier had made important progress.

Brexit Secretary David Davis (left) and Michel Barnier are conducting negotiations for the UK and EU respectively. They are pictured in Brussels last month

'We would disagree strongly (with Sir Simon's comments). The last two months, we have had a constructive start to the negotiations. We have covered a significant amount of important ground,' the spokesman said.

'As the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union said at the end of the last negotiating round, important progress has been made in understanding one another's positions on key issues.'

In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour, Sir Simon, who now advises businesses on Brexit and foreign policy, said: 'The negotiations have only just begun, I don't think they have begun particularly promisingly, frankly, on the British side.

'We haven't put forward a lot because, as we know, there are differences within the Cabinet about the sort of Brexit that we are heading for and until those differences are further resolved I think it's very difficult for us to have a clear position.'
PASCAGOULA, Miss. -- A Texas man was indicted by a grand jury on Monday in the case of filming and documenting sexual positions of his four-year-old victim.

Jose Juan Guzman, 61, plead guilty to two counts of exploitation of a child, which was said to have occurred on Sept. of 2015 in Pascagoula. Pascagoula police investigated Guzman's acts.

The victim, who was four at the time lived in the same neighborhood as Guzman. Investigators said that Guzman took photos and videos of the child after instructing her to pose in various sexual positions.

Earlier today, Judge Robert Krebs sentenced Guzman on both counts of exploitation to 30 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with 15 years to serve, day for day. The sentences will run concurrently.

According to the Assistant District Attorney Justin Lovorn , the mother of the victim left a note to be read for Guzman to hear. Within it, she discussed Guzman's actions and how he stained her daughter's innocence.

After sentencing, Jackson County District Attorney Tony Lawrence shared his thoughts on the outcome of this case.

"Child exploitation is not a victimless crime," he said. "These are not just pictures or images this case is about an actual child who was sexually abused and has had that abuse memorialized. I hope that this fifteen year, day for day, sentence sends a message that preying on children, either by viewing child pornography or by physically abusing them, will not be tolerated."
A top Manhattan restaurateur has been accused of blackmailing his mistress with a secretly filmed sex video, a new lawsuit claims.

Married father-of-one Julian Medina is being sued for $500,000 by Olga Ramos, a bartender at his Upper West Side restaurant Toloache.

Ramos, 37, is claiming that Medina, 42, secretly filmed her giving him oral sex and has been using the footage to try and keep her silent about the affair.

Manhattan restaurateur Julian Medina, 42, is being sued by a bartender who claims he is blackmailing her with a sex video that he secretly filmed during their four-year affair

The bartender claims that Medina began to hit on her immediately after she began working at Toloache in 2010.

'Medina made numerous and repeated requests that [she] go on a date with him,' according to court papers obtained by theNew York Post.

'Despite the fact that [Ramos] was not interested, Medina continued with his unwarranted and unrelenting pursuing of [her]'.

Ramos finally relented in 2012 and the pair began a secret affair for four years, with Medina paying for the bartender's rent and other expenses, the lawsuit states.

But in March 2015 Medina allegedly forced Ramos to sign a document that released him from 'any and all future claims'.

Medina wouldn't allow Ramos to show the document to an attorney before signing it, according to the lawsuit.

The top chef and restaurant owner would end the affair in November 2016, and Ramos claims that's when he began to treat her differently at work.

She alleges that Medina would tell her to 'get back into your cage' when referring to the bar and once kicked the bartender between her legs, the lawsuit states.

Ramos asked Medina to stop the behavior in May, and that is when she said he sent her the video that showed her performing oral sex on him.

'Medina intimated with this video that she must stay quiet,' according to court papers, which state Ramos was not aware at the time that she was being filmed.

The chef also allegedly showed up to Ramos' apartment that same month and demanded anal sex and threatened to 'use his influence in the New York restaurant industry' to make sure Ramos never got a job again, the lawsuit states.

Ramos claims Median (pictured right with top chef Jason Licker) secretly filmed her while she performed oral sex on him

Medina opened Toloache in 2007 and now owns nine restaurants across New York, including Tacuba, Copella, Yerba Buena, and La Chula

Medina's lawyer told the Post that the restaurateur, who just opened La Chula in Grand Central Station, is 'innocent of the charges'.

'Ms Ramos has manufactured this scandalous tale for the sole purpose of embarrassing our client,' the statement read.

Medina was the executive chef at Manhattan hot spot SushiSamba before opening Toloache in 2007.

He is now also the owner of nine restaurants across New York, including Tacuba, Copella, Yerba Buena, and La Chula.
A New Zealand father has shared the heartbreaking voicemail he received from his daughter begging him to come over and stay with her after a family member threatened to shoot her house

A New Zealand father has shared the heartwrenching voicemail he received from his daughter seven months ago, pleading for help in a domestic violence situation.

In the message, a distressed woman can be heard sniffling as she pleads for her father to come and stay with her, as a family member had threatened to shoot at her house.

'Hi dad... hi dad, I've just been told by a family member that he was going to come back and um, shoot my house,' she says.

'So they're looking for him now... I was just wondering if you wanted to come and stay with me?'

The voicemail ends as the woman's voice breaks and she asks her dad to 'give me a call back, please'.

The father says he was 'scared', both for his daughter and what would happen to her.

'Of course I jumped in my car , and by the time I got there, the police had already been around and they were looking for him, so she was safe,' he said.

The man who threatened to shoot up the house was caught, but the father says listening to the details of the crimes committed against his daughter was almost as bad as receiving the initial phone call.

'What came out... as a parent, to not know what was going on in her home... it was gut wrenching to realise that your own daughter was going through nearly torture living in her own home, and wasn't able to say anything to her parents,' he said.

The woman behind the tearful phone call has moved on, her father said, and is now flourishing.

'She's safe in her new home, she's working, and her two children are growing up as children, not under threat,' he said.

'And I can be a grandparent, and a parent again, which is lovely.'

He says the Counties Manukau Police are still checking up on his daughter, which has left him confident for her future.
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As the death toll of Mexican migrants crossing over into the US continues to increase locals are helping out with the effort to track down relatives of the deceased.

In 2016 alone the bodies of 156 Mexican migrants were found in the vast Sonoran desert, which separates Arizona and the Mexican state of Sonora.

This figure only represents the corpses that were actually found by officials and diligent locals with many assuming the number to be a lot higher.

Photographer and freelance journalist, Susan Schulman, documented the efforts made by people in the area to find these corpses and what is being done to give closure to relatives waiting to find out the fate of their loved ones.

In the last 15 years the remains of more than 2,500 people who tried to cross the US border from Mexico have been found in the Sonoran Desert, as locals work to try and identify the remains

While some of the bodies are found intact, making them relatively easy to identify, Dr Greg Hess, who works at a local medical examiner's office, said around 70 per cent come in badly decomposed and some are just skeletons

Temperatures in the Sonoran Desert, Mexico's hottest, can top 105F even in winter, making for extremely treacherous conditions for those trying to cross it, and meaning bodies break down quickly

Dr Hess examines the bones of one of 900 bodies that have been recovered from the desert, but have not been identified. A further 850 sets of remains had to be disposed of after identification was ruled impossible

At the center of the effort is David Garcia, a member of the Todono O'odham Nation whose reservation forms part of the desert. He said: 'You have blood on your hands when you know people are dying on our sacred land'

Susan said: 'Between 2001 and 2016, 2,620 recovered remains of suspected border crossers were examined by the Pima County office of the medical examiner.

'For the families of the 900 which remain unidentified, life's an endless purgatory in which hope vies with despair.

'For the families of the 850 whose remains have been disposed of, the purgatory will be permanent. They will die not knowing.'

During her investigation into the recovery of the migrant corpses, Susan ran into David Garcia - a local who has dedicated his life to recovering the remains and belongings of the dead since 2008.

A member of the indigenous Tohono O'odham Nation, the tribe's land is at the centre of the migrant crisis as it's located within the desert where many of the bodies are recovered.

Speaking on his motivation to help locate the bodies for authorities, David said: 'You have blood on your hands when you know people are dying on the reservation, on our sacred land.'

After Mr Gracia has recovered the remains, examiners set to work trying to identify them, including documents found on the bodies. It is then a matter of tracing their family and breaking the bad news

More than 800 people have been identified from remains pulled from the desert, thanks in part to objects they were holding (pictured). Workers believe this represents only a small number of the actual dead, many of whom will never be found

The border wall close to the town of Nogales, in Mexico, which is decorated with memorials for those who have died after crossing into Arizona in search of a better life

Lockers at the Prima County Medical Examiner's Office are filled with plastic wallets containing the possessions of those found dead in the desert

While some objects prove helpful in tracing relatives of the dead, others make it almost impossible - including one person who died carrying only a child's sock, ball of pocket lint, coins and Mexican bank notes

Many who cross into the US rely on cartels to help them, since security is so tight, but this exposes them to exploitation, rape, physical violence and death - with their remains scattered throughout the desert

After the bodies are recovered they are sent to Pima County medical examiner's office to be catalogued along with the belongings and any form of ID - which is where the search to locate family members on the other side of the border begins.

Susan spoke with the county's medical examiner, Dr Greg Hess, to find out what goes into locating the relatives of the deceased as many carry fake documents with them, during the arduous six-day journey through the unforgiving desert.

He said: 'We want to get answers for the family. We try to ensure people get the necessary documents and can have a funeral.

'If they are in good condition - 'fully fleshed' - we can tell a lot about them. If they are fully fleshed, we assume that they were found within a day or two of dying. We collect all the info, make a profile and try to marry it with the missing persons reports.'

However, it is far more likely that the bodies will arrive badly decomposed after laying in a desert where temperatures regularly reach more than 40C, even in the winter months.

'Seventy percent of presumed undocumented migrants arrive decomposed,' Dr Hess added.

Hopeful migrants and those who have been deported often sleep in this cemetery as they wait to cross the border on to the US side, though many could soon join those underground

Workers track through the desert looking for signs of where migrants have made their way across it, including litter left behind at makeshift campsites (pictured)

Bags which would once have carried the few possessions of those hoping to cross into the US lie abandoned in the Sonoran Desert after being discovered by those looking for the remains of people who didn't make it

Two border patrol agents on the lookout for migrants attempting to cross Arizona on their way into the United States

Many of the people who risk their lives to reach what they deem to be the promised land often spend their life savings on securing passage into America with the help of Coyates, a name given to human smugglers who operate along the Mexico-US border.

Coyotes often take advantage of migrants - with acts of rape, theft and murder a common occurrence during the journey across the desert.

During the early 1990's sneaking across the border was relatively easy, however this changed due in part to the North American Free Traded Agreement (NAFTA), which flooded Mexico with subsidised crops which in turn devastated the Mexican farming economy leaving many farmers without a means to provide for their families.

In the search of work many were forced to look across the border which was becoming increasingly more difficult to cross as security was brought in to fortify it.

But despite the risks, it often seems like one worth taking for those lucky enough to make it to America.

Tomasa Mendoza Antonio, 45 a single mother-of-four, crossed the desert in 2000 and has been working as a cleaner in the States ever since as well as sending money back to her children.

She said: 'Everything I have, I owe to the US. Because of the US I was able to feed and educate my children.'

'The need to help my children and make sure they are eating is more important than anything. That's what a mother does for her kids.' She added.
A luxury Swiss hotel is to carry out tests on one of its rare bottles of whisky amid claims it is a fake after a Chinese tourist paid 7,900 for just one shot.

The guest at Waldhaus Hotel in St. Moritz paid 9,999 Swiss francs for a glass of Scotch believing it had been made in 1878 by the revered producer Macallan.

It was thought to have been the only remaining unopened bottle of the celebrated vintage until the unidentified customer ordered a measure of the precious contents in the hotel's Devil's Place Whisky Bar.

But the website whiskyexpertes.net has since claimed the bottle was a fake - adding that the hotel served the two-centilitre drink in good faith believing it to be real.

A Chinese guest (centre) paid thousands of pounds for a shot of Macallan whisky. He is pictured with hotelier Sandro Bernasconi (right)

A luxury Swiss hotel is to carry out tests on one of its rare bottles of whisky amid claims it is a fake after a Chinese man paid 7,900 for just one shot (pictured)

The guest at Waldhaus Hotel in St. Moritz (pictured) paid 9,999 Swiss francs for a glass of Scotch believing it had been made in 1878 by the revered producer Macallan

The hotel's manager Sandro Bernasconi told the 20 Minuten newspaper the allegations would be investigated in an attempt to determine whether they were true.

If the drink does turn out to be fake, the customer would be refunded, Bernasconi added.

The bottle had been purchased 25 years ago by his father for a five-digit sum and has been valued at 50,000 Swiss francs (40,000).

Bernasconi said: 'I already spoke to the guest from China. He also heard of the forgery rumours but he did not blame us since the bottle had been unopened and the authenticity could not be checked.

'I am not afraid of the result. I want to know the truth.'

The hotel will take legal action against whoever sold them the bottle if it is found to be fake, he added.

MailOnline has requested further comment from the hotel.

It was thought to have been the only remaining unopened bottle of the celebrated vintage until the unidentified customer ordered a measure of the precious contents in the hotel's Devil's Place Whisky Bar (pictured)

The Devil's Place Whisky Bar has been honoured for its 2,500 bottle collection, including by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Bernasconi had earlier told 20Minuten he never expected to open this particular treasure.

After entering the bar with a group of people, the client expressed particular interest in the Macallans - the hotel has 47 options, ranging from seven to 10,000 Swiss francs.

'I told the customer that the most expensive Macallan was not for sale', Bernasconi was quoted as saying by the website.

The client persisted, so Bernasconi called his father, who had run the hotel for more than two decadess and never had a client order the 1878. The elder Bernasconi told his son to go for it, even if the customer was not going to pay in advance.

After entering the bar with a group of people, the client expressed particular interest in the Macallans - the hotel has 47 options, ranging from seven to 10,000 Swiss francs

'I was nervous,' Bernasconi was quoted as saying, explaining that he was concerned the ancient cork would disintegrate.

But everything went down smoothly, including the two-centilitre (0.66-fluid-ounce) measure, Bernasconi said.

Now that the bottle is open, the hotel hopes to sell the remaining shots and may consider dropping the price, 20Minuten said.

Before it was uncorked, the bottle had been valued at 50,000 Swiss francs, a relatively modest price compared to recent record sets by whisky bottles at auction.

The identity of the young - but presumably well-heeled - connoisseur was not immediately available.

A special collector's blend of Macallan's sold at auction in Hong Kong for nearly $630,000 in 2014.
These are the pictures believed to have saved the life of a British model after she was kidnapped in Italy and nearly sold as a sex slave - because they show she is a young mother.

Last month Chloe Ayling was lured to a fake photoshoot in Milan where she was drugged, stripped and handcuffed before being bundled into a suitcase in the boot of a car.

Driven to a remote farmhouse, the 20-year-old was held hostage for six days while her captors demanded 270,000 for her safe return.

She was only released when the online network Black Death, believed to behind the kidnapping, discovered she was a young mother after spotting pictures of her posing with her infant son on Instagram.

According to Italian police, the rules of the gang apparently ban 'kidnapping mothers'.

Kidnapped model Chloe Ayling was only released by he captors when they discovered she was a young mother after spotting pictures of her posing with her infant son on Instagram

She is being debriefed by the Foreign Office and police today, her agent has said.

Chloe Ayling, 20, was attacked on July 11 by two men as she attended an arranged photo shoot.

She is believed to have been drugged and transported in a bag to Borgial, an isolated village near Turin, before being released on July 17, Italian police said.

On Monday, her agent, Phil Green of Supermodels Agency, said she is due to meet police and the Foreign Office for a debriefing following her ordeal.

These are the pictures believed to have saved the life of a British model after she was kidnapped in Italy and nearly sold as a sex slave - because they show she is a young mother

'Today (Monday) Chloe is unavailable for interview because she is partly doing the debriefing with the Foreign Office and the police, and then would like the rest of the day in privacy with her mum,' Mr Green said.

'She hasn't been home 24 hours yet, she has been surrounded by press ever since she arrived, and after her ordeal, they maybe need to respect the fact she does need some time alone.'

There was no sign of Ms Ayling at her terraced home in Coulsdon, south London, on Monday.

According to reports, she said: 'I've been through a terrifying experience. I feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour.

Police in Italy say Lukasz Herba , pictured, 'kidnapped and tried to sell a British model on the dark web for 270,000'

The 'disturbed' Polish loner who allegedly kidnapped a British model in Italy so he could sell her as a sex slave has been pictured in cryptic new pictures

'I am incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release.'

A Polish man, who lives in Britain, was arrested on July 18 on suspicion of kidnap and extortion, state police said.

Officials have released a mugshot of the suspect, named as 30-year-old Lukasz Pawel Herba.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said it has been assisting with the investigation.

A spokesman said: 'The NCA and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (Emsou) have been working closely with the Italian authorities since the kidnap was reported.

Model Chloe Ayling at home with her dog in Coulsden, Surrey after returning from Milan following a kidnapping by Polish terror gang

'NCA officers in Italy and specialists from our anti-kidnap and extortion unit are also providing support to the Polizia di Stato as part of the ongoing investigation.

'A house in the Oldbury area linked to Lukasz Pawel Herba was searched on July 18 by Emsou officers with assistance from West Midlands Police.

'Computer equipment seized is being forensically examined.'

It is alleged the men tried to sell Ms Ayling online for more than 230,000 and demanded the model's agent pay to secure her safe release.

She was kept handcuffed to furniture but was freed after six days and taken to the British Consulate in Milan, despite the ransom not being paid, police said.

It has been reported the captor demanded 50,000 upon her release and threatened to kill her if she told police about the incident.

The small block of flats in Oldbury, West Midlands, where Herba is believed to have lived

The flat where Herba lived with his brother - the door was broken during a police raid

Milan police officer Lorenzo Bucossi told reporters the group the suspect was allegedly working for offered 'mercenary services' on the dark web.

According to a translation on Sky News, Mr Bucossi said: 'Certainly the author of this very serious crime is a dangerous person, don't forget he was also ready to carry out a 'final solution', as he called it.

'He was a killer and was working for an organisation on the deep web that is offering mercenary services such as bombing attacks, kidnapping and the selling of girls on the dark web.'

Italian police said they are working with officials in Britain and Poland as they continue to investigate.

It is thought that she was bundled into a car and taken to an abandoned industrial unit, where her kidnapper attempted to sell her on the dark web

Chloe Ayling was drugged, handcuffed and loaded into a car boot in Milan before being driven 120 miles to a farmhouse in Turin where she was kept for six days. But she was set free when they found out she was a mother of a two-year-old boy

Lukasz Herba, 30, who was known for carrying a rat on his shoulder, is believed to have plotted the audacious crime from a two-bedroom flat in Tividale, near Dudley, West Midlands.

Today, cryptic Snapchat pictures of him waving a pint of beer in the air emerged, with the caption 'We're up for planet, you know it's getting grim now!'

Herba claims he was pulled into the plot under duress by a group of Romanians living in Birmingham, telling Italian police that while he admits writing ransom demands he was forced to do so by the group.

He also claims he is suffering from leukemia.

Describing her horrific ordeal, Chloe Ayling (pictured left and right) said: 'A person wearing black gloves came from behind and put one hand on my neck and one on my mouth to stop me from screaming,' the woman told police

She was drugged with ketamine at an abandoned office, pictured, an Italian court heard, where she was told the photoshoot would take place

Police said the model was driven 120 miles to a farmhouse in Turin, pictured, and officers are now looking for accomplices after the model told them she was 'attacked by two people'

The 30-year-old, believed to be a senior figure in a shadowy online network called Black Death, allegedly threatened to sell the Page 3 model for sex to the highest bidder on the so-called Dark Web if his demands were not met.

The second-floor flat he is believed to share with his brother was raided by police on July 18 and computer equipment was seized.

The Times reports that Lorenzo Bucossi, head of the Italian investigation, said that while it remains unclear if Herba is 'a disturbed individual or someone who had a real plan', he was 'certainly a dangerous person and carried out a real kidnap'.

He said that police were looking for at least one accomplice but refused to comment on a report in La Repubblica that police wanted to interview Herba's older brother, who is director of a logistics company based in Oldbury.

Chloe Ayling, 20, talking from her doorstep in South London this afternoon after her horrific ordeal in Italy and Paris

Chloe Ayling, pictured, describing how she woke up shackled inside a suitcase with her mouth covered in tape

Pictured: The interior 'dungeon' of the farmhouse where the model was kept for six days before she was taken back to Milan to be released

Police found a small bedroom, pictured, in the property but it is unclear whether it was used by the model or the kidnapper

Police found several items belonging to the model. pictured, in the shop in Milan as well as a card with a picture relating to the 'Black Death' group

Back in the UK yesterday after she was freed by the group, mother of one Ms Ayling said: 'I've been through a terrifying experience. I've feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour.'

Miss Ayling, who returned to her family home in Coulsdon, south London, yesterday after almost a month in Italy, said: 'A person wearing black gloves came from behind and put one hand on my neck and one on my mouth to stop me from screaming.

'A second person wearing a black balaclava gave me an injection in my right forearm.'

Police also released an image of Herba's passport in which he went by another name, Daniel Zawada, as well as a card with a bizarre image that appears to contain contact details for the 'Black Death' group

An image supposedly uploaded to the dark web by Black Death shows a woman alongside details including measurements and nationality, although the picture is believed to be a scene from a pornographic film

Her official statement said: 'I think I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was wearing a pink bodysuit and the socks I am wearing now.

'I realised I was in the boot of a car with my wrists and ankles handcuffed, adhesive tape on my mouth.

'I was inside a bag and was only able to breathe through a small hole.' The model said the gang were forced to stop the hatchback every 45 minutes because of her 'continuous moans and movements in the bag'.

On one occasion one of the masked men threw 'fizzy water directly into my mouth'. In her statement, the model said there were at least five kidnappers, including Herba.

Prosecutors added Herba was contacted over the internet two days later with requests to 'buy' her for sexual purposes while she was at the Turin farmhouse, pictured

Describing more of her ordeal, Miss Ayling told police: '[Herba] tells me that his boss is furious as they have kidnapped the wrong person.

'I should not have been taken because it is clear from my Instagram account that I am a mother of a small child and that's against the rules of the organisation.

'He said the imprisonment couldn't stop as they had already published two pictures of me on the deep web, made when I was unconscious.

Having been flown back to the UK speaking from her three-bedroom terraced home in Coulsdon, south London, Chloe Ayling spoke of her horrific experience

'There were already some people who expressed their interest in me.

'He told me he had made more than 15million euros in the last five years. He explained to me that all girls are sold to Arab countries. When the buyer is tired of a girl he either gives her to other people or feeds her to the tigers.'

Herba reportedly drove the model back to the British consulate in Milan on July 17  a move which led to his arrest. Before dropping her off he is said to have demanded 45,000 from her and 'threatened to kill her' if she told anyone about her ordeal.

Detectives say Herba has confessed to the plot, which is said to have taken several months to plan. He appeared in a Milan court on Friday. Police investigator Serena Ferrari said: 'The psychological pressure on the girl has been extreme.'

Two pairs of handcuffs were among the evidence which was seized by police following the discovery of the kidnapped model

The online criminals, known as Black Death, lured the model, 20, from Paris to an abandoned shop near Milan 's Central Station with the promise of a photoshoot

'THIS IS JUST BUSINESS': WHAT BLACK DEATH TOLD THE MODEL 'You are being released as a huge generosity from Black Death Group. Your release does, however, come with a warning and you should read this letter very carefully. 'You are certainly aware of your value on human slavery market (sic) and must make a note that this isn't personal, this is business. For your release we have taken a number of factors into consideration. 'A mistake was made by capturing you, especially considering you are a young mother that should have in no circumstances be lured into kidnapping. Second important factor (sic) you are very well aware of is your overall protection by one of our main and very well respected men who made a very clear and solid stance in your case. 'You will, upon your landing in your home country cease any investigation activities related to your kidnapping. You also agreed to sneak a pre-determined set of information in to the media and we will expect to see evidence that has been done in the near future. 'You and your family will, in no way ever talk about us in bad language and without respect. You have been treated fairly, with respect and we expect to hear exactly the same about us in return. You can release any information you have heard from MO while your holding as he would never give you any information that could harm our activities. We will not tolerate lying about anything that has happened. 'You have also agreed to pay outstanding costs of your release of $50,000. We expect that money to be paid in BitCoins within one month. 'Any sort of disobedience with the above will result in your elimination.' Advertisement

Speaking from the three-bedroom terraced home that she shares with her Polish mother Beata, Miss Ayling said it had been her first visit to Italy.

She said: 'I'm incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release. I have just arrived home after four weeks and haven't had time to collect my thoughts.

'I am not at liberty to say anything further until I have been debriefed by the UK police.'

Italian police revealed that Herba allegedly tried to kidnap the same model in Paris in April, having organised a photoshoot at an address in the French capital, but the bid was apparently aborted.

During the same trip, Miss Ayling said she was in the Champs-Elysees when a police officer was shot dead by a terrorist.
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A San Francisco day camp for transgender and gender fluid children as young as four is spearheading education a and awareness of gender expansion.

Rainbow Day Camp in El Cerrito, California, accepts children between the ages of four and 12.

At check-in every day, children choose which pronouns they wish to be referred to with for the day or they can choose to be considered neither male nor female.

Since opening three years ago, it has swelled in popularity and now looks after 60 children a day. The camp has received interest from several other states and has been contacted by parents overseas including a family in Africa.

It was created by founder Sandra Collins whose daughter Scarlett, now nine, revealed she was transgender when she was just two years old.

The camp ran for three weeks this year between June 26 and July 14. The children arrived every day at 9am and played together until 3pm at an independent school that was rented for the occasion.

Children at the Rainbow Day Camp in El Cerrito, California, dance with counselors. The camp is one of the only ones in the world which caters for transgender and gender fluid children as young as four

Children play on the slide at the Rainbow Day Camp in El Cerrito on July 11. There were 60 children at this year's camp

Activities were the same as those found at other children's camps around the country and included reading, outdoor games, face-painting, lanyard and kite-making and story writing.

At Rainbow Day Camp however, a focus was placed on helping the children grow comfortable with their gender identity.

There were no gender specific bathrooms, with all of the children - including 15 percent who were cisgender (meaning they identify with the gender they were born in) - using the same facilities.

'In order to teach about gender inclusion and equity, we made all bathrooms all gender bathrooms. The school has one single all gender bathroom as well,' founder Sandra Collins told DailyMail.com on Monday.

While most of the children who attended identified as gender fluid or trans, cisgender children are just as welcome, she said.

'From the beginning we wanted the camp to have cisgender campers- especially siblings or friends - to attend. They must be supportive allies however.

'Most of the camp is gender diverse, around 85%,' Collins added.

On one particular day, staff focused on the 'gender affirmative' approach which helps children go from living as the gender they were biologically born with to the one they identify with until they are old enough to decide on physically transitioning.

It is one of the only camps in the world which caters to preschool age children who have come out as transgender.

Experts expect more to be created in the near future as more children continue to reveal themselves to be transgender at a young age.

Scarlett, nine, was born a boy but identified as female when she was two. Her mother Sandra Collins (above with her) founded the camp three years ago to give other young transgender children a place to flourish and feel safe

Gracie, six, was born a boy but identified as female as soon as she could talk. She is pictured with her mother Molly Maxwell

Sam, nine, is another of the children who attended this year's camp. The children were given the option each day of selecting which gender they wished to be considered or they could opt not to be prescribed one at all

Instructor Kris Gambardella watches young camper Wilson play basketball in the playground

Among the children who attended this year's camp in San Francisco was six-year-old Gracie Maxwell who was born male.

Her mother said she had identified as a girl for as long as she could talk.

'Once she could talk, I don't remember a time when she didn't say, "I'm a girl". Then it grew in intensity: "I'm a sister. I'm a daughter. I'm a princess."

'We would argue with her. She was confused. We were confused,' Molly Maxwell said.

Another mother said it was the first time their child felt 'just like a normal kid'.

Scarlett, the camp's founder's daughter, said she felt as though she could be herself in a safe environment. 'I feel comfortable for being who I am and who I want to be,' she said.

Gracie plays with another child called Nugget. Nugget selected the pronouns 'they' and'them' for July 11, choosing not to be referred to as either male or female

An 'all gender' bathroom at the camp which all of the children were free to use. It is not clear if there were other gender specific bathrooms at the camp

Founder Sandra Collins reads a book to the group which encouraged them to 'be who you are'. Sandra founded the camp three years ago

Scarlett's mother Sandra said the camp offered many of the children their first opportunity to become comfortable with their gender identity.

"A lot of these kids have been bullied and had trauma at school. This is a world where none of that exists, and they're in the majority.

'That's a new experience for kids who are used to hiding and feeling small.'

Camp director Andrew Kramer, who came out as a transgender male four years ago, echoed her comments.

'I want to show these kids what a confident, happy, successful trans person looks like. We teach them they are normal, deserving of love, and not alone,' he said.

Collins said she was looking in to opening a winter camp and spring pop-up camps and is also eager to expand geographically.
An heiress to the famed Bulleit family, founders of the Kentucky-based bourbon distillery, has come forward claiming she was dismissed from her job because of her sexuality.

Hollis Bulleit, 43, posted a lengthy message to her Facebook page July 30, where she detailed the reasoning behind her sudden departure from the company back in January, when many assumed she had been promoted.

'From a professional and career perspective, I feel that it is important to define how the events of the past 14 months have shaped and in effect damaged my career. Before I speak about a few key points I want to thank everyone for their support and kind words during a time that I can only describe as being in purgatory and one step away from hell,' Hollis wrote in the lengthy post.

Hollis Bulleit gives a toast at the Bulleit Rye Launch Event/Media Tasting at Twelve 21 Tuesday, April 5th, 2011 in New York

Bulleit Bourbon is displayed at the Jeep tent at the 2017 Film Independent Spirit Awards on February 25, 2017 in Santa Monica, California

Tom Bulleit and Betsy Bulleit attend Maxim Derby Eve With Bulleit Bourbon at Mellwood Arts & Entertainment Center on May 4, 2012 in Louisville, Kentucky

After Bulleit was bought by beverage giant Diageo, founder Tom Bulleit employed his daughter, Hollis, who worked on the brand's sales, marketing and innovation teams. Until December, that is, when she says she was abruptly fired

After the multinational alcoholic beverage company, Diageo, contracted Bulleit, Hollis' father Tom employed her within the business.

Hollis worked as the company's global brand ambassador and played a large role in the success of the business' marketing and sales.

'In January, when I first announced that Diageo and I had parted ways, I was troubled that most of the social media interaction assumed it was because I was on to bigger and better things which was not the case.'

Hollis revealed the disruption began last Thanksgiving, when she brought her girlfriend Cher along with her to a holiday dinner.

Following the event, Cher was shunned by relatives from attending future events, and a few weeks after, Hollis received a text message from her family saying she was no longer welcome to attend the annual Christmas gathering.

In December, Hollis was suddenly terminated from her position with Diageo.

She admitted that when she began the career, she was 'excited' to take on the role, as she had hoped to change the face of the product  which has been historically targeted to white men socially.

Bulleit, a lesbian, alleged she was kicked out of the family business due to homophobia

When Hollis (pictured as a baby) brought Cher home to the family on Thanksgiving last year, the pair was uninvited via text from Christmas

'I wanted a whiskey that represented diversity and inclusivity. I was uncomfortable being the face of such a product, but I felt from a place social responsibility and activism this was a necessary step to expand the representation that have mostly been the norm in our industry (I have many dear male friends and I am proud of their accomplishments),' she penned.

In late 2015, Diageo landed a spot on the 2016 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a nationwide report which follows corporate policies and practices in relation to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender in the workplace. Diageo earned a score of 100 percent under the category for its eighth consecutive year.

'I do not understand how the company I worked for is on many of the top 10/ 50/ 100 'best places' for LGBTQIA employees to work,' Hollis wrote, while revealing she felt neglected by company safeguards due to the family's control within the business.

'I literally lost my name and the worth that comes with it ... Even in the smallest of ways, for example: I cannot go out in public in Kentucky and use my credit card, because then people want to talk about Bulleit bourbon (of which I have been legally instructed not to represent).'

The initial suggestions she received to trademark the name 'Hollis Bulleit Whiskey' would not be a success, as intellectual property rights would give Diageo 'grounds to quash the bourbon on the basis of consumer confusion between the two 'Bulleit' and 'Hollis Bulleit' brands.'

Hollis further added that the unfortunate dismissal would not break her hopes of continuing a career in the bourbon business.

'The next logical career assumption would be to just work for another bourbon company. I have made a living never putting down another bourbon; and I will not end my career dissing Bulleit,' she said.

'(But) I do not want to think about Bulleit anymore, it is simply too toxic and heartbreaking.'

Diageo broke their silence on Hollis' claims, calling them 'unfair and inaccurate,' suggesting that her homosexuality was irrelevant to the dismissal, according to Pink News.

A doleful Hollis said she and her girlfriend have since been working in part with the PFLAG chapter, a social service based in New York City that provides families and communities education and support in order to better advance equality.
Fascinating video footage shows the moment one clever chimpanzee used a piece of grass to extract a tasty ant from inside a tree.

The amazing clip shows the chimp carefully feeding grass into a hole in the tree trunk.

Using astonishing dexterity, the primate pulls the stalk out covered in insects to gorge on  before dipping the grass back in for seconds.

Incredible pictures show the inquisitive primate inspecting his blade of grass and slurping the ants into his mouth.

Using his astonishing dexterity, the primate pulls the stalk out covered in insects to gorge on  before dipping the grass back in for seconds

Female chimps are considered to use tools more often than their male counterparts.

Incredible pictures show the inquisitive primate inspecting his blade of grass and slurping the ants into his mouth

Chimpanzees are sophisticated tool users, using stones to crack nuts and they are often seen fishing for ants and termites with sticks and grass.

Chimpanzees are sophisticated tool users, using stones to crack nuts and they are often seen fishing for ants and termites with sticks and grass.

The pictures and footage were taken at Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania by German wildlife photographer Konrad Wothe.

'I love nature, travelling and the creativity required to work behind a camera,' said Konrad on his website.

'My main focus is to document animals in their natural habitat, exhibiting their particular character and typical behaviour.

'I have photographed animals, plants, landscapes and more at many of the most beautiful sites between the Arctic and the Antarctic.'

Chimpanzees are sophisticated tool users, using stones to crack nuts and they are often seen fishing for ants and termites with sticks and grass.

Female chimps are considered to use tools more often than their male counterparts.
A controversial social justice activist who was hit with backlash and hatred over an Anzac Day post is calling for people to stand up for her.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied has asked for Andrew Bolt to defend her 'freedom of speech' over the comments, according to Fairfax Media.

'If Andrew Bolt cares so much about freedom of speech as much as he reckons, he should have defended me,' Ms Abdel-Magied said.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied, 26, (pictured) is calling for people to defend her freedom of speech

The former ABC presenter wants people to defend the comments she made on Anzac Day earlier this year

Ms Abdel-Magied asked why Andrew Bolt (pictured) didn't stand up for her at the time

'Where were all the defenders of freedom of speech in my case.'

The former ABC Australia Wide host made the comments months after she was severely critised for posting 'Lest. We. Forget. (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine...)' to Facebook on Anzac Day this year.

Ms Abdel-Magied said she received heavy backlash following the post including death threats 'on a daily basis' making her the 'most publicly hated Muslim in Australia'.

Opinionated conservative commentator Andrew Bolt criticised Ms Abdel-Magied's post, accusing her of being a 'smart-alec' who thought Australians were being 'mean to Muslims and illegal immigrants and Muslims overseas'.

'She is just a 26-years-old, plainly not that bright. Remember her earlier claim that 'Islam is the most feminist religion',' Mr Bolt wrote in his column in April.

The 2015 Queensland Young Australian of the Year revealed she felt freedom of speech didn't apply to her in Australia and has since announced she would be packing her bags for London.

'I don't think I can hand on heart say that we are a country that isn't racist,' Ms Abdel-Magied said.
The death of a refugee on Manus Island has sparked calls for Australian authorities to intervene after what advocates have described as a preventable tragedy.

The Immigration Department says it is aware of the man's death, which is being investigated by PNG authorities.

The man is understood to have taken his own life in the township of Lorengau before he was due to move from detention into the Papua New Guinean community.

'More deaths are likely unless the Australian Government acts immediately to bring these people, on both Manus Island and Nauru, to safety in Australia,' David Berger of Doctors for Refugees said on Monday.

Refugees detained on Manus Island made signs and protested on Sunday (pictured)

The group were protesting a lack of power and water on the Island, as well as the death of their friend

The Turnbull government has consistently said refugees being held in offshore detention will never settle in Australia.

Tensions are high on Manus Island, with water and electricity cut off to some compounds at the regional processing centre as authorities try to shuffle detainees around ahead of its October closure.

Adding to this is the release of a leaked transcript of Malcolm Turnbull and Donald Trump discussing a people-swap deal in January.

The Prime Minister assured the new US President the United States was not obliged to accept a single refugee, needing only to process those held in detention to honour the bargain.

Mr Turnbull admitted Australia would rather take some of America's most 'unattractive guys' than a Nobel Peace Prize winner who came by boat.

The man's body was found by fellow refugees on Monday, and Australian officials reportedly took the body to International Health and Medical Services

The men were chanting 'bring power back' as they gathered at the gates of the complex

Detainees on Manus Island protested against the lack of water and power in the camps, and against the death of their friend, which they said did not have to happen.

The dead man is understood to be an Iranian refugee with a history of mental illness.

'He was very sick for [a] long time but Australia did not provide medical treatment for him,' Iranian journalist and Manus Island refugee Behrouz Boochani posted to Twitter.

Daniel Webb, from the Human Rights Law Centre, said the man deserved a chance to build a life in freedom and safety when he sought asylum.

Instead, he was held in a 'dangerous, unsafe and painful' limbo.

'This man lost his freedom, and then he lost his hope, and now he's lost his life - it is an absolute tragedy,' Mr Webb told reporters in Melbourne.

Pictured: The lack of clean drinking facilities on Manus Island

It is understood the metal crates are usually full of clean drinking water for the men

Greens immigration spokesman Nick McKim laid blame for the man's death at the feet of Immigration Minister Peter Dutton.

'This man repeatedly sought Australia's help. The Liberals ignored his pleas and now must bear responsibility for what happened,' Senator McKim said.

Amnesty International is concerned he was provided inadequate health care and his safety was not paramount.

'There must be an independent, impartial, prompt and effective investigation into his death,' spokesman Graham Thom said.

The refugee is the fifth man held on Manus, and the seventh in total, who has died since Australia's offshore detention regime began in 2013.

Huge crowds of refugees banded together with signs and chants, with footage and images flooding social media.

The group chanted 'bring power back', facing the gates out of the complex.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Signs have been erected at the Delta camp in Manus Island blaming Australia for 'killing' the men
Wolf Advisory Group has turned Washington State towards a progressive path that should be a model to other states for native carnivore management. Photo by Alamy

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Wolves are in the crosshairs of trophy hunters, commercial trappers, ranchers, state and federal lawmakers, and state and federal wildlife managers in established areas of their range throughout North America. We are a counter-weight to those threats, particularly in the United States, and last week, The HSUS won a signature battle for wolves. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia affirmed a lower court ruling and continued to block federal delisting of wolves in the northern Great Lakes region, chiding the USFWS for taking a piecemeal approach to wolf recovery and call[ing] it quits too early. Our prior win in the U.S. District Court in December 2014 has itself spared more than 2,000 wolves from being killed by trophy hunters and commercial trappers in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

Despite these wins in the courts, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are trying to do an end-around the established system for listing and de-listing species and subvert judicial review of those decisions in an attempt to remove federal protections for wolves. That battle is ongoing and intense. In a separate assault on wolves, Congress earlier this year did succeed, despite our best efforts, in nullifying a critical U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule that restricted ruthless killing of wolves, including by hunting them during the denning season, on 76 million acres of national wildlife refuges.

Thats why its so important to see a state fish and wildlife agency chart a different, more cooperative, less harmful course in the management of human relations with wolves. Washingtons state wildlife agency is doing just that.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) in Washington state, which may have as many as 150 wolves, has convened a stakeholder group  the Wolf Advisory Group (WAG)  to collect input to help guide the agency on wolf matters. Trophy hunting and commercial trapping have been taken off the table, and now the array of stakeholders  from The HSUS to Conservation Northwest to the Washington Cattlemens Association  have set up standards for the management of wolves, with killing something of a last resort.

While still a work in progress, and there are still occasional lethal actions taken against wolves, the WAG has turned Washington towards a progressive path that should be a model to other states for native carnivore management. If the agricultural community could constructively participate in a collaborative processes to accept and rationally manage wolves, grizzly bears, cougars and other native carnivores, these ecologically-critical species could thrive, and no longer be persecuted.

Before the WAG process, most Washington ranchers saw little value in wolves on the landscape and had no incentive to accept them  exhibiting the same hostile mentality that we see from ranchers in the Northern Rockies and the Upper Great Lakes region. Now, the Washington ranchers must manage wolves by non-lethal means, and only appeal to the state to kill animals after every other option has been tried.

That said, it hasnt always turned out the way wolf advocates want. In 2016, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife attempted to kill all members of the Profanity Peak wolf pack in response to livestock predation. While the state succeeded in killing seven out of the fifteen Profanity Peak wolves, and the loss of those individuals is unthinkably sad and an overreach in our view, I cannot help but note that the nearby state of Idaho killed more than 250 wolves in that same year. Government agents killed 52 wolves in 2016 for livestock predation reasons, and trophy hunters and trappers killed another 200. And things are getting worse for wolves:

In July 2017, Idaho Game and Fish took public comments on its proposal to allow hunters to bait wolves (and even queried whether live animals could be used as bait), even as it already permits year-round hunting, including killing dependent pups and their parents at the den in some zones.

In June 2017, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department implemented the states management plan that includes over 80 percent of the state as an unlimited wolf-killing zone; it designated no manner of take and no bag limits on wolves. As a result, unrestrained wolf killing is permitted in most of Wyoming.

The HSUS representative and other pro-animal, pro-conservation representatives were not silent and didnt accept passively the standards that guided Washington state to attempt to kill the members of the Profanity Peak pack. As part of the WAG process in the months that followed, they raised strenuous objections to the full-pack-removal protocols. As a result, full-pack-removals are no longer permitted in Washington and even more conservative rules for wolf killing are in play. Now, wolf killings are viewed by all stakeholders as a tool of last resort, with the goal to increase healthy wolf populations while minimizing conflict. And without a doubt, Washington wolves are better protected than wolves in every state where they number more than 100 animals.

Unfortunately, wolves from Washingtons Smackout pack have injured or killed four cattle this year on land where the rancher had used non-lethal alternatives for seven yearsincluding using multiple range-ridersand the Sherman wolf pack has attacked at least three cows.

WDFW killed two wolves, and we hope thats the last of the killing. Again, for animal advocates, and especially for the wolves, these are terrible outcomes. If the same set of facts existed in other states, it is important to remember, the reprisals against the wolves would have been far more severe. The influence of the WAG has tempered the passions of people traditionally bent on killing as many wolves as the law allows.

The director of WDFW and his staff make the final call on any lethal removal action, not the WAG. Whats more, the WAG cannot administer to the ranching of cattle on federal public lands. The Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 (43 USC 315) authorizes livestock grazing upon federal public lands in the West and the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) set the stocking rates and assess grazing fees ($1.87 for the forage consumed by a cow and her calf for an entire month). As a result, the U.S. Forest Service and BLM give western livestock grazers heavy subsidies, ostensibly to offset losses from predators, even as the U.S. Department of Agricultures Wildlife Services program kills about 100,000 mammalian carnivores each year.

The WAG process is difficult and it is imperfect. No one at The HSUS wants wolves killed because of overly permissive and poorly-regulated public lands grazing activities. Grazing livestock on public lands drives so many threats to animals: Wildlife Services indiscriminate wildlife-killing practices; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services delisting of Yellowstones grizzly bears from the Endangered Species Act, and the round-up of thousands of wild horses and burros.

The WAG process is a practical process in a world with conflicting attitudes toward wolves. But it is without question, the best system for wolf management thats been devised.

The HSUS stands second to no organization in its wolf protection efforts. In Michigan we led and won two ballot measures that reversed wolf hunting and trapping programsthe first-ever votes of the people on the issue of wolf protection. The HSUS has won several lawsuits to protect wolves in the Great Lakes. We were a party to similar lawsuits in the Northern Rockies. We pushed for the Alaska rules to protect predators on national preserves and national wildlife refuges, and have fought, and are fighting, efforts to unwind those critical rulemaking actions.

In Washington state, we want to continue to enliven the WAG process and continue to be an advocate for common sense and for wolf protection. Walking away from that process would doom more wolves, and thats not something we can abide.
A mother who tried to commit suicide by jumping off a towering bridge has met the two men who pulled her from the water and saved her life, almost five years on.

On a relatively normal Sunday in Spring 2012, Donna Thistlethwaite told her husband she was just popping out 'to do the groceries'.

But instead the mother-of-one drove to the nearby Story Bridge, standing 74 metres tall above Brisbane's skyline. There, she leapt to what she intended to be her death.

And now, almost exactly five years to the day she miraculously survived her attempt, Ms Thistlethwaite has been reunited with two ferry workers who pulled her from the Brisbane River on Australian Story.

Donna Thistlethwaite (left) tired to commit suicide in 2012 after telling her husband she was going out to 'get some groceries'. She miraculously survived her 40-metre fall off Story Bridge

Almost exactly five years on from her attempt, Ms Thistlethwaite (right) met Stuss Read (left) and John Barnett, the ferry workers who saved her by pulling her from the Brisbane Rive

Convinced that she was set to be fired from her job, Ms Thistlethwaite lay in bed the night before her attempt and told herself there was only one option.

'I just thought: "I think I need to end my life",' Ms Thistlethwaite said.

Believing that her husband and son would be 'better off' without her and that they'd benefit from her 'superannuation', on Sunday, August 12, 2012 she decided to jump.

But while falling onto water from 40 metres is fatal, Ms Thistelthwaite somehow survived, before floating down the Brisbane River.

'When I resurfaced I looked up at the bridge and I could see people standing there and sort of gathering around,' she said.

'I was surprised to wake up in the ER because, you know, to me you jump off that bridge and you're dead. That's the only outcome I had conceived as possible.'

Mr Read (left) and Mr Barnett (right), the ferry workers who pulled her from the Brisbane River, thought they were too late when they saw her lying face down in the murky water

But Ms Thistlethwaite wasn't the only one surprised that she'd survived.

Stuss Read and John Barnett, the two ferry workers who pulled her from the Brisbane River's murky water, thought they were too late when they saw her lying face down.

'I saw a log go down and a log go up again and I thought: "That's not a log",' Mr Read said.

'I was actually a little shocked because I expected her to be dead.'

And now, for the first time since that day, Ms Thistlethwaite has met her two saviours.

The mother-of-one met her two heroes for the first time just metres from where she nearly died

Ms Thistelthwaite somehow survived her 40-metre fall into the water from Brisbane's iconic Story Bridge (pictured). Experts say when falling from such a heigh water acts like concrete

In an emotional moment metres from where she almost died, the strangers shared a heartwarming embrace.

Looking like they had known each other their whole lives, the ferry workers told how they had wanted to meet Ms Thistlethwiate ever since that day.

Despite offering an emotional apology to the two men, her sentiments were rejected with the heroic pair just glad the much loved mother, wife and sister survived.

'She talks about her seven-year-old son and you think to yourself: "Wow, you perhaps couldn't have been sitting here talking about this if it wasn't for that day",' Mr Read said.

For confidential support call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14
Officials at a Maryland city are weighing up whether they should give undocumented immigrant residents the right to vote.

If it does so, College Park - which is home to the University of Maryland and 30,000 people - will become the largest city in the state to open its local elections up in such a way.

'These are folks who have a significant stake in our community, and who rely on the facilities in our city,' City Councilwoman Christine Nagle, who is sponsoring the measure, told the Baltimore Sun. 'To me, it just made sense.'

Voting on local issues in College Park, Maryland, could be opened up to illegal immigrants under new measures being considered by the city council. Photo courtesy The Baltimore Sun

The change would bring the city in line with 10 other municipalities; Councilwoman Mary Cook (left) is opposed but open to debate, while her colleague Christine Nagle (right) says it 'makes sense' for all residents to be able to influence local issues like trash collection

Nagle and other supporters stress that the votes only apply to local matters such as trash collection, snow clearing and other services that affect everyone regardless of immigration status.

It doesn't allow residents to vote for presidents, senators, representatives or governors.

College Park is following the lead of other Maryland cities such as Tacoma Park, which has separate registration rolls for the 300 people among its 17,000 residents who can only vote in local elections.

Nine other municipalities across Montgomery and Prince George's counties have imposed similar voting rules in decisions made as far back as 1918.

But many in College Park have come out against the proposals.

'On a personal level, I do not agree that noncitizens should be voting,' City Councilwoman Mary C Cook said, though she agreed to listen to opposing arguments.

Jeff Werner of Help Save Maryland, which demands tighter immigration policies in the US, says that while he supports people having a greater involvement in the community, only citizens should vote.

The vote would not be extended to statewide or federal government, but Jeff Werner (pictured) of Help Save Maryland, which wants tighter immigration laws, says it should only be open to citizens

He's against green card holders and those on residency visas voting - and even more strongly opposed to illegal immigrants being able to cast a ballot.

'What gives them that privilege?' he asked.

Conservative group Judicial Watch has also raised concerns about voter fraud in Maryland, saying there are more registered voters than there are people legally of age to vote.

Montgomery County officials said that was because there are 16- and 17-year-olds who have pre-registered to vote.

College Park officials will decide on the measure on Tuesday.
A South African minister has apologised after he was accused of kicking and punching a woman at a nightclub.

Eyewitnesses say higher education deputy minister Mduduzi Manana trampled on the woman and that 'his foot was on her head' outside the upmarket Cubana club in Johannesburg's Fourways district.

He has since admitted he was involved in the 'shameful incident', saying that 'regardless of the extreme provocation, I should have exercised restraint'.

He gave no further details of the alleged assault in northern Johannesburg, but said that he would give a full account to President Jacob Zuma and the ruling ANC party.

South African deputy minister Mduduzi Manana (pictured) has apologised after he was accused of kicking and punching a woman at a nightclub

Police said they were investigating the incident which occurred at around 4am on Sunday.

Police spokesman Vuyo Mhaga confirmed to AFP that a case of assault had been opened against Manana.

'As we were leaving we were assaulted by Deputy Minister Manana and his group of friends,' one of the alleged victims told the eNCA television channel.

'They kicked me, they punched me as well as my cousin.'

A journalist with the public broadcaster, Lumko Jimlongo, witnessed the fracas.

'She fell on the floor... then he proceeded to trample (her)... he kicked her, his foot was on her head,' Jimlongo said on SABC.

Eyewitnesses say higher education deputy minister Mduduzi Manana trampled on the woman and that 'his foot was on her head' outside the upmarket Cubana club in Johannesburg's Fourways district

Manana 'was pulling her by the hair while she was still on the floor,' he added.

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula said the allegations were 'disturbing' and vowed that the case would be fully investigated.

'No one is above the law irrespective of their position in society,' he said.

Manana vowed to cooperate with investigators and 'subject myself fully to the process of the law'.

The ANC expressed 'great disappointment' at the allegations.

The main opposition Democratic Alliance party called on Manana to resign.
Uber's plan to replace CEO Travis Kalanick with a woman in an attempt to combat claims of a toxic and misogynistic office culture have hit a wall.

The company's shortlist is now down to three people - all of whom are men.

That's because none of the female leaders that were approached - including Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg and YouTube's Susan Wojcicki - were willing to sign up to the company, inside sources told the Washington Post.

Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg (left) and Susan Wojcicki (right) are two of several women who turned down a CEO position at Uber after its sexual harassment scandal, sources said

Uber wanted a female CEO, but it now has three men in its crosshairs, one of whom is outgoing GE chairman Jeffrey R Immelt (pictured). The identities of the other two are unknown

Currently the Uber CEO shortlist runs to three names, all white men, people familiar with the job hunt said.

GE chairman Jeffrey R Immelt, who is already due to leave the company, is among those names, they added.

Notably absent are a string of female leaders who have been linked to the high-profile position in recent times.

Sandberg, Facebook's COO, turned the company down, as did Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube.

Mary Barra, CEO for General Motors, was also reportedly approached but won't be moving into the Uber offices any time soon.

Neither will Carolyn McCall, chair of British low-budget airline EasyJet, who was also offered the job, according to sources. She announced last month that she would be taking over UK TV channel ITV.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman even publicly denied rumors that she was gunning for the position.

On July 27, she tweeted: 'Normally I do not comment on rumors, but the speculation about my future and Uber has become a distraction.

'So let me make this as clear as I can. I am fully committed to HPE and plan to remain the company's CEO.

'We have a lot of work still to do at HPE and I am not going anywhere. Uber's CEO will not be Meg Whitman.'

Sources said it's not clear why the women decided not to take the job of ex-Uber GEO Travis Kalanick (pictured) who stepped down amid claims the company was plagued by sexual harassment and toxic office culture

Sources said they didn't know why the women turned down the role, and pointed out that men had done the same.

They also said there were other reasons for the women not to sign up beyond the problems that saw Kalanick ousted, including a string of PR misfires.

The most recent example came on Thursday, when the Wall Street Journal reported that the company had been leasing unsafe cars to drivers in Singapore.

While Uber's decision to approach women for the role was seen as an attempt to claw back some respect after high-profile accusations of a toxic macho culture in its offices, it plays into a pattern seen across US businesses, experts say.

White and non-white women, and non-white men, all tend to be promoted to CEO when companies are nosediving.

That fact emerged in a 2013 Utah State University review of promotions in Fortune 500 companies over 15 years.

'As much as I would love to see more women chief executives, too often women get the cleanup jobs, and Id prefer to not always see women get the cleanup jobs,' said Elizabeth Ames, senior VP at the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology.

Meg Whitman, CEO of Hewlett Packard was also tipped for the role, but has very publicly turned it down. Experts say women tend to get CEO jobs only in struggling businesses

Whitman publicly stated her allegiance to her current company, saying she is 'not going anywhere'. Women also get blamed harder than men if they have trouble, analysts claim

She added that women in CEO and COO positions face 'serious challenges' that men in those roles do not.

'Because there are so few of them, the spotlight is much brighter, and if they dont succeed, they arent judged in the same way a male CEO who didnt succeed would be,' she said.

As an example, she pointed to Yahoo's Marissa Meyer, who entered the stumbling company amid broadly positive press, but left it under a cloud after failing to turn its fortunes around.

The Washington Post notes that it's not known whether Meyer was offered the Uber job, although she defended Kalanick when he stepped down from Uber on June 27.
A manhunt is underway for a 39-year-old driver who is accused of killing a Missouri police officer.

Authorities are hunting Ian McCarthy who is wanted for the killing of Clinton Police Officer Gary Michael, 37, on Sunday.

Michael had only been on the force for one year. He approached McCarthy on Sunday night at 10.45pm at an intersection on Missouri 13 in Clinton, Missouri, for a registration violation.

As he approached McCarthy's Dodge Nitro, police say the driver got out of the vehicle and started shooting.

Police are hunting Ian McCarthy, 39, (left) who they say shot dead 37-year-old Clinton Missouri Police Officer Gary Michael (right) on Sunday night

Michael returned fire but was not able to stop the man from driving away. He was taken to hospital where he later died of his injuries.

McCarthy drove three blocks before crashing his car. He fled the wreckage and is now on the run.

It is not known if he is injured or whether he was struck when Michael returned fire on Sunday.

On Monday morning, police searched a home in Clinton, a small town around 75 miles from south east of Kansas City, where they thought he would be but was not.

Officials believe he may still be traveling on foot and say it is likely he is still in the Clinton area.

Police were at first reluctant to name pin the shooting on him, describing him only as a 'person of interest'.

As the hunt for him intensified on Monday, he was named as a suspect. Authorities paid tribute to Michael who they said had died a hero.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Bill Lowe said the officer's death was 'devastating'.

Michael approached McCarthy at the intersection of North 2nd Street and East Green Street in Clinton, Missouri, on Sunday at 10.45pm for a registration violation. Police say McCarthy opened fire then fled

Michael had been on the force for just one year. The 37-year-old leaves behind his wife Cresinda and two stepsons

The shooting took place in Clinton, a town which is around 75 miles south east of Kansas City

'In a small community, the police department is very tight-knit, so it's obviously devastating for the family and also for the police department.

'(Michael) was heroic right to the end. He was protecting his community,' he said.

Michael married his wife Cresinda in 2015, becoming a stepfather to her two sons.

On Monday, authorities said his death lamented that even the most unassuming of scenarios, such as a traffic stop, puts police officers in danger.

'Every traffic stop is different. Every traffic stop yields its own issues sometimes.

'We know as police officers that those traffic stops are always dangerous because we dont know the individual that is driving. We dont know the individuals in the car,' Lowe said.

Police have urged the public not to approach McCarthy if they see him.

'He has already made one killing and decided thats in his mindset. You want to make sure you keep your distance but contact us,' Lowe told The Kansas City Star.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of McCarthy should contact law enforcement, call 911 or dial *55 on a cell phone.
Alfonso Dastis said he would not 'jeopardise' a potential deal by making it 'conditional' on changing the status of the British territory

Spain will not use the Brexit negotiations to try to reclaim sovereignty over Gibraltar, the country's foreign minister has insisted.

Alfonso Dastis said he would not 'jeopardise' a potential deal by making it 'conditional' on changing the status of the British territory.

The comments are a major boost for Downing Street, following concern that Spain would threaten to veto an agreement to try to push its interests in Gibraltar - which has been British for nearly 300 years.

There was anger in March when the EU's negotiating guidelines specifically stated that Spain would need to approve any future arrangements involving the territory.

Speaking to Spanish newspaper ABC, Mr Dastis said his government would 'try to convince the Gibraltarians that (joint sovereignty) is a route worth exploring and that it would benefit them too'.

But he added: 'What I don't want to do is jeopardise an EU-UK agreement by subjecting it to a need to alter Gibraltar's status at the same time.'

'I won't make an agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom conditional on recovering sovereignty over Gibraltar.'

Mr Dastis said he put a 'lot of importance' by the issue of Gibraltar, but did not want to 'take any measures that could put at risk the future of those citizens who work on the Rock'.

He made clear that Spain's main priority was to protect the current situation on Gibraltar.

'We won't accept any decision that undermines our claim or acknowledges the UK's jurisdiction over any part of the territory that was not ceded under the Treaty of Utrecht,' he said.

The comments emerged as Downing Street dismissed claims that the UK is ready to pay a 36billion Brexit divorce bill.

The PM's official spokesman said he 'did not recognise' the figure being bandied around in Brussels.

A referendum on sovereignty in 2002 saw an overwhelming majority of Gibraltans vote to stay British

Malta PM Joseph Muscat has raised questions by posting a photograph taken with Tony Blair - suggesting the two could be working together on ways to frustrate Brexit

Ministers are thought to be lining up behind a plan for a transitional arrangement which could last until 2021 - and potentially see Britain pay into EU coffers for access to the single market.

EU Budget Commission Guenther Oettinger told Germany's Bild newspaper today that Britain would have to keep paying into until 2020 regardless.

Mr Oettinger said the UK had to honour commitments it had made to long-term programmes before the referendum.

He admitted that Germany would face extra costs of up to 10 billion euros a year as a result of Brexit.

Meanwhile, Malta PM Joseph Muscat has raised questions by posting a photograph taken with Tony Blair - suggesting the two could be working together on ways to frustrate Brexit.

Mr Muscat has said he is beginning to believe that Brexit won't happen', and praised the 'insights' had had received from Mr Blair over dinner.
Anti-fascist protesters and Trump supporters clashed in violent altercations during dueling protests in Portland over the weekend, leading to three arrests.

Members of the anti-fascist 'Antifa' movement and conservative group Patriot Prayer threw punches at one another as pepper spray filled the air during protests at Salmon Street Springs in Tom McCall Waterfront Park on Sunday afternoon.

Both protests began around 2pm, with Patriot Prayer promoting 'freedom and tolerance for people who think differently' while Antifa members chanted 'No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA', characterizing the other protesters as white supremacists.

Members of the anti-fascist 'Antifa' movement and conservative group Patriot Prayer threw punches at one another during protests at Salmon Street Springs in Portland, Oregon's Tom McCall Waterfront Park on Sunday

No serious injuries were reported in the clashes but three people, including a 16-year-old, were arrested

The Patriot Prayer group was made up of about 150 Donald Trump supporters waving flags and wearing Make America Great Again Hats.

Meanwhile, many of the antifa members wore black bandannas to cover their faces and at one point gathered in a small group to burn an American flag.

In footage from the incident, dozens of protesters can be seen shoving one another and throwing punches.

In the background, trumpets and drums can be heard playing notes and beats at random.

No serious injuries were reported following the clashes, but three people were arrested.

The Patriot Prayer group was made up of about 150 Donald Trump supporters, while antifa members dressed in black, many covering their faces with bandannas

In contrast to other Portland protests, the police presence at the dueling protests was fairly minimal

A 16-year-old male was arrested for second-degree disorderly conduct and a felony probation warrant.

Jonny Perez, 24, was arrested for second-degree disorderly conduct, interfering with a police officer and third-degree escape.

Tusitala Toese, 21, was cited for second-degree disorderly conduct but was not booked due to an injury he sustained at the demonstration.

In contrast to other Portland protests, where police have donned riot gear and formed human walls between dueling protest groups, the police presence on Sunday was minimal.

There were reports that people in the crowds had their own bottles of pepper spray and were spraying each other during altercations

Police warned crowds to disperse as several protesters were treated for injuries and pepper spray exposure

The crowds eventually dispersed from the area around 5pm, two hours after the protests began

Breaking into small groups as both demonstrations reached Morrison Bridge, protesters from both sides argued over illegal immigration, white privilege and more.

There were reports that people in the crowds had their own bottles of pepper spray and were spraying each other during altercations, according to KOIN.

Police warned crowds to disperse as several protesters were treated for injuries and pepper spray exposure.

Portland police published a series of tweets around 3pm on Sunday saying they were 'observing groups fighting in Waterfront Park at Southwest Morrison Street.

'People fighting are subject to arrest for state and city law violations. ... If you are injured and able to walk meet medical personnel at Ankeny Square at Portland Fire Station 1.'

Protests and crowds had diminished around 5pm on Sunday.
Supporters of President Donald Trump looking for a taste of 'real news' instead of the 'fake' variety can turn to a broadcast out of Trump Tower  where a ne anchor poached from CNN reads flattering reports guided by the president's daughter-in-law.

Former CNN commentator Kayleigh McEnany announced her departure Saturday and turned up Sunday delivering a 'real news' broadcast from Trump Tower that leaves out the most momentous developments of a dramatic week.

'Thank you for joining us as we provide you the news of the week from Trump Tower here in New York,' McEnany says at the top of the broadcast on the Trump campaign's Facebook page, which critics are already comparing to Soviet-style propaganda.

'More great economic news on Friday,' she begins, before reading stats from a positive jobs report. 'President Trump has clearly steered the economy back in the right direction,' she says.

Scroll down for video

Former CNN commentator Kayleigh McEnany delivered a 'real news' broadcast from Trump Tower on Sunday

Scroll down for video

President Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is leading the Trump channel effort and effectively 'running the show,' the Daily Beast reported, citing a GOP source.

Lara Trump previously worked as a producer on 'Inside Edition.'

She delivered her own reading on Trump TV, saying on a video broadcast last week: 'I bet you haven't heard about all the accomplishments the president had this week because there's so much fake news out there.'

McEnany also trumpets the introduction of the 'RAISE' act, which she says will reduce poverty and save taxpayers 'billions.'

'Americans deserve a raise, and President Trump is finally putting the American worker first,' she says, in a line of boosterism following the positive economic data.

The broadcast doesn't specify the main feature of the bill: a reduction in legal immigration by 50 per cent.

When the administration rolled out the bill, White House advisor Stephen Miller got into a tense on-air exchange with CNN's Jim Acosta. The clips made for dramatic television, but didn't make it into the broadcast.

The broadcast also mentions that Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to James McCloughan, and the introduction of Veterans legislation.

The host's sign-off tweaks Trump's perceived media adversaries: 'I'm Kayleigh McEnany and that is the real news,' she concludes.

McEnany announced her departure from CNN on Saturday, and turned up on the broadcast from Trump Tower Sunday

McEnany has appeared on CNN as a political commentator

McEnany has appeared on CNN as a political commentator alongside Vaughn Williams and other personalities

A background behind her says DonaldTrump.com and Trump Pence. It wasn't immediately known if it was being paid for by the Trump campaign or the Republican National Committee, but it did not appear to be from government funds.

There is plenty from Trump's momentous week that it entirely leaves out.

The bombshell news from Thursday is that special counsel Robert Mueller has empaneled a federal grand jury in Washington D.C. as he probes Trump campaign Russia ties.

The president also signed major legislation last week slapping sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea  although Trump blasted parts of it as unconstitutional. Congress crafted the legislation to tie his hands and prevent the executive from lifting Russia sanctions.

McEnany tweeted about her departure on Saturday. 'While I have enjoyed my time at CNN, I will be moving to a new role. Stay tuned next week!' she wrote.

Trump daughter-in-law Lara Trump is 'running the show'

LEFT OUT: The broadcast didn't mention news that Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating so-far unsubstantiated charges that Donald Trump's presidential campaign colluded with Russia to tilt the 2016 election, has empaneled a grand jury to hear testimony and examine evidence

The broadcast also didn't mention that President Trump signed sanctions legislation against Russia, Iran, and North Korea

REAL PROBLEM: The 'real news' broadcast didn't mention North Korea's launch of a missile, or the UN sanctions that followed

The next day, the broadcast was posted on hers and Donald Trump's Facebook page.

Her online bio describes herself as 'Christian. Conservative. Former @CNN Commentator. Harvard Law School, J.D. Georgetown SFS. Oxford University. Cardinals Fan!'

'Join Kayleigh McEnany as she provides you the news of the week from Trump Tower in New York!' wrote Trump on the Facebook page.

Former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul wrote on Twitter: 'Wow. Feels eerily like so many state-owned channels I've watched in other countries.'

McEnany previously has appeared on Fox News and CNN as a commentator, and has been named a spokeswoman for the RNC

FAKING IT: McEnany has appeared as a conservative commentator on CNN, a network President Trump has ripped as 'fake news'

On CNN's 'Reliable Sources' Sunday  on the network that featured McEnany in its election coverage but has been derided by Trump as 'fake news'  former correspondent and experienced political analyst Jeff Greenfield said the video was just part of a 'long tradition, if not entirely noble tradition, of political campaign propaganda.'

On Monday, a day after her first broadcast, McEnany was named as spokesman for the Republican National Committee.

'Kayleigh will be an integral part of our Party's ongoing commitment to promoting the Republican message to Americans across the country,' said RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. 'Her wealth of experience will be invaluable to the RNC as we continue to support President Trump and build on our majorities in Congress as we head into 2018.'

Said McEnany in the statement: 'I am excited to be joining the RNC at such an important and historic time in our country. I'm eager to talk about Republican ideas and values and have important discussions about issues affecting Americans across this country.'
More than 200,000 people have signed an petition against the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron being given a formal position as the country's First Lady.

The online petition calls for a stop to the plans to create a 'First Lady' public office, which would see Brigitte Macron, 64, support the president as part of his administration.

President Macron, 39, promised to create the office for his wife Brigitte, 64, on the campaign trail ahead of his victory in May.

Anger: The online petition, signed by more than 220,000 calls for a stop to the plans to give Brigitte Macron, pictured last month with singer Rihanna, official status as First Lady

The petition on change.org began two weeks ago to demand that no public money be set aside for the First Lady role.

'Brigitte Macron currently has a team of two or three aides, as well as two secretaries and two security agents. That's enough,' says the petition which had collected 220,000 signatories by Monday afternoon.

The petition also states that Mrs Macron is not elected to any office by the public, and that it would be hypocritical of the president to hire his wife as the government is about to pass a law preventing MPs from hiring family members as assistants.

However, Macron has promised that the she would not be paid from public funds in the event the office is created.

This comes after a series of polls showed that Macron's popularity among the French electorate has plummeted, putting an end to his honeymoon period.

Campaign promise: President Emmanuel Macron, 39, promised to create the public office for his 64-year-old wife to 'clarify her status' as First Lady, while on the campaign trail

Protest: The petition insinuates that it would be hypocritical of the president to hire his wife as the government is about to pass a law preventing MPs from hiring family members

The polls, published last week, showed the percentage of French citizens who said they were satisfied with Macron's policies and trusted their young leader to deal with the country's problems plunging.

France's Ifop polling agency put it bluntly: 'Apart from Jacques Chirac in July 1995, a newly elected president has never seen his popularity rate falling as quickly during the summer after the election.'

The energetic and image-conscious president has seen his popularity drop after announcing budget cuts, launching a divisive labor reform and engaging in a damaging dispute with the military.

While struggling at home, Macron has succeeded in raising France's diplomatic profile, hosting meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump and Libyan peace talks in Paris.
A hunt is underway for a man who was last seen stealing mail from an affluent suburb in Sydney last month.

NSW police are seeking a man of middle-eastern appearance after mailboxes of several Bondi residents were manhandled on two separate occasions.

The first incident occurred at about 1.50 am on July 22 while the second one took place four days later at 1 am.

Police is hunting down a man (pictured) who stole mail on two occasions in Bondi, Sydney

The man of middle eastern appearance had stolen mail from letterboxes twice in late July

CCTV footage obtained by the police shows the man entering a foyer of an apartment complex on Oxford Street, Bondi Junction, and accessing a number of letterboxes.

NSW police media spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that the motive behind the robbery was still being investigated.

The man in question is described as being about 30-years-old, medium build and shaved head.

In the first image, he is seen wearing a Superdry grey hoodie, black tracksuit pants, black jogger and a black hat.

He is seen carrying a Gucci-style bag.

While in the second image, shows the man wearing a black and grey EA7 long sleeve jumper, black tracksuit pants and white joggers.
A cheerleader has pleaded not guilty to murdering her baby and burying its remains in the backyard of her Ohio home.

Brooke Skylar Richardson, 18, appeared in court in a blue jumpsuit on Monday to face charges of aggravated murder, child endangerment, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse.

She denied all of the charges and was granted house arrest on a $50,000 bond.

The newborn's charred remains were found buried at the teenager's home in Carlisle, Ohio, on July 14 after police received a tip from a concerned doctor who said she may have delivered a still born.

After discovering the remains, experts said they concluded that the baby had been born alive in May but killed before it was buried.

Brooke Skylar Richardson, 18, denied aggravated murder at Franklin Municipal Court in Ohio on Monday (above). She is accused of murdering the baby and burying its remains in her backyard in May (picture courtesy of WCPO)

Prosecutors blamed Brooke for the death and said she was concerned with 'appearances' despite the fact that half the town knew she was pregnant.

On Monday, her attorney Charlie Rittgers told the court she did not kill the infant.

Authorities have not released the baby's gender and say that while they know who the father is, they will not share his identity.

After police discovered the baby's remains in July, they took weeks processing evidence before bringing charges against the teenager.

She was indicted on Friday, arriving at court in her own clothes and with her parents by her side.

In charging documents, Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell said she had likely given birth on or around May 7 and that she 'purposefully caused' the baby's death immediately afterwards.

Brooke's attorney told the court that she did not kill the infant. She was granted house arrest and bond was set at $50,000

The teenager was charged with murder in July (left) after police discovered the remains. She is seen (right) after being indicted on Friday

Police found the baby's remains in the backyard of the teenager's home in Carlisle, Ohio, (above) in July

Without explicitly providing a motive, he said: 'It was a perception issue and the teen's mother was concerned about appearances.'

The teenager's lawyer previously said she was a 'good girl' who was 'good with children'.

'She didn't drink. She wasn't a partier or a smoker. By all measures a very good girl who helped children She's by all means a very good person,' he told Dayton Daily News.

After Friday's indictment, she was sent to Warren County Jail.

The teenager recently graduated high school and was due to attend the University of Cincinnati in the fall.
Lebanon's US-backed military is gearing up for a long-awaited assault to dislodge hundreds of Islamic State militants from a remote corner near Syrian border, seeking to end a years-long threat posed to neighboring towns and villages by the extremists.

The campaign will involve cooperation with the militant group Hezbollah and the Syrian army on the other side of the border - although Lebanese authorities insist they are not coordinating with Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.

Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon said that US special forces are providing 'training and support' for the Lebanese Armed Forces, as they have since 2011.

Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon said US special operations forces would provide 'training and support' to the Lebanese Armed Forces ahead of an upcoming confrontation with the Islamic State along the Syrian border

'U.S. advisors provide training and professional support to the Lebanese armed forces that concentrates not only on operational and tactical competencies, but also instructing the Lebanese Special Operations Forces on all the core aspects of a mission, from planning to execution,' Pahon said in a statement.

He continued: 'Since 2006, the United States has provided Lebanon more than $1.5 billion in military assistance.

'Strengthening the LAF also advances a range of U.S. interests in the Middle East that includes not only countering the spread of ISIS and other violent extremists but also stemming the influence of Iran and Hizballah in the region.'

The training is unrelated to the Nusra /al-Qaeda conflicts in the area, Pahon said.

But the upcoming assault could prove to be costly for the under-equipped Lebanese military and risk activating IS sleeper cells in the country.

The tiny Mediterranean nation has been spared the wars and chaos that engulfed several countries in the region since the so-called Arab Spring uprisings erupted in 2011.

But it has not been able to evade threats to its security, including sectarian infighting and random car bombings, particularly in 2014, when militants linked to al-Qaida and IS overran the border region, kidnapping Lebanese soldiers.

The years-long presence of extremists in the border area has brought suffering to neighboring towns and villages, from shelling, to kidnappings of villagers for ransom.

News of the support comes after the Lebanese militia Hezbollah (pictured) announced it will battle ISIS on the Syrian side during the confrontation

Car bombs made in the area and sent to other parts of the country, including the Lebanese capital, Beirut, have killed scores of citizens.

Aided directly by the United States and Britain, the army has accumulated steady successes against the militants in the past year, slowly clawing back territory, including strategic hills retaken in the past week. Authorities say it's time for an all-out assault.

The planned operation follows a six-day military offensive by the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah that forced al-Qaida-linked fighters to flee the area on the outskirts of the town of Arsal, along with thousands of civilians.

In a clear distribution of roles, the army is now expected to launch the attack on IS.

In the past few days, the army's artillery shells and multiple rocket launchers have been pounding the mountainous areas on the Lebanon-Syria border where IS held positions, in preparation for the offensive.

Drones could be heard around the clock and residents of the eastern Bekaa Valley reported seeing army reinforcements arriving daily in the northeastern district of Hermel to join the battle.

The offensive from the Lebanese side of the border will be carried out by the Lebanese army, while Syrian troops and Hezbollah fighters will be working to clear the Syrian side of IS militants. Hezbollah has been fighting alongside Assad's forces since 2013.

Experts say more than 3,000 troops, including elite special forces, are in the northeastern corner of Lebanon to take part in the offensive. The army will likely use weapons it received from the United States, including Cessna aircraft that discharge Hellfire missiles.

A confrontation between the Lebanese Army and ISIS is expected to break out at the Syrian border in a matter of days. Pictured above, Hezbollah fighters, who will also take part in teh conflict

Keen to support the army rather than the better equipped Iranian-backed Hezbollah, the US and Britain have supplied the military with helicopters, anti-tank missiles, artillery and radars, as well as training.

The American Embassy says the U.S. has provided Lebanon with over $1.4 billion in security assistance since 2005.

But the fight is not expected to be quick or easy.

According to Lebanon's Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk, there are about 400 IS fighters in the Lebanese area, and hundreds more on the Syrian side of the border.

'It is not going to be a picnic,' said Hisham Jaber, a retired army general who heads the Middle East Center for Studies and Political Research in Beirut. 'The Lebanese army will try to carry out the mission with the least possible losses.'

Jaber said the battle may last several weeks. 'It is a rugged area and the organization (IS) is well armed and experienced.'

There are also concerns the offensive may subject Lebanon to retaliatory attacks by militants, just as the country has started to enjoy a rebound in tourism.

A Lebanese security official said authorities are taking strict security measures to prevent any attack deep inside Lebanon by sleeper cells. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said authorities have detained several IS militants over the past weeks.

Lebanese politicians say IS controls an area of about 296 square kilometers (114 square miles) between the two countries, of which 141 square kilometers (54.5 square miles) are in Lebanon.

The Lebanese army will attack Islamic State from the Lebanese side of the border while Hezbollah and the Syrian army will simultaneously attack it from the Syrian side, said Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah

The area stretches from the badlands of the Lebanese town of Arsal and Christian villages of Ras Baalbek and Qaa, to the outskirts of Syria's Qalamoun region and parts of the western Syrian town of Qusair that Hezbollah captured in 2013.

In a televised speech last Friday, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said that once the Lebanese army launches its offensive from the Lebanese side, Hezbollah and the Syrian army will begin their attack from the Syrian side.

He added that there has to be coordination between the Syrian and Lebanese armies in the battle.

'Opening two fronts at the same time will speed up victory and reduce losses,' Nasrallah said, adding that his fighters on the Lebanese side of the border are at the disposal of Lebanese troops if needed.

'I tell Daesh that the Lebanese and Syrians will attack you from all sides and you will not be able to resist and will be defeated,' he said, using an Arabic acronym for the extremist group.

'If you decide to fight, you will end up either a prisoner or dead,' Nasrallah added.

Some Lebanese politicians have been opposed to security coordination with the Syrian army. The Lebanese are sharply divided over Syria's civil war that has spilled to the tiny country of 4.5 million people. Lebanon is hosting some 1.2 million Syrian refugees.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri is opposed to Assad while his national unity Cabinet includes Hezbollah as well as other groups allied with the Syrian president.

Last week, Hariri told reporters that Lebanese authorities are ready to negotiate to discover the fate of nine Lebanese soldiers who were captured during the raid on Arsal by IS and al-Qaida fighters in August 2014. Unlike their rivals in al-Qaida, the Islamic State group is not known to negotiate prisoner exchanges.

'The presence of Daesh will end in Lebanon,' Hariri said, using the same Arabic acronym to refer to IS.
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The USS George W Bush was involved in a training exercise alongside the British Royal Navy following its deployment to the Middle East as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.

The Saxon Warrior exercise is designed to increase the level of co-operation between the NATO allies.

Elements of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group operated and trained alongside the UK's Carrier Strike Group - including its brand new air craft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth - which is undergoing sea trials.

The operation started on July 31 and will continue until August 10.

An F/A-18 Super Hornet blasts off from the USS George H W Bush as part of the joint Saxon Warrior military exercise

A pilot and weapon systems operator prepare their fighter bomber for a training mission off the British coast

Mechanics perform maintenance checks on a pair of Super Hornets in the cavernous hanger of the USS George H W Bush

The crew of a Super Hornet stride down the flight deck of the USS George H W Bush after their latest training mission

The aircraft carrier and its jets are returning from Operation Inherent Resolve attacking ISIS in Iraq and Syria

Some of the aircraft conducted more than 30 strikes against ISIS targets during their deployment to the Middle East

A mechanic continues to service one of the attack jets as the operation alongside the Royal Navy continues

The George H W Bush will continue with the Saxon Warrior training exercise until August 10

The USS George H W Bush has a 4.5 acre flight deck and has a complement of 80 combat aircraft and a crew of 5,000

The jets are propelled off the flight deck using a steam powered catapult - which will be missing from Britain's aircraft carriers

A Landing Signal Officer communicates with hand signals with the pilot as he prepares to take off on his latest mission

Two US Navy helicopters sit on the flight deck of the George H W Bush beside a E-2C Hawkeye maritime patrol aircraft

This plane captain is an important member of the flight deck crew and can be identified by his dark brown attire

This F/A-18 has its hook deployed to catch the arrester cable which crosses the flight deck of the George H W Bush

The joint military exercise is taking place off the north west coast of Scotland involving British, US and Norwegian forces

The USS George H W Bush is on the return leg of its latest deployment having supported operations against ISIS

The 97,000-tonne aircraft carrier is around 20 storeys high and has a nuclear power plant capable of pushing it to 30 knots

The aircraft carrier is one of ten Nimitz-class ships currently in service with the US Navy

The joint military exercise is due to conclude on Thursday when the aircraft carrier fleet will return to Norfolk, Virginia

The USS George W Bush has the capability of holding up to 80 combat aircraft including the F/A-18 Super Hornet - pictured

While aircraft are blasting off from the flight deck, maintenance crews busily check and repair other jets in the hangar

The F/A-18 is blasted off the flight deck with the aid of a steam-powered catapult allowing it to take off over a shorter distance
A British model who was kidnapped, drugged, stuffed into a suitcase and held captive for six days as she was auctioned on the dark web as a sex slave was taken on a shopping trip for shoes by her abductor, MailOnline can reveal.

Chloe Ayling had also previously met her kidnapper, Polish odd-job man Lukasz Herba, during a business trip to Paris earlier this year, a friend has revealed.

Herba, 30, later paid her agent cash for the 20-year-old model to fly out to Milan for the fake photo-shoot where she was injected with horse-tranquilizer ketamine, forced into a suitcase and chained to furniture for six days.

She was finally released on July 15 when Herba accompanied her to the British consulate in Milan after claiming the Black Death white slavery gang had kidnapped her by mistake because she was a mother.

Questions: British model Chloe Ayling from Surrey who says she was kidnapped, drugged, stuffed into a suitcase and held captive for six days as she was auctioned on the dark web as a sex slave was taken on a shopping trip for shoes by her abductor, MailOnline can reveal

Kidnap plot: Police in Italy say Lukasz Herba , pictured, 'kidnapped and tried to sell a British model on the dark web for 270,000'. It has emerged that Ms Ayling knew her abductor as she had met him previously during a photo shoot in Paris in April

Ordeal: Ms Ayling was finally released on July 15 when Herba accompanied her to the British consulate in Milan after claiming the Black Death white slavery gang had kidnapped her by mistake because she was a mother

Shopping: Ms Ayling's alleged abductor took the mother of one on a trip to buy shoes in Milan, pictured, during her six-day ordeal, prompting Italian press to raise questions

A close friend of Miss Ayling told MailOnline: 'I can't say too much because Chloe is being debriefed by British police and the Foreign Office, but she did know the man who kidnapped her.

'She met him in April on a photo shoot she had been on in Paris.

'He then called her agency and booked her for the photo shoot in Milan. He specifically asked for her.

'He seemed genuine. He sent previous examples of his work and paid in advance.'

The source added: 'During the kidnapping Chloe lost her shoes. He took her to buy some new ones during her ordeal.'

It is thought that she was bundled into a car and taken to an abandoned industrial unit, where her kidnapper attempted to sell her on the dark web

Miss Ayling is said to have met Herba after she was caught up in a terrorist shooting of a policeman in Paris in April.

The young British model told how she was walking along the Champs-Elysee when the incident unfolded.

She watched as police and ambulances rushed to the scene before she retreated to her hotel, her agent Phil Green said at the time.

Miss Ayling's mysterious shopping trip, her previous encounter with her abductor Herba and other strange details of the case led the Italian media to raise questions about about the Briton's testimony.

Auction: An image supposedly uploaded to the dark web by Black Death to go with the advert selling Ms Ayling as a sex slave to the highest bidder. The picture is believed to be a scene from a pornographic film

The Italian press have questioned why kidnapper Herba - a Polish national who lives in Oldbury, West Midlands - would accompany Miss Ayling into the British consulate in Milan.

Ms Ayling told detectives there were four or five kidnappers but only two alleged kidnappers are currently under investigation.

Questions have also been raised about how ketamine was injected into Ms Ayling's right arm when she was wearing a long sleeved, pink leather jacket.

Leading national newspaper La Repubblica claimed Miss Ayling burst into tears when police investigators asked her about the shoe-shop trip.

The newspaper reported today: 'That the kidnapping was real or that she was doped with ketamine is not put into question by the investigators.

'But it is also tremendously true that many details do not add up.

'Starting with a question that the police investigators suddenly asked Chloe, causing her to cry, 'But don't you think it is strange to go and buy shoes with your kidnapper?

'Because that also happened and, of course, the shop assistant, identified by the cops, recognized her, and recognized the person she calls MD [Herba].'

Italian press agency AGI highlighted other aspects of Ms Ayling's testimony.

It reported today: 'She tells [police there were] at least five kidnappers, but the investigators [believe there] are only Herba and his brother.

Leading national newspaper La Repubblica claimed Miss Ayling burst into tears when police investigators asked her about the shoe-shop trip

'The kidnappers make 'an injection into the right forearm', even though she is wearing a 'long-sleeved, pink, leather jacket'.

'Herba gives her a business card with a contact email address to contact for information and that she should have the mass media [to] advertise [to] Black Death.'

Miss Ayling left her home in Coulsdon, south London, today, to meet police and Foreign Office officials, according to her agent Phil Green.

Meanwhile, a man from Birmingham claims he was handed a 'business' card by Herba, featuring a picture of the grim reaper and the words 'Permanent Solution'.

An email address on the back references the letters 'MD' - what Miss Ayling allegedly was ordered to call her captor.

The card was reportedly given to a man in Birmingham city centre offering 'dark web services, according to The Sun.

Back in the UK yesterday after she was freed by the group, the mother of one said: Ive been through a terrifying experience. Ive feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour.

The Italian press has questioned why alleged kidnapper Herba would accompany Miss Ayling into the British consulate in Milan. Questions have also been raised as to how Ms Ayling's right arm was injected with ketamin when she was wearing a pink leather jacket

She added: A person wearing black gloves came from behind and put one hand on my neck and one on my mouth to stop me from screaming.

A second person wearing a black balaclava gave me an injection in my right forearm.

Her official statement said: I think I lost consciousness. When I woke up I was wearing a pink bodysuit and the socks I am wearing now.

I realised I was in the boot of a car with my wrists and ankles handcuffed, adhesive tape on my mouth.

I was inside a bag and was only able to breathe through a small hole. The model said the gang were forced to stop the hatchback every 45 minutes because of her continuous moans and movements in the bag.

Investigators said the victim was kept shackled to a wooden chest of drawers at the farmhouse in Borgial, a hamlet near Turin.

She was forced to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag. Police said she was not raped.

Herba allegedly told the landlord of the rural property he was a painter in search of inspiration and that he had found the right spot.
British holidaymakers are facing chaos in southern Europe after strong winds cancelled 50 flights in Madeira and Spanish unions threatened three months of airport strikes.

Dozens of flights in and out of the Portuguese holiday island were cancelled on Sunday due to strong winds, stranding thousands of passengers, airport officials said.

Twenty-four flights which were scheduled to take off from the island's Cristiano Ronaldo airport were scrubbed, as were 24 that were due to land, Portugal's airport operator ANA said.

Dozens of flights in and out of the Portuguese holiday island of Madeira were cancelled on Sunday due to strong wind

Twenty-four flights which were scheduled to take off from the island's Cristiano Ronaldo airport were scrubbed

The cancellations affected around 5,500 passengers, an ANA spokesman at the airport near Funchal, the capital of Madeira, told public television RTP.

Six flights were diverted to the neighbouring island of Porto Santo and passengers made their way by boat to Madeira, he said.

Passengers formed long lines in front of flight counters to get information or sat on the floor of the packed airport while the waited for news.

Many complained that they were being rebooked on flights scheduled to depart at the end of the week.

Wind gusts of up to 75 kilometres (45 miles) per hour lashed Madeira, which lies in the Atlantic some 1,000 kilometres southwest of Lisbon, according to the national weather office.

The winds are only expected to die down on Monday afternoon.

The airport is recognised by pilots as one of the most difficult to land at in Europe due to its proximity to mountains and the ocean.

Part of the runway extends out over what was once a beach and is supported by columns that lift it above the ocean.

The airport was renamed earlier this year after Real Madrid's Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, who was born in Madeira.

The cancellations affected around 5,500 passengers, an ANA spokesman at the airport near Funchal, the capital of Madeira, said

Passengers formed long lines in front of flight counters to get information or sat on the floor of the packed airport while the waited for news

Meanwhile, further travel chaos is expected after Spanish airport workers threatened to go on strike.

Unions representing airport staff across Spain threatened 25 days of strikes spread over four months if their pay demands are not met.

The industrial action will run from 15 September to 30 December if no agreement is reached on pay by August 16, the unions said.

The CCOO, UGT AND USO unions are demanding increased pay from the airports authority Aena.

They informed the Development Ministry, responsible for civil air travel, of their planned strike in a document leaked to Spanish media today/yesterday.(MON)

The strike days will be timed to coincide with peak travel including the Christmas holiday season.

The unions claim staff reductions and increased demands on workers are putting passenger safety at risk.

Meanwhile private security guards at Barcelonas El Prat airport have also called a strike to begin on August 16.

The workers from the private company Ilunion are responsible for examining hold luggage as well as carrying out security checks on airport staff and vehicles.

A passenger looks at a plane on the tarmac as flights are being canceled at Funchal airport in Madeira

Stranded passengers check information of canceled flights. Many people in Madeira complained that they were being rebooked on flights scheduled to depart at the end of the week

Border control staff from another private company at the airport have already announced they will strike from August 14 if their demands for a 30 per cent pay increase are not met.

Staff at the company, Eulen, have been carrying out a series of mini hour-long strikes that have brought long queues at security checkpoints over the past few days.

Workers representatives were today meeting with company bosses and Aena in a bid to resolve the dispute.

Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy blamed the chaos at Barcelona on the regional Catalan government. Mr Rajoy said it was the regional government who had responsibility for ensuring the dispute is resolved.

But Catalans seeking independence for the region blamed the central government in Madrid.

The Catalan National Assembly (ANC) handed out leaflets in English to passengers at the airport, the second busiest in Spain, saying: Maybe now you'll get why many Catalans will say yes - 1 October referendum.

The regional government in Catalonia has announced it will hold a referendum on independence on 1 October. The national government in Madrid has said they will not allow the referendum to take place.
A seventh home has been condemned because of a Florida sinkhole that swallowed two homes in July.

The seventh house was condemned Monday morning, after two were condemned Sunday and two on Friday.

The sinkhole at Lake Padgett Estates in Tampa first opened up on July 14 and destroyed two homes when the ground caved in.

The sinkhole got bigger Friday night and is now about 260 feet wide at its widest point.

Two more homes have been condemned because of a Florida sinkhole that swallowed two homes in July. The sinkhole at Lake Padgett Estates in Tampa first opened up on July 14, but got bigger Friday night (pictured on August 4)

The sinkhole, pictured above on July 14, swallowed two homes and a boat. No one was injured in the collapse

Crews brought in earth to stabilize the banks. Once the edges are stabilized, workers hope to remove debris.

Authorities hope to create a boat ramp so they can work from a barge, which will float on water in the sinkhole.

Overnight on Friday, an 80 by 10-foot-wide section of the sinkhole's banks collapsed.

The sinkhole had previously been 235 feet wide and 50 feet deep.

Cleanup was expected to begin on Friday but had to be postponed after the banks collapsed.

County spokesman Doug Tobin said officials were reluctant to say the sinkhole was growing wider without a geological survey.

He said the banks aren't considered a part of the sinkhole.

Cleanup on the sinkhole (above on July 14) was expected to begin on Friday but had to be postponed after the banks collapsed

The sinkhole swallowed two homes and a boat back on July 14. No one was injured in the collapse.

Besides the two swallowed homes, residents in three other nearby homes were displaced because of the risk.

The edges of the sinkhole started caving in because there was no support for the sandy soil as it started to dry out, officials said last month.

As the water in the sinkhole recedes, the sand on the right-angled banks can't support the weight of the ground and it's giving away.

Engineers believe the solution lies in quickly getting dirt into the area to create a sloping bank that can keep the edges of the sinkhole from falling in.

Pasco County's risk manager told officials that the response to the sinkhole could cost at least $1.5million but it will be likely much more.
A judge tightened security Monday at the luxury Manhattan apartment where a Chinese billionaire convicted of bribing United Nations diplomats will likely reside under 24-hour guard until sentencing.

U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick rejected a request by prosecutors to immediately imprison 69-year-old Ng Lap Seng after his conviction over a week ago on bribery and money laundering charges.

The charges carry a potential prison term lasting decades, though his actual sentence would be far less.

'It is literally difficult to imagine a defendant with a greater incentive to flee,' said Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Richenthal.

This July 27, 2017, file photo shows Ng Lap Seng leaving federal court in Manhattan. A judge tightened security on Monday at the luxury Manhattan apartment where Ng will likely reside under 24-hour guard until sentencing

A jury convicted Ng of paying over $1.7 million in bribes to two ambassadors from 2010 to 2015 to arrange support to construct a huge U.N. conference center in Macau, where he resides.

Ng dreamed of winning 'fame and more fortune' by making Macau into the 'Geneva of Asia.' The center was never built.

No sentencing date has been set.

On the day of the verdict, Broderick imposed new conditions on Ng's $50 million bail package, confining Ng to his $4 million apartment, which will end his nearly daily excursion to a Chinatown restaurant.

At Monday's hearing, the judge seemed surprised to learn that Ng was receiving massages every other day in his bedroom with the door closed and that the massage therapist remained at the apartment for four to 10 hours, cooking meals that were sometimes also served to Ng's armed guards.

The judge put one of the guards from a private security company on the witness stand and learned that the guards used Ng's visitors, mostly family, as interpreters and that the guards generally did not use a security wand to search familiar members of Ng's family for metal objects when they entered the apartment.

Broderick ordered the guards to stop eating food cooked in Ng's apartment, to use the wand to search all visitors for metal objects and to ensure the bedroom door remains open during massages while making periodic walk-through checks of the apartment.

He also ordered the guards to enable prosecutors or federal law enforcement to see video feeds of rooms within the apartment. And he limited visitors to family members with a requirement that a third guard be required if more than five adults were in the apartment.

Finally, he said an independent interpreter must be hired to be in the apartment during waking hours.

Defense attorney Andrew Genser, who argued on Ng's behalf, said his client has faith in the U.S. judicial system and had no plans to flee.

Genser said one of the men guarding Ng had a massive heart attack last year and Ng helped keep him alive until he could reach a hospital.

He said Ng, who suffers from heart disease as well as high blood pressure and diabetes, never mentioned the dramatic episode to him in the year that followed, but he said his response to it demonstrated he was no threat to flee.

'He hasn't been sitting around trying to plot some escape plan,' Genser said. 'He's been plotting his appeal.'

One of the men Ng bribed, former UN General Assembly president and Antiguan diplomat John Ashe, was charged in 2015 with taking the bribes but months later died in his home when a barbell he was lifting dropped on his neck.
The parents of an eight-year-old Ohio boy who committed suicide have filed a federal lawsuit against the boy's elementary school and school district saying a 'treacherous school environment' led to their son's death.

Gabriel Taye, 8, hanged himself at his home on January 26.

His parents filed a wrongful death suit Monday, naming his school, Carson Elementary School and the Cincinnati Public Schools district as defendants.

The suit says the school environment allowed and covered up bullying.

Attorneys have said his mother Cornelia Reynolds didn't know her son was bullied until the lawyers saw a Cincinnati police detective's email describing the scene outside a boys' bathroom where attorneys say Gabriel was knocked unconscious.

He hanged himself at home two days later on January 26.

Prosecutors investigated Gabriel's death and closed the case without charges. The coroner ruled his death a suicide.

The school district has said Gabriel told staff he fainted and never said he was bullied or assaulted.

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The parents of Gabriel Taye, 8, (pictured) have filed a federal lawsuit against his elementary school and school district saying a 'treacherous school environment' led Gabriel to commit suicide in January

In July, a second investigation into the boy's death was closed with no additions to the original suicide finding, a coroner said.

Hamilton County's coroner issued a statement on July 6 saying a review of additional investigative information regarding Gabriel Taye found nothing that would alter the death certificate.

Gabriel's grave was opened by authorities in July to remove an electronic tablet buried with him to see if it might shed light on what led to his death.

The attorneys said the mother buried the tablet with him 'to make sure he had something to play with in heaven'.

The family's attorneys issued a statement saying Gabriel's family appreciates the coroner's 'attempt to determine the contributing factors that caused his death,' and they will continue their investigation.

Attorneys have said Gabriel's mother Cornelia Reynolds (left) didn't know her son was bullied until the lawyers saw a Cincinnati police detective's email describing the scene outside a boys' bathroom where attorneys say Gabriel was knocked unconscious

Two days after he was beaten up outside the boys' bathroom at school, Gabriel (pictured) hung himself with a necktie in his bedroom

Cincinnati school officials released the disturbing surveillance video in June which reveals how a January 24 locker room assault left the child unconscious two days before he hanged himself.

The video, shot from a hallway camera at Carson Elementary School shows the eight-year-old being pulled to the ground by another student in a bathroom and left lying for over five minutes while other boys kick and prod him.

Eventually, school officials come to his aid, but Gabriel's mother says they did not tell her that her son had been assaulted or he had lost consciousness.

Cincinnati school officials debated whether or not to release the video.

In the end, they decided it was in the public interest to distribute the footage. The school board sought and received approval from Gabriel's mother.

'We felt this video added to the public knowledge about what happened in this case,' Cincinnati Public Schools said in a statement.

'We believe parents and members of the community have the right to important information that helps them understand how safe students at local schools are.'

After viewing the video, a coroner reopened an investigation into Gabriel's suicide.

The coroner has urged police to treat this incident 'as a homicide until proven otherwise'.

If you or anyone you know needs support, contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK or https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
A 26-year-old man from Bakersfield, California, has been charged with making online threats to blow up two Indiana high schools.

The U.S. Attorney's office in Indianapolis says Monday that Buster Hernandez also is accused of making cyber threats to female pupils and producing child pornography.

Hernandez appeared Friday in a California courtroom and is now expected to be transported to Indianapolis to face charges.

Investigators probed threats against Indiana schools for months. Their big break came in June when a judge authorized a technique that allowed investigators to trace the IP address of Buster Hernandez which led police to his front door, pictured U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler

Plainfield High School in Indiana was forced to close for the day in December 2015 after threats were made online

The bizarre episode began when a Plainfield, Indiana girl was threatened via Facebook in December 2015 after she refused to send sexually explicit photos of herself over the internet.

An FBI agent says in an affidavit that he threatened the Michigan girl if she didn't send pornographic images and videos of herself.

He then told a second Indiana girl to attend and take notes at a January 2016 community meeting at which his threats were discussed.

The threats saw two schools, Plainfield and Danville High, close in December 2015 along with a shopping center.

Earlier that week, threatening emails were sent to other school districts across the country while schools in Los Angeles were also closed for a day.

The investigation was complex, Minkler said, requiring more than 100 state and federal search warrants along with electronic surveillance, wiretapping and sophistic computer forensics techniques.

Detectives found that Hernandez opened and closed as many as 24 different Facebook accounts in an attempt to cover his tracks.

Threats were also made for weeks against Danville High School

Investigators probed the threats for months. Their big break, however, didnt come until June 2017. A judge authorized a technique that allowed investigators to trace the IP address of Brian Kil after his interactions with a victim in Michigan.

Kil demanded videos be sent to a Dropbox and then sent a demand from a telephone. The phone number proved key, leading investigators to an address in Bakersfield where they found Hernandez.

Hernandez was finally arrested after online communications were traced to his computer.

Investigators says transcripts by Hernandez stated that he wanted to be 'the worst cyber terrorist who ever lived' according to messages sent to the victims.

'Terrorizing young victims through the use of social media and hiding behind the anonymity of the Internet will not be tolerated by this office,' U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler said in a press release.

'Those who think they can outwit law enforcement and are above being caught should think again. Mr. Hernandez's reign of terror is over.'

Using different social media accounts, Hernandez would send the victims messages, according to the criminal complaint, with things like, 'Hi _______, I have to ask you something. Kinda important. How many guys have you sent dirty pics to cause I have some of you?'

U.S. Attorneys believe Hernandez used Facebook to communicate with one female minor victim for 16 months, extorting her to send sexually explicit images to him, under the name 'Brian Kil' in late 2015 and early 2016.

'Sextortion is a real crime. Individuals are looking to exploit our children. Individuals are looking to put communities in fear. Individuals are looking to shut down schools and shopping malls,' Minkler said during a press conference on Monday.

'I know our youth thinks they can a picture of themselves and send it to their friends, and that goes away. But the reality is that it doesn't. You don't control where that image goes. Many times it ends up in bad hands. In this case, those images ended up in the hands of an individual who is a proclaimed cyberterrorist who is looking to sextort the victims,' Minkler said.
Danielle Brown, Google's new head of diversity, issued her own memo on Monday to denounce another that was circulated by a male engineer last weekend

Google's new head of diversity has denounced an internal memo that was written by a male employee which claims women cannot get ahead in the company because of biological differences.

Danielle Brown sent out her own memo on Monday after the male senior software engineer's went viral over the weekend.

In her note to staff, she said the man's memo 'advanced incorrect assumptions about gender' and did not display a viewpoint 'that I or this company endorses, promotes or encourages'.

The male employee's memo has divided opinion since it went viral after being published by in full by Gizmodo on Saturday.

Many consider it proof of the sexist, male-driven structures which Silicon Valley has become known for in recent months.

Others say the man's concern that the company is too left-leaning is legitimate and say he is the voice of many conservative employees who are too scared to speak out against Google's politically correct policies because they fear they will lose their jobs.

Brown was hired in June to help steer the company as it tried to improve gender representation across its departments after falling under heavy scrutiny.

In her statement on Monday, she did not address whether the male employee would face any disciplinary action as a result of his memo.

She said Google fostered an open environment where all views are welcomed so long as they align with the company's Code of Conduct and anti-discrimination laws.

The unidentified male engineer's memo was circulated last week at the Silicon Valley giant. It was shared online by Gizmodo on Saturday and has since gone viral

'Part of building an open, inclusive environment means fostering a culture in which those with alternative views, including different political views, feel safe sharing their opinions.

'But that discourse needs to work alongside the principles of equal employment found in our Code of Conduct, policies, and anti-discrimination laws,' she wrote.

In his 10-page document, the male engineer explains his belief that the company is blind to inevitable differences between men and women and says that staff are trained to think a that lack of diversity is down to discrimination when sometimes there are other factors to consider.

'At Google, were regularly told that implicit (unconscious) and explicit biases are holding women back in tech and leadership.

I found that it advanced incorrect assumptions about gender.... it's not a viewpoint that I or this company endorses, promotes or encourages. Danielle Brown, VP of Diversity at Google

'Of course, men and women experience bias, tech, and the workplace differently and we should be cognizant of this, but its far from the whole story.

'On average, men and women biologically differ in many ways,' he said.

Among the perceived differences is that women are have 'a stronger interest in people rather than things' which he said explains 'why women prefer jobs in social or artistic areas.'

Men, he said, are more prone to jobs like coding 'because it requires systemizing'.

He said women were generally 'more prone to neuroticism' and that this is why there aren't so many females in high-stress jobs. The software engineer has not been identified.

'We always ask why we dont see women in top leadership positions, but we never ask why we see so many men in these jobs. These positions often require long, stressful hours that may not be worth it if you want a balanced and fulfilling life.'

Among the biggest problems, he said, was that staff who do not agree with the company's approach to the issue are told keep their ideas 'in the closet'.

'Googles left bias has created a politically correct monoculture that maintains its hold by shaming dissenters into silence. This silence removes any checks against encroaching extremist and authoritarian policies,' he said.

Later he added that conservatives were an increasingly marginalized minority.

'Conservatives are a minority that feel like they need to stay in the closet to avoid open hostility. We should empower those with different ideologies to be able to express themselves.

'DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN' ACCORDING TO MALE ENGINEER'S MEMO The following is an extract from the male engineers lengthy memo. Women, on average, have more: Openness directed towards feelings and aesthetics rather than ideas. Women generally also have a stronger interest in people rather than things, relative to men (also interpreted as empathizing vs. systemizing).

These two differences in part explain why women relatively prefer jobs in social or artistic areas. More men may like coding because it requires systemizing and even within SWEs, comparatively more women work on front end, which deals with both people and aesthetics.

Extraversion expressed as gregariousness rather than assertiveness. Also, higher agreeableness.

This leads to women generally having a harder time negotiating salary, asking for raises, speaking up, and leading. Note that these are just average differences and theres overlap between men and women, but this is seen solely as a womens issue. This leads to exclusory programs like Stretch and swaths of men without support.

Neuroticism (higher anxiety, lower stress tolerance). This may contribute to the higher levels of anxiety women report on Googlegeist and to the lower number of women in high stress jobs. Note that contrary to what a social constructionist would argue, research suggests that greater nation-level gender equality leads to psychological dissimilarity in mens and womens personality traits. Because as society becomes more prosperous and more egalitarian, innate dispositional differences between men and women have more space to develop and the gap that exists between men and women in their personality becomes wider. We need to stop assuming that gender gaps imply sexism. Mens higher drive for status We always ask why we dont see women in top leadership positions, but we never ask why we see so many men in these jobs. These positions often require long, stressful hours that may not be worth it if you want a balanced and fulfilling life. Status is the primary metric that men are judged on[4], pushing many men into these higher paying, less satisfying jobs for the status that they entail. Note, the same forces that lead men into high pay/high stress jobs in tech and leadership cause men to take undesirable and dangerous jobs like coal mining, garbage collection, and firefighting, and suffer 93% of work-related deaths. Advertisement

The memo prompted outrage online after it was shared, with many calling for the engineer to be fired

'At Google, we talk so much about unconscious bias as it applies to race and gender, but we rarely discuss our moral biases. Political orientation is actually a result of deep moral preferences and thus biases.

'Considering that the overwhelming majority of the social sciences, media, and Google lean left, we should critically examine these prejudices,' he said.

At the end of his memo, he suggested 'non-discriminatory ways' to reduce inequality, writing: 'Women on average are more prone to anxiety.

Make tech and leadership less stressful. Google already partly does this with its many stress reduction courses and benefits.'

He suggested that the company should do away with programs which cater to a specific minority in order to stamp out discrimination.

The engineer has not been identified but faced a barrage of outraged complaints on Twitter after his memo was published online.

Much of the outrage came from Google employees who disagreed with his stance. Other critics said the man deserved to be fired for his opinion.

But there were also messages of support for the engineer who some hailed as the voice of many within the company.

Others, whether they agreed with his opinion or did not, said his arguments were proven right by the company bosses' admonishment of what he said.

After the memo went viral, he spoke again to Gizmodo on the condition of anonymity to lament his point.

Others supported the engineer's claim that there was a cultural problem festering within the company which prevented conservative-leaning employees from sharing their thoughts without fear of punishment

'I value diversity and inclusion, am not denying that sexism exists, and dont endorse using stereotypes.

'When addressing the gap in representation in the population, we need to look at population level differences in distributions.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has not commented on the controversy

'If we cant have an honest discussion about this, then we can never truly solve the problem. Psychological safety is built on mutual respect and acceptance, but unfortunately our culture of shaming and misrepresentation is disrespectful and unaccepting of anyone outside its echo chamber.

'Despite what the public response seems to have been, Ive gotten many personal messages from fellow Googlers expressing their gratitude for bringing up these very important issues which they agree with but would never have the courage to say or defend because of our shaming culture and the possibility of being fired.

'This needs to change,' he said.

On Monday, Ari Balogh, Google's VP of Engineering, commended the engineer for speaking out but said the company 'cannot allow stereotyping'.

'Questioning our assumptions and sharing different perspectives is an important part of our culture, and we want to continue fostering an environment where its safe to engage in challenging conversations in a thoughtful way.

'But, in the process of doing that, we cannot allow stereotyping and harmful assumptions to play any part. One of the aspects of the post that troubled me deeply was the bias inherent in suggesting that most women, or men, feel or act a certain way. That is stereotyping, and it is harmful.

'Building an open, inclusive environment is core to who we are, and the right thing to do. Nuff said,' he wrote.
CORRECTED

A teachers union in Puerto Rico voted Aug. 3 to join the American Federation of teachers , marking the first time in more than a decade that AFT will have a presence there.

The arrangement is an unusual one: There will be a three-year trial affiliation, during which members of the Puerto Rico union will be considered full members of the AFT. The AFT will collect just $1 a member per month that first yearfar below what is charged of other locals. That will gradually increase to $2.

The move will bring 40,000 more educators to the AFT, which many say could see a precipitous drop in both revenue and membership in the coming years given a pending court case. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering hearing the Janus v. AFSCME case this year, in which it will weigh whether unions may charge fees to nonmembers.

The AFT currently has 1.6 million members.

Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, has been in a fiscal crisis, having accumulated more than $70 billion in debt. As the New York Times noted in March, the money to pay teachers pensions is anticipated to run out next year. (The paper equated the pension system to a legalized Ponzi scheme.) About 180 public schools are set to close , the Los Angeles Times reported in May.

The union in Puerto Rico, the Asociacion de Maestros de Puerto Rico, held a secret ballot yesterday in San Juan, and about 95 percent of participants voted to affiliate with the AFT. (AMPR will be chartered as a state federation of AFT. Its collective bargaining body, AMPR-Local Sindical, will be chartered as an AFT local.)

Its a big deal, AFT President Randi Weingarten said in an interview. These forces of austerity and privatization and predatory practices that have put the island in such bad shapenobody can fight them alone.



U.S. private investors, including large hedge funds, bought Puerto Rico bonds for years because they didnt have to pay federal, state, or local taxes on interest. That helped lead to the skyrocketing debt, which the island has responded to by raising taxes and laying off public employees, among other austerity measures . (KQED has a helpful explainer on the debt crisis here .)

For years we have been left behind and denied Social Security, as other professionals have seen improvements to their working conditions, salaries, and benefits, AMPR President Aida Diaz said in a statement. With the AFT, we can work hand in hand to improve our working conditions and reclaim all that has been denied to us.

Of the trial affiliation, Weingarten said, We want to make sure its a good fit. AMPR members will be entitled to all the benefits of full members during that time.

Previous Power Struggle

In truth, theres probably a good reason for making this a trial run. The AFT had won the right to represent Puerto Ricos teachers in collective bargaining in 1999 (the AFT and the other large national teachers unionthe National Education Associationbattled for this role).

At that time, a different union, the Federacion de Maestros de Puerto Rico, became the AFT affiliate. But within several years, the Puerto Rico affiliate and the AFT were engaged in a power struggl e. Both sides claimed the other had abused its relationship: The Puerto Rico affiliate charged that AFT officials were allowing funds to be misspent, while the AFT claimed that the affiliate had not payed dues to the parent organization in years, and that its leader was using his position to promote a political agenda that had nothing to do with education. Members of the Puerto Rico union pushed to disaffiliate, but the AFT initially held onto its claim of administratorship.

In 2005, the AFT revoked the affiliates membership and demanded the Puerto Rico union repay its debt.

Asked about this history, Weingarten said it was not a deep affiliation and that Puerto Ricos teachers had not voted to bring the groups together.

Image: American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten addresses the media earlier this year in Washington. Cliff Owen/AP

Correction: A previous version of this post misstated the Asosiacion de Maestros de Puerto Ricos relationship with the AFT. The two unions were not affiliated in the past.

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A father-of-two burned to death in a 1,300C blaze after teenagers threw a marine distress flare into his silver Audi A4 while he was sleeping, a court heard.

Keani Hobbs, 18, and a 16-year-old boy are on trial after denying manslaughter and stealing marine flares following the death of 30-year-old Vilson Meshi.

The car wash boss led a double-life and was sleeping outside his ex-partner's house but told his wife he was with friends in London on the night he died, jurors heard.

The parents of the 16-year-old defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were recorded by a police bug talking about pinning 'it all on that one boy', Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

Vilson Meshi (pictured left) was found dead in a silver Audi A4 in Essex (pictured right) on February 27

A post-mortem confirmed Mr Meshi died from smoke inhalation in Basildon, Essex, the early hours of February 27 2016 after the two defendants allegedly stole six Icarus flares worth 99 from a boat.

David Matthews, prosecuting, said police used a secret listening device to capture a conversation between the unnamed defendant and his parents on November 3, as they drove to a police station for an interview about the incident.

He claimed the words 'that boy', which feature several times in the exchange, refer to a youth.

The defendant's mother said: 'That boy has done a runner. Bit funny it's only Keani and him who have been arrested and not the boy.

'I know it sounds cruel but if anything comes up you have got to get them two to pin it all on that one boy.'

The father added: 'If that comes up all they need to say is they didn't know he meant to throw it in the car - "We knew he had that but we didn't know he was going to do that and we all ran off in panic."

Mr Matthews told jurors: 'The aim seems to be to get them to blame this boy.'

The court heard a man named Mr Armstrong had moored his boat with flares in a box, but when he came back several months later he found they were missing.

Mr Matthews added: 'They were exactly the make of the flare found by Mr Meshi's car.'

In the conversation recorded by the bug, the accused's mother said: 'They broke into a boat and stole a flair.

'He said he had something in the car. He's got one of them. I took it out. I panicked.'

Mr Meshi was found dead in the car and a post-mortem confirmed Mr Meshi died from smoke inhalation

In CCTV footage from the night of the Mr Meshi's death, a cyclist is seen trying door handles of cars.

The prosecutor said the 'Zombie Crypt' bike found at Hobbs' home when she was first arrested on July 19 last year was identical to the one shown in the footage.

The unnamed defendant was arrested on the same day and gave a prepared statement to police, which Mr Matthew claims is false.

The statement reads: 'I totally deny these allegations in their entirety.

'Around February time my mother had a serious operation and most of my time was spent visiting her in hospital.

'If I had any time I would spend it helping my dad around the house.

'I consider myself a London boy. I have no friends in Essex.'

The prosecutor rejected the accused's claim to have no connections with Basildon.

He told the court that phone analysis and Automatic Number Plate Recognition shows that on February 16, Hobbs and her mother Melanie drove to Kent to pick up the boy, before driving him to Basildon.

Mr Matthew added that phone records show the unnamed defendant was using his phone in Basildon every night from February 17 to 20, as well as on the 23, 26 and 27.

He said the boy's mother speaks about wanting to give him an alibi in the recorded discussion.

'You can just say he was looking to me while I had the operation,' she said.

The trial continues.
Embattled State Department chief Rex Tillerson has been hit with another wave of leaks from within his own workforce.

Low-level diplomats are dishing to the New York Times about Tillerson's top-down management style that has him obsessing over tasks - like routine greetings to foreign countries celebrating their national holidays - that were once left to them.

Adding to the dysfunction is his failure to make nominations to many of the department's top posts, his critics told the Times.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

Embattled State Department chief Rex Tillerson has been hit with another wave of leaks from within his own workforce

The former oil baron has been beset with criticisms that have repeatedly made their way into the media.

Tillerson's fight with a White House personnel staffer was splayed across Politico in June. The diplomat's musings about an early exit from the Trump administration were subsequently leaked to the press in July.

A common theme of the complaints against Tillerson in almost every story is his insular decision-making and the chaffing it has caused at the State Department and White House.

Career diplomats say they've been frozen out by the 65-year-old who had no previous experience working in government before he agreed to run President Donald Trump's State Department at the end of last year.

They're leaving en mass for the private sector and Pentagon, multiple reports have said.

A structural reorganization has Tillerson waiting to fill many of the empty offices, the Times this week reported.

Tillerson is also pursuing a reduction in staff at President Trump's direction, in line with the White House's 2018 budget, that has left additional positions vacant.

Even when posts are filled, like the deputy secretary of state, the Times says, Tillerson has continued to operate like an autocrat.

John Sullivan, the deputy secretary of state since May, had his powers revoked and put under review in mid-July.

The Times said it's because he made a decision Tillerson did not like. State Department spokesman RC Hammond said that's not true.

Hammond admitted that Sullivan's authority has been limited - but he told the Times that it wasn't because of anything the newly-confirmed diplomat did. It was because Tillerson was concerned the position came with vast powers that needed to be checked, he said.

'To ensure that there are a legitimate set of lines of authority, we have revoked them,' Hammond stated.

Tillerson is reconsidering the deputy secretary of state's ability to mandatory reports to Congress and the designs for new embassies, the Times said.

He is also looking at Sullivan's ability to mediate income tax issues between Treasury and foreign governments.

Tillerson has committed to staying at State through the end of the year, although friends of his said late last month that he could leave sooner amid clashes with Trump and his staff

For now, that means Tillerson's chief of staff, Margaret Peterlin, and director of policy planning, Brian Hook, are acting as gatekeepers.

Critics of Tillerson's heavy-handed management are warning the retired ExxonMobil chief that State cannot operate properly when power is concentrated at the top and the middle has been hollowed out.

'Perhaps he thinks he is running State like a business. But the problem with running the State Department like a business is that most businesses fail  and American diplomacy is too big to fail,' Obama appointee Max Bergmann wrote last month in a piece for Politico.

Now a fellow at the Center for American Progress, Bergmann said that former colleagues who still work in the building claim the diplomatic arm of the US government is in a 'state of chaos' and leadership is 'totally incompetent.'

'The department doesnt have horsepower to operate at prime capability, and the reported revocation of the delegation of authorities to other people only exacerbates the situation,' said Patrick Kennedy, an under secretary of state for management who was appointed by George W. Bush and held over by Barack Obama.

Hammond, the State Department spokesman, contended the massive bureaucracy was in disrepair when Tillerson took over. He had to put a pause on processes until a review has been completed, Hammond told the Times.

'By putting a hold on things, hes not causing things to break,' he argued. 'They were broken when we arrived. In fact, Washington being broken is a big reason we were elected.'

Tillerson has committed to staying at State through the end of the year, although friends of his told CNN last month that he could leave sooner amid clashes with Trump and his staff.

His ire seemed to have quieted a week later when he told reporters during a photo op with the Qatari foreign minister that his relationship with the president is 'good.'

'I'm not going anywhere,' Tillerson said then.

He pointedly told reporters seconds later he'd be secretary of state 'as long as the president lets me.'
George Osborne has come under fire from a former senior aide who accused him of being too gloomy about Brexit.

Rupert Harrison was nicknamed the real Chancellor during his five years in the Treasury as Mr Osbornes chief of staff.

But today he turned on his ex-boss and other former Remain campaigners, accusing them of pessimism over the governments approach to the EU negotiations.

He dismissed the fashionable view that the government had displayed a lack of strategy.

And he warned the main uncertainty about the success of Brexit was not talks with Brussels but MPs and angry peers in Parliament.

Mr Harrison also said it was a non-starter for the UK to leave the EU but try to stay in the single market  a key demand of ardent remainers.

George Osborne, pictured enjoying a post of tennis at Wimbledon last month, was accused of being too pessimistic about Brexit by his former chief of staff

Writing on Twitter, he took issue with a leader column in the London Evening Standard, which is edited by Mr Osborne and which summarised the governments position over Brexit as we dont know.

He wrote: My old boss [is] part of the consensus that is too gloomy on Brexit progress. Once [the] dust settles we will see outlines of UK position are pretty clear.

Of course thats not to say its all going to be fine But he said the idea there is no UK emerging position on most of these issues out of date.

What I do take issue with at the moment is this over the top critique of everything the UK does. [It] mistakes poor communications for lack of progress.

He accepted that as a Remain campaigner he was worried about Britain leaving the customs union and single market. But he said the idea that the UK could leave the EU but stay in the single market is a non-starter.

He also disagreed with Will Straw, who ran Britain Stronger in Europe, the official Remain campaign, who said the main uncertainty over Brexit was the UK governments lack of strategy.

Mr Harrison said: Thats certainly the fashionable view  and the spectacle has been pretty bad, but out of the noise the approach is now quite clear.

He also argued that the main uncertainty now comes from the UK Parliament (fragile majority, angry Lords) not the UK-EU negotiations.

His comments came as Downing Street dismissed claims from a former Foreign Office mandarin who claimed the government has been a bit absent from the negotiations.

Sir Simon Fraser, who was head of the diplomatic service from 2010-2015, argued before the referendum that leaving the EU would be an uncharacteristic act of self-absorption. Brexit, he argued, would mean Britain withdrawing into unreality.

Rupert Harrison, george osborne's former chief of staff, said the former Chancellor is being too gloomy over Brexit

Speaking to the BBCs Westminster Hour on Sunday, he said Cabinet divisions made it hard for the Government to establish a clear position and that ministers had been a bit absent from the negotiations.

My view is the negotiations have only just begun, I don't think they have begun particularly promisingly, frankly, on the British side.

We haven't put forward a lot because, as we know, there are differences within the Cabinet about the sort of Brexit that we are heading for and until those differences are further resolved I think it's very difficult for us to have a clear position.

He added: I think so far we haven't put much on the table apart from something on the status of nationals, so we are a bit absent from the formal negotiation.

His comments were rejected by the Prime Minister's official spokesman. He said No10 would disagree strongly and argued that important progress had been made in talks.

The Government is expected to publish key papers in the coming weeks setting out its view on customs arrangements and the Northern Irish border in the coming weeks.

After leaving the Treasury in June 2015, Mr Harrison moved to asset management firm BlackRock as a managing director. Mr Osborne also took a role with the firm earlier this year while he was still an MP. He stepped down from Parliament at the election.

Mr Harrison, who was head boy at Eton, worked for the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank before joining Mr Osbornes staff.

At his leaving party, Mr Osborne joked: It has been an honour to play a role in the Harrison chancellorship.
Dramatic footage has emerged of a headmaster violently beating school children in India.

The shocking clip -which was posted online by another teacher- shows students wincing in pain as they are caned on the floor and on their hands and fingers.

The beating which took place in a convent school, in Fafamau city near Allahabad, in east India, has gone viral since being posted.

It has been reported that the some of helpless students fainted after the teacher carried out his vicious attack, hitting some students until the cane broke.

A mother of one of the victims lodged a complaint against the school but was forced to withdraw it after 'pressure' from local authorities, the police and the school.

The shocking clip -which was posted online by another teacher- shows students wincing in pain as they are caned on the floor and on their hands and fingers

Students at the school had regularly complained that they were 'brutally beaten by teachers over the slightest mistakes'.

The video was captured by the school's PE teacher, Ashish Mani Tiwari, who says he was 'shocked' at how cruelly the students were treated. He goes on to add that the students 'were regularly beaten on the pretext of instilling discipline in them'.

Students at the school had regularly complained that they were 'brutally beaten by teachers over the slightest mistakes'

Ashish, who had only worked at the school for one month, was immediately sacked within hours of posting the astonishing video.

He is now taking action against the authorities and the school.
This is the incredible moment a baby dressed as a lion got to meet the real thing at the zoo.

Aryeh, the 11-month-old baby, was wearing a lion costume when he and his godparents went to Zoo Atlanta in Georgia.

In the video, the actual lion sniffs at the glass and looks at the baby, trying to size him up, while Aryeh gets up close to the glass.

The lion then paws at the barrier and the baby looks on curious and calm.

When the cat realizes it can't get through to Aryeh, it turns away, but the baby follows and leans against the glass to get a closer look.

He then gets on his hands and knees and starts crawling and the lion follows, pacing beside the glass and eyeing the playful baby before the video stops.

Aryeh's godparents took video of his first meeting with the lion in December.

The incredible moment an 11-month-old baby dressed as a lion meets the real thing at Zoo Atlanta is captured on video

Aryeh, the 11-month-old (pictured) wore his lion costume to the zoo when he went with his godparents in December

One of his godparents said with the video that Aryeh means 'lion' in Hebrew, making the meeting even more special.

'The lions were immediately interested in our little lion cub, and it wasn't long before they couldn't stand their curiosity any longer and came right up to the glass,' the godparent wrote.

'Aryeh was completely unfazed and interacted with the lions for a few minutes!

'We took some pictures and videos before moving along as the lions started getting a little worked up and we didn't want to make them too anxious.

'It was incredible! Definitely a great memory from our first little godfamily outing!'

Though the lion gets close to him and paws at the glass, Aryeh stays calm in the cute video
They should have still been in the honeymoon phase.

But on Sunday, violence broke out a lesbian couple's home in Mount Holly, New Jersey - ending with one wife shooting and killing the other, police say.

Burlington County Sheriff's deputies were called to the Mill Street home of Laura Bluestein, 28, and Felicia Dormans, 29, around 5:20pm, after receiving a call from one of Bluestein's relatives, saying there had been an assault at the residence.

Laura Bluestein, 28 (pictured), has been arrested for shooting her 29-year-old wife Felicia Dormans dead Sunday evening

Police were called to the married couple's Mount Holly, New Jersey home around 5:20pm and found Dormans (right) dead from a gunshot wound to the face

When police showed up at the house, they found Dormans dead from a gunshot wound to the face.

Her wife, Bluestein, was still inside the home and was taken into custody without incident.

Police are still trying to ascertain what caused Bluestein to shoot her wife.

She has been charged with murder, weapons possession and tampering with evidence.

She was booked into the Burlington County Jail and was set to make her first court appearance Monday afternoon.

Both of their Facebook accounts are filled with pictures of them together smiling and kissing in happier times

They have been married for a year

According to Dorman's Facebook, the couple had been married for a year.

Both of their Facebook accounts are filled with pictures of them together smiling and kissing in happier times.

Photos showed that they had recently taken a vacation to the beach.

Bluestein has a criminal record including convictions for drug possession in 2012 and 2014.
Terrified holidaymakers were ordered to turn off all lights and music on a luxury cruise liner for 10 days because of the risk of a pirate attack.

The Sea Princess was on a 104-day world cruise, starting in Sydney, when the trip of a lifetime turned to horror for nearly 2,000 passengers on board.

Travellers, many who paid more than $50,000, revealed how the vessel became a 'ghost ship' as it passed through dangerous waters known for Somali pirate activity.

Carolyne Jasinski, a media specialist from Australia, said the cruise liner was shrouded in darkness as it passed through the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal.

'Captain Gennaro Arma addressed the ship. He apologised for alarming passengers. However, the threat, he said, was real and the ship must be prepared for a pirate attack,' she wrote for news.com.au.

Terrified holidaymakers were ordered to turn off all lights and music on luxury cruise liner the Sea Princess for 10 days because of risk of attacks by pirates

Travellers, many who paid $50,000, revealed how it became a 'ghost ship'. Above, a 2012 photo shows a masked Somali pirate standing near a Taiwanese fishing vessel that washed up on shore after a ransom was paid to release the crew

Lights were turned off from dusk until dawn, with no deck parties or late night outdoor bars allowed

The live music, 'dazzling magic shows', comedy acts and bustling nightclubs promised on board the lavish ship were reportedly brought to a sudden halt.

Curtains were drawn and shutters were closed throughout the ship, while lights were turned off from dusk until dawn.

There were no lavish deck parties and late night outdoor bars were closed.

Ms Jasinski revealed how the 1,900 passengers on board were also put through a 'pirate drill'.

'It was made very clear on the Sea Princess, very quickly, that this pirate threat was not something to be joked about.

'Any remaining smirks soon disappeared as the pirate drill alarm sounded and the crew was instructed to move to their designated muster stations.'

Carolyne Jasinski, a media specialist from Australia, said the ship was shrouded in darkness as it passed through the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal

Curtains were drawn and shutters were closed throughout the ship, while lights were turned off from dusk until dawn

A passenger on board the Sea Princess revealed how it became a 'ghost ship' for the period of the trip it passed through dangerous waters for fear of a pirate attack

During the drill, passengers were sent back to their cabins to be counted.

Advice issued to those on board was to sit on the floor and hold on to hand rails in case the boat had to swerve away from pirate boats.

In the event of a direct threat, passengers in outer cabins were told to lock their balcony and entrance doors and take shelter in the corridors  so there would be two doors between them and pirates.

The potential attack didn't eventuate and Ms Jasinski said there were surprisingly few complaints about the restrictions.

A Princess Cruises spokesperson said the company doesn't discuss specific security procedures.

They said piracy specific is always conducted before any of their ships enter 'areas of concern'.

'Any measures aboard Sea Princess were simply taken out of an abundance caution and not in response to a specific threat and are common to international shipping sailing in the region,' the spokesperson said.

An armed Somali pirate along the coastline while the Greek cargo ship, MV Filitsa, is seen anchored just off the shores of Hobyo town in northeastern Somalia where it was being held by pirates in 2010

The ship was shrouded in darkness as it passed through the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal. It was on a 104-day world cruise departing from Sydney

There have been six reported attempts of pirates attacking cruise ships over the past 12 years.

In March, Somali pirates hijacked their first commercial ship since 2012.

The Aris 13 oil tanker was captured by two dozen armed men after they approached pretending to beg for water.

Dramatic footage of a private security team engaging in a fire fight with the pirates later emerged online.

A speedboat was seen hurtling towards the vessel as a private security contractor wielding a sub-machine gun took aim.

The ship was later released without a ransom being paid.

There have been six reported attempts of pirates attacking cruise ships over the past 12 years. Above, a stock image of a cabin on board the Sea Princess
Prosecutors in Massachusetts have decided not to retry a man who spent 36 years in prison for a murder he says he did not commit.

The Norfolk District Attorney's Office on Monday dismissed all charges against 66-year-old Frederick Weichel.

Weichel was convicted in the 1980 killing of Robert LaMonica.

A judge in April overturned the conviction, saying authorities failed to give the defense a police report suggesting another possible suspect. He was freed on $5,000 bail.

Prosecutors in Massachusetts have decided not to retry Frederick Weichel, 66, (pictured in August 2016) who spent 36 years in prison for the 1980 killing of Robert LaMonica, which Weichel claims he did not commit

Assistant DA Marguerite T Grant wrote the filing Monday, but also wrote that the decision to dismiss the charges is not an acquittal.

'The Commonwealth remains committed to retrying this defendant for the murder of Robert W. LaMonica if sufficient evidence were to become available,' Grant wrote.

Robert LaMonica (pictured) was shot in the parking lot outside his apartment in Braintree, Massachusetts, in 1980

'There is no statute of limitations for murder.'

LaMonica was shot in the parking lot outside his apartment in Braintree after working a night shift, the Boston Globe reported.

A teenager nearby, who drank four or five beers, heard the gunshots and saw the suspect running away at a distance.

The teen helped police put together a composite sketch and he later identified Weichel.

However, the judge in April found that Weichel could have been acquitted if the defense had been able to see the police report because 10 prison guards believed the sketch could have been another prisoner who was out at the time.

Convicted gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger wrote letters from jail several years ago claiming Weichel didn't kill LaMonica.

In Monday's decision, the district attorney's office said six key witnesses in the original trial have died, and two others have serious health issues.

Prosecutors reserved the right to retry Weichel, if new evidence comes to light.
Jurors sentenced a Phoenix woman to death on Monday in the killing of a 10-year-old cousin who was locked in a small plastic storage box and left to die as punishment for stealing an ice pop.

Sammantha Allen, 29, will become the 55th woman on death row in the U.S. after the jury reached its verdict Monday.

There are only two other women on death row in Arizona, which is among the states struggling to buy execution drugs after pharmaceutical companies began blocking the use of their products in lethal injections.

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Sammantha Allen, 29 (left), was sentenced to death on Monday for her role in the 2011 death of her 10-year-old cousin Ame Deal (right)

Prosecutors say Allen locked her cousin in a plastic storage container (above) overnight as punishment for stealing an ice pop

Allen stared straight forward as the news was delivered in court on Monday

Jurors had been deliberating since Wednesday on whether to send Allen to death row or spare her life in the July 2011 killing of Ame Deal. She was convicted of first-degree murder and four counts of child abuse on June 26.

Allen's husband John (pictured) is also facing death penalty charges in Deal's death. His trial starts October 9

Authorities said Allen and her husband John, 29, are responsible for making Ame get into the box the night before as punishment for having stolen an ice pop.

Ame was forced to do backbends and run around in the 103 degree heat outside before being locked inside the box by the Allens.

Sweating profusely, she was then squeezed into the footlocker, which was padlocked shut.

Ame, who was four feet, two inches tall, suffocated inside the box, which was 14-inches wide and had just two small holes near the handle, as the Allens slept.

When they opened the box six or seven hours later, Ame was dead.

Police said when the girl was found her clothes were soiled and she had marks on her right knee caused by 'forceful contact' with the box's lid.

After the incident, Allen said she thought her husband would let the girl out before going to bed.

Ame lived in a trash-strewn house in south Phoenix with at least 10 adults and a dozen children

Three of Ame's relatives are serving lengthy prison sentences for child abuse: aunt Cynthia Stoltzmann (left), father David Deal (center), and grandmother Judith Deal (right)

'There never was intention on killing her,' Allen said in her statement to police, which was videotaped.

'He (John Allen) said he was going to get her out,' she said.

The trial of John Allen is scheduled to start October 9. He's also charged with first-degree murder and child abuse and faces the death penalty as well. He has pleaded not guilty.

The girl's death was the culmination of a history of abuse that a handful of relatives heaped on her, authorities say.

An toddler Ame Deal pictured above with her mother Shirley

Ame's mother said she tried to get her daughter back, but every time she tracked down her ex and his family, they moved

Ame was the child singled out for torture, a witness told authorities

Ame was forced to eat dog feces, crush aluminum cans barefoot, consume hot sauce and get in the storage box on other occasions. She also was kicked in the face, beaten with a wooden paddle and forcibly dunked after being thrown in a cold swimming pool, investigators said.

Ame was one of at least a dozen kids being brought up in the three-bedroom house, along with at least 10 adults.

Many neighbors reported hearing screaming from the house but none told police as they did not want to break the family apart.

The children would roam the streets outside the home until the early hours and they often had little or no clothes on, sometimes wearing no diaper or shoes, they said.

Ame was the child singled out for torture, however, a witness told authorities.

Adults at the home originally claimed Ame hid during a late-night game of hide-and-seek and wasn't found until hours later. Three other relatives are in prison serving sentences for abusing Ame.

Sammantha Allen's mother, Cynthia Stoltzmann, who also was Ame's legal guardian, is serving a 24-year prison sentence for a child abuse conviction. Ame's grandmother, Judith Deal, is serving a 10-year sentenced for attempted child abuse.

Her father David Deal was sentenced to 14 years in prison after taking a plea deal in 2013, pleading guilty to attempted child abuse.

Her mother Shirley Deal told AZCentral in 2012 that she tried to get her daughter back years prior, but the family would move every time she tracked them down.

'I want the death penalty on all of them,' she said then.

Child welfare authorities in Arizona said they didn't receive any reports of abuse before her death. But child welfare reports from Utah, where the family lived before moving to Phoenix, listed Ame as an abused child, police said.

The other children in the house were placed with state Child Protective Services after Ame's death.

The verdict comes after executions in Arizona were put on hold following the 2014 death of a prisoner who was given 15 doses of a two-drug combination before he died in what his attorney called a botched execution.

But the state is now able to resume executions after a lawsuit that challenged the way Arizona carries out the death penalty was settled earlier this summer. No executions are scheduled.
Seven years after a mother-of-three nearly decapitated her four-year-old daughter in Illinois because she thought she was saving her from being sold as a sex slave online, Marci Webber is seeking an early release from a psychiatric hospital.

In June 2012, an Illinois judge found Webber, then aged 45, not guilty by reason of insanity in the stabbing death of her youngest child, Magdalene 'Maggie' Webber,' owing to the fact she had a long history of psychiatric problems and was found to have been insane at the time of the killing.

It emerged during the investigation of the grisly crime that Webber drugged Maggie with Benadryl before cutting her throat with a four-inch knife with such force that she almost severed the toddler's head.

Killer mom: Marci Webber is pictured on left in her mugshot after she killed her baby daughter and slashed her own throat in 2010. The photo on the right shows Magdalene Webber as a baby

Webber is currently confined to Chicago Reed Hospital, five years after a judge found her not guilty by reason of insanity

She then scrawled the words 'Divine Mercy,' 'Satan' and 'evil' in Maggies blood on the bathroom wall and set up a recording device to capture the sounds of angels carrying her and her daughter to heaven.

It was Webbers eldest daughter, then-18-year-old Mallory Webber, who found her baby sister's body in the bathtub and called 911, telling a dispatcher there was blood everywhere and that her sibling appeared to be dead.

Before Marci Webber was taken into custody by police in Bloomington, Illinois, she had slashed her own wrists and throat in an apparent attempt to end her life, but survived.

DuPage County Judge George Bakalis later ruled that Webber be confined to a secured mental health facility for up to 100 years, telling the court: 'Love, when coupled with paranoia, apparently can be a very destructive force,' reported CBS Chicago.

Innocent: Webber, a mother-of-three, said in 2010 she killed her youngest child (pictured as a one-year-old) because she thought she was saving her from being sold as a sex slave online

Five years later, Webber tells Chicago Tribune that she is hoping to convince Bakalis, citing her recent treatment reports declaring her stable and sane, that she no longer poses a risk to herself or others.

Speaking to the Tribune, Webber has said that while she takes full responsibility for her actions, she believes they were caused by a temporary psychosis resulting from her prolonged use of, followed by a sudden withdrawal from, various prescription antidepressants and anti-psychotic medications,

According to her recent treatment reports, over the past four years, Webber has remained free of hallucinations and psychotic delusions, and her major depressive disorder is in remission.

If Webber is allowed to walk out of the hospital, she hopes to move into a group home in Arizona to be near her ailing father.

On November 3, 2010, Webber, a US Army veteran and twice-divorced mother of three daughters, ages four, 10 and 18, was visiting her family in Bloomington, Illinois, when she began experiencing what later would be described in court as uncontrolled paranoid delusions.

In her mind, a satanic group of sex traffickers, or Satan himself, wanted to kidnap her youngest daughter Maggie, who had just turned four a month earlier, and sell her on the Internet as a sex slave, so she decided to kill the child in order to prevent her from being exploited.

I had no concept of pain or that I was hurting her. I thought I was saving her, Marci told the Tribune. I believed I was on a different plane and that we're just temporary bodies, like paper, like a jar of clay.

Marci slashed Maggie's throat with such force the toddler was nearly beheaded. She then scrawled the words 'Divine Mercy,' 'Satan' and 'evil' in Maggies blood on the bathroom wall

Webber said she is grateful she does not have a mental picture of the moment she killed her daughter because she shut her eyes just before she grabbed a 4-inch folding knife and cut Maggies throat. The laceration was so deep it sliced the toddlers esophagus and grazed her spine.

Prosecutors said during a preliminary hearing that Maggie had been drugged before being attacked but may have woken up at one point.

Webber noted that even if she is released from the mental health facility at Chicago Reed Hospital, she will be condemned to a lifetime of pain and regret.

I lost Maggie. I have to live with what I did to her, and I destroyed my other two daughters' lives, she said. I was a bomb in the middle of three beautiful girls that loved each other.

Webbers eldest daughter Mallory, who is now 24 years old, has stood by her mother, blaming her actions on her mental illness exacerbated over the years by two failed marriages, custody battles and financial hardship.

I don't hold any anger against her because I really know it wasn't her. She never would have done that, Mallory Webber previously told the Albany Times-Union.

Marci Webber is due in court on September 26 for a hearing on her petition from three years ago seeking discharge or conditional release from Chicago Reed Hospital. Prosecutors are expected to oppose her release.
Massachusetts Targets Patent Trolls

Our story begins with Carbonite, best known as the icy preservative of Han Solo in "The Empire Strikes Back."

Only in this story, Carbonite is the name of a data backup company. It's not quite a Star Wars story, but there are trolls -- patent trolls.

According to reports, Carbonite has spent millions fighting false patent infringement claims and become a hero in the industry for not giving up. Now Sen. Eric P. Lesser is joining an alliance for legislation to stop such attacks in "the other Silicon Valley" -- Massachusetts.

Threat of Trolls

Although Carbonite won a key case, research says patent trolls continue to cost the tech industry billions of dollars each year. They buy patents only to litigate, and often force small companies into settlements.

In Massachusetts, Lesser has introduced legislation to stop bad faith patent lawsuits. He says trolls will be liable for damages, including lost business opportunities.

"Congress, which traditionally regulates intellectual property, has sat on their hands," he says. "There are still no federal rules in place to protect innovators from trolls."

While many states have stepped into the void, Lesser says Massachusetts is the second Silicon Valley and is focused on protecting startups.

Small Business Impact

Researchers say that such anti-troll laws have especially helped small tech firms. In 32 states, they found an average 2% increasing in hiring and even more financing power.

"Financing is a key channel driving our findings: In states with an established VC presence, anti-troll laws increase the number of firms receiving VC funding by 14 percent," writes Ian Appel from Boston College, Carroll School of Management.

Meanwhile, Carbonite continues to fight the patent trolls. According to Ars Technica, the company is a target of a "major patent-trolling network called IP Edge."

In that case, the Electronic Frontier Foundation named the patent its March "Stupid Patent of the Month: Storing Files in Folders."

Related Resources:
A bigamist and one of his wives have been indicted on multiple counts of capital murder, including the death of his other wife and unborn baby.

Christopher Matthew Henderson, 42, and Rhonda Jean Carlson, 44, were charged two years after his wife Kristen Henderson was found dead in New Market, Alabama.

Found dead alongside Kristen on August 4, 2015, was her son Clayton Chambers, eight, her mother Carol Smallwood, 67, and her one-year-old nephew Eli Sokolowiski.

Bigamist Christopher Matthew Henderson, 40, and wife Rhonda Jean Carlson, 42, have been indicted on 18 counts of capital murder after his other wife was found dead in August 2015

Kristen Chambers Henderson and her son Clayton, eight, (pictured) were two of the couple's alleged victims. Kristen was nine months pregnant with Henderson's child

Kristen was nine months pregnant with a girl she planned to name Loryn Brooke Smallwood.

Police said Henderson and Carlson killed Kristen and her four family members before setting fire to Carol Smallwood's home.

Kristen was either shot to death or stabbed multiple times, according to the indictments obtained by AL.com.

Clayton was stabbed to death and Carol Smallwood was shot to death using a .22-caliber gun.

Kristen was killed just a week after she filed a protective order against Henderson. During the hearing it was revealed Henderson was also married to Carlson

Police said Henderson and Carlson killed Kristen and her four family members before setting fire to her mother Carol Smallwood's home

Henderson and Carlson allegedly cut his unborn baby out of Kristen's womb before stabbing the girl multiple times, court documents state.

Sokolowiski was also stabbed, but it was determined he died of asphyxia during the fire, according to investigators.

Henderson and Carlson were both indicted on 18 counts of capital murder. Henderson received an additional charge for violating a protection order.

He had filed for divorce from Kristen on July 14 and Kristen filed a protection-from-abuse order, claiming he had hit her.

Henderson had posted a picture of wife Kristen's ultrasound on February 9 - which his wife gave the thumbs up to. The baby girl was due on September 2

She had then petitioned the court to withdraw the divorce based on the fact that her husband was still married to his first wife and their marriage was thus not legal.

Kristen Henderson was also granted an order of protection based on her testimony that he had hit her.

'He has lied about everything since we met,' Kristen wrote in the filing, according to WAFF.

She also petitioned the court to withdraw the divorce based on the fact that Henderson was still married to his first wife - making their marriage illegal.

Kristen Henderson's nephew, Eli, one, (pictured) was also killed in the tragic house

Clayton was stabbed to death multiple times while Eli was also stabbed but ultimately died from asphyxia during the fire

Henderson wed Kristen in September 2014 in Fayetteville, Tennessee. He wed Carlson a year earlier in February 2013.

Authorities theorize that Henderson and Carlson went to Carol Smallwood's home, where Kristen was living, and murdered the family before setting it ablaze.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, relatives of Kristen showed them surveillance footage that showed Henderson and Carlson entering the home.

Carlson was wearing gloves in the footage and carrying a gas can, according to investigator Eugene Nash Jr.

Kristen's mother Carol Jean Smallwood, 67, was killed alongside her daughter that day

Authorities theorize that Henderson and Carlson went to Carol Smallwood's home, where Kristen was living, and murdered the family before setting it ablaze

Both were caught on camera leaving the house before it began to go up in flames.

The family members had accessed the footage from their cellphones. Kristen had installed the camera just a week before after obtaining the protective order.

A backpack that Henderson had carried when he came home the day of the fire was found in his mother's home with a lock pick and duct tape inside, Nash said.

Investigators also found a .22-caliber rifle in Carlson's Jeep, as well as ammunition, a pistol, and other evidence, he testified.

Both Carlson and Henderson have been behind bars since they were arrested in August 2015. They are being held without bond.

When firefighters arrived at the scene, relatives of Kristen showed them surveillance footage that showed Henderson and Carlson entering the home (pictured)
A terrified toddler with a bandage covering his bloodied head screamed and cried in fear as the Syrian army stepped up its shelling and air strikes in the capital.

The topless youngster was in a room with other children - who were also crying - while he waited for treatment at a makeshift hospital in Jobar, Damascus.

They had been caught up in the crossfire during a reported government airstrike on a building in Ain Tarma, in the Eastern Ghouta area, a rebel stronghold east of the capital on Saturday.

And today, witnesses said the Syrian army launched its heaviest bombardment in a two-month campaign on the last rebel-held enclaves in Damascus.

A toddler who had just had his bloodied head bandaged cried and screamed at a makeshift hospital in Jobar, Damascus

An injured Syrian child covered in blood receives treatment at a makeshift hospital in Jobar on Saturday

The youngster was covered in blood and was sat next to another young boy who also had spots of blood on his face

A huge explosion sends fire into the air after Assad Regime's forces carried out air and ground strikes over the de-conflict zone in the Eastern Ghouta region of Damascus on Monday

Elite units of the army pounded Jobar district - 1.2 miles east of the Old City wall.

The army's offensive has dented a Russian-sponsored ceasefire announced two weeks ago in the Eastern Ghouta area.

Moscow has said it is negotiating with mainstream rebel groups in several areas across Syria to create new de-escalation zones and calm fighting.

Rebels and residents said Moscow had already begun deploying some military police in certain checkpoints that border the rebel-held northern Homs countryside and in southwestern Syria where 'de-escalation' zones have been announced.

Residents and rescuers say the Syrian army has intensified shelling of civilian areas in the Eastern Ghouta region where rebels are holed up, many in underground tunnels, out of frustration at the lack of progress.

At least 15 civilians have been killed and scores of others injured in three days of sustained bombardment.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights which monitors the conflict said at least 20 army soldiers were either killed, injured or taken prisoner in the past 24 hours, confirming rebel estimates.

Less intense shelling has hit Zamalka, Harasta and Kafr Btna, also in Eastern Ghouta.

Social media videos downloaded by activists showed sorties of jets pounding areas in Ain Tarma and Jobar, with fire erupting in places and large plumes of smoke rising into the air.

Eastern Ghouta has been under opposition control for much of the six-year conflict. Jobar is in northeast Damascus and borders the Eastern Ghouta district of Ain Terma.

The army is also using more elephant rockets - inaccurate and improvised munitions often made from gas canisters and fired on a high trajectory - insurgents said.

'The elephant rockets are not having mercy on us. We have dug tunnels and fortified our positions so they are unable to advance,' said Abu Obada al Shami, a commander from Failaq al Rahman, the rebel group whose fighters are drawn from the area.

The rebels, for their part, are trying to hang on to their last foothold in Damascus following the loss earlier this year of Qaboun and Barzeh districts, located north of Jobar.

Just days before, a terrified toddler started crying as he waited to be treated in Damascus

Another boy, who was also crying, was sat next to him and was also waiting to be treated in a makeshift hospital

A huge explosion sends clouds into the air after Assad Regime's forces carried out air and ground strikes over the de-conflict zone

A warcraft belonging to Assad regime forces flies over the region after carrying out airstrikes over the de-conflict zone Ein Tarma district in Damascus on Monday

Before the war began in 2011, more than half a million people lived in Eastern Ghouta, a sprawling mix of towns and farmland.

Two residents said Ain Terma was now a ghost town, with only a few hundred families taking shelter in basements after most former residents fled to other towns in Eastern Ghouta.

'Life is non-existent. Permanent terror and people are not coming out of their basements,' said Abdullah al-Khatib, a former electrician, who lives there with his eight-member family.

Rebels accuse the Syrian army and its Iran-backed allies of breaking the Russia-brokered truce in Eastern Ghouta to throw its full weight against Jobar and Ain Terma.

The government has said it will abide by the truces which Russia has brokered but says it continues to target Islamist militant factions not covered by the agreement.

'This truce is a lie. The regime has not implemented it. They are shelling us without interruption using all types of weapons,' Abu Hamza, another rebel fighter said.
Three U.S. Marines were killed when the helicopter they were travelling in came down off the coast of Australia has been identified.

Ruben Velasco, 19, was killed and Cpl. Nathan Ordway of Kansas and 1st Lt. Benjamin Robert Cross, 26, of Maine, are presumed dead after the crash during a joint military exercise over the weekend.

The 23 other Marines aboard the MV-22 Osprey were rescued by the Australian Navy.

The family of Velasco of Southern California were told over the weekend that a search for their son had been called off and was now a recovering operation for his body.

'We are all in disbelief and cannot fathom the loss of our son. The grief my wife has to bare is immeasurable. Richard Velasco, Ruben's father, is equally devastated. My heart is broken for our family's loss,' read a GoFundMe posting asking for help with funeral expenses.

Ruben Velasco, 19, was one of three Marines initially considered missing following the Saturday crash of the MV-22 Osprey helicopter. Twenty-three Marines survived the crash

Ruben celebrated his 19th Birthday only a few days ago which his family say makes his passing even harder

Ruben was a graduate of West Covina High School in East Los Angeles

Velasco had celebrated his 19th birthday only a few days before the crash, according to the post.

'The aircraft involved in the mishap had launched from the USS Bonhomme Richard (a Navy amphibious assault ship) and was conducting regularly scheduled operations when the aircraft entered the water,' the Marine Corps said in a statement.

Wreckage of the MV-22 Osprey helicopter aircraft was found on Monday, two days after it crashed into the sea off the east coast of Australia and killing Velasco and two other military personnel whose names have not yet been made public.

The aircraft was conducting regularly scheduled operations on Saturday when it crashed into the water, in what was described as a 'mishap.'

Stephen Glass, principal of West Covina High School, took to Twitter to express condolences for Velasco, a 2016 graduate of the school.

'Please keep the family of Ruben Velasco...in your thoughts and prayers,' Glass wrote.

Family members say Corporal Nathan Ordway, pictured here in both, from Kansas is missing, presumed dead

First Lt. Benjamin Robert Cross, 26, was said to love flying. He died alongside two of his fellow servicemen off the Australian coast

According to media reports, the other two Marines who died in the crash were Cpl. Nathan Ordway of Kansas and 1st Lt. Benjamin Robert Cross of Maine.

Cpl. Ordway's sister posted on Facebook Saturday 'my brother is among the 3 missing marines from the plane that went down off the coast of Australia... We were notified of this morning and have spent the day among the love of family and friends.'

First Lt. Benjamin Robert Cross, 26, whose family lives in Bethel, Maine had been stationed on the Japanese island of Okinawa for the past year and was training in Australia for the last three months.

His family learned that he was missing Saturday morning and his parents, Robert and Valerie Cross, were told early Sunday that their sons status had been changed from missing to deceased.

Recovery mission: A supplied image obtained from the U.S. Defense Force on Sunday shows search efforts for three US Marines missing after their MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft crashed

The wreckage was found shortly thereafter, Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne said in a statement.

An Australian navy dive team plans to start the process of recovering the plane Monday night, the US Marine base Camp Butler in Japan said in a statement.

The US Navy and Marine Corps called off a search and rescue operation for the missing servicemen on Sunday and launched a recovery effort instead, confirming that the military does not expect to find them alive.

Twenty-three other personnel who were on board the Osprey when it crashed were rescued.

Of the rescued service members, one Marine was flown to a hospital with a broken leg.

The helicopter crashed off the coast of north Queensland near Shoalwater Bay on Saturday

The Marine Corps Base Camp in Japan released a statement on Sunday saying the next-of-kin of the three missing soldiers had been notified.

'Please keep the families of those involved in the Osprey mishap near Australia in your thoughts and prayers,' Marine Corps Commandant Robert Neller said.

The cause of the crash is being investigated, according to the Marine Corps.

The doomed Okinawa, Japan-based aircraft which crashed was in Australia as part of a joint military exercise called Talisman Sabre, which has just ended in Queensland state.

US Marines MV-22 Osprey Aircraft sit on the deck of the USS Bonhomme Richard off Sydney

Hybrid: The Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter, but flies like an airplane

Japan's new defense minister, Itsunori Onodera, had asked the US to temporarily stop flying the Osprey in his country following the accident.

'We have still many concerns,' Onodera said during a meeting with Major General Charles Chiarotti, deputy commander of US Forces in Japan, according to a defense ministry spokesman.

Japanese media said the flight took place on the southern island of Okinawa, where a squadron of Ospreys is stationed at the US Marines' Futenma base.

Chiarotti told Onodera the flight was necessary for operational reasons and that safety was confirmed, according to the ministry.

The Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter, but flies like an airplane. They have been involved in a series of high-profile crashes in recent years.

In April 2000, 19 Marines were killed in an MV-22 crash in Arizona.

Locals on Okinawa have protested at the deployment of Ospreys to Futenma, which sits in the middle of a crowded city.

In December, a 'controlled landing' of an Osprey just off the Okinawan coast during a training flight sparked local anger. The aircraft broke into pieces but no one was killed.
The Polish man at the centre of the Dark Web kidnap plot sent text messages to his girlfriend while allegedly holding a Page Three model hostage.

Lukasz Herba had told partner Natalia he was a successful businessman who was travelling to America to meet new clients for his chicken feed firm.

But the 'fantasist' was in Italy where it is alleged he drugged model Chloe Ayling, before holding her hostage for six days.

Herba, 30, who was arrested in Italy last month, claimed to be part of a 'Black Death' kidnap group who planned to auction her on the internet.

Lukasz Herba (left) told his partner, Natalia - who lives in Birmingham - that he was a hugely successful businessman who was travelling to America

British model Chloe Ayling (pictured) was allegedly held hostage for six days when in Italy

Herba's girlfriend (pictured) has said that her boyfriend Lukasz Herba sent her text messages from Italy

But his story began to unravel yesterday as Natalia painted a picture of a Walter Mitty-type character who tried to impress her with details of his success while living in a West Midlands council flat.

Herba told Natalia he ran an international firm making synthetic chicken feed, and turned up at her home driving a Mercedes and wearing a pinstripe suit. He also told her he owned land in Scotland, was a crack shot who owned a sniper rifle, and was involved in the gold trade.

He even joked about spiking her drink with drugs and then continued to text her while he was allegedly holding Miss Ayling in a remote farmhouse near Turin.

In a message sent on July 11  the day Miss Ayling was taken  he said to Natalia: 'Long routes now I have and barely have time between recharging and meetings. Then I am so knackered that I do not want anything and shower and sleep.'

In another sent three days later he said: 'At hotels but it is literally just sleeping because of the  mega tight schedule right now. Just terrible I'm tired all the time.'

Natalia, from Poland and living in Birmingham, said: 'It was really believable, the way he was talking and describing what he was doing, that he was travelling all the time. I did not have a reason to think he was lying.'

She said she realised it was all rubbish when a friend sent her a link to a news story about the kidnap and she recognised his picture. Natalia added: 'It was him, the same name and everything. Now I am scared. I could not believe it. I live by myself and he was at my house, he might have shared my details with someone.

'He seemed different to other guys, like he had class, but that is just the image he was trying to create.'

Natalia said Herba first got in contact via Facebook on June 1. They had two mutual friends on the site and he sent her a message saying he would like to get to know her. She said they exchanged messages for a few days before meeting for the first time on June 4.

'Straightaway he was asking me if I wanted to have a family,' Natalia said. 'He said he wanted a family and he was looking for someone to settle down with.'

On Facebook he claimed to be the boss of a firm called Karmerg which purports to be a 'global leader in technology trade, servicing independent labs and scientists and delivering to prosperous clients'.

Office clerk Natalia said: 'I was very impressed by him  he'd told me he had finished three types of business studies, had a big imagination and big plans for his business  We were seeing each other every day after we first met, he was coming to my house. He told me he was going to Los Angeles for six weeks to find new contractors, we stayed in touch after he left and he even sent me some photos. He left on the 13th of June and said he was going to Szczecin in Poland for one day.

'On the 14th he said he is catching a flight to LA  for all the time during that week, when he kidnapped that girl, he was texting me saying he was in Mexico, or in Texas, calling me telling me what contractors he had met.'

It is thought that the model was bundled into a car and taken to an abandoned industrial unit

The model (pictured), from Surrey, was finally released on July 15 when Herba accompanied her to the British consulate in Milan

The model posed for photographs after returning to her home in Coulsden, Surrey, after returning from Milan

On July 10, the day Miss Ayling arrived in Milan, he text Natalia saying: 'I think about you all the time.'

The following day, she asked him where he was, to which he replied: 'Texas further east. The flights are rubbish here. I'm running off to sleep because even the hotel WiFi is so-so. When I get up I'll call.'

In another message, Herba told her he owned a Steyr HS .50 rifle, saying: 'This is a big precision rifle, not for short distances.' When she joked 'You're a sniper?' he replied, 'A very good one', with a smiley face. He also sent her pictures of bullets and a target from a shooting range. Later, he sent her a picture of what he claimed were homes in Hollywood but was of a building which looked very similar to the farmhouse where Miss Ayling was held.

She said the last message was on July 16, adding: 'I thought he had met someone else or just did not want to speak to me.'

Miss Ayling was released on July 17 and Herba was arrested in Italy the following day. News of the kidnapping broke over the weekend, when Herba was identified as a suspect. 'My friend sent me a photo of him from the news and the name and I saw it was him,' Natalia said. 'When I looked for him on the internet I could not find any trace of him.'

Far from the picture he painted to Natalia, Herba was living with his brother in a council flat in Tividale, near Dudley, where neighbours described him as a strange loner who drove a battered red Toyota.

They said he appeared to leave for work each morning in a suit, but returned repeatedly throughout the day, sometimes with a pet rat on his shoulder.

Yesterday, it emerged that Herba had once given out a business card to someone in Birmingham with the image of the Grim Reaper alongside the words 'Permanent Solution'. On the back it said to contact via the Dark Web and gave an address for 'MD'. In Italy, Miss Ayling had told police she too was given a business card and told to address him as MD.

Paolo Storati, deputy prosecutor, said of Herba: 'He presented himself as a professional killer. He was interested in chemical and poisons.'

Natalia, who was too scared to give her real name, said: 'I liked him  But later the way that he was talking was a bit selfish, always about himself, narcissistic  I thought that it all could be a bit too good to be true and it turns out I was right.'

The Italian press has questioned why alleged kidnapper Herba would accompany Miss Ayling (pictured) into the British consulate in Milan

Chloe Ayling (pictured), from Surrey, says she was kidnapped, drugged, stuffed into a suitcase
Lanz Priestley, dubbed 'King of the Homeless' and 'the Mayor of Martin Place', says he has no intention to help relocate a notorious tent city from the heart of Sydney's business district.

Sydney Mayor Clover Moore told reporters on Monday night the tent city, which has been housing the homeless on-and-off for years, would be packed up on Tuesday.

She said the council had committed $100,000 to go towards a safe space similar to the one currently run by Mr Priestley, but without provisions for sleeping.

But on Tuesday morning the tent city remained defiant, with volunteers cooking up bacon and eggs for the 59-plus homeless people using the 24-hour kitchen on site.

Mr Priestley, a father of 12, said the group would stay in Martin Place for 'months if necessary', demanding more concrete details of the new accommodation.

Lanz Priestley, known as the 'Mayor of Martin Place', has backed out on deals to help relocate a tent city for homeless people from the heart of Sydney's business district

Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore (pictured) told reporters the Council would put $100,000 towards a permanent safe space for the homeless, with the State Government expected to also put money towards the project

But on Tuesday morning the tent city remained defiant, saying they would stay in Martin Place for 'months if necessary' until a better deal was brokered

Volunteers were seen cooking up bacon and eggs for the 59-plus homeless people using the 24-hour kitchen on site on Tuesday

Late on Monday night, Mr Priestley called in council trucks to collect some of the excess material in the camp, including three tents.

'We got rid of three tents vacated by people who we had either housed or who got jobs,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

But the 72-year-old said he had no intention of vacating Martin Place in the next 24 hours, as the Council were yet to provide accommodation to all the residents of the tent city.

'They've said they will organise a temporary building for us to move to, with the idea being we transition to a permanent place,' he said.

Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the council had committed $100,000 to go towards a safe space similar to the one currently run by Mr Priestley

The new space the council had committed to would not have provisions for sleeping

Ms Moore said that 'The camp will be packed up as soon as our council trucks can go down and help [tent city residents] with [their infrastructure and belongings] and to store it,' with police seen there Tuesday morning

Lanz Priestley demanded more concrete plans for the people in the area, concerned that those living in the business district would not have anywhere to go

Mr Priestley said he was not previously aware that the Council-sponsored area would not include areas for sleeping, and was concerned those living in the business district would not have anywhere to go.

'My understanding is that we have somewhere to transition the people to,' he said.

'If we don't have somewhere for them to sleep we will have the same problem.

'If, in the Lord Mayor's mind, we're talking about a different concept, I think we need to have another discussion.'

The tent city in Sydney's Martin Place was meant to be demolished as early as Tuesday morning following Council negotiations

The Council were yet to provide accommodation to all the residents of the tent city

People at the tent city were still served breakfast Tuesday morning, with the site yet to be removed

New South Wales Family and Community Services had set up an information post near the homeless camp

Ms Moore told reporters on Monday she has become 'increasingly concerned about the tough talk on the situation,' which she says has left residents of the area 'scared'.

'The camp will be packed up as soon as our council trucks can go down and help [tent city residents] with [their infrastructure and belongings] and to store it,' she said.

Ms Moore said the City of Sydney Council were committed to establishing a permanent safe space around the city.

'What the homeless people really wanted was to know there would be a safe place where they could meet and get support.

'The city will put up $100,000 to go towards that safe space, and the Government is going to co-sponsor that.

'In the meantime, a communal safe space will be found - somewhere where they can go immediately.'

Pictures taken in Martin Place on Monday night show excess material from the tent city being loaded on to a council truck

The material included three tents which had been vacated by previous residents

Despite calling in a truck to collect excess material, Lanz Priestley said he would not be vacating the area on Tuesday as Council had hoped

Ms Moore claimed that temporary and permanent accommodation had been offered to those currently staying in the area

As there will no longer be a safe public area for Sydney's homeless to sleep in, Ms Moore said temporary and permanent accommodation had been offered to those currently staying in the area.

She said a throwaway comment by a NSW Police officer about 'throwing people in the back of trucks', had left the homeless in the area feeling afraid, which motivated her to get the problem fixed as soon as possible.

Following Ms Moore's press conference, those sleeping rough in Martin Place met to discuss the implications of the decision.

On Monday morning, Mr Priestley told Daily Mail Australia he 'really hopes [the safe space] works', but was conscious of the fact that there was still a better and more permanent solution.

People remained in the area, which was still strewn with tents and furniture

Those sleeping rough in Martin Place met to discuss the implications of the decision following Ms Moore's press conference

Mr Priestley said 59 people were sleeping in the tents erected in Martin Place on Sunday night

'There were discussions from the Department to put up another one of these [24-hour safe space and kitchen], a more permanent version of this, but I think they're blindsiding the public to the fact that there could be [less homeless people] tomorrow if they just opened up the houses in Millers Point,' he said.

It is estimated 240 homes in the waterfront area are currently vacant, having historically been built for public service workers in the area.

Mr Priestley said 59 people were sleeping in the tents erected in Martin Place on Sunday night.

Police told Daily Mail Australia on Monday morning that four men had been arrested overnight following a protest in High Street, Millers Point, over public housing that had been left empty.

Ms Moore said the new area would serve as a 24/7 safe space, with food and support available, but no accommodation

Following the press conference, 'residents' of the tent city met to discuss the implications of the decision

Lanz Priestley (seen standing right), who set up the area, said he supported the idea but was concerned there were not provisions for those who needed somewhere to sleep

Mr Priestley has been negotiating with Ms Moore as to a sustainable replacement for the tent city, which Premier Gladys Berejiklian recently demanded be taken down

Activists allegedly broke in to one of the homes, and riot police were called to the area to remove them from the property.

A spokesperson from the NSW Department of Family and Community Services told Daily Mail Australia the homes in Millers Point were being sold to 'fund more social housing'.

'On average, proceeds from the sale of a Millers Point property enables four to five new social housing dwellings to be built,' they said.

The Department claims the sale of 197 properties at Millers Point has raised $417.8 million, which has funded 1,077 new fit for purpose social housing dwellings.

Of these, the spokesperson says 617 homes are completed and 460 homes are under construction.

Mr Priestley recently told Daily Mail Australia those sleeping rough should be put up in what he believed were up to 240 empty homes in nearby Millers Point

On Sunday night, four men were arrested following a protest over what is believed to be 67 empty homes on High Street in Millers Point (pictured)
Human skeletal remains have been found in a Florida homeowner's septic tank.

A septic repair company were called out to the property in Newberry on Monday after the householder complained his tank wasn't working.

Staff were working on the tank when they made the grisly discovery and called the cops.

Human skeletal remains have been found in a Florida homeowner's septic tank

Authorities gathered at the home after a septic tank company made the grisly discovery

Alachua County Sheriff's Sgt. Chris Sims told a local newspaper that the remains were confirmed as human at a lab.

Sims says a death investigation is underway and investigators are working to try and identify the body.

The current homeowner is not being investigated.

No further details were available.
A savvy couple have snapped up the best property deal in San Francisco, buying a gated street with 38 mansions on it for a mere $90,000.

Tina Lam and Michael Cheng now own the roads, sidewalk and other previously public areas of Presidio Terrace, a cul-de-sac that has played home to Nancy Pelosi, among other notable figures.

That's come as a shock to the residents of the street - where homes cost an average of $5.1 million - who lost the property when the governing board failed to pay a $14-a-year property tax, SF Chronicle reported.

Road to success: Tina Lam and Michael Cheng (both pictured) bought SF's Presidio Terrace for just $90,100 in 2015 after it was put up for city auction due to $991 in unpaid county taxes

Snapped up: The cul-de-sac's asphalt, sidewalk and manicured lawns now belong to the couple. Residents only found out this May when they were asked if they wanted to buy it back

The Presidio Terrace neighborhood in San Francisco is seen above in this snap taken today

Presidio Terrace, the most prestigious street in the city, was for sale because of a mere $994 in back-taxes, fines and interest

Lam, who was born in Taiwan, and Cheng, originally from Hong Kong, came across the deal in April 2015 when looking for property bargains in San Francisco, where the median home value is now $1.2 million, according to Zillow

They discovered that the private street had been put up for a city auction because its property homeowners' association hadn't paid the annual $14 county property tax in 30 years

Lam, who was born in Taiwan, and Cheng, originally from Hong Kong, came across the deal in April 2015 when looking for property bargains in San Francisco, where the median home value is now $1.2 million, according to Zillow.

They discovered that the private street had been put up for a city auction because its property homeowners' association hadn't paid the annual $14 county property tax in 30 years.

Presidio Terrace, the most prestigious street in the city, was for sale because of a mere $994 in back-taxes, fines and interest.

The couple - who live in San Jose, 45 miles away from San Francisco - put their winning $90,100 bid down without even checking out the property first.

Over the past two years the residents of the gated street have gone about their business, unaware that the asphalt, sidewalks, manicured islands, plants and palm trees surrounding them were now owned by the couple.

The map above shows where the neighborhood is located in San Francisco

Ironically, sales of houses on the street were restricted to whites only until 1948.

In the intervening two years, Lam and Cheng have been looking at ways to monetize their newly acquired plot.

'We were looking to get title insurance so it could be marketable,' Cheng said.

But eventually they decided that they could charge 'a reasonable rent' for the 120 parking spaces on the street instead.

Driven crazy: Lam and Cheng are now planning to charge for parking on the road, which is upsetting residents. The homeowners are now trying to get control of the street back

Pricey: Homes on the street cost an average of $5.1m. The homeowner's association didn't pay the taxes because the bills had been sent to an accountant they hadn't used since the 1980s

And if Presidio Terrace's occupants weren't interested, then perhaps others from outside the gated community would snap up the deal instead.

The locals only found out that they'd lost their land on May 30, when they were contacted to see if they were interested in buying it back.

They learned that the reason the homeowner's association hadn't paid the bills was that the city's notices had been going to an accountant who hadn't been employed by the street since the 1980s.

They were not pleased.

'I was shocked to learn this could happen, and am deeply troubled that anyone would choose to take advantage of the situation and buy our street and sidewalks,' one homeowner, who did not wish to be named, told the Chronicle.

Famous face: House minority leader Nancy Pelosi (seen with husband Paul in February) is one notable former resident of the street

Others complained that the city did not notify them of the auction.

But city spokeswoman Amanda Fried was unapologetic.

'Ninety-nine percent of property owners in San Francisco know what they need to do, and they pay their taxes on time,' she said.

'And they keep their mailing address up to date.'

She added that her office can do 'nothing' about the sale now.

However, the homeowners' association is still trying to have the results of the auction overturned.

That may not be an easy matter, however, because the sale went through two years ago.

In the meantime, they have filed a suit against the city and the couple to try to stop the street being sold while other litigation about the auction is pending.

As well as Pelosi, other notable former residents of the street include San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto, and Senator Dianne Feinstein and her husband, financier Richard C Blum.
Walt Disney World unveiled the lighthouse sculpture honoring the late two-year-old, Lane Graves, who lost his life at Seven Seas Lagoon last summer.

Lane and his family were visiting Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa on June 14, 2016, when an alligator seized the child and dragged him into the lagoon, where he died.

At the time of the nightmare incident, the child's father, Matt Graves, frantically tried to free his son from the gator's capture along with efforts of the lifeguards, but attempts were unsuccessful.

Lane's body vanished underwater and was recovered the following day.

Since the tragic accident, Disney World has offered to assist the family in any way possible. A memoriam has been constructed on the grounds in honor of the late child.

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Two-year-old Lane Graves was attacked by an alligator at Disneys Grand Floridian Resort

In June, Disney commissioned an original sculpture of the lighthouse used as the symbol of the Lane Thomas Foundation that would be placed in an undisclosed location on Walt Disney World property

'There are no words to convey the profound sorrow we feel for the family and their unimaginable loss,' the resort's president, George A. Kalogridis Kalogridis said in a statement at the time.

'We are devastated and heartbroken by this tragic accident and are doing what we can to help them during this difficult time.'

Parents of the toddler made the decision not to pursue a wrongful death suit against Disney in midst of the emotionally distressing time.

Instead, they established the Lane Thomas Foundation, which is dedicated to providing 'financial support for non-medical expenses to families with children in need of life-saving organ transplants at Omaha healthcare facilities,' according to its official Facebook page.

'Melissa and I are broken,' Matt Graves and his wife Melissa said in a public statement.

'We will solely be focused on the future health of our family and will not be pursuing a lawsuit against Disney.'

The Lane Thomas Foundation was established to support pediatric organ donation after two-year old Lane was tragically killed at Walt Disney World

As the year anniversary of Lanes' tragic death approached last month, the family asked for privacy as they reflect on the time cherished with their beautiful son

As the year anniversary of Lanes' heartbreaking death approached last month, the parents asked for privacy as they reflect on the time cherished with their beautiful son.

'We find comfort that so many people continue to remember our sweet boy, Lane, and we believe the lighthouse stands as a beacon of hope and support for families in the depths of despair. We will continue to honor Lane and preserve his spirit through the Lane Thomas Foundation,' the family said.

'We are aware of your heightened interest in our family. For now, we choose to continue to live quietly, with no current desire to speak publicly,' the parents said. 'Our hope is that you can appreciate and honor our wishes and refrain from attempting to contact us directly.'

Days after the nightmare event, Disney World installed protective fencing around the Seven Seas Lagoon, which previously had signs reading 'no swimming.'

'We are installing signage and temporary barriers at our resort beach locations and are working on permanent, long-term solutions at our beaches,' Disney announced.

Since the deadly attack, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have euthanized the alligator responsible.
Omari Peterson, 35, of Manchester, New Hampshire, had his foot on the brake pedal while the vehicle was still in drive on Sunday night but he was passed out. His 9-year-old child was also asleep in the vehicle

Police in New Hampshire say a driver was found passed out in his SUV at an intersection with a nine-year-old child asleep in his running vehicle.

Omari Peterson, 35, of Manchester, New Hampshire, had his foot on the brake pedal while the vehicle was still in drive on Sunday night.

They said he declined to leave the vehicle so they grabbed him.

The child was picked up by a family friend, police said.

Police say they also found a quarter-ounce of marijuana in the vehicle.

Peterson was charged with resisting arrest/detention, possession of a controlled drug, endangering the welfare of a child and violation of bail conditions.

In court on Monday morning, Peterson begged for a reduced bail, citing having to care for his five children.

Peterson was charged with resisting arrest/detention, possession of a controlled drug, endangering the welfare of a child and violation of bail conditions. The intersection where he was found passed out

But the judge stated that the father was already on bail awaiting trial for domestic violence-related charges.

Bail was set at $10,000 cash only.

Peterson is slated to be back in court on Tuesday on a motion to revoke his bail in the domestic violence case.
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The multi-million dollar mansion of Kings Cross nightclub identity John Ibrahim has been raided by police after the arrest of his brothers Fadi and Michael in Dubai over an alleged drug syndicate importing MDMA into Australia.

Middle Eastern Crime Squad and Australian Federal Police officers conducted dawn raids on 32 homes scattered across Sydney, arresting 14 people - five of whom were in the United Arab Emirates - and issuing 52 warrants.

The Ibrahim brothers were swooped on by AFP officers on the street after dinner with two other known associates while holidaying in Dubai.

Underworld figure Mustapha Dib was also arrested in Dubai alongside the Ibrahim brothers, while Ahmad 'Rock' Ahmad, the brother of slain hitman Wally Ahmad, was arrested at his Bankstown home.

John Ibrahim's 25-year-old son Daniel, who served in the Australian army, has also reportedly been arrested after his home was raided.

John flew in to Sydney late on Monday night after holidaying in Los Angeles for a week. It's believed he was at his home when officers executed the early morning search warrant.

Police say the arrests relate to three separate police operations, code-named Kindra, Veyda and Astantine, which were simultaneously carried out to arrest all suspects at once, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Veyda was created months ago to target an international MDMA ring importing the drug into Australian. Police are reportedly investigating whether the Ibrahim brothers and Dib are involved in the alleged drug racket.

Kindra was dedicated to nabbing criminals behind an alleged $50 million haul of illegal tobacco, while Astantine involved a separate crime syndicate responsible for the alleged importation of 200kg of ice into Australia.

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Police have raided Kings Cross figure John Ibrahim's (right) Sydney mansion, after arresting his brothers Mick (centre) and Fadi (not pictured) over alleged drug importation charges in Dubai. Pictured left is oldest brother Hassan 'Sam' Ibrahim, an ex-bikie boss who has no reported involvement in Tuesday's raids and arrests

Police raided John Ibrahim's (pictured) Dover Heights mansion, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, on Tuesday morning. They have made 14 arrests and issued 50 warrants

Officers are seen searching the pool area of John's multi-million dollar mansion in Sydney's eastern suburbs. It's believed he was at home when police issued the search warrant

A police officer is seen scouring dense bushyard beneath John's property with a sniffer dog in search of evidence

Officers are seen using a ladder to inspect the roof of John Ibrahim's home. He has not been arrested and there is no suggestion he has any connection to the alleged drug importation charges his brothers reportedly face

John's 25-year-old son Daniel (right), who served in the Australian army, has also been arrested after his home was raided

Tuesday morning's raids, carried out by federal and state authorities, mark the biggest police operation on organised crime in the last ten years.

The police operation across several suburbs is part of a planned operation involving NSW Joint Organised Crime Group, Australian Federal Police and NSW Police.

Detectives were seen combing John Ibrahim's home on Tuesday morning.

Officers with gloves took apart an immaculate black hatchback Audi parked in his driveway, inspecting the glovebox and boot as a skateboard sat on the back seat.

Inside the home more officers were seen examining John's back porch, with another standing on a ladder carefully examining the roof gutters.

More officers with sniffer dogs were photographed combing through the back yard searching for evidence. John was not arrested during the search.

Telopea Street in Punchbowl, once considered to be at the centre of Sydney's drug trade and criminal activity, has been closed off, 9 News reports.

Specialist officers are also conducting raids at homes at Vaucluse, Bellevue Hill, Bankstown, Punchbowl, Arncliff and Dover Heights.

There is no suggestion John Ibrahim has any connection to the alleged drug importation charges his brothers reportedly face.

Charged: Underworld figure Mustapha Dib (right) was arrested in Dubai, while Ahmad 'Rock' Ahmad, the brother of slain hitman Wally Ahmad (left), was arrested at his Bankstown home

Police continued to search the bushland surrounding John Ibrahim's house well after midday on Tuesday, scouring shrubbery

Fadi Ibrahim has been arrested with brother Mick while eating dinner in Dubai over alleged drug importation charges. He is pictured with wife Shayda. The pair were both shot by a masked gunman while sitting in a Lamborghini outside their luxury Sydney home in 2009

Officers with gloves took apart a black hatchback Audi parked in John Ibrahim's driveway

An officer was seen inspecting the glovebox and car boot as a skateboard sat on the back seat

A plain clothes officer is seen wearing a body vest as he walks towards a car parked in John's driveway

John Ibrahim, a colourful Sydney nightlife figure, has owned or controlled more than 40 licensed venues between 1988 and 2014.

The family has had the 'dubious and unwanted honour' of watching their lives play out on the front pages of newspapers, he wrote in a recently released autobiography 'Last King of the X'.

The brothers have also been tied up in shootings and other attacks over the years.

Michael Ibrahim was hit in the shoulder by one of a number of bullets fired at him on his way home in Sydney's CBD in January 2015.

Fadi, John's second-youngest brother, also survived a near-fatal shooting outside a home in Sydney's north in June 2009.

Dib walked free from jail in February 2016 after his conviction for the murder of a young woman was quashed.

He was handed a sentence of at least 30 years in 2012 for the execution-style killing, but three judges found there was reasonable doubt he was responsible.

Ahmad is the brother of slain gangland kingpin Wally Ahmad, who was gunned down on the rooftop car park of Bankstown Central shopping centre in April 2016, one of a string of bloody executions that rocked the city over the past 16 months.

Police officers searched the family home of Mustapha Dib in Punchbow, taking two large bags of evidence with them just before midday. Dib, who was acquitted of murder this year, was arrested in Dubai

Police also executed a search warrant at Fadi Ibrahim's enormous Dover Heights home, pictured with a bull statue and Range Rover out front

A man outside Rock Ahmad's Bankstown home can be seen sporting a 'Brothers 4 Life' tattoo, paying homage to a once-feared gang that was led by Farhad Qaumi. Quami is now serving out a 60-year jail sentence for a string of violent crimes

Telopea Street in Punchbowl, once considered to be at the centre of Sydney's drug trade and criminal activity, has reportedly been closed off by police (pictured)
Liberal Politics from the Heart of Bluegrass Country
The glamour model who was kidnapped in Italy has revealed her alleged abductor slept next to her in the same bed for days.

Chloe Ayling, 20, told police she had been lured to a fake photoshoot in Milan where she was drugged, stripped and handcuffed before being bundled into a suitcase in the boot of a car.

She was held hostage in a remote farmhouse for six days by a gang threatening to auction her for sex online unless her modelling agency paid a 270,000 ransom.

Italian police yesterday continued to hold their prime suspect  Polish odd-job man Lukasz Herba, who moved to the UK several years ago.

British model Chloe Ayling (pictured) said she was kidnapped, drugged and stuffed into a suitcase in Milan

Lukasz Herba (pictured) allegedly tried to sell the British model on the dark web for 270,000

The model (pictured when she was pregnant, left) spoke about her ordeal outside her home (right)

She told The Sun she was handcuffed to a chest of drawers and that he slept next to her in a double bed in a property close to the French border.

Miss Ayling told Italian police in her official statement that he did not sexually assault her but instead gave her gifts of chocolate and underwear.

The mother-of-one told officers: 'From the second night he took the cuffs from my feet, assuring me that sooner or later I'd be freed so I had no need to escape.

'From that moment I always slept in his room, sharing the bed. To be clear, he didn't molest me sexually or ask for sexual favours.

'He never sexually molested me or asked for sexual favours because Black Death prohibited or severely punished members who touched kidnapped girls.

'He held me prisoner for entire time of my kidnapping, guarded me, stopped me from going out or escaping, threatening me that 'they' would kill me if I did so. I never went outside because he prohibited it.'

She only drank from sealed bottles because she was scared about getting poisoned but later developed a 'trusting relationship' with him.

Miss Ayling told the newspaper: 'Even now I fear for my life.'

But questions were growing over apparent inconsistencies in the story behind the kidnapping of the British model.

Paolo Storati, deputy prosecutor, described Herba as 'a person affected by mythomania'  an abnormal or pathological tendency to exaggerate or tell lies.

It also emerged the alleged kidnapper tried to sell a story to a tabloid newspaper while holding Miss Ayling captive.

Herba emailed the Daily Mirror two days into the abduction  under the heading 'British model kidnapped by Russian mafia'  offering to sell the story with photos of her.

He told Italian police he had falsely claimed the Russian mafia were involved in order to 'attract attention', the Daily Telegraph reported.

When asked if she knew that Herba had tried to contact a newspaper, Miss Ayling said: 'I know nothing about that at all.'

Questions have been raised over the official account of the kidnap amid claims 'many details do not add up'.

Last night, an Italian police source revealed they were looking into the possibility that Miss Ayling and Herba may have been collaborating, but as of yet they have been unable to prove this theory.

'During the first two days of questioning, neither Miss Ayling or Herba co-operated with the police,' the source said. 'The pair may have been seen together on other occasions. We also cannot find any trace of the agency that allegedly lured her to the country for the photoshoot.'

Police are now looking into the possibility Miss Ayling (pictured) and Herba were collaborating

Miss Ayling's alleged abductor took the mother of one on a trip to buy shoes in Milan (pictured)

This is the house where the 20-year-old model was held and she has now revealed her captor slept next to her in a double bed

This is one of the bedrooms inside the home where Miss Ayling was allegedly held hostage

A British police source said: 'Investigators are trying to get to the bottom of the validity of the claims. It is down to the Italian police to do this. It is currently being investigated as a real kidnapping, but some of the claims which have come out could be in the realm of fantasy.'

It comes as Herba's girlfriend revealed the 'fantasist' was sending her text messages the day Miss Ayling was taken in Milan.

Natalia, from Poland and living in Birmingham, said: 'It was really believable, the way he was talking and describing what he was doing, that he was travelling all the time.

'I did not have a reason to think he was lying.'

While detectives believe that the kidnapping did take place, they are baffled by a series of apparent inconsistencies, according to Italian media. Many of the questions relate to Miss Ayling's dealings with Herba.

Yesterday it emerged that the Page Three girl was taken shoe shopping by Herba, 30, during her time in captivity. When she was interviewed following her release, she is said to have cried after a police officer asked her: 'But don't you think it is strange to go and buy shoes with your kidnapper?'

Six days after Miss Ayling was taken from the photoshoot, Herba allegedly decided to take her to the British Consulate in Milan because he felt it was wrong to kidnap the mother of a two-year-old boy. Detectives remain baffled as to why Herba walked into the consulate, facilitating his arrest.

Investigators are also examining his previous contact with Miss Ayling, whom he apparently met in Paris when he booked her for a previous photoshoot.

Detectives have identified two suspects, including Herba. But they are struggling to work out the identities of the other three kidnappers whom Miss Ayling says were part of the gang.

Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported yesterday: 'That the kidnapping was real or that she was doped with ketamine is not put into question by the investigators. But it is also tremendously true that many details do not add up.' Other Italian media have questioned parts of her story.

A source close to the model said: 'She did know the man who kidnapped her. She met him in April on a photoshoot she had been on in Paris. He then called her agency and booked her for the photo shoot in Milan. He specifically asked for her. He seemed genuine. He sent previous examples of his work and paid in advance.'

It is thought that she was bundled into a car and taken to an abandoned industrial unit, where her kidnapper attempted to sell her on the dark web

An image supposedly uploaded to the dark web by Black Death to go with the advert selling Miss Ayling as a sex slave to the highest bidder. The picture is believed to be a scene from a pornographic film

Leading national newspaper La Repubblica claimed Miss Ayling burst into tears when police investigators asked her about the shoe-shop trip

The Italian press has questioned why alleged kidnapper Herba would accompany Miss Ayling into the British consulate in Milan

The source added: 'During the kidnapping Chloe lost her shoes. He took her to buy some new ones during her ordeal.'

Herba, who lives in the West Midlands, appeared in a Milan court last Friday on suspicion of kidnap.

He had apparently claimed to be in a shadowy online network called Black Death and allegedly threatened to sell the model for sex to the highest bidder on the so-called Dark Web if his demands were not met. Miss Ayling said that after being drugged, her kidnappers stripped her, handcuffed her wrists and ankles and taped her mouth. She was driven 120 miles to a farmhouse near Turin, where she was shackled to a chest of drawers.

After her release, the model spent more than two weeks helping the Italian police with their investigation before returning to her family home in Coulsdon, south London, on Sunday.

Herba was said to have 'booked' Miss Ayling through a firm called Supermodel Agency, which is run by an agent called Phil Green.

But celebrity agent Mark Cowne, who represents stars including Cher and Sir Richard Branson, said she would no longer be working with Mr Green. 'It is completely down to the fact [Mr Green] sent her to an event he hadn't checked out. He could have had her killed.'

Mr Green said the suggestion he was no longer Miss Ayling's agent is 'the first I have heard of it', adding: 'As a former lawyer, I exercise due diligence on all new clients to check every required detail.

'I received full details of the proposed shoot  [I] spoke to the photographer  there was nothing which anyone would have flagged up as suspicious, non-conventional or non professional.'

Bizarre life of fantasist who sent his lover texts as he held model hostage: Mercedes driving 'kidnapper' told girlfriend he was a successful businessman who was on a trip to the US while in Italy

By Claire Duffin and Rebecca Camber for the Daily Mail

The Polish man at the centre of the Dark Web kidnap plot sent text messages to his girlfriend while allegedly holding a Page Three model hostage.

Lukasz Herba had told partner Natalia he was a successful businessman who was travelling to America to meet new clients for his chicken feed firm.

But the 'fantasist' was in Italy where it is alleged he drugged model Chloe Ayling, before holding her hostage for six days.

Herba, 30, who was arrested in Italy last month, claimed to be part of a 'Black Death' kidnap group who planned to auction her on the internet.

Lukasz Herba (left) told his partner, Natalia - who lives in Birmingham - that he was a hugely successful businessman who was travelling to America

But his story began to unravel yesterday as Natalia painted a picture of a Walter Mitty-type character who tried to impress her with details of his success while living in a West Midlands council flat.

Herba told Natalia he ran an international firm making synthetic chicken feed, and turned up at her home driving a Mercedes and wearing a pinstripe suit. He also told her he owned land in Scotland, was a crack shot who owned a sniper rifle, and was involved in the gold trade.

He even joked about spiking her drink with drugs and then continued to text her while he was allegedly holding Miss Ayling in a remote farmhouse near Turin.

In a message sent on July 11  the day Miss Ayling was taken  he said to Natalia: 'Long routes now I have and barely have time between recharging and meetings. Then I am so knackered that I do not want anything and shower and sleep.'

In another sent three days later he said: 'At hotels but it is literally just sleeping because of the  mega tight schedule right now. Just terrible I'm tired all the time.'

Natalia, from Poland and living in Birmingham, said: 'It was really believable, the way he was talking and describing what he was doing, that he was travelling all the time. I did not have a reason to think he was lying.'

Herba's girlfriend (pictured) has said that her boyfriend Lukasz Herba sent her text messages from Italy

She said she realised it was all rubbish when a friend sent her a link to a news story about the kidnap and she recognised his picture. Natalia added: 'It was him, the same name and everything. Now I am scared. I could not believe it. I live by myself and he was at my house, he might have shared my details with someone.

'He seemed different to other guys, like he had class, but that is just the image he was trying to create.'

Natalia said Herba first got in contact via Facebook on June 1. They had two mutual friends on the site and he sent her a message saying he would like to get to know her. She said they exchanged messages for a few days before meeting for the first time on June 4.

'Straightaway he was asking me if I wanted to have a family,' Natalia said. 'He said he wanted a family and he was looking for someone to settle down with.'

On Facebook he claimed to be the boss of a firm called Karmerg which purports to be a 'global leader in technology trade, servicing independent labs and scientists and delivering to prosperous clients'.

Office clerk Natalia said: 'I was very impressed by him  he'd told me he had finished three types of business studies, had a big imagination and big plans for his business  We were seeing each other every day after we first met, he was coming to my house. He told me he was going to Los Angeles for six weeks to find new contractors, we stayed in touch after he left and he even sent me some photos. He left on the 13th of June and said he was going to Szczecin in Poland for one day.

It is thought that the model was bundled into a car and taken to an abandoned industrial unit

'On the 14th he said he is catching a flight to LA  for all the time during that week, when he kidnapped that girl, he was texting me saying he was in Mexico, or in Texas, calling me telling me what contractors he had met.'

On July 10, the day Miss Ayling arrived in Milan, he text Natalia saying: 'I think about you all the time.'

The following day, she asked him where he was, to which he replied: 'Texas further east. The flights are rubbish here. I'm running off to sleep because even the hotel WiFi is so-so. When I get up I'll call.'

In another message, Herba told her he owned a Steyr HS .50 rifle, saying: 'This is a big precision rifle, not for short distances.' When she joked 'You're a sniper?' he replied, 'A very good one', with a smiley face. He also sent her pictures of bullets and a target from a shooting range. Later, he sent her a picture of what he claimed were homes in Hollywood but was of a building which looked very similar to the farmhouse where Miss Ayling was held.

She said the last message was on July 16, adding: 'I thought he had met someone else or just did not want to speak to me.'

The Italian press has questioned why alleged kidnapper Herba would accompany Miss Ayling (pictured) into the British consulate in Milan

Miss Ayling was released on July 17 and Herba was arrested in Italy the following day. News of the kidnapping broke over the weekend, when Herba was identified as a suspect. 'My friend sent me a photo of him from the news and the name and I saw it was him,' Natalia said. 'When I looked for him on the internet I could not find any trace of him.'

Far from the picture he painted to Natalia, Herba was living with his brother in a council flat in Tividale, near Dudley, where neighbours described him as a strange loner who drove a battered red Toyota.

They said he appeared to leave for work each morning in a suit, but returned repeatedly throughout the day, sometimes with a pet rat on his shoulder.

Yesterday, it emerged that Herba had once given out a business card to someone in Birmingham with the image of the Grim Reaper alongside the words 'Permanent Solution'. On the back it said to contact via the Dark Web and gave an address for 'MD'. In Italy, Miss Ayling had told police she too was given a business card and told to address him as MD.

Paolo Storati, deputy prosecutor, said of Herba: 'He presented himself as a professional killer. He was interested in chemical and poisons.'

Natalia, who was too scared to give her real name, said: 'I liked him  But later the way that he was talking was a bit selfish, always about himself, narcissistic  I thought that it all could be a bit too good to be true and it turns out I was right.'
Two of the rarest one cent coins ever made have sold at auction for a combined total close to half a million dollars.

A 1943 Lincoln Penny fetched $282,000 while a 1792 Birch Cent which had been thought to have been lost for 130 years sold for $211,500.

The cents are among the rarest ever discovered and were sold at a public auction in conjunction with the world's largest coin show in Denver, Colorado.

The Lincoln Penny was bought by a collector at the auction after an 11-way bidding battle, while the Birch Cent was bought remotely.

Made in error: No more than 20 1943 bronze Lincoln Pennies exist, after being struck by mistake. The auctioned example had never been sold before

Pioneering design: Birch Cents were struck in Philadelphia in 1792 as the nation's designs for its coins were being made

Collectors covet the 1943 Abraham Lincoln penny because it was created in error.

The reddish brown coin, made from 95 per cent copper and five per cent silver, was supposed to be made of zinc-coated steel due to copper shortages in WWII.

Instead it was accidentally made from bronze when some blanks of became stuck in the trap door of a tote bin used to feed the coin press.

Erroneous batches were created at all three US Mints that were active in 1943 - in Denver, San Francisco and Philadelphia - and the rare coins slipped through quality control.

There are thought to be just 10 to 20 of the cents in existence today.

The coin that was sold last week - which features Lincoln and is engraved, 'In God We Trust' alongside the word 'Liberty' and the year - was pressed in Philadelphia.

The cents became world-famous when Henry Ford was rumored to have said he would give a new car to anyone who could find him a 1943 'copper' cent.

The rumor turned out to be false but captured the imagination of the public and the coins inspired ads and magazine stories through the 1950s and 60s.

The other penny sold at the auction in Denver, Colorado was a long-lost Birch penny - one of only a handful 1792 coins of its type in existence.

The Birch Cent was a prototype for the nation's first coins and is named after its engraver.

Made in Philadelphia: The 1943 Lincoln Penny sold at auction was struck at the Philadelphia Mint during the war. The building is now the Community College of Philadelphia

Any coin you like as long as it's bronze: Henry Ford was at the center of an urban myth that he would give a car to anyone who brought him a 1943 Lincoln Penny, which helped make the coin so sought after. In fact he did not make the offer.

Several artists and engravers, including William Russell Birch, Thomas Birch, and Robert Birch, have been suggested to be the designer of the pattern over the years - but the true identity of which of them made the design remains unknown.

All three men were active in related fields in the Philadelphia area during the approximate time period when Birch cents were struck.

The coins bear the slogan Liberty Parent of Science & Industry'. The example was described by the auctioneers as being of the 'highest absolute rarity'.

It was recently rediscovered in England and hadn't been seen since 1890 when it was sold by a then famous coin collector, Lorin G. Parmelee, for $75.

The coins were sold at auction in Denver, Colorado last Wednesday during the World's Fair of Money. Their buyers remain anonymous.

Jim Halperin, co-founder of Heritage Auctions, said: 'This was the first time these particular coins were ever offered at auction and collectors were not going to let them get away.

'Just over a dozen examples of the Birch cent are known today, with a single coin included in the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian Institution.

'How many 1943 Philadelphia bronze cents survive? The best estimate, excluding branch mint issues, is 10 to 12 coins.'
President Trump's billionaire tech supporter Peter Thiel reportedly has told confidants there is a 50 per cent chance the Trump presidency 'ends in disaster.'

The claims, detailed by BuzzFeed, are that Thiel, a tech billionaire, has been calling the administration he endorsed at the GOP convention has been 'incompetent.'

At a January event with friends, he said 'there is a 50% chance this whole thing ends in disaster,' according to the report.

Thiel didn't dispute the quotes but expressed his belief in Trump in a statement his spokesman made to the publication.

President Trump's billionaire tech supporter Peter Thiel, a PayPal cofounder, reportedly has told confidants there is a 50 per cent chance the Trump presidency 'ends in disaster.'

'The night he won the election, I said President Trump would face an awesomely difficult task,' Thiel said.

'Today it's clear that resistance to change in Washington, D.C. has been even fiercer than I anticipated. We still need change. I support President Trump in his ongoing fight to achieve it,' according to the statement.

Vanity Fair put a question to Thiel's representative about allegations the PayPal cofounder doesn't even enjoy spending time with Trump. 'Whoever says that is wrong,' said the spokesman.

Vice President-elect Mike Pence looks on as President-elect Donald Trump shakes the hand of Peter Thiel during a meeting with technology executives at Trump Tower, December 14, 2016 in New York City. This is the first major meeting between President-elect Trump and technology industry leaders

Thield was an important validator for Trump at the GOP Convention, where he delivered a strong endorsement. He was the first openly gay person to address a GOP convention in 16 years. He also turned in slashing attacks on Hillary Clinton.

'Across the country, wages are flat. Americans get paid less today than ten years ago. But healthcare and college tuition cost more every year. Meanwhile Wall Street bankers inflate bubbles in everything from government bonds to Hillary Clinton's speaking fees,' Thiel said in his speech.

'We don't need to see Hillary Clinton's deleted emails: her incompetence is in plain sight. She pushed for a war in Libya, and today it's a training ground for ISIS. On this most important issue Donald Trump is right. It's time to end the era of stupid wars and rebuild our country,' Thiel said.

Amazon's chief Jeff Bezos, Larry Page of Alphabet, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Vice President elect Mike Pence, President-elect Donald Trump, Peter Thiel, co-founder and former CEO of PayPal, Tim Cook of Apple and Safra Catz of Oracle attend a meeting at Trump Tower on December 14, 2016 in New York.

'I don't pretend to agree with every plank in our party's platform; but fake culture wars only distract us from our economic decline, and nobody in this race is being honest about it except Donald Trump,' Thiel said.

Thiel was a lonely pro-Trump voice in Silicon Valley, and gave $1.25 million to boost Trump's campaign in 2016.

The Facebook investor's net worth has been estimated at $2.7 billion.

Thiel predicted before the election that either candidate would likely be a one-term president, according to another private statement quoted in the report.

Thiel said before the election: 'No matter what happens in this election, what Trump represents isn't crazy and it's not going away.'
Ross McEwan insisted it was not the responsibility of banks when customers give their account details  or money  to online scammers

Victims of bank fraud should accept the blame and not expect automatic refunds, the boss of RBS warned yesterday.

Ross McEwan insisted it was not the responsibility of banks when customers give their account details  or money  to online scammers.

He said it would be too costly to cover all the losses and people should be more careful.

Asked whether bailed-out RBS, which owns NatWest and has 24million customers, had a duty of care to victims, he replied: No.

He added: We are working very hard to help customers detect when there are difficulties, but I think this has to be in partnership with the customer and with the bank. You cant keep blaming this on an organisation where customers dont take their own duty of care as well.

He said imposing the costs on banks would only drive up fees and charges.

Five million RBS customers use one of the mobile phone apps that banks are touting as they shut down branches.

But at the same time online fraud is soaring and yesterday the Mail revealed that banks are facing more than one cyber attack a week as hackers try to breach their systems.

Financial fraud cost the UK 2million a day in 2016 with the elderly disproportionately hit. RBS, which was saved with 46billion of public money during the financial crisis and is still state-owned, said in 2015 that 70 per cent of victims of fraud got nothing back.

From January to September that year, almost 5,000 RBS customers were conned out of 25million  5,000 each on average. Campaigners said the push toward the internet made it increasingly important for banks to protect victims.

Five million RBS customers use one of the mobile phone apps that banks are touting as they shut down branches

It doesnt feel right that were willing to stand by and let people lose their life savings, said James Daley, founder of consumer body Fairer Finance.

What kind of society are we if that can happen? People have to feel they can use their online banking system safely, and that the banks are there to protect them.

Huge numbers of bank customers in rural areas, many of them pensioners, are being forced to sign up to online banking as branches shut down.

RBS, which is still 71.5 per cent public-owned, has axed at least 853 outlets since 2008, and in March announced plans to scrap 150 more. Rules state that banks must refund victims of fraud unless they can prove negligence.

That would cover cases where customers have divulged their details to a criminal  whether by transferring funds to a fake account or falling for fake bank websites or bogus staff.

The consumer group Which? has been calling for a rule change to force banks to pay compensation to those tricked into transferring money.

Spokesman Gareth Shaw said: Banks are still placing too much responsibility on consumers to spot and protect themselves from sophisticated online scams. Weve heard from many people who have lost life-changing amounts of money through bank transfer fraud, through no fault of their own, who are unlikely to get their money back from the banks involved.

RBS has hired more than 1,200 techXperts to help customers set up online and mobile bank accounts.

Other lenders have similar schemes, with Barclays training 12,000 of its staff to be digital eagles.

Online scammers have a range of tricks at their disposal. Often they pretend to be police informing a bank customer of an attempt to hack their account.

They ask for money to be transferred into a new account that is then plundered. In other cases, a criminal will tell a small firms debtors to make payments to a new account  again stealing the money.

Mr McEwan, who was paid 3.5million last year, said imposing the costs on banks would only drive up fees and charges

In both cases, the banks would not have to make refunds because the victims authorised the payments themselves.

Mr McEwan, who was paid 3.5million last year, said: When people are passing their iPads or laptops over with their passwords and the likes, theres got to be a care here otherwise this will just become a major issue for all and the cost will pass through.

He said RBS was testing technology at its private bank Coutts which spots unusual activity.

Last September the Financial Ombudsman Service found against an RBS customer tricked into transferring 11,700 to fraudsters. Although RBS was able to get 5,400 back, it refused to give her the rest as a refund.

The ombudsman ruled the lender did not have to repay the money because the payment was authorised.

An RBS spokesman said: Where a customer has suffered loss we review their situation, establish the facts and make a decision on a case by case basis.
The eagle-eyed passenger who spotted a man texting about sexually assaulting children mid-flight has spoken out.

Michael Kellar, 56, of Tacoma, was arrested in San Jose, California after the traveler, sat in the row behind him, spotted the disturbing messages and altered Southwest Airlines staff.

She would find out later her quick-thinking had saved two Washington kids from sexual abuse.

'I'm being labeled as a hero,' the woman, of the Seattle area, who did not want to be named, told The Mercury News.

Police arrested Michael Kellar, 56, on Monday night after a fellow airplane passenger spotted him texting about sexually abusing children while on a Southwest Airlines flight

'I don't need a bunch of attention. I'm just so thankful the kids are safe,' added the passenger, who described herself as an early-childhood educator.

The woman was sat behind Kellar when she noticed he was 'obsessively' pouring over texts.

That's when she saw, in an unusually large text font, the sentence that chilled her to the core: 'Child in their underwear.'

'I thought, 'What did I just see?' My heart started racing. Then I could see more texts coming in,' she said. 'Before I knew it, I was reading messages from the the other person saying, 'I'm going to do these things.''

One of the messages the passenger photographed showed Kellar allegedly asking Burnworth: 'You can do this or are you just saying this???'

Burnworth reportedly then replied, 'No I think I can do it if I don't have parents over my shoulder or worried about who's going to walk in on me And then on Sunday I will have the kids no parents just kids.'

The passenger said her instinct told her to snap some discreet photos of the messages but she became increasingly nervous to how she was going to report it without Kellar noticing - particularly as the plane was about to land.

An investigation into the text messages Kellar was sending led police to the home of Gail Burnworth, 50. Authorities say that two children, ages 5 and 7, were found in the home with her

Thankfully, a slight attendant saw her noticeable concern and asked what was wrong.

'She asked if I was OK, and I told her what I saw, very quietly,' the passenger said. 'She said, 'Hold on,' and told me I was going to talk with somebody.'

The police were swiftly alerted and San Jose police officers at Mineta San Jose International Airport met the passenger near the gate, along with ICAC and FBI agents, while Kellar was delayed deboarding to allow the authorities a chance to view the photos of his messages.

Kellar was arrested once the inbound plane from Seattle landed.

Police and FBI agents then questioned Kellar about the text messages.

Authorities said Kellar allowed detectives to search his phone and reportedly claimed that the texts were merely fantasy and an effort at role-playing, reports the San Jose Mercury.

Following the interview, detectives reached out to the Seattle police department and FBI, in an effort to track down the recipient of Kellar's text messages.

The texts led to the Tacoma home of Gail Burnworth, 50, where authorities said it appeared that two children, ages 5 and 7, who were also in the home, were being sexually abused.

Burnworth was then arrested.

Seattle and San Jose police declined to discuss the children's relationship to Kellar and Burnworth. They did not reveal how the two suspects knew each other, either.

However, authorities said that, as a babysitter, Burnworth had access to children and that Kellar was getting to the victims through her.

Kellar is accused of attempted child molestation and solicitation of a sex crime. Burnworth was arrested on suspicion of child rape and sexual exploitation of children.

Kellar and Burnworth are in jail and it's was not known if they have lawyers to speak on their behalf.

Meanwhile, the passenger who reported them, left the airport and carried on with her vacation.

Police have praised her as a hero for intervening, and helping to save two kids from abuse.

San Jose police Detective Nick Jourdenais, a member of the SJPD Internet Crimes Against Children task force said: 'Heroic acts aren't always obvious. She was just a normal person getting on a plane,' Jourdenais said. 'She didn't think she was going to have to intervene in these children's lives but she saw something, she responded with alertness and quickness, and came up with a plan.'

The passenger said she was just thankful her actions, and those of the flight crew and police, were able to prevent further abuse to the young children.

She added that she hoped she could inspire others to speak up if they see something in the future, no matter how small, which could end up saving lives and suffering.
Australians face a likely postal ballot on same-sex marriage after the Liberal Party quashed an internal push to drop its commitment to a plebiscite in favour of a conscience vote.

Liberal members attending a special meeting in Canberra on Monday stood by the policy taken to the 2016 election for a national vote on changing marriage laws.

The Turnbull government will resubmit its plebiscite plan to parliament this week.

Australians face a likely postal ballot on same-sex marriage after the Liberal Party quashed an internal push to drop its commitment to a plebiscite

If the bill fails a second time - which appears certain unless key crossbenchers flip their positions - a voluntary postal ballot will be conducted.

If the postal ballot comes back with a majority 'yes', a private member's bill will go to parliament, with Liberal members exercising a free vote on it.

Crossbencher Derryn Hinch has already vowed to block the revived plebiscite push, saying the issue should be resolved through a conscience vote.

Cabinet minister Mathias Cormann says the government has advice there is a 'legal and constitutional' way forward on the postal vote, but the specifics are a matter for the joint party room which will meet on Tuesday.

Queensland Liberal MP Warren Entsch, who is among Liberal MPs pushing for a free vote, says he reserves his right to take his own course of action on same-sex marriage but is happy to give a plebiscite another go.

'I'm not so much focused on the process. I want to get an outcome. And whatever it takes to get that outcome, I'm prepared to give it 100 per cent,' he told the ABC's 7.30 program.

Alex Greenwich (left) says the government's approach to marriage equality has gone 'well beyond a joke'

If the bill fails a second time - which appears certain unless key crossbenchers flip their positions - a voluntary postal ballot will be conducted

Victorian MP Jason Wood also prefers a parliamentary vote, but is willing to back a postal plebiscite.

'In recognising the concerns that my colleagues have, I'm more than happy to go with the postal vote option,' he told ABC radio on Tuesday.

His colleague Andrew Laming said those pushing for a free vote didn't need to be told to desist their campaign 'because they won't'.

Advocacy group Australian Marriage Equality has legal advice it says confirms a postal vote would be unconstitutional, warning of a High Court challenge to prevent it going ahead.

Co-chair Alex Greenwich says the government's approach to marriage equality has gone 'well beyond a joke'.

'It is now time for the government to get out of our way and have a vote on marriage equality,' he told the Nine Network.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten labelled the outcome ridiculous, saying he was disappointed for the hundreds of thousands of Australians the prime minister had let down again.
Northerners are dying younger than their counterparts in the South.

A major study found their risk of death before the age of 75 was 20 per cent higher.

Researchers at the University of Manchester said the results told a tale of two Englands.

This graphic(pictured) shows death rates in the north and south for people aged 75 and over

A major study found their risk of death before the age of 75 was 20 per cent higher for people in the North compared to the South. Pictured: Manchester Town Hall

Over the past 50 years  from 1965 to 2015  the North saw 1.2million extra premature deaths. The study also found deaths among middle aged adults in the region have reached alarming levels.

And rates among younger people were also rising sharply.

Iain Buchan, who led the research, said: Five decades of death records tell a tale of two Englands, North and South, divided by resources and life expectancy  a profound inequality resistant to the public health interventions of successive governments.

A new approach is required, one that must address the economic and social factors that underpin early deaths, especially in younger populations, and one that focuses on rebalancing the wider economy to help drive investment in northern towns and cities.

The devolution of centralised powers may enable civic leaders to seed the economic growth to tackle this divide, but only if they are given the proportionate northern weighting of funds to do so.

The study divided England equally into the North  comprising the North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands and West Midlands  and the South comprising the East, South West, London and South East.

Iain Buchan, who led the research, said: Five decades of death records tell a tale of two Englands'. File photo of an overweight mother and child

Over the past 50 years  from 1965 to 2015  the North saw 1.2million extra premature deaths. Pictured: York

Professor Buchan said among younger age groups the most common causes of death were suicide, poisoning, car crashes and liver disease.

Over the age of 40, other causes become increasingly common  in particular heart disease in men and breast cancer in women.

Co-author Tim Doran, a professor at the University of York, said: These important findings were made possible by examining public health data  held by the NHS and other agencies  dating back decades.

The data, technology and skills now exist to better understand population health and develop public policies to improve it proportionately.

The study analysed data from the Office for National Statistics on the English population over five decades.

The study divided England equally into the North  comprising the North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands and West Midlands  and the South comprising the East, South West, London(pictured) and South East

Dr Hakim Yadi, chief executive of the Northern Health Science Alliance, called on the Government to address health inequalities and spend more on health research in the North.

Professor Buchan added: Its thought provoking. We split the country pretty much in two  roughly below the Severn and above the Wash with about 25million in each.

Theres this perception of Its grim up North but I like to look at it from a positive point of view. We are not properly tapping into half the population.

The solution is more jobs, infrastructure and economic investment. This is what creates healthier lifestyles.
Killer Joseph Roy Methany died in prison on Saturday at age 62

Joseph Roy Metheny, the admitted serial killer who chopped up his victims and sold them as BBQ from a roadside stand in Baltimore in the 1990s, has died. He was 62.

Metheny was found dead in his cell around 3pm on Saturday at the Western Correctional Institution in Cumberland, Maryland, prison officials confirmed. The death is under investigation.

The morbidly obese killer had begged for and received a death sentence in 1998, but it was later overturned on appeal and he was sentenced to two life sentences without parole.

In addition to the two women he was convicted of murdering, 23-year-old Kathy Spicer and 39-year-old Cathy Ann Magaziner, Metheny confessed to a sickening string of other murders he was never convicted of, according to WJZ.

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The morbidly obese killer had begged for and received a death sentence in 1998, but it was later overturned on appeal and he was sentenced to two life sentences without parole

Metheny was charged in, and later admitted to, the ax murder of two homeless men under this bridge, but the charges were tossed out due to lack of evidence

In a jailhouse confession, Metheny said his killing spree began after his wife became addicted to crack and ran away with their six-year-old son.

He was charged in the ax murder of two homeless men under a bridge, but the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence.

In July of 1994, he met Magaziner at a bar and lured her back to his home, a small trailer on an isolated pallet company storage lot in Baltimore.

Metheny worked at the pallet company on a dead end road and had the keys to the gates.

He later told police that he had sex with her, and then strangled her with an extension cord and buried her in a shallow grave on the lot.

Her beheaded remains were found several years later on the property.

When investigators asked why he did it, Metheny responded: 'Sense of power. I don't know. Vulnerable. I dreaded, just - I got a very - got a rush out of it, got a high out of it. Call it what you want. I had no real excuse why other than I like to do it. (Pause). I don't know how to describe it.'

Though it was never proven in court, Metheny said in a jailhouse confession that he butchered the bodies of victims and sold the meat in a roadside stand, calling it his 'special meat'

Spicer and Magaziner's remains were found buried on the property of this company that sells wooden pallets, where Metheny lived in a small trailer on the lot

Though it was never proven in court, Metheny said in a jailhouse confession that he butchered the bodies of Magaziner and Spicer and sold the meat in a roadside stand, calling it his 'special meat'.

'I had real roast beef and pork sandwiches and why not they were very good,' he wrote. 'The human body tastes was very similar to pork. If you mix it together no one can tell the difference.'

After he pleaded guilty to murdering Spicer and Magaziner, Metheny begged a jury for the death penalty.

'The words `I'm sorry' will never come out, for they would be a lie,' he said in court.

'I am more than willing to give up my life for what I have done, to have God judge me and send [me] to hell for eternity.'

The twisted killer concluded his jailhouse confession with a warning for hungry travelers on unfamiliar roads.

'So the next time you're riding down the road and you happen to see an open pit beef stand that you've never seen before, make sure you think about this story before you take a bite of that sandwich,' he wrote.

'Sometimes you never know who you may be eating. Ha! Ha!'
Prisoners at Bali's Kerobokan jail are facing more sweeps and earlier lock-down as officials continue to be taunted on social media over the escape of Australian man Shaun Davidson.

If the recent Facebook post appearing to belong to the Western Australian is to be believed, the 33-year-old has been off jet-setting once again.

'Another day another country and check out my leg room hahaha enjoy life,' the post accompanying a photo of an airline seat stated on Friday.

Australian Shaun Davidson (pictured) escaped from Kerobokan prison and has posted to Facebook taunting officials

Shaun Davidson posted this photo of an airline seat on Facebook

Shaun Davidson posted this alongside the photo of the airline seat

Since Davidson's escape on June 19, Interpol and Bali authorities have been the target of constant jibes over his ability to remain on the run.

But for those who have been left behind, it isn't so funny.

'I pity those who were on shift that time, the ones being questioned the most,' prison guard Wayan Mudastra told AAP.

He said the guards were 'shocked' when the escape of Davidson and three other inmates became known.

The four men are believed to have spent hours digging out dirt and water from a hole, before escaping through a tunnel on to Bali's streets.

'Can you imagine? We, are 10 people, supervising thousands of troubled people. And each one of them is different from another. It's not easy,' Mr Mudastra said.

Australian Shaun Davidson and three others escaped from this tunnel outside Kerobokan prison in Bali

'It's a job. We have to be uplifted. But we can say that we are (feeling) numb.'

Prison governor, Tonny Nainggolan said the concern that it might happen again has is 'always there'.

He has increased sweeps of the prison and boosted the number of staff by two people - up to 12.

Last month, during a raid on cells police uncovered a 'sharp weapon', drugs, including ecstasy pills and dozens of mobile phones.

One inmate at Kerobokan told AAP said they used to be locked down at 1am, now it is 11pm.

'Then at the morning ceremony, now we must all come.' They could no longer be represented by the head of room only.

'There are no more hand phones. All were swept in last month searching.'

Like many prisons across Indonesia, Kerobokan is beyond capacity - housing about 1400 prisoners last month, despite being build for 325.

The prison system has come under increasing scrutiny following Davidson's escape and last month's discovery of 1.2 million ecstasy tablets, linked to a prisoner inside Central Java island jail Nusakambangan.

Kerobokan is expected to receive an injection of 28 staff members next year, as part of a nation-wide effort to recruit 14,000 people to staff Indonesia's chronically overpopulated jails and get rid of those who had been 'corrupted'.
Both religious people and atheists naturally assume that immoral people, such as serial killers, are probably atheists, a study has claimed.

The study finds that this prejudice against atheists exists in most of the 13 countries studied, both religious and secular.

The researchers claim that, even though 'religiosity' has dropped in many countries, millennia of religious exposure mean many people believe morality requires a faith.

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Both religious people and atheists naturally assume that immoral people such as serial killers are probably atheists, a study has claimed (stock image)

RELIGIOUS MINDS ARE DOMINATED BY EMOTION Research published last month claimed that religious people's minds are dominated by emotion and do not think analytically. This makes believers cling to their views, even when evidence proves them wrong, the study claimed. Meanwhile, militant atheists are completely negative about religion because they have analytical brains, according to researchers. The study warned that untempered empathy can be dangerous. Advertisement

People are almost twice as likely to view extreme immorality as representative of atheists than of believers, the researchers, from the University of Kentucky, found.

Atheist participants also showed the same prejudice against non-believers.

The research, published this week in Nature, tested the perception of a link between immorality and atheism in more than 3,000 people from 13 different countries on five continents.

These countries ranged from very religious societies - including the United Arab Emirates and India - to very secular, for example, China and the Netherlands.

'Our work showed that people across 13 countries tended to assume that violent, sadistic villains - truly evil stuff - probably don't believe in a god,' study lead author and psychologist Professor Will Gervais told MailOnline.

'This is striking because it conflicts strongly with what science is telling us, that morality is complex and comes from many sources...not solely from religious belief.'

To measure prejudice against atheists, they provided participants with a description of an immoral person who initially tortures animals and eventually kills people for thrills.

Half of the participants were then asked whether it was more probable that the perpetrator was either 'a teacher' or 'a teacher who is a religious believer'.

The researchers claim that, even though 'religiosity' has dropped in many countries, millennia of religious exposure mean many people believe morality requires a faith (stock image)

For the other half of participants, the latter option was changed to 'a teacher who does not believe in god(s)'.

The researchers then measured how frequently people chose each option in each group.

BRAIN NETWORKS Researchers say the study supports earlier work which shows people have two brain networks - one for empathy and one for analytic thinking. These two networks are in tension with each other. In healthy people their thought process switches between the two - choosing to use the appropriate network depending on the issues they are considering. In someone who is militantly religious, the empathetic network dominates while in the nonreligious dogmatist's mind the analytical network rules. Although the study looks at the difference between the worldview of people who are religious and non-religious dogmatists, it could apply to any strongly held core beliefs. These could be eating habits - whether to be vegan, vegetarian or omnivore - or to political opinions and beliefs about climate change. Advertisement

The study reveals that natural moral suspicion of atheists is culturally widespread, appearing in both secular and religious societies, and among both believers and atheists.

Although previous research has shown that moral instincts appear to form largely independent of religion, most people's perceptions of a necessary link between morality and religion appear to be very strong, the researchers said.

But Professor Gervais suggests that this perception could change in future.

'The variability across countries does, to me, suggest that this prejudice could change in the future, as effects were much smaller in most of the highly secular countries,' he told MailOnline.

'To the extend that religiosity declines, entrenched pro-religious (and anti-atheistic) cultural norms may erode, eventually bringing intuitive distrust of atheists with it.

'Our results, however, suggest that it won't be a speedy process.'

The Kentucky research follows a study last month that claimed that religious people's minds are dominated by emotion and do not think analytically.

This makes believers cling to their views, even when evidence proves them wrong, the study, led by Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, claimed.

Meanwhile, militant atheists are completely negative about religion because they have analytical brains, according to researchers.

The study warned that untempered empathy can be dangerous.

It can result in terrorists who believe they are being highly moral as well as dogmatic political supporters who emotionally support a candidate without taking into account the facts, researchers claimed.

'Emotional resonance helps religious people to feel more certain - the more moral correctness they see in something, the more it affirms their thinking,' said Dr Anthony Jack, associate professor of philosophy and co-author of the research.

'In contrast, moral concerns make nonreligious people feel less certain.'

Researchers say people have two brain networks - one for empathy and one for analytic thinking.

These two networks are in tension with each other.

In healthy people, their thought process switches between the two - choosing to use the appropriate network depending on the issues they are considering.

In someone who is militantly religious, the empathetic network dominates while in the nonreligious dogmatist's mind the analytical network rules.

Appealing to a militant religious person's sense of moral concern and an anti-religious person's unemotional logic may increase the chance of them listening to your message.

Although the study looks at the difference between the worldview of people who are religious and non-religious dogmatists, it could apply to any strongly held beliefs.

These could be eating habits - whether to be vegan, vegetarian or omnivore - or to political opinions and beliefs about climate change.

The study, based on more than 900 people, found some similarities between strongly religious and non-religious people.

In both groups the most dogmatic are less adept at analytical thinking, and also less likely to look at issues from other's perspectives.

Two hundred and nine participants identified as Christian, 153 as nonreligious, nine Jewish, five Buddhist, four Hindu, one Muslim and 24 another religion.

Each completed tests assessing dogmatism, empathetic concern and aspects of analytical reasoning.

The results showed religious participants as a whole had a higher level of dogmatism, empathetic concern and pro-social intentions, while the nonreligious performed better on the measure of analytic reasoning.
The commission examined the deadly violence which began in Rakhine State in October last year after attacks by Rohingya militants on police posts near the Bangladesh border.

The Myanmar government typically refers to the Rohingya as Bengalis.

Speaking at a press conference following the release of the Rakhine Investigative Commissions final report, Vice President Myint Swe told reporters that the commission found no evidence that Myanmar security forces carried out a systematic campaign of rape, murder or arson.

However, the commission believes that there may have been excessive actions that were likely committed by low-rank individual members of the security forces.

"Some incidents (of abuse) appeared to be fabricated... others had little evidence," according to a press release by the commission.

The commission responded to a detailed report by the UN's Human Rights Office released in February this year.That report said it was "very likely" that crimes against humanity had been committed during the crackdown.

The government commission, however, said "no such cases were uncovered." The commission said the UN findings lacked balance and failed to recognise the gravity of the attacks by Rohingya militants.

The commission conceded that foreign media and NGOs should have been granted access to the zone during the conflict to dispel misconceptions.

It also called for rights training for low-level security officers, urged local officials to tackle corruption and called for swift and fair trials of suspected militants.
Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the ancestors of modern humans diverged from a lineage that gave rise to Neanderthals and Denisovans.

Yet the exact relationship between these ancient groups has remained unclear.

Now, a new method of studying DNA is beginning to unravel the mystery - and the findings appear to contradict conventional theories about human evolution.

The study claims that the number of Neanderthals that walked the Earth could have been tens of thousands more than scientists first thought.

It also suggests Neanderthals and Denisovans diverged from each other around 744,000 years ago - around 300,000 earlier than previously believed.

This implies that Homo heidelbergensis - which lived in Africa, Europe and western Asia between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago - was an early Neanderthal.

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The number of Neanderthals that walked the earth could have been tens of thousands more than many scientists thought, according to new research. Pictured is the revised history of early human history across Africa and Europe based on the new findings (dates are estimates)

THE DNA STUDY The human genome has about 3.5 billion nucleotide sites and, over time, genes at certain sites mutate. If a parent passes down that mutation to their children, who pass it to further generations, that mutation acts as a 'family seal' stamped onto the DNA. Scientists use these mutations to piece together evolutionary history hundreds of thousands of years in the past. By searching for shared gene mutations along the nucleotide sites of various human populations, scientists can estimate when groups diverged and the sizes of populations contributing to the gene pool. The team compared the genomes of four human populations: Modern Eurasians, modern Africans, Neanderthals and Denisovans. They estimated the percentage of Neanderthal genes flowing into modern Eurasian populations, the date at which archaic populations diverged, and their population sizes. Advertisement

The discovery was made after researchers came up with a new way to analyse our ancestors' DNA.

Many researchers have estimated there were only about 1,000 Neanderthals, which shared 99.7 per cent of their DNA with modern humans.

But scientists from the University of Utah have now estimated the figure was likely in the 'tens of thousands'.

A team led by Professor Alan Rogers created used an analysis technique that recreates the early history of ancient human populations including Neanderthals and Denisovans.

They found the Neanderthal-Denisovan lineage nearly went extinct after separating from modern humans.

Then, just 300 generations later, Neanderthals and Denisovans diverged from each other - around 744,000 years ago.

The global Neanderthal population then grew to tens of thousands of individuals living in fragmented, isolated populations scattered across Eurasia.

Professor Rogers said: 'This hypothesis is against conventional wisdom, but it makes more sense than the conventional wisdom.'

With only limited samples of fossil fragments, anthropologists must assemble the history of human evolution using genetics and statistics.

An earlier study in 2015 showed estimates of a 1,000-strong Neanderthal population was underrepresented if they were subdivided into isolated, regional groups.

The Utah team suggest this explains the discrepancy between previous estimates and their own much larger estimate of Neanderthal population size.

Professor Rogers told MailOnline: 'Previous estimates document the small sizes of local Neanderthal populations.

'Our estimates document the large size of the Neanderthal metapopulation that contributed genes to modern humans.'

These gene trees show how mutations can generate nucleotide site patterns. The four branch tips of each gene tree represent genetic samples from four populations: Modern Africans, modern Eurasians, Neanderthals, and Denisovans. In the left tree, the mutation (shown in blue) is shared by the Eurasian, Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes. In the right tree, the mutation (shown in red) is shared by the Eurasian and Neanderthal genomes

WHAT KILLED OFF THE NEANDERTHALS? The first Homo sapiens reached Europe around 43,000 years ago, replacing the Neanderthals there approximately 3,000 years later. There are many theories as to what drove the downfall of the Neanderthals. Experts have suggested that early humans may have carried tropical diseases with them from Africa that wiped out their ape-like cousins. Others claim that plummeting temperatures due to climate change wiped out the Neanderthals. The predominant theory is that early humans killed off the Neanderthal through competition for food and habitat. Homo sapiens' superior brain power and hunting techniques meant the Neanderthals couldn't compete. Advertisement

Dr Ryan Bohlener, co-author of the study, said: 'Looking at the data that shows how related everything was, the model was not predicting the gene patterns that we were seeing.

'We needed a different model and therefore a different evolutionary story.'

The team's findings also suggest that Homo heidelbergensis - an ancient human ancestor that lived in Africa, Europe and western Asia between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago - was an early Neanderthal.

The human-like species went extinct long before modern humans migrated to Eurasia from Africa, but its evolutionary tree has largely baffled scientists due to scarce fossil records.

The similarity between Neanderthal, Homo heidelbergensis and Homo sapien fossils means researchers previously thought heidelbergensis fossils are mere variants of Homo sapiens.

A new way to analyse our ancestors' DNA reveals there were likely many more Neanderthals (artist's model) than expected. Many researchers estimate there were only about 1,000 Neanderthals, which shared 99.7 per cent of their DNA with modern humans

The team developed an improved statistical method, called legofit, which accounts for multiple populations in the gene pool.

They estimated the percentage of Neanderthal genes flowing into modern Eurasian populations, the date at which archaic populations diverged from each other, and their population sizes.

The human genome has about 3.5 billion nucleotide sites and, over time, genes at certain sites mutate.

If a parent passes down that mutation to their children, who pass it to further generations, that mutation acts as a 'family seal' stamped onto the DNA.

Scientists use these mutations to piece together evolutionary history hundreds of thousands of years in the past.

By searching for shared gene mutations along the nucleotide sites of various human populations, scientists can estimate when groups diverged and the sizes of populations contributing to the gene pool.

Homo heidelbergensis (artist's model) lived in Africa, Europe and western Asia between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago. It was an early human ancestor that went extinct long before modern humans migrated to Eurasia from Africa

HOMO HEIDELBERGENSIS Homo heidelbergensis lived in Africa, Europe and western Asia between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago. It was an early human ancestor that went extinct long before modern humans migrated to Eurasia from Africa. Researchers have previously suggested that, between 400,000 and 300,000 years ago, a group of heidelbergensis migrated into Europe and West Asia via yet unknown routes and eventually evolved into Neanderthals. The new research suggests Neanderthals and Denisovans diverged from each other around 744,000 years ago - much earlier than previously believed. This could prove that heidelbergensis was an early Neanderthal. The similarity between Neanderthal, Homo heidelbergensis and Homo sapien fossils means researchers previously thought heidelbergensis fossils are mere variants of Homo sapiens. Advertisement

Professor Rogers said: 'You're trying to find a fingerprint of these ancient humans in other populations.

'It's a small percentage of the genome, but it's there.'

They compared the genomes of four human populations: Modern Eurasians, modern Africans, Neanderthals and Denisovans.

The two ancient samples - both the Neanderthal and the Denisovan - came from Denisova Cave, in the Altai Mountains of Siberia.

The Utah team used two modern data sets, both from the '1000 Genomes Project'.

One of these is designated 'CEU' and consists of Utah residents with ancestry from northern and western Europe.

The scientists found the Neanderthal-Denisovan lineage nearly went extinct after separating from modern humans (skeleton pictured right). Then, just 300 generations later, Neanderthals (skeleton pictured left) and Denisovans diverged from each other - around 744,000 years ago

The other is 'CHB', which represents Han Chinese from Beijing.

The researchers analysed a few million nucleotide sites that shared a gene mutation in two or three human groups, and established 10 distinct nucleotide site patterns.

The new method confirmed previous estimates that modern Eurasians share about two per cent of Neanderthal DNA.

But other findings questioned established theories.

Their analysis revealed that 20 per cent of nucleotide sites showed a mutation only shared by Neanderthals and Denisovans, a genetic timestamp marking the time before the archaic groups diverged.

The team calculated that Neanderthals and Denisovans separated about 744,000 years ago, much earlier than any other estimation of the split.

If a parent passes down a DNA (artist's impression) mutation to their children, who pass it to further generations, that mutation acts as a 'family seal'. Scientists use these mutations to piece together evolutionary history hundreds of thousands of years in the past

ANCIENT DNA CARRIES ADVANTAGES Modern humans carry traces of DNA from mixing with other hominids, including Neanderthals and Denisovans. In February researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine analysed the DNA of 1,500 people, including those from Europe, Asia and the Pacific islands, to see where these ancient genes remain. They identified 126 areas of the modern human genome where ancient DNA persists. They found genes relating to the immune system and skin function. Neanderthal gene expression likely contributes to traits such as height and even our susceptibility to lupus and schizophrenia. Scientists believe these genes from our extinct cousins helped modern humans to thrive as they moved outwards from the African continent. Advertisement

Professor Rogers added: 'If Neanderthals and Denisovans had separated later, then there ought to be more sites at which the mutation is present in the two archaic samples, but is absent from modern samples.'

Neanderthal DNA contains mutations that usually occur in small populations with little genetic diversity, leading scientists to believe for decades that only 1,000 of the ancient human ancestors ever lived in Eurasia.

But the scientists said Neanderthal remains found in various locations are genetically different from each other.

This supports the study's finding that regional Neanderthals were likely small bands of individuals, which explains the harmful mutations, while the global population was quite large, they said.

Dr Bohlender said: 'The idea is that there are these small, geographically isolated populations, like islands, that sometimes interact, but it's a pain to move from island to island.

'So, they tend to stay with their own populations.'

Professor Rogers added: 'There's a rich Neanderthal fossil record - there are lots of Neanderthal sites.

The two ancient samples used in the study - both the Neanderthal and the Denisovan - came from Denisova Cave, in the Altai Mountains of Siberia

'It's hard to imagine that there would be so many of them if there were only 1,000 individuals in the whole world.'

Asked if he found his team's results surprising, Professor Rogers told the MailOnline: 'Extremely - when we first got results like this nearly a year ago, we didn't believe them.

'The Neanderthal population was way too large, the separation time of Neanderthals and Denisovans was too old, and the confidence interval around this separation time was implausibly narrow.

'So we began trying to figure out what was wrong; a long process involving a hunt for bugs in the computer code and various experiments to figure out what could be causing these weird results.

'Eventually, we excluded everything we could think of, and at that point, we began to think the results might actually be right.'
More than 306 million previously hacked passwords have been released by a data expert in an attempt to help people ramp up their online security.

Anyone can check to see if their personal information could have been compromised using the new 'Have I Been Pwned' website.

Pwned is a play on the word 'owned', which is informally used to refer to making a fool out of someone, or taking advantage of them.

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Anyone can check to see if their personal information could have been compromised using the 'Have I Been Pwned' website (pictured)

COMMON BREACHED PASSWORDS 123456 123456789 qwerty 12345678 111111 1234567890 1234567 password 123123 987654321 Advertisement

Security expert Troy Hunt, who is based in the Gold Coast in Australia, has released a tool for searching if your password is among those hacked passwords that need changing.

The full list can be read in a 5.3GB download - or users can test our their passwords on this link.

Mr Hunt compiled the list from dozens of data breaches.

'My hope is that an easily accessible online service like this also partially addresses the age-old request I've had to provide email address and password pairs', he wrote in his blog.

'If the password alone comes back with a hit on this service, that's a very good reason to no longer use it regardless of whose account it originally appeared against'.

'As well people checking passwords they themselves may have used, I'm envisaging more tech-savvy people using this service to demonstrate a point to friends, relatives and co-workers: 'you see, this password has been breached before, don't use it!''

However, he also advises people not to test passwords they're currently using into a third-party service like his web search.

'I don't explicitly log them and I'm a trustworthy guy but yeah, don't', he wrote.

Mr Hunt was also the man behind the original data breach tracking blog 'Have I Been Pwned', which allowed users to see if one of their email accounts had been hacked.

Security expert Troy Hunt, who is based in the Gold Coast in Australia, has released a tool for searching if your password is among those hacked passwords that need changing

Pwned is a play on the word 'owned', which is informally used to refer to making a fool out of someone, or taking advantage of them

When the website was set up in 2015 it included details from 66 'pwned' websites, or websites that have suffered some form of security breach.

PERFECT PASSWORD A researcher has suggested that the best passwords are at least 15 characters long and full of random numbers and letters. Although random passwords can be hard to remember, it is suggested that users memorize passwords that can be chunked. It is easy to remember this way because they either find meaning in the chunks or because they can more easily add their own meaning through mnemonics. For example, a password like 'freQ!9tY!juNC,' which at first appears very mixed up. But by splitting the password into three chunks, 'freQ!,' '9tY!' and 'juNC,' users can remember it as 'freak,' 'ninety' and 'junk.' Researchers also suggest taking advantage of software that can help users generate and remember unique, hard-to-crack passwords for each website and application. There is also technology that will send a code to your mobile phone, use a fingerprint scanner or a special USB hardware token in order to access an online account or website. Advertisement

These included VTech, Adobe, Ashley Madison, Adult Friend Finder, Sony, Tesco, Minecraft Pocket Edition and more.

Clicking on the name of the site revealed when its users' information was leaked, the cause, and how many accounts were affected.

Earlier this year, Megan Squire, professor of computing sciences at Elon University, suggested the best passwords are at least 15 characters long and full of random numbers and letters.

Although random passwords can be hard to remember, it is suggested that users memorise passwords that can be chunked.

It is easy to remember this way because they either find meaning in the chunks or because they can more easily add their own meaning through mnemonics.

For example, a password like 'freQ!9tY!juNC,' which at first appears very mixed up.

But by splitting the password into three chunks, 'freQ!,' '9tY!' and 'juNC,' users can remember it as 'freak,' 'ninety' and 'junk.'

Researchers also suggest taking advantage of software that can help users generate and remember unique, hard-to-crack passwords for each website and application.

There is also technology that will send a code to your mobile phone, use a fingerprint scanner or a special USB hardware token in order to access an online account or website.
All it takes to confuse a driverless car are a few simple stickers on road signs.

That's the conclusion of a worrying study that found autonomous vehicles can be easily confused into misreading road signs that would appear normal to human drivers.

Placing stickers or posters over part or all of a sign could be used to trick smart cars into ignoring stop sign or suddenly braking in the middle of the road.

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Driverless cars could be tricked into accidents using simple sticker graffiti on road signs, research has found. In one experiment, graffiti stickers that read 'love/hate' were added to a stop sign, which caused a driverless car to be misread as a '45' speed limit sign

The researchers, from the University of Washington, said changes that trick an AI's learning algorithms can cause them 'to misbehave in unexpected and potentially dangerous ways.'

They suggest that if hackers are able to access the algorithm, they could use an image of the road sign to create a customised version of the sign capable of confusing the cars camera.

In one example, the researchers printed a right-hand turn sign that looked almost identical to a real one and could be stuck over an existing sign.

Subtle colour changes caused the sign to be misread by driverless car visual software as a stop sign.

In another experiment, graffiti stickers that read 'love/hate' were added to a stop sign, which caused it to be misread as a '45' speed limit sign.

'Both of our attack classes do not require special resources - only access to a colour printer and a camera,' the researchers said.

In this example, researchers printed out a true-size image similar to the Right Turn sign and overlaid it on top of the existing sign. Subtle differences cause this to be read as a Speed Limit 45 sign

The team said they hoped their research would help autonomous car makers to build better defence systems into their vehicles.

The simple hacks could caused driverless cars to run through stop junctions or come to a sudden halt in the middle of the street.

Some vehicles on our roads, such as Tesla's Model S electric cars, are already equipped with sign recognition software, although the vehicles are not yet programmed to react to the signs.

The research comes after new UK government guidelines issued last week stated that car manufacturers will have to better protect internet-connected vehicles from cyber attacks.

Driverless cars could be tricked into accidents using simple sticker graffiti on road signs, research has found. Pictured is Tesla's new Model 3 electric vehicle, which comes with driverless hardware pre-installed

Smart vehicles, allowing drivers to access maps, travel information and digital radio services, are becoming increasingly common on roads in Britain.

It is feared that hackers could target them to access personal data, steal cars with keyless entry or take control to potentially cause accidents.

Under new government guidance issued on Sunday, engineers developing smart vehicles will have to toughen up cyber protection and help eliminate hacking.

THE SIX LEVELS OF DRIVERLESS CAR AUTOMATION Level Zero - The full-time performance by the human driver of all aspects of the dynamic driving task, even when enhanced by warning or intervention systems Level One  A small amount of control is accomplished by the system such as adaptive braking if a car gets too close Level Two  The system can control the speed and direction of the car allowing the driver to take their hands off temporarily, but they have to monitor the road at all times and be ready to take over Level Three  The driver does not have to monitor the system at all times in some specific cases like on highways but must be ready to resume control if the system requests Level Four  The system can cope will all situations automatically within defined use but it may not be able to cope will all weather or road conditions. System will rely on high definition mapping Level Five  Full automation. System can cope with all weather, traffic and lighting conditions. It can go anywhere, at any time in any conditions Advertisement

Transport minister Lord Callanan said the risk of hacking was low but insisted that protecting vehicles against cyber attacks was 'important'.

'There are huge safety advantages for the public in using this technology, that's one of the key drivers of it,' Lord Callanan said.

'But there are some things we need to beware of and cyber security is a particularly important part of it.

'We need to make sure that the designs of the vehicles in the first place are completely cyber secure so that people can't break into them, they can't steal them and more importantly they can't hack them to potentially cause accidents.'
A study of Viking fish suppers has revealed the extent of the cod trade in Europe more than 1,000 years ago.

Tough vikings braved the chilly Arctic waters in longboats to bring back hauls of delicious cod as part of the Europe-wide fish trade started by Norwegian fishermen.

The findings show 'stockfish' - an ancient dried cod dish popular to this day - were transported over a thousand miles from northern Norway to the Baltic Sea during the Viking era.

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Study analysed five cod bones (one pictured) dating from between 800 and 1066 AD found in the mud of the former wharves of Haithabu, an early medieval trading port on the Baltic

VIKING FISH TRADE The study analysed five cod bones dating from between 800 and 1066 AD found in the mud of the former wharves of Haithabu, an early medieval trading port on the Baltic. Haithabu is now a heritage site in modern Germany, but at the time was ruled by the King of the Danes. The DNA from these cod bones contained genetic signatures seen in the Arctic stock that swims off the coast of Lofoten - which is still a centre for Norway's fishing industry. Researchers say the findings show that supplies of 'stockfish' - an ancient dried cod dish popular to this day - were transported over a thousand miles from northern Norway to the Baltic Sea during the Viking era. Some medieval accounts suggest stockfish was still edible as much as ten years after preservation. Advertisement

The new study published in the journal PNAS, suggests that some form of this pan-European trade in Norwegian cod may have been taking place for 1,000 years.

Latest research from the universities of Cambridge and Oslo, and the Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology in Schleswig, used ancient DNA extracted from the remnants of Viking-age fish suppers.

The study analysed five cod bones dating from between 800 and 1066 AD found in the mud of the former wharves of Haithabu, an early medieval trading port on the Baltic.

Haithabu is now a heritage site in modern Germany, but at the time was ruled by the King of the Danes.

The DNA from these cod bones contained genetic signatures seen in the Arctic stock that swims off the coast of Lofoten - which is still a centre for Norway's fishing industry.

'The trade route for dried cod was from northern Norway along the coast and then east into Skagerrak and Kattegat to Haithabu, which was near modern Schleswig', lead researcher Dr James Barrett from the University of Cambridge's McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research told MailOnline.

'There was also traffic from England and Continental Europe to Haithabu. It was a hub for Viking Age trade', he said.

Prior to the latest study, there was no archaeological or historical proof of a European stockfish trade before the 12th century.

The small size of the current study prevents researchers from determining whether the cod was transported for trade or simply used as sustenance for the voyage from Norway.

New research shows Europe-wide fish tradition has been going on for more than a thousand years, and was started by Norwegian fishermen. Pictured is the Viking dragon vessel, a real-life reconstruction of a Viking ship

They believe the Haithabu bones provide the earliest evidence of fish caught in northern Norway being consumed on mainland Europe - suggesting trade involving significant distances has been in operation for a millennium.

'Traded fish was one of the first commodities to begin to knit the European continent together economically', Dr Barrett said.

'Haithabu was an important trading centre during the early medieval period.

'A place where north met south, pagan met Christian, and those who used coin met those who used silver by weight', he said.

Stockfish is white fish preserved by the unique climate of north Norway, where winter temperature hovers around freezing.

Haithabu is now a heritage site in modern Germany, but at the time was ruled by the King of the Danes. The DNA from these cod bones contained genetic signatures seen in the Arctic stock that swims off the coast of Lofoten - which is still a centre for Norway's fishing industry

'This Arctic stock of cod is still highly prized - caught and exported across Europe today', said Dr Barrett.

'Our findings suggest that distant requirements for this Arctic protein had already begun to influence the economy and ecology of Europe in the Viking age.'

Cod is traditionally hung out on wooden frames to allow the chill air to dry the fish.

Some medieval accounts suggest stockfish was still edible as much as ten years after preservation.

Dr Barrett added: 'The Viking world was complex and interconnected.

'This is a world where a chieftain from north Norway may have shared stockfish with Alfred the Great while a late-antique Latin text was being translated in the background.

'A world where the town dwellers of a cosmopolitan port in a Baltic fjord may have been provisioned from an Arctic sea hundreds of miles away', he sai
Two phone carriers have leaked information about the release of the much-anticipated Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and they're anticipating a three week delay until the phone goes on sale.

While Samsung officially announced it will reveal the phone at an event in New York City on August 23, representatives from two carriers - who kept themselves and the phone companies they are with anonymous - said the device will go on sale September 15, although did not reveal pricing.

The early launch is designed to deflect attention from Apple's expected September unveiling of its eagerly anticipated iPhone 8.

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Leaked photos claiming to show the final design of the highly-anticipated Galaxy Note 8 have surfaced online (pictured)

'We are going to sell Galaxy Note 8 starting from the 15th of September,' explained one carrier representative to ETNews, which correctly predicted the launch and release dates for the Galaxy S8.

'Its price has not been set yet,' they said.

A representative from a different carrier corroborated the information, also saying September 15 is the final date.

'Samsung Electronics decided on the release date of Galaxy Note 8,' the source said.

'There is almost zero chance that it will change the release date of Galaxy Note 8.'

The gap is to allow time for advertising to entice consumers while the company builds up inventory, yet this delay is a week longer than the one for the disastrous Galaxy Note 7.

Pre-order information remains unknown as well, although providers are speculating consumers will be able to begin order 10 to 14 days prior to the September 15 release.

Along with the final specs, popular Samsung leaker Evan Blass tweeted out the sunset image (bottom) that seemed to be for promotional purposes. He's now confirmed to Forbes that the image is 'official' and will be used to market the device

Last week, popular Samsung leaker Evan Blass tweeted a link to his Venture Beat article about the Galaxy Note 8's final specs as well as what seemed to be a promotional image for the phone - now Blass has confirmed to Forbes that the image is 'official' and will be used to market the device.

The leaked images of the phone he shared allegedly reveal Samsung's answer to the iPhone 8 will be more rectangular than the Galaxy S8 and will be sold in black and gold.

A side by side comparison of the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy Note 8. Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 will keep the edge-to-edge display found on the Galaxy S8, according to the leaked images

THE RUMORED SPECS Leakedimages suggest the Galaxy Note 8 will more rectangular than the Galaxy S8 and will be sold in black and gold. Sources have said its design will mirror that of the Galaxy S8, including its 'infinity display.' The screen be 6.3-inches across but will appear to be the same size as the S8 thanks to a lack of bezels. It could be the first Samsung device to incorporate a dual-lens camera. Like previous Note devices, the latest model will come with an S Pen stylus, the images suggest. Advertisement

Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 will keep the edge-to-edge display found on the Galaxy S8, according to the leaked images.

The images suggest the screen of the device will be 6.3-inches across but will appear to be the same size as the S8 thanks to a lack of bezels.

Leaked photos have also revealed that the Note 8 could be the first Samsung device to incorporate a dual-lens camera.

And like previous Note devices, the latest model will come with an S Pen stylus, the images suggest.

In response to accusations that he had leaked the images on behalf of Samsung, Blass posted: 'Samsung doesn't send out controlled, full-frontal flagship leaks 3 weeks pre-launch. Next time ask.'

The invitation Samsung sent out for the product launch event on August 23 in New York City

News that LG Electronics will also release its V30 on September 15 has been reported by some foreign press, leading some to wonder if the Galaxy Note 8 and V30 will be released on the same day.

The release of phones by two major brands on the same day would be a rare occurrence.

The timing of the phone's launch is, however, believed to be an attempt to sabotage the launch of the iPhone 8 - which apple is expected to unveil in early September.

The rivals will have to battle it out for the top spot in the market, but Samsung's handset is believed to boast a new design, cutting-edge software and will likely cost less than the iPhone 8.

The firm will be hoping that the new device will help to restore consumer confidence in their products.

Although the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was one of the biggest blunders in smartphone history, the South Korean firm believes it's Note 8 has the ability to stand up to Apple's 10th anniversary iPhone 8.

Experts are echoing this, predicting the Galaxy Note 8 will reached the biggest sales volume out of all the phones to ever be released in the Galaxy lineup.

While some may be wary of a Note device after the exploding 7, experts predict the blunder may actually lead to a Note 8 boost, saying those who wanted or purchased the recalled phone will still want a Note and purchase the new device.

Additionally pointing to a boost, Samsung is selling only 400,000 Galaxy Note FEs.

Samsung had first dropped hints about a follow-up to its exploding Galaxy Note Series in April.

Samsung was forced to launch a $19 billion recall in October last year after it was discovered that Galaxy Note 7 devices were prone to overheating and bursting into flames

Samsung was forced to recall the handset last year after devices overheated and caused fires or started smoking due to battery problems.

The recall began last October and cost the company $19 billion after it was discovered that the devices were prone to overheating and bursting into flames.

Samsung also launched a vast inquiry into the issue that is expected to cost the company an estimated $5.3 billion.

Airliners banned the devices over safety fears and the company had to recall three million handsets.

It later claimed a battery fault in the Galaxy Note 7 was to blame.

It was announced in March that the South Korean firm will begin to sell refurbished versions of the ill-fated tablet phone, as well as plans to rebrand it.

Pictures of the new handset leaked online revealed what it will look like and, unsurprisingly, it's exactly the same.

Although Samsung did not plan on building ticking time bombs, they could have avoided this disaster by giving the Note 7 devices a user-removable battery, according to one expert.

'Samsung made some poor design choices with a phone that ended up being a fire hazard,' Gary Cook, senior corporate campaigner and IT sector analyst at Greenpeace told the DailyMail.com.

'Previously, Samsung designed its smartphones to let customers remove the battery themselves, which is great.'

'Now, they've shifted to using adhesive to put the battery in and it is difficult to remove.'

'That is why they are recalling the entire phone, instead of just being able replace the battery.'
An artificially intelligent robot that can understand sarcasm in social media posts better than humans has been developed by scientists.

The algorithm can decipher the tone of tweets, and researchers say it could be used to tackle online abuse.

By interpreting emoji used alongside a post's text, the robot can understand emotional subtext and identify if sarcasm is being used.

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A robot that can understand sarcasm in social media posts better than humans has been developed by scientists. By interpreting emoji used alongside a post's text, the AI can understand emotional subtext and identify if sarcasm is being used (stock image)

DEEPMOJI Researchers created the AI, known as DeepMoji, by feeding it 1.2 billion tweets. The robot analysed each tweet to understand how 64 popular emoji were used in them to express meaning. Scientists first taught DeepMoji how to use emojis in the appropriate context based on whether a tweet was happy, funny or sad. The AI then applied this emotional understanding to interpret the meaning behind online messages. DeepMoji is the most advanced sarcasm-detecting AI ever developed, with an accuracy rate of 82 per cent. It even outperformed human detectors, who managed a 76 per cent accuracy rate in the MIT study. Advertisement

As well as detecting online abuse, it could be used to assess how people feel about brands, or to improve human interaction with AI programs such as chatbots.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology created the AI, known as DeepMoji, by feeding it 1.2 billion tweets.

The robot analysed each tweet to understand how 64 popular emoji were used to express meaning.

'Because we can't use intonation in our voice or body language to contextualise what we are saying, emoji are the way we do it online,' Dr Iyad Rahwan, associate professor at the MIT Media lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, told MIT technology review.

'The neural network learned the connection between a certain kind of language and an emoji.'

Researchers first taught DeepMoji how to use emojis in the appropriate context based on whether a tweet was happy, funny or sad.

The AI then applied this emotional understanding to interpret the meaning behind the online messages of others.

DeepMoji is the most advanced sarcasm-detecting AI ever developed, with an accuracy rate of 82 per cent.

It even outperformed human detectors, who managed a 76 per cent accuracy rate in the MIT study.

As well as detecting online abuse, the AI could be used to assess how people feel about brands, or to improve human interaction with computer programs such as chatbots (stock image)

Initially designed to detect racist posts on Twitter, the AI was quickly upgraded when scientists realised it needed to be able to translate sarcasm to avoid false flags.

Along with graduate student Bjarke Felbo, Professor Rahwan has now created a website inviting people to help DeepMoji's education by submitting and annotating their own messages.

The pair said they will release the algorithm's code for free so it can be used by other researchers.

'Using emojis as labels for training neural networks is a great idea,' Professor Kerstin Dautenhahn, who studies human-machine interaction at the University of Hertfordshire and was not involved in the study, told BBC News.

'Applying it to tweets seems also a smart choice, since communication via tweets is much more impoverished than actual face-to-face conversation.

'So chances are better for the algorithms to work.'
The iPhone 8 'will not be cheap,' according to a Foxconn executive who leaked information about a potentially disastrous manufacturing hurdle facing Apple's eagerly anticipated new handset.

Foxconn Vice President Luo Zhongsheng posted - and then quickly deleted - on the social media site Weibo claiming Apple has run into supply chain issues for the much-anticipated phone and is facing a 40 percent defect rate for its new OLED screen.

In the post he warns customers may have to pay a premium to make up for the difficulty related to the 'special cutting' of the screens, which are believed to be curved edge-to-edge OLED screens.

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The status Foxconn VP Luo Zhongsheng posted - and soon after deleted - on the site Weibo, which roughly translates to, 'The OLED yield is only 60%! It looks like difficulty of special-shaped cutting is indeed great, the cost will not be cheap. Estimated iPhone 8 is not cheap'

Even before this information came out, reports already warned the new phone would cost upwards of $1,000, including some speculating it will cost $1,200.

There have been no new price estimates since the news of the OLED screen broke, and Apple is set to unveil the phone in early September.

While Zhongsheng only referred to issues with 'special cutting' and did not detail what is causing the low yield of acceptable screens, there's speculation it has to do with the 'notch' expected to be at the top for sensors, such as an anticipated face scanner.

An OLED screen with a 5.1-inch user space and virtual buttons has long-been rumored to be a part of the iPhone 8.

There were first said to be issues with the OLED screens in June, when industry sources reported that supply at assembly plants and low yields were 'likely to become issues'

Also on the site Weibo, photos appeared indicating a possible new color for the iPhone 8 - copper gold. The color falls in between orange and gold and would be an addition to the classic white and black devices

Apple's goal was to have between 3 and 4 million devices ready for launch with 50 to 60 million being available by the end of 2017, but sources said that goal is in danger.

Samsung - which is producing the screens - made no indications in its quarterly reports that there are issues with OLED supplies, and still no indications have been communicated months later.

There have not been any declared production issues, either.

The photos have not been confirmed and could potentially be fakes

Also on the site Weibo, photos appeared indicating a possible new color for the iPhone 8 - copper gold.

The color falls in between orange and gold and would be an addition to the classic white and black devices.

It appears to be a new variation of rose gold, which was offered for the iPhone 7.

The photos have not been confirmed and could potentially be fakes made by a third party, but often dummies are even inspired by real information coming from the supply chain.

If these are the three color offerings, that would align with an earlier claim from KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo, who has been called the 'best' and 'most accurate Apple analyst in the world' by several publications.

He previously said the OLED version of the phone would be available in fewer colors than previous models.

Benjamin Geskin tweeted a pictured of an older iPhone with a reflective case, to give an idea of what the mirror finish could look like

Benjamin Geskin, another respected Apple leaker from Latvia, also recently tweeted rumors about the color options, saying: '2017 OLED iPhone - four colors. New one - mirror like.'

Geskin tweeted a pictured of an older iPhone with a reflective case to give an idea of what the mirror finish could look like.

He's said the iPhone will be available in four colors, with the other three expected to be white, black and, contrary to the new reports, rose gold.

However, previous rumors have suggested that the iPhone 8 could come in six colors, including red, gold, and grey.

As of late, leaks have been revealing new several new details about the iPhone, from facial recognition features to a 'SmartCam.'

The latest information from the leak came out Friday, suggesting the iPhone 8 will record 4K video at 60 frames per second (fps).

Currently the rear camera on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus can capture 4k video at 30 frames a second.

The front cameras on both these models are limited to 1080p recording.

Flags for 'isBack4k60VideoSupported' and 'isFront4k60VideoSupported' were found under CAMCaptureCapabilities. This suggests the device will record 4K video at 60 fps

WHAT DOES THE CODE REVEAL? Because the HomePod speaker will have to work with Apple's new phone, it contains references to some of the upcoming features in its code. These include: - Removal of the home button - A 'tap to wake' feature - Facial expression detection, which may be used for Apple Pay - An edgeless display - An infrared camera - A 'SmartCam' - 4K video at 60 fps Advertisement

Uncovered by Brazilian website iHelp BR, the code in the firmware suggests the front and back cameras will record in higher definition than ever before.

Flags for 'isBack4k60VideoSupported' and 'isFront4k60VideoSupported' were found under CAMCaptureCapabilities.

4K is a resolution of 3840 pixels x 2160 lines (8.3 megapixels, aspect ration 16.9).

If this leak is correct, a faster frame rate could help the augmented reality applications on the iOS 11.

This leak follows one from earlier this week which suggested a new 'SmartCam' scene selection feature would be used to intelligently capture the best photos when shooting specific scenes like fireworks and sunsets, according to one engineer.

Guilherme Rambo, who found code suggesting the new photography feature in the leaked HomePod software, also discovered code that references authenticating Apple Pay with facial recognition.

The code for the SmartCam suggests an array of scenes including Fireworks, Baby, Bright Stage, Document, Foliage.

It's assumed the camera would detect objects in the scene to automatically apply the best setting - Apple already uses this type of image recognition to automatically sort photos in Memories and locate photos in Search.

The iPhone 8 camera may introduce support for a new 'SmartCam' scene selection feature that would be used to intelligently capture the best photos when shooting specific scenes like fireworks and sunsets, according to one engineer

Additionally, it's expected future iPhones will have a 'neural engine' dedicated to such machine learning tasks.

Findings made public earlier last week - also by Rambo, who's been tweeting about discoveries along with Ireland-based developer Steve Troughton-Smith - confirmed the rumored removal of the home button, which is expected to be replaced with a virtual button.

He also suggested the new device will likely feature facial expression detection after uncovering a potential 'attention detection' feature in the code.

He tweeted: 'There's also a lot of new references to facial expression detection,' along with the section of the code he was referring to.

The findings confirm the long-rumored removal of the home button, which is expected to be replaced with a virtual button

The latest code discovered today points to an additional use for the facial recognition technology - Apple Pay. It's now believed facial recognition rather than Touch ID will be used to authenticate payments

Facial references include 'mouthsmile', 'mouthfrown' and 'mouthpucker', which are likely to be linked to the rumoured facial recognition feature.

The latest code discovered today points to an additional use for the facial recognition technology - Apple Pay.

It's now believed facial recognition rather than Touch ID will be used to authenticate payments.

The specific code references 'passbook.payment.contactlessinterface' with 'pearl.field-detect' and 'pearl.pre-arm,' which is believed to the rumored Face ID.

Troughton-Smith discovered a 'tap to wake' feature, that would allow users to double-tap their screen to wake their device

IPHONE 8 RUMOURS Several rumors have been circulating about the iPhone 8, and suggest the next device may have: - Dual-lens 3D camera - Augmented reality capabilities - Curved glass casing - Wireless charging - 5 inch (12.7 centimeter) and 5.8 inch (14.7 centimeter) model, will have a wraparound OLED screen - Aluminium back will be replaced with two reinforced glass panes and a metal frame in the middle - Facial recognition - 128GB will cost $999 - 256GB will cost $1,099 Advertisement

Also earlier this week, Troughton-Smith discovered a 'tap to wake' feature, that would allow users to double-tap their screen to wake their device.

He tweeted: 'It looks like the new iPhones might support 'tap to wake', much like Windows Phones/Lumias.'

While the developers did not find evidence of an ultrasound Touch ID, Troughton-Smith said that a sensor under the screen was still a possibility.

He tweeted: 'I mentioned ultrasound, yes, but I searched for much, much more.

'There is no evidence whatsoever of any new kind of Touch ID.'

Troughton-Smith also recently tweeted a picture of the code, and said: 'I can confirm reports that HomePod's firmware reveals the existence of upcoming iPhone's infra-red face unlock in BiometricKit and elsewhere.'

Apple revealed its HomePod speaker - which rivals Google Home and the Amazon Echo - earlier this year.

Because the speaker will have to work with Apple's new phone, it's code references to some of the upcoming features in its code.

Mr Rambo tweeted: 'There's also a lot of new references to facial expression detection,' along with the section of the code he was referring to

Earlier findings in the code also suggest an infrared camera could be included to allow users to unlock their phone using their face  a feature that was introduced by rival Samsung in its Galaxy S8 device.

And the fact that the infra-red technology is part of a 'BiometricKit' suggests that it could also be used to measure other parts of your body, such as your heart rate.

Troughton-Smith also revealed that the iPhone 8 could have an edgeless display, having been tipped off about another section of the code by Rambo.

The details from the HomePod code were revealed on Twitter by Steve Troughton-Smith, a developer based in County Limerick, Ireland

He tweeted an image of the outline of the new iPhone, saying: 'But wait, there's more: images of the new iPhone form-factor are also present. A lot of people at Apple are going to have a nasty Monday.'

The findings come just days after a report suggested that the iPhone 8 will ship in late October, and will not be available in white.

Previous rumors suggested the Touch ID scanner would be built behind the screen but Japanese website Macotakara says this looks unlikely.

Mr Troughton-Smith also revealed that the iPhone 8 could have an edgeless display, having been tipped off about another section of the code by a developer called Guilherme Rambo

The site also claims that based on information from a Taiwanese supplier, the power button lacks parts for a fingerprint sensor.

Previously it was believed the handset would be released with the 'iPhone 7s' and 'iPhone 7s Plus' in September.

'The front frame is black only and white has been confirmed not possible so the possibility is high that color variation is few,' the website said.
Dogs have been man's best friend for up to 40,000 years, a major genetic study has found.

A DNA analysis of the world's two oldest known dog remains in Germany has revealed that dogs were domesticated in a single event by humans living in Eurasia.

The findings disprove previous findings that dogs were domesticated twice by separate groups living in east and western Eurasia - Instead, all modern dogs are thought to have descended from animals that were domesticated by people living in Eurasia from 20,000 to 40,000 years ago.

The skull of the 4,700-year-old Neolithic dog, found in the Kirschbaumhohle (Cherry Tree Cave) in Germany. The skull is pictured in the laboratory, shortly before the animal's entire genome was sequenced

HOW DID DOGS BECOME DOMESTICATED? A genetic analysis of the world's oldest known dog remains has revealed that dogs were domesticated in a single event by humans living in Eurasia. Dr Krishna Veeramah, an assistant professor in evolution at Stony Brook University, told MailOnline: 'The process of dog domestication would have been a very complex process, involving a number of generations where signature dog traits evolved gradually. 'The current hypothesis is that the domestication of dogs likely arose passively, with a population of wolves somewhere in the world living on the outskirts of hunter-gatherer camps feeding off refuse created by the humans. 'Those wolves that were tamer and less aggressive would have been more successful at this, and while the humans did not initially gain any kind of benefit from this process, over time they would have developed some kind of symbiotic [mutually beneficial] relationship with these animals, eventually evolving into the dogs we see today.' Advertisement

According to researchers based at Stony Brook University, dogs were the first animals to be domesticated by humans.

Scientists agree that dogs stem from wolves.

Although the oldest remains of dogs that can be clearly distinguished from those of wolves originate from about 15,000 years ago in Germany, the archaeological record is ambiguous - with claims of ancient domesticated dog bones from various locations as far away as Siberia.

Over the past few years, exactly where and how many times dogs were domesticated has been a matter for debate.

Dr Krishna Veeramah, an assistant professor in evolution at Stony Brook University, told MailOnline: 'We've found clear evidence that dogs were domesticated 20,000 to 40,000 years ago.

'New research last year provocatively suggested that dogs could have been domesticated twice but our conclusion was there is no evidence for dual domestication.

'We would argue that finding evidence for only one domestication event is a big deal, because it is very important to helping us understand how domestication works.'

His research found that dogs evolved to be a separate species from wild wolves sometime between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago.

Dr Veeramah said that because dog domestication has only occurred once over the course of human history, it suggests that the process is complex and dependent on a very specific set of conditions.

'The process of dog domestication would have been a very complex process, involving a number of generations where signature dog traits evolved gradually,' he said.

'The current hypothesis is that the domestication of dogs likely arose passively, with a population of wolves somewhere in the world living on the outskirts of hunter-gatherer camps feeding off refuse created by the humans.

'Those wolves that were tamer and less aggressive would have been more successful at this, and while the humans did not initially gain any kind of benefit from this process, over time they would have developed some kind of symbiotic [mutually beneficial] relationship with these animals, eventually evolving into the dogs we see today.'

For this new study, researchers extracted DNA from the skeletal remains of Neolithic (10,200 BC to 2,000 BC) dogs from archaeological sites in Germany and Ireland.

One of the animals, which lived around 7,000 years ago, is the oldest recorded known dog specimen in the world, while the other two lived 5,000 and 4,700 years ago.

It is likely that older specimens exist, but distinguishing between 'large dogs and small wolves' can be troublesome, according to Dr Veeramah.

Scientists compared DNA taken from these animals to DNA taken from modern breeds of dog.

A map showing the similarity between the DNA of dog remains from the Neolithic period to DNA taken from the dogs of today. Purple indicates a high level of genetic similarity, while red shows a low level of similarity. This map shows ancient dogs are most related to European dogs

He found that there was a very high degree of genetic continuity between dogs from the Neolithic period and modern breeds.

This means that the DNA of modern European dogs is very similar to that of domesticated canines that lived thousands of years ago.

The new findings are contrary to a previous study conducted last year, where researchers at the University of Oxford suggested that dogs were domesticated twice, and that an indigenous dog population domesticated in Europe was replaced by incoming migrants independently domesticated in East Asia during the Neolithic period.

'Contrary to the results of this previous analysis, we found that our ancient dogs from the same time period were very similar to modern European dogs, including the majority of breed dogs people keep as pets,' said Dr Veeramah.

The skull of the 4,700-year-old Neolithic dog was found in the Kirschbaumhohle (Cherry Tree Cave), Germany, pictured here still in the cave before whole genome sequencing

'This suggests that there was no mass Neolithic replacement that occurred on the continent and that there was likely only a single domestication process for the dogs observed in the fossil record from the Stone Age and that we also see and live with today.'

In the study, the researchers used the 7,000-year-old dog to narrow the timing of the dog domestication to the 20,000 to 40,000 years ago range.

They found evidence that the younger, 4,700-year-old dog represents a mixture of European dogs and a population that resembles current Central Asian/Indian dogs.

This might mean that people migrated from the Asian steppe to Europe at the beginning of the Bronze Age, bringing their own dogs with them.

Dr Veeramah said: 'We found that ancient dogs look a lot like modern European dogs.

'Dogs that farmers had in Europe 7,000 years ago are very similar, genetically speaking, to modern dog breeds.'

Dogs have been man's best friend for up to 40,000 years, a major genetic study has revealed

This finding strengthens the idea that the first domesticated dogs lived somewhere in Eurasia, Dr Veermah said.

But it is still not possible to pinpoint the exact location where domestication first occurred, he added.

'We know when dogs were domesticated but the question remains where they come from,' he said.

In order to answer this question, researchers must find and analyse specimens that lived around the time that dog domestication occurred.
It was supposed to be a demonstration of just how much Boston Dynamic's six foot tall humanoid robot has improved.

Instead, the latest test of the machine's prowess descended into disaster when it fell off the stage at the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders conference in Massachusetts.

The fall promoted staff to rush to its aid, and followed a series of previous blunders that saw it trip repeatedly during a recent 'Robot Olympics' event.

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THE ATLAS ROBOT According to Boston Dynamics, Atlas is a 'high mobility, humanoid robot designed to negotiate outdoor, rough terrain. 'Atlas can walk bipedally leaving the upper limbs free to lift, carry, and manipulate the environment. 'In extremely challenging terrain, Atlas is strong and coordinated enough to climb using hands and feet, to pick its way through congested spaces.' Advertisement

Atlas was being shown off with SpotMini, another robot from Boston Dynamics.

The firm was previously owned by Google's Alphabet and was recently acquired by Softbank for an undisclosed amount in December 2016.

Softbank also purchased humanoid AI specialist company Schaft around the same time in another Alphabet deal.

During the presentation, Atlas' was tasked with using its computer vision and arms to find and move objects while SpotMini - which was being controlled by a human - pulled the target object away to increase difficulty and prompt Atlas to repeat the task.

During the presentation, Atlas' was tasked with using its computer vision and arms to find and move objects while SpotMini - which was being controlled by a human - would pull the target object away to increase difficulty and prompt Atlas to repeat the task

After Boston Dynamics founder and CEO Marc Raibert and the rest of the team were done toying with the robot, it successfully picked up the box to a standing ovation

After Boston Dynamics founder and CEO Marc Raibert and the rest of the team were done toying with the robot, it successfully picked up the box, to a standing ovation.

But then when the robot went to make its human-controlled grand exit from the stage, it fell off to the shock of many.

Team members from Boston Dynamics rushed to pick up the robot.

The Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders conference took place between June 29 and July 1 at the Tsongas Center at UMass in Lowell, Massachusetts, but the video has just started gaining attention online after being posted to Reddit.

Users on the site upvoted the video to the front page of the Robotics subreddit and joked about the fall.

'Poor lil' feller,' wrote user.

Another suggested we may not want to taunt such an advanced robot, writing: 'We laugh now, but payback's a b*tch.'

The humanoid robot walked off the side of the stage at the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders conference during what was supposed to be a live presentation showing off the machine's new and improved abilities

Others pointed out that you can't really blame the robot this time around, since a human was controlling it at the time of the fall.

'More like 'human drives robot off stage because he forgets stairs are off by one,' wrote one.

'As someone who's done a few robotics demos, that operator must still have bad dreams about that,' commented another.

'Usually people laugh it off if it's a good work environment, but being so close to the end of the demo and just messing up at the very end has got to sting a bit.'

Last month, a story about Steve the suicidal robot that 'drowned' in a Washington D.C. fountain went viral

Last month, a story about Steve the suicidal robot that 'drowned' in a Washington D.C. fountain went viral.

It turns out the roboguard was not a victim of suicide or foul play and instead took a tumble after skidding on a 'loose brick surface,' according to its manufacturer.

This is not the first big fall for Atlas.

In 2015, Atlas competed in what is called the 'Robot-Olympics', where the world's most advanced robots compete in a series of challenging events.

The robot publicly fell walking over tricky terrain, going tumbling down after taking just one step.

In 2015, Atlas competed in what is called the 'Robot-Olympics', where the world's most advanced robots compete in a series of challenging events. IHMC watched as Atlas walked over the tricky terrain, but, without the new algorithm, the humanoid went tumbling down after taking just one step

Since that gaffe and despite the latest, Boston Dynamics has improved its humanoid to accomplish more human like skills, even enabling it to easily get up on its own if it falls.

This a skill that was missing during the Robo-Olympics, as a crane was required to life the machine upright.

With this recent fall, members from the Boston Dynamics team picked it up quickly to save face.

The new wireless version was shown being pushed over by an employee, falling face down on the ground, but this time, it was able to get back up on its own

The new version of Atlas that can pick itself up has been shown being pushed over by an employee - and simply getting back up.

The video about the next generation of the robot also shows it walking out of the firm's office and across a snowy plateau.

While losing its footing several times, it corrects itself and stays upright.

It is also shown moving 10 kg boxes with ease in a tight space.

The improvements came after Atlas was upgraded with an algorithm that makes the humanoid better balance itself while traveling over more confusing terrain like stones and rocks.

The new addition comes from the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition, who say the robot is able to find a solid foothold by shifting the weight of its outstretched foot on the edge of a support.

Google's Boston Dynamics Atlas has been upgraded with an algorithm that makes the humanoid better balance itself while traversing small stepping stones and rocks. Atlas can be seen standing with its arms stretched out to its side in a video, as it treks over the terrain

ATLAS'S BALANCING ACT Boston Dynamic's Atlas has been upgraded with an algorithm that makes the bipedal humanoid better balance itself in order to traverse small stepping stones and rocks. The new addition comes from the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition. Researchers say the robot finds a solid foothold by shifting the weight of its outstretched foot - allowing it to obtain its balance before taking another step. The team also explains that the incorporation of angular momentum, as Atlas heaves up its torso when moving its leg at an angle, allows the robot to exhibit 'human like balancing motions' Advertisement

Atlas can also be seen standing with its arms stretched out to its side in the video, as it treks over the unstable terrain - just like a human would who is trying to keep their balance.

'The Atlas Humanoid walking over small and partial footholds such as small stepping stones or line contacts,' the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC) shared in a video showcasing Atlas's new talent.

'After each step the robot explores the new foothold by shifting its weight around its foot.'

'To maintain balance we combine fast, dynamics stepping with the use of angular momentum (lunging of the upper body).'

The robot boasts 28 hydraulically-operated joints and stereo vision, making it one of the most advanced robots ever created.

On its website, Boston Dynamics said: 'Atlas can walk bipedally leaving the upper limbs free to lift, carry, and manipulate the environment.

The short clip shows the humanoid standing on a stack of cinder blocks that are placed near a pit filled with rocks and other blocks.

The short clip shows the humanoid standing on a stack of cinder blocks that are placed near a pit filled with rocks and other blocks. The robot is controlled by a human, but it is not simply a matter of using a joystick to control the robot

MOVEMENTS MASTERED BY ATLAS Atlas can now do a range of movements including: - Standing up after falling over - Running - Balancing on a narrow beam - Cleaning, including vacuuming and sweeping - Karate kick - Throwing a paper airplane Advertisement

Atlas stretches its right foot out onto one of the cinder blocks that sits at an angle in the pit, moves it around to see if its footing is stable and when it believes it has good balance, the robot extends its left foot to an adjacent block.

The robot is controlled by a human, but it is not simply a matter of using a joystick to control the robot.

'To balance and walk it is helpful to have an estimate of the current support polygon as the area where the CoP (Center of Pressure) can be placed,' IHMC writes in the study published in the journal arXiv.

'While walking over uncertain terrain, the new foothold is explored after each step.'

'If there is no additional information about the foothold available we start by assuming the full foot to be in contact with the ground.'

Atlas stretches its right foot out onto one of the cinder blocks that sits at an angle in the pit, moves it around to see if its footing is stable and when it believes it has good balance, the robot extends its left foot to an adjacent block

The team also explains that the incorporation of angular momentum, as Atlas heaves up its torso when moving its leg at an angle, allows the robot to exhibit 'human like balancing motions'

IHMC explains that Atlas will begin to shift its local foot, the first one it uses to take a stop, CoP around within the foothold.

If it feels comfortable with the CoP in the area of its foot that is on the ground, it will then lift the other foot to another spot.

However, it is when the robot 'thinks' it is not well balanced will it rotate about the edge of the support  in this case it is a cinder block.

The team also explains that the incorporation of angular momentum, as Atlas heaves up its torso when moving its leg at an angle, allows the robot to exhibit 'human like balancing motions'.

'This is an important step in the effort of making legged robots useful in real world scenarios,' reads the study.

'The ability to walk on unexpected partial footholds greatly increases the robustness of a robot when employed in cluttered environments.'

'In addition it vastly extends the set of environments a robot can traverse.'

However, over the past year Boston Dynamics has been improve its humanoid to accomplish more human like skills. Earlier this year, the robotics firm revealed it has the ability to easily get up on its own if it falls
They've long been considered accurate land markers that map-out the world's most seminal sites.

But, despite their claims of precision, it seems that many of the globe's most lauded locations are actually off-the-mark.

Experts believe the geographical gaffes surfaced after advances in technology allowed officials to measure the earth more meticulously.

Near, but so far: Experts say Ecuador's Middle of the World monument is nearly 800 feet south of where it should be in South America

As reported in Atlas Obscura, this development in IT - combined with the constant, slow movement of land - has rendered many of the sites, once revered, now lacking credibility.

These include Ecuador's Middle of the World, which was deemed the central meeting point of the four hemispheres by explorer Luis Tufino in 1936.

Updated from its original monument in the 1970s, it was enhanced by a painted line on the pavement, which became a popular destination point for sightseers.

However, satellite images later revealed that it's nearly 800 feet (240 meters) south of the actual point that measures Latitude 0 0 0.

Askew: The Equator Monument in Indonesia has long been faithfully regarded as accurate

Geographical Centre of South America in Brazil: This marker in little-known region of Cuiaba was hailed as the central point in 1909, but this was later deemed 45 kilometres off the spot

GEOGRAPHICAL MARKERS THAT ARE WRONG Europos Park - Joneikiskes, Lithuania Geographic Center of South America - Cuiaba, Brazil Center of the Nation Monument - Belle Fourche, South Dakota The Geographical Center of North America - Rugby, North Dakota Geographic Center of the Contiguous United States - Lebanon, Kansas The Oldest 45th Parallel Marker in the U.S. - Perry, Maine The Real Greenwich Prime Meridian - London, England The Equator Monument - North Pontianak, Indonesia The Geographic Center of Scotland - Highland, Scotland Middle of the World - San Antonio de Pichincha, Ecuador 45 x 90 Geographical Marker - Athens, Wisconsin Source: Atlas Obscura Advertisement

The famed Equator Monument in North Pontianak is also guilty of (innocently) misleading the public.

Officials erected a monument in 1991, which was based on the markings laid-out by by a Dutch geographer when he visited Borneo in 1928.

Unfortunately, the mobile nature of land has meant that the equator line has actually moved south in the passing years.

A second line recorded the new recorded position in 2005, but - five years later in 2010 - it was said to have shifted again. This time, into a river.

Meanwhile, the Geographical Centre of South America in Brazil is also regarded as wrongly-located.

The little-known region of Cuiaba was hailed as the central point of South America way back in 1909 after Brazilian military officer, Candido Rondon, calculated it by dividing the country into equal quarters from all sides.

However, GPS later offered a more sophisticated approach in the 1990s, which identified the true centre as being 45 kilometres away, near the town of Chapada dos Guimaraes.

Oops: First opened in the 1990s to mark the dead-centre of Europe, the geographical experts who declared Europos Park the continent's nucleus later revised their calculations

Measurements amiss? The monument to mark the geographical center of North America

Lithuania's Europos Park is similarly unreliable. First opened in the 1990s to mark the dead-centre of Europe, the geographical experts who declared it the continent's nucleus later revised their calculations.

In fact, they admitted they were nearly ten miles off the mark.

Adding insult to injury, Belarusian scientists Alexey Solomonov and Valery Anoshko published a report in 2000 that stated the geographic centre of Europe was located near Lake Sho in the Vitebsk Region, which borders Russia.

In addition, the Hungarians have claimed they own the centre of Europe, thanks to the village of Tallya.

Equally humiliating is London's claims of accurately pinpointing the Greenwich Prime Meridian. Although a monument claims to mark the spot, which dates back to 1851, it was later considered 102 meters (334 feet) east of its actual position.
In the flurry of obituaries for Sam Shepard, who died last Thursday, at 73, from complications related to Lou Gehrig's disease, the playwright and actor appears in close up, as an uncompromisingly honest anatomist of family traumas, and in long shot, as the last mythologist of the American West. He grew up "all over the Southwest, really  Cucamonga, Duarte, California, Texas, New Mexico," yanked from place to place by his Air Force-pilot dad's postings, but when he moved to New York in '62, he seemed oddly at home in the bohemia of the Lower East Side, plunging into the experimental theater scene orbiting around La MaMa. His Gary Cooper features, laconic way with words, and cowboy cool seemed right, somehow, for the post-beat, proto-punk underground that produced Andy Warhol's 1968 movie, Lonesome Cowboys, and Velvet Underground songs like "Lonesome Cowboy Bill" (1970), both ironic, deadpan jabs at the moribund myth of the American Frontier (at the very moment that John Wayne was performing CPR on it in True Grit). In his early play, Cowboy Mouth (1971), binge-written in the Chelsea Hotel with his then-lover, Patti Smith, Shepard reimagines the high-plains drifter of John Ford legend as a wannabe Keith Richards, "a street angelwith a cowboy mouth."

Coming of age at a moment when the rock guitarslinger was coolness itself, both Shepard and Smith, like many Boomer writers, sublimated their dreams of rock stardom into bravura improvisations on the typewriter. "First off let me tell you that I don't want to be a playwright," wrote Shepard, in 1971. "I want to be a rock and roll star. I want that understood right off."

I got into writing plays because I had nothing else to do. So I started writing to keep from going off the deep end. That was back in '64. Writing has become a habit. I like to yodel and dance and fuck a lot. Writing is neat because you do it on a very physical level. Just like rock and roll. A lot of people think playwrights are some special brand of intellectual fruitcake with special answers to special problems that confront the world at large. I think that's a crock of shit. When you write a play you work out like a musician on a piece of music. You find all the rhythms and the melody and the harmonies and take them as they come. So much for theory.

That sensibility animates Hawk Moon, Shepard's 1973 collection of "short stories, poems, and monologues" dedicated to "Patti Lee" (Smith). Most of the obits have focused, rightly, on Shepard the playwrighthe wrote some 55 plays, one of which, Buried Child (1978), won him a Pulitzerand Shepard the actor, a veteran of more than 50 roles, most notably Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff (1983). Still, it's a pity so little mention has been made of Shepard the prose poet.

No doubt, Hawk Moon is early, immature Shepard, half-baked in spots, overegged in others. The London Review dismissed the book as "scrappy and inconsequential," rolling a derisory eye at its "breathless, unpunctuated prose-poems and cute little seven or eight-liners in free verse in the style of Richard Brautigan." Yet the reviewer conceded that the best of the fleetingly brief storiesflash fiction decades before the term was coined"are sharp, macabre histories of urban fear and violence" that are very much of their moment ("the mechanized world of motor-car, radio culture, rootlessness and nuclear threat") yet can still see the "mythical world of the Frontier, the Wild West, the prairies" receding in the rear-view mirror.

At their best, Hawk Moon's poems and short, short stories have the fishtailing, careering momentum of Jayne Mansfield's deathmobile, which, as it happens, puts in an appearance, in "The Curse of the Raven's Black Feather": "Visions of wrecks. Visions of wrecked stars; Jayne Mansfield's severed head. Jackson Pollock. Jimmy Dean. Visions of wrecked cars. Asleep at the wheel." We can hear the incoming buzzbomb squall of punk rock in Shepard's hopped-up, free-associated imagery, and in the manic glee of his depictions of a post-'60s America gone to seed.

In "Seven is a Number in Magic," a marauding gang of feral kidsclose kin to William Burroughs's Wild Boys, on "customized Schwinns and stolen bikes with raccoon tails flying from the handle barsand mud flaps with red and orange reflectors and the Ace of Spades stuck in their spokes"surround a gaggle of nurses, out for a night on the town. Slashing the young women "with silver car antennas like whips," they steal their purses. When one of the nurses makes a run for it, a boy gives chase, "doing wheel stands and burning rubber right on her heels." Lopping off her ear with a switchblade, he brandishes it in triumph. The next day, alone on a rooftop, he threads a leather thong through the ear and hangs it around his neck, a fetish object for the Lord of the Flies. "He stands up and raises a fist to the sky. The Gods are well pleased."

>Mark Dery is a cultural critic and essayist, based in New York. His latest book is the essay collection I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts: Drive-By Essays on American Dread, American Dreams. He is writing a biography of the artist and legendary eccentric Edward Gorey for Little, Brown.
Animal lovers rarely get to enjoy holidays with their pets.

But an ingenious new invention may have changed all that - after taking inspiration from the space programme.

The Bubble Pet Carrier, by U-Pet, has become an essential travel accessory for animal lovers who can't stand to be separated from their pets. And, thanks to its quirky design, the eye-popping satchel has seriously taken off.

Mobile moggy: The Bubble Pet Carrier, by U-Pet, has become an essential travel accessory for animal lovers who can't stand to be separated from their pets

Featuring a built-in security leash, mesh panels and ventilation holes, plus a dome-shaped peep hole, the adjustable backpack has become a sell-out for the New York based company who produce it.

In part because it promises to liberate curious animals from dreary domesticity, but also thanks to its playful range.

This includes a star-spangled banner bag for patriotic pets, while another is styled in strokable faux-fur.

That said, the bags are functional as well as funky. Weighing just 3.9 pounds, it can carry an animal that weighs up to 16 pounds.

Measuring 12.6in L x 10.1in W x 16.1in H, it's specifically designed to pass as carry-on plane luggage and is made of animal-friendly, washable materials.

Range: The collection features a variety of colours and styles, including these neon numbers

Perfect for patriotic pets: This star-spangled banner bag is also a sell-out for the US company

Billed as a mobile pet bed, in-cabin airplane carrier, and car seat all in one, the travel bag retails for 100 and has already garnered countless glowing reviews from users.

One, who bestowed it with a five-star rating, said: 'This cat carrier is so cute and unique. With the bubble window, it makes me think of a tiny spaceship with a cat at the helm.

'There's a large mesh area near the bottom of each side that doesn't look like much, but from the inside the cat can get a good view of the world. And it's a backpack too! So cool!'

Spoiled for choice: The bags have become fab favourites, winning acclaim from users

Another added: 'It is the best carrier ever! My cats love it! One doesn't even want to come out because it is so cozy in there, and it's like a space pot!

'Thank you thank you! Best Christmas gift for my cats ever!'

Founded in 2013, U-pet was 'developed by pet lovers and industry veterans to share the world with their pets'.
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Its the lifestyle that Tom Cruises character Les Grossman talks about so memorably in comedy Tropic Thunder - flying in a Gulfstream G5 instead of earning frequent flyer b**** miles.

And businessman Sam Huang reveals how he lived it for free, using a status match loophole, in this case a perk for hitting a million air miles.

Huang flew in a G5 from South Beach, Miami, to Chicago, on a $50million G5 for the grand total of $0  instead of $2,863. On his blog he describes stepping on board a plane that was covered in bling.

Businessman Sam Huang, pictured, flew in a G5 private jet from Miami to Chicago for free

Huang wrote on his blog that his jaw dropped when he entered the cabin and saw how luxurious it was

The jet, which is worth $50million, has an old-style CD changer for its passengers to use

Opulence: The bathroom, Huang said, was one of the stand-out features of the plane

Details: Even the flush button for the plane's toilet has a touch of class about it

It even had gold-plated seatbelt buckles and air vents.

He wrote: Upon entering the cabin, my mouth dropped as I saw the gorgeous cabin for the first time, with its beautiful leather stitching, wooden panels, and plenty of gold trimmings.

My assigned seat was in the front part of cabin, which consisted of a long couch, along with three pairs of plush light beige leather seats facing each other.

Once we hit cruising altitude, snacks were served a flight attendant took our drink orders. Over the course of the flight I had a couple glasses of Champagne, which was poured in beautifully glazed goblets.

An opportunity for a G5 selfie was never going to be passed up by Huang, who travels the world in style using air miles and travel loopholes

Buckle up - in style: The seatbelt fastenings are gold-plated, of course. Jet-setters would expect nothing less

The seats on the G5 swivel 90 degrees, so that passengers can talk to their neighbours with ease

Golden ticket: Huang's itinerary showed that a Gulfstream IV would operate the flight, but a G5 was used instead

My seat was quite spacious, with plenty of padding. An added bonus the seats can be rotated up to 90 degrees using a gold handle, so youre able to talk to your seat neighbor.

Each pair of seats shares a rather large dining table. Interestingly enough no small detail goes unnoticed: the table hinge is made of faux gold brass. There were golden seat belt buckles, air vents and reading lights. Even an old school CD audio controller.

But he said that nothing compared to the size of the bathroom, which was even bigger than the first-class bathrooms on A380s.

Other perks of the trip for Huang, who was born in Pasadena but currently lives in Taipei, included a boarding process that took mere minutes  and being able to drive right up to the airport terminal building.

To read more about the amazing trip and for tips on using air miles, visit Huang's travel website .

Access all areas: Huang was allowed a sneak peek into the cockpit during the flight
They called it quits on their 17-year marriage in 2014, despite raising their two daughters Ida and Greta together.

But Dolph Lundgren and Anette Qviberg appeared to be the world's friendliest exes as they enjoyed a holiday in Marbella, Spain with their daughter Ida on Sunday.

The Expendables action man flaunted his impressive abs when he went shirtless in the sea under the Spanish sun.

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The world's friendliest exes? The Expendables star Dolph Lundgren showed off his impressive abs on Marbella beach in Spain on Sunday

Hollywood heartthrob Dolph took the plunge in the icy cool waters only sporting skimpy sky-blue swimming shorts.

The Swedish actor showcased his dashing good looks and worked his irresistible charm in the company of his ex-wife.

Anette displayed her hourglass curves in a strapless black bikini.

Family time! He was joined on holiday by his ex wife Anette Qviberg and their eldest daughter Ida, 21

Sizzling hot: Hollywood heartthrob Dolph looked incredible as he sported skimpy sky-blue swimming shorts

It's all relative! Ida took to the Spanish sands in a skimpy string bikini which showcased her slender frame

Mixing it up: She wore mismatching bottoms and a bikini top to catch the eyes of beach-goers

She let her natural golden locks tumble in loose waves.

The divorced couple were joined on their sun-soaked reunion by their model daughter.

Ida, 21, took to the Spanish sands in a skimpy string bikini which showcased her slender frame.

Girls, girls, girls: The mother and daughter looked blissfully caught up in each other's company

Eye-popping: And no doubt Anette courted the attention of her former flame when she put her phenomenal hourglass curves on display in a strapless black bikini

The stunning Stockholm born beauty made a fashion statement as she mixed up her look with mismatching beachwear top and bottoms.

Despite their youngest daughter Greta, 15, not appearing to be on the beach with the family, she shared a snap from MC beach in Marbella around the same time they were away.

They have always had a place in their heart for Marbella after falling madly in love with the location when the pair got married there in 1994.

Fun in the sun: The eldest daughter caught up with a pal on the beach

Closer than ever: The family unit was still going strong despite the couple's decision to divorce in 2011

End of an era: The married lovers had been together for 17 years

The former flames went onto rent accommodation there before eventually investing in a family home in the Spanish city.

But the ex lovers decided to go their separate ways and in 2011 their divorce was finalised.

In 2010, the actor had described his wife as his 'best friend' the year before their marriage came to an end.

Of his wife at the time, he told The Guardian: 'You have to be best friends, because the physical attraction comes and goes.'

From strength to strength: The divorced couple raised their two daughters Ida and Greta, 15, together

Blast from the past! They have always had a place in their heart for Marbella

Still in love: They fell madly in love with the location when the pair got married there in 1994
She's one of the Bachelor contestants chasing Matty J's heart.

And on Monday, it was reported season 'villain' Leah Costa had previously be proposed to by three different guys.

According to Woman's Day, the 25-year-old former topless waiter 'sort of accepted one' of the proposals that took place in her early twenties.

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Not her first rodeo: On Monday, it was revealed that Bachelor 'villain' Leah Costa had been engaged three times

'I've been proposed to by three guys,' Leah told the publication.

'I was 20, 21 and 22 years old at the time, and sort of accepted one of them.'

Daily Mail has reached out to Leah for a comment.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia exclusively, friend Jen Hawke, 27, said that Leah had mentioned she was previously engaged in the mansion.

Secrets: Ally Jen Hawke, 27, told Daily Mail Australia exclusively that Leah had mentioned her engagements in the mansion

'She definitely spoke about it in the house amongst a few of us who were close,' she revealed.

And although not afraid to ruffle some feathers and speak her mind, it seems she only opened up about her past love life to her closest friends as rival Simone Ormesher, 25, told Woman's Day she had no idea.

The Bachelor Australia continues Wednesday at 7:30pm on Ten.
Paul O'Gradys Hollywood

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Secrets of Silicon Valley

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Shes a classy dame, that Celine Dion. The chanteuse famous for her hit theme from Titanic was on Paul OGradys Hollywood (Channel 4) to talk about the movies that get us sobbing in the cinema.

Celines face didnt appear to move. She seemed to be a mannequin in a mask, whispering words like a ventriloquist without a twitch of her lips. But as she described Titanics emotional impact, water squirted from her eyes.

Paul O' Grady's Hollywood show is back for a new season. One of the first guests was singer/songwriter Celine Dion

Was a hidden puppeteer working her tear ducts? Celine let the heartache glisten in her gaze for a moment, then raised a mechanical hand to dab at her mascara.

Such sensitivity. Such artistry. Such horsefeathers.

She wasnt the only celeb among the impressive collection of big-name actors to have a little sob, at the mere thought of sad films.

U.S. actress Sherilyn Fenn got all choked at the memory of Titanic, too. Bernard Cribbins went wobbly lipped over the ending of The Railway Children.

Singer Celine Dion made an appearance on the Paul O' Grady show to talk about 'movies that made us sob'

But OGrady refused to join in. He was hurling popcorn and jeering at the screen, like a bored schoolboy in the cheap seats.

Titanic didnt impress him. This films as far-fetched as a bucket of s*** from China! he mocked, with a blast from the bleeper to ensure the show retained its pre-watershed, PG certificate.

You cant blame him for being unmoved. We saw a ten-second clip of Leonardo DiCaprio kissing Kate Winslets hand, then glimpsed the two of them in that classic pose on the prow, before seeing another five-second excerpt, this time of Leo turning into a mini iceberg in the freezing Atlantic.

No one could get genuinely weepy about that. The same applied to the flashes of E.T. and Bambi, not to mention the very brief encounter with Brief Encounter.

The whole programme appeared to have been edited by an eight-year-old stoked full of E-numbers and Red Bull.

None of the all-star interviews was longer than a couple of sentences. Every thought was cut short, every scene was truncated.

Bits of Marley & Me, The Champ, Beaches and Philadelphia were over before they had barely begun.

Maybe its because an entire generation raised on YouTube is unable to concentrate for longer than the time it takes a baby panda to sneeze, but this was not a coherent show, more of a blur.

Online video clips are not the only threat to humanity, according to science writer Jamie Bartlett on Secrets Of Silicon Valley (BBC2).

He set out to warn that the free thinkers of the internet age could plunge civilisation into a futuristic nightmare where machines render all of us redundant. It starts with phone apps like Airbnb and Uber, designed with the innocent intention of making it easier to book a self-catering holiday or call a cab.

It ends with the collapse of society and an economy where bullets are the only currency.

What Bartlett couldnt grasp was that his interviewees, while they might have created internet start-ups now worth billions, were all imbeciles. A talent for writing computer code is no guarantee of true intelligence.

One visionary entrepreneur was babbling like a lunatic on a soapbox at Speakers Corner, about a financial system where poverty was eliminated with hefty cash handouts for all.

And a former Facebook boss was building a hideout in the Rockies that bristled with weapons, ready for a zombie apocalypse. You could almost hear the hum of paranoia in his head.

These people wont change the world. You wouldnt trust them to change their underpants.
Poldark (BBC1)

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Oh, that silver-tongued seducer, Half-Blind Hugh the Poet. What Demelza sees in the arty lad is a mystery to me but, whatever it is, she was rolling in the long grass with him as Poldark reached its oversexed finale.

His sight was fading, he pleaded as the waves rolled on the sands. All he asked was for Demelza (Eleanor Tomlinson) to let her heart rule her head, so that I might go into the darkness knowing I once tasted heaven.

In other words  give us a kiss, darling, and drop em.

Demelza obliged. She was so obliging that, when Hugh (Josh Whitehouse) groped her knee, she seized his wrist and guided his hand elsewhere.

Demelza was so obliging that, when Hugh (Josh Whitehouse) groped her knee, she seized his wrist and guided his hand elsewhere

By contrast, the Capn has kept his britches on throughout this series  it was written into his contract that he would only remove his shirt for bedroom scenes

She had already told husband Ross she dreamed of loving another, just for a day. He scowled that laser scowl that could burn through steel, but Demelza didnt care. She was ready to romp.

The Capn has kept his britches on throughout this series  it was written into his contract that he would only remove his shirt for bedroom scenes. Aidan Turner, who plays Ross Poldark, was clearly fed up of having his chest hair trimmed with nail scissors.

The rest of the cast have been at it like stoats. There must be something in the Cornish water  ginseng and Viagra, by the look of it.

Randiest of all is the repulsive Reverend, Ossie Whitworth (Christian Brassington). His idea of a sweet nothing was to launch himself at his pregnant wife Morwenna (Ellise Chappell) shouting, You have no right to deny me and I shall avail myself.

Yes, hes a disgusting brute with an unsavoury toe fetish, but his chat-up lines do appear to get results.

Ossies overheated sex drive seemed to have found an outlet last Sunday, as his teenage sister-in-law sat on his lap and popped her corset buttons with one heave of her bosom. We werent sure why she was suddenly so amorous but the Rev didnt ask questions. He just availed himself.

Randiest of all of Poldark's characters is the repulsive Reverend, Ossie Whitworth (Christian Brassington)

The Reverend's idea of a sweet nothing was to launch himself at his pregnant wife Morwenna (Ellise Chappell, pictured) shouting, You have no right to deny me and I shall avail myself

So much availing went on that the vicar had to drug his wife to find enough hours in the day. At first, viewers guessed the little minx Rowella (Esme Coy) was sacrificing her virtue to protect her older sister from Ossie.

It turned out, though, that her virtue was already sacrificed to the local librarian  a gangly lad with a splodge of red hair, like one tomato at the top of a beanpole.

Rowella then claimed she was pregnant, and availed herself of 500 in hush money  between 20,000 and 25,000 at todays rates. She had a drawing of a birthmark on the vicars buttock to prove it. She said it looked like a piglets tail  the Georgian equivalent of revenge porn.

Elizabeth (Heida Reed), meanwhile, was telling outright lies. She grabbed the Bible and swore she had given herself to no man but her dead husband Francis and her current husband, the colder-than-dead George Warleggan.

Perhaps Elizabeth is hoping to be spared damnation on a technicality  she didnt exactly give herself to Ross. He came and took her. But she liked it.

Demelza, Elizabeth, Morwenna and Rowella... do you see what makes Poldark such dynamic viewing? Its the array of strong female characters.

This leads to supercharged viewing figures. Poldark is easily the most popular drama on TV, with 6.44million fans  including 1.75m who watch on the catch-up service iPlayer. That makes it as successful as EastEnders.

Elizabeth (Heida Reed), meanwhile, was telling outright lies with the Bible in her hand

She swore she had given herself to no man but her dead husband Francis and her current husband, the colder-than-dead George Warleggan (pictured)

But almost uniquely on TV today, a cast of powerful women does not dictate that all menfolk must be perverts and inadequates. The vicar is vile but he is balanced by heroic Ross, noble Dr Enys, steadfast Drake Carne, even salt-of-the-earth Zacky.

Both men and women can be strong in this world without threatening each other. Ross and Demelza constantly clash  sometimes her will prevails, sometimes his stubbornness. Thats why we love them.

Its why Poldark is at its weakest when the women are absent. The series suffered its worst dip this year when the Capn and his pals went to fight the Frenchies, with interminable all-male scenes.

The next series has been commissioned, even if we will have to wait another year or more to discover whether Ross and Demelzas love can survive her infidelity.

One thing is certain: the show will not continue forever. Writer Debbie Horsfield bases her scripts closely on the 12 Poldark novels by author Winston Graham, who died in 2003. With the end of the third series yesterday, we reached the halfway point. Some fans have suggested the next six books could be comfortably covered in just two more series.

When Poldark ends for good it will leave millions bereft.

Where else can we witness such tumultuous passions in splendid costumes to a backdrop of Britains most stunning landscapes?

Cue the sweeping violins. Cut to the waves crashing against the rocks, and the wild gallop at the cliffs edge. Poldark is doing what it does best.
Freddie Highmore was front-and-center on Sunday for a panel for his upcoming ABC series The Good Doctor, as part of the Television Critics Association summer tour held in Beverly Hills, California at the famed Beverly Hilton hotel.

Highmore, 25, plays the feature role of Dr. Shaun Murphy, who iMDb describes as a 'young surgeon with autism and Savant syndrome [who's] recruited into the pediatric surgical unit of a prestigious hospital.'

Highmore said he hopes to shatter people's perceptions on autism in the groundbreaking role.

On the promotional trail: Freddie Highmore, 25, appeared on Sunday on a panel for his upcoming series The Good Doctor, as part of the Television Critics Association summer tour held in Beverly Hills, California at the Beverly Hilton hotel

'What we are trying to do is moving away from perhaps the stereotypical versions of people with autism that have been shown on television and in certain movies in the past,' the London-born actor said on the panel, Deadline reported.

He said that 'the number one' misconception about autistic people in previous depictions is 'that they are somehow devoid of emotion, that they dont experience as broad a range of emotions as neurotypical people do - and of course, thats complete nonsense.'

Highmore, who's best known for his portrayal of Norman Bates on the A&E's Bates Motel, joked of the juxtaposition between playing the Psycho predator and a healer.

Lead role: Highmore plays Dr. Shaun Murphy on the ABC medical series

Social statement: Highmore said that the ABC show will veer 'away from perhaps the stereotypical versions of people with autism'

Refreshing: Highmore said the role is a nice change-of-pace after playing Norman Bates since 2013

'Its nice to save people after years of killing them,' he said.

Others to appear alongside Highmore on the panel included executive producers David Shore and Daniel Dae Kim, and castmates Hill Harper, Antonia Thomas and Nicholas Gonzalez.

Shore said that the show put in ample preparation to tackle the topic matter, noting that Highmore's role on the show is not intended to put a face on autism.

Informative: Highmore chat alongside executive producer Daniel Dae Kim on the dais Sunday

Group effort: Highmore (center) was flanked by the show's cast and producers at the panel

'We saw a lot of doctors, we consulted with people, weve got people on the spectrum who were working with,' Shore said. 'But he is a specific character, hes not there to represent autism, hes there to represent Dr. Shaun Murphy.'

Kim said that he 'loved the message of' the Korean version of the program that hit the air in 2013, and felt it would be a crossover hit.

'It was a very familiar genre to American audiences in that its a medical show; that was the impetus for me to try and bring it over,' he said.
He is currently enjoying a romantic holiday with Topshop heiress Chloe Green, who he started dating while still married to his wife Melissa.

And after receiving huge amount of backlash over the romance, Jeremy Meeks appeared keen to relax on Sunday, as he enjoyed a calming cigarette in Barbados.

The 33-year-old, dubbed the 'hot felon', proved his model looks in a casual but cool vest and cap combo, as he smoked and chatted to a friend in the sunshine.

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Chilling out: Jeremy Meeks was seen enjoying a calming cigarette in Barbados on Sunday

Going strong: The 33-year-old appeared keen to relax, having faced huge amounts of backlash for his romance with Chloe Green (above) - as he is still married to his wife Melissa

The former convict appeared completely relaxed as he drew from the cigarette in the blazing Caribbean heat.

Jeremy maintained his casually cool style even by the beach, in a simple black vest and sporty green cap.

Displaying his muscular frame in the wife beater, the tattooed model, who was released from prison in March last year, tied his look together with a selection of gold chains around his neck.

Hunky: Jeremy maintained his casually cool style even by the beach, in a simple black vest and sporty green cap

Enjoying a cigarette in the sunshine, the online star appeared calm and collected as he caught up with a friend at the beach, following weeks of backlash from fans.

Jeremy is currently holidaying in Barbados with Chloe Green, who he confirmed he was dating last month.

However the pair caused controversy with their romance, as it revealed his infidelity to his wife of eight years Melissa - who he is still married to.

Casually cool: Displaying his muscular frame in the wife beater, the tattooed model, who was released from prison in March last year, tied his look together with a selection of gold chains

While Chloe turned her Instagram profile private following heavy criticism over their relationship, the brunette proceeded to share sweet selfie with the 'hot felon' in the sunshine on Friday - proving they were only going from strength to strength.

With the couple scantily-clad and cosied up to one another, they looked in great spirits as they smiled for the camera.

With Chloe displaying her decotellage, and Jeremy shirtless in the snap, the pair turned up the heat as they continued to parade their controversial romance.

Relaxed: Enjoying a cigarette in the sunshine, the online star appeared calm and collected as he caught up with a friend at the beach, following weeks of backlash from fans

Controversial: Jeremy is currently holidaying in Barbados with Chloe Green, who he was revealed to be dating last month - while he was still married to his wife Melissa

The Topshop heiress captioned the snap: 'Life is to short not to laugh and smile and that's all we do... @jmeeks official. #nohatejustlove #everyonedeservestobehappy [sic].'

Meanwhile, Jeremy's estranged wife Melissa, who was left heartbroken when his affair was exposed, seemed to be feeling in good spirits herself as she shared a selfie of her own.

Chloe's post came after Jeremy switched off the comment section on his own Instagram page- leaving fans to only interact with his snaps by 'liking' it.

Moving on: However Melissa, who was left heartbroken by the affair, seemed to be feeling in good spirits herself as she shared a selfie of her own (above) on the same day as Chloe's

The model appeared to be feeling the heat after publicly parading his romance to the Topshop heiress.

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.

Chloe was soon forced to delete her Instagram following the shocking images, after followers trolled a gloating post she shared as she snuggled up to married Jeremy.

Too much to handle? Jeremy, 33, switched off his Instagram comments after receiving a barrage of online abuse due to his new romance with Chloe, who he left wife Melissa for

However she has since returned to the social media site, changing her settings to private.

And while Meek also edited his account at the time, deleting all photographs of him and estranged wife Melissa, he has now gone one step further by giving other Instagram users the inability to comment under his snaps.

This comes after his fans turned the tide following his rise to stardom after he was labelled the 'hot felon' thanks to his 2014 arrest mugshot.

Not listening to the haters: His Topshop heiress girlfriend was forced to delete her Instagram after their romance came to light - but has since returned, switching her profile to private

Pressure: The model - who was pictured sharing a kiss with retail billionaire Sir Phillip Green's daughter on a luxury yacht in Turkey last month - has now switched off the comment section under his smouldering pictures - leaving fans to only interact with his picture by 'liking' it

Leaving her behind: Following his new romance to Chloe, Meeks deleted all photographs of him and estranged wife Melissa (pictured) he has now gone one step further by giving other Instagram users the inability to comment on his snaps

The photogenic hunk was left with hoards of negative comments under his Instagram snaps, slamming him for leaving his wife Melissa for the British heiress and undoubtedly led to him disabling the comments function.

This comes as Jeremy and Chloe have been publicly parading their blossoming relationship in the spotlight, despite his eight year marriage to estranged wife Melissa Meeks ending just weeks ago.

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 before being pictured on a string of public dates over the last week.

The tide has turned: The photogenic hunk was left with hoards of negative comments under his Instagram snaps, slamming him for leaving his wife Melissa for the British heiress and undoubtedly led to him disabling the comments function

Flaunting their romance: This comes as Jeremy and Chloe have been publicly parading their blossoming relationship in the spotlight, despite his eight year marriage to estranged wife Melissa Meeks ending just weeks ago

Jeremy sent shock waves across the internet when pictures emerged of him kissing Chloe 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 and stayed with him through his eight year prison stint.

He was married to the nurse, who stayed with him throughout his stint in prison, for eight years.

His heartbroken estranged wife Melissa, mother to his seven-year-old son, removed reference to him on her social media bio.

She later told the Mail of her devastation, admitting that her husband had been seduced by the glamour of his newfound modelling career.

New flame: Jeremy sent shock waves across the internet when pictures emerged of him kissing Chloe on a yacht in Turkey last month

Split: Last week Jeremy filed for legal separation from mother-of-three Melissa, who he shares her youngest son with and stayed with him through his eight year prison stint

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.

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.

'My world has been torn apart': She later told the Mail of her devastation, admitting that her husband had been seduced by the glamour of his newfound modelling career
Their new series, The Big Family Cooking Showdown, is only a week away from its first broadcast.

And Zoe Ball and Nadiya Hussain were quick to defend their new cookery series on Sunday after being hit with claims the programme had copied theGreat British Bake Off.

Speaking to The Sun, the hosts of the upcoming BBC show insisted it has a 'completely different dynamic' to the cult baking series, as it focuses on cooking full meals, as opposed to sweet treats and snacks.

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Standing their ground: Zoe Ball and Nadiya Hussain (R-L) were quick to defend their new series The Big Family Cooking Showdown, on Sunday, after being hit with claims it had the Bake Off

Cooking not baking: The hosts of the upcoming BBC show insisted it has a 'completely different dynamic' to the cult baking series, starring Mary Berry (above)

The hosts discussed the constant comparisons to the Bake Off - complaining of the correlation, as the 'new' baking series is the one airing on Channel 4 later this year.

Fed up of claims the series ripped off the cult series' original format, Zoe explained to the paper: 'We're not Bake Off because it's not baking, it's all cooking. There are different dynamics.'

Agreeing with her co-host, Nadiya Hussain, who won the Bake Off herself in 2015, also affirmed the series has its place in a world rife with cookery shows on TV.

Hitting back: Fed up of claims the show ripped off the cult series' format, Zoe explained: 'We're not Bake Off because it's not baking, it's all cooking. There are different dynamics'

Here here: Agreeing with her co-host, Nadiya Hussain, who won the Bake Off herself in 2015 (above), continued: 'It's so different to anything else that is actually out there'

She added: 'There's loads of room for this. It's so different to anything else that is actually out there.'

BBC Radio 2 host Zoe and the chef are set to front the new series, which airs on BBC Two later this month.

However, the pair went on to insist they have no intentions of copying Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins in presenting style - after the comic duo won the hearts of viewers as hosts of the Bake Off.

Completely different: The pair went on to insist they have no intentions of copying Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins (L-R)- after the comic duo won over viewers as Bake Off hosts

Addressing their fellow female hosts, Zoe added jestingly: 'We're never going to be as funny as Mel and Sue. We have different humour, which is mostly unbroadcastable.'

Details of the new series emerged last week - with it revealed that 16 families of various backgrounds will go head-to-head, in a bid to find the best 'foodie family' in the UK.

In 12 parts, with eight weekly heats, the new format will test the group in three rounds - with each task providing trying hurdles for the teams.

The first sees two families challenged to feed four people in 75 minutes with a budget of 10, while round two means the groups will prepare a main course a dessert from their own homes, in 90 minutes.

Playful: The pair continued: 'We're never going to be as funny as Mel and Sue. We have different humour, which is mostly unbroadcastable'

Star-studded cast: The duo are joined by two judges who will choose the winner - Ladette to Lady star Rosemary Shrager (far right), and Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli (far left)

Finally, the families are given 135 minutes to create a spectacular starter and main course in the impress their neighbours.

In a previous interview about the show, Zoe told the Mirror: 'It's time to celebrate passionate foodie families all over the country and this series will show us home cooking at its best.'

The duo are joined by two judges who will choose the winner - Ladette to Lady star Rosemary Shrager, and Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli.

While Zoe and Nadiya front the show as hosts, the former was forced to pull out of filming for the final earlier this year, following the sudden death of her boyfriend Billy Yates.

End of an era: Meanwhile the Great British Bake Off announced it was moving to Channel 4 for a revamp in September 2016

Meanwhile the Great British Bake Off, which accumulated a legion of devoted fans during its seven year run, is set for a revamp later this year, when a new version airs on Channel 4.

The BBC series announced it was transferring to the rival channel in September, after Love Productions agreed a three-year 75 million deal with the broadcasters.

However the decision was a hugely controversial one - causing hosts Mel and Sue and beloved baker Mary Berry to pull out of their roles on the show.

Master bread maker Paul Hollywood opted to remain, and will star as a judge on the Channel 4 reboot alongside Prue Leith, and new hosts Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding.
It was reported they had split earlier this year, after it emerged the actor had an affair with Sarah Harding back in 2012.

But Danny Dyer and his wife Joanne Mas appeared to put on a united front on Saturday night, as they celebrated their daughter Dani's 21st birthday together.

Posing in a number of snaps from the bash on Instagram, the 40-year-old EastEnders star was seen joking and fooling around with his wife of nine months, with a source claiming the pair 'looked so happy' despite rumours of a separation.

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On again? Danny Dyer and his wife Joanne Mas appeared to put on a united front on Saturday night, as they celebrated their daughter Dani's 21st birthday together

Reunited: Joking around at their daughter's 21st birthday bash (above), a source revealed the pair 'looked so happy together'

The long-term couple, who tied the knot last year, appeared to be back on track as they pulled funny faces together in the cosy snap.

Clearly having spent a whole day at the family home amid rumours he had moved out, Danny also posed with the birthday girl in an earlier snap - which saw the pair setting up decorations ahead of the party.

While the brunette appeared to be having a ball in her selection of party photos, it was Danny and Joanne's seemingly close relationship that stole attention - with an insider revealing they looked more loved-up than ever.

Ready to go: Clearly having spent a whole day at the family home, amid rumours he had moved out, Danny also posed beside the birthday girl in an earlier snap

Happy: While the brunette beauty appeared to have a ball, (above) it was Danny and Joanne's relationship that stole attention - with a source claiming the pair 'looked so happy together'

A source told the Daily Star: 'They looked so happy together. You wouldnt think they werent a couple any more. Everyones hoping that they will get back together.'

However, the pair's seemingly united front comes after Joanne appeared to make a thinly veiled dig at Danny with her fashion choices.

Stepping out in Essex last month, the 40-year-old sported a T-shirt with the words 'Sorry... out of order' across the back - amid rumours of tension in their marriage.

'Sorry out of order': Joanne, 40, made a statement to the masses as she donned an eye-catching T-shirt with 'Sorry out of order' emblazoned across the back

The pair were reported to have split earlier this year - following reports the actor had a long-term affair with former Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding when filming 2012 flick Run for Your Wife.

Joanne and Danny, who had been together since 1992, had only walked up the aisle last September in an idyllic Spanish-themed ceremony witnessed by their three children - daughters Danni, Sunnie, nine and son Arty, three.

In light of the alleged infidelity, Danny has moved 18 miles away from the family home and was spotted removing belongings from the house he shared with her to move into a 1700-a-month rented apartment with a helping hand from on-screen wife Kellie Bright.

Last month, it was reported that Danny was residing in a hotel near the EastEnders set.

Over it? The pair were reported to have split earlier this year - following reports the actor had a long-term affair with former Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding in 2012

Danny's youngest children reportedly visited the star's new digs on Friday and helped their dad stock up on shopping after having a tour of the apartment.

Sources told The Sun: 'At first, we hoped Danny and Jo would patch things up again as they have so many times before. Its not the first time Danny has stayed away rather than go home after filming. But its clear this time it is different.

'He is obviously hoping that she changes her mind and that they can work things out. But things have never been this bad between them before. Before he was forced to take his break from EastEnders this year he was in a pretty dark place...

'It is clear that the problems between them are much more serious than that. Danny would never have moved out otherwise.'

Celebrations: Elsewhere, Danny is currently planning a 'low-key' 40th birthday bash with his children in the midst of his personal woes while his closet confidants - including Lee Ryan and Kellie Bright - rally around him in his hour of need

Elsewhere, Danny is currently planning a 'low-key' 40th birthday bash with his children in the midst of his personal woes while his closest confidants - including Lee Ryan and Kellie Bright - rally around him in his hour of need.

A source told the Mirror: 'Lee wanted to do something for Danny, a party to make sure he could enjoy himself, but Danny didnt want it.

'He isnt in the mood to do much at the moment and just wants to spend it with his kids. But his co-stars  including Lee and Kellie Bright  have been a real support.

'He would normally be with Jo on his birthday but she isnt around. He doesnt know what to do without her.'

Despite his want for an understated celebration, Jo appeared to let her hair down last month as she enjoyed a night out on the tiles, posting on Twitter with the caption: 'Letting loose with my girls'.
Why is it so hard for so many Americans to get their heads around the science behind climate change? Well, according to Rebecca Onion, it may be because of the way we have historically applauded little boys for their interest in physics and chemistry, but view these same little boys with a certain amount of suspicion when they grow up to be actual scientists, many of whom have been depicted in popular culture as "mad" andwait for itRussian. Over at Collectors Weekly, Lisa Hix spoke to Onion about her recent book, Innocent Experiments: Childhood and the Culture of Popular Science in the United States.

After World War II, Americans embraced the bounty of wartime scientific advances and a thriving economy: They now had cheap goods made out of high-tech plastic, streamlined appliances, and home TV sets. But they were also haunted by the specters of the A-bomb and the H-bomb. The burgeoning Cold War with the U.S.S.R. raised fears that workaholic Soviet scientists, laboring relentlessly under Communism, were making progress faster than American scientists, a competition that played out in the Space Race. Mainstream American pop culture attempted to assure people with images of the perfect suburban family defeating Communism through consumerism. However, American B-movies, comics, and pulp fiction were overrun with evil robots, monsters from space, radioactive mutantsand "mad scientists." All of this affected how Americans regarded scientific education.

"The fears spiked in Postwar America at particular moments," Onion says. "When Sputnik became the first spacecraft launched into orbit in 1957, Americans panicked, like, 'Oh my God, the Soviets have it over us. Whatever the great powers of science and technology are, they're better at them.' That launch created a lot of apprehension and fear that kids absorbed and processed. Tons of postwar popular culture addressed that combination of wonder and fear, especially about nuclear technology and space travel."
She's based in New York with her musician husband Nathaniel Hoho.

But on Monday, Bridget Malcolm was back home in Australia, landing in Sydney airport with her partner.

Down Under for the David Jones Spring-Summer collection launch, the 25-year-old stunner sported a casual ensemble.

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Glowing and gorgeous! Makeup free Bridget Malcolm reveals her flawless complexion as she returns to Australia with husband Nathaniel Hoho for David Jones' launch

Bridget braced herself for the cool temperature change with an oversized cream knit.

Keeping trendy, she paired her sweater with loose fitting satin black and white striped pants.

Despite coming off an early morning Qantas flight, the star revealed a glowing makeup free complexion.

Stylish: Bridget braced herself for the cool temperature change with an oversized cream knit

Stunner: Despite coming off an early morning Qantas flight, the star revealed a glowing makeup free complexion

Bridget's blonde locks were left out in natural waves for the airport arrival.

Keeping her accessories minimal, she was seen with a pair of aviator shaped shades that she later sported when exciting the terminal.

Rolling her silver luggage bag around in style, the Victoria's Secret model opted for flat black and white shoes.

Comfortable: Rolling her silver luggage bag around in style, the Victoria's Secret model opted for flat black and white shoes

Happy couple: Bridget has been joined by her husband on the trip

Nathaniel also donned a stylish look for his Sydney arrival.

The New York native sported a varsity jacket on top of a white printed T-shirt.

He paired his look with black track pants and a jacket and white Converse shoes.

Style tips from Bridget? Bridget's husband Nathaniel also donned a stylish look for his Sydney arrival

Loved up: The model and her musician husband married on a mountain-top ceremony in Pennsylvania July 2016 before returning to Australia in January for a second wedding at Western Australia's Rottnest Island

Last month Bridget and Nathaniel celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary.

'One year Mr and Mrs. Life just keeps getting better with you @nathanielhoho - I love you so much,' she wrote on Instagram to commemorate the special occasion.

The model and her musician husband married on a mountain-top ceremony in Pennsylvania July 2016 before returning to Australia in January for a second wedding at Western Australia's Rottnest Island.
She's the former MTV host set to launch her mini-memoir UnEdited.

And in an excerpt, published by News.com.au on Monday, Maz Compton opened up about a bizarre celebrity interview.

The 34-year-old recalled the time an A-lister lashed out an expletive, in a foul-mouthed tirade.

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Which A-lister? Aussie radio DJ Maz Compton, 34, revealed which A-list star labelled her a 'piece of sh*t' in a foul-mouthed tirade, in an excerpt in her mini-memoir UnEdited. Can you guess who?

The excerpt saw Maz detail a one-on-one interview with actor Robert Downey Junior, during a press junket for super-hero film Iron Man, back in 2008.

Robert, now 52, was said to have reached for 'a bottle of pills' to which the brunette journalist questioned the star as to whether it was for a parasite picked up on vacation.

Maz went on to say that the Hollywood heavyweight's mouth dropped open, later grabbing her arm and lashing out: 'You're a piece of sh*t.'

Star encounter: The excerpt saw Maz detail a one-on-one interview with actor Robert Downey Junior, now 52, during a press junket for super-hero film Iron Man, back in 2008. The star grabbed Maz's arm, and lashed out, 'You're a piece of sh*t'

In jest: After Maz stood up to the personality, Robert, who is known for playing Iron Man, found the humour in the situation, telling Maz: 'Good, I like you. Continue'

The radio presenter wasn't having a bar of it, retorting: 'No, you're a piece of sh*t.'

Robert found the humour in the situation, telling Maz: 'Good, I like you. Continue,' after a hearty laugh.

Meanwhile, it's not just Maz's career that's going swimmingly.

Notables: The brunette's career as an entertainment journalist has seen her interview personalities including Benji and Joel Madden (pictured), both 38

Earlier this year, the petite personality 'eloped' with partner Glen Naveau, just a few months after becoming engaged.

Continuing to enjoy wedded bliss, Maz took to Instagram in June this year, honouring her husband in a gushing post.

Maz thanked her beau for their union, at the time being three years to when they first met.

Main man: Maz's personal life is also going swimmingly, having recently celebrated three years with now-husband Glen Naveau (pictured). The pair are F45 business partners

'Three years ago today I met this very handsome guy. He made everything better. It's beautiful knowing the exact moment my life changed. Thank you for choosing me @naversbtr,' she captioned a wedding photo.

The business partners, who managed an F45 chain, announced their engagement in November last year, following 18 months of dating.

Just two months later, Maz and Glen tied the knot at a location in Indonesia.

Maz Compton's UnEdited is set to be released August 8, via Amazon and most e-book retailers.
Blac Chyna posted a cute Instagram photo of her baby daughter on Sunday.

Dream Renee Kardashian, born last November, was sitting upright by a vase of roses on a table and had a big smile on her face.

The tyke's proud 29-year-old mother wrote her in caption that 'Dream has 6 teeth!!' adding the hashtags: '#CallTheToothFairy #IHerGap'.

So sweet! Blac Chyna posted a cute Instagram photo of her baby daughter Dream - whose father is Rob Kardashian - on Sunday, and she announced that the infant 'has 6 teeth!!'

Little Dream is Chyna's daughter by her ex Rob Kardashian, and Chyna also has a four-year-old son named King Cairo by Tyga.

Tyga, by the way, used to date Rob's 19-year-old half-sister Kylie Jenner, who is eight years younger than Tyga is.

Chyna is apparently plotting a music career, as TMZ reported this week.

Hungry Dream! The doting mom bottle-fed her baby girl

Lego fun! Blac was also taking care of her son King Cairo who she shares with ex Tyga

Mommies little girl: Blac gave Dream a kiss for the camera

The gossip website has spoken to insiders saying, in TMZ's words, that Chyna's 'already recording in the studio' in styles like 'rap, "poetry music" and traditional singing'.

Even though Rob infamously posted revenge porn of Chyna, after which she lawyered up with Lisa Bloom, TMZ indicated she won't do a song insulting him.

Capital Records and Chyna have, reportedly, already had a meeting, but there will be other recording company meetings in Los Angeles too.

Co-reality stars! Little Dream is Chyna's daughter by her ex Rob Kardashian (pictured, and Chyna also has a four-year-old son named King Cairo by Tyga

Big plans! Chyna is apparently plotting a music career, as TMZ reported this week

Chyna and Nicki Minaj filmed spots in a music video for the song Rake It Up by Mike WiLL Made-It and Yo Gotti recently, and according to TMZ that's what pushed Chyna to chase a music career of her own.

Also this week, TMZ reported that Chyna is a bigger earner than her Kardashian ex.

A settlement for custody of Dream is reportedly not far off, with nobody pushing to get child support payments.
It has been rumoured for months that Matthew Newton and his fiancee Catherine Schneiderman, 24, are expecting their first child together.

And now a magazine has claimed that the troubled actor's mother Patti can't wait to be a grandmother again.

Quoting a source close to Patti, Woman's Day allege that the wife of TV icon Bert will help the soon-to-be parents raise the child just as she did with daughter Lauren and her four children Sam, nine, Eva, eight, Lola, five, and Monty, 17 months.

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Is Matthew Newton's fiancee Catherine Schneiderman pregnant? Magazine claims troubled actor's mother Patti 'can't wait to meet her son first baby'

'Having another grandchild would be heaven for Patti,' the source told the publication. 'She just adores her grand kids - they really are her world, apart from Bert of course. she can't wait to meet Matt's baby.'

Matthew, who now lives in New York, has had somewhat of a troubled few years with domestic violence charges against his then girlfriend Brooke Satchwell in 2006 and fiance Rachael Taylor in 2010.

He was also arrested twice in Miami, Florida in 2012 - the first for trespassing and resisting officers, while a second incident saw him charged with battery and resisting arrest after he attacked a hotel receptionist.

'Having another grandchild would be heaven for Patti,' a source told Woman's Day

Romance: Matthew became engaged to Catherine Schneiderman in 2016

'She just adores her grandkids - they really are her world, apart from Bert of course. she can't wait to meet Matt's baby' the 'source' added. Patti is pictured with her television icon husband Bert

Following the charges, Matt, who suffers from bipolar disorder, checked into the Betty Ford Centre in California for 90 days of alcohol and drug treatment.

However, the Newton source told the publication that Matthew has turned his life around since moving to New York and that Patti believes the new addition will be a stabilising influence on the Underbelly actor.

'She thinks the baby will be the making of Matt,' the source said. 'Patti sees the the baby as a stabilising influence.

'Matt has been very stable for several years now - and thanks becoming a dad will finally help him put all that trouble behind him.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Patti Newton for comment.
She found a role she can sink her teeth into again.

And Tara Reid dazzled in a daring number as she put her svelte physique on display for the premiere of Sharknado 5.

The 41-year-old actress donned a lacy see-through black dress as she made her way down the red carpet at The LINQ hotel in Las Vegas presented by Beach Whiskey.

Elegance refined: Tara Reid, 41, put her svelte physique on display for the premiere of Sharknado 5

Daring to impress, the American Pie alum left little to the imagination in her glamorous couture.

Opulence and elegance clashed as they fought for center stage in the revealing all black gown.

Tara's ample bosom and bountiful curves were asked to take a bow as she sashayed down the carpet.

Flush with bronzer, rouge, deep eyeliner, heavy mascara, and shellacked lips, Tara's classic face kept a youthful glow.

Close up: Flush with bronzer, rouge, deep eyeliner, heavy mascara, and shellacked lips, Tara's classic face kept a youthful glow

Catwalk queen: Opulence and elegance clashed as they fought for center stage in the revealing all black gown

Throwing caution to the wind, the Texas born thespian decided to put her trademark blonde tresses in a tight bun.

She left the accessory department alone except for a few dangle bracelets and simple chic diamond stud earrings.

Meanwhile, Tara had help from several relevant celebrities to celebrate the debut of the modern cinematic classic.

Dashing pair: Her co-star Ian Ziering cut a dapper figure in a classic tailored black suit as they posed together with huge smiles

These two: Masiela Lusha was a wonder in white as Kendra Wilkinson got lost on her way to an outdoor bbq and found herself at the event

Her co-star Ian Ziering cut a dapper figure in a classic tailored black suit as they posed together with huge smiles.

Masiela Lusha was a wonder in white as Kendra Wilkinson got lost on her way to an outdoor bbq and found herself at the event.

The legendary Nichelle Nicols showed all the young starlets how it's done in a sophisticated ensemble.

Star Trek sign: The legendary Nichelle Nicols showed all the young starlets how it's done in a sophisticated ensemble

Debonair duo: Jai Rodriquez took a wrong turn on his safari adventure while Greg Louganis raided the Saved By The Bell wardrobe department

Jai Rodriquez took a wrong turn on his safari adventure while Greg Louganis raided the Saved By The Bell wardrobe department.

Real Housewife Of Beverly Hills and soap opera megastar Eileen Davidson was ravishing in red.

Hal Sparks pulled up the rear in a leather jacket as actress Cassie Scerbo put an exclamation point on demure.

And the queen of refinement - Miss Bai Ling - was the cherry on top of a delicious dessert night out in the desert.

Red delight: Real Housewife Of Beverly Hills and soap opera megastar Eileen Davidson was ravishing in red

Cool kids: Hal Sparks pulled up the rear in a leather jacket as actress Cassie Scerbo put an exclamation point on demure
Chris Pratt and Anna Faris have revealed they are legally separating after eight years of marriage.

The acting duo, who have a son together - four-year-old Jack - announced the news on Sunday via social media.

Pratt, 38, posted the joint statement on Facebook which read: 'Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating. We tried hard for a long time, and were really disappointed.

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It's over: Chris Pratt and Anna Faris have announced they're separating after eight years of marriage. The couple are pictured on April 24

Heartbreaking: Pratt, 38, shared the news on his Facebook and Twitter accounts on Sunday

'Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward. We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another.'

Faris, 40, also shared the statement on her social media accounts.

The acting twosome - who both originate from a comedy acting background - met in 2007 on the set of Take Me Home Tonight when Anna was married to actor Ben Indra.

They got engaged the following year and their wedding took place in Bali on July 9 2009.

'Our son has two parents who love him very much': The acting duo, who married in 2009, have four-year-old son Jack together. The family are pictured April 21

Jack was born nine weeks prematurely and spent a month in the NICU, an experience which Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris says 'really defined' his faith in God.

The last time Pratt featured his wife on Instagram was in May when he gushed about the actress on Mother's Day.

Alongside a photo of Faris and their son, Pratt wrote: 'A big Mother's Day kiss and hug across the pond to my darling wife @annafaris and our sweet boy. I miss you both so much. I love you.'

Notably missing: Chris didn't join Anna and Jack at the premiere of The Emoji Movie on July 23

Faris is currently shooting the fifth season of her CBS sitcom, Mom, while Pratt currently stars in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and has the Jurassic World sequel set for release next year.

It's been suggested that the split is partially down to the couple's hectic work schedules, with Faris busy with her sitcom and various other projects and Pratt taking on huge blockbuster movies.

He has spent most of this summer away in the UK and Hawaii shooting Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom; and although Faris and Jack visited him on location, Pratt's schedule would have been taxing on the family.

The promotion for the major films Pratt takes on also takes him around the world for weeks at a time, with Faris needing to stay in LA to shoot her sitcom, which records at Warner Brothers studios in Burbank.

He has spent most of this summer away in the UK and Hawaii shooting Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom; and although Faris and Jack visited him on location, Pratt's schedule would have been taxing on the family (pictured in Jurassic World I)

Passengers: Romance rumours were hinted at when Pratt and Lawrence were shooting their sci-fi movie last year

Pratt has also been paired up with several glamorous female stars on his latest films, namely Jennifer Lawrence, whom he starred with in Passengers earlier this year, and Jurassic World's Bryce Dallas Howard.

The latter is happily married, but romance rumours were hinted at when Pratt and Lawrence were shooting their sci-fi movie last year.

But, speaking back in late April at his Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony, Pratt affirmed how solid his and Faris' marriage appeared to be: 'I want to thank my wife Anna, I love you. You've given me so much. You gave me the greatest star in the galaxy in my little boy, I love him and I love you.

'We have bonded to make this molecule that is more important to me than air or water, and without it none of this means anything to me. With every challenge, with every day, week, month, decade, we become more bonded.

Co-stars: Pratt has also been paired up with several glamorous female stars on his latest films, namely Jennifer Lawrence (L), whom he starred with in Passengers earlier this year, and Jurassic World's Bryce Dallas Howard (R)

'You make me laugh like nobody else. You're very caring, and thank you for your trust and your sacrifice - and for your dedication and your heart. I will do my best to protect it, and in return I will give you all of those things as well. You have my heart, my dedication, my trust.'

The family looked happier than ever when they showed up to the ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard, clearly thrilled to be honouring such an occasion.

'I'm a man of faith and I believe that God works in mysterious ways and gives us signs and gifts in life - and those gifts oftentimes come in the form of people, Chris went on. 'So I'll just spend the rest of my time expressing gratitude for the people in my life who are gifts.'

'I miss you both so much': The Passengers star gushed about his wife on Mother's Day in this Instagram from May

In December last year the actress admitted she had been affected by cheating rumors surrounding her husband.

In an episode of her Unqualified podcast, Faris told fellow actress and close pal Isla Fisher: 'It made me feel incredibly insecure. Chris and I, we talk about this a lot. We grapple with a lot of the ideas of being a public couple.'

She admitted their relationship had been tested a year prior by 'some tabloid rumors about strain in our relationship'.

She tried to ignore it, she said, but 'I just remember feeling so hurt in a way that bothered me, because I didn't want to think of myself as somebody who could be affected by tabloid s**t.'

His hero: Faris, 40 shared this photo of Chris and Jack checking out one of the actor's movie posters

'I'm going to feel vulnerable, like any normal human would': Anna admitted last year that she would feel insecure about cheating rumors surrounding Chris

She went on to explain: 'I take pride in how great my relationship is with Chris, but having said that, of course, in this crazy world where he's off doing movies and I'm in L.A. raising our child, of course I'm going to feel vulnerable, like any normal human would .'

Chris also revealed the challenges of his packed filming schedule, telling Entertainment Weekly that between his son turning seven and 13 months, he only saw him twice.

He said: 'Its tough. Anna told me his first sentence was Dadas working.

Just last month the Scary Movie star talked about her 'normal' home life with the movie hunk.

'Chris loves to work in the garage and I love to do laundry and watch reality television,' she told People.

She also shared clips on her social media about how the couple work out together, featuring videos of Pratt lifting up his wife, wrapping her legs around his head and using him as a human climbing frame - showing off their fun-loving home life.

There was no signs of trouble in paradise in December when the actress showed off a stunning diamond ring that 'incredibly romantic' Chris had gifted her.

She gushed: 'He just got me this ring.....Like two days ago,' she told E! on the red carpet. 'He's an incredibly romantic man and I'm very, very lucky.'

She did however admit to it being challenging living life as a Hollywood couple in the spotlight.

Funny gal: Faris is currently filming the fifth season of her sitcom Mom

Movie hero: Pratt stars in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

'I don't think that's something, when you're an actor, that you're prepared for. There are two different roles that you play  the one on-camera and the one in public. Thats the tricky part.'

In 2015 Pratt opened up about the key to a successful marriage in Hollywood.

The Parks and Recreation star told People: 'Its just as important, if not more important, to focus on your relationship with your partner because your children are going to leave one day [and] you have to maintain a relationship thats going to outlast your child's needs for you.

'I have the support of a strong partner who's been through this and understands it and whom I can share these experiences with,' he added. 'And we have a family that we're starting thats the focus of my attention.'

Beginnings: The couple are seen in a photo from August 2009, a month after they married

Chris has changed both his Twitter and Instagram bio since the split announcement to 'gone fishin', indicating he will now take some time out of the spotlight as he comes to term with the heartbreak.

His Twitter bio used to read: 'I use my twitter for jokes mostly. But I use my Instagram for deeper more meaningful stuff like pictures mostly'

He also changed his social media profile pictures to a beautiful shot of the sunset.

Shortly after his post on Monday, he changed his Facebook profile pictures of shots of him fishing.

Meaningful: Chris has changed both his Twitter and Instagram bio since the split announcement to 'gone fishin', indicating he will now take some time out of the spotlight as he comes to term with the heartbreak.

Change: He also changed his social media profile pictures to a beautiful shot of the sunset

Fans of the Hollywood golden couple took to social media sharing emotional messages in the wake of the shocking split.

After news spread of their separation, people flooded social media with messages about the break up along with memes describing their emotions.

A Twitter user named Melissa shared a gif of a man sobbing uncontrollably in the shower and wrote: 'Chris Pratt and Anna Faris have announced their separation. I DON'T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS ANYMORE.'

'Me hearing the news about are separating,' another Twitter user wrote alongside two emojis and a gif saying 'I am dead inside'.

A Twitter user named Melissa shared a meme of a man sobbing uncontrollably in the shower and wrote: 'Chris Pratt and Anna Faris have announced their separation. I DON'T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS ANYMORE.'

One woman tweeted: 'Chris Pratt and Anna Faris are seperating?! (sic) That's it. Love is over now.'

One woman tweeted: 'Chris Pratt and Anna Faris are seperating?! (sic) That's it. Love is over now.'

She sent the message with a gif showing Mean Girls character Regina George crying.

Another woman tweeted: 'Chris Pratt and Anna Faris are getting a divorce and in other news love is dead and there's no hope for any of us.'

Another woman tweeted: 'Chris Pratt and Anna Faris are getting a divorce and in other news love is dead and there's no hope for any of us.'

'not to be over dramatic but Chris Pratt and Anna Faris splitting up is the worst thing to happen to me this decade,' one woman simply tweeted.

One woman posted a WikiHow link showing 'Five Ways to Stop Hyperventilating' along with this message: 'I usually don't care about celebrity break ups but I wasn't ready for the Chris Pratt and Anna Faris separation.'

'me thinking Chris Pratt and Anna Faris separating is an April fool's prank and then realizing it's August and love is dead,' one man wrote alongside a meme showing a man with tears running down his face.

Another woman even shared a gif of Pratt shouting 'I'm not, I'm not crying okay!'
He confessed he had 'lost his faith in love' after being dumped by TV 'wife' Sharon Marsh last month.

But Married At First Sight's Nick Furphy has wasted no time jumping back into the dating game, having recently joined Tinder in search of a new flame.

The 30-year-old carpenter's profile picture features a photo of Nick suited up on the set of a MAFS promotional photo shoot.

What would Sharon say? Married At First Sight's Nick Furphy has wasted no time jumping back into the dating game, having recently joined popular app Tinder just weeks after being dumped

He also stipulated his location as being Antarctica, despite being based in Melbourne.

Nick has previously spoken of being devastated about Sharon's decision to dump him, having recently told New Idea: 'It broke my heart.'

'I started to shake and couldn't believe what I was hearing. I fell hard and fast and gave it my all. It has made me lose my faith in love a little bit,' he said.

Heartbroken? Nick has previously spoken of being devastated about Sharon's decision to dump him, having recently told New Idea : 'It broke my heart'

Meanwhile, Sharon, 32, has confessed that she was never deeply in love with her on-screen 'husband', telling OK! magazine that she subconsciously sabotaged her relationship by delaying her plans to move in with Nick.

The Perth-based beauty explained: 'I made excuses [as to] why I couldn't move over to Melbourne straight away. My business, I needed to rent out my house, I'd miss my family and friends, my dog... Bullsh*t!'.

She continued: 'I realise if you are truly in love with someone and want to commit to them, you will make it happen.'

Still friends: While the pair are still on good terms, Sharon admitted she wasn't 'in love'

As well as self-sabotaging her relationship, Sharon explained that while she and Nick are fond of one another, the now-friends are 'not in love with each other'.

Sharon and Nick were the only couple who remained together from Married At First Sight's fourth season and seemed to be going strong as recently as June when they got inked with matching tattoos.

However, just one month later the fairy-tale romance was over, with the duo calling time on their relationship.

Calling it quits: The couple were the last ones left standing from MAFS season four but ended their relationship in July this year

In July, Sharon took to Instagram to break her silence about the break-up, by posting a picture of a 'protection of life' necklace with the words: 'Things don't always go the way you hope.'

The TV personality had earlier confessed to New Idea magazine that after moving to Melbourne for Nick, she became aware that her feelings weren't strong enough to prolong the union.

'I soon realised I'm not in love with him,' she admitted to the publication.

Sharon added she left the carpenter heartbroken after she told him she 'wanted to feel more'.
She plays the rebellious teen who's taking Summer Bay by storm.

And on Monday, Sophie Dillman, 24, was spotted putting on a flirty display as she filmed scenes for Home And Away alongside fellow Brody Morgan, played by Jackson Heywood.

With her stunning looks and blonde locks, the beauty looked very similar to former soap star Bonnie Sveen as she emerged from the water in a blue and white bikini.

SPOILER ALERT! Home And Away star and Bonnie Sveen lookalike Sophie Dillman wears a bikini as she films romantic beach scenes with Jackson Heywood

The Summer Bay newcomer, who plays rebellious teenager Ziggy Astoni, wore a two-piece tie-dye ensemble.

Running through the surf, Sophie was oozing with confidence as she braved the Sydney chill.

Keeping everything in check, the star pulled up her bikini top as she continued to run through the surf.

Bold in blue and white: The Summer Bay newcomer, who plays rebellious teenager Ziggy Astoni, wore a two-piece tie-dye ensemble

Familiar looks: With her stunning looks and blonde locks, the beauty looked very similar to former soap star Bonnie Sveen as she emerged from the water in a blue and white bikini

Feeling cold? Running through the surf, Sophie was oozing with confidence as she braved the Sydney chill

Flirting in the water, Sophie was joined by Jackson, who plays restaurant owner Brody, for her scenes.

The hunky brunette appeared topless for the day out and wore a pair of blue board shorts.

Sporting a short beard, the actor also revealed his pale and slightly hairy chest.

Having fun? Flirting in the water, Sophie was joined by Jackson, who plays restaurant owner Brody, for her scenes

Topless: The hunky brunette appeared topless for the day out and wore a pair of blue board shorts

Moving on: Continuing their romantic on-screen date, the pair left the Palm Beach water for some alone time on the sand

Continuing their romantic on-screen date, the pair left the Palm Beach water for some alone time on the sand.

Both currently single on the show, Sophie and Jackson's characters were seen getting closer together as the scene progressed.

While Jackson sat and warmed up on the towels, the blonde beauty was seen leaning over and getting something out of her bag.

What's in the bag? While Jackson sat warmed up on their towels, the blonde beauty was seen leaning over and getting something out of her bag

Chemisty: Both currently single on the show, Sophie and Jackson's characters were seen getting closer together as the scene progressed

Underage: Although only 17 on the show, Sophie's character shared a kiss with the older man

Comfortable: Her hand was seen resting on Jackson's shoulder as they shared in a romantic moment together

Although only 17 on the show, Sophie's character shared a kiss with the older man.

Her hand was seen resting on Jackson's shoulder as they shared in a romantic moment together.

But it wasn't long before the couple's alone time was interrupted.

What's there? But it wasn't long before the couple's alone time was disturbed

Third wheel: Looking over her shoulder, Sophie looked unimpressed as her younger sister Coco, played by Anna Cocquerel, appeared to be interrupting their date

Looking over her shoulder, Sophie looked unimpressed as her younger sister Coco, played by Anna Cocquerel, appeared to be interrupting their date.

Wearing a lilac singlet and printed skirt, the youngest Astoni family member didn't look as though she felt that welcomed to be there.

Home and Away continues tonight at 7pm on Network Seven.

Up to no good? Sophie plays the rebellious teen who's taking Summer Bay by storm




He's the outspoken shock jock who has never been shy about voicing his disdain for radio rival, Rove McManus.

And Kyle Sandilands has lashed out again at the Hit Network star saying he was a 'failure'

Speaking on his Kyle and Jackie O show on Monday, the 46-year-old issued the invective after discussing who would replace Kyle in the event that he died.

'Everything the guy does is a failure:' Kyle Sandilands slams radio rival Rove McManus AGAIN after it's suggested he could replace shock jock in the event of his death

A caller phoned in to tell Kyle he had a dream in which the radio star had passed away.

When co-host Jackie O Henderson was unable to offer up a suitable replacement, Kyle turned to producer Bruno Bouchet, who suggested that Rove was a name that had been suggested in the past.

'Rove is another name that gets thrown around a bit,' Bruno told Kyle, with the radio star reacting with shocked indignation.

Harsh: 'Rove? Everything the guy does in his whole life is a failure,' Kyle spat when it was suggested oon-air that Rove could replace Kyle in the event of his death

Ring in: Bruno also suggested that I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! host and former Bondi Vet Dr Chris Brown could also replace Kyle in the event of his demise

'Rove? Everything the guy does in his whole life is a failure,' Kyle spat before Jackie O tried to shut the tirade down by cutting Kyle off with a terse 'Alright, Bruno, thanks for that.

Unsatisfied, Kyle continued to make a dig at Rove, adding: 'You'd have to shorten the desk - the thing's only like the size of a midget.'

Bruno also suggested that I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! host and former Bondi Vet Dr Chris Brown could also replace Kyle in the event of his demise.

Dog-gone: 'Chris Brown? He'd be horrible on air,' Kyle said. 'if you want your Alsatian fingered that's your go-to-guy, but you don't put him on air replacing me'

'Chris Brown? He'd be horrible on air,' Kyle said. 'if you want your Alsatian fingered that's your go-to-guy, but you don't put him on air replacing me.'

It wasn't all negative however, with Kyle admitting that he liked Nova 969s Fitzy and Wippa when the caller suggested the popular duo would be laughing at Kyle's funeral.

'No, Fitzy and Wippa like us - I don't mind them either,' he said. 'If we weren't on I'd probably listen to them.

Kyle has made no bones about voicing his disdain for Rove in the past, admitting on -air in 2016 that he 'hated' the former Channel Ten star

'I hate Rove McManus... I can't stand the *****' he said during an interview with Rikki-Lee Coulter.

Rove's 2DayFM show with Sam Frost was axed last month after poor ratings, but a spokesperson for Southern Cross Austere told Daily Mail Australia that Rove would 'remain with the SCA family.'
It's one of the most idyllic fictional locations on Australian television.

But even the denizens of Summer Bay, the coastal town from the hit Channel Seven soap Home And Away, need a break from paradise, so just what did the stars get up to while production wrapped over winter?

Celebrating her 40th birthday in style, Ada Nicodemou, who plays Leah Patterson-Baker, took to the Mediterranean for her filming break.

Away from the Bay: With Home And Away wrapping production over winter, many stars, including Ada Nicodemou (pictured) took the time to recharge their battries

During her elongated holiday, Ada went to Italy, taking in the sights of Rome, Capri and Positano on the Amalfi Coast.

Taking a retinue of family and friends to help mark the milestone, Ada was also joined by co-star Lynne McGranger for the idyllic Italian getaway.

It didn't stop there for Ada with the brunette beauty also visiting Cyprus during her break.

Having a blast: Taking a retinue of family and friends to Italy help mark her 40th birthday, Ada was also joined by co-star Lynne McGranger for the idyllic Italian getaway. It didn't stop there for Ada with the brunette beauty also visiting Cyprus during her break

Anna Cocquerel, who joined the cast this year as Coco Astoni, also headed overseas for her vacation fix.

The 16-year-old spend time in France, sharing a photo to her Instagram from the Hotel de la Plage in Plonevez-Porzay .

She also found time to jet over to the US, sharing another holiday snap of her beaming in Los Angeles.

Tania Nolan, who plays Scarlett Snow, followed in Anna's footsteps and chose to spend her time off Stateside.

Anna Cocquerel, who joined the cast this year as Coco Astoni, also headed overseas for her vacation fix with the 16-year-old spend time in France, sharing a photo to her Instagram from the Hotel de la Plage in Plonevez-Porzay

Globetrotting: She also found time to jet over to the US, sharing another holiday snap of her beaming in Los Angeles

Also hitting LA, Tania's holiday was a little more on the adventurous side with the star sharing photos hiking to the famed Hollywood sign with a gal-pal as well as relaxing on Hermosa Beach.

It wasn't all overseas jaunts however, with Emily Symons, who plays Marylin Chambers , took her two year old son to the Sydney Opera House to watch former Hme And Away star Justine Clarke's children's show Look! It's a Gobbeldygook.

While Emily said Henry was scared of the Gobeldygook's he was 'singing and clapping in no time.'

What a view! Tania Nolan's Los Angeles holiday was a little more on the adventurous side with the star sharing photos hiking to the famed Hollywood sign

Culture: It wasn't all overseas jaunts however, with Emily Symons, who plays Marylin Chambers , took her two year old son to the Sydney Opera House to watch former Hme And Away star Justine Clarke's children's show Look! It's a Gobbeldygook

Beach babe: Not wanting to stray too far from her summer Bay roots, Pia Miller who plays tough-talking policewoman Kat Chapman, chose to while away the hours in a bikini at Byron Bay on the New South Wales North Coast

Not wanting to stray too far from her summer Bay roots, Pia Miller who plays tough-talking policewoman Kat Chapman, chose to while away the hours in a bikini at Byron Bay on the New South Wales North Coast.

Summer Bay hunk James Stewart also spent his time off a little closer to home, catching up with his twin brother Nick and his children.

Penny McNamee (Tori Morgan) wasn't too fussed about heading to warmer climates for the winter, choosing instead to rug up in a grey duffel coat as she spent time in the scenic town of Lithgow in the New South Wales Blue Mountains.

Sophie Dillman, who joined the cast this year as Ziggy Astoni decided to head south to Melbourne to soak up the sights and culinary wonders at Lucy Liu Kitchen and Bar before taking off to the Gold Coast to party at The Star Casino.

Orpheous Pledger also headed to Queensland for a spot of whale watching while taking the time to meet and greet some excited young fans.

Winter retreat: Penny McNamee (Tori Morgan) wasn't too fussed about heading to warmer climates for the winter, choosing instead to rug up in a grey duffel coat as she spent time in the scenic town of Lithgow in the New South Wales Blue Mountains.

Open water: Orpheous Pledger (c) also headed to Queensland for a spot of whale watching while taking the time to meet and greet some excited young fans
The British Museum has released this nifty 3D scan of the Rosetta Stone, which includes a nice autoplaying audio summary of its significance.

One of the most important archaeological finds of all time, its decree in three languages allowed scholars to unlock the meaning of Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Part of grey and pink granodiorite stela bearing priestly decree concerning Ptolemy V in three blocks of text: Hieroglyphic (14 lines), Demotic (32 lines) and Greek (54 lines). The inscription is a decree passed by a council of priests, one of a series that affirm the royal cult of the 13 year-old Ptolemy V on the first anniversary of his coronation.

 Rosetta Stone (Sketchfab via MyModernMet)
He has been in and out of hospital suffering a series of health scares this year.

But Australian television icon Bert Newton, 79, looked fit as a fiddle in a cheery Instagram snap shared to his wife Patti's page this Saturday.

Bert revealed his glowing complexion as he posed with his two young granddaughters in the snap, with Patti adding the caption: 'Berts just had facial @libertybelleskincentre [sic].'

'Looking good for 79': Australian television icon Bert Newton, 79, looked fit as a fiddle in a cheery Instagram snap shared to his wife Patti's page this Saturday

'Looking good for 79,' she cheekily added.

Fans immediately showered Bert with compliments, with one commenting: 'Handsome! Look at that skin.'

'You look fabulous Bert, glowing, especially with two of your girls,' cooed another.

In and out of hospital: Bert has had somewhat of a tumultuous year health-wise with the icon finding himself in and out of hospital battling pneumonia

Bert has had somewhat of a tumultuous year health-wise with the icon finding himself in and out of hospital battling pneumonia.

His health woes caused him to miss the Logie Awards this year, with wife Patti instead being joined on the red carpet by their daughter Lauren.

Determined for her husband not to miss out on the fun, Patti wore a gold sequined blazer with her husband's face emblazoned on the back.

Who ever took this photo caught (Bert) having a sneeze, not tears!' Patty was recently forced to slam claims by Woman's Day who suggested that Bert was on death's door and had been crying in a photo the magazine published on its cover

'Even though Bert's not well I'm taking him to the Logies,' she wrote on Instagram.

Patty was recently forced to slam claims by Woman's Day who suggested that Bert was on death's door and had been crying in a photo the magazine published on its cover.

'Who ever took this photo caught (Bert) having a sneeze, not tears!' Patti wrote on Instagram. 'He's not dying and it's sad he couldn't sneeze in peace.'

Bert's health has been a concern since 2012 when he underwent a quadruple heart bypass.
The Shahs of Sunset crew jetted off to Israel on the Sunday episode of the hit Bravo show.

Before the group could enjoy their trip, almost all of the members were detained at the airport.

With the exception of MJ and Asa, they were held up for hours for interrogation.

A bit of a problem: The Shahs of Sunset crew jetted off to Israel in the Sunday episode of the Bravo show; Reza pictured

After the group's 16-hour flight from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv, Mike, GG, Reza, Shervin and their friend Destiney were detained.

Meanwhile pregnant Asa and MJ waited at the airport after they went through without being stopped.

Asa, who is seven and half moths pregnant during the filming, thinks its because she and MJ were 'friendly' and 'patient.'

Adding: 'It's so funny to me. I'm just glad it's not me,' referring to getting detained.

Not happy: Before the group could enjoy their trip, almost all of the members were detained at the airport; GG seen

Unhappy: After the group's 16 hour-flight from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv, Mike, GG, Reza, Shervin and their friend Destiney were detained; Mike (l) and Reza (r)

Yikes: Everyone except Asa and MJ got detained at the Tel Aviv airport

MJ is seen patiently waiting with Asa in between spritzing herself with perfume to pass the time.

After Destiney is freed, Shervin soon follows; he tells Mike, who is Jewish: 'Thank your people for letting me in.'

Mike reveals after he is freed that the only reason why he was detained was because of the people he came into the country with.

Delayed: After Destiney is freed, Shervin (pictured on left) soon follows; he tells Mike, who is Jewish: 'Thank your people for letting me in'

No problems for them: Asa, who is seven and half moths pregnant during the filming, thinks its because she and MJ were 'friendly' and 'patient'

Relaxing: MJ (pictured) is seen patiently waiting with Asa in between spritzing herself with perfume to pass the time

Mike told them: 'You see my passport. I've been here a lot, to which they told him 'you're with them,' referring to his friends.

GG and Reza are the last two to be freed after being interrogated for several hours.

Reza, after being freed, made light of the lengthy detainment at the airport.

On becoming free he said: 'It feels like I've been wandering in the desert for four-f*****g thousand years. Get me a drink!'

No stress: Asa can't contain her excitement at not dealing with being detained, adding: 'It's so funny to me. I'm just glad it's not me'

Trouble: GG and Reza are the last two to be freed after they are interrogated for several hours

Celebrate: On becoming free he said: 'It feels like I've been wandering in the desert for four-f*****g thousand years. Get me a drink;' Reza seen

MJ reveals to her friends during their trip that she plans on becoming a mother in the next month.

She seems sure of it, despite the fact that her last ovulation test was negative.

'I could be buying strollers this time next month,' she says, adding that now- before getting pregnant - she's 'living up my youth like the last cow on Earth.'

While MJ told her friends she was adamant about getting married to fiance Tommy before the baby is born, Reza gave her a reality check.

He said that she would be winning the lottery if she got pregnant at the age of 44, adding that she's not helping herself by drinking and smoking.

Last hurrah: While MJ told her friends she was adamant about getting married to fiance Tommy before the baby is born, Reza gave her a reality check

She's determined: He said that she would be winning the lottery if she got pregnant at the age of 44, adding that she's not helping herself by drinking and smoking

Before their Israel trip, Reza and his husband Adam went to a surrogacy doctor, where he found out having a biological baby could be pricey.

The doctor gave an estimate of $120-160,000 for a baby through surrogacy.

Adam appeared to want a biological baby more than Reza, who was shocked at the hefty price tag.

He said he doesn't want a 'whack b***h' for $120,000, and would have to spend the $160,000 for a 'Harvard or Yale b***h.'

Excuse me! Adam appeared to want a biological baby more than Reza, who was shocked at the hefty price tag

He wants a family: Adam has been pushing Reza to start a family together, being with biological children

Reza wanted to pursue adoption; he got emotional when hearing about the high number of foster kids in the system.

He felt that was the right path while baby shopping with Asa.

Also before jetting off to Israel, GG took her boyfriend Shalom to meet her parents.

She revealed that she's never introduced her boyfriend to her parents; she was hesitant because her family is Muslim while her beau is Jewish.

The Shahs Of Sunset airs every Sunday at 10 pm on Bravo.

Hitting his heart: Reza wanted to pursue adoption; he got emotional when hearing about the high number of foster kids in the system

Quick break: He felt that was the right path while baby shopping with Asa
She's a doting mother to 11-year-old Suri.

And Katie Holmes, 38, showed that she is an equally doting sister, as she posted a fun family photo celebrating her sibling's birthday.

Little Suri looked cute as a button as she pulled a funny face in the front row, and snuggled up to her family.

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Family fun: Katie Holmes, 38, showed that she is a doting sister, as she posted a fun family photo celebrating her sibling's birthday, with little Suri, 11, pulling a funny face in the front row

Suri is the daughter of Katie and Tom Cruise; the former couple were married from 2006 until they finalised their divorce in 2012.

The romance began when Katie met Tom to discuss the possibility of appearing in Mission Impossible III.

She was then immediately sent on an intensive and lengthy study course about Scientology, the religion founded by sci-fi author L Ron Hubbard in 1954, which holds that humans are descended from an exiled race of aliens called Thetans.

Way back when: Suri is the daughter of Katie and Tom Cruise; the former couple were married from 2006 until they finalised their divorce in 2012

Former flame: Tom proposed on June 17, 2005 on the top of the Eiffel Tower following a famous declaration of his love on Oprah Winfreys show, where he jumped up on the couch yelling Im in love, Im in love, I cant be cool, I cant be laid back'

She was audited by Scientology counsellors, and unlike Tom's previous wife, Nicole Kidman, totally embraced the movement.

Tom proposed on June 17, 2005 on the top of the Eiffel Tower following a famous declaration of his love on Oprah Winfreys show, where he jumped up on the couch yelling Im in love, Im in love, I cant be cool, I cant be laid back.

Katie has since moved on to Django Unchained star Jamie Foxx; the pair began a low-key relationship four years ago and became masters at keeping it a secret.

In May, a source told UsWeekly: 'She's head over heels for him', adding that the actress is 'finally ready' broadcast their relationship.

Moving on: Katie has since moved on to Django Unchained star Jamie Foxx; the pair began a low-key relationship four years ago and became masters at keeping it a secret

The insider went on to explain that the mother-of-one was 'super worried' about the attention but is now tired of hiding her romance with the Ray star.

'Theyre talking about planning a summer trip together in Europe. They're very serious,' another source close to the couple revealed.

The actors reportedly want to go out to dinner more often and 'plan to start going public.'

The duo were pictured in a social media snap dining together in New York in April but apart from that occasion, they have managed to keep their meetings under the radar.

Best friends: Meanwhile, Katie has maintained a close mother-daughter bond with Suri, and the pair are often spotted out and about together

Meanwhile, Katie has maintained a close mother-daughter bond with Suri, and the pair are often spotted out and about together.

Katie has been busy filming new drama The Gift in Montreal, Canada, playing the character of Helen Morrison opposite co-stars Patrick Stewart and Giancarlo Esposito.

Proving she's a woman of many talents, Katie also recently revealed she has filmed a guest appearance on the new season of Project Runway.
She has been enjoying a jet set summer, having returned from Ibiza a matter of weeks ago.

And Denise Van Outen, 43, looked incredible as she displayed her toned derriere and endless pins in a skimpy swimsuit while relaxing at the Max beach club in Marbella on Saturday.

The Strictly Come Dancing host clad her slender frame in the one piece, which was shaped into a plunging bandeau style top to tease at her bust.

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Sizzling: Denise Van Outen, 43, looked incredible as she displayed her toned derriere and endless pins in a skimpy swimsuit while relaxing at the Max beach club in Marbella on Saturday

The multi-talented star sported minimal make up for her day at the exclusive club, and slicked her blonde tresses, wet from the sea, off her face.

The beauty shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of large dark sunglasses, and accessorised with layers of silver jewellery.

At one point, she was seen to relax with a bikini-clad friend on plush white sun loungers, and looked totally at ease as she chatted away and sipped on cocktails.

Glamorous: The multi-talented star sported minimal make up for her day at the exclusive club, and slicked her blonde tresses, wet from the sea, off her face

Living the life: At one point, she was seen to relax with a bikini-clad friend on plush white sun loungers, and looked totally at ease as she chatted away and sipped on cocktails

The globetrotting star has been enjoying a string of sun-soaked holidays; a couple of weeks ago, she shared a steamy swimsuit-clad snap from her trip to Ibiza.

Shielding her eyes from the sun, Denise rocked some black square-frame shades and wore her blonde crop slicked back off her face.

Complementing her metallic swimsuit, the mother-of-one rocked a blue turquoise ring and a golden bangle.

Making a splash: Denise looked every inch the beach babe as she showcased her flawless physique in a plunging one-piece while in Ibiza

Her exotic getaway comes a month after the presenter enjoyed a trip to the Bahamas to film a new show for ITV.

But Denise showed the sunshine doesn't always agree with her when she shared two markedly different holiday snaps.

In the first shot, she showed off her age-defying figure in a plunging multi-coloured swimsuit as she posed up a storm in the crystal clear waters.

Sensational: Denise looked simply amazing in a multi-coloured swimsuit as she struck a pose in the Bahamas last month

The high cut of the sizzling swimwear showcased the presenter's endless pins with her toned arms on full display.

Denise's platinum crop and Jackie Onassis-inspired shades added to the chic look of the ensemble, while protecting her peepers from the baking Bahamian rays.

In a second humorous snap, which the TOWIE voiceover artist shared with her 190,000 followers, her glam look was replaced by panda eyes and dishevelled hair.

The statuesque beauty jokingly captioned the shot: 'When you snooze between filming and you're woken up dazed and confused by your best mate. looking rough as a (diamond emoji)'.

'Dazed and confused': The actress and presenter jokingly shared a second snap of herself having just woken up from a nap while filming her latest TV project for ITV

'Cheeky little neck massage': The star had also indulged in a little pick me up treatment as she sunbathed in a vibrant printed design on the sand

Despite the sleep interruption, the former Big Breakfast presenter looked naturally pretty in a funky straw hat and hot pink bikini bottoms.

Back in April, Denise caused jaws to drop after she shared a sizzling bikini snap in Marbella, Spain.

The actress looked incredible as she flaunted her ample assets and sensational curves in a daringly low-cut navy swimsuit while lapping up the sunny rays.

The blonde bombshell set temperatures soaring as she posed expertly with a hand on her hip, while the glistening blue ocean rolled behind her.

Beach bunny: Denise flaunted her ample assets and sensational curves in a navy blue one-piece during a beach break in Marbella, Spain, in April

Denise's saucy swimwear hugged the contours of her trim physique and rested high on her hips - allowing her to flaunt her bronzed legs which she sexily positioned at an angle.

Clearly feeling body confident, the presenter sported a slight smile as she coquettishly glanced into the distance, while shielding herself with a pair of shades.

'#Tbt Marbella was loving the sunshine and hanging with my friends in @swimwear365 my fave - 818244WSQ swimsuit! #swimwear365 #teammarbs,' she captioned the snap.

Denise recently said she knew within 10 minutes of meeting her boyfriend that their relationship would 'work'.

Sun: The mother-of-one looked incredible as she posed up a storm in a bright fuchsia bikini

The screen and stage star and City trader boyfriend Eddie Boxshall, 44, have been together for three years after their first date was set up by a mutual friend.

Van Outen told Hello! magazine that she had rejected online dating.

'When I found myself single and just about to turn 40, I didn't want to be on my mobile, swiping left and all that business,' the actress, who was previously married to actor Lee Mead, said.

'Constantly talking on a phone and messaging each other is a waste of time, you might as well go and meet that person and you'll know within the first half hour if it will work or not. With Eddie I knew within ten minutes - we just clicked.'

She added: 'All my best times with him are when it's just the two of us.'

Happy couple: Denise has been dating City trader boyfriend Eddie Boxshall, 44, for three years after their first date was set up by a mutual friend

Boxshall said that he did not know he would be meeting a celebrity before his first date with the TV presenter, who has a daughter Betsy, six, with ex-husband Mead.

'All I'd been told was that I would be meeting a woman called Denise, I had no idea it was Denise Van Outen. When I saw that it was her, it came as a surprise - a lovely one,' he said.

'To be honest, it was an advantage not knowing too much about her career because it meant there was even more for me to find out about her. The chemistry, for me, was definitely there and I couldn't wait to see her again.'
Rodrigo Alves has revealed his plans for gastric bypass surgery after putting on three stone.

The Brazilian TV personality, most famously known as the 'Human Ken Doll' exclusively told MailOnline, that his body was unable to handle any more liposuction procedures following his fluctuating weight.

The 33-year-old, who is currently in Iran to shoot a documentary on plastic surgery culture, has also confessed that in the past few weeks he has soared from spending 400,000 to $450,000 on his quest for perfection.

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'My body can't handle lipo anymore': 'Human Ken Doll' Rodrigo Alves, 33, has revealed his plans for gastric bypass surgery after putting on three stone

Describing his next body enhancement, Rodrigo revealed: 'I'm now planning a gastric bypass surgery in September since my body cant handle lipos anymore.'

Alves has undergone liposuction numerous times in the past, but now it seems like his body is unable to handle it - causing him to opt for the extreme solution of gastric bypass.

The procedure will see his stomach divided into a small upper pouch and a larger lower remnant pouch and is typically used to treat morbid obesity.

The Human Ken Doll also informed MailOnline of the fresh new set of procedures he has had done during his trip to Iran at the Parsian Beauty clinic and has claimed he's 'spent 50,000 on a total face revamp.'

'Yesterday I had a vampire face lift with derma pen and PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma). The aim of the procedure is to clear all my scars after all the surgeries that I have had while here in Iran.

Quest for perfection: The surgery addict, who is currently in Iran to shoot a documentary on plastic surgery culture, has also confessed that in the past few weeks he has soared from spending 400,000 to $450,000 on his quest for perfection

Procedures: In his pursuit of what he believes is a perfect look, Rodrigo has spent 50,000 on a 'complete face revamp' in the last two weeks

New option: Alves has undergone liposuction numerous times in the past, but now it seems like his body is unable to handle it - causing him to opt for the extreme solution of gastric bypass, which is usually reserved for the morbidly obese

The vampire facelift has become very popular by Kim Kardashian,' he noted in a popular culture reference.

He also admitted he had his tenth nose job using the cartilage from his ear - despite being told his nose could fall off as a result of more surgical procedures.

Rodrigo has also had a chin implant to make his face 'less square' - which he revealed was an early 34th birthday to himself.

In his quest for the perfect look, Rodrigo also underwent 'eye lift' and 'scar removal from his abs' - which stemmed from the doctor using cartilage from his ribs to make his nose last year (which failed).

Gastric bypass will see his stomach divided into a small upper pouch and a larger lower remnant pouch and is typically used to treat morbid obesity

Procedures: He also admitted he had his tenth nose job using the cartilage from his ear, despite being told his nose could fall off as a result of more surgical procedures - Pictured at Iran's Parsian Beauty clinic with Dr Sameh Keshavarzian

Perfect shape: Rodrigo has also had a chin implant to make his face 'less square' - which he revealed was an early 34th birthday to himself

Getting spendy: Rodrigo has 'spent 50,000 on a total face revamp' in the last two weeks

Lastly he also had a new set of porcelain veneers fitted after his 'teeth broke' at surgery - which has resulted in him spending 450,000 on 62 cosmetic procedures.

Sitting in his hotel room ahead of surgery in Iran, he told 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.

'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.

Anything to look amazing: In his quest for the perfect look, Rodrigo sported a pained expression as he underwent an 'eye lift'

Leaving no stone unturned: The London based star also had 'scar removal from his abs' - which stemmed from the doctor using cartilage from his ribs to make his nose last year (which failed)

New smile: Lastly he also had a new set of porcelain veneers fitted after his 'teeth broke' at surgery - which has resulted in him spending 450,000 on 62 cosmetic procedures

'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.

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 man behind it all! Rodrigo looks thrilled with the results as he shakes hands with CEO Dr Mohammad Hossein Sadr (L)

Rodrigo revealed he had done his research before touching down in Iran: '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'

Ahead of his surgery in Iran, he told MailOnline: 'I am just waiting for my chin to arrive actually. It's custom made and it's coming in the post'

He continued: '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'

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.

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.

He said: 'I have been stuffing my face like crazy and I've gained more weight than ever.

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

Devastating: In the show, Rodrigo cannot breathe through his nose after getting three rhinoplasties in just 12 to 15 months

'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 spent her summer hotfooting from one sun-soaked destination to the next.

And Demi Rose's recent trip to Cape Verde has seen the glamour model mix business with pleasure as she took to the DJ decks at Bikini Beach Club in Sal on Friday.

The raven-haired beauty - who was formerly linked to Kylie Jenner's rapper ex Tyga - looked sensational as she spun some tracks for an audience that also included Celebrity Big Brother star Bianca Gascoigne.

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Busty display: Demi Rose's recent trip to Cape Verde has seen the glamour model mix business with pleasure as she took to the DJ decks at Bikini Beach Club in Sal on Friday

True to form, Demi put on a seriously busty display in an eye-catching metallic, bronze swimsuit which boasted a daringly plunging neckline.

The shimmering number featured a loose offering of fabric across the bust, while ruched detailing across the waist emphasised her hourglass figure.

Her dark tresses were swept into a chic low knot, while her face modelled a typically glamorous make-up look.

Wild thing! Bianca, 30, teased her ample assets in a sexy reptile print swimsuit

True to form: Demi put on a seriously busty display in an eye-catching metallic, bronze swimsuit which boasted a daringly plunging neckline

While she's illustrious for her modelling career, which often sees her scantily-clad, Demi looked in her element as she showcased her DJing prowess.

But the 22-year-old stunner wasn't the only beauty flashing the flesh at the bash, as Bianca, 30, teased her ample assets in a sexy reptile print swimsuit.

The vibrant one-piece boasted a low-cut neckline that ran to as far as the reality star's navel, with flimsy strips of fabric being all that harnessed her bust in the number.

Dare to bare: The vibrant one-piece boasted a low-cut neckline that ran to as far as the reality star's navel

Finishing touches: Bianca paired her showstopping swimsuit with a turquoise blue cover-up and skyscraper stilettos

Upping the glamour, Bianca paired her showstopping swimsuit with a turquoise blue cover-up and skyscraper stilettos.

She finished off her ensemble with a straw cowgirl hat that sat atop her wavy blonde locks.

The , who is holidaying at the sun-soaked location with boyfriend CJ Meeks, showcased her incredible curves in a snake-print swimsuit.

Showing her appreciation for Demi, she captioned the Instagram shot: 'How freakin hot is this one thou? (sic)'
Courtney Love has denied that she is dodging the deposition in her daughter Frances Bean's ownership of Kurt Cobain's guitar.

The Hole songstress' daughter, 24, has been involved in a bitter split from her ex husband Isaiah Silva, 31, and has been fighting to get him to return her late father's priceless guitar.

While documents obtained by TMZ reveal that Isaiah claims Courtney 'refused to come to the door twice when his investigators from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department tried to serve her with deposition papers', she has echoed previous claims of the instrument being a 'treasured family heirloom.'

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Speaking out: Courtney Love, 53, has denied that she is dodging the deposition in her daughter Frances Bean's ownership of Kurt Cobain's guitar

A representative for Courtney, who is currently away filming in Canada, told TMZ her late husband's guitar is a 'treasured heirloom that belongs within her family.'

Frances' battle to get back the guitar from her ex - who she split with in March 2016 - has headed to a multi-million dollar court battle, as reported by PageSix earlier this year.

It's the guitar which her late father played in Nirvanas seminal 1993 MTV Unplugged concert.

Silva, a musician in the band the Eeries, claims Frances gifted him the guitar as a wedding present when they secretly married in 2014.

Claiming what's hers: The Hole songstress' daughter, 24, has been involved in a bitter split from her ex husband Isaiah Silva, 31, and has been fighting to get him to return her late father's priceless guitar

Marital gift: Silva, a musician in the band the Eeries, claims Frances gifted him the guitar as a wedding present when they secretly married in 2014

The Martin D-18E, with the bridge flipped so that Kurt could play it left-handed, was once insured for $1 million, but experts say it is now likely worth several times that amount reports the publication.

It's believed to be the last one Kurt played before his death.

Frances Bean was not yet two-years-old when her father committed suicide in 1994, and denies she gave the guitar away as a gift.

Courtney Love has said: 'Its not [Silvas]. Its a treasured heirloom of the family. Its not his to take,' reports PageSix.

Iconic: It's the guitar which her late father Kurt played in Nirvanas seminal 1993 MTV Unplugged concert

Claims: A representative for Courtney, who is currently away filming in Canada, told TMZ her 'late husband's guitar is a "treasured heirloom" that belongs within her family'

Late dad: Frances Bean was not yet two-years-old when her father committed suicide in 1994

Previously, they reported that Loves manager allegedly sent a string of threatening messages to Silvas ex-girlfriend in an attempt to get him to hand the historic guitar over.

However, after months of negotiation, they report that Silva is still holding out and - according to Frances Beans side - is taking 'extreme and unsupportable positions' on the disagreement.

'He is forcing the matter to litigation,' they report as having been told.

Meanwhile, sources close to the struggle say it ended in a deadlock, and Frances Bean is ready to take the matter in front of a judge.

An insider told them: 'In September, a judge ordered Frances Bean to pay Silva $15,000 a month in spousal support as part of an interim settlement while they worked out the guitar issue through mediation.'
She welcomed her first child with husband Ronan Keating a mere three months ago.

And Storm Keating showed off her incredible post-baby body while posing beneath the Mediterranean sun on Monday.

Reveling in yet another day of her Greek holiday, the 35-year-old model looked sensational in a red bikini as she cradled her son, Cooper.

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Sensational! Storm Keating showed off her incredible post-baby body while posing beneath the Mediterranean sun on Monday with three-month-old Cooper in her arms

The Australian-born fashion designer flashed her ample cleavage in the sizzling two-piece, which also boasted barely-there bikini bottoms.

Her sexy swimwear style was arguably overshadowed by her adorable tot however, who was clad in a cute blue wet-suit.

Announcing her little one's penchant for the water, she enthused alongside the snap: 'Water baby #timeforasnooze #toomuchexcitement #firsttimes #funtimes #baby #swim #cooperkeating #familyholiday #summertime.'

Family time: Ronan shared a snapshot on Instagram of his wife Storm and their son Cooper during their Corfu holiday on Wednesday

The snap comes just a few short days after Ronan shared a snap of the mother-son duo reclining on their sun lounger with a comical filter.

The gushing dad captioned the heartwarming image: 'My heart could burst #Love #summertime #Laughs #cooperkeating.'

Just a few hours later, Storm shared a snap of the lower half of her svelte frame lying on a blue towel next to a shirtless Ronan, who gazed adoringly into his youngest child's eyes as the baby sucked on a dummy.

Body: Storm showed off her sensational post-baby body as she uploaded a snap of her own

Gush: Storm's followers flocked to the comments section to gush over her sensational body

Storm wrote beside the image: 'Poolside #intheshade #chillin #giggles #cooperkeating #daddy #summerdayz #greece.'

As well as cooing over the adorable family display , a number of Storm's followers gushed over her body.

'Absolutely cute,' wrote one. 'But could you just tell me how and what did you do for having such a beautiful body after baby? I'm terribly jealous.'

Said another: 'How on earth have you managed to get your insane figure back [so] quickly? You're on fire.'

'As well as a very cute daddy son photo... Amazing after baby body,' added a third.
Forming alliances is one of the most fundamental strategies of prolonging a contestant's time on Australian Survivor.

And on Monday night's episode of the Channel Ten reality series, it was a concept not lost on the Samatau tribe.

Facing tribal council for the fourth time, several members of the tribe made bold moves when it came to forming connections in Samoa.

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No one is safe: Asthe Samatau tribe faced tribal council for the fourth time on Monday night, alliances were threatening to crumble

Threatened by Alpha male Locky, AK was keen to take down the tribe's 'top dog' and spent the episode attempting to recruit Tessa and Pete on to his side.

'Within the strong eight alliance, I'm clearly on the bottom. So, I wanna make a move and I feel like now's the time to do so,' AK explained.

He hoped that by luring Tessa, Pete and others, he could make up a majority of five and vote off Aimee, with the ultimate goal to eventually get rid of Locky.

'I wanna make a move': AK (left) started scheming with the ultimate goal of getting rid of 'top dog' Locky (right)

However, barrel racer Tara was wary of AK and his manipulations and started making her own moves to blindside her arch rival by getting free agent Tessa to help vote him off.

'I was just sitting on the beach eating my beautiful rice, and it came to me,' she explained.

'We actually have Tessa sitting right beside me, who's quite desperate. That then made me think let's do the big move and start breaking up the alliance.'

Scheming ways: Tara (left) attempted to convince her tribe mates to blindside AK

Needed to make the plan work was Pete, who didn't have a strong loyalty to either Tara or AK's side yet.

'It's crazy tonight,' Pete said of his big voting dilemma. 'Do I flip and vote Aimee? Because she is essentially in Locky's pocket. Or do I go with Tara and blindside AK?'

In the end, Aimee's close connection with Locky became her downfall and the blonde plumber was voted off thanks to Pete's deciding vote.
She's weeks away from welcoming her first child into the world.

And Ferne McCann seemed to still be enjoying flaunting her pregnancy fashions as she stepped out to celebrate her 27th birthday celebrations on Sunday.

Heading out in her native Essex on Sunday, the former TOWIE star looked the epitome of pregnancy chic as she congregated with her glamorous friends for the evening out.

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Blossoming: Pregnant Ferne McCann looks glowing as she slips into a flowy summer dress that shows off her baby bump as she joins glam pal Billie Faiers to excitably celebrate her birthday

Showing off her curves, the reality starlet donned a flowing midnight blue dress, with a peplum detailing at the bust.

Clinging to her baby bump, the stylish dress flaunted her figure whilst remaining demure and on-trend with its thin straps showing off her smooth shoulders and the below-the-knee hemline displaying her toned pins.

Carefully picking her accessories, Ferne teetered along in a pair of light pink wedge heels, with red lip detailing emblazoned across them.

Chic: Ferne McCann proved she wasn't letting her baby bump hamper her summer style as she cut a chic figure

Chic and cheerful: Her make-up was typially flawless, with a lick of pink on her pout, bronzer sweeping her cheeks and liner highlighting her eyes

Birthday bash: She's weeks away from welcoming her first child into the world. And Ferne seemed to still be enjoying flaunting her pregnancy fashions as she stepped out to celebrate her 27th birthday celebrations on Sunday

Adding to the glamour, the star donned a gold headpiece in the shape of a crown, presumably instating that she is the birthday girl.

She wore her chestnut looks in loose, light waves around her face and took time to pose for pre-dinner photos with her friends.

Her make-up was typially flawless, with a lick of pink on her pout, bronzer sweeping her cheeks and liner highlighting her eyes.

Also out for the night were Ferne's friends and former TOWIE co-stars Billie Faiers and Danielle Armstrong

Work it: Danielle sported a mint blue wrap-around dress, which she teamed with gold stilettos and dark shades

Billie looked stunning in an electric blue peplum shoulder-less crop top, showing off her incredibly toned post-baby tum

Also out for the night were Ferne's friends and former TOWIE co-stars Billie Faiers and Danielle Armstrong.

Billie looked stunning in an electric blue peplum shoulder-less crop top, showing off her incredibly toned post-baby tum.

She matched it with an identically-coloured sweeping floor-length skirt, with a split in it, teasing her toned pins.

Danielle sported a mint blue wrap-around dress, which she teamed with gold stilettos and dark shades.

Capturing the moment: Danielle was sure to snap candid shots of the evening

In they go: The birthday meal was hosted at Alec's Restaurant in Brentwood, Essex

The outing follows reports she is in line for a reality show documenting her life as a new mum, with many networks approaching her with pitches.

Sources told The Sun that the star is in line for her own show having made a fresh start with her imminent arrival - while her ex Arthur Collins awaits trial for his alleged involvement in an acid attack in a London nightclub at Easter.

Legs eleven! Showing off her pregnancy curves, the reality starlet donned a dress with a peplum detailing at the bust

Bumping along nicely: Clinging to her baby bump, the stylish dress flaunted her figure whilst remaining demure and on-trend

Ferne, who is six months gone, is undoubtedly delighted at the prospect of the show following the huge success of friend Sam Faiers' shows The Baby Diaries and The Mummy Diaries, which documented her first pregnancy and life as a mother.

Sources explained: '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.'

Striding along: Ferne's pregnancy curves were on full display as she strode along the street

Mum's night out: Heading out in her native Essex on Sunday, the former TOWIE star looked the epitome of pregnancy chic as she congregated with her glamorous friends for the evening out

The exciting news comes after Ferne's pregnancy announcement had been bittersweet.

She revealed she is expecting under stressful circumstances, as her ex 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.

Turning heads: Clinging to her baby bump, the stylish dress flaunted her figure whilst remaining demure and on-trend with its thin straps showing off her smooth shoulders and the below-the-knee hemline displaying her toned pins

Whip my hair: Ferne's glossy locks trailed behind her as she strolled along the streets

Yes she McCann! Ferne looked chirpy and in great spirits as she strolled along

Gals on the town: She wore her chestnut looks in loose, light waves around her face and took time to pose for pre-dinner photos with her friends

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.'

'Take it easy girl': Ferne McCann sparked concern among her fans after sharing a grueling workout regime video on Instagram on Thursday

Ferne sparked concern among her fans after sharing a grueling workout regime video on Instagram on Thursday.

But the TOWIE star defended her choice to exercise on the basis it is important to strengthen the body during pregnancy.

In the energetic clip on social media, Ferne is seen springing into action as she works up a sweat in a busy fitness studio.

With her baby bump evident in skintight active-wear, the reality TV personality threw herself into a series of energetic routines.

But her loyal legion of 1, 700,000 fans appeared to be divided on whether or not she should be working out while pregnant.

Leading the concerned fans, one wrote: 'Take it easy girl,' while another added: 'Be careful your little babes x' (sic).

Going strong: But the TOWIE star, 26, defended her choice to exercise on the basis it is important to strengthen the body during pregnancy

Meanwhile, others flooded the post with gushing compliments and praised her for being both 'brilliant' as well as 'looking fabulous'.

One fan remarked: 'I'm pregnant too and never have the energy to do anything. Good on you.'

Ferne defended her workouts as she claimed exercise was good and natural for her body during pregnancy.
An "adversarial perturbation" is a change to a physical object that is deliberately designed to fool a machine-learning system into mistaking it for something else.



Last March, a French/Swiss team published a paper on the universal adversarial perturbation, a set of squiggly lines that could be merged with images in a way that humans couldn't generally spot, and which screwed up machine-learning systems' guesses about what they were seeing.





Now a team from U Washington, Ann Arbor, Stony Brook and Berkeley have published a paper on "Robust Physical Perturbations" (or "RP2s") that reliably fool the kinds of vision systems used by self-driving cars to identify road-signs.





The team demonstrate two different approaches. In the first, the "poster attack," they make a replacement road-sign, such as a Right Turn sign or Stop sign, that has subtle irregularities in its background and icon that trick machine learning systems; in the second, the "sticker attack," they create stickers that look like common vandalism stickers, but which, when applied, also fool the vision systems. In both cases, the attacks work on machine learning systems that can view the sign from multiple angles and distances  and in both cases, it's not obvious to humans that the signs have been sabotaged to fool a computer.

The key here is "adversarial" computing. Existing machine-learning systems operate from the assumption that road-signs might be inadvertently obscured by graffiti, wear, snow, dirt, etc. But they do not assume that an adversary will deliberately sabotage the signs to trick the computer. This is a common problem in machine learning approaches: Google's original Pagerank algorithm was able to extract useful information about the relative quality of web-pages by counting the number of inbound links for each one, but once that approach started to work well and make a difference for web-publishers, it wasn't hard to fool Pagerank by manufacturing links between websites that existed for the sole purpose of tricking its algorithm.





The team's approach does not require that an attacker have access to the training data or programming, but the attacker does have to have "white box" access to the machine-vision system, "access to the classifier after it has been trained" because "even without access to the actual model itself, by probing the system, attackers can usually figure out a similar surrogate model based on feedback."



1) Camouflage Graffiti Attack: Following the process outlined

above, we generate perturbations in the shape of the

text "LOVE HATE" and physically apply them on a real Stop

sign (Figure 5). Table II shows the results of this experiment.

This attack succeeds in causing 73.33% of the images to be

misclassified. Of the misclassified images, only one image was

classified as a Yield sign rather than a Speed Limit 45 sign, thus

resulting in a 66.67% targeted misclassification success rate

with an average confidence of 47.9% and a standard deviation

of 18.4%. For a baseline comparison, we took pictures of

the Stop sign under the same conditions without any sticker

perturbation. The classifier correctly labels the clean sign as a

Stop for all of the images with an average confidence of 96.8%

and a standard deviation of 3%. 2) Camouflage Abstract Art Attack: Finally, we execute a

sticker attack that applies the perturbations resembling abstract

art physically to a real-world sign. While executing this

particular attack, we noticed that after a resize operation, the

perturbation regions were shortened in width at higher angles.

This possibly occurs in other attacks as well, but it has a more

pronounced effect here because the perturbations are physically

smaller on average than the other types. We compensated for

this issue by increasing the width of the perturbations physically.

In this final test, we achieve a 100% misclassification rate into

our target class, with an average confidence for the target of

62.4% and standard deviation of 14.7% (See Figure 6 for an

example image).



Robust Physical-World Attacks

on Machine Learning Models [Ivan Evtimov, Kevin Eykholt, Earlence Fernandes, Tadayoshi Kohno,

Bo Li, Atul Prakash, Amir Rahmati, and Dawn Song/Arxiv]

(via JWZ)
They've descended upon Marbella to film their annual The Only Way Is Marbs series.

But one cast member had heads turning more than the others as she stepped out in a bold shimmering kaftan.

Gemma Collins, 36, looked fabulous as she exited her hotel and headed for the pool to shoot new scenes of the show in the outfit, which swamped her frame and shimmered in the Spanish sun.

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Battle of the boldest! Chloe's loud look was rivaled by close friend Gemma Collins who opted for a bold cover-up that was emblazoned with sequins

Rocking the loudest look of the entire cast, Gemma's kaftan was emblazoned with large gold and metallic sequins and embellishments.

Not one to shy away from an outlandish ensemble, the reality star added height in gold strap wedges.

She toted a rose gold matte leather handbag, which she slung under one arm, and teased her black swimsuit underneath her large garment.

She kept as incognito as possible in her sparkling ensemble with a pair of metallic aviator shades.

Making an entrance: She toted a rose gold matte leather handbag, which she slung under one arm, and teased her black swimsuit underneath her large garment

Striking: She sported a trademark deep tan and wore her platinum blonde locks loosely around her shoulders

She sported a trademark deep tan and wore her platinum blonde locks loosely around her shoulders.

The appearance in the far-from-revealing outfit comes after she revealed her size 20 physique causes her anxiety and that she hates the pressure of filming The Only Way Is Essex scenes abroad while clad in a swimsuit.

In a candid interview with Closer Magazine, the television personality said she feels 'trapped' when the cast frolic in exotic locations and sunbathes in private for fear of being stared at.

Marb-ellous! The revealing swimsuits were out in abundance as the stars kicked off their Marbella break with a very scanty bash

Candid: Gemma Collins has revealed her size 20 physique causes her anxiety and that she hates the pressure of filming The Only Way Is Essex scenes abroad while clad in a swimsuit

Blonde beauty: In a candid interview with Closer Magazine, the 36-year-old television said she feels 'trapped' when the cast frolic in exotic locations and sunbathes in private for fear of being stared at (pictured in Ibiza in 2014)

She said: 'I do get anxiety over my weight.When we film abroad it's a nightmare for me. You never see me sitting around the pool and I do miss out on a lot of fun.

'I feel like a trapped prisoner and I don't feel free to enjoy myself.'

The single star said she is desperate to settle down and have children, but thinks her weight is affecting her dating life.

'If I lost weight, I'd be more at ease with myself. I do think, 'Have I not got a boyfriend because I'm overweight? I think if I was slimmer, I'd go on more dates and be more secure in myself.'

'Anxiety': She said: 'I do get anxiety over my weight.When we film abroad it's a nightmare for me. You never see me sitting around the pool and I do miss out on a lot of fun' (pictured in Ibiza in 2014)

Essex glamourpuss: The single star said she is desperate to settle down and have children, but thinks her weight is affecting her dating life

The star who said she feels like a 'huge part' of her life is missing, voiced her hopes for the future, saying in the next five years she wants to be in Barbados, a size 14, with a handsome husband and three children.'

Back in April Gemma, who has battled fluctuating weight for years, revealed her weight loss after a fertility expert warned her that her high BMI levels would hamper her chances of conceiving

Speaking on Loose Women, the reality star vowed 'nothing will stop me' in her quest to become a mother, admitting that her best friend has now offered to be an egg donor after discovering her plight.

Gemma said: 'When I broke down to my best friend she said, "I love you dearly, I'll give you one of my eggs." That made me feel more settled.'

Positivity: The star who said she feels like a 'huge part' of her life is missing, voiced her hopes for the future, saying in the next five years she wants to be in Barbados, a size 14, with a handsome husband and three children'

Gemma publicly announced earlier this year that she would be freezing her eggs in a bid to have children, but received the news on an emotional episode of TOWIE that it wouldn't be a viable option.

As she met with Dr Gangooly at a fertility clinic, the star was left in tears after he announced that her low egg count meant her fertility options would be limited.

Addressing the bubbly blonde, Dr Gangooly admitted: 'It's not a very good result.'

Breaking down in tears, Gemma asked: 'If I was to find the love of my life and have lots of sex with him, I still wouldn't have a baby?'

But he was quick to assure her that this was not necessarily the case. He was firm in his initial advice, however, as he explained: 'I would strongly recommend against egg freezing - I don't think we'll get a lot out of it.'

Dr Gangooly then explained that Gemma had two options ahead of her: IVF with donor sperm, or the use of a donor egg and sperm, which brightened her spirits.

He was stern, however, when he insisted that she needed to work on bringing down her BMI - the amount of tissue mass in an individual.

Gemma has fluctuated between a size 14 and size 18 over the years .

Last year she told Mail Online: 'They all want to make you thinner when you go on reality television.

'Everyone wants me to lose 10stone and get a gastric band but I never said I was a model. I'm just a real girl doing her thing and I'm proud that I am a natural girl.'
She made her name as an 'it' girl on the London social scene in the Nineties.

And Tamara Beckwith, 47, looked as glamorous as ever as she enjoyed a romantic trip to Portofino, Italy with Giorgio Veroni on Monday.

The blonde beauty sported two different looks as she boarded her lavish yacht with her handsome businessman husband.

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Glam: Former 'it' girl Tamara Beckwith, 47, looked as glamorous as ever as she enjoyed a romantic trip to Portofino, Italy with her husband Giorgio Veroni on Monday

Tamara's first look consisted of a monochrome patterned wide leg jumpsuit, which fanned over her slim legs, and tied at the back in an intricate bow pattern.

Going braless under the number, which exposed her toned back, Tamara looked elegant as she tied her blonde tresses back into a chic bun.

Carrying her belongings in a stylish woven pom pom basket bag, she shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of large shades.

Matching: The blonde beauty sported two different looks as she boarded her lavish yacht with her handsome businessman husband

Monochrome magic: Tamara's first look consisted of a monochrome patterned wide leg jumpsuit, which fanned over her slim legs, and tied at the back in an intricate bow pattern

Her second look was endearingly matched to Giorgio, as the pair donned white chinos and black T-shirts.

The socialite wed her Italian husband in Venice in August 2007. Violet Angiolina Rose was born two years later and the couple's first son, three-year-old Vero, was born in 2014.

Tamara also has a 27-year-old daughter, Anouska, from a previous relationship with her ex, William Gerhauser.

Funky bag: Carrying her belongings in a stylish woven pom pom basket bag, she shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of large shades

Loved up: Her second look was endearingly matched to Giorgio, as the pair donned white chinos and black T-shirts

She revealed she did not expect to fall pregnant again with their youngest son.

Speaking to Hello! Magazine ahead of the birth of Vero, Tamara explained her shock at becoming a mum again in her mid-forties after having two miscarriages:

'When youve been lucky to have two gorgeous girls, I think you should just be grateful. I am quite matter-of-fact about those things; what will be, will be,' she said.

Going strong: The socialite wed her Italian husband in Venice in August 2007. Violet Angiolina Rose was born two years later and the couple's first son, three-year-old Vero, was born in 2014
Shark Tank's panel of expert entrepreneurs is used to seeing proposals of the business kind.

But Tuesday's episode will take a more romantic turn as it features Luke Lucas popping the question to his girlfriend and business partner Chrissy Glentis.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Luke explained the chance to get down on one knee on TV was too good to miss.

A business proposal! Tuesday's episode of Shark Tank will take a romantic turn as Luke Lucas pops the question to his girlfriend and business partner Chrissy Glentis

'I couldn't pass up the opportunity to tell the whole country that I wanted to marry Chrissy,' Luke told Confidential.

He added: 'I couldn't say no to that.'

The 31-year-old made history with his loved-up proposal as he is the first contestant on the show to ask for someone's hand in marriage.

High profile: In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Luke explained the chance to get down on one knee on TV was too good to miss. Pictured: The Shark Tank panel of investers

The couple were asking judges Steve Baxter, Janine Allis, Andrew Banks, Dr Glen Richards and Naomi Simson to invest in their allergy-friendly food business, Foddies.

It's a business that was started by the pair just six months into their relationship.

The couple had been dating for three years before Luke proposed.

It's not the first time a business proposal had taken an unexpected turn on the show.

Last week a stunt backfired on judge Steve Baxter when he made a budding entrepreneur take part in a role reversal, only for the contestant not to react the way Steve expected.

Shark Tank airs Tuesday at 7:30pm on Network Ten
She received a backlash for 'mistakenly' wearing a Make America Great Again cap days ago.

But Caitlyn Jenner traded in the controversial garment for another piece of head-gear as she drove to a car show at the Trancas Country Market in Malibu, California, on Sunday.

Sporting a black Jimmy Kimmel Live hat, the Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete and television personality, 67, pulled into the local car show driving her 1960 Austin-Healey convertible.

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Hat's the way to do it: Caitlyn Jenner traded in her 'Make America Great Again' hat for another cap as she drove to a car show at the Trancas Country Market in Malibu, California, on Sunday

Caitlyn's bright blue nails clutched the steering wheel as she carefully drove her classic car into the busy shopping area.

A blonde female friend came along for the ride and sat next to her in the passenger seat.

Wearing a dusty rose colored cold shoulder long sleeve top and blue skinny jeans, Jenner slipped her seat belt over her lap.

Vroom: Sporting a black Jimmy Kimmel Live hat, the Olympic gold medal-winning decathlete, 67, pulled into the local car show driving her 1960 Austin-Healey convertible

Car queen: The TV personality wore a dusty rose colored cold shoulder top and long skinny jeans as she enjoyed her day out

Caitlyn added layered gold chain necklaces and sparkling diamond earrings to her Sunday look.

The former athlete wore soft make-up with over sized purple hued sunglasses resting on her face.

As the parking lot near the west end of Malibu filled up with old and exotic cars, Jenner's convertible fit into a handicapped parking stall.

She recently faced controversy for accidentally wearing a Make America Great Again hat just days after Donald Trump announced plans for a transgender military ban.

Showing off: Caitlyn popped the hood of her white and red 1960 Austin-Healey convertible at the Malibu car show

Controversial: Caitlyn told TMZ that she accidentally grabbed the Make America Great Again hat when she was rummaging through her closet (pictured last week)

Caitlyn claimed that she did not intentionally wear a hat supporting President Donald Trump on Thursday.

Jenner told TMZ that she accidentally grabbed the Make America Great Again hat when she was rummaging through her closet before she left her Malibu home to go to Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks.

After the hat controversy, Caitlyn shared that she is thinking of signing the hat and auctioning it off to give the proceeds to a transgender cause but she also said she may just burn it.

She added: 'I apologize to all of the trans community. I made a mistake. I will never do it again and I'm getting rid of the hat.'

Tweeting support: Jenner has shared that she is thinking of signing the hat and auctioning it off to give the proceeds to a transgender cause

Trans rights: Jenner was vocal about her views on President Trump's bill




Jennifer Lawrence has found herself in the middle of Chris Pratt's shock split from wife Anna Faris after eight years of marriage.

As the couple confirmed their separation on Facebook on Sunday, fans flocked to social media to bizarrely blame the actress, 26 - who starred in Passengers with Chris, 38, in 2016 - for the split.

Taking to Twitter, one wrote: 'I can't believe Chris Pratt and Anna Faris are splitting up this is all Jennifer Lawrence's fault.'

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Stuck in the middle: Jennifer Lawrence has found herself in the center of Chris Pratt's shock split from wife Anna Faris after eight years of marriage

Despite there being no suggestion Jennifer had any involvement in the split, another wrote: 'Jennifer Lawrence broke up Chris Pratt's marriage lol.'

'Watch chris pratt and jennifer lawrence be a thing,' another Twitter user speculated.

Other fans were quick to recall the seemingly awkward exchange that Faris, 40, and Lawrence shared when embracing at the premiere of Passengers in December 2016.

Though the ladies hugged it out in front of photographers, Anna appeared to have a pained expression while Lawrence kept her hands claw-like instead of fully touching her co-star's wife.

Split: As the couple confirmed their separation on Facebook on Sunday, fans flocked to social media to blame the actress, 26 - who starred in Passengers with Chris, 38, in 2016 - for the split

Awkward? Fans were quick to recall the seemingly awkward exchange that Faris, 40, and Lawrence shared when embracing at the premiere of Passengers in December 2016

Rumors swirled in 2016 that Chris and Jennifer had hooked up while filming their sci-fi disappointment Passengers.

Though the claims were strongly denied by all parties involved, Anna opened up about how the rumors affected her in an interview in December 2016.

'It made me feel incredibly insecure,' she told Isla Fisher on her own podcast, Anna Faris Is Unqualified.

'Chris and I, we talk about this a lot,' she admitted. 'We grapple with a lot of the ideas of being a public couple.'

'I just remember feeling so hurt in a way that bothered me, because I didn't want to think of myself as somebody who could be affected by  tabloid s***.'

Saw it coming? Despite there being no suggestion Jennifer had any involvement in the split, fans flocked to social media in their droves

Watch this space? Fans put together the bizarre theory that Jennifer was involved in the split

Chris and Anna met on the set of 2007's Take Me Home Tonight, when the actor was practically unknown.

They married on the island of Bali two years later in July 2009, and share a four-year-old son, Jack.

'I take pride in how great my relationship is with Chris,' Anna continued.

'But having said that, of course, in this crazy world where he's off doing movies and I'm in LA raising our child, of course I'm going to feel vulnerable, like any normal human would.'

Pratt is now one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood, with leading roles in Guardians Of The Galaxy, Jurassic World, The Lego Movie and The Magnificent Seven.

When asked how she deals with the rumors, Anna said 'I think it is to never respond; but she did admit 'My knee-jerk reaction was to be like 'f*ck you'.

Embrace: Though the ladies hugged it out in front of photographers, Anna appeared to have a pained expression while Lawrence kept her hands claw-like instead of fully touching

The couple announced their split in a Facebook post on Sunday night, with Chris writing: 'Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating. We tried hard for a long time, and were really disappointed.

'Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward.

'We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another.'

Claw-like: Jennifer kept her hands in an awkward position as she hugged her co-star's wife

The last time Pratt featured his wife on Instagram was in May when he gushed about the actress on Mother's Day.

Alongside a photo of Faris and their son, Pratt wrote: 'A big Mother's Day kiss and hug across the pond to my darling wife @annafaris and our sweet boy. I miss you both so much. I love you.'

Speaking back in late April at his Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony, Pratt affirmed how solid his and Faris' marriage appeared to be: 'I want to thank my wife Anna, I love you.

'You've given me so much. You gave me the greatest star in the galaxy in my little boy, I love him and I love you.

'We have bonded to make this molecule that is more important to me than air or water, and without it none of this means anything to me. With every challenge, with every day, week, month, decade, we become more bonded.

Passengers: Jennifer and Chris' 2016 sci-fi flick under performed given both stars' A-list standing in Hollywood (pictured December 2016)

It's been suggested that the split is partially down to the couple's hectic work schedules, with Faris busy with her sitcom and various other projects and Pratt taking on huge blockbuster movies.

He has spent most of this summer away in the UK and Hawaii shooting Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom; and although Faris and Jack visited him on location, Pratt's schedule would have been taxing on the family.

The promotion for the major films Pratt takes on also takes him around the world for weeks at a time, with Faris needing to stay in LA to shoot her sitcom, which records at Warner Brothers studios in Burbank.

'You make me laugh like nobody else. You're very caring, and thank you for your trust and your sacrifice - and for your dedication and your heart.

'I will do my best to protect it, and in return I will give you all of those things as well. You have my heart, my dedication, my trust.'

It's over: The couple (pictured on April 24) confirmed their shock marital split on Sunday

Due to separate career trajectories, Pratt has openly admitted they've struggled with his increasingly demanding work schedule over the last several years.

'It doesn't hurt that I'm with somebody who's been, for longer than me, super recognizable and famous and working nonstop,' Chris told BuzzFeed in December.

'It's a lot to ask somebody to understand, or expect somebody to understand, why you have to be away for so long. But shes, like, "Dude, I get it, of course you have to go."'

And back in 2015, the Guardians of the Galaxy heartthrob defended that the globetrotting working streak would ultimately lead to 'the gravy years.'

'The way we work it out is we just take at least one moment every day to be present with one another,' Chris gushed to ET with Anna by his side.

'Whether or not we're in the same room, or the same state, or even the same country, we check in, you know?'

Jennifer has been dating director Darren Aronofsky, 48, for almost one year.

Heartbreaking: Pratt, 38, shared the news on his Facebook and Twitter accounts on Sunday

Back in 2015 rumors were sparked by tabloid claims Anna was worried Pratt might cheat on her with Lawrence, his co-star in the film Passengers.

'This has been blindsiding to us. We have an incredible relationship. It has been weirdly stinging,' she told Us Weekly at the time.

The happily married actress, who stars in the CBS comedy Mom, said the experience has given her a fresh perspective of what it's like living in the glare of fame.

'I had always kind of believed that part of the rumors of celebrity couples were sort of true because they had never been part of my life. I was like, 'Oh, maybe there's a kernel of truth to that,'' Faris said.

'It's been a little devastating because for us, it's like, 'What the heck?'' she explained.
She has confessed she is feeling anxious ahead of her big white wedding to Alex Bowen.

But Olivia Buckland, 23, exuded envy-inducing confidence when she posted a sizzling Instagram picture on Sunday evening.

The social media sensation - who is the most followed Love Island 2016 contestant on the platform - flashed a glimpse of her underboob in a very tiny crop top.

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Sssssexy: Olivia Buckland, 23, exuded confidence in a tiny crop top and matching snakeskin miniskirt when she posted a sizzling Instagram picture on Sunday evening

Slipping into a matching snakeskin miniskirt, the reality star drew attention to her phenomenal hourglass curves and impressive inkings.

The TV queen also showed off the results of her sun-soaked trip to Spain as she flaunted her toned tummy and long legs in her racy ensemble.

Olivia swept her glossy golden locks into a top knot bun, letting only a few wisps fall around her face.

Candid: The Essex beauty recently discussed her anxiety ahead of her nuptials and the possibility of televising her wedding day

For drama, the Love Island runner-up completed her sexy look with heavy make-up and towering high heels.

Olivia is busy planning for her wedding.She fell head-over-heels in love with the hunky scaffolder on the 2016 show.

They secured second place on the reality hit series after pals Cara de la Hoyde and Nathan Massey, who have since parted ways.

Document: Olivia revealed that they have been in talks to televise their wedding day (pictured with Alex on Love Island in 2016)

The couple moved in together very quickly in her native Essex in August 2016 and Alex popped the question during a romantic trip to New York in December.

It's been a real whirlwind romance as they had only been an item for five months before deciding to take their relationship to the next level.

But Olivia has confessed she's already feeling the heat of planning her big day and claims she's well on her way to becoming a bridezilla.

She couldn't resist saying yes to a 2,069 Sophie Tolli dress on the TLC reality show in May.

Whirlwind romance: The couple moved in together very quickly in her native Essex in August 2016 and Alex popped the question during a romantic trip to New York in December

The Love Island beauty told MailOnline: 'It's good. I'm so busy that wedding plans have taken a back seat because I've been so busy.

'But Ive got one of my best friends, who is a wedding planner on the case.

'Shes helping me, weve started to get into it now. Were ordering different invitation templates, we might look at the venue next week so weve started to get the ball rolling but I think its going to be one of those ones where Ill need all hands on deck.

'I think I might turn into Bridezella at some point, just waiting for it to happen.'
Fans got their first full look at Josh Brolin's Deadpool 2 character on Instagram Monday.

The Marvel film's leading man Ryan Reynolds got the honor of revealing the cantankerous Cable, 'a time travelling soldier' with a glowing eye and scar strewn face.

The husband of Blake Lively captioned the shot of his on-screen antagonist with Wade Wilson's typical snark, writing 'We all have that one, grumpy, heavily armed Uncle from the future,' and the cheeky tags '#PremiumCable #MaximumA**hole.'

Maximum bleep! Fans got their first look at Josh Brolin's Deadpool 2 character Cable on Monday, with the film's leading man Ryan Reynolds calling the cantankerous time travelling soldier a 'Maximum A**hole' in his Instagram caption

Brolin, 50, looks nearly unrecognizable in his crime fighting get-up, showing lean-as-can-be face while shushing audiences with a single finger.

Another shot posted by the actor himself showed a fully armed Cable resting a hearty firearm over his shoulder while flaunting a bionic arm and chest strapped with artillery.

Curiously, the tough-as-nails character also keeps a teddy bear at his side.

Soft side? Another shot showed a fully armed Cable while flaunting a bionic arm and chest strapped with artillery while the tough-as-nails character also linked a teddy bear to his side

Buff Brolin! The W actor already exposed the public to his buff makeover, baring nearly all of his marble-carved figure in a black and white selfie from a few weeks back

The Academy Award nominee's caption served up just as much sass as Ryan's, reading 'Now offering 25 percent off your next autopsy. #youremine #deadpool.'

Brolin already exposed the public to the major physical transformation he made for the highly anticipated action film in a nearly NSFW selfie posted weeks back.

Clearly proud of all of his sweat-drenched hours in the gym, the over 50 gent nearly bared all of his marble-carved figure in a black and white selfie where he seemed to be au naturale.

A Marvel of acting! The W. actor (above in March) signed a four film contract as the X-Men adjacent character and will also continue playing supervillain Thanos in The Avengers films

The W. actor, who is married to his former assistant Kathryn Boyd, has a four film contract as the X-Men adjacent character.

Brolin is already a member of the Marvel family, playing digitally animated supervillian Thanos in The Avengers series, while also making a cameo in Guardians Of The Galaxy.

Deadpool 2 is currently shooting in Toronto, Canada and is set for release June 1 2018.
Apparently, Mimi has been going around telling everyone that her and Sam have a 'brother and sister vibe' going on. Not sure how things work in Canada Mimi, but we don't tend to refer to our siblings as 'sexy packages' in the UK (unless maybe this were an episode of Brookside).

Emily is still raging about Harry. 'He's a rancid, little creep,' she declares. 'He made Frankie feel weird and like psycho.' Quite a feat given that she's managed to do that without him in the past.

Mimi and Ella are running up a steep, rocky hill in the 40 degree Ibizian heat, yet there is not one bead of sweat on either of them. Mimi fills Ella in on the situation with Sam - namely that they have now discussed, at length, that they could potentially fancy one another, incest be damned.

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Drama: Sam Thompson drops a MASSIVE bombshell to Olivia Bentley about Tiffany Watson on Monday night's juicy installment of Made In Chelsea: Ibiza

Not impressed: Meanwhile Sam Prince leaves Georgia Toffolo (above) disgusted, after revealing he slept with another girl in her bed

Sam Prince is asking Posh Danniella Westbrook for tips of how to hit on Spanish girls, in the wake of his and Toff's lackluster flirtations. 'How do you say "Lady Baby" in Spanish?' Sam Prince asks, ultimately sealing his disastrous fate with any Spanish woman he sets his sights upon.

'You and Toff are like the Chuckle Brothers,' Posh Danniella Westbrook observes. Good one, Posh Danniella Westbrook.

OMG, Mimi and Liv are actually sort of friends in Ibiza. We're using the term loosely here. It's less of a friendship, more of an ability to hold back from throwing their own urine on one another in the street.

Totally unaware: Sam drops the bombshell that maybe Tiff isn't who he wants to end up

Love triangle: Mimi fills Ella in on the situation with Sam - namely that they have now discussed, at length, that they could potentially fancy one another, incest be damned

Harry manages to puppeteer Emily so much that he may as well be Geppetto. In order to lure her back into his bed of lies, he instructs her that 'Frankie has MADE you dislike me'.

'Maybe you're right,' muses Emily before doing the only thing she can possibly do in this situation - go home with him.

Sam's got Mimi right where he wants her: inebriated. 'I feel like when I smile my cheeks hurt,' Mimi slurs, before declaring that she enjoys flirting with him when it's just the two of them. Presumably they've been flirting off-camera in front of a live audience of voyeurs prior to this then.

Drinks date: Sam's got Mimi right where he wants her: inebriated. 'I feel like when I smile my cheeks hurt,' Mimi slurs, before declaring that she enjoys flirting with him when it's just the two of them

Sam informs Mimi that he'd like to 'steal a kiss' which she is concerned about because of his baggage (also known as Tiff). 'What would you do if you could do anything?' Sam asks her. 'I'd make your baggage disappear,' Mimi says, clicking her fingers, sounding like she is planning on hiring someone to kill Tiff in her sleep.

All's wonderful again between Emily and Harry. They're rolling around in bed, she's wearing his shirt, he's grinning as if he slept with a boomerang in his mouth.

Ooer: In an abandoned yoga studio, Mimi is instructing Sam in the art of yoga, he's shirtless, her hands are wandering

He sees Emily out of the house, only to discover Frankie loitering around by the bins outside (not really, she's in the living room). She's fuming that Emily has given Harry another shot, especially after she wasted that drink last week by chucking it in his face. Harry tells her to let herself out, which she does, but not before nipping into his bathroom to sniff his toothbrush.

In an abandoned yoga studio, Mimi is instructing Sam in the art of yoga, he's shirtless, her hands are wandering. This Dirty Dancing-like exchange results in another discussion about whether or not they should actually be flirting with each other, after which Sam lunges forward and plants a smacker onto Mimi's 'amazing lips'. Then they both giggle like bi-curious schoolgirls.

It transpires that while Toff was back in London filming Celebs Go Dating, Sam Prince got his own back by sleeping with a non-Spanish girl. And he inexplicably did it in Toff's bed. AND he left the sheets soiled.

Poor Toff: It transpires that while Toff was back in London filming Celebs Go Dating, Sam Prince got his own back by sleeping with a non-Spanish girl. And he inexplicably did it in Toff's bed. AND he left the sheets soiled

On learning about this, Ella says to him 'you're probably pretty disappointed in yourself' as if she were the resident Prioress.

It's Frankie's birthday and to mark the occasion she has decided to wear a sun dress that only just about conceals her nipples.

Toff's back from her swift return to the UK, complete with bandanna wrapped around her head. Sam Prince informs her that he made sweet sweet love in her bed to a woman that wasn't her, and she flips her bandanna-clad lid. 'I slept in your dirty sex sheets last night?' she reels.

Daring: It's Frankie's birthday and to mark the occasion she has decided to wear a sun dress that only just about conceals her nipples

Harry and Sam are discussing Frankie and Mimi: Harry explains that Frankie's face 'went from being slightly sour, to a complete lemon' when she learnt that he and Emily had reignited their flames of desire. Sam reveals that Mimi has meanwhile been dragging him into the loos to kiss him with her 'amazing lips'. He tells Harry that he sees her differently to a random hookup, because those usually end with him 'waking up in a motel'. Presumably Sam's hookups take place in American road-trip movies from 1954.

Liv has got wind of the fact that Sam and Mimi are tip-toeing on the precipice of intimacy. 'Do you want to be the reason they don't get back together?' she asks Mimi, referring to Tiff who Skyped Liv earlier in the episode to get her opinion on what wedding dress she should wear when she and Sam get married.

Liv then has it out with Sam and tells him she's feeling uncomfortable about him and Mimi. 'Your comfort is of no concern to me,' Sam states, before dropping the bombshell that maybe Tiff isn't who he wants to end up with after all in a turn of events that are sure to leave Tiff sobbing back home into her vegan-made pillows.
Nina Dobrev was spotted walking her dog Mrs. Maverick in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The 28-year-old actress walked her little pooch, who she said on Instagram in May is her 'doctor certified emotional support animal.'

Accompanied by friend Lane Cheek, the Vampire Diaries vet seemed to be enjoying a hot summer's day in LA.

Woman's best friend: Nina Dobrev walks pup Mrs. Maverick on a hot summer's day in Los Angeles on Sunday

Dobrev looked chic in a red sun dress covered in little white flowers as she walked around the neighborhood with Maverick.

The Degrassi actress added some height to her petite frame with a pair of silver and black platforms, which accentuated her long, tanned legs.

She let her short chocolate brown hair loose after tying it half way up in a top bun earlier in the afternoon.

Legs for days: The 28-year-old actress was joined by friend Lane Cheek on the casual Sunday stroll through the neighborhood

Wearing retro-inspired dark sunglasses and a small silver necklace, Nina unpinned a few of the buttons on the neckline of her summer dress.

The Bulgarian-Candian actress carried her iPhone in one hand and a black backpack over her shoulders.

She walked the half Border Collie, half Australian Shepard rescue puppy with her other free hand.

Press paws: Mrs. Maverick patiently waited for the traffic light to change so she could safely cross the busy street

Lane was seen wearing barely-there white shorts and a long sleeved denim shirt with dark sunglasses.

Dobrev's rescue dog Mrs. Maverick was born earlier this year and has amassed quite a following on Instagram.

In May, Nina told her Instagram followers that the pooch was a 'doctor certified emotional support animal,' and thanked everyone for their 'concern.'

Social pup: Nina shared this image on Instagram of her and Mrs. Maverick lounging on a Sunday afternoon.
There may be rumors swirling that she's considering a run for New York's governor.

But Cynthia Nixon is still an actress first and foremost.

On Sunday, she dressed up for a special screening of her new movie, The Only Living Boy In New York, in East Hampton.

There in black and white: Cynthia Nixon dressed up for a screening of her movie, The Only Living Boy In New York, in East Hampton Sunday, amid reports she might run for state governor

The 51-year-old looked beautiful in a black, ankle-length, strapless frock with a crazy white squiggle design that she teamed with black high heels.

Cynthia wore her flame-red tresses swept back off her perfectly made-up face and accessorized with dangly earrings.

The Sex And The City star was joined at the screening by co-stars Jeff Bridges and Callum Turner along with director Marc Webb, producer Ron Yerxa and executives from Amazon Studios.

The movie, which also stars Kate Beckinsale and Pierce Brosnan is due to open on Friday.

Dapper gent: The 51-year-old Sex And The City alum cuddled up to co-star Jeff Bridges, 67

And three's a wow: The pair were joined by Callum Turner, 27

Wait, there's more: The actors posed with director Marc Webb, standing next to Cynthia, and executives from Amazon Studios

On Sunday Cynthia posted two Instagram snaps on the way to the event but made no mention of a possible political career.

Her name has been circulated as a potential Democratic primary challenger to incumbent governor Andrew Cuomo, who is seeking a third term in the office in the 2018 election.

Liberal groups have approached the actress regarding a run for office, the Wall Street Journal first reported on Friday.

Don't get that dress dirty: Cynthia posted this snap on Sunday, captioned, 'Pumping gas so I can get the family home from the Hamptons post-screening'

More info: The actress also posted this shot, saying, 'On my way to Hamptons screening of my new film #TheOnlyLivingBoyinNewYork My trusty backpack will be staying in the car....'

New role?: The Sex And The City alum is said to be eyeing a challenge to New York governor and Democrat Andrew Cuomo, seen at the Price March in June, but has yet to comment

Cynthia is active in liberal politics in the state, particularly on education issues.

The director of the Alliance For Quality Education told the Journal that she has progressive credentials and her candidacy would excite voters.

Other names mentioned as possible challengers include former state Senator Terry Gipson and Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner.
After seeing a news article, emoji expert Keith Broni of Dublin, Ireland answered a job posting by London-based language firm Today Translations searching for the world's first emoji translator. After a lengthy process, the firm choose Broni out of a pool of over 500 candidates last month.

Broni writes,

"I sent in my application pretty much immediately There is no doubt that emoji are powerful communicative tools, enabling emotional expression and understanding particularly where there might be traditional language barriers. However, we know that not every culture interprets the same emoji in the same way. By helping companies and organisations understand those differences, I plan to make a real difference in the world of global communication."

Part of his duties will include writing an "Emoji Etiquette Guide," consulting on the use of emojis in marketing, and analyzing emojis in a legal context.

Previously: Emojis are like modern-day gargoyles to this Dutch architect
A 'freak accident' while hanging out with family caused him to break his leg in July.

And Ryan Phillippe shared an update on his condition with concerned fans via his Instagram page on Sunday.

The actor, 42, took a mirror selfie that showed his lower leg in a cast with the simple caption: 'update.'

Ouch! Ryan Phillippe shared an update on his condition with concerned fans via his Instagram page on Sunday after breaking his leg in a 'freak accident' in July

A pair of crutches were nearby as he leaned on a sink in what appeared to be a doctor's office.

The father-of-two appeared to be growing restless, writing on Twitter: 'I'm ready to whoop some ass, but my bones gotta catch up.'

A second tweet read: 'Let's go bones!'

Announcement: The actor, 42, shocked fans when he shared a hospital bed photo in July after the painful accident

The current second season of Ryan's action drama Shooter that premiered July 18 was originally intended to run with 10 episodes, but has been cut to eight.

The actor portrays expert marksman Bob Lee Swagger in the USA Network drama series.

'Our priority is Ryan's recovery, and after conversations with our partners at USA and UCP we've decided that we will wrap S2 with episode 208,' Paramount TV told Us Weekly in a statement.

Painful: The father-of-two took to Instagram on July 16 and shared an image of himself in a hospital bed with his lower right leg wrapped and elevated

Ryan took to Instagram on July 16 and shared an image of himself in a hospital bed with his lower right leg wrapped and elevated.

The ex-husband of Reese Witherspoon later explained on Twitter what happened.

'Hey, guys. i didn't injure myself doing a stunt or anywhere near the set of shooter. I was the victim of a freak accident during a family outing on sunday,' he tweeted to his over 91,000 followers.

Ryan raises son daughter Ava, 17, and son Deacon, 13, with ex-wife Reese, 41.
They were married for eight years and seemed to be one of the strongest couples in Hollywood before announcing their shock split on Sunday.

And just weeks before they announced their separation, Anna Faris, 40, admitted that life in the spotlight with husband Chris Pratt, 38, wasn't easy.

The actress revealed to PEOPLE magazine in July that navigating life off camera is 'tricky', before revealing just one week ago that there is a 'loneliness' to being in the spotlight.

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Tough relationship: Just weeks before they announced their separation, Anna Faris, 40, admitted that life in the spotlight with husband Chris Pratt, 38, wasn't easy

'I don't think that's something, when you're an actor, that you're prepared for,' she told the magazine at the time.

'There are two different roles that you play  the one on-camera and the one in public,' she admitted. 'That's the tricky part.'

But the actress went on to say nice things about her partner: 'Chris loves to work in the garage and I love to do laundry and watch reality television. Just normal people.'

Just one week ago, on her Unqualified podcast, the actress opened up about feeling 'lonely' in the public eye - perhaps hinting at a forthcoming parting of ways.

Happier times: The pair looked very much in love back in April when they shared sweet PDA on the red carpet at the Guardians of the Galaxy volume two red carpet

During her July 31 podcast with guest musician Josh Ostrander, the Moms actress revealed her public persona is nothing like her personal one.

'I play a character on Mom, I play a character in movies, but I also play a public character,' Faris said.

'There's definitely a loneliness and, like, an internal element to being a performer. I feel like I have to laugh'

'I play a public character. I laugh loud sometimes  maybe too loud but it is a public character sometimes.

'Like, if I have a red carpet thing or whatever, which I'm never comfortable, but I'm always like, 'I'm fine!' And it never feels like me.'

Not all as it seems: Just one week ago, on her Unqualified podcast, the actress opened up about feeling 'lonely' in the public eye (pictured in April)

'Our son has two parents who love him very much': The acting duo, who married in Bali in 2009, have four-year-old son Jack together (pictured April 21)

Heartbreaking: Pratt, 38, shared the news on his Facebook and Twitter accounts on Sunday

Prior to their shocking split, the couple, who share four year old Jack, always seemed to have nice things to say about each other.

In April, Chris shared a sweet message about how much he loved his wife as he embarked on a press tour for Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2.

'These press tours can be such a whirlwind,' he wrote. 'I'm grateful to have you and the boy with me on this one.'

The family man continued: 'Although it's 3:00am right now, I was just awakened by a square kick to the back as little man climbed into bed and then must have had a karate dream or something and now I can't sleep.

Focused on family: Anna, photographed with Chris and Jack in December 2016, has admitted in the past that her husband's busy scheduling can be hard for her at times

'I'm on insta instead. All you dads and moms know what I'm talking about.'

The couple announced their split in a Facebook post on Sunday night, with Chris writing: 'Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating. We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed.

'Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward.

'We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another.'

Last post: Chris shared a photo in May of Anna and their son, Jack, along with a caption praising his wife

The last time Pratt featured his wife on Instagram was in May when he gushed about the actress on Mother's Day.

Alongside a photo of Faris and their son, Pratt wrote: 'A big Mother's Day kiss and hug across the pond to my darling wife @annafaris and our sweet boy. I miss you both so much. I love you.'

Speaking back in late April at his Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony, Pratt affirmed how solid his and Faris' marriage appeared to be: 'I want to thank my wife Anna, I love you.

'You've given me so much. You gave me the greatest star in the galaxy in my little boy, I love him and I love you.

Disappointed: The couple announced their split in a Facebook post on Sunday night, with Chris writing: 'Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating.'

'We have bonded to make this molecule that is more important to me than air or water, and without it none of this means anything to me. With every challenge, with every day, week, month, decade, we become more bonded.'

It's been suggested that the split is partially down to the couple's hectic work schedules, with Faris busy with her sitcom and various other projects and Pratt taking on huge blockbuster movies.

Faris has previously said that fame was what ended her first marriage to actor Ben Indra in 2007, admitting that it failed due to her success while his own career stalled.

That kind of destroyed my marriage, she shared with Marie Claire four years later. The divide became too great.

Chris' star has also been on the rise with the actor spending most of this summer away in the UK and Hawaii shooting Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom; and although Faris and Jack visited him on location, Pratt's schedule would have been taxing on the family.

A stellar performance: Chris' stardom skyrocketed when he starred in Jurassic Park in 2015

The promotion for the major films Pratt takes on also takes him around the world for weeks at a time, with Faris needing to stay in LA to shoot her sitcom, which records at Warner Brothers studios in Burbank.

'You make me laugh like nobody else. You're very caring, and thank you for your trust and your sacrifice - and for your dedication and your heart.

'I will do my best to protect it, and in return I will give you all of those things as well. You have my heart, my dedication, my trust.'

Many rumors are doing the rounds as to why the couple split, including their busy schedules as one of the biggest factors.

Since the couple wed in 2009, Chris has gone on to become one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood and is often gone for work, which Anna had admitted is tough at times.

Love story: Chris and Anna met on the set of 2007's Take Me Home Tonight, when the actor was practically unknown (pictured in 2009)

Before Chris became one of Hollywood's post in demand actors, he was a chubby comedian on Parks and Recreation (pictured in 2012)

Milestones: They welcomed their son Jack in 2012 when he was born prematurely and spend a month in the NICU (photographed with their baby boy in 2013)

Chris and Anna met on the set of 2007's Take Me Home Tonight, when the actor was practically unknown.

Anna Faris and Chris Pratt: A Timeline 2007: The couple met on the set of Take Me Home Tonight November 2008: The couple became engaged when Chris asked Anna to marry him on her birthday July 2009: They married in July on the Island of Bali August 2012: The couple welcomed their little boy, Jack, who was born nine weeks premature and spent a month in the NICU January 2013: Anna joins CBS sitcom Moms, which keeps her busy in Los Angeles durng filming 2014: Chris' stardom starts to rise as he is cast in Guardians of the Galaxy 2015: The star goes from chubby funnyman to one of Hollywood's hottest leading men 2015: Chris spends most of the year away from his family as his Hollywood star rises with films like Jurassic Park August 2017: Anna and Chris announce their separation Advertisement

They married on the island of Bali two years later in July 2009, and share a four-year-old son, Jack, who was born in 2012.

'I take pride in how great my relationship is with Chris,' Anna continued.

'But having said that, of course, in this crazy world where he's off doing movies and I'm in LA raising our child, of course I'm going to feel vulnerable, like any normal human would.'

He started to show his star power on the NBC comedy Parks & Recreation, which he starred in from 2009 to 2015.

His super stardom really started to rise in 2014 when he got the lead role in Guardians of the Galaxy.

He went through a physical transformation as well, going from a chubby comedy actor to a movie star, complete with a chiseled frame and incredible six-pack.

He later did Jurassic Park and The Lego Movie, while also starring alongside Jennifer Lawrence in Passengers.

It was that film that started the tabloid rumors that Chris and Jennifer were having an affair, which Anna has admitted was devastating at the time.

The rumors were so powerful that fans have gone on to blame Jennifer for the split

Fans flocked to social media to bizarrely blame the actress, 26.

Public image: Anna has made comments in the past saying that it has been tough navigating their relationship in the public eye (pictured in 2012)

Stuck in the middle: Jennifer Lawrence has found herself in the center of the shock split

Taking to Twitter, one wrote: 'I can't believe Chris Pratt and Anna Faris are splitting up this is all Jennifer Lawrence's fault.'

Despite there being no suggestion Jennifer had any involvement in the split, another wrote: 'Jennifer Lawrence broke up Chris Pratt's marriage lol.'

'Watch chris pratt and jennifer lawrence be a thing,' another Twitter user speculated.

Other fans were quick to recall the seemingly awkward exchange that Faris, 40, and Lawrence shared when embracing at the premiere of Passengers in December 2016.

Though the ladies hugged it out in front of photographers, Anna appeared to have a pained expression while Lawrence kept her hands claw-like instead of fully touching her co-star's wife.

Awkward? Fans were quick to recall the seemingly awkward exchange that Faris, 40, and Lawrence shared when embracing at the premiere of Passengers in December 2016

Saw it coming? Despite there being no suggestion Jennifer had any involvement in the split, fans flocked to social media in their droves

Though the claims were strongly denied by all parties involved, Anna opened up about how the rumors affected her in an interview in December 2016.

'It made me feel incredibly insecure,' she told Isla Fisher on her own podcast, Anna Faris Is Unqualified.

'Chris and I, we talk about this a lot,' she admitted. 'We grapple with a lot of the ideas of being a public couple.'

'I just remember feeling so hurt in a way that bothered me, because I didn't want to think of myself as somebody who could be affected by  tabloid sh*t.'

Embrace: Though the ladies hugged it out in front of photographers, Anna appeared to have a pained expression while Lawrence kept her hands claw-like instead of fully touching

Back in 2015 rumors were sparked by tabloid claims Anna was worried Pratt might cheat on her with Jennifer Lawrence, his co-star in the film Passengers.

'This has been blindsiding to us. We have an incredible relationship. It has been weirdly stinging,' she told Us Weekly at the time.

The happily married actress, who stars in the CBS comedy Mom, said the experience has given her a fresh perspective of what it's like living in the glare of fame.

'I had always kind of believed that part of the rumors of celebrity couples were sort of true because they had never been part of my life. I was like, 'Oh, maybe there's a kernel of truth to that,'' Faris said.

'It's been a little devastating because for us, it's like, 'What the heck?'' she explained.
She hinted at a split from her Love Island boyfriend Alex Beattie by claiming they were happy 'doing their own thing'.

And explosive claims have now emerged that Montana Brown faked her feelings in the villa as part of a game plan to scoop the 50,000 prize fund.

The couple were said to be at odds when the brunette beauty refused to post a picture of them together on social media, according to The Sun.

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No Love (Island) here! Explosive claims have now emerged that Montana Brown faked her feelings for Alex Beattie in the Love Island villa as part of a game plan to scoop the 50,000

A source told the publication: 'Montana had everyone fooled.

'She played a game in the villa and Alex is only beginning to realise that now.

'He watched all the other couples happily post on Instagram and begged Montana to do the same so he knew her heart was in the right place but she refused.'

Meanwhile, Alex flooded his Instagram page with pictures of them together... up until seven days ago.

Awkward: The couple were said to be at odds when the brunette beauty refused to post a picture of them together on social media, according to The Sun

Love Island has kick started lucrative modelling careers for the duo.

Montana is preparing to fly out to America as part of her new role as a brand ambassador for online retailer PrettyLittleThing.

Meanwhile, Alex bagged himself a six-figure deal modelling with Boohoo.

Discussing their relationship, Montana told The Sun: We are doing our thing at the moment. I dont know if we will have time or be able to do any joint shoots in the future.'

A source alleged: 'She played a game in the villa and Alex is only beginning to realise that now'

Im really proud of him with his new modelling contract.

'Modelling something important to him and hes always had a passion for it, it just comes really naturally to him.

MailOnline has contacted both stars' representatives for comment.

In late July, the Love Island couple made a united appearance on This Morning.

Lucrative deal: Montana is preparing to fly out to America as part of her new role as a brand ambassador for online retailer PrettyLittleThing

Alex poured his heart out to Montana on live television and claimed their relationship was really strong.

He confessed: 'In my eyes, I do love the girl. The whole island thing was intense but out relationship was really strong.'

But when asked by Ruth Langsford if she felt the same way about the hunk, Montana candidly revealed: 'I dont love Alex yet, no.'
She courts attention for her quirky ensembles wherever she goes.

And Rita Ora didn't disappoint when she sported a Greta Constantine shirt which was a close match for British classic confectionery brand Quality Street's pink fudge chocolate wrapper in New York City on Monday.

Her daring display came as the Your Song hitmaker, 26, admitted she would be delaying her second studio album until 2018.

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A Quality (Street) outfit: Rita Ora didn't disappoint when she sported a shirt reminiscent of classic confectionery brand Quality Street's pink fudge wrapper in New York City on Monday

The glossy finish and crinkle effect of her blouse were strikingly similar to the iconic sweet's foil packaging.

Proving the devil is in the details, the flashy ensemble was complete with a bow tied at the neck.

Rita, who wore a slick of cherry blossom pink lipstick, kept her look casual by slipping into black satin joggers and trainers for added comfort on her stroll.

Despite the rain in the Big Apple, the songstress pulled on a pair of trademark sunglasses.

She's sure sweet: The singer caught the eye in a vibrant Greta Constantine top with a glossy finish similar to the iconic sweet foil

Dead ringer: The attire was strikingly similar to the pink fudge treat's wrapper

The I Will Never Let You Down hitmaker styled her golden locks in loose waves.

This comes as Rita revealed she has delayed her second studio album until 2018.

The 'Hot Right Now' hitmaker was expected to release the record in November - five years after her debut 'Ora' dropped - but she has now revealed it is more likely to come out at the 'beginning of next year'.

She said: 'My album will be dropping very soon. I do want to say the beginning of next year but, hey, surprises do come, don't they? Because we have the internet.'

Devil in the details: The flashy ensemble was complete with a bow tied at the neck, like the scrunched fashion of the chocolate packet

The 26-year-old star confirmed she will be hitting the road for a world tour when her album drops, and it will be a dream come true to sing at stadiums around the globe.

Speaking in a Facebook Live Q&A, she said: 'Yes, I will be doing a world tour. That's exactly what I want to do, that's been one of my dreams. So keep an eye out for dates.'

Just last month, Rita told fans her album will be released in November, the same month as she turns 27.

Comfortable: Rita, who wore a slick of cherry blossom pink lipstick, kept her look casual as she slipped into black joggers and trainers for added comfort on her stroll

She said: 'I was going crazy not being able to put music out, I am happy to do that and knowing you guys are still there makes me so happy.

'The album is going to come out in November and it's going to be major. I've been working on it for ages. There's some amazing people on it and amazing surprises.

'I didn't even tell you guys ... It's the first time I've told you. It's also coming the month of my birthday.'

Rita previously sued her former record label Roc Nation for delaying her album and refusing to take her phone calls.

Roc Nation then counter-sued the star for breaking her recording contract.

The two parties reached a settlement in May 2016, and the 'I Will Never Let You Down' singer signed a deal with Atlantic Records before getting to work on new music.

Over the weekend, Rita was spotted out and about in Los Angeles after returning from her break on the Caribbean island of Jamaica.

During her trip to the tourist hot spot, she kept fans updated on every step of her adventures on social media by uploading several bikini shots to Instagram.

Wow: The I Will Never Let You Down hitmaker styled her golden corkscrew curls in a messy array which kissed the edges of her face
She's rocked basically every hair color under the sun.

And Nicki Minaj showed off a new shade on Monday, when the rap queen debuted half-turquoise, half-platinum tresses on Instagram.

The musician, 34, looked sultry-as-ever in the social media shot, which showed her flirtatiously posing for the camera while revealing her ample assets in a button up dress.

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Split decision! Nicki Minaj showed off a brand new hair color on Monday, debuting half-turquoise, half-platinum tresses to her Instagram followers

Nicki balanced her wild and polished parts by styling her creatively colored tresses back into a glamorous high-ponytail.

The star, born Onika Tanya Maraj, amped up her style with dramatic winged eyeliner, huge hoops, and perfectly placed glow while captioning the pic with a simple 'Mood.'

The rapper/actress's new do is far from her first foray into crazy hair.

Hair today: The musician, 34, looked sultry-as-ever in the social media shot, which showed her flirtatiously posing for the camera

Rocking ringlets! The rapper/actress's new do is far from her first foray into crazy hair, seen rocking a wild permed wig during a USO event in 2010

Shades of Nicki: The beauty saw her career take off with her signature 'Barbie' persona and pink locks when she first signed with Young Money in 2009

Getting wild! A younger Nicki wasn't afraid to go all out, as seen with her cheetah tresses and matching leotard in 2011

The beauty saw her career take off with her signature Barbie persona and pink locks when she first signed with Cash Money records in 2009.

Since then, the Anaconda rapper has rocked the whole color wheel, including pink perms, cascading purple wigs, multicolored green bobs, and even cheetah-printed tresses.

She even rocked the same half-and-half style all the way back in 2010 in the music video for Lil Wayne's Knockout, but that time with blunt bangs and an A-line cut.

Rainbow brite! Since rising to fame, the Anaconda rapper has rocked the whole color wheel, including pink perms, cascading purple wigs, green bobs and even cheetah-printed tresses

True knock-out! Nicki even rocked the same half-and-half style all the way back in 2010 in the music video for Lil Wayne's Knockout, but that time with blunt bangs and an A-line cut

But her latest daring color happened to look uncannily close similar to the teal tresses fellow hitmaker Rihanna was first seen sporting over the weekend.

Later on, Nicki shared another shot of her posing beneath a neon 'Nicki' sign while tucking her colorful coif under a classic Gucci cap.

Ever the coquette, the Throw Sum Mo rhymer pushed out her red Gucci-clad posterior while blowing a kiss.

The cool kids: The American Idol judge's latest color looked uncannily close to the teal tresses fellow hitmaker Rihanna was first seen sporting in her native Barbados on Sunday (above)

Gucci gal: Nicki shared another shot of her posing beneathing a neon 'Nicki' sign while tucking her colorful coif under a classic Gucci cap

She continuing to rep her brand with pink and black Barbie throw pillows surrounding her.

The Instagrams seemed as though they were taken on set of the starlet's yet-to-be-released track For Keeps with Quavo of Migos.

The Bad And Boujee rapper, given name Quavious Marshall, offered followers his thoughts on Nicki's locks while teasing their new track in one of the starlet's many grams from this weekend.

She's for keeps! Quavo of Migos teased he and Nicki's new track For Keeps with on the starlet's social media, where he flirtaciously told the rapper he likes a girl with 'two-toned' locks

'Quavo, what does a girl have to have to be for keeps?' Nicki cooed at the Georgia rapper.

'Her hair gotta be long like Rapunzel,' replied the Hannah Montana rapper who added, 'You know, Half way, two-toned' as a flirty endorsement of the You Da Baddest rapper's tresses.

Though an official release date hasn't been announced, Nicki and Quavo's new track For Keeps can be expected any day now.
Woman's Day magazine reported in April that comedian Andy Lee, 36, is 'finally ready to walk down the aisle'.

And his girlfriend Rebecca Harding fuelled rumours of a secret proposal when she shared a romantic Instagram snap of the couple on Monday.

The 25-year-old model posted a loved-up snap during a romantic getaway in Malibu, California, prompting fans to comment: 'Calling it, they're engaged!'

'Calling it, they're engaged!' This week, fans speculated Andy Lee (right) had proposed to his longtime girlfriend Rebecca Harding (left) during their romantic getaway in Malibu

Gossip: One particular follower posted, 'Calling it', alongside several engagement ring emojis

The picture showed Rebecca and Andy looking blissfully happy while dining at famed restaurant Nobu.

Posing with Malibu Beach in the background, the brunette beauty highlighted her slender figure in a plunging white frock.

Her long locks were styled in loose waves, and her pretty facial features were enhanced with a flawless complexion, defined brows, lashings of mascara and a matte nude lip.

High-profile romance: The couple have long been the subject of engagement rumours

She's a tease! It's not the first time Rebecca sent fans into a frenzy over engagement rumours, after drawing attention to her ring finger in a recent Instagram photo

Online frenzy: But her followers were left disappointed upon discovering it was not an engagement announcement, and was in fact for charity

Meanwhile, Andy donned a casual grey T-shirt and tailored white pants.

'Summer babies in Malibu,' Rebecca captioned the photo, alongside a love heart emoji.

Fans were quick to speculate whether Andy had finally proposed, with one writing, 'Calling it - they're engaged!', while others simply posted the engagement ring emoji.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to their representatives for comment.

Claims: The post came after Woman's Day reported in April that Andy is 'finally ready to walk down the aisle' with Rebecca, who is 11 years his junior

It's not the first time Rebecca sent fans into a frenzy over engagement rumours, after drawing attention to her ring finger in a recent Instagram photo.

The image featured the runway model wearing a grey sweater and holding up her left hand for the camera.

But her followers were left disappointed upon discovering it was not an engagement announcement, and was in fact for charity.

One comment stated: 'Thought he had gotten down on one knee for a second there'.

The post came after Woman's Day reported in April that Andy is 'finally ready to walk down the aisle' with Rebecca, who is 11 years his junior.

The couple previously split last year, before rekindling their romance in December.
She's spent the past few days sunning herself on the shores of Barbados, where she celebrated her 27th birthday on Wednesday.

And Jourdan Dunn enjoyed the ultimate climax to her Caribbean getaway on Monday, when she danced up a storm on the island's streets to celebrate Kadooment Day, the culmination of the months-long annual Crop Over festival.

The runway mainstay gave fellow revellers quite the eyeful as she stepped out in an elaborately designed, though barely there, feathered bikini costume, which featured a glittering wire top that barely covered her bosom and high-cut jewelled bottoms.

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Party time: Jourdan Dunn was spotted celebrating Kadooment Day in Barbados on Monday

Her breathtaking ensemble was complemented with a a blue heavily jewelled choker and headband, as well as beads which circled her enviably svelte legs.

Adding extra dazzle to her look with matching hand jewellery and thick gold bangles, the London native - who is of Jamaican heritage - looked every inch the carnival queen as she danced to the thumping soca beat.

Keeping herself hydrated as she sipped a cold beverage from a plastic cup, Jourdan highlighted her natural beauty with matching coral blue eye-shadow, while her honey-brown tresses rested about her shoulders in lustrous waves.

Stunning: The supermodel looked sensational as she stepped out in a jewelled bikini costume

Back it up: She danced up a storm on the Caribbean island's streets as a pal snapped the action

Libation: She sipped on a cold beverage from a plastic cup as she soaked up the revelry

Given the hours of dancing she faced, the mother-of-one put comfort first as she stepped out in a pair of pristine white trainers.

And she appeared to be in her element, as she writhed and danced to the music, taking brief breaks to pose for a slew of snapshots with a host of fellow partygoers.

Days earlier, she was spotted soaking up the sunshine aboard a yacht, as she spent time on the luxury sea vessel with a sizeable group of close friends.

The supermodel was discovered by a scout in a branch of budget high street store Primark in west London at the age of just 15.

Quite the eyeful: The runway mainstay wore a feathered bikini costume, which featured a glittering wire top that barely covered her bosom and high-cut jewelled bottoms

Feathered: The beauty's eye-catching ensemble was teamed with a sweeping feathered boa

Jewlled: Her breathtaking ensemble was complemented with a a blue heavily jewelled choker and headband, as well as beads which circled her enviably svelte legs

She has since appeared on countless covers of fashion bible Vogue and featured in campaigns for the likes of Burberry, Balmain, Calvin Klein, Yves Saint Laurent, DKNY, John Galliano and Tommy Hilfiger.

The model welcomed her son Riley with ex-boyfriend Jordan Cummings, who was sentenced to a drugs-related prison sentence shortly after his birth, when she was just 19.

Jourdan modelled until she was six months pregnant and couldn't fit into clothes - and returned to the catwalk just 10 weeks after the birth.

Speaking to FASHION magazine earlier this year, Jourdan admitted it was a huge shock discovering she was pregnant at such a young age.

Snapshots: She ensured that much of the action was caught on camera as she posed for shots

Pristine: Given the hours of dancing she faced, the mother-of-one put comfort first as she stepped out in a pair of pristine white trainers

Making waves: Jourdan highlighted her natural beauty with matching coral blue eye-shadow, while her honey-brown tresses rested about her shoulders in lustrous waves

She said: 'I asked myself "Can I be responsible for another human being? Like, what the hell!" I was lucky I had my mum to guide me, but at the same time she let me learn to trust my own instincts,' she admitted.

Jourdan has praised her mother for helping her to cope with balancing parenting Riley - who suffers from sickle cell anaemia, an inherited condition that affects the red blood cells - with her international career as a jet-setting supermodel.

In an interview with MailOnline recently, she said: 'I'm very fortunate to have the amazing support system. I have like my mum and my agent.

'My mum said to me, when I go back to work she'll be here to help me every step of the way. She put herself out there and she truly helped me and put my mind at ease.'

Group shot: She was in her supermodel element as she posed with a group of glammed up pals

Birthday girl: Jourdan welcomed her 27th birthday on the Caribbean island on Wednesday

Carnival queen: She looked every inch the carnival queen as she gyrated away in the streets

Colourful display: Singer Rihanna, a native of Barbados, was also on hand for the festivities

On-trend as ever: The beautiful model caught the eye as she styled underwear embellished with sapphire jewels

Dramatic entrance: She courted the attention with her elegant feather boa

Sensational figure: The beautiful woman dared to show off some serious underboob in the jeweled cutaway bra

Wow: The British Vogue cover girl made the parade her catwalk as she sashayed with grace

Cooling off: She looked utterly relaxed as she enjoyed a cold beverage during the event

All about the drama: The catwalk queen wore her brunette tresses in tight corkscrew curls to catch the attention of onlookers

All about the accessories: She wore a jeweled headband around her forehead to decorate her face

Killer looks: The brunette wore beads draped on her slender pins which caught glimmers of the sunlight

Time of her life: She was having a blast in Barbados

Revving up the party! Lewis Hamilton, 32, also made an appearance at the event as he took a break from his Formula One career ahead of the hotly-anticipated race in late August
New Idea claimed on Monday that David Oldfield, 59, and Pettifleur Berenger, 52, could become more than friends.

The publication reported that fellow Hell's Kitchen co-star Lincoln Lewis, 29, asked of the pair: 'Are they into each other?'

However David's wife Lisa Oldfield, 42, was quick to brush off the claims, telling Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday in her trademark humour: 'He wouldn't be able to keep his eyelids up, let alone anything else.'

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'He wouldn't be able to keep his eyelids up, let alone anything else': Lisa Oldfield, 42, SLAMMED claims husband David could become more than friends, with Hell's Kitchen co-star Pettifleur Berenger, in a statement made to Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday

'They are definitely more than friends. They are frenemies!' Lisa, a star of the Real Housewives of Sydney, told Daily Mail exclusively.

'Nothing inappropriate going on. After 18 hours a day, six days a week in the kitchen, David wouldn't be able to keep his eyelids up. Let alone anything else,' the mother-of-two continued.

Lisa's candid comments were in relation to a story published in Monday's New Idea magazine.

Reports: New Idea magazine reported on Monday that the pair's Hell's Kitchen co-stars were said to be speculating over whether David Oldfield, 59, and Pettifleur Berenger, 52, could become more than friends

Hell's Kitchen co-star and former Home And Away actor Lincoln Lewis, was said to have told the publication of the pair's on-screen antics: 'She (Pettifleur) and David clash so much, but after a while, were were just like, "Are they into each other?"

'There's going to be a moment where they're just like, "I hate you", "I hate you more" and then just start kissing!' he continued.

British chef and host of the reality series Marco Pierre White, 55, was also said to have joked of David and Pettifleur: 'You look like a lovely couple.'

Input: The publication reported that former Home And Away star Lincoln Lewis (pictured), 29, asked: 'Are they into each other?' before adding: 'There's going to be a moment where they're just like, "I hate you", "I hate you more" and then just start kissing!'

In jest? British chef and host of the reality series Marco Pierre White, 55, was also said to have joked of David and Pettifleur: 'You look like a lovely couple'

The reports follow Sunday night's premiere episode of Hell's Kitchen that saw former politician David and Real Housewife of Melbourne star Pettifleur clash with their feisty personas.

While David appeared to be using his charm on the property developer, Pettifleur had other thoughts.

'I could've ripped him apart, but I just thought, "Na, I'm just going to leave it",' the socialite shared on-camera.

Debut episode: Meanwhile, as David appeared to be using his charm on the property developer on Sunday night's premiere episode, Pettifleur had other thoughts

Feisty: 'I could've ripped him apart, but I just thought, "Na, I'm just going to leave it",' Pettifleur shared on-camera

However it appears the on-screen antics are not enough to boost the show's ratings.

Despite being the Seven network's highly-anticipated new reality program, Hell's Kitchen flopped, claiming an audience of 817,000 metro viewers for its debut.

The US spin-off featuring celebrity amateur cooks including former Bachelorette Sam Frost, couldn't be beaten by Nine's The Block.

Claiming second place on Sunday night behind Seven News, the renovation show drew in 1.2 million metropolitan viewers.

Hell's Kitchen continues tonight and Tuesday at 7.30pm on Network Seven.
She's the nude model best known for being romantically linked to celebrities like Justin Bieber, Cody Simpson, and 5 Seconds of Summer's Luke Hemmings.

And Sahara Ray, 24, disrobed once again to model a set of cherry-red PVC lingerie on Instagram this Tuesday.

Donning a cropped brunette wig, the busty glamazon was seen posing proactively in front of a bedroom setting.

Red hot! Sahara Ray, 24, disrobed once again to model a set of cherry-red PVC lingerie on Instagram this Tuesday

Her outfit was completed with a pair of white fishnet stockings and a slick of fire engine-red lipstick.

'Moods,' she wrote in the caption, adding the emoji depicting a bunch of cherries.

In addition to stripping off on Instagram and rubbing shoulders with famous fellas, Sahara Ray also has her own range of skimpy swimwear.

Pouty: Her outfit was completed with a pair of white fishnet stockings and a slick of fire engine-red lipstick

Glamazon: On Sunday, Sahara took to social media to share photos of the pop culture icon wearing a custom-made swimsuit from the line

Fans of the brand include Kim Kardashian, who donned several skin-revealing pieces designed by Sahara last week.

On Sunday, Sahara took to social media to share photos of the pop culture icon wearing a custom-made swimsuit from the line.

Sharing photos of the voluptuous Kardashian clad in her swimmers, the 24-year-old wrote: 'Custom made for queen K.'

Kardashian kash! Sahara can probably expect sales of her line to skyrocket now that Kim, one of the world's leading style icons, has worn her attire

'Custom made for queen K,' wrote Sahara, referring to the reality TV royal

Sahara can probably expect sales of her line to skyrocket now that Kim, one of the world's leading style icons, has worn her attire.

In June, Kim wore a necklace from Australian jewelry line BabyAnything on Instagram, and instantly sent sales of the necklace through the roof.

Much like Kim, Sahara is known for getting naked on social media.

Is it really you? The artificially-enhanced Australian has undergone quite the transformation over the years

Claim to fame: The 24-year-old is best known for her famous flings and X-rated Instagram pics

Sahara, who is the daughter of surf legend Tony Ray, was born in the Australian coastal town of Torquay, but was raised in Santa Cruz, California.

She found herself in the spotlight last year after she was spotted skinny dipping in Hawaii with Justin Bieber - whose impressive manhood was revealed to the world through some racy paparazzi photos.

The artificially-enhanced Australian has since made a name for herself thanks to her X-rated Instagram profile and rumoured flings with celebrities.

She's also received attention for her ever-changing appearance, which has left her looking virtually unrecognisable compared to her younger self.
Indian police have confirmed that a Pakistan-based Islamist militant group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks was responsible for last month's killing of eight Hindu pilgrims in Kashmir.

Police said an investigation had concluded that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Kashmiri accomplices were behind the July 10 attack that saw militants open fire on a bus carrying Hindus on the annual Amarnath pilgrimage.

'Lashkar was involved and the accused have been identified,' Inspector General of Police Muneer Ahmed Khan told reporters in Anantnag district in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Indian paramilitary troopers stand guard near the scene of the July 10 attack

Eight Hindu pilgrims were killed while travelling to the Amarnath shrine (file pic)

'Once the investigation was started it was revealed that... a Pakistani militant of Lashkar along with two other militants and one local Kashmiri Lashkar militant carried out the attack.'

Three others who provided logistical support to the militants, including hiding places and vehicles, had been arrested.

The July shooting was the worst such attack in the divided Himalayan region since 2000, when gunmen fired on a group of Hindu pilgrims and killed 32 people including two police officers.

Khan said the militants had carefully plotted to attack any police or tourist vehicle that crossed their path on the evening of the assault.

'They had kept separate code words for tourist and CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) vehicles... It was purely an act of terrorism carried out with an aim to spread fear,' he said.

LeT has been blamed for a string of deadly attacks inside India, most notably the Mumbai carnage in November 2008 when heavily armed gunmen battled commandos on the streets of the financial capital.

It took the authorities three days to regain full control of the city and New Delhi has long said there is evidence that 'official agencies' in Pakistan were involved in plotting the attack.

Intelligence officials claim LeT leader Amir Hamza (left) was seen recently in Lahore

The shrine is important to Hinduism, and is considered one of its holiest

Police said Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and local Kashmiris were behind the attack

Islamabad denies the charge.

Rebel groups, including LeT, have for decades fought Indian troops and police deployed in Kashmir, demanding independence or a merger of the former Himalayan kingdom with Pakistan.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947, but both claim the territory in full.


The United States General Services Administration is auctioning off six lighthouses, one on in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland and five Michigan's Great Lakes. Bidding starts at around $15,000 and there isn't much action yet! From Mental Floss:



Prospective bidders must agree to put down a $5,000 to $10,000 deposit on the lighthouse they're interested in. They must also be prepared to renovate the house's interior so it will meet the legal standards for public habitation. The actual property each lighthouse stands on will still belong to the government, but with the building no longer needed for its original purpose, the new owner will be free to transform it into a bed and breakfast, a summer home, or anything else they envision.
President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritanian casts his vote in the country 's constitutional referendum on August 5, 2017

Mauritanians have voted to abolish their Senate and alter their national flag by referendum, the electoral commission announced Sunday, in a clear victory for President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz the day after the vote.

While turnout was 53.73 percent, 85 percent of voters on Saturday declared "Yes" to changes put to a referendum when they were defeated in the Senate in March, despite fierce criticism from a boycott movement that called mass protests during campaigning.

The boycott movement drew broad political support from figures as diverse as religious conservatives and anti-slavery activists.

Members of opposition parties spearheading the boycotters held a press conference on Sunday during which they denounced an "electoral farce which has given way to open-air fraud," adding that people "had clearly rejected the constitutional amendments."

They said they would not recognise the results of the referendum, having previously claimed the government would rig the vote.

The most contentious issue surrounding the vote, given that just one opposition party campaigned for "No" while the boycott campaign attracted several parties and civil society movements, was the turnout.

Turnout was just 36 percent in the capital, Nouakchott, but was much higher in the remote west African nation's rural areas, at times hitting 80 percent, the electoral commission said.

The boycott movement held several protests attracting thousands of supporters, but were also prevented from demonstrating by the security forces, who on Thursday shut down several planned rallies close to the capital with tear gas and beat protesters back with batons.

The UN Human Rights Office said Thursday that "protest leaders were reportedly beaten up and a number of them were arrested" during campaign rallies in the last few weeks, urging the government to ensure fair and credible elections.

Around 1.4 million Mauritanians were eligible to vote, and celebrations were expected from the select opposition parties that did support the revision.

The opposition groups opposed to the measure say they are concerned that, despite Aziz's claims to the contrary, he is laying the groundwork for a third term in power -- with his own prime minister saying back in July that he supported the idea.

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Aziz himself fuelled speculation on Saturday by saying that "in two years, or even 10 years other amendments could arise to adapt our constitution to reality," without elaborating.

The proposal to modify the constitution, in force since 1991, was rejected by the Senate in March, leading Aziz to call the referendum to push through the changes.

Around 20 Senators, who have held a sit-in for three days at their chamber, suspended their protest and said they would gather Monday to consider the "fraud" committed by Aziz and his supporters, according to a statement.

President Aziz came to power in a coup in 2008 and was elected in 2009 and again in 2014 for a second five-year term.

The Mauritanian flag will now feature red bands added to the current green flag with yellow Islamic crescent and star, to honour the blood spilt by those who fought for freedom from colonial master France.
"The Local Butcher Shop" in Berkeley, California, shown in this handout photo from Direct Action Everywhere, was besieged by anti-meat demonstrators for months

It was perhaps only a matter of time in ultra-progressive California, but a luxury butcher's shop is surprising patrons with a sign warning about the cruelty of eating meat.

"Attention: Animals' lives are their right. Killing them is violent and unjust, no matter how it's done," reads the notice greeting patrons of The Local Butcher Shop in Berkeley.

The business stuck the sign in its window as part of a "peace treaty" with animal rights activists in the left-leaning university town who have been picketing the store for the last four months.

Every Sunday as it opened for butchery lessons, it was besieged by demonstrators from rights group Direct Action Everywhere (DXE) -- sometimes naked, dripping with fake blood and wrapped in cellophane.

Monica Rocchino, co-owner of The Local Butcher Shop with her husband Aaron, was at her wits' end and decided to meet with the activists.

"They said they wanted Berkeley to become a meat-free city and they were ready to shut down our business," said Monica.

"We asked for actions we could do. And they said they'd think about it, but they kept protesting for 10 weeks. They made our neighbors mad, our neighborhood businesses were losing customers."

Finally, DXE laid down its conditions for burying the hatchet.

- Ideal meat -

"Either we had to become a vegan butchery or we had to stop giving these classes, or put up a sign saying that animals have rights," Monica told AFP.

She says the sign hasn't impacted custom.

"We go to great lengths to make sure our meat is from local ranches, is raised as humanely as possible, free of antibiotics. We want... this to be the ideal meat. Our customers know this and support us."

She acknowledges, however that the sign will not placate DXE, for whom the issue is black-and-white.

"For them, you kill animals or you don't. I understand that belief but it's another thing to force your ideas on other people," says Monica.

Berkeley, the cradle of the US universities' free speech movement, has been the scene of regular demonstrations from the days of the anti-Vietnam War campaign to recent protests against visiting right-wing speakers.

Recently it has been criticized for chilling free speech after canceling an appearances by firebrand pundit Ann Coulter and right-wing provocateur and former Brietbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos.

Berkeley also happens to be the epicenter of America's organic food industry, its reputation for being green sent up in the TV series "Portlandia," in which restaurateurs provide photographic evidence that their meat is from ethically-raised animals.

DXE organizer Matt Johnson says one of the group's activists felt his blood chill as he saw "an advertisement for these courses where people are taught how to properly dismember the body of an animal."

In line with the better-known Peta animal welfare association, DXE directs its protests "everywhere where violence against animals is normalized -- rodeo, circuses, restaurants, the butchers."

"We dont have any ill will against any individual, no hate for butchers -- only love for animals," says Johnson.

"But we cannot accept small businesses misleading people, saying this is just fine, to be promoting a better brand of violence."
The conflict in Syria has devastated many of its historic crafts, including the production of the oud, the oriental lute

Antoun Tawil, one of Syria's last traditional lute makers, waits in vain in his Damascus workshop for orders of the oud, an instrument his country was once renowned for producing.

While the conflict that has ravaged Syria over the past six years has devastated many of its historic crafts, the production of the oud, the oriental lute, has been particularly hard hit.

Lute-makers have emigrated in large numbers, and the Damascene wood used to build the instruments has also become rare.

"There were around 20 workshops before the crisis, between Damascus, Aleppo and Hama... Now there are no more than six," four of them in Damascus, said Tawil.

The slender 57-year-old is one of them.

In his tiny nine-square-metre shop in Tekkiyeh Sulamaniyeh, an Ottoman complex made up of a mosque and a crafts market, Tawil contemplates the ouds hung around him.

Some are richly decorated, delicately inlaid with mother-of-pearl and ivory.

Named after the Arabic word meaning a piece of wood, the oud is a key instrument in Middle Eastern music

Named after the Arabic word meaning a piece of wood, the oud is a key instrument in Middle Eastern music.

It is related to the guitar, the Russian balalika and the Greek bouzouki, and the instrument is characterised by its short neck and large, full body that gives the instrument a pear shape.

- 'Beautiful as a Persian rug' -

All six craftsmen that used to work in Tawil's two workshops have fled Syria.

"Before the crisis, we opened at 5:00 in the morning and worked all day long because there was so much demand," he said wistfully.

In a single month, Tawil used to sell a dozen ouds, many of them destined for abroad, including Europe and Canada.

"Nowadays, a month goes by without selling anything."

With the Syrian pound's devaluation, prices have also plummeted.

"I used to sell an oud for 5,000 Syrian pounds ($100). Today, I sell them for 35,000 ($70)."

The oud is related to the guitar, the Russian balalika and the Greek bouzouki

Still, he talks passionately about the Syrian -- specifically Damascene -- oud, which he describes as both the most exquisite but also the most durable of Arab lutes.

"Our ouds can last 70 years without needing maintenance," he said with a proud smile.

"I've made pieces as beautiful as a Persian rug."

The secret to its durability lies in the first steps of the craft, according to Issa Michel Awad, an expert in the oud and other stringed instruments at the Higher Institute for Music in Damascus.

"It's the way the Damascene wood is chosen, the way it is dried and cured," he explained.

"That is why you can still play a Damascene oud dating from 1990 today without a single false note."

But in today's conflict-ridden Syria, it is precisely this treasured wood that poses a problem.

"We rely on walnut wood, which is very high quality and is specifically available in Eastern Ghouta," said Ali Khalifeh, a prominent lute-maker in Damascus.

Eastern Ghouta is a rebel bastion east of the capital, under government siege and beyond craftsmen's reach.

"Today, this wood is being used by people in Ghouta for heat... It is becoming rare," he said.

- 'Profession under threat' -

Ali Khalifeh, the owner of a workshop producing a musical instrument called the oud, the oriental lute, in Damascus

The first Damascene oud was produced in 1897 by Abdo al-Nahhat, who became one of the country's most renowned lute-makers.

In the early 20th century, the oud was the favoured instrument among Syrians, played at marriages or during gatherings of female socialites.

Khalifeh's atelier in the Adawi neighbourhood is now half-artisanal, half-mechanised.

Ironically, he has found demand has increased for his products because of the relatively few competitors.

While Tawil uses steam to individually shape the oud's ribs by hand, Khalifeh's workshop uses machines to bend 20 at a time and smooth the wood.

The neck's pegs are screwed in by hand.

"Polishing the oud by hand takes between five and six hours. With the machine, it's done in 15 minutes," said Khalifeh, who exports across the Middle East, as well as to France and the United States.

"We used to make 10-15 ouds a month, now we make 20," added Khalifeh, who learned the profession from his father at the age of 14.

Even with his own orders up, Khalifeh feel the industry is in terminal decline.

"When I look at the state of my profession, I can say it is in the process of disappearing," he said.

Tawil agreed.

"It's a profession under threat," he said, lamenting that in addition to the effects of the war, "young people don't have the time to learn".

Like many in the field, he learned the trade from his father and is now passing it on to his daughter.

But he sees a glimmer of hope in the artisans who have emigrated, taking their expertise with them.

"In Quebec, there are now Syrians who are opening their own production workshops," Tawil said.
Opposition National Super Alliance candidate Raila Odinga, a former prime minister, is at 72 likely making his last tilt at the presidency and has disputed two previous defeats

In recent days, the queues of early morning travellers at Nairobi's long-distance bus stations have been thick with people seeking to leave the city.

In supermarkets, the aisles are cramped with shoppers pushing convoys of trolleys stacked high with provisions.

In the runup to Tuesday's elections the signs were clear: a tight race and a history of political violence meant many Kenyans were taking no chances, choosing to head for the sanctuary of their ethnic heartlands for the election period.

Some will vote there, where they are already registered, but others are trading their franchise for safety.

"You cannot predict how the situation will be," Ezekiel Odhiambo told AFP at a Nairobi bus terminal after putting his five daughters on a bus headed to the countryside.

Worries like these are common around election time in Kenya, exacerbated by memories of the bloody months after the disputed 2007 vote, when politically-motivated ethnic violence killed at least 1,100 people and displaced 600,000.

This year, security chiefs say there will be 180,000 officers on the streets -- everyone from the police to the forest service -- to ensure the vote is at least as peaceful as it was during Kenya's last election in 2013.

Still, people are "hoping for the best but preparing for the worst," said Peter Wairimu, a petrol station attendant, where sales have dropped off in recent weeks as people have left town.

- Getting ready -

The two main candidates in this election are well-known to Kenyans.

Uhuru Kenyatta has been president since 2013 and is standing for a second term, while Raila Odinga is a longtime opposition leader who disputed his defeat in both 2007 and 2013.

In the run up to this week's vote, both candidates have refrained from making inflammatory speeches, observers say, perhaps a consequence of the International Criminal Court's now-abandoned indictment of Kenyatta and his running-mate William Ruto for their alleged roles in the 2007 bloodshed.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, seen addressing a rally of his Jubilee Party, wants a second term but polls predict a tight race amid tensions and fears of potential unrest such as that which followed the 2007 election

Yet people are nervous: hate speech flyers and text messages have been circulating, both candidates have accused the other of underhanded campaign tactics and seem convinced that anything other than victory will be evidence of rigging.

Many Kenyans simply don't trust their politicians not to stir up trouble.

Editar Ochieng, a resident of the Nairobi slum Kibera, where clashes broke out in 2007, has sent her two daughters out of town for the duration of the elections.

"I don't want to play a 50-50 betting game. I want to be sure," she said.

Businesses have also taken precautions, with local newspapers reporting that employees are being advised to gather supplies and family members and keep the number of a doctor handy.

- A 'frenzy' -

Kenya's police chief and interior ministry have tried to reassure Kenyans that they have nothing to fear, but people are hitting the road and stocking their pantries anyway.

"There is a frenzy right now," said Hanif Rajan, group operations managers for supermarket chain Chandarana. Five months ago, he put in extra orders for essentials like water, rice, batteries and frozen ground beef, anticipating the election-time rush.

Down at Nairobi's Machakos bus station, transport bosses have more than doubled fares on some routes, but that hasn't stopped a surge in customers who line up before dawn each morning for a bus to Kenya's west where Odinga is strongest.

Those travellers may represent votes that Odinga desperately needs to win what is probably the 72-year-old's last run at the presidency.

Recently, a politician from Odinga's National Super Alliance opposition coalition asked ticket agents at the station to check the voting card of travellers to make sure they were registered where they were travelling, said Lary Taja, an agent at Machakos.

"We inspect them at times such that, when we find the vote belongs here, we ask them to stay and vote and then travel home later," bus driver Chelule Julius said.

Despite the movement, plenty of Kenyans are staying put, confident that this election will go peacefully.

"I'm not worried," said Rajan. "The doomsayers will always be there."
Commonwealth Bank is facing civil action for allegedly breaching Australia's money laundering and terroism financing laws 53,700 times, particularly in relation to its cash deposit machines

Australia's biggest bank Monday admitted mistakes were made but vowed to defend claims it breached money laundering and terrorism financing laws, which could result in massive fines.

The Commonwealth Bank, Australia's biggest company by market capitalisation, was taken to court last week by the country's financial intelligence agency AUSTRAC, accused of "serious and systemic non-compliance" with the legislation.

It is facing civil action for allegedly breaching the laws 53,700 times, particularly in relation to its cash deposit machines.

Chief executive Ian Narev, who is facing calls to resign, admitted "mistakes were made" and said he was focused on dealing with the issue.

"We take it extremely seriously, right up to the board level and I as CEO am spending a lot of time on this at the moment," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation ahead of the bank's annual results announcement on Wednesday.

"We've got a very big and important job to do and if we haven't done a good enough job we need to put our hands up, say why, and do a better job -- we're doing that."

The bank is accused of failing to deliver to AUSTRAC on time 53,506 reports for cash transactions of Aus$10,000 (US$7,900) or more at the machines between November 2012 and September 2015, with a total value of Aus$624.7 million.

It also failed to report suspicious transactions on time, or at all, that totalled Aus$77 million, and did not monitor customers or manage the risk even after becoming aware of suspected money laundering, the agency claimed.

While each breach could attract Aus$18 million in fines, potentially running into the billions of dollars, Narev said a single coding error was likely responsible for many of them.

"When people understand the legal principles that are involved, those sort of numbers are completely out of the ballpark," he said of the potential for huge fines.

"I understand 53,000 sounds like a big number. One very important piece of context is that the vast majority related to one software coding error in 2012 that we picked up in 2015, fixed within a month and rectified."

In a statement, the lender said it was preparing a defence.

"In the meantime, CBA remains committed to continuously improve its compliance with the Anti-Money Laundering/Counter Terrorism Act and will continue to keep AUSTRAC abreast of those efforts," it added.
When 82-year-old Masako Wakamiya first began working she still used an abacus for maths -- today she is one of the world's oldest iPhone app developers, a trailblazer in making smartphones accessible for the elderly

When 82-year-old Masako Wakamiya first began working she still used an abacus for maths -- today she is one of the world's oldest iPhone app developers, a trailblazer in making smartphones accessible for the elderly.

Frustrated by the lack of interest from the tech industry in engaging older people, she taught herself to code and set about doing it herself.

The over 60s, she insists, need to actively search out new skills to stay nimble.

"As you age, you lose many things: your husband, your job, your hair, your eyesight. The minuses are quite numerous. But when you learn something new, whether it be programming or the piano, it is a plus, it's motivating," she says.

"Once you've achieved your professional life, you should return to school. In the era of the internet, if you stop learning, it has consequences for your daily life," Wakamiya explains during an AFP interview at her home near Tokyo.

She became interested in computers in the 1990s when she retired from her job as a bank clerk. It took her months to set up her first system, beginning with BBS messaging, a precursor to the internet, before building her skills on a Microsoft PC, and then Apple's Mac and iPhones.

Masako Wakamiya's app 'Hinadan' -- 'the doll staircase' -- was inspired by the Hina Matsuri, a doll festival which takes place every March in Japan.

She asked software developers to come up with more for the elderly, but a repeated lack of response led her to take matters into her own hands.

Wakamiya learned the basics of coding and developed 'Hinadan' one of Japan's first dedicated app games for the over-60s -- she is now in such demand that this year Apple invited her to participate at their prestigious Worldwide Developers Conference, where she was the oldest app creator to take part.

- 'Source of inspiration' -

'Hinadan' -- 'the doll staircase' -- was inspired by the Hina Matsuri, a doll festival which takes place every March, where ornamental dolls representing the emperor, his family and their guests are displayed in a specific arrangement.

In Wakamiya's app, users have to put them in the correct positions -- a task which is harder than it sounds, requiring memorisation of the complex arrangements.

The app, which is currently only available in Japanese, has been downloaded 42,000 times with hundreds of positive comments from users.

And while these figures are relatively small compared to Japan's big-hitting apps which are downloaded in their millions, 'Hinadan' has proved popular enough that Wakamiya plans to release English, Chinese and possibly French versions of the app before next year's festival.

International tech firms and start-ups are slowly waking up to the economic potential of providing for silver surfers and 82-year-old programmer Masako Wakamiya is in such demand she has already met with Apple's chief executive Tim Cook

Its success has propelled her on to the tech world stage, despite the industry's reputation for being notoriously ageist

In Silicon Valley, workers in their 40s are considered old by some firms and according to media reports citing research firm Payscale, the median age for an employee at Facebook is 29 and at Apple is 31.

But international tech firms and start-ups are slowly waking up to the economic potential of providing for silver surfers, and Wakamiya has already met with Apple's chief executive Tim Cook.

Wakamiya recalls: "He asked me what I had done to make sure that older people could use the app. I explained that I'd thought about this in my programming -- recognising that older people lose their hearing and eyesight, and their fingers might not work so well."

"Mr Cook complimented me," she says proudly, adding that he had hailed her as a "source of inspiration".

- No time for sickness -

Wakamiya concedes that she finds "writing lines of code is difficult" but has a voracious appetite to learn more.

"I want to really understand the fundamentals of programming, because at the moment I only learned the elements necessary for creating Hinadan," she explains.

More than a quarter of Japan's population is aged 65 and above, and this is projected to rise to 40 percent by 2055. The government is struggling to ensure its population remains active and healthy -- and so also see the dynamic octogenarian as an inspiration.

"I would like to see all Japanese elderly people have the same motivation," one official told AFP.

Wakamiya says her ultimate goal is to come up with "other apps that can entertain older people and help transmit to young people the culture and traditions we old people possess".

"Most old people have abandoned the idea of learning, but the fact that some are starting (again) is not only good for them but for the country's economy," said Wakamiya, who took up the piano at 75.

Hinting that her good health is down to an active mind and busy life, she adds: "I am so busy everyday that I have no time to look for diseases."
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi supported a tough stance on Pyongyang's arsenal

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday that a UN Security Council vote to impose sanctions on North Korea showed that world powers were united behind a push for a denuclearised Korean peninsula.

Speaking at a security forum in Manila, Washington's top diplomat said Kim Jong-Un's regime must halt ballistic missile tests if it wanted to talk to the United States about resolving the standoff.

"It's quite clear in terms of there being no daylight between the international community as to the expectation that North Korea will take steps to achieve all of my objectives, which is a denuclearised Korean peninsula," he said.

On Sunday, Tillerson held separate talks in Manila with foreign ministers Wang Yi of China and Sergei Lavrov of Russia, both of whom he said were in support of a tough stance on Pyongyang's arsenal.

While Wang called for a resumption of dialogue with North Korea, Tillerson insisted Kim must first stop the missile tests.

"The best signal that North Korea could send that they're prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches," he said, holding out the prospect of US envoys sitting down with Pyongyang's isolated regime.

But he would not set a timeframe on when this might be possible or how long North Korea might have to refrain from testing more long-rang missiles.

"We'll know it when we see it," he told reporters.

"I'm not going to give someone a specific number of days or weeks. This is really about the spirit of these talks.

"And they can demonstrate that they are ready to sit in the spirit of finding their way forward in these talks by no longer conducting these missile tests."

The UN Security Council on Saturday approved a US-drafted sanctions package against North Korea that could cost it $1 billion a year in an effort to halt its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.

This was in response to the North conducting two intercontinental ballistic missile tests last month that Kim boasted showed he could strike any part of the United States.
Each year humpback whales migrate north from the Antarctic to the warmer climate off Australia's coastline to mate and give birth

A man was knocked unconscious and three others suffered facial fractures and broken ribs after a whale slammed into a charter fishing boat off Australia's north coast, the skipper said Monday.

The 30-foot (9-metre) vessel was returning to port in the Whitsundays off the Queensland state coast with eight passengers on board when a humpback whale rammed it from below, sending it airborne.

"Within a split second we all hit the floor, the boat launched up into the air and it dislodged everyone off their feet," captain Oliver Galea told AFP of the drama on Saturday. "None of us knew what happened."

A 71-year-old South African man was knocked out and tended to by the boat's crew while they alerted emergency services. A helicopter escorted the boat to shore where four men were sent to hospital.

The tourist was treated for a broken nose, while Galea needed eight stitches for a nasty head wound. A third passenger suffered facial fractures and another broken ribs.

"We see whales all the time, but it's never (been) known for this sort of thing to happen," Galea said, adding that some of the passengers spotted what they believed to be a humpback in the water after the accident.

Each year humpback whales migrate north from the Antarctic to the warmer climate off Australia's coastline to mate and give birth. They can grow up to 16 metres (52 feet) long.

The ordeal has not deterred any of the passengers, Galea said, who were "all in good spirits" after they got together Sunday to eat their previous day's catch.

"The main thing is we all got home, and we have a few battle scars to show," he added.
An Australian teenager emerged from a night-time dip in the ocean with blood streaming from his feet and ankles in a gruesome mystery that doctors have struggled to explain.

Sam Kanizay waded waist-deep into the water at Brighton Beach in suburban Melbourne on Saturday evening, standing still for about 30 minutes. When he came out of the sea he was bleeding profusely from the calves down.

"The cold water numbed my legs. I felt what I thought was pins and needles but maybe it wasn't just pins and needles," the 16-year-old told 3AW radio Monday.

Washing the blood off his legs in the shower did little to stem the flow from what his family believed was an attack by sea lice.

"It sort of looked like hundreds of little pin holes or pin-sized bites distributed all over my ankle and the top of my foot," he said.

Kanizay, who was rushed to hospital, said doctors could not explain what had caused the injury.

"We had a few people guessing that it was sea lice, but no one really had any ideas."

His father went as far as scooping some of the tiny critters from the ocean and posting a film online of them devouring small chunks of meat.

Some reports cited experts pointing instead to stingrays or jellyfish as the suspected culprits.

But Jeff Weir, from the Dolphin Research Institute, said the injury was likely caused by opportunistic amphipods, a tiny crustacean that latches onto decaying plant or animal matter to help break it down.

"They are not there to eat us, but sometimes they might take a little bit, like mosquitoes and leeches and other things out there in the environment," he told AFP.

"He (Kanizay) must have been very, very cold and he wouldn't have felt it," added Weir, who experienced a similar injury on his forehead after a night dive 40 years ago.

The veteran marine researcher said Kanizay's injury was much like a graze and he should not fear returning to the water.

"I don't think there has been anything that has changed, there just aren't that many people that stand really still for that long."
Activists protest in Manila in June 2016 against China's island-building but the Philippine government is now softening its stance

The United States, Australia and Japan on Monday denounced Beijing's island-building and militarisation of the South China Sea, in contrast to the increasingly tepid response from Southeast Asian nations over the festering issue.

China claims nearly all of the sea, through which $5 trillion in annual shipping trade passes and which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits.

Its sweeping claims overlap with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei -- all members of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc -- as well as Taiwan.

But in recent years Beijing has managed to weaken regional resistance by courting some ASEAN members.

Military assets built on disputed Spratly Islands by China, according to US think-tank Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative

On Sunday China scored a coup when ASEAN ministers issued a diluted statement on the dispute and agreed to its terms on talks, during a security forum which the bloc is hosting in Manila.

China insists that a much-delayed code of conduct between it and ASEAN members over the disputed sea must not be legally binding, a demand to which Southeast Asian countries have so far acquiesced.

But in a joint statement after their foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the same gathering, the US, Japan and Australia delivered a noticeably sterner rebuke to Beijing.

Criticising ongoing "land reclamation, construction of outposts, militarisation of disputed features" in the disputed sea, the trio said any code of conduct must be "legally binding, meaningful and effective", a demand noticeably absent from the ASEAN statement.

The three nations also called on China and the Philippines to respect last year's international arbitration ruling which dismissed much of Beijing's claim in the sea.

The Philippines had been one of the most vocal critics of China and filed a case before the UN-backed tribunal.

But after the election of President Rodrigo Duterte last year, Manila has played down the verdict in favour of pursuing warmer ties with Beijing, a move that led to offers of billions of dollars in investments or aid from China.

Critics of China have accused it of assiduously dividing ASEAN, which operates on a consensus basis, with strong-arm tactics and chequebook diplomacy, enticing smaller countries in the bloc such as Cambodia and Laos to support it.

Vietnam, which had been pushing for stronger language in Manila, has been largely left to fend for itself since Duterte's China rapprochement.

The US, Australia and Japan oppose Beijing building giant artificial islands that could be used as military bases, fearing it will eventually establish de facto control over the waters.

China insists the three countries should stay out of what it says are purely bilateral disputes with its neighbours.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi hit out at the US, Japan and Australia on Monday, describing their joint statement as a "negative signal".

"They are not seeing the positive changes that is happening in the South China Sea," he said.

The day before, he warned any interference from "outside parties" could jeopardise future negotiations over the code of conduct.
Entertainment / Celebrity

by Maxwell Teedzai - The Norton Post

Justice Maphosa, Group-CEO Bigtime Strategic Group

LOCAL music superstar and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Southern Africa - Dr. Oliver Mtukudzi who celebrates his 65th birthday in September - will this year headline the annual Gwanda Gospel Festival. He will be accompanied by his wife, Daisy and their popular Black Spirits Band.The 64 year-old legendary musician who is regarded by many as a social evangelist due to his music which is replete with messages that touch on different issues in society, has been chosen to lead a field of other Gospel artistes because of his impressive discography which contains both Gospel and secular music."This year we've got Oliver Mtukudzi, Zimpraise, Mahendera Brothers, Mbungo Stars, Tolakele, Knowledge Nkiwane and Judith from Gwanda in Matebeleland South, among an array of musicians who are billed to perform on the first weekend of September 1-3," said Gospel Festival founder and sponsor, Justice Maphosa.Last year, the Gwanda Gospel Festival used Tuku's soulful song, Hear Me Lord (I Am Feeling Low), as a signature tune as well as for branding during the three-day concert.The fact that Tuku has made a mark in his long career mostly on the back of music not synonymous with gospel was never a subject.Hear Me Lord meaning and deep thought-provoking messages did not escape Maphosa, whose Bigtime Strategic Group, decided that the maestro musician based in Norton would be the main act for this year's gospel music jamboree."Oliver Mtukudzi, in the song Hear Me Lord, which is part of the reason why we have billed him to perform as the headline act, shows that he is not only in that genre; he is indeed a Christian in his mind and in his heart"."It comes across like that. And if you ask him, the way he explains it in that song, he says all of us go through trials and tribulations. And at that point you realise this is a meeting (Gwanda Gospel Festival), an appointment with God", he added."You understand that everybody, whether you are in mbira, rhumba, or whether you are in kwaito or whatever kind of genre, deep down in your heart there is a God vacuum that nobody else can fill save Jesus Christ our Lord-God and personal Saviour and it is when troubles and storms of life of life visit us that we cry for His mercies", said Maphosa.Gwanda Gospel Festival, since its launch in 2015, has attracted the interest of both Gwanda residents and diverse Zimbabweans drawn from different provinces.And the Bigtime Strategic Group founder has been encouraged by the heartening increase in the number of people who have attended the last two editions.Maphosa wants to make Gwanda a religious tower, attracting the saved and those from the world, as part of fulfilling the long held desire of uniting people through song and dance in the town he grew up.Gwanda, Maphosa said is now an altar where the whole of Zimbabwe converge for free.He promised to bring the best instruments, accompanied by fireworks and the best musicians across the genres.This year's event will provide a big opportunity for especially the local artists performing to market themselves in a grand way.The first week of September will see every child of God coming to His altar with songs of praise and dance."We don't care where you come from. You get in for free and you worship our very same own God who is for all of us," Maphosa said.Most of the hotels in and around Gwanda and Bulawayo are experiencing brisk businesses as tourists for this year's performance have started booking reservations for thier memorable September weekend.Mr. Justice Maphosa has set the tone for other Zimbabwean millionaires living in the diaspora to invest at home. The Bigtime millionnaire is also co-hosting this year's Harare International Carnival.The Mayor for Gwanda Town is His Worship Clr Knowledge Ndlovu.Contact: thenortonpost@gmail.com
Taliban and Islamic State fighters allegedly killed more than 50 civilians, including women and children, in Afghanistan's Sar-e Pul province

The Taliban and Islamic State group jointly massacred dozens of civilians in an Afghan village, officials said Monday, highlighting rare co-operation between the insurgents that could increase the strain on Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces.

The fighters killed more than 50 men, women and children in the remote Sayad district of northern Sar-e Pul province on Saturday after overrunning the Afghan Local Police (ALP) -- a government-backed militia -- in a 48-hour battle, according to local officials.

"It was a joint operation by Daesh (IS) and Taliban fighters. They had recruited forces from other provinces of the country and attacked Mirzawalang village," Zabihullah Amani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, told AFP.

The spokesman alleged that dozens of Taliban and IS group fighters under the command of Sher Mohammad Ghazanfar, a local Taliban commander who Amani claims pledged allegiance to IS, launched a co-ordinated attack on the area on Thursday.

"The fighters overran the area and it led to the massacre of innocent and defenceless civilians," he said.

The majority of those killed were Shiites. Most were shot but some were beheaded, Amani added.

Verifying information from poor, mountainous areas of Afghanistan made inaccessible by fighting and with patchy communications is difficult, and AFP was not able to access the village.

Mohammad Noor Rahmani, head of Sar-e Pul's provincial council, said 44 of the 50 victims were believed to be civilians, with the ALP militia also suffering casualties.

Areas in Afghanistan under the control and influence of Taliban and Islamic State militants

"This is not the final toll. It might change because the area is inaccessible and no telephone networks are working to get an update," he told AFP.

The Taliban and IS fighters have regularly clashed since the latter gained a foothold in eastern Afghanistan in 2015, as the two vie for supremacy in the war-torn country.

An Afghan security source told AFP there had been around three incidents in the past where fighters from both groups had teamed up to strike Afghan forces in certain areas.

"This is not the first time that they have co-operated. There are no strict ideological distinctions between them so they build bridges when it helps them both. It's very opportunistic," the source said.

IS has been adding a sectarian twist to the Afghan conflict, with a number of deadly attacks on Shiites in the past year.

Last week two suicide bombers throwing grenades killed more than 33 worshippers at a mosque in Afghanistan's western city of Herat, in an attack claimed by IS.

A resurgent Taliban, whose ranks are mostly made up of Sunni Muslim ethnic Pashtuns, is at the peak of its summer fighting season.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, confirmed to AFP that it had captured Mirzawalang village but said it had done so alone. It also denied allegations it had killed civilians.

"It was an independent operation by our mujahideen forces. There is no cooperation with the Islamic State on the operation," said the spokesman.
Lee Jae-Yong (R) is far from being the only South Korean business tycoon to face a hefty jail term

South Korean prosecutors on Monday demanded a 12-year prison term for the heir to the Samsung empire, who is on trial for corruption in connection with the scandal that brought down the country's last president.

Lee Jae-Yong is far from being the only South Korean business tycoon to face a hefty jail term.

The country's powerful, family-run business empires -- called chaebols -- have close political connections, and a long history of their top figures being charged with bribery, embezzlement, or tax evasion, among other offences.

But even if convicted, many see their sentences significantly reduced on appeal or suspended, leaving only a few actually spending time behind bars.

Some have received presidential pardons in recognition of their "contribution to the national economy".

Such outcomes have driven increasing public frustration with cosy and corrupt ties between regulators and businesses in Asia's fourth-largest economy.

Here are a few examples of prominent court cases involving the country's rich and powerful.

- Samsung -

Lee Kun-Hee, chairman of Samsung Group and Lee Jae-Yong's father, was embroiled in a huge corruption scandal in 2007 and accused of managing a slush fund, bribing politicians and making illegal attempts to smooth out the power succession for his son.

Prosecutors initially demanded a seven-year jail term for Lee senior, who was convicted of tax evasion in 2008 and given a three-year suspended prison sentence and a 110 billion won (now $98 million) fine. He was pardoned the following year by business-friendly then-president Lee Myung-Bak.

- Hyundai -

In 2007, prosecutors sought a six-year jail term for Chung Mong-Koo, chairman of Hyundai Motors, for embezzlement and bribery.

Chung was found guilty of siphoning hundreds of millions of dollars into a slush fund to bribe government officials and was given a three-year jail term, which was later suspended on appeal. The tycoon received a full presidential pardon from then-president Lee Myung-Bak in 2008.

- SK -

Prosecutors demanded six years in prison for Chey Tae-Won chairman of chipmaker and telecom service provider SK Group, for embezzling nearly 50 billion won in 2013. Chey was sentenced to four years and spent about two years in jail, one of the longest sentences served by a South Korean chaebol leader. He was eventually released in 2015 along with thousands of others on a controversial presidential pardon by now ousted Park Geun-Hye to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial rule over Korea.

- Hanwha -

Construction to hotels group Hanwha's chairman Kim Seung-Youn was given four years behind bars and a 5.1 billion won fine in 2012 after he was convicted of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars. It was a lighter sentence than the nine-year jail term sought by prosecutors but the decision was hailed as one that broke the pattern of light punishment for convicted chaebol leaders. But Kim served only a few months in prison before the sentence was reduced to a suspended jail term.
In this file photo, Israeli security forces patrol the site where an Arab Israeli attacked a group of Jews near the northern Israeli kibbutz Gan Shmuel on October 11, 2015

An Israeli court has decided to strip an Arab Israeli attacker of his citizenship, legal sources said Monday, in what a rights group said was the first ruling of its kind.

The Haifa district court decided to strip Alla Zayud of his citizenship Sunday by applying a 2008 law that allows the interior ministry to deprive of their nationality those involved in "terrorist activities", the sources said.

Adalah, an Arab Israeli rights group, said it was the first court decision of its kind.

The 22-year-old, from Umm al-Fahm in northern Israel, was convicted on four counts of attempted murder after driving a car into Israeli soldiers and stabbing civilians in October 2015.

He was sentenced to 25 years in jail in June 2016.

His mother is an Israeli citizen while his father is a Palestinian with permanent residence in Israel.

Adalah and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel in a joint statement said they would appeal the ruling to the supreme court.

They said the court decision deviated "from the principles of international law, and from the general rule according to which an individual cannot be stripped of (their) citizenship and left stateless".

Arab Israelis are the descendents of Palestinians who remained on their land when the Jewish state was established in 1948.

They number around 1.4 million, some 18 percent of Israel's population.

Since a wave of violence erupted in October 2015, more than 290 Palestinians or Arab Israelis and 47 Israelis have been killed, according to an AFP toll.

Israel says the majority of Palestinians are attackers, though others were killed at protests or during raids.
Workers clear debris on a street following the Mongkok riots of February 2016

Two Hong Kong men were jailed for three years on rioting charges Monday, the latest in a series of legal actions against demonstrators.

The unrest in February 2016 saw police fire warning shots in the air in the commercial district of Mong Kok as they clashed with protesters who hurled bricks torn up from pavements and set rubbish alight.

It was the worst violence the city had seen for decades.

The demonstrations were led by "localist" activists seeking more autonomy from Beijing, as fears grow that Hong Kong's freedoms and identity are under threat from Chinese authorities and the city's pro-China local government.

The violent protests contrasted with the largely peaceful pro-democracy Umbrella Movement rallies of late 2014, which brought some busy streets to a standstill for more than two months.

Law Ho-yin and Lin Yun-faat, both in their 20s, were given three-year sentences Monday after being found guilty last month.

Chris Yung, 19, was sent to a correctional training centre for up to three years.

They had all denied the charges.

"Rioting is a very serious offence," said judge Frankie Yiu. "Sentencing should be severe and serve as a deterrent."

The court heard that Yung and Law were masked and often at the frontline of the clashes. Lin had hurled bricks and was subdued by police, Yiu said in sentencing.

The 2016 violence was triggered by official attempts to remove illegal hawkers from the busy commercial neighbourhood during Lunar New Year celebrations.

The battles were dubbed the "fishball revolution" after a favourite Hong Kong street snack sold by the hawkers, and reflected underlying tensions over the erosion of the city's traditions.

None of the three jailed Monday are well-known campaigners.

The alleged riot ringleaders from localist campaign group Hong Kong Indigenous face trial next year.

Another fishball protester was jailed for more than four years in April for rioting and arson after he set fire to a car.

Three more participants received three-year sentences in March on riot charges.

Rioting carries a maximum 10-year sentence.

A number of activists from the 2014 demonstrations are also currently going through the courts.

The failure of the Umbrella Movement to win reform has led to calls among some young campaigners for complete independence for Hong Kong, infuriating Beijing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that any challenge to Beijing's control over semi-autonomous Hong Kong crossed a "red line" as he visited the city to mark the 20th anniversary of the city's handover by Britain.

In Xi's anniversary speech on July 1, he warned any threat to China's sovereignty and security or to the power of the central government was "absolutely impermissible".
Jordan's King Abdullah II (C-R) and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (C-L) inspect an honor guard in the West Bank city of Ramallah on August 7, 2017

Jordan's King Abdullah II began a rare visit to the occupied West Bank to meet Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Monday, AFP journalists said, amid shared tensions with Israel over a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site.

In his first visit to Abbas's headquarters in Ramallah in five years, Abdullah was welcomed on a red carpet near his helicopter by the Palestinian leader before the two national anthems were played.

The two men did not address the media but shook hands with senior Palestinian officials.

The visit came less than two weeks after the end of a standoff at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem after Israel imposed new security measures, including metal detectors, following an attack that killed two policemen.

Jordan, which is the custodian of the site, reacted angrily to the new measures, while Palestinians responded with days of protests.

The tensions were exacerbated on July 23 when an Israeli security guard shot dead two Jordanians at the Israeli embassy compound in the capital Amman.

One of the two men attacked the Israeli with a screwdriver, while the other was apparently shot dead by accident, according to Israeli officials.

The crisis eased on July 27 when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the removal of the metal detectors, while he has also promised to investigate the embassy incident.
Detained foreign workers board a truck following a raid by Malaysian immigration authorities at a construction site in Port Dickson in July 2017

Southeast Asian lawmakers on Monday urged Malaysia to halt a crackdown on migrant workers that has seen more than 6,000 foreigners detained and sparked alarm among rights groups.

Relatively developed Malaysia is a magnet for migrant workers from across Asia in sectors ranging from construction to agriculture, but several million are believed to be undocumented.

Authorities started rounding up illegal workers after an official programme to register undocumented foreigners ended on June 30.

The latest official figures show 6,038 undocumented workers have been arrested in raids. The two largest groups represented were from Indonesia and Bangladesh, with substantial numbers also from Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam.

MPs from a group that brings together Southeast Asian lawmakers pushing for better human rights visited Malaysia on a fact-finding mission, and at the end of the trip made a plea for authorities to end the crackdown.

"This inhumane action must be halted," Philippine Congresswoman Emmi De Jesus told reporters in Kuala Lumpur at the end of the visit.

"Many migrants are living in constant fear. Poor treatment by law enforcement, including indefinite detention in abysmal conditions, are urgent concerns."

The group, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, urged all Southeast Asian governments to adopt a binding regional treaty on migrant workers, aimed at protecting workers and their rights.

Leading Malaysian migrant rights group Tenaganita said it was "upset to see such large numbers of undocumented workers including refugees being handcuffed, arrested, criminalised, sent to prisons and detention centres".

The group says that many of the migrants are in reality victims of unscrupulous employers and agents who demand huge sums of money to bring them to the country, then leave them saddled with huge debts.

Migrant workers typically do manual jobs spurned by locals. A total of 135 employers have also been detained in the crackdown, according to official figures.
Israeli security forces stand guard in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on July 27, 2017

Jordan's King Abdullah II offered support to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas during a rare visit Monday to the occupied West Bank following tensions with Israel over a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site.

Abdullah's first trip to the West Bank in five years was seen as a message to Israel and the United States over the sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque compound and the stalled peace process.

It came less than two weeks after the end of a standoff at the holy site over new security measures, including metal detectors, imposed by Israel following an attack that killed two policemen.

Abdullah stressed to Abbas "the full Jordanian support for the legitimate rights of its brothers the Palestinian people and support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in east Jerusalem", a statement from Jordan's royal palace said.

He backed the need to protect Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound, warning Israeli attempts to change the status quo -- under which Jordan is custodian of the site and Jewish prayer is forbidden -- "would have negative consequences for the whole region".

The Al-Aqsa compound is also holy to Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount as it is believed to be on the site of the first and second Jewish Temples, the latter of which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

Abdullah also "called for the commitment of US President Donald Trump to work to realise peace between Palestinians and Israelis".

The king flew by helicopter to Ramallah and a red carpet welcome from Abbas. He returned to Jordan after a meeting that lasted around an hour and a half. The king did not meet any Israeli officials.

Jordan reacted angrily last month to the new security measures at the mosque compound, which sparked several days of protests and clashes in Jerusalem's Old City, the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Malki told reporters that Abbas and Abdullah on Monday discussed "direct Israeli attacks on the Al-Aqsa mosque".

Tensions were exacerbated on July 23 when an Israeli security guard shot dead two Jordanians at the Israeli embassy compound in Amman.

Jordan's King Abdullah II (C-R) and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (C-L) inspect an honor guard in the West Bank city of Ramallah on August 7, 2017

One of the two men attacked the Israeli with a screwdriver, and the other was apparently shot dead by accident, Israeli officials said.

The crisis eased on July 27 when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the removal of the metal detectors. He has also promised to investigate the embassy incident.

Abdullah's visit was seen by analysts as a show of support for Abbas, who has been isolated by Israel over his response to the Al-Aqsa row.

- 'Jerusalem is victorious' -

The mosque compound is in east Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in 1967 in a move never recognised by the international community.

The 1994 peace treaty between Israel and Jordan recognises Amman's special status as official custodian of Jerusalem's holy Muslim sites.

About half of Jordan's 9.5 million citizens are of Palestinian origin.

Netanyahu's removal of the metal detectors was seen by Palestinians as a victory.

At Abbas's headquarters a large banner displayed a picture of the Al-Aqsa compound with the slogan "Jerusalem is victorious".

"It appears that King Abdullah wants to show through his visit that he stands with the Palestinian people in the battle for Jerusalem," Palestinian political analyst Abdel Majid Sweilem told AFP.

In a statement on the official state news agency Petra, the king was quoted as saying that without Jordanian "custodianship and the steadfastness of the Jerusalemites, the holy sites would have been lost many years ago".

During the crisis over the metal detectors, 82-year-old Abbas suspended security coordination with Israel, and this has remained suspended despite their removal.

The decision sparked Israeli anger, with accusations he was encouraging violence.

"This visit sends a message from his majesty that he is willing to contribute to removing president Abbas's isolation following his decision to stop the security coordination with Israel," Samir Awad, politics professor at Birzeit University near Ramallah in the West Bank, told AFP.

In January, US President Donald Trump came to power promising to push Israelis and Palestinians towards a peace deal, raising brief hopes among Palestinians that his unconventional approach could achieve results.

But Palestinians have become increasingly frustrated by what they see as his negotiating team's one-sided approach.

Trump's team has yet to publicly commit to the two-state solution, the idea of an independent Palestinian state next to Israel that has been the basis of decades of international consensus.

Malki said Abbas and Abdullah had agreed that for any political process to move forward "there must be recognition of the principle of a two-state solution".
Israeli soldier Elor Azaria (C), pictured in court with his parents in July 2017, asked for a postponement of his imprisonment

The Israeli military has yet to decide whether to postpone the imprisonment of a soldier sentenced to 18 months for killing a wounded Palestinian, the army said Monday.

Elor Azaria applied on Sunday for a delay to his prison term.

"No decision has yet been made," an army spokeswoman told AFP.

On July 30, a military court rejected Azaria's appeal against his conviction for manslaughter and upheld the prison term.

Azaria is expected to present himself to the authorities on Wednesday to begin serving his sentence unless the postponement request is upheld.

The March 2016 shooting in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron was caught on video by a rights group and spread widely online.

It showed Abdul Fatah al-Sharif, 21, lying wounded on the ground, shot along with another Palestinian after stabbing and wounding a soldier, according to the army.

Azaria then shot him in the head without any apparent provocation.

He said he feared Sharif was wearing an explosive belt and could blow himself up, a claim judges rejected.

A number of Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have spoken out in favour of him being pardoned.
When Duterte welcomed Tillerson to his palace on Monday the pair ignored reporters' questions about human rights, and afterwards the Philippine leader insisted the topic had not come up at the talks

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson brushed aside questions about the Philippines' deadly drug war on Monday as he received a warm welcome from President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte's 13-month-old administration has launched a brutal crackdown on drugs that has claimed thousands of lives and led to warnings by rights groups that he may be overseeing a crime against humanity.

But Washington fears offending its long-time ally could push it into the arms of US rival China, and it is backing Philippine troops as they battle to recapture part of a southern region occupied by militants aligned to the Islamic State group.

When Duterte welcomed Tillerson to his palace on Monday the pair ignored reporters' questions about human rights, and afterwards the Philippine leader insisted the topic had not come up at the talks.

"They did not," Duterte replied when asked if US officials raised human rights during the discussions.

Last week, before Tillerson travelled to Manila to attend meetings with fellow foreign ministers at a regional diplomatic and security forum, US officials said he would raise the issue of the drug war.

But, just before the meeting, Tillerson denied there was any tension between Washington's support for the fight against the Islamic State group and concerns about the alleged extra-judicial killings.

Tillerson described the crisis in the southern Philippine city of Marawi as a "tragic situation" and said US forces were providing surveillance aircraft and important advice for the Philippines forces in the battle there.

- Bloody fight -

"Bringing our knowledge in how to deal with this enemy in other parts of the world is useful to them, and I think that is also in our security interests as well," he told US journalists at his hotel.

"I see no conflict at all in our helping them with that situation, and our views on other human rights concerns that we have in how they carry out their counter-narcotics activities."

Duterte easily won presidential elections last year after promising an unprecedented war on drugs in which tens of thousands of people would be killed.

Since he took office in the middle of last year, police have confirmed killing more than 3,400 people in anti-drug operations.

More than 2,000 other people have been killed in drug-related crimes and thousands more murdered in unexplained circumstances, according to police data.

Rights groups say many of those victims have been killed by government-backed vigilantes, and Duterte has himself boasted that he would be "happy to slaughter" three million drug addicts.

Former US president Barack Obama was among the many international critics of the drug war.

Duterte, who frequently uses coarse language against his critics, responded by branding Obama a "son of a whore" last year.

Duterte also used the criticism as justification for loosening the Philippines' decades-long alliance with the United States in favour of warmer ties with China.
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari left for London in early May

Nigerian protesters demanded Monday that President Muhammadu Buhari, receiving treatment in London for an undisclosed ailment for more than three months, either return or resign.

Buhari left for the British capital on May 7 on what is his latest medical trip, appointing Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to act on his behalf.

Dozens of protesters marched in heavy rain to the presidential villa in Abuja with banners urging that the 74-year-old retired general, who headed a military regime in the 1980s, return.

"Resume or resign, Nigerians say enough is enough," one said, with others stating: "If president Buhari cannot return to Nigeria after 90 days, then he should resign and go home", and "Buhari, where are you? Nigerians want full disclosure. What is wrong with our president?"

The peaceful march was organised by a coalition of civil society groups under the supervision of security agents.

"We are here today because the president of Nigeria has absconded from duty," said Deji Adeyanju, one of the organisers.

"He has not only absconded, he has continued to lie to us. This year alone the president has been away for 144 days.

"He was away for 52 days in January and he has been away again today for 92 consecutive days. This cannot continue."

Buhari has been dogged by speculation about his health since June last year 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".

Last month, members of the ruling party and the opposition went to see him in London and even took pictures in an attempt to douse public anxiety.

The health of Nigeria's leaders has been a sensitive issue since the death in office of president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua in 2010 after months of treatment abroad.

Buhari's main opponents in the 2015 election that brought him to power claimed he had prostate cancer. He denied the claim.
News / Local

by Stephen Jakes

MDCT spokesperson Obert Gutu has said the party condemns in strongest terms violence that occurred at the Bulawayo offices on Sunday."The MDC would like to condemn,in the strongest terms,all forms of violence against anyone.We are a democratic and peace - loving political party that is ready,willing and able to extricate Zimbabwe from decades of Zanu PF misrule,corruption and misgovernance" Gutu said."The violent incident that took place at our party offices in Bulawayo will be thoroughly investigated and indeed,the office of the Arbiter - General of the party,is already seized with this matter.We shall leave no stone unturned in ascertaining the exact cause of the unfortunate incident of senseless violence that led to the injury of several party members as well as destruction of party property."He said the perpetrators of this heinous act of wanton violence and thuggery will be identified and punished in accordance with the tenets of the party disciplinary code of conduct."We also suspect that the culprits are not genuine members of the MDC but hired thugs and hooligans. We would like to assure all stakeholders that a thorough investigation shall be conducted and no stone will be left unturned in trying to get to the bottom of this matter'" he said."The MDC is acutely aware of the fact that CIO agents and some other such detractors are having sleepless nights regarding the successful launch of the MDC Alliance at the Zimbabwe Grounds in Highfield, Harare, on Saturday, August 5,2017. As such,the beleaguered and faction - infested Zanu PF regime will do everything possible to try to collapse the grand political coalition against the insipidly corrupt and sickeningly voracious dictatorship that is fronted by Robert Mugabe. "He said this is the time for the toiling masses of Zimbabwe to remain focused and united."The darkest hour is just before dawn. A New Zimbabwe beckons," he said.
A picture taken on May 14, 2017, shows tourists preparing to dive in the Red Sea off Sharm el-Sheikh

Saudi Arabian billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is to invest more than $800 million in hotels in Egypt, the investment ministry in Cairo said on Monday.

The announcement came after parliament in May adopted a new law aimed at attracting foreign investment as the authorities seek to reinvigorate the North African country's struggling economy.

The ministry said in a statement that Bin Talal told Investment Minister Sahar Nasr in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh that he would invest in hotels in several locations.

Tourism in the Arab world's most populous nation has yet to bounce back from before the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak.

The fall in tourist arrivals worsened after the Islamic State group said it bombed a Russian airliner carrying holidaymakers from Sharm el-Sheikh in 2015 in a crash that killed all 224 people on board.

The Saudi investment would include expanding the Four Seasons resort in Sharm in the southern Sinai, transforming it into "the biggest resort in the world", the ministry said.

New hotels would also be built in the Mediterranean town of El-Alamein and in Madinaty east of Cairo.

The ministry said the amount of Saudi investment was "expected to surpass about $800 million", and the projects would be carried out with Egyptian real estate developer Talaat Moustafa Group.
Al-Jazeera's Jerusalem office

Israel's decision to close the offices of broadcaster Al-Jazeera in the Jewish state is "a brazen attack on media freedom", Amnesty International said Monday.

"The move sends a chilling message that the Israeli authorities will not tolerate critical coverage," Magdalena Mughrabi, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at the London-based group, said in a statement.

"This is a brazen attack on media freedom in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories," she added.

She urged Israel to "halt any attempt to silence critical media", saying that "all journalists should be free to carry out their work without facing harassment or intimidation".

Israel said Sunday it would demand the revocation of the credentials of journalists working for the channel and also cut its cable and satellite connections.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said on July 27 that he wanted Al-Jazeera expelled amid tensions over a sensitive Jerusalem holy site.

Israel has regularly accused the Doha-based broadcaster of bias in its coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The birthplace of the men Christians believe were some of the first followers of Jesus have been found in Israel, a team of archaeologists has claimed.

Researchers say they may have discovered what they say is the home town of Peter, Philip and Peter's brother Andrew, near the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel.

Experts have long sought to locate the lost Roman city of Julias, believed to have been built on the ruins of Bethsaida, a Jewish fishing village.

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The birthplace of the men Christians believe were some of the first followers of Jesus have been found in Israel, a team of archaeologists has claimed. The excavations were conducted by the Institute for Galilean Archaeology at Kinneret College in Israel and Nyack College

SAINT PETER Saint Peter the Apostle, originally named Simeon, or Simon, was a disciple of Jesus Christ. He died in around 64 AD in Rome and was recognised in the early Christian church as the leader of the disciples. The Roman Catholic church venerates St Peter a the first of its unbroken succession of popes. Peter, a fisherman, was called to be a disciple of Jesus at the beginning of his ministry according to Christian tradition. He received from Jesus the name Cephas or the rock, hence Peter, from the Latin petra. Advertisement

Israeli and American archaeologists say they have likely uncovered Julias near the banks of the Sea of Galilee, also known as Lake Tiberias.

First century Roman historian Flavius Josephus wrote that Julias was built around 30 AD on the ruins of Bethsaida, where the Gospel of John says Peter was born.

Christians recognise Saint Peter, originally a fisherman, as one of the first followers of Jesus and the leader of the early Church.

Experts have focused their search for the city on three different sites.

The excavations were conducted by the Institute for Galilean Archaeology at Kinneret College in Israel and directed by Dr Mordechai Aviam together with Dr R Steven Notley from Nyack College, New York, who is the excavation's academic director

Dr Aviam told AFP that one of the sites, the only one so far excavated, was believed to be the correct site.

He said: 'We have uncovered fragments of pottery, coins, and the remains of a public bath, which tends to prove that it was not a small village, but a town which may correspond to Julias.

Experts have uncovered fragments of pottery (pictured) and coins at the site

Researchers have long sought to locate the lost Roman city of Julias, believed to have been built on the ruins of Bethsaida. They have uncovered the remains of a public bath (pictured)

First century Roman historian Flavius Josephus wrote that Julias was built around 30 AD on the ruins of Bethsaida, where Peter was born according to the Gospel of John

Experts have focused their search on three different sites. One of the project's leaders told AFP that the only site excavated so far (pictured), was believed to be the correct site

'Based on these findings, we believe this site is likely to be located at the site of Bethsaida.'

The site, not far from the Jordan River, is a few hundred metres from Lake Tiberias.

Water levels would have been far higher during the first century.

Work is also being carried out on another site a few miles away, Aviam added.

He said he hoped further excavations would reveal evidence from pre-Roman times, including ancient Jewish remains, which could help verify whether the site is Bethsaida.

The site is near the land where Luke's gospel reports the miracle of Jesus feeding five thousand people with only five loaves of bread and two fish.

The site is not far from the Jordan River, a few hundred metres from Lake Tiberias. This image shows a man walking next to the site on Sunday

Two other apostles, Philip and Peter's brother Andrew, are also believed to have been born or lived in Bethsaida

The location in Northern Israel is believed to be the location of a biblical village that was home to Saint Peter

It is hoped further excavations will reveal evidence from pre-Roman times, including ancient Jewish remains, which could help verify whether the site is Bethsaida

The site will not immediately be opened to the public. This image shows an aerial view of the excavations taking place

The site will not immediately be opened to the public, he said.

Saint Peter the Apostle, originally named Simeon, or Simon, was a disciple of Jesus Christ.

He died in around 64 AD in Rome and was recognised in the early Christian church as the leader of the disciples.

The Roman Catholic church venerates St Peter as the first of its unbroken succession of popes.

The site is near the land where Luke's gospel reports the miracle of Jesus feeding five thousand people with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Work is also being carried out on another site a few miles (km) away

Dr Mordechai Aviam directed the dig together with Dr R Steven Notley who is the excavation's academic director

They believe the site could be the birthplace of three of Jesus apostles, Peter, Andrew and Philip, all saints in the Christian church

Peter, a fisherman, was called to be a disciple of Jesus at the beginning of his ministry according to Christian tradition

Peter, a fisherman, was called to be a disciple of Jesus at the beginning of his ministry according to Christian tradition.

He received from Jesus the name Cephas or the rock, hence Peter, from the Latin petra.

Saint Andrew is believed to have died around 60 or 70 AD in Patras, Greece.

Like his brother Peter, Andrew was a fisherman.

Early church legends say he undertook missionary activity in the area around the Black Sea.

A fourth-century account reports his death by crucifixion and late medieval tales state the cross was X-shaped.

Saint Peter the Apostle was recognised in the early Christian church as the leader of the disciples. This painting by Rubens entitled 'Saint Peter as Pope' depicts Peter the Apostle wearing the pallium religious robes of the Catholic church and holding the keys of heaven

Saint Andrew is believed to have died around 60 or 70 AD in Patras, Greece. Early church legends say he undertook missionary activity in the area around the Black Sea. This painting by Artus Wolffort entitled 'Saint Andrew the Apostle' shows St Peter's brother

This gives the flag of Scotland, of which Andrew is the patron Saint, its characteristic shape.

Saint Philip, who is believed to have died in the first century AD, makes frequent appearances in the Gospel According to John.

He is said to have answered Jesus call to 'Follow me' and brought Saint Nathanael to Jesus.

With Saint Andrew, he is also written to have brought word to Jesus that certain Greeks had asked to see him.

Saint Philip, who is believed to have died in the first century AD, makes frequent appearances in the Gospel According to John. This painting by Rubens is simple entitled 'St. Philip' and is part of his Twelve Apostles series
The Osprey has a chequered safety record

The US Marine Corps may ground its entire air fleet for a safety review following the crash of an Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft in Australia that killed three Marines, a defense official said Monday.

The Japan-based Marine MV-22 Osprey crashed Saturday during an exercise off the Australian coast, leaving three service members missing and presumed dead.

"We are looking at our options in terms of reviewing safety across the Marine Corps fleet at the moment ... pending an across-the-board safety review," a US defense official told AFP, noting that the grounding could affect all flying squads in the service.

US officials are also weighing a request by Japan's new defense minister, who told the US military on Monday of his "many concerns" after it flew an Osprey in Japan following the crash.

Itsunori Onodera, appointed Thursday as Japan's defense minister, asked the US to temporarily stop flying the aircraft in his country following the accident.

"We have still many concerns," Onodera said during a meeting with Major General Charles Chiarotti, deputy commander of US Forces in Japan, according to a defense ministry spokesman.

Japanese media said the flight took place on the southern island of Okinawa, where a squadron of Ospreys is stationed at the US Marines' Futenma base.

Chiarotti told Onodera the flight was necessary for operational reasons and that its safety was confirmed, according to Japan's defense ministry.

Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis did not say whether the Marines would honor Tokyo's request but stressed that safety was a paramount concern.

"We always take the safety of all our operations, not just with MV-22s, very seriously and we recognize that we are guests of the government of Japan," Davis said.

"I would also say that these are forces ... that are there specifically for the defense of Japan and for furthering our shared security," he added.

- Trying to land -

The MV-22 -- a hybrid helicopter-turboprop with a checkered safety record -- has two engines positioned on fixed wingtips that allow it to land and take off vertically. It can travel much faster than a helicopter.

According to the US official, the Osprey crashed after clipping the back of the USS Green Bay while trying to land on the amphibious transport ship.

The Okinawa-based aircraft which crashed was in Australia as part of a joint military exercise called Talisman Sabre, which has just ended in Queensland state.

There have been a series of deadly incidents, mostly in the United States, involving the aircraft.

In April 2000, 19 Marines were killed in an MV-22 crash in Arizona.

Marines say the problems that plagued the aircraft while it was being developed have been fixed, and it is now actually one of the safest in the air fleet.

Locals on Okinawa have protested at the deployment of Ospreys to Futenma, which sits in the middle of a crowded city.

In December a "controlled landing" of an Osprey just off the Okinawan coast during a training flight sparked local anger. The aircraft broke into pieces but no one was killed.
Yemen pro-government forces trained by the United Arab Emirates and backed by the US ousted Al=Qaeda fighters from the oil-rich Shabwa province

Al-Qaeda fighters have retreated from an oil-rich southern province of war-ravaged Yemen in the face of an assault by an elite US-backed government force, a military official said Monday.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), seen by the United States as the global network's most dangerous franchise, has exploited Yemen's war to expand its presence in the country's south.

But special forces, trained by the United Arab Emirates and backed by the United States, on Wednesday launched a "major operation" against the jihadists in Shabwa province.

The group staged a "tactical retreat" from the province with no major clashes, the senior military official said, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the press.

The jihadists appear to have moved even further south into neighbouring Abyan province.

Residents of an Abyan town near the Shabwa border said they counted at least 45 cars carrying armed AQAP militants through their district.

The Shabwa operation was conducted "under the supervision of the UAE military and with the support of US military advisors who are not present in the field," another high-ranking officer said.

He said the troops were Yemenis who were "trained for months" by UAE forces in Mukalla, in the Hadramawt province further east.

Several hundred well-armed and well-equipped soldiers make up Yemen's "elite force" in Shabwa, the official added.

The province is home to several oil and gas fields, as well as Yemen's only gas terminal Belhaf which was operated by French group Total until the company withdrew in 2015.

The oil giant pulled out of Yemen as the conflict intensified and a Saudi-led Arab military alliance, including the UAE, intervened on the side of the UN-backed government against Shiite Huthi rebels.

AQAP's Shabwa stronghold has also been a focal point in a long-running American-led drone war which has intensified since President Donald Trump took office in January.

A US air raid on the province in June killed AQAP emir Abu Khattab al-Awlaqi, according to the Pentagon.

The province has been the site of AQAP attacks in recent months, with the Yemen government reporting seven soldiers killed there last week in a suicide attack on a new military outpost.

- US, UAE role -

The Pentagon on Thursday confirmed that the United States was helping Emirati and government forces battle AQAP in Shabwa.

The UAE said the operation was being "closely supported by a combined UAE and US enabling force".

Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said Friday that the operation involved "a very small number" of US forces on the ground whose main task was to help the flow of information.

The assault aimed to "degrade" AQAP's ability to coordinate terror attacks abroad, he said, adding that the US had conducted more than 80 strikes in Yemen since February 28.

Trump ordered a special forces raid on Yemen in his first month in office which ended in the deaths of a US Navy SEAL and several Yemeni civilians in Baida province, bordering Shabwa and Abyan.

More than 8,000 people have been killed in the Yemen war since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in 2015 to support the government against the rebels, who had seized the capital and swathes of the country's north.

Yemen also faces a deadly cholera outbreak and stands at the brink of famine.

The United Nations has called Yemen "the largest humanitarian crisis in the world".
The United States is expected to become a net exporter of energy next year amid growing natural gas production, which could position the US as a direct competitor to Russia to supply the European market

The growth of shale gas extraction is positioning the United States to be a bigger natural gas exporter, potentially challenging Russia's hold on the European market.

Russian exports to Europe remain a foundation of the continent's economy, accounting for about 41 percent of supply in the first quarter of 2017, according to the European Commission.

But US sanctions signed last week by President Donald Trump are expected to hit Russia's energy production, potentially crimping supplies to Europe.

The sanctions come as US energy output continues to surge. US natural gas production has been rising more quickly than consumption since 2005, positioning the country to become a net exporter of energy next year, according to the Department of Energy.

Until last year, the only means for exporting gas were pipeline links to Mexico and Canada and a few ships leaving Alaska.

But last year, Cheniere Energy began shipments from a natural gas liquefaction plant in the southern state of Louisiana. Since that time, about 13 percent of the shipments have gone to Europe.

Four other projects are underway in Texas and in Maryland along the East Coast, making the US the global leader in this type of construction, according to a report by Energy Ventures.

- European exports rise -

Markets are steering US gas exports away from where they were initially expected to go, analysts say.

"Initially a lot of the US natural gas that could be shipped overseas on tankers was to have been directed to Asia" because of high prices in Asia, said Stewart Glickman, an analyst at CFRA Research.

"That gap has really closed significantly."

More US gas of late has started to migrate to Europe where there are lower transit costs.

"US exports have largely been going to the Mediterranean region for Europe and they are now starting increasingly to the North region and to the Baltic," said analyst Ira Joseph, head of gas and power for S&P Global Platts.

During an visit in June to Poland, Trump toasted the first shipment of US natural gas to the Eastern European country.

"I think this is a big change for the market," Joseph said. "That is where you are going to see more direct competition."

Bernstein Research analyst Clint Oswald said in an email to AFP, "Gazprom will not allow aggressive market share loss, but are clearly pushing eastwards as they are cognizant of the threats."

Gazprom typically signs long-term contracts, limiting the year-to-year fluctuations in Russia's market share.

Michael Schaal of consultancy Energy Ventures Analysis said the emergence of the US as an exporter gives European countries "a credible alternative to Russian gas," which means they "will have better control over pricing."

US gas broadens a competitive landscape that also includes Norway, Qatar and Algeria.

But Joseph said he expects US gas to first replace supplies from Britain and Holland now in decline and, eventually, Norway.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, shown in this March 15 file photo, says his city will always be welcoming to immigrants

The city of Chicago filed suit Monday against the Donald Trump administration for planning to withhold funds from so-called "sanctuary cities" that fail to cooperate with federal efforts cracking down on undocumented immigrants.

The lawsuit, the first of its kind, challenges the Trump administration's requirement that cities detain suspects for questioning by federal immigration authorities or see their grant funding for municipal police departments withheld.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Monday called the policy counterproductive.

The nation's highest law enforcement official, Attorney General Jeff Sessions -- who is named in the lawsuit -- responded by sharply rebuking the city and its mayor.

"This administration will not simply give away grant dollars to city governments that proudly violate the rule of law and protect criminal aliens at the expense of public safety," Sessions said in a statement.

Emanuel told CNN the federal government is presenting a "false choice."

"By forcing us, or the police department, to choose between the values of the city and the philosophy of the police department... it undermines our actual safety agenda," Emanuel said.

"We will always be a welcoming city," he continued, adding that local police departments rely on the cooperation of the immigrant community -- both documented and undocumented.

Supporters of "sanctuary city" policies say such cooperation could erode if local police are required to fully cooperate with immigration enforcement.

The federal grant at the center of the lawsuit provided $2.3 million to Chicago last year to purchase police equipment such as cars, computers, radios and Tasers, Emanuel said.

The federal government's new rules would tie the grant to requirements that, among other things, cities give federal immigration authorities unlimited access to local police stations to interrogate arrestees, Chicago officials said.

The city is asking a federal court to declare such requirements unlawful.

Trump has targeted sanctuary cities as part of his promised crackdown on illegal immigration, and the Department of Justice implemented the new funding requirements last month.

Sessions, who heads the Department of Justice, pointed to Chicago's high murder rate as evidence that the city needs to reform its law enforcement practices.

"To a degree perhaps unsurpassed by any other jurisdiction, the political leadership of Chicago has chosen deliberately and intentionally to adopt a policy that obstructs this country's lawful immigration system," Sessions said.

Sessions contends the new funding policy would improve safety for immigration officers who have to track down suspects who were detained and then released by local police.

Having to re-arrest immigrants puts officers under additional danger, he has said.
DR Congo's President Joseph Kabila failed to step down when his second mandate expired last December

Twelve people were killed Monday by stray gunfire in a wave of violence in Kinshasa, a spokesman for the national police said, accusing a political-religious sect opposed to President Joseph Kabila.

The toll was a provisional estimate, Pierrot Rombaut Mwanamputu said in an emergency broadcast that broke into programming on public television.

"Sadly, we must at this stage give a provisional toll of loss of human life, of 12 people hit by stray bullets," Mwanamputu said as violence struck two days before the start of a planned series of opposition protests.

Opposition supporters are demanding the publication of an electoral calendar, elections and Kabila's departure from office.

Kabila, in power since 2001, is seeking to stay on despite constitutional limits on his terms in office.

Under a transitional deal aimed at avoiding violence in the sprawling, mineral rich country of 71 million people, Kabila, who failed to step down when his second mandate expired last December, will stay in office pending elections later this year.

Mwanamputu said two police officers had been "lynched" and were in critical condition after the Kinshasa attack.

He added two more people had died and three police were seriously injured in further violence at Matadi, a port city on the River Congo in the neighbouring province of Kongo Central.

Sustained gunfire had been reported earlier close to the central prison in the Congolese capital, where more than 4,000 people escaped in May, and in the districts of Matete and Ndjili, residents and activists said.

Violence also hit the district of Tshangu.

"There has been gunfire around Makala prison for about the last hour. There's no traffic and the streets are empty," Emmanuel Cole, a campaigner for prisoners' rights, said from the nearby district of Selembao.

An AFP journalist saw pools of blood outside the prison Monday, as well as a body of a man who had been stabbed to death outside a nearby clinic.

- 'Hostile slogans' -

Mwanamputu accused the Bundu Dia Mayala nationalist group opposed to Kabila of being behind the unrest, describing them as lawless elements.

He said members of the group, sporting red bandanas, had sprung their attack while chanting "prayers and slogans hostile to legally established institutions."

Mwanamputu said Monday's trouble started around 9.50am (0850 GMT) but security forces had dealt with it "in less than two hours by dispersing (the attackers) with tear gas.

"The situation is currently under control, all is back to normal," he said.

In a separate development, a military tribunal in Kananga, in DR Congo's troubled region of Kasai, gave an important procedural ruling on Monday in the case of two UN experts who were killed in March.

Michael Sharp, an American, and Zaida Catalan, a Swedish-Chilean dual national, were found murdered after they went to investigate violence in the region which began to flare in August 2016.

A UN specialist panel in New York said the attack was an ambush and did not rule out that members of the security forces may have been involved.

The tribunal, which is ruling in the case, gave the go-ahead for all parties to go to the scene of the crime.

The visit will take place on August 21, it said.
A UN war crimes prosecutor probing human rights abuses in Syria has quit saying 'we are powerless' and 'everyone in Syria is on the bad side'.

Carla Del Ponte said she was quitting the three-member commission investigating war crimes in the war-torn region because it 'does absolutely nothing'.

The 70-year-old Swiss, who had previously worked to uncover war crimes in Rwanda and Yugoslavia, had been working on the commission since September 2012.

Prosecutor Carla del Ponte, pictured in 2015, quit a UN commission probing war crimes in Syria in protest at the lack of followup action from the UN Security Council to a dozen reports

Established by the UN Human Rights Council, the commission is tasked with reporting on serious rights violations and war crimes in Syria, where more than 330,000 people have been killed since the start of the conflict in March 2011.

It has published about a dozen reports on its progress but has been hampered by its inability to gain access in Syria itself, forcing it to rely on forensics, interviews, photos and medical records.

The commission has also repeatedly urged the Security Council to ask the International Criminal Court to open an investigation for war crimes in Syria.

However that has been blocked by China, as well as Russia, an ally of President Assad.

Del Ponte accused members of the Security Council 'of not wanting to establish justice.'

She said she had never seen such crimes committed elsewhere, neither in Rwanda or Yugoslavia.

A huge explosion sends clouds into the air after Assad's forces carried out air and ground strikes over the de-conflict zone, Ein Tarma district in the Eastern Ghouta region of Damascus

An injured Syrian child receives treatment at a makeshift hospital in Jobar

She told a panel discussion at the Locarno Film Festival: 'I am quitting this commission, which is not backed by any political will. I have no power as long as the security council does nothing. We are powerless, there is no justice for Syria.'

She added: 'I cannot remain on this commission that does absolutely nothing.'

The 70-year-old said: 'At first there was good and bad - the opposition on the side of good and the government in the bad role.

'Today everyone in Syria is on the bad side. The (Bashar al) Assad government has perpetrated horrible crimes against humanity and used chemical weapons. And the opposition is now made up of extremists and terrorists.'

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the commission would continue its work despite Del Ponte's resignation.

He said he regretted her decision to resign but stressed the 'importance of accountability for crimes against civilians during the conflict,' UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

'He supports the continued work of the commission as an important and integral part of the accountability process,' he added.

Catherine Marchi-Uhel, a French judge who has tried international cases in Kosovo, Cambodia and the former Yugoslavia, started work as the head of the new panel in Geneva on Tuesday.
The polls are seen as a litmus test of Kenya's progress since the disputed 2007 vote that sparked two months of bloodshed

Former US president Barack Obama led international calls for peace Monday ahead of Kenyan elections seen as too close to call, with fears that violence could flare in east Africa's richest economy.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta gave a televised election-eve speech aimed at easing tensions, after a final campaign week marred by rigging accusations levelled by his bitter rival Raila Odinga, and the murder of a top election official.

Kenyatta, who is seeking a second and final term in office, urged the 19 million registered voters to turn out in great numbers, but to "do so in peace".

"After you cast your ballot, please go home," he said, urging Kenyans to reject a repeat of the post-election violence a decade ago that left more than 1,100 people dead and 600,000 displaced.

"Go back to your neighbour. Regardless of where he or she comes from, their tribe, their colour or their religion... Shake their hand, share a meal and tell them 'let us wait for the results,' for Kenya will be here long after this general election," said Kenyatta.

Obama, whose father was born in Kenya, joined former South African president Thabo Mbeki -- who is leading the African Union's monitoring of the election -- and former US secretary of state John Kerry in calling for a peaceful and untainted election.

"I urge Kenyan leaders to reject violence and incitement; respect the will of the people," Obama said in a statement.

UN human rights experts expressed concern at "the rise of hate speech" in the run-up to the vote.

- 'Worthy opponent' -

Like the president, Kenyatta's historic rival Odinga addressed voters on Monday, again raising concerns about rigging and warning that the deployment of at least 150,000 security forces across the country was meant to intimidate voters.

However, he congratulated his "worthy opponent" on his campaign.

"May the stronger candidate win tomorrow," said Odinga, who has run unsuccessfully for the presidency on three occasions.

The polls are seen as a litmus test of Kenya's progress since the disputed 2007 vote that sparked two months of bloodshed.

The men belong to two of the country's main ethnic groups, Kenyatta from the Kikuyu, the largest, and Odinga the Luo. Both have secured formidable alliances with other influential communities in a country where voting takes place largely along tribal lines.

In the run-up to the election both Kenyatta and Odinga refrained from making inflammatory speeches, observers say, perhaps a consequence of the International Criminal Court's now-abandoned indictment of Kenyatta and his running-mate William Ruto for their alleged roles in the 2007 bloodshed.

But hate speech flyers and text messages have been circulating, making Kenyans nervous.

Elections in 2013 were largely peaceful, although Odinga did accuse Kenyatta's Jubilee Party of poll fraud after massive glitches with the electronic voting system.

On Tuesday Kenyans will cast ballots in six different elections, choosing governors, lawmakers, senators, county officials and women's representatives in local races also rife with tension.
News / Local

by Stephen Jakes

ZIMBABWE Lawyers for Human Rights has strongly condemned the unbecoming behaviour of some members of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) who went berserk on Tuesday in Harare and brutally assaulted some Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers and some innocent civilians.Some uniformed ZDF members indiscriminately assaulted some uniformed ZRP officers in central Harare after some police officers had used spikes to deflate the vehicle tyres of an army officer.This incident was confirmed by media reports published on Thursday 3 August 2017. A joint press statement issued on Friday 04 August 2017 by the ZRP and the ZDF also condemned the "incident" advising that "appropriate action will be taken against the perpetrators."While the ZDF members may have felt aggrieved by the ZRP's action, the soldiers' conduct does not justify their brutal response and doesn't entitle them to take the law into their hands and violating the fundamental rights of fellow citizens.This illegitimate conduct of these soldiers is a serious threat to national security since the ZRP and the ZDF are two arms of the security services tasked with safeguarding the safety and security of citizens from internal and external threats, and or attacks. The ZRP has a constitutional mandate to maintain law and order, as well as protecting and securing the lives and property of people among other duties. The ZDF has the ultimate role to protect Zimbabwe, its people, national security and interests and its territorial integrity and to uphold the Constitution.Zimbabwe lawyers for human rights hereby reminds members of the ZDF that;- Just like any other citizen, or person in Zimbabwe they are all subject to the authority of the Constitution.- The role of the ZDF as outlined in section 212 of the Constitution is to protect Zimbabwe, its people and uphold the supreme law.- The soldiers conduct and actions violated section 208 of the Constitution, which calls on members of the security services to exercise their functions in a way that does not violate the fundamental rights and freedoms of any person.- The soldiers conduct also violated section 211(3)-(4) of the Constitution which provides that the Defence Forces must respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all persons and be non-partisan, national in character, patriotic, professional and subordinate to the civilian authority as established in the Constitution and must be maintained as disciplined military forces.- The Constitution - the supreme law of the country and criminal laws outlaw resorting to instant justice without having recourse to courts of law.- Section 10 of the same Constitution binds the State and every person (including all members of the ZDF) to promote national unity, peace and stability while Section 52 of the Constitution assures every citizen of the right to personal security which includes the right to freedom from all forms of violence from public or private sources.- Sections 36, 37 and 89 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act outlaw public violence, promotion of public violence and breaches of peace and assault in all manifestations.ZLHR believes that the country's criminal justice system, institutions and agencies have the capacity to deter the occurrence of retributive justice or punish those who engage in it.- ZLHR also wishes to restate its displeasure at the random administration of tyre deflating devices "Spikes" by ZRP. This violates section 52 of the Constitution as it is a threat to personal security and could lead to further violations.As an organisation which seeks to foster a culture of human rights in Zimbabwe, ZLHR calls for;- All members of the ZDF to conduct themselves with utmost respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms;- All members of the ZDF to uphold the democratic values and principles enshrined in the Constitution and the rule of law.- Those ZDF members involved in the assault of ZRP officers must be appropriately disciplined or prosecuted, regardless of rank and be held to account to prevent recurrence.- The need to inculcate human rights education into ZDF training curricula.- The Defence Forces Service Commission to promptly act and impartially investigate the incident as set out in section 218 of the Constitution.
A group of US businesses opposes a call by three major US airlines for the Trump administration to reexamine the open skies agreements with Qatar and UAE that allows access to the US market by Qatar Airways and Etihad

A coalition of transportation and tourism businesses on Monday called on the US government to preserve aviation agreements with Gulf nations despite accusations of unfair trade by major US airlines.

Businesses including courier service FedEx, budget air carrier JetBlue and hotel giant Wyndham, oppose calls from Delta, American Airlines and United to renegotiate Open Skies agreements with Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The three biggest US air carriers say Abu Dhabi and Doha have pumped billions in unfair subsidies into their national airlines Etihad and Qatar Airways, and they are lobbying the Trump administration to step in.

But, in a letter to members of Congress, a group of 28 businesses said Monday the three airlines were jeopardizing millions of American jobs by seeking to restrict access to the US market for Etihad and Qatar Airways.

"These airlines complain of unfair subsidies but have chosen not to use the Department of Transportation Procedures that Congress established to hear such claims," the letter said.

The letter also was addressed to the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, among other officials.

"We urge the Administration to protect Open Skies by insisting that these claims be assessed on the merits and in the proper forum," the letter said.

Qatar Airways earlier this month abandoned plans to acquire a 10 percent stake in American. The US carrier had ended code sharing agreements with Etihad and Qatar in July, citing the state subsidies.

In response to Monday's letter, the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies, a group linking the three US airlines as well as trade unions for pilots and flight attendants, accused the pro-Gulf coalition of risking US jobs to defend subsidized foreign air carriers.

"The truth is that Open Skies agreements already provide a way to deal with rule breakers and anything else is just an attempt to delay and derail American jobs," Jill Zuckman, the group's spokesperson, said in a statement.

"We agree with President Trump that trade deals need to be fair, enforced and for the benefit of the American worker."
While on the run, Wyndham Lathem sent a video message to friends and family apologizing for his role in the murder, Chicago police said

A US professor who went on the run following the murder of a Chicago hairstylist will plead not guilty to the killing, his lawyer said Monday.

Wyndham Lathem, a professor at Northwestern University's Chicago campus and Andrew Warren, a university employee from England -- were implicated in the stabbing death of the 26-year-old man found dead in Lathem's apartment.

Police said the victim was stabbed repeatedly and with such force that the blade of the knife used in the crime broke.

The pair went on the run and a nationwide manhunt was launched to find them, before they turned themselves in on Friday in California.

Lathem was scheduled to appear before a judge Monday afternoon prior to his return to Chicago, and his lawyer Kenneth Wine confirmed to AFP that the 42-year-old professor would plead not guilty.

His lawyers have received "dozens of calls and letters of support," Wine said in a statement.

"They all describe him in the same way -- a kind, intelligent and gentle soul," he added.

"What he is accused of is totally contrary to the way he has lived his entire life."

Police said they found Trenton Cornell-Duranleau on July 27 dead of multiple stab wounds.

While on the run, Lathem sent a video message to friends and family apologizing for his role in the murder, police said.

They did not offer a motive for the slaying and have not released much information about how the three men were connected -- aside from revealing that the victim had been living with Lathem in his apartment.

Warren was expected in court Friday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper.
Kenya's Faith Kipyegon celebrates after winning the final of the women's 1,500m at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London on August 7, 2017

Faith Kipyegon of Kenya added the world title to her Olympic crown after sprinting to a thrilling victory in the women's 1500m on Monday as Caster Semenya snatched bronze.

In a fantastic race that erupted on the final lap, Kipyegon held off allcomers, including double-hunting Semenya, down the home straight to clock 4min 02.59sec.

"I knew it would be fast, it is such a quality field," Kipyegon said.

"The best was going to win here. It was always going to be quick and competitive.

"I'm looking forward to celebrating this with my family."

American Jennifer Simpson claimed silver, at 0.17sec, with South Africa's 800m specialist Caster Semenya taking bronze (4:02.90).

Defending world champion Genzebe Dibaba finished 12th and last, more than 4sec off the winning pace.

Simpson said her coach had told her to "be willing to run your guts out and you'll be great".

"So I did exactly what she did. The last 300m in particular I ran my guts out and it paid off," said Simpson.

"Having the experience is huge because having the ability to stay calm is so hard, especially at the world championships when you're racing in a beautiful stadium like this. To come out with a medal, I think it was down to keeping my wits about me."

Semenya, who will now turn her attention to winning a third world 800m title, added: "It was like music to me coming back to this stadium with all the memories and I'm perfectly satisfied with the bronze.

"Obviously a lot can not go your way in a final, so to come out with a bronze is amazing but I was hoping for a better time.

"1500m is a tactical race, I tried to find my own space but fortunately I managed to get away with third."

- Semenya plays down controversy -

Semenya played down the ongoing controversy surrounding her elevated levels of naturally occurring testosterone.

"For me I have no time for that," she said.

Kenya's Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon (C) crosses the finihs line to win the final of the women's 1,500m in front of US athlete Jennifer Simpson (R) and South Africa's Caster Semenya (L) in London on August 7, 2017

"It's been like this since 2009. For me, when you listen to music and have one song playing each and every time... it's been almost nine years and it's quite boring. I have no time for that."

Laura Muir, one of two Britons in the field led from the off, laying down a 65sec first lap, with Kipyegon a constant companion on her outside shoulder.

Semenya was her usual comfortable self in the middle of the pack, with Dibaba behind her and the Netherlands' world indoor champion Sifan Hassan, who took bronze two years ago in Beijing, bringing up the rear.

They went through 800m in a relatively sedate 2:17 before Hassan moved up the field and kicked, Kipyegon following.

Suddenly the pack split, Hassan and Kipyegon looking to have the battle for top of the podium to themselves.

But it was not to be, at least for the Ethiopian-born Dutchwoman.

Semenya left it late for her attack, eating up the yards from ninth place with 200 metres to run.

As they hit the home stretch, Hassan tied up in dramatic fashion, 2011 world champion Simpson timed her tactically astute race to near perfection and Semenya powered through for bronze on her coattails.

Muir pipped Hassan for fourth, while world record holder Dibaba could muster nothing worthwhile in the sprint finish as she went backwards.
Set up in 1978, UNIFIL was beefed up after the 2006 war and now has 10,500 troops on the ground monitoring the ceasefire and helping the Lebanese government secure its borders

The United States wants UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon to take on an expanded mission and investigate alleged violations by Hezbollah militias in the volatile area, Ambassador Nikki Haley said Monday.

The UN Security Council is set to vote on renewing the UN interim force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) later this month, and Haley said she will seek "significant improvements" to its mandate.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres informed the council in a letter sent on Friday that he intended to look at ways in which UNIFIL could beef up its efforts "regarding the illegal presence of armed personnel, weapons or infrastructure inside its area of operations."

"We share the secretary-general's strong desire to enhance UNIFIL's efforts to prevent the spread of illegal arms in southern Lebanon," said Haley in a statement.

"These arms -- which are almost entirely in the hands of Hezbollah terrorists -- threaten the security and stability of the region."

"UNIFIL must increase its capacity and commitment to investigating and reporting these violations," she added.

Guterres is expected to discuss UNIFIL's mission when he pays his first visit as UN chief to Israel and the Palestinian territories later this month.

Haley has been a strong supporter of Israel, which fought a month-long war against Hezbollah in 2006. The fighting killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

There has been speculation about the possibility of a new war breaking out between Israel and Hezbollah, a powerful Lebanese paramilitary organization, more than a decade after their last direct confrontation.

There have been periodic skirmishes along the UN-monitored demarcation line between Israel and Lebanon, longtime adversaries which are technically still at war with each other.

Set up in 1978, UNIFIL was beefed up after the 2006 war and now has 10,500 troops on the ground monitoring the ceasefire and helping the Lebanese government secure its borders.

A vote on UNIFIL's mandate at the council is tentatively scheduled for August 30.
The Iraqi city of Mosul was officially declared retaken from ISIS last month in a key victory in the US-led coalition campaign in Iraq and Syria, which enters its fourth year this week

The US-led coalition campaign to destroy the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria enters its fourth year this week, and the Pentagon believes the jihadists' defeat is inevitable.

On August 8, 2014 two FA-18 jets launched from the USS George W. Bush aircraft carrier in the Gulf and dropped 500-pound laser-guided bombs on IS fighters near Arbil in northern Iraq.

The action marked the beginning of an intense aerial bombardment that was later augmented by the training and equipping of local forces to fight IS, first in Iraq and then in Syria.

IS burst into the limelight earlier in 2014 as it swept across northern Iraq and Syria, seizing major cities including Mosul and Raqa, and leaving a trail of slaughter and barbarity in its wake.

At the height of its advance, IS held about 40,000 square miles (104,000 square kilometers) of territory and even threatened Baghdad, with many Iraqi military units collapsing in disarray as the jihadists approached.

"They had eight million people who were being ruthlessly held captive by their rule and living in misery, many forced into refugee status and depravity," Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said.

In the three years since the campaign began, 70 percent of the territory IS once held in Iraq has been recaptured, and 50 percent in Syria.

"Not one inch of that territory that we have liberated has been retaken by ISIS," Davis said.

"ISIS is facing its inevitable defeat. We will win and they will lose."

The US-led coalition comprises 69 countries, though only a handful of these partners are participating in the air campaign or training missions.

Even though experts foresee the eventual collapse of IS's self-declared "caliphate," the jihadists have fought back by calling on followers to launch terror attacks across the globe.

As of July 26, 2017, the coalition had conducted 13,221 strikes in Iraq, and 10,701 strikes in Syria, for a total of 23,922 strikes at a daily cost averaging $13.6 million.

The fight against IS has seen constant bombing sorties, often in urban areas.

The coalition has acknowledged killing 624 civilians to date, though observers say the real number is much higher.

"While this is the most precise campaign in the history of warfare, civilians do die in war and that's the sad truth," Davis said.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) - The Latest on a reported explosion at a Minnesota mosque (all times local):

5:50 p.m.

An FBI official says investigators are looking for suspects after an explosive device detonated at a mosque in suburban Minneapolis.

People make phone calls as law enforcement investigate an explosion at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minn., on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017. Bloomington police Chief Jeff Potts said Saturday that investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blast. Authorities say the explosion damaged one room but it didn't hurt anyone. (David Joles/Star Tribune via AP)

Witnesses reported seeing something get thrown at the imam's office window from a vehicle just before the blast Saturday morning at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington.

Police say there were no injuries, but the explosion damaged a room in the mosque.

Richard Thornton is the special agent in charge of the FBI's Minneapolis Division. He says investigators have recovered components of the device to figure how it was put together.

The mosque primarily serves people from the area's large Somali community.

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3:30 p.m.

A Muslim civil rights group is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the bombing of a suburban Minneapolis mosque.

The reward is being offered by the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR. It comes after a different group earlier said it was also offering a $10,000 reward.

The blast occurred around 5 a.m. Saturday at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington. Police say there were no injuries. The FBI is leading an investigation into the explosion.

CAIR's local chapter says its national office is urging Islamic centers and mosques to step up security.

The organization's civil rights director says the group hopes the reward will help authorities quickly apprehend the perpetrator of the "act of violence."

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1:50 p.m.

Authorities say a preliminary investigation shows that an illegal destructive device caused an explosion at a suburban Minneapolis mosque.

The blast happened at around 5 a.m. Saturday at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington. The police department tweeted that the FBI field office in Minneapolis is now the lead agency investigating the explosion. An FBI spokesman didn't immediately reply to a phone message seeking comment.

Asad Zaman, director of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, says a witness saw something being thrown at the imam's office window from a "van or truck" before the blast. Mohamed Omar, the center's executive director, says a worshipper saw a pickup truck speeding away afterward.

The mosque primarily serves people from the area's large Somali community.

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12 p.m.

The Muslim American Society of Minnesota says someone threw an explosive device that started a fire in the imam's office at a mosque near Minneapolis.

The society said in a statement that attendees extinguished the fire at Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington. Police say the explosion was reported at about 5 a.m. Saturday and there were no injuries.

There were 15 to 20 people were gathered for morning prayers when the explosion occurred. Bloomington police Chief Jeff Potts says that investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blast.

Asad Zaman, director of the society, told WCCO-TV that a witness saw someone standing by the imam's office window before the blast and also saw a truck flee the scene. He says the imam's window was broken and a small fire bomb was thrown inside.

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11:05 a.m.

An official from a suburban Minneapolis mosque where an early morning explosion occurred says the blast happened in the imam's office during the first prayer of the day.

The Star Tribune reports that Mohamed Omar, executive director of the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, says the center occasionally receives threatening calls and emails.

Bloomington police Chief Jeff Potts said Saturday that investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blast.

Authorities say the explosion damaged one room but it didn't hurt anyone.

Asad Zaman, director of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, says the organization is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

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This story has been corrected to show that the group is called the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, not the Muslim-American Association of Minnesota.

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10:25 a.m.

Authorities say an explosion at a mosque near Minneapolis damaged one room and caused smoke but it didn't hurt anyone.

Bloomington police Chief Jeff Potts said Saturday that investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blast at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center.

The mosque didn't immediately reply to a phone message seeking comment.

The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are involved in the investigation.

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9:53 a.m.

Authorities are investigating a reported explosion at mosque in a Minneapolis suburb.

WCCO-TV reports that police say no one was injured in the Saturday blast at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington.

Bloomington police tweeted that the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting in the investigation.

Law enforcement officials investigate an explosion at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minn., on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017. Bloomington police Chief Jeff Potts said Saturday that investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blast. Authorities say the explosion damaged one room but it didn't hurt anyone. (David Joles/Star Tribune via AP)

Law enforcement officials investigate an explosion at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minn., on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017. Bloomington police Chief Jeff Potts said Saturday that investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blast. Authorities say the explosion damaged one room but it didn't hurt anyone. (David Joles/Star Tribune via AP)

Law enforcement officials investigate an explosion at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minn., on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017. Bloomington police Chief Jeff Potts said Saturday that investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blast. Authorities say the explosion damaged one room but it didn't hurt anyone. (David Joles/Star Tribune via AP)
CHICAGO (AP) - The Latest on the California arrests of Northwestern University professor and a University of Oxford employee wanted in the fatal stabbing of a Chicago man (all times local):

8:25 p.m.

A Northwestern University professor and a University of Oxford finance officer are jailed in California in the death of a young hairdresser in Chicago.

FILE - This undated file photo released by the Chicago Police Department shows Wyndham Lathem, an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Northwestern University. Lathem and Andrew Warren, an employee of the University of Oxford in Britain, both wanted in the fatal stabbing of a Chicago man have been taken into custody in Oakland, California, a Chicago police spokesman said Friday, Aug. 4, 2017 (Chicago Police Department via AP)

Police say Wyndham Lathem and Andrew Warren had been on the run for eight days before they surrendered in the San Francisco area.

They're accused in the death of 26-year-old Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau, who was found dead in Lathem's Chicago apartment on July 27. Investigators say Lathem had a personal relationship with the victim, who had been repeatedly stabbed.

A deputy U.S. marshal involved in the surrender of Lathem says he doesn't know why the fugitive came to the San Francisco Bay area, but that some of his friends are in the area.

Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Frank Conroy provided the details Saturday about the Friday night surrender. Warren surrendered separately Friday night to San Francisco police.

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5 p.m.

A deputy U.S. marshal involved in the surrender of a Northwestern University professor wanted in a Chicago homicide says he doesn't know why the fugitive came to the San Francisco Bay area but some of his friends are located there.

Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Frank Conroy provided details Saturday about the Friday night surrender of Wyndham Lathem at the Oakland federal courthouse.

The surrender followed negotiations with an attorney and talks with some of Latham's friends, who include people from Lathem's graduate and undergraduate days among others.

Conroy says he believes some friends were in contact with Lathem while he was a fugitive and that the attorney probably became involved as a result of a recommendation.

A companion, University of Oxford employee Andrew Warren, surrendered separately Friday night to San Francisco police.

Conroy says he doesn't know details of Warren's surrender because Lathem was the "primary target."

The two men had been fugitives since the body of 26-year-old Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau was found in Lathem's Chicago apartment on July 27.

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1:05 p.m.

A deputy U.S. marshal says the surrender of a Northwestern University professor wanted in a Chicago homicide came after fast-paced negotiations through an attorney that led to the fugitive turning himself in at the federal courthouse in Oakland, California.

Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Frank Conroy tells The Associated Press the telephone negotiations began late Friday afternoon and by evening Wyndham Lathem arrived by car at the courthouse.

Conroy says no guns were drawn but Lathem was ordered to carefully step out of the car and he was taken into custody in a courtyard area between the federal complex's two buildings.

Conroy said Saturday that Lathem stated he would not answer questions on the advice of a lawyer, and no questions were asked.

A second fugitive in the case, Andrew Warren, surrendered separately around the same time after walking into a San Francisco police station.

Conroy says he was not involved in Warren's surrender and did not know how it unfolded.

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11:25 a.m.

A Northwestern University professor arrested in Oakland, California, in connection with a brutal stabbing in Chicago faces a first court appearance on Monday after he turned himself in to authorities.

The Alameda County jails website says Wyndham Lathem is scheduled for a 9 a.m. court appearance in the San Francisco suburb of Pleasanton.

The site says he was arrested on a fugitive warrant at 7 p.m. Friday, booked into jail at 11:40 p.m. and is being held without bail.

Andrew Warren, a University of Oxford employee, was also wanted in the case and surrendered at a San Francisco police station Friday night.

The San Francisco jail website says Warren was booked at the county jail at 1:32 a.m. Saturday but lists no information about when he will appear in court.

The two men had been fugitives since the body of 26-year-old Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau was found in Lathem's Chicago apartment on July 27.

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2 a.m.

A Northwestern University professor and a University of Oxford employee wanted in the brutal stabbing death of a Chicago man surrendered peacefully in California and will be returned to Chicago for interrogation, federal and local authorities said.

Wyndham Lathem, 42, gave himself up late Friday at the Oakland federal building and Andrew Warren, 56, surrendered at about the same time to the San Francisco Police Department, according to Michael McCloud, fugitive taskforce commander with the U.S. Marshals Service.

McCloud said the surrender of the two suspects was "negotiated," although he declined to say how that happened.

Authorities said they will appear separately in court before being extradited to Illinois.

Both face charges of first-degree murder in the killing of 26-year-old Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau.
LAS VEGAS (AP) - A naked gunman reportedly threatening to kill himself was shot Saturday by Las Vegas police, authorities said.

The shooting happened about 11 a.m. in a church parking lot in southeast Las Vegas, police said. The suspect was reported to be threatening suicide and was found sitting there without clothes on and armed with a handgun.

The gunman initially appeared to be complying with their commands to put the gun down on the ground and walk away from it, but then he turned around and ran toward the gun, police said.

An officer then fired a single shot at the man after a K9 dog was unsuccessfully used to try to arrest him, police said.

The man was taken to nearby hospital in stable condition.

No officers were hurt.

This is the 16th police shooting in Las Vegas so far this year, a sharp increase from the 10 total police shootings in 2016. The Saturday shooting also marks the eighth instance where officers were shot or shot at in the past seven weeks.

On Tuesday, a man in a stolen truck died in a shootout with police, which also left an officer injured.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Brazilian police say a family of British tourists who made a wrong turn while traveling in a car outside Rio de Janeiro was shot at and a woman was wounded.

Civil police said Sunday that a couple and their three children were traveling in Angra dos Reis, a popular coastal vacation destination about 90 miles (150 kilometers) from the city. Authorities say a group approached the car and apparently told the family to get out and then opened fire.

A police statement says the woman was hit in the abdomen and was being treated at a hospital. It did not give her condition.

Police released no names or hometown.

Tourists in Brazil have occasionally been attacked when they accidentally stray into slums, which are often controlled by criminal gangs.
A look at what's happening all around the majors Monday:

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MAX EFFORT

Baltimore Orioles' Tim Beckham (1) celebrates his home run in the dugout during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Detroit Tigers, Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Nationals ace Max Scherzer pitches for the first time since leaving his previous start because of neck spasms. Scherzer (12-5, 2.21 ERA) was pushed back to give him extra time to get ready going into this game at Miami. The right-hander leads the NL with 201 strikeouts.

SHOW ME SHOWDOWN

Ian Kennedy (4-7) and the Kansas City Royals host Carlos Martinez (7-9) and the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a four-game matchup - the Missouri postseason contenders play twice at Kauffman Stadium, then two more at Busch Stadium.

BIRD BAT

A lot of fans wondered why Baltimore even bothered to acquire infielder Tim Beckham from Tampa Bay right before the trade deadline. Since the swap, Beckman is hitting .583 (14 for 24) with six RBIs in six games. The Orioles have perked up lately, winning seven of nine and getting back into contention for a playoff spot going into this series in Anaheim vs. the Angels.

LOOKING GOOD

Cubs righty Jake Arrieta (10-8, 3.88 ERA) is 3-2 with a 2.08 ERA over his last six starts, showing flashes of the form that helped him win the NL Cy Young Award in 2015. He'll pitch when Chicago opens a series at San Francisco.
News / Local

by Nkonzo ka Mathanda

Dear Mthwakazi,As I pen this letter to you my fellow Mthwakazians who, like myself, are based in Zimbabwe's neighbouring countries, a lot of events that have a direct bearing on our future are underway in that country.Not in any chronological order or level of importance, I will list a few of them below:- The Mthwakazi Monarchy Restoration that has seen many of us affiliating ourselves with either the traditionalist approach of the Khumalo Royal Family or the bulldozing way of Stanley Raphael Tshuma/Khumalo- The fractious and bruizing Zanu PF succession battle to take over from the soon-to-die Robert Mugabe- The campaigning for the 2018 general elections- The recent fist fights between the ZNA and the ZRP- The pronouncement of the MDC-led and controlled opposition coalition which has had, as it's first victim, Thokozani Khupe spitting blood after being (wo)manhandled- The KFC Bulawayo saga that has seen thousands going to queue for dish-washing jobs which were handed to aliens from outside of Mthwakazi instead of demanding that they supply the chickens those aliens will be frying- The recent Ster-Kinekor online advertisement for jobs as controllers, cashiers and cinema assistants which will surely see more thousands flocking to Bulawayo Centre CVs in hand- And just today, a homeless disease-preneur making a killing by skinning dogs and selling the meat to our people who are unwittingly indulging themselves to the grave- The list goes on.My fellow economic exiles, the point of this letter is to ask you what role have we played to find our Mthwakazi region in particular in this mess? The other question is what role, as we are just a stone's throw away from the action, can we play in order to halt the further plunge into this bottomless pit? The decline in our fortunes did not happen overnight as we are all well aware of. The causes of this decline have beed discussed across the length and breadth of Mthwakazi society by us and those before us. We have all agreed that the Grand Plan of 1979 is the blueprint of our problems so I will not go into that one. As I have said, the decline was a gradual process which happened right in front of ours and our parents' eyes. We were a party to this because as we were watching things happening we folded our arms and took no action. Our parents and grandparents were too scared because the scars of Gukurahundi were still fresh in their minds and souls. So they passively allowed their fear to trickle down and infiltrate us their children. We were told not to say anything because lab'abantu bayabulala, babulala umalume, ubab'omncane, umkhulu logogo, uDube owayengusobhuku njalo njalo. As we grew older those murmurings about Gukurahundi gradually died down but the decline quickened it's pace. Still we did nothing. At some point we saw some of our older brothers and sisters, uncles and aunties and cousins going across the border to find work, which they did, came to visit once a year or two years wearing ama Boston and we thought, nanzo ke, that is the way to go. All this blinded us even further to what was right in front of eyes while dreaming of one day going to eJozi and coming back driving a Toyota Corolla Sprinter or iGusheshe. In as much as we did not take active part in the implementation of that Grand Plan, we did passively participate in its being carried out to this disastrous point at which it currently is. Not only has it managed to attain it's objective of driving most of us out of Mthwakazi, it has had the bonus point of bringing misery even to those it was originally designed to empower. The role we, as Mthwakazians, played is that we simply took up and left.Isn't it time that we took advantage of the current events and be a part of the solution to our problems? I'm sure all of us do think it is time. But the question that everyone asks is how do we participate in halting this downward spiral. We'll do well to remember that the further you go down the hotter it becomes. In Geography class we learnt that the Earth's core is very hot because it is made up of red-hot melted rock. Volcanoes erupt from deep within the earth upwards and not from the clouds downwards. Do we really want to continue opposing the direction of that hot lava or we'd rather try and go higher and higher to the cooler mountain tops? Abakholwayo bathi phansi le kusesihogweni, kwahele.In my opinion, besides the barrel of a gun, participating in the 2018 General Election is our only realistic chance. Outfits such as MLF and others have put their foot down and said they will not participate in a "foreign" government's elections, but they offer no other option. Others such as MRP have decided to take part in the election because I think they understand what their options are. The reality of the situation is that as things stand, Mthwakazi is a part and parcel of Zimbabwe and is governed from Harare. Everyone knows the history between Mthwakazi and Mashonaland prior to 1894, but the fact is no one out there gives a shit about us. We are alone. The barrel of a gun will never work, at this point, because all of SADC has an agreement to not support any revolutionary army fighting against a regime that is a party to that agreement. So forget about that one, for now.I am not a politician and I have no political affiliation whatsoever at this point because none of these formations has convinced me to go home and register and give them my vote. But to register and vote is what I want to do. My call to you Mthwakazians that are here with me in the neighbouring countries is to find ourselves a political home and go register to vote. We can not continue like this. I know some will say kicking out Zanu and bringing in so and so is the same, ngeke kutshintshe lutho. But we'll never know until we've tried it. Maybe we'll have a second option or plan B if whoever replaces Zanu continues esicindezela phansi. We should, between now and the election date, be pushing for registration of all Zimbabwean citizens regardless of whether one is resident in that country or not.If, this time, the ballot box fails to protect our people from reaching that hot earth's core then the barrell of a gun will be the only option.Yours in action,Mthwakazi Omnyama.
BEIJING (AP) - A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves:

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EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a weekly look at the latest developments in the South China Sea, the location of several territorial conflicts that have raised tensions in the region.

FILE - In this July 25, 2017 file photo, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi gestures during a joint news conference with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano following their bilateral meeting in suburban Taguig city, east of Manila, Philippines. Wang said talks on a long-sought code of conduct in the South China Sea that was first mooted in 2002 may finally start this year if "outside parties" don't cause a major disruption. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File)

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CHINESE FM SAYS TALKS MAY START THIS YEAR ON CODE OF CONDUCT

China's foreign minister said talks on a long-sought code of conduct in the South China Sea that were first mooted in 2002 may finally start this year if "outside parties" don't cause a major disruption.

Chinese and ASEAN foreign ministers approved a negotiating framework for a code of conduct during a meeting at the weekend in the Philippines. The idea is to draw up an outline of the rules and responsibilities for the countries to prevent clashes from erupting in the contested waters. However, the initial roadmap doesn't say whether the code of conduct will be legally binding or enforceable.

China had long been perceived as delaying negotiations with ASEAN so it can undertake and complete construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea without being restricted by any maritime code.

Wang said the start of talks may be announced by the heads of state of China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations at their annual summit in the Philippines in November if Beijing's conditions are met. He said those conditions include a "stable situation" in the South China Sea and non-interference by "outside parties," an apparent reference to the United States. Beijing frequently accuses the U.S. of meddling in what it says is an Asian dispute that should be resolved only by the countries involved.

Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton said countries locked in the sea disputes should "stop improving or expanding or militarizing any of their outposts."

Wang's mention of the vague conditions can allow China to delay or halt the planned talks for any reason. Differing expectations between Beijing and ASEAN of what the code of conduct should look like also likely mean the negotiations will be anything but straightforward.

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ASEAN NATIONS CRITICIZE CHINA'S LAND RECLAMATIONS

ASEAN foreign ministers defied China's steadfast stance and overcame their own disagreements to issue a joint statement criticizing Beijing's land reclamation and military fortifications in the South China Sea.

China claims virtually the entire South China Sea and has tried to fortify its foothold in recent years by transforming reefs into island outposts, some with runways and radars and - more recently - weapons systems.

The U.S. and ASEAN claimants to the waters and islands oppose the work. They are wary of restrictions on ship movements in a key waterway for world trade which boasts rich fishing grounds and a potential wealth of undersea oil, gas and mineral deposits.

These tensions divide ASEAN. Some ASEAN nations want to stand firmly together against Beijing, while others who depend heavily on China for trade and investment are wary about possible retaliation.

ASEAN foreign ministers failed to promptly issue a joint communique after their annual gathering Saturday due to a disagreement over whether to include criticism, even indirectly, of China's activities in the contested territories.

Then, in a surprise move late Sunday, they indirectly criticized Beijing's land reclamation and military fortifications in the disputed waters.

They also in their 46-page statement referred vaguely to an international arbitration ruling last year that invalidated China's historical claims to virtually all the strategic waterway.

The regional grouping decides by consensus, and last year Cambodia and Laos, who receive massive aid from China, blocked any mention of the arbitration ruling in the final text.

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US, CHINESE, JAPANESE NAVIES END SEARCH FOR MISSING US SAILOR

The U.S., Chinese and Japanese navies ended a three-day search for a missing sailor who was believed to have gone overboard in the South China Sea.

Vessels and aircraft, including two Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy frigates and aircraft from two Japan Maritime Self-Defense ships, had combed roughly 10,000 square miles (30,000 square kilometers) of the sea west of the Philippines by Friday. The U.S. Navy said the joint search had demonstrated "the common bond shared by all mariners to render assistance at sea."

The sailor was from the guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem, based in Yokosuka, Japan. He was reported missing on Aug. 1.

China accused the U.S. in July of trespassing in its waters when the Stethem sailed within 12 nautical miles (32 kilometers) of Triton Island in the Paracel Group.

The operation was aimed at affirming the right to passage and challenging what the U.S. considers China's excessive territorial claims in the area. China sent ships to intercept the destroyer.

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XI SAYS CHINA WON'T ALLOW THE LOSS OF "ANY PIECE" OF ITS TERRITORY

Chinese President Xi Jinping says China will have the "confidence to conquer all forms of invasion" and won't allow the loss of "any piece" of its land to outsiders.

His words were contained in a speech in Beijing marking the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army.

It strikes a similar note to other tough talk by Xi about China's territorial disputes with its neighbors, including in the South China Sea.

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Follow Louise Watt on Twitter at twitter.com/louise_watt
SYDNEY (AP) - A refugee being held in an Australian immigration camp on the Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea was found dead in an apparent suicide on Monday, sparking outrage from fellow refugees and advocates who say officials failed to treat him despite a long history of mental illness.

Hamed Shamshiripou, a 28-year-old refugee from Iran, was found hanging from the branch of a tree near an elementary school by students on Monday morning, Papua New Guinea police said in a statement. The school is in the Manus Island town of Lorengau, where Shamshiripou had been staying at a transit center for refugees awaiting resettlement.

An autopsy was being conducted, but Police Commissioner Gari Baki said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the man's death. Shamshiripou had previously attempted to commit suicide, Baki said.

Australia refuses to resettle any asylum seekers who try to reach its shores by boat. Instead, the country pays Papua New Guinea and the Pacific island nation of Nauru to house them in camps condemned as draconian by human rights advocates.

Behrouz Boochani, an asylum seeker and journalist from Iran who has been detained on Manus since 2013, said in a telephone interview that Shamshiripou had a long history of mental illness. Shamshiripou had been sent to live in the island's so-called transit center, which is supposed to provide temporary accommodations for refugees waiting to be resettled elsewhere. Many refugees don't want to go there because they view it as unsafe.

Shamshiripou's behavior was erratic, and he was often found wandering the streets of Lorengau dressed only in his underwear, Boochani said. Several months ago, Boochani says he and around 100 refugees signed a letter asking immigration officials to treat Shamshiripou. They got no response, Boochani said. Four days ago, Boochani says, Shamshiripou tried to kill himself with a razor.

"Hundreds of refugees are sick - they are damaged physically and mentally in this prison and Australia doesn't care," Boochani said. "Australia is responsible because Australia took him by force to this island. Australia made him crazy. Australia has kept him in this prison for more than three years. Australia ... took him by force to the transit center and Australia left him without any protection there and now he died. So Australia is responsible."

Manus Provincial Police Commander Chief Inspector David Yapu said in an email that Shamshiripou tried to kill himself last year while in police custody, but was stopped by officers on duty.

The fate of the more than 2,000 asylum seekers living in Papua New Guinea and Nauru has become a political nightmare for Australia's government, which insists its policy of refusing to resettle any asylum seekers who try to reach Australia by boat is necessary to dissuade them from attempting the dangerous and often deadly ocean crossings. The policy, however, has resulted in scores of refugees languishing for years on the islands. There have been several high-profile suicides and attempted suicides at the camps, including a man who killed himself by setting himself on fire in Nauru last year.

Australian officials thought they had found a solution after hammering out a deal with the Obama administration, which pledged to resettle the refugees in the U.S. But President Donald Trump was enraged upon learning of the agreement, and so far none of the refugees have been moved to the U.S.

Daniel Webb, director of legal advocacy at Australia's Human Rights Law Centre, said refugees and asylum seekers being held at the camps are in danger, and must be immediately resettled in Australia.

"Like every one of the 2,000 innocent people being warehoused by our government on Nauru and Manus, this man deserved decency and respect. This man deserved a chance to build a life in freedom and in safety," Webb told reporters. "But instead, our government chose cruelty. Instead, our government chose to detain him for four years on a remote island. So this man lost his freedom and then he lost his hope and now he's lost his life. It is an absolute tragedy."
NEW YORK (AP) - For the third time in six months, President Donald Trump is on the hunt for a new communications director. But in practice, the job is filled.

It's Trump who's the White House's leading expert and the final word on what and how he communicates with the public. Despite decrying most negative media coverage as "fake news" and personally insulting members of the media, he has inserted himself into the White House's press operations in an unprecedented fashion for a president.

Trump has dictated news releases and pushed those who speak for him to bend the facts to bolster his claims. He has ignored the advice of his legal team and thrown out carefully planned legislative strategies with a single 140-character tweet.

In this photo taken Aug 1, 2017, President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington. President Donald Trump has dictated press releases and pushed his press team to bend the facts. He has ignored the advice of his legal team and thrown out carefully-planned legislative strategies with a single 140-character tweet. He has cycled through three communications directors in six months. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

His direct, hands-on style helped him win the White House and still thrills his supporters. It also, however, poses increasing political and potentially legal risks. The clearest example is his involvement in crafting a statement for son Donald Jr. about a meeting with a Kremlin-connected lawyer. That declaration was quickly proven erroneous and raised questions about whether the president was trying to cover for his son.

Trump has struggled to find a communications adviser that meets his approval.

His first, Mike Dubke, stayed behind the scenes and never clicked with Trump, leaving after three months. Then Sean Spicer, Trump's oft-beleaguered press secretary, took on the communications director job as well. He resigned both posts last month when Trump brought in hard-charging New York financier Anthony Scaramucci. Scaramucci lasted only 11 days before being fired in the aftermath of an expletive-filled interview.

A fourth candidate for the post, campaign spokesman Jason Miller, was named to the job during the transition but turned it down days later, citing a need to spend time with his family.

More recently there have been some informal internal conversations about an increased communications role for White House aide Stephen Miller, according to an administration official who was not authorized to discuss private talks by name and requested anonymity. Those talks are still seen as preliminary. Miller recently clashed with some reporters over immigration policy at a contentious press briefing.

This past week, as White House staffers readied a statement accompanying Trump's signature on legislation approving toughened sanctions on Russia - a bill Trump criticized - word came down that the president wanted to add some off-topic language into the statement. That's according to two officials familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly talk about internal discussions.

"I built a truly great company worth many billions of dollars," the new section read. "That is a big part of the reason I was elected. As president, I can make far better deals with foreign countries than Congress."

That personal and boastful rhetoric is a far cry from the formal language normally found in presidential statements. It also appeared aimed at angering the same lawmakers he will need if he wants to pass any major legislation.

"All presidents are their own best messengers," said Ari Fleischer, a press secretary for President George W. Bush. Fleischer said that Bush, too, would at times get involved with the White House press shop.

Fleischer noted there was always a safety net of advisers at work. That does not appear to exist around the current president - particular around his Twitter account.

"The lesson for this president is that it's perfectly fine to be involved and to, at times, go around the mainstream media with Twitter," Fleischer said. "But he needs to tweet smarter."

Corralling the president's impulses is a challenge that now falls to new White House chief of staff John Kelly, a four-star Marine general tasked with straightening out an unruly West Wing. But many Trump allies don't believe he'll alter his ways.

"The reality is President Trump is sitting in the Oval Office," said Sam Nunberg, a former campaign staffer. "And before that, he was a mogul with a business that spanned continents. He did it his way. He's not going to change. It got him where he is and it will keep him where he is."

Trump has long considered himself his own best spokesman and cares deeply about his public perception.

While a budding real estate magnate in New York in the 1980s and 1990s, he was known to call reporters to plant anonymously sourced scoops about himself. He vaulted to national stardom with "The Apprentice" and micromanaged aspects of his appearances, including his hair and lighting.

During the 2016 campaign, Trump was known to obsess over single images in a commercial or the font for an ad.

As president, he frequently has raged about his communications staff, blaming them for White House's stumbles while almost never taking responsibility himself.

An avid consumer of cable news, Trump scolds surrogates when he thinks they are not adequately defending him on television. His frequently shifting positions also challenge his staffers, who have grown to be fearful of answering basic questions about the president's beliefs for fear of later being contradicted, according to more than a half dozen White House officials and outside advisers speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

And the president has pushed staff to defend untruths, including when he ordered Spicer, in Spicer's first White House briefing, to claim that the size of Trump's inauguration crowd was larger than his predecessor's, according to three White House officials and outside advisers familiar with the encounter.

More untruths have followed. In March, Trump tweeted without evidence that President Barack Obama had wiretapped Trump Tower. And soon after firing FBI Director James Comey, Trump tweeted a warning that Comey had better hope there were no tapes of their White House conversations. There weren't.

Another statement has received bipartisan condemnation and could face scrutiny from investigators probing possible collusion between Trump's campaign and Russian officials.

As news broke last month that Trump Jr. had met with Russians in June 2016, the president's eldest son released a statement - which was in part crafted on Air Force One by the president and a small group of aides while flying home from a summit in Europe - that claimed the meeting was about adoptions. But within days, Trump Jr. had to revise his story several times before eventually acknowledging that he was trying to procure damaging, Russia-produced information about Hillary Clinton.

"This was a bad decision by the president," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "When you get caught in a lie about one thing, it makes it hard to just say let the other stuff go."

Press secretary Sarah Sanders said last week that Trump "weighed in as any father would, based on the limited information that he had."

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Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire
MUKWONAGO, Wis. (AP) - With a dysfunctional Congress on recess, House Speaker Paul Ryan has turned his focus back home, touring flood-damaged areas and visiting local businesses in Wisconsin. But he can't escape the questions about why Republicans in charge of Washington aren't delivering.

And though he's won re-election easily for years, Ryan faces the prospect of challenges from left and right and an energized Democratic base in next year's midterm elections.

"We have a majority in the House and Senate and it feels like nothing's getting done," 32-year-old James Hulsey said just before Ryan recently toured his workplace.

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan responds to a question from a Republican voter during an employee town hall on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017, in Mukwonago, Wis. Frustrated Republicans vented their displeasure at Ryan on Wednesday during the town hall meeting at a wire manufacturer in the Wisconsin congressman's district. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)

Sensing the angst, Ryan has been much more visible in his southeast Wisconsin district as Republicans failed to deliver on their yearslong promise to scrap the health care law and new polling numbers show the speaker is less popular among Republicans in Wisconsin than President Donald Trump. Trump won Wisconsin by less than a percentage point, but he carried Ryan's district by 10 points.

In the remaining months of the year, Ryan and the Republican-led Congress are determined to deliver major legislation, elusive so far due to GOP infighting, and the top priority is overhauling the nation's tax code. Failure to produce could cost Republicans their House majority in the 2018 midterms and, for Ryan, his job as speaker and Republican leader.

"This is the third time in 100 years we've had this alignment of government that we've got to get it done or else I really worried our country will continue down a bad path," Ryan said after his tour of the wire manufacturer Banker Wire, in Mukwonago, Wisconsin.

He later told the Wisconsin State Journal, "If we don't do our job, we will depress turnout. I am frustrated as well."

Republican Keith Ketzler, 62, worries that the GOP will pay politically next year. Democrats need to flip 24 seats to regain control.

"Everybody that voted Republican is getting very frustrated," Ketzler said, after prodding Ryan about why Congress hasn't achieved more. "People crossed the line last time, but they're not going to stay crossed if they don't get things done."

Ryan angered some conservatives during the campaign with comments critical of then-candidate Trump. But in the first six months of Trump's term, Ryan has been far less critical of the president than other Republican lawmakers who have challenged a number of Trump moves, including his criticism of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a former senator.

Ryan's Republican primary challenger last year, Paul Nehlen, initially won the backing of then-candidate Trump, who later switched to Ryan. Ryan beat Nehlen by 70 percentage points in the primary. But Nehlen, who is running again, thinks 2018 will be more difficult for Ryan, arguing that he hasn't done enough to appease Republican Trump supporters.

"President Trump has given Paul Ryan way more opportunities to stand up and back him and what he has done is really undermine him," Nehlen said.

Beating Ryan will not be easy.

No Democrat has represented the district since 1995. Ryan has cruised to re-election ever since he joined Congress in 1999 - winning by 35 percentage points last year. He has $11.5 million in the bank and is a familiar face in Janesville where he was born and raised and still lives with his wife and three children.

Democrats are pinning their hopes on Randy Bryce, an Army veteran and union iron worker with the nickname "Iron Stache." He appears to have walked out of Hollywood central casting - complete with a dark mustache, thick biceps, faded blue jeans and a promise to fight for the working man. Bryce is trying to capitalize on disenchantment over Ryan's role in the health care bill as he mounts a long-shot campaign.

Bryce generated excitement among Democrats both in Wisconsin and nationally for his announcement video in June that has now been viewed more than 550,000 times. It begins with a clip of Trump praising Ryan's attempts to undo Democrat Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act and then shows Bryce getting emotional as his mother details her struggle with multiple sclerosis.

"You can come work the iron," the hardhat-wearing Bryce challenges Ryan, "and I'll go to D.C."

Bryce raised $430,000 in the first two weeks after the spot ran.

Ryan has tried to shift the conversation from the collapse of the GOP health care effort and toward tax reform and the news that Taiwanese iPhone manufacturer Foxconn plans to invest $10 billion on a factory in his congressional district that could employ 13,000 people. Ryan launched a series of campaign-style online ads highlighting the news that the plant was coming near abandoned automobile factories in his hometown of Janesville and nearby Kenosha.

But Ryan's involvement doesn't seem to be resonating quite yet with voters in his district.

"Paul Ryan? I don't know what he's done for it," said Republican voter Jeff Lunde of Ryan's role in the Foxconn deal. "They're all working on this stupid health-care crap."

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Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sbauerAP
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Authorities in Florida say five people were injured after a man ran a red light and collided with a Disney World bus.

The Orlando Sentinel reports 34-year-old Ritesh Bhagani crashed into the bus Sunday around 6:30 p.m.

Sgt. Kim Montes with the Florida Highway Patrol says Bhagani slammed into the front of the Disney World bus with 19 passengers inside.

Authorities say the bus driver was hospitalized with serious injuries. Two other people on the bus, along with Bhagani and his passenger, were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Authorities say charges are pending. It's unclear if Bhagani has a lawyer.

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Information from: Orlando Sentinel, http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
BERLIN (AP) - Ernst Zundel, a far-right activist who rose to notoriety over decades of public neo-Nazi activity in Canada and the U.S. before being deported back to his native Germany on Holocaust denial charges, has died. He was 78.

Marina Lahmann, a spokeswoman for the community of Bad Wildbad in Baden-Wuerttemberg where Zundel lived, told The Associated Press on Monday that Zundel died over the weekend. She had no further information, saying the paperwork had not yet been processed.

"We can only confirm at the moment that he died," she said.

FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2005 file photo German far-right activist Ernst Zundel sits in a court in Mannheim, southern Germany, at the beginning of a trial to face charges including incitement libel and disparaging the dead. Zundel was deported from Canda to Germany in Feb. 2005. German authorities said Monday Aug. 7, 2017 far-right activist Ernst Zundel, who was convicted of Holocaust denial in Mannheim after his deportation from Canada, has died. He was 78. (AP Photo/Michael Probst,File)

Media in Canada quoted a statement from his wife, Ingrid Zundel, saying that he died of a heart attack at his home on Sunday. His wife, who lives in the United States, told CTV news she had spoken to her husband "just hours before he passed on and he was as optimistic and upbeat as ever."

Born in Germany in 1939, Zundel emigrated to Canada in 1958 - allegedly to avoid German military service - and lived in Toronto and Montreal until 2001.

He achieved international notoriety for his neo-Nazi beliefs and writings, including "The Hitler We Loved and Why," and operated Samisdat Publishers, a leading distributor of Nazi and Nazi-era propaganda. He also provided regular content for an eponymous far-right website.

Canadian officials rejected his attempts to obtain citizenship in 1966 and 1994.

After leaving Canada, he moved to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where he had married fellow right-wing extremist Ingrid Rimland.

But in 2003 he was deported back to Canada for alleged immigration violations. After he arrived in Toronto, he was arrested and held in detention until a judge ruled in 2005 that his activities posed a threat to national and international security and he was deported to Germany, where he was being sought for Holocaust denial.

Denial of the Holocaust is illegal in Germany. Because Zundel's Holocaust-denying website was available in Germany, he was considered to have been spreading his message to Germans.

Zundel, who portrayed himself as a peaceful campaigner being denied the right to free speech, was convicted in Mannheim in 2007 of 14 counts of inciting hatred for engaging in years of anti-Semitic activities and sentenced to five years in prison.

After serving his sentence, a crowd of some 20 supporters clapped and shouted "bravo" as he was released from prison in Mannheim in 2010.

Outside the prison, he refused to comment on his beliefs about the Holocaust, saying only "it's kind of a sad situation, there's a lot to say" before adding "I'll certainly be careful not to offend anyone and their draconian laws."
SLIDELL, La. (AP) - Authorities in Louisiana say a man suspected of dealing drugs tried to flee undercover detectives, ramming an unmarked sheriff's vehicle and then jumping into a canal.

Once he was in the water, he stopped resisting and started yelling for help, saying he can't swim.

A detective jumped into the canal and brought him to shore.

News outlets report detectives found suspected crack cocaine, more than $2,000 in cash and two pistols in the wrecked car of 31-year-old Kyle Anderson.

A woman in his car was injured and hospitalized.

Anderson was booked into the St. Tammany Parish jail Thursday on charges including gun possession by a convicted felon, drug possession and resisting arrest.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran has mocked the U.S. push for inspections of the country's military sites, calling it a "ridiculous dream that will never come true."

This comes after U.S. officials said last month that the Trump administration is pushing for inspections of suspicious Iranian military sites in a bid to test the strength of the nuclear deal that Tehran struck in 2015 with world powers.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, told reporters on Monday in Tehran that this request is "possibly something that a satirist wrote up."

The inspections are one element of what is designed to be a more aggressive approach by Washington to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly described the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers as "bad."
BEDMINSTER, N.J. (AP) - President Donald Trump is insisting his support is stronger than ever, despite a report that some Republicans are weighing a 2020 presidential run without him.

In a flurry of early morning tweets Monday, Trump says "the Trump base far bigger & stronger than ever before (despite some phony Fake News polling)." He specifically criticized the "failing @nytimes." The New York Times detailed efforts by some Republicans looking ahead to 2020, including Vice President Mike Pence. Pence called the report false.

Trump also tweets that he is "working hard" from his private golf club in central New Jersey, while the White House heating and cooling system is repaired, and plans to head to New York next week for "more meetings." He also reiterated personal attacks on Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

In this photo taken Aug 1, 2017, President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington. President Donald Trump has dictated press releases and pushed his press team to bend the facts. He has ignored the advice of his legal team and thrown out carefully-planned legislative strategies with a single 140-character tweet. He has cycled through three communications directors in six months. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

The president also plans to to spend some time in New York City while he takes a break from Washington.

White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said Monday that Trump will return to his hometown for part of the first half of next week. She did not provide more details.

Trump tweeted Monday that he would be heading to New York for meetings. He has not spent a night at his residence in Trump Tower since the inauguration.

The White House says Trump will be meeting with Cabinet secretaries and top aides on issues like health care and taxes while in New Jersey.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Heavy police, CIOs deployed at KFC with dogs and Israeli made water canons, over a hundred job seekers chased away. MRP secretary for Bulawayo Province arrested and taken to Bulawayo central.More than 100 police officers both in plain and in uniform have been deployed to crush poor Matabeleland job seekers.MRP President and other NEC executive members in attendance.More to follow....
BEIRUT (AP) - Syrian opposition activists say government warplanes have bombed a suburb of the capital Damascus where President Bashar Assad's forces are fighting insurgents.

Monday's violence in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ein Tarma comes amid a truce in the area that went into effect last month.

Ein Tarma is controlled by the Failaq al-Rahman rebel group that does not recognize the truce reached by Russia, Turkey and Iran who support rival groups.

The three countries approved a plan in May to create four "de-escalation" zones in Syria.

The Syrian Civil Defense group, more popularly known as the White Helmets, said several people were wounded in Ein Tarma.

The Civil Defense and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said several people were wounded in attacks on the nearby suburb of Mudira.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - The Brazilian hospital treating a British tourist who was shot near Rio de Janeiro says the bullet missed all of her major vessels and organs.

Police say the woman and her family were traveling Sunday in the coastal resort of Angra dos Reis when they accidentally entered a rough neighborhood, where a group approached the car and shot at them.

Medical Director Rodrigo Mucheli of the General Hospital of Japuiba told Globo TV on Monday that the bullet traveled through the woman's abdomen but didn't hit anything vital.

Police released no names or hometown.
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) - Authorities in Congo say at least 14 people are dead after clashes between police and suspected members of a religious sect that was behind a recent prison break.

The violence broke out early Monday in the capital of Kinshasa, where gunfire could be heard in several neighborhoods.

Police blamed the fighting on the Bundu dia Mayala movement and police spokesman Col. Pierrot Mwanamputu said four of the sect members and eight others had been killed by stray bullets. Two others were killed in related violence in southwestern Congo.

The sect's leader Ne Mwanda Nsemi has a strong following in the southwest, where clashes with authorities left hundreds dead back in 2008. The leader has been on the run since he was freed in a prison break in May.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Latest on judge's ruling in lawsuit over IBM's welfare automation contract with Indiana (all times local):

11:30 a.m.

IBM says it will appeal a ruling ordering it to pay Indiana $78 million in damages stemming from the company's failed effort to automate much of the state's welfare services.

New York-based IBM Corp. said in an email Monday that it worked "diligently and invested significant resources" toward improving Indiana's system for processing of Indiana's welfare applications.

Indiana and IBM sued each other in 2010 after then-Gov. Mitch Daniels cancelled the company's 10-year, $1.3 billion contract following numerous complaints.

An attorney for the state, Peter Rusthoven, says Marion County judge's ruling "vindicates" the state's actions.

The Indiana Supreme Court ruled last year that IBM breached its contract and directed the trial court to calculate the damages.

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9:45 a.m.

A judge has ruled that IBM Corp. owes Indiana $78 million in damages stemming from the company's failed effort to automate much of the state's welfare services.

The Marion County judge's ruling Friday came nearly six months after hearing arguments in the case. The ruling was published Monday.

Indiana and IBM sued each other in 2010 after then-Gov. Mitch Daniels cancelled the company's $1.3 billion contract to privatize and automate the processing of Indiana's welfare applications following numerous complaints.

The Indiana Supreme Court ruled last year that IBM breached its contract. The justices affirmed a lower court's award of nearly $50 million to IBM in state fees, but that ruling allowed Indiana to seek more than $172 million in damages from IBM.
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Officials in Georgia's oldest city say a construction contractor fatally injured a century-old live oak tree, and they're demanding $37,000 for the damage.

Savannah city officials said in a news release Monday that a construction crew employed by Dustcom Limited severely damaged the roots of a 47-foot (14-meter) live oak last month while digging a hole for a restaurant's water line. Officials say the crew failed to notify the city that it was digging on public property, violating the project's right-of-way permit.

Savannah officials say arborists determined the tree, which is more than 100 years old, can't be saved and should be removed for public safety reasons.

City Hall wants the contractor to pay a $500 fine plus expenses. It appraised the value of the tree at more than $27,600.
WARRI, Nigeria (AP) - A Nigerian court has ordered the permanent forfeiture of $37.5 million mansion belonging to a former oil minister facing corruption charges.

Authorities allege that Diezani Alison-Madueke bought the property in 2013 with the proceeds of unlawful activities.

Judge Chuka Obiozor ordered Monday's forfeiture after nobody showed up in court to prove ownership of the property.

This is the second major victory for Nigeria's anti-corruption body against the former oil minister. In February, a Nigerian court ordered the seizure of more than $110 million from his bank accounts.

The commission is also investigating properties in Britain and the United States allegedly purchased with stolen government funds.

Alison-Madueke, who was a powerful member of former President Goodluck Jonathan's Cabinet from 2010 to May 2015, has consistently denied the allegations.
NEW STRAITSVILLE, Ohio (AP) - Authorities say an Ohio officer responding to a report that a man was behaving erratically at a convenience store fatally shot the unarmed man when he attacked the officer.

The state Bureau of Criminal Investigation is reviewing the Saturday evening shooting in the Perry County village of New Straitsville, roughly 45 miles (72 kilometers) southeast of Columbus.

A bureau spokeswoman says an employee at the carryout called police about the man, and witnesses reported that the man attacked a responding New Straitsville officer. Authorities say details of that encounter are under investigation.

The man's identity wasn't immediately released.

Investigators say the officer was treated for injuries that weren't life-threatening.

A message seeking an update on his status and comment from police was left with the village office on Monday.
DUBLIN, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on a Northwestern University professor and a University of Oxford employee accused in the fatal stabbing of a Chicago man (all times local):

3:55 p.m.

A Northwestern University professor will head back to Chicago to face charges in a brutal stabbing death.

Attorney Kenneth Wine, representing Wyndham Lathem, a Northwestern University microbiologist suspected in the stabbing death of a 26-year-old Chicago man, speaks to reporters outside of the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin, Calif., Monday, Aug. 7, 2017. Lathem and Oxford University financial officer, Andrew Warren, were sought in a cross-country chase on first-degree murder charges in the death of Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Wyndham Lathem appeared in a California courtroom Monday afternoon and waived extradition back to Illinois. Chicago authorities have 30 days to get him.

Lathem and Andrew Warren, an Oxford University financial officer, were on the run for more than a week before they surrendered Friday to authorities in Oakland and San Francisco.

They are being held on murder warrants in the July 27 death of 26-year-old Trenton Cornell-Duranleau.

Lathem's attorney has said he will plead not guilty to the charges.

Five supporters of Lathem who attended Monday's hearing and declined to comment afterward.

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12:45 p.m.

A Northwestern University professor faces charges of murder and fleeing a jurisdiction in connection with the stabbing death of a 26-year-old Chicago man.

The charges against Wyndham Lathem are outlined in an arrest warrant issued for him in Chicago in the July 27 fatal stabbing of Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau. Cornell-Duranleau's body was found that night in Lathem's Chicago apartment.

Lathem and Andrew Warren, an Oxford University financial officer, were on the run for about a week before they surrendered Friday to authorities in Oakland and San Francisco. Lathem's attorney, Kenneth H. Wine, said before a Monday hearing in California that Lathem would plead not guilty to the charges.

Warren doesn't have an initial court appearance scheduled yet.

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This item has been corrected to reflect that California prosecutors did not charge Lathem with murder, he faces charges in Chicago.

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11:55 a.m.

An attorney for a Northwestern University professor suspected in the stabbing death of a 26-year-old Chicago man says his client will plead not guilty to charges.

Attorney Kenneth H. Wine said before Wyndham Lathem's initial court appearance Monday that Lathem also plans to waive his right to an extradition hearing and that he expects him to be returned to Chicago within weeks.

Lathem and Andrew Warren, an Oxford University financial officer, face preliminary charges of first-degree murder in the July 27 fatal stabbing of Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau, whose body was found that night in Lathem's Chicago apartment.

The two were on the run for about a week before they surrendered Friday to authorities in Oakland and San Francisco.

Wine says Lathem came to the area to see his closest friends and family members. He says the 42-year-old Lathem's mental state is fine.

Warren doesn't have an initial court appearance scheduled yet.

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10 a.m.

An attorney for a Northwestern University microbiologist suspected in the stabbing death of a 26-year-old Chicago man says the accusations are contrary to the way the suspect has lived his entire life.

Attorney Kenneth H. Wine released a statement on behalf of Wyndham Lathem before Lathem's first court appearance Monday morning east of San Francisco.

Lathem and Oxford University financial officer, Andrew Warren, were sought in a cross-country chase on first-degree murder charges in the death of Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau. His body was found July 27 in an apartment near downtown Chicago.

In the statement, Wine says Lathem is a kind, intelligent, and gentle soul, and a loyal and trusted friend.

Wine urged people to refrain from speculation and rumor during the fact-finding process and to be patient as the case moves forward in the courts.

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6:05 a.m.

A Northwestern University microbiologist suspected in the stabbing death of a 26-year-old Chicago man is due in a California courtroom.

Wyndham Lathem and Oxford University financial officer, Andrew Warren, were sought in a cross-country chase on first-degree murder charges in the death of Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau. His body was found July 27 in an apartment near downtown Chicago.

Lathem and Warren were fugitives for more than a week before separately turning themselves in to California authorities. They have yet to be charged.

The 42-year-old Lathem is being held without bail in Alameda County. His court appearance is Monday in the city of Pleasanton.

Attorney Barry Sheppard says he expects Lathem to waive extradition. He also urged the public to wait until all the facts are released before making judgments.

Attorney Kenneth Wine, representing Wyndham Lathem, a Northwestern University microbiologist suspected in the stabbing death of a 26-year-old Chicago man, speaks to reporters outside of the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin, Calif., Monday, Aug. 7, 2017. Lathem and Oxford University financial officer, Andrew Warren, were sought in a cross-country chase on first-degree murder charges in the death of Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Attorney Kenneth Wine, representing Wyndham Lathem, a Northwestern University microbiologist suspected in the stabbing death of a 26-year-old Chicago man, speaks to reporters outside of the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin, Calif., Monday, Aug. 7, 2017. Lathem and Oxford University financial officer, Andrew Warren, were sought in a cross-country chase on first-degree murder charges in the death of Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

This undated photo released by the Alameda County, Calif., Sheriff's Office shows Wyndham Lathem, an associate professor of microbiology at Northwestern University. Lathem and Andrew Warren, an employee of the University of Oxford in Britain, were jailed in the San Francisco area in connection with the death of a young hairdresser in Chicago, police said. Lathem faces a Monday, Aug. 7, 2017 court appearance in the city of Pleasanton, Calif. (Alameda County Sheriff's Office via AP)
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The UN says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expressing regret at the resignation of a prominent member of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria and is stressing the need for accountability for crimes against civilians during the 6 1/2-year civil war.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Monday that Guterres believes accountability is "critical" and the commission's work is "an important and integral part of the accountability process."

Carla Del Ponte said in comments published Sunday by the Swiss magazine Blick that she was resigning in frustration at the Security Council's inaction to hold Syrian criminals accountable. She earlier prosecuted crimes in Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

FILE- In this Wednesday, March 1, 2017 file photo, Carla del Ponte, Member of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, attends a press conference, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Renowned former war crimes prosecutor Del Ponte has told a Swiss publication she's resigning from the U.N.'s independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria after a five-year stint, decrying Security Council inaction to hold criminals accountable. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP, File)

Dujarric said Guterres is "grateful for her service" to the commission and "as a tireless advocate for the cause of accountability throughout her career."
MOSCOW (AP) - Two members of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot were briefly detained Monday after rallying for the release of a Ukrainian filmmaker outside his Siberian prison.

During Sunday's protest in Yakutsk where Oleg Sentsov is serving his sentence, the band members unfurled a banner on a nearby bridge that read "Free Sentsov!"

Longtime Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina tweeted that she and Olga Borisova were taken to a police station following their detention earlier in the day and faced a court hearing over charges of holding an unauthorized rally.

In this handout photo taken on Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017 and released on Monday, Aug. 7, 2017 by Zona.media, Maria Alyokhina and Olga Borisova, members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot, hold flares and a banner on the bridge nearby outside the prison colony in Yakutsk, Russia, Monday, Aug. 7, 2017. Film director Oleg Sentsov of Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, was convicted of conspiracy to commit terror attacks by a Russian military court in 2015 and sentenced to 20 years in prison. (AP Photo/ Zona.media via AP)

Borisova later said on Facebook that she and Alyokhina were released after a judge found flaws in the case. It was unclear if the police would refile charges.

A Russian military court convicted Sentsov, who comes from the Crimean Peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, of conspiracy to commit terror attacks and sentenced him to 20 years in prison.

Sentsov, who made two short movies and the 2012 feature film "Gamer," denied the charges, which he and his supporters denounced as political punishment for his opposition to Crimea's annexation.

The U.S. and the EU have criticized his conviction and called for his release, and numerous cultural figures in Russia and abroad have urged the Russian government to free him.

Pussy Riot is a loose collective and most of its members perform anonymously. The balaclava-clad women rose to prominence with their daring outdoor performances critical of President Vladimir Putin and Russia's ruling elite.

An impromptu "punk prayer" at Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior that derided the ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Kremlin got them into trouble in 2012.

Three band members were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for the stunt. Alyokhina and another member, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, spent nearly two years in prison.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Leadership conflicts within the Nehanda Housing Cooperative resulted in house demolitions, malicious damage to property and several families evicted from Dzivarasekwa extension Rainham farm Masuka area (ward 40).This was revealed by the Zimbabwe Peace Project in its latest report."There was a vote of no confidence in ZanuPF Chairperson Never Kowo, vice chairperson Andrew Marauka and committee members Charles Matapo and Jotamu Nkala who were accused of corruption. A new committee was elected but the former Kowo led committee was disgruntled," reported ZPP."On 7 July a gang of approximately 30 ZanuPF party youths was mobilised to demolish all structures built on stands allocated by the new committee. Many families were evicted and their property destroyed. The matter was reported to the police (RRB5226520)."
MILWAUKEE (AP) - A British cybersecurity figure hailed as a crime-fighter just three months before his arrest in a worldwide malware production and distribution case might still be in Las Vegas ahead of his arraignment next week in a federal court in Wisconsin, according to terms set by a judge.

Attorneys and advocates for Marcus Hutchins, 23, of Ilfracombe, England, didn't immediately respond Tuesday to telephone and email messages about his whereabouts following his release Monday from a jail in rural southern Nevada.

But jail and federal officials say he was released, and pointed to terms set by the judge who on Friday set Hutchins' bail at $30,000.

FILE - This Monday, May 15, 2017, file photo shows British IT expert Marcus Hutchins, branded a hero for slowing down the WannaCry global cyberattack, during an interview in Ilfracombe, England. On Friday, Aug. 4, 2017, a computer law expert described the evidence so far presented to justify Hutchins' arrest in Las Vegas earlier in the week for allegedly creating and selling malicious banking software, as being problematic. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, File)

Magistrate Judge Nancy Koppe said Hutchins would have to stay at a federal halfway house or under house arrest in Las Vegas with an ankle monitor until he travels to Milwaukee for arraignment on a six-count federal indictment.

The judge didn't find Hutchins a threat to the community or a risk not to attend court appearances. She nevertheless ordered him to surrender his passport to federal officials and not use any device that has access to the internet.

Hutchins' arraignment had been set Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee, but was reset for Aug. 14, said Elizabeth Makowski, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office.

He was arrested Aug. 2 in Las Vegas on federal charges that he created and distributed a malware program to obtain banking passwords from unsuspecting computer users.

Hutchins was held through the weekend at a jail in rural Pahrump, where he had been arrested at McCarran International Airport on his way home from the Def Con computer security convention in Las Vegas.

Electronic Frontier Foundation general counsel Kurt Opsahl said Monday he was awaiting word that bail had been posted and that Hutchins had been released from federal custody. The foundation, a digital civil-liberties nonprofit, was helping Hutchins obtain legal counsel.

Opsahl, other foundation officials and Hutchins' attorney in Las Vegas, Adrian Lobo, didn't respond to telephone and email messages Tuesday morning from The Associated Press.

Hutchins was credited with helping in May to curb the spread of WannaCry ransomware during an attack that crippled thousands of computers worldwide.

He did not enter a plea at Friday's hearing to six federal charges dating to 2014, including conspiracy to commit computer fraud. He is accused of creating and distributing malicious software called Kronos designed to steal banking passwords.

Other charges he faces are distributing and advertising an electronic communication interception device, attempting to intercept electronic communications and trying to access a computer without authorization. He could face decades in federal prison if he is convicted.

The indictment filed last month in Milwaukee alleges that Hutchins and another defendant, whose name was redacted, conspired between July 2014 and July 2015 to advertise, sell and profit from the Kronos banking Trojan malware.

Hutchins is accused of creating the malware and enabling cybertheft by spreading a program that can infect web browsers and capture usernames and passwords.

Hutchins has support in the information-security community, where some call him a principled, ethical hacker.

His mother, Janet, said it was unlikely that her son was involved in illegalities because he spends much of his time combatting malware attacks.

Though Hutchins previously worked under the alias MalwareTech, cracking WannaCry led to the loss of his anonymity and propelled him to cyber stardom, public appearances and a $10,000 cash prize that he said he planned to donate to charity.

He told The Associated Press at the time that he didn't think he would ever return to being the "MalwareTech" that everyone knew.

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Associated Press writer Danica Kirka in London and Regina Garcia Cano in Las Vegas contributed to this report. Ritter reported from Las Vegas.

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PAULDING, Ohio (AP) - Authorities say an Ohio rape suspect remains on the loose after he overpowered a sheriff's deputy in a transport van, stole his gun and fled.

The Paulding County sheriff and federal agents are looking for 32-year-old Branden Lee Powell. Powell overpowered a deputy on a trip Friday from a psychiatric hospital to a county jail.

The sheriff's office said Monday the search continued.

Powell was in leg shackles and handcuffs when he jumped over the seat and put the deputy in a headlock, causing the van to crash. Powell grabbed the deputy's gun and ordered him to remove the restraints.

Powell was jailed last month on rape, attempted rape and sexual battery charges.

A $2,000 reward has been offered for information leading to his apprehension.
LAKE WORTH, Fla. (AP) - Investigators say a Florida gunman fatally shot a man who had defended his friends against the gunman's homophobic slurs.

Nelson Hernandez Mena was ordered held without bail at the Palm Beach County jail on a first-degree murder charge during a court appearance Monday.

The Palm Beach Post reports that the 48-year-old Mena followed 22-year-old Juan Javier Cruz and his friends outside a Lake Worth restaurant early Sunday. Witnesses said he told Cruz, "If we were in my country, I'd kill all of you like rats."

Witnesses told Palm Beach County sheriff's detectives that when Cruz defended his friends, Mena pulled a handgun and fired several shots, killing Cruz and wounding a bystander.

Mena, who is originally from Honduras, told detectives he had drunk 15 to 20 beers before the shooting.

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Information from: The Palm Beach (Fla.) Post, http://www.pbpost.com
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - A woman charged in the fatal shooting of an Italian tourist in Arkansas has pleaded not guilty to capital murder.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://bit.ly/2hDEpQ6 ) reports 31-year-old Charina Fort's attorney entered the plea Monday on her behalf.

Fort and 32-year-old Andre Jackson are accused in the July 28 killing of 31-year-old Carlo Marigliano. Police say Marigliano was shot and then crashed his vehicle into a Little Rock apartment complex.

Police say it isn't clear how Marigliano and the two suspects crossed paths.

Jackson is also charged with capital murder. Online court records do not list an attorney for Jackson.

Family members told Little Rock television station KTHV that Marigliano was traveling with friends in the U.S. before leaving the group to visit other areas on his way to Arizona.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Latest on a California man charged with making online threats to two Indiana high schools and extorting minors for sexually explicit photos and videos (all times local):

6 p.m.

Authorities say a Bakersfield, California man charged with threatening to blow up two Indiana schools and extorting juvenile females for sexually explicit photos is believed to have used the online moniker "Brian Kil" to contact random individuals -- typically minors.

"Brian Kil" has been the subject of an investigation since December 2015.

A Plainfield, Indiana girl was threatened via Facebook in December 2015 after she refused to send sexually explicit photos of herself over the internet. The threats prompted the Dec. 19, 2015, closings of Plainfield and Danville high schools and a shopping center.

Buster Hernandez was being held in California Monday, but was expected to be sent to Indiana to face sexual exploitation of a child and threats to use an explosive device charges.

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4 p.m.

A Bakersfield, California, woman says she's "disappointed" after the arrest of her granddaughter's boyfriend on federal charges that he threatened to blow up two Indiana high schools and threatened a young girl when she refused to send sexually explicit photos over the internet.

Audrey Francis tells The Associated Press Monday in a telephone interview that 26-year-old Buster Hernandez has been taking care of her since she suffered a fall about a year ago.

Francis is 87 and says Hernandez shares a home with her and granddaughter, Kimberly Francis.

Authorities say a Plainfield, Indiana girl was threatened via Facebook in December 2015. The threats prompted closings of the schools and a shopping center.

Hernandez appeared Friday in a California courtroom and is expected to be transported to Indianapolis to face charges.

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1:30 p.m.

A federal criminal complaint shows a California man accused of threatening an Indiana girl after she refused to send sexually explicit photos over the internet also had communications with a Michigan girl and another in Indiana.

Buster Hernandez of Bakersfield also is charged with making online threats to blow up two Indiana high schools. Charges were announced Monday.

An FBI agent says in an affidavit that he also threatened the Michigan girl if she didn't send sexually explicit images and videos. He told the second Indiana girl to attend and take notes at a Jan. 19, 2016, community forum at which his threats were discussed.

Online threats prompted officials at Plainfield and Danville high schools to close the buildings on Dec. 19, 2015.

Hernandez was arrested after online communications were traced to a computer.

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1 p.m.

A 26-year-old man from Bakersfield, California, has been charged with making online threats to blow up two Indiana high schools.

The U.S. Attorney's office in Indianapolis says Monday that Buster Hernandez also is accused of making cyber threats to juvenile females and producing child pornography.

Hernandez appeared Friday in a California courtroom and is expected to be transported to Indianapolis to face charges.

Authorities say a Plainfield, Indiana girl was threatened via Facebook in December 2015 after she refused to send sexually explicit photos of herself over the internet. The threats prompted the Dec. 19, 2015, closings of Plainfield and Danville high schools and a shopping center.

Earlier that week, threatening emails were sent to other school districts across the country. Schools in Los Angeles were closed for a day.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A long-simmering dispute between two top White House aides has boiled into a public battle over the direction of President Donald Trump's foreign policy, with a cadre of conservative groups pushing for the ouster of national security adviser H.R. McMaster.

In recent days, conservative groups and a website tied to Trump adviser Steve Bannon have targeted McMaster as insufficiently supportive of Israel and insufficiently tough toward Iran. They've expressed outrage about the firings of several aides regarded as sympathetic to their views. An online campaign - under the hashtag #FireMcMaster - prompted Trump to declare his support for his adviser.

The dispute reflects the tensions at the heart of Trump's foreign policy coalition. McMaster is one of several powerful generals in Trump's orbit who hail from the Republican foreign policy establishment. But Trump is equally sympathetic to the views of firebrands like Bannon, who are trying to push the party in a new, isolationist direction embodied by his "America First" doctrine.

FILE - In this July 31, 2017, file photo, national security adviser H.R. McMaster listens during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington. A long-simmering dispute between two top White House aides has boiled into a public battle over the direction President Donald Trump's foreign policy, as a cadre of conservatives groups are pushing for the ouster of McMaster.(AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

McMaster and Bannon have clashed loudly and repeatedly during recent White House discussions over Afghanistan war strategy, according to four administration officials and outside advisers. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss private conversations.

Afghanistan, however, represents only the latest dispute between McMaster and Bannon, who've also fought over White House personnel.

McMaster, an Army general, recently purged three National Security Council officials who were viewed as close to Bannon or to Michael Flynn, Trump's previous national security adviser. For people close to Bannon, the moves were seen as telling. The former chief of Breitbart News, who wants Trump to upend the Washington foreign policy establishment, has bitterly argued against further U.S. entanglement in global conflicts and believes McMaster is adhering to holdover Obama administration policies.

Breitbart, which holds significant influence in Trump's White House, has promoted a series of anti-McMaster headlines on its website. The Zionist Organization of America on Monday announced it has undertaken a review of McMaster's views on Israel. Dozens of conservative and alt-right social media stars have hammered the national security adviser on Twitter.

The outcry grew so loud that Trump responded Friday: "General McMaster and I are working very well together. He is a good man and very pro-Israel. I am grateful for the work he continues to do serving our country."

Months earlier, Trump also defended his adviser, taking a printout of a story suggesting he might fire McMaster and scrawling on it with a Sharpie pen, "This is bull----. You're doing a great job," along with his signature. He had it delivered to McMaster, according to someone who speaks regularly with officials in the Trump administration.

But privately, Trump has at times expressed some dissatisfaction with McMaster and rued losing Flynn, according to people who have spoken with the president. The White House has said Flynn was dismissed because he did not tell White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about the full extent of his contacts with Russian officials.

Trump often vents about aides without making changes. And McMaster's position was strengthened by the recent appointment of ret. Gen. John Kelly as Trump's chief of staff.

Bannon's allies say the recent dismissals are evidence that McMaster is ridding the National Security Council of Trump supporters while deferring to career officials left over from former President Barack Obama's tenure. They also chafe at McMaster's involvement in removing Bannon from a prominent role on the NSC earlier this year.

Among those fired: White House intelligence adviser Ezra Cohen-Watnick, a Flynn protege who previously clashed with CIA leaders.

The Iran nuclear deal also has been a source of disagreement. That Obama-era pact is opposed by Israel and prominent GOP donor Sheldon Adelson, who backs the Zionist Organization of America group that attacked McMaster. Trump has repeatedly denounced the accord, even as he has granted Iran continued relief from U.S. sanctions under the arrangement. McMaster was among the Trump aides advocating for that course.

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Lemire reported from New York.

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Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire and Klapper at http://twitter.com/@BKlapperAP
The dark web has been thrown into the spotlight following the kidnapping of a British model in Milan.

It is alleged the 20-year-olds captor worked for a group offering services on the clandestine network and had attempted to auction her off online.

(Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Here the Press Association explains more about the murky underground of the internet:

The term refers to part of the internet that is only accessible using software which allows users to remain anonymous and untraceable. The most common way to access sites on the dark web is through a covert browser called TOR. The dark web cannot be navigated with normal search engines such as Google.

Much of the dark web is an online black market where users can buy goods using digital currencies such as Bitcoin and trade in illegal items. The National Crime Agency has said the use of the dark web as an international market place for firearms, drugs and indecent images of children is continuing to rise.

But the dark web also offers a safe, anonymous way to access the internet for those living in countries where you could be arrested for online activity.

Drugs

The complex encryption tools used to communicate over the dark web makes identifying and finding criminals a challenge for authorities.

The National Crime Agency states: The dark web may appear to offer criminals a degree of anonymity but law enforcement agencies are able to exploit that cover themselves and have a whole range of tools to go after their targets.

As many as 13,000 people in the UK and up to 21m worldwide are held in #slavery today. You can help us free them. Learn how to #SpotTheSigns pic.twitter.com/U2AYqC3rpa  National Crime Agency (NCA) (@NCA_UK) August 6, 2017

In September 2015 software programmer Mohammed Ali was jailed for eight years for trying to buy deadly ricin poison from the dark web after also being inspired by Breaking Bad. He bought 500 dollars (320) worth of the powder, enough to kill 1,400 people. But he had unwittingly contacted an FBI agent, who sent him a harmless substance and tipped off UK police.

One of Britains worst paedophiles was also jailed in June last year after sharing images on the dark web as he abused up to 200 Malaysian children.

Freelance photographer Richard Huckle, from Ashford in Kent, was handed 22 life sentences after admitting an unprecedented number of offences.
Downing Street has rejected a claim by the former head of the diplomatic service that the Brexit talks have not begun promisingly for the UK.

Sir Simon Fraser, who was the chief mandarin at the Foreign Office until 2015, said Cabinet divisions made it hard for the Government to establish a clear position and that it had been a bit absent from the negotiations in Brussels.

Sir Simon was the chief mandarin at the Foreign Office until 2015 (Anthony Devlin/PA)

His comments were rejected by the Prime Ministers official spokesman who said the two rounds of talks which took place between Brexit Secretary David Davis and the EUs chief negotiator Michel Barnier had made important progress.

We would disagree strongly (with Sir Simons comments). The last two months, we have had a constructive start to the negotiations. We have covered a significant amount of important ground, the spokesman said.

One year since @dexeugov was established, here's how we've been working to form a deep and special partnership with the EU pic.twitter.com/wn9j7IdL5e  Department for Exiting the EU (@DExEUgov) July 13, 2017

As the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union said at the end of the last negotiating round, important progress has been made in understanding one anothers positions on key issues.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4s Westminster Hour, Sir Simon, who now advises businesses on Brexit and foreign policy, said: The negotiations have only just begun, I dont think they have begun particularly promisingly, frankly, on the British side.

We havent put forward a lot because, as we know, there are differences within the Cabinet about the sort of Brexit that we are heading for and until those differences are further resolved I think its very difficult for us to have a clear position.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been named in Real Madrids squad for the UEFA Super Cup clash with Manchester United.

The 32-year-old forward was given an extended break following his part in Portugals Confederations Cup campaign, before appearing at a Spanish court to answer charges relating to his tax returns.

Ronaldo has denied he evaded tax or hid details of his income from the authorities  charges that led the worlds best player to seriously consider a move away from the Bernabeu earlier in the summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo

However, the Portuguese appears set to stay put and, despite only just returning to training, has been included in the 24-man squad taking on former club United in Macedonia.

Real Madrid face Jose Mourinhos Europa League winners in the UEFA Super Cup in Skopje on Tuesday evening.
A member of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot says she and a bandmate have been detained after a protest outside the prison colony where a Ukrainian filmmaker is being held.

Film director Oleg Sentsov of Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, was convicted of conspiracy to commit terror attacks by a Russian military court in 2015 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Maria Alyokhina tweeted on Monday that she and Olga Borisova were detained outside the prison colony in Siberia a day after they put out a banner on the bridge nearby saying Free Sentsov.

A Pussy Riot protest banner on a bridge in Crimea

Ms Alyokhina was one of the two Pussy Riot members sentenced to two years in prison for a protest concert inside Moscows Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
News / National

by Staff reporter

THE National Assembly last week passed the Constitution Amendment No. 1 Bill. This is despite the fact that the amendments had been rejected by Zimbabweans during public hearings on the Bill.However, it sailed through Third Reading Stage in Parliament by virtue of section 328 of the Constitution which stipulates that a constitutional amendment Bill must be passed by a vote of at least two thirds of MPs in the National Assembly.Since the National Assembly is made up of 270 MPs, a total of 180 votes were needed to pass the Bill. It then sailed through after getting an affirmative vote of 182 Zanu-PF MPs.The following is what opposition MPs said as they tried to block the Bill from passing through the Third Reading Stage.When Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa entered the National Assembly with all ministers, including some that have been dodging National Assembly question and answer sessions to vote for the Bill, the VP immediately moved that debate on the national budget which was under discussion be adjourned in order to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill. But, his move met serious resistance from opposition MP who felt disrespected. The following are excerpts from the Hansard of what opposition MPs said in resistance to Mnangagwa's move:Nelson Chamisa (Kuwadzana East MP MDC-T)There is debate (on the budget review statement) and that debate, as a point of order, has to be undertaken. We cannot have a situation whereby debate is supposed to be undertaken; then the Honourable Vice-President rises to then seek to quash that debate. That cannot be acceptable. That is terrorism of the highest order and it cannot be allowed.It is not supposed to be a ping pong with the Vice President. Allow us Honourable Speaker Sir to debate these issues before we even go to what he wants us to do. We will ultimately vote and vote we shall but we cannot be forced or frog marched into voting because they (Executive) want to rush somewhere. They must wait for us as Parliamentarians - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - We cannot and we will not allow that. If they (ministers) have other things to do, let them proceed wherever they want to go Honourable Speaker Sir. We want debate here. We cannot be allowed to be harassed or to be abused by the Executive.Mabvuku Tafara MP James Maridadi (MDC-T)I realise that this House is full this afternoon and we have all government ministers even those that are strange to this House. I think the motive by the VP to adjourn debate on the budget to bring in the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 1 Bill is motivated by the fact that we have all ministers here who are busy with other things elsewhere. Mr Speaker, I want to appeal to you that if ministers are not happy to sit and listen to us debating the budget, they are free to leave and go and do those other things and we remain to debate the budget.We cannot indulge the Executive because we want to vote and we want to please them. We have a very important motion before us. We are debating how money is used in Government and how money should be allocated to ministries. I think that should take precedent over and above everything else. Ministers are free to and to do their business and when they have time to come, they can come and then we do the voting. As of now, we want to continue with the debate of the budget.VP Mnangagwa repliesTuesday is Government business day. I am leader of government business and I set priority as to what must be debated. I have adjourned government business on Item No. 1 (debate on a motion on the 2016 budget review statement), and have not closed it but adjourning it so that we dispose of government business on Item No. 3. (Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No.1 Bill).When opposition MPs suggested that voting for passage of the Bill must be through secret BallotNelson Chamisa (Kuwadzana East MP MDC-T)What I am submitting Honourable Speaker is that let us allow the secrecy of the vote by MPs - [HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear.] - So that we have a secret ballot. There are MPs who are intimidated from the other side (Zanu-PF). They have been complaining to us Mr Speaker Sir. Voter intimidation cannot be allowed in Parliament. We know that they are being harassed into voting in a particular way. Let us allow the secret ballot and I can assure you that we do not have assisted voters, no secret manipulation. Let us have each and every member voting for themselves, then we will be able to have the vote being done properly.Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda repliesI hear you Honourable Chamisa, and in your request, you referred to the South African Constitutional Court which decided that the final arbiter is the Speaker. So in this case, I say no secret ballot.When opposition MPs alleged rigging of the vote to pass the Bill in ParliamentInnocent Gonese (MDC-T chief whip)In terms of the constitutional provisions the affirmative votes - it does not matter how many votes we have this side - has to be 180 plus. We have to verify first how many people are here because when we counted Mr Speaker; we came up with a figure which is about 173 which is well short of that number. We may have made an error and we need to verify because this is just to fulfil the constitutional position. We have to comply with our Constitution because some people were seated haphazardly and it was not very easy to verify.Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Thokozani KhupeVotes must be verified to the satisfaction of both sides and the only way that we can be satisfied is that two chief whips from MDC count the Zanu-PF side and those from Zanu-PF count the MDC side together with the Sergeant-at-Arms. We want fairness in this House. If indeed we are not hiding anything, let us do it like that.After the Speaker Mudenda announced 187 votes and the recount produced 182 votesInnocent Gonese (MDC-T chief whip)The final tally shows us that without the independent MPs, ZANU-PF appears to just have been on the threshold. With those distortions and disparities that I mentioned, it is possible that this affirmative vote was not achieved properly and in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.Norton MP Temba Mliswa voted with Zanu-PF legislators in support of the constitutional amendments to change the manner the Chief Justice, deputy Chief Justice and Judge of the High Court will now be appointed. Mliswa even celebrated the passage of the Bill by doing press-ups in the House, while Zanu-PF MPs cheered.
Manchester United and Real Madrid will be aiming to kick off their seasons with silverware when they go head to head in the UEFA Super Cup on Tuesday.

Ahead of the match in Macedonia, we take a look at five talking points.

Uniteds suspension-hit defence

Mourinho confirms Shaw, Young and Rojo remain his only absentees through injury. Jones and Bailly will miss the #SuperCup due to suspension.  Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 7, 2017

One of the main headaches for United boss Jose Mourinho against his former club will be how to line up at the back. Eric Bailly will miss the match through suspension, having been hit by an extended ban for his sending-off in Mays Europa League semi-final second leg against Celta Vigo. To make matters worse, Phil Jones has also been given a UEFA ban following his behaviour towards a doping control officer after the Europa League final triumph against Ajax. Mourinho has been trialling a three-man defence in pre-season and it will be interesting to see how he looks to contain Zinedine Zidanes men.

Lukaku looking for Super Cup redemption

Romelu Lukaku

Uniteds big-money summer signing does not have particularly fond memories of this competition. Romelu Lukakus last Chelsea appearance came in the 2013 Super Cup final against Bayern Munich  a match in which he came off the bench in Prague, only to see his decisive spot-kick saved in the shoot-out. Mourinho was the Blues boss that night and is now set to the give the Belgium international a chance to atone on his competitive United debut. Tuesdays game also gives Lukaku a chance to quieten those suggesting he struggles against the best teams.

Matic ready for action?

"He is available but not as available as the others," says Jose Mourinho on Nemanja Matic. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/E0p0Mg2QIF  Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 7, 2017

After a long pursuit of the Chelsea defensive midfielder, United got their man late last month as Nemanja Matic joined for an initial 35million. The 29-year-old swiftly got a chance in red for the first time, putting in an impressive 45-minute display in the Dublin friendly against Sampdoria. Matic is not only seen as key for defensive cover but to unlocking Paul Pogbas potential, but whether the midfielder is ready for the rigours of facing the continents best is in doubt.

Rusty Ronaldo?

Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid have their own fitness concerns to deal with. Cristiano Ronaldo has only just returned to the group following his part in Portugals Confederations Cup campaign and then appearing at a Spanish court. The 32-year-old has denied he evaded tax or hid details of his income from the authorities  charges that led the worlds best player to seriously consider a move away from the Bernabeu earlier in the summer. However, Ronaldo appears set to stay put and has been included in the 24-man squad taking on former club United in Skopje. Whether he is ready to play a major part, though, remains to be seen.

Scorching Skopje

Fans pose with trophies in Skopje

The capital of Macedonia is abuzz with activity ahead of its first UEFA club competition final. The locals are lapping up the big-name visitors to Skopje, along with temperatures that have regularly soared above 40 degrees Celsius. It is forecast to be 36C when Mourinhos United side train at the National Arena Filip II on Monday  and a repeat of those temperatures for the Super Cup itself would see cooling breaks implemented. UEFAs match delegate will take into account other factors as well as the temperature measured 90 minutes before kick-off, namely how conditions will change as the evening continues.
Around 21,000 eggs from Dutch farms implicated in a contamination scare were distributed to Britain between March and June, the Food Standards Agency has said.

The public health threat to the UK from eggs possibly tainted by the pesticide Fipronil remains very low but the FSA is urgently investigating where they may have been sold.

The agency said its investigations indicate any affected products are no longer on sale, adding the low level of potential exposure means consumers should not be concerned.

A box of six eggs

We have published an update on Fipronil in eggs: https://t.co/iUs3FzfU91 pic.twitter.com/hP1FRzUivM  Food Standards Agency (@foodgov) August 7, 2017

Aldi and Lidl stores in Germany, along with Dutch supermarkets, have already taken millions of eggs off shelves. Aldi said it was purely precautionary and added that those sold in its UK outlets are produced in Britain.

The scare started in the Netherlands and Belgium and it is thought that disinfectant used in products on chicken farms is at fault.

Dozens of farms are being checked in the Netherlands, while Belgiums food safety agency is probing how Fipronil might have entered eggs destined for supermarkets.

Belgian authorities admitted a farm alerted them to possible contamination in June  several weeks before the scare became public knowledge  but they thought it was an isolated case.

Britain produces 85% of the eggs it consumes but imports almost two billion annually, the FSA added.

The British Egg Industry Council said there was no need to change the way they cook or consume eggs and that buyers should look for the British Lion mark to ensure they are getting safe British eggs.

Fipronil is banned in products used around food-producing animals.

Reported adverse effects from consumption include sweating, nausea, vomiting, head and stomach pain, dizziness and seizures, according to the US National Pesticide Information Centre.
A memorial made up of thousands of ceramic poppies has been unveiled in Cardiff to commemorate the centenary of the First World War.

The Weeping Window sculpture has been installed at the Senedd, home of the Welsh National Assembly in Cardiff Bay, and will be on display there from Tuesday until September 24.

The poignant display coincides with the centenary of Battle of Passchendaele, which took the lives of many Welshmen, including the celebrated poet Hedd Wyn.

Children visit the Weeping Window

Great to be able to join fellow North Wales AMs for the unveiling of the wonderful #WeepingWindow #PoppiesTour @AssemblyWales pic.twitter.com/Sa8JkiGESU  Hannah Blythyn (@hannahblythyn) August 7, 2017

Weeping Window is one of two sculptures taken from the installation, Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, originally displayed at the Tower of London in 2014, where 888,246 poppies were displayed  one to honour every death in the British and colonial forces between 1914 and 1918.

More than five million visitors saw the poppies by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper, who opened the display in Cardiff on Monday, when they were at the London landmark.

Since then they have been displayed around the UK in a tour organised by 14-18 NOW, the UKs arts programme for the First World War centenary.

The #PoppiesTour is here! See what to expect in the Senedd while the #WeepingWindow is here on our website: https://t.co/2cMeeDebM0 pic.twitter.com/znYLh6u3wg  Welsh Parliament (@SeneddWales) August 7, 2017

Ann Jones AM, Deputy Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales, said: It is a privilege and an honour to host this iconic sculpture at our iconic Senedd.

It is the focal point of Welsh civic and political life and it is fitting that we mark the sacrifice made by so many Welsh women and men during the First World War by displaying this poignant piece of work.

The unique design of the Senedd means that visitors will be able to view the sculpture from all sides for the first time including from behind, through the buildings floor to ceiling windows.

The Senedd will also be open until 8pm on Thursday evenings in August to allow people to view the sculpture in the changing light.
Three drug dealers have been jailed as part of an operation targeting gun crime in Manchester, police said.

The crackdown was aimed at gangsters using firearms to instil fear and cause misery, Detective Sergeant Colin Shakleton of Greater Manchester Police said.

Grzegorz Marciniak, 39, was sentenced to 23 years for three firearms offences and conspiracy to supply amphetamine and cannabis.

Three men have been jailed after a police operation to target gun crime in Salford https://t.co/DLZdzzfmZc pic.twitter.com/wSuNBKPdX5  Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) August 7, 2017

Rafjar Marcin, 36, was jailed for five years and four months for conspiracy to supply cannabis and amphetamine.

The pair, from Salford, were sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty to the charges.

Pawel Strazalkowski, 36, was jailed for four-and-a-half years in March for possessing a false identity document with improper intention and possession with intent to supply class-A drugs.

That trial was initially subject to reporting restrictions which have now been lifted.

A cannabis farm, gun and ammunition were discovered by police in a house in Salford (Gareth Fuller/PA)

In September 2016 officers found a gun, silencer and ammunition along with large quantities of marijuana and amphetamine from a house containing a cannabis farm on Knutsford Street in Salford.

Detective Sergeant Shakleton added: This operation was launched to target the criminals who use guns and drugs to instil fear and cause misery in our communities.

Seizing these weapons means that we have stopped them from falling into dangerous hands and causing further misery.
A British firm connected to the data mining and analysis company Cambridge Analytica has said former national security adviser Michael Flynn was in talks about taking an advisory role less than a week before the US election day.

SCL Group said in a statement to The Associated Press that Mr Flynn signed a statement of work with the company on November 2 2016, about possible advisory work. Mr Flynn did not take the position after USW President Donald Trumps victory and Mr Flynns subsequent appointment as the top national security aide.

The statement came just days after Mr Flynn disclosed his interactions with the firm in an amended public financial disclosure filed with the White House. The AP reported the contents of the filing last week. The White House has since released it publicly in response to an AP reporters request.

Donald Trump's former adviser Michael Flynn is linked to data mining firm Cambridge Analytica

APNewsBreak: Michael Flynn amends financial disclosure, details tie to Cambridge Analytica, transition pay https://t.co/axFiPBLGuX  Chad Day (@ChadSDay) August 3, 2017

On the disclosure, Mr Flynn lists briefly serving as an adviser to a Virginia-based entity of SCL Group, which is the British parent company of Cambridge Analytica, the firm that worked with Mr Trumps campaign.

Wealthy Republican donor Robert Mercer, a hedge fund manager who also supported the Trump campaign, is a financial backer of Cambridge Analytica. The presidents chief strategist, Steve Bannon, was also a vice president at the company before he joined the Trump campaign.

Congressional Democrats and Mr Trumps critics have singled out Cambridge Analytica as they have pressured congressional committees to scrutinise the Trump campaigns data operation as part of probes into Russias interference in the 2016 election and any possible collusion with Trump associates.

Trump campaign officials have denied any connection with Russia. They have also downplayed Cambridge Analyticas role in the campaign, saying they used the company briefly for television advertising and paid some of the companys employees.

The AP reported last week that Mr Flynn ultimately performed no work for SCL Group and was not paid. A person close to Mr Flynn told the AP last week that Mr Flynn had agreed to the advisory role just before the end of the campaign but the details of the position were never fully determined.

SCL Group confirmed it did not pay Mr Flynn, and he did not perform any work. It said Mr Flynn signed the statement of work but no contract agreement was signed and the advisory role was never formalised. In response to questions, SCL Group declined to say the nature of the planned advisory role or share the signed statement of work.

Mr Flynns filing of his amended financial disclosure came as special counsel Robert Mueller and congressional committees are scrutinising his business deals and foreign connections.

Mr Flynn was forced out of his national security post in February for misleading the US vice president about conversations he had with the then-Russian ambassador to the US.
By Saad Sayeed and Syed Raza Hassan

SHIKARPUR, Pakistan, Aug 7 - The confession of a Pakistani teenager who was captured moments before carrying out a suicide attack has given police a rare glimpse into a militant network they say is behind the recent surge in sectarian violence.

Usman's testimony, a copy of which has been seen by Reuters, describes a web of radical seminaries and training and bomb making facilities stretching from eastern Afghanistan, where the young man was recruited, to Pakistan's southern Sindh province.

Hundreds of people have been killed in attacks on Pakistan's small Shi'ite community, heightening fears in the Sunni-dominated country of an escalation in sectarian bloodshed that has been a persistent threat for decades.

Pakistani police believe the network, which Usman says aided him on his 2,000 km journey, has also helped Islamic State spread its extremist agenda in South Asia, even without proven operational links with its core in the Middle East.

The Pakistani network brings together several known jihadists belonging to extremist groups that have targeted religious minorities for decades, police said, providing fertile ground for Islamic State's ideology to spread.

Usman's confession does not name Islamic State directly, but police say they believe the network that recruited and trained him was behind five deadly sectarian bombings in Pakistan, four of which have been claimed by the group based in Syria and Iraq.

"ISIS (Islamic State) has no formal structure (in Pakistan). It works on a franchise system and that is the model that is being used in Pakistan," senior Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officer Raja Umer Khattab told Reuters.

By that he said he meant Islamic State could claim attacks as its own, even if it had no direct role in coordinating them.

Usman, 18 at the time of the thwarted attack, is currently on death row in the town of Shikarpur, where he was caught.

Reuters was unable to contact him for this story, but Usman's court-appointed lawyer said the family had shown no interest in the case.

"I am not sure if an appeal has been filed against the sentence, since no one from his family ever turned up to even meet Usman," advocate Deedar Brohi told Reuters, adding that his client had been sentenced by an anti-terrorism court in March.

Police say the network emerged relatively recently - the main suspects became known to police over the last two years - but it is not clear whether it is acting alone or on the orders of other groups like Islamic State.

"YOU SHOULD JOIN JIHAD"

Under interrogation, Usman, arrested last September, described his recruitment in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, where U.S. and Afghan forces have been fighting a local offshoot of Islamic State estimated to number a few hundred fighters.

Originally from the Pakistani valley of Swat, his family fled to Nangarhar after his father, a member of the Pakistani Taliban, was killed in a drone strike.

Usman told investigators he came home one day to find his brother sitting with an older man.

"My brother said that you should join jihad ... you should become a suicide bomber," Usman said in the confession.

He left that day and travelled with the older man by bus to the Afghan province of Kandahar, where they crossed into Pakistan's Baluchistan province.

From there, they rode a motorcycle to the remote desert town of Wadh in southern Baluchistan, where Usman began his training and stayed at the home of a man called Maaz.

"In our room, Maaz took out explosives from a bag and prepared two suicide jackets," Usman told investigators.

Police suspect Wadh is where several militant movements, including al Qaeda, the Pakistani Taliban and other local banned groups, have been active.

The media wing of Pakistan's military did not respond to requests for comment for this article, including how militants could use Wadh as hub.

An intelligence official, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the press, denied Wadh was part of a militant network.

"No training camp in Wadh or safe (haven) for militants now," the official said in a Whatsapp message.

After about a month in Wadh, Usman said he travelled by motorcycle with an escort on dusty back roads to Shikarpur. A few days later, he was dispatched with his explosives vest to attack a prayer meeting attended by Shi'ite Muslims.

The attack failed when one worshipper spoke to Usman in the local Sindhi language, which he could not understand. A crowd gathered and grabbed him before he could reach his detonator.

CENTRAL SUSPECT

Police investigators, who spoke about the case on condition of anonymity, said Usman's confession helped them identify several key militants including a suicide vest maker and the man who oversees the network - a former Pakistani intelligence services asset named Shafiq Mengal.

"Our intelligence shows that he has 500-1,000 militants working under him and is living in the mountains," said a senior police official.

Reuters was unable to contact Mengal or independently confirm the assertions of the police official. But his father, a prominent Baluch politician during the military regime of General Zia ul Haq in the 1980s, said his son had no links with militant networks.

"Shafiq has not given shelter to any terrorist outfit and their activities," former Baluchistan chief minister Naseer Mengal told Reuters.

However, the older Mengal added that his son had been active in supporting Pakistani security forces in battling Baluch separatist groups.

"Shafiq fought against those elements who challenged the writ of State and were involved in target killings of innocent people and security forces," he said.

An internal police profile of Mengal seen by Reuters said he attended an elite school in the eastern city of Lahore before completing his education at a madrassa.

According to the document, prepared by a Baluchistan police official, Mengal "was set up by the intelligence agencies to counter separatist Baloch militants" that fight the government in Baluchistan.

The report said that, more recently, it appeared Mengal shifted his efforts to helping jihadists.

The intelligence official said Mengal no longer had any association with the military.

The armed forces have launched several major offensives against groups including al Qaeda and the Taliban in recent years, but they have also been accused of using militants as proxy fighters in Kashmir and Baluchistan - a charge they deny.

"HATE-FILLED SERMONS"

Police said another important suspect in the network was Hafeez Brohi, already on Pakistan's wanted terrorist list. He comes from Shikarpur, and it was at Brohi's residence that they said the teenager stayed before the failed attack.

Usman did not name Brohi directly but said a man named Umer Hafiz, who police officials say was actually Brohi, took him from Wadh to Shikarpur by motorbike.

Usman's police case file also identifies Brohi as one of the main suspects in the failed bombing. Case files seen by Reuters on several other sectarian attacks in Shikarpur also single him out.

The town itself, some 250 km east of Wadh but several times that distance by road, is seen as an increasingly important centre of sectarian extremism, according to officials from the counter terrorism department.

Two local Shi'ite mosques were targeted by attacks in 2015.

Several new madrassas have been built in the area in recent years, and members of the Shi'ite minority suspect that they are used by Sunni hardliners to spread religious intolerance.

"The madrassas are concentrated in remote villages," said Syed Atta Hussain Shah, the imam of the Shi'ite mosque in Shikarpur. "Preachers show up from elsewhere and stay in these madrassas and deliver hate-filled sermons."

Police officials said they suspected Brohi was the point man for the network in southern Sindh province and was involved in the bombing at Sehwan Sharif shrine that killed 90 people - the most deadly attack in Pakistan claimed by Islamic State.

Brohi has been in hiding for the last three or four years, according to CTD officials.

Usman was sentenced to death in March along with 10 militants in absentia, including Brohi.

(Additional reporting by Gul Yousafzai in Quetta; Editing by Mike Collett-White)
By Isaiah Esipisu

KANGORIO, Kenya, Aug 7 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - At this time of year, Cherop Longiro and her husband are normally busy looking for grazing for their livestock. But their three cows died in the drought in March and they sold their 20 sheep, fearing they would meet the same fate.

"We had two options: either take them to the market and sell them at a throwaway price, or keep them, which was risky because they were most likely going to die," said Richard Longiro from his farm in Kangorio village, West Pokot County.

Over the past year herders in Kenya's Rift Valley have lost thousands of animals to worsening drought and erratic rainfall. This is causing a growing number of them to switch to farming as a way to supplement their income.

Cherop and her husband now plant chillies - a crop resistant to drought - on a quarter-of-an-acre portion of their land, in addition to pawpaw, mangoes and bananas.

"Livestock had become so vulnerable to dry weather that we decided to start a new activity," the mother of three told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

RESISTANT TO DROUGHT

Chillies are a safe bet for farmers in times of drought as they do not require fertilisers or water once the roots are established in the soil, said Giuseppe De Bac, project manager in West Pokot County for the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

FAO helped negotiate a three-year agreement for 200 farmers - many of whom have lost livestock - to sell chillies to La Fattoria, an Italian company with a processing plant in the southeast of the country, at a fixed price of 200 Kenyan shillings ($1.9) per kilo. The chillies are then exported to Italy.

A quarter-of-an-acre plot of land can hold 2,500 chilli plants, with each plant yielding up to 1.5 kg of chillies in three years if well tended, said De Bac.

"That could get farmers as much as 250,000 shillings ($2,409) per year, compared to only 7,500 shillings ($72) when they grew maize," he said.

Glenda Andiema, a marketing executive at La Fattoria, said the contract may be renewed at the end of the three-year period, "to involve more farmers if we see it is working well".

Herders in the region are increasingly farming crops like maize or onions in addition to keeping livestock, said De Bac.

"But most of it was only for domestic consumption - we want to help them scale up their production and derive a reliable income from it," he said.

CHANGING BEHAVIOURS

Although the village's farmers are starting to embrace their new crop, De Bac said the initiative has been far from straightforward.

"Farmers in this region are used to keeping livestock and if they have to grow any crops, they mainly grow maize and vegetables for domestic consumption," he said.

"Introducing them to high-value horticulture was not an easy task, even after praising the benefits of having access to a ready market."

"(Chilli) needs water in the early stages of growth, so we encourage farmers to plant on drip-irrigated plots," he said.

FAO supplies the farmers with water storage tanks and drip irrigation kits, through funding from the Italian Agency for Development and Cooperation.

To date, however, some farmers prefer using sprinklers which are easier to use than the more water-efficient drip irrigation, he said.

Andiema explained that extension officers visit the village to ensure the farmers follow the correct practices, which will yield a high quality product.

La Fattoria may refuse to buy the chillies if they are of insufficient quality or quantity, she added.

SPREADING THE RISK

Putting farmers in touch with buyers is a good way to ensure they benefit from a ready market, while being contractually obliged to deliver produce of high quality, said Ann Mbaabu, director for market access at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, which supports smallholder farmers.

"However, the buyers must de-risk the farmers from poor yields by deploying monitoring officers on the ground to help them meet quality standards, or even linking them to insurers to provide a cushion against extreme weather," she said.

According to Haron Kibet, the county administrator in West Pokot, the fact that a community that has always relied on livestock is now pursuing an alternative source of income is a positive step.

"It will put them in a much stronger position to deal with tough climate conditions," he said.

Some of the farmers have delivered their first crop of chillies to drying centres and will receive their first payment in September once the produce has been collected.

"This is an exciting moment for us, because for the first time we are growing a crop which we know we will sell, to whom and for how much," said chilli farmer Pamela Chepkorir. ($1 = 103.7500 Kenyan shillings) (Reporting by Isaiah Esipisu, Editing by Zoe Tabary and Alex Whiting; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, climate change, resilience, women's rights, trafficking and property rights. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate)
SINGAPORE, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Singapore's Keppel Land, part of conglomerate Keppel Group Ltd, said its independent director has resigned after his permanent residency was cancelled when he was accused of being an agent of influence for a foreign country.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said on Friday that Huang Jing, a professor of U.S.-China relations at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, "knowingly interacted with intelligence organisations and agents of the foreign country" with the aim of bringing about a change in the direction of Singapore's foreign policy.

Keppel Group said that further to the ministry's statement cancelling Huang's Singapore permanent residence status, Keppel Land had received and accepted Huang's resignation as a director with immediate effect.

Huang told Reuters on Monday that he had resigned from Keppel Land but declined to comment on the ministry's ruling.

The ruling, which also applied to Huang's wife, Shirley Yang Xiuping, means that if they leave Singapore, they will not be readmitted. The ministry identified the couple as U.S. citizens but did not identify the country for whom Huang was said to have been working.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper had quoted Huang as denying the allegations.

The LKYSPP, named after modern Singapore's founding father, is a postgraduate school of the National University of Singapore. The university said it had suspended Huang without pay while it worked with the ministry on the matter. (Reporting by Anshuman Daga; Editing by Michael Perry)
By Christian Shepherd and David Brunnstrom

MANILA/WASHINGTON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held a door open for dialogue with North Korea on Monday, saying Washington was willing to talk to Pyongyang if it halted a series of recent missile test launches.

Tillerson's comments at a regional security forum in Manila were the latest U.S. attempt to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs after months of tough talk from U.S. President Donald Trump.

The U.N. Security Council on Saturday imposed its toughest round of sanctions yet against Pyongyang over its two intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests in July.

But Tillerson appeared more conciliatory on Monday.

"The best signal that North Korea can give us that they are prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches," said Tillerson, adding that "other means of communications" were open to Pyongyang. He also said any dialogue would deal with how North Korea can "feel secure and prosper economically."

Last week, Tillerson said North Korea needed to cease both its missile launches and nuclear weapons tests for talks to begin. It was not clear why he urged Pyongyang on Monday to halt only missile launches and the State Department did not respond to a request for clarification.

But a senior official familiar with negotiations between the United States and China said "it was not an accident or a mistake that Tillerson did not mention nuclear testing."

Washington is leaving it to China to restate world powers' opposition to new nuclear bomb tests while the United States urges a halt in missile launches "which obviously is a much lower rhetorical barrier to resuming talks," the official said.

There was no direct reaction from North Korea to Tillerson's remarks but in a statement after the U.S. secretary of state made his comments, Pyongyang responded robustly to the new sanctions by saying it was ready to teach the United States a "severe lesson" if it attacked.

TOUGH SANCTIONS

The U.N. Security Council unanimously imposed sanctions on North Korea aimed at pressuring Pyongyang to end its nuclear program. The sanctions could further choke North Korea's struggling economy by slashing its $3 billion annual export revenue by a third.

The United States has remained technically at war with North Korea since the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. The past six decades have been punctuated by periodic rises in antagonism and rhetoric that have always stopped short of a resumption of active hostilities.

The Trump administration's attempts to pressure North Korea into abandoning its nuclear and missile ambitions have so far gained little traction, and Pyongyang has only stepped up its tests, launching two ICBM tests last month.

Tillerson's remarks might be an attempt to try another tack by the United States, which also has tried to get Pyongyang's ally China to use its influence to prevent North Korean leader Kim Jong Un from building a nuclear arsenal.

Tillerson said Washington would not "specify a specific number of days or weeks" before deciding that North Korea had indeed stopped its tests.

In a statement to the Manila forum on Monday, Pyongyang said it would never place its nuclear program on the negotiating table as long as the United States maintained a hostile policy against the North.

North Korea says its ICBMs are a legitimate means of defense. It has long accused the United States and South Korea of escalating tensions by conducting military drills.

Suzanne DiMaggio of the New America Foundation think tank in Washington said there may be some room for dialogue.

"The North Koreans contend that they cannot relinquish their nuclear program until the U.S. ends its hostile policies," she said. "This indicates conditionality to some extent and it should be fully pursued. How do they define these `hostile policies?' How can they be addressed? Can we get to the point where the North Koreans do not see the necessity of having nuclear weapons?"

Joel Wit, director of 38 North, a Washington-based North Korea monitoring project, said he did not think North Korea would agree to a suspension of missile tests unilaterally as a precondition to talks without, for example, a suspension of large-scale military exercises held regularly by the United States and South Korea, which it has denounced as a prelude for invasion.

The latest U.N. resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. It also prohibits countries from increasing the numbers of North Korean labourers currently working abroad, bans new joint ventures with North Korea and any new investment in current joint ventures.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged "the North Korean side to calmly handle the resolutions". He said in Manila on Sunday that Pyongyang should "not do anything unbeneficial towards the international community such as a nuclear test."

In a phone call, South Korea's Moon and Trump said they would continue cooperating to rein in North Korea, particularly ahead of a regular joint military drill set for late August, South Korean presidential office spokesman Park Su-hyun said.

The White House said the two leaders "affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat" to most countries around the world. (Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle, David Shepardson, John Walcott, David Brunnstrom and Matt Spetalnick in Washington, Amy Tennery in Bedminister, N.J., Ben Blanchard in Beijing, and Karen Lema, Neil Jerome Morales and Manolo Serapio Jr in Manila; Writing by Martin Petty and Alistair Bell; Editing by Bill Trott and James Dalgleish)
HANOI, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Floods in northern Vietnam have killed 26 people and washed away hundreds of homes over the past week, causing damage estimated at more than 940 billion dong ($41 million), the government's disaster agency said on Monday.

Fifteen people were still missing and the search had been hampered by damage to roads from floods and landslides, the agency said in a report.

Flooding has crippled four provinces, damaging water systems and farms, where rice and fruit are grown, it added, with about 200 homes destroyed and 400 more affected.

"We are fixing roads, water systems and other infrastructure to make sure people can resettle," the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control said in the report. (Reporting by Mi Nguyen; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
News / National

by Staff reporter

Zimbabweans looking to borrow money from banks will now be able to use cows and goats as collateral after President Robert Mugabe on Friday signed the Movable Property Security Interests Bill into law.Mugabe also appended his signature to the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Bill which will pave way for the establishment of a regulatory body to oversee state procurement.The two bills had been transmitted to the president for his assent and signature by the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda in July.Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Misheck Sibanda gave notice in the Government Gazette published on Friday that the two bills had become law."The following laws, which were assented to by His Excellency the President, are published in terms of section 131 (6) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe -- Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Bill Act (Chapter 22:23) (No.5 of 2017) Movable Property Security Interests Bill into law Act (Chapter 14:15 (No.9 of 2017)," Sibanda said.The two Acts came into force on Friday.The Movable Property Security Interests Bill seeks to provide for movable property to be used as security for the purpose of obtaining loans.The movable property or asset will include any tangible property such as motor vehicle, jewellery, equipment and machinery, household goods and livestock among others.The Act will enable borrowers and lenders to recognise movable assets as collateral, thereby supporting credit financing secured with such assets.The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Bill seeks to repeal the Procurement Act and abolish the State Procurement Board.In place of the Board, it will set up a new body to be called the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe which will not conduct procurement proceedings but will instead oversee and regulate procurement activities conducted by government ministries, parastatals and local authorities.
The following are some stories in Russia's newspapers on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

VEDOMOSTI

www.vedomosti.ru

- The government could resume discussing a plan to remove Gazprom's monopoly on natural gas exports.

- President Vladimir Putin has not yet said whether he will seek a new term in office next year, but if he chooses to run, the strategy of his election campaign could be based on pledges to improve the life of ordinary Russians and on "protection of justice", the daily writes.

KOMMERSANT

www.kommersant.ru

- Russia's food market has adapted to a lack of Western foodstuffs in the last three years after they were banned by Russia's government in response to anti-Russian sanctions in the West. Some agriculture ministry officials and food producers support further extension of the ban for another few years, the daily writes.

- More than 20 percent of Russia's elderly people continue working after retirement, the daily reports, adding that 54 percent of Russian pensioners do not have enough money for food and clothing after they retire.

IZVESTIA

www.izvestia.ru

- Russia is ready for the United States' possible withdrawal from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty but will not allow itself to be dragged into a new arms race and will provide "an asymmetric defensive response", the daily writes, citing diplomatic sources.

ROSSIISKAYA GAZETA

www.rg.ru

- Russia will invest more than 40 billion roubles ($666.08 million) in building new roads, reconstruction of hospitals and schools and in some other municipal projects in Crimea, according to a federal programme of regional development, the daily reports summing up the results of a visit by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to the peninsula on Friday.

- Eight workers are still missing in an underground mine owned by Russia's diamond miner Alrosa near the town of Mirny in Yakutia in eastern Siberia. There are many deep niches in the pit where these people could have possibly hidden, the daily writes, in a hope that the people can be still found alive.

NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA

www.ng.ru

- Food prices have grown 1.5 times in the last three years after Russia banned imports of Western foodstuffs, the daily writes, citing official statistics.

- The Moscow city court will consider on Monday the legality of a ruling by a district court to deport a Novaya Gazeta journalist Khudoiberdy Nurmanov from Russia to his native Uzbekistan which he had fled earlier after alleged torture and threats from local security officials, the daily writes. ($1 = 60.0530 roubles) (Reporting by Tatiana Ustinova; Editing by Dmitry Solovyov)
PRAGUE, Aug 7 (Reuters) - A junior partner in Slovakia's ruling coalition, the Slovak National Party (SNS), surprised its partners on Monday by pulling out of an agreement underpinning the government and calling for a new deal.

Prime Minister Robert Fico described the SNS move as "absurd", though the end of the deal does not automatically spell the end of the three-party government, in power since March 2016, or a new election.

SNS chief Anton Danko, who also serves as the speaker of parliament, said in a letter to his coalition partners that his party sought new coalition rules.

"The reason is the absolute necessity to reset rules in the coalition, the new shape of conditions and relations and absolutely new priorities," Danko said in the letter in which he also offered to hold talks.

The government needs the votes of all three coalition parties -- the nationalist-conservative SNS, Fico's centre-left Smer and the ethnic Hungarian party Most-Hid -- to maintain a majority in the 150-seat parliament.

Fico called a meeting of the three party leaders for Tuesday morning where he wants Danko to explain his steps.

"(This) is not bringing calm and stability," Fico's spokeswoman said in a statement.

The chief of Most-Hid, Bela Bugar, said on TA3 television he was surprised by the SNS decision.

A formal resignation of the cabinet could follow a vote of no confidence that would lead to the formation of a new government or a new election. A regular election is due in 2020.

Danko said in his letter that the government needed a new programme to reflect Slovakia's strong economic growth.

"The good socio-economic situation of 2017 shows that we have to focus on new challenges and priorities that need to be reflected in the coalition agreement and a new programme manifesto," Danko said. "When a country's economy is doing well, the people should feel it."

Slovakia, a member of the European Union since 2004 and of the euro zone since 2009, saw unemployment fall to an all-time low of 6.9 percent in June. The economy grew 3.1 percent year-on-year in the first quarter.

Miroslav Ciz, a deputy for Fico's Smer, told news website www.hnonline.sk he believed the situation would calm down.

"I believe common sense will prevail," he said.

Several opposition leaders said Danko was trying to divert public attention away from criticism of the distribution of EU subsidies for research programmes in the education department led by his party. (Reporting by Robert Muller and Jan Lopatka; editing by Gareth Jones)
By Katharine Houreld

KAMWENJE, Kenya, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Mathew Lempurkel knew two issues would fire up voters in the drought-ravaged region of Laikipia ahead of Kenya's elections: race and land.

Lempurkel's promise, caught on tape last month, that "white people will go home" if Kenyans voted for the opposition on Aug. 8 electrified his supporters and showed how national elections are inflaming long-running local disputes.

The widespread protests and ethnic violence that followed elections a decade ago are unlikely to recur since the 2010 constitution gave counties more power and money and removed the winner-takes-all tradition of presidential patronage.

But on the plains of Laikipia, Lempurkel's home, local politics can still be a spark for unrest as candidates' efforts to win over voters can feed ethnic rivalries and a competition for ever-scarcer resources.

A growing population coupled by years of overgrazing and a regional drought devastated Laikipia's grasslands last year.

After their communally managed land became bare earth studded with cactuses, herdsmen brought their cattle onto private land where grass still grew because the owners had built dams and prevented overgrazing.

Stephen Lengerded, a 22-year-old herdsman from the same Samburu community as Lempurkel, said 2,000 people came to his village and cut fences to let their cows graze on the neighbouring Mugie conservancy, whose manager is a white Kenyan.

"We heard he (Lempurkel) has been saying the whites might go after the elections," he said. "But we don't think so. This is just politics."

Lempurkel has been charged with incitement of racial hatred for his comments, which were recorded by a member of the audience at a rally with opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Odinga's claims of vote rigging sparked the violence that killed about 1,200 people in 2007.

Lempurkel denies the charges and denies that it is him on the recording. His lawyer said he was a victim of "fake news".

"This is a desperate attempt to discredit him by a sinking regime," said lawyer Ben Sihaya. Reuters has spoken to three people who identified Lempurkel in the recording.

COLONIAL RULE

Complaints against big landowners include that they have too much land, continue to reap the benefits of colonial rule or care more about wildlife than people and their livelihoods.

The landowners, who include blacks and whites, retort that they purchased their land decades after independence in 1963 and that their ranches or wildlife parks provide jobs and tax revenue. They say overgrazing only exacerbates long-term environmental problems.

Hundreds of jobs were lost when herders began coming onto private land, forcing hotels and lodges to shutter - in one case, evacuating guests via helicopter - and cattle ranchers to sell off cattle before they were shot or stolen.

The government of President Uhuru Kenyatta was slow to react to the encroachments even when clashes turned deadly because it was fearful of alienating voters, said white Kenyan rancher Maria Dodds.

Dodds' living room is stacked with bulletproof vests, walkie-talkies and flares after three police, an employee and a neighbour were shot on her ranch. She was shot at every day for nearly a month, she said, and has reduced her herd to 250 cows from 1,400 after repeatedly being hit by rustlers.

"The government didn't take the political angle seriously. They thought people would go home after it rained," she said.

The police's lack of action to counter the attacks on big landowners also encouraged crime against local herdsmen and villagers, who might farm less than an acre, she said.

VIOLENCE INTENSIFIES

Some farmers suspect the attacks may be aimed at forcing rival ethnic groups, such as Kenyatta's Kikuyu, to flee.

"Every time there is an election, there are attacks, but this year is the worst," said John Kamau, a Kikuyu farmer on patrol with a machete.

His ethnically mixed village, on the rocky lip of the Rift Valley, adjoins the 100,000-acre (400-sq-km) Laikipia Nature Conservancy, a privately owned park where hundreds of armed herders have camped.

Gunmen shot landowner Kuki Gallman, a famous Italian-born conservationist, in the stomach earlier this year. They also killed six police in Kamau's village, Kamwenje, last month and have launched so many raids many people now walk an hour to another village to sleep after a long day working on their farms.

Anne Njoki, 37, is a small farmer who lives down the hill from Kamau. She was attacked last month.

"They were slapping my little girl and saying 'Where are the women?' I felt so helpless. If they had tried to rape her I would have gone out to sacrifice myself," she said.

Three naked raiders speaking the Pokot language - the same tribe as the herdsman camped on the conservancy next door - came into her adobe house as she and another grown daughter cowered under the bed.

Njoki's neighbour, who was left destitute after two raids, demolished his home in despair, leaving a pile of rubble amid the cornfields.

Another neighbour, David Kiplomo, had his jaw smashed in an attack and was left for dead.

"It seems their intention is not pasture, but to make people flee," he said.

(Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
LONDON, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The British Labour Party's socialist leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Monday there needed to be dialogue to stop growing violence in Venezuela but declined to condemn its President Nicolas Maduro.

Corbyn has been under pressure at home to speak out about the situation in the South American nation amid international criticism of Maduro who once described the British politician as "a great friend of Venezuela".

Some 120 people have been killed during four months of sustained anti-government protests and Maduro has faced global pressure to dismantle a newly created pro-government constituent assembly which has been condemned as a power grab.

"There has to be a dialogue and a process that respects the independence of the judiciary and respects the human rights of all," Corbyn told broadcasters.

Asked if he condemned Maduro's actions, he said: "What I condemn is the violence that's been done by any side. Violence is not going to solve the issues."

(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Alistair Smout)
By Karen Lema

MANILA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte called himself a "humble friend" of the United States on Monday, taking a break from his notorious hostility towards Washington to grant a warm reception to visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Duterte's often profanity-laden tirades against the United States has become his trademark during his year-old presidency, but he appeared happy to meet Tillerson, who was in Manila to attend a regional security meeting dominated by North Korea's missile tests, and maritime squabbles.

"I am happy to see you ... and you have come at a time when the world is not so good, especially in the Korean peninsula, and of course, the ever nagging problem of South China Sea," Duterte told Tillerson at the presidential palace.

"I know you're worried there, because you also have domestic problems ... We are friends. We are allies," said Duterte.

"I am your humble friend in Southeast Asia," he said.

The maverick leader makes no attempt to hide his grudge against the United States, which he has repeatedly chided for what he says is a history of hypocritical foreign policy, and for treating the Philippines like a dog.

He last year announced to China his "separation" from Washington, has complained about being given "hand-me-down" U.S. military hardware, and once invited American investors jittery about his remarks to pack their bags and leave.

But Duterte's biggest anger was directed at former President Barack Obama, whose administration spoke out against his signature war on drugs, a fierce crackdown that has killed thousands of Filipinos.

Duterte's warm words for Tillerson indicates Philippines-U.S. ties under U.S. President Donald Trump may be in better shape.

Though Duterte still vents about Washington, he has spoken positively about Trump, who praised him for doing "an unbelievable job on the drug problem".

Trump in an April phone call told Duterte he would invite him to the White House.

But when a U.S. lawmaker recently said he would try to block that, Duterte said he would never go to the United States because "I've seen America and it's lousy".

Duterte said he and Tillerson discussed "many things" on Monday, but he did not give details.

The defence treaty alliance between the two countries remains strong and U.S. forces have been providing the Philippines with technical assistance to fight militants allied with Islamic State. He last year repeatedly threatened to eject U.S. military trainers and advisers.

Asked prior to his meeting if helping the Philippine military meant the United States was endorsing the government's bloody anti-drugs campaign, Tillerson said the two were unrelated.

"I see no conflict, no conflict at all in our helping them with that situation and our views of other human rights concerns we have with respect to how they carry out their counternarcotics activities," he said. (Editing by Martin Petty and Richard Balmforth)
CAIRO, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Egypt's top national security prosecutor has ordered the transfer of an Egyptian man who stabbed three foreign tourists to death at a Red Sea resort in July to a mental hospital for psychiatric evaluation, state news agency MENA said on Monday.

Security sources told Reuters that Abdel Rahman Shaban Abokorah had tried to join Islamic State and investigators had initially recommended he face charges of terrorism, in what was the first major attack on foreign tourists since a similar assault on the same resort more than a year ago.

Abokorah was caught by hotel staff and arrested after he killed two German women and a Czech woman and wounded three other tourists.

He will remain under psychiatric evaluation for 45 days, MENA reported.

The attack came as Egypt struggles to revive tourism, which has suffered from security threats and years of political upheaval.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's government is battling an Islamist insurgency that has killed hundreds of troops and police in northern Sinai and has started to attack other parts of Egypt. (Reporting by Nadine Awadalla; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Thirteen Sri Lankan immigrants who arrived in Australia illegally were returned on Friday, the Australian High Commission today said.

Issuing a statement, the High Commission said the individuals returned were not intercepted on a recent illegal maritime venture.

These non-citizens have been found not to engage Australias protection obligations, and have no lawful basis to remain in Australia. People who have no lawful basis to remain in Australia are expected to return home. Settlement in Australia will never be an option for anyone who attempts to travel to Australia illegally by boat, it said.

It said the Australian Government was continuing its efforts to remove Illegal Maritime Arrivals (IMAs) if they have been found to have no valid claim to protection and have no further outstanding immigration matters.

Australia will continue to remove individuals and groups to Sri Lanka, on both a voluntary and involuntary basis. Australia remains committed to stamping out people smuggling and preventing people from risking their lives at sea. Any people smuggling boats that attempt to reach Australia will be intercepted and turned back, the statement said.
Lanka Livestock17 was recently held at the SLECC where Bodum Engineering Solutions Ltd, a leading knowledge-based company specializing in supplies, installation and equipment maintenance for the poultry, dairy, swine and feed industries, was the proud gold sponsor.



With the increasing poultry consumption in the country due to urbanization and higher disposable income, Sri Lanka hosted the first ever international agriculture, feed and livestock production exhibition titled Lanka Livestock17 organized by the National Livestock Development Board and AMB Tarsus of Malaysia. This event provided a platform to suppliers of agriculture, feed and livestock production equipment and supplies to meet farmers, plantation owners, feed producers, veterinarians, processors and integrators.



The agriculture industry, especially the livestock and diary production, is exhibiting an impressive growth as the industry is investing and adopting the latest, state-of-the-art feed and farming systems to match and keep up with the increasing demand. Most notably commercial farms in the dairy sector have increased production and the same is also experienced in poultry production and commercial poultry feed production.



The poultry industry in Sri Lanka today is one of the most modern in the region even surpassing other neighboring countries in terms of equipment and facilities as many poultry integrators continuously upgrade their hatcheries, farms and processing to cater to the growing demand, said Bodum Engineering Solutions (Pvt.) Ltd Sales and After Sales Director Rajive Miranda.



Miranda says, The emphasis of the company has been in providing the industry with the latest technology, not compromising on quality and reliability. Such technology adapted by farmers contribute towards higher efficiency, reduce operating costs, improve yields and hygienic conditions. Unfortunately, traders, technically unqualified and with a desire for financial gain only, have also infiltrated this industry and it is a challenge to keep them from reversing this technological growth.

The growing cost of production and limited labour in the industry has also forced producers to rethink their expansion strategy and move into automation where possible. Currently the industry uses a large amount of labour at farm level as well as in processing and packaging. We believe customers are capable of adapting automation. We are seeing poultry producers switch to the latest technology and automation resulting in tremendous benefits to themselves Miranda further stated.
hildren are very precious. They are treasures too. They are worthy. Some may malignantly argue and viciously disagree with the above mentioned facts. But multitudes of parents fully agree with me wholeheartedly.

Its deeply saddening to hear of the numerous news reports in both print and electronic media regarding suicide incidents connected to youth in Sri Lanka.

Unfortunately media institutes dont attempt to launch any programme to prevent these catastrophic incidents. They are always inquisitive to report on tragic occurrences with the view of circulating and promulgating them around the globe as popular news. Educated media representatives should be very wise and compassionate to launch a pragmatic programme to educate youth and prevent or preclude such shocking circumstances.



Some victims are school children and most of them are teenagers. No one can predict the future of his or her lives.

However, they are our future leaders. They are our global leaders. They are our future innovators and reformers. We should guide and lead them to be virtuous citizens and kind leaders wholl work towards the well-being and happiness of many in the globe.

Parents, school teachers and certain responsible individuals are liable and obligated in all respect for these tragic and distressing contingencies. Some may not agree with this at all, but inner voices may reveal the truth.

"Most parents arduously attempt and press children to complete professional courses in prestigious universities in the world. That is truly remarkable and should be appreciated, but very few instill spiritual values in their children"



I never enter into controversial dialogues regarding this issue, because no one is capable of adjudicating or disparaging the calibre of our children.

Parents are the most responsible individuals in our society. Some may highly and destructively criticize youth when mistakes are made in the vicinity of where children reside.

They are naturally subject to change during any circumstance. In simple language they are innocent, still learning and growing.

As adults we need to guide them and compassionately educate them. Most parents concentrate only on academic achievements and future prosperity regarding materialism. Unfortunately this is the catastrophic disaster in our society today. There is no training nor tuition programme to discipline children or youth and develop their minds. Most parents excessively encourage children to obtain only paper qualifications.

People destructively criticize every single government-both past and present-from the day we received independence. Criticizing has become a daily habit of many individuals. But as parents and religious leaders they have very important duties and responsibilities to perform. Some practical and suitable programmes must be carried out for our children in Sunday schools. Parents should also initiate some programmes to be implemented at home on a daily basis. Most children never miss private tuition, but show little or no interest for religious or spiritual activities; organised by their parents. Political leaders or the head of state arent totally responsible for every negative incident.

Principals and teachers should organize daily programmes in schools such as meditation and the discussion on spiritual matters, in the similar way others subjects are taught.

In western countries they do meditation and conduct leadership training programmes in schools. I have attended and conducted such programmes in both private and government schools. Now university students are keen on participating in such programmes every month.

I have seen positive results. Even though they are non-Buddhists, both parents and teachers highly appreciate such efforts without any discrimination and intolerance. During most programmes I have specified the importance of having a positive attitude and generating positive energy. These are important topics.

We are the people who have composed and constituted a competitive and relentless society. The present lot are not pursuing inner happiness or a righteous lifestyle, but lead lifestyles in search of material possessions.

Every parent has a religion or faith. Unfortunately, multitudes of people think that this is only for traditional or ceremonious activities. They practice some customs which they have inherited from ancestors. Some of them fear going to hell. In order to avoid this, they perform some religious activities to console themselves and avoid guilty feelings regarding their wrong doings and cruel activities.

The most important fact is the exemplary life of parents. Children follow and imitate their parents. Every parent must keep this in mind.

"Compassion, patience, tolerance, endurance, generosity, respect, gratitude and altruism are some innermost qualities which impeccably guide us towards a well-balanced life"



As mothers and fathers they must be very careful in the use of their words, when performing deeds and behaving. As matured husbands and wives, they must cultivate innermost qualities such as patience, tolerance, endurance, forbearance, righteous dedication, giving, being compassionate, practising equanimity, appreciating joy and many more. Most of them lecture, but rarely do they practise what they preach.

Mutual communication, mutual dedication, mutual understanding, mutual respect, mutual relationship and mutual unconditional love are key factors that enhance married life. These factors help produce good parents. They are classic and supreme examples to their own children. They can be virtuous and remarkable mentors for their own children. If they constantly argue with each other and exchange harsh words or brutally abuse their own partners, what a shame it would be! Bad conduct of parents must be termed as a disgraceful example set for children.

Fact-findings have revealed that some parents dont love their children and brutally abuse them for minor mistakes or blunders. Competition and jealousy have wiped out healthy and solid friendships. Inner human qualities are essential. Kindness, compassion, generosity, honesty and humility are rarely visible in society. We should all take note of this tragic situation and educate our children to make their futures better and peaceful.



Parents are the first and foremost teachers who teach ethics and etiquette. They must have a family conference at the dining table every night. They must discuss every matter with their children as parents. These discussions must not only address academic issues, but also touch on life. These discussions should target inner cultivation and development. If they have any conflict or dispute relevant to their surroundings, parents must compassionately solve them in a very impartial manner without hurting and discriminating against them. Conflict resolution should take place every single night before the day ends. Whether we have an issue or not, parents should have a discussion with their children about their studies, school, class, home work, activities and friends.

Every conversation and discussion should take place using kind words. Such words positively encourage children and help produce healthy attitudes. Parents must create a peaceful environment for children to enter into a mutual dialogue. Adults shouldnt ignore or neglect childrens inquiries, curiosities, interests as well as other concerns.

People destructively criticize every single government-both past and present-from the day we received independence

As mothers and fathers they must be very careful in the use of their words

Fact-findings have revealed that some parents dont love their children and brutally abuse them

We must deeply and thoroughly concentrate on their inquiries with patience and kindness.

As Buddhists they should regularly visit temples and associate with well cultured and well-disciplined monks. Others who follow different religions should go to their places of worship and associate with their spiritual teachers. This may seem a laughing matters for some, but personally I have experienced that this system works wonders.

When I was a child I used to visit Most Venerable Ampitiye Sri Rahula Maha Thera, the Late Most Venerable Madihe Pannaseeha Maha Nayaka Maha Thera and other priests like Most Venerable Kotugoda Dhammawasa Maha Nayaka Maha Thera. These great, eminent, and exemplary spiritual leaders compassionately advised me to implant human inner qualities and cultivate them. These venerable masters asked me to emphasize on discipline and use other guidelines which mould a disciplined society. I have applied the same principles during my monkhood. I have no words in my vocabulary to explain how these spiritual teachers advised me and guided me to step on the global stage.



We may say that currently its difficult to find good mentors in our society. But I am sure there are a few. If one seeks strenuously for such teachers you might be successful in your search. We should also constructively criticize undisciplined individuals.

Nowadays numerous monks advise people to accomplish supramundane goals. When we go through some discourses which the Gautama Buddha expounded for ordinary individuals we can understand how the great Master guided people towards inner happiness and innermost peace while they were leading their married and family lives. The most prominent and well known discourse is SIGALOVADA SUTTA. Renowned scholar Caroline Rhys Davids said that this particular sutta suffices to tread on the path of purification and achieve bliss of Nibbana. The late Mr. and Mrs Rhys Davids werent boasters and preachers, but were genuine scholars who truly devoted their lives to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha.

When we mindfully contemplate on what the Master Gautama Buddha expounded in his numerous discourses, even though his teachings are twenty six centuries old, still they are fresh and loaded with vital lessons.

The discourse which was delivered to youth called son of Sigala has vividly elaborated on the most important guiding and training principles along with paramount duties and responsibilities that every single citizen should perform for the sake of peaceful, successful and harmonious human society.

Here are some guidelines given to parents regarding their duties toward the children in that discourse.

Discourage children from getting involved in unwholesome activities which make them feel remorse, regret and guilt and repent afterwards.

Encourage children to perform wholesome activities which make them feel happy here and hereafter.



These two guiding and training principles arent only for this life, but also for the next. This is the beauty of Lord Buddhas pragmatic teachings. These profound teachings and ways of disciplining affirm and confirm that if one truly and veraciously invests in ones life, the accomplishment of both a secular and spiritual life is guaranteed.

Give them a good education which provides them with security and makes them effective and eventually worthy citizens.

Most parents arduously attempt and press children to complete professional courses in prestigious universities in the world. That is truly remarkable and should be appreciated, but very few instill spiritual values in their children. True and genuinely loving parents must think about their childrens next birth too.



This is what the above mentioned two guiding principles explain. These effective and productive factors will definitely guide them to reach happy destinations.

Parents must be the role models and should set an example to their children. Children are prone to emulate and are susceptible to imitate. Parents are extremely responsible for their children. Children are innocent up to a certain age. If parents arent mindful of their childrens well-being and prosperity, they are completely subject to receive blame.

When we guide and educate them well with paramount values and morals, children will definitely lead impressive lives.

Morals, cultural values and religious ethics are the paving stones towards the path of happy and successful lives. Though some think that academically concluded aptitudes and materially achieved possessions may lead to a happy and successful life, the reality is that no one would complete that goal without spiritual energy.

Compassion, patience, tolerance, endurance, generosity, respect, gratitude and altruism are some innermost qualities which impeccably guide us towards a well-balanced life.

We must guide our children towards a bright future. They must be well cultured, well mannered, well-educated and well-disciplined and morally well trained. We must compassionately protect them.

They are our future leaders.



One should first establish oneself in what is proper; then only should one instruct others. Thus the wise person will not be reproached.

Dhammapada.



Children learn more from what you are than what you teach

W.E.B. Dubois
International Police (Interpol) in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Police is to hold a top level regional conference in Colombo this week to discuss issues pertaining to countering terrorism and transnational crimes that affect South and Southeast Asia.

Sri Lanka Police will host the three day workshop which will be held under the patronage of the Interpol from Tuesday, August 8 to Thursday, August 10 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH).

Senior officers from the respective Police forces of seven countries in the South and Southeast Asian region including India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia and Philippines will take part in the conference.

The conference will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Minister of Law and Order Sagala Ratnayake with Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara tomorrow morning at the BMICH.

Fifty foreign senior officers representing the second level of respective Police forces in the said countries would participate at the event whereas 50 senior officers in the decision making level of the Sri Lanka Police were also expected to attend.

Police Spokesman Superintendent of Police Ruwan Gunasekara told the Daily Mirror that about 200 local Police officers starting from Senior Inspectorate to Senior Government Gazetted officials as well as Deputy Inspector Generals and Senior Deputy Inspector Generals were to take part in inauguration ceremony.

The visiting investigation officers have excelled in the fields of crime and terrorist investigation, intelligence office, transnational crimes, law enforcement and Police training, he said.

The motive of the conference is to expand and develop the regional cooperating in countering terrorism and transnational crimes as well as share experiences of each other gain more knowledge.

The Spokesman said this initiative would also enhance the capacities of the Sri Lanka Police force.

The programme was one of the many such international events being held by the Interpol annually and biannually.

It has been sponsored by the Canadian Government and will be successively held following the Interpols Global Counter  Nuclear Smuggling Conference held in Lyon, France in January 2016. (Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana and Darshana Sanjeewa)
News / National

by Staff reporter

Primary and Secondary Education minister Lazarus Dokora has unreservedly apologised to the Senate for giving false evidence that he never gave schools a directive to transfer fees into a government account.MDC senator Tholakele Khumalo had recommended that senators "formally admonish" Dokora for giving misleading evidence after he denied claims that he gave a directive to transfer School Development Committee (SDCs) funds into the government-held School Services Fund (SSF)."He acknowledged that he had since been advised that indeed some schools had transferred the SDC funds to the SSF account prematurely," Senate president Edna Madzongwe said."The minister tendered his unreserved apologies to honourable Senator Khumalo and to the Senate which was accepted."In view of the minister's explanation, I therefore, rule that the minister had acted in good faith in his earlier statement and had unreservedly apologised to the Senate and hence it is no longer necessary to make a ruling on the matter."
In the aftermath of historic Kandy Esala Perahera, Viharadhipathi of Rangiri Dambulu Rajamaha Vihare Ven. Godagama Mangala Thera speaks about its importance in terms of Sinhala Buddhist culture. He stressed that the Perahera should be viewed not only for its beauty and pageantry but also for the meaning associated with it. The excerpts of the interview:

"We insist that opportunities should be given for domestication of elephants for cultural purposes. In the past, some families used to keep elephants as an emblem of their social status. "

How do look at the significance of Kandy Esala Perahera as a feature of Sinhala Buddhist culture?

Today, Sri Dalada Perahera is viewed as an historic event. Nonetheless, going by its organizational structure and the features associated with it, Perahera is more of a reflection of the Sinhala- Buddhist identity. It has evolved over time. After the Sacred Tooth Relic was brought to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Kithsirimewan, the royal ruler wanted some activity to win over the applause of people. People thronged to pay homage to the Sacred Relic (Dalada Wahanse) when it was kept at Abhayagiriya. The king decided that this should be made an object of mass public veneration so that he could win over the hearts of people. Accordingly, it started. The king also thought that novel features should be added to the event to make it more appealing to people. At that time, people were used to listen to Dhamma discourses by eloquent monks at centres ormandapas erected at common places. The king realized that Dalada Perahera could be even more attractive for people than such Dhamma discourses.

So, he was encouraged to have exposition of the Tooth Relic at such places of Dhamma discourses. After that, it was paraded along streets people thronged. People, out of their immense devotion, started to make illustrations of stories in Buddhist literature including Jataka stories to display along with Perahera. Having seen this, more and more people flocked to the scene. People started creation of recitals as a mark of their devotion. All in all, Perahera, originated during the Anuradhapura era, is associated both with national and religious identity of people. It kept on evolving.

According to the reports of Fa Hien who visited Sri Lanka during the 3rd century BC, it had been detailed out how people responded to Dalada Perahera. It has been described how the streets were decked and prepared, and Jataka stories depicted. Dalada Perahera is a feature depicting the cultural identity of Sinhala nation.

In the Kandyan era, Dalada culture was built along with Perahera. It includes dancing and music performances. Sri Lankan people used the event to showcase their cultural richness. There were different social groups formed for the provision of different services to the conduct of Perahera. For example, one group specialized in drum beating for the occasion, and another dancing.

During the Kandyan period, even reconciliation is reflected in Perahera to an extent. The cultural link between Hindus and Buddhists is projected through Perahera in some aspects.

It reflects cultural link between Buddhist and Hindus in some aspects

Traditional families willingly contribute their service to Perahera

Even top professionals such as doctors hailing from these families perform

There is a meaning beyond beauty of Perahera



If you could elaborate it further...

As for Kavikara Maduwa, travelling in the front portion of Perahera is there. Recitation and instrument playing are done according to Hindu culture. Hindu influence is visible in processions associated with four Devales. Initially, during the Kandyan era, there was no Perahera in view of the exposition of Tooth Relic. It was there in view of four Devales. After the establishment of Higher Ordination (Upasampada), brought from Siam, it was done at the request of Ven. Upali Thera and the Mahanayake Theras of Asgiriya Chapter. There is Dalada culture. Music of recitation and instrument playing is meant to rouse devotion to Buddhism but not mere musical taste.

Kandyan dance plays a major role in Perahera. We find ves netum, Pantheru netum etc. Today, we find various dancing troupes being created as a phenomenon of Perahera. It is a cultural development of society. Actually, we find various songs of devotion being created and sung, featuring Buddhist virtues. That way, a music tradition has also been born. Ancient dancing methods, prevailed among Sinhala people, have also been added as a feature to this. In that sense, Perahera serves as an event showcasing cultural richness and dignity of our people. Foreign scholars have seen the beauty of this. They have read it beyond beauty and pageantry. We can see it by reading their papers. It is a cultural event founded upon core Buddhist values.





In Buddhist culture, we find novel features added in recent times, such as Pichchamal Poojawa etc. Do you find any novel features being associated with Perahera?

Actually, offering of Jasmine or Pichchamal Poojava is an expression of peoples devotion to Buddhist religions by deed. We cannot completely rule out the existence of such venerating modes during the time of the Buddha. When the Buddha visited any principality at that time, people thronged to see him with flowers. It has evolved to what is practised in our society today. As for Dalada Perahera, we do not find totally novel features. For every cultural activity associated with Perahera, there is a clan. There were attempts in the past to add novel features to Perahera for political ends. Now, it is not found. In fact, Peraheras traditional identity is maintained. As for Kataragama Perahera, it is there reflecting Hindu culture in main. Alongside, we find features of Kandyan dancing attached to it. Womenfolk are given the pride of place in Peraheras of Pattini Devale.There is nothing wrong with all that. However, if a feature associated with Kataragama Perahera is introduced to Kandy Perahera, it will be a compromise of traditional complexion. Therefore, it is not done.



There are social clans or groups providing various services to Perahera. With the evolution of social order, do you face any barrier in getting such services in todays context?

There is no such major impact in obtaining services of any clan. These clans or groups have upheld their traditions associated with Perahera from the time of ancient kings. They have carved out their niche in Perahera. Traditionally, it is obligatory for them. It has not changed. Some try to add new features in addition to all these traditional aspects.

SL people use Perahera to showcase their cultural identity

There should be opportunity for domestication of elephants for cultural activities

We have to be very cautious in applying alien concepts in the local context



Actually, how keen is the present generation of these traditional families in extending their services to Perahera activities?

It is not an issue. Today, Kandyan dancing has been introduced to school curricula. As a result, other students outside the traditional circle also studied it. Still, traditional families play a major role. Recently, there was a survey on them and their current status in society. It is interesting that some of these family members perform their artistic talents at Perahera despite them being top professionals today. I found even medical professionals performing Ves Netum or mask dancing. It means they have not given it up their roles despite their high social standing



Could you provide some more details related to it?

There is a book compiled in this regard. Proudly, they speak of their traditional roles. Still, they command a lot of respect from the authorities of Buddhist temples and Devales. In society, there might be some attitude problems. In the field of art, they have not been alienated, though. There are as many as 25 family lines in respect of dancing performances. We have another 24 family lines linked with instrument playing for Perahera. They come forward to make their contribution to Dalada Perahera despite their current positions in society. For example, the Amunuguma family is there. They still perform their artistic talents at Perahera.

However, Veddah Chief once said they were faced with an issue of collecting bees honey from the wild to be offered to Dalada Maligawa because of some laws. How do you see this?

Actually, some environmentalists have raised issues. It has even caused a problem in finding enough elephants for Perahera. We have to be cautious in the application of western concepts and laws in their entirety in the local contexts. Environmentalists and animal rights activists apply such alien concepts in their entirety to the local situations, regardless of practical realities. It has invited unnecessary issues. Elephants and tuskers were paraded in Peraheras from the time immemorial. It is not a phenomenon created overnight. It happened even during the Anuradhapura era. At that time, elephants had been used as a warring force. We have to readjust these concepts in line with our cultural ethos and values. That is the problem faced by the Veddah community. They complain of losing their right to use the wild because of new laws. We have to remodel western laws to suit to the local context. Otherwise, we will lose these traditions. Existence of such traditions add colour to a society. If we believe in reconciliation, we will have to respect all.

Environmentalists and animal rights activists live on NGO funding raise issues relate to using elephants

New tradition of music and instrument playing born due to Perahera

Sustainable solution has to be found for the dearth of elephants



Last time, the dearth of elephants was a big issue. How did you manage this time?

It was managed this time. Some elephants were released from the Pinnawala elephant orphanage for the purpose. It is not a sustainable solution, though. We have to find a workable solution. We wonder why these animal rights activists raise this in relation to Perahera. There is no honesty here. Those who are living on NGO funding for survival, raise this matter. When an elephant is taken in Perahera, it is not harassment. In fact, it attributes dignity to the animal concerned. Elephants, meant for the purpose, are fed properly. They are even taken on carpets. They are bathed. Now, the lack of pachyderms has impacted the cultural activities of Buddhist places of worship. So, we suspect whether this is aimed at assaulting the Buddhist culture.



What is the sustainable solution you propose for this?

It is difficult to get elephants released from their kraals to be used in Perahera. They are not tame enough for it. We have to train them to be taken in procession through a crowded place amidst music playing and all. Elephants, tamed properly, walk majestically in Peraheras, unlike the ones immediately released from

the orphanage.

We insist that opportunities should be given for domestication of elephants for cultural purposes. In the past, some families used to keep elephants as an emblem of their social status. When elephants are given to such families, they are well looked after. They are not harmed.



How did look at the Perahera just concluded?

Today, there is an institution set up in Pallekelle for dancing training in view of Perahera. Also, Dalada Maligawa has launched a programme to lend a helping hand to traditional craftsmen and performers. It has sorted out the issue involving elephants. We will be able to sustain Perahera with its unique traditions. We are optimistic about the future. We commend the role played by the incumbent Diyawadana Nilame in this regard.
By Gayathri Kothalawala

The sleek new 2017 Nissan Urvan and 2017 Nissan Civilian commercial vehicle range is now available for Nissan aficionados in Sri Lanka at AMW.



Speaking about the new Nissan range, Nissan General Manager Rajith De Silva said, What is unique about our Nissan commercial vehicle line up is that our Urvan vans and Civilian buses are meticulously designed, both interior and exterior, to meet varying business needs. Because we carry the widest range of vans and buses, our commercial customers can select the ideal vehicle that fits their business purpose without having to make a compromise on all important specification.



The Nissan Urvan is equipped with a technologically advanced 2.5L, turbo inter-cooled engine that ensures segment leading fuel economy and produces maximum horsepower and torque at a much lower RPM. Nissan Urvan is available in High roof, flat roof, wide body, standard body, long wheel base, standard wheelbase, dual-purpose P registration and passenger N registration categories. Comfort and safety are also very important factors that Nissan engineers take into high consideration at all times, said De Silva.



Far more affordable than the reconditioned vehicles available in the market, the brand new Urvan is a spacious vehicle that makes it a perfect choice as a family vehicle.



At AMW, customers can also find the recently launched Nissan Civilian- the 30-seater bus ideal for inbound tourism, passenger transportation and growing office staff transportation sectors.



Made entirely in Japan, the Civilian contains Automatic door, Anti-lock braking system, UV protected windows, power steering, and has the best fuel economy in its class. AMW also offers Nissan Navara double cabs ideal for infrastructure development and construction projects.



All brand new Nissan vehicles are backed by a three years or 100,000 kilo-metre comprehensive manufacturers warranty. AMW first formed its partnership with Nissan Motor Co., Ltd in 1957.



Since then the partnership between the two companies has grown and flourished continuously, and 2017 marks the 60th anniversary of the strong relationship between Nissan and AMW. The second oldest distributor of Nissan in Asia, AMW has been serving and looking after Nissan customers since 1957.
From left: Sri Lanka and Maldives Market Chairperson Anil Reddy, Plastics and Rubber Institute of Sri Lanka President Koenraas Pringiers, Plastindia Foundation International Marketing Vietnam and Myanmar Chairperson B. Swaminathan

By Zahara Zuhair

Plastindia Foundation of India invited Sri Lankas plastic industry players to take part in the largest plastic exhibition, to meet new plastic equipment suppliers and manufacturers.



Named, Plastindia 2018, it is set to take place from February 7th - 12th at Gandhinagar - Ahamedabad, Gujarat, India next year.



Talking at a preview meeting in Colombo, the organizers encouraged locals to join the event and refresh their contacts.



Sri Lanka and Maldives Market Chairperson Anil Reddy said that the event will showcase two distinct and critical facts; the future of the plastic industry and the future of humankind itself.



The 10th edition of the exhibition represents the very best of this empowerment of mans very growth through the unceasing efforts of the plastic community, he said.



The international plastic exhibition held for the 10th consecutive year, will spread across 125,000 square meters of total exhibition area with 2,000 exhibitors around the world, and 600 overseas exhibitors from 40 countries and in total 200,000 visitors from all over the world on a single platform.

The organisers said that anyone can register online through their website and the closing date will be 15th of August. It was noted that the exhibitors offer free airfare and accommodation to 50 plus visitors.



The event will feature growth segments such as automobiles, healthcare, packaging, infrastructure, agriculture, telecom, new and renewable energy and the emerging segments like plastic composites, sports, 3D printing.



Concurrent to the main event, they will have the 10th conference, hosting the world leaders in plastics on one platform sharing best practices, expertise, experience and knowledge. Then the 5th edition of Proplast, a platform that showcases Indias growing plastic processing capabilities to the entire world.

Also the 8th Plasticon awards will recognise and honour the iconic innovators excelling in their performances and thus contributing to the growth of industry.



Among the key highlights of the event will be the presence of overseas business visitor delegations from Russia, Europe, America, Australia for the Meet 2 Trade the reverse buyer seller meet pavilion and the launch of a mobile App for visitor registration and for updates on the progress of Plastindia 2018.



Plastindia Foundation is the apex body of major associations, organizations, and institutions connected with plastics, having common objectives of promoting, assisting and developing the plastic industry.
Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweeras Media Secretary Asita Rajapakse said in a statement today that it was Ministers Public Relations Officer Sameera Manahara who was arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) in Mount Lavania on August 5.

Mr. Rajapakse was responding to media reports that the Ministers Private Secretary was arrested when a stock of narcotics was found in possession of one of those in the jeep.

He said Mr. Manahara was arrested by the STF and handed over to the police. The arrest had been made when Mr. Manahara and three of his friends were travelling in a jeep for a function.

The arrest was made after narcotics were found inside the vehicle. The vehicle belonged to one of those travelling in the jeep. The STF officers visited the house of the suspect-the owner of the jeep-and took into custody 16 bottles of liquor, three cartons of cigarettes, a knife and an ornamental sword.

The suspects were produced in the Mount Lavinia Magistrate's Court and apart from the person admitting to having the narcotics in his possession, the others including Mr. Manahara were released on bail.

Mr. Rajapakse said media websites were publishing baseless allegations against the minister to tarnish his image.
It is conventional wisdom that Minister Ravi Karunanayake should have resigned  or failing that be sacked -- after those earth shattering revelations that were made at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) into the bond scam. Instead, he has clung to his portfolio and foul-mouthed the Attorney Generals Department while his political superiors, when not blaming media for holding Karunanayake accountable, seem to be scratching their heads, rather than acting to salvage the governments credibility.



Allegations levelled against Minister Karunanayake, which he has failed to answer convincingly, are not about some abstract high-flown ethical variety, like the ones that may require him to be judged on stricter grounds than the average folks since he is a politician. (There are countries where the ministers were forced to resign after being accused of paying for an expensive restaurant meal from the official credit card). But, that is not the case here. Minister Karunanayakes case is clear-cut and simple. The evidence before the commission revealed that Arjun Aloysius, whose family owns the controversial bond trading company Perpetual Treasuries Ltd., had paid the monthly rental for the penthouse occupied by Minister Karunanayake and his family while he was the then Minister of Finance. During the same period, Perpetual Treasuries engaged in alleged dodgy bond transactions which resulted in the Treasury losing billions of rupees, according to a COPE report. A Presidential Commission of Inquiry has now revealed many incriminating details of Minister Karunanayakes alleged collusion with Mr. Aloysius. The Foreign Minister Karunanayakes answers to the commission were evasive at best and at worse were condescending. At one point, the commission asked him: Do you seriously want us to believe that your family did not tell you there was no lease agreement?

Other evidence have now been revealed and he was read text messages extracted from Mr Aloysius phone implying a conflict of interest. One such text from Mr. Aloysius Executive Secretary refers to a reminder requesting to obtain Monetary Board minutes from one hon MP RK.

"Arjun Aloysius, whose family owns the controversial bond trading company, Perpetual Treasuries Ltd., had paid the monthly rental for the penthouse occupied by the then Finance Minister Karunanayake and his family"

The Attorney Generals Department has also revealed that Mr. Aloysius and Minister Karunanayake had both made 13 visits to Singapore on coinciding dates during the period, September 2016 to April 2017. Minister Karunanayake said he could not recall any meetings with Mr. Aloysious during these visits. (Remember the Duminda Silvas syndrome of blissful forgetfulness)

An undated letter produced to the Commission by former Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendrans lawyers also came under scrutiny at the PCoI. Mr Karunanayake defended the omission of the date as an oversight and remarked that the letter was sent in May 2016 at the request of Arjuna Mahendran to justify the discussion of a breakfast meeting on February 26, 2015. The letter implied that the funding requirements for Rs.75 billion was decided at the said meeting. However the Assistant Solicitor General who questioned Mr. Karunanayake suggested that the letter was created recently since when it was submitted to the PCoI was crisp.



The Prime Minister has vowed that the government would not protect thieves, but he wavered when insisting on a transparent and public investigation. He is procrastinating. Details that have emerged at the PCoI proceedings are scandalous enough for the government to act.

It is like in America. There are so many investigations against President Trump by the media, Congress and so on. Upon receipt of reports, wrongdoers step down. It is same in England, The Prime Minister has said at a public event during the weekend. He is wrong. In those democracies, anyone who is faced with allegations of the magnitude of Minister Karunanayake would have resigned by now -- though Donald Trumps America may be an aberration. In the not so distant past Prime Minister Wickremesinghe suspended, rightly so, Duminda Silva from the party after he was charged with an alleged rape. The case was later thrown out by the then compliant attorney general and Silva was adopted by the Rajapaksas and later found guilty of killing Baratha Lakshman Premachandra and several of his bodyguards.



It is not indispensability of Karunanayake, rather it is his close association with Prime Minister Wickremesinghe that is holding the latter back. Yet the UNP is better off without Karunanayake is the emerging consensus among party stalwarts who had earlier approached the Prime Minister to urging him to act.

However, despite all this vacillation and wavering by his political bosses, Minister Karunanayake is unlikely to survive. Mr Wickremesinghe would be forced to come out of his complacency or he could seriously damage the UNPs electoral prospects. Nor can the President pass the buck to the UNP and emerge unscathed. Government ministers and MPs, both from the UNP and the SLFP, would be compelled to speak up when they realize that defending Karunanayake would come at a heavy cost. Some have already expressed the desirability of Mr Karunanayake stepping down.



The real winner in this equation is the joint opposition, which has submitted a no-confidence motion against Minister Karunanayake. If motion is passed, it could claim credit and embarrass the government. But the bigger win would be the defeat of the motion, which would require the UNP to shepherd its parliamentarians to defend Minister Karunanayake. Such a gesture would come at an immense loss, not only to the integrity of the UNP MPs, but also to the entire political system in the country. That Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan and the TNA have kept mum throughout this fiasco would be of little or no help.

This need not happen. Minister Karunanayake should resign. Circumstantial evidence revealed at the PCoI has seriously compromised his position. He would compromise both the government, and the country, if he chooses to stick to his portfolio and Yahapalanaya will never be the same again. It has already lost a great deal. Only way to redeem its loss of credibility would be to act now and it is all too clear what it needs to do in relation to Minister Karunanayake.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said that Iran is prepared to render technical and engineering services to Sri Lanka, the IRNA reported today.

He has made the remarks in a meeting with Speaker Karu Jayasuriya who arrived in Tehran on Saturday to attend Rouhanis oath-taking ceremony on August 5.

Iran-Sri Lanka ties have always been friendly and excellent and removal of sanctions today has created good opportunities for promoting mutual cooperation which should be used optimally in line with boosting bilateral ties, he said.

He further noted that Sri Lankan officials visit can give a fresh impetus to parliamentary relations.

Stressing the need for developing cooperation between the two countries private sectors, President Rouhani said that Iran is ready to meet the needs of Sri Lanka in the field of technical and engineering services.

While appreciating Irans hospitality, Speaker Jayasuriya congratulated Rouhanis re-election, recalling the two countries long-standing historical and cultural ties.

People of Sri Lanka have a great respect to the Iranian nation, he said.

Appreciating Irans support to the country in various fields, he called for Iranian private sectors presence in Sri Lankan infrastructural projects.
I refer to the response by Mangala Samaraweera, Minister of Finance and Media, to my comments on the consequences of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances Bill, currently before Parliament.

It is important to penetrate the fog of evasion and misinformation, and to identify the issues with stark clarity.



Is there any prospect of Foreign Judges trying Sri Lankan military personnel?

The answer is, quite definitely, yes.

Operative paragraph 6 of Resolution 30/1 of the Human Rights Council, adopted on October 1, 2015, refers specifically to Commonwealth and other foreign judges. This is the Sri Lanka Governments unequivocal commitment to the international community. It is not an obligation imposed on us by any external agency. On the contrary, it is the Governments own pledge, embodied in a Resolution co-sponsored by it.

To repudiate this solemn commitment by pronouncements, however strident, within the country is both insincere and futile. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, several other senior officials of the United Nations system, Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the Tamil National Alliance, spokespersons for the Tamil diaspora and others have insisted in recent months that the Government should deliver on its own pledges, or face the consequences.

"Article 11(1) of the Convention gives a State Party in the territory under whose jurisdiction a person alleged to have committed an offence of enforced disappearance is found, the right to extradite that person or surrender him or her to another State in accordance with its international obligations. Apparently, this, too, is acceptable to the Government."

Does the new Bill take a further, and even more dangerous step?

There is no doubt that it does.

The proposed legislation explicitly envisages contexts in which members of the Sri Lankan military are subjected compulsorily to the jurisdiction of courts of foreign countries. We are, then, moving decisively from foreign judges coming to Sri Lanka to try our Armed Forces, to our military personnel being tried away from their own soil by the courts of other countries.

No one can deny that this is the plain effect of Article 9 (2) of the International Convention. It provides as follows: Each State Party shall take such measures as may be necessary to establish its competence to exercise jurisdiction over the offence of enforced disappearance when the alleged offender is present in any territory under its jurisdiction.

Thus, any member of the Sri Lankan military, found for any reason within the territory of a country which is a signatory to the Convention, will be tried by the courts of that country. This is not a mere discretionary entitlement of that country but an imperative duty imposed on it by the terms of the Convention.

This cannot happen under the present law. The legal position, however, changes drastically with the enactment of the new law which is expressly intended to give effect to the International Convention. "The proposed legislation explicitly envisages contexts in which members of the Sri Lankan military are subjected compulsorily to the jurisdiction of courts of foreign countries. We are, then, moving decisively from foreign judges coming to Sri Lanka to try our Armed Forces, to our military personnel being tried away from their own soil by the courts of other countries"

Is there any danger of Sri Lankan military personnel being extradited to a foreign country?

Quite categorically, yes.

The explicit effect of section 8 of the proposed Bill is that, where a request is made by a foreign State, or on behalf of a foreign State, that a member of the Sri Lankan military or, for that matter, any citizen of our country be extradited to that State, the Government of Sri Lanka may be obliged to extradite that person if he is accused of the offence of enforced disappearance.

This is certainly not part of the present law. It is an altogether new obligation which will be incurred by the Government of our country as a direct consequence of enactment of the legislation now before Parliament to make the International Convention operative within the legal system of Sri Lanka.

Can a foreign country surrender Sri Lankan military personnel to a third foreign country for trial by the latter?

Yes. Astonishing though this may seem, even this is provided for by the terms of the International Convention which the Government is proposing to adopt as part of our law.



Article 11(1) of the Convention gives a State Party in the territory under whose jurisdiction a person alleged to have committed an offence of enforced disappearance is found, the right to extradite that person or surrender him or her to another State in accordance with its international obligations. Apparently, this, too, is acceptable to the Government.

Is there merit in the claim that the new Bill has no effect on our extradition laws?

No, this is not the position at all.

Minister Samaraweera declares, in a sub-heading of his article, that The Bill has no implications on our Extradition Laws. This flies in the face of several clear provisions of the Bill which expressly purport to make significant changes in respect of the laws governing the extradition of persons from Sri Lanka.

Where there is an extradition arrangement made by the Government of Sri Lanka with any Convention State, such arrangement is deemed for the purposes of the Extradition Law, No. 8 of 1977, to include provision for extradition in respect of offences under the new Bill (section 10).

Even where there is no extradition arrangement in force, the new Bill purports to make provision in this regard. It declares, in section 11, that Where there is no extradition arrangement made by the Government of Sri Lanka with any Convention State, the Minister may by Order published in the Gazette, treat the Convention, for the purposes of the Extradition Law, No. 8 of 1977, as an extradition arrangement, made by the Government of Sri Lanka with the Convention State providing for extradition in respect of the offences under this Act.

A basic safeguard embedded in the existing law is swept away by section 13 of the Bill. If the offence with regard to which extradition is sought, is an offence of a political character, extradition is not permissible in keeping with the current law. This salutary principle, involving a crucial measure of protection for cogent reasons of public policy, will no longer apply, once the proposed Bill is passed.



Is the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court excluded?

Minister Samaraweera contends that the International Criminal Court can in no circumstances exercise jurisdiction over a Sri Lankan national.

I do not accept this proposition. There is real danger of Sri Lankan military personnel in the physical custody of a Convention State being surrendered to the International Criminal Court.

The governing provisions of the Convention in this regard are Articles 9(2) and 11(1).

The former provides that Each State Party shall take such measures as may be necessary to establish its competence to exercise jurisdiction over the offence of enforced disappearance when the alleged offender is present in any territory under its jurisdiction, unless it extradites or surrenders him or her to another State in accordance with its international obligations or surrenders him/her to an International Criminal Tribunal whose jurisdiction it has recognised.

The effect of the latter provision is that The State Party in the territory under whose jurisdiction a person alleged to have committed an offence of enforced disappearance is found shall, if it does not extradite that person or surrender him or her to another State in accordance with its international obligations or surrender him or her to an International Criminal Tribunal whose jurisdiction it has recognised, submit the case to its competent authorities for the purposes of prosecution.

"OISL documented long-standing patterns of arbitrary arrest and detention by Government security forces, which often reportedly led to enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings. OISL documented brutal use of torture by the Sri Lankan security forces



The operative criterion in this regard is not the nationality of the person sought to be extradited, but the international obligations of the Convention State having custody of that person. If the International Criminal Tribunal is one whose jurisdiction it has recognised, then the duty to surrender to the Tribunal is capable of being invoked. Persons in the custody of the Convention State may belong to a variety of nationalities, but they would collectively fall within the scope of the duty devolving on the Convention State to surrender, if that State is bound by recognition of the International Criminal Tribunal in question as part of its own obligations.

This danger is real and imminent. What is more, the obligation of surrender is not necessarily restricted to the ICC. The language used in the Convention is substantially wider. An International Criminal Tribunal whose jurisdiction it has recognised may apply, as well, to tribunals of a similar category, other than the ICC.

Is there justification for the view that the Bill will not apply to the period of the war?

Minister Samaraweera insists that Past violations cannot be prosecuted under the proposed law. This is entirely incorrect and misleading.

I have shown in my previous article that Resolution 30/1 of October 1, 2015, co-sponsored by the Government of Sri Lanka, is replete with compelling indications that the Government deliberately undertook the duty to take decisive action with regard to the past.

While the Preamble to the Resolutions stressed the importance of a comprehensive approach to dealing with the past incorporating the full range of judicial and non-judicial measures, including individual prosecutions, and called stridently for mechanisms to redress past abuses and violations, Operative Paragraph 4 welcomed the commitment of the Government of Sri Lanka to undertake a comprehensive approach to dealing with the past.

Among the specific obligations incurred by the Government of Sri Lanka is the setting up of an Office of Missing Persons to deal with past crimes. The proposed Bill is one of a series of measures which the Government is resorting to for the purpose of giving effect to these obligations.

In any case, the duty cast on the Government of Sri Lanka comes into play at the point when a request is made to the Government of Sri Lanka for the extradition of any person accused of the offence of enforced disappearance (section 8). Although the offence may have been committed prior to enactment of the Bill, the making of a request by a foreign government  obviously subsequent to the passing of the Bill  triggers the provisions in the legislation, and deprives of substance the argument based on retro-activity. It is a mere red herring across the trail.

Are Sri Lankan military personnel not extremely vulnerable?

Minister Samaraweera declares: There may be some allegations against individual members of the military, but to date, no one has alleged that the military as an entity has committed these crimes. Nothing could be further from the truth.

UNHRC Resolution 30/1 takes note with appreciation of the oral update presented by the United Nations High Commissioner to the Human Rights Council at its 27th session, the report of the Office of the High Commissioner and its investigation on Sri Lanka.

The High Commissioner has been far from reticent about the gravity of the crimes allegedly committed by the Armed Forces of Sri Lanka, and the stark issue of criminal responsibility. He stated at a Press conference in Geneva: The severity of the crimes was most astonishing.

The degree of bias and prejudgement is quite manifest. On the subject of genocide, the High Commissioner, while stating that this is something they do not perceive to have occurred in Sri Lanka at this stage, went on the declare: That is not, however, to say that at a subsequent stage, it is implausible. The Report specifically says that, if established before the hybrid court that was proposed, many of these allegations may amount, depending on the circumstances, to war crimes.

The High Commissioner proclaimed, at a media briefing in Geneva, that the findings are of a most serious nature, involving as they do a pattern of systemic and flagrant violations.

The extent of jeopardy to Sri Lankas Armed Forces is unmistakable.

The Report sets out, in direct terms, the finding that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the gravest offences were committed by our nations military.

The following assertions, quoted verbatim from the Report, are amply illustrative of the threshold of criminal liability envisaged and the resulting depth of peril. There are reasonable grounds to believe that the Sri Lankan security forces and paramilitary groups associated with them were implicated in unlawful killings carried out in a widespread manner against civilians. OISL documented long-standing patterns of arbitrary arrest and detention by Government security forces, which often reportedly led to enforced disappearances and extra-judicial killings. OISL documented brutal use of torture by the Sri Lankan security forces. The information gathered by OISL provides reasonable grounds to believe that rape and other forms of sexual violence by security forces personnel was widespread.

These sweeping statements leave no room for doubt as to the intended consequences. Against the backdrop of these attitudes reflecting total lack of objectivity, the public are the best judges of the justice of leaving the fate of our countrys Armed Forces in the hands of foreign judicial tribunals.

"Persons in the custody of the Convention State may belong to a variety of nationalities, but they would collectively fall within the scope of the duty devolving on the Convention State to surrender, if that State is bound by recognition of the International Criminal Tribunal in question as part of its own obligations"
The Sri Lanka  Malaysia Business Council was inaugurated on February 23, 1994 under the aegis of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka.



The main objective of this Council is to promote joint ventures in trade, tourism and services between Sri Lanka and Malaysia.



The 23rd Annual General Meeting of the Council was held on 19th July at the Hilton Colombo Residences and the Chief Guest was Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah, High Commissioner of Malaysia in Sri Lanka, who is also the patron of the Sri Lanka  Malaysia Business Council. Dato Seri Utama Dr. S. Samy Vellu, Special Envoy with Ministerial Rank to India and South Asia for Infrastructure graced this occasion as the Guest of Honour.



The Office Bearers for year 2017/2018 was unanimously elected as follows:

Iqram Cuttilan, Director/ Chief Operating Officer  Aitken Spence Shipping Ltd was elected as the President of the Sri Lanka  Malaysia Business Council and Keerthi Jayasuriya Chairman/ CEO - International Scholar Educational Service Pvt Ltd and Amrit Canaga Retna, Vice President - Amana Bank Ltd as the Vice Presidents.



Aashiq Lafir, Executive Director  Finance  United Motors Lanka PLC will serve as the Immediate Past President of the Council.



The newly elected committee for year 2017/2018 is Amana Takaful PLC, Chemanex PLC, Dialog Axiata PLC, Hemas Air Services (Pvt) Ltd, Ilham Inspiration Sri Lanka, Just in Time Group, Kenanga Investment Corporation Ltd, Macksons Paints Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Ranjan Nadesapillai Associates and Sena Gem Trading House (Pvt) Ltd.



The Sri Lanka  Malaysia Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce intends carrying out promoting trade, tourism, services between Sri Lanka and Malaysia in particular to promote exports, encourage establishment of joint ventures, exchange information on trade and investment with the appropriate bodies, conduct joint meetings with Malaysian Business organizations in Sri Lanka and in Malaysia to promote exports and attract investments, facilitate business matchmaking events as means to promote bilateral business and serve as a recognized representative of business sector interests in Sri Lanka in matters concerning business relationships with Malaysia.



Membership is open to individuals, partnerships, companies, State-owned enterprises or other organisations engaged in trade, tourism or services or engaged in joint ventures with Malaysia or interested in entering into or promoting trade, tourism, services or joint ventures with organizations in the partner country shall be eligible for membership of the Council.
August, the month during which the Kandy Esala Maha Perahera (Pageant) is held, is a period during which we should consider what nations the world over have done to protect and contribute to the Sri Dalada Malgiawa. The Sri Dalada Maligawa has been endowed with objects and precious material over the years. One of the main benefactors has been Myanmar.

Among the herd of tuskers at the moment are two elephants from Buruma, Raja and Myannmar Raja. These elephants have been trained to carry the Golden Casket (Karanduwa) during the Kandy Esala Pageant. These tuskers may be replaced in the future. President Maithripala Sirisena is to receive one more tusker from Myanmar within the next few days. The animal has already been shipped according to Maligawa sources. There are three tuskers among the herd of elephants at the Sri Dalada Maligawa.

The idea to have another tusker is the suggestion of Diyawadana Nilame Pradeep Nilanga Dela. He had suggested to get a white Tusker from Mayannmar, especially for the deployment of carrying the Golden Casket. However, the then President of Myanmar wasnt on the same page with the islands Maligawa authorities regarding the presenting of a tusker to Sri Lanka. But later, the President of Myanmar had offered a tusker as a gift from the Government of Myanmar to the Government of Sri Lanka.

The tusker was inspected by the veterinarians before being shipped. The authorities had encountered problems regarding high transport costs. President Sirisena had intervened and solved the problem by making arrangements for the Government of Sri Lanka to bear the transportation costs. Now the Tusker is reported to be on its way to Sri Lanka. However it wont be here on time for the pageant.

Gifts from Burma

The Burmese are devoted to the Sri Dalada Maligawa. The stone pillars on which rest the upper floors above the Hewisi Mandapaya or Drummer Hall are gifts from Burmese devotees. On the stone pillars are inscribed the names of our friends from Yangon (Earlier Rangoon). The casket is also a gift from a Burmese King and a number of such gifts has been offered to the Sri Dalada Maligawa.

When Upasampada (Ordination) rites were no longer in Sri Lanka, it was the Burmese Sangha (Buddhist monastic order) who brought the rites before the Siam Nikaya. Ven. Sooriyagoda Nayaka Thera was one such monk who was ordained with Burmese Upasamapda rites. The Upasampada ritual faded away and its in this impasse that Venerable Weliwita Sangharaja Thera requested King Keerthi Sri Rajasingha to allow the Thai Upasampada rituals to be brought to Sri Lanka.

A TUSKER FROM BURMA

The begging bowl

Yet there is a school of thought that supports the ideology that the begging bowl of Buddha has always been where the Sacred Tooth Relic is preserved. There are others who support another school of thought and believe that the begging bowl is preserved within Natha Devale. Late Professor Ven. Warakawe Dhammaloka Thera was of the view that Lord Buddhas begging bowl was placed in a stupa (A structure containing relics) close to the Sri Dalada Maligawa. However, some time ago, the Indian Museum displayed some pieces which they claimed were the remains of the Buddhas begging bowl. This is now a matter of debate and no authority has confirmed the place where this object used by Lord Buddha is preserved.

However, it is recorded that during the year 1576, the King of Burma received a delegation from Sri Lanka. They were from the Kingdom of Kotte. According to these records this begging bowl is fashioned out of stone. Whether these records are genuine is a matter of opinion. But many believe that the begging bowl is preserved somewhere in the vicinity of the Sri Dalada Maligawa.

There is an object within the inner shrine room of the Sri Dalada Maligawa. Its said that this object hasnt been used for the purpose it was meant for. This object is known as the Human Hair Broom. Its a broom with a short handle and is kept covered with white cloth. Its used very rarely. This broom was shown to this writer by the then Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter Ven. Palipanne Chandananda Thera. This was during the time when the monk did his duties in the inner shrine room.This broom with a short handle was presented by King Bayinnaung of Burma who ascended to the throne during 1662. This was also the time when King Dharmapala ascended to the throne in Kotte. The Broom was offered at a time when the Sacred Relic was in Kotte.

"There is no tradition of offering human hair to temples in Sri Lanka. This is a practice of the Burmese. They offer anything that they can afford to the Temple of the Tooth"

HAIR BROOMS



It had been the practice then to offer human hair to temples in Burma for the purpose of sweeping the temple floors. This practice was done as penance. The human hair in such brooms is said to be the hair of the King and Queen Queen themselves.

A question that might surface in anyones mind is whether the hair used in the broom, presented to the heirs of the Kotte Kingdom, would remain for so long? There is no tradition of offering human hair to temples in Sri Lanka. This is a practice of the Burmese. They offer anything that they can afford to the Temple of the Tooth.

Yet how the sacred tooth relic and the begging bowl were later accepted by the Kandyan authorities as inheritance isnt known. According to the Mahawamsa its a fact that both these sacred possessions were exhibited between the 12th and 14th Century.

King Bayinnaung

According to historic records King of Burma Bayinnaung was considered to be the greatest benefactor and protector of Buddhism. In fact orthodox monk Shin Arahan was instrumental in the reemergence of Buddhism in Burma. This was a time when Hinduism was set to take over Buddhism.

In fact King Bayinnnaung is said to have conquered parts of China. The Portuguese, who were spreading their tentacles to build an Empire throughout Asia, feared King Bayinnaung. His forethought was to protect Buddhism and not just Burma.

When the news reached the King that King Dharmapala ascended to the Thorne of Kotte, he lost no time in sending a delegation to inquire into the position of the Sacred Tooth Relic. Its during the year 1576 that this king sent a second delegation to Sri Lanka. Its said that this delegation brought, among other gifts, the broom made of human hair.

Unlike the begging bowl, the broom made of human hair has lasted until today. But its not used, nor is it exhibited to the public. Even before the Mahanayake of Asgiriya showed the broom to me, its with pride that I reminisce that this Burmese gift was shown to my brother and me on several occasions by an uncle of mine, a monk at the Asgiriya Temple.

I consider it a matter of great importance to share my personal experiences to enlighten the public- who pay obeisance at the Sri Dalada Maligawa- that such objects exist. Objects like these signify the unity and the great camaraderie that had existed between these two Buddhist nations. Its also heartening to note that a man born to Royalty had gifted something very personal to Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

But, unfortunately, the Burmese distanced themselves after their King wasnt given an opportunity to pay homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic- when he visited Sri Lanka.
The Cumaratunga Munidasa Sisuvarama, organised by the Cumaratunga Munidasa Foundation, was held for the sixth consecutive time on July 25 (Tuesday) at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Centre in Colombo.

Poetry strikes us in roughly the same way that the movies strike the Americans. In both instances, we are so overwhelmed by the first time we heard or saw them; which American cant think of their archetypal saviour, the cowboy, without remembering the films of John Ford (The Searchers), and which Sri Lankan cant think of the rabbit, probably the most cartoonish animal out there, without thinking of Cumaratunga Munidasas Ha Ha Hari Hawa and the many renditions of it?

The great achievement of a movie, I think, is the great achievement of a poem; both take us back to those triumphs, defeats, broken hearts, and so much more besides that we had undergone when we first encountered them. A film is like a language, after all; its built, sustained, sometimes even improved on through nostalgia. But nostalgia alone isnt enough. What is needed, now more than ever before, is a set of discerning people to transform that nostalgia into a living, breathing entity. The Sinhala language is a case in point. It nourishes us, and then appeals to us to perpetuate it.

I know, have talked with, and have conceded to those doomsday prophets (whose numbers are increasing, disturbingly) who predict the end of the Sinhala language as we know it. Underlying their prediction are certain irrefutable facts, prime among them being the virtual erasure of its spoken/written dichotomy by popular culture.

Its one of the greatest ironies of our time, but when mass media (journalism, advertising, television) discovered our mother tongue, it wasnt liberated. It was stunted. Rather badly. Probably thats why its hard to come across young poets writing in Sinhala, not because they dont have the ideas but because they dont read. Its a contemporary dilemma, since by refusing to read, they refuse to take forward what underpins all those poems which nourished their childhoods.



For that reason, a scholarship program aimed at recognising academic achievement in Sinhala has to take note of certain realities. Firstly, not every student who achieves distinctions in that subject actually continues to study it. More often than not, these students are compelled to take to another subject once they reach their A Levels (with science and commerce being the preferred options). Secondly, the scholarship as such, while monetary at the outset, must aim for more than the usual incentives such schemes are built on, not least because a language cant be limited to academia and is probably the only subject that lives and breathes on its own outside academia.

In 2012 the Cumaratunga Munidasa Foundation began one such program. That year was special; it marked the 125th birth anniversary of the Foundations figurehead. Together with the National Savings Bank and Ada Derana, each winner was given a monthly bursary of 1,000 rupees, a 100,000 rupee bank deposit, and a laptop. Named Sisuvarama, the program was unique for one reason. It targeted the Ordinary Level exams, knowing that not all high achievers at that stage in their education follow it up as the years pass by. The organisers of Sisuvarama were spot on there, since almost all the scholarship winners have subsequently moved into other harder subjects.

That was five years back. Five years later, more specifically two weeks ago (July 25) at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Centre in Colombo, the Foundation held its scholarship ceremony for the sixth time, in commemoration of Cumaratunga Munidasas 130th birth anniversary. It was an ill-chosen day: the petrol strike was on. Such a mundane issue, however, couldnt overwhelm what I took from this Sisuvarama.

"The problem with the contemporary world is that it separates the academic from the social. We are goaded into categorising the likes of Cumaratunga as writers, poets, forgetting that they were less the intellectuals they are cut out to be"



The stories behind this years winners merit mention here. Of the seven, three come from Galle, two from Panadura, one from Minuwangoda, and one from Colombo. The three winners from Galle (Sandamini Paranavithana, Thiwanka Ruvishani, and Yasamini Anuththara) all attended Sanghamitta Balika, and all three come from backgrounds which, while certainly not cosmetic or extravagant, nurtured their love to read and to write. Roshani Dhanushika (from Presidents College, Minuwangoda) took an interest in the subject after she began to be taught by capable teachers from Grade Eight. Pasindu Buwaneka de Silva (from Isipathana College), had to write his paper while recovering from dengue at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Angoda. Vimukthi Abhishek (from Nalanda College) started entering essay competitions from Grade Three, while Thisari Walawage entered her present school (Visakha Vidyalaya) from the Grade Five scholarship and studied in the English medium thereafter.



Of the people who spoke that day, Professor Wimal Dissanayake struck me the most. In the space of half an hour, Professor Dissanayake dwelt on an otherwise hackneyed topic: the place for modernity in tradition. Mercifully, he wasnt concerned about bringing modernity to tradition, rather the other way around and that by delving into how the man at the centre of the event ensured that we did not forget who we were while engaging with the rest of the world. Aluth aluth da nothanana jaathin lova nonagi, Victor Ratnayake quoted Cumaratunga Munidasa for me as he lamented how todays composers have forgotten the past. Whats true for our composers is true for those who will wield our mother

tongue tomorrow.

The problem with the contemporary world is that it separates the academic from the social. We are goaded into categorising the likes of Cumaratunga as writers, poets, or the more derogatory deshiya buddhimathun, forgetting that they were less the intellectuals they are cut out to be than the national revivalists they actually were. Reading Kumara Gee, I cannot help but conclude that Cumaratunga Munidasa, much as he loved the language of the Sinhalese, loved it less than he loved his nation and his people, Malinda Seneviratne wrote, and I agree. To me, and to my countrymen, his legacy cant be rationalised by linguistics or semantics or sociology. He was more, much more, than anything those terms can ever convey.



When Nanda Malini resurrected not just Cumaratunga but also Tibet S. Mahinda and Wimalaratne Gamage in her collection Handahami, she gave out some of the most memorable lyrics we had heard as children. I could feel a thin film of tears across my eyes as she sang Ha Ha Hari Hawa, that romantic tribute to the rabbit which Titus Thotawatte took as the title song of his version of Bugs Bunny. The film opened up when I realised that Titus had been an ardent follower of Cumaratunga; as a member of the Hela Havula, he was the first in our cinema who tried to do away with those Sanskrit impurities his guru had strived to erase. It opened up even more when I remembered that my childhood had been adorned by a popular culture (including Dosthara Honda Hitha) which stood for what my country spoke, in one voice. That voice went back to one person, one name. The connection was hard not to make.

That is why Sisuvarama is so important to me, to my country, to everyone interested in Sinhala. A language, by its definition, sweeps across demographics and social barriers. It survives despite them because its a living, breathing entity. But I am upset by how we tend to our own language less and less, particularly those of us who are entranced by modernity and the modernist discourse on nationality.



The fact is that we dont read our own books, our own stories. The fact is that we market our aptitude for our language without nourishing ourselves in our literature. By forgetting grammar and syntax, artists dabbling in Sinhala today are doing a disservice to our language. They are little more than anchorless ships, a point which crops up when considering that they are hailed by some as revolutionaries. Well, so were James Joyce and Jean-Luc Godard, but unlike their counterparts today, they were aware of the work done before them, which prepared them for what they did.

All this is rooted in a rotten circle that goes around and around; those who grow up in Sinhala-speaking families lose their interest in it, enchanted as they are by pop culture, while those who grow up in a more westernised environment abandon it to devote themselves to English theatre and literary circles. (This strange dichotomy, between those who neglect Sinhala despite their vernacular backgrounds and those who take to English because of their non-vernacular backgrounds, baffles me.) But by that I dont bemoan modernity, as some do. The truth is that modernity and nationalism can and do cohere, and as scholars like Benedict Anderson have observed, the latter can be more unifying than the cosmopolitanism we teach our children today.

The Cumaratunga Munidasa Foundation has clearly taught us some lessons in that respect. Relevant for our time, relevant for all time. What they are, we know. All we need to do is take a leaf from them, and from those seven students who won this year, and try to define ourselves based on how much we understand what defines us. It wont be easy, but my guess is that it wont be too difficult either.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Former vice president and leader of the fledgling National People's Party Joice Mujuru and other opposition chiefs who stayed away on Saturday from the launch of an electoral alliance which chose MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai as its main man, say the grand coalition is not yet a done deal.This contrasts sharply with what Tsvangirai and other opposition leaders, who converged at the Zimbabwe Grounds, in front of other support groups, to sign and launch a coalition dubbed the MDC Alliance.On Saturday Tsvangirai signed a pact with former Finance minister Tendai Biti of People's Democratic Party (PDP), Welshman Ncube (MDC), Jacob Ngarivhume (Transform Zimbabwe) and Zimbabwe People First (ZPF)'s Agrippa Mutambara, a retired army chief.As far as the larger sections of the opposition movement are concerned, this is the grand coalition that they have been waiting for and its leadership has been decided.Mujuru, who stayed away from the launch of the coalition on Saturday yesterday, however, told the Daily News talks to "form the coalition" where still ongoing."What happened yesterday (Saturday) must be applauded because it shows the spirit of working together among progressive forces to achieve the ultimate goals of dislodging Zanu-PF and Mugabe is still there."Our negotiating team had engagements with the MDC last week and talks are ongoing. The only difference is the timing and as the NPP we believe that once we have concluded talks we will make an announcement once and for all."Coalition talks are not an event, it's a process of interrogating areas of common interest and those where there is divergence with a view to coming up with an agreement on all grey areas and that is what we are doing with the MDC and other parties," Mujuru's spokesperson, Gift Nyandoro told the Daily News.Former Finance minister and leader of Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD), Simba Makoni, said he had not been invited to Saturday's historic event, adding that he was surprised that Tsvangirai and others had launched an alliance without other parties such as his."We were not invited to that coalition and we could not have gate-crashed the event. Besides we already have a coalition in the form of the Coalition of Democrats (Code) to which we invited them but turned us down saying they were not ready at the time."We expected that they would come back to us to tell us that they are now ready for a coalition and we surely would have come together because that is what we set out to do when we came up with Code two years ago. However, they never gave us an opportunity to be part of them," Makoni said.Zapu president Dumiso Dabengwa cast doubts about joining Tsvangirai in the coalition."Did you want us to dump our parties to join an MDC alliance when we do not even know what they are up to and what their strategy is?"We formed a coalition, Code, and invited everybody and they turned us down so what do we do. They decided to form their own coalition so should we also jump ship and join them? We are not MDC."I suppose it is possible that we can come together, talk and come up with another coalition but I don't see us joining the MDC coalition," Dabengwa told the Daily News.They all took turns to endorse Tsvangirai as their candidate to take on Mugabe in the much-anticipated plebiscite.In his keynote address, Tsvangirai said he personally brokered the peace deal with his two estranged former secretaries-general, Ncube and Biti.Ncube broke ranks with Tsvangirai in 2005 following an acrimonious disagreement over the party's participation in that year's senatorial elections while Biti left the MDC in 2014, a few months after the party suffered a thorough hiding during the previous year's elections.Analysts had repeatedly said a coalition involving Tsvangirai and Mujuru would present a formidable challenge to Mugabe and his quarrelling colleagues next year considering that the widow of the late decorated liberation icon  Solomon Rex possessed strong liberation credentials and intimate know-how of Zanu-PF's election mischief.Mujuru's absence left many wondering whether she would oppose the coalition and go it alone or join hands with Dabengwa, Makoni and Mangoma in the Code.Tsvangirai expressed hope that Mujuru and others would soon be joining the "big tent" despite the fact that the MDC Alliance is already portioning constituencies amongst themselves.The duo signed a memorandum of agreement (MOU) in May, which lifted the mood of thousands of ordinary Zimbabweans looking for an alternative to Mugabe and Zanu-PF.Analysts yesterday said the coalition still needed the likes of Mujuru and Dabengwa as they were still vital in the opposition's quest to defeat Mugabe and Zanu-PF."The MDC Alliance is an important step in the right direction towards a grand coalition, but it is not enough."There are unique electoral benefits that remain missing that Mujuru, Dabengwa, and Makoni would bring to the grand coalition hence the need for continued engagement towards a game- changing and formidable grand coalition."Beyond a coalition, the most important thing to focus on is electoral reforms to level the electoral field. If the opposition fails to secure electoral reforms then they must ensure they have the tools and mechanisms to monitor, track, and expose electoral rigging for the world to see and be convinced beyond a shadow of doubt. It has proven difficult to demonstrate that the 2013 elections were rigged in the absence of hard evidence to back up those claims," said rights and political expert, Dewa Mavhinga.
A few days ago, Congress lawyer-politician Kapil Sibal approached the Supreme Court pleading that the NOTA option be removed from the Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat. On August 3, the Supreme Court called this effort opportunistic. "When it suited you, you did not come. You came here on the eve of elections," it said.

Manipulation

The Gujarat Assembly is in turmoil due to defections after six Congress MLAs switched to the BJP camp amidst high drama. The BJP regime has become a symbol for manipulation and intrigue. With President's rule in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand (before 2017 Uttarakhand Assembly elections) firmly in mind, along with post-election manoeuvres in Manipur and Goa, the BJP has grown in public imagination as one that will manipulate the Constitution itself to comprehensibly govern India.

In many ways, democracy lies in the fear of all this which is capable of manipulating democratic processes to produce undemocratic results. With Kerala burning over the death of an RSS worker, there is now a demand for President's Rule in the state, which was infamously a victim of such in 1959 and many times thereafter.

Can India's constitutional democracy survive this onslaught? Curiously, this onslaught has come from both sides in India's independent history. The Indira Gandhi years (1967-77) were massive examples of such manipulation. Now the BJP era from 2014 represents the second high point of manipulated democracy. Defections are back. President's Rule is back. Parliament is threatened by majoritarianism. This essay is about the internal manipulation of the Parliament itself.

Recently, the Aadhaar Act, 2016 was passed off as a Money Bill to disempower the Rajya Sabha to make amendments. The example is a telling one as indeed, the issue is of a Money Bill. Why was this done? All Bills require the attention of both Houses. If they disagree, unlike England, a joint session would have to be called (Article 108). Jaitley has often threatened joint sessions, but such thoughts have suffered forbearance.

A joint session would not have been an exercise in constitutionality or to restore matters constitutionally, but using numbers for the Lok Sabha to overwhelm the Rajya Sabha. Such a manipulation should be a last resort. For the Aadhaar Bill, the way out appeared to be to call it a Money Bill, which requires a special procedure (as mentioned in Article 110).

Since the Aadhaar Act contained incidental expenditure in the Consolidated Fund, it was stated to be a Money Bill. Once that is done, the Rajya Sabha can discuss it but not pass amendments binding on the Lok Sabha. That is why this manoeuvre was called the subversion of democracy since it choked up discussion on Aadhaar which does more than using unique identification for service delivery.

Face-off

This created an impasse. Was the Lok Sabha Speaker's certification that this was a Money Bill final? When the matter went to the Supreme Court, a telling exchange took place between the counsel and the court, with Chief Justice JS Khehar confidently declaring, "If the Speaker says green is blue, we will tell blue is blue."

Khehar is fond of making off-the-cuff remarks for drama, but does this mean that the Supreme Court is willing to inquire into the speaker's certification which is part of the parliamentary process into which the Supreme Court does not dare to interfere? If it does, a quarrel of gigantic proportions will be set up between the legislature and the judiciary.

Of course, there is a view that the Supreme Court can, and should step in, to review the speaker's decision. But this is a big step. It is all very well to say that in defection matters, the speaker's decision will not be final as in the Kihoto case (1992). But, we can't have the Supreme Court regulating parliamentary procedures in every finite way.

In such a clash of arms, both institutions will suffer. Indubitably, the Supreme Court has very limited, if any, powers of intervention, while parliamentary proceedings are actually taking place unless Parliament transgresses fundamental rights (as in the UP legislature case (1964) when the Assembly threatened to send High Court judges to jail. Here, as in Cash for-questions case (2007), the Supreme Court will define the privileges of the legislature so that the latter does not become a law unto itself by arrogating unlimited powers to itself. But can the Supreme Court go further?

SC intervention

Take the Money Bill example. While the Bill is going through Parliament (or Assembly), the court cannot interfere. But, after it becomes an Act, can the Supreme Court say that the "procedure" followed was wrong because the Bill could not have been certified as a Money Bill by the Speaker? In the UP Lokayukta case (2014) where I appeared, the court took the traditional view that the speaker's view was final.

This gets us back to our original dilemma. If the Parliament blatantly cheats on itself by using ramrod procedures to stifle discussion, does it become a law unto itself? The present answer seems "yes it can". That is a blow to democratic constitutionalism.

We are in danger of the Constitution's internal procedures being grossly abused, and nothing can be done about it. The people seem helpless. Our Constitution rests on two sets of principles: democratic and constitutional. Democracy cannot override constitutional balances. Nor can these "balances" throttle democratic discourse. Today, the BJP is threatening the very fabric of constitutional governance.
Pakistan is now facing pressure from all directions. Internally, it continues to reel under turmoil, as Nawaz Sharif, though out of power, remains a force to be reckoned with. His rally in Lahore is likely to draw immense support as the nation has realised that the judgment passed by the Supreme Court has been biased and delivered at the bidding of the Pakistani army.

Internal policies prevent the public from criticising these two pillars of power, even on social media. However, public support in Sharifs rally would indicate the national mood.

India continues to counter all attempts by Pakistan to ferment trouble in the Valley. Its ceasefire violations are being countered aggressively while terrorists infiltrating into India are being culled. The Indian Armys Operation All-Out is paying rich dividends.

Pakistan's staunch supporters, the Hurriyat is being isolated as the NIA closes in and the public is losing faith in them as news of their amassed wealth at the cost of innocent blood gains ground.

Their calls for bandhs are now being ignored and they are being incarcerated in Delhi, away from the area which they influence. India has accused Pakistan of following a policy of selective terrorism, the words now being resounded from the White House.

Afghanistan has begun to openly accuse Pakistan of striking terror, which has increased in intensity in the country. The two nations, which could have been allies are now on opposite sides of the fence, enabling India to manoeuvre into the space.

Afghan national security advisor, Hanif Atmar, is known to have stated that the Taliban cannot be defeated unless we defeat the sanctuaries and support structures outside Afghanistan, in Pakistan. The echoes of his words are now being heard from Washington.

Supporters of Nawaz Sharif during a rally to condemn his dismissal in Lahore on July 28. (Credit: AP photo)

US President Donald Trump has, in a statement issued over the weekend, stated that the US would need to see a change in the behaviour of those in the region, which includes countries providing safe havens and support bases to the Taliban, Haqqani network and the others.

His national security advisor, HR McMaster, was quoted as saying, "This is Pakistan that we want to really see a change in and a reduction of their support for these groups." The US appears to be moving forward with its strategy of winning the war in Afghanistan, and it is clear that Pakistan would need to play a major role.

Pakistans desire to make Afghanistan a client state, subdued to it, has compelled it to support anti-Afghanistan groups. However, such policies can never pay dividends in the long-term. Its claims of fighting terror groups on its soil has been accepted, but with riders. McMaster clarified the Pakistan policy when he stated, Pakistan is taking great losses. They have fought very hard against these groups but they have done so really only selectively." These are clearly the words India wanted to hear.

Among options against Pakistan being openly discussed in the US include, expanding drone strikes deep within Pakistan, redirecting aid to the country and ultimately downgrading its status as a major non-NATO ally.

The writing is now on the wall, Pakistan has to act, or would face pressure and humiliation, when its territorial integrity is violated at will by US drones. Pakistan has very limited options. If it launches operations against the Quetta Shura, the name for the Taliban and Haqqani network based in Quetta, they could turn against them, only adding to their woes.

If it doesnt, the US would launch operations across the border, denting the image of the Pakistani army. A shaky government at the helm, subdued by the deep state only adds to the woes of the nation.

Pakistan knows that at present, the US has more enemies than friends in the region. Iran, against whom the US recently placed sanctions and whom Trump has been threatening, has borders with Herat and Farah provinces of Afghanistan. Although the Taliban is a Sunni force and Iran is the bastion of Shia Islam, yet it has openly supported the Taliban in these two provinces.

Recent strikes in the region have Iranian support to the Taliban written across them. It is seeking US withdrawal with failure on their face. Russia, which has now moved away from the US, is in touch with the Taliban, through Iran and Pakistan and is believed to be providing them with weapons. The drone strike which eliminated Mullah Mansour, was launched on his return from Iran. China is also known to be in contact with the Taliban.

Despite the involvement of other nations, it is Pakistan which faces the brunt, solely because it had openly admitted to providing safe sanctuaries to the Taliban.

Sartaj Aziz, who is set to return as the adviser to PM on foreign affairs, had admitted in the US that since Pakistan provides some sort of sanctuary and support to the Taliban, it does possess some leverage over it.

Hence, Pakistan would be forced to act, if it does not do so, its territorial integrity would be violated at will, by drone strikes, against whom it can only object, but not retaliate.

It had hoped that the new US policy could be one of withdrawal, which could provide it with a leeway in handling Afghanistan, but now that it has misfired, Pakistan has limited options.

It could sit quiet, cry hoarse over its own situation and hope the US finally withdraws, leaving Afghanistan to its fate. Secondly, it could act partially against terror groups, just enough to pacify the US, while maintaining a facade.

Thirdly, it could apply enough pressure on the Taliban and Haqqani network to reduce their strikes, thus preventing any attack on its soil. Finally, it could compel the groups to leave its shores and seek sanctuary either in the mountainous belt of Afghanistan or Iran, which could anger them and make them turn in direction.

It is only US determination which could compel Pakistan to respond and save the Afghan population from unwarranted bloodshed.

If it does not act or gives up its determination, Afghanistan could become the next Syria and involve all major powers in resolving the crises and containing its spread.

Pakistan has to bear the consequences, it has no choice, after all it is responsible for the present turmoil.
News / National

by Staff reporter

In 2006

In 2014

Violent clashes erupted yesterday at the MDC party offices after a dozen party youths stormed the meeting that was being addressed by deputy president Thokozani Khupe.According to witnesses, a truck carrying about 15 youths descended at the meeting where they confronted Khupe over her decision to hold an "unsanctioned" meeting after boycotting the grand coalition launch in Harare.Khupe, national organising secretary Abednico Bhebhe and chairperson Lovemore Moyo did not attend the launch of the grand coalition in the capital, but were at yesterday's Bulawayo meeting.the Mutambara MDC has made serious allegations against the MDC faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai. MP for Harare North constituency Trudy Stevenson and three other party Provincial Executive Members were attacked and severely assaulted by a mob of about 40 youths. Trudy alleged that the attackers were from the Tsvangirai group in Mabvuku. Speaking from the Avenues hospital where she is receiving treatment Stevenson said she recognised one of the thugs that attacked her as Tonderai Ndira., the then MDC-T deputy secretary-general, Mr Elton Mangoma was left with a bloody nose, broken spectacles and a tattered shirt.After the attack Mangoma said, "I was left with a bloody nose, broken spectacles and a tattered shirt. The attack happened after the meeting ended at about 1700 hours. Alert to the possibility of violence, we had agreed that I would emerge from the building by Tsvangirai's side and depart in the leader's vehicle in order to avoid disturbances."But once we emerged from the building, I realised that Tsvangirai was, somehow, no longer by my side. I was then attacked while he watched and he certainly did nothing to discourage the mob. My sense was that he had prior knowledge that there would be violence."This is a very disappointing development; even Zanu-PF does not set party supporters to beat up its leaders. The attack shows that we are dealing with very desperate and, therefore, very dangerous people; people who cannot respond to ideas with ideas - they resort to violence instead."Tsvangirai also stoked tensions by claiming, during the meeting, that I wanted to take over his position when my letter to him makes no such claim."
Opinion / Columnist

As the 2018 beckons, the MDC-T brand is growing increasingly unattractive to donors, unattractive to fence-sitters, unattractive to new political entrants, and - what's scary in this day and age - the MDC-T has become unattractive to the women voters. Any officials who differ with Morgan Tsvangirai will now have to go around in police escort wear hard hats when going to party meetings.If the party youths could cyber-bully Fadzayi Mahere who was never an MDC-T member for opting to stand in the next elections as an independent, the same youths can obviously break the limbs and arms of anyone within the party who dares differ with their demi-god Morgan Tsvangirai. The list of casualties is mounting, not least among them Madame Thokozani Khupe, a whole elected MDC-T Vice President. The beating up of Madame Khupe at the Bulawayo party offices this past weekend vindicates the decisions of younger female politicians like Linda Tsungirirai Masarira , Fadzayi Mahere and several others to not support this party affirmatively. Cyberbullying other candidates is bad enough; beating up your own elected Vice-President is beyond deplorable.Violence in any political party scares away the fresh ideas, the funds, and the ordinary sympathizer. It pushes the fence-sitter to slide over to the other side, or to stay away from political processes altogether. That is the last thing any so-called democratic movement needs.A clique of the party youths are quick to settle any differences in the party by way of violence. These are the same youths that Tsvangirai and other party founders seek to block from contesting for any parliamentary seats in 2018. ZANU PF, for all its excesses, has always allowed youthful contenders like Justice Wadyajena and Varaidzo Mupunga to challenge and contest the older guard at the polls.The MDC-T rearview mirror is fast filling up with images of party officials who got beaten up for thinking differently from Morgan Tsvangirai. While Madame Khupe's beating up is the highest profile case to date, many other party officials have had youths set on them for so long a time, even way back in 2001.In 2006, then-MDC Mutambara Harare North legislator Mrs. Trudy Stevenson and four other high-ranking party officials were attacked with machetes. The lady suffered a fractured cheek bone, broken wrist, and bruises on her back and chest. She identified the perpetrators as some known MDC-T youths.It does not help matters that the violence frequently occurs at party offices, worst of all at the party Headquarters the Harvest House. In 2010 at the Harvest House, the youths assaulted then party director-general Toendepi Shonhe over policy differences. Former MDC-T member Ms. Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga was assaulted by party youths twice in a space of just four years: in 2001 in Dzivarasekwa and in 2005 at the Harvest House. Also attacked at the Harvest House in 2014 was then MDC-T Treasure Mr. Elton Mangoma and then Youth Secretary-General Mr. Promise Mkwananzi. Yet another victim at Harvest House in 2014 was one Miss Angela Hwanyanya who was left with injuries to the head, eye and forehead. Her crime, as with the crimes of all the other victims, was to differ with the wishes of Morgan Tsvangirai.This callous culture in the MDC-T has been nurtured by Tsvangirai himself. He never reprimands the violent thugs or have them expelled. All his office ever does is issue a lukewarm statement blaming ZANU PF and the CIO for what is clearly an MDC in-house job. Over this past weekend, Chalton Hwende, a senior party official and one of the most intolerant and uncouth within the top echelons, had the guts to insinuate on Facebook that any officials who oppose the way of "change" have themselves to blame if attacked by the impatient youth. With such leaders and their hangers-on, Zimbabwe is doomed if they are allowed access to state power.No action will be taken to censure or reprimand Hwende, the same way no action has ever been taken against the known MDC-T violent youths. These youths remain Morgan Tsvangirai's tools ready to be deployed to settle differences by way of blood-spilling whenever the need arises. So very sad for a party that was the hope of many Zimbabweans seeking a democratic change of governance.
Opinion / Columnist

The Zimbabwe Peace Project condemns an incident of intra-party violence that occurred at the MDC-T offices in Bulawayo on 6 August 2017. A yet unverified number of youths barged into the meeting disrupting it and in videos that have gone viral some people are seen being assaulted and there is blood on the floor.The facts are that youths affiliated to MDC-T President Morgan Tsvangirai disrupted a meeting that was being held by the party's Vice President Thokozani Khupe. Secretary-general Douglas Mwonzora confirmed that there had been a disruption of the meeting but denied that officials were assaulted.The incident comes a day after a function where a number of opposition leaders signed a Coalition agreement. At the signing ceremony, MDC-T youth leader Happymore Chidziva said that President Mugabe has no monopoly to violence.Other notable MDC-T officials have also posted on social media appearing to celebrate the disruption of the meeting. Intra party conflict could heighten tensions and potentially mar the 2018 elections with political violence.The ZPP condemns in the strongest terms all acts of political violence and political intolerance. All citizens including those that belong to the same political party have the right to differ.The ZPP believes political party leaders hold the key to usher a peaceful election in 2018 and also urges political parties to avoid inflammatory statements on public platforms such as rallies or social media. The MDC-T has to shake off the history of perpetrating violence against those within it who hold different views. In the past Ambassador Trudy Stevenson and Elton Mangoma have been victims of this kind of violence. The MDC-T is implored to urgently investigate and take action against those involved in this dastardly act of political violence.ZPP is a Non Governmental Organization that was founded in 2000 by a group of faith based and human rights NGOs working and interested in human rights and peace-building initiatives. ZPP has become a vehicle for civic interventions in times of political crises. In particular, ZPP seeks to monitor and document incidents of human rights violations and breaches of peace.If you are concerned about acts of violence in your community, ZPP encourages you to get in touch with us on Hotline and WhatsApp numbers +263 774 883 406 and +263 774 883 417Toll Free: 080 80199
125 Years of Progress takes you inside The Daily Progress' archives every day in celebration of our 125 years serving Charlottesville and the rest of Central Virginia. Sponsored by Hanckel-Citizens Insurance Charlottesville

Two prototypes for the 19-foot bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson that stands in the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C. were donated to Monticello and the University of Virginia as reported in the Aug. 7, 1944 edition of The Daily Progress.

The original statue of Thomas Jefferson which Rudolph Evans executed for the Jefferson Memorial in Washington has been placed this week at Monticello, where it is now on view in an alcove of the dining room. From this original, four and one half feet high, was developed the heroic nineteen-foot figure of Jefferson now standing under the great marble dome beside the Tidal Basin in Washington.

A life-size figure of Jefferson was made by Mr. Evans as an intermediate stage between the smaller and larger statues. This is being given to the University of Virginia and will soon be brought from the sculptors studio in New York to be placed at the University founded by Jefferson.

Stuart G. Gibboney, president of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation and also a member of the national and State Jefferson Bicentennial Commissions, who has been making his home in the superintendents lodge at Monticello since April, explained that the Bicentennial Commission, representing the United States government, adopted a resolution lending the original to the Jefferson Memorial Foundation for storing at Monticello. By a similar resolution, the University will become custodian of the larger figure.

The statue donated to the University now overlooks Flagler Court at UVas Darden School. The location of the Monticello statue is unknown.
- T. S. Eliot

Thoughts After Lambeth

"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."
 The Lodge at Old Trail hosts Bernard Wolfe, managing editor of Encyclopedia Virginia at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, presenting Finding Bix: The Life and Afterlife of a Jazz Legend at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 17. 330 Claremont Lane in Crozet. lodgeatoldtrail.com. (434) 823-9100.

 Senior Statesmen of Virginia will host a forum of Democratic and Republican candidates for lieutenant governor from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the V. Earl Dickinson Building at Piedmont Virginia Community College at 501 College Drive. seniorstatesmen.org. (434) 974-7756.

 Congregation Beth Israel hosts Charlene Green, manager of the Charlottesville Office of Human Rights, presenting The History of Race and Ethnicity in Charlottesville, Virginia at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at 301 E. Jefferson St. (434) 295-6382.
Grant's Job Interview Will Send You Around The World With A Case Of Whisky

Trending News: Want To Fly Around The World And Drink Whisky? Apply For This Job

Long Story Short

Grant's Whisky is hiring a Global Brand Ambassador and to get the job you'll need to fly around the world with a suitcase filled with whisky.

Long Story

We've seen dream jobs where you get paid to travel and drink beer or wine, but Grant's Whisky has the market cornered on the dream interview.

The whisky brand is searching for a Global Brand Ambassador and they're prepared to send you on a world tour to prove you have what it takes.

Sound like your kind of thing? Here's how to apply.

The first thing you have to do is make a whisky drink using Grant's (of course) as well as two other liquids that represent your personality. Grant's will pick the 20 best candidates and send them over to the original family distillery in Scotland where, if you're lucky enough to be selected, you'll compete in a number of challenges before the number whittles down to three.

Now here's where the job interview really starts to get fun. The three candidates will be sent on a whirlwind 10-day all-expenses-paid trip to destinations ranging from Colombia and Poland to India, Taiwan, and South Africa. They'll all be equipped with a suitcase filled with Grant's and required to host events with local teams and influencers. Meanwhile, a video team will be documenting the whole experience.

Think you have what it takes? The best candidate must be at least 25-years-old and "resourceful, charismatic, talented, and have a passion for writing, traveling and mixology."

Grant's got the idea to do this interview because it wanted to replicate the journey taken in 1909 by Charles Grant Gordon, the son in law of the founder of Grant's Whisky, William Grant, who set sail with a suitcase of Grant's in an attempt to introduce it to the world.

And it's not only the interview process that's sweet. If you do get the job as Global Brand Ambassador, your role will also be pretty great.

"In today's society, lots of people seek more flexibility and adventure from their work than a 9 to 5 day in an office," Oliver Dickson, Global Brand Director, said in a statement. "This job offers travel, freedom, independence and a good salary too! We wanted an interview process to match the exciting and challenging nature of the role."

Still interested? Apply here.

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Will they release the winning cocktail combos because I'd definitely be keen on trying them?

Drop This Fact

Irish and American whiskeys are spelled with an 'e' while Scottish whisky has no 'e.'
This Blog is a digital journal for two cute pooches, Casey (A White Color Shih Tzu Dog Mix) & Peanut (A Brown Dachshund Dog Mix) who are both two complete opposites who have nothing in common except this blog and same owners.
Mumbai: The United Forum of Bank Unions, an umbrella organisation of major bank unions in country, has announced that it will observe a nationwide bank strike on August 22 in protest against proposed reforms in banking sector. The bankers say they are facing some other issues also that need to be addressed at the earliest.

"We have given a strike notice. The strike will be on August 22 spread over the entire banking sector," news agency IANS quoted C H Venkatachalam, All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) General Secretary, as saying.

According to Venkatachalam, the bank associations have already given the notice for the agitation. The notice was given two days back. The IANS report further says that UFBU has nine major unions in the banking sector under its stewardship. It has also contacted Indian Banks Association (IBA) with a plea to speed up resolution of issues related to wage revision.
Company is keen to expand its footprint in Hindi-speaking belts and venture into more segments to fill the gaps in its offerings.

New Delhi: Britannia expects around 10-12 percent of its revenue to come from overseas markets in the next 3-5 years and plans to set up a plant in Nepal as part of global business expansion, says Britannia MD Varun Berry.

The FMCG major is also looking to build its presence further in the African market and Myanmar. In the domestic market, the company is keen to expand its footprint in Hindi-speaking belts and venture into more segments to fill the gaps in its offerings.

"We would like our international market to grow at faster pace than the India business. Over next 3-5 years, our international business contribution is expected to be double digits at 10-12 per cent of our revenue," Berry told PTI.

He hoped that contribution from the international market in Britannia's overall revenue would go up every year.

In 2016-17, Britannia Industries had clocked consolidated net sales of Rs 9,232.30 crore and around 7 per cent came in from overseas markets.

A reasonable chunk is accounted for by the Middle-East, where the company has two overseas manufacturing units in Dubai and Oman.

"We are looking to create a hub-and-spoke model to get into more and more markets like Myanmar and the African continent," Berry said, adding that "we would have one new country every year".

Britannia is lining up nearly Rs 55 crore to set up its first overseas greenfield facility in Nepal to cater to the local demand. The company already has a business in Nepal, based on exports from India.

"This would bring our prices down and (helping us) grow more aggressively once we have a manufacturing facility there," he added.

It is venturing into snacking segment, along with Greek baker Chipita.

"That's not the final stop. It is just one of the products which we are looking at. We are also evaluating other micro-snacking category. If something works for us, we would launch products," he added.

Asked whether the company would cross Rs 10,000 revenue mark this year, Berry said: "I think so."
ITRs filed showed that substantial number of new tax payers have been brought into the tax net subsequent to demonetisation.

New Delhi: The number of I-T returns filed for 2016-17 year grew by 25 per cent to 2.82 crore, as increased number of individuals filed their tax returns post demonetisation, the tax department said on Monday.

The growth in ITRs filed by Individuals is 25.3 per cent with over 2.79 crore returns having been received up to August 5 as against over 2.22 crore returns filed in the corresponding period last fiscal.

"As a result of demonetisation and Operation Clean Money, there is a substantial increase in the number of Income Tax Returns (ITRs) filed," an official statement said.

The total number of returns filed as on August 5 stands at over 2.82 crore as against over 2.26 crore filed during the corresponding period of 2016-17. This was an increase of 24.7 per cent compared to growth rate of 9.9 per cent in the previous year.

The last date for filing of income tax returns by individuals and HUFs, who need not get their accounts audited, was August 5. The finance ministry said that the number of ITRs filed showed that substantial number of new tax payers have been brought into the tax net subsequent to demonetisation.

The effect of demonetisation is also clearly visible in the growth in direct tax collections, it said. Advance tax collections of personal income tax (other than Corporate Tax) as on August 5 showed a growth of about 41.79 per cent over the corresponding period in 2016-17.

Personal Income Tax under Self Assessment Tax (SAT) grew at 34.25 per cent over the corresponding period in 2016-17.

"The above figures amply demonstrate the positive results of the government's commitment to fight the menace of black money," it added.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), which is the apex policy making body of the I-T department, is committed in its resolve to eradicate tax evasion in a non-intrusive manner and widening of tax base.

To fight the menace of black money, the government had on November 8, 2016, demonetised old 500 and 1000 rupee notes and asked holders of such notes to deposit in bank accounts.

The I-T department had then launched operation clean money to clamp down on unaccounted money funnelled into bank accounts post demonetisation.
New Delhi: The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on Sunday, while welcoming the new Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog Dr. Rajiv Kumar, said the chamber has now become increasingly crucial, owing to the emphasis of the current government on cooperative federalism.

"NITI Aayog has increasingly gained in importance given the focus the current government has placed on the subject of cooperative federalism. FICCI welcomes the appointment of Dr. Rajiv Kumar as the new Vice Chairman of the organisation," the chamber said.

Lauding the Centre for its immediacy in recruiting a new Vice Chairman following the resignation of Arvind Panagariya, the FICCI said it will help the think tank in maintaining its momentum of work.

"NITI is working in an array of areas that promote cross-learning and sharing of experiences amongst states for enhancing growth and development. This decision of the government will help NITI maintain continuity in its policy advocacy work," it noted.

A DPhil holder in Economics from Oxford University and a PhD holder from Lucknow University, Dr Kumar is currently a senior fellow at the Center for Policy Research (CPR), a non-governmental think thank on public policy.

Dr Kumar will be succeeding Panagariya, who resigned from his post as vice chairman on August 1, with August 31 being his last day.

The Indian American economist is reportedly returning to the United States to resume his academics.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appointed Panagariya as the first vice-chairman of NITI Aayog on January 5, 2015.
Textiles Minister Smriti Zubin Irani has announced that weavers will henceforth be able to avail a wide array of Government services from Weavers' Service Centres (WSCs).

New Delhi: The government on Sunday said weavers will be able to avail a wide range of government services like Aadhaar and PAN card from WSCs which is poised to become a one-stop-shop for them apart from rendering technical help.

"Textiles Minister Smriti Zubin Irani has announced that weavers will henceforth be able to avail a wide array of Government services from Weavers' Service Centres (WSCs)," the Ministry of Textiles said in a statement.

The weavers, the minister said, will also be able to pay their electricity bills and go for online courses at the WSCs.

"The Minister informed that the Ministry of Textiles will enter into an MoU tomorrow with Common Service Centres, which will enable WSCs to provide the aforementioned services, beginning from this year itself," it added.

There are 28 WSCs under the Office of Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Textiles Ministry, functioning in different parts of India, the statement added.

Weavers visit these WSCs frequently, in order to avail technical assistance in relation to their profession, it said.

The statement also contained a tweet of Irani which said that "On the eve of 3rd #NationalHandloomDay, inaugurated a camp for Weavers MUDRA & Hathkargha Samvardhan Sahayata Schemes at Bijoynagar in Assam".

Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's words that the development of the North Eastern Region is imperative for the development of India, the minister informed the weavers that the main event of third National Handloom Day will be held in Guwahati, as per the statement.

The minister said that around 25 crore citizens have got their bank accounts opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana in the last three years.

"Noting that seven banks are participating in the camp for distribution of loans today, Irani asked the women weavers how often banks come to them to provide banking services," the satement said.

Irani expressed her satisfaction that more than 250 women applied for MUDRA loans in just an hour after the camp started functioning. She said that handloom weavers in Sambalpur, Odisha, were able to improve their earnings by more than 60 per cent within three months of availing MUDRA loan.

The textiles minister distributed MUDRA loan sanction letters to 50 weavers on the occasion, and appealed to all weavers to apply for the loan and improve their income.
Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan had recently wished each other for their films.

Mumbai: After working relentlessly for their ambitious Satyamev Jayate Water Cup, a tournament held in Maharashtra's rural areas involving water conservation, Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao could not make it to the prize distribution ceremony as they have been diagnosed with Swine Flu.

The couple, however, joined the event via videoconferencing where they expressed their sadness at not being able to attend and said that they they have been asked to stay in a room for seven days.

An event of this scale with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in attendance, would be incomplete without star presence and Aamir rightly requested his friend and superstar Shah Rukh Khan to step in for him at the event.

SRK happily obliged and later took to Twitter to thank Aamir for the honour of attending such an occasion and also lauded Fadnavis concern for farmers.

Thx @aamir_khan & Kiran for giving me the honour to stand in for u. @dev_fadnavis ur concern for farmers is touching pic.twitter.com/lWX3Rh8xIH  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 6, 2017

Celebrities and fans also took to social media to express their concern and wish the star couple a speedy recovery.

Big props to @iamsrk for being here! @aamir_khan said today is #friendshipday so he reached out to a friend & asked him to take his place! pic.twitter.com/kmdrnLWYPQ  Anupama Chopra (@anupamachopra) August 6, 2017

@aamir_khan get well soon, wish you and your wife a speedy recovery. #getwellsoon  Prateek Sabharwal (@sabruprateek) August 7, 2017
Mumbai: Powerhouse of talent Sushant Singh Rajput has shaped his Bollywood career well and is in no mood to slow down. The M S Dhoni star was once an engineering student studying in a top college in Delhi but he dropped out of the course in final year after he realised he was more inclined towards arts.

In a recent column for a dailys weekly magazine, the actor wrote about his rise to fame and obstacles he had to overcome on his journey from a background dancer to a film star.

At that time, Sushant felt that he should met a girl, prompting him to join choreographer Shiamak Davars dance group and rest, as they say, is history.

Talking about his struggling days, SSR (as he is famously known on Twitter) said, I felt the need to meet a girl, and that led me to Shiamak Davars group. My life went into a spin from that point on. Instead of heading to Stanford University from where I had a scholarship offer, I dropped out of college and landed in Versova, in a 1RK (room kitchen) that I shared with six others. You can imagine the reaction at home.

He then shifted base to Mumbai in 2006, leaving his family shell-shocked. It was 2006, my final year in college when I dropped this bomb at home. They were shocked! So shocked that they couldnt say anything and I took their silence as their approval. It was hard at that time but now its different, he revealed.

He then went on to state that his father is very proud of him but wishes he had completed his studies. Speaking about his father, an emotional Sushant wrote, My dad loves it when, on his walks, people call out to him, show him some recent clipping on mehe is really proud of me. But even today, almost all our conversations end with beta, degree le leta
If words to be believed, Aanand L. Rais yet untitled next was originally christened Katrina Meri Jaan. The actress, obviously a part of the movie, was also rumoured to be starring as herself. Interestingly, Anushka Sharma, too, is supposed to be a part of the movie.

At the trailer launch of Aanands production Shubh Mangal Savdhan, he was asked about his ambitious project and he said, Right now, weve finished a few portions with Shah Rukh Khan, and have completed a song as well. By next month, well probably shoot some portions of Katrina. It will be done both in Mumbai as well as outstation.

Confirming Anushkas portions in the movie, Aanand said, After finishing Katrinas portions, Anushkas portions will be shot sometime in October. On being prodded further, Aanand says with a smile, You need to wait and watch!

The movie, which will have Shah Rukh starring as a dwarf, will be the story of a small town guy, who sets out to meet his Bollywood icon. Whats interesting now is that besides Anushka and Katrina, the film will also have a cameo by Salman Khan.

They might be foes-turned-friends, but Shah Rukh made a cameo in Tubelight, and Salman seems to be returning the favour.

Confirming the news, our source says, A song sequence was being picturised in the Yash Raj Studios. Salman and SRK shared the screen space in this dance sequence, where there were innumerable dancers too. It was amazing to watch both of them acting spontaneously. However, we cannot give away the lyrics of the song. Its been rendered by ace musician Pritam.

On condition of anonymity, another source adds, The film is being shot very aesthetically. SRK is shown as a dwarf and with VFX, watching it on the screen looks utterly magnificent.

Now with SRK and Salman sharing screen space, will Anushka and Katrina also be in the same frame, after having missed the connection in Jab Tak hai Jaan? Only time will tell.
Nani is one of the busiest actors in the industry today and has just announced a film with director Merlapaka Gandhi. The shooting of this film is set to start soon and they have roped in Anupama Parameshwaran of A...Aa fame as the female lead.

According to a unit source, the director and Nani were impressed with Anupamas work in her earlier films and roped her as the female lead.

The role needs a performer, hence they picked Anupama. Its also a changeover for the actress as she has only played only traditional roles in Telugu films till now, says the unit source.

Meanwhile, the actress is busy with another film, Vunnadi Okate Zindag, opposite Ram Pothineni.

The actress is getting offers not only from Telugu, but also from Tamil filmmakers and is in demand at present, adds the source.

The Nani-Merlapaka Gandhi film unit is slated to leave for Europe for the first schedule of shooting.
KOCHI: Dr. Rajesh Kotecha, Special Secretary, Union Ministry of AYUSH, on Saturday said that the government is ready to extend its support for attempts at building an integrative medicine. Inaugurating the international conference on integrative Ayurveda and modern medicine at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences here on Sunday, he said that in integrative health, all streams of health sciences come together in a synergistic manner to positively impact health outcomes.

The Government is serious about promoting a model where experts in different domains contribute to the health science and some migration of knowledge occurs between each stream. Indian healing systems are holistic and intuitive  by definition, they cannot fully fit into all parameters demanded by Western medicine, he said. Dr Rajesh Kotecha said the government is setting up a nationwide AYUSH grid connecting all hospitals and research labs to record case histories and observations so that a huge amount of evidences can be generated through data analytics about the efficacy of Ayurveda.

While robust research is being conducted into Ayurveda, the problem arises in implementation of integrative medicine at the level of public health. This is because Ayurveda is still not accepted as a science by the Allopathic community. The Government of India has decided to extend its full support to Amrita Universitys initiative on integrative medicine, he added.

Experts assembled at the conference said that the Central Government needs to formulate a national policy on the integration of Ayurveda with allopathy so that India can take its rightful place as the global leader in integrative medicine. The two-day event called Amrita Samyogam, with 60 experts and 1,000 delegates from around the world participating, is being held in collaboration with Amrita Universitys School of Ayurveda.
Being connected to others socially is widely considered a fundamental human need (Photo: Pixabay)

Washington: Loneliness may be a greater public health hazard than obesity, according to a study which found that social isolation may put people at an increased risk of early death.

"Being connected to others socially is widely considered a fundamental human need - crucial to both well-being and survival," said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor at Brigham Young University in the US.

"Extreme examples show infants in custodial care who lack human contact fail to thrive and often die, and indeed, social isolation or solitary confinement has been used as a form of punishment," said Holt-Lunstad.

"Yet an increasing portion of the U.S. population now experiences isolation regularly," she said.

To illustrate the influence of social isolation and loneliness on the risk for premature mortality, Holt-Lunstad presented data from two research reviews.

The first involved 148 studies, representing more than 300,000 participants, and found that greater social connection is associated with a 50 per cent reduced risk of early death.

The second study, involving 70 studies representing more than 3.4 million individuals from North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, examined the role that social isolation, loneliness or living alone might have on mortality.

Researchers found that all three had a significant and equal effect on the risk of premature death, one that was equal to or exceeded the effect of other well-accepted risk factors such as obesity.

"There is robust evidence that social isolation and loneliness significantly increase risk for premature mortality, and the magnitude of the risk exceeds that of many leading health indicators," said Holt-Lunstad.
New research has discovered people using the popular dating app Tinder have been found to have more issues with self-esteem and body image.

The study conducted by a team at the University of Rhode Island examined 820 Tinder users. The participants were college students, which included 700 females and 120 males.

The team found that both males and females experienced negative moods compared with those who have not used the app. They also felt under pressure to look a certain way.

While this is the new age way of finding a partner, lead author of the study Jessica Strubel told Live Science "there are some psychological ramifications to using these kind of apps. She urges users not to go on there looking for validation.

Strubel also believes that Tinder is not the cause for lower self-esteem, but does believe people having existing issues over their self-image are drawn to such apps.
She has been with her boyfriend for four years but they never tried for a child (Photo: AFP)

Finding out about a pregnancy can give way to a lot of different reactions but it can be shocking beyond description when one has been thinking of it as something else the entire time. Of all things, mistaking a baby for an illness seems to be one bizarre error in judgment.

A woman from UK was baffled among other things after she gave birth to a baby boy since she only discovered 24 hours earlier that what she perceived as a kidney infection for several months was actually a full term baby. Katie OBrein said that she didnt feel the boy move nor was there a baby bump in nine months.

Katie has been with her boyfriend for four years but they havent been trying for a baby. When she visited the doctor after pain below her right hip, she was asked to give a urine sample for what the GP thought of as a kidney infection.

Katie was shocked when she received a call from the receptionist saying that the doctor thought she might be pregnant, and within 24 hours gave birth to a baby boy the couple decided to name Tristan.

Recently a woman who looked heavily pregnant turned out to have the worlds biggest uterine tumour weighing 32 kg.
The researchers proposed this idea for coastal areas with persistently low hanging marine clouds, which can easily catch the salt from the sea water (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: To slow down carbon dioxide from heating up the earth, geo scientists have proposed a new engineering method to manually brighten marine clouds in coastal areas.

In a research by University of Washington, scientists have proposed to replicate the effect that polluting aerosols have on clouds by using the sea water.

The researchers proposed this idea for coastal areas with persistently low hanging marine clouds, which can easily catch the salt from the sea water. In order to take the salt to the clouds, a device that would make the sea water sprinkle up into the sky as micro droplets would be placed in the sea. The research noted that the salt from these microdroplets would act as aerosols and build brighter clouds.

Scientists have a mixed response to this new technique. The geo engineering has enormous amount of uncertainty as it can alter the rainfall patterns, said Professor G Bala of Centre of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, IISC Bangalore. The aerosol-filled clouds always have the uncertainty in terms of the amount of rainfalls they would bring to the area. This new proposal comes in chain with an array of other proposals to beat the climate change with the earliest being putting up mirrors in the space to reflect the sunlight.

It is a dangerous to experiment with the nat-ure by not fully knowing the consequences. Every technology has unintended consequences, said retired Professor Babu Rao of IICT.

Modelling studies have shown that once such geoengineering is stopped after the earth cools down, the temperatures would rise again. Thus, a permanent solution would be to reduce greenhouse gas emission, said Dr Arindham from IISC.
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the BJP is hatching a conspiracy to shield the Haryana state chief's son, who harassed and stalked an IAS officer's daughter in an alleged inebriated state in Chandigarh. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The Congress party on Monday cornered Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Chandigarh stalking incident and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of putting pressure on Chandigarh administration to protect the son of Haryana BJP Chief Subhash Barala.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the BJP is hatching a conspiracy to shield the Haryana state chief's son, who harassed and stalked an IAS officer's daughter in an alleged inebriated state in Chandigarh.

"This is extremely clear that BJP is putting pressure on Chandigarh administration and hatching a conspiracy to protect the son of its political leader. May we ask on behalf of people of India if drunken youth, goons chase a girl for seven kilometers, attempt to block her car and forcibly open the door and try to enter the car, is it not a case of abduction and outraging the modesty of a woman? Why have these offences not been lodged? The Prime Minister and chief minister must answer these questions to the people of the country," Surjewala said.

As the CCTV footage of five cameras have reportedly gone missing, Surjewala said, "Now new things have come out that five out of seven CCTV cameras were non functional. How have they suddenly become non functional? We have lost the importance piece of evidence."

Congress leader Tom Vadakkan also highlighted that the stalking incident has raised questions over the existence of campaign 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao'.

"The state of Haryana and its campaign Beti Bachao Beti Padhao has fallen flat. A young girl was stalked in the capital city of Chandigarh. It is sad. If this is what Beti Bachao Beti Padhao is, then false campaigning must be immediately withdrawn," he said.

He further said that Chandigarh police is diluting the matter under the pressure of the BJP.

Vikas Barala was arrested on Saturday on the charges of stalking and harassing the IAS officer's daughter in Chandigarh. He was, however, granted bail on the same day.

A case was registered by the Chandigarh Police against Vikas and the other youth under Section 354 D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 185 (Motor Vehicle Act) of the CRPC on the basis of the complaint filed by the woman.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar assured that Vikas will be punished once found guilty.

"I have complete faith on the Chandigarh Police. Justice will prevail. The accused will be punished once found guilty. This is my official stand on this matter. This case has nothing to do with Subhash Barala. Such act is highly condemnable if proved correct," the Chief Minister told the media in New Delhi.

Narrating the horrific ordeal, the girl, who is the daughter of an IAS officer, said she was lucky for not being the daughter of a common man.

"I'm lucky, it seems, to not be the daughter of a common man, because what chance would they have against such VIPs? I'm also lucky, because I'm not lying raped and murdered in a ditch somewhere," the woman wrote in a Facebook post, pointing out that the two men she accused of perturbing her "are from influential families with political connections".
BEST worker's union called for a bus strike to press for their demands. (Representational Image)

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport or BEST worker's union decided to go ahead with the bus strike from Sunday midnight to press for their demands, including timely payment of salaries.

The bus strike would put citizens to inconvenience as 'Raksha Bandhan' is being celebrated on Monday.

The BEST employees and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation or BMC have been at the loggerheads for the past few days over several issues, including irregular payment of salary.

The BEST employees' union led by Shashank Rao, which claims to have support of 16,500 workers, said on Sunday, "We wanted a written assurance from the BMC administration but they did not give it. Now, we have decided not to report to duty from midnight. No bus will run tomorrow."

The Maharashtra government has warned of invoking Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act or MESMA, 2011 against the employees who go on strike.

"We want a solution and it lies with the BMC, which says BEST employees are its own. BEST employees should get all the facilities that a BMC employee gets. We want a letter from the the civic commissioner admitting that BEST is very much part of BMC," he said.

The union had already announced that it would go on strike from August 7, which prompted the civic administration to hold an urgent meeting today and hold talks with the various unions of the BEST.

Around nine unions of the BEST formed an action committee, which has been holding talks with the administration.

Even Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tried to intervene in the matter this afternoon, though it failed to resolve the issue. The last meeting with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was also failed to satisfy the union, which is why it decided to go ahead with the strike.

There are over 35,000 employees working in the transport section of the BEST.

"In the last 12 years, the BEST fleet has gone up, but number of commuters is now less than 30 lakh, which was earlier over 40 lakh," a BEST official said.

BEST general manager Surendrakumar Bagade said, "We have agreed to make payment to our employees before August 10.

Similarly, BEST will pay the salary by 10th of every month. We have taken this decision irrespective of the financial crisis BEST is facing."
Senior Congress Leader Ahmed Patel contesting for Rajya Sabha poll from Gujarat said, 'I am going to win and BJP's one candidate will lose'. (Photo: File | PTI)

Ahmedabad (Gujarat): Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, who is contesting for a Rajya Sabha seat from Gujarat, on Monday said he trusts his party MLAs commitment, adding he will definitely win the elections by defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"I trust my MLAs completely. Our MLAs are very committed as they did not leave even their homes on the occasion of Rakshabandhan, although we were keen to make every possible arrangement. They are not ready to go anywhere because they want to cast their votes first. I am going to win and BJP's one candidate will lose," Patel told media.

He added that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has also announced its support towards him.

"The BJP not only wants a Congress free India, but they want to remove the SC and ST reservations and wants a minority free House," Patel said.

Meanwhile, the NCP on Monday said it will support Congress in the Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat.

Talking to ANI, NCP leader Majeed Memon said their party president Sharad Pawar has made it extremely loud and clear that they are going to support Congress candidate Ahmed Patel, who is contesting for a Rajya Sabha seat.

However, earlier in the day, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani expressed confidence that the BJP will win all three seats and Congress' Ahmed Patel will lose in the upcoming Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections.

"The BJP will win three seats and Ahmed Patel will definitely lose," he told the media.

He further said at a time when people are dying due to floods, the Congress MLAs are hiding in resort.

At least 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs were camping at a resort in Bengaluru since July 29 to prevent their possible poaching by the ruling BJP ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections.

"People are dying in flood and MLAs are enjoying in resort. Their (Congress) MLAs are not under their control. They don't trust them," he added.

All the Gujarat Congress MLAs returned back to the state earlier on Monday.

All the MLAs were holed in to Bengaluru's Eagleton Resort, after six of the Gujarat Congress MLAs quit the party and joined the BJP.

As soon as the MLAs landed at the state capital they were taken to the Neejanand Resort in Gujarat's Anand district, located 77 km from Ahmedabad.

The Gujarat Rajya Sabha election is slated to be held on Tuesday for three seats.

The BJP has fielded party president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Balwantsinh Rajput against Congress' Ahmed Patel.
Varnika Kundu accused Vikas Barala, son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala, and his friend Ashish Kumar of stalking her through the streets of Chandigarh. (Photo: Screengrab | Twitter)

New Delhi: An IAS officer on his Facebook post, on Monday, praised his daughter and said he was "proud" of her for taking on the "worst form of chauvinism" in society.

"We will never back out and fight till the end," he added.

29-year-old Varnika Kundu was harassed and stalked by Vikas Barala, a Haryana BJP leader's son in Chandigarh, in the wee hours of Saturday.

IAS officer Virender acknowledged on his post that the "difficulties" he might face in fighting this case is nothing in comparison with what his daughter Varnika has to deal with.

"You have chosen to take on the worst form of chauvinism manifested in our society. My difficulties on account of this decision are nothing compared to yours," wrote Kundu.

"Our target is to ensure that the guilty are brought to book. They are adult men, students of law, who are fully aware of the consequences of their actions, and hence must be appropriately punished for their offences committed," he said.

Virender's daughter had alleged that Haryana BJP chiefs son Vikas Barala and his friend harassed and chased her while she was driving alone, on her way home on Saturday. She alleged that they even tried to open the door of her car.

Vikas and his friend were arrested after she filed a complaint with the police soon after the incident took place. Medical reports have confirmed that the accused were inebriated at the time of the incident, officials said.

Praising the Chandigarh Police for its swift actions, the father said, "We firmly believe that after 70 years of Independence and democracy, the legal system of our country is mature and geared up to deliver justice."

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, on Sunday, assured justice to the victim and said, action will be taken against the accused if proven guilty.

"I came to know about this incident. Chandigarh Police has filed the complaint and I believe they will take appropriate action. This matter is not related with Subhash Barala but with an individual. So action would be taken against his son," Khattar said.

Later on Sunday, the Congress accused the BJP government in Haryana of protecting Vikas from punishment.

On an earlier Facebook post, Virender had narrated the incident in detail.

He wrote: "As a father of two daughters, I feel compelled to take this matter to its logical conclusion. The goons must be punished, and the law must take its course. As would be expected, the goons are from influential families."

Following this, on Monday, he took to social media and added, "the criminals must be punished."
The health of the girl deteriorated following the surgery, she was shifted to another hospital where she was declared brought dead. (Representational Image | Youtube)

Hyderabad: A 19-year-old girl died at a private hospital in Hyderabad after she underwent a surgery for aborting her pregnancy, a police official said on Monday.

The engineering student, who was about five months pregnant, was admitted to the hospital on Sunday night by her boyfriend for abortion, he said.

However, after her health deteriorated following the surgery, she was shifted to another hospital where she was declared brought dead, the official said.

The girl's father lodged a complaint with police alleging negligence on part of the doctors during surgery leading to her death, Vanasthalipuram police station's inspector S Murali Krishna said.

The police have registered a case under relevant IPC sections for causing miscarriage, death caused by act done with an intent to cause miscarriage and cheating, he said.

As per preliminary investigation, the girl had a physical relationship with a photographer, he said.

The police are questioning the doctor of the hospital where the surgery was conducted and the deceased's boyfriend, the official added.
Karnataka minister Shivakumar was summoned for questioning under Section 131 of the Income Tax Act. (Photo: File)

Bengaluru: The Income Tax Department on Monday questioned Karnataka Energy Minister D K Shivakumar for almost four hours in connection with the raids conducted at his various addresses.

Shivakumar first came under I-T departments net when his home and resort in Bengaluru were raided on August 2.

After coming out of I-T department's office, Shivakumar did not divulge much details and told reporters that "I have done all that they have said. I was taken care of and the hospitability was also good."

Earlier on Monday, Shivakumar arrived at the income tax office located on Queens Road at around 11.30 am for questioning. The minister was summoned to the questioning under Section 131 of the Income Tax Act.

Though the income tax department is yet to issue an official statement on the amount retrieved from the more than 60 locations that it raided across the country and which were allegedly linked to Shivakumar, his family and his associates, media has quoted sources in the income tax department, as saying that allegedly over Rs 300 crore in "undisclosed income" has been retrieved.

Raids were undertaken between last Wednesday and Saturday.

The opposition has claimed the raids on Shivakumar to be politically motivated. Tax officials, however, have denied the charge, saying the timing of their raids had nothing to do with the presence of Gujarat MLAs at the Eagleton Resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

The raids were conducted at a time when 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs were lodged at Shivakumar's Eagleton Resort near Bengaluru in a Congress party attempt to thwart horse-trading ahead of Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat.
Average retail gasoline prices in Chattanooga have risen 4.3 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.05 per gallon on Sunday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 170 gas outlets in Chattanooga. This compares with the national average that has increased 2.1 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.33/g, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.

Including the change in gas prices in Chattanooga during the past week, prices on Sunday were 26.6 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 15.6 cents per gallon higher than a month ago.

According to GasBuddy historical data, gasoline prices on August 7 in Chattanooga have ranged widely over the last five years:

$1.79 per gallon in 2016, $2.21 in 2015, $3.12 in 2014, $3.30 in 2013 and $3.35 in 2012.

Areas near Chattanooga and their current gas price climate:

Knoxville- $2.13, up 8.7 cents per gallon from last week's $2.04.

State of Tennessee- $2.13, up 5.7 cents per gallon from last week's $2.07.

Huntsville- $2.08, up 5.5 cents per gallon from last week's $2.03.

"For the third straight week, gasoline prices have accelerated with the national average at its highest level in over eight weeks, driven by rising oil prices as inventories continue to tighten and concern over Venezuela lingers," said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy. "Looking behind us however, gas prices have remained in a relatively tight range for the last year, staying within a 30 cent wide range. While we're likely to see gas prices continuing to move higher in the week ahead as they catch up to oil, we're unlikely to break out of the well-established rut in the national average which has kept prices between $2.12 and $2.42 for the last 15 months."
Another BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Kerala, under the present government, has become a safe house for violence-loving elements. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Launching an attack on the Communist Party of India (Marxist) over the political violence in the state, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday labelled the Left as the "Communist Party of Murderers."

BJP leader GVL Narsimha Rao accused "architect" Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of shielding and patronising the CPM cadres involved in murders.

"CPM has actually being functioning as Communist Party of Murderers. And there has not been any governance for that. Last 13 months our cadres, the BJP, RSS cadres have been killed in a very gruesome, barbaric and a violent manner. The people of this country know the real face of the communist party. The real face of CPM and its Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was the architect of violence in the Kannur district, which is the epicentre of all such violence," Rao said.

"So, today rather than functioning as the CM of Kerala, he is functioning more like a chief murderer for the Communist Party in Kerala. This is highly condemnable," he added.

Echoing similar sentiments, another BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Kerala, under the present government, has become a safe house for violence-loving elements.

"Kerala has become a safe house for such people. This has become so under the present government. Both the houses expressed concerns and discussed about this issue in Kerala. We also told the Kerala government that whoever is the perpetrator action should be taken against them," he said.

On Sunday, condemning attacks on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members in Kerala, Union Minister Arun Jaitley said that the state government needs to have a hold on its own cadres rather than letting them loose on the opposition party leaders.

"This sort of attacks on political leaders has never happened in the past. Political will and determination by the state government is needed to discipline its own cadres rather than let them loose on political opponents. It is predominantly state government's responsibility to ensure peace restoration," Jaitley said while addressing a press conference after meeting the grieving family of the slain RSS worker.

A series of clashes between CPM and BJP-RSS activists had rocked Thiruvananthapuram last month in which the 34-year-old RSS worker was murdered in Kozhikode.

Earlier, the RSS urged the central and state government to take strict action towards bringing this series of murders to an end in Kerala.

RSS also passed a resolution in RSS Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal meet regarding these attacks on the RSS by CPM cadres in the state.

Eight suspects were detained in connection with the murder.

Earlier, Vijayan condemned the murder and called for an all-party meeting on August 6 regarding the same.

He said that party offices and workers' houses can't be attacked and political parties should be more vigilant and ask workers to keep away from such incidents.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had called on Vijayan to nab the perpetrators and bring them to justice expeditiously.

He even requested the Chief Minister to curb the political violence in the state and said, "I expect that the political violence in Kerala is curbed and that the perpetrators are brought to justice expeditiously."

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on July 4 issued notice to the Kerala Government over growing incidents of political violence in the state and sought a report on the issue within four weeks.

The Commission also asked the state Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to take effective measures to stop such incidents.
Patkar, the founder of the 'Narmada Bachao Andolan', and her associates had launched the fast on July 27, demanding "proper" rehabilitation and resettlement of those affected by the Sardar Sarovar Project. (Photo: File | ANI)

Bhopal: Social activist Medha Patkar and 11 others were taken by the police to hospitals from Chikhalda village of Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district on Monday, where they have been sitting on an indefinite fast since last 12 days.

Patkar, the founder of the 'Narmada Bachao Andolan', and her associates had launched the fast on July 27, demanding "proper" rehabilitation and resettlement of those affected by the Sardar Sarovar Project.

All of them, including Patkar, were taken to hospitals by the administration as their health was deteriorating, Indore Division's Commissioner Sanjay Dube said without disclosing which hospitals.

They were taken in different ambulances, he said, adding six policemen suffered injuries in the process.

Thousands of families along the Narmada river in MP's Barwani, Dhar, Alirajpur and Khargone districts are at risk of getting displaced with the closing of gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in neighbouring Gujarat and the resultant rise in

water level in its catchment area.

The Centre recently gave the nod for closing the gates.

The water level in the catchment area reached 121.90 metres on Monday, nearing the danger mark set at 123 metres.

The dam is likely to be filled to its capacity by August-end.

On Sunday, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti had urged 62-year-old Patkar to end the hunger strike while expressing concern over her health.

Patkar, in response, had urged the minister to support her in saving Narmada river.
In a raid that has stirred a political controversy, the IT department, on August 2, began raiding various properties linked to Shivakumar, who hosted 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs at a resort on the city outskirts, to thwart the "poaching" attempts by the BJP ahead of Tuesday's Rajya Sabha polls.

Bengaluru: A day after the Directorate General of Income Tax (Investigation), Karnataka & Goa issued summons to Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar, he appeared before the IT sleuths on Monday at around 12.30pm. The minister was grilled for close to three hours Shivakumar, who appeared along with his brother and Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh, said officials could summon him again, whenever required.

The Income Tax authorities have every right to summon and question any assesse, businessman or individual. I have come here several times earlier also. They had asked me to appear anytime after 11 am, so I have come here, he said.

He added that the IT officials discussed his earlier statement, treated him "very respectfully". "They are guiding me for my good," said Shivakumar.

He added that the officials did not ask him to come tomorrow or the day after but would inform him whenever his presence was required.

In a raid that has stirred a political controversy, the IT department, on August 2, began raiding various properties linked to Shivakumar, who hosted 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs at a resort on the city outskirts, to thwart the "poaching" attempts by the BJP ahead of Tuesday's Rajya Sabha polls. Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, is a contestant in the election to the Upper House of Parliament from Gujarat.

Astrologer Dwaraka nath and MLC S. Ravi, considered close to the minister, also appeared before the IT officials for questioning Monday.

During IT raids at some 66 places across the country, officials said they had seized cash and jewellery, worth over Rs 15 crore.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has directed officials to filter all land records and make public the details on who owns which parcel of land.

For this, Mr Rao wanted officials to conduct a special drive all over the state for survey and settlement. He said all land transactions, both sale and purchase, should be done in a transparent way.

He wanted pattadar pass books and pahani documents to be simplified to put an end to confusion over ownership. Land transactions and records should be maintained in a transparent manner like bank transactions, he noted.

He also asked officials to prepare an action plan to implement survey settlement with village as a unit and launch the survey as early as possible. He was speaking at a review meeting on the issue at Pragati Bhavan with senior officials on Monday.

Officials told Mr Rao that except during the Nizams rule in 1936, land records were never scrutinised nor filtered and this was causing several disputes, issues and difficulties.

They said land disputes were becoming a law and order problem. To put an end to the land disputes, it was decided to survey the entire land with help from the Survey of India and other agencies.

From the next year, the government has decided to give `8,000 per acre in a year to farmers. For this purpose the agriculture department has conducted a survey in the villages. The data collected by the agriculture department is not matching with the revenue records, the Chief Minister said.

If the agriculture department says there are 300 farmers in a particular village, the revenue records showed it as 1,100. Who will the government give money to? If the assistance is given to people without any accountability and denying eligible farmers, it will become a scam. Prepare details on 2.70 crore acres in the state, he said.

Survey should be conducted in 10,850 revenue villages. Conduct the survey for 15 days in each village. Give new passbooks after the survey. Give a unique identity number for each parcel of land. If need be, put border stones to the lands, Mr Rao said.

He said the details available at the village level should be the same as with the CCLA.

In case of any change, it should be reflected at all levels online. Like the instant messages one gets while withdrawing cash from an ATM and the same is modified in the bank records, land records should also have such facility. Use the technology being used by the banks, the Chief Minister said.
New Delhi: Despite the Sino-Indian military tensions amid the Doklam standoff, China is pitching for a successful Brics summit in the Chinese city of Xiamen next month, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be present, on the grounds that its in the interests of all nations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping had attended the Brics summit in Goa last year. At an informal Brics meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hamburg last month, Mr Modi was quoted as saying last month: Under President Xis chairmanship, the progress and positive momentum of Brics has further deepened our cooperation. Mr Xi had also appreciated the momentum of Brics during Indias chairmanship.

The successful holding of the summit is in the interests of all nations, diplomatic sources said in New Delhi. China appears to be trying its best to delink the Doklam standoff from the multilateral Brics forum and summit that it will host.

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are members of Brics. Whether the Doklam standoff will be resolved by the time the Brics summit takes place will be keenly watched in view of Mr Modis expected visit.

China has lambasted India over the past weeks, demanding the withdrawal of Indian troops from Doklam.

Indian and Chinese troops have been involved in a seven-week faceoff at Doklam, which India and Bhutan consider Bhutanese territory.

China, however, regards it as its own territory. China has maintained that there cannot be any room for discussion except that India withdraws its troops, and that New Delhi should not resort to any stalling tactics.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said that people were divided in their views on the GST slabs, because of which the Centre was receiving objections over a month after it came into force.

He said that the success of the GST would depend on how well the concerns were addressed by the Centre. He said several countries tried to implement the GST but had to retract due to problems.

Mr Rao spoke about the GST at a meeting held in Pragathi Bhavan on Monday. His comments are significant against the backdrop of his decision to approach the Supreme Court to prevent the imposition of GST on the work contracts of projects launched prior to the GST regime.

Mr Rao has been asking the Centre to announce exemptions or reduce the GST rates applicable to projects of public importance such as Mission Bhagiratha, Mission Kakatiya, the 2BHK housing scheme, irrigation and power projects. He has decided to write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on these issues and adopt a legal course of action based on the Prime Ministers response. Mr Rao will hold a meeting with high-level ministers and officials, on Tuesday, to discuss the impact of GST on the work contracts before he finalises the contents of his letter to Mr Modi.

On Sunday, Mr Rao discussed the issue with officials over the course of several hours and estimated that the TS government would face an additional burden of nearly Rs 19,500 crore on account of the imposition of GST on ongoing projects.

Speaking about irrigation, he said that there was plenty of water available in the Godavari and the Krishna, which, if utilised properly, would benefit both TS and Andhra Pradesh.
Commuters try to shield themselves from the unexpected shower in Hyderabad.

Hyderabad: Commuters were caught unawares by a sudden spell of rain on the Osmania University campus on Monday.

The Met department recorded 2.6 cm of rain at Quthbullapur, 1.8 cm at Ramachandrapuram and 1.5 cm at Golconda.

The weather bureau said the rainfall was caused by a trough extending from Chhattisgarh to coastal Tamil Nadu across north Telangana and the AP coast.

It is expected that the trough would revive the monsoon rain. The forecast for the state from August 8 to 12 is light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorms at a few places in the state.

Mainly dry and humid weather conditions prevailed over the state and the temperatures are expected to dip due to the rain. As of Sunday, the state faced a 14 per cent deficit in rainfall.
Hyderabad: TD working president A. Revanth Reddy has charged Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao with indulging a drama on the GST issue only to get himself cleared from CBI cases.

Mr Revanth Reddy, who was speaking to mediapersons along with TD leaders, alleged that Mr Chandrasekhar Rao while he was Union labour minister in the UPA regime was involved in scams related the construction of an ESI hospital. The CBI had filed a case against him in 2011, he claimed.

He alleged that officials who worked with Mr Chandrasekhar Rao at that time had turned approver before the CBI and informed that they had cooperated with contractor E. Suryana-rayana on the instructions of Mr Chandrasekhar Rao.

He said CBI officials had visited Hyderabad thrice in 2015 and inquired with the Chief Minister. He releasing news clippings that appeared in the national media.

He said the CBI was also investigating into Mr Chandrasekhar Raos decision to exempt Sahara India from depositing the management share of Provident Fund into the employees account.

He leader said these two CBI cases were serious and fearing this Mr Chandrasekhar Rao had started supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in all his decisions.

Now, he is enacting a drama of approaching Supreme Court on the 12 per cent GST, he said.
Hyderabad: The much-talked-about Special Courts Act, 2016 of the AP government, that was allegedly brought in to confiscate Opposition leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddys assets, cannot actually be applied in his cases.

Legal experts and government officials say it can be used only in disproportionate assets cases booked under Section 13 (1) (e) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, to confiscate properties of public servants. It is not applicable to other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

A senior legal expert of the AP government, said, The Act has been notified and it is ready for implementation. We have written to the High Court to designate certain courts under the Act. The Act is aimed at speedy disposal of cases of confiscation of properties of corrupt officials involved in disproportionate assets cases only under section 13(1) (e) of the PC Act.

After the Bill was passed in the AP Legislative Assembly, the finance and legislative affairs minister, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, had said that the Act will be used to confiscate the properties of Mr Reddy.

Mr Reddy is facing charges of quid pro quo investments in several cases. Even cases against public servants like IAS officers in Mr Reddys case, are under section 9 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and other sections, and the Special Courts Act is not applicable here either.

The allegation against Mr Reddy is that he influenced his father, late Chief Minister Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, to favour certain companies and individuals, and the latter in return invested in Mr Reddys companies. This does not constitute a disproportionate assets case. Advocates representing Mr Reddy said that even other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act are not applicable to him as he was not a public servant when the alleged offence took place.

Section 13(1) has three conditions: the accused should own assets, which cannot possibly be acquired by their legal sources of income; should be holding a public office; be unable to explain how they came to own these assets.

On the other hand, the Enforcement Directorate has already attached the properties of Mr Reddy under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Hyderabad: The Telangana State, which is struggling to attach the properties of corrupt officials, needs stringent legislation on the lines of Andhra Pradesh, to confiscate ill-gotten wealth instead of just attachment of the assets. The AP Special Courts Act 2016 enables the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to file pleas in the designated courts for confiscation of properties, where the property can be put to public use, or be auctioned before the trial.

In Telangana, ACB officials still struggle with the British-era Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance 1944 to attach properties. Under this law, property can be confiscated only after conviction of the accused, which takes an average of 10 years, till the trial is over. Moreover, in the case of attachment, properties can be still used by the accused.

In addition to the lack of a Special Courts Act, vigilance wings of various government departments in Telangana delay replying to the requests of the Anti Corruption Bureau to issue authorisation for filing pleas in ACB courts, seeking attachment of properties of corrupt officials, and permission to prosecute.

A source in the TS ACB said that in 2017, around eight attachment orders were issued. However, goir.telangana.gov.in, the official website of the Telangana government, shows that no government order to this effect has been issued in 2017.

The source said, In 2016, we booked 12 DA cases and in 2017 we have booked around 10 DA cases so far. Attachment orders have been issued for eight cases so far and are under process in eight other cases. We are awaiting authorisation from the departments. We are yet to send in six other cases.

In neighbouring AP, in 2017, according goir.ap.gov.in, around 13 attachment orders were issued by government departments under the Criminal Law Amendment ordinance 1944. AP will soon start using the Special Courts Act after the High Court designates courts for the purpose. In 2016, according to the ACB, around 50 DA cases were booked and this year, so far, 27 DA cases have been booked in AP, though attachments were not done in all the cases.

Legal experts and police officials point to not only the corrupt babu-friendly attitude of vigilance wings of various government departments, but also to the lack of a proper law in Telangana to penalise erring government officials.

A senior police officer said, It is easy for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to attach properties under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The CBI usually transfers all the cases to the ED for attachment. State agencies can also transfer corruption cases to the ED. However, the ED is overburdened with the number of cases and so states have to find their own way. He said that the Criminal Law Amendment Act is complicated, the procedure difficult, and the process cumbersome. TS needs an act similar to the Special Courts Act in AP, which is one step ahead of attachment where properties can be confiscated pre-trial, he added.

According to the Special Courts Act 2016, authorisation is needed from the government for filing plea for confiscation. Special designated courts can order confiscation and government takes control of the property and uses it for public purpose or auctions them.

If the case ends in an ultimate acquittal, the property will be returned, or the money from the auction will be refunded. But in attachment under the PMLA or Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance 1944, the properties cant be alienated and it will still be in the possession of the owner and can be confiscated only after he is convicted.

Former IFS official Padmanabha Reddy, who has been fighting for quicker prosecution and attachment of properties in ACB cases, said that there are cases where the attachment process has been pending for around 10 years.

Forum for Good Governance has given a series of suggestions to the government earlier where we have asked for a one-month cap for issuing prosecution orders and compulsory attachment of properties in DA cases till the case is disposed of. The case shall be disposed of in at least three years against the current average of court trial of 10 to 15 years in ACB cases, he said.

Describing the manner in which cases are delayed, Mr Reddy said, When the ACB seeks prosecution, the section officer submits a twisted note, which results in sending the case to the Tribunal For Departmental Proceedings instead of to the criminal trial in the court. The tribunal has neither a legal officer nor supporting staff. There are cases which are pending with the tribunal for the past seven to eight years. Command Area Development Authority Irrigation engineers form the biggest group booked. under disproportionate assets cases."

According to the rules, the percentage of disproportionate assets of the accused officer has to be above 20 per cent margin otherwise the case will be treated as void. But even in cases where the margin is above 20 per cent, the attachment orders are not issued.

Disproportionate assets cases

TS ACB 2016

Mar 3: Maloth Peer Singh, deputy executive engineer, Circle-XII, GHMC: Assets Rs 2 cr, MV Rs 7 cr.

April 4: Dugni Venkateshwarlu, AMVI, Medchal: Rs 3 cr assets, MV Rs 6 cr.

Apr 6: D. Janardhan Mahesh, section officer, town planning, GHMC Circle-18: Rs 3 crore assets, MV Rs 6 cr.

Apr 20: Dugni Venkateshwarlu, AMVI, Medchal: Rs 3 cr asets; MV Rs 6 cr.

May 5: Velpula Krupadanam, sanitary supervisor, GHMC North Zone: Rs 3 cr assets.

May 10: C. Vijay Kumar, Tax, inspector, Circle XIV, GHMC: Rs 1.5 cr assets, MV Rs 5 cr.

June 6: M. Vijai Kumar, director, boilers department: Rs 3 cr assets, MV Rs 12 cr.

Aug. 5: A. Santosh Venu, assistant city planner, town planning, GHMC Khairatabad: Rs 4 cr asets, MV Rs 10 cr.

Sep. 20: Gujja Venkteshwar Reddy, veterinary assistant surgeon, veterinary dispensary, Kistareddypet: Rs 2.25 cr assets.

Oct. 10: Madapa Narsimha Reddy, bill collector, GHMC taxation, Abids: Rs 3 cr assets, MV Rs 6 crore.

Telangana 2017

Jan. 11: Mittakolla Chandramouli, mandal parishad development officer, Khanpur, Warangal Urban: Rs 1.23 cr assets, MV Rs 6 cr.

Feb. 7: Md. Gouse Pasha, motor vehicle inspector, Bhadradri, Kothagudem: Rs 3.45 cr assets, MV Rs 10 cr.

Apr. 7: April 7: Bobbala Mohan Reddy, ASI, Karimnagar: Rs 1.86 cr

assets

June 13: Rachakonda Srinivasa Rao, sub-registrar, Kukatpally: Rs 20 crore assets.

June 14: Mohammad Yousuf, sub-registrar, Balanagar, Hyderabad: Rs 4.5 cr assets.

June 15: T.V. Ramesh Chandar Reddy, sub-registrar Medchal: Rs 5 cr assets.

July 7: Gopu Sudhakar Reddy, assistant director, mines and geology, Suryapet: Rs 3.6 cr assets.

July 13: ukkamula Venkanna, deputy chief inspector of factories, Ranga Reddy: Rs 3.25 cr assets

July 28: 2014 pertaining to Guguloth Hamsa Reddy, superintending

engineer, R&B, Adilabad.

Apr. 21: 2014 case pertaining to Engala Ramchander, town planning building overseer, GHMC Circle-3.

July 12: 2014 case pertaining to Padala Sathaiah, junior accounts officer, northern discom, Nizamabad.

Disproportionate assets cases where attachment orders were issued

AP- 2017

Mar 15: Kancharla Vijaya Sagar Babu, deputy commissioner of endowments; Properties Rs 3.69 cr.

Bangarupalem Tangavelu, tonsurer, Kalyanakatta Complex, Tirumala; properties worth Rs 1.05 cr.

Mudusuru Narendra @ M. Narendra Reddy, superintendent, establishment section (recruitment), TTD, Tirupati: Properties worth Rs 98.49 lakh.

Mar 24: Dayam Peda Ranga Rao, motor vehicles inspector, Itchapuram; Value of properties unspecified.

Mar 27: Padarthi Venkata Seshu Babu, executive engineer, Nandyal; Properties worth Rs 1.38 cr.

Apr. 27: Subhas Chandara Patro, deputy executive engineer, R&B, Visakhapatnam: Properties worth Rs 3.85 crore

May 8: Chittiprolu Ramakoti Lingeswara Rao, superintending engineer in Dr Narla Tata Rao Thermal Power Station, Ibrahimpatnam: Properties worth Rs 94.94 lakh.

May 22: Chensani Venkata Narayana Reddy, formerly CTO, border CT Check Post, Itchapuram, now CTO, Parvathipuram, Vizianagaram district; Value of properties unspecified.

May 27: Mummana Rajeswara Rao, deputy inspector of survey, Urban Land Ceiling, Maharanipeta, Visakhapatnam; Properties worth Rs 1.86 cr

June 12: Billa Sanjeevaiah, former sub-registrar, Bheemunipatnam: Unspecified amount as GO is empty on goir.ap.gov.in.

Jun 19: Vangapandu Venkata Satyanarayana, deputy executive engineer, municipal Corporation, Eluru; Properties worth Rs 1.01 cr.

July 6: Vibhuthi Suresh, head master, Salvation Army Aided Primary School, Kanaparthpadu; Nellore district; properties worth Rs 92.47 lakh, orders cancelled the same day
The Shaking Ray Levi Society will present David Greenberger and Prime Lens: "My Thoughts Approximately" CD release shows on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 18 and 19. For both nights the doors will open at 7:30 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m.

The events will be held at Wayne-O-Rama at 1800 Rossville Ave., #108. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door and available here.

Review for David Greenberger and Prime Lens: "My Thoughts Approximately":

David Greenberger and Prime Lens will present live performances featuring the monologues of the Duplex Planet publisher and NPR contributor combined with the musical compositions of long time collaborator Bob Stagner, double bassist Evan Lipson, and keyboardist Tyson Rogers, in celebration of the release of their new CD "My Thoughts Approximately."



Dennis Palmer of the Shaking Ray Levis died quietly in his sleep, succumbing to heart problems that had been shadowing him for a couple decades. Working with co-founder and drummer Bob Stagner, and David Greenberger, they had just completed a new album, "Tramps That Go Think in the Night" on the tenth anniversary of their first collaboration, "Mayor of the Tennessee River." As part of a two-night concert event celebrating Mr. Palmers life and work in 2013, David and Bob were joined by bassist Evan Lipson and keyboardist Tyson Rogers for a performance.

They debuted their new ensemble, David Greenberger and Prime Lens, at the Big Ears Festival in 2014 (festival founder Ashley Capps dedicated the three day event to the memory of Palmer and Lou Reed). Since it was Dennis who had brought them together in the first place, and Prime Lens is an anagram of Dennis Palmer. "My Thoughts Approximately" draws on four decades of conversations David Greenberger has had with elderly in various cities and circumstances, which are the starting point for the 30 emotionally, rich, character driven monologues.

For two decades artist David Greenberger (best known for 32 years of his periodical, The Duplex Planet) has been exploring the ways in which music can be wedded to spoken monologues. His conversations with old people are the basis for the text he develops. He presents characters who still find pleasure in the company of others, and who open up, sometimes in very small ways, to someone taking an interest in them. This is Greenbergers art: eschewing oral history, abstracting dialogues by shaping them into works that resonate with shared humanity. Over the years he has worked with a range of musical collaborators, among them Terry Adams (NRBQ), David Hidalgo & Louie Perez (Los Lobos), Glenn Jones, Chris Corsano, Robyn Hitchcock, Wreckless Eric, 3 Leg Torso, Paul Cebar, and Birdsongs of the Mesozoic.

Bob Stagner has been a percussionist, teacher, speaker, and leader in arts advocacy for 30 years. He co-founded the duo the Shaking Ray Levis, as well as the Shaking Ray Levi Society, an arts education organization that supports emerging artists in performance, visual art, and film. Stagner is the Southeast director of the Rhythmic Arts Project providing music workshops for people with disabilities. He has performed and recorded with a wide range of musicians, including Derek Bailey, Rev. Howard Finster, Wayne White, Bob Dorough, Vassar Clements, June Carter Cash, Tony Oxley, Fred Frith, Amy Denio, Shelley Hirsch, Col. Bruce Hampton, John Zorn, and Roger Alan Wade (with whom he tours regularly).

Evan Lipson tours with Roughhousing (featuring Jack Wright and Zach Darrup). Past units include Normal Love, Satanized, Wrest, Dynamite Club, Psychotic Quartet, Femme Tops, and the Weasel Walter Trio. He has collaborated in performance and on recordings with, among others, Susan Alcorn, Mick Barr, Kath Bloom, Peter Evans, David Grubbs, Col. Bruce Hampton, Mary Halvorson, Konk Pack, Byard Lancaster, Pauline Oliveros, Jessica Pavone, Ruins (Yoshida Tatsuya), Shaking Ray Levis, Veryan Weston, Wolter Wierbos, Davey Williams, and Nate Wooley.

Tyson Rogers is a recording and touring musician and has toured extensively with bluesman Tony Joe White and country legend Don Williams, playing on his Grammy nominated duet with Alison Krauss, I Just Come Here for the Music. Tysons original music has been featured by National Geographic, The North Face, and Toms Shoes. His recordings have received critical acclaim, earning Best CDs of the Year by Downbeat magazine and others.

For more information visit the Facebook event page.






Lucknow: Even as the controversy on renaming the Mughalsarai railway station as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya railway station rages on, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is planning to include books on the life and times of its ideologue from Classes I to VIII.

These will be in the form of comic books and will illustrate the journey of the leader. Though it will not yet be a part of the curriculum, the books are to be read by all children.

Sources said, the books are being published by the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Sewa Pratishthan, an offshoot of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh.

The comic books are being printed in 14 languages and will be sent for distribution in all BJP-ruled states. The focus of the books will be on Ekatma Manavwad (integrated humanism) and some of the books will be a conversation between a teacher and his pupils. Through a question and answer session between the teacher and the students, the philosophy of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya will be explained. His philosophy would have taken India to greater heights if it had been adopted after Independence. It would have also strengthened our cultural roots, said a Sangh functionary. Comic books will mostly be for children in the primary classes to generate and sustain their interest while children in Classes IV and V may be quizzed on what they have learnt from the books, said officials.

Meanwhile, the Congress and the Samajwadi Party alleged that this was a clear attempt to saffronise education by the BJP government. Gandhi and Nehru are national heroes who played key roles in the freedom movement whereas Deen Dayal Upadhyaya is an ideologue. This move is to saffronise the thinking of the young generation, said a Congress leader .
Oshiwara Police have registered a case of accidental death and further investigation into the matter is underway. (Photo: File/Representational)

Mumbai: The decomposed body of a 63-year-old woman was found at her residence in Mumbai's suburban Andheri on Monday, a senior police official said.

The woman was identified as Asha Sahani, said the police.

"She had been living alone at her apartment in Lokhandwala Complex in Andheri after the death of her husband. Her only son, Rituraj, is a software engineer and stays in the US," the official said.

"Rituraj landed in Mumbai today. After he reached their house in Lokhandwala, he rang the door bell, but did not get any response from inside. Rituraj then called a key maker and got the door opened around 4.30 pm," the official said on Sunday.

The body was completely decomposed, the official said, adding that the exact cause and time of her death is yet to be ascertained.

Her body has been sent to hospital for post-mortem.

Oshiwara Police have registered a case of accidental death and further investigation into the matter is underway.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior BJP leader and Union finance and defence minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday alleged that Kerala witnessed a spurt in political violence whenever a Left Democratic Front (LDF) regime came to power and the onus on putting an end to the culture of violence lay with the state government. The state government must ensure that the perpetrators of such heinous crimes are brought to book and the police is expected to be fair, he said addressing a press meet here on Sunday. Mr Jaitley visited the home of slain RSS leader S.L. Rajesh at Sreeka-riyam here as directed by the central leadership of the RSS and the BJP. You have political opponents being killed here, he said.

Lets assume if this kind of political violence had taken place in a BJP or NDA-ruled state, what wouldve happened? Awards would have been returned, Parliament will not have been allowed to function and campaigns would be carried out within and outside country. Mr Jaitley said there are victims on both the sides, but denied RSS role in them. He, however, declined to answer a question whether the state had failed to maintain law and order or whether it should come under presidential rule.

He said the all-party meet, which was underway while he was addressing the press conference, to end the political violence, was a positive step. The minister said incidents of violence will not come to an end until and unless the police conducted a fair probe into such incidents. Pointing out that there were 89 wounds on Rajeshs body, the union defence minister said the barbaric act would have embarrassed even a terrorist. We will not forget this heinous act. I am here to express my solidarity on behalf of our party. The workers of Kerala are not alone, the whole nation is with you, Mr Jaitley said, referring to the brutal way Rajesh was killed. He reiterated that Kerala needs peace because it deserves peace, stability and democracy at its very best.

The buck stops with the ruling political party, Mr Jaitley said. Political will and determination by the state government is the need of the hour to discipline its own cadres rather than let them loose on political opponents. When asked if he would meet the family members of 21 victims from the CPM, the BJP leader said he would meet anyone who wanted to do so. Its my responsibility, he said. Mr Jaitley backed BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan when the medical college scam was brought to his notice. Recalling that a leader was expelled from the party, he said he complimented the state president and his team for taking immediate action against the leader. When a leader is caught for an impropriety in other parties, what normally happens is to suppress the controversy, he said. We have full confidence in the state president and I am sure they will take appropriate action in due course.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan maintained that the BJP-RSS men had unleashed violence in the state capital recently to deviate the attention from the medical college scam, the Congress-led UDF disrupted the Assembly on Monday alleging that the CPM triggered the violence as part of a political strategy to help the BJP revive from the embarrassment of the medical college and fake currency scams. The chief minister said that there were intelligence reports that the BJP would create law and order problems in the state to deviate the attention from the medical college scam. The attempt by the BJP-RSS to create a wrong perception about the state at the national level would not work, he said.

The Opposition alleged that the CPM triggered the violence to give advantage to the BJP-RSS as part of its political strategy to prevent anti-LDF votes going to the UDF. The BJP had lost its face after the medical college scam surfaced and the involvement of some of its activists in the fake currency case. But the violence involving a CPM councillor (I.P. Binu) and the murder of a BJP activist helped the BJP revive from the embarrassment. After the Speaker denied permission to an adjournment motion on the violence in the state capital, the Opposition disrupted the House by entering the well and shouting slogans. Subsequently, the House was adjourned for the daythe first day of the session.

Replying to the adjournment notice given by Congress leader K. Muraleedharan, the chief minister said that the BJPs propaganda of law and order breakdown in the state would also affect the investment prospects in the state. The police acted without any political bias and those accused in all major cases, including the murder of BJP activists, were arrested. All political parties also extended support at the all-party meeting initiated by the government. Earlier during question hour, he said that once the ongoing Vigilance probe into the medical college recognition scam involving BJP leaders was over, the government would decide whether to seek a probe by a central agency.

While the chief minister condemned the lynching incidents by the BJP Sangh Parivar activists across the nation as well as political violence in the state during the tenures of the previous UDF governments, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala hit back stating that the chief minister had ignored the murders of T.P. Chandrasekharan, Shukkoor and Aslam in which CPM leaders and activists were accused. It was unfortunate that the chief minister did not condemn the recent attack on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi though the Congress leaders had condemned the earlier attack on CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury. He also alleged that the CPM and the BJP were unleashing the violence as part of a mutual understanding to cover up their failures in the state and at the centre.

The Opposition also flayed the chief minister for meeting the Governor as soon as he was summoned. The way the chief minister sat before the Governor was a shame to the entire state, the Opposition Leader alleged. Mr Muraleedharan said that the BJP and the CPM were competing to increase the number of martyrs. He also flayed the chief minister for the rude behaviour towards mediapersons who had gone to cover a meeting of top leaders of the CPM, BJP and RSS. The Opposition shouted slogans in the House raising banners over the CPM-BJP violence as the session began.
Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan also informed that the internal probe report conducted by the BJP will also be considered by Vigilance investigation team. (Photo: PTI)

Trivandrum: Intelligence reports had earlier suggested that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might carry out attacks in some parts of the state to divert the attention from the party's medical college scam, said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

"The government had Intelligence reports that the BJP might carry out attacks in some parts of the state to divert the attention from BJP's medical college scam," Vijayan said in the Kerala Assembly.

Stressing on the same, Vijayan said the government took precautionary measures to control this and is ready to handover the case of the RSS worker's murder to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if necessary.

He also informed that the internal probe report conducted by the BJP will also be considered by Vigilance investigation team.

This comes amid chaos in the state over the killing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker.

Earlier on Sunday, Union Minister Arun Jaitley met the grieving family members of RSS worker Rajesh Edavakode, who was killed during political clash in Kozhikode.

Addressing a gathering after meeting Rajesh's kin, Jaitley condemned the dastardly attack and said, "even enemies would not be as brutal as those who are involved in the murder."

"I visited the family of our deceased karyakarta, who was slaughtered in the most barbaric manner...he was an ideal karyakarta..This kind of violence will neither suppress ideology in Kerala nor it will be able to scare our workers. It will only increase their determination to work harder against those who are perpetuating this operation," he added.

"He belonged to the weaker section of the society. Rajesh belonged to a poor family and now his family has no means of a livelihood. He was stabbed mercilessly and there were 70-80 wounds inflicted on his body, even enemies would not be as brutal as those involved in the murder. In the past few months party officers are being attacked, our workers are being attacked and their houses are being set ablaze," he added.

A series of clashes between CPM and BJP-RSS activists had rocked Thiruvananthapuram in July in which the 34-year-old RSS worker was murdered in Kozhikode.

Earlier, the RSS urged the Central and state government to take strict action towards bringing this series of murders to an end in Kerala.

"Centre must intervene in state sponsored violence in Kerala," said RSS Joint General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale

RSS also passed a resolution in RSS Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal meet regarding these attacks on the RSS by CPM cadres in the state.

Eight suspects were detained in connection with the murder.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on July 4 issued notice to Kerala government over growing incidents of political violence in the state and sought a report on the issue within four weeks.

The Commission also asked the State Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to take effective measures to stop such incidents.

As per reports, Kerala BJP general secretary MT Rameshs name figures in the report of the medical college scam.

It has been alleged that the owner of a medical college in Trivandrum district had paid Rs 5.60 crore as bribe to Kerala-based BJP leaders for influencing the Medical Council of India (MCI).
New Delhi: Ahead of the crucial Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat on Tuesday, both the Congress and the BJP are claiming to have the numbers. There are three Rajya Sabha vacancies from Gujarat but there are four candidates in the fray  three from the BJP and one from the Congress.

From the BJP, partys national president Amit Shah, Union minister Smriti Irani and former Congress MLA turned- BJP-leader Balwantsinh Rajput are in the race while political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Ahmed Patel, is the Congress candidate seeking a fifth term. As per the current strength of the Gujarat Assembly each candidate requires a minimum of 45 votes to win. With the BJP having 121 seats out of the 182 seats its two candidates Mr Shah and Ms Irani will win smoothly. But it is going to be a contest between Mr Patel and Mr Rajput.

Confident of winning, says Ahmed

The Congress had transported its 44 MLAs to the party ruled Karnataka fearing defections. Eight of the 57 MLAs of the Congress have resigned from the party this includes former Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela and his son. Presently the MLAs are back in Gujarat and are in a resort in Anand. Congress candidate Ahmed Patel speaking to reporters in Anand said, I am confident of winning the Rajya Sabha seat. All the MLAs are with me despite the BJP trying to break the MLAs. He also added that I have just got word that two NCP MLAs will also be voting for me. Reports further suggest that the lone JD(U) legislator will be extending support to Mr. Patel.

Hitting back at the Congress the Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said, BJP will win all the three seats and Ahmed Patel will definitely lose.

The BJP president Mr Amit Shah is also in Gujarat and he also met leaders of the BJP in the state. Over the last one week the political drama has been unfolding in Gujarat.
Pakistans new Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, a longtime loyalist of former PM Nawaz Sharif who was ousted in a recent judicial coup after the Panama Papers disclosures, was chosen with care by Mr Sharif himself with a view to next years parliamentary election. The composition of the Abbasi Cabinet was also cleared by Mr Sharif, keeping in mind the needs of the election.

The Cabinet has three noteworthy features. Its Pakistans largest-ever, and the expectation is that so many ministers drawn from all regions and denominations will help positively impact the polls for the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz).

For the first time in a quarter-century, the council of ministers has a Hindu member in Darshan Lal from Sindh, normally regarded as a stronghold of the PPP, a strong rival of the PML(N) in the electoral stakes.

The third noteworthy feature is the appointment of a foreign minister. KhwajaAsif, defence minister in the erstwhile Sharif government, gets this post. Mr Sharif had made do with a foreign affairs adviser and veteran politician Sartaj Aziz, acceptable to the military and Mr Sharif himself, had filled this slot. Through a regular foreign minister, does Mr Sharif wish to retain a modicum of influence in the stance toward India? The former PMs political calculations apart, it is the military which calls the shots. Were this not so, it is unclear if Mr Sharif would have been dismissed as PM by the Supreme Court. Therefore, at this stage, it may not be wise to expect a constructive stand towards India.
In theory, the reversal of the no-detention policy for Classes 5 to 8 may lead to higher standards, but the risks-to-benefits ratio involved in this drastic change isnt very clear. Where the system of testing young students in formal exams may be undermined is in the dropout rate, that could rise from 2010 levels and negate the principle of the right of children to free and compulsory education up to the secondary level. If the idea is to separate the wheat from the chaff, the question remains  what to do with those who may leave school and head straight into the child labour market? Given the social implications of children dropping out due to a harsh detention policy, it would appear the clear alternative is to focus on giving below-average learners lessons in skill sets that may prepare them for industry jobs. But this is something we havent excelled in as a nation. Not even engineers graduating from average colleges are regarded as employable by industry, which in India has always borne the responsibility of training its recruits.

Where China scores is in fast-tracking the teaching of skills to train students for specific jobs. It spent years catching up with the rest of the world on its way to becoming the so-called factory of the world. Theres nothing like giving every child an equal chance to shine in academics at school, and then allow him/her to take lifes lottery in higher education. The difficulties arise only for those who may not be able to continue studies; and here community colleges that teach craft than pure academics can play a bigger role. Skilling is a parallel education path that more industrialised nations have set up. We need a major change of perspective to understand the need for vocational training for those who may prefer a quicker path to a job. To enable some to take it up at an earlier stage is a challenge we havent even begun to tackle.

The debate on issues like the school curriculum and teaching methods has been on long enough without any concrete new system in sight. While literacy is a basic human right and all must be given a chance to leave poverty well behind, not everyone in the vast student population of a nation growing younger by the day will be a Nobel Prize aspirant. Where are the jobs? a high court judge asked recently, when told that four lakh teachers would be trained in Tamil Nadu by the end of 2018. Predicting outcomes has become a scary business in a land of burgeoning population, but its clear more has to be done to teach skills so students can also become skilled workers if they desire for career and life security.
Yes, the verdict is out  women are liars. The brutalities inflicted upon them are not real; they are a mere figment of imagination. Women are irrational beings. Without weighing the implications of their actions, in the heat of the moment, they rush to file false complaints of cruelty and dowry demands against their husbands and other family members. Later, when reality dawns on them, they regret and wish to retract and save their marriages. But by then it is too late, the marriage is broken irretrievably by her irrational action of approaching the police and filing a case. This is what our learned judges of the Supreme Court tell us. (Rajesh Sharma vs. State of UP, July 27). Adding insult to injury, they proclaim that the guidelines issued by them to the police not to arrest the accused until a family welfare committee investigates the case and sends in a report will be beneficial to the wife, as the woman will be saved from acting in a hasty manner and ruining her marriage. The narrative that the judges have projected is totally out of sync with the lived realities of women. The experiences of several womens organisations working in cities, towns and rural areas indicate that women approach the police as a last resort. This is because they, more than anyone else, are acutely aware that there are few choices outside marriage for them. The natal family does not accept them and the government has failed to provide emergency shelters. Despite these odds, women venture to file a case out of sheer desperation.

At this stage, according to our judges, women should be counselled and sent back to the same violent marriage without any protection. There should be no restraint upon the husband and his family to prevent further violence for, after all, the violence was a mere figment of her imagination. So it appears that the only choice she is left with is to return and commit suicide. Only when there is a dead body our judges may believe that it is a genuine case worthy of a complaint under Section 498A. If only dead women could speak and give evidence in court that the violence inflicted upon them prior to their death was real, causing severe injuries, skull fractures, abortions, damage to the cornea, broken noses, ruptured ear drums, damage to internal organs. They would also have told our judges that most had not even approached the police prior to their death and the few who dared to approach the police were sent back without an FIR because it was just normal violence which any husband inflicts upon his wife as part of the normal wear and tear of marriage. It is the bounden duty of women to endure and adjust. So despite all the fancy laws in our statute books, these women were reduced to mere figures in official crime statistics.

Since life has been snuffed out of their lives, when they were barely in their 20s and 30s, the only voices which judges of our Supreme Court hear are of the relatives of husbands who had demanded dowry, inflicted violence upon the women and caused extreme humiliation to them. Are we to believe that in a city of over 20 billion people, the 300-500 cases constitute misuse of the legal provisions of cruelty to wives? In the anecdotal narrations that surround the myth of false cases, there is a bedridden mother-in-law, a teenaged sister-in-law and a bright brother-in-law in an engineering college whose future is marred by the false implication. But if all these cases were false, how come the chargesheet is filed in over 90 per cent cases? Even in the Rajesh Sharma case, there is no denial of the fact that Sharma and his family demanded Rs 3,00,000 and a car after the marriage. When this demand was not met, he left his wife at her maternal home when she was pregnant and thereafter she suffered an abortion. Within this master narrative, the gruesome murder of Shobha, a construction worker in rural Parbani district of Maharashtra does not create any ruffles in the media. When Shobha had approached the police earlier, with a complaint of acute physical violence, the police sent her back without even registering a non-cognisable complaint. If they had acted promptly Shobha might have been alive today. One night when she was asleep, the alcoholic husband smashed her head with a boulder. When neighbours rushed in after hearing screams of the three young daughters, they found Shobha lying dead in a pool of blood.

Then there is my neighbour in a quiet middle-class area in suburban Mumbai. A church-going elderly gentleman in his mid-60s strangled his 57-year-old wife to death over a minor quarrel a fortnight ago. Rachel, the housewife, had never approached the police even to file an NC complaint against her husband in 35 years of her married life. The acute domestic violence in India has been highlighted through various national and international studies. The most significant among them is the National Family Health Survey-III (NFHS-III) conducted in 2005-06. This important study revealed that 31 per cent of married women were physically abused and 10 per cent were subjected to severe domestic violence and 12 per cent of those who reported severe violence suffered at least one of the following injuries: bruises, wounds, sprains, dislocation, broken bones, broken teeth, or severe burns and 14 per cent experienced emotional abuse. The NFHS study brought out the ground reality that more than 54 per cent of men and 51 per cent of women responded that it was okay for a man to beat his wife if she disrespected her in-laws, neglected her home or children, or even over something as trivial as less or more salt in the food.

Our judges seem to be oblivious of the fact that cruelty under Section 498A does not need to be related to dowry, nor does it have to involve physical cruelty or death. And yet even 35 years after this provision was added to the Indian Penal Code our police, judges, lawyers and the media continue to name it as a dowry law. There is a class bias that operates here and the acute violence suffered by poor women in urban slums and far-flung rural areas goes unnoticed by our judges. The few cases that get registered are those of women who approach the police with a written complaint, accompanied by their lawyers or those who are able to pull strings.

It is tragic that Rajesh Sharma has made a reference to the Domestic Violence Act only to the extent that the law provides for counselling. This comment alone exposes the inherent bias of our judges. The PWDVA provides for protection against domestic violence, compensation against the injuries suffered, injunction against dispossession, custody of children and maintenance for the survivor and her children. Yes, every case under Section 498A needs to be linked to DVA and magistrates need to be alert to provide women civil remedies at the earliest stage. It is true that a large number of cases are languishing in our courts. It is because once the husband and relatives are released on bail, they abscond. Since it is non-compoundable the cases cannot be easily closed and becomes dormant. The role of the complainant is limited only to giving evidence in court. Until the case reaches this stage, she is kept in the dark. Meanwhile, she might have moved on in life. This act on her part to rebuild her life cannot be termed as false case and misuse of law. If only our judges took a keen interest in protecting women, Rajesh Sharma would have reached a different conclusion.
Fraudsters send out threatening messages to a large number of companies in the hope that someone will decide to be better safe than sorry.

Long-lasting DDoS attacks are back in business. The following statement was put forth by Kaspersky Lab, which announced its latest Q2 2017 DDoS Intelligence Report last week. The longest attack in the quarter was active for 277 hours (more than 11 days)  which is a 131 per cent increase compared to Q1  a current record for the year.

Not only were the duration of DDoS attacks in Q2 notable, the geography of incidents also showed a dramatic change, with organisations with online resources located in 86 countries targeted, compared to 72 countries in Q1. The top 10 most affected countries were China, South Korea, US, Hong Kong, UK, Russia, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and France  with Italy and the Netherlands replacing Vietnam and Denmark that were among the top targets in Q1.

During this timeframe, the targets of DDoS attacks included one of the largest news agencies, Al Jazeera, Le Monde and Figaro newspaper websites and reportedly, Skype servers. Additionally, an increase in cryptocurrency rates led to cybercriminals trying to manipulate prices through DDoS. Bitfinex, the largest Bitcoin trading exchange, was attacked simultaneously with the launch of trading in a new cryptocurrency called IOTA token. Earlier, the BTC-E exchange reported a slowdown due to a powerful DDoS attack.

The interest of DDoS attack organisers in cash goes beyond manipulating cryptocurrency rates. Using this type of attack to extort money can be beneficial, as trends in Ransom DDoS or RDoS demonstrate.

Cybercriminals usually send a message to the victim demanding a ransom that ranges from five to 200 bitcoins. If the company refuses to pay, attackers threaten to organise a DDoS attack on a critically important online victim resource. Such messages can be accompanied by short-term DDoS attacks to confirm the threats are very real.

At the end of June, a large-scale RDoS attempt was made by the group called Armada Collective, who demanded about $315,000 from seven South Korean banks.

However, there is always another way which has become more popular in the last quarter  Ransom DDoS with no DDoS at all. Fraudsters send out threatening messages to a large number of companies in the hope that someone will decide to be better safe than sorry. Demonstrations of attacks may never happen, but if just one company decides to pay, that brings profit with minimal effort from the cybercriminals.

Nowadays, its not just experienced teams of hi-tech cybercriminals that can be Ransom DDoS-attackers, said Kirill Ilganaev, head of Kaspersky DDoS Protection at Kaspersky Lab. Any fraudster who doesnt even have the technical knowledge or skills to organise a full-scale DDoS attack can purchase a demonstrative attack for the purpose of extortion. These people are mostly picking unsavvy companies that dont protect their resources from DDoS in any way and therefore, can be easily convinced to pay ransom with a simple demonstration.

Kaspersky Lab experts warn that if a victim company decides to pay, it may bring long-term damage in addition to instant monetary loses. A payer reputation spreads fast through the networks and may provoke further attacks from cybercriminals.

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Memorials Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the Rees Skillern Cancer Center Dr. Rob Headrick has been awarded the Health Policy and Leadership Scholarship from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Founded in 1964, the not-for-profit organization represents more than 7,200 surgeons, researchers, and allied healthcare professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus, as well as other surgical procedures within the chest.

The scholarship allowed Dr. Headrick to spend a week in Boston, Ma. with surgeon leaders from across the country to discuss health care policy and reform. The discussion was facilitated by the Heller Business School at Brandeis University.

Conversations with health care professionals from across the country showed what many of us are seeing in our own practices," said Dr. Headrick. "Until we change the way healthcare is provided in this country, the outcomes simply wont change.

Dr. Headrick will soon be taking this message to political leaders in Washington, D.C. Beginning in 2018, he will serve a three-year term on the STS Workforce on Health Policy, Reform and Advocacy.

"In Hamilton County, the number one killer of individuals is lung cancer; however, if we can catch it in its earliest stages, it can be treated and the patient can live a longer healthier life," said Dr. Headrick. "The cost of a lung screen is very small, but it takes time out of the day to come to my office, fill out paperwork and take the test. If we develop strategies that allow us to go to companies to provide lung screenings, we know our numbers will drop drastically. This is just one example of a change that will save time, money and lives. There are so many others and I look forward to being a part of a national conversation.

Besides serving as chief of Thoracic Surgery and co-director of the Rees Skillern Cancer Institute at CHI Memorial Hospital, Dr. Headrick also serves as assistant professor of Surgery at the University of Tenessee College of Medicine in Chattanooga.
The essay comes as the US-based search engine giant battles allegations with the US Department of Labour over gender disparity.

A Google software engineers opinion criticising the companys efforts to increase diversity have sparked anger among other employees, reported technology website Motherboard.

According to the report, the anti-diversity manifesto  personal opinion of a senior male engineer at Google  gone internally viral, suggested replacing firms diversity initiatives with the policies that encourage ideological diversity instead.

In his manifesto, the employer argued that the abilities of men and women differ in parts due to biological causes and that these differences may explain why we dont see equal representation of women in tech and leadership. We need to stop assuming that gender gaps imply sexism, he wrote in his piece. The author added that women generally prefer jobs in social or artistic areas while more men may like coding.

He said that Google efforts to achieve more equal gender and race representation have further led to discriminatory practices, specifically against conservatives.

The essay comes as the US-based search engine giant battles allegation with the US Department of Labour over gender disparity.

The document Googles Ideological Echo Chamber was first published on an internal discussion board on August 4 and can be fully read on Gizmodo.

The engineers remarks in the 10-page document were leaked by Google employees who took to twitter to express their anger.

Todays rage-read (at work): doc essentially saying that women are unsuited for tech because they like people, whilst men like things, a Google employee wrote.

Additionally, in response to the leaked memo, Danielle Brown, Google's new vice president of diversity, told employees in an email that "it's not a viewpoint that I or this company endorses, promotes or encourages". "Changing a culture is hard, and it's often uncomfortable," she said. Brown added, however, that "part of building an open, inclusive environment means fostering a culture in which those with alternative views, including different political views, feel safe sharing their opinions."

(with inputs from Agencies)

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The technology can be used in any terrain  however back of beyond like many parts of India  provided the minimum temperature of the area is more than 15 degrees centigrade. (Representational image/PTI)

During PM Narendra Modi's recent visit to Israel, one of the top concerns in his agenda was getting abundant and safe water for India. "I need more water, clean water. Where will I get it...," Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu quoted PM Modi as saying. The statement was possibly a reflection of the angst PM Modi is going through in tackling one of the country's biggest challenges  water shortage and the resultant farmer suicides.

The answer to PM Modi's problems could well lie back in his home country, where a new start-up named Kindle Ventures is planning to use a technology that can make up to 20,000 litres of water a day out of thin air!

India is an agrarian economy and yet one out of every 10 suicides that take place in the country is a farmer who gives up on life unable to make both ends meet. In what could act as a serious boon for the country which saw nearly 13,000 farmers commit suicide in 2015 (as informed by the government to the Supreme Court last month), a technology that churns out around 20,000 litres of fresh drinking water a day from out of thin air could mitigate regular threats of drought and fickle monsoon months.

Kindle Ventures Green Solution:

This game-changing, commercially viable Dutch technology being brought to India by Kindle Ventures uses the concept of condensation to turn air into fresh water. The technology can be used in any terrain  however back of beyond like many parts of India  provided the minimum temperature of the area is more than 15 degrees centigrade.

The core machine is expected to arrive in India by mid-August. (Image: Kindle Venture)

The company's Chief Innovation Officer Gaurav Goenka has signed an MOU with Canadian owned Dutch company Rainmaker World Wide Inc, which holds the patent for this innovation. The core machine is expected to arrive in India by mid-August.

The air to water unit uses a turbine that forces air through a heat exchanger where the air is cooled and condensation takes place. Lowering the temperature of air requires minimal energy. When the temperature falls below its dew point, water droplets will form which are then collected in the water storage compartment. The actual amount of the water than can be produced depends on the average wind speed, the ambient temperature and the relative humidity. This highly efficient conversion process is applied via a patented direct-drive turbine which uses compressors that generate heat. This heat is then used to cool down large amounts of incoming air, which is displaced by using vents.

This highly efficient conversion process is applied via a patented direct-drive turbine which uses compressors that generate heat. (Image: Kindle Ventures)

Says Goenka, I have entered into an agreement to test and modify this technology in harsh Indian conditions. I also intend to start a manufacturing plant in India in a joint venture with Rainmaker by the end of 2018. In the last century energy security was of vital importance for any country. Going forward, the same will apply to water security.

Goenka says the technology has already garnered massive interest from state governments which are fighting drought and lack of clean water.

Once the technology arrives in August, he will travel to states which are facing the most acute shortage of water to demonstrate the technology.

Under the PM's leadership, India is seeing a tidal wave of new innovations and start-ups. I wanted to be part of a start-up that could serve Indias common people. India has a huge water shortage and rapid urbanization is causing serious water stress for its already depleting reserves. If large cities dont have water which is the story in many such Indian cities, imagine what must be happening in Indias backward villages, Goenka says. He adds that if India seriously plans to be part of the three biggest economies of the world in the near future, it has to ensure water security as a priority. So will the technology require electricity to run?

Goenka says no. I dont need electricity. The technology has been developed keeping in mind lack of power sources. Hence it can run with solar and wind energy. The company is planning to mount the technology and take it to states like Maharashtra, Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat for demos to state governments.

The machine requires a minimum of 15 degrees to make water. I have signed an MOU to bring the core technology to India and not the turbine. I intend to make the turbine in India itself, Goenka adds.

Rainmaker was recently awarded as a Top 10 Green Solution in Slovenia recently. The Air to Water solution is 100 per cent sustainable and leaves no damaging footprint where it is placed; running completely on renewable energy. This cost-effective solution, that comes between the range of Rs 20L and 3 crore, has the potential to change the world, especially in dry areas where there is a lack of rain.

The Centre recently informed the Supreme Court that over 12,000 suicides have been reported in the agricultural sector every year since 2013. The Centre said that a total of 12,602 persons involved in farming sector - 8,007 farmers-cultivators and 4,595 agricultural labourers - committed suicide during 2015, accounting for 9.4 per cent of total suicide victims (133,623) in the country.

Maharashtra topped the list with 4,291 suicides, followed by Karnataka with 1,569, Telangana 1,400, Madhya Pradesh 1,290, Chattisgarh 954, Andhra Pradesh 916 and Tamil Nadu 606. Together, these seven states accounted for 87.5 per cent of total suicides in the farming sector in the country - 11,026 of 12,602.

In 2014, 12,360 persons in the farming sector - 5,650 farmers-cultivators and 6,710 agricultural labourers -committed suicide. In 2013, the number was 11,772.

So what made Goenka decide to work with water?

Because of lack of innovation and lack of clarity on policies, companies didnt look at developing such path-breaking green technologies. Backed by a large private equity fund, Rainmaker has developed this unique and commercially expandable concept and proved how it can be successfully used in countries like India and Africa. The technology Air to Water has already been installed in Kuwait, Netherlands and the Caribbean. I am bringing it to India, Goenka added.

India has the worlds highest number of people without access to clean water  imposing a major financial burden for some of the countrys poorest people.

Around 75.8 million Indians  or 5 per cent of the countrys 1.25 billion population  are forced to either buy water at high rates or use supplies that are contaminated with sewage or chemicals. That accounts for more than a tenth of the 650 million people worldwide without clean water access  more than any single country in Africa or China, where 63 million have no access.

The rapid growth of population and its growing needs has meant that per capita availability of fresh water has declined sharply from 3,000 cubic metres to 1,123 cubic metres over the past 50 years. The global average is 6,000 cubic metres. One in 10 people globally are trapped in a cycle of poverty and disease for want of a safe, affordable water supply of their own.

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The alleged Nokia 8 also seems to have the 3.5 mm headphone jack on the top.

HMD Global-backed Nokia took the market by a pleasant surprise, when the Finnish technology giant announced its plans of foraying into the smartphone market. The device-manufacturer began the year by reviving its classic feature phone, Nokia 3310 at the MWC, event held in Barcelona. The firm later went on to introduce Nokia 3, 5 and 6 smartphones, thereby targeting the mid-range segment. Finally, the company is heavily-speculated to conclude this year with the introduction of its high-end smartphones, and competitor to the leading flagship devices  Nokia 8 and 9. This article particularly talks about Nokia 8, its specifications, release date and pricing as per the leaks that have flooded up on the internet till date.

DESIGN

The upcoming Nokia 8 smartphone is expected to look like a traditional Nokia smartphone, with regularly-sized bezels and an aluminium unibody design, further complimented with rounded edges. In terms of dimensions, the device is expected to measure 151.55 x 73.7mm in size and will come in the following colour variants: Black, Copper, Copper-Gold, Silver, and Blue. The official Nokia branding will most probably appear on both, rear and front sides of the device. The smartphone is also expected to sport an IP68-certification, thereby making the smartphone dust and water resistant.

INTERNAL SPECIFICATIONS

The smartphone is expected to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 system-on-chip, and will either come in 4GB RAM or 6GB RAM option, further accompanied with 64GB of internal storage and an added expandable microSD card-slot option. The smartphone will sport a massive 3,800mAh battery with Quick Charging technology and will run on the latest Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system.

DISPLAY

The handset is rumored to feature a 5.3-inch display with 2,560 x 1,440 pixels resolution and an added layer of 2.5D glass. The physical home button will come integrated with a fingerprint scanner on the front panel of the smartphone.

CAMERA

The upcoming Nokia flagship smartphone is expected to sport a dual rear camera setup, complimented by Dual-LED flash, comprising of 13-megapixel sensors by Carl Zeiss and an 8-megapixel front shooter for selfie lovers.

RELEASE DATE AND PRICE

Nokia hasnt made any mention of any specific date as of yet, however; the smartphone is expected to launch on August 16th, at a starting price of $696 or roughly Rs 45,000.

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Seoul: North Korea vowed Monday to bolster its nuclear arsenal and launch "thousands-fold" revenge against the United States in response to tough UN sanctions imposed after its recent intercontinental ballistic missile launches.

The warning came two days after the UN Security Council unanimously approved new sanctions to punish North Korea, including a ban on coal and other exports worth over $1 billion. The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, called the US-drafted resolution "the single largest economic sanctions package ever leveled against" North Korea.

In a statement carried by state media, the North Korean government said the sanctions were a "violent infringement of its sovereignty" that was caused by a "heinous US plot to isolate and stifle" North Korea.

It said the UN sanctions will never force the country to negotiate over its nuclear program or to give up its push to strengthen its nuclear capability as long as US hostility and nuclear threats persist. The North said it will take an "action of justice," but didn't elaborate.

"It's a wild idea to think the DPRK will be shaken and change its position due to this kind of new sanctions formulated by hostile forces," said the statement, carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The North's statement "rhetorically expresses its anger" against the UN sanctions, but the country is not likely to launch a direct provocation against the United States, said Lim Eul Chul, a North Korea expert at South Korea's Kyungnam University. He said the North could still carry out new missile tests or a sixth atomic bomb test in the coming months under its broader weapons development timetable.

North Korea test-launched two ICBMs last month as part of its efforts to possess a long-range missile capable of striking anywhere in the mainland US Both missiles were fired at highly lofted angles and analysts say the weapons could reach parts of the United States including Alaska, Los Angeles and Chicago if fired at a normal, flattened trajectory.

The centerpiece of the UN sanctions is a ban on North Korean exports of coal, iron, lead and seafood products - and a ban on all countries importing those products, estimated to be worth over $1 billion a year in hard currency. The resolution also bans countries from giving any additional permits to North Korean laborers, another source of foreign currency for the North, and prohibits all new joint ventures with North Korean companies.

According to a Security Council diplomat, coal has been North Korea's largest export, earning $1.2 billion last year. It was then restricted by the Security Council in November to a maximum of $400 million. This year, Pyongyang is estimated to have earned $251 million from iron and iron ore exports, $113 million from lead and lead ore exports, and $295 million from fish and seafood exports, the diplomat said. The diplomat was not authorized to speak publicly and insisted on anonymity.

Analysts say that North Korea, already under numerous UN and other international sanctions, will feel some pains from the new UN sanctions but won't likely return to disarmament negotiations anytime soon because of them.

Lim, the North Korea expert, said the North will likely squeeze its ordinary citizens to help finance its nuclear and missile programs. Shin Beomchul of the Seoul-based Korea National Diplomatic Academy said the North won't likely return to disarmament talks unless China stops sending its annual, mostly free shipment of 500,000 tons of crude oil to North Korea and orders UN member states to deport the existing tens of thousands of North Korean workers dispatched abroad.
The Taliban and ISIS fighters have regularly clashed since the latter gained a foothold in eastern Afghanistan in 2015, as the two vie for supremacy in the war-torn country. (Photo: AP)

Kabul: The Taliban and Islamic State group jointly massacred dozens of civilians in an Afghan village, officials said Monday, highlighting rare co-operation between the insurgents that could increase the strain on Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces.

The fighters killed more than 50 men, women and children in the remote Sayad district of northern Sar-e Pul province on Saturday after overrunning the Afghan Local Police (ALP) -- a government-backed militia -- in a 48-hour battle, according to local officials.

"It was a joint operation by Daesh (ISIS) and Taliban fighters. They had recruited forces from other provinces of the country and attacked Mirzawalang village," Zabihullah Amani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, told AFP.

The spokesman alleged that dozens of Taliban and ISIS group fighters under the command of Sher Mohammad Ghazanfar, a local Taliban commander who Amani claims pledged allegiance to ISIS, launched a co-ordinated attack on the area on Thursday.

"The fighters overran the area and it led to the massacre of innocent and defenceless civilians," he said.

The majority of those killed were Shiites. Most were shot but some were beheaded, Amani added.

Verifying information from poor, mountainous areas of Afghanistan made inaccessible by fighting and with patchy communications is difficult, and AFP was not able to access the village.

Mohammad Noor Rahmani, head of Sar-e Pul's provincial council, said 44 of the 50 victims were believed to be civilians, with the ALP militia also suffering casualties.

"This is not the final toll. It might change because the area is inaccessible and no telephone networks are working to get an update," he told AFP.

The Taliban and ISIS fighters have regularly clashed since the latter gained a foothold in eastern Afghanistan in 2015, as the two vie for supremacy in the war-torn country.

An Afghan security source said that there had been around three incidents in the past where fighters from both groups had teamed up to strike Afghan forces in certain areas.

"This is not the first time that they have co-operated. There are no strict ideological distinctions between them so they build bridges when it helps them both. It's very opportunistic," the source said.

ISIS has been adding a sectarian twist to the Afghan conflict, with a number of deadly attacks on Shiites in the past year.

Last week two suicide bombers throwing grenades killed more than 33 worshippers at a mosque in Afghanistan's western city of Herat, in an attack claimed by IS.

A resurgent Taliban, whose ranks are mostly made up of Sunni Muslim ethnic Pashtuns, is at the peak of its summer fighting season.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, confirmed to AFP that it had captured Mirzawalang village but said it had done so alone. It also denied allegations it had killed civilians.

"It was an independent operation by our mujahideen forces. There is no cooperation with the Islamic State on the operation," said the spokesman.
Manila: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday he believes Washington and Russia can find a way to ease tensions, saying it wouldn't be useful to cut ties over the single issue of suspected Russian meddling in the US election.

Tillerson said Russia had also expressed some willingness to resume talks about the crisis in Ukraine, where a 2015 ceasefire between Kiev's forces and Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country is regularly violated.

"We should find places we can work together... In places we have differences we're going to have to continue to find ways to address those," Tillerson told reporters.

Tillerson met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of an international gathering in Manila on Sunday, where he also asked about Moscow's retaliation against new US sanctions.

Tillerson said he told Lavrov the United States would respond to the Kremlin's order for it to cut about 60 percent of its diplomatic staff in Russia by September 1.

"We have not made a decision on how we will respond to Russia's request to remove US diplomatic personnel. I asked several clarifying questions...I told him we would respond by September first," Tillerson said.

The meeting was their first since President Donald Trump reluctantly signed into law the sanctions that Russia said amounted to a full-scale trade war and ended hopes for better ties.

Lavrov on Sunday said he believed his US colleagues were ready to continue dialogue with Moscow on complex issues despite tensions.

Tillerson said he discussed Russia's suspected meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election with Lavrov to "help them understand how serious this incident had been and how seriously it damaged the relationship" between the two nations.

But Tillerson said that should not irreversibly damage ties.

"The fact that we want to work with them on areas that are of serious national security interest to us, and at the same time having this extraordinary issue of mistrust that divides us, that is just what we in the diplomatic part of our relationship are required to do," Tillerson said.

The United States sent its special representative on Ukraine, Kurt Volker, a former US envoy to NATO, to Ukraine last month to assess the situation in the former Soviet republic.

Washington cites the conflict as a key obstacle to improved relations between Russia and the United States.

"We appointed a special envoy to engage with Russia but also coordinating with all parties. This is full visibility to all parties. We are not trying to cut some kind of deal on the side," Tillerson said.
Manila: The United States, Australia and Japan on Monday denounced Beijing's island-building and militarisation of the South China Sea, in contrast to the increasingly tepid response from Southeast Asian nations over the festering issue.

The three countries oppose Beijing for building giant artificial islands that could be used as military bases, fearing it will eventually establish de facto control over the waters.

China insists the nations should stay out of what it says are purely bilateral disputes with its neighbours.

On Sunday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned any interference from "outside parties" could jeopardise negotiations over the code of conduct.

China claims nearly all of the sea, through which US$ 5 trillion in annual shipping trade passes and which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits.

Its sweeping claims overlap with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei - all members of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc - as well as Taiwan.

But in recent years Beijing has managed to weaken regional resistance by courting some ASEAN members.

On Sunday, Beijing scored a coup when ASEAN ministers issued a diluted statement on the dispute and agreed to Beijing's terms on talks during a security forum which the bloc is hosting in Manila.

China insists that a much-delayed code of conduct between it and ASEAN members over the disputed sea must not be legally binding, a demand to which Southeast Asian countries have so far acquiesced.

But in a joint statement after their foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the same gathering, the US, Japan and Australia delivered a noticeably sterner rebuke to Beijing.

Criticising ongoing "land reclamation, construction of outposts, militarisation of disputed features" in the disputed sea, the trio said any code of conduct must be "legally binding, meaningful and effective", a demand noticeably absent from the ASEAN statement.

The three nations also called on China and the Philippines to respect last year's international arbitration ruling which dismissed much of Beijing's claim in the sea.

The Philippines had been one of the most vocal critics of China and filed a case before a UN-backed tribunal.

But after the election of President Rodrigo Duterte last year, Manila has played down the verdict in favour of pursuing warmer ties with Beijing, a move that led to offers of billions of dollars in investments or aid from China.

Critics of China have accused it of assiduously dividing ASEAN, which operates on a consensus basis, with strong-arm tactics and chequebook diplomacy, enticing smaller countries in the bloc such as Cambodia and Laos to support it.

Vietnam, which had been pushing for stronger language in Manila, has been largely left to fend for itself since Duterte's China rapprochement.
On July 17, for reasons that are still not clear, Herba drove the woman back to Milan and released her close to the British Consulate, where he was arrested. (Photo: AP)

Rome: A hunt for possible accomplices to the terrifying abduction of a British model in Italy was underway Sunday after the alleged mastermind told police he planned to auction her off as a sex slave on the dark web.

Italian police have confirmed they are looking for at least one other man following the arrest of British-resident Pole Lukasz Pawel Herba, 30, on charges of abduction and illegal imprisonment.

According to Italian media reports, citing leaked files from the investigation, the 20-year-old mother has told police she saw two men and was aware of three others but never saw their faces during her week-long ordeal in July.

The model, who returned to Britain on Sunday, was drugged and kidnapped on July 11 after going to what turned out to be a set-up photo shoot in downtown Milan.

Somebody wearing black gloves came up from behind me and put one hand on my neck and the other over my mouth, while a second person wearing a balaclava injected me in my right arm, the woman, was quoted as telling police by Italys Corriere della Sera, which named her as Chloe Ayling.

I think I passed out because when I woke up I only had on my pink chenille body and socks and I realised I was in the boot of a car, bound at the ankle and wrists with my mouth taped up. I was in a luggage bag with only a small gap to breathe through.

After a three-hour journey from Milan to a remote mountain village, the model was held until July 17, spending most of her time handcuffed to furniture while her abductors considered their options.

Many details of the extraordinary case remain unclear, although police have confirmed that the victim was injected with the tranquiliser ketamine and said they believe Herba may have been capable of causing her serious physical harm.

However, his account of events in other respects has been described by the prosecutor in charge of the case as barely credible.

Detectives are unclear as to whether Herba was involved in a credible attempt to auction his victim or if it was an elaborately staged threat intended to extort a ransom from the models agent and family.

No one took part in the online auction, so it was unclear if Herba had the necessary contacts to organise such an operation or was something of a fantasist, according to the police.

Fantasist or not, what is clear is that he is a very dangerous man who drugged his victim as soon as she was kidnapped and put her inside a large travel bag in the boot of a car, Milan deputy prosecutor Paolo Storari told a press conference on Saturday.

His version of events is barely credible but clearly he does not deny that he was with her for the time she was missing, Storari said.

On July 17, for reasons that are still not clear, Herba drove the woman back to Milan and released her close to the British Consulate, where he was arrested.

He had told the model that he could not go on holding her because she was a mother of a young child and such abductions were prohibited by Black Death, a nefarious web-based group he claimed to belong to.

Police are not sure the group actually exists or if Herbas depictions of it are accurate. Investigations are continuing in collaboration with police in Britain and the suspects native Poland.

Ayling told reporters at her home in south London Sunday that she had feared for her life throughout the terrifying experience.
The withdrawal of landing cards, filled out by non-EU passengers since 1971, will not result in the loss of any data that is used for security checks, the Home Office said. (Photo: AP/Representational)

London: Non-EU visitors including Indians arriving in the UK will soon be no longer required to fill the "outdated" landing cards as part of the ongoing digital transformation of border controls, the Home Office has said.

Landing cards are filled out by an estimated 16 million international visitors from outside the European Union (EU), including Indians, annually.

Under proposals published yesterday, the UK Home Office said the paper-based system, which costs the UK public around 3.6 million pounds (USD 4.6 million) each year, will be replaced as part of the UK Border Force's ongoing digital transformation of border controls.

"We are modernising border technology to ensure Border Force staff stop dealing with outdated paperwork and can continue to focus on security and protecting the public," said Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis.

"In addition, this change will improve the experience for arriving passengers so they get an even better welcome when they land in the UK," he said.

The withdrawal of landing cards, filled out by non-EU passengers since 1971, will not result in the loss of any data that is used for security checks, the Home Office said.

All passengers arriving from outside the EU will continue to be checked against the variety of police, security and immigration watch lists which are used to verify the identity and confirm the status of every passenger arriving at the British airports.

The Home Office has launched a four-week consultation with carriers/airlines, ports and those that use statistics gathered from landing card data before it comes into force later this year.

According to the department, the changes are expected to free up staff and enable Border Force to better deploy their resources.

At the same time, the changes will improve the experience for travellers as passengers will no longer need to fill out the paper cards while on board the flight or in queues at airports and ports.

The airports and ports, on the other hand, will no longer have to purchase and distribute them.

It is expected that queue lengths will be shortened and passenger flows improved at British airports, a move welcomed by Heathrow airport, the largest UK hub.

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said in a statement: "We warmly welcome this proposed change which would give visitors to Britain an improved experience, whilst maintaining a secure border into the UK".

"In post-Brexit Britain, it will be even more important to show we are open for business and make sure that we give investors, tourists and students a great welcome to our country.

"We look forward to continuing to work closely with the new Immigration Minister and Border Force over the coming years to keep improving the passenger experience at the UK's border," Holland-Kaye said.

The proposals have been characterised as part of the Home Office's ongoing transformation at the border which is enhancing Border Force's ability both to facilitate legitimate travel and ensure the security of the border.

"This programme of work has already seen the introduction of 232 e-gates at 21 ports and since June has seen more than a million passengers use them each week. This has enabled Border Force officers to work on other security and intelligence matters," the Home Office said.

The changes are in addition to the ongoing Digital Services at the Border (DSAB) programme, which is modernising technology at the border to improve intelligence gathering on goods and passengers and increase security.

The UK Border Force has also increased the use of Advance Passenger Information, with systems in place to receive data on 100 per cent of scheduled flights for all international journeys to and from the UK.
An article in the official China Daily today said "geostrategic miscalculations" were behind India's border "trespassing". (Photo: File/Representational)

Beijing: Senior Col Li Li of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) may be thousands of kilometres away from Doklam but has a stern message for the Indian Army - withdraw from the Chinese territory to avoid confrontation.

A visit by Indian journalists, sponsored by the Chinese government, turned into a propaganda exercise by the Chinese army for delivering its message on the prolonged standoff between troops of the two countries in Doklam near Sikkim.

Sr Col Li claimed, "What the Indian troops have done is an invasion of Chinese territory.

"You can report about what the Chinese soldiers are thinking about. I am a soldier, I will try my best to protect territorial integrity. We have the resolve and determination," he told Indian journalists taken to visit this garrison on the outskirts of Beijing.

The visit included a rare demonstration of combat skills of the PLA troops before the Indian media.

The demonstration included sharp shooting skills with small arms, capture of "hostile forces" in close combat, counter-terrorism and laser simulation force-on-force training of reinforced infantry squads.

Li, however, clarified that the demonstration had no particular reference to Doklam where China says 48 Indian troops still stayed put along with a bulldozer.

"In addition, there are still a large number of Indian armed forces congregating on the boundary and on the Indian side of the boundary," the Chinese Foreign Ministry had said earlier.

Responding to questions on the present impasse in Doklam, he said, "What the PLA will do depends on the actions of the Indian side. We will take appropriate action when it is necessary."

"We will follow the orders of the CPC (ruling Communist Party of China) and the Central Military Commission (the overall high command of the 2.3 million strong army headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping)."

The garrison is one of the oldest and most important training centres of the PLA officers and troops. It is also responsible for the security of the Chinese capital.

About 11,000 troops are stationed at the garrison.

The state media also continued the tirade against India.

An article in the official China Daily today said "geostrategic miscalculations" were behind India's border "trespassing".

"For China, the trespassing by Indian troops was unexpected and it is unacceptable as it happened in a section of the boundary that has hitherto been considered beyond dispute by both sides in the otherwise long drawn out and arduous boundary negotiations," it said.

India's "trespassing" amounts to no less than a violation of China's territorial sovereignty, and China has the lawful right to take "whatever measures" it deems necessary to defend its territory, it said.

"While misunderstandings between neighbours are understandable, India should engage in candid dialogue, not lawless provocations."

Time, it added, is fast running short for India to pull out from Chinese territory and on that basis explore a face- saving solution in consultation with China. "India should do well to remember that its neighbour has the capability to defeat all invading enemies," it said.

India and China have been locked in a standoff in Doklam since June 16 after Chinese troops began constructing a road near the Bhutan trijunction.

Bhutan has protested to China, saying the area belonged to it and accused Beijing of violating agreements that aim to maintain the status quo until the boundary dispute is resolved.

India says the Chinese action to construct the road was unilateral and changes the status quo. It fears the road would allow China to cut off India's access to its northeastern states.
CHI Memorial has signed an agreement to manage Cornerstone Medical Center in Fort Oglethorpe.

Larry Schumacher, CHI Memorial CEO and senior VP of operations, Southeast Division, Catholic Health Initiatives, said, Cornerstones Atlanta-based owner, ValorBridge, expressed an interest in partnering with CHI Memorial based on our experience in acute hospital operations and our large primary care and specialty care physician network in North Georgia, as well as our reputation for quality and loyal patient following.

In recent years, CHI Memorial has expanded its service to patients in North Georgia, re-opening Hutcheson primary care clinics in Chickamauga, LaFayette and Trenton under the CHI Memorial Medical Group brand, opening The Chattanooga Heart Institute clinic, and expanding access to providers at CHI Memorials Family Practice Associates  Ringgold and Professional Park Associates in LaFayette, Georgia.

"In managing Cornerstone, CHI Memorial leaders and physicians will work collaboratively with the providers at Cornerstone, lending their expertise in clinical process improvement, safety, and excellent patient experience, to provide high-quality care for the people who live and work in North Georgia.


The confession of a Pakistani teenager who was captured moments before carrying out a suicide attack has given police a rare glimpse into a militant network they say is behind the recent surge in sectarian violence.

Usmans testimony describes a web of radical seminaries and training and bomb-making facilities stretching from eastern Afghanistan, where the young man was recruited, to Pakistans southern Sindh province.

Hundreds of people have died in attacks on Pakistans small Shiite community, heightening fears in the Sunni-dominated country of an escalation in sectarian bloodshed that has been a persistent threat for decades.

Pakistani police believe the network, which Usman says aided him on his 2,000 km journey, has also helped ISIS spread its extremist agenda in South Asia, even without proven operational links with its core in the Middle East.

The Pakistani network brings together several known jihadists belonging to extremist groups that have targeted religious minorities for decades, police said, providing fertile ground for Islamic States ideology to spread.

Usmans confession does not name ISIS directly, but police say they believe the network that recruited and trained him was behind five deadly sectarian bombings in Pakistan, four of which were claimed by the group. ISIS has no formal structure (in Pakistan). It works on a franchise system and that is the model that is being used in Pakistan, senior counter terrorism department officer Raja Umer Khattab said. By that he said he meant ISIS could claim attacks as its own, even if it had no direct role in coordinating them.

Usman,18 at the time of the thwarted attack, is currently on death row in the town of Shikarpur, where he was caught. Originally from the Swat valley, his family fled to Nangarhar after his father, a member of the Pakistani Taliban, was killed in a drone strike. Usman came home one day to find his brother sitting with an older man. My brother said you should join jihad ... become a suicide bomber, he said.


These teachers get a paltry sum and if service charges are deducted from their salaries, what will be left with them? Will they teach children dedicatedly? Can you expect somebody to survive with a pay that Pourakarmikas are not ready to accept? says Shanthakumari.



However, Crystal denied these charges. Vijay Kumar, an executive with Crystal, says, We collect 11% as service charges from teachers. This deduction is as per our terms and conditions mentioned in the contract with BBMP. We were shocked when we heard that we deduct Rs 4,800. This is wrong.



He says his firm has to update the BBMPs account section every month as to how much money has been deposited in the teachers bank accounts. Else, the payment will not be released to them.



Due to low wages, outsourced teachers hardly stay in these schools and colleges. Often, they quit the job in the middle of the academic year, leaving students in the lurch, says Shanthakumari.



The Crystal executive agrees. The attrition rate is about 30% and most of those who move out of BBMP schools are college teachers. The problem is more with science and maths teachers. They get job in private schools. We have to hire new people often.





The salaries of outsourced teachers in BBMP schools and colleges get salaries may soon become less than the wages of Pourakarmikas on contract.Presently, Pourakarmikas on contract get Rs 12,000 per month and if the governments new announcement is implemented, their gross salary will be more than Rs 17,000.On the other hand, salaries of teachers hired on contract ranges between Rs 8,366 and 16,900. Also, the entire salary does not reach them. Besides Employees State Insurance (ESI) and provident fund, 11% is deducted from their salaries by their employer, Crystal Infosystems and Services.Palike has outsourced the supply of teachers to Crystal, just as it has enlisted the services of the firm to provide data entry operators, supervisors and technicians. It is the empanelled vendor for the government to supply manpower and provide expertise in digitising government records. Crystals engagement with BBMP goes back to 2010.BBMP education officer Shivanna says there are 531 Crystal teachers in its 154 schools and colleges, including four degree colleges.Among the 531 outsourced teachers, 78 are in nursery schools, 58 in primary schools, 238 in high schools, 94 in pre-university colleges and 45 in degree colleges. Nursery and primary school teachers draw a salary of Rs 8,366, high school teachers get Rs 11,840, PU college teachers are paid Rs 14,697 and degree college teachers get Rs 16,897, says the officer.If the degree college teacher has MPhil degree, he or she gets Rs 18,000, the officer said.During the BBMP council meeting on July 31, Maruthi Mandira corporator and former mayor N Shanthakumari said at least Rs 4,800 is deducted from the salaries of high school teachers as service charges.
Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) has finally agreed to provide financial assistance for the fifth phase of the drinking water project that aims to supply water to 110 villages under BBMP.



Under the new phase, a plant would be set up at Torekadanahalli to process water from Shiva Balancing Reservoir and pump water to Harohalli and Tataguni pumping station.



A senior BWWSB official said the Japanese prime minister, who would be visiting India in September, would authorise the loan grant. An advisory committee consisting of international experts would be formed to monitor the processes and a global tender would be called to execute the project. The entire project is expected to get over by 2023.



The official added that Rs 4,100 crore was allotted to supply water from Torekadenahalli to the city through the pipeline besides Rs 1,100 crore to set up 14 sewage water treatment plants. According to senior BWSSB officials, the fifth phase would address the water crisis in the city.




The woman claimed that she was photographed by a man when she was travelling on the Metro on Thursday. When she confronted the man taking her pictures on his camera phone, he tried to escape at the Jalahalli Metro station.



The woman complained to the Metro security guards and they tried to catch him, but in vain. Peenya police are checking footage of CCTV cameras inside the train to nab the suspect, said the police.







A young woman has lodged a complaint with the Peenya police that an unidentified man was taking her photos on the Metro train.
The United States, Australia and Japan today denounced Beijing's island-building and militarisation of the South China Sea, in contrast to the increasingly tepid response from Southeast Asian nations over the festering issue.



China claims nearly all of the sea, through which USD 5 trillion in annual shipping trade passes and which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits.



Its sweeping claims overlap with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei -- all members of the 10- nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc -- as well as Taiwan.



But in recent years Beijing has managed to weaken regional resistance by courting some ASEAN members. Yesterday, Beijing scored a coup when ASEAN ministers issued a diluted statement on the dispute and agreed to Beijing's terms on talks during a security forum which the bloc is hosting in Manila.



China insists that a much-delayed code of conduct between it and ASEAN members over the disputed sea must not be legally binding, a demand to which Southeast Asian countries have so far acquiesced.



But in a joint statement after their foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the same gathering, the US, Japan and Australia delivered a noticeably sterner rebuke to Beijing.



Criticising ongoing "land reclamation, construction of outposts, militarisation of disputed features" in the disputed sea, the trio said any code of conduct must be "legally binding, meaningful and effective", a demand noticeably absent from the ASEAN statement.



The three nations also called on China and the Philippines to respect last year's international arbitration ruling which dismissed much of Beijing's claim in the sea. The Philippines had been one of the most vocal critics of China and filed a case before a UN-backed tribunal.



But after the election of President Rodrigo Duterte last year, Manila has played down the verdict in favour of pursuing warmer ties with Beijing, a move that led to offers of billions of dollars in investments or aid from China.



Critics of China have accused it of assiduously dividing ASEAN, which operates on a consensus basis, with strong-arm tactics and chequebook diplomacy, enticing smaller countries in the bloc such as Cambodia and Laos to support it.



Vietnam, which had been pushing for stronger language in Manila, has been largely left to fend for itself since Duterte's China rapprochement. The US, Australia and Japan oppose Beijing building giant artificial islands that could be used as military bases, fearing it will eventually establish de facto control over the waters.



China insists the three countries should stay out of what it says are purely bilateral disputes with its neighbours. Yesterday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned any interference from "outside parties" could jeopardise negotiations over the code of conduct.
Senior Col Li Li of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) may be thousands of kilometres away from Doklam but has a stern message for the Indian Army -- withdraw from the Chinese territory to avoid confrontation.



A visit by Indian journalists, sponsored by the Chinese government, today turned into a propaganda exercise by the Chinese Army for delivering its message on the prolonged standoff between troops of the two countries in Doklam near Sikkim.



Sr Col Li claimed, "What the Indian troops have done is an invasion of Chinese territory.

"You can report about what the Chinese soldiers are thinking about. I am a soldier, I will try my best to protect territorial integrity. We have the resolve and determination," he told Indian journalists taken to visit this garrison on the outskirts of Beijing.



The visit included a rare demonstration of combat skills of the PLA troops before the Indian media.



The demonstration included sharp shooting skills with small arms, capture of "hostile forces" in close combat, counter-terrorism and laser simulation force-on-force training of reinforced infantry squads.



Li, however, clarified that the demonstration had no particular reference to Doklam where China says 48 Indian troops still stayed put along with a bulldozer.



"In addition, there are still a large number of Indian armed forces congregating on the boundary and on the Indian side of the boundary," the Chinese Foreign Ministry had said earlier.



Responding to questions on the present impasse in Doklam, he said, "What the PLA will do depends on the actions of the Indian side. We will take appropriate action when it is necessary."

"We will follow the orders of the CPC (ruling Communist Party of China) and the Central Military Commission (the overall high command of the 2.3 million strong army headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping)."



The garrison is one of the oldest and most important training centres of the PLA officers and troops. It is also responsible for the security of the Chinese capital.



About 11,000 troops are stationed at the garrison.



The state media also continued the tirade against India. An article in the official China Daily today said "geostrategic miscalculations" were behind India's border "trespassing".



"For China, the trespassing by Indian troops was unexpected and it is unacceptable as it happened in a section of the boundary that has hitherto been considered beyond dispute by both sides in the otherwise long drawn out and arduous boundary negotiations," it said.



India's "trespassing" amounts to no less than a violation of China's territorial sovereignty, and China has the lawful right to take "whatever measures" it deems necessary to defend its territory, it said.



"While misunderstandings between neighbours are understandable, India should engage in candid dialogue, not lawless provocations."



Time, it added, is fast running short for India to pull out from Chinese territory and on that basis explore a face- saving solution in consultation with China. "India should do well to remember that its neighbour has the capability to defeat all invading enemies," it said.



India and China have been locked in a standoff in Doklam since June 16 after Chinese troops began constructing a road near the Bhutan trijunction.



Bhutan has protested to China, saying the area belonged to it and accused Beijing of violating agreements that aim to maintain the status quo until the boundary dispute is resolved.



India says the Chinese action to construct the road was unilateral and changes the status quo. It fears the road would allow China to cut off India's access to its northeastern states.
Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday expressed confidence that people would soon see a united AIADMK (merger of two warring factions).





"It (merger) will happen soon. You can expect that", he said.





Reacting to Palaniswami's remarks, AIADMK rebel group led by O Panneerselvam reiterated its demand that a CBI probe should be conducted into the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa and totally side lining of the entire V K Sasikala family including her nephew TTV Dhinakaran.



"We are very clear from the beginning. If our demands were met, talks would be initiated immediately", former minister K P Munusamy, who is in the OPS camp said.



However, more than 30 MLAs continue to maintain that Dhinakaran is still AIADMK's deputy general secretary.



Dhinakaran also recently announced that he would tour the whole State to seek cadres supports ahead of local polls and for general elections.




It has deeply affected Mumbaikars as Monday was also Raksha Bandhan.





As of January 2015, the BEST has a fleet 3,600 to 3,800 buses - and more than 30 lakh people use them for their daily commute.





The BEST, one of the biggest public sector bus fleet owners, employees more than 36,000 people. Nearly half of them are participating in the strike.





The BEST Employees Union president Shashank Rao said that the employees had demanded that their salaries should be paid on time and a written undertaking should be given, but the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) administration failed to provide it.





The BEST undertaking issued a circular on Sunday evening warning the employees of disciplinary action under the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) if they go on strike.





Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had called a meeting on Monday evening of the administration and the employees to discuss the issue and find out a solution. Mumbai mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar also held a meeting, however, no solution was arrived at.





On Sunday morning, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta and BEST general manager Surendrakumar Bagde to discuss the issue.





With buses not plying, taxis and autorickshaws were seen making some fast bucks.

Normal life in Mumbai was affected on Monday as thousands of drivers, conductors and employees of the BrihanMumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST), the civic transport undertaking, went on an indefinite strike to press for various demands including timely disbursement of salary.
Use social media to communicate and disseminate information to the public, also conduct special drives on social media against offenders targeting women sexually.



These form part of resolutions taken at the National Conference of Young Superintendents of Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in the national capital under the aegis of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD).



According to the decisions taken at the two-day conference, police heads at district level should evolve mechanism in consultation with state police chief to communicate and disseminate information to the public through social media.



With cyber crime increasing, the conference also wanted a special focus on cyber training and cyber security training for all police personnel. The training should be conducted in new emerging areas like cyber crime, crypto currency, dark web and tapping the internet monitoring capability in law and order situations.



Another area of importance highlighted in the resolutions is the creation of cyber forensic lab at the state level. A senior official said this also comes against the backdrop of rising cyber crimes and the inadequate numbers of experts to handle such cases.



Police personnel should also have a better understanding of data privacy law amid incidents of data theft and the intricacies involved in the investigations. Prudent data handling and analysis for effective policing should also be of focus, according to the conference resolutions.



Another direction was related to the 13 different projects related to internal security being developed by National Centre for Excellence in Technology for Internal Security (NCETIS), IIT Bombay. All states and paramilitary forces have to liaise with this Centre for the acquisition of technology being developed by them.



They also will have to coordinate with National Standing Task Force for Technology (NSTFT) for technology related issues. Another area highlighted was the relationship with media.



One of the suggestions raised at the conference was that officers should work with engineering students, which will help them in updating their knowledge about the new technologies.
Former Congress veteran Shankersinh Vaghela today chose to maintain a silence on his choice of candidate for tomorrow's Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, but said Congress nominee Ahmed Patel remained his "friend".



The former Gujarat chief minister said he was no longer in touch with the Congress leadership and dismissed the talks that he was in contact with the BJP members over voting in the election to the Upper House of Parliament.



Senior Congress leader Patel, the political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is one of the contestants in the Rajya Sabha polls.



"Each and every voter is the owner of his vote. The vote is the personal property of an MLA (for the Rajya Sabha election). Therefore, I do not want to reveal whom I will vote for," Vaghela, who recently revolted against the Congress, told reporters here.



Stating that he and Patel had been friends since 1977, the year he was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time on a Janata Party ticket, the 77-year-old politician said, "We have been friends since then and we remain friends till now. Even today, we talked over phone. Our relationship is not limited to politics."



The Rajya Sabha election has become a high-stake battle for the ruling BJP and opposition Congress in Gujarat, where the Assembly polls are due later this year.



The election to the Upper House from Gujarat has received greater attention with BJP president Amit Shah and Union minister Smriti Irani entering the fray and the Congress re- nominating Patel.



Vaghela spoke to reporters on a host of issues, ranging from the Gujarat Congress' decision to move 44 of its MLAs to a resort in Bengaluru to prevent any "poaching" attempts by the BJP, his stand on NOTA and the recent attack on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's car at Dhanera in Banaskantha.



"There is no question of any offer (from the BJP). I have no personal interests to negotiate with the BJP," he said while replying to a query.



On the Congress' claims that its MLAs were offered Rs 15 crore by the BJP, Vaghela said the legislators should not act as "saleable commodities" and a political party "should have enough trust in its members to leave them free".



"It is degrading for an elected representative if there are talks of him being bought over with an offer of Rs 1-2 crore. The MLAs should have the moral strength to face the BJP, to say that we are with the party, do not touch us," he added.



Vaghela condemned the attack on Gandhi's vehicle during the latter's visit to the flood-hit districts of Gujarat.



He, however, said there was "public anger" towards the Congress MLAs, who were absent from their constituencies during the flood as they were shifted to Bengaluru.



"I condemn the attack on Rahul Gandhi, but the party should understand that the anger is directed at the MLAs who were absent. The Congress abandoned its voters during the heavy rains and floods. The people had reposed their faith in the Congress MLAs, so the party should also repose faith in its members," said Vaghela.



He added that the move to take the MLAs away might cost Congress "heavily" in the Gujarat Assembly election.



"When I went to Dhanera, the people were asking about their MLAs. The move by the party to take 44 of its legislators to Bengaluru has attracted negative publicity. It will be hard for them (the MLAs) to win (in the Assembly polls) even if they are given tickets by the party," said Vaghela.



On the Election Commission's decision to include the 'NOTA' option in the Rajya Sabha polls, he said, "NOTA is a joke. If you have no one to vote for, why should you go to the booth in the first place. NOTA is a product of an empty mind. Why should you stand in the queue to press the NOTA button," he wondered.



The Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat are set against the backdrop of dramatic developments, including the revolt in the Congress by Vaghela, resignation of half-a-dozen Congress MLAs and shifting of 44 MLAs to Bengaluru by the party to protect them from the "poaching" attempts by the BJP.
Leading FMCG company Britannia Industries will invest Rs 1000 crore at its proposed largest plant at the Ranjangaon food park in Maharashtra, a company official said.



"There will be an investment of Rs 1000 crore at the Ranjangaon food park over a period of four to five years with an employment potential for 3000 people", MD of Britannia Industries Varun Berry told reporters after the company's AGM here today.



The plant would have six biscuit lines, and one each for rusk and croissant, he said, adding that plans were there for a flour mill and a dairy unit also.



The company would make a capital expenditure of Rs 400 crore in the current fiscal, he said.



Britannia was already having 98 acres there and another 48 acres would be added, Berry said.



Besides, Britannia would set up its first greenfield unit in Nepal, he said, besides commissioning two plants one each at Mundra and Guwahati.



Post completion of all the plants, total biscuit manufacturing capacity would be 13 lakh per annum.



Earlier at the AGM, chairman of Britannia Industries Nusli Wadia said that the JV with Greek company Chipita would come up at the food park and be commissioned in June 2018.



He said that the company had been to gain market share year-on-year making it the leader in the country.



Wadia said the main focus of the company would be cost saving and product innovation. He said that the company would go for consolidation of its brands in its portfolio.



He said that despite being a tough year due to demonetisation, the company performed well.

On GST, he said there was no impact on the company.
In a sudden development, Mumbai North Central MP Poonam Mahajan met actor Rajinikanth, who is planning to take the political plunge.



Though Poonam did not attach any political reasons, the meeting assumed significance as it took place amid reports that Rajinikanth was planning to enter politics.



Poonam, who was in Chennai to participate in an agitation organised by the BJP, tweeted "One of the most humble couples I have ever met -- Lathaji and Thalaiva @superstarrajini ji".



Recently, BJP president Amit Shah also said that he would welcome Rajinikanth, but that the actor has to decide to enter politics.



Rajinikanth also admitted to discussing his political entry with other party leaders and well-wishers.



Scores of visitors, including political leaders, farmers and social activists, have been meeting the actor at his residence in Chennai, ever since he appealed to his fans to prepare for the 'war' (facing elections).
Forty-five-year-old Motilal Pal, a constable with Uttar Pradesh police, wanted his only son to study Mathematics as a subject in the next class perhaps because he wished to see him become an engineer.

The son Raja Pal alias Prince, however, detested Maths and he had also been scolded and sometimes beaten by his father for scoring poorly in the subject.



Motilal, however, had never imagined that his son could kill him for his insistence.



16-year old Prince on Saturday night allegedly shot his father while the latter was asleep at his residence at Dhoomanganj locality in the state's Allahabad town, about 200 kilometres from here.

The minor, according to the family members, not only killed his father but also held his mother and sister hostage at gun point for over 30 hours.



The incident came to light on Sunday night, when a relative of the victim visited the family and found them held hostage, reports said.The culprit has been arrested, police said.



Police sources said that Motilal, who was posted at Bhadohi district, had come home on Saturday. He scolded Prince after he came to know that his son had done poorly in Maths in the school examination. Motilal allegedly beat his son and asked him to focus on the subject as he has to take it in the next class also.



Seething with rage, Prince, who had a country made pistol, allegedly shot his father in the head while he was asleep on Saturday night. Motilal died on the spot.



Prince also held his mother and sister hostage, when the two rushed in after hearing the sound of gunfire.



Police said that they were investigating if the mother and sister too had a role in hiding the incident for over 30 hours. ''We are investigating the incident...Prince has been arrested,'' said a senior police official in Allahabad.
National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah said today that opposition parties and the people would oppose any move to abrogate Article 35 A of the Constitution.



He was speaking to reporters here after chairing a meeting of various parties including the leaders from the state unit of the Congress, the CPI(M) and several independents.



"When it will come to that decision (abrogation of Article 35 A), you will see this mass (of people) rising. Do not forget when that Amarnath Yatra (land row) thing happened, people rose overnight. So, ...35 A will be far greater revolt and I wonder whether they (government) will be able to hold that," Abdullah said.



The NC president, who is the member of parliament from Srinagar, said the opposition parties were united on the issue and would make people aware of the fallout if the Article is done away with.



"The need was to sit together and discuss the issue of Article 35-A because it affects the whole state  Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. So, it is very important that the people understand as to why we are against the abrogation of Article 35-A, because it (government) wants to do away with our basic thing," Abdullah said.



Article 35 A allows the Jammu and Kashmir legislature to define permanent residents of the state.



We have decided that we will take the issue to the people as a united front, Abdullah said.



"All parties - whether in Jammu or Kashmir or Ladakh  will try to make people understand that what effect it (abrogation of the Article) will have on the state, he said.



Asked about the course of action by the opposition parties, the NC president said the issue is in the Supreme Court which has not given its decision yet, so the parties would take the issue to the people.



"We will first raise this issue among the people like we did on the GST (recently). We will put it up vociferously before the people, he said.



The state subject law should not be eroded at any cost, Abdullah said. He alleged that it was a BJP and RSS conspiracy to erode the special status of the state.



"As far as conspiracy is concerned, you all know that the agenda of BJP and RSS is basically to erode the autonomous structure of this state. And we, as a united front, are going to bring this to the people so that they know the fallout," he said.



He said Article 35-A was for protecting the people of the state and its abrogation would have effects in all the three regions of the state whether Jammu, Kashmir or Ladakh.



Abdullah claimed that the state government had not put up a strong representation before the Supreme Court after an NGO had filed a writ petition seeking the striking down of Article 35 A in 2014.



"It is now being fought legally. The state government has represented in the Supreme Court. Only unfortunate thing is that they did not put the high class representation that should have been put before the Supreme Court," he alleged.



Abdullah said that he had heard that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had said that if Article 35-A is removed, she will quit the chair.



"I hope she stands by that statement of hers," he said.



The NC president said the chief minister should tour every region of the state and explain the fallout of the abrogation of the Article to the people.



Speaking on the occasion, senior CPI(M) leader and Kulgam MLA said M Y Tarigami said they had also decided to appeal to the democratic voices of the country.



"Please try to understand the dangers ahead and the serious implications it can have if Article 35-A is removed. This will be a dangerous move, dangerous for the state and the country as a whole, he said.
Japan's new defence minister today told the US military of his "many concerns" after it flew an Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft in the country following a weekend crash off Australia, the defence ministry said.



The Japan-based US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey crashed on Saturday during an exercise off the Australian coast, leaving three service members missing.



An Australian naval ship has found the wreckage and drivers were preparing to try and locate the three, the defence ministry said Monday in Canberra.



Itsunori Onodera, appointed Thursday as Japan's defence minister, had asked the US to temporarily stop flying the aircraft in his country following the accident.



"We have still many concerns," Onodera said during a meeting with Maj Gen Charles Chiarotti, deputy commander of US Forces in Japan, according to a defence ministry spokesman.



Japanese media said the flight took place on the southern island of Okinawa, where a squadron of Ospreys is stationed at the US Marines' Futenma base.



Chiarotti told Onodera the flight was necessary for operational reasons and that safety was confirmed, according to the ministry.



US Forces in Japan could not immediately be reached for comment.



The MV-22 -- a hybrid helicopter-turboprop with a chequered safety record -- has two engines positioned on fixed wingtips that allow it to land and take off vertically. It can travel much faster than a helicopter.



The Okinawa-based aircraft which crashed was in Australia as part of a joint military exercise called Talisman Sabre, which has just ended in Queensland state.



There have been a series of deadly incidents, mostly in the United States, involving the aircraft.



In April 2000, 19 Marines were killed in an MV-22 crash in Arizona. Locals on Okinawa have protested at the deployment of Ospreys to Futenma, which sits in the middle of a crowded city.



In December a "controlled landing" of an Osprey just off the Okinawan coast during a training flight sparked local anger. The aircraft broke into pieces but no one was killed.
The Haryana IAS officer, whose daughter was allegedly stalked by a senior BJP leader's son and his friend, today took to social media to seek "maximum punishment" for the accused, adding that he will move court if charges against the duo were "diluted".



He, however, asserted that the family would not interfere with the investigation. "We will not interfere with the investigation or the prosecution, just as we do not want the accused to influence the investigation in any way. The police and prosecution should be allowed to do their job.



"We will join the investigation whenever required by the police. We will contest in the court if we feel the charges are diluted or inadequately framed," the bureaucrat said in a Facebook post.



He promised the people who were supporting his family that, "WE SHALL NOT, EVER, BACK OUT OR STAND DOWN, irrespective of hardships or pressures".



The IAS officer said the accused being law students were fully aware of the consequences of their action.



"Our target is to ensure that the guilty are brought to book. They are adult men, students of law, who are fully aware of the consequences of their actions, and hence must be appropriately punished.



"We want them to be punished for the offences they have actually committed, and that awarded punishment commensurate with their culpability. Not over punished, but definitely not under punished either," he said.



The officer added that families of the accused were "not to be blamed". "It is unfortunate that the families of the accused have to face hardship. We do not hold them responsible for the crimes of these men," he said.



Terming the incident as a "cut and dried" case, the bureaucrat said there would be something wrong in the society if the system failed to deliver justice.



"In a cut and dried case like this, where there is nothing hazy or unclear in terms of actions or identities, if the system fails to deliver justice, then there is something deeply rotten in our society, our government and our country," he said.



"The issue is, does our country allow a woman to live as a free and equal citizen, and if she is wronged, does it give her enough confidence to even claim justice? If not, we are no better than a lawless, barbaric society," he further wrote on Facebook.



Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala's son Vikas (23) and Ashish Kumar (27) were earlier arrested for allegedly stalking the woman here. However, both the accused were released later on bail as they were booked under bailable sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act.



The incident had come to light when the woman, around 28 years of age, called up the police on Friday night, complaining that two youths were chasing her along a stretch of over five kilometres from Chandigarh right up to a point in the Union Territory, which is adjoining Haryana's border.




Congress accused the Central and the state governments of conspiring to hush up the matter to protect the Haryana BJP President Subhash Barala and his son Vikas Barala. Vikas was arrested last week for stalking a young lady in Chandigarh.





Even before you have registered a case under correct sections, the CCTV footage has gone. Does it not show that the Union government is giving diktats to protect the Haryana BJP president and his son, Randeep Singh Surjewala, the chief AICC spokesperson told reporters here.





Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi condemned the attempt to kidnap and outrage the modesty of a young lady in Chandigarh. BJP government must punish the guilty; not collude with culprits and mindset they represent, Rahul said.





Reports said that CCTV footage from five locations on the route taken by the young lady were missing.





Surjewala also accused the Centre of trying to dilute the FIR against Vikas Barla by dropping the relevant section pertaining to attempt to abduct, which he claimed was a non-bailable offence.





The Union home ministry, which directly controls UT Administration and UT Police of Chandigarh, is conspiring to hush up the entire matter so as to protect the Haryana State BJP president and his son, he said.





Surjewala also accused Chandigarh Police DSP Satish Kumar, probing the case, of changing his statement within hours, allegedly at the behest of the Central government.





He accused the BJP of adopting double standards, saying when a similar incident happened involving the son of a senior minister in Haryana government a few years ago, the current Home Minister as the then National BJP President had demanded his resignation, which the Congress had accepted.

The 'missing' videos from CCTV cameras in Chandigarh stalking incident on Sunday provided ammunition for Congress' attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.




The victim, Asha Sahani, 63, had been living alone in her flat on the 10th floor of Bellscot Tower in the Lokhandwala area of Andheri West. Her husband, Kedar Sahani, died in 2013, and then she had asked her son, who had moved to the US in 1997, to put her in an elderly-care home. However, she stayed in the flat.





On Sunday, Rituraj Sahani (43) - who incidentally had not spoken to his mother for nearly a year - came home on Sunday, only to find the skeletal remains of his mother in the locked flat.





"The lady has been staying alone in the flat," said senior police inspector Subhash Khanvilkar of Oshiwara police station, which is investigating the case.





"When the son arrived from the US, he first rang the bell of the flat where his mother used to stay alone. After getting no response for quite some time, he decided to bring in a duplicate key-maker and open the door," a police official said. Upon entering one of the rooms, he saw the skeletal remains of his mother.





The body has been sent for post-mortem to the Cooper Hospital. The clothes on her body were intact but her body has completely decayed. The cause of the death is not known.





From initial investigations, it was revealed that there was no attempt of robbery. The neighbours, whom police spoke to, said that they did not smell any stench coming out from the flat.

In a shocking incident that raises the larger issue of well-being, safety and security of senior citizens staying alone, an IT professional returned from the United States only to find the skeleton of his mother at his Mumbai home.
The authorities here have ordered an inquiry into a recent incident, in which security personnel allegedly molested the girl students of a state-run residential school during a cultural programme held ahead of Raksha Bandhan in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district.



The district administration has constituted a five-member panel to look into the allegation and the police too have launched a probe after lodging a case in this regard.



The incident allegedly took place on July 31, when a Raksha Bandhan programme was organised by the CRPF troopers at a residential school in Palnar village under Kuakonda police station, Dantewada Collector Saurabh Kumar told PTI.



The paramilitary force, deployed to counter Left-Wing Extremism in the area, has been organising such events at Palnar for the last nine years.



Nearly 500 girls took part in the July 31 event, to be telecast on the local news channels, and tied rakhi to the CRPF personnel, said Kumar.



"On August 1, we received a complaint from the hostel warden that three girls were searched by the security personnel on the pretext of frisking, which should not be done with kids," he added.



The collector said on August 2, he went to the hostel, along with the Dantewada Superintendent of Police (SP) and local CRPF Deputy Inspector General, and spoke to the girls in the presence of women officials, including the warden.



"The girls said they were physically searched by the men in uniform when they were returning from the toilet," he said.



Kumar added that according to the girls, one securityman physically searched them while another kept watching the act.



"Based on their statements, a five-member committee, headed by the Dantewada zila panchayat chief executive officer, was formed to probe the matter," he said.



The other members of the panel are the Dantewada additional superintendent of police (ASP), sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), district education officer (DEO) and tehsildar.



Subsequently, an FIR was lodged against the two unidentified security personnel under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act at the Kuakonda police station, said Kumar.



The CCTV footage obtained from the hostel premises was also being analysed, he added.

"We are in constant touch with the CRPF, which is also investigating the matter at its level, and trying our best to identify the accused, so that the harshest punishment can be meted out to them," said the collector.



Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Soni Sori accused the authorities of "trying to cover up" the issue.



"I was not allowed to meet the students when I went to the hostel. I spoke to the girls from the nearby villages, who study in the school. They told me that the incident had indeed taken place. Some security personnel followed the girls to the toilet, where they molested them," she alleged.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report has pointed out that overall Rs 1,900 crore worth illegal extraction of iron ore was reported in the state between 2009-16 in violation of the mining plan and environment clearances (ECs).



The performance audit on systems and controls in collection of minerals receipts has revealed a number of system and compliance deficiencies, the CAG report which was tabled on the floor of the House today mentioned.



"We observed violation of the provision of the Acts and Rules made for regulation of mining operation in the State.



"Violating the provisions of the MCD (Mineral Conservation and Development) rules and MC (Mineral Concession) rules the lessees had extracted minerals valued Rs 1,529.64 crore in excess of the mining plan," the report said.



"The lessee had also extracted minerals valued Rs 374.99 crore in excess of quantity allowed under environment clearances," it added.



CAG has said the audit team checked 38 cases to ascertain whether the environment clearances limit has been observed by lessee during the period from 2009-16.



"We observed in five cases, the lessee had extracted 30.02 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore valued at Rs 374.99 crore in excess of the limit. No reason for extraction of iron ore in excess to environment clearance limit was found," he said.



"In respect of seven leases the quantity as per the approved mining plan was 25.94 lakh MT during the period 2009-13 against this the quantity actually extracted during the period was 98.35 lakh MT. This resulted in unauthorised extraction of 72.41 MT of iron ore valued at Rs 1,529.64 crore," the CAG has pointed out.



The mining industry in Goa had faced ban due to Supreme Court order in September 2012, which was later lifted in April 2014.



The actual extraction of iron ore began only in November 2015.



The CAG report which audits various departments and their performance till March 2016 has castigated State Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) for not taking action to recover the penalties under MMDR Act, 1957 for excess extraction over the limits.



"The DMG failed to monitor unauthorised extraction, transportation and storage of minerals effectively. Due to poor monitoring, the short declaration of 27.7 lakh MT iron ore valued Rs 118.01 crore extracted by lease holders was not detected by it," CAG has said.



The audit report also states that the DMG failed to detect the suppression of closing stock iron ore which resulted in short collection of royalty of Rs 35.53 crore.



"There was lack of internal control within the department to ascertain the lawful dispatch of minerals, independent assessment of grades of ore, internal audit of department and timely assessment of royalty dues.



"These results in short recovery of royalty to the tune of Rs 19.78 crore," the CAG has said.



"Short collection of stamp duty by the DMG and consequent short collection of registration fee by registration authorities totaling Rs 159.70 crore was also noticed," it adds.



"There was a lack of coordination between DMG, Indian Bureau of Mines and Ministry of Environment and Forest in regulating the mining operations in the state," CAG has said.



"Coupled with inadequate system of monitoring and poor internal control mechanism the regulation of mining in the state was hampered.



"It would be in the interest of the state's revenue, if corrective steps are taken timely to rectify the defects pointed out by the audit," it added.




We are confident of Ahmed Patel's victory, chief AICC spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said when asked about the Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat on Tuesday.





A senior Congress leader said that the party had even drawn up plans to make Patel's victory a centre point of the campaign for the assembly elections scheduled for December.





We are thinking along the lines of 'we have won the Rajya Sabha, now it is the turn of the Gujarat assembly', said the leader who is closely associated with the party's affairs in the state.





The Congress is banking on the unease in the Patidar community, which was a key supporter of the BJP, and the disillusioned textile industry unhappy with the rollout of the GST to wean away voters from the BJP.





The Congress has been out of power in Gujarat for the last 22 years and has pinned its hopes on winning the state as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah focus their energies on the national level.





A win for Ahmed Patel will infuse a fresh lease of life in Congress ahead of the assembly elections. Shah has already set a target of winning 150 seats in the 186-member assembly, while the Congress has witnessed desertions right from the top state leadership.





However, a senior leader admitted that a loss for Patel could demoralise the cadre across the country as he is the go-to person for Congress workers keen to meet the party President Sonia Gandhi.





The leader of the Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly Shankarsinh Vaghela quit the Congress last month following differences with the state leaders. Since his exit, six MLAs have quit the party amid reports that many more leaders were planning to follow suit.

On the eve of the closely-fought Rajya Sabha election, Congress on Monday said it was confident of Ahmed Patel's victory and was even planning to spin the campaign of the year-end assembly polls around it.
Invoking "Tamil pride", BJP youth wing national chief Poonam Mahajan today highlighted the welfare initiatives undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Tamil Nadu fishermen and asserted that the time was ripe for the lotus to bloom "everywhere in the state".



Asking if "Tamil pride" was ever "respected" during the previous UPA regime at the Centre, she said though votes were garnered by invoking it, it was quickly forgotten by the political parties once they reached Delhi.



That was not the case with the BJP, which had resolved to stand by the people of Tamil Nadu, she claimed.



Addressing a state BJP youth wing rally here, Mahajan listed the Centre's recent initiatives, including a Rs-1,500 crore plan to convert bottom trawlers into deep sea long- liners for the fishermen of the state.



The plan was announced by the prime minister last month when he inaugurated a memorial of former president A P J Abdul Kalam at Rameswaram.



Lauding the late Kalam, Mahajan said Modi had shown respect to the former president and taken forward his initiatives, including the 'blue revolution' for the fishermen.



Modi had said his government would usher in a 'blue revolution' by developing the country's coastal regions and working for the welfare of the fishermen.



"The fishermen from Tamil Nadu, who were stuck in Sri Lanka, were also brought back expeditiously," said Mahajan.



She added that during his visit to the island nation, Modi had met "our Tamil brothers and sisters" there, a "first" by an Indian prime minister.



Referring to the current political scenario in the state, Mahajan took potshots at DMK working president M K Stalin for "taking lessons" from Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.



Repeating the "lessons" jibe used by senior BJP leader Muralidhar Rao, who spoke before her, she wondered why did Gandhi not opt for a bulletproof car during his recent visit to Gujarat's Banaskantha district, where a cement brick was hurled at the Congress vice-president's car.



"We don't want to throw stones at people who do nothing for the nation. We would use our hands to do better things for the country," said the BJP leader.



Referring to the two major Dravidian parties, she said, "The sun (DMK's poll symbol) is setting, the leaves (two leaves, the AIADMK's poll symbol) are falling apart and what we have to do now is see that the lotus blooms everywhere (in Tamil Nadu)."



Expressing satisfaction at the turnout at the rally, Mahajan said if this was the BJP youth wing's "trailer", the film would be "super hit".



Likening Modi with the "real sun", she said the prime minister was "burning himself" without even taking a single holiday to serve the people.



Anyone could directly connect with the prime minister through the "Modi app", she said and asked if it was possible to do the same with leaders like Stalin.



Beginning and ending her speech with "vanakkam", the BJP leader said she would try and speak in Tamil the next time and be a "Tamil sister".



The rally was held to urge the Tamil Nadu government to conduct the local body polls soon, shut down the state-run liquor outlets and improve the standard of education in government schools.



Mahajan also called on actor Rajinikanth yesterday and visited the house of a party functionary today.



Posting photographs with the actor on her Twitter handle, she wrote, "One of the most humble couples I have ever met Lathaji and Thalaiva @superstarrajini ji (sic)."



The BJP has been wooing Rajinikanth of late.



The actor has recently hinted that he may consider joining politics.
Five unidentified militants were killed on Monday as army foiled a major infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Machil sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara district.



Sources said troops guarding the LoC in Machil sector noticed movement of heavily armed militants, who were trying to infiltrate into Indian territory. "As the troops challenged the infiltrators, they opened fire and in the retilatory action five unidentified militants were killed," they said.



Defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia confirmed that an infiltration bid was foiled in Machil sector in which five militant were killed. Five weapons have been recovered and the operation in the area is in progress," he said. The identity and the group affiliation of the slain militants was not immediately known.



A senior army officer said the deployment of additional troops on the LoC along the traditional infiltration routes in north Kashmirs Baramulla and Kupwara districts this year has resulted in killing of more militants while infiltrating.



"There is pressure on militants waiting on launching pads across the LoC to infiltrate due to depleting number of militants in the State in view of successes achieved by security forces, sources said and added the Army has enhanced its capability and boosted its strategy to check the infiltration attempts on the LoC.



Last month, in the same sector, another infiltration attempt was foiled by the army in which four militants were killed. The Machil encounter is the latest in a series of such exchanges with army hardening its stand against militants after a recent spurt in violent street protests and attacks on security forces.



Nearly 130 militants have been killed so far this year along the LoC and the hinterland across the Valley, which is highest in the last eight years. The security forces are going after militants as part of operation "hunt down" and on the basis of a hit list of militants.



In the week of this month, 19 people, including 14 militants, three civilians and two army personnel have been killed in militancy related incidents.
A nocturnal tree-dweller, the tokay gecko is one of the largest lizards in the world. Its striking colours, bright white and orange dots sprayed like a pattern all over the body, and the piercing gaze are hard to go unnoticed. And yet, the gecko is not a commonly known species in India. Just like the caracal, the otter or the pangolin that live deep inside Indias jungles, these are animals that are essential part of the countrys biodiversity, but are hardly seen or known. It is ironical then, that the same elusive species are being killed, hunted and traded in thousands to feed the growing demand for medicines or exotic pets by illegal wildlife traders.



In Northeast India, trafficking of body parts of a tokay gecko or a live tokay gecko has now become a lucrative business with multi-million price tag in the illegal market. The gecko or keko saap as it is known in local parlance is a quick gateway to big money. Mature geckos are caught and sold to international traffickers for as much as Rs 70 lakh per animal. Although wildlife experts say there is no evidence to prove the medicinal value of the lizards, the demand is high for them in traditional Chinese medicine to use for treating cancer, diabetes, and skin disorders.



A man recently arrested in Assam by officers of the Indian Paramilitary force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) confessed that he planned to sell lizards to international smugglers at the price of Rs 4.9 crore. Interestingly, while the locals know their lizard and how to make a quick buck out of it, the lack of awareness of security officers and their inability to recognise it, has only made it easier to continue the trade unabashed across the borders. It is only recently that awareness drives have helped the officers to know the value of the lizards and track the trading routes.

The tokay gecko is not the only low profile species in high demand though. Otters, pangolins, turtles, tortoises, owls, and little known wild cats like the caracal are under the poachers radar simply because they are not a tiger or an elephant that have been accorded the highest protection status according to Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. While the poaching of a tiger might be newsworthy, the dozens of lesser-known smaller animals that end up in gunny bags everyday to be slaughtered or sold as exotic pets are often considered too insignificant to be given attention or greater protection. However, the dangers lurking for the gecko or the pangolin in the forests are as worrisome, if not more, as that for a mega fauna like the tiger.



Low profile, high demand

Last year, global wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC estimated that Indonesia alone had been exporting 1.2 million dried tokay geckos annually and that in recent years Taiwan has imported 15 million geckos from different countries. In another study, TRAFFIC found out 167 otter seizures in South and Southeast Asia between 1980 and 2015, 53% seizures involved India.

The pangolin, a scale-covered anteater, is the number one victim of illegal wildlife trade, with the meat eaten as a delicacy and the scales used to make belts. A joint police team from Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh arrested a wildlife smuggler in February this year who was in the illegal business for over two decades using the postal departments services to send the animals across cities in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan and then route them to the South Asian countries. Local poachers were usually paid Rs 6,000 for pangolin scales weighing around 1.3 to 2 kg. The gang earned Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 for each consignment, but in the international market, the cost of the same material would be 30 times more, revealed a Special Task Force officer.



Caracal, a medium-sized wild cat native to India but one that remains shrouded in mystery owing to the difficulty in tracking or observing it, is another surprise entry to the poachers list of prey. Five carcals were rescued by the Uttar Pradesh police recently, after a chance search of a vehicle revealed a network spread from Hyderabad to Nepal on further investigation.



Threatened marine species

Indias coastal waters are not safe too, with international gangs eyeing the rich marine diversity and especially looking for easy ways to catch the sea horses and sea cucumbers. Shekhar Niraj, head of TRAFFIC India, said, The poaching and illegal trade of sea cucumbers and horses has risen steeply because of a high demand in China and Southeast Asia. The extent of poaching is such that these species have been wiped out in most stretches of coastal waters, such as the Gulf of Kutch, Gulf of Mannar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshwadeep, where they had a good population earlier. It is a dangerous sign for Indian marine biodiversity. Sea cucumbers are scavenger species in the marine ecosystem that clean up water and allow corals to thrive.



According to WWF, illegal wildlife trade is estimated to reach $20 billion per year, which makes wildlife trafficking the worlds fourth largest illicit trade, after narcotics, human trafficking and trade in counterfeit goods. It is not hard to surmise that India with its substantial wealth of flora and fauna is playing a key role in creating this market  not just through rhino horns, ivory or tiger claws but also through deer antlers, mongoose hair, pangolin scales, gecko tails, turtle shells, musk pods, bear bile, shahtoosh shawls and caged birds like parakeets, mynas and munias. The damage to Indias biodiversity is already happening and while the country has a strong legal and policy framework to regulate and restrict wildlife trade, the problem is not of the laws but of poor communication, implementation and enforcement.



Often, positive efforts to address wildlife trade are undermined by lack of political will and governance failures. Saving tigers is critical to saving the entire ecosystem, but the species that are not as celebrated need urgent attention too, when they have emerged as the key resource to the insurmountable wealth collected by wildlife traders. Stronger protection locally will not only safeguard a singular species from extinction but reverse the repercussions faced by the entire world leading to economical and ecological loss, and human tragedies.


The university will emulate the Nalanda architectural style. Buddhist monks and students from Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Burma, Thailand and other countries will visit the university for study and research activities. The state government has already released Rs 10 crore for the university, he added.



Buddha statue



The centre will also have 108-feet tall Buddha statue and 84-feet Sanchi Stupa, which will be an added attraction, he said. Establishing centre on Nalanda model takes a lot of time and requires crores of rupees. Funds will be raised from the people, organisations, religious trusts and from philanthropists from India and foreign countries, he added.



Buddhas remains



According to Bodhidatta Bantheji of Nalanda Buddha Vihara, Mauryan emperor Ashoka divided the remains of Buddha into 84,000 fragments, of which a few parts were taken by her daughter Sangamithra to Sri Lanka. The remains present in Chamarajanagar were brought from Somathi Boudha Vihar in Srilanka in 2008, he said.



Sanchi Stupa will house the remains of Buddha.

The state government has allotted 25 acres of land to International Buddhist Monks Charitable Trust for establishing the proposed Nalanda Knowledge and Study Centre at Uttavalli village in the taluk.Addressing media persons here, Trust secretary Bhodidatta Banteji said, the study centre will be modelled on the famed Nalanda University, in Bihar. The centre will be used for study and research by Buddhist monks. Separate buildings for the public meditation, training in arts and culture and also a separate division for the study and research on Dr Ambedkar. The centre will also have a free residential school of CBSE curriculum, he said. The centre will be open for all communities, castes and religions, he said.


Statistics from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) submitted at Parliament revealed that there were 12,317 cybercrime cases. With figures for 2015 at 11,592 and 2014 at 9,622, cybercrime incidents have shown a significant and steady increase in the last few years. The figures for last year is provisional and could rise further.



In replies to separate questions, the MHA said the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has reported 27,482 cyber security incidents this year till June. Last year, there were 50,362 incidents.



In 2014 and 2015, the figures were 44,679 and 49,455 respectively.



A matter of concern is the rise in the number of URLs blocked for sending offensive content over social media to cause unrest in the society.



The government blocks such content under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act 2000 and on the basis of court orders. While 442 URLs were blocked in 2014, it rose to 1,219 in 2015 and 1,964 last year. Till June this year, there were 735 such cases, including 83 following orders from the court.



The National Investigation Agency has probed 20 cases relating to Islamic State (IS), where it established the extensive use of internet to radicalise people.



A large number of (computer/mobile) applications such as social media apps, search engines, voice communications and World Wide Web are accessed through mobile, Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir told the Lok Sabha recently.



Internet and mobile platforms have found wide penetration in the society in a relatively short time. There is a growing tendency to commit cybercrime, while no data is available to suggest that cybercrimes are linked to the spurt in the usage of mobile phones or internet, the minister said.

Cops and social media



Police should use social media more often to disseminate information and hold special campaign drives against criminals targeting women, a conference for cops has resolved.



The conference of young Superintendents of Police and Central Armed Police Officers  held under the aegis of Bureau of Police Research and Development in New Delhi  also wanted a special focus on cyber training and cyber security for all police personnel.







Cybercrimes saw a 6.25% jump in the country in 2016, with the government stating that there is a growing tendency to commit such crimes through internet and mobile.
India on Monday used a multilateral meeting to step up pressure on Pakistan, which is creating bottlenecks in the efforts to turn Afghanistan into a hub for regional trade and connectivity.



India hosted the eighth meeting of the Regional Technical Group of Confidence Building Measure on Trade, Commerce and Investment Opportunities under the Heart of Asia  Istanbul Process in New Delhi on Monday.



The Heart of Asia came into existence in 2011 as a forum for regional cooperation to stabilise conflict-hit Afghanistan.



The meeting in New Delhi on Monday was attended by representatives of 17 countries and supporting international organisations, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Egypt, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, European Union and the United Nations.



The Ministry of External Affairs issued a press release after the meeting in New Delhi on Monday. It said the participants had shared views on various measures and steps to promote transit and trade, and realising reliable and robust connectivity, with the hub being Afghanistan.



This included the recognition of the need to make the existing transit and trade agreements more inclusive and comprehensive by expanding them both northwards and southwards to connect South Asia with Central Asia; strengthening growth of small and medium enterprises and involvement of women in economic development, including through women entrepreneurship; and simplifying customs procedures, the MEA stated in its press release.



New Delhi has since long been arguing that war-ravaged Afghanistan would be able to achieve its optimal economic potential only if it was allowed freedom of transit to major markets in South Asia.




Forty five-year-old Motilal Pal, a constable with the Uttar Pradesh Police, wanted his only son to study Mathematics so that it could help him become an engineer.



The son, Raja Pal alias Prince, however, detested the subject.



Motilal would scold and sometimes even beat him for faring poorly in the subject.



The father, however, might have never imagined that Prince could kill him for his insistence.



The 16-year-old on Saturday night shot his father dead while the latter was asleep at their residence at Dhoomanganj locality in Allahabad town, about 200 km from here.



The minor, according to the family members, also held his mother and sister hostages at gun point for over 30 hours.



The incident came to light on Sunday night, when a relative of the victim visited the family, reports said.

The culprit has been arrested, police said.



Police sources said Motilal, who was posted at Bhadohi district, had come home on Saturday. He scolded and beat Prince on learning that his son had fared poor in Maths in the school examination.
Chicago Just Hosted The Largest Democratic Socialists Convention In Years

By aaroncynic in News on Aug 7, 2017 7:41PM



Members of the Democratic Socialists of America pose for a group photo at their biannual convention in Chicago at UIC. Photo by Aaron Cynic.

Nearly a thousand members of the Democratic Socialists of America descended on the campus of the University of Illinois Chicago over the weekend for their largest convention in recent history.

As mainstream politics and discourse in the United States have seemingly continued their further push towards the right, symbolized best with the election of Donald Trump and the now presidents penchant for embracing open fascists, it might be difficult for some to see how a leftist movement could cohere, particularly when mainstream Democrats seem to be scrambling to resist the administration.

The DSAs explosive growth over the past few monthsmembership jumped from around 8,000 to 25,000 since Novembershows however that though it still may be small and working out how to best organize, another leftward alternative to the right wing mainstream is growing.

While not a traditional political party (the DSA operates as a big tent organization) the DSA has become the largest socialist organization since World War II. Members pay dues, but chapters operate autonomously, with some steering from a constitution and bylaws along with a National Political Committee that helps implement the organizations broader political and organization goals. Currently the DSA claims 177 local groups in 49 states and Washington, D.C and at least 17 local elected officials, including two in Illinois, Chicago alderman Carlos Rosa and Dylan Park, an alderman in Rock Island.



Chicago Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa and Alderman Dylan Park of Rock Island, Illinois. Photo by Aaron Cynic.

Part of the organizations membership spike can be attributed to Vermont Senator and former Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who ran as an open Democratic Socialist, along with growing movements across the country to fight the agenda of President Donald Trump.

There are a lot of people who have been dissatisfied with the direction of the country and are feeling very powerless, then they saw Bernie and he spoke to people, said Maria Svart, National Director of the DSA. He had millions of votes as an open democratic socialist and then Trump won the electoral college. Members now really felt that they needed to respond, organize, to defend their communities so they started coming to DSA because they felt that democratic socialism as an ideology confronting capitalism is very important and they wanted to be in an organization that is effective and thats why were growing so much and why it feels like such a historic moment - because this hasnt happened in recent years. Theres been a lot of malaise in the progressive movement and people are ready to fight back.

The starkest difference, outside of numbers, between the DSA convention and the mainstream Democratic and Republican national conventions is a complete lack of pomp, circumstance, pageantry, and an endless parade of speeches. In their place lay a host of resolutions, votes on whether or not to vote on amendments, and other lengthy procedural debates. Democracy is messy, and so its to be expected that Democratic Socialism would be messy too.



Members of the Democratic Socialists of America hold up cards to signal their votes on a proposed resolution during their biannual convention in Chicago. Photo by Aaron Cynic.

I think the logistical challenges of having 1,000 people when our last convention had 125 people frankly is going to be a big thing, Svart said before it began. We are a big tent organization so there are people that have different perspectives on how we should proceed, but I think that there wont be any major issues because were all united and weve come together in this really historic convention. We all know that Donald Trump is a problem and also Wall Street Democrats are a problem.

Out of four days of discussion and deliberation, the DSA managed to adopt several broad sweeping goals which serve as guides for how it will proceed over the next two years. Among them include a call for free universal health care, increased support for labor movements, unions, and the fight for a $15 an hour minimum wage, joining the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement in solidarity with Palestinian people, and a general commitment to taking on Wall Street backed politicians.

Democratic socialists arent afraid to challenge the status quo and demand whats right, Rawan Tayoon, a member of the Young Democratic Socialists, the DSAs group for members under 31, said in a statement. We stand against imperialism, we stand against racism, and so we must stand against Israeli apartheid and occupation.

We need a concrete political campaign that people can plug into immediately, Ari Marcantonio, an organizer with the East Bay DSA told members in a speech closing out the convention. A door they can knock on, a conversation they can have with their neighbor about the shared fight for medicare for all and how we as working people are going to fight together to liberate ourselves from the private insurance industry oligarchy.



Members of the Democratic Socialists of America sing The Internationale, a socialist anthem. Photo by Aaron Cynic.

While over the years socialism has become something of an umbrella four-letter buzzword pitched out by the right to criticize any policy that doesnt fall in line with its agenda, some DSA members goals include organizing on a more grassroots local level anywhere their message can find sympathetic ears.

Im very much opposed to the butt kick in the doors saying Im here for the socialist revolution, said Dylan Parker, a DSA member who was elected as an alderman in Rock Island, Illinois in April. We have to meet rank and file Americans where were at. We cant expect them just to know Marxist theory because most Americans dont...Theyre working full time jobs just trying to get by and then just trying to catch the next episode of Game of Thrones or something. We have to meet them where theyre at and be respectful of that so we dont alienate people.

Parker, whose job as alderman is part time, works 40 hours a week in a diesel shop and has three children, said one of the issues he campaigned on was bringing public internet infrastructure to an area where privatized ISPs arent yet delivering the service people want. That he said, was an example of how to present some of the DSAs core ideas while tamping down some of the negative stereotypes that have been created around the word socialism.

He said that his constituents can see the real world application of our valuespublic ownership, shared ownership, solidarity, or whatever you want to call it, and you dont have to call it Socialism. They see the value in it and you spread that." When his constituents hear about him going to the convention, Parker said that's a way for them to connect the dots on how capitalism's failings affect own community. "The reason this isnt working is because the capitalist system is not allowing my community to benefit from high speed internet or something like that. Its very nuanced, its very slow, its very not in your face, but thats the way we have to do it if we want to have genuine relationships with working Americans.
In a few months, you can go scuba-diving in Devgad Island near Karwar town and snorkelling in Murudeshwar. While snorkelling is likely to open in November, scuba diving could start by December.



The Uttara Kannada district administration and the Tourism Department hope to attract tourists who usually head for Goa or Andaman and Nicobar Islands to enjoy these water sports. Presently, scuba diving is available only in Netrani Island near Murudeshwar and people have to reach there by boat. The place attracts large crowds.



Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner, S S Nakul, said Devgad Island with its rich coral biodiversity and aquatic life could become an attractive destination for scuba diving. Whats more, the water sport will be offered there throughout the years, unlike in Netrani Island where the facility is closed during the monsoon.



Netrani Adventures, the Murudeshwar-based firm which conducts scuba diving in Netrani Island, is currently carrying out a feasibility study in Devgad Island. The study will help the district administration finalise the location.



The firm, however, may not conduct scuba diving in Devgad Island. The organiser will be finalised only after tendering, Nakul said.



Like in Netrani Island, the space for scuba diving in Devgad Island will be clearly defined. There will be trained guides and divers. All safety measures and precautions will be taken. The local administration will keep the Navy in the loop about the exact location and schedule of the water sports, he said.



The inauguration of snorkelling in November and scuba diving in December will be timed to coincide with cultural festivals in Karwar and Murudeshwar, respectively.




BJP national president Amit Shah will have a packed schedule during his three-day visit to Bengaluru starting August 12. Shah is arriving in Bengaluru as part of his nation-wide tour to strengthen the party. Karnataka is the 18th state the BJP chief is visiting as part of the tour. Shahs visit to Bengaluru assumes significance as elections to the state Assembly are fast nearing. He will assess the ground situation in the state and give suggestions to the state leaders on preparations to be made for the polls.



Addressing reporters here on Monday, state BJP spokesperson and senior MLA S Suresh Kumar said Shah is scheduled to attend about 25 meetings during his visit. He is scheduled to arrive at Kempegowda International Airport at 10.45 am on August 12. Party workers have planned to give him a grand welcome near the airport. Shah is scheduled to attend a series of meetings at the BJP office in Malleswaram later in the day. He will interact with the heads of all prakoshtas (cells) of the party, organisational secretaries, district in-charge secretaries, district presidents and MLAs. A separate meeting will be held with intellectuals and noted personalities. Later in the day, he will hold the state core committee meeting, Kumar said.



On August 13, the BJP chief will visit the Adichunchanagiri Mutt at Nagamangala in Mandya district and later the Art of Living headquarters on the outskirts of Bengaluru. On August 14, Shah is scheduled to hold a meeting with Vistaaraks. Later, he will have a meeting with prominent leaders of the party from 11 Parliamentary constituencies, which the BJP failed to win in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Kumar added.






We are also working on an e-commerce platform, which will be ready in another 15 days, MSIL managing director G C Prakash said.



The Cabinet gave its administrative approval for establishing a foot and mouth disease vaccine production unit on a 115-acre plot at Yelahanka in Bengaluru at a cost of Rs 100 crore.The unit will be established by the Bengaluru-based Institute of Animal Health and Veterinary Biologicals.





The state Cabinet on Monday decided to take the ordinance route to circumvent a recent Supreme Court order striking down the consequential seniority in promotions awarded to SC/ST employees.The Supreme Court had set August 9 as the deadline to implement its order, which states that all consequential promotions given to the SC/STs under the provisions of the Karnataka Determination of Seniority of the Government Servants Promoted on the Basis of Reservation (To the Posts in the Civil Services of the State) Act, 2002 will be null and void.Briefing reporters after the meeting, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said suitable amendment will be brought to the section 5 of the Act to ensure justice is rendered to the employees.Around 3,000 SC&ST employees working in 63 government departments would have faced demotions if the order was implemented. Karnataka introduced reservation in promotions for the SC/ST employees in April 1978. Around 100 supernumerary posts will be created to provide promotions to non-SC/ST employees, he added.Jayachandra said the ordinance will be sent to Governor Vajubhai Vala on Tuesday with a request that it be promulgated. A revision petition filed by the state government challenging the order is also pending before the Supreme Court, he added.
A Malaysian company has been shortlisted for import of sand, a move the state government hopes will ensure availability of sand at an affordable price.



The imported sand will be available in Bengaluru at Rs 175 for a 50kg bag.



The company has emerged as the most competitive bidder having quoted an all-inclusive price of Rs 3,450 per tonne, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said on Monday, declining to name the company as the process was still under way.



This works out to about Rs 35,000 per truckload of sand, which is way cheaper than the current price in the state, he said. The move will also help conserve the states natural resources, he added. The state government had floated a global tender through the Mysore Sales International Ltd (MSIL), in the wake of sand shortage and skyrocketing prices. MSIL is the nodal agency tasked with procurement and distribution of imported sand.



We are in talks with the Railways to set up yards where the imported sand will be stored and sold.



We also plan to have 200 lorries stationed at strategic locations to sell the sand. Authorities are yet to fix rates for other districts.



Jayachandra added that the imported sand will be rationed to ensure only those who are in genuine need get the supply. Steps will also be taken to ensure that sand is not diverted to realty firms.



To hasten the process of issuing licences for building stone (M-Sand) quarries, Jayachandra said the state government would write to the Centre to establish a state-level environmental clearance committee. Quarry leases below two acres are cleared by district-level committees, but there is no committee at the state level, he said.



Wildlife sanctuaries and deemed forests came in the way of licences, but most quarries fall outside the forest purview, he pointed out.




The High Court of Karnataka on Monday upheld the government's order of fixing the seat matrix and the fee structure for private pharmacy colleges in the state. Hearing a batch of petitions filed by pharmacy colleges, Justice L Narayanaswamy, rejecting the contentions of the pharmacy colleges, said that there is no fault in the state governments decision.



Petitioner colleges had contended that the seat matrix is fixed at 50:50 ratio wherein 50% of the seats are meant for government quota and the rest for management quota. The colleges had contended that when the fee was already fixed by the All India Council for Technical Education as Rs 1.5 lakh per annum, the government has fixed the fee structure at Rs 20,000 per annum for B Pharm course. They contended that the seat matrix fixed for private institutions will jeopardise the colleges as the fee structure fixed by the government is low and it would be impossible for private institutions to develop infrastructure in keeping with government guidelines. The government said that students belonging to socially and economically backward sections may not be able to affored the high fees.



The government on Monday informed the high court that a draft policy had been framed to protect the interests of RTI activists and whistleblowers in the state. Government counsel D Nagaraj submitted to the court that the relevant file was sent for approval to the chief minister as he is in charge of the Home department. He sought two weeks time to inform the court about the decision taken with regard to the policy.



Umapathi S, the petitioner, has filed a contempt petition as the government has failed to frame a policy in the last three months. He cited the increasing instances of attacks on and murders of RTI activists and whistleblowers in the state. He said the government had failed to give suitable protection to these people who are under constant threat.



He said the high court took up the case of the murder of RTI activist Lingaraju after reports in the media. The court disposed of the matter, directing the government to frame a suitable policy for the protection of these persons. The petitioner has contended that despite the court issuing directions and the government giving an undertaking to frame a policy, no steps have been taken till date. A division bench comprising Justice Jayant Patel and Justice S Sujatha adjourned the hearing for two weeks.
There are only 17 officials to verify the applications. With the help of personnel from the BBMPs tax wing, verification of new ration card applications will be completed in another 10 days, said George, who held a meeting to discuss delays in the issuance of ration cards.



Food and Civil Supplies Minister U T Khader said his department had received 16 lakh applications for ration cards in Karnataka. Village accountants and revenue inspectors are verifying them. The process is expected to be finished by August 15 and the cards will be despatched by post, he said.



Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Housing Minister M Krishnappa, Gandhinagar MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao and Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA Munirathna were present at the meeting.



Centre copies state scheme

The Centres proposed Shaadi Shagun scheme  under which Muslim girls who complete college education will get Rs 51,000 towards marriage  is a copy of the state governments Shaadi Bhagya, Khader claimed.



Ironically, the BJP opposed our scheme when it was announced. Now, the Centre is taking our scheme as a model, he said. Officially known as Bidaai, the governments scheme doles out Rs 50,000 to poor Muslim, Jain, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh and Parsi women and widows towards their marriage expenditure. The schemes of our government serve as models to the entire country. The Shaadi Shagun scheme is a proof of that, Women and Child Development Minister Umashree said.





As many as 1.5 lakh applications for new ration cards are pending in BBMP limits due to staff crunch. Personnel from the BBMPs tax department will be roped in to handle the rush, Bengaluru Development Minister K J George said on Monday.
Chicago Is Suing The Federal DOJ For Threatening To Defund Sanctuary Cities

By Emma G. Gallegos in News on Aug 7, 2017 8:46PM

As expected, Chicago has filed a suit against the Department of Justice for threatening to withhold funds from Chicago and other sanctuary cities.

Last month Attorney General Jeff Beauregard Sessions III announced that he would be withholding Byrne Justice Assistance Grants from cities whose police forces refuse to investigate the undocumented statuses of residents. This year Chicago received $3.2 million from such grants, a fraction of the $24.5 million it received from the Department of Justice. Sessions claimed cities that don't comply "make all of us less safe because they intentionally undermine our laws."

Sessions announced that in order to receive grant money cities would need to give the federal government a 48-hour notice window prior to releasing someone it has arrested. And they also demanded federal immigration officials be given unlimited access to local police stations and other law enforcement facilities.

Today Chicago filed a lawsuit claiming that the move violates the constitution and that, in fact, makes residents less safe, because immigrants may fear coming forward to cooperate with police. The suit says that the Department of Justice move violates the Constitution's Fourth Amendment, spending clause and the principle of separation of powers. It would also cause Chicago to violate Illinois law.

"The executive branch of the federal government may not arrogate to itself the powers that our Constitution reserves to Congress, on the one hand, or to state and local governments on the other," the suit says.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel called the move to withhold funding blackmail and said agreeing to cooperate with federal officials would essentially "federalize" local prisons.

"Community policing is a guiding philosophy of the Chicago Police Department, but it cannot succeed when a segment of the community is afraid to cooperate or communicate with the police," Rahm wrote in a statement on Facebook. "Forcing us to choose between our values and our Police Departments philosophy of community policing is a false choice, and it is a choice that would ultimately undermine our public safety."

Chicago's violence and murder rate has become a favorite political talking point among conservatives and the Trump administration has continued to pummel the city. Trump the candidate swore he'd fix Chicago's problems in a week. A spokesman Devin O'Malley claimed that not enforcing federal immigration laws put citizens and law enforcement at risk.

"In 2016, more Chicagoans were murdered than in New York City and Los Angeles combined," Spokesman wrote in an email to the Washington Post. "So it's especially tragic that the mayor is less concerned with that staggering figure than he is spending time and taxpayer money protecting criminal aliens and putting Chicago's law enforcement at greater risk."

We've pointed out before there is no research or facts to back up this allegation and that, in fact, immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than native-born Americans. And San Francisco became the first city to file a similar lawsuit back in January, noting similar problems.

Here's Rahm discussing the suit in his appearance on CNN:

Mayor Emanuel on Chicago's suit against the DOJ's sanctuary city warning: "We will never be coerced on our values." https://t.co/rmPBDqwWXy  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 7, 2017

And here's the full lawsuit:

Related:

How And Why Chicago Violence Became Conservatives' Favorite Talking Point

Spicer Says Chicago's Gang Violence 'Inextricably Linked' To Sanctuary City Status

Trump Boasts He Could Stop Chicago Violence 'In One Week'
Engineers and experts from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) on Monday made a presentation before Bengaluru Development Minister K J George and Urban Development Department officials on bringing the Netravathi river water to Bengaluru by extending the Yettinahole project.



Mahendra Jain, additional chief secretary, UDD told DH, Nothing has been approved so far and it is too early to say anything. They have made a presentation and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will look into it, he said.



When asked if this was an extension of the Yettinahole project, Jain said: ''May be. Netravathi water can be pumped up to Yettinahole and during lean months at Yettinahole, the pumping machinery and pipeline from Yettinahole can potentially be used to pump the Netravathi water.''



BWSSB chairman Tushar Girinath said that they had asked Prof T G Sitharam from the Department of Civil Engineering in IISc and his team to prepare a feasibility report.



Netravathi water can be a good source and the idea is feasible. But we have to assess the report. The economics need to be worked out along with the infrastructure and other details. We can treat sewage water and use it, but the demand is increasing and we have to look at the needs till 2050, he said, adding that there are proposals to bring water from Linganamakki too. The state government is keen to bring Netravathi water to quench the thirst of water-starved districts of Hassan, Bengaluru Urban and Rural and Chikkaballapur.



The officials who attended the meeting did not divulge details. Despite repeated attempts, George and Sitharam were not available for comment.



Idea opposed



This idea has been strongly opposed by other experts and professors from IISc. Prof T V Ramachandra from the Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc said that it is absurd to bring water from the Western Ghats.



Bengaluru gets sufficient rain water. The city needs 17 tmcft water, we get 750 mm rainfall annually. Around 18-20 tmcft sewage water is flowing. If even 16 tmcft is recycled and reused and lakes are rejuvenated, then we do not need to divert Western Ghats rivers. Those who are supporting the idea, should visit Gujarat, where people are foul mouthing the government for diverting river water. They are complaining that the ground water has become saline and productivity has come down. I strongly oppose bringing Netravathi and Linganamakki water to Bengaluru, he said.




The contentious bill to reserve 50% of the seats in the premier National Law School of India University (NLSIU) in Bengaluru to students from Karnataka, has been referred to the advocate general for a legal opinion, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said on Monday.



In June, the National Law School of India (Amendment) Bill, 2017 was passed in both the Houses of the state legislature- where the ruling Congress accepted the BJPs demand to increase reservation for Karnataka students from 30% to 50%. The bill was sent to the Governor.



The Governor sent the bill back asking us to get a legal opinion on whether there is a provision under the Constitution to provide reservation, Jayachandra told DH. Accordingly, the bill has been referred to Advocate General Madhusudhan R Naik. We are yet to get an opinion, he added.



The bill defines domicile as a student whose either parent has resided in Karnataka for at least seven years. Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy has contended that only eight students from Karnataka got admission into NLSIU last year. The government is working on a similar proposal to reserve 25% of the seats in the IIT-Dharwad.



The NLSIU Student Bar Association termed the reservation a sudden and shocking move. It stated the extraordinary measure of introducing 50% domicile reservations will surely strike a blow to the countless number of meritorious aspirants who wish to be a part of the university.
By Oliver Milman

7 August 2017NEW YORK (The Guardian)  Staff at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have been told to avoid using the term climate change in their work, with the officials instructed to reference weather extremes instead.A series of emails obtained by the Guardian between staff at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a USDA unit that oversees farmers land conservation, show that the incoming Trump administration has had a stark impact on the language used by some federal employees around climate change.A missive from Bianca Moebius-Clune, director of soil health, lists terms that should be avoided by staff and those that should replace them. Climate change is in the avoid category, to be replaced by weather extremes. Instead of climate change adaption, staff are asked to use resilience to weather extremes.The primary cause of human-driven climate change is also targeted, with the term reduce greenhouse gases blacklisted in favor of build soil organic matter, increase nutrient use efficiency. Meanwhile, sequester carbon is ruled out and replaced by build soil organic matter.In her email to staff, dated 16 February this year, Moebius-Clune said the new language was given to her staff and suggests it be passed on. She writes that we wont change the modeling, just how we talk about it  there are a lot of benefits to putting carbon back in the sail [sic], climate mitigation is just one of them, and that a colleague from USDAs public affairs team gave advice to tamp down on discretionary messaging right now. []In a separate email to senior employees on 24 January, just days after Trumps inauguration, Jimmy Bramblett, deputy chief for programs at the NRCS, said: It has become clear one of the previous administrations priority is not consistent with that of the incoming administration. Namely, that priority is climate change. Please visit with your staff and make them aware of this shift in perspective within the executive branch. [more]
Dunkin' Donuts Lies About 'Fake' Blueberries Tainting Its Donuts, Suit Claims

By Emma G. Gallegos in Food on Aug 7, 2017 9:44PM



Blueberry and Red Velvet Munchkins (Photo by Kevin Baird via the Creative Commons on Flickr)

Dunkin' Donuts is being accused in a class action lawsuit of lying about the fake "blueberries" in its donuts and munchkins by a customer.

Bartosz Grabowski has filed a formal complaint on behalf of himself and other Illinoisans against Dunkin' Brands, according to Legal NewsLine claims. The suit was filed on July 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, and it claims that Dunkin's actions violated an Illinois law against fraud and deceptive business practices.

Dunkin' Donuts declined to talk about the case to DNAinfo, citing the pending litigation.

The complaint says Grabowski bought a glazed blueberry donut in December 2016 and felt hoodwinked by marketing materials when he found out the blueberries were mere imitation. He says he'd have never bought such a thingor at least that he'd have paid lesshad he known the truth.

Fake blueberries, for instance, do not contain the "antioxidant phytonutrients" that the real things do. The fake blueberries are little more than sugar, corn syrup, gums and artificial flavors and food colorings, according to the complaint.

The suit seeks over $5 million damages, restitution and court fees.

Grabowski says in the suit he is "likely to purchase the Blueberry Products in the future if they each were reformulated to include their Premium Ingredients." You know, like actual blueberries.
Man Shoots At Police, Leads Them On 7-Mile North Side Car Chase

By Emma G. Gallegos in News on Aug 7, 2017 3:09PM



Gas station where the 7-mile chase ended (Google Maps)

Police say that a driver fired at them before leading them on a 7-mile chase that ended when the suspect crashed into a pole at a gas station.

Police told Chicagoist that they spotted a man driving erratically in a Silver Toyota around 11:30 p.m. last night at Grand and Harlem avenues in the neighborhood of Montclare. The driver fired at them and then led them on a chase that ended at the intersection of Fullerton and Ashland avenues, when the driver crashed into a pole attempting to make a turn. The crash happened just west of DePaul University at a BP gas station.

The suspect was transported to Masonic hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and he's in good condition. Chicago police spokesperson Officer Brandi Wright says that charges for him are still pending. One police officer involved in the chase was also treated at a hospital for minor injuries and released.
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A Plymouth man won't propose to his partner until a bottle containing his marriage proposal reaches her.

Peter Downs discovered a bottle in his luggage during a ferry crossing with instructions from his partner Yvette Hargreaves to throw it into the English Channel to celebrate their 20th anniversary, reports the Plymouth Herald.

Peter vowed that if the bottle was found he would propose to Yvette.

Now, having cast the bottle into the sea it has miraculously turned up in Cherbourg just two weeks later and Peter, owner of Boats and Outboards 4 Sale, has sent his own bottle back into the Channel with a marriage proposal attached.

"I regularly travel to France for work and unfortunately on the 17th, our anniversary, I was travelling which was unavoidable," Peter told The Herald.

"I found Yvette's bottle in my bag with a separate note. I couldn't call her because I was in the middle of the Channel so I just did what she asked and didn't think anything else about it."

The note read 'Tossed into the sea to see how we can travel together.

'If found please share on Facebook... He might even marry me if this note gets found.'

Parisian Russ Blanc found the bottle a fortnight later on the coast of Cherbourg.

Having dried the message off, read it and translated it he was able to reach out to Yvette on Facebook.

"It was surreal," Peter said.

"I happened to be travelling through Cherbourg on my next trip out there so we arranged to meet and he drove an hour to get me this bottle back. He didn't speak any English, I didn't speak much French.

"He was really into the love story and he's offered us a place to stay in Paris for our honeymoon if we do get married."

True to his word, Peter has now proposed to Yvette, but with a twist - the proposal is written on another message in a bottle which he has thrown into the ocean.

"I've honoured my vow and proposed," Peter said.

'It left my hand at 19.45 (champions league KO - seemed appropriate) and was returned to the English Channel, midway between Cherbourg/Poole. Should this proposal reach Yvette, she will be able to answer the question.

"Yvette has always wanted to get married. It wasn't really for me but my love for Yvette is and I'm committed to her.

"But she can't answer the question if she doesn't have bottle, so we might not get married until our 30th anniversary!"

Posting on Facebook, the couple are encouraging as many people to share the story as possible so the bottle can be tracked down.

'Please share this post, so the finder of the bottle can help complete my "fate",' Peter wrote.

'He/she can contact us on the telephone number, address or social media names listed on the note, when found.

'I trust this bottle will return to Yvette, as it was also my "fate" that brought us together all those years ago, which has also forever returned us to each other over the years, throughout life's troubles and tests.

"It's this fate that will always keep us together come what may, because we will make that happen. That's our fate right there."
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A pet lover from Devon has set up a new 'boutique hotel for dogs' after making a drastic career change.

Sioux Dean, who has owned dogs for 30 years and currently has two  Mr Pumpkin and Bailey  has opened A Pad 4 Paws in Derriford, Plymouth.

She embarked on the new venture as part of a retirement plan, leaving behind 14 years in the IT industry for her love of dogs.

Having come up with the idea to set up an at-home business with an extra personal touch in doggy boarding, she and partner Pete made a number of modifications to their home  even moving the living room upstairs so the whole of the ground floor is completely dog-friendly.

Sioux says A Pad 4 Paws is completely different from regular boarding and a far cry from a kennel environment.

Only three dogs will be taken on at any one time, and each will come for a taster day beforehand to make sure they feel comfortable in their temporary home.

The aim for the doggy hotel is to look after pooches as similarly as they would be in their own homes  the only ask Sioux has is for the visiting dogs to be well behaved and sociable.

Sioux, 58, said: "As my pensionable age has just gone up I thought about doing something different, and I really wanted to do something I love.

"After putting our goldies [golden retrievers] into kennels suddenly, they were a nervous wreck when we got back and we vowed never to put them in that type of environment again  it was no fault of the kennels, it was just too much noise and stress.

"I had been playing with the idea for a few years and everything came together  we opened on August 1.

"We've had new fencing put up and we have a large patio with doors which can stay open when it's nice, we have a tiled floor in the kitchen so dogs can cool off when it's hot and a fire for when it's cold.

"There is no kennelling and it has a personal touch. The dogs have their own sofa and I know for me, when I leave my dogs I want them to be happy."

Sioux has woodland and fields near her home meaning all visitors staying will get exciting regular walks during their hotel experience.

An overnight stay at A Pad 4 Paws costs 18 and it's an additional 10 for each dog if you have more than one. Sioux also offers day care from 7am to 7pm, costing 14.50 per day.
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A former Royal marine is preparing to ski, walk and crawl across Antarctica in a 1,800-mile trek next year, aiming to become the first person to cross via the South Pole, solo and unsupported.

Barry Gray will face temperatures below minus 40C, dragging everything he needs on a 200kg sledge  knowing that a fellow Briton died in an attempt last year. Former Army officer Henry Worsley was 30 miles short of the finish when he called for help due to exhaustion and ill-health. He died later from multiple organ failure.

Mr Gray, a father of three, said he felt a basic human need to attempt the crossing, reports plymouthherald .

"We would all still be sitting in caves if people did not want to explore and try to achieve new things," he said. "This is probably the toughest expedition that there is still left to complete in the world."

The 43-year-old of Buckland Monachorum near Plymouth is ideally qualified for the trek. He was formerly the chief instructor of the Royal Marines mountain leaders, the "elite of the elite": a cadre who are experts in arctic survival and operations, and mountaineering.

Four years ago the ex-Regimental Sergeant Major was a member of an expedition that re-enacted one of the greatest survival stories in the history of exploration: Sir Ernest Shackleton's 800-mile crossing of the Southern Ocean from Antarctica in an open boat to South Georgia, and the traverse of the island's mountains and glaciers, in 1916.

Alexandra Shackleton, the explorer's granddaughter, is the patron of the Challenge Antarctica expedition that is scheduled to begin in October next year.

Mr Gray will consume 10,000 calories on each of the 100 days of the expedition as he tries to fortify his body against the cold and for the physical exertion.The dangers include falling into a crevasse  the glacial cracks are often concealed by a thin layer of snow.

That could spell the end of the expedition or even of Mr Gray's life. But he insists that his wife, Claire, and children Mia, 11, George, 19, and Steven 21, will be less worried about him on the solo Antarctic mission than if he were facing some of the Royal Marines' recent deployments.

"Because of the career I have had and the things that I do, my family will worry about me less than if I was going to Afghanistan or Iraq," he said.

"When I get to Antarctica, Claire will start to relax because she will think, 'he is on his own turf now'."

If successful, the McMurdo Sound to Berkner Island crossing will create three records: the first solo, unsupported and unassisted crossing of Antarctica; the first full, coast-coast crossing via the South Pole including the permanent ice, and the longest solo, unsupported and unassisted journey on the continent.

To get to the start, the project needs to raise 0.5million, the bulk of which will be spent on training missions to the Arctic. These will help the explorer bulk up by three stone, but will primarily be used to test kit. A project team led by Plymouth dentist and philanthropist Mitesh Badiani is heading the fundraising push.

Mr Gray has known Mr Badiani for 13 years through the dentist's SmileStar charity, which provides free care to disadvantaged communities in African countries and India and to ex-Royal Marines in the UK.

Aims also include education and raising awareness about global warming. Ten schools will follow the project throughout preparation, in live links from Antarctica and after completion.

"It is not just about me," he said. "I have a great team behind me, with Mitesh, who is an amazing guy.

"There are lots of aspects for schools, for example climate change. I have seen the ice receding, quicker than ever before, on trips I have done to glaciers.

"This will be tough but this is what I have trained for, and have trained hundreds of mountain leaders who have trained thousands of Royal Marines for, in my career.

"There is nothing like this. Nobody likes being cold, facing minus 50C and hurricane-force winds. But you learn how to deal with it and survive, over many, many years. When you know how to do that, it is the most amazing feeling.

"There are those days when it is only minus 20C and the sky is clear and it is calm and pristine; just beautiful. There is no place like it in the world."

And there is no place in the world that throws up challenges like sastrugi: grooves, ridges or even boulders formed by gales and ice accumulation that Mr Gray said might be the toughest part of the trek.

"Sastrugi can go on for miles and you can't go around it, you have to go through," he said. "You have to take your skis off and you can't even walk, you have to crawl, pulling the pulk."

The project will be formally launched at the Beehive, Honiton, on October 26. You can find out more at challengeantarctica.com
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The much anticipated arrival in Devon of Swedish homeware giant IKEA is edging ever closer and the site is starting to take shape.

Work is taking place around the clock at Newcourt Way in Exeter to meet the scheduled opening date of early summer 2018.

The skeleton of the building can now been seen with the erection of its steel structure while concrete blocks were being lifted into place on Monday afternoon.

Ikea will employ 350 people, recruited locally who will all be paid at least the real living wage - and the manager, Nicholas Earle, has strong family links to North Devon.

It will be the UK's first sustainably built IKEA, meaning it will harvest rainwater and comply to strict environment regulations. The store will be 28,000 square metres large over two floors and will sell the full IKEA range.

IKEA Exeter will have a green room - a large greenhouse displaying IKEA's full outdoor range - as well as a restaurant, creche and space for 1,000 vehicles in the car park. There will be four order collection points.

The company is already looking to fill various posts based in Exeter - offering up to 33,000 a year for some roles.

Jobs include HR administrator, sales department managers, HR business partner, kitchen production manager, customer restaurant manager and Swedish food market and bistro manager.
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A poet from London has penned an amusing homage to a Devon seaside town which pokes fun at famous residents, local rivalries and even some stories from Devon Live.

Andy Naylor was compering the South West Birdman Competition in Ilfracombe on Saturday, August 5 when he performed the hilarious poem.

In it the London poet pays tribute to Damien Hirst's Verity statue, unpopular seagulls, the Michelin-starred Thomas Carr restaurant and the Facebook group Gossip Around Ilfracombe.

(Image: Simon Ellery)

He even referenced a Devon Live story in which churchyard volunteers complained about being sprayed with dog poo while strimming the grass.

The South West Birdman Competition, which saw would-be aviators and brave wannabe pilots hurl themselves off Ilfracombe Pier on Saturday, was attended by upwards of 10,000 people.

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As well as the main event, the day also comprised a live music stage featuring acts such as Lionstar, Yazzy and Majestic Blue, a Farm Olympics event and a cider and ale festival.

The whacky contest is organised by Ilfracombe Round Table and raises money for local worthy causes and charities.
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Police say they believe they may have tracked down the driver involved in a dramatic crash with a set of traffic lights in Devon this morning.

Police had been hunting for a motorist who fled the scene after smashing into a set of traffic lights at a busy pedestrian crossing in Victoria Road in St Budeaux, Plymouth.

The destroyed set of lights were left lying beside Victoria Road on Monday morning after the black 4x4 drove away from the dramatic crash scene.

The incident happened shortly after 9am near the junction with Bickham Road.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokeswoman said officers believed they may have identified the driver.

A man has agreed to attend a police interview voluntarily tomorrow, she added.

Photographs by The Plymouth Herald's Penny Cross show how the lights have been completely smashed in the incident.

A pedestrian crossing post was also destroyed in the crash.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said earlier that the vehicle involved in the crash had blue lettering on the side.

Police officers were still at the scene at around 10.10am but there was no sign of the vehicle involved in the crash, which police suspect drove off.

It is not thought anybody was hurt in the incident.

A police spokesman said a Land Rover type vehicle was thought to have been involved in the incident, driven by a man.

Police are asking anyone with information to call 101 quoting log number 177 of Monday, August 7.

First reported by Plymouth Herald
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A cave system which is home to some of the oldest human remains in Devon is still closed off the public a decade after plans to open it as an attraction were unveiled.

But the group which controls it has released fascinating pictures which allow you to see inside the caves, which sit beneath an industrial park next to the sea.

Only a handful of people have been inside the Cattedown Bone Caves since they were discovered in 1886.

That was when Plymouth's oldest known human remains were discovered by quarry workers, who raised the alarm and called in archaeologists, reports plymouthherald .

Among the partial skeletons of 15 early humans was the famous 'Cattedown Man'  believed to be the city's earliest known inhabitant and dating back up to 140,000 years.

Archaeologists say he could potentially be the oldest ever human found in Britain.

Today the caves  listed as a national monument by Historic England  remain fenced off and kept well out of sight.

Plans to turn the area into a tourist and visitor attraction have not yet publically progressed, more than a decade after they were first mooted.

But fascinating images held by the Devon Karst Research Society offer a rare glimpse of what was inside.

It was the autumn of 1886 when the limestone cave system was explored by workers quarrying in the Cattedown area.

Intermixed with fossils of Ice Age woolly rhinoceroses, reindeer, hyenas and a woolly mammoth were human bones.

Local historian Robert Worth was brought in to excavate the caves and Cattedown Man was analysed, eventually earning him international significance.

The caves, near Shapters Way, contain further important human and animal remains to this day.

In 2007 Brian Lewarne, honorary science officer of the Devon Karst Research Society, which has worked to preserve and further excavate the site, told The Herald: "This is the jewel in the crown of Plymouth's heritage.

"Anyone Plymouth-born or who has an interest in the early heritage of the city should have an interest in what's going on at this paleolithic cave site and its environs."

Worth's Cattedown Bone Caves  as they came to be known, named after local naturalist Robert Nicholls Worth, one of the first to explore them, are part of a huge system of caverns and fissures thought to spread beneath the length and breadth of Cattedown and to around 50 metres below sea level.

Part of the cave system is the Cattedown Reindeer Rift, where reindeer bones carbon dated at 14,500 years old were found in the 1970s.

The society has deliberately not revealed the main cave's exact location, on a large site owned by oil company Chevron, for fear it will be ransacked by fossil-hunters.

Meanwhile its members have worked with experts at Plymouth University and Oxford Brookes University to accurately date exhumed bones fragments, which were kept by Plymouth City Museum.

The dating process is complicated by the fact that many fossils were smashed and scorched during the Blitz when the Plymouth Athenaeum, where they were being stored, was hit by a bomb.

A range of methods were later used to date the material, including 'non-contact 3D laser scanning' to reconstruct the missing parts of bones.

Dr Simon Underdown, senior lecturer in biological anthropology at Oxford Brookes University, said that the fact human remains had been found among Ice Age animal fossils suggested they were more than 10,000 years old.

He said: "Cattedown Man is the earliest known inhabitant of Plymouth.

"We got one successful date out of one human tooth which placed it between the mesolithic and neolithic  the middle and new stone ages.

"Some of the 15 skeletons are in all probability a lot older than that."

The Devon Karst Research Society has been working with Chevron to preserve the ancient site since 2000, when the oil company purchased much of the area.

A Chevron spokesman said in 2007: "We agreed in principle that we would be happy to donate the land at our fuel terminal where the caves are sited to a charitable trust created by the Devon Karst Society, and work is continuing to achieve this.

"Chevron is committed to ensuring that this historic site is maintained for future generations."

Several other landowners, most of them commercial, own sites adjacent to the Bone Caves, which in the past have complicated preservation efforts.

In 2009 the plans for a heritage centre nearby celebrating the prehistoric bone caves were ongoing.

The project had stalled in 2007 after the city council approved plans for a concrete processing plant nearby.

But Mr Lewarne later said: "Chevron do not use the area any longer for oil storage. We just need the area to be declassified so we can take it on. These things take time.

"The long term plan is to work with English Heritage and open a visitor centre down there."

For more details of Cattedown Man, the caves in Cattedown and information on how to get involved with excavation on the site, click here.
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Do you think you could handle the buggest burger in Devon?

The Expendable is made up of four beef burgers, two sausages, two eggs and two rashers of crispy bacon. Topped with four giant onion rings and a sauce of your choice - all for the bargain price of 10.

It is named for the blockbuster series the Expendables, featuring all your favorite action heroes.

The creation was born at The Burger Factory at Woolwell Fish Bar, Plymouth, where owner and manager Alex Thompson was up drinking with a member of staff late one night and began plotting.

He said: "We thought, 'what's the silliest burger we can make?', and that's how it happened."

"People see it as a challenge. I've attempted it and got about half way through."

One happy customer visits every single week to polish one off.

Following Alex's expert advice, I dismantled the tower of onion rings, making it just about possible to hold the hearty stack in my hands.

The onions rings are homemade, and you can really tell (because they are delicious).

I found the sheer amount of beef was overwhelming but, it is what I'd signed up for and I'd expect nothing less from the largest burger in town.

I was further advised to work from the top down, and "dissect" my mighty meal, so I chewed my way through each beef patty layer trying to get all the flavours together with every bite I took.

I'm ashamed to admit that I barely made it through half of it.

I blame this on being thrown off by the hefty portion of battered chips on the side (which, I highly recommend).

To the team's knowledge, there's no competition nearby that sell these famous chips, which are a favourite amongst locals, alongside the bestselling breakfast burger.

All in all, 'The Expendable', for me, gets a 9/10.

You simply have to get some battered chips on the side.

If you're a meat lover, I guarantee you won't be disappointed with this monster of a burger.

An even bigger creation could be "on the cards" for the future, says Alex, who has been in the business for 13 years.

"I think it would probably take a few of the guys to come round, sit down, get the pen and paper and go from there.

"Have some beers and figure it out. That's the best way to do it".

With just shy of 1,500 likes on their Facebook page, Alex and his team say that social media has been a big help in boosting sales.

Don't take my word for it - take on the challenge yourself.

You can order yourself one through One Delivery https://one-delivery.co.uk/

Call 01752 695 100, or for more information visit https://www.woolwellfishbar.com/ or find them on Facebook @WoolwellFishbar
India signed a loan agreement with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank for a loan of US$329 million to improve rural road connectivity in the western state of Gujarat, officials said Saturday.

"The loan and project agreements for AIIB lending of US$329 million for Gujarat rural roads project have been signed between the government of India, government of Gujarat and the AIIB yesterday in New Delhi," a finance ministry official said. "The objective of the project is to improve the rural road connectivity and accessibility in rural areas of Gujarat.

The project would benefit 8 million people in the state by providing all weather road connectivity to 1,060 villages in 33 districts, officials said.

The project would construct and upgrade non-planned roads besides upgrading of planned roads.
Marjiuana focused technology company to purchase 120-acres California town

A marijuana-focused technology company has purchased an entire town of 120 acres at a reported price of about $5 million.

American Green Inc, plans to make Nipton the country's "first energy-independent, cannabis-friendly hospitality destination," the company said in a statement.

Nipton, in Calfornia, is an hour's drive from Las Vegas and more than three hours from Los Angeles. The town has a hotel, general store and schoolhouse, and has its roots in gold and silver mining along with ranching.

The town has a population of only 20.

According to American Green it plans to initially focus on bottling cannabis-infused water in the town. According to commentators, the production of marijuana edibles and the cultivation of cannabis will not be far behind in American Green's 18-month, $2.5 million development time frame.

Visitors will find mineral baths, lodging, marijuana retail outlets and "a first-of-its-kind eco-tourism experience for conscious cannabis consumers."

The company plans to transform the old Gold Rush town into what it calls "an energy-independent, cannabis-friendly hospitality destination."

According to the current owner of the town, Roxanne Lang, the sale was still in escrow she confirmed American Green was the buyer. She chose to remain silent on the price before the sale closed but noted that she and her husband, Gerald Freeman, now deceased, listed the property at $5 million when they put it up for sale last year.

When she was asked what her husband would think of the buyers' plans to turn Nipton into the pot paradise of the California desert, she laughed and said, "I think he would find a lot of humor in that," AP reported.

She added that as a libertarian, Freeman had no problem with people using marijuana. He was also a proponent of green power, and would favour energy independence. Over the years, he had installed a solar farm himself that supplied much of the tiny town's electricity.
Alisha Medford, the Glasgow Mary, has been crowned the 2017 Mary from Dungloe following a glittering crowning cabaret night at Ionad Spoirt na Rosann in Dungloe.

More than 600 people packed into Rosses Community School in Dungloe to watch the event.

Continuing a Dungloe tradition, local legend Daniel ODonnell serenaded the winner with the famous Mary from Dungloe song as more than 600 people who attended the sold out event joined in.

The crowning cabaret capped a particularly memorable 50th anniversary festival and among those joining the 2017 Mary from Dungloe winner on stage was Celine Powell, the first winner.

Daniel sings Mary from Dungloe for 2017 winner Alisha Medford. Photo Matt Britton

The winner, who is 20 and studying law, said she was honoured to represent her home city of Glasgow, but she is no stranger to Dungloe.

In her biography notes for the festival she explained: My father was born and brought up in Tuberkeen and the festival has always been attended and enjoyed by myself and all my family and friends throughout the years and I am extremely excited to follow in my mother's footsteps as she was once the Glasgow Mary many years ago. My earliest memories of the festival is waking up in my granny Ward's b&b in Tuberkeen and being in awe of the beautiful Mary's from around the world.

Alisha devotes her free time to volunteering for charities including working with the Irish Heritage Association in Glasgow to promote the Irish culture and language and spending periods of time in Malawi Africa, building and renovating classrooms to help children escape poverty through education.

An Irish dancer since the age of four, she has competed nationally and internationally at feiseanna and has represented Scotland as part of the Scotland under 21 netball side.

One of Alishas first duties as the newly crowned Mary from Dungloe is to attend the annual Meenacross Show which is on today.
A cut to Irelands alcohol excise tax could protect Donegals 7,443 hospitality sector jobs, the chair of Vintners Federation of Ireland in the county has said.

Irelands overall alcohol excise tax is the second highest in the European Union. By drink type, our wine excise is the highest; our beer excise is the second highest behind Finland; and the spirits excise is the third highest, behind Finland and Sweden.

Almost 210,000 people are directly and indirectly employed by Irelands hospitality and drinks industries, in a nationwide network of pubs, hotels, restaurants, off-licences and other supporting businesses.

In Donegal alone, there are 365 pubs, 40 hotels, 77 restaurants, 133 off-licences, 12 wholesalers and 2 producers. Together, these businesses pay a 157.7 million annual wage bill and support 168 million in tourism spend.

High excise tax punishes consumers, businesses and tourists alike by discouraging spending. Combined with the threat of Brexit, the hospitality sector, particularly in rural parts of the country, is vulnerable.

The UK is Irelands most important tourism market. British tourists make up 40 percent of all visitors and are worth 1.1 billion to the economy. However, numbers dropped by 8 percent in the first four months of 2017 compared to 2016. Since the referendum last June, sterling also dropped by 15 percent against the euro, making Ireland a more expensive destination for British tourists.

Martin Gibbons Donegal county chair of the Vintners Federation of Ireland said: The hospitality sector is a vital part of Donegals economic infrastructure. 7,443 local people depend on it for work. In many parts of the country, it is the major and often only employer.

Tourists consistently rate the Irish pub and Irish pub culture as a top tourist attraction. However, a high alcohol excise tax works to actively undermine this by discouraging consumer spending, ultimately putting jobs at risk. Combined with Brexit, Ireland is already becoming expensive for our biggest tourism market, the UK.
ELBA  The Elba Board of Education on Friday selected former Henry County Schools Superintendent Dennis Coe to serve as its interim superintendent for two months.

In its first meeting since accepting current Elba City Schools Superintendent Chresal Threadgills resignation last week, the board discussed several options on how to progress in a search for a replacement.

Board President Matt Brunson said he believed the system needed an interim and had discussed the position with Coe, who served Elba as an interim superintendent in 2013 before Threadgill was hired. Coe offered to serve as an interim for two days a week for eight weeks while the Elba board searched for a full-time replacement. Coe will be paid $500 a day, or $8,000, for the two months.

Should the search take longer than two months, Coe will remain in the position but will not earn more than $15,000. Coe has already retired from the state education department, Brunson said.

Board members discussed when Coe should start since Threadgill will remain superintendent through early September.

After discussion, the board agreed Coes term should begin on or around Aug. 15 in order to give him a few days to work with Threadgill and ensure a smooth transition.

In addition to Henry County superintendent, Coe recently worked in various roles at the Alabama State Department of Education. Coe ran for Dale County superintendent in 2016, narrowly losing to former Ariton High School Principal Ben Baker.

Brunson said Coe currently works with Criterion K-12 Consulting, which the Elba board hired to conduct its upcoming superintendent search for a cost of $1,600.

We wont find anyone cheaper, Brunson said.

As part of the contract, Criterion will be receiving and screening applications, respond to inquiries regarding the vacancy, verifying credentials and references, collaborating with (the Elba) Board to schedule interview dates with finalists, notifying candidates who were not selected as finalists and providing interview criteria for board.

The board also adopted language for the job description it will post. It reflects the language used in the last search.

Following Alabama law, applicants must have an Alabama certificate in education administration and a four-year degree. The board additionally will require a masters degree.

Some of the other local requirements include three years successful education experience as a teacher, principal, supervisor or superintendent in the last five years, at least five years public school work experience, prior administrative experienced  and demonstrated knowledge of school finance and educational research.
As a major target area of the national poverty-relief campaign, Inner Mongolia in northern China has seen the fastest progress in this regard over the past five years.

Inner Mongolia has announced plans to lift around 200,000 people out of poverty this year. [Photo/northnews.cn]

The autonomous region is celebrating its 70th anniversary later this week.

Since the last National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the impoverished population in the autonomous region has fallen from about 2 million to less than 560,000, with poverty incidence down from around 15 percent to just above 4 percent.

Benefiting from the latest government effort, each of the most poverty-ridden shepherd households in Ar Horqin Banner, has received 60 sheep valued 7,000 yuan free.

"The whole family is very happy. Why? Because we were hoping to raise sheep, but we didn't have the money. And the government has come through for us."

Local authorities have also struggled to cultivate more grasslands in this national-level poverty-stricken county, where the dry weather used to hinder the growth of plants.

Through years of efforts, roughly 67,000 hectare of desert have been turned into grasslands that can now support about 1.3 million sheep, and herdsmen become much better off.

Du Guolin from the local poverty alleviation office has participated in the project.

"We've focused on helping the grassland industry, and now the poverty alleviation fund has covered 16,000 impoverished residents in the banner."

China is striving to lift all people out of poverty by 2020.

Over the past five years, the central government has allocated 23 billion yuan for poverty alleviation in Inner Mongolia, 70 percent of which went to industries such as dairy, meat, forage grass, and tourism.

And the latest efforts are focusing on the medical care, education, and living standard of the impoverished people.

In Zhuozi County, local authorities have tried to offer free medical treatment to the impoverished.

Under their program, medicine would be directly distributed by village doctors, and patients only need to pay five percent of the cost.

Wang Misuo oversees the project.

"Medical care covers 80 percent of the cost. The government's medical aid fund will take care of another 15 percent."

And a larger program is aiming to help students from poor families across the region.

Jia Yun heads the education aid management center of the region's education department.

"This brings equal education to children from the impoverished families, which is one of the most fundamental equalities. It gives them a chance to shine, a chance to develop, so that their fate can be changed with knowledge, and they can bring their families out of poverty, and stop intergenerational poverty."

At present, there are less than 560,000 impoverished people in Inner Mongolia.

They account for less than 1 percent of the country's population in need of government assistance to shake off poverty.
A Taylor man charged in 2016 with 100 counts of possession of child pornography will remain in jail pending trial.

Circuit Judge Larry Anderson denied the motion for pretrial release from Cody Lee Fulgham, who has been jailed since his arrest in December of 2016 on possession of child pornography.

Fulgham, through Dothan attorney Eric Davis, asked the court to grant Fulgham release through community corrections. Anderson denied the motion at a Friday hearing.

Fulgham was originally held on a bail totaling $1 million. It was reduced earlier this year to $100,000 later, but Fulgham was still unable to make bail.

Fulgham has written several letters to the court, claiming he has certain medical conditions that require care in a setting outside of jail.

Anderson has ordered a mental examination of Fulgham prior to his trial.

Court records indicate police found child pornography material in his possession on Nov. 18. One hundred separate warrants were served for each individual digital photograph believed to be in his possession. According to court documents, each photo depicted a minor female nude and/or engaging in a sex act.
Babysitting is a job many pre-teens and teenagers explore to earn extra spending money. However, having an untrained sitter can be dangerous. Thats why the Southeast Alabama Medical Center offers its Safe Sitter Course several times throughout the year.

SAMC is actually gearing up for its next Safe Sitter Course, which is scheduled for fall 2017.

This is a great program for children and teens, said Southeast Alabama Medical Centers Safe Sitter Instructor Joyce Riley. This program is designed to help promote safe babysitting.

The class is open for children ages 11-14, and teaches the following topics: childcare essentials; injury management; how to save a choking child; and CPR.

Dr. Patrica Keener founded the Safe Sitter Program following the death of a colleagues daughter. The child choked while eating breakfast and the adult babysitter caring for her didnt know how to rescue a choking child. By the time the ambulance brought the girl to the hospital, it was too late.

According to the Safe Sitter website, Keener drafted a curriculum to teach life skills, safety skills, and first aid and rescue skills to middle-school-aged children. She taught the first class at her own childrens school then she began teaching at Community Hospital. Eventually, she trained others to teach the classes, and the program soon spread across the Midwest. With the help of a grant from the Lilly Endowment, the program went national. By 1988, the program was being taught in 28 states, and by 1995, the program was taught in all 50 states.

This program address so many issues pre-teens and teenagers need to understand and realize before they take on the responsibility of babysitting, Riley said. We stress the importance of not only safety issues, but we also stress the importance of knowing a child left in a sitters care becomes that sitters responsibility, and they must make sure that child is safe at all times. We also address the concerns of talking on a cell phone, texting or using social media accounts while babysitting. There are several benefits to participating in this program. But, the most important is knowing what to do during an emergency situation.

Cost for the course is $60 per person. For more information regarding the upcoming Safe Sitter Course, call 793-8956.
Audi is set to take a page out of Lexus recipe for success in Australia, focusing on customer service as opposed to sales.

The brands new managing director in Australia, Paul Sansom, says Audi will become the best premium brand by improving its customer experience and after-sales service, not by out-selling key rivals such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Sansom, who came to Audi Australia after stints in the UK and South Africa, has the clear goal of becoming the best premium brand in Australia.

What do I mean by being the best? Well, I want to ensure that we're truly a premium brand, a progressive brand, that's engaged in our dealer network in a true partnership style, and delivering the very best customer experience in the Australia market, he says.

While sales is, and always will be, an extremely important measure, it's not the most important. I don't believe that our customers actually care who's number one. I think they care about how they feel theyre treated by our brand and that's what I mean by being the best.

The point is ownership experience  clearly we have to concentrate hard on the buying experience, the aftermarket experience, giving a bit of investment convenience and the very best in terms of customer experience at every single touch point for our consumers.

Lexus' focus in Australia has consistently been on customer service as opposed to the number of cars it sells. The Japanese brand trails its German rivals on the sales charts.

Sansom says it is not going be an easy ride for Audi, which hasnt done enough to train and retain the best possible technicians, losing business to independent mechanics who offer excellent service.

The new chief says Audis recent growth on the back of new models such as the Q2, A4/A5, Q5 and R8 reached a natural plateau, but that fresh versions of key models as well as a new A6, A7 and A8 due in 2018 mean that it is our time again.

It is our intention to become the best premium brand in Australia, he says,

I'm 100 per cent confident that we've got the fundamentals to deliver against that. What's important to note that being the best doesn't necessarily mean being the biggest. We can't lose sight of what's critical just because we're growing.
Mazda is committed to petrol-powered cars in the medium term, having invested heavily in a revolutionary technology likely to arrive in its next generation of small cars.

The technology, known as homogenous charge compression ignition, or HCCI, combines petrol and diesel engine traits in an efficient package. Any car enthusiast can tell you that the main point of difference between diesel and petrol engines is that a petrol motor uses spark plugs to ignite petroleum, whereas diesel engines apply brute force, compressing oil-rich diesel fuel to the point of combustion.

Engines that operate using HCCI are capable of detonating petrol under extremely high compression without the use of spark plugs. Several manufacturers including General Motors, Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz have experimented with the technology as a means of increasing fuel efficiency.

But Mazda is expected to be the first to sell it to the public, and the brand is expected to offer an important insight into its HCCI program in August.

Senior Mazda engineer Kenichiro Saruwatari told Drive the next-gen engines introduction is top secret, saying only that it will be available sometime in the near future.

Industry speculation suggests it will arrive in the next-generation Mazda2 or Mazda3 hatchbacks.

Saruwatari says Mazda has revisited the traditional idea of HCCI, which has been around since the 19th century.

The engineer says his brand always thinks about how to make the combustion more efficient, and that Mazda will build on its current Skyactiv technology with a motor capable of running both as a regular four-stroke petrol engine with spark plugs, or through HCCI in some circumstances.

While other brands have done so in concept form, he says it is not possible to make a production engine run purely on an HCCI cycle.

It is very difficult to use the use the HCCI at all times, Saruwatari says.

In certain area it needs to use the combustion area with the sparkplug  it is mixed.

At high RPM, high load there is no sparkplug.

Mazda isnt alone in pushing boundaries with compression ratios in production engines.

Infiniti is set to offer a variable-compression engine in future models that allows it to minimise fuel use and maximise power outputs according to driver demand.

It is too early to say when the technologies will arrive in Australia. Local fuel quality may be a sticking point, as Australias notoriously sulphur-rich fuel is well below world-class standards, which carmakers say could limit the introduction of high-tech engines in the future.
Peugeot's new local management has responded to slow sales by slashing the price of its 208 hatch and 2008 SUV.

The French brand has reduced the cost of its small offerings by as much as five per cent.

Sales of Peugeot's pint-sized 208 hatch have plummeted this year with only 197 units registered, a decline of 57.7 per cent compared to the same time last year.

The new point of entry into the 208 range is the base Active model which now costs $22,990 before on-road costs, which represents a slight reduction of $300. But it is still similarly priced compared to range-topping versions of the Mazda2 and Toyota Yaris.

However, the two high-specification 208 models receive a much bigger discount with the Allure and GT-Line now costing $24,990 and $26,990 respectively, a reduction of $1300.

The 208 range is powered by a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol unit that produces 81kW and 205Nm and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Peugeot's 208 GTi remains priced at $29,990.

Sales of the front-wheel drive 2008 baby SUV remain steady at 249 for the year, a slight rise of 4.2 per cent compared to 2016. However, it is still outsold by its mainstream rivals from Mazda, Honda and Mitsubishi.

Pricing now kicks off at $25,490 for the base Active, which is now $1000 cheaper than before. The mid-spec Allure is also $1000 cheaper at $29,990 and the range-topping GT-Line is priced from $31,500 which is $1490 cheaper than before.

All models are powered by the same 81kW/205Nm three-cylinder from the 208 and are equipped with a six-speed auto.

The new pricing means it undercuts fresh two-wheel drive competitors like the Toyota C-HR which starts at $26,990 when paired with a manual transmission.

Peugeot has also shaved several hundred dollars off the price of metallic paint.

2017 Peugeot 208 and 2008 prices

208 Active - $22,190 (-$300)

208 Allure - $24,990 (-$1300)

208 GT-Line - $26,990 (-$1300)

208 GTi - $29,990

2008 Active - $25,490 (-$1000)

2008 Allure - $29,990 (-$1000)

2008 GT-Line - $31,500 (-$1490)

For all the latest Peugeot information, visit our showroom.
Toyota and Mazda announced plans on Friday to build a $US1.6 billion ($2 billion) assembly plant in the US, and work together to develop electric car and advanced safety technologies.

The plant is expected to produce up to 300,000 cars a year, and create jobs for 4000 workers. It is expected to begin operations in 2021, but a location for the plant has not yet been decided.

Toyota will produce the Corolla model for the North American market, while Mazda will make cross-over models. As part of the deal, Toyota will gain a 5 per cent stake in Mazda.

"This is a partnership in which those who are passionate about cars will work together to make ever-better cars," Toyota's President Akio Toyoda said in a statement.

The announcement was greeted with a congratulatory tweet from President Donald Trump, who campaigned on a promise to bring back manufacturing jobs to the US In January, Trump warned Toyota - in a tweet - that the company would be hit by a "big border tax" if it went ahead with plans to move operations to Mexico.

With Friday's announcement, Toyota will shelve plans to produce the Corolla in Mexico, and instead use the facility to make its Tacoma truck model.

The automakers' alliance grew out of a May 2015 agreement between Mazda and Toyota to "mutually benefit the companies in such forms as leveraging the resources of both companies and complementing each other's products and technologies toward the goal of making more-appealing cars," Toyota said in a statement.

In practical terms, it is a way for Mazda to ensure its survival in a competitive market that requires more and more resources, analysts say.

"Toyota may benefit from a taste of Mazda's zoom-zoom flavor and add to its global volume count, but most of the benefit of the link-up goes to Mazda, which desperately needs US production in this protectionist era and help with advanced technology development," Michelle Krebs, analyst for Autotrader, an online marketplace for car shoppers and sellers, said in a statement.

Karl Brauer, an analyst at Kelley Blue Book, said pooling resources could help Mazda compete in the development of electric vehicles and advanced safety technologies.

"Mazda is down on resources compared to many other automakers and they can't compete with companies like Toyota or Volkswagen on innovating," Brauer said in an interview. "It make perfect sense that they would join with Toyota and help spread the cost of building the plant and producing the vehicles. Also, Mazda will get the benefit of all Toyota's advanced work on hybrids and electric vehicles."

He also suggested that Trump's tweet in January may have prompted Toyota to reconsider its plans to shift production to Mexico.

"I don't know why else they would have switched," Brauer said. "They could have revamped that plant in Mexico to allow for Mazda to produce there as well, or future electric vehicles. It would have been less expensive."

- The Washington Post
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The question many business owners face is whether to use contractors and freelance workers or to hire staff.

There are obviously a number of factors to weigh up before making a decision either way, but with the rise of the sharing economy, businesses are presented with a wide range of employment options, no matter what industry they operate in.

In Australia, approximately 9% of all employed people are contractors, a figure that is expected to continue to increase. Looking at the increasingly popular online marketplace business model  global ride sharing app Uber and Australian-based Better Caring are just two examples  the decision to operate entirely with independent contractors is unprecedented.

While Uber has seen meteoric growth both globally and in Australia, the current Fair Work probe into its employment model and supposed sham contracting is a great example of why the contractor model may not be the best, or even the most feasible option when building a services marketplace here in Australia. This probe should be on the radar of every contractor-based services provider in Australia.

My business, Scooter Tutor has many elements of an online marketplace, although theres one key feature that we have not adopted; rather than hiring contractors, we employ each of our 250 tutors across Australia.

Heres why having staff over contractors could be ideal for your company.

It benefits workers

The decision to employ all of our tutors wasnt taken lightly. We realised that young people today want more from their employer, and providing added benefits such as superannuation, insurance, and fully managed finances is highly sought after; particularly at tax time.

Being an independent contractor requires having your own ABN, an understanding of the requirements for super and tax contributions, and ensuring you are properly insured for the services you deliver.

There are so many things to consider as an independent contractor and sometimes it can even put people off applying for certain jobs. Taking care of these things not only puts your team at ease but allows for a bigger marketplace, and further business growth.

Benefits to the business

The benefits to employees isnt the only reason to hire staff over contractors.

For business owners, having employees means that you are able to have greater control over your staff and the work that they can provide.

Particularly in an industry where most people work remotely, it is much easier to ensure everyone is abiding by rules and offering the highest quality of services.

This process allows business owners and managers to have more confidence in what they are selling rather than being conscious of individual members potentially creating reputational damage.

Employing people can make them proud to represent your business which may also have follow on effects.

Its no surprise that research shows people aged 18-34 want to work at companies such as Google, Amazon and Apple the most, as these are brands people are proud to embody.

Not only can it position your company as an employer of choice but it can generate further business.

Employment law

Under Australian employment law, the lines are clear on what distinguishes a contractor from an employee, and the consequences of getting it wrong are severe. Should an employer get it wrong, not only are they required to pay outstanding payroll tax, retrospective PAYG and super contributions on behalf of each employee, they need to pay interest and penalties that are handed down by the ATO.

These things certainly shouldnt be taken lightly, and there are more than enough examples of businesses getting hit with huge payments in similar situations. In fact, theres already substantial international precedent in the case of Uber, where rulings have been handed down, or class actions have been filed, stating that drivers of the company are actually employees and not contractors.

If too many businesses take Ubers lead in the contractor business model without doing their homework, we may end up seeing a lot more Fair Work probes over the next few years, which will be to the detriment of both workers and customers across the country. Its the kind of processes and practices used by Scooter Tutor that should allow more businesses in Australia to operate efficiently in todays digital world, while still providing great services to their customers, and doing things by the book as far as Australian employment, tax and superannuation laws are concerned.

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One person was killed and eight others went missing after a flood in northwest China's Gansu Province, local authorities said Monday.

Rainstorms hit southeastern Gansu from Sunday evening to Monday morning, resulting in geological disasters including landslides.

Three townships in Wenxian county in the city of Longnan were affected. The rain also left roads cut off, houses collapsed or damaged, with power supply and communication interrupted.

The local government has dispatched thousands of people to participate in rescue and relief work.
 Flash

China urges South Korea to stop further deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and make efforts to improve their relations by removing the stumbling block between them, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in Manila on Sunday.

Wang made the remarks while meeting with his South Korean counterpart on the sidelines of a series of ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings in Manila.

Wang said that it is very important to maintain communications between China and South Korea as they are neighbors and relevant parties to the Korean Peninsula issue.

He mentioned that South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed his willingness to take care of each other's rightful concerns and try his best to improve the two countries' relationship after he took office.

However, Moon's hasty order of further deployment of the THAAD missile interception system recently has cooled down the momentum of the improvement of bilateral relations, Wang pointed out.

Wang said the deployment of THAAD goes beyond the defense need of South Korea and damages China's strategic security interest, which is neither the way that neighboring countries get along with nor the principle that strategic partners should follow.

China hopes the South Korean government could realize the essence of the problem right now and the damage THAAD brings to South Korea and make wise decisions in line with fundamental interests of South Korea.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha recalled that leaders of South Korea and China met last month at the G20 summit in Berlin and made important consensus on improving the two countries' relationship, adding South Korea also hopes to solve existent problems in their relations and promote substantive improvement.

The two ministers exchanged views on the current situation in Korean Peninsula during their meeting.

Wang hopes all relevant parties should weigh the pros and cons cautiously and refrain from activities that could escalate tensions and create conditions for early resumption of peace talks.

He hopes South Korea could consider China's "double suspension" proposal on the Korean Peninsula carefully, which refers to suspension of missile and nuclear tests by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and of joint military drills by the United States and South Korea.
The Kent Collection is top of the class

When searching for a new home, ensuring that there are good schools in the surrounding area is a strong deciding factor for parents. For home-hunters thinking ahead to securing their child's secondary school place, Millwood Designer Homes three new individual developments named the Kent Collection are ideally located for families looking for an abundance of excellent school options within the local area. Nestled in the beautiful Kent countryside, the exceptional selection of homes at Windsor Meadow in Marden, The Old Orchard in Sutton Valence and Brambledown in Maidstone, require no compromise when it comes to the proximity of high-performing grammar schools.

Situated in the idyllic locations of Marden, Sutton Valence and Maidstone in Kent, families are sure to be spoilt for education choice. There is an array of primary schools in the area, such as Tiger Primary School, located just a 10 minute walk from Brambledown and Marden Primary School close to Windsor Meadow. For excellent secondary education, Kent is home to some of the best grammar schools in the country. Invicta Grammar School in Maidstone achieves impressive results at GCSE with 99% of pupils achieving grades A*-C. Oakwood Park Grammar school and Maidstone Grammar school are also within close proximity and are rated outstanding by OFSTED. For private schooling, Sutton Valence School and Bethany School are within close proximity and perfect for residents at The Old Orchard and Windsor Meadow.

Philip Brown, Sales Director at Millwood Designer Homes comments: The location of good local schools is an essential factor for people when buying a home, to suit their childrens needs for now and in the future. For a long time, Kent has been known as an excellent county for first-class grammar schools. House hunters looking for a high quality, new build home will find the selection of homes in the Kent Collection offer idyllic rural locations, with an excellent choice of education options.

Comprising 86 houses, including 2 and 3 bedroom terraced and semi-detached homes and 3, 4 and 5 bedroom detached homes, Windsor Meadow is located on an idyllic country lane in Marden. As well as a vast selection of schools, the development benefits from a selection of local amenities, including Marden Station. Just over half a mile away, direct trains to London take just under an hour.

Brambledown in Maidstone is a selection of 36 houses, including 2 and 3 bedroom semi-detached homes and detached chalet bungalows as well as 3, 4 and 5 bedroom detached homes. Set amongst picturesque surroundings and situated on the edge of Maidstone, each home has been carefully designed to suit the needs of modern buyers. The show home is due to open on 16th and 17th September.

Located in Sutton Valence, The Old Orchard is a stunning collection of 5 homes comprising; a pair of 3 bedroom semi-detached homes and 4 and 5 bedroom detached homes. The Old Orchard is well positioned for excellent schooling in Sutton Valence, a quintessential village that stands tall over The Weald of Kent.

Perfect for families, Maidstone town centre is located a short distance from all of the developments and offers a wide range of amenities and leisure facilities. Maidstone's centre is home to a rich past and vibrant present, home to an array of historic buildings including the Archbishops Palace adjacent to the River Medway and Leeds Castle, one of the most visited stately homes in Britain.

For those needing to travel or commute, there are good rail links to London from Maidstone East, Maidstone West and Headcorn Stations. By road, the M20 is close and leads directly to M26 and M25, providing easy access to Gatwick and Heathrow Airport, for international travel.

Prices for a three bedroom house start from 485,000 at Windsor Meadow and Brambledown. At The Old Orchard prices start from 465,000 for a three bedroom house. For more information, visit millwooddesignerhomes.co.uk.
If youve been watching the ever-increasing demonization of teachers in Michigan over the past decade, you probably have asked yourself at one time or another, Why the hell would ANYONE want to be a teacher in Michigan? Its a fair question. Republicans in our state legislature have cut their benefits, based their advancement on student progress when much of what contributes to progress is out of their control, and portrayed them as greedy leeches on the jugular vein of society for having the audacity to want to live (and then retire) in dignity. Theyve cut school funding and forced public schools to compete on an uneven playing field with better funded for-profit charter schools. Nearly every month we hear of some new indignity being forced upon our teachers.

Well, now those chickens have come home to roost in one of the hardest-hit districts in the state  Detroit Public Schools:

Thirty days. Thats how long Detroit school district officials have to complete a massive task: Filling what appears to be an increasing number of vacant teacher positions. That rush to fill the vacancies means the district will be holding a job fair Aug. 17, and possibly another before the school year begins Sept. 5. Two weeks ago the district logged 425 teacher vacancies, well above the 263 that existed in late April. But that number doesnt include about 100 new teachers who were hired in the last two months. It also doesnt include about 50 certified teachers who are being moved from administrative positions  where they provided support and training to other teachers  back to the classroom. That still leaves the district with well over 200 vacancies right now, 30 days before the new school year opens.

Detroit teachers over the years have taken pay cuts to keep the district afloat all while working in some of the most heartbreakingly deplorable working conditions of any school district in the country. Not only that, theyve been understaffed for quite awhile already, forcing teachers to work in massively overcrowded rooms. Its no surprise that Ivy Bailey, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, told the Detroit Free Press, Our teachers cannot take another year of what they took last year with oversized classes. People are really getting burned out.

The only surprise is that it has taken this long for teachers to get the hint and leave the profession or at least the state.

Statewide there has been a 25% decrease in the number of teaching certificates granted in our state. Maybe someday Michigan legislators will figure out that you cant continually screw over and demonize teachers and expect them to come back for more. They love students and they love teaching but you can only get kicked in the face so many times before you say, Enough is enough.

I wish the Detroit Public schools well. Unfortunately, until Republicans end their anti-teacher crusade, theres little likelihood that things will change.
Hyperloop One on Wednesday announced that it had conducted a successful first test of a specially designed vehicle to travel in a vacuum environment. In the test, which took place earlier this year, the company achieved controlled propulsion and levitation of a Hyperloop One vehicle at 70 mph on a 315-foot test track in the Nevada desert. The test vehicle reached nearly 2Gs of acceleration during its brief 5.3 second test run on the specially built track.

A comparison has been drawn between the Hyperloop accomplishment and the Wright Brothers first test flight in December 1903. Just as brief as the Hyperloop One test, it is recognized as one of the key events in the evolution of manned flight. However, it took several years before airplane technology was refined and developed enough to move beyond the test stage.

Hyperloop Ones vehicle test also represents a small step toward a potential giant leap to levitated transportation. The company was quick to note that history wasnt made by the event itself, but by the people responsible for making it happen. The startup had the support of nearly 200 engineers, machinists, welders and fabricators, who all worked together to reach a common goal.

The next step will be to conduct a wider test of the system at the companys DevLoop site, which utilizes almost 1,000 feet of the linear motor in a 1,640 foot long tube.

Hyperloop Ones DevLoop Test Track in Nevada

The DevLoop is capable of reducing the air pressure to the equivalent of 200,000 feet above sea level, which could allow the Hyperloop One to travel at speeds of 250 mph.

The newly unveiled XP-1 pod (pictured above), which will be tested at the DevLoop facility. The XP-1 pod is constructed with lightweight carbon fiber and aluminum around the levitating chassis.

Musk Concept

The Hyperloop transportation concept owes much to the work of Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, who in a 2013 white paper described his vision of a high-speed, mass-transit system. Musk proposed utilizing pods that would coast on an a cushion of air. He claimed that such a system would be safer, faster and cheaper than existing methods of transportation.

However, Musk is not involved with Hyperloop One, and the companys founders have been quick to note that they made substantive technical modifications to Musks concept. In addition, the company has opted not to pursue a San Francisco to Los Angeles corridor route, which Musk had favored, for the first Hyperloop system.

Hyperloop One currently is developing both passenger and cargo systems for potential use in the United States, parts of Europe and the Middle East. The companys goal is to have a fully operational line running by 2020, but it is unclear if its Kitty Hawk moment truly marks the beginning of its road to that destination.

The Wright Brothers Kitty Hawk was a test of concept, not a practical vehicle  and at this phase, so is Hyperloop, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.

Before Kitty Hawk, the idea of heavier-than-air flying was debated. After, it was whether it could be made practical  not whether it would work, he told TechNewsWorld.

We now know it works, Enderle said of Hyperloops tech. We dont yet know if it is practical  though we are arguably closer than we were with that initial plane, which didnt look practical at all.

The Jump to Hyperspeed

The Hyperloop One test could be good for getting news coverage and convincing people that the technology is possible, but even if it is not quite as experimental as the Wright Brothers first plane, its practicality is far from being established.

The test of this technology is really interesting, but it wont be enough to usher in a new transportation age, cautioned Roger Kay, principal analyst at Recon Analytics.

The probability that it ever will replace existing forms of transportation is relatively low, Enderle suggested.

MagLev was far more practical out of the box, he pointed out, but it never achieved mass adoption.

The problem, in part, is that it would require a massive investment in the technology.

This test was done to get funding, but when you think of the investors  there arent any, Kay told TechNewsWorld. Even with funding, they would need to get concessions from local government, and then the costs go up.

Use Cases

Even if the funding hurdle could be cleared, there is the issue of whether creating new infrastructure would be practical, given what already moves via trucks or existing rail lines.

Hyperloop isnt great for freight. It requires a vacuum, which creates both safety and cost issues. While faster, cheaper aircraft already has broader applications, Enderle said.

On a positive note, it is an intriguing technology that holds potential for ferrying passengers over long distances, suggested Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research.

However, this is the combination of a new technology and infrastructure project, which means astronomical costs and unimaginable regulatory red tape, he told TechNewsWorld. I doubt that anyone, including those in the company, can accurately predict the final cost or schedule of a single project. They just have to expect cost and schedule overruns.

Addressing the Vulnerabilities

Even smaller problems  such as if a pod were to get trapped due to mechanical failure  could become serious issues that would require backup plans.

This is no different than other mass transit options like subways and high-speed trains, said McGregor. In the end, the cost must justify the investment relative to other options, and only time will tell if this can be achieved.

Perhaps the thorniest issue that Hyperloop One needs to overcome is how to deal with geopolitical ideologies and protect its system from a terrorist attack.

An elevated tube could make a very inviting target for a radical group, and it might not be too difficult even for a lone actor to do considerable damage to a costly piece of equipment.

Of course, all forms of transportation are exposed to attacks like this, so I dont see this necessarily as a deal breaker, particularly because it would likely go in with far better monitoring and have far fewer problems related to aging tracks initially, Enderle said.

Yet a high-profile crash resulting either from a terrorist attack or an accident could derail this project.

As the Hindenburg showcased, one strategic catastrophic accident could kill it, said Enderle. It is too early to say it will fail, but the path to success is long, and [Hyperloop One] faces a number of critical technical and competitive challenges.
Two of Silicon Valleys most influential visionaries, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, this week engaged in a public spat over the future of artificial intelligence and whether the government should take the wheel to counter the threat this emerging technology might pose to mankind.

Musk, a longtime advocate of AI, has expressed serious concerns over the years about the potential for the technology to accelerate faster than society can learn to manage its growth. He has raised fears that intelligent machines could pose a risk to civilization if not properly regulated.

Robot Apocalypse?

I keep sounding the alarm bell, but until people see robots going down the street killing people, they dont know how to react, because it seems so ethereal, Musk told attendees at the National Governors Association meeting last week.

Zuckerberg, who decided to split his time between chatting on Facebook Live and overseeing a backyard cookout on Sunday, responded to a question about Musks views on AI by saying that he was optimistic about its potential.

People who are naysayers and try to drum up these doomsday scenarios . . . I just, I dont understand it, he said. Its negative, and I think in some ways its pretty irresponsible.

When a Twitter fan later asked about Zuckerbergs comments, Musks reply was terse.

Ive talked to Mark about this, he wrote Tuesday on Twitter. His understanding of the subject is limited.

AI will be one of the paradigm-shifting developments of the next century, Rep. John Delaney, D-Md., founder of the Artificial Intelligence Caucus, wrote earlier this month in an op-ed.

Government officials need to examine the long-term impact of the technology, particularly the effect it will have in terms of the industrial workforce in the U.S., he said.

Musks concerns are not unique, noted Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.

Other major figures, ranging from Googles Peter Norvig to Stephen Hawking and Bill Gates, in 2015 signed a letter urging more study of AIs potential impact on society.

You could argue that the Zuck/Musk dustup is generational in nature and an expected part of the jostling between the younger and older guard, King told TechNewsWorld.

However, Musks concerns should be greeted with a bit more gravity than Zuckerbergs just trust me on this posture conveys, he said.

Mirror Mirror

On the other hand, Musk has drawn criticism for being hypocritical, given that he has been a proponent of AI technologies at Tesla, SpaceX and other firms that depend heavily on artificial intelligence and machine learning for their success.

His recent remarks amount to fear mongering  and the claims he made serve his own interests, suggested Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research.

Musk promotes autonomous vehicles but trounces on AI, he pointed out. Autonomous vehicles are not possible without AI.

The activities at Musks Neuralink, a new company that is working on a way to enhance human performance through computer implants, should raise concerns about the impact of AI on humankind, McGregor said.

As we have indicated before, by 2025, every new platform you come in contact with will leverage local, network or cloud-based AI in some form, he told TechNewsWorld. This may be something as simple as the user interface or search engine, or as advanced as digital assistants and autonomous control.

The biggest concern about AI should be its ability to replace human labor faster than the existing labor force can be retrained to do something new, McGregor suggested.

Its easy for someone to call for greater regulation of AI, but much harder to put that talk into action, observed Paul Teich, also a principal analyst at Tirias.

The fundamental question for proponents of AI regulation is, what are the behaviors that need regulating? How do we specify the regulations, and then how do we measure conformance to those regulations? he asked.

Temperatures High

AI is becoming an emotional issue for many in the Silicon Valley leadership, said Michael Jude, a research manager at Stratecast/Frost & Sullivan.

The fact is, AI is still a long way from becoming truly intelligent, he told TechNewsWorld. In actual fact, AI is very much less capable, in most applications, than a well-trained dog.

Unlike truly intelligent human beings, AI does not possess consciousness or self-awareness, and researchers do not yet know how to program expressions of those traits into the technology.

The concerns Musk raised involve what is known as artificial super intelligence, Jude said, which would be akin to the capabilities of SkyNet in the Terminator film trilogy.

Zuckerberg appears to be thinking more in terms of artificial narrow intelligence (ANI) or artificial general intelligence (AGI), which are found in application-specific AI, he said.

In the context of Facebook, AGI would have a fair amount of utility, said Jude  for example, in making connections, interpreting usage data and targeting advertising.

Musk is worried about what happens if a computer wakes up, decides its best interests arent humanities best interests, and takes over the world, Jude said. I think that is unlikely . . . at least for the foreseeable future.
A State Visit to Britain by a foreign dignitary is a very special occasion. King Philip VI of Spain and his Queen Letizia have just been hosted in London by Queen Elizabeth II and Parliament for three days. I know, all those ceremonies look quaint when seen on television, but ceremony is an important part of life, especially in our proletarian times when no ties and crumpled jeans are becoming de rigueur. Further, and this is the point of my column, the pageant in democratic monarchies shows how deeply the role of kings and queens has changed with the spread of democracy in Europe and how important this new role is for a healthy social life. Perhaps, as the historian that I am, I am more sensitive than most to solemn celebrations of links with the past, but I think there is more to such ceremony than a mere recalling of ancient times. Monarchy is one of the ways of reminding us of the unimportance of politics in everyday life. King Felipe, as we call him in Spanish, is the sixth of his name. His predecessor, Philip the Fifth, started his reign as far back as 1700 and was a fond enemy of then Queen Anne of England. Our two countries faced each other in the War of Spanish Succession; the English did not want a French king on the Spanish throne. Today the Queen of England and the King of Spain treat each other as cousins. How the situation has changed except for one small spot? In 1706 during that same War, the English occupied Gibraltar, a fortress at the southern tip of the Spanish Peninsula, across from Morocco. The British have kept Gibraltar ever since and the Spanish haver never ceased claiming it back through fair means and foul. Would Philip VI mention the Spanish claim on Gibraltar in his speech to Parliament, was the question posed by the British media? More of this anon, but thus do small stones in the shoes of statesmen disturb the even pace of solemn processions. The last state visit by a Spanish king to the United Kingdom took place in 1986, when Juan Carlos, the father of the present king, was given a royal welcome. That state visit was especially important at the time because democracy in Spain still looked fragile. The Mother of Parliaments gave Juan Carlos a precious accolade. Juan Carlos had done good service on the throne. I well remember how relieved I was the night of the 11th of February 1981 when I saw Juan Carlos on the TV screen in his full uniform as Head of the Armed Forces, telling the rebellious officers of the army and police in no uncertain terms to lay down their arms and return to their barracks: the coup failed, and he thus saved the Constitution and democracy. The end of his reign was perhaps less glorious. He resigned in favour of his son on account of an elephant and a blonde. The elephant he shot in Botswana, bang in the middle of the grave economic crisis his people were suffering; the lady was an Austrian beauty who acted as a business go-between for Middle Eastern sheikdoms. Those of my readers who know London will remember the wide avenue that goes straight from Trafalgar Square and Admiralty Arch to Buckingham Palace. On state visits, the Household Cavalry in their gleaming cuirasses take the carriages with guests and hosts to Buckingham Palace. As always, it was a sight to be seen, with the Spanish flags and the Union Jacks fluttering in the wind along the red carriageway. The drive ended with tea at the Palace offered to her guests by the Queen. The English newspapers noticed that Felipe, after kissing Queen Elizabeths hand gave her a peck on the cheek, as the third cousins once removed that they are. The Queen also made Felipe a foreign Knight of the Order of the Garter founded by King Henry III in 1348. You may remember the fetching details of the origin of that Order. A garter of Joan the fair Maid of Kent fell to her ankle while dancing with her first cousin Henry III. The king picked it up and gallantly put it round his thigh. A titter went round the Court. And the King pronounced the words that to this day are the motto of the Order: Honi soit qui mal y pense, Shame be who evil thinks. Brexit again

King Felipes speech the next day before the assembled Lords and Commons in Parliament also went rather well. At this point we must begin to go beyond ceremony and get down to brass tacks. The soon-to-come separation of the United Kingdom and the European Union is complicating the relations between Spain and Britain in more than one way. The first is the reappearance of a border between Gibraltar and Spain. The other is the uncertainty around the very large trade, investment, and personal relations between Spain and Britain. Gibraltar is a small enclave of 2.6 square miles and some 30,000 inhabitants at the door, so to speak, of the Mediterranean Sea. It has a land border with Spain and is separated from Morocco by a mere ten miles of sea. While the United Kingdom was a full member of the European Union, the border between the Rock and the Spanish hinterland was quite porous. There were searches at the gate for contraband tobacco and marijuana but every working day about 7,000 Spaniards and another 5,000 Moroccan residents crossed the Gate to their employment on the Rock. The fact that the governments of Spain and Gibraltar are not on speaking terms allowed many of those workers to claim unemployment benefits in Spain and then draw a wage for the work they do on the Rock. Gibraltar also prospers as a tax haven and financial centre. Many of the executives of the companies domiciled on the Rock return to their homes on the Spanish mainland every evening, as space is at less of a premium on the British side of the border. What will happen after Brexit is anybodys guess. The Treaty of 1713, whereby Gibraltar was ceded to the British, gives Spain the veto on any arrangement that does not include her. So the Spanish want to establish twin sovereignty over the Rock, British and Spanish. The British cannot forget the crucial role played by Gibraltar in World War II. Together with Malta, the island lying between Italy and Tunis that the Italians and the Germans could never conquer, Gibraltar kept the Mediterranean open for the convoys supplying British Egypt when North Africa was in the hands of Fascists and Nazis. Franco never gave in to the temptation of conquering the Rock for Hitler, in fear of British and American reprisals. So Gibraltar is part of the folklore memory of the British. An overwhelming majority of the Llanitos, as the Gibraltarians call themselves, refuse to be considered as anything but British. But in the Brexit Referendum 96% of them voted to stay in Europe; the vote in Britain went against their wishes. They now are in a pickle. Before his speech in the hallowed halls of the UK Parliament, King Felipe was warned there was a danger that some MPs and Lords would walk out if he claimed Spanish sovereignty over Gibraltar or denounced its anachronistic status as a colony, as he had done in the UN General Assembly. He contented himself with saying that the problem should be talked over, so that The Times was able to headline on its first page: Spanish couple offer warm words on Gibraltar. Indeed, there were more things to be celebrated about this meeting of royal houses. It increased the chances that the economic and social ties between the United Kingdom and Spain would not be harmed by the British leaving the European Union. In 2015 Spanish exports to Britain were worth 25 billion and British exports to Spain worth 14.8 billion. The heads of a hundred Spanish companies were in the kings party and could be seen round the table at the Mansion House dinner in the City. The royal couples plane touched down at Luton Airport, which is managed by a Spanish organisation, as is (in part) Heathrow. Scottish Power is owned by a Spanish corporation; and so is O2, one of the British telephone providers; Banco Santander is now a high-street name in Britain, and so is Zara in one or another of its different trade-marks. The reason why the United Kingdom is the first venue for Spanish investment is that, up to now, the UK government was free of any nationalistic prejudice stopping the sale of British assets to foreigners, which is certainly not the general attitude on the European continent. Even more surprising is the human dimension of the friendship between Spain and the United Kingdom. British visitors to Spain (a country of 42 million people) last year numbered 17.8 million, 6 million more than those from the next nationality, the French. British expats in Spain are reckoned to be 296,600. Spaniards residing in Britain may be double that figure, and one should not think that most of those who are at work are to be found in hotels, restaurants, and cafes: a large proportion are teachers or health workers. King Felipe did have words of warning about the future of residents of both nationalities in either country: he asked that both governments should find a way to guarantee assurance and certainty for their life and that of their families in the other country. The changed role of the Monarchy

For more on these topics, see The Conundrum of Crowned Democracies, by Pedro Schwartz, Library of Economics and Liberty, August 4, 2014; and Is royalty the most absurd thing? by Alberto Mingardi, EconLog, July 23, 2013. See also European Union, by Marian L. Tupy, in the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. Of course I am glad to be able to celebrate these economic and human ties between our two countries, but my readers may wonder if I have not grown soft in the head when celebrating the encounter between the Queen of England and the King of Spain amid glorious pomp and circumstance. I argue in atonement another, weightier, reason for my giving attention to this royal occasion. Since at least the 16th century and through 1914, the monarchy was the symbol and instrument of statehood and centralisation. As Max Weber put it at the beginning of the 20th century when the process was coming to full and venomous fruition, the state is [] a monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a territory. Another way of expressing this political theory was to say that sovereign power resided in the state and that from there flowed the monopoly of legislation, taxation, and conscription, a monopoly barely contained by constitutional democracy. Ever since Machiavelli, political philosophers have lent a willing hand to the reinforcement of state sovereignty; nothing changes much if we say that sovereignty belongs to the people so as to give it a democratic varnish. The warnings of Alexius de Tocqueville, John Stuart Mill, Bertrand de Jouvenel, Karl Popper, F.A. Hayek, and others have been to no avail, for the idea that sovereignty is indivisible has become a part of constitutional philosophy in the West, with the exception perhaps of Switzerland and the United States. The role of kings and queens in this process of concentration of state power was crucial. Henry VIII in England, Philip II in Spain, Louis XIV and Napoleon in France, Maria Theresa in Austria, Frederic the Great in Prussia, and Bismarck in Germany, all put the figure of the monarch at the service of Leviathan. So what is it I celebrate in this saga of monarchs slowly transforming powers dispersed in society into political sovereignty? With the growing predominance of democracy, parliamentarian monarchies have morphed into quite a different institution from what they were when monarchs actually governed. My thesis is that with the growing predominance of democracy, parliamentarian monarchies have morphed into quite a different institution from what they were when monarchs actually governed. Kings and queens have ceased to be sovereigns. They are bereft of power but now are symbols of Individuality in their nation and their society. As Walter Bagehot wrote in The English Constitution (1873), A family on the throne is an interesting idea [] It brings down the pride of sovereignty to the level of petty life. Politics and government are boring and often dangerous. As an antidote we need to feel that the lives of the great are on the same plane as ours. Is it important for us to know that Queen Letizia of Spain for her tea at Buckingham Palace wore a yellow on lemon dress with a guipure lace hem and a complementary tweed coat, duly form-fitting to stress her attractive figure? Maybe not, but still importantly for those of us who at bottom are wary of politics. As I have said in other columns, it is crucial that we should understand that the greatest part of our lives, personal and social, is non-political. When religion, sport, education, art, and cuisine are turned into political weapons, personal freedom is in danger. Monarchies take our minds away from power games.

1. Another border poses a problem after Brexit, though a much graver one: that which will split Ireland again into two, Northern Ireland as a part of the United Kingdom, and the Republic as a part of the European Union. The ghosts of civil war may haunt the Green Isle again.
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In the wake of a seismic shift in how the nations most-used English-proficiency test is scored, a growing number of states have lowered their criteria for students to exit English-learner support services.

Roughly 2 million students took ACCESS 2.0 exams this past school year, encountering new standards that aim to raise the bar for English-language proficiency.

In many of the 35 states that belong to the WIDA consortiumand use ACCESS 2.0 , the common test it designed to assess students language proficiencyscores plummeted under the more demanding requirements.

For school systems large and small, educating more English-learners than they planned for has meant potential budgeting, scheduling, and staffing crises.

But some districts wont feel the full brunt of the change right away.

Facing potential bottlenecks in the pipelines that move hundreds of thousands of students from the status of English-language learner to English-proficient each school year, states across the country are re-examining when students make the transition.

Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, and Tennessee are among the states that have already lowered their exit criteria in response to the new scoring scale.

In Massachusetts, the state education department is evaluating the new scale. Until it reaches a decision, the agency has advised districts to use the old standard while making reclassification decisions.

We support the consortiums commitment to rigorous English-language-proficiency standards, but changes to those standards must be vetted carefully, and, if they are adopted, implemented with appropriate advance notice to schools and families, Jeff Wulfson, the acting commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, said in a statement.

States moves to lower the bar for proficiency has ignited debate. Will the thousands of students who fell short of the higher bar be prepared to leave support services, such as English-as-a-second-language classes, and tackle the more-rigorous academic standards in math, English/language arts, and science adopted by many states in recent years?

Some experts maintain that there isnt a right answer.

The perception somehow is that when theyre getting a service, an ELL service or in a bilingual program, that somehow theyre not getting a rich academic curriculum. Then somehow you get to the mainstream class and its the promised land, said Kathy Escamilla , an education professor at the University of Colorado and former president of the National Association for Bilingual Education. If kids arent ready ... youre still putting them in the situation where they dont know enough English to be successful. Its especially a problem with redesignation criteria that are too low.

Scoring Change

With the scoring-scale change on the ACCESS 2.0 test , English-learners must demonstrate more-complex language skills in four domainslistening, speaking, reading, and writingto achieve the same proficiency-level scores.

The WIDA exam has six achievement levels. In the speaking domain, for example, Level 1 students can name objects, people, and pictures, and answer who, what, or when questions.

At Level 5a score that students must reach to be reclassified as English-proficient in some WIDA-member statesa speaker can engage in debates, listing examples and justifying their responses.

WIDA does not recommend cut scores on the ACCESS test; those decisions fall to states. Prior to the scoring-scale change, most states set their cut scores at 4 or 5.

Anticipating a rough adjustment under the new standards, WIDAs leadership encouraged states to exercise caution before changing cut scores after the first year, WIDA spokesman Scott Gomer said.

Not all states heeded the advice.

State administrators in Colorado estimate that only 3 percent of the states English-learners would have moved out of all language-development courses under the new scale. In past years, between 17 percent and 20 percent of students moved out.

That would mean about 17,000 fewer students had the potential to move out of English-learner support services in the state, where students had to reach an overall score of 5 on a previous version of the ACCESS test to be considered for redesignation as English-proficient.

This summer, the state dropped that requirement to Level 4, the stage where students can give speeches and oral reports, and discuss stories, issues, and concepts. To set the revised criteria, the state studied the relationship between student scores on the ACCESS exams and state tests in other subjects.

Our expectations are the same, we just had to recalibrate based on the new standard, said Marie Huchton, a senior statistical consultant in Colorados education department.

With academic standards in traditional subjects rising around the country, WIDA had no choice but to increase their own standards.

They realized that there was a shift on the language demands. They then took a look at their own standards. The standards now follow that shift, better support the kids and whats needed in the content, not just in English development, said Magda Chia , the director for strategy, impact, and policy at the Understanding Language/Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity. But, of course, it has a ripple effect that I think they, you know, they met as best that anyone could.

Without state-level intervention, that ripple effect would have caused major disruption in districts such as Boston and Denverwhere 40 to 50 percent of students are English-learners. The new standard created the conditions for a steep drop in the number of students exiting English-learner support services across the nation.

Boston would have gone from having 3,800 students eligible for reclassification two years ago to roughly 730 this past school yearan 80 percent drop.

In Colorado, the Denver schools would have experienced a similar decline, officials estimate.

In Denver, district data show that ELL students who reached Level 5 on the previous ACCESS exam outperformed, on average, their native-English speaking peers on state assessments in reading, writing, and math, and have higher graduation rates.

It has been a very high bar and students who have reached that bar have been very, very successful, said Susan Cordova, the districts deputy superintendent, who began her career as a bilingual teacher.

But that doesnt always mean that the former English-learners passed state tests. An average of 36 percent of Denver students in 3rd through 9th grades met or exceeded expectations on state English/language arts tests.

Tensions Exist

Starting with the 2017-18 school year, the performance of English-language learners will have a much greater impact on how schools are judged under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act . The changes in the federal law mandate a more precise measurement of how those students are performing in school.

Plenty of states rely solely on the results of a single test, such as ACCESS 2.0, to determine when students exit support services. The scoring shift in the widely used English-proficiency exam has some states revising the benchmarks they set for English-learner growth.

Theres very high stakes attached to this, Escamilla said. You change the cut score and all of a sudden [a drop happens]. It looks like youre doing a poor job of educating kids when that might not be it at all.

Some classroom teachers have criticized the scoring-scale changes, arguing that it places the bar for English-proficiency far too high.

Expecting English-learners students will meet or exceed standards on common core-aligned assessments when they emerge from language-support services is unfair, when native English speakers often struggle to do so, said Jessica Haralson, an ELL teacher in the Malden, Mass., public schools.

The expectations for English-language learners are actually more arduous than what many monolingual students can actually produce, Haralson said. Tons of monolingual students would be classified as ELLs overnight if ACCESS were administered to all.

Mark Nigolian, a teacher in the Burlington, Vt., school district has participated in state-level discussions on the tougher proficiency standards, but said he often struggles to explain to his own students what theyre being tested on. People working in state education departments dont often have that experience when setting policy or establishing cut scores, he said.

Come into the trenches and see what its like or actually administer the test and really see that connection, Nigolian said.

Chia, from Stanfords Understanding Language initiative, said states and districts will have to shore up their curriculum and teacher training to meet the new WIDA standards.

The changes in the standards both for the English-language proficiency and the content assessment are incredibly challenging, Chia said. The reaction is to blame the test, blame the test scores, because thats an easy thing to point to. Its more challenging. That doesnt mean that the test is invalid; it just means that were demanding more of the kids. So the question then is Well, should we be demanding more of the kids? And I think the answer is yes.
After the first part of the inverview, through which Ann Pettifor analysed what money is and how the global financial system functions; in this second of the three pieces in which is divided the conversation that she held with EL BOLETIN, the economist that predicted the world debt crisis examines the European and the World current situation.

So we have seen that the financial system could be managed very differently, but what happens in a currency union, when a government doesnt have sovereignty

That is a problem that I find incredibly challenging, but you need to remember the even the ECB which is a remote and unaccountable institution ran by technocrats, that its actually uncountable to Spanish taxpayers Even that institution depends for its existence on Spanish taxpayers. So its about time that our politicians have the guts to demand that the ECB becomes accountable to taxpayers. However, I have to say that I have a lot of regard for Mr. Draghi because he is worried about unemployment and youth unemployment in particular. Thats not because he is a good man. Its because he understands that with such high levels of youth unemployments we will get social, economic and political instabilities that will be bad for the banks. And he has the winsdom at least to understand that. Many others dont. Unfortunately, in Europe Mr. Draghi might be trying to help; but in reality, hes helping the banks and the rich. Is up to the governments to use fiscal policy to help the rest of us. And monetary and fiscal policy should work together.

And are they doing that?

In Spain, I have to say, that Ive been very impressed by the fact that the government has ignored the suggestions that have come from Brussels, from the European Commission, to cut the deficit far more than was in my view necessary. So we saw in 2015, that the Spanish government began to spend and began to relax austerity. And what we see in 2017? We see an economic recovery. And everybody says: oh, its down to the magic of capitalism. It isnt: its down to QE, on the one hand, yes; but its also to the fiscal policy, to the fact that the Spanish government is spending; and to cheap oil. Thats all it is. When the price of oil goes up again, we need to worry again. And, actually, if the government decides to obey the instructions coming from Frankfurt, and from Mr. Schauble in Berlin; them well find that there wont be recovery. So I hope that the Spanish government keeps on like this and that they care about the young people of the country because they could do a lot more: they could spend a lot more than they have done already.

But the other European leaders have the example of the Greek government trying to do things differently to the requests of the EU and they were totally defeated so isnt it better to behave a little bit like Rajoy: say that you are going to comply with the rules and them try to do as much as you can in the other direction?

I understand that. But whats so tragic about that story its that is an example of bullying. Taking the weakest link, the poorest people. The big problem with Greece is a simple one: it is a poor country. And the idea that rich countries kick these poor people around is obscene, is against European values. If you look at the United States, they have a similar problem. It has California on the one hand, It has New York on the other; and them it has Arkansas that is poor. You dont see the central bank, you dont see the Federal Reserve, Mrs. Yellen, kicking the people of Arkansas and telling them that they must suffer and being impoverished. They have fiscal transfers, their banks were supported, etc. etc. So you get the United States of America; and youre not gonna have the United States of Europe by kicking states that have different levels of poverty. In fact, one of the reasons why people voted for Brexit, and many on the left in Britain voted for it, was because they found the sight of very rich countries hurting very poor countries obscene. It reminds them of the 1930s and the rise of fascism and lots of people fear that. They fear a very dominant Germany in Britain. We fought a terrible war, may people died, a lot of sacrifices were done and its not forgotten. Its still there. Europe has to learn from this. Solidarity must mean solidarity.

Do you think that Schauble really believes in the doctrine of his policies or is just self-interest?

German ordoliberalism originates in the idea that if only Hitler had obey the rules we woulnt had have fascism. Thats wrong because in fact Hitler did obey the rules. He worked very closely with the banks to raise finances for all his crazy plans. But I also think that Mr. Schauble cant believe his luck. He has a currency that is very low: much lower than what the deutsche mark would have been. That means that German exports are cheap. Then he has this vast market called the European Union, just on its doorstep with no barriers to enter into these markets. This is heaven for an exporting nation. So Mr. Schauble is exploiting the European Union for the benefit of the German people. Thats smart policies, but I think that we need to understand that this is a deal. The German people are getting benefits out of the European Union, which is good for them; but its not good for the rest of Europe. So they have to make concessions. And that is what solidarity means under the European Union treaties. But they dont exercise solidarity as long as the German public are happy. And they are not entirely happy, I might say, cause German wages are also being very low which is also bad policy in terms of the rest of the European Union. So its very obstinate and ugly politics when you look at Greece; when you look what these rich countries have done to the poorer Southern countries. If ever Mr. Schauble gets to Heaven, he is gonna have to answer some questions.

Ok, but its tricky to believe that they are going to change these policies, because at the same time are being functional for them

Yes, but the ideas behind the European Union were solidarity and to unite the union, not to divide it. Its actions, not words that count. So we began the European Union with all these wonderful ideas of uniting and having peace and no longer conflict. Now we have conflict and division and furthermore we see fascism in Europe, which is the reason why we were trying to unite the Union: to avoid fascism. Somebody has to try and understand why there is a rising in fascism, and the reason for example for Brexit. And its that people is angry: they know that their living standards are fallen; they know that the bankers are making them suffer the cost of crisis; they know that their children cant get a decent home to live in, or go to university or get more skills. And rightly this is making them angry; and they see that the politicians wont do anything about it, that theyre feeble and weak. So they are looking for a strong man or a strong woman that will protect them and their families. And that can lead to fascism. So Mr. Schauble should think about that, as well the other European leaders.

In the meantime, however, with the bail out of the Italian banks what we are seeing again is a double standard because rules or the enforcement of rules is not being the same if you are Greece, for example, or if you are a bigger and more powerful country

Cyprus and Greece must be very bitter about this and quite right. This is the double standard of the European Union. Whats happening is that everybody wants to be nice to Mr. Renzi because they can have an election soon and they dont want Berlusconi back again. At the end of the day, everything have to do a lot with politics. Im not against politics; im very much in favor of politics, but this is double standard. We now have a system where the big banks, which are systemically a threat, will be bail out; but the little banks which are supposedly not a threat will be bail in.

But whats really wrong about the Venetian banks its that ordinary people put their savings in the bank, and the banks said were gonna give you a very high rating of interest on that. That was already a sign of alarm and it turned out that these people werent just putting their money in the bank. They became bondholders and that was a mis-selling. So the politicians realized that these poor people did something innocently and now they were going to be punished for it and this wasnt right. So whats wrong there isnt so much the political intervention, but the double standard and the corruption of the banks, that they cheated and lied about the nature of the product. And thats the problem: we are all human and if you dont regulate something, they will cheat and lie. Them politicians have to protect those savers and I fully understand that because thats what democracy is for. But it shows that the so called bail in stuff without proper regulation is just hypocrisy.

Some analysts are saying that we are in a situation similar to 2007, just before the crisis burst Do you agree with them?

Its very interesting that recently Mrs. Yellen, who is the governor of the Federal Reserve, said she thought there was not going to be a financial crisis in our lifetime. So thats a sure sign there is going to be one. At the same time weve discovered that the global private debt relative to global income is higher than it was before the last crisis. So that means the financial system is making more debt that we have income to repay that debt. So today debt is 327% of GDP. Its 217 trillion dollars. This is crazy. And the global market for over the counter derivatives is worth 630 trillion US dollars. And global GDP is 70 to a 100 trillion dollars. Then theres futures which are 275 trillion dollars; and theres 41 trillion dollars outstanding on options. And the repos market are 15 trillion dollars. These numbers you and I cant even imagine. When I think about winning one million dollars, thats big numbers. 630 trillion dollars is beyond my imagination. But thats the crazy world that we live in. These guys are making these gargantuan markets in finances which have no link to the real economy. Thats like the sorcerers apprentices has created a vast flood of water. And the idea that this is not gonna go wrong at some point in our lifetimes is delusional. So, yes we are gonna have a financial crisis. The thing that I cant do and I fail to do is to predict the timing. Cause we never know which thing is gonna blow up. Last time it was the housing market blew up, which exposed the credit crisis. Who knows whats gonna blow up this time. It could a political shock, it could be an economic shock. Who knows? I cant predict the timing, but I can say with some confidence that we are going to have a crisis quite soon.

So youre quite pessimistic but not as much as Richard Murphy who is writing these days that he has already seen signs of contagion.

Ive learnt from bitter experience. Ive edited a book in 2003 in which I said that there was going to be a financial crisis and everybody laughed at me. And them in 2006, I wrote a book that the publisher said, we must call it The coming first world debt crisis. And I said: No, I dont like terms such as First World, Third World and secondly, how can you call it the coming First World debt crisis? by the time it would be published in september 2006, I said, this crisis would have happened and the book would be out of date. I was wrong: the crisis didnt start until August 2017 and most people didnt see the crisis until September 2008 when Lehmans went down. This things cant be timed and if you can time them, you will make a fortune. When I published that book, everybody laughed at it.

But at the same time you received a lot of recognition for it.

Afterwards. Nobody has read the book but the title gave me a huge amount of credibility.

When we talk about connecting real economy with the finical economy, you are a big defender of a New Green Deal, that will generate new jobs in sectors like renewables energies and so on. However, some economists argue that new jobs wont be enough and that we will also need measures like the Basic Income. Whats your position on this?

I am very critical of the basic income. I think is crazy idea. I am a co-author of the New Green Deal which by the way we wrote in 2008, it was far reaching and far sighted. I am glad when the conversation moves toward those issues. But on the basic income, I think its a reactionary idea. Its defeating: lets give up the idea that everybody can have work and let somebody pay us a basic income. I think work is incredibly important to the human being. Ive seen people who dont have work: they become drug addicts, they divorce, they commit suicide, they become depressed. I think without work society would just disintegrate and the idea that we should celebrate not working for me is not tenable. But theres other reasons, which is that in my view the neoliberal idea is to support basic income: to give individuals money and them we wont have collective public services; for example, Milton Friedman believed in this idea. So thats my second objection. My third objection is that the employers would quickly think: if you can survive in basic income why not put wages down towards the basic income. It would become the mean for what wages should be. We saw this happened in Britain and Karl Polanyi has written about that. I think is a crazy idea and that we should be arguing for work and for decent incomes for everybody.

Next part
EDITORS NOTE: This article originally published in the Heralds Leinenkugels 125 anniversary edition.

Without Bill Casper, say insiders, the Leinenkugel Brewing Company might not exist today.

Casper, the only living grandson of the companys founder, Jacob Leinenkugel, is credited with teaming with Ray Mayer, another Leinenkugel grandson, to rebuild the brewery after Prohibition came to an end.

A spry 90-years-old, Casper still travels from his West Hill home to his corner officer at the brewery every day to conduct business, even though he officially retired some 21 years ago after some 41 years in the brewery business.

Casper says he never met his famous grandfather, who died July 21, 1899, three years before Casper was born. But being related to the famous Jacob Leinenkugel meant the brewery business always had a firm hold on him even when it appeared his future was headed in other directions.

Casper fondly remembers working at the brewery during summers when he came back to Chippewa Falls from college.

I graduate from college during Prohibition, said Casper, who got his degree in business. At the time, there was nothing here for me.

Prohibition forced the once-busy brewery to bottle pop, soda water and near beer (non-alcoholic beer). So the young Casper went to work in Chicago for the 1st National Bank. He stayed there for 9  years, until President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the bill that ended Prohibition.

I always looked forward to the day when I could come back here, Casper said. The day Roosevelt repealed Prohibition  it was in 1933  I gave my notice and came back to Chippewa. And Ive been here ever since.

Talk to some long-time Leinenkugels employees, and you can appreciate the task that awaited Casper and his cousin, Ray Mayer.

If anyone deserves credit for keeping this place going, its Bill Casper and Ray Mayer, said William Leinenkugel, whose son, Jake, now serves as company president. They took it over after Prohibition, and started right from scratch right at the height of the Depression.

My cousin, Raymond Mayer, had been here all during Prohibition, Casper said. He and I put the place back together again.

Was it difficult?

Yes, Casper said, after taking a moment to reflect. There was so much to do, and our finances were a little limited. We couldnt do the whole job without considering the finances.

Not only was money tight, but some of the people who had been an integral part of the brewery operation prior to Prohibition were gone.

Quite a few of the old employees were available, but we did have to go out and hire some new ones, Casper said.

When I was in Chicago, I met Raymond Siebel, whose family had the Siebel Beer Institute where they taught men to become brewmasters. It was through them that we selected our first brewmaster, whose name was Conrad Schmidt.

Besides finding employees to staff the brewery, Casper and Mayer had to find the right equipment to brew beer. It had to be reassembled and brought up to working condition in the shortest possible time, as small breweries were popping up throughout Wisconsin, each eager to capture the lions share of the waiting market.

Because beer takes several weeks between the time it is brewed and ready for drinking, Leinenkugel Brewing Company hurried to assemble its staff and equipment to meet the demand of the thirsty citizens.

There was a celebration planned in town of the completion of a new bridge, Casper said. I remember we were striving to make that (deadline). And we did. We had beer then.

Ray Mayer took care of sales and advertising, and Casper concentrated on manufacturing.

Asked to recall what he liked most about his job, Casper replied without missing a beat. Oh, my association with the employees. I always had good men under me.

It was kind of a personal relationship between the office and the employees. We got along pretty well.

Running the brewery was made easier when the problems could be shared by many shoulders. If a decision had to be made, it almost always included Mayer, Casper and the brewmaster.

We relied heavily on a good brewmaster, Casper said. Id meet with the brewmaster on a daily basis.

Casper saw many changes in the brewing industry during his years with Leinenkugels. He still remembers the two teams of horses that belonged to the brewery, hitched up every day to deliver kegs of beer to taverns in an 8-10 mile radius of Chippewa Falls.

And he remembers when the horses were replaced with trucks, and the subsequent expansion of Leinenkugels distribution area.

While the average beer drinker may not have paid much attention, he saw beer containers undergo a revolution. During Caspers early days, Leinenkugel Brewing Company used wooden kegs. Later it switched to steel kegs, then to aluminum kegs and finally to stainless steel kegs.

And dont forget bottles. Casper has seen bottles go from the standard 12 ounce size to seven-ounce shorties to a generous half-gallon bottle.

Why did Leinenkugels thrive when many other operations withered and eventually died?

I think our operation was more of a personal contact with the customer, Casper said. When fair time came around, wed invite the tavern owners in to see our plant. Then wed go up and see the fairgrounds and have a good time.

We got to know them pretty well and they got to know us. Thats one of the big reasons.

And dont forget the companys interest in the community.

Weve always been here, Casper said. Weve always taken a great interest in the community and in the charities.

Does he ever regret leaving banking for the brewing business?

No, he said with a smile. Ive enjoyed it here. I have enjoyed banking too, but I like Chippewa Falls.
Criminal justice reform bill a mixed bag By Rachel Alexander

U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, (R-Ga.), has introduced a criminal justice reform bill in Congress modeled after similar legislation that was implemented in Georgia. Republicans and Democrats are gushing over the bipartisan support for the bill. The conservative organizations FreedomWorks and Faith and Freedom Coalition are behind it. Co-sponsors of the Prison Reform and Redemption Act include Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and John Conyers (D-Mich.). Other Democratic co-sponsors have some of the lowest ratings from the American Conservative Union, averaging about 4 out of 100. This should raise warning bells for conservatives. These arent moderate Democrats reaching across the aisle. At first glance, the legislation seems to be an improvement over the usual criminal justice reform. The traditional reform policy primarily consists of releasing violent offenders with drug crimes from prison early, while falsely labeling them peaceful drug offenders. This does nothing to reduce crime, but in fact increases crime levels because felons are more likely to commit another felony than not. Like the Georgia reform legislation, H.R. 3356 focuses on early release for prisoners who are the least likely to return to crime, provided they participate in programs such as job training. It will provide things like substance abuse treatment to assist them with transitioning back into society. There are glowing reports of the success of the Georgia reform effort, which began seven years ago. But curiously, they all focus on one thing: a reduction in the numbers of those incarcerated. There is no coverage of how the reform has affected crime rates, even though those statistics are easily available on the Georgia Bureau of Investigations website. Predictably, violent crime has increased over the past few years since the legislation was implemented. Murders, rapes and aggravated assaults went up (per 100,000) between 2012 and 2016. The only violent crime that has decreased is robbery. There is no coverage of this increase in the 56-page 2017 Report of the Georgia Council on Criminal Justice Reform, despite the fact much of the report discusses the importance of reducing recidivism by parolees. The report states that the Georgia Prisoner Reentry Initiative was intended to reduce recidivism by seven percent in two years and 11 percent in five years, but there is almost no information provided about the success of these goals. If recidivism is such a big problem, shouldnt the report include whether the rate has changed since the reforms were implemented? The report makes a big deal about how the recidivism rate was 30 percent before the reform started. The only mention of the recidivism rate I could find is a brief mention of one of the programs, the Forensic Peer Mentor Program, which reports rates under 10 percent. Did that include violent felons? What is their recidivism rate? Now, the good news is property crimes significantly decreased. This includes burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson. This is likely evidence that the reform effort is working for lower level offenders. So instead of blindly cheering on the program, why not acknowledge the problems and fine tune the program to see if its possible to weed out the violent offenders who are re-offending? What needs to be addressed is how much of an increase in violent crime is acceptable in order to reduce the prison population. Questions like this need to be answered in a cost-benefit analysis, not ignored and shoved under the rug. Where is the input from the victims of violent crime in Georgia? The report emphasizes that the percentage of black men in prison has decreased since the reforms were implemented. But there is no discussion of how many victims are black. In 2015, there were 7,039 black murder victims in the U.S. and 5,854 white murder victims. Georgia is 32 percent black, more than twice as high as the general population. If the increase in violent crime likely hurts blacks disproportionately more than whites, shouldnt that be taken into consideration too? Its important to get monetary costs down in all areas of government, including prisons. Its also important to help people become better through rehabilitation. But to ignore the other types of costs that accompany those goals is dishonest and does a disservice to crime victims. There are also the costs to the victims family, the financial cost of incarcerating the repeat offender and the effects on the offenders family. The text of H.R. 3356 has not been posted. It needs to take into account the fact an increase in violent crime accompanied the model reform legislation in Georgia. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, and other publications. Home
Who funded the fake Trump/Putin dossier?

By Mark Alexander



In case you missed it, the Democrat Party and its mainstream media machine focused all their resources last week on the emerging criminal conspiracy between former DNC chief Debbie Wasserman Schultz and her IT expert, Imran Awan, et al.

Just kidding.

They actually focused all their 24/7 print and bandwidth on the fact that the House Judiciary Committee formally requested that Attorney General Jeff Sessions investigate Barack Obama's AG Loretta Lynch, Obama's FBI director James Comey, and of course Obama's Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her criminal co-conspirator Bill Clinton.

Just kidding.

Of course, The New York Times and The Washington Post, along with all their Demo download media outlets, remain totally focused on their delusional Trump/Putin collusion illusion, the fake news farce they have been proliferating, ad nauseam, since President Donald Trump took office.

But some Democrats are quietly retreating from the Trump/Putin front because of the increasing risk that the fraudulent charade will ricochet.

Why would it backfire?

Because of Glenn Simpson and company.

Simpson is co-founder of Fusion GPS, the outfit that established its "reputation" after it was hired by Democrats in 2012 to conduct opposition research on Mitt Romney. In September of 2015 Fusion was reportedly hired by a wealthy Republican donor opposed to then-primary candidate Donald Trump to conduct opposition research, standard fare between competing high-profile primary and general election candidates.

But in May of 2016, once Trump was the presumed Republican nominee, Hillary Clinton's comrades took over the account and issued different orders. They paid Simpson at least $160,000 to commission a former British MI6 "black bag" operative, Christopher Steele, to compile the now-infamously fake "Trump/Putin dossier."

That totally debunked 35-page report became the centerpiece of the Demo/MSM propaganda machine's collusion conspiracy theory  the compulsive claim that Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin conspired to steal the election from Clinton.

Sidebar: As for her part in her own defeat, Clinton is putting the final spin on a book about the 2016 election, "What Happened." She is sure to blame Trump/Putin collusion and everything else except for the most obvious explanation of why she lost  Hillary Clinton. (Of course, Clinton and Obama set the standard for Russian collusion.)

As I noted in my analysis of the Times/Post collusion to propagate the Trump/Putin narrative, "A week before Trump's inaugural, former FBI Director James Comey added a powerful propaganda weapon to the MSM's arsenal in its relentless effort to undermine Trump's agenda."

He and then-CIA Director John Brennan gave Obama a copy of the debunked Trump/Russia dossier. The FBI was "investigating" that fake dossier, which was then leaked to the press  most likely by Comey, who in May acknowledged that he had leaked other memos to the press in hopes that a special counsel would be appointed to investigate Trump. (Comey's treachery paid off when his old friend, former FBI Director Robert Mueller, was appointed as special counsel.)

Actually, the Leftmedia had dismissed the dossier as fraud months before it became "news." According to Christopher Steele's lawyers, in September 2016, Steele was instructed by Fusion's Glen Simpson to peddle the dossier in private briefings to The New York Times, The Washington Post, Yahoo! News, The New Yorker and CNN. But it was so ludicrous that none of them would report on it until  Comey's leak about the "investigation" gave them the green light.

Since then, the Trump/Putin conspiracy media saturation has been an effective, however baseless, political diversion and obfuscation tactic to deflect from the true Democrat/Putin collusion to destabilize Trump's agenda and, by extension, that of the Republican Congress. And it's working!

At least up to now...

This is where the fictional Trump/Putin collusion noose begins to unwind at a pace that even the Democrats can't ignore, because it is likely to end up tightening around their own necks.

On 21 July, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Charles Grassley (R-IA), and the ranking Democrat, Diane Feinstein (D-CA), issued a subpoena for Glenn Simpson to testify, after he had previously declined their invitation to voluntary do so, stating he had "long held vacation plans."

The subpoena prompted a response from Simpson's lawyer, Joshua Levy, that Simpson would appear and answer Senate investigators' questions in a closed-door session.

By the way, Levy is the former congressional counsel to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). This is probably as coincidental as the fact that, at the same time the Democrats began funding Fusion's fraudulent claims about Trump, it turns out that Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer involved in the "controversial" meeting with Donald Trump Jr., was also associated with Simpson and Fusion.

Again, probably just coincidence...

While the Judiciary Committee would like information on who funded the phony Fusion dossier on Trump, its initial charges against Simpson are that he violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act for failing to register as one of Putin's paid agents. According to Sen. Grassley, "It is vital for the Committee to fully understand Fusion's failure to register under FARA and its role in the creating and spreading of the dossier."

Turns out that, according to the collateral Senate testimony of Bill Browder, at the time Fusion was compiling the fake dossier info on Trump for the Democrats, it was also lobbying on behalf of Putin to overturn the 2012 Magnitsky Act, which sanctioned Putin's oligarchs for human rights violations. According to Browder, he knows all about "Fusion GPS and Glenn Simpson's role working on behalf of the Russian government to overturn the Magnitsky Act."

Copy that?

This has all the political hallmarks of a quid pro quo  Putin (by way of Simpson and Steele) generated a counterfeit report on Trump to help Hillary Clinton win the election, in return for the favor of her softening the Magnitsky Act's sanctions once president. Recall it was assumed by all the political illuminati that Clinton would absolutely be the 2016 victor. Unfortunately for Putin, Trump was elected, and he piled on additional Russian sanctions this week.

Investigative journalist Kim Strassel, in her Wall Street Journal analysis, "Who Paid for the 'Trump Dossier'?," posits this: "What if, all this time, Washington and the media have had the Russia collusion story backward? What if it wasn't the Trump campaign playing footsie with the Vladimir Putin regime, but Democrats? The more we learn about Fusion, the more this seems a possibility."

According to Strassel, "We know that at the exact time Fusion was working with the Russians, the firm also hired  wait for it  Christopher Steele to dig up dirt on Mr. Trump. Steele compiled his material, according to his [Trump dossier] memos, based on allegations from unnamed Kremlin insiders and other Russians. Many of the claims sound eerily similar to the sort of 'oppo' [former Soviet counterintelligence officer Rinat] Akhmetshin peddled." (Recall that Akhmetshin was also in that June 2016 meeting with Donald Trump Jr.)

So, Steele was fed information by Russian operatives under the direction Putin  a former KGB colonel well-trained in such conspiracies  which is to say he, Simpson and their Democrat backers colluded with Russia to fabricate the hit piece against Trump.

Copy that?

In her analysis, Strassel concludes, "If the Russian intention was to sow chaos in the American political system, few things could have been more effective than that dossier, which ramped up an FBI investigation and sparked congressional probes and a special counsel, deeply wounding the president. ... If Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Democrats and the media really want answers about Russian meddling, this is a far deeper well than the so-far scant case against Mr. Trump. If they refuse to dive into the story, we'll know that the truth about Russia and the election was never what they were after."

Bottom line, the singular question any investigator should now be asking is: "Who funded the fake Fusion Trump/Putin dossier?"

Memo to The New York Times and The Washington Post: The Democrats will not be the only victims of Fusion's false dossier...

Copy that?

Mark Alexander is the executive editor of the Patriot Post.
Lock her up By Dr. Robert Owens

In America today most people choose their favorite brand of the ABCCBSNBCCNNMSNBCPBSNPR Cartel based on the charisma of the news reader, and dont waste their time tuning into other news options. What are the criteria for their choice of a news outlet? Does the news reader look or sound authoritative? Are they better looking? Do they have a more pleasing voice? Are they a Male? Are they a female? Are they Gay? Are we not sure? Whatever the reason, it isnt because they say anything different. It often sounds like they all have the same writers and story selectors. The content is no different. Do you want to hear the story about how the Republican Elite is trying to figure out some way to dump Trump before or after you hear the story about how The Donald is not fit for the highest office in the land or after? Do you want to learn about the latest polls that show everyone hates Trump before or after you hear how Trump the Traitor colluded with the Russians before or after you hear about the insane proposals of the racist homophobe misogynist Trump? Perhaps the line-up of the stories is slightly changed from one news clone to another but thats about it. When I have a chance encounter and what passes for conversation with so many Kool-Aid drinking low information voters i.e progressive induhviduals the conversation usually goes like this: Me: What do you think about _______ (fill in the blank)? Progressive Induhvidual: Repeat what ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, PBS, NPR, the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, etc. has said recently stated as if this was their independently arrived at personal opinion. Or if they are a Conservative Induhvidual: Repeat what Fox, the Wall Street Journal, the Weekly Standard, National Review, etc. has recently said. Its almost impossible to find anyone who has actually read any books on topics of importance such as economics, politics, sociology, or the History that ties them all together. Several times a year I attend meetings that are filled with nothing but PhDs, professors, and university administrators. All content experts in these very subjects as well as many others. The results are basically the same. The death of critical thinking has led to a deafening silence in the area of actual personal opinion, a dearth of dialogue, and a collapse of conversation. The American people, who at the time of the Founding saw blacksmiths discussing with candle makers the pros and cons of constitutions and the meaning of liberty or carpenters debating with plumbers the need for a free economy versus the need for public works. Just read the Federalist and the Anti-Federalist Papers, look at the level of thought and speech and ask yourself, How do the public debate, and newspaper articles of contemporary America match up? Today the public debate takes place at about a 3rd grade level compared to the graduate school of those earlier days. What happened? Back then there werent public schools. Churches and families educated their own. Today after generations of highly funded and severely structured public education weve successfully dumbed ourselves down to the lowest common denominator. Look at the late great Bernie Sanders revolt which was contained by the elite in the Democrat Party and the Trump Revolution which overwhelmed the elite in the Republican Party its obvious that we tax paying entities who inhabit flyover country whether of the right or left have had enough of the bi-coastal elite thats driving us over the cliff into the third world. Since their empty pantsuit blew the election and she cant carry the water for the donor class all the way to the bank obviously the elite controlled media has dropped their camouflage of objectivity and is all in to make sure Trump is destroyed. At least there was one pseudo surprise in the Hollywood scripted replay of Primary Colors the Distaff Edition. After all of the frothing at the mouth Bernie supporters did. After they were so brave that they booed or turned their backs at the Democrat Party Spectacle in Philadelphia on their anointed queen. Low and behold their fearless leader fell into line and surprise surprise supported the mistress of manipulation. Then just as evidence surfaced that yes, the entire primary exercise was rigged from the beginning the mind-numb robots of the left who chanted and cheered for Bernie stood in line to cast their rationally considered and highly principled vote for the very person who engineered the fix, takes her money and marching orders from the crony capitalists, and is arguably the most corrupt person to ever run for the presidency. After the election, Bernie, the man of the people bought his third house and settled in a well feathered bed until next time hes needed to attack his fellow millionaires and billionaires.. Who could have seen this coming except a blind man in a dark room with no media access? The pre-programmed electorate combined with the usual fraud, imported voters and all the dead people who never leave the voting rolls of the corrupt Democrat City fiefdoms, marched in lockstep to the polls to hand America lock-stock-and-barrel to the Clinton Crime Family. However the November Miracle happened and instead of the Sleazy Don following the totally corrupt Donna back into the White House the Donald won. Enough people swallowed the red pill and were willing to at least take a shot at shaking things up before were swept away by the unregulated immigration invasion and state sponsored outsourcing that low and behold we didnt end up with another perpetually re-elected hack. An old saying goes, There are only two things that are certain in this life, death and taxes. Weve all been programmed to accept this as an inevitable truism. Death to be sure is natural and inevitable. If you were born youll die. Taxes however arent a natural thing. Theyre in actuality the forced expropriation of funds from the productive taken through the use of the states monopoly on the use of coercive force. And so, though they arent natural and they arent inevitable like death or gravity they may in realistic terms given the overwhelming preponderance of government power be unavoidable. Our country refused to follow the dictates of the elite controlled media. America refused to become the turf of the Sleazy Donna from Chappaqua whose word parsing motto should be the Bart Simpson anthem, I didn't do it! Nobody saw me do it! You can't prove anything. We chose not to let the White House once again become Bills love nest. We refused to let the George Soros puppet in heels moves into the Oval Office with her rolodex of contributors both foreign and domestic. So what do we have now? The Cartel and the politicians that follow them around like a childrens pull toy on a string are screeching day and night the Russians! The Russians! They have Comeys BFF installed as the Special Counsel because of Comeys leaks. The stage is set for a sequel to the Progressives favorite thriller, The Witch Hunt of Watergate. Ding Dong the Witch is politically dead! But is this like when a queen dies? The Witch is politically dead long live the witch. Waiting in the wings is everyones favorite Caucasian Indian from Massachusetts. Whats a freedom loving constitutionalist to do? How about every time the Progressives issue a subpoena for one of the Presidents followers we issue one for a Debbie Wasserman Schultz, or her Pakistani IT money launderer, or Bill Clinton, or Loretta Lynch, or any of the shady characters who actually tried to fix the election. How about a Special Counsel to investigate all the scandals of the Obummer nightmare, Fast and Furious, Benghazi, Lois Lerner and the IRS, or the serial unmasking of American citizens for political purposes? How about, Lock her up! Why should we just roll over and take it? Why not take it and roll on instead? We won lets act like it! Maybe Im speaking out of turn or maybe I should remember the ever growing list of questionable deaths that follows New Yorks Sixth Crime Family around like a bad odor. If we dont stand up after the Miracle in November and demand that the swamp is drained when will it happen? When Chelsea gets elected? Dr. Robert Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion. He is the Historian of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com  2017 Contact Dr. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens / Edited by Dr. Rosalie Owens Home
My Pilgrimage, Chapter Twenty-Five: Good Things Under Bad People? By Michael Moriarty

Under Adolf Hitler, Germanys trains ran on time and the Volkswagen was created. Under Mao Zedong, all those whom he didnt list for execution were fed regularly. Joseph Stalin didnt, as was quietly threatened, have Dimitri Shostakovich thrown in the gulag or shot by firing squad. And so it continues. In Venezuela, both dictators, Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro, helped a miraculous training program for musicians called El Systema thrive. Hmmm Im a composer so no one appreciates flawless symphony orchestras more than I do. However, what should any musician of any persuasion feel about Venezuela and El Systema? One of Venezuelas grandest prodigies and, yes, geniuses, Gustavo Dudamel, held his tongue about both leaders of his country until, of course he could no longer endure his governments increasingly violent responses to his peoples increasingly justified protests. Some defend Dudamels previous reluctance. One example of the conductors rationale for his lack of involvement: This is not Leni Riefenstahl or Heidegger we are talking about, because as bad as chavismo is, it doesnt compare to the horrors of Nazi Germany. Dudamel cannot be compared to Wagner, either, because he has not expressed incendiary views comparable to those of the late German. Others are quite ferocious about a few generally reluctant or absolutely well-known but silent conductors. Dudamel said lots of people tried to tell him what he ought to believe. Now I wish to speak for myself, he wrote. I am neither a politician nor an activist. Although I am aware that even something as benign as conducting an orchestra may have deep political ramifications, I will not publicly take a political position or align myself with one point of view or one party in Venezuela or in the United States. Franklin Delano Roosevelts reluctance to involve America visibly and actively in World War II can clearly be criticized by the earliest victims of The Holocaust. Convincing anyone, however, of the depth of Hitlers psychopathic policies toward the entire worlds Jewish population was almost impossible until the likes of Dachau and Buchenwald were opened for all to see. The newest evidence for not meddling with questionable governments and their increasingly dictatorial behavior was the scandalous charge against President George W. Bushs assaults upon Iraq. One, now horrendous event, was the creation of ISIS! That President Bushs decision had more to do with Saudi Arabias oil-fueled influence than any pressure put on the White House by Israelwellthats how back-room discussions make things happen and not to any appreciable improvements of the situation. There we see bad things happening under seemingly good people. As for the political predicament that the exceptionally gifted conductor, Gustav Dudamel, and his silence about the increasingly violent policies of both Chavez and Maduro brought him into?! Perhaps the Maestro is right when his silence clearly inferred that people outside of Venezuela dont really know the entire picture within Venezuela. Tragically, however, any delay in protesting tyranny always feeds the tyrants. In the end, all those efforts to avoid war eventually make an even bloodier and more sadistic conflagration inevitable. That a brilliant symphony orchestra and the deadliest of military brigades have much in common when it comes to executing both a difficult piece of music and a challenging campaign against an enemy?! Its no wonder the phrase kill em is frequent advice for all performing artists when theyre about to face an audience! The vital distinction that can easily be forgotten in this debate, is that a great symphony orchestra hardly wants to kill its own audience. Whereas a great army simply wants the war to end and, of course, that objective can only be achieved by inflicting greater death and devastation on the enemy than is suffered from the enemy. I, and, I assume, Maestro Dudamel? We both adore an Army of Sound! The concert halls of the world have rarely received such a gift as that which Venezuela has lavished upon the greatest of composers and their worshipful audiences than the Venezuelan El Systema! That El Systema has also saved these young musicians from lives of poverty and despair?! Because El Systema is, for many, a demanding and arduous training program doesnt diminish the miracle it has provided in the lives of not only the students but their grateful audiences as well. God bless El Systema! There is no reason it cannot come alive within any governing system in the world. Michael Moriarty is a Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor who starred in the landmark television series Law and Order from 1990 to 1994. His recent film and TV credits include The Yellow Wallpaper, 12 Hours to Live, Santa Baby and Deadly Skies. Contact Michael at rainbowfamily2008@yahoo.com. He can be found on Twitter at https://twitter.com/@MGMoriarty. Home
This oil price rally has reached its limit



By Nick Cunningham

Recently crude oil rallied the most so far this year, gaining more than 8 percent, or $4 per barrel. Oil traders are much more optimistic than they were just a month ago, and the market is on the upswing. However, the rally could run out of steam in the not-so-distant future, a familiar result for those paying attention to the oil market in the last few years.



There are several significant reasons why oil prices have regained most of the lost ground since the end of May. First, the OPEC cuts continue to have an effect. We can quibble over the degree to which OPEC members are complying with their promised cuts, but the cartel is taking more than 1 million barrels per day off the market, with a small group of non-OPEC countries contributing about half as much in reductions. As time goes on, that will help narrow the imbalances.



Second, U.S. shale is showing some signs of slowing down. There are a variety of reasons for this, including fear of another price downturn, more caution from oil companies themselves and even a bottleneck in drilling services. But the bottom line is that we cant simply look at the shale rebound that we saw in the first half of the year, and extrapolate that into the future. There is a good chance that things start to slow down from here, and the market is starting to wake up to that fact.



Another reason oil prices bounced was because several OPEC members promised deeper cuts. Saudi Arabia said that it would cut exports by another 600,000 barrels per day. The de facto OPEC leader will also be specifically curtailing exports to the U.S., which will help drain inventories. In the ensuing days, the UAE and Kuwait have also pledged to cut their output further.



"Fundamentals continue to suggest a more-balanced crude-oil market," said ANZ. The bank, along with other investment banks, are eyeing the shift in the futures market towards backwardation  a situation in which front-month crude futures trade at a premium to oil futures further out. Backwardation tends to signal near-term market tightness, a measure of bullishness that the oil market has not seen in quite a while. Backwardation suggests demand is strong and it also signals greater inventory drawdowns are coming down the pike.



The final and arguably most important reason for the latest price gains is the sizable drawdowns in U.S. crude oil inventories recently, a tangible signal that the market is finally rebalancing. Late last month saw the biggest draw yet, with more than 7.2 million barrels taken out of storage.



But even as the oil market is suddenly looking a lot tighter than it did in June, there are also reasons to believe that the rally is running out of room.



Inventories are still high, and not just in the U.S. Also, while shale is slowing down, the U.S. is expected to add more output. Then there are other producers outside of the U.S. adding new supply. "We believe the latest price rise is on a fragile footing," analysts at Commerzbank wrote in a note, pointing to higher forthcoming production from Libya and Nigeria. "I don't see the physical market getting all that much better. There's still a lot of crude that's unsold, still a lot of Nigerian barrels floating out there," John Kilduff, founder of Again Capital, told CNBC.



There are also reasons less to do with the fundamentals and more related to the financial market that point to limited upside potential. The surge in oil prices over the past month has corresponded with a shift towards bullish positioning among hedge funds and other money managers. But the net-long positioning, as Reuters notes, has more to do with a liquidation of shorts rather than a major accumulation of long bets. That may seem like a trivial distinction, but if hedge funds are not scrambling to buy up long bets, that suggests that they are not all that confident about further price increases in the near-term.



Meanwhile, the oil market probably needs a breather after the gains since June. Matt Smith of ClipperData cites the fact that oil prices have surpassed their 200-day moving averages, which will make it more difficult for crude benchmarks to move even higher. "From a technical perspective, it seems as though this rally should be done," Smith told CNBC.



The one variable that could upend all market forecasts is Venezuela, which has been in economic turmoil for quite some time but is entering a new phase of crisis. The involvement of the U.S. government, which is retaliating against Venezuela for what it argues is a step towards dictatorship, threatens to accelerate the oil production declines in the South American nation.



If Venezuela sees its exports disrupted in a sudden way, the ceiling for oil prices in 2017 could be quite a bit higher than everyone expects at the moment. Otherwise, there is not a lot of room on the upside for oil prices in the short-term.



Nick Cunningham is a writer for Oilprice.com there this originally appeared. Home
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Get the latest on all the biggest court and crime news in Essex direct from our expert court reporter

A drunken "menace" who subjected a woman to a prolonged sexual assault, racially abused a fellow passenger and caused chaos on a flight bound for Stansted Airport has been jailed for 11 months.

A highly intoxicated James Sutherland subjected a young woman to more than 35 minutes of groping when he flew back from Warsaw on June 16 last year.

After his victim escaped him by begging flight staff to seat her elsewhere, 44-year-old Sutherland proceeded to launch a verbal and racially-abusive tirade towards a passenger seated behind him and refused to sit down as the plane landed, Chelmsford Crown Court heard on Friday (August 4).

After being escorted off the Ryanair flight by police upon his arrival at Stansted Airport, Sutherland, of Bexhill-on-Sea in Sussex, continued to be unreasonable and even tried to light a cigarette as he stood on the tarmac.

Sutherland, who until recently had been working as a teacher in Poland, pleaded guilty to sexual assault and being drunk on an aircraft on what should have been the first day of his trial on July 10.

During the sentencing hearing , footage of Sutherland's "bizarre" and "out of character" behaviour was played, showing him blatantly ignoring the cabin crews' pleas with him to sit down.

The video also showed the obviously drunk father-of-two repeatedly calling a fellow passenger a "******* Russian" and his having to be forcibly restrained by the air stewards who were forced to stand as the aircraft landed.

Outlining what happened on the 7.40pm flight from Warsaw, prosecutor Matthew Sorel-Cameron said: "In terms of his arrival on that flight, that's really where this case starts.

"He was the last person to board the flight .

"The air stewardess could smell alcohol on his breathe. He said he'd been at a wedding, said he was set to fly.

"She asked him if he had any alcohol on him, he said no - that was a lie."

Sutherland was allowed to fly on the condition that he was not to be served any alcohol and staggered down to his aisle seat towards the back of the plane next to his victim.

The young woman, who in her victim impact statement said she already felt "uncomfortable" by how drunk the defendant was, suddenly became aware that Sutherland's hand was resting on her upper left thigh.

Initially thinking he had fallen asleep, she gave him the benefit of the doubt and tried to inch away from him.

But during the course of the next 35 minutes, Sutherland proceeded to repeatedly touch the woman, putting his arm around her shoulder, resting his head on her chest and running his palm up and down her thigh.

Unable to find help nearby, the woman had to climb over her molester to escape his wandering hands and implore the cabin crew to find her a seat elsewhere.

"She said she thought it was accidental but soon after she began to realise there was nothing accidental about it," said Mr Sorel-Cameron.

"She says this has been her worst experience on-board a plane, she'd never seen anybody so drunk.

"It particularly affected her, she became jumpy at the slightest act of anyone on the flight."

Once the woman was safely out of Sutherland's reach, another passenger noticed that he was swigging from a bottle of vodka he had smuggled onto the flight.

He then proceeded to turn around and hurl abuse at a passenger a few rows behind him, repeatedly referring to him as a "******* Russian" and making intimidating gestures towards the man.

Despite members of the cabin crew asking him to take his seat, Sutherland refused to do so, and had to be forcibly restrained at times to stop him lashing out.

Although there was a brief interlude where Sutherland returned to his seat, but refused to fasten his seatbelt, he then got back up and stood on the seat, all the while ignoring the crews' instructions.

It got to the stage where the cabin crew were unable to dim the lights and take their seats as the plane touched down because they were totally focused on trying to deal with Sutherland.

Speaking in mitigation for the defendant, Lucy Ginsberg told Judge Emma Peters that her client's behaviour was "bizarre" and "out of character".

Ms Ginsberg did concede that while Sutherland had pleaded guilty to both offences, he only pleaded guilty to the sexual assault offence to spare the victim the need to give evidence in court and because his recollection of the incident was blurred.

"Every so often, there is a case where you look at the facts and then look at the person and they don't quite match up," she said.

"The reality is there were so many elements that were going on within his life at that time, he was not himself.

"He was having difficulties with contact with his son who is 15 and lives in Eastbourne, because of his ex-wife having remarried causing difficulties with contact with his son.

"Before this incident he had been living in Poland for a year because he wanted to spend more time with his daughter."

Ms Ginsberg explained how Sutherland, who had been teaching English as a foreign language before he returned to the UK, was so ashamed of his behaviour he had not told his children about the court case.

"He is going to have to tell them soon," she added.

Dealing with sexual assault matter first, Judge Peters said: "She didn't want to have her thigh held by you, she didn't want to have her arm held by you, she didn't want your head to be on her shoulder.

"You were to subject her to, let's be clear, a sexual assault which took place for just over 30 minutes.

"She had to clamber over you to get away. At that point, you should have closed your eyes and gone to sleep."

Judge Peters then berated Sutherland for the racially-abusive and unprovoked rant and for his refusal to follow the cabin crew's, and at one point the captain's, instructions to sit down.

"Everybody who gets on a flight will always have that moment of hope that the flight will be a peaceful one.

"They weren't there to hear your abuse, there were children on the flight I'm told, they had to entertain much more than that, they had to be subjected to your conduct which required the staff away from their duties and that was for the safety of the aircraft and the safety of passengers.

"Through that crucial time on that flight, you remained standing. If something unforeseen had happened, every single passenger would have been at additional risk because of your behaviour.

"You were, quite frankly Mr Sutherland, an absolute menace."

She sentenced Sutherland to a total of 11 months in prison, five months for the sexual assault charge and six months for being drunk on the plane.

Before sending him down, she said: "What you did that day was extremely serious and in my view deserves nothing short of a custodial sentence."
Being part of Chinas One Belt, One Road initiative, also known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is a great opportunity for each partnering country. Whether in the form of investment, lending, or an improvement to their relationship in general, Beijing offers a blend of services in what is essentially a bilateral silo. The BRI covers many countries  the total number now exceeding the original 65 in 2015  and each of these countries looks at this relationship with China in a different way. BRIs main purpose is really to spread out Chinas clout across the world, although this strategy has clearly encountered some obstacles.

Many Chinese analysts actually ponder the benefits of the initiative to the Chinese businesses and skepticism is prevalent due to strict European Union rules and the cultural distance  a disguise for the rules. Especially the staffing is an issue for Chinese companies who prefer to employ Chinese workers under their own rules  not being able to do so in the EU countries constitutes a major downside for them. Because China prefers to operate in less rule-based environment, it has planned many projects in less developed countries to avoid red tape and regulations. Interestingly, other fears such as refugees, the rise of populism or frequent changes of governments seem to be secondary issues for Beijing.

In contrast, when it comes to the BRI in the Middle East in North Africa, the focus on governance and geopolitics is much greater. For example, Algeria and Morocco are relatively close to EU rules and European influence, while Egypt is a land of its own, burdened with bureaucracy and corruption. Even though there is an interesting focus on taking forward Egypt-China cooperation, some observers instead prioritize the rich Gulf states.

Most Chinese observers see the Middle East as the worlds most complicated region and blame the rise of the Islamic State group and the disintegration of Syria as the main reasons for the current state of dilapidation. They also identify the volatility of relations among the main geopolitical forces in the Middle East  namely Turkey, Iran, Israel, and the Arab states  and the aftermath of the Arab uprisings in 2011 as the main contributors to the chaos. In their view, political instability, sectarian conflicts, terrorism, and the general trend towards a fragmentation of the geopolitical landscape (which they see as a relic of Western imperialism) are the main obstacles to the success of the BRI in the region. Moreover, they also mention third party risks  especially the interests of the United States in the region.

Most observers would like to see China and the United States cooperate in the region rather than seeing Beijing as a free rider. They see the role of China as actively shaping the MENA region because the moves of other players  most notably the US  could damage their own economic interests. China should therefore avoid regional conflicts and focus on economic and trade cooperation with emphasis on energy. Some analysts even suggest that China should partner with other BRI countries to run projects in the region to escape the Middle Easts notorious label  great powers graveyard.

China and the Mediterranean: Open for Business?  Study by a Team of Authors European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

(The Study can be downloaded here)
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article originally ran in the June 22, 2003, Herald.

Mike and Diane Hanson of Dubuque, Iowa, said there was one drawback about driving a motorcycle to Saturday's opening of the Leinie Lodge in Chippewa Falls.

"The only bad thing is, you can't bring back many souvenirs," Mike Hanson said while standing in the shade from the new 15,000-square-foot Lodge.

The couple drove up to Wisconsin to attend the convention of Harley-Davidson motorcycle owners in Black River Falls. They had toured the Leinenkugel's Brewery once before and decided to see it again Saturday. Then they found about the Lodge opening, where free beer and brats were being served.

"I though the old (Leinie hospitality center) was nice, but this one is really great," Mike Hanson said.

Diane Hanson agreed, adding: "It's a great place to shop."

Angela Zillmer of Appleton said she enjoys drinking a Leinenkugel's. But on Saturday afternoon, she was sipping from a bottled water.

"I drank too much Leinenkugel's last night. It's kind of hard for me today," she admitted. But she enjoyed going through the new lodge, saying it was much larger than she thought it would be.

Zillmer was at the celebration with her brother, Mark, a University of Wisconsin-Stout student, and friend, Mike Woody of Appleton.

"I've been drinking Leinenkugel's for a number of years. I thought I'd check it out. When we saw they were opening a new Lodge, what better time," Woody said.

Mark Zillmer said he's a loyal Leinenkugel's drinker because it's a local beer. He was impressed with the Lodge and its 46-foot sampling bar.

Bob and Sandy Mayer of Fairchild were going to visit their son who lives in the village of Lake Hallie on Friday, but he told them to wait so they could take in the Lodge opening.

"I love it," Bob Mayer said of the Lodge, adding his two favorite beers were Leinenkugel's and Walter's, a beer that was once brewed in Eau Claire.

The event drew an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 people, and 5,000 brats were served.

One volunteer, who didn't want her name to be used, said she served 500 people. "Every single person who went through the food line said thank you to me," she said, adding people in Wisconsin are very polite.

Sonia Kotz of Chetek patiently stood at the end of a very long and winding line to be served one of those brats.

She, too, said she's a Leinie's fan, and was impressed by a large brewery kettle top that can been seen by the bar. "(The Lodge) is a lot larger than we thought it would be," she said.

Chetek is a long way to go to visit the Lodge in Chippewa Falls, but not nearly as long Thomas D. Connolly and Randy Mills traveled.

Connolly is an upper school principal in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mills, who is spending the summer in the Chippewa Valley, teaches classes at an international school in Yangon, Myanmar, the Asian country once known as Burma.

"We've been coming here for almost 20 years," Mills said. He is a Leinie Lodge member, and was impressed by what he saw of the lodge. "It's fabulous - just beautiful. It's really well done," Mills said.

It's amazing how many people the brewery, and now the Lodge, attracts, he said.

"And (there's) plenty of chances to spend money," he said of the offerings at the Lodge.
The head of UNICEF UK Mike Penrose warned that refugee children could be separated from their families permanently unless the British government includes family reunification in post-Brexit immigration law. Refugees currently have the right to be reunited with extended family members under the EUs Dublin III regulation but the UKs own legislation covers only children and their parents. In practice, this means that any orphan children cannot reach siblings, grandparents or aunts and uncles.

UK immigration law currently stipulates that your partner or child can apply to join or stay with you in the UK if: you were separated when you were forced to leave your country, [and] youve been given asylum or five years humanitarian protection but do not yet have British citizenship. The law applies to children anywhere in the world, if one or both of their parents are in the UK. Following the Brexit, London will no longer abide by Dublin III regulation.

The UK government said that the plans for an immigration system after the Brexit would be announced in a white paper later this year with a new immigration bill planned to go through parliament next year. UNICEF urged the government to commit to include extended family under reunification rights in new immigration laws. Mr. Penrose thus also warned that Brexit could risk the ability to get children fleeing war and persecution to the safety of their close family in the UK. Now is the time for the UK government to broaden its own rules and ensure the protection of unaccompanied refugee children.
BAD HOMBURG, Germany, August 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Acquisition of NxStage Medical, Inc. would:

- Position Fresenius Medical Care as a global leader in home dialysis - Establish U.S. presence in the critical care space - Further enhance clinical outcomes and patient empowerment - Support strategic initiative of vertical integration and Care Coordination

Fresenius Medical Care, the world's largest provider of dialysis products and services, has signed an agreement to acquire NxStage Medical, Inc., (NxStage) a U.S.-based medical technology and services company.

NxStage, which just like Fresenius Medical Care North America has its headquarters in the Boston, Massachusetts area, was founded in 1998 and has approximately 3,400 employees. It develops, produces and markets an innovative product portfolio of medical devices for use in home dialysis and in the critical care setting. In 2016, NxStage delivered USD 366 million in revenue.

Fresenius Medical Care intends to acquire all outstanding shares of NxStage through a merger for USD 30.00 per common share, thus the transaction would be valued at approximately USD 2.0 billion. The merger, which has been approved by NxStage's board, is subject to approval of NxStage stockholders, receipt of regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Fresenius Medical Care currently expects the closing to occur in 2018.

"The acquisition supports our 2020 strategic initiative of driving growth in the core business with innovation, better clinical outcomes through Care Coordination and improving the patient experience," said Rice Powell, Chairman and CEO of Fresenius Medical Care. "Combining our two companies would strengthen and diversify our business in the U.S. and help meet the evolving needs of our patients."

This acquisition enables Fresenius Medical Care to further leverage its manufacturing, supply chain and marketing competencies across the dialysis products, services and care coordination businesses in a less labour and capital-intensive care setting.

"The combination of Fresenius Medical Care's industry leadership with NxStage's innovative products and employees has the potential to significantly advance the standard of care for patients around the world," said Jeff Burbank, Founder and CEO of NxStage Medical, Inc. "Fresenius Medical Care would like us to continue doing what we do best, and a lot more of it. I strongly believe our opportunities would be greater working together for the benefit of patients, customers and shareholders."

"Home dialysis is a critical component of renal care, and this acquisition would help us accelerate growth and innovation in this important modality," said Bill Valle, CEO of Fresenius Medical Care North America. "I look forward to teaming up with Jeff Burbank and his highly talented team to transform the delivery of home dialysis care in the U.S."

The transaction would be cash and debt financed. An initial net cost synergies potential of approximately USD 80 to 100 million p.a. before tax over three to five years is expected. Integration cost of around USD 150 million in the first three years from announcement, are assumed. Fresenius Medical Care expects the acquisition to be accretive to net income and EPS within three years from closing.

Conference call

Fresenius Medical Care will hold an analyst conference call to discuss the acquisition of NxStage on August 7, 2017, at 2.00p.m. CEDT/ 8.00 a.m. EDT. An alternative opportunity to discuss the acquisition in a conference call will be on August 9, 2017, for analysts at 2.00p.m. CEDT/ 8.00 a.m. EDT and for investors at 2.30p.m. CEDT/ 8.30 a.m. EDT. The company invites investors to follow the live webcast of the call at the company's website http://www.freseniusmedicalcare.com in the 'Investors/Events' section. A replay will be available shortly after the call.

About Fresenius Medical Care

Fresenius Medical Care is the world's largest provider of products and services for individuals with renal diseases of which around 3 million patients worldwide regularly undergo dialysis treatment. Through its network of 3,690 dialysis clinics, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatments for 315,305 patients around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the leading provider of dialysis products such as dialysis machines or dialyzers. Along with the core business, the company focuses on expanding the range of related medical services in the field of Care Coordination. Fresenius Medical Care is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FME) and on the New York Stock Exchange (FMS).

For more information visit the Company's website at http://www.freseniusmedicalcare.com.

BofA Merrill Lynch is serving as exclusive financial advisor to Fresenius Medical Care.

About NxStage

NxStage Medical, Inc. is a leading medical technology company, headquartered in Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA, that develops, manufactures and markets innovative products for the treatment of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and acute kidney failure. NxStage has also established a small number of dialysis clinics committed to the development of innovative care delivery models for patients with ESRD. For more information on NxStage and its products and services, please visit the Company's website at http://www.nxstage.com and http://www.nxstagekidneycare.com.

Piper Jaffray is serving as exclusive financial advisor to NxStage.

Disclaimer Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Fresenius Medical Care's planned acquisition of NxStage Medical, Inc., the expected timing of the closing of the transaction, the synergies expected to be achieved from the transaction, and the expected benefits to Fresenius Medical Care's business, product offerings and profitability and other expected financial impacts of the transaction. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including, among others: the failure or inability of either Fresenius Medical Care or NxStage Medical, Inc. to satisfy closing conditions or obtain approvals necessary to close the transaction; unexpected costs or delays associated with efforts to obtain the regulatory or other approvals necessary to close the transaction; risks associated with litigation or regulatory actions related to the transaction; unanticipated difficulties and expenditures in connection with integration programs; customer and shareholder reaction to the transaction; significant transaction costs and assumption of unknown liabilities; changes in business, economic and competitive conditions; regulatory reforms; foreign exchange rate fluctuations; risks and uncertainties in litigation or investigative proceedings, whether or not related to the transaction; and the availability of financing. These and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA's reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.

Important Information for Investors and Security Holders

(CONTINUA)
As Jio 4G phones hit the market, will other brands be able to sustain through the storm?



With the launch of the highly-anticipated Jio 4G feature phones, the question that ought to be asked is that can we anticipate an increase in demand in 4G feature phones? Needless to say, that with all the fanfare around the cheapest 4G phone, Reliances competitors could be facing a tough task in the months to come. So will others come up with similar offers to mitigate damage?



As announced in July, August 24 has been slated as the launch date for registration of Jio phones. Consumers and businesses can book phones both offline and online by signing up on the Jio website. Reliance has now opened another dimension of its business. Just like it disrupted the lives of telecom operators and cemented its place with a strong market share with Jio, the corporate giant has leaped into the highly competitive smartphone space.



With regard to affordability, Mukesh Ambani at the 2017 Reliance AGM had said I am putting an end to unaffordable data, with this all unlimited, Jio Dhan Dhana Dhan plan of rupees 153 per month for the JioPhone! There will be a fair usage policy of half a GB per day, to ensure that bandwidth is fairly apportioned for every user.



Affordability the master-marketing key that kept Jio going



Affordable device  The JioPhone is an extremely affordable 4G enabled device. The affordability makes it a phone that is easy to own and with cheap data plans the phone is expected to sell like hot cakes.



Affordable data  Smartphones have been an easier way to get in touch with people as compared to those with feature phones. Call rates and messaging charges are higher on cellular network as compared to those made through Whatsapp or Skype. Therefore, cheaper data has brought more people on the smartphone platform and with the launch of JioPhone this is deemed to be better news for both, Reliance as well as its customers.



Good Connectivity  Jio has focused on a very data strong network built for the internet. TRAI has declared Jio as the leader in 4G coverage through its TRAI SpeedTest Portal. Over the next year Jio plans to cover 99% of the countrys population as Jios 4G coverage will be more than 2G.



Lavin Punjabi, President & CEO, Affinity, spoke to exchange4media, sharing some interesting details on the increased mobile consumption. Prior to Jio's launch 64% of the mobile content consumption occurred when a user was connected to WiFi, 32% from top three carriers (Airtel, Vodafone and Idea) and 4% from the remaining carriers. As of July 2017, we see Jio at 40%. WiFi at 33% (down from 64%), Top three at 23% (down from 32%) and 4% from the remaining carriers, pointed out Punjabi.



He explained how Jio expanded the content consumption landscape drastically. We are in the business of displaying ads. So more articles people read on various websites on their mobile devices, the more opportunities we get to display ads. Because of Jio phones, we have seen increased consumption of mobile content on our partner websites, he said.



This is not intended to suggest that Jio has taken away share from others - they have increased the size of the pie and now dominate by driving content consumption.



Sustaining the storms



Jios entry in the smartphone category could now disrupt the market share of big players and more importantly the smaller players like Micromax, Karbonn and Lava. Also, by the end of Q4, the International Data Corporation released a list of the market share held by smartphone companies in the Indian market. Samsung was leading the roost with a market share of 25.1% followed by Xiaomi, Lenovo, Oppo and Vivo. There were no Indian manufacturers in the top five while Chinese players basked in glory.



The budget-friendly Jio 4G feature phone is available at a one-time fully refundable deposit of Rs 1,500 per unit. In the face of this cut-throat competition, most of the hand-set makers could be already working on their own low-cost 4G devices. Apart from Jio, home-grown mobile firm Lava has already launched a 4G feature phone using Spreadtrum chipset, named 4G Connect M1.



Another mobile phone firm Intex has also launched a 4G feature phone, christened Turbo+ 4G, which will be hitting the market around Diwali this year. Apart from this, Micromax has also said that it will launch its own 4G VoLTE featurephone - Bharat 1 - at Rs 1999.



Rumours have been rife that Vodafone and Bharti Airtel are driving discussions with handset vendors for bundling voice and data services with 4G VoLTE feature phones ahead of the availability of JioPhone. Hit by Jios aggressive strategy, Idea Cellular is working with other handset makers for affordable mobile phones. In the coming days, it will be interesting to see whether the incumbents will respond to Jios well-played move. Turns out that they will step up their marketing game.

Read more news about (marketing news, latest marketing news,internet marketing, marketing India, digital marketing India, media marketing India, advertising news)
jcraw999 said: Hello!



I'm looking to move to China and was wondering how easy it is to get a prescription for psychiatric medication there? I am manic depressive and require meds.



Thanks,

Jay Click to expand...

Jay,Are you moving to somewhere in China that is close to Hong Kong? If this is the case, you can try and see a doctor in Hong Kong. Some doctors in Hong Kong were trained in the UK, so they should have a better level of English language skills than doctors in China.The link below gives you a list of medical doctors registered with the Hong Kong General Medical Council and their qualifications are also listed. You can tell which doctor studied in English speaking countries -On the first page, I manages to find doctors who got their medical degrees from Dundee (Dund), Liverpool (Lpool) , Edinburgh (Edin) and London (Lond) Universities. I would think these doctors can deal with English speaking patients.
Sunder said: I clearly remember the typing centre asking for my familys insurance cards to be uploaded online in order to get the visa processed. Click to expand...

checked with our pro and he did family visa stamping of the wife and child for one of our employees without the insurance card because it had not come yet... according to him the evision system that the typing center is using does not even have an option to upload insurance documents, they have to use "additional supporting documents" option to upload them if you provide it to them...in their system its not set to mandatory, but if you have it and give it to the typist, they are uploading it as "additional supporting documents"...go figure..EDIT: sorry, to be clear - the insurance is mandatory in their system for employees, but not yet for dependents/maids...
CAMPBELLTON  From the air, the San Miguel coal mining operation 49 miles south of San Antonio looks like a scene from the industrial revolution.

A massive dragline excavator with a bucket big enough to hold two Ford F-250s pickup trucks dwarfs several 100-ton dump trucks piled high with lignite. As the excavators scrape through seven stories of South Texas dirt, the machine unearths a dark vein of coal that feeds the nearby San Miguel power plant, the source of 20 percent of the electricity for the South Texas Electric Cooperative, which serves 241,000 customers in 42 counties.

Lignite, often called brown coal, is the lowest grade of coal and produces less energy and more carbon pollution than harder, black coal.

The 400-megawatt plant releases 218 pounds of carbon dioxide for every unit of energy, making San Miguel one of the five worst polluters in the state and putting it in the crosshairs of the Obama administrations Clean Power Plan. That regulation called for a reduction of carbon-dioxide emissions by up to 32 percent below 2005 levels and would have required San Miguel to cut its CO2 levels by about half.

But recent events may have saved the San Miguel plant from extinction. In February 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the Clean Power Plan and sent it back to lower courts for a ruling on its merits. President Donald Trump also moved to dismantle the plan with a March 28 executive order that placed it under review.

They (the EPA) did not accommodate for the fact that many hundreds of facilities across the country were built and financed on the assumption theyd be able to live out their useful life, Mike Nasi, an Austin-based attorney who represents both San Miguel and the South Texas Electric Cooperative in the lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency, said. In the case of the co-ops that I represent in Texas, the useful life was in the mid-2030s and yet the way the (carbon) budgets worked that were imposed on the state you were looking at the retirement scenario in the early 2020s.

With the EPA now being run by Scott Pruitt, who sued the agency multiple times during his tenure as Oklahoma attorney general, San Miguel has all the breathing room we need, Nasi said.

In a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency, Derrick Brummett, the former interim general manager at San Miguel, said that in order to reach the Clean Power Plan reductions, the plant would have to run less, buy credits, or some combination of both  factors that lead to my conclusion that the unit would not survive implementation.

The cost of compliance would have forced the plant to shut down long before its contract is scheduled to run out in 2037, Brummett said in an October 2015 court filing. It would have left ratepayers on the hook for upward of $489 million, according to the legal documents.

Kirk Johnson, spokesman for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, said that, on top of the debt ratepayers would be left with if power plants were forced by the Clean Power Plan to shut down, they would then have to find new sources of power. Johnson said people would have to pay twice for their power  once for the power plant that they still have debt on and then again for a new source of energy to replace that plant.

But coal plants are rapidly being replaced anyhow by those that use cleaner natural gas, and by the rapid advancement of renewables such as wind and solar energy. The impact of the Clean Power Plan alone would result in closing at least 32 coal plants, according to an Associated Press analysis reported in Governing, a nonpartisan website focused on state and local governments.

Shelving the Clean Power Plan  introduced in 2015 as a key weapon to help the U.S. meet its commitments to reduce heat-trapping gases that contribute to global warming  infuriates environmentalists and is seen as a setback in the shift to cleaner energy. Trump, who in his campaign called global warming a hoax perpetrated by China, also has pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord.

Lignite is just garbage fuel; its dirty, it produces a lot of nasty metals, it has higher CO2 output per megawatt hour because its not a very good fuel, said Chrissy Mann, a senior campaign representative for Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign.

Natural gas produces, on average, 117 pounds of carbon dioxide per unit of energy, nearly half what San Miguel produces, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The Clean Power Plan mandated that fossil fuel power plants limit emissions to 1,305 pounds of carbon dioxide per megawatt hour. That level was nearly half San Miguels 2010 to 2012 average of 2,452 pounds per megawatt hour

San Miguel released 3.3 million tons of CO2 last year. By comparison, San Antonios JT Deely power plant, which can generate twice the energy and will be mothballed by the end of 2018, released 3.4 million tons of carbon dioxide last year while running at 33 percent of its capacity.

While discussing the demolition of the former W.B. Tuttle natural gas-fired power plant in October, CPS Vice President of Power Generation Benny Ethridge said its likely new coal wont be developed by CPS.

I dont see us ever building another coal plant, Ethridge said.

In April, Trumps Energy secretary, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, ordered his department to conduct a study of grid reliability and security, saying there are significant changes occurring within the electric system that could profoundly affect the economy and even national security.

Baseload power is necessary to a well-functioning electric grid, Perry said. He went on to say over the last few years, however, grid experts have expressed concerns about the erosion of critical baseload resources. He pointed to regulatory burdens introduced by the Obama administration that were designed to decrease coal-fired power generation.

Perry also cited the market distorting effects of federal subsidies that boost one form of energy at the expense of others. Perry didnt specifically single out the tax credits for wind and solar, which are targeted for elimination in 2020. Oil and gas exploration has been subsidized for decades.

A draft of the report, leaked in June, noted that many of the on-going stream of plant retirements have been driven by the combination of low natural gas price-based electricity prices, low electric demand, environmental regulations, state policies, and competition from renewables.

In other words, many retirements are consistent with observed market forces, the report said.

Mann, the Sierra Club expert, said the EPAs Clean Power Plan gave states more flexibility than its opponents give it credit for.

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.

There were interim steps to ensure that the state was getting where they needed to go to achieve those emission reductions, Mann said. Every state, state regulators and the stakeholders in every different state theyre going to be the ones who know best on what would be the best way to get to carbon emission reduction.

The Clean Power Plan includes multiple stages between its implementation in 2022 and 2032, when the carbon dioxide emission reductions were supposed to be realized.

Eric Schaeffer, the former head of the EPAs civil enforcement office from 1997 to 2002, said theres not much evidence that its the environmental regulations that are driving jobs out of the industry.

Were just over two-thirds of the way (to reducing carbon) with no regulation having ever taken effect, and a lot of that is price, obviously, Schaeffer said, referring to years of low natural gas prices that have led to increased use of the natural gas for power plants. Also wind is coming on strong and the some of these (coal) plants were having to decide whether they were going to put a scrubber on to finally deal with the sulfur and the market was too soft for them to justify that.

Schaeffer said San Miguels unique situation  with its source of coal at most 15 miles from its power plant  may make it less susceptible to market forces.

But Schaeffer  who is now executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Integrity Project, an environmental nonprofit group  is concerned public power utilities have become one of the last bastions of coal due to captive ratepayers and utilities limited financial ability to build new plants.

My uncle worked in coal plant, he was a coal plant operator outside of Memphis gave him a good life, union job with a good salary. We need that, Schaeffer said. But I think promising (to cut) regulations is going to deliver those jobs is a lie.

rdruzin@express-news.net

@druz_journo
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The mayor of Hutto, a small town outside Round Rock, is asking Valero Energy Corp. to move a $200 million gasoline and diesel storage terminal to the east after residents complained.

Hutto Mayor Doug Gaul says he learned about the project Thursday before he went into a meeting with Valero representatives, who described the 500,000-barrel gasoline and diesel storage and distribution facility.

Hes concerned that the facilitys location  next to the citys landfill 4 miles north of the city center  will affect the communitys future growth.

The location that they are proposing puts it real close to several of our subdivisions  and the fact that its real close to our future second high school, Gaul said. Its part of our growth corridor. With the growth that were seeing, thats the next area  that weve got interest of other companies and residential going in.

Gaul said he told a Valero representative that if they can go 10 to 15 miles east, theyre going to have a much more wide-open area to work with.

Figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show that in 2010 Hutto had 14,698 residents. Its 2016 estimate puts the population at 23,832, a 62 percent increase in just six years. Images from Google Maps show multiple large subdivisions extending north of Huttos city center, surrounded by agricultural land.

Valeros $200 million project includes a 12-inch-wide, 70-mile pipeline that would transport up to 60,000 barrels per day of refined products such as gasoline and diesel from Hearne to the storage facility. The storage and distribution terminal will include a five-truck loading rack.

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.

We are in the process of acquiring permits, meeting with landowners and community leaders as we work to finalize the pipeline route and project terminal plan details, Valero spokeswoman Lillian Riojas said in an email. This will help determine timelines for the next phases, including construction.

rdruzin@express-news.net

@druz_journo
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Before trucker Edelmiro Munoz climbs into the cab of his semi to begin a job transporting goods across the country, he always conducts one last check.

Every time I carry a load, Munoz said. I walk around the truck and knock on the sides to make sure theres no one inside.

Munoz, who lives in Laredo, has heard about the recent incidents of humans being smuggled in tractor-trailers, including the one last last month that left 10 immigrants dead and about three dozen hospitalized from heat-related injuries in San Antonio.

Before that, Border Patrol agents in June discovered 44 people from Mexico and Guatemala inside an 18-wheeler near one of Laredos international bridges and about 120 people in three other tractor-trailers in the Laredo area in July.

Munoz, who was interviewed at a truck stop in Natalia, said he wants to make sure the truck hes driving isnt used surreptitiously for smuggling, but often, drivers arent allowed to see whats inside the trailer theyre hauling.

Its a big risk for truckers, he said. They dont know what theyre carrying, except what it says on the (paperwork). When I get to a Border Patrol stop, and they ask what I have, Im like refrigerated foods?

James M. Bradley Jr., the driver accused in the smuggling operation discovered July 23 in San Antonio, told authorities that he didnt know how scores of immigrants ended up inside the trailer he was hauling for Pyle Transportation of Schaller, Iowa.

Bradley Jr., 60, of Kentucky and Florida remains in a federal lockup in San Antonio, pending charges of human smuggling.

Bradley, a contractor, said he was hired to take the trailer, which Pyle had sold to someone in Mexico, from Schaller to Brownsville. He said he stopped in Laredo to have his trailer detailed before traveling to San Antonio. His account of his route raises suspicions because going from San Antonio to Laredo and back would add about 300 miles to his trip to Brownsville.

Laredo is where the immigrants said perhaps more than 100 of them were loaded into the trailer without air conditioning, food or water. About 5 p.m., high temperatures had reached about 100 degrees.

According to Bradley, it was two to three hours later, before midnight, when he stopped at a Walmart parking lot on the South Side to urinate, that he discovered the immigrants inside.

By then, eight people were dead from the heat. Dozens were sent to hospitals, and two more people died later. As of Thursday, four remained in local hospitals, including two in critical condition.

After the immigrants were found, it was learned that the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles had disqualified Bradley from driving commercial vehicles after he did not provide a current medical card, as required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Bradley was diabetic and has had several amputations, most recently the removal of his leg this spring, according to the Associated Press. He lost his license in April.

Pyle Transportation owner Brian Pyle has maintained that he, too, didnt know how the immigrants ended up in the trailer and was shocked and saddened about what happened to them. In the past week or so, he has declined to comment.

According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records, Pyle Transportation has more than 150 violations of regulations since 2015, including four that resulted in fines. The agency downgraded Pyles license to conditional, which means the company does not have adequate controls to ensure compliance with safety standards.

After the immigrants deaths, the federal agency said it is investigating the company.

Temptations on the road

Several truckers interviewed about the potential for smuggling said they can understand how drivers could be tempted to transport immigrants or illegal cargo if they needed extra money, or be unknowingly manipulated to do so.

Munoz, the truck driver from Laredo, said one of his friends was once approached by a man at a truck stop offering $5,000 in cash to transport some people north. The friend declined, Munoz said.

Stacie Clifford-Parsons, whose husband used to work for Pyle, said he was twice approached by strangers to do something seemingly illegal.

He called me and said Youre not going to believe this, Clifford-Parsons said. A guy came up to me and said I have $5,000. Can you give me a ride?

That was the first time ever, Clifford-Parsons added. My husband is not an approachable guy.

Pyle Transportation likely wouldnt have known that Bradleys license had been invalidated, as there is no notification system that alerts companies when drivers have a safety violation or lose their license. Federal law only requires companies to check a drivers license once a year.

Some companies, such as W.W. Rowland Trucking, which has offices in San Antonio, will check a license a couple times a year, but not too often, as it costs money every time.

Pyle Transportation also might not have known that Bradley had a criminal record, including charges of menacing, assault, grand theft, escape and several traffic offenses.

Many trucking companies dont do a criminal background check, said Les Findeisen, director of policy and intergovernmental relations at the Texas Trucking Association. If youre going to be hauling  gravel, I dont think they are worried about if youre a felon. Its more important that you dont have a lot of moving violations.

Several truckers said its also possible that Bradley didnt see what, or who, was loaded in the trailer.

Drivers receive a bill of lading that details what is being transported, but drivers are often not allowed to view the cargo, especially at loading docks where shippers instruct drivers to stay in the cab to avoid any safety concerns involving forklifts and other large machinery.

Sometimes, the truck door is sealed with a lock and drivers arent allowed to break it unless instructed to do so by Border Patrol agents.

It makes sense that Bradley wouldnt hear any migrants in the refrigerated trailer, the truckers said, because the walls are thick and insulated to keep produce fresh. The noisy highway and engine also drown out any sound in the trailer.

But Desiree Wood, president of REAL Women in Trucking Inc., said a driver can feel movement inside a trailer: Once, she felt produce tip over inside as she drove.

When Bradleys truck approached a Border Patrol checkpoint, the companys safety record wouldnt be a red flag to Border Patrol agents, experts said. Their duty is to prevent illegal immigration and trafficking of contraband, not enforce safety regulations, which is the purview of other agencies.

Agents would likely talk to the driver, examine related paperwork and, if they didnt notice anything suspicious, wave the truck through.

Its also not uncommon to carry an empty load, which Bradley claimed he was doing, because there isnt always a shipment both ways, truckers said.

Companies do carry empty loads, said David Heller, vice president of government affairs for the Truckload Carriers Association. Its not something we try to do, because an empty load doesnt make any money, but it does happen from time to time.

But Clifford-Parsons questioned why Pyle would waste so much money on fuel for an empty load when the company typically makes three trips to Texas a week.

Pyle Transportation has said it had no idea Bradley had apparently veered off course to Brownsville by stopping in Laredo and San Antonio. Many trailers today are outfitted with GPS trackers so companies can track their shipments.

Even before GPS trackers, company dispatchers would continually check in with drivers to see where they were or track payments on their company gas cards, if they had one.

One former Pyle employee said he once took a break on a trip to Utah because he was feeling ill, and before long, the company dispatcher called him, asking why he wasnt at the destination yet.

Pyle Transportation was sued by the federal government to prevent it from pyramiding employment taxes. Pyramiding means a business withholds taxes from its employees but fails to remit them to the IRS. According to the lawsuit, filed in Iowa, the company owed more than $151,000 in employment taxes.

The lawsuit 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 to deposit the funds for taxes in a bank account the government could monitor.

Clifford-Parsons also said her husband never received his paycheck.

Im a stay-at-home grandmother, she said. We need that money.

eeaton@express-news.net

Twitter: @emilieeaton
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With only a guardrail stopping an SUV and its driver from being swept away by raging floodwaters, a man on the West Side was one of several people rescued Monday as a morning storm dumped record-breaking rainfall in the area, prompting street closures and evacuations.

Nearly 5 inches of rain fell in parts of the San Antonio area, flooding streets and stalling vehicles, according to the National Weather Service. At San Antonio International Airport, a record-breaking 3.31 inches of rain was recorded, the most for an Aug. 7 since 1974, when 2.94 inches fell.

At Stinson Municipal Airport, another record was reached: 4.04 inches of rain was documented, the most for an Aug. 7 since 1998, when 2.20 inches fell.

The highest amount of rain Monday  4.66 inches  was at Leon Valley, SeaWorld San Antonio and Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, officials said.

NWS meteorologist Brett Williams said Monday was the heaviest rainfall the city has received since December.

More for you North Side flood-control project finally underway

The possibility of more rain is in the forecast, with a 30 percent chance through Wednesday.

Were not expecting anything compared to the magnitude of what we had (Monday), Williams said.

Despite all the rain, it wasnt enough to move San Antonio out of Stage 1 drought restrictions, said Anne Hayden, spokeswoman for the San Antonio Water System.

The rain was a drought reliever but not a drought buster, Hayden said.

As the city was getting a soaking, the San Antonio Fire Department received 269 requests for service. Of those, 24 were for high-water investigations, seven for water rescues and 13 for structure fires, said Woody Woodward, an SAFD spokesman. Four structure fires were caused by lightning, he said.

About 11 a.m. on the hard-hit West Side, SAFD emergency crews fought rushing water at Texas 151 and Pinn Road in the dramatic rescue of a driver whose vehicle was nearly submerged.

Wearing a pink shirt soaked by the rain, the man sat atop his SUV as rescue units determined the best way to save him.

Two fire engines had their ladders extended as far as they could go, but couldnt reach him. A boat rescue unit prepared to deploy, but authorities ultimately decided a combination of ladders was the safer option.

As floodwaters churned below, firefighters were able to reach and assist the driver, who delicately crawled across the ladders and made it to safety without serious injury.

The unidentified driver would not be facing any fines because there were no traffic barricades in place, Woodward said. He added that the man was driving through what was initially about a foot of water before it quickly rose.

About 30 minutes earlier and less than a half-mile away, an SAFD water rescue team encountered a woman standing on top of her sedan near West Commerce Street and West Military Drive.

A rescue unit used a boat to cross the flooded street and save the woman, who declined to comment on the incident.

After the rescue, a police officer took the woman to a nearby gas station to meet with her mother. When the officer left, the womans mother drove her back to the scene, where she waded into the water toward her car to try to retrieve her keys.

She was swept away, according to police, but managed to make it out of the water. Police met her at the scene and detained her. She will face criminal charges, according to officials.

In Leon Valley, several homes were evacuated because of flooding. Residents were initially sent to Marshall High School but were later asked to go to the fire station.

Norma Tijerina, 45, said a firefighter knocked on her door and told her the fire department was evacuating everyone from the area.

He said Grab whatever you need because were evacuating. The water is rising pretty fast, Tijerina said.

She grabbed what she needed, hopped in the rescue vehicle and went to the high school. She said shes lived at her current home for five years and that Monday was the first time shes had to evacuate.

Sandra Orozco and her son, Rene, said Monday was the first time theyd ever had to be evacuated, as well.

The Orozco home is near a creek in Raymond Rinkus Park, and by the time they had left, the creek was flooded.

Right now, were just trying to go somewhere thats not here, Rene Orozco said.

Along with at least 17 road closures citywide, the rain forced the closures of several area parks, including Government Canyon State Natural Area and Enchanted Rock State Natural Area north of Fredericksburg.

Lightning strikes, downed electrical wires and blown transformers led to more than 23,000 customers without power before 9 a.m., according to CPS Energy. In the afternoon, there were still around 1,200 customers without power.

Staff Writer Jacob Beltran contributed to this report.
EDITORS NOTE: This article originally appeared in the Aug. 15, 2003, Herald.

Bill and Nancy Febry of Chippewa Falls are being honored as the Festmeister and Festmeistern of first Oktoberfest celebration in Chippewa Falls next month.

The celebration will be at the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds Friday, Sept. 19, Saturday, Sept. 20 and Sunday, Sept. 21.

Bill Febry is the sales development manager with the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company. Nancy Febry is an assistant reference librarian with the Chippewa Falls Public Library.

The couple has lived in Chippewa Falls since 1994, and both are University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire graduates. They have three daughters: Erin, Ellen and Carling.

We are delighted and honored to be a part of the first annual Oktoberfest in Chippewa Falls, Bill Febry said.

Each year a Festmeister and Festmeisterin will be chosen to serve as the ambassador for Oktoberfest. The pair will promote Oktoberfest before and after event and spread good cheer during its three days.
Says transgender residents make up about 1-in-300 people, were all over the place, were your friends and your neighbors.

 Ashley Smith on Wednesday, July 19th, 2017 in a San Antonio Express-News story

A San Antonio activist tried to make a point about the proposed Texas law affecting bathroom access in public schools and other buildings simply by posing with a presumed leading supporter of the legislation, Gov. Greg Abbott.

The photo from Abbotts July 14 re-election kickoff rally in the Alamo City shows Abbott grinning next to Trans-Woman Ashley Smith. Smith added this comment in a post below the photo placed the next day on her Facebook page: How will the Potty Police know Im transgender if the Governor doesnt?

That post went viral though Smith later got our attention when she described the prevalence of Americans who are transgender, telling Chris Quinn of the San Antonio Express-News: Were about 1-in-300 people, were all over the place, were your friends and your neighbors. Some of us are not immediately obvious as trans. And the idea that you are going to be able to enforce a bathroom bill, I mean the enforceability is just not there.

We asked Smith the basis of her 1-in-300 figure. She pointed by email to a report finding that nationally, about 1.4 million residents were trans, Smith said, which if my math is right, would make us 1 in every 231 people.

The June 2016 report, How Many Adults Identify as Transgender in the United States?, was issued by the Williams Institute, a UCLA School of Law think tank that says it advances sexual orientation law and public policy through independent research.

The authors, making statistical adjustments to Centers for Disease Control 2014 phone survey results, estimated that 0.6 percent of U.S. adults identify as transgender. The report went on: This figure is double the estimate that utilized data from roughly a decade ago and implies that an estimated 1.4 million adults in the U.S. identify as transgender. In 2011, an institute researcher, Gary Gates, had estimated based partly on surveys taken in Massachusetts and California that 0.3 percent of U.S. adults identified as transgender.

The U.S. Census Bureau hasnt estimated the number of Americans identifying as transgender. But we turned to its population estimates to gauge the institutes latest figures. As of July 2014, the bureau says, the U.S. was home to 318,563,456 residents including 244,986,302 adults. Applying the institutes estimate that 0.6 percent of adults identify as transgender delivers a subtotal of 1,469,917 adults.

Summing up, the institute estimated that 1.8-in-300 U.S. adults identify as transgender.

Minors identifying as transgender?

For an estimate of younger Americans identifying as transgender, Smith told us, she relied on a January 2017 institute report similarly starting from federal surveys. That report says researchers estimate that 0.7 percent of U.S. minors aged 13 to 17, tallied at about 150,000 people, are transgender  which breaks out to about 2.1-in-300 individuals in the age group.

At Smiths urging, we also queried the policy counsel of the National Center for Transgender Equality, which says its the nations leading social justice advocacy organization winning life-saving change for transgender people. By email, Maayan Anafi replied that the center considers the 2016 institute estimate to be the most reliable available estimate of the U.S. transgender population. Anafi similarly noted the institutes estimate for people aged 13-17, adding: Currently, there is no comprehensive national estimate for the number of transgender people under the age of 13.

A Williams Institute researcher

Next, we heard back from Andrew Flores, a visiting scholar at the institute involved and familiar with its reports. Flores said that while the research estimates were not independently peer-reviewed prior to publication, both are under consideration by an academic peer-reviewed journal.

We have not seen a methodological challenge or rebuttal, Flores wrote. Also, he said, we have seen other estimates proposed using the same or similar data.

In that vein, Flores provided a web link to the abstract of a study published in the February 2017 American Journal of Public Health containing an extrapolation based on 12 U.S. population surveys taken from 2007 to 2015. Its authors estimated that as of 2016, 390 U.S. adults per 100,000, or almost 1 million adults, identified as transgender. That breaks out to 1.17-in-300 adults. This estimate, they wrote, may be more indicative for younger adults, who represented more than 50% of the respondents in our analysis.

State estimates by institute

We saw that the 2016 institute report had state-by-state estimates of adults identifying as transgender, ranging from 0.3 percent in North Dakota to 0.8 percent in Hawaii  and 0.66 percent in Texas, or 125,350 residents, the report said. The report specified that its estimates were rooted in data from 19 states that opted in to asking participants in the CDCs Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in 2014: Do you consider yourself to be transgender? If someone answered affirmatively, he or she was asked: Do you consider yourself to be male-to-female, female-to-male, or gender non-conforming? In total, the report says, 0.52 percent of respondents in the 19 states identified as transgender.

According to the report, if a respondent asked for a definition of transgender, the person seeking responses was to reply: Some people describe themselves as transgender when they experience a different gender identity from their sex at birth. For example, a person born into a male body, but who feels female or who lives as a woman would be transgender. Some transgender people change their physical appearance so that it matches their internal gender identity. Some transgender people take hormones and some have surgery. A transgender person may be of any sexual orientation  straight, gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

We asked Flores why the institute reached a 0.6 percentage for the nation when responses to the survey question in the 19 states  Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming  supported a lower 0.52 percent result.

Flores replied: While our underlying dataset only contains 19 states, we wanted to make inferences about every state. We did this by running a model that included all respondents, even those who did not get asked about whether or not they identified as transgender. We then used the model results to impute or fill-in whether an individual would identify as transgender considering their state and demographic profile. Finally, we used these results and generalized them to population statistics provided by the Census Bureau.

The reason why the (19-state) survey estimate is lower than the resultant national estimate, Flores wrote, is mostly due to the demographic composition of the remaining states. As we noted, people of color and younger individuals are more likely to identify as transgender. If a state that was not one of those 19 contains more younger individuals or populations of color, then that would mean the national estimate would be larger as a result.

Texas state demographer

Next, we asked Lloyd Potter, the Texas state demographer, to review the institutes 2016 report. Potter said by email that his read suggests that from 0.36 percent to 0.95 percent of the population identifies as transgender, so 1-in-300, or 0.3 percent, is a little low, he said.

Potter explained that institute researchers applied characteristics including race and ethnicity, age cohorts and educational attainment provided by individuals who responded affirmatively to the CDC survey question to produce its estimates of adults in each state who may identify as transgender, with all of the state estimates aggregated to a U.S. estimate..

Potter went on: It is likely that there is underreporting among those who do identify as transgender in those 19 states which would suggest the estimate is on the low end.

Our ruling

Smith said transgender residents make up about 1-in-300 people, were all over the place, were your friends and your neighbors.

Theres no direct national count of individuals identifying as transgender but recent analyses rooted in federal survey results support estimates of 1.8-in-300 adults and 2.1-in-300 minors.

We rate the claim TRUE  The statement is accurate and theres nothing significant missing.

Go to Politifact.com/Texas/ for more on the six Politifact ratings and other fact checks.
Someone in San Antonio may have just won $2 million.

A local Texas Lottery Powerball player matched five numbers to win a $2 million jackpot from a ticket purchased Saturday at a West Side convenience store.

The winning ticket, drawn Saturday night with the numbers 11, 21, 28, 33 and 45, was sold as a Quick Pick at the Vista Express, 2002 Buena Vista St., according to the Texas Lottery Commission website. The winner did not purchase the Power Play option.

The Texas Lottery announced the win via Twitter on Sunday afternoon, but the winner has yet to claim their ticket.

jbeltran@express-news.net

Twitter: @JBFromSA
If these targets can be met, underpinned by productivity arising from NACRAs R&D investments, the proportional contribution of the Ord to the State governments target of doubling the value of the agricultural sector by 2025 will be more than met.
I have been sent photographs from farmers and agronomists, showing that they can grab their grass and roll it back like a doormat because these insects have completely severed the roots from the stems, Dr Johnson said.
Unity is everything when youre in the bush, you dont have the numbers so unity is all and I truly believe that women who in general are more collaborative than men and are joiners, can get this unity thing happening.
We pull cattle from a large area, with growers from as far as east of Esperance selling through us and our closest abattoir is 400 kilometres away so we need to ensure that animals that are travelling these distances are well looked after and fit to travel.
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JANESVILLE (AP)  One look at Miracle explains her power to comfort people.

Her pleasant face seems caught in a smile. Her demeanor suggests fast friendship. Her golden hair is soft and inviting to stroke.

But the 3-year-old golden retriever has more than good looks and charm.

She has an inspiring story, which owners Bill and Kathy Schendt believe will bring hope into the lives of others.

Miracle was never expected to survive after birth.

Born to a private breeder in Edgerton, the dog inhaled birth fluids and developed a massive lung infection.

She was in puppy ICU for three weeks, Kathy said. The vet gave her one last antibiotic shot.

To everyones surprise, Miracle survived. But her troubles were not over.

When she walked strangely, her vet discovered from an X-ray that she did not have a proper hip joint.

With her disability, Miracle would never be a show dog like her champion father and grandfather.

Miracles original owner contacted the Schendts of Janesville and asked if they would be willing to take the 3-month-old puppy.

Longtime dog lovers, they welcomed the playful youngster.

But Kathy and Bill wanted Miracle to succeed.

They took her on short walks and to pool therapy at Dunkin Dawgs in Janesville, where dogs swim for therapy, exercise and fun.

Today, 55-pound Miracle is a testimony to the power of exercise and perseverance.

Muscle has taken over her left side, Kathy said. She runs. She jumps. Shes a miracle.

Nancy Long of Dunkin Dawgs has worked with Miracle since she was a puppy.

We needed to build her hip muscles, Long said. She did lots of swimming. We also did massage and range of motion exercises in the pool.

Today the dogs disability is barely noticeable.

You would never know she had a problem, Long said.

In addition to weekly swim sessions, the Schendts eventually took Miracle to a dog obedience school. Then Miracle attended advanced training known as the Canine Good Citizen.

At the end of June, Miracle took another leap in her education and graduated from therapy-dog training offered by Scott and Tina Lindner of Das Hund Haus, Evansville.

Not all dogs meet the challenge.

I would say that one out of 100 can be a therapy dog, Scott said.

As part of her training, Miracle visited a detention center, a school and a nursing home to see how she responded.

Miracle did absolutely fabulous, Scott said. People gravitate to her because of her demeanor and how she looks. When they hear her story, they relate to it because somewhere in their lives they had problems, too.

Miracle has a knack for being a different dog in different situations. She settles down in nursing homes but gears up in places where people are more active. In the Alzheimers unit of a care center, Miracle walked up to a client and softly put her head on the womans lap.

Scott calls training therapy dogs a huge commitment, but the joy and happiness they bring to the people they meet is absolutely priceless.

The Schendts look forward to sharing Miracle with others.

Bill, who recently retired from Blain Supply, has volunteered for Agrace Hospice & Palliative Care since 1998. He wants to visit patient with Miracle.

He and Kathy see it as another step forward in an underdogs life.

Miracle needed so much therapy when she was little, Kathy said. Now she gives therapy to others. Shes a people magnet, and shes giving back.
By Dr Stella Compton-Dickinson, author of The Clinicians Guide to Forensic Music Therapy (Jessica Kingsley Publishers).

Stella Compton Dickinson

How do we deal with the fear of death? What leads someone to be willing to kill others? And what happens when to them when they do?

Dealing with fear.

Lets start by looking briefly at how we can deal with our current fears of terrorism and death?

In peacetime, we can do this by mindfully observing through each of our senses rather than just through our eyes. On the street, we can be more observant instead of blocking out our ears and eyes by using our phone or listening through headphones.

We can relieve anxiety by knowing how to breathe mindfully, to be creative through culture and music, through the sensations of touch, smell, sound, sight and taste.

What may lead someone to kill others through terrorism?

Were terrorised into becoming a terrorist before they began terrorising others?

The answer to this is best illustrated by cognitive analytic therapy, where we explain how people relate, as if on a see saw. It is easy to understand when one person is in control of the weight at bottom end, the other person is suspended up high and has no control. In this polarised position nasty things can happen. The solution only appears when one person takes the middle position, having leverage in both directions - like a good negotiator would.

We call this concept a reciprocal role. This idea applies to every human interaction: if one person is loving, the other feels loved. If someone is rejecting, the other person feels rejected. If someone is behaving in an attacking way, someone feels attacked.

Might a terrorist recruit feel terrorised by those they look up to, and if so are they themselves vulnerable to oppression or mentally unstable with depression or anxiety? Do they feel they must obey? Does this mean that they cannot think for themselves anymore?

My work with mentally disordered offenders who have killed, demonstrates how instinctual, mindless impulses result in high-risk behaviours. These become observable in body language and symbolic gestures, which can be explained and understood.

For example, if someone feels excluded - then we can often see this as a pattern that has gone on throughout their lifetime and it can start to be addressed in a cognitive analytic approach by including them instead. In this way patients have what Yalom would call a corrective experience.

The psychological impact of killing.

If an individual is not able to talk about their experiences and losses for fear of shame or flashbacks, then there is an inability to mourn. In effect, the individual is unable to feel the grief. As a result, some will turn to alcohol or drugs to fend off the pain - just as described in a Pink Floyd song, they become comfortably numb.

The men who came back from the first World War could not talk about the horrors that they witnessed, instead with a return to civilian life, as portrayed so vividly in the TV series Peaky Blinders, they maintained their own ways of being loyal to each other. After going through so much conflict and trauma, they turned to what was familiar through different forms of risk-laden responses; bare knuckle-fighting, thrills through gambling and drinking. And, to numb out the flashbacks and nightmares, they smoked opium.

So, we see that there is an emotional trauma that is endured when killing, which can lead to the loss of mental health, with subsequent diminished responsibility.

That lack of responsibility for ones own actions cannot always be explained through mental illness. For example, if a terrorist commits martyrdom, this pre-meditated and he prepares himself psychologically. If the perpetrator lives he has committed the offence of murder and is incarcerated in prison.

The future.

Perhaps the world will become a better place as our increased knowledge of the human brain continue to inform treatment developments, which can include non-medical and creative resources that diminish aggression and promote mutual understanding.

In this way people may tolerate their differences without judging others for their ways of living; good or bad, or right or wrong. Instead, being accepting of others and accepted by others; understanding that they are as they are right now, and this is just how it is right now - and in the present there is the power to change things for the better.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Stella Compton-Dickinson is a London-based Health and Care Profession council registered music therapist, accredited supervisor, professional oboist and lecturer, UK Council for Psychotherapy registered Cognitive Analytic Therapist and Supervisor. She is author of The Clinicians Guide to Forensic Music Therapy (Jessica Kingsley Publishers), and has her own private practice and twenty years' experience in the National Health Service as a Clinician, Head of Arts Therapies and Clinical Research Lead her research was awarded the 2016 Ruskin Medal for the most impactful doctoral research.

Web: http://stellacompton.co.uk/page/publications.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/forensicmusictherapy/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/StellaCompton12

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-stella-compton-dickinson-4a475311/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Clinicians-Guide-Forensic-Music-Therapy/dp/1849057109/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494421287&sr=8-1&keywords=stella+compton+dickinson
Joanne Ryan based her new show Eggsistentialism on her comical journey to decide if she should have a baby. Here she discusses the show and why, despite all the best-intentioned advice, we should all ultimately listen to our heart.

Joanne Ryan by Ken Coleman

On a cold, January morning in 2015 I sat in a room with 5 other writers and first shouted the words I dont know if I should have a baby!

It was the first icebreaker on a theatre development scheme: rant for 60 seconds about things that make you angry and at the end of my rant, as a joke really, thats what I shouted. Everyone laughed but the joke was on me because as soon as I said it I realised it was true.

I was about to turn 35, a fact my Irish Catholic mother had been blessing herself in disbelief about for weeks. 35 is the magical age when according to magazines and the Internet, womens fertility falls off a cliff. Maybe if we stopped scaring 35-year-old women about their egg reserves theyd be less inclined to fall off cliffs. Who knows. But there I was; at the coal face of the cliff edge and without a fecking notion what I should do.

I felt no different physically, mentally or emotionally than I had 10 years earlier and had no idea whether or not I wanted kids but suddenly felt under pressure to figure it out. Not thinking about it would be a decision in itself if my time ran out and something I might regret down the line. So I did what anyone would do in that situation; I wrote a play.

I knew I wasnt the only one facing this conundrum. I knew it was a political-charged issue that no one was talking about it  certainly not on stages anyway - and the more I thought about it the more complex and fraught and fascinating it became. As a theatre maker, I wanted to investigate, unpick, document and make some jokes. As Joanne, I was hoping it would help me decide.

The fact I get to decide at all is a luxurious problem. I am part of the first generation of humans in the history of humans who have a choice. My mother didnt  condoms were still illegal in Ireland when I was conceived  my grandmother certainly didnt. I wanted to know what the consequences of the choice might be, what do you lose and what do you gain?

A great fringe benefit (oh ho) of writing a play was that it gave me license to go to forensic extremes in my journey without looking like a total nutjob. It wasnt madness, it was research. I wasnt bonkers, I was being thorough.

Oh no, Im not crazy. This is for a play!

In the early stages of writing I met my current boyfriend. Im getting my eggs counted, I told him cheerily on our 3rd date. For a play. He said it was a great idea  that as a man of the same age he was facing the same issue, without the time pressures maybe, but still needing to weigh it up and make a choice. He came on the journey with me.

In the course of writing this show over two years I spoke to lots of doctors and fertility experts. Hurry up! some said. Relax! said others. I spoke to friends and family who told me all about having kids and not having kids and all they had lost and gained either way. I ravaged the darkest recesses of the Internet. I had ultrasounds, blood tests, counselling. In a particularly desperate moment I even went to a fortune teller.( Dont pick up anything heavy, she cautioned sagely before relieving me of a cool 50. You might put out your back.)

My favourite part was the hours I spent sitting with my mother  who has turned out to be the hilarious scene-stealing star of the show - hearing about her life and choices in a different, and not so different, country and world.

Did the whole madcap odyssey help me make my own decision? Well, youll just have to come along to the show to find out of course! What I can say is that it has given me lots of fascinating insights into the most fundamental human question of all; to baby or not to baby?

Eggsistentialism is on at Summerhall until August 27 (not 9, 14, 22) at 1pm. Tickets available at www.edfringe.com.
Stephanie Davis thought her ex-boyfriend Jeremy McConnell was going to "kill" her after he allegedly "threw her around like a rag doll" during a blazing row on March 10.

Stephanie Davis

The 24-year-old actress appeared in court today (07.08.17) in Liverpool to give evidence against the Irish hunk - who faces an assault charge - and claimed he allegedly attacked her at her address in Merseyside after he suspected she was having an affair with her pregnant friend and a fireman.

She told the courtroom: "He was convinced I was having a lesbian affair with my pregnant friend, and the fireman across the road. He gets jealous. He was calling me a s**g, that I was fat and that no-one would ever want to touch me again.

"He put his thumb into the side of my gums, and that's when I really started to panic. He was having, what I know and what Jeremy knows as, psychotic episodes.

"He took my phone off me, and I was trying to get it off him and he was ragging me everywhere. He bit the inside of my arm."

The brunette beauty described the alleged assault "like something out of a horror movie" before she claimed Jeremy had smashed a bottle of wine over his own head while under the influence of drugs.

The judge then decided to take a break after the former 'Hollyoaks' star broke down in tears in the witness stand because Jeremy - the father of her seven-month-old son Caben Albi - began laughing at her testimony and was reportedly heard muttering "lies, lies, lies" under his breath, according to the MailOnline.

She screeched: "Jeremy is laughing at me in the court. Why are you laughing? You're a blatant liar. How can he do this to me?"

Stephanie then returned to the dock a short while later to state that the pair had ended their relationship in May 2016 - five months after they got together - but she decided to give the 27-year-old star another chance after their son was born in January 2017.

The defence accused Stephanie of "fabricating" parts of the assault and "embellishing" her injuries to stop Jeremy from going on the show 'Ex on the Beach'.

She hit back: "I'd never had one mark since before I met Jeremy. But since I met Jeremy I've had to lie to the press and say they were from a deep tissue massage."

Asked if Jeremy was the love of her life, Stephanie said: "No, not at all. I thought he was; I did really really love Jeremy. I helped him go to rehab, but you don't do the things that he's done to your worst enemy, let alone the mother of your baby. I'm finally free; he's not in control anymore."

The prosecution told the courtroom that the former couple had visited Gusto Albert Dock restaurant with friends to celebrate Stephanie's birthday but, when they returned home, a row broke out because the actress had asked the former 'Beauty School Cop Out' star if he was on drugs.

During the row, Stephanie managed to call her mother Pauline and she raced round to the house at 4am to find her daughter "visibly shaken and upset", while Jeremy searched the property for a fireman he believed was hiding inside the property.

Pauline - who did not witness the alleged assault - added: "His eyes were gone; they were bloodshot, he was sweating profusely ... I said: 'you little b*****d, you had your chance; I warned you'. Something like that.

"I went to get the baby and a coat or a cardigan to put him in a car seat. I just wanted to get Steph and the baby out of there. We were so scared. I went to the toilet straight away because the stress kicked off my irritable bowel syndrome."

Jeremy has pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal damage but denied assault.

The trial continues.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article originally ran in the Herald on Sept. 23, 2008.

Bill Leinenkugels life was full of battles. He approached them with a good sense of humor and dignity.

As a U.S. Marine serving in World War II, John William Leinenkugel fought in the Pacific islands in Saipan and Tinian.

As the president of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company of Chippewa Falls, he fought for the survival of his familys brewery in an era when other small breweries were falling by the wayside.

And he fought for his own health, recovering from a heart attack and fending off prostate and lung cancer.

It was a recurrence this year of cancer in the form of a brain tumor that finally took his life Monday. Leinenkugel, the man who created what is now called the Leinie Lodge, was 87.

His wife of 57 years, the former Mary Louise Larson, died in 2004.

Through his life, Bill Leinenkugel displayed a sense of grace and dignity, along with a good sense of humor about himself. Its those qualities that led to his success.

Im just a beer salesman who had a good product to sell, he told The Chippewa Herald in an interview Aug. 1.

Perhaps, but Bill Leinenkugel knew how to do that job very well during his 39 years of selling beer.

Early life

Bill Leinenkugel was born in Washington, D.C., the son of a U.S. government attorney. The family moved to Tucson, Ariz. after his father became ill. His father died when he was only 13.

He was attending the University of Arizona when World War II broke out in December 1941.

Leinenkugel recalled in a June 2002 interview with the Herald that he was undisciplined. So he challenged himself by joining the U.S. Marines Corps. His sons and later a grandson would later serve in the Marines, a fact that made him extremely proud.

His artillery battery was battered in fighting in the Pacific.

We had 25 to 27 percent casualties, including our colonel, our sergeant major and our communications chief, he recalled.

He was honorably discharged in 1946 as a Master Sergeant.

He would think of his time in the Marines even after returning stateside and, at age 26, taking a job as a salesman for the family business.

This is tough, he say of the jobs demands. But Ive been through worse than this.

He would never lose his appreciation for the Marines or the military, said Louis Rineck, commander of American Legion Post 77 in Chippewa Falls.

Rineck said Leinenkugel belonged to the Legion post for 64 years, serving for over 20 years as its finance officer. He was very instrumental in getting the current building for the Legion hall on Spring Street.

He used to play cards with us all the time, Rineck said.

One time he had a four of a kind and someone else had a higher four of a kind. That didnt go over very well.

Outside of that one instance, he was always cheerful, Rineck recalls. Every time he sees you, he always says something good about you.

A new life

Taking a new job was not the only good thing to happen to Bill Leinenkugel in 1947.

He would also meet and marry Mary Lou Larson, a Chippewa Falls girl who loved to play cards.

Bill took his new job seriously.

He would keep scrapbooks of the tavern owners he was working with and their families.

He would be appointed vice president of sales and advertising in 1965 and as executive vice president in 1970.

A year later the brewerys president an sales manager suffered a stroke, and Bill Leinenkugel was needed to lead the company founded by his great-grandfather, Jacob.

All of a sudden, I was in a leadership role. It was on-the-job training, he told the Herald in 2002.

He would eventually become the brewerys sales manager, ad manager, public relations manager, credit manager and governmental affairs manager.

You were a jack of all trades and really, you were a master of none, he said.

Under his guidance, the company expanded the beers markets to the Twin Cities and Chicago.

He would go on to serve as a director and president of the Brewers Association of America, and director and secretary of the Wisconsin State Brewers Association.

He also created the concept of the Leinie Lodge by coming up with the idea to open the Leinenkugels Hospitality and Tour Center in 1979.

By 1986, he was 65, and had been in the business for 40 years. I was kind of burned out and I couldnt take the travel like I used to, he said in 2002.

So his son Thomas Jake Leinenkugel would become the familys fifth generation to head the company when Bill Leinenkugel retired as president and vice chairman of the board of directors.

The brewery  the oldest business in Chippewa Falls  merged with Milwaukees Miller Brewing in 1988. It is now a staple for SABMillers U.S. unit, which is now part of MillerCoors, a joint venture with Molson Coors Brewing Co.

Leinenkugels sells its 11 brands, four of them seasonal, in 38 states. It operates breweries in Chippewa Falls and Milwaukee.

The entire MillerCoors organization is grateful for everything Bill did for the beer industry, MillerCoors spokesman Peter Marino said in a statement Tuesday. Bill was a great leader, visionary and entrepreneur. He had a way of personally connecting to his customers and we will toast a Leinenkugels beer in his honor.

MillerCoors has established the Bill Leinenkugel Entrepreneurial Spirit Award, which will be presented to an employee each spring to honor prolific contributions to the beer industry, Marino said.

Other projects

Bill Leinenkugels life included work outside of the brewery, too.

He served on numerous boards in the community. He was a co-founder of the Northern District Marine Corps League; served as president of the Chippewa Falls Industrial Development Corporation and on the advisory board of St.Josephs Hospital. He was president of the Chippewa Falls Library Board and served on the board when the current Chippewa Falls Public Library was built in 1969.

The Civil War fascinated him, and he loved trains, having a toy train collection and service on the West Wisconsin Rail Coalition.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
China is now one of the most active digital-investment and start-up ecosystems in the world, according to a new discussion paper from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). The country is the worlds largest e-commerce market, a major global force in mobile payments and is in the global top three for venture-capital investment in key digital technology types.

China is now one of the most active digital-investment and start-up ecosystems in the world, according to a new discussion paper from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). The country is the world's largest e-commerce market, a major global force in mobile payments and is in the global top three for venture-capital investment in key digital technology types.#

MGI, the business and economics research arm of McKinsey & Company, was established in 1990 to study the evolving global economy.

China is now one of the most active digital-investment and start-up ecosystems in the world, according to a new discussion paper from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). The country is the world's largest e-commerce market, a major global force in mobile payments and is in the global top three for venture-capital investment in key digital technology types.#

The paper, Chinas digital economy: A leading global force, says China is among the top global players for venture-capital investment in prime digital technology, including virtual reality, autonomous vehicles, 3-D printing, robotics, drones and artificial intelligence.

China is now one of the most active digital-investment and start-up ecosystems in the world, according to a new discussion paper from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). The country is the world's largest e-commerce market, a major global force in mobile payments and is in the global top three for venture-capital investment in key digital technology types.#

Its e-commerce market, the worlds largest, accounts for more than 40 percent of the value of worldwide e-commerce transactions, up from less than 1 percent about a decade ago. Its mobile payments transaction value is now 11 times that of the United States. One in three of the worlds 262 unicorns (start-ups valued at over $1 billion) is Chinese, commanding 43 per cent of the global value of these companies.

China is now one of the most active digital-investment and start-up ecosystems in the world, according to a new discussion paper from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). The country is the world's largest e-commerce market, a major global force in mobile payments and is in the global top three for venture-capital investment in key digital technology types.#

Chinese governments active support, activities of the countrys three Internet giants Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent, and a bigger and younger Chinese market are the three factors propelling the expansion of digital China, says the paper jointly authored by MCI director Jonathan Woetzel, chairman James Manyika, senior fellow Jeongmin Seong, partner Michael Chui, senior partner Kevin Wei Wang and consultant Wendy Wong.

China is now one of the most active digital-investment and start-up ecosystems in the world, according to a new discussion paper from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). The country is the world's largest e-commerce market, a major global force in mobile payments and is in the global top three for venture-capital investment in key digital technology types.#

The bigger, younger China market is enabling rapid commercialization of digital business models on a large scale. The sheer scale of Chinas Internet user-base encourages continuous experimentation and enables digital players to achieve economies of scale quickly. The share of Internet users in China making mobile digital payments is around 68 per cent, compared to a mere 15 percent in the United States

China is now one of the most active digital-investment and start-up ecosystems in the world, according to a new discussion paper from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). The country is the world's largest e-commerce market, a major global force in mobile payments and is in the global top three for venture-capital investment in key digital technology types.#

Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent, collectively known as BAT, are driving technical performance, such as computing efficiency, to set new world standards and touch almost every aspect of human life. In 2016, BAT provided 42 percent of all venture-capital investment in China, a far more prominent role than Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Netflix, which jointly contributed only 5 per cent of US venture-capital investment in that year, the paper notes.

China is now one of the most active digital-investment and start-up ecosystems in the world, according to a new discussion paper from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI). The country is the world's largest e-commerce market, a major global force in mobile payments and is in the global top three for venture-capital investment in key digital technology types.#

The Chinese government moved to regulate the digital sector only after a delay, which gave innovators plenty of space to experiment, it says. Over the past two years, Chinas top three Internet companies made 35 overseas deals, compared with 20 by the top three US Internet companies. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, headed by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley and comprising finance ministers of all states, has finalised the e-way Bill. The Bill mandates pre-registration of all goods worth over Rs 50,000 before they are transported for sale. However, pre-registration would not be applicable for goods exempted under GST.

Exemption from e-way Bill would also be applicable if goods are to be transported within a distance of 10 km.

The date of application of the e-way Bill would be notified shortly, Jaitley told reporters after the 20th meeting of the GST Council.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, headed by Union finance minister Arun Jaitley and comprising finance ministers of all states, has finalised the e-way Bill. The Bill mandates pre-registration of all goods worth over Rs 50,000 before they are transported for sale. However, pre-registration would not be applicable for goods exempted under GST.#

The Council also reduced the GST rate on job work on all textile-related items to 5 per cent to ensure smooth functioning of the labour-intensive sector.

The finance minister appealed to businesses to pass on the benefit of the reduced tax under GST to consumers, failing which anti-profiteering mechanism will be triggered.

The Council would hold its next meeting in Hyderabad on September 9. (RKS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
A genetically-modified cotton variety with high resistance to boll worm infestation will be released to farmers in Kenya soon. The high-yielding, drought-resistant Bt cotton, which is being cultivated in Burkina Faso and South Africa, brings high financial returns, according to Charles Waturu, director of Horticultural Research Institute in Thika.The variety will be initially released to farmers in dry irrigation areas of the coastal region for seed breeding purpose as part of the pilot project and rolled out later to all other cotton-producing counties, a news agency report from Kenya quoted Waturu as saying.

A genetically-modified cotton variety with high resistance to boll worm infestation will be released to farmers in Kenya soon. The high-yielding, drought-resistant BT cotton, which is being cultivated in Burkina Faso and South Africa, brings high financial returns, according to Charles Waturu, director of Horticultural Research Institute in Thika.#

The horticulturist, while speaking at a recent national training and awareness programme for farmers on transgenic crops in Sagana town, said the transgenic variety requires two sprays of pesticides compared to 15 for the traditional one. Due to the high reproduction rate of the boll worm and self protection mechanism, its chemical control was difficult and many farmers have abandoned cotton farming, he added.Waturu said the government has already established a task force that is working for a roadmap towards the expected release of the Bt cotton seed to the farmers by 2019.The transgenic cotton variety also attracted honey bees during the flowering stage, which offered quality honey to the farmers. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
PARIS (dpa-AFX) - The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, offered to mediate the Venezuelan crisis while condemning the political violence in the country and the arrest of the opposition leaders Leopoldo Lopez and Antonio Ledezma. 'Our European partners share these concerns. Together, we call that the human rights, the rule of law and people's fundamental freedoms to be respected. We hope that institutions in Venezuela return to its normal functioning as soon as possible,' the French Presidency said in a statement. 'France, along with its European partners, supports the efforts of the countries of the region and will continue to support any arbitration that will allow the resumption of a credible, sincere and serious dialogue between the government and the opposition and to end the spiral of violence. Our ambassador, on the spot, stays in touch with all parties,' the statement said. The French offer comes shortly before the installation of the National Constituent Assembly elected last Sunday amid and an opposition boycott. 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.
LAS VEGAS, NV -- (Marketwired) -- 08/06/17 -- Bellatora Inc. (OTC: ECGR) is a U.S. based manufacturer, marketer and distributor of innovative vaporizer products and eLiquids for alternative tobacco and marijuana consumption.

We are writing you in regards to a recent and very damaging attack to our company. Unbeknownst to us, a spam email campaign was launched by an unknown party for unknown reasons. This campaign appears to have caused a massive amount of stock activity resulting in a declining stock price and serious damage to investor confidence. Our company became aware of this attack through complaints filed by those who were in receipt of these emails. Once aware of this, we immediately began an extensive and exhausting investigation into the matter. As of today, we have unfortunately been unable to discover the reason for this attack or the party responsible. I have provided examples of this email campaign for your viewing within the attached Dropbox link.

Our company, Bellatora Inc., has worked diligently to provide the very best in vaping technology. Our passion is clearly represented within our full line of well conceived vaping products. A line that has been so well received by our customers. This passion began with a desire to create an enjoyable alternative to standard smoking and our very latest addition, the Vanquish, embodies that very cause. Sleek, attractive and compact in design the Vanquish fills a void that exists within the vaping market and confirms our commitment to providing the very best to our customers. We are very proud of the company we have built and we are fortunate to have a strong team dedicated to our mission.

We would like to extend an apology to our shareholders and offer that we are committed to excellent products, nationwide distribution and innovation in the vaping industry. Our vision extends beyond hospitality and into humanitarian values that each customer can see the benefit of a lifestyle change that gets them away from smoking. Our commitment is very strong on our journey to changing a million lives and more.

About Bellatora, Inc

Established in 2014, Bellatora came into existence to fulfill the need for a simple, non-intrusive alternative to the often neglected and wonderful pastime of cigar smoking. Bellatora's journey with the eCigar attributed to the desire to cross utilize and expand the brand to a robust product line. The company purpose is to raise the bar for the vaping experience by providing a well-designed alternative method to smoking.

Bellatora is a US public company, trading under the symbol ECGR (OTC: ECGR). For additional information, please visit www.bellatora.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may be considered "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may include projections of matters that affect revenue, operating expenses or net earnings; projections of growth; and assumptions relating to the foregoing. Such forward-looking statements are generally qualified by terms such as: "plans, "anticipates," "expects," "believes" or similar words of like kind. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or qualified. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking information. These factors are discussed in greater detail in the company's business plan and filings with the OTC Markets Group.

Contact:

Atom Miller

CEO

Bellatora, Inc.

877-831-3898

www.Bellatorainc.com

investors@bellatora.com




Among those attending the August 6 signing ceremony were (from left): Makoto Ogawara (President, Rolling Stock Company, Kawasaki Heavy Industries); Masato Watanabe (Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh); Obaidul Quader (Minister of Road Transport & Bridges of Bangladesh); Tetsuji Nakagawa (Infrastructure Business Division COO, Mitsubishi Corporation); and Takuji Naruse (General Manager, Transportation Infrastructure Business Department, Mitsubishi Corporation).



Mitsubishi Corporation Telephone: +81 3 3210 2171 Facsimile: +81 3 5252 7705

TOKYO, Aug 7, 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. have been awarded and approximately JPY 40 billion contract for the supply of 144 cars of rolling stock and maintenance depot equipment for Dhaka MRT Line-6 from Dhaka Mass Raid Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), a company owned by the government of BangladeshIn this contract, Kawasaki will be responsible for overall project management, design, manufacture, testing and commissioning, supply of rolling stock and major depot equipment, provision of training to DMTCL's operation and maintenance personnel. In addition, Kawasaki will supervise maintenance work for rolling stock and depot equipment to be performed by DMTCL, while MC will be responsible for commercial administrations and partial supply of depot equipment.The rolling stock to be supplied under this contract will be made of stainless steel which has technical advantages such as lightweight and high durability. The rolling stock will be equipped with internal and external CCTV cameras for monitoring passengers' conditions to ensure safety of passengers both in saloons and on the platforms. Besides, two sets of air conditioning units with large capacity will be mounted on each car to sustain comfortable saloon ambience even under high temperature and humidity in Dhaka City.Dhaka MRT Line-6 will be the first MRT system in Bangladesh with 20km length fully elevated route comprising 16 stations connecting Uttara North to major business and commercial hub of Dhaka, Motijheel. Dhaka is one of the most crowded cities in the world with a population of over 15 million including its surrounding areas where chronic traffic congestion is an issue due to continuous population growth and traffic expansion. It is expected that MRT Line-6 will contribute to promote converting major transportation mode from road to rail and will eventually improve urban convenience, root out economic loss and alleviate greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, construction of Dhaka MRT Line-6 is progressing in full swing with Japan ODA Loan Agreement concerning infrastructure development signed between Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the government of Bangladesh.At present, apart from Dhaka MRT Line-6, construction of other MRT in Dhaka is also being planned. With the rapid economic growth and urbanization, demand for MRT rolling stock in Bangladesh is expected to continue increasing in future as well.MC and Kawasaki will proactively continue to develop rolling stock business in Bangladesh by effectively utilizing this very first opportunity and will also continue contributing to the development of economy and society in developing countries through urban transport development.Outline of Rolling Stock for Dhaka MRT Line-61) Car Type: Commuter cars (24 six-car trainsets, total of 144 cars)2) Dimensions: 19.8m (L) x 2.95m (W) x 4.1m (H)3) Carbody Material: Stainless Steelhttp://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_MCDhaka.jpgAmong those attending the August 6 signing ceremony were (from left): Makoto Ogawara (President, Rolling Stock Company, Kawasaki Heavy Industries); Masato Watanabe (Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh); Obaidul Quader (Minister of Road Transport & Bridges of Bangladesh); Tetsuji Nakagawa (Infrastructure Business Division COO, Mitsubishi Corporation); and Takuji Naruse (General Manager, Transportation Infrastructure Business Department, Mitsubishi Corporation).About Mitsubishi CorporationMitsubishi Corporation (MC; TSE: 8058) is a global integrated business enterprise that develops and operates businesses across virtually every industry including industrial finance, energy, metals, machinery, chemicals, foods, and environmental business. MC's current activities are expanding far beyond its traditional trading operations as its diverse business ranges from natural resources development to investment in retail business, infrastructure, financial products and manufacturing of industrial goods. With over 200 bases of operations in approximately 80 countries worldwide and a network of over 500 group companies, MC employs a multinational workforce of nearly 60,000 people. For more information, please visit www.mitsubishicorp.com.Source: Mitsubishi CorporationContact:Copyright 2017 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
HONG KONG, CHINA -- (Marketwired) -- 08/07/17 --Cushman & Wakefield announced that Revathi Greenwood has joined the firm as Head of Americas Research.

Greenwood will lead Cushman & Wakefield's Americas Research Center of Excellence and regional/local platforms in their ongoing development of value-driven research models that support business development and the client's bottom line.

"Revathi will play a strategic role as Research partners across services lines and with our marketing functions to improve client services and drive growth," said Tod Lickerman, Cushman & Wakefield Chief Executive of the Americas. "With her extensive industry background and global experience, she immediately adds value and elevates our brand as highly regarded, visionary thought leaders. Her insight optimizes the way we leverage data tools to the benefit of each and every Occupier and Investor client."

Added Greenwood, "This is an incredibly dynamic time in commercial real estate. Strong market fundamentals and the insatiable quest for yield by investors are juxtaposed with technological innovation and shifting demographics. I'm looking forward to helping our clients better understand this complex and fluid landscape."

Greenwood joins Cushman & Wakefield from CBRE, where she served as Americas Head of Investment Research. She has more than two decades of commercial real estate experience and significant consulting and corporate finance experience in the U.S. and U.K. She served as Director of Corporate Finance for KPMG in London from 2003 to 2012 before moving to the U.S.

She is a graduate of the University of Cambridge; Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad; and Stella Maris College.

About Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield is a leading global real estate services firm that helps clients transform the way people work, shop, and live. Our 45,000 employees in more than 70 countries help occupiers and investors optimize the value of their real estate by combining our global perspective and deep local knowledge with an impressive platform of real estate solutions. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest commercial real estate services firms with revenue of $6 billion across core services of agency leasing, asset services, capital markets, facility services (C&W Services), global occupier services, investment & asset management (DTZ Investors), project & development services, tenant representation, and valuation & advisory. 2017 marks the 100-year anniversary of the Cushman & Wakefield brand. 100 years of taking our clients' ideas and putting them into action. To learn more, visit www.cushwakecentennial.com, www.cushmanwakefield.com or follow @CushWake on Twitter.

For further information, please contact:



Mandy Qian

Director, Marketing & Communications, Greater China

Tel: 86 10 8519 8040

Email Contact




KELOWNA, British Columbia, September 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

As a result of a review by the British Columbia Securities Commission, we are issuing the following press release to clarify our disclosure.

Marapharm Ventures Inc. ("Marapharm" or the "Company") (CSE: MDM) (MDM.CN) (FSE: 2M0) (OTCQB: MRPHF) announces that it has amended and restated its interim financial statements (the "Financial Statements") and management discussion and analysis (the "Interim MD&A") for the three and nine months ending December 31, 2016, and its management discussion and analysis (the "Annual MD&A") for the year ended March 31, 2017.

The Company has revised its Annual MD&A in order to comply with Form 51-0102F1 requirements regarding the Related Party Information transactions with the current President of the Company and the entities related to him. For further information regarding the amended and re-filed Financial Statements and Interim MD&A, see the Company's news release dated August 23, 2017.

Continuous Disclosure Update

Update on Lease Terms for the 11 Acre Kelowna Property

The Company provided disclosure regarding the lease of an 11 acre property in Kelowna, British Columbia in its annual information form dated July 12, 2016 (the "AIF"). Further to the information provided in the AIF, the Company will pay to the lessor annual base rent of $15,000 per acre, by way of monthly payments and a percentage rent equal to six percent of the Company's gross revenue (defined as the entire amount of the sales price, whether wholesale or retail, for cash, credit, or otherwise, of all sales of merchandise and services, and all other receipts and receivables whatsoever of all business conducted at, in, upon, or from the leased premises). The lease commences within 14 days of the satisfaction of the following conditions precedent: (1) the Company is granted a license from Health Canada to purchase and sell medical cannabis under the Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulation by March 30, 2016 (subsequently amended to 2017) and (2) the company being satisfied that the appropriate municipal authorities of the City of Kelowna have granted it the requisite occupancy permit and business license for the Company's intended use of the leased premises by March 30, 2016 (subsequently amended to 2017). The conditions precedent are for the sole benefit of the Company and may be waived in whole or in part by the Company. The Company is in the process of negotiating a further extension of the deadline for the satisfaction of the conditions precedent. Pursuant to this lease transaction, the Company has advanced a $225,000 deposit to secure the property for the duration of the Company's application to Health Canada. Further, the lease option has been extended from a two year period to a five year period.

Update on MMPR/ACMPR Application

Further to the Company's previously announced MMPR application, the application process had included the following seven stages:

Application received Preliminary screening Enhanced screening Initiation of security clearance process Review Pre-license inspection Licensing

As disclosed in the Company's February 12, 2016 news release, the Company had passed the Security Clearance Stage and entered the Review Stage. Effective May 25, 2017, the application process for becoming a license producer of cannabis for medical purposes is as follows:

Intake and Initial Screening Detailed Review and Initiation of Security Clearance Process Issuance of License to Produce Introductory Inspection (as cultivation begins) Pre-Sales Inspection Issuance of License to Sell

Under the revised application process, the Company is in the Detailed Review Stage, although the security clearance has been completed as of February 12, 2016. Further information with respect to the application process can be found on Health Canada's website (http://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada). The Company will not be able to grow or sell medical marijuana in Canada without a license from Health Canada. In order to obtain a license from Health Canada, the Company must meet all the licensing requirements, including but not limited to the construction of various infrastructure for attaining and maintaining a license, controls around distribution and access and various inspections of such facilities by Health Canada. The Company has advised Health Canada that no existing building is in place and that a building will be constructed to suit upon Health Canada approval. The Company has also supplied Health Canada with plans and operational procedures which the Company believes will meet the necessary requirements and guidelines.

Clarification on the Acquisition of Two Provisional Licenses in Nevada

The Company's news release dated March 8, 2016 indicated that the Company had advanced US$ 300,000 to the agent of the transaction as part of the purchase price of the licenses; however, this statement was an error. The Company advanced US$ 225,000 to the agent as of September 1, 2016 and has subsequently advanced the remaining US$ 75,000 due to the agent pursuant the purchase agreement.

Clarification on the Exercise of the Company's Option for a Provisional License in Nevada

Further to the Company's news releases dated May 12, 2015 and February 19, 2016 regarding the purchase of 5.9 acres in the Apex Industrial Park in Las Vegas, Nevada at a price of US$1,000,000 and the assignment of an option agreement for a provisional marijuana license, respectively, the seller of the property and assignor of the option agreement was Pinto Ventures Ltd., a company controlled by Mr. Brian Lovig. Title to the property was transferred to the Company on October 9, 2015. The option agreement is still in place and is expected to remain in place through the final inspection and final approval. The terms of the option agreement provided that the license is to be transferred by PhenoFarm NV LLC ("PhenoFarm"), a company controlled by Mr. Kurt Keating, to Marapharm Las Vegas LLC when the provisional license receives final state approval for a medical marijuana license, which was completed on May 19, 2017. The transfer is to occur via an initial option for 85% interest in the license, available upon final state approval, and a second option for the remaining 15% interest in the license, exercisable within two years from the date of exercise of the initial option. The original aggregate purchase price was $1,250,000, payable by way of a $5,000 initial deposit, $245,000 for the initial 85% option and $1,000,000 for the remaining 15% option; however, the Company has renegotiated the option agreement to provide for a purchase price of $250,000 for the initial 85% option and 100,000 common shares of the Company for the remaining 15% option. The Company has exercised both options and expects the transfer of the license to be completed shortly.

Update on Permitting and Construction of the Nevada Property

Further to the Company's previously announced construction of a medical marijuana facility in Apex Industrial Park, located in North Las Vegas, the Company had expected completion of the buildings by December, 2016; however, there were delays with the approval of the utility plans. After several weeks of delay, the Company put a temporary hold on the building order as there had been occurrences in the area of building components subject to delays being stole off-site. Accordingly, the delivery date was amended to December. Buildings were delivered on schedule and construction teams were prepared to begin in January; however, the City of North Las Vegas would not grant the final building permit until their master utilities plan was approved. The Company was issued a grading permit and a building permit for the property on February 16, 2017 and May 30, 2017, respectively. The Company has started construction of the facility. In the meantime, the Company has moved two modular buildings on the property that are equipped to operate on a smaller scale.

In addition, and further to the Company's news release dated September 23, 2015 regarding the contract of the entire cultivation of the 80,000 square foot development to several dispensaries in Las Vegas, while a letter of intent has been executed, the Company cannot sign a formal agreement with such dispensaries until the Company is in production.

Clarification on Compensation of Les Kjosness

The summary compensation table in the Company's information circular dated August 22, 2016 indicated that Les Kjosness, former CEO of the Company, was provided no salary for the 2016 fiscal year; however, Mr. Kjosness was provided $45,000 of salary, as disclosed in the Company's audited financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2016.

Clarification on the Acquisition of a License Operating Marijuana Business in Whatcom County, Washington

The Company's news release dated March 10, 2016 indicated that the Company entered into an agreement for the acquisition of a license operating marijuana business (AlphaPheno Inc.) located in Whatcom Country, Washington. Further news releases dated June 16, 2016, August 17, 2016, September 27, 2016 and November 1, 2016 provided further updates to this transaction. As the current regulations in Washington do not permit out of state entities to hold licenses, the transaction had been structured in two parts, the first including an asset purchase agreement between Living Green Inc. and the Company, and the second being a share purchase agreement between the new license holder, Kurt Keating, a consultant of the Company and resident of the State of Washington, and Living Green Inc. Subsequent to the share purchase agreement, the name of Living Green Inc. was changed to AlphaPheno Inc. Further to the Company's previous disclosure, the Company's references to "a cultivation license for up to 30,000 square feet and a production license with no footage limitations", "a Tier 3 production license" and a "Tier 3 production and processing license" each refer to the same licenses held by AlphaPheno. The Tier 3 production license is the largest license currently available in the State of Washington and will permit the Company to maximize the square footage of the property. The processing license includes unlimited square footage. In addition, the previously disclosed rental receivable of $200,000 per month payable by AlphaPheno, which had accrued from March 2016 was incorrectly omitted from the Company's previously filed December 31, 2016 interim financial statements and MD&A. Lease payments have been deferred until completion of renovations. The Company has since exercised its option to purchase the property for an aggregate total of US$4,200,000. The effective date for the transaction is March 1, 2017; however, the purchase price is to be paid in installments. An initial deposit of $500,000 was paid on February 28, 2017 and further payments of $100,000 are made each month, with rents from other tenants accruing as an adjustment to the purchase price. Once the Company has paid 50% of the total purchase price, the title will transfer to the Company. The Company expects to make payment of 50% of the purchase price by September 2018.

Clarification on US$5,500,000 Bond Offering

The Company's news release dated November 14, 2016 indicated that the Company's US$5,500,000 bond offering was fully subscribed. While the Company received expressions of interest by a current shareholder for the entire bond subscription, such subscription was not received. Accordingly, the Company's disclosure in the November 14, 2016 that the bond offering was fully subscribed was incorrect.

Clarification on the Purchase of Two Automated Cannabis Machines

The Company's news release dated November 23, 2016 disclosed that the Company ordered and paid for two automated cannabis machines ("ACMs") with delivery expected to occur in January 2017. Further, the Company's interim financial statements for the period ended December 31, 2016 disclosed that the ACMs would be used in dispensaries in Washington and Nevada pending investigation into the regulatory requirements regarding ACMs. As preliminary investigations revealed restrictions on the use of vending machines to dispense marijuana in Washington and Nevada, the Company has placed the order on hold pending further investigations and, if necessary, lobbying of regulatory departments. The ACMs have not been received and no payments have been made by the Company for the ACMs as of the date hereof.

Forward-Looking Information Identified in Previous Disclosure

The Company has identified certain forward-looking information in the following news releases that had not previously been identified:

The Company's news release dated May 12, 2015, contains certain forward-looking information that was not previously identified, including: the good standing and transfer of the license; the construction of the medical marijuana facility; the permitting of the construction and whether the construction will occur at all; the estimated costs of construction; the ability of the Company to raise funds through debt and/or equity financing; the ability to produce marijuana, at a consistent pace to meet expected levels of output or efficiency; estimated revenues of the sale of marijuana; and the expected production date of marijuana. Management's estimation of revenue or net profit is based on a number of assumptions including square footage of the production facility (approximately 48,000 sq. ft.), likely yield of plants (approximately 33,000 lbs. per year) and prevailing sales prices at the time of estimation (approximately $2,000 per lb.).

The Company's news release dated September 23, 2015, contains certain forward-looking information that was not previously identified, including: the construction of the medical marijuana facility; the permitting of the construction and whether the construction will occur at all; estimated revenues of the sale of marijuana; the general development of the industrial park; the retail price of marijuana products; and the legalization of recreational marijuana. Management's estimation of revenue or net profit is based on a number of assumptions including square footage of the production facility, likely yield of plants (approximately 2,291 lbs. per year) and prevailing sales prices at the time of estimation (approximately $1,530 per lb.).

The Company's news release dated March 10, 2016, contains certain forward-looking information that was not previously identified, including: the good standing and transfer of the licenses; the Company's business strategy; the payment of the purchase price and issuance of shares; the ability of the Company to raise funds through debt and/or equity financing; the execution of the long-term lease and option to purchase; and estimated monthly revenues of marijuana sales. Management's estimation of revenue or net profit is based on a number of assumptions including square footage of the production facility, likely yield of plants (approximately 12,833 lbs. per year) and prevailing sales prices at the time of estimation (approximately $1,500 per lb.).

The Company's news release dated June 16, 2016, contains certain forward-looking information that was not previously identified, including: the good standing, location and merger of the Nevada licenses; the construction of the medical marijuana facility; the permitting of the construction and whether the construction will occur at all; the Company's relative production and cultivation of marijuana in relation to its competitors; the transfer of the Washington licenses; the completion of renovations to the Washington property; and the estimated revenue from the lease agreement.

The Company's news releases dated August 17, 2016 and November 1, 2016, contains certain forward-looking information that was not previously identified, including: completion of the renovations; and expected revenue received from rental of the Washington property.

The Company's news releases dated September 27, 2016, contains certain forward-looking information that was not previously identified, including: the negotiation and purchase of the additional property; the good standing and merger of the Nevada licenses; the legalization of recreational marijuana; expected revenue received from rental of the Washington property; and the approval of the Health Canada licenses.

The Company's news release dated February 27, 2017, contains certain forward-looking information that was not previously identified, including: the good standing of the license; completion of the renovations; the ability to produce marijuana, at a consistent pace to meet expected levels of output or efficiency; estimated revenues of the sale of marijuana; and the expected production date of marijuana. Management's estimation of revenue or net profit is based on a number of assumptions including square footage of the production facility, likely yield of plants (approximately 12,833 lbs. per year) and prevailing sales prices at the time of estimation (approximately 75% at $1,500 per lb. and 25% at wholesale market price of $10 per gram).

The Company's news release dated March 11, 2017, contains certain forward-looking information that was not previously identified, including: the construction of the medical marijuana facilities; the permitting of the construction and whether the construction will occur at all; the estimated costs of construction and renovation; and the expected date of production.

The Company's news release dated May 24, 2017, contains certain forward-looking information that was not previously identified, including: whether a recreational marijuana license will be obtained; the construction of the medical marijuana facility; the permitting of the construction and whether the construction will occur at all; the ability to produce marijuana, at a consistent pace to meet expected levels of output or efficiency; and estimated revenues of the sale of marijuana. Management's estimation of revenue or net profit is based on a number of assumptions including square footage of the production facility, likely yield of plants (approximately 4,583 lbs. per year) and prevailing sales prices at the time of estimation (approximately $2,160 per lb.).

The Company's news release dated June 12, 2017, contains certain forward-looking information that was not previously identified, including: the ability to produce marijuana, at a consistent pace to meet expected levels of output or efficiency; estimated revenues of the sale of marijuana; the ability of the Company to raise funds through debt and/or equity financing; the good standing of the license; and the timeframe of the application process. Management's estimation of revenue or net profit is based on a number of assumptions including square footage of the production facility (29,193 sq. ft.), likely yield of plants (approximately 20,000 lbs. per year) and prevailing sales prices at the time of estimation (approximately $1,000 per lb.).

About Marapharm Ventures Inc.

http://www.marapharm.com

Marapharm has more than 300,000 square feet of medical marijuana licenses for its land and facilities in WA, CA and NV. In Nevada, the 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.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS,

"Linda Sampson"

Chief Executive Officer

Forward-Looking Statements and Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable United States securities laws and forward looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur.

Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown trends, uncertainties, risks and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: good standing of all licenses, including the licenses to produce and sell cannabis products; compliance with the regulatory requirements, including those imposed by Health Canada; changes to laws, regulations and guidelines relating to marketing, acquisition, manufacture, management, transportation, storage, sale and disposal of medical marijuana; business risks and uncertainties associated with any early-stage enterprise; public's perception of marijuana's medicinal applications; competition from companies that have secured or will secure production licenses under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations; ability to produce marijuana, at a consistent pace to meet expected levels of output or efficiency; high cost of insurance premiums or liability for risks against which the Company cannot insure; dependence on key personnel, including management, scientific, and marketing staff; conflicts of interest of directors and officers are also directors and officers in other companies; impact of litigation, mediation and/or arbitration to which the Company may become a party to in the ordinary course of business; risks inherent with agricultural businesses (such as disease and insect pests); availability of cost-effective and efficient transportation services; fluctuating prices of raw materials, including inflation, currency exchange fluctuations, interest rates, global or regional consumptive patterns, speculative activities and increased production due to new production and distribution developments and improved production and distribution methods; environmental and safety laws and regulations concerning, among other things, emissions and discharges to water, air and land, disposal of hazardous materials, and employee health and safety; ability to protect the Company's ideas and technology in the countries in which it operates by means of trademarks, patents, copyrights or by other means; possible political or economic instability, including terrorism, military repression, extreme fluctuations in currency exchange rates and high rates of inflation; potential problems and uncertainties associated with construction of the new facilities; effect of factors, including commodity prices, government regulation, interest rate on the market price for the common shares of the Company; economic downturn of global capital markets that may affect the ability of the Company to raise additional capital; inability to pay dividends; and risks associated due to the Company being a holding company with its operating assets held by its subsidiaries. In addition to these the Company may also be subject to general business, economic and competitive uncertainties, regulatory risks, including risks inherent in manufacturing operations of the cannabis industry,

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, 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 statements. Forward-looking statements are provided herein for the purpose of presenting information about management's current expectations relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purpose. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. A more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company appears in the Company's Annual Information Form and continuous disclosure filings, which are available at http://www.sedar.com.

These statements are only predictions. Examples of forward looking statements in this news release include the when construction of the Nevada property will occur, if at all, and the approval of the Health Canada license. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Companies are under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.

Neither the CSE, the FSE nor the OTCQB has approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE, the FSE nor the OTCQB accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.



Further information:

Linda Sampson

Chief Executive Officer

+1-778-583-4476

info@marapharm.com

http://www.marapharm.com
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Yuri Shurygin, a 38-year-old Russian entrepreneur, is the 3 millionth visitor of theInternational Specialized Exhibition Astana EXPO 2017.

Yuri Shurygin, CEO of the Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, came to Kazakhstan from Moscow on a business trip as part of the Eurasian Week International forum, which was held in Astana on August 24-26.

According to the special guest of the EXPO 2017, despite the busy schedule, he found time to see the main tourist site of the city. The first object he visited at EXPO 2017 was the Nur Alem - the national pavilion of Kazakhstan. Yuri admitted that he had not yet visited the Russian pavilion. The guest of honor expressed the wish that an exhibition like this would be held in his motherland as well.

"I liked the Kazakhstani pavilion. Now I need to visit the Russian one. Of course, we would like to see an event of such a scale to take place in the Urals. There is a possibility that EXPO will take place in Yekaterinburg in 2025," the special guest shared.

Akhmetzhan Yessimov, chairman of the JSC "NC "Astana EXPO 2017", personally congratulated the jubilee visitor and gave him memorable gifts.

"We are greeting our 3 millionth guest today. We are glad that our expectations of the planned target - 2 million visitors - have been justified. The dynamics of EXPO 2017 attendance is continuing to grow every day. 15% of visitors are foreigners, most of whom are our neighbors, citizens of the Russian Federation," said Yessimov.

In his speech, the head of the national company also noted that, on August 24, in the National Pavilion Nur Alem, the main object of EXPO 2017, the millionth visitor was recorded. Since the Exhibition opened, the Nur Alem has been the most visited of the objects at EXPO 2017. The pavilion is visited by 10,000 to 28,000 people every day.

The millionth guest of the EXPO 2017 was recorded on July 11. It was Guljikhan Zhanabergenova, a 27-year old resident of Astana. The 2 millionth visitor of the EXPO 2017 was Gaisa Zhumaliyev, a 34-year-old businessman from Uralsk.

Contact: Natalia Kostikova, expo2017@m-p.ru, +7(903)209-35-00
Editors Note: The Chippewa Herald asked its readers share their favorite memories of Leinenkugels, which marks its 150th Anniversary this weekend. For a collection of Leinenkugels articles and photos about its 150 years, visit Chippewa.com:

One of my favorites was having a Leinies (original, the best) with my dad when I came home from US Marines Corps boot camp, MCRD San Diego, December 1960. He always had a raw egg in his beer when he came home from work so I tried it. Couldnt get the white down. He didnt care though. I went overseas shortly after that and he didnt live too many more years. So it was great to be able to spend a few hours with him.

There are many more Leinies memories and I still enjoy the beer but not the kind that we can buy in Arizona. The original and Hefeweizen are the best.

Thanks for the memories.

Keith Vogler, Cottonwood, Arizona

As a child my father worked at Leinenkugels. That was in the 1950s, and I can remember he always said they did not have coffee breaks but beer breaks. How times have changed.

Ron and Pat Turany

We were living in Pittsburgh when my husband was offered a job transfer to Chippewa Falls. Having never heard of the place, I was unsure of whether or not to consider moving. A week later, while on a business trip in Washington D.C., I was with a colleague and we walked up some steps into a bar  at the top of the stairs was a Leinenkugels Red sign. The first thing I noticed was that it said Chippewa Falls on the top. I took it as a sign that we were supposed to make the move. 20+ years later, we are still here and we love Leinenkugels!

Barb & Mike Tzanakis

This is a photo from 2004 VIC Tikrit, Iraq. Our WIARNG Unit from Chippewa Falls. Jake and the staff at the brewery sent us CARE packages while we were deployed. This photo is of some CF folks wearing their Leines Ts.

Jim Lewis

Mine was when we could all chip in 25-50 cents and get a case of Leinies for about TWO BUCKS!

Yes, it WAS a long time ago!

Arletta Rud, Eau Claire

Some of my most memorable memories are, of the times each year, when my friend Helen (Peggs Mom) would call me and we would go down to the lodge celebration and share a Honey Weiss! Shes the only one who could get me to drink a glass of beer every year! We shared many good times at Leinies!

Mickey

My favorite memory is the pre-wedding gathering at Leinies Lodge, including brewery tours, that my daughter organized for her international wedding in 2011. Guests from the UK, Canada, and Australia, as well as from several states in the U.S., were treated to Chippewa Falls hospitality. For most it was their introduction to the USA and they were amazed at how friendly people were.

Jean Perez

In early 1997, Donna and I enrolled in an Elderhostel program in Alaska: one week in Denali National Park. To see more of Alaska, we extended our trip by one week. We flew from Minneapolis to Seattle (Seatac) and transferred there to Air Alaska for a flight to Fairbanks, Alaska.

Fairbanks is a very modern city; very cold in the winter and warm in the summer. We checked into a very modern motel with an attached restaurant.

We walked across the college campus where students and faculty were having a spring bash after a long winter without sunlight. They invited us to join them. I asked a coed from Maine whether the long winters of darkness were hard to get used to. Oh no she said. dorms and classrooms are very close to each other and you get used to it.

From there, we walked to the Valdez crude oil pipeline; just a short distance from Fairbanks. An attendant explained, from Fairbanks North, the pipeline is buried under ground; under the permafrost. At Fairbanks it rises 90% and continues South at a height high enough for caribou herds to migrate under.

Back at the restaurant, the menu listed caribou stew. I ordered a bowl of stew and a beer. We have three kinds of beer she explained; Two are well known, big brewery beers, and one nobody here has ever heard of. Its called Leinenkugels. Was she surprised when I told her I was from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, where Leinenkugels beer is brewed. I said Id have a Leinies, please.

Calvin Kraemer

When I turned 18 in 1969, after getting my new ID, I went to Babes (an 18 year old beer bar) on Central Street in Chippewa Falls for a glass of Leinies. Ronnie Decker was bartending. He asked me what I wanted and of course I said a glass of Leinies, which at that time it was 6 ounce glass and cost a dime. So I gave him a dollar and he came back with my beer and no change. I asked what happened to my change? And Ronnie replied that I had nine more Leinies coming.

Tom Smola

Bands also have favorite memories of Leinenkugels. Tim, Phil, Pete, Paul, and Steve Danielson perform as the Danielson Brothers from Cadott at Leinies Lodge. Heres the lyrics of one of the songs they perform:

Oh Leinies is the best beer in the whole US of A.

Its brewed here in Wisconsin, why not drink it what the hey!

You can buy it at the Pick N Save, or at your corner store.

Oh Leinenkugels beer aint just for breakfast anymore!

The band adds: Congratulations to Leinenkugels on 150 years! You have our support!
Vilnius, Lithuania, 2017-08-07 15:05 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shareholders of Duomenu Logistikos Centras, Lietuvos energija and Litgrid, signed a share sale - purchase agreement with Telia Lietuva.



According to Mr. Dalius Misiunas, CEO of Lietuvos Energija, the Group consistently seeks to refine activities by separating non-core businesses and focussing all attention to the core activities.



"Duomenu Logistikos Centras is one of the market leaders; therefore, 23 potential investors have shown interest in its purchase. 6 interested investors proceeded to further selection stages and 4 of them - to the final one. During the sale process, the main goal was to find a strategic investor which would increase the company's value and benefit itself from the consolidation of related activities. The sale - purchase agreement was signed with Telia Lietuva who offered the best conditions. This transaction is an example how successful business created within the Group already yields a return, and funds received from the sale will allow Lietuvos Energija to invest into its core energy activities," - said Mr. D. Misiunas.



"Acquisition of one of the most modern and advanced data communication and storage operators in the Baltic States is an opportunity for us to develop our cloud-computing, IT and telecommunications business and create innovative services for our customers. Acquisition of data communication network "Baltic Highway" and its efficient use would strengthen Lithuania's competiveness in the area of international data communication not only on the regional, but on the European level, too," - said Kestutis Sliuzas, CEO of Telia Lietuva.



Commenced in November last year, the sale process of Duomenu Logistikos Centras should be finalised by the beginning of 2018 on obtaining authorisation from the Competition Council. Till then the amount of transaction will not be disclosed. Duomenu Logistikos Centras provides data transfer and data centre services. The company operates 7 data centres in four cities of Lithuania, among them one of the most efficient data centres in the region - DataINN that was awarded a Tier III reliability level certificate by Uptime Institute in 2014.



The company also provides data transfer services both in Lithuania and abroad. Together with partners, it operates an international data transfer network "Baltic Highway" connecting Tallinn with Frankfurt into an integral optical fibre network, as well as the biggest and longest optical data transfer network in the Baltic Countries - "Baltic Optical Network".



Services of the company are used by banks, communication operators, and major providers of internet and cloud computing services.



Lietuvos Energija sold 79.64 %, whereas Litgrid - 20.36 % shares of Duomenu Logistikos Centras.



Gabriele Klusiene, Litgrid Communications Manager Ph. +370 626 15831; email.: gabriele.klusiene@litgrid.eu

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Regulatory News:

Marie-Noelle Semeria has been appointed Senior Vice President, Group CTO at Total (Paris:FP) (LSE:TTA) (NYSE:TOT), effective November 2nd, 2017.

Marie-Noelle Semeria began her career at Sagem, the high-tech unit of the SAFRAN Group before joining the French start-up PixTech in 1994 and CEA in 1996.

During her previous 20 years at CEA, she held various senior-management and strategy-development positions, and secured numerous patents. She has also served during 4 years as a member of the National Committee of CNRS and of the Superior Council of Research and Technology under the presidence of the Minister of Research and Education, as well as a member of the board of ANR, and of the Coordinating Committee of the Allistene alliance, the science and digital technology alliance. Before leading Leti, she was chief scientist for CEA Tech, the CEA research unit that includes Leti, Liten and List, in charge of the regional extension of CEA Tech and academic partnerships. She has been appointed to the CNRS Board, the ENSAM Research Committee and Mines ParisTech Research Committee.

Marie-Noelle Semeria became CEO of Leti, Institute of CEA- Technological Research, in October 2014. She was also named president of the Carnot Institutes Network, an association of more than 30 French research centers and laboratories committed to innovate with industry.

Doctor of science in solid-state physics from Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble (1987), in 2011, she was awarded the Legion of Honor, and in 2015 the French Order of Merit, France's highest professional accolades.

About Total

Total is a global integrated energy producer and provider, a leading international oil and gas company, a major player in low-carbon energies. Our 98,000 employees are committed to better energy that is safer, cleaner, more efficient, more innovative and accessible to as many people as possible. As a responsible corporate citizen, we focus on ensuring that our operations in more than 130 countries worldwide consistently deliver economic, social and environmental benefits.

Cautionary note

This press release, from which no legal consequences may be drawn, is for information purposes only. The entities in which TOTAL S.A. directly or indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. TOTAL S.A. has no liability for their acts or omissions. In this document, the terms "Total" and "Total Group" are sometimes used for convenience where general references are made to TOTAL S.A. and/or its subsidiaries. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them.

This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TOTAL S.A. nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171107005869/en/

Contacts:

Total

Media Relations:

+33 1 47 44 46 99

presse@total.com

@TotalPress

or

Investor Relations: +44 (0)207 719 7962

ir@total.com


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - In his latest tweetstorm, President Donald Trump once again lashed out at the media, one of his favorite targets since launching his presidential campaign.



Trump accused the mainstream media, which he derided as 'fake news,' of ignoring the accomplishments in the early months of his administration.



The president cited the confirmation of his Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch as well as the strength of the economy.



'The Fake News refuses to report the success of the first 6 months: S.C., surging economy & jobs, border & military security, ISIS & MS-13 etc.' Trump tweeted.



The media has frequently focused on Trump's inability thus far to follow through on some of his key campaign promises, including repealing and replacing Obamacare and reforming the tax code.



Trump singled out the New York Times in a subsequent tweet, claiming the paper is 'failing' and 'totally inept.'



The attack on the New York Times may stem from the paper's report that Vice President Mike Pence is considering running for president in 2020 if Trump does not seek a second term.



Pence released a statement denying the report, calling it 'disgraceful and offensive to me, my family and our entire team.'



In later tweets, Trump claimed that his base is bigger and stronger than ever despite recent polls showing his approval rating at record lows.



A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed 61 percent of voters disapprove of the way Trump is handling his job as president, while just 33 percent approve.



However, Trump pointed to strong turnout at rallies in Pennsylvania, Iowa, Ohio and West Virginia as proof that his base remains united.



'The fact is the Fake News Russian collusion story, record Stock Market, border security, military strength, jobs, Supreme Court pick, economic enthusiasm, deregulation & so much more have driven the Trump base even closer together. Will never change!' Trump tweeted.



He added, 'Hard to believe that with 24/7 Fake News on CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, NYTIMES & WAPO, the Trump base is getting stronger!'



Trump also claimed he is 'working hard' from New Jersey as the White House undergoes renovations, pushing back against suggestions that he is on vacation.



(Photo: Michael Vadon)



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - The Swiss stock market ended the first session of the new trading week with a small decrease. The market got off to a positive start and climbed to nearly 9,200 points before reversing direction and slipping into the red. The Swiss Market Index decreased by 0.24 percent Monday and finished at 9,155.13. The Swiss Leader Index dropped 0.18 percent and the Swiss Performance Index lost 0.23 percent. Sika was among the largest decliners Monday, falling 1.0 percent. Lindt & Sprungli weakened by 0.9 percent and Sonova surrendered 0.8 percent. Swatch dropped 0.7 percent, while Richemont rose 0.1 percent. UBS decreased 0.6 percent, while Credit Suisse ended the day unchanged. Partners Group also forfeited 0.6 percent. Among the index heavyweights, Novartis fell 0.7 percent and Roche slipped 0.2 percent. Shares of Nestle also finished lower by 0.1 percent. Clariant was among the top gainers, increasing by 1.1 percent. The company has received backing from Hedgefonds Atlantic Investment Management for its proposed merger with Huntsman. LafargeHolcim gained 0.9 percent and Vifor advanced 0.7 percent. Adecco rose 0.2 percent and Zurich Insurance climbed 0.3 percent. 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.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Corrections Corporation Of America (CXW) released earnings for second quarter that decreased from last year. The company said its profit fell to $45.78 million, or $0.39 per share. This was down from $57.90 million, or $0.49 per share, in last year's second quarter. Analysts had expected the company to earn $0.36 per share, according figures compiled by Thomson Reuters. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. The company said revenue for the quarter fell 5.8% to $436.39 million. This was down from $463.33 million last year. Corrections Corporation Of America earnings at a glance: -Earnings (Q2): $45.78 Mln. vs. $57.90 Mln. last year. -Earnings Decline (Y-o-Y): -20.9% -EPS (Q2): $0.39 vs. $0.49 last year. -EPS Decline (Y-o-Y): -20.4% -Analysts Estimate: $0.36 -Revenue (Q2): $436.39 Mln vs. $463.33 Mln last year. -Revenue Change (Y-o-Y): -5.8% -Guidance : Next quarter EPS guidance: $0.33 to $0.35 Full year EPS guidance: $1.52 to $1.56 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.
Regulatory News:

Gecina (Paris:GFC) is announcing that it has received approval from the French antitrust authorities concerning its amicable takeover with Eurosic.

Furthermore, Gecina acknowledges that on July 26, 2017, Eurosic's Board of Directors approved the findings from the report prepared by the independent expert Ledouble, confirming that the terms for Eurosic's sale of the diversification companies to Batipart are fair, that there is no infringement concerning the equality of treatment for Eurosic's shareholders due to this sale, and that the terms of the public offering for Eurosic are fair with a view to a mandatory withdrawal. On this occasion, Eurosic's Board of Directors confirmed its unanimous support for the amicable takeover with Gecina.

With the approval received from the French antitrust authorities, a further significant milestone has been passed for amicable takeover. The acquisition of Eurosic's controlling blocks, representing 85.3% of the capital1, from its six main shareholders is expected to be completed by the end of August 20172

In accordance with stock market regulations, once Gecina has effectively acquired these blocks, Gecina will submit a proposed public takeover and exchange offer for all the Eurosic securities not yet held by Gecina by this date. Eurosic's main shareholders have made a commitment to tender their remaining securities, representing 9.5% of the capital1, for the securities branch of this offer.

Through this operation, Gecina will become Europe's fourth largest real estate group, with a total portfolio of 19.5 billion euros, and the market leader for office real estate, with 15.5 billion euros of assets. This major operation is perfectly aligned with its total return value creation strategy and marks a significant acceleration of Gecina's development, further strengthening its positioning as a specialist for urban offices in Paris, continental Europe's leading real estate market.

Gecina, living the city in a different way

Gecina owns, manages and develops property holdings worth 13.3 billion euros at end-June 2017, with nearly 96% located in the Paris Region. The Group is building its business around France's leading office portfolio and a diversification division with residential assets and student residences. Gecina has put sustainable innovation at the heart of its strategy to create value, anticipate its customers' expectations and invest while respecting the environment, thanks to the dedication and expertise of its staff.

Gecina is a French real estate investment trust (SIIC) listed on Euronext Paris, and is part of the SBF 120, Euronext 100, FTSE4Good, DJSI Europe and World, Stoxx Global ESG Leaders and Vigeo indices. In line with its community commitments, Gecina has created a company foundation, which is focused on protecting the environment and supporting all forms of disability.

www.gecina.fr

Disclaimer

This press release has been prepared exclusively for information. It does not constitute a purchase or exchange offer, or a request for an offer for the sale or exchange of Eurosic securities, nor a purchase or exchange offer, or a request for an offer for the sale or exchange of Gecina securities.

The release, publication or distribution of this press release may be restricted by the laws applicable in certain jurisdictions and, as a result, any person in possession of it in such jurisdictions must seek advice concerning the legal restrictions in force and ensure compliance with them.

In accordance with stock market regulations, once Gecina has effectively acquired the blocks of Eurosic securities, Gecina will submit a proposed public takeover and exchange offer for all the Eurosic securities not yet held by Gecina by this date. Gecina's draft offer document will contain the terms and conditions for the mandatory public offer and will remain subject to a review by the French financial markets authority (Autorite des Marches Financiers, AMF).

It is strongly recommended that investors and shareholders located in France should review the draft offer document when it becomes available, as well as any amendments or supplements to this document, since it will contain important information concerning the proposed transaction.

No communication or information relating to the mandatory public offer may be distributed to the public in any jurisdiction (other than France) in which registration or approval is required. No action has been (or will be) undertaken in any jurisdiction outside of France where such steps would be required. The purchase of Gecina securities may be subject to legal or statutory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Gecina assumes no responsibility for any breach of such restrictions by any person.

This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation to sell or purchase, or a solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for, any securities of Gecina in the United States of America. Securities may not be offered, subscribed or sold in the United States of America without registration under the 1933 U.S. Securities Act, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements thereof. The securities of Gecina have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and Gecina does not intend to make a public offer of its securities in the United States of America.

Neither Gecina, nor its shareholders and respective representatives or advisors accept any liability concerning any use by any person of this press release or its content, or more generally in connection with this press release.

1 On a fully diluted basis taking into account the OSRA subordinated redeemable bonds and excluding treasury stock, representing a total of 64,732,509 shares (at June 20, 2017)

2 Subject to the satisfaction of the remaining conditions precedent, in particular the concurrent acquisition by Gecina of blocks of Eurosic shares representing at least 50.1% of the share capital of Eurosic

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170807006009/en/

Contacts:

GECINA

Financial communications

Samuel Henry-Diesbach, +33 (0)1 40 40 52 22

samuelhenry-diesbach@gecina.fr

or

Virginie Sterling, +33 (0)1 40 40 62 48

virginiesterling@gecina.fr

or

Press relations

Brigitte Cachon, +33 (0)1 40 40 62 45

brigittecachon@gecina.fr

or

Theresa Vu, +33 (0)1 44 82 46 13

theresa.vu@consultants.publicis.fr
IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 7, 2017 / Khang & Khang LLP (the 'Firm') announces a securities class action lawsuit against Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation ('Booz Allen' or the 'Company') (NYSE: BAH). Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Booz Allen shares from May 19, 2016 through June 15, 2017, inclusive (the 'Class Period'), are encouraged to contact the Firm before the August 18, 2017 lead plaintiff motion deadline.

If you purchased shares of Booz Allen during the Class Period, please contact Joon M. Khang, Esq., of Khang & Khang LLP, 4000 Barranca Parkway, Suite 250, Irvine, CA 92604, by telephone at (949) 419-3834 , or by e-mail at joon@khanglaw.com.

There has been no class certification in this case yet, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. You may also choose to take no action and remain a passive class member.

According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, Booz Allen made false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: the Company engaged in improper accounting practices in its contracts with the U.S. government; that its revenues derived from services provided to the U.S. government were inflated and unsustainable; that the discovery of such conduct would subject the Company to heightened regulatory scrutiny, potential criminal sanctions, and endanger its business relationship with the U.S. government; and that as a result of the above, Booz Allen's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On June 15, 2017, Booz Allen revealed that on June 7, 2017, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., 'was informed that the U.S. Department of Justice is conducting a civil and criminal investigation relating to certain elements of the Company's cost accounting and indirect cost charging practices with the U.S. government.' When this news was announced, Booz Allen's stock price dropped materially, which harmed investors according to the Complaint.

If you wish to learn more about this lawsuit, or if you have questions about this notice or your rights, please contact Joon M. Khang, Esq., a prominent litigator for nearly two decades, by telephone at (949) 419-3834 , or by e-mail at joon@khanglaw.com.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions.

Contact

Joon M. Khang, Esq.

Telephone: 949-419-3834

Facsimile: 949-225-4474

joon@khanglaw.com

SOURCE: Khang & Khang LLP
New Delhi: There is no need for central government employees to visit banks to start pension as their copy of the Pension Payment Order (PPO) will be handed over to them at the time of retirement, the Personnel Ministry has said.

Citing existing rules in this regard, the ministry, in a recent order issued to all central government departments, has said, "The pensioner is no longer required to visit the bank to activate the first payment of pension."

The rules also provide for an undertaking to be submitted by the retiring government servants or pensioners to the disbursing banks before the commencement of their pensions.

After ascertaining that the bank's copy (of PPO) has been dispatched by the Central Pension Accounting Office, the pensioner's copy is to be handed over to him at the time of retirement along with other retirement dues, the order said.

An employee posted at a location away from the head of office, or who for any other reasons feels that it would be more convenient to him to obtain his copy of the PPO from the bank, may inform the head of office of his option in writing while submitting his pension papers, it said.

In the recent past, many instances have come to the notice wherein the pensioner's copy of the PPO had not been handed over to him/her and instead had been sent to the bank and was lost in transit sometimes, thereby causing hardship to the pensioner, the order issued on 1 August, said.

In view of these, all ministries/departments are once again requested to strictly follow the procedure henceforth and hand over the copy of the PPO to the pensioner at the time of retirement along with other retirement dues, except if the pensioner specifically requests for delivering his/her copy of the PPO through the bank, it said.

There are about 48 lakh central government employees and about 53 lakh pensioners.

The pension gets delayed either due to the delay in receipt of intimation by the pensioner that relevant papers have reached the bank or because of delay on the part of the pensioner in approaching the bank for submission of undertaking, the personnel ministry had said in one of its earlier orders.
These six pages are filled with ads for restaurants that were popular here in the early 1990s.
Reskilling is the buzzword in the IT sector.

With the sector seeing huge churn due to automation and protectionism in the western markets, industry lobby group Nasscoms president R Chandrashekhar told employees in May: Re-skill or perish.

Yes, that's true. The sector is seeing layoffs and voluntary severances. Companies' hiring is on the decline. One estimate even puts the likely job loss at a whopping 2 lakh over the next three years.

And in that, the sector is class agnostic. Freshers, middle management or the directors and senior management, as is the case of Cognizant, opt for voluntary separation packages which most IT firms offer employees.

Human Resource (HR) professionals in the information technology services companies sometimes seem to be using cruel means to lay off employees, as was evident from the leaked telephonic conversation between a IT professional in Tech Mahindra and an HR executive.

Clearly, Chandrashekhar's advice for the IT staff is bang on.

Typically retrenchment around automation means the company is in a consolidation mode whereby talent with specific skills are given importance. "Those who lost their jobs due to lack of skills may not be absorbed back by the same companies as they will now have to prove their domain expertise again through work experience. A good option for such employees would be seek jobs in product/ internet, SaaS start-ups and global in-house centers (GICs) or become freelance consultants," says Francis Padamadan, Country Director, KellyOCG India, a talent management solutions provider. Or go in for re-skilling.

According to a survey, Skill acquisition for the Digital Age by Simplilearn, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics and mobile and software development will be the top technology areas where the need for re-skilling will be the highest. The availability of online courses and certifications has increased exponentially in recent times. Organisations choose them for accessibility of self-paced learning, ease in integration into Learning & Development strategy and availability of updated learning content.

Firstpost spoke to experts in the field to find out what is happening in the re-skilling arena and determine its landscape. Here's what we found out.

K Nageswara Rao, vice-president, India Technology Center, Unisys, says that the country will need 700 million skilled workforce by 2022 to meet the demands of a growing economy. An important area that has already seen blistering growth is Cyber security. Rao says for security professionals, the median salary packages are already 9 percent higher than other IT professionals, according to Job Market Intelligence. The overall demand for security professionals is expected to reach nearly 6 million jobs in the next two years, making it one of the hottest skills to watch out for in the near future.

Robotics, Internet of Things, blockchain and Xaas (Anything-as-a-Service) are the other areas where demand will shoot up, according to Rao.

While the industry is taking a generational leap in training freshers in new generation technologies along with foundational technologies, the employee segment in the 3-15 year experience bracket is the main target for re-skilling, according to Arun Rajamani, country head, Pluralsight. Technology roles have also evolved today to becoming more multi-dimensional. A web developer today is expected to have expertise in 3-4 different skill areas like UX design, psychology, angular, full stack development. So the re-skilling has to focus on skill analytics to determine what the clusters of skills are today and how learning plans can be tailored to get the employee to a target skill level.

Digital skills are defined differently by companies. Rajamani says there are basically two forms of digital skills: 1) Digital experience-related skills  these skills revolve around designing and implementing digital customer experiences for clients; and 2) digital infrastructure-related skills  these skills can be bucketed into 5 categories linked to modernizing legacy IT infrastructure and IT processes  automation, cloud, devOps, cyber security and data analytics.

For Coursera, the world's largest open online education i.e. MOOC provider, India is one of its fastest-growing markets and second-largest both in terms of learners and revenue (only after the US). The Coursera platform has over 2 million registered learners in India out of a total of 25 million globally. We onboard close to 60,000 learners in India every month. We also are already seeing India take a lead in adoption of our enterprise platform that allows companies to partner with us on employee training and development, said Nikhil Sinha, Chief Business Officer.

The most active learners for Coursera in India are young professionals in their 20s and 30s wanting to gain technical skills. Nearly half of enrollments are in technology domains such as computer science and data science. Since not all students with a job in hand can take time out for studies on a daily basis, Coursera is building a learning platform that makes it as easy as possible for people to fit learning into their busy schedules. For example, you can watch video lectures on your commute, submit assignments on your phone, and get immediate feedback on your code with their new in-browser coding feature.

Udacity, another online portal, found that the maximum demand for online courses in India is from Bangalore closely followed by Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai. Ishan Gupta, MD, Udacity India, said Bangalore contributes the most to advanced skills like deep learning, self-driving cars and artificial intelligence. Delhi wants to learn more of artificial intelligence followed by machine learning and data analyst skills. Mumbai, on the other hand, is looking at machine learning, android and web development. Hyderabad wants to learn deep learning, data analysis and artificial intelligence. Chennai wants to learn data analysis, deep learning and android, while Pune is witnessing maximum search demand for deep learning, followed by android and artificial intelligence.

If you can think/predict what the customer will need that he/she does not know, rest assured you can find the skill -- design thinking, the in-demand skill, will ensure you have a job that most companies are seeking. Companies will hire design thinkers as they can predict what the consumer does not know and hence charge for the product/service from their clients, says Ashwin Damera, Executive Director, Emeritus Institute of Management, Singapore.

Design thinking is a mindset. IT firms are trying to move up the curve. Higher-end services that companies can charge more is to provide value and for that you need to know that end-customers needs. For example, to provide value services to banking customers is to find out what the banks customer needs are in that country the banking client is based. Latent needs come from a design thinking philosophy where you observe customer data, patterns and provide a solution that the customer does not know. Idea in design thinking is to provide agile product creation or solutions.

We have a popular course called design thinking by MIT which is taught by a professor whose students created Airbnb. Similarly, in a cloud-based model if you can provide the solution to a problem that does not exist then that is what you charge for, said Damera.

Infosys's new offering Aikido, formulated by CEO Vishal Sikka, focusses on design thinking, platforms and knowledge-based IT as part of its efforts to return to industry-leading growth numbers. ...Each of these by themselves help enterprises along a great new path, each of these helps bring together and tie together a lot of Infosys services we offer to clients today and together the three of these become even more powerful than the three individually by themselves," Sikka had said while announcing Aikido.

Everything is changing in the once-buoyant and sunshine IT sector. To be relevant, constantly upgrading ones skills is the only way to stay aboard.
New Delhi: With the sudden demonetisation decision exposing its chinks, the country's currency printing system is undergoing a complete overhaul, officials say.

The system's capabilities were put to the severest test during last year's demonetization, with millions of people standing in queues for long to get their quota of currency because the supply of new notes was slow in coming. The government is now focussing on the expansion, indigenisation and upgradation of currency presses and paper mills, a top official told IANS.

Burdened by the outdated technology of the printing presses and limited paper mill capabilities, the currency note printing system lagged way behind the demand long after the demonetisation process, announced last November, had concluded.

As a spillover, the government is now working towards strengthening the country's currency printing system, the official, who did not want to be identified, said.

While new note printing lines will be added at the Nashik and Dewas printing presses by 2018-end, the paper mills will also get two additional lines to help India head towards self-sufficiency and indigenisation.

"We are going to have new lines. We are planning upgradation of both Nashik and Dewas printing presses. It's a two-year process; so it will happen by the end of 2018," a top government official told IANS, not wishing to be identified.

"It is under process right now. To update the printing machinery, the process is on for global tendering for upgradation of facilities. The process of printing notes will be through more efficient technology in the new lines. It will be able to take 1,000-2,000 extra sheets at a time. The machine capacity currently is 8,000 sheets per hour," he said.

India has four currency note printing pressess -- two RBI presses in Mysuru (Karnataka) and Salboni (West Bengal) and two Security Printing and Minting Corp of India Ltd (SMPCIL) presses in Nashik (Maharashtra) and Dewas (Madhya Pradesh). SPMCIL is a government-owned company formed in 2006 that fulfils a sovereign function of printing notes, minting coins and printing non-judicial stamp paper.

The capacity of the Nashik and Dewas presses is 600 million pieces a month. The present capacity of the presses in Mysuru and Salboni is 16 billion note pieces per year on a two-shift basis.

During demonetisation, while the paper of the Rs 2,000 note was made indigenously, the paper manufactured for Rs 500 in India could not cater to the huge demand and vacuum created due to the sudden note ban.

On 8 November, there were 17,165 million pieces of Rs 500 notes and 6,858 million pieces of Rs 1,000 notes in circulation. They amounted to a total of Rs 15.44 lakh crore in value or 86 per cent of the total currency in circulation.

"In our mill, we had the first indigenously made paper for the new Rs 500 note. Production of Rs 500 notes at Nashik and Dewas presses used in-house ink as well. But there is a shortfall," the official noted.

The ink used for Rs 500 notes is imported as well as made in Dewas.

The paper mill at Hoshangabad is owned by SPMCIL while the one at Mysuru is a joint venture between SPMCIL and Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

"The Cylinder mould vat mode Watermarked Bank Note (CWBN) paper for the Rs 500 note, developed in Hoshangabad, was also imported. Hoshangabad has two units of 6,000 metric tonnes per annum capacity. So it has a total capacity of 12,000 metric tonnes per annum. Mysuru paper mill also has 12,000 metric tonnes annual capacity," another top official told IANS.

"Two more lines of a total capacity of 12,000 metric tonnes are being added at Hoshangabad paper mill. Work is on. Tenders are being invited to set up paper mills here under the Make in India programme. So the production capacity at Hoshangabad will double," he said.

For the new lines of paper mill, however, there is a gestation period of 4-5 years, including the tendering process which will take a year.

"The process is on. The dependability on import of paper will greatly reduce thereon," the official said.
New Delhi: Falling in line after repeated diktats from the government and regulators, most of the top listed companies have begun making public some basic data of sexual harassment at workplace and the disclosed numbers show a disturbing uptick.

At the same time, most of these companies assert that a large number of such complaints were effectively resolved, including through conciliation or with required disciplinary action, and the pendency was very low to nil at the end of last fiscal.

Under the regulations framed by Sebi (Securities and Exchange Board of India), all listed companies need to disclose the total number of complaints relating to sexual harassment and the pendency data at the end of a financial year in their annual reports.

Besides, the Ministry of Women and Child Development also requires the companies to give details about such cases under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

The Ministry recently also launched an online portal to enable women employees of the central government to file complaints relating to sexual harassment at workplace while the Union Minister Maneka Gandhi said its ambit would be widened going forward to include the private sector as well.

While the proposed measure is expected to further improve the reporting of such cases, the disclosures made in the annual reports by the top listed blue-chips in India, forming part of the benchmark stock market index Sensex, show that the number of reported complaints rose at most companies.

The number of reported complaints are mostly higher at IT companies, as compared to the firms from other sectors.

IT blue-chip Infosys said it has institutionalised the anti sexual harassment initiative framework, through which it addresses complaints of sexual harassment at workplace.

"Our global policy assures discretion and guarantees non-retaliation to complainants. We follow a gender neutral approach in handling complaints of sexual harassment and we are compliant with the law of the land wherever we operate.

"We have also constituted an internal committee in all locations across India to consider and address sexual harassment complaints in accordance with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013," Infosys said.

Disclosing details of the complaints received under this law, Infosys said the total number of cases filed in the fiscal 2016-17 was 88 (up from 62 in the previous year).

While five cases were disposed of by conciliation (as against one in previous fiscal), 72 were disposed of by disciplinary actions (up from 61). Infosys further said 11 cases evaluated by the internal committee were reported in March 2017 and the investigation process was underway as on 31 March.

Wipro also said it has a policy and framework for employees to report sexual harassment cases at workplace and our process ensures complete anonymity and confidentiality of information.

"Adequate workshops and awareness programme against sexual harassment are conducted across the organisation," the company said while disclosing that a total of 116 complaints of sexual harassment were raised in the calendar year 2016, of which 102 cases were disposed of and appropriate actions were taken in all cases within the statutory timelines.

"This includes all cases reported to the system, even if unsubstantiated. In some cases, a clear action has been taken (warning or separation) and the rest have either not progressed due to lack of information or resolved through counselling," Wipro said.

For the year 2015, Wipro had disclosed a total of 111 complaints that were raised, of which 107 were "disposed and appropriate actions were taken in all cases within the statutory timelines".

TCS has disclosed 65 complaints of sexual harassment for the year 2016-17, of which four were pending at the end of the fiscal.

During the previous fiscal 2015-16, TCS had received 34 complaints of sexual harassment out of which 33 were resolved with appropriate action taken and one remained pending at fiscal-end where internal review was in process.

Kotak Mahindra Bank said any complaint pertaining to sexual harassment is diligently reviewed and investigated and treated with great sensitivity at the company.

It disclosed having received total 19 complaints during 2016-17, out of which 12 were disposed of and enquiries were in progress in the pending seven cases at the close of the year.

The bank, which said it works with a belief on zero tolerance towards sexual harassment at workforce, had in 2015 -16 received total eight complaints, out of which four were disposed and enquiries were in progress at year-end in the remaining four.

State-run SBI also said it maintains a zero tolerance policy against sexual harassment at workplace and has put in place an appropriate mechanism for prevention as well as redressal of complaints.

It also said that the affirmative action as directed by GoI is taken care of during the recruitment as well as promotion process.

"Out of 21 cases of sexual harassment reported during the year, 15 have been disposed of," SBI said. During 2015-16, 27 complaints of sexual harassment of women were filed, of which 23 cases were disposed off during the same period.

Housing finance major HDFC Ltd said it has a policy on prevention, prohibition and redressal of sexual harassment at the workplace and on a regular basis it continues to sensitise all employees on prevention of sexual harassment at the workplace through workshops, group meetings and awareness programmes.

During 2016-17, no complaints were received by the internal committee, while the same was the case for the previous fiscal.

Bajaj Auto also said the company has a policy on prevention of sexual harassment at workplace, pursuant to the 2013 legislation and there was no case reported during the year under review under the said policy. For the previous fiscal also, it had said there was no case reported. Similar was the case for Hero Honda.

Reliance Industries too said no such complaint were reported during the year.

Among other companies, ITC said no complaints were received during 2016-17. During the previous fiscal, seven complaints of sexual harassment were received, of which five were investigated and resolved and two were in the process of being redressed at the year-end.

"Maintaining an open door for reportees, ITC encourages employees to report any harassment concerns and is responsive to complaints about harassment or any other unwelcome and offensive conduct," ITC said.

Tata Steel said the company received 26 complaints during 2016-17, of which 19 were resolved by taking appropriate actions and the remaining seven were under investigation.

During 2015-16, it had received 18 complaints out of which 14 were resolved and the remaining four were under investigation at end of that year.

Mahindra & Mahindra disclosed that four complaints with allegations of sexual harassment were filed, out of which three were disposed of as per the policy during 2016-17 and one was pending at the year-end.

In the previous fiscal also, four complaints were filed, all of which were disposed of by end of the year.

Bharti Airtel said five cases were reported and investigated in 2016-17. In three of these cases, the allegations were substantiated and the accused personnel were separated from their services.

Lupin said it did not receive any complaint of sexual harassment during 2016-17 while the Office of the Ombudsperson also did not receive any major complaints.

However, 14 minor complaints were examined by the Investigating Committees/Officers, appointed by the Ombudsperson.

"All complaints were responded to within the stipulated time frame and necessary actions taken against those found guilty," it added.

In 2015-16, Lupin had disclosed receiving one complaint, which was investigated in detail by the Internal Complaints Committee. The panel concluded that the allegations were not proved based on the extensive proceedings and evidence on record.

Pharma major Cipla said a total of three cases were reported during 2016-17, and all cases have been satisfactorily addressed and appropriate action taken.

In the previous fiscal, 14 cases were reported of which only two were under investigation at the year-end and subsequently, all the cases were satisfactorily addressed and appropriate action was taken.
New Delhi/Berne: Switzerland found Indias data security and confidentiality laws adequate for entering into an automatic exchange of information pact, which will open a continuous access to details about alleged black money hoarders in once all-secret Swiss banks.

In a detailed notification and fact sheet published in its official gazette for the introduction of automatic exchange of information relating to financial accounts with India, the Swiss government has also cited decisions by other financial centers like Liechtenstein and Bahamas to enter into similar pacts.

Besides, Switzerland also took note of the US tax authority, the internal revenue service (IRS), recognizing India among the countries that provide an adequate degree of data protection for mutual exchange of tax information.

The fact sheet and the notification, published in German, also talks about Switzerland looking to explore greater access to Indian market, including the reinsurance sector and other financial services. The Swiss Federal Council, the top governing body of the European nation, in June ratified automatic exchange of financial account information with India and 40 other jurisdictions to facilitate immediate sharing of details about suspected black money even as it sought strict adherence to confidentiality and data security.

Taking the decision forward, the Swiss government has now notified the decision and the notification authorises the Council to notify India about the exact date when such automatic exchange must take place.

The implementation is currently planned for 2018 and the first set of data should be exchanged in 2019. The decision is not subject to any referendumwhich means there should be no further procedural delay in its implementation.

The issue of black money has been a matter of big debate in India, and Switzerland has been long perceived as one of the safest havens for the illicit wealth allegedly stashed abroad by Indians. The notification follows hectic parleys between India and Switzerland for the introduction of the AEOI (Automatic Exchange of Information) on tax matters under the guidance of G20, OECD and other global organisations.

In the fact sheet about India, which forms part of the notification about all 41 jurisdictions selected for AEOI by Switzerland, the Swiss government noted India showed its commitment for implementing the international pact with effect from 2016 itself and adaptations of the internal laws necessary for the implementation was made in good time.

Listing various changes to the tax laws and the introduction of new laws for fighting black money stashed abroad as well as within the country, the Swiss government said, The legal, administrative and technical framework for confidentiality and data security in India was deemed satisfactory by the s panel of experts.

The Swiss Federal Department of Finance assessed this evaluation and found them to be adequate, the notification said. It further said that India negotiated with the US a model intergovernmental agreement on FATCA for the reciprocal exchange of information, which has entered into force after the IRS assessed the level of confidentiality and data security in India and found it appropriate.

All agreements concerning the exchange of tax information concluded by India contain a confidentiality clause which corresponds to that of the model OECD agreement, it noted while adding that the countrys Income Tax Act contains other confidentiality provisions as well. The notification also referred to the personal data protection measures provided in other laws of the country, incoming the Informational Technology Act and the Right to Information Act.

The Swiss government will prepare a situation report before the first exchange of data for which confidentiality and data protection requirements are to be strictly followed.

On access to Indian market, the Swiss government said the Indian market is not one of the strategic markets targeted by Switzerland-based financial services providers for their cross-border activities, as bureaucratic and prudential obstacles were generally more difficult to overcome.

Nonetheless, they are interested in taking advantage of improved governance conditions and greater legal certainty in the financial services sector, particularly in the reinsurance sector. Switzerland said the two countries have committed to improving the framework conditions for cross-border business activities to give a boost to international investment and financial services segments.
All those who were worried that Arvind Panagariyas exit from the The National Institution for Transforming India, also called NITI Aayog would mean a setback for the still unfinished economic reforms process can heave a sigh of relief. In Rajiv Kumar, who has been named as Panagariyas successor, the NITI Aayog once again gets to be headed by someone who believes in markets and an open economy even as he concedes that the state has a role in certain areas.

So there will be continuity at least in terms of the ideological moorings of the NITI Aayog. Beyond that, of course, there are stark differences between the first and second vice-chairpersons of the body that replaced the Planning Commission.

Kumar is no ivory tower academic plucked from a foreign university, a charge that could be levied against Panagariya (though he has been a keen and perceptive observer of the Indian economy). He has worked in India through much of his career  with government, think-tanks and industry. So, he knows things work and dont.

Though Panagariya had studied the Indian economy closely from Columbia, he was essentially a trade economist. Kumar has a more all-rounder reputation, having dealt with foreign trade, financial sector, liberalisation, issues facing the Indian industry. He has a comprehensive view of the developmental challenges facing India, a trait that will be useful in his current role. In the run-up to the 2014 elections, he and long-time associate Ramgopal Agarwala worked on a blueprint for economic policy for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The result was a book, Resurgent India: Ideas and Priorities, authored by them and Rajesh Shah, which sets out what can be done over a 10-year period. It covers everything from macro economic issues, to sectoral issues including agriculture, health and education as well as governance and federalism.

Kumar is also someone who will be a better administrator than Panagariya was. Panagariya tended to be aloof and did not quite take the whole NITI Aayog along with him. Nor was he able to deal with an assertive chief executive officer who was a dyed-in-the-wool bureaucrat, was familiar with The System and had his own equation with the Prime Ministers Office (PMO). Kumar, too, is affable and soft-spoken like Panagariya but, according to an economist who knows both, will be able to carry people with him better than his predecessor.

Like Panagariya, Kumar too is a small town boy, in a sense, from a middle class family where education was highly valued. Panagariya grew up in Jaipur. Kumar spent his first 11 years in Lucknow and then, being a bright student, got a scholarship to the prestigious Modern School, Delhi. His next stop, St Stephens. Here, he got caught up in the romance of the Naxalite movement, much to the consternation of his parents. But it didnt take long for the disillusionment to set in and sanity to prevail. He returned to academics and got a PhD from Lucknow University and a D. Phil from Oxford University. This needs mentioning if only to show that Kumars ideological transition from Marx to the market was not a bookish one, but one that stemmed from close encounters with reality. His belief in the markets is a nuanced, rooted one.

Kumar has an ideological affinity towards an open economy and free markets, but he is unlikely to float or entertain off-the-wall ideas just for the sake of ideology. At the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), he would not just blindly advocate policies but would insist on the recommendations being based on solid empirical research. It didnt always endear him to the corporate bigwigs, though.

Kumars first big challenge could well be to get a sense from the Prime Minister what he expects the NITI Aayog to be. What could stand him in good stead is that he appears to have a sense of what India needs. In his book, Modi and his Challenges, Kumar talks about the three simultaneous transition  economic, political and social  that India is going through and how India needs to work on its own model of development. India cannot succeed by following some weather-beaten development model or economic theology. Neither the Washington nor the Beijing consensus can be adopted wholesale in India. There will inevitably have to be an Indian model that is derived from the ground realities upwards. The think tank he and Agarwala founded is called PAHLE India Foundation.

Next, he will need to get for himself freedom to shape NITI Aayog in the way he wants. Possible roadblocks could emerge from both within the NITI Aayog as well as a powerful Prime Minister's Office (PMO. Kumars affable nature could be put to extreme test. His knowledge of how things work and dont work will have to be supplemented by making things work.

Dealing with the swadeshi lobby will be another challenge. Pangariya tended to ignore them and other stakeholders in specific areas, which ended up going against him. Kumar is not likely to do this, but he will have to be more careful and diplomatic and take care to have wide-ranging consultations. There are certain issues on which the Sangh Parivar is unwilling to compromise and these are not always compatible with the liberalised economy Kumar believes in.

One question that has been repeatedly asked since his name was announced was  Is he a yes man? Kumar is not a confrontationist but he is known to stand up for what he believes in. That has led to problems at both the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), where he was chief economist, and later at FICCI. In his newspaper columns, he has expressed his disappointment at the slow progress on economic reforms by the government. He has not shied away from saying the Prime Minister must speak up on the vigilante attacks and the various cases of lynchings. Will getting a prestigious post in the government change him and make him a Yes man? Time alone will tell.

For now, NITI Aayog is in good hands.
Milan Luthria's upcoming Baadshaaho has built quite a buzz ever since it's first looks of different characters were revealed. Then came the poster and the songs. The trailer of the multi-starrer was launched on 7 August and it really looks promising. It is one hell of a ride in the deserts of Rajasthan packed with thundering bullets, chase sequences, heist plans and catchy punchlines (in the Rajasthani accent, of course).

Baadshaho has a star cast comprising the likes of Ajay Devgn, Emraan Hashmi, Ileana D'Cruz, Vidyut Jammwal, Esha Gupta and Sanjay Mishra. All the characters seem to be crafted exclusively for their roles, as per the trailer. As reported earlier by Firstpost, the film is based on Indira Gandhi's orders to take over Jaigarh Fort (which was believed to be the hiding place for Raja Mansingh of Jaipur's treasure  spoils of war from his campaign in Afghanistan during Emperor Akbar's time) at the time of the Emergency.

D'Cruz (Gitanjali) happens to be a royal who finds herself in a dilemma to hand over all the royal family treasures to the government. She hires Devgn (Bhawani) to ensure that the treasure doesn't go into the state's hands. And what follows next is a punchline that Devgn puts in: "Aapke sone ka carat mhaare character ko kharaab nahi kar sakta..." Devgn along with his crime-partners Hashmi (Dalia) and Mishra (Tikla) embark upon the adventure ride of their lifetime, hopping from a jeep to the trailer of truck that contains the treasure inside a vault; jumping off bridges, rooftops, firing and dodging bullets time and again. The two-minute-twenty-second-long trailer is racy, rusty, risky and Rajasthani to the core (esp. with the havelis, deserts, turbans and the accent).

Here is the trailer:
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao have contracted swine flu, and both of them are being treated at their residence in Mumbai according to a PTI report.

The 52-year-old actor and Kiran were scheduled to attend an event of their NGO Paani Foundation today in Pune. "Today, during the video conferencing of Paani foundation he confirmed that he has got it (swine flu). He is getting treated at home," said Aamir according to the same PTI report.

At the event, Aamir, 52, said he found out that he has swine flu after blood tests and now won't be attending any events for at least a week. "As a result of the infection they (Aamir and Kiran) were not able to be present for the most important day of Paani Foundation, the annual prize distribution," the source added.

Aamir Khan gave confirmation about the news at Paani Foundation's Satyamev Jayate Water Cup Awards, which was the event that Aamir was unable to attend. The actor shared the announcement via a video message.

"I could not come because, both me and Kiran have been detected positive for swine flu. And have been asked to stay inside a room for seven days," said Aamir according to a DNA report.

Instead of Aamir, Shah Rukh Khan reportedly attended the event.

With inputs from PTI
What's more fun than passing off stalking celebrities on social media as work?

Very little, right?

And so, we scanned the Instagram and Twitter accounts of celebs from India and abroad, to bring to you weekly updates from the interwebz. Who tweeted to whom? Who re-posted last night's party pics? Who went on a rant about what? Whatever it is, don't worry, we've got you covered.

We stalk, you read. Deal?

Katrina Kaif on the sets of Tiger Zinda Hai

Tiger shoot ......... 44 degrees  play time with @biancahartkopf and @zahirabbaskhan A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) on Aug 4, 2017 at 9:41pm PDT

Katrina Kaif took to Instagram to share photograph's of herself from the sets of Tiger Zinda Hai in 44 degrees Celsius and the pictures are sizzling (no pun intended). The actor's sunkissed shots set Instagram on fire (we aren't doing this on purpose, really). Tiger Zinda Hai, where she stars opposite Salman Khan, is all set to release on 21 December.

Varun Dhawan monkeys around

JAI HANUMAN. Shooting for gq and was blessed by the monkey god A post shared by Varun Dhawan (@varundvn) on Aug 6, 2017 at 12:01am PDT

Varun Dhawan recently shared a picture of himself from his GQ magazine shoot and much to the actor's surprise, a monkey photobombed the frame. Dhawan is seen staring pensively into the distance while the monkey seems to be doing the exact same thing (seems like the phrase 'monkey see, monkey do' was coined for exactly this occasion)!

Jacqueline Fernandez and her unimpressed cat

#miumiu not impressed at all with my photo shoot session this morning, last pic says it all  A post shared by Jacqueline Fernandez (@jacquelinef143) on Aug 5, 2017 at 8:42pm PDT

Jacqueline Fernandez had a photo session in the wee hours of the morning today, and her cat Miu Miu was not impressed, to say the least. The actor shared a collage of pictures on her Instagram profile with her furry friend giving her the death stare through it all.

Sonam Kapoor celebrates seven years of Aisha

I must admit we went on with the crazy fun even after the director screamed CUT!!    #GalMithiMithi #7YearsOfAisha A post shared by sonamkapoor (@sonamkapoor) on Aug 6, 2017 at 2:06am PDT

It has been seven years since Sonam Kapoor-Abhay Deol starrer Aisha hit the silver screen and Kapoor was reminiscing. The actor shared a video of the song 'Gal Mithi Mithi' with the caption "'I must admit we went on with the crazy fun even after the director screamed 'cut'" and the video snippet of the song had us going down memory lane with this iconic song.

Shilpa Shetty celebrates Friendship Day with her husband

My bessssttteeessstttt friend.. I celebrate you and our friendship everydayLifelong friendship to us#blessed #friendsforever #friendswithoutbenefits #unconditionnal A post shared by Shilpa Shetty Kundra (@theshilpashetty) on Aug 5, 2017 at 11:15pm PDT

Shilpa Shetty celebrated Friendship Day with her husband Raj Kundra, and we can't help but 'aww'. The actor recently took to Instagram to share a photograph of her and hubby dearest calling him her 'bestest friend' and gave us major #CoupleGoals.
Bhumi Pednekar took the off-beat and unconventional route right from the start of her career when, in a size-obsessed industry, she played an overweight married woman in 2015's National award winning film Dum Laga Ke Haisha, opposite Ayushmann Khurrana. Never in her wildest dreams did she think the audience would accept an actress who had gone from big to small.

After Dum..., people would say that I'll get stereotyped but luckily that didnt happen and I kept getting good work. I have had constant influx of scripts and offers. I read some great material and took a one year break to lose weight, says Bhumi, further adding, Actually, I didnt expect to get so many offers. I was being realistic and practical. I knew my struggle was going to be different and a long one. I did not think that our fraternity or the audience would accept me or that they have evolved to accept an actress going from big to small.

Interestingly, Bhumi seems to be consciously picking and choosing quirky love stories. While in Dum Laga Ke Haisha, she played an overweight wife who battles patriarchy, her next and upcoming film is Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (release on August 11) alongside National Award-winning actor Akshay Kumar. It tells the real life story of a woman who leaves her husband just days after their wedding when she finds out that his home has no toilet.

In her third release (September 1), Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, she plays a chirpy Delhi girl whose husband (played by Ayushmann) suffers from erectile dysfunction. It seems like Im following a certain quirky pattern," laughs Bhumi, but I have been lucky to be offered such roles. All these films are set in a similar mileau and how I differentiate myself in these three films is quite challenging. I am lucky to have entered when cinema of this kind is appreciated. If we have not had filmmakers like these today, an actor like me wouldnt have found space in the industry.

When Toilet Ek Prem Katha was offered to Bhumi, obviously she wondered about the unusual title. But when they gave me a narration, I was blown away, I was so impressed. Initially, the film was about sanitation issues and when I read it I realised how grave the situation in India is, said the actress, who hurriedly adds, But it is primarily a love story between Keshav and Jaya. Its about simple ordinary people who belong to simple set up and in this beautiful love story, toilet becomes a villain. The film is also special because Akshay has done a love story after his 2007 release Namaste London.

Bhumi evidently doesnt tire while talking about her screen hero, who she bonded with for two reasons. One, like Akshay, who is known for his disciplined lifestyle, Bhumi, too is a morning person. When you are shooting with Akshay, the call time is usually 6am and I would be up by 4am. Secondly, I met Akshay when I was getting back to normal size. He would ask many questions like why did I gain weight, how did I knock it off, what was I thinking when I took up the role. He was quite amazed. He very passionately speaks about fitness. He would give me suggestions, I would constantly take tips from him, she says.

The actress admits she was in a dilemma during the Toilet... shoot as she had never faced the problem (not having access to toilet) in her life. It may sound gross but for two days I didnt go to the toilet because I didnt know how else to feel for those women, she adds.

It appears that Bhumi has found a firm foothold probably due to her risk-taking abilities and choosing some challenging parts. In a latest development, she has also signed a film based on Chambal dacoits with Sushant Singh Rajput playing her love interest. Set in the 70s, both the actors will be seen playing dacoits and the Abhishek Chaubey-directed film is likely to be shot in Chambal ravines.

The 28-year-old actress will also feature in Zoya Akhtar's next which is part of an anthology of four shorts directed by her, Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap, and Dibakar Banerjee. Talking about picking subjects, she says, When I choose a film I purely go by what I like to see. There is certain kind of cinema I am exposed to and there are certain kind of films that I like to watch as an audience. Those are the films I would like to be associated with. If I dont want to watch certain kind of films, why would I do it? Choices make or break an actors career, says Bhumi.
Madrid: Around 200 migrants managed to breach the border fence that separates Morocco from Spain, security forces said on Monday.

Border guards were deployed along the fence after warnings were issued that a mass breach attempt could take place, but they were taken by surprise when at 6 am (local time) the migrants managed to cross the official checkpoint in the region of Ceuta, reports Efe news.

Although official figures are yet to be made available by the immigration office, it is estimated that around 200 people formed part of the group that managed to enter Spain's North African enclave.

A week ago, following a period of relative calm since February, some 73 migrants breached the border fence, while guards managed to prevent another group of 300 persons who were preparing to enter the Spanish territory.
Pure Water Days will not only muster Chippewa Falls already-beloved summer pastimes  Irvine Parks Zoo, Leinie Lodge tours, a fun run and RiverFest  but this year, two special Chippewa Valley birthdays will put pep in its step.

Leinenkugels Brewery and Lake Wissota, two fixtures of the Chippewa Falls landscape, are celebrating milestones in 2017. Leinies turns 150, while Lake Wissota is marking its 100th year.

This years Pure Water Days celebration will pay homage to both birthdays. Leinenkugels 150th Anniversary celebration event will host beer, music and brewers at the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday.

Lake Wissota will get its five minutes of fame via the Swampers, a folk group, who will sing a musical history of the lake at the Heyde Center for the Arts on Thursday and Friday evenings.

If families also want to wish Leinenkugels a happy birthday (its celebratory fairgrounds event is only open to those 21 and older), they can find a hill in town to watch the brewerys Thursday fireworks show at 10:30 p.m. Leinie Lodge manager Lindsay Everson recommends some prime viewing spots: Chippewa Riverfront Park, the YMCA, Parkview School, the Chippewa Area Ice Arena and the Bernard F. Willi Swimming Pool area are all great places to spread your picnic blanket and watch some fireworks.

Fans of the traditional summer festival can wander down to Allen Park, by the downtown roundabout, at 2 p.m. Saturday to mingle with vendors, food trucks, a beer tent, and hear live music from The Ditchrunners and Northern Howlers. They can also amuse the kids with face painting, balloon animals and bounce houses. RiverFest admission is free.

Bookworms, get your wallets ready: The Chippewa Falls Public Library on West Central Street will join the fun with its annual book sale, starting at 10 a.m. on both Thursday and Friday.

If the weather heats up and the humidity skyrockets once more, cool off in the Bernard F. Willi Swimming Pool, open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Admission for the pool is $3 per person.

For a full schedule of all Pure Water Days activities, exhibits and ticket prices, visit www.chippewafallsmainst.org/pure-water-days-community-events or search Pure Water Days on Facebook.

The Chippewa Herald is one of the sponsors of Pure Water Days, which celebrates the citys heritage of having pure water.
Mumbai: After stranding millions of commuters on Raksha Bandhan Day, around 37,000 employees of the Bombay Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) called off their 16-hour-long bus strike here on Monday.

The withdrawal came after the intervention of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, who met leaders of the nine BEST employees unions leaders, including Shashank S Rao, at his residence.

Thackeray is understood to have given a commitment that the employees demands will be met, including payment of salaries on time.

The strike was to press for various demands, including irregular payments of salaries by the the BEST, run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Mumbaikars, including three million commuters who use BEST buses daily as their lifeline, faced a harrowing time as the entire fleet of nearly 3,800 buses remained in bus depots across the city as employees belonging to nine unions didn't work.

However, the strike proved a boon for auto-rickshaws and taxis which were in huge demand to ferry people going from one place to another or railway stations.

Many unscrupulous ones made a killing, charging commuters exorbitantly even for short rides, while some commuters opted for 'share' cabs. Others relied on the app-based cab services.

Rao said the employees had demanded that their salaries should be paid on time and a written undertaking should be given, but the BMC administration failed to provide it.

The strike also affected transport in neighbouring districts like Thane and Raigad.

A commuter, MN Bose, complained he spent Rs 200 for a ride from Kalina to Santa Cruz which normally cost around Rs 50. Another, Senal BU, paid Rs 250 to go from Kandivali to Dahisar to her brother's home for Raksha Bandhan, compared to the usual Rs 70.

The Maharashtra State Roads Development Corporation deployed its own buses in some key sectors to tackle the commuter rush while the state government permitted private buses to carry regular commuters.

The situation was expected to normalize in the next few hours as the buses start rolling out on various routes.
Huairou (China): Senior Colonel Li Li of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) may be thousands of kilometres away from Doka La but has a stern message for the Indian Army: withdraw from the Chinese territory to avoid confrontation.

A visit by Indian journalists, sponsored by the Chinese government, on Monday turned into a propaganda exercise by the Chinese Army for delivering its message on the prolonged standoff between troops of the two countries in Doka La near Sikkim. Senior Colonel Li claimed, "What the Indian troops have done is an invasion of Chinese territory.

"You can report about what the Chinese soldiers are thinking about. I am a soldier, I will try my best to protect territorial integrity. We have the resolve and determination," he told Indian journalists taken to visit this garrison on the outskirts of Beijing. The visit included a rare demonstration of combat skills of the PLA troops before the Indian media.

The demonstration included sharp shooting skills with small arms, capture of "hostile forces" in close combat, counter-terrorism and laser simulation force-on-force training of reinforced infantry squads.

Li, however, clarified that the demonstration had no particular reference to Doka La where China says 48 Indian troops still stayed put along with a bulldozer.

"In addition, there are still a large number of Indian armed forces congregating on the boundary and on the Indian side of the boundary," the Chinese Foreign Ministry had said earlier.

Responding to questions on the present impasse in Doka La, he said, "What the PLA will do depends on the actions of the Indian side. We will take appropriate action when it is necessary."

"We will follow the orders of the CPC (ruling Communist Party of China) and the Central Military Commission (the overall high command of the 2.3 million strong army headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping)."

The garrison is one of the oldest and most important training centres of the PLA officers and troops. It is also responsible for the security of the Chinese capital. About 11,000 troops are stationed at the garrison. The state media also continued the tirade against India.

An article in the official China Daily on Monday said "geostrategic miscalculations" were behind India's border "trespassing".

"For China, the trespassing by Indian troops was unexpected and it is unacceptable as it happened in a section of the boundary that has hitherto been considered beyond dispute by both sides in the otherwise long drawn out and arduous boundary negotiations," it said.

India's "trespassing" amounts to no less than a violation of China's territorial sovereignty, and China has the lawful right to take "whatever measures" it deems necessary to defend its territory, it said.

"While misunderstandings between neighbours are understandable, India should engage in candid dialogue, not lawless provocations." Time, it added, is fast running short for India to pull out from Chinese territory and on that basis explore a face- saving solution in consultation with China. "India should do well to remember that its neighbour has the capability to defeat all invading enemies," it said.

India and China have been locked in a standoff in Doka La since 16 June after Chinese troops began constructing a road near the Bhutan trijunction.

Bhutan has protested to China, saying the area belonged to it and accused Beijing of violating agreements that aim to maintain the status quo until the boundary dispute is resolved.

India says the Chinese action to construct the road was unilateral and changes the status quo. It fears the road would allow China to cut off India's access to its northeastern states.
Agartala: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has taken up with Bangladesh for laying a pipeline for carrying natural gas from Chittagong to Tripura to meet the crisis of cooking gas (LPG) in the north-eastern region, oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Monday.

"We are laying a pipeline for transportation of diesel from Siliguri in West Bengal to Parvatipur in Bangladesh. There is a pipeline for carrying diesel from Numaligarh oil refinery in Assam to Siliguri.

"In exchange, we have given the proposal for a gas pipeline from Chittagong to Tripura. We are pursuing the matter diplomatically and I would also visit Bangladesh soon," Pradhan told reporters in Agartala.

The pipeline if approved by the Bangladesh government would be laid by the side of the rail lines which pass near the India-Bangladesh international border, he said.

Pradhan launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in Tripura and distributed LPG connection to 20 below poverty line (BPL) families.

In Tripura 9.22 lakh households are having LPG connections and efforts are on to bring 100 percent coverage in the days to come.

The oil minister also laid the foundation for a new grassroots bottling plant in Agartala with 60 TMTPA capacity with an estimated cost of Rs 143 crore which would be completed by 2019.

Pradhan said, now about 4.5 lakh households are covered by the existing bottling plant out of total 9.22 households having LPG connection.

With the completion of the new bottling plant the capacity of supplying LPG would be doubled and most of the households would be covered, he added.
New Delhi: The CPI took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Haryana BJP chief's son allegedly stalking a woman in Chandigarh, saying he is accepting rakhis from sisters, but has not uttered a word for the "daughter from Haryana".

CPI national secretary D Raja also questioned the "silence" of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and the Union home ministry on the issue and accused the ruling party of trying to hush up the matter.

"The chief minister has not spoken a word, the prime minister is accepting rakhis from sisters, but has not uttered a word for the daughter from Chandigarh," Raja said.

The Rajya Sabha member termed their response to the incident as "shameful".

The son of Haryana's ruling BJP chief Subhash Barala, Vikas (23), and his friend and Ashish Kumar (27), were on Saturday arrested for allegedly stalking the daughter of a senior state IAS officer and later released on bail. The two were booked under bailable sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act.
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday accepted Maharashtra government's statement that it would not allow children below the age of 14 years to participate in the 'Dahi Handi' festival.

A division bench of Justices BR Gavai and MS Karnik, however, refused to impose restrictions on the height of human pyramid formations during the festival.

"It is not for the high court to impose restrictions on the age of the participants and height of the pyramids as this falls exclusively in the domain of the state legislature," Justice Gavai said.

"We accept the statement made by the state government that it would ensure children below 14 years of age would not participate in the Dahi Handi festival," the judge said.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, told the court that as per the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, children below 14 years of age will not be allowed to participate in the festival since the government had in August 2016 declared 'Dahi Handi' as an adventure sport.

The court was on Monday hearing two petitions filed by city residents, raising concerns over the participation of minors in the festival and lack of safety measures, due to which several untoward incidents occur.

Dahi Handi, a festival marking the birth of Lord Krishna, will be celebrated next week. The festivities involve forming a human pyramid and breaking an earthen pitcher filled with buttermilk which is tied to a rope at a height.

In 2014, the high court had passed an order saying children below the age of 18 years cannot participate in the festival, and had also imposed a height restriction of 20 feet for the pyramids.

The state government had then appealed in the Supreme Court, which on 1 August, 2017 referred the matter back to the Bombay High Court directing it to hear the petitions afresh.

"While the concerns raised by the petitioners are laudable, we feel that most of the directions issued by the high court in its 2014 order pertaining to safety and remedial measures have been accepted by the state government," Justice Gavai noted.

The court referred to an affidavit filed by the state government in the apex court giving an assurance that all precautionary and remedial measures would be taken to prevent accidents and to provide immediate medical attention in case any accident.

"The state government has taken a decision that the organisers of Dahi Handi festival would provide helmets, safety belts and cushion layer and also ensure that medical aid and ambulance are available at the spot," the court said.

"A local monitoring body comprising officials from the local police station, ward office and elected representatives shall also be present at the venue. Adequate police force will also be deployed," the court said, referring to the state affidavit.

To an argument made by the petitioners that Lord Krishna used to form only a 10-foot high pyramid, Justice Gavai said, "We do not even know if Lord Krishna existed."

"Accidents can happen anywhere and at anytime. People die while taking selfies...while playing cricket...while exercising...so many accidents occur in toilets. This does not mean the high court can go on banning everything," he said.

The court can interfere only when a particular law is in violation of provisions of the Constitution, he said.
New Delhi: Delhi assembly's four-day Monsoon Session will begin on Tuesday, official sources said on Sunday.

The Aam Aadmi Party government will re-introduce the Minimum Wages (Delhi) Amendment Bill, 2015; The Delhi (Right of Citizens to Time-bound Delivery of Services) Amendment Bill, 2015; and Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology Amendment Bill, during the session

The Delhi assembly had passed and sent 14 bills, including these three, to the Union government for approval but most were returned with objections.

The state government had earlier requested the Central government to clear The Minimum Wages (Delhi) Amendment Bill, 2015, at the earliest so that effective implementation of the increased minimum wages could be done in the national capital. But the bill was returned.

The AAP government had increased minimum wages for unskilled, semi-skilled, and skilled workers by 37 percent in March.
New Delhi: Three men died allegedly after inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning a sewer pipe in southeast Delhi's Lajpat Nagar on Sunday, police said, with the Delhi Jal Board denying that the cleaners were hired by them for the job.

"They were not our staff. However, we have ordered a probe to find out how these men entered the sewer without authorisation," a DJB official said.

Around 11.30 am, one of the men had gone inside the sewers to clean it. When he did not come out, a second worker went inside to check on him, police said.

Another man entered the sewer later to check up on the two, but he did not come out either following which the contractor, who had been assigned the cleaning job, came there and sent a fourth man in the sewer, they said. The man was sent in with the help of a rope and pulled out as he shouted for help after feeling suffocated.

Police arrived on the scene and pulled the three men out from the sewer. They were rushed to the AIIMS Trauma Centre where the doctors declared them "brought dead". Police said the three men died due to inhaling toxic fumes inside the sewer pipe.

Two of the deceased were identified as Joginder (32) and Annu (28), while the identity of the third victim was yet to be ascertained, police said. The fourth worker, identified as Rajesh, had also inhaled the toxic fumes. He was admitted to a hospital where his condition is stated to be critical, they said.

Delhi BJP chief slammed the Arvind Kejriwal government over the deaths and asked Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal for a probe into the incident. "I request the LG for a probe into the matter and compensation for the families of the victims," he said.

"This is not the first incident of death of safai karamcharis (sanitation workers) during sewer cleaning and the attitude of Delhi Jal Board officials as well as the Arvind Kejriwal government continues to be callous," Tiwari said.

In July, four sanitation workers died due to asphyxiation when they had entered a septic tank to clean it in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj. Two persons were arrested in connection with the deaths.
The University of Delhi has released its ninth cut-off list for the admission of candidates from reserved categories including scheduled caste (SC), scheduled tribe (ST), other backward classes (OBC), persons with disabilities (PWD) and Kashmiri migrants (KM), media reports said. The list is a special drive by the University to ensure the admission of reserve category students.

According to NDTV, the details of the minimum cut-off marks percentage of the ninth admission list at which admissions to various courses have been offered by various colleges are given in the list that was published on Sunday.

A report in The Indian Express said that those who have cleared the cut off in this round will be expected to report to their respective colleges for admission before 9 August, 2017. The highest cut-off among reserved categories in this round is at Hindu College for Bachelor of Science (honours) in Physics for the OBC category at 94.66 percent. The second highest cut-off is at both Hindu college for BSc (honours) Chemistry and at Kirori Mal College for BSc (honours) Physics at 94.33 percent.

According to The Times of India, Hindu College, too, has several of its programmes open for the reserved categories, like sociology. However, the cut-off ranges between 80 percent and 85 percent. In this category, the cut-off is as low as 43 percent in colleges like Bharati College for the Sanskrit programme. Daulat Ram College still has cut-offs hovering around 90 percent for courses like psychology, under the reserved categories. Delhi University officials have said that colleges are expected to lower their cut-offs in the tenth list.

The Delhi University had announced its eighth cut-off list for admitting reserved category students on 3 August. The admission process for this list was done on 3 and 4 August.

How to check the cut-off list
New Delhi: The Centre has declared entire Assam as a "disturbed" area under the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for one more month, citing various violent activities by insurgent groups ULFA, NDFB, and others.

The Union home ministry also declared Meghalaya's border areas adjoining Assam, and three districts in Arunachal Pradesh as "disturbed" under the AFSPA for two more months with effect from 3 August.

In separate gazette notifications, the home ministry said the entire Assam, has been declared "disturbed" under the AFSPA with effect from 3 August till 31 August.

The ministry said the 20 km belt in Meghalaya bordering Assam will also continue to be a "disturbed area" under the AFSPA with effect from 3 August to 30 September.

It has also declared as "disturbed" under the AFSPA three districts of Arunachal Pradesh  Tirap, Changlang and Longding  and areas falling within the jurisdiction of 14 police stations in nine other districts of the state with effect from 4 August to 30 September.

The 14 police stations fall under the districts of Papumpare, West Siang, East Siang, Lower Dibang Valley, East Kameng, West Kameng, Namsai, Lohit district, Lower Subansiri in Arunachal Pradesh.

A home ministry official said there were 75 incidents of violence in Assam in 2016 in which 33 people, including four security personnel, were killed and 14 others were abducted.

The violence was perpetrated in Assam by insurgent groups like ULFA, NDFB and others, the official said.

AFSPA has been continuing in Assam since November 1990.

The official said continuing violence perpetrated by NSCN(IM), NSCN(K), ULFA, NDFB, and others were key reasons for continuing with AFSPA in Arunachal Pradesh.

The AFSPA has been in force in the three Arunachal Pradesh districts of Tirap, Changlang and Longding since January 2016.

Meghalaya too has been witnessing violence by ULFA, NDFB militants in the recent past.
The 44 Gujarat Congress legislators, who were camping at a private resort near Bengaluru for 10 days, returned to Ahmedabad on Monday morning, from where they were taken to a resort in Anand district. The MLAs were whisked away from the airport in Ahmedabad and kept together at Nijanand resort on the outskirts of Anand, the town which houses the headquarters of Amul.

"MLAs have returned and they have been taken to a resort in Anand," Congress' chief party whip and senior leader Sailesh Parmar told reporters in Anand.

"All MLAs have decided not to go to their homes even on this day of 'Raksha Bandhan', and be loyal soldiers of the Congress party. They will stay together will go to vote for the Rajya Sabha polls on Tuesday (to Gandhinagar) from Anand," Parmar said.

Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil told ANI that the legislators are united, and that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cannot threaten any MLA.

All of us are united, BJP can't threaten any MLA...horse trading not possible with those who are with us now: Shaktisinh Gohil,Congress MLA pic.twitter.com/V9qbq34dAx  ANI (@ANI_news) August 7, 2017

The Gujarat Congress had sent 44 legislators to Bengaluru on 29 July to fend off "poaching" attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ahead of the 8 August Rajya Sabha polls, in which Ahmed Patel, the political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, is pitched against BJP candidates including party chief Amit Shah, union minister Smriti Irani and former Congress party chief whip Balwantsinh Rajput who recently joined BJP.

"We have the numbers. The BJP doesn't have the numbers. We will see to it that Patel wins the poll," Gohil told PTI on Sunday.

We are confident of victory, all MLAs are with us: Ahmed Patel,Senior Congress leader on Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls pic.twitter.com/XHwlgqkvLb  ANI (@ANI_news) August 7, 2017

Parmar confirmed that Patel and state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki will come to Anand to meet meet the MLAs later on Monday.

Ahmed Patel will meet all MLAs at the resort this evening: Shailesh Parmar,Chief whip of the Congress in Gujarat Assembly #RajyaSabhapolls pic.twitter.com/2nKLKHJG6C  ANI (@ANI_news) August 7, 2017

The MLAs arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday amid tight security. Deputy Commissioner of Police Parikshita Gurjar said that nine senior officers and 95 armed police personnel escorted themfrom the airport. Security arrangements have also been beefed up in Anand after the Congress MLAs were shifted to the resort.

Have made sufficient security arrangements at entrance&periphery of the resort so there is no unknown intrusion: S Singh, SP, Anand #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/QethsVLAwz  ANI (@ANI_news) August 7, 2017

Refusing the claim that the MLAs would be flown to New Delhi, Gohil alleged that it was the BJP which was spreading "canards" that they would first be taken to the national capital to meet Gandhi. He also alleged that BJP was spreading "false reports" that the MLAs would use the 'NOTA' option in the polls to defeat Patel.

The Congress had gone to the Supreme Court against the introduction of 'NOTA' (none of the above) option in the Rajya Sabha polls.However, the Supreme Court later dismissed the party's plea allowing the use of the voting provision.

In the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, the strength of the Congress has gone down to 51 from 57 after six MLAs quit the party recently, with three of them joining the BJP on 28 July.

Meanwhile, BJP national spokesperson Samit Patra tweeted on Monday asking why the Congress MLAs were posing for a picture at a time the state is facing problems from floods.

Why are All these Gujrat Congress MLAs decked up so fancifully while their own State is reeling under Flood?#ShameOnCongress https://t.co/ZxqYRdUM26  Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) August 7, 2017

With inputs from PTI
The decision by Gordys Market to close its store at 303 Prairie View Road in Chippewa Falls on Wednesday meant the senior citizens living in the Homestead Senior Village had to make some quick decisions.

In the more than two years since Gordys opened a 31,500 square foot store at 303 Prairie View Road on Chippewa Falls southside, residents of the apartment complex at 320 E. Colome St. could walk a short distance to buy their groceries.

Thats no longer an option. The store sits empty, leaving Homestead residents who dont drive or dont have a car trying to figure out where to buy their groceries and how to get them.

I think its bad news, resident Caroline Black said. These are all seniors (at Homestead), and half of them dont have cars.

Another Homestead resident, Katherine Hartman, said: Its just another issue the seniors have to cope with.

Its an issue Homestead and Chippewa Falls southside residents have dealt with before. Mega Foods closed its store in 2012, and sat empty until 2015, when Gordys remodeled the building and opened its store.

With a store close by, Homestead residents could make as many trips as needed to buy the right amount of groceries for their needs.

It was convenient, Hartman said. We could walk over there and get what we needed.

Plus Gordys had a place to buy stamps, eliminating the need to go to the post office.

Now trips to the grocery store will come with much less frequency, meaning that when the residents go shopping, the temptation will be to buy a lot.

You have to buy a whole bunch of stuff, and we dont have the storage, Hartman said.

Some of the seniors without vehicles will have to rely on friends, children or other relatives to buy groceries for them.

Crossing Woodward Avenue and shopping at Kwik Trip is an option, but Woodward Avenue has a lot of traffic and isnt pedestrian friendly.

Barb Phephles, assistant manager at Homestead, said the Gordys closing was disappointing and was a blow to the seniors living at senior village.

One resident who didnt want to give her name said she would love to see Cub Foods open in the former Gordys location. That seems unlikely, since Cub Foods left Eau Claire several years ago.

I dont care what it it is as long it is a grocery store, said another resident who did not give her name.
Chandigarh: Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said that BJP state chief Subhash Barala had "nothing to do with the incident" of a senior IAS officer's daughter allegedly being stalked by his son and a friend here, as opposition pressure mounted demanding his resignation.

Ruling out the resignation of Barala as the BJP state chief, Khattar said, "Barala has nothing to do with this incident. It is an individual incident. The accused will face action if found guilty."

"This is my official stand. It was my stand on Saturday and it is my stand today as well... After this, on this issue, no question, no answer," he told reporters in Hisar.

Barala has said he respects the law and that the "truth" will come out. Haryana's leader of opposition and INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala has demanded the resignation of Barala, after his son and an associate were arrested on Saturday.

Khattar had said on Saturday that the law would take its course in the case.

Asked if Barala would step down, Khattar had said, "The matter has come to my notice. Chandigarh police have registered a case.... We have full faith in police and law. This issue is not of Subhash Barala, this pertains to an individual and whatever action will be deemed fit in this case, law will take its own course."

Both the accused, Vikas Barala (23) and Ashish Kumar (27), were released later on bail. The incident triggered a political outcry.

The woman, in her later 20s, had accused Vikas and Ashish of stalking her on Friday night.
Chandigarh Police on Monday said there were no CCTV footage of an incident involving Haryana BJP President Subhash Barala's son who is accused of stalking the daughter of a senior IAS officer.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Satish Kumar told the media that they tried to get CCTV footage from nine CCTV cameras along the route, from Sector 7 to Housing Board traffic light point, but all were found to be "non-functional".

The route along which Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar stalked the victim, Varnika Kundu, daughter of Haryana Additional Chief Secretary V.S. Kundu, passes through some prominent and busy parts of Chandigarh including the Sector 26 Police Lines.

The two accused were booked on Saturday. Both were apprehended from the Housing Board light point here and were said to be drunk.

"It is strange that the CCTV cameras of such high-profile areas were not working. This seems to be a cover-up," a junior police officer told IANS.

The victim and her family have said they will fight the case to its "logical conclusion".
New Delhi: The National Commission for Women has sought a free and fair probe in the case of alleged stalking of a Chandigarh-based woman by the Haryana BJP chief's son.

The commission has also asked for regular updates in the case, NCW Chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam told PTI.

"In the letter (to police) we have asked them to conduct a quick, immediate, fair and free investigation in the case and let us know what is happening in every stage," she said.

The comments by the commission head came amid allegations by the Congress that the central government and the state BJP were conspiring to hush up the case.

In a Facebook post on sunday, the woman's father, an IAS officer, also asked people to fight crime against women while sharing the ordeal his family was going through.

The woman also expressed her anguish in another post saying she was "lucky not to be the daughter of a commoner or else who knows what her fate could be".

The son of Haryana's ruling BJP chief Subhash Barala, Vikas (23), and his friend and Ashish Kumar (27), were arrested and later released on bail. The two were booked under bailable sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act.

Kumaramangalam also said, "I have always said that who are these people should not matter who the person is their antecedents don't matter, they could be rich, poor, political, religious, doesn't matter. Crime against women is a crime against women."

She further said, "Unfortunately the police and the judicial system comes under a lot of pressure from the so-called VVIPs and that is not correct."

Kumaramangalam also described as "regrettable and unfortunate" the reported remarks by Chandigarh BJP vice president Ramveer Bhatti that girls and women should not be going out alone during midnight.

However, Bhatti denied making such comments and said, "What I meant to convey is that it is the responsibility of parents to watch over their children and their activities. It is a general statement and not one directed at the victim."
Soon after the son of Haryana's ruling BJP chief was arrested along with his friend for allegedly stalking a girl in Chandigarh on Saturday, the politician's family arranged for swift bail for the accused and resorted to victim-shaming on social media.

Political influence in this country very often extends beyond the rights bestowed by the electorate and certain 'privileges' exacted by the politicians. Many a time, it serves as an insurance policy for their next of kin.

A similar display of power was seen when Varnika Kundu, a DJ, accused Vikas Barala, son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala, and his friend Ashish Kumar of stalking her through the streets of Chandigarh. The two accused were granted bail within a day.

According to a Hindustan Times report, "BJP leaders from Haryana started coming to the station, sources said. Desperate calls to various senior police officials with dekh lo (please see) requests started forcing many of the officers to either put their phones on silent mode or switch them off Before the accused duo got bail, many Haryana leaders were there at the police station throughout Saturday."

After the initial complaint was filed, the men were arrested and charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 354 D (stalking) and Section 185 of the Motor Vehicle Act (driving by a drunken person or by a person under the influence of drugs) , Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 365 (kidnapping) and 511 (attempt to commit offences punishable with imprisonment).

But soon after the Haryana leaders' diatribe against the police, several of the charges were dropped. According to a report in India Today, the police dropped three serious charges  Sections 341, 365 and 511  levelled against Vikas.

Both the accused were released soon after on bail as they were booked under what were bailable sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act. Had the charges not been dropped, the accused would not have been granted bail.

But as if this brazen exhibition of political influence was not enough, members of the Barala family resorted to victim-shaming Varnika.

According to a report in The Wire, Kuldeep Barala, a member of the Barala family, shared a photo of the victim in a now deleted Facebook post, with two men and implied that she was drunk at the time of the incident.

Kuldeep  who according to the report describes himself as having "worked at Bharatiya Janata Party"  shared another post showing Varnika with glasses of alcohol, in an attempt to malign her character. In this post, he also claimed that the incident was blown out of proportion by the Opposition in an attempt to malign the BJP leader's image.

The whole incident, though shocking, is not an aberration and exposes the sinister side of political influence. This script is perhaps best highlighted in the case against the son of Telangana's excise and prohibition minister T Padma Rao Goud and others for allegedly assaulting and threatening a local businessman in Hyderabad, as per PTI. While the case itself served as an example of the lawless behaviour exhibited by politicians and their kin, what was more interesting was what the Gujarat High Court noted while hearing the case.

According to a Times of India report, the high court sounded downcast when noting that it is difficult in this country to set the machinery in motion against a politician for his alleged crime. Justice J B Pardiwala, expressing his pessimism on the outcome of the case, said, "I am not a soothsayer, but by the passage of time and experience as a judge, I can predict certain things."

"I know what next is going to happen in this case. No sooner the FIR will be registered pursuant to the directions issued by this court, then the next step will be to somehow win over the writ applicant or persuade him in all manner to compromise and then bring him before this Court and make him give his consent for quashing of the FIR," the judge said.

Wielding their father's power by extension, many such incidents have emerged where the son has tried to circumvent the law. Here are some recent and some better-known examples:

Jessica Lal murder case: In what is arguably one of India's most notorious murder cases, Manu Sharma, the son of a former Congress politician, shot dead a waitress in a bar after she refused to serve him a drink post closing time.

Sharma, whose father Venod Sharma was a wealthy member of the then ruling government's coalition, was found guilty in Delhi High Court after more than seven years of judicial wrangling.

Jessica Lall, 34, a part-time model who was tending bar at a crowded party, was shot in front of many socialites, bureaucrats and even police officials in 1999. According to reports, Sharma took out a pistol and said "I will do it my way," before shooting once in the air and then firing a single bullet at Lall, killing her in the process.

Sharma was awarded life imprisonment by the Delhi High Court in December 2006. The trial court had acquitted him, but the high court reversed it and the Supreme Court upheld the life sentence in April 2010.

Andhra Pradesh minister Ravela Kishore Babus son and his driver were booked in March 2016 for allegedly molesting a 20-year-old woman teacher in Banjara Hills in Hyderabad, according to PTI.

It was alleged that the Andhra social welfare ministers son Susheel and his driver M Ramesh followed the victim in their car, passed lewd comments and tried to pull her inside the vehicle.

While Susheel claimed innocence and alleged that the case was politically motivated, his father said that he would not interfere in the matter. The complainant had alleged that a car with MLA sticker followed her when she was on her way to school.

"The incident is a cruel act by our political opponents and it is politically motivated, Susheel added.

Gujarat deputy chief minister Nitin Patel's son was recently prevented by authorities from boarding a Qatar Airways flight to Greece after he arrived in a "heavily drunken" state at the airport and argued with the airline's staff.

Official sources told IANS that Jaimin Patel, who is in his mid-30s, reached Ahmedabad International Airport in such an inebriated state that he was not even able to walk. He cleared the immigration and other checks in a wheelchair due to his inebriated condition, said airport officials.

Jaimin had heated arguments with the airline staff and refused to cooperate. Meanwhile, his father told reporters that the entire incident, that occurred in May this year, was simply a ploy to defame him and refused to admit any wrongdoing on his son's part. "My son, his wife and daughter were going for a vacation. He was not feeling well."

"Our opponents are trying to tarnish our image by spreading false and mischievous information," he said.

Rocky Yadav, son of JD(U) MLC Manorama Devi and Bindi Yadav, had allegedly shot dead a Class XII student Aditya Sachdeva for overtaking his car near Saryu Talab under Rampur Police Station of Gaya district on 7 May. Rocky was accompanied by his mothers bodyguard Rajesh Kumar and his cousin Teni Yadav in his vehicle at the time of the incident, according to a PTI report.

Following the incident, the JD(U) MLC's husband and a security guard were arrested and 70 rounds of ammunition and a carbine found in her residence in connection with the murder case of Sachdeva.

Rocky's father Bindi Yadav is a criminal-turned-politician. According to The Times of India, he was a once-dreaded don who has been accused in about two dozen serious criminal cases including those involving murder, kidnapping, dacoity and house-grabbing.

Sadhu Singh, son of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Mall Singh, was arrested for allegedly abducting a 17-year-old girl from Ghal Kalan village on the intervening night of 23-24 July.

According to a Hindustan Times report, in her complaint to the police, the minors mother said her daughter was missing for over a week. The family tried to trace her in the village and at relatives place, but could not find her.

"Somebody told me that Sadhu has abducted my daughter and I have immediately informed the police," the minors mother said, according to the report. The police said that 30-year-old Sadhu, who has divorced his wife, and with whom he has two children, allegedly wanted to marry the minor girl even though her family members were against it.

BJP leader Sanjay Tyagi clashed with police in April this year over his son being challaned for driving a jeep with tinted film. According to a Tribune report, police stopped Ankit Tyagi, who was travelling with friends and issued him a challan. Ankit allegedly threatened the police and called his father. After reaching the spot, a tussle broke out between the BJP leader and the police. Meanwhile, the BJP supported also gathered at the spot, which led to more tension.

Also in April, BJP MLA Govind Parmar from Talala in Gir Somnath district and his son Sursinh Parmar, were accused of beating up and threatening staff members of Dari village toll booth on Thursday evening, according to The Times of India. One of the toll booth employees, Urvish Solanki, had to be hospitalised with severe injuries.

But sometimes, as in the case of former BSP leader Deepak Bhardwaj, the refuge from law offered to your son can backfire. According to a report in The Indian Express, Bhardwaj's son Nitesh finalised a deal of Rs five crore to kill him because he wanted full control of his father's business, as per the chargesheet filed in the Patiala House court states.

The police told the court that Nitesh and family lawyer Baljeet Singh Sehrawat had hatched a conspiracy to kill Bhardwaj.
Yawar Hussain Wagay, a teenager newly recruited by the Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed in an encounter with Kashmir security forces on Thursday.

He had been a militant for around a fortnight. His family knew that he was going to join the militants  he'd told a cousin  he'd been in touch with militants.

One day, he went for evening prayers and never returned.

Yawar had been booked for stone-pelting and would frequent the funerals of militants, where he was recruited. After that he made his choice: The gun.

Militants are, more and more, appearing at the funerals of their comrades. This has become their new hunting ground. According to the police, they also recruit youth through social networking sites and through friends who may have joined their cause.

Police say that they have seen an increase in the number of youth joining the militancy. They say that youth are moving to the militancy-infested areas of Tral and Shopian in south Kashmir to develop contacts with the militants. In Kupwara, the police stopped at least a dozen youth from joining the ranks of the militants.

But none of Yawar's friends was a militant. His cousin Arshad Ahmad says Yawar was the first Shirpora local to join the militants in a decade.

He told me that he would join the militancy," Arshad says. "It was hard to stop him. He'd made up his mind."

Yawar had been taking part in stone-pelting since he was 10. When the police would raid his house, he would hide. His father Nisar, a store keeper in the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) department, says he was detained by the Anantnag police for 14 days for merely asking about the whereabouts of his son.

In Yawar's case, his friends and family noticed a change. He had become ultra-religious. He'd offer prayers five times a day. He'd been sent to prison for two months for stone-pelting. His mother Suraya Banoo says after his release, he'd began spending hours at the local mosque. Suraya blames the police and their "excesses" for sending Yawar down the path of no return.

Nisar agrees. Police harassment forced his son to become a militant, he alleges. He admits that Yawar had participated in stone-pelting but insists that he wanted to study. He could not continue his education due to police harassment, Nisar claims. Yawar's family allege they had to bribe the police Rs 1.7 lakh simply to secure his release in several cases of stone-pelting.

Police say that since they have improved their intelligence gathering, militants have been wary of new recruits. Most of those who are allowed to join have multiple cases of stone-pelting lodged against them  as Yawar did  or have snatched away weapons from government forces.

Most youth are first inducted as over ground workers (OGWs) before they are inducted into the ranks, police say. A senior police official says that three OGWs arrested by the police on Saturday were given the task of  identifying the places where police frequently patrol and the bunkers of security forces before they carry out the attacks and grab weapons from police.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kupwara, Shamsher Hussain, says: We rescued at least 12 youth and prevented them from joining the militancy after their parents lodged a missing person report. Eight boys were rescued near the Line of Control, while four others were intercepted from Tral and Shopian. He says that it is the local militants who make efforts to draw in youth and that foreign militants usually avoid contact with locals.

A police official admitted that, on occasion, personnel go too far during anti-militancy operations, which could push the youth to join the militants.
The army foiled a major infiltration attempt by militants to cross over from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) into the Machhil sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, and five ultras were killed in the ensuing shootout.

#indianarmy Infiltration bid foiled in Machhil Sector (Kupwara) . Five armed intruders killed. Ops in progress @adgpi  NorthernComd.IA (@NorthernComd_IA) August 7, 2017

"A major infiltration bid was foiled in the Machhil sector by alert troops," a defence spokesman said in Srinagar.

He added that five militants were killed in the operation which was going on when reports last came in. "During the search, five weapons have been recovered by the army," the spokesman said.

The Northern Command said that operations are still on in Machhil.

This incident two months after multiple infiltration bids were foiled along the Line of Control. One soldier was also killed by the infiltrators. The army said infiltration attempts were thwarted in Gurez, Machhil, Naugam and Uri sectors and a large cache of arms, ammunition and "war-like stores" had been recovered.

All four bids were allegedly aided by Pakistani forces, who provided active support, including cover fire using heavy calibre artillery, the army's Northern Command said in a statement.

The army also said it had thwarted six infiltration attempts along the LoC in North Kashmir in June.

Northern Command claimed that in 2017, 22 infiltration attempts have been foiled and 38 armed intruders have been eliminated along the LoC.

With inputs from agencies
The Centre is set to withdraw the minority status accorded to Jamia Millia Islamia, a prominent educational institute in Delhi, according to a report in The Indian Express.

The report said that the government will reverse its earlier position supporting the 87-year-old institute as a "minority institution" by filing a fresh affidavit in the Delhi High Court.

The Centre will tell the high court that Jamia Millia Islamia cannot be declared a minority institution as it receives funding from the government and was set up by an Act of Parliament, The Indian Express report added.

In 2011, the UPA government supported an order by the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) declaring Jamia Millia Islamia as a "minority institution".

The government had first raised the issue over Jamia Millia Islamia's minority status in January 2016, when then Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi advised the HRD ministry that it could change its stance based on the Azeez Basha versus Union of India case.

In the 1968 case, the Supreme Court observed that Aligarh Muslim University was not a minority institution as it was established by the British and not by the Muslim community.

However, a 1981 bill declared AMU a minority institution. This was challenged in the Allahabad High Court, which in 2005, declared the bill passed by Parliament as unconstitutional. But AMU went to the Supreme Court, which stayed the high court order.

In January 2016, the Centre told the Supreme Court that the 140 year-old university cannot be deemed a "minority institution".

According to a report in The Financial Express, scholars are divided over the issue.

While some believe that the minority tag hinders the chances of many a deserving student to enter good institutions, other says that according to the Constitution, institutions are allowed to seek the minority tag.to seek the minority tag, according to the report.
Rifts between the PDP and BJP, alliance partners in Jammu and Kashmir, have widened, with the former joining ranks with the opposition parties like National Conference and Congress to oppose the latter's move to abrogate Article 35A of the Constitution, that may allow people from outside the state to own properties and work in government jobs.

The National Conference called for a meeting to resist any such moves, while Congress termed it a consistent effort by the BJP government at the Centre to end special status accorded to the state.

This new-found bonhomie between PDP, NC and Congress comes after the central government pleaded before the Supreme Court that it was ready to have a discussion on the scrapping of Article 35A, while the state government opposed such a move.

State BJP leaders have maintained that the provision is discriminatory since it bars people from outside the state to own properties in Jammu and Kashmir, which prompted a furious reaction from Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who said that tampering with the state's subject rights would ensure there was "nobody left in Kashmir to hold the Indian flag".

Even as the Superme Court has put off a hearing on the contentious petition challenging 35A to September, the issue has already snowballed into a major controversy. NC and PDP have both warned of an agitation, while BJP has said political parties are raking up the issue to ensure that there was a "bloodbath" in Kashmir.

BJP chief spokesman Sunil Sethi told Firstpost that "there were some political parties which are inciting the people". "There is no move to alter the state's constitutional position, but efforts are being made to give an impression that the Constitution is being altered. They are inciting people, because these parties are left without any agenda. Whether it is NC or some other political party, they want people to come on roads," he said.

He added that if the NC or Congress had a point to make, they may do so before the apex court rather than incite people on religious or regional lines.

Former chief minister and NC working president Omar Abdullah warned the state would face a much bigger agitation than what was witnessed in 2008 over transfer of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board, which was perceived by the separatists as a ploy to change the demographic character of the state.

Article 35A, which was introduced in the Constitution through a Presidential Order in 1954, confers special property and settlement rights on the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Constitutional expert Shiekh Showkat said, "The Constitution gives every citizen of the country the right to reside in any part of the country. Our state subject law can be challenged on that basis. However, that is protected under Article 35A."

Article 35A bars non-state subjects from being employed with the state government, acquisition of immovable property in the state, and settlement and right to get scholarships and other forms of aid which the state government provides.

Jammu and Kashmir, which has its own constitution, defines the rights of the state subjects. As per the state constitution, anybody who on 14 May 1954, was the state subject of Class I or of Class II type or had acquired immovable property in the state and has been a permanent resident of the state shall have the special property rights.

The constitution also recognised the rights of those who have moved to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and it was envisaged that "any person who before 14 May, 1954, was a state subject of Class I or of Class II, and who having migrated after the first day of March 1947 to the territory now included in Pakistan, returns to the state under a permit for resettlement in the state or for permanent return issued by or under the authority of any law made by the state legislature, shall on such return be a permanent resident of the state".

Showkat said that Class I and Class II state subjects were those "who received rights of permanent residence through naturalisation".

The state constitution also referred to the Dogra era rule notification No 1-L/84 of 20 April, 1927, and 1932, to define the class of state subjects. As per the order, Class I state subjects are persons born and residing within the state before the commencement of the reign of Maharaja Ghulab Singh and persons who settled here before the commencement of Hindu 'samvat' year of 1942. Class-II state subjects are persons who settled within the state before the close of 'samvat' year 1968, and have since permanently resided and acquired immovable property. Furthermore, a bill to make a provision to define or alter the definition of the classes of persons who are, or shall be, permanent residents of the state has to be passed by the majority of not less than two-thirds of the total membership of the legislative Assembly.

State Congress vice-president GN Monga said that efforts at abrogating Article 35A are part of BJP's policy to end special status of the state. "Any move to abrogate Article 35A would be opposed tooth and nail. Since BJP came to power, a sustained movement has been launched to weaken the special status of the state."

Sethi accused the Opposition parties of trying to "flare up passions". "The accession of the state took place much before 35A was introduced. Other states have also acceded with India. Neither scrapping of Article 370 or Article 35A will effect the accession of the state. Jammu and Kashmir has acceded with the Indian Union, which is final and non-negotiable," he said.
Hyderabad: Telangana, which has threatened a legal war with the Central government over 12 percent GST on public utility projects, on Sunday decided to wait for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's response on its demand before deciding future course of action.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to write a letter to the Prime Minister to urge him to reduce GST on the ongoing projects to 5 percent.

GST Council, which met in New Delhi on Saturday, decided to reduce the GST from 18 to 12 percent but Telangana was not satisfied with this decision.

Angry over the Council's decision, Rao threatened to take the fight to the court.

At a review meeting with top officials on Sunday, he reiterated that the state government will go for a relentless fight over 12 percent GST levied on the construction schemes aimed at the people's welfare.

He asked how far it is justified to levy GST on the works started on 30 June whereas the GST came into existence from 1 July? "Since the project estimates have been prepared keeping in view 5 percent of VAT it is not possible to change them," a statement from the Chief Minister's office quoted him as saying.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, discussed with officials various points to be incorporated in the letter.

Though it was decided to write the letter to the prime minister on Sunday, it was postponed due to non-availability of the expenditure statistics. The officers concerned will meet on Monday and give a final touch to the statistics. After this, the chief minister will write a letter to the PM with all the details.

"I hope the Centre will respond positively to the issue. Or else we have no option but to wage a legal battle. Let us write a detailed letter with data to the PM and based on his response we will finalise the next plan of action," the chief minister said.

Telangana argued that the high rate of GST will put huge burden on schemes like Mission Bhagiratha, aimed at providing safe drinking water to every household, Mission Kakatiya, taken up for revival of irrigation tanks, on various irrigation projects, double bed room housing scheme for poor and Roads & Buildings projects.
Almost every other day the government forces are killing militants in Kashmir. The latest gunfight left a Pakistani militant dead in south Kashmirs Samboora village last night, taking the toll of militants killed so far in this year to 124. It is a remarkable number, even by the yardstick of what is happening in the troubled Valley. Such numbers are being recorded for the first time in seven years. This means the counterinsurgency operations will be bolstered in coming days and killings will continue unabated.

But the question one needs to ask is: If killing militants, jailing conflict managers, choking space of adversaries, house arresting and jailing separatist leaders, were the techniques of conflict resolution then New Delhi would have won the battle of ideas in Valley at the turn of the last century.

At the security front, the record of the government, while dealing with militancy, might look good. In just last two months, forces have eliminated five most wanted militant commanders operating in south Kashmir. Since the Amarnath Yatra attack on 10 July, at least 21 militants, including four commanders were gunned down, while four civilians and two soldiers have lost their lives in the mainland.

But on the treacherous Line of Control, during the same time, the death toll of the forces seems to be too high with at least eight soldiers killed in different incidents of ceasefire violation and seven militants killed while trying to infiltrate into this side of Kashmir.

So, has this security centric approach changed anything on the ground for New Delhi. Rather, it has created more heroes, more icons, for the youngsters and an overwhelming support for militancy which had just few years back diminished to a large extent. Besides, there's the contempt for mainstream politics, whose space has shrunk like never before. The situation for the politicos is perhaps even worse than it was in early nineties.

And then there is the local population which stands harassed by security operations and feels completely alienated.

The policy adapted by this government is that there is no policy. Everything is being viewed through the prism of security and with rabid nationalistic overtones. Even changing the Indian constitution for the want of hegemonic political supremacy seems to be a reality today by using the courts of the country, Gul Mohammad Wani, a professor of political science, says.

As the government's security-oriented approach overtakes the political outreach, the biggest loser in this game, invariably, also is the Indian state in Kashmir. This policy of no policy has led to a situation where an elected head of the state, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, had to openly threaten a part of her own government that, if there is going to be any tinkering with the special status of the state, then there will be no one to hoist the tricolour in the Valley.

"Let me tell you that my party and other parties who carry the national flag there despite all risks... I have no doubt in saying that there will be no one to hold it (national flag) if Article 35 A is tinkered with," Mufti said at a seminar in New Delhi.

"Let me be very clear. By doing all this (challenging Article 35 A), you are not targeting the separatists. Their (separatists) agenda is different and it is totally secessionist. But, you are weakening those powers which are Indian and trust India and participate in elections and who fight to live a life honourably in Jammu and Kashmir," she said.

Muftis outburst came after her continuous lobbying with the central government for a dialogue with the Hurriyat failed. Instead of initiating a meaningful dialogue, the Center has exactly done the opposite by jailing second-rung separatist leadership, thus removing all the conflict mangers on the ground, leaving little scope for the situation to improve in coming months or years.

Mehbooba is also believed to have been kept out of loop when the NIA was mulling to arrest the separatist leadership. This has hurt the leaders of her party the most, who have been in favour of talks instead of jail for Hurriyat leaders.

The Peoples Democratic Party, of which Mehbooba is president, stands humiliated as the Center takes decisions, one after another, leaving the Chief Minister fuming. Almost all the polices her party had formulated previously, whether in Opposition or in government, stand trashed by its own alliance partner at the Centre.

The Agenda of the Alliance" document has become a laughing stock. There is no reconciliation and confidence building within the state, leave aside across the Line of Control (LoC). The power projects have not been given back. Initiating a sustained and meaningful dialogue seems a remote possibility. And there is no talk of withdrawing some footprints of the forces almost half a million of whom are fighting less then 200 militants.

There has never been a government both at the Center and the state which has been hated almost in equal measure by the very people it is supposed to represent, Asif Ahmad Rishi, a businessmen in Srinagar Rajbagh area, says.

"PDP was voted into power to stop BJP. Instead it allied with it, on terms of a written agreement. Now the same BJP, which gave in writing to maintain the special status of the state, is trying to abrogate it. It will have dangerous consequences, he adds.

Never before has there been so much of a threat mounting on the special status enjoyed by the state of Jammu and Kashmir under the Indian constitution, as it is today. Even the remenant of autonomy in the Article 370  a shell which has nothing substantial left in it  is being debated in courts of the country.

The pressure on the mainstream politics is building up so much that Mehbooba Mufti, while speaking in a seminar in New Delhi, had to recently admit that there will be no one in Valley to hoist the tricolour if the Article 35 A is tinkered with.

Article 35 A gives special rights and privileges to permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir, and empowers its legislature to frame any law without attracting a challenge on grounds of violating the right to equality of people from other states or any other right under the Indian Constitution. It was added to the Constitution by a Presidential Order issued in 1954 under Article 370.

If 35A is struck down it means an end to the special status of permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir and would lead to a demographic change in the state which is what the right-wing ideologies of the country want, Noor Mohammad Baba, a senior political analyst, said.

The sad truth is there are people, particularly the younger generation in Valley, who want it to be removed so that they can fight an open war with New Delhi. That just doesn't include people who hold separatist ideology but mainstream politicians too. This will lead to death and destruction of collosal magnitude never seen before in the last twenty-seven years in Valley. The burden of defending article 35 A, by whichever means, rests solely on the shoulders of the mainstream  the National Conference (NC) and the PDP.

The PDP has been all along advocating that a dialogue with separatists is the only way out. But it seems that the government at Centre is not ready for that. The crisis with Pakistan is far from over and with diplomacy at an all-time low, dialogue seems like a far-fetched option for now.
The Maratha community has held 57 "silent rallies" across Maharashtra in the last 12 months demanding reservations. But having failed to achieve the desired results, they have decided to hold one final march, in Mumbai on Wednesday, 9 August. The silent rallies have been held in every district of the state, starting with Aurangabad on 9 August, 2016. That came as a response to the brutal rape and murder of a 14-year-old Maratha girl in Kopardi in western Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district in July 2016.

The organisers have held a bike rally in Mumbai in the past, but this is the first time a silent march will take place in the state capital. Virendra Pawar, coordinator of the 'Maratha Silent March', said preparations for the 58th parade have begun. "The march will start from Byculla Zoo at 11 am and end at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai. It will be a silent march, like all the previous ones we held. Which means no speeches and no slogans," he added.

The organisers intend this to be a show of strength, hoping the state government takes note. "The spirit and code of conduct will remain the same as the previous 57 rallies. We will start with girls, then women, senior citizens and conclude with the men," said Bhaiya Patil, in-charge of the social media wing.

The organisers have placed a list of 15 demands before the government, of which some have been fulfilled. "We held 57 silent marches in the last one year, but it seems the state government isn't very serious about the community. Due to demonetisation and other reasons, we slowed down our campaign, but all Maratha groups have come together again to revive our demands. Every one of us is keen on taking our morcha successfully to Mumbai, to show how we have strength in numbers. All political parties have supported us, and many MLAs have also assured us of their participation," Patil said.

When asked about what numbers they are expecting ahead of the rally, he said it's difficult to put a specific number, but given there have been over 10,000 registrations from every district, the eventual turnout would be very big. Thirty-five percent of the state's population belong to the Maratha community.

While the primary demand of the community is speedy prosecution and death penalty for the culprits in the Kopardi rape and murder incident, the group has also demanded reservation quotas in government jobs and aided educational institutions. They also want farm loan waiver as recommended by the DR Swaminathan commission.

After lakhs of people marched in different parts of the state over the last 12 months, the BJP government in Maharashtra announced a scheme for students under economically backward class, meant to provide fee concessions. The Monsoon Session of the state legislature is currently underway, and the Devendra Fadnavis government has already tried contacting the dissenters and called them for discussions. However, the protestors said they would discuss with the government only after their morcha is done.

To handle the huge numbers on Wednesday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to use the adjacent Bombay Gymkhana ground along with Azad Maidan. BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta and Commissioner of Police Datta Padsalgikar had met last week to discuss preparations and necessary arrangements from a security point of view. Due to ongoing work over the Mumbai Metro project, Azad Maidan is currently capable of holding not more than 10,000 participants. But with over 5 lakh expected to throng south Mumbai for the silent march on Wednesday, the security agencies are on high alert with their mob control mechanism in place, said a senior officer in charge of arrangements.
Bhopal: Social activist Medha Patkar and 11 others were on Monday taken by the police to hospitals from Chikhalda village of Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district, where they have been sitting on an indefinite fast since last 12 days.

Patkar, the founder of the 'Narmada Bachao Andolan', and her associates had launched the fast on 27 July, demanding "proper" rehabilitation and resettlement of those affected by the Sardar Sarovar Project.

All of them, including Patkar, were taken to hospitals by the administration as their health was deteriorating, Indore Division's Commissioner Sanjay Dube told PTI, without disclosing which hospitals.

They were taken in different ambulances, he said, adding six policemen suffered injuries in the process.

Thousands of families along the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh's Barwani, Dhar, Alirajpur and Khargone districts are at risk of getting displaced with the closing of gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in neighbouring Gujarat and the resultant rise in water level in its catchment area.

The Centre recently gave the nod for closing the gates.

The water level in the catchment area reached 121.90 metres on Monday, nearing the danger mark set at 123 metres. The dam is likely to be filled to its capacity by August-end.

On Monday, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti had urged 62-year-old Patkar to end the hunger strike while expressing concern over her health.

Patkar, in response, had urged the minister to support her in saving Narmada river.
Mughals are covered in great detail in Indian school textbooks. And the logic behind this is not hard to find. The Mughals ruled over large swathes of India, produced remarkable rulers, and left behind great architectural structures as well a significant amount of literature to ensure their imprint on the Indian subcontinent would be hard to forget.

But all this hasn't stopped some people from trying though. More specifically, educational bodies across India seem to be making a conscious effort to ensure future generations of students don't get to learn about such a significant part of the country's history.

The latest culprit is the Maharashtra State Education Board. According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, Class VII students will be learning a lot more about the Maratha empire established by Chhatrapati Shivaji from the next academic year. And this will come at the cost of chapters hitherto dedicated to the Mughal empire.

The Class VII textbook completely expunges portions about the Mughals and the Muslim rulers before them including Razia Sultana and Muhammad bin Tuqhlaq. Monuments built by these rules also don't find any mention in the textbooks. So, we may soon have students in Maharashtra who wouldn't know who built the Taj Mahal  one of the seven wonders of the world. They would also not know the history of the Qutub Minar or the Red Fort.

The report further added that the textbook keeps Shivaji as the focal point of medieval Indian history. It has expanded his role as well as that of his family and the Maratha generals. On the other hand, paragraphs on Razia Sultana (the first woman to rule Delhi) and Muhammad bin Tughluq's various eccentric decisions (shifting the empire's capital, replacing all coins overnight) as well as the reign of Sher Shah Suri have all had to be done away with.

This, of course, is not the first time that Mughals' references have been wiped out of Indian textbooks. The pioneer state for these activities has been Rajasthan, where it was reported that students would be taught that it was Maharana Pratap who won the Battle of Haldighati and not Akbar. Further, the suffix "the Great" too was removed from Akbar's name as students embarked on a study of history which was remarkably different from the ones that their peers were learning across the country.

And Rajasthan did not limit the rewriting of history just to schools though. In July, the Rajasthan University also got in on the act, changing details about the Battle of Haldighati, saying Maharana Pratap won against Akbar's army. This was done after a book titled Rashtra Ratna Maharana Pratap by Chandra Shekhar Sharma was included in the list of recommended readings for students of MA in History course. The book also implies that Akbar was not a "national element".

Apart from these instances where Mughals have actually been removed from the books recommended by state boards, organisations have also made efforts to change NCERT books. NCERT books are prescribed to CBSE students and are also read by civil services aspirants. RSS-affiliated Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, headed by Dinanath Batra in July, sent recommendations to the NCERT asking for removal of offensive portions from its books, reported The Wire.

From a chapter on the Mughal period, they wanted the following section removed: The rulers had an extremely liberal policy towards people. All Mughal rulers gave grants for the construction and maintenance of places of worship. Even when the temples were destroyed during battles, grants for their repair work were released later.

From the Class XII political science textbook, they did not like this line: Babri mosque was built by Mir Baqi. Some Hindus believe that it was built at the birthplace of Ram by destroying a Ram temple.

These idea also seem to have the clear backing of the ruling dispensation at the Centre. In 2016, Smriti Irani raised objections against a history book aimed at primary school pupils. She claimed that it misrepresented religious tensions in the country and insulted Shivaji, a Hindu warrior king who many view as a national hero. The idea snowballed from there, as the hashtag #RemoveMughalsFromBooks trended on social media for some time.

History is written by the victors, they say. Now that might be true enough. But no one said anything about rewriting history, did they?
Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) worker's union decided to go ahead with the bus strike from this midnight to press for their demands, including timely payment of salaries.

The bus strike would put citizens to inconvenience as 'Raksha Bandhan' is being celebrated on Monday.

The BEST employees and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have been at the loggerheads for the past few days over several issues, including irregular payment of salary.

The BEST employees' union led by Shashank Rao, which claims to have support of 16,500 workers, said, "We wanted a written assurance from the BMC administration but they did not give it. Now, we have decided not to report to duty from midnight. No bus will ply tomorrow."

The Maharashtra government has warned of invoking Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA), 2011 against the employees who go on strike.

"We want a solution and it lies with the BMC, which says BEST employees are its own. BEST employees should get all the facilities that a BMC employee gets. We want a letter from the the civic commissioner admitting that BEST is very much part of BMC," he said.

The union had already announced that it would go on strike from 7 August, which prompted the civic administration to hold an urgent meeting today and hold talks with the various unions of the BEST.

Around nine unions of the BEST formed an action committee, which has been holding talks with the administration.

Even Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tried to intervene in the matter this afternoon, though it failed to resolve the issue. The last meeting with Shiv Sena chief

Uddhav Thackeray was also failed to satisfy the union, which is why it decided to go ahead with the strike.

There are over 35,000 employees working in the transport section of the BEST.

"In the last 12 years, the BEST fleet has gone up, but number of commuters is now less than 30 lakh, which was earlier over 40 lakh," a BEST official said.

BEST general manager Surendrakumar Bagade said, "We have agreed to make payment to our employees before 10 August. Similarly, BEST will pay the salary by 10th of every month. We have taken this decision irrespective of the financial crisis BEST is facing."
Mumbai: Decomposed body of a 63-year-old woman was found at her residence in suburban Andheri on Sunday, a senior police official said.

The woman, identified as Asha Sahani, police said.

"She had been living alone at her apartment in Lokhandwala Complex in Andheri after the death of her husband. Her only son, Rituraj, is a software engineer and stays in the US," the official said.

"Rituraj landed in Mumbai on Sunday. After he reached their house in Lokhandwala, he rang the door bell, but did not get any response from inside. Rituraj then called a key maker and got the door opened around 4.30 pm," the official said.

The body was completely decomposed, the official said, adding that the exact cause and time of her death is yet to be ascertained.

Her body has been sent to hospital for post-mortem.

Oshiwara police have registered a case of accidental death and further investigation into the matter is underway.
Islamabad: The only panacea to achieve peace between Pakistan and India is finding a solution to the Kashmir issue, Pakistan's foreign minister Khawaja Asif said on Sunday.

"We know how to secure our borders, however, lasting peace can only be attained through solving the Kashmir issue," he said while speaking to media in Sialkot, according to Express News.

The former defence minister said Pakistan's options become limited if India was not willing to meet us halfway.

"We want to dissipate tensions with India but they are not willing to do the same," he added.

Pakistan, he added, wants friendly relations with Afghanistan as well but India must also play a part to make it a reality.

"Pakistan has been fighting the war on terror for a long time now and the threat has decreased now owing to the great sacrifices made by the Pakistan Army," he said.

Asif said peace between the two countries was intertwined with Kashmir dispute and in light of the UN agreement, the people of Kashmir want the right to vote for self determination.

"Our foreign policy will be in accordance with the wishes of the people, and in view of what is in the best interest of Pakistan," he said. "Both countries want the continuity of the Indus Waters Treaty, however, any violation would worsen relations even further."
Chennai: Invoking "Tamil pride", BJP youth wing national chief Poonam Mahajan Monday highlighted the welfare initiatives undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Tamil Nadu fishermen and asserted that the time was ripe for the lotus to bloom "everywhere in the state".

Asking if "Tamil pride" was ever "respected" during the previous UPA regime at the Centre, she said though votes were garnered by invoking it, it was quickly forgotten by the political parties once they reached Delhi.

That was not the case with the BJP, which had resolved to stand by the people of Tamil Nadu, she claimed.

Addressing a state BJP youth wing rally here, Mahajan listed the Centre's recent initiatives, including a Rs 1,500 crore plan to convert bottom trawlers into deep sea long-liners for the fishermen of the state.

The plan was announced by the prime minister in July when he inaugurated a memorial of former president APJ Abdul Kalam at Rameswaram. Lauding the late Kalam, Mahajan said Modi had shown respect to the former president and taken forward his initiatives, including the 'blue revolution' for the fishermen.

Modi had said his government would usher in a 'blue revolution' by developing the country's coastal regions and working for the welfare of the fishermen. "The fishermen from Tamil Nadu, who were stuck in Sri Lanka, were also brought back expeditiously," said Mahajan.

She added that during his visit to the island nation, Modi had met "our Tamil brothers and sisters" there, a "first" by an Indian prime minister.

Referring to the current political scenario in the state, Mahajan took potshots at DMK working president MK Stalin for "taking lessons" from Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Repeating the "lessons" jibe used by senior BJP leader Muralidhar Rao, who spoke before her, she wondered why did Gandhi not opt for a bulletproof car during his recent visit to Gujarat's Banaskantha district, where a cement brick was hurled at the Congress vice-president's car.

"We don't want to throw stones at people who do nothing for the nation. We would use our hands to do better things for the country," said the BJP leader.

Referring to the two major Dravidian parties, she said, "The sun (DMK's poll symbol) is setting, the leaves (two leaves, the AIADMK's poll symbol) are falling apart and what we have to do now is see that the lotus blooms everywhere (in Tamil Nadu)."

Expressing satisfaction at the turnout at the rally, Mahajan said if this was the BJP youth wing's "trailer", the film would be "super hit".

Likening Modi with the "real sun", she said the prime minister was "burning himself" without even taking a single holiday to serve the people. Anyone could directly connect with the prime minister through the "Modi app", she said and asked if it was possible to do the same with leaders like Stalin.

Beginning and ending her speech with "vanakkam", the BJP leader said she would try and speak in Tamil the next time and be a "Tamil sister".

The rally was held to urge the Tamil Nadu government to conduct the local body polls soon, shut down the state-run liquor outlets, and improve the standard of education in government schools.

Mahajan also called on actor Rajinikanth on Sunday and visited the house of a party functionary on Monday.

Posting photographs with the actor on her Twitter handle, she wrote, "One of the most humble couples I have ever met Lathaji and Thalaiva @superstarrajini ji (sic)."

One of the most humble couples I have ever met  Lathaji and Thalaiva @superstarrajini ji. pic.twitter.com/cBje3aWD5Z  Poonam Mahajan (@poonam_mahajan) August 6, 2017

The BJP has been wooing Rajinikanth of late. The actor has recently hinted that he may consider joining politics.
A Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on Monday.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Samboora village late last night following information about presence of militants there, a police official said.

The search party of forces was fired upon by militants triggering a gunbattle, the official said.

One militant was killed in the encounter, he said adding that the militant has been identified as Umer from LeT's Abu Ismail faction," the official said.

One AK-47 rifle was recovered from the encounter site, the official added.

On Sunday, the police confirmed the Abu Ismail group's involvement in the 10 July attack on an Amarnath Yatra bus in which eight pilgrims were killed.

With inputs from agencies
Women from various segments of society celebrated Raksha Bandhan with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. From Vrindavan widows to schoolgirls, women visited Modi's official residence in New Delhi to tie the prime minister a "rakhi". But one of the most heart rending stories on the occasion was a little less further from home.

Qamar Mohsin Shaikh, originally from Pakistan, has been faithfully tying a "rakhi" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for over 20 years.

Speaking to ANI from New Delhi, Qamar said, "I have been tying a rakhi to Narendra bhai for the last 22-23 years. I'm excited to do it this time too."

Qamar arrived in India from Pakistan after her marriage and has been living in India since. Presently living in Ahmedabad, Shaikh travelled to Delhi on Monday to tie the thread of sibling bond on Modi's wrist, the way she says she has been doing for the last 23 years.

I have been tying Rakhi to Narendrabhai (PM Modi) for the last 22-23 years, excited to do it this time too: Qamar Mohsin Shaikh,Pak lady pic.twitter.com/VCurJ9F7mT  ANI (@ANI_news) August 6, 2017

One of the highlights for her was when she received a call from the prime minister himself. "This time I thought Prime Minister Modi must be busy, but he called me two days ago. I was very happy to know that; I started preparing for Raksha Bandhan," she said. "I told him whatever I am today is because of you. He put his hand on my head to bless me. He asked me about my son Sufian and my husband Mohsin. I feel like the luckiest and happiest person in the world."

This time I thought he (PM) must be busy but 2 days back he called up, I was very happy to know that; started preparing: Qamar Mohsin Shaikh pic.twitter.com/tNi8xARHMa  ANI (@ANI_news) August 6, 2017

She recounted that her first ever Raksha Bandhan with Modi was when he was an RSS karyakarta. "When I first tied rakhi to Narendra bhai, he was a karyakarta. He has become the prime minister with his sheer hard work and vision," she said.

When I first tied Rakhi to Narendra bhai,he was a karyakarta but with his sheer hardwork and vision he has become the PM:Qamar Mohsin Shaikh pic.twitter.com/JONWEGi4NT  ANI (@ANI_news) August 6, 2017

Asked what gift she wanted from Modi on Raksha Bandhan, Shaik said, "I just need his blessings. His blessings are what count the most. His blessings are with me and that is why I am here. I will always remember him. His hand is behind my every success." She also shared how Modi would express the desire to see the paintings drawn by her husband and how he would also joke with his son, who she says is a swimmer and calls the prime minister "maama".

Modi also greeted citizens of India on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

       -  Greetings on Raksha Bandhan.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 7, 2017

With inputs from IANS
"Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt and live like its (sic) heaven on earth."

 Mark Twain, as told to Anthony Scaramucci.

It was a fall of biblical proportions.

Huge! Like, bigger than Jericho falling to Joshua.

"I said we were brothers," Scaramucci, the newly named White House communications director, said last week of his rivalry with Reince Priebus, the White House chief of staff. "That's because we're rough on each other. Some brothers are like Cain and Abel."

Scaramucci's retelling of Genesis had a twist: It was a murder-suicide. Priebus's Abel was indeed slain by Scaramucci's Cain; the chief was ousted Friday. But Cain met the same fate Monday afternoon; his buffoonery, self-aggrandizement and foul mouth caused him to be sacked after just 10 days on the job. He wasn't officially supposed to start until Aug. 15, so his tenure, technically, was minus 16 days.

Much too soon, The Mooch is gone. As the Good Book says: What the &@%$#? Those &@%$# can go &@%$# themselves with a &@%$#.

Never was a man more devoted to a cause than the Mooch was to the Donald. He sold his business. He gave up his political beliefs. He apparently gave up his wife. He definitely surrendered his reputation and his dignity. All for President Trump, who thanked him by saying, "You're fired." Only hours after tweeting to the world: "No WH chaos!"

The Mooch's tenure was such a whirlwind that it's tempting to describe them as Ten Days That Changed the World. But the Mooch didn't really change anything. He just made everything wildly entertaining.

As word leaked on July 21 that Scaramucci had been given the communications job, press secretary Sean Spicer quit. Scaramucci immediately gave a televised news conference, blowing a kiss to the cameras and planting many kisses on the "wonderful human being" who is Trump.

So devoted was the Mooch to his patron that he tried, with all the subtlety of the Soviets, to airbrush his previous criticism of Trump  whom he'd called a "hack" and a "bully"  and Trump's beliefs. "Full transparency," the Mooch tweeted. "I'm deleting old tweets." And so, in the name of transparency, he tried to erase a past in which he thought well of Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush, gun control, abortion rights, Islam and climate-change science.

But the Mooch let stand one of his best tweets: his false claim that Mark Twain had uttered the "dance like no one is watching" quotation, which actually had its origins in 1980s pop music. The parodies poured in:

Na na na na na na na nana Na na na na nana Gettin jiggy wit it  Nelson Mandela.

Love. Love will keep us together. Think of me, babe, whenever.  Jesus Christ.

Nothing's gonna stop us, nothing's gonna stop us now.  Ernest Hemingway.

Then there were the photos: The Mooch giving a thumb's up on Air Force One (en route to Youngstown, Ohio, where Trump would muse about his place on Mount Rushmore), and the Mooch with thumbs in his belt loops, facing off against Priebus in the Oval Office.

Wednesday night brought a tweet suggesting that Priebus was responsible for "the leak of my financial info which is a felony." Turns out the financial information was public record.

Thursday, the New Yorker's Ryan Lizza reported on a phone call in which Scaramucci said top Trump strategist Stephen Bannon was trying to "[expletive] his own [expletive]," that Priebus was a [expletive] paranoid schizophrenic" who was trying to "[expletive]-block" rivals. He said he wanted to [expletive] kill all the leakers, who, he said, are "going to have to go [expletive] themselves."

On Friday, the New York Post reported that Scaramucci's second wife, in late-stage pregnancy, had filed for a divorce in early July. The report suggested her husband's involvement with Trump had something to do with it. She gave birth to a boy on Monday, but it took Scaramucci four days to meet his son.

Can the Mooch pick himself up after this fall? I believe he is Abel. As Mark Twain once said:

I see a little silhouetto of a man

Scaramooch, Scaramooch, will you do the fandango?

Thunderbolt and lightning  very very frightening me

Galileo, (Galileo), Galileo, (Galileo), Galileo Figaro
Ahmedabad: Former Congress veteran Shankersinh Vaghela Monday chose to maintain silence on his choice of candidate for Tuesday's Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, but said that Congress nominee Ahmed Patel remained his "friend".

The former Gujarat chief minister said he was no longer in touch with the Congress leadership and dismissed the talks that he was in contact with the BJP members over voting in the election to the Upper House of Parliament.

Senior Congress leader Patel, the political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is one of the contestants in the Rajya Sabha polls. "Each and every voter is the owner of his vote. The vote is the personal property of an MLA (for the Rajya Sabha election). Therefore, I do not want to reveal whom I will vote for," Vaghela, who recently revolted against the Congress, told reporters here.

Stating that he and Patel had been friends since 1977, the year he was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time on a Janata Party ticket, the 77-year-old politician said, "We have been friends since then and we remain friends till now. Even today, we talked over phone. Our relationship is not limited to politics."

The Rajya Sabha election has become a high-stake battle for the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress in Gujarat, where the Assembly polls are due later this year.

The election to the Upper House from Gujarat has received greater attention with BJP president Amit Shah and Union minister Smriti Irani entering the fray and the Congress re-nominating Patel.

Vaghela spoke to reporters on a host of issues, ranging from the Gujarat Congress' decision to move 44 of its MLAs to a resort in Bengaluru to prevent any "poaching" attempts by the BJP, his stand on NOTA and the recent attack on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's car at Dhanera in Banaskantha, Gujarat. "There is no question of any offer (from the BJP). I have no personal interests to negotiate with the BJP," he said while replying to a query.

On the Congress' claims that its MLAs were offered Rs 15 crore by the BJP, Vaghela said the legislators should not act as "saleable commodities," and a political party "should have enough trust in its members to leave them free".

"It is degrading for an elected representative if there are talks of him being bought over with an offer of Rs 1-2 crore. The MLAs should have the moral strength to face the BJP, to say that we are with the party, do not touch us," he added.

Vaghela condemned the attack on Gandhi's vehicle during the latter's visit to the flood-hit districts of Gujarat. He, however, said there was "public anger" towards the Congress MLAs, who were absent from their constituencies during the flood as they were shifted to Bengaluru.

"I condemn the attack on Rahul Gandhi, but the party should understand that the anger is directed at the MLAs who were absent. The Congress abandoned its voters during the heavy rains and floods. The people had reposed their faith in the Congress MLAs, so the party should also repose faith in its members," said Vaghela.

He added that the move to take the MLAs away might cost Congress "heavily" in the Gujarat Assembly election. "When I went to Dhanera, the people were asking about their MLAs. The move by the party to take 44 of its legislators to Bengaluru has attracted negative publicity. It will be hard for them (the MLAs) to win (in the Assembly polls) even if they are given tickets by the party," said Vaghela.

On the Election Commission's decision to include the NOTA option in the Rajya Sabha polls, he said, "NOTA is a joke. If you have no one to vote for, why should you go to the booth in the first place. NOTA is a product of an empty mind. Why should you stand in the queue to press the NOTA button," he wondered.

The Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat are set against the backdrop of dramatic developments, including the revolt in the Congress by Vaghela, resignation of half-a-dozen Congress MLAs and shifting of 44 MLAs to Bengaluru by the party to protect them from the "poaching" attempts by the BJP.
Thiruvananthapuram: Amid macabre political killings in Kerala, Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday accused the state's ruling CPM of unleashing its cadres for "eliminating rivals and creating en environment of violence".

Jaitley, who was in Thiruvananthapuram to provide a healing touch to the family of RSS worker Rajesh, allegedly killed by CPM cadres on 29 July, mounted a scathing attack on the LDF government, saying incidents of violence increased every time it came to power.

"Every time the LDF is in power, incidents of violence increase. The kind of wounds that were inflicted on Rajesh would even have embarrassed terrorists," he told reporters.

Eearlier, addressing a condolence meeting for Rajesh Jaitley said the ruling party cadres were being "eliminating its political opponents and creating an environment of violence". The CPM, he said, needed to introspect.

Jaitley, who visited the family of Rajesh in the morning, accused the police of bias, insisting it was a "silent spectator" when RSS and BJP workers were attacked and killed.

The BJP-RSS and CPM cadres are locked in a bloody battle of attrition in the state which has claimed several lives on both sides. There has been a spurt in such incidents in the recent past as the BJP seeks to expand its base in the state.

The CPM, meanwhile, countered Jaitley's claims by organising a 'Satyagraha' in front of Raj Bhavan where relatives of 21 of its cadres done to death allegedly by the

RSS were present. They demanded that the union minister also visit their homes.

The CPM accused the RSS-BJP combine of spreading "false propaganda" about political violence in the state.

CPM's state Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged that incidents of political violence had increased only after the visit of BJP President Amit Shah in early June.

The BJP was implementing "Amit Shah's plan" in the state by engaging in violence, Balakrishnan alleged.

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held an all-party meeting to discuss ways to end the vicious cycle of violence in the state, which Jaitley said was a "positive step".

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Vijayan said the propaganda that Kerala was in the grip of political violence would only adversely impact the state's investment prospects.

Vijayan was dismissive about Jaitley's allegation of police bias against RSS and BJP workers. He said police was taking effective steps to check violence.

Jaitley, whose visit to the state is being widely seen as an attempt by the BJP to bring under national focus the issue of alleged increasing attacks on party cadres by the CPM, also questioned the "complete silence" of those who otherwise speak against similar incidents in other parts of the country on the "continuing saga of violence in Kerala".

"The buck stops at the ruling party," Jaitley said while rejecting the argument that RSS-BJP combine was also responsible for political violence in Kerala.

"I do not agree with that. If you see the numbers, in the last few months ever since the LDF government returned to power you can see the extent to which our workers have fallen victim," he added.

He asserted BJP and RSS workers would not be cowed down by such violence which will only strengthen their resolve to work harder.



"Those who perpetuate violence, must remember that our organisation, our political party and other sympathetic organisations have survived through generations despite these kinds of assaults which have befallen us. This kind of violence will neither suppress the ideology in the state of Kerala, nor scare our workers and cadres," he said at the event to condole Rajesh's death.

"I have come here to express solidarity of our central leadership with karyakarthas (workers) in this hour of crisis. The central party fully supports you whichever way it is necessary. I will once again appeal to you that those who have been murdered we must not forget them. We must continue to be inspired by their sacrifices," he said.

He said in his death Rajesh would continue to inspire all RSS and BJP workers, and asked the Sangh volunteers to take care of his family.

The minister earlier met and consoled the aged parents, widow and young children of Rajesh and spent some time listening to their problems.



He also met the family of another RSS worker Jayaprakash, who was seriously injured in an alleged attack by CPM cadres.

When asked about the demand of the families of victims of violence allegedly perpetrated by RSS and BJP activists that he also meet them, Jaitley said he was ready for that.

BJP sources said Jaitley was likely to submit a report on his visit to the party's central leadership.

Some in the RSS have been demanding imposition of President's rule in Kerala over breakdown of law and order. However, Jaitley evaded a question on their demand, saying

"Statements are being made by different persons. I have said what I had to say."
New Delhi: The Congress on Monday demanded that Maharashtra Housing Minister Prakash Mehta be sacked and a judicial probe be instituted for his alleged role in a mega land scam in Mumbai.

Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan accused Mehta of giving almost one lakh square feet of land in the MP Mills compound in Tardeo in Mumbai in violation of the rules to a builder, who allegedly benefited by Rs 500-800 crore.

He said the MP Mills SRA scam exposed the "tall claims" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi about not allowing corruption and also that of the BJP governments at the Centre and the state of providing corruption-free administrations.

Chavan said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had ordered an inquiry into this and had cancelled the minister's orders that "benefited" the builder, but not sacked Mehta.

"We demand that the chief minister drop Prakash Mehta from the cabinet till the inquiry is completed. We also demand that there be a judicial inquiry conducted by a judge of the High Court under the Commission of Enquiry Act," Chavan, a former chief minister of the state, told reporters in Delhi.

The controversy relates to a slum rehabilitation project at the compound in Tardeo, allegedly sanctioned by Mehta without the CMs consent.

Chavan also demanded that 137 files cleared by the CEO of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), two weeks prior to his retirement, be reviewed and all current projects are investigated.

He said Fadnavis had ordered an inquiry after he "prima facie accepted the wrongdoing against the minister".

The Congress is all set to up the ante over the issue and to raise it in Parliament on Tuesday. Chavan said the party would bring the matter up in Parliament and demand action.

The Congress has also kept its options open on moving court, he said.

Chavan said Mehta "illegally" approved the transfer of slum dwellers' building rights to a major builder, SD Corporation, in the slum redevelopment project.

"While sanctioning the proposal the minister used the name of the chief minister and overruled specific objections raised by his secretary. The chief minister has denied his involvement," he said.

He said the matter raised "serious questions of probity and corruption and of flagrant and willful violation" of rules.

"It is the word of the chief minister against that of the housing minister. Who is speaking the truth? I am requesting the BJP headquarters and the prime minister, who won by promising to provide a corruption-free government. The time has come for him to put his foot down and find out who is lying," he said.

Chavan said contrary to the minister's assertion, the chief minister, speaking in the House on 31 July, denied previous knowledge about the proposal, despite the minister's noting.

"Due to the seriousness of the charges, the chief minister ordered an enquiry against Prakash Mehta, his senior cabinet colleague, (it) being only the second time in his tenure that an enquiry was ordered against a cabinet colleague," he said.

Chavan also asked, "Was a prior verbal sanction given by him? Can a minister brazenly use the chief minister's name in writing in an official file without actually consulting him? Is the chief minister protecting the minister due to special blessings of the BJP high command?"

The Congress in Maharashtra demanded that the prime minister make good his promise before the election  "Na Khaunga, Na Khane Doonga" (Will not be corrupt, and will not let others be corrupt) and said the party would continue to agitate till the demands were accepted.

He said earlier another inquiry was initiated against the then revenue minster Eknath Khadse, who was dropped from the Cabinet till the pendency of the enquiry by a judge.
Muzaffarnagar/Lucknow: A Muzaffarnagar court on Monday granted the transit remand of a suspected Bangladeshi terrorist to Uttar Pradesh police's Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), which will produce him in a Lucknow court on Tuesday to seek his custody.

Chief judicial magistrate Gopal Tiwari allowed the ATS transit remand of Abdullah after which it took him to Lucknow.

Abdullah, who was arrested yesterday by the ATS, is allegedly associated with Islamic extremist group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).

He was living in Kutesara locality in Charthawal area of Muzaffarnagar for the past one month, Inspector General, ATS, Asim Arun said.

During interrogation, Abdullah told ATS sleuths that he used to prepare fake identity proofs with the help of one Faizan, resident of Deoband, IG Arun said.

"The main task before the ATS, as of now, is to arrest Faizan who, according to Abdullah, used to help him prepare fake identity proofs," the IG was quoted as saying by an ATS spokesperson in Lucknow.

Meanwhile, five youth were on Monday called for interrogation in connection with the case and were let off as they were not found involved in the crime, the IG said.

Earlier, Abdullah had been residing in the Deoband area of Saharanpur district since 2011. He had managed to get an Aadhaar card and passport prepared on the basis of fake identity, the officer said.

He was associated with the ABT and involved in preparing fake identity proofs of terrorists, especially from Bangladesh, and help them find safe hideouts in India, Arun alleged.

According to the police, ABT is an Al-Qaeda inspired Islamic extremist group based in Bangladesh.

ATS teams from Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar and the district police team from Shamli conducted searches after Abdullah's arrest, the police said.

On the material recovered from Faizan's room in Deoband, the ATS spokesperson said some radical literature and incriminating documents were seized from there.
New Delhi: From pasting party posters to an epitome of political and ideological loyalty who rose to become one of BJP's most visible leaders and now India's vice president-elect, Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu has come a long way.

Born to a humble agricultural family in Andhra Pradesh's Nellore district, the 68-year-old has served as BJP president, a minister in various portfolios and a long-time Rajya Sabha member.

This remarkable career in politics has been more than four decades in the making.

It began in the 1970s when BJP's precursor Jana Sangh was a marginal player with little clout in the south and a young party worker kept himself busy putting up posters of stalwarts such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani.

Naidu has come a long way since those days of political obscurity.

"Coming from an agricultural background, I never imagined I would be here. Agriculture has no proper voice in Indian polity," India's vice president-elect told PTI.

"I am very humbled. I am also thankful to the prime minister and all party leaders for their support. I will seek to utilise the vice presidential institution to strengthen the hands of the president and uphold the dignity of the Upper House," he added.

Naidu is known for his oratory. A two-term member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha three times from Karnataka. He represented Rajasthan in the Upper House of Parliament before he was nominated to the vice president's post by the NDA.

Once an Advani protege, Naidu vigorously backed Modi for the prime minister's post before the 2014 elections.

He was minister for Information and Broadcasting and Housing and Urban Affairs in the Modi government and earlier also held the Parliamentary Affairs portfolio.

In the previous NDA government led by Vajpayee, he had served as Rural Development Minister.

The veteran party leader also served as the BJP national president from July 2002 to October 2004 for two consecutive terms.

He quit the post after the party's defeat in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.

Naidu was an ABVP activist during the Emergency and was arrested and jailed.

As the first minister of Parliamentary Affairs in the Modi government, Naidu defended the prime minister and the government whenever the opposition targeted them in Parliament.

He had also ensured high political outreach by meeting Congress chief Sonia Gandhi when there was a standoff between the government and the opposition in Parliament.

Several major legislations were cleared by Parliament when he was Parliamentary Affairs Minister, including the historic Real Estate Act and fast forwarding of the GST Bill.

Known for coining acronyms, Naidu termed the mission of the Modi Government as 'MODI- Making of Developed India' which had become the official line of the Centre in its public outreach campaign on the occasion of three years of being in office.

As the minister for Information and Broadcasting, he was always quick to present issues in perspective with effective repartee as and when required.

As Minister of Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, which was recently merged as Housing and Urban Affairs, Naidu pioneered the launch of several new urban missions, including the Smart City Mission, Atal Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission and Housing for All.

As Rural Development Minister, Naidu was instrumental in launching the hugely popular 'Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana'.

When the Congress swept the polls in Andhra Pradesh in 1978, Naidu got elected as MLA from Udayagiri constituency as a Janata Party candidate.

He was re-elected on a BJP ticket when NT Rama Rao swept the polls in the state.

But all that has receded into the past.

"There is no my party or your party. Now I am a non-party man," Naidu told reporters this morning as the election for the vice president got underway.
Bengaluru: Occasional aberrations notwithstanding, the Indian Constitution had matured over the years with frictions between the Centre and the states declining, said Vice-President-elect M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday.

"In spite of occasional aberrations in the working of the Constitution, the unitary-federal mechanism has matured over the years, with frictions between the Centre and the states steadily declining," he said at a felicitation ceremony in Bengaluru.

The decline in frictions was happening with consolidation and manifestation of the spirit of cooperative federalism, he reiterated at the event organised by Bengaluru citizens.

Naidu, 68, represented Karnataka as a lawmaker in the Rajya Sabha for three consecutive terms till May 2016.

Noting that the executive was becoming more sensitive to the need of empowering citizens to fulfill aspirations of a young India, Naidu, who will be sworn-in on 11 August said competition among the states was more evident.

"Rajya Sabha is the federal chamber of Parliament, with a mandate to protect the interests of the states. I deem it an honour to preside over it as its Chairman. I feel happy that I am the second person after BD Jatti to get such an opportunity, with deep connections with the soil of Karnataka," he said.

Karnataka-born Jatti was the fifth Vice-President from 1974 to 1979. He was also Acting President from 11 February to 25 July, 1977.

As a believer in equal partnership of the states and the union in the country's progress, Naidu said he visited all the states to know their problems in implementing the various welfare schemes when he was the Rural Development Minister in the Vajpayee government (1999-2004) and continued over the last three years as a Union Minister.

According to Naidu, the country's name stood for "Integrated, National, Development, Impacting, All citizens equally".

"India belongs to all of its citizens irrespective of their place of birth, caste, creed, religion and status," he said.

Lauding the Indian polity, Naidu said its strength and majesty was in full play during the last two weeks when two "humble sons of the country" were chosen to the two highest constitutional posts of President and Vice President.

"Soon after I was announced as the Vice Presidential candidate, my first thought was to visit Karnataka after my election. I owe a lot to the people of Karnataka for choosing me as one of their representatives for 18 long years. I am here to thank its people for taking me warmly in their lap for such a long time," said Naidu, who hails from the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

Union Ministers HN Ananth Kumar and D. V. Sadananda Gowda, former Chief Justice of India MN Venkatakachaliah and BJP's state unit president BS Yeduyurappa were present on the occasion.
The famed Awadhi cuisine from Lucknow with its biryani and kebabs, has always found favour with gourmands and has easily overshadowed the lesser known culinary delights of the erstwhile princely state of Rampur, also in Uttar Pradesh. It is only at periodic food festivals of Rampuri cuisine at hotels across India, like a recently concluded one at Masala Bay, Taj Lands End, Mumbai, that one hears of it and gets to sample this almost forgotten cuisine.

Chef Manjit Gill, corporate chef, ITC Hotels, elaborates, The cuisine of Rampur is historically the food of the Mughals, just like the cuisine of Awadh. However, the characteristic difference between the two is that unlike Awadhi cuisine, Rampuri cuisine is not perfumed with ingredients like kevda, ittar or rose water. While there is use of heady spices like saffron and nutmeg, they are used in subtle quantities.

Promoting Rampuri cuisine even though he hails from Awadh himself, is something Chef Mujeebur Rehman of the Kitchenette Awadh, has taken to, for the last decade or so, ever since this cuisine caught his fancy and he laboured over its nuances with the help of the royal family.

Doodhiya biryani, mahi seekh kebab, adrak ka halwa, may upon first glance seem like dishes from the popular Awadhi or Hyderabadi cuisine, but upon tasting these, flavours representative of the distinct Rampuri cuisine are evident. Perhaps not as mainstream as the other Mughlai cuisines, Rampuri cuisine, a royal cuisine of India, is equally rich in its culinary heritage and owes its origins to the khansamas or cooks who used to work in the kitchens of the royal family.

Executive chef Anirudhya Roy, Taj Lands End, Mumbai, explains, Rampuri cuisine is a confluence of numerous cooking styles ranging from Awadhi, Mughlai and Afghani. Honing creativity, Rampur has offered respite to several artists including Chefs who were able to experiment and develop new recipes.

According to Chef Mujeebur Rehman, Although it borrows from Awadhi, Hyderabadi and Afghani cuisines, it has its own distinct identity too. He adds, Rampuri cuisine has its own chungezi masala, which is a complex blend of about 21 spices and herbs. In Awadhi cooking, we use a lot of fine powdered spices, whereas here we use few whole spices only. Onion, is one of the most basic ingredients of this cuisine, and they use onion in various forms  raw onion paste, golden onion and sometimes brown onions. Saffron root is one of the rare spices which we use in a few Rampuri preparations.

Khada or raw masalas, unusual vegetables like doodhi, lotus stem, jackfruit, figs, pineapple khus roots, dal chini and even amla were among the favourite ingredients of the Rampuri cooks. Copious amounts of ghee are used while cooking but the food is less aromatic than the Awadhi cuisine. Clay pots is what they traditionally cooked in and the process was slow and laborious.

A meat-intensive cuisine, there is however a fair amount of chicken and seafood too. Mutton Tar Korma, a lamb preparation from the house of the Nawabs, Shab Deg, a kaliya of mutton chops cooked overnight in yoghurt and Mehtabi Paya Nehari or lamb trotters stewed with milk and cream, flavoured with herbs, are popular delicacies. Nasheela Jhinga or prawns marinated with blend of red hot spices, chungezi masala powder and other spices, is a seafood dish. These are usually paired with typical breads like Fitri, Rampuri Naan and Sheermal. Among rice preparations, Yakhni pulao cooked in mutton stock, is a must-have dish.

Interestingly, this cuisine is equally at home with vegetables. Sabz makhana qaliya and Dal-e-Mumtaz, a blend of eight organic lentils from the Rampur region, annanas or pineapple pulao, are common.

Says Chef Rehman, Rampur was a small riyaasat situated in between the Delhi to Lucknow highway, 150 km away from Delhi and 350 kms from Lucknow. It was only after the fallen dynasty of Mughals and Awadh, that Rampur came into its own. After the exile of the Nawab of Awadh, Nawabs in Rampur hired Awadhi Khansamas for their royal kitchen, who in turn imparted the Awadhi flavour to this cuisine.

Chef Gill adds, Geographically, it is similar to the cuisine of Delhi and has evolved with the influence from the regions of Meerut, Muzzafarnagar and Shahjahanpur, which are in the same belt as Rampur.

Desserts are an important part of a Rampuri meal. Chukander e Afroz or beetroot simmered with milk and finished with sunflower seeds and reduced milk, Gur Ke Yaquiti, a traditional chickpea flour milk pudding, Sheer Khurma, a unique dessert made from vermicelli, milk and nuts and Ande ka Halwa, an unusual dessert of the royal kitchen made of egg simmered with cows milk with a hint of cardamom powder, are desserts that this cuisine proudly showcases.

Chef Gill avers, Nawabs fashioned their menus to suit individual zest. They treated royal visitors with recipes created especially for them. Rampuri cuisine is essentially a courtly cuisine that evolved along with its sultans and their taste buds.

Sadly, these recipes have not been chronicled and are thus lost over the years. It is a few chefs and hotels who are doing their best to revive and popularise Rampuri cuisine.

What is served today are altered versions of the original recipes, but that is all we have, signs off Chef Rehman.
Naturally, this is all my fault.

When I was 26 years old and the first proposal arrived from a Decent Family, I had to say no. It was tragic. Arjun Thirumal (name changed for absolutely no reason) told me that the person he married would have to move in with him and his parents, because he loved his parents. I disclosed my love for my own family and asked him if hed like to move in with us. Between Malleshwaram and JP Nagar lay a long and winding road paved with charming patriarchy and disarming upper castery. Arjun asked me for my photograph and horoscope. A wave of nausea washed over me and I politely excused myself from the call, so I could go break a wall with my hands. He never heard from me again. Thats why this is my fault. I did not sign up for this caste-appropriate breeding programme. I didnt agree to changing my name or my address. Years later, Karma is still addressing the issue.

Address. Important word, that.

Ten years have passed since I refused Arjuns offer of a new permanent address. Now 36, still single, still renting, still happy-but-who-cares, Karma  my old friend  has given me the exact kind of neighbours I imagine the Thirumal clan to be. I live in a quiet neighbourhood in the south of Bengaluru, in a very pretty building. Its what lies beneath that is interesting and not just a little horrifying.

Heres an overview of the demographic, as obtained from a careful door-to-door analysis of my building. Please note that all numbers are an approximation to the closest whole number, in some places even a proud decimal, based on scant availability of fact-checkers and poor mathematical ability of the author:

Total number of apartments 47

Total occupied 40

Percentage of educated class* ~40

Percentage Hindus 92.5

Percentage Christians 5

Percentage Muslims 2.5

Percentage married couples with or without offspring 95

Percentage living with senior citizens ~70

Single people living alone Me

* A term coined and used by thread-wearing, appal-bearing pillars of society and stalkwarts of our community.

Besides my criminal rejection of the Decent Thirumal Family, you should know that I committed another crime: I decided it was a good idea to work with rescued animals and I live with a few of them. With one cranky old terrier-something, one aging backyard breeder-rescued St. Bernard, one Indian Dog rescued from a gunny sack in a dumpster, and one epileptic foster dog, Im not just single; Im crazy-dog-lady single.

As someone who has lived in rented dwellings for over 11 years, Ive been rejected by several prospective owners for either being single or living with animals.

In May 2016, two weeks away from being homeless because of a landlord who had a change of heart about dogs, I made an appeal on Facebook. My current landlady reached out to me and told me she had just the place for me. She offered to show it to me, and it was. Beautiful, quiet, spacious, airy, with plenty of natural light, and lots of tree-covered lanes and bylanes in the neighbourhood where I could walk my dogs in peace.

My landlady pretty much handed me the keys right then, but not without a parting disclaimer: If you can handle your neighbours and ignore everything theyll throw your way, you can live here as long as you want. Your dogs are great. They deserve a nice place.

Heres a sequence of events  just a handful of several several incidents  that describe what living here is like:

14th May 2016

The day I moved in. Rushing up and down trying to get the movers to move my stuff into the right house, I met three families. In a nutshell, heres what each conversation was like:

Youre moving in?

Yes.

Wheres your husband?

Im not married.

When are your parents moving in?

They have a place of their own. Ill be living here alone.

Alone???

Alone.

15th May 2016

The day I brought my dogs in.

What are these?

Dogs.

You cant live here. Dogs not allowed.

My landlady is okay with the dogs.

Building association wont allow.

There isnt such a rule.

Well see. Not allowed.

30th Dec 2016

My sister and her husband were visiting and staying over for a night. As they wheeled out their luggage the next morning, a group of elderly women, making sure they were within earshot, said: Yaar-yaaro barthareyyaar-yaaro hogthareytch tch. (Someone-and-all comesomeone-and-all gotsk tsk.)

Early January, 2017

I was getting a grill gate installed outside my front door. Five men walked into the building carrying the gate. Within minutes, the Estate Manager came huffing and puffing up the stairs, horror writ large on his face.

What is the matter, sir? Is everything okay?

Madam! (Looks at the workers. Confusion flitting across face, followed by embarrassment.) Oh. Sorry. Nothing.

You seem upset. Is everything okay?

I received a complaint that all kinds of men were entering your house. They wanted me to come and see what kind of business you are running.

Late April-Early May, 2017

Realising that my lease was up for renewal, the Owners Welfare Association came at me hammer and tongs, emails and allegations, fire and lies. The accusations:

1. Her dogs bark.

2. She collects dog shit in bags and keeps them in her balcony.

3. Her dogs howl through the night because she doesnt feed them or walk them.

4. She runs an illegal pet shop from her house, buying and selling dogs.

5. (When asked by my landlady to provide proof, since this last one was a serious allegation:) She, yaniki me, probably accepts surrogate means of payment.

It all boils down to that, doesnt it. The surrogate means of payment. From the jitters they get every time someone visits me, to the Grillgate Scandal, to the illegal business. Shes single, lives alone, seems to make rent every month, lives with animals. How does a woman do all that by herself?

All these accusations were made by a bunch of ten men on an email thread. Not the building association, not all the families, just a bunch of ten men who decided it was okay to bully. In the many many mails that went back and forth, these men forgot that forwarding a mail to me means Im privy to every private conversation theyve had in that thread as well. One email from a man who doesnt even live in the building simply suggested that the dogs are not a strong enough reason to evict me forcibly and they should accuse me of public nuisance instead. Clever little brain there. The only one that bothered to read up and find out that, by law, no Resident Welfare Association is allowed to ban a resident from living with pets.

So there it was. It wasnt about the dogs. It wasnt about the imaginary howling or poop collection unit. It wasnt about the surrogate means of payment. All these were just toppings on their hate-pizza, one that had to do with someone who simply didnt fit into their preferred demographic. Its 2017, and were celebrating the first few months of a Muslim family ever having lived in a building that has been around for over a decade. Okay? Okay.

It wasnt like I didnt want to bow down and break/break free and run. It wasnt like I didnt consider moving out. Ill be honest. Nine days of nonstop emails and accusations can make a grown woman think of living on the streets and succumbing to surrogate means of shelter. Instead, I printed out every email they sent, typed out a formal complaint, went to the police station, and filed a complaint of harassment and intimidation. I put my dogs in a boarding facility for over a week, so theyd be out of harms way, while I spent hours waiting at the police station, backed unwaveringly by my family, friends, and other animal welfare workers. A particular Sub-inspector was the silver lining to my otherwise nightmarish story. He was quiet and attentive and thats how he heard me say the words surrogate means of payment and thats when he lost his shit and thats how my bullies were brought to justice.

When a gang of senior citizens whip out their smart phones in the police station and show pictures of me with a bunch of dogs, it gets creepy and it gets real. These men are not amongst my friends on Facebook, so theyd basically stalked my account and downloaded photographs of me. The policeman caught them every single time they lost their footing. Talks were had, compromises were promised on both sides, peace was made. The creepiest of the lot threw itself at my fathers feet in full view of the (gagging) sub-inspector.

Two months after the police complaint, peace looks a lot like social boycott. There is a mailing list for everyone who lives in the building. Im no longer on it; I was removed from the mailing list. There are various WhatsApp groups where people can discuss building-related matters. Im on none of them and never have been, since the groups are made entirely on the basis of who likes whom and whos been around longest. Also to be noted, I dont know of a single tenant who is on these groups, so Im assuming these are Owners Welfare groups and not Resident Welfare groups. The senior citizens, who are also association members, have Hindu ceremonies and poojas to which they go door to door and invite people. Im not invited. If theres any maintenance work in the building, I have no way of knowing. If the water supply is going to be shut off for maintenance, it comes as a pleasant, surprising gurgle from my taps while everyone else has buckets of water that theyve had the time to fill. A few times a week, someone goes into the room that holds the power switchboards and turns off the mains to my house. I have no way of knowing who does this, so I simply wait a few hours till I realise this isnt a scheduled cut, and flip the switch back on. One woman loudly cautioned her four-year-old as I walked past, Chee! Dont go near her! Shes bad!

In a building with 40 occupied apartments, Im friends with a grand total of three families. One is a really good friend who adopted dogs from a shelter I volunteer with, thus becoming the second family to live in this building with dogs. The second family lives on my floor and, being privy to the peaceful existence of the inmates of my apartment, have extended silent support, often in the form of handfuls of chocolate at crucial points in my battles. The third are just a warm, sweet family who have been nothing but kind to everyone here and who are, sadly, moving out soon, taking their mouth-watering kitchen aromas to, hopefully, a kinder neighbourhood.

The bizarre, unacceptable, scary truth is that this is something that happens all the time. Several people I know  men and women  have a hard time finding accommodation because theyre different. People in relationships that are not bound by law. Single women. Single men. Several people from the LGBTQ community. Divorcees. There is unsafety in numbers, thats for sure. Perhaps the saddest thing of all is how, every day, I see how close everyone is to being warm and kind. The little boxes of food sent between neighbours, the kids running in and out of each others homes, the cooing lady applying Savlon on a the bruised knee of a neighbours child. Its all there. I truly believe that, as a species, kindness comes to us instinctively. All we have to do is widen our circles or at least accept the square pegs for who they are.

To the 92.5 percent in my building who think its okay to practise social discrimination because someone made choices different from yours:

That I wear my hair short, is not rebellion. That I live alone, is not rebellion. That I live and work with animals, is not rebellion. That Ive arranged my life in such a way that I dont need ANYBODYS permission to plan my day, is not rebellion. Its just my story.

Your wearing the badge of self-appointed sanction-giver. Thats your story. Your eyes peeping into my house, stalking me on social media, wondering how I make money, and thinking fond thoughts of non-monetary payment modes thats your story. Im grateful that the writers who created my character were kinder and had more soul than the writers who created yours.

1. Pick another writer.

2. Weave a more noble script.

3. Wash your windows.

4. Wash your mouth with soap and water.

5. Find your kindnesses.

To the 7.5 percent in my building who have extended friendship, generosity, and everyday human kindness:

Youre the catalysts and the kind of people who can make the change. Thank you for leading by example, although I might be the only one who noticed. Dinner in boxes on busy days, friendly chats, a handful of chocolates as I waited at the door for my dogs to return post the police station ordealyour kindness is what keeps the world going. Not the 92.5 percent venom, not my vitriol against it. You.

To the Arjun Thirumals of the world still asking for horoscopes and photographs, heres my matrimonial, in the hope that Karma, that universal balance-sheet-keeper, will do more open-minded math going forward:

Thirty-six-year-old woman of recent wrinkles and burgeoning greys, too many books, quite a few dogs, a poor but dogged cryptic crossword solver with a questionable sense of humour, seeks man. Must be willing to leave Mummy-Daddy. Must have gumption. Must be a feminist. Must love all creatures great and small. Must not be a homophobe. Appreciation of correct usage of a semicolon in a sentence is preferred. Must know how to sweep, mop, wash dishes, cook a full meal, get emotional over self-made filter coffee brilliance, and do own laundry, because it is 2017. Seeker already has address proof, however troublesome, and is not willing to relocate to your Mummy-Daddy house. Please do not apply if sarcasm and liberalism are alien concepts. Agar yeh rishta manzoor hain, toh please respond with subject line: Maami, Im Coming Home.

Anoopa Anand is a writer, editor, and animal welfare worker based in Bengaluru

This piece was first published at The Ladies Finger.
The 44 Gujarat Congress legislators, who were camping at a private resort near Bengaluru for 10 days, returned to Ahmedabad on Monday morning, from where they were taken to a resort in Anand district. The MLAs were whisked away from the airport in Ahmedabad and kept together at Nijanand resort on the outskirts of Anand, the town which houses the headquarters of Amul.

"All our MLAs have returned and they have been taken to a resort in Anand," Congress party chief whip and senior leader Sailesh Parmar told reporters in Anand.

The MLAs landed in an Indigo flight at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport among tight security at 4.45 am on Monday, The Times of India reported. Deputy Commissioner of Police Parikshita Gurjar said that nine senior officers and 95 armed police personnel will escort the 44 Congress MLAs from the airport, the report added.

"All our MLAs have decided not to go to their home even on this day of 'Rakshabandhan' and be loyal soldiers of the Congress party. They will stay together and they will go to vote for the Rajya Sabha polls tomorrow (to Gandhinagar) from Anand," Parmar said.

"Ahmed Patel and state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki will come to Anand to meet them," Parmar said adding they have not taken police security at the resort.

The Gujarat Congress had sent 44 legislators to Bengaluru on 29 July to fend off "poaching" attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), ahead of the 8 August Rajya Sabha polls, in which Ahmed Patel, the political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, is contesting.

"We have the numbers. The BJP don't have the numbers. We will see to it that Patel wins the poll," Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil told PTI on Sunday.

Refusing the claim that the MLAs would be flown to New Delhi, Gohil alleged that it was the BJP which was spreading "canards" that they would first be taken to the national capital to meet Gandhi.

He also alleged that BJP was spreading "false reports" that the MLAs would use the 'NOTA' option in the polls to defeat Patel.

The Congress had also gone to the Supreme Court against the introduction of 'NOTA' (None of the above) option in the Rajya Sabha polls. However, the Supreme Court later dismissed the party's plea allowing the use of the above voting provision.

Gohil asserted that all the Congress MLAs were "united" and that they would vote for Patel in the 8 August election.

Six of the 57 Congress MLAs in Gujarat have quit the party recently, with three of them joining the BJP on 28 July.

With inputs from PTI
Anand: Alleging that he was being targeted by the BJP, veteran Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Monday expressed confidence that he will win Tuesday's Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat.

In a rare appearance before the media, Patel, political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi said, "Besides the 44 legislators (who were flown to Bengaluru), we have the support of Janata Dal-United, Nationalist Congress Party and (rebel leader) Shankersinh Vaghela.

"I have spoken to Sharad Pawarji and he has promised all help to the Congress. They have even issued a whip. As for Vaghela, he has himself promised that he will vote for me and I believe he will keep his word," he said.

Asked about allegations of surveillance on him and Congress MLAs by the ruling BJP, he said, "I don't know why I am targeted like this. This is example of a banana republic."

"I have full confidence in my victory tomorrow despite the BJP's attempts and the numbers will surprise everyone," Patel said at a private resort near Anand where the 44 MLAs are lodged.

Patel needs 45 first preference votes in a House of 176 MLAs out of total 182. Six Congress MLAs have resigned.

He counts the 44 legislators, two of the NCP and the lone Janata Dal (United) to see him through. Vaghela, who had resigned as leader of the opposition last month, and six other MLAs close to him were not taken to Bengaluru and neither have they resigned.
Donald Trump had his worst day since he was elected president  well just call it Friday  and his worst week since the last one.

Things can only get worser and worser, as the Bard would permit me to say.

Lets start with the vote-a-rama and the skinny repeal, which puts me in mind of a state fair ride and placing an order at Starbucks.

Id like a skinny repeal, please  venti, with mocha.

As all know by now, Sen. John McCain didnt get the skinny on repeal and shocked the chamber by voting no with a thumbs-down. Not even with a Republican majority could Trump dump Obamacare in its slimmest version yet. McCain, who postponed treatment for aggressive brain cancer and flew to Washington to cast his vote, joined fellow Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, as well as all the Democratic members, to put the kibosh on any real hope of repeal this year, much less replace.

In most ways, McCains seemingly last-minute maneuver should have surprised no one. Always the maverick, McCain, who has defied death before, is no ones wingman. If he thought this vote might be his last stand in the arena, he would make it worthwhile and memorable.

Back at the Ponderosa, Trump at least had a soul mate in whom to confide, Anthony Scaramucci, the White Houses new communications director. Mooch or Mini-me to Washington insiders, Scaramucci is Trumps knee-capper. Good cop, meet seriously bad cop.

Scaramucci is the personification of Trumps deep brain. To the extent that the president ever withholds a thought, Scaramucci is there to express it for him. Hes his human Twitter feed. Thus, we may assume that what Scaramucci says, Trump thinks. Thanks to The New Yorkers Ryan Lizza, were privy to enough premium quotes to entertain ourselves for months.

As you may have heard, Scaramucci called Lizza on Wednesday in a rage over his leaked financial records and Lizzas reporting of an intimate Trump dinner to include Fox News Sean Hannity and Kimberly Guilfoyle, who, sources say, told Trump that then-White House chief of staff Reince Priebus was a leaker. When Scaramucci demanded that Lizza divulge his source, Lizza, a polite, erudite fellow, declined and did what reporters sometimes do: He taped the conversation, capturing a hailstorm of profane tirades against leakers and, specifically, Priebus  a [expletive] paranoid schizophrenic. By late Friday afternoon, Priebus was out of a job, with Trump tweeting that he was replacing him with Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly.

Next, we visit El Salvador, where, strangely, we find Attorney General Jeff Sessions. We know Trump wants to get rid of Sessions, but sending him into the maw of the beastly MS-13 gang seems excessively aggressive even for this president. While Poor Sessions was practicing Spanish for I have nothing against tattoos, but seriously?, Trump was making a play in Ohio for tighter immigration by focusing on the gangs murderous record.

And, lest we ignore the gold coin Trump magically pulled from his ear, the president randomly ordered transgender people out of the military. What, no women bleeding this week?

Health care, schmealth care, in other words. As buffer to the inevitable, Trump made sure to create a little sidebar drama  expelling thugs and transgender people, rooting out leakers and traitors, and threatening to fire anyone who says Russia in his presence.

So many shiny objects, so few left to fool.

A few Trump loyalists may wait for the last lifeboat, but its only a matter of time before this administration capsizes, titanically. Trumps first-year agenda is DOA along with health-care reform. Going after Sessions has hurt him with conservatives. His chaotic White House operation is a constant reminder that no ones in charge. The cumulative effect of all of these affronts to normalcy, decorum and democracy is to reveal the profile of a deadly iceberg off the ship of states bow.

Light shifts to a small lifeboat off in the distance. Rowing slowly is an old man whose posture betrays a straight spine despite obvious injury to his arms and shoulders. A smile creases his face as moonlight catches a twinkle in his eye. A deep scar above it imitates a wryly arched brow. He chuckles at the memory of Trump saying he was a war hero only because he was captured and turns to make yet another final gesture.

This time, he doesnt use his thumb.
In the period that 44 Congress lawmakers were hurried from one resort to another to "save secularism", the BJP became the single largest party in Rajya Sabha and tightened further its grip on India's power structure. Along with prime minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Venkaiah Naidu's election as India's 13th vice-president completes BJP's hold on the top four constitutional posts of the country. A more poignant contrast could be hard to find.

This is not a small landmark. It signals a symbolic, political and ideological change of guard and the phase could well turn out to be an inflection point in the history of this young republic. After a six-decade run, as the Congress dwindles as a political force and is forced to loosen its grip over the power structures of India's democratic institutions, the BJP is ready to step up and fill the vacuum.

But as it does so, the BJP must be careful. India cannot afford to have another Congress as the new hegemonic force. The country has suffered enough due to its fateful experiments with socialism. A state-led, protected economy sapped the competitive spirit and led to cronyism growing roots, making corruption endemic in India's body politic. Asian neighbours who were laggards in comparison during the 1950s have far outstripped India in terms of economic growth and human development.

If PV Narasimha Rao ushered in the first set of reforms and Atal Bihari Vajpayee followed it up with bold strokes, Modi must now pick up the baton. The prime minister is uniquely placed. He has at his disposal nearly unprecedented political power that was denied to Rao or Vajpayee. The Congress is in a shambles and has seemingly lost its ability to be the fulcrum of Opposition politics. The rivals are too busy protecting their turf from BJP's advances to stitch a coalition or offer a counter-strategy. Except pockets of regional resistance, BJP is now ready to paint the country saffron.

The extent of BJP's dominance can be gauged from the fact that for the first time in 24 years, 18 Indian states are being controlled by one ruling coalition. However, there is a world of difference in the Congress-led group of 1993 and BJP-led NDA of 2017. BJP's ascendancy has defied the rules of politics in coalition era. In the 1990s, India was still very much in the throes of single-party dominance.

The more interesting difference is pointed out by data crunching website howindialives.com in Livemint. "The BJP spread of 2017 appears more potent than the 1993 spread of the Congress. The 18 BJP/partner states  many of which are the large states in the heartland  of 2017 sent 66 percent of MPs to the Lok Sabha in 2014, against the 48 percent the Congress 18 states sent in the 1991 national elections. Further, 68 percent of Indias population (as per Census 2011) resides in the 18 states controlled by the BJP and its partners against 45 percent for the Congress 1993 spread (as per Census 1991)."

If we add the fact that BJP's rise is as ideological as political in nature  in the way inherited cultural notions are being challenged and even redrawn  it seems plausible to suggest that BJP's rise under Modi and Amit Shah is underwritten by a stronger social coalition and greater doctrinal support than Vajpayee could ever manage. This is also why Congress's secret hopes of fate inflicting another 2004 on BJP in 2019, might remain unfulfilled. Conversely, this puts vast responsibility on Modi.

As the prime minister of a strong, stable government and as the party's tallest leader, Modi has now no excuse not to deliver. A simple majority in Lower House, more firepower in Upper House, sympathetic ears in key Constitutional posts and control over 18 states provide the Union government with a fearsome concentration of power even within the limits of Indian democratic structure. The mandate is to deliver.

Modi seems to be aware of the enormity of the task in hand. He has spent a better part of his tenure in ushering in foundational reforms to give himself a better chance of launching the next stage. He has also been careful in building up social capital to hedge against political risks that are inevitable with reforms. But his cushion due to a shrinking Opposition space is nullified by the nature of the mandate which is inherently impatient.

Modi identified land reforms as his first and biggest area of reforms and flung himself headlong in that direction only to be stung by a 'suit-boot ki sarkar' jibe from Congress. That taught him a valuable lesson. The hope invested in him isn't monochromatic. India is at various stages of development at the same time and to pull up everyone at the same time is tricky. The effectiveness of the medicine lies in the way it is administered.

The prime minister perhaps understood that the answer lies not in forcing the poor into embracing empowerment over entitlement, but slowly making it apparent that there is more merit in the former by creating a conducive atmosphere. Modi's next few moves were strategic. He invested in overhauling the system by streamlining the entitlement delivery network. This is where the JAM (Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, mobile) came in. Demonetisation, despite being roundly slammed by economists, proved an astute political statement.

As Anil Padmanabhan writes in Livemint: "While many may not be buying into its economic logic, there is no doubt  especially after the sweep of the Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh  that politically everyone is convinced of the good intent of the regime to go after the corrupt It is on the basis of this trust quotient that Modi is now gradually wading into politically sensitive territory. The embracing of the goods and services tax, despite deep reservations among a section of traders (a traditional vote bank of the BJP) and textile sector (apparent from the notes of defiance emerging from Surat), is a good example."

The GST is still being laid out in all its mindboggling complexity but early signs suggest that a widening of the tax base is happening at a rapid clip. As Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said recently, "More than 71 lakh central and state taxpayers have migrated to GST system and have completed registration. Another 15.67 lakh new applications for registration have been received."

The Modi government has also targeted the subsidies on petroleum products. Economists have long pointed out that direct benefit transfer is a better way of redistribution of wealth than through subsidies and cross subsidies which never reach intended targets. On the anvil are LPG and kerosene subsidies which will be gradually removed by March next year. These are sensible moves.

Swami Aiyar points out in Times of India that "studies show up to 40 percent of subsidised kerosene is diverted from poor beneficiaries to the adulteration of diesel, which is more than twice as costly. Adulterated diesel produces massive pollution, much more than ordinary diesel, and the additional truck fumes sicken and kill poor people living on roadsides."

The government is also making promising noises on Air India though it would be wise to reserve judgement till a firm commitment is reached. The Air India privatisation bogey has been evoked too many times in the past. What is already visible is that despite taking such a series of politically sensitive steps, Modi government is not facing even a fraction of the backlash as these reforms usually invite.

This points to Modi's close mass connect and huge political capital but the challenge lies in the way how it must be wielded in the social arena. India is equally a geographical, political and ideological space and all of it must be secured and addressed at once to make India's progress stable.

The strains of a polity cleaved between divergent impulses, however, are showing. The cultural right wants ideological ascendancy at a faster clip but this is putting pressure on India's religious and cultural fault lines. Modi would know that dogmatic support provides insurance from wild political swings but it also poses its own set of risks. Taking the economy forward while keeping the fault lines in check requires a rare sleight of hand. For BJP to offer high growth and stability while maintaining its dominance, that is an imperative. Will Modi be up to the task?
New Delhi: The CPM on Monday demanded an explanation from the BJP on a media report that state-run banks wrote off bad loans worth Rs 81,683 crore in 2016-17.

In a tongue-in-cheek barb, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury asked Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to comment on the issue "if he has completed his vacation in Kerala".

The finance minister was in the southern state on Sunday to meet relatives of an RSS worker who was allegedly killed by functionaries of the CPM, which rules the state, on 29 July.

During the visit, Jaitley had accused the CPM of "eliminating rivals and creating an environment of violence" in the state.

Yechury said on Twitter that most of the loan defaulters were big corporate houses, whose identity, he added, was "hidden by the government".

He said this was happening when farmers were committing suicide allegedly because of mounting debts. He tweeted that after writing off Rs 1.14 lakh crore in its first two years, "this pro-rich sarkar" had "now waived Rs 81,683 crore".

"Who is benefiting under this govt is clear," he tweeted. "If the FM has completed his vacation in Kerala, will he answer how this write off of loans has happened," the Marxist leader asked on the micro-blogging site.

According to a media report, public sector banks wrote off bad loans of Rs 81,683 crore during the previous financial year, a rise of 41 percent over fiscal 2015-16.
Coimbatore: Senior CPI leader D Pandian on Monday accused the BJP of exploiting factionalism in AIADMK in its favour.

"AIADMK, after the death of late chief minister and its supremo J Jayalalithaa, is a faction-ridden party, without any single symbol or a leader," he told reporters in Coimbatore.

Thus, the BJP is exploiting the situation in its favour and is aiming to get a foothold in Tamil Nadu, he added.

AIADMK leaders were not able to exert pressure on the Centre to get exemption from National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical courses and was instead bowing before the Centre, the CPI leader alleged.

Asked what he thought of DMK working president MK Stalin, Pandian said as an opposition leader, he was functioning well and had taken up welfare measures like desilting of lakes and ponds.
Amid growing demands for Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala's resignation by Opposition, over his son Vikas's arrest in an alleged stalking case in Chandigarh, the pressure is now mounting on Barala from within his own party. The BJP MP from Kurukshetra, Rajkumar Saini, on Sunday said that the state BJP chief should resign on moral grounds, reported The Indian Express.

"If (someone in) our family has done a mistake, resignation should be submitted on moral grounds." Saini was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. The Kurukshetra MP further added that Barala's resignation may improve the image of the party.

According to The Tribune, Saini said that the incident brought a bad name "to the party working for women empowerment at the Centre and in the states."

"The involvement of Vikas Barala in a crime of drunk driving and stalking of a woman is a serious offence. If a leader cannot sensitise even his own family members on women safety, he should stay away from public life," Saini was quoted as saying by The Tribune.

BJP MP from Chandigarh Kirron Kher, responding to allegations that the case was being watered down, said that "politics will not be played with the case" and added that Chandigarh police was only going by law, News18 reported.

Incident with young girl from Chandigarh is unfortunate & shouldn't happen to anyone. We must also NOT play politics with a woman's dignity.  Kirron Kher (@KirronKherBJP) August 6, 2017

"The Chandigarh police is an extremely capable police force. They are not going to let anyone play politics with it. I am glad the girl is safe and nothing bad happened to her. I am sure the police will get to the bottom of the case," Kher was quoted as saying by News18.

On Sunday, two persons, including the son of Haryana's BJP chief, were arrested and released on bail soon after for allegedly stalking the daughter of a civil servant in Chandigarh.

The two LLB students, as per The Tribune, were following the girl in their car on Friday night. A medical examination later revealed both were reportedly drunk.

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday had said that Subhash Barala had "nothing to do with the incident", as Opposition demanded his resignation. Ruling out the resignation of Barala as the BJP state chief, Khattar said, "Barala has nothing to do with this incident. It is an individual incident. The accused will face action if found guilty."

"This is my official stand. It was my stand on Saturday and it is my stand today as well... After this, on this issue, no question, no answer," he told reporters in Hisar.

Barala had said he respects the law and that the "truth" would come out. Haryana's leader of Opposition and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Singh Chautala had demanded the resignation of Barala.

Barala was re-elected as the state BJP president for the second time in three years in January 2016. The 48-year-old Jat leader is an MLA from Tohana. He was earlier the BJP appointed chief of the state unit in November 2014.

With inputs from PTI
Chandigarh: Senior BJP leader Anil Jain, incharge of the party's Haryana affairs, on Monday ruled out the resignation of its state unit chief Subhash Barala following the arrest of the latter's son in a stalking case in Chandigarh.

"Subhash Barala has nothing to with the Vikas Barala case. The law is taking its own course. There is no reason for Subhash Barala's resignation," Jain said in a statement in Chandigarh.

Jain's statement ruling out Barala's resignation comes a day after Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also said that the BJP state unit chief had "nothing to do with incident".

The Opposition has been mounting pressure seeking Subhash Barala's resignation on the issue.

"Subhash Barala has nothing to do with this incident. It is an individual happening, the accused will face action once found guilty. This is my official stand, this was my stand yesterday and this is my stand today too. After this, on this issue, no question, no answer," Khattar had told reporters on Sunday.

Subhash Barala had earlier said that he respects the law and the "truth" will come out through the judicial process.

The son of Haryana's ruling BJP chief was arrested along with his friend for allegedly stalking a woman in Chandigarh.

Both the accused, Vikas Barala (23) and Ashish Kumar (27), were released later on bail as they were booked under bailable sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act, amid a major outcry.

The incident came to light when the woman, around 28 years of age, called up the police on Friday night and complained that two youths were chasing her.

Meanwhile, Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar on Monday met the victim and her family at her residence and assured her of support in fighting the case.

A protest march was also taken out in Chandigarh over the incident.

"We appreciate the brave girl for standing up to harassment by two men, one of them belonging to an influential family. The whole of Chandigarh stands by her side," said a citizen.

A Congress worker also accused the Chandigarh police of acting under pressure in the stalking case to protect the accused.
Chandigarh: BJP MP Kirron Kher on Monday said the Chandigarh Police was not facing any political pressure in the stalking incident, where the Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala's son Vikas Barala allegedly stalked a woman, and assured the victim and her family that justice would be done.

She lamented that certain "wild allegations" like the one on CCTV footage going missing were being made and stressed that the law would take its course.

The victim's father, a senior Haryana IAS officer who had taken to the social media to urge people to fight crime against women, told reporters that he had full faith in the system and was grateful to Chandigarh Police for "saving" his daughter's life.

He said he had requested the home department immediately after the FIR was lodged that care be taken to secure the CCTV footage.

He also said that "unless somebody from the family (of the accused) is trying to sabotage the investigations and the prosecution, they are not involved in this, we are very clear. We do not hold the family responsible in any way."

His response came as the Opposition stepped up demand for resignation of BJP state chief Subhash Barala and criticised the Chandigarh police for not charging his son with kidnapping in the incident.

Kher, the MP from Chandigarh, on Monday rubbished claims that the accused were booked under lenient provisions as one of them is related to the state BJP leader.

"The police are under no political pressure, this is absolutely baseless. The Chandigarh Police are doing their job as any professional force does," she said

"During police investigation if something else comes up, I am sure the police will follow through," Kher said.

The MP said that security will be further strengthened in the city so that such incidents are not repeated.

Asked about reported allegations that CCTV footage was missing, Kher said, "people who are saying the footage went missing are making wild allegations".

"The police have assured the victim and her family that wherever CCTV cameras are installed and any footage that the cameras would have captured is going to be kept secure."

Assuring the victim and her family that justice would be done, Kher said, "As a mother, I can understand the sentiments of the victim's family at this time. Whatever is legal and correct in this case, will be done."
Jammu: Union minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday said that the people of Kashmir, particularly the youth, have started questioning the separatists who he alleged have acquired "riches overnight".

"The people have begun to understand and raise the question as to which model of struggle from the history of the world is being followed by the so-called freedom fighters of Kashmir," Singh told reporters.

"Is this (Mahatma) Gandhi Model or (Nelson) Mandela Model or King Martin Luther model wherein you (separatists) have privilege of overnight becoming leaders and make overnight fortunes and gathering overnight riches and enjoying all the amenities and facilities of life? he asked.

Singh was replying to a question on the NIA raids and arrest of some separatists.

Taking a swipe at the separatist leaders, the minister said, "You ensure your children are well settled in the most lucrative positions and placed in peaceful areas of India and other parts of the world and at the same time, you instigate poor men's children to become martyrs."

"If that is the model, then it should be Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji model, who sacrificed all his children before asking for the sacrifice of the others' children," he said.

Earlier in the day, the minister reviewed the status of ongoing works under various centrally-sponsored schemes in Udhampur district.

Singh, who paid a day-long visit to Udhampur, held a meeting with district officials. Singh represents Udhampur in the Lok Sabha.
Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MLAs disrupted the proceedings of the Kerala Assembly on Monday over rising political violence in the state involving the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) as well as the BJP and RSS.

The Speaker adjourned the opening day of the session soon after Question Hour as Congress members reached the House with banners to highlight the ongoing violent clashes in the state.

Senior Congress member K Muraleedharan sought leave for an adjournment motion to discuss how the CPM and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were destroying peace and tranquillity in the state.

Muraleedharan said there appeared to be some sort of a pact between the two parties. He said the political violence had helped the BJP to increase its profile.

"The BJP state unit, which is struggling to save its face in the wake of a scam, got a new lease of life when CPM workers ransacked their office and then killed an RSS worker," he said. "And the governor (P Sathasivam) finally summoned chief minister (Pinarayi Vijayan)."

Vijayan said canards were being spread about the situation in Kerala.

"Violence has taken place in our state in the past also but this time lies are being spread and this is being done with a purpose," he said.

"What must be noted is that the police have acted swiftly. They have taken into custody all the perpetrators involved in the attacks - both at the state BJP office and those behind the killing of the RSS worker," he said.

The chief minister also presented a few cases from the rest of the country where Muslims have been killed by what he said were "communal forces".

Hitting back, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said it was strange to hear Vijayan mention the killings of Muslims while feigning ignorance about killings in Kerala by his own party.

"Did you speak a word after Rahul Gandhi was attacked in Gujarat? You should see everything in totality and that you are not able to do is because you behave like a CPM leader only when you should have risen to the level of a statesman," the Congress leader said.

"What's happening in Kerala is a stage-managed event launched by the BJP and the CPM and we have strongly opposed the manner in which the governor summoned you," he said.

"In West Bengal, the chief minister refused to meet the governor while you met the governor. It was a shame for Kerala to see you sitting before the governor. You and your government have been a miserable failure on all fronts," said Chennithala amidst thumping of desks.

When Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan refused to take up the issue for debate, the opposition was up on its feet and shouted slogans.

The Speaker rushed through the listed business for the day and adjourned the House for the day.
The street fights between the thugs of CPM and RSS-BJP in Kerala bring to my mind a little story I had once narrated to a room full of teachers and students.

Its this: When God created what is now Kerala and blessed it with magnificent greenery and picturesque backwaters, the people of the neighbouring regions got very jealous. They made a beeline to God, complaining of his disproportionate distribution of natures beauty.

Then God sat back on his golden settee, took a sip of the nectar which Keralas toddy-tappers had gifted him, thought about the grievance for a while and decreed: Kerala shall have harebrained Marxists and a vengeful army opposed to them in the twentieth century. They shall stain the green of their abode with the red of their own blood.

I had concocted the little tale  only half in jest  but thats what the goons of the CPM and the RSS-BJP have been doing for nearly 50 years: living out a curse on Kerala.

Like the Mexican drug lords or the Sicilian mafiosos of yore and the present-day Turks and Kurds, the CPM and the Sangh Parivar routinely decimate each others workers, thumbing their noses at the rule of law and reducing democracy to a mobocracy.

A new, macabre phase

The latest murder, that of RSS worker Rajesh Edavakode on 29 July, only reinforced the new, macabre phase that the Lefts return to power last year brought to Keralas killing fields. Even by the standards of the law of the jungle that prevails in the state, the escalation of violence is too gruesome to be permitted in a civilised world.

And its a double whammy for the state. If the Lefts marauding mobs are emboldened by the control of the police by their partys government, the RSS-BJP busybodies derive moral courage by Sangh Parivars rule at the Centre, as they extract a jaw for a tooth when attacked. Clearly, the leaders of both sides have lost control of their rampaging mobs.

Its a sign of the rising tension that Rajeshs brutal killing  his palm was chopped off  brought forth unprecedented reactions. While Governor P Sathasivam summoned Vijayan to talk about the violence, the RSS called for imposition of Presidents rule in the state.

Then Union home minister Rajnath Singh minced no words in telling Vijauan that the killing was unacceptable. And finally came the visit of Union minister Arun Jaitley to Kerala on Sunday to commiserate with the victims family. Its another matter that Jaitley would have done more credit to himself and his party if he visited the family of at least one CPM man killed in the past.

Police inaction is evident from the fact that Rajeshs murder didnt come from out of the blue: it was the result of simmering tension that was easy to see. It came two days after the BJPs state office was vandalised in the presence of silent policemen and, in a tit for tat, the home of state CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakarishnans son was attacked.

Dispassionate observers are left with no doubt that the leaders of both the CPM and the local outfits of the RSS and the BJP must take the blame for this continuing mayhem. Its no longer relevant to find who is more responsible for the bloodshed or get caught in a chicken-first-or-egg-first conundrum by asking who started it all. Whats pertinent is that both sides must rein in their respective thugs to bring about peace that befits the states sobriquet of Gods Own Country.

Vijayan forgets promises

After Vijayan took oath as the chief minister in May 2016, there was the hope that he would clean up the financial mess left behind by the outgoing, scam-infested Congress government and make peoples lives better. He made all the right noises. At the same time, there was a stark fear of a major spike in CPM-RSS tension, and he was prompt to promise zero-tolerance for political violence.

The hope for a government remains unfulfilled. Kerala is selling government stocks and securities worth Rs 4,000 crore to pay for pensions and welfare funds.

But the fear of more killings has come true in double-quick time. According to official data, eight BJP-RSS workers and three CPM men have been killed since Vijayan took over, many of these in his home district of Kannur.

Ever since the first recorded killing of RSS functionary Vadikkal Ramarishnan by the CPM men in 1968, there has been no end to this eye-for-eye politics. The police estimate the number of murders in the last 40 years to be about 200, though the CPM and the RSS-BJP claim that each side lost 300 workers during the period.

While power in Kerala alternates between the CPM-led Left Democratic Front and the Congress-led United Democratic Front with monotonous regularity, statistics clearly show that Kerala sees more violence when the Left rules the state.

Resorting to brutal violence to take control of things is part of the archaic Communist ideology, particularly the Stalinist vanguardism that the CPM swears by, though its chary of admitting it. This was the reason why West Bengal saw bloodshed in the 34 years of the CPM rule, during which the party made a fine mess of its economy, and its ruffians wreaked unspeakable horrors on people, effectively reducing the state to a Waste Bengal, and finally losing power.

And thats precisely the reason why the CPM is not overly squeamish about its workers annihilating rivals. There is no dearth of evidence to prove that in several cases the middle-level or top Marxist leaders either encouraged or protected killers. They fool themselves with the belief that violence against partys enemies can hasten the Great Indian Revolution to purge India of all its bourgeoisie evils.

The Left refuses to junk its ideological rubbish despite its miserable show in elections. The CPMs electoral tally has crashed from 5.6 percent vote share and 43 Lok Sabha seats in 2004 to 3.2 percent votes and nine seats in 2014. Kerala is the only state the party rules other than Tripura.

It needs no political genius to conclude that the stepped-up violence is also the result of a political turf war. The CPM is wary of BJPs growing clout in Kerala. The BJPs vote share rose from 4.75 percent in the 2006 Assembly elections to 10.6 percent last year, when it also bagged its first Assembly seat.

While the RSS-BJP would do well to restrain their cadres and stop them from taking the law into their hands whenever the hammer and sickle strike them, the ball is primarily in Vijayans court since, as the chief minister, its his job to maintain peace.

On Sunday, Vijayan said he feared that the image of a strife-torn state would jeopardise his development agenda. But he has more at stake: He may even lose the government itself, if the violence is not checked and if the calls for Presidents Rule become more vocal.

Long before a Congress-mukt Bharat, India could become Left-mukt, if Vijayan fails in his job.
Political killings arent new in Keralas political landscape. The politics of bloodshed dates back to the 1970s and 1980s and the early days of the creation of Left and Right fronts. Since then, political goons masquerading as party workers have executed opponents  some for local reasons and others deployed to send larger political messages. There have been countless murders, each of which has a contradicting storyline depending on whom you ask.

The BJP-RSS joined the world of political killings soon when it began to seek inroads to the states bipolar political scene.

But, of late things are changing beyond typical local clashes. The RSS and BJP have been attempting to build a narrative slowly but steadily to bring the political violence in Kerala into the national conscious, and more importantly, to portray itself as the primary victim. In fact, the RSS, which is stronger than the BJP in Kerala, has openly asked for Presidents Rule in the state. The pattern of events in the recent past, especially after the murder of RSS worker, Rajesh, allegedly by CPM workers, suggests this strategy.

In this context, there have been three major developments following Rajeshs killing: Kerala governor P Sathasivam summoning the chief minister to convey his concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state on 30 July, the visit of top BJP leader and Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, and reports of likely visits of BJP president and master strategist Amit Shah and chief ministers of BJP-ruled state to Kerala in the backdrop of Rajeshs murder. All this lead to a well-thought out, carefully calibrated BJP-RSS strategy of branding Kerala as a land of political violence in order to make a case for Presidents Rule in the state. The LDF leadership is largely caught off-guard in this plot.

Logically, this could be part of BJP-RSS strategy to get a firm grip of the political scene in the state after realising that chances of organic growth in the near future are shrinking or are too time-consuming.

One major clue that signals such a narrative lies in Jaitleys comments on the political killings in the state.

Jaitley expressed concern on the "continuing saga of violence in Kerala" and blamed Keralas CPM government for the political violence in the state, accusing it of "using" its cadres to "eliminate" rival party workers. Further, Jaitley also made a comparison of Rajesh killing to terrorists saying, "The kind of wounds inflicted on Rajesh would even embarrass terrorists." More critically, Jaitley criticised the state police for its inability to control the perpetrators of violence against BJP and RSS workers, saying "the state needs peace and it deserves peace". Finally, Jaitley made a note of the increase in murders of RSS-BJP workers after Pinarayi Vijayan came to power.

At the same time, it is important to note here is that Jaitley was largely silent about the loss of lives on the CPM side allegedly caused by RSS-BJP workers. That is despite families of some 21 CPM workers allegedly killed by RSS-BJP cadres staging a dharna demanding that Jaitley visit their houses as well. The fact is that political violence has resulted in deaths on both sides, but Jaitelys remarks appeared to play up RSS-BJP as primary victims. Remember, the political narrative against CPM and in favour of BJP-RSS began taking shape way back during the Kannur killings after the LDF government took over, when the BJP national leadership voiced similar arguments.

In fact, both RSS and BJP have been trying to make inroads in the state for a while, which has met with stiff resistance from the CPM. Logically, martyrs like Rajesh help it to gain sympathy among the neutral voters, whereas the CPM workers wrongly assume that such killings would scare away people. Also, there are reasons to believe that state political leaderships are losing control of the actions of the workers on the ground. There have been allegations of both left and RSS resorting to eliminate their own workers for political reasons. Former Communist Party leader TP Chandrashekharan was hacked to death in May 2012 in Kerala allegedly by Left cadres. Early this year, an RSS worker from Kerala's Kannur district had alleged that the RSS tried to kill him to put the blame on the ruling CPM. To be sure, these two incidents are in totally different contexts.

CPM falling into a trap

The Kerala CPM, headed by Vijayan, is falling into a well-laid trap by countering this narrative with bigger battle calls against BJP/RSS and attempting to gag the media, instead of dealing with the volatile situation in the state in a mature way and assuring the centre about necessary steps to ensure law and order situation. "Times have changed. Now the BJP should realise that the situation in Kerala is no longer the same as during the dismissed EMS Government. What BJP should first be doing is to let the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath settle law and order there, said Kerala CPM secretary, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, commenting on Jaitleys visit. Vijayan too expressed his concern over the Centres propaganda against the state.

But, in the battle of strategies, the BJP is winning in a big way. It has successfully brought the RSS worker-killing to the national stage and is picturing the state as a land of political violence where the state government and police remain helpless spectators. The usual drill that precedes Centres rule in any state is progressing quietly  the governor summoning the chief minister, Union ministers visiting the place of violence, expressing a loss of confidence and terming the events as total political anarchy.

The states CPM leadership is responding to this strategy the exact same way the BJP wants it to act  by resorting to counter accusations, blame games and denying its inability to take control of the law and order situation. It is making a big mistake. Instead, the Vijayan government would do better to offer a mature response to the Centre. By going into confrontation mode with the Centre, the Vijayan government is making the BJP-RSS leaderships job easier. The CPM state leadership lacks strategy and the ability to foresee well-laid political traps by RSS-BJP.
Supreme Court Denies Counsel to Man Wrongfully Convicted

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 7, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- On December 30, 2010 Christian Missionary George Raudenbush was pulled over by Tellico Plains Police Officer Brian Millsaps, Mr. Raudenbush was brutally beaten as retaliation for filing complaints about public corruption barely escaping with his life that night.

At a pretrial hearing Mr. Raudenbush respectfully requested the court to appoint counsel to represent him on the false charges brought by Millsaps, instead Judge Carroll Ross ordered Mr. Raudenbush to be detained and held until trial without counsel or bond. Three days later, Mr. Raudenbush was brought to trial in an electronic shock jacket, ordered to represent himself and was convicted.

His convictions were over turned by the Knoxville Court of Appeals and remanded back to the trial court for a sham retrial where Mr. Raudenbush's court appointed attorney was denied sufficient time to adequately prepare the case. Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood prohibited the jury from hearing the two 911 calls made by Mr. Raudenbush asking for help. Jury - tampering involving the jury foreman and Millsaps was directly observed by wittiness in gaining an unlawful conviction to cover up the failed attempt to murder Mr. Raudenbush.

Gerald L. Gulley was appointed to represent Mr. Raudenbush in his appeal; however, he disregarded Judge Woodall and his client's instructions and refused to remove himself from the case, losing the appeal. Obstructing Justice to conceal the criminal actions of another is a federal offense punishable under law.

By order of the Tennessee Supreme Court the court has again forced Mr. Raudenbush to represent himself . Mr. Raudenbush has served a four-year prison sentence for a crime he did not commit according to the Prima Facie Evidence and witness testimony in the court transcripts. During his prison sentence three attempts were made on his life in which he became disabled. During that time, Mr. Raudenbush assisted many men in studying for the GED test. He intervened, placing his own life in danger, to save the life of a correctional officer who was knocked unconscious in an organized gang attempt to kill the officer.

Mr. Raudenbush 53, has worked extensively with law enforcement and the military over the past 40 years and has the utmost respect for officers of integrity who take an oath to serve and protect its citizens. He has been working in youth leadership since the age of 15 and has served as the National Missions Coordinator for Appalachian Youth Missions in Tennessee since 1999. He is currently working to establish a residential program and solutions for orphaned youth aging out of the Tennessee State system having no place to go.
Ahmedabad/New Delhi: In a blow to the Congress in Gujarat and a further setback for Ahmed Patel's attempt to enter the Rajya Sabha for the fifth term, an NCP MLA said he and his party colleague have been asked to vote for the BJP.

RS polls: Major blow for Congress, NCP to back BJP Read @ANI_news story | https://t.co/tCcgPvU9cY pic.twitter.com/Bdm6zZGxIw  ANI Digital (@ani_digital) August 7, 2017

Nationalist Congress Party MLA Kandhal Jadeja told local TV that they had been asked by senior party leaders to vote for BJP's Balvantsinh Rajput in Tuesday's Rajya Sabha election.

The latest development muddies the situation for Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, with the BJP all out to stymie his efforts in the biennial elections.

Earlier, the 44 Congress MLAs, who were flown to Bengaluru to prevent "poaching" by the BJP, returned to the state on Monday.

They were moved to the Nijanand Resort near Anand. Their family members visited the resort for the Raksha Bandhan festival.

Of the 57 party legislators in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, six quit the party on 26 July and three of them joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on 28 July. Of the remaining 51 MLAs, seven, including Shankersinh Vaghela, did not join those who were flown to Bengaluru.

Patel, who needs 45 first preference votes in a House with an effective strength of 176 MLAs, expressed confidence that he will win the election with the support of 44 party MLAs, and the backing of two NCP and a lone JD(United) member.

"I have spoken to (NCP chief) Sharad Pawarji, and he has promised all help to the Congress. They have even issued a whip. As for Vaghela, he has himself promised that he will vote for me, and I believe he will keep his word," he said.

Asked about allegations of surveillance on him and Congress MLAs by the ruling BJP, he said: "I don't know why I am targeted like this. This is an example of a banana republic.

"I have full confidence in my victory tomorrow despite the BJP's attempts and the numbers will surprise everyone," Patel said at the private resort near Anand where the 44 MLAs are lodged.

On Tuesday, the legislators will directly go to state capital Gandhinagar to vote for Ahmed Patel.

BJP chief Amit Shah and Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani are contesting the other two seats, which the BJP is sure to win. The party fielded Congress defector Balwantsinh Rajput as the third candidate in its bid to defeat Patel.

"As all of us are united. The BJP cannot threaten any of our MLAs. Horse trading is not possible with those who are with us," party's lawmaker Shaktisinh Gohil told reporters earlier.

In New Delhi, the Congress expressed confidence of Ahmed Patel's win, despite the BJP's attempts to lure MLAs through money, power and threats.

"BJP, by adopting cheap methods, is conspiring to turn minority votes into majority in Gujarat," the Congress said.

"They can make all attempts to insult the people's mandate ... But we are confident that Ahmed Patel is going to be victorious ...," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala while briefing reporters.

"People have rejected them. It will be proven in the assembly elections. BJP is worried about the loss in Gujarat; therefore, they are trying their best to further lower the level of politics.

"However much they (BJP) try to conspire, Congress will walk the path of truth and will win," he added.

Gujarat has seldom experienced political suspense since 1995 when the first BJP government came to power, and after Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has fortified the state like a fiefdom. All the 26 Lok Sabha candidates in the state are from Modi's party.

Problems started when Congress veteran, Shankersinh Vaghela, called it quits at a public show of strength on his 77th birthday on 21 July over not being made the chief ministerial candidate for the 2017 Assembly elections and not being handed over the complete reins of the campaign.

On Monday, Vaghela said he was not in touch with Congress MLAs.

He also said his relations with Congress leader Ahmed Patel were "very cordial".

Vaghela, who resigned from the Congress in July, told NDTV in an interview that there was no question of getting any offer from the BJP.

Asked about his vote, Vaghela said voting was the "property of a MLA". I don't want to expose it."

Asked about speculation that he had been offered the post of Governor by the BJP, Vaghela said there were no talks between him and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"There is no question of any offer," he said, and added that BJP leaders were not in touch with him.

Earlier, the NCP had extended its support to Patel.

Lone JD(United) MLA Chhotubhai Vasava has also extended his support to Patel's candidature.
Patna: Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday alleged a nexus existed between Lalu Prasad's family and sand mafia, who purchased three flats from the RJD chief's wife Rabri Devi.

RJD spokesman Shakti Singh Yadav dismissed the allegation as "a bundle of lies".

Talking to media, Modi claimed that Rabri Devi, a former chief minister, owned 18 flats in a housing complex, and to avoid income tax and other agencies, sold three to a member of a sand mafia on 17 June this year.

Modi distributed copies of purported sale deeds of the three flats to the media, purchased by the three companies engaged in sand mining. He claimed the director of all three companies was SP Yadav the "right-hand man" of Lalu Prasad.

He alleged that with the help of the RJD president the sand mafia had acquired mining lease of sand in six districts  Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Jehanabad and Arwal  for Rs 237 crore.

"Why the sand mafia purchased three flats from Rabri Devi on a single day at a cost of Rs 1.62 crore?" he asked and said it showed his close nexus with Lalu Prasad's family.

Sushil Modi said he would write to Income Tax and Registrar of Companies to probe sale and purchase of the three flats and take necessary action.

He said he would also intimate Chief Minister Nitish Kumar about this and request him to order a probe by state agencies.

Modi asked Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and their son and former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav to make pubic details of such "dubious" sale and purchase of flats in the next 3-4 days, failing which he said he would keep "exposing" such deals.

The BJP leader alleged that the sand mafia was funding the RJD.

Immediately after coming to power, the new government in Bihar has launched a major crackdown against sand mafia, seizing machines used for illegal mining and a large number of sand laden trucks.

Meanwhile, RJD spokesman Shakti Singh Yadav dismissed the allegations as "a bundle of lies".

"The lease was given to the person when Sushil Kumar Modi was the mines and minerals minister in the previous NDA government", he claimed.

This is an attempt to "disturb" the RJD's 27 August rally, he said.
New Delhi: Veteran BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu, who had humble origins in an agriculturist family in Andhra Pradesh, was on Saturday elected as the Vice-President of India, completing the quartet of top four constitutional posts  president, vice-president, prime minister and Lok Sabha Speaker  going to persons from BJP with RSS background for the first time in 70 years.

Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu, 68, who was a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee and later the Narendra Modi governments, defeated the combined Opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi by a huge margin of 272 votes in a straight contest, whose outcome was already predictable.

At the end of two-hour counting process in the 15th vice-presidential election, Returning Officer Shamsher K Sherif announced the election of Naidu, who secured 516 votes against 244 by Gandhi. In all, 771 votes were cast out of a total of 785 MPs eligible to vote. Eleven votes were declared invalid. Of this, seven were voters backing Gandhi.

A seasoned politician, Naidu, who had his political teeth cut in the RSS and later Bharatiya Jana Sangh, had been president of the BJP. Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and C Rajagopalachari, is a bureaucrat-turned-diplomat, who was governor of West Bengal. He was fielded by the Congress-led Opposition with backing from parties, including Trinamool Congress, Left, BJD and the Janata Dal (U).

Soon after his election, Naidu said he as chairman of the Rajya Sabha, would steer the functioning of the House "without fear or favour" and uphold its dignity and decorum with the cooperation of all members by acting in accordance with the rules and conventions of the House.

In his reaction, Gandhi congratulated Naidu on his victory and wished him all the best in his new office. He hoped Naidu would be vice-president of all sections of India.

Gandhi thanked all the parties that supported him and said that the voting figures showed that the numbers that voted for him were "beyond expectations".

He said the fight in the election was for free thought, free speech, pluralism and secularism.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted Naidu on his victory and expressed confidence that he will serve the nation "as a diligent and dedicated vice-president, committed to the goal of nation building".

"My mind is filled with memories of working with Venkaiah Naidu in the party and the government. Will cherish this aspect of our association. My best wishes for a fruitful and motivating tenure," Modi tweeted.

My mind is filled with memories of working with @MVenkaiahNaidu Garu, in the Party & Government. Will cherish this aspect of our association  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 5, 2017

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad also congratulated Naidu and said he was sure that he would give time and opportunities to all leaders and parties to express their views in the way the outgoing Chairman Hamid Ansari conducted the House.

Azad and CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said the fight was between two political trends. One wanted to strengthen the constitutional order. Both of them thanked Gandhi for agreeing to be the Opposition candidate and for putting up a dignified fight.

Azad and Yechury claimed that the Opposition has got 19 votes more than what it got in the recent presidential election. They said they would go into issues like how many of their voters were absent or invalid and the reasons for that and take actions internally.

Born in 1949 in Chavatapalem in Nellore district, Naidu acquired law degree from Andhra University College of Law Visakhapatnam. He was a "swayamsevak" in the RSS and joined ABVP during his college days. He came to the spotlight for his role in "Jai Andhra" movement of 1972 and became the convenor of the anti-corruption Jayaprakash Chhatra Samiti in 1974. He held street protests against the Emergency.

He served three terms in the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka from 1998 and was elected for his fourth term from Rajasthan last year. He was a member of the Andhra Pradesh assembly twice in the 1980s.

Naidu was rural development minister in the Vajpayee government between 2000-2002. In Modi's government, first he was parliamentary affairs minister as well as the housing and urban development minister. From parliamentary affairs, he was shifted to information and broadcasting minister which portfolio he held till he was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate.

Soon after his election, a string of leaders of the BJP and allied parties and ministers went to Naidu's residence and greeted him on his victory.
Ahmedabad: The Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat slated for Tuesday has become a high-stakes battle for the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress.

The elections to the upper house from the state, where assembly polls are due later this year, have received greater attention with BJP president Amit Shah and Union Minister Smriti Irani entering the fray and the Congress putting up its heavyweight Ahmed Patel.

The battle is set against the backdrop of dramatic political developments including the revolt in the Congress by veteran leader Shankersinh Vaghela, the resignation of half-a-dozen party MLAs and shifting of 44 MLAs to Bengaluru to protect them from what the Congress has called "poaching" attempts.

Patel, the political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, needs 45 votes to win. His party at present has the support of 44 MLAs, who have returned to the state after camping in a resort near Bengaluru for over a week.

On their return this morning, they have been put up in a resort in Anand district.

Even if none of them cross-votes or uses None of the Above (NOTA) option, the Congress will require one additional vote to ensure Patel's victory.

Four candidates are in the fray for the three vacancies to the upper house of parliament and the contest is expected to go down to the wire.

Apart from Shah and Irani, the BJP has fielded Balwantsinh Rajput, who recently quit the Congress and joined the ruling party.

The Congress is banking on the support of two NCP MLAs and one each of JD(U) and Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP).

However, NCP leader Praful Patel on Sunday said his party had not yet taken any decision on extending support to any particular party in these polls.

Notably, the NCP and the JD(U) MLAs had accompanied Patel when he filed his nomination.

Chotubhai Vasava, MLA of JD(U), has been saying that he will only support those who will give something to his constituency. The Congress is also hoping to win back a few of its seven MLAs, out of its total 51 in the state Assembly, who did not go to Bengaluru and are believed to be close to the Vaghela camp.

This group includes the veteran leader himself.

Before Vaghela broke ranks, the Congress had 57 MLAs in the 182-member House. Six of its MLAs subsequently resigned bringing down the party's tally to 51 and the effective strength of the house to 176.

As per State Election Commission officials, a candidate requires one-fourth of the total number of votes plus one to get elected. This would mean a contestant has to muster 45 votes.

The EC officials said the MLAs have to give their preferential votes indicating first choice, second, third, fourth (as per the number of candidates) or they can choose NOTA.

The BJP with 121 MLAs in the House can easily get its two candidates elected.

But for the third candidate, it has just 31 votes going by the party tally.

Patel has expressed confidence that he will win.

"Not just 44 votes but (I) will get much more votes," Patel had told reporters last week.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, however, expressed confidence that all the three BJP candidates will win.

There was also a controversy over NOTA (none of the above) option and the Supreme Court had refused to stay its use in the Rajya Saba polls though both the Congress and the BJP objected to it.

Shah is camping in Gujarat and strategising on how to make all the three BJP candidates emerge victorious.

The BJP has called all its MLAs to Gandhinagar for an orientation on how to vote in the Rajya Sabha polls, party sources said.
Reuters

The British government issued new guidelines on Sunday requiring manufacturers of internet-connected vehicles to put in place tougher cyber protections to ensure they are better shielded against hackers.

The government said it was concerned that smart vehicles, which allow drivers to do things such as access maps and travel information, could be targeted by hackers to access personal data, steal cars that use keyless entry systems, or take control of technology for malicious reasons.

The new guidelines will also ensure that engineers seek to design out cyber security threats as they develop new vehicles, the government said.

"Whether we're turning vehicles into Wi-Fi-connected hotspots or equipping them with millions of lines of code to become fully automated, it is important that they are protected against cyber-attacks," Martin Callanan, a minister in the Department for Transport, said in a statement.

"Our key principles give advice on what organisations should do, from the board level down, as well as technical design and development considerations."

The new guidelines include making the systems able to withstand receiving corrupt, invalid or malicious data or commands, and allowing users to delete personally identifiable data held on a vehicle's systems.

Manufacturers must make plans for how to maintain and support security over the lifetime of the vehicle, the government said, and personal accountability for product security should be held at board level.

Alongside this, the government said it was also planning new legislation governing insurance for self-driving cars.

The introduction of self-driving cars has been hampered by legal hurdles in several countries as insurers and legislators try to establish who would ultimately be responsible in the event of an accident.

"Measures to be put before parliament mean that insuring modern vehicles will provide protection for consumers if technologies fail," it said.
Nimish Sawant

The Google employee who sent an internal mail titled 'Google's Ideological Echo Chamber', has once again raised the issue that is endemic to the tech industry in general. The gender and race disparity, which is present is almost all the industries, sees a particularly higher gap in science, technology, engineering and medicine (STEM) fields.

Over the weekend, a 10-page document written by a Google employee expressed a need to stop its diversity campaigns and focus on ideological diversity.

The post, written by a male software engineer, went viral within the organisation for its controversial content, which went to the extent of saying that women in the same position as men, were paid less not due to any bias but because of inherent psychological differences between the genders.

Geetha Kannan, managing director, India, for the Anita Borg Institute which works towards advocating diversity in technology and educating organisations on its importance, says that this is nothing new. According to Kannan, the attitude emerging from the 10-page document is a classic example of falling victim to the unconscious bias  prejudices which are defined by attitudes or stereotypes which affect our understanding, actions and decisions in an unconscious manner.

According to Google's 2017 diversity report, while the overall women : men ratio is 31 : 69, in the technology and leadership roles, the gap becomes even more wider. While there are 20 percent women in tech in Google in 2017 as compared to a mere 17 percent in 2014, only one in four women hold leadership roles. In terms of racial diversity, over 50 percent are White, a consistent figure for every year since 2013.

Amidst these numbers, for an employee to advocate discrimination when it comes to diversity is bound to go the wrong way. Google's vice president for Diversity, Integrity and Governance Danielle Brown sent across a memo to Googlers saying that the company did not endorse the vision of the employee who sent out the 10-page document.

"The gender gap in work environments can be attributed to many factors such as women not taking responsibility due to socio-cultural factors or they not being assertive or ambitious enough. On the other hand, it's about organisations not doing enough to bridge the gender gap. And that's where we are suffering the most," says Kannan.

Diversity on the recruitment panel is pertinent if one is to have a diverse workforce, according to Kannan.

"You generally tend to recruit someone who resembles you. We always advocate the fact that whenever you hire, there should be a diversity in the hiring panel itself," says Kannan.

It is no wonder then that we keep hearing about the 'bro-culture' in most startups. Or the fact that there are very few women startup founders. This Quora thread has some interesting insights into why that could be so.

But even the corporate IT world is afflicted by this phenomenon. "There are some organisations who are taking concerted efforts now to bridge the gap, but it's a long process. A very famous IT company in India managed to reduce the gender gap by around 1.5 percent, only after the top management took deep interest in ensuring it happened. It took around three years," says Kannan.

Then there is the question of having quotas to show diversity numbers. Kannan feels that it makes no sense just to hire women and say that you have a healthy diversity mix. There are a lot of things you have to do to retain these employees.

There are also studies which have pointed to the fact women negotiate less than men when it comes to asking for a raise in salary or a promotion. Also the attitudes differ according to Kannan. "For instance, if you are a male and are assertive about wanting a promotion  you are called ambitious, a go-getter, you will be seen to be demonstrating your leadership skills and so on. Basically it is seen in a positive light. Whereas if you changed the genders and kept the situation as is, the women would be called bossy, trying to take control and basically painting it with a negative brush," says Kannan.

Also, the rate of promotions is different for men and women. Whereas men might ask for incentives to do more work, women tend to take on more work at the same pay, says Kannan. This ultimately leads to women getting a lower pay grade for the same amount of work that their male counterpart does.

According to Kannan, there is an inherent unconscious bias that in a lot of us which also causes us to make these decisions. For instance, if you are on a road and the car ahead of you takes a left turn instead of a right, you immediately assume that the driver is a woman. This is the same bias that causes a lot of recruiters to think that women in STEM are not up for the challenge.

"It is widely assumed that in the STEM fields since it requires a lot of left-brain related work, it is not suitable for women who are more right-brain oriented. If a recruiter or a company's top management is already thinking along those lines, then how can the woman get a chance to get that promotion?" questions Kannan.

Lot of companies used to have a Chief Diversity Officer who would report to the top management thereby ensuring that they drive the change through recommendations made. But nowadays it is just a human resources related position in a company, says Kannan.

Kannan is also against the idea of having diversity for the sake of it. "There is a fear that you are taken in as a 'diversity' candidate only to fill a position, to fill a quota. Sometimes it is for work that nobody wants to do. This can be counter productive as that position may not really be something the candidate may be proficient at. You then reach a stage called a Glass Cliff, which leads one nowhere. The candidate is most likely bound to fail as that position is not something where her strength lies in," says Kannan.

While Google may not endorse the perspective of its employee, the 10-page document has already undone some of the good work Google may have been doing in this field.

As former Googler Yonatan Zunger noted in this Medium post addressing the author of the manifesto, "I need to be very clear here: not only was nearly everything you said in that document wrong, the fact that you did that has caused significant harm to people across this company, and to the companys entire ability to function...I am no longer even at the company and Ive had to spend half of the past day talking to people and cleaning up the mess youve made."
tech2 News Staff

Over the weekend, a 10-page document written by a Google employee expressed a need to stop its diversity campaigns and focus on ideological diversity. Google's newly appointed vice president for Diversity, Integrity and Governance has addressed Googlers about the document.

The document "Google's Ideological Echo Chamber" was first published on Friday and had been read by several employees who took to Twitter to slam the company's ideology. The document was still being shared among company's software engineering teams on Saturday.

The post, written by a male software engineer, went viral within the organisation for its controversial content, which went to the extent of saying that women in the same position as men, were paid less not due to any bias but because of inherent psychological differences between the genders.

To quell the situation, Google's new vice president of Diversity, Integrity and Governance, Danielle Brown, penned a response which was sent as a memo to Google employees. Motherboard, which had originally reported about the anti-diversity manifesto, happened to receive Brown's memo from a Google employee.

Brown has stated that the diversity and inclusion are a fundamental part of Google's values and the culture it continues to cultivate. Brown also said that the viewpoints expressed in the manifesto are not endorsed by her or by the company.

Here is the memo in full.

Googlers, I'm Danielle, Google's brand new VP of Diversity, Integrity & Governance. I started just a couple of weeks ago, and I had hoped to take another week or so to get the lay of the land before introducing myself to you all. But given the heated debate we've seen over the past few days, I feel compelled to say a few words. Many of you have read an internal document shared by someone in our engineering organisation, expressing views on the natural abilities and characteristics of different genders, as well as whether one can speak freely of these things at Google. And like many of you, I found that it advanced incorrect assumptions about gender. I'm not going to link to it here as it's not a viewpoint that I or this company endorses, promotes or encourages. Diversity and inclusion are a fundamental part of our values and the culture we continue to cultivate. We are unequivocal in our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success as a company, and we'll continue to stand for that and be committed to it for the long haul. As Ari Balogh said in his internal G+ post, "Building an open, inclusive environment is core to who we are, and the right thing to do. 'Nuff said. " Google has taken a strong stand on this issue, by releasing its demographic data and creating a company wide OKR on diversity and inclusion. Strong stands elicit strong reactions. Changing a culture is hard, and it's often uncomfortable. But I firmly believe Google is doing the right thing, and that's why I took this job. Part of building an open, inclusive environment means fostering a culture in which those with alternative views, including different political views, feel safe sharing their opinions. But that discourse needs to work alongside the principles of equal employment found in our Code of Conduct, policies, and anti-discrimination laws. I've been in the industry for a long time, and I can tell you that I've never worked at a company that has so many platforms for employees to express themselvesTGIF, Memegen, internal G+, thousands of discussion groups. I know this conversation doesn't end with my email today. I look forward to continuing to hear your thoughts as I settle in and meet with Googlers across the company. Thanks, Danielle

In a Medium post, a former Googler Yonatan Zunger has said that the author of the manifesto does not seem to understand gender, engineering or the consequences of what he has written. Speaking on engineering, Zunger said that engineering was all about co-operation, collaboration and empathy for both your colleagues and your customers.

"All of these traits which the manifesto described as female are the core traits which make someone successful at engineering. Anyone can learn how to write code...The truly hard parts about this job are knowing which code to write," says Zunger.
Reuters

Producers of processed lithium - an essential element for batteries used in electric cars - are agreeing long-term contracts with their customers to fund the investments needed to address a looming shortfall.

Demand for battery-grade lithium compounds is expected to skyrocket in the next decades in tandem with soaring demand for electric cars as governments and individual consumers try to reduce their carbon footprint.

Although there's plenty of lithium around, the problem is ensuring there is enough capacity to process it.

Battery makers and other end-users such as car manufacturers will need to sign multi-year deals that encourage large producers to invest more, and faster, industry sources say.

Some of that is already happening.

"We've established the timeline for our own expansion based on the commitments our customers are making with us," said Tom Schneberger, global business director at U.S.-listed FMC Lithium, one of the world's top four producers.

"Our first priority will be to provide the adequate supply of the high quality products upon which (our strategic customers) rely," he told Reuters.

Expansion plans by Chile's Sociedad Quimica Y Minera (SQM), another of the top four, for next year are also based on long-term agreements, the company told Reuters.

The production and use of electric cars is projected by Morgan Stanley analysts to rise to 2.9 percent of 99 million new vehicles in 2020 and to 9.4 percent of 102 million new vehicles in 2025, from 1.1 percent of 86.5 million this year.

By 2050, 81 percent of 132 million new auto sales will be electric, Morgan Stanley says.

Limited Visibility

The lithium-ion batteries needed to power electric cars use lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide, but the industry typically talks in terms of lithium carbonate equivalent which contains both.

Two types of lithium deposits dominate.

One is hard rock as found in Australia, for which ready-to- go capacity to produce battery grade lithium can take up to three years. The other is brine, mostly found in Chile and Argentina, which can take seven years or more.

China has reserves of both.

Consultants Roskill estimate 785,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent a year will be needed by 2025, amounting to a 26,000-tonne shortfall from anticipated supply, compared to 217,000 tonnes of demand versus 227,000 tonnes of supply this year.

Others expect an even larger deficit.

"There's limited visibility into where we're going to get the last 200,000 tonnes of lithium if we hit the numbers Roskill is expecting for 2025," said Seth Ginns, a managing director at Jennison Associates.

Jennison manages more than $164 billion of investment and is a top 10 investor in both FMC and U.S.-listed Albemarle, another of the top four producers.

"We estimate the lithium industry is going to need between $4-$5 billion of investment out to 2025," said Simon Moores, managing director at Benchmark Minerals Intelligence.

Price projections out to 2025 are not available, but Benchmark estimates prices of lithium carbonate will average $13,000 a ton over the 2017-2020 period from around $9,000 a ton in 2015-2016.

Demand for lithium hydroxide, preferred over carbonate as it allows greater battery capacity and longer life, is expected to grow at a faster pace. Benchmark predicts the price to average $18,000 a ton between 2017-2020 against $14,000 in 2015-2016.

Four companies dominate

Top producers are looking at a bonanza if they can ramp up investment fast enough with end-user commitments in hand.

"There are four names that dominate and that is likely to be the case for the next five years," said Jeremy Kent, a portfolio manager at Allianz Global Investors.

Roskill managing director Robert Baylis estimates FMC, Albemarle, SQM and China's Tianqi Lithium Corporation together accounted for 66 percent of the world's lithium carbonate equivalent last year. Wood Mackenzie consultant James Whiteside puts the figure at 78 percent.

FMC's lithium hydroxide capacity rose 80 percent in 2017 to 18,000 tonnes a year, and it has plans to boost that to 30,000 tonnes by the end of 2019. After that, capacity will be expanded as required by demand, FMC's Schneberger said.

Albemarle is planning to expand its lithium carbonate equivalent capacity to 165,000 tonnes by 2021 from 89,000 tonnes this year, a spokesperson said. "We anticipate spending $700 million and $1 billion over the next 5 years."

SQM said in an email it was planning to invest $50 million to expand its lithium carbonate capacity in Chile to 63,000 tonnes by 2018 from 48,000 tonnes currently. It also has joint ventures in Argentina and Australia to develop deposits.

Tianqi Lithium declined to comment on its investment plans.

Another company actively investing is Australia's Orocobre, which planned to produce 17,500 tonnes a year of lithium carbonate at its Olaroz facility in Argentina.

Severe weather cut this year's production to 11,700-11,800 tonnes, however.

Whiteside said Orocobre's difficulties were typical of many smaller players, noting that the Olaroz facility was the first new major brine operation started in 20 years.

"Because the number of brine operations has been so few historically, there are very few technically experienced chemical engineers to assist these junior companies," he said.

"There are people out there promoting brine projects with plans that are not as robust as they should be."
tech2 News Staff

If rumours are to be believed then it seems likely that the second iteration of the iPhone SE will hit the market in Q1 next year.

Wistron Corp, the Taiwan based contractor, assembling the iPhone SE is looking towards expanding in India and is in talks with the Karnataka government.

A Taiwanese news channel, Focus Taiwan, said that the US tech giant is looking at increasing its market share in India. With a focus on increasing its capacity in India it intends to double or triple its sales in the coming five years.

The rumored specifications point to a 4-inch or 4.2-inch display, Apple A10 processor, iOS 11 out of the box, storage options of 32 GB and 128 GB, 1700 mAh battery capacity. The final specifications could be different though as there is no confirmation about this.

Apple CEO, Tim Cook, when addressing investors while announcing the third quarter results mentioned that he was very optimistic about India.

"We are investing in India...And we began to produce the iPhone SE there during the quarter, and we're really happy with how that's going. And so we're bringing all of our energies to bear there," said Cook. This gives more hints to the speculation that Apple maybe thinking of ramping up its iPhone SE production in India.

Moreover, the new iPhone SE is expected to be less expensive than the previous models. The iPhone SE which was released in March last year, came with a 12 MP autofocus camera, a 4-inch retina display, housed the Apple A9 chipset along with an embedded M9 motion co-processor. The 16 GB variant of the iPhone SE was priced at Rs 39,900 at launch. Considering Apple is now making the iPhone SE in India, one should expect some price benefits.

According to Focus Taiwan, the next generation of iPhone SE will first be shipped in the Indian market first and then other global markets.
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Reuters

An Israeli parliamentary committee approved on Monday a bill to ban locally-based firms from selling "binary option" bets overseas through online trading, clearing a final hurdle before market regulators are given authority to begin a broad crackdown.

Binary options involve placing a bet on whether the value of a financial asset - a currency, commodity or stock - will rise or fall in a fixed time frame, sometimes as short as a minute.

Israeli regulators say they have received many complaints globally regarding losses suffered by binary option traders. Israel had already banned the domestic sale of binary options last year, the first country to do so.

The proposed amendment to the country's securities law, which will now be sent for a final vote in parliament, authorises the Israel Security Authority to go after groups selling their service abroad as well.

It was not clear when the final vote would take place since lawmakers are currently in summer recess.

A Reuters special report published in September shed light on the rapid rise of the industry in Israel. London-based lawyers said hundreds of their clients were duped out of vast sums of money by some Israeli firms. More than 100 operators are estimated to be based in Israel, a technology hub.
Reuters

At first glance, Indian telecoms upstart Jio's bet on 'free' internet-enabled phones to win over poorer customers is a near-fatal blow for low-end handset makers, most already struggling with paper-thin margins on some of the world's cheapest devices.

But industry executives and analysts say Jio's crossover feature phone - not quite a smartphone, not quite a no-frills handset - could, in fact, be a boon to the lower end of the market and suppliers that feed it, creating a new in-between category and getting more people online for the first time.

The JioPhone, they say, creates a new phone segment aimed at millions of low-paid Indians, currently caught between basic, calls-and-text devices and fancier smartphones.

Reliance Industries, led by India's wealthiest man Mukesh Ambani, waded into India's cut-throat telecoms industry last year with its $30 billion bet on Jio, upending the sector with its cheap smartphones and data plans.

Last week, it announced a new phone, which allows digital payments and will come effectively free. Buyers can get a device for a refundable fee of 1,500 rupees ($23.30).

Currently over 60 percent of India's roughly 750 million mobile users use phones that allow only calls and basic texts, making so-called feature phones the country's single largest segment. But many will soon move up the chain.

"The concept of 4G feature phones is not new, and most Indian firms have already done their R&D," said Jaipal Singh, analyst with tech research firm IDC. "Brands such as Micromax, Lava, Intex and Karbonn will launch similar devices to either compete or partner with Jio."

Micromax, one of India's largest brands, said it was working on a 4G feature phone that would rival Jio's compromise offering. Lava, which launched India's first low-cost, 4G-enabled phone this year - selling for about $50 - said it could launch more if there was demand.

Samsung Electronics, the largest player in India thanks to its range of offerings, from high-end smartphones to basic $15 handsets, expects the new offerings to expand the whole market and "boost Samsung's mobile phone sales in future".

Not Just Business

But the industry will still face tough times for now, as Jio's deep pockets still squeeze rivals - and its suppliers.

"The low-cost JioPhone will place pressure on Indian feature phone leaders such as Samsung, Intex and Lava, and make life harder for ambitious new entrants like HMD," said Neil Mawston, an executive director at tech research firm Strategy Analytics.

HMD Global, a Finnish company that owns the rights to the Nokia phone brand, this year launched a revamped version of the Nokia 3310, which retails in India for about $50.

A senior Reliance executive said the company plans to have 5 million phones available each week, but is concerned its supply chain may not be able to keep up with demand.

Ambani's bet is not just business. The deal is also a boost for two of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's key campaigns: "Digital India", which aims to get more Indians online, and "Make in India", to encourage local manufacturing.

The Reliance executive said it aims to have all the assembly of its JioPhone devices done in India by the year-end, by the likes of Foxconn Technology Co and Flextronics Corp.

Smartphones remain popular in India's cities, but the JioPhone will allow Jio to connect millions of new clients in smaller towns and the countryside, who prefer a simpler user interface, local language scripts and chunkier batteries, said Tarun Pathak of Counterpoint Research.

The JioPhone will give them a first taste of high-speed web browsing and is likely to gradually boost online shopping in the world's fastest-growing internet services market, analysts said.

Reliance plans to weave NFC (near field communication) - a wireless technology that allows two devices to connect - in the JioPhone later this year, a move likely to accelerate the adoption of digital payments.

Jio has acquired more than 125 million customers since its launch last year, primarily by offering free voice and unlimited data plans, but a further expansion of its customer base hinges largely on the availability of entry-level 4G-enabled devices.

Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.
tech2 News Staff

Korean smartphone giant Samsung emphasised on an innovative design with their flagship Galaxy S8 series earlier this year, forcing the placement of the fingerprint scanner to the back of the device. KGI Security analyst and reliable tipster, Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted in a report that Samsung will feature an embedded fingerprint scanner into the screen of the Galaxy Note 9, expected in mid-2018.

Kuo states that despite Qualcomm's recent unveiling of an in-screen fingerprint scanning technology at the MWC Shanghai, Samsung's Galaxy S9 will not feature the technology. This is attributed to technical problems faced by the company's current fingerprint IC supplier Synaptics.

The report claims that Synaptics' optical fingerprint solution is challenged with issues pertaining to the optical layer, making it difficult for the Korean company to catch up with the mass production timeline for the Galaxy S9.

In terms of competition in 2017, Samsung set the tone for the year with the Galaxy S8 series in terms of a near bezel-less display which it calls the 'infinity edge' display. With a similar design language expected in the upcoming Galaxy Note 8, it will continue to carry a capacitive scanner on the back of the phone, in order to accommodate the large bezel-less display.

The LG G6, released before the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ also came with a wider 18:9 display which forced the capacity fingerprint scanner to be moved to the back of the phone.

Samsung's arch-rival Apple is also reportedly working on a 3D facial recognition technology for its 10th-anniversary edition of the iPhone which will replace the existing home button and TouchID.

The Galaxy Note 8 is set for launch on 23 August in New York ahead of Apple's new iPhone series, allowing more time to Samsung to implement an optical fingerprint solution.
Lahore: At least 20 people were injured on Monday night in a blast in Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province.

The blast took at Lahore's Bund road area, police said.

The injured, including women and children, were rushed to nearby hospitals where an emergency has been declared. The cause behind the blast has not been ascertained yet.

Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan, has witnessed several terror attacks in recent months.

On 24 July, a Taliban suicide bomber struck a police team near residence-cum-office of Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, killing 27 people, including policemen.

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.
Kabul: Afghan president Ashraf Ghani condemned on Sunday the reported massacre of dozens of civilians in a remote area of the war-torn country where the Taliban claimed a victory against military forces.

"Criminal terrorists have once again killed civilians, women and children in Sayad district of Sar-e Pul province, adding to their crimes. "This barbaric act of them is deemed a direct violation of human rights and a war crime," Ghani said in a statement.

The comments came after the governor of Sar-e Pul said that "as many as 30 to 40 innocent people... were brutally shot and killed" in the province's predominately Shiite village of Mirzawalang after insurgents captured it on Sunday.

Mohammad Zaher Wahdat, the provincial governor, added that several mosques were set ablaze while an unknown number of villagers had also been taken hostage following a 48-hour battle between insurgents and Afghan security forces. He said 12 insurgents and seven Afghan troops had been killed in the fighting.

The village is situated in an extremely remote part of the country, where both the Taliban and Islamic State group fighters have a presence, and AFP was unable to confirm the reports with independent sources.

The Taliban said in a statement that it had captured Mirzawalang village but rejected reports of civilians casualties, calling it "hollow propaganda by the enemy".

The incident comes after the Afghan government claimed last month that Taliban fighters had killed 35 people in an attack on a hospital in central Ghor province.

Officials later backtracked though, underscoring the difficulty of verifying information from poor, mountainous areas of Afghanistan made inaccessible by fighting and with patchy communications.

The Taliban is at the peak of its summer fighting season and has carried out a number of deadly attacks in recent days, including the killing of two US soldiers in a suicide bomb attack in Kandahar on Wednesday.
Manila: Foreign ministers of Southeast Asia and China adopted on Sunday a negotiating framework for a code of conduct in the South China Sea, a move they hailed as progress but seen by critics as tactic to buy China time to consolidate its maritime power.

The framework seeks to advance a 2002 Declaration of Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China Sea, which has mostly been ignored by claimant states, particularly China, which has built seven manmade islands in disputed waters, three of which are equipped with runways, surface-to-air missiles and radars.

All parties say the framework is only an outline for how the code will be established but critics say the failure to outline as an initial objective the need to make the code legally binding and enforceable, or have a dispute resolution mechanism, raises doubts about how effective the pact will be.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said the adoption of the framework created a solid foundation for negotiations that could start this year, if "the situation in the South China Sea is generally stable and on the premise that there is no major interference from outside parties."

He told reporters there had been "really tangible progress" so there was "a need to cherish momentum on the South China Sea".

Signing China up to a legally binding and enforceable code for the strategic waterway has long been a goal for claimant members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), some of which have sparred for years over what they see as China's disregard for their sovereign rights and its blocking of fishermen and energy exploration efforts.

Beijing insists its activities are for defense purposes, in areas it considers its waters. Malaysia, Taiwan, Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines, however, all claim some or all of the South China Sea and its myriad shoals, reefs and islands.

Some critics and diplomats believe China's sudden interest in the code after 15 years of delays is to drag out the negotiating process to buy time to complete its strategic objectives in the South China Sea, through which more than $3 billion of ship-borne trade passes annually.

Weaker hand

Opponents also say it is being pushed through at a time when the United States, long seen as a crucial buffer against China's maritime assertiveness, is distracted by other issues and providing no real clarity about its security strategy in Asia, thus weakening ASEAN's bargaining position.

The framework has not been made public but a leaked two-page blueprint seen by Reuters is broad and leaves wide scope for disagreement.

It urges a commitment to the "purposes and principles" of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) but does not specify adherence to it, for example.

A separate ASEAN document, dated May and seen by Reuters, shows that Vietnam pushed for stronger, more specific text in the framework, wanting mention of a dispute resolution mechanism and respecting "sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction".

Sovereign rights cover entitlements to fish and extraction of natural resources.

Several ASEAN countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines, have said they still favor making the code legally binding, something experts say China is unlikely to agree to.

Wang said he would not try to anticipate what the code will comprise, but said whatever is signed must be adhered to.

Robespierre Bolivar, foreign ministry spokesman of host Philippines, said the adoption of the framework symbolised the commitment to creating a "substantive and effective" code.
Canberra: Australia's ruling party will attempt to resolve bitter internal differences over gay marriage at a special meeting on Monday aimed at containing a rift that threatens the prime minister's leadership.

Finding policy agreement on the issue is a test of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's authority over his government, which has trailed the centre-left opposition Labour Party for months in opinion polls.

The conservative Liberal Party-led coalition was narrowly re-elected at elections in July 2016 with a promise to let voters decide whether Australia should recognise same-sex marriage through a popular vote. But the Senate would not allow the so-called plebiscite, which would have cost 160 million Australian dollars ($127 million) and the result could have been ignored by lawmakers when deciding how to vote on gay marriage legislation in the Parliament.

Liberal Senator Dean Smith, a gay man who opposed legalising same-sex marriage when he was appointed to the Senate in 2012, has drafted a bill to allow gay marriage now and wants his fellow Liberal lawmakers to be allowed to vote on it according to their consciences rather than to according to party policy. "It's time for the party to put the matter to rest once and for all," Smith told reporters on Monday.

Gay marriage opponents, including former Prime Minister Tony Abbott who initiated the plebiscite policy two year ago, argue that the government must stick to its election promise that marriage law would not be changed without a national vote. "The last thing Australia needs is government by opinion poll," Abbott wrote in The Australian. "But neither do we need political parties that believe one thing one minute and the opposite the next," he added.

Other lawmakers have proposed a postal plebiscite in which voters mailed in their opinions instead of using ballot boxes as a cheaper option that would not need the Senate to approve the expense. Opponents argue that the postal option would also need Senate approval and have warned of a court challenge.

Gay marriage campaigner Anna Brown said her advocacy group The Equality Campaign would seek a High Court injunction to prevent any postal plebiscite. "The government needs to think very carefully before it expends up to 100 million Australian dollars of taxpayer dollars when it could resolve this issue in Parliament as soon as this week," Brown said.

Smith's supporters could present his gay marriage bill to Parliament this week, regardless of his party's policy decision on Monday. Turnbull's coalition has a single-seat majority in the House of Representatives, where the political leader who controls a majority becomes prime minister. So a few lawmakers deserting the ruling party on gay marriage could leave the government powerless to block the bill.

Liberal lawmaker Eric Abetz, who opposes gay marriage, said that would be a "grave matter" that showed the government had lost control of its legislative priorities.

Opinion polls show most Australians support gay marriage. But most of that support is soft, and gay-rights advocates are concerned that referendums rarely change the status quo in Australia.

Turnbull supports gay marriage and initially opposed the plebiscite concept. But he agreed to maintain the government's plebiscite policy in a deal with the most conservative lawmakers in his party when he replaced Abbott as prime minister in September 2015 due to Abbott's poor opinion polling.
Geneva: A member of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said on Sunday she was quitting because a lack of political backing from the UN Security Council had made the job impossible, Swiss national news agency SDA reported.

Carla del Ponte, 70, who prosecuted war crimes in Rwanda and former Yugoslavia, told a panel discussion on the sidelines of the Locarno Film Festival that she had already prepared her letter of resignation.

"I am quitting this commission, which is not backed by any political will," she said, adding that her role was just an "alibi".

"I have no power as long as the Security Council does nothing," she said. "We are powerless, there is no justice for Syria."

Del Ponte, a former Swiss attorney general, joined the three-member Syria inquiry in September 2012, chronicling incidents such as chemical weapons attacks, a genocide against Iraq's Yazidi population, siege tactics, and the bombing of aid convoys.

She could not immediately be reached for comment and the United Nations did not immediately confirm her plans to quit.

Her departure will leave only two commissioners, Brazilian human rights expert Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, and Karen Koning AbuZayd from the United States.

The commission was set up in August 2011 and has regularly reported on human rights violations, but its pleas to observe international law have largely fallen on deaf ears.

Although the United Nations is setting up a new body to prepare prosecutions, there is no sign of any court being established to try war crimes committed in the six-and-a-half year-old war, nor of any intention by the UN Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court in the Hague

Del Ponte's determination to be independent made her outspoken and occasionally controversial. She shocked Western governments in May 2013 by declaring that the United Nations had "strong suspicions" of Syrian rebels using sarin gas.

Two years later, she said justice would catch up with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, even if he remained in power under a negotiated peace settlement.

Earlier this year, when the commission reported on Syrian government aircraft deliberately bombing and strafing a humanitarian convoy, del Ponte hinted at her frustration with the inability to bring the perpetrators to justice.

"What we have seen here in Syria, I never saw that in Rwanda, or in former Yugoslavia, in the Balkans. It is really a big tragedy," she added. "Unfortunately we have no tribunal."
Bogota: A police officer was injured on Monday in an attack on a United Nations mission monitoring the disarming of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels in Colombia as part of the group's peace deal with the government, authorities said.

Assailants attacked the location where the FARC rebel group had a weapons stash in the southwestern town of Caloto, in Cauca department, according to police, who said a splinter group of the Marxist rebels or the smaller National Liberation Army (ELN) could have been behind the violence.

But Cauca police general Edgar Rodriguez said the ELN was to blame. The ELN is currently the only group fighting the Colombian government, though it is seeking to negotiate its own peace deal.

The United Nations said in a statement that a team of their observers, national police and former FARC rebels were ambushed in Caloto.

The disarmament, mainly in June, 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. It was signed last November.

The conflict left a quarter of a million Colombians dead, about 60,000 unaccounted for and seven million displaced.

The FARC was born in May 1964 from a peasants' revolt. Its ranks were made up mostly of country dwellers who rallied behind the group's Marxist-Leninist ideology, with land reform its focus.
Beijing: Amid rhetoric in the state-run media in Beijing about China contemplating a "small-scale military operation" to evict Indian troops from Doka La within two weeks, a top PLA official on Monday declined to back it but said that India should withdraw its soldiers unconditionally to end the 50-day long standoff from escalating.

"This kind of reports represent the view of the media and think-tanks. For official information please refer to the statements of foreign ministry and defence ministry spokespersons," China's defence ministry's spokesman Colonel Ren Guoqiang told an Indian media delegation in Beijing.

He was asked to comment on a report by the state-run Global Times quoting a think-tank that China is contemplating a "small scale military operation" to dislodge Indian troops from Doka La area within two weeks.

"China will not allow the military standoff between China and India in Doka La to last for too long, and there may be a small-scale military operation to expel Indian troops within two weeks," Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, was quoted by Global Times on 5 August as saying.

Hu said that the military operation would aim to "seize Indian personnel illegally lingering in Chinese territory or to expel them".

"The Chinese side will inform the Indian foreign ministry before its operation," Hu said, without elaborating on how a scholar based in Shanghai could have such an information about the plans by the Chinese military.

In his two-hour-long interaction with the Indian media delegation being hosted by the official body, the All China Journalists Association (ACJA), Colonel Ren refused to comment on Hu's claims beyond referring journalists to the foreign and defence ministry spokespersons. He, however, took pains to make a case that Doka La is Chinese territory and Beijing has "ample legal and historical proof".

"We have all the legitimate rights to construct the road in Chinese territory," he said, referring to the action on 16 June which triggered the crisis leading to the Indian troops intervening to stop its construction.

Accusing the Indian troops of illegally crossing into the Chinese territory, he reiterated China's stand that the Indian side should withdraw its troops "immediately and unconditionally".

New Delhi has expressed concern over China's road building activities in the border areas, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India's access to its northeastern states.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

Colonel Ren also questioned why India has maintained silence over China's plans to build the road even after Beijing informed New Delhi twice. He said China informed India on 18 May and followed on 8 June. The Chinese foreign ministry said earlier that the information was conveyed through the border meeting mechanism to resolve the disputes.

He had a word of praise for the border meeting mechanism saying that it is a "very mature and stable border exchange mechanism between China and India".

He also denied allegations that China was an expansionist country and a hegemonistic power.

"This is not in our genes," he said when asked about public perception in India that China was an expansionist power because of its backing to Pakistan to prevent a UN ban on JeM terror group leader Masood Azhar and building of $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Washington: US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In on Monday agreed that North Korea poses a "grave and growing direct threat" to most of the world as the two leaders in a telephone call welcomed the new sanctions imposed on Pyongyang by the United Nations Security Council.

The phone call comes a day after the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to increase sanctions on North Korea for its continued intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing and violations of UN resolutions.

They discussed North Korea's 28 July launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the White House said.

"The two leaders affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world," the White House said in a statement.

Trump and Moon welcomed the new United Nations Security Council resolution that targets North Korea's primary exports, including coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. The sanctions also target other revenue streams, such as banks and joint ventures with foreign companies.

"President Trump and President Moon welcomed the new United Nations Security Council resolution that unanimously passed 15-0. The leaders committed to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well," the White House added.

After the phone call, Trump reiterated on Twitter that he is "very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions."

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha in Manila on Sunday, the State Department said.

The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said that it is time for Pyongyang to realise that the US is "not playing anymore".

"It is time for North Korea to realise, we are not playing anymore," Haley told Fox News in an interview.

The UN Security Council sanctions sends a strong message in this regard, she said.

"A third of their trade exports have been hit, and we basically gave them a kick in the gut with a billion dollars of sanctions that they are going to begin to feel right away," Haley said.
On Sunday, Israel said it plans to ban Qatar's flagship Al-Jazeera Media Network from operating in the country over allegations that the news channel incites violence, joining other Arab nations that have shut down the broadcaster amid a separate political dispute. The news organisation, in turn, said it will take legal action.

Communications minister Ayoob Kara said he plans to revoke the press credentials of Al-Jazeera journalists, effectively preventing them from working in Israel.

Ayoob said he has asked cable and satellite networks to block Al-Jazeera transmissions and is seeking legislation to ban them altogether.

The minister, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, gave no timetable for such measures.

The ban is no sure thing

According to a report in Haaretz, however, this ban is no sure thing as such a revocation is not within the purview of Ayoob or the press office and security agencies would need to recommend such a move. After that a hearing would be held.

Besides, Israel's cable companies have also given no public indication that they would go along with this move, according to the Haaretz report.

'Al-Jazeera supports terrorism'

"Lately, almost all countries in our region determined that Al-Jazeera supports terrorism, supports religious radicalisation," Ayoob said. "And when we see that all these countries have determined as fact that Al-Jazeera is a tool of the Islamic State (group), Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, and we are the only one who have not determined that then something delusional is happening here," he added.

Nitzan Chen, director of the Government Press Office, said press credentials are not issued if security officials deem the cards would be "liable to endanger the security of the state." He said "therefore, I have contacted the security echelon and have requested a professional opinion regarding the Al-Jazeera Media Network."

A decision will be made after receiving that opinion, he said.

Why Al-Jazeera is loathed in West Asia

Israeli officials have long accused the Qatar-based news channel of bias against the Jewish state. Defense minister Avigdor Lieberman has likened its coverage to "Nazi Germany-style" propaganda.

According to an NDTV report, the ruling elite in Saudi Arabia and Egypt resent the station's broad reach and its propensity to rile up the Opposition. They also have a strong dislike for the stations's "Islamist bent" and do not appreciate the fact that it is exposing the populace to reporting that is critical of their regime and which supports the agenda of Qatar.

"Al-Jazeera is sensationalist, Islamic, and pan-Arabic, but it mirrors Doha's policy concerns in more ways than it might care to acknowledge. Many Arab governments would prefer Al Jazeera to simply disappear," Simon Henderson, director of the Washington Institute's Gulf and Energy Policy Program, wrote four years after the station's launch, according to the report.

How it made its name

American viewers became familiar with Al-Jazeera after the attacks of 11 September, 2001, when its golden-hued Arabic logo became synonymous with video messages by Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. That sparked frequent complaints by then president George W Bush's administration. The station defended its policy, saying the messages were newsworthy.

Al-Jazeera was the first Arab satellite news channel to offer a range of views outside of heavily censored state media across the region and extensively covered the 2011 Arab Spring. It also was the first Arab-owned news outlet to host Israeli officials and commentators, which some analysts note coincided with Qatar's ties with Israel at the time.

Cause for concern

The Foreign Press Association, which represents journalists covering Israel and the Palestinian territories for international news organisations, said the move "is certainly a cause for concern." It said it will study the issue and decide how to proceed.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based advocacy group, criticized the Israeli proposal.

"Censoring Al-Jazeera or closing its offices will not bring stability to the region, but it would put Israel firmly in the camp of some of the region's worst enemies of press freedom," said Sherif Mansour, the committee's West Asia and North Africa program coordinator. "Israel should abandon these undemocratic plans and allow Al-Jazeera and all journalists to report freely from the country and areas it occupies."

Hamas condemns move

Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, condemned the move. "Al-Jazeera had a big role conveying the Palestinian narrative with a high professionalism," said Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesman.

Al-Jazeera on its English language website condemned the measures as "undemocratic" and said that it will take legal action.

It said it will continue operating in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Walid al-Omari, the broadcaster's bureau chief in Jerusalem, said on air that his office has not been informed by Israeli officials of any possible measures the government might take.

With inputs from agencies
London: Israel's decision to close the offices of broadcaster Al-Jazeera in the Jewish state is "a brazen attack on media freedom", Amnesty International said on Monday.

"The move sends a chilling message that the Israeli authorities will not tolerate critical coverage," Magdalena Mughrabi, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at the London-based group, said in a statement.

"This is a brazen attack on media freedom in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories," she added.

She urged Israel to "halt any attempt to silence critical media", saying that "all journalists should be free to carry out their work without facing harassment or intimidation".

Israel said Sunday it would demand the revocation of the credentials of journalists working for the channel and also cut its cable and satellite connections.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said on 27 July that he wanted Al-Jazeera expelled amid tensions over a sensitive Jerusalem holy site.

Israel has regularly accused the Doha-based broadcaster of bias in its coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Washington: US vice president Mike Pence on Sunday denied that he is preparing for a presidential election run in 2020, saying the suggestion is "disgraceful and offensive."

Pence was responding to The New York Times report that some Republicans were moving to form a "shadow campaign" as though President Donald Trump were not involved. It said multiple advisers to Pence "have already intimated to party donors that he would plan to run if Mr. Trump did not."

The report said Pence had not only kept a full political calendar but also had created his own independent power base, including a political fund-raising group called the "Great America Committee."

But Pence called the article "fake news" and said his entire team was focused on advancing Trump's agenda and seeing him re-elected in 2020.

"The allegations in this article are categorically false and represent just the latest attempt by the media to divide this Administration," Pence said in a statement.

The newspaper stood by its coverage. "We are confident in the accuracy of our reporting and will let the story speak for itself," The New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said in an email.

Pence has good relations with conservative political groups and some of the Republican Party's big donors, including billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.

He is also a Trump loyalist, and there is typically little distinction between his public statements and the policies of the president.

But as investigations deepen into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 US election and possible ties to members of Trump's campaign, Pence has put some distance between himself and the president on the best way to approach Moscow.

On a trip to Eastern Europe last week, Pence condemned Russia's presence in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, with which Moscow fought a brief war in 2008. He also said ties with Russia would not improve until Moscow changed its stance on Ukraine and withdrew support for countries like Iran, Syria and North Korea.

The US Congress recently passed a bill imposing new sanctions on Russia with overwhelming bipartisan support, but Trump signed it into law last week with reluctance.

"Our relationship with Russia is at an all-time & very dangerous low," Trump wrote on Twitter after signing the bill. "You can thank Congress."

Trump has described probes into his campaign's ties to Russia, including those under way in Congress and a Justice Department investigation headed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, as a "witch hunt."

The president has also sent mixed messages on whether he agrees with US intelligence agencies' conclusions that Russia tried to intervene in the 2016 election to boost his chances of beating Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conway on Sunday also dismissed the idea that Pence was looking at running for president in 2020.

"It is absolutely true that the vice president is getting ready for 2020 - for re-election as vice president," Conway told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday.

"Pence is a very loyal, very dutiful, but also incredibly effective vice president, and active vice president," said Conway, adding that she had worked for Pence for a decade as his pollster and senior adviser.
Karachi: At least four terrorists were killed on Sunday during a raid carried out by security forces in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province.

A senior security official said the raids were part of the Raad-ul-Fasaad operation being carried out in the country against foreign and local terrorists and networks. In Karachi, three terrorists were arrested in another operation.

The official said the terrorists had retaliated in the Kohlu and Dera Bugti areas and were killed in the firing while one soldier was wounded.

"Their network has been destroyed and arms, ammunition and communication equipment seized," he said.

The Balochistan province for years has been the target of separatists and militants who have carried out sectarian attacks and also targeted the police and security forces and installations in parts of the province.

The security forces also dismantled a terrorist network in Zhob of Balochistan to thwart a plan to target independence day celebrations.

In Karachi, three activists of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan were arrested and confessed to being involved in the killings of policemen in the city.
Manila: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday that he had told his Russian counterpart that Moscow's meddling in the United States presidential election had created "serious mistrust" between the two countries.

After meeting Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Manila, Tillerson said he had also warned him Washington was deciding on a response to the Kremlin's decision to order a cut in the size of the United States mission in Moscow.

"Russian meddling in the elections was certainly a serious incident. We talked about that in the discussion that we had with Mr Lavrov yesterday," Tillerson told reporters.

"And trying to help him understand just how serious this incident had been and how seriously it had damaged the relationship between the United States and the American people and the Russian people, that this had created serious mistrust and that we simply have to find some way to deal with that."

Russia has furiously denied reports, endorsed by United States intelligence agencies, that it attempted to swing last year's American presidential in favor of the eventual victor, President Donald Trump.

Trump has played down the allegations, but the ongoing controversy cast a pall over already tense ties, which most recently saw President Vladimir Putin order the United States diplomatic mission in Moscow cut 755 personnel.

"I told the foreign minister that we have not made a decision about how we would respond to the Russian request to remove US diplomatic personnel," Tillerson said.

"I asked several clarifying questions, just to describe the thinking behind that diplomatic note that we received, but I told them we would respond by 1 September," he said, referring to Moscow's deadline to shrink the mission.
Manila: The Trump administration has yet to decide how to respond to Russia's move to expel hundreds of American diplomats, but plans to deliver a response to Moscow by 1 September, United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday.

A day after sitting down in the Philippines with Russia's top diplomat, Tillerson said he'd asked "clarifying questions" about the Kremlin's retaliation announced last month following new sanctions passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump. The Trump administration has struggled to determine how the move will affect the United States diplomatic presence in Russia, as well as the broader implications for the troubled relationship between the nuclear-armed powers.

Despite the Russian move, which seemed to plunge the two countries even further into acrimony, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emerged from the meeting declaring a readiness for more engagement with the United States on North Korea, Syria and Ukraine, among other issues. Tillerson broadly echoed that sentiment, saying the two countries had critical national security issues to discuss despite deep disagreements on some matters.

"I don't think it is useful to just cut everything off on one single issue," Tillerson said following his first meeting with Lavrov since the new sanctions were imposed. "These are two very large countries and we should find places that we can work together, let's try to work together. Places we have our differences, we're going to have to continue to find a way to address those."

Tillerson also said that Russia has been showing "some willingness" to start talking about a resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, devoid of real progress for years. That assessment came as Lavrov announced that the Trump administration had committed to sending its new special envoy for Ukraine negotiations, Kurt Volker, to Moscow to discuss next steps.

Yet several obstacles hang over any attempt to pursue a more functional United States-Russia relationship: the new US sanctions, Russia's retaliatory move to expel diplomats, and the ongoing US Justice Department investigation into Russia's election meddling and potential Trump campaign collusion.

Fearing Trump might move inappropriately to ease sanctions on Russia, Congress last month passed new legislation that both added more sanctions and made it harder for the president to lift them. Trump and Tillerson opposed the legislation, but facing a likely veto override, Trump begrudgingly signed the bill.

Moscow's response to the sanctions was to announce it would force the United States to cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755 people. That move stoked confusion in Washington, given that the United States is believed to have far fewer than 755 American employees in Russia.

Lavrov, describing his meeting with Tillerson, said Russia and the United States had agreed to resume a high-level diplomatic channel that Moscow had suspended after a previous US move to tighten existing Russia sanctions.

"We felt that our American counterparts need to keep the dialogue open," Lavrov said. "There's no alternative to that."

Trump's administration has argued there's good reason for the United States to seek a more productive relationship. Tillerson has cited modest signs of progress in Syria, where the United States and Russia recently brokered a cease-fire in the war-torn country's southwest, as a sign there's fertile ground for cooperation.

The Syrian cease-fire reflected a return of US-Russia cooperation to lower violence there. The United States had looked warily at a series of safe zones in Syria that Russia had negotiated along with Turkey and Iran  but not the United States.
Manila: Russia's top diplomat said on Sunday that his country was ready for more engagement with the United States on North Korea, Syria, Ukraine and other pressing matters, even as Moscow braced for new sanctions from the Trump administration.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, after meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for the first since the US imposed the additional penalties, said Russian and the US had agreed to resume a suspended high-level diplomatic channel and Washington would send its Ukraine envoy to Moscow for negotiations.

Lavrov's upbeat assessment came amid what the US has called a diplomatic low point unseen since the end of the Cold War.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the US shared Lavrov's rosy view of the meeting. The US offered no comment about what the diplomats discussed, and Tillerson didn't respond to shouted questions from journalists allowed in briefly for the start of the hour-plus meeting in the Philippines.

"We felt that our American counterparts need to keep the dialogue open," Lavrov said. "There's no alternative to that." Lavrov said Tillerson had asked him for details about Moscow's recent move to expel American diplomats and shutter a US recreational facility on the outskirts of Moscow. Lavrov said he explained to Tillerson how Russia will carry out its response, but did not publicly disclose details.

In July, the Kremlin said the US must cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755 people, a move that echoed former President Barack Obama's action last year to kick out Russian diplomats in punishment for Moscow's meddling in the 2016 American election.

The Russian announcement has caused confusion because the US is believed to have far fewer than 755 American employees in the country.

Word that US special representative Kurt Volker plans to visit the Russian capital was the latest sign that Washington is giving fresh attention to resolving the Ukraine conflict.

The US cut military ties to Russia over Moscow's annexation of Crimea and accuses the Kremlin of fomenting unrest in eastern Ukraine by arming, supporting and even directing pro-Russian separatists there who are fighting the Kiev government.

In recent days, the Trump administration has been considering providing lethal weaponry to Ukraine to help defend itself against Russian aggression.
Kabul: The Taliban and Islamic State jointly massacred dozens of civilians in an Afghan village on Monday, officials said, highlighting rare cooperation between the insurgent groups, and may increase the strain on Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces.

More than 50 men, women and children in the remote Sayad district of northern Sar-e Pul province were killed on Saturday after overrunning the Afghan Local Police (ALP)  a government-backed militia  in a 48-hour battle, according to local officials.

"It was a joint operation by Islamic State and Taliban fighters. They recruited forces from other provinces of the country and attacked Mirzawalang village," said Zabihullah Amani, a spokesman for the provincial governor.

The spokesman alleged that dozens of Taliban and Islamic State fighters under the command of Sher Mohammad Ghazanfar, a local Taliban commander, who Amani claims, had pledged allegiance to Islamic State, launched a coordinated attack on the area on Thursday. "The fighters overran the area and it led to the massacre of innocent and defenceless civilians," he said.

Most of those killed were shot but some were beheaded, Amani said.

Verifying information from poor, mountainous areas of Afghanistan made inaccessible by fighting and with patchy communications is difficult, and AFP was not able to access the village.

Mohammad Noor Rahmani, head of Sar-e-Pul's provincial council, said 44 of the 50 victims were believed to be civilians, with the ALP militia also suffering casualties.

"This is not the final toll. It might change because the area is inaccessible and no telephone networks are working to get an update," he told AFP. Taliban and Islamic State fighters have regularly clashed since the latter gained a foothold in eastern Afghanistan in 2015, as the two vie for supremacy in the war-torn country.

An Afghan security source told AFP there had been around three incidents in the past where fighters from both groups had teamed up to deal a blow to Afghan forces in certain areas.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, confirmed to AFP that it had captured Mirzawalang village but said it had done so alone. It also denied allegations it had killed civilians. "It was an independent operation by our mujahideen forces. There is no cooperation with the Islamic State on the operation," said the spokesman.
London: British prime minister Theresa May's office on Monday denied weekend media claims that the UK government was reconciled to paying the European Union nearly  40 billion as part of a so-called Brexit divorce bill.

"I don't recognise the figure," said May's official spokesperson when asked about the figure published by The Sunday Telegraph, quoting three separate sources within the British civil service and government with knowledge of the UKs Brexit negotiating strategy.

"As the secretary of state for Exiting the European Union has made clear, we will meet our international responsibilities but the UK will not pay more than it needs to," added a UK government spokesperson.

A prominent Conservative MP, Jacob Rees-Mogg, said there was "no logic to this figure. Legally we owe nothing."

His fellow MP Peter Bone also said it would be "very strange" for Parliament to vote in favour of such large sums.

The paper had claimed that UK government negotiators for Britains exit from the European Union have been able to ascertain that the EU's actual opening position is around  60 billion, not  100 billion as previously suggested.

"The 27 say they can't knock off the bits of their 'bill' until the very end, but politically we can't move on money until the 27 member states start to show compromise. As a negotiation process, it just doesnt work," a senior civil servant based at Whitehall in London told the newspaper.

"We know their position is  60 billion, but actual bottom line is 50 billion euros. Ours is closer to  30 billion, but the landing zone is  40 billion, even if the public and politicians are not all there yet," the source added.

A second Whitehall source confirmed the UK bottom line was " 30 billion -  40 billion", while a third political source put the figure in May's mind at "north of 30 billion".

British Brexit negotiators concluded after second-round talks last month that the EU had created a non-negotiable stance by refusing to talk about trade until it had reached a settlement on citizens rights, money and Northern Ireland.

UK officials have been looking at a compromise by proposing a transition deal in which Britain would offer to continue to make net payments to the EU of some 10 billion euros a year for up to three years after Brexit.

EU budget commissioner Guenther Oettinger told Germany's 'Bild' newspaper on Monday that Britain would remain bound by some previous commitments to long-term projects after Brexit and "will, therefore, have to transfer funds to Brussels at least until 2020".

He has forecast that in the long term, Britain's withdrawal from the 28-member economic bloc will mean a loss of about 10 to 12 billion per year to the EU budget, which will be made up through a combination of cuts and higher payments from other members.

The issue of a so-called one-off "divorce" payment by the UK to the EU has been the focus of intense speculation, with many hard-core Brexiters insisting Britain owes the economic bloc nothing at all.
Rome: Fifteen firefighters have been arrested in Sicily on suspicion of having started fires in order to receive bonus payments, police on the Italian island said Monday.

The firemen are alleged to have faked distress calls as part of the plan to receive the payments of around 10 euros per hour handed out by the state for working in emergency situations.

A number of the 15 volunteer firemen arrested, all from the province of Ragusa, are suspected of arson.

The local fire service authorities had noticed an abnormal number of interventions by the team and launched an investigation.
Manila: The United States, Australia and Japan on Monday denounced Beijing's island-building and militarisation of the South China Sea, in contrast to the increasingly tepid response from Southeast Asian nations over the festering issue.

China claims nearly all of the sea, through which $5 trillion in annual shipping trade passes and which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits.

Its sweeping claims overlap with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei  all members of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc  as well as Taiwan.

But in recent years Beijing has managed to weaken regional resistance by courting some ASEAN members.

On Sunday, Beijing scored a coup when ASEAN ministers issued a diluted statement on the dispute and agreed to Beijing's terms on talks during a security forum which the bloc is hosting in Manila.

China insists that a much-delayed code of conduct between it and ASEAN members over the disputed sea must not be legally binding, a demand to which Southeast Asian countries have so far acquiesced.

But in a joint statement after their foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the same gathering, the US, Japan and Australia delivered a noticeably sterner rebuke to Beijing.

Criticising ongoing "land reclamation, construction of outposts, militarisation of disputed features" in the disputed sea, the trio said any code of conduct must be "legally binding, meaningful and effective", a demand noticeably absent from the ASEAN statement.

The three nations also called on China and the Philippines to respect 2016's international arbitration ruling which dismissed much of Beijing's claim in the sea.

The Philippines had been one of the most vocal critics of China and filed a case before a UN-backed tribunal.

But after the election of President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016, Manila has played down the verdict in favour of pursuing warmer ties with Beijing, a move that led to offers of billions of dollars in investments or aid from China.

Critics of China have accused it of assiduously dividing ASEAN, which operates on a consensus basis, with strong-arm tactics and chequebook diplomacy, enticing smaller countries in the bloc such as Cambodia and Laos to support it.

Vietnam, which had been pushing for stronger language in Manila, has been largely left to fend for itself since Duterte's China rapprochement.

The US, Australia and Japan oppose Beijing building giant artificial islands that could be used as military bases, fearing it will eventually establish de facto control over the waters.

China insists the three countries should stay out of what it says are purely bilateral disputes with its neighbours.

On Sunday, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi warned any interference from "outside parties" could jeopardise negotiations over the code of conduct.
Valencia: Venezuela's military said on Sunday it repelled a "terrorist" attack on a base in the city of Valencia and was hunting some of the assailants who made off with pillaged weapons.

A group of around 20 "mercenaries" led by an army officer who had deserted battled troops in the base for three hours, ending with two of the attackers being killed and eight captured, President Nicolas Maduro said on state television.

The other 10 escaped with an arsenal taken from the base, according to officials who said an "intense search" was underway.

Maduro claimed the group had ties to Colombia and the United States.

The incident heightened fears that Venezuela's deepening political and economic crisis could explode into greater violence.

Officials insisted afterward that all was normal across the country.

Military helicopters flew overhead and tactical armored vehicles patrolled the streets in Valencia, a major northwestern city, in a climate of tension after the attack.

Locals said a nighttime curfew had been imposed. Police dispersed protesters who set up flaming barricades across roads.

The armed forces said in a statement "a group of civilian criminals wearing military uniforms and a first lieutenant who had deserted" carried out the attack.

Maduro said the lieutenant, among those captured, was "actively giving information and we have testimony from seven of the civilians."

Loyal military chiefs

Maduro congratulated the army for its "immediate reaction" in putting down the attack, saying they earned his "admiration."

Venezuela's opposition has repeatedly urged the military to abandon Maduro.

But Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino, the head of the armed forces, has said the military's loyalty was unshakable.

After Sunday's attack in Valencia, Padrino tweeted that the assailants "couldn't do anything against" the army.

In a video posted online just before the attack, a man presenting himself as an army captain named Juan Caguaripano declared a "legitimate rebellion... to reject the murderous tyranny of Nicolas Maduro."

Speaking with 15 men in camouflage standing by him, some of them armed, he demanded a transitional government and "free elections."

It was not known if he was the lieutenant referred to in the military statement.

That statement said the officer had deserted three years ago and taken refuge in Miami, in the United States' Florida.
Manila (Philippines): Some 2,000 mothers in the Philippines breastfed their babies in public on Saturday in a gathering aimed at cutting infant deaths and dispelling taboos over the practice.

To the upbeat sounds of local pop songs, hundreds of mothers suckled their babies inside a cavernous Manila stadium, some of them multitasking by feeding two children at the same time.

Organisers of the annual event said they aimed to encourage Filipina mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months to lower the country's high infant mortality rate.

"In the Philippines we still have a very low infant breastfeeding rate," Ros Macachor, an organiser for the non-government advocacy group Breastfeeding Pinays said.

Macachor said Filipina mothers typically breastfeed their newborns only for the first 24 days, then switch to commercial infant formula which is ubiquitous and heavily marketed by powerful conglomerates.

A WHO study published in 2013 found only 34 percent of Filipino infants younger than six months were exclusively breastfed, and an "alarming" 36 percent were fed infant formula.

This was due to "aggressive marketing by milk companies" to counter laws designed to encourage breastfeeding, the country report added.

The UN Children's Fund said 28 out of every 1,000 Filipinos die under the age of five.

While that marks a significant improvement from the 56 per 1000 deaths recorded in 1990 it remains above the country's stated goal of lowering infant mortality rates to 19 per 1,000.

Macachor said similar mass breastfeeding events would help combat stereotypes and encourage mothers to exercise their right and shrug off taboos against nursing babies in public.

"They should not be intimidated by people telling them to go breastfeed in the toilets, which is unsanitary," she added.
Adorable bear cubs hitch a ride on mom's back as she swims across Lake Aleknagik in Alaska.

Lake Aleknagik is 20 miles long by 16 miles wide. Aleknagik is a Yupik word meaning "wrong way home". Yupiks returning to their homes along the Nushagak River would sometimes become lost in the fog and be swept up the Wood River to Aleknagik Lake by the tide. Aleknagik Lake is also part of Wood-Tikchik State Park - the largest and most remote state park in the USA, covering nearly 1.6 million acres.
Apple is working on a new version of Apple Watch that will come with support for cellular connectivity, according to a report from Bloomberg. The Apple Watch will feature a built-in LTE wireless connection using a modem chip supplied by Intel.

The latest report comes a year after Apple was rumored to bring cellular connectivity to next generation Apple Watch. Apple is reportedly already in talks with carriers in the US and Europe. The upcoming Apple Watch will reportedly perform online tasks like downloading songs without the need to pair it with an iPhone. Currently, Apple requires its smartwatch to be connected wirelessly to an iPhone to stream music, download directions in maps, and send messages while on the go.

Apple is playing catch with Samsung in this case as the South Korean tech giant launched Gear S3 Frontier with LTE support last year. The Apple Watch with cellular connectivity is likely to be unveiled at Apples iPhone launch event that mostly takes place in September. However, it is likely that device could still be delayed beyond 2017 as Apple had already delayed the it last year owing to issues with battery life.

Source
Samsung is said to introduce in-display fingerprint sensor with the Galaxy Note 9, according to latest report from KGI securities. The company will continue to put the fingerprint sensor at the back for Galaxy S9 similar to Galaxy S8 and S8+. However, Samsung could reposition the rear-mounted sensor on the S9 to a slightly more ergonomic position.

The report further says that Samsung will not risk with in-display fingerprint sensor in the S9 since the upcoming iPhone 8 has ditched efforts to implement it. Apple was rumored to be working on built-in fingerprint sensor into iPhone 8 display. KGI further added that the Galaxy S9 models will come with some other selling points including advanced iris recognition as well as dual cameras.

Samsung is said to switch from Synaptics to Egis at the time of the Notes release to supply the company with fingerprint sensors on the Galaxy Note 9.

Via
Samsung has U Flex Headphones (EO-BG950), the companys latest Bluetooth headset with flexible neckband design that is bendable by up to 100 degrees so it will not lose its shape or break, even when carried in a small bag or pocket, says Samsung. It also has P2i splash and sweat-resistant coating.

Highlights of Samsung U Flex

Two-way speaker units that has 11-millimeter woofers and 8-millimeter tweeters promises powerful bass, deep mids, and clear highs.

Proprietary Scalable Codec technology, compatible with select Samsung smartphones using Android 7.0 or later that continuously analyze ambient interference from Wi-Fi signals to optimize audio performance, thus ensuring a stable Bluetooth connection and seamless music playback.

Bixby support when connected to select phones including Galaxy S8 and S8+ so you can do things conveniently through voice command while holding the active button

Level App lets you access and control advanced settings such as adjusting the equalizer, among other settings on the headphones from paired Android device.

Vibration notification feature ensures that users never miss a call, even in noisy surroundings

P2i nano coating technology protects the device from splashes.

A single charge offers up to 10 hours of play time

The Samsung U Flex Headphones comes in Black, Blue and Ivory colors, is priced at 79.90 Euros (US$ 94 / 6015 approx.) and is already available in some European countries.

Source
Aggressive investors are more than willing to accept higher levels of risk to get the potential for high returns. Many think of aggressive investors in terms of chasing growth, but some of these investors focus more on high yields.

If you're an aggressive investors looking for high-yield stocks, you have plenty of options from which to choose. We asked three Motley Fool investors to pick stocks with high yields that could carry more risk. Here's why they identified Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE: ETP), DineEquity (NYSE: DIN), and Seagate Technology (NASDAQ: STX).

A sky-high yield that just might pay off

Matt DiLallo (Energy Transfer Partners): Oil and gas pipeline giant Energy Transfer Partners currently yields a jaw-dropping 11.8%. That said, the reason it's that high is that investors aren't sure the company can maintain its current rate over the long term. Fueling those fears are its elevated leverage ratio, massive capex requirements, and the high management fees it pays to its parent.

While those are valid concerns, Energy Transfer believes it can navigate around them. That's because the company is in the midst of an enormous expansion phase that should fuel significant earnings and cash flow growth over the next few years. In Energy Transfer's estimation, those projects will provide a big-enough boost so that it can raise its payout by a double-digit rate in the near term, while fully supporting an increase in fees to its parent and reducing its leverage ratio.

There's a huge risk, however, that Energy Transfer will fall short of this ambitious forecast, especially if it can't raise the capital it needs to finance its growth projects at competitive rates, which might force it to reduce its payout and use that money to fund growth. However, if it can get that job done and maintain its distribution, investors who are willing to make an aggressive gamble and invest amid the uncertainty could reap a windfall of profits.

A high-yield restaurant stock

Tim Green (DineEquity): How does a profitable restaurant stock that yields an astounding 9% sound? DineEquity, which operates and franchises restaurants under the Applebee's and IHOP brands, is exactly that. The stock has been hammered since peaking in early 2015, down about 60% from its high, creating a high-yield opportunity for investors.

But don't jump into DineEquity without understanding the problems facing the company. Both the Applebee's and IHOP brands are not exactly thriving, and Applebee's in particular is struggling mightily. Through the first six months of this year, systemwide comparable sales at Applebee's are down 7%. DineEquity attempted to rebrand Applebee's in recent years to appeal to younger customers, but that effort has been abandoned due to lackluster results.

DineEquity is still plenty profitable. The company expects to produce free cash flow between $76 million and $86 million this year, a healthy double-digit percentage of revenue. The stock trades for around 10 times this free cash flow guidance, reflecting pessimism about the company's ability to turn things around. Nearly all of this free cash flow will be eaten up by the dividend, which yields 9%.

DineEquity, then, is only for investors willing to bet that the Applebee's and IHOP brands can be turned around and that the company can halt the ongoing earnings decline before it endangers the dividend. A dividend cut is possible down the line, but if you're an aggressive investor looking for a high yield, DineEquity might be for you.

Hard-drive maker falling on hard times

Keith Speights (Seagate Technology): First, the bad news about my pick. Seagate Technology missed revenue and earnings expectations in its last quarter. The stock is down more than 10% so far in 2017. And the hard-drive maker just had a change at the top, with former president and COO David Mosley taking over as CEO. If you're an aggressive investor looking for high dividend yields, though, all of this could make Seagate an even more attractive opportunity.

Seagate's dividend currently yields around 7.5%. I wouldn't count on dividend hikes from the company anytime soon, since it's using nearly all of its earnings to fund the dividend program. But with that kind of yield, who really cares if no increases are forthcoming?

The obvious question is: What about the potential for dividend cuts? I don't see that happening, either. Seagate's payout ratio might be higher than ideal, but it's not so high that the company should have to slash its dividend. In addition, Seagate is generating solid cash flow that should allow it to easily keep dividends coming at current levels.

And while Seagate's latest financial results were disappointing, the long-term outlook for the company still appears to be good overall. Demand for data storage should increase in the future, particularly with continued growth in cloud computing. Seagate remains one of the top players in the market. Aggressive investors could find this an attractive high-yield stock to add to their portfolios.

10 stocks we like better than Seagate TechnologyWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

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Keith Speights has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Matthew DiLallo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Timothy Green has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The British government denied Monday that it has agreed on the amount of its European Union exit bill, after a report emerged that it plans offer the bloc 36 billion pounds ($47 billion).

Britain's outstanding tab to settle commitments it made as an EU member is one of the biggest issues confronting the divorce talks. The EU says it won't discuss future trade relations with Britain until there is progress on the bill and other key issues.

The EU has not put an official number on the size of the bill, but estimates have ranged as high as 100 billion euros ($118 billion).

Britain voted in a referendum last year to quit the 28-nation bloc and is due to leave in March 2019.

EU budget commissioner Guenther Oettinger told Germany's Bild newspaper in comments published Monday that Britain would remain bound by some previous commitments to long-term projects after Brexit and "will therefore have to transfer funds to Brussels at least until 2020."

The size of the bill is a hot political issue in Britain, with some anti-EU politicians insisting the country should pay nothing at all.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that British officials have decided to offer 36 billion pounds, or 40 billion euros, in a bid to move talks on to the key issue of trade. But Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman, James Slack, said "I don't recognize" the figure.

He added, however, that Britain was prepared to pay a "fair settlement" of its obligations.

Oettinger said in the long term, Britain's withdrawal will mean a loss of about 10 to 12 billion euros ($11.8-14 billion) per year to the EU budget, which will be made up through a combination of cuts and higher payments from other members.

He estimated that Germany would face an "additional single-digit billion" increase.
The Cuban government said on Monday the freeze on new licenses for some private-sector occupations would not last years, in an attempt to reassure citizens worried about an apparent pause in the liberalization of the economy.

Communist-run Cuba last week said it was suspending issuing licenses for popular activities like renting out rooms in homes while it took new measures to "perfect" the functioning of the nascent private sector and curb wrongdoing.

"We are not talking about a very long period of time. We are not talking about years," Labor Vice Minister Marta Elena Feito said in an interview aired on state-run television. "We are talking about a normal work procedure to approve these norms."

Feito said around 1,600 applications for licenses for affected occupations filed before the freeze was announced would be processed.

The number of self-employed on the island has more than tripled to 567,982 since President Raul Castro in 2010 launched his plan to open up the centrally planned economy to more private initiative and market forces.

For many Cubans, self-employment or work at cooperatives offers an opportunity to earn more than the average state wage of $30 per month. The Cuban government legalized nonagricultural cooperatives five years ago.

Worries that the government is reneging on its reform plan were exacerbated on Friday when one fast-growing cooperative said it had been ordered to shut down.

Scenius, which provides accounting and business consultancy services mainly to state companies, said the order came after the finance ministry complained it was offering skills outside its official remit.

Scenius General Director Alfonso Larrea denounced the order on his Facebook page for destroying the "faith of 300 cooperativists ... and thousands of Cubans who believed it was possible to dream."

(Reporting by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
FedEx customers are complaining that the company's system for tracking packages has been crashing.

FedEx Corp. said in statement Monday that it was dealing with sporadic issues and was trying to fix them.

A spokeswoman said the Memphis, Tennessee-based company expected operations to return to normal shortly. She declined to describe the extent of the problem or say whether the company had identified the cause.

Downdetector, a Dutch web-monitoring firm, says complaints started early Monday and rose through midday.

Max Dushey, who owns a fulfillment-software company in New Jersey, says in an interview that the problems seem intermittent. He says some small customers have worked through the problem but his large wholesaler customers haven't been able to print mailing labels to meet orders from retailers.
Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics giant known for making Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhones, is reportedly planning to open a second U.S. facility in Michigan to develop self-driving cars and other auto technology.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder met with the companys chairman, Terry Gou, on Saturday during a trade mission to China. After the meeting, Gou told newspaper China Daily that Foxconn will cooperate with Michigan on next generation auto technology, such as Internet of Vehicle (IOV) and self-driving cars.

The Michigan investment will be unveiled soon, yet the transaction amount cannot be released, Gou added.

Gov. Snyder, a Republican, said he had a very productive dialogue with Gou about the importance of talent in manufacturing and the future of autonomous driving.

I believe we have a strong future with Foxconn, and while I don't have an announcement to make today, I think there are very exciting things to come in the future, Gov. Snyder said in a statement.

Word of a potential investment in Michigan comes on the heels of Foxconns announcement that it will build a $10 billion factory in Wisconsin. The manufacturing facility, which will make LCD screens for computers, televisions and car dashboards, will create 3,000 jobs.

The Wisconsin plant was hailed by Gov. Scott Walker and President Donald Trump, who said during a recent press conference that Foxconns investment could reach $30 billion.
Germanys financial regulatory agency is investigating whether Volkswagen (OTC:VLKAY) and Mercedes-Benz owner Daimler (OTC:DDAIF) violated securities rules by not disclosing allegations of collusion to investors.

Daimler, Volkswagen and BMW are facing claims that they secretly worked together on pricing and technology. According to reports, the German automakers self-reported a possible violation of anti-trust laws, a move that could reduce any fines levied by the European Union. The EUs competition authority has said it launched a probe into the allegations.

BaFin, the German financial regulator, said Monday it was checking if Volkswagen and Daimler violated requirements to tell shareholders as soon as they have information that could affect the stock price.

Der Spiegel magazine reported that German auto companies colluded for years on technical matters including limiting the size of the tanks holding the urea solution used to neutralize pollutants in exhaust gases. Following the report, Volkswagen reportedly held a special meeting of its supervisory board to discuss the controversy.

The three automakers have already come under scrutiny over diesel emissions. Volkswagen acknowledged that it used software in 11 million vehicles worldwide to skirt emissions rules. Daimler recently said it will recall 3 million Mercedes vehicles to perform a software update that will improve emissions. BMW also plans to update software in older diesel-powered cars.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Latest on Brexit (all times local):

3:15 p.m.

The British government denies it has agreed the amount of its European Union exit bill, after a report that it plans offer 36 billion pounds ($47 billion).

Britain's outstanding tab to settle commitments it made as an EU member is one of the biggest issues confronting the divorce talks. The EU says it won't discuss future trade relations with Britain until there is progress on the bill and other key issues.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that British officials have decided to offer 36 billion pounds, or 40 billion euros, in a bid to move talks on.

Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman, James Slack, said Monday that Britain was prepared to pay a "fair settlement" of its obligations. But, he added, "in terms of this figure, I don't recognize it."

___

11 a.m.

The European Union's budget commissioner says Britain will need to make payments into long-term projects even after Brexit.

Guenther Oettinger told Germany's Bild newspaper in remarks published Monday that Britain would remain "bound" by some previous commitments.

He says "London will therefore have to transfer funds to Brussels at least until 2020."

Britain voted last year to quit the 28-nation bloc and is due to formally leave in March 2019.

Oettinger said in the long term, Britain's withdrawal will mean a loss of about 10 to 12 billion euros ($11.8-14 billion) per year to the EU budget, which will be made up through a combination of cuts and higher payments from other members.

He estimated Germany would face an "additional single-digit billion" increase.
Oil prices fell as much as 2 percent on Monday on selling triggered by a rebound in production from Libya's largest oil field along with worries about higher output from OPEC and the United States.

Output at Libya's Sharara field was returning to normal after a brief disruption by armed protesters in the coastal city of Zawiya, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) said. The field has boosted Libya's oil production, which climbed to more than 1 million bpd in late June.

Global benchmark Brent crude futures were down 85 cents, or 1.62 percent, at $51.57 a barrel at 11:39 a.m. EDT (1540 GMT) after trading as low as $51.37 a barrel

U.S. crude futures were down 89 cents, or 1.8 percent, at $48.69 per barrel, after sinking to a low of $48.54 a barrel.

Both contracts stood well below levels hit last week, which marked their highest since late May.

Doubts have emerged about the effectiveness of output cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and other big producers including Russia. OPEC output hit a 2017 high in July and its exports hit a record.

"The petroleum markets are tipping toward the lower end of their recent trading range as oil producers meeting in Abu Dhabi have been slow to assure the market that compliance with this years production cuts will be improved, although we continue to note that adherence to the limits has actually been quite strong by historical standards," Tim Evans, Citi Futures' energy futures specialist, said in a note.

"The recent increase in OPEC production has mostly been a function of recovering volumes from Libya and Nigeria."

Officials from a joint OPEC and non-OPEC technical committee are meeting in Abu Dhabi on Monday and Tuesday to discuss ways to boost compliance with the deal to cut 1.8 million barrels per day in production.

Oil output in the United States remained high even though Baker Hughes data on Friday showed a cut of one drilling rig in the week to Aug. 4, bringing the U.S. rig count down to 765. <RIG-OL-USA-BHI>

U.S. weekly oil production hit 9.43 million bpd in the week to July 28, the highest since August 2015 and up 12 percent from its most recent low in June last year. <C-OUT-T-EIA>

Some analysts expected OPEC could talk up prices.

"Saudi Arabia will restate that they will export only 6.6 million bpd (six-year low) in August and inventories will continue to draw down," SEB Markets chief commodities analyst Bjarne Schieldrop said.

On the demand side, Goldman Sachs said data available so far for June points to continued strong growth.

"We believe that the biggest driver for this robust demand is strong economic growth in recent months," Goldman said in a note. (By Devika Krishna Kumar; Additional reporting by Libby George in London, Jane Chung in Seoul and Henning Gloystein in Singapore; editing by Jane Merriman and David Gregorio)
French car maker Renault plans to establish a new manufacturing plant in Iran, becoming the latest Western company to expand its footprint in the country.

Renault said Monday it will open a factory capable of building 150,000 vehicles. The companys joint venture agreement with Iran and Parto Negin Naseh, an importer of Renault vehicles, also includes an engineering and purchasing center and an engine plant. The facilities will be located in Saveh, a city located about 75 miles from Tehran.

After a period of joint control, Renault will become the majority shareholder of the venture.

Renault already makes about 200,000 cars a year in Iran, where the company had been expanding before European powers imposed new sanctions. With its new joint venture, Renault joins rivals Peugeot and Citroen, two other French automakers that agreed to Iranian deals after sanctions were lifted last year.

Renault sales in Iran doubled to 68,365 vehicles in the first half of 2017, and it owns a 9.7% market share. The Nissan-Renault alliance, which also includes Mitsubishi, led the world in auto sales during the first half.

In a rapidly expanding Iranian market, it was vital to implement plants, engineering and [a] purchasing center. This joint venture will enable an acceleration of our growth in this country, Renault Chief Competitive Officer Thierry Bollore said in a statement.

U.S. companies have mostly kept their distance from Iran, which is still under sanctions beyond those that were imposed because of its nuclear program. Some firms have inked deals in Iran after the U.S. lifted certain sanctions under a 2015 nuclear agreement. For instance, Boeing (NYSE:BA) reached a deal to sell about $3 billion worth of planes to Iran Air. European companies including German industrial giant Siemens have also agreed to large business deals in Iran.

The U.S. recently certified that Iran has continued to comply with the terms of the nuclear accord. But the Trump administration has called for new penalties against Iran in response to other malign activities such as its ballistic missile program and support of terrorism.
What a difference a couple of quarters has made for Targa Resources (NYSE: TRGP). It wasn't so long ago that a lack of growth options was a major concern for the company. Today, though, Targa has a robust queue of projects in the works, and the company just announced even more growth.

Let's take a look at the company's most recent earnings results, and then see what management has up its sleeve.

By the numbers

Comparing Targa's results to the last couple of quarters doesn't show a whole lot of change. Distributable cash flow was more or less the same from the prior quarter as modest increases in commodity prices offset slightly lower volumes for some of its gathering and processing pipeline. On the logistics and marketing side of the business, Targa reported higher fractionation volumes, but lower exports of liquefied petroleum gas and overall natural gas liquids sales.

Also, Targa hasn't brought many assets on stream in recent months. It wasn't until recently that it had projects to work on, anyway. That changed in a big way, though, as management gave the green light to several billion in new development projects. In the past three months, it has increased its 2017 capital budget by $250 million to $1.21 billion. The extra capital will be used to build the Grand Prix NGL pipeline from the Permian Basin to its fractionation complex in Mont Belvieu, Texas.

This is probably the best investment the company could make right now. Targa has two distinct businesses with little overlap: extensive gathering processing assets in several shale basins across the U.S., and a large fractionation, marketing, and export business on the Gulf Coast. The issue is that there's no connection between them. The Grand Prix NGL pipeline will give Targa's Gulf Coast assets a direct feed line from its gathering assets, which will allow the company to better monetize all of them. It wouldn't be surprising if the company does something similar to connect its gathering assets in Oklahoma to the Gulf Coast as well.

What management had to say

CEO Joe Bob Perkins had a lot to say about the recent decision to invest in the Grand Prix NGL pipeline.

What a Fool believes

Targa has a lot of growth options, and it just completed a $777 million share issuance in May to fund a good portion of this capital program and pay off some of its higher-interest-rate debt. This equity sale, coupled with the $1.5 billion in revolving credit, and a debt-to-adjusted-EBITDA ratio of 3.3, suggests the company has plenty of financing options (although issuing equity that pays an 8.1% dividend is expensive).

Targa is in a much better place than it was this time last year, and it could have even better things ahead of it as it leverages its two disparate businesses into an integrated natural gas liquids transportation and processing system.

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Former Whitewater Independent Counsel Robert Ray on Monday said the Robert Mueller investigation into alleged collusion between President Trumps 2016 campaign and Russia may end before the mid-term elections.

This investigation could be responsibly and swiftly concluded with the major prosecutorial decisions if any to be made before the midterm elections, he told FOX Business Connell McShane.

The former federal prosecutor said that Mueller must make haste with the investigation to avoid losing the patience of the American public.

You get sort of 18 months to two years to kind of either show something for what youve done or not, otherwise the public patience has been exhausted, he said.

Ray also discussed why federal investigations such as the Trump-Russia probe take so much time to conclude.

Putting people before the grand jury, issues arise along the way about whether or not someone will go voluntarily or one who asserts their Fifth Amendment privilege and whether to compel testimony and the consequences of that. If you are talking about prosecuting lower level people in order to get to higher level people, thats a time consuming process, he said.
General Motors has introduced a new small electric car with a price to match.

The two-seat E100 comes from GMs Chinese joint venture brand, Baojun, and costs around $5,300 after all of the local green car incentives are factored in. Thats about a sixth of what a Chevrolet Bolt costs in the United States after its tax credit is deducted.

But while GM has started importing some models made in China and plans to sell the Bolt there as a Buick, the E100 will not be making the reciprocal trip. A foot or so shorter than the teeny Smart ForTwo, the E100 was not engineered with U.S. safety standards in mind.

However, with a range of 96 miles per charge and a restricted top speed of 62 mph, it is perfect for Chinas increasingly crowded urban centers, and comes with an air filter, parking sensors and a pedestrian alert system to optimize it for use there. They even managed to pack in WiFi and an available touch-screen infotainment system to make the most of time spent sitting in traffic.

The Chevy Bolt goes 238 miles per charge and has a starting price of $36,995, but can be had for as low $26,995 in California after all of the state and federal tax credits are accounted for. Its only just becoming available nationwide in August, but GM CEO Mary Barra says that an all-new electric car will join it in the U.S. by 2019.

CHEVROLET BOLT TEST DRIVE:
Bill Maher's HBO show returned Friday night after a month-long hiatus and the talk show host took the opportunity to mock a 9-year-old's letter to President Trump.

Toward the end of the panel discussion segment, Maher read out loud 9-year-old Dylan "Pickles" Harbin's letter to Trump which was first read by Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in late July.

Maher pointed out Harbin's several spelling errors.

"This is more of an indictment of the educational system of America," Maher said. "I don't blame the kid. They haven't taught him 'is' at the age of 9?"

He added, "They owe this kid an apology."

The "Real Time With Bill Maher" host then read a fake letter he attributed to Harbin.

"Do you like your boss Mr. Putin? When I drink too much milk I get in troubl (sic) for pootin (sic) too," Maher read.

He also asked, "When you beat up on real Mexicans does candy come out" and "How much money do you have? If only there were some way to find out."

@RealTimers @billmaher you're being awfully tough on a little kid...and that letter to Trump was cute, too   A girl has no name (@amandapants357) August 5, 2017 @foxandfriends HBO 's Bill Maher's show stooped to an all time low! He insulted and degraded a letter sent to Trump by a 9 year old boy.Sick  Brian Hurley (@bhurleysr11) August 6, 2017

Some on Twitter felt Maher's segment was out-of-line.

A rep for Maher did not return Fox News' request for comment.

This is not the first time Maher has come under fire for jokes he made on his HBO show.

In May he was criticized for making an incest joke about Ivanka Trump and in June he apologized for using the N-word on his talk show.
Not everyone thinks Chelsea Handler is funny.

The comedian suggested in a recent tweet that there should be laws against "people who think racism is funny."

"2 Chinese guys were arrested in Berlin for making nazi salutes," Handler tweeted Sunday. "Wouldn't it be nice 2 have laws here for people who think racism is funny?"

Many took to Twitter to slam the comedian for her tweet, calling her hypocritical as she has advocated for free speech. Some Twitter users pointed out Handler has made racist jokes in the past.

Those who'd punish speech never think it possible it could happen to them. Like Handler, they aren't smart enough to defend their beliefs  Boris_Badenoff (@Boris_Badenoff) August 7, 2017 Are you saying we should have thought police????  Mitch All Together (@BrainGoesPop) August 7, 2017 Yes, Miss politically incorrect is advocating for wrong-speak/think/act/feel police.

Spectacularly terrifying.

Silver-lining, she's first   Maleficent (@medicgoddess911) August 7, 2017 So racist jokes are only funny when you make them? Everyone else should be arrested. pic.twitter.com/7nxLS5h1wV  Tyler Smith (@TheTSmoove) August 7, 2017

It wasn't clear if Handler was joking with her message. A rep for the star did not immediately return Fox News' request for comment.
After eight years of marriage, actors Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced they would be separating.

The beloved Hollywood couple rocked fans with their joint announcement Sunday.

"We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed," the actors said in a statement. We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another.

Heres a look at how their relationship grew over time.

Take Me Home Tonight

The two stars first met on the set of Take Me Home Tonight" in 2007.

After they met, Faris reportedly tried to be Pratts wingman in bars.

Bugged-out connection

Faris said she knew Pratt was the one for her when she saw he had a dead bug collection  just like hers.

When Chris and I first started dating, he invited me over to his apartment, and he had, also, a dead bug collection, Faris said while appearing on The Late Late Show with James Corden in May 2015.

Faris said she started to cry and thought she met the man of [her] dreams upon seeing the collection.

ANNA FARIS SAYS SHE IS JEALOUS OF CHRIS PRATTS CO-STAR

During a Reddit AMA two years ago, Pratt said, Our relationship has made me believe in divine intervention and destiny."

Bali wedding

Faris and Pratt got engaged in late 2008. They married in Bali on July 9, 2009.

ANNA FARIS SAYS CHEATING RUMORS LEFT HER FEELING VERY INSECURE

Baby boy's birth

Faris gave birth to their only child, Jack, in August 2012. He was born premature at just 3 pounds, 12 ounces, Pratt revealed at the March of Dimes Celebration of Babies in 2014.

Pratt said he and his wife were informed that Jack might have special needs and would need surgery to fix a problem with his eyes. But after only about a month in the NICU, the two were able to take their healthy son home.

ANNA FARIS WAS IN DENIAL OVER SONS PREMATURE BIRTH

Pratt said that when he got to hold his son in the NICU, he made promises in that moment about what kind of dad he would be to his son and prayed that hed live long enough that [Pratt] could keep him.

Veteran suicide awareness

The couple participated in the social media-backed "22 Push-Up Challenge" in August 2016 to raise awareness for mental health issues among veterans. The challenge requires participants to complete 22 push-ups  representing the 22 veterans who commit suicide daily  and then challenge others to do the same.

CHRIS PRATT: BODY-SHAMING HURTS

Were thinking about you, and we want to raise awareness for this terrible reality, Pratt said in an Instagram video.

Cheating rumors

Tabloid rumors that Pratt wasnt faithful in his marriage to Faris left the actress feeling insecure, she said in December 2016.

Faris said they tried to ignore the rumors, but she couldnt help but to feel so hurt.

I didnt want to think of myself as somebody who could be bothered by  tabloid s--t, she said. It made me feel incredibly very insecure.

She added that while Pratt would be away filming, she would feel vulnerable, like any normal human would.

Pratt had announced a few months earlier in September that he was taking time off work in order to be with his family.

Separation

On August 6, the two announced in a joint statement shared on social media that they would be legally separating.
An Atlanta rapper who claimed he was bulletproof after being shot for the 11th time last year was gunned down across the street from a police station Sunday, according to reports.

Yung Mazi, 31, who had bragged about his ability to survive targeted shootings, was fatally shot at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday outside a pizza restaurant and across the street from a police precinct in the DeKalb County section of Atlanta, WSB-TV reports.

Police told the station they responded to a report of up to 25 gunshots at the location. The DeKalb County Medical Examiners Office identified the victim as Jabril Abdur-Rahman. The rappers brother, Luqman Abdur-Rahman, declined to comment and asked for privacy when reached by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Were praying for him and all involved, he told the newspaper early Monday. Our privacy is at a premium.

The emcee  known for collaborations with Atlanta rappers Rich Homie Quan and Yung Thug  had previously bragged on Twitter in December that he was bulletproof after being wounded at a Waffle House in Atlanta.

God made me bulletproof, Mazi, who was a Muslim, wrote in a since-deleted tweet.

The rapper said during an interview last June that he had been shot on 10 previous occasions, claiming he was targeted due to his skin color, rising fame and wearing up to a quarter-million dollars of jewelry at a time.

Look at me, for one  Im a [light-skinned] dude, people always dont like the [light-skinned] dude for some reason, Mazi said. And then, I might walk around with a quarter-million dollars worth of jewelry on.

The father of four had previously survived being shot in the head, leaving him temporarily brain-damaged, according to his website.

Police are now looking for a suspect with dreadlocks who was wearing a white T-shirt and dark jeans at the time of the shooting, WSB-TV reports.

News of Mazis death quickly spread on social media, with several hip-hop performers offering their condolences, including Young Thug and Zoey Dollaz.

Somebody really wanted Mazi dead badly smh, Zoey Dollaz wrote on Twitter. Well I hope that beef is squashed now its like damn whatever he did hope its forgiven now.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post.
Try as they might, the infection control specialists at Royal Brompton Hospital could not eradicate the invasive fungus that was attacking already gravely ill patients in the intensive care unit.

Enhanced cleaning didnt stop the dangerous bug from spreading from one patient to the next in the 296-bed hospital. Neither did segregating infected patients, to keep them from spreading the fungus.

Eventually, officials who run the Royal Brompton, located a couple of miles from Buckingham Palace in Londons tony Chelsea neighborhood, resorted to a last-ditch move no hospital ever wants to have to take. They temporarily shut their ICU. That appears to have put a stop to the more than year-long outbreak, which ended last year and which involved at least 50 patients.

The lengths to which the Royal Brompton was forced to resort to rid the hospital of Candida auris  a member of a broader fungal family named Candida  raised red flags for the small community of scientists who study fungi that infect people.

They did the Cadillac of drastic actions to make that happen, which we generally wouldnt be doing for Candidal infections, Dr. Tom Chiller, the chief of mycotic  fungal  diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told STAT in a recent interview.

BACK TO SCHOOL: HOW TO AVOID SCABIES INFECTION IN CHILDREN

The fear is that thats what U.S. hospitals may be facing if C. auris breaches their infection control defenses. Last year at this time, the CDC knew of a single U.S. case, which occurred in 2013. As of mid-July, the case count had risen to 98 in nine states, though the lions share have been reported by two  New York (68) and neighboring New Jersey (20).

On the ever-growing list of bad bugs, C. auris is one of the most unsettling. Dr. Anne Schuchat, who served as the CDCs acting director this spring, termed it a catastrophic threat.

Said Chiller: Its a high priority for really sick people right now and we at CDC are taking a very aggressive approach to see if we cant control, contain, and even eradicate it from the places it exists.

But doing that wont be easy.

Most fungal infections are acquired when a person picks up the fungus from the environment. But it seems C. auris can be transmitted from person to person, at least in a hospital setting. The fungus is hellishly difficult to eradicate from a space, once it settles in. And some versions of it seem to be impervious to the drugs  the dismayingly few drugs, it must be noted  that combat fungal infections.

Its almost a perfect storm kind of organism. It has all the bad characteristics of a large number of bad pathogens, said Dr. Alex Kallen, a medical officer with the division of health care quality promotion at the CDC.

The resistant strains of the fungus seem to be as robust as the non-resistant strains  which is a disappointment and a concern. Often organisms that develop resistance pay a price; they are weakened in the process and dont spread as well. But with this fungus there is no fitness tradeoff for acquiring resistance. And thats again another scary thing about it. Because we dont want fit resistant organisms, Chiller said.

None of these dire characteristics was apparent when the fungus was first detected, in 2009. Then it was simply a new fungus grown from discharge swabbed out of the ear of a 70-year-old woman in a Japanese hospital.

Finding new additions to the fungal family tree is not uncommon; nor is it considered alarming, generally speaking.

But then the radar pinged again. Some scientists in Pakistan were investigating puzzling bloodstream infections in hospitalized patients that they thought were caused by another type of yeast, called Saccharomyces. They shipped samples to Atlanta in the hopes the CDC could help. The culprit was actually C. auris.

That caught our attention, Chiller admitted. For the first time were like, Huh? Candida auris? A cluster that big in a hospital?

Other countries started reporting cases. In fairly short order after the Japanese report, countries on three continents disclosed having seen infections caused by this fungus.

The widespread and virtually simultaneous appearances of C. auris raised suspicions that travelers were moving the fungus around  but that turned out not to be accurate. Comparing genetic sequences from various places showed different strains in each place  a phenomenon that remains a bit of a mystery. It doesnt seem like its one thing, said Kallen, when asked how to explain the dissemination of the fungus.

To be clear, C. auris isnt the zombie apocalypse. Healthy people arent going to be felled in the street by this fungus.

In fact, like lots of other pathogens, some of us carry Candida fungi on our skin  C. auris seems to especially like the warmth of armpits and the groin. As is true with other bugs, this fungus doesnt generally cause problems when its on the outside of a healthy person being kept in check by other bugs with which it shares human turf.

Its when someone gets sick that C. auris can become a problem. The fungus can infiltrate the bloodstream  wending its way into the body along a catheter or an intravenous line used to deliver fluids and medicines. When that happens, sick people become a lot sicker.

WHAT IS 'LEAKY GUT' -- AND HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE IT?

It is estimated that about five or six out of every 10 people that have been seen to be infected with C. auris die. Chiller cautioned, though, one cannot say the fungus kills 50 percent or 60 percent of its victims. As often is the case with secondary infections  bugs that infect people who are already fighting off another serious ailment  it can be tough to determine who died from the fungus, and in whom the infection merely contributed to the death.

Keeping C. auris from getting into and spreading within hospitals is the big goal here. But its likely to prove challenging. At the Royal Brompton, in London, doctors found that when a patient with C. auris was moved out of a hospital room, the next patient to move in would pick up the fungus. Even after cleaning, the fungus could be found on multiple surfaces  the bed, the floor  in the room.

The team of researchers there who investigated the outbreak declined requests for interviews.

Dr. Curtis Donskey, chief of infectious diseases at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, has been studying C. auris in the laboratory, trying to determine how long it can survive on surfaces in hospitals and which cleaning regimens can effectively destroy it.

In an upcoming paper, he and colleagues will report that the disinfectants most commonly used in U.S. hospitals are not that effective against this fungus.

They also found that C. auris is able to live on surfaces for at least seven days. And that is probably not the end of the C. auris story. We certainly suspect that they would last longer than that, Donskey said. Thats just how long we tested.

Aware of this problem, the CDC has recommended hospitals use bleach to clean rooms that housed patients with C. auris. But thats not a fail-safe solution. We found more of it on moist surfaces that are not typically cleaned with bleach at all, said Donskey, pointing to sink drains.

And bleach isnt the easiest of cleaning regimens. Its damaging, it doesnt smell good, causes occupational health issues, CDCs Kallen said.

Likewise, there are surfaces hospitals might not think to clean between every patient that can harbor the bacteria  for instance, the privacy curtains that separate patients in a multi-bed room.

Adopting the enhanced cleaning techniques used to control C. difficile  a bacteria that forms a spore and is also challenging to control  should help with C. auris, said Donskey.

Hes hoping, though, that the lessons hospitals learned as they battled that bacteria  for example, clean those privacy curtains after a patient with C. difficile is moved out of a room  will give them a head start in the era of C. auris.

I think that the environment is much more appreciated now than it was a decade ago as a source for transmission, he said. And I think we would do the same things if we see Candida auris that we already are very well used to for trying to control C. diff and other pathogens.
An Austin Texas psyche rock band, Dream Machine, is deported from its label because its lead singer, a refugee from Bosnia, makes supportive remarks about legal immigration. (Here is a link to an interview I did with the band: https://vimeo.com/225709341)

Feminist critics attack the movie "Dunkirk," an historical reenactment of the World War 2 evacuation, because wellIt was the first time there were no women on a French beach.

Outcry erupts when a Broadway play tries to substitute theater legend Mandy Patinkin for a black actor in a play, to help save the play from closing due to declining ticket sales. Unable to hide the fact that he is white, Patinkin and the producers back down like good fearful liberals; the play - which features a diversity of talent - is now in jeopardy as ticket sales continue to drop.

Leftwing madwoman Lena Dunham hears voices -- specifically, a conversation between flight attendants over their opinion on trans issues - and instead of confronting them, she narcs on them to their bosses. Like a paranoid member of some sort of regressive left secret police, she seeks to punish strangers over an unacceptable conversation she claims to have heard in her head.

The airline, however, can find no evidence that the conversation actually happened in real life, and are disputing the account. An investigation, which pokes a constellation of holes in Dunham's story, suggests she might have fabricated, or at the very least exaggerated the incident - much like her recent excuses for abandoning her dog at a pound, and assorted lurid tales she alleged in her desperate, attention-craving memoir. In each case, she wasted the time of responsible, employed men and women - time that could have been better used to deal with actual concerns, instead of indulging a fantasist.

The old prudes are the new crusaders. They're badly-dressed fascists.

What do all of these examples have in common? Who are these people behind these destructive idiocies?

All of these outraged moralists - the record label owner, the women's magazine editor, the hackneyed progressive performer - fashions themselves a hipster, a person of noted cool. Yet their positions on all matters rival the intolerance of an 18th century Puritan. They are the 2017 version of that sitcom staple nosy neighbor, or the old man shaking a rake at a passing car.

What you're seeing is the rise of the ethics hipster - a term coined by King Buzzo of the Melvins. An ethics hipster is a tool who pretends to salute the idea of free expression, but will happily try to censor you if your expression runs counter to their rigid, narrow and wholly predictable assumptions about life. The old prudes are the new crusaders.

Do you think for a moment, if they had actual power, that they wouldn't try to censor you completely? Of course they would! Give them time. In their ideal world of free expression, the only expression that is free, that is celebrated - and protected - is their own zealotry. And because they constantly redefine what is unacceptable, and have no issue with punishment for violators - they're badly-dressed fascists.

Dunham tattled on the unknown flight attendants because she wanted to get them fired to build her brand and to stay relevant as her career fades into deserved obscurity. In five years shell be known as the crazy actress who betrayed her puppy.

Castleface Records dropped the band Dream Machine over opinions on immigration and feminism - but what they really did was virtue signal - to tell their mob of pitchfork-and-tweet-bearing social justice warriors that - "see, we got rid of this band, so please don't come after us!" They are pathetic cowards.

And there's the Broadway play, The Great Comet: its producers quickly backing down from using a bankable star to save a struggling show - only because the star was deemed by activists to be the wrong color. If the show closes because of that, then many actors of all stripes, genders and colors will be out of jobs.

The ethics hipster pretends to help society but in reality, is only out for himself (or herself, or...etc). They act as if they're doing the moral thing, when they're only trying to cynically profit from the rising tide of modern Maoists - by meeting the demands of the new wardens of the intolerant prison of grievance. They will punish you, if it helps them get a leg up. In fact, theyll punish you in exchange for 100 new Twitter followers.

In times of real artistic genius, creative people turn their backs on prigs and prudes and do what they want to do and make art. The history of art is a history of incorrectness, even offense. Its time for real artists - writers, actors, musicians - to reject the hysteria of the righteous mob and celebrate the true diversity of ideas, because thats what ultimately leads to better art. It probably won't happenjust try to find a little artfulness on your TV or at the movies. How ironic is it that the very people who claim to be fearless artists, fear art most of all.
According to a newly released survey by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, 75 percent of Americans feel North Koreas nuclear program is a critical threat facing the United States. And unfortunately for the Trump administration, its recent efforts to rein in the so-called hermit kingdom, while the boldest of any administration to date, are likely to fall short of stopping Pyongyang from developing an even more powerful nuclear weapon along with ever more advanced missiles to strike the U.S. homeland.

But before we dissect what Team Trump got wrong when it comes to North Koreaand how they can still get it rightwe need to give credit where credit is due.

This administration dared do what no other has in the past: name Pyongyang its number one foreign policy priority. With no silver bullet at the ready to solve what is clearly the ultimate Pandoras Boxboobytrapped with what can only be described as a nuclear armed fusePresident Trump delivered on a campaign promise to tackle the biggest threats facing America today. With North Korea now six to eighteen months away from building a hydrogen bomb, challenges like ISIS, Russia, the Syrian Civil War or anything else seem to pale in comparison. Just the amount of analysis and news coverage dedicated to the dastardly deeds of Kim Jong Un alone is a winshining a much-needed spotlight onto a regime that should have been tossed into the scrap heap of history long-ago.

If history tells us anything, China has never, ever, enforced UN Security Council resolutions when it comes to North Korea.

It seems, at least for the time being, the Trump administration has decided to follow the most obvious path of trying to restrain North Korea, attacking the lifeblood of the Kim regime: its exports to the outside world. Over the weekend, the U.S. led an international coalition passing a tough UN Security Council resolution that one senior White House official described to me as sanctions on Hulk Hogan-style steroids.

Yikes.

On the surface, the sanctions do seem quite muscular. The move, supported by China as well as Russia, take away roughly one-third of North Koreas export revenue, or a billion dollars, from an economy that is roughly worth only fourteen billion. Considering the fact that Pyongyangs economy is the size of tiny Laos, this has all the appearances of a devastating response to North Koreas two recent long-range missile tests.

Except its not. You see, there is a fatal flaw when it comes to applying sanctions to North Korea: almost all of Pyongyangs exports go to its Communist brother-in-arms, China. And if history tells us anything, China has never, ever, enforced UN Security Council resolutions when it comes to North Korea. In fact, it seems quite clear this latest sanctions action will be what all the other sanctions resolutions end up being: a scrap of worthless paper.

The simple fact is Beijing is likely more afraid of North Korea than we are. Senior Chinese officials have told me time and time again they fear that if they put too much pressure on the Kim regime it could collapseand they would own the problems that would create. As one Chinese official told me last week: The great rule we learned from you [the United States] when it comes to international politics is that if you break it, you own it. We arent going to risk collapsing the North Korean regime. We dont want to deal with that nightmare. We will apply pressure, but you will never be happy with how far we are willing to go.

From thereat least the way Beijing sees itit could get even worse. China also fears creating a situation where if North Korea were to collapse there could be a civil war, where rival factions fire atomic or chemical weapons at each otherand millions would likely perish. They also don't want countless scores of refugees to feed or, at some point in the future, a united Korea that is allied with America that would be a powerful counterweight to Beijing.

For China, a divided Korea, even as dangerous as it is, suits their interests in some respects. We arent talking much about the South China Sea or Taiwan, for instance, so Beijing does gain an important advantage on other issues if North Korea takes up all the foreign policy bandwidth in Asia.

Despite these challenges, which I would argue are inflated from Chinas point of viewBeijing could easily offer alternative options to help the international community push back against a common threat, like getting Kim to the negotiating tableChinas strategy seems quite clear. Beijing wants to ensure the status quo holds for at least the short- to medium-term.

Thankfully there is still time to make some important course corrections to see these sanction actions constrain North Koreas nuclear and missile programs. Pyongyang simply cant be allowed to continue building more and more advanced nuclear weapons and missiles. Sanctions are the best of the worst optionsand they need to be enforced, unless China wants to offer a better idea.

President Trump should use his Twitter feed and tell the world Beijing has 30 days to comply with UN sanctions on North Koreaor else. He should declare: China, I am watching your actions on North Koreakeep your word on the sanctions. The world is watching. If Beijing does not, he should name and shame on his Twitter feed any Chinese entity that is helping North Korea evade the sanctions.

Then, he should impose unilateral sanctions on those firms, such as stopping them from using the U.S. financial system or doing any business here in Americapossibly sanctioning large Chinese banks or state-owned enterprises. Then, Team Trump needs to press forward on making sure China plays by the rules on trade, pushing back in the South China Sea or over Taiwan, or wherever else Beijing is pressing its luck. That might be just the only way to get China to keep its word.
They told me if I vote for Donald Trump we would be overwhelmed with bigotry the likes of which we have never seen before.

And, boy, were they right. Little did we know, however, those obsessed in their opposition to Mr. Trump were actually speaking about themselves.

Last week was a banner one for anti-Trump bigotry. During a briefing at the White House detailing President Trumps new immigration plan giving priority to those who, among other things, speak English, Jim Acosta, CNNs White House correspondent, responded, This whole notion of they have to learn English before they get to the United States, are we just going to bring in people from Great Britain and Australia?

Mr. Acosta was widely panned for the ignorance of the remark, but its also an example of Michael Gersons phrase, the soft bigotry of low expectations. Coined when he was President George W. Bushs speechwriter, it perfectly describes the smug attitude of the elite expecting the downtrodden to automatically fail, and their perpetual need for government to save them from themselves.

This cosmopolitan deceit proclaims The Other as infant, perpetually unable to help themselves.

Stephen Miller, the presidents aide, immediately confronted Mr. Acostas casual contempt. This is an amazing moment, he said, that you think only people from Great Britain or Australia would speak English is so insulting to millions of hardworking immigrants who do speak English from all over the world.

Exactly, but it was even more than that. Not only was he wrong on the fact of the matter (54 sovereign states have English as their official language), the soft bigotry comes in the form of expecting non-Western individuals to not be able to cope, adjust or deliver when a requirement is made of them. This cosmopolitan deceit proclaims The Other as infant, perpetually unable to help themselves.

Mr. Acosta is not alone when it comes to thinly-veiled contempt of those unlike societys all-knowing benefactors. Stuart Rothenberg, a Trump hater and pollster with Inside Elections, which bills itself as a provider of nonpartisan analysis, tweeted this during President Trumps rally in West Virginia: Lots of people in West Virginia can't support themselves or speak English.

When confronted on Twitter about the true nature of the good, hardworking West Virginians, he agreed but then insisted they are also close-minded, provincial, angry & easily misled.

Soft bigotry isnt the purview of liberals alone. Ironically, it appears to be an affliction of many, including those in the Republican establishment, who are the most fervent at warning people about Mr. Trumps supposed evil, bigoted bias.

In February 2016 the National Review delivered their now infamous Never Trump issue. One month later Kevin Williamson, their roving correspondent, wrote about rust-belt, white working-class support for Trump:

The truth about these dysfunctional, downscale communities is that they deserve to die. Economically, they are negative assets. Morally, they are indefensible. Forget all your cheap theatrical Bruce Springsteen crap. Forget your sanctimony about struggling Rust Belt factory towns The white American underclass is in thrall to a vicious, selfish culture whose main products are misery and used heroin needles. Donald Trumps speeches make them feel good. So does OxyContin.

For millions of people in this country, its the overbearing and incompetent government bureaucracy that steals the future from people, sucking every ounce of hope from their lives. Mr. Williamsons disturbing sanctimony did do one thingexposed how disconnected even the conservative establishment had become from the heart of this nation, and explains in part why we have President Trump and not President Jeb.

Its no wonder we dont want the so-called elites controlling our health care, managing foreign policy or determining who gets in this country and why. Americans are now partisans for the country, their own families and the future, and a vote for Trump in 2016 is the result of that commitment.

In the meantime, Trump-haters on both sides of the aisle will keep pointing at the president and his team as the problem. They are wrong and will continue to fail, reminding us every day the importance of having a President Trump.
A British models harrowing ordeal  lured to a phony photo shoot, shot up with drugs and slated to be auctioned off as a sex slave  is exactly the kind of exploitation U.S. lawmakers are seeking to prevent with new legislation that could pit them against some of the Internets biggest companies.

Twenty-year-old Chloe Ayling answered an online solicitation for a shoot in Italy last month, only to be brutally attacked by two men from Black Death, a sinister sex slave group that buys and sells women on the Internet. Her captors reportedly injected her with a cocktail of horse tranquilizers and ketamine, stuffed her inside a black suitcase and took her to a remote home where they plotted to sell her on the dark web.

This new evidence further demonstrates that Backpage has been deeply complicit in online sex trafficking.  Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio

Although Ayling was released less than a week later, U.S. lawmakers behind the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act are keenly aware that most such cases end on far more tragic terms. Through the proposed legislation, they are attempting to strip legal protections from websites  like Backpage.com  that have long been criticized for facilitating sex slave rings.

Congress has investigated claims of underage trafficking by Backpage for years. The online classified ad service operates in 97 countries. Its similar to Craigslist.org and allows users to buy and sell items as well as adult services.

Backpage has repeatedly denied accusations of online sex trafficking, despite mounting evidence against them. The site has not been implicated in the Ayling case.

Still, in January, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released a report claiming that Backpage knowingly facilitated underage trafficking by actively editing ads in its adult services section.

A bombshell report released last month claims the controversial classifieds site hired a Philippines contractor to lure customers seeking sex  indicating the company solicited and created sex ads, despite repeated denials in court and to Congress that it played no role in ad content.

This new evidence further demonstrates that Backpage has been deeply complicit in online sex trafficking, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, told Fox News in a written statement. Its why we need bipartisan legislation to address this type of online exploitation and ensure we are doing everything possible to save vulnerable women and young girls.

But getting the bill passed could be a lot tougher than lawmakers think, as Internet giants including Google have signaled they will vigorously oppose any effort by Congress to regulate web content.

Larry Magid, CEO of ConnectSafely.org, a non-profit Internet safety group, says despite its good intentions, SESTA could have some unintended consequences both for tech companies and the very people the bill hopes to protect.

Of course the bill is well-meaning and I applaud the senators for wanting to protect women, girls and, yes, boys and men from the ravages of sex trafficking, he wrote. But rather than go after the specific offenders, this bill would amend section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA), which was put in place by Congress in 1996 to protect free expression on the Internet.

The risk  that SESTA would unintentionally expose good actors, such as responsible social networks or dating sites to frivolous lawsuits  outweighs its benefits, Daniel Castro, vice president at Information Technology and Innovation Foundation says.

A better approach would be for the U.S. Department of Justice to take action under current law against sites that facilitate sex trafficking, he wrote.
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy is considering using his executive authority to shift funding from wealthy school districts to poorer ones in a move critics say will create class warfare.

Malloy, a Democrat in his second term, wants to send school aid to the state's 30 lowest-performing "Alliance" districts and recalibrate aid based on shifting local demographics, economies and need, according to a letter he sent to the Connecticut Secretary of Policy and Management last week.

Hes saying if you have a town that has made prudent decisions and established fiscal responsibility, this governor wants to penalize them.  Con. State Sen. Len Fasano

Connecticut needs a fair education funding formula that does not short change a student because of his or her zip code, Malloy said in a press conference last week. Well reevaluate how well distribute aid to communities in the coming weeks to make sure that we honor our constitutional requirement for education in the state of Connecticut.

Malloy went on to blame the state legislature for a lack of a balanced biennial budget. The state runs on a two-year fiscal plan, but failed to meet the deadline of June 30 to pass one.

I was forced to implement a budget via executive order. My only option was to cut expenses and services services that are vital to many Connecticut residents, Malloy said. I am hopeful with respect to the Alliance Districts that there will be a recognition that these are the districts that we clearly need to fund, and in my opinion, need to send additional dollars to, not fewer dollars.

Executive Director of Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents Fran Rabinowitz, who previously served as superintendent in two Alliance districts, told Fox News she applauds more dollars going to urban districts, but does not want cuts for suburban districts.

I think it would be incredibly detrimental to them, and the fact that we do not have a state budget, I consider it an educational crisis, Rabinowitz said.

Rabinowitz warned reductions in suburban school budgets could mean layoffs and curriculum cuts.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are slamming the governors proposal.

State Sen. Toni Boucher, a Republican, blasted Malloys approach and said it was creating a class warfare issue.

This is going to further erode education in so many of our towns, Boucher told the Hartford Courant. We all understand there are big barriers to success and we all want those [Alliance] school districts to succeed, but theres a tipping point and I think that has been reached now.

Democratic Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz said there is bipartisan consensus against the measure.

HIGH-TAX CONNECTICUT FACING NEW BUDGET MESS

Connecticut Senate Republican President Len Fasano criticized Malloy for penalizing municipalities which have demonstrated fiscal responsibility.

Hes saying if you have a town that has made prudent decisions and established fiscal responsibility, this governor wants to penalize them, Fasano told Fox News. He wants to give money to towns with fiscal problems thats counterintuitive, against logical public policy he wants to reward bad behavior to the detriment of those who have done more with less.

Connecticuts deficit has reached more than $5 billion. According to an analysis by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the state has just $240 million in its rainy day fundonly five states have a smaller cushion. According to S&P Global Ratings, Moodys and Fitch, Connecticuts credit rating is on the verge of hitting junk status. The state has the distinction of the third-worst rating in the countrybehind Illinois and New Jersey.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel sued the Trump administration Monday over its threat to withhold funds from sanctuary cities, prompting one official to charge Emanuel is more concerned about protecting illegal immigrants than legal residents of his beleaguered city.

The showdown over so-called sanctuary cities has been heating up in recent months as some local governments have refused to work with federal immigration authorities. Monday's 46-page suit, filed inU.SD. District Court for the Northern District of Ilinois, named Attorney General Jeff Sessions as the defendant.

Emanuel argues that the Justice Department wants to slap unfair conditions on a long-running federal crime prevention grant, the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant.

Chicago will not let our police officers become political pawns in a debate."  Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel

Chicago will not let our police officers become political pawns in a debate, a defiant Emanuel said. Chicago will not let our residents have their fundamental rights isolated and violated. And Chicago will never relinquish our status as a welcoming city.

The Justice Department quickly responded, taking Emanuel to task for not paying more attention to Chicagos sky-high crime stats.

In 2016, more Chicagoans were murdered than in New York City and Los Angeles combined, DOJ spokeswoman Sarah Flores said in a statement. So its especially tragic that the mayor is less concerned with that staggering figure than he is spending time and taxpayer money protecting criminal aliens and putting Chicagos law enforcement at greater risk.

Two lawyers representing Chicago are donating their time and resources to the city.

According to the Chicago Police Department, between Jan. 1 and July 30, there have been 400 homicides in the city  a 3 percent increase from 2016. There have also been 1,683 shooting incidents recorded during the same time period, which marks a 13 percent decrease from the previous year.

The federal government has been an effective partner in the crime fight, as funding and additional federal agents have greatly helped us to take guns off the streets and make our communities safer, Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson said. Removing those resources, regardless of the reason, makes CPDs mission to protect all residents in Chicago that much more difficult.

Chicago stands to lose $3.2 million from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants for refusing to cooperate with federal immigration officials.

Hundreds of cities across the country get a cash infusion though the grant, which is named in honor of New York Police Office Edward Byrne, who died on duty in 1988. The Byrne JAG funds provided $347 million to state and local governments in 2016. In the past, Chicago has used the money to purchase police vehicles, radios and SWAT equipment.

Chicagos lawsuit is the first of its kind to challenge the DOJs Byrne grant policy, though there have been rumblings that other cities may follow. Emanuel said the lawsuit would prevent the Trump administration from setting a precedent that could be used to target other funding.

Last week, Sessions said grant applicants have to share information about undocumented immigrants to federal officials if they want the funding. But Emanuel, a very vocal critic of Sessions threats to withhold funding from sanctuary cities, said he refuses to choose between immigrant rights and having a well-funded police department.

Were going to act immediately, Emanuel said at the time. To make sure that theres a ruling by the court, as theres been on other issues as it relates to immigration and refugee policies  where the court has basically stopped the Trump administration in its tracks.

The crackdown on sanctuary cities lines up with Trumps promised prioritization of the issue on the campaign trail. Members of his administration have repeatedly tried to link violent crime to illegal immigration  though mayors of sanctuary cities across the country have pushed back on that assertion.

While not a technical term, sanctuary cities are places that have refused to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials after detaining undocumented immigrants. By law, they are required to inform the feds when they have an illegal immigrant in custody, even if he or she has not been convicted of a crime.

There are an estimated 200 to 608 local and state governments with some sort of sanctuary policy in place  however, their degree of cooperation varies. Some work with federal authorities on felony convictions while others only comply in civil investigations. There are a few places that refuse to cooperate altogether.

The Trump administration has tried to strong-arm some jurisdictions into reversing their sanctuary policies by threatening to cut off millions of dollars in federal funds.
Paul Spencer is the kind of candidate that Democrats need if they hope to retake the House in 2018.

He's lived in Arkansas's 2nd District for 18 years. He dislikes big money in politics. In a congressional campaign ad, he touts how, "I'm a teacher and a farmer, and I know firsthand the struggles that so many of our working people face."

Theres just one problem: Spencer is pro-life. Its a belief that has him hovering dangerously over a widening chasm in his party.

Last week, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Ben Ray Lujan provoked the ire of many progressives when he urged the Democrats to court pro-life candidates if they are to have any hope of retaking the 24 House seats they need for a majority.

PROGRESSIVES CLASH WITH WASHINGTON DEMS OVER CANDIDATES' ABORTION STANCE

"There is not a litmus test for Democratic candidates," Lujan told The Hill.

His plea met with an instant rebuke from progressives. Fourteen groups  from the National Abortion Rights Action League to Move-On Political Action to Emily's List to The Daily Kos  issued a Statement of Principles which read, in part: "policies that limit access to abortion and force medically unnecessary procedures are oppressive to women, especially low-income women and women of color."

"The problem is they have this ideological purity at the top where you can't oppose any abortion at any time along the continuum," says Marjorie Dannenfelser of the conservative Susan B Anthony List. "At the same time, a third of Democrats identity as pro-life according to Gallup."

Some say opposing all pro-life candidates will not help the Democrats.

HUCKABEE: DEMOCRATS HAVE BECOME THE PARTY OF PRO-ABORTION

"Their strategy is hurting the party," says Kristen Day of Democrats for Life of America. "Being told I don't belong in the Democratic Party. You can't be a Democrat if youre pro-life, and I can't be pro-life cause I'm a Democrat."

Spencer, the House candidate, is trying to circumvent the divide.

"Ive already informed the Democratic Party here in Little Rock that I don't want to receive any of their money," he said. "I welcome their support and their advice but I don't wish for their money. And the DCCC, in Washington, I've already had that discussion with them as well."

The Democratic Party, meanwhile, is trying to straddle the line. A new program, called "A Better Deal," avoids any mention of abortion rights.

ROSIE O'DONNELL: WOMEN SHOULD FORM THEIR OWN PARTY IF DEMOCRATS DON'T DEFEND ABORTION RIGHTS

And while House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi appeared to welcome pro-life candidates in a May interview with the Washington Post, last week she retreated to a familiar position.

"I respect a woman's right to choose," she told reporters at her weekly press conference.

The rift may be widening. After Lujan's call to welcome pro-life candidates into the Democratic fold, actress and party activist, Rose ODonnell tweeted: "Women should form their own party if Dems do this."
The home state of former President Barack Obama will commemorate his birthday under a new law.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed a plan honoring the 44th president's birthday on Aug. 4. It won't be an official state holiday, rather a day to honor Obama. The law notes Obama's efforts to protect Americans' rights and build "bridges across communities."

Obama began his political career in the Illinois Senate in 1997. He served there until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004.

The measure takes effect next year. It received overwhelming support in the Democrat-led Legislature. The Republican governor signed it Friday.

The proposal came after the Illinois House narrowly rejected a plan to make Obama's birthday a state holiday amid concerns of giving state employees in cash-strapped Illinois another paid day off.
Joe Manchin doesn't give a s---.

The West Virginia Democrat is up for re-election next year but told his hometown paper its not about to sway how he votes in the Senate.

I dont give a s---, you understand? I just dont give a s---, he said in an interview with Charleston Gazette Mail. Dont care if I get elected, dont care if I get defeated, how about that? If they think because Im up for election, that I can be wrangled into voting for s--- that I dont like and cant explain, theyre all crazy.

Manchin ripped into critics -- including his GOP rival and the states attorney general  who have called on him to resign for not fully aligning with Democratic policy points.

Manchin was one of three Democrats who did not sign a letter sent to President Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Finance Committee Chair Orrin Hatch about tax reform.

The letter outlines three main sticking points for Democrats on tax reform. They include not raising the burden on the middle class or lessening it on the rich; not raising the federal deficit or cutting programs like Medicaid; and not fast-tracking it through without debate.

The bottom line is, if it doesnt help West Virginia, it doesnt make sense to me, and just because theres an election doesnt mean I sign on or dont sign on, he said. If you look at all the time Ive been here, theres stuff I dont sign on to. I just dont think its a good way to do business when you dont try to get people from the front end.

The calls to quit arent sitting well with Manchin.

Im not scared of an election, lets put it that way, he said. Elections do not bother me or scare me. Im going to continue to do the same thing Ive always done, extremely independent.

Manchin said he wants the freedom to work with Republicans, and say, Guys, you like anything here, can we do something different, any changes, what would make you comfortable to sign on?
More than 50 House Democrats sent a letter on Friday to Defense Secretary James Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford urging the military not to comply with President Donald Trump's proposed ban on transgender people in the armed forces.

"As members of Congress with an abiding interest in our nation's military and its policies towards the LGBTQ community, we write to not only express our strong opposition to President Trump's recent tweets seeking to ban transgender individuals from the military, but to remind you not to comply with any unconstitutional directive which may ultimately be issued," the letter reads.

The letter was responding to a Trump tweet that transgender individuals will not be allowed to serve in "any capacity in the U.S. military."

"We commend the professionalism displayed by the military's leadership in their initial response to President Trump's ill-conceived pronouncement. But as you are no doubt aware, federal court decisions have recognized that under our constitution transgender people are protected against discrimination on the basis of sex  like everyone else  as well as on the basis of their transgender status," the letter reads.

Transgender service members "are defending the United States around the world as we speak, and they have long done so with distinction" and "to push out those who have devoted their lives to this country would be ugly and discriminatory in the extreme," the letter continues.

Click for more from The Washington Free Beacon.
Vice President Pence was pushing back Monday with full force against a New York Times story stating hes already mounting a 2020 White House challenge to President Trump, providing details about money from his political action committee going directly to his boss re-election effort and having his spokesman dispute the story during televised interviews.

Its absurd," Pence spokesman Marc Lotter told Fox News Fox & Friends on Monday. Really what youve got here is speculation, conjecture, half-truths masquerading as news on the front page of the never-Trump New York Times.  The vice president is supportive of the president.

Pence challenged the story almost immediately after it was published Sunday, disputing that he and Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Ohio Gov. John Kasich are each apparently mounting a shadow campaign that includes such efforts as visiting early-voting states and contacting donors.

Today's article in The New York Times is disgraceful and offensive to me, my family and our entire team, Pence said in an official White House release. The allegations in this article are categorically false and represent just the latest attempt by the media to divide this administration.

The story also suggests that Pence and others are making such efforts as a result of an administration in disarray -- largely the result of investigations into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 White House race.

Pences schedule is so full of political events that Republicans joke that he is acting more like a second-term vice president hoping to clear the field than a No. 2 sworn in a little over six months ago, according to the story.

Hours after the White House release, a senior member of the vice president's staff disputed the story on several specific points, including that Pence would headline a series of campaign events for Trump this fall.

The staffer also told Fox News that Pences first leadership PAC check went to the Trump re-election effort and that the PAC has already given the maximum contributions to the Trump 2020 campaign.

In addition, the story failed to point out that Ivanka Trump, the presidents daughter, headlined the first Pence leadership PAC event in Washington and that the group was created by veterans of the Trump and Pence teams, the staffer also said.

Pence as recently as last week made clear his commitment to serving the president, in an exclusive Fox News interview.

"All that Im preparing for every day is to do everything I can to see President Donald Trump re-elected in 2020," he said.

Kasich ran unsuccessfully against Trump in the 2016 GOP presidential primary and has largely remained critical of the president.

Fox News' Kristin Fisher contributed to this report.
An outspoken senator, who has long-been critical of President Donald Trump, says that the Republican Party should have stopped his birther movement when it began.

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said in a televised interview that he regrets that his fellow Republicans stayed silent years ago when Trump pushed forth his theory that former President Barack Obama wasnt born in the U.S., according to the New York Daily News.

I wish that we, as a party, would have stood up...when the birtherism thing was going along, Flake told NBC during the interview. That was particularly ugly.

Flake also called out the GOP for supporting Trumps chants to lock her up about opponent Hillary Clinton during his campaign rallies, as well as for releasing what he said were false facts and conspiracy theories.

We shouldn't be the party for jailing your political opponents, Flake said.

Anybody at those rallies ought to stand up and say, That's inappropriate. We shouldn't be doing that. And I wish we as a party and elected officials would do more of that. Or when particular ugly conspiracy theories go out, or simply fake news, stuff that is just demonstrably false. We ought to stand up and say, Hey, thats just not right.

It was years before he began his presidential bid when Trump entered the political arena by publicly backing the birther movement which was largely ignored by the mainstream media until he got involved.

Trump was relentless in his questioning of Obamas place of birth, forcing him to release his long-form borth certificate in April 2011.

Trump did not relent on his false allegations until September 2016, when he said that Obama was born in the United States. Period.

Sen. Flake has become one of the GOPs most outspoken critics of the president after publishing a book earlier this month in which he takes the party to task for supporting Trumps candidacy.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired back Monday at the lawsuit filed by the city of Chicago over the Justice Departments threat to withhold federal money from so-called sanctuary cities, saying no amount of money will help a city that wont help its own residents.

This administration is committed to the rule of law and to enforcing the laws established by Congress. To a degree perhaps unsurpassed by any other jurisdiction, the political leadership of Chicago has chosen deliberately and intentionally to adopt a policy that obstructs this countrys lawful immigration system, Sessions said in a statement.

The city filed its suit over the Justice Department's threat to withhold Byrne grants for law enforcement groups from sanctuary cities. The citys mayor, Rahm Emanuel, likened this to blackmail.

Chicago will not be blackmailed into changing our values, and we are and will remain a welcoming city, Emanuel said. The federal government should be working with cities to provide necessary resources to improve public safety, not concocting new schemes to reduce our crime-fighting resources.

Sessions said the city of Chicago has chosen to protect criminal aliens who prey on their own residents instead of enforcing laws meant to protect law enforcement.

The attorney general called the open hostility against protecting law enforcement -- while protecting criminal aliens -- astounding given the influx of Chicagos violence crime.

The citys leaders cannot follow some laws and ignore others and reasonably expect this horrific situation to improve, Sessions continued.

The grants, named for former New York City police officer Edward Byrne, who was murdered in 1988, would provide $3.2 million to Chicago, to be used for police vehicles. Funding from the grant is a small fraction of the city's budget.

A requirement added to the grants would force local jurisdictions to report to federal officials of the release of illegal immigrants from police custody at least 48 hours in advance, which Emanuel said would violate citizens fundamental rights.

CRIME-RIDDEN CHICAGO SUES DOJ OVER SANCTUARY CITIES

Emanuel complains that the federal governments focus on enforcing the law would require a reordering of law enforcement practice in Chicago, Sessions said. But thats just what Chicago needs: a recommitment to the rule of law and to policies that rollback the culture of lawlessness that has beset the city.

Chicago will not let our police officers become political pawns in a debate, Emanuel said. Chicago will not let our residents have their fundamental rights isolated and violated. And Chicago will never relinquish our status as a welcoming city.

DOJ THREATENS TO WITHHOLD CRIME-FIGHTS FUNDS FROM FOUR SANCTUARY CITIES

Emanual said he did not think Chicago would be the last sanctuary city to file a lawsuit of this nature. Other cities the DOJ contacted about withholding funds of this nature include Baltimore, Albuquerque, N.M., and Stockton and San Bernardino, Calif.

This administration will not simply give away grant dollars to city governments that proudly violate the rule of law and protect criminal aliens at the expense of public safety, Sessions concluded. So its this simple: Comply with the law or forego taxpayer dollars.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday the U.S. will respond by Sept. 1 to Russias move to make a major cut in American diplomatic staff in response to former President Barack Obamas decision to expel Russian diplomats for Moscows meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Tillerson, speaking to reporters during a regional security summit in the Philippines, said he told Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of the deadline when the two met Sunday. Tillerson said he told Lavrov that the U.S. still hasn't decided how it will respond. He added that he asked Lavrov "several clarifying questions" about the act of Russian retaliation.

Russia announced it would force the U.S. to cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755 people, sparking confusion because the U.S. is believed to have fewer than 755 U.S. employees in Russia.

Lavrov told reporters that despite strained relations with Washington, his country was ready for more engagement with the United States on North Korea, Syria, Ukraine and other pressing matters. Lavrov said Russia and the U.S. had agreed to resume a suspended high-level diplomatic channel and Washington would send its Ukraine envoy to Moscow for negotiations.

Lavrov's upbeat assessment came amid what the U.S. has called a diplomatic low point unseen since the end of the Cold War.

"We felt that our American counterparts need to keep the dialogue open," Lavrov said. "There's no alternative to that."

The Kremlin said last month the number of U.S. diplomats was being cut to 455. The new Russian Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told Fox News late last month that President Vladimir Putin felt it was finally time to respond to the United States.

It was a reaction, which was delayed for very considerable time, for half a year in the hope the current administration wouldnt do the damage the Obama administration did," Nebenzia said. "Weve been robbed of our own compounds here, absolutely illegally, and our diplomats were sent out.

"In diplomacy you know there is real reciprocity, which is sometimes is nicknamed tit-for-tat, and weve been restrained and calm and polite long enough. And we were warning our American counterparts that we would be obliged to do so if there is no progress on that issue, and there is no progress on that issue. The time has come that we had to do it."

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump grudgingly signed what he called a "seriously flawed" package of sanctions against Russia. The legislation is aimed at penalizing Moscow for interference in the election and for its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria, where the Kremlin has backed President Bashar Assad.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
What a difference 200 days makes.

At a January retreat for Republican lawmakers in Philadelphia, House Speaker Paul Ryan explained that Obamacare would be repealed and replaced, and tax reform would be underway within 200 days, or by the time August recess started.

We aspire to get most of these big things done by the August recess, because thats when Congress does most of its legislating, Ryan told reporters in January.

But Obamacare is still the law of the land, the tax code is untouched, and lawmakers are home for August recess, anyway.

The stalled agenda is delighting Democrats like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who says in a statement quote: Two hundred days into the Trump administration, the President has offered nothing but broken promises and failed leadership.

President Trumps allies dont think blame for the slow start should fall on him, though.

Youve got a false hoax story about this whole Russia collusion stuff that he is fighting, former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski tells Fox News in an interview. Youve got Democrats who are obstructionists and youve got Republicans who candidly were not ready for the president to take over on Day 1.

Its unclear how quickly after Labor Day tax reform can actually be addressed by the Congress, since they will also be under pressure to pass a budget and reform the tax code.

But thats not to say Congress can wait forever to reform the tax code.

Businesses are in a holding pattern, Heritage Foundation policy Analyst Adam Michel explains. Theyre waiting to invest, theyre waiting to add additional jobs, and the longer tax reform is delayed, the less businesses are going to be able to continue to wait.

When reached Monday about the 200-day milestone, a top House Republican reminded Fox News that several big ticket items have cleared the House of Representatives this year, including Obamacare repeal and replace and Kates Law. But theres a logjam in the Senate preventing more of these measures from reaching the presidents desk.
President Trump lashed out at Sen. Richard Blumenthal in a tweetstorm early Monday, slamming him as a phony Vietnam con artist, after comments the Connecticut Democrat made against the Trump administration on a morning news program.

Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con artist! Trump tweeted Monday morning. Never in U.S. history has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal. He told stories about his Vietnam battles and conquests, how brave he was, and it was all a lie. He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child. Now he judges collusion?"

The president was referring to a controversy that arose during Blumenthals 2010 campaign, when he claimed that he served in the Vietnam War.

I served during the Vietnam era, Blumenthal said in 2008. I remember the taunts, the insults, sometimes even physical abuse.

He told a gathering of families who were expressing support for returning American troops in 2003 that, when we returned, we saw nothing like this.

But according to The New York Times, Blumenthal, 71, got five military deferments that let him avoid deployment. Blumenthal addressed the controversy in a press conference during his 2010 Senate campaign, and clarified that he served during the war as a reservist, and not in the war overseas.

Trumps tweets lashing out at Blumenthal came after the Connecticut senator's Monday appearance on CNNs New Day, where he criticized the Trump Justice Department for its new leak policy, questioning the personal and political motives from Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the White House.

SESSIONS ANNOUNCES HUNT FOR LEAKERS, SAYS CASES HAVE 'EXPLODED'

Im concerned that the Justice Department is weaponizing these laws for its personal and political ends, and specifically, for the White Houses purposes, Blumenthal said, questioning Attorney General Jeff Sessions announcement last week of a new counterintelligence unit to prioritize cases involving unauthorized disclosures, in an effort to crackdown on administration leaks.

Blumenthal added: What we know about the Trump administration so far has been a result of very good reporting, Blumenthal said. I believe when the history of this era is written, the heroes will be the free press and the independent judiciary who have upheld the rule of law against threats by the Trump administration.

In a tweet of his own, Blumenthal responded to Trump by saying: "Your bullying hasn't worked before and it won't work now. No one is above the law.
Five years after touching down on Mars, NASA's Curiosity rover mission is still making big discoveries.

On the night of Aug. 5, 2012, the car-size robot aced a dramatic and harrowing landing, settling softly onto the Red Planet's surface after being lowered on cables by a rocket-powered "sky crane." The success of this unprecedented (and seemingly improbable) maneuver sparked eruptions of emotion at mssion control at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California  and at late-night viewing parties all over the world.

Curiosity landed on Mars at 10:17 p.m. PDT on Aug. 5, that's 1:17 a.m. EDT on Aug. 6 (0517 GMT), with the signal of its success reaching Earth 14 minutes later after crossing the 154 million miles between Mars and Earth.

Within weeks of its arrival inside Mars' 96-mile-wide (154 kilometers) Gale Crater, Curiosity hit scientific pay dirt, rolling through an ancient streambed where water once flowed. And, not long after that, mission scientists revealed a bombshell: Billions of years ago, a nearby area known as Yellowknife Bay was part of a lake that could have supported microbial life. [The 10 Biggest Moments from Curiosity's First 5 Years on Mars]

But that's not where Curiosity's story ends. The rover has continued to piece together details about the ancient Gale Crater environment  work that has led to another exciting find.

"I feel like we're arriving at a second conclusion from the mission that's just as powerful as the first, which is that habitable environments persisted on Mars for at least millions of years," Curiosity project scientist Ashwin Vasavada, of JPL, told Space.com.

Rolling up Mount Sharp

Curiosity worked near its landing site on Gale's floor for its first year on Mars. Then, the nuclear-powered rover began a 5-mile (8 km) trek to the towering Mount Sharp, which rises about 3.4 miles (5.5 km) into the Red Planet sky from Gale's center.

The mountain's foothills had long been Curiosity's main science destination, even before the rover's November 2011 launch. Mission team members wanted the six-wheeled robot to work its way up through Mount Sharp's lower reaches, studying the rock layers there for clues about Mars' long-ago transition from a relatively warm and wet world to the cold, arid place it is today.

And that's what Curiosity has been doing for the past three years. Since arriving at Mount Sharp in September 2014, the robot has climbed about 600 vertical feet (180 meters), drilling, sampling and studying numerous rocks that are part of a geological division that mission scientists call the Murray Formation.

Curiosity found that most of this rock is fine-grained mudstone  classic lake-bed deposits, Vasavada said. Such deposits on Earth generally take millions of years to accumulate, leading the team to conclude that Gale Crater's lake system was long-lasting.

That's a big deal, because Curiosity's work at Yellowknife Bay captured just "a snapshot in time," Vasavada said.

Based on the initial findings, "that lake may only have been around for 100 or 1,000 years at the minimum," he said. "There was a risk that our habitability discovery only applied to a short amount of time." [Photos: Ancient Mars Lake Could Have Supported Life]

More work to do

Curiosity has already seen some changes during its climb up Mount Sharp. For example, the mudstone was pretty much continuous at and near the mountain's base, but that finely grained stuff gets broken up by other deposits closer to the top of the Murray Formation, Vasavada said.

"There are intervals of deposits that are consistent with forming in near-shore environments where rivers are reaching the edge of the lake, or even in dry environments where the lake has presumably receded," he said. "But the lake then reappears."

And Gale Crater likely remained habitable even through such periodic dry spells, Vasavada added. That's because groundwater probably remained, even if the lake site was dry on the surface.

This groundwater also outlasted the lakes, he said. Mission scientists know this because Curiosity has spotted evidence that liquid water flowed through Gale's lake deposits after they dried out and were buried, compressed and fractured.

"So there's a whole other era of water that's, by definition, after the lakes," Vasavada said. "It suggests that the water was there even longer than the timescale of the lakes."

Vasavada and his colleagues hope to learn more about this other era, and Gale's early history in general, as Curiosity goes higher up the mountain. Ideally, mission scientists would like to reach three other rock layers that are above the Murray Formation. The first is Vera Rubin Ridge, a feature with lots of the iron-containing mineral hematite; the second is a clay-rich unit; and the third is one dominated by sulfates.

The clay unit was probably exposed to lots of liquid water in the ancient past, whereas sulfates imply that water was scarcer, Vasavada said.

"There's this idea that you go from the clays to the sulfates, and you're going to be witnessing some kind of drying out of the environment at Gale Crater," he said. "Whether that has anything to do with the global drying out of Mars we'd love to figure out. But at the very least, it's a major environmental change within Gale Crater."

Curiosity has already been eyeing Vera Rubin Ridge and should start studying the formation in earnest in the next month or two, Vasavada said. If everything goes according to plan, the rover should get to the clay unit by the end of the year and arrive at the sulfate region, which is about 650 feet (200 m) above Curiosity's current location, a year or two after that.

"In the next three years or so, we'll probably see all of those units," Vasavada said.

In good health (mostly)

Curiosity has already far outlasted its warranty; the rover's $2.5 billion mission was originally scheduled to last just two Earth years.

But there's no reason to think Curiosity won't be able to power through three more years on the Red Planet; the rover is in good shape overall, Vasavada said. (The mission team has been able to slow an initially worrying rate of wheel damage, primarily by choosing routes with softer ground, he added.)

But one major health problem continues to afflict Curiosity: The rover has been unable to use its drill since December 2016. This is a big blow, because the drill  which sits at the end of Curiosity's 7-foot-long (2.1 m) robotic arm  allows the robot to access the pristine interiors of rocks and, therefore, characterize ancient environments. (Without this capability, the rover is mostly limited to analyzing surface material such as sand, which was shaped and altered in the recent past.)

The issue lies in the drill feed mechanism, which moves the drill bit forward and backward. Until about a month ago, Curiosity engineers were focused primarily on diagnosing the problem and fixing it in a way that would restore normal drill operations, Vasavada said. But the team is now investigating an alternative drilling method  using the arm itself, not the feed motor, to move the drill.

"That requires a lot of work  to figure out if that's safe, and to figure out how to do it, and how to command it," Vasavada said. "But it's promising, and that may be where we concentrate our efforts going forward."

Though he and other mission team members are chiefly concerned with the future  fixing the drill and continuing Curiosity's climb up Mount Sharp, for example  the events of Aug. 5, 2012, still have a special place in Vasavada's heart.

"When I look at the landing video, I still get really emotional; I have a hard time giving talks when I show the video, because it takes me like a minute to recover," he said. "It's remembering the emotion of that night, where your whole career is depending on seven minutes of this stuff going right  and when it actually did work, realizing that you had a future."

Note: Space.com Senior Producer Steve Spaleta contributed to this report.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+ . Follow us @Spacedotcom , Facebook or Google+ . Originally published on Space.com .
The identity of Jack The Ripper may have finally been confirmed, new evidence suggests.

Researchers now say that they have proven the authenticity of a much-disputed Victorian diary supposedly written by the notorious murderer.

Previously, doubt had been cast on the legitimacy of the diary by James Maybrick, a nineteenth-century cotton merchant from Liverpool. The diary was published in 1993, more than 100 years after his death.

The Telegraph reports that, in the 9,000-word volume, Maybrick confessed to the brutal murders of five women in the East End of London, as well as one prostitute in Manchester.

"I give my name that all know of me, so history do tell, what love can do to a gentleman born. Yours Truly, Jack The Ripper," he signed off, at the end of the diary, according to The Telegraph.

Mike Barrett, who made the diary public, also died before he could properly explain the origin of the memoir  which led many to believe that the diary could be a forgery.

However, a team of experts, led by film maker Bruce Robinson, now say that they have evidence to suggest that the diary is genuine and does indeed describe the infamous murders.

According to a new book, the diary was discovered in Maybrick's former Liverpool home - putting him back in the frame as the Victorian serial killer.

James Maybrick died in 1889, a year after the Whitechapel murders and, in 1992, a team of electrical contractors renovated Maybrick's former property, known as Battlecrease House.

New evidence includes timesheets that prove workers were at the house on March 9 1992  the same day that Mike Barrett told a London literary agent that he had Jack The Ripper's diary.

Robert Smith, who published the original diary in 1993, told the Telegraph that, because Barrett had boasted about being an author when workers found the diary, the workers thought that he could help them sell it on to a publisher.

Robert Smith added: "The truth was that Barrett's only significant literary achievement was to write occasional puzzles for the weekly TV children's magazine, Look-In.

"Barrett had a highly impetuous nature. Just seeing or being told about the signature at the end of the diary would have been enough for him to reach for the phone.

He was not very literate and the idea that he would have been capable of producing such a sophisticated and credible forgery is not remotely plausible.

Three years later, Barrett said that he had made everything up - but he later retracted his confession.

The workers later denied any involvement in the discovery  but none of their stories matched.

Many critics resolved that the diary was a fabrication put together from news reports at the time, while others reckoned that only the real Jack The Ripper could have known the details the diary is said to reveal.

Adamant that the diary is the real deal, Smith said: The new and indisputable evidence, that on March 9 1992, the diary was removed from under the floorboards of the room that had been James Maybrick's bedroom in 1889, and offered later on the very same day to a London literary agent, overrides any other considerations regarding its authenticity.

"It follows that James Maybrick is its most likely author. Was he Jack the Ripper? He now has to be a prime suspect, but the disputes over the Ripper's identity may well rage for another century at least".

A limited edition of 25 Years of The Diary of Jack The Ripper: The True Facts by Robert Smith is available from www.mangobooks.co.uk from September 4.

This article originally appeared on The Sun.
Experts believe they have found the lost Roman city of Julias, formerly the village of Bethsaida, which was the home of Jesus' apostles Peter, Andrew and Philip.

Last month, archaeologists from the Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archaeology at Kinneret College, Israel and Nyack College in New York, completed excavations at el-Araj on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. El Araj has long been considered a possible location of ancient Julias, which was also known as Bethsaida.

The results of this seasons excavation indicate that el-Araj should now be considered a leading candidate for the lost city of Jesus Apostles, explained the excavation team, in a statement emailed to Fox News.

EXPERTS HUNT FOR BIBLICAL TABERNACLE THAT HOUSED THE ARK OF THE COVENANT

There are indications that were excavating Bethsaida-Julia - we have to continue digging to confirm and clarify," Prof. Steven Notley of Nyack College, the digs academic director, told Fox News. This is really one of the few [biblical sites] that has remained lost.

The Roman city of Julias was born out of the Jewish fishing village of Bethsaida during the first century A.D, according to the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius. The New Testament describes Bethsaida as the home of Jesus apostles Peter, Andrew and Philip. Jesus also healed a blind man at Bethsaida, according to Mark 8:22-26, while Luke 9:10-17 describes a nearby location for the feeding of the five thousand people.

While many experts had previously assumed there was no human presence at el-Araj during the Roman period, this summers excavations have shed new light on the site. A previously unearthed Byzantine structure, for example, offered plenty of clues to the archaeologists. More than 30 coins found beneath the structures floor dated its construction to the 5th century A.D.

DNA DISCOVERY IDENTIFIES LIVING DESCENDANTS OF BIBLICAL CANAANITES

Below the Byzantine era level, however, Roman era pottery dating back to between the 1st and 3rd centuries A.D. was found, along with a bronze coin from the late 2nd century and a silver denarius coin of the Emperor Nero that dates from 65 to 66 A.D.

Some 6.6-feet below the Byzantine floor, a Roman period wall was also discovered. Adjacent to the wall was a large section of black-and-white mosaic floor with mortar, clay bricks and ceramic vents typical of Roman bathhouses.

The archaeologists note that Roman-style baths were uncommon in rural settlements, so their presence at el-Araj indicates an urban site, making it a strong candidate for the city of Julias.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH 2,700-YEAR OLD RESERVOIR IN ISRAEL

Geological research also suggests that the Sea of Galilee, the second lowest lake in the world, was at a lower level than previously thought during the Roman era. Experts had long thought the lake was 686 feet below sea level in Roman times, with the el-Araj site underwater until the Byzantine period centuries later. The Roman wall, however, was discovered at a depth of 692 feet below sea level.

Geologists studying el-Araj found that the site was covered with mud and clay, possibly from flooding of the nearby Jordan river, and abandoned sometime between 250 A.D and 350 A.D. "The Roman layer was buried at a certain period by these sediments derived from the nearby outlets of the Jordan River and Meshushim stream," explained Prof. Noam Greenbaum of Haifa University, who participated in the excavation. "We hope to deepen and extend our study in the future in order to clarify the full picture."

The site appears to have been resettled towards the end of the 4th century A.D. during the Byzantine period.

EXPERTS UNCOVER EVIDENCE OF ANCIENT JERUSALEMS DESTRUCTION BY THE BABYLONIANS

The Byzantine structure at el-Araj also offers a fascinating glimpse into the sites biblical past. Small gilded glass blocks called tesserae that form part of a mosaic were found, suggesting that the building was once an important church. Archaeologists note that Willibald, the bishop of Eichstatt in Germany, visited the Holy Land in 725 A.D., and describes visiting a church at Bethsaida built over the remains of the house of apostles Peter and Andrew. It may well be that the current excavations have unearthed evidence for that church, explained the archaeologists, in their statement.

Other archaeologists have been looking to prove that the nearby site of e-Tell is the location of Bethsaida-Julias.

Excavations at el-Araj will start again in June 2018. Were looking right now at trying to do another five seasons, said Notley.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
An anonymous note accusing Google of embracing diversity while chilling intellectual freedom has unleashed a flood of divergent opinions and proves not everyone inside the tech giant toes the company line.

The 10-page memo, written by a male engineer and widely shared internally, was eventually leaked to Gizmodo. In it, the author slams the tech giants left bias for having created a politically correct monoculture that maintains its hold by shaming dissenters into silence.

The engineer, who has not been identified publicly, argues that gender disparities in Googles workforce can be explained by biological differences between men and women. The memo asserts Google should replace its existing diversity efforts with policies to allow for more ideological diversity.

In a recent annual report the company made public, 69% of Googles employees were revealed as male and 55% of its employees were white.

Reaction to the memo, pro and con, has been vehement.

From what I've seen it's been a mix of women saying, 'This is terrible and it's been distracting me from my work and it shouldn't be allowed;' Men and women saying 'this is horrible but we need to let him have a voice;' and men saying 'This is so brave, I agree,' one current Google employee told Motherboard.

The companys VP for Diversity, Integrity and Governance, Danielle Brown, swiftly rebuked the anonymous engineers memo:

Many of you have read an internal document shared by someone in our engineering organization, expressing views on the natural abilities and characteristics of different genders, as well as whether one can speak freely of these things at Google. And like many of you, I found that it advanced incorrect assumptions about gender. I'm not going to link to it here as it's not a viewpoint that I or this company endorses, promotes or encourages.

According to Motherboard, some employees wrote messages of support for the memos author, including this one:

The fella who posted that is extremely brave. We need more people standing up against the insanity. Otherwise 'Diversity and Inclusion' which is essentially a pipeline from Women's and African Studies into Google, will ruin the company," another comment in the thread said.

The companys diversity chief also addressed Googles perceived lack of ideological diversity:

We are unequivocal in our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success as a company, Brown wrote. Part of building an open, inclusive environment means fostering a culture in which those with alternative views, including different political views, feel safe sharing their opinions. But that discourse needs to work alongside the principles of equal employment found in our Code of Conduct, policies, and anti-discrimination laws.

The memo also led a range of current and former tech employees to tweet, pen their own essays and call out the engineer who wrote it.
When NASA's Voyager program launched two robotic probes in 1977 called Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, they had one mission: explore the outer Solar System. On August 25, 2012, Voyager 1 entered interstellar space and had traveled further than any other man-made object. On September 5, 2017, Voyager 1 will be 40 years old, and NASA wants to celebrate by sending the probe a message.

The message sent will be decided upon by the team at NASA and a public vote. But before that happens, NASA wants ideas for what message to send, and it is turning to social media to collect your suggestions.

Uplifting messages can be posted on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Google+, or Tumblr. They can be a maximum of 60 characters long and must also contain the tag #MessageToVoyager. Submissions will be accepted until 11:59pm PDT on August 15. After that, JPL, NASA, and the Voyager team will select their favorites and then those message will be put to a public vote.

The winning message will be beamed into interstellar space on September 5 to celebrate the 40 year mission anniversary.

After that, Voyager 1 will continue its extended mission traveling at a velocity of 17km/s. But that mission does have an end date falling between 2025-2030 due to the radioisotope thermoelectric generator powering all on-board instruments no longer generating enough power for operation.

Before then, the Data Tape Recorder operation will be terminated in 2018 before scientific instrumentation shutdowns start happening from 2020. Voyager 1 will continue its journey indefinitely, though, carrying a golden record packed with information in case it does ever come into contact with intelligent life forms again.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.
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You dont have to smoke to get lung cancer. If youre unlucky and dont take precautions, all you have to do is breathe the air in your home.

Radon  a colorless and odorless radioactive gas found in soil  causes more than 21,000 deaths from lung cancer every year in the U.S.  more than carbon monoxide and house fires combined. Released from rock, soil and water, the uranium-derived gas can reach dangerous levels in even the best-built homes.

All houses tend to draw soil gas out of the ground to replace air that escapes out of the top whenever the house is warmer than the outside, which is almost every night year-round, says Bill Brodhead, president of WPB Enterprises, a radon mitigation company in Pennsylvania.

ARLO BABY MONITOR LETS YOU WATCH YOUR LITTLE ONE'S EVERY MOVE

The soil gas naturally contains radon, and often in very high concentrations. When radon decays, it changes to solid particles that cling to dust, water molecules or directly to your lung tissue.

These particles decay and send off alpha particles that damage the lung tissue and increase the risk of getting lung cancer, which is the leading cancer killer in the U.S. and has one of the lowest fiveyear survival rates of all cancers.

But you dont have to put up with high levels of radon in your home. Radon detectors have been around for years, but theyre basically charcoal canisters that last for only a few days and have to be sent to a lab for analysis. Since radon levels fluctuate daily, these tests arent always reliable.

AWAIR SMART MONITORING DEVICE HELPS IMPROVE INDOOR AIR QUALITY

But now a Norwaybased company, Airthings, has created the Airthings Wave that uses digital sensors and smart home technology to measure radon levels over a long period of time.

[Charcoal] is the traditional way, Airthings CEO yvind Birkenes told Fox News. We are going electronically, which enables you to monitor 24/7 over long periods of time  many, many years. And thats important, because radon gas fluctuates significantly over time. Over a day, its amazing how much it changes.

The Wave, a small, easy-to-install white disc that looks like a smoke detector, has an indicator light that can turn green (nothing to worry about), yellow (warning) or red (danger). Users can also check their radon levels or receive warning notifications through an app that records short- and long-term data. If the sensor detects dangerous levels of radon for longer than 48 hours, it notifies the user and recommends what to do next. The sensor also gives audio alerts.

SMART & SAFE TECH: FOR CARS, THERE'S SAFETY IN CONNECTIVITY

If high levels of radon are detected, experts recommend getting in touch immediately with a contractor who can implement a radon reduction system that will reduce radon levels by up to 99 percent. It will set you back around $800-$1,200  or more if the home has crawl spaces, no gravel under the slab or a completely finished lower level.

Each state radon or radiation department should have a list of qualified contractors, Brodhead said. It is usually best to have a local qualified contractor do the work to get better service.

Brodhead recommends hiring a contractor who visits your home before submitting an estimate. He also advises getting more than one estimate and checking with references.
Jillian Michaels likely evoked some poor little rich girl sentiments when she went on a rant about a botched yacht rental.

Michaels, 43, said she recently booked a 12-day yacht rental for a trip on the Amalfi Coast through the company Charterworld, but claimed that the vessel wasnt nearly as luxurious as advertised.

WILLIAM SHATNER URGES 'STAR TREK: THE CRUISE' TO DITCH ITS DOLPHIN EXPERIENCE

The boat was shown in pictures as pristine and if you google the boat (called The Never One Yacht) you will see how the boat was shown in pics on line [sic], the Biggest Loser trainer wrote on Facebook Saturday. It was not only filthy, but it had no hotwater, no air [conditioning] when not docked, no wifi, partial electricity, it was clearly in total disrepair.

The alleged high-end horrors didnt stop there.

This situation turned aggressive and threatening, Michaels continued. By the third day of our charter we were being extorted for money and things became so escalated we literally feared for our safety.

Charterworld did not return a request for comment.

The 30-Day Shred host also claimed that no one on the crew spoke English, and that they menacingly demanded more money for fuel because of Mafia in Capri, TMZ reported.

Michaels and her family and friends aboard the yacht have since left the boat and checked into a hotel.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Michaels also warned her followers of other alleged vacation scams, claiming to have fallen victim to three separate cons within six months. The fitness guru claimed the first incident was allegedly a simple scam on Airbnb and that the second was a supposed luxury rental home that didnt have running water.

A rep for Michaels did not immediately return a request for comment.

This article originally appeared in The New York Post.
A U.S. Marine from Iowa died in an accident at Camp Pendleton in California on Friday, officials said.

Lance Cpl. Cody J. Haley, 20, was severely injured and died at the scene, according to Marine officials.

The Associated Press reported the accident as a car crash, but a Marine Corps official told Fox News Haley died during routine physical training after a tree fell on him.

SEARCH FOR THREE MISSING MARINES ENDED AFTER AIRCRASH CRASHED OFF AUSTRALIA

Haley was assigned to the 1st Marine Division. He deployed with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in March 2016.

In a statement, the Corps said, We are heartbroken at the tragic loss of a member of the Marine Corps family, and we will do all we can to comfort the family, friends and colleagues of the deceased.

Haleys awards included the National Defense Service medal, Global War on Terrorism Service medal, and the Sea Service Deployment ribbon.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An elderly man in Florida shot and killed an unknown man who had broken into his home Saturday, authorities said.

The intruder, 33-year-old Shane DeShane, was shot when he entered the older mans home and woke up him and his wife in Lakeland on Saturday night, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office.

DeShane died at the scene, WFLA reported. DeShane reportedly lived on the same street as the elderly couple.

IOWA MAN TRIES TO DEPOSIT MILLION-DOLLAR BILL, GETS ARRESTED FOR DRUGS

Investigators said that did not believe DeShane knew the eldely couple, according to WTSP. Neighbors said DeShane moved in to the neighborhood a few weeks ago, and that the elderly couple didn't leave home often.

The incident is under investigation.
An Iowa man was arrested after police allegedly found him carrying meth as he tried to deposit a million-dollar bill into his bank account.

Dennis Strickland, 33, attempted to deposit the bill, which he said was worth $1 million, into his bank account in Sioux City on Thursday.

Law enforcement was quickly dispatched to the bank, KELO reported.

INDIANA TEEN GIRL MURDERS: TIP LEADS TO CONFESSION IN DECADE-OLD COLD CASE

Officers said they heard paper rustling in Stricklands pocket when they were questioning him about the suspicious deposit, and asked him if he had other bills. The man allegedly pulled out a bag of methamphetamine, KELO reported.

Strickland has reportedly been charged with possession of a controlled substance and is being held in Woodbury County Jail on a $1,000 bond.
Nearly 30 people were injured early Sunday after a confirmed tornado slammed parts of Tulsa, Oklahoma, officials said.

St. Francis Hospital told Fox 23 most of the emergency room patients' storm-related injuries were minor.

The storm damaged multiple businesses in the midtown section of the city, located southeast of downtown.

Rayvonne Marcheselli told The Associated Press she received a tornado warning on her phone about five minutes before the storm hit and was able to get her 16, 17, and 18-year-old sons downstairs in their two-story home.

"They pounced on the couch and then the 'boom' hit, and I was like 'what was that?"' Marcheselli said.

Later Sunday morning, she saw the damage. "Like a ... razor, it just took out a path of trees through here," Marcheselli said.

Some of the heaviest damage was reported near Interstate 44, where several buildings lost portions of their roofs, and signs were torn down.

The storm also damaged power poles and more than 11,000 customers were without power at one point. More than 9,000 remained without electricity Sunday morning.

The interstate was closed for a short period of time due to a fallen sign on the highway, according to Fox 23.

Officials at a nearby high school said in a Facebook post they are surveying damage at the school.

Bishop Kelley High School said the only extensive damage at the school is to the breezeway in front of the school's science and technology center.

National Weather Service meteorologist Amy Jankowski said tornadoes are generally associated with spring months and said an August tornado is uncommon, but not "outrageously rare."
Authorities in New York say two men described as a couple are charged with killing an 11-year-old girl during a rape attempt at their rural home.

Police say 34-year-old Tobias Rundstrom-Wooding and 36-year-old James Brower have been charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of Jacelyn O'Connor. Police were called to their Norwich home July 30 for a report of a girl in cardiac arrest and found the child dead.

Chenango County District Attorney Joseph McBride said Jacelyn was smothered during a rape attempt. He said she was the half sister of Brower's sons and had been staying at the home.

Brower was arraigned Thursday. Rundstrom-Wooding was arraigned Monday. His lawyer, Scott Clippinger, said Rundstrom-Wooding "intends to fight this to the end."

Both remain jailed pending a felony hearing Tuesday.
Bessemer, Alabama police have charged a man they say murdered his father Saturday evening.

Police responded to a shooting at an apartment complex around 8:45 p.m. on Saturday.

Officers found 47-year-old Kelvin Dewayne Yelling suffering multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

At the scene, 22-year-old Charles Edward Yelling  the biological son of Kelvin Dewayne  was arrested.

Detectives with Bessemer Police Department have obtained an arrest warrant for Charles Edward on murder charges. His bond was set at $75,000. The motive for the shooting is still under investigation.

Four small children also were found in the apartment at the time of the shooting.

Click for more from Fox 6.
Six inmates snatched keys from three correctional officers at a maximum security prison in Arkansas on Monday and held the officers in an area of the facility for about three hours, the second major disturbance to occur at the penitentiary in less than a month.

The Arkansas Department of Correction said the inmates overpowered the officers and took the keys during recreation call at the Maximum Security Unit in Tucker, 30 miles southeast of Little Rock. The three officers were later released with scrapes, bruises and other minor injuries, while an inmate who was not involved in the initial disturbance was taken to a hospital. Shortly after the last officer was released, corrections department spokesman Solomon Graves said the inmates surrendered and the prison began returning to normal operations.

Graves said the injured inmate was in stable condition after suffering injuries that could not be treated by the prison infirmary. Graves said the inmates who had taken the keys had been moved to another facility after the incident, but did not say where. The department did not say how the prisoners took the keys from the officers, or whether the inmates had any kinds of weapons.

The disturbance occurred a week after officials revealed that a guard at the same prison fired three warning shots into the air on July 22 after two guards and an inmate were attacked. The department said it was not informed of the shots fired until it was reported by the Arkansas Times.

Arkansas State Police had been on standby outside the prison during Monday's incident and was waiting to enter to begin its investigation, said spokesman Bill Sadler.

"Once that occurs, our agents will enter the cellblock to begin an investigation to determine and identify any criminal activity that occurred leading up to this incident and any criminal activity that may have occurred during the course of the incident," Sadler said.

Graves said the department's director and the state Board of Corrections would conduct their own investigation into the incident, including whether it was related to the July 22 attack.

Graves said the incident showed the risks that the state's correction officers face on a daily basis.

"Today is indicative of the inherent dangers of their work, but our staff performed admirably today and at this point we are just glad that the situation was resolved without any serious injuries to inmates or to our staff," Graves said.

The maximum security prison has a capacity of 532 inmates and has 295 employees, according to the Department of Correction website.
A teenage cheerleader who was described as a "good person" -- despite allegedly killing and burning her infant before burying the baby in her backyard -- pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder charges in an Ohio court on Monday.

A judge order Brooke "Skylar" Richardson, 18, to house arrest and set her bond to $50,000, according to WCPO. Prosecutors asked for a $1 million bond. The judge said he set the bond to ensure Richardson would appear in court, adding he believed she wasn't a flight risk.

Warren County prosecutor David Fornshell said Richardson "purposefully caused the death of the child" who police believe was killed on May 6 or May 7. The body of the newborn was discovered outside of her Carlisle home, about 40 miles north of Cincinnati, on July 14.

The exact cause of the baby's death may never be known, because the body was badly burned and decomposed when authorities uncovered the remains.

"To be frank with you, I'm not sure we ever will provide to you the exact medical cause of death, and the reason for that is because the child was, after death, burned and subsequently buried, and there was significant decomposition to the body," Fornshell said.

Richardson was initially charged with reckless homicide, but charges were later upgraded to include aggravated murder, involuntary manslaughter, child endangering, evidence tampering and corpse abuse -- all of to which she pleaded not guilty.

Richardson's attorney called the teenager, who used to be a cheerleader and honor student at Carlisle High School, a "good person." Richardson planned to attend the University of Cincinnati in the fall.

But Fornshell said he believed the teenager's obsession "with appearances and how things appear to the outside world" may have been the driving force that led the "good" girl to kill, FOX19 reported.

"Skylar and her family, particularly her mother, were pretty obsessed with external appearance and how things appear to the outside world, and if members of the community were to find out that the Richardson girl was pregnant, and perhaps gave birth, and even if, after giving birth, gave that child up for adoption, that was something that was simply not going to be accepted in that household, at least by Skylar and her mother," Fornshell said in court Monday.

It's unclear who the father of Richardson's baby is. Richardson is the only person charged in the case.

Click here for more from FOX19.
Cops were on the hunt Monday for a woman suspected of performing an oral sex act on a man in broad daylight inside a Pennsylvania McDonald's dining room earlier this year, with a warrant now out for her arrest.

Christine Chafin, 37, was charged with open lewdness and disorderly conduct in May this year after being kicked out of the family at the popular family restaurant in York by an employee, who later called state police.

The man suspected in the act, 30-year-old Conrad Jablecki, was quickly located by police and charged with indecent exposure, open lewdness and disorderly conduct. He has since appeared in court and was released, while Chafin failed to turn up to her July 21 arraignment, triggering a bench warrant for her arrest.

A public information officer for the Pennsylvania State Police confirmed to Fox News that as of late Monday afternoon, the warrant remains active and was issued by York county police, who are now handling the case.

ARKANSAS MAN ARRESTED, ACCUSED OF HAVING SEX WITH FAMILY'S PET DONKEY

MILAN POLICE ARREST MAN IN KIDNAPPING OF BRITISH MODEL

Chafin managed to escape after police were called. Her identity was later revealed after police called on anyone with information to come forward. She is believed to be a Maryland resident, and the mother of one young boy.

However, this isnt the first brush with the law for either suspect. Chafins record is reported to include convictions for driving under the influence of a controlled substance, marijuana possession and careless driving, while Jablecki has been convicted of public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and exposing himself to a child on a beach.
A D.C. suburb in Maryland is considering a plan that would give undocumented immigrants the right to vote, making their city the largest in the Old Line State to do so.

The city, which is home of the University of Marylands main campus and nearly 30,000 residents, is weighing approval of the new measure to let noncitizens cast ballots for mayor and City Council, The Baltimore Sun reported Sunday.

Supporters of the measure say that local elections focus on issues like trash collection, and other municipal services and they are issues that affect residents of the city, regardless of their citizenship status.

These are folks who have a significant stake in our community, and who rely on the facilities in our city, College Park City Councilwoman Christine Nagle, who is sponsoring the measure, said to the newspaper. To me, it just made sense.

Others in the community say that immigrants should not have a say until they have completed the process of becoming a citizen.

"On a personal level, I do not agree that noncitizens should be voting," College Park City Councilwoman Mary C. Cook said before adding that she will listen to her constituents before making a decision.

Jeff Werner, an advocate for tighter immigration restrictions with the advocacy group Help Save Maryland told the newspaper that he felt even more strongly about undocumented immigrants going to the voting booth.

What gives them that privilege? He asked.

A total of 10 municipalities across two counties allow noncitizens to vote in local elections. Voters in Takoma Park, a liberal enclave in Montgomery County, narrowly approved a referendum in making the town one of the first to allow the practice in Maryland.

It was preceded by Barnesville  a small town near Sugarloaf Mountain in Montgomery County  has allowed noncitizens to vote since 1918 and Somerset, which approved noncitizen voting in 1976.

The number of communities in Maryland adopting the measure has surged in recent months. Hyattsville in Prince Georges County approved immigrant voting just last year, followed by Mount Rainier, also in Prince Georges County.

The College Park proposal like the other municipalities, does not distinguish between legal permanent residents and undocumented immigrants.

Those in favor of the policy say thats by design.

We very intentionally made it so that we did not have questions about citizenship status, said Patrick Paschall, a former member of the Hyattsville council who championed the legislation there said to the Sun. It undermines the premise of noncitizen voting to try to draw a distinction.

Click here for more from The Baltimore Sun.
Missouri police on Monday were hunting for a man who shot and killed a Clinton cop late Sunday night during a traffic stop.

The officer, 37-year-old Gary Michael, died after a man exited a Dodge Nitro at a traffic stop and started shooting around 10:45 p.m. Sunday, KHSB reported.

Michael returned fire, but the gunman got back in his car and drove off  crashing his car just a couple blocks away before fleeing on foot, Sgt. Bill Lowe with the Missouri State Highway Patrol told FOX 4 Kansas City.

Its a tragedy obviously for his family, its a tragedy for Clinton Police Department, but its a tragedy for this community, Lowe said. He was doing his job. He was there protecting and serving and thats what were called to do. He did it, and he did it with heroic fashion."

It was not known if the shooter was injured during the incident.

Police named Ian McCarthy, 39, as a suspect in the shooting. Authorities located McCarthy's vehicle around 6:30 a.m., believe he is on foot and still in the Clinton area, 75 miles southeast of Kansas City.

"We searched the house we believed the person we were looking for might have been in," Lowe said. "He was not in that house."

The traffic stop involved a registration violation, Lowe said. Officials added there wasnt any dash cam footage of the incident.

Court records indicate McCarthy pleaded guilty in November 2013 in Missouri to a misdemeanor driving without a valid license. In July 2015, he was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. Court records don't indicate the outcome of that case.

Checkpoints have since been set up around Clinton, and Henry County Deputies, Missouri State Troopers and Clinton Police have several parts of the city blocked off, FOX 4 Kansas City reported.

Michael was in his first year with the Clinton police department, and leaves behind a wife and step sons, according to FOX 4.

Area police departments expressed their condolences for the Clinton Police Department on Twitter.

Read more from FOX 4 Kansas City.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
TILLERSON GIVES NORTH KOREA ULTIMATUM ON TALKS, WHILE REGIME VOWS REVENGE

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday during a regional security conference in the Philippines that North Korea must halt its missile testing if they want any sort of negotiations with the U.S. He said stopping the launches would be the first and strongest signal. Meanwhile, North Korean state media lashed out against the latest round of U.N. sanctions, saying that it will launch a "thousands-fold" revenge against the United States.

WHAT CAN THE US DO TO FIGHT NORTH KOREA AGRESSION?

GORKA: NORTH KOREAS PLAYBOOK WILL NOT WORK WITH TRUMP WHITE HOUSE

TRUMP IMPRESSED WITH UN SANCTIONS VOTE ON NORTH KOREA

President Trump tweeted late Sunday that he spoke with South Korean President Moon Jae-In amid mounting tensions with North Korea -- and Trump was very happy and impressed with the United Nations Security Council's 15-0 vote to hit Kim Jong Un's regime with tough new sanctions. Moon requested the phone call, the White House press pool reported. It came a day after the U.N. Security Council vote, in the wake of the countrys tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles believed to be capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

MCMASTER: THREAT OF NORTH KOREAN NUCLEAR WEAPON STRIKE IMPOSSIBLE TO OVERSTATE

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CRISIS OVER NORTH KOREA

TILLERSON: US TO RESPOND TO RUSSIAS OUSTER OF DIPLOMATS

While North Korea was the main topic of discussion among diplomats in the Philippines, Tillerson also addressed Russias expulsion of American diplomats. Tillerson said the U.S. will respond to Russias decision to cut American diplomatic staff by 755 people, but he did not elaborate on how the U.S. will respond. He added that he asked Lavrov "several clarifying questions" about the act of Russian retaliation.

US PROVIDING SUPPORT TO PHILIPPINES IN ITS FIGHT AGAINST PRO-ISIS MILITANTS

DOJ FIRES BACK AT CHICAGOS SANCTUARY-CITY LAWSUIT THREAT

The Department of Justice on Sunday fired back at Chicagos plans to sue the feds for threatening to withhold crime-fighting money to sanctuary cities. DOJ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores told the Chicago Sun-Times, In 2016, more Chicagoans were murdered than in New York City and Los Angeles combined. So its especially tragic that the mayor is less concerned with that staggering figure than he is spending time and taxpayer money protecting criminal aliens and putting Chicagos law enforcement at greater risk.

CHICAGO MAYOR TO SUE DOJ OVER SANCTUARY CITY POLICIES

CHRIS PRATT AND ANNA FARIS ANNOUNCE SEPARATION

Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced in social media posts Sunday they were separating after eight years of marriage. "We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed," the actors wrote. "Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward. We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another."

COMING UP ON FNC

11:30 am ET: WWII Veterans lay wreaths at the Pacific Arch of the WWII Memorial in honor of the 75th anniversary of Battle of Guadalcanal to honor the 60,000 allies who served and in remembrance of the more than 7,000 killed. Watch live on FoxNews.com.

10:00 pm ET: Eric and Lara Trump will appear on Hannity. Watch on Fox News Channel.

FOX BUSINESS COVERAGE

Amazon shadow looms large ahead of retail earnings (Click here for more)

COMING UP ON FBN

12:00 pm ET: Robert Ray, former Whitewater Independent Counsel, will appear on Cavuto: Coast to Coast.
The mostly-nude painted ladies who raunchily stroll through Times Square hunting for tips from tourists have reportedly split into two groups, with one squad of good girls playing by New York Citys rules for street artists and another faction rebelling against the designated artist zones.

The desnudas, as the painted women are known, have broken down into the polite des-good-as and the ill-mannered des-rude-as, The New York Post reported on Saturday. And the surly des-rude-as are allegedly bullying their nicer rivals.

Sometimes one of us will be working, and theyll come over and just bump us out of our spots with their hips, said Jamilee Leary, 19, one of the des-good-as.

They are even costing her business, she said.

They made sure I didnt get any pictures, not one, Leary said. Every time someone would come up to me, theyd grab them and pull them away from me.

When Leary protested, she said her combative competitors threatened her.

I told them to stop, but they laughed and said, You wanna fight?! Leary told The Post.

The des-good-as say they stay in the designated artist zone while the des-rude-as disregard the rules and flaunt their stuff wherever they please, often aggressively shaking down tourists for cash.

Were sick and tired of them giving us a bad name, Saira Nicole said. I just stand there and feel sick to my stomach because I cant take it anymore.

But Nicole said theres a silver lining to following the rules.

In the time it takes other girls to harass people, we will have taken 10 more photos, she said.
An off-duty California deputy and another man were shot during a confrontation Monday morning, leading police on a manhunt for two possible suspects in connection with the shooting.

The deputy was walking with a group of people -- including two other off-duty officers -- in San Diego when a man with a gun confronted them at 1:17 a.m., FOX5 San Diego reported.

"One of the deputies saw the suspect pulling the gun out and started wrestling the suspect for the gun, San Diego police officer John Buttle said. "During the struggle three shots were fired."

The deputy, whose name was not released, was struck three times in the shoulder and was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, authorities said. A man who was walking in the street at the time was also shot in the arm. He drove himself to the hospital, according to FOX5 San Diego.

Investigators reviewed surveillance videos from nearby businesses that captured the shooting. They believe two people may have been involved in the incident.

"We think there may have been two, based on the video, but right now we're focused on the individual with the gun," Lt. Ernesto Servin said.

The motive of the shooting is still unclear.

Click here for more from FOX5 San Diego.
The death of Clinton, MO Officer Gary Michael on Sunday brought the number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty this year to 75, matching 2016's deadly figures.

The death of Officer Gary Michael, 37, raised the number of officers killed by gunfire to 28, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP).

Police in the state are currently searching for a man who fatally shot Michael on Sunday night during a traffic stop.

A total of 19 officers were killed in automobile crashes in 2017, according to the ODMP. In the first week of August, three officers died. With that number, the amount of officers killed so far this year has already matched the figure from the same period in 2016, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

MISSOURI POLICE OFFICER KILLED DURING TRAFFIC STOP

Last year was the deadliest for police in five years, with a total of 145 officers dying in the line of duty. Gunfire claimed the lives of 63 officers in 2016.

Michael was killed after a man exited a Dodge Nitro at a traffic stop and started shooting around 10:45 p.m. Sunday, KHSB reported. The officer shot back, but the gunman returned to his car and drove away, only to crash the vehicle a few blocks away before fleeing on foot.

Its a tragedy obviously for his family, its a tragedy for Clinton Police Department, but its a tragedy for this community, Sgt. Bill Lowe, with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, told FOX 4 Kansas City. He was doing his job. He was there protecting and serving and thats what were called to do. He did it, and he did it with heroic fashion.
Texas firefighters on Monday saved a driver who became trapped in his SUV when raging floodwater swept through a San Antonio street.

The driver was on Pinn Road about 10:30 a.m. when his car became stuck in the brown water, FOX29 reported. He sat on the roof of the car as firefighters extended ladders and prepared a boat for the rescue.

More than 30 minutes later, fire crews were able to reach the driver, who remained on the roof of the SUV to avoid being swept away by the "river."

Firefighters pulled the man, who appeared unharmed, to safety. The SUV then began bopping in the water after the weight of the driver was lifted.

Drainage issues have marred the area due to construction in the neighborhood, officials said.

Click here for more from FOX29.
A long-simmering dispute between two top White House aides has boiled into a public battle over the direction of President Donald Trump's foreign policy, with a cadre of conservative groups pushing for the ouster of national security adviser H.R. McMaster.

In recent days, conservative groups and a website tied to Trump adviser Steve Bannon have targeted McMaster as insufficiently supportive of Israel and insufficiently tough toward Iran. They've expressed outrage about the firings of several aides regarded as sympathetic to their views. An online campaign  under the hashtag #FireMcMaster  prompted Trump to declare his support for his adviser.

The dispute reflects the tensions at the heart of Trump's foreign policy coalition. McMaster is one of several powerful generals in Trump's orbit who hail from the Republican foreign policy establishment. But Trump is equally sympathetic to the views of firebrands like Bannon, who are trying to push the party in a new, isolationist direction embodied by his "America First" doctrine.

McMaster and Bannon have clashed loudly and repeatedly during recent White House discussions over Afghanistan war strategy, according to four administration officials and outside advisers. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss private conversations.

Afghanistan, however, represents only the latest dispute between McMaster and Bannon, who've also fought over White House personnel.

McMaster, an Army general, recently purged three National Security Council officials who were viewed as close to Bannon or to Michael Flynn, Trump's previous national security adviser. For people close to Bannon, the moves were seen as telling. The former chief of Breitbart News, who wants Trump to upend the Washington foreign policy establishment, has bitterly argued against further U.S. entanglement in global conflicts and believes McMaster is adhering to holdover Obama administration policies.

Breitbart, which holds significant influence in Trump's White House, has promoted a series of anti-McMaster headlines on its website. The Zionist Organization of America on Monday announced it has undertaken a review of McMaster's views on Israel. Dozens of conservative and alt-right social media stars have hammered the national security adviser on Twitter.

The outcry grew so loud that Trump responded Friday: "General McMaster and I are working very well together. He is a good man and very pro-Israel. I am grateful for the work he continues to do serving our country."

Months earlier, Trump also defended his adviser, taking a printout of a story suggesting he might fire McMaster and scrawling on it with a Sharpie pen, "This is bull----. You're doing a great job," along with his signature. He had it delivered to McMaster, according to someone who speaks regularly with officials in the Trump administration.

But privately, Trump has at times expressed some dissatisfaction with McMaster and rued losing Flynn, according to people who have spoken with the president. The White House has said Flynn was dismissed because he did not tell White House officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, about the full extent of his contacts with Russian officials.

Trump often vents about aides without making changes. And McMaster's position was strengthened by the recent appointment of ret. Gen. John Kelly as Trump's chief of staff.

Bannon's allies say the recent dismissals are evidence that McMaster is ridding the National Security Council of Trump supporters while deferring to career officials left over from former President Barack Obama's tenure. They also chafe at McMaster's involvement in removing Bannon from a prominent role on the NSC earlier this year.

Among those fired: White House intelligence adviser Ezra Cohen-Watnick, a Flynn protege who previously clashed with CIA leaders.

The Iran nuclear deal also has been a source of disagreement. That Obama-era pact is opposed by Israel and prominent GOP donor Sheldon Adelson, who backs the Zionist Organization of America group that attacked McMaster. Trump has repeatedly denounced the accord, even as he has granted Iran continued relief from U.S. sanctions under the arrangement. McMaster was among the Trump aides advocating for that course.

___

Lemire reported from New York.

___

Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire and Klapper at http://twitter.com/@BKlapperAP
British model Chloe Ayling spoke out for the first time Sunday about her kidnapping ordeal.

A 30-year-old Polish man lured the glamourous model to a fake photo shoot in Milan last month before drugging her and holding her so that she could be auctioned off online, investigators said.

Speaking from her London home Sunday, Ayling told The Sun: Ive been through a terrifying experience. Ive feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour."

Lukasz Pawel Herba, who has British residency, was arrested July 18 and jailed for investigation of suspected kidnapping for extortion purposes.

Ayling said she was grateful to the Italian and British authorities for all of their assistance in securing her release.

Ayling said that during her kidnapping she was told that all girls are for the Arab market, and when the buyer gets fed up of a girl bought at auction, he can gift her to other people, and when of no interest anymore, feed her to tigers.

The woman had arrived in the city on July 10 and was supposed to do the photography session the next day. A photographer had booked the session through the model's agent, but as soon as Ayling stepped inside the Milan apartment for the appointment, she said she was attacked by two men.

A person with black gloves placed a hand over my mouth from behind while a second person wearing a balaclava gave me an injection in my right arm," said Ayling.

WOMAN GETS LIFE FOR ROLE IN KIDNAPPING OF ASSISTANT DA

I believe I lost consciousness because when I woke up, I was wearing just my pink undershirt made of chenille, and the socks I am now wearing, and I realized I was in the coffin of a car, my ankles and wrists in handcuffs, with a black tape covering my mouth, inside a bag where there was just a small hole in the zipper that allowed me to breathe," the model told The Sun.

Police suspect Herba advertised the "sale" of the woman online, while at the same time demanding ransom from the woman's agent of more than $300,000.

The suspect was arrested the day after he allegedly released the woman and dropped her off at the British consulate in Milan.

Milan daily Corriere della Sera reported the kidnapper let her go because he discovered she had a child and considered her unsuitable for the sex trade. But police spokesman Lorenzo Bucossi told reporters it was unclear why the woman was released.

Authorities said as far as they know, no ransom was paid. An investigation is being conducted in Poland and Britain as well as in Italy. Investigators are trying to determine if the suspect had accomplices and was mainly after ransom, or was trying to defraud someone who might have been willing to pay money online for the woman, police said.

They didn't identify the model's agent.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A man reported missing a month ago - sparking a search involving divers, mountain rescue and dogs - has been found dead at his house.

Police Scotland has referred its handling of the case to a watchdog: the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner.

The force said Arnold Mouat's body had been found at his family home in Bo'ness - in the Central Lowlands of Scotland - on Saturday.

The 64-year-old man was reported missing on July 7 after he was last seen by his family at his home the day before.

His death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious.

Superintendent Martin Fotheringham, of Forth Valley Division, described the case as involving "a tragic set of circumstances".

"Following a review of our response to this incident, Police Scotland has referred this matter to the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner," said Superintendent Fotheringham.

Click for more from Sky News.
Two members of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot were detained Monday after rallying for the release of a Ukrainian filmmaker outside his Siberian prison.

During Sunday's protest in Yakutsk where Oleg Sentsov is serving his sentence, the band members unfurled a banner on a nearby bridge that read "Free Sentsov!"

Longtime Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina tweeted that she and Olga Borisova were detained early Monday and were awaiting a court hearing.

Mediazona, a website focusing on court and legal news that Alyokhina and another band member helped set up, released a video showing police stopping the car in which the two women were traveling and asking the women to follow them to the police station.

A Russian military court convicted Sentsov, who comes from the Crimean Peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, of conspiracy to commit terror attacks and sentenced him to 20 years in prison.

Sentsov, who made two short movies and the 2012 feature film "Gamer," denied the charges, which he and his supporters denounced as political punishment for his opposition to Crimea's annexation.

The U.S. and the EU have criticized his conviction and called for his release, and numerous cultural figures in Russia and abroad have urged the Russian government to free him.

Pussy Riot is a loose collective and most of its members perform anonymously. The balaclava-clad women rose to prominence with their daring outdoor performances critical of President Vladimir Putin and Russia's ruling elite.

An impromptu "punk prayer" at Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior that derided the ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Kremlin got them into trouble in 2012.

Three band members were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for the stunt. Alyokhina and another member, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, spent nearly two years in prison.
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Kenyans vote Tuesday in a close presidential election between President Uhuru Kenyatta, who seeks a second term, and Raila Odinga, who lost the last two elections. The East African high-tech and commercial hub of 44 million people is often described as one of the continent's most politically stable countries, but the torture and killing of a top election official has many recalling the disputed 2007 election between the same candidates that left more than 1,000 people dead. Here's a look at the issues around the vote:

___

THE CANDIDATES

Kenyatta and Odinga are from storied political families. Kenyatta is the son of Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's first president, and Odinga is the son of Jaramogi Odinga Odinga, the country's first vice president. One must win more than 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff election.

After losing the past two elections, this may be the last chance for the 72-year-old Raila Odinga to claim the seat that eluded his father. Odinga says he wants to restore a strong government, stamp out corruption and improve the lives of the poorest Kenyans.

The 55-year-old Kenyatta wants to avoid becoming the first Kenyan president not to win re-election. He won in 2013 with 50.03 percent of the vote, triggering an unsuccessful legal challenge by Odinga. Kenyatta at the time was facing criminal charges at the International Criminal Court over his alleged role in the 2007 election violence. Those charges were dropped due to lack of evidence, with the ICC prosecutor blaming unprecedented witness interference and bribery.

This time, Kenyatta has appeared more confident while campaigning, pointing to major infrastructure projects, many backed by China, and claiming strong economic growth.

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THE CALL OF TRIBE

Most political organizing in Kenya is tied to ethnicity. Many voters see Kenyatta as the candidate of the Kikuyu people, the country's largest ethnic group, and Odinga representing the Luo. That the Luo have never produced a head of state adds drama to the election.

"Many middle-class Kenyans will, in an instant, go from speaking of globalization and borderless innovation while sipping on their cafe macchiatos to offering blind support to a well-known thug who happens to be from their tribes," journalist Daniel Kalinaki wrote in a recent column for the Daily Monitor newspaper.

Kenyatta's running mate under the Jubilee coalition, Deputy President William Ruto, is expected to marshal the votes of his Kalenjin people. Odinga leads the National Super Alliance, which includes political leaders of the Kamba and Luhya ethnic groups.

But Kenya's political landscape is noted for shifting alliances. Kenyatta's running mate Ruto was an ally of Odinga in 2007, for example. Ruto is now being challenged at home by an influential governor who supports Odinga, which could split the Kalenjin vote that was crucial in Kenyatta's 2013 win.

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CORRUPTION, POVERTY AND LAND

Severe drought conditions in half of Kenya's 47 counties have worsened tensions over land as farmers face invasions from semi-nomadic herders seeking room to graze their cattle. In Laikipia county, more than 30 people have died. Some farmers say politicians have incited the herders with the aim of shifting demographics in their favor and winning elections.

Despite Kenya's expanding middle class and economic growth of 5.6 percent in 2016, according to national figures, poverty remains widespread. More than 40 percent of people live on less than $2 a day. Official corruption also feeds tensions.

___

LIKELIHOOD OF VIOLENCE

The al-Shabab extremist group, based in neighboring Somalia, already has threatened Kenya's elections with a series of deadly attacks in border areas. That strains Kenya's security forces as they seek to keep the elections free of violence.

The torture and killing in late July of Christopher Msando, an official in charge of Kenya's electronic voting system, has fueled concerns that the vote could be rigged. The biometric system malfunctioned in the 2013 election, leading to opposition claims of vote tampering.

As election observers, including former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, prepare for the vote, Kenyan officials have said it is "unlikely" they will shut down the internet  but they might shut down some social media if "necessary" to calm hate speech and incitement.

Despite the concerns, the International Crisis Group has said Kenya is better prepared this time to handle any violence. "There have been major efforts by security forces, civil society and the business community to try to forestall a crisis," its assessment says. "In short, unless there is large-scale failure of electoral equipment on election day or if the defeated candidate refuses to concede, a crisis on the scale of what happened in 2007 is unlikely."
Three people were shot and killed and two others were wounded Sunday when gunmen opened fire at a popular Mexican beach resort that was crowded with tourists, officials said.

The gunmen attacked the group at the entrance to Playa Pamilla in the Los Cabos tourist region at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

Mexican and foreign tourists were sunbathing on the beach when the bullets started flying.

"We heard the shots and just ran to get somewhere safe. It was automatic weapons fire," a tourist told the BBC.

The beach was evacuated as police investigate the possible motive.

Southern Baja California has seen a surge in violence this year, though mostly outside tourist areas. Analysts blame much of the bloodshed on fighting among factions in the Sinaloa drug cartel and also clashes with the rival Jalisco New Generation cartel.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Italy cant build a wall, nor does it want to, but the debate over how to slow the flows of refugees and migrants here is reaching a fever pitch.

The problems of where to house them, and how to employ them, have not been solved. About 614,000 have arrived in Italy from North Africa since 2014. Italy accuses the rest of Europe of not helping to spread the burden.

One solution, agreed between Italy and the UN-backed Libyan government, is to send Italian ships to keep the traffickers boats from setting out toward Italy in the first place. This would potentially discourage people traveling to Libya from various African countries and devastate the traffickers. Those journeys are fraught with violence and risk. And that is before the risky sail from Libya.

ITALY PM: FEARS FOR MIGRANTS IN LIBYA RESOLVABLE

But given that the situation in Libya is fragile, this plans future may be tenuous, even dangerous. Libya has two competing governments now, and the one that is not UN-backed doesnt want Italian ships in its watersit has even accused beleaguered Italy of being the exporter of trouble.

Abdullah Bilhaq, spokesman for the Libyan House of Representatives in Tobruk, the alternate government, said last week: The Libyan House of Representatives warns against the Italian states attempt to export illegal migration from its territory to Libyan territory by returning tens of thousands of illegal immigrants to Libyan territory.

One top general with the opposing Tobruk government in Libya has hinted the Italian ships off its waters could provoke an attack by Libyan forces.

EUROPEANS VOW MORE HELP TO STEM LIBYA-ITALY MIGRANT FLOW

But there are even rifts within the Italian government about the justice in returning migrants to Libya, a place where they have suffered abuse and violence at the hands of the traffickers and a network of thugs who prey on the vulnerable.

A junior government minister in Italy over the weekend suggested making those people go back means condemning them to an inferno.

In the meantime, suddenly, the Libyans themselvesthe coast guardhave started turning migrants back, to the tune of around 800 over the weekend. All of these strategies and debates may have led to what amounts to a major reduction in arrivals in Italy for July when compared to July last year.

Still, the numbers overall for the year are almost on par with the figures for 2016. And this, experts say, is no longer tenable for Italy.

RIGHTS GROUP WARNS OF BIND FOR MIGRANTS AS EU LOOKS TO LIBYA

Another measure Italy has turned to is squeezing the NGOs who rescue one third of the people saved at sea. For some time, the government has suspected that some of these organizations have been working hand in hand with the traffickersnot for any monetary benefits or insidious reasonsbut to scoop up those taking off from Libya before they fall into distress.

The Italian government now says this is frankly a pull for the migrants and arrested an aid ship last week, in Lampedusa, that was carrying migrants. The ship was operated by the German agency Jugend Rettet, and reportedly Italian investigators picked up recordings of communications between traffickers and rescuersmaking the scenario look like a convenient, almost staged, hand-off for the smugglers.

Doctors Without Borders has also been accused, as the anti-establishment Five Star Movement here would say, of running sea taxis. The group issued a statement denying that was the case.

We hope any doubts can be dispelled soon to end this trickling of accusations that poisons the atmosphere in an ever gloomier situation, the group said.

The government is demanding NGOs sign a code of conduct if they want to bring rescued migrants to its ports, but many have said that goes against their principles of simply saving lives. But Italy said freely taking them to Italy is not helping the country.

"Because migrants arrive in Italy, we must find a balance between their rights and those of the country that hosts them, Interior Minister Marco Minniti, said in an interview over the weekend. We need complete trust between those who carry out the rescues and the country that opens up its ports."
Mexican authorities prepared shelters, cleared storm drains and announced the closing of an airport near the Caribbean coast in anticipation of Tropical Storm Franklin's arrival to the country's Yucatan Peninsula.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported Monday afternoon that Franklin's top winds had strengthened to 60 mph (95 kph) in the northwestern Caribbean, where it was moving west-northwest at 13 mph (21 kph) off the coast of Honduras. The storm was located about 195 miles (310 kilometers) east of Chetumal, capital of Quintana Roo state.

The Quintana Roo state government said in a statement that the Chetumal airport near the border with Belize would close at 6 p.m. Shelters were being readied in the area with one specifically designated for the residents of Mahahual, a popular beach destination.

Franklin was expected to make landfall Monday evening at near hurricane strength, then cross over the Gulf Tuesday on a path to central Mexico. A hurricane watch was in effect for the coast of Mexico from Chetumal to Punta Allen, and with tropical-storm-force winds extending up to 140 miles (220 kilometers) from the center, Belize could feel the effects by late afternoon.
North Korea says it will launch "thousands-fold" revenge against the United States over the adoption of tough U.N. sanctions imposed after its intercontinental ballistic launches.

The North's statement issued Monday came two days after the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved new sanctions to punish the North including a ban on coal and other exports worth over $1 billion.

The North's statement said the sanctions were caused by a "heinous U.S. plot to isolate and stifle" North Korea.

It says the U.N. sanctions will never force the country to negotiate over its nuclear program or to give up its nuclear drive.

It says it will take "action of justice" but didn't elaborate.

The statement was carried by state media.
A Nigerian court has ordered the permanent forfeiture of $37.5 million mansion belonging to a former oil minister facing corruption charges.

Authorities allege that Diezani Alison-Madueke bought the property in 2013 with the proceeds of unlawful activities.

Judge Chuka Obiozor ordered Monday's forfeiture after nobody showed up in court to prove ownership of the property.

This is the second major victory for Nigeria's anti-corruption body against the former oil minister. In February, a Nigerian court ordered the seizure of more than $110 million from his bank accounts.

The commission is also investigating properties in Britain and the United States allegedly purchased with stolen government funds.

Alison-Madueke, who was a powerful member of former President Goodluck Jonathan's Cabinet from 2010 to May 2015, has consistently denied the allegations.
Two men were arrested after one shot at Polk County Sheriff's deputies and struck a patrol car during a pursuit Saturday evening, according to a Nebraska State Patrol release.

Douglas Burke, 38, of Merrick County was driving a stolen car with plates that did not match when a sheriff's deputy tried to pull him over in Polk County.

Burke sped off and passenger Derek Hobbs, 25, of Omaha, fired several shots at deputies in pursuit, striking a patrol car.

The car crashed into a ditch near 129th and B roads in Polk County, where Burke surrendered to authorities while Hobbs fled.

State patrol SWAT and deputies from the Polk, Merrick, Butler and Hamilton county sheriffs' offices, along with multiple local police departments searched for Hobbs overnight.

He was found with a loaded gun in a cornfield early Sunday morning where he was arrested, the release said.

Hobbs had active felony warrants in Omaha for terroristic threats, theft and use of a firearm to commit a felony.

Burke and Hobbs were taken to the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center in Lincoln.

The state patrol and Polk County Sheriff's Office are still investigating the incident.

Charges have not been determined.
North Korea vowed Monday to strike the U.S. with "thousands-fold" revenge after the United Nations imposed new sanctions in response to a recent intercontinental ballistic missile launch from the rogue regime.

The dictatorship's official KCNA news agency described the recent sanctions as "crimes" that were a "violent violation of our sovereignty" and a "heinous plot to isolate and stifle" the communist country.

North Korea, which consistently threatens to send "gift packages" to the U.S., vowed to take "righteous actions" that would make America pay "thousands of times."

The fiery response from the nation came in the face of the sanctions and as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson demanded the rogue nation halt its missile tests so the U.S. and North Korea could start negotiations.

Tillerson made the comments at a regional security meeting in Manilla, Philippines, and offered his most specific outline to date of what preconditions the U.S. has for talks with Pyongyang. He said stopping the launches would be the "first and strongest signal."

He added the caveat that it would not be as simple as The Hermit Kingdom simply stopping launches for a few days or weeks, saying that he would not give a concrete timeframe but that the U.S. will know it when we see it.

The secretary of state also praised the most recent sanctions imposed on North Korea over their recent intercontinental ballistic missile tests, saying that it leaves no doubt in anyones mind whether there is a common view on the matter among the international community.

The sanctions against the communist nation include a ban on coal and other exports worth more than $1 billion -- a huge bite in its total exports, valued at $3 billion last year.

The comments come after President Trump tweeted late Sunday that he spoke with South Korean President Moon Jae-In and was very happy and impressed with the United Nations Security Council's 15-0 vote to hit Kim Jong Un's regime with the tough new sanctions.

The White House added that Trump and Moon committed to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley called the resolution the single largest economic sanctions package ever leveled against the North Korean regime and "the most stringent set of sanctions on any country in a generation.

Haley told Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures, What we basically did was kicked them in the stomach, told them to stop and told them they are not going to put up with it anymore and the ball is now in North Koreas court. They have a big decision to make. They can either respond by pulling back and said that theyre not going to be part of this reckless activity anymore, or they can see where it goes and well continue to keep up the strength and keep up the activity to make sure that we stop them.

The sharp new U.N. sanctions also received a welcome boost on Sunday from China, North Koreas economic lifeline, as Beijing called on its neighbor to halt its missile and nuclear tests.

For the U.S., it was a long-awaited sign of progress for Trump's strategy of trying to enlist Beijing's help to squeeze North Korea diplomatically and economically. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, meeting with North Korea's top diplomat during the gathering in Manila, urged the North to "maintain calm" despite the U.N. vote.

"Do not violate the U.N.'s decision or provoke international society's goodwill by conducting missile launching or nuclear tests," Wang said, in an unusually direct admonition.

The North's statement issued Monday on state media came two days after the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved new sanctions, saying they were caused by a "heinous U.S. plot to isolate and stifle" North Korea.

It says the U.N. sanctions will never force the country to negotiate over its nuclear program or to give up its nuclear drive and that will take "action of justice" but didn't elaborate.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
German authorities say far-right activist Ernst Zundel, who was convicted of Holocaust denial in Mannheim after his deportation from Canada, has died. He was 78.

Marina Lahmann, a spokeswoman for the community of Bad Wildbad in Baden-Wuerttemberg where Zundel lived, told The Associated Press on Monday he died over the weekend but she had no further information. His wife was quoted by media in Canada as saying he had died of a heart attack on Sunday.

Born in Germany in 1939, Zundel emigrated to Canada in 1958 and rose to nationwide notoriety for his neo-Nazi beliefs and writings, including "The Hitler We Loved and Why."

He was deported in 2005 from Canada and convicted in 2007 of Holocaust denial, a crime in Germany. He was released from prison in 2010.
Three U.S. Marines declared dead after their MV-22 Osprey crashed off the coast of Australia last weekend were identified on Monday. 1st Lt. Benjamin R. Cross, 26, of Oxford, Maine, Cpl. Nathaniel F. Ordway, 21, of Sedgwick, Kansas, and Pfc. Ruben P. Velasco, 19, of Los Angeles were officially declared "deceased" by the Marine Corps, a U.S. defense official told Fox News.

The news followed an intensive search effort conducted by American and Australian forces.

The MV-22 crashed while on final approach to USS Green Bay, a Navy amphibious ship off the east coast of Australia, on Saturday afternoon, local time.

An official who has read the preliminary investigation into the incident told Fox News that the Marine MV-22 Osprey -- part helicopter, part airplane -- crashed into the back of the warship before tumbling into the sea.

The MV-22 Osprey had taken off from USS Bonhomme Richard earlier Saturday.

Cross was assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 (VMM-265). His decorations include the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Ordway was assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265 (VMM-265). His decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. And Velasco was assigned to Battery G, Battalion Landing Team, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines (BLT 3/5). His decorations include the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. 

The loss of every Marine is felt across our entire Marine Corps family. To the families of the brave Marines we lost  there is no way for us to understand what you are going through, said Col. Tye R. Wallace, Commanding Officer, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit in a statement Monday. What we do know is that your Marines left a lasting impression on the 31st MEU, the Marine Corps, and the world. They will live on forever in our thoughts and our hearts. You will always be a part of the Marine Corps family, and you will remain in our prayers.
South Africa's parliament will vote by secret ballot on a motion of no confidence on South African President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday, the legislative body's speaker announced Monday.

National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete said at a press conference in Cape Town Monday that the vote, which could bring an end to Zuma's presidency, is to show that parliament is responsive to South Africa's people.

Opposition parties have lobbied for months for an anonymous vote in the no-confidence vote to provide cover to disgruntled members of Zuma's African National Congress who may fear voting against their leader in an open ballot.

The motion, which was tabled by the opposition Democratic Alliance, needs 201 legislators out of 400 to succeed.

"The people of South Africa look to parliament to give direction in challenging times. The people of South Africa also look to parliament for signals of hope," Mbete, a long-time Zuma ally, said before announcing her decision. "We have to use this opportunity to show responsiveness to our people."

In June, the nation's highest court said it was up to the speaker of parliament to decide whether the vote could be done by secret ballot or not.

Zuma, dogged by corruption scandals and waning popularity has faced public calls for his resignation by leading members of his own party, the African National Congress. However the ANC has instructed its lawmakers to vote against the motion, intending to use its parliamentary majority to back Zuma, as it has in earlier attempts to unseat him.

"Voting in favor of this motion will be tantamount to throwing a nuclear bomb at our country," an Aug. 4 statement from the office of ANC Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu said.

In recent weeks, two ANC lawmakers who publicly said they intended to vote against Zuma on Tuesday were quickly censured by the party. Zuma has survived several no confidence votes since becoming president in 2009.
The U.S. has been providing the Philippines aircraft, surveillance capabilities, training and information in its battle with pro-Islamic State militants who besieged the southern city of Marawi, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday.

Tillerson, speaking at a regional security summit in Manila, said the equipment includes a few Cessna aircraft and a few drones. He said they will help the Philippines battle "an enemy that fights in a way that most people have never had to deal with."

"We think they are beginning to get that situation under control," Tillerson said. "But the real challenge is going to come with once they have the fighting brought to an end how to deal with the conditions on the ground to ensure it does not re-emerge."

Tillerson argued there was no contradiction presented by the U.S. decision to help Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte fight the ISIS militants, despite human rights groups criticizing President Trump for his willingness to address Dutertes bloody drug war. ISIS grasp on Marawi has stoked the fears about the terror group exporting violence into Southeast Asia and beyond.

"I see no conflict  no conflict at all in our helping them with that situation and our views of the human rights concerns we have with respect to how they carry out their counter narcotics activities," Tillerson said.

Ahead of the meeting, the U.S. said Tillerson indeed would discuss with Duterte human rights along with all other relevant issues. Duterte's presidential spokesman, Ernesto Bella, said Monday that the topic would include discuss global terrorism threats, economic cooperation and security in Marawi, the city that has been under militant siege for more than two months.

"We also welcome the opportunity to address concerns such as human rights if and when raised," Bella said in a statement. "We have always included this issue in our discussions and engagements with foreign governments, particularly Western democracies."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Despite the United States' insistence that North Korea halt its missile tests, U.S. spy agencies detected the rogue communist regime loading two anti-ship cruise missiles on a patrol boat on the countrys east coast just days ago.

It's the first time these missiles have been deployed on this type of platform since 2014, U.S. officials with knowledge of the latest intelligence in the region told Fox News on Monday.

It also points to more evidence that North Korea isn't listening to the diplomatic threats from the West.

The best signal that North Korea could give us that they're prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in the Philippines Monday.

North Korea loaded two Stormpetrel anti-ship cruise missiles on a Wonsan guided-missile patrol boat at Toejo Dong on North Koreas east coast.

North Korea is not showing any evidence it plans to halt its missile tests, said one official who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive information. It's a trend that does not bode well for hopes of de-escalating tensions on the [Korean] peninsula.

The latest moves by Pyongyang point to a likely missile test in the days ahead or it could be a defense measure should the U.S. Navy dispatch more warships to the Korean peninsula, officials said.

President Trump on Monday afternoon voiced his displeasure about the coverage of the unanimous U.N. Security Council vote over the weekend to sanction Pyongyang. "The Fake News Media will not talk about the importance of the United Nations Security Council's 15-0 vote in favor of sanctions on N. Korea!" Trump tweeted.

Meantime, there currently are limits to the size of the warheads South Korea is allowed to deploy on top of its missiles. But following a talk between leaders of South Korea and the United States, the Pentagon is working on allowing changes to the policy.

"Yes, we are working on it," said Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman. "It's a topic under active consideration here, and I would tell you that we would be favorably inclined to do anything which furthers the defensive capabilities of South Korea."

The United States removed its tactical nuclear missiles from South Korea in 1991.
U.S. troops in Eastern Europe are relearning Cold War-era fighting tactics to keep Russian aggression in the region in check -- and just in case Cold War 2.0 ever heats up.

A continuous rotation of about 4,000 troops are stationed in Eastern Europe, part of the armored brigade combat team and aviation brigade ordered stationed in the region under former U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Fox News confirmed.

The U.S. European Command first announced the additional troop rotations in Eastern Europe in March 2016, citing America's "commitment to increased assurance and deterrence." By February, three fully-manned Army brigades were present in Europe.

TRUMP AND THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION: WHAT TO KNOW

A new Army unit in Eastern Europe is rotated in every nine months, equipped with more modern equipment. But the challenge is adapting to the European terrain, which is not only different, but poses more restrictions than combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, The New York Times reported.

Instead of tanks blending in with the desert sand of the Middle East, the vehicles are being repainted to dark green to match the European greenery. U.S. troops also don't have the freedom to cross borders like they had in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Moscow, a source of concern even before the 2016 presidential election, has only continued poking Western powers and acting as a regional agitator since President Trump took office.

Trump signed a bill imposing stiff financial sanctions on Russia last week, and Russian President Vladimir Putin retaliated by announcing the Kremlin would force the U.S. to cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755 people -- though the White House believes there are fewer U.S. employees in Russia than the number provided.

The latest tit-for-tat is largely a result of Russia's alleged meddling in the presidential election, but Russian intervention in Ukraine and other destabilizing actions have long been a hallmark of Putin's tenure.

U.S. troops training with European forces recognize the common threat to the East and are coordinating strategies to deter the Russians -- if the time comes, the New York Times reported.

"We know when we wake up every morning who the threat is," Colonel Ellis, who commands the Second Calvary Regiment, said. "Were very focused on the Russian threat."

U.S. and NATO allies in Eastern Europe have combined forces, stepping up training rotations and exercises as air, sea and underwater patrols increase from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. The Russian Navy, for its part, has stepped up submarine patrols in the area.

TILLERSON: US TO RESPOND TO RUSSIA'S OUSTER OF DIPLOMATS

The U.S. military is also including more training about Russian tactics and weaponry at centers in California, Louisiana and Germany. Cold War-era strategies to fight the then-Soviet Army have been updated to apply to Putin's forces, which are equipped with modern technology and equipment.

Later this summer, the U.S. military is also expected to begin a large Russian military exercise in Belarus involving tens of thousands of Russian units. The goal is "speed of assembly" in the Army's ability to gather and move through the region as quickly as possible.

"We have to figure out how to adapt to this new environment," Col. Clair A. Gill, commander of the 10th combat aviation brigade, told The New York Times. "I don't think we're there yet."

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.
A fisherman suffered a gash on his forehead and several other people sustained broken bones after a whale slammed into a boat off the Australian coast this weekend in a "freak accident" that sent those aboard the boat flying into the air.

Oliver Galea, 44, told 9NEWS he was on the boat with five tourists and three crewmembers off the Bowen coast in northeastern Australia when the whale struck them. Galea recalled everyone being knocked to the ground in a "split second."

"There was no sign of it. It was a very rare, freak accident," Galea said.

It was not immediately clear what type of whale struck the boat.

The fisherman got up with blood running down his face and a big gash in the middle of his forehead. Several other people on the boat suffered broken bones and one tourist, identified as Mark Young, of Zambia, was knocked unconscious, 7News reported.

Galea focused on getting the battered crew back to shore, but he had only one engine to rely on after the whale "attack."

"All I wanted to do was get them in, and we were down to one engine because the whale knocked the other one out," Galea told 9NEWS.

The crew eventually made it back to shore. Galea received stitches on his forehead. The other injured people also recovered from the terrifying incident.

"We all caught up on Sunday night and we have made good friends from the experience. We are all glad we made it," Galea said.
Heritage Wealth Advisors announced last week that Jeff Law has joined the firm as a lead advisor in its Fredericksburg office. Law will be responsible for the coordination and implementation of investment management, financial planning and tax services for clients.

Fifty-one Virginia bankers graduated on Aug. 4 from the Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. The three-year school is sponsored by the Virginia Bankers Association in cooperation with the Darden School of Business. Those with local ties include: Scott D. Atkins of Essex Bank; Samuel B. Blaser of The Fauquier Bank; Tony Farland of Community Bank of the Chesapeake; Quincy A. Gregory of BB&T; Adam P. Grindstaff of Union Bank & Trust; Adam J. Hill of Union Bank & Trust; Alicia Moniba Howard of Union Bank & Trust; D. Marshall Jett of Essex Bank; Michelle Darice Johnson of Union Bank & Trust; William R. Karst of United Bank; Nicole Kemp of Essex Bank; Matthew G. Paciocco of Virginia Commonwealth Bank; Ashley E. Stevens of Union Bank & Trust; Claudia K. Stinnie of Union Bank & Trust; Lauren Leigh Wood of C&F Bank.

Professional Solutions Delivered, a Fredericksburg-based company, has received the Disabled American Veterans Small Employer of the Year Award during the 96th DAV National Convention in New Orleans.

The University of Mary Washington Center for Economic Development will host a seminar called Human Resource Law 101: Basics Every Employer Should Know on Aug. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon. Randy Sparks, Jr. of Kaufman & Canoles will address basic human resource topics that all business owners should be familiar with. The fee is $45. For further information, call 540/654-1383.

Coldwell Banker Commercial Elite is hosting a Raise a Glass and Raise the Roof event to benefit the Greater Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity at Vivifys rooftop bar on Aug. 10 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Local celebrity bartenders will serve drinks and accept tips and donations in support of the cause.

Weichert, Realtors is hosting information events for those interested in learning about a career in real estate called Tuesday Career Nights. These free informational sessions are held once a month through the end of the year at Weicherts company-owned offices. All Tuesday Career Nights start at 7 p.m., and refreshments will be served. Weichert Career Nights are scheduled for Aug. 15, Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 21 and Dec. 19. For more information, visit facebook.com/weichert/events.

On Aug. 10, at 8 a.m., the Fredericksburg Regional SHRM Chapter is hosting a meeting on improving HR at SimVentions, 100 Riverside Parkway in Stafford County. The seminar costs $20 for SHRM members and $25 for non members. Raymond W. Gill, president of Performance Consultants, Ltd, will be the featured speaker. Register by Aug. 8 at frshrm.shrm.org/forms/event-registration. This program has been approved for 1 HR general recertification credit.

Lindley Estes
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Passing practically unnoticed is the fact that this is the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love.

Part of the reason for this lack of an enthusiastic celebration may be that many of those who ran around naked smoking pot in the summer of 1967 are now in nursing homes or 6 feet under.

Another reason is that the kids who represented the counterculture 50 years ago wound up turning into exactly what they protested againstcapitalistic war mongers.

Yep, many of those who protested the Vietnam War, made love in the back of a beat-up old Volkswagen buses and shunned steady work as if it were the plague are now demanding that the government bomb everything in the Middle East, sleeping in half-a-million dollar houses and going online three times a day to check their stock portfolios.

Of course, everyone in the Peace Movement didnt change their revolutionary ways, but a lot of the ones who didnt are those now in nursing homes, 6 feet under or demanding that the government they fought against in 1967 give them more Social Security to live on.

I know it is hard for youngsters to believe that their straight-laced old grandma was running around topless at outdoor music festivals 50 years ago, but thats the way it was for many. Those were wild and turbulent times that led directly to many of the social problems that we face today. I know because I lived through this chaos.

Except for todays drug problems, about the only thing that remains from the Summer of Love is the music and it underwent a big change between June and September 1967. The Beatles released Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and that album, strikingly different from previous Beatles music, was hailed by many as a classic.

Personally, I never cared for the psychedelic character of the album or the Beatles change from clean-cut guys to bearded wonders. Still, as a rock n roll disc jockey, I had to deal with the change.

In case you dont remember, the No. 1 song this week 50 years ago was Light My Fire by the Doors. It featured Jim Morrisonwho would die a few years later of an overdosewith his growling voice and a driving organ lead. I loved the song then and still do.

Organ music was hot that summer. No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 was Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum. It, too, was carried along by a more psychedelic organ lead.

The Beatles were also there with All You Need is Love.

The unofficial anthem of 1967, the Summer of Love, was Scott McKenzies San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair). It was written by John Phillips (The Mamas and the Papas) and, according to some, was supposed to be a promotional song to bring the hippie crowd to the City by the Bay that summer.

San Francisco, after all, had become the mecca for long-haired freaky people who liked drugs, free love and psychedelic music. The sign at the corner of Haight and Ashbury streets became almost as symbolic of the hippie movement as the peace symbol.

Whether going to San Francisco, to a music festival or just to get away from the trappings of a traditional society, young people were on the move during the Summer of Love. Bearded guys and half-naked hippie gals hitchhiked down almost every highway in America.

Free love for a free ride. It happened often and usually without hesitation. When you saw a hitchhiker with long blonde hair up ahead, you slammed on the brakes and hoped this one didnt have a beard.

There were some unexpected hit songs in August 1967, like Bobbie Gentrys Ode to Billie Joe, which debuted at No. 71 and Societys Child, an offbeat social commentary by Janis Ian.

David Houston and Tammy Wynette were also on the charts with the country version of My Elusive Dreams. Van Morrison (Brown Eyed Girl) was on his way up and The 5th Dimension (Up, Up and Away) was on its way down.

The Vietnam War was heating up, as were the publics views on the conflict. The Tet Offensive, the turning point in Americas toleration of the war, was less than six months away.

Some who opposed the war were heading for Canada, while others were starting communes and going back to nature. That movement would reach its apex at Woodstock, N.Y., in the summer of 1969.

In August 1967, guys in San Francisco were packing up to go to college. Higher education had great meaning in those days. Being a full-time student could keep you from getting drafted.

Of course, those already drafted were just trying to survive their one-year tours in Southeastern Asia.

Looking back, the Summer of Love was a strange and chaotic time, even by todays standards. For the older generation of that day it was the end of the world, Sodom and Gomorrah in living color, the Book of Revelations in real life.

It was the summer that changed America and its culture, a time of peace and war. It was a world that ran on flower power that lit up peace symbols on the sides of VW buses packed with long-haired freaky people smoking pot and making love on dirty mattresses.

It was gorgeous girls hitchhiking to anywhere and rednecks screaming that any guy whose hair didnt resemble a crewcut should be run out of the country.

It was young men trying to avoid the draft and draftees just trying to survive.

Gas was 35 cents a gallon and Nancy Sinatra was singing the theme from the latest James Bond film, You Only Live Twice.

Hippies never took a bath while pristine housewives were using Spic and Span. To say it was a time of contradiction is an understatement.

As I said, the Summer of Love left its mark on this country. We are still fighting the drug problem that blossomed that year and we are still listening to the music inspired by a cultural revolution.

To quote Dickens, it was the best of times and it was the worst of times.

The Summer of Love! It was truly one of the most unique periods this country has ever experienced.

Peace, Brother!
Update: Authorities have shared more information regarding the two assault stories below. Fredericksburg police said a man was stabbed in a domestic dispute, and no charges have been filed. Police believe the incident of an assault in Central Park was a false report, and the investigation is ongoing.

Fredericksburg police are investigating a pair of reported weekend assaults, one in which a man was stabbed on a trail and another in which a woman said she was knocked unconscious in Central Park.

The stabbing happened early Sunday afternoon, according to the Fredericksburg Police Department crime reports. Officers and detectives went to Mary Washington Hospital at 12:30 p.m. after a man showed up with a stab wound.

The 28-year-old man, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries, told police three men assaulted him while he was walking on a trail in the city. He said one of the assailants pushed him to the ground and stabbed him.

The man walked back to his home and had a friend take him to the hospital. The man told police the attackers were black men.

In the other incident, a woman said she was walking near the Office Depot in Central Park about 3 a.m. Saturday when a man approached from behind and then hit her in the face, knocking her unconscious. When she came to, her cellphone was gone.

She returned to a nearby hotel where she was staying and then was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Anyone with information on either incident can contact police at 540/373-3122. To make an anonymous tip, send a text to 847-411 and text FPDtip followed by your tip. Tips can also be sent by using a free FPD Tip app available for Android and iPhones.
A candidate for the Virginia House of Delegates listed on his LinkedIn page a masters degree and Ph.D. that he does not have and provided information to a local news outlet that he had a masters degree.

When interviewed this week, Laquan Austion, a Republican candidate in Northern Virginia, acknowledged that he did not have those degrees. Hes running in House District 2, a competitive swing district that includes parts of Prince William and Stafford counties and is represented by Del. L. Mark Dudenhefer, RStafford, who did not seek re-election to instead run for the Stafford County Board of Supervisors.

Austions LinkedIn page lists a masters in political and policy management, American government and politics, and a Ph.D. in public policy analysis from George Washington University.

Additionally, Austion provided information to the news website Potomac Local that was published in February saying George Washington University MA, which typically is understood to mean Master of Arts.

He acknowledged he has no degree beyond a bachelors degree from Drew University in New Jersey.

Im pursuing my masters and Ph.D., he said. Im in pursuit of those degrees.

However, Austion is not currently enrolled at George Washington University. According to school records, he studied political management there from summer 2012 to fall 2014 and no degree was awarded. Prior to that, Austion said, he attended law school at Penn State University but left because he was no longer passionate about law school and wanted to pursue civic service.

Austion said that he was proud to be the first person in his family to graduate and that he grew up in urban poverty, sometimes living in homeless shelters with his mother and siblings or sleeping in a car.

I was the first in my family to graduate college and continue to pursue higher education after that, he said. I take great pride in that.

Austion said his proudest professional achievement was developing a partnership between Koch Industries and the United Negro College Fund to focus on scholarships.

The Democratic candidate for the seat is Jennifer Foy, who edged Josh King in the June primary by just 12 votes, 2,182 to 2,170, according to the Department of Elections.

Austion issued a statement Friday through his new campaign manager, Kurt Lofquist, with further explanation.

First, regarding the LinkedIn Page, I never really kept that updated and hardly refer to it as a standard for which to gather information onor anyone else for that matter. All of my campaign literature has been consistent in stating that I am pursuing a PhD in Public Policy, the statement said.

For the record, I was enrolled in a dual degree program at George Washington University in public policy. I have completed the course work for the Masters and am just shy of being designated all but dissertation. Currently, I am not enrolled in the program as I have taken a leave to pursue my campaign for the House of Delegates. I have always maintained that I have completed my course work.

In the statement, Austion also addressed questions about court records in New Jersey showing past debts.

Capital One Bank filed papers against him in 2010 in Superior Court in Somerset County alleging he owed the bank $1,729.78. A debt collector could not locate him and the case was dismissed, according to records.

In 2013, Payless Auto Wholesale filed papers against Austion in Superior Court in Hudson County alleging he purchased an Audi in 2012 but had not made payment, contacted the company or returned the car. The company asked for $7,002. Austion could not be located and the case was dismissed, according to records.

In his statement, Austion, 30, said:

Regarding some of the financial difficulties, I had as a very young man while a full-time studentwell, who hasnt? Mistakes I made in the past early in life were due to a lack of financial literacy at a young age. Its important to pay attention to how you bounce back from those circumstances. My wife Alicia and I are proud of how hard we worked, sacrificed, and have been afforded great opportunities.

He said hed keep fighting to make sure more Virginians have opportunities.

(804) 649-6061
They found what remained of Wallace Berryman buried in an unmarked grave at Carlisle Barracks.

Construction workers digging for a water line in 1940 discovered the skeleton of a 20-year-old Native American man.

While it has been assumed the body was near the original Carlisle Indian School cemetery, there are no documents specifying the precise location of the recovery site.

Only later were experts able to identify the bones as Berryman  the last of the Indian school students disinterred and moved to the present-day Carlisle Barracks Post Cemetery on Claremont Road.

Mortal remains

The Army Corps of Engineers in late July released an archival research report on the current cemetery located next to the main public entrance to Carlisle Barracks and the U.S. Army War College.

The release of this information came just weeks before the scheduled Aug. 8 disinterment of the remains of three Northern Arapaho boys who died in the early 1880s while attending the Indian school. The Army National Military Cemeteries is honoring the requests of three families.

The recent Army report includes a detailed inventory of all the people believed to be buried in the post cemetery. They include Native American children and young adults whose remains were relocated from the original cemetery, which was in the vicinity of Root Hall, the main academic building of the War College.

Information on the discovery of Berrymans grave originated from a quartermasters report dated Aug. 9, 1940. That report came after the remains were reinterred into the post cemetery on July 11, 1940.

Sketchy files

Dickinson College has an ongoing project where Indian school student records stored at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., are scanned into a digital resource center at carlisleindian.dickinson.edu.

Prior to the release of the Army report, The Sentinel conducted an extensive cross-check of all the names of known Indian school students buried in the post cemetery with the online student records accessible through the college.

The vast majority of the corresponding records are sketchy at best with a student information card as the only document in the file. There are a handful of cases where there are more documents available.

Berryman's arrival

Wallace Berryman, for example, has an extensive file that includes his information card, medical reports, enrollment application and records of his outings, off-campus employment opportunities for students to work on a farm or learn a trade.

And while some records refer to him as "Wallace Derryman," including the grave marker bares that names, school records refer to the person as Berryman.

An orphan, Berryman was a full-blooded Seminole Indian who arrived at Carlisle Barracks on Aug. 30, 1906, from Shawnee, Okla. He was brought to the school by a Miss Sadie Robertson.

Berryman was 20 years old the day he arrived. He weighed about 128 lbs. and stood five-feet-four-inches tall. A medical exam conducted the day of his arrival found him to be physically sound.

He ran away from the school on Nov. 14, 1906, but was brought back the next day. Berryman had signed on to a five-year commitment as a student.

On March 2, 1907, he was asked a series of questions about his background and aspirations. His answers were compiled on what appears to be a standardized form. It is unknown whether the words were written in his handwriting or that of the surveyor.

Trade: Blacksmith

When you leave Carlisle do you expect to return home? Dont know."

What do you expect to do for your livelihood? Farming

Have you previously worked at farming? Yes

Where? Oklahoma

How long? 2 summers"

Have you worked at a trade? No

Out and about

A month later, on April 8, 1907, Berryman was assigned to his first outing working for John Ludt of Carlisle until April 7, 1908. A report card gave him Good marks for Ability and Conduct."

On May 1, Berryman left for his second assignment, this time working for George Robbins of Morrisville, Bucks County. This outing ended on Aug. 29, 1908.

Berryman then returned to Carlisle, where he stayed until Nov. 5, 1908, when he was outsourced to work for Samuel Hibbs of Oxford Valley, Bucks County. There is some confusion in the documents.

While the Historical Record of Student lists Nov. 5 as the start date, the Outing Record filled out by Hibbs has the start date as Oct. 5, 1908. Berryman received Good grades for Conduct, Ability and Health in July and August 1809, and he also earned $15.15 from his host.

This second outing continued until Aug. 28, 1909, when Berryman returned to Carlisle. He ran away a second time on Dec. 8, 1909, but was found and brought back to the campus three days later. Four months later, on April 6, 1910, Berryman was sent out on his third outing, his second one as a laborer for Hibbs.

The host gave Berryman Good grades for Conduct and Ability in April 1910, but recorded a Poor grade in the category of Health. The following month, Hibbs graded Berryman as Good in all three categories, but he was transferred back to Carlisle around May 13, 1910.

The Historical Record lists Berryman as being admitted to a hospital for an operation. While there was no word on the outcome of the procedure, Berryman survived and continued as a student for another two months.

The performance of each student was graded in three categories: Academic Department, Industrial Department and Dormitory. There were subcategories under each.

In early July 1910, Berryman received a Good grade in academic scholarship and an Excellent grade in conduct. While no grade was recorded for the Industrial Department, Berryman received a Good grade for Neatness and Very Good grade for his conduct in the dormitory. According to his information, Berryman died on July 12, 1910.

Henry Rose

Henry Rose is another Indian school student buried in the post cemetery that has an extensive student file accessible on the Dickinson College website.

An orphan, Rose was a full-blooded Eskimo Indian who arrived at Carlisle on Oct. 5, 1903, when he was 17-years-old. He weighed in at about 130 lbs. and stood five-feet-seven-inches tall.

Trained as a carpenter, Rose entered the Indian school with a first-grade education and died as a fifth-grader on Aug. 4, 1907. He was a member of the Methodist faith.

Rose had six outings from June 4, 1904, to July 3, 1907, with host families in Bucks and Lancaster counties. His file also includes a Sept. 22, 1911, letter addressed to Indian School Superintendent Moses Friedman from an S.H. Rock of the Bureau of Education, Alaska School Service of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The name S.H. Rock also appears as a host in Lititz, Lancaster County, of two of the six outings Rose went on as a student before his death. The first of those outings was April 5 to Sept. 7, 1905, while the second was from June 30 to Sept. 5, 1906.

In the 1911 letter, Rock mentioned that he came to Alaska in late 1906 and that in 1907 he received a letter from an Indian school staffer asking for an address for Peter Rose, Henrys brother.

It had taken authorities almost four years to forward money saved in Henrys student account to his next of kin. The personal effects of Henry Rose also included a trunk of clothing that was supposed to go to Peter.

Rock wrote Friedman about the whereabouts of this trunk after Peter had traveled about 300 miles from the Nushagak River region of southwestern Alaska.

I, of course, told him that I had received no trunk but he is not satisfied so I told him I would write to you, Rock wrote. You will let him know about it. Now will you please do so and let Peter know what to expect or not to expect.

There were no documents explaining the outcome of this request.
ST. STEPHENS CHURCH  The way Cynthia Alexander describes it, its as if the spirits of her ancestors were always there with her, guiding her research and urging her from the great beyond to delve deeper into her family and her origins. She could feel their presence speaking to her soul, a calm voice from within that said simply, find them.

And find them, she did.

While its Alexanders late sister, Mary Kidd Gardner, whos credited with jumping into the familys genealogy back in the mid-1990s, Alexander has picked up where her sister left off, uncovering the branches of her extensive family tree one limb at a time.

Alexanders efforts could be seen Saturday as at least four generations gathered during the 32nd Young family reunion on the grounds of the Upper King & Queen County Ruritan Club in St. Stephens Church. Surrounded by green fields and under puffy white clouds set against a bright blue sky, dozens of relatives distant and otherwise mingled, either meeting in person for the first time or catching up on family gossip from the last time they saw one another.

The day included a picnic, followed by an evening banquet that included genealogy skits created by Alexander that depict the earliest members of the Young family, including Henry Young, born 1830, as well as his spouses and later generations. Alexander is linked to him through her grandfather, Skidmore Young.

Attendees also saw a video presentation, which was created by Gardner. The video offered details about the familys African origins, and moves through their arrival as slaves in Virginia.

The reunion was set to spill over into Sunday as the group worshiped with members of St. Johns Baptist Church in Tappahannock, which was founded by Henry Young in 1871. Meeting the first Sunday of August to worship there is a tradition that goes back 75 years, Alexander said.

(The old church was destroyed by a tornado last year, so the congregation currently meets at Essex High School.)

The fellowship, the food  the outdoor water slides for the littlest family members  all were a blessing for the dozens who came from Maryland, South Carolina and even Georgia to share in the experience. More were expected to arrive Sunday.

Alexanders mission, however, goes much deeper.

***

As Alexander explained, the Young family reunions return to Essex County and the surrounding areas whenever they can because thats where the family story begins in Virginia.

Henry Young was a slave, as were his wife and two of his five children.

When slavery was abolished, he and many others remained there as farmers, as did their descendants.

Some folks said they believe the large concentration of Young descendants in and around Essex County means the plantation where Henry Young was born cant be far away, though theyre unaware of its exact location.

Sporting a T-shirt with a picture of his grandparents, Ringoldia and Shirley Ranson (of the Rouzie family, which is another limb of Alexanders family tree,) Patrick D. Ranson said hes been coming to the reunions as often as possible since the mid-1990s. Hes from Baltimore.

I get the opportunity to meet family members that I havent known before and I learn about the history of the family, he said, which is important because its something he can pass along to the younger members of his family.

The torches are being passed, Ranson said. The main thing for me is to instill in the youth the foundation of family, the structure of family, and try to keep the tradition that we have, going.

Alexander, who lives outside of Atlanta, echoed Ransons words.

I get up in the morning and I am so driven to do this, she said, then paused.

When I look at so many of our African-American children today, in many cases, the family structure is what they dont have, she said, and a lot of that stems out of slavery.

Its in our DNA, she continued.

As slaves, families were ripped apart and family names were replaced by the names of the slaveholders. All of that has an impact on todays families, Alexander said, though many people, both African-American and others, dont make that connection.

We lost our identity as a strong people and in many cases our children dont know the stories, she said. I want these children to understand (that) we are here today because (their ancestors) were strong enough to survive slavery.

The spirits of those ancestors, she added, are my cheerleaders  I can just feel that.

Sherietta Gregory, of Maryland, is president of this years reunion and as she took a few moments in the kitchen Saturday afternoon to make sure the picnic food was going out on time, she reflected on what the reunion meant to her.

I want to know who I am, she said. It brings joy to my heart that I can meet my cousins and learn about the history of my family.

Family is love, she added. Were all connected.
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The Summer Program for Youth at St. Johns Episcopal Church had cause to celebrate recently.

The program accepted a $10,000 donation from the United Way of Carlisle & Cumberland County at its thank you event for its volunteers. Funding for the grant came from the United Ways annual gala, Evening for the Children, which was held in April at the Carlisle Country Club.

Its possible, though, that teacher Maureen Okoth-Ogala rivaled the check presentation in the eyes of the children.

Okoth-Ogala has served the program for five years, and also teaches kindergarten at Hamilton Elementary School. She recently accepted a position at an international school in Africa, and the SPY program honored her with flowers, cards, books and the knowledge that one of the rugs used in the program has been dedicated to her.

Our loss is going to be those childrens gain, said Robin Fidler, director of the SPY program.

Q. Tell us about what you will be doing in Africa.

A. Ill be teaching kindergarten at an international school in Dakar, Senegal. The language of instruction is English, and they follow U.S. Common Core standards so I will essentially be teaching a very similar curriculum to what I currently teach in Carlisle.

Q. What do you believe will be the greatest differences between teaching children in Africa and teaching children at Hamilton Elementary?

A. Since I will be working at an international school, I will actually be working with a lot of international children from all over the world. Currently, the school has students representing over 50 countries, and about 40 percent of them are American students. I think the biggest difference will be the demographic of students I will work with. Hamilton is a Title One school, therefore large majorities of students come from a lower socioeconomic status, and that often means students may come to kindergarten with a more limited academic background than students who come from a higher socioeconomic status. The large majority of my students in Senegal will come from a higher socioeconomic status and, due to the nature of international schools, many of my students will be bilingual, have more travel experience than your average 5 year old, and most will have lived in multiple countries. At Hamilton, I was fortunate enough to work with several international students from the Army War College, so I am very excited to work with international students in Senegal.

Q. What attracts you to teaching elementary-age students?

A. Some of my most inspirational teachers were my teachers at Mooreland Elementary School. I hope to have the same effect on my past and future students as my elementary school teachers have had on me. As a kindergarten teacher, I think my most important job is to inspire students to have the motivation and drive to be lifelong learners.

Q. How important are summer programs like SPY for students?

A. Summer programs like SPY are invaluable to have for students. At SPY, we work with students entering second and third grade. A large majority of the students come from a lower socioeconomic status and often times are academically behind. SPY camp offers students an opportunity to participate in academic activities as well as go on weekly educational field trips. SPY camp helps prevent students from regressing academically during the summer months as well as providing fun educational opportunities to keep them occupied during the summer months.

Q. What will you miss the most about Carlisle?

A. Without a doubt, I will miss my friends, family and students the most. I grew up in Carlisle and really love the town. I could not be more grateful that my teaching career started in my hometown. However, I have always known that my life wasnt meant to be lived in one place. I am looking forward to new experiences in new places, but I know I will always find my way back to Carlisle.
They view the work as a sacred mission to uncover answers and bring about closure.

Every single skeleton I look at is the remains of a human being who was loved by someone, forensic anthropologist Elizabeth DiGangi told reporters Monday.

She is on the team of experts tasked this week with removing and processing the remains of three Northern Arapaho boys who died in the early 1880s while attending the Carlisle Indian Industrial School.

Weather permitting, work could begin Tuesday morning at the Carlisle Barracks Post Cemetery to disinter students Little Plume (a.k.a. Hayes Vanderbilt Friday), Little Chief (a.k.a. Dickens Nor) and Horse (a.k.a. Horace Washington).

Team members briefed the media on the steps to be taken to honor the requests of three families to have the remains and personal effects transported for reburial in private cemeteries in Freemont County, Wyoming.

Three boys who became students of a social experiment to assimilate native children to the white mans culture will be returned to their ancestral homeland after over 130 years.

We are going to be carrying on all the duties for this disinterment, treating this situation with the utmost respect, said Art Smith, chief of Army National Military Cemeteries.

Were going to do everything we can to respond to their requests, he said of their families.

Tribal involvement

About 15 members of the Northern Arapaho tribe arrived in Carlisle Sunday evening to attend what it is expected to be a weeklong effort to first recover and then receive the remains. The delegation includes tribal elders and youths.

A tent has been set up near the cemetery to allow the tribe to conduct ceremonies honoring their dead. It will be their space, said Michael Sonny Trimble, an archeologist with the Army Corps of Engineers. We will go into it when we are invited.

Tribal leaders will also have access to the three burial plots in what is now a fenced-in and screened-off area adjoining the main entrance to Carlisle Barracks along Claremont Road.

A tribal leader will be able to observe the day-to-day work from the removal of each 240-pound tombstone to the close of the operation when the remains are officially transferred to the custody of each family.

Heavy equipment will only be used to remove the tombstone and the 90-pound concrete collar that holds the marker in place. Each tombstone will be analyzed, archived and then properly disposed of by the federal government, Smith said. Each burial plot will be left empty.

Forensic details

The excavation work will be using only shovels and trowels, Trimble said. We want to be careful and as thorough as possible.

The soil will be transported by wheelbarrow up a ramp to two tents where each load will be sifted through a mesh screen to isolate human remains and personal effects from the soil.

Any personal effects or artifacts recovered from the burial plots will be cataloged and turned over to the tribe.

Human remains will be taken to a forensics tent where DiGangi and her staff will try to determine the age range and sex of each individual by examining teeth and bone fragments.

The age range can be determined by the growth of teeth and by how the edges of bones fuse or stitch together, DiGangi said. She said the sex depends on the onset of puberty and its effect on pelvic bones.

Dickinson College has an ongoing project where Carlisle Indian School student records stored at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., are scanned into a digital resource center at carlisleindian.dickinson.edu.

Little Plume, Little Chief and Horse were ages 9, 14 and 11 when they arrived at the Carlisle Indian School on March 11, 1881. Little Plume died on April 15, 1882, followed by Horse on June 12, 1882, and Little Chief on Jan. 22, 1883.

We dont do cause of death, DiGangi said. That is something we leave to forensic pathologists who can only do that from soft tissue. It is unlikely we are going to see anything that might indicate to us what might have caused the death of these children.

She said most of the students died of diseases that dont affect the skeleton right away.

The Army Corps of Engineers compiled archival research on the Carlisle Barracks Post Cemetery and the remains buried there. This research included a detailed inventory of the 229 burial plots.

This inventory mentioned a cause of death for 66 of the students, 40 of which died of some form of tuberculosis while eight died of pneumonia. There is no cause of death listed for Little Plume, Little Chief or Horse.

The same archival research has turned up evidence that suggests the bodies buried in the post cemetery may not match the names on the tombstones. Trimble was asked Monday if any descendants of the three boys offered samples of DNA. He was also asked how experts could be sure the remains disinterred this week are the remains of the Northern Arapaho boys.

We are doing a really close forensic examination, said Trimble, who added he didnt think DNA from relatives was necessary. He was confident enough remains existed to at least verify the age and sex of the bodies being disinterred.

We are doing the absolute best we can do, Trimble said. We are serving their needs.

This project is estimated to cost $500,000 including the cost to transport the tribal delegation from Wyoming to Pennsylvania, Smith said. He said the government will also pay the costs of having a funeral director in Carlisle transfer the remains to a funeral director in Freemont County.

Site conditions

The human remains and personal effects will be kept onsite for the duration of the work and stored in a secure vault, Trimble said. He said the biggest challenge with the project site is whether the root system of a nearby tree has traveled into the burial plot of Little Plume. This work may require cutting away some of the roots to access the remains.

We have a really robust team, Trimble said. We can rotate people in and out so nobody is going to be fatigued. He expects the work to conclude by Saturday or early Sunday.

Trimble doesnt believe rain will be a problem. If we start to get any kind of water in the graves, we will stop and cover the hole with tarps and plywood so the grave is not disturbed, he said.

The Army received the requests from the families in January 2016, Smith said. He said a survey of the cemetery by ground penetrating radar was fairly inconclusive.

We have some idea where the grave shafts may be but we really wont know until we open the grave sites, Smith said.
Canada is often touted in the United States as the panacea of health care, leadership, love, peace and thick bacon.

Listening to Democrats Bernie Sanders, Maxine Waters and Chuck Schumer, one would think there are no Canadians waiting longer than Americans for life-saving surgeries or just to see a doctor in an emergency room.

Canada is perfect!

Since liberals enjoy the comparative phrase, industrialized nations, there may be some angst or denial in the fact that the Canadian Institute for Health Information has given their emergency room rating a failing grade.

According to the independent non-profit, established to provide actionable information about the nations health care system, ....compared to other industrialized countries, Canada has the highest proportion of patients reporting excessively long waits in an emergency department.

On average, it takes nearly four hours to see a doctor after youve arrived at a Canadian emergency room. In fact, 29 percent of Canadians checking into emergency rooms have to wait four hours or longer before being seen by a practitioner.

Last year, Quebecs health and welfare commissioner reported 35 percent of patients in the province have to wait five hours or more for care.Thats not just bad, its the very worst in the western hemisphere.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control reports the average wait time to see a doctor in U.S. emergency rooms is thirty minutes.

Canada also topped the list for having the highest proportion of patients with long delays to see specialists, with 56 percent waiting longer than four weeks, compared with the international average of 36 percent.

In the U.S., which liberals have been telling us has the worst health care in the industrialized world, half as many people having to wait that long to see a specialist.

OK, so their health care system might not be perfect, but at least Canada has liberal heart-throb Justin Trudeau.

Rolling Stone magazine, the politically liberal firebrand that has a dicey relationship with truthful reporting, poses Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau as the western worlds last great hope.

They were obviously impressed with his tweet paying tribute to Fidel Castro, a man who denies the poor health care as good for the ruling class and imprisoned fellow Cubans whose politics differed from his own as larger than life leader who served his people...

This is the same Trudeau who awarded a convicted terrorist who murdered Americans, Omar Khadr, $10.5 million as restitution for Omar being held at Guantanamo.

Trudeau made no similar payments to the families of the soldiers murdered by Kahdr.

All of this makes Canada so appealing that the Trump election drove Lena Dunham, Neve Campbell, Barbra Streisand, Raven-Simone, Whoopie Goldberg (who was last seen at Disney World, where U.S. citizen employees were forced to train their cheaper immigrant replacements or be fired immediately), Chelsea Handler, and Breaking Bads Bryon Cranston to move there...

... or not.

Yeah, wait.The latest is that none of them kept their word.

Even Amy Schumer backed down, claiming her promise to move to Canada was a joke.

Bummer.

But... Canada!

Its the perfect western country!Every liberal loves Canada!

Thats why is rather odd that the Canadian LGBT Pride march in Calgary banned police officers from attending the parade in uniform.

If Canada is so wonderful, whats the problem with spiffy red-uniformed hunks marching or just guarding the marchers?

The president of Calgary Pride, Jason Kingsley, claims the symbols of law enforcement could be triggering to attendees, comparing it to PTSD.

Its that symbol, that authoritative symbol, that weapon that can actually be triggering and traumatic for individuals who have faced oppression or faced issues. So its similar to things like PTSD, where sounds or sights can actually trigger these emotions or these responses, where they can relive these kind of traumatic episodes or situations that theyve experienced in their lives.

To the organizers disappointment, the Calgary police will still provide security to protect them.Some will march in civilian clothes.

Some marchers will likely faint at the horrible sight of Calgary police stoically protecting their right to march.

For their sake, lets hope none of the marchers twist an ankle and need to check in to a Canadian emergency room.

Rick Jensen is Delawares award-winning conservative talk show host on WDEL.
There currently are 93 Fisher Houses in the United States and in Europe with plans for more.
The celebrity life may be full of lavish, champagne-soaked parties, but not every celebrity likes to drink.

Whether they are overcoming an addiction or simply don't like the taste, here are seven celebrities who prefer to stay sober.

Jim Carrey is "very serious about no alcohol, no drugs."

Jennifer Lopez doesn't drink alcohol because she thinks it's bad for her skin.

Daniel Radcliffe struggled with alcoholism after the "Harry Potter" series of films ended.

Sarah Silverman chooses to stay sober because of her battles with depression.

Eva Mendes has been sober ever since she went to rehab for substance abuse in 2008.

Rob Lowe celebrated 25 years of being sober in 2015.

Bradley Cooper decided to stay sober after struggling with alcohol for years.
Paula Wohosky is a subscriber to Mother Earth News, but she came to the magazine's fair on Sunday for one reason only: to meet speaker Temple Grandin.

Wohosky bought the best-selling author and livestock scientist's most recent book, too  "Humane Livestock Handling"  and stood in line after Grandin's presentation to get it autographed.

"She brings me here," said Wohosky, of Ocean Park, Washington, nodding to the signer's table. "I don't even have cattle, and I don't care."

Grandin was one of the featured speakers at this weekend's Mother Earth News Fair. It's the third time the fair, which focuses on healthy and sustainable living, has set up shop at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center.

Grandin has a doctorate in animal science and is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University. Her observations on calming animals before slaughter revolutionized the livestock industry.

Grandin also has autism, which attracted people like Wohosky, a paraprofessional who works with children with autism. She was among the audience members who came specifically to hear about Grandin's experiences.

The Ogles, of Mount Vernon, Washington, were in town to visit family members in Lebanon and came to listen to Grandin speak for the same reasons. Zoe Ogle, 10, wanted to know how she could get the family's Alpine-Saanen goat to quit attacking her  "She full-on butts me to the ground," Zoe explained  but her 14-year-old brother, who has autism, was interested in getting an autograph because of the speaker's personal background.

"She's been really inspiring to our family," said their mother, Cresta Ogle.

Grandin, 69, has been speaking internationally on autism and her own experiences for about three decades. She advocates early intervention, playing to a child's strengths, and giving them early experiences in life skills, such as handling money, time management and interacting with the public.

At age 8, Grandin said, she was given 50 cents per week to spend on comics, candy or balsa wood airplanes. But she had to shop for herself, which taught her both how to budget and save and how to talk with shopkeepers.

Some parents have a hard time letting their children manage such situations, she said. That exacerbates a child's fear of interaction, and also of making mistakes. "You have to stretch these kids," she said. "I want to see these kids who are different be everything that they can be."

Similar gentle handling is critical when it comes to livestock, Grandin said during her fair presentations. Animals need to associate proper behavior with good experiences, which means you shouldn't "reward" an unruly mob of cattle by opening the gate to the new pasture before they're calm and still.

Animals think in pictures, as does Grandin herself, and they associate emotions with those pictures, she said. To a cow, a man on a horse presents a different picture than a man on the ground, and the reactions will differ depending on the emotions associated with that picture.

"What is your animal looking at? Where are its ears pointing?" Grandin asked her audience.

"It's sensory-based, not word-based," she said. "You want to understand animals, get away from words."

Mother Earth News representatives said they worked hard this year on sensory-based opportunities for humans, too, preparing more demonstrations and hands-on opportunities for audiences.

This year's fair offered some 150 workshops and demonstrations, from churning butter to making small batches of cheese, mayonnaise or sourdough starter.

Some vendors, such as Carts and Tools of Corvallis and Union Point Custom Foods of Brownsville, returned for a third year to reconnect with former customers and make new contacts with people looking for sustainable living options.

Others, like Brett and Kira Belan of Ashland, were first-timers looking to trade ideas. The Belans put their solar-powered 1973 Volkswagen bus on display to show people what's possible in alternative-energy vehicles.

"A lot of it is just being an example, 'This is what's possible,'" Kira Belan said. "It's about creating a healthier environment."
May 10, 1951  July 30, 2017

Thomas Vincent Barnes, 66, of Albany was called Home on July 30, 2017. He passed away in his home surrounded by family after a courageous battle with cancer.

Tom was born on May 10, 1951 to Irene and Vincent Barnes.

He grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota and at age 17, enlisted in the United States Army. He served as a supply specialist from 1969-1973.

Tom accomplished many things in his lifetime. After serving his country, he moved to Oregon in the mid 70s, and earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Visual Communications and Printing Technology from Linn-Benton Community College in 1978.

After graduation, he worked as Production Supervisor and Photographer for The New Era Publishing Company in Sweet Home.

Tom took the most pride in his 31 years as a federal employee at the Albany Research Center. He served as an Offset Duplicator Operator, Visual Communications Specialist, and Property and Supply Management Specialist while working tirelessly as a union representative and also served as Union President.

In 1995, he married his loving wife, Cherrie and together they raised three beautiful daughters.

Tom was a long-time member of St. Marys Catholic Church, an avid reader, enjoyed photography and working on old cars. He loved attending swap meets, tinkering in his shop, preparing meals for St. Marys youth retreats and hosting game nights for family and friends. He most enjoyed playing with his five grandchildren. Above all else, his faith and his family were everything to him.

We will remember Tom for his selflessness and willingness to help others, how welcoming and forgiving he was, and that he loved wholeheartedly. We will miss him terribly but send him off knowing that he really made a difference in the lives of so many.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents; his sister Kathy Karnowski; brother Paul Barnes; sister-in-law Barb Barnes; and nephew Tony Barnes.

Tom is survived by his wife of 22 years, Cherrie Barnes; his daughters and sons-in-law Julia Barnes, Amber and Scott Knight, Brittany and John Bauer; his grandchildren Brionna Pool and Bryce, Brayden, Lilly and Shane Bauer; brothers and sisters-in-law: John and Mary Barnes of Minnesota, Mike and Sylvia Barnes of New Mexico, Chuck and Dee Barnes of Arizona; his brother-in-law Frank E. and Mary Whiffen II of Florida and several nieces and nephews. Tom also leaves behind many friends whom he deeply loved.

The family would like to thank everyone for their continued prayers, love and support.

A viewing will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on August 8 at AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home, followed by the recitation of the rosary at 7 p.m. The funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. on August 9 at St. Marys Catholic Church in Albany, with a reception to follow. The graveside service with military honors will be at 1:30 pm on August 10 at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Marys Soup Kitchen.

AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home is handling the arrangements (www.aasum-dufour.com).
Privacy advocates cried in protest after a report that the maker of the Roomba, a robotic vacuum cleaner, will sell maps of customers' homes to third parties. Investors, on the other hand, shouted buy orders for the company's stock.

Data has become the gold nugget buried in things and services connected to the internet. A Roomba, for example, could note the presence of toys on the floor  useful information for a company selling children's togs, school services or, of course, toys. Amazon, Apple and Google certainly have their ears open.

For the record, Roomba's parent company, iRobot, responded no, no, no, we won't sell such data. Not everyone was convinced. The company's statement said, "We have not formed any plans to sell data," which is not the same as never.

Many "smart appliances" are now teasing out our travels, eating habits, politics, relationships, age, income and education level in ways we may not appreciate. Cars, for example, can record radio stations you listen to, questions you ask Google and the view from the vehicle's cameras.

My vacuum cleaner is a dumb old Electrolux. The tales it could tell. Most of the time, however, it encounters nothing more interesting than dust bunnies multiplying under a heavy couch. But suppose it could rat on me to my aunt in Florida, who's a housekeeper extraordinaire. Sounds impossible, but consider that my Piper home security device can automatically call a friend when an intruder sets off the alarm. In many ways, my life is already an open-house tour in cyberspace.

The question "Is anything sacred?" has an answer. It is "No."

Companies are now implanting chips in workers' hands. The chips let employees enter the premises with a wave of the hand. Some workers have objected to mandatory microchipping or other body ID on religious, as well as privacy, grounds. A coal miner in West Virginia sued over an employer's hand scanning device. He said it was a sign of evil  of "end times" as prophesized in the Bible. The miner won $150,000 in damages.

As for internet-connected consumer products, vendors argue that owners can configure the devices to share only some or no data with others. However, there are ways they entice reluctant customers to go along. One is to offer something of value in return for access to the data.

Such trade-offs can be compelling. An insurer in Arizona now gives motorists a 3 percent discount if they use a smartphone app that sends back information on their driving. Consumers might like both the money and the incentive to drive carefully.

Related to this line of thinking is the "I have nothing to hide" stance. And related to that is "Why should I tax my brain protecting information I don't care about being public?"

Which brings up another way to get consumers to cough up information  make rules covering privacy complex and hidden in fine print. Many, perhaps most, of us don't read the privacy policy.

Facebook's is a constant source of confusion  and this is a site that scoops up personal dope by the landfill. But though some complained when Facebook used their location to suggest "friends," others regarded the recommendations as a service.

Sharing of certain information, such as medical history, can be highly desirable. Consider the patient who arrives unconscious at an emergency room. Some people have chips in their arms with the sole purpose of giving medical providers a complete picture.

Where all this is going, one can't say. The smart money is betting on "smart" gadgets. As for privacy, if even a lowly vacuum cleaner can get into our affairs, this could well be end times.
The Trump administration's assault on science  its methods, its practitioners and its findings  is troubling but not unprecedented. And lessons from those other assaults, in this country and abroad, can help identify strategies that could be useful to scientists and their allies as they begin to push back.

That's the case made by a new paper published in the journal Conservation Biology. The paper, which earned a mention in The Atlantic, was co-written by Daniel J. Rohlf, a professor of law at Lewis and Clark University in Portland. (The lead author, Carlos Carroll of the Klamath Center for Conservation Research in California, is a frequent collaborator with Rohlf.)

Trump's administration thus far has been marked by a general indifference (if not downright contempt) toward science, both in proposed budgets and appointment to key positions.

But, Rohlf noted in an interview, leaders in the United States and abroad have pursued similar anti-science agendas in the past: Rohlf noted instances during the George W. Bush administration when appointees in the Department of the Interior with no scientific expertise would alter scientific reports for political reasons.

A recent example from Canada is instructive: During his time in office, Prime Minister Stephen Harper cut research funding, eliminated the nation's science adviser and blocked government scientists from talking to the press.

In response, in 2012, researchers poured into the streets of Ottawa for what they called the Death of Evidence rally. (Comparisons to this year's March for Science in the United States may be valid.) Building on the success of the rally, organizers pushed for restoration of the science adviser position and reforms to give government scientists more control over their work. The current prime minister, Justin Trudeau, used some of these themes in his successful 2015 campaign.

Friends of science can take heart from the Canadian example. But Rohlf said more needs to be done, and scientists must bear some of that work.

"Scientists are naturally reticent to get involved in what they see as an advocacy position," and with good reason, he said. But, he said, there is another role for scientists to play: "It is really important for scientists to speak up as an advocate at heart for the integrity of science, and for the lawful and ethical treatment of scientists themselves." (This echoes the call to action in a recent paper by Oregon State University's Jane Lubchenco.)

There's a role here for members of the public to play as well, Rohlf said.

"We all as citizens and voters have a sizable role to play in this issue," he said. "The scientific literacy of the public itself is a really important factor to prevent the misuse of science."

And that scientific literacy needs to start with the basics  for example, by brushing up on your grade school lessons about the scientific method and by remembering that what scientists mean by a "theory" isn't quite what the general public sometimes thinks it means. In science, a "theory" isn't the same thing as a guess; a theory explains some aspect of the natural world that can be rigorously tested and conforms with available evidence. So the politician who, in 2011, told a campaign event that evolution was "a theory that's out there" was profoundly misinformed about the nature of scientific theory.

Of course, that politician was Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas who now serves as the head of the Department of Energy. But thank goodness that position doesn't require any real knowledge of science.

"As a society, I think we need to continue to emphasize science education," Rohlf said, and the education needs to go beyond just the basics: "It's important to educate students about the nature of science itself."

Taking to the streets in support of science is important, and it was gratifying to see. But it's just the first act. It's also important to support scientists' ability to pursue and publish their research without fear of political interference. Other countries have won that fight, at least for the time being. Now it's our time to step into the ring. (mm)
DEAR HARRIETTE: I have an employee who has worked with me remotely for about two years. She is a college student. She would turn in her work once a week like clockwork until last semester, when she became more erratic. I communicated with her about her tardiness. She apologized and assured me that she would do better. This summer, she has been very spotty in turning in her work, even after we had an exchange about the importance of following up and being professional.

Fast-forward to now: I haven't heard from her in two weeks. I am frustrated because she was such a reliable support to my business, and now she has trailed off entirely. Do I write to her one more time to see what's going on? I hate to lose her. Also, if she wanted a recommendation, it would be hard for me to give a good one, considering that she has walked away from me in a very unprofessional manner. -- Virtually Missing, Minneapolis

DEAR VIRTUALLY MISSING: As far as your business is concerned, the writing on the wall is telling you to find a replacement for this employee. She has proven to be unreliable. If you need the work done, you need to find someone who wants to do it.

As far as your employee is concerned, send her a note. Check to see if she is OK, that no misfortune has befallen her. Then state in your note that you must hear from her, even if she is no longer going to be working with you. Impress upon her the importance of having a smooth ending to your professional relationship. Otherwise, you will not be able to give her a good recommendation in the future.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My primary care doctor is retiring, and I'm in a panic. I have been going to her for more than 20 years. I got a letter saying she is finished and I can go to another doctor in her practice if I want, but I don't know any of them. I got a recommendation from a friend for another doctor. Now that my doctor is gone, how can I get my records transferred to the new doctor? I am so confused. I don't think my doctor handled this well. She's just gone, and that's that. -- Need Records, Philadelphia

DEAR NEED RECORDS: Take a deep breath. It's not as bad as you think. Contact your former doctor's practice. Let them know that you were her patient for many years and are now transferring to another doctor. Ask if you can come in and pick up your records or have them transferred electronically to your new doctor. Your new doctor may need to make a formal request, which is good, as it protects your confidentiality. You may have to push a little to make this happen, but you have every right to a smooth transfer of your medical records.

Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106
"Rheinaue" in Bad Godesberg : Camper spaces are well-booked

Bad Godesberg For tourists who want to park their campers in Bonn and enjoy all the city has to offer, the "Rheinaue" location in Bad Godesberg has proven popular. It will now enter into regular operations after having completed a test phase.

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After completing a test phase, the Rheinaue camper and mobile home site will enter into regular operations. The campground will retain all 17 spaces. A district meeting is coming up in Bad Godesberg on September 13 and the City of Bonn put out the information in advance.

In 2015, the city council extended the test phase because not all of the spaces were booked out in the summer months. Since then, signs were put up to advertise the new Rheinaue camping van spaces on Ludwig-Erhard-Allee as well as the ones in Mehlem.

In the meantime, through several on-location visits, it has been determined that the site has been very well received by city tourists who want to be near the city, reported the administration. Another positive aspect was the fact that the camper lot is located directly at a bus stop of Lines 610 and 611.

In camper and mobile home magazines, the city has also placed ads for the Rheinaue camper van spaces as well as for the Genieau grounds. This offers an alternative to the parking spaces at the Rheinaue for those looking for a place to relax, and it receives a large number of visitors, said the report from the city. It has an attractive landscape with a direct location at the Rhine and across from the Drachenfels. It also has many trees and necessary facilities. The city lists camper van parking sites and fees on its website.
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.
bayonel3 at 7-08-2017 12:37 PM (5 years ago) (m)

Mauritanians have voted to abolish the upper house of their parliament, the Senate, in a controversial referendum that was boycotted by the opposition. The result is seen as a victory for President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who is accused by his rivals of trying to extend his mandate, which he denies. He called the referendum after the Senate rejected his proposals to change the constitution. Turnout was 53.73%, with 85% of voters supporting the change, officials said. But members of the opposition denounced an "electoral farce which has given way to open-air fraud".

Mauritanians have voted to abolish the upper house of their parliament, the Senate, in a controversial referendum that was boycotted by the opposition. The result is seen as a victory for President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who is accused by his rivals of trying to extend his mandate, which he denies. He called the referendum after the Senate rejected his proposals to change the constitution. Turnout was 53.73%, with 85% of voters supporting the change, officials said. But members of the opposition denounced an "electoral farce which has given way to open-air fraud". Mr Abdel Aziz, who described the Senate as "useless and too costly", said the move to abolish it would improve governance by introducing more local forms of lawmaking. He is barred by the constitution from running a third term - he came to power in a coup in 2008, was elected president the following year and won a second term in 2014.

The president is a key ally of the West and neighboring states in countering Islamist extremist groups. In the same referendum, held on Saturday, voters also supported a change to the national flag. The current green flag with yellow Islamic crescent and star will also feature red bands to honor the blood spilled by those who fought for freedom from France.

Mr Abdel Aziz, who described the Senate as "useless and too costly", said the move to abolish it would improve governance by introducing more local forms of lawmaking. He is barred by the constitution from running a third term - he came to power in a coup in 2008, was elected president the following year and won a second term in 2014.The president is a key ally of the West and neighboring states in countering Islamist extremist groups. In the same referendum, held on Saturday, voters also supported a change to the national flag. The current green flag with yellow Islamic crescent and star will also feature red bands to honor the blood spilled by those who fought for freedom from France.

Post Reply I scour the world wide web to bring you interesting stories from around the globe. [email protected] Posted: at 7-08-2017 12:37 PM (5 years ago) | Hero
Military Strikes Target ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Aug. 6, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 32 strikes consisting of 39 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 28 strikes consisting of 30 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Abu Kamal, three strikes destroyed three ISIS wellheads, two oil storage tanks and a pumpjack.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, a strike destroyed eight ISIS wellheads, a excavator, a crane and a vehicle.

-- Near Raqqa, 23 strikes engaged eight ISIS tactical units and destroyed 19 fighting positions, five ISIS-held buildings, three improvised explosive device factories, an ISIS communications tower and a unmanned aerial system launch site.

-- Near Shadaddi, a strike destroyed three IED factories.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted four strikes consisting of nine engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Qaim, a strike destroyed an ISIS vehicle.

-- Near Rawah, a strike suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.

-- Near Tal Afar, two strikes destroyed five ISIS tunnel entrances and a mortar system.

Aug. 4 Strikes

Additionally, 15 strikes consisting of 17 engagements were conducted in Syria and Iraq on Aug. 3 that closed within the last 24 hours.

-- Near Raqqa, Syria, 11 strikes engaged seven ISIS tactical units and destroyed seven fighting positions, a staging area and a tunnel.

-- Near Shadaddi, Syria, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a command-and-control node.

-- Near Mosul, Iraq, a strike illuminated an area.

-- Near Rawah, Iraq, a strike suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.

-- Near Tal Afar, Iraq, a strike destroyed three IEDs.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect.

For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

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India urged to take seriously China's position document, withdraw trespassing troops

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:04, August 06, 2017

India has been urged to take seriously China's position document on India's border troops' trespass, and to immediately and unconditionally withdraw the troops.

The document titled "The Facts and China's Position Concerning the Indian Border Troops' Crossing of the China-India Boundary in the Sikkim Sector into the Chinese Territory" was issued by Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

Liu Jinsong, deputy chief of mission of the Chinese Embassy in India, while introducing the document to reporters from local media at a recent press briefing held at the embassy, called for great attention to be paid to the document.

On June 18, over 270 Indian border troops, carrying weapons and driving two bulldozers, crossed the boundary in the Sikkim Sector and advanced more than 100 meters into Chinese territory to obstruct the road building of the Chinese side, causing tension in the area.

The trespassing Indian troops reached as many as 400 people at one point.

Liu said the document, in real earnest as well as from multiple perspectives concerning history, jurisprudence and international relations, among others, gives a full and authoritative account of the position of the Chinese government on the illegal trespass of the Indian border troops.

The document is aimed at helping the international community, including Indian people from all circles of life, understand the facts and truth of the incident, he said, noting that the Indian side has concocted various excuses to justify its illegal action and mislead the public.

"There are still 48 Indian troops and one bulldozer illegally staying in the Chinese territory more than one and a half months after the outbreak of the incident," the Chinese diplomat said.

He told the reporters who were from The Hindu, The Navodaya Times, The Asian Age, Deccan Herald and the Frontline website that China has to once again urge India to immediately and unconditionally pull back its trespassing troops.

He stressed that India should not underestimate the resolve of the Chinese government and people to defend China's territorial sovereignty, saying that by releasing the document, China aims to uphold the principles of international law and basic norms governing international relations.

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ASEAN foreign ministers endorse framework of COC in South China Sea

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:36, August 06, 2017

The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) endorsed on Saturday the framework of the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea for eventual adoption at the ASEAN-China meeting on Sunday, a government spokesman said.

Robespierre Bolivar, the acting spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs, said, "The ministers endorsed the framework of the COC for eventual adoption at the ASEAN-China ministerial meeting on Aug. 6."

The framework, which was negotiated by China and the ASEAN, will help both sides move forward in negotiating an effective Code of Conduct, according to Bolivar.

Bolivar has earlier said the framework of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea is one of the major outcome documents of the week-long ASEAN ministerial meetings that kicked off on Saturday.The Philippines is the rotating chair of ASEAN this year.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

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Lebanese army seizes control of Daesh outpost in Ras Baalbek

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 6, 2017 6:22PM

The Lebanese army has established complete control over a position of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group in the northern Beqaa Valley after government forces lobbed a barrage of artillery round at the posts of the militants.

Lebanon's Arabic-language al-Ahed news website reported on Sunday that six extremists were killed as the projectiles slammed into the northeastern outskirts of Ras Baalbek village, which is located about 30 kilometers (19 miles) east of the capital Beirut.

The report added that Lebanese army troopers seized the outpost by advancing through Wadi Hmayed area near the northeastern border town of Arsal, located 124 kilometers (77 miles) northeast of Beirut.

The Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) private television network also reported that army units control the strategic Daleel al-Aqraa Hill in Ras Baalbek, which overlooks Daesh frontlines.

The Lebanese army has intensified its shelling of Daesh posts in recent days amid reports that it is set to launch an operation aimed at purging the Takfiris out of the border region with Syria.

The Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement formally announced an end to its security operation around Arsal against members of the foreign-sponsored and Takfiri Jabhat Fateh al-Sham  previously known as the Nusra Front  militant group.

Hezbollah launched a major push on July 21 to clear both sides of Lebanon's border with Syria of "armed terrorists."

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.

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At least 12 people killed in shooting attack on Nigerian Catholic church

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 6, 2017 2:42PM

At least 12 people have been killed after a group of unidentified gunmen stormed a church in southeast Nigeria and went on a shooting spree.

The mass shooting, medical officials, occurred at the St. Philip's Catholic Church in Ozubulu town in southeastern state of Anambra at about 05:45 local time on Sunday, when worshipers had convened in the building.

"So far, 12 persons have been confirmed dead and deposited in the mortuary here while several persons are receiving medical attention," said a staff worker at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital in Nnewi, where the victims were admitted.

Witnesses said that at least five masked assailants were involved in the massacre. But Anambra State Police Commissioner Garba Umar stated that the deadly incident had been caused by a lone gunman, who "went on a shooting spree, killing and wounding" worshipers.

The gunmen, witnesses further said, first separated a group of worshipers from the rest and started executing them with gunfire. They added that the assailants then changed their minds and started shooting at the remaining 100 people in the church.

"When the chaos subsided I went inside, I saw my fellow church members dead in a pool of their own blood and many others were screaming in pain," said Chukwuma Emeka, a witness.

Security personnel were said to have cordoned off the area and launch an investigation into the incident.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, but such incidents are usually blamed on the Takfiri Boko Haram terrorist group, which is particularly active in the country's northeast region.

The terror outfits, which is an ally of the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly terror attacks in Nigeria since the beginning of its militancy in 2009, which has so far claimed the lives of at least 20,000 people and made more than 2.7 million displaced, triggering a dire humanitarian crisis in the region.

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UN condemns Saudi disregard for civilian lives in Yemen

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 6, 2017 12:57PM

The United Nations has strongly condemned the latest Saudi airstrikes against Yemen in which at least 12 civilians, including children, lost their lives, stressing that the aerial attacks are an example of the "brutality" of the Yemeni conflict and "disregard" for civilians' safety.

"All parties to the conflict continue to show a disregard for the protection of civilians and the principle of distinction between civilians and combatants in the conduct of hostilities," the UN's Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen Jamie McGoldrick said on Sunday.

McGoldrick's remarks came two days after three women and six children from the same family were killed in a Saudi airstrike on their home in Yemen's northwestern province of Sa'ada.

The head of the local health department, Dr. Abdel-Ilah al-Azzi, said the attack on Friday dawn targeted the family home of Taha al-Dharafi in Mahda district on the southwestern outskirts of Sa'ada city, located 240 kilometers north of the capital Sana'a, also left three other people injured.

Three people were also killed in a Saudi airstrike on a private vehicle in the same Yemeni province.

Ahmed Ben Lassoued, a spokesman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Yemen, has described the Saudi aerial and naval blockade on Yemen as one of the main causes of the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen, stressing that the measure has disrupted the import and export of food, fuel and medical supplies as well as humanitarian aid.

Last month, the UN announced that more than 17 million people in Yemen are currently food-insecure, of whom 6.8 million are severely food-insecure and in need of immediate aid.

It underscored that the Yemeni conflict has left 18.8 million people in need of assistance, including 10.3 million who require immediate assistance to save or sustain their lives.

Saudi Arabia has been incessantly pounding Yemen since March 2015 in an attempt to reinstate Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh, and to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement. The Riyadh regime has, however, failed to reach its goals despite suffering great expense.

The military aggression has claimed the lives of more than 12,000 people, mostly civilians.

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Taliban seize key area in north Afghanistan: Local official

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 6, 2017 5:46AM

The Taliban militants have taken control of a key area in northern Afghanistan after heavy clashes that claimed the lives of at least seven security forces, a provincial official says.

Zabi Amani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said the militant group launched a series of coordinated attacks in the northern Sari Pul Province on Saturday, seizing control of the strategic Mirzawalang area in Sayad district after over two days of battles.

He said local security forces had called in but not gotten government reinforcements.

"We requested reinforcement from the central government, unfortunately couldn't get any support, that is why the forces lost control of Mirzawalang," Amani said.

The spokesman said that ten Taliban militants, including two group leaders, had been killed and four Afghan security officers wounded in the two days of gun battles in the northern province.

There are unconfirmed reports that more than a dozen civilians and a local policeman have been killed by the militants following the takeover of the area, according to Amani.

The Taliban have reportedly recently stepped up their attacks in Afghanistan, mostly in the south of the country.

In late July, the militants overran the district of Jani Khel in Afghanistan's eastern province of Paktia, gaining a straight third victory in just four days.

Previously, the Taliban had raided and seized Kohistan district in the northern Faryab Province after storming the district government's headquarters. The militants also captured the Taywara district in western Ghor Province.

Ghor's counter-narcotics unit director killed

In a separate development on Saturday, two unknown gunmen killed the provincial director of the counter-narcotics unit in Ghor Province.

Iqbal Nezami, the spokesman for the provincial police chief, said the two men on a motorbike fatally shot Counter-narcotics Chief Noorudin Shairfi in the provincial capital, Faroz Koh. He added that police had launched an investigation into the incident.

No group or individual has so far claimed responsibility for the attack in Ghor.

Afghan policeman killed while attempting insider attack

Meanwhile, a member of the Afghan police force was shot and killed by NATO soldiers when he allegedly attempted to carry out an attack against NATO foreign forces after the end of a training session in the southern province of Kandahar.

"The advisers had completed a scheduled law enforcement training session and were preparing to return to base when they were attacked by a member of the Afghan National Civil Order Police," a statement released by the NATO mission said.

One Romanian soldier was wounded in the attack and an Afghan policeman sustained injuries in the exchange of fire with the assailant, the statement added.

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.

US-led forces formally ended the combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014. But the United States has about 8,400 troops in the country alongside another 5,000 from NATO forces.

Over the past 16 years, the Taliban militants have been conducting terrorist attacks across the country, killing and displacing civilians. In addition, the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, which is mainly active in Syria and Iraq, has recently managed to take recruits from Afghan Taliban defectors.

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Local Afghan Officials Say Taliban, IS Teamed Up In Deadly Village Attack

RFE/RL August 06, 2017

Local officials say attacks that killed dozens of people in the northern Afghan province of Sari Pul were carried out by Taliban fighters who teamed up with a commander claiming allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

Up to 50 people, including women and children, were killed after the militants seized control of the Mirzawalang area in the Sayad district on August 5 following two days of intense gunbattles with security forces, Afghan officials said.

Mirzawalang is in a remote part of the country where both Taliban and IS fighters have a presence.

"According to our credible information, 50 people have been killed," Sharif Aminyar, the district governor of Sayad, said on August 6.

Aminyar added that 18 of the people killed had been members of the Afghan Local Police and other local government-backed militias, while the rest were civilians.

Mohammad Noor Rahmani, head of the provincial council, said at least 25 civilians were also missing.

Aminyar said that "it was a joint Daesh and Taliban operation," using the Arabic name for Islamic State.

"The Taliban were led by Mullah Nader and Daesh was led by Sher Mohammed Ghazanfar," he said.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, denied any cooperation with IS in the operation.

He said the Taliban carried out the attack on Mirzawalang village, but he denied it was involved in the civilian deaths abductions.

"Ghazanfar is not Daesh  he is our commander in Sari Pul, a very active commander, and he is under our command, our flag," he said. "He has allegiance with us."

In the past, the Taliban and IS have fought battles against each other. A combining of their forces, if confirmed, would present a worrying development for the U.S.-backed Afghan government.

General John W. Nicholson Jr., commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, in April warned of the potential dangers.

"One of the things we are concerned about here in Afghanistan, the reason we think that the entire world needs to be focused on Afghanistan, is the potential for convergence among the various terrorist groups in this area," he told a news conference at the time.

With reporting by The New York Times, AP, dpa, Reuters, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban-militiants -dozens-killed-sari-pul/28661619.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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3 US Marines missing after aircraft crashes off Australia

Saudi Press Agency

Sunday 1438/11/14 - 2017/08/06

SYDNEY, Dhu-AlQa'dah 14, 1438, August 06, 2017, SPA -- Search and rescue operations were underway for three U.S. Marines who were missing after their Osprey aircraft crashed into the sea off the east coast of Australia on Saturday while trying to land, according to AP.

Twenty-three of 26 personnel aboard the aircraft have been rescued, the Marine base Camp Butler in Japan said in a statement.

The MV-22 Osprey had launched from the USS Bonhomme Richard and was conducting regularly scheduled operations when it crashed into the water, the statement said. The ship's small boats and aircraft immediately responded in the search and rescue efforts.

The Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter, but flies like an airplane. They have been involved in a series of high-profile crashes in recent years.

The aircraft was in Australia for a joint military training exercise held by the U.S. and Australia last month in Shoalwater Bay. The Talisman Sabre exercise, a biennial event between the two nations, involved more than 30,000 troops and 200 aircraft.

Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne said Saturday's incident occurred off the coast of Shoalwater Bay in Queensland state.

"I can confirm no Australian Defence Force personnel were on board the aircraft," Payne said in a statement. "The United States are leading the search and recovery effort."

Payne said she had spoken with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis "to offer Australia's support in any way that can be of assistance."

A White House official said President Donald Trump had been briefed by chief of staff John Kelly on the mishap of an aircraft off the east coast of Australia.

In 2015, a U.S. Osprey crashed during a training exercise in Hawaii, killing two Marines. Last December, a U.S. military Osprey crash-landed off Japan's southern island of Okinawa. Its five crew members were rescued safely. And in January, three U.S. soldiers were wounded in the "hard landing" of an Osprey in Yemen.

--SPA

03:58 LOCAL TIME 00:58 GMT

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US Navy Calls Off Search for 3 US Marines Missing in Australian Crash

Sputnik News

22:04 06.08.2017(updated 23:19 06.08.2017)

US Navy officials have called off the search for missing crewmen who were aboard a Navy Osprey tiltrotor aircraft that crashed into the sea off the eastern coast of Australia on Saturday.

A rescue operation was launched for the three missing US Marines, after the Osprey aircraft in which they were traveling crashed into the ocean while attempting to land, according to Stripes.com.

In suspending the rescue operation on Sunday, the US Navy switched to a recovery effort, according to the US Marine's Camp Butler in Japan, indicating that the missing Marines are not expected to be found alive.

The base camp statement added that the missing soldier's next of kin had been told of their deaths, and that Australia's defense forces were working with the US Navy to expand the recovery of wreckage and remains.

The MV-22 Osprey took off from the USS Bonhomme Richard, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, on Saturday to conduct routine operations when it crashed. The Bonhomme Richard's rescue boats and aircraft immediately commenced search and rescue, and 23 out of the 26 Marines aboard were pulled from the water.

According to the Camp Butler statement, "Recovery and salvage operations can take several months to complete, but can be extended based on several environmental factors," cited by Stars and Stripes.

"The circumstances of the mishap are currently under investigation," the statement added, noting that, "no additional information available at this time."

Marise Payne, Australia's Defense Minister, stated that the Saturday crash took place in Shoalwater Bay on the Queensland coast, some 500 miles north of Brisbane.

"I can confirm no Australian Defence Force personnel were on board the aircraft," Payne said, cited by Stripes.com.

A tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft takes off and lands like a helicopter, and, once airborne, pivots its wings to fly like an ordinary propellor airplane. The aircraft have been involved in several high-profile accidents in recent years.

A US Osprey crashed in a 2015 training exercise in Hawaii, killing two Marines. In December 2016, another Osprey crash near the US airbase on Japan's southern island of Okinawa and five crew members were rescued safely. In January of this year, three US soldiers in Yemen were wounded following a "hard landing" by an Osprey.

 Sputnik

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Civilians Attacked Military Base in Venezuela, Not Terrorists - Defense Minister

Sputnik News

20:43 06.08.2017(updated 20:45 06.08.2017)

The attack targeting the Paramacay military base in Venezuela was carried out by a group of civilians, the country's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said Sunday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Earlier in the day, media reported that a group of people wearing military uniform attacked the military base. Vice President of the Venezuelan ruling United Socialist Party Diosdado Cabello said that the attack was of "terrorist" nature.

"This action was carried out by a group of civilian criminals wearing military uniform and by a defect leutenant," Lopez said in the statement.

The Venezuelan official added that part of the group succeeded to steal weapons from the base.

In recent months, the Latin American country has been hit by numerous protests that have already resulted in numerous deaths. The tensions emerged amid the economic crisis and the decision of the Supreme Court to limit functions of the country's parliament controlled by opposition, as well as the election to the Constituent Assembly, a new legislative body with the power to amend the constitution.

 Sputnik

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Nigerian Militants Call for Partition of Country Into Five Parts

Sputnik News

18:18 06.08.2017

A coalition of militant groups fighting in the delta of the Niger River against Nigerian authorities called for partition of the country into five new republics, local media reported Sunday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The militants propose to create such republics as Arewa Islamic Republic, Biafra Republic, Middle Belt Republic, Oduduwa Republic and Republic of Niger Delta in order to avoid violence, Nigeria's Daily Post news outlet reported.

The media outlet added that all the republics should be addressed as United Republics of Nigeria.

Nigeria has one of the biggest oil reserves in the world. At the same time, the oil production of the African nation has been heavily affected by illegal output and activities of militants in the oil-rich Niger Delta area, who attack oil facilities in the region, forcing oil producers to shut down production, causing outages and decrease in the country's total oil output.

 Sputnik

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Cameroon Arrests Those Wearing Military Uniforms Illegally

By Moki Edwin Kindzeka August 06, 2017

Authorities in Cameroon are arresting people who they say illegally wear military uniforms in order to deceive the population and commit atrocities. There have been tensions between armed groups in neighboring Central African Republic, with a spill over into Cameroon, and Cameroon thinks rebel fighters are using the uniforms as a disguise.

A dozen military men forcefully open doors in Nyangaza, a popular neighborhood in Bertoua on Cameroon's eastern border with the Central African Republic. Nyangaza is home to hundreds of Central Africans living with host Cameroonian communities. Among the military personnel arresting civilians with military uniforms is staff sergeant Isidore Mbah.

He says they have noticed that the neighborhood is a hideout for bandits, who wear uniforms to trick people into believing they are in the military. He says all those they arrest will answer charges in a military court.

Last Friday military officials arrested 13 people, aged 17 to 37. Among them is 30-year-old Emmanuel Manga from the Central African Republic who has been living in Cameroon for three years.

He says he had been wearing the uniform to keep warm in the early morning cold since his friend offered it to him as a gift. He says he never knew that it was forbidden to wear it and that some military men had been seeing him with the uniform but did no arrests until recently.

Armed groups from CAR have attacked Cameroon on several occasions since the crisis in CAR began in March 2013 when Muslim Seleka rebels overthrew President Francoise Bozize Abuses. That triggered the rise of the Anti Balaka Christian defense groups and a cycle of killings and violence has spilled over into Cameroon.

Cameroon-born general Housseini Djibo, a senior military official in eastern Cameroon says the arrests were ordered because it was discovered that some rebels were disguising themselves as military members and committing atrocities.

He says there is galloping insecurity on Cameroon's eastern border because of its proximity with the troubled Central African Republic. He says they will do everything possible to stop armed rebel groups that regularly carry out incursions on Cameroon's territory and hold especially cattle ranchers and business persons hostage.

About 100 people have been arrested within the past 30 days. A 1982 law forbids civilians from buying, selling and wearing military uniforms and states that anyone caught faces prison time of between 3 months to 2 years and, or fines ranging from $100 to $ 4,000.

Even as the military goes around arresting people and seizing the military uniforms, some shop owners still keep them in stock as Moussa Ahminou of the Bertoua traders trade union told VOA.

He says some of them are still stealthily selling the stocks they had before the government started educating them not to sell military outfit.

Cameroon shares a 900-kilometer long boundary with the landlocked CAR and presently hosts 300,000 refugees from the neighboring state.

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Gritty Talks Ahead as China, ASEAN Agree to Avoid Mishaps in Disputed Sea

By Ralph Jennings August 06, 2017

China and a group of 10 Southeast Asian nations face tough negotiations on a code of conduct for avoiding mishaps in the contested South China Sea despite the endorsement of a framework for talks.

Experts say Beijing will oppose defining the scope of the sea, making the code binding and any enforcement that would limit its maritime activities, whereas the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will ask for those details as discussions go on. The deal has dragged since 2002, with China resisting for much of the past six years. China and ASEAN foreign ministers approved a framework code in Manila Sunday.

"If and when a code of conduct is finalized, we can rest assured that it will be diluted to a point where it does not damage Chinese interests in the South China Sea," said Jonathan Spangler, director of the South China Sea Think Tank in Taipei.

Beijing claims more than 90 percent of the 3.5 million-square-kilometer South China Sea, overlapping smaller tracts that Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines say fall under their own flags. The code of conduct would be aimed at avoiding accidents as the claimant countries fish, explore for oil and gas or develop some of the estimated 500 tiny islets.

Vietnam and China clashed in 1974, 1988 and 2014  the first two fights deadly and the latest case over a Chinese oil rig. The code would aim to prevent more such incidents.

But China, as the strongest most aggressive claimant, may fear that a code of conduct would expose or curb some of its maritime activities. Since 2010 it has alarmed the Southeast Asian states by passing coast guard boats through their waters while using landfill to create artificial islets in the Paracel and Spratly chains, some apparently for military installations such as radar systems and combat aircraft.

"We have to see the [code of conduct's] specific language on land reclamation, although I truly doubt it will have much teeth," said Yun Sun, East Asia Program senior associate at the Stimson Center think tank in Washington. "For one, China will not support anything against its interests."

The framework that serves as a basis for talks shuns specifics that might alarm China and instead covers broad advice about avoiding incidents between vessels or aircraft, said Collin Koh, maritime security research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. It might serve too as a topic list for future talks over the coming years.

The framework answers diplomatic pressure from ASEAN on China to negotiate without forcing China's hand too fast, said Huang Kwei-bo, associate professor of diplomacy with National Cheng Chi University in Taipei.

"This counts as one small step. So China can prolong the negotiating process even longer," Huang said. "And this way, for China, it's a deliverable that it can give ASEAN and say 'see, we're negotiating with you.'"

ASEAN set out at the start of the year to make the framework a priority under the association's Philippine leadership through 2017, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said. Just over a year ago the Philippines had won a world court arbitration case against China over its claims in the South China Sea.

Talks on a code of conduct will get tougher, and more drawn out, about a year after the framework signing "euphoria" wears off, Koh said. At that point ASEAN and China will be divided on what to include in the code itself, he said.

ASEAN members will want a legally binding code, possibly ratified by their respective legislatures, with an enforcement scheme and ways of monitoring any incidents, analysts say. Although the code is not supposed to touch on anyone's sovereignty claim, ASEAN may ask that the code include a clear sea boundary.

China is likely to protest any eventual code clauses on enforcement, legal authority and South China Sea boundaries that cover islands, such as the Paracels, that it controls outright, experts believe.

It will also oppose any link to compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, forecasts Sean King, senior vice president of New York political consultancy Park Strategies.

Beijing cites historical usage records as a basis for its claim to the sea extending from its south coast to Borneo.

In the Philippines, which is hosting the ASEAN meetings, foreign affairs spokesman Robespierre Bolivar urged that talks begin soon and said his country wanted a legally binding code in the end. But he told reporters the code should reflect a consensus.

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Changes at State Department Lead to Questions About Its Mission

By Cindy Saine, Marissa Melton August 06, 2017

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is defending his efforts to redesign the State Department, but the process has left many of its 36,000 employees in Washington and around the world feeling anxious about their mission.

Tillerson was welcomed warmly to the State Department six months ago. But some current and former ambassadors and foreign policy experts say they are worried about a number of indications that the Trump administration plans to lower the priority of promoting democracy and human rights in U.S. foreign policy.

Unspent engagement money

Take, for example, the $80 million in unused cash designated by Congress for the Global Engagement Center, which works to counteract disinformation campaigns by terrorist groups and foreign countries such as North Korea, China, and Russia.

R.C. Hammond, a top communications official at the State Department, told Politico this week that the money  $60 million in the Pentagon budget and $19.8 million in State Department coffers  has not been distributed because the Global Engagement Center has not submitted a clear plan for how to spend it. Tillerson must request the $60 million from the Pentagon before Sept. 30, but has made no move to do so.

Hammond cited possible budget and staffing cuts as the reason Tillerson has not requested the funds.

Politico also reported that Hammond "expressed hesitation about needling the Russians" by trying to counteract Russia's disinformation campaign while Tillerson has been holding negotiations with his counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on Syria.

Center's mission

At a State Department news briefing Thursday, however, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said the Global Engagement Center is still hard at work.

"The Global Engagement Center continues to execute its mission," Nauert said. "There is a process underway to ensure any future funding or programs account for the most appropriate tactics and strategy, especially in countering propaganda from countries such as Russia that have minimal protections for free speech or the media. The Global Engagement Center is already funded in FY [fiscal year] 2017 with $16.3 million."

She added that as a former businessman, Tillerson is looking at how to spend money as effectively as possible.

Former Ambassador Laura Kennedy served the State Department for almost 40 years under Republican and Democratic administrations. She told VOA she is concerned about the State Department not using the funds available.

"Countering ISIS propaganda? ... This is at the top, or should be at the top of our priority list," Kennedy said. "And Russian disinformation is nothing new  nor are our efforts to project our own messages and counter ones that are antithetical to our own interests. We have always done this."

Senators Rob Portman of Ohio and Chris Murphy of Connecticut co-authored a bill last December that authorized the money in question. This week they released a statement criticizing the State Department for not using it.

"Congress has provided substantial resources to combat foreign propaganda, particularly from Russia," Portman, a Republican, said. "There is broad agreement that the U.S. government is behind the curve on this threat. ... Countering foreign propaganda should be a top priority, and it is very concerning that progress on combating this problem is being delayed because the State Department isn't tapping into these resources."

Murphy, a Democrat, called the delay indefensible.

"Every day," he said, "ISIS is spreading terrorist propaganda and Russia is implementing a sophisticated disinformation campaign to undermine the United States and our allies. There should be no doubt these are critical challenges to our national security."

The holdup could be indicative of greater changes ahead.

Human rights

The Washington Post reported this week that a proposed new mission statement for the State Department is circulating. The wording, which is subject to change, would eliminate any mention of human rights or promotion of democracy.

The draft mission statement, as quoted by the Post from an internal memo, read: "Lead America's foreign policy through global advocacy, action, and assistance to shape a safer, more prosperous world."

Gone would be the current language, which stresses shaping "a peaceful, prosperous, just, and democratic world and foster conditions for stability and progress for the benefit of the American people and people everywhere."

Experts on diplomacy say this signals a possible change in direction, moving from promotion of democracy and human rights everywhere to a narrower focus on what is good for the United States.

Daniel Runde, director of the Project on U.S. Leadership in Development for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, notes, "The Trump administration has every right to rethink our public diplomacy strategy. The United States, the source of public relations and strategic communications, ironically and sadly has great difficulty in persuading fence-sitting publics that need to be persuaded."

Nicolas Rostow of Colgate University is a former legal adviser to the National Security Council. He says removing human rights from the equation makes sense, from a more isolationist standpoint.

The Trump administration, he said, "sees promoting human rights as getting us into trouble. I think they see it as tantamount to getting us into the nation-building business, which they don't like, and other ventures like the war in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Foreign policy positions

Others see the changes as dangerous.

Elliott Abrams served in foreign policy positions in the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, specializing in humanitarian affairs and international cooperation. He told The Washington Post, "That change is a serious mistake that ought to be corrected. ... If not, the message being sent will be a great comfort to every dictator in the world."

Former Ambassador Kennedy also objects.

"It is impossible to divorce our foreign policy with democracy and justice," she said. "These are core to who we are as a people. These principles go back to the very founding of our country, the establishment of the State Department, as the first Cabinet ministry. So I find it inexplicable that you would consider removing them."

Kennedy said she and some current State Department colleagues were also troubled that Secretary Tillerson did not personally present the State Department's annual human rights report this year, breaking with tradition.

She said she feels that Tillerson rightly condemned Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro this week for trying to roll back human rights in his country.

But she asked how the United State can criticize other countries for human rights abuses unless it keeps promoting human rights, justice and democracy front and center in its own statements and actions every day.

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2 Die as Venezuelan Troops End Attack on Military Base

By VOA News August 06, 2017

Venezuelan military leaders say they quickly put down an attack on a base in central Venezuela Sunday which President Nicolas Maduro called an act of terrorism by rebellious former soldiers.

Two of the attackers were killed, the president said.

An army officer calling himself Captain Juan Caguaripano posted a video on social media in which he was surrounded by more than a dozen soldiers. He declared himself to be in "legitimate rebellion" against what he calls Maduro's "murderous tyranny."

"We clarify this is not a coup d'etat. This is a civilian and military action to restore the constitutional order and, more than that, to save the country from total destruction," he declared.

Venezuelan military officials say troops rushed in to restore order at the Paramacay military base in Valencia. Locals reported hearing gunfire coming from behind the walls.

Maduro appeared on state-run television later to announce that two of the attackers were killed during the operation and eight rebels were arrested. Caguaripano's fate was unclear.

Official say Caguaripano is an army deserter backed by "right-wing extremists" and supported by unidentified foreign governments.

Venezuela's social and political turmoil worsened last week when the Maduro government swore in a hugely unpopular constituent assembly who plan to rewrite the constitution.

The government claims 8 million people voted in a July 30 election to choose its 545 members. The opposition says voter turnout was less than half that and pre-election polls showed 70 percent of Venezuelans opposed the assembly.

Maduro has said a new constitution will bring peace and stability. The opposition says the constituent assembly is packed with Maduro supporters  including his wife and son  and that it will break up the opposition-led national assembly and turn Venezuela into a socialist dictatorship.

The assembly has already made its first major move by firing Attorney General Luisa Ortega, a former Maduro ally turned vociferous opponent.

"Each step by the constituent assembly is a step towards the precipice by this government," the opposition's parliamentary president Julio Borges said Sunday. "The only thing it has left is brute force. This is not a strong government. It's a rotten government which is failing. The only thing it wants to do is to cling to power."

Opposition leaders have called for more anti-government protests. Four months of protests have often erupted into violence, leaving more than 120 people dead.

The United States has already imposed sanctions on Maduro and more could be on the way. The U.S., Canada, the European Union, and nearly every Latin American country have said they do not recognize the new constituent assembly.

The collapse in global energy prices along with government corruption have destroyed Venezuela's oil-rich economy. Gasoline, medicine, and staple foods are in extremely short supply.

Maduro is blaming his country's problems on what he calls U.S. imperialism. He has said many times he wants peace, but has refused offers of help from the Organization of American States. Maduro has said OAS intervention would start a civil war.

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Bahraini Interior Minister Accuses Qatar of Spying on Country's Military Forces

Sputnik News

14:00 07.08.2017

Bahrain's Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa stated that Qatar continues to interfere in the domestic affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain and spies on its security and military forces, which threatens Bahraini national security.

DUBAI (Sputnik)  Bahrain's Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa on Monday accused Qatar of interfering in the country's internal affairs and spying on its security forces.

"Qatar continues to interfere in the domestic affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain and spies on its security and military forces, which threatens Bahraini national security," Al Khalifa said in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.

According to the minister, Doha continues to undermine security of the four nations with which it is currently involved in a diplomatic row by "sticking to its policy of taking unilateral decisions, accepting and harboring terrorists and extremists."

In June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt broke off diplomatic relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs. Kuwait, acting as a mediator in the crisis, handed over the 13 demands of the four Arab states, which Doha has refused to comply with.

 Sputnik

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Swedish Defense Minister Backs Military Build-Up Without NATO Membership

Sputnik News

10:09 07.08.2017(updated 13:48 07.08.2017)

The Swedish defense minister said on Monday that the countries that choose to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) contribute to growing military tensions worldwide, adding that they should opt for developing multilateral cooperation.

TOKYO (Sputnik)  Sweden's Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist said Monday that he supports efforts of individual states to build up their militaries and boost cooperation, but also believes that, with regard to Sweden, membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was not necessary.

"At this moment the best strategy is separate development of each country's military capabilities, deepening of bilateral and multilateral cooperation In case of applying for NATO [membership], the regional tensions will increase," Hultqvist told Japanese Asahi newspaper.

Hultqvist stressed that there was no need for "experiments" to ensure safety.

Sweden is known to be a neutral country, sticking to the principle of non-alignment with NATO. Meanwhile, Japan has also started boosting its military capabilities amid the looming North Korean threat, an issue which is becoming more pressing with each missile test reported over recent months. In July alone, North Korea tested intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) twice.

 Sputnik

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On eve of elections, UN experts call on Kenyan authorities to ensure peaceful polls

7 August 2017  The Government of Kenya should urge all parties to maintain the highest standards of behaviour before, during and after Tuesday's general elections to avoid a repeat of the violence that took place in 2007, three United Nations human rights experts have said.

"We call on the Kenyan authorities to do their utmost to ensure peaceful elections, as well as a free and fair voting process tomorrow," said the Special Rapporteurs on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Annalisa Ciampi, on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, and on summary executions, Agnes Callamard.

"Respect for people's fundamental rights and freedoms  including the right to vote, freedom of expression, association and assembly  are the key to free and fair elections and public participation," they noted in a joint statement on the eve of the polls to elect the president and members of parliament, among others.

Since 2007, when the country plunged into bloodshed over disputed election results, "Kenya had made significant progress in strengthening democracy, human rights and the rule of law," they said, noting it had taken important steps towards peacefully resolving tensions in the context of elections.

"However, in the light of recent incidents of political violence, the rise of hate speech and prevailing tensions, we emphasize the importance of all those involved in the process to commit themselves to peaceful conduct during and after elections," they said.

"We also call on their supporters to remain peaceful and refrain from any incitement to violence," added the experts.

The Special Rapporteurs welcomed the Government's commitment not to shut down the internet, urging the authorities to ensure that media and civil society could report on and scrutinize the poll unhindered.

They also highlighted the responsibility of security forces to facilitate the holding of peaceful demonstrations, and to hold constructive dialogue with protesters in an effort to defuse any tensions.

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UN: Inquiries Ongoing into Reports of Afghan Civilian Massacre

By Ayaz Gul August 07, 2017

The United Nations says it is looking into reports insurgents have massacred dozens of people, mostly civilians, in northern Afghanistan in recent days.

Local authorities say the incident took place Saturday after the Taliban attacked and overran Mirza Olang village in the province of Sar-e Pul.

The provincial governor accused the Islamist insurgency of torching houses of civilians and killing more than 40 people, including women and children.

The victims belonged to the minority Shi'ite Hazara community and some of them were reportedly beheaded.

"Our inquiries are ongoing," a spokesperson for the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) told VOA Monday. Liam McDowall added the mission is seeking clarity on "a range of important matters" before issuing public remarks on the incident.

A Taliban spokesman has rejected the official claims as "baseless enemy propaganda," saying the group had nothing to do with the incident.

The village is part of the Sayaad district where Islamic State militants are also fighting Afghan security forces.

Some provincial officials say Taliban and IS fighters jointly attacked the villagers.

The Taliban rejected the allegations, saying it considers IS an enemy force and asserted the militants are not present in the Afghan province.

Afghan officials in Kabul say that reinforcements are being dispatched to the conflict zone to evict the Taliban from the area.

Hostilities have intensified across Afghanistan this year, with civilians bearing the brunt of the conflict, according to UNAMA.

The agency documented around 1,700 deaths of Afghan civilians in conflict-related incidents and injuries to nearly 3,600, in the first half of 2017.

US strategy

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is working on a new strategy for Afghanistan to try to help Afghan security forces reverse insurgent gains and improve national security.

The strategy, however is facing delays in the wake of reported divisions over how to conduct and win the longest war in U.S. history.

Last week, the director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Mike Pompeo, made an unannounced visit to Kabul for more talks with President Ashraf Ghani and other Afghan officials on bilateral cooperation.

Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah informed a routine ministerial council meeting about the CIA chief's visit but gave no further details.

The U.S. Embassy, meanwhile, announced Monday that Alice Wells, the acting special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, concluded a two-day visit to Kabul.

She met with Ghani, Abdullah and other top government officials to discuss issues of mutual importance and bilateral cooperation, the statement said.

"Ambassador Wells underscored U.S. support for Afghanistan's economic and political modernization, stability, and efforts to promote national reconciliation," it added.

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Venezuela's Armed Forces Crush Assault on Base Led by Renegade Soldier

By VOA News August 07, 2017

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Sunday his armed forces crushed a brief attack on a military base led by a rebellious former army officer.

Maduro declared the attack was an act of terrorism financed by the United States and Colombia, but he gave no evidence for that claim in a regular Sunday evening television broadcast.

At least two of the intruders were killed during a firefight early Sunday with military units that overwhelmed the rebels at a base near the city of Valencia, in central Venezuela.

Accounts from Maduro and other Venezuelan officials indicated about 20 people took part in the assault on the Paramacay military base.

Ten of them fled before Venezuelan army units arrived, some carrying off arms, while those left behind exchanged gunfire with soldiers until about 8 a.m. before all were either killed or captured.

Uprising leader turns to social media

Maduro said "an active manhunt" was underway for those who escaped.

"I can't say it another way," Maduro said during his TV appearance. "It is an attack against the armed forces." He congratulated army units that "responded in a united manner, with ... decisiveness."

An army officer who identified himself as Captain Juan Caguaripano posted a video on social media in which he was surrounded by more than a dozen men in military garb, apparently members of the uprising. He declared himself to be in "legitimate rebellion" against what he calls Maduro's "murderous tyranny."

"We clarify this is not a coup d'etat. This is a civilian and military action to restore the constitutional order and, more than that, to save the country from total destruction," Caguaripano declared. He is said to be a deserter from the army who has the support of "right-wing extremists."

Police disperse protesters

Some residents of Valencia demonstrated in support of the attackers, but were dispersed by police.

Four months of anti-government protests have killed more than 120 Venezuelans. The country's social and political turmoil worsened last week when Maduro swore in a hugely unpopular constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution. The assembly has already made its first major move, dismissing Attorney General Luisa Ortega, a former Maduro ally turned vociferous opponent.

The government claims 8 million people voted on July 30 to elect the new assembly's 545 members. The opposition, which voters to boycott the election, said turnout was less than half as much as the government claimed. In addition, pre-election opinion polls showed about 70 percent of Venezuelans opposed the assembly.

Changes will bring peace, stability?

Maduro has said a new constitution will bring peace and stability. The opposition said the constituent assembly is packed with Maduro supporters  including his wife and son  and predicted it will try to dissolve the opposition-led national assembly and turn Venezuela into a socialist dictatorship.

"Each step by the constituent assembly is a step toward the precipice by this government," the opposition's parliamentary president, Julio Borges, said Sunday. "The only thing it has left is brute force. This is not a strong government. It's a rotten government which is failing. The only thing it wants to do is to cling to power."

The United States has already imposed sanctions on Maduro and more could be on the way. The U.S., Canada, the European Union, and nearly all Latin American countries have refused to recognize the new constituent assembly.

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Level of terrorist threat in France very high: Interior min.

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 6, 2017 10:13AM

French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb says the level of the terrorist threat in the country is "very high" as over 270 French nationals who have fought alongside Daesh in Iraq and Syria have returned home.

The French minister said in an interview with the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche on Sunday that France had seen 271 homegrown militants return from war zones in Iraq and Syria.

He said that the number included 217 adults and 54 minors, with "some" currently in detention.

Collomb revealed that an estimated 700 French militants had traveled to Iraq and Syria over the past years and that his country was wrestling with how to handle the flow of the radicals back to the European country.

He provided no information on the number of the French militants killed in the two war-stricken countries.

Collomb further said that more than 18,500 people were also being flagged under a preventative monitoring system for radicalized behavior in the country.

France has been on high alert since January 2015, when a Daesh attack killed 12 people in Paris.

Later, in November 2015, coordinated terrorist attacks by Daesh in Paris and Saint-Denis, a northern Parisian suburb, left 130 people dead and over 360 others injured. An attack in Nice claimed at least 84 lives in July last year, when a truck driven by a Daesh sympathizer plowed through crowds during Bastille Day celebrations.

Terrorists were also involved in two incidents this year, targeting police in the French capital.

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Pakistan Dismisses US Assertions Fighting Terrorism 'Selectively'

By Ayaz Gul August 06, 2017

Pakistan has dismissed latest U.S. assertions it is "selectively" fighting terrorist groups or allowing insurgents to use Pakistani soil for plotting attacks against Afghanistan.

U.S. National Security Adviser McMaster told an American news station Saturday that the Trump administration wants regional countries, particularly Pakistan to stop providing "safe haven and support bases" to the Taliban and Haqqani Network.

"Pakistan has taken action against all the terrorist elements without discrimination. We have never allowed nor will anybody ever be allowed to use Pakistan's soil against any other country," Foreign Ministry spokesman Nafees Zakaria told VOA when asked for his comments on McMaster's assertions.

The spokesman went on to say that Pakistan and the United States have been cooperating in counterterrorism such such issues came under discussion when the acting American envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan visited Islamabad last week.

"We have clarity in this regard, having suffered unparalleled loss of lives of tens of thousands of our citizens and billions of dollars to Pakistan's economy that we have to eradicate the menace completely and we shall continue to fight the terrorists, irrespective," Zakaria said.

Afghan and U.S. officials have long alleged that Pakistani security forces are fighting anti-state militant groups on their soil but not moving against insurgents plotting cross-border attacks. McMaster in his Saturday's interview reiterated those concerns.

"This is, of course, you know, a very paradoxical situation, right, where Pakistan is taking great losses. They have fought very hard against these groups, but they've done so really only selectively," he said.

President Trump's administration has not yet announced details of its new Afghan strategy and McMaster also declined to discuss any details, though he asserted the president has taken some important decisions.

The strategy is reportedly also exploring a new approach towards Pakistan that could see more U.S. pressure to address the issue of militant safe havens, expanding drone strikes, reducing aid to Islamabad and downgrading Pakistan's status as a major non-NATO ally.

Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman, Dawlat Waziri has welcomed McMaster's comments on safe havens in Pakistan. He told VOA the Afghan government has long maintained that without ending the sanctuaries on the other side of the border, the war in Afghanistan will not end.

"The U.S. review for the region including Pakistan is still ongoing and we shall await its outcome," said Zakaria.

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UNSC votes unanimously for stricter anti-North Korea sanctions

Iran Press TV

Sat Aug 5, 2017 9:2PM

The United Nations Security Council has unanimously voted in favor of a US-drafted resolution significantly bolstering its anti-North Korea sanctions.

The fresh sanctions, which were adopted on Saturday, include an export ban on the North that could curb its annual revenue by some $1 billion.

The sanction blocks all exports of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore, as well as fish and seafood from the country over its recent missile tests.

It also blocks North Korean from increasing the number of workers it sends abroad, and prevents new joint ventures with Pyongyang or increasing investments in current ventures.

North Korea is under mounting international pressure over its missile and nuclear development programs, but it says it needs to continue and develop its missile force as a deterrent to defend the nation in the face of the US and its regional allies' hegemony. On the 4th of July, the US Independence Day, Pyongyang test-fired an ICBM capable of delivering a "large, heavy nuclear warhead" to the US continent.

Further action is required: US

"We should not fool ourselves into thinking we have solved the problem. Not even close. The North Korean threat has not left us, it is rapidly growing more dangerous," said US Ambassador to UN Nikki Haley after the vote.

"Further action is required. The United States is taking and will continue to take prudent defensive measures to protect ourselves and our allies," she noted.

China calls on N Korea to cease provocative actions

After the vote, China's UN Ambassador Liu Jieyi called on Pyongyang to "cease taking actions that might further escalate tensions."

He also called for stopping of the deployment of the US's THAAD missile system in South Korea and for the dismantling of the already installed equipment.

"The deployment of the THAAD system will not bring a solution to the issue of (North Korea's) nuclear testing and missile launches," he stressed.

South Korea decided to host the missile system last year under ousted president Park Geun-hye to deter perceived threats from North Korea.

The first pieces of the missile system started arriving at the Osan Air Base in South Korea in March with the approval of Seoul's then-caretaker administration.

China has angrily objected to the deployment of the missile system so close to its borders and has repeatedly called on Washington and Seoul to remove it.

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UN Security Council toughens sanctions on DPR Korea over ballistic missile launches

5 August 2017  In response to the launches of ballistic missiles of possible intercontinental range by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United Nations Security Council today moved to strengthen sanctions on the Northeast Asian country's exports.

In a resolution adopted unanimously, the 15-member body strongly condemned the DPRK's ballistic missile launches on 3 July and 28 July, which the country has stated were of "intercontinental" range.

The Council reaffirmed previous Council decisions that the DPRK not conduct further launches using ballistic missile technology, nuclear tests, or any other provocation.

The Council moved to significantly strengthen the sanctions on the DPRK, imposing a full ban on the export of coal, iron and iron ore from the DPRK. Previously these items could be exported for livelihood purposes, for a limited amount.

The Council also prohibited countries from increasing the total number of work authorizations for DPRK nationals. It banned new joint ventures or cooperative entities with DPRK entities or individuals as well as additional investments in existing joint ventures.

Member States are requested to report to the Security Council, within 90 days of the adoption of this resolution, on concrete measures they have taken to effectively implement this resolution.

The Council also designated several additional individuals for a travel ban and assets freeze, as well as designating entities for an assets freeze.

On the political front, the Council calls for resumption of the Six-Party Talks and reiterated its support for the commitments set forth in the Joint Statement of 19 September 2005 issued by China, the DPRK, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States.

The commitments included that the goal of the Six-Party Talks is the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner, and that the United States and the DPRK respect each other's sovereignty and exist together peacefully.

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UN Security Council slaps new sanctions on DPRK over missile launch

People's Daily Online

(Chinadaily.com.cn) 15:00, August 06, 2017

China has urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to abide by UN Security Council resolutions after the council imposed new sanctions on the country over its recent missile launches.

The new sanctions, agreed to on Saturday, are expected to cut one-third of the DPRK's $3 billion annual export revenues.

"China urged the DPRK to abide by relevant UN Security Council resolutions and cease to take actions that might further escalate tensions on the peninsula," China's Ambassador to the UN Liu Jieyi said after the vote at the UN headquarters in New York.

"We hope relevant parties will immediately take effective actions to prevent the situation from further escalation, create conditions for the resumption of talks and make efforts to bring the issue at the earliest date, back to the right track of seeking a peaceful solution through dialogue and consultation."

The US-drafted resolution was adopted unanimously by the 15-member Security Council. It bans all exports of DPRK's coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. It prohibits new joint ventures or cooperative commercial entities with DPRK and additional investment in existing ones. It also bans countries from accepting additional numbers of laborers from DPRK.

The sanction also blacklisted nine DPRK individuals operating abroad as representatives of designated entities. Their assets have been frozen and a travel ban is in force.

Four DPRK commercial entities have also had their assets frozen.

DPRK launched two intercontinental ballistic missiles on July 3 and July 28.

China opposed the DPRK's launches which are in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and against the will of the entire international community, Liu said.

"China has always insisted on realizing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula and seeking a solution through dialogue and consultation. China has opposed chaos and conflicts on the Korean Peninsula," Liu said, adding that these are what the Resolution 2371 was all about

The fact the resolution was adopted unanimously demonstrates that the international community is united in its position regarding the nuclear issue on the peninsula, he said.

The new resolution, as Liu put it, has three components: further sanctions against DPRK's nuclear programs; no intention to have adverse effect on activities that are not prohibited by the resolution, such as economic activities and cooperation, food and humanitarian aid; calling for resumption of Six-Party Talks, expressing commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation and stressing the importance of working to reduce the tension in the peninsula.

"All parties should implement the provisions in the resolution fully and earnestly," Liu said.

This resolution is the single largest economic sanctions package ever leveled against the DPRK, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said.

"The resolution we've passed is a strong, united step toward holding North Korea accountable for its behavior," Haley said. "The US is taking  and will continue to take  prudent defensive measures to protect ourselves and our allies."

She said the US' joint military exercises with the Republic of Korea will continue.

China hopes the "realistic and feasible" China-Russia joint initiative, which put forward a road map for resolving the nuclear issue on the peninsula, can get response and support from relevant parties, Liu said.

The joint initiative issued on July 4 is based on China's proposal for a dual track approach and "suspension for suspension initiative" and Russia's step-by-step approach.

Dual track urges advancing denuclearization of the peninsula while establishing peace mechanism on the peninsula. The "Suspension for suspension initiative" calls for DPRK's suspension of its nuclear programs and suspension of large-scale military exercises by the US and the ROK.

Liu said that China has noted recent remarks from the United States that it's not seeking a regime change nor a regime collapse in the DPRK, it's in no hurry to push for the reunification of the peninsula and its troops will not cross the 38th parallel north.

"It's our hope that the US side will translate these four notes into concrete policies toward the DPRK," Liu said.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last week said that the US is willing to sit down for talks with the DPRK on the condition that it gives up its nuclear programs.

At the meeting, Liu also urged a halt to the US missile defence system deployment process in the Republic of Korea and dismantling of related equipment.

"The deployment of THAAD will not bring a solution to the issue of DPRK's nuclear tests and missile launching," he said. "It will seriously undermine the strategic balance of the region and is detrimental to the strategic security interests of countries in the region including China."

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Trump praises China, Russia for helping with North Korea sanctions

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 6, 2017 2:41PM

US President Donald Trump has expressed his appreciation to Russia and China for voting in favor of the United Nations' new sanctions against North Korea, the White House says.

"President Donald J. Trump commends the United Nations Security Council for passing a new resolution that increases sanctions on North Korea in response to its recent ballistic missile tests," the White House press secretary's office said in a statement on Saturday.

"The President appreciates China's and Russia's cooperation in securing passage of this resolution," it added.

Earlier in the day, the UNSC voted unanimously in favor of a sanction package that is expected to slash Pyongyang's annual revenue by around $1 billion, or one-third.

The measure blocks all exports of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore, as well as fish and seafood from the North.

The Trump administration had been pressuring China, the North's main trade ally, to agree with tougher sanctions against the neighboring country.

The Republican president took to his twitter account on Saturday to express his excitement over the new penalties.

"The United Nations Security Council just voted 15-0 to sanction North Korea. China and Russia voted with us. Very big financial impact!" he wrote, calling the measure "the single largest economic sanctions package ever on North Korea."

Russia and China were resisting US calls for new sanctions, saying they would only agree when the North obtains the required technology to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), Reuters reported, citing diplomatic sources.

Unlike Washington, Beijing and Moscow argue that Pyongyang has yet to master the know-how.

On July 28, Pyongyang successfully tested a Hwasong-14 missile, which American officials claimed was capable of hitting targets in "most of the US."

Tillerson hails UNSC bans

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also expressed his satisfaction with the new trade embargoes.

"It was a good outcome," Tillerson told reporters with a smile during a meeting with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha of South Korea in Manila before an annual summit hosted by Southeast Asian countries collectively known as ASEAN.

Following the new UNSC bans, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged North Korea "to make the right and smart decision."

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After voting for sanctions, China tells North Korea to act 'smart'

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 6, 2017 9:58AM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged North Korea to act "smart," following the imposition of harsh sanctions on Pyongyang by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which includes North Korean ally Beijing.

The onus is on Pyongyang "to make the right and smart decision," Wang said on Sunday after holding talks with his North Korean counterpart Ri Hong-yo.

"We actually had very thorough talks," Wang said, adding "The Chinese side urged the North Korean side to calmly handle the resolutions the UN Security Council just made towards North Korea and to not do anything unbeneficial towards the international community such as a nuclear test."

Wang, who was speaking to reporters ahead of a regional security forum in the Philippine capital, Manila, voiced Beijing's support for the latest US-drafted sanctions but simultaneously emphasized diplomacy.

He called for the resumption of the talks that used to involve South Korea, North Korea, the United States, China, Russia, and Japan  all of whom are present in Manila to participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum  in an effort to find a peaceful solution to the Korean issue.

"It's not that easy but it is a direction we need to work together towards," Wang said of the six-country talks, which used to be hosted by China and were stopped in 2009.

The UNSC on Saturday unanimously passed a US-drafted sanctions resolution against North Korea over its missile and nuclear military programs. China, which is a permanent member of the UNSC with a veto power, opted to vote for the sanctions.

"Only dialog and negotiation is the correct way out to address the Korean Peninsula issue," the Chinese foreign minister said in his Sunday remarks, however.

Wang did not disclose what Ri had told him during their meeting.

The US-drafted resolution imposed a full ban on North Korea's exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, and lead ore, as well as fish and seafood. The sanctions are meant to deprive Pyongyang of $1 billion in annual revenue.

The sweeping measures were the first of their scope to be imposed on North Korea since US President Donald Trump took office. Trump had been stressing how China could play a large role in containing North Korea.

The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, expressed satisfaction with the new sanctions, saying it increased pressure on Pyongyang to a new level.

Tillerson in Manila

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is in the Philippines to attend the annual ASEAN summit, has no plans to hold talks with Ri, his aides have said.

However, Tillerson is expected to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart Wang, who are both perceived by Washington to be players in the North Korean issue.

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China: Situation 'critical' after new North Korea sanctions

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 6, 2017 9:47AM

China says the situation in the Korean Peninsula is now at a "critical juncture" after the UN Security Council on Saturday approved new US-drafted sanctions on North Korea.

The new sanctions could slash by a third North Korea's $3 billion annual export revenue as it bans the country's exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore, and seafood and prohibits countries from hiring North Korean laborers.

North Korea has been under UN sanctions since 2006 but they have failed to dissuade the country from pursuing its ballistic missile and nuclear programs which it views as a deterrent against possible military invasion by the US and its regional allies.

On Saturday, White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said the United States is preparing for all options, including a "preemptive war," to stop North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

Tensions have escalated under President Donald Trump threatening a war and sending B-1 bombers capable of nuclear attacks near the North Korean border which has enraged Pyongyang.

US Sen. Lindsey Graham said last week that President Trump was willing to go to war with North Korea to stop it from being able to hit the American mainland with a nuclear weapon.

Last month, North Korea North Korea tested intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) which US experts acknowledged for the first time that could hit many parts of the United States.

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, whose country voted for the new sanctions, on Sunday warned against any move which could escalate the crisis further, urging diplomatic and peaceful means to avoid tensions.

He called on all parties involved to seriously consider China's dual suspension proposal, whereby North Korea halts its nuclear and missile tests and for South Korea and the United States to stop joint military drills.

"This is currently the most realistic and plausible initiative and it is the most reasonable and friendly solution," he said.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley ruled that out on Saturday, saying Washington would continue to take "prudent defensive measures," including joint military drills with South Korea.

Wang said there was now a "high level of sensitivity and complexity" that had hurt China's relations with North Korea.

Trump has been pressuring Beijing to act against Pyongyang, calling past American leaders "foolish" who had allegedly allowed China to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year in trade and yet do nothing for the US with North Korea.

On Saturday, the tough-talking Trump commended China and Russia for their support on the US-drafted resolution ramping up sanctions on North Korea, saying he "appreciates" their votes.

It is not clear yet how North Korea will respond to the votes. On Sunday, China's foreign minister met his North Korean counterpart Ri Hong-Yo in the Philippine capital Manila and urged Pyongyang to make a "smart decision."

Wang called for a resumption of the stalled six-nation talks -- hosted by China and including the United States, Japan, Russia as well as the two Koreas.

"It's not that easy but it is a direction we need to work together towards," Wang said of the six-nation talks. "Only dialog and negotiation is the correct way out to address the Korean peninsula issue."

Washington, however, stuck to its tough tone, with Ambassador Haley saying the stiffer measures had brought sanctions on North Korea "to a whole new level" and put North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un "on notice".

Trump signed a congressional bill into law on Wednesday, imposing tougher sanctions against North Korea along with Russia, and Iran. China reacted to the measure, saying it was opposed to the new law.

South Korea also sought to tone down the harsh rhetoric by its ally, with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha expressing hope that the two Koreas could hold negotiations.

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US preparing for 'preemptive war' against North Korea: McMaster

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 6, 2017 3:43AM

The United States is preparing for all options, including a "preemptive war," to stop North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, says White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.

Asked by MSNBC's Hugh Hewitt in an interview on Saturday whether the US was planning to take military action against Pyongyang, McMaster said all options were under discussion.

"What you're asking is, are we preparing plans for a preventive war, right?" he said in response. "A war that would prevent North Korea from threatening the United States with a nuclear weapon?"

McMaster said President Donald Trump has been very clear that the US will not tolerate "North Korea being able to threaten the United States."

"If they have nuclear weapons that can threaten the United States, it's intolerable from the president's perspective. So of course, we have to provide all options to do that. And that includes a military option."

The comments came following two tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) by Pyongyang last month. North Korea claimed that its latest missile, test-fired on July 4, can deliver a "large, heavy nuclear warhead" to the US continent.

"I'm not going to confirm [whether the latest ICBM could reach anywhere in the US] but whether it could reach San Francisco or Pittsburgh or Washington, I mean how much does that matter? It's a grave threat," McMaster said.

"It's impossible to overstate the danger associated with a rogue, brutal regime," Trump's adviser added.

McMaster, however, acknowledged that any military strike against Pyongyang could result in a "very costly war" that would cause immense "suffering of mainly the South Korean people."

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Tuesday that Trump had told him he was prepared to launch a devastating war to destroy North Korea rather than allow it to develop a long-range nuclear-armed missile.

"There is a military option: To destroy North Korea's program and North Korea itself," Graham told NBC's Today Show, describing his discussions with Trump.

North Korea is under mounting international pressure over its missile and nuclear development programs, but it says it needs to continue and develop its missile force as a deterrent to defend the nation in the face of a possible military invasion by the US and its regional allies.

In recent weeks, the US has ratcheted up the rhetoric against the North and drafted a United Nations Security Council resolution that seeks to cut the country's $3 billion annual export revenue by a third. The council unanimously adopted the sanctions resolution on Saturday.

"We should not fool ourselves into thinking we have solved the problem. Not even close. The North Korean threat has not left us, it is rapidly growing more dangerous," Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, said after the vote.

The new sanctions block all exports of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore, as well as fish and seafood from the country over its recent missile tests.

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Japan's Foreign Ministry Urges ASEAN to Increase Pressure on N Korea

Sputnik News

20:38 06.08.2017

Japan urges the ASEAN to the increase of pressure on North Korea amid its nuclear and weapons program, the deputy press secretary of the Japanese Foreign Ministry said Sunday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Japan urges the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to shift from dialogue to the increase of pressure on North Korea to force Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear and weapons program, the deputy press secretary of the Japanese Foreign Ministry said Sunday.

On Saturday, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted the resolution tightening the economic sanctions against North Korea in response to July's launches of ballistic missiles by Pyongyang.

"Now is not the time for dialogue, but a time to increase pressure on North Korea so they will take concrete actions towards denuclearization," Toshihide Ando said as quoted by the Philippine ABS CNB news outlet.

The outlet citing Ando also reported that some ASEAN foreign ministers had agreed with Japan's call to tighten the sanctions against North Korea. The diplomat has not specified what countries had supported Tokyo's position, the outlet added.

Ando made his remarks during the press conference after the ASEAN-Japan ministerial meeting which had taken place in the Philippine capital of Manila earlier on Sunday as part of the wider agenda of the ASEAN events.

The new UNSC's sanctions include the full ban on the export of coal, iron and iron ore from the North Korea. The restrictions are also imposed on the increase of the number of work authorizations for the North Korean nations by the UN member states. The new resolution also bans investment activities in relation to North Korea, such as joint ventures, and designates several additional individuals for a travel ban and assets freeze, as well as imposes an assets freeze on some entities.

The UNSC has repeatedly adopted resolutions condemning North Korea's nuclear and missile tests and urging Pyongyang to denuclearize. Despite that, Pyongyang has continued developing its nuclear and weapons program.

 Sputnik

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Escalation on Korean Peninsula Due to US Military Buildup Unacceptable - Lavrov

Sputnik News

16:34 06.08.2017(updated 19:14 06.08.2017)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during their meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN forum in Manila that the escalation of tensions resulting from the US military buildup in the Korean Peninsula is unacceptable.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  During the bilateral meeting in the Philippines, Lavrov and Tillerson discussed the situation around North Korea, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Lavrov "noted the unacceptability of the escalation of tensions resulting from the US military buildup in the area of the Korean Peninsula," the statement added.

Lavrov reminded of common Russian-Chinese initiative for the Korean settlement, saying that it contains support for the Russian proposal to develop a roadmap of gradual restoration of trust and building conditions to resume the six-party talks.

"We agreed to promote the concept in practice, including in the United Nations," Lavrov said.

In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow and Beijing would promote their common initiative regarding settlement of North Korean situation, which is based on the Russian step-by-step plan of the settlement and China's proposal of "double freeze," which implies end of North Korea's nuclear and missile tests, as well as of joint military drills of South Korea and the United States.

On Saturday, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted the resolution 2371, tightening the sanctions imposed on North Korea. The document bans imports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead and seafood from the Asian nation by the UN member states. After the resolution was adopted, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said that potential reckless military activities regarding North Korea carried out by anyone will result in a disaster for both regional and global stability.

Earlier this week, media reports suggested that US aircraft carriers may be headed to Korean waters for forward deployment, however, the Pentagon hasn't confirmed the information yet.

 Sputnik

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China Urges All Sides in N Korean Crisis to Act Responsively After Sanctions

Sputnik News

09:51 06.08.2017(updated 10:06 06.08.2017)

The Chinese foreign minister called on all sides of the North Korean crisis to act responsively to avoid escalation.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The situation with settlement of the nuclear problem of the Korean peninsula is at a critical point after adoption of sanctions, therefore all parties must act responsively to avoid escalation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday.

"After adoption of this resolution the situation with the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula arrived at a critical point. We urge all parties to show responsive approach to making decisions in order to avoid further escalation," Wang told reporters in Manila.

The minister added that China is "still looking for a way to solve this problem through negotiations and hopes that all parties could seriously consider and approve the initiative of 'double suspension,' which was proposed by Beijing and is the most effective and reasonable."

The "double suspension" strategy calls on North Korea to end its nuclear and missile tests, while South Korea and the United Nations are supposed to end their joint military drills to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Moreover, the minister urged North Korea to abide by UN Security Council resolutions.

"Chinese party called on North Korea to abstain from any actions violating UN Security Council resolutions, and called on the United States and South Korea not to exacerbate the situations on the Korean peninsula," the statement said.

According to the ministry, Wang noted that the current situation on the peninsula is "extremely complicated and sensitive, and affects bilateral relations between China and North Korea."

Late on Saturday, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted the resolution tightening the sanctions imposed on North Korea. The document bans imports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead and seafood from the Asian nation by the UN member states.

North Korea conducted two tests of an intercontinental ballistic missile in July. The second test, carried out on July 28, was called successful by Pyongyang. According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the missile reached the altitude of 3,725 kilometers (2,314 miles) and traveled 998 kilometers for about 47 minutes before falling in the Sea of Japan.

 Sputnik

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German party rejects US pressure on defense budget

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 6, 2017 5:0AM

One of Germany's two major political parties has rejected pressure by the United States to increase the European powerhouse's defense spending in line with membership rules in the NATO military alliance.

Two leaders with the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), Martin Schulz and Thomas Oppermann, said in a joint article in the Funke Mediengruppe newspaper on Sunday that Germany should not bow to pressure to raise its defense spending to two percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).

"We say a clear no to the 'two-percent target' of [US President Donald] Trump and the CDU/CSU," they said, referring to the Christian Democrat Union of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and its Bavarian sister party.

"It's not only non-realistic, it is simply the wrong goal," added Schulz and Oppermann.

Schulz is the leader of the SPD and plans to challenge long-time Chancellor Merkel in upcoming national elections next month. Oppermann heads the SPD in parliament.

The two politicians also blasted Merkel for what they said was submissive behavior toward Trump regarding the defense spending target.

"Merkel and the CDU/CSU make themselves small vis-a-vis Donald Trump when they answer his provocations around the two-percent target by saying, 'Okay, fine, we'll put in more money,'" they wrote.

Schulz and Oppermann argued in the article that in order to meet the target, Germany would have to nearly double its current military budget, which they said would make German military the largest in Europe.

That was something "no one could want," they said, given Germany's infamous Nazi history.

General elections will be held in Germany on September 24 to elect the members of the 19th Bundestag. The SPD is lagging behind Merkel's Christian Democrats in the polls by 15 percentage points but believes it has a fighting chance.

Schulz, a former president of the European Parliament, has previously described Trump as a "risk to the whole world" and "far worse" than expected.

He has told German media that he would do better than Merkel as chancellor in defending Germany, the EU, and the world against Trump's "merciless nepotism."

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Iran's missile program does not breach UN resolution: Foreign Ministry

Iran Press TV

Mon Aug 7, 2017 9:23AM

Iran's missile program is defensive in nature and not in violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2231, says the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

"The issue of the Iranian missile [program] is an entirely defensive and deterrent matter and in no way contravenes Resolution 2231," said Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi in his weekly press briefing on Monday.

Resolution 2231 was adopted by the UNSC in July 2015 to endorse a nuclear agreement between Iran and six other countries, the so-called P5+1.

The UNSC document terminated the provisions of seven previous UNSC resolutions against Iran, some of which had imposed restrictions on Iranian missile activities. Such activities are not prohibited under the newer document, which merely calls on Iran "to refrain from any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons."

Iran says it has no such warheads and no such missiles. It has put its nuclear program under enhanced international monitoring as part of the nuclear deal. And Iranian compliance with the deal has been consistently verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Yet, the United States, a party to the agreement, has attempted to portray Iranian missile tests as a violation of the resolution.

While it has failed to get other countries on board, in main part because the text of the resolution is unambiguous, Washington has not stopped claiming that the Iranian missile program breaches Resolution 2231.

Such claims, Qassemi said in his Monday presser, were "unwarranted" and were "often made because of... [the accusers'] ill will toward Iran's might, particularly its defensive power."

Responding to a question about the potential violations of the nuclear deal by the US, Qassemi said Iranian decisions on whether violations had occurred rested with the high-level Supervisory Board that has been formed to monitor the implementation of the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

He said decisions in that regard were technical and the Supervisory Board would be making relevant comments in the due time.

Iran and the P5+1 countries (Russia, the US, the UK, China, Britain, and France) reached the JCPOA on July 14, 2015 and began implementing it in January 2016.

Iran has been complaining that the US, under the administration of its new president, has been seeking to sabotage international trade with Iran. This is while according to the deal, the US must "refrain from any policy specifically intended to directly and adversely affect the normalisation of trade and economic relations with Iran."

The US has also imposed sanctions on Iran over the country's missile activities, including most recently on July 28.

Qassemi said that Iran and the US harbored mistrust of one another and that the recent measures adopted by Washington further deepened Tehran's mistrust.

'Banking difficulties persist'

A reporter asked Qassemi what measures had been taken to end banking restrictions on Iran.

He explained that certain difficulties still existed because of various technical and political reasons.

"Problems with big banks are still there," he acknowledged, adding that "active economic diplomacy" was needed to facilitate banking transactions involving major banks.

'Iran not delaying Saudi delegation's visit'

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman also rejected media reports that Iran has been behind a delay in the planned trip by a Saudi Arabian delegation to the country to visit the sites of Saudi Arabia's former diplomatic perimeters.

He said visas had been issued for the Saudi delegates long before, and they were scheduled to arrive on a private jet. A permit had been issued for the flight at short notice but the Saudis could not be immediately notified because there were no direct communication channels, hence the delay, Qassemi said.

"They can travel to Tehran whenever they decide to," he said of the Saudi delegates. "There is no prohibition on their visit."

Iran, in the meanwhile, was awaiting the issuance of visas for its own delegation, which he said was due shortly.

Saudi Arabia severed its diplomatic relations with Iran in January 2016. Saudi Arabia had just executed a prominent Shia cleric back then, and protests were staged in front of the Saudi diplomatic premises in the cities of Tehran and Mashhad over the killing. A number of individuals attacked the two perimeters while they were vacant and caused some damage.

The attackers were arrested by Iran and received prison terms. But relations have remained tense.

'Iran holds superior status in region'

Qassemi said the huge turnout by foreign officials in the recent inauguration ceremony of President Hassan Rouhani signified "the world's new approach toward Iran."

Senior representatives, including presidents and prime ministers, from 105 countries and nine international organizations took part in the inauguration ceremony on Saturday.

Qassemi said the participation of that many officials was "a clear signal of the defeat of the policy of Iranophobia. And one could say we hold a superior position in the region."

'Sadr entitled to his opinion'

Qassemi was asked about a recent visit by Iraqi cleric Mudtada Sadr to Saudi Arabia and anti-Iran remarks he reportedly made after the trip.

The Iranian spokesman said trips by Iraqi figures were an internal Iraqi matter.

He added that Sadr could express his opinions, but, "one should not take seriously the comments he has made about Iran."

He said mistakes might have been made in reporting or translating Sadr's remarks and said he hoped no such things had actually been said.

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UN mission to gradually return to Libya: New envoy

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 6, 2017 8:16AM

The United Nation (UN)'s mission to Libya has announced that it will "gradually" return to the conflict-ridden country after leaving its headquarters in the capital, Tripoli, amid unrest and political violence in 2014.

Ghassan Salame, the newly-appointed UN envoy for Libya, made the remarks on Saturday during his first visit to the North African country and a press conference with Libya's UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj.

"The mission will work along with Libyan institutions with the aim of providing the required logistical and technical support," Salame said.

"I would like to inform Mr. al-Serraj and the Libyans that we are with them and on their side to work so that the next months and next year will be a year of stability in an independent, united Libya," he said.

"I have no illusions regarding the difficulties and challenges ahead but I am optimistic that Libya can emerge from this crisis soon," the UN official said.

Serraj, for his part, stressed the urgent need for a political solution to the Libyan crisis, saying, "We face major security, political, and economic challenges that need all parties to live up to their national responsibility."

Last month, Salame participated in French-brokered talks in Paris between Serraj and a rival, Khalifa Haftar, who is the chief of Libya's self-styled national army in eastern Libya.

Libya has been grappling with violence and political uncertainty since the oil-rich country's former dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, was deposed in 2011 and later killed by militants. A US-led NATO military intervention exacerbated the unrest at the time.

The conflict-plagued country has had two rival administrations since mid-2014, when militias overran the capital and forced the parliament to flee to the Libya's remote east.

Sarraj's Government of National Accord (GNA) has sought to unify powerful factions, but despite support from the United Nations, it has been struggling to assert its authority since it began work in Tripoli in March 2016.

A rival administration, which is based in Libya's remote east and with which Haftar is allied, refuses to recognize Sarraj's government.

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Lavrov: We Feel U.S. Readiness To Continue Dialogue

RFE/RL August 06, 2017

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on August 6 that he believed his American counterpart was ready to continue dialogue with Russia on complex issues despite bilateral tensions and the imposition of fresh U.S. sanctions against Moscow.

"We felt the readiness of our U.S. colleagues to continue dialogue. I think there's no alternative to that," Lavrov said after what he said was a lengthy meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) forum in Manila.

Lavrov told the media that U.S. President Donald Trump's special representative for Ukraine negotiations, Kurt Volker, will soon make his first trip to Moscow.

Lavrov said Volker, who was named in his position last month, will meet with Vladislav Surkov, the Russian envoy for the Ukraine crisis. Volker made his first trip to eastern Ukraine last month.

Lavrov also said that Tillerson agreed to continue a dialogue between U.S. Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov. That channel was created to address hot spots, but Russia suspended it after the U.S. tightened sanctions on Russia.

The U.S. side did not immediately comment on Lavrov's statements.

Earlier, Lavrov and Tillerson smiled and exchanged pleasantries but made no substantive remarks as journalists were allowed in briefly for the start of their meeting.

Both Tillerson and Lavrov ignored a shouted question about how the new sanctions might affect their discussions.

Trump on August 3 said on Twitter that Washington's "relationship with Russia is at an all-time & very dangerous low."

Those comments came a day after Trump signed new sanctions against Moscow, a move Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said amounted to a "full-scale trade war" against his country.

Trump and Tillerson opposed the sanctions package that Congress passed to make it harder for Trump to ever ease penalties on Russia.

Although Trump ultimately signed the bill, he called it "seriously flawed."

With reporting by Reuters an AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/tillerson-lavrov-manila -meeting-russia-sanctions/28661460.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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but NOBODY vetted Barack Obama after Barack Obama politicized his own mother's cancer

for his own political gain during the 2008 democratic race, and then again in the presidential debates.

Did Barack Obama tend to his own mother in any personal way

during her last couple of years of life, when she was dying of cancer in Hawaii?





If I am wrong, or can be proven wrong about my concern, then I will stand corrected.

But until then, the timeline I have been able to put together shows that Barack Obama

chose to finish writing his book instead of being with his mother.

With apologizes to the filmmaker for politicizing his film,Or, did Barack Obama CHOOSE to fly over Hawaii, where his mother was dying of cancer,so he could go to Bali to finish writing his book about his sperm donor father?
Syrian troops advance on Dayr al-Zawr after retaking city in Homs

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 6, 2017 8:3AM

Syrian government forces have made "significant progress" in their latest push against Daesh terrorists in the northern city of Raqqah and are advancing eastwards to the mostly militant-held Dayr al-Zawr Province, a monitoring group says.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Sunday that the pro-Damascus troops were now a few kilometers from Dayr al-Zawr.

"There is now just four kilometers between regime forces and the town of Madan, which is the last town controlled by IS (Daesh) in the Raqqah countryside," it added.

Daesh controls most of oil-rich Dayr al-Zawr Province, but the terror outfit is under pressure from Syrian forces advancing from the west.

The Syrian soldiers control a pocket of the provincial capital, Dayr al-Zawr, which has been under siege by Daesh for two years.

Dayr al-Zawr is one of the few remaining areas under the Daesh control as the terrorist group is losing ground in Raqqah, its de facto capital in Syria.

Some 600,000 people are estimated to be living in the Daesh-held parts of the province.

Earlier this week, reports said that the terrorist group had ordered all men between the ages of 20 and 30 in Dayr al-Zawr to refer themselves to Daesh centers for the fight against advancing Syrian forces.

"Anyone who fails to enlist within one week from this announcement will be forcibly deployed to the front lines," the order read.

On Saturday, the Syrian forces managed to wrest control over al-Sukhnah, the last Daesh-held town in the Homs Province.

The recapture of the town opened another route for government troops to advance towards Dayr al-Zawr.

The SOHR said at least 64 Daesh militants were killed in clashes with the pro-Damascus forces and airstrikes across Syria's Badia region on Saturday.

Over the past few months, Syrian army soldiers and allied fighters have made sweeping gains against Takfiri elements, which have in turn increased their acts of violence across the country.

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U.S. Envoy Says 2,000 IS Fighters Battling For Survival In Syrian Stronghold Of Raqqa

RFE/RL August 06, 2017

A senior U.S. official says about 2,000 Islamic State (IS) militants are battling for survival in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the extremists' last stronghold in the north of the country.

Brett McGurk, the U.S. special envoy for the international coalition fighting IS in Iraq and Syria, said a U.S.-led Arab-Kurdish alliance has captured about 45 percent of the city from the militants and is poised to move farther.

Separately, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on August 5 said Syrian government forces have captured Al-Sukhna, the last major town in Homs Province, from IS fighters as the military attempts to drive the militants out of the country's eastern regions.

Both developments are further signs of the diminishing fortunes of the militant group, which captured Raqqa, along with wide swathes of Syrian and Iraqi territory, from government forces in 2014 and declared an Islamic "caliphate" over land it controlled.

Offensives by U.S.-backed forces in recent months have reduced IS terrority substantially and led to the liberation of Mosul, the group's self-declared capital in Iraq.

McGurk said the extremists have lost 58% of the territory they held in Syria at their peak and 78% of what they controlled in Iraq.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), made up of Arab and Kurdish fighters and backed by U.S. forces, have been encircling Raqqa and advancing on the city since November. The offensive to take the city was launched on June 6.

"Today in Raqqa, (Islamic State) is fighting for every last block...and fighting for their own survival," McGurk told reporters.

"We estimate that there are about 2,000 ISIS fighters left in Raqqa," he added.

McGurk said the coalition has created a database of nearly 19,000 names of IS fighters by using cellphones, address books, and other documents retrieved on battlefields.

The information is being shared with Interpol, the international police agency, he said.

Figured released on July 16 by the Syrian Observatory show that the six-year civil war in the country has killed more than 330,000 people, including 99,617 civilians.

The United States and Turkey support varying rebel groups fighting against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, who is backed by Russia and Iran.

With reporting by the BBC, Reuters, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-syria-raqqa-islamic-state -assad-russia-turkey-iran/28661163.html

Copyright (c) 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Syrian Army Surrounds Largest Daesh Hotbed in Homs - Source

Sputnik News

16:19 06.08.2017(updated 19:37 06.08.2017)

The Syrian army supported by militia forces has surrounded the largest Daesh terrorist group's stronghold in the town of As Sukhnah located in the country's province of Homs, a local source told Sputnik on Sunday.

BEIRUT (Sputnik)  As Sukhnah is the largest Daesh hotbed in Homs and the last significant citadel of terrorists on the way to the besieged city of Deir ez-Zor.

"The [Syrian] army and its allies have surrounded As Sukhnah. They have not entered the town, but the offensive is ongoing and the clashes are on the outskirts of the settlement," the source said.

Another source told Sputnik later in the day that the clashes are underway in the city and the Syrian army continues attacking Daesh terrorists fleeing the area.

"The city has not been liberated completely yet," the source said.

A week ago, Khaled Alkhateb, a stringer working for the RT Arabic broadcaster, was killed in an anti-tank missile attack carried out by Daesh terrorists near a recently liberated settlement in As-Sukhnah, where fierce battles for its liberation were taking place.

On Saturday, the Syrian army supported by its Air Force repelled a Daesh attack on Deir ez-Zor.

Deir ez-Zor, located on the shores of the Euphrates River to the northeast of Damascus, and a military airfield near the city have been besieged by Daesh for over three years, with food and ammunition only being delivered by air.

 Sputnik

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Taiwan conducts air defense drill featuring GDF-006 anti-air guns

ROC Central News Agency

2017/08/06 14:36:25

Taipei, Aug. 6 (CNA) Troops from the Air Defense Artillery Command's 303rd battalion last Thursday conducted a drill simulating air-to-ground combat in the southern county of Pingtung to test their ability to handle aerial attacks during which a firing drill for the Oerlikon GDF-006 35mm anti-aircraft canon was conducted at night.

The drill was conducted at the Air Defense Artillery Training Center in Fangshan, a location for ground-to-air and ground-to-sea live fire practice.

The maximum firing range of the 35 mm GDF-006 can reach up to 11 kilometers and the maximum effective distance is about 4km. The rate of fire is 1,100 rounds per minute, according to data provided by the ROC Air Force.

The 35 mm GDF-006 with night vision sight is a towed anti-aircraft gun for short range air defense against manned aircraft including fighter jets, bombers and helicopters, as well as unmanned aerial targets, in particular drones, cruise missiles, dispensers, guided missiles and bombs.

The GDF-006 is controlled by the Skyguard radar system, an all-weather air defense system for the control of aircraft at low altitude and at low and medium altitude up to 3,000m. The system conducts air surveillance, target acquisition and calculates derivative-action values, according to the data.

(By Lu Hsin-hui and Evelyn Kao Evelyn Kao)

Enditem/AW

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New operations on Syrian soil imminent: Erdogan

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 6, 2017 1:47AM

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned of upcoming operations on Syrian soil after the country bolsters its military presence on the border with its war-torn neighbor.

"We are determined to extend the dagger we have put into the heart of the terror entity project through the Euphrates Shield Operation with new moves," he said while addressing a crowd in the city of Malatya on Saturday.

In August 2016, Turkey began a unilateral military intervention in northern Syria, code-named Operation Euphrates Shield, sending tanks and warplanes across the border. Ankara claimed that its military campaign was aimed at pushing the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group from Turkey's border with Syria and stopping the advance of Kurdish forces, who were themselves fighting Daesh, but Damascus denounced the operation as a breach of its sovereignty.

In March, Turkey announced that the operation had ended "successfully." During the operations Turkey-backed Syrian militant groups and the Turkish military cleared an area in northern Syria of Daesh and prevented the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) from conjoining its territories.

The YPG is part of a larger coalition of fighters  the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)  which has been engaged in operations aimed at liberating Raqqah.

Ankara has on multiple occasions expressed its deep concern about the advancement of YPG forces in northern Syria.

"We would rather pay the price for spoiling plans against our future and liberty in Syria and Iraq rather than on our own soilSoon we will take new and important steps," Erdogan added.

Erdogan's announcement was made hours after the Turkish military reinforced its presence in the other side of the barbed wire border with Syria by deploying a six-vehicle convoy that included tanks and howitzers to the southern province of Kilis.

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Danville authorities continued to sift for clues Sunday following an early morning shooting that left a 16-year-old rising senior at George Washington High School dead and sent bullets flying into Paxton Street homes and at least one vehicle.

At about 3 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to the area of Paxton Street in South Danville after receiving calls from residents of shots fired in the area, according to a news release from the Danville Police Department issued Sunday morning.

Minutes after responding, police report a 16-year-old was brought to SOVAH Health, formerly known as Danville Regional Medical Center, via personal vehicle.

The teen sustained apparent gunshot injuries and was pronounced dead by medical staff shortly after arrival, the release stated.

The body will be sent to the Medical Examiners Office in Roanoke for an autopsy.

Danville Chief Philip Broadfoot confirmed to the Register & Bee the teen was shot on Paxton Street and explained a new state law went into effect July 1 that does not allow police to release the names of juvenile crime victims without written permission from their next of kin.

As of Sunday evening, police still had not named the victim. However, she was identified as Nitaya Adams, who would have started her senior year at George Washington High School on Wednesday, according to her mother, Veronica Adams. Her mom attended a Sunday evening vigil in memory of Nitaya.

Broadfoot also said no suspects had yet been identified, but the investigation was continuing.

These things develop all kinds of information we have to sift through, Broadfoot said. It takes a while to separate fact from rumor.

On Sunday morning, officers from the Danville Police Department and the Virginia State Police blocked off Jefferson Street from its intersection with Paxton Street for several blocks to investigate.

Parked cars lined one side of Jefferson Street, but very few faces could be seen from the windows or porches of the one-story houses on both sides of the street.

During the afternoon, when police had cleared the scene, Jason Albarran  a resident on Paxton Street  told the Register & Bee he woke up to the sound of bullets hitting the outside wall of his bedroom. Several other bullets hit his house  one near his roof, one almost coming through the wall of his living room and another grazing a side window.

Albarran said it wasnt uncommon for groups of teenagers to be partying on Paxton Street on the weekends, but it had never become a police issue before.

Its just horrible, Albarran said. I have a 16-year-old daughter, too. You cant even be safe in your own home at 3 a.m.

His neighbors house and car were also hit by bullets. A red GMC Denali had multiple bullet holes across its side, and one that even shattered a corner of the windshield.

This marks the ninth homicide in Danville this year, following a record-breaking 16 homicides in 2016.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Danville Crime Stoppers at (434) 793-0000, the Danville Police Department at (434) 799-6508 or email crimetips@danvilleva.gov.

Information given will remain confidential.
Rita Smith grew up attending James Street Holiness Church in North Danville.

The church at 240 W. James St. was built in 1891, with some of its early members freed slaves. It was used until the congregation dwindled and the church closed a couple of years ago.

Now Smith and a few other former members want to resurrect it. She would like for it to become an educational center, as well as a church again.

Id like to see it restored to a place of worship, Smith, 59, said during an interview at her Rosemary Lane home Friday morning.

Smith, who retired in June as a secretary at Schoolfield Elementary School after 30 years with the school system, attended the church all her life before it closed. All her family went there.

I was married there on Aug. 15, 1981, she recalled.

Her parents made her go to church there when she was a child. She reluctantly attended but absorbed lessons along the way.

I did learn quite a bit, she said. When youre in that environment  those morals and values are still planted there.

James Street Holiness Church was founded by Bettie Thompson, who came to Danville from Raleigh, North Carolina, according to an article from the New York Times published Feb. 20, 1894.

A self-proclaimed missionary, she became a controversial figure among African-American Baptists in the community when she started an All-Holiness congregation, according to the article. She emphasized holiness and entire sanctification, persuading members of local churches to become her disciples.

The [African-American] Baptist churches and their pastors in this city, North Danville, and the surrounding country are thoroughly stirred up and alarmed over the work of this woman, according to the article. This alarm has been intensified because a church in North Danville has gone over almost bodily to Bettie Thompsons belief, including the pastor.

Local preachers met and threatened to withdraw the hand of fellowship form the church, and have resolved to excommunicate all their members who run after the Thompson woman, according to the article.

The [African-American] preachers and members of their flocks declare the fight is on, and they will not rest content until the woman shall be driven from this section, according to the article.

Thompson died in August 1951 at age 90.

Smith and Sonja Ingram, preservation field services manager with Preservation Virginia, are researching more about Thompson and the churchs history. Smith, Ingram and Smiths partners want to form a nonprofit and seek grants to re-build the church and open its doors again.

We would have to re-build a membership, Smith said, adding that Marsha Harris, Viola Pritchett and the churchs former minister Keith Owens are also helping her.

Preservation Virginia tries to help people with projects like Smiths, Ingram said.

I knew this was something that was special, Ingram said at Smiths home Friday.

She wants to increase awareness of Smiths efforts, help her apply for nonprofit status and seek grants.

Danville has so much history, Ingram said.

The church is located in Neapolis, which was once a separate city in the North Main Street area and is now a National Historic District, Ingram said. Restoration of the church would be eligible for historic tax credits, Ingram said.

There is no estimate yet on how much restoration would cost, Smith said.

Anyone interested in helping Smith restore the church can call Ingram at (434) 770-1209.
To the editor:

President Trump said recently let Obamacare fail. I cant remember the last time a U.S. president cheered the suffering of our citizens and advocated for failure of something 50 percent of Americans now want to make better. I guess these Americans compared what the Affordable Care Act offered and what Trumpcare offered and now realize the ACA is much better, especially if Republicans had worked with Obama on it seven years ago and tried to make it better now.

Republicans were determined to see it fail from the get go. Republican governors like Bob McDonnell in Virginia, at that time, did not want to set up exchanges, didnt want Medicaid expansion and created uncertainty which caused insurance companies to leave the exchanges.

Trump is doing that now threatening not to pay the existing insurance companies their subsidy money and also taking away insurance from the Senate until they come up with something that will pass. I agree with that: Let them live without insurance for awhile and see what its like. Then maybe they would come up with something better than they have now.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wanted to repeal the ACA without a replacement. How heartless is that, leaving millions without any insurance until the Senate came up with something which would never be?

Trump has misdirected funds for the ACA that were set aside to encourage enrollment. He made changes to the website that were hostile to consumers seeking to enroll and halted advertising and promotions. Its appalling that this president would divert money intended to help people get insurance and try to sabotage it.

A big thank you to the three conservative senators  John McCain of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska  who chose to do what was right for the American people rather than what was profitable for the companies that Trump and his cronies have sold themselves to in the form of kickbacks to destroy the ACA. Murkowski was even threatened by the Trump administration to change her vote. I hope I finally see one day despite party affiliation that things will get done to help Americans  especially on health care.

ROBERT HAYDEN

Blairs
Things teachers need  themed bulletin board decorations, primary pencils, new and used books and workbooks, manipulatives, home school supplies, Bible study supplies and more  are now easier to find in Danville with the opening of Education Plus More at 1100 Piney Forest Road.

Owner Sharri Williams said she taught at Blairs Day School until it closed its doors on May 26 and thought about what she wanted to do next.

Williams said she found shopping for supplies teachers need is difficult in this area. Teachers had to go to Lynchburg or Greensboro, North Carolina, to find things like bulletin board decorations and borders. Williams always preferred picking things out in person rather than buying online.

And, she said. I wanted to sell them at a lower cost, since so many teachers buy their own supplies.

Bulleting board supplies are a big deal.

People who arent teachers dont know teachers have to change the bulletin boards regularly, Williams said.

Some schools give teachers an allowance they can be reimbursed for on such supplies, while other dont, she said.

Since the doors opened July 1, Williams said she has seen a steady stream of customers  with the store becoming even busier this week as teachers prepare for Dan River Region school doors to open Wednesday.

In [the Danville area], there is no place to buy this stuff, Williams said.

Sometimes she gets creative and figures out ways to save teachers some money. One teacher was looking for bulletin board borders that had hundreds of frogs and butterflies, but not the cartoon versions she had found in catalogs and online.

Williams found some non-copyrighted images and offered to print them out in color on card-weight paper, a solution that meant the teacher could stop her search and save some money.

Williams said she is learning as she goes. It is hard to find wholesale suppliers that will ship smaller quantities  I just dont need 1,000 of one border, she said  but will stock more as teachers let her know what they are looking for. She places special orders and will ultimately settle into an ordering schedule that will allow the best discounts, she said.

There is room for expansion  there is another room she can convert to showroom space, but needs to feel comfortable the store will be a success first.

On Thursday, she had materials mostly geared for the elementary and kindergarten classes, with upper level materials due Monday. As middle school teachers let her know what their needs are, those materials will be stocked as well, Williams said.

Amanda Leigh, who just started a job teaching kindergarten at Southside Elementary after 11 years with the Danville school system  I love teaching, but I felt I needed a change, she said  came in looking for bulletin board supplies and quickly found something she liked.

Pleased, she said it would save her a trip to Greensboro because she doesnt like ordering online.

We had a teachers store a few years ago, but it closed and was just online; now, even that is gone, Leigh said. Id rather see it in person than online or in a catalog.

Williams laughed and pointed to some U.S. maps that are about the size of a half sheet of paper.

I know what you mean, Williams said. I thought those would be a lot bigger.

Williams said she offers discounts of 10 percent to people with ID that identifies them as teachers.

The store is open from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Teachers can also visit the website at educationplusmorellc.com or call (434) 421-6490.
DENVER, Aug. 7, 2017 /CNW/ -- Vista Gold Corp. (the "Company," "we" or "our") (NYSE American: VGZ) (TSX: VGZ) today announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2017. Management's quarterly conference call to discuss these results is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. MDT on August 9, 2017. The Company's unaudited financial statements, Management's Discussion and Analysis together with other important disclosures can be found in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, filed on August 4, 2017 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Canadian securities regulatory authorities.

Summary of Second Quarter 2017 Financial Results

We reported a net loss of $2.7 million or $0.03 per share for the three months ended June 30, 2017. This includes $2.2 million of net operating expenses and an unrealized $0.5 million mark-to-market loss on our investment in Midas Gold Corp. ("Midas"). During the three months ended June 30, 2016, we reported net income of $1.6 million or $0.02 per share inclusive of $1.7 million of net operating expenses and an unrealized $3.3 million mark-to-market gain on our investment in Midas.

Our working capital at June 30, 2017 totaled approximately $23.6 million, including cash and short-term investments (comprised of government securities) of approximately $20.2 million. The Company has no debt.

Corporate Highlights

We continue to undertake activities to improve value and further de-risk our Mt Todd gold project, including:

Bulk Metallurgical Testing  we recently completed crushing, screening and automated sorting tests on four 5-tonne bulk samples from the Batman deposit. These bulk tests demonstrated that automated sorting technology can be used to efficiently separate plus 5/8" (16 mm) product from the HPGR crusher with gold-bearing sulfide/quartz/calcite minerals from the host rock, at production rates in production scale equipment.

Grinding and Leaching Optimization Studies  we are undertaking additional metallurgical testing to confirm gold recoveries with a proposed 2-stage grinding circuit and a finer grind size (P80 of 65 um vs the 90 um in the original PFS).

PFS Update  we have commenced an update of the Mt Todd Preliminary Feasibility Study ("PFS") in which we intend to include all appropriate project improvements and the most current economic factors.

MMP Update  we are nearing the completion of the preparation of a draft Mine Management Plan ("MMP") and expect to present this plan for preliminary agency review later this year. This is expected to reduce the approval time for the final MMP.

To review the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended June 30, 2017, including the related Management's Discussion and Analysis, visit any of the following websites: www.sedar.com, www.sec.gov or www.vistagold.com.

Management Conference Call

A conference call with management to review our financial results for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and to discuss corporate and project activities is scheduled for Wednesday, August 9, 2017 at 2:30 p.m. MDT.

Toll-free in North America: 1-800-533-7619

International: 785-830-1923

This call will also be web-cast and can be accessed at the following web location:

http://event.on24.com/r.htm?e=1480066&s=1&k=AE01A253734994563AC5CE9861BE5A0A

This call will be archived and available at www.vistagold.com after August 9, 2017. Audio replay will be available for 21 days by calling toll-free in North America: 1-888-203-1112, passcode 4965655.

If you are unable to access the audio or phone-in on the day of the conference call, please email questions to Connie Martinez, Manager  Investor Relations (email: connie@vistagold.com), and we will try to address these questions prior to or during the conference call.

All dollar amounts in the press release are U.S. dollars.

About Vista Gold Corp.

The Company is a well-funded gold project developer. Our principal asset is our flagship Mt Todd gold project in Northern Territory, Australia. Mt Todd is one of the largest undeveloped gold projects in Australia. For more information about our projects, including technical studies and resource estimates, please visit our website at www.vistagold.com.

For further information, please contact Connie Martinez at (720) 981-1185.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future, including such things as our belief that the bulk tests demonstrated that automated sorting technology can be used to efficiently separate plus 5/8" (16 mm) product from the HPGR crusher with gold-bearing sulfide/quartz/calcite minerals from the host rock, at production rates in production scale equipment; our plans to undertake additional metallurgical testing to confirm gold recoveries with a 2-stage grinding circuit and a finer grind size (P80 of 65 um vs the 90 um in the original PFS); our intent to include all appropriate project improvements and the most current economic factors in the update of the PFS; our expectation that later this year we will present a draft Mine Management Plan for preliminary agency review, and that this is expected to reduce the approval time for the final MMP; and other such matters are forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The material factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking statements and forward-looking information contained in this press release include the following: our approved business plans, exploration and assay results, results of our test work for process area improvements, mineral resource and reserve estimates and results of preliminary economic assessments, prefeasibility studies and feasibility studies on our projects, if any, our experience with regulators, and positive changes to current economic conditions and the price of gold. When used in this press release, the words "optimistic," "potential," "indicate," "expect," "intend," "hopes," "believe," "may," "will," "if," "anticipate," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which 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 by such statements. Such factors include, among others, uncertainty of resource and reserve estimates, uncertainty as to the Company's future operating costs and ability to raise capital; risks relating to cost increases for capital and operating costs; risks of shortages and fluctuating costs of equipment or supplies; risks relating to fluctuations in the price of gold; the inherently hazardous nature of mining-related activities; potential effects on our operations of environmental regulations in the countries in which it operates; risks due to legal proceedings; risks relating to political and economic instability in certain countries in which it operates; uncertainty as to the results of bulk metallurgical test work; and uncertainty as to completion of critical milestones for Mt Todd; as well as those factors discussed under the headings "Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the Company's latest Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed on February 22, 2017 and other documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements and forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information; whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vista-gold-corp-announces-second-quarter-2017-results-and-recent-corporate-highlights-300500062.html

SOURCE Vista Gold Corp.
When the ACA (Obamacare) was passed, it mandated that insurance companies had to insure everyone who signed up regardless of whether they had pre-existing conditions and regardless of their health status. Insurance companies were required to add millions of new insureds to their roles and insurers had no way of actuarially assessing their risk and no way to accurately set policy pricing. Because of this, everybody agreed that insurance companies would probably lose money in the first decade or so until the insurance industry was able to have real numbers to assess their risks and to price insurance policies accurately and to have the newly insureds health status stabilize.The millions of new insureds would would cost more up front to assess their health and to stabilize any pre-existing health problems. Over time, once the newly insureds health was stabilized, their healthcare costs would go down.As an example, a new insured may need many health tests upfront (MRIs, blood tests, etc.) to determine the cause of an illness or just to determine their overall health status. Once all of the testing and health assessments are completed, they are diagnosed, and have a treatment plan (medications etc.), the insureds may only need annual health check ups.So the costs of all of these new insureds with unknown health problems would probably be much higher in the beginning and then lower or stabilize over time.To get insurance companies on board with the risk, Obamacare included a safety net for insurance companies. Obamacare said that the government would cover insurance losses using a pool of fees collected from the insurance companies under Obamacare.If an insurance company was going to go bankrupt from insuring the risky new individuals, the government would cover their losses out of this insurance company fee pool. The fee charged to insurance companies was to spread the risk among all insurance companies to create a safety net for the insurance industry.This safety net encouraged the insurance industry to take the huge risk of insuring these millions of new people with unknown health status. This was called the risk corridor. The risk corridor payments were to be a safety net until the insurance policy market stabilized.As a result of the lack of a safety net, insurance companies were thrown into a crisis. This caused a chain reaction of events in mostly poor, red states.First, dozens of non-profit insurance companies that were started under Obamacare to provide low cost insurance policies (with no profit margins) in mostly poor and low income red states went bankrupt.Moreover, because of this huge, new risk Republicans created, many insurance companies began to do either of two things: 1) greatly increase their premium prices to offset their risk or 2) entirely pull out of the markets in mostly poor, low income red states.This left some states with only one insurer. It also left so many small insurance companies in distress that they were easily gobbled up by the insurance giants and the insurance giants have successfully eliminated all competition in many markets.As you know, when there is no competition, there is typically price gouging.This is why there was an explosion of news stories in 2016 (during the lead up to the Presidential election) about premium costs rising and insurers backing out of the market.Republicans purposefully broke Obamacare and purposefully hurt their own constituents for political advantage.People are suffering, but it is not from Obamacare.They are suffering because the Republicans purposefully hurt them.The people most hurt by them gutting the risk corridors were their own red state, rural, and poor voters and Trump voters.People need to wake up on what really happened.Here are some news stories on this:healthaffairs.org/theweek.com/thehill.com/ Salon: in-depth news, politics, business, technology & culture ...
We have criticized him greatly in the past for his various policy positions and the way he has conducted his businesses. However all that conduct was done while he was a Democrat. Today he's a Republican so we look forward to moving forward.
Two years after Congress scrapped federal formulas for fixing troubled schools, states for the most part are producing only the vaguest of plans to address persistent educational failure.So far, 16 states and the District of Columbia have submitted proposals for holding schools accountable under the 2015 law known as the Every Student Succeeds Act. With few exceptions, the blueprints offer none of the detailed prescriptions for intervention, such as mass teacher firings or charter-school conversions, that were once standard elements of school reform.Many in the education world, from state superintendents to teachers unions, applaud this hands-off trend. Each struggling school faces unique circumstances, in their view, and deserves a tailored solution shaped by community input  not a top-down directive from faraway bureaucrats.But others fear a lack of clear road maps from states is a sign that meaningful change remains unlikely in schools that most need it.We dont know what to do about chronically low-performing schools. Nothing has worked consistently and at scale, said Michael Petrilli, president of the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute. I suspect well see most states and districts just go through the motions.On Aug. 1, Delaware became the first state to win federal approval for its plan, even though  according to independent experts  its school turnaround proposals are hazy and unlikely to make a significant difference. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos endorsed the plan, saying she hoped it would give the students, families and educators in the state a strong foundation for a great education. DeVos and President Trump are pushing for far more local control of education, a shift from the stance of their recent predecessors in both parties.
The Massachusetts Division of Insurance announced today that a court has granted its request to place Minuteman Health into receivership to protect policyholders and health care providers.Receivership is often part of or a prelude to a bankruptcy filing.Bay State Insurance Commissioner Gary D. Anderson has been named "receiver" for Minuteman Health, which essentially puts him in control of the company.The Massachusetts-based health insurance co-op, which insures about 27,000 individual members and three dozen small group members in New Hampshire, announced in June that it would not offer insurance in 2018 because its capital and surplus had been significantly reduced over time.That decision was made in cooperation with Massachusetts and New Hampshire regulators, who had been working together to closely monitor the company's financial health.Since then, Minuteman's financial condition has deteriorated, and the company's surplus was reduced to a level that triggered the action in Massachusetts.Regulators expect that the company will be able to meet its obligations to members and health care providers through the end of the year."New Hampshire residents who have health insurance through Minuteman Health can expect they will be covered through the end of 2017," said New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner Roger Sevigny. "While rehabilitation has been initiated to protect consumers, their experience as Minuteman policyholders should not change materially through Dec. 31."Anderson said he was prompted to act because the company's financial reserves are thin, but he like Sevigny believes that the company has adequate funds to pay all insurance claims between now and the end of the year.An informational session is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Massachusetts Division of Insurance, 1000 Washington St., Boston, hearing room 1E.Minuteman's New Hampshire policyholders will have to choose a new plan for 2018 through healthcare.gov, with open enrollment running from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15.Remaining carriers on the Obamacare exchange at healthcare.gov have announced rate hikes for 2018 averaging 44 percent.
Starting next week, anyone convicted of felony stalking or being a habitual domestic violence offender in Colorado wont be able to get bail before sentencing under a new law prompted by a Colorado Springs womans 2016 slaying.The No Bail for Stalking and Domestic Violence Offenders Act goes into effect Wednesday, along with a host of other new laws passed during the 2017 legislative session.The legislation was prompted by the killing of 28-year-old Janice Nam, who Colorado Springs police say was killed by an ex-boyfriend  Glen Law Galloway  who was convicted of stalking her.
Shows of support

The attack on a Bloomington Islamic center is "an act of terrorism" and a hate crime, Gov. Mark Dayton declared Sunday during a visit to show solidarity."What a terrible, dastardly, cowardly, terrible act this was that was committed," Dayton said of the explosion early Saturday that broke a window and ignited the imam's office. About a dozen men were praying nearby, but no one was injured."The destruction done to this sacred site is just unthinkable, unforgivable. I hope and pray the perpetrator will be caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law."Minnesotans, Dayton said, "accept one another. We support one another. We respect one another. We live together. We work together. We succeed together. We're not going to let one bad person get in the way of all that."Anything I can do to put a stop to it, I would gladly do," he said to applause. "All I can do in this situation is come here [to] express my solidarity, sympathy and determination."Dayton's comments came after he and a delegation of public officials spent an hour inside the Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington with about 100 community members.Though no one was injured and the damage was contained to one office, the size of the visiting political delegation on a Sunday morning underscored the gravity of the crime.The group included Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, state Rep. Andrew Carlson, DFL-Bloomington, Bloomington Mayor Gene Winstead, state Rep. Ilhan Omar, the first Somali-American elected to the Legislature, and U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress.There were no updates on the investigation Sunday. A Bloomington police deputy referred calls to the FBI and said he had no new information.The FBI said Saturday the blast was caused by an "improvised explosive device." The explosion heavily damaged the imam's office and sent smoke through the large building. Windows in the office were shattered, either by the blast or by an object thrown through them.On Sunday, carpets in the office were sodden. Ceiling panels hung loose. Some parts of the carpet had been removed. Ash and puddles of water remained on tables, desks and chairs.Throughout the morning Sunday, well-wishers came to express support for the center and its members. Bouquets of flowers were left near the broken and boarded window. When visitors walked up to the entrance of the center carrying cards and flowers and offering kind words, they were welcomed and shown inside.Ellison said he was "heartened" when he drove up and saw supporters carrying signs with hearts and talking about love. "This is the right spirit and there is no better way to condemn the person who would throw a bomb into this mosque than to react in a loving, kind, inclusive way," he said.But he said this is not an isolated incident, that hate crimes are up in Minnesota and nationally as documented by law enforcement and watchdog groups.The center is just south of Ellison's district in an area represented by GOP U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen, who wasn't at Sunday's gathering. On Saturday, just after noon, Paulsen tweeted, "Standing w/ Dar Al-farooq community today. Relieved to hear no one was hurt. I'm confident the investigation will get to the bottom of this."Omar said it was beyond sad to think of people getting up at 4 a.m. to come pray while another person arose to hurt those people, "cause destruction that was designed to instill fear and destroy the unity this community has been fighting for."The kindness and calls for tolerance that followed the attack are "the Minnesota I know. This is the Minnesota that all of us have come to love," she said.Asad Zaman, executive director of the Muslim American Society of Minnesota, who was with the politicians, said the reward for information leading to the capture of the perpetrator has grown to $24,000.Mohamed Omar, executive director of the Islamic center, announced the creation of a GoFundMe page aiming to raise $95,000 to repair the damage. Early Sunday evening, the fund had received about a fourth of that.Omar led Ellison into the building to show him the damage. The imam had arrived late Saturday. "Normally he would be in there and waiting for his prayer," Omar said. "Today, when I saw the office, the damage, I saw this was an attack on our imam, our spiritual leader."The imam attended the private meeting Sunday but left quietly afterward without addressing reporters.Minnesota law enforcement reported 14 anti-Muslim bias incidents last year, according to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, a record high. On Sunday, the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported that "Islamophobic trolls" had flooded its Facebook page with messages supporting the bombing.But there was no sign of that Sunday. Erik Stoltenberg, a Minneapolis physician, came to the center after church, carrying his infant son as his 4-year-old daughter twirled next to him in a sparkly red skirt. He walked up to a group of men and said, "You are supported and welcome here."Alexis Lohse of St. Paul, her two daughters Emma and Tallulah and her mom, Sharon Lohse of Austin, Texas, held heart signs on the sidewalk at the entrance to the center's parking lot.Some passersby waved and honked in support along Park Avenue S."A number of my co-workers practice their faith here," said Alexis Lohse, who wore a T-shirt that read, "your friendly neighborhood atheist.""The same law that allows me not to practice allows them to practice," she said.At another entrance, Kathryn Sharpe of the Interfaith Coalition on Immigration said she called Mohamed Omar on Saturday to offer help. They agreed she would bring supporters to greet arrivals.She held a handmade sign that read, "We [heart] you. We stand with you."Sharpe described her effort as "a solidarity presence and a safety presence to make people feel safe and secure."On break from work, a beaming Osman Jama stepped out of his car and hugged each supporter for "all this outpouring.""Please know that it's felt," he said. Of the culprit, he said, "It's a bad apple. That's how I see it."Marilyn and Leslie Sharpe, Kathryn's parents, explained the roses and daisy-mums they handed out."Flowers say, 'I'm not here as a threat. I'm not going to poke you even though I've got a cross around my neck,' " Marilyn Sharpe said.Jama thanked them for coming and standing without shade."That's OK. We stand in the light," Marilyn said.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel's Law Department on Monday filed its much-touted lawsuit against President Donald Trump's Justice Department over its effort to withhold some grant funding from so-called sanctuary cities.Emanuel wants a federal judge to block the Trump administration from enforcing its new policy, which would affect not just Chicago, but other major U.S. cities like New York and San Francisco. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions' funding decision also would affect Cook County, which also holds sanctuary status and operates the largest single-site jail in the country.The Justice Department quickly fired back in an emailed response that notes last year more people were killed in Chicago than New York and Los Angeles combined. "It's especially tragic that the mayor is less concerned with that staggering figure than he is spending time and taxpayer money protecting criminal aliens and putting Chicago's law enforcement at greater risk," the response stated.Trump has long maintained that illegal immigration fuels crime, an assertion that critics say is not backed by statistics that show immigrants in the country without the required permission are less likely to commit crimes than U.S. citizens and legal residents. And Emanuel in a rare Sunday news conference maintained Trump's policy would damage efforts to tamp down crime, because people in the city without documentation would then be afraid to cooperate with police.Emanuel said Sessions' new policy is unlawful and unconstitutional. He also called it "the camel's nose under the tent," contending it was an effort to set precedent that could result in the withholding of further grant money.This year, the city was counting on receiving $3.2 million from the grants in question, a relatively miniscule portion of the city's overall $9.8 billion budget.Under the new Justice Department policy, contained in conditions attached last week to applications for Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant funding, the city would have to meet three conditions to receive funds that the city has used in the past to buy police vehicles and other equipment.The conditions: sharing immigration status information with federal officials enforcing deportation laws, providing unlimited police station access to those officials, and giving the officials 48-hours notice of an arrested person's release in cases of potential immigration violations."These new conditions -- which would give federal officials the power to enter city facilities and interrogate arrestees at will and would force the city to detain individuals longer than justified by probable cause, solely to permit federal officials to investigate their immigration status -- are unauthorized and unconstitutional," the lawsuit states."These new conditions also fly in the face of longstanding City policy that promotes cooperation between local law enforcement and immigrant communities, ensures access to essential city services for all residents, and makes all Chicagoans safer," the suit adds. "Neither federal law nor the United States Constitution permits the attorney general to force Chicago to abandon this critical local policy."Under the city's welcoming city ordinance, which sets its status as a sanctuary city, bars police from providing federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials access to people in local custody unless they are wanted on a criminal warrant or have serious criminal convictions. It also prohibits allowing ICE agents to sue police facilities for interviews or investigations, and bars on-duty officers from responding to ICE questions or talking to ICE officials prior to a person's release from custody.After the lawsuit was filed Monday, city Corporation Counsel Ed Siskel said the city will next file a motion for a preliminary injunction prohibiting the Justice Department from imposing the new rules. He said the city will ask the court to set a briefing schedule so a ruling can be issued before Sept. 5, the deadline for the Byrne grant applications.Siskel said the Byrne grant is "critical" for the city's public safety, even though it brings in such a small amount of money in the context of the full municipal budget it would hardly register as a blip if the city didn't get it. "We are at a time when every bit counts and every resource matters in this fight," he said. "In addition, we are bringing this legal challenge because the rhetoric and the threats from this administration, embodied in these new restrictions placed on public safety grant funds, are breeding a culture and a climate of fear within the communities in our city."Emanuel's lawsuit was filed three days after he telegraphed that it was coming during an interview with a veteran radio reporter. In addition to the Sunday news conference, Emanuel appeared on CNN's "Newsroom" show on Monday morning to tout the case.The mayor has been railing against Trump's tough-on-immigration policies since the last year became the presumptive Republican nominee. It's a position for Emanuel that plays well politically in largely Democratic Chicago.Emanuel also backed successful efforts to strengthen the city's welcoming city ordinance, create a legal fund to assist immigrants threatened with deportation and start developing a municipal ID program aimed mostly at helping immigrants without documentation make their way in the city."This is not about politics, this is about protecting the constitutional rights of the residents of the city of Chicago and standing up for our values as a welcoming city," Siskel said.
Description

GIS - 07 August, 2017: Government is investing massively in the water sector and the upgrading of infrastructure so as to ensure public welfare as well as to bring stability and equilibrium in socio-economic development.

This statement was made by the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, on Friday 4 August 2017 at the launching of Riviere du Rempart Water Supply Project in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Public Utilities, Mr Ivan Collendavelloo, and other eminent personalities.

The Prime Minister underscored that the replacing of leaking old pipes has already been initiated by the Central Water Authority (CWA) and that the project will cover the whole island.

To this end, Mr Pravind Jugnauth highlighted that some Rs 5.6 billion has been earmarked so that the CWA can execute the pipeline renewal programme to address the issues hindering the distribution of water supply. These works will ensure that by 2018, 80% of the population will have access to clean water on a 24/7 basis, he said.

The Prime Minister stated that the essence of life resides in water while adding that it is crucial that each and every one contributes in its preservation. He further appealed to the public to reduce wastage and to make judicious use of water.

For his part, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Ivan Collendavelloo, emphasised that clean water supply should be the national priority of any Government. The water reform project will help CWA achieve regular water supply and reduce losses in the water distribution system due to leakages and shabby pipelines, he stated.

He underscored that water supply in many regions is erratic due to low pressure and frequent bursts. To address these issues, he stressed, various projects comprising of solar pumps, water treatment plans, construction of dams and reservoirs amongst others are being implemented while other related projects are in the pipeline.

The Riviere du Rempart Water Supply project

The Riviere du Rempart Water Supply project comprises the replacement of overused pipelines stretching over 15 km and the construction of a reservoir of

6 000 cubic meters at Mon Loisir. A sum of Rs 122 million will be disbursed for this project. The works will be implemented in six phases and is expected to be completed by end of 2018.
Hospice

workers

win honor

Benton Hospice Service Medical Social Worker Nancy Smith and Bereavement Coordinator Melissa Allen were named to Oregons 2016 Hospice Dream Team by the Oregon Hospice Association.

Awards were presented last September at the Professional Practices Exchange in Bend.

Each fall, the association celebrates individuals who exemplify the best in hospice care by naming the Hospice Dream Team, which includes a physician, a nurse, a hospice aide, a social worker, a chaplain, a volunteer and a professional staff member.

Allen joined Benton Hospice in Corvallis in 2012 as a medical social worker. In 2014, she was promoted to bereavement coordinator. Allen facilitates grief support groups and provides one-on-one counseling to both community and hospice families.

Benton Hospice Service, a member of the association, is a nonprofit organization providing compassionate care for seriously ill people and their families, as well as community support through community education and support groups. Benton Hospice has served Linn and Benton counties since 1980.

Evans

promoted

at Old Mill

Old Mill Center for Children and Families recently promoted Child and Family Therapist Dana Evans to her new role as clinical supervisor of the centers outpatient program.

Evans has 19 years of therapy experience, and has worked at Old Mill Center, a Corvallis entity, since 2015. She earned a master of social work degree in mental health counseling and family systems therapy from Syracuse University in New York, and her specialized training includes play therapy, grief and loss, and trauma.

Old Mill Center for Children and Families is a full-service provider of preschool, mental health, early intervention and parent support for children from birth to age 18, and their families. Services address the educational, social, emotional and family needs of a diverse population of children. The center has served Benton County since 1977.

Nursery hires

bee specialist

Shonnards Nursery, Florist & Landscape in Corvallis recently announced the hire of a new beekeeping specialist, Fred Selby.

Selby came to the nursery from Chico, California, where he managed his fathers commercial apiary for 15 years. He ran 6,000 hives and helped raise more than 30,000 queen bees.

Lebanon eatery

wins honor

The Boulder Falls Inn in Lebanon was honored in Wine Spectators 2017 Restaurant Awards, which highlights restaurants around the world that offer the best wine selections.

A list of winners, along with full details on the awards, can be found in the magazines August issue. The listing also can be found at Restaurants.WineSpectator.com and in the newly revamped Restaurant Awards app.

Credit union

elects board

Benton County Schools Credit Union, the oldest financial institution in Corvallis, held its 64th annual meeting June 24 at the fairgrounds in Corvallis.

Elections to fill the open positions on the credit unions board of directors, Supervisory Committee and Credit Committee took place.

The following volunteers were elected to the 2017-18 board: Kevin DeCoster, board chair; Dorothy Gallagher, vice chair; Harold Brauner, second vice chair; Margi Dusek, secretary; and Joe R. Tofte, treasurer. Elected to the credit union's 2017-18 Supervisory Committee were Leeanne Trivett, committee chair; Karen Selander; Vickie Taylor; Michael Krasilovsky; and David Low. Elected to the BCSCU 2017-18 Credit Committee were Randy Trivett, committee chair; Christina Gerding; Peter Scott; Sandra Bell; and Robert Finneran.

Samaritan

marketing

earns awards

Samaritan Health Services Marketing and Public Relations Department garnered numerous awards last year for exceptional work in the marketing industry.

The awards include:

Aster Awards

 Silver  Samaritan Heart & Vascular Institute billboard

Hospital Marketing National, Western Division

 Silver  Cancer Program ad

 Silver  Eight Aspects of Wellness print campaign

 Bronze  Eight Aspects of Wellness digital campaign

 Samaritan Health Services Marketing and PR Director Evonne Walls were selected as one of nine others for Top Hospital Marketers of the Year

Communicator Awards

 Award of Excellence  Hearts & Health newsletter

 Award of Distinction  Corporate overview niche piece

AVA Awards

 AVA Gold Digital Award for the Eight Aspects of Wellness Facebook campaign in English and Spanish

Hermes Creative Awards

 Honorable Mention in Magazine category  Cancer Program ad

 Gold in Event Marketing category  Best Western PREMIER Boulder Falls Inn New Years Eve event

 Platinum in Magazine category  Heart to Heart
Description

GIS  07 August, 2017: Mauritius and Switzerland signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) this morning in Port Louis for the establishment of a Foreign Office Consultation Mechanism aimed at strengthening the political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries in line with the activities organised in the margin of the Swiss Week launched on 04 August 2017.

The signatories were the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Usha Chandnee Dwarka-Canabady and the Ambassador of Switzerland to Mauritius with residence in Pretoria, Mrs Helene Budliger Artieda.

In her address, the Secretary for Foreign Affairs highlighted that both Switzerland and Mauritius share friendly and warm ties, adding that the signing of this MoU is yet another testimony of the strong cooperation which will give a new impetus to the privileged partnership between the two countries. She further stated that the consultation mechanism will undoubtedly enable Mauritius and Switzerland to better structure their exchanges.

For her part, Mrs Helene Budliger Artieda underscored the aim of the MoU, which is to intensify the Mauritius-Switzerland relationship. She also spoke of the first edition of the Swiss Week which was launched last Friday and comprises of events in the cultural, gastronomic, musical, and cinematographic field, in addition to a workshop on Innovation, in collaboration with the Mauritius Institute of Directors.

Mauritius is home to about 737 Swiss Nationals. The Short-stay Visa Waiver Agreement and the Agreement on Mutual Exemption for holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports were signed on 26 October 2010.

Over the years, exports to Switzerland have consistently increased. Main exports comprise pineapple, cane sugar, dials and clock and watches parts. Mauritius imports include coffee, pearls, precious and semi-precious stones and cereal products.
Description

GIS - 07 August, 2017: International Humanitarian Law (IHL) priorities for African states and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) activities in the region were the focus of a half-day workshop which was held this morning at the Prison Training School in Beau Bassin. Some 25 prison officers were attending. International Humanitarian Law (IHL) priorities for African states and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) activities in the region were the focus of a half-day workshop which was held this morning at the Prison Training School in Beau Bassin. Some 25 prison officers were attending.

An initiative of the National Humanitarian Law Committee under the aegis of the Prime Ministers Office, the workshop has been organised in the context of a visit, from 6 to 10 August 2017, of a team from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and comprising Mrs Perrine Louart, Head of Regional Delegation for Indian Ocean; Ms Sarah Swart, Regional Legal Advisor; and Mr Benoit Chavaz of the Protection Department.

In his address, the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Prime Ministers Office, Mr Devendre Gopaul, recalled that the ICRC effects yearly visits to Mauritius and activities and meetings are organised with different parties so as to disseminate IHL.

He stated that he hoped that the collaboration between the National Humanitarian Law Committee, the ICRC and the prisons department lasts as is the case for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade; the Ministry of Education, Human Resources, Tertiary education and Scientific Research; and the Institute for Judicial and Legal Studies.

Speaking about the ICRC, Mr Gopal pointed out that it has on several occasions provided technical assistance to Mauritius which has enabled the government to draft and develop several bills relating to IHL.

Working sessions

In the context of the visit of the delegates from the ICRC, several workshops and bilateral meetings are on the agenda. They are: meeting on the Indian Ocean Sub-Regional Platform at the Indian Ocean Commission; meeting with the Mauritius Red Cross Society; and working sessions with members of the National IHL Committee and the National Heritage Trust Fund. A talk on IHL is also on the agenda for young diplomats at the Institute of Diplomacy in Port Louis. An exchange with barristers is also scheduled at the Institute for Judicial and Legal Studies.
Were not using anything from that

A partial eCLIPSE?

A bankruptcy disrupts

Over their head

(TNS) -- Three-and-a-half years ago, then-Mayor Michael Nutter announced the city would spend $4 million to implement a computerized licensing and inspection system that would let people apply for permits online and enable inspectors to more easily track applications and violations.Well spend some money, well save some money, and well make a lot of money, Nutter said at the 2014 news conference.The program was supposed to be fully functioning by the end of 2015. Instead, it is only halfway done and the bill has topped $10 million.Around the same time, the city hired a company for $15 million to replace its 30-year old payroll system and sync it with pensions, benefits, and time management under the same computerized system, all by mid-2015. Already $23 million has been spent on the project  and its far from complete.City officials also wanted to move away from the thousands of Excel pages used to create annual budgets. A $3 million contract was signed to digitize the citys budgeting system and make it more efficient and transparent. After shelling out $1.6 million, they now want to scrap it.An Inquirer/Daily News review shows four of the citys most critical information technology upgrades have been plagued by cancellations, contractor disputes, years of delays and other problems. Together, their combined price tag has already swelled $21 million above what city officials initially said they would cost, with no sign of a ceiling.Such seven-figure blunders rarely get noticed or widely shared with the taxpayers who fund them. Information technology projects are mostly paid through the citys capital budget, which averages about $1.3 billion annually. If one program goes over its projected budget, the money is moved from another initiative that was perhaps under budget.City officials say overruns and delays are to be expected. Part of monitoring contracts is monitoring your vendor as you go along, said Rob Dubow, city finance director since 2008. You are, over time, going to have issues with a variety of vendors. What you have to do is recover when that happens and thats what we are doing.Last year, Mayor Kenney hired a chief information officer, Charles Brennan, who administration officials say is supposed to take a more hands-on approach to managing IT projects. Increasing that focus will help contain costs and provide more accurate costs projections, said the mayors chief of staff, Jane Slusser.Philadelphias stumbles arent unique. Jim Johnson, founder and chairman of the Standish Group, a firm that analyzes private- and public-sector technology projects, said government projects often fail because they have too much oversight and are too big in scope.They like to create these big projects with lots of people and lots of money and they just dont work, Johnson said.The Standish Groups analysis of more than 1,200 multimillion-dollar government projects between 2012 and 2016 showed that only 13.6 percent were finished on time and on budget. Thirty percent completely failed. (One was Pennsylvanias $110 million attempt to upgrade its unemployment compensation system  the initiative was $60 million over budget and 45 months behind schedule when the state put an end to it in 2013.)But complaints about Philadelphias IT woes  and its slow, costly march into the modern age  have been bubbling. The four programs were part of a $120 million capital investment in city technology that started under Mayor Nutter.At a budget hearing this spring, Councilwoman Helen Gym said she was concerned that the current IT projects are becoming increasingly more expensive, and as they become increasingly delayed, they become immediately irrelevant.In a letter last month to the chief information officer , city Controller Alan Butkovitz warned that Philadelphia has a history of jumping into costly projects and failing its citizens when it comes to operating in the 21st Century.This is a trend that cannot continue, he wrote.Pointing to Philadelphias outdated and technology-challenged property assessment system, Councilman Mark Squilla noted the city is losing money  and keeping its citizens from getting tax breaks they may deserve.Values that are properly assessed would be a big bonus to residents and business. They are supposed to be doing assessments every year, Squilla said. The [upgrade] costs keep running on, which means every year we have to allocate additional dollars to a system that should have already been up and running.That was supposed to all change 11 years ago, when the city embarked on a new computerized system called Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA).CAMAs purpose was to allow annual valuation updates on all city properties, which should lead to more accurate assessments and tax bills.In 2006, the Board of Revision of Taxes signed a contract with Colorado CustomWare Inc. to implement the system.Five years later, and after paying the company $4.3 million, the Nutter administration agreed to end the contract. What did the city get for its investment? No one could say.Carla Pagan, the Board of Revision of Taxes executive director who signed the settlement agreement , told a reporter last week to ask the lawyers that negotiated that deal. Shelley Smith, city solicitor when the settlement was reached, said she did not recall its details or why the contract ended.Dubow, the finance director back then, also was stumped. I dont think a lot of us know any of the details other than we know were not using anything from that, he said.Still, the city trudged on. Shortly after signing the 2011 settlements, the Nutter administration took responsibility for property assessments and created the Office of Property Assessment. In 2015  two years after the controversial Actual Value Initiative, which reassessed all properties at market value  it again tried to create a CAMA system, and budgeted $4.7 million to do so.Thomson Reuters won the bid and the city started negotiating the details of a contract. Then, according to city officials, Thomson Reuters pushed the start date of CAMA until September 2018, much later than the city had requested. So, the city walked away and started the bid process all over again, delaying the project further.In April, the city signed a $7 million contract with Plano, Texas-based Tyler Technologies to help launch the CAMA system. Its expected to go live at the end of 2019.Attempts to modernize the licensing system have endured similar twists. In January 2014, Nutter announced a $4 million project known as eCLIPSE (Electronic Commercial Licensing, Inspection and Permit Services Enterprise) for the Department of Licenses and Inspections. The hope was that it would enable contractors and residents to apply online for permits  instead of using paper forms  and give city inspectors instant access to such licenses and any violations in one online system.The project was to be rolled out in four phases, ending in December 2015. Instead, the implementation is ongoing  and the bill has grown to at least $10.7 million.David Perri, L&I Commissioner, said increased costs are due to the city adding a data warehouse and other tools not outlined in the initial contract.Perri noted that just the half-completed eCLIPSE system has generated $12 million in revenue because it helps inspectors scour Revenue Department records and identify tax delinquents. Business and rental license applicants are barred from getting approved until they settle their tax bills. In years past, with a paper system across several offices, those cross-checks fell through the cracks.Folks were getting different permits without getting clearance on their taxes, he said.Perhaps no project has been as tortured as OnePhilly, an initiative to connect city personnel, pension and benefits data and payroll under the same system.The project was launched in 2014 with Colorado-based Ciber Inc. as the lead vendor, a $15.3 million capital budget and a July 2015 target for completion.Two years later, its still in flux. Taxpayers have paid $19.3 million to Ciber and other vendors involved in the project, including $8.5 million in Oracle software licensing fees. The city also spent $3.7 million for 10 employees dedicated to that project. In April, Ciber filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy , and was purchased by a Michigan company, HTC Global, in June.City spokesman Mike Dunn said the city expects to pay HTC Global an additional $2.6 million to finish what Ciber started. But even after that, the city still needs to figure out how to complete the full project. So, the current $25.6 million price tag for OnePhilly will likely grow.Finally, theres the budgeting system. The city contracted CGI Group Inc., a Montreal-based vendor, to create a performance-based budgeting system to replace the thousands of spreadsheets currently used to put together its annual $4 billion operating budget and $9 billion six-year capital budget.According to the July 17 letter from Butkovitz to Brennan, the city has paid CGI $1.6 million  but there is nothing to show for it.The city wouldnt comment on the CGI contract other than to say both sides are negotiating a resolution. Butkovitz has launched an investigation into the matter.The recurring failures, he said, indicate that theyre over their head in dealing with this.
(TNS) -- AUGUSTA  Maine has joined dozens of states in refusing to share personal voter information with President Trumps voter fraud commission. But the state regularly sells the very same data to political parties, candidates and ballot question or issue-based political action committees.In fact, over the last two years, Maine collected more than $30,000 selling voter information  including name, year of birth, address, party affiliation and whether or not a voter participated in the last two elections.The state also provides data in its Central Voter Registry database at no cost to the federal court system, other government entities such as school district administrators, and academic researchers. And while voters can get their own information, the data is not otherwise available to the public.Under the states open records laws, only government and a narrow group of other entities that must pay a fee are given access to the CVR data. The going price for a statewide list of Maines registered voters is $2,200  if you are among the eligible few allowed to purchase it.In 2015 and 2016, the state sold the list not only to Republican and Democratic Party officials but also to lobbyists, candidates and activists working on political campaigns or ballot question initiatives.A review of records obtained by the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram under a Freedom of Access Act request shows that CVR data was sold or given away 61 times over the two-year period. Only one formal request for voter data was denied by Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, who has broad discretion over the release of the data.Dunlap, who serves on Trumps Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, could release portions of Maines CVR data to the commission. However, he said he wont do that because he is concerned that the commission, under federal law, may not have the authority to keep the data confidential.The state already releases CVR data to the federal government, including to law enforcement agents and the federal court system when it is requested for assembling jury pools.But Maines ability to police the use of CVR data once its in the hands of parties, candidates and others is limited.In sent postcards to Maine addresses claiming to show whether a voters friends and neighbors had voted in past elections, with a veiled threat that the recipients could also be exposed if they didnt do their civic duty and vote.The tactic, known as voter shaming, is seen by some as a legitimate way to promote voter turnout and by others as a form of voter intimidation.The organization, which sent out similar mailers in Alaska that year, had no physical footprint in Maine and appeared to be connected to an Ohio-based organization.How the sponsors of the mailing got their hands on Maines CVR data, including the addresses and voting participation records of voters, was never determined.Dunlap acknowledges that it could be difficult to learn or prove whether someone who is legally entitled to the data covertly provides it to someone else who shouldnt be able to access it.POLITICAL, COMMERCIAL LINES BLURMaines voter database was created in 2006, as a response to the 2002 passage of the federal Help America Vote Act, a sweeping law that created uniform standards and procedures in all 50 states.Among other things, the law mandated that states create a centralized database to track changes in the voting population. But while the federal law sought a uniformed voting system, it set no clear standards as to how voter data would be handled. As a result, each state creates its own rules about data access and cost.Some states make it easily available to the public for nearly any use while others limit the use of voter data and only allow its release to political entities or government. Data fees range widely, with some states making it available for free while others, such as Arizona, charge as much as $32,000 for a copy of a statewide voter list.When Maine established its database, the Legislature decided to make its statewide voter data available only to political groups and government agencies. Statewide data costs $2,200, while smaller data sets cost less. The money collected is used to maintain and update the database as voters enroll and others move.Dunlap said lawmakers exempted the database from the states open records law in part to protect Mainers voting data from being used for commercial purposes.However, the line between political and commercial use can be a blurry one.For example, in 2016 the state sold copies of the statewide CVR database to lobbyist Cheryl Timberlake and consultant Stavros Mendros. Both were working on a signature-gathering campaign for a ballot question that, if approved, will give one Las Vegas developer the right to build a casino in York County.Prior to the creation of the central database, political organizations had to visit each of the states more than 500 municipalities and townships to compile statewide voter data. In fact, the information about individual voters still resides in city and town halls and is available to the public. Your neighbors can look up your voter participation if they want. The limits on public access apply only to the aggregated database of Maine voters  the form in which it has the most value to political or commercial entities.The statewide CVR list is a crucial basis for other enhanced voter lists that are developed by campaigns or parties. These lists, often using other publicly available records, or from information gathered by volunteers canvassing specific areas and interviewing voters, are then used for a variety of strategic political purposes.USEFUL TO POLITICAL PARTIESJason Savage, executive director of the Maine Republican Party, said that without the underlying statewide voter list, other types of campaign tools and road maps would be more difficult to develop. Savage, who purchased the CVR database for the Maine Republican Party in 2016, said his party doesnt ever sell any of its voter lists and doesnt share voter data outside of Republican candidates or other campaign efforts.He said both major parties have developed their own voter databases from various sources over time, and that candidates have access to that information. And there is a lot more data that is available now than ever before that voters (voluntarily) give the parties as well, he said.Mike Rogers, the data file manager for the Maine Democratic Party, said in a prepared statement that Democrats use the voter registry data to make voter contacts, for get-out-the-vote campaigns and other voter services.The party shares the voter data with all of its wings, such as caucuses, county and municipal committees, he said.Savage said its unclear to him why Dunlap has been so reluctant to share CVR data with the Trump commission, unless the registry contains other data thats not released to parties and candidates.Democrats, not surprisingly, have a different view.The voter information that the Trump sham commission requested went way beyond what a government entity is entitled to access, including personal information like social security numbers, Rogers said.Others who have purchased Maines statewide voter list include Paul McCarrier, who worked on the citizens initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in Maine in 2016.He said his organization used the voter list primarily as a way to check the volume and validity of voter signatures on its petitions.Dunlap said the sale and release of voter data is strictly limited under Maine law, and he questions whether the Trump commission could withhold the data if it received a federal public records request.He said last week that until the commission sets specific goals for what it hopes to achieve and establishes clarity as a group on how it intends to protect voter privacy to the commission.CENTRALIZING DATA CARRIES RISKDunlap said the federal Real I.D. law, which Maine had resisted complying with until this year, provides far more personal data to the federal government than anything in the voter registry. But Dunlap said the public is far more passionate about protecting the information in their voter registration files.I felt like I was a voice in the wilderness on Real I.D., Dunlap said. And there is a lot more sensitive information the federal government can access under Real I.D.  certified copies of your birth certificate, facial recognition photographs, Social Security numbers, drivers license numbers. If you have a medical history, if you have to maintain a medical certificate to keep your drivers license, they are going to get that. Its 10 stories high worth of information as opposed to your name and your address and the year of your birth.He said concern over voter information reflects how strongly people feel about the sovereign right of people to democratic self governance  they dont want anybody screwing around with that. Thats the difference.Dunlap said hes unsure why Trumps commission wants so much voter data, but he suspects it is looking for instances of the same person being registered to vote in two different states, which in and of itself is not against the law  provided the person isnt voting in both places.The commissions leaders may also be looking for people who shouldnt be registered to vote in the first place, although in some states voters have become so reluctant to have their data shared with the commission they are asking to be removed from their states voting rolls.Myrna Perez, deputy director of the Democracy Program at New York Universitys Brennan Center for Justice, said voters have reason to be leery.She said the dispersion of voter data and divergent laws among the 50 states provides a measure of insulation against widespread fraud or misuse of the data. A centralized federal voter database would be a rich target for those who may want to disrupt or corrupt American elections.If its all combined and included in one, that immediately incentivizes making this the one target, because it becomes more valuable and has a higher payoff if you are able to get through, she said.Perez also worries that once the commission has voter data from all 50 states it wont be able to fully protect it in a way that complies with the standards for public access adopted in the various states.The center is suing the federal commission in an attempt to ensure that the various state protections for protecting the privacy of voter data are complied with, she said.Perez also said it seems unrealistic to expect that voter data released to legitimate political users isnt going to be shared with others who will use it for unauthorized purposes. She said policing the transfer of data would be virtually impossible, given that states regularly sell the data to a wide variety of customers.OHIO LAW LESS RESTRICTIVESome, including Andrew Smith, a political scientist who has done numerous political polls for the Telegram as director of the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, said Maine may want to consider loosening some of its constraints on voter registry data.From a pollsters perspective, Smith said, there are pros and cons to the data.Among the advantages are that during midterm or other low-turnout election, youre likely to get a better sample of actual voters than using (random direct dial) samples as midterm voters tend to be older and more established in their communities, Smith said in an email. However, there is a significant portion of the electorate for whom there is no contact information (only about 60 percent of the registered voter lists you can purchase have a phone number for the voter). This is especially true for younger voters and people who have just moved to a state.Smith, originally from Ohio, said his home state makes voter data broadly available to researchers, parties, candidates and the general public as well. Most of Ohios data is available for free, although the state does prohibit its use for commercial purposes, as does Maine.Smith said public access to that data in Ohio has seldom been controversial or dramatically misused.My experience in the Northeast is that states have a history of making it very difficult to get this public information and make it expensive as well, Smith wrote. Its my opinion that since it is public, it should be available for anyone who asks for it. I do understand that there are costs involved, which should be paid by the requester, but they should be for actual costs.For now, access to Maine data will continue to be limited to selected categories of users.ONE REQUEST DENIEDThe one application for Maines statewide database that was rejected in the last two years came from a Nashville-based company, icitizen Corp., which builds mobile applications aimed at improving voting participation and engagement and connections between elected officials and their constituents.The company requested Maines data for an application that allows voters to see if they are actually registered to vote and, if not, provides them with state-specific instructions on how they can become registered.In a letter to icitizen, Maines database manager, Tina Means, said the request was turned down because the app wasnt really a get-out-the-vote mobilization effort, which is one of the approved uses for the data. Means also said the CVR database is constantly being updated, so a point-in-time release of data through the app could result in a user getting inaccurate verification information.Such verification is an election-administration function that may only be performed by election officials, Means said.
Global commerce

Crime and security

A layered approach

Reacting fast

IUs efforts

(TNS) -- The odds are stacked against Brad Wheeler and Indiana Universitys information technology staff.At any one time, there are roughly 250,000 active IU email accounts. About 3 million messages are sent to those accounts over the course of a year. All it takes is one person to click one bad link in one of those messages to wreak havoc on the entire IU network.The organizational security people, we have to be right 1,000 out of 1,000 times, said Wheeler, IUs vice president for information technology. But the criminals? They only have to be right one out of 1,000 times.While phishing emails are not new, they have become more sophisticated. No longer is the bait a Nigerian prince willing to share his fortune, Wheeler said. Now, the people creating these emails are reading social media posts, looking at organizational charts and watching the news coming out of a particular industry to craft messages that trigger an instant response.An email appears. It looks like it came from your boss, Wheeler said. Its on a topic youre expecting, so youre anxious to get the result. You want to see it, so boom, you click on that link.If that link releases a worm, like the WannaCry malware that affected people in about 150 countries earlier this year, it could self propagate and jump to other devices on the IU network without anyone else falling for the phish.Its a scenario that could play out at the largest university or the smallest business. And the scary part is, the situation is only getting worse.The internet was built for people who trust each other, Wheeler said. It was never intended to support global commerce.The internet is also not one thing, but rather, a network of billions of devices, he said. New devices are joining that network every day with both new and old flaws.There is no easy way to fix the internet. Criminals know this, and theyre getting better at exploiting these flaws.Wheeler said he was already scared when he went to a cyber security conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, but came back terrified.The bad guys are industrialized; they are professionalized; and they are automated, he said.Intelligence organizations, such as the National Security Agency, have been creating tools to exploit the internets flaws for their purposes for some time. But those tools are now being leaked to the general public with increasing frequency.This has created a cyber security protection racket for both illegal and legal enterprises.Wheeler said in the world of cyber security, there are now two loops feeding off each other.On one side is the exploitation loop in which criminals become aware of a flaw in a system. They then find a way to exploit that flaw for financial gain. For example, a criminal might use a flaw to gain access to sensitive information and threaten to distribute that unless a ransom is paid.On the other side is the mitigation loop, where companies sell software or services to prevent the aforementioned exploitation.We have these two perfectly interacting ecosystems that both sides are the winners, Wheeler said recently in a presentation to IUs Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research. The bad guys are the winner on one side, and were the perpetual loser in the middle, and the guys that are selling all this stuff, this is working for them.Mitigation software and subscription services can be helpful, but they alone are not the answer.IU employs a layered approach to cyber security.Mitigation services are used to help with things such as emails. For instance, only about 500,000 of the approximately 3 million messages sent are actually delivered to IU email accounts each year.Despite preventing about 2.5 million spam messages from hitting IU inboxes, some phishing emails still get through. Thats why personal education is another important element in cyber security. For example, IU encourages the use of unique passwords for different accounts. Employees are encouraged to use a virtual private network instead of public Wi-Fi when accessing secure sites while traveling.On top of all that, IU has a team of about 23 full-time security staff. These people perform a variety of services. For instance, when hackers made billions of usernames and passwords public in a huge file dump earlier this year, IUs team scanned the files to determine they included some IU credentials. Most of the IU usernames and passwords were not active, but the team quickly scrambled the passwords for those that were.IU was not specifically targeted in the hacks that resulted in the file dump. The information actually came from old breaches of companies such as LinkedIn, Dropbox, MySpace and Adobe. IU information ended up there because people used their university email addresses and passwords when registering for those sites.The quick response of IUs cyber security team helped ensure that no sensitive university information was accessed as a result of the file dump. Time is key in minimizing damage in the event of a cyber security attack, but Wheeler has found universities arent sharing information about attacks fast enough.Last year, a database containing more than 1,000 names and Social Security numbers of former University of Wisconsin law school student applicants was hacked. It was 33 days before the breach was made public and communicated to affected users.That is not very swift mitigation for everyone else to try to figure out how to lock down the defenses, Wheeler said in the presentation to IUs Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research.To reduce mitigation time, IU has founded a cyber security operations center with four other Big Ten institutions: the University of Nebraska, Purdue University, Northwestern University and Rutgers University.The idea is not unique to higher education. Eight big banks teamed up to create a cross-industry cyber security operations center. All those banks already participate in the financial services information sharing and analysis center, or FS-ISAC. Wheeler said ISACs were created after 9/11 for different industries, such as utilities and various manufacturing sectors. IU operates the Research and Education Network-ISAC.Notice eight big banks decided that was not enough, Wheeler said. They were going to form their own private club, because they needed to share information faster.Forming cyber security operations centers, hiring a team of cyber security professionals and subscribing to cyber security services are all part of IUs efforts to mitigate the risks of relying on the internet for day-to-day operations. These things dont make IU 100 percent secure, but they do make the university less vulnerable than other entities.Unfortunately, every organization that relies on the internet is facing the same threats. Its a dire situation for small businesses and even local governments in many small towns, Wheeler said. Those entities often dont have the means to take the same preventive measures as an organization such as IU.With cyber threats only expected to increase, the broader cyber security of the state is something Wheeler said is deeply troubling.It should be an area of immense concern for the state of Indiana, he said.
(TNS) - An emergency medical technician in the back of an ambulance with a patient doesn't have protective gear like law enforcement personnel might.EMTs have no way of knowing if any given patient's high-stress situation will devolve into violence.That's what happened on July 16, when a patient pepper-sprayed three EMTs from the New Windsor Volunteer Ambulance Corps as she was being taken to St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital.That was an extreme case, but assault is not uncommon. It's also a felony under the state penal code.The prevalence of assault rings true with the experience of Rachel Hubel and Vincent Engenito, EMTs with the New Windsor Volunteer Ambulance Corps.And Dawn Marshall, Michael Bigg, Rich Lenahan and Rich Muellerleile are just a sample of other regional EMTs and paramedics who have faced verbal or physical assault in some form.The stories vary: kicked in the chest, punched, bitten or spit on.Sometimes, patients throw whatever they can get their hands on or threaten to jump out of the ambulance.At a minimum, verbal abuse is an inevitability, Engenito said.In fact, about 52 percent of respondents to a 2005 survey by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians said they've been assaulted by a patient.To make matters worse, EMTs and paramedics said they aren't properly trained on how to handle escalating situations.They are "virtually helpless," according to Rich Muellerleile, Ulster County Emergency Medical Services coordinator and deputy chief of the Town of Shandaken Ambulance Service.Lenahan teaches EMT classes in Orange County and said the standard curriculum has no training to prepare students for the possibility of violence.He is also a paramedic and captain of the Monroe Volunteer Ambulance Service.He says he wishes the curriculum included specific, intensive behavioral and de-escalation training.While EMTs and paramedics are certified every three years in New York, the state's Department of Health lists only one required hour of "Abuse and Assault" information.The usual guidance is simply to not approach an unsafe scene, according to Bigg, chief of the New Windsor Volunteer Ambulance Corps."Usually, law enforcement puts us on stand-by until the scene is safe," he said.This is usually the case, but not every dangerous situation can be avoided, Muellerleile said.Sometimes, the trip to the hospital becomes unsafe."You do have people who just snap," Lenahan said. "They're fine one second, and the next, they're a completely different person."Bigg said the only option is to defend themselves.An EMT or paramedic cannot legally restrain a patient. Only a law enforcement official can do that, Bigg said.They can always ask a patient if they have weapons but cannot search a person, Bigg said.The only true course of action is requesting law enforcement assistance, Muellerleile said."Obviously, if there's any issue that can potentially escalate, involve the police department," he said. "If you have any iota of doubt."The complete lack of standard protocol for dealing with an assault means the technicians must rely on their own intuition, Lenahan said.However, a standard protocol might not be appropriate, according to Dawn Marshall, a life-member EMT with the New Windsor Volunteer Ambulance Corps."You have to take each situation as an individual one and manage it from there," she said.Bigg uses humor. Marshall tries to talk a person down when she notices the first signs of agitation. Hubel tries to have the responding EMT whom the patient seems most comfortable with ride in the back rather than drive.It's all about reading the situation, according to Bigg."If someone is having a psychological breakdown, you can't fix it the same way every time," he said.While paramedics are able to give a sedative to a patient, that rarely happens.Approaching an already angry person with a needle in hand usually only makes things worse, Bigg said.Bigg said New Windsor's ambulance service is now working with the town's Police Department to develop new protocols for treatment.Admittedly, there cannot be a "blanket policy," he said. But it will address how to gauge a patient and decide when EMTs or the police should transport the person.Bigg also hopes to do more training on identifying and de-escalating various types of crises, but that is often an issue of funding.Instead of formal trainings, some ambulance corps do situational awareness scenarios every so often to practice handling an aggressive or violent patient, Lenahan said.He hopes there will be significant improvements to the standard national curriculum - but he's not holding his breath, he said.Muellerleile said his ultimate goal on any call is to get everybody home safely."When I go to work, I kiss my wife goodbye, I kiss my kids goodbye, and there's an expectation that I'm going to be home 24 hours later at the end of my shift," he said."But in the back of my wife's mind, there's a chance that I might not be coming back."The unfortunate truth is because of the nature of the job, some people won't come home, he said.aspadaro@th-record.com2017 The Times Herald-Record, Middletown, N.Y.Visit The Times Herald-Record, Middletown, N.Y. at www.recordonline.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency,
(TNS)  The first call came into the Basil Joint Fire District station in Baltimore just after 9:30 p.m. on July 13 amid the deluge that inundated parts of northwestern Fairfield and southwestern Licking counties.A 2016 Chevy Silverado had stalled "while crossing deep water" on Allen Road, and its occupant needed to be rescued.A little more than an hour later, firefighters in the same department received another call. This time, two other people were trapped in their vehicle on a road covered with 2 feet of water.Rescuers had to don special protective gear, enter the floodwaters and haul people to safety.Such rescues can be costly for fire departments, both in terms of money and rescuers' safety, and they tie up responders when there are other emergencies that require attention.They also could be expensive for drivers. A state law enacted a couple of years ago allows fines of up to $2,000 for those who venture into clearly marked flooded roadways.But it doesn't appear that many people have had to break out their wallets after ignoring road closed signs. Doug Stern, spokesman for the Ohio Professional Fire Fighters, said he could find no department that has charged motorists for flooded road rescues.Part of the issue could be the way the law is written: Signs noting the potential fine have to be posted.That was news to Fairfield County EMA Director Jon Kochis, who provided testimony to lawmakers in support of the law change.He didn't realize until the water hit the road that new signs had to be in place to fine stranded drivers."I never picked up on that part," Kochis said. "We knew that it had to be an identified road, closed by a sign, but that extra piece, that you could be fined, that escaped me."Senate Bill 106 was passed by lawmakers in late 2014 and signed by Gov. John Kasich, taking effect in March of the following year.Among other provisions, the law prohibits drivers from guiding their vehicles onto clearly marked flooded roadways, with more than $2,000 in potential fines to cover the rescue costs.The bill was named in memory of Allan H. Anderson Jr., a veteran dive team member at the Wellington Community Fire District in Lorain County who was killed in 2006 while trying to rescue two teens whose vehicle had been swept off a flooded road.Wellington Fire Chief Mike Wetherbee, who supported SB 106, and his department kept close tabs on the legislation during those proceedings and the subsequent enactment. When the new law took effect, the local firefighters association paid for more than 20 new signs that read "Road Closed, High Water, Max Fine $2,000."The signs cost about $100 each and were distributed to townships that the Wellington department covers with roads that are prone to flooding. So far, firefighters there have not had to rescue anyone from a flooded road or issue any resulting fines."I'm very happy we haven't had to enforce this," Wetherbee said. "It's not about the money to us. ... We don't want to lose anybody, especially one of our own, again."But other counties apparently haven't been fining drivers who need to be rescued, either. Nor does it appear that many have moved to make or purchase new signs.Matt Bruning, an ODOT spokesman, said two state district offices ordered a combined six of the new "flooded road" signs, complete with the fine warning. Otherwise, he said, he was unaware of any other ODOT offices that have put the new signs to use.Fairfield County Engineer Jeremiah Upp said he has heard from a couple of townships inquiring about the new sign requirements. But he said the county has not yet had any made.That's not to say that his department isn't working to keep people off of inundated roadways."If it's bad enough and deep enough that it's dangerous, we put barricades up," he said.Kochis said the extra sign language poses a burden for counties like his that have flood-prone roads. Responders didn't have enough high-water signs during last month's heavy rains."We closed so many roads that we ran out of road-closed signs," he said. The new law, he said, "creates a lot of unnecessary work and cost. We're looking at every road-closed sign, you need to have that small sign" noting the potential for fines.Thankfully, no on was hurt last month and the rescues by the Basil Joint Fire District were completed quickly."Luckily for us, the two that night were in standing water, not rushing water," Kochis said.The bottom line from first responders is simple: Don't drive onto flooded roads. It takes only a few inches of water to move a vehicle and you can't see what's underneath the water's surface, Kochis said."When you're driving down a road, it could be perfectly flat water, it doesn't look that deep," Kochis said. "But that culvert's gone, and there's a 6-foot-wide trench ..."Licking County's EMA Director Sean Grady watched as the occupants of a car were rescued in his county during the July flooding."The water was actually moving the vehicle when they kept trying to get the people out of the car," he said.Rep. Tim Schaffer, a Lancaster Republican, was the primary co-sponsor of SB 106. He said his original bill required roads to be clearly marked as closed due to flooding. The language about the fine was added as an amendment during legislative deliberations to gain needed support for passage.To date, Schaffer said he hasn't heard of anyone being fined."I wondered in the last month or so, with all of this incredible flooding we've had, if any of the local agencies were using that," he said.Schaffer ultimately was supportive of the final bill and the signage requirement to further hammer home to motorists the seriousness of driving onto flooded roads."These high-water signs, that's not a suggestion," he said. "That has the force of law behind it. It's not a polite suggestion, this is a life or death decision.". .mkovac@dispatch.com@ohiocapitalblog2017 The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio)Visit The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio) at www.dispatch.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
March 2, 1884: "The Great Fire of Utica." Beginning in the basement of the H.J. Holbrook Co. shoe factory at Catherine Street, the fire quickly spread to adjoining businesses, consuming an entire business block, including the old Utica Observer, a predecessor of the Observer-Dispatch. No one was killed.

March 3, 1896: Three people died in a fire at the Genesee Flats apartment building on Genesee Street and Clinton Place. This fire was the first in the city's history in which people died.

Feb. 28, 1934: Seven people were killed during a fire at the Marrone Hotel on Bleecker and Second streets. Six bodies were recovered from the ruins, and another person died later.

Feb. 13, 1948: Eleven people were killed when a fire destroyed a residence at 5 Cedar St. Eight of the 11 victims were children. A 13-year-old girl saved herself by jumping from a second-floor porch onto a snow bank.

June 22, 1981: Two children were killed when fire destroyed the second floor and attic of a two-family apartment building at 1129 Whitesboro St. The mother of the children leaped to safety from a second-story window after throwing her month-old child to a man standing 25 feet below.

March 14, 1994: The Kanatenah Apartments at 1504 Genesee St. were destroyed by a fire that lasted several days. The building later was razed. The eight-story structure opened in 1897 and was Utica's first large apartment complex.

May 29, 2008: A fire broke out in the packaging section of F.X. Matt Brewing Co. during a Saranac Thursdays event. The fire destroyed the second and third floor of the building, causing over $10 million in damages.

Sept. 20, 2009: Four people were killed after a fire tore through 102 James St. While several people were rescued from the building during the fire, fire officials said they were unable to access the rear portion of the building despite several attempts, in part due to a sprinkler system that was out of order.

Sept. 17, 2010: Hundreds of residents were displaced from the Olbiston Apartments following an early morning fire. The fire was later ruled an arson.

(TNS)  When one of the highest floors of the Kennedy Plaza high-rise apartment building caught fire in 2010, firefighters had two priorities: rescue a man trapped in an elevator on the fire floor and put out the fire.That call, where firefighters had to run up 17 stories with approximately 80 pounds of equipment on their backs, resulted in an important lesson for the department, recalled temporary Fire Chief John Kelly, who responded to the fire that day."(In a high-rise fire) everything's multiple stories up, and the time delay is significant because you can't just run in the front door with the hose," Kelly said. "We really tried to change our procedures so we were much more progressive. I think we do a much better job now than we did. I think we're very fortunate that we don't have significant high-rise fires on a regular basis, but we've had several in my career and we've had numerous in the past."In the aftermath of a June 14 blaze that gutted the 24-story Grenfell Tower block in London, killing 80 people and injuring more than 70, and the July 14 fire at a 36-story residential tower in Honolulu where three died, fire officials and representatives of one of Utica's largest apartment complexes spoke out regarding the importance of fire safety in such densely populated buildings.CRM Rental Management Site Manager Rebecca Smith still recalls the call she received Nov. 22, 2010, when she was told Kennedy Plaza was on fire."I got a phone call and he said, 'Rebecca, Kennedy is on fire,'" she said. "And my knees started knocking together. I went over and you could see the smoke coming out the windows."Improvements made before that fire such as fire sprinklers on every floor and foam fire suppressants in the range hood of every stove, as well as a regular fire awareness campaign have gone a long way toward securing the safety of the building, said CRM Rental Management President John Varecka."Most buildings built in the 1970s, they were made during that timeframe where everything was made out of concrete: walls, ceilings and floors; all of it supposedly fire-proof," Varecka said. "The thought was, if one unit burnt out, the rest of the building would be fine. That's not the thinking now."He said news coverage of incidents such as those in London and Honolulu "hits home" for building managers like himself."Look at all the buildings we have," he said. "All the buildings we renovate, we put sprinklers in most of our properties and most of them are smoke-free properties as well to improve quality of life but to reduce accidents as well."When it comes to battling high-rise fires, aerial ladders often are the last resort, explained Kelly. Firefighters will enter the building and create a "staging area" two floors below where the fire is concentrated and send up teams to locate any trapped residents and suppress the fire.After the Kennedy Plaza fire, where firefighters grappled with a lack of water pressure, the department bought better hoses and nozzles that will deliver more gallons per minute.In the event of a major fire, the department will rely on mutual aid agreements among area fire departments to ensure the necessary manpower and equipment is available.Rome Fire Chief Ronald Brement said the pre-planning area fire departments undertake for such incidents is a necessity."If it's a high-occupancy load or it's a manufacturing business that deals with flammable liquids or products, we have a pre-plan in place before there's even an incident there so we can train on it," Brement said. "We take our manpower and go to the high rise, tour them, lay out hose and practice and see our plan of attack in action, so if there's a fire on the third floor we're not going through it for the first time. Like a sport: The more you do it, the better you are."Here are some of the major fires that struck the city over the last 150 years, according to theh archives.Follow @OD_Parker on Twitter or call her at 315-792-5063.2017 Observer-Dispatch, Utica, N.Y.Visit Observer-Dispatch, Utica, N.Y. at www.uticaod.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Richard Saul Wurman is a restless man . After creating TED talks, tiring of the format, selling it, launching another blockbuster conference aimed at more organic conversation among intellectual powerhouses, his latest project moves from people to places. It still carries through some of those hallmark qualities from his earlier ventures: harnessing the power of the internet, putting disparate places in conversation with each other and gathering up interesting bits of information for others to synthesize.The Urban Observatory , launched in conjunction with Jack Dangermond of ESRI and Jon Kamen of Radical Media, was meant to solve a simple problem: You cant look at Sao Paolo next to Shanghai on Google Maps. You cant get comparative patterns, Wurman told Fast Companys Co.Design The interactive website, unveiled in July, allows users to compare maps of cities side by side using a variety of different metrics, from housing density to flood zones to transit access. It joins other digital mapping websites like the transit-focused AllTransit , but the goal here is to compare the footprint of each metric city to city to gain new insight into common urban challenges.The data sources are diverse, from AccuWeather and the Trust for Public Land to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. There are some gaps; Houston, for example, doesnt have a map under the Ports category. But Wurman plans to grow the site.It should be 100 cities, connected to a source that updates it like an app, he told Co.Design. Cities could learn from the mistakes and failures of others.
(TNS) -- A satellite startup promising to be the first provider of universal internet service plans to use Alaska as a proving ground to show it can bring affordable, reliable broadband to some of the world's most isolated communities. OneWeb plans to launch a constellation of satellites to, in theory, reach "every square inch of the world" and start bringing an estimated 4 billion people without internet access online, said Greg Wyler, the company's founder and executive chairman.Alaska would be among the first places in the world to receive the new service, he said. Launching in the small, isolated market would allow OneWeb to test and debug the system without disrupting service to a large number of customers. And Wyler figures that if the system can function in the tough northern climate, it can work anywhere."We're looking to do Alaska as one of the early locations because it has a really challenging broadband problem, and if we can solve Alaska, it's a great demonstration of what can be done everywhere else," Wyler said in a recent interview.No company, satellite or otherwise, has been able to cover the whole globe with broadband signals. Alaska is emblematic of the challenges in trying. Across wide swaths of the state, broadband access is slow, spotty and expensive  or nonexistent. The main relay systems of broadband  fiber-optic cable, microwave towers and satellites  are expensive relative to the number of available customers.Other broadband projects include a network of microwave towers in Western Alaska called TERRA built by GCI, the state's largest telecom, and a fiber-optic system serving several communities from Nome to Prudhoe Bay built by Quintillion, a company that intends to connect London and Tokyo through the Northwest Passage. And telecoms have agreed to expand broadband service to more than 100,000 new customers in Alaska over the next decade in exchange for continuing federal subsidies Wyler, who has an entrepreneur's way of making hard problems sound totally beatable, said OneWeb can have "the Alaska broadband problem solved" in about three years without federal subsidies."We could bridge the digital divide in Alaska by the end of 2020, and that means everyone who wants access has the ability to get it," he said. "We're done. Broadband is available."The prospect of turning more than half the world into a new base of broadband customers has attracted serious backers, including the chipmaker Qualcomm , aeronautics maker Airbus , Japanese telecom SoftBank and celebrity investor Richard Branson's space company, Virgin Galactic . These and other partners are contributing capital, labor and expertise to launch an initial constellation of 900 satellites, at a cost of $3 billion, by 2021.The satellites will move in procession from pole to pole, some orbiting in opposite directions. From the ground they would appear to rise in the north and set in the south, or vice versa. Close to the poles, their paths would converge like the lines on a beach ball.Traditional satellites, while they seem futuristic, are manufactured in a way that appears old-school and almost from before the Industrial Age. It's a labor-intensive process in which the individual satellite is carefully handcrafted, driving design and production costs into the hundreds of millions of dollars.OneWeb claims to have figured out how to dramatically cut costs through automation, mass production and the use of chip technology to produce smaller, more efficient satellites. As of the end of July, the company had started its assembly line in Toulouse, France. Another line will run near one of the company's planned launch sites in Cape Canaveral, Florida.Wyler describes the system as "a bunch of cell towers in the sky," with Qualcomm's chip technology, used in cellphones, helping make the satellites more powerful, pound for pound, than existing ones. With Airbus, the company has also been able to reduce their size.The company also says it has solved another vexing problem with satellite broadband: The time it takes for a customer's system to ping a satellite and receive a return signal typically creates noticeable delays while browsing or streaming.OneWeb expects customers not to notice the lag time on its system because its satellites will travel in low-Earth orbit, 750 miles high, a good 21,250 miles closer than satellites providing broadband today. Wyler said the closer orbit will help deliver speeds that accommodate the timing of natural language  customers will be able to stream video and conduct video calls.With so many satellites going up, critics have raised concerns about space debris and interference with existing satellites and their signals. But Wyler guaranteed that spent satellites would leave their orbits and burn up upon re-entry into the atmosphere. OneWeb has coordinated with Boeing to resolve collision issues and with other satellite companies, like partner Intelsat, to avoid signal interference and to back up OneWeb's system.As Wyler tells it, OneWeb appears to be poised for success. In late July, he was in Alaska to talk up the company and its progress in meetings with Gov. Bill Walker and other politicians and members of the state's telecom industry. He gave a lunch presentation to the Anchorage Rotary Club and had dinner at the Crow's Nest, the restaurant atop the Hotel Captain Cook, with Arctic Slope Regional Corp. chairman Crawford Patkotak.But there is some skepticism in the market that the company can deliver a broadband-for-all utopia.Other satellite networks have gone bankrupt attempting to achieve worldwide telecom coverage. Iridium, by cellular company Motorola, also had big, credible backers and spent $5 billion on a system that the Smithsonian's Air and Space magazine called "archaic by the time it was deployed." The company went bankrupt in 1999, but continued operating and now provides coverage to clients requiring service in remote areas, including oil and gas, maritime and aviation companies.Andrew DeGasperi, an equity research analyst who covers data centers and satellites for investment firm Macquarie, said he was concerned about the challenging logistics and how quickly the company would be able to sign up customers and ramp up revenue."They're spending several billion dollars and operating in an orbit with a lot of debris and traffic," said DeGasperi, who is based in New York. "And it takes a long time for companies that are new to satellites to generate the revenue required to support some of these capital investments."Another concern is the percentage of the constellation that will be idle at any given time as the satellites pass over oceans or other areas where no one is using the service."Most of the Earth's surface is water. Water doesn't have any income to spend on broadband, so you've got to make your money on the other third of the system and that's a challenge," said Tom Brady, an engineering manager at Microcom, an Anchorage-based satellite retailer.After the bankruptcies of Iridium and another company, GlobalStar , Brady and Microcom vice president Chuck Schumann said they are "cautiously optimistic" about OneWeb."While we're very excited about any new services that are going to cover Alaska, we're also realists because we've been through this so many times," Schumann said. "Someday this is all going to happen, but right now we're just being a little bit careful and don't want to pin all our hopes and dreams on something that's brand-new."Christine O'Connor, executive director of the Alaska Telephone Association, expressed her concern in a single word: "Price." Cost is a major concern in a state where monthly consumer broadband bills can easily spike into the hundreds of dollars "It's never the problem in Alaska that it can't be done, it's that it's expensive," O'Connor said. "If they could turn this one, it really would be transformational for Alaska."Wyler could not give specifics on pricing, saying that OneWeb will provide service "comparable to a cable modem at comparable prices." It will sell broadband capacity to telecom retailers like Microcom, which would then package it into internet plans for consumers. Alaska Communications Systems was the first telecom in the state to formalize its interest in reselling OneWeb broadband.There's also risk that another company could beat OneWeb into space. Of the dozen companies that have applied to the Federal Communications Commission to operate similar systems in the United States, OneWeb is the only one with a permit. But SpaceX, O3B or others could emerge as a competitor.Wyler said the skepticism is understandable."It is horrifically expensive, it is really hard to do and you have to really, really want to do it. But when we brief people and walk them through what we're doing, they become more comfortable," Wyler said.Aside from the potential for lower prices and better service, OneWeb could also upend the telecom market in Alaska by bringing competition to dozens of communities where none exists."These people who are trying to cover the rest of world and getting excited and pouring money in are good for Alaska because it will have a lot of choices in the near term," DeGasperi said. "I would be surprised if you don't have a sizable improvement in connectivity in Alaska in five to 10 years."Correction: This story was updated to reflect the fact that the telecom Iridium continued to operate after it went into bankruptcy court and now provides services to remote locations.
Authorities say an electrical fire is to blame for a fire that destroyed a house Sunday morning in Sweet Home.

No one was injured in the fire, which was first reported at 9:21 a.m. Sunday, according to a news release from the department.

When firefighters arrived at the residence on Juniper Street, they found a blaze that had started in a shop and carport attached to the house; the fire quickly moved to the house.

The occupants, who were not identified, escaped the fire without harm and about 40 percent of the structure's contents were saved, the news release said.

Two engines, a light rescue unit, and a medic unit with 15 firefighters responded initially, with one engine from Lebanon Fire on a mutual aid assist. No firefighters were injured.

The structure was deemed a total loss. Investigators determined the fire was electrical and traced the cause to an outlet into which a freezer was plugged.

The American Red Cross was on scene for assistance to the residents.
Eyragon Eidam is the Web editor for Government Technology magazine, after previously serving as assistant news editor and covering such topics as legislation, social media and public safety. He can be reached at eeidam@erepublic.com.
Lando Norris has calmed speculation he could be about to burst into formula one.

The 17-year-old Briton, who is a McLaren junior driver, staked a claim on future F1 superstardom last week by beating Fernando Alonso's qualifying time in the post-race test at the Hungaroring.

Norris is currently a title contender in European F3.

"I am sure that next year I will not be in F3 again," he is quoted by the Finnish broadcaster MTV.

"I think McLaren is trying to keep the current (F1) lineup, so I think for me it will probably be either Formula 2 or Super Formula in Japan."

(GMM)
Honda is hoping better performance from its F1 engine will calm the troubled waters between the Japanese manufacturer and McLaren.

As the sport reaches its mid-season August break, rumours of a split in the works Anglo-Japanese collaboration are still circulating.

Indeed, a deal between Sauber and Honda for 2018 has already been cancelled.

"We are not with Sauber, so for now the only team we supply engines to at the moment is McLaren," Honda's F1 boss Yusuke Hasegawa is quoted by Spain's AS newspaper.

There are claims Toro Rosso is being lined up by Honda as a substitute engine customer.

"I will not comment on rumours," McLaren team boss Eric Boullier said. "It is up to Honda to decide on possible customers."

Another rumour is that a customer Renault deal is lined up as McLaren's only engine alternative for 2018, with a decision expected in September.

Honda thinks that better reliability and performance, like that seen in Hungary, will calm the troubled waters of the McLaren-Honda relationship.

"I'm glad we were able to show some results," Hasegawa said after Hungary.

"We did not see any problems (in Hungary) so it was the first time that I was not worried about finishing the race.

"There is no doubt that we would like to continue to cooperate with McLaren. I think that with better performance we will continue to work together," he added.

(GMM)
Sebastian Vettel's future might not be as clear as recent media reports suggest.

Italian sources report that Ferrari is preparing to confirm Vettel alongside Kimi Raikkonen for 2018 at Monza next month, with president Sergio Marchionne admitting a deal "may be close".

But Finland's Ilta Sanomat newspaper now cites sources in saying Ferrari and Vettel are in fact not in agreement over the duration of a new deal, with the German pushing for a mere one-year contract in order to leave his options open for 2019.

"It's true that I haven't got a contract yet," Vettel admitted, "but I think the primary objective at the moment is not worrying about papers but making sure we get good results."

Another rumour is that Vettel signed a pre-agreement with Mercedes prior to the 2018 season, whereby the 30-year-old would not agree a post-2017 deal until after July.

Vettel said: "As I've said, I'm not in a rush, I don't think the team (Ferrari) is in a rush, and as far as I understand I think I have a good contact with the team and they would tell me otherwise.

"So as I've said there's no problem -- nothing wrong."

(GMM)
During this season of gratitude, we are reminded of the many reasons we can be thankful for the freedom and opportunity to travel.
Electric vehicle startup Faraday Future (FF) has signed a lease on its new 1 M ft 2 manufacturing facility, and has begun the process of clean-up to prepare the new site for the move-in of manufacturing equipment. The facility marks another significant step forward for the company in its planned delivery of its first production vehicle, FF 91, to market by the end of 2018.

Faraday Future had recently announced that it was shifting its manufacturing focus to a turn-key facility that offers a faster path to production. The new production facility, located in Hanford, CA, is strategically located between the countrys two largest EV markets, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley.

On 5 August, more than 300 Faraday Future employees and supporters voluntarily drove from Los Angeles to Hanford to begin the process of site clean-up, and embrace the companys new manufacturing home. State of California, and City of Hanford and Kings County officials were also on-site to welcome Faraday Future to its new production facility.

Dag Reckhorn, Faraday Futures VP of Global Manufacturing is spearheading all strategy and execution behind the new Hanford site.

The company said that the new production facility establishes the best path forward for the companys manufacturing plans, and focuses on building out the companys network of investors to diversify FFs funding strategy.




Journal Star columnist Phil Luciano asked " Last week, Peoriacolumnist Phil Luciano asked " How weird is the Aaron Schock case getting? " and answered: "Very." Schock was warned by his chief of staff to stop acting so gay, although no one mentioned the rumors about him on his knees in the congressional gym in front of a certain blue-eyed Mafia congressman (from Staten Island).

Schocks sexuality has always been the subject of snort-and-giggle speculation on the fringe of Schock World. Now its dead-center bombast, at the core of his attorneys charges of prosecutorial malfeasance. Among other allegations, Schocks lawyers say the government went on a gay-baiting witch hunt to try to make him look bad in front of a federal grand jury.



...Federal agents questioned Steven Shearer, Schocks first chief of staff. According to the filings, Shearer said, Schock was upset with the blogs and media comments about his sexuality. Schock denied the allegations and resented the accusations.



So, as a top aide, Shearer offered stern advice. According to the documents, Shearer believes that Schock did things that seemed gay. Shearer criticized Schock on behaving in a way that would make people question his sexuality. Shearer has no evidence of Schock being gay.



Shirtless poses? Ariana Grande post? The documents dont say how Schock mightve seemed gay. Downton Abbey decor ? The teal belt Gym fanaticism ? Maybe.



For all we know, maybe Shearer and other aides further admonished Schock to avoid watching Ellen, plucking his eyebrows or toting tiny dogs. After all, paparazzi are positively everywhere.



If that sounds stereotypical, thats the point. Do any of these labels really matter? Apparently, yes, to Schock & Co.-- not just back then but apparently now. Though Schocks attorneys vilify prosecutors sexuality inquiries as irrelevant and offensive, they also seem to go to great length to stress Schocks refutation of any hint of gayness.



The judge will decide whether Schocks sexuality has any bearing on the criminal case. But apparently his sexuality had a big bearing on his political machinations.



Again, like I said, weird.





The legitimate news point here is that in his latest desperate attempt to worm out of going prison, Schock's high-priced lawyers are now accusing federal investigators of prosecutorial misconduct , "alleging that they have improperly probed into personal details of Schocks life by asking witnesses about his sex life and if he is gay."

Schock was indicted in November on 24 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, theft of government funds, making false statements, filing false reports with federal election officials, and six counts of filing false tax returns. He has been under investigation since resigning from Congress in March 2015 following questions over whether he had violated spending and ethics rules.



Downton Abbey. In the course of that investigation, other red flags were raised regarding Schocks spending decisions, including expensive trips abroad with a private photographer, tickets to concerts and sporting events, and the redecoration of his congressional office that was reportedly based on the PBS drama



Chicago Sun-Times. But now Schocks lawyers are crying foul, alleging that federal investigators have probed into personal details of his life that are not germane to the charges against him or his spending habits, reports the





In a memo filed in federal court, Schocks legal team alleges that the prosecutor and agents have dug into every aspect of Mr. Shocks life by any means necessary. No topic has been off limits. The federal government has even delved, repeatedly, into the most intimate details of his life, including repeated inquiries to witnesses into who he has slept with and whether he is gay.





The prosecutor and federal agents have repeatedly asked irrelevant and highly invasive questions about Mr. Schocks sexual orientation and relationships, his lawyers write. The government has investigated nearly every facet of Mr. Schocks professional, political, and personal life. This even includes his sex life.





It is no secret that there has long been speculative gossip in the media about Mr. Schocks sexual orientation. For no apparent reason, the government has felt itself compelled to investigate this too. Indeed, from the very inception of this investigation, the government has discussed with witnesses whether Mr. Schock is gay, whether he really dated his ex-girlfriend (a highly accomplished diplomat and attorney), and whether he spent the night or shared hotel rooms with her.





The governments inquiries into Mr. Schocks sexuality and romantic relationships were not just distasteful and offensive. They were prejudicial.





Prosecutors have never said that Schocks sexual predilections were related to any of the charges against him. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois, which is prosecuting Schock, has declined to comment on the allegations.





Game of Thrones, just before being killed off and eliminated from the series, "I have laid with other men, including the traitor Renly Baratheon. Im guilty of depravity, dishonesty, profligacy, and arrogance." Schock hasn't "confessed" yet but he's certainly playing some kind of gay card for all its worth to keep out of prison. Jim Dey: Schocks trial is scheduled for January 2018 before a federal court judge in Urbana, Ill. His lawyers contend that the prosecution intimidated witnesses and exposed them to false information about Schock. They also allege that federal investigators improperly turned a junior staffer in Schocks Peoria office into a confidential informant who secretly recorded him and stole documents. As such, they argue, the judge should throw out any evidence against Schock that the staffer provided to the government. All the local papers are buzzing about the former congressman's gayness, although "officially" Schock is still just looking for the right woman even if he's basically seen as Washington's Loras Tyrell, who confessed during season 6 of, just before being killed off and eliminated from the series, "I have laid with other men, including the traitor Renly Baratheon. Im guilty of depravity, dishonesty, profligacy, and arrogance." Schock hasn't "confessed" yet but he's certainly playing some kind of gay card for all its worth to keep out of prison. Jim Dey:

[C]ourt records demonstrate clearly that investigators were extremely interested in learning the answer to one of the big questions surrounding Schock during his meteoric rise in local, state and federal politics.



"It is no secret that there has long been speculative gossip in the media about Mr. Schock's sexual orientation. For no apparent reason, the government has felt itself compelled to investigate this, too," Schock lawyers state.



Indeed, the subject of the public-relations problem that morphed into the federal investigation stemmed from speculation surrounding Schock's sexuality as it related to office decoration.



...Questions about his decorating tastes quickly expanded into how he had arranged to pay for the redecoration. Eventually, there was a flurry of stories raising questions about Schock's mileage expenses and how he spent campaign funds.



...Bryan Rudolph, Schock's former district manager and a confidential source in his office, told investigators that he had "heard gossip that 'something was going on' with Shea Ledford... (confidential source) believed Schock's ex-girlfriend was not a 'real girlfriend' and was a 'beard'"-- a reference to a person who helps someone conceal their sexual orientation by pretending to be involved with them.



"As with so many other things, the government's (confidential informant) was wrong. But that did not stop the government from trying to prove him right for the next two years," Schock's lawyers state.



...If Schock was homosexual, investigators wanted evidence to prove it. They asked his chief of staff, Steven Shearer, about it. Shearer noted that Schock was angry about suggestions that he is a homosexual and that he advised Schock to stop "behaving in a way that would make people question his sexuality."



Shearer told investigators he has "no evidence of Schock being gay."



One Schock staff member, Jonathon Link, said he decided to start arriving at events separately from Schock because of rumors that "I was like his personal companion or something like that."



"I was thinking about it, I was like, 'OK, if I'm going to be known as, like, Aaron's gay lover , I may not really want to be seen with him anymore' because, you know, it's like ... obviously, like, for me, it's not true, but like now this rumor is starting to get out there," Link told a federal grand jury.



Schock is tentatively scheduled to go on trial in January on a variety of charges, including income-tax evasion and misusing public funds.



Schock's lawyers contend that the case against him is flawed because the constant questions about his sexuality exposed him to "salacious innuendo" that "reveal the government's malicious intent to impugn Mr. Schock's character."
GREENSBORO  College had prepared Isaac Cole Powell for the reality of the professional acting world: It might take dozens of auditions to book a role.

But the third time turned out to be the charm for this 22-year-old Greensboro native.

After auditioning for just three shows in New York, Powell received THE call.

Barely two months after graduation from the UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, Powell has been cast as a principal character in the Broadway revival of the musical drama, Once on This Island.

My whole body went numb, Powell said. It was one of those out-of-body experiences where I really did feel like I was dreaming. I kept asking my agent to repeat himself. I couldnt believe what I was hearing. I never expected it, or at least not so quickly.

Then he had to keep the news quiet for three weeks, until the show made an announcement.

Powell spoke from Pittsburgh, where he has appeared in the musicals Newsies and Mamma Mia at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera.

This month, he will move to New York to begin rehearsals for his Broadway debut.

The original Broadway production ran from 1990 to 1991. This revival will begin previews on Nov. 9 and open on Dec. 3 at the Circle in the Square Theatre.

Once on This Island follows Ti Moune, a peasant girl in the French Antilles who falls in love with Daniel, a wealthy boy from the other side of the island.

When their divided cultures threaten to keep them apart, Ti Moune sets out on a quest to reunite with the man who has captured her heart.

Powell will play Daniel.

He will join a company of Tony Award winners and nominees.

Assistant Director Nikki M. James won a Tony for her performance in The Book of Mormon. Director Michael Arden and actor Phillip Boykin are past Tony nominees. Alysha Deslorieux comes from the Broadway company of blockbuster of all blockbusters, Hamilton.

Casting for the role of Ti Moune has not yet been announced.

Its a star-studded cast and pretty intimidating, Powell said. But its also really exciting that I get to be among these people and watch these people who have been working professionally in New York City and abroad for many years. Thats the kind of education that you dont get in school.

The youngest of three children of Terry and Will Powell  a three-time world CrossFit champion  Isaac found his niche as a middle-schooler at Community Theatre of Greensboro.

Older sister Jessica had a summer babysitting job and occasionally let Isaac tag along to the pool with her charges, Rebecca and Victoria Evans.

The Evans sisters encouraged Isaac to audition for CTGs annual production of The Wizard of Oz and helped him prepare a song.

He auditioned for CTG executive director Mitchel Sommers. Mitchel likes to joke that I couldnt carry a tune in a bucket when I started, Isaac said.

But Sommers needed male actors, noticed Powells determination and cast him as a munchkin.

He was hooked, Sommers recalled. He started coming out for everything.

Powell loved the people and the atmosphere. I was sort of learning by osmosis, watching the other kids and mimicking qualities in their voice and movement, until my performing abilities started to mirror theirs, he said.

Her sons enthusiasm for acting was obvious, Terry Powell recalled.

He immediately looked for every opportunity to learn all he could, she said Friday from Wisconsin, where her husband was competing in the Reebok CrossFit Games.

Isaac started lessons at Greensboro Dance Theatre and studied voice privately.

After Southeast Middle School, he studied theater for three years at Weaver Academy.

In his fifth year at CTG, he earned the role of the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz.

He took my blocking and the music and he made it his own in a very unique way, said Sommers, who would later cast Powell in the musical Legally Blonde at the Barn Dinner Theatre.

UNCSA admitted Powell into its competitive high school program for his senior year of high school. Powell decided to stay for college, and earned his degree in acting in May.

He caught the eye of New Yorks theater industry in April. UNCSA seniors present a showcase of scenes and songs for agents and casting directors in the Big Apple.

Powell already had booked a role for June in a friends play, Nikola Tesla Drops the Beat, at the Adirondack Theatre Festival in Glens Falls, N.Y.

Casting directors at the senior showcase asked him for a self-taped audition, then one in person, for Hamilton.

A professional connection through Nikola Tesla Drops the Beat led to his second New York audition, for an untitled new musical by Jeanine Tesori and David Lindsay-Abaire.

The Hamilton audition inspired casting directors to ask Powell to submit a self-taped audition for Once on This Island.

I submitted it, thinking, Its another one of those self-taped auditions, and something may come of it, something may not, Powell said.

Something came of it: An audition with the Once on This Island creative team.

He felt a connection with the character Daniel, whose skin color is lighter because he is descended from the islands original French planters and their slaves.

Powells father is African American; his mother is white.

The same way that Daniel sort of struggles with crossing social barriers, Ive felt similarly in my life as a mixed man, Powell said. I think I feel very fortunate to be able to play something so close to me and get to explore some of those questions that I have about myself through this character.

A month after the audition, he got the call from his agent at CGF Talent.

I was feeling excited, and I was feeling scared, and I was feeling grateful, Powell said. It all just felt incredibly surreal.

Powell remains grateful to his family and others who have helped him along the way.

I have always felt he had a very promising career as an actor, because of his talent, passion and work ethic, his mother said.

Sommers plans to see Powell on Broadway. To see him reach that pinnacle is such a high, Sommers said.

Before moving to New York, Powell will come home to Greensboro on today.

He wants to be here when his father has surgery on Wednesday to remove a grapefruit-size tumor on his lung.
(I've updated this post once below.)

In Sundays N&R, I took a long look at all of the new stuff youll see on college campuses in the area this fall  new buildings (here and here), new programs, new people and a few key dates (like UNCGs 125th, N.C. A&Ts GHOE, etc.

In the main story, I mentioned that UNCGs newest dorms (aka the second phase of Spartan Village) would have ground-floor retail space. I didnt have room there to mention what actually would be opening up there. But I do have room here.

The anchor tenant

Its Bestway 2.0

The owners of the popular Lindley Park grocery store are opening up a second location in Spartan Village. Its not a direct copy of the current store, but a different concept that Carl Wilson wrote about here.

Bestways famed Wall of Beer, meanwhile, will remain where it is at the Walker Avenue store. State law generally prohibits business on North Carolina university campuses from selling beer. UNCG wont allow Bestway 2.0 or any other business in the new Spartan Village to sell beer, wine or alcohol.

The restaurants

There will be five of them:

 Homeslice Pizza. The local pizza restaurant is opening a second location. Carl Wilson, the usual proprietor of this blog space, wrote about the new store here.

 Pita Delite. This restaurant sells homemade Lebanese and Mediterranean entrees (according to its website). This will be the local chains fourth store and sixth overall.

 Taco Bao. Its a new local restaurant. Tacos are, well, tacos. A bao is a steamed bun filled with all kinds of stuff.

 Tropical Smoothie Cafe. This is a national salad/sandwich and smoothie franchise that already has two Greensboro locations.

 The Den. This is a counter-service diner operated on college campuses by Dennys, the national chain that just opened a Greensboro restaurant. The Den has 16 university locations, including one at UNC-Charlotte.

The shops

There are three:

 The Art Loft. The art supply store is moving from its current location on West Gate City Boulevard and Tate Street. (True fact: The Art Loft is managed by UNCGs bookstore.)

 Millennium Salon and Barber, a local style shop.

 A credit union, tba. Expect UNCG to announce the name of the credit union shortly.

These stores and restaurants should open throughout the month of August and maybe later, depending on how the permitting process goes.

So. If you paid careful attention to my Sunday story, youll note that I reported that UNCG said it had leased all 10 of the retail spaces. That was probably true when I talked to UNCG vice chancellor Charles Maimone a couple of weeks ago.

This morning, I called a local bike shop to see if it was moving or setting up a second location, and the man who answered the phone said, long story short, the store was staying right where it is. So it looks like UNCG will open the new shopping area with a 90 percent occupancy rate.

UNCG says the new dorms, meanwhile, are fully leased. A few early birds moved in last week, but most of the students in UNCGs two newest dorms will arrive Wednesday.

Update, Aug. 10: The credit-union-to-be-named-later is Allegacy Federal Credit Union, according to the news release I just got. It's Allegacy's second Greensboro location and 14th overall. Allegacy is based in Winston-Salem.

My thanks to Carl Wilson for letting me post in his usual blog space.

To read more about colleges and universities, visit The Syllabus, the News & Record's higher education blog.

Have something to say? Email me at john.newsom@greensboro.com.
Molly Offstein, the Elon University runner who was struck by a car March 6, will return to her hometown of Frostburg, Md., this month.

Her father, Evan, posted an update on Sunday night at the Facebook page Show Us Your Shoes, which for five months has included a few updates on Molly's condition and hundreds of posts by friends, runners and others around the world showing support for Molly and her family.

Molly Offstein, who is a patient at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, is not able to walk or talk and relies on a feeding tube, her father wrote. She will leave for Frostburg on Aug. 15.

"We appreciate everyone's continued support, love, empathy, and compassion," Evan Offstein wrote. "Even in this state, Molly seems to continue to make a difference as I get FB messages from people saying that they are running miles, eating better, losing weight, and getting healthy as a result of seeing Molly's lifestyle. From bad, comes good and this is just one example of that."
Winston-Salem police have questioned the man who lived in the apartment where another man was shot and killed Sunday, authorities said Monday.

Geraldnal Levon Glenn, 53, died in the 500 block of North Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, police said.

Officers arrived shortly after 6:30 p.m. at the apartment in Claremont Townhomes after receiving a report of someone being shot there, police said. Officers found Glenn unresponsive and lying on the ground.

Glenn had at least one gunshot wound, police said. Attempts to revive Glenn were unsuccessful, and emergency medical technicians pronounced him dead at the scene.

Glenn lived on Northwoods Circle in the citys northeastern section, police said.

Detectives talked to the man who lived in the apartment, police Lt. Michael Cardwell said. That man, whom Cardwell didnt identify, and Glenn were involved in an argument before the shooting, Cardwell and a neighbor said.

No arrests have been made, and no charges have been filed in connection with the shooting, Cardwell said.

We are investigating it at this time, Cardwell said.

Investigators will present the evidence they gather in the case to the Forsyth County District Attorneys Office, Cardwell said. The district attorneys office will decide whether any charges will be filed.

Glenns death is the 16th homicide to occur in Winston-Salem this year, as compared to 17 homicides for the same period of time last year.
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I felt compelled to write to remind Americans of the critical importance our free press. Some appear to have forgotten that our free press is what makes us uniquely American. We must support good journalism and shun unsubstantiated hype, which is designed to inflame and deflect.

The recent and precipitous decline of public trust in the media should cause grave concern in the mind of every American. Dedicated journalists expose abuse and corruption. Recall the Pentagon Papers and, more recently, the Panama Papers. Remember the Spotlight team of the Boston Globe, who uncovered the massive sexual-abuse scandal inside the Catholic Church in Boston and worldwide.

Journalists provide information and perspective. Journalists protect our rights and our lives, often at great risk to their own. Naturally, there are many definitions of good journalism but as a starting point, I suggest reading Jim Lehrers 10 Rules of Journalism for its solid foundation of good research, ethics and humility: http://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2009/12/lehrers_rules.html.

Never take our free press for granted. Administrations will come and, go but our collective values as Americans must prevail for us to remain free ... and American.

Claudia Lange

Greensboro
EDEN  Sabrina Gilleylen had a lot to celebrate last Friday, July 28. Not only was it her 35th birthday, she was also cutting a ribbon for her new business, Dudley Concepts Salon, with friends and family traveling hundreds of miles to join her.

This is the best birthday gift I could ever get in my life, said the Mississippi native. My life is complete.

Gilleylen was living in Atlanta, where she was a celebrity hairstylist for television, working with The Walking Dead, Tyler Perry, Greenleaf and more.

Then I was in three car accidents in one year, and I said, what can I do if anything was ever to happen again to where I cant use my hands, she said. Her answer? Invest.

Gilleylen studied with Joe Dudley, president of Dudley Products in Greensboro, a manufacturer and distributor of hair and skin products for the African American community.

He was in Kernersville, and he said, If you really want to do this, move to North Carolina, she said. And then, the church that I go to by me being obedient to the Word and listening to it, a provision was made and now Im in Mr. Dudleys mentorship program. and within four months, I own my own business.

Her mentor had opened 36 salons under the name Dudley Q. With the company now in its 50th year, it is starting things over, like rebranding the salon franchises as Dudley Concepts Salons  with Gilleylens Eden location being the very first one to open under the new name.

Its so exciting. Im the owner. Im supposed to own four, but I told them to let me build this one, and then Im going to invest in others in Virginia, High Point and Greensboro, she said. But this is the first baby. And as soon as I get eight [employees] in there, I can start on the next one.

Gilleylens best friend, Crystal Jones, moved from Mississippi last Thursday to begin working as the salon manager. She moved because she believes in this, the concept and the dream. And shes a stylist.

While Dudley may be geared toward African American hair, Gilleylen said, Im not just for black, white, Indian Im for everybody.

Dudley Concepts Salon is located at 350A W. Kings Highway in Eden, near the Salvation Army retail store. The salon is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, call 336-627-7600.
GREENWICH  A new executive director is taking over the leadership of the Center for Sexual Assault Crisis Counseling and Education.

Quentin Ball, a Greenwich resident, joined officers Monday at the Greenwich Police Department to introduce herself to the public and spell out the programs offered by the center to victims of sexual violence and to the public at large.

Ball, who has a background in nonprofit organizations and fundraising, said she was looking to build on the centers record of advocacy and education.

We can reach more victims, get out into the community more and increase awareness, said Ball, who began her new position last week.

The sexual-assault counseling center began as a small trailer at Stamford Hospital in 1979. It now provides advocacy and counseling for victims in eight towns in southern Connecticut, including Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Stamford, Weston, Westport, and Wilton.

The center will send a counselor to the hospital and also assist with the legal process, for free. It works with about 500 people a year who have been affected by sexual violence. The center also does public education at every level from kindergarten through high school.

Sgt. Brent Reeves said the Greenwich police department was looking to get the word out about the kind of follow-up services that are available to victims. He said incidents of rape were rare in Greenwich, noting an allegation of a sexual assault that was recently investigated by police, and said that the public was often ill-informed about the response by law-enforcement.

We take it very seriously, the sergeant said. And there are a lot of services out there, but unfortunately not everyone knows about it.

He said he hoped greater public awareness about the sexual-assault victims center and the special unit that Greenwich police operates would help make it easier for those who have suffered abuse. Id like people not to be afraid to come forward, he said.

Its a highly emotional and traumatic time for people, and its important for victims of these crimes to know where they can go and get support, the sergeant continued.

Detective Christy Girard emphasized that law enforcement will hold discussions during the process with victims, who have input on how a criminal case can unfold. We can work with victims, she said, and support services are available at any time.

The goal is to empower the victims themselves, said Reeves.

The Greenwich police department also holds self-defense classes twice a year for young women headed off to college.

Beside victims of rape, the crisis center also works with people who have been through other kinds of sexual assault and abuse.

Ball said she was alerted to the importance of advocacy work for survivors of sexual violence when she was a teenager in Rochester, N.Y., and a close friend was sexually assaulted by a family member. The case was handled poorly by authorities, she recalled, and her friend was doubly traumatized.

The center operates a 24-hour hotline, 203-329-2929. It has staff who speak Spanish, and translation services are easily available.

A two-year, $50,000-a-year grant that the center recently received from a private foundation will ensure that specially trained nurses will be available whenever a rape kit, an evidence-collection kit, is used at an area hospital.

The crisis center is at 733 Summer St. in Stamford.

The former executive director, Ivonne Zucco, said she was taking a career break and hoped to return to the field of victims advocacy in the near future.
They wanted a liberal place for illegals to go demand free stuff. Photo: Robert Alexander/Getty Images

The folks over at 4chan have apparently decided to troll Starbucks  whose plan to hire 10,000 refugees hasnt gone over that well with conservatives  by creating a fake ad campaign that declares undocumented Americans can get a 40 percent discount at the coffee chain just by showing up. Members of 4chan have circulated at least two phony posters explaining that immigrants just have to visit a cafe this upcoming Friday  a day the perpetrators have dubbed Dreamer Day  and use the coupon code UNAFRAID to receive their discount. Help Starbucks fight bigotry, one says.

The plans been in the works on 4chan since at least last week: How about we meme Undocumented Immigrant Day at Starbucks into existence? one user proposed on Thursday. Announce free coffee for all illegals on a certain date. August 11? 11 looks like II (for Illegal Immigrant). Im open to suggestions. The plot, labeled Operation #borderfreecoffee day, quickly took shape, with another commenter eventually summarizing their end goal: The plan is to meme into existence a day where Starbucks is supposed to give free coffee to undocumented Americans and then alert ICE for the Round up. Even if this doesnt work it will still be a good publicity scare. They decided that including the word dreamer would optimize their luck because liberals love that term.

I thought I would let any coffee goers know about a new promotion I had been emailed. I hope to see you all!#borderfreecoffee pic.twitter.com/pvh4ELN3Qg  Sammy Jensen  (@SammyJensen11) August 3, 2017

The fake ads started popping up on Twitter this weekend. Starbucks is doing everything it can to end the charade. It released an official statement to the press saying the promo is completely false. One hundred percent fake. And instead of dropping unseasonally early hints to get people in the #PSL mood, whoever handles the chains social media spent their weekend trying to politely explain that there is no Dreamer Day happening at Starbucks this week.

We're sorry you've been misinformed. This is completely false. Starbucks is not sponsoring any such event.  Starbucks Coffee (@Starbucks) August 4, 2017
Shes moving on from the critics life. Photo: Rebees

After eight years, Leslie Brenner will pack up her bags as the Dallas Morning News restaurant critic on September 8. Shell give up reviewing restaurants for a senior management position with Rebees, a three-year-old self-described place creation company founded by Dallas developer and restaurateur Tristan Simon. In the announcement, Simon says theyll use her high food and beverage IQ as well as her abilities as a writer and storyteller in, uh, creating meaningful places.

Brenner won two James Beard Foundation Awards during her time as a writer, and more recently had a well-publicized spat with local chef and Top Chef person John Tesar. After Brenner awarded his then-new restaurant Knife three out of four stars (not too shabby), Tesar tweeted at the critic fuck you! and that she destroyed the star system. The chef responded further by banning Brenner from his restaurants, and managed to corral a group of fellow chefs to follow suit. Granted this is Texas, where everything is outsize, but needless to say, this was a strong reaction.

You might think that this means Brenners war with the citys chefs and restaurants is over. Or at least that a cease-fire has been called. Not for Tesar, who took to Twitter to send his regards to the outgoing journalist:
The scene of the crime. Photo: Google

For some reason, Dunkin Donuts cannot stop digging its own grave with the NYPD. It faced a whirlwind of bad press after two cops were reportedly denied service at a Brooklyn Dunkin Donuts last Sunday. The franchisee tried to personally apologize to the officers, who say they tried ordering ice cream at a Dunkin/Baskin-Robbins combo store in Bed-Stuy, but a worker ignored them and helped the next person in line. When they asked what was going on, the worker supposedly told them, I dont serve cops. The franchisees apology wasnt enough for the forces detectives union, however, and on Thursday the groups president demanded a formal sorry from the chain itself. Dunkin Donuts corporate should issue an apology to the NYPD, he said. Until that happens, I have asked detectives and their families to refrain from patronizing the stores.

But Dunkin didnt seem in a rush to add anything to its original statement  boilerplate that noted the chains long history of supporting local law enforcement  until this weekend, presumably because the New York Post kept breathlessly updating the corporate office with the latest boycott drama. On Saturday, a rep finally gave the paper a new statement, and it didnt exactly calm the waters. It suggests the officers were refused service because they ordered from the wrong spot in the store:

Dunkin Donuts suggested Saturday that the layout of one of its Brooklyn shops is actually to blame for the rude treatment a pair of NYPD cops experienced there.  [Spokesperson Michelle] King said the stores configuration put both the crew members and two officers in a difficult situation because it was not clear where to order, adding there are two registers, but only one is routinely staffed. The franchisee has informed us that he has made temporary adjustments to the store signage to be followed by a more permanent solution to avoid situations like this in the future, King said. She added: The franchisee posted a temporary sign on the ice cream dipping cabinet that states to guests to place their order at the Dunkin Donuts register.

The Post notes that police are stunned by this latest twist, calling it an insult to all members of law enforcement and arguing it amounts to saying the officers were too stupid to know where to order. The officers argue both registers had clerks that day. The boycotts now grown to include the NYPD captains union as well. Doing its best to keep this controversy alive, the Post ran yet another story yesterday that says cops were spotted walking into their precinct with trays full of what appeared to be generic corner-market brew. They asked a patrol cop at Union Square if hed give directions to a local Dunkin Donuts, and he told them, Im not allowed to do that. One of Dunkins regional vice-presidents also reportedly sent franchisees an email blast this weekend telling them not to talk to press, suggesting the chain might just keep playing hardball.
Meet Per Ses new chef de cuisine, Corey Chow. Photo: David Escalante

The last three years have not been so kind to Thomas Kellers Per Se, the restaurant once considered New Yorks best example of fine dining. In a December 2014 review, Eater NY critic Ryan Sutton wrote that the food is now just what youd expect from a high-end shopping mall. That sentiment was echoed by New York Times critic Pete Wells in 2016, who knocked Per Se down to two stars and called it a grand, hermetic, self-regarding, ungenerous restaurant. The restaurant also settled a lawsuit over mishandling tips in 2015, and earlier this summer, Keller was criticized for what some called a dismissive response to comments made by Oakland chef Preeti Mistry.

Through this turbulence, however, Keller held tight. But the restaurant will now experience its first major change in quite some time. Eli Kaimeh will step down as chef de cuisine, after 7 years in the position and 13 at the restaurant. Replacing him is Corey Chow, another Kellerite who will take over the role on August 14.

Raised in San Gabriel, California, Chow worked at Alan Wongs in Hawaii before making his way to Per Se in 2007. Hes also cooked at two of New Yorks restaurants of the moment, joining the NoMad in 2013 and later Torrisi Italian Specialties, where he was the chef de cuisine, before returning to Per Se as executive sous-chef in 2015.

Those two restaurants and the ownership groups behind them  Make it Nice and Major Food Group, respectively  have gained relevance while Per Ses has wavered. Theyre also very popular with young people with lots of expendable income, and the sorts of globe-trotting trophy gourmands a place like Per Se desires. The NoMads sister restaurant Eleven Madison Park topped the controversial Worlds 50 Best Restaurants list this year, while the Major Food Group took over the space once home to power-lunch pioneer the Four Seasons. The menu format will remain the same, but whether or not Chow will be given the opportunity to inject new life into Per Se, of course, will have to be seen  by those who can afford it.
Questioning his privilege. Photo: Wavebreakmedia/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Handsome Her, a new vegan cafe in Australia by women for women, has introduced a unique pricing scheme to tackle the issue of wage inequality. Male diners are charged an 18% premium to reflect the gender pay gap, a chalkboard by the door informs guests. Eighteen percent is how much lower the average Australian womans salary was in 2016, so owner Alex OBrien decided thatd be an appropriate amount for her tax. Weve had this [pay discrepancy] for decades and decades, and were bringing it to the forefront of peoples minds, she told Broadsheet. I like that it is making men stop and question their privilege a little bit.

Would LOVE everyones thoughts on this. My friends cafe in #Brunswick, Handsom Her - is for women by women AND an has a 18% gender tax! pic.twitter.com/tVSX3PO4q8  Paige Cardona (@paigecardona) August 3, 2017

The tax is actually one of three House Rules at Handsome Her; the other two are women have priority seating and respect goes both ways. Its of course against Australian law to discriminate on the basis of sex or gender identity, so the tax is really just a suggestion anyway  Men are asked if they want to pay the charge before being charged, OBrien explains.

Well, it's been a hectic couple of days. Who would have thought one little chalkboard would cause such a stir? Notes... Posted by Handsome Her on Sunday, August 6, 2017

She says the rules are largely tongue in cheek, and will only be in effect for one week per month anyway. This number doesnt appear to carry any gender-disparity symbolism; it seems more just to help them avoid being actually accused of discrimination. Plenty of people online have jumped on the restaurants case regardless, but OBrien says that in their first few days of business, theres been nothing but positivity from everyone, males and females, and some men have even voluntarily taxed themselves at a higher rate.
Sugar Hill Creamery owners Petrushka and Nick Larsen on opening day. Photo: Clay Williams

A weeklong series dedicated to exploring everything thats happening in the world of ice cream right now.

At some point, everyone fantasizes about dropping everything to open an ice-cream shop, a small place where the main concern is whether theres enough salted caramel on hand to get through a busy Saturday night. Very few people actually do it, of course, but the citys newest shop is exactly that kind of project. Nick and Petrushka Larsen are the couple behind Sugar Hill Creamery.

They envisioned opening a space thats as much about community as it is about scoops. Since Thomefordes soda fountain closed in 1983, big brands like Baskin-Robbins and Mister Softee have dominated the market in Harlem, and the Larsens say Sugar Hill Creamery is the first family-owned ice-cream shop in the area in 34 years. As a result, virtually every aspect of the 500-square-foot Sugar Hill Creamery draws from the local community. That includes their designers, CO-Office, who are based in Harlem, as well as their bank. We wanted to walk the walk, Nick says. While Nick has serious restaurant experience from Blue Hill and Telepan, Petrushka is connected to the Harlem community, working for a literacy-based nonprofit.

As for the actual ice cream, which they developed with Lafayette sous-chef Joey Stallings, the menu is a mix of familiar flavors (vanilla bean, salted-caramel crunch) and just-unique-enough twists (corn-and-jalapeno, blueberry cheesecake). They produce everything in-house and, as you might expect, use a number of local ingredients. Were collaborating with Ida Preserves for the jam to put in our ice cream, and Essie Spice for the tamarind and guava flavors, Nick says. Our next-door neighbors making our cookies and our brownies for us.

The idea for the shop originated, Petrushka explains, during a trip to Washington, D.C., when they enjoyed ice cream at Little Babys inside Union Market. Nick and I had this kind of aha moment, like, wait, we dont have any ice cream at home in our neighborhood, she says. After Nick moved from small-town Iowa (like 700 people, corn, soybean, middle of nowhere) to New York to pursue a career in comedy, he met Petrushka when he hired her as a server at 107 West, a restaurant he managed. It wasnt a love-at-first-sight connection, she jokes.

Eventually, though, Nick did ask her out, and they moved in together. Nick went to culinary school and worked front-of-the-house jobs at Bar Boulud, Bouley, and Blue Hill New York. He started working at Telepan three months before it closed. Ive always wanted to open a restaurant in Harlem, but closing Telepan opened my eyes to the toughness of the industry, he says. So I was like, Lets do this small business. Do something for the neighborhood that we love.

Their ice cream is simple and delicious  theyre not trying to create a viral sensation. Photo: Clay Williams

People lined up down the block on opening day. Photo: Clay Williams

Nick is the pragmatist of our duo, and I am the dreamer, says Petrushka, whos now the executive director of the Reading Team (shes keeping her full-time job while helping out in the shop). The issue was that they were worried that an ice-cream shop couldnt make enough money year-round. The numbers werent making sense. But my background is in community engagement and exhibition-making and working with kids. Im a very talkative person. I can talk to anyone at the register. Just based on what I feel is a project of 13 years of field research, I said, Its gonna work. We have a good sense and pulse of what our neighborhood needs. This is the dessert everyone loves.

It helped that the Larsens secured financing in the form of a loan from Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, a Harlem nonprofit. They joined the Harlem Park to Park business alliance, earning support from Columbia Business School, Whole Foods, and Hot Bread Kitchen. Being in Harlem also offers business incentives. The rent in Harlem makes it such that it would be a harder thing for us if we were located in another location than we are right now, Petrushka says. They chose to open on Lenox Avenue, the street they also live on, because of its neighborly feel; nearby is a toy store, a few schools, a church, and Marcus Garvey Park. Red Rooster is just five blocks away. So far, its proven to be a huge success: On opening day, people lined up down the block for four hours.

Petrushka Larsen works for a local nonprofit. Photo: Clay Williams

We know that Harlem is gentrifying, like so many neighborhoods, and that we are part of that microcosm, Petrushka says. We are selling $4.50 ice cream. We have to acknowledge what our agency is in the matrix, but in doing that, also honor the legacy, tradition, and history of our neighborhood. Thats where gentrification goes wrong.

Now that the shop is open, theyve commissioned artist Raul Ayala to draw portraits of residents in Harlem. Its a way for us to honor our neighbors and actually put a face to who they are, and be able to collectively celebrate the diversity of this neighborhood, Petrushka says. The portraits will rotate periodically throughout the year, and customers can even enter a raffle (as long as they have a Harlem Zip Code). The idea is that its important to see yourself in anything, really, in order to feel good about being there.

At a time when ice-cream-shop owners often prioritize baroque creations with Instagram potential, the main draw at Sugar Hill is something that cant be photographed: hospitality. It really is an extension of our home, Petrushka says. Its very personal. Its kind of like when you welcome people into your home to break bread with you, except its that were hosting dessert all the time.
Among the legacies of the Qin dynasty: popularizing mi fen, or rice noodles. Jacob Ding, owner of Yuan, a new East Village mi-fen restaurant, explains: The story goes that Qin soldiers, accustomed to abundant wheat in northern China, were dismayed to find that the South had little of the grain  but lots of rice, so they used that to make noodles instead. And when they fell ill as they adjusted to new terrain, they used medicinal spices in a sauce for the noodles. Ding grew up around Guilin, in the Guangxi region, where the combo is still popular. His dish, one suspects, will probably be used more by New Yorkers for hangover cures than for healing soldiers. But its satisfying and sharp all the same, with 15 spices; the exact blend is secret  like Coke, Ding says.

Mouse over or tap the image to read more.

On the menu at Yuan; $10. 157 Second Ave., nr. 10th St.; 917-262-0978.

*This article appears in the August 7, 2017, issue of New York Magazine.
If you are in the US, and are planning to purchase any of the Google's Pixel series smartphones, you'll be glad to know that the devices have received official price cuts in the country. The Pixel XL is currently going for $569, which translates into a $200 discount.

The standard Pixel, on the other hand, is listed for $524. So you get to save $125 there. Oh, and aside from the discounts, Google is also bundling a free Daydream View headset with both handsets, adding $79 more to your savings.

In addition to Pixel phones, the Mountain View California based company is also offering back-to-school discounts on many other popular products like Google Home ($20 off), OnHub router ($30 off), the LG Watch Style ($50 off), and Google Wifi 3-pack (free Chromecast Audio).

Source 1 2 3 4 5 | Via




Haiti - FLASH : The Dominican Republic exported for $800M goods in Haiti





Saturday, Alexandra Izquierdo, Director of the National Statistics Office (Oficina Nacional de Estadisticas (ONE)) revealed that in 2016, the Dominican Republic exported worldwide property worth over 8.7 billion dollars whose 800 $800 million to Haiti, which makes it the second export market for Creole products.



She adds that, according to figures from the Dominican General Directorate of Customs, validated by ONE, the main products sold in Haiti were: T-shirts and underwear (15.93% for 127.44 million US); Cotton fabrics (12.26% for US $ 98.13 million) and prepared products for sauces, as well as prepared sauces (7.67% for 61.37 million).



In 2016, according to the ONE, the main destination of Dominican exports remains the United States with more than $ 4.5 billion (52.57%). In general terms, Dominican exports of goods in 2016 amounted to US $ 8,744 million (FOB) and imports to US $19,582 million (CIF value).



Alexandra Izquierdo, explained that 58.96% of the goods were exported by the Dominican Republic, came from the free zones, 40.59% corresponded to domestic exports and 0.45% remaining to the other customs procedures. In the Top 3 products exported in 2016 are found : gold, 1.6 billion (18.73%); Medical, electromedical, dental and vision instruments 972.64 million (11.12%) and cigarettes, with 656.84 million (7.51%).



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-21696-icihaiti-economy-dr-wants-to-triple-its-exports-to-haiti.html



SL/ HaitiLibre


















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ELKO  Sunday brought clouds, smoke and rain to Elko skies as temperatures stayed even cooler than expected  breaking a 36-day string with highs in the 90s or greater.

Elkos high on Sunday was 78 degrees, which was 10 degrees cooler than the National Weather Service forecast predicted. Prior to that, temperatures had climbed into the 90s or 100s every day in July plus the first five days of August.

The only other year Elko saw highs of 90-plus every day in July was 1917, according to the weather service. The hot spell that year lasted much longer than the current one, with the mercury topping 90 degrees every day from June 19 to Aug. 29.

Sundays relief from the heat also brought the first measurable precipitation for the month, with .02 of an inch recorded at the airport.

Heavier rain could be on the way. The weather service has issued a flash flood watch for the southern half of Elko County, along with all of central Nevada, through Tuesday morning.

After a couple days with highs in the 80s Elkos temperatures are expected to rebound back into the 90s by Wednesday.

Thunderstorms are in the forecast through Thursday.
Europes status as one of the most important economic areas in the world is contingent on its continuing commitment to a liberal trade policy, according to the three heads of state.

Prime Minister Juha Sipila (Centre) has issued a strong statement in support of free trade and a stronger European Union together with his counterparts from Denmark and the Netherlands  Lars Lkke Rasmussen and Mark Rutte.

We must ensure a vibrant and modern economy. We need to deal efficiently with the challenge of illegal mass migration. And we must provide answers to Europes security challenges, the premiers argue in the statement published by EUobserver on Friday.

The joint statement was published in Finland by Lannen Media and the office of the prime minister on Saturday.

Sipila and his colleagues estimate that instead of new major projects, treaty revisions and incomprehensible institutional discussions, the EU must concentrate on implementing and monitoring the decisions it has already taken.

Development of internal market must continue

Sipila, Rasmussen and Rutte emphasise in their joint statement that the benefits of free trade should not be taken for granted.

Businesses and consumers, they estimate, have become somewhat accustomed to the benefits of having a single market with more than 500 million consumers, instead of 28 separate markets with 28 sets of rules and standards.

We sometimes complain about EU bureaucracy, but we tend to forget that a limited bureaucracy in Brussels often replaces much larger bureaucracies at national level, they highlight.

Sipila and his colleagues stress that the efforts to develop the internal market must continue especially in areas where the markets remain disconnected and riddled with high consumer prices. The European energy market, for example, needs to be much better integrated to allow for cheaper and cleaner energy.

The EU must also make concrete progress in promoting technological development, the digitisation of societies and the development of a single digital market that allows for efficient and safe e-commerce, according to the prime ministers.

The internal market also has a social dimension, they remind.

While the EU has enjoyed the considerable economic advantages created by the free movement of labour, it must also do its utmost to prevent social dumping, unfair access to benefits and the fraudulent abuse of what is a basic pillar of the internal market.

We need to deal with these issues in a pragmatic manner respecting the diversity of our national social systems and the key role of social partners, write Sipila, Rasmussen and Rutte.

They warn that if the public perceives the way in which legislation is administered as unfair and incomprehensible, the bloc risks undermining public support for free movement.

EU not the answer to all national-level problems

The EU, the heads of state highlight, accounts for roughly 33 per cent of world trade and has negotiated 45 free trade agreements with 75 countries around the world. As up to 31 million jobs in the union are reliant on exports to non-member states, the union must continue to champion free trade and rules-based trade order globally, and offer leadership in the face of rising protectionism.

There is a need to protect ourselves against unfair trade practices. But, at the same time, we should not let this be an excuse for protectionism, they write.

They also urge all member states to take responsibility for introducing reforms in their respective labour markets and education systems in order to foster the competitiveness of the EU.

European initiatives alone cannot do away with massive youth unemployment if inflexible labour market legislation at national level is to blame. We must not pretend that the EU can offer solutions to all problems at national level through new regulation or financial transfers, they conclude.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Handout / Office of the Prime Minister of Finland

Source: Uusi Suomi
The EU is a problem, she retorted in a press conference organised in Helsinki on 4 August, 2017. More and more people are starting to understand that were part of a distant and bureaucratic system of administration against our will. The Finnish public didnt vote for joining this kind of a federalist EU in 1994.

Laura Huhtasaari, a 40-year-old first-term Member of the Parliament from Pori, has come out of the gates swinging after being unveiled as the presumptive presidential nominee of the Finns Party.

She stated that it is the responsibility of the president to protect the sovereignty of Finland and promised to do her utmost to restore this national sovereignty if she is confirmed as the presidential candidate of the opposition party.

The Finns Partys party council will make a final decision on the nomination in September.

Huhtasaari estimated that the country should have decided against joining the EU similarly to Denmark, Iceland and Norway, but stopped short of promising to campaign on a membership referendum.

EU membership isnt currently in the best interests of Finland. We must now wait for Brexit to happen and make room for a debate on withdrawal from the EU, because Im not intent on losing the referendum, she replied to enquiries from the press.

She also seemingly questioned the legitimacy of the decision to join the eurozone by estimating that lawyer tricks were used to orchestrate the country into the monetary union.

Weve since slipped deeper into a federalist project, the objective of which is to deprive our country of the last bits of sovereignty and characteristics of a national state. Weve had to pay for the eurozone crisis and become guarantors of an open cheque for a final sum thats still unknown, said Huhtasaari.

Finland should according to her restore border controls to its western border and turn back asylum seekers arriving from safe countries such as Sweden. Finns, she said, have become aliens in their own country.

A small country should direct its limited funds to its own citizens, she stated.

Jussi Halla-aho, the chairperson of the Finns Party, revealed that he decided not to take on the candidacy himself in order to be able to focus on leading the Finns Party. He also estimated that there are no marked differences between his views and those of Huhtasaari.

The Finnish state exists first and foremost to protect and defend Finns and the Finnish way of life, he commented on Friday.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Mikko Stig  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi Suomi
I LOOK down on him, intones the bowler-hatted, besuited and toweringly tall John Cleese, indicating Ronnie Barker to his left, because I am upper class.

Barker, dressed in a pork pie hat and raincoat, responds by saying: I look up to him [Cleese] because he is upper class, but I look down on him [indicating the diminutive and cloth-capped Ronnie Corbett to his left] because he is lower class. I am middle class.

I know my place, answers Corbett memorably.

Now known simply as the class sketch, the above slice of timeless comic genius from an April 1966 episode of The Frost Report has been repeated endlessly  and deservedly  ever since.

The headgear may largely be a thing of the past, but the analysis still rings all too true  and the fascination with the subject still holds us fast.

I hadnt previously realised that Howards End, Merchant Ivorys celebrated adaptation of EM Forsters 1910 novel, covers much the same ground. But on reading last weeks Homes Weekly cover story detailing how Peppard Cottage in Peppard Common was used as one of the main locations for the 1992 film, I was inspired to seek it out on DVD and find out what I had been missing.

Now it turns out that to mark the 25th anniversary of its original release, the film  which won three Oscars, two Baftas and a Golden Globe  is returning to cinema screens thanks to a lavish 4K restoration.

In Edwardian England, Ruth Wilcox (Vanessa Redgrave) bequeaths her country house, Howards End, to Margaret Schlegel (Emma Thompson), a younger acquaintance whom she feels has an affinity with the place.

Ruths family, however, hardly know Margaret, and despite the fact that they no longer use the house and that Margarets family face being evicted from their London home, they destroy the evidence of Ruths wishes.

The plot thickens when Ruths husband Henry (Anthony Hopkins) falls for Margaret and proposes marriage.

She accepts, but her relationship with the wealthy and conservative Henry is complicated by a friendship that she and her sister Helen (Helena Bonham Carter) have struck up with an impecunious clerk, Leonard Bast (Samuel West) and his wife Jacky (Nicola Duffett).

When an unfortunate piece of advice leads the Basts further into poverty, the sympathies of the Schlegels  and the audience  cannot but be deeply stirred.

Howards End is now showing at Henleys Regal Picturehouse cinema.

Matthew Wilson
STAFF and patients at Townlands Memorial Hospital in Henley took part in an exercise challenge.

They completed 128km between them on the treadmill and exercise bike in the physiotherapy department.

It was part of Work Out at Work Day, an initiative organised by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists to encourage people to stay fit at work. Physiotherapist Lois Jackson said: Its an annual awareness day to encourage and educate employers to be more active and take part in exercise so they can stay fit for work.

The whole hospital took part between 10am and 2pm , including the minor injuries department, rapid access care unit and domestic staff. The 4,000 Matrix Fitness treadmill was paid for by the Friends of Townlands Hospital.

Treasurer Guy Norgrove, of Kings Road, Henley, said: At the old hospital we used to support patients in beds with bits and pieces like magazines, newspapers and visits.

With the new hospital we had to find a way of continuing the assistance because we still have funds and people donating. I had a knee replacement in April last year and went to the physio there. I asked them what they would need and they said a treadmill.

Its a fantastic treadmill and a great department. I was treated very professionally and Im impressed with the whole hospital.
A POP-UP post office will not be allowed to open at Checkendon Primary School as it would not be a secure environment.

The school had offered to host a counter for an hour each week following the closure of the village post office last year.

Post Office Counters has ruled out the move after being approached by Checkendon Parish Council.

It said the school would not be an acceptable solution for a pop-up counter as the public required access to a secure environment.

Now parish councillor Tim Corbishley is to investigate installing a wooden hut in the car park of the village hall for a post office counter.

He said: We are still looking for an outreach-style post office and are looking for premises. The next idea is to have a very small temporary building in the village hall car park. We will keep going until we have a solution.

Former postmaster Bal Budesha closed the post office in February last year. His decision came after he failed to sell the business or relocate it to the former Four Horseshoes pub in the village, which closed in 2013.

He was granted planning permission to demolish the shop and replace it with a house.
A JAZZ pianist fast gaining recognition as one of the countrys leading players is hitting the road with a series of live dates in support of his debut album.

Gabriel Latchin and his trio will be in concert at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead on Sunday, September 17.

Known as a first-call sideman, his debut album in the classical piano tradition, Introducing Gabriel Latchin Trio, is due to be released next month.

Gabriel said: Its time to step out of the shadows. I wanted to create new arrangements of classics and offer my own compositions.

His hard-swinging, adventurous approach often draws comparisons to his many influences, including Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans and Phineas Newborn, and his playing has been hailed as flawless by the London Jazz News.

Tickets for the 7.30pm concert in the Altwood Road venues Studio are 12 with concessions 10. To book, call 01628 788997 or visit www.nordenfarm.org
RENO (AP)  Lawyers for a Nevada woman freed two years ago say they now have permission from a federal judge to question witnesses critical to establishing the compensation she deserves after serving three decades in prison for a murder she didn't commit.

Until last week, a judge had prohibited any gathering of evidence or deposition of witnesses in the civil lawsuit Cathy Woods filed in U.S. District Court last August until disputes are resolved about where any trial should be held.

U.S. Magistrate Valerie Cook revised that order last Friday to allow the gathering of evidence before another hearing scheduled in September, including getting information from Louisiana detectives who arrested her in 1979 and other elderly witnesses Woods' lawyers say may not live much longer.

"In short, time is of the essence," David Owens, one of her lawyers based in Chicago, wrote in court filings before last week's ruling. "For (Woods)  who is now 68 years old and has waited nearly 40 years to get justice related to her wrongful conviction  each moment of delay is significant."

Woods was freed in 2015 after new DNA evidence exonerated her in the 1976 killing of Michelle Mitchell in Reno and implicated an Oregon inmate now accused of multiple murders in the San Francisco Bay Area during the same period.

Her lawsuit seeks unspecified damages from the city of Reno, Washoe County, an ex-prosecutor and ex-police officers she accuses of coercing a false confession from Woods at a psychiatric hospital in Louisiana in 1979.

In addition to obtaining information about the retired detectives, Woods' legal team also has permission for the first time to take a statement from Woods' mother, Elenora Carter.

Carter, who is in her mid-90s and recently had surgery where she lives in Shreveport, involuntarily committed Woods to the mental hospital. In addition to concerns about the "status of her memory," Owens said Carter "may pass away or become unavailable as a witness due to health reasons."

Two detectives involved in the case have since died  one in the past year and one before Woods was exonerated in the criminal case, Owens said. He said Carter is a key witness.

"As part of their efforts to frame plaintiff, defendants obtained the search warrant for the home of Ms. Carter," he wrote. "They searched her home ... purportedly looking for the murder weapon, even though she lived in Shreveport, not Reno, and the fact that years had passed since the crime."

Lawyers for two other retired Shreveport detectives filed a new motion to dismiss the case in June. They argue the federal court has no authority to hear allegations of wrongdoing that took place in Louisiana before Woods was extradited to Nevada.

"'It is unbridled speculation to assume plaintiff's mother will not be available to testify," defense attorney Edwin Byrd of Shreveport wrote, adding that Woods "cannot seriously contend that memories that have not faded in 30 years will now fade before the motion to dismiss is decided."

Woods' initial conviction in 1980 was overturned by Nevada's Supreme Court. But she was convicted again in 1984, and the high court upheld the conviction in 1988 before a Washoe County judge vacated it in 2014. Prosecutors withdrew the charges in March 2015.

Woods was bartending in Reno when Mitchell was killed in 1976. She later moved to Louisiana, and her mother committed her to the psychiatric hospital. At the hospital, Woods told a counselor about "a girl named Michelle being murdered in Reno."

Her current lawyers say she was extremely psychotic, suffering from chronic schizophrenia and never should have been interrogated.
It's the world's oldest profession and it seems this 73-year-old Brazilian prostitute is in with a shout to be the oldest hooker plying her trade in Leinster, if not Ireland.

Terezinha Aparecida de Jesus was running and working in a brothel in Co Kildare when most people her age are enjoying their retirement.

Last week, she walked free from court because she planned to return home as soon as the court case was over.

Advert

During the hearing at Naas District Court, Judge Desmond Zaidan asked her lawyer if people were paying 80 to have sex with a 73-year-old woman.

"It would appear that way," said a garda witness who also said a younger person appeared in the online advert.

The court heard a younger woman had been advertising on a sex-for-sale website, but de Jesus was the only person found working there by gardai.

She said she was running the brothel in a backstreet to pay for her 40-year-old son's kidney transplant.

She also wanted to return home to her seriously ill 98-year-old mother.

The terraced house in Basin Street, Naas, was put under surveillance after a complaint had been made by a member of the public.

When gardai paid a visit to the house on November 9, 2016, de Jesus was seeking 80 for sex and she was the only person on the premises.

Another younger woman was involved but was not there at the time of the offence, according to the garda witness.

Officers found just 80 in cash at the property.

Gardai said de Jesus had arrived in Ireland just days before the raid and only had a single customer.

She is believed to be one of the oldest people to come before the courts in connection with the sex trade.

But while the vast majority of prostitutes are in their 20s or 30s, there are also a number of significantly older women working.

She held a European passport and had been in Ireland on previous occasions, said de Jesus's defence lawyer, Matt Byrne.

She had no previous convictions of any kind and she wanted to go home to Brazil, he added.

"I don't believe she will return to Ireland," he said. Asking that a jail sentence not be imposed, he added that she was "extremely embarrassed" and was not a person of financial means.

When asked by Judge Zaidan if her son knew what she was doing in Ireland, Mr Byrne said the he did not and she was only doing it to save him.

Wept

Gardai said that they did not believe anyone had been forced to work in the brothel after the judge expressed fears that people could be open to abuse by people running brothels.

De Jesus, who wept during the hearing and had the assistance of a Portuguese interpreter for the proceedings, pleaded guilty to allowing the house to be used as a brothel.

Judge Zaidan applied the Probation Act on the basis that she was going back to Brazil.

He ordered that the money found at the brothel go to the State and suggested it could be given to an organisation that helps women involved in the sex trade.
Gardai yesterday named a Polish man who was found stabbed to death and dumped in a laneway in north Dublin.

The body of Michal Kurek (32) was discovered at 10.40am on Friday near Ballyboughal - he had been knifed more than 40 times.

He was reportedly found face down and fully clothed. Gardai suspect he was murdered in another location and his body later moved by car and dumped.

Appeal

His body was discovered in a laneway off the R129 Ballyboughal to Oldtown Road, about 1km outside Ballyboughal, Co Dublin.

Detectives moved swiftly to rule out a gangland connection to the man's murder.

It is understood that detectives are trying to contact the man's family in Poland.

Investigating gardai ap- pealed to the public for information in relation to Mr Kurek's recent movements, and to friends and associates to contact the incident room at Balbriggan Garda Station on 01-802 0510, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any garda station.

Gardai were not sure how long the body had been in the laneway, Superintendent Noel Carolan said at a press briefing at Balbriggan Garda Station.

A grim discovery like this was "extremely rare" for the north Co Dublin area, he added, and urged anyone who has been in the locality over the last week to get in touch with gardai.

"Anyone who was here over the last day or two and who saw anything suspicious or unusual, like vehicles or people in the area, please get in contact with us at Balbriggan Garda Station," he said.

"We'd like anyone, his family, his work colleagues, who would be in a position to come forward and let us know when they last saw him."

Car

The body could have been dumped in the laneway up to two days before it was found, Supt Carolan told the briefing.

"In all probability, we are probably looking at a situation where the fatal injuries did not take place here," he said.

That indicates a car was used to transport him to the scene and that there is a crime scene in another location where the actual injuries were sustained. CCTV was also being checked.

His last known address was in Blanchardstown but he had been living rough in recent years and had issues with alcohol.
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BRISTOL, Tenn.  Once a key business in the Bristol Mall, Misty Mountain Designs has evolved over the years to accommodate the changing landscape of shopping in Bristol. One of the secrets to the success of this small, locally owned store has been their commitment to the Bristol community.

When Sue Smith, 54, first came to Bristol in the early 1990s from Columbia, Maryland, she knew immediately shed found her home.

I fell in love with the area, Smith said. It was a little scary moving so far away, but I felt real-ly good about it. Bristol just felt right.

Smith and her then husband purchased 27 acres in Mendota and built a home. Smith, who had worked in the jewelry industry for years while living in Maryland, already had the idea for opening her own store from which to sell her own homemade jewelry. While gazing across the hills of her new home and watching the mist roll over the mountain, a classic rock song called Misty Mountain Hop by Led Zeppelin came on the radio and inspired the name of her shop.

In October of 1998, Smith opened the first location of Misty Mountain Designs. The store started as a small kiosk in Bristol Mall.

Jewelry was what I made with my hands, but I knew eventually I wanted to sell more, ex-plained Smith.

The store grew to carry not only jewelry, but also semi-precious stones, original clothing, wall tapestries, candles, incense and much more. Misty Mountain expanded from a small kiosk to a 500-square-foot store space in the mall. Over the years, the store moved to various locations within the mall, and Smith even had several offshoot specialty stores.

But over the two decades of Misty Mountains burgeoning business at the mall, the landscape of shopping began to change. Malls fell from popularity in favor of strip malls, and in Bristol, the downtown district came back to life and became a popular foot traffic destination. Before long, business at Bristol Mall began to decline.

We saw it coming for several years, Smith noted. The pattern had changed way before the mall closed. We knew that was going to happen. I saw the writing on the wall.

In October of 2013, Smith heeded her gut feeling and opened a second location on State Street in downtown Bristol. For several years, she operated both stores, but as the mall traffic dwindled, she decided to close up shop at that location. When Misty Mountain finally closed its doors at the mall in April 2017 after 20 years of business, there were only six stores left in the mall.

Though combining two store locations into one has presented its own brand of challenges, Misty Mountain has continued to draw customers and thrive at its downtown location. Smith has always been active in downtown events to support her community  Misty Mountain has had a presence at downtown events like Rhythm and Roots, Border Bask and Full Moon Jam for years. The State Street store has served to strengthen her ties with downtown Bristol.

We are very happy and fortunate to have Sue and Misty Mountain in downtown Bristol, stated Maggie Bishop, executive director of Believe in Bristol. Sue is a supporter of every event that we have downtown and welcomes the chance to do that. She is a friendly face that people come directly to downtown to see. She has got customers from all over who probably would not normally come to downtown Bristol if she was not located on State Street.

Smith has even joined with other business owners of the 500 block of State Street to form an informal coalition working together to promote downtown Bristol. They are collaborating on shooting a commercial promoting downtown, with the slogan that Bristol is State Street.

Aside from business, Smith never misses an opportunity to pay it forward. She is a strong be-liever in community, and welcomes any chance to help youth and community. Whether its giv-ing gift certificates for kids or organizations to raffle in fundraisers or donating clothes to special causes, Smith is a great advocate of giving back to her community.

It just behooves all of us to be a part of what happens in our communities, Smith pointed out. If the community is strong, were strong. The community has really supported us, and for me, that means we should give back to the community.

One cause that has been near and dear to Smiths heart is Red Legacy, an East Tennessee-based program that helps incarcerated women struggling with addiction to develop the skills they need to build a successful life when they are released. Red Legacy founder Angelee Murray points out that these women have often lost or gained weight while serving time, and when they get out, find that their clothes no longer fit. Smith has donated clothing and her time to the pro-gram to help these women as they try to start fresh.

Sue is a special person and we have always loved her and appreciate everything she has done for us, Murray said. Its not every day that you find someone local that is so generous and kind hearted.

Smith is also very dedicated to the youth of the community, and has given support to United Way, Boys and Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Miss Virginia and Miss Tennessee, among others.

I had a hard time in high school, Smith remembers. My advisor and others in the commu-nity saw that there were these cracks that I was falling through. They had to give me some en-couragement, and that was really all it took  just somebody caring enough to make an effort.

Smith credits her turnaround to the people who gave her a chance and helped her when she was struggling, and says this has inspired her to do the same.

When I give a gift certificate or we do a fundraiser or I spend time helping something, I feel like that is a piece of me that Im giving back, and it feels good. It feels really good.

Longtime friend Camille Moseley remembers several years ago when an employees house burned to the ground, leaving her with nothing. When Moseley told her of the tragedy, Smith didnt hesitate to chip in.

She told me to have my employee come down to the shop and pick out some clothes, which Sue gave her, in addition to some money, to help her through that really difficult time, recalled Moseley. That is just the kind of person Sue is  always ready to help out and selflessly give to others. Bristol is lucky to have this amazing, generous lady as part of its community.
Two people died and two others were seriously injured in a head-on crash Sunday in Buchanan County, Virginia.

A 2017 Toyota Rav 4 was traveling east on Route 460 less than a mile west of Route 83 Sunday afternoon when it crossed the center line and struck head-on a westbound 2005 Honda Element, according to Virginia State Police.

The impact of the crash caused the Toyota to catch fire and the vehicle was completely destroyed.

The driver of the Toyota, an 81-year-old Grundy, Virginia, man, was transported to Holston Valley Hospital in Kingsport, Tennessee, for treatment of life-threatening injuries. His passenger, Billy Joe Carter, 75, of Grundy, Virginia, was transported to Buchanan General Hospital.

Carter died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

The driver of the Honda, a 74-year-old woman from Grundy, was transported to Holston Valley Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. Her passenger, Charles V. Baker, 52, also of Grundy, died at the scene.

The crash remained under investigation Sunday night. Alcohol was not a factor in the crash, according to VSP.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The ages of the deceased have been corrected following an update from the Virginia State Police.
With no path to win, Mastriano still silent on conceding blowout loss
Its Vacation Bible School time at Discovery Church on Startown Road. Nothing so special about that.

Churches all over the Unifour have been conducting VBS events all summer.

Whats unique about Discovery Churchs multiple days of singing, dancing, crafting, studying the Bible, and celebrating is that a bunch of kids are in charge. And not a group of Catawba County young people either. The 18 kids, ages 11 to 18, who will lead Discovery Churchs VBS Aug. 10-12 are Belizean. They and their four adult chaperones are members of a youth group from Exodus Church in Belize.

Susan Hefner is Discovery Churchs director of international missions. She and other church members have traveled to Belize a number of times and have become well informed about the country, its people, and their needs  all of which are dire.

Susan said a Belizean woman named Phillipa Miller started Exodus Church about 10 years ago. Having grown up in poverty and abuse and having been taken under the wings of education providers in her village, she wanted to do the same for the kids in the jungle of Belize, Susan explained, not meaning an actual jungle but an area of Belize City called the jungle because of the violence and abuse.

Susan reported that Belize has the third highest murder rate in the world, one of the highest rates of sex trafficking, and drug trafficking.

Pastor Miller studied in the United States and then returned with the goal of changing young Belizean lives for the better. In particular, she wanted and continues to want to change their attitudes, their acceptance of a way of life that has come to be expected and accepted. Susan said, When a young Belizean girl reaches the teenage years, her goal is to find a man, have children, and pray that [the man] will take care of her and not beat her.

Phillipa is working to change girls mindsets about what their future lives ought to look like, said Susan. Abuse is very common. The girls think its the way its supposed to be.

Its not just about changing mindsets, though; its also about addressing Belizes extreme poverty, a situation that fuels the mindset as well as human trafficking and abuse.

Susan said the mission trips shes been on have focused on learning about effective poverty alleviation, having fellowship with the people who are there every day working in poverty alleviation, and encouraging the workers. Well do whatever they need us to do, Susan stressed.

What worked for Pastor Miller was getting an education. Consequently, shes doing all she can to make sure Belizean children stay in school. Education is not free, Susan explained. [Pastor Miller] sells her personal items to pay for tuition. [Discovery Church] is establishing a scholarship fund, so we can help more kids stay in school and break the cycle of generational poverty.

Susan said a long-term goal of Discovery Church is to assist Belizean high school graduates financially so they can attend college probably in the United States, said Susan, with the expectation that they will return to Belize.

Susan pointed out that there are work opportunities for educated Belizeans: There are lots of natural resources for furniture making, the tourism industry is huge, and health care is ripe for the right-trained individuals.

In serving Belizeans, Susan and fellow church members have come to know about other people who, like Pastor Miller, have dedicated their lives to bettering the Belizeans situations.

One example is Dr. Beatriz Thompson, a Belizean anesthesiologist who took it upon herself to address her countrys lack of end-of-life care. Susan said the public health system provides no such care, leaving the terminally ill to die excruciating deaths in their homes. Facilitated by an Amarillo, Tex., missions organization called The Word at Work, which has been helping Belizeans to help themselves for more than two decades, Dr. Thompson set up a hospice network and oversees the Belize Hospice Palliative Care Foundation in Belize City.

Said Dr. Thompson when she received First Caribbean International Bank of Belizes Unsung Hero Award in 2011, We dont focus on the problem; we focus on how to get it solved.

Which is the same focus of another hero, attorney and Belize resident Diana Shaw, who organized Belizes Child Development Foundation in 2008. Susan said Diana advocates for children whove been sold by their families  usually by the male figures in the families. Dianas trying to change national laws to protect young girls and women from being sold and subsequent abuse, Susan explained.

Among Dianas many ways of trying to change peoples attitudes are the stickers she distributes. They read, Sell tacos, not children.

The children, teens, and adults wholl be leading VBS at Discovery Church deliver VBS to over 700 kids in Belize in the summers over a three week period, Susan pointed out, also emphasizing that Pastor Millers church is composed mostly of young people. Phillipa sees it as their responsibility to give back, share what theyve learned.

This is an opportunity for our church and community to see a different culture and realize our world is a little bit bigger, Susan concluded. It will be a traditional VBS with an international flair.

VBS at Discovery Church (2201 Startown Road, Newton) is from 6-8:30 p.m. Aug. 10 and 11 and 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 12. It will conclude with a celebration during the churchs 9:15 a.m. and 11 a.m. services on Aug. 13. A cookout follows the 11 a.m. service.

The event is free and open to the public. Parents or guardians are encouraged to register their children ages 4 through grade 5 at www.discoverychurchhickory.com or by calling 828-855-2200.

Share story ideas with Mary at marycanrobert@charter.net.
HICKORY  According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) occupations have grown by 17 percent in the last decade, while other non-STEM occupations are growing at 9.8 percent. STEM jobs are the jobs of the future and are essential for the sustained growth and stability of our local and global economies.

STEM education creates a next generation workforce of critical thinkers, problem solvers, entrepreneurs and innovators. Furthermore, research proves that having activities outside of the traditional classroom can better demonstrate how the concepts students are learning can have real-world application.

One iconic example of this in Catawba County are the Future Engineer Camps, hosted by our community partners at the North Carolina Center for Engineering Technologies (NCCET) which is a part of the Greater Hickory Partnership formed by Appalachian State University. These STEM camps, facilitated by NCCET staff and approximately 24 local teachers, have served an average of 165 elementary, middle and high school students from across the region per summer for the past eight years.

To best tell the story what these camps are all about, Id like to introduce my guest writer this week - Jacob A. Sierzenga, a rising sixth-grader at Snow Creek Elementary School. Jacob recently participated in the Future Engineer Camp and I asked him to reflect upon his experience:

The future engineers camp was awesome. It is held at the NCCET, North Carolina Center for Engineering Technology, by Appalachian State University. It is a week camp but runs a few weeks for different age groups. I attended the week of July 1014.

An application and acceptance is required to participate. I worked with my dad to fill out several questions on my application on why I was interested in attending and sent it in for approval. I was so excited when I received a letter that I was accepted.

My interest in this camp came after my sister had attended it when it began a few years ago. I got to see all kinds of cool things they made.

The engineering camp is great because they have fun ways to build things and discover how things work, while creating with all kinds of materials. Ive always liked building things with Legos and working with robots, I often tear things apart and rebuild them to make them cooler!

At camp, we had a lot to do, but had recess, too! The time went fast and it was a lot of fun. Our team would get challenges every day we had to accomplish with designing, creating and building. We had fun completing different strategic tasks, like making our own water guns, rockets, robots, etc. My favorite thing was working with the Lego Robots (EV3) to design, build and watch it operate.

We had great teachers, too. Mr. Daniels and Miss Houston were my groups leaders. They encouraged us to do our best thinking, and if we failed at something, we can figure out other ways to make it better. Every mistake was just a learning step to success. Mr. Daniels was so good at guiding us but also at letting us figure things out too! He taught us the design cycle to ask, imagine, plan, create, test and improve.

When I get older I want to be involved somehow with the military doing tactical design. Im creative and know a lot about survival stuff from the Scouts. I like airplanes, robots, and even may want to do something that helps people like prosthetics one day. That would be cool. But I also want a farm!

My career choice has been influenced mostly by me wanting to help people. But I want to be creative, I have a lot of ideas and I like making, designing and building things. And hope to make a lot of money doing what I like.

Im proud that our community offers students of all ages with opportunities, such as this, to bring concepts to life with application-based learning experiences in order to ignite their passion for their future career and allow them to achieve their full potential.

For more about the NCCET and the Future Engineer Camps, in addition to their other programs offered in partnership with various UNC System Schools and community colleges designed to meet regional employment needs, visit www.nccet.appstate.edu.

Lindsay Keisler is president/CEO of the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce.
HICKORY  Every student expects report cards, but so do the educational institutions they attend.

At the university level, schools report to a number of different federal and state agencies who review and in some cases critique their abilities as institutions of higher learning.

Locally, Lenoir-Rhyne University (LRU), along with 22 other schools in North Carolina, received grades from the 2016 National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) report as undergraduate programs that prepare high school teachers.

Its a mixed bag when it comes to the results for the 717 undergraduate programs in the United States listed in the report. Not all schools in the rankings are active participants in NCTQs research, which is the case with LRU.

While the report showed four North Carolina schools in the 90th percentile nationally, three programs in the state were listed in the bottom 10 percent which included Lenoir-Rhyne University, ranked fifth.

North Carolina Wesleyan College (second) and Barton College (first) were the other two low percentile schools.

Leading the state in the national percentile were Appalachian State University (97th), East Carolina University (96th), High Point University (96th) and Meredith College (90th).

Hank Weddington, dean of the College of Education and Human Services, said the university decided not to report to this group from the beginning.

We dont need to. Were nationally accredited. We write a state report every year and send it to the state board of education for continuing approval, Weddington said. We do institutional reporting, regional reporting. All that stuff has real consequence and we put a lot of time and effort into reporting those.

He said he writes two Title II reports for the federal government every year that are used to gauge the quality of teacher preparation.

Founded in 2000, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) is a nonpartisan research and policy group, committed to modernizing the teaching profession and based on the belief that all children deserve effective teachers, according to a NCTQ press release.

It is funded by foundations and private donors and accepts no government funding.

It conducts intensive searches for material for schools (typically private schools like Lenoir-Rhyne) that do not participate, according to NCTQ. For example, LRU had its student teaching handbook online.

NCTQ also obtains agreements between universities and their surrounding districts (from the districts themselves) that describe important elements of how the university structures student teaching.

The report examines programs and policies in three key areas: knowledge (in the sciences and social studies), practice (teaching methods and student teaching with a particular focus on classroom management) and admissions (selection criteria), according to the NCTQ report review.

Math and Science gaps

As for overall performance of the 700+ schools in the report, a common problem surfaced in the analysis is the weak content preparation provided to science and social studies teacher candidates, according to a NCTQ press release.

That weakness falls in sharp contrast to almost uniformly strong preparation in English and mathematics content in the same institutions.

Lenoir-Rhyne University did score an A in the categories of secondary content in the sciences and social studies like Appalachian State  who was an active participant in the report. LRU failed in secondary methods (coursework), student teaching and secondary methods.

In reaction to the reports look at how math and sciences are being addressed by universities, the dean said LRU does provide plenty of science and math prep.

We have that masters in online teaching and instructional design, so technology is huge for all of our students whether theyre an elementary teacher or a secondary teacher, Weddington said. We want them to be able to use technology in innovative ways in the classroom.

LRU reports to federal officials who grant accreditations, and the university shares how many new science and math teachers the school recruits into the program and graduates each year. The school sets and then tries to meet that goal.

The problem right now is its very hard to sell somebody whos coming in as a physics major or a math major on a career in teaching unless they just have that mission in their hearts when they could just go and be an engineer, Weddington said.

Weddington said the NCTQ will send an initial rating to schools before they release their information publically. It allows schools to add anything to the research or dispute any of the findings.

Yearly, the LRU completes reports for Federal Title II (teacher preparation), N.C. Institution of Higher Education, Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, AALTE AIMs national report and LRU institutional report for Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The state has gone so far as putting out report cards for colleges and universities, Weddington said.

The state looks at admission standards, how many students are graduating and how well students are doing in the classroom. It looks at how teachers students are performing on end of grade tests and end of course tests.

State check-up

In the 2015-16 state report card, LRU had equivalent and in some cases better numbers in different categories when compared with the NCTQ top-rated North Carolina schools like Appalachian State and East Carolina universities.

Appalachian State had 92 percent of its education preparation program graduates become licensed and 63 percent employed compared to LRUs 89 percent licensed and 57 employed. Lenoir-Rhyne scored better when it came to percentage of graduates remaining in teaching after four years with 89 percent versus Appalachian State at 58.

For more information about the North Carolina undergraduate report cards, visit dpi.state.nc.us/ihe/reports.

Were doing something right here and we believe were reporting to the people who need to be reported to to help us make our programs better, Weddington said.

Diego A. Mureno is a sixth-grade language arts/social studies teacher at Newton-Conover STEM Middle School and an LRU graduate from the schools elementary education program.

He said he took the NCTQ report with a grain of salt.

My opinion is that in education experience is the best teacher. LR does a great job at teaching educational theory and research-based instructional strategies, Mureno said. What it cannot do, and this goes for any institution, is truly prepare a teacher for the magnitude of responsibilities of the classroom. If teaching had a manual, it would be infinitely long.

He said LRU provided him the foundation to be a good teacher.

Experience thus far has been what has made me a good teacher, Mureno said. Lots of teachers are quick to blame an institution for deficits, but not quick to acknowledge that education programs do the best to prepare teaching candidates.

For more information about the National Council on Teacher Quality report, visit nctq.org.
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Fear and anxiety often demand an articulation of a public performance. When it reaches the level of panic, it acquires an epidemic quality of a spectacle, rampant when it is present, forgotten and almost mysterious when it is over. Some of these events have a devastating effect on the psyche of a society. One can think of a witch hunt, the great inquisitions or even the stock market crash of 1930. Such panics, from being invitations to storytelling, often reveal the repressions of a society. All it needs is a rumour, an audience prone to gossip and anxiety, and the gruesome episode begins.

One recent example was the Ganapati Festival but it had an almost endearing quality to it. I remember colleagues of mine in Delhi who went to temples to see the phenomenon came back feeling blessed. When I smiled sceptically, one of them explained to me It is not how many academic degrees you have. You have to believe to see it. It is like punya. If you dont have it, you can learn it. Another said, a pujari whose temple was not the site of miracles has gone to the hills to meditate, do penance because he feels he has missed out. I offered to go to the hills but another said, Dont laugh at us, you have not been touched by God as we have. This is a faith which you wont understand. To believe is to be blessed. I felt left out as Ganapati looked indifferently at me.

I consoled myself by reading about a rationalists meeting, reading an edit about scientific temper. Why do such epidemics occur so often?

I was reading about the braid cutting phenomena. Women in Haryana are falling asleep or falling unconscious and coming awake to discover their hair has been cut. Panic spreads quietly across town and women shut doors to keep out the evil force. While the Ganesh episode had a touch of the comic, the braid episode evokes the right touch of the sinister, the lethal. Where innocence ends, and conspiracy begins is difficult to decipher. Rationality dismisses the event but rationality cannot explain it.

Reading the origins of such an event, one senses a sequence. It usually is triggered, often innocuously, in moments of anxiety where the first event seems almost a joke, carrying the touch of the incredulous. It looks like a prank but is never fully dismissed as such. By the third or fourth report, rumour has acquired a tenacity, a vector of its own. Forces of law and order are summoned but they make little sense of it. They ask people to be cautious, adding a few layers of paranoia to the anxiety. Explanations do not explain. Lucky charms seems to guarantee more safety than police escorts and cow dung and turmeric, usually used to keep people at bay, become popular. Warding off evil becomes a local cottage industry as a community waits to zero in on the next report. It is generally a vulnerable group that is targeted, children, women and the victims have an ambivalent status. They are both complainants and rumour-mongers. Forensic experts collect the braid for analysis but forensics is little match for witchcraft as the anxiety spreads. It is eerie watching official rationality and irrationality battle but what makes it sinister is the element of violence as superstition inevitably searches for a scapegoat as a cause. A Dalit woman, a migrant worker, a minority group meets a gory death that changes the narrative. The victim as complainant has an innocuous story but rumours provide the agency of the narrative. The police then find their own scapegoats but few look at the social profile of anxiety, mobility, displacement, the appearance of a modernity that does not answer questions of meaning. Indeed, people prefer collective insanity to an individual recognition of problems.

Rumour constructs a monster, a demonology which is always amorphous. What it smashes is the usual routine of domestic life as suspicion cuts down on interaction and a fortress complex develops. There is a predictable quality of narratives. What one misses is the presence of groups, civil society activists, doctors who can tackle the event, civil society activists to initiate panchayat meetings. As hysteria mounts, violence increases. Yet a few weeks later after the criminal is caught, few are able to explain what happened. Social scientists rarely follow up. The standard explanations hardly explain. The weak and susceptible are often accused of magnifying attention on them. Yet these words look as if a lot of the script is missing. Just as we have early warning groups to predict a stock market crash, we need groups that examine such explosions of irrationality as symptoms of what such societies are going through. Each event whether monkey man, braid women, or the much-saluted Ganesh becomes a fable unfolding the symptoms of trust and the contours of suspicion and anxiety. Scenarios of this kind will become more critical as society faces tensions it cannot comprehend at the level of folklore. Here, the Ojha and the Shaman may be as necessary as the psychiatrist. Such crises can be a moment of collaboration between our different psychiatric systems. Constructing such epidemics as mere law and order problems adds little to understanding or healing.

Shiv Visvanathan is Professor, Jindal Global Law School and Director, Centre for the Study of Knowledge Systems, O.P. Jindal Global University.

The views expressed are personal
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has fallen victim to swine flu. The actor and his wife, could not attend the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup 2017 prize distribution program at Balewadi on Sunday evening as they have been infected with H1N1 virus.

I am down with H1N1 and as it is contagious have decided to stay at home for a week, Aamir said and requested Shah Rukh Khan to attend the event in his place. The Satyamev Jayate Water Cup 2017 program of Paani Foundation was organised in Pune on Sunday. Among those present for the program were Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and founder of Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani among others.

Thx @aamir_khan & Kiran for giving me the honour to stand in for u. @dev_fadnavis ur concern for farmers is touching pic.twitter.com/lWX3Rh8xIH  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 6, 2017

We are very sad to inform you, Aamir said in a video, that after working so hard for a year, when the time came for us to celebrate, this illness, which spreads rapidly, has forced us to stay at home for a week.

Fans of the Dangal star took to Twitter to express their concern and pray for his health. Take a look :

@aamir_khan get well soon, wish you and your wife a speedy recovery. #getwellsoon  Prateek Sabharwal (@sabruprateek) August 7, 2017

@aamir_khan get well soon wishing u and ur wife a speedy recovery god bless  Ravindra kumar (@smartchap_no1) August 7, 2017

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Between January and August 1947, the conflicting tensions of British India culminated in the country being partitioned and the creation of two independent new states - the repubics of India and Pakistan. Those momentous months saw the end of ninety years of the British Raj, as the congress Party swept to power, stetting up the countrys first modern government in Delhi. However, the autumn of 1947 witnessed the dream of independence dissipate into shame and recrimination. Partition of Indias two great provinces of the Punjab and Bengal, forced through in seventy days, led to at least ten million people becoming refugees. About one million died, many murdered in scenes of sickening, medieval violence. Countless more lost their homes and their livelihoods, as the country was dissolved amidst an atmosphere of bloodshed and bitterness.

What happened in India that year has created a cycle of revenge that has resonated through the decades and still plagues the subcontinent. Thus far it has led to three wars, countless acts of terrorism, polarisation around the Cold War powers and to two nations spending disproportionate amounts on their military while millions live in poverty. The roots of much of todays violence, both in the region and worldwide are in the decisions taken that year. This is their story.

Selected and translated by writer, editor and translator par excellence Muhammad Umar Menom, the twenty-five stories in this book represent the finest short fiction in Urdu literature.

In his introduction, Memon traces the evolution of the Urdu short story from its origins in the world of writers like Munshi Premchand - the first professional short story writer in Urdu - through the emergence of the Progressives in the late 1930s, whose writings were unabashedly political and underpinned their Marxist ideologies, to the post -independence Modernist era, and todays generation of avant-garde, experimental writers of Urdu fiction.

Every story in the anthology illustrates one or the other facet of the form in the Urdu literary tradition. But even more than for their formal technique and inventiveness, these stories have been included because of their power and impact on the reader. Death and poverty face off in Premchands masterpiece The Shroud. In Khalida Asghars The Wagon, a mysterious redness begins to cloak the sunset in a village by the Ravi. Behind closed doors and cracks in the windows lies desire but also a sense of queer foreboding in Naiyer Masuds Obscure Domains of Fear and Desire. The tragedy and horror of Partition are brought to life by Saadat Hasan Mantos lunatic (in Toba Tek Singh) and the eponymous heroine of Rajinder Singh Bedis Laajwanti. Despairing, violent, passionate humorous, ironic and profound - the fiction in The Greatest Urdu Stories Ever Told will imprint itself indelibly on your mind.

Once upon a time by the sea, there was a story - and another and another - and some wandered into these pages to make up a city.

So meet, among others, a travel guide who falls for a French tourist, a rice merchant with Kollywood dreams, a god whose editor proves elusive, a portly musical lawyer caught in a noir plot, and a man in search of family in the Great Madras Flood.

Find yourself , among other places, at that gastronomic oxymoron, the Udipi cafe, in Velachery, looking for pot or maybe for love, on Kaanum Pongal day all across Madras, even in a fast car on East Coast Road, fleeing the city - till it lures you back with its lovely lies.

Its all here: the salt in the breeze, the eternal summer, the swing of the sea.

Its Madras on your mind.*

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*All text from book flaps
The Bajaj Pulsar 150 was one of the first motorcycles to really kick off the performance 150cc segment in India. Powerful, stylish and affordable  this was the mantra that worked in favour of the original Pulsar and there has really been no looking back ever since. However, the 150cc segment of motorcycles has evolved over the past few years and now features bikes with better styling, improved dynamics and even a bump in cubic capacity. The Pulsar 150 never really got on this bandwagon. But Bajaj finally has a sportier, more premium commuter in the form of the new Pulsar NS160.

Bajaj really did a great job with aesthetics of its first naked street, the NS200. Its styling was inspired by big-capacity nakeds such as the Honda CB1000, and even five years on, its still one of the best-looking bikes in its segment. So enthusiasts will appreciate the fact that Bajaj has kept the styling of this new NS160 nearly identical to the 200S. In fact, at a quick glance, youd be hard pressed to notice any visual difference between this NS160 and its larger sibling. Even from the saddle, theres no way of telling them apart, thanks to the riding position being identical.

Take a closer look and the differences can be seen. The front forks are thinner, as is the swingarm and the tyres. The motor too, is smaller and there is no rear disc brake either.

With styling from a bike playing in a full segment higher, the NS160 is a handsome motorcycle no doubt. However, the skinnier forks and tyres lend it an odd look from certain angles  the analogy of a body builder with chicken legs comes to mind.

As mentioned earlier, the seating posture is no different from the NS200. This makes the NS160 feel like a bigger bike than its competition. Its tallish 805mm seat is higher than all its rivals, but that should be an issue only for the shortest of riders. However, its 170mm ground clearance is the highest amongst its rivals and something a lot of riders in India will appreciate.

The real highlight of this Pulsar NS160 is its new engine. This 160.3cc, air-cooled, twin-spark, oil-cooled motor makes a healthy 15.5hp and 14.6Nm. With the most power and second-most torque in its segment, the performance is really noticeable. The motor just loves to rev and the acceleration is rather brisk. But more impressive is the engines sheer useability. Its got plenty of grunt at low and medium engine speeds which allows you to pootle around at speeds as low as 18-20kph in third gear comfortably. The motor feels equally comfortable holding speeds of up to 110kph. But its real sweet spot is around the 80-85kph mark.

Bajaj decided to stick with a five-speed gearbox for the NS160, but it feels perfectly suited to the motor, with extremely short first and second gears for easy city ridability. Another surprise with this engine is the refinement level. Sure, it isnt as butter-smooth as the Suzuki Gixxer or the Yamaha FZ FI, but its effortless for the most part. Even the buzz that did come into the bars and foot pegs at about 6,500-7,000rpm doesnt feel too intrusive.

While the tyres look a touch skinny, they do a great job of keeping the bike nicely planted when youre leaning into corners. That said, a big part of the bikes dynamic ability comes from its well-tuned suspension and that phenomenal twin-spar frame thats been lifted straight from the NS200.

When you factor in the reduced resistance that the slimmer tyres offer, coupled with the 10kg weight reduction from the NS200 (the NS160 weighs just 142kg), you end up with a bike thats quite nippy. And at the same time, the longest-in-segment 1,363mm wheelbase ensures that there is plenty of stability when manoeuvring the motorcycle.

The suspension is really well set-up, not just for impressive handling, but also for riding over broken roads. Even bumpy surfaces dont upset the bike, and while ride quality isnt plush, it certainly is comfortable.

On the braking front, the NS160 comes equipped with a 240mm petal disc at the front and a 130mm drum at the back. These arent the largest brakes in the segment, but theres plenty of bite and adequate feel at the lever. Even when riding on wet roads, the brakes offered predictable stopping power.

To sum up, Bajaj has certainly hit all the right marks with the NS160. It looks great for the most part, the motor is extremely useable and the bike handles and rides well too. While first impressions are positive, lets not forget that the NS160 has to compete with extremely capable motorcycles. Priced at Rs 78,368 (ex-showroom, Delhi), it is cheaper than the Yamaha FZ FI and the Honda CB Hornet 160, bit its marginally costlier than the Suzuki Gixxer. However, its sporty design and top-drawer build mean that in this premium 150-160cc segment, the Pulsar is no longer just a significantly more affordable option. But, whether it can make a dent in this space is something that remains to be seen.

Price: Rs 78,300 (ex-showroom, Delhi)

Engine: 160.3cc, single-cylinder, oil-cooled

Max Power: 115.5hp at at 8500rpm

Max Torque: 14.6Nm at 6500rpm

Gearbox: 5-speed
Global management consulting and research firm Great Place to Work Institute and Mint identify the 50 best workplaces in India with employees numbering between 100 and 500. The study looks at workplaces from the employees perspective and assigns a two-third weightage to the voice of the employees. This is measured through anonymous surveys conducted across organisations. The remaining one-third weightage is assigned to the strength of people practices implemented across the organisations. (Graphics by Sarvesh Kumar Sharma/Mint)

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Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar, who is on an indefinite hunger strike since July 27, was removed by police on Monday from her protest site in Madhya Pradeshs Dhar district and shifted to a hospital in Indore.

The 62-year-old Patkar and 11 more people were protesting against inadequate rehabilitation and resettlement of families affected by the Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada river.

Today after 12 days, the government replied by arresting 12 of us. This is not how you reply to a non-violent struggle  Under the rule of Modi and Shivraj, no dialogue with us  just gimmickry of figures and use of force, she said in an audio message uploaded on social media.

She blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and state chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the action.

The BJP-led state government made an offer for talks on Monday morning, saying a delegation of senior officials will meet Patkar. But she allegedly refused and as her condition deteriorated, authorities sent police to the protest site, Chikhalda in Dhar.

Her supporters formed a human barricade around her when police came. A scuffle was also reported and police used lathis to disperse the crowd. Authorities used camera-mounted drones to keep an eye on the situation.

Around noon, additional forces arrived. By evening, 12 ambulances and buses reached Chikhalda and the protesters, including Patkar, was removed.

Moments before Medha Patkar was removed from the protest site. (HT Photo)

NBA leader Rahul Yadav said the Madhya Pradesh government or the Centre made no attempt in the dozen days of the strike to talk to the activists.

They have been asking us to call off the hunger strike, but no offer was made for a dialogue. Since morning, they mobilised police, broke the temporary canopy and lathicharged to arrest the protesters. Is this violent response justified in a democratic society? he asked.

Yadav alleged that a dozen protesters were wounded in the scuffle and nearly 60 detained.

They forcibly removed Medhaji and six of 11 people fasting here. Five people are carrying on with the hunger strike, he said.

The divisional commissioner of Indore, Sanjay Dubey, said Patkar and six more people were admitted hospital as their condition was deteriorating.

The state government had to do this because there was no option left. Their health became fragile and they needed medical attention, he said.

Dubey also said six policemen were wounded and four vehicles damaged in clashes with the protesters.

The state government deputed spiritual leader Bhayyuji Maharaj from Indore and senior bureaucrats to hold talks with Patkar on Saturday and convince her to end her strike.

But the talks remained inconclusive as Patkar told them that the government should solve the problems of dam-affected people.

She and her supporters are demanding adequate rehabilitation and resettlement of nearly 40,000 families, who have lost their homes and fields in the flooded backwaters of the dam.

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The South Delhi Municipal Corporation along with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is planning to set up a biogas plant to produce electricity from cow dung to address the twin problem of waste disposal and power generation.

The SDMC plans to use the cattle waste generated in Nangli Dairy, Goyala Dairy and Kakrola Dairy and two cow shelters - Manav Gau Sadan Rewla Gaushala and Ghuman Hera Gramin Gaushala in Najafgarh for power generation.

South Delhi mayor Kamaljeet Sehrawat told Hindustan Times that the officials of BARC inspected these three dairies under the jurisdiction of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation last week. There are more than 20,000 cattle in these dairies and cow shelters and they generate more than 400 metric tonnes of waste which will be used to generate electricity.

During the inspection, the officials suggested to first construct a boundary walls around these dairies, she said. The process for boundary wall construction has been started, she added.

A senior official of the South Corporation said that a bio gas plant will be set up in Najafgarh area with capacity for management of 150 metric tonne. He said that the corporation along with BARC will also explore the possibility of also using kitchen or biodegradable waste for generating electricity.

Read more: North Delhi to get 1.15 lakh LED streetlights from next week

BARC has already done some projects in which it had set up biomethanation plants that convert garbage into gaseous fuel to produce electricity. This will also reduce the load to the landfill sites which are full to capacity. Around one tonne of waste has the capacity to generate 60 metric cubes of gas which can be used to produce electricity to light 200 streetlights for 8 hours. He said these dairies struggling to cope with knee-high level of dung on their premises and the corporation is clueless about how to dispose the waste.

Besides, solving the problem of disposal, it will help us generate electricity which can be used in these areas for lighting street lamps or other uses, he said.

The bio gas plant is likely to be set up near Goyala Dairy Road in Najafgarh zone of SDMC. However, the final decision on it is yet not taken, he said.

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For a city frequently on terror alert and its citizens constantly watching their backs fearing a snatching or robbery attempt, Delhi can do with more boots on the ground. But not if its policemen are busy chasing a phantom barber who chops off womens hair as they fall unconscious.

In the past one week, at least two dozen cases have been reported to the Delhi Police. Since June, 90 more have been recorded from the neighbouring states. Some women say it was a cat that turned into a man and did it. Others talk of a man dressed in yellow and red.

Villagers near Agra killed a woman suspecting her to be the ghost who lopped off braids. In Mewat, they killed a cat because someone had visions of it turning into a witch. In the only case cracked so far, two young pranksters confessed to sniping a 14-year-old girls braid. While one of the pranksters was her brother, the other was her nephew. But thats not stopped the contagion.

Both police and psychologists believe that the women are cutting their hair, either consciously or in an altered sensorium. How else does one explain these cases that are happening behind closed doors, in the presence of family members, an investigator asks.

Evidently, this is mass hysteria, a condition described as an assumed threat that causes physical symptoms among a large group of people, spreading through sight, sound, smell or conversation, and where people feed off each others emotional reactions, causing the panic to escalate.

It is not the first time Delhi experienced collective delusion. In 1995, people fed milk to Ganesha statues. In May 2001, vigilante groups patrolled the streets for days on end, to find the face-scratching monkey man who had been sighted at least 350 times according to complaints made to the police.

Even as the police announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information on the furry terrorist and deployed hundreds of men to find it, the manic reactions spun out of control. A pregnant woman fell down the stairs, a man slipped from the roof, and another one leapt out of the terrace  all trying to flee from a shadow or a sound.

Within two days of the first complaint, as the then commissioner Ajai Raj Sharma recalls, the police appointed a committee of psychiatrists and forensic experts to look at each case. It found that people with high sensitivity were the victims of this hysteria.

Suffering from stress, psychiatric disorders and alcohol-related illnesses, and encouraged by unsubstantiated media reports, they came up with their bizarre accounts. The minor injuries they had were not caused by animal bites but inflicted by a blunt object. In one case, a man from northeast Delhi was bitten by his brother, rediff.com reported in June 2001.

There were no arrests because, as it is happening now with braid-cutting cases, police couldnt reach the source of rumour-mongering. But if established, wilful misleading should be punished by the same provisions used to penalise hoax callers. The onus of controlling such hysterics, however, cant be the sole responsibility of the police. The civil society and media must also play their role in controlling irrationality.

For an episode of mass hysteria to begin, all that is necessary is troubled times in the culture, a shared set of beliefs and a final, fearful, anxiety-provoking trigger to set the phenomenon into motion, wrote psychiatrist Scott Mendelson in Huffington Post. In India, it is the shared belief in spirits and possession that often triggers such mass delusions.

The best way to fight superstition is to promote rational thinking. Schools can be a starting place because as the history of mass hysteria shows, children are quick to pick up irrational ideas and carry them along. Their most innocuous pranks  like two boys cutting off a girls hair  can trigger mass panic.

Just as conventional biology classes alone couldnt explain the complexities that come with the tales of the birds and the bees, and we needed to introduce sex-education in schools, merely teaching science may not be enough to inculcate rationality. Maybe its time for focused lessons at schools to fight our superstitious leanings.

Macavity, unlike the black feline strangulated in Mewat, was a ginger cat known to have broken every human law. But even he never dreamt of becoming a man at will to snip off unsuspecting braids. Because, impossible or not, that just would not be worth the effort.

shivani.singh@hindustantimes.com

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The government machinery woke up to the menace of potholes on Monday, a day after they claimed the lives of two women in a road accident in Dehradun. According to the police, two women, aged 29 and 23, had lost balance after their two-wheeler hit a pothole on Rajpur Road and were eventually crushed by an oil tanker on Sunday.

Expressing strong displeasure over the lackadaisical approach of public works department (PWD) over the issue, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday directed the PWD officials to fill the potholes on roads across the state urgently. Potholes are filled with water during rainfall, which further increases the risk of accidents. Roads should be made free of potholes, and they should be repaired in a way that the public doesnt have to face troubles again, said Rawat. Following his directions, PWD engineer-in-chief, H K Upreti shot off letters to chief engineers of Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Haldwani, Pithoragarh, Almora and national highways directing them to get the potholes filled in their respective areas.

We had issued directions to the officials (for repairing roads during monsoons) in the past. The roads are getting damaged very soon due to the heavy rainfall these days. We have now asked them to inspect and fill the potholes as soon as the rain ceases to ensure smooth traffic flow on roads. This will be followed by tarring of roads once the weather improves, said Upreti.

Many roads in Dehradun are perpetually filled with potholes and the situation has further worsened due to the monsoon. Why do the CM or the officials have to wait for someone to die for them to take some action, said a friend of one of the deceased girls.

According to the police, over 490 people have died and 922 have been injured in 1106 road accidents in Dehradun district since 2014 till June, 2017. This year, over 125 road accidents have taken place in Dehradun so far, in which 79 people have lost their lives till July. Though the police officially booked the driver of the tanker for causing death by negligence, Dehradun superintendent of police (traffic) Dhirendra Gunjyal said, The traffic police regularly updates the departments concerned, including the PWD.

Demanding a high-level probe in the matter, Dehradun city Congress president Prithviraj Chauhan, said that their party have raised the matter with respective government agencies but to no avail. Neither the CM nor any other VIP took cognizance of the damaged roads before the accident. This reflects their lack of sensitivity, said Chauhan.

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The Uttar Pradesh government has assured the state that it will soon take a final decision on cost sharing of Jamrani Multipurpose Hydropower Project on Gola river in Nainital.

The assurance came on Saturday during a meeting in Haridwar between Uttarakhand irrigation minister Satpal Maharaj and his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Dharam Pal.

Besides, the ministers discussed distribution of the irrigation departments assets. Since Uttarakhands formation in 2000, many properties in the hill state have remained under the control of Uttar Pradesh.

Dharampal also assured Maharaj to return an MoU proposal sent by the Uttarakhand government in May on the hydropower project for acceding its nod, sources in the Uttarakhand irrigation department said.

They, however, said although not much progress was made on distribution of assets, the Uttar Pradesh minister assured Maharaj to resolve the issue soon.

Maharaj said: We had a cordial discussion on Jamrani Power Project. The Uttar Pradesh minister has agreed to our contention that construction of the project must be started as soon as possible as it will help both the states irrigate their vast farm area and provide the needed drinking water to a vast size of population in Uttarakhand.

UP has assured us to ratify the MoU proposal sent by us on Jamrani power project so that project could be started early.

The project will help irrigate 1.50 lakh hectares of land both in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh and provide around 53 million cubic metres of drinking water to Uttarakhand.

A top irrigation official of Uttarakhand said cost of the project is likely to go up by 15-20% from present Rs.2,351 crore to Rs.2700-2480 crore. The cost will be revised after the UP government agrees to Uttarakhands MoU proposal.

AK Dinakar, the irrigation departments chief engineer, said: After assurance from the UP irrigation minister, we are expecting the MoU to get the nod shortly and cost revision of the project will be taken up after that. Cost escalation of the project is likely by 15-20%.

As per an earlier estimate, the UP government was supposed to contribute 25% or nearly 495 crore of the project cost while remaining cost was to be borne by Uttarakahnd.
If you are travelling out of the Delhi airport and anyone asks you to pay excess baggage fee, be sure to check the persons credentials and insist on a receipt.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has come across cases where employees of ground-handling companies have duped travellers by charging them excess fee for baggage without giving any receipt.

A duty manager of AISATS, a ground-handling company, was suspended this week at the Delhi airport for illegally charging money.

In April, an Afghan national had created a ruckus at the Delhi airport after an airline asked him to pay money for excess baggage. He claimed he had already paid the fee to another person.

When footage was checked, an employee of a ground-handling company was seen taking money. The CISF said at least six cases were reported in two months and there were many cases where passengers did not report.

We had specific input that an AISATS employee was taking money for weight adjustment without giving receipt. On Monday night, while we were keeping a watch on him through CCTV, he was seen taking money from a passenger. We intercepted the passenger who claimed he paid Rs 1,900 for adjusting 10kg extra luggage. The duty manager also admitted it, said a CISF official.

Airlines charge different rates per kg for baggage beyond the allowed limit. In international sectors, the fee is much higher. Most of the complaints have come when the flyer had to travel to international destinations.

At AISATS, we follow a strict code of ethics in our professional conduct and have a zero tolerance policy towards any dereliction of duty. We consistently undertake best training practices with our employees to maintain high levels of service excellence and integrity. We strongly condemn this incident and have placed the said employee under immediate suspension, pending investigation. We will offer our full support to the concerned authorities in their investigation, said a spokesperson of the company.

The CISF said they had informed the airlines and ground-handling companies about the racket. In April, a passenger was coming from Kabul and going to Doha paid $150 to a ground-handling company employee. But when he reached the airlines counter, they again asked him to pay R 13,000 for the excess baggage.

After the incident, the Bureau for Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), which frames the aviation security rules and issues passes to airport employees, was informed.

Senior officers of the ground-handling company had been told to avoid such incidents in future.

A police case could not be filed as in most of the cases, complainants leave the city and are not ready to come back. There are 3-4 more complaints in our knowledge and we are trying to establish if there is any organized gang, the official added.

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A day after three men died of suffocation while cleaning a South Delhi sewer, Delhi water minister Rajendra Gautam on Monday said the contractor who reportedly engaged the men is absconding.

We need to find that person to find why and under whose authority were these men engaged in the work and that too without any protective gear. No Delhi Jal Board engineer is taking responsibility. So we dont know yet why were those three there. They were not our employees, Gautam said.

The three persons were cleaning a sewer line in Lajpat Nagar near the Kabir Ram temple on Sunday afternoon. They went inside, inhaled toxic fumes and were found unconscious.

Police have registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the private contractor who hired the three to clean the DJB sewer line but did not provide protective equipment.

The civic authorities are required to give boots, helmets, gloves and masks to sanitation staff but the guidelines are rarely followed.

The authorities claim that the cleaning staff are so used to working with their bare hands that even if safety equipment is provided they dont use it.

On Monday, the water minister, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, the Delhi Jal Board CEO and the local district magistrate was scheduled to visit the site. But they had to cancel the plan because of heavy traffic jams.

Asked if the government planned any compensation for the victims, the water minister said a decision will be taken once there is clarity on the incident.

Earlier on Sunday, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari had demanded a high-level probe into the incident and compensation, in line with what DJB employees get, for the families of all three victims.

Tragedy before Rakshabandhan

Two of the three men who died inside a poisonous sewer in Lajpat Nagar on Sunday were eagerly waiting for Rakshabandhan to celebrate the day with their sisters.

While one of their sisters would have tied a rakhi on her brothers arms from a hospital bed, the other had travelled all the way from Bihar to Delhi.

The first was Joginder, 32 -- the third man to enter the ill-fated manhole on Sunday afternoon. The unmarried mans sister is in a Ghaziabad hospital where she is set to undergo a heart surgery.

Joginder and I had been looking forward to Rakshabandhan and we planned to meet our sister in hospital, said his brother, Ajay, who had to spend the day at the AIIMS mortuary from where he was to collect his brothers body.

I waited for hours before I broke the news to our sister, said Ajay.

The other worker was 21-year-old Mohan who had remained unidentified for hours after the accident.

Our sister had travelled to Delhi all the way from Bihar so that she could celebrate Rakshabandhan with us. We got to know of Mohans death within hours of our sister reaching Delhi, said Mohans brother, Bablu.

The third victim, 25-year-old Annu, left behind his wife and a three-year-old son. No one wants to do this dirty job but Annu was forced to take it up a few years ago as he needed to feed his family, said his relative Deepak.

The relatives of the victims said the contractors never provided them anything more than a bucket, a spade and a rope.

No safety equipment is ever provided. Even the rope is not meant for our safety. It is used to pull up buckets filled with muck, alleged Ajay, who claimed he worked for a contractor employed by Delhi Jal Board.

We know about the poisonous gases but we go inside because we need money, said Ajay who said his dead brother earned anywhere between Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,000 per month for the job.

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A 40-year-old man was arrested here for allegedly bludgeoning his two minor daughters to death after an argument with his wife, police said on Sunday.

An argument broke out between accused Mukesh Yadav and his wife at their rented accommodation in New Palam Vihar area around 10pm on Saturday over the food for dinner and he thrashed her, an official said.

Yadav, who cuts and polishes stones for a living here, was allegedly in inebriated when the incident happened, Gurgaon Police PRO, Ravinder Kumar told PTI.

The accused killed his daughters in a fit of rage, Kumar said.

Yadavs neighbours had informed the police about the incident, who reached the spot and took Yadav into custody.

He (Yadav) was under the influence of alcohol and indulged in fight with his wife over the dinner. He first thrashed his wife and when his daughters, aged 3 and 5 years, clung to their mother and cried for help, he attacked them with bricks, Ram Mehar, a neighbour of Yadav, claimed.

Yadav has been booked on murder charges and sent to judicial custody, the police officer said.
Three men died of asphyxiation, one after the another, inside a sewer manhole in Lajpat Nagar on Sunday afternoon.

The incident played out for just around five to seven minutes, with no one even getting to hear a single cry of help from the victims from inside the sewer.

Vishnu Mandal, a mason working near the accident site, was among the first responders. I heard the labourers shouting frantically to someone trapped inside the manhole. I rushed to see what was wrong, said Mandal.

When I peeped inside, one man was lying motionless. He was already dead, but his friend wanted to help him and jumped inside. Within seconds, the second man too began suffocating and throwing his limbs around, recounted Mandal while speaking to Hindustan Times.

But that, he said, did not stop a third person from entering the manhole to attempt a rescue. By then, he claimed, a small crowd had gathered at the scene. One member of the crowd arranged a rope and insisted that the third labourer enter the manhole only after tying himself with it before entering the death trap.

But this man did not want to waste time and entered the manhole by just holding on to the rope with his hand. Within seconds of entering, he began losing consciousness. I remember him trying to catch hold of one of the dead victims before passing out, Mandal recounted.

When a fourth labourer volunteered to attempt a rescue, locals refused to let him enter the manhole without tying himself to a rope. Mandal said that the man kept insisting that he had prior experience in such rescues and did not need the rope, but the public did not let him in without ensuring his safety.

The decision helped save the fourth mans life as he was pulled out to safety soon after he too began losing consciousness inside. The man is now out of danger, said Romil Baaniya, DCP (southeast).

The police, meanwhile, have decided to book the contractor under stringent Indian Penal Code Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) which can draw a jail term of up to 10 years.

A similar incident, which had taken place three weeks ago in south Delhis Ghitorni, had seen police imposing the same IPC section.

DCP Baaniya said that the contractor in Sundays case too is likely to be arrested if evidence suggests he was at fault. It appears that due precautions was not followed, said DCP Baaniya.
Ten days after a gang of nine robbers robbed a jeweller in central Delhis Karol Bagh posing as CBI officials, the crime branch on Sunday arrested three of them from Shahbad Dairy in outer Delhi.

Police said the robbers are affiliated to notorious gangster Neeraj Bawanas gang. One of the arrested men, Neeraj Singh, is a relative of the jailed gangster.

The other two are Narender Vesnav alias Sunny and Madan. A police uniform, one countrymade pistol, a knife, one roll of medical tape to gag victims mouths and a Pulsar bike were recovered from them.

Police said the gang was inspired by Bollywood movie Special 26 and tried to play out its plot while committing the robbery at jeweller Nawal Kishore Khandelwals home on July 27. The robbers in police uniform reached Khandelwals house posing as CBI sleuths.

G Ramgopal Naik, deputy commissioner of police (crime), said the police had information they would go to Shahbad Dairy on a motorcycle to meet someone.

A trap was laid and the three were caught when they arrived on a Pulsar bike, the DCP said.

Neeraj Singh told the police that he used to run a jewellery shop in Bawana but he suffered losses and owed money to financers. He joined Neeraj Bawanas gang as he was very impressed by his popularity in Delhis crime world.

Neeraj formed a gang and started visiting Chandni Chowk to identify their targets. They came in contact with one Pandit, an accountant in a jewellers shop. Pandit gave them information about Khandelwal and they conducted a recce of his Karol Bagh house for days.

On July 27, Neeraj and Harbansh stayed in their Wagon-R car while seven others went to Khandelwals house. Sunny in police uniform rang the bell. When Khandelwals wife Urmila opened the door, all seven entered the house. They overpowered Urmila, her daughter-in-law Megha, and four-year-old grandson Divyansh.

They put a pistol on Divyanshs head and tied the two women. They were ransacking the house when Urmilas other daughter-in-law Preeti came down from the third floor, saw the robbers and raised an alarm, said the officer. The robbers panicked and fled with some jewellery.
Nine-year- old Kashish, a resident of I Block Jahagirpuri, doesnt know which standard she actually studies in. Its not that she is too young to remember the details. The fact is that she has not been to school for over six months.

A student of municipal corporations Pratibha Vidyalaya in Jahangirpuri, Kashish was promoted to Class 4 in April by the school authority even though she didnt appear for Class 3 exams. According to teachers, as per the Right to Education Act 2009 no child should be held back, or required to pass a board exam until Class 8.

Her parents work in factories and leave her home to look after the younger brother. She is an intelligent child and we dont want her to give up studies but we cant do anything. I contacted her parents but now they have stopped responding to my calls. I had also sent her classmates to find out the reasons, said her class teacher Sneh Lata Verma.

The childs father, Radhey Shyam, said he didnt think it was important to send Kashish to school.

We have been going to our village in Bareilly frequently so she couldnt go to school. Also, she is not learning anything special here so there is no point sending her. We will manage her admission in a private school, he said.

On the other hand, Class 4 student Sneha Khatun at MCD Primary School, Munirak Village, has been missing school because the school authority has refused to take her in Class 5 due to long absenteeism.

I moved to Delhi from Kolkata in search of work three years back and got Sneha enrolled in Class 2. But couldnt give much attention to her studies since I was a single parent and had another child to take care of. Last year, when my father was ill, I had to go back to Kolkata for long time and when I came back the school refused to take her back, Snehas mother, Sultana Bibi, said from Kolkata.

However, the zonal education officer refuted the charges and promised to look into the matter. We dont delete a students name unless a formal application comes from the parents, said the official.

The instances highlight the fact that despite the claims of municipal corporations to introduce revolutionary measures to uplift education and increase students strength in schools, absenteeism and dropout rates remain high.

As per the MCD data in 2016-17, 53,100 students enrolled with the primary schools in three municipal corporations have not attended the academic sessions for up to two years.

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) alone has identified 26,000 students while 17,100 students belong to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. About 10,000 students are enrolled with primary schools in the South Corporation.

According to a senior EDMC official, The attendance in MCD schools is never over 65%. Out of 2.04 lakh students associated with EDMC schools in 2016-17, only 1.78 lakh were regular. This means 26,000 remained absent for six months to two years.

Till May 10, 2017, the strength had further come down to 1.56 lakh.

Declining enrolment rate is another issue bothering school authorities. During 2016-17, the enrolment rate was -6% for the three corporations. Officials believe the percentage will come down further as more admissions take place till the month of August.

As per reports of Praja Foundation, the enrolment rate was -2 % in 2015-16 and -4% in 2014-15.

We are trying our level best to bridge the gap. But at the same time we cant stop children from going to Delhi Governments Sarvodaya Schools, which have introduced nursery classes as well. Similarly, the mushrooming English medium schools also attract parents, said the official from South Corporation.

But NGOs working in the field of education deny the claims. The fact is that teachers dont put efforts to find out the reasons when children do not come to schools. In extreme circumstances, they just send other students to find out the reason. Ideally, they should go in personally and if that fails to get results, the matter should be raised in the school monitoring committees, said Saurabh Sharma from Josh NGO.

According to Sharma, the gaps were highlighted when the exercise to attach students Aadhar cards with their bank accounts started in 2016. The civic agencies have so far attached the accounts of 75% students with Aadhar numbers.

As per norms, for every 35 children there should be one teacher. But there are instances in which 20 students are present in one class at MCD schools. And teachers fearful of getting transferred do not report the absent students in their class, said Divya Prabakar, former fellow at Teach for India.

According to experts, the issues wont be sorted out unless quality of education and facilities would improve in these schools.

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Mahatma Gandhi is the most-read writer in the countrys biggest prison  the Tihar jail in Delhi.

His autobiography, My Experiments with Truth, is hard to find on the shelves of the libraries of Tihar that houses 14,000 prisoners. Entries in the library registers show that every week at least 10 inmates borrow the book that has been translated in at least 35 languages.

The Vedas and Swami Vivekanandas books are most popular after My Experiments with Truth.

You will seldom see a copy of My Experiments with Truth in good condition. There will always be pages missing or numerous markings on the book, said a former inmate who doubled up as a librarian till his release. Everyone in prison reads it thinking it will change their life.

And the fact that it was written by Gandhi when he was a prisoner himself  in Punes Yerwada jail  adds to its popularity. Gandhi talks about his childhood, his time in South Africa and England and the evolution of Satyagrah in the book.

To meet the demand, jail superintendents request NGOs to get the book for them.

Each of Tihars eight jails has a library where prisoners can read for four hours every day or take books to their cells using a library card.

Tihar has a collection of around 100,000 books, which are donated by citizens, NGOs or are bought during book fairs at heavily discounted rates.

We encourage prisoners to read so that they get inspired to take the right path in life. Many of them find solace in reading autobiographies of great men and women who were jailed, Sunil Gupta, who retired after serving as a law officer in the jail for 35 years, told Hindustan Times.

Swami Vivekanandas books could be popular because he was an influential spiritual leader, who addressed complex issues such as religion in a simple manner, Gupta said.

From the spiritual to the legal -- law books, too, are in a great demand. Most prisoners, jail officials said, read them to have a better understanding of their cases.

Former Delhi assistant commissioner of police, SS Rathi, serving time for a fake encounter, is one of the many who studied in prison and graduated in law.

Sushil Kumar, who murdered his wife and is in jail for more than 23 years in what came to be known as the Delhi Tandoor case, was an in-house expert of sorts, helping fellow prisoners with their cases, Tihar sources said.

Not just law, the prison provides inmates a chance to pursue education through the National Institute of Open Schooling and Indira Gandhi National Open University centres.

The library provides reference books along with Indian and Western literature but classics, many of which are hard bound such as Leo Tolstoys War and Peace, are rarely read.

And then there are times when inmates ask for specific books. When former deputy prime minister LK Advanis autobiography My Country My Life came out in 2008, many prisoners asked for it.

Among those who wanted to read the BJP veterans work was the 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Advani was the home minister when the audacious terror attack was carried out. Guru was hanged for it in February 2013.

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Last week, a young woman was driving back from work. Two drunken men stalked her but she managed to alert the police and file an FIR. The two were arrested but got bail within a day. Does this sequence of events seem unusual? Its not. There have been so many episodes with similar scripts that it did not surprise us. However, the Chandigarh stalking case will, hopefully, not end tamely.

The victim is the daughter of a senior IAS officer (who has promised to pursue it) and one of the accused, Vikas Barala, is the son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala, making the case one tailor-made to generate strong public interest .

But first things first: A person can be booked for stalking under Section 354D of the Indian Penal Code if he follows a woman and contacts or attempts to contact her to foster personal interaction repeatedly, despite a clear indication of disinterest by her. The first offence is bailable and that is what helped the accused get away.

What the Chandigarh police failed to do (under pressure or otherwise) is not adding Section 365 (kidnapping) and 511 (attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) in the FIR registered against the duo, even as the woman in her Facebook post had alleged an attempt to kidnap. Moreover, the police now claim that there was no CCTV footage available that can be used against the accused.

The BJP has not pulled up the father of the errant son either: Not for his sons hooliganism or for the public shaming of the girl they are now indulging in, using the usual tropes: She had a drink or two and she was according to them, horror of all horrors, out late at night. Havent we heard these excuses earlier too? The BJPs silence is deafening.

Stalking has been on the rise in India. Though the National Crime Records Bureau did not report data for Section 354D in 2013, it said 346 FIRs were pending investigation by the police in the beginning of 2014. Thereafter, 4,699 stalking cases were registered in that year, and 6,266 FIRs were registered in 2015. This number is just the tip of the iceberg, say experts.

One of the reasons why stalking cases continue to increase in India is because women, unlike the lady in Chandigarh, do not come forward to report such cases; the targets are often picked for their vulnerability.

While arrests are a deterrent, many get bail right away.

According to NCRB data, over 80% of the people accused under the legal section are given bail before even the chargesheet is filed.

How swiftly we move from 'beti bachao' to 'beta bachao'! Especially when the beta's daddy is a top politician.....  vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) August 7, 2017

The conviction rate for stalking cases continues to fall across India. According to a report in HT, in 2015, 26% of stalking cases ended in a conviction, which is even lower than the previous year when only 35% of cases ended in a conviction.

Unless, this is reversed and police are allowed to function minus political pressure, such incidents will continue to spiral.
Sample this: Students of teacher training institutes in Bihar were handed a piece of paper with the names of faculty and teachers and were asked to memorise them in case they were quizzed during an inspection carried out by a team of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).

The team conducted video recording of nine such institutes of the 73 it inspected and found several deficiencies in all of them. Not only this, during the inspection conducted by NCTE, the Quality Council of India (QCI), and the state government, it was found that the institute operating as a B.Ed college had male urinals in common room facilities meant for girl students. This indicated that the institute was not really functional and was made operational for inspection purposes only.

Most teachers whose name were given to students had not taken a single class and were never seen either, indicating they existed only on paper, allege students in the video.

Sources said that in a few cases, the team that was asked to conduct the inspection on the directions of the high court found that students had come to the institute only for inspection. It was also discovered that some students had joined the same day itself but in the attendance register they had been marked for the past two months.

Most students were paying different fee for the same course  for instance, the average fee should be around Rs 60,000  but they were found to be paying anything from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. They were issued receipts and some complained that they were being threatened to pay the entire amount else the admission would be cancelled. Some students have given this in writing, said the source.

In one case, we found a big impressive building of a teacher training institute but it was locked. The team, after quizzing residents, found out that it was actually the building of a school and they had installed two boards so that it could pass on as a college too, said a source.

The NCTE will issue showcause to all the institutes where deficiencies were found and will also provide them an opportunity to present their point of view. Along with the video footage, a report will be submitted to the high court as well.

Some faculty of the institutes that were inspected said that they were paid a salary of Rs 8,000 per month, which is below the prescribed standards.

The council on its website has already put up details of institutions that have submitted either an affidavit sought by it or those that were issued showcause notices and have replied. The council has issued an advisory to students not to seek enrolment in any other institute other than those listed on the website. It has now started the process of inspecting the 11,474 institutes.

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Be it concerts or quizzing, the flavour is certainly patriotism. Coinciding with the 70th anniversary of Indian independence, the government now wants to instil patriotism in students in a manner that interests them .

A host of rock bands will perform at elite institutes like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and central universities such as the Delhi University from August 9 to 13, singing patriotic numbers, said sources in the human resource development (HRD) ministry.

Also, quiz competitions on the freedom movement are being planned for students across the country, expected to have a turnout of 1 crore students. The top 10 winners will get a chance to interact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources said.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) and the HRD ministry has also issued a circular to all universities across the country asking institutes to carry out a number of activities to sensitise students towards the freedom struggle and the Quit India Movement.

A number of rock bands have been identified by the information and broadcasting ministry, and 100 institutions that have adequate space to accommodate at least a thousand persons will be selected. All institutions have been asked to participate in the event, said a senior ministry official.

The ministry has also decided to conduct quizzes across the country among college students based on the Quit India Movement and the freedom struggle. All higher educational institutions, both technical and non-technical, will participate. Institutions will be sent questions related to the quiz and the they will organise it within the campus. Out of these, a final selection will be done and 10 students will get a chance to meet the Prime Minister, added the official.

The UGC circular further states that faculty should be requested to conduct guided tours for students to memorials of freedom fighters and places/houses of any martyr from the military, paramilitary and police, who helped to preserve the integrity of the country, in the vicinity of the institution in order to acquaint students about the contributions of freedom fighters.

Pledge taking will also be carried out. The Prime Minister's endeavour to have a terrorism-free, caste-free, corruption-free, uncleanness-free and poverty-free society would only actualise with the help of society and make his vision a reality. Organise pledge taking ceremony on August 9, at 9.30 am by all students, faculty and non-teaching staff of the institution, reads the circular.

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Guwahati: The All India Chakma Students Union (AICSU) has urged Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla to end oppression and racial discrimination against indigenous Chakma minorities in the state after four students of the community were denied MBBS seats.

The four  Darshan Chakma, Nibir Chakma, Mini Chakma and Nibhir Tongchangya  were among 38 students selected to study MBBS and bachelor of dental surgery (BDS) under Mizoram quota through National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET).

The Mizoram quota seats are allotted by the Union ministry of health and family welfare under Central quota pool because the state has no medical college of its own. The state government, however, cancelled their seats within hours of allocation on July 20 after the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP, a students body) demanded that medical seats be allotted to Mizo students only.

We condemn the cancellation of MBBS seats to the four indigenous Chakma students based on their NEET rankings. The Mizoram government must encourage merit, not communalism, AICSU president Dilip Kanti Chakma told HT from Delhi.

The AICSU had staged a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar on Monday to protest the racial discrimination and submitted a memorandum to Thanhawla through the states resident commissioner in Delhi.

In the memorandum, the AICSU demanded immediate reversal of the Mizoram (Selection of Candidates for Higher Technical Courses) Rules, 2016, and laws that discriminate against the indigenous Chakmas so that the rights of the minorities are protected as per the Mizoram Peace Accord of 1986.

Genesis of the problem

The four Chakma students had secured ranks 4, 9, 17 and 23 in Mizoram NEET ranking and were called for counselling to the office of the higher and technical education department in state capital Aizawl on July 19. But MZP members prevented them from entering the counselling venue that day.

On July 20, the police escorted the students and their parents or guardians into the counselling venue amid renewed protests by the MZP. The police also caned and tear gassed crowds of agitating students when they tried to break in.

Based on their rankings, Darshan Chakma was allotted a seat in Guwahati Medical College, Nibir Chakma in Jodhpurs Dr SN Medical College, Mini Chakma in Burdwan Medical College and Nibhir Tongchangya in Raipurs JLNM Medical College.

The counselling process for the four, including verification of their documents and payment of fees, was completed. But the MZP called an indefinite Mizoram bandh on July 21 to protest their selection.

Under pressure, officials negotiated with MZP on July 20 evening. The MZP called off the shutdown after the government agreed that no Chakma students would be admitted in medical colleges under Mizoram quota.

Minutes later, the department issued an order seeking re-counselling of the students who had completed their counselling on July 20. Eleven Mizo students however were exempted from re-counselling and were asked to take admission immediately in a medical college each in Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya.

The MZP had been arguing that the Chakmas, who migrated from Bangladesh, wre not indigenous people of Mizoram and could not be put under Category 1 of the Mizoram technical entrance examination rules. Officials in the past, the Mizo NGO alleged, had committed a blunder by including Chakmas in this category.

The MZP had protested the categorisation in 2015, following which the states higher and technical education department amended the rules to include Zo-ethnic people who are native inhabitants in Category 1 in the states selection criteria for college admissions.

The Gauhati high court stayed the new rules after the Mizoram Chakma Students Union challenged them and the Mizoram government had to abide by the (court) decision.

During their protest on Monday, the AICSU condemned Mizoram higher education minister R Romawias statement on July 26 that the Mizoram government will defy the court to provide medical and engineering seats to only the sons of the soil. According to him, only the Zo-ethnic people or Mizos are indigenous.

The Chakmas too are sons of the soil, and the laws and policies of Mizoram that give preference to the majority Mizos for higher and technical education violate Article 1 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination of 1966 ratified by India in 1968. Besides, Article 14 of the Indian Constitution as both Chakmas and Mizos are STs in Mizoram under the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950, and hence there should not be any form of discrimination or differentiations between them, the AICSU president said.

If there is a case of more affirmative action, the indigenous Chakmas deserve seats for medical and engineering courses as only 48% Chakmas are literate in Mizoram against 97.5% literacy among the Mizos, according to the 2011 census.

Rajya Sabha discussion

The issue of denial of MBBS seats to the four qualified Chakma students was raised in the Rajya Sabha last month. Bharatiya Janata Partys Basawaraj Patil Cought the central governments intervention to ensure that justice was done to the meritorious Chakma students.

He also raised the issue of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Mizorams Kolasib district sending off 17 Chakma students due to alleged harassment and intimidation by some Mizo locals.

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Flame retardant chemicals  commonly used in furniture and household products  may damage your childs intelligence and cause loss of IQ points. Researchers from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in the US conducted the largest meta-analysis performed on flame retardants to date, and found strong evidence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) effect on childrens intelligence. Previous research has shown that fancy sofas contain harmful chemicals, and how stay-at-home pets are affected by chemicals from electronic items and furniture at home.

They examined data from studies around the world, covering nearly 3,000 mother-child pairs. They discovered that every 10-fold increase in a moms PBDE levels led to a drop of 3.7 IQ points in her child. A 3.7-point decrease in IQ might not sound like a lot, but on a population-wide level it means more children who need early interventions and families who may face personal and economic burdens for the rest of their lives, said Juleen Lam, associate research scientist at UCSF.

Many people are exposed to high levels of PBDEs, and the more PBDEs a pregnant woman is exposed to, the lower her childs IQ, said Tracey Woodruff, professor at UCSF. And when the effects of PBDEs are combined with those of other toxic chemicals, such as from building products or pesticides, the result is a serious chemical cocktail that our current environmental regulations simply do not account for, Woodruff added.

Researchers also found some evidence of a link between PDBE exposures and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but concluded that more studies are necessary to better characterise the relationship. Despite a series of bans and phase-outs, nearly everyone is still exposed to PBDE flame retardants, and children are at the most risk, said Woodruff.

Our findings should be a strong wake-up call to those policymakers currently working to weaken or eliminate environmental health protections, she said. The study was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

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Yet another incident of pipeline burst was reported on Monday and the blame, this time too, was laid on the ongoing construction of an underpass at Rajiv Chowk.

With the construction of several underpasses and a flyover under way on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, pipeline bursts have become a regular occurrence this year and several such cases have already been reported.

On Monday, a pipeline located on a vacant plot between the district court and the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway burst after developing leakages.

However, water did not seep onto the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and affect traffic movement, as officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) rushed to the scene and were able to fix the damage within an hour.

However, officials of Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) confirmed that water supply to sectors 32, 39, 46 and 47 will remain unaffected.

Ashok Kumar Sharma, project director of NHAI, could not be reached for comments in the matter.

In April, the Hudas master water pipeline had burst twice during construction of the underpass at Rajiv Chowk. The breach had affected water supply in several sectors.

In March, Huda had issued a warning to the contractor hired by NHAI that any further damage to their master pipeline at Iffco Chowk will lead to a police complaint. This after the pipeline burst twice near Sector 17 and led to waterlogging on the service lane of the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway.

On April 24, a section of road had caved in at the Hero Honda Chowk after the pipeline located below the junction developed leakages during its shifting to pave way for the construction of an underpass there. This resulted in commuters heading from New Delhi to Manesar taking more than 30 minutes to cross the junction.

On April 6, a construction company was accused of damaging a water pipeline of Unitech near Signature Tower affecting supply to South City-1. Areas such as South City, Ardee City, DLF, Sushant Lok and sectors 30, 31, 40, 45 and others faced water crisis for nearly 48 hours.

The NHAI is constructing three underpasses at Rajiv Chowk, Signature Tower and Hero Honda Chowk and a flyover at Iffco Chowk as part of a project to widen the expressway. Another flyover at Hero Honda Chowk was inaugurated on July 24.
Gurgaon: A 14-year-old student, who had complained against a teacher of Mewat Model Public School at Madhi village in Mewat on July 28, has dropped out from the school and refused to study further.

The boy, who once wanted to become a doctor, does not want to visit school anymore, said his parents. His parents said the boy has packed his bag and kept in his bed box, asking his parents not to force him to study further.

The class 9 student is in trauma and says his dreams are shattered now. According to his parents, he is scared to even venture out of the house. Naming a teacher, he had complained on July 28 that the teacher and the senior students forced him to offer namaz and embrace Islam.

Two of his fellow students had also raised similar charges on July 22 but did not name any teacher. The students had sought School leaving certificates.

Officials of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), a tehsildar and a sub-divisional magistrate had visited the school on July 28. They recorded students statements and sealed a computer lab following which two teachers Mubarik Ali and Mainuddin were suspended and another teacher Mohammad Arif, who was also hostel warden, was transferred to a school in Firozpur Jhirka.

Also read: Two Mewat school teachers go on leave, students left in the lurch

Two students, who also lived in the school hostel, had dropped out and were admitted in a private school. The third one continued to go to school for some days but dropped out later.

We are scared. I need safety and security for my son as the people are pressuring him to change his statement else he will have to face dire consequences. He is not eating food nor is he talking to us, said 36-year-old Vijender Singh, the boys father.

The family wants to keep the child away from the atmosphere and even visited Kurukshetra on Saturday for his admission. I went to three schools in Kurukshetra but they denied giving admission in mid-session and have asked to try next year, said Singh.

Even the mother is under depression and said she could see her sons dream shattering. He was a bubbly child and kept everyone happy around him. His elder sisters are so fond of him but after the incident, he has restricted himself and has become an introvert, said Kusum Mati, his mother.

The student alleged that people including school seniors are pressuring him to change his statement. His statement was recorded in front of Sushil Verma, member of Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Right, who visited the school on Friday.

The school had 207 students of which the trio were Hindus. There were eight teachers of which three were Hindus. Three teachers left the school after action, while two including principal are on leave after the incident.

Verma remained in the school for two days, and met students and teachers.

Also read: Mewat students lack of facilities, inadequate faculty

The students were scared and under pressure to change their statements but they did not. They have told us entire episode of how they were forced by teachers and senior students to offer namaz five times a day and read Quran, said Verma.

Verma said a report has been prepared and would be sent to the chairperson by Wednesday.

A team of Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Right got the student admitted in Jain Public School at Firozpur Jhirka but the student and the parents refused to keep him there anymore.

Khurshid Ahmed, chairperson Mewat Development Agency which runs the school, was unavailable for comments.

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Pedestrians and two-wheeler riders are the worst sufferers on Gurgaon roads as speeding SUVs and commercial vehicles dominate carriageways, an analysis of accident data for the last six years reveals.

Experts say most Gurgaon roads are designed for high-speed travel and are not conducive for non-motorised traffic.

The analysis of the accident data of the last six years has revealed that the total number of deaths on Gurgaon roads in the last six years was 2,968. Of these, 2,229 were either pedestrians or two-wheeler riders.

Of the 257 deaths in 2017 (till July-end), 187 were pedestrians. Likewise, in 2016, of the total 420 deaths, 319 were pedestrians and two-wheeler riders.

In 2015, the total number of fatalities was 435, of whom 319 were pedestrians and two-wheeler riders.

In 2014, of the total 430 fatalities, 330 were pedestrians and two-wheeler riders, while in 2013, they accounted for 380 out of 487. In 2012, it was 343 out of 477, and in 2011 it was 352 out of 462.

Experts said the reason for two-wheeler users and pedestrians are dying on Gurgaon roads is because the roads are primarily designed for cars and heavy vehicles with little or no space given to two-wheelers and non-motorised traffic.

The data also revealed that intersections on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and on the National Highway-248, beyond Kherki Daula toll plaza, are the most accident-prone.

The roads are designed for car users and focus is on moving vehicles quickly. There is no thought given to movement of pedestrians and cyclists. As a result, there are a large number of conflict points across the city and the maximum of them are on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and the national highway, said Amit Bhatt, director, World Resources Institute, India, an NGO working for sustainable development.

Experts further said that due to poor conflict management on roads, the intersection and highways end up being black spots (accident-prone areas).

The lack of proper traffic enforcement on the city roads is another reason for a high number of fatal accidents recurring at the black spots, Bhatt said.

Gurgaon traffic police had blamed enforcing on scarcity of staff. It said a three-pronged strategy  road engineering, education and enforcement  will be adopted to reduce accidents and fatalities.

A major initiative is being planned to make motorists aware that the first right of way on roads belongs to pedestrians and cyclists and it must be respected. Changing the mindset and behaviour of roads users is necessary, said Simardeep Singh, DCP, traffic.

Citing an example of Narsingpur village on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, Singh said most deaths happen here when pedestrians try to jaywalk through the high-speed traffic even when there is a foot overbridge just 300 metres away.

We have asked National Highways Authority of India to install grills at this point and at all black spots. In the days to come, Gurgaon will see better enforcement and road design changes, the traffic police chief said.
The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and photographer Aditya Arya will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday for constructing the citys first camera museum.

The project was announced in April 2016 but work is yet to commence on the same owing to delay in sanctioning of funds.

Besides photography, the museum is a wonderful achievement for the city and residents can get to see a collection of the evolution of photography on a large scale, Arya said.

The project was widely expected to be announced during the Haryana swarna jayanti celebrations on November 1 by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, but owing to his tight schedule it was omitted.

A site at Chakkarpur village has already been shortlisted for The Museo Camera  Centre of Photography.

A defunct community center spread over 18,000 square feet, is being renovated to create museum which will have space for 100 visitors at a time and have rooms dedicated for two galleries, a dark room and a workshop area.

The project construction cost is expected to exceed over Rs 7 crore.

Arya has a rare collection of cameras and vintage photos originating from the 19th century.

Studio, Field and Portable cameras (manufactured between 1880-1990) of renowned brands such as Kodak, Leica, Ansco, Zeiss, Graflex and Thornton Pickard will be showcased at the museum while photographs of historic moments chronicling Indias freedom movement, NAM, Sino-Indian war and Muslim League meetings will also be depicted.

Arya has stored this collection of over thousand cameras and photographs in the basement of his DLF Phase 3 apartment.

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Hollywood star Chris Pratt has shared a sad news to his fans on Monday morning. He and his actor wife, Anna Faris, are separating after eight years of marriage.

Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating, he wrote in a Facebook post. We tried hard for a long time, and were really disappointed. Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward. We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another.

Chirs (37) and Anna (40) make for one of the most adored celebrity couples around the world. They have a four year old son, Jack.

A post shared by Anna Faris (@annafaris) on Aug 6, 2017 at 8:02pm PDT

They met in 2007 on the sets of Take Me Home Tonight and got married in 2009, in Bali, Indonesia.

Anna recently said in an interview to People magazine that her marriage with Chris was very normal. He loves to work in the garage, and I love to do laundry and watch reality television  just normal people, she had said.

Anna Faris, Jack Pratt, Chris Pratt at the Walk of Fame Star Ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 21, 2017. (Shutterstock)

When he received his Hollywood Star of Fame in April, Anna introduced him with loving words. This is actually a thank-you speech, she said. Im the beneficiary of all this because I get to spend every day with this wonderful man. I know that if our circumstances were different and we werent as fortunate to be standing here and living our Hollywood life, we would be happy in the woods together, I think, she added.

Pratt too showered love on Anna at the event. You make me laugh like nobody else. Youre very caring, and thank you for your trust and your sacrifice  and for your dedication and your heart. I will do my best to protect it, and in return I will give you all of those things as well. You have my heart, my dedication, my trust, he had said in his speech.

Jack was born nine weeks premature and spend a month in the NICU. Chris has been vocal about the health of his son and talked often about giving the proper care to premature babies.

Anna Faris and husband Chris Pratt at the Aid for Aids 7th Annual Best in Drag Show. (Shutterstock)

Chris rose to limelight for his role as the loveable goofball in hit sitcom Parks and Recreation (2009) and later became of the star of Marvels hit superhero film, Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). He was also the lead actor in one of the most successful films ever made, Jurassic World. He also starred with Jennifer Lawrence in Passengers.

Anna became a household name early on with her Scary Movie (2000) franchise. She is currently seen on CBS sitcom, Mom.

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Agartala The 60-member Tripura assembly, dominated by communists for decades, is set to get a tinge of saffron with six MLAs of Trinamool Congress (TMC) scheduled to join the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday.

TMC had axed the six MLAs, who had in June 2016 crossed over from the Congress, for anti-party activities after they decided to vote for Ram Nath Kovind, then the NDAs nominee for President.

The formal joining will be a bonus for BJP ahead of the assembly polls scheduled in the first half of 2018. The BJP has never won an assembly in the Marxist-ruled state with the CPI-M and other Left Front constituents accounting for 51 members in the current assembly.

The TMC legislators led by Sudip Roy Barman met BJP chief Amit Shah in New Delhi on August 5. Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJPs Tripura in-charge Sunil Deodhar and state president Biplab Kumar Deb were present in the meeting.

Meeting of Amit Shah with the MLAs was just a courtesy. They would join BJP today during a rally near (Tripura capital Agartalas) Rabindra Shatabarshiki Bhawan, Deb told HT on phone.

Union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan, party general secretary Ram Madhab and partys Northeast general secretary Ajay Jamwal would be present in the joining programme besides Sarma, Deodhar and Deb.

Many TMC members from different parts of the state are also expected to join BJP along with the six TMC legislators, Deb said.

Days after TMC general secretary Partha Chatterjee de-recognised the six, they cast their votes in favour of Kovind on July 17. Congress MLA Ratan Lal Nath voted for Kovind too.

The BJP had earlier had set a deadline for nine opposition MLAs (six from Trinamool Congress and three from Congress) to join the party by May 31 without any precondition. Otherwise, they would field their own candidates in the nine seats they represent, for the 2018 polls.

Barman and the other five MLAs had joined TMC on June 7 last year protesting against the political understanding between CPM and Congress during West Bengal assembly polls.

Within six months, the TMC new committee was formed under the leadership of Asish Saha. Another dissident leader  DC Hrangkhawl was made Trinamool Congress Legislature Party chief.
While Rs 9.5 lakh crore in loans taken by influential businessmen were waived over the last 30 years, small farmers and traders faced imprisonment for defaulting on relatively miniscule borrowings.

BJP parliamentarian Varun Gandhi made this claim during his keynote address at a seminar on political reforms in Bhopal on Sunday evening. The event was organised jointly by the city-based New Life Educational Society and Citizen Welfare Forum, besides Uttar Pradeshs Wali Foundation.

Observing that economic and social inequality has been affecting Indias poor for many decades now, Gandhi said: A few years ago, I chanced upon a man who had taken a Rs 3-lakh loan to enrol his daughter in a nursing course. But he couldnt repay it. This person was jailed, his house was attached, and his property was auctioned. When he was released, he was given six months to repay an amount of Rs 60,000 that still remained pending against his name.

The BJP MP asked his audience to view this situation in the light of the huge loan waivers extended to businessmen in the last 30 years. The amount comes up to Rs 9.5 lakh crore. At the same time, many small farmers and traders have been imprisoned because they couldnt repay their loans he said.

Gandhi said it was lamentable that the salaries of Tamil Nadu legislators should be doubled at a time when farmers from the state were protesting by drinking urine and parading skulls of dead relatives. I feel ashamed to be a politician, he added.

The BJP leader, in his hour-long speech, described how economic and social inequality ultimately leads to the persecution of a large section of the society. He also cited various anecdotes  gathered during his travels across the country to research for a book he was authoring on the economic future of villages  to illustrate how people were trying to resolve problems concerning governance and social ills through education and other innovative approaches.

Nearly 85% of the property in this country is owned by 10% of its people. This means that 90% of its people are living on a mere 15% of its expanse, said Gandhi. I believe there is just one way to bridge this gulf and thats education. In education lies the future of this country and the solution to its problems.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday inducted six axed Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators in Tripura and expressed confidence that it would win all 60 seats in the state in 2018 to end the dominance of communists.

Union minister of state for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan, welcomed the six MLAs  Sudip Roy Barman, Asish Saha, Diba Chandra Hrankhawl, Pranajit Singha Roy, Biswabandhu Sen and Dilip Sarkar  to the BJP at a programme in Agartala.

TMC axed the six MLAs, who had in June 2016 crossed over from the Congress, for anti-party activities after they decided to vote for Ram Nath Kovind, then the NDAs nominee for President.

Pradhan said, In Tripura, the Left government only campaigns about golden era, but does nothing to develop the socio-economic condition of the people.

BJP already has governments in Arunachal Pradesh (on its own), in Assam and Manipur (in coalition with regional parties), and in Nagaland (as a partner of Naga Peoples Front), and is now eyeing Tripura to extend its political presence in the Northeast.

During the BJPs three-year rule at the Centre, more than 40 central ministers have visited Tripura.

BJPs Tripura observer, Sunil Deodhar, said, We have entered Tripura assembly with six MLAs now. The next year, we will dominate in all the 60 seats in the assembly polls.

BJP workers at the induction ceremony of six TMC legislators into BJP in Tripura on Monday. (HT Photo)

After joining the BJP, Barman pledged to work to make the party stronger in the state to oust the Left government headed by a coalition led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) along with other Left parties.

We opposed (West Bengal chief minister) Mamata Banerjees party (TMC) because we could not support any ideology that has link with the CPM. We found it was impossible to fight the CPM while being in the TMC, said Barman.

Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar of the CPM has been in power uninterrupted since 1998.
Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were isolated in the state with no support from the people.

The BJP and RSS is an isolated system in Kerala. They are trying to become a major political party but people (have) rejected them. That is a reality in Kerala, Vijayan told NDTV.

A war of words has been going on between the BJP and the CPI-M, with the two blaming each other for the violence involving cadres of both the parties in the state.

Congress MLAs on Monday disrupted the proceedings of the state assembly over rising political violence involving the ruling CPI-M as well as the BJP and RSS.

Vijayan accused the BJP-RSS people of propagating lies and said the government has appealed to all political parties including BJP and CPI-M to cooperate with the governments measures to maintain peace in the state.

People of Kerala are aware this is a malicious campaign... This is not a campaign against LDF (Left Democratic Front), this is against Kerala, the most peaceful state... The Congress is joining them for political gains, he said.

We have also appealed to all political parties to take utmost vigil to ensure that their followers are not indulging in violence. There may be criminal elements who have cut into all political parties, he said.

Earlier, Vijayan told the assembly that violence had taken place in Kerala in the past also but this time lies are being spread... with a purpose.

What must be noted is that the police have acted swiftly. They have taken into custody all the perpetrators involved in the attacks -- both at the state BJP office and those behind the killing of the RSS worker, he said.

On radicalisation of Muslim youth in the state, Vijayan said the police with the help of central agencies was closely watching the developments and that religious fundamentalism would be defeated with the strength of secularism.

There are a few cases of young people absconding from their places and landing up in Afghanistan or some other countries. The police are taking stringent measures to prevent it with the support of central agencies including the NIA.

Police are closely watching the developments. In fact religious fundamentalism has misled these youngsters and trapped them. People should be vigilant about such tendencies... Because of the strength of secularism in Kerala we can face this and defeat them.

Vijayan also defended his governments decision to ease the liquor licence norms in the state, saying a total ban was not in the interest of the state or the country.

There was no total ban on liquor in our state when we came to power. The UDF government limited bar licence only to five star hotels. We have decided to give licences to to foreign five star hotels too.

The Left parties in the LDF are not for total prohibition. Because nowhere in the country or the world it was successful. It will promote illicit liquor and drugs. Restriction will affect our tourism as well as hospitality in our state. We have eased norms, he said.
During a protest held at Delhis Jantar Mantar on Monday, the All India Chakma Students Union (AICSU) urged Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla to end oppression and racial discrimination against indigenous Chakma minorities in the state.

Thanawlas office declined to comment.

The allegations stem from July 19, when Darshan Chakma, Nibir Chakma, Mini Chakma and Nibhir Tongchangya were all selected to pursue bachelors degrees in medicine and surgery in Indian colleges. Just a day later, the state government invalidated the local counselling session they had attended. Since counselling is necessary for admittance, the students were effectively denied the seats theyd been promised.

They didnt break any laws or college rules; there was nothing wrong with their applications or test scores. Instead, the only apparent reason their admissions were revoked was a simple, clear, and seemingly irrelevant fact: all the students were ethnically Chakma.

Last month, the Mizo Zirlai Pawl (Mizo Students Association, or MZP) demanded that medical seats be allotted to Mizo students only and threatened to launch an indefinite, statewide bandh. Their protests caused the state government to intervene.

The Mizoram government must encourage merit, not communalism, said Dilip Kanti Chakma, the president of the AICSU.

The four Chakma students had secured ranks of four, nine, 17 and 23 among Mizoram students who took the NEET, high enough to grant them admission under the centres quota for scheduled tribes from Mizoram. Both ethnic Mizos and Chakmas are considred scheduled tribes. Mizos are the majority group in the state.

Based on their rankings, Darshan Chakma was allotted a seat in Guwahati Medical College, Nibir Chakma in Jodhpurs Dr SN Medical College, Mini Chakma in Burdwan Medical College, and Nibhir Tongchangya in Raipurs JLNM Medical College.

On July 19, they were called for counselling to the office of the higher and technical education department in the state capital, Aizawl. Members of the MZP members prevented the Chakma students from entering the counselling venue.

The next day, the police escorted the Chakma students and their parents or guardians into the counselling venue amid continuing protests by the MZP. When the agitating students tried to break into the venue, the police fired tear gas and charged at them with canes.

The counselling process, which includes the verification of documents and the payment of fees, was completed on the 20th. The MZP responded by calling an indefinite bandh to start on July 21.

State government officials negotiated with the MZP the evening of the 20th. The Mizo students called off the shutdown after the government agreed that no Chakma students would be admitted in medical colleges under Mizoram quota, according to the AICSU.

The conflict about student reservations for Chakmas in Mizoram goes back at least to 2014, when the MZP protested outside the hgher education office in Aizawl saying that the Chakmas, who migrated from Bangladesh in the mid-20th century, are not indigenous people of Mizoram and should not get the same treatment as Mizos. In response, the states higher and technical education department gave preference in college placements to Zo-ethnic people who are native inhabitants.

In June 2015, the Gauhati High Court stayed the new rules in a case brought about by the Mizoram Chakma Students Union.

The issue of the denial of seats to the four qualified Chakma students was raised in the Rajya Sabha last month. The Bharatiya Janata Partys Basawaraj Patil sought the central governments intervention.

He also raised the issue of 17 Chakma students who left an outlet of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Mizorams Kolasib district after allegedly being harassed and intimidated by Mizo locals.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday dismissed reports of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Baralas resignation, after his son, Vikas Barala, was arrested on Saturday on the charges of stalking and harassing an IAS officers daughter in Chandigarh.

BJP Haryana chief Subhash Barala has not resigned. The matter is related to his son. The law will take its own course, BJP sources revealed.

Earlier, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar too opined that the incident had no involvement of Subhash Barala. However, he assured that the accused, of found guilty, will be punished.

I have complete faith on the Chandigarh Police. Justice will prevail. The accused will be punished once found guilty. This is my official stand on this matter. This case has nothing to do with Subhash Barala. Such act is highly condemnable if proved correct, the chief minister told the media.

A case was registered by the Chandigarh Police against Vikas and other youth under Section 354 D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 185 (Motor Vehicle Act) of the CRPC on the basis of complaint filed by the woman.

Narrating the horrific ordeal, the girl, who is the daughter of an IAS officer, told the media that she was lucky for not being the daughter of a common man.

Im lucky, it seems, to not be the daughter of a common man, because what chance would they have against such VIPs? Im also lucky, because Im not lying raped and murdered in a ditch somewhere, the woman wrote in a Facebook post, pointing that the two men, she accused of perturbing her, are from influential families with political connections.

In the latest development, the CCTV footage of five cameras reportedly went missing, thus resulting in further criticism of the BJP-led state government.

Now new things have come out that five out of seven CCTV cameras were non functional. How have they suddenly become non functional? We have lost the importance piece of evidence, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala told ANI.

Furthermore, he accused the BJP of pressurising Chandigarh administration to protect the son of the Haryana BJP Chief.

Surjewala also alleged that the BJP is hatching a conspiracy to shield the Haryana state chiefs son, who harassed and stalked an IAS officers daughter in an alleged inebriated state in Chandigarh.

This is extremely clear that BJP is pressurising Chandigarh administration and hatching conspiracy to protect the son of its political leader. May we ask on behalf of people of India if drunken youth, goons chase a girl for seven kilometers, attempt to block her car and forcibly open the door and try to enter the car, is it not the case of abduction and outraging the modest of a woman? Why have these offences not been lodged? The Prime Minister and chief minister must answer these questions to the people of country, he said
The Chandigarh Police late on Monday night said it retrieved CCTV footage that supported a disc jockeys charge that the Haryana BJP chiefs son and his friend followed her car in a midnight chase.

The police had faced criticism earlier in the day after they said the CCTVs along the route were not working.

The Chandigarh Police have retrieved footage of five CCTV cameras on the route, capturing the chase of victims vehicle by the alleged vehicle of the accused, a Chandigarh Police officer told HT. The footage showed the victims car being followed by a white SUV, he said.

The footage is vital to proving the charge that BJP leader Subhash Baralas son Vikas and his friend Ashish Kumar followed 29-year-old Varnika Kundu as she was driving home on August 4 at around 12.30am.

Battling accusations of hushing up the stalking incident that has sparked nationwide anger and raised questions over women safety, the Centre asked for a report from the Chandigarh administration.

Even before you have registered a case under correct sections, the CCTV footage has gone. Does it not show that the union government is giving diktats to protect the Haryana BJP president and his son? Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said earlier in the day.

The Chandigarh Police, which reports to the Centre, was protecting Subhash Barala and Vikas, he said.

In her complaint to police, Kundu said the two men followed her in their SUV, pulled up the vehicle close to her car several times and even tried to block her way.

All CCTV cameras have been found non-functional. There were five cameras on the stretch, but no footage is available as their annual maintenance contract was over, SSP (traffic and security) Shashank Anand had told mediapersons earlier in the day.

Police also failed to explain why it had not brought charges of attempt to abduction against Vikas and Kumar.

We are investigating the matter with open mind senior superintendent of police Eish Singhal said at a hurriedly called press conference. He walked out when pressed for answers.

There was more pressure on police, as the national commission for women called for a fair probe and regular updates.

In the letter (to police) we have asked them to conduct a quick, immediate, fair and free investigation in the case and let us know what is happening in every stage, NCW chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam told PTI.

While the Opposition kept up the demand for Baralas resignation sources in the BJP said there was no immediate plan to ask him to quit. The party, for now, is sticking to the line that the father should not be held accountable for sons conduct.

Parliament resumes on Tuesday after a three-day break and the Oppositions reaction could determine Baralas fate, sources said.

But the party was forced into damage control when its Chandigarh vice-president Ramveer Bhatti said girls and women should not go out alone at midnight.

I think this is a very unfortunate statement, which reflects the mindset of many men in this country. I think that Bhatti should have exercised restraint and not made this comment, after the city MP and BJP leader Kirron Kher said.
The Chhattisgarh Police have started an investigation against unknown personnel following a complaint that CRPF troopers had molested a group of schoolgirls at a government hostel in the Maoist stronghold of Dantewada during a cultural programme.

The probe was launched after the warden complained to the police. Palnar, where the alleged incident took place, is 25 km away from the district headquarters of Dantewada.

We have received a complaint from the warden of the hostel against the unknown men in uniform and started investigation, said Abhishek Pallav, additional superintendent of police (ASP) in Dantewada, told Hindustan Times.

An FIR under Section 354 IPC has been registered promptly at Kuakonda police station. More sections can be added based on Section 164 of the CrPC and statements of victims.

Pallav also said the issue is a serious one and proper investigation in the case will be carried out. The statement of the girls will be taken and the accused will be identified, he added.

The matter also came into light after an activist, Himanshu Kumar, wrote a Facebook post on Sunday about the alleged molestation.

Read more: Chhattisgarh lines up women commandos to battle Maoists in Bastar amid accusations of rape

There was programme of a private news channel on Rakshbhandhan going on in the hostel in which the CRPF personnel were invited so that the girls could tie rakhi on July 31. When the programme concluded, few girls went to the toilet and there they were molested by the CRPF personnel, Himanshu Kumar told HT.

The personnel molested them in name of frisking. The warden later complained about the act to senior administrative officers but nothing was done, he said.

Himanshu claimed that the CRPF camp in Palnar is just 100 metres from the hostel and that other atrocities of the CRPF officers were also reported in recent past.

Tribal leader Soni Sori also visited the school a couple of days back but the warden did not allow her to enter the school.

The alleged molestation can potentially snowball in a crisis situation in the Bastar region where security forces have been accused of human rights abuse and rape.

The Chhattisgarh government has been making efforts to wean away the younger generation from Maoist influence by opening schools in remote areas and getting the children to stay in hostels. The alleged molestation has the potential to reverse the governments gains to win the heart and mind of the tribals.

The director general of CRPF sought a detailed report in the Dantewada molestation case. The CRPF also constituted a four-member committee, led by RK Lal, DIG (CRPF), Dantewada, to investigate the charges.

We have also demanded the district administration order a magisterial inquiry in the case, said AK Singh, DIG CRPF, posted at sector office in Raipur. He added strict action would be taken if anyone of any rank was found guilty in the case.

Singh said, A few days before the alleged incident, members of a private news channel came to our office and urged us to give permission to the battllaion in Palnaar to participate in a Rakhi programme they were organising. We granted them permission. The accusations have been made that during the programme, two to three jawans frisked girls returning from the schools toilet.

Security forces taking on Maoists in Chhattisgarh often face accusations of rights violations, including sexual violence. Allegations of brutal rights violations in Bijapur district two years ago earned security forces the wrath of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

In January, the NHRC stated in a report there was prima facie evidence that security forces raped and sexually assaulted 16 tribal women during an operation in October 2015 in Bijapur district. The five-day operation was reportedly carried out by state police and the CRPF.

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A month after quitting the Congress, Gujarat legislator Shankarsinh Vaghela on Monday launched a scathing attack on the party and hinted that it shouldnt bank on his vote during the Rajya Sabha polls.

The former chief ministers exit had triggered a crisis in the Congress, with six MLAs resigning from the party and bringing down its strength in the Gujarat assembly from 57 to 51. Three of the legislators later joined the BJP.

The Congress, which had flown 44 MLAs to Bengaluru nine days ago to ensure the re-election of party candidate Ahmed Patel, brought them to a resort at Anand on Monday morning. Vaghela and six other MLAs considered close to him were not present there.

Vaghela, who had so far maintained that his vote was reserved for Patel, struck a different note on Monday. My vote is secret. Like other MLAs, I got the whip from the Congress party, but it is just a formality. Party members should not be bound by anything. Voting should be free of any whip, Vaghela told reporters.

The veteran leader also slammed Congress MLAs for flying out at a time when floods were ravaging the state. Even if they (MLAs) contest in the next elections, will people forget that they had left the state when their services were required the most? Will they be able to win? The party should not have tied up its members in this manner, he asserted.

In an indirect attack on Patel, who happens to be the political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, Vaghela said: Its the MLAs who elect leaders to the upper house. Rajya Sabha members should be in regular contact with MLAs. I am glad that this election has shown how even one MLA can be important for the party.

Vaghela termed the attack on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in flood-hit Gujarat last week as a result of voters frustration over desertion by their MLAs. The attack was condemnable. But it happened because the voters were frustrated over MLAs going missing in this time of crisis, he said.

Patel is contesting against three BJP candidates  including party chief Amit Shah, Union minister Smriti Irani, and Congress turncoat Balwantsinh Rajput  in the Rajya Sabha election. Though the Congress claims to have the support of 44 MLAs, the remaining seven are yet to make their stand clear.

As Vaghela has shown a change in stance at the eleventh hour, the Congress may now have to depend on three votes from other parties, including the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Janata Dal (United).

NCP leader Praful Patel said his party is still undecided on which party to support, and a call on this matter would be taken in consultation with party president Sharad Pawar. The NCP has two MLAs  Kandhal Jadeja and Jayant Patel  in the Gujarat assembly.

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A railway employee who superannuated over a decade back, and his daughter-in-law were murdered, while his son and daughter critically injured after the septuagenarians nephew attacked them at Jamalpur in Bihars Munger district in the wee hours of Monday.

The police were not clear about the reason for the attack.

Police said the accused, Sattan Hari, 45, a frequent visitor to the house of Jagdish Hari, 70, had come visiting from Patna on Sunday. He even had dinner with Haris family and decided to stay the night with them.

However, around 3am, he allegedly slit the throat of Hari and his daughter-in-law Seema Devi, 35, with a sharp knife, leading to their instant death.

Haris daughter, Ranjita Devi, and his son, Kiran Kumar, were also critically injured in the attack. Seema Devis six-year-old son and six-day-old daughter were, however, spared.

Victim Seema Devi's six-year-old son and six-day-old daughter. (HT photo)

Ranjita had come over to stay at her fathers house to celebrate Raksha Bandhan, a Hindu festival, in which women tie a string bracelet called rakhi on their brothers wrists and pray for their good health and long life. This thread, which represents love means a bond of protection.

But before she could tie rakhi to her brother Kiran Kumar, both of them were battling for their lives at the Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH), 180 kms away in state capital Patna. The siblings were rushed to the sadar (district) hospital before being referred to the PMCH.

Confirming the incident, Munger superintendent of police Ashish Bharti told HT, We do not know the reason for the killing, but are clear about the accused, who is absconding. We are investigating the matter and trying to get details.

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Five militants were gunned down by the army as they were trying to cross the line of control in Kashmir on Monday, a defence spokesperson said.

Major infiltration bid foiled in Machil Sector. Five terrorists eliminated, five weapons recovered, an army spokesperson said, adding the gun fight was still on.

The Machil gun battle is the latest in a series of such exchanges with the government hardening its stand against militants after a recent spurt in violent street protests and attacks on security forces.

A Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba militant Umer was killed in an overnight encounter in Pampores Sambora, police said on Monday. He belonged to the Abu Ismail group of the Pakistan-based outfit.

Role of Umer in different crimes committed by Abu Ismail group is being ascertained, a police spokesperson said, adding the militant was killed in a joint operation with the army and Central Reserve Police Force.

The gunfight came a day after police confirmed Lashkars hand in an attack on a bus carrying Amarnath pilgrims. Eight people were killed when a group of militants fired on the bus on July 11.

Army said that on Monday evening there was ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Uri of north Kashmirs Baramulla district.

One jawan is injured and details are being ascertained, an official said.

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Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi condemned on Sunday the alleged stalking of a woman by the son of a senior Haryana BJP leader in Chandigarh, saying the state government must punish the guilty and not collude with culprits and mindset they represent.

Gandhi took to twitter to condemn the incident without naming anyone, a day after Haryana BJP chief Subhash Baralas son, Vikas and his friend Ashish Kumar were arrested for allegedly stalking the girl and released on bail soon after.

Condemn attempt to kidnap & outrage modesty of young lady in Chdgrh. BJP Govt mst punish the guilty; not collude W/culprits & mindset they represent, he tweeted.

The girl had accused Vikas and his friend Ashish Kumar of stalking her on Friday night after which they were arrested, the police said.

Both were booked under section 354D (stalking) of IPC and 185 of the Motor Vehicle Act (driving by a drunken person or by a person under the influence of drugs), they said.
Two big events in Indian history  Quit India Movement (Bharat Chhodo Andolan) call by Mahatma Gandhi asking the British to leave India, and the formation of Azad Hind Fauj (also known as the Indian National Army) by Subhas Chandra Bose  are completing 75 years on August 9 and September 1 respectively.

Both developments had taken shape in 1942. The culture ministry has decided to hold an exhibition of the declassified documents related to both these events, including that of Bose and INA, for physical scrutiny of people.

To be held from August 9 to September 1 at the National Archives of India, the exhibition, named Karenge Ya Marenge 75 Chalo Dilli, will have on display thousands of declassified files and documents, including those related to slogans Karenge ya Marenge (Do or Die) by Mahatama Gandhi, Bharat Chhodo by Yusuf Mehar Ali and others, an official at the National Archives of India said.

People will get a chance to get a glimpse of documents such as a letter by the Mahatma written on August 8, 1942, in which he coined Karenge ya Marenge. Since the general public believes that the slogan Bharat Chhodo was given by the Mahatma, documents prove it was freedom fighter Yusuf Mehar Ali who had coined this slogan, the official said.

The files related to INA would also have as display the enrolment of Capt Mohan Singh in the INA on September 1, 1942. Propaganda material like pamphlets, banners, posters and others used by INA will also be displayed.

On January 23, 2016, the Archives had for the first time physically put on display 100 files related to Bose. Later, all of them were uploaded on the web portal www.netajipaper.gov.in.
The 44 Congress MLAs from Gujarat, who were flown to Karnataka to keep them safe from alleged poaching attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday, reached Anand under police protection on Monday.

The MLAs were shifted to a resort near Bengaluru by the Congress that wants to ensure the election of its senior leader Ahmed Patel, who is contesting for one of three seats to the Upper House. Patel needs the support of 45 MLAs to be re-elected and the Congress is doing everything it can to keep its flock together.

The BJP has fielded its president Amit Shah and Union minister Smriti Irani on two seats, and Congress defector Balwantsinh Rajput on the third against Patel in the high-stakes battle.

The Congress legislators were ferried from the resort near Bengaluru, where they have been staying since July 29, in two buses, and were accompanied by Karnataka energy minister DK Shivakumar and his brother DK Suresh, who is a Lok Sabha MP from the Bengaluru Rural constituency.

They caught a flight at 2.40am to Ahmedabad from the Kempegowda International Airport. Before their departure, they were felicitated in the traditional Karnataka style and were each given Mysore petas, the traditional head gear.

From Ahmedabad, they reached a resort in Khandhali a day before the crucial Rajya Sabha poll to be with their families on occasion of the Hindu festival of Rakshabandhan. Their family members have also been brought to the resort to celebrate the festival.

The Neejanand Resort, where they will be staying until they are taken for the voting, is in Anand district, the stronghold of state president Bharatsinh Solanki.

Police protection was provided after the MLAs wrote to Gujarat assembly Speaker Ramanlal Vora and the Election Commission from Bengaluru seeking security.

The resort has been given total protection. It has been guarded from within as well as outside at all the entry points. The arrangement has been supervised by a deputy superintendent of police level officer, said Anand SP Saurabh Singh.

The police, however, refused to reveal the details about the security arrangement for the election on Tuesday when they will be taken from the resort to the Vidhan Sabha in Gandhinagar.

They are expected to meet Patel in the evening.

Six of the Congress MLAs, including former chief minister Shankersinh Vaghelas close aides, were not taken to Bengaluru and have not been brought to the resort.

The Congress took the 44 legislators out of Gujarat after six of them resigned before the polls, where in its lone candidate Patel is in the contest against the three BJP candidates including party chief Amit Shah, Union minister Smriti Irani and Congress turn coat Balwantsinh Rajput.

Three of them joined the BJP on July 28, prompting the Congress to allege that the ruling party was trying to engineer defections in their ranks.

Though the Congress has claimed it has the support of the 44 MLAs, remaining seven of the partys 51 legislators, who did not go to Bengaluru, have not made their stand clear.

Congress MP DK Suresh insists the Congress in Gujarat is united.

All of them (Gujarat Congress MLAs staying in Bengaluru resort) are happy, said Suresh, adding: ...MLAs want to vote Ahmed Patel and will get back seat of Congress.

Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil told ANI: All of us are united, BJP cant threaten any MLA...horse-trading is not possible...

He had earlier alleged that the saffron party was spreading false reports that the MLAs would use the NOTA option in the polls to defeat Patel. The Congress had objected to the NOTA option in the Rajya Sabha polls.

Last week, the Supreme Court refused to stay the Election Commission decision allowing the NOTA provision in the polls in Gujarat after the Congress chief whip in the state, Shailesh Manubhai Parmar sought an interim stay on the notification.

But even as the Congress tries to present a confident look ahead of the elections, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel threw a spanner in the works saying his party has not yet decided on supporting any party in the polls.

Patel said the decision would be taken in consultation with NCP president Sharad Pawar. The NCP has two MLAs in the Gujarat assembly - Kandhal Jadeja and Jayant Patel.

(With agency inputs)
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna (AIIMS-P), on Monday instructed its doctors to write prescriptions of patients in capital letters, as mandated under Central government rules.

The inter-office-memo comes a month after a patient suffered a paralytic attack on being supplied wrong drugs by a chemist, ostensibly as he could not decipher the doctors writing on the prescription. The Hindustan Times had reported about it on August 4, prompting the AIIMS administration to take suitable action.

Confirming the issuance of the order, medical superintendent Dr Umesh Bhadani told HT, We have reiterated the government order and our doctors have been told to write prescriptions in capital letters.

Acting on the patients complaint to the director, the AIIMS administration had issued a show-cause notice to the chemist on July 15. It had allegedly overlooked the lapse on the physicians part.

The Centre had amended the Indian Medical Council Regulations-2002 to ensure that prescriptions issued by doctors spell drugs with generic names in legible, upper case letters. In this case, the AIIMS physician had clearly not followed the directive.

READ MORE: Woman suffers paralytic attack after chemist at AIIMS-Patna gives wrong medicine

Juhi Rani, a 23 year old student pursuing her post-graduate degree in commerce, was prescribed a drug called Lumerax-80 at the medicine outdoor patient department (OPD) to cure her malarial symptoms on June 28. However, as the writing on the prescription was not legible enough, a private drug store provided her with Luramax-80  a drug meant to address psychiatric concerns  leading to severe medical complications.

In her complaint, Rani said she subsequently suffered a paralytic attack, and had to be admitted to a private hospital.

Incidentally, the mix-up was pointed out by a consultant at AIIMS when Rani returned to the institutes medicine department for a follow-up.

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Tribal women from a village near Jamshedpur tied rakhis on trees on the eve of Raksha Bandhan.

The women pledged to protect the trees.

Raksha Bandhan or Rakhi is celebrated in parts of the Indian subcontinent, when Hindu women of all ages tie sacred threads on the wrists of their brothers who vow to protect them.
A Pakistani militant of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has been killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmirs Pampore, officials said on Monday.

Police identified the militant  who was killed in the gun battle in Sambora  as Umer of the Abu Ismail group that was responsible for the attack on Amarnath pilgrims in July.

A police spokesman said Umers role in crimes committed by the Abu Ismail group was being ascertained.

Police said the encounter took place following specific information about the presence of militants in the area on Sunday evening. Police from Awantipora, the armys 50 Rashtriya Rifles and the CRPF took part in the operation.

One AK-47 rifle was recovered from the encounter site.

Inspector general of police (Kashmir Range) Muneer Khan had said on Sunday the LeT was to blame for the attack on Amarnath pilgrims.

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GAYA: Suspected Maoists triggered blasts in a community hall and an under construction police building at a village in Bihars Gaya district, destroying the two structures.

Both the buildings were under renovation to open a new police picket, locals said.

Police said an armed squad of the CPI (Maoist) stormed into Dhangai village in Barachatti police station area of Gaya district, about 100 km south of Patna, late Sunday night and planted dynamites that blew up the buildings. The ultras were wary of the police plan to set up a picket there for CRPF and SSB jawans to resume anti-Maoist operations, the police added.

Police could reach the blast site around Monday afternoon as Dhangai is a remote village, situated 19 km from block headquarters Barachatti and 60 km south of Gaya. The flooded Gulsakri rvulet also impeded the police movement.

Jyoti Kumar, sub-divisional officer of Sherghati, under which Barachatti block falls, confirmed the incident but refused to elaborate, saying the details were still awaited.

Sherghati sub-divisional police officer Upendra Prasad, however, said the buildings were not blasted but damaged manually. Although signs of gunpowder were noticed at the site, there was no sign of any blast, he said.

Prasad said: The community hall building was renovated earlier, but there was no concrete plan to house a police camp. It were the villagers who suspected that a garrison could come up, which may have agitated the Maoists.

Meanwhile, the police, in cooperation with the central forces, have launched a massive manhunt for Maoists across the jungles and hills of Barachatti, close to Jharkhand borders.

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The demand for action intensified against a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator in Meghalaya for allegedly manhandling a woman who runs a guesthouse and assaulting army job seekers from outside the state.

The Civil Society Womens Organisation (CSWO) on Monday called for stern action against the MLA, Sanbor Shullai.

Such inhuman act by a sitting legislator is unexpected and shall not be tolerated in a civilised society, said CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing.

Shullai represents South Shillong assembly constituency.

The woman in her police complaint said the MLA had assaulted her and a group of youth, who were boarders at the guesthouse she runs in the Bishnupur area of Shillong, at his official residence in the state capital on Friday.

The students had gone to Shillong from Assam and other north-eastern states for an army recruitment test.

The woman accused the MLA of kicking and throwing out the job seekers who were with her. But she did not specify why she went to the MLAs residence.

Shullai, however, denied assaulting or misbehaving with anyone. He said the woman was drunk and came with a few people to his official residence at 5.30pm. They were chased away for creating nuisance. People with vested interests are trying to tarnish my image as it is election time, he said. Meghalaya will go to polls next year.

The police said a medical examination had been conducted on the woman who complained against Shullai. All claims and counter-claims are being verified, an officer said.

The CSWO meanwhile advised the army to provide, on humanitarian grounds, temporary shelter for candidates who come from far off places. They call thousands of candidates in a day and accommodating them outside in civilian areas can be difficult, Kharshiing said.

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Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumars move to dump the grand alliance and renewing his ties with the BJP and the attack on Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat will dominate the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Tuesday.

The meeting takes place on the day the results of the Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat will come out. Congress president Sonia Gandhis political secretary Ahmed Patel is contesting from one of the three seats. While the BJP is certain to win the two berths in the Upper House, Patels contest for the third seat has resulted in a slugfest between the Congress and the BJP.

Though not on the agenda circulated among its members, the CWC meeting will discuss threadbare Kumars yet another political somersault in reviving his ties with the BJP. Kumar had taken a moral high ground in June 2013 while breaking his 17-year tie with the BJP over the naming of Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

In August 2014, he joined hands with one of his bitter rivals of two decades and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad for assembly by-polls in Bihar after their respective parties were routed in that years Lok Sabha elections. The Congress too became a part of the so-called secular formation that went on to win the 2015 Bihar assembly elections.

The attack on the Congress V-P in Gujarat will also figure in the discussions, especially in view of Gandhis proposed visits to the home state of the Prime Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah in the run-up to the assembly elections scheduled to be held in November-December this year.

As the meeting takes place on the 75th anniversary of the historic 'Quit India' movement, the CWC is likely to pass a resolution on the issue in a bid to corner the BJP on nationalism. Congress leaders have repeatedly argued that the RSS, which is the ideological mentor of the BJP, was not even a part of the freedom struggle but its leadership continues to give lessons on nationalism.

The meeting will also ratify the recent decisions of setting up new departments.

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The number of I-T returns filed for 2016-17 year grew by 25% to 2.82 crore, as increased number of individuals filed their tax returns post demonetisation, the tax department said on Monday.

The growth in ITRs filed by Individuals is 25.3% with over 2.79 crore returns having been received up to August 5 as against over 2.22 crore returns filed in the corresponding period last fiscal.

As a result of demonetisation and Operation Clean Money, there is a substantial increase in the number of Income Tax Returns (ITRs) filed, an official statement said.

The total number of returns filed as on August 5 stands at over 2.82 crore as against over 2.26 crore filed during the corresponding period of 2016-17. This was an increase of 24.7% compared to growth rate of 9.9% in the previous year.

The last date for filing of income tax returns by individuals and HUFs, who need not get their accounts audited, was August 5.

The finance ministry said that the number of ITRs filed showed that substantial number of new tax payers have been brought into the tax net subsequent to demonetisation.

The effect of demonetisation is also clearly visible in the growth in direct tax collections, it said.

Advance tax collections of personal income tax (other than Corporate Tax) as on August 5 showed a growth of about 41.79% over the corresponding period in 2016-17.

Personal Income Tax under Self Assessment Tax (SAT) grew at 34.25% over the corresponding period in 2016-17.

The above figures amply demonstrate the positive results of the governments commitment to fight the menace of black money, it added.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), which is the apex policy making body of the I-T department, is committed in its resolve to eradicate tax evasion in a non-intrusive manner and widening of tax base.

To fight the menace of black money, the government had on November 8, 2016, demonetised old 500 and 1000 rupee notes and asked holders of such notes to deposit in bank accounts.

The I-T department had then launched operation clean money to clamp down on unaccounted money funnelled into bank accounts post demonetisation.
The Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat on Tuesday, which will end the fortnight-long political drama around senior Congress leader Ahmed Patels candidature, seemed to be going down to the wire.

Patel remained confident of victory, saying on Monday that the numbers will be surprising when the results are declared.

Gujarat has three vacancies and the ruling BJP has fielded party chief Amit Shah, Union minister Smriti Irani and Congress turncoat Balwantsinh Rajput. Of them, two are set to win, given the BJPs strength of 122 lawmakers in the assembly.

For the third seat, Congress chief Sonia Gandhis political secretary Patel is up against Rajput.

Patel needs the support of 45 MLAs after six Congress lawmakers resigned amid horse-trading charges against the BJP, bringing the partys strength in the assembly to 51.

The party is banking on the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Janata Dal (United) lawmakers to support Patel, who is seeking re-election to the Upper House of Parliament.

But the calculations could change as one of the two NCP legislators  Kandhal Jadeja, the MLA for Kutiyana  said on Monday evening he was asked by his party leadership to vote for Rajput.

The election has become a battle of prestige for the BJP and Congress as the ruling party is putting its might to ensure Patels defeat.

Besieged by a spate of defections, the Congress flew 44 of its MLAs to a resort near Bengaluru in July to keep its flock together before the crucial vote. It accused the BJP of trying to bribe the lawmakers and cried foul over income tax raids last week against Karnataka minister DK Shivkumar, who hosted the party MLAs at the retreat for nine days.

The lawmakers are back in Gujarat and are now staying at a resort in Anand.

Patel met them there and said he has the requisite numbers.

They (the Shankersinh Vaghela group in the Congress) have been given a whip. They will vote for the Congress. Plus, there are NCP and JD(U) MLAs.

The JD(U) support is doubtful as the party broke a ruling alliance with the Congress in Bihar on July 26 and formed a government with the BJP.

The Congress defectors are believed to be loyal to Vaghela, who quit the party on July 21, alleging that some of its leaders were conspiring against him. He is also said to have the allegiance of six of the 51 party MLAs.

Vaghela, who had promised to vote for Patel, changed his stand a day before the election. My vote is secret, he said.

Congress sources said its 44 MLAs will remain together under strict watch and brought to the polling station at Gandhinagar secretariat just before voting on Tuesday morning.

Other than this group, the Congress needs one more vote to ensure Patels victory. Thats where the NCP lawmakers votes become crucial.

The BJP is 14 votes short for the third seat. But senior party leader Bhupendra Yadav said all its candidates are winning. The confidence stems perhaps from the cross-voting of 11 Congress MLAs in Gujarat during the July presidential poll.

(with inputs from HTC New Delhi)

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The BJPs youth wing held a rally in the Tamil Nadu capital on Tuesday, preparing the ground to expand its footprints in the southern state where the party has negligible presence.

Called Mission Tamil Nadu, the rally is touted as a trailer to the BJPs attempt to capture the state, which is considered the partys final frontier. The party is in power at the Centre and in 21 states.

The sun is setting and the leaves are falling apart, said Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) president Poonam Mahajan.

And the crowd, comprising mostly youth, responded that the lotus will bloom now.

The rallying call and the response were metaphorical.

The two leaves, sun and lotus are the election symbols of the ruling AIADMK, DMK and BJP.

The AIADMK is fighting a bitter internal battle for power since the death of party supremo and chief minister J Jayalalithaa last December. The party now has two factions, one of them is ruling and both are feuding over the poll symbol.

The opposition DMK of K Karunanidhi hasnt been able to take advantage of infighting in its rivals ranks.

The AIADMK and DMK have been ruling the state almost alternately for decades, riding the personality cult of Jayalalithaa and Karunanidhi that defines Tamuil Nadu politics.

But the death of AIADMKs tallest leader has left a vacuum that the BJP is seeking to fill.

The BJYM chief, who is the daughter of the late BJP national leader Pramod Mahajan, said: The real sun that gives us energy and power is Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As the youth at the rally close to Chennai signature Marina beach cheered, she said this is just a trailer  the full picture will be released shortly and lotus will bloom in Tamil Nadu.

Her choice of words  trailer and picture, informal for movies  is seen as a deliberate attempt to relate to the people of a state where celluloid and matinee idols get god-like respect and love. AIADMK founder MG Ramachandran and protegee Jayalalithaa were big film stars. DMKs Karunanidhi is an acclaimed scriptwriter and poet.

Besides the analogies, Mahajan spoke in English. It is easier to connect in this language and avoid ruffling peoples sensibilities as Tamil Nadu has recorded a long anti-Hindi movement.

BJP is all for Tamil pride and respects the Tamil language, Mahajan said later to Hindustan Times.

She apologised for her inability to speak Tamil and promised to do so the next time she visits the state.

She also blamed the Congress for drumming up anti-Hindi sentiments in the southern states.

Karnataka never had a problem with Hindi. It was just that the Congress chief minister of the state used the issue to score political points, she said.

According to Mahajan, Tamil Nadu needs a good leader to fulfill the peoples aspirations.

The BJYM rally comes close on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Rameswaram. BJP president Amit Shah is also expected to visit state later this August.

Mahajan, who is also a parliamentarian from Mumbai, said the BJYM has adopted nine districts, where volunteers will take central government programmes to the people. Besides, some business houses could be funding projects in villages and semi-urban areas.

Everything will be done just the way I do in the two villages I adopted in Maharashtra, she said.

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The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) will petition Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Yogi Adityanath on the need to set up a dedicated cow welfare ministry at the Centre and in the states.

The saints associated with the VHP may take up the issue during a meeting likely to be convened by the Vishva Hindu Parishad soon, office bearers of the Hindu organisation told HT.

While the demand for cow protection isnt new for the VHP, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliate, the push for a cow ministry is timed with BJP chief Amit Shah indicating in Lucknow that a cow ministry was among the several proposals under discussion.

Concluding his three-day visit to the state capital last week, Shah was asked if the Modi government had any plans to set up a cow ministry, a demand that had been regularly flagged by saints in the three years since the NDA came to power. Various suggestions have come. Discussions are on, Shah had said during the end of his press meet to spark speculation.

The issue of cow protection has always been dear to us. Now, we expect a dedicated ministry to support and boost an entire cow-friendly ecosystem, said the VHPs Ayodhya-based spokesman Sharad Sharma.
Vice President-elect M Venkaiah Naidu offered prayers on Monday at the famous hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala near Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.

Naidu arrived with his family members on Sunday night and stayed at a heavily guarded Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) guest house on the hills.

On his arrival at the shrine, he was accorded a warm welcome and taken to the sanctum sanctorum by TTD executive officer AK Singhal and other top officials.

He was in the shrine for about 20 minutes, temple sources told PTI.

After worshipping at the Sri Ranganayaka Mandapam, the vice president-elect was honoured with the sacred silk cloth and holy prasadam by the management of the shrine.

Later, speaking to reporters, Naidu said, I have become the vice president because of the love of the people of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and importantly the blessings of Lord Venkateswara, my family God to whom I have been offering worship since I was 13.

After getting elected to the august post, I must be totally independent to maintain the dignity and decorum of the institution and do my responsibilities as per the constitution, he said.

I am going to begin a new chapter in my life as the vice president of India, which is totally apolitical, he added.

Naidu said it is the beauty of democracy that being the son of a farmer, he has risen to the top post of the country.

He later took part in a function at the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences.
On the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan, widows from Vrindavan tied home-made rakhis on the wrist of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence in Delhi on Monday.

One of the widows, speaking to ANI, said, We were very happy to tie the Prime Minister home-made rakhis on his wrist. We have invited him to come to Vrindavan. We also blessed him.

She said it was a wonderful experience for them to celebrate the festival with the Prime Minister.

Some school students also tied rakhis to Prime Minister Modi.

A student from RBS International School, Anjali, said she was very happy to meet the Prime Minister for the first time.

The works and contribution by the Prime Minister for the development and self dignity of Indian women is highly appreciable and we as Indians would always extend our support towards the betterment of the nation, she said.

Centenarian ties rakhi to PM Modi

Sharbati Devi, a 103-year-old widow, also tied rakhi on Prime Minister Narendra Modis wrist.

Devi met Prime Minister Modi at his official residence at Delhis Lok Kalyan Marg .

Sharbati Devi lost her brother about 50 years ago, and would always miss him, especially on Rakhi. (PMO India)

Earlier, her son had written a letter to Prime Minister Modi expressing his mothers desire to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with him which subsequently led to Prime Minister Modi inviting Devi with her family at his residence.
Senior Col Li Li of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) may be thousands of kilometres away from Doklam but has a stern message for the Indian Army-- withdraw from the Chinese territory to avoid confrontation.

A visit by Indian journalists, sponsored by the Chinese government, on Monday turned into a propaganda exercise by the Chinese Army for delivering its message on the prolonged standoff between troops of the two countries in Doklam near Sikkim.

What the PLA will do depends on the actions of the Indian side. We will take appropriate action when it is necessary,Senior Col Li Li of the PLA said.

Sr Col Li claimed, What the Indian troops have done is an invasion of Chinese territory.

You can report about what the Chinese soldiers are thinking about. I am a soldier, I will try my best to protect territorial integrity. We have the resolve and determination, he told Indian journalists taken to visit this garrison on the outskirts of Beijing.

The visit included a rare demonstration of combat skills of the PLA troops before the Indian media.

The demonstration included sharp shooting skills with small arms, capture of hostile forces in close combat, counter-terrorism and laser simulation force-on-force training of reinforced infantry squads.

Li, however, clarified that the demonstration had no particular reference to Doklam where China says 48 Indian troops still stayed put along with a bulldozer.

In addition, there are still a large number of Indian armed forces congregating on the boundary and on the Indian side of the boundary, the Chinese foreign ministry had said earlier.

Responding to questions on the present impasse in Doklam, he said, What the PLA will do depends on the actions of the Indian side. We will take appropriate action when it is necessary.

We will follow the orders of the CPC (ruling Communist Party of China) and the Central Military Commission (the overall high command of the 2.3 million strong army headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping).

The garrison is one of the oldest and most important training centres of the PLA officers and troops. It is also responsible for the security of the Chinese capital.

About 11,000 troops are stationed at the garrison.

The state media also continued the tirade against India.

An article in the official China Daily on Monday said geostrategic miscalculations were behind Indias border trespassing.

For China, the trespassing by Indian troops was unexpected and it is unacceptable as it happened in a section of the boundary that has hitherto been considered beyond dispute by both sides in the otherwise long drawn out and arduous boundary negotiations, it said.

Indias trespassing amounts to no less than a violation of Chinas territorial sovereignty, and China has the lawful right to take whatever measures it deems necessary to defend its territory, it said.

While misunderstandings between neighbours are understandable, India should engage in candid dialogue, not lawless provocations.

Time, it added, is fast running short for India to pull out from Chinese territory and on that basis explore a face- saving solution in consultation with China. India should do well to remember that its neighbour has the capability to defeat all invading enemies, it said.

India and China have been locked in a standoff in Doklam since June 16 after Chinese troops began constructing a road near the Bhutan trijunction.

Bhutan has protested to China, saying the area belonged to it and accused Beijing of violating agreements that aim to maintain the status quo until the boundary dispute is resolved.

India says the Chinese action to construct the road was unilateral and changes the status quo. It fears the road would allow China to cut off Indias access to its northeastern states.
About 37 lakh students of more than 49,000 government schools in Rajasthan may soon be deprived of midday meals as they are yet to get Aadhaar numbers.

A letter from the union human resource development ministry to the Rajasthan chief secretary says 42% students in the state have enrolled for Aadhaar; August 31 is the deadline for enrolment for a unique identification number, generated by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

The HRD ministry has asked the chief secretary to achieve 100% Aadhaar enrolment, says the letter, a copy of which is with HT. The ministry has sought response on Aadhaar enrolment from chief secretaries of 16 states and union territories.

In a notification on February 28, the Centre made Aadhaar compulsory for availing of benefits, such as midday meals, by students (aged 6 to 14) of elementary schools. At that time, children and parents were given time till 30 June to get Aadhaar numbers. The Supreme Court is yet to give the final verdict on making Aadhaar mandatory.

At least 62.78 lakh elementary students (Class 1-8), studying in 49,769 government schools in Rajasthan, now get nutritional benefits from the midday meal scheme, according to official data. Cook-cum-helpers working under the scheme were also asked to get Aadhaar numbers.

Aadhaar registration of students is a lengthy process and we are working according to the action plan to complete enrolment in a time-bound manner, elementary education director PC Kishan told HT.

Midday meal is a central government scheme that aims to provide some nutrition to students in government schools, special training centres and madrasas supported under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. The programme has been allocated Rs 10,000 crore in the 2017-18 union budget, an increase of Rs 300 crore over the previous budget.

Anil Swarup, union secretary of the department of school education and literacy, has expressed concern over no response from 16 states on Aadhaar enrolment.

Himachal Pradesh topped the drive with 80% enrolments out of 14,25,780 students, Nagaland has achieved 15% enrolment, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi 79%.
Digital surveillance has got a boost in Mahuwa assembly constituency in Dausa district with the installation of 500 CCTV cameras at key places, such as government offices, schools and police stations.

Last week, 50 Atal Sewa Kendras were electronically connected to the office of the block development officer (BDO), making it easy for officials sitting in Jaipur to keep tabs on the goings-on in the panchayats.

Rural development and panchayati raj minister Rajendra Rathore inaugurated CCTV cameras at the kendras in 50 panchayats and announced that the experiment would be replicated across Rajasthan.

Om Prakash Hudla, who represents Mahuwa in the assembly, spent 12.50 lakh from the MLA local area development fund for the project.

Before this project, Hudla had taken Mahuwa on the e-way in a big way. Schools, health care centres, police stations and government officers are fitted with CCTV cameras to ensure transparency and accountability.

We spent 50 lakh on setting up these cameras, said Hudla. Our target is to have 1000 CCTV cameras across the constituency.

Inspired by digital India vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Vasundhara Raje, the project aims to bring transparency in execution of government schemes, Hudla said.

On what prompted him to go for CCTV cameras, the MLA said, I was a customs officer and while working at airports, I understood the mechanism and benefits of it (camera). Installation of cameras is not only helping in effective monitoring and transparency but also has curbed crime.

Cameras were first installed in January 2016. They are connected with the SDM office and Hudlas mobile from which he keeps a watch on happenings at different places. Even parents of students are given facility to link their mobiles or computers with cameras at schools, Hudla said.

Three employees of a health centre were suspended when they were found drunk, he said, adding the digital surveillance system has helped curb crimes, especially theft cases.

The system has increased students enrolment at schools and ensured better results. Attendance of patients at OPDs has increased; the system has come handy to check if bed sheets are changed daily at hospitals, and if sanitation is maintained. Corruption has also been curbed, Hudla said.

The OPD attendance in 2015 was 1.85 lakh, which increased to 2.56 lakh. Cameras at major markets and crossings are connected with police stations, from where every movement can be monitored.

HOW E-EYE HELPS

After 1.42 lakh was stolen from a shop, camera footage was checked and a school student was found involved.

Three employees of a community health centre were caught on camera to be drunk; they were suspended.

After ceiling fans of a school went missing, it was found through camera that a student was involved. Parents were asked to deposit 1100 in the school development fund for purchase of new fans.

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To help jazz up your backyard barbecue, summer dinner party or Sunday brunch, Colin Field, who helms the historic Bar Hemingway at the Ritz Paris, shares his recipe for the classic French 75 cocktail. A historic watering hole named after its most famous and perhaps most loyal client, Ernest Hemingway, the Bar Hemingway is a small, intimate enclave at the rear of the five-star hotel, frozen nostalgically and elegantly in the 1920s.

For those who arent headed to Paris anytime soon Field shares a recipe for the French 75, a classic cocktail thats said to have such a kick, it feels like being shelled by a French 75mm field gun.

To recreate the classic cocktail, Field emphasizes the importance of serving the drink in a highball glass -- not a champagne flute -- to replicate the field gun used in the First World War.

INGREDIENTS

2cl: Gin

1cl: Lemon juice

1 tablespoon: Sugar

Half a lemon

Half an orange or clementine

Champagne to top

METHOD

1) Dissolve sugar in gin and lemon juice.

2) Add lemon and orange slices.

3) Top with champagne.

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Researchers studying crime statistics recently reported that apart from their age, culture may also play a role in shaping teen criminal behaviour. Spikes in crime rates for teens and young adults suggest that biology may primarily drive risk-taking and law breaking, but Penn State criminologists studying crime statistics in other countries indicate the above.

In a study of age and crime statistics from Taiwan, the researchers said that the Asian countrys youth crime pattern differs from the model seen in most Western countries. In the US, which tends to be more individualistic, for example, involvement in crime tends to peak in middle to late teens and then declines, said Darrell Steffensmeier, Liberal Arts Research Professor of Sociology and Criminology.

However, in Taiwan, which has more of a collectivist culture with less separation between generations, the crime rate does not dramatically peak as it does in the US. Participation in most crimes in Taiwan tends to reach a high point in the late 20s or early 30s, he added. There is obviously a relationship between age and crime, but, historically, there have been two competing views, said Steffensmeier.

It is generally believed that crime peaks in adolescence and then drops. (Shutterstock)

The overwhelmingly acceptable view now is that the age-crime association is invariant. Its universal  crime peaks in late adolescence and then drops  always and everywhere. But our findings suggest that, in some countries and cultures, the age-crime association is different, so it cant be invariant, he added.

Researchers released their findings in a recent issue of Criminology. They believe that if crime and age patterns are the same across cultures, that would suggest the age-crime relationship is a preprogrammed behaviour driven by biology and neurobiology. If its universal, then it implies a biological basis, said Steffensmeier.

According to the researchers, the differing patterns between Taiwan and U.S. crime rates suggest that cultural factors may also be important influences on criminal behaviour. Whatever the biological, or neurobiological, factors that might contribute to criminal behaviour, culture and social structure apparently play as great, or greater role, said Yunmei Lu, a doctoral candidate and graduate assistant in sociology and criminology.

In Taiwan, parents are more active in supervising their children, according to Lu. There is also a steep price for nonconforming Taiwan teens. In Taiwan, teens are less likely to emphasise autonomy and fun and less likely to engage in behaviours different from, or opposed to, the adults, said Lu. Taiwan youth are more likely to view deviance as too risky to their future success in attending a good school or finding a good job.

Hua Zhong, associate professor of sociology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, also worked with Steffensmeier and Lu on the study. In Taiwan, parental and school supervision and involvement are extensive during adolescence but would be reduced after those children graduated from high school, she said, adding, Youth after 18 years of age would have more freedom for exposure to deviant or criminal messages.

Zhong added the age and crime relationship in Taiwan could be linked with its philosophical roots in Confucianism. According to Zhong, the way societies eventually integrate youth into the world of adults also may play a large role in age-crime patterns. Different societies may have differences in age-graded norms and integration of youth with adult society in ways that lead to differences in extent of adolescent crime and the age-crime association, said Zhong.

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Children whose parents have spent time in jail have worse social, economic, cognitive, behaviour and health outcomes than the kids whose parents havent and now, a recent study has shed some light on why it is so.

Fathers, who have been incarcerated at some point from their childs birth till age 9, are nearly 50 percent less involved in their childs education, compared with fathers of the same race and income level who have never been incarcerated, according to the study co-written by Cornell Universitys Anna Haskins.

The formerly incarcerated fathers may avoid their childs school because they see it as a surveilling institution- an entity, like a bank or a hospital, that has increased security, direct connections to other public agencies and keeps formal records, the research found. They may avoid institutions they see as surveilling because of distrust or dislike of the criminal justice system and police or shame and stigma - regardless of whether theyve done anything wrong, Haskins said.

Schools are unique because most people dont think of them as surveilling institutions. But with their increases in security guards and metal detectors, they can seem that way to people wanting to avoid any further contact with the criminal justice system, she noted. The research has important implications, given the increasing prevalence of incarcerated people in the United States. Parental incarceration peaks by age 9; by middle childhood, nearly one in every 10 children has a parent who has been incarcerated, Haskins said: Thats three kids in every elementary school classroom.

If you are not engaged in schools, youre severing that opportunity, restricting avenues of social integration and potentially transferring feelings of institutional distrust, she said. So, you can just imagine the trajectory of disadvantage this sets up for particular groups of kids and families as early as during elementary school. The study appears in the journal American Sociological Review.

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After lawyers, bankers, and citizens, students from five schools came together to clear the trash at Versova beach.

Over the weekend, which was the 97th week of the exercise, more than 100 students and 250 volunteers cleared 1.6lakh kg trash. A total of 6 million kg trash has been cleared from Versova beach since October 2015.

The movement, led by beach cleanup crusader Afroz Shah, has gained tremendous momentum across the country.

The schools that joined the cleanup includes Mount Mary High School, Goregaon (West), Markazul Maarif Education & Research Center (MMERC), Jogeshwari, various branches of VIBGYOR in Mumbai, Bombay Cambridge School, Andheri (East) and students from NGO Dhai Akshar, Versova.

It gives me immense pleasure to work with students. This will help them understand that clearing the trash generated by them is their responsibility, said Shah.

Representatives from these schools said sensitising the youth is the need of hour. Somewhere in our generation, we forgot to correct ourselves, leading to this garbage menace. It is imperative to make the youth aware about this and do things differently, said Anthony Fernandes, chief executive officer, Mount Mary High School, Goregaon.

Maulana Burhanuddin Qasmi, director, MMERC, said as the clean-up is an ongoing programme, students will take the message home. We want these students to understand the concept of zero waste at an early age to implement the same at home, he said.

Read: From garbage dump to garden of Eden: How locals transformed one of Mumbais dirtiest beaches

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Eight months after the Maratha community held its last rally, it is set to hold a silent march in Mumbai on August 9. The community aims to revive its demand for reservation in government jobs and educational institutes.

The protest will start from Byculla zoo at 11 am and conclude at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai.

With just two days to go, the organisers of the Maratha Kranti March (Maratha Revolution March), who have claimed that the rally will see an unprecedented turnout, are using social media to reach out to community members in the state.

Each Maratha has been asked to bring family members to the march and reach out to 50 community members to ensure their participation.

We are going to bring Mumbai to a standstill. More than 50 lakh people are expected to participate in the march. We expect at least 20,000 people from each district. Our estimated targets show that an unprecedented turnout will be achieved, said Sanjiv Bhor Patil, one of the organisers.

State authorities expect a more realistic turnout of 1 lakh to 4 lakh.

The huge crowds were a talking point in the all silent rallies held last yea. To effectively manage them, the organisers have started training volunteers at the Maratha Kranti Morchas Dadar office.

Nearly 10,000 volunteers from Mumbai alone will be deployed on all routes so discipline can be maintained. Volunteers from other districts will also help out, said organiser Virendra Pawar.

A code of conduct has been issued, instructing community members not to indulge in sloganeering, to maintain silence, to help women and senior citizens and to dispose of any garbage they see.

Read: Maratha candle march for Kopardi rape victim shifted to Azad Maidan in Mumbai

To create awareness and ramp up momentum, several bike rallies were held across the state since last week. On Sunday, such rallies were organised Andheri, Borivli, Govandi, Jogeshwari, Vile Parle and Mankhurd. Similar rallies were also organised in Navi Mumbai, Kharghar and Thane.

This is the third time community outfits are attempting to hold a rally in Mumbai after holding huge protests across the state.Two of their earlier attempts failed, following differences among organisers.

Organisers did not respond to the states attempt to stop the community from holding the protest. Parties such as the BJP and politicians such as Ashish Shelar are even expected to join this rally. .

An all-party delegation of 35 to 40 legislators met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday evening, requesting him to accept the Marathas demands.

Read: A year on, Mumbai remembers Kopardi victim

Pravin Darekar, BJP legislator, who was also part of the delegation, said the rally is not in protest against any political parties. Fadnavis told us he would consider our demands, except the one for reservations, which is currently pending in court, he said.

Senior Congress leader Narayan Rane, Congress legislators Bhai Jagtap, Bharat Bhalke, NCP legislator Narendra Patil, Shiv Sangram legislator Vinayak Mete and others were part of the delegation.

The community rallies started in protest against the rape and murder of a minor girl from Kopardi in Ahmednagar district on July 13 last year.

The community had demanded the death sentence for the accused, dilution of the Atrocities Act (Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Tribes Act), reservation in government jobs and education for the community.

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Thane police detained four men early on Monday for storing 10kg of ammonium nitrate and detonators in a vehicle in Mumbra. Police said the materials were highly explosive. They suspect the involvement of terror groups.

They added that the four accused work as contractors. They were caught when the Kalyan railway protection force, the crime branch, the anti-terrorism squad and the local police force raided an under-construction building in Thane. Acting on a tip-off, we searched the vehicle and found the explosives. Though we know the accused are road contractors, we are trying to establish their identities, said an officer from Thane commissionerate.

We are examining CCTV camera footage of the spot, he added.

We suspect that the explosives were left in the vehicle a week ago. We are trying to determine where they came from. We have also raided a few other places in Maharastra, said another officer.

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Fewer NRIs are investing in real estate in Mumbai.

While NRIs contributed to 20-25% sales in Mumbai five years ago, the number has now come down to 7%.

According to experts, the dip is a result of exorbitant pricing, strengthening of rupee, frequent changes in rules and lack of clarity, among others.

Sukhraj Nahar, chairman and managing director, Nahar Group, which has offices abroad to promote sales, said, The number of transactions has come down.

While NRIs from the UAE top the list, those from USA, UK, Canada, Australia and Singapore, too, contribute substantially to the real estate market.

Read: Real estate sector slowdown : New development projects in Mumbai dip by 36 per cent

Real estate expert Ajay Chaturvedi said Indian market is facing competition from places like Dubai. NRIs are getting fabulous deals abroad along with various sops like tax rebates, said Chaturvedi.

The Goods and Service Tax (GST), Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amended Act, 2016 and the Real estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA) could boost their confidence, he said.

NRIs know real estate prices wont rise anymore. In fact, there are signs that they may drop. They see no sense in buying expensive property and renting it out, said Pankaj Kapoor, CEO, Liases Foras, a real estate research firm. In addition, the strengthening of rupee and job insecurity are spoiling it further.

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While two petitioners told the Bombay high court that Lord Krisha had built 10-foot-high pyramids, the police found 10kg of ammonium nitrate and detonators in a vehicle on Monday.

Meanwhile, a city-wide bus strike left 30 lakh commuters scrambling to find alternative modes of transport. While some were lucky enough to catch a ride on a school bus or a goods vehicle, others found themselves paying double for a taxi.

1. Dahi handi: Lord Krishna built 10-ft pyramid, say petitioners. We dont know if he existed, says HC

The Bombay high court on Monday refused to impose any restrictions on the age of Govindas or participants of the Dahi Handi festival, and on the height of the human pyramids.

2. Mumbai BEST strike: School buses and goods vehicles can give you a ride

The transport department has allowed private vehicles, such as school buses and goods vehicles to ferry passengers, during the indefinite BEST bus strike, which started on Monday morning.

3. Hotels, malls: Mumbais Rs197-cr revamp to make it an international cruise destination

A cruise terminal with hotels, shopping areas and separate lounges for arrivals and departures  that is how the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) plans to make the city an international cruise destination.

4. Cops find 10kg ammonium nitrate, detonators in Mumbai, suspect links to terror group

Thane police detained four men early on Monday for storing 10kg of ammonium nitrate and detonators in a vehicle in Mumbra. Police said the materials were highly explosive. They suspect the involvement of terror groups.

5. Paying double for taxi, waiting 40 minutes for a cab: Mumbais nightmare commute after BEST strike

As many as 30 lakh passengers were hit after 3,700 BEST buses went off the road on Monday owing to a strike planned by unions.
The cut-offs for first-year junior college admissions (FYC) fell marginally in the fourth round after the colleges surrendered seats reserved for the minority, in-house and management quota.

Although students were allotted seats in the fourth round on Saturday, they were unable to see the cut-offs across colleges as the merit list was yet to be uploaded on Monday.

Overall arts and commerce cut-offs remained almost identical to the ones in the third merit list in the most reputable colleges. While those for science fell by 3% to 5%.

HR College, Churchgate, which did not have any vacant seats in the third round, closed its admissions at 88.2% in this round. The college surrendered 20 seats from minority quota. We had reserved a few for minority students. The department had informed us that we can surrender these seats after each round, said principal Parag Thakkar.

At VG Vaze College, Mulund, arts cut-off witnessed a drastic fall of more than 20%, from 85.8% to 62%. The dip was comparatively marginal across other colleges. At St Xaviers College, it fell by just a point from 93.5% to 93.4%. In Mithibai College, Vile Parle, closed admissions for arts stream at 83.5%. While at KJ Somaiya, Vidyavihar, St Andrews College, Bandra, and KC, Churchgate, it remained almost the same as the previous lists.

On the other hand, science cut-offs dropped significantly owing to less demand this year. Pace College, Andheri, closed at 47. 2% from 75.4%. Ramniwas Ruia came down to 88.4% from 89% in the previous list. A few colleges, including Ruparel and Vaze did not have a fourth list as all the seats were filled in third round.

The education officials met on Monday to decide whether special rounds need to be held for leftover students. We will announce the schedule for the rounds on Tuesday, said BB Chavan, deputy director of education, Mumbai region.

So far, out of 2.3 lakh students who applied for FYJC admissions, 45, 103 are admitted at the college-level, in the quota seats-minority, management, and in-house, while 1.32 lakh had secured admissions through the online process till the third round.

Meanwhile, many colleges have already begun classes for FYJC sections, even though the department had asked them to hold lectures after August 8. We cannot wait for the admission process to end, its already August and we need to complete the portion for the first term, said Kavita Rege, principal, Sathaye College, Vile Parle, which reopened on August 3.

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The Bombay high court on Monday issued a notice to the state government and the city police over a PIL seeking the courts directions on checking increased instances of lynching and violence in the name of cattle protection.

A bench of justice BR Gavai and justice MS Karnik granted the state and the police two weeks to file their respective replies.

The bench was hearing a PIL filed by activist Shadaab Patel, in the apprehension that cattle vigilante groups might create trouble during the upcoming Bakri Eid festival.

The plea filed through Patels counsel Asif Naqvi urged the court to issue directions to the state to ensure the safety of citizens, especially of cattle traders, and those who own or work in slaughter houses and meat shops.

The cattle vigilante groups are taking the law into their own hands. They are a threat to society because they cause a disturbance or a riot-like situation in the name of meat. The citizens have the Right to Life and to carry out business and trade as guaranteed by the Constitution of India, the plea reads. Such vigilante groups primarily spread fear, and they must not be permitted to violate any constitutional mandates, the plea says.

The state and the Union Government have failed to curb such attacks, hence, it is necessary for the court to issue guidelines on preventive and safety measures, it reads.

The plea sought the state be directed to provide 24-hour security to traders for transporting livestock. It has also sought the state government implement the Apex Courts July 2017 order suspending the Union governments notification banning sale and purchase of cattle at animal markets for slaughter.

Read more:

Mob allegedly attacks gau rakshaks in Maharashtras Ahmednagar, 20 detained

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A cruise terminal with hotels, shopping areas and separate lounges for arrivals and departures  that is how the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) plans to make the city an international cruise destination.

The idea comes in the wake of the Union ministry of shippings plan to promote cruise tourism in India.

MbPT plans to revamp its cruise terminal infrastructure to accommodate the major inflow of passengers expected in the next few years. According to a cruise tourism road map, prepared by Bermelo & Ajamil and Ernst & Young, close to 4 million passengers are expected to visit India in the next few years, of which 3 million passengers expected to take cruises from the Mumbai Port.

To modernise and expand the citys international cruise terminal, the MbPT has awarded contracts for work worth Rs197 crore to Mumbai International Cruise Terminal (MICT). The new terminal is expected to have the same facilities fliers get at airports, said an official.

Sanjay Bhatia, MbPT chairman, said a 40,000 sqm terminal will come up in place of the current one, which is 3,000 sqm. We want to project to the world that we are ready. If a decision is taken today, the cruises will arrive after two or three years. The contract has been awarded and a new terminal will be ready within two years, Bhatia told HT.

In 2016-17, as many as 55 cruise ships halted at the Mumbai Port, each carrying about 60,000 passengers.

Terming the cruise policy Indias economic growth engine, the government aims to increase cruise liner traffic ten-fold to 700 vessels a year. Five ports  Mumbai, Goa, Mangalore, Chennai and Kochi  will be developed as cruise hubs.

The consultants have made 30 recommendations to improve the infrastructure, processes, ease of doing business and reduction in tariffs. We will soon introduce access-controlled radio frequency identification, e-landing cards, e-visas. It will be just like an airport terminal, added Bhatia.

The shipping ministry also plans to reduce port charges for cruise ships, he said. Currently, vessels are charged fees according to their gross registered tonnage. There is a plan to collect the fees according to the number of passengers instead, Bhatia said.

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The sessions court on Monday sentenced 16 more Somalian Pirates to seven years of imprisonment for hijacking a merchant vessel and kidnapping its members on the Indian waters.

This is the second of the four cases registered between January and March 2011, where pirates have been held guilty. The court is yet to decide on two more cases. The judgement for them is expected to come within this month.

Recently court had convicted 15 pirates in the first case.

The present case refers to arrest of 16 pirates who had allegedly hijacked MV Morteza and held 18 members of the crew hostage.

The master of the vessel told investigators that they had sailed from Chah Bahar in Iran, five months before they were rescued by the Indian Navy on March 26, 2011.

It was contended that Indian Navy ship INS Suvarna received an information about the attack on a merchant vessel, Maersk Kensington. The pirates attacked it from MV Morteza and two skiffs.

The Indian Navy launched an operation against Morteza and in the retaliation that ensued, the vessel was seriously damaged.

The pirates and the crew members of MV Morteza jumped off the vessel and were rescued by the Navy.

The master of the crew told investigators that some members had committed suicide after the pirates tortured them. One of the crew had also been shot dead.

Cases of murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping along with several other charges were recorded against the pirates.

Special public prosecutor Ranjeet Sangle had examined five witnesses in the presence of the officer of Navy and investigation officer of the local police station.

The court observed that the charges of murder and attempt to murder could not be proved as none of the crew members turned up as witness before it. The pirates have been convicted only for attacking the Indian Navy vessel.

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Nariyal Purnima, the fishermens festival, marks the start of the new fishing season and the end of the fishes mating season, during which fishermen avoid venturing into the sea.

As part of their preparations for the festival, fishermen repair and paint their boats and nets. (Kunal Patil/HT)

The word Nariyal is derived from Naral, which means coconut. Purnima signifies the full moon day .

Fishermen rest after a day spent checking their boats for leaks and plugging them. (Kunal Patil/HT )

Devotees worship Lord Varuna, the Sea God, on this day.

Men and women of the Koli fishing community offer prayers on Sunday. (Kunal Patil/HT Photo)

They throw coconuts and garlands into the sea to express their gratitude towards him and seek his blessings for a plentiful catch. The myth surrounding the practice is that in the Ramayana, Lord Varuna held aloft a bridge that helped Lord Rama move towards Lanka.

Brightly coloured boats dotted Worli Village as fishermen covered them with fresh coats of paint. (Kunal Patil/HT )

Boats bearing lighted lamps also go out into the sea.
As many as 30 lakh passengers in Mumbai are hit as BEST started its indefinite strike on Monday.

Their demands: timely payment of salaries, scrapping the software on work hours, ban on hiring of private buses, among others.

Live updates on how Mumbai is coping with it:

4.28pm: Services likely to resume by evening.

4.24pm: Strike called off

3.15pm: Union leaders reach Matoshree

2.42pm: Taxi drivers charging commuters Rs100 for CSMT to Colaba.

2.11pm: ST buses being operated between CSMT and Mantralaya

1.52pm: In Mulund, BEST workers hold banner with excerpts from HTs #BESTBachao campaign

1.45pm: State transport starts bus service from Kurla to Bandra.

1.35pm: State transport running 25 extra buses on CST-Nariman Point, Dadar-Mantralaya, Thane-Dadar, Panvel-Dadar, Kurla-BKC and other routes

1.25pm: Commuter Aarti Kamble waiting for auto near Jhunjhunwala college for 1 hour

1.20pm: All outstationed bus drivers and conductors have been asked to stop at local bus stops on passengers request: MSRTC spokesperson

1.17pm: MSRTC has got 73 extra buses for the MMR. Of those 23 will be run from Thane and 25 from Raigad districts.

1.14pm: Uber, Ola make a killing, charge Rs100 to Rs300 more than the usual rates

1.11pm: Long queues outside Kurla station as autorickshaw drivers refuse to ply

1.07pm: Our strike is going on peacefully and it is 100% successful as of now. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has called us for a meeting at Matoshree at 3pm, says Shashank Rao, leader of BEST Workers Union.

12.57pm: The general manager of BEST currently in Mantralaya to discuss the strike

12.55pm: A private bus service has started from CST to Colaba

12.54 pm: Not a single bus came on road since midnight. Our strike is 100% successful: Suhas Samant, leader BEST Kamgar Saghatana, affiliated to Shiv Sena.

Read: Plan your commute well, auto drivers are taking advantage of BEST strike to fleece Mumbaiites
With just four more days for the Maharashtra legislatures monsoon session to end, the question is whether the Opposition can secure the second resignation from the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet by ensuring the ouster of housing minister Prakash Mehta.

After senior minister Eknath Khadses resignation over graft charges last year, this is the second time the Fadnavis-led government is hit by such serious allegations of corruption. Unlike in Khadses case or that of other ministers who faced graft allegations so far, in the case of Mehta, the political credibility of Fadnavis is also under a cloud.

As such, the speculation within the BJP is that the chief minister may find it difficult to shield Mehta unlike women and child development minister Panjaka Munde and education minister Vinod Tawde, whom he has defended earlier.

On the other hand, what makes Mehtas position stronger is his political significance as a Gujarati, a community that has backed the BJP consistently in Mumbai. Besides, Mehta is known to enjoy good relations with the BJP top brass in Delhi. Therein lies Fadnavis dilemma.

The chairperson of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority is the chief minister. Hence, both the allegations against Mehta -- over the Tardeo SRA project and the Ghatkopar transit camp and slum redevelopment project -- also have a bearing on the chief minister. In the Tardeo case, the housing minister has himself involved the Chief Minister by noting on a file that the CM has been appraised of the decision. And, that decision is in question. If the case goes to court tomorrow, even the CM is answerable here, said a senior BJP leader who spoke on condition he would not be identified.

With the CMs own credibility and that of his government at stake, sources in the party said that Fadnavis may be in favour of Mehta relinquishing the housing portfolio even while keeping him as a minister without any charge until the probe is completed.

There is also an internal rivalry angle in the BJP that is at play in this case with some senior leaders eyeing Mehtas portfolio and leaders like Khadse questioning the partys stance in the case.

However, a lot would depend on the Opposition strategy in the state legislature in the remaining four days. If the Congress and NCP leaders are co-opted into going easy on Mehta, the CM may shut the door on the controversy and take a quiet decision later during the cabinet reshuffle.

Right now, the Opposition is in no mood to give in. Sources in the Congress said that a section within the party would take this issue to Delhi and ensure it gets a mention in Parliament. This may force Fadnavis hand too. The final decision, a senior BJP minister, however, insisted would be taken in Delhi.

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The combative Shiv Sena has been unusually circumspect in its response to the graft allegations swirling around housing minister Prakash Mehta of the BJP. Sure, the partys organ, Saamana, has criticised the government on the issue, but its leaders and legislators have not gone after it like did on other occasions, most recently over the farmers protest.

Yet, this issue this time  housing and redevelopment of chawls and slums  really resonates in Mumbai  the Senas stronghold. Or is that the reason why the Sena has been careful? The partys legislators even participated in a BJP-led boycott of the upper house over the issue, complaining that the opposition, which is in a majority in the legislative council, was not allowing them to speak.

The Senas Sanjay Raut, whos a member of the Rajya Sabha and edits Saamana, said, The Shiv Senas role is not to dance with the Opposition in the house. Until now, the Shiv Sena has been playing the role of an opposition, but now let us see what strength the real opposition has.

Raut added that the Sena was waiting for chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to make clear his stand on the charges against Prakash Mehta.

Political observers speculate that the Shiv Sena is guarded as even its party man, minister of state for housing Ravindra Waikar, faced graft allegations last year.

The Congress had alleged that Waikar misused power to favour developers and implement six slum redevelopment projects.

The chief minister had then given him a clean chit.

Moreover, the opposition has accused state industries minister and Sena senior Subhash Desai too of irregularities in the denotification of an industrial plot in Nashik to favour a developer. Sena leaders have termed these allegations baseless, but this could explain their caution.

The Shiv Sena could have cornered the Devendra Fadnavis government on the Mehta issue but it is unable to because the partys members, some of whom are developers, have interests in slum redevelopment projects. The party perhaps fears that if one allegation is closely scrutinised, it may lead to more such cases coming out,  said Prakash Bal, political commentator.

Political analyst Surendra Jondhale pointed out that with BJP leaders raising the issue of corruption in the Sena-run Mumbai civic body, the controversy surrounding Mehta was an opportune time for the Shiv Sena to counter attack.

Shiv Senas meaningful political silence on this issue is very questionable. The party doesnt want to be too vocal and say something that can politically boomerang, he said.

Ever since it joined the BJP-led government, the Shiv Sena has constantly positioned itself as a watchdog, criticising and protesting against its own government on a range of issues -- farm loan waiver, Fadnavis pet Mumbai-Nagpur corridor, demonetisation and so on.

It has also joined the Opposition to target the government in the legislature a few times.

Senior Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik said, As a party, the Shiv Sena will not tolerate corruption. But having said that we are, at the end of the day, a part of the government. On the floor of the house, we will leave it to the Opposition.

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A year after he last spoke to his mother on the phone, 43-year-old Rituraj Sahani returned home from America to find her skeleton in their posh Oshiwara flat on Sunday.

The police said their investigation revealed that the skeleton is of Asha Sahani, 63, who had been living alone in her flat on the 10th floor of Bellscot Tower in Andheri (West).

Rituraj works at an IT company in the US, where he lives with his wife. It is unclear if he has any children.

Rituraj visits India to meet his mother either once a year or every six months. He last spoke to her in April last year. He claims that he has no relatives in the city, said a police officer.

READ: Mumbai womans skeleton found in house: Had informed cops about her disappearance 6 months ago

Rituraj reached Mumbai around 3.30 pm. When he rang the doorbell of the flat, she did not respond.

The door was locked from the inside and so he asked a key maker to help him open the door, added the official. On entering, he saw that his mothers body had completely decomposed and only her skeleton had remained.

Rituraj contacted the Oshiwara police station. A team visited the spot and sent the body to Siddharth Hospital for a post-mortem. The police registered a case of accidental death. We will only be able to ascertain the cause of death after we get the post mortem report, said inspector Arjun Rajane of the Oshiwara police station.

The door was locked from the inside, so it appears that the woman died of natural causes, police officials added.

The police are asking neighbours and security guards if they noticed a smell emanating from the flat.

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From promising to pay employees before the 10th of the month to ensuring the loss-making transport body is merged with the BMC, the ruling Shiv Sena found a way to end the workers strike, on Monday  but only temporarily.

But there was still no concrete measures discussed to reform BEST and save it from the crippling debts it faces. Experts said the BEST bus service will continue to be in trouble.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray assured the unions he will ensure salaries before the 10th of the month and also start within a week the process of merging BESTs budget with the BMCs to end the financial crisis. After Thackerays assurance, the unions ended their 16-hour strike.

But now, questions are being raised about how the authorities would keep up this promise.

BEST ferries 29 lakh commuters a day on 504 routes. But decades of neglect has the century-old transport body facing its worst-ever financial crisis, with cumulative losses crossing Rs2,100 crore. BEST does not have money to disburse salaries on time and was even forced to drop a plan of buying 303 new buses.

As a way out, the BEST political leadership had demanded a Rs2,000-crore bailout package, but BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta refused to give funds until BEST accepted reforms suggested by the BMC. There is no denying BEST employees must be paid salaries and buses should run for Mumbaites. But they should run effectively, Mehta said. He suggested reforms such as wet-leasing buying buses (leasing with drivers), reworking fares, shutting down the AC buses and running mini services. Mehta said these reforms could help BEST save more than Rs700 crore every year.

Transport experts agreed, but pointed out that while merging BESTs budget with BMC will end financial problems, it wont be enough to woe back passengers until operations are overhauled and the service is made better.

BEST has resolved the labour issue, but the root cause  of losing passengers  has not been addressed. The passengers wont return to BEST buses till it improves efficiency, speed and punctuality said AV Shenoy, a transport experts. Shenoy suggested the need to appoint a consultant to study and suggest a total revival plan for BEST.

Experts fear the city will continue to suffer if authorities ignored reforming BESTs services.

Just days before the BEST strike, HT, in a four-part series, highlighted the crisis at BEST (Mumbais second-largest mass transport system), why it needed to be saved and the possible solutions. Experts suggested several solutions such as running small AC buses, introducing dedicated bus lanes, lowering fares and restructuring the BEST committee to save the iconic service and help it increase revenue.

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The transport department has allowed private vehicles, such as school buses and goods vehicles to ferry passengers, during the indefinite BEST bus strike, which started on Monday morning.

All private buses, school buses, company-owned buses and goods vehicles are being allowed to ferry passengers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, reads the notification issued by the department.

As many as 36,000 employees of BESTs transport wings went on strike on Sunday night. As a result, 3,700 BEST buses, which usually ply on 500-plus routes, went off the citys streets. Lakhs of suburban commuters faced a tough time, saving autorickshaw drivers were fleecing them.

The school bus operators are currently offering cheap rides  Rs20 will take you 10km closer to your destination.

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) decided to hold a lecture series across the city in the first week of September to create awareness among Mumbaiites about waste segregation at source.

BMC will rope in civic activists and waste management experts for these lectures, said a civic official. They will be organised at all ward offices as well as the headquarters for better communication with maximum number of citizens.

BMC is leaving no stone unturned to manage the about 10,500 metric tonnes of waste generated in the city. While it initially urged all housing societies to start waste segregation at source and set up composting pits within the colonys compounds, it issued notices to housing societies since January, if they did not comply to it.

A civic official said, It is important to create awareness with punishment for non-compliance. We are doing everything we can to make sure maximum houses segregate waste, and the societies who generate more than 100kg of waste get compost pits.

Meanwhile, a similar project has already started in the G (North) ward, which has Dadar, Mahim, and Shivaji Park in its jurisdiction. The ward has appointed 35 teams to undertake daily door-to-door campaigns, and inspect housing societies. If they are found without waste compost pits, they are invited to a lecture about waste composting and segregation. If they fail to segregate their waste after this, BMC issues a notice to the societies indicating action in case they fail to comply with the BMC order.

Ramakant Biradar, assistant commissioner of this ward, The lecture series is a continuous process, and we have issued 400 notices so far. it asks residents to comply, or the BMC will take action. No action has been taken yet.
As many as 30 lakh passengers were hit after 3,700 BEST buses went off the road on Monday owing to a strike planned by unions.

Office goers were seen standing in serpentine queues for autorickshaws and taxis. Despite the government granting private and state transport buses permission to ply in the city, commuters said it was still inadequate.

The queues for autorickshaws are serpentine in Kurla on Monday. (Pratik Chorge/HT)

People outside Kurla railway station told HT about their commuting nightmare.

The worst thing about the strike is that share-autorickshaw drivers are overcharging. A ride to Bandra-Kurla Complex usually costs Rs10. Today, they are charging double that. The traffic authorities are not taking any action against such people, said, Ujjwala Parmar, a Vikhroli resident.

My office is at the BKC. I usually take a bus from Kurla station. I was unaware of the strike and so I have been waiting for an autorickshaw for the past 40 minutes. I think it is better to go on foot, said Ravi Jain, a Mulund resident.

I knew about the bus strike and that is why I was trying to book a cab online to go to Bandra (East). It took 20 minutes for the cab to arrive and I had to pay double, said Kamlesh Raikwar, a Kurla resident.

Andheri commuters struggle to find an empty auto. (Satyabrata Tripathi/HT)

Meanwhile, the Central Railway has opened extra ticketing windows at Kalyan, Thane, Kurla, Diva and CSMT stations to cater to commuters affected by the strike.
Heading to work? Plan your commute carefully.

With nearly 3,700 Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport(BEST) buses going off the road today owing to a strike, commuters said they were hassled on Monday.

As BEST buses ferry about 30 lakh people daily, those commuters were forced to hail autorickshaws or taxis. Many were spotted standing in queues for share autorickshaws and taxis outside railway stations. Commuters complained that the drivers were taking advantage of the situation by overcharging them.

Unions of BEST employees called for an indefinite strike from Monday, demanding that the Mumbai civic body  BESTs parent organisation  bail the transport body out of its current financial crisis, take responsibility for the salaries of its staff and not pressure the buses to adopt cost-cutting measures that would hit their employees.

BEST buses remain parked at the Dharavi depot owing to the strike. (Pratik Chorge/HT)

Though the unions and civic officials met several times, the strike could not be averted. BEST Kamgar Sanyukta Kriti Samiti, a joint action committee of major unions, including the BEST Kamgar Saghatana  affiliated to the Shiv Sena  and BEST Parivahan Kamgar Sangh  affiliated to BJP  were in favour of it.

Commuters said the demand for app-based taxis such as Ola and Uber had gone up and it was difficult to book a cab. To make matters worse, fares surged and commuters were told that the waiting period was 10 to 15 minutes. As large crowds were travelling to celebrate raksha bandhan, the traffic congestion only added to commuters woes.

The state has allowed private buses and vehicles to conduct ferry commuters, but those are proving insufficient as BEST buses are second-largest mode of public transport, following the suburban railways.

The wait for an autorickshaw seems never-ending for these Kurla commuters. (Pratik Chorge/HT)

The government said it would permit more state transport buses to ply, but failed to issue a directive to this effect.

Commuters took to social media to vent their frustration.

BEST Bus strike = more difficulty in getting autos. Brace yourself. Just got one after almost 15 mins @RidlrMUM  Mohammed Azeem (@SureShotWinner) August 7, 2017

not even a single bus is standing at andher stn east bus depot, guess they are frightened that public may vandalize it pic.twitter.com/19S39yugfz  kapil (@kapilcricket) August 7, 2017

BEST union leaders will meet Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday afternoon, to present him with a list of demands. The union will also decide upon what to do if their demands go unheard.
National Democratic Alliance ally Swabhimani Paksha, led by farmers leader Raju Shetti, seems to be headed towards a split.

The party sacked its lone minister in the state government, Sadabhau Khot, on Monday for campaigning for its ally Bharatiya Janata Party in the Panvel civic polls, even though Paksha supported the Shiv Sena.

Khot is the minister of state for agriculture and was considered number 2 in the party after Shetti who is Member of Parliament from Kolhapur district.

The decision was taken by a three-member committee formed under leader Dashrath Sawant in June to look into complaints against Khot.

While the party urged Khot to resign, the decision does not have to comply with it. Reason: He was elected the member of the legislative council from the BJP quota in June last year. So his fate depends on chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Khot has refused to comment on the development. Fadnavis, too, is yet to react to it.

There are speculations that Khot may join the BJP or float a separate outfit.

Read: Is NDA ally Swabhimani Paksha heading for a split?

Earlier, Khot got into a spat with the party chief over his actions. He skipped the partys Mumbai-Pune long march organised in May to demand farm loan waiver.

Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathana is a powerful farmers organization that supported the BJP through its political arm Swabhimani Paksha in 2014.

Both Shetti and Khot were considered young peasents leaders in the farmers outfit led by the late Sharad Joshi. Later, they formed their own outfit which now may split and affect their party as well. Shetti, who had actively participated in the farmers agitation for loan waiver may also quit the NDA in retaliation.

Shetti has been openly criticising the Centre and the state government, accusing them of not protecting interests of farmers and also held a six-day repentance march from Pune to Mumbai for supporting the BJP in the state Assembly and general elections in 2014.

Announcing the decision on Khot, Sawant said they will now decide on continuing its support to the Fadnavis government in seven days.

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The traffic department has decided to close some roads and put up parking restrictions to ensure smooth commute during the Maratha kranti morcha on Wednesday.

The morcha, which will start from Jijamata Udayan at 11am and terminate at Azad Maidan near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at 5pm, will see a large number of participants from across the state.

The vehicles coming for the morcha would be moving from the Suman Nagar junction towards the Bhaktipark Marg and reach CST through the Eastern Freeway, then exit through the Port Trust Marg. The traffic department has made arrangements for parking at the vacant space near the Port Trust.

Vehicles from coming from the Navi Mumbai will also reach Bombay Port Trust through the Eastern Freeway from Panjalpol junction in Chembur.

Participants coming from Thane will take the Eastern Express Highway through Suman Nagar Junction.

Vehicles coming from the Western Express Highway have to take the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road towards Amar Mahal Junction and then reach Suman Nagar junction to go to the Port Trust.

Read: Maratha Kranti Morcha in Mumbai: Plan Wednesdays commute better to avoid traffic

Vehicles from the Western Link Road and SV Road will go through Kalanagar junction towards Dharavi-Sion railway station and then take a left turn towards the highway to reach the Port Trust.

Certain roads would be closed. The road from Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road at Dadar Fire Brigade junction will be closed for all vehicles on the south bound road (except emergency vehicles). The north and south bound roads from JJ flyover to Azad Maidan will be closed for all vehicles. Hajarimal Somani Marg from OSC junction to CST will be closed for all north and south bound traffic. The roads from Metro Junction to BMC head office and from Bhatiya Baig to the CST junction will also be closed.

The traffic department suggested alternative routes for commuters  from King Circle towards PDmello Road, from Dadar TT towards Chaar Raasta, Naigaon crossroad to RAK Marg, from Madame Cama Road towards Hutatma Chowk to Kala Ghoda, from NM Joshi Marg to Lower Parel for Worli Naka, and Marine Drive road to Worli from Haji Ali. These routes will remain open.

The traffic police has advised the commuters to plan their commute according to the restrictions

Read: Maratha Kranti Morcha in Mumbai: Schools on route to remain shut on Wednesday
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is likely to miss the deadline for submitting a report on the cause of the collapse of four-storey Sai Siddhi in Ghatkopar on July 25 that killed 17 and left 13 injured.

While a three-member committee was to submit the report by Wednesday, sources said they may need one more week.

A senior civic official from BMC said, We appointed a structural engineer to test the debris of the structure. This is will take some time. We will be able to submit the report next week.

BMC chief Ajoy Mehta ordered an inquiry after the residents alleged Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap had tampered with the pillars of the structure to build a restaurant on the ground floor of the building.

Read: Mumbai building collapse: After 30 hours, rescue ops at Ghatkopar end, probe begins

As part of the report, the BMC officials are taking statements of residents, asking them to identify the pillars of their houses, studying the plan of the building and reports on the structural audits conducted so far. The report will also look at providing recommendations to avoid such risks in the future.

Residents of the building are yet to get temporary accommodation, despite the CMs promise that it would be done within a week of the incident. They, however, got the Rs50,000 help promised to those injured, on Monday. The CM had also promised permanent accommodation within 8-10 days of the incident.

Ram Kadam, BJP MLA from Ghatkopar said residents will be given temporary homes by the end of the week. We initially finalised 11 houses in a slum rehabilitation authority building. However, the building was in possession of the civic body. Later, we found a place in Bhandup, but it will be tough for residents to commute. We are trying to give them homes in Ghatkopar itself, said Kadam, adding there is no policy to provide temporary or permanent homes to those affected by building collapse.

Binita Ramchandani, whose parents lived on the fourth floor of the building, said, Every time we approach the authorities, we are told we would get temporary homes soon. On Monday, they told us 2-3 buildings in Ghatkopar have been shortlisted [for our accommodation].

Read: After Ghatkopar building collapse, can BMC act on 22,000 other illegal structures in Mumbai, please?

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The distance between Ghaziabad and Lahore might be over 400 kilometres but seems negligible when looked through the spectrum of art, shared culture and personal bonding.

Nansy Faraz, an entrepreneur from Lahore, Pakistan, who is attending the 12-day India International Mega Trade Fair (IIMTF) at India Expo centre in Greater Noida, perfectly illustrates this point. She has brought along some of the finest works of Lahore-based weavers, which includes chiffon, cotton and silk work.

An owner of a boutique-cum-garment shop in Lahore, Faraz claims that she has been visiting India for business purposes for the last 10 years.

My customers in India are extremely pleased with the fabric from Lahore. Similarly, Indian fabric is a big seller at my store in Lahore, said Faraz.

However, it was after much deliberation that she decided to spill the beans on her Indian connections.

I belong to Ghaziabad and settled in Lahore after marrying a man from Pakistan 10 years ago. However, soon after the wedding, I opened a boutique-cum-garment shop to sell fabric work from Lahore. I have been visiting India every other month for the last 10 years. It is my home, said Faraz.

Faraz has displayed her Lahore-inspired works at several trade fairs in Delhi and other metropolitan cities of India. She claims that formal, semi-formal and casual wear for women are fast sellers even in tier-2 cities such as Chandigarh and Ludhiana.

Another woman entrepreneur, Nafeesa Aslam, a veteran of 25 years from Karachi, echoed similar sentiments. She claims that her lawn cotton range fabric works are a hit in Indian metropolitan cities and even the US, Canada, and United Kingdom.

Aslam says that though she is currently based in Pakistan, Mumbai, the city of her birth, will always remain her second home. I belong to Mumbai and I have been coming to India for the last 25 years for business as well as personal visits, said Aslam.

Indian entrepreneurs were also selling decorative items that were manufactured in Karachi. We sell decorative items made from a base of the onyx material, which is extracted from rocks in Balochistan and polished in Karachi. These items range from Rs50 to Rs3 lakh and they are a huge hit. These items require no maintenance and they last a lifetime, said Shaukat Ali, owner of Nadeem Enterprises.

Faraz and Aslam are an example of the deep, shared history of India and Pakistan and how business and personal interests have kept bonds intact despite tensions between the two countries.

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Noida police nabbed a person from Nithari intersection on Sunday evening for his alleged role in 68 incidents of robbery in Delhi-NCR. The accused targeted high-profile executives, trapped them by offering business proposals and then robbed them, the police said.

The police said that the man, identified as 35-year-old Akshay Saini, used to get details of multinational companies in Delhi-NCR, its directors and CEOs, from the internet and used to offer them business proposals by posing as an hotelier who has businesses in Delhi and Goa. He used to set up meetings at premium restaurants and robbed them of their valuables by threatening to kill them, the police said.

We arrested Saini from Nithari intersection on Sunday evening while conducting a routine check. His accomplice, Hemant Sharma, was also riding with him on a motorcycle, but he escaped, Anil Kumar Shai, the station house officer of Sector 20 police station, said.

Saini could not produce the registration papers of the motorcycle he was riding. We took him into custody and questioned him, after which he admitted to having committed as many as 68 offences in Delhi-NCR, Shai said.

Saini is a native of Hissar in Haryana and has been taking part in criminal activities since 2015.

The police said that Saini only studied till Class 8 but spoke fluent English. English was his favourite subject. Over the years, he honed his spoken English and trapped affluent people by speaking in English and offering business proposals, the police said.

Most of these cases went unreported as the victims did not want to disclose how they were fooled, the police said.

Besides high-profile targets, Saini and Sharma also robbed many people of their jewellery, laptops and cash. Saini had come to visit Sharma in Noida when he was caught, the police said.

Five cases of robbery are registered against Sharma in Noidas Sector 20 police station. The police are on the lookout for Sharma, who is a resident of Khora in Ghaziabad.

Saini told police that he now did not even remember the details of his robberies. He robbed people in Noida, Delhi, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad and Haridwar. Saini was produced in court and sent to jail.
On the day of Rakshabandhan, a 30-year-old man gifted his widowed sister a toilet. The man works as a sweeper at a private hospital in Hapur but was concerned for his sisters safety as she used to go to the fields for lack of a toilet at home.

Kamal Valmiki, who is from Dhanaura village, was inspired by the Swachh Bharat campaign and started the construction of the first toilet at his house for his sister.

The man hardly earns Rs 5,000 but has started the work, which is estimated to cost around Rs 20,000. Poonam, 35, is widowed and stays with her brother Kamal in Dhanaura village.

My sister was married in Meerut but lost her husband six years ago. Her husband had died in an accident. Since her in-laws and her brother-in-law had also died soon after, she had no one to look after. I brought her to Hapur so that she can live with us. Her safety is of prime concern to me as she used to go to the fields. Nowadays, the scenario has changed and women often face harassment while going to the fields, Kamal said

My sister has two daughters, aged 13 and 11, and both are studying in a government school. So, I decided to gift her a toilet instead of giving her money or other gift as shagun on Rakshabandhan. She is now assured that she and her daughters will not have to go to the fields now. Her in-laws house also had no toilet, he said.

Kamal is married and has a daughter. Although the district administration provides funds of Rs 12,000 for construction of toilets, Kamal has not opted for this grant.

We have asked him to put in whatever money he can. We will contribute the remaining amount. The toilet at Kamals house will be constructed from our contribution. We will set an example for others. This initiative will also be an eye opener for other villagers and we are hopeful that more men will come forward to construct toilets. Kamal has started the work and we expect that the construction of the toilet will completed within 10-12 days, said Yogeshwar Tyagi, the village pradhan.

Dhanaura is located nearly 80km from the national capital and houses a population of nearly 3,000-3,500. Many houses still dont have toilets.

We have given a grant for the construction of 70 toilets in the village. However, Kamal has decided to construct the toilet out with his own money. The pradhan will be helping him out in his initiative. In case they seek our help, we will provide them funds, said Renu Srivastava, district panchayati raj officer.

The officer said that they have so far got constructed nearly 21,000 toilets in the district, ensuring a sanitation coverage of 95%. The administration aims to esnure 100% coverage by the end of August.

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The parents of 10-year-old Arman Sehgal have demanded a CBI probe into the death of their son after he fell in the corridor of the GD Goenka School in Indirapuram on August 1.

The demand comes after the parents were given an assurance by Ghaziabad senior superintendent of police (SSP) that arrests would be made in the case by Monday.

Armans parents have lodged an FIR for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and destruction of evidence against the school authorities. The Sehgals have also sought public support and said they are now fighting for other students after Arman is gone.

We dont want other children to suffer as Arman did. Now, it is a fight for other children and people should support us. We got an assurance from the SSP that arrests would happen by Monday, but we have not been apprised of any such development as yet. The truth behind the incident should come out and we demand a CBI probe. We also want CM Yogi and Prime Minister Modi to intervene, Armans mother, Swati, told reporters.

Earlier, Ghaziabad MP General (retd) VK Singh had also spoken to the Sehgals and assured them of help.

We spoke to the family and later spoke to the district magistrate and the SSP. The DM told that there is a magisterial inquiry on. Based on the magisterial inquiry, we will seek either the CBI probe or others, General Singh said.

Also read: Ghaziabad students death: We were planning to fly him to Disneyland, says mother

The magisterial probe is headed by Rajesh Kumar Yadav, additional district magistrate (ADM - finance & revenue), Ghaziabad. The ADM will also visit the school when it reopens on Tuesday. However, Armans mother has said she will be holding a dharna outside the school as the police have failed to make any arrest in the case so far.

SSP HN Singh did not take calls on Monday. However, Rakesh Kumar, circle officer, Indirapuram, said, The police are investigating the case and are trying to collect evidence. Forensic samples have been sent for analysis.

Earlier, the Sehgals also received support from minister Atul Garg and Gen Singhs wife, Bharti Singh.

Swati had also led a candlelight march from Vaishali to GD Goenka School on August 4.

Arman was declared brought dead at Shanti Gopal Hospital after he was rushed there by the school teachers on the morning of August 1. The school claimed that he just fell in the corridor and died. On the other hand, his family has alleged negligence and laxity on part of the school.

The second floor corridor, where Arman fell, had no CCTV coverage. The incident spot was not sealed and it was later allegedly cleaned by the school authorities, the parents claimed.

Since the incident, the school authorities are incommunicado and the school has remained closed. Its website is also shut.

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Even with a new minder trying to bring some order to the White House, United States President Donald Trump remains in a heap of trouble. The recent installation of retired general John Kelly, formerly Trumps secretary for homeland security, as chief of staff, replacing the hapless Reince Priebus, has reduced some of the internal chaos and induced a bit more discipline in Trumps behaviour. But all this could change any day, or at any moment.

Kelly has put a stop to aides sauntering into the Oval Office whenever they felt like it Trump tends to echo the last person hes spoken with  and has demanded that papers and memos for the president be submitted to him first. For the time being, at least, the presidents tweeting has been reduced in number and nuttiness.

Keen Trump observers expect that hell soon begin to chafe under the discipline Kelly has encouraged. Understanding Trumps enormous ego, Kelly is said to encourage gently rather than instruct. Kelly also has the advantage of Trumps high regard for generals.

But Trump could well become incensed by news stories praising Kelly for bringing order to the White House. (Counsellor Steve Bannon never fully recovered in the presidents esteem after he was on the cover of Time magazine soon after the inauguration.)

Meanwhile, Trumps poll ratings are lower than ever  and the lowest of any president at such an early point in an administration. Members of his own Republican Party are distancing themselves from him.

The recent failure of the Republican-dominated Congress to repeal Barack Obamas signature achievement, the Affordable Care Act, which made healthcare available for millions of people who previously couldnt afford it, was a humiliating defeat for Trump. Just enough Republican senators (three, but more were in reserve if needed) voted to reject the last of several efforts to fulfil the partys vow to replace Obamacare.

That nickname for the ACA, coined by the Republicans when the law was enacted in early 2010, was intended to be derogatory, and their opposition to the program seemed to be vindicated in that years midterm elections, when they swept both houses of congress. But the Republicans didnt reckon on two things: that as people gained access to health insurance (some 20 million by this year), it became popular  as did Obama, who ended his second term as one of Americas most liked presidents.

Over Obamas tenure, Republicans came to realise that it was no longer sufficient simply to call for a repeal of Obamacare, and their rhetoric shifted to the need to repeal and replace. They held more than 50 roll-call votes saying that theyd do just that, knowing that it didnt really matter because Obama would veto any serious repeal. The roll calls were actually fundraisers: Appeals to the unsuspecting Republican base to send money to keep up the fight against the supposedly hated programme.

But when the 2016 election put a Republican in the White House, the partys congressional leaders had nowhere to hide. The Republicans were now in full control of the government  and they hadnt a clue about what should replace Obamacare.

At the end of six months in office, Trump doesnt have a single legislative achievement to crow about (though he has claimed the Senates approval of Neil Gorsuch as a new Supreme Court justice as a victory). Significantly, Senate Republican leaders ignored Trumps demand that they take up repeal and replace of Obamacare again, before they consider any other major issue.

While the healthcare bill was commanding most of the attention on Capitol Hill, another piece of legislation was moving along in the Congress, representing another setback for Trump. Troubled by the presidents apparent soft spot for (or perhaps fear of) Vladimir Putin, overwhelming bipartisan majorities in both chambers passed a bill to impose more sanctions on Russia and  most unusually  to prevent the president from lifting any such penalties. And, because the bill passed with enough votes to override a presidential veto, Trump had little choice but to sign it, which he did in private, without the customary presence of a bills sponsors and the press.

Meanwhile, the investigation into Trump and his campaigns relations with Russia in connection with its meddling in Trumps favour in the 2016 election has continued out of the publics sight. That investigation has broadened to include Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner and his son Donald Jr.

This spring, Trump let it be known that he wanted the special counsel running that investigation, Robert Mueller, a former FBI director who is highly respected by both parties, to be fired. Hed already fired FBI director James Comey, but by law, he couldnt fire Mueller himself, so he tried to bully Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had (appropriately) recused himself from the investigation, into resigning. That way, Trump could appoint a replacement who would fire Mueller.

But Sessions, the first Republican senator to endorse Trump, was enjoying rolling back numerous Obama-era protections in areas like civil rights, and refused to resign. Several of Sessions former Senate colleagues also demanded that Trump back off. Though Kelly called Sessions to tell him that his job was safe, Republican senators, concerned that Trump might remove him during the August recess, established a procedure that would prevent Trump from appointing an interim attorney-general to fire Mueller, and warned that such a move would provoke a constitutional crisis.

Then, as Congress prepared to leave for the August recess, it was learned that Mueller  who had hired highly regarded prosecutors specialising in international financial transactions, despite Trumps warnings not to investigate his finances  had impaneled a grand jury in Washington. The noose tightens.

Elizabeth Drew is a journalist and author

The views expressed are personal

Project Syndicate, 2017
After Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) presidents son, Vikas Barala, arrested for stalking and drink driving, was released on bail on Saturday, politicians and social media users are accusing Chandigarh Police of buckling under pressure and going soft against the accused.

Vikas, 23, a law student, and his friend Ashish Kumar, 27, were arrested from the Housing Board light point late on Friday night. The woman, a disc jockey, who was driving from Sector 9, Chandigarh, towards Panchkula at 12.35am, alleged that the two men followed her in their Tata Safari Storme. Both were drunk, she alleged, and at one point the SUV blocked her way and the person in the co-drivers seat started walking towards her vehicle.

As the case was registered for stalking under Section 354-D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code, which is a bailable offence when a person is booked the first time, the two walked free for the time being.

Congress leader and former Union minister Manish Tewari said on Sunday that the police have completely diluted the case under pressure. Even the legal fraternity is divided on the issue.

The UT police is being accused of not adding Section 365 (kidnapping) and 511 (attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) in the FIR registered against the duo, even as the woman in her Facebook post had alleged an attempt to kidnap.

Police have completely diluted the case under the BJP pressure, and have not added Section 365 and 511. It has exposed the BJPs double standard, said Tewari.

Even as the FIR mentions complaint regarding harassment and attempt to kidnap and outrage the modesty of a girl, the sections were not included on the basis of the womans statement before the magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code, said police.

UT senior superintendent of police (SSP) Eish Singhal said: We always go by the victims statement, in which no such case of kidnapping was made out. To claim it in a Facebook post is different. Nonetheless, we are seeking legal opinion.

They came with intent to abduct

Talking to HT, the woman said: I didnt specifically use the word kidnap before the magistrate. But, any girl or any person whose car window was being knocked on at that hour would know this wasnt just a routine affair. One can sense it. It couldnt have been for a conversation, right? It was with an intention of abduction.

The 29-year-old, however, said she had faith in the system, given the promptness the cops showed that night after she contacted them.

Besides being punished as per law, the accused need to be punished in a way that they realise the trauma of the person on the receiving end, she said.

Her father, a senior Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer, said: At this stage, we dont want to intervene in police investigation. But if at a latter stage we feel the matter hasnt been dealt with properly, I will bring in my own team of lawyers. More sections can always be added in court. I have faith in our judicial system.

The police had initially registered an FIR under Section 354 D of the IPC at the Sector 26 police station. Section 185 of the Motor Vehicle Act (driving by a drunken person) was added after the medical examination of the accused stated their breathe smelled of alcohol.

After the womans statement before the magistrate, Section 341 (wrongful restraint) of the IPC was also added.

Even legal fraternity divided

Sumeet Goyal, a lawyer at the Punjab and Haryana high court, said the intention of police was evident from the fact that they included 354D (stalking) of the IPC and not Section 354 (sexual harassment), which is a non-bailable offence.

It is a clear-cut case of Sections 354, 365 (kidnapping) read with 511 of the IPC. Let me put it straight, they wouldnt have walked up to the girl simply to say hi, hello, he said.

However, AS Chahal, another prominent lawyer, said police were being fair, as one could not jump to the conclusion that it was a case of kidnapping simply because one knocked on the victims car window at a late hour.

If from the statement of the girl, a case of kidnapping is made out, then it should be added, said advocate Atul Lakhanpal. From what I understand from whatever I have read, I dont think it makes for one.

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It was the festival of Raksha Bandhan that celebrates the brother-sister bond, and Sushma went to her brothers house as usual to tie the rakhi on his wrist. Only to find the bodies of her brother, Subhash Chander (62), and his wife Kamlesh Rani (60), in Islamabad locality of Amritsar on Monday morning.

Police believe the elderly couple was murdered with sharp-edged weapons by purported robbers on Sunday. However, there was no sign of forcible entry, which hints that the couple knew the robbers or they tricked them into allowing them inside.

Subhash Chander (right), 62, and wife Kamlesh Rani, 60 (HT)

Subhash was a retired teacher while his wife was a homemaker, and the couple lived alone as their children were abroad, said the police.

Teams led by police commissioner SS Srivastava reached the spot and found the cupboards broken, birthing the robbery theory.

It seems that two or three persons entered the house to execute a robbery and later killed the couple. There is no sign of forcible entry. It seems the suspects panicked as the couple may have identified them, said the commissioner. But we cant take any exact line at this point. Forensic teams were called in to examine the crime scene.

CCTV camera footage from nearby places is also being scanned. We have some clues but those cant be shared at this moment, he stressed.

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The Mohali police on Sunday booked around 150 protesting Teachers Eligibility Test (TET)-qualified unemployed teachers for attempt to murder after some of them allegedly threw petrol on a cop.

The protesters who have been seeking appointment letters and are on a dharna at the Sohana water tank blocked the Airport Road around 10am.

While a cop was recording a video on the spot, some of them allegedly threw petrol on him and threatened to burn him.

The protesters, who have blocked the Airport Road earlier as well, had threatened self-immolation on Saturday.

Besides booking all the protesters by name for attempt to murder under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the police also took six protesters in preventive custody, said senior superintendent of police (SSP) Kuldeep Singh Chahal.

Sources said during the protest, one of the union leaders also tried to cut her wrist, but was stopped by others.

Airport Road remains blocked

The blockade led to diversion of traffic on the busy road. Even villagers and residents of nearby societies came to talk to the protesters to break the deadlock. The situation had not changed till filing of this report late in the night. The police has barricaded the stretch from all sides. Besides heavy police force, other emergency vehicles have also been stationed at the spot.

We are being harassed every alternate day by the protesters, as they are blocking the roads, said Kuldeep Singh, a Sohana resident.

Punjab chief ministers officer on special duty Capt Sandeep Sandhu, Mohali deputy commissioner Gurpreet Kaur Sapra and SSP Chahal had visited the spot on Sunday to break the deadlock, but to no avail.

The Punjab cabinet on Friday gave nod to issue appointment orders to 1,337 candidates against 6,060 posts of TET-qualified master cadre teachers advertised in 2015. The government had also decided to advertise 4,183 new posts in view of a judgment of the Supreme Court.
From beetroots carved into roses to fruity floats made from papayas and melons, the most important fruit carving competition in Thailand took place in Bangkok recently. But for competitor Piyanat Thiwato, carving is about than just about winning. Carving can improve our mind because it requires concentration and enhances our imagination. Its a way to relax, he said.

The tradition has been traced back to Thailands royal Sukhothai dynasty, in the 14th century. The art of food carving started hundreds years ago. Thailand is rich in arts and crafts. Its like a very beautiful treasure that we have, said Araya Arunanondchai, the events organiser. In the old days, it was done in the royal palaces for the royal family, she added.

Dozens of Thai artists competed in the famous fruit and vegetable carving competition, which was organised in honour of Queen Sirikit, who turns 85 on August 12. More than 20 teams carved owls, elephants and intricate Thai designs onto fruits including taros, melons, and papaya.

Fruit carving is still popular as an offering in temples or as a decoration for weddings. Fine arts students can choose to learn it at university, as they would take painting lessons. But the tradition is fading away. Not many young people are interested in it. The ones who studied it in art school cannot make a living out of it, said Manirat Svastiwat na Ayutthaya, a food carving expert.

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Whisky lovers are invited to apply for the role of global whisky ambassador, in an interview process that involves an all-expenses paid trip travelling the world with a suitcase full of spirits. Grants Whisky has launched a campaign in search of their next Global Brand Ambassador for 2018 that recreates the Scottish brands beginnings in 1909 when Charles Grant Gordon set sail with a suitcase of his father-in-laws whisky and introduced the brand to the world.

Over 10 days, three finalists will be dispatched to countries like Colombia, Poland, India and South Africa with a suitcase full of Grants, tasked with promoting the whisky to locals. The job requirement? The global ambassador needs to be resourceful, charismatic, talented and have a passion for writing, travelling and mixology.

Finalists will also be accompanied by a personal videographer who will document their journey, to be featured on the website and social media platforms. Last year, the National Museum of American History in Washington DC launched a search for a beer specialist, whose role was to travel the country for three years, sampling beer in breweries across the country.

The job also came with a US$64,650 salary. Unlike the Grants job posting, however, being charismatic and resourceful wasnt enough for the beer specialist. The museum was looking for candidates with advanced degrees and evidence of scholarly research.

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It was the most unpredictable week on Bigg Boss Tamil. The shows favorite Oviya broke a million hearts but at the same time earned respect for choosing to walk out of the show, much to the surprise of her fans, or should one say army. Nearly after six weeks since the show went on air, Oviya exited the show on Saturday after she confessed her love for her co-inmate Aarav, and said that she was unable to keep herself away from him. Although she said she will try and keep her feelings aside for Aarav and focus on the show, she however changed her mind and decided to leave the show. Her love for Aarav was so uncontrollable that she even consulted Bigg Boss psychiatrists thrice in the last week.

On deciding to leave the show, she said she earned love and respect through her army of followers. This love people have shown me is real. I didnt expect to be loved so much when I came in. It has made me responsible and I promise to give it back to the society through some welfare activity, Oviya told the audience. Host Kamal Haasan said Oviya was embraced by everybody despite her flaws. When Haasan asked her if she would like to say anything before exiting the show, she said, I love you so much, Aarav. Oviya army, as her fans like to call herself, were heartbroken on Friday to see her in emotional distress, amid rumours that she tried to drown herself in a swimming pool. Haasan wished Oviya well and she said the show had made her a better person. Haasan went on to add that she made a right decision to walk out, and said that love is a state of mind and not a barter system. Inmate Snehan was in tears as Oviya express her desire to leave, while Bindu Madhavi and Raiza were caught crying on camera for Oviya. Amid stiff protest from audiences, Oviya exited the show.

Oviya said that she was in love with Aarav and hence wanted to quit the show.

The show took a detour when Julie, the only non-celebrity in Bigg Boss, was evicted this week, much to the surprise of everybody. Unlike Oviyas exit, audiences and fans on social media were happy that Julie was kicked out. Haasan handled Julies eviction with such grace, and he was lauded for handling the whole situation as effortlessly as possible. While Haasan received brickbats in the beginning of the show as its host, over the weeks he has won over audiences and has proved why he is one of the finest artists of this country.

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A police officer was injured Sunday in an attack on a UN mission monitoring the disarming of FARC rebels in Colombia as part of the groups peace deal with the government, authorities said.

Assailants attacked the location where the FARC rebel group had a weapons stash in the southwestern town of Caloto, in Cauca department, according to police, who said a splinter group of the Marxist rebels or the smaller National Liberation Army (ELN) could have been behind the violence.

But Cauca police general Edgar Rodriguez said the ELN was to blame. The ELN is currently the only group fighting the Colombian government, though it is seeking to negotiate its own peace deal.

The United Nations said in a statement that a team of their observers, national police and former FARC rebels were ambushed in Caloto.

The disarmament, mainly in June, by the roughly 7,000 members of Colombias 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. It was signed last November.

The conflict left a quarter of a million Colombians dead, about 60,000 unaccounted for and seven million displaced.

The FARC was born in May 1964 from a peasants revolt. Its ranks were made up mostly of country dwellers who rallied behind the groups Marxist-Leninist ideology, with land reform its focus.
An Australian Navy survey ship has located a US military aircraft that crashed off the Australian northeast coast at the weekend and left three Marines missing, Defence Minister Marise Payne said on Monday.

The navy divers will conduct remotely operated underwater vehicle operations before considering sending down divers, Payne said in a statement.

The US Marine Corps had suspended a search for the three Marines missing since the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft crashed while on regular operations on Saturday.

The Marines have described the incident as a mishap and said it was under investigation.

Royal Australian Navy survey ship Melville arrived in Shoalwater Bay overnight, Payne said in the statement. Shortly after commencing survey operations in the area, the submerged aircraft was located.

The aircraft had taken off from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) amphibious assault ship and was on regular operations when it crashed, according to the Marine Corps.

Twenty-three other personnel aboard the aircraft were rescued.

The Marine Corps said earlier it had shifted from a search-and-rescue effort to a recovery operation, which could last several months.
Australias ruling party on Monday rejected a push to allow lawmakers to decide whether the country should recognize gay marriage, continuing a bitter political stalemate over the divisive reform.

The conservative Liberal Party-led coalition was narrowly re-elected in July 2016 with a promise to let voters decide whether Australia should recognize same-sex marriage through a popular vote. But the Senate would not allow the so-called plebiscite, which would have cost 160 million Australian dollars ($127 million), and the result could have been ignored by lawmakers when deciding how to vote on gay marriage legislation in Parliament.

Liberal Sen. Dean Smith, a gay man who opposed legalizing same-sex marriage when he was appointed to the Senate in 2012, has drafted a bill to allow gay marriage now and wants his fellow Liberal lawmakers to be allowed to vote on it according to their consciences rather than according to party policy.

Its time for the party to put the matter to rest once and for all, Smith told reporters before the meeting.

Supporters of same sex marriage carry banners and shout slogans as they gather on a street in Sydney on August 6, 2017. (AFP)

But a crisis meeting of Liberal lawmakers decided to try again to persuade the Senate to endorse the plebiscite before Parliament considers voting on legislation. The rejected plebiscite bill will be reintroduced to the Senate this week. Voting on the plebiscite would be compulsory and failure to vote would be punishable by a fine.

If the Senate again rejected it, the party would propose a voluntary postal plebiscite in which voters mail in their opinions instead of using ballot boxes as a cheaper option that would not need the Senate to approve the expense.

The seven lawmakers who spoke against the plebiscite at the meeting were outnumbered more than three-to-one by 27 colleagues who supported the 2-year-old policy.

Finding policy agreement on the issue is a test of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbulls authority over his fragile government, which holds a single-seat majority in the House of Representatives.

Lawmaker Andrew Broad had threatened to quit that government and predicted 16 of his colleagues in the Nationals party would follow if the Liberal Party opted to allow a parliamentary vote on gay marriage without a plebiscite.

It wont be me only, the whole show would blow up, Broad told the Sunraysia Daily newspaper.

So suddenly youd lose 16 lower house members in one bloc. Turnbulls leadership would become untenable and hed no longer be prime minister, Broad added.

Supporters of same sex marriage carry banners and shout slogans as they march in Sydney on August 6, 2017. (AFP)

Gay marriage campaigner Anna Brown said she had legal advice that the government could not conduct a postal plebiscite without Senate approval. She said her advocacy group The Equality Campaign would seek a High Court injunction to prevent any postal plebiscite.

The government needs to think very carefully before it expends up to AU$100 million of taxpayer dollars when it could resolve this issue in Parliament as soon as this week, Brown said.

Opinion polls show most Australians support gay marriage. But most of that support is soft, and gay-rights advocates are concerned that referendums rarely change the status quo in Australia.
An explosive device went off inside a truck in Lahore, the capital of Pakistans Punjab province, on Monday night, injuring at least 22 people, police said.

The blast happened at Bund road area, which is part of the route former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had finalised for his return to Lahore from Islamabad on Wednesday.

An official of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said Sharifs route in the city would be revised now.

Police and rescue officials have cordoned off the area.

A rescue official told PTI that an explosive device hidden inside the truck went off at around 9 pm local time. The kind of device and the explosives used were not yet known.

At least 22 people have been injured and shifted to hospitals. A minor girl is stated to be critical, he said.

DIG Haider Ashraf confirmed that it was a bomb blast.

The device was planted in the fruit truck, he said, adding a huge crater has developed at the site of the blast. We have launched investigation on all aspects, he said.

Azim Hanif, an eyewitness, said he was going to the parking stand in the area when a powerful blast took place.

Due the impact of the blast, I fell on the ground. After a couple of minutes when I gained my senses, I saw some people injured, Hanif said.

The explosion shattered the windows of nearby buildings. A number of bikes and cars were damaged due to its intensity.

Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan, has witnessed several terror attacks in recent months.

On July 24, a Taliban suicide bomber struck a police team near residence-cum-office of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif here, killing 27 people, including policemen.

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.
Brazilian police say a family of British tourists who made a wrong turn while traveling in a car outside Rio de Janeiro was shot at and a woman was wounded.

Civil police said Sunday that a couple and their three children were traveling in Angra dos Reis, a popular coastal vacation destination about 90 miles (150 kilometers) from the city. Authorities say a group approached the car and apparently told the family to get out and then opened fire.

A police statement says the woman was hit in the abdomen and was being treated at a hospital. It did not give her condition.

Police released no names or hometown.

Tourists in Brazil have occasionally been attacked when they accidentally stray into slums, which are often controlled by criminal gangs.
As the desi LGBT support organisation Sher Vancouver joined the Vancouver Pride Parade on Sunday, with its Pride of Bollywood float, they had a surprise guest join them on board and dance along:Canadas defence minister Harjit Sajjan.

While Sajjan has participated in pride parades earlier, this was possibly the first time he publicly joined the celebrations of an LGBT group from his community.

Obviously thrilled at this development, Sher Vancouvers founder Alex Sangha told the Hindustan Times: This is very important symbolically as hes a very senior federal cabinet minister. By doing this act in public, he has sent out the message that LGBTs of our community need to be treated with respect, dignity and equality. Its one thing for an activist like me to shout about this but its different when people in positions of power do that.

Sangha said, He has a lot of influence in our community, lot of people look up to him. When people like him stand up for us, other people are more likely to also support us.

Sajjans impromptu act came even as homosexuality remains a controversial subject within the Indo-Canadian community, including Sikhs.

Sajjan first started dancing to the beats on the street before leaping on to the float and joining those who were already on it. (Image courtesy: Sher Vancouver)

The interlude lasted about five minutes. Sajjan was marching with the Federal Liberal Party contingent at the Parade as the music blaring from the Bollywood float, with its mix of Hindi film songs, bhangra and fusion, attracted the attention of his family. Sajjan first started dancing to the beats on the street before leaping on to the float and joining those who were already on it, even as his security detail watched.

While Sher Vancouver had a Bollywood float regularly feature at the Vancouver Pride Parade between 2008 and 2012, that ceased after the tragic death of their then social coordinator January Marie Lapuz.

But as their group grew, younger people were increasingly interested in celebrating at the parade in ethnic style, Sangha pointed out . As a result, the Pride of Bollywood float returned this year.

It was a success, as Sangha said, We had to tell people to get off because we were afraid people would fall off.

The few danc steps that Sajjan showed off on the float could be a major stride for the Indo-Canadian, specially the Sikh, LGBT community. Hes really being a pioneer, helping us moving further ahead in our social justice work, Sangha said.

Sajjans open support matters because by doing so he is helping to break down barriers in our community. We thank him for that. He made our Pride, he added.

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Dubai A fire has struck a high-rise in the Dubai Marina for the third time in four days, forcing the evacuation of a beachfront hotel.

The Movenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach said on Twitter that the Monday morning fire was swiftly brought under control and that all hotel guests were evacuated safely. They were later allowed back inside.

Video posted online showed black smoke wafting from the building as guests and hotel employees streamed out past a swimming pool.

An intense fire broke out in the more than 1,100-foot-tall (335 meters) Torch Tower early Friday  the second such blaze to hit what is one of the worlds tallest residential skyscrapers.

Firefighters put out a small fire at the Tiger Tower across the street Sunday.
Googles new head of diversity has rejected an internal commentary from an employee who suggested women dont get ahead in tech jobs because of biological differences.

Danielle Brown, who was named a vice president at the search giant only a few weeks ago, says Google is unequivocal in our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success, according to a copy of her response obtained by technology news website Gizmodo.

The employee memo, titled Googles Ideological Echo Chamber, begins by saying that only honest discussion will address a lack of equity.

But it also asserts that women prefer jobs in social and artistic areas while more men may like coding because it requires systemizing, fuelling a smoldering debate about sexism in Silicon Valley.
The Jamaat-ud-Dawah, which the United States accuses of being a front for the anti-India Lashkar-e-Taiba that staged the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has entered politics by forming a new party, its members said on Monday.

The new Milli Muslim League party will follow the ideology of the JuD, which the US says is a front for the banned LeT and is run by Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 attacks that killed 166 people.

We have decided to make a new political party, so that Pakistan is made a real Islamic and welfare state, said Milli Muslim League president Saifullah Khalid.

Tabish Qayoum, a JuD activist who will work as spokesman for Milli Muslim League, said the group had filed registration papers for a new party with Pakistans electoral commission.

It is now the need of the hour to get your message to the grassroots, Qayoum told Reuters.

JuD officials have always denied the charity is a front for LeT, and tout the groups humanitarian work as an example of Islamic charity.

A poster for the new political party formed by Hafiz Saeeds Jamaat-ud-Dawah (Twitter)

Qayoum said Saeed, who missed the launch event as he remains under house arrest in Lahore, and other senior JuD figures are unlikely to be involved in the new party that will adhere to JuDs ideology.

We demand an immediate release of Hafiz Saeed. Once he is released we will seek his guidance and ask what role he wants in this political party, said party chief Khalid.

In the past, Saeed has often denounced democracy and the electoral process, saying it is not compatible with Islam.

The US has offered $10 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Saeed, who Reuters could not contact for comment.

But he has always denied involvement in the Mumbai attacks of 2008 that brought Pakistan and India to the brink of war.

In the attacks, 10 gunmen swarmed across targets, including two luxury hotels, a Jewish centre and a train station in a rampage that lasted several days.

Saeed has been under house arrest since January after years of living freely in Pakistan, one of the sore points in the countrys fraying relationship with the US.

The US state departments country report on terrorism for 2016 issued last month said the LeT and its wings continued to make use of economic resources and raise funds in Pakistan.

Ayesha Siddiqa, a security analyst, said the new party was designed to give militants better cover amid pressure from the international community on Pakistan to crack down on LeT and JuD.

The making of a party indicates the need of JuD to hide itself further so to avoid criticism, Siddiqa said.

Western countries have for decades accused Pakistan of harbouring Islamist militant groups and using them as proxies to project power in the region. Islamabad denies having such a policy.
Israel plans to revoke the media credentials of Al Jazeera TV journalists, close its Jerusalem bureau and pull the Qatar-based stations broadcasts from local cable and satellite providers, Communications Minister Ayoub Kara said on Sunday.

The closure did not appear imminent, however, and an Israeli official said a legal process was still required to implement most of the proposed steps.

The Israeli move adds further pressure on Qatar, which has been involved in a dispute with four of its Arab neighbours.

Kara said the measures were intended to bolster Israels security and to bring a situation that channels based in Israel will report objectively.

Al Jazeera said Karas comments were unsubstantiated and it would take all necessary legal measures if Israel acts on its threat.

Journalists working for the pan-Arab station in Israel said they did not expect imminent moves against them.

Al Jazeera Media Network denounces this decision, which comes in the context of a campaign that was initiated by a statement made earlier by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu... Al Jazeera said in a statement late on Sunday.

Last month, Netanyahu said he would work to shut the networks offices in Israel, accusing it of inciting violence in Jerusalem, including over an Old City site that is holy to both Muslims and Jews.

Kara said he would ask the Government Press Office to revoke the accreditation of Al Jazeeras journalists in Israel, where it has about 30 staff. Cable and satellite providers have expressed their willingness to turn off its broadcasts, he said.

Kara added that he had asked Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan to use his powers to close the stations offices in Israel, although a spokesman for Erdan said he doubted the minister had the authority to do so.

Our ministry is not the address. Try the police, spokesman Daniel Bar said.

Asked if shutting down Al Jazeeras operations would make Israel appear to oppose freedom of the press, an official close to the prime minister said the country accepted diverse opinions but not incitement.

The prime minister is not too pleased with the constant incitement that you see and hear on Al Jazeera, a lot of it in Arabic. There is a lot being broadcast on that channel that is frankly dangerous, the official said.

There is no shortage of free speech in this country. There are plenty of dissenting voices. In democratic countries there are also things that are unacceptable, and a lot of what Al Jazeera is saying and broadcasting falls into that category.

In his news conference, to which Al Jazeera was not invited, Kara said steps had to be taken against media, which has been determined by almost all Arab countries to actually be a supporter of terror, and we know this for certain.

We have identified media outlets that do not serve freedom of speech but endanger the security of Israels citizens, and the main instrument has been Al Jazeera, Kara said.

He was referring to recent violence in and around a Jerusalem site that is revered by Muslims and Jews in which six Palestinians and five Israelis, including two policemen, were killed.

Al Jazeera said in July that Israel was aligning itself with four Arab states - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain - that have severed diplomatic and commercial ties with Qatar.

The Foreign Press Association in Israel criticised the planned moves.

Changing the law in order to shut down a media organisation for political reasons is a slippery slope, association executive secretary Glenys Sugarman said.

Al Jazeera has also faced government censure in Egypt. In 2014, Egypt jailed three of the networks staffers for seven years and closed its offices. Two staffers have been released but a third remains imprisoned.
Jordans King Abdullah met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Monday for the first time in five years to discuss tensions at a Jerusalem holy site and wider political developments.

While the two leaders meet fairly frequently in Amman and other regional capitals, Abdullah has not visited Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, since December 2012.

The king flew in by helicopter, with the visit coordinated with Israeli authorities which control all entrance and exit points to the West Bank, including its 150-km border with Jordan and the airspace above.

The visit comes two weeks since a surge in violence in Jerusalem after Israel installed metal detectors at Muslim entrances to the Al Aqsa mosque compound, following the killing of two Israeli policemen.

The change in security led to days of protests and clashes between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli security forces before Israel, after consultations with Jordan, decided to remove the metal detectors and other measures.

Jordan's King Abdullah arrives for a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, at the Palestinian headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on August 7, 2017. (AP)

Jordan has been the custodian of Jerusalems Muslim holy sites since the 1920s. The compound, which sits on a tree-lined plateau in the Old City, is also revered by Jews, who call it Temple Mount, the site of two destroyed ancient Jewish temples.

We discussed all issues of mutual interest and we agreed to form a crisis committee that will continue contacts to evaluate what has happened, the lessons to be learned and the challenges we may face at Al Aqsa mosque, Palestinian foreign minister Reyad Al-Maliki told reporters after the meeting.

Jordan, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 and has growing, if little discussed, economic ties with its neighbour, often plays a mediating role in the region.

With a large percentage of Jordans population made up of Palestinians, and Jordan sharing a border with the West Bank, which the Palestinians want for their own state together with East Jerusalem and Gaza, its position is sensitive.

Maliki said Abbas and Abdullah also discussed US-led efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which have been suspended for the past three years, and stated that Israel must recognise the principle of a two-state solution and end provocative settlement activity that is designed to prevent the establishment of a viable, contiguous Palestinian state.

President Donald Trumps regional envoy, Jason Greenblatt, has made several trips to Amman, Ramallah and Jerusalem this year to try to find common ground and Maliki said US envoys were expected to visit again in the coming days but there is little sign of enthusiasm on anyones part to restart talks.

Abdullah is also playing a role in liaising with Egypt and others to see if long-standing differences between Abbass Western-backed Fatah party and the rival Hamas Islamist movement can be resolved and Maliki said the issue was discussed.

Hamas, which won the last parliamentary elections held in the Palestinian territories in 2005, seized full control of Gaza after a struggle with Fatah in 2007.

Over the past several months, Abbas, as head of the Palestinian Authority, has stepped up pressure on Hamas, cutting off salaries for civil servants in Gaza, limiting payments for electricity imports and some medicines.

The aim appears to be to oust Hamas from power, but there is little sign of that happening and efforts are being made by regional powers to resolve the internal fighting.
Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba will begin a five-day state visit to India on August 23, his first foreign trip after being elected to the post two months ago.

The visit, announced by the foreign ministry on Monday, comes against the backdrop of a nearly two-month military standoff between India and China. China has been making concerted efforts to woo Nepal and vice premier Wang Yang is scheduled to visit Kathmandu on August 14.

Nepals deputy prime minister and foreign minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara told a news conference that preparations are underway for Deubas visit and to set the agenda. Besides holding political talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and top leaders from ruling and opposition parties in New Delhi on August 24, Deuba will visit Bodh Gaya in Bihar and the Tirupati Balaji Temple in Andhra Pradesh.

We are working for some concrete outcomes during the visit, Mahara said.

Mahara also said that Nepal wants a peaceful resolution of the military standoff between India and China. Nepal does not want to be dragged into the boundary dispute between India and China, he said. Both of our big neighbours should maintain cordial relations through peaceful diplomacy and dialogue.

He added, We do not support to any of our neighbours in this case.

Indian and Chinese diplomats are regularly meeting Nepali officials and diplomats in Kathmandu, New Delhi and Beijing to get their support, but Nepal has been maintaining an equidistance on the issue.

We do not support any outcome that comes out of war, Mahara said, adding that there was no pressure on Nepal from India or China.

We have seen some media reports that Nepal is being dragged or (has) tilted to one side, which is wrong, he said. He unveiled an action plan of the foreign ministry, which stated that Nepal will strengthen and widen its foreign policy towards both its neighbours and push for a trilateral partnership with India and China.

Officials said further discussions on Deubas visit will be held after the conclusion of the BIMSTEC ministerial meeting to be held in Kathmandu on Friday. External affairs minister Sushma Swarajs visit to Kathmandu on Thursday is expected to set the tone of Deubas visit, they said.

The officials also indicated that Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankar is likely to travel to Nepal, probably after the visit of Wang Yang on August 14. Wang is leading a big team to Nepal, demonstrating Beijings efforts to woo Nepal amid the rivalry with India and the Doklam standoff.

The officials added they expected a wide range of bilateral issues to be discussed during the visit of Deuba, who had already made three officials trips to India in 1996, 2004 and 2005.

Some of the key issues are execution of the decade-old Mahakali Treaty, a memorandum of understanding on reconstruction projects in Nepal, expediting India-funded projects and several cross-border connectivity projects.
Pakistan's newly appointed foreign minister has said India was not responding positively to improve ties despite various overtures from Islamabad, and alleged New Delhi was conspiring with Washington to sabotage the Indus Water Treaty.

Pakistan has always wanted to have good relations with its neighbours, especially India and Afghanistan, but both countries were not giving any positive response to Pakistans initiatives for durable peace in the region, Khawaja Muhammad Asif told reporters at the PML-N House in Islamabad in his maiden press conference after taking charge.

He warned that Pakistans desire for peace and good relations with neighbours should not be construed as its weakness.

India was also supporting the conspiracies being hatched by Afghanistan against Pakistan in a bid to destabilise this country economically and politically, he alleged.

Its high time for both India and Afghanistan to come forward as good neighbours and give a positive response to Pakistans peace initiatives and end the blame game, he added.

The minister alleged that India and the United States were involved in an international conspiracy to sabotage the Indus Water Treaty, posing great danger to South Asia.

Pakistan had never been taken into confidence by the international community on all the clauses of the treaty, he claimed.

Asif said Pakistan had effectively taken up the stoppage of water by India into Pakistan with the World Bank which had been playing its role as a guarantor in the Indus Water Treaty. He said Pakistan wanted an amicable solution to the problem and was making sincere international efforts to resolve this issue.

The issue of construction of the controversial Kishanganga dam had almost been resolved by Pakistan and India about one-and-a-half years ago, but progress on it was halted due to suspension of further talks by India thrice afterwards, he said.

The foreign minister also blamed India for continuously violating the ceasefire accord by shelling the civilian population along the Line of Control.
North Korea vowed Monday to bolster its nuclear arsenal and launch thousands-fold revenge against the United States in response to tough UN sanctions imposed after its recent intercontinental ballistic missile launches.

The warning came two days after the UN Security Council unanimously approved new sanctions to punish North Korea, including a ban on coal and other exports worth over $1 billion. The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, called the US-drafted resolution the single largest economic sanctions package ever levelled against North Korea.

In a statement carried by state media, the North Korean government said the sanctions were a violent infringement of its sovereignty that was caused by a heinous US plot to isolate and stifle North Korea.

It said the UN sanctions will never force the country to negotiate over its nuclear program or to give up its push to strengthen its nuclear capability as long as US hostility and nuclear threats persist. The North said it will take an action of justice, but didnt elaborate.

Its a wild idea to think the DPRK will be shaken and change its position due to this kind of new sanctions formulated by hostile forces, said the statement, carried by the Norths official Korean Central News Agency. DPRK stands for the Norths official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

The Norths statement rhetorically expresses its anger against the U.N. sanctions, but the country is not likely to launch a direct provocation against the United States, said Lim Eul Chul, a North Korea expert at South Koreas Kyungnam University. He said the North could still carry out new missile tests or a sixth atomic bomb test in the coming months under its broader weapons development timetable.

North Korea test-launched two ICBMs last month as part of its efforts to possess a long-range missile capable of striking anywhere in the mainland US. Both missiles were fired at highly lofted angles and analysts say the weapons could reach parts of the United States including Alaska, Los Angeles and Chicago if fired at a normal, flattened trajectory.

The centerpiece of the UN sanctions is a ban on North Korean exports of coal, iron, lead and seafood products  and a ban on all countries importing those products, estimated to be worth over $1 billion a year in hard currency. The resolution also bans countries from giving any additional permits to North Korean laborers, another source of foreign currency for the North, and prohibits all new joint ventures with North Korean companies.

According to a Security Council diplomat, coal has been North Koreas largest export, earning $1.2 billion last year. It was then restricted by the Security Council in November to a maximum of $400 million. This year, Pyongyang is estimated to have earned $251 million from iron and iron ore exports, $113 million from lead and lead ore exports, and $295 million from fish and seafood exports, the diplomat said. The diplomat was not authorized to speak publicly and insisted on anonymity.

Analysts say that North Korea, already under numerous UN and other international sanctions, will feel some pains from the new UN sanctions but wont likely return to disarmament negotiations anytime soon because of them.

Lim, the North Korea expert, said the North will likely squeeze its ordinary citizens to help finance its nuclear and missile programs. Shin Beomchul of the Seoul-based Korea National Diplomatic Academy said the North wont likely return to disarmament talks unless China stops sending its annual, mostly free shipment of 500,000 tons of crude oil to North Korea and orders UN member states to deport the existing tens of thousands of North Korean workers dispatched abroad.
Ernst Zundel, a far-right activist who rose to notoriety over decades of public neo-Nazi activity in Canada and the U.S. before being deported back to his native Germany on Holocaust denial charges, has died. He was 78.

Marina Lahmann, a spokeswoman for the community of Bad Wildbad in Baden-Wuerttemberg where Zundel lived, told The Associated Press on Monday that Zundel died over the weekend. She had no further information, saying the paperwork had not yet been processed.

We can only confirm at the moment that he died, she said.

Media in Canada quoted a statement from his wife, Ingrid Zundel, saying that he died of a heart attack at his home on Sunday. His wife, who lives in the United States, told CTV news she had spoken to her husband just hours before he passed on and he was as optimistic and upbeat as ever.

Born in Germany in 1939, Zundel emigrated to Canada in 1958  allegedly to avoid German military service  and lived in Toronto and Montreal until 2001.

He achieved international notoriety for his neo-Nazi beliefs and writings, including The Hitler We Loved and Why, and operated Samisdat Publishers, a leading distributor of Nazi and Nazi-era propaganda. He also provided regular content for an eponymous far-right website.

Canadian officials rejected his attempts to obtain citizenship in 1966 and 1994.

After leaving Canada, he moved to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, where he had married fellow right-wing extremist Ingrid Rimland.

But in 2003 he was deported back to Canada for alleged immigration violations. After he arrived in Toronto, he was arrested and held in detention until a judge ruled in 2005 that his activities posed a threat to national and international security and he was deported to Germany, where he was being sought for Holocaust denial.

Denial of the Holocaust is illegal in Germany. Because Zundels Holocaust-denying website was available in Germany, he was considered to have been spreading his message to Germans.

Zundel, who portrayed himself as a peaceful campaigner being denied the right to free speech, was convicted in Mannheim in 2007 of 14 counts of inciting hatred for engaging in years of anti-Semitic activities and sentenced to five years in prison.

After serving his sentence, a crowd of some 20 supporters clapped and shouted bravo as he was released from prison in Mannheim in 2010.

Outside the prison, he refused to comment on his beliefs about the Holocaust, saying only its kind of a sad situation, theres a lot to say before adding Ill certainly be careful not to offend anyone and their draconian laws.
A man in Pakistans Punjab province has decapitated his 37-year-old wife for refusing his demand to quit her job, a media report said on Monday.

Nasreen, a mother of three and a resident of Shamke Bhattian, was found dead on Sunday by her children and neighbours in her house in Manga Mandi, 41 kilometres from Lahore, police said.

The forensic experts accompanying the police collected evidence from the crime scene, recorded statements of eyewitnesses and later shifted the body to the city morgue for an autopsy, Dawn news reported.

Initial investigation shows the woman was killed by her husband Afraheem in the name of honour, said Maher Mumtaz, Superintendent of Police Saddar Division.

He said the woman worked as a labourer in a factory in Raiwind area, but her husband did not like her job and would ask her to resign.

Despite opposition by her husband, Nasreen continued with her job, he added.

The official said quoting the deceased womans children that she was asleep when the husband allegedly attacked her with a chopper after locking the room.

He said after the suspect left the house, the children with the help of some neighbours opened the room and found the woman lying dead with her head severed, the report said.

The official said the hunt was on to arrest the husband.
The Donald Trump administration has yet to decide how to respond to Russias move to expel hundreds of American diplomats, but plans to deliver a response to Moscow by September 1, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday.

A day after sitting down in the Philippines with Russias top diplomat, Tillerson said he had asked clarifying questions about the Kremlins retaliation announced last month following new sanctions passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump.

The Trump administration has struggled to determine how the move will affect the US diplomatic presence in Russia, as well as the broader implications for the troubled relationship between the nuclear-armed powers.

Despite the Russian move, which seemed to plunge the two countries even further into acrimony, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emerged from the meeting declaring a readiness for more engagement with the US on North Korea, Syria and Ukraine, among other issues.

Tillerson broadly echoed that sentiment, saying the two countries had critical national security issues to discuss despite deep disagreements on some matters.

I dont think it is useful to just cut everything off on one single issue, Tillerson said following his first meeting with Lavrov since the new sanctions were imposed.

These are two very large countries and we should find places that we can work together, lets try to work together. Places we have our differences, were going to have to continue to find a way to address those.

Tillerson also said that Russia has been showing some willingness to start talking about a resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, devoid of real progress for years. That assessment came as Lavrov announced that the Trump administration had committed to sending its new special envoy for Ukraine negotiations, Kurt Volker, to Moscow to discuss next steps.

Yet several obstacles hang over any attempt to pursue a more functional US-Russia relationship: the new US sanctions, Russias retaliatory move to expel diplomats, and the ongoing US Justice Department investigation into Russias election meddling and potential Trump campaign collusion.

Fearing Trump might move inappropriately to ease sanctions on Russia, Congress last month passed new legislation that both added more sanctions and made it harder for the president to lift them. Trump and Tillerson opposed the legislation, but facing a likely veto override, Trump begrudgingly signed the bill.

Moscows response to the sanctions was to announce it would force the US to cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755 people. That move stoked confusion in Washington, given that the US is believed to have far fewer than 755 American employees in Russia.

Lavrov, describing his meeting with Tillerson, said Russia and the US had agreed to resume a high-level diplomatic channel that Moscow had suspended after a previous US move to tighten existing Russia sanctions.

We felt that our American counterparts need to keep the dialogue open, Lavrov said. Theres no alternative to that.

Trumps administration has argued theres good reason for the US to seek a more productive relationship. Tillerson has cited modest signs of progress in Syria, where the US and Russia recently brokered a ceasefire in the war-torn countrys southwest, as a sign theres fertile ground for cooperation.

The Syrian cease-fire reflected a return of US-Russia cooperation to lower violence there. The US had looked warily at a series of safe zones in Syria that Russia had negotiated along with Turkey and Iran  but not the US

Lavrov cited upcoming talks involving Russia, Iran and Turkey about how to ensure the truce in the last safe zone to be established, around the north-western city of Idlib. He predicted it will be difficult to hammer out the details but that compromise can be reached if all parties  including the US  use their influence in Syria to persuade armed groups there to comply.

Tillerson said Russian meddling in the election had created serious mistrust between our two countries. Although he and other Cabinet officials have maintained that position consistently, Trump has repeatedly questioned US intelligence about Moscows involvement while denying any collusion with his campaign.

Word that Volker, the Ukraine envoy, plans to visit the Russian capital was the latest sign that Washington was giving fresh attention to resolving the Ukraine conflict. The US cut military ties to Russia over Moscows annexation of Crimea and accuses the Kremlin of fomenting unrest in eastern Ukraine by arming, supporting and even directing pro-Russian separatists there who are fighting the Kiev government.

In recent days, the Trump administration has been considering providing lethal weaponry to Ukraine to help defend itself against Russian aggression.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, agreed to cooperate and apply maximum pressure on North Korea in a telephone call on Monday, as Chinese media warned of the limits of new UN sanctions.

The United Nations Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Saturday that could slash its $3 billion annual export revenue by a third.

The US-drafted resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood following Pyongyangs two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July.

It also prohibits countries from increasing the current numbers of North Korean labourers working abroad, bans new joint ventures with North Korea and any new investment in current joint ventures.

During the hour-long phone call, Moon and Trump said they would continue cooperating to rein in North Korea, particularly ahead of a regular joint military drill set for late in August, South Korean presidential office spokesman Park Su-hyun told a media briefing.

Moon was also cited as saying there was a need to show North Korea the door to dialogue is still open, should Pyongyang give up its nuclear programme.

In a separate statement, the White House said the two leaders affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world.

The leaders committed to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well, the White House said.

In a Titter post, Trump said he was very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on the sanctions.

Manila meetings

North Korea has accused the United States and South Korea of escalating tensions by conducting military drills. North and South Korea are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The standoff has been in focus at a weekend regional security forum in Manila. The South Korea and North Korean foreign ministers ran into each other on Sunday evening at a waiting zone for a gala dinner, according to a South Korean foreign ministry official.

They had a brief exchange where South Koreas Kang Kyung-wha asked the North to swiftly respond to the Souths proposals to improve ties with North Korea, the official said.

North Koreas foreign minister Ri Yong Ho momentarily paused then said Seouls proposals lack sincerity when South Korea is imposing sanctions on the North with the United States, the official added.

Key to the new UN sanctions will be China, with which North Korea does the vast majority of its trade.

China has said it is committed to fully enforcing sanctions, but that sanctions are not a lasting solution.

In a front page commentary on Monday, the overseas edition of the ruling Communist Partys official Peoples Daily said North Koreas open flouting of UN rules with its missile launches meant that it had to be punished, but sanctions had to be targetted.

Sanctions to the greatest possible extent must avoid causing negative impacts to ordinary people and to third countries, and avoid bringing disaster to the country in questions normal and legal trade and business exchanges with the outside world, peoples normal lives and the humanitarian situation, it wrote.

A precision blow is the essential part of sanctions.

China has also called for Washington and Seoul to help lower tensions by reining in their military activities and drills, and by withdrawing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system.

The influential Global Times, published by the Peoples Daily, said it an editorial that the United States needed to curb its moral arrogance over North Korea.

The West should be reminded to exercise restraint. If it believes it is only North Korea rather than the US and South Korea as well to blame for the nuclear issue, this ill-fitting mindset will not help solve the crisis, the strongly nationalist publication said.

The US should aim for peace and co-existence rather than geopolitical dominance.
When 82-year-old Masako Wakamiya first began working she still used an abacus for maths -- today she is one of the worlds oldest iPhone app developers, a trailblazer in making smartphones accessible for the elderly.

Frustrated by the lack of interest from the tech industry in engaging older people, she taught herself to code and set about doing it herself.

The over 60s, she insists, need to actively search out new skills to stay nimble.

As you age, you lose many things: your husband, your job, your hair, your eyesight. The minuses are quite numerous. But when you learn something new, whether it be programming or the piano, it is a plus, its motivating, she says.

Once youve achieved your professional life, you should return to school. In the era of the internet, if you stop learning, it has consequences for your daily life, Wakamiya explains during an AFP interview at her home near Tokyo.

A commemorative photo with Apple CEO Tim Cook at the home of 82-year-old programmer Masako Wakamiya in Fujisawa in Kanagawa prefecture of Japan. (AFP)

She became interested in computers in the 1990s when she retired from her job as a bank clerk. It took her months to set up her first system, beginning with BBS messaging, a precursor to the internet, before building her skills on a Microsoft PC, and then Apples Mac and iPhones.

She asked software developers to come up with more for the elderly, but a repeated lack of response led her to take matters into her own hands.

Wakamiya learned the basics of coding and developed Hinadan one of Japans first dedicated app games for the over-60s -- she is now in such demand that this year Apple invited her to participate at their prestigious Worldwide Developers Conference, where she was the oldest app creator to take part.

Source of inspiration

Hinadan -- the doll staircase -- was inspired by the Hina Matsuri, a doll festival which takes place every March, where ornamental dolls representing the emperor, his family and their guests are displayed in a specific arrangement.

In Wakamiyas app, users have to put them in the correct positions -- a task which is harder than it sounds, requiring memorisation of the complex arrangements.

The app, which is currently only available in Japanese, has been downloaded 42,000 times with hundreds of positive comments from users.

Masako Wakamiya at her home in Fujisawa in Kanagawa prefecture. (AFP)

And while these figures are relatively small compared to Japans big-hitting apps which are downloaded in their millions, Hinadan has proved popular enough that Wakamiya plans to release English, Chinese and possibly French versions of the app before next years festival.

Its success has propelled her on to the tech world stage, despite the industrys reputation for being notoriously ageist

In Silicon Valley, workers in their 40s are considered old by some firms and according to media reports citing research firm Payscale, the median age for an employee at Facebook is 29 and at Apple is 31.

But international tech firms and start-ups are slowly waking up to the economic potential of providing for silver surfers, and Wakamiya has already met with Apples chief executive Tim Cook.

Wakamiya recalls: He asked me what I had done to make sure that older people could use the app. I explained that Id thought about this in my programming -- recognising that older people lose their hearing and eyesight, and their fingers might not work so well.

Mr Cook complimented me, she says proudly, adding that he had hailed her as a source of inspiration.

No time for sickness

Wakamiya concedes that she finds writing lines of code is difficult but has a voracious appetite to learn more.

I want to really understand the fundamentals of programming, because at the moment I only learned the elements necessary for creating Hinadan, she explains.

More than a quarter of Japans population is aged 65 and above, and this is projected to rise to 40 percent by 2055. The government is struggling to ensure its population remains active and healthy -- and so also see the dynamic octogenarian as an inspiration.

I would like to see all Japanese elderly people have the same motivation, one official told AFP.

Wakamiya says her ultimate goal is to come up with other apps that can entertain older people and help transmit to young people the culture and traditions we old people possess.

Most old people have abandoned the idea of learning, but the fact that some are starting (again) is not only good for them but for the countrys economy, said Wakamiya, who took up the piano at 75.

Hinting that her good health is down to an active mind and busy life, she adds: I am so busy everyday that I have no time to look for diseases.
Two US envoys arrive in the Gulf region this week to meet with officials there to help resolve a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and four other Arab countries that has lasted for more than two months, a state department official said on Monday.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing Qatar of backing terrorism. Qatar denies that it supports terrorism and there has been no clear sign of a resolution to the diplomatic dispute.

Timothy Lenderking, the US deputy assistant secretary of state for Gulf affairs, and retired US Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni are in the Gulf region this week to engage with the parties involved and support the government of Kuwaits mediation efforts, a state department official said on condition of anonymity.

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson, whose own trip to the Gulf in July resulted in a US-Qatari accord on combating terrorism financing but no major breakthrough in the dispute, announced Zinni and Lenderkings mission last week.

Zinnis presence would help maintain a constant pressure on the ground, because I think thats what its going to take, Tillerson told reporters last week. Theres only so much you can do with telephone persuasion. But we are committed to see this disagreement resolved, restore Gulf unity, because we think its important to the long-term effort to defeat terrorism in the region.

Zinni, who has not been given any formal role as a US envoy to the countries involved in the dispute, served as commander of US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East. Following his military career he served as the US special envoy to Israel and the Palestinian Authority during the George W Bush administration.

From 2009 to 2012, Zinni was chairman of BAE Systems, the worlds third-largest defence contractor, which has substantial operations in Saudi Arabia. He is now chairman of The Spectrum Group, which lobbies the US government on behalf of the defence and other industries.

The diplomatic rift is the worst dispute in decades among the US-allied Gulf Arab states, and came just days after President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia and touted US-Arab unity in fighting terrorism finance and Irans agenda in the region.
A video of a police officer in Campbell, California, pointing a gun at a passenger for a whole nine minutes during a traffic stop is going viral, provoking mixed reactions on social media.

The video, posted by user Feo Mas on Facebook in July, shows the passenger getting into an argument with the cop to lower the gun.

In the video, the passenger can be heard telling the officer,Why are you still pointing the gun at me, bro? My hands are right here. Get the f****** gun out of my face. The driver of the car, a woman, can be heard asking the officer, Is this really necessary?

The police officer repeatedly tells the man to relax, but does not lower the weapon for the entire 9-minute exchange. The video has more than 1.9 million views and has been shared m ore than 19k times.

According to the Campbell police department, the car was stopped for overspeeding. The police officer went back to his motorcycle to write a citation since the passengers could not find their paperwork. The police version of the events states that the officer only pulled out the gun when the man reached under his seat for something.

The passenger in the car, however, maintains that he reached under the seat for the paperwork.

As the video started going viral, it drew sharp, but divergent reactions on social media. Many commentators critcised what they saw as an overreaction from the police officer. This cop needs to resign and go fine a job that he can do without pointing a gun at someone, wrote one Facebook user.

Other users, however, criticised the passenger, pointing out that he aggravated the situation with his swearing and arguing. No need to reach under the seat and get the cop excited. Just sit there and nothing would have happened. One more thing, dont argue with the cop ok, said one commentator.

A lengthy statement from the Campbell police department stated that the dispute was resolved amicably, and the driver and passenger were let off with a citation. We understand that it is never a comfortable position to have a gun pointed at you, regardless of whether it is a police officer. Unfortunately, the length of time that the officers gun was drawn lasted much longer than normal based on his location. If this same situation would have occurred closer to back-up officers, it would most likely have been resolved much sooner, says the statement.
A German couple received lengthy jail sentences Friday for brutally raping and killing a Chinese student in eastern Germany, in a crime that caused outrage in both countries.

The court in the city of Dessau found that the 21-year- old defendants, named only as Sebastian F. and Xenia I., lured the 25-year-old architecture student to an empty apartment in May last year, DPA news agency reported. They submitted their victim to a horrific ordeal that led to her death.

Presiding judge Uda Schmidt called the case an incomprehensible crime, handing down a life sentence to Sebastian F., meaning at least 15 years in prison, and a juvenile sentence of five years and six months to his partner at the time, who is the mother of three children.

The two defendants, who sat impassively as the verdict was read out, were also ordered to pay a total of 60,000 euros ($71,300) for the pain and suffering of the victims parents, who were co-plaintiffs in the case.

Schmidt said the pairs sole motive had been to fulfil a sadistic sexual fantasy.

After trapping her in the flat, the pair repeatedly sexually assaulted the woman, leaving her with such severe injuries that they assumed she would die, the court found.

When the couple returned hours later and found the victim, identified in media reports as Li Yangjie, still alive, they carried the severely injured woman away and abandoned her in underbrush.

After friends in Germany and China alerted the authorities that she was missing, police organised a search for the woman, who was from the eastern province of Henan. Her corpse was found two days later.

An autopsy found she had suffered blows to the head, torso and extremities.

After news of the murder spread, hundreds of Chinese students and local residents held a rally in Lis memory to demand justice.

The couple was arrested two weeks after the crime and went on trial last November.

Xenia I. had admitted in testimony that she had lured the young woman, who was jogging in town, to the empty flat under false pretences and was present while Sebastian F. raped her.

But she denied taking part in the abuse that led to the students death.

Beyond the shock at the brutality of the crime, the case also caused controversy in Germany and China because the mother and stepfather of Sebastian F. are both police officers.

Sebastian F. is also accused of at least one further rape committed in the summer of 2013 in Dessau which only came to light in the course of the investigation.
Portland has historically never been a big hip hop city. Even Seattle, its closest neighbor to the north, has Sir Mix-a-Lot, Macklemore, Shabazz Palaces, and beneath them, an underground community thats thrived for years. Portland has, if anything, a fraction of that. Beyond the lack of recognizable names, the rap scene is also hindered by Portlands racist and discriminatory policies. The Portland police and the city have continuously shut down hip-hop clubs, one Portland rapper told Noisey four years ago, and since then, it hasnt gotten much better. Based on personal experience, pat-downs and metal detectors are regularities at Portland rap concerts, but attend a show of a different genre at the same venue, and odds are that bag inspection is the only security measure. Almost exactly a year ago, Portland Publics Schools attempted to ban school bus drivers from playing rap stations. This shit runs deep.

Thats why its amazing to see Amine flourishing. Even when all he had to his name was a radio hit in Caroline, the 503-repping rapper was something of a miracle, quite literally the first Portland rapper to get national pop success. If he had only ever panned out to be a one-hit-wonder, hed still be an icon, but his debut album proves that hes got more to offer, even if he still seems to be in the preliminary stages of finding an original sound.

The cheerful, sex-obsessed Caroline sets the tone for Good For You, most of which reflects the bright yellow that appears on the cover and is referenced in many of Amines lyrics. On opener Veggies, a sweeping, symphonic intro gives way to the same choppy funk that fueled his hit single, as well as a joke about being blunt about wanting to fuck Emily Blunt. Yes, its a little goofy, and no, it doesnt come close to justifying Amines assertion on the same song that hes Andres prodigy, but already after one song, weve already seen him effortlessly switch between two distinct moods.

For the most part, Good For You can be divided between those two distinct tones: the fun, upbeat, playfully irreverent side, and the more wistful-sounding, introspective, freewheeling one. This split is often displayed, as it is on Veggies, in the same song, and far from being disjointed or distracting, its actually the best illustration of Amines skill. The way Spice Girl quickly transitions from a breezy, romantic instrumental intro into a happy-go-lucky Nintendo synth/flute duet catches you off guard, as does the similar move pulled on Beach Boy. That balance shows depth that most artists dont have on their first albums the only problem is that despite the well-balanced mix of sounds, those sounds are pretty derivative of other dominant pop-minded rap and R&B of the moment.

The chunky, neon-toned schoolyard chant-styled Spice Girl, Wedding Crashers, and Beach Boy all owe something to recent hits like Kodak Blacks Patty Cake, DRAM and Lil Yachtys Broccoli, and more than anything, DRAMs Cha Cha (the last of which is surprisingly proving to be one of the most influential songs of the last five years, even after the Hotline Bling dust has settled). This budding style may just be a genre of its own at this point, but when its appeal is based on novel sound effects and rudimentary (but fun!) melodies, it doesnt offer much room for improvement or new ideas.

Then theres the looming presence of Frank Ocean, whose last two albums inform a ton of Good For You. The echoey ad-libs of Hero are straight out of Skyline To, the drumless, backwards-guitar-led passages on Turf are definitely Blonde-inspired, the piano-led Beach Boy intro is almost a dead ringer for Endlesss Alabama then theres the fact that Amine, coincidentally or not, named his most crossover-ready EDM song Slide. Malay, a producer whos worked on most of Oceans material, is a telltale presence on Turf and Dakota. Every sane human being has had Blonde and Endless on repeat for the past year, but Amine leans into his love for the albums a little too overtly to avoid parts of Good For You coming off as a genre of post-Blonde R&B, as a few tracks on Brockhamptons Saturation did earlier this summer.

The core of Amines soul, and what will ensure that he lasts longer than a single song or albums success, lies in middle-to-late album highlights like Sundays, Turf, and Money. These songs address religion, gentrification, and materialism with wisdom far beyond his 23 years. When hes bouncing around pop tracks like Dakota, hes liable to drops clunkers like Patch me up quick with a stitch like Lilo or Groupies fanning out like Dakota, but when more meditative, hell fall into a groove and come up with some profound wordplay like N****s will either end up at Heaven or at Kevins gates.

This side of Amine thats hyper-cognizant of social justice issues has popped up in the past, such as a post-election performance of Caroline that included a new, anti-Trump verse, or the video for non-album track REDMERCEDES, in which he and some friends put on whiteface and skewer whites who try to act black. Especially on Turf, he shares the story of how all of this racism plays out more subtly, but no less harmfully (Saying you aint racist really sound racist), in Portland, which to date is an unexplored tale in hip hop. As he made clear on Caroline, Amine is really fucking good at making infectious singalong tracks, but as time goes on, he might prove even better as a crucial social critic.
Inglewoods Skeme drops his latest project 1st Notice today. Even though he dropped the London Jae assisted Red Coupe earlier this year, its still his first project since 2016s Paranoia. Although it only runs four tracks deep, its a condensed listen. Skeme holds it down on his own with no features on the project, however he did get note-worthy producers on the project. 1st Notice has production from Pierre Bourne, Bink! as well as his long-time collaborator and mixtape OG, Don Cannon and Warner Chappell new signee, Reazy Renegade.

For those who have been waiting for a new Skeme project to drop, this project wont disappoint. Hes still dropping gems over excellent production choices and providing the streets what they want. 1st Notice is definitely a tape youll be wanting to have on repeat.
The Rolling Stones guitarist has revealed how he was prepared to say an emotional goodbye to his young family after he was diagnosed last year with lung cancer.

And Ronnie Wood believes its nothing short of a miracle that hes been now given a clean bill of health following his battle with cancer.

Did I think Id ever make it to see this? Hell no! Someone up there must like me. And luckily someone down here likes me too, he revealed in an interview with the UK edition of the Sunday Mail yesterday

There was a week when everything hung in the balance and it could have been curtains  time to say goodbye. You never know what is going to happen.

Ironically, Ronnie had only given up smoking shortly before doctors told him he had lung cancer. He had packed it in only a mere week before his one-year-old twin daughters came into the world. I had this thought at the back of my mind after I gave up smoking a year ago: How can I have got through 50 years of chain-smoking  and all the rest of my bad habits  without something going on in there?

When he was told that it was lung cancer, Ronnie said he was prepared to die rather than endure the hell of chemo. I made up my mind that if it had spread I wasnt going to go through chemo, I wasnt going to use that bayonet in my body.

But thankfully he was told by doctors that he didnt need to have chemo. They came back with the news that it hadnt spread and I said, Lets get it out now. Just before I closed my eyes for the operation I looked at the doctor and said, Let battle commence.

It was a battle he won. Im OK now. But Im going to have a check-up every three months. They caught it early. People have to get checked. Seriously have to get checked. I was bloody lucky but then Ive always had a very strong guardian angel looking out for me. By rights I shouldnt be here.

After decades of hard partying, Wood says his only vice these days is a can of fizzy Cola.


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AUSTIN - Gov. Greg Abbott has dozens of new companies to add to his enemies list.

Houston's most important and prestigious firms have sent him an open letter calling his plans to humiliate transgender people, by requiring them to use public restrooms that match their birth certificates, a clear and present danger to the Texas economy.

"We support diversity and inclusion, and we believe that any such bill risks harming Texas' reputation and impacting the state's economic growth and ability to create new jobs," the letter said. "We appreciate your leadership in Texas and urge you to avoid any actions, including the passage of any 'bathroom bill,' that would threaten our continued growth."

Who are these immoral liberal weirdos who signed the letter?

Jeff Shellebarger, president, Chevron North America E&P and chair of the Greater Houston Partnership.

Ryan Lance, chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips.

Bruce Culpepper, president of Shell Oil Co.

Linda DuCharme, president of ExxonMobil Global Services Co.

Jeffrey A. Miller, president and CEO of Halliburton.

Steve Stephens, CEO of Amegy Bank.

Tom Ryan, chairman and CEO of Service Corporation International.

Lisa Davis, CEO for Global Energy at Siemens.

Bobby Tudor, chairman and Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.

Welcome Wilson, Sr., chairman at GSL Welcome Group.

Not exactly a rogues' gallery, they are the elite of Houston's business community and just a small sampling of the more than 50 major employers that signed the letter.

In a previous column, I wrote about the dozens of Dallas employers who oppose a bathroom bill. But since then, dozens more from Austin and San Antonio have also written to Abbott and the leaders of the Texas Legislature, urging them to drop this misguided pandering to a small number of Republican primary voters.

They include Frito-Lay North America-PepsiCo, Baker Hughes, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Lyft, Neiman Marcus, Uber, Bain and Co., and PayPal.

At the beginning of the special session, Abbott promised to publish a list of those who oppose his legislation. Turns out he can also add the state's top cops to the list, including Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, Harris County Sheriff's Assistant Chief Debra Schmidt, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley and El Paso Chief Deputy Sheriff Sylvia Aguilar.

"It's bad law," Acevedo said. "It's bad political theater. And at the end of the day, it is bad for Texas."

And lest anyone think the religious community is united in support of the bathroom bill, Abbott gets to add 200 clerics and religious leaders on his naughty list too, following a religious opposition rally last week.

Abbott should also add most Texas Republicans, according to a Texas Association of Business poll of 1,500 Republican primary voters, which found only 26 percent support the measure.

"Texas business has long opposed the bathroom bill because it is unnecessary and will have significant negative economic impact on Texas," Jeff Moseley, CEO of the Texas Association of Business, said. "The significance of these surveys, is the voice of individual Republican primary voters echoing the business perspective with over 60 percent of the opposing respondents saying that the bill is unnecessary and distracts from the real issues facing Texas today."

Does any of this matter to Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, the Republican from Brenham who carried the bill? No, instead she employs the same "protect the womenfolk" tactic used to stoke fears of black men during Texas' dark days of segregation and lynching.

"I pick daughters over dollars," Kolkhorst said, as if only her supporters love their children.

Kolkhorst and her ilk at the Capitol can't find a single valid justification for the bathroom bill other than unrealized, irrational fear of society's most marginalized people. Transgender men and women are the ones who are physically abused, discriminated against and denied employment, but Kolkhorst's bill does nothing to protect them.

Frankly, I'd rather not spend time railing against the bathroom bill, nor would any of these true Texas leaders who signed these letters. But Abbott, Kolkhorst and their ringleader, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, are willing to risk the state's economic future to distract from the state's real problems.

Texans need an overhaul of the tax system to spur economic development. They need schools that will prepare Texas children to succeed in a more complex and technically-advanced world. We need good roads, bridges and high-tech infrastructure to attract the businesses of the future.

Come to think of it, Texans should keep their own lists of politicians who are solving the state's problems, and those who are creating trouble where there was none.

Abbott, Patrick and Kolkhorst have proved more interested in promoting their political careers than making Texas a greater place to do business.
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AUSTIN - Business at Texas German Autohaus has dropped off over the last three years following the collapse of oil prices, but that hasn't stopped the taxes it has to pay from doubling.

The repair shop's problem is that Texas taxes property, not income, and its location on Edloe Steet is more valuable than ever.

"Property taxes are out of control," said Hans Richter, who with a partner bought the lot in 1994. "When taxes grow faster than the economy, that's not sustainable."

Lawmakers have placed limits on how fast taxes can rise on senior citizens and homeowners, but there are no protections for businesses. As a result, the burden has shifted onto businesses, which have seen tax bills skyrocket.

"The man hearing my appeal at the appraisal office said I should just sell the land and move my business," Richter said. "But I would have to move so far away that I would lose all of my customers."

Property taxes are why so many historic small businesses end up shuttering, not because they don't make money, but because taxes are going up too fast.

"Our property tax on business is much worse than what it is in other states," said Dale Craymer, president of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association. "We think the only effective way to control the amount of property taxes that people pay is to control the total levy."

Gov. Greg Abbott has asked the Texas Legislature to limit how fast cities and counties can increase property taxes without a referendum. Currently the limit is 8 percent, and several Republican-sponsored bills propose lowering it to between 4 percent and 6 percent.

Democrats and local officials oppose raising the maximum rate because it would force them to get permission from a weary electorate to raise taxes for critical needs. But allowing property taxes to keep growing is unacceptable.

The problem with the Republican proposal is that it does not lower taxes, it only limits their growth. And the proposed legislation only addresses property taxes imposed by cities, counties and special purpose districts, which only account for 45 percent of the bill.

The Legislature is doing nothing to limit school district property taxes, which account for the other 55 percent of the tax bill. Lawmakers instead are counting on school districts to collect more tax revenue so they don't have to allocate as much from the state budget.

What Texans really need is a property tax cut.

"The only reasonable way the state has of cutting property taxes is by tackling school finance and to substitute state dollars for local dollars," Craymer said.

This is where a doomed proposal by state Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Kerrville, gets interesting. His HB 285 would eliminate the property tax levied by schools for maintenance and operations and pay for schools using the state sales tax, which is currently 6.25 percent.

The proposal would cut property taxes in half but raise the state sales tax to 12 percent. Local authorities could still add on another 2 percent as they do now. So Texans in most cities would have to pay a 14 percent sales tax. The highest state sales tax rate in the country, by the way, is California's at 7.25 percent.

That sales tax rate is outrageous, but Texas' fundamental problem is that state finances rest on a two-legged stool. Most states have a three-legged stool that includes a tax on income.

Imposing three taxes is wiser because they balance the tax burden between those who make a lot, own a lot and spend a lot. Today most of the tax burden falls on people who make capital investments, and the average Texans who spend a larger portion of their income in stores than wealthy people.

High earners can avoid paying state taxes if they avoid real estate investments in Texas and minimize spending here.

Most Texans, though, are proud that we don't have an income tax. They believe the myth that Texas is a low tax state despite paying crazy-high property taxes. But as those taxes rise, they are beginning to see how the current system benefits some groups while punishing others.

"If you are a manufacturing plant, then Texas is not a great place for you to invest because you get to pay all of those property taxes," Craymer said. "If you are a law firm, Texas is a great place because you're not going to have that big of a property tax bill ... and you're also not going to pay a personal income tax."

Lawmakers are trying to gauge how much longer will Texans put up with the current property tax system, and how they might feel about paying a higher sales tax in exchange for a property tax cut.

The conversation we need to have is how to introduce a smart income tax that would not raise revenues, but better balance the tax burden and spur economic development. Unfortunately, that's a politically impossible proposal at the moment, and sadly, Texans will suffer as a result.
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Soon the smell of freshly roasted chile peppers will be filling the air in Houston. Yes, it's that time of year when green chile hailing from Hatch, N.M., makes its way into the city prompting foodies to think about familiar and creative ways to employ the verdant peppers.

While supermarkets and grocery stores throughout Houston will be roasting and selling Hatch chiles, Central Market has turned the harvest into an annual festival with store sampling, cooking classes, and Hatch products are offered to chile-loving shoppers. The store, 3815 Westheimer, also carries dozens of products made with Hatch chile. Recipe cards can be found throughout the store which will mark its 22nd annual Hatch Chile Festival Wednesday-Aug. 22.

Central Market buys more Hatch chile than any other retailer in Texas. More than 330,000 pounds of Hatch chile will make its way to nine Central Market stores in Texas during the chile festival. In Houston, the store will celebrate the lighting of the chile roasters and a store stroll at 5 p.m. Thursday.

For information on Hatch-themed cooking classes and other festival events, see centralmarket.com.

***

Hatch Picadillo

Recipes courtesy Central Market

Makes 6-8 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 pounds ground beef

1 onion finely diced

3 cloves garlic minced

1 pound mushrooms small diced

1 pound tomatoes small diced

1 8-ounce can tomato sauce

2 red bell pepper seeded and small diced

1 Hatch chile pepper (or more to your taste) small diced

1 cup raisins

3 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon ground chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup pecans toasted, chopped

2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Instructions: Saute the beef and onions in oil until onions are soft and beef is browned.

Add garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato sauce, red bell peppers, Hatch chile pepper, raisins, and vinegar. Stir well and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add salt, honey, and spices. Simmer for an additional 15-30 minutes.

Add pecans and serve warm. Garnish with cilantro.

***

Hatch Green Chile Biscuits with Jalapeno Cheese

Makes 12 biscuits

Biscuits:

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

 teaspoon cayenne pepper

 cup unsalted butter chilled and cut into small pieces

3 cup buttermilk

 cup Hatch chiles chopped

Parchment paper

Jalapeno Cheese:

1 pound Central Market Pam's Pimiento Cheese (or your own pimento cheese)

2 fresh jalapenos seeded and finely diced

Instructions: To make biscuits: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and cayenne pepper into a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse 5 or 6 times until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Return dough to bowl, add the buttermilk and the chiles and stir with a fork until the mixture forms a ball.

Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and pat it down into a rough rectangle, about an inch thick. Food it over and gently pat it down again.

Repeat. Cover the dough loosely with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes. Gently pat out the dough some more, so that the rectangle is roughly 10 inches by 6 inches.

Cut dough into biscuits using a floured glass or biscuit cutter. Do not twist cutter when cutting; this crimps the edges of the biscuit and impedes its rise.

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

To make jalapeno cheese: Combine the pimiento cheese and jalapeno chiles in a bowl and mix well. Chill, covered, for 30 minutes or for up to 1 day.

***

Hatch Chile Chicken Pasta

Makes 6 servings

2 cups Central Market Hatch Pesto (available in store)

1 cup heavy cream

1 package linguine (1 pound)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line large baking sheet with foil and lay out chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Bake chicken for 20 minutes.

In large pot, bring water to boil for pasta. Cook pasta to al dente and drain.

In large saucepan, bring pesto and cream to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer on low, continuing to stir.

Cube chicken, add to sauce, and serve on top of pasta. Garnish with chives.
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Detectives are searching for a man believed to have killed a 17-year-old near Willis early Sunday morning.

Montgomery County Sheriff's Office investigators are looking for Joshua Lee Villagomez, 22, who is accused of stabbing Johnny Leon Hodum Jr. in the 11400 block of Underwood Street in the Walnut Cove neighborhood off Calvary Road. Hodum was found in the back seat of a vehicle at that address with a stab wound.

Medics rushed him to Conroe Regional Medical Center where he later died.

Detectives identified Villagomez as the suspect, and a judge signed off on an arrest warrant. He is described as a white male, standing 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing approximately 160 pounds. He has dark hair and a tattoo of a rosary with a teardrop on his left cheekbone.

He is considered armed and dangerous.

If located, please contact the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office at 936-760-5800, or Montgomery County Crime Stoppers at 800-392-STOP (7867) and refer to case 17A232574.
It is standard advice for consumers: If you are prescribed a medicine, always ask if there is a cheaper generic.

Nathan Taylor, a 3-D animator who lives in Tomball, has tried to do that with all his medications. But when he fills his monthly prescription for Adderall XR to treat his attention-deficit disorder, his insurance company refuses to cover the generic. Instead, he must make a copayment of $90 a month for the brand-name version. By comparison, he pays $10 or less each month for the five generic medications he also takes.

"It just befuddles me that they would do that," said Taylor, 41.

A spokesman for his insurer, Humana, did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls requesting comment.

With each visit to the pharmacy, Taylor enters the upside-down world of prescription drugs, where conventional wisdom about how to lower drug costs is often wrong.

Consumers have grown accustomed to being told by insurers - and middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers - that they must give up their brand-name drugs in favor of cheaper generics. But some are finding the opposite is true, as pharmaceutical companies squeeze the last profits from products that are facing cheaper generic competition.

Out of public view, corporations are cutting deals that give consumers little choice but to buy brand-name drugs - and sometimes pay more at the pharmacy counter than they would for generics.

The practice is not easy to track, and has been going on sporadically for years. But several clues suggest it is becoming more common.

The continued success of the brand-name drug Adderall XR, long after generic competitors arrived on the market, is a case in point.

Dr. Lawrence Diller, a behavioral pediatrician in Walnut Creek, Calif., said he began noticing "very odd things" going on with Adderall XR and other attention-deficit drugs about two years ago. He began receiving faxes from pharmacies telling him that he had to specify that patients required brand-name versions of the drugs.

He had been practicing for 40 years, but until then had never had a pharmacy tell him that he had to prescribe a brand-name drug instead of a generic.

"It's Alice-in-Wonderland time in the drug world," he said.

Exemption may be sought

Some insurers require members to have prescriptions filled with brand-name drugs and do not charge them more than for generics. But 29 percent of Americans with health insurance paid for by their employer have a high-deductible insurance plan. They acutely feel the cost difference between branded and generic drugs because they often have to pick up the full sticker price of medications until they have paid out thousands of dollars.

Naomi Freundlich, a Brooklyn writer, had been buying the generic version of Adderall XR for two years to treat her son's attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Her family had a $3,000 annual deductible, and the relatively lower price helped keep medical costs down.

Then, in 2014, her pharmacist told her that her insurance plan would cover only the brand-name drug, which cost her family some $50 more a month than the generic. If she paid for the generic herself, it would not have counted toward her deductible. Freundlich complained to her insurer, UnitedHealthcare but could not get a clear answer.

UnitedHealthcare has continued to favor Adderall XR and certain other brand-name drugs over generics, according to claims provided by independent pharmacists and reviewed by ProPublica and the New York Times. The insurer also recently told health providers that it preferred Remicade, the expensive rheumatoid arthritis drug made by Johnson & Johnson, over biosimilars that have a lower list price and are just beginning to come on the market.

A spokesman for UnitedHealthcare, Matthew N. Wiggin, said the insurer does at times prefer brand-name drugs. "By providing access to these drugs at a lower cost, we are able to improve affordability for our customers and members," he said in an email.

Asked whether consumers sometimes ended up paying more because of these choices, he said pharmacies and doctors could seek an exemption from the insurer if they wanted the generic instead. Several patients said they had not been told of that option.

Consumers in the dark

Shire, the maker of Adderall XR, and some other brand-name drug manufacturers are no longer content to allow sales of their products to plummet when generic competitors arrive on the market. Instead, they are negotiating deals with insurers and pharmacy benefit managers to give priority to their versions. Consumers are given no details about these deals.

A Shire spokeswoman said the company had been able to hold on to market share for Adderall XR by offering insurers and government programs prices that are competitive with those of generic manufacturers.

Adderall XR, the long-acting version of Shire's popular treatment Adderall, had for years been the company's top-selling product, bringing in $1.1 billion in sales in 2008, about one-third of its revenue that year.

But mindful that its blockbuster could soon face generic competition, Shire acted aggressively to protect its franchise.

First, in the mid-2000s, Shire sued generic drug companies to block them from bringing cheaper copies to the market, alleging patent infringement. Then, it made deals with two makers of generic drugs to sell authorized copies of its drug. Those agreements soured after the two companies accused Shire of not playing fair by failing to supply them with enough pills to compete in the marketplace.

Then, a few years ago, Shire tried a new tactic: giving ever-larger discounts to pharmacy benefit managers and insurers for preferential treatment over the generics. That did not mean lowering the list price of the drug, but rather negotiating rebates that were paid not to the patients but to insurers and middlemen such as CVS Caremark.

The list price of Adderall XR has remained $7.12 per pill since mid-2012. But according to data from SSR Health, a research firm that tracks drug prices, the portion that Shire keeps has steadily declined.

In the first quarter of 2017, SSR estimated that Shire kept only $1.73, down from $2.93 per pill in the first quarter of 2013. Shire does not break out how much it pays to each middleman in the system, from distributors to pharmacy benefit managers.

In contrast, the generics cost as low as $3.89 per pill, but that does not include unspecified concessions that generic makers offer to pharmacies and distributors, according to Truven Health Analytics, another research firm that tracks the prices wholesalers pay for drugs.

A spokeswoman for Shire, Gwendolyn Fisher, said that while Shire did not make decisions about how much patients paid in out-of-pocket costs, "Shire is helping to deliver cost savings to the system and greater patient access to an important medicine."

'Happening more and more'

Consumers taking other medications said they had experienced the same phenomenon. Lisa Hopkins, a disabled food and nutrition supervisor in Pennsylvania, went to fill a prescription for the anti-inflammatory Voltaren gel this year.

Hopkins, 52, said her pharmacist had told her that her drug plan, CVS' SilverScript, denied her claim because it was for a generic.

"I said to the lady at the insurance company, 'That's really, really odd to me,' " Hopkins said. "She said: 'Yes. It's happening more and more that the name brand is covered but the generic isn't.' "

In an email, a spokeswoman for CVS Caremark, Christine Cramer, said consumers never pay more in the rare instances in which the company favors a brand-name drug over a generic. "This generally occurs when there is limited or no competition among generics," she said.

Pharmacists say they are noticing the trend, too, and it takes time to understand the denied claim and pursue a remedy, including sometimes calling the doctor. While favorable treatment for a brand-name drug does not happen all the time, it is startling when it does, said Robert Frankil, president of Sellersville Pharmacy Inc. in Pennsylvania, which owns two pharmacies.

"There's only one reason why they're requiring you to use a more expensive product," Frankil said. "Because somewhere down the road, somebody is earning more money."

This article was written through collaboration between the New York Times and ProPublica, the independent, nonprofit investigative journalism organization.
Remember the Alamo?

The most famous piece of history in Texas is not located in a ghost town or on a dusty plain. It sits in the very heart of San Antonio, a dynamic and bustling place that has surpassed Dallas as the state's second most populous metropolis.

Remember Houston?

Our governor and lieutenant governor do. They weren't born in Houston, but they got to Houston as soon as they could.

For good reason. They came to Houston to build their professional and political careers. And they succeeded in Houston, which is a worldwide leader in free enterprise and innovation; the biggest city in Texas and the fourth most populous in the United States.

Following a life-changing accident, the governor sought and received treatment at Houston's top-ranked Institute of Rehabilitation and Research Memorial Hermann, one of the many pioneering medical institutions that have made Houston a global mecca for healthcare.

Now it's time to remember what big cities mean to Texas and what Texas means to big cities.

It's time to stop the bashing of big cities that suddenly, and without cause, has taken hold of the highest leaders at the state Capitol in Austin.

By the way, Austin is a big city that, according to Texas Monthly magazine last year, is one of the safest cities in the state.

It's time to focus on the truths that make the super-cities of Texas the successes that they are.

With Houston in the lead, urban areas of Texas are the economic engines of the state.

Every single day the magnet that is Houston pulls in newly minted college graduates, start-up entrepreneurs, eager laborers, free-spending tourists, business developers, home-buyers, conventioneers, legal eagles, artists, would-be astronauts, chefs, chemists, geologists, rodeoers and more.

It didn't surprise me in May when the U-Haul moving company announced that Houston had been the No. 1 destination in 2016 for people moving from one American place to another.

Houston is ranked the second-best city in the world (as reported by Business Insider magazine) due to relatively low living costs and ease of settling in; the fourth-best U.S. city for young entrepreneurs (MoneyRates.com); and the No. 1 "coolest" American city (Forbes magazine).

These rankings should make Texans wonder: If Houston and other big cities in the Lone Star State are thriving, why are some of our most powerful elected leaders so determined to trash and thrash them?

It's their job to explain themselves. My job is to keep Houston going and growing, by restoring the financial health of city government, improving core city services, spreading quality of life improvements to all neighborhoods, expanding international trade and cultural exchanges and leveraging our glorious diversity, among other things.

I'm the first to acknowledge we have challenges and obstacles at the local level when it comes to transportation, public safety, economic inequality, infrastructure and other fronts.

But Texas and Texas governments also face one crisis after another. Sadly, our state is last or near last in the United States for the percentage of residents with health insurance, maternal health, mental health care funding per capita and elder care. We're among the 10 least-educated states, as shown in multiple studies and surveys. As a member of the Legislature, I worked to help the state grapple with these problems. We made progress, but against my stands the state also shifted huge costs and burdens to local governments.

Issues like these ought to keep state leaders busy enough that there is no time left for them to throw unjustified scorn at big Texas cities.

Also, it's time for some state leaders to stop trying to set up big Texas cities for failure with the intention of later blaming local leaders for that failure.

It's unfair and underhanded for state leaders to underfund public education and then criticize school district leaders for trying to make up the difference with local tax levies - or leaving students without proper staffing and resources.

The same goes for health care for our less fortunate neighbors.

After refusing to take advantage of federal programs to expand state funding for health care for the working poor, state leaders should not criticize urban counties and hospital districts for trying to raise enough money to meet their moral and legal obligations to keep fellow Texas alive.

It's also unfair and underhanded to draw the Texas Department of Public Safety away from its core missions and then cynically portray the top Texas cities as havens of crime.

No Texan should be fooled by these shell games.

I'm proud to be a native Houstonian and a native Texan.

It's time for all of Texas to celebrate and support all of Texas, from the towering wind turbines of West Texas and the towering statue of Sam Houston in Huntsville to the gleaming towers of Houston's downtown, Medical Center and Galleria area.

Turner is mayor of Houston.
For the fifth year in a row, I am dedicating the month of August to focus on farms in southeast and south central Missouri, stopping in all 30 counties of our district. Meeting the people who run these operations gives me a real understanding of the challenges they are facing and how I can help them.

The best way for me to represent southeast and south central Missouri is to be in southeast and south central Missouri to meet directly with the families, farmers and small business owners who are often the hardest hit by out of touch government policies. These firsthand conversations allow me to carry the message of southern Missourians back to Washington and fight for our way of life.

Most weekdays, I am stuck in Washington casting votes on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives or attending committee hearings. I relish the weekend when I am able to take the first flight out and get back to Missouri to spend time with friends, family, neighbors and all of the down to earth folks I am fortunate enough to represent. Not to mention, getting a break from sleeping on the floor of my office in D.C. is nice. August is a great opportunity to spend more than just Saturday and Sunday getting to know the small business owners, families and especially farmers in our area. That is why I will continue to dedicate my August to visiting the thousands of farms which call southeast and south central Missouri home.

The state of Missouri has over 96 thousand farm operations and more than 28 million acres of farmland. We are also the 11th largest agricultural export state in the country, shipping nearly four billion dollars worth of products grown in Missouri across the country and around the world. In fact, in our district alone, we have four of the top soybean producing counties in the state. We are also one of the most diverse agriculture districts in the country, producing everything from cotton and cattle to rice and wine.

It is only the first week of our month-long focus on farms, and Ive already heard about the need for less regulations and a simpler, fairer and flatter tax code. When I stopped in Iron County, Josh Campbell, who runs Campbell Farm, told me, tell the feds to stop interfering with farmers and just let farmers, farm. I could not agree more.

One of the regulations I heard most about during last years focus on farms was the Waters of the United States rule, which was trying to federally regulate every drop of water on Missouri farmers land. Fortunately, over the last year, I have been able to work with the Trump Administration to successfully repeal this harmful rule.

Agriculture has a major impact on our economy and our rural way of life in southeast and south central Missouri. This is why it is so important for me to spend time with the folks who run Missouris farm operations. It is a huge portion of our economy, providing jobs in our area and putting food on the table for folks in Missouri and across America. After I finish our fifth annual focus on farms at the end of August, I look forward to taking the concerns I hear to D.C. and making a difference on the issues that matter most to the people who work daily to feed and supply America.

Jason Smith represents Missouris 8th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. Contact him at 573-335-0101 or visit https://jasonsmith.house.gov
The following are excerpts from reports generated by the Houston Police Department:

Donald A. Newell, 27, of 14004 Arnot Road, No. 1, in Licking, was issued citations for first-degree trespassing after entering Walmart on July 24 and 25. He had been banned from all Walmart properties after a previous incident.

Michael E. Suddeth, 27, of 330 S. Main St. in Licking, was cited July 5 for failure to register a motor vehicle.

Eric J. Buell, 33, and Roy D. Atkinson, 48, both of 300 Ozark St. in Houston, were issued citations for fourth-degree assault after allegedly assaulting a 22-year-old Houston man on July 15.

A 36-year-old Houston woman reported on July 24 that she had made a purchase at Corner Express on July 23 and received several $1 bills in change. She stated that she then went to Caseys to get a cup of coffee, tried using one of the bills to pay, but found out it was counterfeit.

The woman gave the fake bill to police as evidence. There are no suspects.
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The scheme  which was started in January  also offers additional contributions towards staff KiwiSavers as well as a pay rise of more than $1.50 per hour.

The extra support means an employee on $17.40 an hour, working 32 hours a week, could save $20,000 in three years, or $31,000 in five years. A manager could save $37,000 in five years.

''We were just looking at what we could do for staff, other than them just working here for two, five or 10 years, then leaving, co-owner Eterei Stonelake told NZME.

''We're in a position to do good things now,'' she added.

The firm currently employs more than 200 staff and 31 have already signed up to the scheme  employees must work for the company for a year before theyre eligible.
Over the past three years, we have increasingly commissioned portraits of employees to recognize top salesperson, for winners of bug-breaking competitions, to recognize employees who have made it to the one or eight-year mark.

According to Jensen, each employer conducts the unveiling process in a different way  some as part of small monthly ceremonies or others as part of company retreats or conventions.

Yelp, in particular, has taken a shine to the perk and has created a Hall of Fame in its New York office with personalised paintings for stand-out employees. The office  which houses 900 employees  also offers a cafe, on-site bar, multiple common areas and a fully-stocked kitchen.

Interestingly, while the humorous employee perk is picking up steam in some sectors, the traditional formal approach is actually being banned in others.

In January, US Sen. Bill Cassidy introduced a bill which specifically targets oil paintings  if passed, it would ban funding for portraits of any employee of the federal government, including the president, vice president, cabinet members, and members of Congress.
Women, on average, have more openness directed towards feelings and aesthetics rather than ideas, he continues. Women generally also have a stronger interest in people rather than things, relative to men.

The author argues that these two differences explain, in part, why women tend to prefer jobs in social or artistic areas compared to technology.

He also suggests women are opting out of leadership positions because they have different aspirations than their male counterparts.

We always ask why we don't see women in top leadership positions, but we never ask why we see so many men in these jobs, writes the author. These positions often require long, stressful hours that may not be worth it if you want a balanced and fulfilling life.

The unnamed employee also takes aim at Googles diversity initiatives which he claims are actually discriminatory by their own nature.
Cara Levan

The General Election of summer 2017 saw an upsurge in the youth vote, widely credited for Labour's unexpectedly good result. Both main political parties are now desperately seeking ways to attract the young to their ranks. Perhaps now they will query whether the tired old soundbite that 'all drug use is harmful' might in fact be harmful to them.

Last month, parliament held it's first debate on drug policy for seven years. Despite drug related deaths being at their highest since 1993, the debate was poorly attended (see photo) possibly because there was nothing truly new about the government strategy under discussion or possibly because members were nursing hangovers from the night before.

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Much of the debate was a churning out of the same lines that essentially rest on the fatally flawed paradigm of 'just say no'. And while they feel this is a logical argument when applied to controlled drugs, the same does not appear to apply to alcohol.

Evidence shows that 90% of all drug use is non-problematic. Some politicians, however, continue to argue that alcohol can be consumed moderately and without any problem while other drugs can't. They have evidently failed to look at the science around drug use. But what they perhaps unwittingly reinforce is the moral judgement implicit in the law on those who consume intoxicants other than alcohol: people who take (some) drugs are bad.

Meanwhile - out in the real world, local police forces, media organisations and event promoters are finding ways to work on the edges of the law to make drug use safer. Recently VICE UK, The Loop and the Royal Society for Public Health launched 'Safe Sesh' - a progressive multi-platform campaign aiming to challenge political, cultural and social approaches to drug use.

Calls for a truly fresh look at drug policy are not party political but political parties would do well to put themselves ahead of the curve on this issue. One day we will all look back at these draconian laws in the same way we now look at slavery. Evidence from other countries shows that those who do use drugs problematically, my own partner included, can be better helped by a drug policy that is framed as a health issue, rather than a criminal one.

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Corbyn's Labour party haven't had the wherewithal to face up to this issue yet but there was one fresh Labour voice from the real world in parliament. Manchester Withington MP Jeff Smith, who while acknowleding the potential harms of drug use, said

"We need more openness and honesty in discussing drug policy. We need to reduce the stigma around taking drugs so that families find it easier to discuss the problem and to find help. And we need to stop the pretence that all people's experiences with illegal drugs are negative."

"We can't pretend that all people who are taking drugs do it because it's a miserable experience, because people won't believe us. It will just destroy the credibility of the debate. We need and honest, rational discussion around drug policy, if users, especially young people are going to take us seriously."

"There are a limited number of us who are prepared to stand up and speak about this issue at the moment. I hope the numbers will increase because we really need a serious debate on this issue. Not more of the same approach that has failed."
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My parents were born in Nigeria, and they both moved to London in their early twenties. I have a Nigerian name as well as an English one. It was important for my parents that even though they were raising us up in the UK to give us a better chance at life, they never wanted us to forget our roots. When I was younger, I went to Nigerian parties, visited Nigeria, ate the food and spent weekends watching Nigerian films all to embrace and strengthen my ties with my culture. I had no idea that this would serve as a preparation for a verbal identity test I would have to face.

I would be asked where I was from which will be followed by a sound "London". The question would be followed by where my parents were from, and my answer would be "Nigeria". The person would carry a look of dismay as if the first answer I gave was the wrong one. My earliest memory of such exchange ended with the person, who was Nigerian, saying that I sounded "white" and my lifestyle choices were "too white". What did that mean? I had no idea.

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During my teenage years, I found that this was a shared feeling among peers who were in similar position. They would have most probably grown up in a home where parents still had their native accents, wore native attire and carried out certain traditions. I remember going through a phase where I wanted to be more like my friends at school, and I felt, at the time, that by holding onto certain parts of culture was stopping me from blending in and being accepted. Up until this point, I don't speak or understand my mother tongue. Nigerians that I would come across would ask me if I knew how to speak Igbo or Yoruba, my answer would be "No", followed by a response of: "How can you not know how to speak your language?" In my defence our parents never taught us, I knew a few words here and there. Only recently I was corrected in public for not pronouncing my name correctly, and somehow my accent and voice was a disservice to saying the name itself. I felt like I was apologising constantly and I felt ashamed for not knowing certain things about my culture which fed even more to my disconnection to it.

Almost a month ago, Akbike Dabiri, the Nigerian Special Assistant for Diaspora sent a letter of congratulations to seven newly elected British members of Parliament of Nigerian descent. Chi Onwurah, who was one of the recipients just responded with "I'm not Nigerian. I'm British". Many in the Twittersphere were quick to judge her comment, saying that she was "denying her roots".

She has a right to determine her own national identity irrespective of her descent. She doesn't owe anyone an explanation. Too often, people project their interpretation of an individual's identity based on their criteria. For some, it is as straightforward as 'where you are born and raise is what you are.' Especially for people of colour who ethnic and cultural identity can sometimes clash with their national one.

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Next year the country marks seventy years since the abolition of the Poor Laws and the introduction of social security provision.

In doing so, this country took massive, progressive steps away from the centuries-long institutional punishment of people for the crime of being poor.

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But under Theresa May's government we are about to be hurtled even further and faster backwards to the bygone dark days.

Because joining the immoral rise in foodbank dependency and the obscenity of sanctioning people on the lowest of incomes to worsen their despair still further, the Tories will now make it even harder for those seeking work to access the very job centres meant to assist them in their task.

Yes, the Tories are closing job centres. That is right - they are shutting the very facilities established to help the jobless into work. From the nasty party of `on your bike' we now have the door to help slammed hard in the faces of those doing their best to access this help.

Of course the measure is claimed as another cost-saver from the geniuses that brought us the austerity economics that have broken our public services and depressed our economy.

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First announced in January this year, the closures were planned for next March but now they are being rushed through with some closures to hit Liverpool this September.

Labour has been opposed to the closures from the start. They are not just senseless - they have not even been tested. When one DWP official told me they hadn't received a 'large response' to one public consultation, I had to ask in utter disbelief who exactly he had expected would be engaging with the DWP's officialdom. The truth is that the government did not bother looking too hard to see who would be hurt by this latest set of cuts. They knew already - they just don't care.

In Liverpool Walton, the constituency I represent, working age unemployment and incapacity claimant rates are more than twice the national average. Over 40 per cent of adults have no formal qualifications and illiteracy rates are quite simply the worst in the UK. That job centres are at least based in the communities they serve and staff understand the lives of the people they are seeking to support is fundamental.

My constituents depend upon them for support into employment or receiving the welfare they need while they can't work. Closing job centres in north Liverpool makes about as much sense as a busy restaurant shutting down the kitchen to cut costs.

Having to travel further and more complicated routes to access job centres will disproportionately affect the disabled and those with mental health issues or caring responsibilities. For some of the most vulnerable people this will mean finding another fiver per appointment for bus fares - quite literally taking the food out of people's mouths. The result will be more sanctions, more hardship, and even fewer people finding a way into secure, well-paid jobs.

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Jobcentre 'customers', as they're known, need the support of their local jobcentre staff, access to computers and other facilities to meet the demands government places on them. Norris Green Job Centre works closely with the Bridge Community centre down the road ensuring that our most vulnerable are not cut off from vital benefits they need to live. All this is at risk if closure plans proceed.

These closures aren't based in economics. They're cruel and they are ideological, pulling the plug on community facilities where people's need to access them is highest.

That's why these closures are a national scandal, not a local inconvenience. They are taking place at the same time as the rolling out of Universal Credit and as the welfare system is moving online, which for some people is akin to taking it out of the community and putting it into the ether.

Where on earth is the sense, let alone the humanity, in this? Surely if we want people out of work to be aided into work, we remove the obstacles in their way. We do not close the very facility on which they most greatly depend for work-related news and information. As some of my constituents have observed, it is as if the Tories will not be happy until the workhouse is back.

So I'm calling on the Commons' Work and Pensions Select Committee to hold an urgent inquiry and call on government to stop closures until a full inquiry has taken places. Please, come to constituencies like mine and hear first-hand from those directly affected about the anguish these closures will cause them.

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The Conservatives are inflicting a monstrous misery on those with no power or voice. Their actions owe more to those bygone days when the poor were to be loathed, not assisted.

Theresa May's talk about taking the 'tough decisions' is hollow. Time and time again the Tories take the easy option and kick the poor instead of standing up to the abuses of those of the top.

In 1995 my dad, one of 500 Liverpool dockers sacked for refusing to cross a picket line, spent seven years out of work. At the age of eight, I learned that the state has a vital role to play in placing itself between its people and pauperism, and that sometimes people had to fight for their jobs and for decent employment and livelihoods. I never dreamt that 22 years we be fighting to hold onto a basic facility that supports people into work.

This government has given us the bedroom tax. It has put the disabled and the dying through disgraceful indignities as they seek an income. It has super-charged food poverty, seen wages fall to historic low levels and illegally priced working people out of justice through now defunct tribunal fees.

So much of what this government has done is a disgrace to the values held by decent people. They have been a traitor to our forefathers and mothers who said never again would poverty ravage our people.

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We have only a matter of weeks to stave off these cold-hearted closures. I know that there are MPs across the house, including on the Conservative benches, who see these closures as simply a step too far. Today, I appeal to them: join me, stand up for your constituents and let's work together to stop this rotten policy.
POOL New / Reuters

Summer holidays in France are a matter of near-religious ritual. Work emails are left by the wayside as families enjoy weeks in the sunny countryside. And yet, this time, it is already August and members of the French National Assembly and the Senate are fervently trying to iron out a large-scale reform of the country's labour code after voting a series of measures to "moralise" the country's political life.

This atypical burst of summertime activity seems to be an attempt at turning the corner after a tough month for the new French President and his even newer party, La Republique en marche (LREM). After a series of presidential 'gaffes', polls reported Emmanuel Macron's approval rating had dropped by 10 points and the French press pronounced the end of the presidential honeymoon period. As the initial enthusiasm with the Macroniste wave of newness abates, is it the beginning of the end of the "revolution from the centre"?

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While it may be debatable whether Macron's victory was ever a "revolution", it relied on the idea that the traditional left-right cleavage had become redundant. On economic issues, this has opened up possibilities to case-by-case pragmatism. One day, the government announces large budget cuts, while shortly thereafter the President promotes the temporary nationalisation of one of the country's biggest shipyards. Yet this is hardly the creation of a political centre, but rather an attempt to push through as many changes as possible and hope that they engender some positive impact before the French lose their patience, which could happen very quickly.

Notwithstanding, the appeal of Macron's ideal of centrism combines a moral argument, according to which the real fault line in today's France is "open" vs "close" parts of society. Macron wishes to represent inclusive internationalism and bonhomie, while his adversaries, whether Marine Le Pen's Front national (FN) or Jean-Luc Melenchon's La France insoumise (FI), stand for exclusive nationalism.

And yet, as far as these two parties stand on opposite divides of the political spectrum, their positions have been converging through resistance to Macron. Moreover, as the right-wing Les Republicains are implicated in the business of governing together with LREM and the Socialists are still reeling from a legislative defeat that left them all but voiceless, the left wing FI and the far-right FN remain the most vocal opposition to the new centre. In the case of the FN, the loudness remains despite internal party struggles that have marked the party's state of crisis since its dismal showing in the legislative elections.

As the army general Pierre de Villiers resigned over cuts to the military budget on 19 July, the FN and FI united in criticism against the government's "brutal" policies. This alliance was to be expected on the level of resistance to cuts to public services, as both parties claim to represent public sector workers and had previously attacked Macron, the ex-banker, as the foot-soldier of rampant capitalism. Just as expectedly, Le Pen took the conversation further to her favourite issue and lambasted Macron for failing the country's security. What was more suprising was to see members of Melenchon's FI, like the MP Bastien Lachaud, support the "courage" of a military general in a conflict against a civilian institution.

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Far more telling, however, was the spate about the commemoration of the Vel d'Hiv roundup just a few days earlier. The ceremony that commemorates the mass arrest of over 13,000 Parisian Jews by the French police in the night of 16 July 1942 has become one of the most important events in the official French calendar. Since 1995, when Jacques Chirac acknowledged the French Republic's responsibility for collaboration and the fate of its Jewish citizens, the commemoration has become a way to reassert a near-general consensus about the importance of coming to terms with France's darker history. Or at least, the consensus lasted for just over 20 years.

The first cracks appeared during the presidential campaign in April. Then, just about everyone condemned Marine Le Pen for rejecting French responsibility for collaboration. However, after Macron held a commemoration ceremony on 16 July for the roundup's 75th anniversary, Le Pen was joined by Melenchon. In a blog post, the left-wing firebrand repeated arguments that had been far more salient on the right, as he deplored the admission of collective responsibility implied in the state commemoration of Vel d'Hiv and called to re-focus the debate on heroic French resistance to the Nazi invaders.

In other words, Melenchon, who in April still qualified Le Pen's remarks as "absolutely useless", suddenly decided to support the far-right's re-writing of history. This convergence between the French far-right and the far-left had occurred in the past, often over mutual Eurosceptic stances. Simultaneously, however, FI's comments over the resignation of gen. de Villiers and Melenchon's transgression over Vel d'Hiv reflect a new threshold. Here, Melenchon disregarded what would have been considered a fundamental principle of the French left in favour of a nationalist, resistentialist myth.

One reason for this shift is the desire to provide an opposition - or "resistance", to replicate the movement's language - to Macron's centrism. While Melenchon's France Insoumise can still define itself economically through its defence of the public sector and the "French model" of welfare, the movement is searching for a moral definition of the left that would be different to Macron's appropriation of internationalism and progressivism.
I'm at a birthday party. The cake is being cut and I break out into a sweat as I watch the knife slice through three layers of fatty and sugary goodness. I haven't eaten all day in preparation for a birthday binge, but now that the moment has arrived, I can't bring myself to pile up my plate, every sausage roll and tortilla chip presenting a potential threat to my body.

Such a scenario will not go unnoticed by those who have experienced eating disorders or have an unhealthy relationship with food. Still, even now, I'm reluctant to ever say I had an "eating disorder" for a variety of reasons; the first being that it never got so bad that I was diagnosed or treated, and secondly for a reason I am only just beginning to wrap my head around - people with eating disorders (specifically women that I wrongly used to classify as just "skinny girls") just didn't look like me.

My problem with food started with a need to "fit in". I distinctly remember my embarrassment during my ballet class when my thighs rubbed together every time I placed myself in the first position and because everyone else's didn't, I took it as a sign that there was something wrong with my body, a blemish on a skinny white landscape that I aspired to submerge myself within.

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My issues spiralled way into university, and I relished in the new found freedom that no one would care whether I ate nothing all day. I eventually became a vegan when I was 20; mostly because I had watched Cowspiracy twice and I cared about animal rights and the environment etc. etc.; but I also have to confess that part of the reasoning behind my veganism was so that I had a viable excuse to turn down food that was offered to me. The meat and macaroni cheese that was piled on my plate when I went round to a Jamaican family gathering were suddenly untouchable and I finally felt a sense of control over food that had previously had control over me.

There is a common assumption that eating disorders are a "white issue" for which the media (see films like Perfect Body or The Love of Nancy) and lack of understanding in minority cultures are to blame. Women of colour and I observe black women here, in particular, are deemed to be less vulnerable to eating disorders because they have a layer of "cultural protection", given that a fuller figure is celebrated in many African and Caribbean cultures.

The black women in my family have beautiful curvy figures but no matter how many times this was preached about or celebrated, it was something I never wanted- and no amount of cultural pride could have ever saved me from the hegemonic standard of beauty that I was killing myself to achieve.

Perhaps the worst part in all of this is that this is an ignored rather than a completely silent issue. You can find articles on this very topic in obscure online publications and flimsy psychological studies, but you'd be hard pressed to find anyone of colour being represented in the dominant conversation about eating disorders.

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Although data on the link between eating disorders and race are sketchy, the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) notes a study by Robinson et al. that surveyed 6,504 adolescents and found that Asian, Black, Hispanic and Caucasian youth all reported attempting to lose weight at similar rates.

Furthermore, one study also found that anorexia and bulimia, whilst more common in white women in a community sample, were as likely as black women to report binge eating or vomiting, who were also more likely to report fasting and laxative abuse. (Striegel, 2000).

NEDA even admits there is a "persistent belief that eating disorders affect only young, white women", yet despite this current generation constantly pushing for greater diversity in the media, once again the industry seem slow to pick up on the changing face of eating disorders.

Staying silent about people of colour with eating disorders assists in stripping away the last shred of self-worth that the disease has already taken from them.

Intrigued as to how the media would portray the internal battle that I and so many others had or were experiencing, I was hyped when Netflix released To the Bone, starring Lily Collins. Granted, my friend and I did talk over the majority of the film, but from the get-go, the film was just reiterating an insight into eating disorders that I had witnessed time and time again. A white, female character with an eating disorder being helped by other white people- we get it, white people are awesome.

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The unfortunate truth is that until the media and subsequent educational resources on eating disorders change their outdated narrative; women of colour who have suffered at the hands of an eating disorder have to start writing their own.

Black women like Stephanie Covington Armstrong, author of Not All Black Girls Know How to Eat, have already made those steps to start opening up a wider and much-needed conversation. She says that in the midst of her eating disorder, the black community "let me hide in plain sight". "When I was throwing up 20 times a day," she continues, "no one would have looked at my brown skin and been like 'that poor thing has a problem.' It protected me, in a way."

Violence against black bodies is not always physical, and the way in which eating disorders are represented or aren't, as the case may be, within black communities is a primary example of how racial violence adopts more than one form.

Whilst it is true that eating disorders do not discriminate, the underrepresentation in the media and cultural misunderstanding of people of colour with eating disorders assist in the stripping away of the last shred of self-worth that the disorder has already taken away from the individual affected.
The direction of UK foreign policy in the aftermath of Brexit has been shrouded in the mist of uncertainty as attention focuses on the negotiations of leaving the European Union. That mist is slowly being burnt away by the heat of the Arabian sun. In a speech to the Gulf Cooperation Council on the 7th of December 2016, Theresa May declared that "Gulf security is our security" and committed to "invest in hard power, with over 3 billion of defence spending in the region over the next decade, spending more on defence in the Gulf than in any other region of the world". Simply put, the UK is tying itself to the future of autocratic regimes in the name of security, and descending back into the Empire's sacred formula of gunboat diplomacy. Nowhere is this clearer than in the Sultanate of Oman.

The Sultan of Oman has often been declared as the UK's 'man in the Middle East', and was installed as one of the world's last remaining absolute monarchs in 1970 following a bloodless British-backed palace coup. Trained at Sandhurst, and commissioned into the British Army, the Sultan has approved throughout his reign the purchase of British manufactured weaponry, most recently in 2013, as well as the stationing of British spy agencies and British forces in Oman. This military cooperation has been deepened through military exercises, most notably 'Swift Sword 2' in 2001, which involved the largest deployment of British forces abroad between the Gulf War and the invasion of Iraq. Theresa May has now committed to the next exercise scheduled in 2018.

As a loyal ally of the UK, the Westminster political establishment has rarely questioned the alleged human rights abuses in Oman. Human Rights Watch have documented the existence of an extensive system of repression and censorship throughout the country, including arbitrary arrests and detentions alongside the suppression of independent journalism and human rights activism. Consequently, it can be argued that Oman features amongst a long list of UK allies whose blatant disregard for human rights undermines the integrity of the UK's foreign policy.

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Yet the clearest indication of where the UK is heading is revealed in a little lauded 110 million deal between one of the UK's largest defence contractors, Babock International and the Sultanate, for the expansion of the Omani port of Duqm. The deal involves the creation of infrastructure capable of supporting the Navy's two new aircraft carriers, suggesting that these forces will be active in the theatre at the very least, if not engaged. This seeming commitment to interventionism in the Middle East, coupled with Theresa May's speech to the GCC has concerning overtones for a post-Brexit UK that will be keen to emphasise its military credentials as a sign of global influence.

Several questions need to be answered by the UK Government, aside from widespread concern over human rights abuses by the UK's Gulf allies. Theresa May's blank cheque to the GCC and seeming cast-iron commitment to the preservation of the regional status quo, and therefore several repressive and autocratic regimes, disregards broader discussions over the legitimacy of tying so closely the UK's national security interests to those of the Gulf. This is firstly in respect to the Gulf's diminishing importance in long-term strategic thinking given the declining use of hydrocarbons in the UK's economic mix, and the shift in conflicts towards hybrid terrorism. The constantly peddled argument concerning their importance in counter-terrorism ignores issues such as home-grown terrorism, or the potential role of citizens, organisations and even states from the Gulf in financing activities that can classed under terrorism. The UK Government's suppression of a Home Office report on Jihadist organisations and their financiers this year only strengthens this argument.

At a strategic level, concerns must be raised over the increasingly sharp tone adopted by the UK Government to Chinese military positions in the South China Sea. Specifically, one must question whether the UK decision to enhance military infrastructure in the Gulf to accommodate the navy's prime assets was in any way a response to Chinese plans to build military facilities in Pakistan and Djibouti. As reports circulate that the fleet will be more active in around Australia and the Pacific, alongside evidence of increasing investment in military infrastructure in the Gulf, one can only assume that the Conservative Government is reverting to antiquated precedent and following the Empire's strategy of gunboat diplomacy.

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Khaled Abdullah / Reuters

As Parliament falls silent during recess and the rest of the Europe enjoys their summer holiday, in Yemen the 'forgotten war' rumbles on. In the 15 days since Parliament was adjourned an estimated 2,000 Yemeni's, men, women and children have died. By the time the Commons returns in September this number will have increased to over 3,000. Yemenis are facing the triple threat of conflict, cholera and malnutrition and the impact on the population is devastating.

Out of 100 Yemeni people, 74 would need urgent humanitarian aid, 60 would be food insecure, 58 would have no access to clean water and 10 of the women and children would suffer from acute malnutrition. These unbelievable figures are too shocking to visualise.

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For over two years the conflict between the Saleh-Houthi forces and the Coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi has ripped the country apart. Civilian infrastructure is destroyed, millions are refugees or internally displaced, thousands have died and Yemen's ungoverned spaces have become safe havens for radical Jihadist groups to germinate, plan and grow.

Yemen is a stain on the collective morality of the United Kingdom, the US, the EU and ultimately on the UN itself. It will remain so until we take action to end this man made catastrophe.

The only victims are the Yemeni people. The conflict has created the perfect conditions for diseases to thrive. The wilful destruction of medical infrastructure by continued bombings, the disruption of food supplies and the halt to state worker payments have all aligned to create the world's worst cholera outbreak. In just three months Yemen's cholera count has reached unprecedented levels with over 450,000 cases, more than the population of Edinburgh and already exceeding the highest recorded yearly levels set in 2011 in Haiti.

At a summit meeting convened by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Yemen in Parliament in July the aid agencies working in Yemen met to discuss their work within the country. We all owe these organisations a debt of gratitude for the work they are carrying out however, as Shinjiro Murata the head of Medicines Sans Frontiers Yemen stated 'Cholera is spreading like a wildfire and we cannot keep up.'

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These cholera numbers will only rise during the August-September rainy season. Oxfam has stated there will be 600,000 cases countrywide. The disease has hit the children of Yemen disproportionately with 44% of new cholera cases and 32% of fatalities occurring in children under the age of 15.

The Cholera outbreak has been exacerbated by malnutrition which has afflicted many areas of Yemen since the civil war began in 2015. Yemen is a major importer of food and its supply routes are controlled by the coalition forces. Fearful of weapons falling into the hands of the Houthi's the waterways around Yemen are tightly controlled and access for food deliveries have been neigh impossible. The food that does come in from private importers is often too expensive for ordinary Yemeni's to access. 17 million Yemeni's suffer from chronic food insecurity and have no idea of where their next meal is coming from. Recent figures compiled by Save the Children this week have reported that over one million children under five-years-old suffer from malnutrition. If we do not act, we will not save the children.

What happens in Yemen matters to the security of the United Kingdom. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) now own large swathes of territory in Southern Yemen with a defacto capital in the port city of Mukalla. We all celebrated the fall of Mosul last month as IS was defeated by Iraqi forces, however, we must not be blind to the threat of AQAP in Yemen.

The group controls tax and security in South Eastern Yemen and has filled the governance gaps created by the civil war. If the conflict continues the group will further embed itself with the population. AQAP has shown the capacity and the desire to attack targets overseas. The 2009 failed 'underpants bomber' and the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris both originated in Yemen with the group. As recent IS attacks on London and Manchester have shown there is no such thing as an isolated Jihadist diaspora and what happens within these regions can easily spill onto our streets.

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The United Nations has sent a delegation to Yemen which is holding meetings within the region this week in order to restart the peace process. However, the diplomatic process appears as far away now as it was at the conflicts beginning in March 2015.

In the last few weeks the Saudi Arabian led coalition has escalated its bombing campaign of Yemeni cities in response to the Houthi strikes into Saudi Arabia. On July 28th the Saudi's reportedly intercepted a missile fired from the Houthi's just 68km from Mecca. The ultimate fear for humanitarian groups is if the Saudi led coalition attacked Hudaydah port, one of few windpipes through which aid can travel exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. The Houthi's meanwhile have increased their firepower with the help of the Iranian Republican Guard smuggling them weapons through new routes.

Meanwhile the split between the GCC and Qatar threatens to distract regional states from the peace process entirely. There has as of yet been little movement by both sides here and this promises to be a distraction when looking to find a solution to the conflict.

While peace doesn't appear on the immediate horizon this conflict is not intractable. Pathways to peaceful solutions exist if the sides don't close themselves to the political solutions. Dr Abu-bakr Al-Kirbi the longest serving Foreign Minister in Yemen's history who also spoke at the Yemen APPG event to a Parliamentary audience said 'the National Dialogue of 2014 as the primary roadmap to achieving a lasting peace between all sides.' Dr Al Kirbi stressed the need for the sides to come together at the negotiating table to end the conflict.

Astronomical values of aid have been pledged to Yemen with the UN in June pledging a further $1.2billion to the fractured state. However, without peace in Yemen and a ceasefire between the warring parties this aid will never be sufficient and Yemen will continue to burn.

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There are five action points that must be taken to address the conflict as a matter of urgency;

Theresa May must go the UN General Assembly sitting on September the 12th raise the issue of Yemen. The United Kingdom holds the pens on Yemen in the UN, we can make the difference.

The United Kingdom should build on this and at the next UN Security Council meeting have Matthew Rycroft, the UK's permanent representative to the UN table a new resolution on Yemen aiming to end the conflict.

The rift between the GCC and the Qatari's cannot be allowed to distract from the process of achieving peace in Yemen. Donald Trump and the US are key here, the UK should work with our American partner and look to avoid another roadblock in the region for Yemen's peace process.

We must generate more coverage of Yemen by consistently raising the issue. There has been more coverage of Love Island this summer than on the tragic events in Yemen and we must work hard to ensure the population is aware of the event. If access continues to be an issue as it was for some BBC reports in July we must openly question why the Saudi coalition are preventing this from occurring.

 UK's must focus on issues with the Yemeni central bank, in particular addressing public sector payment issues which are hindering current humanitarian efforts and exacerbating current issues.

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The queue for the check-in desk to Split, with big suitcases and relaxed-looking passengers, indicates clearly that the holiday season to Croatia has already started. My suitcase though is rather small and I'm not stopping in Split.

My trip is not a holiday, nor it is a business trip. I feel tense, nervous and everything around me irritates me and not only because I couldn't check in online for the second leg of my flight, the one to Zagreb.

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I am on my way to see a friend recently diagnosed with cancer.

My visit to the city will be the first time I have been there without visiting another very close friend. She too was recently diagnosed with cancer and has since lost her battle to this beast.

I'm worried I might look too sad. I'm worried I might say something wrong.

I'm scared I might be the next one.

It all started that ordinary if not boring November day. I was on a language assignment which as a freelance journalist and writer I do when possible as a top-up career, but I always feel an outsider in that field. Especially if, like that day, I'm not even the main examiner. No wonder then on the break I could not wait to go online, even if I had no time to do more than wander through the Facebook newsfeeds.

My friend Tanja had become a regular user on Facebook and had a day before posted two updates, one of which had slightly puzzled me, but, in a rush, I had no time to read it through before losing Wi-Fi on the underground. She was waiting for something, while some ladies next to her were watching some soap opera and reading gossip magazines. Where was she and what was she doing in a place like that?

As I entered the page, a post by her husband caught my eye. It started with "dear friends", it had Tanja's name in the first line and it was longish. I stopped to read it and was left numbed. Tanja was rather ill, he said, but they were hoping for the best. He didn't say what it was but it was clear it was serious. She had not been ill before, had no medical condition and for as long as I knew her, she was a healthy woman. There was no mention of any accident, any fall or similar.

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It could only be cancer.

I went to the messenger, hers, his, a mutual friend's, and spent the rest of the day trying to reassure myself it wasn't as bad as it sounded.

She was in hospital doing further tests but it looked pretty bad. She had had no warning signs, she said. Only a headache the day before which she at first tried to ignore. It didn't stop. It wouldn't stop, instead it was getting worse and she decided to see a doctor. As it was Sunday she went to the emergency unit. They did a Ct and was told she had two cancers, head and lung.

She was going to fight, she said, and stayed true to her word, never losing her hope nor her sense of humour.

After her head operation, she was "advertising" her "new hairstyle" and "feeling bad" for giving a shock to the postman. And she was "knocking on heavens door" but her voice didn't qualify for the 2016 stars only entry.

In her private messages, too, she was strong and a determined fighter. She had no intention of giving up and reminded me how strange a concept that would be for people like us and agreed that "our boys need us". Her son might be a teenager now, but he was still a child, she said, and he got pretty scared by the news. She had just married her second husband and there was a lot to look forward to. We joked and laughed, I sent her Spitting Image clips, she sent funny stickers to describe her mood. But her messages became shorter and shorter, the stickers replacing altogether words as she would have just taken a "ton of painkillers" and was now going to sleep.

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Her public posts too became less frequent and she was getting irritated with some people offering too much unwanted advice.

Then there were days of total silence. She was waiting for her second operation, which had "gotten complicated". I wanted to give her space, but deep inside I was scared to ask. I had meantime heard from another close friend, the one I am on the way to visit, about her cancer and was now "fighting two battles". Then, on the last day of March, the fear became reality. After eight days in a coma, she had peacefully gone only three months after being diagnosed.

It has always struck me as odd that people don't talk about their feelings of loss where friends are concerned. Not in the way we do about family members whom we hardly know. Yet we become friends with people because we like them. We have something in common. Because we understand each other. We enjoy each other's company. We share with them our joy and irritations. Our experiences, hopes and dreams. Tanja and I never lived in the same city but we felt we knew each other better than some of our family members. Both children of divorced parents, we were both as kids looked after by grandparents and hardly knew at least one of our parents, if not both.

We used to write long letters and share our experiences and opinions on anything and everything. We had a very similar view on the world and, when the war in the former Yugoslavia broke out, we (she in Zagreb, me at first still in Belgrade and then in London) shared our disgust and refused to call it "my" or "your" side. They were "all human garbage", a term she coined in one of her letters. The long letters we wrote to each other during the Balkan war were full of human feelings and emotions and I decided to keep them as part of my Balkan war memoir still to be published.

As I am looking at the skies from the aeroplane, all those memories are flying with me and I am worried that they will show on my face when talking to the friend I'm visiting. Her cancer is less advanced and we are hoping the chemo she is receiving is working.

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Both my friends are "our age" as another friend described our '60s/'70s generation. The one I'm visiting is the slightly older one, now in her early 50s.

I have tried to remain positive and hopeful but during these six months my mind has gone through all sorts of journeys, often without any warning. I have been moody, tense, nervous, angry and scared.

I have thought a lot about life and death, often without wanting to. I used to see life as "a gift you should enjoy while you have it". There are no feelings after death, so what's there to be frightened of? People continue to live in our memories and no one can take them away.

Now I feel that's not enough. My husband has been a great support during this time and has been the first to warn me to "take it easy". As I think of him picking up our boy from school right now, I feel I don't want to live only in their memories. Our son is only 8 years old and, with time, he would probably hardly remember me. I want to be there for him. To watch him grow up. Become a teenager, a young man... I want to hang on this boat for as long as I can.

Since Tanja's death, I have been speaking regularly to her son on the phone. He has only seen me a few times but has always been aware of "auntie Keti" and has made it clear he is always happy to hear from me and that makes me happy. Every time we talk, it feels as if Tanja is still there in the background, making his supper, tidying his room or getting ready for next day at work.

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During my stay in Zagreb I met with an old mutual friend who had recently returned from Canada. We went to an open-air concert near the main square. We recalled how it was there that we had met as teenagers for the first time some 30 years ago and attended a similar open-air event with Tanja. We didn't talk much about Tanja but it felt as if Tanja was there enjoying the music and drinking the beer.
Going bald was always a foregone conclusion for me. From a young age, I was aware that I had inherited most of my physical traits from my maternal family. Whereas my father's side was blessed with voluminous mops of thick, black hair and olive skin, all three of my mother's brothers and my grandfather were (and obviously still are) bald as coots. I grew up being told repeatedly that a similar fate awaited me and, as foretold, my hairline began to recede around the age of 16. To be honest, given the truly hideous 'curtain' hairstyle I was rocking in 1995, many might say this was no bad thing.

However, the years passed and somehow, most of my hair remained. In 2006, my hairdresser, who was always very keen to reassure me that I was 'unlikely to go bald' given that I hadn't done so already, suggested a hairstyle which involved sweeping my hair forward over my forehead and spiking the hair around my crown. This was fairly a la mode at that time (but then, so were mullets) and I literally thought nothing of it. It's only with the benefit of hindsight that I can see that actually, my hairdresser was concealing the inevitable truth and helping me to forestall my follicular fate.

I fared quite well. It wasn't until the age of 32 that the hair loss was of such an extent that I began to shave my head. Given that the aforementioned uncles had, by all accounts, lost their hair by their late teens, I felt fortunate to have held on to mine for so long. What's more, I was lucky enough to have a partner who reassured me that they found my shaven look attractive. I am, for want of less dramatic terminology, at peace with my premature baldness. Why, then, are so many other people so disappointed on my behalf?

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From my mother - who, frankly, should know better given that it's her contribution to my genetics that has caused it - to random people I barely know, there is never a shortage of people ready and willing to express their sympathy with my 'plight'. 'Are you gutted to have lost your hair at such a young age?'. 'Have you ever considered a hair transplant?'. 'It's such a shame as you had such lovely hair'. The comments are numerous and made without a second thought as to how they might make me feel. For some unfathomable reason, unsolicited remarks about this aspect of someone's appearance seem to be socially acceptable. Conversely, it is rightly considered to be inappropriate or downright offensive to casually mention a person's weight gain, physical ageing or acne, for example, 'Are you devastated to have become so wrinkly?' is certain to offend and understandably so. There is a double standard at play and it could, for some people, be incredibly damaging.

The curiosity, misplaced sympathy and callousness does make me question whether I should be more perturbed about losing my hair than I actually am. Should I, in fact, be spending more time dolefully gazing into the mirror, lamenting the gradual disappearance of my golden locks and frantically researching ways to return to the 'glory days' of hairbrushes, combs, shampoo and regular trips to the barber? I think not. After all, for many, hair loss is symptomatic of serious illness, stress and trauma. To self-indulgently bemoan my male pattern baldness as a relatively healthy man headed for 40 with relatively little to complain about would, for me, feel unseemly.

That's not to say everyone does or should feel the same. Men who seek to regain (see what I did there?) their beautiful barnets should be neither mocked nor castigated - but neither should those who are at ease with the hand dealt to them by genetics, hormones or a mix of the two. Male pattern baldness continues to be open season for uninvited jest, lampooning and commiseration. It's insensitive, anti-social and wildly inappropriate. Balding, like any other physical change, affects individuals in a variety of ways - a little consideration for the feelings of others costs nothing.

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A couple of months ago, I finally succumbed to the lure of mass social media, and opened a Twitter account, having used WhatsApp with friends and family for the past couple of years. I was beginning to feel like Turner's Temeraire, in that my requests to others to tweet or Facebook a message or particularly worthy appeal were reminiscent of the stately old sailing ship being towed into oblivion by the new power of steam, as the sun sets in the background.

And so, I am now learning to surf the waves of information that crash into my Twitter feed. I have to confess that I am never completely sure who might eventually receive my messages, but I am beginning to gather that is one of the main purposes of the tweet; to fly out into the world like the little bird on the logo. In contemplating this point however, I am beginning to realise that I have not so much turned into the equivalent of a steam ship as the Temeraire with a bolted-on steam engine upgrade, just as I previously did in the days of the Nokia 3310 when I enthusiastically learned to 'txt'. Or at least I thought I had until one of my then teenage children presented me with a 'periodic table of texting' for future reference (lol).

A decade and a half later, to effectively communicate on Twitter, I have had to consider how to communicate my thoughts effectively in 140 characters or less whilst maintaining coherence; this in turn led me to engage more deeply with the language of the emoticon and the visual attachment. I then began to contemplate the appropriateness of various pictorial attachments to the little bird which flies across the Twittersphere and from this perspective, I am not sure if it is the social mores of the earlier time in which I spawned that make me over-cautious, or whether, as the social anthropologist Robin Dunbar proposed, it is simply unnatural for human beings in general to share so much with strangers.

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As such, I was interested to read Charlotte Philby's blog in The Guardian, in which she proposes that she is 'giving up sharenting'. By this, she means not uploading pictures of her child to social media 'looking like a demented car-thief on World Book Day, or... dressed as a hamster'. This seems to me to be an excellent example that demonstrates both the benefits and detriments of social media. On the one hand, as a parent of a previous generation, I would have loved to have constant access to a smartphone camera to snap those wonderful, fleeting moments of childhood, and thence to instantly share them with family and close friends, especially those far away; this type of 'sharenting' would seem to be an extension of a very natural human process. However the issue arising is that, for a creature which evolved in a village society, this would most comfortably be confined to a small intimate circle, rather than launched across a mass social media interface.

Perhaps then, in the world of social media, 'sail' may yet have some lessons to give to 'steam'. Is it possible that habitual over-sharing is one of the major factors that makes social media such an unpleasant place at times, blurring what is appropriate to say in private with what is said in public? In what other form of mass communication would it be commonplace to publicly bandy around a personal discriminatory term such as 'ginger', as was the case in the tirade against Ed Sheeran following his Glastonbury performance? Why does the current President of the United States spend hours each day sending angry tweets, some containing very personal insults? Why do some male users of Twitter think it appropriate to send Professor Mary Beard 'a torrent of aggressive insults' which do not only comment on her academic views but her 'age, shape and gender'? Could a general underlying factor be that the ways in which human beings evolved to communicate are simply not compatible with an interface at which one sits alone creating messages that can be instantly accessed by billions?

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Breastfeeding and breast milk evolved over millennia. Breastfeeding is an intimate, some would say, almost sexual experience. It can bring profound pleasure and yet cause distress and pain. Breast milk is a complex living fluid containing nutrients - proteins, fats and carbohydrates - and also hundreds of biologically active components including live cells.

Increasingly sophisticated milk formulae are available - but there are no true breast milk substitutes because the composition of human breast milk has not been replicated, is unique to each mother, and changes over the course of a single feed as well as over the period of lactation. Breast milk truly is a magic potion.

Breastfeeding reduces infections in the baby. Protection is greater with exclusive than with partial breastfeeding, and in settings where the risk of infection is higher; the evidence is strong, consistent and biologically plausible. Breastfeeding also appears to improve childhood scores in tests of intelligence. For mothers, breastfeeding provides protection against breast cancer. Evidence of reduced overweight, obesity and diabetes in children and protection against ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes in mothers is less certain. Breastfeeding is not the same as ingesting breast milk. Expressing milk and providing it by bottle removes the wonderful self-regulation of intake seen in breastfeeding babies. Storage diminishes protective characteristics and nutrient content, as cells and fats adhere to plastic, and cooling and freezing inactivate many components. And how can pumping compare with the immeasurable joy of your own baby snuggled against your breast?

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Let's be quite clear: breastfeeding is a very good thing, and the benefits conferred upon infants and children are greater where the risks of adverse outcomes are higher. Let's also be quite clear about modern milk formulae: in contrast to the products of yesteryear, they are safe and when constituted correctly, provide sound nourishment, so no mother who makes a conscious, informed decision to use formula should feel or be made to feel guilty. However, tragically, though the bottom line is that babies, mothers and nations would benefit from high rates of breastfeeding, the reality is that prevalence is appallingly low in the UK and many other countries.

Women, children, families, the public and Governments certainly need to be well informed about the benefits of breastfeeding, and should consider it normal and natural. But haranguing women to breastfeed, or express breast milk, isn't the answer. Nor is over-egging the argument in favour of breastfeeding. Overly didactic advice about how to breastfeed and for how long, isn't particularly helpful either. These approaches are a turn-off, and ultimately counter-productive. The principal problem we have in the UK is a very short duration of breastfeeding. In England in 2015/16 almost three quarters of mothers started breast-feeding but by two months the proportion continuing was no more than two fifths. In other parts of the world, a false perception that formula is better than breast milk - often fuelled by the ignorant or the unscrupulous - does untold damage.

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Sustaining breast-feeding would be immeasurably helped if healthcare workers were to chill-out a bit in the manner in which they provide support and if mothers' approached the prospect of breastfeeding in anticipation of a joyous, pleasurable experience, rather than a duty, a chore, and a set of lessons to be learned. If Governments want to reap the wider, not inconsiderable benefits of breastfeeding to the health and financial wellbeing of the nation, they need to ensure employment law is supportive and that women will not lose out financially or in their career progression should they choose to breastfeed. And then too, there's the attitude of society. When women are made to feel shame about breastfeeding in public and even prohibited from doing do, and when many children and young people consider it "yucky" (as we found when we consulted our young people's groups) it's time society took a very long hard look at where archaic attitudes to female bodies originate, and placed them firmly where they belong, in the annals of bygone eras.

Neena Modi

Professor of Neonatal Medicine, Imperial College London

President, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Williamstown Lawyer Tapped to State Humanites Board

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Bruce Grinnell of the law firm Grinnell Partners, LLP, in Williamstown, has been elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of Mass Humanities.

A native of Brooklyn, N.Y, Grinnell has been in legal practice for more than 35 years and focuses primarily on general mediation in family law cases. In addition to his many accolades as a lawyer, he has worked as an adjunct professor of law at both Boston University and Vermont Law School. He recently served on the boards of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and REACH Community Health Foundation, as well as led a $12-million capital campaign for North Adams Regional Hospital.

Mass Humanities is a programming and grant-making organization that receives support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The statewide board includes scholars, educators and leaders of cultural institutions, as well as members representing business, government, the professions and community life.

Established in 1974 to increase the awareness, understanding and influence of the humanities in Massachusetts, Mass Humanities conducts programs and provides grants and services in support of community-based projects that use history, literature, philosophy, and other humanities disciplines to examine topics of interest.

Mass Humanities sponsors and provides grant support for a wide variety of humanities programs across the commonwealth. In Williamstown, Mass Humanities has provided funding for Project eLEVate, a summer youth program under the umbrella of the Biannual Lift Ev'ry Voice Festival and focused on African-American identity in the Berkshires.

Others elected to the Mass Humanities board include Ramon Borges-Mendez, professor of Community Development and Planning at Clark University; Peggy Kemp, former headmaster of the Fenway Charter School in Boston; and Amy Macdonald, director of Community Engagement for WBUR in Boston.

Mass Humanities maintains offices in Northampton and can be reached at 413-584-8440 or on the web.
The pop-up tent itself features a raffle, info booths, art, postcard-writing, children's activities.

Berkshires Beat: 350Vermont Brings Summer Pop-Up Series to Bennington

Popping up: 350Vermont's Summer Pop-Up Series is taking the Burlington-based climate organization to four Vermont communities, including a last stop this week in Bennington County. The pop-up tent will appear in four Bennington County locations: the Bennington Farmers Market (Aug. 8, 3-6 p.m.), the Left Bank in North Bennington (Aug. 9, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.), the Manchester Farmers Market (Aug. 10, 3-6 p.m.), and Willow Park in Bennington (Aug. 11, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.). Each site will also host other activities such as workshops or cantastoria performances. A full schedule can be found online.



350VT's Jen Lazar describes the pop-up as a "mix of a traveling roadshow, a listening tour, a fierce commitment to climate justice, a set of powerful workshops and trainings, the excitement of overnight summer camp, and incredible climate leaders from across the state." The pop-up tent itself features a raffle, info booths, art, postcard-writing, children's activities. Other events, including cantastoria performances, talks on climate subjects, and workshops on themes ranging from "active hope" to "solidarity singing," will be held throughout the week. The pop-up is designed to engage more Vermonters in the movement for climate justice by building a network of community-run 350VT groups.



According to the 2016 Yale Climate Opinion Map, a majority of Vermonters (61 percent) are worried about global warming, but in many parts of this rural state, environmentally concerned Vermonters still feel isolated and, perhaps, powerless in the face of this overwhelming climate crisis. The summer pop-up will encourage people to get involved, take action and build community.





Exploring racism: The subject of inclusiveness, and creative responses to racism, will be explored by a professor, an attorney and an artist on Wednesday, Aug. 9, at Berkshire Community College in a thought-provoking day of lively discussion and learning. The event, titled "OLLI University Day," is organized by OLLI, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College, and is open to the public.

The day features three celebrated speakers. Williams College professor Charles Dew is a renowned expert in slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction. His talk will center around his recent memoir, "The Making of a Racist: A Southerner Reflects on Family, History, and the Slave Trade." He will be joined by attorney and advocate Tahirah Amatul Wadud, and artist and former journalist Setsuko Winchester, the founder of the Freedom from Fear/Yellow Bowl Project currently on view at the Mount in Lenox.



Registration is $40 for OLLI members and $55 for members of the public, and includes lunch. The deadline to register is Monday, Aug. 7. The day begins at 10 a.m. with coffee and registration, followed by Professor Dews' talk and discussion at 10:30 a.m. Lunch and a talk by Mrs. Wadud follow, with Setsuko Winchester presenting in the early afternoon. For more information and to register, call 413-236-2190 or visit the wesbite.

Getting info: Information sessions for the Northern Berkshire Adult Basic Education Program will be held at the Adams Public Library on Aug. 11 at 3:30 p.m., at the North Adams Public Library on Aug. 15 at 10 a.m., at the North Adams Downtown Celebration on Aug. 16 at 5:30 p.m. and at the UNO Center on River Street in North Adams on Aug. 18 at 2 p.m. Call 413-662-5330 for information.





Real news: The first edition of Mayor Linda Tyers quarterly newsletter is now available. A link to the newsletter is located on the city's website. Sign up for future editions of the newsletter is available through the city's subscription system.

Each issue will include highlights on the people, projects, initiatives, developments, and funds that are in place to move the city forward. During the week of Aug. 7, copies of the newsletter will also be available in the Mayor's Office, Berkshire Athenaeum and the Ralph J. Froio Senior Center.





Growing support: Berkshire Nursing Families, a nonprofit lactation consulting organization, is now making lactation support services available throughout the entire county. The mission of BNF is to enhance the life-long health of its community through the promotion and support of breastfeeding. BNF delivers a continuum of expert lactation support from pregnancy through baby's first six months.





Preschool openings: The Dalton Preschool is accepting applications to fill limited enrollment openings for the 2017-18 school year program, which begins on Wednesday, Sept. 6. Dalton Preschool is located within the Dalton CRA building at 400 Main St., Dalton. Applications for Dalton Preschool may be picked up at the Dalton CRA's front desk.



Dalton Preschool, known formerly as Dalton Cooperative Nursery School, is a small, private, play-based, preschool program with an experienced and professional staff. Dalton Preschool's curriculum emphasizes the development of social-skills and includes early-academic components. It is a mixed-aged program serving children between the ages of 2 years, 9 months, to 5 years old.



The preschool offers either full-day programs, from 8:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., or half-day programs, from 8:15 a.m. to noon, Mondays through Fridays, and follows an academic year calendar. For information, visit the website.

Library art: The town of Williamstowns long-time principal assessor, William Barkin, will be exhibiting original oil paintings at the Milne Public Library in Williamstown for the month of August. All the work on display depict scenes of Williamstown.

An accomplished artist, Barkin has been painting for more than 40 years and has had his work exhibited in numerous galleries throughout New England, New York and Florida.
An African art object, part of the promised gift from Drs. Carolyn and Eli Newberger. (Courtesy Williams College Museum of Art)

Williams College Museum of Art to Receive Landmark Gift of African Art



Drs. Carolyn and Eli Newberger have donated a collection to WCMA.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Williams College Museum of Art has been gifted more than 340 objects of African art from Drs. Carolyn and Eli Newberger. The collection includes works from the late 19th through late 20th century and represents numerous cultures from West Africa with decorative, religious and utilitarian objects.



In 1967, Carolyn, Eli and their infant daughter Mary Ellen began two years of service with the Peace Corps, living in the capital city Ouagadougou in what is now Burkina Faso. They admired and appreciated the art around them and became friends with the director of the national museum, Toumani Triande. Under Triande's tutelage, they amassed a collection of quality and authenticity. They were interested in village artifacts and everyday objects that expressed the artistic vision of West African people. Utilitarian objects such as sandals made from tire tread, bowls, spades, textiles and door locks were given equal importance as ritual and iconic sculptures, masks, and figures. The collection includes works created by more than 15 different cultures including the Ashanti, Bamana, Baule, Bobo, Dogon, Igbo, Mossi, Peul, Senufo and Yoruba People.



"As new Berkshire residents and grandparents of a Williams College sophomore, we look forward through this gift to opening doors to scholarship on African life and culture," Carolyn Newberger said. "Eli and I hope the collection will aid in building bridges to a vibrant local African and African-American community."



"Not only does the collection contain important, fabulously iconic examples of Mossi art among others, but it also contains extremely rare and wonderful flashes of artistic individuality and interpretation within these iconic programs," said Assistant Professor of Art Michelle Apotsos. "It is this element that allows the objects to both communicate and operate on multiple social, cultural, and political levels."



A wood Chi Wara mask with a representation of Charles de Gaulle is one example of a work that communicates on multiple levels. It's a fascinating mix of spiritual tradition, political history and artistic ingenuity. The Chi Wara masquerade itself is meant to honor the mythic Chi Wara beast, part antelope, part crocodile, part anteater, part human creature that originally lived in the earth. When mankind first emerged, the species did not know how to feed or sustain itself, so the Chi Wara took pity on man, emerged from the earth, and taught man how to farm by digging in the dirt. The Chi Wara masquerade is celebrated every year during the harvest period.
Lora Lee Gayer (Billie Hathaway) and Jeff McCarthy (Joseph Lindy) star in 'A Legendary Romance' at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. (Photograph by Daniel Rader)

Review: WTF's 'Romance' Is Confusing But Promising



From left, Maurice Jones (Producer), Trevor Guyton (Delivery Man), Jeff McCarthy (Joseph Lindy), Jose-Maria Aguila (Mendez), Lora Lee Gayer (Billie Hathaway) and Roe Hartrampf (Vincent Connor). (Photograph by Daniel Rader)

What an intriguing, promising opening!



Underscored by a lively overture, we see a black and white movie clip of a young couple speaking intensely and kissing even more intensely. Then the man is shot and falls to the floor. Watching this film-noir parody with us is an older man looking up at the screen in his art-deco-esque, sunken screening room. We haven't a clue what's going on and for the next two hours or so, we have to work hard, too hard, to figure it all out.



"A Legendary Romance" jumps back and forth between the screening room in 1994 and other Hollywood settings in the early 1950s. We hear some terrific songs and see maybe a dozen glamorous women's dress-shoe outfits worn by the leading lady. We see more film clips, including one where the older man and the filmed actors talk to each other. This seems to be a frivolous love story, the "romance" of the title, but it gradually becomes also a serious story as well about the horrific toll the House Un-american Activities Committee-McCarthy hearings had on Hollywood. Sometimes we laugh. Sometimes we are pondering very serious subjects and emotions. Sometimes we're not sure what to feel.



And that is the problem with this new, not-yet-fully-realized, small-scale musical playing through Aug. 20 at the Main Stage of the Williamstown Theatre Festival: It's very confusing. The story itself is trying to cover too much ground. As with an opera, it's best to read a story synopsis before you attend. Hopefully this one will help:



Joseph Lindy (Jeff McCarthy, the "Man Of La Mancha" at Barrington Stage in 2015) is being coerced to agree to a new version of his autobiographical movie by young producer (Maurice Jones). As he tries to make a decision, Lindy revisits his love for his ingenue and leading lady, Billie Hathaway (Lora Lee Gayer). In flashback we learn that Lindy has been black-listed by McCarthy. In order to get the movie made, he decides that the producer credit will go to a man whom he fictitiously names Vincent Connor (Roe Hartrampf).

Connor then casts himself as the films leading man. Soon Vincent and Billie are lovers. Billie has spurned Lindy's proposal because she is afraid that as his wife she too will be blacklisted. (Still with me?) "A Legendary Romance" ends with Lindy deeply regretting a major decision he has made in his principled life.



Much in "A Legendary Romance" hinges on how we relate to Lindy. Do we believe in him, care about him, trust him? It doesn't help that he stays in his late 60s, even in flashbacks, while Billie stays in her youthful 20s. His proposal to her on bended knee is particularly jarring  a grandfather proposing to his granddaughter. (Will he be able to get up?) Only in the second act when a show that began as a mild-comedy turns very serious do we begin to feel for him.



Lora Lee Gayer (Billie Hathaway) and Jeff McCarthy (Joseph Lindy) star in 'A Legendary Romance.' (Photograph by Daniel Rader)

Jeff McCarthy as Lindy has a gorgeous voice, but his acting chops dont quite measure up, especially in Act I. In Act II he is quite moving. Maurice Jones is effective as the producer. But Lora Lee Gayer has the standout performance. She brings needed energy, fun, spunk and a soupcon of Sarah Jessica Parker to the production and to Billie. Roe Hartrampf looks the part of a young 50s actor, but he could have shown more strength in his characterization.
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Former V&A director Martin Roth has died aged 62, The Guardian reports.

He served as Director General of the Dresden State Art Collections in his native Germany from 2001 to 2011, before acting as the Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London from 2011 to 2016, departing shortly after it won the museum of the year award.

Chairman of the V&A, Nicholas Coleridge, gave tribute to Roth, stating, "Martin will be remembered as a man of prodigious energy, a director with a global reputation both within the museum world and beyond, a committed Europhile and cultural ambassador with a philosophical turn of mind, as well as a devoted husband and father."

Roth was committed to raising the international profile of the V&A, which lead to a record number of 3.8 million visitors, alongside expansions of the museum in China, Dundee, and east London. He also oversaw the opening of restored galleries devoted to European arts and crafts of 1600-1815.

"This, combined with exhibitions such as David Bowie Is, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, Disobedient Objects and Engineering the World: Ove Arup, raised the V&A to new heights," Coleridge added. "We will greatly miss Martin, and are profoundly grateful for his considerable contribution to the V&A."

Roth's departure from the museum was hastened by his views on Brexit; born in Stuttgart in 1955, he expressed his feelings to German broadcaster DW as, "For me, Europe is simply synonymous with peace. I didn't want to be a German. I did not want to grow up in a country that had killed a huge part of its population."

"So for me, Europe always gave hope for a peaceful future, based on sharing, solidarity, and tolerance. Dropping out always means creating cultural barriers - and that worries me."

He died in Berlin. German culture minister, Monika Grutters, paid her own respects by stating, "With the passing of Martin Roth, the German and international museum world has lost one of the most prominent but also polemical personalities. He took part in numerous discussions with a strong opinion and enriched these debates. His capacity for enthusiasm was contagious."
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Our association between artwork and music is inextricably linked; if an iconic album is brought up in conversation, whether it be Dark Side of the Moon, Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band or Appetite for Destruction, it is invariably the albums artwork that our minds eye latches on to before we begin to recall any of the music itself. Metals relationship with art is particularly symbiotic; both are often loud compositions that hide intricate details which are only revealed upon closer inspection.

Over the years, metals album sleeves have been brought to life through mascots, an integral part of some of the genres biggest bands, bringing a fantastical larger-than-life edge to not only the artwork but also the live shows too. Megadeth have the skeletal figure of Vic Rattlehead, Motorhead had the snarling be-fanged Snaggletooth and Iron Maiden have perhaps the most famous example of them all, Eddie the ead, who has appeared in various guises over the bands 42-year career including a cyborg, an Egyptian mummy and a lobotomised asylum patient. The iconography provides an instantly discernable symbol that fans can take to their collective blackened bosom (and several ludicrous opportunities for merchandising). No artwork better represents the genre it is associated with than that displayed on metals most iconic covers.

Iron Maidens mascot Eddie has been an integral part of their live show and album artwork throughout their long and illustrious history (Rex)

Someone who is acutely aware of the synergy between art and metal is Derby-based artist Paul R Gregory. Largely known for painting enormous murals of atmospheric landscapes that show a recognition of natures power and grandeur, hes also the co-founder of Bloodstock, one of the UKs most prestigious and longest-running metal festivals. Since 2014, Gregory has combined these two passions by curating an art gallery on the Bloodstock site. The RAM Gallery (named after the local folklore of the Derby Ram, which also inspires the festivals own mascot) showcases a wide array of photography and artwork that is inextricably linked to metals rich history. I wanted to bring the link between fantasy and music into sharp focus and see how it had developed over the years, says Gregory of the gallery. I like the idea of having the history of the festival there; all the paintings Ive done for Bloodstock each year are there and well have the bands come in and sign them. Theres not another festival that I can think of that displays its history through original artwork in quite the same way that we do.

Bloodstock RAM Gallery Show all 10 1 /10 Bloodstock RAM Gallery Bloodstock RAM Gallery Christian Sloan Hall will be selling signed Giclee art prints of 7 different Viking-themed works, including this one of Amon Amarth's 'First Kill' artwork from 2015. All are printed in archival inks and have certificates of authenticity Christian Sloan Hall Bloodstock RAM Gallery Motorhead's Phil Campbell and Paul Raymond Gregory shake hands in front of the 'Lemmy's Bar' painting, exhibited in 2016. The festival's main bar has been re-christened 'Lemmy's Bar' in memory of the departed Motorhead frontman and a copy of Paul's interpretation of the classic 'pub sign' hangs outside. Katja Ogrin Bloodstock RAM Gallery Acclaimed photographer Paul Harries will have some of his shots exhibited at the RAM Gallery this year, including this shot of Papa Emeritus III taken at London Palladium Paul Harries Bloodstock RAM Gallery Daniel P. Carter is exhibiting three pieces this year, including this portrait of the dearly missed Lemmy Daniel P. Carter Bloodstock RAM Gallery The RAM Gallery archives various artwork used throughout the years used to promote Bloodstock festival Katja Ogrin Bloodstock RAM Gallery British luthier Cynosure creates 'guitars as art' and this year Paul has commissioned him to create two guitars for RAM. This model will be exhibited at the 2017 RAM Gallery in tribute to Saxon. For more of Cynosure's work, visit https://www.cynosureguitars.com/gallery Bloodstock RAM Gallery Bloodstock RAM Gallery Paul Raymond Gregory and Johan Hegg, vocalist with Bloodstock 2017 headliners Amon Amarth, stand before Gregory's 'Mordor Festival' work-in-progress, which festival go-ers can see the 'latest' on at this year's gallery Bloodstock RAM Gallery Fiaz Farrelly Bloodstock RAM Gallery Fiaz Farrelly

Gregory was encouraged as a young lad to pursue his artistic sensibilities by his art teacher, who spotted a less conventional thread in his work than that of his peers. He was inspired by a long list of artists and began to nurture a style that amalgamated the landscapes of Turner, the fantasy of Frank Frazetta and the detail of local Derby artist Joseph Wright. In the late 1970s, Gregory purchased two dilapidated 200-year-old cottages in the Derbyshire village of Spondon (where he still lives) which the local authorities were due to demolish. Gregory convinced them otherwise and turned them into Chapel Cottage Galleries, where he curated many exhibitions by local and international artists. Curiously, he never used the space to showcase his own work but owning the gallery fired his imagination, galvanising him into creating vast murals inspired by the works of Tolkien and his rich fantasy world Middle Earth. It was owning the gallery that made me decide I really wanted to make a go of being an artist as a career choice, he says. Im a big fan of Tolkiens books and I could see things in them that I wanted to interpret. At the time, there was no other way to see his work except to visualise it in your imagination.

From an early age, Gregory had also been a big aficionado of music, fortuitously entering his teens just as the Sixties was beginning to get into full swing. Whilst metal was almost a full decade away from educating the masses to the fact that the devil has all the best tunes, the young Paul Gregory was privileged enough to see the influence that the blues was having on popular music of the time, regularly dropping the needle on Rolling Stones records. His introduction to metal, which effectively took the blueprint laid down by the blues and layered it with a macabre distorted asperity, came via his artwork. I was introduced to metal when I was commissioned to do my first album cover for Saxon (for their 1984 sixth studio album Crusader). Their management saw one of my Tolkien paintings, got in contact with me and thats how the whole journey started. Ive done 17 albums for the band over the years, I just love the music.

The Saxon album opened up a new side to Gregorys artwork as a whole slew of metal bands, inspired by his fantastical landscapes, appointed him to design their album sleeves including Blind Guardian, Uriah Heep, Molly Hatchet and Dio. Heavy Metal has got its own voice, its really powerful stuff and there are so many sub-genres and different styles within it, some of which are quite weird actually, but that appeals to me, he says with a wry chuckle. If you look at the amount of bands that are also influenced by Tolkiens work its quite staggering. In fact, weve got a Bloodstock headliner this year, Amon Amarth, whose name is taken from a Sindarin word for Mount Doom. I wasnt really aware of Tolkiens impact on metal until I started working with these bands.

Gregory standing in front of his triptych The Falls of Esgalduin, which was inspired by Tolkiens The Silmarillion

The foundations of Bloodstock Festival itself lie in the meeting of two individuals from totally different backgrounds who forged a friendship through their love of heavy metal. Gregory was looking for someone to help him build a website and was introduced to Vince Brotheridge through a mutual friend. The pair bonded straight away, with Brotheridge informing Gregory of his desire to build a festival that embodied the spirit of Donningtons Monsters of Rock, which had been defunct in the UK since 1996. I immediately said we should go for it, Gregory recalls of that fateful meeting. The idea just appealed to me but thats how I am. I dont consider the problems, I always consider the potential and thats how the whole thing started. Myself and Vince were very passionate about the idea but it was quite a reality check when we actually got into the mechanics of it, especially considering we didnt have any prior knowledge of putting a festival together at all. Its been a really steep learning curve over the years, I have to say, but I wouldnt change it for a moment.

Bizarrely, despite metals phenomenal popularity at the dawn of the 21st century (admittedly largely down to the fairly Bloodstock unfriendly subgenre of nu metal) there werent any annual festivals that were serving its loyal and dedicated fans. Download was a full two years away from its inaugural showing, Ozzfest was sporadic in the UK with events in 1998, 2001 and 2002 before being swallowed up as an occasional curated day at Download and the Reading and Leeds Festivals, whilst far more mosh-friendly than the insipid rite of passage it is today, could still hardly be labelled as a metal festival overall. Gregory and Brotheridge had unwittingly captured a niche but passionate audience.

The latest incarnation of Bloodstocks Derby Ram mascot (Paul R Gregory) (Paul R. Gregory)

Bloodstock began as an indoor event held at the Derby Assembly Rooms in 2001. Attendance was a modest 700 patrons, a respectable amount for an unestablished festival, but paltry in comparison to the 15,000 people who now attend the event annually. Brotheridges initial idea was to have Cradle of Filth headline the inaugural event, but the pope-bothering extreme gothic metallers were unable to attend. Fate intervened and Gregory appealed to his old buddies Saxon to take the slot, alongside a bill that included Glenn Hughes, Orange Goblin and Primal Fear.

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From humble beginnings, the festival grew quickly and by 2005, the decision was made to expand and make Bloodstock an outdoor event. Wed grown to a point where we simply didnt have enough room, so we had to go outdoors, Gregory says. I think at the time people thought that was a big step, but you have to have growth in anything you do.

It was an ambitious undertaking, especially considering that Bloodstock ran separate outdoor and indoor events in 2005 and 2006. That turned out to be a mistake, Gregory concedes. We had a period where it was quite difficult financially to carry on and of course when you become an open air event, its a totally different kettle of fish. You have to build the infrastructure and the cost of that is considerably more than an indoor event. It was a new learning curve and it became very expensive very quickly; I took on the debt so things were touch and go for a few years after that but it gradually started to get better and develop. I dont believe you can make something like a festival a success unless you have a passion for it. Some people go into it with the idea of making money and Im sure thats possible but youre reliant on bringing in big headlining bands and we dont want to be in a situation where we have to rely on that. Its not about that for me, its about the music, the metal and people coming together as part of a scene.

Bloodstock has organically created an atypical family friendly environment onsite (Katja Ogrin)

The adage often bandied around about Bloodstock is how its a family festival; it has all the trappings of a heavy metal village fete which just so happens to be soundtracked by fun family friendly frippery such as Decapitated, Hatebreed and Venom Prison. Whilst talk of atmosphere and vibe in relation to festivals is often greeted with a sardonic rolling of the eyes, (as, frankly, it should be) it is for good reason that Bloodstock is regularly regarded as one of the friendliest festivals in the country. I dont think thats something that can be forced, says Gregory. Its something that has to be earned over a period of time. You cant simply invent a festival which has the same feeling that Bloodstock has, thats something that has to be developed over time. Having the same fans come back year in, year out has meant weve built up a relationship with our fans; we know what they want because we are them and they are us.

As Bloodstock has continued to grow, Gregory is gradually taking a step back from the overall running of the festival, handing it over to his daughters and son to truly keep the operation within the family. With weekend tickets sold out to this years edition and a headlining triumvirate of Amon Amarth, Ghost and Megadeth, it is undoubtedly a huge part of the legacy that he has created. They say it takes 20 years to become an overnight success, Gregory laughs. Were so passionate about it, I love the fans, the festival and everything about it, we have so many passionate metal fans that work to put Bloodstock on. Its not a job to me, its something I enjoy and I wouldnt change it for the world.

Bloodstock Open Air 2017 takes place at Catton Hall from 10-13 August. Weekend tickets are sold out but day tickets are still available. For more information on Gregorys artwork, head to Studio 54
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David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn might have very little in common ideologically but they both appear to have a certain affinity for a festival.

Mr Corbyn was of course the man of the moment at this years Glastonbury. Revellers were not only pictured with the words Jezza surrounded by love hearts on their foreheads but the Labour leaders speech attracted tens of thousands of festival-goers who chanted ohhhh, Jeremy Corbyn" to the tune of White Stripes hit "Seven Nation Army" and brought the entire festival to a literal gridlock.

But while so-called Jeramania swept Glastonbury, the same could not be said of Mr Camerons appearance at Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire this weekend. The former British Prime Minister kept a comparatively low profile at the upmarket music event and nobody was shouting Ohhhhhhh David Cameron.

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But despite not opting to do any public appearances, the former Conservative MP was caught on camera posing for a photo with a fancy-dress-clad Corbyn fan.

Clutching a full glass of wine in one hand and a cigarette in the other, Mr Cameron appeared to have been waylaid by fellow festivalgoer Lucy Edwards.

Seemingly oblivious to the fact Ms Edwards' back was emblazoned with the words Corbyn in a love heart, the politician sported his expertly practised smile.

David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 David Cameron's premiership - in pictures David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Queen Elizabeth II greeting David Cameron at Buckingham Palace for an audience to invite him to be the next Prime Minister on 11 May 2010 PA David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha wave from the steps of Number 10 Downing Street on 11 May 2010 Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures On 12 May 2010 Prime Minister David Cameron said in a press conference with Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, who was then deputy PM, they plan to "take Britain in a historic new direction" and Conservative-led coalition government would be united and provide "strong and stable" leadership Rex David Cameron's premiership - in pictures A decade ago, David Cameron visited the Arctic to witness the effects of climate change. However since coming to power in 2010, his government has gradually dropped down a succession of green policies David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David cameron told the then New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, the Queen had purred down the line after he told her Scotland had voted against independence in September 2014. He was forced to apologise for breaking constitutional convention Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron greeted soldiers working on flood relief in York city centre after the river Ouse burst its banks, in northern England in December 2015 REUTERS David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Claims that David Cameron performed an obscene act with a dead pig and smoked cannabis during his studies at Oxford University spread around the world in September 2015. The extraordinary allegations were made in an unauthorised biography of the Prime Minister written by Lord Ashcroft David Hartley/REX Shutterstock David Cameron's premiership - in pictures In 2016, Mr Cameron was caught up in a worldwide scandal dubbed the Panama papers Reuters David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha with seven week old Regan as they meet her parents, first time home buyers Robert Arron and Kelly Jeffers at the Heritage Brook housing development in Chorley, Lancashire. David Cameron has joked that he wants "another baby" and said that he feels a "bit broody" every time he sees a newborn on the campaign trail David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David Cameron was criticised for branding refugees in the Calais jungle camp as a bunch of migrants in January 2016 after thousands of refugees died in their attempt to cross the Mediterranean in 2015 Sky News David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron speaks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker during an EU summit meeting on 17 March 2016 at the European Union council in Brussels. Cameron was in Brussels to renegotiate deal of UK membership with other European leaders. The deal, sealed after hours of haggling at a marathon summit, paved the way for a referendum on whether Britain will stay in the EU AFP/Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures President Barack Obama shakes hands with British Prime Minister David Cameron at a meeting at 10 Downing Street in London on 22 April 2016. The President and his wife visited 10 Downing Street where he joined press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron and made his case for the UK to remain inside the European Union Getty Images David Cameron's premiership - in pictures After David returned from Brussels claiming victory in his renegotiation with European leaders, Boris Johnson announced that he will not support the Remain campaign. The prime minister said publicly he was "disappointed but Boris remains a friend" PA David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Prime Minister David Cameron makes a joint appearance with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan as they launch the Britain Stronger in Europe guarantee card at Roehampton University on 20 May 2016 in London. The 'guarantee card' lists five pledges should Britain remain in the EU, including the protection of workers' rights, full access to the single market and stability for Britain David Cameron's premiership - in pictures Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron speaks outside 10 Downing Street on 24 June 2016. Cameron announced his resignation after Britain voted to leave the European Union after a bitterly divisive referendum campaign AP

Ms Edwards, who was wearing a sequin jacket with a neon pink heart adorned with the word Corbyn, posted the photo on Instagram and said: Couldnt have even planned it."

Big Dave C in the house, shame he cant read," she added and later said: He was so mad when he saw me walk off with what was on my back.

But this was by no means Mr Camerons only photo opportunity at the extravagant music festival which has been dubbed poshstock. He was also spotted in a selfie, which has since gone viral, taken by Labour activist Vanessa Price and her husband.

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While those around him beamed, the former PM looked like he was having a distinctly wearisome time as he looked directly at the camera lens. His wife, Samantha, on the other hand, was more focused on the activities on stage.

Ms Price, a Labour councillor who has previously campaigned against Mr Cameron's policies in his nearby former constituency Witney, has since explained she had no idea Mr Cameron was in the crowd until they had taken the selfie.

Wilderness festival in Cornbury Park  a stones throw from the Camerons Oxfordshire home  has garnered a reputation for being one of the poshest, if not the poshest, music events in the UK. It has a lakeside spa, horse riding, yoga workshops, and a champagne bar on site.

Mr Camerons trip to Wilderness follows a Conservative MPs recent announcement he is organising a Tory Glastonbury inspired by the support given to Mr Corbyn at the Somerset event this year.

George Freeman wants to launch the one-day event for party activists and their families in an attempt to improve Conservatives' diminishing grassroots support.
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Edward Enninful is finally taking up the helm at British Vogue after months of anticipation. The new editor-in-chief has a proven track-record of bringing diversity to the fore that many hope will be the start of an overhaul of the global Vogue brand.

The initial news of Enninfuls appointment came with a flurry of approval from the fashion industry, media and readers alike. The current editor-in-chief of Vogue Australia, Edwina McCann, opined that appointing Enninful is a bold move that will be very well received by the industry, and hopefully by readers too.

Enninful has a talent for blending high fashion with thought-provoking social issues, earning an OBE and the Isabella Blow award  given to an inspiring member of the fashion industry  for his efforts.

Enninful is not afraid of making a statement. In March, he responded sublimely when US President Donald Trump nominated Supreme Court judge Neil Gorsuch, who allegedly does not care much about civil rights: Enninful styled a shoot for his then employer, the New York-based W magazine, in which a range of ethnically diverse models climb the stairs of an imaginary Supreme Court. In February, after Trump initiated the much-debated immigration ban, Enninful put together a video showcasing the various fashion celebrities who have immigrated into the US.

Even before his first official day in Vogues Mayfair offices, Enninful had hired two English superstars of Jamaican descent in an attempt to diversify the team. Model Naomi Campbell and make-up artist Pat McGrath both share Enninfuls aim of championing fashion as a force for social change.

Fashion statements

Born in London, Enninful started his career as style director of i-D magazine. Founders Terry and Tricia Jones, who hired him at the tender age of 18, told how he contributed to supermodel diversity from the very beginning, and say that his office was always a Mecca for ideas.

Not stopping there, Enninful later took his powerful ideas to the self-proclaimed fashion bible Vogue. In 2008, as a contributing editor of Vogue Italia, Enninful put together an issue that featured solely black models. This was a powerful statement and one that Enninful is repeating for the 2018 Pirelli calendar  a publication more often thought of for its scantily-clad models than blazing the trail for ethnic diversity, though it has in recent years been moving in a new artistic direction.

It was while working with Vogue Italia that Enninful developed a mentor relationship with Franca Sozanni, the late editor-in-chief. The Vogue brand claims to define the culture of fashion for a global audience, and Sozanni did a stellar job at it from the time she became editor in 1988. Sozanni understood that as editor-in-chief of one of the worlds most influential fashion magazines she could help change the conversation, and nurtured this passion in Enninful too. Until her death in December 2016, Sozanni pushed for a more representative publication: black models Alicia Burke and Hussein Abdulrahman electrified the cover of her penultimate issue. The online hubs Vblack, Vcurvy and LGBT+ are also part of her legacy.

Passing the buck

Unlike Enninful and Sozanni, the previous editor-in-chief of British Vogue, Alexandra Shulman, notoriously tried to dodge responsibility for ethnic diversity in 2012, writing that: In a society where the mass of the consumers are white and where, on the whole, mainstream ideas sell, its unlikely there will be a huge rise in the number of leading black models.

Consumers and readers cant be the only ones to blame for the lack of diversity in the magazine: a brand and its audience are developed through cross-pollination. The responsibilities of any editor-in-chief  and the fashion industry at large  exist independently from, and without prejudice to, those of consumers.

The global Vogue brands relationship with diversity, however, remains complicated. While it claims to be curious about the new and different, unworldly attitudes among Vogue editors seem to be not yet out of Vogue.

Speaking after Enninfuls appointment, Vogue Nederland editor-in-chief Karin Swerink naively passed the lack of ethnic diversity buck to models of colour and their agencies. She said: There is currently only one dark-skinned top model in the Netherlands, a favourite of Vogue. It concerns Imaan Hamman  There is absolutely not a lack of goodwill. I consider mainly if [the model] is contemporary and fits in the story that we want to tell. I dont consider if someone is white or black. That is so unimportant when making a magazine. We keep an eye on some dark girls, such as Nirvana Naves. But, I think that she just has not the potential yet.

A sobering message indeed. Swerink received a major backlash, and appears to be experimenting with more diverse editorial policies now. Naomi Campbell graced the cover of Vogue Nederlands 2017 special edition The Book, for example. Putting Vogue friend Campbell on the cover will hopefully keep the conversation going  especially now Swerink can turn to her colleague Enninful for advice.

One can only hope that Enninfuls appointment is not a mere blip, but a move in the right direction on a long road to diversity for the global brand. Such a responsible and inclusive attitude should be a necessary characteristic for any Vogue editor-in-chief worth the title. It could very well be that Enninful is the first in a new generation of editors who understand the power they have to change the whole fashion industry.

Aleydis Nissen is a PhD researcher at Cardiff University. This article was originally published on The Conversation (theconversation.com)
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In a screed that rocketed around Silicon Valley this weekend, a software engineer at Google blasted the company's efforts to increase the number of minorities and women in its ranks and leadership positions.

The essay, reported by Motherboard and posted by Gizmodo, was posted on an internal Google forum by a male software engineer and titled Google's Ideological Echo Chamber.

The author has not been publicly identified, but his words have sparked a backlash. Critics say his sentiments reflect a tech company culture that's unwelcoming or even hostile to women and minorities. Another fear: The engineer's words reflect the unspoken thoughts of many others in an industry dominated by white men.

Google, which has announced efforts to increase diversity and is being investigated over allegations of gender pay inequality, did not respond to a message from The Washington Post seeking comment Sunday. The company did address the essay in an internal letter to employees.

The essay argues that Google should stop its campaigns to increase gender and racial diversity and focus instead on ideological diversity.

It says the reason women don't make up half of the company's technological and leadership positions is because of genetic differences in their preferences and abilities.

These differences may explain why we don't see equal representation of women in tech and leadership, the engineer wrote. We need to stop assuming that gender gaps imply sexism.

The author says the company's diversity efforts have created a politically correct monoculture that maintains its hold by shaming dissenters into silence and makes it easier for extremist and authoritarian policies to take root.

He says Google's efforts to achieve more equal gender and race representation - special programmes for HBCUs for example, or coding camps for girls - have led to discriminatory practices, specifically against conservatives.

In the essay, the author says he has received support from others in the company for bringing up these very important issues, which others would never have the courage to say or defend because of our shaming culture and the possibility of being fired.

The essay comes as the Mountain View, California, company has been trying to increase the stubbornly unbudging percentage of women and minorities in its ranks and is being investigated by the Labour Department for a disparity in pay between men and women.

Responding to the essay in a message to Google employees, Danielle Brown, the company's new vice president of diversity, integrity and governance, said the essay advanced incorrect assumptions about gender.

Diversity and inclusion are a fundamental part of our values and the culture we continue to cultivate, Brown said. We are unequivocal in our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success as a company, and we'll continue to stand for that and be committed to it for the long haul.

As The Washington Post's Jena McGregor wrote in March, just 1 percent of Google's technology employees are black - a percentage that hasn't moved since 2014.

To become more diverse, McGregor wrote, the company has expanded its recruiting to a broader range of schools, trains its workers on 'implicit biases' and re-examines resumes to make sure recruiters don't overlook diverse talent.

Slack engineer Erica Baker, whom CNBC called an outspoken critic of systematic bias in the tech industry, said the engineer's diatribe was shocking but not surprising.

Google has seen hints of this in the past, with employees sharing blog posts about their racist beliefs and the occasional internal mailing list question, 'innocently' asking if Black people aren't more likely to be violent, she wrote on her blog on Saturday.

The most important question we should be asking of leaders at Google and that they should be asking of themselves is this: Why is the environment at Google such that racists and sexists feel supported and safe in sharing these views in the company?

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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

Yonatan Zunger, a former senior Google employee, also took issue with the software engineer's post. He wrote on Medium that the essay shows a misunderstanding of the way Google tries to address the world's problems:

Essentially, engineering is all about cooperation, collaboration, and empathy for both your colleagues and your customers. If someone told you that engineering was a field where you could get away with not dealing with people or feelings, then I'm very sorry to tell you that you have been lied to.

The Washington Post
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Almost one in five primary school children in England with special educational needs have been left in limbo after local authorities failed to provide them with a secondary school place, experts have said.

At least 2,336 special needs children who are due to start secondary school in September were not given education plans before the legal deadline, according to data released under freedom of information laws.

The uncertainty about what school they will go to and whether their support provision will be cut has left vulnerable children crippled with anxiety, lawyers working with families involved said.

Recommended Special needs school forced to cut length of day to save money

Families living in areas that missed the 15 February cut off date might not get the chance to appeal decisions about what support their children receive before the new term starts.

Education solicitor Samantha Hale from Simpson Millar, told The Independent: There has to be a proper transition plan in place, and obviously issuing them late puts that in jeopardy.

"Some children struggle with changes. Any change has to be properly planned, if it's not, it can increase anxiety and their behaviour will deteriorate. Some children can get so distressed it can impact their physical wellbeing.

She added that parents were distressed to see their children become distraught and felt the measure was outside their control.

Financial constraints meant many parents could not pursue legal action against their local council to get hold of a plan, she added.

"Not everyone is eligible for public funding or able to finance solicitors privately," she said. "So there's a portion of people who aren't able to challenge it legally, which adds to the unfairness. It means some local authorities are just getting away with it."

Of the 14,063 children whose plans were due by the February deadline, 11,727 were delivered on time, with some local authorities admitting to missing the deadline for three quarters of the special needs children in their area, the data showed.

In Sunderland, 78 per cent of children who needed a plan did not receive one in time, according to one freedom of information request filed by Simpson Millar.

Meanwhile, St Helens, Central Bedfordshire and Somerset County Council all failed to provide school plans to 70 per cent of children by the deadline.

In London, Haringey had the worst record for providing school plans in time  failing to do so for 67 out of 105 children who needed them.

The total figure is a significant decrease from last year, when local government missed the deadline for some 3,800 children.

Yet the new numbers have generated fears the Government will not meet its obligatory date to transfer all children with learning disabilities and difficulties onto the new system.

Under the Children and Families Act 2014, all children must be transferred onto Education & Health Care Plans by 1 April 2018.

There are more than 260,000 children and young people registered as having special educational needs in the UK, according to Simpson Millar.

"If they can't manage the smaller numbers by that deadline, how are they going to manage everyone else? That is a huge concern for us," Ms Hale said.

"I think the number is more than they can cope with. There's grave concern about what's going to happen in March next year."

Minister for Children and Families, Robert Goodwill, said: We have introduced the biggest reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) system in a generation to make sure support is focused on needs and aspirations and councils are working hard to implement this.

The most expensive schools in the world Show all 10 1 /10 The most expensive schools in the world The most expensive schools in the world La Rosey, Switzerland This prestigious Swiss boarding school is believed to be the most expensive in the world. Le Rosey hosts pupils from seven to 18 and has been co-educational since 1967. The school takes in pupils from more than 60 countries, but allows no more than 10 per cent of its students to come from any one country in order to prevent a single nationality dominating. The school has two campuses  winter is spent in Gstaad, where pupils can make use of the ski slopes after their morning lessons. Come spring, the whole school will uproot to the Chataeau du Rosey in the village of Rolle by Lake Geneva. Le Rosey also boats a 1,000 seat concert hall, equestrian centre and 38-foot yacht. Notable alumni: Shah of Iran, Prince Rainier of Monaco and King Farouk of Egypt. Sir Roger Moore and Elizabeth Taylor also send their children here, along with John Lennons son Sean and Winston Churchills grandson. Fees: approx. 86,657 pa The most expensive schools in the world Aiglon College, Switzerland With a view of Mont Blanc, this high altitude school lends itself to outdoor pursuits. The school caters for boys and girls aged nine to 18 and is modelled on the traditional British Boarding school. Unlike most schools, however, the whole school body comes together for 20 minutes of meditation on three mornings each week. Notable alumni: Actor Michel Gill, Princess Tatiana of Greece and Denmark, Sheherazade Goldsmith Fees: up to 80,810 per year (upper school boarding) The most expensive schools in the world College Alpin International Beau Soleil Founded in 1910, Beau Soleil is one of the oldest private boarding schools in Switzerland. It is positioned 1,350 metres above sea level on the Swiss Alps and hosts pupils from more than 40 different nationalities aged 11-18. The curriculum is taught in both French and English and focuses on outdoor sports, with a ski slope and ice skating rink on site. Notable alumni: Racing driver Jacques Villeneuve, Princess Marie of Denmark, Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg Fees: 79,528 College Alpin International Beau Soleil The most expensive schools in the world College du Leman International School, Switzerland Taking in children from as young as one year old, College du Leman teaches a bilingual programme of French and English up to age 18. The school campus stretches out across eight hectares and offers access to both Geneva city and the mountains. Pupils from more than 100 nationalities attend. Noteable alumni: Anna Ovcharova, Swiss, Russian figure skater Fees: 68,960 pa The most expensive schools in the world Leysin American School, Switzerland Another high-profile Swiss school, popular for its exclusive ski and snowboard facilities. LAS Students are allowed to spend Tuesday and Thursday afternoons on the mountain for sports. Despite its name, around 12 per cent of students are from the US. Notable alumni: According to Bloomberg, alumni include members of Saudi Arabias royal family, the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts. Fees: Approx 66,700 per year Leysin American School The most expensive schools in the world Institut auf dem Rosenberg With just 260 boarding pupils from over 40 countries, emphasis is placed on one-on-one time at the Institut auf dem Rosenberg. The school has a staff to student ratio of 1:4 and average class sizes of 8 students. Pupils can choose fromn one of five curricula, including British A level,s German Abitur and the Swiss Matura program. Notable alumni: Countless politicians and business leaders as well as international royalty  the school operates a strict privacy policy but most studenrts come from entrepreneurial families or are heirs to large businesses. Fees: 66,160 pa The most expensive schools in the world Think Global School The worlds first travelling high school takes pupils to four different countries each year  allowing pupils to experience subjects out in the field. The school has one teacher for every three students and has a 100 per cent pass rate for the International Baccalaureate qualification. Notable alumni: The school is only seven years old, but will no doubt become a popular choice with the next generation of rock stars children. Fees: 63,980. Sliding-scale scholarships offered. The most expensive schools in the world The American school in Switzerland (TASIS) The first US boarding school to be set up in Europe, TASIS lies on the Dollina dOro in the Swiss mountains. Fine art is central to the school curriculum and TASIS hosts its own Spring Arts Festival which attracts a number of famous artists and musicians each year. Notable alumni: American mountain climber Francys Arsentiev, Performer Jeanie Cunningham and Italian-American film director Francesca Gregorini Fees: 63,561 pa The most expensive schools in the world Brillantmont, Switzerland A family-run, traditional Swiss school for 130 years, Brillantmont overlooks Lake Geneva and sits just a five-minute walk away from Lausanne. Brillantmont boasts that 100 per cent of its students continue their studies to higher education. Notable alumni: kept suspiciously on the down-low Fees: 52,010 - 59,680 pa Brillantmont, Switzerland The most expensive schools in the world Hurtwood house, Surrey Hurtwood house, surrey Several of the best UK boarding schools top their fees around this mark. Set in an Edwardian mansion with 200 acres of grounds, Hurtwood House is one of the most unique. The school hosts just 340 pupils and is known for its focus on creativity and the arts  a recent school production of Chicago cost 75,000 to stage, according to Tatler. Notable alumni: Emily Blunt, Jack Huston, Hans Zimmer Fees: 39,555 pa

Completion rates are not yet at the level we would like in all areas and we have emphasised to local authorities that where there are delays, they need to communicate clearly about these with families. Our SEND advisors are helping these areas by spreading best practice from areas with high completion rates.
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Tiny flecks of gold could be used in the fight against cancer, new research has suggested.

Scientists at Edinburgh University have just completed a study which shows the precious metal increased the effectiveness of drugs used to treat lung cancer cells.

Minute fragments, known as gold nanoparticles, were encased in a chemical device by the research team.

Recommended Artificial muscles can be made by covering onions in gold

While this has not yet been tested on humans, it is hoped such a device could one day be used to reduce side effects of current chemotherapy treatments by precisely targeting diseased cells without damaging healthy tissue.

Gold is a safe chemical element and has the ability to accelerate, or catalyse, chemical reactions.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh discovered properties of the metal that allow these catalytic abilities to be accessed in living things without any side effects.

The device was shown to be effective after being implanted in the brain of a zebrafish, suggesting it can be used in living animals.

The study was carried out in collaboration with researchers at the University of Zaragoza's Institute of Nanoscience of Aragon in Spain, with funding coming from Cancer Research UK (CRUK), and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Dr Asier Unciti-Broceta, from the University of Edinburgh's CRUK Edinburgh Centre, said: "We have discovered new properties of gold that were previously unknown and our findings suggest that the metal could be used to release drugs inside tumours very safely.

"There is still work to do before we can use this on patients, but this study is a step forward. We hope that a similar device in humans could one day be implanted by surgeons to activate chemotherapy directly in tumours and reduce harmful effects to healthy organs."

Health news in pictures Show all 40 1 /40 Health news in pictures Health news in pictures Coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus Covid-19 has hit the UK leading to the deaths of two people so far and prompting warnings from the Department of Health AFP via Getty Health news in pictures Thousands of emergency patients told to take taxi to hospital Thousands of 999 patients in England are being told to get a taxi to hospital, figures have showed. The number of patients outside London who were refused an ambulance rose by 83 per cent in the past year as demand for services grows Getty Health news in pictures Vape related deaths spike A vaping-related lung disease has claimed the lives of 11 people in the US in recent weeks. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. Obesity is a leading cause Reuters Health news in pictures Most child antidepressants are ineffective and can lead to suicidal thoughts The majority of antidepressants are ineffective and may be unsafe, for children and teenager with major depression, experts have warned. In what is the most comprehensive comparison of 14 commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs to date, researchers found that only one brand was more effective at relieving symptoms of depression than a placebo. Another popular drug, venlafaxine, was shown increase the risk users engaging in suicidal thoughts and attempts at suicide Getty Health news in pictures Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults at higher risk of heart disease, study claims Researchers at the Baptist Health South Florida Clinic in Miami focused on seven areas of controllable heart health and found these minority groups were particularly likely to be smokers and to have poorly controlled blood sugar iStock Health news in pictures Breakfast cereals targeted at children contain 'steadily high' sugar levels since 1992 despite producer claims A major pressure group has issued a fresh warning about perilously high amounts of sugar in breakfast cereals, specifically those designed for children, and has said that levels have barely been cut at all in the last two and a half decades Getty Health news in pictures Potholes are making us fat, NHS watchdog warns New guidance by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body which determines what treatment the NHS should fund, said lax road repairs and car-dominated streets were contributing to the obesity epidemic by preventing members of the public from keeping active PA Health news in pictures New menopause drugs offer women relief from 'debilitating' hot flushes A new class of treatments for women going through the menopause is able to reduce numbers of debilitating hot flushes by as much as three quarters in a matter of days, a trial has found. The drug used in the trial belongs to a group known as NKB antagonists (blockers), which were developed as a treatment for schizophrenia but have been sitting on a shelf unused, according to Professor Waljit Dhillo, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism REX Health news in pictures Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds Research from Oxford University found that more than one million extra people suffering from mental health problems would benefit from being prescribed drugs and criticised ideological reasons doctors use to avoid doing so. Getty Health news in pictures Student dies of flu after NHS advice to stay at home and avoid A&E The family of a teenager who died from flu has urged people not to delay going to A&E if they are worried about their symptoms. Melissa Whiteley, an 18-year-old engineering student from Hanford in Stoke-on-Trent, fell ill at Christmas and died in hospital a month later. Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. Nephron Health news in pictures Babies' health suffers from being born near fracking sites, finds major study Mothers living within a kilometre of a fracking site were 25 per cent more likely to have a child born at low birth weight, which increase their chances of asthma, ADHD and other issues Getty Health news in pictures NHS reviewing thousands of cervical cancer smear tests after women wrongly given all-clear Thousands of cervical cancer screening results are under review after failings at a laboratory meant some women were incorrectly given the all-clear. A number of women have already been told to contact their doctors following the identification of procedural issues in the service provided by Pathology First Laboratory. Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. REX Health news in pictures Cannabis extract could provide new class of treatment for psychosis CBD has a broadly opposite effect to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main active component in cannabis and the substance that causes paranoia and anxiety. Getty Health news in pictures Over 75,000 sign petition calling for Richard Branson's Virgin Care to hand settlement money back to NHS Mr Bransons company sued the NHS last year after it lost out on an 82m contract to provide childrens health services across Surrey, citing concerns over serious flaws in the way the contract was awarded PA Health news in pictures More than 700 fewer nurses training in England in first year after NHS bursary scrapped The numbers of people accepted to study nursing in England fell 3 per cent in 2017, while the numbers accepted in Wales and Scotland, where the bursaries were kept, increased 8.4 per cent and 8 per cent respectively Getty Health news in pictures Landmark study links Tory austerity to 120,000 deaths The paper found that there were 45,000 more deaths in the first four years of Tory-led efficiencies than would have been expected if funding had stayed at pre-election levels. On this trajectory that could rise to nearly 200,000 excess deaths by the end of 2020, even with the extra funding that has been earmarked for public sector services this year. Reuters Health news in pictures Long commutes carry health risks Hours of commuting may be mind-numbingly dull, but new research shows that it might also be having an adverse effect on both your health and performance at work. Longer commutes also appear to have a significant impact on mental wellbeing, with those commuting longer 33 per cent more likely to suffer from depression Shutterstock Health news in pictures You cannot be fit and fat It is not possible to be overweight and healthy, a major new study has concluded. The study of 3.5 million Britons found that even metabolically healthy obese people are still at a higher risk of heart disease or a stroke than those with a normal weight range Getty Health news in pictures Sleep deprivation When you feel particularly exhausted, it can definitely feel like you are also lacking in brain capacity. Now, a new study has suggested this could be because chronic sleep deprivation can actually cause the brain to eat itself Shutterstock Health news in pictures Exercise classes offering 45 minute naps launch David Lloyd Gyms have launched a new health and fitness class which is essentially a bunch of people taking a nap for 45 minutes. The fitness group was spurred to launch the napercise class after research revealed 86 per cent of parents said they were fatigued. The class is therefore predominantly aimed at parents but you actually do not have to have children to take part Getty Health news in pictures 'Fundamental right to health' to be axed after Brexit, lawyers warn Tobacco and alcohol companies could win more easily in court cases such as the recent battle over plain cigarette packaging if the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is abandoned, a barrister and public health professor have said Getty Health news in pictures 'Thousands dying' due to fear over non-existent statin side-effects A major new study into the side effects of the cholesterol-lowering medicine suggests common symptoms such as muscle pain and weakness are not caused by the drugs themselves Getty Health news in pictures Babies born to fathers aged under 25 have higher risk of autism New research has found that babies born to fathers under the age of 25 or over 51 are at higher risk of developing autism and other social disorders. The study, conducted by the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Mount Sinai, found that these children are actually more advanced than their peers as infants, but then fall behind by the time they hit their teenage years Getty Health news in pictures Cycling to work could halve risk of cancer and heart disease Commuters who swap their car or bus pass for a bike could cut their risk of developing heart disease and cancer by almost half, new research suggests  but campaigners have warned there is still an urgent need to improve road conditions for cyclists. Cycling to work is linked to a lower risk of developing cancer by 45 per cent and cardiovascular disease by 46 per cent, according to a study of a quarter of a million people. Walking to work also brought health benefits, the University of Glasgow researchers found, but not to the same degree as cycling. Getty

Dr Aine McCarthy, Cancer Research UK's senior science information officer, said: "By developing new, better ways of delivering cancer drugs, studies like this have the potential to improve cancer treatment and reduce side effects. In particular, it could help improve treatment for brain tumours and other hard-to-treat cancers.

"The next steps will be to see if this method is safe to use in people, what its long- and short-term side effects are, and if it's a better way to treat some cancers."

The research has been published in the scientific journal Angewandte Chemie.

Press Association
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An alleged advert has emerged for a British model who says she was kidnapped in Milan and detained for six days while her captor tried to auction her online.

The 20-year-old glamour model, Chloe Ayling, was attacked by two men as she attended an arranged photo shoot in Italy.

She is believed to have been drugged and transported in a bag to Borgial, an isolated village near Turin, before being released on 17 July, Italian police said.

It is claimed her captors released her without harming her or receiving any payment when they learned she has a child.

 Police confirm British model, 20, kidnapped and 'auctioned on dark web' in Milan

An online advert reported to have been published by a group called Black Death showed a photograph of Ms Ayling curled up with a calling card on her stomach offering sexual services.

It listed her details as: "Born in the UK; Abducted in Italy; Held in Germany; 19 year old; Caucasian; 34DD-25-35; Beginner model; Starting bid $300,000. Auction takes place 16.7.2017."

Italian newspaper Il Giornale reported Ms Ayling was told she would be sold outside of Europe.

He [one of the alleged kidnappers] told me ... That he alone had earned more than 15m (13.5m) in the last five years and explained to me that all the girls are destined for the Arab countries, the paper reported she said.

When the buyer gets tired of the girl bought by auction [they] can give them to other people, and when it is no longer of interest they are to become a tiger meal.

Chloe Ayling has spoken out about her ordeal while Milanese and British police continue to investigate

In a statement, Ms Ayling described the moment she regained consciousness after being drugged.

When I woke up I was wearing a pink bodysuit and the socks I am wearing now," she said.

I realised I was in the boot of a car with my wrists and ankles handcuffed, adhesive tape on my mouth. I was inside a bag and was only able to breathe through a small hole.

Investigators said they found a letter after searching a computer belonging to the gang, which read: You are being released as a huge generosity from Black Death Group. Your release does, however, come with a warning and you should read this letter very carefully.

You are certainly aware of your value on human slavery market and must make a note that this isnt personal, this is business. For your release we have taken a number of factors into consideration.

A mistake was made by capturing you, especially considering you are a young mother that should have in no circumstances be lured into kidnapping.

Second important factor you are very well aware of is your overall protection by one of our main and very well respected men who made a very clear and solid stance in your case.

You will, upon your landing in your home country cease any investigation activities related to your kidnapping. You also agreed to sneak a pre-determined set of information in to the media and we will expect to see evidence that has been done in the near future.

You and your family will, in no way ever talk about us in bad language and without respect. You have been treated fairly, with respect and we expect to hear exactly the same about us in return.

You can release any information you have heard from MO while your (sic) holding as he would never give you any information that could harm our activities.

We will not tolerate lying about anything that has happened.

You have also agreed to pay outstanding costs of your release of $50,000. We expect that money to be paid in BitCoins within one month.

Any sort of disobedience with the above will result in your elimination.

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

A Polish man, who lives in Britain, was arrested on 18 July on suspicion of kidnap and extortion, police said. Officials have released a mugshot of the suspect, named as 30-year-old Lukasz Pawel Herba.

It is alleged the men tried to sell Ms Ayling online for more than 300,000 dollars (230,000) and demanded the model's agent pay to secure her safe release.

She was kept handcuffed to furniture but was freed after six days and taken to the British consulate in Milan, despite the ransom not being paid, police said.

It has been reported the captor demanded 50,000 upon her release and threatened to kill her if she told police about the incident.

Additional reporting by agencies
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A judge who let a child sex attacker walk free has been branded a vile rapist sympathiser in an outburst over the sentence after the 12-year-old victim told how she has since tried to kill herself.

Daniel Cieslak, then 19, pleaded guilty to raping the girl at a house party in Edinburgh in July 2015  but was given an absolute discharge because he said believed the victim was 16.

A taxi driver who had taken the pair to the flat had the impression she was about 20 and police who had spoken to her earlier had no concern she may have been a minor.

The judge also said it was reasonable to believe the victim was over 16, which is the age of consent, after viewing CCTV footage of her out with a 13-year-old friend that night.

And she took into account in her verdict that the girl had willingly had sex with Cieslak, saying there was in fact, consent.

The rape victim told how she tried to kill herself since her attacker was spared jail in an outpouring which triggered fresh outrage over the sentence, which allowed the man to walk free.

She said she had sex with Cieslak while she was unconscious on a sofa after drinking vodka and cherry cola during a night out with her 13-year-old friend.

Lady Maggie Scott, the senior judge who sentenced Cieslak, told the student in Glasgow High Court: After about 4am you met the victim and her friend, in the nearby taxi queue. After a while you all agreed to travel to an impromptu party at the flat of your friend.

You understood from chat in the taxi that the victim was 16 years old and her friend was 17 years old. The taxi driver had the impression that the victim was about 20 years old.

Once at the flat, after some time, you paired off and you and the victim engaged in sexual intercourse.

Judge Scott added: "The victim willingly participated in the sexual intercourse and there was, in fact, consent."

She added that police officers who spoke to the victim for some length earlier while looking for youths who were too young to be drinking on the streets had no concern she was a minor.

Judge Scott said: For what it is worth my impression from viewing the victim on the CCTV footage on assessment by appearance that the victim was over 16 years of age would be a reasonable one.

The 12-year-old girls outpouring of anger in an emotional letter over the judge who ruled Cieslak could walk free triggered an angry backlash on Facebook.

Sam Karam wrote: He should have gone to prison for even attempting sex with an unconscious person.

Maxine Elise posted: This is sickeningly shockingly bad. The judge needs putting under investigation if that's her view. Vile rapist sympathiser.

Sarah Jones complained: Unbelievable that anyone, and in this case a female judge, would believe a child can consent to sex. Incredibly disappointing.

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Natalie Brian added: She is a baby. Even if she wanted him to have sex with her, even if she was fully conscious, she was a child. This judge needs investigation.

The girl wrote an emotional letter over her devastation since Cieslak was spared jail in the ruling on 17 March this year.

In her statement, published by the Daily Record, she wrote: "The guy Daniel said he didnt know my age. I can barely remember that night.

I have flashbacks, images ever since.

I had passed out in the living room then I remember him picking me up, and then waking up in a bed."

Once a "confident, happy" youngster, she claims she now has to "fake a smile", and wrote: "I even tried to commit suicide because I was barely holding it together."

She said she had celebrated with her family when Cieslak pleaded guilty to the rape of a girl under the age of 13 years, but explained: Then he walked free, nothing at all. I was devastated.
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Italian police are looking for possible accomplices to the alleged abduction of a British model in Milan last month.

British resident Lukasz Pawel Herba, originally from Poland, was arrested on charges of abduction and illegal imprisonment of 20-year-old glamour model Chloe Ayling.

While police have confirmed they are looking for at least one other man following Herbas arrest, some details of the case remain unclear.

According to Italian news reports, Ms Ayling told police she was attacked on July 11 by two men as she attended an arranged photo shoot in the city.

She said she was aware of three other people involved in the kidnapping, but didnt see their faces.

The model is believed to have been drugged with horse tranquilliser ketamine and transported in a bag to Borgial, an isolated village near Turin, before being released on July 17, according to Italian police.

She was then detained for six days while her captor reportedly tried to auction her off online as a sex slave.

Ms Ayling, who arrived back at her home in Coulsdon, south London, on Sunday, told reporters from her doorstep: I've been through a terrifying experience. I feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour.

I am incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said it has been assisting with the investigation.

 Police confirm British model, 20, kidnapped and 'auctioned on dark web' in Milan

A spokesman said: The NCA and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (Emsou) have been working closely with the Italian authorities since the kidnap was reported.

NCA officers in Italy and specialists from our anti kidnap and extortion unit are also providing support to the Polizia di Stato as part of the ongoing investigation.

A house in the Oldbury area linked to Lukasz Pawel Herba was searched on July 18 by Emsou officers with assistance from West Midlands Police.

Computer equipment seized is being forensically examined.

Herba has been described as being capable of causing serious physical harm to the alleged victim, but the case prosecution said his account of events were barely credible.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. 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Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. 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

It is alleged the men tried to sell Ms Ayling online for more than 300,000 dollars (230,000) and demanded the model's agent pay to secure her safe release.

Detectives have suggested the threat may have been staged however, in order to claim a ransom fee from the models agent and family.

Ms Ayling was kept handcuffed to furniture but was freed after six days and taken to the British consulate in Milan, despite the ransom not being paid, police said.

It has been reported the captor demanded 50,000 upon her release and threatened to kill her if she told police about the incident.

On July 17, for reasons that are still not clear, Herba drove the woman back to Milan and released her close to the British Consulate, where he was arrested.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Milan deputy prosecutor Paolo Storari said: Fantasist or not, what is clear is that he is a very dangerous man who drugged his victim as soon as she was kidnapped and put her inside a large travel bag in the boot of a car.

His version of events is barely credible but clearly he does not deny that he was with her for the time she was missing."

Milan police officer Lorenzo Bucossi told reporters the group the suspect was allegedly working for offered mercenary services on the dark web.

According to a translation, Mr Bucossi said: Certainly the author of this very serious crime is a dangerous person, don't forget he was also ready to carry out a 'final solution', as he called it.

He was a killer and was working for an organisation on the deep web that is offering mercenary services such as bombing attacks, kidnapping and the selling of girls on the dark web.

Italian police said they are working with officials in Britain and Poland as they continue to investigate.
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A British teacher said to be "obsessed" with one of his pupils is under international investigation for allegedly storing and sharing sexual images of children.

The suspect, from Manchester, was arrested in Valladolid, north-west Spain, as part of an Interpol investigation said to originate in Canada.

Spanish police said he had secretly filmed and taken photographs of his students, and had also shared sexual images of other children over the internet.

The teacher, who has not been named, was reported to have had a special obsession with one girl he taught.

Interpol said they had alerted authorities after discovering the illegal files being sent from an email address in Spain.

Police said on Sunday the teacher is suspected of using a cloud storage service to keep and share the pictures between computers and with others.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA 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 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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. 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Officers said they found a large number of sexually explicit files involving minors at the home of the teacher.

He kept photos of one girl in a dedicated folder on his computer but had not shared the images he had secretly taken of his underage students.

Police said they believe he previously lived in the Seville area.

Spanish National Police said: At the moment, [police are] trying to establish the identity of the victims shown in the images found on the electronic devices belonging to the detained.
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Womens rights activists have scorned the defence lawyer of a rapist who argued his clients crime was not the worst.

Derrick Mutambuka was jailed for nine years and nine months for sexually assaulting two women who were walking home after a night out in Sunderland and assaulting two men who tried to intervene as he raped the second woman in an alleyway.

His lawyer, Ekwall Tiwana, said: The general nature of this case is that it is a very serious offence. Although it is very serious, it is not in fact the most serious.

This defendant was 17 at the time and had no previous convictions.

Mutambuka was accused of forcing his hand down a womans trousers, but another man intervened and walked her home.

Mutambuka then followed the pair and looked through her letter box.

He then spotted another woman and dragged her into an alleyway, assaulting another man when he tried to stop him, continuing to rape the victim until another man intervened.

He caused the second woman 34 physical injuries during the rape. Prosecutor Andrew Espley described the assault as a prolonged and sustained attack.

Mr Tiwana argued that Mutambuka, now 19, was drunk and had only been drunk once before at the time of the assault in December 2015.

Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Show all 18 1 /18 Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters gather outside the White House at the finish of the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Large crowds attended the anti-Trump rally a day after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president. Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters hold up signage near the Washington Monument during the Women's March on Washington January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Large crowds are attending the anti-Trump rally a day after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president. Drew Angerer/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters gather during the Women's March on Washington January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. The march is expected to draw thousands from across the country to protest newly inaugurated President Donald Trump. Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters arrive at the Capital South Metro station for the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Following the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, the Women's March has spread to be a global march calling on all concerned citizens to stand up for equality, diversity and inclusion and for women's rights to be recognised around the world as human rights. Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters arrive on the platform at the Capital South Metro station for the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Following the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, the Women's March has spread to be a global march calling on all concerned citizens to stand up for equality, diversity and inclusion and for women's rights to be recognised around the world as human rights. Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Demonstrators protest during the Women's March along Pennsylvania Avenue January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Hundreds of thousands of protesters spearheaded by women's rights groups demonstrated across the US to send a defiant message to US President Donald Trump. Joshua Lott/AFP/Getty Images Thousands attend Women's March on Washington WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21: Protesters attend the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Following the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, the Women's March has spread to be a global march calling on all concerned citizens to stand up for equality, diversity and inclusion and for women's rights to be recognised around the world as human rights. Jessica Kourkounis/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington A marcher holds a sign during the Women's March on Washington January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. The march is expected to draw thousands from across the country to protest newly inaugurated President Donald Trump. Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington A woman chants while attending the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Large crowds are attending the anti-Trump rally a day after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president. Mario Tama/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters attend the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Large crowds are attending the anti-Trump rally a day after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president. Mario Tama/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters march in Washington, DC, during the Women's March on January 21, 2017. Hundreds of thousands of people flooded US cities Saturday in a day of women's rights protests to mark President Donald Trump's first full day in office. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images Thousands attend Women's March on Washington A protester gestures toward the White House on the Ellipse near the South Lawn of the White House during the Women's March on Washington January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Large crowds are attending the anti-Trump rally a day after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president. Drew Angerer/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington A protester, holding a Donald Trump doll wearing a pink cap, marches in Washington, DC, during the Womens March on January 21, 2017. Hundreds of thousands of people flooded US cities Saturday in a day of women's rights protests to mark President Donald Trump's first full day in office. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters take to the National Mall to demonstrate against the presidency of Donald Trump Washington, DC on January 21, 2017. Hundreds of thousands of protesters spearheaded by women's rights groups demonstrated across the US to send a defiant message to US President Donald Trump. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protesters march during the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Large crowds are attending the anti-Trump rally a day after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president. Mario Tama/Getty Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Demonstrators gather on The Ellipse during the Women's March on Washington January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Hundreds of thousands of protesters spearheaded by women's rights groups demonstrated across the US to send a defiant message to US President Donald Trump. Zach Gibson/AFP/Getty Images Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Demonstrators march down Pennsylvania Avenue during the Women's March on Washington January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Hundreds of thousands of protesters spearheaded by women's rights groups demonstrated across the US to send a defiant message to US President Donald Trump. Zach Gibson/AFP/Getty Images Thousands attend Women's March on Washington Protester's signs are left near the White House during the Women's March on Washington on January 21, 2017 in Washington, DC. Large crowds are attending the anti-Trump rally a day after U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th U.S. president. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) Mario Tama/Getty

This young man was passed from pillar to post between his mother, father and grandmother, and passed from country to country, the lawyer added.

He went back to Rwanda for a short time, so, in his very young years, he was subject to a very unsatisfactory family life.

Mr Tiwana could not be immediately reached for comment by The Independent.

Campaigner Aisha Ali-Khan said the comments were shocking.

This was an appalling, premeditated attack that has left two women with life-long psychological scars, she told The Daily Mail.

For the defence to downplay the impact and seriousness of the attacks shows a complete lack of empathy and compassion for what the victims had to endure.

Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Show all 10 1 /10 Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Brazilian women march in Sao Paulo during a protest following the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl Rex Features Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl There have been calls for protests to end to what campaigners call Brazil's 'culture of rape' after the attack Rex Features Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl An online campaign has been set up in response to the crime, using the hashtag #EstuproNuncaMais, meaning 'rape never again' Rex Features Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl The 16-year-old victim was attacked in a poor neighbourhood in the west of the city on 21 May 2016 Rex Features Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Two of the attackers posted pictures and video on Twitter of the assault, which has shocked the country Rex Features Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Brazilian women protest in front of the Candelaria Church in Rio de Janeiro AFP/Getty Images Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Seven men have been charged in connection with the attack AFP/Getty Images Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Women's underwear and photos from Brazilian photographer Marcio Freitas displayed on Copacabana beach during a protest by non-governmental organization Rio de Paz (Rio of Peace) against rape and violence against women REUTERS Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Women's underwear smeared with paint is seen during a protest against rape and violence against women in Brasilia, Brazil REUTERS Feminist protests demand end to violence against women in Brazil after gang rape of teenage girl Demonstrators attend a protest against rape and violence against women in Brasilia, Brazil REUTERS

It also goes a long way in explaining why so many women would rather suffer in silence than report their sexual assaults to the authorities.

Rape Crisis England and Wales statistics show that just 15 per cent of those who experience sexual violence report it to the police.

Detective Chief Inspector Phil Bond said in a statement: Mutambuka is very clearly a dangerous individual and Im pleased he is in prison where he cannot cause further harm.

I would like to praise the bravery of both victims for coming forward in these cases. The strength and courage of victims in incidents such as this can never be underestimated and ensuring they have the support they need is an absolute priority for us.

 Brock Turner leaves prison

Judge Robert Adams told Mutambuka, as reported by the Sunderland Echo, You were sexually aroused dancing in the club and that continued when you were going home until you committed the offence.

You were determined to have sex with a woman regardless of her views or who she was or whatever her circumstance.

You used violence, judging by the numerous injuries that the victim sustained.

It is a start that you are experiencing some remorse although it is now too late in the day. Only a lengthy custodial sentence is appropriate.

The defence lawyers controversial comments come after several high-profile cases regarding the treatment of rape and sexual assault survivors around the world.

An alleged rape victim in Canada was asked in 2016 by a judge why she could not keep her knees together. In California, Judge Aaron Persky sentenced Brock Turner last year to just three months in jail for sexual assault and said he wanted to be fair to both sides.
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Cabinet splits are damaging the Brexit talks by leaving Britain without a coherent strategy, a former head of the diplomatic service has warned.

Sir Simon Fraser said the negotiations had not begun well, blaming the Governments failure to state clearly its position on crunch issues including money and Northern Ireland.

Transitional arrangements would be needed, because a deal agreeing Britains future relationship with the European Union is impossible before 2019, the former Foreign Office permanent under-secretary added.

Sir Simon, who now advises businesses on Brexit and foreign policy, said: The negotiations have only just begun. I dont think they have begun particularly promisingly, frankly, on the British side.

We havent put forward a lot because, as we know, there are differences within the Cabinet about the sort of Brexit that we are heading for, and until those differences are further resolved, I think its very difficult for us to have a clear position.

He added: So far, we havent put much on the table apart from something on the status of nationals, so we are a bit absent from the formal negotiation.

I think we need to demonstrate that we are ready to engage on the substance so that people can understand what is really at stake here and what the options are.

The Government is expected to publish further position papers setting out its views on future customs arrangements and the Northern Irish border from next week.

Sir Simon, speaking to BBC Radio 4s Westminster Hour, said he hoped that would demonstrate the UK negotiating team, led by Brexit Secretary David Davis, is ready to engage.

The comments come after Downing Street denied weekend reports that Britain is prepared to pay a so-called divorce bill of up to 36bn, to kick-start the exit talks.

The European Union has insisted it will not discuss future trade until substantial progress has been made on the financial settlement, EU citizens and Northern Ireland.

But a Number 10 official told The Independent that reports the Government is preparing to offer the EU payments of 10bn (9bn) every year for up to three years after Brexit were highly speculative and wrong.

According to the claims, extra cash would be added to ongoing EU budget payments to make up the 40bn figure that the UK hopes will break the deadlock in talks.

Any settlement would take account of financial commitments and ongoing liabilities such as pensions, along with paying to remain in initiatives such as the Horizon 2020 research programme.

Conservative MP Peter Bone laid bare the difficulties the Government faces, by arguing MPs are unlikely to accept a Brexit fee of 36bn  suggesting Brussels should be paying the UK instead.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, another leading Tory Eurosceptic, said: There is no logic to this figure, legally we owe nothing.

The negotiations get under way again at the end of the month, but the EU is threatening to further stall any trade talks unless Britain gives way on the EUs priorities.

Tom Brake, the Liberal Democrat spokesman for foreign affairs, said: While the clock is running down, key cabinet members are still squabbling over what type of Brexit to pursue.

"This shambolic approach is sharply increasing the risk of the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal, causing maximum damage to British jobs and families.

But a Downing Street spokesman, reacting to Sir Simons comments, said: We would disagree strongly. The last two months, we have had a constructive start to the negotiations. We have covered a significant amount of important ground.

"As the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union said at the end of the last negotiating round, important progress has been made in understanding one anothers positions on key issues.
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Supporters of Britains membership of the European Union are to stage a protest march outside the next Conservative Party conference  with the stated aim of stopping Brexit.

The Manchester march will probably coincide with other mass protests against the conference  which have been a fixture of the partys gatherings in recent years.

The protest, organised by Stop Brexit, will take place a month after another march on Parliament, staged by the Peoples March for Europe group. Pro-EU activists have pledged an autumn of discontent against Brexit.

The Manchester march will begin on 1 October, the first day of the conference, and gather at Platt Fields. Speakers at the marchs rallies are expected to include former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg and former Labour adviser Alastair Campbell.

Mr Cleggs involvement is a major turnaround for the former Deputy Prime Minister, who previously served in a Tory-led cabinet. The Liberal Democrats are formally backing the march, arguing that they cannot ignore the harm Theresa Mays Brexit will do to future generations.

Peter French, of Stop Brexit, said: This is our chance to actually let the people in the north of England have their voices heard because they have been neglected in every other way and this is a chance to give them their voice as well.

And this is a chance to hopefully start to turn this around. Our aim is to actually stop the Brexit process and I think things are beginning to turn in that direction. We have a long fight on our hands but I think it is something that is achievable.

Tom Brake, the Liberal Democrats foreign affairs spokesperson said: Brexit is the battle of our lives and it is vital we make the Conservatives see the strength of feeling against their disastrous extreme Brexit, which threatens to crash the economy and damage the life chances of millions.

They are heading for the very most reckless of Brexits in the teeth of public opposition to leaving the single market. Liberal Democrats didnt take the decision lightly to protest at another partys conference but we cant ignore the harm Theresa Mays Brexit will do to future generations.

Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Show all 12 1 /12 Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Brexit protest: Thousands march in London A woman poses with a home-made European Union flag as Remain supporters gather on Park Lane in London to show their support for the EU in the wake of Brexit PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Remain supporters demonstrate in Parliament Square PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Tens of thousands of people gathered to protest the result of the EU referendum PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London A majority of people in the capital voted to remain in the European Union Reuters Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Protesters chanted: What do we want to do? Stay in the EU PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London The march follows a similar rally in Trafalgar Square that was cancelled due to heavy rain  but which tens of thousands of people turned up to anyway Reuters Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Britain voted to leave the European Union in a referendum by 52 per cent to 48 per cent Reuters Brexit protest: Thousands march in London But support for the Leave campaign in urban areas and among young people was significantly lower Rex features Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Marchers gathered at Park Lane at 11am and marched towards Parliament Square PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London Some protesters held up baguettes in a display of affection for our continental neighbours PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London The disparity between different parts of the country has promoted a four million signature petition calling for a second referendum and even a renewed push for Scotland to cede from the UK PA Brexit protest: Thousands march in London The events organiser, Kings College graduate Kieran MacDermott, wrote: We can prevent Brexit by refusing to accept the referendum as the final say and take our finger off the self-destruct button" Reuters

Liberal Democrats on the march will protest peacefully and in good spirit but ministers should be under no illusions that a lot of people are very, very angry at their disastrous handling of Brexit, which has made a difficult situation a million times worse.

Pro-EU protesters have held a series of marches across the country and in the capital since the EU referendum result. The protests have so far failed to change policy.
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The expansion of the universal credit benefits shake-up will send families to food banks for Christmas, Labour MPs are warning.

A group of 30 Opposition MPs is urging the Government to shelve the introduction of the new benefit in about 50 new areas until next year, to avoid festive hardship.

Universal credit is meant to streamline the social security system but has been plagued by problems in trial areas where it is already up and running.

Citizens Advice has warned that claimants are being plunged into debt, with four in 10 people having to wait more than six weeks to receive their first payment.

Now the Labour MPs, from areas where the shake-up is due to be introduced this autumn, have written to David Gauke, the Work and Pensions Secretary, calling for delay.

There is a real worry that the introduction of universal credit, at this time, will cause extreme hardship for many people in vulnerable situations, exacerbated by the financial burdens of the festive period, they state.

Evidence from other parts of the country where UC has been introduced already shows that it is far from the efficient system trialled.

In many cases, recipients have had to wait seven weeks for payment of the benefits. This puts an incredible strain on individuals and we have seen, in other areas, an increased use of food parcels during this period.

The letter also highlighted the removal of a severe disability premium and the difficulties people had repaying crisis loans of 150 in three 50 lump sums.

The MPs wrote: The current timetable will cause our residents severe hardship over the months which are most financially difficult.

We urge that you do not roll this system out in November and December, but look to a date later in 2018.

The Labour MPs are led by newly-elected Laura Pidcock and include Kate Osamor, a shadow cabinet minister, Stella Creasy, Alison McGovern, John Mann, Jon Cruddas and John Cryer.

Their plea is the latest in a long line of warnings that universal credit is not ready for wider introduction.

The benefit is paid to about 530,000 people in trial areas, but this number will rise sharply in the autumn, if the planned expansion goes ahead.

In June, Citizens Advices survey of 800 people in pilot areas found that 57 per cent were having to borrow money to get by as they awaited their first payment.

The report also detailed problems with the online application system and long waits, often more than 30 minutes, to get help over the phone.

In February, David Freud, a former welfare minister, admitted to MPs that administrative problems were causing about one in four low-income tenants to run up rent arrears, putting them at risk of eviction.

But a DWP spokeswoman said: We are rolling out Universal Credit in a gradual, safe and secure way and the majority of people are managing their budgets well.

The best way to help people improve their lives is to help them into work, and under Universal Credit people are moving into work faster and staying in work longer than under the old system.
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The home state of former President Barack Obama will commemorate his birthday under a new law.

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has signed a plan honouring the 44th Presidents birthday on 4 August. It wont be an official state holiday, rather a day to honour Obama. The law notes Obamas efforts to protect Americans rights and build bridges across communities.

Obama began his political career in the Illinois Senate in 1997. He served there until his election to the US Senate in 2004.

The measure takes effect next year. It received overwhelming support in the Democrat-led Legislature. The Republican governor signed it Friday.

Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Show all 11 1 /11 Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Barack Obama's best moments in the White House May 19, 2009 The President was leaving the State Floor after an event and found Sasha in the elevator ready to head upstairs to the private residence. He decided to ride upstairs with her before returning to the Oval Office, Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Oct. 26, 2012 President Barack Obama pretends to be caught in Spider-Man's web as he greets the son of a White House staffer in the Outer Oval Office Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House A National Security staffer, Carlton Philadelphia, brought his family to the Oval Office for a farewell photo with President Obama. Carltons son, Jacob, softly told the President he had just gotten a haircut like President Obama, and asked if he could feel the Presidents head to see if it felt the same as his. Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House March 21, 2010 The President, Vice President and senior staff applaud after watching on television the House vote on H.R. 4872 for health care reform, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Dec. 3, 2009 President Barack Obama fist-bumps custodian Lawrence Lipscomb in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building following the opening session of the White House Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Sept. 22, 2015 "The Obama family and Biden family greet Pope Francis as he arrives in the United States for the first time at Joint Base Andrews," Sept. 22, 2015. Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Feb. 21, 2014 President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden participate in a "Let's Move!" video taping on the Colonnade of the White House, Feb. 21, 2014 Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Feb. 18, 2016 President Barack Obama watches First Lady Michelle Obama dance with 106-Year-Old Virginia McLaurin in the Blue Room of the White House prior to a reception celebrating African American History Month, Feb. 18, 2016 Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Jan. 21, 2013 "The President and First Lady wave to supporters as they ride in the inaugural parade. I had asked the President if I could ride in the presidential limousine and the President joked, 'But Michelle and I were planning to make out," Jan. 21, 2013. Peter Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama share a private moment in a freight elevator at an Inaugural Ball, January 2009 all pics: Pete Souza Barack Obama's best moments in the White House Barack Obama rests his hand on the bible that President Lincoln used for his swear-in, being held by his wife Michelle Obama as he is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America Rex

The proposal came after the Illinois House narrowly rejected a plan to make Obamas birthday a state holiday amid concerns of giving state employees in cash-strapped Illinois another paid day off.

Associated Press
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Thousands of women in Algeria have defied hard-line Islamists by wearing bikinis to the beach.

Women in the coastal town of Annaba organised protests after an online campaign in which men posted photographs of women in two-piece swimming costumes and claimed they contradicted Algerian values.

Bikinis are not banned in the country, but women are increasingly pressured to dress modestly at the beach. A growing number of women wear burkinis  a swimsuit that covers the whole body except the face, hands and feet.

A closed Facebook group pushing back against the conservative drive has attracted more than 3,200 members.

Sara, 27, who founded the group, was motivated to take action after going to a beach with her family to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

She told regional daily Le Provincial she was too scared to put on her swimming costume after she realised she would be the only woman exposing her bare limbs and abdomen.

Warda, a member of the group, told French broadcaster France Info: "The Islamists did not come to power, but society became Islamised.

"For the past two or three years, going to the beach is harder. We can sometimes find ourselves alone in a bikini, when we have always been in the majority."

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

Posts on social media featured photographs of women in bikinis alongside messages such as "Where are your fathers?" and "Put your clothes on."
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Kenya goes to the polls tomorrow under a cloud of trepidation that, 10 years on from the horrific clashes of 2007, the country will once again be hit by post-election violence.

Citizens of East Africas most vibrant economy face a straight choice at the presidential level between the incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta and perennial opposition leader and ex-Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

With opinion polls putting the candidates neck and neck and the political careers of both men at stake  at 72, Mr Odinga has said this is the final time he will stand for the presidency  that race alone is enough to raise tensions.

Recommended Kenya deports US expert who was supporting opposition candidate

But for the first time in the countrys independent history, tomorrows vote is being hailed as the devolution election, as local races to choose governors for Kenyas 47 counties provide arguably even greater intrigue than the presidential battle.

The decision was made in the wake of the 2007 clashes, in which some 1,400 people were killed, to decentralise large amounts of budgetary control and responsibility from the seat of government power in Nairobi to all the regions of the nation.

Kenyan politics is typically divided along ethnic lines, and it is seats where two ethnic groups could clash  or the race is believed to be very close  that have the greatest potential for violence.

The importance of the presidency has been diminished, so the theory goes, reducing the chance of clashes in the capital. But in doing so, it has created 47 potential flashpoints instead of just one.

Kenya's incumbent President and the leader of the ruling Jubilee coalition Uhuru Kenyatta delivers a speech during a Sunday church service (EPA)

People are worried, Rebekka Rumpel, research assistant in the Africa Programme at Chatham House covering Tanzania and Kenya, tells The Independent.

There is much more understanding of just how powerful governors are [since 2013] and just how much resources they now control. There is so much more competition and pressure, and there might actually be more conflict because of that.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga, the presidential candidate of the National Super Alliance (Reuters)

Signal Risk, a crisis and risk-management company working across the African continent, has identified 19 of the 47 governor seats where conditions are particularly ripe for violence. They include Nairobi and parts of the Rift Valley, where most of the fighting was concentrated in 2007, but also seats in the drought-afflicted northwest like Turkana, which has experienced a huge spike in public spending since devolution was enacted.

Ryan Cummings, the director of Signal Risk, agrees that the shift to a more decentralised system has increased the propensity for violence on a county level.

But the threat of clashes between supporters of Mr Kenyattas Jubilee Party and Mr Odingas National Super Alliance (Nasa) has not completely gone away either, he says  particularly if there is any hint of election corruption.

Recommended Threat of another violent Kenyan election looms

The presidential leg remains so tightly contested that it could still catalyse political violence of a widespread nature, should discernible evidence of electoral fraud emerge, he says.

Kenyas electoral commission shares these fears. Interior minister Karanja Kibicho said last week that the government has trained and deployed 150,000 security officers to police the vote.

It comes after Mr Odinga said in January that we are not going to take it lying down if the election appears to have been fixed, and Nasa came up with plans to have supporters protecting the vote at each polling station.

Fears for the fairness of the election were greatly strengthened when, last Monday, electoral commission IT manager Chris Msando was found dead on the outskirts of Nairobi. An official said there was no doubt he was tortured and murdered.

Corruption is an endemic part of the Kenyan political system, beyond concerns for a rigged election. MPs in the country are among the best-paid in the world, while public services languish, even in the context of developing nations.

An election clerk in Mombasa organises polling material a day ahead of the presidential election (Reuters)

Of the two election candidates, Mr Odinga has made the most of presenting his campaign as anti-corruption, writing in the Nasa manifesto that Mr Kenyattas ruling party has thrived in a culture where politicians are masters, not servants to the people. The opposition leader traces this culture back to the colonial administration, and says he will tackle it with a new code of conduct for all elected officials.

The other major issue dominating headlines in the latter stages of the election campaign has been Kenyas rising cost of living, a crisis that is most evident in food prices in the capital but which extends right across the country.

Both candidates have vowed to tackle this by creating jobs, but remain vague about how this can be done while Kenya is beset by drought to the north and the violent militancy of al-Shabaab to the east.

One subject which has fallen off the radar, however, is healthcare  despite the fact that Nairobi has been wracked by repeated and deadly doctors and nurses strikes over the course of the past year.

Nairobi is host to the largest non-conflict zone operation run by Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) anywhere in the world, so dire is the state of public medical services in the country.

When The Independent visited MSFs clinic in the Mathare slum at the end of last year, at the height of the doctors strikes, workers described the bizarre situation where a foreign NGO was providing the only ambulance services in one of Africas most affluent capital cities.

Harriet Ayikoriu, MSFs team leader in the Eastleigh suburb of Nairobi, told The Independent the area has just one public hospital covering two million people.

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

MSF is here in response to the needs of the population, she said. There is very little healthcare provision, it is either private and very expensive or [from the ministry of health] it is not really 100 per cent free and still cannot be afforded by the people here.

They do not question it. They do not ask: Why is MSF here, MSF is supposed to be working [in conflict zones]. For them it is perfect that MSF stays here.

Chatham Houses Ms Rumpel says the doctors strike made healthcare a really big deal and both parties made bold promises in their manifestos. But as polling day has approached, coverage has diminished and there are concerns that little will change.

As a measure of how public services work, it was displaced by the debate around the cost of living and cost of food, she says.

Though election observers have been encouraged by the serious and policy-driven manifestos produced in this campaign by both Mr Kenyatta and Mr Odinga, there is only so much impact issue-based politics can have in Kenya.

When Kenyans go to the polls tomorrow, they will still mostly vote along ethnic lines  Jubilee and Nasa are in reality coalitions of tribal groups, not of ideas. Because of changes to the counting system whereby each polling district will announce its own results as they come in, indications of which way the vote has gone should come quicker than in previous years. Any news of potential clashes over the result will not be far behind.
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Tunisian fishermen have stopped an anti-migrant boat from docking, claiming the activists are racists and endangering migrants lives.

The C-Star, chartered by alt-right French group Generation Identitaire, was not allowed to dock in Zarzis on the Tunisian coast.

The boat must now try another port further north as it reportedly needs supplies.

Recommended EU holds crisis talks as Italy threatens to block migrant rescue ships

It is the least we can do given what is happening out in the Mediterranean, Chamseddine Bourassine, head of the local fishermen's organisation said.

Muslims and Africans are dying.

A port official who wished to remain anonymous said: Us let in racists here? Never.

Human right groups say any attempts to block migrant boats from docking in European ports or forcing them to turn back to Libya - as C-Star is attempting - could be illegal under international law, as well as potentially cause people to die at sea.

GI raised almost $200,000 to launch C-Star to defend Europe from migrants, and has documented its operation on social media, posting videos with interviews of the young, male crew members from Germany, France and Italy and other EU countries.

They were advised not to dock in Greece or Sicily for fear of protests. They briefly followed rescue boat Aquarius, operated by SOS Mediterranee, off the coast of Libya.

They claim they want to save lives but have also posted videos railing against migrants who, they believe, would destroy the European way of life.

The group argued that human traffickers are not working with governmental organisations and are smuggling people across the water for money.

The boat is draped with banners in English and Arabic that read, You will not make Europe home!

Last week the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights objected to the C-Star docking in Tunisian ports and called on the government not to cooperate with its members.

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

More than 10,000 people have died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean in the last three years.

Amnesty International has recently accused the European Union of mostly leaving rescue operations up to charities.

Italian authorities have also threatened to block foreign boats which are bringing migrants to its ports after complaining that they were being forced to take on the majority of the burden without help from other EU countries.

Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Show all 7 1 /7 Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants arriving in Italy on MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie DeardenI Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants disembarking from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants undergoing health checks after disembarking from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants undergoing security checks after disembarking from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants being fingerprinted after disembarking from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants being fingerprinted after disembarking from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily A man being taken to hospital from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden

Around 60,000 migrants have been taken to Italy since the start of 2014.

The anti-migrant C-Star movement has attracted the likes of former LBC radio presenter Katie Hopkins, who boarded the boat to try and block migrants on behalf of the Daily Mail last month.

She wrote in a 2015 column for the Sun that she would use gunships instead of deploying rescue boats to target cockroaches who wanted to cross the sea.

No, I dont care, she said. Show me pictures of coffins, show me bodies floating in water, play violins and show me skinny people looking sad. I still dont care."

Agencies contributed to this report.
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The son of a prominent figure in the battle for control of a Mexican drug cartel has been indicted on drug charges in San Diego.

After having surrendered to US Border and Customs Protection authorities last month, Damaso Lopez Serrano appeared in court to face an indictment charging him with conspiracy to import and distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin.

Mr Serranos attorney Michael Littman entered a not guilty plea on his behalf, according to the Associated Press. Mr Littman did not respond to a phone call seeking comment.

The case follows the violent fracturing of the Sinaloa cartel since its former leader, Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, was extradited to the United States in January after his capture in 2016.

Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Show all 4 1 /4 Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout Pictures reveal how the Mexican drug lord had been living since his escape Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout The inside of a house searched by marine special forces where Guzman was hiding Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout Inside El Chapo's hideout Inside a house searched by marine special forces during the military operation to recapture Guzman Getty Inside Mexicos top drug lord El Chapos hideout El Chapo's attempted escape A marine stands guard next to a manhole of the sewer system through which drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman tried to escape Getty

The father of Damaso Lopez Serrano, Damaso Lopez Nunez, is said to have battled Mr Guzmans sons in the ensuing months for control of the cartel, convulsing Sinaloa state. Mexican authorities arrested Mr Nunez in Mexico City in May.

Mr Nunez was one of Mr Guzmans top lieutenants. Adam Szubin, then-head of the US Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control, in 2013 referred to Mr Nunez as Mr Guzmans right-hand man in moving to prohibit financial dealings with Mr Nunez and freeze his assets. He is believed to have helped Mr Guzman execute one of the brazen prison escapes for which he was legendary.
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A British woman shot in the stomach after she and her family mistakenly drove into a favela in Brazil has been named as 46-year-old Eloise Dixon.

Ms Dixon was travelling with her partner and their three children in Angra dos Reis, 90 miles east of Rio de Janeiro and close to the popular tourist town of Paraty, when she was attacked, police said.

Reports said a language mix-up saw them enter the Agua Santa neighbourhood, an area associated with drug trafficking gang Terceiro Comando Puro, or Pure Third Command, after they apparently asked for directions to buy bottled water.

Recommended British family on holiday in Brazil shot after taking wrong turn

The rented Renault the family were travelling in was approached by a group who told them to get out of the vehicle before opening fire.

Brazilian newspaper O Globo reported that the familys lack of Portuguese meant they failed to understand orders to leave the area by members of the gang.

A police statement said the woman was hit in the abdomen and was taken to nearby Japuiba General Hospital.

Rodrigo Mucheli, medical director at the facility, said the bullet travelled through her abdomen but luckily didnt hit any major arteries or vital organs.

The rest of the family, including the couples three daughters, the youngest aged four, were unhurt.

Ms Dixon, who lives in Bromley, south-east London, is now recovering in hospital.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: We are in touch with the local authorities in Angra dos Reis, Brazil, following reports of the shooting of a British national.

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

Police are still searching for the gunmen.

Local police chief Bruno Gilaberte said: This whole confusion seems to have happened partly because of the language barrier.

They ended up driving towards the Agua Santa community where they were challenged by criminals. Because they didnt understand the order they received to leave the area, they just carried on and were shot at.
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A father who drove to help his wife with her overheated car which was pulled over on the side of a California motorway arrived to find his two children and mother-in-law had been killed in a car crash.

Four people died in the pile-up on Interstate 10 east of Los Angeles on Friday when a suspected drunk driver slammed into two vehicles that had pulled over, ABC news reported.

Prior to the crash, mother Maria Briseno had pulled her Honda over after it overheated, calling her husband to inform him of the problem. She and her 58-year-old mother stepped out of the car, leaving her 12-year-old son, Isaac Briseno, and her 12-year-old step-daughter, Ailyn Miguel, in the back of the vehicle.

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A passer-by in a pick-up truck, who has since been identified as Jose Prieto, also pulled over and got out of his vehicle to help the family.

Shortly afterwards, a Nissan pick-up drove into the back of the Honda, killing the two children, their grandmother, and Mr Prieto. Ms Briseno survived and was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Authorities are investigating if the driver of the Nissan vehicle was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

Family members have raised thousands of dollars through GoFundMe to help pay for funeral costs (GoFundMe)

Ms Brisenos husband arrived at the scene moments after the police. California Highways Patrol officer Jesus Garcia said: A lot of times we dont have the family respond right away, but here, they were here within minutes of us arriving.

"And you have to deal with the emotions of them, seeing their family members who are dead at the scene.

The driver survived the crash and is being held in hospital pending toxicology reports. He has refused to speak to police, Time reported.

Three fundraisers have been set up to support the families of those killed and help pay for funeral costs.

Ms Brisenos brother, Giovany Rivera, set up a GoFundMe page for the three good lives taken from us. He said the day of the crash would forever be scarred in my life and that he hopes to give his family the funeral they deserve. The campaign, which has now closed, raised over $17,600 (13,500) in two days.

Another page, set up by Ms Brisenos sister-in-law, Letty Brisano Anaya, raised nearly 37,500 (28,700) in two days, while a fundraiser for Mr Prieto set up by his daughter has raised over $30,700 (23,500).
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Pressure is growing on Donald Trump to condemn the bombing of a Minnesota mosque as an act of terrorism.

The FBI are searching for a perpetrator who threw an improvised explosive device through the window of an imam's office at the Dar Al Farooq mosque in Bloomington.

Police were called shortly after 5am on Saturday following reports of an explosion as worshippers prepared for morning prayers.

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The blast damaged a room and shattered windows, but no one was hurt.

Minnesota governor Mark Dayton on Sunday morning visited the mosque and described the bombing as a "criminal act of terrorism".

He also described it as a "unthinkable, unforgivable" hate crime.

"What a terrible, dastardly, cowardly act was committed," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump came under heavy fire for staying silent on the issue.

"The moment the smallest attack happens at an evangelical church in the US, Trump will stop everything and get on TV, but a mosque  silence," said one Twitter user.

The FBI is trying to determine whether the incident was a hate crime, while Islamic leaders said the bombing had left them fearful of future attacks.

"We feel like it's much deeper and scarier than like something random," said the mosque's director, Mohammed Omar. "It's so scary."

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. 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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. 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Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. 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The mosque opened in 2011 at the site of a former elementary school and serves people primarily from the area's large Somali community. Minnesota has the largest Somali community in the US, roughly 57,000 people, according to the latest census figures.

The US Department of Homeland Security on Saturday released a statement saying it "fully supports the rights of all to freely and safely worship the faith of their choosing and we vigorously condemn such attacks on any religious institution".

The bombing came amid increased reports of anti-Muslim crimes, including arson attacks and vandalism at mosques.

Last week, an Islamic cemetery in Minnesota was sprayed with profanities and swastikas. One spray-painted message reportedly said: "Leave, you R dead."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has offered a $10,000 (7,700) reward for information leading to the capture and conviction of the bomber. It has called for mosques and Islamic centres to improve their security in the wake of the attack.
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A manhunt is underway in Clinton, Missouri after a police officer was shot and killed in what appeared to be a routine traffic stop.

The Missouri Highway Patrol is looking for Ian McCarthy, 39, who they say is the registered owner of the car involved in the stop.

Police say officer Gary Michael, 37, stopped Mr McCarthys car for a registration violation late Sunday night. As the officer was exiting his vehicle, the driver got out and shot him, wounding him fatally.

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Mr Michael was reportedly able to return fire, but it is not known whether the driver was injured. The driver returned to his car and drove away, but crashed and proceeded to flee on foot. Officers believe the driver is still on foot somewhere in the Clinton area.

Mr Michael was a lifelong resident of Clinton. He is survived by his wife and stepsons.

Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Bill Lowe called the incident devastating" for the family and the close-knit police department.

[Mr Michael] was heroic right to the end. He was protecting his community, he said.

Local law enforcement offered their condolences on social media.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Clinton Police Department and the family of P.O. Gary Michael who was shot and killed last night, tweeted Rich Lockhart, police chief of nearby Warrenburg Police

Our hearts are heavy this morning, and our prayers are with the Clinton Police Department and the fallen officers family, the neighbouring Clay County Sheriffs office said.
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A flash drought throughout Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota could cost farmers and ranchers up to $1bn before the rains return.

The drought that has struck the Great Plains came from nowhere and was not predicted even as recently as three months ago, according to environmental news outlet Grist.

The US Drought Monitor has classified it as an exceptional drought, the organisations most severe ranking.

Some longtime farmers and ranchers, in North Dakota in particular, say these are the worst conditions they have seen in decades, possibly their lifetimes.

The US Agriculture Department estimates crop production in all three states this year will be down dramatically.

The growing season, which began in April of this year, has seen less than half of the normal amount rainfall.

In Montanas Missouri River basin - where the droughts epicentre is considered to be - is experiencing less than a quarter of normal rainfall.

The Dakotas and Montana, due in part to shifting weather patterns as a result of climate change, have become the heart of global wheat production as Kansas once was for the net-exporter US.

The fact that the drought is unexpected is adding to ranchers and farmers anxiety.

Millions could die of hunger as drought grips Horn of Africa Show all 2 1 /2 Millions could die of hunger as drought grips Horn of Africa Millions could die of hunger as drought grips Horn of Africa 626396.bin GETTY IMAGES Millions could die of hunger as drought grips Horn of Africa 626397.bin REUTERS

Rancher Dawn Martin and her husband, told the Associated Press they have had to sell off about one-third of their cattle herd.

Farmer John Weinand isn't expecting his crops to amount to much at all. If we get some rain we'll have some corn and soybeans, but at this point it doesn't look very promising, he said.

These flash events are expected to become more common as Donald Trump withdraws the US from the global Paris Agreement on climate change and the world's second-largest producer of CO2 fails to halt climate change.

According to Grist, as temperatures rise, abnormally dry conditions across the western US are already becoming more common and more intense. And as evaporation rates speed up, rainfall becomes more erratic, and spring snowmelt dries up earlier each year.

Some ranchers are digging new water wells in order to keep what is left of their dying herds alive and getting donations of hay from as far away as West Virginia.

However, their issues are more complex due to the drought.

At least 17 wildfires have been sparked across the region. Eastern Montanas 422-square-mile Lodgepole complex fire is one-third the size of Rhode Island.

The Trump administration, in addition to ignoring the effects of climate change, have also put up a key crop insurance programme on the chopping block for federal budget cuts.

The US Department of Agriculture - whose Trump-appointed head Sam Clovis is not a scientist and is a known climate skeptic - has also been instructed to change the way it discusses climate change as well.

According to emails obtained by the Guardian, the agency's Natural Resources Conservation Service which works on farmland conservation will change all uses of the term "climate change" to "weather extremes" in an apparent nod to the administration's belief that human action does not cause climate change or national disasters such as the flash drought and government action would not help prevent them.

Governors have declared states of emergency across the region in order to open protected lands to grazing as well.

Some ranchers and farmers worry too that once the rain begins, a new problem will arise: flash flooding.
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Kellyanne Conway claimed the Obama administration told "big lies" about both the 2012 Benghazi controversy and Obamacare, when pressed on conflicting narratives surrounding a meeting with a Russian lawyer.

Ms Conway was being questioned on ABC's "This Week" programme on Donald Trump Jr's June 2016 meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya, a lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. The President's eldest son initially said the meeting was to discuss Russia's halt on adoptions of children by US citizens.

He then amended his statement and released a string of emails which revealed that Mr Trump Jr was meeting with Ms Veselnitskaya - at an event that included then campaign manager Paul Manafort and White House aide and Ivanka Trump's husband Jared Kushner - to possibly gain incriminating information on opponent Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia.

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The meeting took place in Trump Tower in New York and records indicate the President was in the building at the time.

Donald Trump later referred to his son's meeting as "opposition research" and that any politician would have done the same.

The programme's host George Stephanopolous asked Ms Conway why Mr Trump's surrogates have differing views of the President's involvement and knowledge of that meeting.

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

Not skipping a beat, Ms Conway said: "You know, let's talk about telling the truth...Let's talk about a president looking Americans in the eye, who are still suffering eight years later, who were lied to. If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor."

She then brought up the September 2012 attacks on US Government buildings in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the death of US Ambassador J Christopher Stevens.

Ms Clinton, who was serving as Secretary of State at the time, came under fire for not providing additional security for Mr Stevens and his staff and for allegedly withholding information to Congress and those investigating the attack by the small, armed group.

"Benghazi happened because of a video. Go tell the families of those four innocent Americans who were slaughtered in Benghazi that that lie mattered," said Ms Conway.

She said she was not changing the topic from Russia, adding "let's talk about credibility that impacts people...those were big lies".

Ms Conway ended the interview by calling the FBI investigation into alleged ties and collusion between the Trump campaign team and Russia "fabricated" but offered no evidence for her reasoning.
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North Korea has been making headlines recently for testing its missile capabilities, raising concern in Washington that the isolated nation could be tempted to launch a nuclear attack on the United States.

The situation has not improved in recent weeks as the country tested its intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) prompting Donald Trump and the United Nations to impose further sanctions on the country.

Heres what you need to know about the situation.

Why is this being talked about now?

North Korea has repeatedly tested its ICBM and nuclear capabilities this year, and it appears as though the country may have the technology  or will soon  to launch a nuclear missile that could hit the United States.

The US, unhappy with that potential reality, responded to that threat by imposing sanctions on the country the could impact roughly $1 billion worth of North Koreas foreign exports. North Korea has vowed to fight those sanctions with a thousands-fold revenge.

North Korea's recent testing is a "huge step beyond, probably, where most people would've expected Kim Jong Un to be," Howard Stoffer, a professor at the University of New Haven, told The Independent.

So, interested parties are scrambling to respond to that threat.

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

How did we get here?

Things have been stewing since 1953, when China, the US, North Korea, and South Korea agreed to an armistice that ended the Korean War.

Since then, the US and North Korea have been isolated from one another. While other countries like China developed into a major economic, political, and military powers, North Korea has been largely isolated from the international community by the US.

"This is one of the countries that hasn't transformed," Mr Stoffer, who previously held positions with the US State Department and with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee, said. "It remained a communist country. It remained an autocratic country that has never made its economy open up."

But, regimes in North Korea have refused to accept a fate of being sidelined, and have been working on developing nuclear weapons capabilities that they hope will act as a deterrent that will force the US to negotiate with them.

What do the major players want, generally speaking?

The United States, for its part, is keen on North Korea ending its nuclear testing and development  and wants to ensure that the north doesnt launch attacks on the south that would require America to come to its defence.

North Korea, meanwhile, is interested in developing and prospering as a country while maintaining its independence and keeping its cultural customs and traditions. They would also like to see the end of military exercises between South Korea and the US, which the country sees as acts of aggression.

China, which is the main trading partner for North Korea, also has security concerns. Although China doesnt appear to have a huge interest in what North Korea does internally, there is some concern that their neighbouring country could turn their ire on them and launch attacks that hit the Chinese mainland.

How do the three countries disagree on how to move forward?

The United States believes that a strategy of strict sanctions will eventually force North Korea to abandon their nuclear program.

North Korea, meanwhile, is pushing forward with their nuclear ambitions, and thinks that that is the way to get the US to work with them.

At the same time, China has urged for a more diplomatic approach, and worries that sanctions could push North Korea to attack  or that the regime could collapse completely, leading to an unknown level of chaos in the region that could result in anything from a civil war to a mass of refugees showing up on the Chinese border seeking help.

"Between the US and North Korea, the difficulty is they are working under completely opposite logics," Tong Zhao, a fellow at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Centre for Global Policy in Beijing, told The Independent.

Have sanctions worked before to stop nuclear programme development?

Yes and no. The most recent example of a success came when the Obama administration announced that it had negotiated a stop to Irans nuclear development. The US had placed heavy sanctions on the Iranian regime prior, which played at least a small role in convincing the Iranians to come to the negotiating table.

But, China is a strong example of sanctions failing to live up to expectations. The country persevered through years of a harsh economic climate to finally get its nuclear weapons. Because of that history, China has a different take on how effective those measures may be in convincing North Korea to drop its plans.

"More fundamentally, China disagrees with the approach of imposing more sanctions. China itself went through serious sanctions during the Cold War and those sanctions werent able to force China to give up its own nuclear programmes at that time," Mr Zhao said. "So the Chinese history of essentially resisting sanctions and still being able to pursue its nuclear program, really convinced china of the inability for sanctions to change a countrys nuclear policy."

How dangerous is the current climate?

Experts say that, with the North Koreans showing that they may soon be able to launch missiles that hit the United States, things are particularly tense. The North Korean regime has minor gains to make to realise their goals of having a plausible nuclear deterrent against the United States.

That proximity to the proverbial finish line for North Korea means that everyone involved is racing to try and ensure the their priorities win out.

Added to that tense moment is Mr Trump, who experts worry is an unpredictable leader with an unknown level of knowledge about the ramifications that military assaults on North Korea could have.

"I think at this moment, the situation is particularly volatile compared to previous years," Mr Zhao said. The "most important reason, is North Korea is on the verge of achieving its ultimate security goal, which is to obtain a credible nulcear deterrant" that could hit the US mainland.

The issue wasn't however, unforseen. Just before Mr Trump took office, he was warned by outgoing President Barack Obama that North Korea would be one of his biggest challenges as president.

Whats the primary concern for a US military attack to stop North Korea developing their nuclear missile capabilities?

What reaction Kim Jong Un might have to western aggression isnt known, and that uncertainty has made decades of American presidents tread lightly on the issue.

One potential reaction, however, could be that Mr Kim would retaliate with more traditional weapons and attack South Korea. The capital of the country, Seoul, is just 40 miles south of the border, and easily within range. That sort of attack would endanger the lives of the 25.6 million people in the area, and would likely leave hundreds of thousands dead.

"No one really knows that if you use military force what the result will be," Mr Stoffer said. "The result could be that millions are in jeopardy and hundreds of thousands will be killed."
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Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has told Russias top diplomat that Moscows alleged interference in the 2016 US election created serious mistrust between the US and Russia.

Mr Tillersons comments to Sergei Lavrov, Russias Foreign Minister, come after Donald Trump has repeatedly declined to categorically say that Russia meddled in last years presidential race, contradicting the conclusions of his own intelligence agencies.

Mr Tillerson met with Mr Lavrov on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum in the Philippines.

We talked about it in the discussion we had with Minister Lavrov yesterday  and trying to help them understand just how serious this incident had been and how seriously it had damaged the relationship between the US and the American people and the Russian people, Mr Tillerson said while speaking at the forum on Monday, according to CNN.

[I said] this had created serious mistrust between our two countries and that we simply have to find some way to deal with that, he added.

Russia has consistently maintained that it did not interfere in the election.

Trump administration efforts to reset relations US-Russian relations have so far appeared to be unsuccessful.

Last week, Mr Trump grudgingly signed a bill punishing Russia for election meddling and making it harder for him to ease sanctions on Vladimir Putins government.

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

Mr Trump signed the bill behind closed doors, without the fanfare that has customarily accompanied his signing of executive orders. In a statement, he criticised the measure, saying it remains seriously flawed and infringes on his powers to shape foreign policy,

As President, I can make far better deals with foreign countries than Congress, Mr Trump said.

The bill was vehemently opposed by Moscow, which responded to Congresss overwhelming passage of the legislation by ordering the American diplomatic mission in Russia to reduce its staff by 755 employees.

Mr Tillerson on Monday said he discussed the pending removal of consular staff with Mr Lavrov.

I told the foreign minister we had not made a decision regarding how we will respond to Russia's request to remove US diplomatic personnel, Mr Tillerson said, adding that he would respond to the matter by 1 September and that the US and Russia should find ways to cooperate.

We have our differences, we're going to have to continue to find a way to address those, he added.
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Insurgents attacked a village in the northern Afghan province of Sar-e Pul, killing as many as 50 people, including women and children, according to officials.

Zabihullah Amani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said the fighters, who included foreign militants, attacked a security outpost in the Mirza Olang area of Sayaad district overnight, torching 30 houses.

He said fighting was still going on but as many as 50 people, including children, women and elderly men, most of them members of the largely Shia Hazara community, may have been killed, according to local village elders.

"They were killed in a brutal, inhumane way," he said.

Seven members of the Afghan security forces were also killed as well as a number of insurgents.

Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear Show all 16 1 /16 Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2001 Afghans at the Killi Faizo refugee camp desperately reach for bags of rice being handed out to the thousands who escaped the bombardment in southern Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. (Chaman, Pakistan, December 4, 2001) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2002 Mahbooba stands against a bullet-ridden wall, waiting to be seen at a medical clinic. The seven-year-old girl suffers from leishmaniasis, a parasitical infection. (Kabul, March 1, 2002) All photos Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2003 A mother and her two children look out from their cave dwelling. Many families who, fleeing the Taliban, took refuge inside caves adjacent to Bamiyans destroyed ancient Buddha statues now have nowhere else to live. (Bamiyan, November 19, 2003) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2007 Students recite prayers in a makeshift outdoor classroom in the Wakhan Corridor, a mountainous region in northeastern Afghanistan that extends to China and separates Tajikistan from India and Pakistan. (Northeastern Afghanistan, September 2, 2007) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2007 Bodybuilders in the 55-60 kg category square off during a regional bodybuilding competition. Many Afghan men, like others around the world, feel that a macho image of physical strength is important. (Kabul, August 6, 2007) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2008 A woman in a white burqa enjoys an afternoon with her family feeding the white pigeons at the Blue Mosque. (Mazar-e-Sharif, March 8, 2008) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 Addicts inject heroin while trying to keep warm inside the abandoned Russian Cultural Center, which the capital citys addicts use as a common gathering point. Heroin is readily available, costing about one dollar a hit. (Kabul, February 9, 2009) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 An elderly man holds his granddaughter in their tent at a refugee camp after they were forced to flee their village, which US and NATO forces had bombed because, they claimed, it was a Taliban hideout. (Surobi, Nangarhar Province, February 7, 2009) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 Seven-year-old Attiullah, a patient at Mirwais Hospital, stands alongside an X ray showing the bullet that entered his back, nearly killing him. Attiullah was shot by US forces when he was caught in a crossfire as he was herding sheep. (Kandahar, October 13, 2009). Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2010 US Army Sargeant Jay Kenney (right), with Task Force Destiny, helps wounded Afghan National Army soldiers exit a Blackhawk helicopter after they have been rescued in an air mission. (Kandahar, December 12, 2010) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2010 An Afghan National Army battalion marches back to barracks at the Kabul Military Training Center. (Kabul, October 4, 2010) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Eid Muhammad, seventy, lives in a house with a view overlooking the hills of Kabul. He and millions of other Afghans occupy land and housing without possessing formal deeds to them. (Kabul, November 21, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Razima holds her two-year-old son, Malik, while waiting for medical attention at the Boost Hospital emergency room. (Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, June 23, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Young women cheer as they attend a rally for the Afghan presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani. (Kabul, April 1, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Burqa-clad women wait to vote after a polling station runs out of ballots. (Kabul, April 5, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2015 Relatives, friends, and womens rights activists grieve at the home of Farkhunda Malikzada, who was killed by a mob in the center of Kabul. Farkhunda was violently beaten and set on fire after a local cleric accused her of burning a Quran. (Kabul, March 22, 2015) Paula Bronstein

Many details of the attack, including the identity of the insurgents, were not immediately clear.

Mr Amani said they were a mixed group of Taliban and Isis fighters but the Taliban itself denied any involvement, dismissing the claim as propaganda.

Although the Taliban and Isis are usually enemies, the allegiance of their forces is sometimes fluid, with fighters from both groups sometimes changing sides or cooperating with militants from other groups.

A senior government official in Kabul said that security forces, including Afghan Air Force attack aircraft, were being sent to the scene.

Fighting has intensified this year across Afghanistan, with dozens of security incidents recorded every day.

In the first half of the year 1,662 civilians were killed and 3,581 injured, according to United Nations figures.

Reuters
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China could conduct a "small-scale military operation" to expel Indian troops from a contested region in the Himalayas, according to an article published a Chinese state-controlled newspaper.

Indian troops entered the area in the Doklam Plateau in June after New Delhi's ally Bhutan complained a Chinese military construction party was building a road inside Bhutan's territory.

Beijing says Doklam is located in Tibet and that the border dispute between China and Bhutan has nothing to do with India. It has demanded Indian troops withdraw.

Chinese and Indian media have taken a strident approach, with an article in the Chinese state-owned Global Times quoting a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences saying China is preparing to initiate a "limited war" to push Indian soldiers out of the area.

 China warns countries not to allow North Korea situation to go down 'irretrievable' path

Hu Zhiyong told the paper: "The series of remarks from the Chinese side within a 24-hour period sends a signal to India that there is no way China will tolerate the Indian troops' incursion into Chinese territory for too long.

"If India refuses to withdraw, China may conduct a small-scale military operation within two weeks."

He went on to say the military operation would aim to seize Indian personnel lingering in Chinese territory or expel them.

"India, which has stirred up the incident, should bear all the consequences," he added. "And no matter how the standoff ends, Sino-Indian ties have been severely damaged and strategic distrust will linger."

An Indian magazine's front cover last month showed a map of China shorn of Tibet and self-ruled Taiwan also ignited public anger on Chinese social media with thousands of angry posts.

The Indian government has asked political parties to refrain from politicising the issue and allow diplomacy to work.

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

Last week, China ramped up the rhetoric with China Central Television broadcasting a video it said showed an army unit in an unidentified part of Tibet carrying out live-fire firing exercises in the past few days.

A commander sitting in a vehicle shouted "Three, two, one, fire!" into two telephones and a missile was launched into the sky. Troops were shown loading and firing other missiles, some of which landed in fiery explosions.

The report, which was also carried in other state media, didn't mention the dispute with India, and said the unit has been training for three months.

It appeared to be an attempt to increase pressure on India, however, along with strongly worded statements this week from China's foreign and defence ministries, as well as in state media.

"China has made it clear that there is no room for negotiation and the only solution is the unconditional and immediate withdrawal of Indian troops from the region," said a commentary by the official Xinhua News Agency.

"If China backs down now, India may be emboldened to make more trouble in the future," it added.

Most previous standoffs were resolved with both sides withdrawing their forces (file image) (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

The two sides' troops are confronting each other close to a valley controlled by China that separates India from its close ally, Bhutan, and gives China access to the Siliguri Corridor or Chicken's Neck, a thin strip of land connecting India and its remote northeastern regions.

In New Delhi, Sushma Swaraj, the minister for external affairs, told Parliament India was concerned about China's actions affecting the tri-junction boundary point between Bhutan, China and India as well as the India-China border.

She said India would "keep engaging with China to resolve the dispute."

"War is not a solution to anything," Ms Swaraj said. "Patience, control on comments and diplomacy can resolve problems."

Most previous standoffs, such as one in 2014 just ahead of a rare trip to India for President Xi Jinping, were resolved with both sides withdrawing their forces.

There has been no shooting since a brief border war in 1962.

Additional reporting by agencies
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China has launched an internet crackdown to stop users bypassing the country's "Great Firewall" - a sophisticated censorship system that blocks Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, among other sites.

Luxury hotels in Beijing have announced they will stop providing Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) that allow visitors to log on to banned sites.

Apple has also restricted Chinese users' access to VPN apps after the Communist Party warned that unlicensed providers would be punished in January.

One cloud service provider based in the capital said it would start reporting VPN providers following orders from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

For years, millions of people in the vast Asian country have been able to browse the web freely by using VPNs to load banned content, including US TV dramas, social media sites and foreign news.

The Communist Party is able to block selected websites and filter words out of searches made on computers without a secure connection.

Their Public Security Bureau (PSB) monitors email accounts, searching for protesters and people voicing anti-Communist opinions.

But they have found it harder to control people using VPNs, which create secure, encrypted connections between the user's computer and servers outside of the country and out of reach of the authoritarian regime.

Experts believe that the President Xi Jinping is seeking to tighten his government's grip on internet usage so they can monitor everybody's connections.

 The science behind China's teleportation breakthrough

PSB agents have the authority to arrest people if they discover "illegal" internet activity.

Lin Wei, a security expert at Qihoo 360 Technology Co, told Reuters: Were in the middle of the storm right now with the government fiercely cracking down on VPNs.

Its really hard for ordinary people to find anywhere they can get on sites like Google.

WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook and offers end-to-end encryption, has also faced service disruptions in China in recent months.

It has a relatively small but loyal following among users seeking a greater degree of privacy from government snooping than afforded by popular domestic app WeChat, which is ubiquitous but closely monitored and filtered.

The internet crackdown comes as the Communist Party prepares to reshuffle its leadership in a sensitive party congress this Autumn.

Censors have revved up a sprawling effort to scrub all mention of Liu Xiaobo, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who died in government custody, from the web.

Chinese censors were able to intercept, in real time, images commemorating Liu in private one-on-one chats on WeChat.

Glass-floored skywalk circling China's Tianmen Mountain Show all 6 1 /6 Glass-floored skywalk circling China's Tianmen Mountain Glass-floored skywalk circling China's Tianmen Mountain Tourists walk on the 100-meter-long and 1.6-meter-wide glass skywalk clung the cliff of Tianmen Mountain (or Tianmenshan Mountain) in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Getty Images Glass-floored skywalk circling China's Tianmen Mountain An aerial view of tourists walking on a glass-bottomed skywalk on the Panlong (coiling dragon) Cliff on Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, China Getty Images Glass-floored skywalk circling China's Tianmen Mountain Tourists walk on the 100-meter-long and 1.6-meter-wide glass skywalk clung the cliff of Tianmen Mountain Getty Images Glass-floored skywalk circling China's Tianmen Mountain The 100-metre-long walk gives a clear view of the deep valley behind and is the third glass walkway in the scenic zone EPA Glass-floored skywalk circling China's Tianmen Mountain Tourist takes selfies on a glass-bottomed skywalk on the Panlong (coiling dragon) Cliff on Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, China EPA Glass-floored skywalk circling China's Tianmen Mountain The Coiling Dragon Cliff skywalk, featuring a total of 99 road turns, layers after another, is the third glass skywalk on the Tianmen Mountain EPA

After Beijing waged its largest-ever crackdown on human rights lawyers and activists in 2015, the People's Daily newspaper, the ruling Communist Party's official mouthpiece, singled out Telegram as the platform where lawyers the coordinated their activities.

And in closely orchestrated and televised trials, the arrested lawyers read scripted confessions explaining how they used the apps to communicate freely with collaborators overseas.

Telegram has since been blocked, with many Chinese dissidents switching to WhatsApp in recent months.

But the VPN crackdown also threatens WhatsApp use, with users reporting that the app is no longer properly accessible unless they use one to send their internet traffic outside the country and around its "Great firewall".
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Japan's Prime Minister has called for a world free of nuclear weapons at a ceremony to mark the 72nd anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing.

Shinzo Abe said existing non-proliferation treaties should be strengthened, and pledged Japan would make utmost efforts for the realisation of eternal world peace".

The country was marking the date more than seven decades since the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, which detonated 600 metres above the city, killing 140,000 and effectively ending the Second World War.

Recommended The photos which show the devastating effects of Nagasaki 70 years on

The event at Peace Memorial Park, near Hiroshima's ground zero, was attended by 50,000 people and representatives from 80 nations and the EU, according to The Japan Times.

However, the commemoration has been overshadowed by the escalating threat posed by North Korea.

Last month its military tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles with major US cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago within range of attack, though it is unclear if they could be armed with nuclear warheads.

"This hell is not a thing of the past," Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said at Sunday's commemoration ceremony. "As long as nuclear weapons exist and policymakers threaten their use, their horror could leap into our present at any moment.

You could find yourself suffering their cruelty."

After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki Show all 19 1 /19 After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424444.bin After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424445.bin After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424488.bin After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424462.bin After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424446.bin After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424449.bin After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424464.bin After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424454.bin After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424463.bin After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424450.bin After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424481.bin After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424441.bin After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424482.bin After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424495.bin Getty Images After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424497.bin Getty Images After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424499.bin Getty Images After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424500.bin Getty Images After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424501.bin Getty Images After the bombs dropped: Hiroshima and Nagasaki 424502.bin Getty Images

If a nuclear bomb was dropped today it could cause greater damage than the Hiroshima bomb combined with the one dropped on the city of Nagasaki three days later, he added.

Japan is the only country to have come under nuclear attack, and uses the "never again" mantra to come to terms with the impact of the two bombs dropped in August 1945.

Article 5 of the countrys constitution renounces war, and states that land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained".

But when asked whether Japan should acquire the means to strike North Korean missile sites, Mr Abe did not reject the idea of a pre-emptive strike.

Japan currently relies on allies such as the US for nuclear deterrence, and refused to ratify or negotiate a landmark UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons last month.

When Barack Obama became the first US President to visit Hiroshima last year, Donald Trump criticised his call for an end to nuclear weapons and suggested he bring up Japans 1941 attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbour instead.
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In India, even today, when you purchase sanitary pads from the neighbourhood store, you can expect the (usually male) shopkeeper to evade your eye. He will wordlessly get a packet from the rear of the store and slip it into a jet-black plastic bag so that no one can see what you bought. It is like a shroud thrown over your monthly awkwardness. One of the big sanitary-napkin brands is called Whisper, a perfect metaphor for how your period should be spoken of - if you must mention it at all.

I am an unabashed, proud feminist. But the social conditioning around menstruation in India is so entrenched that, in my younger years, if I suddenly needed to ask a colleague for a sanitary pad at work, I would carry it wrapped in a newspaper or office stationery.

Our menstruation has been used against us in all sorts of ways - to shame us, embarrass us, sexually repress us and, of course, make us feel dirty. Muslim women have told me they are not allowed to offer Namaz prayers during their period. Hindu women have had to petition in court to be allowed inside temples that bar menstruating women. There are homes where girls and adult women are not allowed into the kitchen during their impure days.

Now comes a bizarrely paternalistic and silly proposal to further ghettoise us. A campaign in India has urged providing women a day off for the first day of their periods. I didn't take this idea seriously when I first heard it. It seemed like the self-indulgent mumbo-jumbo of so-called post-feminists. To my shock, the issue has become a major point of discussion. One media outlet has even adopted this harebrained policy for its female employees.

First-day period leave may be dressed up as progressive, but it actually trivialises the feminist agenda for equal opportunity, especially in male-dominated professions. Worse, it reaffirms that there is a biological determinism to the lives of women, a construct that women of my generation have spent years challenging. Remember all those dumb jokes by male colleagues about that time of the month or PMS? Well, this idea only serves to emphasise that there is something spectacularly otherworldly about a bodily function.

Sure, our periods can be annoyingly uncomfortable and often painful, but this reality usually demands no more than a Tylenol or Meftal and, if needed, a hot- water bottle.

In rural India, gaps in menstruation hygiene, social stigma, lack of access to affordable sanitary napkins or toilets, and an absence of disposal mechanisms for pads all keep girls away from school. A UN report confirms that 20 percent of Indian girls drop out of school after reaching puberty; in sub-Saharan Africa, one in every 10 girls misses school during her menstrual cycle. In Nepal there are menstrual huts where women are isolated.

Around the world, menstruation has been a basis for barriers. (Who can forget then-candidate Donald Trump's sexist swipe at TV host Megyn Kelly when he said she had blood coming out of her wherever?) Girls can be denied an education because of cultural taboos, relative poverty and lack of basic facilities during a period - and here are we, elite and spoiled women, demanding the right to stay at home. Does no one see the irony?

Female labour-force participation has declined in India despite economic growth. Only 27 percent of Indian women are in the workforce, the lowest level among the emerging BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa); among Group of 20 countries, India's rate is better than only Saudi Arabia's. Instead of focusing our feminist energy on such alarming statistics, goofy ideas such as period leave create grounds for workplace discrimination or, worse, a denial of some roles completely.

Take the fight for the right of women to be allowed into military combat, fly fighter jets or be sent into space. The barriers are high enough already; now we want to add a nonsensical new one? In 1999, when war broke out between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir, I had to push hard to be allowed to report from the front lines. There are no bathrooms, no separate beds for women, said an initially reluctant army. I pleaded and argued my way in. But imagine if this blanket plea for period leave existed; what might the army have said to me? Incidentally, I was menstruating while reporting from the front lines.

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

Some women have raised the issues of endometriosis and extreme menstrual pain. I sympathise - but those are a basis for medical leave, not grounds to make such exceptions the norm as menstrual leave. Others have noted that maternity leave is also a female-specific benefit and asked me why I don't object to that. First, I don't think maternity and menstruation are comparable; second, I do think it's time for the feminist framework to focus on equality at home as a key component of equality at work. I'd be much more comfortable with the idea of family leave, available to both men and women, so that we finally will have crossed the final frontier of stereotypes.

But for women to use the fight against menstrual taboos as an excuse for special treatment is a disservice to the seriousness of feminism. Stop this sexism. Period.

The Washington Post
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North Korea has defended its weapons programme, saying it needs the capability to launch intercontinental missiles at the heart of the United States to prevent an invasion.

It warned that the country was ready to give the US a "severe lesson" with its strategic nuclear force if it takes military action against it, it said in a statement to a regional meeting in Manila.

In a transcript of a statement by the North's foreign minister, Ri Yong-ho, Pyongyang called new UN sanctions "fabricated" and warned there would be "strong follow-up measures" and acts of justice.

"We will under no circumstances put the nukes and ballistic rockets on the negotiating table," Mr Ri said.

 North Korea state broadcast: US faces 'thousands-fold' revenge following new UN sanctions

The statement said the North's intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July proved that the entire United States was in its firing range, and those missiles were a legitimate means of self-defence.

Mr Ri also said that his country has no intention of using nuclear weapons against any country "except the US".

He said the only way that would change is if another country joined in an American action against North Korea.

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

On Monday the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held a door open for dialogue with North Korea, saying that Washington was willing to talk to Pyongyang if it halted a series of recent missile test launches.

Mr Tillerson's comments, also from Manila, were the latest US attempt to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear and missile program after months of tough talk from President Donald Trump.

"When the conditions are right, then we can sit and have a dialogue around the future of North Korea so they feel secure and prosper economically," Mr Tillerson told reporters. "The best signal that North Korea can give us that they are prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches."

There was no direct reaction from North Korea to Mr Tillerson's remarks, but North Korea warned it would launch a "thousands-fold" revenge against the US after it introduced tough new UN sanctions.

The UN Security Council unanimously approved new penalties for the North after its recent test launches of several intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The US-drafted resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood and is aimed to pressuring Pyongyang to end its nuclear programme.

It also prohibits countries from increasing the current numbers of North Korean labourers working abroad, bans new joint ventures with North Korea and any new investment in current joint ventures.
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North Korea has said it will launch "thousands-fold" revenge against the United States after it introduced tough new UN sanctions.

The UN Security Council unanimously approved new penalties for the North after it launched intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The sanctions include a ban on coal and other exports worth more than $1 billion.

 North Korean missile 'can hit US mainland' says Kim Jong Un

The North's statement, carried by state media, said the sanctions were caused by a heinous US plot to isolate and stifle North Korea.

The UN sanctions will never force the country to negotiate over its nuclear program or to give up its nuclear drive, Pyongyang claimed.

It added that it will take action of justice, but didn't elaborate.

Previous attempts to force Pyongyang into abandoning its nuclear weapons programme have been undercut by the North's trading partners not implementing them.

US President Donald Trump has demanded the penalties be implemented quickly and in full.

Yet Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has indicated there was a slim possibility negotiations could recommence.

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

If the isolated state stopped testing missiles for an "extended period"  longer than 30 days  the US might deem the North is ready to talk, he said.
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Chloe Ayling, the 20-year-old glamour model who says she was kidnapped by an international criminal gang from the dark web, was told by her captors to sneak information into the press.

The Black Death group, who police say kidnapped the model before returning her to the British consulate, gave Ms Ayling a specific series of things to say in media interviews, according to the police. The group said they would be watching her appearances and that they would eliminate her if she disobeyed them, according to a pamphlet that was released by the police.

The letter, written in English, lays out a series of demands that were allegedly made of Ms Ayling when she was released. It said that her release does, however, come with a warning, and you should read this letter very carefully.

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It suggests that despite the fact that police have said Ms Aylings captors returned her within days of drugging and taking her, the kidnapping was still intended to be used as a kind of publicity event for the Black Death group. Very little has so far been known about the group, which, if it has previously existed at all, has looked to downplay its online presence.

Police have said that the group had originally intended to sell Ms Ayling online through the dark web.

You will, upon your landing in your home country, cease any investigation activities related to your kidnapping, it reads. Ms Ayling has received a debriefing from authorities since she arrived in the UK at the weekend, but its thought that it is related to intelligence questions about the gang rather than the criminal investigations.

The letter then goes on to make clear that what Ms Ayling says in the wake of the kidnapping will be monitored. It says that she agreed to sneak a pre-determined set of information into the media, and we will expect to see evidence that has been done in near future.

Ms Ayling has so far only given one media interview, to an Italian TV station, outside her house. In that, she read a short statement and suggested that she would say more when the debriefing process was over.

The pamphlet says that any further interviews about the Black Death group must never be done in bad language and without respect. It said that she might have heard information from her captor, but that she can release that because he would never give you any information that could harm our activities.

It also says that since Ms Ayling was treated well, she should tell the media about how good the group are. You have been treated fairly, with respect and we expect to hear exactly the same about us in return.

We will not tolerate lying about anything that happened, the letter reads.

The authenticity of the Black Death Group or that they were the authors of the letter cannot be verified. But the police provided the pamphlet as part of their major press conference announcing they had captured one of the men they claim is responsible for the kidnapping.

The document was taken from his computer, they said. It also included another page that listed the services the group can supposedly provide  including bombings and assassinations  and a disturbing image of plague doctors, which happens to be one of the first images that shows up in a Google search for black death.
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Spain will not endanger the UKs Brexit deal by forcing a change of Gibraltars status, its foreign minister has said.

I wont make a deal between the EU and the UK conditional on recovering sovereignty over Gibraltar, Alfonso Dastis told Spanish conservative daily ABC.

European Council Brexit negotiation guidelines, published in March, caused tension by saying that Spain would be given a veto on whether the Brexit deal could be applied to Gibraltar.

Prime Minister Mays response at the time was to say that the Government was steadfastly committed to the rocky outcrop and to its 30,000 inhabitants, 96% of which voted to remain in the EU.

Former Conservative leader Michael Howard suggested Ms May would be prepared to go to war to protect the British Overseas Territory, as Thatcher did over the Falklands in 1982.

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Gibraltar was ceded to the UK in 1713, and is home to 30,000 people who overwhelmingly say they identify as British.

It automatically joined the European Union in 1973 when Britain did, though it did not become part of the customs union.

In his interview on Sunday, Mr Dastis re-asserted: We will not accept any decision that undermines our own claim or that involves recognising UK jurisdiction on a portion of territory that we did not give away in the Treaty of Utrecht.

He stood by a joint sovereignty proposal which would give Gibraltarians dual Spanish and British nationality.

Almost 99% of the territorys residents rejected the idea when it was put to them.

A British foreign ministry spokesperson told AFP news agency that the government is committed to fully involving Gibraltar as tough Brexit negotiations get under way.

"The UK stands by its assurances to Gibraltar never to enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes," she said.
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Married at 15 and divorced at 16, a Syrian teen says she regrets having said yes to a handsome suitor  a stranger who turned into an abusive husband.

Yet the reasons that transformed her into a child bride have become more prevalent among Syrians who live in Jordanian exile because of a six-year-old civil war back home. More families marry off daughters to ease the financial burden or say marriage is the way to protect the honour of girls seen as vulnerable outside their homeland.

Figures from Jordan's population census document the long suspected increase for the first time. In 2015, brides between the ages of 13 and 17 made up almost 44 percent of all Syrian females in Jordan getting married that year, compared to 33 percent in 2010.

With Syrians expected to remain in exile for years, it's a harmful trend for refugees and their overburdened host country, UN and Jordanian officials say.

More Syrian girls will lose out on education, since most child brides drop out of school. They typically marry fellow Syrians who are just a few years older, often without a steady job  a constellation that helps perpetuate poverty. And they will likely have more children than those who marry as adults, driving up Jordan's fertility rate.

This means we will have more people, more than the government of Jordan can afford, said Maysoon al-Zoabi, secretary general of Jordan's Higher Population Council.

The figures on early marriage were drawn from Jordan's November 2015 census and compiled in a new study.

The census counted 9.5 million people living in Jordan, including 2.9 non-Jordanians.

Among the foreigners were 1.265 million Syrians  or double the number of refugees registered in the kingdom since the outbreak of the Syria conflict in 2011. The other Syrians include migrant laborers who came before the war, and those who never registered as refugees.

The figures on early marriage include all Syrians in Jordan, not just registered refugees.

Many came from southern Syria's culturally conservative countryside, where even before the conflict girls typically married in their teens. Still, the study shows a higher rate of early marriage among Syrians in exile than in their homeland.

The teen divorcee fled Syria's Daraa province in 2012, along with her parents and four siblings. The family eventually settled in a small town in the northern Mafraq province.

The parents and the teen, now 17, spoke on condition of anonymity because of the stigma of divorce. They said they wanted to speak out, nonetheless, in hopes of helping others avoid the same mistake.

Child brides are traditionally shielded from outsiders, and the family provided a rare glimpse at what drives early marriage.

When we came here, our lives were disrupted, said the teen's mother, sitting on a floor cushion in the living room of their small rented home. If we had remained in Syria, I would not have allowed her to get married this young.

The family scrapes by on small cash stipends and food vouchers from UN aid agencies, along with the father's below-minimum-wage income as a laborer.

Worse, the family feels adrift.

The parents, fearful their children would be harassed, especially the girls, did not enroll them in local schools, typically overcrowded to accommodate large numbers of Syrians.

In such a setting  girls sitting at home without a seeming purpose  the push to have them get married becomes stronger.

An older sister of the teen also married as a minor. The mother said she often feels regret about her daughter having been robbed of her childhood.

The younger girl spent most of her time at home, brooding. She had no girlfriends since she didn't go to school and was only allowed to leave the house with her mother, in line with traditions. In any case, there was nothing to do in the small desert town.

Two years ago, a young Syrian man asked for the teen's hand, after introductions had been made by a go-between. The intermediary talked up the stranger, saying he had job prospects and could afford his own apartment.

The teen, 15 at the time, accepted. I was bored and sad, she said. I wanted to get married.

The parents said the young man seemed immature, but that their daughter insisted. The wedding took place a month later, and the bride wore a white dress.

The marriage contract was sealed by a Syrian lawyer, not a Jordanian religious court judge, meaning it was not officially recognized in Jordan.

Local law sets the minimum age of marriage for girls at 18, though Jordanian judges often allow exceptions for brides between the ages of 15 and 17.

In 2015, 11.6 percent of Jordanian females who married that year were minors, compared to 9.6 percent in 2010, indicating a slight rise that al-Zoubi believes is caused in part to Jordanians being influenced by Syrian customs.

After marriage, the Syrian teen moved to a different town with her husband, and his promises quickly evaporated. The couple moved in with his extended clan, and the teen turned into a maid, according to her parents. The teen said her unemployed husband beat her.

Despite the abuse, she said she wanted to stay in the marriage, fearful of the shame of divorce. Her father eventually insisted on divorce to extract her from what he felt was a harmful situation.

After returning home, the teen briefly attended an informal education and children's support program called Makani that is run by the UN child welfare agency and other aid groups at centers across Jordan. She started making friends, but stayed away again when a new group of students signed up.

Robert Jenkins, the head of UNICEF in Jordan, said that by the time girls are married, it's often too late to get them back to education.

Our absolute first line of defence is prevention (of early marriage), he said, adding that the agency tries to support families and teens so they won't opt for early marriage.

In the Zaatari refugee camp, such intervention appears to have had an impact, said Hussam Assaf, 32, who rents and sells white bridal gowns and colourful engagement dresses in the local market.

Assaf said the typical age of his customers in Zaatari is 16 or 17, compared to 14 or 15 in his hometown in rural Syria, crediting counselling programmes by aid groups with the change.

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 young divorcee, meanwhile, hasn't ruled out marriage in the future. She said it's unlikely she'll ever go back to school because she has already missed five years of learning.

Still, she thinks about what could have been.

If I had continued my education, it would have been better, she said. Her trauma of her brief marriage has made me weaker, she said.

Associated Press
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Israels decision to block news channel Al Jazeera because it claims the network supports terrorism has been condemned as an undemocratic attack on press freedom.

The Israeli government also claimed the broadcaster was a tool" of Isis, whose followers subscribe to an extreme form of Sunni Islam, and also Iran, the leading Shia Muslim country.

Al Jazeera reported on its website that it had been prevented from attending the news conference at which the announcement was made.

Israels communications minister Ayoub Kara said it would block all the Qatar-based station's Arabic and English channels and remove the press credentials of its journalists.

He accused the station of supporting terrorism and said cable broadcasters had agreed in principle to his proposal to take it off air, but that closure of the offices would require further legislation.

Lately, almost all countries in our region determined that Al Jazeera supports terrorism, supports religious radicalisation," Mr Kara said.

"And when we see that all these countries have determined as fact that Al Jazeera is a tool of the Islamic State [Isis], Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, and we are the only one who have not determined that, then something delusional is happening here."

Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Show all 12 1 /12 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict The fire in my heart is beyond my ribs. You left me beloved - Soliman Shaheen, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict Let me get enough of you, as Im still hungry for your smile my son - Soliman Shaheen, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict They besiege me in my homeland so I flew to heaven - Rodaina Al Agha, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict And I am still facing the pain all by myself - Lama Shakshak, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My brother, I watched you go while my heart was tearing - Helen Mo'amar, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My new doll is lonely in the rubble - Ayah Sha'ath, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict When a soul hugs another soul they never split, even in death - Ismail Matar, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict Everyone is gone and I stayed alone to make the world witness the injustice done to me - Hamza Shaheen, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict The hand that carries the arms carries roses too - Madeeha Al Majayda, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict My eyes tell you about a dream that overcame the fence - Soliman Shaheen, 15 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict A childhood caught in an unjust siege - Hadeel Quidh, 16 Remembering the Israel-Gaza conflict Remembering Israel-Gaza conflict All the details are torn after you - Hamza Shaheen, 17

The network, which has 80 offices around the world, responded on its website, saying: Al Jazeera stresses that it will closely watch the developments that may result from the Israeli decision, and will take the necessary legal measures towards it."

It also denied the charges its coverage of recent unrest at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem was unprofessional.

Al Jazeera will continue to cover the events of the occupied Palestinian territories professionally and accurately, according to the standards set by international agencies, such as the UK Office of Communications (Ofcom)," it said.

Israels decision follows in the footsteps of Middle Eastern neighbours Jordan and Saudi Arabia, who have closed Al Jazeeras local offices.

Recommended The Qatar crisis has nothing to do with Al Jazeera

The Al Jazeera channel and website, which are owned by the government of Qatar, have also been blocked in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain. Egypt banned Al Jazeera several years ago.

The network insists it is independent of its owners, although this is disputed by critics. Its willingness to broadcast dissenting views has caused waves throughout the Arab world since its launch in 1999, coming to particular prominence following the 9/11 attacks and during the war in Afghanistan.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu said on Facebook last month that he wanted Al Jazeera expelled.

The Al-Jazeera channel continues to incite violence around the Temple Mount, he wrote in reference to the site which is known to Muslims as Haram al Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount.

I have appealed to law enforcement agencies several times to close the Al Jazeera office in Jerusalem... If this is not possible because of legal interpretation, I am going to seek to have the necessary legislation adopted to expel Al Jazeera from Israel.

The Israeli announcement was condemned by Hamas, the militant group that rules in the Gaza Strip.

Al Jazeera had a big role conveying the Palestinian narrative with a high professionalism," said spokesman Hazem Qassem.

Recommended Benjamin Netanyahu vows to remove Al Jazeera from Israel

Aidan White, director of the London-based Ethical Journalism Network, called Israel's decision a full frontal attack on press freedom.

It is a shocking statement, and it completely undermines Israel's claims to be the only democracy in the region, because it gets to the heart of one of the most important institutions of democracy," he said.

New York-based group The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also criticised the move for violating the freedom of the press.

Censoring Al-Jazeera or closing its offices will not bring stability to the region, but it would put Israel firmly in the camp of some of the region's worst enemies of press freedom, CPJs Middle East and North Africa programme coordinator Sherif Mansour said in a statement.

Israel should abandon these undemocratic plans and allow Al-Jazeera and all journalists to report freely from the country and areas it occupies.
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The lost Roman city of Julias, home to three Apostles of Jesus Christ, has been found in Israel, a team of archaeologists has claimed.

Peter, Andrew and Philip are believed to have resided in the lost city of Julias, which may have existed on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, Haaretz reports.

It was Jewish historian Josephus Flavius (37-100 AD) who first indicated the existence of the city of Julias, which he said had been built on or near the fishing village of Bethsaida, by King Philip, the son of the biblical King Herod.

He created the Roman city and called it Julias after Julia Augusta, mother of Roman Emperor Tiberius.

Archaeologist Dr Mordechai Aviam, of Kinneret College, told Haaretz: "Josephus reported that the king had upgraded Bethsaida from a village into a polis, a proper city.

"He didn't say it had been built on or beside or underneath it. And indeed, all this time, we have not known where it was. But the bathhouse attests to the existence of urban culture.

"Our main surprise was that at the bottom of the excavation, in a small area, a wall of a building was discovered, and next to it was a mosaic floor and artefacts that characterise a bathhouse.

The mosaic wall is an indication that a church once stood there. A bishop of Bavaria, who visited Israel in 725 AD, spoke of visiting a church at Bethsaida that was built over the house of Peter and Andrew.

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. 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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

Another reason Julias is likely to be located at the site, called el-Araj, has to do with an error about the level of the Sea of Galilee. Calculations made near the site assume the level of the lake was 209 metres below sea level during the period that the city was thriving. However, this would mean the el-Araj site was under water until the Byzantine period, which cannot be the case.

Researchers found the Roman layer to be 211 metres below sea level, which would make sense if a city existed in the area at the time.

There are two other possible locations, though this latest discovery at the el-Araj site adds credence to the belief that they have finally found the ancient city.
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Venice, Bali, Paris There are many places we seem to see over and over again on our Instagram feeds, posted by everyone from travel bloggers to old school friends.

On the first anniversary of the launch of Instagram stories, the photo-sharing app has just revealed which cities are the top location tags.

And the results may surprise you.

Top of the list is Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia on the island of Java.

And in second place, Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Perhaps more predictably, New York and London come in in third and fourth position, with Madrid taking fifth place.

The top location tags on Instagram stories:

Jakarta, Indonesia Sao Paulo, Brazil New York, NY London, UK Madrid, Spain

Instagram also revealed the most popular hashtags, 90 per cent of which are in English:

#GOODMORNING #WORK #GOODNIGHT #MOOD #HAPPYBIRTHDAY #TBT #LOVE #HOME #BOMDIA (meaning hello or good day in Portuguese) #RELAX

The most used stickers were revealed to be the vibrant location sticker, digital time sticker, Like sticker, hashtag sticker and weather sticker.

So if you really want to be on top of the trends, you'd better head to Jakarta and post an Instagram story with a location sticker and say #goodmorning.
An economist who advised former Northern Ireland first minister David Trimble has lambasted the Taoiseach's proposals for the Border after Brexit as "incoherent".

Dr Graham Gudgin noted that Leo Varadkar failed to mention his controversial plan to move the Border to the Irish Sea - with customs checks at ports and airports - during his visit to Belfast on Friday, and said "hopefully this is the last we will hear of it".

Mr Varadkar recently angered Northern unionists when he said the Republic would not help design an economic border for Brexiteers. The Fine Gael leader attempted to shift the onus for designing a solution to border movement firmly onto the UK, insisting he was not going to "design a border for the Brexiteers because they're the ones who want a border".

Dr Gudgin, now chief economic adviser at centre-right think tank Policy Exchange, said: "This new tough line from Dublin on the Irish Border is an unhelpful change of direction on an already complex issue. The Taoiseach's decision to cease work on a potential electronic border is particularly unwelcome.

"Varadkar's call last week for the Border to be moved to the Irish Sea is incoherent. Hopefully, this is the last we will hear of it."

Speaking at Queen's University in Belfast, Mr Varadkar had said one solution could be the establishment of an EU-UK customs union. The Taoiseach also suggested that, if the UK does not want to stay in the single market, it could enter into a deep Free Trade Agreement with the EU and rejoin the European Free Trade Association.

Dr Gudgin said a bespoke customs union deal with the EU would require a special dispensation from the EU to allow the UK to agree new trade deals with third countries: "A UK-EU free trade agreement remains the most likely outcome of the Brexit negotiations, albeit after a transition period, but with little thanks to the Irish."

Meanwhile, the Government has been cautious in its response to the prospect of British Prime Minister Theresa May's administration potentially providing proposed solutions for the post-Brexit Border arrangements as early as this week.

The 'Sunday Telegraph' reported that the position papers outlining the approach to future customs arrangements could be published this week. It also cited Whitehall sources who suggested the UK government is prepared to pay as much as 36bn (40bn) as a 'divorce' settlement, provided it is part of a deal on future trade arrangements with the EU.

Last night, a Government spokesman said it wouldn't be appropriate to comment on "speculation". "As the Taoiseach said in Belfast, the Government will do all we can, in Brussels, in London and in Dublin, to achieve the best outcome for everyone on this island - to protect our peace, our freedom, our rights, and our prosperity," the spokesman added.
'We drove around dreaming that some day we might be farmers and I suppose we are living the dream," says eighth-generation carpenter turned dairy farmer Jamie Kealy as he looks out over his herd of 94 cows in Tullow, Co Carlow.

Jamie, who hails from a non-farming background, last week hosted an Irish Grasslands Association farm walk sponsored by AIB, and he told the attendance of over 600 farmers how he got started on a totally leased milking platform.

With many dairy farmers entering unknown territory as they take on long-term rental leases, there was much interest in how the father-of-two had come to make both the rental relationship and the finances work.

After leaving school at 15, he went to Waterford to follow in his father's footsteps as a carpenter. However, on finishing his apprenticeship he decided carpentry was not him. Instead, he decided to go into farm contracting and he was determined to buy his own digger.

The banks wouldn't give him, a loan, but he saved the six months deposit required by working on a borrowed digger and he was on his way.

After building his own house in 1999 on a site from his father, he spotted that 16ac was for sale across the road from his house. His wife Lorraine agreed to sell and they rented a house and were then able to buy the 16ac and begin raising heifers for sale for beef. From there they worked their way up to a herd of 28 Limousin cows.

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"We were getting hardship calving and that would have learnt us fairly quickly," he says.

"We just kept pushing ourselves forward. My attitude is if you don't chance your arm, you will gain nothing."

All of the couple's off-farm earnings were also going into the farming enterprise.

From the building work he came into contact with farmer Tom McDonald, who was looking to take a step back from dairy farming. He had sold his cows after a fall from a ladder on the farm.

Tom and Jamie considered forming a beef partnership, but the finances weren't sufficient to allow Jamie give up his day job.

At that point, Tom decided to rent Jamie a 26ha farm at Grange, outside Tullow. The farm was soil sampled to see if it needed investment but it was indexed 3s and 4s. The next step were many drafts of a six-year plan with Teagasc advisor Eamonn Grace.

They then approached the Department of Agriculture to run two herd numbers out of the yard as Tom hasn't quite retired and has continued to rent 180ac nearby that he raises 250 beef cattle on and they are overwintered in the yard.

After initially being turned down they approached the local office to request an inspector's visit to demonstrate that the yard was split in two - cattle accommodation on one side, and the cubicle shed, calving area, dairy and slatted tank under one roof on the other.

After successfully applying for a new entrant dairy quota in 2013, Jamie and Lorraine began milking in spring 2014 with 62 cows they had bought from one farm the previous October after strictly selecting on date of calving, EBI and herd health criteria.

Another 20 were purchased from the same farmer in October 2014 and a further 20 the following year.

"They had to calve up smartly. I didn't want to be on the back foot - I needed milk going out the gate and had to hit the ground running," he said.

They had to install an eight-unit parlour and Jamie estimates the total cost per cow at 2,000 for cows, parlour, cubicles and roads and water.

"We put nearly everything we had to get this going."

The couple now own 13ha around 10km away in three different sections, rent a further 7ha off Tom and rent another 10ha adjacent to the milking platform.

"It was a quick learning curve," says Jamie. "I'd never milked a cow before and never stood in a pit. I almost put the cluster on upside down the first time! But we had no bad habits coming into it - we knew no different so we sort of stuck to the book and kept the head down."

As a beef man, he said he was inclined to condition the heifers too much for calving the first time around. However, he said a few weeks into the calving season he did question what he was doing when he was standing there with the skin gone off of his arms.

"There was a great milk price year in 2014 - it was serious money that I never thought could have been got out of farming."

However, they felt the "pinch" in 2015 and last year when milk prices dipped and he began milking at 5am to go back to work doing groundswork for the day to earn some money. Now he is back full-time farming.

One point he stressed was that farmers should talk to agri-advisors or the banks. The experience of the last few years has taught him that a long-term loan is a better option than taking money out of cashflow in the good time.

Jamie's grassland management skills, developed in the Better Beef Farmer programme, have allowed him to grow 13.8t/DM/ha overall.

He has been aiming for 1,400kg DM/ha, with the cows currently delivering 25.5l/cow with fat at 4.16pc and protein of 3.77pc and milk solids of 2.05kg.

On the EBI front, they have pursued fertility rather than crossbreeding. The cows are now delivering 1,267kg/ha or 530kg per cow of milk solids.

The cows are turned out straight after calving for 290 days at grass a year. However, Jamie doesn't agree with some views that it is a "race to the bottom" to feed meal. He would be happy to feed around 550-600kg of meal, with 3.5kg meal fed per cow up to mid-April.

Total costs, excluding principal repayments but including a 30,000 wage and the lease, was 23.65 c/l for 2016, with a net margin of 5.06c/l.

Jamie currently has a nitrogen derogation and warns it will be the new "quota".

Jamie and Lorraine work as a team, with Lorraine - who works part-time for a local company - also looking after calf-rearing, bookwork and cost control planners.

"I'd say to people to ensure you have someone to answer to, be it a wife, bank manager or someone else, as if you have full control it is easy for it to go wrong," says Jamie.

"You'll spend money where it shouldn't be spent."

After going it alone this spring he is considering hiring some labour for the next calving season.

"This spring was tough enough - we calved 97 cows this spring. It was 90pc in six weeks but over 80pc in 21 days. So it was tough going. You'd hear people say it is a thin line and it is a thin line when you are under pressure and things seem to go wrong - it is a snowball effect. Mentally I think you would want to be very strong, this spring would have tested me a bit."

That said, the Kealys plan to drive up the stocking rate to 120-130 cows to fully utilise the milking platform.

"We still have to pay the same lease and bills," he adds.
Shares in Paddy Power Betfair fell as much as 8pc in morning trading in Dublin after the company confirmed chief executive Breon Corcoran is to depart.

The company told the market this morning that he would be replaced by Worldpays UK boss Peter Jackson. A timetable for the change was not provided.

There had been much speculation about Corcorans position after a weekend report that the bookmaker had hired headhunters to find his successor.

He has been in the role around 18 months, since the 7bn merger of Paddy Power and Betfair was completed last year. He had been Paddy Powers chief operations officer but left for Betfair in 2011.

The share price has performed sluggishly of late, with challenges posed by the regulatory environment in some markets and integrating the technology platforms of Paddy Power and Betfair.

This was a very difficult decision to make, and there is never a good time to leave, but this is the right decision for me and my family, Corcoran said.

On Monday morning, the firm Paddy Power announced that Mr Corcoran will step down as CEO - and that Peter Jackson will become the Groups new CEO.

While Peters start date is yet to be confirmed, Breon will continue to lead the Group in the meantime, "completing the integration of the Paddy Power and Betfair businesses, and ensuring the delivery of an orderly transition".

David Holohan, chief investment officer at Merrion Capital, said he expects a negative reaction by the market "probably in the realms of up to 5pc".

The Sky News report said the company had engaged external headhunters to advise it on finding Mr Corcoran's successor, as part of a process being led by the company's chairman Gary McGann.

Mr Corcoran had been Paddy Power's chief operations officer before leaving to head up Betfair in 2011. The 7bn (5.9bn) mega-merger brought him back to the Irish bookmaker as head of the merged entity. Paddy Power's chief executive Andy McCue left the business and is now running The Restaurant Group.

"I don't think anybody had been mooting this as a possibility. He's been in Paddy Power Betfair a relatively short time and I think a big part of the logic between the merger of the two companies was that this was a way of bringing Breon Corcoran back to Paddy Power," Mr Holohan said.

"Breon Corcoran has been head of the combined entity for a relatively short period of time and in that time a lot of previous senior personnel from Paddy Power have left. So there's no clear internal candidate to replace him if he was to go."

The company's share price is down some 15pc in the last 12 months with regulatory challenges on the horizon in Australia.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's government is poised to implement a ban on credit betting. Paddy Power Betfair's rival William Hill said last week that 30pc of the amounts wagered with it in Australia were bets made with credit rather than people's own money.

In the UK, the betting industry has been facing pressure over the use of controversial fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) which have been called the "crack cocaine of gambling".

But that pressure may recede after a 'Daily Mail' report over the weekend said UK Chancellor Philip Hammond has scrapped a review of the machines - which could have seen them banned - as he seeks to maintain the Treasury's tax receipts.

Paddy Power Betfair will report its half-year results tomorrow. As well as regulatory challenges, another key issue facing the company has been integrating the Paddy Power and Betfair technology platforms.

In May, Mr Corcoran called this a "key strategic focus for 2017", saying he hoped the process would be complete by the end of the year.

He said new products would be available to customers more quickly once this process was complete.

In a note circulated last week, Davy analysts David Jennings and Joseph Quinn said the roll-out of new products was being "depressed" by the integration of the platforms.

They said that despite the regulatory issues, "the main risk is closer to home and a feeling that Paddy Power Betfair is struggling to maintain share while it completes its platform migration".

"That could equate to near-term sluggishness," they said.

However, the analysts said they remained confident in the company's longer-term outlook and that recent share price falls could represent a good buying opportunity for investors.
A study on affordability in the property market nationwide today reveals how the dire shortage of homes is having a significant knock-on effect on affordability for first-time buyers. Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images

Families are being priced out of the property market and working couples in some areas will soon need more than a third of their take-home pay each month to service a mortgage.

A study on affordability in the property market nationwide today reveals how the dire shortage of homes is having a significant knock-on effect on affordability for first-time buyers.

It is now more than two years since the Central Bank introduced new loan restrictions, in order to try to bring certainty to the market.

However, the EBS DKM Irish Housing Affordability Index notes that "in that time a definite deterioration in affordability has become apparent across all regions of the State".

The proportion of disposable or after-tax income that a working couple needs to fund a new mortgage is at 21.2pc and is forecast to increase further through the rest of the year.

This compares to 18.7pc of disposable income in May 2015.

Couples are particularly constrained if they want to buy in Dublin as the price for the average first-time buyer property in May 2017 stood at 336,914.

This implies a mortgage of 269,531, which would need 27.4pc of net income to service each month. The affordability report estimates that by the end of the year this will rise to 29pc, or almost a third of after-tax income.

Startling

Single buyers are even worse off and in May this year, some 32.2pc of their net income was required to pay a monthly mortgage. With increased pressure on house prices, this is expected to rise to a startling 34.5pc by the end of this year.

In terms of geographic breakdown, Dublin and the commuter belt are the least affordable. Kildare and Wicklow are becoming particularly expensive, where couples must sacrifice 23.2pc and 24.7pc of income respectively if they wish to buy a home.

Dun Laoghaire is the toughest area to be a first-time buyer, with 35.8pc of income going into a home loan.

Meanwhile, the most affordable counties are Longford, Offaly and Leitrim.

Longford is now the only county in Ireland where working couples are paying less than 10pc of their net income in monthly mortgage repayments, at 9.9pc.

The report continuously returns to the key issue of supply and cites this as a major driver in the deteriorating affordability of homes.

"We are now halfway through 2017 and housing supply continues to be one of the most contentious issues in the Irish economy," the report notes.

Housing data from last year's Census shows that in the previous five years, housing stock grew by less than 9,000 units.

Looking at the measures that have been introduced to influence the housing market in recent years, the report mentions both the Central Bank rules on the size of loans, introduced in late 2016, and the more recent Government Help-to-Buy scheme.

In the two years since the Central Bank introduced these rules, the average first-time buyer house price has increased by 18pc, from 208,366 to 245,662. In the same period, average disposable incomes have risen by just 3pc.

The report says that "while the Central Bank rules have been introduced to account for the demand side of the market, the supply side of the market is only now beginning to show signs of recovery.

"In particular, from an affordability perspective, house prices have continued to increase in recent months."

Read more - Gap emerges between numbers approved for mortgage and those drawing one down

It says that the Help-to-Buy scheme has sparked a significant increase in first-time buyer mortgage approvals, despite the constraints of the Central Bank rules. But the report says the policy "would only have a positive impact on affordability provided it is accompanied by an increase in new house building".

The EBS DKM Affordability Index is calculated using the proportion of after-tax income required to meet the first year of mortgage repayments. It looks at first-time buyer couples and single people on average earnings sourced from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

It takes into account property prices, mortgage rates, mortgage interest relief and disposable incomes.

Despite the current pressures, the percentage of income going into mortgages is still some way off the peak - at the height of the boom some 32pc of take-home pay was required to fund a mortgage.
Wanted: families to move to a picturesque rural village where rent costs less than 100 a week.

The villagers in Kiltyclogher in north Co Leitrim are appealing for families to consider moving to their hometown.

With a population of just 233, Kiltyclogher is steeped in history, has all the amenities a family could want - and an extremely welcoming neighbourhood.

Four roads converge to form the centre of the picturesque village where a statue of Sean Mac Diarmada, a signatory of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic and former resident of the area, stands pride of place.

Mac Diarmada once had great ambitions of becoming a teacher and in a rather poignant coincidence, the small community is now scrambling to save the school named in honour of the 1916 hero.

Locals have launched a nationwide campaign 'KiltyLive' to advertise their rural community in the hope that city dwellers will opt to move to the north Leitrim village.

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There is a very real, serious reason to ramp up the campaign as they are looking for families to enrol their children in the local school. The primary school in Kiltyclogher currently has 14 pupils and if another family does not move to the area soon to enrol just one more student, the school will lose one of its two teachers.

The KiltyLive campaign began with a community meeting in the local community hall in July. With 30 people in attendance, many had made the transition from urban to rural life themselves and were keen to put Kiltyclogher on the map for other families.

Caroline Rock and her husband Kieran, who are involved in the campaign, moved from Dublin in 1998 through a Rural Resettlement scheme, and raised their family there.

She said when the family were searching for somewhere to relocate to they fell in love with the beauty of the Kiltyclogher area.

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Whatsapp Carol McGowan in Kiltyclogher, Co Leitrim, where the locals have started a campaign to urge families to move to their community. Photo: Justin Farrelly

"The house we were renting was put up for sale. We had two small children at the time, and we were offered Ballymun. We were there a year-and-a-half and found it really difficult to adjust to. We had heard about rural resettlement at the time and they brought us to see a few places around the country," she said.

"We came here and we were immediately struck by the beauty of the place. There was everything here we needed, it was the best move we could have made. The kids grew up here and were really happy. There was no worry about crime."

Like many rural towns, Kiltyclogher has seen a decline in local businesses in recent years.

However, with close proximity to Sligo and an emerging entrepreneurial spirit, things are looking up.

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Graphic designer Carol McGowan explained how she discovered a whole new world of opportunity when she moved from Dublin just a few months ago. Ms McGowan had struggled to make ends meet when she was involved in a surfing accident and broke her neck in 2009. Since moving to Kiltyclogher, her life has turned and she has started up her business heartstone.ie, which supplies unique headstones and memorials.

"I've come from the situation where I've actually done this, I've moved here. I set up as a designer when I moved here. I've been able to tap into cross-Border funding, we've a great leader group in nearby Drumshambo and, with another business idea I have I've also had access to Enterprise Ireland funding through New Frontiers, a scholarship programme in Sligo IT," she said.

"There are a lot of supports for micro-businesses and a very healthy start-up community in the north-west. Anyone with something like a tech idea that doesn't need to be in an office, it's ideal around here to focus on it. You can also go to the Manorhub in Manorhamilton which has hot desks and anything you need. From a self-employment point of view, I'm living it."

As it stands, the community has two houses ready to rent for less than 100 a week, with rent allowance considered. Local supermarket Stella's caters for every need - it is the home of the post office, petrol pump, as well as groceries, with a mobile butcher also driving through daily.

The Cosy Corner pub owned by Bostonian Maura Weir, whose mother was originally from Kiltyclogher, is also a cornerstone of the community where locals meet to socialise, enjoying Maura's pizzas and burgers with a pint. Mother of a newborn, she joked that while her baby was a bit too young to enrol in the school, she couldn't recommend the locality more to young families.

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"I love everything it stands for, and it is a great environment to raise children," she said.

As for all-important wifi connection, Eircom and NetOne provide broadband in the area, with the best phone coverage being supplied by Three.

There have already been a few enquiries made to the committee from potential new residents, and if you think you'd like to make the change, you can find the campaign on Facebook @Kiltylive or email kiltylive@gmail.com.
There's a few great lines in the iconic movie 'Easy Rider' that are as true now as they were when the film was first made back nearly 50 years ago.

In one scene, the brilliant Jack Nicholson character turns to the irredeemably hippy Denis Hopper and says (about the USA): "This used to be a helluva good country; I can't understand what's gone wrong with it." To which Hopper explains: "Man, everybody's chicken. They're scared, man."

Today, many may think of Trump's America and won't remember that 'Easy Rider' was a commentary on the US at the time of the Vietnam War. However, pretty much everyone still carries a picture of the movie's real stars - the bikes that Hopper and his co-star Peter Fonda rode in their epic journey across the US south-west, the classy Harley Davidson.

It is hard to imagine a better promotion of the extraordinary motorbike and the fact that the Harley Owners' club now boasts over a million members must owe at least something to the movie. Harley Davidson, with headquarters in Milwaukee for over 114 years, currently employs 6,000 people and has manufacturing plants in the US, Brazil and Australia.

Over the years the company has survived many owners, poor management, bad investments and intense competition, in addition to market volatility. Yet it survived and over 30 years ago was floated on the New York Exchange.

Today, Harley has a market value of just over $8.4bn (7.1bn).

The company was also lucky. Harley experienced a military spin-off in several wars and its motor cycles were a feature of many battles around the world. In the early 1970s, it was acquired by the American engineering concern, AMF Group. To meet the intense competition from Japanese motorbike concerns like Yamaha and Honda, AMF set about cutting costs. It slashed the workforce, lowered quality and hiked prices. This strategy was a disaster, bringing Harley to the brink of bankruptcy. By the early 1980s, AMF exited and the company was taken over by an investment group, who persuaded Ronald Reagan to impose US tariffs on Japanese imports.

Today, Harley has two related divisions; motorbikes (including accessories) and financial services. The motorbike division employs 5,400 people and designs and makes the legendary motorbikes, selling them through a network of independent retailers.

Motorbikes generated revenue of $4bn last year and, surprisingly, an extra $1bn for related parts, apparel and accessories. The division accounts for 80pc of group sales, but operating income was down $100m compared to the previous year. The US market is critical to the Milwaukee concern. Last year it sold a total of 260,000 motorbikes, around two-thirds in the US.

Worldwide competition in the industry today is based on a number of factors like styling, pricing and reliability. But Harley is of the opinion that its global dealer network is a critical element to its success. It has a network of 1,400 exclusive dealers worldwide, half in the US, and plans to add 150 new international dealers by 2020. The company provides its dealers not only management training but financial assistance and insurance, mainly in the US. Its financial services had operating income of $275m, a decrease of $5m from the previous year.

Harley's 2016 revenues were static at $6bn. Global retail sales were down, the US falling almost 4pc but partly offset by international growth. Net income last year was $692m compared to $750m in the previous year.

The company's 75,000 shareholders have seen the share price drop from a yearly high of $63 to today's $48. With the impending arrival of the electric car, where does this leave Harley and its gas guzzlers? Challenging times ahead.

Nothing in this section should be taken as a recommendation, either explicit or implicit to buy any of the shares mentioned.
New Bishop of Raphoe Alan McGuckian (centre), with his brothers Fr Michael McGuckian (left), and Fr Bernard McGuckian at his ordination. Photo: Liam McArdle

The leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland has signalled that the bishops are ready to stand up for the Church's position on abortion ahead of next year's referendum on the Eighth Amendment.

In his homily for the episcopal ordination of Fr Alan McGuckian, the country's first ever Jesuit bishop, Archbishop Eamon Martin said the bishops were seeking to "present in public discourse 'a coherent ethic of life' encompassing our precious teaching about the sacredness of all human life and the dignity of the person" and the centrality of the family.

Addressing up to 1,000 family, friends and Church representatives as well as civic leaders gathered in the Cathedral of Saints Eunan and Columba in Letterkenny for the ordination of the new bishop of Raphoe, Dr Martin called for a conversation about "what constitutes a 'good life' and a 'flourishing life' for communities as well as for individuals".

Dr Martin urged the new bishop, who hails from Cloughmills in Co Antrim, to proclaim the Church's message at all times whether it is welcome or unwelcome.

Speaking to the Irish Independent after the solemn ceremony, the Archbishop of Armagh said it was "really important" for the voice of faith to be part of any national conversation about what values Irish society needs for the good of its communities.

"From the Church's point of view, in public discourse, we try to present a coherent ethic of life. We don't see the life issue as being a separate issue but actually the core issue upon which all other ethical values are built and founded," he said.

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"It makes no sense for us to be engaged in any discussion about values in this society which doesn't respect the most fundamental value of all, which is the gift of human life and the dignity of the human person."

Asked about next year's referendum, he said the Church would engage in conversations about the Eighth Amendment. He underlined that "no matter what happens in referendums or votes, this still remains our fundamental teaching and one which we will try to bear witness to."

Bishop McGuckian told the Irish Independent the Church had "an utterly compelling vision about life from the very beginning to the very end".

The ordination Mass was concelebrated by Bishop McGuckian's two brothers, Fr Bernard McGuckian and Fr Michael McGuckian.
The Minister for Justice has been asked to intervene to prevent "extreme anti-social" behaviour at one of Dublin's most popular summer bathing spots.

Dun Laoghaire TD Richard Boyd Barret has asked Minister Charlie Flanagan to outline plans to combat anti-social behaviour at the Forty Foot at Sandycove beach.

Always a popular spot with swimmers when the temperatures rise the TD said a "minority are ruining the amenity for the majority and causing a public safety issue".

He quizzed the Justice Minister on plans to put measures in place to halt this activity in a parliamentary question.

Minister Flanagan said he has asked gardai for a report on the matter.

In the meantime he pointed to a number of laws allowing gardai to police anti-social behaviour.

"An Garda Siochana remains committed to tackling public disorder and anti-social behaviour by working with communities to reduce this type of behaviour and enhance community safety," he said.

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"The Garda approach includes a strong focus on quality of life issues and collaboration with local authorities, businesses (in particular the night time economy) and other stakeholders to help address the causes of anti-social behaviour."

It is understood that locals have complained about drinking on the beach and in one incident a young couple were allegedly spotted having sex on top of one of the sheds in the area.

Local councilllor Cormac Devlin said that gardai are quick to respond when it comes to issues at the much-loved coastal attraction but resourcing in the district is the problem.

"A small cohort of people can be intimidating and disruptive and it would be helpful is the gardai had the proper resources in the area to allocate a sufficient number of gardai to the Forty Foot and Sandycove Beach on fine days," he said, pointing out that hundreds of beach-goers use the facilities daily during the summer.

"What should be brought to the Justice Minister's attention is the lack of resources in District F and then operational issues should be brought through the proper channels," he added.
A garda removes items at a house in the Marion Estate, Kilkee, Co Clare, where father-of-one Karl Haugh was fatally stabbed. Photo: Eamon Ward

The Garda Armed Support unit has been requested to carry out patrols in the Kilrush and Kilkee areas  amid fears of reprisal following the fatal stabbing of a 25-year-old man.

A house in Island View, Kilrush, thought to be the home of one of the suspects was attacked yesterday at 9.30am with several windows being smashed.

A van parked nearby was also damaged. No one was arrested in relation to this particular incident, but gardai say an investigation is on-going.

Speaking to Independent.ie, Supt John Galvin of Kilrush Garda Station said it is believed the act of vandalism has connections to the death of Karl Haugh, a father of one repeatedly stabbed in the Marion Estate in Kilkee, Co Clare.

We believe this incident of criminal damage is linked to the attack in Kilkee on Sunday morning. We are currently making further inquiries to see if we can find any more connections, he said.

Three men have been arrested in relation to the killing and are currently being questioned at various stations in Co Clare.

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So far no one has been charged, but it is believed gardai may have update on their investigation by mid-afternoon today.

The Garda Armed Support Unit is currently carrying out patrols in Kilrush and Kilkee in an effort to help local gardai with its investigation.

After any event such as this, it would be quite normal that additional garda resources would be deployed, added Supt Galvin.

They would help the local team with the current investigation in order to assess the situation as efficiently as possible, he said.

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The killers of a young father went knocking from door to door looking for their victim, locals in Kilkee have said.

Karl Haugh (25) was brutally stabbed in the Marion Estate in Kilkee, Co Clare, by a number of men about 1.15am on Sunday.

The father of one was knifed several times and although he was rushed to Limerick University Hospital, he was later pronounced dead.

Neighbours described how several young men were seen knocking on the doors of a number of homes on the estate looking for Mr Haugh.

"They were all young men, around the same age as Karl," said one resident. "I'm not sure what time they were doing it at, but it was certainly in the build-up to the attack.

"I'm sure the guards know who was involved at this stage and hopefully they will all be brought to justice."

A woman from the same estate also spoke of several suspected assailants in the area on Saturday night.

"It's an awful thing to have happened. Karl was so young and had his whole life ahead of him," she said.

Gardai have since recovered a knife which they believe was used in the stabbing. Three men have been arrested and are being questioned at various stations in Co Clare. So far, no one has been charged in relation to the killing.

Supt Galvin said several people were present at the time of the attack.

"What we can now say is that a number of people were involved in this incident and we are continuing to make further inquires," he said.

Supt Galvin went on to say that an incident room had been set up in Kilrush Garda station and a liaison officer had been appointed for Mr Haugh's family.

He added that the laneway where the incident occurred would be sealed off until the Garda forensic team finish its assessment.

Mr Haugh, known to friends as 'Gobbo', was from a well-known local family.

Read more: Stabbing victim previously survived horror road crash that killed his sister and friend

The young man previously survived a crash in 2003 that killed his older sister Stacey.

Mr Haugh was just 11 when the car he was travelling in with Stacey (16) and Lorna Mahoney (13) crashed at Moyarta Carrigaholt. The car was driven by then 15-year-old David Naughton.

The girls died at the scene while Karl subsequently underwent heart surgery in Dublin with a 20pc chance of living, but he survived.

As news of the fatal attack reached the popular seaside town, many locals told of their shock.

"Karl was very popular around the town and would always salute me whenever he saw me walking past," said one neighbour. "I saw him grow up since the day he was born and when I heard what happened I nearly passed out with the shock."

It is understood that Mr Haugh had recently become a father to a baby girl and had returned to college.

Yesterday morning, friends took to Facebook to pay tribute, with one woman saying: "Kilkee will never be the same without you. I can't believe we woke up to the news you were gone Gobbo. We were just with your mother. She's in bits. She doesn't know what to do with herself. You changed your whole life for the better with college and a six-month baby girl. RIP Gobbo, you're loved and going to be missed by so many."

Another friend posted that she hoped Mr Haugh would "sleep tight".

"Say hi to Stacey for us, I know she's up there waiting for you," she said.

Detectives hope to speak to all those who were present at the time of the attack.

A senior source said this attack was not connected to any gangland feud and was most likely as a result of a local dispute.

"These men would be known to each other. They are not considered serious criminals," they said.

"This would appear to be a fight that may have just got out of hand."

Clare councillor Cathal Crowe said: "Kilkee is a bustling tourist town that's renowned for being safe, friendly and welcoming to all.

"This awful incident has left the people of the locality reeling with shock and deep sadness."

Gardai have appealed to witnesses who may have been in the area at the time of the incident or have information to contact them at Kilrush Garda station 065-9080550, the Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
Mexico imposes provisional duties on imports of seamless tubes from Ukraine as well

The Secretariat of Economy of Mexico has imposed provisional countervailing duties on imports of seamless steel tubes from South Korea, Spain, India and Ukraine.

The Secretariat published the decision in official publication Diario Oficial on August 3, 2017.

It was decided to continue the investigation.

Interpipe international vertically integrated pipe and wheel company (Dnipro) told Interfax-Ukraine that the duties would not considerably affect the company, as small batches of pipes were supplied to Mexico.

"The supplies of Interpipe's tubes to Mexico in the period from 2013 through 2017 totaled only 5,000 tonnes. The sales to this country are not significant for Interpipe. However, the case of the new imposing of the duty on Ukrainian metal products is worrying. Another state imposes trade barriers against Ukrainian manufacturers. It is obvious that the domestic market protection policy and support of domestic producers is a generally accepted practice," the group told Interfax-Ukraine.

As reported, Mexico's Secretariat of Economy launched an antidumping investigation into imports of seamless pipes originated from South Korea, Spain, India and Ukraine on December 15, 2016.

The anti-dumping probe was opened against seamless pipes under foreign activity codes 7304.19.01, 7304.19.02, 7304.19.99, 7304.39.05, 7304.39.06 and 7304.39.99 of the Mexican customs tariff.

The investigation was launched under a claim of Mexico's TAMSA (Tubos de Arcero de Mexico S.A.) where 99% of shares belongs to Italy's Tenaris.
A 19-year-old youth was yesterday sentenced to three years in jail after pleading guilty to the dangerous driving causing the deaths of two teenagers three years ago.

At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Con Murphy said that David Naughton - then aged 15 - "was on a campaign of dangerous driving" on October 17, 2003, when he crashed the car at Moyarta, Carrigaholt, in which Kilkee friends and neighbours, Stacey Haugh (16) and Lorna Mahoney (13), from Kilkee, Co Clare, were backseat passengers.

Geraldine Mahoney, mother of Lorna, said her daughter's last words to her on the night she died were: "Bye Mam, I love you."

A tearful Mrs Mahoney told the court in a victim impact statement: "I have no doubt that the girls were coerced into getting into that car and the fear that the girls must have felt in the car will haunt us for the rest of our lives. Lorna and Stacey asked him to stop, but why did you chose to ignore their wishes."

Garda John Ryan told the court that Mr Naughton purchased the 1984 green-coloured Opel Cadette from a friend in Galway for ?60.

Naughton said that it was the third car he had driven and he had been driving in fields since he was 12.

Counsel for Naughton, Martin Giblin SC told the court: "The circumstances in which a 15-year old found himself behind the wheel of a car are bizarre. It is completely unacceptable to have a 15-year-old drive a car and is the equivalent of giving a 15-year-old a loaded gun."

At the time of the tragedy, Mr Naughton was staying at Westside House, a home for homeless adolescents in Galway, and drove to Kilkee with three friends.

In evidence, Garda Ryan said that Naughton was seen rallying around Kilkee at 7.45pm on the night and a complaint was made to Kilrush Garda Station by a member of the public.

Garda Ryan said that Naughton met Stacey, her young brother Karl and Lorna at a fast-food takeaway in the town after 7.45pm and pressurised the three to get into the back-seat of the car.

Garda Ryan said that Karl told gardai that both Stacey and Lorna asked Naughton to slow down, but he refused, while another driver saw Naughton drive "very aggressively" before he hit a seawall at Carrigaholt driving at 70 to 80mph.

Both Lorna and Stacey died at the scene, while Karl subsequently underwent heart surgery in Dublin with a 20pc chance of living and had survived.

Mr Giblin said that his client had led a feral existence from a very young age with no proper parental supervision and had also been sexually assaulted.

Mr Giblin said that Naughton asked through him to apologise to the families because he does not have the social skills to apologise directly.

Mr Naughton absconded while on bail in January 2004 and Mr Giblin said: "He ran away because he couldn't cope with what happened."
Dr Ben Stevens (left) is looking to find the Irish family of his birth father Gerry Monaghan (right)

A UK doctor has launched a bid to find his Irish relatives so he can bring his father's remains home.

Ben Stevens, a paediatrician in Hertfordshire, was left at a London hospital by his mother as a baby and later adopted when he was five by a loving family.

The 35-year-old began searching for his birth parents around six years ago. However he was heartbroken to discover that his father, Gerry Monaghan, from Co Donegal, had died tragically in a suspected hit-and-run just one year earlier.

The news was especially tragic as Ben learned his father, who was aged in his late 40s when he died, lived just 30 minutes from Ben's London home.

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"I contacted my social worker and they told me had died. That was a bugger!

"Only seven people went to his funeral. It was only 20 minutes away from my house and I would love to have been there."

Despite this Ben made contact with his father's partner Heather and the pair became instantly close. It was only then that Ben saw a picture of his father for the first time.

He admits that it was an emotional experience. "I saw some pictures of Gerry and it was like looking in the mirror. We are so alike."

But tragedy was to strike again just six months later when Heather died suddenly.

"That was a bugger as well," he said. "I was just really getting to know her and I was learning all about my father and the type of person he was."

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Ben did make contact with his birth mother and met her once but she then cut off communication.

Now the London doctor said he would like to find his father's family but he told Independent.ie that he doesn't know very much about them.

He explained that his father was born in the mid 60s and was originally from Co Donegal. Ben believes his father had one sister but isn't aware of any other family members.

"I am fascinated to know more about my birth father. I would like to know about where he grew up and my family. I don't think a lot of them talked to Gerry as he had problems with the drink.

"I would like to meet my relatives and to say "Hi". I would like them to see that I turned out pretty okay I am a paediatrician and I have a very happy life."

Ben said he wants to bring his father's ashes to Donegal and the family home.

"At the moment they are in a house and I don't think that's great. I would like to take them somewhere nice."

If you think you can help please email contact@independent.ie
Katie on the day of her debs

A girl who was recently crowned queen of her debs hopes her win proves that anything is possible for people with Down Syndrome.

Katie Flanagan (19) achieved the accolade at her debs ball in Tullamore, Co Offaly last week.

Katie, who is from Stradbally in Co Laois, told Independent.ie: "I couldn't believe it, I was stunned to the floor and I was just really happy.

"I was up all night dancing with my friends and I didn't want it to end."

Her proud mum Geraldine added: "On the night all the students voted for their king and queen of the event and they picked Katie and her date, who was her brother Aaron (16).

"She received a crown and a trophy and they got to sit on thrones, we're so happy for her, it's lovely."

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Geraldine admits herself and Katie's father Fergus were initially unsure about whether to send Katie to a mainstream or a special needs school.

She said: "We were worried, absolutely. You never know what the other students would be like to her or whether it was the right choice but we thought we'd send her to a mainstream school and if it wasn't working we could pull her out but luckily she loved it.

"She went to a mainstream national and secondary school and from the start they were so good with making sure she was integrated.

"She blossomed and made a big group of friends, everyone was always open-minded."

Katie underwent hip operations in 2015 and last year but says she "never missed a day."

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Her parents felt she might struggle during the Leaving Cert so they fought to have Leaving Cert Applied introduced in her school.

She completed LCA earlier this summer and will receive her results on August 16.

She says she is "not a bit nervous" and is planning to do a three year course with the National Learning Network, after that she is hoping to study childcare in either Trinity College or Carlow.

Geraldine - who is also mum to Aaron, Emily and Rachel - has spoken about how proud she is of Katie.

She said: "She had a tough start, Katie was born prematurely, she weighed just six pounds and she spent all but six weeks of the first year of her life in hospital.

"Any young couple who have a baby with Down Syndrome might worry, I know I did, but we always had faith that it would all work out.

"We never treated her any differently to her siblings.

"I have had people say to me they are so inspired after seeing Katie's debs pictures, we've always said that if we can help inspire one other person we'll be happy."
A survivor of the Bethany mother and baby home claims he has been "left to rot" by the State because he is a Protestant.

Despite Derek Leinster suffering physically and emotionally after being born in the Dublin institution in 1941, he has never received any kind of redress.

He told Independent.ie he is determined to get justice for survivors, saying, "I won't give up until the day I die."

Derek was born to an unwed mother in the home and from when he was seven months old he was "nursed out" to families to be cared for.

He said: "We would be sent to families to be looked after, they would get paid a few shillings.

"When I was sent to them my head was covered in a mass of scabs, blood, and puss, and looked like a child that had just come from a grave.

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Whatsapp Chairman of the Bethany survivors group Derek Leinster at the unveiling of the memorial to 222 children from the Bethany Mother and Child Home, at Mount Jerome Cemetery, Harold's Cross, Dublin Photo: PA

"This was through total uncivilised care of any civilised society."

When Derek was two-years-old a more permanent adoption looked set to happen but that fell through and he had to stay at the Bethany Home, where he became seriously unwell.

He said: "Through the total lack of care I was admitted to the Cork Street Isolation Hospital in Dublin in August 1944.

"I was violently ill and had little hope of coming out alive again, I was so sick but nobody came from the home to visit or to inquire about how I was.

"I was near the point of death with Bronchial Pneumonia, Diptheria, Pertussis, Enteritis.

"The medical staff said that for a child to be in such a terrible condition, they would have to have been abandoned on a manure heap."

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Derek feels he was failed by those meant to protect him when he was adopted when he was four by a Wexford family, who he claims were unfit to look after him.

He said: "Nobody cared about who we were adopted by, so long as it was Protestants being adopted by Protestants.

"They had lost a son through Pneumonia and thought they couldn't have any of their own, that's when they adopted me, shortly after I arrived though they had a baby and didn't seem bothered about me after that.

"They were dysfunctional and unable to care for themselves, I was neglected, my childhood was starvation and rags."

Derek (76) left school aged 13, unable to read or write, he got casual work at a local farm, where he says he was "rarely ever paid."

Derek left Ireland and moved to the UK when he was 18, he is now settled in Rugby, Warwickshire, and has a wife and four children.

He no longer has any relationship with his adoptive family and he said that he met his birth mother before she died but the "gap was too big to breach, she was a victim too."

Derek said that his troubled childhood and teenage years have taken a toll on him mentally and physically.

He said: "I have to live with the effects of my childhood and the lack of care that I had.

"My health has suffered, I have marks on my lungs and Myeloproliferative disorders (a condition that causes the blood cells and platelets to grow abnormally in the bone marrow).

"Plus it affects every aspect of your life, they took a child of its mother and treated it inhumanely, of course it will affect you."

Derek is the founder of The Bethany Home Survivors Group, he has written two books on the topic and was behind the erection of a memorial in Mount Jerome cemetery, where 222 Bethany children were buried in unmarked graves.

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He is furious that survivors of the Bethany home have yet to receive any compensation.

He said: "We're unable to get any recognition from the State, we've been left to rot.

"For the last 17 years I have made the State aware of our case. The have deliberately ignored me, even though we have more evidence to make our case than any institution have been able to supply...

"If this is not done soon the Protestant Bethany Home People will be very unlikely to see justice done, many of them are in their 70s or 80s now.

"We do have the documents where the State officials in 2007, admitted that the Bethany Home could be added to the list.

"In 2012 the officials implied including the Taoiseach that they would deal with the Bethany Home and the Magdalenes, they done the Magdalene survivors but not the Protestant Bethany people.

"There have been seven enquiries since 1970, all to do with Catholic institutions."

Derek has said that he will never give up trying to get justice.

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Whatsapp Derek Leinster, a former resident of the Bethany children's home, at a service to launch the Bethany Survivors Group

He said: "I think many Bethany survivors feel they won't get justice in Ireland because it's still a Catholic country but I won't give up until the day I die."

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A spokesman for the Department of Education said a report into mother and baby homes is due to be published next year.

He said: "The experiences of former residents of the Bethany Home are being investigated by the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related Matters.

"The institutions being examined were identified based on criteria which marked them out as mother and baby homes and religious ethos was not a consideration in this process.

"The Commission has made no findings of abuse or neglect in its interim reports to date and its independent investigations are on-going.

"The Government is on record as stating that it cannot take steps which pre-empt the outcome of the Commission's important work.

"The Commissions final report is due in February 2018 at which time the Government will be in a position to respond to the established facts and relating findings on all relevant matters.

"The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has invited former residents of the homes to participate in a facilitated consultation process.

"The first event was held on the 30th June and this process will consider the issues which have already emerged from the investigation to date."

The spokesman also claimed that religion is not a factor when it comes to redress.

He said: "In relation to eligibility for inclusion in previous redress arrangements through the Residential Institutions Redress Board, it is notable that the Commission's Second Interim Report specifically states that it has seen no evidence that the exclusion of Bethany Homes constituted discrimination on religious grounds.

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"The Commission notes that a number of institutions with a Protestant ethos were included in the that scheme."

For more information please see www.bethanygroup98.co.uk
Helen McEntee and Paul Hickey after their wedding at St Patrick's Church in Meath. Picture credit; Damien Eagers 7/8/2016

Helen McEntee pictured after marrying Paul Hickey at St Patrick's Church in Castletown, Meath. Picture credit; Damien Eagers 7/8/2016

Helen McEntee pictured after marrying Paul Hickey at St Patrick's Church in Castletown, Meath. Picture credit; Damien Eagers

Helen McEntee and Paul Hickey after their wedding at St Patrick's Church in Meath. Picture credit; Damien Eagers 7/8/2016

Helen McEntee and Paul Hickey after their wedding at St Patrick's Church in Meath. Picture credit; Damien Eagers 7/8/2016

Helen McEntee pictured after marrying Paul Hickey at St Patrick's Church in Castletown, Meath. Picture credit; Damien Eagers 7/8/2016

Helen McEntee pictured after marrying Paul Hickey at St Patrick's Church in Castletown, Meath. Picture credit; Damien Eagers 7/8/2016

Helen McEntee with her grandmothers, May Corbally, left and Madge McEntee after she marryed Paul Hickey at St Patrick's Church in Castletown, Meath. Picture credit; Damien Eagers

Guests after for the wedding of Helen McEntee and Paul Hickey at St Patrick's Church in Castletown, Meath. Picture credit; Damien Eagers

Helen McEntee, with from left to right, bridesmaids, Lisa Corbally, Niamh Woods, her brother Vincent, mother, Kathleen and bridesmaids, Sally McEntee and Thea Browne at St Patrick's Church in Castletown, Meath. Picture credit; Damien Eagers

Bridesmaids, from left to right, Lisa Corbally, Sally McEntee, Niamh Woods and Thea Browne pictured before the wedding of Helen McEntee and Paul Hickey at St Patrick's Church in Castletown, Meath. Picture credit; Damien Eagers

Helen McEntee and Paul Hickey pictured after their wedding at St Patrick's Church in Castletown, Meath. Picture credit; Damien Eagers

Helen McEntee and Paul Hickey after their wedding at St Patrick's Church in Meath. Picture credit; Damien Eagers 7/8/2016

Meath's Helen McEntee side-lined politics for a day to marry her long-term love Paul Hickey in a private ceremony.

The dress code was strictly politician-free as the couple decided not to invite any of their Government colleagues, keeping the occasion only for their huge circle of family and close friends.

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The 31-year old blonde bride looked stunning as she said 'I do' to fiance Paul in her parish church in Castletown, near the village of Nobber.

Their romance blossomed in Dail Eireann when Helen met Paul, the former parliamentary assistant to Government Chief Whip Joe McHugh.

A large contingent from Paul's home town of Castlecoote, Co Roscommon travelled up for the big day.

The wedding has been 18 months in the making since Paul, who now works in health economics proposed to Helen on a break away in Connemara in January 2016.

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Whatsapp Bridesmaids, from left to right, Lisa Corbally, Sally McEntee, Niamh Woods and Thea Browne pictured before the wedding of Helen McEntee and Paul Hickey at St Patrick's Church in Castletown, Meath. Picture credit; Damien Eagers

Arriving fashionably late by just 15 minutes, the junior minister of state for European politics turned heads with a breathtaking backless ivory dress with plunging neck-line and net skirt.

The day was tinged with a little sadness in the absence of Helen's dad - the affable and larger than life TD Shane McEntee who died by suicide almost five years ago.

Her brother Vincent took his place on the day to walk her down the aisle and both Shane and Paul's late dad Paddy were remembered in prayer during the ceremony.

The Minister who was first elected in a Meath East by-election chose a beautiful blush pink colour for her bridesmaids.

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Surrounded by 350 family and friends, Helen's sister Sally was chief bridesmaid, supported by friends Lisa Kelly, Niamh Woods and Thea Browne while the groom's entourage comprised of Tom Hickey, Ciaran Walshe, Gerard Clogher and Tommy O'Brien.

Proud mums Kathleen McEntee and Maria Hickey brought the gifts up to the altar in the Mass, celebrated by Paul's relation Fr Michael O'Brien.

Other guests at the huge wedding included Helen's uncles - noted consultant and former Meath GAA player Gerry McEntee and current Meath senior manager Andy McEntee, as well as Paul's uncle and chair of Glanbia Henry Corbally.

Thankfully any forecast rain stayed away and in near-perfect conditions, the sunshine clad couple celebrated their union in Cabra Castle in Co. Cavan.

Expand Close Helen McEntee with her grandmothers, May Corbally, left and Madge McEntee after she marryed Paul Hickey at St Patrick's Church in Castletown, Meath. Picture credit; Damien Eagers / Facebook

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The newly-weds will spend their honeymoon in America.

Just before the nuptials, she said: "I've been looking forward to our wedding day for months now and at last, it's finally arrived, though I was a bit nervous earlier.

"We'll have a great day, rain or shine, celebrating with family and friends who have come from near and far to join us today. That's the main thing.

"We've received so many best wishes this morning from people all over the country, which has all been so overwhelming."
In the past four years, authorities have seized almost 6,500 pints of hooch from inmates throughout the prison network. Stock Image

Nearly 875 pints of homemade alcohol, or "hooch", was confiscated from prisoners in jails around the country last year, new figures have revealed.

The potent homebrew is made by inmates using a number of basic ingredients including water, sugar, fruit and bread. The mix is then kept hidden in cells until it ferments.

In the past four years, authorities have seized almost 6,500 pints of hooch from inmates throughout the prison network.

Last year, the largest quantity of the illegal homebrew was seized at Castlerea Prison in Co Roscommon, where the equivalent of 226 pints was confiscated by prison officers. A total of 200 pints was seized at Midlands Prison in Portlaoise, where detainees include twisted murderer Graham Dwyer and convicted serial killer Mark Nash. Prisoners at Cork Prison were forced to surrender more than 160 pints of hooch during 2016, while a further 116 pints was seized by the authorities at Portlaoise Prison.

Hooch, or "prison wine", can be extremely potent. Prison brewing is a dangerous process that has been known to cause outbreaks of botulism.
The company that manages the country's electricity grid was targeted by "state-sponsored" hackers, leaving its network exposed to a "devious attack".

The hackers, using IP addresses sourced in Ghana and Bulgaria, gained access to a Vodafone network used by Irish operator EirGrid in the UK, the Irish Independent can reveal.

Following the original attack in April hackers then compromised the routers used by EirGrid in Wales and Northern Ireland.

They did this by installing a virtual wire tap on the system so that they had access to all of unencrypted communications sent to and from the companies.

The breach was discovered last month, but sources say it is still not known if any malicious software was secreted onto EirGrid's control systems.

State-owned EirGrid manages and operates the electricity transmission grid across the island of Ireland. EirGrid moves wholesale power around the country. A breach of the system could result in power outages across the island.

Malware has previously been used in the Ukraine by suspected Russian hackers to cause major national power outages.

The Irish Independent has learned that the hack came to light after a tip-off from Vodafone and the National Cyber Security centre in the UK to EirGrid.

The original breach took place on April 20 and lasted just short of seven hours.

A source said that both Vodafone and the National Cyber Security Centre believed it was a "state-sponsored attack".

The breach of the Vodafone network allowed the hackers to create a type of wire tap known as Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) to tunnel into EirGrid's Vodafone router located in Shotton.

Household customer information was not stored on the EirGrid computers but information pertaining to commercial customers would have been transferred over the compromised network.

David Martin, spokesperson for EirGrid Group, said: "We are aware of the currently reported focus on energy companies and national infrastructure and wish to state that our computer systems have not been breached."

A spokesman for Vodafone said it did not comment on specific security incidents.

"In such cases we always work closely with the relevant authorities to investigate and take immediate actions to contain the issue and protect our customers," he said.
When Martha Tiernan went to her doctor about a fairly minor ailment, she never for a second imagined a much more serious condition would be diagnosed as a consequence of this seemingly routine visit.

Martha was born in Birmingham 46 years ago. When she was still a little girl, the family moved back to Ireland and settled in Kilkenny. After school, she trained as a chef, and in 1999, she married Larry Tiernan, a painter and decorator.

They have three daughters and one son. As a family, they've experienced the usual ups and downs that most families encounter. Not surprisingly, Larry's decorating business was badly hit by the recession, but somehow they muddled through.

So all was well until Christmas 2012, when Martha began to feel a burning sensation in her right breast. "I could feel a lump and suspected it was an abscess," she explains. And while she tends to put her personal needs on the long finger, she knew in this case that wouldn't be appropriate. So, she went to the doctor who confirmed the lump was, indeed, an abscess. She was prescribed an antibiotic, and was recommended to have her breasts comprehensively examined.

Martha was seen at the BreastCheck clinic in Waterford, in March 2013. By then, her abscess was already long gone. Even so, the consultant recommended she have a mammogram. "I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to cause a fuss," says Martha. "So, it would have been more in character for me to say, 'I won't put you to all the bother'. But in this case, I didn't, and to this day I still don't know why."

Two weeks later, Martha was called for the mammogram. She says she was apprehensive about the physical process, as she'd been told by other women that the mammogram involved squeezing and pressing on the breasts, which could be painful. "In truth, the thought was much worse that the doing of it," she says. The radiologist then told her that she needed an ultrasound scan as well. But it could only be done the following Friday.

Martha, caught off-guard, blurted out that she had to work on that day. She'd need to give her employers, at the private hospital where she had cheffed for the previous 20 years, more notice of an intended absence. Fortunately, BreastCheck was able to accommodate her, and within the hour, she was having the ultrasound. The radiologist asked her where the abscess had been, and when she pointed to her right breast, he said they'd seen something suspicious in the left breast. They would like her consent to do a biopsy, under local anaesthetic, as well.

Naturally, Martha agreed. Later, the consultant radiologist showed her the images from the mammogram on a computer screen. "What I saw was a dense, dark area on an otherwise white space," she recalls. When she asked him to put a figure on the likelihood of her having cancer, he said it was around the 95pc mark. "Reality hits you in a big way," she says.

Martha is a pragmatic, down-to-earth person, and those qualities soon kicked in when she asked the consultant about what came next. It was, in fact, the wait for the results of the biopsy. "I remember wondering if this was really happening to me," says Martha. "Could I be dreaming?"

She was so stunned, she didn't tell Larry for two days. "I like to get things straight in my head first," she explains. "When I did tell him, he got an awful fright. He kept saying, 'Look, it's not all lost. There's still a chance it's not cancer'."

A week later, Martha got a letter asking her to come to the hospital to see the breast consultant. She was left in no doubt about what was in store for her. The specialist immediately confirmed that Martha did have cancer, and informed her that a multi-disciplinary team had decided that the best option for her was a mastectomy [removal] of the left breast. "I wasn't offered a lumpectomy [removal of the growth only] because of calcification. That breast was always lumpy," explains Martha.

She says she was happy with that decision, and feels that women who would prefer to have a full mastectomy, rather than a lumpectomy, should have that option.

"It's their body, so it should be their choice," she says. "Otherwise they are left wondering and constantly checking."

Martha's surgery was scheduled for the following week at University Hospital Waterford. "Once you know you have cancer, you want it gone," she says. Her left breast was removed the following Thursday, and by the Monday, she was home.

She believes her swift recovery was due in part to the excellent surgical and nursing care she received, and to the fact that she has been practising Kempo, a martial art, since 2009. Martha was also given the choice whether or not to have chemotherapy. She chose to have four cycles at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny.

Later on, following consultations with doctors in Dublin, Martha decided not to have breast reconstruction. "They would have had to take tissue from my stomach to reconstruct my breast. I didn't want to take extra leave from work, as I couldn't really afford it," she says with honesty.

"My husband's business had been badly affected by the recession. People don't seem to realise there are huge financial implications for people with long-term illnesses. And anyway, it would have temporarily affected my ability to do martial arts."

Being active is important to Martha. "A healthy lifestyle can lower the risk of getting cancer and help prevent its return," she says. She plans to take part in Breast Cancer Ireland's upcoming Great Pink Run in conjunction with Avonmore Slimline Milk. For the first time, it will also take place at Kilkenny's Castle Park, on Sunday, September 10, the day after the annual run in the Phoenix Park.

She is calling on people living in the local area to join her for the event. "Apart from getting fit, you will meet people from all walks of life," she says. "Each one has a different story to tell, but they all share one wish - a cure for cancer."

Martha is already training hard. "Aut Even Hospital, where I work, is sponsoring the Kilkenny event, so I'd better put in a good performance," she says with a giggle. Given her great attitude to life, she should do very, very well.

See greatpinkrun.ie
Ukrzaliznytsia, PKP want to offer competitive tariffs for Ukraine-Poland route in 2017/18 season

Ukrzaliznytsia and PKP (Polish railways) intend to approve mutually beneficial tariffs for the 2017/18 passenger train schedule that would be competitive compared to other means of transport in this direction.

Ukrzaliznytsia reported that the relevant protocol was signed last week by Ukrzaliznytsia Board Chairman Wojciech Balczun and PKP President of the Management Board Krzysztof Maminski after negotiations held on August 4 in Kyiv.

Balczun said that the Kyiv-Przemysl route and the tariffs became popular, and on August 24, 2017 Ukrzaliznytsia will launch the second Kyiv-Przemysl train pair, which will pass Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky and Ternopil.

"We are interested to develop this progressive price policy when the railways adequately compete with buses," Balczun said.

The companies plan to introduce online sale of tickets for other trains going from Ukraine to Poland.

According to the statistics, in H1 2017, some 74,100 passengers were transported on the Ukraine-Poland route, and this is 2.5-fold more than in 2016.

Ukrzaliznytsia said that export cargo shipments from Ukraine to Poland rose by 2.6% in January-June 2017, to 4.438 million tonnes.

Meeting participants discussed the opportunities of attracting additional volumes of freight to Ukraine thanks to the implementation of the New Silk Way project, an alternative route for transporting cargo from China and Iran to Europe.
A Sars outbreak led to airports checking the temperature of passengers in 2003. Photo: REUTERS

Irish holidaymakers travelling abroad have been warned about the deadly "first cousin" of the Sars virus.

Posters warning travellers of the deadly Mers-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus) have been placed in Dublin Airport as over 2,000 cases have been reported since 2012 by the World Health Organisation.

Dr Graham Fry, medical director for the Tropical Medical Bureau, a company that offers vaccinations, said Mers was a "highly infectious disease" and a "significant problem in Saudi Arabia".

Typical Mers symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath and although pneumonia is common, it is not always present. Diarrhoea has also been reported.

Some laboratory-confirmed cases of Mers are reported as not having any clinical symptoms, yet they are positive following a laboratory test.

About 35pc of reported patients with Mers have died while Dr Fry said the mortality rate could be as high as 50pc.

Dr Fry said there currently were "no vaccinations and no specific treatment available" for the deadly disease, bar standard anti-viral procedures.

"It is the first-cousin of Sars and it hasn't been widely reported, as it hasn't had a huge impact in Europe just yet," Dr Fry said.

An outbreak of Sars (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in southern China killed nearly 800 people between 2003 and 2004, and the disease spread to almost 40 countries.

"[Mers] is a very infectious disease and once in care it's a barrier setting to help stop the spread from human to human," Dr Fry said.

A spokesperson for the HSE said travellers should "avoid close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections and wash your hands after contact with ill people and their environment".

"Cases occurring outside of the Middle East have been mainly due to the importation of cases with a travel history to the Middle East and subsequent transmission within healthcare settings," the spokesperson said.

The majority of human cases of Mers have been attributed to human-to-human infections in health care settings.

However, current scientific evidence suggests that dromedary camels are a major reservoir host for Mers.

Healthcare-associated outbreaks have occurred in several countries, with the largest outbreaks seen in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and South Korea.

Dr Fry also said that the Zika virus had "not gone away" and many young couples looking to have a child had visited their centres for screening.

A total of 70 countries have reported evidence of mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission since 2015.
Passengers queue at Barcelona's El Prat airport as security agents strike on August 4, 2017, in Barcelona.

Holidaymakers flying in and out of Europes most popular summer airports should expect to face lengthy delays this summer after the EU tightened its border controls.

Airlines 4 Europe (A4E), an airline lobby group, said that passengers will experience the longest waits if travelling into airports that receive large numbers of tourists from countries outside the Schengen Area, such as Ireland.

Destinations in Spain and its islands are already fit to burst this summer after thousands of holidaymakers eschewed the likes of Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia, each suffering from instability or terrorism, to head to western Europe.

A4E highlighted the following airports as ones where visitors are likely to be stuck in long queues to get through passport control.

Which airports are most likely to be affected?

Palma Airport, Majorca

Malaga, Spain

Paris-Orly, France

Lyon, France

Brussels, Belgium

Lisbon, Portugal

Milan Malpensa and Bergamo, Italy

Barcelona's El Prat is also likely to host large queues after staff at the Spanish airport began a series of hour-long strikes over the weekend. They are set to continue every weekend throughout August.

Social media users flying into Majorca last week took to Twitter to post photos of long queues, while Jet2, a budget carrier that flies thousands of holidaymakers into Palma, said it was aware of possible queues.

"Please be prepared for long queues for both arrivals and departures," it said in a statement. "This is due to a new EU regulation that requires a different passport checking process for all passengers.

"We wouldnt want you to miss your flight, so please allow extra time to pass through security as our flights are still departing at the scheduled times."

The airline also warned the same of customers flying into Barcelona and Malta.

Barcelona Airport, Spain

Malta Airport, Malta

British Airways, Easyjet and Ryanair joined Jet2 in warning its customers that there might be delays in passing through border control. BA said to allow extra time for passengers' journeys through airports.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
The socialite wives wore their finest gowns, and the menfolk - congressmen and other influential Federalists - were resplendent in frock coats and tall hats, waving from carriages clattering out of Washington DC, intent on cheering victorious Union troops who would bring a quick end to America's fledgling Civil War.

Imagine how this traffic jam of early participants in 'disaster tourism' met a road crammed with the walking wounded, along with thousands of Federal soldiers fleeing chaos after two armies of a divided nation clashed for the first time on the fields overlooking Manassas (Bull Run).

Here in the green and verdant hilly landscape of Virginia, a gentle summer breeze whispers through the trees. The other sounds are of corncrakes and muted voices of visitors, touching cannons that erupted more than 150 years ago.

A modest timber farmhouse - today reproduced - stands at the epicentre of the Battle of First Bull Run. It was occupied by an 85-year-old bedridden widow, Judith Carter Henry, who was fatally injured in the crossfire - the only civilian killed during the first wave of fighting.

The first battles swept away the notion of a quick war, explains guide Henry Elliot. He adds: "Don't let these pretty fields fool you, because we are standing on some of the most blood-stained ground anywhere in history". Over 622,000 lives were lost - nearly as many as in every war Americans have fought in since, combined.

Civil War history, stories, sites and monuments are found everywhere in Virginia, only an hour's drive from downtown Washington DC, we discover touring tranquil countryside and authentic towns like Manassas, Occoquan, Woodbridge and Fredericksburg.

"Only in America," I can't help thinking as we visit Ben Lomond, one of the gracious antebellum mansions turned into Confederate hospitals. The awful stench of gangrene has been piped in by a company creating delicious coffee and freshly baked bread aromas elsewhere!

Screams of patients and the bustle of a war field hospital are realistically conveyed via audio, with plenty of surgical instruments, roughly hewn crutches and fake-blood-stained lengths of cloth lying around. Chloroform and ether were available, "but not enough to knock patients out completely", we're told.

Occupying the house later on, some Union soldiers wrote offensive graffiti, and a few recorded their last wills and testaments on Ben Lomond's walls.

In need of fresh air with the lingering whiff of gangrene in my nostrils, I take to the water with Penguin Paddling in Occoquan (penguinpaddling.com), steering my kayak past wharfs once lined by grist mills and tobacco warehouses where ships loaded bales of cotton bound for England.

Fredericksburg, site of another famous Civil War battle, and where George Washington spent much of his earlier life, is a jewel in the crown filled with beautiful federalist-style architecture. Our trolley tour driver-guide John Gaston, whose forefathers fled the famine in Ireland, pulls up at the lovely cottage George Washington bought for his mother Mary (whose modern likeness appears, waving from the front door in period costume).

For 100 years Richmond was the centre of the second largest slave market in the US. A slave trail with markers tells the story, while a flood protection wall pays tribute to the "Irish indentured workers" also involved in its construction.

Careytown, a colourful district of restaurants and lively bars, adds to this Thomas Jefferson-designed city, along with Richmond's wealth of excellent museums.

Richmond is unique in that it's the only city where you can go white-water rafting right into downtown. Riverside Outfitters (riversideoutfitters.net) took us on a rollercoaster ride over Class 2 to 4 rapids on the historic James River, adding thrills and knowledge to the trip. Paddling through the rapids, we passed the island where 15,000 Union soldiers were miserably incarcerated, and the bridge over which the populace of Richmond fled as Confederate glory ended in ashes.

Get there

Isabel flew with United Airlines (united.com), which operates daily from Dublin to Washington Dulles from 473 return in winter. From Dulles to Virginia, use a hire car, taking interstates 95 and 64 into the Richmond region (frequent trains run from Washington DC-Richmond, too).

For further information see capitalregionusa.org or VisitRichmondVA.com. For somewhere to stay in Fredericksburg, try the centrally-located Courtyard by Marriott Historic District (from 122; marriott.com/Friedericksburg).

Read more:
In his foreword to a report on the affordability of the housing market last summer, Professor Peter Clinch, chairman of the National Competitiveness Council, noted the impacts of the amount of money needed to pay a mortgage on a monthly basis.

"What is clear is that affordability matters for the individual household, for society as a whole, and for national competitiveness. For the individual, or household, buying a house is their single biggest lifetime purchase, while the cost of owning or renting a home takes a large share of household income. From a societal perspective, a stable and functioning housing market that meets the needs of all of the people living in Ireland is an essential contributor to social cohesion," he said.

But we don't have a stable housing market. The lack of supply at a time of economic growth is driving already pent-up demand. As a result of the lack of supply, we don't have a functioning housing market as there isn't enough new stock to sate demand or allow those of a mindset to move or downsize to proceed with their plans.

The bottleneck is driving up house prices and therefore affordability, which refers to the proportion of household income spent on purchasing or renting accommodation.

The lack of movement into owned housing is also sustaining the pressure in the rental sector, which is obviously pushing up rents.

Today's EBS DKM Irish Housing Affordability Index notes that there has been "a definite deterioration in affordability" which has "become apparent across all regions of the State", while Dublin and the commuter belt are the least affordable areas.

Until the issue of supply is addressed, the level of affordability will not improve.
Justin Bieber told fans he was having a rough night and asked them not to judge him as he performed in Londons Hyde Park.

The Canadian star opened his 90-minute set at British Summer Time with Where Are U Now, his hit with Skrillex and Diplo, before a string of songs on his guitar and a Capella.

He appeared on stage in a red shirt and black shorts, with the word Tour emblazoned across the crotch, later changing into a blue shirt and blue shorts with the same slogan.

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He treated crying fans to renditions of hits Boyfriend, Cold Water and Love Yourself, as well as Ushers U Got It Bad before bringing six children on stage to dance with him to the track Children.

He later admitted he was suffering a bad cold, blowing his nose on a towel and telling the crowd he had used a vapour rub, adding: All that medicine stuff is stuck in my nose. Im having a rough night. Dont judge me.

He performed hit Purpose seated at the edge of the stage with his head in his hands, as well as Baby and What Do You Mean, telling fans: Its so awesome to be here back in the UK, one of my favourite places in the world.

As he told the audience how much of an honour it was to play for them, he appeared to scold his dancers who were speaking behind him, saying: What can you be talking about that is more important than what Im talking about?

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He closed the show with his smash hit Sorry as fireworks erupted over the stage.
VOGUE Williams recently enjoyed a few days back on home turf catching up with friends, but she has already left Irish shores again for a getaway with boyfriend Spencer Matthews.

The RTE presenter (31) and the Made In Chelsea star (27) have travelled to Amsterdam for a romantic weekend away.

Since they started dating during filming of Channel 4's recently axed series The Jump, the couple have not been shy about showing their affection for each other.

Spencer has compared the former Fade Street star to supermodel Cindy Crawford and recently said he is happy he fell in love with someone who "enjoys [his] madness".

The pair seem to have taken their dedication to each other to the next level on their trip, with Vogue debuting their new matching rings, which have their initials "VS" written on them. "Yes, we are that couple," she joked.

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Vogue has enjoyed a busy few weeks.

The Howth woman has jumped straight into filming her next batch of documentaries for RTE following her work on the upcoming series of Getaways with Tommy Bowe and Mairead Ronan.

'Spoilt' Aoife parties at home

Despite loving her new life in New York, model Aoife Walsh couldn't stay away from home for too long.

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The former Miss Ireland is back on Irish soil to reunite with friends and family in her native Tipperary.

The model celebrated her 28th birthday with family in Clonmel and described herself as "the most spoilt girl ever".

Aoife will likely be back in Dublin again soon, where she is represented by top model agent Andrea Roche.

She moved to New York earlier this year and was quickly signed by agency MSA models, who also represent fellow Irish model Emma Waldron.
Laura Fox from Galway at the Galway Races on the last day of the summer festival. Photo: Andrew Downes, xposure

Oliver Bohan from Galway at the Mad Hatters competition at the Galway Races

The Hen Claudine Loughrey from Offaly with the rest of her party at the Galway Races

Laura Fox from Galway at the Galway Races on the last day of the summer festival. Photo: Andrew Downes, xposure

They came, they saw and they conquered. Proceedings at the Galway Races came to a close on bank holiday Sunday as thousands of punters descended on Ballybrit for one last hurrah.

The hectic pace of the annual festival eased off in the last few days with day seven focused on family fun.

The day began on a more muted note. While punters normally flock to the champagne tent to toast their winnings, they were seated bright and early for the annual mass service.

The voice of Father Michael Riley, chaplin of the Galway Races, boomed through Ballybrit as he prayed that gamblers would walk away happy.

coveted

He also correctly predicted Dream Walker would be first past the post in the coveted Irish Stallion Farms Handicap.

"The mass is popular. We've had six, seven hundred at it (before)," he said. Day seven saw the annual Mad Hatters competition take place with hundreds of punters struggling against the wind to keep their millinery masterpieces in place.

The competition was won by Mary-Kate O'Shea, inset, originally from Co Kilkenny and now living in Connemara, Co Galway.

The former art student, who described her hat as a "creature of inspiration", walked away with flights to Lanzarote and seven nights' accommodation for herself and her family.

"I started it on the May bank holiday," she said. "I said I'd start in advance and see where it went. I've been at the races once in all my years. When you live in Galway, you find you don't do what's on your own doorstep. I'm so impressed. This is my first time at the Mad Hatters Day and it certainly won't be my last."

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Ladies Day winner Aoife MacCana was back on the racecourse to enjoy the final day. While still enjoying the high of coming first, the Galway project manager admitted it hasn't been all smooth sailing since.

"Somebody did send me a screenshot of some negativity but you know, it's not something I concern myself with.

"I still feel very honoured that I won but sometimes I think, 'God, is it really deserving?' People will always pull you up on something."

Trainer Willie Mullins looked back on the week with satisfaction. "Trainers have confidence in Galway to produce lovely ground and fantastic prize money as well. It's a win-win," he said.

Almost 10,000 people attended the final day of the festival while 137,000 passed through the turnstiles over the seven days.
Model Emily Ratajkowski attends the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Graydon Carter at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 28, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

A photographer from Wicklow has just shot Emily Ratajkowski for a major campaign.

Christopher "Boo" George has been quietly making waves as one of the most sought after photographers in the industry - working with everyone from Alessandra Ambrosio to Jamie Dornan, and Victoria Beckham counts him as one of her favourites, even shooting her for the cover of Vogue Australia last year.

The 35-year-old from Bray, Co Wicklow, has just teamed up with Hollywood 'it girl' Ratajkowski, who has a well-documented fondness for Ireland.

Emily is the new face of Dl1961 denim's Autumn/Winter 2017 campaign and worked with George for a sultry shoot at New York's Plaza Hotel.

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It's not the first interaction between the pair - in early July, she shared a black and white snap of his on Instagram.

"Your [sic] the best @emrata see you in cork," he captioned the snap.

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"Meet ya at Ma's," she quipped.

Emily grew up in Bantry, Co Cork and considers Ireland her "second home" and is often pictured visiting at least once a year.

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"Both my grandmothers are from Ireland and I have spent every summer in Bantry since my father, who is an artist, had the romantic idea 20 years ago to buy an old farmhouse on the west coast and renovate it," she said in 2013.

George moved from Wicklow to London in 1999, but often returns home for work and pleasure. In 2014, she famously shot Emporio Armani's Autumn/Winter campaign on Dollymount Strand.

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"I started doing documentary photography...and then for my end-of-year project, I went on a fishing boat North Sea off for nine months to shoot fisherman," he told Artsy of how he got his start.

"And I made a book out of that. Still to this day, one of my favorite pictures is of a fisherman. I moved to London straight after that, and started assisting."
I hope to inspire and reinsert the idea that anything and everything can be art.

These are the words of Sergio Mata, the Texas-based artist using the nostalgia of technology from the recent past to create artwork for the 21st century.

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Sergios subject matter ranges from desktop backgrounds, gaming and even programs such as Microsoft Paint, to pixelated versions of classical art.

Inspiration is everywhere, said Sergio, who visited galleries in his youth and marvelled at the works of past greats.

I wonder what Michelangelo or (Andy) Warhol would think if they lived today, he added.

I like to think theyd be fascinated with technology and how its the closest thing to magic that humankind has ever come.

Thats where I pull most of my inspiration from. I want to mix fine art and tech culture into one.

Nostalgia can help create art by forming an immediate bond between the artist and viewer, Sergio said.

I want my work to be direct and not obscure or alienating to the viewer.

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Nostalgia, along with pop art, is a good base for reaching as many people as possible, because it can transcend race, class, sexuality and nationality, he said.

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Sergios artwork is entirely made using real paint, canvases and brushes  a practice he said he is committed to.

Theres beauty in understanding that with just some brushstrokes and imagination, there can be a master work of art produced.

I love that and want to uphold that tradition.

Sometimes pieces take years, sometimes they take months and sometimes they take just a few moments, he said.

It is easy to lose track of time too.

I know that the longer I spend painting one piece, the world around me seems to speed up and vice versa. Being a painter sometimes feels like time travelling.

The Windows Desktop was one of the first paintings that I experimented with texture, Sergio said.

I wanted a way to produce work that was very clearly done by hand.

Sergio said he took inspiration from impressionist collections at the San Antonio Museum of Art.

The works looked organic and intimate, which I felt was lacking in my type of pop art works, so I decided to fuse both styles together.

Sergio currently works on commissions, but said he plans to create works for a solo art show in the future.

I would love to have shows in galleries located in Silicon Valley or other high-tech centric towns, he said.

I believe that those types of environments are where my art will be much more appreciated and understood.

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If you would like to keep up to date with Sergios works, you can visit his website here  or alternately check out his Facebook and Instagram pages.
Ukraine from June 2017 started buying crude oil (according to foreign economic activity code 2709) from Iranian contractors, according to the State Fiscal Service.

Thus, if in June Ukraine received crude oil from this country for $236,000, supplies in July amounted to $5.442 million.

In general, in January-July 2017 Ukraine imported 508,105 tonnes of crude oil worth $213.001 million, in particular from Azerbaijan for $183.858 million, Kazakhstan for $17.504 million, Iran for $5.678 million, and from other countries for $5.961 million.

In particular, in July 2017 the country imported 152,655 tonnes of oil for $30.224 million.
Launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

North Korea has vowed to bolster its nuclear arsenal and gain revenge of a "thousand-fold" against the United States in response to tough

UN sanctions imposed following its recent intercontinental ballistic missile tests.

The warning came two days after the UN Security Council unanimously approved new sanctions to punish North Korea, including a ban on coal and other exports.

The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, called the US-drafted resolution "the single largest economic sanctions package ever levelled against" North Korea.

In a statement carried by the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency, North Korea's government said the sanctions were a "violent infringement of its sovereignty" that was caused by a "heinous US plot to isolate and stifle" North Korea.

"We will make the US pay by a thousand-fold for all the heinous crimes it commits against the state and people of this country," the statement said.

The North said it would take an unspecified "resolute action of justice" and would never place its nuclear programme on the negotiating table or "flinch an inch" from its push to strengthen its nuclear deterrence as long as US hostility against North Korea persists.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho made similar comments during an annual regional security conference in Manila on Monday.

South Korea's government said that North Korea would face stronger sanctions if it does not stop its nuclear and missile provocation.

Lim Eul Chul, a North Korea expert at South Korea's Kyungnam University, said the comments by the North demonstrate how angry it is over the UN sanctions, but that the country is not likely to launch a pre-emptive strike against the United States.

He said the North could still carry out further missile tests or a sixth atomic bomb test in the coming months under its broader weapons development timetable.

North Korea test-launched two ICBMs last month as part of its efforts to possess a long-range missile capable of striking anywhere in the mainland US.

Both missiles were fired at highly lofted angles and analysts say the weapons could reach parts of the United States such as Alaska, Los Angeles or Chicago if fired at a normal, flattened trajectory.

The centerpiece of the UN sanctions is a ban on North Korean exports of coal, iron, lead and seafood products - and a ban on all countries importing those products, estimated to be worth over one billion US dollars a year in hard currency.

The resolution also bans countries from giving any additional permits to North Korean labourers, another source of foreign currency for the North, and prohibits all new joint ventures with North Korean companies.

Analysts say that North Korea, already under numerous UN and other international sanctions, will feel some pain from the new sanctions but is not likely to return to disarmament negotiations any time soon because of them.

Mr Lim, the North Korea expert, said the North will probably squeeze its ordinary citizens to help finance its nuclear and missile programmes.

Shin Beomchul of the Seoul-based Korea National Diplomatic Academy said sanctions that can force a change from North Korea would include a ban on China's annual, mostly free shipment of 500,000 tons of crude oil to North Korea and the deporting by UN member states of the tens of thousands of North Korean workers currently dispatched abroad..
American Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks after the Security Council voted on a new sanctions resolution that would increase economic pressure on North Korea to return to negotiations on its missile program, Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

The UN Security Council has voted unanimously to impose an estimated $1bn of new sanctions on North Korea, in an effort to contain the countrys rapidly expanding nuclear programme.

The US-drafted proposal passed the Security Council 15-0, securing support from North Korean allies China and Russia.

It is time for North Korea to realise, we are not playing anymore, said Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, on Fox News programme Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.

She added: A third of their trade exports have been hit, and we basically gave them a kick in the gut with a billion dollars of sanctions that they are going to begin to feel right away.

The UN resolution bans all North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. It also limits the number of North Koreans permitted to work abroad, and bars countries from entering into new joint ventures with North Korea or investing in current ones.

The resolution also adds nine people and four entities  including North Koreas primary foreign exchange bank  to the UN blacklist.

It was a good outcome, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said at an annual meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila.

It was a very, very good outcome, added South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha.

However, both China and Russia condemned the US deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea after the vote. China called for the systems deployment to be halted, and for existing pieces to be dismantled.

The vote comes after a month of private negotiations between the US and China on the issue. US President Donald Trump has criticised the country for not doing enough, tweeting that China had done NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk.

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Earlier this month, the White House moved to start investigating Chinas trade practises, in what many saw as retaliation for their perceived inaction on North Korea.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, meeting with North Koreas top diplomat during the gathering in Manila, issued an uncharacteristically strong warning to the country.

Do not violate the UNs decision or provoke international societys goodwill by conducting missile launching or nuclear tests, he told the North Korean diplomat.

The White House thanked both China and Russia for their cooperation in a statement, adding: [Mr Trump] will continue working with allies and partners to increase diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea to end its threatening and destabilising behaviour.

North Korea tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of hitting the US last month, demonstrating a level of advancement that surprised even the Pentagon. The Department of Defence now predicts Pyongyang could have nuclear-capable ICBMs by 2018.

The test added pressure to an already tense situation with isolated North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. The US responded to the latest test by flying two supersonic bombers over the Korean Peninsula in a show of force. The US air force also successfully tested its own ICMB located in California.

North Korea has accused the United States and South Korea of escalating tensions by conducting military drills.

Several US officials have said the country is prepared to use force against the North Korean regime if necessary.

The President has been very clear that hes not going to tolerate North Korea being able to threaten the US, national security adviser HR McMaster told MSNBCs Hugh Hewitt on Saturday. So of course we have to provide all options to do that, and that includes a military option.

Senator Lindsey Graham said last week that he had discussed the military option with Mr Trump personally, telling NBC: If thousands die, theyre going to die over there. Theyre not going to die over here  and [Mr Trump] has told me that to my face.

The White House has said only that all options remain on the table.
President of Venezuela's National Assembly Julio Borges speaks with members of the media (AP Photo/Wil Riera)

Pro and anti-government factions in Venezuela have dug themselves further into their trenches amid the nation's deepening political crisis.

Each side spent Monday staking a claim to the powers granted them by duelling national assemblies.

The new chief prosecutor outlined plans for restructuring the Public Ministry while the opposition-controlled National Assembly vowed to continue meeting at the stately legislative palace.

National Assembly president Julio Borges told fellow lawmakers they should keep an active presence in the building despite threats from the new assembly to swiftly strip them of any authority and lock up key leaders.

He said: "We are a testament to the fight for democracy. It should be known this assembly was true to its mandate."

In theory, both the National Assembly and the pro-government constitutional assembly can rule simultaneously.

However the new super body, created through a July 30 election that drew international condemnation, has the authority to trump any other branch of government.

Since its installation on Friday, it signalled acting swiftly in response to President Nicolas Maduro's commands, which have included stripping legislators of their constitutional immunity.

Diosdado Cabello, an assembly member and leader of the socialist party, said the new body would be in power for "at least two years".

He defended initial decrees to oust top law enforcement officer Luisa Ortega Diaz and create a "truth commission" that will wield unusual authority to prosecute those suspected of fuelling recent political unrest.

Mr Cabello said the decisions all aligned strictly with the 1999 constitution crafted by the late President Hugo Chavez .

Ms Ortega Diaz's replacement, Ombudsman Tarek William Saab - who was recently sanctioned by Washington for failing to protect protesters from abuses in his role as the nation's top human rights official - appeared on state television to both chastise the leader of the agency he will oversee and announce his plans to revamp it.

He criticised her of "fanning the flames" of political conflict and said he would proceed with a "logical restructuring" of an office he deemed overly political and bureaucratic.

Ms Ortega Diaz is not recognising Mr Saab as attorney general, and both opposition leaders and foreign dignitaries have said they will not acknowledge him as chief prosecutor.

The widening political gulf comes as opposition parties face a rapidly approaching deadline to declare whether or not they will take part in scheduled December regional elections.

Opposition members refused to participate in the election for delegates to the constitutional assembly but have thus far been divided on whether or not to take part in the upcoming vote for governors.

While Mr Maduro's popular support is estimated to run at no higher than 20%, some opposition leaders are sceptical of running in an election they fear could be rigged.

The official turnout count in the July 30 election for the constitutional assembly is being questioned at home and abroad.

The CEO of voting technology company Smartmatic said last week the results were "without a doubt" tampered with and off by at least one million votes.

AP
Brazil's top electoral court has given embattled President Michel Temer a big victory, voting to reject allegations of campaign finance violations that would have removed him from office.

After four days of deliberations, judges voted 4-3 in a case that many viewed as a measure of whether Mr Temer could remain in office amid a growing corruption scandal and single-digit popularity.

Last month, a recording emerged that apparently captured Mr Temer endorsing hush money to ex-House Speaker Eduardo Cunha, a former Temer ally serving 15 years in prison for corruption and money laundering.

Soon after that, another bombshell came out: that Mr Temer was being investigated for allegedly receiving bribes.

Mr Temer has denied wrongdoing and vowed to stay in office.

"The facts are very serious, unbearable," said Judge Luiz Fux, who voted to remove Mr Temer, adding the campaign finance case was about "very serious crimes".

Judge Gilmar Mendes, who has called Mr Temer "a friend of many years", cast the decisive vote to keep Mr Temer in office.

Mr Mendes, also a justice on the Supreme Federal Tribunal, the country's highest court, argued that electoral laws needed reform, suggesting that politicians should not pay the price for a broken system.

"The system needs stability. It is very easy to talk about morality, fighting against corruption. I want that too," said Mr Mendes, who in the past has come to the aide of other politicians facing legal trouble. "A president can't just be replaced at any time, even if the desire is there."

The campaign finance case was filed shortly after the 2014 presidential election by one of the losing parties. It alleged that the ticket of President Dilma Rousseff and running mate Mr Temer, then the vice presidential candidate, gained an unfair advantage through illegal campaign contributions.

Mr Temer took over the presidency last year after Ms Rousseff was impeached and removed for illegally managing the federal budget.

The campaign finance allegations were bolstered in recent months by stunning testimony from plea bargains signed by current and former executives at the construction giant Odebrecht, a company at the centre of a colossal investigation into billions of dollars in inflated contracts and kickbacks to politicians.

The executives provided shocking details of tens of millions of dollars in bribes and illegal campaign contributions, including to the Rousseff-Temer ticket.

Over four days of deliberations, the judges argued about whether those plea bargains should be considered in their decision. They also clashed over the strength of the original evidence and whether punishments should be doled out when illegal campaign finance was widespread.

A guilty verdict would have annulled the 2014 victory, thus stripping Mr Temer of the rest of his mandate. It could also have stripped both Ms Rousseff and Mr Temer of political rights for eight years.

While Mr Temer had vowed to appeal a conviction, it would have weakened his hand in a climate of several corruption scandals and a public furious about it.

"Temer will stay in office and probably face many demonstrations in the streets," said Alexandre Barros, a political risk consultant with the Brasilia-based firm Early Warning. "I don't think anybody is in the mood to decide something unexpected at this point."

The political turmoil in Brazil - that began with the push last year to remove Ms Rousseff from power for violating budget laws - has reached a fever pitch. There are near weekly protests calling for Mr Temer's ouster, frequent shouting matches in Congress, and a simmering debate in the media over whether Mr Temer will manage to finish out his term.

That atmosphere was reflected in the courtroom, where there were several tense moments. Among the most dramatic came during the opening of the afternoon session on Friday, when a prosecutor requested the disqualification of one of the judges who had once been a lawyer for Ms Rousseff and one justice decried articles in the press that linked him to a corruption investigation. As the tension in the chamber rose, the court's president called a brief break.
Armed Brazilian forces take position during an operation against organised crime in a Rio favela Credit: EPA

A British woman has been shot close to a holiday hotspot near Rio de Janeiro when a gang opened fire on her family after they accidentally strayed into a favela.

Police said a couple and their three children were travelling in Angra dos Reis, a popular coastal holiday destination about 90 miles from the city, when they drove into a crime-ridden slum by mistake.

A group approached the car and reportedly told the family to get out before opening fire, authorities said.

The woman was hit twice in the abdomen and was being treated at a hospital, police said. The victim underwent surgery and was in a stable condition, local media reported.

Police have not released any details of the family.

Bruno Gilaberte, local police chief, told O Globo newspaper that the family were looking for water at the time and had been told to head towards the area of Agua Santa, or holy water.

"Because of the difficulty with the language, there was this confusion. They ended up going to the Holy Water community, where they were approached by the criminals. Because they did not understand the order to leave, they continued on and were shot," he said.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are in touch with the local authorities in Angra dos Reis, Brazil, following reports of the shooting of a British national."

Tourists in Brazil have occasionally been attacked when they accidentally stray into slums, which are often controlled by criminal gangs.

The Foreign Office advises tourists to be wary of straying into favelas.

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"All favelas are unpredictably dangerous areas, and remain high risk given the level of violence within them and the severe strain on police resources," its website says.

"Take extra care when using GPS navigation in Brazilian cities, particularly Rio de Janeiro, that the suggested route doesnt take you into a favela."

Two years ago, a 70-year-old businesswoman was shot dead after using a mobile phone app which made her take a wrong turn into a favela in Rio de Janeiro.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
A woman has been shot while on holiday in Brazil after her family took a wrong turning and drove into a notorious slum near Rio de Janeiro.

The 46-year-old British mother of three, named locally as Eloise Dixon from Kent, was said to be in a stable condition in hospital after being shot twice in the stomach.

Police said Mrs Dixon had been travelling by car near the popular coastal holiday resort of Angra dos Reis with her husband and three children, when they accidentally drove into a a crime-ridden slum.

It is thought the family may have been looking for somewhere to buy water when they were given wrong directions after a language mix up.

After driving into the favella a group approached the car and reportedly told the family to get out before opening fire, authorities said.

The woman was hit twice in the abdomen and was rushed to hospital where she underwent surgery.

Mr and Mrs Dixon, who have three daughters, were thought to have been on holiday in the popular resort of Angra dos Reis, and had hired a car to explore the surrounding area

Bruno Gilaberte, local police chief, told O Globo newspaper that the family were looking for water at the time and had been told to head towards the area of Agua Santa, or holy water.

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"Because of the difficulty with the language, there was this confusion. They ended up going to the Holy Water community, where they were approached by the criminals. Because they did not understand the order to leave, they continued on and were shot," he said.

Rodrigo Mucheli, medical director at Japuiba General Hospital where Mrs Dixon underwent surgery, said she was very lucky because the bullet travelled through her abdomen but luckily didnt hit any major arteries or vital organs.

Her husband was driving at the time and their three children were on the back seat.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are in touch with the local authorities in Angra dos Reis, Brazil, following reports of the shooting of a British national."

Tourists in Brazil have occasionally been attacked when they accidentally stray into slums, which are often controlled by criminal gangs.

The Foreign Office advises tourists to be wary of straying into favelas.

"All favelas are unpredictably dangerous areas, and remain high risk given the level of violence within them and the severe strain on police resources," its website says.

"Take extra care when using GPS navigation in Brazilian cities, particularly Rio de Janeiro, that the suggested route doesnt take you into a favela."

Two years ago, a 70-year-old businesswoman was shot dead after using a mobile phone app which made her take a wrong turn into a favela in Rio de Janeiro.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Members of the National Guard under attack by protesters in Venezuelas third city, Valencia, Photo: Getty

A group of dissident Venezuelan soldiers claimed to have taken over an army base in the city of Valencia yesterday, calling on the people to support them in a "legitimate rebellion" against president Nicolas Maduro's "murderous tyranny".

The attempt appeared to have been quickly put down by the government, which declared it had thwarted an attack on the base by "terrorists", and that the army was now back in control.

In a video circulating on social media, a group of men in military uniform purporting to represent the 41st Armoured Brigade in Valencia had announced the start of 'Operation David', which they said was a "legitimate rebellion" against a government that was destroying the country.

Other videos appeared to show people cheering and coming out on to the streets as armoured vehicles circled the base.

There were reports of confrontations with shots fired and clouds of teargas visible in some footage.

The apparent uprising came two days after the installation of Mr Maduro's controversial constituent assembly, which is empowered to rewrite the constitution and dismiss institutions deemed hostile to the government.

On Saturday it fired Luisa Ortega Diaz, the country's rebel attorney general, and appointed a senior Chavista in her place, in a move condemned internationally as dictatorial.

Ms Ortega insisted yesterday that she remained the attorney general and could not be dismissed by an "illegitimate" assembly, which she said been elected through manipulated results and voter intimidation.

In the video message, the commander of the group, who identified himself as Captain Juan Caguaripano, called for support in his fight to defend the country's democracy.

"We clarify, this is not a coup d'etat. This is a military and civilian action to re-establish the constitutional order but what's more, to save the country from total destruction, to stop the killers of our young people and families," he said.

Diosdado Cabello, Mr Maduro's powerful second in command, said later that they had "consolidated total control" of the base after the "attack by groups of mercenary terrorists" and had detained the leader of the group.

Still, the episode highlights how volatile Venezuela is after four months of sustained anti-government protests over what foes call a lurch into dictatorship in the midst of a bruising economic crisis.

Venezuela's armed forces issued a statement calling the rebellion an ill-fated "propaganda show" aimed at destabilising the country and reaffirmed their allegiance to Mr Maduro.

Authorities said the men were working for a US-backed opposition. ( Daily Telegraph London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
North Korea said the UN sanctions will never force the country to negotiate over its nuclear programme or to give up its nuclear drive (AP)

North Korea has vowed to bolster its nuclear arsenal and gain revenge of a "thousand-fold" against the United States in response to tough UN sanctions imposed following its recent intercontinental ballistic missile tests.

The warning came two days after the UN Security Council unanimously approved new sanctions to punish North Korea, including a ban on coal and other exports.

The US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, called the US-drafted resolution "the single largest economic sanctions package ever levelled against" North Korea.

In a statement carried by the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency, North Korea's government said the sanctions were a "violent infringement of its sovereignty" that was caused by a "heinous US plot to isolate and stifle" North Korea.

"We will make the US pay by a thousand-fold for all the heinous crimes it commits against the state and people of this country," the statement said.

The North said it would take an unspecified "resolute action of justice" and would never place its nuclear programme on the negotiating table or "flinch an inch" from its push to strengthen its nuclear deterrence as long as US hostility against North Korea persists.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho made similar comments during an annual regional security conference in Manila on Monday.

South Korea's government said that North Korea would face stronger sanctions if it does not stop its nuclear and missile provocation.

Lim Eul Chul, a North Korea expert at South Korea's Kyungnam University, said the comments by the North demonstrate how angry it is over the UN sanctions, but that the country is not likely to launch a pre-emptive strike against the United States.

He said the North could still carry out further missile tests or a sixth atomic bomb test in the coming months under its broader weapons development timetable.

North Korea test-launched two ICBMs last month as part of its efforts to possess a long-range missile capable of striking anywhere in the mainland US.

Both missiles were fired at highly lofted angles and analysts say the weapons could reach parts of the United States such as Alaska, Los Angeles or Chicago if fired at a normal, flattened trajectory.

The centerpiece of the UN sanctions is a ban on North Korean exports of coal, iron, lead and seafood products - and a ban on all countries importing those products, estimated to be worth over one billion US dollars a year in hard currency.

The resolution also bans countries from giving any additional permits to North Korean labourers, another source of foreign currency for the North, and prohibits all new joint ventures with North Korean companies.

Analysts say that North Korea, already under numerous UN and other international sanctions, will feel some pain from the new sanctions but is not likely to return to disarmament negotiations any time soon because of them.

Mr Lim, the North Korea expert, said the North will probably squeeze its ordinary citizens to help finance its nuclear and missile programmes.

Shin Beomchul of the Seoul-based Korea National Diplomatic Academy said sanctions that can force a change from North Korea would include a ban on China's annual, mostly free shipment of 500,000 tons of crude oil to North Korea and the deporting by UN member states of the tens of thousands of North Korean workers currently dispatched abroad..

AP
Naftogaz Ukrainy in July started importing gas through its Swiss subsidiary Naftogaz Trading Europe S.A. (NGTE, formerly Naftogaz Overseas), according to OilNews, with reference to data from A-95 Consulting Group (Kyiv).

At the same time, according to the edition, the volume of gas delivered under such a scheme in mid-July amounted to about 7 million cubic meters.

As reported, Naftogaz Ukrainy plans in 2017 to import 1.7 billion cubic meters of gas, or 20% of the plan (8.5 billion cubic meters), through its Swiss subsidiary Naftogaz Trading Europe S.A..

According to the Naftogaz financial plan for 2017, NGTE's strategy for 2017-2020 provides for the implementation through it of all purchases of imported gas, except for purchases under loan agreements with international financial organizations.

This will allow Naftogaz to enter European gas hubs and exchanges, attract trade financing from European banks, optimize its portfolio of contracts and assets in the European gas market.
LUMBERTON  Lola Smith swung open the door of her darkened, first-floor room at the Motel 6 off Interstate 95.

A group of young people laughing and yelling next door was drowned out by the whizzing of cars on the interstate and the humming from the air conditioner.

Smith flipped on the light, revealing an impersonal, bare room except for a few novels stacked on the nightstand and a red tub of coffee on the microwave.

She gently closed the door behind her.

"This is home," Smith said.

Ever since Hurricane Matthew's widespread flooding forced her from her apartment in the middle of the night last October, Smith has lived in shelters and the motel room. A week ago  nine months after the hurricane  she finally began moving her few possessions into her renovated apartment.

"The hotel was getting to be depressing," she said on July 14, moving day. "Living out of the suitcase is something you don't want to do. You have to dig through everything to find what you're looking for. All those things that we have now, I will never take them for granted. I will never take anything for granted."

Hurricane Matthew dropped 15 inches of rain in parts of southeastern North Carolina. The heavy rain flooded dams, roads and structures. Many families, like Smith and the other residents of the First Baptist senior apartments, had to evacuate.

In Robeson County, there are still about seven families living in hotels, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Then-Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency in 66 counties, including many in the Cape Fear region.

The southern part of Lumberton was one of the hardest hit areas by the Oct. 8 storm, primarily due to widespread flooding from an engorged Lumber River. Dozens of people were stranded and needed to be rescued, while hundreds were forced from their homes.

Five shelters were opened for more than 1,800 people.

In the days following the hurricane, many residents were trapped because water had flooded major roads in the city cutting them off.

With no electricity, there was virtually no gasoline, water or food for sale. Bottled water and military MREs were distributed to residents from 10 of the county's 28 fire stations.

The city's water treatment plant flooded, shutting down public water for about two weeks.

About a week after the hurricane, officials attributed three deaths in Robeson County to Hurricane Matthew.

Robeson County Manager Ricky Harris said he was heartbroken over the hurricane's destruction.

"When the storm initially happened, it was impossible to go into some of these communities and see the damage unless you were in a helicopter," Harris said. "It was then I knew we were in for a long-time recovery process."

Harris said he was grateful to everyone who stepped up to assist county residents in need. Countless churches, service organizations and fire departments worked together pitching in where they could, he said.

"I have been amazed by the way the community, the city of Lumberton has come together," he said.

Harris said the county is working on securing money for programs to repair homes. He said he hopes Congress will set aside additional funding for Robeson County.

And yet, he knows some lives will never be back to normal.

"Some folks, that's all they had  a place to stay and a place to sleep," he said. "There's still so much work to do to get people back on track."

Lumberton gained national attention when "Good Morning America" broadcast from the city in February. The show highlighted the ongoing efforts toward recovery.

In June, Gov. Roy Cooper visited Lumberton to announce a grant that would be available to Robeson County to rebuild homes.

He added that Robeson County received about $70 million in federal disaster recovery money through Community Development Block Grants to repair and rebuild homes.

At the request of Lumberton officials, Cooper also said there will be funding to research ways to reduce flood damage in Lumberton in the future. The study, which could take three months, will document flooding causes, develop strategies to limit flood damage and estimate costs for changes needed to protect the city from future floods.

"We want to learn why this flooding happened and what can keep it from happening again," he has said. "This study can identify ways to protect Lumberton, keep its residents safe and help flood insurance rates remain stable so homeowners and businesses can return."

Smith, 68, had been living at First Baptist senior apartments on Marion Drive for two years. The apartment's four brick buildings house single, elderly people.

It is a close-knit community, and it's common to see people sitting together on the benches outside talking during the day.

Smith remembers going to sleep the night of Oct. 8. It was raining, but not hard enough to cause alarm.

Even when she woke the next day and the water had filled the parking lot, she and others in the complex were unmoved.

"I made a joke  'Who wants to go fishing?'" she said. "It looked like a lake. We didn't think nothing about it. We laughed about it."

But the water continued to rise overnight.

That's when the 81 residents in the apartments were forced to evacuate. They grabbed what they could and trudged through the parking lot to the street where a van was waiting to take them to a shelter.

The ride was anything but smooth. The van had to take back roads to dodge the flooded streets. It became stuck on 5th Street on the way to the shelter, and a tow truck had to come pull it out.

In the first few days after the hurricane, Smith slept on a cot in a shelter along with dozens of other people. Her cell phone battery had died, and with no electricity, she couldn't charge it to call her family.

Her family, who live in Georgia, hadn't heard from her for four days.

And, with no water, the displaced Lumberton residents could only use portable toilets. Patting their bodies with baby wipes was considered a shower.

"Seeing all your personal things thrown on a pile, that's hard," she said. "It didn't hit me until I looked and seen my whole life consists of a suitcase. It's very hard."

Sarah McLean, the property manager for First Baptist homes, was devastated when all of her residents were forced out.

When she found her residents in a shelter following the storm, they handed her lists of items they wanted from their apartments. McLean went back to the complex and walked through each apartment, salvaging what she could.

"We got in the building and we were standing in water in the dark," she said. "Stuff in the units was moved around. I cried. I tried to get their things from their lists."

Because of the flood's damage, four feet of Sheetrock had to be removed from each unit. Countertops, floors, appliances and tubs were also replaced.

McLean had hoped to have all the residents moved back in by April, but the months blended together. She never imagined it would take nine months to repair the units.

Working from a folding table and a laptop, McLean tracked contracts for construction that had taken over all four buildings. She started attending the county's emergency management meetings so she could better understand different programs available to help her displaced residents.

"They've been through a lot," she said. "I've just been with them and tried to hold them together."

The seniors were scattered among the county's shelters, which McLean visited regularly. Sometimes the residents would just ramble and cry to her.

It was better when they were moved to hotel rooms, but still difficult.

"They really weren't getting any hot food," McLean said. "The Motel 6 owner would buy pizza for them."

McLean continued to check on residents while construction progressed at the apartment buildings. In June, she passed along the news they had been longing to hear.

"Finally I told them to just prepare themselves," she said. "It's time to come home."

In Smith's room, the suitcases were stacked against a wall. It was surreal to see the room emptying as she moved her things into her apartment.

"It was a happy feeling to really go to the front desk and check out and thank all the staff," Smith said. "It was painful to leave them because they had become family, but it was a good feeling to say this chapter of my life is behind me."

It's just temporary, until her permanent apartment is ready, but she's grateful to get out of the motel.

Her apartment has an open living room area in the front next to the full kitchen. A bathroom is between the kitchen and bedroom.

"I walked in and I looked at everything," she said. "I saw my couch in the room and my bed in the room. I was like, 'Boy, I waited a long time to see my own personal things.' Just to have my own personal things, it was a feeling you can't describe."
PILOT MOUNTAIN  The manager of a restaurant in Pilot Mountain was arrested the week following a year-long investigation, according to law enforcement.

Cecil Anthony Tony Durham, 57, was the manager of Pub 109 on West Main Street, said Sgt. D.J. Edmonds with Pilot Mountain police. A joint investigation with Alcohol Law Enforcement led to his arrest.

Durham, of Starry Ridge Road in Pinnacle, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, continuing a criminal enterprise and possessing and selling non-taxed alcohol, according to an officer at the Surry County Jail. He was released from jail on Thursday after posting bail.

Edmonds said an investigation into Pub 109 began with ALE sending an undercover agent to the business. The agent conducted buys from the business, mostly involving drugs and also saw illegal alcohol being sold, he said.

Marijuana was confiscated from the business as well, Edmonds said, and additional charges could be pending, possibly against other customers who were at the pub.
A 16-year-old was killed in an early Sunday morning shooting, according to the Danville Police Department, marking the ninth homicide this year in the city.

At about 3 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to the area of Paxton Street after receiving calls from residents of shots fired, according to a news release issued Sunday morning.

At about the same time, police report a 16-year-old female arrived at SOVAH Health, formerly known as Danville Regional Medical Center, via personal vehicle.

She was suffering from apparent gunshot injuries and was pronounced dead by medical staff shortly after arrival, the release stated.

The body will be sent to the Medical Examiner's Office in Roanoke for an autopsy.

Danville police cited Virginia code in not releasing the victims name due to her age.

The investigation is continuing, police said. Police did not offer any details on a suspect or if the shooting occurred inside or outside a residence.

This marks the ninth homicide in Danville this year, following a record-breaking 16 homicides in 2016.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Danville Crime Stoppers at (434) 793-0000, the Danville Police Department at (434) 799-6508 or email crimetips@danvilleva.gov. Information given will remain confidential.
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The unemployment rate fell again last month. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. gained 209,000 jobs and the unemployment rate is fell to 4.3 percent. However, according to blackdemographics.com, the unemployment rate for the Black community was 7.7 percent. It seems the jobs we are able to get are minimum wage jobs and are entry level, despite our education level. Many of us are unemployed or underemployed. What can we do to reap the rewards from this economic upturn? Two key ways are to start supporting more local businesses and to create your own.

There are many reasons for supporting local businesses. When you support local businesses, significantly more of that money stays in the community. Studies show $68 of every $100 spent stays in the community, compared to only $43 of each $100 spent at a chain retailer. Buying local gives you better customer service that is more personalized, because you know the people behind the businesses. Shopping locally also adds value by making your community special by giving it flavor. The sights, smells and sounds re what will keep the community thriving. The local businesses also tend to hire local employees. That could be you, your kids or neighbors.

I encourage every one to start thinking of what you can do to bring value to the community. Technology has made it easier to get your side hustle started to help create your own destiny. Create your own economic upturn by offering services to your friends, neighbors and church. Ride sharing with Uber or Lyft, babysitting, baking and car detailing are small jobs that take little startup money. I find everyone wants to save time, so you could offer services to help people do it. You may want to cook meals, grocery shop or run other errands for people in your spare time. It doesnt have to be elaborate. You will be surprised how much extra money you can make by helping others.

I realize for many of us, it is easier said than done. We are busy trying to figure out how to make it to next payday. How are we to make enough to pay for gas, food and to keep a roof over our heads? Low-income families already spend a higher proportion of their income on food, energy, transportation and health needs than higher-income families do. Now that school has started, a different set of problems arises. It can get overwhelming. We should not have to play catch up, but white America had a 400-year head start. Some seem against helping us get caught up, with cuts in education and fights to repeal affirmative action. All we have is time and our faith in God. But as Fannie Hamer said, You can pray until you faint, but unless you get up and try to do something, God is not going to put it in your lap.

If you have ideas on how to do better and capitalize on your opportunities, please feel free to contact me thomsustainableconsulting@gmail.com. Or you can follow me on Twitter @tcsheff.
11:30 07.08.2017 Interfax-Ukraine to host press conference 'Dirty tricks of Russian special services in Ukrainian politics'

1 min read

On Monday, August 7, at 12.00, the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency's press center will host a press conference entitled "Dirty tricks of Russian special services in Ukrainian politics." The participants will include chairman of the human rights organization Syndicate Yevhen Chepeliansky; activist of the Syndicate organization, ATO member Borys Portny, who will talk about the ways the Russian special services tried to use them as unwitting agents: the tricks that are used during the recruiting in social networks, criminal schemes, features of work and proposed fees (8/5a Reitarska Street). Admission requires press accreditation.
A mob of around 50 people allegedly attacked and beaten 'gau rakshaks' near Shrigonda police station in Ahmednagar distrct of Maharashtra on Saturday evening. The incident took place after gau rakshaks with the help of police intercepted a tempo reportedly illegally transporting cows to a slaughterhouse.

The Ahmednagar police said that seven gau rakshaks are injured in the attack. Police has registered a case of attempt to murder. The owner of the tempo, Wahid Shaikh, and driver Raju Fatrubhai Shaikh have been arrested under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act.

Shivshankar Rajendra Swami of Pune, who claims to be a legally appointed honorary animal welfare officer, told Indian Express that he and a team of 11 gau rakshaks had come to watch out for smuggling of cows to the famous weekly animal market in Kashti village.

Indian Express

had come to the Shrigonda taluka in the morning to watch out for illegal transportation of cows to the famous weekly animal market in Kashti village, held every Saturday.

We got information about a tempo transporting cows illegally. We informed the Shrigonda police about it. With the help of police, the tempo was intercepted near Hotel Tiranga on the Daund-Ahmednagar road, around 1 pm. Ten oxen and two cows were rescued. Later, we went to the Shrigonda police station for lodging a police complaint. We were hungry so we went to a hotel to have food, when we saw an armed mob gathering at the spot. So we again went to the police station and completed filing the FIR against Wahid Shaikh and Raju Shaikh, said Swami, adding that the tempo owner and driver were taking the cows and oxen illegally to a slaughterhouse in Zendi Gate, Hamalwada area of Ahmednagar.

Around 6 pm, when we left the police station, where some mediapersons had also gathered, a mob of about 50, with some carrying sharp weapons and stones, attacked us, leaving some of our activists injured. The assailants also robbed gold chains of some activists. Police rushed to the spot and controlled the situation, said Swami.

Reuters

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ahmednagar, Sudarshan Munde said, As per the FIR lodged by Swami, we have booked about 30 persons under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 395 (dacoity) and other sections of the IPC. Seven persons were injured in the incident. Investigation has been initiated to confirm the sequence of events and arrest the assailants.
A woman from Pakistan who now lives in India said she has been tying 'rakhi' to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for more than 20 years, reported ANI.

ANI

"I have been tying 'rakhi' to Narendra Bhai for the last 22-23 years, excited to do it this time too," said the woman, Qamar Mohsin Shaikh, to ANI. Qamar moved to India from Pakistan after she got married and has been living here since. She tied her first 'rakhi' to the PM when he was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker.

BCCL

"When I first tied 'rakhi' to Narendra bhai, he was a karyakarta (RSS worker) but with his sheer hard work and vision he has become the PM," said Shaikh.

This year, she said she didn't expect she will hear from the PM because of his busy schedule, but then two days ago she received a call from him.

"This time, I thought PM Modi must be busy but two days back he called up, I was very happy to know that; started preparing for 'Raksha Bandhan'," said Qamar.
An Indian-origin man in the UAE yesterday hit a jackpot by winning a whopping dhirham 5 million (USD 1.3 million) in a mega raffle draw in Abu Dhabi. Krishnam Raju Thokachichu, who works as a detailing checker in the construction industry, won the huge sum in the latest edition of 'Big 5 Ticket Draw'.

Supplied

The event held at the Abu Dhabi International Airport was attended by all the big 10 millionaires from series 181. Unlike many other winners who share the ticket prize with other raffle draw participants, Thokachichu will be enjoying the grand prize for himself.

"I used to buy tickets with other friends, but this time I decided I'll just shoulder the cost alone - and I got lucky this time," Mr Thokachichu told Gulf News.

The winning could not have come at a better time for Thokachichu as he had been struggling to pay back his loans and was facing financial hardships.

TOI/Representational Image

The Indian based in Ras Al Khaimah had been buying tickets for the draw for the last three years, the report said.

"Every month, I'd set aside money to pay for the ticket. It was indeed a surprise when I got the call from the raffle organisers. I got so excited that I had to call my mother in India right away," he said.

Mr Thokachichu, who first came to the UAE in 2008 and makes less than dhirham 10,000 a month, said he will save a portion of the money to pay for the education of his four-year-old child.
In a shocking incident, a Pakistani man decapitated his wife for not quitting her job as a labourer, reported the local media. 37-year-old Nasreen, a mother of three and a resident of Lahore was found dead on Sunday by her children with her severed head.

representational image

According to a senior police official, Nasreen was killed by her husband Afraheem who did not like her job and had asked her to quit. Despite opposition, Nasreen continued with the job, the official said. She was attacked with a chopper.
Two years ago, a group of American roboticists challenged a Japanese robot manufacturer to a bout. Which giant robot is the best in the world?

Finally, later next month, we will get to see the first ever giant robot, metal-on-metal, brawl in history. And it promises to be beautiful!

Suidobashi Heavy Industry's Kurata model

US-based MegaBots challenged Japans Suidobashi Heavy Industry to a giant robot fight, to determine whos was the biggest, baddest bot of them all. After two years of YouTube-documented development and tweaking, the two giants are finally ready to clash.

MegaBots co-founders Matt Oehrlein and Gui Cavalcanti today announced their duel with Suidobashis hulking contender will take place in September this year. While the battle was originally planned to take place last year, the unprecedented preparations for the battle, as well as logistical issues at the original venue caused a few delays.

Suidobashi. We have a giant robot, you have a giant robot. You know what needs to happen - Team USA

And by logistical challenges, we dont mean mundane issues like there not being enough seating or venues were overpriced. Remember, two giant metal robots are expected to fight to the death, so organisers have to allow for things like a proportionately oversized ring, safety precautions for those present, as well as power and tools to work on the robots, among other things.

Meet the contenders

As far as the two fighters go, both companies have put out their best for the title of Ultimate Robot Warrior. MegaBots Mk. III robot, aka Eagle Prime, is a 12-ton (approximately 10886 kg) 16-feet-tall beast, with 430 horsepower of crushing dominance behind it. It moves quicker and punches faster than the predecessor Mk II, and features a giant claw to grapple its opponent, as well as a cannon arm that shoots 1.3 kg paintballs at over 160 kmph. In addition, MegaBots has also built a few accessories like a chainsaw and a large drill, that can be swapped for the existing arms.

MegaBot's Eagle Prime (Mk III)

On the other hand, not much is known about Suidobashis Kurata, except for a few details. The robot stands about 13 feet tall, and navigates on four leg-mounted wheels, unlike the Mk IIIs tracks. Meanwhile, the company has already designed various claw arms, gatling guns, missile launcher-like shoulder mounts and even a carbon shield, so its anyones guess what theyll end up using for the battle.

If we're going to win this, I want to punch them to scrap and knock them down to do it. - Team Japan

Unfortunately for those of you excited to see the first ever giant robot battle, youre not going to be able to see it in person. Though the event was crowdfunded on Kickstarter for close to $550,000, itll be closed to the public due to safety concerns. Indeed, both robots arent controlled remotely but by pilots seated within the mechs themselves, so how they intend to keep themselves safe was one of the first few discussions between the two groups. You will however be able to watch the battle on both Suidobashi and MegaBots YouTube channels, though its still unclear if thatll be a live broadcast.

When the dust settles, only one of the robots will emerge a clear victor, but all of us will be winners in the process. One can only hope this leads to giant robot fighting leagues a la Hugh Jackman starrer Real Steel, but you can bet itll at least be a heck of an event to watch.
U.S. National Security Adviser Herbert McMaster has said that it is in the interests of the U.S. to provide support to Ukraine to combat Russian aggression.

In an interview with the MSNBC on Saturday, McMaster said that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump considers various options for support and that the American side should do everything they can to prevent the conflict from growing.

He noted the danger of Russian aggression and that the leadership has an understanding of the nature of the Russian regime.

At the end of July, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported with reference to U.S. officials, that the U.S. State Department and Pentagon officials had developed a plan for the supply of defensive weapons to Ukraine. "The U.S. Pentagon and State Department have devised plans to supply Ukraine with antitank missiles and other weaponry and are seeking White House approval," the WSJ said.

According to it, among other things, it can be about the anti-tank missile systems Javelin and the means of air defense.

BBC earlier reported Special Representative of the U.S. Department of State for Ukraine Kurt Volker said that Washington is actively considering the issue of a possible defensive weapons supply to Ukraine. According to the report, Volker said defensive weapons could help Ukraine protect itself, drive tanks out of Donbas, would help stop Russia, which threatens Ukraine.
On the Beach 2017: The Beckoning Of Nuclear War





By John Pilger

August 07, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - The US submarine captain says, Weve all got to die one day, some sooner and some later. The trouble always has been that youre never ready, because you dont know when its coming. Well, now we do know and theres nothing to be done about it.

He says he will be dead by September. It will take about a week to die, though no one can be sure. Animals live the longest.

The war was over in a month. The United States, Russia and China were the protagonists. It is not clear if it was started by accident or mistake. There was no victor. The northern hemisphere is contaminated and lifeless now.

A curtain of radioactivity is moving south towards Australia and New Zealand, southern Africa and South America. By September, the last cities, towns and villages will succumb. As in the north, most buildings will remain untouched, some illuminated by the last flickers of electric light.

This is the way the world ends

Not with a bang but a whimper

These lines from T.S. Eliots poem The Hollow Men appear at the beginning of Nevil Shutes novel On the Beach , which left me close to tears. The endorsements on the cover said the same.

Published in 1957 at the height of the Cold War when too many writers were silent or cowed, it is a masterpiece. At first the language suggests a genteel relic; yet nothing I have read on nuclear war is as unyielding in its warning. No book is more urgent.

Some readers will remember the black and white Hollywood film starring Gregory Peck as the US Navy commander who takes his submarine to Australia to await the silent, formless spectre descending on the last of the living world.

I read On the Beach for the first time the other day, finishing it as the US Congress passed a law to wage economic war on Russia, the worlds second most lethal nuclear power. There was no justification for this insane vote, except the promise of plunder.

The sanctions are aimed at Europe, too, mainly Germany, which depends on Russian natural gas and on European companies that do legitimate business with Russia. In what passed for debate on Capitol Hill, the more garrulous senators left no doubt that the embargo was designed to force Europe to import expensive American gas.

Their main aim seems to be war  real war. No provocation as extreme can suggest anything else. They seem to crave it, even though Americans have little idea what war is. The Civil War of 1861-5 was the last on their mainland. War is what the United States does to others.

The only nation to have used nuclear weapons against human beings, they have since destroyed scores of governments, many of them democracies, and laid to waste whole societies  the million deaths in Iraq were a fraction of the carnage in Indo-China, which President Reagan called a noble cause and President Obama revised as the tragedy of an exceptional peopleHe was not referring to the Vietnamese.

Filming last year at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, I overheard a National Parks Service guide lecturing a school party of young teenagers. Listen up, he said. We lost 58,000 young soldiers in Vietnam, and they died defending your freedom.

At a stroke, the truth was inverted. No freedom was defended. Freedom was destroyed. A peasant country was invaded and millions of its people were killed, maimed, dispossessed, poisoned; 60,000 of the invaders took their own lives. Listen up, indeed.

A lobotomy is performed on each generation. Facts are removed. History is excised and replaced by what Time magazine calls an eternal present. Harold Pinter described this as manipulation of power worldwide, while masquerading as a force for universal good, a brilliant, even witty, highly successful act of hypnosis [which meant] that it never happened. Nothing ever happened. Even while it was happening it wasnt happening. It didnt matter. It was of no interest.

Those who call themselves liberals or tendentiously the left are eager participants in this manipulation, and its brainwashing, which today revert to one name: Trump.

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Trump is mad, a fascist, a dupe of Russia. He is also a gift for liberal brains pickled in the formaldehyde of identity politics, wrote Luciana Bohne memorably. The obsession with Trump the man  not Trump as a symptom and caricature of an enduring system  beckons great danger for all of us.

While they pursue their fossilised anti-Russia agendas, narcissistic media such as the Washington Post, the BBC and the Guardian suppress the essence of the most important political story of our time as they warmonger on a scale I cannot remember in my lifetime.

On 3 August, in contrast to the acreage the Guardian has given to drivel that the Russians conspired with Trump (reminiscent of the far-right smearing of John Kennedy as a Soviet agent), the paper buried, on page 16, news that the President of the United States was forced to sign a Congressional bill declaring economic war on Russia.

Unlike every other Trump signing, this was conducted in virtual secrecy and attached with a caveat from Trump himself that it was clearly unconstitutional.

A coup against the man in the White House is under way. This is not because he is an odious human being, but because he has consistently made clear he does not want war with Russia.

This glimpse of sanity, or simple pragmatism, is anathema to the national security managers who guard a system based on war, surveillance, armaments, threats and extreme capitalism. Martin Luther King called them the greatest purveyors of violence in the world today.

They have encircled Russia and China with missiles and a nuclear arsenal. They have used neo-Nazis to instal an unstable, aggressive regime on Russias borderland  the way through which Hitler invaded, causing the deaths of 27 million people. Their goal is to dismember the modern Russian Federation.

In response, partnership is a word used incessantly by Vladimir Putin  anything, it seems, that might halt an evangelical drive to war in the United States. Incredulity in Russia may have now turned to fear and perhaps a certain resolution. The Russians almost certainly have war-gamed nuclear counter strikes. Air-raid drills are not uncommon. Their history tells them to get ready.

The threat is simultaneous. Russia is first, China is next. The US has just completed a huge military exercise with Australia known as Talisman Sabre. They rehearsed a blockade of the Malacca Straits and the South China Sea, through which pass Chinas economic lifelines.

The admiral commanding the US Pacific fleet said that, if required, he would nuke China. That he would say such a thing publicly in the current perfidious atmosphere begins to make fact of Nevil Shutes fiction.

None of this is considered news. No connection is made as the bloodfest of Passchendaele a century ago is remembered. Honest reporting is no longer welcome in much of the media. Windbags, known as pundits, dominate: editors are infotainment or party line managers. Where there was once sub-editing, there is the liberation of axe-grinding cliches. Those journalists who do not comply are defenestrated.

The urgency has plenty of precedents. In my film, The Coming War on China , John Bordne, a member of a US Air Force missile combat crew based in Okinawa, Japan, describes how in 1962  during the Cuban missile crisis  he and his colleagues were told to launch all the missiles from their silos.

Nuclear armed, the missiles were aimed at both China and Russia. A junior officer questioned this, and the order was eventually rescinded  but only after they were issued with service revolvers and ordered to shoot at others in a missile crew if they did not stand down.

At the height of the Cold War, the anti-communist hysteria in the United States was such that US officials who were on official business in China were accused of treason and sacked. In 1957  the year Shute wrote On the Beach  no official in the State Department could speak the language of the worlds most populous nation. Mandarin speakers were purged under strictures now echoed in the Congressional bill that has just passed, aimed at Russia.

The bill was bipartisan. There is no fundamental difference between Democrats and Republicans. The terms left and right are meaningless. Most of Americas modern wars were started not by conservatives, but by liberal Democrats.

When Obama left office, he presided over a record seven wars, including Americas longest war and an unprecedented campaign of extrajudicial killings  murder  by drones.

In his last year, according to a Council on Foreign Relations study, Obama, the reluctant liberal warrior, dropped 26,171 bombs  three bombs every hour, 24 hours a day. Having pledged to help rid the world of nuclear weapons, the Nobel Peace Laureate built more nuclear warheads than any president since the Cold War.

Trump is a wimp by comparison. It was Obama  with his secretary of state Hillary Clinton at his side  who destroyed Libya as a modern state and launched the human stampede to Europe. At home, immigration groups knew him as the deporter-in-chief.

One of Obamas last acts as president was to sign a bill that handed a record $618billion to the Pentagon, reflecting the soaring ascendancy of fascist militarism in the governance of the United States. Trump has endorsed this.

Buried in the detail was the establishment of a Center for Information Analysis and Response. This is a ministry of truth. It is tasked with providing an official narrative of facts that will prepare us for the real possibility of nuclear war  if we allow it.
Home New Sanctions Against Russia - A Failure Of U.S. Strategy By Moon Of Alabama August 07, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Recently the U.S. congress legislated sanctions against the Russian Federation over alleged, but completely unproven, interference in the U.S. presidential elections. The vote was nearly unanimous. President Trump signed these sanctions into law. This was a huge and stupid mistake. He should have vetoed them, even as a veto would likely be overturned. With his signing of the law Trump gave up the ability to stay on somewhat neutral grounds towards Russia. This for no gain to him at all. Sanctions by Congress are quasi eternal. The 1974 Jackson-Vanik amendment restricted trade with the then "Communist block". It was supposed to press for Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union to Israel. But even after the Soviet Union broke down in the early 1990s, after the "communist block" had disappeared and long after any limits on emigrations had been lifted, the law and its economic sanctions stayed in place. It was only lifted in 2012 and only to be immediately replaced by the ludicrous Magnitsky act which immediately established a new set of sanctions against the Russian Federation and its interests. The new additional sanctions, like the Jackson-Vanik amendment and the Magnitsky act, were shaped by domestic U.S. policy issues. There is nothing Russia could have done to avoid them and there is nothing it can do to have them lifted. The new U.S. sanctions are not only directed against Russia but against any company and nation that cooperates with Russia over energy. This a little disguised attempt to press European countries into buying expensive U.S. liquefied natural gas instead of cheap Russian gas delivered by pipelines. The immediate target is the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany which passes through the Baltic Sea to avoid potential conflict points in east Europe. The sanctions are a threat to an independent German energy policy. (Additional partners in the pipeline are Austria, France and the Netherlands.) Consequently 35% of Germans name the U.S. as a "major threat to the country". Russia is seen as such by only 33%. This view is consistent with the global perception . These sanctions will shape U.S.-Russian relation for the next 30 plus years. On August 2 the Russian Prime Minister Medvedev pointed to the weakness of President Trump as the main reason for these sanctions : The US President's signing of the package of new sanctions against Russia will have a few consequences. First, it ends hopes for improving our relations with the new US administration. Second, it is a declaration of a full-fledged economic war on Russia. Third, the Trump administration has shown its total weakness by handing over executive power to Congress in the most humiliating way. This changes the power balance in US political circles. What does it mean for them? The US establishment fully outwitted Trump; the President is not happy about the new sanctions, yet he could not but sign the bill. The issue of new sanctions came about, primarily, as another way to knock Trump down a peg. New steps are to come, and they will ultimately aim to remove him from power. A non-systemic player has to be removed. Meanwhile, the interests of the US business community are all but ignored, with politics chosen over a pragmatic approach. Anti-Russian hysteria has become a key part of both US foreign policy (which has occurred many times) and domestic policy (which is a novelty).

... Remember that Medvedev as Russian leader was, for a long time, the "hope" of the U.S. establishment. He was perceived as more amenable than the Russian President Putin. Medvedev may well become president again. But no U.S. media except the New York Post took notice of his statement. That in itself is astonishing and frightening. Can no one in the U.S. see where this will lead to? Medvedev predicts: The sanctions regime has been codified and will remain in effect for decades unless a miracle happens. [...] [R]elations between Russia and the United States are going to be extremely tense regardless of Congress makeup and regardless of who is president. Lengthy arguments in international bodies and courts are ahead, as well as rising international tensions and refusal to settle major international issues. Economically and politically Russia can and will cope with these sanctions, says Medvedev. But can the U.S.? No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter The supreme global role of the U.S. depends on preventing a Euro-Asian alliance between, mainly, Russia and China. In his latest "grand chessboard" piece Toward a Global Realignment the U.S. strategist Zbigniew Brzezinski - ruthless, amoral and capable - asserts: [I]t behooves the United States to fashion a policy in which at least one of the two potentially threatening states becomes a partner in the quest for regional and then wider global stability, and thus in containing the least predictable but potentially the most likely rival to overreach. Currently, the more likely to overreach is Russia, but in the longer run it could be China. The U.S. foreign policy establishment has declared war on Russia. The confrontational position towards China, which was en vogue under Obama, has noticeably changed. The Hillary Clinton/Barack Obama "pivot to Asia" was cancelled. The anti-Chinese Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement has been called off. Military provocations of China in the South Chinese Sea have been reduced and replaced by continuous provocations against Russia in eastern Europe. These steps follow the strategy Brzezinski laid out. Russia has historically proven to be resourceful in its policies. It is extremely resistant to pressure. With the U.S. in a less hostile position against China, the behemoth will relentlessly press its own advantage. Russia will soon be one of China's main sources of fossil energy and other commodities. There is no major reason for China and Russia to disagree with each other. Under these circumstances the hoped for Russian-Chinese split will not happen. Core European countries will resist pressures that endanger their economies. The Brzezinski strategy is clouded by a personal hate against Russia. (He is descendant of minor noble Galician-Polish family .) It is flawed as it enables China to establish its primacy. Even under Brzezinski's framework a Russian-European-U.S. alliance against Chinese pursuit of hegemony would have been the more logical way to go. Hillary Clinton's strategy to blame Russia for her lack of likability and her failure in the election now results in a major failure of U.S. grand strategy. An organized White House policy could have prevented that but there is no such thing (yet) under Trump. I fail to see how the current strategy, now enshrined by congressional sanctions, could ever end up in an overall advantage for the United States. This article was first published by Moon Of Alabama - The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Search Information Clearing House Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. What's your response? - Scroll down to add / read comments Please read our Comment Policy before posting - It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. Click here to comment on our Facebook page
Home JFK Killing: Lies & Russophobia By Finian Cunningham August 07, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - The assassination of President John F Kennedy in 1963 was a seminal event in modern American history. Yet 54 years on, the official US state continues covering up the shocking truth about the killing of one of its most popular leaders. A recent release of secret memos from the Central Intelligence Agency is a classic case of disinformation put out to further contaminate public knowledge about how and why the president was murdered in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. American news journal, Politico, headlined an article about the latest declassified information: How the CIA came to doubt the official story of JFKs murder. From a casual glance, one might think that at last some new insight into the Kennedy assassination may be forthcoming and on the role played by Lee Harvey Oswald, the young ex-marine accused of pulling the trigger. Not a bit of it. The latest batch of CIA memos  penned around 1975  do not in any way undermine the [official] Warren Commissions finding that Oswald killed Kennedy with shots fired from his perch on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository and that there was no credible evidence of a second gunman. What the newest release of CIA documents appear to disclose is that the agency was involved in a benign cover-up by influencing the 1964 Warren Commission to conclude that Oswald acted alone in killing the president. What appears to be revealed now is the CIA had deeper concerns that the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro may have indirectly motivated Oswald. The CIA refers to a New Orleans newspaper article published two months before JFKs murder, in which Castro is quoted denouncing covert American operations against his own life. That news report, says the CIA in a 1975 memo, may have inspired Oswald as an American supporter of the Cuban socialist revolution to proceed to Dallas and plot against the US president as an act of revenge. Other intriguing glimpses, as Politico describes the latest declassification from the US National Archives, include CIA misgivings that alleged meetings by Oswald with Cuban and Russian officials in Mexico City weeks prior to JFKs assassination were not adequately followed up by Warren commission investigators. What this amounts to is disinformation planted in the National Archives by the CIA, which upon eventual release gives the impression that a significant revelation is being unearthed. Notice how the supposed disclosures end up reinforcing the official narrative  namely, that the American president was killed by a lone malcontent. The only new twist in the official narrative is the CIA conceding that it had earlier suspicions Oswald gained assistance  directly or indirectly  from foreign enemies in Cuba and the then Soviet Union. Conveniently, this latest spin feeds into the current climate of Russophobia being whipped up by large sections of the US media, which blames Russia for meddling in the presidential elections last years and colluding with the campaign team for Donald Trump. In other words, the latest CIA disclosures are designed at burnishing the credibility of the official US account of how and why JFK was murdered, while also resonating with the Deep State effort to oust Trump from the White House. The trouble is the official version of JFKs killing has already been exposed as a preposterous fraud by numerous independent researchers and writers. Perhaps the best account on the event is provided by James W Douglass in his book , JFK and the Unspeakable. There are several others, but Douglass book is a compendious study. There seems little doubt that Kennedy was taken out by executive action, a term used by the CIA and its Deep States operatives, including the numerous hit men that triangulated the ambush on JFKs motorcade on that fateful day in Dealey Plaza, Dallas. The 24-year-old Oswald was just a patsy, as he proclaimed, before he was shot dead, in turn, two days after Kennedys assassination, while in police custody. There is sound evidence that Oswald was working as an informer for the FBI trying to alert it to the plot to kill Kennedy. The plot was masterminded by the CIA and implemented by contract killers from the mafia and rightwing Cuban exiles. Hours before his own death, Oswald tried to make a desperate phone call to his handlers from the Dallas police station. The call was never put through, but the switchboard operator came forward years later and the number was traced to someone in the secret services. As for the CIAs concerns about Oswalds alleged meetings with Cuban and Russian officials in Mexico City during September 1963, many researchers believe it was not Oswald who participated in the strange encounters. Plausibly, it was an imposter employed by the CIA to later implicate Oswald  a process known as sheep dipping. Russian records of Oswalds alleged visits to its embassy in Mexico City say that he behaved unruly as if the meeting was designed to create a memorable commotion. Also, the person claiming to be Oswald spoke terrible Russian, whereas the real Oswald was fluent in the language, having married a Russian-born woman. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Daily Newsletter So why was John F Kennedy assassinated? Because, from a personal process of political education, the former Cold Warrior Kennedy realized that his nation needed to normalize relations with the Soviet Union. JFK had set up backchannel communications with his Russian counterpart Nikita Khrushchev to negotiate landmark nuclear weapons disarmament. Kennedy had also set up backchannels with Cuban leader Fidel Castro to negotiate ending covert American operations to overthrow his government. The genuine grief and sadness spoken by both Khrushchev and Castro on the news of Kennedys assassination is on the record, as James Douglass recounts in his book. The notion that either of these foreign leaders would have conspired in, or inspired, JFKs murder is plain nonsense, given the detente initiatives underway at the time. Due to Kennedys courageous stance to rein in American imperialism, he had garnered dangerous enemies among the Deep State, the CIA, the military-industrial complex and a host of rabid anti-communist American politicians. One of the most maligned people in history is Lee Harvey Oswald, the disaffected US marine who was probably recruited into the CIA as part of its assassination scheme against Kennedy. Tragically, Oswald was maneuvered to take the rap. The theory that he could have fired off three bullets in a matter of seconds from an archaic Italian-made rifle in a long-distance shot at the president is just absurd. The fatal head wound received by Kennedy clearly shows that he was shot at close range and from the opposite direction of the Dallas School Book Depository where Oswald had become mysteriously employed. The big deal about the latest trove of CIA memos on the assassination of JFK is classic disinformation. Why does all this matter? If the American state can carry out such a brazen regime-change operation against its own elected president  and continue to lie about for over 50 years  should we be surprised when the same secretive forces today lie about Russian meddling in the US election? Anything is possible with such vile forces. This article was first published by Sputnik - The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Search Information Clearing House Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. What's your response? - Scroll down to add / read comments Please read our Comment Policy before posting - It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. Click here to comment on our Facebook page
Ace music star and activist, Charles Oputa, famously known as Charly Boy, has said young people will have choices to make in 2019 general elections.

Oputa, who prides himself as an Area Father of Frustrated People in Nigeria during his sensitisation walk on the streets of Makurdi yesterday, urged young people to wake up and make desired changes.

He said, We want to know in 2019 that the youths have choices to make. In 2019, young people can get a Nigerian who can effectively lead the country. Our campaign seeks to bring forth paradigm shift.

Since independence, we have been plagued with false promises. We have had past leaders saying that the future belongs to the youths but they (leaders) have occupied the space.

Im a baby of the early 50s, it is my generation and the generation before me that are responsible for this rot: creating an environment not suitable for young people to grow. I apologise on behalf of my generation. But the young people have to organise and take back their stolen future.

He viewed the Not Too Young to Run bill recently passed by the National Assembly (NASS) as suspicious and perhaps a ploy by NASS members to replace themselves with their relatives after their tenures.

I dont know whether the bill was made in favour of the status quo children and their friends to continue to do what they are doing.

That is why we are encouraging young people to go register and become part of the process. That is why#mumudondo# movement is looking for political groups to stand behind and support them, he said.

Source: Dailypost
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue says his administration will need at least N40 billion to clear the backlog of salary arrears owed workers of the state.

Mr. Ortom dropped the hint in a statement issued on Sunday in Makurdi by his Special Adviser on Media and ICT, Tahav Agerzua.

He denied owing workers up to 10 months at a stretch, explaining that he had not breached his agreement with labour leaders in the state concerning the mode of salary payment.

I have kept my agreement with labour leaders that as a result of insufficient funds, the federal allocation of two months would be combined to pay one months complete salary for workers.

According to him, it is the accumulation of the unpaid months that gave the wrong impression of 10 months at a stretch.

Mr. Ortom also expressed regret that the N8.2 billion inherited wage bill had compounded the financial situation of the state.

He said his administration had, however, reduced the wage bill to N7.8 billion, adding that the recovery of looted funds would help address the challenge of unpaid salaries faced by his administration.

He alleged that N107 billion had been looted from the coffers of the state government and that one of the persons indicted by an investigative panel had refunded N370 million.

He further said that N4.5 billion bond proceeds that had been diverted, had also been recovered and channelled to the original purpose it was meant.

The governor said the state of emergency declared on the payment of salaries would focus on reducing the wage bill and clearing the backlog of arrears owed workers.

He said the government was working hard to turn around the fortunes of the moribund industries.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Benue workers are being owed eight months salary arrears.

NAN further reports that the state government recently received N6.4 billion from the Federal Government as its share of Paris Club refunds for the payment of salaries among other interventions.

Source: (NAN)
Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo has withdrawn the nomination of Maimuna Aliyu and Saad Alanamu from the board of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences Commission, ICPC.

The two nominees were named by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo despite being under investigation for corruption by anti-graft agencies.

According to a report by ICIR, Mr. Alanamu is being investigated for corrupt acts allegedly committed when he headed a higher education institution in Kwara State, while Ms. Aliyu is said to have a longstanding case of abuse of office, misappropriation and diversion of public funds against her; for crimes allegedly committed when she held sway as the head of marketing at Aso Savings and Loans limited.

In a series of tweets on Sunday, spokesperson to Mr. Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, said the government had decided to withdraw their nominations.

We are stepping down 2 of the new ICPC board nominees who have ongoing investigation issues with the commission as this presents a conflict.

This case presents a peculiarity as we have confirmed that the agency in which they are to serve is indeed investigating the two of them.

A basic check showed no court convictions against them. But when weighty petitions come up this administration ll always do the right thing.

Source: ( Premium Times )
Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski has said that the Poles are aware of the glorification of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists  Ukrainian Insurgent Army (OUN-UPA) in Ukraine, but at the same time they understand the importance of an independent Ukraine for the security of Europe and are still ready to support Kyiv.

"Ukraine is unconsciously trying to articulate, to find its historical identity, to lay the foundation for patriotism  although someone may call it nationalism. This is a normal trend. But our advice [to the Ukrainians] is not to build a historical identity on such figures as Shukhevych (Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army Roman Shukhevych) for instance. This may affect the European aspirations of Ukraine, because members of the OUN-UPA participated not only in crimes against the Poles, but also in the Holocaust," Waszczykowski said in an interview with the Russian newspaper Kommersant.

The Polish foreign minister said that in December last year during the visit of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to Poland, the parties discussed this issue and the Polish side suggested acting according to Israel's example of rethinking of the Holocaust - rewarding and celebrating those Ukrainians and Poles "who really saved people during and after the war."

"In the common history of Poland and Ukraine there are individuals who have done a lot of good...," Waszczykowski said adding that he discussed this matter with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin, but hadn't heard anything from him on the matter since then.

He said that he was still waiting for an opportunity to resume this discussion with the Ukrainian side and was waiting for a response from Ukraine.

At the same time, Waszczykowski said he understands the importance of independent Ukraine for European security.

"However, I should say that for the Poles, although they are aware of this problem, it is not a key one. We remember. We will not forget the Volyn massacre. We know that the UPA are being glorified. But that does not mean that we will forget how an independent and sovereign Ukraine is important for security in our part of Europe. We are still ready to cooperate with and support Ukraine," the minister said.

Waszczykowski noted that what is happening in Donbas is a conflict between Ukraine and Russia, provoked by Moscow. "There is no such thing as 'a crisis in Ukraine'. There is a Russian-Ukrainian conflict caused by Russia, and we will strive to contribute to its resolution," he said.

The Polish foreign minister stressed that he prefers to call this a conflict of low intensity, rather than a frozen conflict, because according to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, "people continue to die there every day, shooting is resumed several times a day."

He also pointed out that the armed conflict in the Donbas hinders the economic transformation of Ukraine.

"Therefore, we on our part are trying to help, for instance through sharing the experience of the reform of local authorities, which we managed to hold successfully many years ago. And the Ukrainians are currently trying to copy this model," the Polish minister said.
The Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Sunday has blamed the recent crisis in the country on the management of resources and not the availability.

According to him, the Federal Government is now doing more when funds are scarce than in the days when oil was selling at over 100 dollars per barrel.

Osinbajo stated this when he received Dr Oluyinka Olutoye, the U.S.-based Nigerian medical doctor, who achieved a feat with the treatment of a foetus in the U.S., at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Congratulating Olutoye for the sterling performance, he said Nigeria produces the best in every way; its citizens continue to shine in various ways around the world.

As we continue to do what is right in public service, the country is bound to reach the top globally as a people.

In a rare medical feat, Olutoye brought out a foetus from a womans womb to remove a tumour from it, and restored the unborn baby to the womb successfully.

The woman, Margaret Boemer, then continued to carry the pregnancy to term and was later delivered of the baby safely and well.

Osinbajo told Houston-based Olutoye, who was accompanied to the Villa by members of his family, including his wife and parents that, our country continues to shine in various ways.

Your achievement is remarkable in every sense. People are bound to wonder; its the kind that fables are made of, and this is from someone who is Nigeria-trained.

He said that Nigeria could be well run, but that it would take a lot of doing by good men and women, adding that the country produced the best in every way.

The acting president said that in the past two years, he had learnt that if we do the right things, day-by-day, well change and improve the Nigerian situation significantly.

When we were making over 100 dollars per barrel of oil, we were owing oil JVC cash-calls, not able to pay salaries and owing contractors.

Now that we are down in earnings by 60 per cent, we have sorted out the problem of cash-calls and are able to support states to pay salaries.

Earlier, Olutoye had attributed his medical successes in the U.S. to his Nigerian training and education up till the university, having graduated in Medicine from the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife.

All we have achieved from primary to university is from Nigeria, and I believe that Nigeria will surpass what we have achieved out there, he said.

For the feat, Olutoye won U.S and world recognition.

Source: ( PM News )
Former Minister of Aviation, Sen. Stella Oduah, has debunked the allegations against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on any matter allegedly concerning her owing a N255m bullet-proof BMW

She was reacting to media report that she had been invited by the anti-graft agency for questioning over a N225 million bullet-proof BMW allegedly purchased her when she was a minister.

The car was said to have been bought by one of the agencies under the aviation ministry.

But, Oduah told reporters in Abuja on Sunday that there was no basis upon which she could be probed, saying that the vehicle did not belong to her.

To start with, I do not know where any letter on the probe is because nobody has invited me, and as far as I know, there is nothing and there cannot be anything on invitation for purchase of a BMW.

I did not buy a BMW; I have never bought a BMW. The BMW is a property of the government, and it is still in government care.

The car is with the agency that bought it.

The agency is still using it, and so, why will the car which belongs to government and in the care of government and being used by government, be an issue for me?

I have since left the ministry, she said.

She said that the reports were the handiworks of persons, who were not comfortable with the tremendous achievements she made in the aviation sector and wanted to tarnish her image.

The former minister said that when she was appointed, Nigerian airports were in poor states and could be compared to motor parks.

She said that no effort by anyone, including her predecessors in the ministry, could be compared with she did to reposition the aviation industry for the period she was the minister.

Oduah, now a lawmaker, challenged anyone to do a comparative analysis of the sector before she became minister, while she was minister and after she left as minister.

I think some people are not just comfortable that what we did in aviation is unimaginable.

What we did in aviation was so far-reaching that it had never been done before; it was unprecedented.

To get into the lounge where people sit was impossible; most motor parks were better than what we had at the airport, whether in Lagos, Abuja or Sokoto.

We took them on and efficiently, and in a very timely manner, changed every one of them and made Nigeria airspace safe, she said.

She said safety of Nigerian passengers was made a priority while she held sway, adding that landing gears, flight gadgets, and every single thing was functioning to make Nigerias airspace recognised by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

I challenge anybody to just do a spreadsheet; how aviation was before, how I made aviation and how aviation is today.

Source: ( PM News )
Men of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, of the Lagos State Police Command recovered an AK-47 rifle from three young men in Apapa Area of Lagos State after it arrested a 23  year old bag snatcher on Friday at Alagbado area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria during a botch operation.

According to the operatives, the three young men at around 11:00 p.m on Friday carrying a bag.

The officers accosted the men but the suspects on sighting them dropped the bag and fled the scene. A check on the content of the bag revealed an AK-47.

Meanwhile, the suspected okada robber, Ayobami Adedeji was chased by the operatives on routine patrol of Kola Bus Stop, in Alagbado Area of Lagos, after snatching a hand bag around 10:00 p.m.

Adedeji, in company of an accomplice, whom he referred to as Aboki, had on Monday night, operating with a motor cycle, snatched the hand bag of one Kudirat Oyebade at Kola Bus Stop.

The operatives who were closed to the scene of the incident chased the motorcycle into the inner streets. One of the suspects was however arrested while the rider escaped abandoning his motor cycle.

Adedeji, who snatched the bag stated I was a bus conductor. I went to Kotangowa market on Monday to meet Aboki about how to raise money for ourselves. We have been together for a long time. At around 2:00 p.m on Monday, we perfected the plan to operate together on Lagos Abeokuta Expressway but our focus were Adura and Council Bus Stops around Agbado areas of Lagos State. Our priorities were handbags and purses.

We had snatched two bags and my colleague was keeping the money before our last botched operation. This was our first time. Unfortunately for me, I didnt know RRS operatives were monitoring us. I snatched the bag and they chased us into the streets. My colleague escaped after abandoning his okada and I was arrested.

He continued, I dropped out in SS1 after losing my mother. My father was just a ceremonial father. He never cared about me since the death of my mother. He never assisted me but I had to fend for myself after the death of my mother.

The rifle has been deposited at the RRS Headquarters for further investigation while Adedeji has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti for further investigations.

Source: ( PM News )
Despite the delay in the July Salaries of the 360 lawmakers, over 200 members of the House of Representatives have taken delivery of brand new exotic cars.

It was learnt that the non-payment of their salaries and other benefits had left most of the members without enough funds in the last one week.

But, on Sunday, the Chairman of the House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Abdulrazak Namdas, disclosed that over 200 members had been given Peugeot 508 series for utility services.

Namdas stated that by the plan of the House, all 360 lawmakers would have taken delivery of their cars by December 31.

Each of the vehicles cost N17m and will consume a total of N6.1bn to supply all 360 units.

Namdas spoke further, Over 200 have been supplied out of 360 and we are still getting more.

Every member will get a car by the end of this year. The issue is that the payment and supply of the vehicle is being done in instalments.

The House and the company (Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited) agreed to this arrangement of paying and supplying in instalments.

Naturally, not all the members can get their cars at the same time and we have explained to them why this cannot be possible.

The PUNCH had reported exclusively on July 1 that contracts for the automobiles were awarded late 2015.

However, owing to delivery delays and insufficient budgetary releases to the House, the majority of lawmakers were unable to get their cars in close to two years.

About 223 of the 360 members were freshers, who first came to the National Assembly in 2015.

The new members are said to be most pained as they have had to fuel personal cars for work since June, 2015.

Findings indicated that the delayed supply had led to grumbling by the members, who sought explanations from the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, on why only 175 members could get their vehicles in two years.

At a meeting before proceeding on recess on July 27, lawmakers had reportedly put Dogara on the spot by demanding the sacking of the Chairman, Committee on House Services, Mr. Nasiru Baballe-Ila.

Baballe-Ilas offence was that he practically forced the House to go for Peugeot 508 as against the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado or Camry, which the majority of lawmakers preferred.

Investigations showed that in the last few days, more supplies of the Peugeot 508 had been received, raising the number to over 200.

Asked to comment more on the issue, Namdas said part of the problem was funding challenges.

For example, he said some funding for the cars was included in the 2017 budget.

You know that we have not started the implementation of the 2017 budget fully.

You will appreciate the fact that payment for these cars will come from the budget. So, that issue too is there, he added.

The PUNCH gathered that the supply of the 200 cars still did not address the problem of the non-payment of lawmakers, who are without their July salaries.

Lawmakers take a salaries of between N690,000 and N1.1m monthly, depending on how much deductions are made from a members pay to settle debts and other facilities.

In addition, they receive a quarterly allocation of between N27.9m and N33m.

But, a dip in flow of funds to the legislature in recent months and delays have led to cuts, affecting the pockets of the majority of members.

Investigations revealed that most of the members had stayed back in Abuja, one week after the National Assembly adjourned for six weeks.

They are said not to be in a hurry to visit their constituencies for now due to the cash crunch.

One Peoples Democratic Party member from Edo State, Mr. Johnson Agbonayinma, and a member of the All Progressives Congress from Kano State, Mr. Bashir Baballe, confirmed to The PUNCH that the lawmakers were owed salaries.

Agbonayinma stated, I dont know what else to say. We are suffering. Nigerians are suffering.

The National Assembly is treated with levity; they dont take our case seriously.

The people in the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank, they tell you the same story every day.

If there is no money, are those in the Executive not running their services? That is why I have been praying that President Muhammadu Buhari should get well fast and return home.

So much is not going on well and we need a system that is not stagnated but working properly.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
The former Acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, Abdullahi Abbas, has been declared as the elected Chairman, with 14 others emerging as new state leaders of the party.

The emergence of the new leadership came after the Kano APC delegates conducted a consensus Congress into 15 vacant positions of the party at the Indoor Hall of the Sani Abacha Stadium on Saturday.

The new party executives were sworn in by the Attorney-General of the state shortly after the results were announced.

Prince Nwafor Orzu, the Chairman of the Kano Congress while announcing the results said, Abdullahi Abbas scored 2,813 to emerge the chairman after some 2,800 delegates cast their votes in accordance with the APC Congress Guidelines.

The event was witnessed by Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje, as well as some party leaders including Sen Kabiru Gaya and Sen Barau Jibril-Maliya from Kano North and Kano South senatorial districts respectively.

Ganduje, who, signed the swearing note alongside the newly elected chairman shortly after the leaders were sworn in noted that the election was meant for 15 vacant positions that needed to be filled.

He said: This is not a general party congress but an election to replace key positions that were vacant for sometimes now and we give glory to God for giving us the opportunity to conduct it peacefully without any problem.

I assured you (party members) that APC will continue to remain united in Kano because we are committed to blocking any leakage that may likely create a problem for us.

The chairman of the screening committee, Mr Nadu Yahaya explained that the committee screened 15 candidates into the vacant positions unopposed.

Based on the mandate given to us by our great party, the APC, we have screened a total number of 15 candidates who were elected to ensure the success of our party in Kano.

Delegates from the 44 local government areas of the state were at the congress, former governor of the state, Sen Rabiu Kwankwaso was conspicuously absent.

Source:( PM News )
Members of the Badoo cult disguised as Cherubim and seraphim members, attacked a woman at the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Okin Parish, Igbo Agbowa, Ibeshe, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

According to Punch, a woman, who had attended a vigil in the church, was injured after her head was smashed with a stone.

3 Badoo members were said to have joined the vigil, which ended at 3am on saturday,

After the vigil, the cultist struck, smashing the stone on the head of the woman whose name had yet to be ascertained.

The victim raised alarm, which woke other worshipers and residents of the area.

A resident identified as Joseph said, they chased the cultist and caught one of them.

He said,

After his arrest, he told us that they were three that attended the vigil. They pretended to be members of the church. People were exhausted after the service and slept off inside the church. During that period, they attacked the woman. She was seriously injured in the head. Two of them fled, but the third suspect was apprehended and taken to the Ipakodo Police Station. Some youths wanted to lynch him, but they were stopped.

Another resident in the community urged the police to conduct adequate investigation on the suspect with a view to arresting other fleeing members and their sponsors.

He said,
Popular Nigerian comedian, Ali Baba, has decried the gradual end of Christianity in Nigeria, saying christian marriage of one man, one wife was a serious threat to procreation.

The God-father of Stand-up comedy said Nigerias economy has affected the birth rate in most christian homes.

According to him, Christianity would have been extinct if not for single mothers as most christian homes in Nigeria have just a kid or maximum of three kids while Muslim homes have more than one wife, therefore producing so many children.

The comedian wrote on his instagram page @alibabagcfr: Let me use this opportunity to celebrate family. Not as a unit as the Nuclear family advocate make us believe. But a robust one. Even though a lot of economic realities now make us think twice before having more than 2 kids.

There is danger in our society that is not being attended to. Its the gradual and calculated extinction of Christians. It may not have occurred to you but it has to me, severally.

So the Christian home now has one man one wife. And if owing to unforeseen circumstances, the wife in that Christian home has no child, that is it.

Then you add the number of people becoming Nuns and Reverend Fathers That also means, that is it. Then throw into that equation, the consequences of corporate sojourn amongst male and female 9-5 Who are in pursuit of careers. They suddenly realize by age 40+ that they should start a family. And by then, for a few, options are few.

Then you can add societal stigmatization that make people treat single mothers like they committed a grave sin. So, they are tempted to abort & many do. Then because of mistakes, in D&C process, the procreation center, the womb, is tampered with. There are also those, who decided they dont want kids at all. Some go to the extent of vasectomy and hysterectomy. And that is that.

You also have those who say unless they marry a particular person, its a no children life for them. Hard choice you might say. Now add outright infertility. Male and female. In our African society, some people can lock down a womans womb just because Now the most dangerous part of the plan as orchestrated is sexual preferences.

MALE AND MALE, FEMALE AND FEMALE, dont procreate. Thats that. But on the flip side, a man can marry 4 wives, divorce all 4, marry replacements and continue the process of multiplying the earth. 1 man can blow himself up & take out thousands. Where does that leave us as Christians?

Let me tell you something interesting, if not for single mums & the children that are being won over from other faith, Christianity would have been hit.

This post is not to promote fornication & adultery, instead its just to bring to your notice whats been on my mind.

Source: Dailypost
Winner of the 2014 edition of the Gulder Ultimate Search, Canon Otto who was kidnapped a week ago has been released.

Brother to Canon, Otto Orondaam, announced his release at the early hours of Friday.

According to him, Canon was kidnapped while he was on his way to Port Harcourt along Emuoha road.

The past 7 days have been the toughest and scariest days for me & my family.

My younger brother got kidnapped while traveling into Port Harcourt. He was driving on Emuoha road and suddenly a group of men ahead of him randomly opened fire on his car forcing him to stop and he was abducted and taken into the forest.

My number was the only number he remembered and he called me that night with a strange number sounding so depressed. Orondaam I am not fine. I have been kidnapped. Please do something to help me.As I asked him where he was I then heard a cracked voice on the background saying things I cant even write. At that point my skin literally went cold and my head felt heavy.

I was about to give a presentation at the US Department of State but I became speechless. The room went dark and I couldnt even say a word. It felt like my heart stopped working. ( God bless their amazing team & my RAB team for being supportive all through the past days )

I went back to my hotel and minutes turned to hours, hours into days. My eyes became heavy cos I couldnt sleep. We called everyone we could call. My mum kept calling me severally at night crying and praying.

After 2 days of being quiet I told my MWF cohort, whom Im representing in the US and my Slum2School family who was planning a project and immediately the planning paused and both groups became praying centers.

Unfortunately the news found its way on several media blogs even when we never wanted it to and the kidnappers loved the media buzz and doubled the ransom with more threats.

But because we serve a Great God who governs, protects and oversees the earth, because He answers us when we call on Him, my brother was released last night unhurt and without a scratch after 7 days.Thanks to everyone who had heard the news and reached out to us.

Our prayers have been answered and God has done what He alone can do best. My younger brother @ottocanon is free and safe and I pray the same for our country.

Source: Dailypost
Sweepers employed by Dafunol International Limited, a contractor engaged by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, on Monday staged a peaceful protest over the non-payment of their five months salaries.

The sweepers who were in their sweeping kits and holding brooms spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria in front of Motorways Premises near 7-Up, Ikeja. They also carried placards with inscriptions appealing to the management of LAMATA to pay them their salaries.

They said that they were employed by the contractor who is into LAMATA Shelter Maintenance to be sweeping LAMATA-constructed bus shelters along Mile 12-Ketu Ikorodu Road Tafawa Balewa Square axis.

They said that they had not been paid since March 2017. Some of the inscriptions read: LAMATA, pay us our salaries ever since the month of February, LAMATA, why are you denying us our money, you are punishing us.

Mrs Musiliu Akindele (70) one of the sweepers told NAN that their employer was initially paying each sweeper N10,000 per month before it was increased to N15,0000.

We were only paid for January and February 2017. Our employer owes each of us five months salary arrears.

Most of our children had been sent out of their schools over unpaid fees, she said.

Akindele said that before now, their employer used to supply them brooms to work with. But now, we are responsible for them. With the non-payment of our salaries; we cannot afford them and this is affecting our service, she said.

Each broom costs N200 and now that the salary is not paid, we have no means to buy them to work,  she said.

Another sweeper, Mrs Morufat Egunjobi, who covers the LAMATA bus-stop shelters around Ketu, a Lagos suburb said that they usually work between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mondays through Sundays.

We do not have duty off and no motivations from our employer. Yet, our employer owes us five months of unpaid salary arrears.

Some of us who could not cope with the harsh situation had stopped working, the rest of us are doing it on empty promises that we will be paid one day.

We are indebted to food sellers and they had refused to sell to us on credit anymore, Egunjobi said.

Also, Mrs Mero Raifu, another sweeper said that she had cultivated the habit of trekking from Ijora-Badia to Costain where she was assigned LAMATA bus-stop shelters to be sweeping.

I have been ejected from my rented apartment by my landlord because of my inability to pay my monthly rent.

I now sleep inside a mosque.

Mrs Mojisola Adejuwon said that the sweepers had two meetings with their supervisors early in the year where they highlighted their plights and there was an assurance from the supervisors that they would pay them.

We have to resort to this peaceful protest today because our supervisors seemed to have reneged on their promises.

Mr Abiodun Omaike said that he had been taking care of his family from borrowing from his neighbours.

I live around Moshalashi-Idioro on Lagos Mainland while I am assigned to be sweeping four bus-stop shelters around Fadeyi and Onipanu every day.

Instead of sweeping one bus-stop shelter, each sweeper is assigned to sweep between three and four on daily basis and we do not complain.

Despite this multitasking, we are still being owed salaries by our employer.

We are pleading with our employer: LAMATA and Dafunol International Limited, its contractor to pay us our standing salaries.

Through that, we will have money to take care of ourselves and be able to work efficiently, Omaike said.

The Head of Media and Communication, LAMATA, Mr Kola Ojelabi, said that the state government was processing the funds for the payment of the sweepers.
Traditional Rulers of Anambra Central Council, has condemned the shooting of worshippers at St. Philips Catholic Church in Ozubulu community in Ekwusigo LGA of Anambra on Sunday.

The state Police Commissioner, Mr Garba Umar, had confirmed that eight worshippers died and 18 others were injured in the early morning attack.

The chairman of the council, Igwe Chukwuemeka Ilouno, said in Enugu on Sunday that he read the news online.

Ilouno, who said he was speaking on behalf of the other traditional rulers, said he and his colleagues were shocked and saddened when they heard the news.

It is shocking and barbaric that people that went to church in the early hours of today met such a calamity.

What we use to hear and read happening in distance land is now happening in our quiet and peaceful Anambra State.

It is regrettable that such news of evil and spill of blood should emanate from Anambra State.

Our people are not known for spilling of blood as we value human lives, he said.

Ilouno, who is also the traditional ruler of Ifitedunu community, called on law enforcement agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

He commiserated with Gov. Willie Obiano, the Catholic Church, Ozubulu community as well as the families of the deceased and injured.

Earlier, the Parish Priest of St. Philips Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Jude Onwuaso, said the attack took place at about 6.30 a.m. during Mass.

According to the priest, an unidentified man came into the Church, shot at a man, Chief Akunwafor Ikegwuonwu, before shooting sporadically at other worshippers.

An eyewitness, who identified herself as a choir member, said the church was dark as there was no light.

She said that the generating set suddenly developed fault; so, the mass proceeded with the congregation using candle light.

Source:( PM News )
Ukraine has barred over 20,000 Russians from entering its territory since 2015, Ukrainian State Border Service chief Petro Tsyhykal said.

"If we talk about statistics, over 20,000 Russians were denied entry from 2015 through August 3, 2017. The figures show that, after all, there were more denials in 2015 - 10,900, and about 3,000 Russian citizens have been denied entry in 2017," Tsyhykal said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

The most frequent reasons for denying entry to Russians were unsubstantiated purpose of a trip, overstaying registration limits, or failure to prove that they possess enough financial resources, he said.

"As regards an entry ban, we are talking about 3,148 Russian citizens as of now, including nearly 100 famous Russian performers and public figures, most of whom have illegally visited Crimea," Tsyhykal said.
Federal government retirees have taken to the streets to protested the non-payment of their pensions and other entitlements.

The pensioners demanded the immediate payment of outstanding 33 per cent arrears of 18 months being owed pensioners by the Federal Government; immediate conduct of verification in Lagos and issuing cheques of those not on the payroll; immediate payment of gratuities and pension arrears to those affected; immediate payment of entitlements of death benefits to the relatives of the dead; and stoppage of prolonged payment of monthly pensions and epileptic pay.

The pensioners, who carried placards to express their grievances, said that the fulfilment of the requests was the only thing that that could stop their planned continued protest nationwide.

During the protest, the Chairman, Federal Concerned Pensioners, Mr. David Adodo, said retirees ought to earn pensions for the remaining part of their lives, considering the low level of economic activities in Nigeria, but that this had not been the case.

The pensioners accused the Pension Traditional Arrangement Directorate of under-paying pensioners, as well as outright omission of some retirees from the governments payroll; delay of payments of monthly pensions.

He said, Regrettably, the little paltry wage they are rightly entitled to are paid to them in an un-dignifying manner. Retirement, which ordinarily should be embraced with joy, has become a source of sorrow, frustration, pain and agony. The pain was more complicated by the introduction of PTAD.

Adodo said that the system had forced the retirees to continue to take a death wage that could hardly sustain them in the present challenging time.

He said, The Federal Government claimed they have released the sum of N74bn to settle all outstanding arrears, but to our surprise, PTAD claimed they have not received any money, so who do we believe. Government should investigate this issue.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
The leader and deputy of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu, have both expressed grief over the kidnapping of some worshipers at St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu, Anambra, on Sunday.

The Deputy President of the Senate, also condemned the tragedy and called for the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

Saraki, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, stated that the killing of worshippers was evil.

He called on security operatives to bring perpetrators of the crime to justice.

Today, my heart goes out to Nigerias Christian community, Gov. Willy Obiano, the people of Anambra and the families of the victims and the survivors of this terrible massacre.

This brutal act of attacking innocent and unsuspecting worshippers represents the purest kind of evil.

Our security forces must not stop until everyone involved in the orchestration and execution of todays massacre in St. Philips Catholic Church is brought to book by the strong arm of justice.

The Senate will continue to offer assistance in this endeavour because today, all of us as Nigerians have been attacked by this senseless act committed by evil people, he said.

Saraki further urged security agencies in the country to step up their intelligence activities to prevent activities of criminals.

He also called on security agencies to unravel any crime committed against Nigerians by undesirable elements in the society.

Source: ( PM News )
Earlier today we brought you report of Ozubulu attack that left many worshippers dead after gunmen stormed St. Philips Catholic Church, Amakwa Ozubulu in Anambra state.

However, social media report allegedly claims the attack was a spillover of a drug related feud, between two Ozubulu brothers who live in South Africa.

It was also alleged that the issue was between Chief Aloy Ikegwuonu a.k.a Bishop (rumored to be a drug baron), and another Ozubulu man popularly known as Obrocho.

Eyewitnesses allege that gunmen had traced him to his house, but were told he had gone to the church where he was meant to hold a Thanksgiving service.

According to reports, the battle had allegedly claimed some lives already over there in South Africa.

Here are his photos below;
A suspected serial rapist identified as Emeka, has been arrested by the policemen attached to Ilasa Division in Lagos after allegedly defiling a five-year-old girl in Ilasamaja area of Lagos.

Reports gathered revealed that the victim was the Sixth girl to be raped by the suspect.

Emeka usually lure girls between the ages of five and six with biscuits and sweets into bathroom and toilets, where he rapes them.

He met his Waterloo weekend, after a tenant caught him in the act with the five-year-old and raised the alarm.

A resident identified as Tolani Bakare told Vanguard that;

 Emeka gave the girl biscuit, took her into the toilet and raped her. The girl was heard crying. Her elder sister, who was looking for her, heard her voice and started calling her name. At that point, Emeka rushed out of the toilet and bolted. The victim told her sister that Emeka had been doing it to her for some time. That was not the first time he has done such an act. He has done it to five other children between ages five and six, but he would end up begging their parents to forgive him.

The mother of the victim reported the incident to policemen at Ilasamaja Division, the policemen arrested Emeka by 10pm from his hideout in the area.

It was learnt that Emekas family members tried to bribe the Police but were rebuffed by the Divisional Police Officer, Superintend Oriyomi Oluwasanmi.

It was also revealed that the victims hymen had been broken and that there was penetration.
A suspected robber,identified as Ayobami Adedeji, has blamed the way he turned out to be a criminal on his father, claiming he never took care of him after the death of his mother.

Adedeji was arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command shortly after allegedly robbing a woman of her handbag on Friday at Kola bus stop, in the Alagbado area of the state.

The suspect was said to be in company with an accomplice, identified as Aboki, who, however, escaped arrest.

Adedeji was reportedly chased by policemen, who were on routine patrol in the area at the time of the incident.

The 23-year-old in his statement to the police said he took to crime due to lack of good parenting.

He said, I was a bus conductor. I went to Kotangora Market to meet my friend, Aboki, to discuss how to raise money.

At about 2pm on Monday, we perfected the plan to operate together on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, but our focus were Adura and Council bus stops. Our priorities were only handbags and purses. We had snatched two bags and my friend kept the money, before the botched operation. It was the first time we would be doing this.

I didnt know RRS operatives were monitoring us. I snatched the womans bag and they chased us into the streets. My friend escaped after abandoning his motorcycle, while I was arrested.

I dropped out of school in SSS 1 after losing my mother. My father was just a ceremonial father. He never cared about me after the death of my mother. He never assisted me; I had to fend for myself after the death of my mother.

In another development, the RRS said it recovered an AK-47 rifle from three suspects in the Apapa area of the state.

The operatives, who were on routine patrol of the community, reportedly sighted the men at about 11pm on Friday carrying a bag.

The policemen were said to have accosted them to make enquiries on the content of the bag.

The suspects, on sighting the cops, dropped the bag and fled the scene. We found an AK-47 rifle in the bag. No ammunition was found in the bag, the police said in a statement.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, confirmed the incidents, adding that while Adedeji had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, for further investigations, the recovered rifle had been deposited in the RRS headquarters.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
The National Headquarters of Evangelical Church Winning All (International) has been in confusion following the abduction of its Christian Education Director, Rev. Jen Moses, by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

Although the details of the incident were still sketchy, Northern City News learnt that he was kidnapped on Friday evening between Jere and Bwari on the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory while on an official meeting.

During the attack, his driver was shot and has been reportedly receiving treatment in Bwari hospital in Abuja, while the kidnappers have placed a call on the church and family members demanding N100m ransom.

The spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, Anjuguri Manzah, said he had yet to receive any report on the kidnap.

We have not received any report of such an incident. Yes, at that end, Bwari is a very big point and the biggest town. So, oftentimes, people describe everywhere as Bwari which shares boundary with different states, he stated.

But when contacted, the General Secretary of ECWA, Yunusa Nmadu, confirmed the abduction to Northern City News, saying the bandits had made a demand of N100m ransom.

He said, The kidnappers were seven Fulani boys; they were below 20 years. The incident happened on Friday night between 8 and 9pm. Reverend Jen Moses was on his way from Jos to Abuja around Jere-Bwari Road. The kidnappers are demanding N100m ransom.

The vehicle in which he was traveling was also seen on the checkpoint because his driver had a gunshot. The driver was advised to obtain police report before he was treated. I am aware that the incident was reported in a police station somewhere in Bwari Area Council.

We will rather keep what we have been doing now to ourselves so that we dont jeopardise investigation and efforts being made to secure his release. We will speak to the press after securing his release.

Northern City News had reported that on May 10, armed robbers suspected to be Fulani herdsmen had attacked travellers on the ever-busy Jos-Keffi Expressway, carting away mobile phones and money from them.

The robbery took place at about 10am on the Expressway close to a village called Barde, after Gidan Waya in Kaduna State, a few kilometres from Jos, Plateau state capital.

The robbers, numbering about ten, with five of them wielding dangerous weapons, including guns and machetes, came from the bush, stopped vehicles and ordered passengers to lie face-down.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
One of Nigerias foremost philanthropist and young entrepreneur Dr. Olakunle Churchill was recently hosted in Liberia after an overwhelming fire safety campaign at the Federal Fire Service In Abuja. With regards to these milestones, the Chairman of Big Churchill Foundation has opened up in this interview on all that transpired during the visit, the motive behind the fire charity donation, more insight about his foundation.

1. You recently met with the Liberian president and also became a chief in the country, tell us about that experience?

My meeting with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was an honour and a very special moment in my life. Liberia was a pleasant experience, i was well hosted and celebrated by the people of the country.

I was one of the key note speakers at the KuKatornon Peace Festival with the theme  Lets Maintain The Peace, promoting Non-violent Elections, because of the forthcoming general elections. I spoke along side Vice-president Joseph Boakai.

We had a peace match at the Stadium in the capital city of Monrovia. I had a very successful meeting with President Sirleaf and her ministers. Some of the issues we talked about is our Agricultural Empowerment project and other philanthropic issues. One of the highlights of the trip was when the Council of Chiefs of the Kamara community conferred me with a Chieftaincy title in a traditional ceremony. I was truly humbled by their benevolence and warmth.

2. You were also in the country for your charity foundation. How do you fund the Big Church Foundation?

 During my visit to Liberia, i was able to visit the centre for the blind where we distributed medical eye glasses and other Items to them. We also went to some less privileged homes and communities to donate food stuff and money to support them.This is our own little way of helping to alleviate the sad memories of the countrys civil war crisis.

The Big Church Foundation is funded from the 10% of all the revenue from the parent company  Big Church Group. It is a pledge we made at the early stage of the company to socially impact our immediate communities and the continent as a whole.

3. We heard reliably that you started your foundation from Malaysia

 It is quite unfortunate that people say what they dont know about. That information is misleading. The Big Church Foundation did not start in Malaysia, rather we conceptualised the idea of the foundation during my early days in Ghana. I do not have any ties with Malaysia or memories there. We have visited some African countries, and Liberia Is the latest country we visited for charity and peace movement.

Watch video here

4. So you have never lived in Malaysia?

 The truth is, I have never visited Malaysia let alone live there. I do not have or run any business in Malaysia. I may visit there sometime in the future but not now, it is not a priority. I have lived in Ghana, Switzerland, Nigeria and a few other European countries because I have offices there, and operate my businesses within these regions.

5- What inspired you to be charitable?

 I come from a family that is very charitable. Grandma raised me, Grand mother is selfless and very passionate about giving. I also wish to see the world that is devoid of poverty and hunger, the world that is filled with happiness, joy, and abundance.If God blesses someone, I feel it is important he or she extends his hand of love to the needy. Empowering people is very important to me. The desire to assist the poor or less priviledged is an integral part of me. I live by the mantra; Giving Is Living.

6- Is it every charitable work you do that you publicize?

 Well, funny enough 60% of my humanitarian activities are not publicized, or In the media. My several charity activities in Ghana and other African countries are usually behind the camera. Some of our activities you see or read In the media are a selected few to encourage others to support the cause, and also start to give back in their own way. We are not in it for fame or glory, but to inspire others In the private sectors to be socially responsible. It is also important to note also that our charity projects and activities tend to attract media attention, and we are grateful for their continued support.
An HIV/AIDS advocate, Ladybryd took to social media to celebrate 10 years of living with HIV after she was infected by her ex-husband on their wedding night.

According to her, her ex-husband lied to her about his HIV status before they got married.

Read her story below

10 years ago on this date was the first time I was exposed to his HIV. Before this date we had NEVER had unprotected sex. I was very adamant about it. Your wedding night is the time to consummate the marriage. Well my wedding night we did that but he also knowingly exposed me to his HIV. I trusted him with my life and he took my life into his own hands and chose to lie in the most explainable way! From that trip to the doctor when he said his HIV test was negative, to his mom telling me to ask him about HIV and he saying he didnt know what she was talking about just days before the wedding, to having unprotected sex with his WIFE on our wedding night, to the doctor telling me that I WAS HIV POSITIVE, to me finding out about other women and possibly men he was sleeping with, and ALL THE WAY UP TO SENTENCING he lied! when the judge said, we have you on a recorded conversation admitting that you had HIV since 2002 the lies stopped! I was 24 years old on this day August 4, 2007 and on this day my body was introduced to HIV.
Three Ukrainian servicemen were wounded in hostilities in the Anti-Terrorist Operation zone (ATO) on Sunday, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's spokesman Andriy Lysenko has said.

"Over the past 24 hours, no Ukrainian military serviceman has been killed in hostilities, three were injured," he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Monday.

Earlier, the ATO headquarters press center reported two wounded: one near Vodiane and another in the area of Novotroyitske.
Update 8/7/17  EP Sobe Storage has opened its self-storage facility in the historic Flamingo/Lummus neighborhood of Miami Beach neighborhood, but under a different name than originally reported. Sobe Wine & Self Storage includes three stories and 1,000 storage units in varying types, including traditional self-storage, temperature-controlled wine storage, covered parking and outdoor bicycle storage.

The wine-storage area comprises more than 140 units in varying sizes, with an option for tenant customization. The area features a biometric security entrance, redundant refrigeration systems and a backup generator. Kept at 55 degrees and 70 percent humidity, it includes an alarm to notify staff in the event of a climate change. Carts are available to help renters transport their collections.

We are incredibly excited to introduce a new level of wine and self-storage to South Beach. There is nothing like this on the beach. Residents and local business now have access to state-of-the-art wine [storage] and self-storage, said David Blum, president of Better Management Systems LLC (BMS), the firm managing the property. Blum and his son, Eric Blum, also acted as consultants during the projects development, according to a press release.

The project was financed with a $5.11 million loan from Florida Community Bank. Property records show the land last traded in 2008 for $1.3 million, though entities controlled by Potamkin were on both sides of the transaction, the source reported. EP Sobe is managed by Edelman.

Based in Coral Springs, Fla., BMS provides facility management, feasibility studies and management consulting.

After four years of attempts, EP Sobe Storage LLC has finally received design approval from the Miami Beach, Fla., Planning Board to build a 22,500-square-foot Urban Box Self Storage facility at 633 Alton Road, just off the MacArthur Causeway exit ramp, at the gateway to South Beach. The property will feature 200 climate-controlled units, wine storage, biometric security and a backup generator. Construction is slated to begin in June.

Before they could make their dream a reality, EP Sobe principals Ken Edelman, a real estate developer, and Alan Potamkin, co-chairman of Potamkin Automotive Group Inc., had to convince the board to rezone the area to allow self-storage, according to sources. Edelman told board members the area was underserved, noting the community only has a few storage properties, all of which are near capacity. Edelman conducted a market study based on the need for seven square feet of self-storage space per resident and found the city needs more than 250,000 square feet of storage capacity, a source reported.

The next obstacle was gaining design approval for the building, which will be in the Historic Art Deco District, a stylish neighborhood listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Planning board members feared the facility would be plain and boxy, sources reported.

EP Sobe Storage hired Gutierrez & Lozano Architects of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to design the project. After numerous changes, the city approved a design that follows Miami Modernist Architecture, also known as MiMo, a style that originated locally in the 1950s and 60s. Co-owner Manny Gutierrez put a great deal of time into the project to make it one of the most attractive self-storage facilities in the world, Edelman told the South Florida Business Journal.

The site of the future storage facility isnt great for retail because it's not easily accessible when driving south, but it has great visibility, Edelman said. He also hopes to build a 70,000-square-foot storage facility along the Coral Highway near Southwest 37th Avenue, he told the source.

EP Sobe Storage, based in Coral Gables, Fla., is a limited liability company that was launched in November, according to Bizapedia.

Alan Potamkin, who co-chairs his family auto dealership with brother Robert Potamkin, has an estimated net worth of $150 million. Founded by Victor Potamkin in 1954 in Philadelphia, the company is now headquartered in Miami.
Update 8/28/17  The Merrillville Planning Commission approved a conceptual PUD for Shreibaks proposed self-storage development at 240 W. 79th Ave. The concept includes 80 pod-style storage units in the parking lot. Though the portable-storage units would be set slightly above ground, planners requested further evaluation to ensure there wont be flooding or standing-water issues from rain, according to the source.

The property hasnt experienced any flooding previously, and a site analysis indicated the storage containers wouldnt affect the drainage pattern, Shreibak told planners during the meeting. Commissioner Brian Dering indicated he was in favor of the development but wanted the city to conduct due diligence.

The proposal requires further approvals from the planning commission and town council. Engineering plans will be reviewed by several town officials, including Matt Lake, executive director of storm-water utility, the source reported.

8/7/17  Real estate developer Martin Shreibak has submitted a proposal to build a self-storage facility in the parking lot of a Merrillville, Ind., BodyMax fitness center, with consideration to later convert the gym to climate-controlled storage. The new building at W. 79th Avenue would still leave 59 vehicle spaces for employees and members of the health club, according to the source.

The project would require approval as a planned-unit development (PUD). Shawn Pettit, planning commission president, appeared to favor the project during a workshop session last week. The parking lot on the south side of the building is dead, Pettit noted. No one is using it. I don't see anyone remonstrating."

The owner of the fitness center wants to sell the business, Shreibak told commissioners, but he doesnt believe a health club is the best use for the property since a Planet Fitness is planned for a new development nearby. "I don't know if the fitness center will close. We may run it for a while as we transition from a health club to self-storage," Shreibak said during the workshop.

Shreibak also indicated hed like to eventually add outdoor storage on the property, but Pettit didnt favor the idea, the source reported.

The PUD proposal will be heard during an upcoming regular session of the planning commission.

Shreibak is listed as a principal of Munster Storage LLC in Highland, Ind.
A sheriffs deputy who spent nearly two decades with the Fresno County, Calif., sheriffs office has been accused of torching his own vehicle as part of an insurance fraud scam.Sher Moua, who lost his job while local police investigated him for arson and insurance fraud, is accused of torching his 2002 Toyota 4Runner in April. The SUV has a Kelley Blue Book value of about $3,400, but police say Moua took out an insurance policy  including extra coverage  on the vehicle just days before it burned.Moua has pleaded not guilty, according to Fresno news station ABC 30. He initially claimed to have last seen the car at about 6:30 the night before it was torched. But police uncovered surveillance footage of him driving the SUV to a club around 9pm and leaving just before 2am, ABC 30 reported. Another camera picked up the SUV leaving Mouas home 20 minutes later  just 15 minutes before the fire started.Despite Mouas not-guilty plea, police said he confessed to them about three weeks after the fire. According to Clovis, Calif., police, Moua came in to speak with them while wearing his deputys uniform and driving his patrol car.Moua said he was having severe money problems after a divorce and the subsequent death of his ex-wife, ABC 30 reported.Sometimes normal, honest people crack under financial stress, and this looks like a prime example of that, legal analyst Tony Capozzi told the station.
More crossing points should be opened on the disengagement line in Luhansk region, Principal Deputy Chief Monitor of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission (OSCE SMM) in Ukraine Alexander Hug said.

"Sides need to open more crossing points in Luhansk region for the sake of civilians who cross contact line every day," the OSCE SMM said on its Twitter account on Monday in citing Hug.

The OSCE SMM said that its patrol has crossed the bridge in Stanytsia Luhanska on its way to Luhansk. "It's still only crossing point in Luhansk and it's still severely damaged," it said.

"Summer is best time to repair it. But sides need to cease fire and disengage to allow repairs to be conducted," it said.
Leader has "delivered on ambitious operational and financial objectives"
Responding to top government officials in oil, gas and coal producing states that threatened to sue over his states climate initiatives, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has pretty much said: bring it on.

In June, Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter sent a letter to Californias insurance commissioner threatening legal action if that state continues with its policy of requiring insurance companies to publicly disclose investments in fossil fuels. The letter was signed by AGs from 11 states and one governor.

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John Doak followed up with his own letter to Jones urging him to back off his Climate Risk Carbon Initiative, which calls for insurance company disclosure of investments in fossil fuel producing companies and aims to discourage them from such investments. As part of the climate initiative, Jones has asked insurers operating in his state to pledge theyll refrain from investing from the coal industry.

Doak told Jones in his letter dated June 20, that he and several other state insurance commissioners have grave concerns over the California commissioners fossil fuel policy and called the Climate Risk Carbon Initiative an affront to sound insurance regulation. Doaks letter was signed by insurance commissioners in Indiana, Kentucky, Montana and North Dakota.

However, in letters to the opposing AGs and insurance commissioners dated July 27, Jones told his red state detractors that he is not deterred by your threats. We will not stop asking insurance companies to consider climate related risks and in particular we will not stop our Climate Risk Carbon Initiative.

Jones has taken on climate change as one of his primary causes. He has said that insurers could have stranded assets on their books if investments in coal and other fossil fuels tank as green energy continues to become more affordable and regulations make fossil fuel-based investments an even worse bet. He pointed out that the G-20 Financial Stability Board, the Bank of England, global insurance regulators and others have warned of the risk that the value of fossil fuel investments may decline due to government actions and market forces.

He told the opposing officials that while it is politically popular in your states to deny or ignore climate change, ignoring the potential financial risks to insurer investments from climate change is irresponsible and even reckless.

Topics California Energy Oil Gas Climate Change Oklahoma
Small employers in Texas may now get some flexibility in selecting and retaining the health benefit plan of their choosing for their employees following the passage of a bill in the regular session of the Texas Legislature.

In late May state lawmakers passed and Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 1406, which allows the insurance commissioner to negotiate with the U.S. secretary of health and human services for a waiver of certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act regarding the range of actuarial values within which a health benefit plan must fall in order to be compliant with the Act.

According to the legislative analysis of the bill, federal regulations adopted in 2013 imposed arbitrary limitations on employer health plans that have no financial or mathematical basis and confine health benefit plans to a very narrow range of actuarial values. The imposed limitations not only added significant expense to employer plans; they also resulted in confusion among employers who must review and respond to a different plan design and cost year after year, the legislative analysis states.

However, Section 1332 of the Affordable Care Act provides that states may seek waivers from these regulations and the intention of SB 1406 is to authorize the insurance commissioner to request a waiver for small employer health benefit plans.

The Texas Association of Health Underwriters (TAHU) said in a press release that the bill will offer Texas employers more flexibility in their choice of health benefit plans for their employees.

Senate Bill 1406 will help restore stability for employers who buy their plans in the small group market, TAHU President Cheryl Clark said in the groups announcement. She said the legislation will begin the process of restoring stability for employers in this market.

TAHU worked with Texas lawmakers and the governors office on the bill, which passed both the House and Senate by wide margins.

Clark said that employers can now look forward to keeping a plan they like for several years. She noted that the rule focused on the actuarial value that a plan must have. As such, it was almost impossible for a plan to meet the criteria and remain legal for more than a couple of years.

Clark also noted that while employers have faced uncertainty about their health insurance plans, getting rid of this one rule will be a big step in bringing them peace of mind.

Topics Legislation Texas
California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones fired off a letter to the 12 oil state attorneys general and one governor from states like Texas and Oklahoma over threats to sue him if he did not stop his Climate Risk Carbon Initiative, which asks insurers to voluntarily divest from thermal coal investments and requiring that insurers publicly disclose their investments in coal, oil, gas and utilities.

I am not deterred by your threats, Jones letter last month to the governor and attorneys general states. We will not stop asking insurance companies to consider climate related risks and in particular we will not stop our Climate Risk Carbon Initiative. Our Climate Risk Carbon Initiative is a sound regulatory endeavor that is grounded in financial risk analysis, consistent with the state-based system of insurance regulation. Sound regulation of the insurance industry includes consideration of climate related risks.

Jones said one of his primary responsibilities includes making sure insurers are financially sound.

That responsibility, coupled with the volatility of carbon-based investments, is what Jones said led him to request insurers to publicly disclose investments that are at risk of becoming stranded assets as governments may increasingly restrict the use of fossil fuels, and consumers and businesses potentially move away from relying on fossil fuels.

Jones noted that the G-20 Financial Stability Board, the Prudential Regulatory Authority of the Bank of England, insurance regulators across the globe, and others have called for disclosure by insurers of climate-related risks.

Jones also came under attack from other state insurance commissioners over his initiative. Several insurance commissioners have called the initiative an affront to sound insurance regulation.

His wrote a letter to those commissioners, which states:

While politically popular in your states, denying or ignoring climate change, its impacts and related risks, is contrary to the evidence based approach that lies at the core of our system of state based insurance regulation. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2009 adopted a Climate Risk Disclosure Survey to be administered to insurers for this very reason  that it is important to recognize that there are risks associated with climate change and its impacts which insurers and insurance regulators should consider and address.

Topics Carriers California Legislation Energy Oil Gas Climate Change
The proliferation of usage-based insurance options, recent changes in driving behavior and more available transportation options are reasons Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller is urging Pennsylvania drivers to review their auto insurance, according to a press release issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance.

People working from home, cities establishing bikeways, and the availability of transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft, are reasons some people are driving less and why they may be able to get the coverage they need for less money, Commissioner Miller said in the release.

Miller also noted over time, families driving patterns change. A family member may retire and no longer be commuting to work or may change jobs and work closer to  or from  home. Additionally, a dependent child may move away to college, leaving their vehicle at home.

I would advise consumers to speak with their insurance professional about any household or driving habits that may have changed to see if and how their premiums could be reduced, Miller said in the release.

Usage-based insurance (UBI) has emerged as an option in which drivers premiums depend in part on driving habits. UBI works by monitoring driving habits through an app or a device that plugs into the vehicle. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), driving elements monitored include miles driven, time of day, where the vehicle is driven, rapid acceleration, hard breaking, hard cornering and air bag deployment. After these elements are taken into consideration, drivers premiums could be lowered based on noted driving patterns.

In Pennsylvania, if you opt into a UBI program, your rates cannot go up solely because of information gathered by a UBI device, Miller explained in the release.

However, if consumers are receiving a discount on auto insurance premiums because of opting into the UBI program, information gathered through a UBI-monitoring device could result in this discount being reduced or dropped, the release added. Rates can also rise for reasons unrelated to a UBI program. Commissioner Miller said consumers should discuss UBI with their insurance professional before deciding whether to install a device.

Topics Auto Pennsylvania
A.M. Best has revised its outlook to negative from stable for Country-Wide Insurance Company, a family-owned auto insurance company based in New York, N.Y.

A.M. Best also affirmed Country-Wides Financial Strength Rating of C+ (marginal) and its Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of b-, ratings the company has held for the past five years, according to A.M. Bests credit report on the company.

The revised outlooks are due to Country-Wides continued decline in risk-adjusted capitalization as a result of its reserve strengthening efforts, according to a release issued by A.M. Best regarding the change. Although Country-Wide has increased all accident year reserves in an effort to curb continuing negative reserve development trends, this has driven its recent drop in surplus, the release added.

Country-Wide is a property and casualty insurance company licensed in New York. The companys major lines of business are low limits, automobile liability and automobile physical damage for private passenger and commercial vehicles in New York City, primarily in Brooklyn and Queens. The companys business is generated through brokers within the five boroughs of New York City and Long Island. In 2000, Country-Wide also began operating its wholly owned, full-service general agency, National City Service Agency (NCSA). All of Country-Wides agents, representatives, underwriters and adjusters live in the tri-state area in and around New York City, according to the companys website. Since the companys underwriting risks are concentrated geographically and by line of business, it is more susceptible to regulatory risk and competitive market pressures, A.M. Bests credit report stated.

That said, Country-Wides other income, when combined with its net investment income, has been able to offset some of its underwriting losses and allow it to maintain competitive rates in some years, the release added.

In the future, A.M. Best said it will monitor the companys loss reserves, the credit report said. A.M. Best does not comment beyond its press releases. A representative from Country-Wide Insurance Company declined to comment.

Topics Trends New York AM Best
The Hanover Insurance Group Inc., a Worcester, Mass.-based holding company for several property and casualty insurance companies, reported in its second quarter results that it has initiated expense actions to eliminate approximately 160 positions.

This move is part of the companys overall expense management strategy and is expected to contribute to annualized pre-tax expense savings of approximately $30 million in personnel-related costs, the company outlined in its second quarter release. A spokesperson for The Hanover told Insurance Journal in an emailed statement regarding the position eliminations that the vast majorities of actions have already been taken.

Part of our margin expansion strategy was to be more disciplined on expense management, which would create significant fixed cost leverage and fund strategic growth initiatives, said Hanover President and CEO Joseph Zubretsky in prepared remarks during The Hanovers earnings conference call held Thursday. Through the course of a thorough analysis, we have identified expense reduction opportunities beyond what we had previously anticipated.

The personnel-related cost reductions, combined with other non-personnel cost savings of $20 million and continued growth of the companys revenue base, are expected to provide additional earnings momentum in the last half of this year and into 2018, enabling The Hanover to reinvest in its business, Zubretsky added during the call.

Rather than merely allowing expense leverage to occur over time, the opportunity to react more extensively and more quickly was compelling, he said.

Zubretsky explained in the earnings conference call that these expense actions do not impact the companys ability to serve its partners and customers, adding that the aim of this strategy is to position the company to better achieve its strategic growth objectives.

Going forward, rigorous expense management will be an integral part of our regular operating model, he said.

The Hanover spokesperson said that the company is intently focused on driving a global growth agenda across its portfolio of businesses, working in collaboration with its agent partners.

These savings enable us to achieve expense leverage that will be invested in our business growth initiatives, benefiting our agents and customers, the spokesperson said. Additionally, the savings enable us to consistently achieve our stated financial targets.

The company expects to realize a non-operating charge of approximately $10 million in 2017, with $1.8 million recognized in the second quarter, the press release stated.

The company delivered a 95.6% combined ratio in the second quarter, an improvement over the prior-year quarter on comparable catastrophe losses. The Hanover also demonstrated mid-single digit growth in most of its segments, and 10.6 percent operating return on equity, according to the release.

This quarter, The Hanover placed an additional focus on advancing its Hanover 2021 strategy by realigning its leadership team, expanding Chaucers capabilities globally and accelerating its margin expansion strategy, Zubretsky stated in the release.

Overall, I am very pleased with our results in the quarter and year to date as they are consistent with the strategic plan we outlined for you at our investor day, he said in the call. We are confident we can continue to deliver superior value to our shareholders.

Topics Massachusetts
Normandy Insurance Company, a Deerfield Beach, Fla.-based workers compensation carrier, is now offering coverage plans to small, mid-size and large businesses in Pennsylvania. This marks the third major expansion by the multi-state insurer in recent months, and its first venture in the Northeast.

Earlier this year, Normandy announced that it received authorization to provide workers compensation insurance to employers in Georgia and Virginia.

Pennsylvania is an especially exciting opportunity for us, Normandy Senior Vice President Jayson Buechler said in a company press release. The state enjoys a robust and diverse workforce, with the private sector accounting for roughly 88 percent of its total employment between 2008 and 2014.

Since the companys founding in 2008, it has strategically expanded its offerings, adding expertise in other industries to successfully service a portfolio of clients, Buechler said in the release.

Source: Normandy Insurance Company

Topics Carriers Workers' Compensation Pennsylvania
Two firms are trying to avoid reimbursing a Connecticut native for the loss of his boat after it sank with his mother on board under suspicious circumstances.

The Hartford Courant reported Thursday the National Liability & Fire Insurance Co. and the Boat Owners Association of the United States are seeking a judges ruling as they refuse to pay the $85,000 insurance policy on Nathan Carmans boat.

The boat sank off Massachusetts after departing from Rhode Island last September. Carmans mother, Linda Carman, is presumed dead.

The companies suggest in court filings Carmans potential criminal wrongdoing could bar his claim.

Carmans family has filed a lawsuit in New Hampshire accusing him of killing his mother and his grandfather years earlier to collect a $7 million inheritance.

Carman lives in Vermont now and has denied any involvement.

Information from: Hartford Courant

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Massachusetts Numbers
Economical Insurance has launched cyber coverage that is available to commercial policies to support Canadian businesses in the event of a data breach.

Called EXPERT Cyber, the Economical product provides response services and coverage for both first- and third-party losses due to a data breach. Coverage includes:

First-party losses suffered by the business owner for network business interruption, cyber extortion and data protection

Third-party damages and expenses resulting from a violation of a privacy law, regulatory defense and penalties, or payment card fines

Expenses for professional services (e.g., forensic investigation, legal support, public relations, and crisis management)

Breach support and specialized claims services from a dedicated team of breach response professionals.

Cyber security is a growing area of concern for businesses of all sizes, said Fabian Richenberger, executive vice president of Commercial Insurance at Economical.

From internal breaches caused deliberately or inadvertently by staff, to computer systems frozen by ransom-demanding hackers, a companys entire operation can be critically compromised with a few clicks of a mouse, he said. How the company responds in the hours and days that follow a breach can make or break the business.

We give customers peace of mind knowing that in the event of a breach we will deliver professional services that will mitigate their loss and save their reputation, Richenberger said.

He noted that the EXPERT Cyber takes care of everything after a breach, including meeting regulatory requirements, covering fees, notifying clients, managing business interruption and restoring lost data.

Source: Economical Insurance

Topics Cyber Profit Loss Canada
KYIV. Aug 7 (Interfax-Ukraine)  Human rights activists and veterans of the Anti-Terrorist Operation in eastern Ukraine have warned about provocations by Russian special forces during various protests staged in Ukraine.

"Our job is to warn people. Many people think that [Russian] special forces only recruit agents and stage protests with Russian slogans. But now provocations using patriotic rhetoric are being planned," Yevhen Chepeliansky, chairman of the Syndicate human rights group, said during a press conference held at the Kyiv-based Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Monday in Kyiv.

Chepeliansky said before holding protests in Kharkiv people offering assistance contacted activists on social media platforms.

"We started to analyze the situation. These people operate using patriotic rhetoric. But we found out about their links to the Nazhdak organization, which carries out political tasks. We gathered information and reported it to Ukraine's Security Service," he said, adding that law-enforcement agencies have arrested a man, "who confessed that he was supposed to participate in the Syndicate protest near the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) and throw a grenade."

"There was another group of individuals who were tasked with breaking bottles and causing a stir," Chepeliansky said.
Saudi Arabia on Tuesday asked to be dropped from a Sept. 11 lawsuit victims families filed, saying no evidence links it to the deadly terrorist act.

Lawyers for Saudi Arabia made the request in papers filed in Manhattan federal court, saying lawyers for Sept. 11 families and survivors of the 2001 attack had failed repeatedly for the last 14 years to generate sufficient evidence to subject the U.S. ally to the $100 billion lawsuit brought against numerous governmental and non-governmental defendants. Defendants Iran, the Taliban and al-Qaida already have been found in default.

The lawyers said purported new evidence, like the thousands of pages they unsuccessfully presented before, are hearsay and speculation and are insufficient to support the findings required for jurisdiction over Saudi Arabia. They added that the plaintiffs had reached grandiose conclusions that far exaggerate the importance of threadbare allegations and nonexistent evidence.

In the lawsuit, hundreds of victims relatives and injured survivors, along with insurance companies and businesses, claim that employees of the Saudi government directly and knowingly assisted the attacks airplane hijackers and plotters and fueled al-Qaidas development into a terrorist organization by funding charities that supported them.

Fifteen of the 19 attackers were Saudis. Now-declassified documents show U.S. investigators looked into some Saudi diplomats and others with Saudi government ties who had contact with the hijackers after they arrived in the U.S. The 9/11 Commission report found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded the attacks al-Qaida masterminded, but the commission also noted the likelihood that Saudi-government-sponsored charities did.

U.S. District Judge George Daniels already tossed Saudi Arabia out as a defendant once, but Congress passed legislation that eliminated some defenses and enabled the Sept. 11 victims to reassert their claims.

After Tuesdays filing, a New Vernon, New Jersey-based group representing Sept. 11 families and survivors said theres plenty of evidence against the kingdom.

Its been almost 16 years since 9/11, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to do everything possible to duck, dodge and distract from the overwhelming evidence that their government officials and agents aided and abetted these horrific attacks, said Terry Strada, National Chair for the 9/11 Families and Survivors United for Justice Against Terrorism.

He added that Congress made clear when it passed the law last year allowing the claims to go forward against Saudi Arabia that the Sept. 11 families and survivors deserve their day in court and all of the Saudis high-priced lawyers, lobbyists and foreign agents in the world arent going to stop us.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits USA
Are employees worried about losing their health insurance from their employer? The ongoing political turmoil around Obamacare all but guarantees theyll still be able to do that.

Ask Walt Rowen, whose business is etching glass but whose experience managing century-old, family-owned Susquehanna Glass makes him something of an expert on health care. Hes provided coverage to employees, then canceled it, steering them to the health insurance exchange. But with those premiums rising, Rowen this year is again covering his 70 or so workers under the umbrella of employer-sponsored health insurance.

Employer-provided health insurance is so ingrained in the American workplace that people expect it to continue even as politicians thrash out the role of government in health care. Thats according to polling, business owners and consumers. And in a nearly saturated labor market, employers dont want to give workers a reason to work somewhere else.

I think a company  any size company  would be incredibly afraid to just cancel its insurance policy and say the hell with it, says Rowen, whose company is located in Columbia, Pennsylvania. He said that could result in employees fleeing, especially in states where the Affordable Care Act insurance markets are weak.

With the GOP crusade to repeal and replace Obamacare failing, the federal mandates that people have insurance and that employers with more than 50 workers provide it seem likely to stay in place in the foreseeable future. The Trump administration on Tuesday pledged to keep working with Congress on a rewrite. Obamacares mandates saddled many with health care costs they simply couldnt afford, said White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

For now, the Trump administration is considering whether to continue paying the laws cost-sharing subsidies, which have helped lower premiums. Without those subsidies, its estimated that premiums will rise and insurers will leave markets.

The ACA requires companies with 50 or more full-time employees to provide insurance to employees and their dependents. The Kaiser Family Foundation says nearly 96 percent of companies of that size already were offering coverage before the law took effect in 2014. Nearly 35 percent of companies with fewer than 50 workers also were offering insurance.

Removing the employer mandate wouldnt sit well with a wide swath of the American public.

A poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research says 61 percent oppose revoking the requirement, including 58 percent of Republicans.

Workers have been getting their health insurance through their employers for decades, since the U.S. government exempted employer-paid health benefits from wage controls and income tax during World War II.

Nearly 90 percent of workers are in companies that provide health benefits, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation/HRET annual survey in 2016. Taking into account dependents, roughly half of Americans are covered by employer-based insurance.

Large companies need to attract and retain employees and theyd be at a competitive disadvantage if they stopped offering health benefits, said William Kramer, executive director for national health policy for the Pacific Business Group on Health.

As a result, human resource consultants say its likely that businesses will remain committed to offering coverage. Some experts question whether the ACAs employer mandate makes much, if any, difference when theres a solid business case for providing health care: With unemployment low and the labor market tight, benefits give employers an advantage in recruiting and retaining the best workers.

What kind of message are you giving to employees if you say, Im going to take this away? Are you really willing to risk losing people? asks David Lewis, CEO of OperationsInc, based in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Even if the employer mandate had been repealed, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that larger companies would have been hard-pressed to cancel their health benefits, although some smaller firms would have done so.

As soon as you take it back, you cause massive employee dissatisfaction, said Jay Starkman, CEO of Engage PEO, a human resources provider whose clients include many small and mid-sized businesses.

Rowen, the glass business owner, says his health insurance decisions had less to do with the employer mandate than with cost and employee retention.

In the four years before the ACA took effect, Susquehanna Glass had fewer than 50 employees and saw its premiums rise between 15 percent and 20 percent a year. We were fiddling all the time trying to keep our health care costs for our employees as affordable as possible, Rowen recalls.

He hired an expert to help his employees find insurance on the exchange in Pennsylvania. Lower-paid employees qualified for subsidies, while higher-paid workers could afford plans or went on their spouses plans, he said. In some cases, Rowen gave bonuses or raises to help workers afford insurance.

He says he owed a penalty of about $40,000 for not providing insurance  less than the six figures he thinks he would have paid to provide group insurance.

But by 2016, he said, his workers were complaining that their premiums were increasing. Susquehanna Glass by that time had grown to about 70 employees  enough to qualify for less-expensive group plans joined by medium-sized businesses. Many of his new employees were younger and less expensive to insure. He found that purchasing group health insurance would cost just over $100,000  not as much as hed feared.

If they were not able to get an affordable one with me and they found another company that does offer one, he says, They might be forced to make the decision to leave me.

Rosenberg reported from New York. Associated Press Writers Michael Rubinkam and Emily Swanson contributed to this report.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Trends Talent Human Resources
Louisianas flood recovery program is trying to determine the needs of flood-damaged companies by asking small businesses to fill out a statewide survey.

The small business survey is expected to take about 10 minutes to complete and doesnt require supporting documentation. It can be submitted anonymously.

Restore Louisiana hopes it can use the data gathered from small companies impacted by the March and August 2016 floods to develop additional aid programs.

Currently, a small business assistance program remains open for eligible, flood-impacted companies and nonprofits. The $43 million program offers no-interest, partially-forgivable loans of $20,000 to $50,000, using recovery dollars provided to Louisiana from Congress.

The money from the loans can be used to pay rent, utilities, mortgage, employee wages and some non-construction repair expenses.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Trends Louisiana Commercial Lines Flood Business Insurance
A federal judge on Friday ordered the nations largest public utility to dig up its coal ash at a Tennessee power plant and move it to a lined waste site where it doesnt risk further polluting the Cumberland River.

U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw in Nashville ruled in favor of the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association and the Tennessee Clean Water Network, saying coal ash storage at Tennessee Valley Authoritys Gallatin Fossil Plant has been letting pollutants seep into the river for decades in violation of the Clean Water Act.

As long as the coal ash remains at the plant about 40 miles from Nashville, dangers, uncertainties and conflicts will continue, Crenshaw wrote. However, he added that theres scant evidence so far of concrete harm beyond the mere risk and presence of pollutants.

He wrote that removing the ash is the only adequate way to resolve an untenable situation that has gone for far too long.

While the decision to build the Ash Pond Complex is in the past, the consequences of that decision continue today, and it now falls on the Court to address them, Crenshaw wrote. The way to do so is not to cover over those decades-old mistakes, but to pull them up by their roots. TVA, as the entity responsible for the ponds, must be the entity to do so.

TVA has said it would cost roughly $2 billion for TVA to excavate and truck out the ash. Spokesman Scott Brooks said its too soon to say if TVA will appeal the ruling, and the utility is reviewing the order. Brooks pointed out that the court noted no evidence of adverse human health or environmental impacts from the coal ash ponds.

TVA has said it would cost about $230 million and may be safer and more environmentally friendly to keep the ash where it is and cover it with a cap.

That method, also known as closure in place, would amount to rolling the dice and hoping its good enough, Crenshaw wrote.

If closure in place did prove inadequate, the likely, if not inevitable, result would be yet more litigation  and, of course, decade after decade of the public simply having to hope that whatever unplanned, incidental leakage that was coming from the impoundments was not enough to do them significant harm, the judge wrote.

The case involves a coal ash pit that has been abandoned since 1970 and the coal ash ponds still in use.

TVA, which powers 9 million customers in parts of seven Southern states, says its investing billions of dollars in safer ways to store coal ash and other waste from burning coal across its operations.

That includes converting all of its wet coal ash storage to dry storage, a decision made after a 2008 coal ash disaster at TVAs Kingston Fossil Plant in Tennessee. More than 5 million cubic yards of sludge from the plant spilled into the Emory and Clinch rivers that year, destroying homes in a nearby waterfront community.

Like at Kingston, it was necessary to take TVA to court to force it to take responsibility for its coal ash pollution, said Beth Alexander, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, which represented one of the groups in the Gallatin lawsuit. TVA will be required to do the right thing again, this time at Gallatin.

Both parties argued their cases in a four-day bench trial early this year. A separate state case over the same issue is scheduled for a December trial.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation Pollution Tennessee
Officials in Florida said Saturday a sinkhole that swallowed two homes last month is growing.

Pasco County officials during a news conference that a large chunk of the holes edge has collapsed. Two more homes in Land OLakes, a Tampa suburb, have been condemned.

The sinkhole, which opened up July 14, is now about 260 feet (79 meters) wide at its widest point.

Officials arent sure what caused the destabilization, but think seismic vibrations from trucks and construction equipment around the hole could be to blame.

Dump trucks were scheduled to bring in boulders Saturday to try to stabilize one side of the sinkhole so a small barge can be brought in. Authorities hoped to create a boat ramp so they can work from the barge, which will float on water in the sinkhole.

However, Kevin Guthrie, assistant county administrator of public safety in Pasco, said widening was expected with increased activity and theres no reason to believe the hole is active.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that resuming sinkhole cleanup, contractors have begun dumping truckloads of crushed limestone and boulders into the hole to stabilize one side. On Sunday, workers pushed a small platform barge equipped with an excavator into the void to begin removing debris from the middle.

Guthrie said when cleaning the sinkhole, the top priority is to be deliberate and methodical to ensure no one gets hurt.

If we have to slow down, we slow down, he said. Speed is not of the essence here.

Guthrie said the cleanup will take two to three weeks barring any more problems with the holes edges.

The Pasco County Commission awarded Ceres Environmental Services the $640,000 contract early last week to clean the sinkhole. Contractors began picking debris off the surface Thursday before having to halt on Friday.

Officials are also still waiting on results from the Department of Health after testing area wells for contamination.

The sinkhole opened July 14, destroying two homes and forcing the evacuation of another nine people. Five of those homeowners were allowed to return two days later. Not all have, fearing more problems with the massive pit outside their homes.

Crews have brought in earth to stabilize the banks. Once the edges are stabilized, workers hope to remove debris.

Topics Florida Homeowners
Rental houses and condos were expected to fill up Saturday on two North Carolina islands where a bridge construction accident cut power for a week and threatened seasonal businesses bottom lines.

The first day of the weekend is a typical starting point for weeklong rentals, and stores and restaurants were expecting brisk business. Both islands reopened to tourists Friday.

We want everyone to know that we are open for business, said Tommy Hutcherson, the owner of the Ocracoke Variety Store.

The business, which is the islands only grocery store, had its own generator to keep the doors open but saw few customers during the past week.

Were in the height of our summer season. Were just happy to see people back, Hutcherson said.

Maryland resident Colleen Sax planned to start her eight-hour drive to Hatteras Island on Saturday morning for a vacation with her husband, two adult daughters and extended family. Shes relieved after nervously monitoring updates on the situation. An initial estimate that the problem would take weeks to fix was whittled each day until officials announced visitors could return Friday.

That changed quickly.  Then it was Friday. I was like: `Wow! she said.

The kitchen staff at the Back Porch Restaurant on Ocracoke Island was busy chopping vegetables and doing other prep work ahead of a Saturday reopening. Owner Daphne Bennink said generator power allowed them to save some high-priced meat and seafood, but they had to order all new fresh produce.

She said her staff also did a deep clean of the kitchen and tried to stay ready because of the uncertain timeframe for reopening.

While were used to having an evacuation, theres almost always a weather event that sort of gives us a tangible, visible timeline, she said. But because of the uncertainty about the outage, she said: Weve been perched, sort of ready.

Power was cut to the two islands early on the morning of July 27 when workers building a new bridge drove a steel casing into underground transmission lines. An estimated 50,000 tourists were ordered to leave during a make-or-break period for seasonal businesses, many of which close during the cold-weather months.

Dare County officials estimate that Hatteras Island businesses easily lost $2 million overall for each day of the outage, county spokeswoman Dorothy Hester said. She said the rough estimate is based on last years tourism figures and could change.

Meanwhile, about 100 people attended a meeting Friday for business owners to begin tallying losses on Ocracoke, which is in Hyde County. County spokesman Donnie Shumate said one restaurant owner calculated that the power outage was likely to cost the business about 11 percent of its yearly revenue. Shumate said the county attorney will be leading negotiations to recoup business losses from the company that caused the accident, PCL Construction.

The company already faces at least four lawsuits by local business owners. Separately, those who had vacations cut short or canceled are working with property owners and travel insurance underwriters to try to recoup losses.

Kivi Leroux Miller filed a claim at the urging of her rental company, Ocracoke Island Realty, after her vacation was cut short.

Im trusting them because theyre the ones who sold us the insurance, she said.

The travel insurance plans, marketed under the Trip Preserver brand, have a road closure provision that will likely apply, but the claims are evaluated individually, said Linda Fallon, senior vice president of Arch Insurance Group.

Customers of another rental company, Surf or Sound Realty, had the option before their visits of buying travel insurance that was underwritten by AIG. Surf or Sound issued a statement urging its customers to file claims; AIG said its evaluating Outer Banks claims on an individual basis and has begun paying some of them.

Andrew Vessey, who spent $2,700 on a Surf or Sound rental this week, said hes filed a claim and is waiting to hear back. The Raleigh resident started a Facebook group for similarly situated renters to vent and compare notes, and its grown to more than 800 members. Despite frustrations, his family has some hope with the travel insurance.

PCL Construction spokeswoman Stephanie McCay said in an email that the company has started a claims process to offer assistance to those affected by the outage.

Visitors with upcoming vacations spent the past week closely watching updates from Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative.

Jessie-Lee Nichols, of Annapolis, Maryland, said she stayed glued to social media, following utility and county officials.

I was getting notifications and reading all of the transmission updates three and four times a day, she said.

Six adults and two children from her family are scheduled for a vacation on Ocracoke Island the third week of August. She said the adults, who paid for the vacation as a Christmas present to one another, were ecstatic to find out Thursday that power had been restored.

I posted to Facebook that the vacation was back on and tagged everyone we were going with, she said. I definitely texted my mom and my sister, and they were like: `Fantastic! and `Yay!

___

Associated Press writer Jennifer Garske in Washington contributed to this report.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics North Carolina
Peabody, MA, August 7, 2017  eServices, a specialized platform focused on providing turn-key risk management, claims, marketing, and technology solutions through its various entities, is pleased to announce that Insurance Journal will be the Media Sponsor for the 2017 Risk Management Summit at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, October 15th  19th , 2017.

We are excited to have Insurance Journal become involved in the 2017 Risk Management Summit, Brian K. McCarthy, CEO of Energi and eServices Companies. As the Summit vision has expanded over the years, our partnership with Insurance Journal will allow the conference to be offered to more risk management and insurance professionals in the small and middle market companies.

The Summit will feature over 40 Breakout and General Sessions, over 120 thought leaders and a comprehensive trade show with over 60 exhibitors in a wide spectrum of industries. Continuing Education credits are available for Adjusters, Agents, Attorneys, Human Resources, and Certified Safety Professionals. The meaningful claims and risk management sessions and comprehensive tradeshow attract insurance companies, independent insurance agents / brokers, and small and middle market companies.

We see this as a great opportunity to help serve the risk management community and build bridges between the insurance industry and buyers., says Mark Wells, CEO of Wells Media Group, Inc. & Publisher of Insurance Journal.

All Insurance Journal readers will receive a special $100 conference registration discount. This promotion is valid through September 22nd, 2017. For more information about the 2017 Risk Management Summit, visit https://summit.eservicesco.com/insurance-journal/.

About eServices Companies

eServices Companies are subsidiary companies of Energi, a leading provider of insurance and risk management services. The specialized platform is focused on providing turn-key risk management, claims, marketing, and technology solutions through its various entities. eServices is comprised of spin-off companies developed under Energi, Inc. These companies include eClaims Management, eRisk Solutions, eMarketing Strategies and eTech Services. eServices was developed to make services, unique to Energi, available to a wider audience and to deliver small and middle market companies with mechanisms to manage exposures, drive down losses and reduce expenses. To learn more about eServices and its platform solutions, visit www.eservicesco.com.



About Insurance Journal

San Diego, Calif.-based Insurance Journal products include national and regional Insurance Journal magazines; and the P/C insurance industrys leading website, www.InsuranceJournal.com. Its parent corporation is Wells Media Group, Inc, which serves the property/casualty insurance industry. Sister brands include Carrier Management website and magazine, a website, www.ClaimsJournal.com, for P/C claims professionals; an online database of available P/C markets, www.MyNewMarkets.com; a media site featuring insurance industry videos and podcasts, www.InsuranceJournal.TV; and the Academy of Insurance (www.IJAcademy.com), an online learning center for P/C insurance professionals.



Media Contact

eServices Companies

Megan McCarthy, AVP Government and Public Relations

mpmccarthy@eservicesco.com

1.978.531.1822 x 360

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Property Casualty Market Risk Management
The US Tax Court in Eaton Corporation and Subsidiaries v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo, 2017-147 determined that the IRS abused its discretion in cancelling two unilateral advanced pricing agreements (APAs) covering the transfer of certain products, the license of intangible property, and cost sharing between Eatons US subsidiaries and foreign subsidiaries in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic (the island subs).

The Tax Court also rejected an alternative IRS position that if the two APAs were valid, Eaton owed additional tax on account of a non-APA covered transfer of intangibles to the island subs that enable the subs to earn excess profits.

Background

Eaton Corporation and its subsidiaries entered into two APAs establishing transfer pricing methodologies for covered transactions between Eatons US subsidiaries (Eaton US) and the island subs. The first APA (APA I) applied to tax years 2001-2005, and the second APA (APA II) applied to tax years 2006-2010. Eaton Corporation and its subsidiaries are collectively referred to as Eaton.

The APAs covered Eaton USs purchase of circuit breakers, switches and push-button controls manufactured by its island subs. The APAs generally adopted as the transfer pricing method (TPM) a comparable uncontrolled price (CUP) method per product sold by the island subs to Eaton US, with an aggregate adjustment, if necessary, to ensure Eaton US achieved a Berry ratio (the ratio of a company's gross profits to operating expenses) on its distribution activities. Under the CUP method agreed in the APAs, the profits of the island subs were not specially tested. During the APA process, some members of the IRS APA team had argued for use of the comparable profits method (CPM), under which the profits of the island subs would have been tested and limited.

After the APAs were executed, Eaton discovered a number of transfer pricing computational errors, which it then corrected via the amended APA annual report filings and amended tax returns. Some of the errors favoured the taxpayer, while others favoured the IRS. In the aggregate, the errors resulted in about a 2% increase in the reported US APA related income.

After reviewing those filings, in 2011, the IRS determined that Eaton had not complied in good faith with the terms of the applicable APA revenue procedures. The IRS cancelled APA I effective January 1 2005 and APA II effective January 1 2006. IRS used the computational errors as one basis for cancelling the APAs.

Immediately following the APA cancellations, the IRS issued deficiency notices determining that 482 income adjustments were necessary to reflect arms-length results for Eatons intercompany transactions between Eaton US and the island subs for tax years 2005 and 2006, in the amounts of $102 million and $266 million, respectively, plus penalties The deficiencies were determined using methods that the IRS APA teams had considered, but not adopted, during the negotiations of APA I and APA II.

As an alternative, if the Tax Court rejected the 482 adjustments, the IRS proposed to increase Eaton USs 2006 income by approximately $231 million based on a deemed 367 (d) transfer of intangibles to the island subs. The IRSs position was that the high profitability of the island subs could only be justified by their exploitation of non-routine intangibles. Because the island subs did not create any non-routine intangibles, the IRS concluded that intangibles must have been transferred from Eaton US to the island subs in a 367(d) transfer.

Key points of the Tax Courts opinion

In opposing the APA cancellations, Eaton initially argued that the APAs were contracts and that under ordinary contract law principles that apply to the US as a contracting party, the IRS had the burden of proving that Eaton had violated the terms of the APAs, which the IRS had failed to do. This argument was rejected by the court in pre-trial proceedings and in the trial opinion. Alternatively, Eaton argued that the APA cancellations were an abuse of discretion because there was no factual basis for the cancellation under the applicable revenue procedures.

The IRS argued that the cancellations were not an abuse of discretion because Eaton did not comply in good faith with the terms and conditions of either APA and failed to satisfy the APA annual reporting requirements. IRS relied upon nine specific errors or omissions made by Eaton to support the cancellations.

The standard of review applied by the Tax Court was whether it was an abuse of discretion for the IRS to cancel the APAs. Thus, Eaton was required to show that the cancellations were arbitrary, capricious, or without sound basis in fact. In considering whether there was an abuse of discretion, the court considered whether the IRS abided by the self-imposed limitations set forth in the applicable revenue procedures. Applying the standards set forth in the APA revenue procedures, the court focused on whether Eaton had made misrepresentations, made mistakes as to a material fact, or failed to state a material fact. In making its determinations, the court looked at nine disputed factual issues.

Based on an individual review of each issue and an aggregate assessment of all the issues, the court concluded that for each particular issue, the information was either known by the APA teams, the APA teams had the opportunity to inquire about the information before agreeing to the APAs (but failed to do so), or the information was corrected or disclosed during APA negotiations and did not impact the choice of the APA TPM. Ultimately, the court concluded that any misrepresentations, mistakes or failures were not material.

Specifically, the opinion stated that: [The] Respondent [IRS] had many opportunities not to agree to APA I and APA II. After completing the APA II negotiations, [the] respondent should have had a clear understanding of [the] petitioners transactions and should not have entered into APA II if the APA II team was concerned that [the] petitioner was omitting or misrepresenting information.

In concluding, the court noted that an APA is a binding agreement and it should be cancelled only according to the terms of the revenue procedures. The revenue procedures define material facts as facts that, if known by the IRS, would have resulted in a significantly different APA or no APA at all.

Eaton made immaterial and inadvertent errors that did not fit the APA governing revenue procedures definition of material. The court further noted that a desire to change the TPM after the negotiations concluded (i.e. buyers remorse) is not a reason for cancellation and therefore the cancellation was arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable.

The court also rejected the alternative argument presented by the IRS under 367(d). The court found that no intangible assets were transferred in 2006. The court disagreed with the IRSs position that an intangible transfer could be inferred solely due to the excess profits of the island subs. The IRS did not identify any intangibles that should be subject to 367(d). The foreign subsidiaries had access to intangibles through licenses and therefore the court concluded that no intangibles were transferred subject to 367(d).

Takeaways and observations

As set forth in the opinion, APA cancellations are rare. There were only 11 APA cancellations or revocation between 1991 and 2015. In addition, Eaton had negotiated two unilateral APAs. Most APAs are bilateral and in such cases a treaty partner would be consulted before an APA was revoked or cancelled. The Eaton case is the first occasion when a taxpayer has judicially challenged an APA revocation or cancellation.

What this case highlights is that APAs may not be reviewed under principles of contract law. The Tax Court will apply the abuse of discretion standard and focus on the self-imposed guidelines in the relevant revenue procedures. Notwithstanding what appears to be a higher burden of proof, the taxpayer was able to convince the court that it had not made misrepresentations of material facts or engaged in other conduct that justified the cancellations.

The court noted that APAs are negotiations designed to solve complex transfer pricing issues. The goal is to reach a mutually acceptable understanding of the appropriate application of the arms-length standard to the taxpayers facts, it said. The conclusion of the negotiation is an acceptable negotiated instrument reached through compromise. During APA negotiations, taxpayers should keep in mind the delicate nature of negotiations to ensure goals are achieved and mistrust is not created.

If the taxpayer discovers errors during the APA negotiations or afterwards, it is important to bring them to the attention of the IRS and maintain a cordial relationship. However, in the rare instance of a revocation or cancellation, judicial relief is available.

Moreover, it is clear that the Tax Court will not support arguments that 367(d) transfers occur solely as a result of having excess profits in a particular entity. Generally, the theory that excess profits are attributable to an intangible transfer underlies many IRS exam adjustments and is the theoretical basis for the income method. In rejecting the IRSs position, the court looked to the statutorily defined list of intangibles that are applicable to  367(d), 482, and 936. The court rejected the IRSs position because there was no actual transfer of intangibles listed in the statute. The Tax Courts holding on this issue is consistent with the courts holdings rejecting similar IRS arguments in the Amazon and Veritas cases.

As a final comment, the APA programme is designed to serve as a non-adversarial alternative to the traditional adversarial procedures for resolving transfer pricing. Based on the grounds argued by the IRS to support the APA cancellations, which the Tax Court found were individually and collectively immaterial or known to the IRS when the APAs were negotiated, it remains factually unclear why the IRS cancelled the two APAs in the first place.

By Mike Patton and Mumi Hemrajani, DLA Piper, US.
August 7, 2017 (Investorideas.com Newswire) SinglePoint, Inc. (OTC:SING) is providing a first-hand look at the companys new Bitcoin exchange aimed toward solving the issue in payments issue plaguing the cannabis industry. Currently there is no standard for payment processing the cannabis market. It is an underserved market with vast opportunity for technology to solve the payments issue. SinglePoint is currently building an in-house solution enabling consumers to obtain Bitcoin at any point of sale. The new solution can be utilized by any business from convenience stores to dispensaries in the 29 legal states and the District of Columbia. The company states it will be a payment service to make instant bitcoin powered purchases possible when all you have is a credit (or debit) card.

The company has done extensive research and the application will be KYC-AML compliant. Through a simple sign up form and easy ID verification component customer will be able to set up their account online beforehand or will be able to sign up within seconds directly at the point of sale. SinglePoint has seen a similar type of solution being utilized abroad but not yet in the United States. As a early mover in building this solution company management is confident there will be a strong market for the solution and has already starting collecting potential customers through the company website.

Beyond Bitcoin, SinglePoint is currently in negotiations to make a major purchase from a company that has recently ICO'ed a cannabis specific currency to be used specifically in the cannabis industry. SinglePoint will roll this into its point of sale crypto currency offering. Enabling the consumer to purchase which ever coin they would like to as well as giving the dispensaries this option of which coin they would like to accept, which could be a both.

According to a new report by Grand View Research the Cannabis Market is project to reach $55.8 billion by 2025. This presents a major opportunity for SinglePoint to generate additional revenue through platform fees and transactional fees.

"We are very excited about this solution. We have been working since 2014 and believe then Bitcoin would have an impact on the cannabis industry. With the currencies new found consumer adoption we believe this is the time to execute and we are doing that in a big way. We have employed an expert and he has architected exactly what we need. Sign up, Swipe and Pay. At the end of the transaction if there is left over Bitcoin the consumer walks away with it. The bottom line is its easy and almost gives the customer the same experience they are used to using every day." states, Wil Ralston, President of SinglePoint.

SinglePoint has engaged TopTal a San Francisco based company providing freelance engineers to build out the Bitcoin based solution. SinglePoint is targeting to have a beta solution ready for testing and a major launch at the Las Vegas Marijuana Business MJBIZCON November 14th - 17th. SinglePoint plans to partner with multiple retail cannabis stores in the area and have conference attendees sign up at the SinglePoint booth to receive a discount at a local retail store.

About SinglePoint, Inc.

SinglePoint, Inc. (SING) has grown from a full-service mobile technology provider to a publicly traded holding company. Through diversification into horizontal markets, SinglePoint is building its portfolio by acquiring an interest in undervalued subsidiaries, thereby providing a rich, diversified holding base. Through its subsidiary company SingleSeed the company is providing products and services to the cannabis industry.

Connect on social media at:

https://www.facebook.com/SinglePointMobile

https://twitter.com/_SinglePoint_

https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta/165982/

For more information visit:

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

Technical complications, which may arise, could prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined above. The Company undertakes no duty to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.

Contact:

SinglePoint, Inc.

Greg Lambrecht

602.481.1544

Disclosure: SinglePoint, Inc. (OTC: $SING) is featured on the 420 Cannabis Investor Ideas of 2017 at www.420cannabisinvestorideas.com

SinglePoint, Inc. (OTC: SING) is a featured company on Investorideas.com

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Additional info regarding BC Residents and global Investors: Effective September 15 2008 - all BC investors should review all OTC and Pink sheet listed companies for adherence in new disclosure filings and filing appropriate documents with Sedar. Read for more info: http://www.bcsc.bc.ca/release.aspx?id=6894. Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country.
Critical infrastructure management may never be the same.

Over the past few years, weve seen an extraordinary movement in the real-time communications industry, with cities, universities, transportation companies and even non-profit organizations becoming service providers  offering broadband access, mobile applications, and full business applications to end-users, bypassing traditional companies in the US.

Only a decade or two ago, there were only a few options for buying digitally connected voice, data and video services  tier one network operators, cable/MSO operators, and other competitive local exchange providers.

As more and more is made possible using Internet Protocol, and leveraging the most resilient uber network of them all  the public Internet  traditional carriers have lost ground as they are being outpaced by innovators who leverage transport to support the real money-making applications. The first wave of impact has been primarily in the consumer space (with extremely viral services like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and others), while the second wave of impact is now being felt in the enterprise business applications domain (with Skype, Box, Slack and other web-based services crushing the economics of last-generation productivity apps, and causing tech giants like Microsoft to go over-the-top with initiatives like Office 365).

But, is the public Internet secure enough to handle connectivity for Critical Infrastructure  the energy and water comapanies, whose systems must be managed  and protected  for the safety and security of the public?

Last week, one of the most successful organizations in critical infrastructure, the California Independent System Operator coalition announced it has rolled out a managed network services solution to its members, a new networking service that will more efficiently and effectively connect entities using real-time devices to the ISOs energy management system.

Humboldt Redwood Company, owner of a 28.8 megawatt biomass power plant, became the first operator to be brought online with the network. The unit will generate steam and electricity by annually burning approximately 250,000 bone-dry tons of wood waste from the companys sawmill and planer mill in Scotia, California.

HRC is pleased to be the first California plant using this network, said Jim Pelkey, Humboldt Redwood Companys Chief Financial Officer. When making the choice, we were especially impressed with the minimal ramp-up time and extensive security measures. Additionally, the support provided by Dispersive Technologies team was excellent.

Developed and operated by Dispersive, the Internet-based, software-defined network is the first one approved by any ISO for connecting capacity generation assets to its control system, with ongoing measurement of critical data essential to the efficient and secure management of this inspiring new sustainable electricity generation system.

This is a big shift away from older technologies using SCADA data transport on systems that are two decades old. Richard E. Harrison, president and CEO of Dispersive Technologies said in the announcement that old remote measurement systems are slow to deploy, costly to operate, limited in their flexibility to support non-affiliated user groups, and challenging to scale. As a result, these traditional private networks and VPNs no longer represent best practices for protecting data-in-motion.

Dispersive, an Atlanta-based company, which has been working with the California ISO since 2014, offers a Critical Infrastructure Software-Defined Network solution connecting various parties, including regional balancing authorities, utilities, independent power producers, and service companies supporting the power industry.

CISDN is a specific implementation of Dispersives network virtualization platform designed in collaboration with the ISO. With the introduction of CISDN, any of California ISOs participants can use the public Internet to connect any generating asset to the ISO control network, a first in the electric power industry.

Harrison went on to say, Most network services used to securely transport SCADA data depend on technologies almost 20 years old. Theyre slow to deploy, costly to operate, limited in their flexibility to support non-affiliated user groups, and challenging to scale.

Dispersives Critical Infrastructure Software-Defined Network was designed to addresses those problems. This service makes it possible to establish secure virtual network connections to any resource by using any available local Internet access, and is being made available to multiple market participants, including regional balance authorities, utilities, independent power producers, and service companies supporting the power industry.



So, how is this secured? How is it possible for energy companies to use the public Internet to manage such sensitive data movement and support such critical application?

Christian Arechavaleta, a systems integration engineer for Pacific Power Engineers, and part of the roll-out of the California ISO Humbolt Redwood project, explains because Dispersives CISDN requires only a standard broadband connection to the public Internet, its much easier and less expensive to install than other networks. A utility or cogeneration plant can deploy it in days rather than weeks. And the networks integrated firewall protects field assets and assures highly secure communications.



Multiple layers of security, starting with multi-path packet dispersion, dynamic encryption, end-point isolation, DDOS mitigation, and numerous other capabilities attracted California ISO to the solution.

We asked Douglas Dimola, Dispersives director of product, about theintegrated firewall and other technologies Dispersive uses that ensures the securitization of data and applications running on an Internet-based network.



The California ISO will rely on the Dispersive CISDN to secure direct telemetry from any generating asset throughout its service area. Plans to expand the network to include metering and ICCP data streams are currently underway.



The California ISO provides open access to one of the largest power grids in the world. Its network of high-voltage transmission power lines is supported by a competitive energy market and comprehensive grid planning

This non-profit public benefit corporation monitors about 70,000 megawatts of electricity from nearly 940 power plants connected to 26,000 circuit miles of transmission lines serving 30 million customers, and is dedicated to the continual development and reliable operation of a modern grid that operates for the benefit of consumers.

They have been active and vocal addressing the global climate challenge, integrating renewable power and advanced technologies that will help meet a sustainable energy future efficiently and cleanly.

Leveraging one major public asset, the Internet, to better operate, manage and secure critical infrastructure, could, over time, support much more efficient energy supplies, and more digital integration of sustainable energy sources including wind and solar generation, and bulk energy storage into the grid.

The California ISO is one of nine independent system operators in North America. Collectively, they deliver over 2.2 million gigawatt-hours of electricity each year and oversee more than 270,000 miles of high-voltage power lines. Two-thirds of the United States is served by these independent grid operators.

Ensuring the data that is moving inside IP networks to power the applications monitoring, analyzing and operating digital energy solutions is secured and protected against the dark threat of hacking and disrupting critical infrastructure is paramount. Well continue to follow this initial deployment and future roll-outs of the intersection of the energy  and communications  grids.

Edited by Erik Linask
It was long rumored that a jailbreak for iOS 9.3.5 was in the works and today marks the day that we get to see it. A new jailbreak known as Phoenix has been released for 32-bit devices running on iOS 9.3.5.

Its surprising, as well as a good news, to see that this jailbreak has been built specifically for legacy devices as these devices are usually left out when a new jailbreak is released. The jailbreak has been created by well-known iOS hackers, namely Siguza and tihmstar, with contribution from other members of the jailbreak community such as mbazaliy and qwertyoruiop, and realkjcmember.

Just like the Yalu jailbreak, you have to install the Phoenix jailbreak on your 32-bit device using Cydia impactor, then run the app to begin the jailbreak. It is a semi-untethered jailbreak which means that every time your device restarts, the jailbreak gets disabled. So you have to open the Phoenix jailbreak app on your device and run the jailbreak again to re-jailbreak your device.

Since youre sideloading the Phoenix jailbreak, the app will expire after every seven days, so you have to reinstall the app using Cydia Impactor to re-sign it.

Heres the list of 32-bit devices that are supported by this jailbreak:

iPhone 5

iPhone 5c

iPhone 4s

iPod touch 5

iPad 2

iPad 3

iPad 4

iPad mini 1

If you own any of these 32-bit devices, then you can now use the Phoenix jailbreak to jailbreak your device and begin using Cydia. If youre new to the world of jailbreaking, check out our step-by-step guide soon on how to jailbreak your device using Phoenix.

Let us know how it goes in the comments.

 How to Jailbreak iOS 9.3.5 on 32-bit iPhone and iPad Using Phoenix
The Kamuina Nsapu rebellion in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has rapidly emerged as one of the worlds major humanitarian crises. By late July 2017, the conflict had displaced 1.4 million people  including almost 850,000 children  and led to over 3,000 deaths. Apart from the internally-displaced population, over 32,000 Congolese have fled across the border from the Kasai conflict zone into Angola, and the UN expects this number to rise to 50,000 by the end of the year. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Congolese refugees have been arriving in desperate conditions, without access to clean water, food or shelter, and some of the refugees have had to hide in the forest for days in their bid to reach safety in Angola.





The rebellion erupted following the assassination on August 12, 2016 of Jean-Pierre Mpandi, the Kamuina Nsapu (traditional ruler) of Bajila Kasanga, a collection of villages in Kasai-Central province in the DRC. Mpandis murder followed a period of strained political relations between the government and the Union for Democracy and Social Progress, an opposition party which dominates Kasai-Central and neighboring provinces. The government saw Mpandi as an antigovernment leader, and chose not to recognize his hereditary appointment as Kamuina Nsapu. In April 2016, just a few months before his assassination, the government staged a security sweep of Bajila Kasanga during Mpandis visit to South Africa. As Hans Hoebeke recounts:





Mpandi later accused the authorities of entering sacred places, stealing traditional regalia and attempting to molest one of his wives. He accused the security forces of harassing the population and evicted them from the area. The chief increasingly considered the state and all its representatives, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), to be his enemies and incited his followers to rise up against them.





Mpandis assassination triggered a rebellion which has spread from Kasai-Central to the neighboring provinces of Kasai, Kasai-Oriental, and Lomami. In terms of socio-economic development, the Kasai region is one of the DRCs poorest  Kasai-Central, the origin of the insurgency, ranks very poorly in its human development indicators, including high levels of child mortality and malnourishment, as well widespread illiteracy among women and girls. While Kasai-Central has diamonds and gold  there is no industrial mining. Infrastructure and electricity supplies are inadequate. This socio-economic underdevelopment has contributed to widespread dissatisfaction of the government among the local people, and has also led the local population to defend their traditional customs and practices as a way to highlight their separate identity from the government and the rest of the DRC. This sense of pride in their traditional identity has shaped the Kamuina Nsapu militia which is driving the rebellion:





Local observers said many young men and boys, some as young as five, had been conscripted or joined the militia. Its members wear red headbands or armbands, and like the Mai Mai groups operating in eastern DRC they undergo rituals and carry amulets that are believed to bring invulnerability. Some have guns, likely looted from the security forces.





In turn, government security forces  including the government-sponsored Bana Mura militia  have attempted to suppress the rebellion through violent means, including mass killings of civilians, as has been evidenced by the identification by the UN Joint Human Rights Office in Congo (UNJHRO) of 42 mass graves in the conflict zone. The number of mass graves could rise to 80 following the subsequent discovery of a further 38 probable mass graves. The UNJHRO has accused DRC security forces of being responsible for most of these mass graves. The DRC government has rejected this and other accusations of human rights violations committed by its security forces.





With the breakdown of law and order in the current conflict in Kasai, and with the geographical expansion of the conflict zone, observers fear that the DRC will return to the chaotic violence of the devastating Congo Wars.



The Kamuina Nsapu militia is not innocent of human rights violations either, as was seen in its alleged involvement in the mass decapitation of 40 police officers in March 2017. That month also saw the murders of two UN experts, Michael Sharp and Zaida Catalan, and Betu Tshintela, their local interpreter. The UN team had been in Kasai-Central to investigate human rights abuses, and they were reportedly murdered by Kamuina Nsapu rebels. Their murders were recorded on cellphone video footage:





A cluster of men with rifles and red bandannas lead Ms. Catalan, a 36-year-old Swedish-Chilean, into a grove with her American colleague, Michael J. Sharp, 34. The two investigators are barefoot. Mr. Sharp starts arguing. He and Ms. Catalan are forced onto the ground. Suddenly, shots are fired, hitting Mr. Sharp first. Ms. Catalan screams and tries to run for cover. She is shot twice. Their bodies were discovered weeks later in a shallow grave, laid out carefully, side by side, in opposite directions. Ms. Catalan had been decapitated. Her head had been taken.





UN investigators like the late Michael Sharp and Zaida Catalan have not only identified mass graves, but they have also documented harrowing evidence of people being shot, burned or hacked to death. In addition, they have documented the mass killings of hundreds of villagers from the Luba and Lulua ethnic groups. Separately, the Catholic Church, which is present in the conflict zone, has documented the destruction of 20 villages  half of them by government troops.





Zeid Raad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has described the Kasai conflict zone as a landscape of horror, and in his presentation to the UN Human Rights Council, he recounted how investigators from his office had witnessed children as young as two, whose limbs had been chopped off, and babies with machete wounds and severe wounds  One two-month-old baby  had been hit by two bullets four hours after birth; the mother was also wounded. At least two pregnant women were sliced open and their foetuses mutilated.





The UN Human Rights Council has since ordered an independent and international investigation into the human rights violations in the Kasai conflict zone, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has named an international team of experts  Bacre Ndiaye (Senegal), Luc Cote (Canada) and Fatimata MBaye (Mauritania)  to lead this investigation. The team is mandated to report its findings to the Human Rights Council in March and June 2018. The DRC government has agreed to cooperate, including by facilitating access. In the meantime, Fatou Bensouda, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has stated that her office is carefully monitoring the situation in the Kasai region, and has affirmed that the ICC shall not hesitate to take action if acts constituting crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC are committed.





Insofar as the Kamuina Nsapu militia and their antigovernment supporters in Kasai are challenging the rule of President Joseph Kabila, the present crisis represents the latest iteration of the DRCs spiral repetition of violence. As Gilles Deleuze (1994) famously noted, in contrast to bare repetition (p. 292), events in spiral repetition repeat with differences (p. 20). In the case of the DRC, until his assassination in 2001, Joseph Kabilas father and former DRC President Laurent-Desire Kabila was a key political figure during the First and Second Congo Wars. The Congo Wars are also collectively known as Africas First World War  the devastating conflict that was the deadliest in modern African history, having involved the armies of at least six countries, and which eventually killed 5 million people between 1996 and 2003. With the breakdown of law and order in the current conflict in Kasai, and with the geographical expansion of the conflict zone, observers fear that the DRC will return to the chaotic violence of the devastating Congo Wars.





With Joseph Kabilas continuing refusal to relinquish the presidency, even though he was constitutionally mandated to step down on December 20, 2016, the frustrations of the Kamuina Nsapu militia and their antigovernment supporters in Kasai can only be expected to mount. The recent revelations of the vast business holdings of Kabila and his family members  which researchers from New York University report consist of 80 companies in the DRC and abroad, either wholly or partially  will likely intensify these antigovernment sentiments, and further inflame the Kasai conflict.





References





Burke, J. (2017, June 30). Congo violence fuels fears of return to 90s bloodbath. The Guardian.





Byaruhanga, C. (2017, April 24). DR Congos Kasai conflict: Voodoo rebels take on Kabila. BBC News.





De Freytas-Tamura, K. (2017, July 23). When will Kabila go? Congolese leader long overstays his welcome. New York Times.





De Freytas-Tamura, K., and Sengupta, S. (2017, May 20). For 2 experts killed in Congo, U.N. provided little training and no protection. New York Times.





Deleuze, G. (1994). Difference and Repetition (P. Patton, Trans.). New York: Columbia University Press.





Dixon, R. (2017, June 26). Theyre killing babies and torching villages: Who is behind the Democratic Republic of Congos ugly new war? Los Angeles Times.





DR Congo Kasai conflict: Thousands dead in violence. (2017, June 20). BBC News.





DR Congo Kasai violence displaces 850,000 children. (2017, July 28). BBC News.





DR Congos Kasai unrest must be investigatedUN. (2017, June 9). BBC News.





Hoebeke, H. (2017, March 21). Kamuina Nsapu insurgency adds to dangers in DR Congo. International Crisis Group.





Human Rights Watch. (2017, June 23). DR Congo: UN experts to investigate Kasai region violence.





International Criminal Court. (2017, March 31). Statement of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Mrs Fatou Bensouda, regarding the situation in the Kasai provinces, Democratic Republic of the Congo.





Kasai unrest: UN experts found dead in DR Congo. (2017, March 29). BBC News.





Maclean, R. (2017, July 20). DRC: vast business network of president who wont step down revealed. The Guardian.





Malo, S. (2017, April 22). More than 11,000 Congo refugees seek refuge in Angola. Reuters.





McGreal, C. (2008, May 16). The roots of war in eastern Congo. The Guardian.





Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2017, July 26). DRC: Zeid appoints team of international experts on the Kasais.





UN accuses DR Congo army of digging Kasai mass graves. (2017, July 26). Al Jazeera.





UN High Commissioner for Refugees. (2017, July 25). Angola: Inter-agency operational update (25 July 2017).





UN rights chief calls for investigation into landscape of horror in DR Congos Kasai provinces. (2017, June 20). UN News Centre.
The wife of the Irish man killed in the US two years ago has not been called to testify in his murder trial, writes Michael Hewlett from North Carolina.

Defence attorneys for Thomas Martens and MollyMartens-Corbett, both accused of the brutal killing of Irish businessman Jason Corbett, today rested their case without calling on Molly Corbett or two of her three brothers to gove evidence.

Both of the accused have pleaded not guilty to all charges claiming self-defence.

Molly Martens-Corbett, her blonde hair tied in a bun as it has been throughout the trial, stood beside Cheryl Andrews, one of her attorneys, as she answered questions posed by trial judge David Lee.

Judge Lee wanted to make sure Ms Martens-Corbett understood that she didnt have to testify and that jurors would be instructed not to presume anything about her guilt if she chose not to take the witness stand.

Judge Lee also asked her if she understood that if she elected to testify, she would be subject to cross-examination by prosecutors and forced to provide information that could incriminate her.

"Yes," she said again.

When asked if she had any questions, she said, "No, sir."

Walter Holton, also an attorney for Molly Martens-Corbett, handed up copies of Jason Corbetts 2007 will to the jury.

He then said he would not have any other evidence to present. David Freedman, attorney for Thomas Martens, also said he would not be offering any other evidence.

Two of Molly Martens-Corbetts brothers were expected to testify but no one else was called to the witness stand Monday morning.

Closing arguments in the case will start later this afternoon.

Martens, a former FBI agent, and his daughter, Molly, are both charged with second-degree murder in Jason Corbetts death in the early morning hours of August 2, 2015.

Jason Corbett, 39, a manager at Multi Packaging Solutions, was found bludgeoned to death in the master bedroom of his house at 160 Panther Creek Court in the Meadowlands, a golf-course community in Davidson County.

Jason and Molly married in 2011, three years after he hired Molly as an au pair for his children, Jack and Sarah, from his first marriage. They settled in Davidson County.

The crux of the case has been whether Martens and Molly Martens-Corbett killed Jason Corbett in self-defense and the defense of others.

Thomas Martens took the stand Friday and said he struck Jason Corbett with a 28-inch Louisville Slugger baseball bat when he saw Jason Corbett choking Molly and threatening to kill her.

He described a life-and-death struggle in which he struck Jason Corbett multiple times in the head in an effort to prevent Jason from killing Martens and Molly.

Davidson County prosecutors have argued that the physical evidence contradicts statements made by Martens and Molly. They said Martens and Molly Corbett beat Jason Corbett to death with the baseball bat and a concrete paving brick.

Molly Martens-Corbett told investigators that she tried to hit Jason Corbett with the paving brick during the altercation.

Martens did not mention in his testimony anything about Molly Corbett using the paving brick.

Stuart James, a blood-stain pattern analyst, testified that the condition of the paving brick suggested that the brick was used multiple times to strike someone.

During the prosecutions case, defense attorneys attempted to point out that 23 people, including emergency service personnel, were in and out of the house the morning of August 2, 2015 and that investigators with the Davidson County Sheriffs Office failed to collect and test certain evidence.

The main thing they have pointed to is a piece of hair on Jason Corbetts right hand that they argue would corroborate Molly Martens-Corbetts and Martens statements.

Prosecutors presented some evidence that Thomas Martens did not like Jason Corbett. A former co-worker of Martens testified that Martens told her two months before Jason died that he "hated" Jason Corbett.

Martens testified under cross-examination that he disliked Jason Corbett and had even advised his daughter to consider divorcing him.
A US state governor has condemned the bombing of a suburban mosque as "so wretched".

Mark Dayton, governor of Minnesota, was speaking after the attack on the premises in suburban Minneapolis.
US vice president Mike Pence has hit back after a news report suggested he is laying groundwork for a possible presidential bid in 2020 if President Donald Trump does not run.

In a statement released by the White House, Mr Pence said today's story in The New York Times "is disgraceful and offensive to me, my family, and our entire team".

He added: "The allegations in this article are categorically false."

The formal rebuttal of a news report by the vice president was an unusual move.

In it, Mr Pence also said his team will "focus all our efforts to advance the president's agenda and see him re-elected in 2020".

The report details efforts of several Republicans looking ahead to 2020, calling it a "shadow campaign".

It notes Mr Pence's political schedule and active fundraising, though it also says unnamed advisers have signalled that he would only run if Mr Trump does not.

The article noted Mr Pence has set up a fundraising committee.

Called the Great America Committee, it can accept cheques of up to 5,000 dollars from individual donors.

Mr Pence raised about one million dollars at a Washington fundraiser last month, attended by dozens of politicians and featuring remarks from White House adviser Ivanka Trump.

Mr Trump has not suggested he will not seek a second term.

But his first six months in office have been turbulent, marked by staff infighting, legislative struggles and a series of investigations.

White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway also dismissed the report and said Mr Pence is readying to run in 2020 "for re-election as vice president".

"Vice President Pence is a very loyal, very dutiful, but also incredibly effective vice president, and active vice president, with this president," said Ms Conway on ABC's This Week.

''He is a peer to the president in the West Wing."

New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said in an emailed statement: "We are confident in the accuracy of our reporting and will let the story speak for itself."
The directive  which provided that by 2020 at least 10% of EU transport sector energy must come from renewable sources  opened the prospect of repeating in Europe the quiet revolution in rural investment and jobs that that the US witnessed from its ethanol policy.

The ink on the Renewable Energy Directive was barely dry when, in 2012, the European Commission proposed in a drastic policy U-turn to cut the target from 10% to to 5% of transport energy.

Two notions drove these proposals: a belief that biofuel production caused major increases in world food prices and a theory that increased EU biofuel production would lead to untenable levels of global indirect land use change.

Both notions have since been debunked.

Since 2012 the World Bank, the OECD and the United Nations Food and the UN Agriculture Organisation (UN FAO) have all concluded that biofuel production is not a key driver of food prices. Indeed, in its 2013 report Long Term Drivers of Food Prices the World Bank does not even rank biofuels as a player of any significance.

Earlier this year, the Commission confirmed that EU biofuel policy has not led to negative impacts on food prices. The primary cause of the price spikes was the price of oil. Concerns about indirect land use change were debunked in a study produced by respected international environmental consultants for the Commission, the Globiom Study. This concluded in particular that European-produced ethanol has low impact on land-use change.

The Commissions reply was telling  faced with an inconvenient truth it tried to bury the study. While the Commissions proposals were amended as they moved through the EU legislative process the results of the policy reversal that they heralded were disastrous.

Investors fled EU biofuels, projects were abandoned, jobs were lost, rural communities were robbed of development opportunities, farm families were excluded from a valuable income stream, the opportunity to make Europe less dependent upon fossil fuel imports was also lost and it became that much more harder for the EU to meet its GHG targets, particularly in road transport.

Undeterred by the damage already done, the Commission has come up with another policy change. It now proposes to phase out conventional biofuels post- 2020.

These proposals have no basis in science or in logic. They are built upon the same debunked myths as the EUs last policy U-turn. They ignore the Globiom Study, the best available science, and are backed by a heavily criticised half-baked impact assessment. [The Brussels-based Impact Assessment Institute has criticised the assessments lack of transparency and unsubstantiated assumptions].

The proposals will have devastating impacts. Over 200,000 people are employed in the EU by the biofuels industry.

The industry reckons at least half of these jobs will go if the Commission succeeds. The Commission has produced no convincing evidence to contradict that figure. Taken on top of the damage done of the last policy reversal, the proposals will end all European investment in conventional biofuels: investment in the sector in the Americas and Asia is booming.

One big Irish loser will be the campaign to revive Irish sugar production through the creation of joint sugar / bioethanol production facilities. Successive Irish governments have given verbal support to the campaign while pointing out that the revival must be driven by private investment  who will invest in sugar if the Commissions demands that bioethanol is to be phased out becomes law? Farm incomes will be badly hit. EU tillage farmers generate over 6bn annually from the biofuel industry. The Commission has not shown how this could be replaced.

There is another problem: the EU imports 30-35 million tonnes of animal feed each year. Ireland is a major importer. Most of the imported material is GMO-based. Phasing out biofuel production will make Europe even more dependent on imported feed increasing vulnerability to global market movements.

Becoming more heavily dependent on GMO imports makes no sense for a quality food-producing country like Ireland. In 2015, the general secretary of UN FAO advised it was time for a paradigm shift in the biofuels debate and called for a move from the food versus fuel debate to a food and fuel debate.

The Commission turned a deaf ear to this advice. In the coming weeks it will be interesting to see if those who represent Ireland in Brussels are more willing to listen.

Dick Roche is a former Minister for the Environment; he is now an advisor for Hungarian ethanol firm Pannonia, among his other activities
THE unique challenges that Brexit poses for the Irish sport horse industry will be examined at the five-day Dublin Horse Show which begins on Wednesday.

First held on the grounds of Leinster House in 1864 to foster the equine industry in Ireland, it remains true to this founding mission.

Some 1,600 horses and ponies will compete this week at the Royal Dublin Societys iconic Ballsbridge complex in 132 classes and competitions, which will have close to 1m in prize money.

Dublin is hailed as one of the top three equestrian shows in the world and has one of the largest prize funds of any international equestrian event.

The show is estimated to inject 45m to the citys economy and is a prestigious shop window for the countrys 700m sport horse industry, which embraces show jumping and associated equestrian disciplines. Employing more than 12,000 people full-time, the sport horse sector is only part of the overall equine industry which makes an important contribution to the countrys economy and to the role that horses continue to play in Irish life.

The other significant part of that equine industry is the highly successful and globally competitive thoroughbred sector, which caters for horse racing and bloodstock breeding.

It directly employs some 17,000 individuals and thousands more indirectly and makes a direct contribution to the national economy of some 1.3bn.

Protecting the entire industry from the potential impact of Brexit is therefore a matter of concern and priority for all stakeholders. Free movement of horses between Ireland, Britain, and France is seen as crucially important to that aim.

Some of the challenges specifically facing the sport horse sector will be examined at this weeks Dublin Horse Show, which always attracts entries from the North and from Britain.

Additionally, buyers from across the Irish Sea account for about half of the sport horses purchased at public auctions in Ireland every year, with several thousand more changing hands in private transactions.

Michael Duffy, RDS chief executive, said the primary goal of the Dublin Horse Show is to benefit the Irish sport horse industry.

He said: Brexit will create challenges particular to this industry, which has very strong cross-border business relationships, as well as a specific export relationship with Britain.

We are taking the opportunity at the show to examine how the industry can best prepare for the various Brexit scenarios, he said.

Agriculture Minister Michael Creed, stated in a recent reply to a Dail question from Bernard Durkan that his department is playing its part in efforts to ensure an agreement with the UK upon its exit from the EU does not disrupt trade or regulation in the equine sector.

In this context, he said his department has been in regular contact over the last year with counterpart administrations in London and Belfast. He has also hosted an all-Ireland sectorial dialogue  which included all of the leading representatives of the sport horse industry on the island of Ireland.

Speaking at that event in Portlaoise, Mr Creed said people are all familiar with the very important economic, social, as well as cultural roles the equine and greyhound sectors play in Ireland  to the great benefit of rural communities in particular.

It is also true to say that they are among the most highly integrated sectors with their UK counterparts, from both a north-south and east-west perspective.

It is vitally important, therefore, that we ensure that we have a full understanding of all of the issues at play for these sectors as we respond to the Brexit challenge, he said.

Mr Creed said that he was very heartened by the degree of engagement evident during the Portlaoise discussions, which benefited hugely from the strong attendance of equine industry representatives from Northern Ireland.

Issues like the need to maintain a Tripartite Agreement governing future movement of horses between Ireland, the UK, and France, as well as all-island administrative and other key aspects of the industrys day-to-day operations, were teased out in some detail.

This is of great assistance to my own and my departments efforts to ensure that these issues adequately inform our approach to the Brexit negotiations, he said.

Elaine Hatton, Horse Sport Ireland director of international marketing, speaking after the event, said it was a very productive session where the sector came together to highlight the issues Brexit will have on the equine industry.

Meanwhile, strong advance ticket sales, sold-out corporate hospitality, a waiting list for trade stands, and a 6% increase in entries all point to another successful Dublin Horse Show.

Keelin Fagan, Failte Ireland, which is supporting the show, said it is one of the longest running features in the capitals festival calendar.

It is one of the events that makes Dublin a truly unique place to visit, adding to the citys colour and character, she said.

The show will also have over 300 trade stands, a craft awards exhibition, entertainment, dining, pageantry and, of course, fashion.

Ladies Day on Thursday will have a 10,000 Dundrum Town Centre shopping voucher prize for the best dressed. There will also be prize for the best-dressed man and other categories.

But Irish sport horses will remain at the heart of all the activities with showing, performance, and jumping classes. The national competitions are expected to be some of the strongest in recent years, as qualifiers around the country were inundated during the summer with quality entries. Some of the top show jumpers in the world will compete on Friday in the FEI Nations Cup, otherwise known as the Aga Khan Trophy.

The new Chef dEquipe for the Irish show jumping team, Rodrigo Pessoa, will take charge of the home challenge for the prestigious trophy, which was first presented in 1926.
While the results of its latest quarterly business monitor suggest little negative impact to date from the Brexit confusion, cross-border business development agency InterTrade Ireland has warned companies they need to be more prepared.

It is essential Irish SMEs start to prepare and plan for the outcome of the Brexit negotiations. InterTrade Ireland is encouraging all businesses to plan, act, and engage for every potential outcome, said the agencys strategy and policy director Aidan Gough.

According to InterTrade Ireland, only 3% of Irish export-orientated companies have a fixed plan for trading in a post-Brexit environment.

While we recognise the pressures facing small businesses  particularly as owners can be focused on the here-and-now  there is, nevertheless, a window of opportunity. This must now be grasped to prepare for the challenges and indeed the opportunities that will be presented by any new cross-border trade arrangements which may emerge over the coming years.

Every firm operating on a cross-border basis, or with ambitions to grow, should plan, act, and engage today. This is the key to ongoing stability and success, Mr Gough added.

That said, InterTrades latest survey showed what it called remarkable stability in the second quarter, with a record 56% of respondent firms describing their current position as stable, 48% reporting sales growth and 17% increasing employee numbers in the three months to the end of June.

Meanwhile, Ibec has called on the new Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform Minister, Paschal Donohoe to adopt a more sensible fiscal policy to support investment and productivity. In a detailed wish-list document, targeting every department within new Taoiseach Leo Varadkars cabinet, the employers body said a more level playing field is needed regarding Irelands business tax offering for indigenous companies.

This is in the context of a raised possibility of Irish SMEs servicing the UK market from within because of potential trade restrictions post-Brexit, and the more preferable tax treatment of SMEs in the UK, it said.

Last month, in its pre-budget submission, Ibec suggested Mr Donohoe was operating under artificial fiscal constraints and could have 7bn more to play with over the next four years, including 400m with which to cut personal taxes and improve infrastructure in Octobers budget.

More than 98% of Irish firms employ fewer than 20 people, with these companies employing 44% of the workforce.

Unfortunately, entrepreneurs and the self-employed are subject to more onerous tax treatment than employees. In order to create a truly entrepreneurial culture, and rise to the competitiveness challenges posed by Brexit, this must change, Ibec said regarding its call for an enhanced tax policy to better support Irish entrepreneurship and SMEs in its latest document.

Ibec also urged Trade and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney to continue to pave the way for access to key overseas markets for Irish exporters; protect Irelands international reputation; promote continued investment and ultimately safeguard Irelands position in the EU.

In a challenging global environment, the European Commission has launched several papers, and intends to launch more, to generate a discussion both between and within member states on the future of the EU. It is critical to our competitiveness that this does not lead to a two-tier Europe that disadvantages Ireland, it said.

Meanwhile, Housing, Planning and Local Government Minister Eoghan Murphy is urged to overhaul the national planning framework, creating a vision for making our major cities more liveable, for revitalising regional towns, and for targetted infrastructure investment in the regions.

Bureaucratic barriers to infrastructural development must be tackled, Ibec added.
Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, has decided it is time to offer a few home truths to enthusiastic Brexiteers.

Like the EUs Grand Negotiator, Michel Barnier, he is hearing the sound of a ticking clock as the March 2019 deadline draws near. It is not a happy sound.

Irish firms are treated on a continuous basis to reminders about the possible ramifications of the referendum vote. Brexit roadshows pop up at regular intervals.

Meanwhile, growth in Irish exports to Britain is down from 12% in 2015 to just 2% last year as the Brexit effects kick in.

Enterprise Ireland has launched a plan to boost Irish exports to other eurozone countries by 50% to 6bn by 2020. Diversification is the new buzz-word. Easier said than done.

What is clear is that the scope for doing business-as-usual has narrowed. Irish trading firms need to engage in a root and branch examination of their strategies and their very raison detre. It is worth examining two very different development models, in the US and in Germany.

First, the US, where Forbes magazine has recently highlighted the relative success of Americas middle market companies, which now account for 60% of job creation across the country. This finding contradicts those who argue that SMEs are the real engines of job growth.

Middle market companies, or MMCs, have annual revenues of between $10m and $1bn, a huge range admittedly. But analysts differentiate them from large corporations, arguing that MMCs are more agile and better adapted to todays extraordinary fluid business environment.

Technological developments, such as the advent of the Cloud have worked to their benefit by reducing up-front capital costs and the requirement for large in-house IT departments. Firms are now able to outsource all but the most core activities and can make do with a much smaller capital base.

The development of online commerce and social marketing allows firms to disrupt incumbent rivals more effectively. This means that global expansion can take place much earlier in a companys life cycle.

MMCs have, to hand, an extraordinary range of financing options, particularly from the private equity industry. The National Centre for Middle Market Companies has studied around 200,000 firms in the sector, the so-called middle third of the private sector.

A key finding is that MMCs are growing much faster than the rest of the US economy.

In 2016, revenues among this group surged by over 9%. In part, this is due to acquisitions, funded by venture capitalists. This high rate of growth has been sustained over a number of years, but 2016 brought an acceleration in the pace.

Turn to Germany and we encounter another great success story, that of the so-called Mittelstand. These are also companies of the middle rank, but in many respects, their story could not be more different. An academic study by a group of European academics has been recently carried out into a subset of owner-managed SMEs, many in the same family for several generations.

While they make up just 2% of German firms employing 50 or more people, these account for over 30% of total revenues of German firms.

These Mittelstands share a number of characteristics  a reluctance to incur borrowings or cede equity, an incremental approach to expansion, a dedication to innovation, and strong links with their workforce and local community.

The number of patent applications per employee is several times higher than in the case of the largest firms, even innovators such as Siemens and Bosch. The Mittelstands, together, invested almost 9bn in 2016 in R&D.

Many favour geographic expansion over product diversification, targeting niche areas and building market leadership. Germany is economically decentralised and Mittelstand firms typically operate out of towns, even villages, rather than cities.

Some have been around for centuries. Take JD Neuhaus, founded in 1745 and focused on the manufacture of hydraulic and pneumatic hoists and crane systems. Or Faber Castell, maker of wood pens. Its owner, Anton Wolfgang Von Faber Castell is the eighth generation of his family to take charge.

He insists that it is vital not to make a profit at the cost of future generations and he accepts that had he been in the US, such an attitude would lead to him being fired many times.

Employee involvement tends to be high and as a result, staff turnover is low in Mittelstand firms, which are also deeply embedded in local communities. Owners typically seek a return on key investments in plant or equipment of five to 10 years, whereas the norm in business is more like two years.

Hans Dieter Fricke is owner-manager of an agri-tech company whose revenues have jumped tenfold to 430m since 1989, yet Mr Fricke views himself as a marathon runner not a sprinter.

Clearly, Americas middle market firms and the German Mittelstand are a study in contrasts; yet they both provide lessons for our indigenous business owners and managers as they face into a period of great change.

Time, perhaps, for our firms to consider twinning with their German, and other Continental counterparts as they build links across the eurozone. Brexit could yet turn out to be a provider of a few blessings in disguise by providing the spark that jolts Irish firms out of old habits.
It will have a prize fund of 175,000, over 1,000 classes, a 30,000sq foot tented village, 700 trade stands and parking for 20,000 vehicles. One of the highlights will be the AIB National Livestock Show which will feature dairy, pedigree and commercial cattle and 13 different breeds of sheep.

The Gold Medals awarded to the champions have now become the hallmark of excellence in Irish livestock production.

Agriculture, Food and Marine Minister Michael Creed will open the show on the main stand at 1pm.

The show will be held on a 260-acre site beside the N52 Birr road, 5km from Tullamore town centre. Each year, it attracts an average of 62,000 visitors as well as the best cattle, sheep, and equine breeders from all over the country.

Anne Finnegan, head of agri sector AIB, said the event is a wonderful celebration of Irish agriculture and farming culture.

The farming industry is so important to the Irish economy and AIB are committed to continued support of our farming customers, she said.

Horse Sport Ireland will be in attendance at the event to showcase and promote the Irish Cob Studbook. Some of Irelands finest registered traditional Irish cobs will be showcased as an example of the breed standard.

Mares, foals, yearlings and two-year-olds in various colours and with generations of pedigree tracing back to old traditional Irish cob bloodlines will be presented on the day.

In addition, a photographic exhibition of the breed will be on show Horse Sport Ireland members together with Brigid Devine and Sean Murray (both breeders and Irish Cob Studbook inspectors with HSI) will be available to answer any questions regarding the breed standard and stud book registration.

The show is organised by a committee headed by Brenda Kiernan, chairperson; Rodney Cox, vice chairperson; Freda Kinnarney, secretary/administrator; George Gill, assistant secretary; Pat Hartnett and Tom Maher, joint treasurers, and Christy Maye, PRO.
Even trade in Russian gas, through Ukraine and Belarus, are not affected by tariffs, and a post-Brexit UK will likely be no different. Thats because gas prices are set in dollars and the British currently import over 60% of their gas, and so they are effectively re-exporting Norwegian and Russian gas to Ireland.

Meanwhile, Ireland imports 40% of its gas needs.

David Horgan Before the delayed Corrib gas project came on stream, we depended on imports for 95% of our gas needs.

Yet, people shrugged when Shell last month sold off its 45% stake in Corrib after 21 years, accounting for a loss of 1bn. Shell is now gone from the Irish exploration scene.

We have about five trillion cubic feet of recoverable tight-gas across the northern and southern border counties and maybe four trillion cubic feet in Co Clare.

Yet, all onshore fracking is banned north and south even though no operator proposed to frack at depths shallower than 1,000m. The deepest water well is just 290m. Mother Natures hydraulic fracturing continues despite the ban.

Meanwhile, President Trumps America cuts emissions and attracts energy-intensive jobs through cheap, clean gas. In short, we are leaving jobs on the table.

Ireland has two Scottish gas interconnectors. So far, the Scots have been reliable suppliers. The cost premium is only 4% when the costs for transport and British export tax are taken into account.

However, the UK itself is heavily dependent on gas imports. Norways North Sea gas output lags the UKs by 20 years, but will soon decline unless there are major new economic discoveries. EU gas dependence on Russia has now crept higher to 44%. The imports come through three main routes. Diversification to Qatar and North Africa no longer looks wise.

Liquefied natural gas will compete with pipeline gas, but needs a very long time period of 25 years of stable prices to justify its capital investment. The Irish courts and regulators discouraged the Shannon liquefied natural gas project by effectively forcing it to subsidise its competitor, the state-backed gas inter-connectors.

Likewise, they penalise Irish gas exploration. So Irish policy has discouraged diversification and subsidised vulnerability. Only the EU and the oil and gas industry address Irelands import dependence for energy.

We import 100% of our oil. Yet, few seem to care that a well is being drilled 220km off the Kerry coast at a record depth of 2.25km of water. There is a shallow target 1.75km below the sea bed and a technically riskier target at 2.75km.

Potential targets are large but so are the costs and risks. Exploration leaves Irish punters yawning. Shares in explorer Providence fell last month when it announced a successful spudding of a well. Likewise in zinc, a metal which China craves, eight companies entered Ireland recently but all are listed on stockmarkets in Canada or Australia.

High global oil stocks were slow to fall due to soft demand growth this year.

However, I contend, that the market is not pricing in political risk with Venezuela, Nigeria, and the Middle East. And any random setback will turn sentiment.

In contrast to the worldwide downturn, there is increased petroleum exploration in the Irish Atlantic region, particularly the Porcupine Basin off the south-west coast.

Major oil companies including Exxon, Statoil, Total, Woodside, and Nexen have assembled acreage in the area as they are excited by the parallels with west Africa and eastern Canada.

As with any frontier province, a major discovery in this basin will transform industry perceptions and the farmout projects. However, we need a dozen wells since the chance of hitting a wild cat discovery is 10/1.

David Horgan is director of Irish exploration company Petrel Resources.
Three men have been arrested in connection with the death of Karl Haugh, who sustained fatal injuries following an altercation with several men at Marian Estate in Kilkee. The incident is thought to have happened at around 1.15am.

Gardai arrested a man at the scene, while a large area of the housing estate was sealed off, including a house where Mr Haugh had sought refuge and received first aid until ambulance paramedics arrived.

Mr Haugh was initially rushed to University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

However, while being transferred to Cork University Hospital (CUH), his condition deteriorated and the ambulance returned to UHL where he was later pronounced dead. It is believed he sustained a single knife wound.

The altercation happened over a wide area which, along with several access lanes, was sealed off pending completion of a technical examination.

According to one local, a man called to several houses in the estate knocking on doors apparently in search of Mr Haugh. A source also said that a car load of men came down from Kilrush. However, this has not been confirmed.

As gardai carried out house-to-house inquiries in the Marian Estate, some residents spoke of the drama that unfolded on their doorsteps.

I heard roaring and shouting and saw the guards arriving, one woman said. There were people in the laneway behind the houses across from me. I was afraid to go out because they were out of control. An ambulance arrived then and there were lots of people out of the road. It was very scary.

It is understood that Mr Haugh, known to many as Gobo, went to the home of a friend who put pressure on the wound until an ambulance arrived from Kilrush.

He went into another house after it happened, said a local resident. I heard he was talking away and didnt seem to be badly hurt but obviously he was.

Gardai are also investigating whether an incident of criminal damage in the area is connected with the stabbing incident.

A car parked close to the scene had its windows and headlights smashed, while the tyres were also slashed. It is believed the car was mistaken for the victims vehicle and was targeted as a result. The car was removed from the scene for a technical examination.

Superintendent John Galvin confirmed there was an incident between the victim and a number of others.

He said all of the parties are from the west Clare area.

Gardai have appointed a Family Liaison Officer for the victims family.

Parish priest of Kilkee, Fr Gerry Kenny, said yesterday that it is an awful tragedy for the family concerned.

He said: Kilkee is a very tight knit community.

Gardai from Kilrush have appealed for anyone who can help with the investigation to contact them in Kilrush on 065-9080550, the Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800-666-111, or any garda station.
Solidarity-PBP TD Gino Kenny could face censure in the Dail if Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail takes action and brings the complaint further after the outburst in the chamber.

Mr Kenny, speaking to the Irish Examiner, said he would not withdraw the remark which he said was made out of frustration when his bill to legalise medicinal cannabis was shelved by a committee.

The incident occurred after an Oireachtas Health Committee last month said the proposed legislation had too many flaws and should be abandoned.

Its report said the bill poses major legal issues, unintended policy consequences and a lack of safeguards against harmful use of cannabis by patients. While Mr Kenny had proposed decriminalisation of cannabis for medicinal use, the committee feared that such a move could do the same for recreational use.

Mr Kenny then locked horns with the Ceann Comhairle, in the Dail, saying: This place is a kip.

Mr Kenny said it was horrendous that he found out his bill on medicinal cannabis was being rejected on national radio.

Mr O Fearghail wrote to the opposition TD in the last two weeks asking for the withdrawal.

The Ceann Comhairle recognised Mr Kenny had been emotional and angry over the Bill being rejected, despite the fact it had passed the initial Dail stage. But the TD has now replied to the Dail chairman refusing his request.

There was the context why I called the Dail a kip. The bill was sabotaged, it was outrageous. I stand by what I said. I take the Dail very serious, Im very proud of being a TD. But the way the Bill was rejected is an affront to democracy, I would like to think the person who puts a bill forward is given some courtesy, rather than hearing about it on radio.

Mr Kenny confirmed the Ceann Comhairle had taken issue with the language he used and said the Dail should not be called a kip, adding that the TD would be given an opportunity to withdraw it. Mr Kenny maintains that an alternative cannabis programme proposed by Health Minister Simo Harris is too restrictive and ignores scientific advice on the medicinal benefits proposed.

He said five other countries in the EU have adopted legislation similar to that contained in his bill, as have countries such as Canada, Australia, and a number of states in the US.
Sources close to the Taoiseach, speaking at the weekend to the Irish Examiner, have said that major gaps between the two sides still exist, despite weeks of talks.

The concerns being voiced come in the wake of the Taoiseachs visit to Belfast on Friday and is a worrying development amid the ongoing uncertainty of Brexit.

Leo wouldnt be overly confident about the executive being re-established. There still is a big gap between the sides and there is little trust, a source close to Mr Varadkar said.

There is also significant concern within the Taoiseachs office as to the stance taken by DUP leader Arlene Foster to Brexit, with some saying it is unrealistic.

Arlene Foster is still talking about a soft sensible Brexit but at the same time saying that can be achieved while still leaving the customs union and single market which it cant, the source said.

Mr Varadkar and his new Foreign Affairs Minister, Simon Coveney, have caused controversy in recent weeks by taking a far tougher stance on Brexit.

Dublins concerns come as Downing Street sources moved to play down reports that the UK is prepared to pay a divorce bill of up to 36bn/40bn to try and force progress in stalled Brexit talks with the EU.

According to the Sunday Telegraph, the huge sum is being proposed as the price of leaving the EU in a move to end the deadlock in negotiations.

British Prime Minister Theresa May is keen to move negotiations towards a future trade deal and is expected to give a speech towards the end of the summer fleshing out details of any offer to Brussels.

In addition to this, a series of papers are expected from Downing Street in coming weeks on how the UK proposes to manage a transition.

This comes after sharp complaints from Mr Varadkar as to the lack of clarity from Mrs May as to what shape Brexit will actually take. A Number 10 official was quoted as saying reports that the British Government was preparing to offer the EU payments of 10bn every year for up to three years after Brexit were highly speculative and wrong.

Reports yesterday suggested that the UKs commitment to the ongoing budget payments would then be supplemented with additional money to make up the 40bn figure that UK negotiators hope will break the deadlock in talks.

The paper also quoted a Whitehall source saying: We know that [the EUs] position is 60bn, but the actual bottom line is 50bn.

Ours is closer to 30bn, but the landing zone is 40bn even if the public and politicians are not all there yet.

British Brexit Secretary David Davis and Mrs May have both said that the Government would work with Brussels to determine a fair settlement of the UKs rights and obligations.

News of the figure will be seen as highly controversial among some hardline anti-EU Conservative MPs who believe the UK should not pay any divorce bill at all.
The bearded seal, distinctive for its pale-coloured pelt and long bushy whiskers, was seen over the weekend as it sat on the banks of the estuary at Timoleague, West Cork.

The incredible find was made by Paul Connaughton, chairman of Birdwatch Ireland West Cork branch, who said he could barely believe his eyes.

I was immediately struck by the paleness of the animal. I did a quick u-turn and pulled in to get my binoculars and camera. At first glance I knew this was something different, he said.

With a fine old-fashioned moustache, a short neck and smallish square head compared to the size of the body with an overall solid creamy grey colour with no markings of any sort on the body, I was sure of my incredible find.

Mr Connaughton, who runs Shearwater Wildlife Tours, quickly called local friends and shared the unique experience on social media before the weighty visitor bumbled along into the water and swam away.

He also outlined how the bearded seal, which can weigh up to 250 kilos, is an Arctic and sub-Arctic species usually found in northern Canada, Greenland, the Russian Arctic to the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk.

It is usually associated with the drifting pack-ice where it breeds from late March to early May. The diet consists of fish, crustaceans, molluscs, octopus and marine algae, he added.

There have been fewer than 20 recorded visits of the bearded seal in Britain, mainly on the Shetland and Orkney Islands off Scotland. Mr Connaughton said the only other Irish record was of a female taken into care and rehabilitated in Co Galway, 15 years ago.

Fridays rare discovery prompted online observers to discuss how the healthy-looking mammal ended up such a long way from home, with some wondering if it had anything to do with the melting sea ice. The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group joined the discussion pondering: What is happening up there (Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions), that in recent years we have recorded belugas, bow head whales and now bearded seals?
Portmagee is the village where Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, learned to pull a pint and where over two filming seasons in 2014 and 2015 director JJ Abrams, and where Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey, and other cast and crew were regular visitors.

The Iveragh seafront village is the principal point of departure for the 40- minute sea trip to Skellig Michael when people can make the perilous climb to the 6th century beehive monastic site  the setting for Star Wars scenes.

The village, which is made up of a colourful cluster of houses, a few pubs, shops and B&Bs, is so small there is no official population count  but fewer than 400 people are thought to live there and in the wider rural area.

Now, however, the village needs a large carpark to accommodate the large volume of cars which bring the thousands of visitors who want to have a Star Wars experience.

Last year saw record numbers get onto the fragile monastic site of Skellig Michael, which is a Unesco World Heritage site. Most left from Portmagee.

Almost 14,700 people landed on the island last year, according to the Office of Public Works. The average number of visitors for the last few years has been around 11,100 per season.

Boatmen and public representatives have been calling for the extension of the season, which is currently set from mid-May to the end of September.

They want it to return to previous arrangements when the island would open to visitors from the end of April to the end of October.

This would cater for the increased visitor numbers and make up for the time lost when boats cannot sail due to bad weather.

However, many people are also arriving to take boat rides around the Skelligs and simply to see Portmagee.

Two separate motions by councillors have now received unanimous backing at a meeting of the South and West Municipal District in Killorglin.

Fianna Fail Michael Cahill said the council has to take into consideration the huge success of Star Wars, the large number of visitors to Skellig Michael.

Huge crowds are visiting the area now and a large car- park is needed.

However, the problem is a lack of funding to pay for the site and construction of a such a facility.

Mr Cahill is to make representations, via the council executive, to the film company which was very appreciative of the hospitality it received in 2014 and 2015.

My call is also for a playground for Portmagee. I will be urging the council engineers to contact the Star Wars people and I am sure the film company will be amenable to the idea, he said.

READ MORE: Star Wars at 40: How Kerry became the centre of a galaxy far, far away
Philip Leahy, aged 22, from Ballyhooly, North Cork, suffered a cardiac arrest after being rescued from the sea last Wednesday. He had been on life support in a local hospital since then.

Philips mother Ann and brothers William and Patrick had kept vigil at his bedside at a hospital in Ocean City, Maryland over the weekend. However, he passed away last night.

Friends of Philip had set up an appeal on the GoFundMe website around teatime on Saturday to raise funds towards his medical treatment. By 10pm last night, around the time news of Philips passing emerged, that figure had surpassed 85,000, thanks to the generosity of more than 850 donors.

Dozens of individuals, families, and local businesses gave donations ranging from 500 and 5,000 in support of the fund

The response has been really great, said one of the organising group said. I suppose its down to the GAA ties and the fact that the Leahys are a very popular family in the area.

Its been organised by the local GAA and the community council, we just wanted to do everything we can to help the family and assist with the cost of his treatment.

Just under a year ago, Philip captained the local GAA football team to a Cork county junior B championship at Pairc Ui Rinn. His father, Philly died suddenly in 2014 while he was campaigning for a seat on Cork County Council for Fine Gael.

Philips family travelled to Ocean City on Thursday and around 200 people attended a vigil at the GAA club on Thursday night.

The popular young footballer had been in the US on a J1 visa since June, and was lined up to continue studying at Cork Institute of Technologys sports department this autumn. He was working two jobs during his summer in Ocean City, where he had travelled with friends from college.

The Philip Leahy Appeal Fund: gofundme.com/philip-leahy-appeal-fund.
He used to get up our noses, Mr McGrath said in an interview with the Irish Examiner.

On a political level, he had that old Fine Gael attitude; arrogant, talking down to the little people  these Independents  so there was that element of that. Sometimes that would cause dissent, particularly in the early few weeks.

Mr McGrath, who sits at the Cabinet table, said he and Mr Kenny could interact personally, but on political matters he found the former taoiseach to be tribal in his attitude to his coalition partners.

There are two sides of Enda. There is the personal side of him and, would you go for a pint with him, and the answer is yes, Mr McGrath said.

He also confirmed that Mr Kennys delayed departure did impact on the work of Government, which led to a lot of frustration.

I do know that some colleagues at Cabinet were holding back business, which did bring a bit of instability, he said.

To be honest with you, we were relieved when Enda announced that he was going and then we could focus. After the election, we couldnt wait to get in and get the new Taoiseach in place and get on with the job. We are now in that space.

Mr McGrath said the departure of Mr Kenny brought with it a new more inclusive dynamic at Cabinet, which hangs on the axis of power that exists between the current Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe.

Basically, the axis of power is Leo and Paschal, whereas before you had Kenny but youd listen to Michael Noonan for the serious stuff, said Mr McGrath.

You listen to Leo and you listen to Paschal, there is a strong double act. They dont mind disagreeing with each other. The previous taoiseach would get a bit tetchy. Leo gets told, like we all do, to wait and see, but all done in a nice way.

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr McGrath paid tribute to the ability of Mr Varadkar, whom he called sound as a pound.

Leos intellect makes a big difference at Cabinet, he said. What you see with him is what you get. I have regular debates at Cabinet, lots of differences of opinion. He wouldnt see that as a threat to the party he leads.

He doesnt see it in those tribal terms, but half the Cabinet would, and they would get offended. Leo doesnt feel threatened by questions, as he is confident.

Mr McGrath also admitted that he and his fellow Independent Alliance members Shane Ross, John Halligan, Sean Canney, and Kevin Boxer Moran often kill each other but remain committed to delivering on the Programme for Government, which he said has the Alliances fingerprints all over it.

The five of us, the glue that keeps us together... We are very different but what keeps us together is that we agreed on our own programme and I often say this to the Taoiseach, we get on very well personally, he said.

I am very good friends with Shane personally. We kill each other sometimes on political issues, but personal relationships help greatly.

Mr McGrath paid warm tribute to Mr Noonan, who he said was instrumental in keeping the coalition together during some of the most extreme rows.

I used to call him the Clint Eastwood of the government, said Mr McGrath. He used to come in and calm us all down and then still get his own way.

When we were fighting for an extra junior ministry, he listened to us and came up with the idea of the rotating ministry and we all walked out of the room, problem solved.
Picture: Late activist Dave Roches partner Paul OShea, mother Phil, and sister Bridget with deputy Lord Mayor Fergal Dennehy and homelessness activist Christine Chalmers

David Roche was honoured posthumously with the role of grand marshal of the Cork LGBT Pride Parade, five weeks after his sudden death. He was represented at the front of the 5,000-plus crowd by his partner Paul OShea, his mother Phil, and sister Bridget.

Paul said the advice Dave would have given to parade participants  and those who had not yet come out  was to let their light shine, reflecting the theme of the parade and the week-long Cork LGBT Pride Festival that ended yesterday.

He was a beacon of light for so many people struggling with their identity, said Paul, as thousands gathered in the drizzle for the after-party on Grand Parade. His advice to so many people was to be yourself, and to glow from within, and never let anybody dim your light.

Despite the sadness felt by Daves family, friends, and so many others he helped through his work with the Gay Project Cork and other groups, it was a colourful celebration of all things LGBT. Parade onlookers took refuge in city-centre bus shelters and doorways, showing their support with rainbow flags, wigs, hats, and garlands.

For Craig Hourihan, the relatively small scale of his first Cork parade made it a better experience than those he had attended in Dublin and Paris.

Its really different to some of the bigger ones, but Im enjoying this one more, because its more compact, he said.

He and his boyfriend, Tyrone Power, had enjoyed a host of events during the week, including drag queen Alyssa Edwards show on Saturday night.

Also at her first Cork Pride parade was Anne Kuyit from the Netherlands, who agreed there was more of a community feel than at similar events.

In Amsterdam, more straight people join in just for the drinking and the partying, but its definitely more of a celebration of the LGBT identity at this. Its really great, she said.

Clouds and drizzle failed to dampen spirits at the 12th annual Cork Pride even on Grand Parade yesterday. Pictures: Eddie OHare

A key to the big crowds, said to be significantly larger than last year, when the weather was more favourable, was the support and participation of families and the wider community.

Alan OCarroll from Ballincollig was enjoying the after-party with his children Caitlyn, Luke, and Mattie, and their mum Paula.

Its something really nice for the kids to go to, he said. I work with a lot of people from all walks of life, and this is a chance for the gang to enjoy all the colour and the music.

The success of the past week  which saw numbers at many events more than double on 2016 attendances  has been attributed by organisers to greater awareness and acceptance by the public arising from the marriage equality referendum.

Some of the growth in our events is, no doubt, down to the positive attitudes engendered during the marriage equality referendum two years ago, said festival chairman Clive Davis.

But we dont want people to think everything is perfect; theres still a lot of work to do. At our events, we are still hearing young people talking about being bullied at school, because they are different.

The parade featured LGBT youth groups from Cork, Tipperary, Laois, and many other places, taking pride in the public support along the citys streets.

Clarice Murnane  who was among a group of friends who travelled from Bantry in west Cork  said she enjoyed her second Cork Pride parade better than last year.

Theres a lot better atmosphere, and it feels like theres a lot more people today. Its really good to see people come to support it, she said.

Among those parading were LGBT football clubs and choirs, with solidarity also on show from Traveller groups and all the main political parties.

The event happened the day after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar offered his solidarity with the LGBT community in the North by attending a Belfast Pride event. He expressed his confidence that a decision in favour of same-sex marriage there would be made in due course by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The scale of human suffering currently engulfing drought-stricken Somalia is almost indescribable.

It is difficult to find words to convey the devastation and misery gripping the country, now in the midst of a prolonged period of record-low rainfall. I have watched emaciated herds of livestock drop, lifeless, into the dust, and been present when peoples futures evaporated in front of their eyes.

But if words cannot do justice to the magnitude of the crisis, they can guide the worlds response. And in that regard, let me be unequivocal: Unless the international community overhauls its approach to delivering aid in Africa, the cycle of suffering will continue.

Somalias current catastrophe is not unique. Millions of Africans, in more than a dozen countries, are facing similar struggles, as failed harvests and persistent conflict fuel severe food insecurity. By some estimates, East African farmers have lost up to 60% of their livestock  their main source of income  in the first half of 2017. In the face of such overwhelming hardship, I am more angry than sad.

The world should be angry, too. So many proud and dignified people have been stripped of their livelihoods and forced to rely on one tiny meal a day. Worse, these tragedies were avoidable; we knew these crises were coming.

Drought and hunger are slow-motion calamities that, with adequate planning and sufficient resources, can be averted. But, time and time again, humanitarian assistance in Africa has come up short, as it did in Somalia in 2011 and 2012; in Niger in 2005; and in Ethiopia during the 1980s. Then, as now, food insecurity was predicted long before the first hunger pangs were felt. But the warnings did not yield an effective global response.

As a medical doctor, I am acutely aware of how hunger, malnutrition, cholera, and other drought-related illnesses affect Africans, especially young children and nursing and expectant mothers. The effects of hunger on physical and mental health can be irreversible, and often keep people locked in a lifetime of poverty. We must alter this trajectory, before the next crisis strikes, by converting anger into action.

For starters, the aid community must be smarter about how it solicits and allocates resources like food and funding. Humanitarian organisations like mine have always operated with limited human and financial resources, and have been expected to do more with less. But isnt it time we do more with more? The UN estimates that Somalia, Nigeria, Yemen, and South Sudan will need a combined $6.3bn this year to avoid widespread famine. So far, with half the year gone, only about a third of this sum has been raised.

Moreover, and perhaps most important, international aid organisations must rethink how and with whom they work. More emphasis needs to be put on lasting solutions. That means working more closely with local partners on the ground. This is not a new idea, but it is a solution that has not yet stuck.

Local actors are best positioned to reach the most vulnerable and marginalised members of any community. Strong local actors are critical to sustaining services long after multinational aid agencies have turned their attention elsewhere. What local constituents need is the resources and capacity to take the lead.

Unfortunately, at the moment, only a fraction of international emergency funding goes directly to local agencies. Worse, there is little dedicated support available for helping local organisations grow and mature. Because of these shortcomings, multinational organisations often find it difficult to hand over responsibilities once the most urgent needs have been met.

When local responders are supported in leadership roles, the results are exceptional. In Somalia, for example, the Somali Red Crescent Society has established dozens of mobile health clinics capable of serving some of the countrys most vulnerable populations. The Red Crescent, which operates in areas of instability and violence that are often off-limits to government health services, has helped reduce the severity of malnutrition and cholera emergencies.

Best of all, when such emergencies abate, local capacity remains. Thanks to funding and training offered by my organisation and others, the Somali Red Crescent will provide, on a continuing basis, maternal and child health support, vaccination programs, outpatient clinics, and other forms of community-based health care. This is just one example of the positive role that local humanitarian actors can play when fully empowered.

Changing the global humanitarian paradigm will not be easy; change on this scale never is. But the alternative  an endless cycle of hunger, disease, and needless death  is unacceptable. Africas suffering has left many speechless. That is why our actions must speak louder than our words.

Fatoumata Nafo-Traore is regional director for Africa for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. project-syndicate.org
HMD Global, Nokia's new branded smartphones guardian are now making their way to the UK. After launching in February of this year at MWC 2017 and slowly heading to select markets, HMD Global has now officially announced that the mobile devices named as Nokia 3, 5 and 6 will be available in the UK within the next six weeks.

The Nokia 3

According to Android Authority, Nokia 3 will be the first mobile device to be revealed. It will go on sale starting July 12 for 119.99, which is approximately equal to $155.

The mobile device will feature a 5-inch 720p display and quad-core MediaTek processor. The internal storage space will be 16 GB with 2 GB of RAM and 2630 mAh battery. Aside from that, theres also an 8 MP rear camera and an 8 MP selfie camera.

The Nokia 5

A couple of weeks later after the release of the Nokia 3, the Nokia 5 is set to be unveiled on August 2 for 179.99 or $232. As reported by Pocket-lint, the handset is expected to come with a 5.2-inch screen, 1280 x 720 pixels and 282ppi.

It will also have 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage with microSD slot, Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor and 3,000 mAh battery inside. Its camera will be 13 MP on the rear and 8 MP camera up front

The Nokia 6

Meanwhile, the Nokia 6 is expected to arrive August 16 for 219.99, which is equivalent to $285. It is the only mobile device among the set which houses a 1080p screen and a 5.5-inch display. It will also have the Qualcomm's Snapdragon 430 chipset, 3 GB of RAM and choices of 4 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB internal storage.

In addition to that, the camera of the Nokia 6 is said to be its boastful feature, which comes in at 16 MP rear and 8 MP sensor on the front. Its battery will be the same as the Nokia 5, which 3,000 mAh battery. All three of the Nokia phones will launch with Android Nougat and a possible upgrade.
Faraday Future announced yesterday its acquisition of a factory in Hanford, California. The company also revealed they plan to build 10,000 cars per year through the newly acquired plant. Does the low output hint on a high price tag of the upcoming electric vehicle?

The Tesla competitor leased a huge old factory in Hanford, in Central Valley. The facility measures 1 million square-feet. Pirelli used to produce tires in the said plant. Then various entities replaced the tire company.

This announcement confirms that the company will not really proceed its production in Nevada. A few weeks ago, FF also announced they are putting on hold the $1 billion investment that was supposed to be allocated for a new factory near Las Vegas.

The American start-up technology company assigned one-third of its 1,000 employees to begin cleaning up the newly acquired factory. The company's vice president of manufacturing, Dag Reckhorn, led the clean-up session yesterday.

Reckhorn is a veteran from Tesla. He is now expected to convert the Hanford facility to be the home of the upcoming FF 91.

The vice president told USA Today that the Hanford factory offers a majority of the company's requirements. It has gas, water, space, power and a rail line. He emphasized that these features are essential in the start-up facility.

Reckhorn also revealed they were able to get a good deal from the landlord. Faraday Future can already access the plant without shelling out any rent. The latter graciously allowed the company to begin paying rent by early 2018.

FF will now prioritize the improvements of the factory. They also need to guarantee the environmental safety measures of the facility prior to the start of operations.

10,000 Cars Per Year Hint Of A Higher Price Tag?

The vice president also mentioned they are targeting to build around 10,000 cars per year through the Hanford plant. This output is relatively low compared to Tesla's current output of 100,000 units of combined Model S and X.

The goal of a small production run seems to project the company's focus is not on quantity. This also suggests that the upcoming electric vehicle of FF might come out with a high price tag.

The publication noted that the cost of the prototype of Faraday Future's upcoming model with reclining rear seats is similar to Lucid Motor's upcoming model, which is about $160,000. The final FF 91 that promises 1,000 hp would most likely launch with a higher price.

Meanwhile, MarketWatch claims a source revealed that Faraday Future made its headquarters as a loan collateral. The company allegedly borrowed $14 million from a New York investment firm, Innovatus Capital Partners LLC. The latter turns out to be the replacement of Chinese billionaire Jia Yueting, who is currently facing financial issues.


Apple is reportedly planning to launch the latest version of its smartwatch later this year which can connect straight to cellular networks. This is a move by Apple designed to reduce the smartwatch's dependence on the iPhone, people familiar with the matter said. The 4G LTE-support is rumored to roll out this year in Apple Watch Series 3.

At present, Apple requires its smartwatch to be connected wirelessly to an iPhone to stream music, download directions in maps, and send messages. However, if the Apple Watch Series 3 come equipped with LTE chips then it will help in conducting tasks without an iPhone in range, NDTV reported.

Regarding the 4G LTE model, reports mentioned that Intel will be supplying the modems for the new Apple Watch Series 3. However, if this is proven to be true then this will be a big win for the chipmaker, which has been trying for years to get its components into more Apple mobile devices. Until now Qualcomm has been the main modem supplier for iPhones and other Apple mobile gadgets, however, the two companies are involved in a bitter legal dispute. Apple has added Intel as a modem supplier for some iPhones last year, which also hints that LTE modem can be supplied by the same.

Apple is reportedly in talks with carriers in the US and Europe about offering the cellular version. Both carriers will be supporting the 4G LTE, at least at launch. However, AT&T, Verizon Communications, Sprint and T-Mobile in the United States are planning to sell the upcoming Apple Watch. The new device will be delayed beyond 2017 - certainly, the company had already postponed a cellular-capable smartwatch last year, GSM Arena reported.

Apple is said to release an LTE-enabled Apple Watch alongside the iPhone 8 or towards the end of the year. However, according to reports, the Apple Watch series 3 could be delayed into 2018.
Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 47F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 47F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Sunny skies. High 72F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph.
A TRAINING exercise turned into the real thing for the Cowes RNLI Lifeboat crew when they were called to help a grounded speedboat.

The 16ft speedboat, with two young men aboard, had broken down and run aground on shingle off Hillhead, Hampshire, and was in danger of drifting in the choppy Solent when it floated free on the incoming tide.
SAILORS taking part in the Fastnet Race called on Yarmouth RNLI after getting into trouble over the weekend.

The first call came in on Sunday at 1.45pm, after a 39-foot vessel called Harriet Marwood, with five crew on board, had run aground on the Shingle Bank.

But the Yarmouth crew were called to another incident off The Needles and had to leave the yacht, which was taking part in the Fastnet Race, in the care of Lymington Inshore Lifeboat.

The crew returned to help the Harriet Marwood at 6.21pm after concern was raised over the size of the waves around the yacht, which was still aground.

A large wave washed it away from the bank and it was escorted to safety by the Lymington team.

A 40-foot trimaran called Trilogic, also taking part in the Fastnet Race, got into trouble around nine miles off The Needles.

The boat's crew pumped water out and planned to sail to France for repairs, so the lifeboat stood down.

While the lifeboat was on its way back to the station at 6.55pm, it was called to a 32-foot sailing yacht after a crew member suffered a head injury.

Lifeboat volunteers stabilised the crew member and took them to Lymington, where an ambulance was waiting.

In between shouts, the RNLI Y-boat, manned by volunteers, was also able to act as the safety boat during Yarmouth Carnival's Decorated Dinghies competition.
China's investments in Africa are increasing by the day

China is now Africa's biggest trade, investment, infrastructure, finance and aid partner. According to a recent study by Mckinsey and Company, China-Africa relations have risen over the past decade with trade growing at about 20 per cent per annum. Foreign Direct Investments, FDIs, have increased even faster at an annual rate of 40 per cent. China's financial flows to Africa are 15 per cent higher than official figures say when non-traditional flows are included.

China, Africas largest partner

China is also a large and fast-growing source of aid and the largest source of infrastructure financing, supporting many of Africa's most ambitious development projects in recent years. This broad range of engagements has triggered a new wave of migration with hundreds of thousands of people travelling between China and various African countries.

Given this trend, a senior United Nations health official says China should leverage its South-South cooperation initiatives to improve population and reproductive health in Africa.

Dr Babatunde Ahonsi believes that China should leverage its huge cooperation ties with Africa to improve the continent's health sector

Dr Babatunde Ahonsi, the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) Country Representative for China, gave a lecture in the Department of Journalism and Communication, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China on August 3. It was part of a five-day seminar on improving Chinese journalists reporting on Africa so as to boost ties between the two sides.

Contraceptives and health

Dr Ahonsi said investing in both contraceptive and maternal and newborn health services saves money. Chinese organizations and institutions are keen to expand their partnerships with African counterparts and engage in constructive collaboration and exchange of experiences and lessons, he noted. He listed a number of areas in China South-South Cooperation involving UNFPA such as investing in young people to harness demographic dividends.

Health and wellbeing, especially sexual and reproductive health and ending AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, essential medicines and regular use of contraceptives, are key to improving the lot of Africans. On the other hand, China-Africa ties should be used to improve collaborations between higher education institutions and think-tanks.

According to him, institutional collaboration through twinning partnerships between cities, counties and hospitals to access reproductive health information and services and equipment, medicines/commodities and experts in China, including promotion of local manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, needs to be steeped up. The key challenge is for African countries to break the prevailing mold of poor uptake of South-South technical cooperation opportunities provided by China so as to more intentionally fast-track their harnessing of development, he noted.

Sustaining development

Given that development is about people and sustainable development is about leaving no one behind, neither is achievable for Africa without effectively tackling its key population and reproductive health challenges, Dr Ahonsi underscored. Chinas development success and its willingness and strategic interests in fostering global peace and shared prosperity constitute a good platform for long-term cooperation with Africa. Ongoing and future China-Africa initiatives and efforts must pay adequate attention to key population and reproductive health issues in Africa if they are to deliver long-lasting mutual benefits, he counseled.

The UNFPA country representative expressed concern at the slow growth of Africas economy compared to population and employment generation, adding that achieving rapid economic development that leaves no one behind remains a huge challenge. A key asset for speeding up Africas development lies in its large and increasingly educated and urban-based population of young people. Also, several quick wins around rapid improvements in health (particularly, reproductive health), education and employment of Africas youth, especially adolescent girls, may provide a viable foundation for leveraging this asset, Dr Babatunde Ahonsi noted.

Curbing infant mortality rates guarantees a healthy future for African children

Situation of developing countries

Developing countries, excluding China, account for the highest rate of population growth and fastest rate of urbanization, with a current total population of 1.2 billion. There is a young population with a large and growing youth bulge - nearly 400 million aged 10-24 - increasingly located in towns and cities. There is high but declining maternal mortality, and low, but slowly rising modern family planning uptake. On the other hand, there are high but declining rates of adolescent fertility and child marriage.

There is diversity of levels and trends in key population and reproductive health variables between and within regions, sub-regions, countries, culture, economy, religion, language, ecology, etc. Wide differentials exist in some parameters like level of urbanization, modern family planning uptake, ageing, HIV prevalence, maternal mortality, and population density between and within countries. There is therefore need for extreme caution in making or acting on the basis of generalizations about Africa, given that region-wide analysis is necessarily selective and in-exhaustive, the UN health expert warned.

Need for caution!

Development cooperation actions must be informed by in-depth national and sub-national needs assessment and broad consultations. Even so, Africa broadly speaking has different types of development needs from other developing regions partly because of its demographic and reproductive health profiles, Dr Babatunde Ahonsi cautioned.

Kimeng Hilton Ndukong is Sub-Editor for World News with Cameroon Tribune bilingual daily newspaper in Cameroon. He is currently on media attachment with Peoples Daily Online in English.
(Editors note: This story originally ran in the Winston-Salem Journal on July 29, 1998.)

He was 68 and had been sick for a year. But the death of R.J. Reynolds 70 years ago, on July 29, 1918, was still a blow to Winston-Salem.

City Hall closed. The banks closed. The street cars shut down.

The aldermen met in special session and passed a resolution asking all businesses in the city to close for three hours on July 31, during the time of Reynolds funeral.

Nearly all shops complied. Many took out ads in the newspaper reminding their customers that they had done so.

To an outsider, it might have appeared that a head of state, rather than a businessman, had died. Of course in 1918, R.J. Reynolds was both for the town created just five years earlier by the merger of Winston and Salem.

His tobacco companies supplied a third of the citys property-tax revenues.

He was the biggest employer, hiring whites and blacks in his factories.

And he was a generous benefactor, donating money for churches, hospitals, universities and libraries.

The money came one pouch, tin or pack at a time, from the sale of his tobacco products, which in those days were primarily Prince Albert smoking tobacco and Camel cigarettes.

Reynolds died at Reynolda, his country home a few miles north and west of his tobacco empire. The funeral was there as well, and the high-and-mighty  from Gov. T.W. Bickett to Mayor R.W. Gorrell  squeezed in to pay last respects. Four ministers officiated.

According to an account of the funeral, the body was taken to Salem Cemetery in a procession that included the Reynolds family, a Boy Scout troop, Masons, servants and friends. Thousands of people lined the streets of downtown Winston-Salem to pay their respects.

Reynolds death came during a time of transition and growth in the city. The country was at war, and the economy was focused on supporting that effort. In Winston-Salem, that meant turning out Camels for the troops overseas.

When the war ended, the city would  for a short time  sprint ahead of Charlotte as North Carolinas largest city. It would develop a corporate skyline and identity all its own. The tobacco company was still most prominent, but its founder would be gone.

In 1918, it was still Dick Reynolds town. As a Winston-Salem Journal editorial said: In the passing of Mr. R.J. Reynolds at his country home ... Winston-Salem loses its master spirit.
BEIJING  North Korean state media said Monday the U.S. will pay dearly for a round of strict sanctions approved by the United Nations during the weekend, suggesting that Pyongyang remains committed to its nuclear ambitions and willing to bear the economic costs.

There is no bigger mistake than the United States believing that its land is safe across the ocean, the isolated countrys state-run Korean Central News Agency said in a statement.

The United Nations Security Council on Saturday voted on a new round of sanctions targeting North Koreas primary exports, including iron, coal and seafood  together worth about $1 billion  in retaliation for its repeated missile tests. Pyongyang has tested 14 missiles so far this year, including two intercontinental ballistic missiles in July, showcasing its technical ability to launch a strike on parts of the U.S., including Alaska, Los Angeles and Chicago.

The sanctions could slash North Koreas annual export revenue, totaling an estimated $3 billion, by more than a third, according to a statement from the office of Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. President Donald Trump, on Twitter, called the resolution the single largest economic sanctions package ever on North Korea.

Yet North Koreas Monday statement illustrates the degree to which Kim Jong Un, the countrys ruler, prizes the countrys nuclear and missile programs as a crucial deterrent against the United States and a point of national pride.

This U.N. sanctions resolution, to all intents and purposes, is an outcome of diabolical attempts of the U.S. to isolate and stifle the DPRK, the agency said, using the initials of the countrys official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. The U.S. is trying to drive the situation of the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war, it said.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, speaking to reporters at a regional conference in Manila on Monday, said the U.S. would be willing to discuss denuclearization with North Korea when conditions are right.

The best signal that North Korea could give us that theyre prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches, he said. South Korean president Moon Jae-in  another supporter of the latest sanctions  has also signaled a willingness to talk.

In a phone call with Trump on Sunday evening, Moon affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world, according to the White House.

Trump has leaned heavily on China to curb North Koreas nuclear ambitions; and while China voted for the resolution Saturday, it has warned that sanctions alone will not dampen Pyongyangs resolve.

Sanctions are necessary but in no way the ultimate purpose. Imposing fresh sanctions is aimed at bringing the conundrum back to the negotiation table, Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Monday at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, the conference in Manila.

We would like to urge other parties like the United States and South Korea to stop increasing tensions, he said.

The U.N.s latest sanctions crack down on other sources of hard currency for Pyongyang; they target North Korean banks, and ban joint ventures with North Korean companies.

Analysts say North Korea is preparing to conduct its sixth-ever nuclear test, and could soon have the capability to fit a miniaturized nuclear weapon onto a long-range missile.



2017 Los Angeles Times

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Topics: t000002953,t000002968,t000408637,t000015420,t000015422,g000362667,g000362690,g000364432,g000362661,g000066164,g000365323,g000224489
SAN DIEGO -- By unveiling on the same day a pair of divisive and incendiary policy initiatives, the Trump administration made clear that it opposes affirmative action for some Americans but supports it for others.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Justice Department frown on preferential treatment in college admissions because they seem to believe in the fairy tale of so-called reverse discrimination. They're concerned that white males are being systematically disenfranchised and kept out of America's institutions of higher learning solely because of their skin color.

As someone who spent some time in the Ivy League and has spoken on many college campuses since then, I'm pleased to report that this is not the case. In fact, white males are in ample supply on elite campuses, as they are in prestigious and well-paying white-collar jobs. They're doing just fine.

The administration is obviously a proponent of merit, and it objects to the idea of acting affirmatively to give a leg up to those who might have trouble competing head to head because the playing field is uneven.

But when the subject turns to immigration, Team Trump reverses course. It advocates taking affirmative action to give a helping hand to working-class Americans who feel they can't compete directly with low-skilled immigrants because the playing field is uneven. The convenient solution is to keep out the immigrants, even if they follow the rules and come legally.

By the way, these blue-collar workers may be outgunned, but they still have their pride. And it won't let them admit that the reason they often come up short in this contest isn't just because immigrants will often work for lower wages but also because foreign laborers often outwork them, pure and simple.

In an attempt to show some love to the beleaguered American worker, President Trump voiced full-throated support for a medieval piece of restrictionist Senate legislation. The Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment (RAISE) Act would cut in half the number of green cards from 1 million per year to about 500,000 over the next decade, and it would create a new point system that puts a premium on skills, education and English-speaking ability -- making getting into the United States almost as difficult as getting into an elite college.

Remember when we checked the SAT scores of German, Italian, Irish and Jewish immigrants before letting them enter the country in the last couple of centuries? Yeah, me neither. Because that never happened.

The bill's co-sponsors, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia, are Republicans but they sound like Democrats. They seem to have bought into the idea that the world owes U.S. workers a living, and that tinkering with immigration is the way to deliver.

Cotton, who has two degrees from Harvard but is no wiser for it, insists that U.S. immigration policy has two purposes: improve the lives of American workers, and promote economic growth. According to Cotton, the current system -- where green cards are allotted based on country of origin, skills, family reunification and other factors -- does neither.

He's dead wrong. Today's immigrants make Americans better by forcing them to work harder and hustle more, even if the native-born laborers sometimes resent it. And anyone who thinks that immigrants don't fuel economic growth needs to spend just one day in farm country, where I grew up. It's simple math. Immigrants earn wages and pump money into local businesses, while making money for companies that earn profits and pay taxes. All that contributes to economic growth.

Do I really have to explain all this to a couple of senators from Arkansas and Georgia, states whose poultry industry and peach orchards couldn't survive without immigrant labor -- much of it illegal?

It's odd that Trump now seems to fancy the idea of keeping out legal immigrants. He used to say that his proposed border wall would have a "big, very beautiful door because we want the legals to come back into the country." And, in May 2017, he told The Economist magazine that he didn't want to reduce legal immigration because "we want people coming in legally." In other words, the president was in favor of legal immigration before he was against it.

The RAISE Act is a ghastly idea. It's unfair, unworkable, and -- worst of all -- profoundly un-American. This country has its share of problems. Legal immigration isn't one of them.

The Washington Post
Mayor Rahm Emanuel [official website] and the City of Chicago sued [press release] the Trump administration Monday to stop the implementation of policies that would withhold federal funds from so-called sanctuary cities. The complaint [complaint, PDF] claims that the the new policies would require Chicago to choose between individuals constitutional rights and funding for law enforcement. According to the complaint, the policies would enact two new requirements for Chicago and other sanctuary cities in order to receive funding,

(1) to detain its own residents and others at federal immigration officials request, in order to give the federal government a 48-hour notice window prior to an arrestees release; and (2) to give federal immigration officials unlimited access to local police stations and law enforcement facilities in order to interrogate any suspected noncitizen held there, effectively federalizing all of the Citys detention facilities.

The existence and functioning of sanctuary cities have come under fire since the first week of President Donald Trumps administration. From the beginning of the year, some states and cities have proposed legislation to crackdown on sanctuary policies while some cities continue to stand behind their policies [JURIST op-ed]. In June, the California State Assembly passed two bills which, if passed by the senate, will strengthen protections for undocumented immigrant students in public schools from kindergarten through college by preventing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from entering a school site without a valid judicial warrant [JURIST report] and approval from the superintendent. In May Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law a bill banning sanctuary cities [JURIST report] in the state. In March the Mississippi Senate approved a bill [JURIST report] to prohibit local sanctuary immigration policies. In February the Alabama House approved [JURIST report] a bill to block funding for sanctuary universities. In the same month, Texas Senate approved a bill targeting sanctuary cities [JURIST report] by requiring them to comply with federal immigration law. Earlier in February San Francisco similarly filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over an executive order that would cut federal funding [JURIST report] from sanctuary cities, including San Francisco.
[JURIST] Nonreligious anti-abortion organizations must follow the Affordable Care Act (ACA) contraceptive mandate, ruled [opinion, PDF] a split panel in the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit [official website] on Friday. The court rejected Real Alternative Inc.s [advocacy website] argument that its religious beliefs should create a religious exemption and also that there was a substantial burden on the organization to follow the mandate.

The fact that the Government may require insurers to offer coverage for expenditures for certain services that some might find objectionable on religious grounds cannot form the basis of requiring the Government to adjust its programs on behalf of all employees. The categories of services that could offend religious beliefs is wide-ranging and, as discussed infra, denying reimbursement for such services to all on the basis of the religious objections of some would be neither desirable nor administrable.

The concurring and dissenting opinion agreed with the majority in its substantial burden analysis but did not come to the same conclusion in its religious beliefs analysis.

Female access to equitable health care services has been a contentious and evolving battle throughout the world, especially with regards to reproductive and sexual health. Earlier this month the Chilean Congress passed a bill [JURIST report] that would legalize pre-viability abortions, abortions in instances when the pregnancy resulted from a rape, and when the pregnancy poses a threat to the mothers health. In June the UN Human Rights Committee found [JURIST report] that Ireland must remedy harm done to a woman in 2010 after denying her an abortion. Under threat of President Trumps vow to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Delaware legislature approved a bill [JURIST report] that guarantees access to abortion. Last June the UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law called on [JURIST report] the worlds governments to take quick, effective steps towards ensuring women are granted equal rights to health. Earlier that month independent experts for the UN found [JURIST report] a woman faced inhumane treatment while seeking an abortion procedure in Northern Ireland.
Mauritania [BBC country profile] conducted a referendum on Saturday to abolish the senate and to change the national flag. President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz applauded the vote [Reuters report] and and said the move to abolish the governing body would improve governance by introducing more local forms of lawmaking. Opposition to the presidents administration boycotted the vote and said that the referendum would give the president too much power, allowing him to extend the number of terms he is allowed to remain in office under the Mauritania constitution.

Referendums are often used internationally to dramatically change state law or practices and this is the second Mauritania has seen in a little over 10 years. Aziz first came into office in 2008 [JURIST report] when a coup he backed removed then-President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. This was the second coup in which Aziz was involved, as in 2005 he backed a additional coup [JURIST report] that removed then-President Maaoya SidAhmed Taya. Following the coup in 2005, Mauritania held a referendum to amend the state constitution to limit the number of terms [JURIST report] that a president can serve.
An inquiry conducted by the Myanmar government has found no crimes against humanity [press release, in Burmese] were committed during violent clashes in Rakhine state last year, Vice President Myint Swe said Sunday. Speaking to reporters at the release of the Rakhine Investigative Commissions final report, Swe denied allegations [AP report] of ethnic cleansing and gang rapes. He did concede that some crimes may have occurred, but attributed them to individual members of security forces. The Myanmar governments commission has faced criticism from rights groups and international actors for a lack of transparency, and its credibility has been called into question.

The UN set up an independent commission to investigate the violence, but so far the Myanmar government has not allowed access to the area. A preliminary report in February found that Myanmar security forces treatment of the Rohingya Muslims likely constitutes crimes against humanity [JURIST report]. Interviews with Rohingya refugees reveal that security forces murdered children, pushed people into burning buildings and raped women, among other crimes [report, PDF]. Last month Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar Yanghee Lee voiced her concern over the worsening human rights situation [JURIST report] 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.
[JURIST] Increasing violence in the Kasai provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become more ethnic-based, according to a report released [press release] Friday by a team of UN human rights investigators. The UN team based their findings on the interviews of 96 people who have fled the violent region, confirming that over the course of three months around 251 people were victims with an alarming number of child killings. Violence in the region broke out in August 2016 with multiple ethnic groups forming militias against the government. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein [official profile], who called for [JURIST report] the investigation in June, stated in the release of the report:

Survivors have spoken of hearing the screams of people being burned alive, of seeing loved ones chased and cut down, of themselves fleeing in terror. Such bloodletting is all the more horrifying because we found indications that people are increasingly being targeted because of their ethnic group.Their accounts should serve as a grave warning to the Government of the DRC to act now to prevent such violence from tipping into wider ethnic cleansingI call on the Government to take all necessary measures to fulfil its primary obligation to protect people from all ethnic backgrounds in the greater Kasai area.

The High Commissioner also stressed the identification and prosecution of the militias responsible for the alleged ethnic violence.

Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka, the leader of a militia in the DRC, turned himself in [JURIST report] to UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo in July. In May the President of the DRCs electoral commission warned [JURIST report] that the presidential election may be postponed due to sectarian violence. In April a spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency said [JURIST report] that more than 11,000 refugees from the Kasai province had escaped to Angola due to violence in their province. The top prosecutor at the International Criminal Court released a statement [JURIST report] in April alleging that recent acts of violence in the DRC could amount to war crimes. In March UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres confirmed [JURIST report] that the remains of two human rights investigators were found in the DRC.
(File Photo)

DJI responded US Armys ban on using its drones due to cyber vulnerabilities on Sunday, saying they were not consulted during the decision and are still trying to reach out to U.S. Army about these so-called cyber vulnerabilities.

DJI is the world's largest manufacturer of civilian drones and is based in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. A spokesperson for the company said they are willing to work with the U.S. military and other organizations to assess possible security issues.

We are surprised and disappointed to read reports of the U.S. Armys unprompted restriction on DJI drones as we were not consulted during their decision. We are happy to work directly with any organization, including the U.S. Army, that has concerns about our management of cyber issues, he said.

The U.S. Army released a memo on Aug. 5 ordering service members to cease all use of DJI products due to unspecified operational risks, noting that the drones are the Armys most widely used non-program of record commercial off-the-shelf UAS, said United Press International.

DJI said there was still no response from the U.S. Army.
Arraignments are set for Friday for Nicholas West and Eddie Ray Jackson, two suspects charged for the armed robbery and shooting death of James Melton, 36 of Woodworth, at the Save More store on Lee Street in Alexandria back in February.

West, 19, and Jackson, 17, were indicted for first degree murder and armed robbery.

Back in February, police received a call to the store for a report of a shooting. When they got to the scene, they found Melton has been shot in the head inside of a truck. West and Jackson were tracked down shortly after, interviewed, arrested, and charged. Melton died the next day.

Jackson is currently behind bars in the parish jail awaiting his arraignment. But, in an interesting twist, West is not behind bars.

In April, West's attorney filed a motion to reduce his bond which had been set at $100,000. Judge Monique Rauls decided to reduce West's bond to $25,000 and later decided to release West on his own recognizance with the exception of paying $5,000. That means once West paid $5,000, he had to promise that he would show up for other court appearances.

In a rare move, Judge Rauls took the bond reduction hearing one step further - allowing West to move to Texas as long as he agreed to be randomly drug tested. West was ordered not to have contact with Jackson and the victim's family.

News Channel 5 wanted to know if Judge Rauls had the authority to release West on his own recognizance given that he is charged with first degree murder and armed robbery - both of which are considered crimes of violence in the Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure.

According to Article 334.4 within that code states "any defendant who has been arrested for any of the following offenses shall not be released by the court on his own recognizance or on the signature of any other person." Within that article, crimes of violence are listed which include first degree murder and armed robbery.

Judges are not permitted to speak with the media about open cases.
The suspect arrested and charged in the Friday murder of a man at a house on Monroe Street pleaded guilty to a lesser charge back in 2015 in connection with another murder in the city.

Desmond Harris, 20, is charged with second degree murder following the shooting death of a man who police said was wearing women's clothing. Police have not identified the victim.

Officers received a call about the shooting just before 2 p.m. on Friday.

Efforts to resuscitate the victim failed. Police surrounded the house while waiting for a search warrant after believing the shooter was still inside. When they entered the home, no one was inside.

Harris was identified as a suspect and tracked down by police at a home on Irish Lane around 7 p.m. that same day. He was arrested and charged.

But, as News Channel 5 has learned, it's not Harris' first run-in with the law.

In August 2015, Harris pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of contributing to delinquency of a minor in connection with the murder of Kendrick Hayes, 21, who was found murdered in City Park.

He was sentenced in March 2015 to serve six months, but placed on probation by Judge Mary Doggett for 18 months. But, in October 2015, his probation was revoked and he was forced to serve that initial six month sentence, but was given credit for time served.
Crowds throng at the west gate of Tsinghua University, August 6, 2017. (youth.cn/Zhang Ruiyu)

Every summer, crowds from across the country flock to the campuses of Tsinghua University and Peking University in Beijing during the summer holidays, China's top two universities. With the rising number of visitors, it usually takes many hours to get a chance to enter the universities, youth.cn reported on Aug. 7.

Tsinghua University receives 6,000 visitors a day, half of which visit in the morning and half of which visit in the afternoon. Both group visitors and individuals have to line up in front of the west gate. "Tsinghua University opens to public at 8:30 a.m., however, many people start to line up at 3-4 a.m., because people who come at 6 a.m. may be too late and can only enter in the afternoon," said a guard.

Visitors enter Tsinghua University after waiting for 3 hours, August 6, 2017. (youth.cn/Zhang Ruiyu)

Liu, a man from Hunan province, joined the line with his family in front of Tsinghua University at about 8 a.m. on Aug. 6. To their surprise, they could only enter the university in the afternoon. They ate their lunchsome bread and snackswhile waiting in the line.

Peking University only received group visitors in the morning of Aug.6 due to other scheduled events. Individuals are allowed to enter as usual from 2 p.m. The university is open to public from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.. It's common to see visitors left outside when the university closes. Group visitors have to apply in advance on the university website. Groups are mainly youth summer camps with about 30 people each.

Group visitors wait outside the east gate of Peking University, August 6, 2017. (youth.cn/Zhang Ruiyu)

Beijing Youth Daily reported on Aug. 6 that scalpers could be found outside both universities. A netizen told the reporter that the scalpers often gather at the west gate of Tsinghua University. They charge 40 yuan per seat, claiming they can drive passengers into the campus from the east gate. The news has stirred the internet, with many slamming the scalpers' behavior.

A courier riding a tricycle was caught by a guard when trying to enter Tsinghua University on Aug. 4. Four people were found hiding in the tricycle. "It's very dangerous," said the guard to the couple and their two children. The courier and his tricycle were then detained by the guard.

Guards from both universities said they could not prevent people who have real credentials from taking other people onto campus. But they can stop those with fake or expired documents.
A Chinese scholars remarks about possible small-scale military operation to expel Indian troops in Chinas Doklam region have caused a stir among Indian media over the weekend. Experts say Indias reaction over the remarks reflects the countrys lack of self-confidence.

Last week, Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times: If India refuses to withdraw, China may conduct a small-scale military operation within two weeks.

Hus statement quickly became headlines in Indian media. Different from previous rhetoric, Indian media included a government statement that stressed dialogue is the only way to resolve the conflict.

On Aug. 5, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed hope that the two countries will find a solution through dialogue but did not make clear what he was referring to.

Two days before Modis statement, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was quoted by The Tribune as saying diplomatic channels are the only way to resolve the standoff with China and China has been contributing to Indias growing economic might.

Indias speculation of Chinas possible military operation in Doklam and Indian governments statements over the standoff all indicate the countrys guilty conscience, Hu pointed out.

Meghnad Desai, an India-born UK economist and commentator on South Asian affairs, predicted that the standoff could soon spiral into an all-out war involving the U.S., which he said, would support India. He also said India cannot stand up to China without American help and support. Likewise, America cannot stand up to China without Indian help.

Being too nervous about a scholars comments about a possible military operation and counting on the speculated aid from the U.S. reflect Indias lack of self-confidence, said Long Xingchun, director of the Center of India Studies at China West Normal University, in an interview with the Global Times.

Over the last two weeks, the Indian side has been trying to play down the incident with the aim of finding a buffer zone and a way to save face, because India has been unable to find any suitable argument to defend its stance, Long noted.

Meanwhile, as the standoff continues, the Indian government is under pressure from both home and abroad. Though India suggests dialogue is the only way to resolve conflict, China has made it very clear that the premise for dialogue is the Indian troops withdrawal from the Chinese territory unconditionally, Hu pointed out.
The Chinese Navy conducted live ammunition combat drills in water and air areas above both the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea simultaneously on Monday.

Dozens of missiles were fired in the drills, according to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy.

In addition to naval forces, which took a major part in the drills, forces from the PLA Air Force also participated.

The drills, involving dozens of surface vessels and submarines, more than ten aircraft as well as troops of the coastal defense force, carried out exercises including different forces' joint operations against offshore and onshore targets, as well as air interception.

The PLA Navy said the drills aimed to test the military capability of systemic combat, operation and training methods and weaponry, as part of regular arrangements organized in the military's annual exercise plan.

Senior naval officers attended the drills.
I'm Katherine, and my husband Romeo and I are part-time travelers. We work full-time but use our vacation time to travel the world. We experience all we can on our travels, including culture, adventure, food, and a little golf (for Rome). Travel the World is our place to share our travel adventures and help others plan their world travels.
CGTN photo

China supports inter-Korean dialogue and believes resuming dialogue is necessary to ease regional tensions.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks on the sidelines of the the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Foreign Ministers meeting in the Philippine capital Manila on Monday.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  A pledge to fight burdensome red tape and to support federal air travel subsidies for rural communities is how

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., greeted news that PenAir intends to discontinue service in Kearney, North Platte and Scottsbluff.

"As Congress considers the FAA reauthorization this year, I will continue to shore up support for the Essential Air Service program. I will also work to reduce burdensome regulations that harm Nebraskas small and community airports by reducing the number of available pilots and increasing service costs," Fischer said today (Monday).

She is Nebraskas senior member in the U.S. Senate and is a member of the Senate Commerce Committee.

"Todays news regarding PenAir is concerning for Nebraskans, especially those in our states rural areas and the Panhandle," Fischer said. "Reliable air service connects our families, businesses and communities to the rest of our country and the world."
KEARNEY  Dobytown Kiwanis and United Way of the Kearney Area are teaming up to bring more than 1,000 children a new backpacks full of school supplies through the Back-2-School Program.

Families will be able to pick up backpacks on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Kenwood Elementary School cafeteria. Tuesday pickup will be from 6-8 p.m., and Wednesday pickup will be from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Volunteers are invited to work with members of Dobytown Kiwanis and United Way of the Kearney Area to stuff the backpacks with school supplies today from 6-8 p.m. at Kenwood. More information is available from United Way at 237-6840.

The backpacks and supplies are made possible through the Stuff the Bus program and generous donors.
KEARNEY  The driver of a semi that collided with a car and killed a western Nebraska teen has been charged in her June 29 unintentional death.

Drew K. Davis, 37, of Gastonia, N.C., was charged Thursday in a Buffalo County warrant with misdemeanor motor vehicle homicide in the death of Rachelle Kort, 14, of Mitchell near the Interstate 80 Odessa interchange.

Court records outline the case against Davis:

On June 29, Davis had pulled his 2009 Peterbuilt semitrailer truck onto the south shoulder of I-80 and parked to look up directions. As he tried to merge back into the eastbound driving lane of I-80 from the shoulder, the two vehicles collided. Davis was traveling between 15 and 20 mph at the time, and records say he didnt see the car at the time of the crash.

The investigation revealed Davis allegedly failed to yield the right of way to eastbound traffic, records say.

Late this morning, Davis wasnt in custody in Kearney.

If convicted, and if he isnt placed on probation, Davis faces up to one year in jail.

Okoye was transported to CHI Health Good Samaritan where she was treated for her injuries and released. Davis was uninjured.

@HubChic
LOUP CITY  A U.S. military mom is giving back to her country one embroidered star at a time.

Patty Price of Loup city is one of about 210 people who collect embroidered stars from American flags that are about to be retired. Through the organization, Stars for our Troops, Price and other members then give the stars to military men and women or first responders.

I am on several Facebook support groups, and a mom posted a picture that her son had received one. And I saw it and I said, I want to get involved, Price said.

Prices sons William and Michael are serving in the U.S. military. Because William is serving overseas, Price said, Stars for our Troops helps keep her mind off her worry for her son.

With knowing where he is and what he is doing, I worry. And this gives me something to focus on, Price said, and to not worry so much and to be able to give back.

Price works directly with the Boy Scouts Troop 139, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion to collect flags with stitched stars that are about to be retired. She first washes the flags, then with sharp scissors, she takes the blue canton off the flag, cutting carefully along the red and white stripes to avoid fraying, because this would ruin the stars. The process, from start to finish, takes about five to six hours per flag.

At first, Price was concerned that separating the union of the flag was disrespectful. But after speaking with a U.S. Army Vietnam veteran, she learned if it is done with honor, it is an honor to whomever the star is bestowed.

Additionally, all flags that Price pulls stars from are retired at official flag burning ceremonies.

It is all done with honor and with dignity for these lives, Price said. All of the pieces are decommissioned; they are not thrown in the trash.

Price prefers to use flags with the embroidered stars, because soldiers and veterans can better feel the stars while in their pockets. The stars are reminders that the soldiers and veterans are remembered and appreciated.

So far, Price has collected 543 flags and is preparing 27,150 stars. She sent 2,000 of those stars to a veteran in New York who was traveling the country handing out stars. She also sent 65 with her son to take with him on his deployment.

Price always carries a bag of stars in her purse in case she runs into a veteran or military person. Whenever she sees people wearing a Veteran hat, she reaches out with a star to let them know what they did wasnt forgotten.

I want them to know that I appreciate what they do and to give them a little thank you, she said.
MITCHELL  For the Liakos family of rural Bayard, the fair season brings a bit of stability to an otherwise tumultuous summer.

George and Anne Liakos and their three children Riley, Ryan, and Mackenzie, were displaced by an EF-2 tornado on June 12 that totaled their home, show barn, and much of their machinery and equipment sheds.

Right now, just getting life back to normal would be big, George said. Its been a hard 51 days. Its five oclock in the morning to 10 oclock at night almost every day.

Theyre currently living in a rental house south of Bayard, about 9 miles from the farm. While the roof is over their head, its been tough bouncing back and forth to feed cows and take care of the farm.

Its a house, Anne Liakos said. But its not really home home.

Picking up the pieces has been a slow process, but theyre still dedicated to making it to the fair.

Its been a tough couple of days, and were used to doing better than this, George said. We didnt have any barns for animals either. The show barn was totaled out.

The kids were working in a calving barn in the interim, which was hot and full of flies. However, George hopes to have the show barn rebuilt by September, and their house on the farm rebuilt sometime in the spring.

That will hopefully give us a little more stability, George said.

The children have all been showing around the country for about 8 years, with Mackenzie starting at age 5, entering into jackpot shows since before she was even old enough. Over the first few days of the Scotts Bluff County Fair, the Liakos children showed swine and sheep. They normally showed cattle, but didnt have the time to get them ready this year.

The kids do well, George Liakos said. But its just not like a normal summer at all.

Despite the setbacks, the Liakos children grabbed a slew of purple ribbons, with Mackenzie taking gold in intermediate sheep showmanship.

In four weeks, they will head to the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island, then on to Aksarben, Kansas City, Louisville, and theyll finish out in Denver.

Its what we do as a family, George said. Were gonna go and show and make the best of it.

At the end of Wednesdays sheep showmanship, the Liakos family and hired-hand Paul Garcia were busy getting everything packed up and taken back to the farm, where chores needed to be done, before making a trip back to the fairgrounds for the rubber check races that evening.

I dont think Ive ever missed a rubber check race, George said. I dont want this to be the first year.
The best way to better families while reducing the number of people who need public assistance is by helping the workers in those households get higher-paying, better-quality jobs  and Nebraska is wisely taking steps to do it.

Last week, Nebraska unveiled an initiative it had piloted in Grand Island that would do just that by providing employment assistance to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants. And, citing its early success, state leaders announced plans to expand it in Hastings, Columbus and Norfolk before launching it statewide.

While its early, Nebraskas plan appears to meet that aim. Of the 27 families in Grand Island who took part in a pilot, state officials report 14 breadwinners have changed jobs and seen annual wages increase by an average of $6,900  enough for eight to reduce their SNAP benefits and for six to transition completely off the program.

Although most states have seen a decline in food stamps, Nebraska has recently experienced an increase, even while its participation rate is still below average. An average of 174,000 Nebraskans per month  about 9 percent of the states population  received SNAP benefits totaling $241 million in fiscal 2015, according to a January report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The vast majority of Nebraska households that received food stamps were working families. Of the 42,339 families who used SNAP in that time period, 85.5 percent of them had at least one worker in the home, the USDA reported. Nearly a third claimed two or more workers.

But, because of the way SNAP and other benefit programs are structured, these well-intentioned programs can dissuade recipients from working.

With such a steep falloff in benefits that come with more gross income, some on the higher end of the eligibility scale are faced with a no-win choice: Work more and struggle to feed family members, or stay in a lower wage bracket to keep assistance.

That perverse incentive can only be replaced with massive reform of the SNAP program or helping recipients work their way off the program by earning wages high enough to absorb the loss of benefits for households that average one-third the median annual income of the state, according to the USDA.

Lincoln Journal Star
Its great that police are finally asking the public to help them catch the serial rapist who has been attacking University of Kansas and Kansas State University students since 2000.

But its infuriating that they waited so long to let students know what they knew. In fact, they waited two full years before letting the public know there even was a rape in Manhattan on July 27, 2015  and in the same block where K-State students had been raped in 2003 and 2004.

Thats dangerous on its face.

Given the fact that rapists generally keep right on committing that crime until they are caught, police didnt need to connect the 2015 rape to the earlier crimes to know that it was vitally important to make everyone in the area aware that a violent criminal was on the loose.

On Thursday, police in Lawrence and Manhattan at last coughed up some details about the rapist and his 14 attacks on KU and K-State women, including two attempted rapes, between October 2000 and July 2015. But until then, students had been under the misimpression that the last attack was ancient history, way back in December 2008.

Riley County police said they only recently linked the latest attack to the others, though how three rapes on the same block would not be seen in that light defies logic.

And heres one of the most damning statements police made  about themselves, that is: Once we reached a conclusion that there was a high probability that they were indeed related, said Capt. Tim Hegarty, who oversees investigations for Riley County, we undertook a lengthy internal discussion about whether or not to make that conclusion public.

Thats unacceptable. You would have thought that police would have been a lot more worried about the risk of not letting students know.

Kansas City Star
Since the beginning of the new Congress, senators have been meeting to determine the best way to repeal Obamacare. Nebraskans know this law is unsustainable. For too many families, health care has become unaffordable. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, premiums in Nebraska increased 153 percent from 2013-2017.

CoOportunity collapsed, leaving 80,000 Nebraskans to face tough decisions about their insurance coverage. Just like our neighbors in Iowa, our state has only one insurer offering individual plans.

In the past few weeks, a number of health care proposals were brought forward in the Senate. Im on record voting to repeal Obamacare and replace it with policies that move us in the right direction. Im frustrated the Senate was unable to approve any proposal. Americans need relief, and I believe the Senate should stay in session through August to find a way to address this very important issue.

While health care remains at the top of the discussion, I am also focused on another important issue that affects our state: infrastructure. In May, the president announced his intention to implement a national infrastructure plan. I agree that we need to enact long-term reforms on how infrastructure projects are regulated, funded, delivered, and maintained.

Recently, I was at the White House for a meeting to discuss new legislative plans for infrastructure and to highlight my ideas to help American transportation and infrastructure projects move forward. Since my days serving in the Nebraska Unicameral, infrastructure has always been a priority for me, and it is an area I continue to focus on as chair of the Senate Surface Transportation Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee.

Our conversation at the White House consisted of an array of topics, from surface transportation to regulatory reform. Id like to share a few highlights and explain where I believe theres common ground, both between the White House and Congress and across the aisle on Capitol Hill.

We can invest in our nations transportation system without the need for reckless stimulus-style spending. The last major infrastructure bill required states to spend 50 percent of the funds they received within six months. This did not provide sufficient time to develop major projects fully and create something that would last.

Any infrastructure funding package should utilize current programs while giving states flexibility. Congress should encourage targeted, strategic, and long-term investments that strengthen safety, facilitate commerce, and enhance the reliability of our transportation system. We must have programs that will work in both urban and rural areas. Congress should consider new ideas and different approaches that will utilize technology. For example, expediting the permitting process and reviewing lending eligibility could stretch taxpayer dollars to deliver better results.

We also touched on broadband and how Nebraska has led the way in expanding telecommunications to rural areas. Nebraskas Public Service Commission has a well-established mechanism for allocating federal and state telecommunications and broadband funding. I believe the Nebraska model could be built upon and promoted nationally.

The federal government and the states can work together to develop existing plans to build and expand our infrastructure.

Deb Fischer is Nebraskas senior representative in the U.S. Senate.
High on the agenda was the outcome of a recent Paris meeting between Libyas Prime Minister Fayez Al-Serraj and the divided country's eastern commander Haftar

Egypts Army Chief of Staff Mahmoud Hegazy met with Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar in Cairo on Sunday to discuss the latest developments in Libya, including the results of a recent Paris meeting between Libyan factions, Egypt's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Hegazy, head of the Egyptian committee assigned to mediate between the Libyan factions, praised Haftars efforts to fight terrorism in Libya. He also highlighted the importance of working together to create a unified Libya that supports security and stability and is free of extremism.

Haftar, meanwhile, stressed his appreciation and that of the Libyan people for Egypt's efforts to resolve the nation's crisis and reconcile Misrata with eastern Libya, the foreign ministry statement added.

The duo also discussed future efforts to rebuild the country, which slid into conflict after the ousting of long-time Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with rival governments and parliaments now in the west and east.

In late July, Libyas Prime Minister Fayez Al-Serraj and the eastern commander Haftar met in Paris in talks chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron. The two Libyan leaders committed to a conditional ceasefire and agreed to work towards holding elections next spring.

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Inuit research associate Inez Shiwak, centre, shows students of Northern Lights Academy, in Rigolet, N.L., how the research team tested water for coliform bacteria and E. coli in an undated handout photo. Researchers studying higher rates of gastrointestinal illness in Inuit communities have a message for all Canadians: wash your water bottles and storage containers. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Allan Gordon, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
Chief Competitive Officer of Groupe Renault Thierry BollorA, left, Chairman of Industrial Development and Renovation Oraganization of Iran, IDRO, Mansour Moazami, center, and Negin Group CEO Kourosh Morshed Solouk join shows documents to media after signing a deal in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Aug. 7, 2017. Iran signed the country's biggest-ever car deal with French multinational automobile manufacturer Groupe Renault on Monday to produce 150,000 cars, beginning in 2018. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
FILE - In this June 21, 2017 file photo, a subway train approaches the platform at Brooklyn's Smith Street above-ground subway station, in New York. Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to tax the wealthiest 1 percent of New Yorkers to fund repairs and improvements to the beleaguered subway system. The proposal comes as the mayor and Gov. Andrew Cuomo continue to squabble over who is responsible for paying for repairs to the nation's largest system. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)
A couple kiss sitting on a bench in the shade in a park in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. A heatwave with an extreme temperatures of up to 42 Celsius (107.6 F) affected Romania over the past week and is expected to continue for the coming days in parts of the country. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
The storming of Matay police station resulted in the death of the police department's deputy chief Colonel Mostafa El-Attar

Minya Criminal Court has handed down 12 death sentences and 157 life prison terms for crimes relating to the storming of a police station in 2013.

The defendants were convicted on Monday of various acts of violence, including murder, as well as the storming of Matay police station and setting it on fire.

Colonel Mostafa El-Attar, the deputy chief of the police station, was killed in the violence.

The incident followed the forced dispersal of mass sit-ins in Cairo's Rabaa El-Adawiya and El-Nahda squares in the summer of 2013. Supporters of the-president Mohamed Morsi had gathered to oppose his ouster from office.

Following the dispersal, angry rioters stormed police stations and burned a number of churches in various locations across Egypt.

The defendants in the Minya case were initially charged with murder, attempted murder, rioting, illegal assembly, disturbing the public peace, and damaging public and private property.

In 2014, 37 defendants were handed death sentences before the court ordered a retrial in the case.

Hundreds of people have been convicted and acquitted in similar cases since 2013.

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Jewish Voice Ministries International President, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis and his team pay a visit to Nnewi, Anambra State.



The purpose of their visit is to present DNA tests confirming the claims that Igbos are of Israel descent.

Earlier this year, a team of scientists collated blood samples of

persons in the South East to run a test in order to ascertain the claim

that Igbos are of the Jewish descendants.

On Saturday, the jewish visitors were received by the chairman

Caretaker committee, Nnewi North, Prince Chukwudi Orizu, at Messianic

Faith Assembly, Uruagu Nnewi.

Daily Post reports that the team visited Anambra to present the DNA test proving their claims to the elders and townspeople.

This is the fourth visit to Anambra state in their quest to find the lost children of Israel.
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ratified a law on Monday for the creation of a National Electoral Commission (NEC) to supervise the nation's elections and referendums, state-run news agency MENA reported.

According to the 37-article law, which was passed on 21 June, the NEC will be an independent authority with sole responsibility for the holding of general elections and referendums in Egypt.

"Its duties will range from reviewing national voter lists on a periodical basis, making sure they are clean and free of any irregularities, to holding polls and announcing results," according to a report by parliament's legislative reform committee.

The NEC will be headed by the head of the Court of Cassation, as stipulated by the law.

"The NEC's board will include 10 members, comprising one head [and nine] senior judges affiliated with the Court of Cassation, the Court of Appeals, the State Council, the State Cases Authority, and the Administrative Prosecution Authority," said the report.

"All will be selected by the Higher Council for Judges and endorsed by the president of the republic," it added.

"Their term of office will be a non-renewable six years and they must be six years under the retirement age when they join NEC's board."

The NEC, along with the Egyptian government, are set to begin preparing for Egypt's upcoming presidential elections, which are set for May 2018.

On 28 July, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail held a meeting with the ministers of justice and parliamentary affairs, as well as a representative of the finance ministry, to review the steps necessary for the NEC to supervise the elections, in accordance with articles 208, 209 and 210 of the constitution, according to a cabinet statement.

A number of political parties announced last week that they would support El-Sisi for a second term in office, though El-Sisi has not officially announced that he would run for a second four-year term.

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MPs from two parliamentary committees have told the US embassys charge d'affaires that they object to a recent US travel notice that warns Americans of threats in Egypt from terrorist and violent political opposition groups."

The head of Egypt parliament's culture, media and antiquities committee, Osama Heikal, told reporters that members of that committee and of the foreign affairs committee took the opportunity to voice their objections at a meeting on Sunday morning with Thomas Goldberger. 

Heikal said the meeting came upon the request of the American diplomat.

In a statement on 19 July the US Department of State warned "US citizens to consider the risks of travel to Egypt due to threats from terrorist and violent political opposition groups."

The statement claimed that "terrorist attacks can occur anywhere in the country, including major metropolitan areas." 

In a quick and angry response to the statement, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry asked Egypt's embassy in the US to officially object to the US travel warning.

In addition, the foreign ministry said in a statement on 21 July that "the US Department of States recent travel warning on Egypt is misleading and inaccurate and does not reflect the situation in Egypt."

"The US embassy in Washington handed a letter to the Department of State conveying Egypt's concern over the wording used in the warning, urging them to be accurate and not spread misleading information," the ministry's spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said.

Heikal told reporters that Egypt's parliament has also sent a letter to the US Congress, voicing objection to the travel warning.

"The letter, sent a few days ago, strongly objected to the travel warning, and for this reason the US embassy's charge d'affaires requested a meeting with us," said Heikal, adding that "MPs told the US embassy delegation that the travel warning statement was based on inaccurate information, not to mention that it was not issued in coordination with the Egyptian government."

"We also told Goldberger that the warning came at a very crucial time, while Egypt is fighting a ferocious war against terrorism, and that the inaccurate warning could be used to negatively harm tourism traffic and investment inflow into Egypt," said Heikal.

Some MPs said that the US travel warning was exploited by Al Jazeera to tarnish the country's image and warn against tourism.

Heikal indicated that MPs also objected in particular to the US warning using the phrase "violent political opposition groups."

"It seems that those who write these statements in America do not understand the difference between opposition and terrorism, and that most of them are still loyal to the legacy of former US president Barack Obama, who strongly supported political Islam," Heikal said.

According to Heikal, MPs told Goldberger that they had reservations about America's role in Egypt and the region when Obama was in office.

"We thought that Obama's departure would lead to improving relations with America, but the latest warning took us by surprise, showing the Obama mentality is still there in America's Department of State and that they are still fond of using their old styles," said Heikal.

The meeting was attended by two US embassy officials and Egyptian MPs Dahlia Youssef, Amna Nosseir, Tarek El-Khouli, Injy Fahmi, Mohamed El-Sallab, and Yasmine Abu Taleb.

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As is customary for every administration in recent history, the Trump administration chose to impale itself on the national spear known as health care in America. The consequences so far are precisely as I expected, but one intriguing phenomenon is surprisingly beginning to emerge. People are starting to talk about single payer. People who are not avowed socialists, people who benefit handsomely from the health care status quo seem to feel a need to address this four hundred pound gorilla, sitting patiently in a corner of our health care situation room. Why?

The all too public spectacle of a Republican party at war with itself over repealing and replacing Obamacare is teaching us one certain thing. There are no good solutions to health care within the acceptable realm of incremental, compromise driven, modern American solutions to everything, solutions that have been crippling the country and its people since the mid-seventies, which is when America lost its mojo. To fix health care, we have to go back to times when America was truly great, times when the wealthy Roosevelts of New York lived in the White House, times when graduating from Harvard or Yale were not cookie cutter prerequisites to becoming president, times when the President of the United States conducted meetings while sitting on the toilet with the door open and nobody cared. Rings a bell?

Single-payer health care is one such bold solution. Listening to the back and forth banter on social media, one may be tempted to disagree. We dont have enough money for single payer. Both Vermont and California tried and quit because of astronomic costs. Hundreds of thousands of people working for insurance companies will become unemployed. Hospitals will close. Entire towns will be wiped out. Doctors will become lazy, inefficient government employees and youll have to wait months before seeing a doctor. And of course, there will be formal and informal death panels. Did I miss anything? Im pretty sure I did, so lets enumerate.

Single payer is going to bankrupt the nation

We have $3 trillion in our health care pot right now. We have 325 million Americans, men women and children of all ages. First-grade arithmetic says we have almost $10,000 per year to spend on each American, the vast majority of whom is either young or healthy or both. For comparison, Medicare spends on average around $12,000 per year for the oldest and sickest population. Last year a platinum plan for a 21 year old cost less than $5,000 per year and this includes the built in waste of private health insurance. So please, tell me again how we cant afford to pay for everybodys health care needs at a Medicare actuarial level, which is slightly less than commercial platinum.

And no, we need not increase taxes either. You keep paying what youre paying. Your employer keeps paying what it is paying. The government keeps paying what its paying. But instead of dispersing all that cash to all sorts of corporate entities standing in line with their golden little soup bowls ready to catch the last drop, we put it all together in one big beautiful barrel, and pay for care directly to those who provide care  one pool, one budget, and one accounting system for all. This is a national endeavor. It is irrelevant that Vermont failed and California bungled the whole thing. Do you think California and Vermont could afford to provide for their own armies, air force, and navies? I didnt think so.

Single payer will cause millions to lose their jobs

Hundreds of thousands of people work for commercial insurers. Claims need to be processed, money needs to be collected and paid out, books need to be kept, customers and service providers need to be supported, computers have to be maintained, audits need to be performed, contracts need t be managed, lots and lots of labor and lots and lots of decently paying jobs. Do you have any idea how Medicare administration works? Or are you under the impression that Medicare runs itself with no human labor? Have you ever heard of Noridian or Cahaba? No? Then I respectfully suggest that you should refrain from opining about the horrors of single payer.

Medicare is run by private administrative contractors called MACs, each assigned to specific geographical regions and specific portions of Medicare services. In addition to the MACs, there are slews of functional contractors that specialize in one or more types of supporting services to the MACs. These are private entities no different from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Hewlett-Packard, Booz Allen Hamilton, GE and many more. They employ thousands of people, and if Medicare becomes our single payer, there will be more MACs, more functional contractors, and hundreds of thousands more private employees.

That said, it stands to reason that consolidation from many payers to one, will introduce some efficiencies and the total number of available jobs will be reduced, so here is a solution to this potential problem. Currently, all insurers including Medicare and Medicaid are offshoring claim processing and in the case of private insurers other functions, including clinical, as well. Change the regulations and bring those jobs back home where they belong in the first place, and offer them to those who will lose their commercial insurance jobs. This administration is especially well positioned to effect such changes to CMS regulations.

Single payer will take away our freedom

What if Sams Club only carried General Mills cereal and Costco only carried Kelloggs? What if you had a Costco membership but stopped by another store to pick up some Cheerios and were charged ten times as much as Sams Cub sells it for? No, its not exactly the same, but you get the idea. Would you consider this to be freedom of choice? Or would you rather have one big huge market where all brands sell their products directly to you competing against each other? The latter is how single payer could work. Freedom to shop for an insurance plan is freedom to shop for your preferred rationing scheme and ultimately your own flavor of death panel.

Traditional Medicare allows you to choose your doctor and your hospital and it pays for all medically necessary services. No commercial plan can say the same unless its one of those platinum things nobody can afford. Traditional Medicare can do that because it sets the prices for all health care providers, instead of negotiating with a few preferred vendors. Medicare can take these liberties because its big enough and because its a Federal program. But Medicare doesnt pay for everything. Thats why most seniors purchase supplemental plans if they can afford them, and if they are poor enough, Medicaid kicks in as the secondary payer. Being the safety net for the fixed price single payer should be the sole function of a new and federally administered Medicaid.

Single payer will destroy our health care

I think American medicine is the best in the whole world. Not because its expensive and not due to the corrupt ways in which its being financed, but in spite of these things. Finding a better way to pay our medical bills has nothing to do with the quality of American medicine. The concern here is that once Medicare becomes the only game in town, it will unilaterally cut its fee schedules and all hospitals will go bankrupt, all doctors will be driven into homelessness, no new drugs will be developed, and were all going to die. On the other hand, the Federal government is the sole purchaser of aircraft carriers, stealth bombers, and weaponry of all types. How cheap are those items? How powerless and decrepit is that industry?

Precisely because of the lessons learned from the mighty military industrial complex, single-payer reform will have to change three things in the structure of our current so-called health care system. First, all hospital consolidation and acquisition of physician practices will need to be rolled back. Second, petty regulations, vindictive carrots and sticks strategies and crude attempts at social engineering by clueless bureaucrats, will have to be dismantled brick by brick. Third, physicians will need to form a union of independent small contractors to negotiate fees and terms alongside the already powerful hospital associations. I have been a longtime proponent of a physicians union, even in our current system, to serve as check and balance to corporate greed and government arrogance. A single-payer system cannot and will not succeed without unionized independent physicians.

Single payer is not the American way

We have been conditioned by large corporations to think that what they do to us is the nature of free-markets, and thus the only way to achieve prosperity for all. I would submit (for the millionth time) that what Apple is doing to the world has nothing to do with Adam Smiths free markets. The actors in classic free markets must be approximately equal. When sellers are so big that they need artificially intelligent tools to even notice the existence of buyers, there is no free market. When the price of products sold exceeds the lifetime incomes of most buyers, there is no free market. When no one can muster enough moral turpitude to publicly say that if youre poor, your babies should die, there is no free market. There is no free market, and there can be no free market in health care.

There can, however, be competition. Perhaps not in sparsely populated areas, and perhaps not for highly complex procedures, but there can be competition for most health care services in most places. The uniform single-payer price should be set so that innovative hospitals and entrepreneurial physicians can thrive by charging less and those holding themselves in higher than usual esteem, or those who choose to provide luxury, are free to charge more. If all sellers are small enough, and if the standard single-payer price is fairly negotiated, we will have a real market, because people will shop to save money (in a rewards system like credit cards have) and some will shop for status and vanity.

Will there be a role for private insurance? There could be, but private insurance should not be allowed to cover any services covered by the single payer because that would take us back to where we are today. Let private insurance cover stuff nobody needs, but wealthy people like to flaunt, like freshly baked brioche for breakfast after having a baby, or executive physicals in palatial settings, and let those things become frightfully expensive, as these types of things usually are in a free market.

Single payer will create a new set of losers. Health care executives making tens of millions of dollars every year for no particular reason will be losers. Perhaps they can find new careers at Boeing or Lockheed Martin seeing how their expertise is easily transferable. Health insurance stocks will tank, and improperly managed pension funds will also lose bigly. People running for elections will see a major cash cow go dry after the initial struggle is over and done with. There will be powerful losers, and it wont be easy.

But Obamacare has its losers too. Hard working, tax-paying middle-class citizens were the designated losers of Obamacare. Some by commission and most by omission, because Obamacare made no attempt to solve the health care problems facing the vast majority of workers with employer sponsored health insurance. That bomb keeps ticking away at a steady pace. The newly empowered Republican Party has nothing to offer either, and I cant blame them. There is nothing more we can do here. We tried everything else, and now its time to do the right thing. Its the American way.

Margalit Gur-Arie is founder, BizMed. She blogs at On Healthcare Technology. This article originally appeared in the Health Care Blog.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Egypt's High State Security Prosecution on Monday referred a man suspected of killing three tourists in Hurghada in July to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation, state agency MENA reported.

Abdel-Rahman Shaban Abokorah will be detained at the psychiatric hospital for 45 days, in order for doctors to write a report about his psychological stability.

The suspect is accused of killing three foreign women, two Germans and a Czech, and injuring two other tourists in July in an attack in the resort city of Hurghada.

Authorities have so far not commented officially the suspects motives.

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Members of the Earles community gather to hear about a mining project coming to their area. Photo By Michaele Duke
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was originally published in the May 2011 issue of Kiplinger's Retirement Report. To subscribe, click here. (opens in new tab)

Do you have a beef with the Social Security Administration? Perhaps the agency didn't give you credit for working for certain years. Or maybe it overpaid you and is demanding the money back, even though the goof was the agency's fault. Consider an appeal.

While most appeals challenge Social Security's denial of disability claims, beneficiaries can seek a reevaluation of just about any benefits decision. You also can contest Medicare enrollment and eligibility decisions through the Social Security appeals process.

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The first step in the four-rung process is relatively easy. You must submit an appeals form within 60 days after Social Security notifies you of its decision. "They're not asking for a 20-page brief," says Nancy Shor, executive director of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives (www.nosscr.org (opens in new tab)), a trade group of lawyers who represent beneficiaries. "They just want an explanation of your position and any documentation you have."

You can find the form, "Request for Reconsideration" (SSA-561-U2), at www.ssa.gov (opens in new tab). At the same time, Shor says, visit a local office to see if you can straighten out the problem informally.

You may be able to get an initial decision overturned if you prove that an agency employee steered you wrong. For Medicare enrollment claims, if you object to a late-enrollment penalty, for example, you can petition for "equitable relief," while filing separately for reconsideration, says Hannah Oakland, with the Medicare Rights Center. "You write a letter to the Social Security Administration outlining the misinformation," she says.

That's what Paul Loukides did. Loukides, now 73, took an early-retirement offer from Albion College, in Michigan, where he was a professor. The offer included health coverage until he was 70, and he paid premiums to cover his wife, Nora, who is the same age.

Loukides called the local Social Security office to check on Medicare Part B requirements. He says he was told that as long as he had employer-based coverage, he did not have to enroll in Medicare Part B.

The couple moved to Charlottesville, Va. Before his coverage ended, Loukides visited the Social Security office to enroll in Medicare. The representative told him that the couple should have applied for Part B after he left his job. The agency imposed a late-enrollment penalty of 40% each year for the rest of their lives -- close to $1,000 a year.

It Pays to Be Tenacious

At the suggestion of Kiplinger's Retirement Report, Loukides appealed that decision. He sought equitable relief, arguing that agency personnel in Michigan had given him the wrong information. The government denied his request. The reason: He missed the enrollment deadline. "I didn't disagree, but the letter of denial did not address the issues raised in my appeal," he says.

So, he filed for reconsideration, again arguing he had been misinformed. Apparently, the agency agreed. In April, Loukides was told that he and Nora would no longer pay the penalties. Several days later, nearly $4,000 in penalties he had paid since he and Nora enrolled in Medicare at age 70 showed up in their bank account. "I'm tempted to have the SSA notification letter framed and hung on the wall," he says.

If Loukides had lost, he could have asked for a hearing before an administrative law judge. Agency personnel do not appear. The next step is a review by an appeals council. The council will either decide your case or send it to the administrative law judge.

Rarely do cases make it to the U.S. District Court level. Rodney Melkonoff, a lawyer in Phoenix, Ariz., recalls one case where a small-business owner decided to turn the firm over to his wife before he reached his full retirement age. The agency argued that he was still working, and it docked his benefits for the income he received over the Social Security "earnings limit." The beneficiary claimed he was no longer employed -- and won.
Four Dutch tourists were injured in a car accident in Hurghada on Monday, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported.

The incident reportedly happened when a tour bus collided with a limousine on the highway leading to the resort city's airport.

The four tourists were transferred to Hurghada general hospital to receive treatment.

Deadly traffic accidents take place on a daily basis in Egypt, largely due to poor road safety, badly maintained infrastructure, and loosely enforced traffic regulations.

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The microstructured Fischer-Tropsch reactor developed by INERATEC, that turns gases into liquid synthetic fuels, was presented at the Hanover Fair 2017 (Photo: Andreas Drollinger/KIT)

The representatives of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) were doubly blessed when the Baden-Wurttemberg Environmental Technology Award 2017 was conferred yesterday. Among others, two projects conducted in cooperation with KIT were awarded a prize by Franz Untersteller, Minister of the Environment. SOLINK combines photovoltaics and solar thermal technology in an efficient tandem collector. INERATEC, a spinoff of KIT, develops compact chemical reactors for the production of sustainable chemicals and fuels.

Thanks to the innovation efforts at KIT, we are able to bridge the gap between theoretical scientific insight and its practical application, Professor Thomas Hirth, Vice President for Innovation and International Affairs at KIT, explains. We want to be innovative  for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural resources. The fact that the Environmental Technology Award considers two technologies for which we have been a driving force is very encouraging for us.

The first prize of the Baden-Wurttemberg Environmental Technology Award 2017 in the Energy Efficiency category was awarded for the photovoltaic-thermal energy supply unit SOLINK. Using an air-air heat exchanger, the tandem collector combines photovoltaics and solar thermal technologies into a supply unit for heat pumps. While the top side of the novel collector uses photovoltaics to produce electric current, the bottom side generates thermal energy for heat pumps. An easy-to-fit connector system ensures the electric and thermal connections of the so-called PVT collectors so that they use the same roof surface for two purposes alike. Their market launch by the industry partner, Consolar Solare Energiesysteme GmbH, is scheduled for 2018.

The concept relies on preliminary studies conducted over many years in cooperation with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and funded by the German Federal Government and the German Foundation for the Environment. Andreas Wagner from the Building Science Group at KIT applied computer simulation to optimize the generation of energy by PVT collectors. For this purpose, he compared different configurations of module sizes, heat flow, and load shifting. Besides, he and his team used total absorption costing to calculate the efficiency of the concept. Bodo Ruck, head of the Building and Environmental Dynamics working group at KIT, was also involved for the consideration of air flows relevant to the heat transfer in the system.

Find more information here:

https://fbta.ieb.kit.edu/182_830.php

The third prize in the Emission Reduction, Treatment and Separation category went to INERATEC GmbH, a spinoff of KIT. INERATEC develops and sells microstructured, compact chemical reactors that convert green house gases into chemicals and synthetic fuels. Microsystem facilities are a promising trend when designing energy and material efficient methods in process engineering. The presented method uses the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis to produce synthetic fuels. Due to the compact system design, no complex components are required, the start-up and shutdown procedures are faster, and there are no excess process gases that need to be flared off. The technology developed by INERATEC is currently also used in Finland to convert hydrogen obtained from solar energy and carbon dioxide extracted from air into liquid fuels.

Find more information here:

http://www.kit.edu/kit/pi_2016_156_power-to-liquid-erste-kompaktanlage-im-pilotbetrieb.php

About the Environmental Technology Award:

Every two years, the Baden-Wurttemberg Ministry of the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector grants the Baden-Wurttemberg Environmental Technology Award. The award honors outstanding and innovative products and methods in environmental technology. Unlike the Environmental Award conferred by the Ministry since 1993, the Environmental Technology Award targets products or methods and their particular technological efficiency for the benefit of the environment rather than in-house processes. The prize money amounts to EUR 100,000 and is spread over four categories, Energy Efficiency, Material Efficiency, Technologies for Emission Reduction, Treatment and Separation, and Measurement and Control Technology, Industry 4.0, and a special prize of the jury.

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.
* China ordered mills to halve output in key areas

* Shanghai rebar rises by 7-percent limit

* Dalian iron ore also rallies more than 7 pct

By Manolo Serapio Jr

MANILA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Chinese rebar steel futures surged as much as 7 percent to their highest level in more than four years on Monday as buyers increased their purchases on expectations of reduced supply in the winter ahead due to Beijing-imposed capacity curbs.

Iron ore futures also jumped more than 7 percent.

China earlier this year ordered steel and aluminium producers in 28 cities to slash output during winter as it fights smog. Last week, the key steel producing area of Tangshan and other parts of Hebei province have said they will implement the order. The government then called on steel producers to halve output in four northern provinces - Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan - as well as Beijing and Tianjin, during the peak winter heating months around late November to late February. The size of the output cuts will depend on how much each region has reduced its emissions.

"In anticipation of less supply of steel, there should be some traders and end-users bringing forward their purchase plan," said Richard Lu, analyst at CRU consultancy in Beijing.

"Because of expectations of reduced supply, prices may rise further in coming months, so it's better to buy now," Lu also said.

The most-active rebar contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange climbed by its 7-percent exchange-set limit to a session peak of 4,013 yuan ($597) a tonne, its loftiest since April 2013.

The construction steel product was up 5.6 percent at 3,961 yuan by the midday break.

The strength in the steel market spilled over to raw material iron ore, with the most-traded iron ore on the Dalian Commodity Exchange rising as much as 7.3 percent to 587.50 yuan per tonne, the highest since March 21.

Despite the spike, traders believe there remains plenty of iron ore in China, and that could exert downward pressure on prices going forward.

"There's no rush among buyers to procure iron ore since there's a lot of cargoes available, both (fresh) seaborne cargoes and those (stocked) at ports," said a Shanghai-based trader.

Stockpiles of imported iron ore at China's ports stood at 139.15 million tonnes on Friday, according to data tracked by SteelHome. The level was not far below the record 141.45 million tonnes reached in June.

($1 = 6.7241 Chinese yuan)

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ China steel markets surge as Beijing steps up enforcement of capacity cuts ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Manolo Serapio Jr; Editing by Tom Hogue)
(Corrects headline of July 31 story to show deal value was $1.9 bln, not $1.2 bln)

* Li Ka-Shing's Hutchison sells unit to I Squared Capital

* Hutchison Telecom sees profit of HK$5.8 bln on the sale

* Shares jump almost 15 percent to 21-month high

By Kane Wu and Elzio Barreto

HONG KONG, July 31 (Reuters) - Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings Ltd shares jumped almost 15 percent when it started trading on Monday, a day after it announced the sale of its fixed-line business for about $1.9 billion.

Hutchison Telecom, a unit of Hong Kong's richest man Li Ka-Shing's CK Hutchison Holdings , said in a filing on Sunday that it had agreed to sell its fixed-line telecoms business to I Squared Capital for HK$14.5 billion in cash.

Proceeds from the sale of Hutchison Global Communications (HGC), which provides fixed-line phone services as well as Wifi all around Hong Kong, will be used for investment into mobile phone services and for working capital.

The price represents about 12 times HGC's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, a source close to the deal told Reuters.

Hutchison Telecom said it expected to make a profit of HK$5.8 billion ($742.71 million) on the sale of HGC.

Hutchison Telecom shares have risen nearly 23 percent since May 16, when it acknowledged media reports about a potential sale of the fixed-line business. The HGC unit drew interest from several companies, including HKBN Ltd , SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings Ltd and a consortium of private equity firms TPG Capital Management LP and MBK Partners. I Squared Capital won the deal partly because it will not face the same anti-trust scrutiny as some of the other bidders would, the source said.

TPG and MBK teamed up to buy Wharf T&T - Hong Kong's No.2 fixed-line operator for businesses last October from tycoon Peter Woo's Wharf Holdings Ltd in a $1.22 billion deal. The HGC deal is subject to shareholders' approval and is expected to close in October, Hutchison Telecom said in the filing. The value of the deal may be adjusted at the time based on debt, cash levels and other financial data.

CK Hutchison, which owns 66.1 percent of Hutchison Telecom, will vote all its shares in favour of the sale during an as-yet unscheduled extraordinary shareholders meeting.

I Squared has secured a HK$7.02 billion ($900 million) loan from Credit Agricole, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank to fund the HGC purchase, according to Basis Point, a Thomson Reuters publication. The three banks could not be immediately reached for comment. The firm, which invests in global infrastructure in energy, utilities and transport, is among potential buyers for Equis Energy, Asia's largest independent renewable energy producer valued at up to $5 billion, sources have said. Hutchison Telecom said it appointed Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs as financial advisers on the HGC transaction. Credit Suisse advised I Squared Capital on the transaction, according to another source familiar with the deal.

The sale comes as Hutchison's unit Hutchison Drei Austria announced on Friday an acquisition of landline-focused Tele2 from its Swedish owner for 95 million euros ($111 million). Hutchison Telecom shares jumped almost 15 percent to a 21-month high earlier on Monday, and were trading up 10.32 percent at HK$3.10 apiece by 0526 GMT, versus the broader index that was up 1 percent. ($1 = 7.8092 Hong Kong dollars)

(Reporting by Kane Wu and Elzio Barreto, additional reporting by Basis Point; Editing by Jane Merriman and Himani Sarkar)
* Investors lap up bank capital as IDBI pledges to pay coupon

By Krishna Merchant and S Anuradha

SINGAPORE, Aug 7 (IFR) - Indian fund managers expect more banks to sell tightly priced Additional Tier 1 capital now that loss-making IDBI Bank has said it will meet an August 14 coupon payment on its AT1 securities.

IDBI said last week it was still able to pay the coupon even though the terms of the AT1 notes bar the bank from servicing coupons unless it was profitable and met regulatory capital requirements. IDBI reported a higher-than-expected 51 billion rupees ($801 million) loss for the year to March 2017 and posted a common equity Tier 1 ratio, including the capital conservation buffer, of 5.64 percent, below the RBI minimum of 6.75 percent.

The approval to pay the coupon on its 10 billion 11.09 percent AT1 securities "signals regulatory forbearance", said MUFG in an August 3 note. IDBI has unveiled a turnaround plan and is also selling non-core assets to bolster capital.

IDBI's announcement would send spreads on AT1 securities tighter, especially for the weaker banks, said Rajeev Radhakrishnan, head of fixed income from SBI Funds Management.

He warned, however, that investors were not being compensated for the risks involved.

"We feel there could be mispricing of AT1 perpetual bonds in the domestic market given the loss-absorption features and also in the context of these instruments not having been tested through different cycles," said Radhakrishnan.

A slew of Indian state-owned banks have raised AT1 capital in the past month at very tight rates. State Bank of India raised 20 billion rupees from Basel III-compliant AT1 bonds at the all-time low coupon of 8.15 percent for such instruments. Bank of Baroda issued 5 billion rupees AT1 bonds at 8.6 percent. Punjab National Bank and Syndicate Bank raised 15 billion rupees and 4.5 billion rupees at 8.98 percent and 9.8 percent, respectively. All four sold perpetual securities with call options after five years.

A buoyant AT1 market is good news for India's capital-constrained state banks, which are wrestling with bad loan charges and have so far struggled to sell common equity.

Analysts warn, however, that AT1 investors are discounting bail-in risks.

"We think that market constituents are factoring in extraordinary support on such loss-absorbing securities," said Saswata Guha, a director at Fitch Ratings. "At such tight levels, I think investors are exposing themselves to significant risks if there is a sell-off due to skipped coupon payments triggered by lower than expected government support than what the market is factoring amidst ensuing stress."

Mutual funds still get a decent yield pick-up from AT1 bonds, compared with corporate bonds. The AT1 bonds offer yields in the range of 8 to 10 percent, while five-year AA+ and AA rated corporate bonds yield 7.33 percent and 7.59 percent, respectively.

"There is liquidity in the market and investors are looking for good paper," said Venkat Nageswar, deputy managing director for global markets at State Bank of India. "There was good demand seen from the mutual funds and banks for SBI's AT1 paper." STATE SUPPORT IDBI's announcement adds to the view that the Reserve Bank of India and the government will not let coupons be skipped.

It follows a similar situation in February, when the RBI changed its rules to allow banks to pay AT1 coupons from their statutory reserves shortly before Indian Overseas Bank was due to make a payment.

Some bankers, however, see that approach as a stop-gap solution that could lead to further problems.

"While AT1 bonds seem to becoming safer, as banks are allowed to dip into all kinds of reserves, the reserves are eventually getting depleted," said a banker. "Nothing is left for a rainy day, and this is reducing the distinction between AT1s and senior bonds."

Sorting out the coupon payment is important for IDBI, which has been trying to sell shares since last year. The bank hired Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, IDBI Capital, JP Morgan and SBI Capital for a 60 billion rupees qualified institutional placement, but did not launch as it did not find enough investor appetite.

State-owned banks will need an additional 1.9 trillion rupees of regulatory capital by 2019, according to S&P. The government has allocated just Rs100bn for the current fiscal year.

The bad-debt burden has made equity investors wary of India's public-sector banks, even though stock markets are hovering at all-time highs. Syndicate Bank, for instance, is down 24.5 percent in the last three months, versus a 6.8 percent gain for the Sensex index. While the AT1 market is favourable for banks now, eventually they will have to raise equity for core capital.

PNB, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank and Dena Bank have announced respective plans to raise 30 billion rupees, 35 billion rupees, 30 billion rupees and 18 billion rupees either through rights issues, follow-on offerings or QIPs, but no timing has been finalised.

On the other hand, smaller lenders like Vijaya Bank , Indian Bank and Andhra Bank have issued mandates for institutional share placements. SBI Capital and IDBI Capital are working on the 10 billion rupees and 6 billion rupees respective QIPs of Vijaya Bank and Indian Bank, while SBI Capital and ICICI Securities are working on Andhra Bank's 6 billion rupees share sale. Vijaya Bank has started meeting investors for the potential share sale, according to a person with knowledge of the process.

Many of these issuers waited for SBI to complete its mammoth 150 billion rupees QIP in June before testing the market. Bankers said other state-owned banks might not have the same luck as SBI which completed India's largest QIP at a zero discount.

"These (state-owned) banks have to give between 5 and 10 percent discount to bring the investors to the table," said a Mumbai-based ECM banker.

(Reporting by Krishna Merchant; Editing by Steve Garton and Daniel Stanton)
(Adds White House statement, paragraph 10)

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS, Aug 5 (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Saturday that could slash by a third the Asian state's $3 billion annual export revenue over its two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July.

The U.S.-drafted resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. It also prohibits countries from increasing the current numbers of North Korean laborers working abroad, bans new joint ventures with North Korea and any new investment in current joint ventures.

"We should not fool ourselves into thinking we have solved the problem. Not even close. The North Korean threat has not left us, it is rapidly growing more dangerous," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the council.

"Further action is required. The United States is taking and will continue to take prudent defensive measures to protect ourselves and our allies," she said. Washington would continue annual joint military exercises with South Korea, Haley said.

North Korea has accused the United States and South Korea of escalating tensions by conducting military drills. China and Russia slammed U.S. deployment of the THAAD anti-missile defense system in South Korea. China's U.N. Ambassador Liu Jieyi called for a halt to the deployment and for any equipment in place to be dismantled.

Liu also urged North Korea to "cease taking actions that might further escalate tensions."

U.S. President Donald Trump hailed the vote in a Twitter message on Saturday evening.

"The United Nations Security Council just voted 15-0 to sanction North Korea. China and Russia voted with us. Very big financial impact!" Trump wrote.

Trump "appreciates China's and Russia's cooperation in securing passage" of the resolution, the White House said in a later statement. The U.S. president "will continue to work with allies and partners to increase diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea to ends its threatening and destabilizing behavior," it said.

U.S. PRESSURE ON CHINA

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said he hoped recent remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson "were sincere - that the U.S. is not seeking to dismantle the existing situation or to forcibly unite the peninsula or to militarily intervene in the country."

While the Security Council has been divided on how to deal with other international crises like Syria, the 15-member body has remained relatively united on North Korea. Still, negotiating new measures typically takes months, not weeks.

North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions since 2006 over its ballistic missile and nuclear programs. The new measures came in response to five nuclear weapons tests and four long-range missile launches.

The United States negotiated with China for a month on the resolution, then expanded negotiations to the full council on Friday. Washington, frustrated that China has not done more to rein in North Korea, has threatened to exert trade pressure on Beijing and impose sanctions on Chinese firms doing business with Pyongyang.

"We had tough negotiations this week," Haley told reporters. "I think that the Chinese realized that the United States was going to push, but they responded and we appreciate how they cooperated with us during these negotiations."

Liu, asked about U.S. negotiating pressure, said China has been consistent on trying to achieve denuclearization, peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and "to re-launch negotiations to achieve this end."

He told reporters China was "opposed to any unilateral sanctions outside the agreed framework set by the U.N. Security Council resolutions."

RUSSIA/U.S. COOPERATION

It had been unclear whether strained U.S.-Russia relations would hamper negotiations on North Korean sanctions. On Wednesday, Washington imposed unilateral sanctions on Moscow to punish Russia over accusations of interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and annexation of Ukraine's Crimea. "We are not hostages to our relations when we have to work together on issues which are far more important," Russia's Nebenzia told Reuters.

The new U.N. resolution adds nine individuals and four entities to the U.N. blacklist, including North Korea's primary foreign exchange bank, subjecting them to a global asset freeze and travel ban.

"I would think China and Russia signed on the sanctions hoping that they would force North Korea back to the negotiating table," said Thomas Byrne, president of the New York-based Korea Society. "However, North Korea will try to evade the new sanctions."

The new resolution completely bans North Korean exports of coal. In November, the Security Council capped the North's coal exports at $400 million annually. China, its largest buyer, halted imports in February.

A U.N. diplomat said North Korea had been expected to earn an estimated $251 million from iron and iron ore in 2017, $113 million from lead and lead ore, and $295 million from seafood. The diplomat said it was difficult to estimate how much North Korea was earning from sending workers abroad.

A United Nations human rights investigator said in 2015 that North Korea had forced more than 50,000 people to work abroad, mainly in Russia and China, earning between $1.2 billion and $2.3 billion a year for the government.

Joseph DeThomas, a former State Department official who worked as an adviser on Iran sanctions and on previous rounds of North Korea sanctions, said freezing foreign labor would be difficult to enforce.

"Overall I doubt that $1 billion number. I doubt it will hit that hard in terms of economic damage," he said. "You cannot expect North Korea to buckle for anything less than the sanctions imposed on Iraq in 1990."

These sanctions, he said, remain "a very long way" from there.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols,; addtional reporting by David Brunnstrom and Valerie Volcovici; Editing by David Gregorio and Paul Tait)
Aug 7 (Reuters) - Reducing immigration to the United States, as President Donald Trump has proposed, will reduce economic growth, Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari said on Monday. "Do we want economic growth, or not? That's what it comes down to," Kashkari said at the Rotary Club of Downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota, responding to a question from a Rotary Club member. Sioux Falls, he said, has embraced immigration, and other towns would do well to do the same.

(Reporting by Ann Saphir; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

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.
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(Kitco News) - Gold prices are modestly lower in early U.S. trading Monday and still feeling some selling pressure from Fridays U.S. employment report that came in a bit stronger than expected. December Comex gold was last down $2.80 an ounce at $1,261.80. September Comex silver was last down $0.127 at $16.125 an ounce.

It was a quieter overnight session with no major overnight or weekend news developments to significantly influence the markets. Traders and investors are awaiting news coming out of this weeks OPEC meeting in Abu Dhabi. Many believe some OPEC members are cheating on their production quotas, and the meeting will address that matter.

The U.S. dollar index rallied following the jobs report and closed at a bullish weekly high close Friday. That is an early technical clue that a market bottom is in place. However, the greenback is a bit weaker on a corrective pullback Monday, and is still in a solid price downtrend on the daily chart.

Nymex crude oil futures are lower in early trading Monday and trading just below $49.00 a barrel.

U.S. economic data due for release is light Monday, and includes the employment trends index and consumer installment credit.

Technically, December gold futures bulls still have the overall near-term technical advantage but are now fading a bit and need to show some fresh power soon. Bulls next upside technical objective is pushing prices above chart resistance at last weeks high of $1,280.30. Bears' next near-term downside price breakout objective is closing prices below solid technical support at $1,250.00. First resistance is seen at the overnight high of $1,265.o0 and then at $1,270.00. First support is seen at last weeks low of $1,259.80 and then at $1,255.00. Wyckoffs Market Rating: 6.0

September silver prices hit a three-week low overnight. Bears have regained the overall near-term technical advantage after the recent sell off that included a bearish weekly low close on Friday. A four-week-old uptrend on the daily bar chart has been negated. The next upside price breakout objective is closing futures prices above solid technical resistance at $17.00 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $16.00. First resistance is seen at the overnight high of $16.27 and then at $16.50. Next support is seen at $16.00 and then at $15.75. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 4.0.
BANGKOK, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The strength of Thailand's baht , now at more than two-year highs against the U.S. dollar, will be short-lived and will not affect exports in the second half of the year, the finance minister said on Monday.

The baht has been driven by foreign investments in Thailand and the country's trade surplus, Apisak Tantivorawong told reporters.

"Competitiveness is still fine at the moment. Exports in the second half should remain good as most exports are from large companies, which can still manage the currency," he said.

He said he believed the central bank would ensure the baht doesn't appreciate sharply.

The baht traded at 33.29 per U.S. dollar on Monday, having rallied about 7.6 percent so far this year - the biggest gains so far by an Asian currency.

(Reporting by Kitiphong Thaichareon; Writing by Orathai Sriring; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
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Jordan's King Abdullah met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Monday for the first time in five years to discuss tensions at a Jerusalem holy site and wider political developments.

While the two leaders meet fairly frequently in Amman and other regional capitals, Abdullah has not visited Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, since December 2012.

The king flew in by helicopter, with the visit coordinated with Israeli authorities which control all entrance and exit points to the West Bank, including its 150 km (93 mile) border with Jordan and the air space above.

The visit comes two weeks since a surge in violence in Jerusalem after Israel occupation authorities installed metal detectors at Muslim entrances to the Al Aqsa mosque compound, following the killing of two Israeli policemen.

The change in security led to days of protests and clashes between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli security forces before Israel, after consultations with Jordan, decided to remove the metal detectors and other measures.

Jordan has been the custodian of Jerusalem's Muslim holy sites since the 1920s.

"We discussed all issues of mutual interest and we agreed to form a crisis committee that will continue contacts to evaluate what has happened, the lessons to be learned and the challenges we may face at Al Aqsa mosque," Palestinian Foreign Minister Reyad Al-Maliki told reporters after the meeting.

Jordan, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 and has growing, if little discussed, economic ties with its neighbour, often plays a mediating role in the region.

With a large percentage of Jordan's population made up of Palestinians, and Jordan sharing a border with the West Bank, which the Palestinians want for their own state together with East Jerusalem and Gaza, its position is sensitive.

Maliki said Abbas and Abdullah also discussed US-led efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which have been suspended for the past three years, and stated that Israel must "recognise the principle of a two-state solution and end provocative settlement activity that is designed to prevent the establishment of a viable, contiguous Palestinian state."

President Donald Trump's regional envoy, Jason Greenblatt, has made several trips to Amman, Ramallah and Jerusalem this year to try to find common ground and Maliki said U.S. envoys were expected to visit again in the coming days but there is little sign of enthusiasm on anyone's part to restart talks.

Abdullah is also playing a role in liaising with Egypt and others to see if long-standing differences between Abbas's Western-backed Fatah party and the rival Hamas Islamist movement can be resolved and Maliki said the issue was discussed.

*The story was edited by Ahram Online.

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An 8-year-old Florida girl died more than four months after she was injured while drinking boiling water through a straw on a dare.

CBS West Palm Beach affiliate WPEC-TV reports Ki'ari Pope started having trouble breathing on the night of July 30. She told her mother's boyfriend, who called 911. Ki'ari then lost consciousness, according to the Department of Children and Families. She was taken to a hospital, where she died 40 minutes later.

Marquisia Bonner, the child's 22-year-old mother, told the Sun Sentinel that Ki'ari had suffered complications since March when she took the dare from her cousin.

Ki'ari's family told WPEC-TV that the girl and her cousins watched several YouTube videos about the Hot Water Challenge, where someone appeared to drink boiling water from a straw.

Ki'ari had emergency surgery on her windpipe to clear scar tissue. Her mother says a tracheotomy left her with trouble breathing and talking.

Boynton Beach police spokeswoman Stephanie Slater says the medical examiner will determine the cause of death.

The Department of Children and Families is investigating the death, WPEC-TV reports. The department said it received multiple reports involving the girl and her family between 2009 and 2017.

Ki'ari's aunt Diane Johnson told WPEC-TV that parents should monitor what their children watch.

"Parents, talk to your kids about these challenges," she said. "Don't just let it go by and just give them your phone and let them be. No. Watch what they're watching."
Two US envoys arrive in the Gulf region this week to meet with officials there to help resolve a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and four other Arab countries that has lasted for more than two months, a State Department official said on Monday.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing Qatar of backing terrorism. Qatar denies that it supports terrorism and there has been no clear sign of a resolution to the diplomatic dispute.

Timothy Lenderking, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for Gulf affairs, and retired U.S. Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni "are in the Gulf region this week to engage with the parties involved and support the Government of Kuwait's mediation efforts," a State Department official said on condition of anonymity.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, whose own trip to the Gulf in July resulted in a U.S.-Qatari accord on combating terrorism financing but no major breakthrough in the dispute, announced Zinni and Lenderking's mission last week.

Zinni's presence would help "maintain a constant pressure on the ground, because I think that's what it's going to take," Tillerson told reporters last week. "There's only so much you can do with telephone persuasion. But we are committed to see this disagreement resolved, restore Gulf unity, because we think it's important to the long-term effort to defeat terrorism in the region."

Zinni, who has not been given any formal role as a U.S. envoy to the countries involved in the dispute, served as commander of U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East. Following his military career he served as the U.S. special envoy to Israel and the Palestinian Authority during the George W. Bush administration.

From 2009 to 2012, Zinni was chairman of BAE Systems, Inc., the world's third-largest defense contractor, which has substantial operations in Saudi Arabia. He is now chairman of The Spectrum Group, which lobbies the U.S. government on behalf of the defense and other industries.

*The story was edited by Ahram Online.

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By Lee Hyo-sik



The government has designated part of the Korea National Food Cluster, or Foodpolis, as a foreign investment zone (FIZ), making it easier for the cluster to attract global food firms seeking to set up a base in Northeast Asia.



Under the relevant law, foreign companies can enjoy favorable land leases and tax breaks in the FIZ, and are entitled to a range of administrative and other state support.



About 116,000 square meters of Foodpolis had already been designated as an FIZ but the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, which administers the cluster, wants to expand it to 450,000 square meters to attract more non-Korean food firms.



Foreign businesses, which build manufacturing facilities in Foodpolis, can lease land for up to 50 years by paying 1 percent of the site's value annually. They are also required to make a one-time deposit equivalent to 5 percent of the land value.



This means companies pay 1,547 won ($1.36) in rent per square meter each year and make a 7,745 won one-time deposit for one square meter of land.



"The FIZ is regarded as an additional incentive for foreign food firms to come and set up a plant in Foodpolis," an agency official said. "So far only two foreign companies have signed contracts to build plants and other facilities here. But the number will increase sharply by the end of the year."



Gold of Prague has decided to build a brewery on a 16,500 square-meter site inside the cluster to export beer to China and other Asian countries.



CoreBio, a joint venture between Korean and U.S. companies will construct a plant on a 23,140 square-meter parcel of land to produce fermented beverages.



In addition, 34 Korean food firms have also signed contracts to set up a presence in Foodpolis, 10 of which have already begun construction. The cluster wants to increase the number to 80 by the end of the year.



"We have held road shows in Canada, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Germany and other countries over the past year to inform foreign food firms about Foodpolis and the benefits of building a plant in the cluster," the official said. "We have also taken part in global food fairs to interact with manufacturers and research institutes, encouraging them to locate to Foodpolis, which will soon become a food research and manufacturing hub in Asia."



The government is investing 452 billion won to build the food industry complex on a 2.32 square-kilometer site in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, for both Korean and international companies aiming to export value-added, processed foods.



Foodpolis is projected to generate annual output worth $14 billion and create 22,000 new jobs by 2020 if it houses over 150 businesses and 10 research centers.




Incheon Airport at odds with airlines, customs service



By Yoon Ja-young



Incheon Airport has rekindled controversy over whether to allow duty free shopping for arriving passengers. While the airport wants to open a shop in the arrivals section to enhance shoppers' convenience and increase its own profit, the customs service and airlines are against the idea.



Incheon Airport recently submitted a report to Rep. Yoon Young-il of the minor opposition People's Party, in which it said it is considering opening two duty free shops at Terminal 1 and another at Terminal 2, to enable passengers claiming luggage to purchase duty free goods.



It plans to sell items that travelers frequently purchase as gifts such as perfume, cosmetics, liquor and cigarettes instead of luxury goods and not designate conglomerates but small- and medium-sized duty free businesses to operate the shops.



"Surveys show 84 percent of travelers support the idea of arrivals duty free shops. We have been pushing for it since 2001 when Incheon Airport opened," the company's spokesperson said.



Incheon Airport points to the inconveniences of Korean travelers, who have to carry items they purchase at duty free shops throughout the duration of their overseas trips. Those who support duty free shops for arriving passengers also say it will reduce the outflow of foreign exchange as they will purchase here instead of at duty free shops overseas.



"Other major airports also operate duty free shops at arrivals, to enhance national competitiveness as well as traveler convenience," the spokesman said. According to Incheon Airport, 132 airports in 71 countries around the world operate duty free shops at their arrivals section. Among them, 53 are located in 27 Asian countries including Singapore and Hong Kong which compete with Incheon Airport to be Asia's air transport hub. The Chinese government approved arrival duty free shops at 19 airports and seaports in February last year and Japan also revised its law last April to allow these.



Since 2003, some lawmakers have been submitting bills to allow these shops, but they have failed each time. Currently, duty free shops aren't allowed in the arrivals section as they conflict with the law. Duty free shops are tax-exempt since sales at duty free shops are categorized as exports, but shops in the arrivals section would not meet this condition.



Korea Customs Service, which issues licenses for duty free shops, has been opposing the plan, citing customs law as well as concerns over smuggling. The finance ministry, spy agency and police have also been reluctant about the plan. At an economy-related ministers' meeting in 2013, the government decided not to support the plan.



The country's carriers are also against the idea since they will be losing customers who purchase from in-flight duty free shops. The annual in-flight duty free sales of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines stand at around 330 billion won.



The duty free industry is not supportive of the plan either since it means more competition in the industry. As the previous Park Geun-hye administration issued too many duty free licenses, they suffer from worsening profitability.



Incheon Airport expects to get 30 billion won in rent from the duty free shops, with annual sales targeting 100 billion won. It stresses it will use the profits for social contribution activities.



Industry watchers expect the drive for arrivals duty free shops to gain momentum since Korea Customs Service lost ground following duty free licensing scandals in the previous administration. They also point out that some lawmakers who had supported the idea currently hold key positions in Cheong Wa Dae.




North Korea's foreign minister dismissed South Korea's recent offer for talks as "lacking sincerity" during his brief encounter with Seoul's top diplomat on the sidelines of an Asian security forum in Manila on Sunday, according to a Seoul government source.



North Korea's Ri Yong-ho and South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met for three minutes at an official dinner for top diplomats joining a series of meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.



Ri was referring to South Korea President Moon Jae-in's offer in July to hold military talks to ease tensions across the border and a Red Cross meeting to resume reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War. The North has not responded to the overtures.



Ri made the remarks in response to Kang's request for Pyongyang to respond to the offer "as soon as possible," the source said.



"The meeting was not previously arranged but a natural encounter at the party," the source told reporters. "Minister Kang shook hands with Ri before starting to talk."



Whether the top diplomats from South and North Korea will meet during the ASEAN meetings drew keen attention as communication between the two countries remains almost closed amid heightened tensions caused by Pyongyang's repeated nuclear and missile provocations.



Kang has repeatedly said that she wants to talk to Ri here in any format. A North Korean delegate accompanying Ri earlier said that there are "no such plans."



Kang and Ri will attend the annual ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) to be held later on Monday where the North's nuclear and missile threats will be high on the agenda. The ARF is a rare regional security forum to which North Korea sends its foreign minister.



Ri arrived here early Sunday. He refused to make any comments when about his stance on issues including a new sanctions resolution the United Nations Security Council adopted Saturday (U.S. time) to punish Pyongyang for its two claimed intercontinental ballistic missile tests last month.



Last year, then South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se had a brief meeting with Ri on the sidelines of the ASEAN meetings in Laos. There was no official discussion or talks between the two ministers at the time. (Yonhap)




North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, left, is greeted by his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi prior to their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 50th ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila, the Philippines, Sunday. Wang accused South Korea of its decision to fully set up a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in a separate meeting with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha later Sunday.

/ AP-Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo

North Korea's test-launches of two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in July and South Korea's plan to more effectively cope with missile threats are hampering President Moon Jae-in's recent peace overture made in Berlin.

The Moon government decided to set up the remaining four launchers of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea, following deployment of two of the six THAAD launchers in March.

And analysts warn that it could irk China and Russia that have been against the THAAD deployment and risk Moon's plan to resume inter-Korean dialogue in cooperation with neighboring countries.

They say it remains uncertain how voluntarily Beijing and Moscow would cooperate with the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolution approved on Saturday.

The experts speculate that China and Russia, although they voted for the U.S.-backed Resolution 2371, may not be cooperative in implementing the sanctions if the THAAD battery is fully deployed.

Resolution 2371 is aimed at banning North Korea's primary exports, such as coal, iron, lead and seafood products. The measure is expected to slash Pyongyang's annual export revenue of $3 billion by more than a third.

Whether the sanctions can succeed depends on China, which accounts for over 90 percent of North Korea's international trade.

Both Beijing and Moscow claim that the THAAD battery's long-range radar can spy on their military activities and expand U.S. influence in the region.

"I'm afraid Moon's Berlin initiative may lose momentum," said Park Won-gon, professor of international relations at Handong Global University.

Paik Hak-soon, a senior researcher at the Sejong Institute, echoed a similar view.

"The THAAD dispute is deepening the U.S.-China row and may trigger a new Cold War with South Korea, the U.S. and Japan on one side and North Korea, China and Russia on the other," he said. "It's hard to imagine inter-Korean talks without support from both Washington and Beijing. The thing is, the current circumstances are apparently not good for Moon's plan for inter-Korean reconciliation."

Paik added that Washington's latest move to impose sanctions on Chinese firms because of their ties with North Korea and punitive measures taken against Russia, along with North Korea and Iran, could further disrupt security cooperation in Northeast Asia.





South Korean Ambassador to the United Nations Cho Tae-yul, left, speaks to Japanese Ambassador Koro Bessho, right, ahead of a U.N. Security Council vote to adopt new sanctions against North Korea, Saturday. China and Russia voted for the new resolution but analysts said they may not fully cooperate if the THAAD battery is fully deployed in South Korea. / Yonhap



In his first talks with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila, the Philippines, Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi accused South Korea of "throwing cold water" on Seoul-Beijing relations.

He put aside Seoul's argument that it was solely a "defensive measure" to set up four THAAD launchers in addition to the two launchers already deployed.

Wang instead questioned the THAAD's capability to deter North Korea's ICBMs.

"South Korea's interests regarding national security should not stir up anxiety in China," he said, adding whether joining the U.S.-led missile defense system can benefit South Korea.

Kang said she hopes to meet with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho during the ARF but the North Korean delegation said Ri has no plan to meet with her.

Before joining the G20 summit in Hamburg from July 7 to 8, Moon laid out a five-point plan aimed at reconciliation with the North in the initiatives during his invitational speech at the Korber Foundation in Berlin.

The plan includes signing a peace treaty with North Korea to replace the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement and guaranteeing the security of the Kim regime in return for its denuclearization.

Moon said that North Korea may be facing its "last and best chance" to return to dialogue.

The peace overture came despite North Korea's test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), July 4.

Seoul offered to resume the military talks on July 21 and the Red Cross talks on Aug. 1 as part of its efforts to implement Moon's peace overture but Pyongyang did not respond.

It then carried out another ICBM test on July 29.

The second missile flew for 47 minutes and 12 seconds while travelling 998 kilometers and reaching a maximum altitude of 3,724.9 meters, Pyongyang claimed.

It said such a launch showed its capability to fire at "random regions and locations at random times" with the "entire" U.S. mainland within range.

Several analysts speculated that the missile could have reached Los Angeles, Denver or Chicago or even New York depending on variables such as the size and weight of the warhead mounted on it.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, center, holds hands together with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, left, and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono during their joint talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila, the Philippines, Monday. / Yonhap



Top diplomats of two Koreas have brief encounter

By Yi Whan-woo

The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan discussed possible follow-up measures to new U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions against North Korea, Monday.

This was the first joint meeting among Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono since the UNSC unanimously passed Resolution 2371, Saturday, to punish Pyongyang for two intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests in July.

The three-way talks took place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Manila, the Philippines. All six members of the dormant dialogue on North Korea's denuclearization, including China and Russia, were present.

"The three officials discussed how they can better coordinate and tune-up North Korea polices in line with Resolution 2371," an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. "They shared thoughts on possible countermeasures to be taken jointly against North Korea's cycle of missile provocations."

Kang, Tillerson and Kono were also believed to have reached a consensus on drawing support from China and Russia to effectively implement the new UNSC resolution aimed at banning North Korea's primary exports, according to diplomatic sources.

Later Monday, Kang had separate talks with Kono, who took office Aug. 3 and made his international debut at the ARF.

Kang had a bilateral meeting with Tillerson, Sunday.

Kang underscored a need to bolster communication between Seoul and Tokyo, while Kono said he hopes to set up a new bilateral relationship.

The first one-on-one dialogue between Kang and Kono came amid a growing need to enhance joint security cooperation with the U.S. while untangling disputes over a bilateral agreement on former Korean sex slaves.

Kono was expected to be dovish over the Seoul-Tokyo row, given that his father and former Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohe Kono made a landmark apology in 1993 over Tokyo's sexual enslavement of Korean women during its 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula.

However, on his first day in office Kono asked Seoul to observe a sex slavery agreement made in December 2015. He turned down the Moon Jae-in administration's argument that the deal was hastily made under the Park Geun-hye government and therefore should be revised.

Meanwhile, Kang said she had a casual conversation with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, Sunday.

The North Korean delegation previously said Ri has no plan to meet with her.

She asked Ri to "actively respond" to Seoul's latest offers to resume military and Red Cross talks, claiming "They should be dealt with urgently and promptly by putting other political issues aside."

"Ri still appeared to be questioning the sincerity of our proposal by pointing out Seoul's pressure on Pyongyang in collaboration with Washington as well as the UNSC," she said.

Kang met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Monday, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Sunday.
On the map of Asia from Okamura's textbook compiled in 1886, a red line is drawn to mark Japan's territory. Dokdo is not included on the map. / Yonhap

By Kim Bo-eun

A scholar recently unveiled maps of a government-approved Japanese textbook which show that Japan did not perceive Dokdo as its territory in the 19th century.

The findings will give weight to Korea's ownership of the islets off the country's east coast, which Japan claims as its own, referring to them as Takeshima Islands.

Prof. Han Cheol-ho of Dongguk University's history education department displayed maps of a geography textbook compiled by Okamura Matsutaro in 1886 in a presentation at a conference held at the Northeast Asian History Foundation's Institute of Dokdo Research last week.

The textbook's map of Asia does not mark Dokdo as its territory. On the map is a red line marking Japanese territory, but not only is Dokdo not included in the area inside the red line, Dokdo is not marked on the map at all.

The border lines are marked the same way in textbooks compiled by geologist Manziro Yamagami in 1902 and 1903.

"The textbook's map of Asia has the Oki Islands marked, but not Ulleungdo and Dokdo," Yonhap News Agency quoted Han as saying.

"If Japan perceived Dokdo as its territory it would have drawn the islets on the map and stretched the line to include Dokdo."

"It has only become clearer that Japan did not perceive Dokdo as its territory from the fact that a border line is drawn putting together all geographical data," Han said.

These claims are also supported by another map of Japan in the textbook.

The Oki Islands are marked off the northern coast on a map of Japan's Shimane and Tottori prefectures, but not Dokdo.

Han said another textbook compiled by Okamura in 1892 also reflects the absence of the perception of Dokdo by Japan.

On the textbook's maps of Japan and Asia, Dokdo is not marked. Only the Oki Islands are marked as part of Japan's Shimane Prefecture.

What is notable about the latest textbook Han refers to is that it was approved by the Japanese government.

"Because Okamura's geography textbook was approved by the government, it can be seen as the view of the Japanese government and not a personal view," Han said.

"This is important historical evidence that can counter Japan's claims that Dokdo was inherently its territory and also another claim that it took over Dokdo because it did not belong to any country."

In 2012, Han introduced another map of Japan from Okamura's textbook which showed Ulleungdo and Dokdo marked as Korea's territory.
By Kim Jae-kyoung

Joseph DeTrani

South Korea should push ahead with the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here in the face of China's strong opposition, according to a former U.S. special envoy to the six-party talks with North Korea.

"Deploying THAAD is necessary, especially given North Korea's numerous missile launches, all in violation of U.N. resolutions prohibiting such launches," Joseph DeTrani said in an interview.

"Regardless of China's opposition, THAAD and other missile defense capabilities are necessary, given North Korea's reckless behavior."

His advice came as China has stepped up its economic retaliation against Korean companies over President Moon Jae-in's recent order to deploy four additional THAAD launchers.

The order came shortly after North Korea's second test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

DeTrani, who helped broker a 2005 agreement on North Korea's nuclear program, said China should do more to rein in Pyongyang by employing its strong leverage.

He believes the most effective and viable option to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue is for China to arrange exploratory talks between North Korea and the U.S. or South Korea to facilitate a return to formal negotiations.

According to him, China, which provides over 90 percent of North Korea's crude oil, can cut back on its crude oil supply to North Korea. Also, since over half of the North's trade is with China, any reduction would adversely affect the North.

"These levers are available to China.The decision to use them is part of China's calculus for dealing with North Korea," he said.

"Currently, however, China's greater contribution, in my view, is to get North Korea to halt its missile launches and nuclear tests and agree to unconditional exploratory talks with the U.S. and South Korea."

He said the six-party construct, which produced the Sept. 19, 2005, Joint Statement, a comprehensive approach to denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, is still viable.

He pointed out the six-party talks facilitated bilateral discussions with North Korea and South Korea, Japan and the U.S.

DeTrani, president of the Daniel Morgan Academy in Washington, said Moon should seek dialogue only when North Korea agrees to halt its missile launches and nuclear development.

"South Korea's strategy of seeking dialogue, for complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization, while imposing sanctions when dialogue is not possible is a reasoned, fair approach," he said.

In his view, Moon's approach of leaving the door open for talks despite Pyongyang's missile launches won't weaken the effect of international sanctions, as long as sanctions continue to be imposed in response to the North's missile launches and nuclear tests.

"I would definitely be opposed to a dialogue while the North was launching missiles and conducting nuclear tests," he said.

"Dialogue conditioned on the North halting missile launches and nuclear tests seems reasonable to me."

DeTrani, also former director of the U.S. National Counter Proliferation Center, dismissed the view that China's policy is ambivalent.

"China has supported sanctions on North Korea and has consistently stated that complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear programs is Beijing's policy," he said.

"That is the core issue, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which Beijing has supported since the beginning of the six-party talks process in August 2003."
Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong walks into a courtroom for his final hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho

Prosecutors are seeking 12 years in prison for Lee Jae-yong, the de facto head of the Samsung Group, on charges of giving bribes to former President Park Geun-hye and her friend Choi Soon-sil.

Special counsel Park Young-soo made the request Monday during Lee's final hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, saying the prosecution had provided ample evidence that the Samsung Electronics vice chairman gave the two 43.3 billion won ($38.5 million) to ensure his control of the business empire.

Considering other charges, including embezzlement and perjury, the special prosecutor said Lee deserves heavy punishment.

The special prosecutor also asked presiding Judge Kim Jin-dong to sentence former Samsung executives  Choi Gee-sung, Jang Choong-ki and Park Sang-jin  to 10 years in prison for assisting Lee, and another executive, Hwang Sung-soo, to seven years.

"This is a typical example of the collusion between politics and business, which has inflicted serious damage to our constitutional values. The defendants keep lying and making lame excuses, but the evidence suggests otherwise," the special prosecutor said.

"I hope to see in court that justice is still alive."

The court's verdict is expected to be crucial for upcoming rulings on the former president who is charged with accepting the money with Choi.





Special prosecutor Park Young-soo speaks to reporters as he enters the court / Yonhap



Lee was indicted in February for bribery after allegedly giving the money to Park and Choi in the guise of donations. In return, the special counsel insists, the former president pressured the National Pension Service (NPS), a key shareholder of two Samsung units  Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries  to vote for their merger in 2015, which was a critical move for Lee to tighten his grip on group management.

On charges of abusing his authority to smooth out the process, Moon Hyung-pyo, who was minister of health and welfare at that time, was already found guilty and given a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence.












The UN says Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expressing regret at the resignation of a prominent member of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria and is stressing the need for accountability for crimes against civilians during the 6 1/2-year civil war.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Monday that Guterres believes accountability is "critical" and the commission's work is "an important and integral part of the accountability process."

Carla Del Ponte said in comments published Sunday by the Swiss magazine Blick that she was resigning in frustration at the Security Council's inaction to hold Syrian criminals accountable. She earlier prosecuted crimes in Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

Dujarric said Guterres is "grateful for her service" to the commission and "as a tireless advocate for the cause of accountability throughout her career."

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A security official from the Korean presidential office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, hands out an ice-cream to a protester in front of Cheong Wa Dae on Aug. 3. / Screen capture from TV Chosun News' Youtube Channel



By Chyung Eun-ju

Last Thursday, Korea saw a new chapter in its history of protesting as a rare occurrence was witnessed: security officials in front of the presidential residence handed out ice-cream to one-man protesters in the hot weather.

"Receiving an ice-cream in this unbearable heat feels as refreshing as achieving the protest's goal," said one recipient who has been protesting since mid-May.

Temperatures in the city hit 34 degrees Celsius Thursday, resulting in a spike in heat-related conditions. Prolonged exposure to the scorching heat can cause heatstroke and exhaustion leading to fatalities.

Nonetheless, dozens of people gathered around a fountain in front of Cheong Wa Dae to protest.

Officials started buying ice-cream for the protesters twice a day, July 27. The cost was covered by Cheong Wa Dae's business operating expenses.

"The idea to give ice cream came as we discussed how to deal with emergency situations involving one-man protesters in excessive heat, such as health problems," said a security official. "It is an opportunity to communicate and understand each other's perspective while cooling down with ice-cream."

Protesters were at the site to oppose the installation of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, deployed to counter North Korean missile threats; to appeal for a revision on the Special Acts for South Korean Prisoners of War; or other government policies.

The officials aren't required to report one-man protesters.

The "ice-cream" appears to denote a shift in attitudes toward protesters. Political scientists say that protests in Korea are no longer provocative but rather have become part of people's daily lives. After the country was occupied by Japan in 1910, Koreans demonstrated to demand independence in March 1919 in the Samil Movement.

After Korea became a democracy in 1987, public protests became a basic right. The Constitution's Article 21 guarantees the freedom of assembly.

But during former President Park Geun-hye's tenure, critics said public protests were often cracked down on by the government, as police dispersed protesters with tear gas and water cannon. Police even sprayed dye on demonstrators to identify and arrest them later.

Four months into Moon's era, democracy has seen a change for the better.
By Kim Hyo-jin



Rep. Lee Yong-ho of the minor opposition People's Party has proposed a bill to ban companies from giving work-related orders via social media after work.



According to Lee's office, Monday, the bill is to limit employers or management from giving work orders both directly and indirectly after work via phone calls, emails, mobile messaging or other forms of social networking services, and defines it as a violation of the freedom of an employee to have a private life.



Such an act is only allowed when there is an appropriate reason. But still, companies should pay over half of the normal salary by counting it as overtime work, according to the bill.



Lee, the People's Party chief policymaker, said he devised the bill mindful of growing complaints among workers about companies contacting them casually via Kakao Talk and other mobile messaging services to give them more work.



"Many workers complain of stressful working conditions, saying it's like they are on call 24 hours a day due to the boss' messages sent anytime, anywhere via social networking services," he said. "Fixing the practices of using social networking service should be the first step to improve the quality of workers' lives."



According to a Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry survey conducted on about 500 companies and 1,000 employees in November last year, 74 percent of office workers said they had received work orders from their bosses after working hours.



Only 42.2 percent of managers who gave after-hour orders said it was because of urgent matters, while 30.3 percent answered it was only because the work to be done came to mind at that moment and they wanted to feel safe by assigning it to an employee to do right away.



The proposed bill is in parallel with a government move. The labor ministry said last week that it would seek to draw up measures to guarantee employees' right to rest.



The ministry plans to collect opinions from management and labor on how to address the issue by the end of the year and to commission research to look into how widespread the practice is in the business sector, a senior ministry official said.



The limitation of after-hour work orders through social networking service was one of President's Moon Jae-in's campaign pledges. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is expected to support the passage of the bill, Lee's aide said. Sixteen People's Party and DPK lawmakers signed the bill.



Some, however, made critical views of the bill, saying lawmakers should include more detailed regulations otherwise the move would only end up as a fruitless attempt to fix the problem.



"I doubt such a practice can be properly monitored," Park Ji-sun, a 33-year-old office worker, said. "Companies would resort to other means such as ordering more work right before the end of the working day or not reporting their after-hours work orders to the authorities."




U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and President Moon Jae-in



Moon, Abe seek maximum pressure on Pyongyang

By Jun Ji-hye

President Moon Jae-in reaffirmed that North Korean nuclear issues should be resolved peacefully and diplomatically during a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, Monday.

Moon said the two countries should draw proper measures based on their close cooperation, stressing "a tragic war can never be allowed to break out on the Korean Peninsula," according to presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun.

The 56-minute conversation took place amid military tension here following Pyongyang's test-firings of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), July 4 and 28. The North claimed its Hwasong-14 ICBM is capable of striking targets on the U.S. mainland.

Moon's comments were construed as putting the brakes on President Trump and some U.S. politicians' increasing mentioning of various military options to deal with the North including a pre-emptive strike or a war on the peninsula, as well as  on the other hand  direct negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington.

Trump has recently said he will go to war with the North if the regime in Pyongyang continues to threaten the U.S. with its nuclear and missile programs, according to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) last week.

Possible direct negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington are also causing concern over the so-called "Korea passing," a term coined by the Korean press to describe Seoul's isolation from the international community.

During the phone conversation, Trump did not directly mention a pre-emptive strike or war, the spokesman said, noting, "There were various implications in President Moon's comments."

Park added the two heads of state shared the need for exerting maximum pressure on the Kim Jong-un regime to induce it to change its behavior and choose the "right path" to abandon its nuclear and missile programs.

The two leaders also hailed the U.N. Security Council's (UNSC) unanimous vote for a new sanctions resolution against the North a day earlier. The new resolution bans the North's key exports of coal and iron, which is expected to cut the regime's annual export revenue by more than a third.

President Trump tweeted: "Just completed call with President Moon of South Korea. Very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions."

Moon and Trump also stressed the need to further enhance their joint defense capabilities in preparation for the North's possible provocations around Seoul and Washington's annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) joint exercise scheduled for later this month.

Pyongyang customarily reacts with anger and military threats to such joint military exercises which it says is a rehearsal for invading the North.

As part of measures to strengthen South Korea's own defense capabilities, Moon asked Trump to support Seoul's move to amend a 2012 revision of missile guidelines agreed between South Korea and the United States.

While presiding over an emergency National Security Council session hours after the North's July 28 ICBM launch, President Moon ordered his aides to begin consultations with Washington to revise the missile guidelines to double the maximum weight of a warhead to be mounted on Seoul's 800-kilometer range ballistic missiles to 1 ton from the current 500 kilograms.

The payload increase will bolster the nation's capability of striking Pyongyang's underground bunker facilities in which the North Korean leadership would take shelter in the event of war, according to military experts.

"President Trump expressed his stance to actively support the move," Park said.

Later in the day, Moon held a separate phone conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for 23 minutes, during which the two also discussed how to deal with the North's evolving threats.

The Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said Moon and Abe shared recognition that the North's advancing missile capabilities and repeated provocations pose serious threats not only to the Korean Peninsula but to Northeast Asia.

"They agreed to keenly cooperate with each other as well as the international community to impose maximum pressure and sanctions on the North," Park said.

Moon and Abe also agreed to enhance trilateral cooperation with the United States, the spokesman added.
China should carry out sanctions on NK fully



The United Nations Security Council has unanimously approved new tough sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear and missile programs.



Resolution 2371 bans the exports of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore as well as fish and seafood products by the reclusive country. The resolution also prevents the North from increasing the number of workers it sends abroad.



The measure prohibits all new joint ventures with North Korean companies and added nine North Korean ventures and four entities, including its main foreign exchange bank, to the U.S. sanctions blacklist.



The resolution, which U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley called "the most stringent set of sanctions on any country in a generation," primarily aims at stemming the flow of hard currency to the cash-starved state. The sanctions could cost Pyongyang about $1 billion a year, nearly one third of its annual exports.



But it's doubtful if the sanctions, which came following North Korea's test-firing of two intercontinental ballistic missiles in July, will pressure the reclusive state into negotiations. More than anything, the resolution fails to cut oil deliveries to the North, which would have dealt a serious blow to the North Korean economy.



Despite a string of sanctions, the recalcitrant regime in Pyongyang has not backed off from its resolve to develop its nuclear and missile programs. The North reportedly rejected Seoul's offer of talks during a rare exchange between their foreign ministers on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Manila, Sunday.



Pundits say Pyongyang could fire a new intercontinental ballistic missile or conduct a sixth nuclear test soon in defiance of the latest U.N. resolution.



But North Korea must face up to the reality. The international community is firmly united in opposing the North's emergence as a nuclear state. That China and Russia have joined the latest resolution shows that even these two countries' patience is wearing thin. North Korea's continuing provocations will deepen its international isolation. The North should be aware that it has nothing to gain from its anachronistic nuclear and missile tests.



The success or failure of the latest resolution will rest with China, which accounts for 90 percent of all trade with North Korea. China has resisted America's strong push to cut off oil deliveries, arguing that dialogue with North Korea is the only way to persuade Pyongyang to halt its missile programs. So the most important thing is to ensure that the sanctions will be enforced fully.



The latest resolution will be hardly effective in restraining the North again unless China enforces it faithfully. It's long overdue for the international community to join forces to discourage the North's nuclear and missile ambitions.










By Yoon Sung-won



Amid worldwide debate on the use of robots for work and possible consequent unemployment issues, the government made a first move that may help slow down automation in industries, according to sources, Monday.



In its recently announced tax law revision plan, the Moon Jae-in administration said it will downsize the tax deduction benefits that previous governments provided to enterprises for infrastructure investment aimed at boosting productivity.



Currently, enterprises that have invested in industry automation equipment are eligible for a corporate tax deduction. Companies can have part of their corporate tax  between 3 percent and 7 percent of the investment  deducted under the policy, with the rate varying by the size of their business.



This sunset policy was scheduled to expire at the end of the year. But the government suggested extending it to the end of 2019 while decreasing the deduction rate by up to 2 percentage points.



The original definition of a robot tax is to levy tax on the use of robots for industrial automation. With more advanced and high-powered robots introduced at workplaces, human workers will naturally lose their jobs. In the meantime, the government will need more funds for welfare programs amid the rising unemployment rate. The notion of a robot tax has been made to make up for the decreasing tax revenue on such a backdrop.



"Though it is not about a direct tax on robots, it can be interpreted as a similar kind of policy considering that both involve the same issue of industrial automation," an industry source said.



There is no country that has officially adopted a robot tax yet. But governments, economists and technology experts have continued to argue about the pros and cons of such a tax.



Microsoft founder Bill Gates is one of the well-known advocates of a robot tax. In an interview this February, he said governments should levy a tax on the use of robots in a goal to fund retraining of those who lose jobs and to slowdown automation.



"For a human worker who does $50,000 worth of work in a factory, the income is taxed," Gates said. "If a robot comes in to do the same thing, you'd think that we'd tax the robot at a similar level."



He also stressed that there are still many jobs that need human hands and minds and thus cannot be properly replaced by robots.



"What the world wants is to take this opportunity to make all the goods and services we have today, and free up labor, let us do a better job of reaching out to the elderly, having smaller class sizes, helping kids with special needs, all of those are things where human empathy and understanding are still very unique," he said. "We still deal with an immense shortage of people to help out there."



On the other hand, global organizations such as the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) have been strongly against the idea of collecting taxes on the use of robots, claiming the robot tax will undermine proper competition and technological innovation in the robotics sector.



Former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Lawrence Summers also opposed the idea of taxing robots, calling Gates' argument "profoundly misguided."



"A sufficiently high tax on robots would prevent them from being produced," he said.



In Europe, an argument for the introduction of a robot tax ignited last year when European Union lawmakers started work on a proposal to tax enterprises for their robots.



This February, however, the EU adopted a resolution that opposed the introduction of a robot tax, while officially categorizing an artificial intelligence robot as an "electronic person" with a personality.
A Doosan Heavy unit worker checks a water processing facility. / Courtesy of Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction



By Jhoo Dong-chan

Doosan Enpure, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction's water processing affiliate, has won a 30 billion won ($26.6 million) deal to build a waste-to-energy plant in the United Kingdom.

A Doosan Heavy official said Monday that its unit signed a contract with a British water supplier Severn Trent Water Authority. Doosan Enpure also bagged a similar deal with the company in June.

Under the contract, Doosan Enpure plans to build an eco-friendly plant that transforms waste into energy. Utilizing its latest energy technology in heat and pasteurized process, the plant will produce electricity and heat.

It will be built in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, 70 kilometers south from Manchester. And the delivery is scheduled in 2019.

"Doosan Heavy has participated in various overseas seawater desalination and water processing projects, and is now advancing into eco-friendly renewable energy business," a Doosan Heavy official said.

"We will strengthen the waste-to-energy business with our cutting-edge technology in water processing."

In June, Doosan Enpure also signed a contract worth about 87.5 billion won with the Severn Trent Water Authority to supply facilities to the latter's water treatment plants in Birmingham.

The water treatment plants in Birmingham will be capable of processing 320,000 tons of water per day. The water will be used for citizens of Birmingham, the second largest city in the U.K.

The delivery for the water treatment plants will take place in 2020.

According to U.K.-based water industry observer Global Water Market, current global water processing market is worth about 880 trillion won, and is projected to grow 3 percent a year to reach 940 trillion won by 2020.
Jason Chung

GroupM Korea CEO

By Lee Hyo-sik

GroupM Korea, one of the largest foreign advertising agencies operating in Korea, has appointed Jason Chung as its new CEO effective Sept. 13, replacing former CEO Cho Seon-koog who left the firm last December.

The company said Monday Chung will oversee its operations and coordinate with the heads of its affiliated media agencies, including Mindshare, MEC, Mediacom, Maxus and M2 Digital. GroupM also owns online search firm DTSI.

Together with its affiliates, it generated 380 billion won ($336 million) in sales in 2016, including 220 billion won from its digital banner and ad online search businesses.

Prior to joining GroupM, Chung served in various managerial posts at online firms in Korea over the past 17 years. He worked as a consultant at global consulting firm Accenture and general manager at eBay, Travelocity and Trip Advisor.

He also headed the Korean unit of EF Education First, an international education company specializing in language training, educational travel, academic degree programs and cultural exchanges. EF Education First employs 43,500 people and operates 500 offices and schools in more than 50 countries.

"I am excited to be part of a fast-growing and dynamic organization like GroupM amid the rapidly changing media environment," Chung said. "I will do my best to expand GroupM's presence in Korea by creating synergy among our affiliates and closely working together with our clients. We will continue to provide high-quality, premium media consulting and advertising services to help our partners grow."

Born in 1971, he received an MBA from the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University.

GroupM is a multinational media and advertising powerhouse with over 27,500 employees in 400 offices worldwide, offering data, media and technology services. Some of its clients include P&G, LG, Audi, Chanel, Red Bull, Goldman Sachs, Volkswagen, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi waits for the arrival of North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho for their bilateral meeting in the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting and its Dialogue Partners.



Observers say Security Council resolution is unlikely to make North Korea give up nuclear weapons programme



By Laura Zhou, Kristin Huang, Robert Delaney, US correspondent





The United Nations Security Council has unanimously passed a resolution to expand sanctions aimed at cutting North Korea's ability to fund its nuclear programme, but analysts are sceptical on how effective it will be.

The new resolution prohibits UN member states from buying coal, iron ore and other key commodities from North Korea, a move meant to cut the country's export revenue by one third, or US$1 billion, annually, according to the Security Council. But the measure does not cover oil.

In a meeting in Manila hours after the adoption of the UN resolution on Sunday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho that Pyongyang should stay calm.

"China urged the North Korean side to calmly face the new UN Security Council resolution, and not to do anything to violate it amid the strong opposition of the international community to [North Korea] launching a missile or [staging a] nuclear test," Wang said after the meeting on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' foreign ministers meeting.

"The Korean peninsula has now reached a critical, near-crisis, point, but at the same time it could also be a turning point [for concerned countries] to make a decision on resuming [the stalled six-party] talks," Wang said.

Wang later said it would not be easy to restart the multinational talks on North Korea's nuclear programme, but that doing so should be the goal for all sides.

According to a statement from China's foreign ministry, Ri reiterated Pyongyang's stance on the nuclear issue, saying North Korea would stay in touch with Beijing.












Malaysia is investigating an international atheist organisation, a minister said on Monday, after a picture of the group's local chapter went viral, sparking claims that Muslim apostates were involved.

Apostasy is not a federal crime in Malaysia, a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country. But critics say deepening fundamentalism within the Muslim majority is threatening religious freedoms.

Malaysian states, which have their own laws governing Islamic affairs, do not allow Muslims to formally renounce Islam, preferring instead to send them for counselling, or fining or jailing them.

The Kuala Lumpur chapter of Atheist Republic, a Canada-based organisation, posted a picture of the group's members attending a gathering last week, sparking uproar among some Muslims and leading to threats of death and violence against the group on social media.

Malaysia's deputy minister in charge of religious affairs, Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, said on Monday he had instructed the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department to investigate the Atheist Republic chapter to see if any Muslims were involved.

"We need to determine whether any Muslims attended the gathering, and whether they are involved in spreading such views, which can jeopardise the aqidah (faith) of Muslims," he told Reuters when contacted.

Ex-Muslims in the group would be sent for counselling, while attempts to spread atheist ideas could be prosecuted under existing laws, Asyraf said.

"We need to use the soft approach with (apostates). Perhaps they are ignorant of the true Islam, so we need to engage them and educate them on the right teachings," he said.

Atheist Republic's founder, Armin Navabi, said the group's gatherings caused no harm to the public and were not considered a threat in other countries.

"They (Atheists) are treated like criminals. They are just hanging out and meeting other atheists. Who are they harming?!" he said in a post on his Facebook account.

Malaysia's apostasy laws have left many former Muslims in legal limbo, as they are not allowed to register their new religious affiliations or legally marry non-Muslims.

In 2007, Lina Joy, a Malaysian convert to Christianity, lost a high-profile legal battle to have the word "Islam" removed from her identity card. In delivering judgment in that case, the Federal Court's chief justice said the issue was related to Islamic law, and civil courts could not intervene.

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The European Union is criticizing the removal of Venezuela's public prosecutor by a newly installed constitutional assembly with nearly unlimited authority to govern.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini's office said Monday that the assembly's actions and removal of Luisa Ortega Diaz "have further weakened the prospects for a peaceful return to the democratic order."

A statement said that these actions have "increased the polarization of an already divided society."

The EU is calling on President Nicolas Maduro to free all political prisoners and ensure the respect of human rights and the rule of law.

Ortega Diaz is a longtime government loyalist turned critic of Maduro. She has refused to recognize the assembly's vote Saturday to remove her from office.

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The new investment deal was agreed with Egypt's investment minister Sahar Nasr and businessman Hesham Talaat Mostafa, and includes plans to make 'the biggest resort in the world' in Sharm El-Sheikh

Saudi Prince Al-Waleed Bin Talal is to invest in a number of new touristic and construction projects in Egypt valued at $800 million, in an agreement reached with Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG) and Egypt's Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr on Monday, the ministry said in a statement.

The investments include expanding the Four Seasons Resort Sharm El-Sheikh "to be the biggest resort in the world", the statement said. The prince will also invest in the construction of two new hotels in El-Alamein on the Mediterranean coast, and Madinty, a new city on the outskirts of Cairo.

Egyptian developers TMG will join the prince as a partner in the projects. TMG has already invested around 1.8 billion dollars in the Four Seasons Sharm El-Sheikh, the Nile Plaza in Alexandria, the Madinaty project and El-Alamein.

The new deal was reached during a meeting in Sharm El-Sheikh between Nasr and Al-Waleed Ibn Talal, the chairman of the Saudi Kingdom Holding Company. Also present was businessman Hesham Talaat Moustafa of TMG.

During the meeting, Nasr said that the investment environment is the main focus of Egypt's current economic programme. The ministry is working on implementing legislative and institutional reforms to facilitiate such investment, said Nasr, most importantly the new investment law, ratified recently by the president

"The law includes facilitations, guarantees and incentives for all investors," she said. "Egypt welcomes Saudi investors in Egypt and the ministry is working to overcome any obstacles to their work."

Prince Al-Waleed has already made substantial investments in Egypt across various sectors. He owns and operates 40 hotels and resorts, with 18 still under development.

He has invested in the banking sector through Citigroup, in the media sector through Rotana Media Group, and in the aviation sector through the NAS.

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A group of rappers who say they had to flee Libya for their art were on their way to Italy Wednesday after being rescued by a charity boat.

The self-described musicians were among a group of 17 mostly Libyan men picked up by the Aquarius, a vessel operated by French NGO SOS Mediterranee and international humanitarian organisation Doctors without Borders (MSF), from a fishing boat in distress in waters off the Libyan coast.

"I'm (a) rapper, I do rap music, so I got to get out of Libya," one of the men, Youssef, told AFP.

"I have to get out of Libya for freedom of speech, you know about that. Libya is a dangerous zone right now for arts..."

Youssef, from the country's second city Benghazi, said he had paid a trafficker he met in a coffee shop in the capital Tripoli to get on the boat.

"So I was talking and someone after I finished talking got me to the side and said 'If you are looking for a trip I can get you one, but it will be expensive'.

"I asked him how much expensive and he said 'like 1,500 (dollars)'. I said I can pay 1,000, you know, stuff like this. So he got my number and he said I will see and come back to you. The next day he called me and said: 'All right someone will come and pick the money up'."

MSF volunteer Seraina Eldada said the rescued men had been severely dehydrated and exhausted when the Aquarius reached their stricken boat.

"They were very weak, some of them barely conscious," she said. "But they are all getting stronger now and starting to recover, drinking water.

"Right now we are just trying to figure out what their stories are."

The rescued men were to be taken to an Italian port although first the Aquarius was taking part in another rescue operation, this time for a fishing boat reported to have some 300 people on board.

More than 95,000 migrants have been rescued in the Mediterranean and taken to Italy since the start of the year, just over a third of them on privately-funded NGO boats.

The organisations say they are saving lives but their operations have been criticised for allegedly encouraging migrants to risk a journey that has claimed at least 2,385 lives so far in 2017.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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PRESS RELEASE

Pentagon Revives Mini-Nukes Proposal

Aug. 5, 2017 (EIRNS)The idea of small nuclear weapons that could be used against hard targets in a tactical situation, an idea that was raised and then died during the 2001-2006 tenure of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, has been resurrected, this time by Gen. Paul Selva, the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Selva told an event at the Air Force Association in Washington, D.C. this past week, reports Defense One, that deterrence lies not only in big warheads that can destroy entire cities, but also in small warheads, so called "mini-nukes." The threat of mutually assured destruction doesnt work against smaller regimes in the way that it used to against the Soviet Union, Selva argued. He said the U.S. needs to be able launch a nuclear attack on an adversary without ending the world or causing massive "indiscriminate" casualties.

"If all you have is high-yield weapons to answer a low-yield attack, its still a nuclear attack. Answering that with a conventional weapon is likely not going to have the kind of deterrent value as saying, Even if you use a low-yield weapon, we have options to respond,"

he said.

"If the only options we have are to go with high-yield weapons that create a level of indiscriminate killing that the President cant accept, then we havent presented him with an option to respond to a nuclear attack in kind."

The idea of "mini-nukes" or bunker buster bombssmall nuclear weapons designed to target deeply buried bunkersdied during the Rumsfeld era because Congress would not fund the development of such weapons beyond design studies, over concerns that lowering the explosive yield of the weapons would lower the threshold for their use.
PRESS RELEASE

Pentagon Submits Proposal for Supplying Weapons to Ukraine

Aug. 5, 2017 (EIRNS)NBC News reported yesterday that the Defense Department has submitted a proposal to the White House for a $50 million arms package for the Kiev regime in Ukraine. The package includes Javelin anti-tank weapons, which strike destroy tanks by hitting them from above where tanks generally have less armor. "It is the right move and I see the fingerprints of Secretary of Defense Mattis all over it," said Adm. James Stavridis (ret.), former commander of NATO.

"This is a very logical and sensible move which will increase deterrence, because it will place doubt in the minds of Russian aggressors in terms of their use of offensive weapons systems."

While the Pentagon is reportedly supportive the proposal, and the Congress would likely be very enthusiastic for it, more sober minds are warning that its not such a good idea. The Lexington Institutes Loren Thompson warned that providing lethal weapons to Ukrainea country "on Russias doorstep"is not without peril for the U.S. "What would we think if the Russians were arming Mexico?" he asked. "This could potentially spark a wider war."

Columnist Pat Buchanan, in a column posted by Newsmax yesterday, called the proposal "a formula for a renewed war, with far higher casualties in Ukraine than the 10,000 dead already suffered on both sides." And this is a war, he said, that Putin is not likely to allow Kiev to win.

"If Ukraines army, bolstered by U.S. weaponry, re-engages in the east, it could face a Moscow-backed counterattack and be routed, and the Russian army could take permanent control of the Donbass,"

he wrote. "Indeed, if Trump approves this State-Defense escalation plan, we could be looking at a rerun of the Russia-Georgia war of August 2008." Buchanan points to Kurt Volker, the State Department envoy for Ukraine who is a longtime associate of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and who has already publicly endorsed the idea of sending lethal weapons to the Kiev regime. Volker, Buchanan writes, believes giving antitank and antiaircraft missiles to Ukraine will bring Putin to the negotiating table, as he fears the prospect of dead Russian soldiers coming home in caskets before his 2018 election. The question is, Buchanan says, does Trump believe this? "What if Putin refuses to back down, and chooses to confront?" he concludes.
PRESS RELEASE

U.S. Envoy McGurk: U.S.-Russian Cooperation in Syria Working Well

Aug. 5, 2017 (EIRNS)Brett McGurk, the U.S. special envoy for the anti-ISIS war, delivered a detailed update on the status of the campaign in both Iraq and Syria, yesterday. During his remarks, he stressed, among other things, the importance of U.S. cooperation with Russia, which he said is working very well. Since the June 18 incident in which a U.S. Navy jet shot down a Syrian jet,

"we have drawn what we call a deconfliction line with the Russians to help accelerate the campaign in Raqqa and to basically make clear where their forces will be and where our forces will be. This has held extremely well. This is now in place. Our military personnel speak with the Russians every day, and we, of course, have diplomatic consultations on issues like this far less frequently but whenever we need to."

Later on, McGurk said that the ceasefire in southwest, jointly negotiated with Russia and Jordan, is working well. "So were well into the third week of it now, and the results have been quite promising thus far. The fighting has largely stopped," he said.

"Were now seeing civilians beginning to return to this area, which is very promising, and beginning to see landmines being removed as the fighting has stopped."

In response to a question, McGurk said that there has been no effect on the cooperation with Russia from the scandalizing in Washington of U.S.-Russia relations. "So far weve not seen an effect on our engagement with the Russians when it comes to Syria," he said.
PRESS RELEASE

ASEAN and China Bringing Peace and Development to Southeast AsiaIncluding the South China Sea

Aug. 6, 2017 (EIRNS)On the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the foreign ministers of the ten members of Asian and other countries in the Asia Pacific region are meeting starting today in the Philippines, this years chairman of ASEAN. The two primary issues at the formal sessions are North Korea and the South China Sea.

Most important was the agreement between ASEAN and China to adopt the draft framework for a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the situation in the South China Sea had "stabilized remarkably" in the past year, and that the passing of the framework today will be followed by consultations in August, and the launching of discussions on a final COC at the November ASEAN Summit of the heads of state and government, with the proviso: "if there is no major disruption from outside parties," a clear reference to earlier disruptions from the Obama administration. The role of the new government in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte, who rejected Obamas war-mongering and has joined Chinas Silk Road process, has created general unity in ASEAN regarding China. Vietnam has called for a reference to Chinas island building in the communique, but acceptable wording has apparently been agreed upon.

Carl Thayer of Australia, a leading expert on Southeast Asia on behalf of the British Empire, denounced the COC framework agreement because it is non-legally binding, saying

"A non-binding COC would be a disaster of the first order. China would keep pushing and ASEAN claimant states would be left with no option but to capitulate."

Of course, the nations of the regions are not capitulating, but joyfully joining the New Silk Road now that the Obama puppet-regime in Manila has been replaced by a nationalist.

On Korea, a draft statement by ASEAN condemning the Norths missile launches is being objected to by Cambodia, a close friend of China, since it does not include a call for ending western military provocations. This has delayed the expected release of an ASEAN communique today. It is now expected to be released on Monday with the statements by the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF, which addresses security issues) and the East Asia Forum (EAS), which both include all the Asia-Pacific nationsbut only if they come to a consensus regarding the North Korea clause.
The main thread of the Republican effort to destroy the Affordable Care Act may have been snipped apart on the Senate floor late last month, but vestiges of its campaign of vandalism still remain. On Friday, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., kicked away one of its legs in a $52-million ruling in favor of Molina Healthcare.

The Long Beach health insurance company, which specializes in Obamacare coverage, sought the money in accordance with the ACAs risk corridor provision. In his second ruling in a row on the issue, the federal judge in the case took direct aim at what may have been the most cynical attack on the ACA that Congressional Republicans cooked up. The judge, Thomas C. Wheeler of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, had awarded Moda Health of Oregon $214 million just last February. His reasoning this time around was almost identical.

The risk corridor program was one of three similar provisions devised to shelter insurers from unexpected losses in the Affordable Care Act marketplace, especially in its formative years from 2014 through 2016. To encourage insurers to enter the entirely novel market, the program aimed to balance risks by taking funds from insurers that turned out to be unexpectedly profitable and use the money to cushion others losses.

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It was only a matter of time before a court entered a money judgment against the United States.  Nicholas Bagley, University of Michigan

The insurers had no actuarial experience with the new market, explains Lawrence S. Sher, Molinas attorney in the case. The three-year risk corridor program was designed as an inducement to get insurers to participate.

Initially, the Congressional Budget Office expected the program to turn a profit for the governmentthat the Dept. of Health and Human Services would collect $16 billion over three years from overly profitable insurers but pay out only $8 billion to their money-losing counterparts. But that was sheer conjecture, and the law was written to allow HHS to pay out general government funds if the program turned out differentlyas it did.

Then Congressional Republicans threw a wrench into the system. In 2014, the GOP decided to attack the risk corridor program as a bailout of insurers, even though the exact same provision was part of the GOPs 2003 Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit (and still is). The Republicans slipped a rider into the 2014 spending bill decreeing that risk corridor payments could be made only from risk-corridor collections, not the general treasury.

The Republicans were inordinately proud of their handiwork. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., even used his role in the maneuver as a talking point in his abortive Presidential campaign, boasting to have done significant damage to Obamacare, and to have saved the American taxpayer $2.5 billion. In light of the beating that Republican legislators have taken for their efforts to replace the ACA with a series of horrific proposals aimed at steering billions in tax cuts to their rich donors, Rubio might want to disavow those boasts.

The consequences of the GOP rider were dire. With payouts limited to collections, HHS was able to pay only 12.6% of all claims for 2014$362 million of the $2.87 billion in claims, and nothing for 2015. Several small insurers, including co-ops that were expected to serve lower-income exchange customers, were effectively starved out of existence. That left roughly a million co-op members high and dry, while reduced competition in their regions drove up costs for many others. Republican critics of the ACA such as House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., touted their shutdowns as evidence of Obamacares failure, without making much of the fact that they were responsible for the wreckage.

Molina, for its part, says it received only $5,913.45 in reimbursements for both years, against $52.4 million owed.

Numerous legal commentators have observed that the government was going to have to cough up the unpaid money one way or another. The ACA defines the risk-corridor program as a must-pay, without regard to where the funds come from. Thats clearly money-mandating, Wheeler ruled.

Enticing insurers into the market by promising to cover part of their losses and reneging after the fact is the essence of bait-and-switch. As Nicholas Bagley of the University of Michigan observed following the Moda ruling, it was only a matter of time before a court entered a money judgment against the United States.

There will be more to come. Insurers already have filed 26 lawsuits in the Court of Federal Claims for risk-corridor money. Four of these cases already are before the Federal Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the issue appears destined to reach the Supreme Court. About $19.3 billion is at stake for 2014 and 2015, and an estimated $3 billion more for 2016, the final risk-corridor year.

So where is the government supposed to find the money to pay? Easy: from its Judgment Fund, an open-ended allocation from which judgments awarded by the Court of Federal Claims are paidthat is, from which the governments promises can be fulfilled, Wheeler wrote. Its true that Congress has the power to decree that the Judgment Fund cant be used to pay risk corridor obligations, and if President Trump is as resolved to allow the ACA to implode as he says, he might support such a move.

But with even some Republicans in Congress talking about finding a bipartisan agreement to stabilize the ACA marketplace, that would be a distinct move backwards. In any case, Bagley wrote in February, refusing to pay is a shabby way to treat insurers, which entered the exchanges in reliance on the federal governments promises.

Its also true that Wheeler has been the firmest and most consistent voice from the bench favoring the insurers. Two other judges on the same court have dismissed similar claims involving insurers from Illinois and Maine, but those rulings already have been appealed.

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.
Rocket Labs Electron rocket did not reach orbit in its first test launch in May because range safety officials terminated the flight due to a problem with the ground equipment used to track the launch, the company said Sunday night.

The Huntington Beach company said data showed the Electron was on track to reach orbit prior to the flight termination.

Rocket Lab said that four minutes after liftoff the ground equipment temporarily lost contact with the rocket, and based on standard operating procedures the officials terminated the launch.

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Rocket Lab said the Electron has an on-board termination system that effectively shuts down the rockets engines.

The company said it combed through more than 25,000 channels of data during a two-month-long investigation into the launch outcome.

The review found that the rockets flight was terminated because of a data loss time out caused by a misconfiguration of telemetry equipment. That equipment was owned and operated by a third-party contractor that was supporting the launch, which took place at Rocket Labs private launch complex on New Zealands Mahia Peninsula.

Rocket Lab Chief Executive Peter Beck said it was disappointing to see the flight terminated in essence due to an incorrect tick box.

Rocket Labs telemetry systems provided data verifying Electrons capabilities and providing us with high confidence ahead of our second test flight, he said in a statement.

The company said the fix for the issue was simple and that corrective procedures were put into place to prevent it from happening in the future. Rocket Lab said it did not make any major changes to the Electron hardware.

The company said the Federal Aviation Administration oversaw the investigation and will review the findings.

Rocket Labs Electron rocket reached space during the test flight in May, but did not make it to orbit as planned.

Rocket Lab said at the time that the rocket had a great first-stage burn, followed by clean separation of the first and second stages and ignition of the second stage. The rockets fairing  the clamshell-like covering that protects satellites and other payloads at the tip of the rocket  also separated as planned, but the company did not release further details about what happened after that. The Electron rocket was not carrying a satellite during the flight.

Rocket Lab said at the time that it would figure out why the rocket did not reach orbit.

Rocket Labs business plan focuses on ferrying small satellites into space. No date has been announced for the next flight.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

Twitter: @smasunaga
Several current and former Google employees are publicly criticizing an employee-written memo that suggested the lower numbers of women in the tech industry are due to biological differences.

The memo, which tech news site Recode published in full, is titled Googles Ideological Echo Chamber.

The memo says the Mountain View, Calif., tech giants political bias has equated the freedom from offense with psychological safety and created a space where some ideas are too sacred to be honestly discussed.

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It goes on to say that differences in distributions of traits between men and women may in part explain why we dont have 50% representation of women in tech and leadership and criticizes Googles diversity programs and hiring practices, calling them discriminatory.

Some Google executives have already responded to the memo, with the companys new head of diversity saying it advanced incorrect assumptions about gender.

Here are a few thoughts from other current and former Google employees.

Sarah Adams is a software engineer at Google and founder of Women Who Go, a community for female coders, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Rajan Patel is a senior engineering director at Google and a statistics instructor at Stanford University, according to his LinkedIn profile.

I sent this note to the team as we prepare to come back to what will certainly be a challenging time @google. pic.twitter.com/t0oTcRSIS3  Rajan Patel (@rajanpatel) August 7, 2017

Kelly Ellis is a former Google employee who in 2015 said she was sexually harassed while working at the company. She worked at Google from 2010 to 2014 and is currently a software engineer for blogging platform Medium, according to her LinkedIn profile.

I experienced this at Google, and was frustrated that they did nothing about rhetoric that was harming employees. https://t.co/EtO4ehnILL  Kelly Ellis (@justkelly_ok) August 5, 2017

There are many people at Google who share this guy's views. They do peer performance reviews and interview people. They discriminate.  Kelly Ellis (@justkelly_ok) August 5, 2017

Yonatan Zunger, who has said he recently left his job as a distinguished engineer on Googles privacy team, wrote a lengthy response to the memo.

People who think you're "lowering the bar" for diversity don't understand what skills you're actually hiring for.  Yonatan Zunger  (@yonatanzunger) August 7, 2017

Brian Rose focuses on community and outreach for Google VR, according to his LinkedIn profile.

ethan.varian@latimes.com

@ethanvarian

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Suspend disbelief  at your own peril. Planetarium, opening in New York on Aug. 11 and in Los Angeles on Aug. 18, stars Natalie Portman as Laura Barlow half of a sister act  theyre American mediums touring Europe, one seance at a time. The rich of pre-war Paris, who swoon  literally  over younger sister Kates (Lily-Rose Depp) abilities, cant, or dont want to, face reality.

Nor does Andre Korben (Emmanuel Salinger), a powerful movie producer, who is enthralled with the sisters performance at a club. He later becomes so involved in his work that he misses the signs of impending doom  the rise of fascism and anti-Semitism.

On stage, Laura holds her sisters hand as Kate rolls her eyes back in her head and she obliges a grieving mother desperate to hear the voice of her dead child.

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Hoax! said Portman in an interview with WWD. Of course it is. I dont really believe in this kind of stuff, even though I think its possible.

That slight opening would be enough for Korben, who asks the Barlows to move into his house. Laura embarks on a film career with Korbens director, while Kate becomes a guinea pig for Korbens experiments into filming ghosts with a special camera that he thinks will revolutionize cinema.

Director Rebecca Zlotowski was interested in the destiny of the Fox sisters, three American mediums from New York, who lived during the late 19th century. A client once hired one of them to live in his house and incarnate the spirit of his late wife.

Portman boned up on the Fox sisters and Victoria Woodhull. They were super-fascinating, she said. [Woodhull] was in the Suffrage movement. Men didnt want women to speak, but they believed that women, like children, could commune with ghosts because they were simpler. Women pretended that ghosts were speaking through them and would have seances where theyd tell the men how to spend money or to give women the right to vote.

Ghosts are moving my hand, Portman said, playfully. It gave women credibility. These otherworldly voices gave women a voice that society couldnt censor.

I think the film made me think about the connection between a desire to speak with ghosts and movie-making, she added. Its interesting, when you make a film you can communicate with people forever. You can still experience people who are long dead. Even people who died this year, we can watch their movies.

Portman, who in 2011 won an Oscar for best actress for Black Swan and was nominated for an Academy Award for Jackie, relished her costumes in Planetarium, which included high-waisted pajama pants, silk paisley robes, a striking red dress, and for a scene where shes lying on the beach on the French Riviera  not a stitch of clothing.

I think the costumes are the most beautiful costumes Ive ever worked with, she said. They were so incredibly beautiful  the colors and materials. In France, where they have all of the craft and knowledge and make things by hand, I got to have this transformation.

Portman clearly loves the finer things. The first face of Miss Dior fragrance, shes had a five-year gig with the fashion house. A new ad campaign shows Portman wearing nothing but a heavily beaded gown held up to her body. Its been incredible to work with Dior, she said. Its an elegant and luxurious legendary brand. Theyre an incredible family to be a part of, and Ive been lucky to witness all the artisanship over the years to see how they make the couture and the perfume. Its an amazing experience to work with them. Im lucky.

Portman is starring in another upcoming movie thats generating strong buzz, The Death and Life of John Donovan. Its about an American TV stars correspondence with a young boy [Jacob Tremblay] who admires him, she said. I play the mother. Their correspondence is revealed [10 years after Donovans death] and theres a scandal. Tremblays character, now a young actor, reflects on the communication and how it impacted both of their lives.

Planetarium marked the first time the actress spoke French in a film. Tapped by Zlotowski, Portman was living in Paris at the time with her husband, Benjamin Millepied, who was the director of the Paris Opera Ballet. While she was familiar with the language, Depp wasnt, but picked it up quickly.

It was Portman who identified Depp for the role of Kate and sent her head shot to Zlotowski. It was very difficult to find someone who spoke American English and French, who was the right age and could look like we were family, she said. I saw a picture of Lily-Rose and sent it to Rebecca with a note, We know she speaks English, why dont we see if she can act.

After the glittery parties and beautiful clothes, reality begins to hit Korbens circle. Staying up too late and drinking too much leaves Kate much worse for the wear.

Korben is in denial until the end, even when his board demands his resignation, and a member says, In these troubled times, how do we trust a foreigner?

That was the other true story thats really fascinating: Emmanuels character. The board sent him to Auschwitz to die and he died there, Portman said, referring to Bernard Natan, the wealthy movie producer, who was the inspiration for Korbens character. Natan, who was considered an innovator in film industry, was convicted of fraud after his Pathe theater collapsed in 1935, and eventually deported to Auschwitz, where he died.

Its really devastating, Portman added. The reality of France isnt talked about as much. France was really, really complicit  the government at the time  in sending away a huge percentage of its Jewish population.

I think that theres a line in the film where she says, You never know when youre right before a war. You dont know its pre-war Paris. Its always when youre on the brink of something dangerous.

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Even as Los Angeles starts a $1.2-billion homeless housing construction program, residents from Temple City to Venice are fighting to keep homeless projects out of their neighborhoods.

But since 1995, chronically homeless mentally ill people  a widely shunned subgroup  have been living in Santa Monicas Step Up on Second apartments, a block from the tourist-friendly Third Street Promenade and close enough to the beach to feel the salt air.

Look around. Its here, Rep. Timothy F. Murphy (R-Pa.) said during a recent visit, describing why he sees Step Ups residential programs as a national model.

Murphy, author of a major 2016 mental health reform bill, was in Santa Monica to tour three of Step Ups permanent supportive housing buildings, which offer apartments and counseling, case management and substance abuse treatment to 267 formerly homeless people with mental health issues.

During the visit, The Times interviewed Step Up Executive Director Tod Lipka, staff members and residents. Dennis Culhane, University of Pennsylvania professor and homelessness researcher, and Andrew Sperling, legislative advocacy director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, were interviewed later.

Below are their edited responses to common questions about mental illness and homelessness:

Theo Robin, 45, in his room at Step Up on Second in Santa Monica. Robin battled drug addiction for 16 years and was diagnosed with neuropathy. (Christian K. Lee / Los Angeles Times) (Christian K. Lee /)

Are most homeless people mentally ill?

A relatively small percentage of all homeless people nationwide  13% to 15%  are mentally ill, but their symptoms  paranoia and delusions  draw attention and mislead others into thinking their numbers are greater, Culhane said.

However, Los Angeles homeless population skews heavily to single adults who have lived in the streets a year or longer  a subgroup with a high incidence of mental health issues. Local authorities estimate that 30% of the countys homeless people have serious mental illness.

Does chronic homelessness cause mental illness, or is it the other way around?

Lipka said employees at his agency dont see people developing serious mental illness by virtue of their homelessness. But I do believe long-term isolation can lead to mental illness, said Steve Elam, Step Up lead life skills coordinator.

Culhane said severely mentally ill people sometimes get treatment and aid that prevents them from becoming homeless.

How many homeless people are physically or mentally disabled?

Culhane said half the countrys homeless people have a physical or mental disability, or both. But they dont necessarily qualify for federal disability payments, which in any case are too low  about $800 a month  to cover rent, utilities and other needs, even with food stamps tacked on, he added. Welfare reform in 1996 made it difficult for people whose impairment stems largely from substance abuse disorders to receive federal disability aid, Culhane said.

Instead of looking at individuals and their biographies and conditions, the question is why is the disability system failing? Culhane said.

Richard LaRush, 65, in his apartment at Step Up on Second. (Christian K. Lee / Los Angeles Times) (Christian K. Lee /)

Is mental illness the result of genetics and brain chemistry alone, or does trauma play a role?

Were still figuring that one out, Sperling said. A strong case has been made for a genetic role in schizophrenia, but physiological and biological brain development, environmental stressors and childhood trauma are also thought to influence mental health.

I grew up in Jordan Downs and Watts, Ive seen a lot and Ive been through two riots, said Step Up resident Marvin Duckworth, 57. My sense of hope and faith is not that strong.

How many mentally ill homeless people have issues with alcohol and drug abuse, and does drug addiction cause mental illness?

About half of the homeless people with severe mental illness also have problems with alcohol or drugs, Culhane said. Lipka put the percentage of his agencys clients even higher  60% to 70%  but he and the other experts said drug use does not cause severe mental illness. Rather, homeless people with untreated mental illness self-medicate to relieve symptoms, Lipka said.

I grew up in Jordan Downs and Watts, Ive seen a lot and Ive been through two riots. My sense of hope and faith is not that strong.  Marvin Duckworth

What is the role of prescribed medication in treating mentally ill homeless people? Doesnt it turn them all into zombies?

Medication relieves symptoms, but it doesnt create purpose or positive meaning in your life, even if you have stabilized with housing, Lipka said.

Paula Boutte, Step Ups Santa Monica program manager, said side effects affect people differently and medications and dosages often have to be adjusted over time. If you experience drowsiness and cant get up, its not quality of life, Boutte said.

What about forced medication or other treatment for the most severely mentally ill homeless people?

For the vast majority of homeless people, forcing them to do anything is a mistake, Lipka said.

Sperling said Lauras Law  which authorizes court-ordered mental health treatment for those with serious illness and a recent history of repeated violence, criminal activity or hospitalizations  addresses some cases. But for the 2% to 3% of homeless people so symptomatic that nothing else works, we may need more options, Lipka said.

Rep. Timothy F. Murphy (R-Pa.), left, speaks with Richard LaRush in LaRushs Step Up on Second apartment. (Christian K. Lee / Los Angeles Times) (Christian K. Lee /)

Why do people who grow up in foster care or state custody end up homeless?

Children separated from their parents at an early age often suffer anxiety and depression, Sperling said. Lipka said growing up without stable relationships makes it difficult to learn life skills. After years of living in group homes, the only thing I knew how to do was to shave and take a shower, said Step Up resident Theo Robin, 45.

Most young adults need help from family to go out on their own, and homeless youths are no exception. Californias recent law extending the cutoff for aid to foster children from age 18 to 21 has reduced the groups homeless rates, Culhane said.

Do some homeless people prefer to live that way?

Lipka said the vast majority of the clients his agency works with  97%  want housing if the system we had to get into housing wasnt so complicated. Many have been disappointed by past promises that fell through.

Housing becomes something not in homeless peoples realm of possibility, Lipka said. The system has failed them, and then we blame it on them.

Theo Robin, left, discusses his life with Pennsylvania Rep. Timothy F. Murphy at Robins apartment. (Christian K. Lee / Los Angeles Times ) (Christian K. Lee /)

The system has failed them, and then we blame it on them.  Tod Lipka, Step Up On Second

Can mentally ill homeless people move on to jobs and live independently or will they need to be subsidized forever?

For the chronically homeless in their 50s and 60s, stabilization in subsidized housing is the most realistic outcome, Lipka said. We could see less intensive, less costly permanent supportive housing, but thats difficult, he said. Its either youre in it or youre not.

Homeless young adults with mental health issues do move on to school, jobs, and in some cases, independent living.

We have a building for transitional-age youth leaving foster care or state custody; they have shorter tenancy, reunite with family, take computer classes and move out and live on their own, Lipka said.

Should the public pay for mentally ill homeless people to live near the beach when most people cant afford to?

Lipka said that Santa Monica, which subsidizes Step Up, recognized that its homeless people are residents and that a vibrant city needs diversity.

Housing and support services cost less than we are spending now on police, courts, jails and hospitals to manage homelessness, Lipka said. Not to mention the nuisance cost of homelessness to a community, he said.

gholland@latimes.com

Twitter: @geholland

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From a Scandinavian bistro on Melrose Avenue to a new Silver Lake restaurant by a lauded Mexico City chef, here are three new restaurants youre going to want to add to your must-try list.

Tintorera in Silver Lake

Silver Lake has a new, mostly outdoor restaurant, opened by a Mexico City chef and his partner, and named after a scary blue shark. Tintorera, the new Mexican restaurant by chef Maycoll Calderon and his partner Walter Meyenberg (the duo behind Huset and Hanky Panky bar in Mexico City) is now open in the former Cowboys and Turbans space on Sunset Boulevard. Calderon, who has worked at Arzak in San Sebastian and Jean-Georges in New York City, is now cooking his signature Mexican country food at Tintorera, with a seafood-centric menu that also celebrates this citys great produce. Some of the menu highlights include tuna tartare with a jalapeno emulsion; arroz con pollo cooked in a wood oven; sea bass tostada with citrus vinaigrette; and a red snapper aguachile. All of the restaurants seating is outdoors on a large patio lit with overhead string lights  and theres a large mural that depicts the restaurants namesake blue shark. (The restaurant is named after the 1977 shark thriller Tintorera.) Guests are served tropics-inspired cocktails outside, but theres an indoor speakeasy featuring a separate cocktail menu by Mexico City bartender David Mora. The restaurant is open for dinner now (with limited reservations at info@tintorera.la ) , and will eventually open for lunch and weekend brunch. 2815 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, tintorera.la.

Good Measure in Atwater Village

Wine guru Matthew Kaner (co-owner of Bar Covell, Augustine and Dead or Alive Bar) has teamed with chef Mike Garber (formerly at the now-closed BLD and at Ammo) to open Good Measure, in the former Ozu East Kitchen space in Atwater Village. And with Kaner behind the wine program, you know youre in for a serious wine list. The dining menu mostly consists of snacks and appetizers to pair with all that wine, including crispy pork rillettes; mussels with grilled bread; charred padron peppers; and plenty of cheese and charcuterie. Garber is also making more substantial entrees, including lamb belly and polenta; and grilled bone-in pork chops, from San Franciscos Flannery Beef, with peaches. Good Measure is now open for dinner and weekend brunch. 3224 Glendale Blvd.Los Angeles, www.goodmeasurela.com.

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Alta Nordic Kitchen

Chef and restaurateur Christer Larsson, known for his cooking at Aquavit and Alta in New York City, is bringing his new Nordic cuisine to Alta, a bistro on Melrose Avenue, in the former Smoke.Oil.Salt. space. Larsson describes the food as a combination of Scandinavian home cooking, fresh ingredients and modern technique. That translates to a straightforward menu of gravlax (marinated wild salmon with coarse mustard and dill); Skagen toast (Greenland shrimp with creme fraiche); and Leverpastej (calfs liver pate on house-made Danish rye bread). Larsson plans to add wild game and berries from Lapland in northern Sweden during the winter. Alta Nordic Kitchen is open nightly for dinner as well as weekend brunch. 7274 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 746-5221, www.altanordickitchen.com.

Jenn.Harris@latimes.com

@Jenn_Harris_

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Nicole Brar wants you to know her name, and that she deserves better.

The transgender 8-year-old girl and her parents are suing her former Orange County private school for allegedly preventing her from expressing her gender identity. She is choosing not to be a Jane Doe  as a young plaintiff, she could remain anonymous  because she feels strongly, according to her lawyers, about fighting on behalf of her right to an education without discrimination.

Her mother, Priya Shah, said the family thought long and hard before filing the lawsuit. It honors our child's commitment to being who she is despite adversity, she said in an email. It is our small contribution toward ensuring that other transgender and gender expansive children do not go through the same hardship and trauma.

The argument

The lawsuit, filed last week in Orange County Superior Court, alleges that Heritage Oak Private Education in Yorba Linda would not let Nicole, who goes by Nikki, dress as she chose, use the bathroom of her choice and go by female pronouns.

The complaint contends that the school violated the Unruh Civil Rights Act, a California law that outlaws a broad range of discrimination, including by sex or sexual orientation, and that it fraudulently advertised itself as nondiscriminatory and focused on the whole child.

This is the first [transgender rights] case to use a state anti-discrimination law as one of the grounds for relief, said Mark Rosenbaum, who directs the pro bono Public Counsel Opportunity Under Law, which has taken on the lawsuit along with several law school professors. In light of the Trump administrations inaction on taking a stand against discrimination against trans individuals  this is a terribly important case.

Asaf Orr, an attorney for the National Center for Lesbian Rights transgender youth project, which is not involved in the case, said he believes its argument is sound. Hopefully this will lead to a larger conversation about what schools need to do to serve transgender students, he said. They have to create a private school environment thats safe and supportive for all students.

Heritage Oak responds

The lawsuit names Heritage Oak and its executive director Phyllis Cygan, as well as the schools parent group, Nobel Learning Communities, which is headquartered in Pennsylvania, and its regional director, Kate Taylor.

Cygan did not respond directly to requests for comment. But Kerry Owens, a vice president at an advertising firm called MGH, forwarded a statement saying that Nobel schools have met the needs of older transgender students.

Nicoles case was different, the statement suggests.

We believed it was extremely important to respond, not hastily, but with deliberate care, to decide when and how to inform and educate our entire elementary school community of students, staff and parents about the mid-year change of gender identity expression of a young child, the statement continued. Due to the sensitivity of the issue and age of the child, we believed we needed expert guidance regarding timing (such as, preparing children for a change they would see in spring semester of second grade and fall semester of third grade), process and age-appropriate communication.

The school had hired an outside consultant and had been communicating with the family to discuss accommodations, the statement said. Unfortunately, these accommodations were rejected and the parents withdrew their child.

Rosenbaum, Nikkis lawyer, rejected the notion that the problems came down to miscommunication or speed of action. The school, he said, created roadblocks and ultimately refused to meet the undisputed needs of a young transgender student in their care.

Becoming Nikki

The 76-page complaint paints an intimate portrait of Nikkis home and school life.

Nikki was designated male at birth and given a different name. But as a young child, she gravitated toward the color pink and rainbow ponies. She walked in her mothers heels and asked for nail polish on her toes. She would wrap herself in her grandmothers scarf, draping it like a dress.

When she was four, she told her parents that she wanted to be a girl. They told Nikki that gender was a spectrum, like hot and cold water, that she could be any kind of boy she wanted to be.

But just before she turned 7, in June 2016, Nikki said, I want to be called a girl. Her parents took her to a therapist focused on gender.

Soon after, they began letting her wear girls clothes. Only then would she let her parents photograph her. She said she felt free and that boys' clothes had felt like a prison to her.

(Public Counsels lawsuit)

Nikkis parents decided to send her to Heritage Oak in part because it advertised itself as a nondiscriminatory community that valued diversity and focused on childrens individual needs. The school teaches third-grade curriculum in the second grade, which we believed would keep our child challenged and engaged, Shah said. We envisioned our child growing both intellectually and socially.

When the school year began, Nikki was in the process of transitioning but still presenting as a boy at school. We were very careful not to rush to judgment, Shah said. But before she arrived at Heritage Oak, her parents told the schools executive director what was happening and asked that Nikki be treated as a girl if thats what she ended up wanting. According to the complaint, Cygan deferred a decision.

By November, Nikkis parents got the sense that Nikki would fully transition socially, spokesman Manny Rivera said. Again, they asked that the school accept her choice: that it let her use her chosen pronouns, wear a girls uniform and go to the girls bathroom  either that school year or the next one. Cygan allegedly did not answer their demands, except to say that she would allow Nikki to grow her hair.

By winter break in December, Nikkis transition had solidified. In January, the school insisted that Nikki wear the boys uniform. The school said she would have access to a staff bathroom, but she couldnt go to the bathroom used by her female classmates. Cygan declined their other demands, calling the school a conservative institution in which Nikkis transition would create an imbalance, the complaint says.

According to the complaint, the schools disregard of Nikkis gender preference empowered her peers  including Cygans son  to bully her and call her a loser.

As a result, the complaint states, Nikki felt distressed and isolated. Girls didnt want to play with her because was dressed as a boy, and she kept away from the boys and their rougher activities. At recess she sat off by herself, reading. All the children at the school have a name they identify with and a uniform and bathroom that accord with their gender identity, the complaint says. Not so for Nikki.

One day, Nikki heard a report about suicide on the radio, according to the lawsuit. She asked her parents if she could suicide herself because life is really hard.

Nikkis drawing of her inner light being blocked (Public Counsels filing) (Public Counsels filing)

A new start

Nikki left her school in February 2017, and her mother left a teaching job in order to home-school her.

Rosenbaum said Nikki is using the lawsuit not just to assert her rights but also to work through the feelings of being disrespected and singled out.

The complaint seeks damages for emotional distress and discrimination as well as over $10,000 in school tuition and fees. It also asks the school to declare that it violated the state nondiscrimination law and that it advertised fraudulently. It demands further that Heritage Oak write a policy of nondiscrimination toward transgender students, train staff according to that policy and incorporate lessons about transgender identity into its curriculum.

This year, Nikki will get a new start in an Orange County public school.

------------

FOR THE RECORD

Aug. 8, 2:05 p.m.: An earlier version of this article said Nikki Brar had fully transitioned by November 2016. Her social transition had solidified by December 2016. Also, the article said she left her school in November 2016. She left in February 2017.

Joy.Resmovits@LATimes.com

@Joy_Resmovits

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On a spring day in 1975, as Khmer Rouge forces launched a coup that would unleash four years of genocide in Cambodia, Jerry Young grabbed a fistful of jewels from his store and fled for his life.

He walked and hitched rides to the border of Thailand, where he waited days before reuniting with his family in a camp.



For the record: An earlier version of this article described UC Berkeley professor Khatharya Um as a professor of sociology. She is a professor of ethnic studies.

I was so scared. I ran, said Young, 68. I was so lucky.

When they moved to the U.S., those jewels  a few cut rubies and sapphires  became the seed funding for a business that has become common in Cambodian American communities: the jewelry store.

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There are now hundreds of Cambodian-owned jewelry stores across Southern California, home to more than 50,000 people of Cambodian descent, the largest such population outside the Southeast Asian nation.

The stores are one of the legacies of the Cambodian genocide and the economic upheaval that came with it.

I was so scared. I ran. I was so lucky.  Jerry Young, jewelry store owner

About two dozen stores are packed into a single Chinatown strip mall, and about 30 more crowd the downtown jewelry district. Cambodian jewelry stores line Anaheim Street of Long Beachs Cambodia town, cluster in a Fullerton strip mall and dot Orange Countys Little Saigon.

Cambodian jewelers have become well known in the business. The Youngs are now the official crown jeweler of the Miss California USA, and Youngs son Peter designed the crown.

In the piece, diamond-encrusted patterns form stars for Hollywood and waves for the ocean. In the center is a single blue sapphire. It represents one of the jewels his father brought with him as he fled Cambodia.

There isnt any single reason for the proliferation of Cambodian jewelry stores. But a large proportion of jewelry store owners, like Young, are ethnically Chinese Cambodians from the mining province of Pailin, which contains several gem mines.

Chinese Cambodians were among the first to flee the country when Khmer Rouge forces seized the wealthy provinces assets. Their backgrounds and connections in the jewelry industry helped them start new businesses in America as refugees.

Cambodian jewelry stores in particular have served multiple purposes for an immigrant population made of refugees with a strong distrust for government institutions. They help people store and exchange wealth in its most crisis-proof form: gold.

There are more than a dozen Cambodian jewelry stores in the jewelry district. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Its a much more familiar and trusted institution, said Khatharya Um, a professor of ethnic studies at UC Berkeley. It provides individuals with greater control over their wealth.

Cambodian people have stored their wealth in gold long before the Khmer Rouge, Um said, and that practice is common in other Asian societies.

Nearly 2 million people died in Cambodias killing fields as a result of executions, starvation, torture and overwork. The violence instilled in refugees a strong distrust of institutions, one they brought with them to America, Um said. The Khmer Rouge regime eliminated currency, and many Cambodian refugees remember cutting slivers of gold to buy food and medicine in camps.

It might explain why theres currently no Cambodian American bank, but so many jewelry stores. Farmers and refugees from rural backgrounds were not used to using banks, Um said.

After stops in Guam, Hawaii and Camp Pendleton, Young and his family ended up in Bellflower. A friend, also from Pailin province, loaned them some jewelry inventory, and in 1978 Young opened Tory Jewelry Company, later renamed Inta Gems and Diamonds, the first Cambodian-owned jewelry shop in the downtown district.

The jewelry stores spread through the same tight-knit family networks that Cambodian refugees used to dominate Southern Californias doughnut industry and take over the Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken chain.

Their proliferation accelerated during the 1980s, Young said. He and his family supplied gems, gold and advice to prospective shop owners, and Youngs family members opened seven other jewelry shops.

In 1987, Long Ta and his wife, also jewelers from Pailin province, opened their first jewelry store in Chinatown. They helped family members open nearly two dozen other stores in the Chinatown swap meets.

Its a small town. Everyone knows everyone, said Chay Leang Lim, owner of the Golden Gem Jewelry Co. Inc., located in the same space as Youngs first jewelry store.

On a recent weekday at Thai Samnieng Jewelry in Long Beachs Cambodia Town, Madi Thai waits without much hope for customers. Entire days and weeks can pass without the door bells jingling.

The sparkling cabinets of jewels in his store give the impression of prosperity. But working in a luxury industry has not brought him a luxurious lifestyle, Thai said.

Im not getting rich off of this, Thai said. I make enough every month to pay bills and buy my family some things, and then its gone.

Im not getting rich off of this. I make enough every month to pay bills and buy my family some things, and then its gone.  Madi Thai, Long Beach jewelry store owner

While Cambodian jewelers in Chinatown, downtown Los Angeles and Fullerton have thrived serving a diverse, international clientele, jewelers in Cambodia Town serve mostly Cambodians and locals, said Charles Song, former president of the Cambodian Jewelry Assn. of Southern California.

Cambodians usually buy more jewelry because they use it to store wealth, but there isnt much wealth in Cambodia Town. About a third of Cambodians in Long Beachs Cambodia Town live in poverty, according to a recent UCLA study  twice the poverty rate of the county. And business has taken a hit as more refugees have grown accustomed to using banks and reducing their jewelry consumption, Song said. Competition from Internet retailers has not helped.

Thai, who arrived in Long Beach in 1987 as a 12-year-old refugee, is hoping that later generations will find livelihoods beyond doughnut shops, chicken restaurants and jewelry stores.

Someone will break through someday, Thai said. It just takes time.

Cambodians own four of the 10 brick-and-mortar jewelry stores in Long Beach, according to city records. But there used to be more than a dozen Cambodian jewelers on Anaheim Street, Song said. The jewelry association also shuttered a few years ago when its leadership moved onto other ventures, Song said.

Owning jewelry isnt as important in America, Song said.

Now its for pleasure, not for eating every day. So people are buying less, he Song.

Song was one of the few Cambodian jewelers who had no Pailin connection. He learned the business from friends and relatives, and opened Phnom Pich Jewelry on Anaheim Street in 1997.

His seed money was a payout from a dong ting, an informal lending club that Cambodian families contribute to in order to get lump sums larger than any family could accumulate on their own.

During the genocide, he says, jewelers, and anyone with education, money, or status was targeted. He barely escaped with his life. Song and other Cambodians opened jewelry stores to survive, not get rich, he said. Thats why Cambodian jewelers help each other.

I dont know why Im still here. But I believe in destiny, and I have the proof. Im sitting here today, Song said. I went through the killing fields. I want everyone to have the same opportunity.

frank.shyong@latimes.com

Twitter: @frankshyong

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From spectacular vistas to the pits: A decades-long public land battle continues in the California desert

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Just beyond the southeast corner of Joshua Tree National Park, rows of boarded-up houses, gouged mountainsides and concrete ruins are an ugly reminder of the never-ending battle over the Wests public lands.

This scarred piece of California desert is whats left of one of the countrys largest open-pit mining operations and the little company town that Kaiser Steel Corp. built after World War II. More than three decades after the Eagle Mountain iron mine closed, it still haunts the park that borders it on three sides.

Plans to turn the site into a huge landfill and dump as much as 20,000 tons a day of Southland garbage into the gaping mine pits died in 2013 after years of court battles. Now, a private company wants to use the pits for a $2-billion hydropower project.

The plant, proponents say, would help boost renewable energy use in Southern California and lower greenhouse gas emissions. But park officials fear the hydropower project could draw down local groundwater levels and harm wildlife.

The Eagle Mountain tract, shaped like a handgun aimed at the parks interior, offers a lesson in what can happen when federal monument protections are stripped from public lands  as President Trump s administration is considering doing at a number of national monuments in the West.

Its been a sordid history, said Mark Butler, a former Joshua Tree superintendent who is retired from the National Park Service.

Its been a sordid history.  Mark Butler, former Joshua Tree National Park superintendent

Steve Lowe, president of Eagle Crest Energy Co., stands amid the ruins of the ore loading area. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established Joshua Tree National Monument on roughly 825,000 acres of federal and railroad holdings northeast of Palm Springs, capping a hard-fought campaign to conserve a singular desert landscape of Joshua trees, massive boulders and spectacular vistas.

But the monuments ban on new mining claims infuriated gold and silver prospectors whod long mined the area. In the 1940s, Kaiser Steel bought old patented claims to iron deposits in the Eagle Mountains and started digging them up.

In 1950, Congress shrank the monument by more than a third, chopping a chunk off the northern boundary and the Eagle Mountain area. The way was cleared for Kaiser to blast millions of tons of iron ore out of the mountainsides over the next three decades and ship it by rail to the roaring blast furnaces of the companys Fontana steel plant.

The 1994 California Desert Protection Act that upgraded Joshua Tree to a national park added much of the Eagle Mountains to the park. But the law omitted the abandoned mine and surrounding federal land.

The reservoirs would be part of what Steve Lowe calls an elegant solution to a problem California is confronting.

On a recent day, the town remnants baked in 120-degree heat beneath a mountain of mine tailings. The hulking ruins of the ore loading area looked like a bombed-out village in Afghanistan. Rock benches traced the excavation of four huge pits.

Jeff Harvey and Steve Lowe of Eagle Crest Energy Co. climbed to the top of a metal tower that Kaiser foremen had used to direct mine traffic.

The 360-degree view swept from park peaks to the north, over the moonscape of the mine to the haze-veiled Chuckwalla Valley in the distance.

This would be full of water, said Harvey, looking at one of two pits that Eagle Crest wants to convert to reservoirs.

Separated by about 1,400 feet of elevation, the reservoirs would be part of what Lowe calls an elegant solution to a problem California is confronting as it boosts renewable energy production.

The sun doesnt shine and the wind doesnt blow according to peak electricity demand. Utilities need some way of storing wind and solar power  or shifting the production time.

One way is with battery systems. Another is through pumped water  the method that Eagle Crest proposes to use in an area that averages less than 4 inches of rain a year.

When the solar panels and wind turbines that are sprouting from the desert floor churn out more power than the electrical grid needs, Eagle Crest would use some of that excess to pump water through an underground tunnel system to the 191-acre upper reservoir.

Later in the day, when energy demand climbs, the water would be released back into the tunnel system, powering turbines and generating electricity at it flowed downhill to the 163-acre lower reservoir.

Pumped storage is not new. There are seven of the operations scattered around California at reservoirs and lakes. Eagle Mountain would be the biggest in the state, capable of producing 1,300 megawatts of electricity  enough to supply nearly 1 million homes.

Like all pumped hydropower systems, it would actually consume more energy pushing water uphill than it generates with the downhill flow.

Unlike the other California operations, Eagle Crest would use groundwater  piped from three new wells drilled on private land in the Chuckwalla Valley to the south.

Over the projects four-decade life, the company says, it would withdraw a total of about 100,000 acre-feet from the Chuckwalla aquifer. That is enough to supply 200,000 homes for a year.

It is also enough to worry park officials.

They dont think groundwater feeds their springs. But the Pinto Basin aquifer on Joshua Trees east side supplies the Chuckwalla with underflow. Draw down the Chuckwalla, they fear, and groundwater levels in the park could drop.

The aquifers that underlie the park are ancient, Joshua Tree Superintendent David Smith said. Once you start depleting those reservoirs, no one knows whats actually going to happen. How will that affect the park. I dont want to take that risk.

He cited a 2012 research paper by federal scientists who concluded that groundwater recharge rates in the Chuckwalla Basin may be much lower than previously estimated, suggesting the aquifer is already in overdraft.

A view of the lower portion of the Eagle Mountain mine site and abandoned company town. A large solar farm is in the distance. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Eagle Crest, which bought the 10,000-acre Eagle Mountain site two years ago for $25 million, disputes the paper. Even if it is accurate, Harvey says, company wells would deplete the Chuckwalla aquifer by less than 1%.

Groundwater isnt the parks only worry. The hydropower project would disturb an area that has been largely quiet for decades, allowing bighorn sheep and other wildlife to return.

Butler warns that plopping two artificial lakes on such arid land would attract ravens and other predators that could prey on threatened desert tortoises and other park wildlife.

Youre going to be essentially changing the ecology of that region, said Butler, who was Joshua Trees superintendent from 2011 to 2014.

Despite the park service objections, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted Eagle Crest a hydropower license in 2014.

In April, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced it was preparing to approve a right of way on federal land outside of the park for 12 miles of Eagle Crest transmission lines and a 15-mile, buried water pipeline from the wells.

Both agencies essentially concluded that the hydropower project would not cause significant environmental harm and would not deplete the aquifer over the long term.

Its a FERC-licensed project, so it is pretty much the law of the land right now, Smith said with an air of resignation.

He grew up in San Diego County, the son of desert rats who headed for Joshua Tree and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park on the weekends. He learned how to climb on Joshua Trees boulders. He got his first permanent park service job there.

I love Joshua Tree. Its part of who I am as a person, said Smith, who succeeded Butler as superintendent.

He manages a park that is surging in popularity  Smith expects 3 million visitors this year  and is beset by outside pressures.

Development is on its doorstep. The nitrogen in Southland smog fertilizes invasive grasses that spread across the park, carrying ecologically destructive wildfires with them. Global warming threatens the parks signature Joshua trees.

Once you start depleting those reservoirs, no one knows whats actually going to happen.... I dont want to take that risk.  David Smith, superintendent at Joshua Tree National Park

Weed-filled streets and boarded-up houses are all that is left of the company town. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

Yes, he acknowledges, the Eagle Crest project could help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change. My concern is that the solution does not cause problems in the park, he said.

Lowe, Eagle Crests president, ticks off the ways in which the abandoned mine is a great site for his project.

It is close to existing electrical transmission corridors and solar farms  a new one glints just down Kaiser Road. And, he says, its repurposing a brownfield site that is never going to wind up the way it was.

Lowe and his late father, Art, founded the company in 1991 and started pursuing the hydropower project despite the competing landfill proposal.

Initially, they eyed the wind turbines popping up in the desert. Now, with the growth of solar and Californias push for renewable energy, Lowe figures his time has come.

The grid needs this, said Lowe, who runs the company out of Santa Monica.

Two years ago Eagle Crest signed up a development partner, NextEra Energy, a large energy producer with several solar farms in the California desert, including Desert Sunlight, the 4,000-acre operation down the road.

But Lowe has yet to line up utility customers for the hydropower. And conservation groups have filed protests of the pending right-of-way approval in a move that foreshadows another court fight.

The long battle over Eagle Mountain, it seems, is not yet over.

Since those boundaries were changed, theres been almost 70 years of fighting over this landscape, said David Lamfrom, California desert director for one of the groups, the National Parks Conservation Assn.

So when people are thinking about the real implications of rolling back national monuments  they are severe.

Ive spent a decade of my career trying to correct past wrongs as they relate to Joshua Tree National Park, he added.

bettina.boxall@latimes.com

Twitter: @boxall

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A man believed to be the godson of Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, who turned himself in to U.S. authorities amid an escalating power struggle over the Sinaloa cartel, was indicted on drug smuggling charges in San Diego federal court Monday.

Damaso Lopez-Serrano, also known as Mini Lic, and an associate identified as Nahum Abraham Sicairos-Montalvo, who goes by Kinceanero, are accused of doling out pounds of drugs to smugglers and smuggling drugs into the United States themselves from about May 2005 to August 2016.

Court documents dont specify the exact amount of drugs the two are accused of funneling into the country, but state it was more than a pound of methamphetamine, more than two pounds of heroin and more than 11 pounds of cocaine.

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The men are also suspected of laundering money into the United States with the intent to promote the distribution of controlled substances, court records said.

Lopez-Serrano pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin intended for importation, conspiracy to import meth, cocaine and heroin, and conspiracy to launder money. Sicairos-Montalvo faces those same charges.

Lopez-Serrano is the son of  and got his nickname from  Damaso Lopez Nunez, who goes by El Licenciado or the Graduate. The father was reportedly one of Guzmans top leaders in the Sinaloa Cartel.

Lopez-Serrano surrendered to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers July 27 at the border crossing in Calexico, officials said.

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com

Winkley writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune

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A federal complaint unsealed Monday alleges in graphic detail the extent to which a man aboard a flight from Seattle to San Jose discussed in text messages that he planned to molest children.

The messages, exchanged between Tacoma, Wash., residents Michael Keller, 56, and Gail Burnworth, 50, took place as Kellar flew into the Bay Area for work on July 31, federal investigators said.

The couple discussed drugging and raping two of the three children who lived with Burnworth, her ex-husband and her ex-husbands wife, the complaint states. One of the messages says the victims are 5 and 7 years old.

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While Kellar and Burnworth discussed their plans, a passenger on the Southwest Airlines flight with Kellar snapped a photo of his phone, prosecutors said. The passenger alerted a flight crew member of what she saw and the flight crew alerted police, who took Kellar into custody when the flight landed.

The passengers photo revealed that Burnworth told Kellar that she would have the children to herself on Sunday and that she would drug them with Benadryl, then record herself molesting them while they slept, the complaint stated.

She also agreed to film Kellar raping the victims while they slept, the complaint stated.

Other messages found on their phones showed them discussing bestiality.

If it hadnt been for the actions of that passenger  a preschool teacher on vacation who was on her way to visit family  Kellar and Burnworth could still be free, said San Jose police Sgt. Brian Spears, who leads the Silicon Valleys Internet Crimes Against Children task force.

One minute she is on her way to visit family on her vacation, the next thing you know her actions saved two children from continuous molestation, Spears said. I feel she is absolutely a hero and was paramount to this investigation.

The day after the flight, Spears visited the woman to thank her for helping unravel the alleged conspiracy.

I felt that she needed to be told in person she is our hero. I was blessed to meet her, gave her a big hug and said thank you, Spears said. She was emotional. She said I just knew something was wrong and she felt it in her heart.

While in custody at the airport, Kellar said the text messages were just fantasies that he discussed with Burnworth because they were into specific sexual fetishes.

Immediately after the interview, Kellar was arrested by San Jose police. Authorities alerted police in Seattle, who tracked down Burnworth at a neighbors home where she was housesitting.

Burnworth, like Kellar, ultimately agreed to being sexually aroused by children, prosecutors said. Burnworth said she probably would have helped Kellar molest the victims described in the text messages and admitted that she had already made up to 20 videos of the two victims and sent them to Kellar, according to the complaint.

One of the messages the passenger photographed showed Kellar allegedly messaging Burnworth, you can do this or are you just saying this??? to which Burnworth replies, No I think I can do it if I dont have parents over my shoulder or worried about whos going to walk in on me And then on Sunday I will have the kids no parents just kids.

Both were charged Monday with attempted enticement of a minor, including rape of a child and conspiracy to produce child pornography. Kellar remains in custody in Northern California pending his extradition back to Washington.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

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Kathy Thomson, the former president of the Los Angeles Times Media Group who helped steer the news organizations metamorphosis from print into a digital-age player, died Sunday. She was 51.

Thomson, of Manhattan Beach, died at UCLA Medical Center from complications of an aneurysm she suffered on June 17.

Thomson was chief of staff at The Times from 2008 to 2009. She returned in 2011 as president and chief operating officer, a job in which she oversaw editorial operations, advertising sales, marketing and business services.

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She supervised the top-to-bottom revamping of latimes.com and the push to expand digital products at the eight daily newspapers operated by Tribune Co., then The Times corporate parent.

She brought in a sales organization to figure out how to sell digital advertising, said Eddy W. Hartenstein the former publisher and chief executive of The Times. She recruited people to come get us hooked into social media.

Although Thomson had a background in finance rather than journalism, she had a strong sense of the media business from the 15 years she spent at DirecTV earlier in her career, said Hartenstein, the founding president and CEO of DirectTV.

Thomson brought to The Times the belief that society and democracy do not work without a viable fourth estate, Hartenstein said. The best description of her management style is she did it with a velvet hammer. She was fierce, she was compassionate, she did not suffer fools well.

Nancy Sullivan, The Times former vice president of communications, said Thomson devoted resources to building the newspapers events business, including a popular film-screening series and the Labor Day food event, The Taste.

Kathy was an inspiring and steady force in a time of chaos and turmoil, Sullivan said. When there was so little that was steady in the media landscape, she was steady.

Sullivan said that when Thomson wasnt working she spent time as a community volunteer with her family. She did it in a very unsung manner, Sullivan said. She didnt say, Look at me.

In April 2013, Tribune Co. named Thomson chief operating officer of the companys publishing division. Later that year, she left to work for the satellite-radio company Sirius XM, where she was chief marketing officer and executive vice president.

She built the Sirius XM marketing organization into possibly the best in all of subscription media, said Sirius XM Chief Executive Jim Meyer.

Meyer, who had known Thomson for years, said she had a remarkable mix of humanness and a really strong analytical sense.  Kathy knew how to get people to do their best and to perform. She always cared about how they were doing, but she also held people accountable for results.

Between her two stints at The Times, Thomson was vice president of business operations at Flo TV Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm.

Previously, she held various positions at DirecTV, rising to become senior vice president of sales and marketing.

Thomson earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Utah and a master of business administration degree in marketing and finance from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

Hartenstein said she underwent a kidney transplant in the 1990s but rarely talked about it. Thomson had seemed to be improving following her aneurysm, but she suffered a brain hemorrhage over the weekend, Hartenstein said.

Thomson is survived by her husband Michael Thomson, 50; her son Nicholas, 19; her daughter Lauren, 16; two brothers, Robert Kohler, 53, and Roger Kohler, 49; and her parents, Dorothy and Roy Kohler.

Service arrangements are pending.

christopher.goffard@latimes.com
Two Los Angeles police officers were acquitted Monday of conspiring to obstruct justice after prosecutors accused them of failing to arrest a drunk driving suspect and writing false reports so that they could wrap up their shift and go home.

After three days of deliberating, jurors also found Officer Irene Gomez not guilty of filing a false report and deadlocked 8 to 4 in favor of acquittal on the same charge for Officer Rene Ponce, the defense attorneys said.

Ponces attorney, William Seki, said prosecutors relied too heavily on the statements of the drunk driving suspect.

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The allegations were ridiculous, and a better investigation should have been done, he said.

Gomezs attorney, Ira Salzman, said the officers were already working overtime on the day of the incident and had no motive to try to wrap up their shift.

What makes this case so unusual is the allegation here was these officers failed to make an arrest rather than made a wrongful arrest, he said.

The Los Angeles County district attorneys office has yet to decide whether it will seek to retry Ponce, a 15-year veteran, on the single felony count of writing a false police report. Greg Risling, a spokesman for the office, said that decision will be made at a later date.

Salzman said his client, who joined the Los Angeles Police Department six years ago, has been off work since September 2016. The LAPD, he said, will now conduct an internal administrative investigation into her actions.

The incident began on a Sunday morning in 2014 when Del Mar Alan Garcia Gomez, 32, was driving home from his sons first birthday party around 6 a.m. Near his apartment, he testified, he fell asleep behind the wheel and slammed his friends Mustang into two parked cars in his Boyle Heights neighborhood.

When he came to, several people huddled around the car and grabbed him when he got out, accusing him of being drunk, Garcia Gomez said. He testified that he had not been drinking.

Someone took his house keys and wallet, and he went across the street to wait for police, he said.

When Ponce and Gomez showed up in a patrol car, a witness said she told the officers she thought the driver was drunk, LAPD Sgt. Anthony Vasquez, who investigated the officers, said at an earlier hearing.

Another witness said he heard the driver admit to one of the officers that he had been drinking, according to Vasquez.

Garcia Gomez said Ponce asked him to walk in a straight line and shone a flashlight in his eyes, but later told him to deny that he was driving the car. The officers then dropped him off at his home nearby.

They then wrote reports indicating that the Mustang was abandoned at the scene and the driver was not at scene.

The next day, Garcia Gomez and his friend, the cars owner, went to claim the Mustang from an LAPD impound yard. There, Garcia Gomez said, he found out the car was tied to a hit-and-run investigation. He complained, telling an LAPD traffic detective he never fled the scene.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Martha Carrillo argued during the case that the officers lied and let Garcia Gomez go because they were in a hurry to finish their shift.

Salzman said the driver never spoke to his client and was nowhere around when Ponce allegedly told Garcia Gomez to falsely say he had not been driving the car.

The attorney said Gomez and Ponce were not trying to hide anything during their investigation of the incident. While the officers were at the scene of the crash, he said, they asked dispatchers if a specialized traffic officer could respond to the scene. No one was sent.

richard.winton@latimes.com

Twitter: @lacrimes

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Long Beach police shot a man late Sunday night who was holding a woman hostage and is suspected of stabbing another woman, authorities said.

The man was in critical condition at a local hospital Monday morning and the woman he was holding hostage was treated and released at the scene, Long Beach Police Sgt. Brad Johnson said. The stabbing victim was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, he said.

Around 10:50 p.m. Sunday police were dispatched to the 900 block of Washington Place in response to a stabbing, Johnson said. Police found a woman who had been stabbed one block away and were told the suspect may be holding another woman hostage, Johnson said.

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At a residence on the 800 block of the same street, police saw through an open door a man holding a woman against her will with a sharp weapon at her throat, Johnson said. He could not identify the weapon.

Officers negotiated with the man for about 30 minutes, then one officer shot the suspect, Johnson said. Police immediately entered the residence and began administering life-saving measures, which Long Beach Fire Department soon took over, he said.

Johnson would not say how many rounds were fired.

The shooting was being investigated and police were trying to determine how the suspect knew the women, Johnson said.

Reach Sonali Kohli at Sonali.Kohli@latimes.com or on Twitter @Sonali_Kohli.

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California prosecutors have charged a Northwestern University professor with murder in connection with the stabbing death of a 26-year-old Chicago man.

Wyndham Lathem was charged in Alameda County on Monday in the July 27 fatal stabbing of Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau, whose body was found that night in Lathems Chicago apartment.

Lathem and Andrew Warren, a financial officer at Englands Oxford University, were on the run for about a week before they surrendered Friday to authorities in Oakland and San Francisco. Lathems attorney, Kenneth H. Wine, said before the hearing that Lathem would plead not guilty.

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Warren doesnt have an initial court appearance scheduled yet.

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An immigration appeals court Monday granted a last-ditch reprieve to a man whose arrest and looming deportation have made him a cause celebre in the countrys roiling debate over illegal immigration.

Romulo Avelica-Gonzalez, 49, was arrested in February in Los Angeles by immigration officers moments after he dropped one of his four daughters off at school. Another of the girls who was in the car at the time recorded a video of the arrest.

The video, and Avelica-Gonzalezs story of working and raising a family during more than two decades in the United States, drew national headlines and was held aloft by critics of President Trumps aggressive stance on illegal immigration as an example of how the governments deportation policies were too sweeping.

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Faced with the possibility that he would be removed from the country immediately because of an outstanding deportation order issued previously by an immigration judge, lawyers for Avelica-Gonzalez filed at the time an emergency stay of removal with the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which temporarily spared him from deportation.

The court reviewed the case and declined to make the stay permanent, putting Avelica-Gonzalez at risk of being deported to Mexico as early as Monday.

But the Board of Immigration Appeals, the highest administrative body in the countrys immigration court system, stepped in, granting a request from Avelica-Gonzalezs attorney for another emergency stay of removal. The decision prevents his deportation while the board reviews Avelica-Gonzalezs case.

Alan Diamante, Avelica-Gonzalezs attorney, said he has asked the board to send the case back down to an immigration judge in order to reconsider whether a deportation order should have ever been issued.

Diamante said in previous immigration proceedings that a judge issued the order after deciding Avelica-Gonzalez was ineligible to remain in the country because of a 1998 conviction for receiving stolen car tags. The decision came at a time when immigration laws on these types of cases were in flux, and subsequent changes to the law made clear Avelica-Gonzalez should have been eligible to remain, Diamante said.

In June, Avelica-Gonzalez made plea deals to vacate the 1998 conviction and a 2008 conviction for driving under the influence. His lawyers had hoped that with the changes to his criminal record, Immigration and Customs Enforcement would grant his release and cancel his deportation order. That didnt occur.

Since his arrest, Avelica-Gonzalez and his wife have also applied for a special type of immigrant visa reserved for victims of violent crimes, according to Diamante. He declined to discuss details of the crime, citing the couples privacy and a possible ongoing police investigation.

Avelica-Gonzalez has been in the United States illegally for more than 25 years, raising his daughters with his wife in the northeast Los Angeles neighborhood of Lincoln Heights, where he also worked as a cook at a restaurant.

I dont even want to think that theyll deport me. What would I do with half my heart and mind in another place? Half here, half there, he said in an earlier interview of the possibility of having to restart his life in Mexico.

Avelica-Gonzalez is being held at the Adelanto Detention Facility near Victorville. A hearing on whether to grant him bail pending a decision by the appeals board is set for Aug. 30, Diamante said.

The case has crystallized the fierce debate over the Trump administrations policies on immigration, which did away with the previous administrations focus on deporting serious criminals and put nearly all of the estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally at risk of being deported.

Supporters of the presidents hard-line approach emphasize that immigrants like Avelica-Gonzalez broke the law by coming to the country illegally and further undermined any claim to live in the U.S. when they committed crimes, however minor.

Immigration advocates, meanwhile, have assailed the presidents calls for mass, indiscriminate deportations not only as unrealistic but harmful to the countrys economy, which relies on immigrant labor. Moreover, advocates have highlighted how the governments polices stand to break up an untold number of families like Avelica-Gonzalezs, whose American-born children are citizens.

Avelica-Gonzalezs detention has drawn reaction from local officials. In a March 15 letter to the Los Angeles field office director for ICE, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said: I have consistently expressed my opposition to an enforcement approach that expends limited resources on operations that divide families with little or no public safety benefit.

And in a statement Monday, Los Angeles City Councilman Gil Cedillo said, We are still hopeful that Romulo will be released, as he is a productive member of our community and the sole breadwinner for his family. His deportation would be detrimental to his family and unnerving to the entire community. We remain united and await his return home with his family where he belongs.

joel.rubin@latimes.com

Twitter: @joelrubin

andrea.castillo@latimes.com

Twitter: @andreamcastillo

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Police arrested a transient suspected of fatally stabbing a security guard outside a Food 4 Less in Sylmar on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

The stabbing followed a dispute outside the store at Glenoaks Boulevard and Hubbard Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Police told NBC News that the suspect attempted to grab a quantity of beer from the store before he was confronted by security.

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It appears that the victims brother was coming to pick him up from work  and pulled up to the curb and actually observed the incident occur, Lt. Mike Kozak said, according to the television station.

The suspect was not immediately identified.

A manager who answered the phone at Food 4 Less said he was unaware of the incident.

A police dispatcher said investigators are still canvassing the scene for evidence.

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek
Tuna caught in industrialized areas of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans have 36 times more pollutants than those fished in remote parts of the West Pacific, scientists from Scripps Oceanography have found.

The researchers tracked concentrations of toxins in tuna around the world and found that the location of fish, as much as its species, can affect how safe it is to eat.

The pollutant levels in seafood  and tuna in our case  can be heavily determined by the location where it was caught, said lead author Sascha Nicklisch, a postdoctoral researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. It is important to know the origin of catch of the fish, to know the amount of pollutants in your fish.

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Researchers said they hoped the study would help advance understanding of how toxins enter our food supply through seafood and how to manage fisheries to reduce that risk.

The study, published in the June issue of the academic journal Environmental Health Perspectives, tested tuna from locations around the globe for the presence of pesticides, coolants and flame retardants. Together, theyre part of a class of chemicals called persistent organic pollutants, which accumulate in body tissue and make their way up the food chain.

Big fish and predators tend to have higher levels of toxic chemicals, so tuna offered a good means of tracking them. And yellowfin, which are relatively large fish but have shorter ranges than other tuna species, allowed researchers to look at regional pollutants.

They stay in the location where they are born and hunt, Nicklisch said. So we tried to use these tuna to create a snapshot of local contamination.

Scientists identified eight key sites around the globe and analyzed 10 fish from each of them. To collect the samples, staff researcher Lindsay Bonito traveled from Tonga to Panama, Louisiana, Hawaii, Guam and Vietnam, chasing tuna.

I was tasked to go out and actually secure tuna from all over the world, Bonito said. I would either go out and fish for it, or contact fishermen.

They screened the fish for 247 toxic compounds and calculated pollutant concentrations for each area. Average toxin levels in tuna from the most polluted areas were 36 times those found in the least polluted areas. The differences between individual fish were even higher. Toxic levels in the most and least contaminated tuna samples varied by a factor of 180, according to the report.

In general, Nicklisch said, the more contaminated sites were industrialized areas of the northern hemisphere, including ocean regions off the Atlantic coast of Europe, and the east and west coasts of North America. Those off of Asia, and in the Pacific Islands were relatively clean, he said.

The sites where we caught them are known to be more pristine, such as kingdom of Tonga, he said.

Because food-born toxins can affect the health of people who eat them, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration issue guidelines on how much fish to eat, with more protective recommendations for children and pregnant or nursing women.

Most of the tuna analyzed in the study would be considered safe under current guidelines, the researchers said. But there were wide variations between regions, and some areas, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean around Europe, had high levels of unsafe fish.

In all of the tuna samples, researchers found a particularly pernicious set of chemicals. Each fish tested contained 10 specific compounds that interfere with proteins that regulate cell membranes and fend off toxins, Nicklisch said. By disabling that defense, the toxic compounds open the floodgate to a host of other pollutants.

These compounds might lead to accumulation of chemicals in these tuna, because the proteins usually block those compounds in fish, but also in us, in humans, Nicklisch said.

He said he hoped the study would lead to better safety testing of chemicals found in food, and enhance public information and labeling of seafood.

The most important part of the take-home message is that its important to know where your fish was caught, he said.

deborah.brennan@sduniontribune.com

Brennan writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune

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From the earliest days of his presidential campaign, Donald Trump expressed a visceral disregard for immigrants, no matter their legal status. Mexicans were rapists, Muslims should be banned, and legal immigration should be reduced, he argued, with guidance to come from a new (and as yet unformed) immigration commission. Candidate Trump offered other pledges and ideas as well, some as harebrained as the no Muslims stance but a few that, in different hands, could lead to sensible policy, such as revamping special visa programs for different categories of workers.

But what has Trump delivered as president? A mishmash of edicts and declarations that have unsettled immigrant communities, mainly by bringing about ramped-up arrests of people who, other than their legal status, have largely been law-abiding and productive residents. The administration has also threatened so-called sanctuary cities like Los Angeles with reduced federal funding if they dont cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents  a tactic of dubious legality that threatens to undercut local law enforcement. One of the federal demands is particularly obnoxious: ICE wants local jails to hold people for up to 48 hours without a warrant or court order, a practice that would seem to violate constitutional protections.

An immigration program involves more than just running to ground those here without permission.

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These draconian steps may be having some effects, both positive and negative. Monthly arrests at the Mexican border are about half what they were the year before, but there has also been a 17% increase in deaths as crossers seek more dangerous, less-patrolled routes. Perhaps that decrease in crossings is a silver lining in this dark, roiling cloud of immigration policy; tougher border control is important for the nation, as is humane enforcement of immigration laws. But advocates and immigration legal aid groups complain that the new regimen often separates families and short-cuts constitutional protections. And a failure to properly increase the capacity of immigration courts has exacerbated an already unacceptable backlog, with more than 610,000 cases now pending for an average of 672 days.

In sum, what the nation has seen so far from the Trump administration has been an inchoate effort to tighten immigration enforcement, remove people living here without permission, and reduce the number of people entering the country illegally. Some of those goals are defensible. Any country has a right to determine who gets to cross its borders, and who gets to resettle there. But an immigration program involves more than just running to ground those here without permission. This page has for years called on Congress to address the issue in a serious manner and craft reforms that would modernize the immigration system while offering a path to legal status for immigrants without papers but who have become integral and contributing members of society.

Instead, the nation gets bluster from the White House, crackdowns from ICE, more people stuffed into jails and detention centers over infractions of immigration codes rather than criminal violations, and communities living in fear. This week, Trump threw his weight behind a controversial bill to base immigration approvals on a merit system that will favor applicants who can speak English, financially support themselves and their families, and demonstrate skills that will contribute to our economy. That approach breaks with a decades-long preference for those with family members already in the United States.

Switching to a merit system would, in effect, cut legal immigration in half, critics say. That meshes with Trumps pledge to reduce legal immigration to historic norms. But legal immigration has seesawed over the decades, making it hard to define a norm. And cutting legal immigration at a time when birth rates are at a historic low could hurt the future economy  and add stress to Social Security  as the workforce ages. Again, any such proposal should be part of a broad overhaul.

Humane immigration reform should be in reach. Congress almost got there in 2013 with the Gang of Eight Senate-passed reform bill that, while imperfect, was far better than the status quo, and that offers a framework for another try. Immigration reform is one of the nations most pressing problems, and if Congress doesnt find a fix, it will go down as yet another example of how the Republican Party might know how to campaign, but it doesnt know how to govern.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook
When Republicans made yet another unsuccessful attempt to take away healthcare from millions of Americans last month, Native Americans, specifically Alaska Natives, worked to ensure that Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted against the plan, sealing its defeat.

They fought against the skinny repeal because they understood that it would harm them. The United States has long guaranteed Native Americans access to healthcare, mostly through commitments the federal government made to Indian tribes in exchange for land. Repeal of Obamacare would put much of this tribal healthcare at risk, including the care received by more than 290,000 American Indians and Alaska Natives through the Medicaid expansion.

But healthcare is just one of many areas where the Trump administration wants to break our governments promises to Indian Country.

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Trumps advisors have repeatedly pushed for the privatization of Indian lands and resources.

President Trumps proposed 2,200-mile border wall, for instance, is not merely ludicrous immigration policy and a massive waste of taxpayer money, it also shows profound disregard for the sovereign rights of Native Americans.

The Tohono Oodham Nation, which is roughly the size of Connecticut, straddles 62 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. Trumps wall would cut right through the reservation, including land that is sacred burial ground. Until now, the tribe has accommodated U.S. Customs and Border Protection, allowing a fence to be built and border patrol agents to guard it, but it adamantly opposes Trumps barricade. Nevertheless, last month, House Republicans approved $1.6 billion to construct part of the wall.

Trumps advisors have repeatedly pushed for the privatization of Indian lands and resources. Before Trump even took office, the chair of his Native American Coalition, Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), proposed that tribal land be put into private ownership and claimed the idea would receive widespread support from Indian tribes. Instead, the idea was widely condemned.

In May, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke raised eyebrows at the National Tribal Energy Summit when he called for an off-ramp for taking native lands out of trust. If tribes would have a choice of leaving Indian trust lands and becoming a corporation, tribes would take it, he said.

Zinkes comments bore a striking resemblance to the rationale used to justify Termination, an Eisenhower-era policy in which Indians were paid to dismantle their sovereign governments and relinquish their lands. Proponents of the policy argued that if Native Americans adopted the habits of civilized life, they would need less land, which, conveniently, also would mean the expansion of the United States. Congress imposed the policy, House Concurrent Resolution 108, without consulting Indian Country.

The policy proved so catastrophic that President Nixon ended it in 1970 with a strong repudiation, telling Congress, Forced termination is wrong. He went on to sign scores of legislative measures that restored the sovereignty of tribal nations. Every president since Nixon has embraced a policy of self-determination without termination  the idea that Native Americans are best equipped to govern themselves.

Trump is breaking with this position. He has even gone so far as to question the constitutionality of programs designed to assist tribes. In a signing statement that accompanied an appropriations bill he approved in May, Trump suggested that Native American housing block grants represent an unconstitutional privilege. This perverse reading of the relationship between the U.S. government and Indian Country flies in the face of the Constitution, including its Indian Commerce Clause, and two centuries of court rulings.

Trumps budget also betrays his contempt for Indian Country. If budgets are moral documents, his is morally bankrupt: It calls for more than $300 million in cuts to the U.S. Department of the Interiors Indian Affairs budget. Trump wants to cut $64 million from education, $21 million from law enforcement and public safety, $23 million from human services and $50 million from housing programs. These programs represent more than money; theyre investments with which the federal government honors its treaties with tribal nations.

Tribal communities have grown stronger over the last eight years because of President Obamas deep commitment to nation-to-nation relationships, built on respect for the sovereignty of tribal governments. He worked to restore over half a million acres of tribal trust lands, established an annual White House Tribal Nations Conference and added a provision to the Violence Against Women Act that gives tribal courts the jurisdiction to try non-Indians for domestic abuse.

By steering the government toward Termination-era policies, Trump threatens the health and prosperity of Native Americans and drags us all backward. This approach has devastated Indian Country before. We cannot allow it to happen again.

The Democratic Party has learned from the terrible mistakes of the past. Our platform requires that we honor, fulfill and strengthen the federal governments trust responsibility to American Indians. We take this responsibility seriously. That means we will stand with Indian Country and resist Trumps disastrous policies.

Tom Perez is chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook

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May you die in pain: California GOP congressman gets an earful at town hall

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) kicks off his Monday morning town hall in Chico. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times)

May you die in pain.

That was the nastiest moment of Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfas early morning town hall in the Northern California town of Chico on Monday.

The wish was uttered by an older man who criticized LaMalfa for voting for the House GOP plan to replace the Affordable Care Act. He was also holding a pink sign that read Lackey for the Rich!

ALSO: LaMalfa says the Russia investigation is a bunch of crap

The open hostility and intransigence inside the Chico Elks Lodge came as the political divide in the country has grown more inflamed, with Trumps election unleashing a wave of both liberal activism and conservative empowerment.

As a result, Washingtons deeply partisan fights over issues such as health care, immigration and environmental protections have followed members of Congress home, turning once sedate town halls into in-your-face venting sessions that in left-leaning California have Republican House members on the defensive.

LaMalfa stood his ground on stage as person after person ripped into him for his votes and positions on healthcare and climate change, as well as for his unyielding support for President Trump.

A few speakers asked LaMalfa to resign, including one dressed up as the Wicked Witch of the West Coast.

Heather Calun dressed up as the Wicked Witch of the West Coast in protest. She wants LaMalfa to resign over his vote to repeal Obamacare. pic.twitter.com/rBZXAnjd2l  Phil Willon (@philwillon) August 7, 2017

Most comments and questions during the hour-long town hall were fairly cordial, although they were laced with plenty of boos and catcalls.

Norma Wilcox, a retired nurse who lives in Chico, also questioned LaMalfas healthcare vote. Wilcox told LaMalfa the House plan would take away healthcare for millions of Americans while providing tax breaks to the rich.

I am open to new ideas, LaMalfa told her, describing the House GOP bill as a placeholder that everyone expected to be improved during negotiations with the Senate. (The Senates healthcare efforts now appear dead.)

But the Richvale congressman, who represents Californias massive 1st Congressional District in the northeast corner of the state, said he will support only a new healthcare program that provides affordable coverage to middle-class Americans.

LaMalfa said Obamacare is quickly become unaffordable and unsustainable, with premium costs rising and the number of insurance companies offering coverage declining.

People across the board are being hurt by this, LaMalfa said.

When shouts and boos rained down on him, he chastised the crowd saying, I have the mic folks. Yep, boo away.

Ann Sisney of Chico told LaMalfa that her son, William, died of an opioid overdose two years ago. She held up a picture of the 19-year-old, asked the congressman to take it, and told him more people will die if GOP leadership in Congress gets its way on healthcare.

These are life-and-death decisions that you are making, Sisney told him.

LaMalfa assured her that Congress was working to find funds to address the nationwide opioid epidemic.

The Republican congressman also raised the ire of the crowd when he was asked about climate change and the degraded air quality in this stretch of Northern California.

I dont buy the idea that man-made activity is responsible, LaMalfa said bluntly.

The crowd of several hundred did include some LaMalfa supporters, though most stayed silent.

Ron Jones, 67, of Paradise said hes been to a few of LaMalfas town halls and all have been dominated by his critics.

Most of the time people want to ... complain, said Jones, a self-described conservative, after the event ended. The people who support him are quietly in the background.

LaMalfa does indeed have a lot of support in the district that also overwhelmingly voted for Trump over Hillary Clinton in last years presidential election. LaMalfa won his last election by almost 15%, and though he has attracted a few Democratic challengers, the district is not considered a battleground for 2018.

Unlike many California Republican members of Congress, LaMalfa hasnt shied away from holding town halls, though its rarely a pleasant experience for him. He held one in Nevada City in March and another in April in Oroville. No other California Republicans are scheduled to hold town halls during their August recess.

Near the end of Mondays town hall, a woman criticized LaMalfa for inviting only Christian pastors to provide invocations at his town halls and other events, and urged him to include religious leaders of all faiths.

If you want to have your own town hall, you can invite whoever you like, LaMalfa told her.
Trump promotes sons Justice with Judge Jeanine interview President Trump promoted via Twitter an interview with his son Eric Trump just before it aired Saturday night on Fox News Justice with Judge Jeanine. Eric Trump on @JudgeJeanine on @FoxNews now!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2018 Eric Trump called into the show to defend his father from criticism prompted by the first government shutdown in more than four years, as well as a series of Womens March events that saw protesters in dozens of cities take to the streets to oppose the presidents policies. .@EricTrump joined me over the phone from Mar-a-Lago ! pic.twitter.com/Hro3TzUW52  Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) January 21, 2018 Speaking to host Jeannine Piro  who is reportedly an old friend of the presidents  Eric Trump offered effusive praise for his father, ticking off glowing statistics to illustrate the strength of the U.S. economy and gains against Islamic State fighters overseas. My fathers working like no ones ever worked before to bring back this country and to fulfill his promise to make America great again, said the executive vice president of the Trump Organization. He also repeated a sentiment recently expressed on Twitter by his father: That Democratic lawmakers forced a government shutdown on the anniversary of the presidents inauguration in a bid to distract from his achievements. You look at this whole government shutdown, and the only reason they want to shut down government is to distract and to stop his momentum, Eric Trump said. I mean, my father has had incredible momentum. Hes gotten more done in one year than arguably any president in history. Facebook

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Trump tweets: a perfect day for all Women to March President Trump hailed the nationwide Womens March gatherings Saturday. On Twitter, the president called it a perfect day for all Women to March, seeming to imply that those taking part were celebrating his administrations accomplishments: Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March. Get out there now to celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months. Lowest female unemployment in 18 years!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Participants in the marches across the United States were actually seeking to deliver a powerful rebuke to Trumps policies and mount a crucial mobilization for this years midterm elections. But Trump continued to tout his administrations unprecedented success in tweets sent later in the day: Unprecedented success for our Country, in so many ways, since the Election. Record Stock Market, Strong on Military, Crime, Borders, & ISIS, Judicial Strength & Numbers, Lowest Unemployment for Women & ALL, Massive Tax Cuts, end of Individual Mandate - and so much more. Big 2018!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 The Trump Administration has terminated more UNNECESSARY Regulation, in just twelve months, than any other Administration has terminated during their full term in office, no matter what the length. The good news is, THERE IS MUCH MORE TO COME!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2018 In addition to the roll call of major American cities where womens marches took place  including New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta  protesters also raised their voices in suburbs and small towns, reflecting the aim of coalescing a broad-based movement on the anniversary of Trumps inauguration to oppose the presidents stance on immigration, healthcare, racial divides and an array of other issues. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Laura King. Facebook

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Trump calls shutdown a present from Democrats By Associated Press President Trump is blaming Democrats for the government shutdown  tweeting that they wanted to give him a nice present to mark the one-year anniversary of his inauguration: This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present. #DemocratShutdown  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 That comes after Senate Democrats late Friday killed a GOP-written House-passed measure that would have kept agencies functioning for four weeks. Democrats were seeking a stopgap bill of just a few days in hopes that would build pressure on Republicans, and they were opposing a three-week alternative offered by GOP leaders. Democrats have insisted they would back legislation reopening the government once theres a bipartisan agreement to preserve protections against deporting about 700,000 immigrants  known as Dreamers  who arrived in the United States illegally as children. Trump on Saturday accused Democrats of holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration: Democrats are holding our Military hostage over their desire to have unchecked illegal immigration. Cant let that happen!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Democrats are laying fault for the shutdown on Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress and the White House and have struggled with building internal consensus. In a series of tweets hours after the shutdown began, the president tried to make the case for Americans to elect more Republicans to Congress in November in order to power through this mess: Democrats are far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border. They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead. #WeNeedMoreRepublicansIn18 in order to power through mess!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 He noted that there are 51 Republicans in the 100-member Senate, and it often takes 60 votes to advance legislation: For those asking, the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60. That is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 Election! We can then be even tougher on Crime (and Border), and even better to our Military & Veterans!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 #AMERICA FIRST!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 The stopgap spending measure won 50 votes in the Senate, including five from Democrats. Although the House and Senate were in session Saturday, it was unclear whether lawmakers would take any votes of consequence. Trump had been set to leave Friday afternoon for a fundraiser at his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., where he intended to mark the inauguration anniversary. But he remained in Washington and ended up scrapping his plans to attend the Saturday fundraiser. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweet casts doubt on likelihood of averting shutdown President Trump appeared to cast doubt on the likelihood of reaching a deal to avert a government shutdown Friday night in a tweet. Trump also sought to blame Democrats for what would be the first shutdown since 2013. His message came just hours before the midnight deadline by which lawmakers must pass a measure to fund government agencies, or some operations will cease. Not looking good for our great Military or Safety & Security on the very dangerous Southern Border. Dems want a Shutdown in order to help diminish the great success of the Tax Cuts, and what they are doing for our booming economy.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 20, 2018 Despite last-minute negotiations Friday between Trump and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, Congress remained deadlocked over a spending bill and the federal government was headed toward a shutdown at midnight. Senate Democrats  joined by some GOP deficit hawks and immigration allies  were set to filibuster a stopgap funding bill approved by the House on Thursday. A Senate vote was planned for 10 p.m. Eastern, and even White House officials predicted it would fail. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Lisa Mascaro. Facebook

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Trump signs surveillance law after confusing tweets By Associated Press President Trump on Friday signed a bill into law to renew a foreign intelligence surveillance program, announcing his action in the latest in a series of confusing tweets about the spy program: Just signed 702 Bill to reauthorize foreign intelligence collection. This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election. I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2018 Trumps tweet on Jan. 11 created chaos in the House just before it voted to reauthorize what is known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. He linked the intelligence program to a dossier that alleges his presidential campaign had ties to Russia. That caused people to wonder if he didnt support the program that allows U.S. spy agencies to collect intelligence on foreign targets abroad. Trump and other Republicans have alleged that Obama administration officials improperly shared the identities of Trump presidential transition team members mentioned in intelligence reports. Democrats say there is no evidence that happened. Shortly before the House vote, and after conferring with House Speaker Paul Ryan, Trump did an apparent about-face. This vote is about foreign surveillance of foreign bad guys on foreign land, he tweeted. We need it! Get smart! In his tweet announcing that he had just signed the bill, Trump wrote: This is NOT the same FISA law that was so wrongly abused during the election. I will always do the right thing for our country and put the safety of the American people first! There are no obvious links between the dossier Trump spoke of, which includes salacious but unsubstantiated allegations against him, and the reauthorization of the spying program, or between the program and Trumps oft-repeated claims that the Obama administration conducted surveillance on Trump Tower during the presidential campaign. Facebook

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In tweet, Trump suggests that Pennsylvania trip is a political one The White House press office was once again forced to walk back a tweet from President Trump on Thursday morning after he described a trip to Pennsylvania later in the day as a political one  a statement that would force the Republican Party, not taxpayers, to pay for the journey. The White House had said Trump was going to an industrial equipment company outside of Pittsburgh to highlight the good economy and new tax cuts, making it an official, policy-oriented event. It was widely assumed that the trip had a political cast  the area is holding a special election to fill a congressional seat vacated by a Republican who resigned. Trump, by his tweet, seemed to confirm that politics was the whole purpose: Will be going to Pennsylvania today in order to give my total support to RICK SACCONE, running for Congress in a Special Election (March 13). Rick is a great guy. We need more Republicans to continue our already successful agenda!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 Trump later shared via Twitter a pair of video clips of his speech at H&K Equipment, in which he touted the tax cuts he signed into law just before Christmas and tried to turn the conversation back to his accomplishments after weeks dominated by distractions, including questions about his mental health and comments about immigration that some considered racist: Departing Pittsburgh now, where it was my great honor to stand with our incredible workers, and to show the world that AMERICA is back - and we are coming back bigger and better and stronger than ever before! pic.twitter.com/kWPgylqFzj  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 AMERICA will once again be a NATION that thinks big, dreams bigger, and always reaches for the stars. YOU are the ones who will shape Americas destiny. YOU are the ones who will restore our prosperity. And YOU are the ones who are MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! #MAGA pic.twitter.com/f2abNK47II  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018 The Republican National Committee, rather than the White House, is supposed to pay for political travel so that taxpayers are not financing party activities; for trips that combine policy and politics, parties have split the cost under past presidents. Neither the RNC nor the White House responded to emails sent Thursday asking who would pay. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement later Thursday suggesting that taxpayers would foot the bill. She insisted that Trump would be conducting government business while in Pennsylvania. Read More This post contains reporting from the Associated Press and Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump tweets praise of Bob Dole after awarding him Congressional Gold Medal By Associated Press Former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole knew the art of the deal before President Trump published the 1987 book of the same name. The two shared a stage under the Capitol dome Wednesday as Dole, 94, accepted Congress highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, for his World War II service and decades of work in the House and Senate. Trump later praised Dole in a tweet, attaching to his message a video composed of clips from the ceremony: Today, we witnessed an incredible moment in history  the presentation of Congress highest civilian honor to our friend, and true AMERICAN HERO, Bob Dole. #CongressionalGoldMedal pic.twitter.com/qNQqDLRmCk  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 17, 2018 At the ceremony, the president saluted Dole as a patriot and gave tribute to Doles struggle as a veteran who worked his way back from a grievous shoulder wound he suffered in Italy. He knows about grit, said Trump. But it was Doles penchant for working across the aisle that earned him his latest award, according to the legislation. Bob Dole was known for his ability to work across the aisle and embrace practical bipartisanship, reads the legislation Trump signed in September. Some of the awards 300 recipients include George Washington and Mother Teresa, according to the Congressional Research Service. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts report that seeks to link terrorism cases with immigration By Joseph Tanfani The Trump administration on Tuesday released a report attempting to link terrorism with migration, arguing that it was evidence of the need to dramatically reshape the nations immigration system. New report from DOJ & DHS shows that nearly 3 in 4 individuals convicted of terrorism-related charges are foreign-born. We have submitted to Congress a list of resources and reforms....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 ....we need to keep America safe, including moving away from a random chain migration and lottery system, to one that is merit-based. https://t.co/7PtoSFK1n2  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The report, ordered by President Trump in an executive order last year, said that 75% of the 549 people convicted of terrorism charges since 9/11 were born outside the U.S. Administration officials called that a sign that the U.S. needs to scrap its policy of family preferences for visas, which they call chain migration, and a diversity visa lottery program. But the report did not specify how many  if any  of the convicted terrorists entered the country through those means. It also did not detail how many of the convictions were related to attacks or plans in the U.S. versus overseas and how many involved people who went to fight overseas for the Islamic State or another terrorist group. Those details were not available, officials said. The report, due last year, is being released in a highly charged moment in the immigration debate, as Trump and some Republicans in Congress seek tough new border and immigration measures in return for a deal protecting the 690,000 people in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Trump also fired off a pair of tweets on the topic earlier Tuesday: We must have Security at our VERY DANGEROUS SOUTHERN BORDER, and we must have a great WALL to help protect us, and to help stop the massive inflow of drugs pouring into our country!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The Democrats want to shut down the Government over Amnesty for all and Border Security. The biggest loser will be our rapidly rebuilding Military, at a time we need it more than ever. We need a merit based system of immigration, and we need it now! No more dangerous Lottery.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The focus of our immigration system should be assimilation, a senior administration official said on Tuesday, speaking on condition that his name not be used. He said the nation should give priority to potential immigrants who speak English, who have an education and those who are committed to supporting our values  not family members of people already here. The official said the timing of the report was coincidental. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets welcome to president of Kazakhstan By Associated Press President Trump said Tuesday that he and the president of Kazakhstan are united in a shared determination to prevent North Korea from threatening the world with nuclear devastation. Trump and President Nursultan Nazarbayev discussed North Korea along with other issues during meetings at the White House. Today, it was my honor to welcome President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan to the @WhiteHouse! pic.twitter.com/TerYFZViax  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 Trump said Kazakhstan, once part of the Soviet Union, is a valued partner in our efforts to rid the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons. Together we are determined to prevent the North Korean regime from threatening the world with nuclear devastation, he said, as both presidents addressed journalists between meetings. Nazarbayev noted that his country once had one of the worlds largest nuclear arsenals but voluntarily gave it up after the Soviet Union collapsed. He said his country is in talks with Iran, which was the focus of a global deal that lifted some economic sanctions in exchange for Irans curbing its nuclear program. Trump has sharply criticized the Iran nuclear deal and threatened last week to pull out soon unless other countries fix what he says are terrible flaws. Read More Facebook

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Trump falsely claims his approval rating among black Americans has doubled By Alex Wigglesworth President Trump lashed out at the news media Tuesday morning in a tweet denouncing the special counsel investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion among members of his campaign team. Do you notice the Fake News Mainstream Media never likes covering the great and record setting economic news, but rather talks about anything negative or that can be turned into the negative. The Russian Collusion Hoax is dead, except as it pertains to the Dems. Public gets it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 It wasnt immediately clear exactly what prompted the presidents tweet, but it appeared as though he was watching Fox & Friends. A short time later, Trump tweeted a headline from a report that aired during that mornings episode: 90% of Trump 2017 news coverage was negative -and much of it contrived!@foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 The segment focused on the latest survey results from conservative watchdog Media Research Center, which purportedly analyzed the evening news broadcasts on ABC, CBS and NBC from Jan. 20 to Dec. 31 and found that 90% of the statements made about Trump were negative. Study: 90% of Trump media coverage in 2017 was negative pic.twitter.com/vbrwup4Drg  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) January 16, 2018 But believe it or not, through all this negative coverage, they did a survey of 600,000 people about how black America views this president, co-host Brian Kilmeade said. His numbers have actually doubled in approval. Trump highlighted the statement in another tweet: Unemployment for Black Americans is the lowest ever recorded. Trump approval ratings with Black Americans has doubled. Thank you, and it will get even (much) better! @FoxNews  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2018 But its not true. The claim appears to have originated from a misreading of data from the online polling firm SurveyMonkey, according to factcheck.org. The firm polled 600,000 Americans in 2017 and found that Trumps approval rating among blacks actually dropped from 23% early in his presidency to about 17%, as of the week ending Jan. 3. Some conservative outlets, including Breitbart, produced an average from those and other SurveyMonkey figures and compared them to the scores Trump received from black voters in the 2016 exit polls. That methodology is not sound. And since the statistics measure different things, the comparison is misleading. Facebook

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Trump goes after senator who surfaced his immigration remark By Associated Press President Trump turned his Twitter torment Monday on the Democrat in the room where immigration talks with lawmakers took a famously coarse turn, saying Sen. Richard J. Durbin misrepresented what he had said about African nations and Haiti and, in the process, undermined the trust needed to make a deal. Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting, Trump tweeted, using a nickname to needle the Illinois senator. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our Military. Senator Dicky Durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the DACA meeting. Deals cant get made when there is no trust! Durbin blew DACA and is hurting our Military.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 Trump was referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects young people who came to the United States illegally as children. Members of Congress from both parties are trying to strike a deal that Trump would support to extend that protection. Trump also cast doubt on the likelihood of reaching an agreement in tweets sent earlier Monday: Statement by me last night in Florida: Honestly, I dont think the Democrats want to make a deal. They talk about DACA, but they dont want to help..We are ready, willing and able to make a deal but they dont want to. They dont want security at the border, they dont want.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 ...to stop drugs, they want to take money away from our military which we cannot do. My standard is very simple, AMERICA FIRST & MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2018 On a day of remembrance for the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Trump spent time at his golf course with no public events, bypassing the acts of service that his predecessors staged in honor of the civil rights leader. Instead, Trump dedicated his weekly address to Kings memory, saying Kings dream and Americas are the same: A world where people are judged by who they are, not how they look or where they come from. That message was a distinct counterpoint to words attributed to Trump by Durbin and others at a meeting last week, when the question of where immigrants come from seemed at the forefront of Trumps concerns. Some participants and others familiar with the conversation said Trump challenged immigration from shithole countries of Africa and disparaged Haiti as well. Without explicitly denying using that word, Trump lashed out at the Democratic senator, who said Trump uttered it on several occasions. Read More Facebook

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Trump thanks pundit for laudatory Fox & Friends spot By Alex Wigglesworth President Trump thanked Fox News personality Stuart Varney after Varney praised Trump during an appearance on Fox & Friends. In a pair of tweets early Sunday, Trump quoted from Varneys commentary, in which he argued that Trump deserves more credit for the booming economy. The pundit, who also hosts a show on Fox Business Network, cited moves by some corporations to raise workers minimum wage or pay out one-time bonuses in response to the GOP tax cuts. President Trump is not getting the credit he deserves for the economy. Tax Cut bonuses to more than 2,000,000 workers. Most explosive Stock Market rally that weve seen in modern times. 18,000 to 26,000 from Election, and grounded in profitability and growth. All Trump, not 0...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2018 ...big unnecessary regulation cuts made it all possible (among many other things). President Trump reversed the policies of President Obama, and reversed our economic decline. Thank you Stuart Varney. @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2018 Varney was reacting to a quote from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), who on Thursday called the bonuses handed down to workers pathetic in comparison to the gains corporations are expected to see from the tax cuts. In terms of the bonus that corporate America received versus the crumbs that they are giving to workers to kind of put the schmooze on is so pathetic, Pelosi told reporters. Its pathetic. Varney shot back Sunday that the bonuses, along with explosive stock market growth, are enriching all Americans. This is a huge shot in the arm, its the result of this tax cut deal and I think President Trump should get the credit for it, he said. .@Varneyco Sets the economic record straight after Nancy Pelosi calls U.S. mass bonuses crumbs pic.twitter.com/BvjIHGm3HE  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) January 14, 2018 The sweeping tax plan passed last month lowers the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and cuts personal income taxes. Analysts say the benefits will largely flow to corporations and the wealthy, as theyre more likely to be in positions to share in corporate profits. For instance, Wells Fargo & Co., which responded to news of the tax overhaul by announcing it will raise workers pay to at least $15 an hour, also reported that it expects to pay an effective tax rate of 19% this year, down from about 31% in previous years. That should amount to tax savings of more than $3 billion annually. On average, middle-class Americans are expected to see a very small tax cut in the near term and a tax increase after 2025, when all of the tax cuts for individuals expire. The tax cuts for corporations, however, are permanent.  This post contains reporting from Times staff writer James Rufus Koren. Facebook

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Trump touts MLK proclamation in tweet, but ceremony is overshadowed by reports of racist remarks By Associated Press President Trump signed a proclamation Friday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, noting the contributions of a great American hero. Today, it was my great honor to proclaim January 15, 2018, as Martin Luther King Jr., Federal Holiday. I encourage all Americans to observe this day with appropriate civic, community, and service activities in honor of Dr. King's life and legacy. pic.twitter.com/samlJsz1Nt  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018 Overshadowing the event was mounting backlash from Trumps comments during a private meeting with lawmakers the day before. A short time after the meeting, which was called to discuss a possible immigration deal, reports emerged that Trump had asked participants why the United States should accept immigrants from shithole countries in Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin, the Senates second-ranking Democrat, appeared to confirm those reports on Friday. Trump did not respond Friday to several questions about the incident, including whether he actually used vulgar language to describe African nations, or if he is racist. The president said at the White House that love was central to the slain civil rights leader. Trump said the nation celebrates King for standing up for the self-evident truth Americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or place of our birth, we are all created equal by God.  This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump criticizes Democrats in tweet calling for stricter immigration rules President Trump hit out at Democrats on Thursday night in a tweet calling for stricter immigration rules. Trump wrote that members of the party seem intent on having people and drugs pour into our country from the border with Mexico: The Democrats seem intent on having people and drugs pour into our country from the Southern Border, risking thousands of lives in the process. It is my duty to protect the lives and safety of all Americans. We must build a Great Wall, think Merit and end Lottery & Chain. USA!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018 It wasnt immediately clear exactly what prompted the tweet. Earlier Thursday, Trump rejected a bipartisan compromise to resolve the standoff over so-called Dreamers, young immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children but have temporary permits to work, attend school or serve in the military. The president drew widespread condemnation after reports emerged that he had asked participants in an Oval Office meeting about the proposal why the United States should accept immigrants from shithole countries in Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts bill aimed at improving border screening for fentanyl By Associated Press President Trump signed legislation Wednesday aimed at giving Customs and Border Protection agents additional screening devices and other tools to stop the flow of illicit drugs. Speaking at a surprise bill-signing ceremony while flanked by members of Congress from both parties in the Oval Office, Trump described the bill as a significant step forward in the fight against powerful opioids such as fentanyl, which he called our new big scourge. He echoed that language Thursday in a tweet: Yesterday, I signed the #INTERDICTAct (H.R. 2142) with bipartisan members of Congress to help end the flow of drugs into our country. Together, we are committed to doing everything we can to combat the deadly scourge of drug addiction and overdose in the United States! pic.twitter.com/ELZvFol5Lo  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018 The legislation will pay for new portable and fixed chemical screening devices to detect and intercept fentanyl at ports of entry and in the mail, along with other laboratory equipment and personnel, including scientists. Trump has made fighting the opioid epidemic a centerpiece of his administration, though critics say he hasnt dedicated nearly enough money or resources to make a difference. Trump suggested during his remarks on Wednesday that hed like to take a more aggressive approach to the drug crisis  but the countrys not ready for what he has in mind. So were going to sign this. And its a step. And it feels like a very giant step, but unfortunately, its not going to be a giant step, because no matter what you do, this is something that keeps pouring in, he said. And were going to find the answer. There is an answer. I think I actually know the answer, but Im not sure the countrys ready for it yet, he added. Does anybody know what I mean? I think so. Facebook

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Trump applauds news that Toyota-Mazda plant is slated for Alabama By Associated Press Japanese automakers Toyota and Mazda on Wednesday announced plans to build a mammoth, $1.6-billion joint-venture plant in Alabama that will eventually employ about 4,000 people. President Trump lauded the news in a tweet: Cutting taxes and simplifying regulations makes America the place to invest! Great news as Toyota and Mazda announce they are bringing 4,000 JOBS and investing $1.6 BILLION in Alabama, helping to further grow our economy! pic.twitter.com/Kcg8IVH6iA  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Good news: Toyota and Mazda announce giant new Huntsville, Alabama, plant which will produce over 300,000 cars and SUVs a year and employ 4000 people. Companies are coming back to the U.S. in a very big way. Congratulations Alabama!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2018 Several states had competed for the project, which will be able to turn out 300,000 vehicles per year and produce the Toyota Corolla compact car for North America and a new small SUV from Mazda. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and company executives held a news conference to announce that the facility is coming to the Huntsville area not far from the Tennessee line. Production is expected to begin by 2021. The decision to pick Alabama is another example of foreign-based automakers building U.S. factories in the South. To entice manufacturers, Southern states have used a combination of lucrative incentive packages, low-cost labor and a pro-business labor environment, because the United Auto Workers union is stronger in Northern states. Read More Facebook

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Trump highlights call for border wall in tweets on visit with Norways prime minister By Associated Press President Trump praised Norways prime minister in a tweet on Wednesday after Erna Solberg became the first foreign leader to visit with the president in 2018. Today, it was my great honor to welcome Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway to the @WhiteHouse - a great friend and ally of the United States! Joint press conference: https://t.co/qWR1BhfQZI pic.twitter.com/PJvwznjRCO  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Trump also shared via Twitter a video clip of a joint news conference he held with Solberg on Wednesday afternoon. In the clip, Trump responds to a question from a reporter by saying there can be no bipartisan immigration deal absent funding for his long-promised wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been seeking a solution for hundreds of thousands of so-called Dreamers, young people who were brought to the United States as children and are living here illegally. The United States needs the security of the Wall on the Southern Border, which must be part of any DACA approval. The safety and security of our country is #1! pic.twitter.com/4CFzQXb5aS  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 We need the wall for security, we need the wall for safety, we need the wall for stopping the drugs from pouring in, Trump said Wednesday.  Any solution has to include the wall because without the wall, it all doesnt work. On Tuesday, Trump drew widespread attention when he said during a meeting with a bipartisan group of lawmakers that he would be agreeable to signing a stand-alone bill to protect the Dreamers, before moving on to a more comprehensive immigration bill. That contradicted the Republican consensus that Dreamers fate needed to be part of a broader immigration bill that would include some version of Trumps promised border wall and other immigration reforms. Trump backed away from a stand-alone Dreamer bill in subsequent tweets and public comments. Read More This post contains reporting from Los Angeles Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump praises Cabinet in tweet touting meeting By Associated Press President Trump promoted a meeting of his Cabinet on Wednesday, sharing via Twitter a link to a video of the session posted on the White House YouTube account. In his tweet, Trump thanked his Cabinet for working tirelessly on behalf of our country and wrote that the last year has been one of monumental achievement. I want to thank my @Cabinet for working tirelessly on behalf of our country. 2017 was a year of monumental achievement and we look forward to the year ahead. Together, we are delivering results and MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! https://t.co/ptXa1hAPwW pic.twitter.com/yv6RALkQf3  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 The former reality television star continued to dispense accolades at the meeting Wednesday, greeting reporters in the Cabinet Room by saying: Welcome back to the studio. Then he proceeded to relive a Cabinet Room session from the prior day, when he had allowed reporters and TV cameras to stick around for much of his meeting with a bipartisan group of legislators on the thorny issue of immigration. It was a tremendous meeting. Actually, it was reported as incredibly good. And my performance  you know, some of them called it a performance  I consider it work, Trump said. Trump went on to say he had received letters from news anchors calling it one of the greatest meetings theyve ever witnessed. He added that the media will ultimately support Trump in the end, because theyre going to say, if Trump doesnt win in three years, theyre all out of business. Asked for examples of letters received from news anchors, the White House said it had received private communications. It also offered a series of positive on-air comments and tweets from journalists about the unusual access to the meeting. During his remarks, Trump swung from praising his own meeting coverage to telling journalists that they were dependent on his presidency for ratings to threatening a strong look at libel laws. Still, Trump thanked the journalists in front of him, joking: Youve gotten very familiar with this room. I appreciate your nice comments yesterday. Facebook

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Trump blasts DACA ruling in tweet calling courts broken and unfair By Lisa Mascaro President Trump denounced the federal courts Wednesday as broken and unfair after a district judge in San Francisco issued a nationwide injunction keeping protections in place for so-called Dreamers. Trump tweeted: It just shows everyone how broken and unfair our Court System is when the opposing side in a case (such as DACA) always runs to the 9th Circuit and almost always wins before being reversed by higher courts.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 On Tuesday night, U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco temporarily blocked the Trump administrations decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, which has protected from deportation some 700,000 people who came to the country illegally as children. Alsup granted a request by the state of California, the University of California and other plaintiffs to stop Trump from ending DACA on March 5. The administrations decision to end DACA, which was announced in September, was based on a flawed legal analysis, Alsup wrote in his decision. Dreamers would be irreparably harmed if their DACA protections, which allow them to live and work legally in the U.S., were stripped away before the courts had a chance to fully consider their claims, he ruled. The action is the mirror image of a ruling in 2015 by a federal judge in Texas who ruled in favor of that state when it sought to block President Obama from expanding DACA to include the parents of Dreamers. Trump administration officials praised that judicial ruling. By contrast, they sharply criticized Alsups decision. Read More Facebook

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Trump thanks lawmakers for productive immigration meeting, says deal must include border wall President Trump thanked a bipartisan group of lawmakers for participating in a meeting on immigration legislation on Tuesday. Much of the discussion involved so-called Dreamers, an estimated 700,000 young people who were brought to the country illegally as children and are now facing deportation. In a tweet, Trump wrote that there was strong agreement to negotiate a bill to protect Dreamers, as well as put into place some of the reforms favored by Republicans. Thanks to all of the Republican and Democratic lawmakers for todays very productive meeting on immigration reform. There was strong agreement to negotiate a bill that deals with border security, chain migration, lottery and DACA. https://t.co/SdqAQ3aL3z pic.twitter.com/8DYHZHspAy  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 The most notable exchange of the meeting came when Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the San Francisco Democrat, asked Trump whether he would be agreeable to signing a stand-alone bill to protect the Dreamers, before moving on to a more comprehensive immigration bill. Yeah, I would like to do it, Trump responded. The statement drew widespread attention because it contradicted the Republican consensus that Dreamers fate needed to be part of a broader immigration bill that would include some version of Trumps promised border wall and other immigration reforms. Trump later backed away from a stand-alone Dreamer bill, tweeting that a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico must be part of any deal: As I made very clear today, our country needs the security of the Wall on the Southern Border, which must be part of any DACA approval.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 Pressure has been mounting for Congress to broker an immigration deal by Jan. 19 as part of a must-pass budget package to fund the government. This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Noah Bierman. Facebook

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Trump thanks officers and veterans in tweets President Trump doled out a slew of accolades Tuesday via Twitter. He thanked the nations law enforcement officers, including in his message a hashtag denoting a day of appreciation organized by a national support group for law enforcement families. On behalf of the American people, THANK YOU to our incredible law enforcement officers. As President of the United States - I will fight for you, and I will never, ever let you down. Now, more than ever, we must support the men and women in blue! #LawEnforcementAppreciationDay pic.twitter.com/Qb4uxB4JRm  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 Trump later expressed gratitude for federal immigration agents, in particular: .@ICEgov HSI agents and ERO officers, on behalf of an entire Nation, THANK YOU for what you are doing 24/7/365 to keep fellow Americans SAFE. Everyone is so grateful!#LawEnforcementAppreciationDay

President @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/HXCpTlruVo  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018 The president thanked veterans as he cited his administrations efforts to curb the number of veteran suicides by improving mental health treatment for the high-risk group: Today, it was my great honor to sign a new Executive Order to ensure Veterans have the resources they need as they transition back to civilian life. We must ensure that our HEROES are given the care and support they so richly deserve! https://t.co/0MdP9DDIAS pic.twitter.com/LP2a8KCBAp  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 Trumps tweet included photos of the president signing an executive order Tuesday directing the secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to develop a plan to provide seamless access to mental health and suicide prevention resources for 12 months for members leaving the armed forces. Also on Tuesday, Trump touted a law he signed the day before designating the birthplace of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. a national historic park: It was my great honor to sign H.R. 267, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park Act, which redesignates the Martin Luther King, Junior, National Historic Site in the State of Georgia as the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. https://t.co/Qe0b6HBFTY pic.twitter.com/QTgaqTawPT  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2018 And he thanked House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) for sharing a video compilation comprised of clips of politicians and commentators praising the GOPs tax cut bill: Thank you @GOPLeader Kevin McCarthy! Couldnt agree w/you more. TOGETHER, we are #MAGA https://t.co/QaxtqpyXTR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 10, 2018  This post contains reporting from the Associated Press and Times staff writer Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump hails tax bill in tweets recapping speech to farmers By Associated Press Connecting with rural Americans, President Trump on Monday hailed his tax overhaul as a victory for family farmers. Farm country is Gods country, Trump told the annual convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Trump became the first president in a quarter-century to address the federations convention. His Southern swing also included a stop in Atlanta for the national college football championship game. Cant wait to be back in the amazing state of Tennessee to address the 99th American @FarmBureau Federations Annual Convention in Nashville! #AFBF18



On my way now - join me LIVE at 4:00pmE: https://t.co/QaljAqekdD. pic.twitter.com/Wm7Io0hYT8  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Joined by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and a group of Tennessee lawmakers, Trump said most of the benefits of the tax legislation are going to working families, small businesses, and who  the family farmer. The package Trump signed into law last month provides generous tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans, and more modest reductions for middle- and low-income individuals and families. In every decision we make, we are honoring Americas PROUD FARMING LEGACY. Years of crushing taxes, crippling regs, & corrupt politics left our communities hurting, our economy stagnant, & millions of hardworking Americans COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN. But they are not forgotten ANYMORE! pic.twitter.com/MdYS7xnukQ  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 The president vastly inflated the value of the package in his speech, citing a total of $5.5 trillion in tax cuts, with most of those benefits going to working families, small businesses and who? The family farmer. The estimated value of the tax cuts is actually $1.5 trillion for families and businesses because of cuts in deductions and the use of other steps to generate offsetting tax revenue. We have been working every day to DELIVER for Americas Farmers just as they work every day to deliver FOR US. #AFBF18 pic.twitter.com/QDH7fvFkZ7  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 From Nashville, Trump traveled to Atlanta to watch Alabamas Crimson Tide and Georgias Bulldogs face off Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship. We are fighting for our farmers, for our country, and for our GREAT AMERICAN FLAG. We want our flag respected - and we want our NATIONAL ANTHEM respected also! pic.twitter.com/16eOLXg6Fi  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Before departing for the game, Trump referenced his ongoing defense of the American flag and the national anthem, saying there was enough space for people to express their views. We love our flag and we love our anthem, and we want to keep it that way, he said. Facebook

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Trump tweet hails drop in unemployment rate for African Americans By Associated Press President Trump touted a drop in the unemployment rate for African Americans on Monday in a tweet. African American unemployment is the lowest ever recorded in our country. The Hispanic unemployment rate dropped a full point in the last year and is close to the lowest in recorded history. Dems did nothing for you but get your vote! #NeverForget @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 The rate fell to 6.8% in December, the lowest level since the government began tracking such data in 1972. The reasons range from a greater number of black Americans with college degrees to a growing need for employers in a tight job market to widen the pool of people they hire from. Trump also hailed the development via Twitter on Saturday. His latest tweet on the topic came about an hour after it was discussed during an episode of Fox & Friends, according to Mediaite. Facebook

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Trump talks up the economy and dresses down the media in Sunday tweets With President Trump cheering from the sidelines, the White House on Sunday pressed its defense of the presidents fitness to govern, as fired former aide Stephen K. Bannon reversed course and apologized for his role in a new books explosive portrait of Trump. The presidents critics, meanwhile, said Trumps stream of taunts and insults in response to the book  Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, released last week  served only to underscore the authors unsettling portrayal of Trumps year-old presidency, depicting a leader whose own aides consider him childish, ignorant and dangerously erratic. Trump provided more ammunition Sunday morning, as he continued to attack the book via Twitter while preparing to depart Camp David for the White House: Leaving Camp David for the White House. Great meetings with the Cabinet and Military on many very important subjects including Border Security & the desperately needed Wall, the ever increasing Drug and Opioid Problem, Infrastructure, Military, Budget, Trade and DACA.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Ive had to put up with the Fake News from the first day I announced that I would be running for President. Now I have to put up with a Fake Book, written by a totally discredited author. Ronald Reagan had the same problem and handled it well. So will I!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 The most vehement defense of Trump on Sunday came from senior advisor Stephen Miller, a onetime Bannon acolyte who distanced himself from his former mentor. In a combative appearance Sunday on CNNs State of the Union, Miller called the book grotesque and writer Michael Wolff the garbage author of a garbage book. Trump is known to closely monitor aides televised performances in putting forth his case, and he gleefully weighed in within moments of Millers televised clash with host Jake Tapper. CNN has long been a particular target of Trumps ire. Jake Tapper of Fake News CNN just got destroyed in his interview with Stephen Miller of the Trump Administration. Watch the hatred and unfairness of this CNN flunky!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Trumps reaction, however, seemed to bolster Tappers on-air depiction of Miller as using his appearance on the show to play to the president rather than addressing questions put to him. I get it  theres one viewer that you care about, the host said exasperatedly after Miller turned the discussion repeatedly to negative news coverage of the president while deflecting specific queries. Later on Twitter, Trump took up two themes that have been prevalent on his social media feeds recently. The president again went after the news media, tweeting that the recipients of his self-proclaimed most dishonest & corrupt media awards of the year, which he promised earlier in the week to announce on Monday, would actually be revealed the following Wednesday: The Fake News Awards, those going to the most corrupt & biased of the Mainstream Media, will be presented to the losers on Wednesday, January 17th, rather than this coming Monday. The interest in, and importance of, these awards is far greater than anyone could have anticipated!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 Trump later lauded a New York Post opinion piece that compared him favorably with his predecessor, President Obama, as well as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. In quoting the op-ed, Trump initally misspelled consequential as consensual, but he deleted those tweets and re-sent the messages. His is turning out to be an enormously consequential presidency. So much so that, despite my own frustration over his missteps, there has never been a day when I wished Hillary Clinton were president. Not one. Indeed, as Trumps accomplishments accumulate, the mere thought of...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 ...Clinton in the WH, doubling down on Barack Obamas failed policies, washes away any doubts that America made the right choice. This was truly a change election  and the changes Trump is bringing are far-reaching & necessary. Thank you Michael Goodwin! https://t.co/4fHNcx2Ydg  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2018 Trump also continued talking up the economy, which has been enjoying a period of strong gains. The Stock Market has been creating tremendous benefits for our country in the form of not only Record Setting Stock Prices, but present and future Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. Seven TRILLION dollars of value created since our big election win!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2018 In addition to Miller, other senior administration officials made the rounds of Sunday news talk shows to decry the claims made in Wolffs book. CIA Director Mike Pompeo said Wolffs characterization of Trump as averse to digesting classified briefing material was ludicrous, and the ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, insisted that that those around Trump love their country and respect their president. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Laura King. Facebook

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Responding to book that mocks his intelligence, Trump tweets hes like, really smart By Tracy Wilkinson President Trump declared himself a very stable genius on Twitter on Saturday and later in a televised news conference called the author of a book that questioned his mental fitness a fraud. His comments came on a bone-cold day at Camp David during a weekend retreat with top administration officials and Republican congressional leaders strategizing on the years legislative agenda, including matters such as infrastructure, immigration, welfare reform and national security. 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.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 ....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.....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 ....to President of the United States (on my first try). I think that would qualify as not smart, but genius....and a very stable genius at that!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 Still, Trumps explosive rebuttal to author Michael Wolffs claims not only opened the day, but it also ensured the presidents capability to fill the highest office in the land was a topic that would not go away. In his early-morning tweets, Trump said two of his greatest assets have been mental stability, and being, like, really smart. He noted that his former Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, played these cards [about competence] 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). Read More Facebook

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In morning tweets, Trump touts job numbers and takes digs at news media By Associated Press President Trump used Twitter on Saturday morning to tout a drop in the unemployment rate for African Americans. He also used the tweets as an opportunity to take digs at media outlets whose past coverage he has found to be critical. The African American unemployment rate fell to 6.8%, the lowest rate in 45 years. I am so happy about this News! And, in the Washington Post (of all places), headline states, Trumps first year jobs numbers were very, very good.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 The unemployment rate for African Americans fell to 6.8% in December, the lowest level since the government began tracking such data in 1972. The reasons range from a greater number of black Americans with college degrees to a growing need for employers in a tight job market to widen the pool of people they hire from. Still, the rate for black workers remains well above those for whites and some other groups, something experts attribute in large part to decades of discrimination and disadvantages. Robust job creation has lowered unemployment for all Americans. U.S. employers added nearly 2.1 million jobs in 2017  the seventh straight year that hiring has topped 2 million. In his tweet, Trump praised a report that noted the numbers, touting the fact that it appeared in the Washington Post (of all places). Minutes later, Trump renewed his attack on an ABC News reporter who was suspended last month after filing an erroneous report on Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security advisor. Brian Ross, the reporter who made a fraudulent live newscast about me that drove the Stock Market down 350 points (billions of dollars), was suspended for a month but is now back at ABC NEWS in a lower capacity. He is no longer allowed to report on Trump. Should have been fired!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 The reporter, Brian Ross, was reportedly reassigned within ABC News upon returning from his unpaid suspension. But on Saturday, Trump wrote that he should have been fired. Trumps tweets came hours before he was set to host congressional Republicans and administration officials at Camp David. The meeting scheduled to begin at midmorning Saturday was expected to touch on the budget, infrastructure, immigration, welfare reform and the shape of the midterm election this fall. Facebook

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Trump commends Sen. Rand Paul after he proposes eliminating all U.S. aid to Pakistan President Trump commended Sen. Rand Paul after the Kentucky Republican announced plans to introduce legislation that would eliminate all U.S. aid to Pakistan. Trump tweeted Friday night: Good idea Rand! https://t.co/55sqUDiC0s  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 On Thursday, the Trump administration announced it was suspending security assistance to Islamabad until the country moves aggressively against local militants who have attacked U.S. troops in neighboring Afghanistan. Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration at the apparent inability of Pakistani authorities to rein in militants who cross out of the countrys rugged tribal areas to attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson. Facebook

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Trump continues to lash out at Sloppy Steve Bannon in tweets on tell-all book By Associated Press President Trump is praising a major Republican donor family for distancing themselves from his former advisor Steve Bannon. Trump tweeted Friday: The Mercer Family recently dumped the leaker known as Sloppy Steve Bannon. Smart!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Trump has continued to lash out at Bannon over an explosive new book that quoted his former aide as questioning Trumps competence and describing a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower among Donald Trump Jr., Trump campaign aides and a Russian lawyer as treasonous and unpatriotic. On Thursday, billionaire GOP donor Rebekah Mercer issued a statement distancing her family from Bannon. Mercer is a co-owner of Breitbart, the populist website Bannon helps run. I support President Trump and the platform upon which he was elected, Mercer said. My family and I have not communicated with Steve Bannon in many months and have provided no financial support to his political agenda, nor do we support his recent actions and statements. The book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, quickly shot atop Amazons best-seller list, and the publisher moved up its release date by four days, to Friday. Trump took up the topic again on Twitter on Friday night, denouncing both Bannon and the books author, Michael Wolff, in starkly personal terms: Michael Wolff is a total loser who made up stories in order to sell this really boring and untruthful book. He used Sloppy Steve Bannon, who cried when he got fired and begged for his job. Now Sloppy Steve has been dumped like a dog by almost everyone. Too bad! https://t.co/mEeUhk5ZV9  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2018 Trumps message linked to a meme depicting a parody book cover titled, Liar and Phony, that featured a photo of Wolff and disparaging quotes about the author. In a tweet sent earlier Friday morning, Trump suggested the book was intended to serve as a distraction from the FBIs investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, which Trump wrote is proving to be a total hoax. 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!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 That came amid reports that Trump directed his White House counsel to tell Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to not recuse himself from the Justice Departments Russia investigation. Trumps effort to keep Sessions, a vocal and loyal supporter of his election bid, in charge of an investigation into his campaign offers special counsel Robert Mueller yet another avenue to explore as his prosecutors work to untangle potential evidence of obstruction. Read More Facebook

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Trump praises the economy ahead of meetings at Camp David By Associated Press President Trump is praising the strength of the U.S. economy ahead of meetings at Camp David with congressional Republicans. Trump tweeted early Friday: Dow goes from 18,589 on November 9, 2016, to 25,075 today, for a new all-time Record. Jumped 1000 points in last 5 weeks, Record fastest 1000 point move in history. This is all about the Make America Great Again agenda! Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. Six trillion dollars in value created!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 The president also told reporters on the South Lawn that the tax cuts are really kicking in after Congress passed a package of tax cuts at the end of 2017. And the president praised the December jobs report, which found U.S. employers added 148,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate stayed at 4.1%, the lowest level since 2000. The modest but steady pace of hiring is a reassuring sign for investors who have been buoyed by the just-passed Republican tax plan and have been sending stock market indexes roaring to uncharted heights. The president is meeting with Republican congressional leaders and members of his Cabinet on Friday and Saturday to discuss the 2018 agenda. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets as Dow crashes through 25,000 By Associated Press President Trump dispatched a congratulatory tweet as the Dow Jones industrial average rose above the 25,000-point mark Thursday, just five weeks after its first close above 24,000. Dow just crashes through 25,000. Congrats! Big cuts in unnecessary regulations continuing.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 After the Dow closed above 25,000, Trump shared a graphic depicting the stock indexs record-setting rise. MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/iONbr1DkVk  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Later in the day, the president was back on Twitter, complaining that news outlets had barely covered the stock market milestone. He suggested that the strength of the economy would be the biggest story on earth, had it unfolded during the presidency of his predecessor. The Fake News Media barely mentions the fact that the Stock Market just hit another New Record and that business in the U.S. is booming...but the people know! Can you imagine if O was president and had these numbers - would be biggest story on earth! Dow now over 25,000.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 The Dow broke past 1,000-point barriers in 2017 on its way to a 25% gain for the year, as an eight-year rally since the Great Recession continued to confound skeptics. Strong global economic growth and good prospects for higher company earnings have analysts predicting more gains, although the market may not stay as calm as it has been recently. The Dow has made a rapid trip since it reached 24,000 points Nov. 30, partly on enthusiasm over passage of the Republican-backed tax package, which could boost company profits this year with across-the-board cuts to corporate taxes. Read More Facebook

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Trump reacts to Fire and Fury book in tweet lashing out at author and Sloppy Steve President Trump lashed out at the author of a soon-to-be-released book about the chaotic first year of his presidency Thursday night. In a tweet, Trump called Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, a phony book and claimed that hed never spoken to its author, Michael Wolff. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve! Trump wrote. He appeared to be referring to former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon, whose stunning criticisms of Trump and his circle figure prominently in the title. I authorized Zero access to White House (actually turned him down many times) for author of phony book! I never spoke to him for book. Full of lies, misrepresentations and sources that dont exist. Look at this guys past and watch what happens to him and Sloppy Steve!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2018 Trumps tweet came hours after he had his lawyer demand that Henry Holt & Co. and Wolff stop publication the book. Instead, the publisher expedited the books release to Friday, four days before it was slated to hit bookstore shelves, in response to unprecedented demand. Published excerpts on Wednesday and Thursday whetted that appetite and roiled Washington. Bannons comments, including that it was treasonous and unpatriotic for Trumps son Donald Trump Jr., son-in-law Jared Kushner and campaign manager Paul Manafort to have met in 2016 with Russians said to have dirt on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, prompted Trump on Wednesday to rebuke his former advisor, saying Bannon had lost his mind. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writers Brian Bennett and Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump thanks senators who attended meeting on immigration President Trump tweeted thanks to Republican senators who attended a meeting about possible immigration legislation on Thursday. In his message, Trump also listed his top priorities when it comes to any type of overhaul of the nations immigration system. Thank you to the great Republican Senators who showed up to our mtg on immigration reform. We must BUILD THE WALL, stop illegal immigration, end chain migration & cancel the visa lottery. The current system is unsafe & unfair to the great people of our country - time for change!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Trumps tweet echoed his remarks at the beginning of Thursdays meeting, when he insisted again that constructing a border wall and overhauling two legal immigration programs must be part of any deal with Democrats to protect the so-called Dreamers from deportation. Two-year deportation protections and work permits given under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program begin to expire March 6 under an executive order. Trump announced in September that he was ending the Obama-era program, but told Congress to draft a law to continue protections for people brought to the country illegally as children  a group that has widespread public support. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writer Brian Bennett. Facebook

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Trump resumes Twitter war against kneeling NFL players President Trump has resumed his Twitter war against NFL players who kneel during the national anthem to protest social injustice and racial inequality. In a tweet early Thursday, Trump replied to a supporter who shared a meme that appears to depict family members lying on the grave of a fallen soldier with the caption: This is why we stand. Show this picture to the NFL players who still kneel! Trump wrote. So beautiful....Show this picture to the NFL players who still kneel! https://t.co/tJLM1tvbvb  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 The president has denounced players who kneel during the anthem in previous tweets. Hes also called for the firing of players who do so. His latest message came amid news that the NFL finished the regular season with TV ratings that fell nearly 10% below the previous season. Analysts attribute the drop to controversies facing the league, as well as changing viewing habits and a possible saturation point in the number of games available. Read More This post contains reporting from Times staff writers Stephen Battaglio and Alex Wigglesworth. Facebook

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Trump credits himself with facilitating talks between North and South Korea By Associated Press President Trump says his tough stance on nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula is helping push North Korea and South Korea to talk. Trump tweeted early Thursday: With all of the failed experts weighing in, does anybody really believe that talks and dialogue would be going on between North and South Korea right now if I wasnt firm, strong and willing to commit our total might against the North. Fools, but talks are a good thing!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 That assertion is in conflict with some of the presidents own statements. Last year, he ridiculed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson for talking about negotiations with the North. This week, Trump seemed open to the possibility of an inter-Korean dialogue after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a rare overture toward South Korea in a New Years Day address. But Trumps ambassador to the United Nations insisted that talks wont be meaningful unless the North is getting rid of its nuclear weapons. The overture about talks came after Trump and Kim traded more bellicose claims about their nuclear weapons. In his New Years Day address, Kim repeated fiery nuclear threats against the United States. Kim said he has a nuclear button on his office desk and warned that the whole territory of the U.S. is within the range of our nuclear strike. Trump mocked that assertion Tuesday evening in a tweet. Facebook

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After disbanding his vote fraud panel, Trump still says voting system is rigged By Brian Bennett One day after disbanding his troubled voter fraud commission without any findings of fraud, President Trump continued to call the U.S. voting system rigged and said states should require that Americans have voter-identification cards. In two tweets on Thursday morning, Trump blamed the commissions failure on the lack of cooperation from mostly Democrat States that refused to hand over voter rolls because they know that many people are voting illegally. However, voting supervisors in Republican-led states refused as well, objecting on privacy and other grounds. Many mostly Democrat States refused to hand over data from the 2016 Election to the Commission On Voter Fraud. They fought hard that the Commission not see their records or methods because they know that many people are voting illegally. System is rigged, must go to Voter I.D.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 As Americans, you need identification, sometimes in a very strong and accurate form, for almost everything you do.....except when it comes to the most important thing, VOTING for the people that run your country. Push hard for Voter Identification!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Despite Trumps assertions, analysts have not found evidence of widespread voter fraud. Trump created the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity in May after alleging, without proof, that millions of illegal votes were cast for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Trump was elected after winning a majority in the electoral college, but the nationwide count showed Clinton received nearly 3 million more votes. The commission sought personal data on voters across the country and faced mounting lawsuits in recent months over privacy concerns. Read More Facebook

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Trump touts another good day for stocks, credits tax cut By Associated Press President Trump touted another good day for the stock market Wednesday in a tweet. Stock Market had another good day but, now that the Tax Cut Bill has passed, we have tremendous upward potential. Dow just short of 25,000, a number that few thought would be possible this soon into my administration. Also, unemployment went down to 4.1%. Only getting better!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Big gains for technology and healthcare stocks helped U.S. indexes set records again Wednesday. Some analysts attributed the surge to investor enthusiasm for Trumps $1.5-trillion tax cut. All told, Wall Street analysts estimate the tax package should boost earnings for companies in the Standard & Poors 500 index by roughly 8% this year. Thats much more generous than the average tax cut of 1.6% that middle-class families will receive, according to the Tax Policy Center. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 The public has been less enthusiastic about the tax law. A Monmouth University poll last month found that nearly half of Americans disapproved of it, with only 26% in support. Still, as Trump also noted on Twitter, some workers have seen a benefit: So far, dozens of companies have announced bonuses and higher minimum wages as a result of the tax cut. AT&T, Comcast, Bank of America, and American Airlines have all pledged to pay $1,000 bonuses to their employees. Some 40 U.S. companies have responded to President Trumps tax cut and reform victory in Congress last year by handing out bonuses up to $2,000, increases in 401k matches and spending on charity, a much higher number than previously known. https://t.co/bmWrwWzxMR  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 Investors also appear less concerned than many politicians about how the additional profits will be used. The Trump administration says it expects companies will plow much of the extra profit back into their businesses, purchasing more software, machinery, and other equipment. Those investments will make workers more productive and provide a key boost to the economys long-run growth. They should also boost wages and salaries for employees. Opponents of the tax law respond that companies are more likely to pass the windfall on to shareholders in the form of higher dividend payments and share buybacks, which raise the price of those shares still in investors hands. Previous cuts in corporate tax rates, in the United States and overseas, havent always led to higher wages. For Wall Street, its all good, at least in the short run. Most analysts take the view that either way, companies and the economy will benefit. Facebook

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Trump reacts to death of Mormon Church president By Associated Press President Trump mourned the death of Mormon Church leader Thomas S. Monson on Wednesday evening. Trump tweeted a link to a statement in which he said that Monson demonstrated wisdom, inspired leadership, and great compassion and delivered a message of optimism, forgiveness, and faith. Melania and I are deeply saddened by the death of Thomas S. Monson, a beloved President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...https://t.co/ETD3fWtfU3  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2018 A church bishop at the age of 22, Monson became the youngest church apostle ever in 1963 at the age of 36. He served as a counselor for three church presidents before assuming the role of the top leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February 2008. After a life of church service, Monson died Tuesday at his home in Salt Lake City, according to church spokesman Eric Hawkins. He was 90. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets that Iranian protesters will see great U.S. support at the appropriate time By Associated Press President Trump continued to express support for Irans anti-government protesters on Wednesday. In a tweet, Trump commended the protesters and pledged that the United States will support them at the appropriate time. Such respect for the people of Iran as they try to take back their corrupt government. You will see great support from the United States at the appropriate time!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Trumps tweet Wednesday morning came as Iranian Ambassador Gholamali Khoshroo sent a letter to United Nations officials complaining that Washington was intervening in a grotesque way in Irans internal affairs. The President and Vice-President of the United States, in their numerous absurd tweets, incited Iranians to engage in disruptive acts, the ambassador wrote to the U.N. Security Council president and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The U.S. didnt immediately respond to the letter, which maintains that Washington has crossed every limit in flouting rules and principles of international law governing the civilized conduct of international relations. At least 21 people have been killed and hundreds arrested in Iran during a week of anti-government protests and unrest over economic woes and official corruption. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people took part in counter-demonstrations Wednesday backing the clerically overseen government, which has said enemies of Iran are fomenting the protests. Trump has unleashed a series of tweets in recent days backing the protesters, saying Iran is failing at every level and declaring that it is time for change in the Islamic Republic. Facebook

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Trump congratulates Sen. Orrin Hatch upon news of his retirement By Associated Press President Trump congratulated Sen. Orrin Hatch for an absolutely incredible career upon news of Hatchs impending retirement. In a tweet Tuesday afternoon, Trump called Hatch a tremendous supporter and wrote that he will be greatly missed in the Senate. Congratulations to Senator Orrin Hatch on an absolutely incredible career. He has been a tremendous supporter, and I will never forget the (beyond kind) statements he has made about me as President. He is my friend and he will be greatly missed in the U.S. Senate! pic.twitter.com/0VjzLEeHTl  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Hatchs decision to retire from the Senate after four decades lets the Utah Republican walk away at the height of his power after helping to push through an overhaul of the tax code and persuading Trump to downsize two national monuments. Retirement also preserves the 83-year-olds legacy by allowing him to avoid a bruising reelection battle that would have broken his promise not to seek an eighth term. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweet exaggerates progress in improving veterans care By Associated Press President Trump played up tremendous progress in improving care for veterans in his first year on Tuesday in a tweet. His message linked to an Instagram video describing eight accomplishments that show Trump is fighting for our veterans. But it overstates the impact of these steps. We will not rest until all of Americas GREAT VETERANS can receive the care they so richly deserve. Tremendous progress has been made in a short period of time. Keep up the great work @SecShulkin @DeptVetAffairs! https://t.co/ir25vW15hx pic.twitter.com/OtuzIgxMn6  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Of the eight achievements cited, two are ceremonial proclamations recognizing National Veterans and Military Families Month and National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Two are pieces of legislation that extended the troubled Veterans Choice program on a temporary basis. This became necessary because the Trump administration repeatedly miscalculated the amount of taxpayer dollars available to pay for care from private doctors outside the Veterans Affairs system when veterans had to endure long waits for treatment at VA medical centers. The departments poor budget planning caught lawmakers off guard. A fifth claim involves telehealth, a step letting doctors practice medicine across state lines using digital technology. Announced in August, it has yet to take full effect because a proposed VA regulation hasnt been completed. The VA wants authority to practice across state lines to come from legislation, not a regulation. On Wednesday, the Senate approved a telehealth measure that now goes to the House. A sixth claim refers to legislation that streamlines the appeals process for disability compensation claims within the VA. This step has had limited effect so far because it applies to new disability claims, not the 470,000 pending claims. The last two initiatives make it easier for the VA to discipline employees. The department has pointed to more than 1,300 employees who have been fired under Trumps watch. Because their infractions are not detailed in public documents, the effect on veterans care is not fully known. Facebook

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Trump unleashes his first tweetstorm of 2018 By Noah Bierman President Trump clearly didnt resolve to change his Twitter habits this year. With nine disparate tweets over three hours on Tuesday morning, the first working day of 2018, Trump continued to exploit social media to be the most aggressive commentator in chief in American history. For any other president, his posts would have made for a monumental day of (mis-)statements. Yet for Trump, the series  attacks on political foes and media, provocations of foreign leaders and self-praise for events he had nothing to do with  was all but unremarkable. His Twitter barrage  sent between 7:09 a.m. and 10:16 a.m.  reflected a familiar gamut after nearly a year in office: Attacks on political foes: Nearly 14 months after his election, Trump called for the jailing of Huma Abedin, Crooked Hillary Clintons top aid (his misspelling, another occasional feature of Trump tweets). Crooked Hillary Clintons top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols. She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents. Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 In the same tweet, he disparaged the Deep State Justice Dept, headed of course by his appointees, calling on it to act against James B. Comey, the FBI director he fired for investigating the Russia thing. Diplomatic provocations: Trump again called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un Rocket man, ridiculed the volatile nuclear-armed foe for recent military defections and openly speculated about potential talks between North and South Korea. Sanctions and other pressures are beginning to have a big impact on North Korea. Soldiers are dangerously fleeing to South Korea. Rocket man now wants to talk to South Korea for first time. Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not - we will see!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Perhaps that is good news, perhaps not  we will see! Trump wrote. Later Tuesday, Trump tweeted: North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times. Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Also later Tuesday, Trump tweeted an attack on Pakistan, his second in as many days, and added a new one against Palestinians: It's not only Pakistan that we pay billions of dollars to for nothing, but also many other countries, and others. As an example, we pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect. They dont even want to negotiate a long overdue...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 ...peace treaty with Israel. We have taken Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table, but Israel, for that, would have had to pay more. But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Undermining media: Trump offered Congratulations! to A.G. Sulzberger, who took over as publisher of the New York Times this week. The Failing New York Times has a new publisher, A.G. Sulzberger. Congratulations! Here is a last chance for the Times to fulfill the vision of its Founder, Adolph Ochs, to give the news impartially, without fear or FAVOR, regardless of party, sect, or interests involved. Get...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 ....impartial journalists of a much higher standard, lose all of your phony and non-existent sources, and treat the President of the United States FAIRLY, so that the next time I (and the people) win, you wont have to write an apology to your readers for a job poorly done! GL  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 But the two-part post was really yet another slam against a perceived media foe: Trump said the paper had a last chance to fulfill its journalistic mission, and accused it of relying on phony sources and substandard reporters  just days after he granted another exclusive interview to the paper. As a bonus, the tweet contained a recycled falsehood, that the paper apologized after the election for reporting on him unfairly. It didnt. Trump later said on Twitter that he would soon announce the most dishonest & corrupt media awards of the year. Stay tuned! I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5:00 oclock. Subjects will cover Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media. Stay tuned!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 The president also tweeted a quote from Fox Business Networks Lou Dobbs Tonight, which aired a segment praising Trumps first-year accomplishments. Dobbs reportedly joined Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday for a gala to celebrate New Years Eve. President Trump has something now he didnt have a year ago, that is a set of accomplishments that nobody can deny. The accomplishments are there, look at his record, he has had a very significant first year. @LouDobbs Show,David Asman & Ed Rollins  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018 Taking credit: Trump congratulated himself for policing the border with Mexico, an area where his policies and anti-immigration rhetoric are believed to have had some effect on reducing illegal crossings. Thank you to Brandon Judd of the National Border Patrol Council for your kind words on how well we are doing at the Border. We will be bringing in more & more of your great folks and will build the desperately needed WALL! @foxandfriends  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 He took credit for employee bonuses by companies after he signed Republican tax cuts into law last month. Companies are giving big bonuses to their workers because of the Tax Cut Bill. Really great!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 But the jaw-dropper was Trump congratulating himself for planes not crashing. Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation. Good news - it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 It was the safest year on record worldwide, but the American streak without commercial jet passenger deaths goes back to 2009. Trump, who has promoted deregulation as one of his top accomplishments, has not signed off on any new airline safety regulations. The White House pointed to new security screening of passengers, to electronic devices to prevent terrorist attacks and to Trumps support for privatizing air traffic control  a proposal that has gotten nowhere in Congress. Falsehoods: Trump said President Obama, in brokering the 2015 nuclear arms limitation deal with Iran, foolishly gave money to the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. He didnt. The people of Iran are finally acting against the brutal and corrupt Iranian regime. All of the money that President Obama so foolishly gave them went into terrorism and into their pockets. The people have little food, big inflation and no human rights. The U.S. is watching!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 The nuclear deal, which included major U.S. allies as signators, released Irans own funds that had long been frozen. Trumps art of the deal: When Trump sees a big deal looming, he often blasts the other side  to gain leverage, as hes written. This week he resumes a showdown with Democratic lawmakers over funding the government and immigration protections for so-called Dreamers, who were brought to the country illegally as children. Democrats are doing nothing for DACA - just interested in politics. DACA activists and Hispanics will go hard against Dems, will start falling in love with Republicans and their President! We are about RESULTS.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018 Trump, who in September ordered a gradual end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, sought to shift blame for the resulting controversy, saying Democrats are doing nothing for DACA and are just interested in politics. Trump has insisted that any help for Dreamers be paired with funding for a border wall and a crackdown on legal immigration. Democrats, and some Republicans, are opposed. Read More Facebook

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In tweet, Trump suggests U.S. will withdraw financial assistance to Pakistan By Shashank Bengali Pakistan lashed out Monday after President Trump accused its leaders of lies & deceit and suggested the United States would withdraw financial assistance to the nuclear-armed nation it once saw as a key ally against terrorism. It was the presidents latest broadside against Pakistan after a speech in August in which he demanded its leaders crack down on the safe havens enjoyed by Taliban militants fighting U.S.-backed forces in neighboring Afghanistan. The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2018 U.S. Ambassador David Hale was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to discuss the presidents statement, U.S. Embassy spokesman Richard Snelsire said. Pakistan lodged a strongly worded protest and asked for clarification about Trumps comments, according to two foreign office officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Pakistans prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, called a Cabinet meeting for Tuesday and a meeting of the National Security Committee on Wednesday to discuss Trumps New Years Day tweet. Read More Facebook

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Trump continues to tweet in support of Iranian protesters By Laura King President Trump expressed renewed support Sunday for protesters in Iran, declaring that people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. In a tweet from his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, the president said the nationwide economic protests that began on Thursday  and have taken on wider political overtones as they have grown in size  were a signal that Iranians will not take it any longer. Big protests in Iran. The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Trump has tweeted about the protests for three days straight as Iranians took to the streets despite a heavy police presence, tear gas and scores of arrests. The defiance gained urgency after two people were reported shot to death in the city of Dorud, about 200 miles southwest of Tehran. As the conflict escalated, Iranian authorities on Sunday slapped a temporary ban on Instagram and the messaging app Telegram, which were widely used to fan protest fervor. Iran, the Number One State of Sponsored Terror with numerous violations of Human Rights occurring on an hourly basis, has now closed down the Internet so that peaceful demonstrators cannot communicate. Not good!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Irans leaders already are casting Trumps increasingly effusive expressions of support for the demonstrators as opportunistic meddling and are painting the demonstrators as foreign pawns, adopting a strategy that some analysts say could jeopardize the legitimacy of the nascent antigovernment protests. Read More Facebook

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Trump tweets condolences after Colorado deputies are shot in ambush, one fatally By Associated Press A man fired more than 100 rounds at sheriffs deputies in Colorado early Sunday, killing one and injuring four others, before being fatally shot himself in what authorities called an ambush. Two civilians were also injured. President Trump expressed sorrow, writing on Twitter: My deepest condolences to the victims of the terrible shooting in Douglas County @DCSheriff, and their families. We love our police and law enforcement - God Bless them all! #LESM  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017 Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said deputies came under fire almost
How many false statements did Trump make in his interview with the Wall Street Journal? We count at least five

(Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)

The Wall Street Journal didnt release the full transcript of the interview its reporters and editors had last week with President Trump, but when Politico obtained a copy and published it, the interview quickly drew attention for several false statements Trump made.

The one that immediately gained notoriety was Trumps claim that after his speech at the Boy Scout Jamboree last week, I got a call from the head of the Boy Scouts saying it was the greatest speech that was ever made to them.

On Wednesday, the Boy Scouts of America released a statement saying we are unaware of any such call. The Scouts specifically said that neither the organizations president, AT&T chairman Randall Stephenson, nor its chief executive, Mike Surbaugh, had made such a call.

In fact, Surbaugh last week issued an unprecedented apology for a presidential speech  Scouts have heard from presidents back to Franklin D. Roosevelt  saying he was sorry that some members of the scouting community had been offended by Trumps partisanship, language and tone.

In the daily White House press briefing, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that other Boy Scout leaders, whom she did not name, had complimented Trump after his speech.

That wasnt the only call to come into question recently. A few days after the Journal interview, Trump said that Mexicos president, Enrique Pena Nieto, had paid him the ultimate compliment by calling and telling him that their southern border, very few people are coming because they know theyre not going to get through our border.

The Mexican government press office issued a statement Wednesday denying that.

Pena Nieto has not had recent telephone communication with President Donald Trump, the statement said.

Sanders said that Pena Nieto did compliment Trump, but in a personal conversation, not a telephone call.

I wouldnt say it was a lie, she said of Trumps statements.

Other false statements involved broader factual matters.

Were the highest-taxed nation in the world, Trump said  a statement that he has repeatedly made and which has repeatedly been debunked. Whether measured by the top tax rate or the overall percentage of national income which is taxed, the U.S. has lower taxes than most of its chief economic competitors.

Trump may have been thinking about the U.S. corporate tax rate, which is higher than most developed countries, although not the highest. Yet few companies actually pay that top rate given various tax deductions, credits and exemptions.

Trump also said I honestly believe for six months, I have done more than just about any other president when you look at all of the bills that were passed, 42, 43.

Thats untrue. Many of Trumps predecessors had signed more legislation, and nearly all recent ones had signed more significant measures by this point in their tenures.

Jimmy Carter had signed 70 bills into law by this point, Bill Clinton 50. Franklin D. Roosevelt had 76 in just his first 100 days.

About one-third of the bills Trump has signed have been ceremonial measures, such as renaming courthouses.

Referring to his top economic advisor, Gary Cohn, Trump said Gary wrote a check for $200 million when he entered the government. He had to pay $200 million in tax.

Trump has said that before, including in a speech in June. Its false.

Cohn owned about $220 million in Goldman Sachs stock when he resigned as the banks president to become the head of Trumps National Economic Council. He sold the stock to minimize conflicts of interest, as most appointees do. But he certainly didnt have to pay $200 million in tax on that sale.

In fact, its likely Cohn hasnt paid any tax so far. He may never have to.

Federal law allows appointees to government positions to defer any tax they owe on assets that they sell to avoid conflicts. The law requires that they put the proceeds of the sale into neutral investments such as Treasury securities. If his securities go up in value, Cohn might have to pay tax on that gain. The top tax rate on capital gains is 20%.

Trump also repeated a false claim about his defeated rival from the election, Hillary Clinton.

Real crimes are what Hillary did with 33,000 emails, where she deleted them and bleached them after getting a subpoena.

Trump made that claim more than once during the campaign, and more recently on Twitter.

He is correct that Clinton deleted 33,000 emails from the private server she used for her messages while she was secretary of State. She says that all of those deleted emails were personal and that she had no obligation to keep them. No one has come up with evidence to the contrary.

The evidence from the FBIs investigation of the emails shows that in December 2014, after she turned over about 30,000 work-related emails to the State Department, Clintons aides told the company that managed the server to delete the rest of the emails. The emails were subpoenaed about three months later, on March 4.

The company didnt actually do the deletion until later in March, but theres been no evidence that Clinton knew about the delay at the time or that the company knew the messages were under subpoena.

In any case, the FBI declined to recommend prosecution, contrary to Trumps assertion that Clinton committed real crimes.

A poll released Wednesday by Quinnipiac University asked Americans if they believe Trump is honest. By 62% to 34%, a majority said no.

12:30 p.m.: This article was updated with comments by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Corona del Mar High Schools spring musical, Grease, will open Wednesday for a five-show run in the schools Sea King Theater.

Performances are at 4 p.m. Wednesday, 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

To promote the show, members of the cast moved and grooved to the plays popular tunes in an on-campus sing-along last week for other students in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

Tickets for the musical are $12 for students and $17 for adults when purchased online at bapaco.org.

Tickets at the door are $15 for students and $20 for adults.

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Residents association to hold meeting in Corona del Mar

The Corona del Mar Residents Assn. board of directors monthly meeting will feature Linda Leonhard and Bernie Svalstad of the Corona del Mar Business Improvement District reviewing the evolution of businesses in the CdM village. They also will discuss the retail, restaurant and service businesses expected to be there in the future.

The meeting will begin at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at the Oasis Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Ave., Corona del Mar.

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Estancia and TeWinkle Schools Foundation to hold gala

The Estancia and TeWinkle Schools Foundation will hold its ninth annual gala Saturday, when guests can enjoy dancing, food and live and silent auctions while raising funds for Costa Mesa schools.

Each year, the foundation gives Estancia High School and TeWinkle Middle School a combined average of $50,000, with additional funds raised by the gala.

The gala will be from 6 to 11 p.m. at 3350 Avenue of the Arts, Costa Mesa. VIP passes are $75.

For more information, visit ETSFoundation.org or call (949) 515-6500.

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Hoag donors to be honored at gala

After making a donation to Newport Beach-based Hoag Hospital Foundation to support the Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center, Laguna Hills residents Lauri and Steve Delson will be honored at the JDRF Orange County chapters 20th Platinum Dream Gala on Saturday.

This years event will help raise funds for research of Type 1 diabetes. Gala co-chairs are Analisa Albert of Newport Coast, Toni Berlinger of Newport Beach and James Cueva of Ladera Ranch.

The gala raised more than $800,000 last year.

A cocktail reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, with other activities to follow.

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Costa Mesa man speaks at emissions workshop

Costa Mesa resident Robert Russell was among the speakers Monday at the 26th Real World Emissions Workshop, which began Sunday and ends Wednesday at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Newport Beach.

Russell, a fossil-fuel safety expert with a doctorate in chemistry, spoke about estimating emissions of exhaust pollutants from off-road construction equipment such as backhoes, excavators and bulldozers.

The event was organized by the Coordinating Research Council, a Georgia-based nonprofit that directs engineering and environmental studies of the interaction between automotive and other mobility equipment and petroleum products, according to its website.

*

City of Costa Mesa shares tips on coyotes

The city of Costa Mesa issued recommendations this week for avoiding coyote encounters.

Officials advise fencing animal enclosures, feeding pets indoors, storing trash in covered heavy-duty containers, enclosing the bottoms of porches and eliminating potential food and water sources such as fallen fruit and standing water.

Though coyotes generally hunt between sunset and sunrise, they can be observed at all hours of the day, officials said.

Residents who see injured or potentially dangerous coyotes can call Costa Mesa Police Department dispatch at (714) 754-5252. For general inquiries, Costa Mesa Animal Control Services can be reached at (714) 754-5311.
As Laguna Beach police wrote on social media after making a burglary arrest Saturday, Its not always the co-worker that steals food.

A burglar who broke into a Laguna Beach business helped himself to some Jell-O, police said.

Police responded to an alarm at a business in the 800 block of South Coast Highway at about 5 a.m. Saturday.

Officers surrounded the business and found a man inside wearing sweatpants and no shirt. Police allege the man broke into the business and noshed on Jell-O that he found in a refrigerator.

The businesss name was not disclosed.

Ross Simard, 34, of Malibu was arrested on suspicion of burglary and providing a false name to police. There also was a warrant for his arrest from a previous burglary in Los Angeles, police said.

Simard, who is listed in jail records as self-employed, was booked into Orange County Jail with bail set at $350,000.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
The Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesa is a remnant of a recent past when people with developmental disabilities were essentially warehoused and kept away from mainstream society.

But it can have a bright future.

For one, we have changed the way we view and interact with people with developmental disabilities, with many now recognizing the value and contribution they make to our communities. They are our family, co-workers and neighbors.

Fairview was built in 1959 as a state hospital and has had some 2,700 residents with developmental disabilities. Today it houses less than 200 people, as many former residents are transitioning into the community under the assurance of the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Act  which says people with developmental disabilities and their families have a right to get the services and supports their need to live like people without disabilities  and in response to tightening state budgets.

Since 1977, the nonprofit Project Independence has been helping people live and work with support in the community. In 2007, it merged with another 30-year-old nonprofit, Vantage, whose mission was to help people with complex lives and behavioral issues transition from institutional care into jobs and college classes, right alongside their non-disabled peers.

Project Independence is accustomed to addressing the fears of this increased autonomy head on. There are risks people with developmental disabilities face when stretching their wings, but we have anecdotal stories of success, and countless long-term studies that show people are wildly happy when they leave institutions.

But our system is fragile in California. An extensive network of Regional Centers and both for-profit and nonprofit vendor organizations provide case management and an array of services under the Department of Developmental Services.

But unlike Regional Centers, the vendor community struggles with the ability to pay adequate salaries to attract and retain qualified staff. This is only getting worse as housing becomes more expensive and the cost of living skyrockets. We have to allocate resources so the most critical piece of the system, the direct service staff, can be compensated adequately. Current rates are abysmally low.

Which brings us back to Fairview. This plot of land is so valuable because it can accommodate affordable housing and provide a space for services for mental health and homelessness. Most importantly, its proper use will protect the promise of the Lanterman Act for people with developmental disabilities.

We should not replicate the mistakes made with people with mental illness by not having a strong community-based support system. We can see the results of that nightmare in every park, prison and public space.

Instead, we have to keep the resources within the Department of Developmental Services  both the savings incurred and the proceeds from the sale of the land. We cant afford not to do so. Rebuilding our fragile system would be outrageously expensive. Lets just save the one we have and adequately fund it with resources already available.

DEBRA MARSTELLER is president and CEO of Project Independence.
U by Uniworld has thrown the tradition of naming ship godmothers overboard. Instead, the new river cruise brand geared toward millennial travelers recently named Victoria Secret model Petra Nemcova as its guardian angel.

Were making history with this concept, so rather than follow the traditional Godmother path for each individual ship, were paving our own way forward, president and CEO Ellen Bettridge of parent company Uniworld Boutique River Collection said in a media statement.

The U line is set to debut in 2018 and is being marketed to 21- to 45-year-olds to tap into younger cruise passengers.

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The ships  The A (what was the River Ambassador) and The B (formerly the River Baroness  will be redone with all-black exteriors).

The A will travel exclusively on Germanys Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, and The B will sail on Frances Seine.

Highlights inside include communal dining tables for hanging out and an upper-deck lounge with a bar. Deck spaces will pump up the comfy factor with hammocks, bean bags and large sun beds.

DJs and overnights in popular European cities for late-night partying are part of the plan too.

But back to the guardian angel.

Nemcova will be sailing on a sneak peek Paris cruise in October. Participants on the sailing will be chosen from travel agents who participate in a video contest.

U also is supporting Happy Hearts Fund, a charity started by Nemcova in 2006, which works to help rebuild schools after natural disasters. The model founded the nonprofit organization after surviving the deadly 2004 tsunami in Thailand.

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travel@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimestravel
During election violence in Kenya in 2008, Jakiwa Inda watched men in military uniforms burn the slums at night.

Inda got back to his home in the Mathare slums, outside the capital Nairobi, and found his mothers body so badly burned that he could only recognize one hand.

Enraged, he decided it was time to kill.

The slums had erupted with ethnic violence over the disputed December 2007 election that kept Mwai Kibaki, a member of the Kikuyu ethnic group, as president. Many Kikuyus, whose members are associated with the governing party, and Luos, whose members generally support the opposition, hacked each other to death with machetes.

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Inda, who remains traumatized, sees ominous signs ahead of national elections Tuesday in Kenya, a country with a history of disputed, violent, ethnically charged elections.

The election sees two longtime rival political dynasties pitted against one another, with Raila Odinga, a 72-year-old Luo, struggling to dislodge President Uhuru Kenyatta, 55, a Kikuyu. Both are sons of towering Kenyan independence figures.

Last weeks torture and slaying of an election official, Chris Msando, who headed information technology in the electronic voting system, raised fears of an attempt to manipulate the result, although no killers or motive have been found.

On Saturday, the government deported four foreigners from Aristotle, a Washington political data mining firm employed by the opposition National Super Alliance to help conduct its own tally of votes from every polling station as a guard against election fraud.

Kenyas tourism and growth have been tainted by decades of corruption and patronage, with contracts and benefits siphoned off to ethnic cronies. The benefits of the countrys 6% economic growth enriched a small elite but have not dented a 17% youth unemployment rate or reached the impoverished masses who claw out a living in urban slums or rural villages.

Two ethnic groups, the Kikuyus and Kalenjins, have benefited most from power since the countrys independence from Britain in the early 1960s, leaving the Luos and other groups aggrieved and marginalized.

After independence, the politicians found this system of ethnic politics convenient. In Kenya, unfortunately, they continued to use ethnicity as the main tool on which to run elections. Politicians find it convenient because they know they cant be challenged on policy, said senior analyst Murithi Mutiga of the International Crisis Group. Its a crying shame, 54 years after independence, they still stick to that.

At election time, politicians whip up negative sentiment and pay supporters to protest, or even riot.

In 2007, the presidential race between incumbent Kibaki and Odinga, in which independent observers reported ballot-box stuffing and other flaws, culminated with Kibaki being sworn into office in the dead of the night in a power grab that triggered weeks of ethnic violence. Estimates of the death toll vary from 1,000 to 1,500, but no one really knows how many were killed as slayings gripped slums and towns burned in the volatile Rift Valley.

According to a 2012 International Criminal Court indictment for crimes against humanity, Kenyatta played a key role in deploying the Mungiki criminal gang to kill, rape, attack and maim non-Kikuyu people. But after key witnesses in the case were killed, disappeared or withdrew testimony and the government blocked access to records, the prosecution withdrew the charges in 2014.

Inda, who in 2007 was a leader of a criminal gang called the GBs, or Good Boys, had taken advantage of the chaos to loot supermarkets. After his mothers death, the gang turned on Kikuyus, dragging people from their houses.

I became so emotional, wanting to revenge my mother, and started rallying youth to go and kill Kikuyus. I wanted to kill many, but we managed to kill three, Inda said. We just killed them in a mob. But I was doing it as if this person was the one who killed my mom.

Indas younger brother was among six rioters shot dead in Mathare while trying to barricade a bridge. Indas fiancee was beheaded by a rival militia. He found her body, and her head was found in a different neighborhood four days later.

He collapsed and was taken to a clinic for a week. In that time, eight of his gang members were slain, shot by police or killed by ethnic rivals.

What I learned in 2007 was that you might do something thinking you are doing the right thing, but sometimes you are doing the wrong thing, Inda said. You are killing Kikuyus thinking you are getting them back  but I didnt get my mother back, I didnt get my brother back, I didnt get my fiancee back and I was left with a lot of trauma.

He and other gang members agreed to stop their attacks after a respected elder told them that killing would not bring victory. Inda later received training from an international charity as a peace advocate and is part of a Catholic peace initiative in Mathare, the Parish Ecumenical Consultative Committee.

We as peacemakers are just praying that the commission, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, will just conduct this election free and fair so that violence will not erupt. The community of Kenya doesnt want violence. If the election goes otherwise, then violence can erupt very easily.

Opposition trust has been frayed by the killing of Msando, the election official, the deportation of the Aristotle election data analysis team and a government ban on opposition plans to station unofficial monitors at all polling stations.

A supporter of opposition presidential candidate Raila Odinga flaunts oranges, the partys symbol, at his final campaign rally in Nairobi on Saturday. (Ben Curtis / Associated Press)

Nairobi bus stations are thronged with Kenyans trying to leave the capital, fearing new violence.

Alice Adhiambo, 40, of Mathare, sent her five children out of the city and plans to leave immediately after voting. With opinion polls suggesting a tight race, she said the atmosphere was already tense, with opposition supporters convinced the election would be stolen.

Last week, Adhiambo took part in a peace march in Mathare, but people were responding and saying there will only be peace if the results will be announced free and fair.

A lot of people have left Kibera, going to the countryside for fear of violence, said Mark Madegwa, an artist in Kibera, another major slum. Today the streets are empty. There are no people and the matatus are nowhere to be seen, he said, referring to commuter minibuses.

In Kenya, when elections are close, we fear the chances of violence are higher because politicians dont have a culture of political responsibility, Mutiga, the analyst, said. If its very close, it means the losing candidate may not concede as readily and violence may result.

Another political analyst contacted for comments on the election declined, saying political tensions can put my family at risk.

Opposition candidate Odinga disputed the result in 2007 and unsuccessfully challenged the 2013 election, in which he lost to Kenyatta, in the Supreme Court. He has warned of possible mass protests if Tuesdays election is considered rigged.

Another political analyst, Macharia Munene of the United States International University in Nairobi, predicted that Kenyatta would win the vote and that Odinga would not accept the result. Any violence would likely be contained in a few volatile pockets of the country, he said.

If he doesnt want to go to court if hes not announced the winner, the implication is that hes out for confrontation, Munene said. Its the personality, its the disposition of Mr. Odinga.

Civil society activists, including Gladwell Otieno of the African Centre for Open Governance, said the government ban on voters observing outside polling stations cast doubt on the openness of the voting process.

Voters have a right to witness the polling station results as they are announced and to scrutinize the written record of those results, which are required to be posted at the polling stations, Otieno told local media Friday.

The High Court upheld the ban Sunday, ordering that voters should stay at least 400 yards from polling booths after casting ballots.

In a sign of how entrenched ethnic voting is, Jane Nyambura, 40, a Kikuyu woman who runs a food kiosk in the Kibera slum, said she would vote for Kenyatta, supporting her usual political grouping, even though she distrusts all politicians.

All politicians are the same. I think they are selfish, so I dont trust whatever they say, Nyambura said.

The hope for change, Mutiga said, lies in Kenyans ages 18 to 35, who comprise 51% of voters.

One hopes that as young people become increasingly interconnected and better educated, maybe they will hanker for a different type of politics, Mutiga said.

robyn.dixon@latimes.com

Twitter: @RobynDixon_LAT
The night of last years attempted coup in Turkey, Alaa Khaldi considered packing his bags.

The 31-year-old Syrian refugee from Damascus, who fled to Turkey in 2015, was worried that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would fall. Erdogans Islamist government has opened Turkeys doors to more than 3 million Syrians fleeing the civil war in their country, and Khaldi thought a new government might roll up the welcome mat.

The main party is with us, Khaldi said, referring to Erdogans Justice and Development Party. What happens after them, we dont know.

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Erdogan survived the attempted coup on July 15, 2016, and has amassed more power, imposing a seemingly indefinite state of emergency and deeply polarizing Turkish society. But Syrians living in Istanbul worry that the widening political divisions will put them at risk, particularly as their numbers continue to grow while Europe blocks refugees from entering through Turkey.

If the regime changes, we would definitely be at risk, said Khaldi, who works at a software company in central Istanbuls Fatih district, a densely populated neighborhood with a large Syrian population.

Erdogan has cast Turkeys acceptance of the refugees as a benevolent project toward fellow Muslims  and particularly Syria, which shares a history with Turkey as both were under the rule of the Ottoman Empire until 1922.

While Europe has tried to stop the flow of refugees and some European countries have been openly hostile to arrivals, Turkey has absorbed the influx with relatively little unrest. The vast majority of Syrians who work do so under the table, but Erdogan has offered a limited number of work permits that could raise Syrians wages, and even floated the idea last year of offering Syrians the chance to apply for Turkish citizenship.

That triggered a backlash among many Turks, even Erdogans supporters. His announcement came amid a smattering of news reports alleging the involvement of Syrians in various crimes, and soon the hashtag, I dont want Syrians in my country, was trending on Turkish social media.

Erdogans political opponents  who castigate him as an increasingly authoritarian figure who has imprisoned tens of thousands since the failed coup  have also voiced concern about the large Syrian presence.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who has emerged as perhaps the most influential opposition figure after leading a massive antigovernment demonstration in July, has called for a national referendum on the Syrian citizenship question and said a growing Syrian population would make it difficult to identify suspected militants among them.

Erdogan has not changed his policy, saying in a speech in late July that anyone who brought up stories of Syrians causing unrest in Turkey was in effect a terrorist.

About 300,000 Syrian refugees live in 26 camps run by the Turkish government, with the vast majority of the overall population clustering in cities like Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Gaziantep, near the Syrian border.

Syrians account for 3.6% of Turkeys population, and their presence is obvious in areas like Fatih, where Syrian sweet shops and fast-food joints line the sidewalks and signs on storefronts are printed in Arabic script.

Such neighborhoods are undeniably signs of Istanbuls cosmopolitanism, but experts also say there are underlying tension and misunderstandings, particularly because most Syrians dont speak Turkish.

In the beginning, the idea of a common civilization really smoothed things over, but in the long run were seeing these Syrian ghettos develop, especially in major cities, said Selim Koru, an analyst at the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey.

People in Syrian ghettos are going to be resistant to learning Turkish, adjusting to Turkish culture and traditions. So in the medium to long run, that could present some problems, Koru said.

At a small grocery store in Fatih, a 37-year-old shopkeeper from Damascus, who gave his name only as Kinan, said recently that nearly all his customers were Syrian. Turks probably wouldnt patronize his store if they knew he was Syrian, he said.

They accept us, but they dont really like us, he said.

Kinan, a medical engineer who fled Damascus in early 2016, lives in an apartment in Fatih with five other Syrian refugees. Since clashes broke out in May between Turks and South Asian migrants in another part of the city, Kinan said, he is careful when he rides public transit not to speak Arabic.

Day after day it will become worse for us  this is my fear, said Kinan, who works to send money to his wife and son in Damascus. On social media, you see stories of Syrians being attacked, even killed in Turkey. They feel we are taking their jobs. They will become less accepting of us.

At a Syrian chicken restaurant along Fatihs main drag, Hassan Sakka, 15, from the Syrian city of Aleppo showed a scar on his ear from a fight hed had that week with a Turkish neighbor who he said had tried to shake him down for money. The neighbors reasoning, Hassan said, was that he didnt have a job while Hassan and his cousin did.

The relationship between Syrians and Turkish people is just about work. There is no friendly relationship, said Hassans cousin, Haytham Mahmoud.

The 26-year-old works in a factory assembling boxes for about $350 a month alongside a dozen other men, all Syrians, to send money to his parents and two sisters in Aleppo.

There is no friendly relationship, Mahmoud said. Here we just eat, sleep and work. Any of us would love to go back to Syria.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Follow @SBengali on Twitter for more news

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As the International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples is observed on Wednesday, it will celebrate the achievements of advocates, leaders and native nations whose efforts helped indigenous peoples become a permanent part of the international community and underscore the importance of their participation in politics.

On this day 35 years ago, indigenous leaders were given the opportunity to participate in United Nations efforts to develop standards to advance and defend the human rights of indigenous peoples.

The U.N. estimates that indigenous communities account for more than 370 million people who live across 90 countries, and speak a majority of the worlds languages. In legal terms, indigenous communities are distinguished from other minorities in that they are recognized as the only cultural groups with the right to self-determination. This allows them to claim autonomy from their states governments.

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Advocacy by indigenous people on the world stage can be traced to 1923 when Chief Deskaheh of the Cayuga Native American tribe traveled to Geneva to address the League of Nations on the rights of the Haudenosaunee, a powerful American Indian alliance. He was prohibited from entering plenary sessions.

Other indigenous leaders from New Zealand, Australia and the Americas followed Chief Deskahehs path, and received similar treatment. The evolution of the League of Nations into the United Nations in 1945 did not significantly change the situation. In the 1950s, the international community considered indigenous issues as primarily the problems of undeveloped societies. In 1957, the first convention addressing the rights of indigenous populations was adopted to assist U.N. members with integrating their problematic indigenous populations.

Indigenous politicians in the Nordic states, New Zealand and Australia not only resisted such efforts in their home countries, they reached out to native peoples beyond their borders to create an international movement. Under the leadership of the North American native leaders, the World Council of Indigenous Peoples was created in 1975, and became the first international body representing the rights of indigenous peoples in the global arena.

The council gained status as a nongovernmental organization, affiliated with the U.N. as a civil society partner. This position allowed the councils members to observe meetings of the U.N.s Working Group on Indigenous Populations and offer expert advice. Since then, the number of native leaders, activists and scholars supporting indigenous causes at the Working Group has mushroomed from fewer than 15 in 1982-83 to more than 400 by 1993.

Thirty-five years is a relatively short period given the centuries-long history of violence against indigenous communities. The unprecedented changes that indigenous politics produced in the legal treatment of native populations and to the U.N. system, over such a limited stretch, makes indigenous advocacy an astounding political phenomenon.

Today, indigenous politicians influence policymaking in most areas of social and economic development at the U.N. Their advocacy is particularly prominent in the area of environmental protection. The growing network of more than 40 intergovernmental agencies promotes indigenous rights and supports indigenous political participation through policy and projects that allow them to strengthen the skills, development and resources of their communities.

The approach includes mechanisms that provide U.N. agencies with expertise and advice on the rights of indigenous peoples and allows for the allocation of funding to assist representatives of such communities and organizations to participate in working group deliberations. A special rapporteur has also been assigned to monitor the overall human rights situations of communities in selected countries and address cases of alleged violations.

And the U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is the first body within the system of the intergovernmental organization to provide membership and voice to indigenous politicians. This September the world will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the first document in international law history created with the participation of indigenous leaders.

Different communities have succeeded in using these mechanisms to make change in their home countries. For example, many Latin American governments now recognize indigenous communities right to self-determination. Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador went as far as to accept indigenous jurisdictions and laws that govern long-established customs and practices.

Indigenous residents sing and dance as they celebrate St. Peters Day in the town of San Pedro de Cayambe, Ecuador, on June 29, 2017. (Dolores Ochoa / Associated Press)

The endorsement of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the United States and Canada, in 2010 and 2016 respectively, established the intention of both governments to treat Indian nations in accordance with the declarations norms, and recognized their right to nation-building and self-determination based on their own cultural and social norms.

This year saw the adoption of the Nordic Saami Convention, which commits three Nordic states to support the rights of Saami people across borders.

Inspiring development is even happening in states that have a record of human rights abuses. In Russia, human rights bodies help indigenous peoples to engage the support of the international community in their resistance, while providing a safe space to conduct official negotiations. This was the experience of the Crimean Tatars who, following Russias annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, lost their indigenous status and the right to self-governance on their ancestral lands.

In Africa, where most governments continue to deny the relevance of indigenous rights, transnational indigenous rights networks have provided leaders with opportunities to express their grievances and tools to support their communities. International efforts helped to stop the forceful relocation the San people of Botswanas Central Kalahari in 2006. The Maasai of Tanzania have been able to revitalize and preserve their cultural heritage and support women rights with the help of U.N. agencies, while the Mbororo of Cameroon created NGOs, such as Laimaru Network, to educate their communities in the rights of indigenous peoples.

Indigenous politics represent some of the most advanced developments of our time, despite the ironic stereotype of native communities being viewed as vanishing peoples.

Children of the indigenous nomadic Nenets people in the city of Nadym in Russias northeast region, in a photo from 2015. (Dmitry Lovetsky / Associated Press)

While indigenous leaders can claim autonomy from their home states, they recognize that their communities share a common history and concerns with the population of those states. Most of them aim to wield greater influence over matters that specifically impact their people, such as environmental protection and education and the economy, while contributing to solving global problems, like climate change.

Critics warn that this approach reinforces the incorporation of indigenous communities into the fabric of their states. This is true, but at the same time, the changes to the international system indicate a shift toward supporting a multicultural order that can accommodate the political wants of indigenous peoples and other minorities.

Ultimately, indigenous politicians want the world community to realize that to live in peace is to share the world together by accommodating each other, rather than assimilating the weaker. This idea goes back to indigenous teachings that assert that no nation or state can claim absolute sovereignty because the universe does not exist to accommodate an exclusive place for one group at the expense of others. The universe is a system of cosmic relations, where each community of people, plants, animals and other beings has its own purpose within the larger order. To live together is to respect this wisdom by living in harmony with others.

Ulia Gosart is a lecturer in the Department of Information Studies at UCLA. She has been an indigenous rights advocate for more than a decade, working closely with activists and scholars from the former Soviet Union and North America.
Karachi is Pakistan's economic hub and also its crime capital. If you haven't been kidnapped, you've probably been mugged.

A Pakistani guard with a private security firm practices at a shooting range in Karachi. The port city is a buzzing hub of beaches, malls, restaurants -- and the odd shooting range where an army of private security guards train to protect the citys well-heeled. As growing insecurity grips the nation, with the military battling Taliban militants in swaths of the northwest and crime on the rise, the security industry is thriving.

W

hen the gunmen slid in the back seat behind Saad Qaimkhani and his friend, the college student thought they were after his cellphone, or maybe the car. Then the men told them to drive.

Almost all private cars in this shoot-'em-up city have an embedded device that allows a security company to lock the engine of a stolen vehicle remotely. In this case, though, when a bystander alerted the security company and the car came to a standstill, the thugs ordered the young men into another car and drove them around Karachi to make sure they weren't being tailed.

That's when Qaimkhani knew for sure: He was being kidnapped.

He and his friend were taken to a two-room house near the Northern Bypass, a neighborhood filled with poorly built one- and two-story structures where police are as rare as snow.

Their phones and wallets were taken and their legs chained to a bed. They were interrogated about family wealth and contact numbers, then beaten so their relatives would hear their panic during ransom calls afterward. The three kidnappers demanded $300,000 for the pair.

For six weeks, Qaimkhani and his childhood friend were locked to the bed, sleeping chained together on the mattress, interrupted only by visits to a primitive toilet. The two chain-smokers squabbled over their one-pack daily allowance and ate cheap, bad-tasting food. Occasionally, they were allowed to watch Bollywood DVDs.

Karachi is Pakistan's largest city, its economic engine and financial hub. The bustling port juggles thousands of shipping containers a day, and its nine-story steel-and-glass stock exchange  whose index is up more than 40% this year, one of the world's best performers  hosts traders doing million-dollar deals.

It's also the nation's crime capital, a place where even middle-class people have personal guards and gunfights erupt among rival gangs muscling into one another's territory. Foreign Policy magazine recently ranked Karachi the world's most dangerous mega-city, topping Bogota, Colombia; Lagos, Nigeria; and Mexico City.

A string of Pakistani leaders, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, have pledged to clean up Karachi, where teeming millions elbow for an edge in the tropical heat. Owners don't leave their property empty, even for a few days, because they worry that gangs will take it over. Even in posher areas, residents venture out at night on unlighted streets at their own peril.

Little reform is expected, given the clout of local political bosses and their affiliated criminal gangs. Of the estimated 10,000 police officers on duty at a given time, more than half are reportedly chauffeuring VIPs around. According to a leaked 2009 U.S. Embassy cable, the armed militia of one political party alone numbered 25,000.

In March, police official Niaz Khoso reported that half the sprawling city was a no-go area for police, who routinely advise the relatives of kidnapping victims to take the lead in dealing with the criminals.

In the city where American journalist Daniel Pearl was abducted and beheaded in 2002, few families remain untouched.

On a recent afternoon at Karachi's upscale Atrium mall, where patrons are told to keep their guards outside, most customers interviewed said they had friends or family who had been kidnapped, and all had themselves been mugged. Middle- and lower-middle-class residents described a beleaguered existence, one in which they mostly stay home, hide their cellphones and jewelry in public and run red lights to avoid being set upon.

"Basically, I have no social life," said Athar Shaukat, 26, an engineer.

Hiring security guards carries its own risks. Some reportedly provide information to kidnappers, fueled by greed or resentment that their clients might spend more on lunch than on their monthly wages.

"You have to have a guard," said Noman Zafar Mirza, Karachi-based director of Zims Security, who added that they're also something of a status symbol. "But we're seeing a danger here. They know your home address and a lot about you."

Fueling this social tension is a growing economic divide. In recent years, impoverished migrants have flooded Karachi from the restive northeast, fleeing villages where U.S. drones operate and government often doesn't. The influx has expanded the city's residents by 80%, the equivalent of adding New York City's population in a decade. On the main road to the airport on a recent morning, dozens of men slept under rags in the median beneath posters for "Expo Pakistan 2013," illustrated with pictures of diamond jewelry.

The latest proposal to tame Karachi involves letting security services detain suspects for 90 days without filing criminal charges, a step human rights groups oppose given the history of police and paramilitary abuses.

"It's a free-for-all," said Anjum Nisar, former president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce. "You can't fix this by giving a Panadol. You have to go deep into the arteries."

As competition intensifies, the kidnapping business has evolved, leading to more abductions that last a day or two. Although the ransoms are lower, there's also less chance authorities will get involved  and more chance to carry out multiple kidnappings each month.

"It's better cash flow," Nisar said.

Once Qaimkhani's relatives realized that he'd been taken hostage in January 2010, they contacted a nonprofit committee that works alongside Pakistan's often-corrupt security services to help civilians cope with crimes such as kidnapping and extortion. The group, the Citizens Police Liaison Committee, was started in 1989 by businessmen tired of being targeted, and of getting little or no help from authorities.

Members of the committee trained Qaimkhani's father to act as lead negotiator for his son's release. Their advice: Wear down the kidnappers and delay without saying no.

"If you keep negotiating," said Ahmed Chinoy, head of the committee, "there's always a hope for life."

As advised, Qaimkhani's middle-class family pleaded poverty  heavily mortgaged house, leased cars  to buy time.

In two subsequent calls, the kidnappers' price fell to $28,000, still more than the family said it could afford.

All the while, Chinoy's crew was gathering intelligence via informants, cellphone records and voice-recognition software.

Qaimkhani's kidnappers didn't seem smooth enough to be from one of the big gangs whose well-planned operations target the rich. It was more likely one of the amateur groups that pick their targets randomly, Chinoy theorized.

The committee, along with police, narrowed down the kidnappers' location, deploying agents in the neighborhood who posed as street vendors, fruit sellers and motorcycle riders  less obvious than people in cars  to watch houses and ask questions.

When police finally raided the house where Qaimkhani and his friend had been held, the young men were gone. They had been moved by the kidnappers at the last minute. But within hours, authorities found the two in a nearby house. Qaimkhani recalls hearing a loud knock on the door, followed by a short pause and then an explosion of gunfire.

Its always in the back of my mind. But at least Im not so afraid to go outside now."  Saad Qaimkhani

As bullets passed through the walls near their heads, the two dived into a corner. "I thought, this is it," Qaimkhani said.

One kidnapper was killed in the gunfight and the two others were arrested. A few minutes later, Chinoy handed Qaimkhani a cellphone and he heard his father's voice. "The feeling was amazing," Qaimkhani said. "I'd been given a second life."

Still, the psychological scars run deep. He's received invaluable support, he says, from two cousins who were kidnapped before he was, and his family calls every few hours when he's out and never lets him travel alone at night.

"It's always in the back of my mind," he said. "But at least I'm not so afraid to go outside now."

Contact the reporter

Follow Mark Magnier (@markmagnier) on Twitter

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North Korean state media said Monday that the United States will pay dearly for a round of strict sanctions approved by the United Nations over the weekend, suggesting that Pyongyang remains committed to its nuclear ambitions and willing to bear the economic costs.

There is no bigger mistake than the United States believing that its land is safe across the ocean, the isolated countrys state-run Korean Central News Agency said in a statement.

The United Nations Security Council on Saturday voted on a new round of sanctions targeting North Koreas primary exports, including iron, coal and seafood  together worth about $1 billion  in retaliation for its repeated missile tests.

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Pyongyang has tested 14 missiles so far this year, including two intercontinental ballistic missiles in July, showcasing its technical ability to launch a strike on parts of the U.S., including Alaska, Los Angeles and Chicago.

The sanctions could slash North Koreas annual export revenue, totaling an estimated $3 billion, by more than a third, according to a statement from the office of Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

President Trump, on Twitter, called the resolution the single largest economic sanctions package ever on North Korea.

United Nations Resolution is the single largest economic sanctions package ever on North Korea. Over one billion dollars in cost to N.K.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2017

Yet North Koreas statement Monday illustrates the degree to which Kim Jong Un, the countrys ruler, prizes the countrys nuclear and missile programs as crucial deterrents against the United States and points of national pride.

This U.N. sanctions resolution, to all intents and purposes, is an outcome of diabolical attempts of the U.S. to isolate and stifle the DPRK, the news agency said, using the initials of the countrys official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. The U.S. is trying to drive the situation of the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war, it said.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, speaking to reporters at a regional conference in Manila on Monday, said the U.S. would be willing to discuss denuclearization with North Korea when conditions are right.

The best signal that North Korea could give us that theyre prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches, he said.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in  another supporter of the latest sanctions  has also signaled a willingness to talk.

In a phone call with Trump on Sunday evening, Moon affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world, according to the White House.

North Koreas top diplomat, Ri Yong Ho, also attended the Manila conference. Rather than address reporters, his spokesman distributed a transcript of a speech that Ri had delivered earlier in which he said that North Korea doesnt intend to use nuclear weapons against any country except the U.S.

North Korea is ready to teach the U.S. a severe lesson with its nuclear strategic force, Ri said, according to the Associated Press.

Trump has leaned heavily on China to curb North Koreas nuclear ambitions. Although China voted for the resolution Saturday, it has warned that sanctions alone will not dampen Pyongyangs resolve.

Sanctions are necessary but in no way the ultimate purpose, Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Monday at the Assn. of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, the conference in Manila. Imposing fresh sanctions is aimed at bringing the conundrum back to the negotiation table.

We would like to urge other parties like the United States and South Korea to stop increasing tensions, he said.

The U.N.s latest sanctions crack down on other sources of hard currency for Pyongyang; they target North Korean banks and ban joint ventures with North Korean companies.

Yet whether the sanctions will be effective remains unclear. China has already cut coal imports from North Korea until the end of the year, and North Korean state-run companies have proved adept at exporting other commodities, despite harsh international sanctions.

The resolution is being oversold and is unlikely to produce the kind of economic damage that its sponsors are advertising, Joseph DeThomas, a professor at the Pennsylvania State University School of International Affairs, wrote on 38 North, a respected North Korea-monitoring website.

Moreover, it opens new doors for successful evasion, which in the current environment  with a volatile U.S. administration and high public alarm  could easily lead to sudden movements towards very dangerous overreactions.

Analysts say North Korea is preparing to conduct its sixth nuclear test, and could soon have the capability to fit a miniaturized nuclear weapon onto a long-range missile.

North Korea apparently views being able to threaten the U.S. mainland with a nuclear counterstrike as the ultimate deterrent, Siegfried S. Hecker, a former director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory who has visited North Korea several times, told the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists on Monday.

It also likely has a political goal, to get Washington to the table on what Pyongyang would see as a more equal basis.

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UPDATES:

6:25 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from analysts and North Koreas top diplomat.

9:55 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with Times reporting.

This article was originally published at 4:45 a.m.
Jordans king and the Palestinian Authority president held a short meeting in the West Bank on Monday, a move seen by some observers as an act of unity during a time of heightened tension with Israel.

King Abdullah II met with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah during the kings first visit to the West Bank in five years.

Officials said the leaders discussed recent tension with Israel tied to a Jerusalem plateau known by Jews as the Temple Mount and by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary.

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After Arab-Israeli gunmen shot dead two Israeli policemen at the shrine compound last month, Israel installed new metal detectors at the entrance to the esplanade of the mosques, an area containing the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque, which resulted in Muslim protests. The devices were removed by Israel a short time later after Jordan and others intervened.

Jordan, which is the official custodian of Jerusalems Muslim holy sites under the countrys peace treaty with Israel, often plays a mediating role in the region.

The electronic security devices were viewed by Muslims as an Israeli encroachment on their sovereignty over the site. Israel has said it was not trying to encroach on Muslim rights.

This is an important visit in terms of the ties between Palestine and Jordan, especially after what happened in Jerusalem, said Muhammad Hussein, the grand mufti of Jerusalem.

Abdullah, who received a red-carpet welcome Monday, did not travel to Jerusalem, which is about 12 miles away.

Anwar Ben Badis, a professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and an expert on Palestinian affairs, said in an interview, The symbolism is more important than institutions in Palestinian politics.

After the visit, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat called on the U.S. government to reassert its commitment to a two-state peace plan between Israelis and Palestinians.

Tarnopolsky is a special correspondent.

UPDATES:

4:30 p.m.: This story was updated to add background on Jordans role as custodian of Jerusalems Muslim holy sites.

This story was originally published at 2:25 p.m.
All material is subject to strictly enforced copyright terms & conditions and cannot be repurposed or reproduced.  19882022 Latin American Financial Publications Inc.
A Lancaster man was brought back to Bethlehem to face charges that he stole an American flag from the Steel Ice Center almost seven years ago.

Jonathan K. Vertti, 26, was stopped by police in Reading, who found an existing warrant for his arrest on the charges, according to court documents.

Vertti was arraigned Saturday morning on charges of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property that were filed in November 2010.

His bail was set at $5,000 with a 10 percent option and he was sent to jail after failing to post, records state.

Vertti was arrested by the Bethlehem police on Oct. 27, 2010, on charges of underage drinking and he was "implicated in a purse snatching robbery," police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.

At the time of his arrest, Vertti was sitting in a car along with a large, wet and weathered American flag that looked like it had been cut down, court records say. He had a pocket knife in his pocket and a rubber cap that matched the latch assembly of the flag, police say.

The Steel Ice Center, 320 E. First St., had reported its flag had been cut down overnight.

Vertti claimed that he was given the flag by a man he knew only as Andrew and that he wanted to use it as a backdrop for his band's performances, documents state.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The Easton planning commission gave its tacit endorsement Wednesday to request to sell guns out of a gun storage business.

David Kotz of Elite Tactical Academy said he has about 300 guns belonging to his clients stored in lockers inside a vault at 624 Lehigh Drive in Easton.

That's the accumulation for the first four months the business has been open. But he intends to add more.

"It's hard to anticipate, but it could be several thousand," he told the planning commission Wednesday.

Kotz didn't need the planning commission's approval to open the business, but does need it to sell guns on the site. He said gun sales will be for clients only. He anticipates 100 to 200 sales a year, typically from gun owners who can't reclaim guns they stored there.

The commission voted 4-2 to back Kotz's ability to sell guns. Voting against were Ronald Shipman and Bonnie Winfield. Jamie Kulick was absent. Now the matter heads to the zoning hearing board.

Planning commission solicitor Joel Scheer said the commission could not reject the plan simply because they don't want guns sold there. Gun sales are legal in Pennsylvania. City planning director Tina Roseberry said the city will review its zoning rules to see whether to restrict future gun sales businesses in that area.

Some of Kotz's clients are under a court order not to own guns, so they store then with him. Others may be going through a divorce and need a place to store guns until the matter is settled. Others may be traveling for a long period and don't want to leave guns at home.

Some clients who live in New Jersey or New York store their guns in Easton because they can't legally keep them in their home states. Others are members of the military who have been deployed.

Kotz said the guns are kept in a secure vault. In addition to the guns, Kotz estimates he'll have 10,000 to 20,000 bullets on the site. None of the guns will be loaded and the magazines are stored outside of the guns, he said.

Asked about the potential for an explosion, Kotz said bullets make noise when they burn but don't pose a threat unless they're actually shot.

Resident Craig Fox wasn't so sure.

"I would think that would pose a serious danger," he said.

"This may shock you but it doesn't," Kotz said, later adding, "There are people in this city who have significantly more ammunition in their basement right now."

Kotz said he offers firearms training to clients at off-site shooting ranges.

Kotz said self-storage facilities are starting to ban the storage of guns. The owners of those facilities don't want to be responsible for guns left behind by tenants who don't pay their rent, he said.

He said he's a licensee of GunSitters of Whippany, New Jersey, a business that opened 18 months ago.

Shipman questioned Kotz's ability to screen clients.

"How do you know the gun's not stolen? How do you know whether the gun was used in a murder or a crime?" he asked.

"I have no idea," Kotz answered.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Easton officials on Monday have their first punch-list walk-though of the nearly completed police station on the first block of North Fourth Street, Chief Carl Scalzo said.

Barring surprises, they expect the building to be turned over to the city in the middle of the month, he added

That will meet the one-year deadline for completion and give the department a little more than a month to get moved in by late September, Scalzo said.

While there were charge orders and additions -- for example an overhang that will protect police vehicles in the side parking lot -- that will add to the $7.24 million purchase price, "for the price tag, we should have everything we could want in a department for years to come," Scalzo said.

Longview Construction has been "absolutely great" in meeting the department's needs and the deadline, the chief added.

The building is partially new construction, with pieces of it reaching into the old Express-Times building at 30 N. Fourth St.

When police make the move, the current space on South Third Street will just as quickly be emptied, Scalzo said. Because of systems needs, they can't operate in both buildings at the same time, he said.

Since police are leaving their offices under the Pine Street parking garage due to the age of the structure -- it's well past its life expectancy -- Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said the city might consider a short-term lease with a new tenant, but there is nothing planned at the moment.

The new police station project is one of two at the North Fourth Street site being overseen by Lou Pektor's companies. Both appear on schedule, Scalzo said.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
UPDATE: Accused semen squirter reaches plea deal

A man charged with squirting semen and other fluids on women around the Lehigh Valley is set to go to trial in two of his cases.

Jury selection will begin Tuesday for 59-year-old Michael Morris in Lehigh County Court in two separate cases.

Morris allegedly followed a woman off a LANTA bus and threw semen on her in June 2014, and a year later allegedly sprayed a flammable liquid on a woman at the bus terminal in the 700 block of West Linden Street in Allentown.

Morris is facing 10 charges in the two cases, including two counts each of indecent assault and harassment.

Morris' trial in a third case, stemming from a February 2016 incident where he allegedly squirted semen on a woman at Valley Farm Market in Bethlehem, will be separate from the other two cases.

Morris is being held in lieu of $62,000 bail in the three cases.

Prosecutors have said women claimed they were victimized by Morris dating back at least 20 years. But in many cases, the charges were reduced or dismissed because the victims couldn't prove the fluid was semen.

Deputy District Attorney Christine Murphy wants to present evidence during the trial of another incident, where Morris was accused of targeting a 15-year-old girl in 2003 in Allentown.

Semen-thrower terrorized Lehigh Valley women for decades, cops say.

In the 2003 case, the accuser did not appear for Morris' preliminary hearing in the case, and the charge of indecent assault was dropped.

Judge Robert Steinberg will hold a motions hearing on that issue Monday morning.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A man charged with squirting semen and other fluids on women around the Lehigh Valley reached a plea deal with prosecutors a day before he was set to go to trial.

Michael Morris, 59, of Easton, pleaded no contest to three counts of indecent assault on Monday.

His sentencing is set for Oct. 24, but under the deal he faces three to six years in state prison, and must register as a sex offender for 15 years.

In the meantime, Morris will undergo a sex offender assessment to determine if he is a sexually violent predator.

Defense attorney Andrea Olsovsky said she plans to present the results of a forensic psychological evaluation from Dr. Frank Dattilio at the sentencing hearing.

"Mr. Morris has a long history of mental illness which contributed to his behavior. Jails are not designed to be mental hospitals, but unfortunately, that is where many mentally ill people end up," Oslovsky said.

Under a no contest plea, the defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence for a conviction. It is treated the same as a guilty plea for sentencing purposes.

Morris was facing trial in three separate incidents.

Morris allegedly followed a woman off a LANTA bus and threw semen on her in June 2014, and a year later allegedly sprayed a flammable liquid on a woman at the bus terminal in the 700 block of West Linden Street in Allentown.

Then in February 2016, Morris squirted semen on a woman at Valley Farm Market in Bethlehem, prosecutors said.

Morris is being held in lieu of $62,000 bail in the three cases.

Prosecutors have said women claimed they were victimized by Morris dating back at least 20 years. But in many cases, the charges were reduced or dismissed because the victims couldn't prove the fluid was semen.

Morris was accused of targeting a 15-year-old girl in 2003 in Allentown.

Semen-thrower terrorized Lehigh Valley women for decades, cops say.

In the 2003 case, the accuser did not appear for Morris' preliminary hearing in the case, and the charge of indecent assault was dropped.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Laois newsagents and shops stand out as some of the luckiest places in Ireland to buy a lottery ticket.

As part of celebrating its 30th Birthday the National Lottery has published figures on jackpots since it was founded in 1987.

Since the Lotto was established 30 years ago, Laois has enjoyed its fair share of winners with 13 jackpot wins and one Euromillions win.

Nearly 55 million worth of prizes have been sold in Laois according to information provided by Lotto HQ. The information does not include winners of the TV gameshows or those who have played online.

READ ON BELOW FOR MORE WINNING SELLERS

The biggest win was the most recent jackpot won. In July 2016 a winning Euromillions ticket was sold by O'Hanlon's supermarket on Portarlington's Station Road. The 23.8 jackpot was sold to a syndicate of Dublin bus drivers.

The previous biggest winner was sold in Abbeyleix in August 2012. The 8.6 million winning ticket was sold by the now closed Morans newsagents.

You have to go back more than a decade to find the previous biggest winner. A winning 1.6 million winner was sold by Graham's newsagent in the run up to Christmas 2003.

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Laois had a run of big wins in the decade up to 2000. Two jackpots were won in December 2000.

A 1.8 million prize was won with numbers chosen at a shop in Ballybrittas on December 23, 2000. On December 6 that year, Good News in the Laois Shopping Centre sold a ticket which scooped a 1.8 million prize.

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In June 1999, Central Stores in Portarlington was the seller of a 1.2 million jackpot. In January 1996 a shop on Lower Main Street Portlaoise sold a ticket which won 1.2 million.

The first jackpot sold in Laois was in Durrow in 1992. Lawlor's shop on The Square was the seller of ticket which scooped 3.45 million - a huge prize for the time.

The first big prize sold in Laois was by Lawlor's shop on Main Street, Portarlington with 119,380 or 94,020. The average house prices in 1990 was 60,498.

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The most recent big prize sold in Laois was at Tommy Treacy's Daybreak shop at the Gandon Inn on the old Dublin road off the Heath. A Euromillions Plus 1 ticket that won 500,000 sold in April 2017.

Many of the big prizes were sold in either Portlaoise or Portarlington. A number of the 'lucky' shops have since closed. The opening of the motorways and resultant loss of passing trade is also in evidence.

READ ON BELOW FOR MORE WINNING SELLERS

The National Lottery says several Laois-based charities have benefited from the lotto over the years.

A special live Lotto draw will take place on Wednesdya, August 2 when An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar will make be making a significant announcement regarding National Lottery Good Causes Funding live on RTE 1 at approx. 8pm.
A Kildare woman has won a car in a fundraising draw for a national body.

Laura Joyce, from Celbridge, won the car priced at 18,000, in the draw for St Michaels House, one of Irelands largest providers of community based services for children and adults with an intellectual disability.

Following the event, sponsored by New Ireland Assurance, Laura said she was thrilled to have won and thanked New Ireland Assurance and St Michaels House.

The Club Draw is supporting a fantastic cause and Ive been a member for over twenty years. I originally signed because my dad, Bob Lattimore, was a member of staff in St. Michaels House. He always made us aware about the importance of the work carried out by St. Michaels House. Even though he is no longer with us, I keep supporting the draw as a gesture to him. I think of my membership fee as my monthly donation to charity. I cant believe I am actually the winner of this amazing prize.

Funds raised in the draw directly support St Michaels purpose built Leisure Centre in Belcamp, Dublin.Barbara Wiseman, Head of Communications and Fundraising at St. Michaels House said the centre contains Irelands first wheelchair accessible pool for people with disabilities. An average of 860 children and adults with intellectual disability attend the Leisure Centre each month. Ms Wiseman said the Leisure centre also acts as a social and professional hub for service user groups and committee work.

It costs 3 to be entered into the annual car draw and have a chance of winning one of three monthly cash prizes. To sign up please see: www.smh.ie.
Co Leitrim gardai are investigating a serious assault which occurred in Carrick-on-Shannon in the early hours of Sunday, (yesterday) morning.

A spokesperson for Carrick-on-Shannon Garda Station told www.leitrimobserver.ie the incident occurred on Park Lane near the junction with Main Street, Carrick-on-Shannon at around 2.50am yesterday, Sunday, August 6.

Two men received serious injuries when they were struck with what gardai are describing as an "improvised weapon". The victims are not from the local area and were visiting the town for the weekend.

One of the victims sustained serious facial and neck injuries and was brought to Sligo University Hospital for further treatment. The second victim suffered serious hand injuries in the assault. He was brought to Mullingar Hospital where he underwent surgery.

Carrick-on-Shannon gardai are following definite line of inquiry in relation to the incident but are also appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the assault to contact them at Carrick-on-Shannon Garda Station on (071) 9650517.

"There was a large crowd congregating in the area at the time and we would appeal for anyone who was in the area between 2.30am and 3.15am yesterday (Sunday, August 6, 2017) to contact us," added the garda spokesperson.
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The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) published its detailed proposals for a basic income in 2015.

The proposals are based on the Citizens Income Trust pure Basic-Income model. Disability support and housing costs are not included in the scheme as they are not in the Citizens Income Trusts scheme.

Housing and council tax benefits (and, for the record, disability payments) are an important source of support to those at the bottom of the income distribution.

An option which the RSA proposes for further exploration is the introduction of a Basic Rental Income. The Basic Rental Income would not be income-contingent and therefore does not have the same disincentive or perverse incentive (eg family break-up) effects as housing benefit and council tax credit. A Basic Rental Income based upon local market conditions would be granted to every individual who rented rather than owned a property. Local authorities would retain their statutory duty to house the homeless and should be given freedom to borrow and invest in new low-cost housing.

A Basic Rental Income would have cost implications. The source of funding for additional cost should be those who have gained the most from increases in housing equity. Philosophically, the justification for this has roots in Thomas Paines argument in favour of a basic endowment. The reason that there have been large gains for some in the housing market whilst others struggle is because our common institutions have failed to provide enough housing to enable affordable rents and housing ownership to be even more widespread. The introduction of a land value tax or similar to fund any shortfall in the Basic Rental Income is therefore justified on the basis of gains received by a few from the institutions of society and its collective action failures rather than through the individuals endeavour.

This is a means of redistributing the economic rents that have arisen from the institutional structures of land and property. Some such as Adair Turner argues that cooling the housing market should be a primary policy objective from an economic stability perspective.

The Economist this week has an article How to solve Britains housing crisis. The author writes of

a growing sense of inequity. Britons over the age of 65, a fifth of the population, own over 40% of the housing wealth held by owner-occupiers. Youngsters with rich parents can buy their first house thanks to the Bank of Mum and Dad. Everyone else must resign themselves to renting small properties for life, or to continuing to pay off their mortgage long after retirement. At the election in June half of all private renters voted for Labour and Jeremy Corbyn, up from a third who supported the party in 2010. As home-ownership declines, the Conservatives, in particular, are beginning to worry (see article) as indeed they should.

Theresa May, the prime minister, has so far failed to show any mettle over housing. Her government has proposed nothing more than tweaks to a broken system. This lack of leadership feeds a crisis that is entirely unnecessary.

Will Libdems step up to the plate in providing the leadership necessary to end the scourge of unaffordable housing and a dysfunctional welfare system?

* Joe Bourke is an accountant and university lecturer, Chair of ALTER, and Chair of Hounslow Liberal Democrats.
7 Ways Being Kind Is Good for Your Health and Well-Being

Practicing kindness to others (and to yourself) has been linked to better stress management, improved heart health, and even living longer.
ONE OF the countys most renowned medical companies is paving the way for up to 60 new jobs in the next few years, if successful in cracking the American market.

Representatives from Croom Precision Medical travelled to Chicago recently, to network with Stateside businesses in the medical devices industry.

Founder Paddy Byrnes met with prominent local businesspeople as well as appearing at the Orthopaedic Manufacturing and Technology Exposition and Conference (OMTEC), in order to promote the company and region on the global stage.

At the moment, we are more or less building a network, and through the network we will secure the business over the coming years. Thats the plan, said Mr Byrnes.

Its getting the name out there, creating a presence, and thats what its all about really, added Paddy, who was accompanied by his son Patrick, a manager at the company.

The family-run enterprise was set up over 30 years ago, and specialises in orthopaedic medical device manufacturing and custom tooling services. Their current customers include Stryker, Simmer, Depuy, Baxter, Cook and Boston Scientific.

It was our first time exhibiting in America. This is the premier orthopaedic implant manufacturing exhibition in the States. The US would be quite achievable with the technology and the skills we have here, we are well positioned to bring it to an American market, said Mr Byrnes.

Planning permission has been granted for a research and development administration building, which will lead to around 60 more jobs when fully staffed.

The company will be seeking college-educated engineers to fill the positions when the time comes.

Its a couple of years down the road, but its the ultimate goal for ourselves, said Mr Byrnes.

While in the Windy City, the Croom group met with a well-known business family, the Bredemanns.

The Bredemann family business of car dealerships spans four generations, with Joe Bredemann, who has links to Croom and Ballingarry, currently at the helm.

Meeting the Bredemann family turned out to be quite an important part of the trip. He is a valuable contact, and quite a charismatic guy, Joe Bredemann, said Paddy Byrnes.

They are very well-known in Chicago. The hospitality was absolutely fantastic, so we hope to do the same for them when they come back here, he added.

The Bredemann family was honoured with a civic reception by Limerick County Council as part of The Gathering in 2013. The family also contributed to the Family Resource Centre in Ballingarry.

Croom native Pat Fitzgerald set up the meeting between the two enterprising families.

We have the key to major cities in the States when it comes to linking up businesses. And we have the key to Chicago.

We are not reaching our full potential at the moment, said Mr Fitzgerald.

He added that the former US Ambassador to Ireland, Jim Kenny, has expressed an interest in linking Chicago businesses with Limerick.
AS AMBULANCES take too long to get to Newport due to geography a group of locals set up a community first responder (CFR) group in 2015.

Since then, the volunteers have responded to 46 incidents and currently have responders in a 5km radius of the town. Newport CFR have received a 5,000 charitable donation which will allow them to purchase their first two automated external defibrillators and heated cabinets.

The money was awarded by eir through its corporate social responsibility investment programme. The donation will also help responders become Irish Heart Foundation certified trainers, which will assist in allowing Newport CFR to roll out its Project Saving Lives, thereby making an enormous difference to the likelihood of saving someones life in the event of a cardiac arrest.

Claire Armstrong, chairperson of Newport CFR, said they are extremely grateful to eir for choosing to support its saving lives project.

This money will allow us to purchase two public access AEDs (automatic external defibrillators) and place them in prominent positions within the town. As such, this will greatly increase the likelihood of saving someones life in Newport in the event of a cardiac arrest, said Claire.

Currently, cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in Ireland - 33%. Early response is essential in helping to save lives and Newport CFRs sights are set high with the aim of training one member of every local household by 2020. Over time, they plan to expand their role from primarily first-aid driven to encompass health promotion and preventing cardiovascular disease and stroke

Michelle Toner, head of eirs corporate social responsibility, said Newport CFR carry out an incredibly important service in their community.

They are often the first on the scene when a cardiac arrest occurs and they have educated hundreds of children in life saving CPR skills. With this new equipment and training that vital service will continue to grow, helping many more people and we are proud to help Project Saving Lives through the eir fund, said Michelle.
AN Bord Pleanala has confirmed that an oral hearing into controversial plans set for Irish Cements Mungret plant will take place later this month.

The national appeals body has set aside Tuesday, August 29, Wednesday, August 30 and provisionally Thursday August 31 for a full inquiry into what the firm has planned for Mungret.

It comes after they received dozens of objections concerned about Irish Cements plans to stop using fossil fuel.

Instead, under 10m plans, the firm is proposing to use waste recovered from landfill, and used tyres.

But residents are worried about the impact on the environment, claiming using these materials will release more noxious gases into the air.

Irish Cement has always insisted its proposals will not see an increase of gases into the air  and they are crucial for the plant to remain competitive into the future.

The oral hearing will take place at the South Court Hotel in Raheen, and allow all parties who have formally made submissions in favour and against the plans make their cases.

It will kick off at 10am on all days.

Tim Hourigan of Limerick Against Pollution, the group set up in opposition to the multi-million euro proposals, says they will lobby An Bord Pleanala to stretch the hearing beyond a maximum of three days.

Everyone we have spoken to and who signed up to our appeal are keen to attend. We have 30 points we have appealed the application on. We will be going through them, and these will have to be contested out by the other side. Even thrashing that out would take more than the time allotted, he said.

Mr Hourigan also pointed out that all the objectors are entitled to be heard  and experts brought in by either side will also require time.

However, local Fine Gael councillor Daniel Butler feels three days will be long enough for everyone to have their say.

He said: If three days is not enough, i'm sure An Bord Pleanala would add another few days on. The idea is to have a fair, open, transparent and balanced hearing, and allow people to put their case forward and ask questions.

An Bord Pleanala will rule on the case after the hearing.
LIMERICK City Fire and Rescue Service this Monday afternoon dispatched a large number of personnel to the scene of a reported river incident  only to find out that it was a false alarm, malicious intent.

At 3.15pm, the emergency services were alerted to a report of a woman seen entering the River Shannon via Thomond Bridge.

Within three minutes of making the call, SwiftWater Rescue technicians from Limerick Fire Service launched their rescue boats, FireSwift, joined by three city appliances of Limerick Fire Service.

Upon arrival a thorough search was performed by the emergency services.

However, after trying to contact the caller back several times, it was apparent it was a false alarm, malicious intent, a source said.

Limerick Marine Search & Rescue said that hoax calls "put people at unnecessary risk".

"Some of our volunteers today who left their families and friends this Bank Holiday Monday to respond to a call to the river... Within minutes, our ski was launched only to be stood down at the Curragower falls, an extremely dangerous section of river at that time, as it was a hoax call...these people along with other emergency services are willing to risk their lives to give someone else a second chance."

This is the second time a false alarm has been raised in relation to a river incident over the past two weeks, with several other hoax calls received since, a source added.

In a post on social media following the last incident in late July, Limerick Fire and Rescue Services described such false alarms as a waste of resources.
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Three women have been arrested in connection with an internal theft at a local law firm, according to a criminal complaint obtained Friday.

Court records state that two former long-time employees of the Law Offices of Hall, Quintanilla and Alarcon, 1302 Washington St., allegedly embezzled about $170,000.

Texas Rangers identified them as Sandra Rodriguez, 54, and Maria Concepcion Cavazos, 44. Last week, both Rodriguez and Cavazos had worked for the firm for 35 and 25 years, respectively, according to court documents.

A third former employee identified as Zenaida Salazar-Becerra, 44, was also arrested and charged with theft. She allegedly cashed a check from the office when she was no longer employed there, according to court documents.

READ MORE: Laredo man charged with theft after paying for truck with bounced check, police say

All are out on bond from the Webb County Jail.

On Jan. 10, representatives of the law office filed a complaint with the District Attorney's Office requesting an investigation into an internal theft from their operational accounts.

Rodriguez and Cavazos handled office administrative work, record keeping, billing and legal secretarial work. Both also had access to the Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts or IOLTA accounts. Attorneys discovered missing funds, according to court documents.

Cavazos allegedly had in her possession 51 check stubs for the International Bank of Commerce IOLTA account.

"Most of the checks were missing information, date and reason for payment. When Rodriguez was asked if Cavazos was embezzling monies from the law firm, Rodriguez stated she thought so," states the complaint.

Attorneys also discovered several checks made out with initials they did not recognize, records state. Cavazos was then terminated. She allegedly admitted her routine was to "write checks to cash and forge," according to court documents.

"Cavazos asked for forgiveness and promised to repay all the money she stole," states the complaint.

READ MORE: Suspected gang member charged in Laredo auto-theft ring case

She remained silent when asked if Rodriguez was also involved. Cavazos and Rodriguez would tell attorneys the accounts were up to date. But an outside auditor revealed a different story, according to court documents.

Attorneys questioned Cavazos again. She again admitted to forging check but attempted to minimize her involvement, states the complaint.

"Cavazos apologized and promised to repay the monies. Cavazos also implicated Rodriguez by stating Rodriguez also wrote checks for cash and forged ... initials," states the complaint.

Around mid-April, Rangers questioned Salazar-Becerra regarding a check made out in her name from the law office for janitorial services after she was no longer employed there.

She had worked with law firm for seven years, according to court documents. She stopped working with the law firm in 2001. However, she allegedly cashed a check dated from 2014.

"(Salazar-Becerra) admitted she was not employed at the law office in 2014 and her duties were not part of the cleaning staff," states the complaint.

Rodriguez did not speak to authorities because of a pending civil lawsuit filed against her regarding this case, according to court documents.
Former San Antonio Express-News President and Publisher Tom Stephenson has been named the first executive director of Symphonic Music for San Antonio, the new nonprofit that will take over operations of the San Antonio Symphony.

Stephenson will manage business aspects of the orchestra, including finance and payroll, as well as development and marketing.

I guess I failed at retirement, Stephenson said. Ive always had a passion for the arts. Im excited about stepping in and seeing what I can do to help the orchestra remain the world class orchestra that it is.

Stephenson retired last year as publisher and CEO of the Houston Chronicle after more than 40 years in the newspaper business. He served as Express-News president and publisher from 2006 to 2012.

The Symphony Society of San Antonio, which was founded in 1939, will cease operations Sept. 1. The new nonprofit, which formed in July, will pick up the baton, overseeing the already planned 2017-18 concert season of the San Antonio Symphony, which begins Sept. 16 with pianist Emanuel Ax at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

David Gross served as president of the symphony under the Symphony Society of San Antonio, a role comparable to Stephensons in the new nonprofit.

Alice Viroslav, chairwoman of the Symphony Society of San Antonio, said Gross will be moving on from the San Antonio Symphony, and they are working with Stephenson to ensure a smooth transition.

Symphonic Music board president Dya Campos said Stephenson was a perfect fit for the new nonprofit, as much for his passion for the San Antonio community as for his experience in leading large and complex organizations.

Stephenson also is a board member of the Bexar County Performing Arts Center Foundation, which owns and operates the Tobin Center.

We think that him continuing to play that role in a capacity in our symphony moving forward will be a very positive thing for our orchestra, said Campos, who is governmental and public affairs director for H-E-B.

When Stephenson expressed an interest in the executive director position, it was the quick, unanimous decision of our board to accept, and he started to work last Friday, J. Bruce Bugg Jr., Symphonic Music board chairman, said in a statement.

Bugg is chairman and trustee of the Tobin Endowment. Hes joined on the Symphonic Music board by Campos and J. Tullos Wells, managing director of the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation.

Stephenson and the Symphonic Music board look to right the course of the beleaguered San Antonio Symphony, which has faced financial hardships for decades. In addition to operating in a deficit for much of the past 30 years, the symphony has had to cancel entire seasons, file for bankruptcy and force pay cuts on musicians.

For too many years I believe, and I think the major donors believe, that the balancing of the books has put a terrible strain on the musicians, Stephenson said. Theyre very dedicated, and they deserve to be compensated according to their ability. And that takes a business that can balance its budget.

rguzman@express-news.net

Twitter: @reneguz
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Laredo Independent School District's Police Department conducted mock lockdown drills on Friday morning as a training exercise in emergency and crisis procedures.

The training exercises are designed to teach appropriate responses to potential threats inside school campuses. Two mock drills were performed, one at Christen Middle School and another at Leyendecker Elementary School.

These drills serve as a model for LISD to evaluate district safety procedures. The school district's police department conducts these specialized training drills at least once per year. They are additional practice to the exercises performed by the police department year round.

READ MORE: Laredo ISD approves $4.3M in pay raises for employees

"We try to make it as live as possible as real threats," Roberto Villarreal, chief of police, said. "If something were to happen this is the closest we can come to doing a live scenario."

Police officers practice handling potential threats such as suicides, hostage negotiation and approaching students, staff and/or faculty in distress who may be armed.

Trainings last anywhere from 10-15 minutes. During this time, the entire campus is on lockdown. Police officers are the sole individuals who have access to the campus. The public and paramedics can only step inside the premises until police officers have cleared the area and determined it is safe to go in.

Students from Trevino Magnet School and Martin High School participated as actors in each of the scenarios. Campus personnel also took part in the training exercises. There was an average of 10 volunteers.

RELATED: LISD students excelled on this year's STARR tests, TEA says

Erik Villarreal, training coordinator, said the police department does extensive research dealing with shooters. The department also sends its officers to specialized tactical training on how to respond to certain scenarios.

"Our priority with our district is for our officers to be the best trained that they can so for a worst-case scenario," Villarreal said. "Even if we don't see it right now what's going on, we'd rather have our officers fully trained for that environment."
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Two local artists, Daniela Cavazos Madrigal and Nansi Guevara, are currently featured in the Young Latino Artists YLA22 | Ahora! Exhibition at the Mexic-Arte Museum in Austin.

Their artworks, and those of eight other Texas artists, highlight the experiences of Latinos in the United States. Cavazos Madrigal and Guevera both use textiles as their primary form of expression.

Cavazos Madrigal, a United High School graduate with a bachelor's and master's degree in art from the University of Texas in San Antonio, said her artwork includes clothing sold in packs, or "pacas," along the border.

"A couple of years ago in Laredo, I discovered clothing sold in packs, and I would go look for clothing with my friends to see what we would find," Cavazos Madrigal said. "While working on my master's degree, I returned to the packages, and I documented how the clothes arrive at bodegas, the people who visit these establishments and the stages of use of the clothing. I was interested in using the clothes for art or transforming them."

READ MORE: Brother of high-ranking Zapata law enforcement official arrested on suspicion of driving drunk

One of the pieces in the exhibit features her grandmother's sayings embroidered onto clothes on a washing line.

"Those clothes are not from the 'pacas,' but rather they are clothes that belonged to my grandmother Olivia Sanchez Hinojosa," she said. "They're embroidered with my grandmother's sayings like 'I love you a lot!'"

Although her work is dedicated to Sanchez Hinojosa, she said it also carries a message about immigration policies since her grandmother chased the American dream but couldn't reach it.

"I feel very happy to have been able to do this because one way or another, my work reflects my personal life. This series of pieces helped me overcome the loss of my grandmother, and at the same time make a connection between her life and the immigration problems in the United States," she said.

Guevara, whose artwork is also featured in YLA22 | Ahora!, graduated from Martin High School and received a bachelor's degree in design from the University of Texas at Austin and a master's degree in education and art from Harvard University.

Like Cavazos Madrigal, she uses textiles to create her art.

"Everything was created with fabric " Guevara said. "The pieces are primarily made of curtain fabric with lace that is often found in Mexican households."

Guevara said that her principal piece, "Siente nuestro poder" or "Feel Our Power," is a large-scale poster that sends a message of resistance.

"It was inspired by community organizers in Brownsville who fight against attacks by the new administration such as those directed at immigrants, women and homosexual people," she said. "It is a reply to that, but it also represents the power that we have in our communities, in our networks, our homes, and our families, to fight against these forces and racist narratives in the country."

MORE FROM LMTonline: Man wearing 'flamboyant shirt' wanted by Laredo police for robbery at local Stripes

She said she feels proud to be a part of this exhibition, and she wants the viewer to identify and interact with her art.

"It's important to me that people can see my artwork and interact with it. I want people to take with them the message that although we experience detention and deportation, we have the collective power to resist," Guevara said.

For Guevara, the exhibition also represents a way to denounce the impact of immigration policies on the Latino community.

"With the detentions and arrests, there are many families that are being separated. These barriers are blocking the potential and talent of our community," she explained.

Alana Coates, associate director of Ruiz-Healy Art in San Antonio and New York, was the curator of the exhibition. Coates emphasized the strength of the artists and the power in their art.

"In the works of Cavazos and Guevara, the ideas of gender and maternity are presented in way that demonstrates strength and power," Coates said. "Both have created an ode to traditional feminine figures as a way to neutralize patriarchal norms. They use textiles and other materials associated with 'a woman's work' to speak up against inequality, border and immigration policies, and to celebrate the pain and power of women and feminity."

The Mexic-Arte Museum's mission is to enrich and educate the community through the presentation and promotion of art and Latino culture.

The opening ceremony took place in July, and the artwork will be on display in the museum until August.

LMT copy editor Doris Gonzalez translated this story.
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Four more defendants who were convicted in a marijuana trafficking and money laundering conspiracy have been ordered to federal prison, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez. Ricardo Ramirez, 31, and Leslie Bernice Trejo, 24, both of Laredo; and Salvador Saldana Medrano, 38, and Laura Heredia Garcia, 52, both of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, had all previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the respective conspiracies.

At a hearing that concluded late today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo sentenced Medrano to a total of 57 months in prison for his convictions of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Garcia and Trejo were convicted in the money laundering conspiracy and will serve respective sentences of 40 and 12 months, while Ramirez received a 37-month-term for his conviction in the drug conspiracy. The court further issued a final order of forfeiture as to Medrano in the amount of $262,000 and $260,000 as to Garcia.

READ MORE: Special prosecutor requested for WCSO lieutenant accused of engaging in sexual contact with inmate

Erasmo Trejo-Nava was the head of a drug trafficking organization that received marijuana loads from Mexico and arranged to transport the marijuana to the Dallas area for himself and others to include Jaime Montalvo Ruiz and Ovidio Rodriguez.

The organization used various stash houses and business fronts in the Laredo area to receive and prepare the marijuana for transportation via personal vehicles to a local warehouse where it was unloaded and reloaded onto tractor trailers for transportation to the Dallas area.

Following delivery of marijuana loads in the Dallas area, the Trejo-Nava Organization collected drug proceeds and arranged to have the drug proceeds transported by couriers via personal vehicle or tractor trailers to Laredo and then Nuevo Laredo.

Over the course of the conspiracy which spanned from June 10, 2011, through June 4, 2013, authorities made multiple seizures of marihuana that totaled in excess of 21,000 pounds.

Ramirez was identified as being involved in the distribution of one of the marijuana loads transported by the Trejo-Nava Organization between May 15-17, 2012, which amount totaled 568 kilograms.

Medrano was involved in coordinating the delivery of marijuana loads for Ruiz to the organization for transportation to the Dallas area and then coordinating the receipt of drug proceeds from the Trejo-Nava Organization on behalf of Ruiz.

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Heredia was a money courier for the organization who was primarily tasked with transporting bulk cash drug proceeds from Laredo to Nuevo Laredo. She would hide the proceeds in her personal vehicle and transport the cash through the international bridge in Laredo.

Trejo was Trejo-Nava's daughter who had knowledge of her father's illicit activity and whose role was to assist another identified money courier in the transportation and concealment of drug proceeds totaling $73,240.

To date, a total of 20 defendants have been convicted for their respective roles in the overall conspiracy. Nine have now been sentenced.

The last 11 defendants are scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 20, 2017, to include Trejo-Nava, 44, Rodriguez, 42, both of Laredo, and Montalvo-Ruiz, 45, of Nuevo Laredo.

The charges were the result of a long term Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Investigation dubbed Operation Trena Sin Trono spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and IRS - Criminal Investigation with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, Laredo Police Department and the Zavala County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Lou Castillo is prosecuting the case.
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A 43-year-old resident of Laredo has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge for his role in a smuggling incident, which led to the kidnapping of multiple undocumented immigrants, Acting U.S. Attorney Abe Martinez announced Monday.

Jesus Osorio admitted during his re-arraignment hearing today that he conspired to harbor and transport undocumented immigrants in violation of law.

On July 5, 2016, law enforcement responded to an incident at a residence in Laredo where eight undocumented immigrants were kidnapped and held hostage against their will. They had previously made arrangements to be smuggled into the United States. After their arrival, they stayed at a Laredo residence for two weeks.

They were then transported to a second location where Angel Alexis Diaz, 20, Jose Israel Diaz, 43, and Julio Osorio, 40, all of Laredo, held them hostage. The victims reported being beaten, forced to undress and ordered to contact family members to pay a ransom for their release.

READ MORE: Pair of gangs maintain strong presence in Laredo, report shows

Through further investigation, authorities learned Jesus Osorio was the man who drove the immigrants from the stash house to the second residence where they were eventually kidnapped. During the course of the offense, one of the undocumented immigrants was seriously injured and required hospitalization.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga accepted the plea. Sentencing has been set for Jan. 2, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo. At that time, Osorio faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He will remain in custody pending that hearing.

Angel Diaz, Jose Diaz and Julio Osorio were convicted of conspiracy to kidnap undocumented immigrants and received sentences of 262-360 months in prison.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department and U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher A. dos Santos is prosecuting the case.
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Despite several criminal groups operating in the area, the Texas Mexican Mafia and the Hermanos Pistoleros Latinos maintain a strong presence in the Gateway City, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

"The (Texas Mexican Mafia) has a strong presence in the Del Rio-Eagle Pass-Uvalde area and in Laredo, as does (Hermanos Pistoleros Latinos)," states the DPS Texas Gang Threat Assessment.

Each year, DPS releases the gang threat assessment to provide a broad overview and update of gang activity statewide. Of the 14 tier I and II gangs detailed in the DPS report, six were listed as having a presence in Webb County. They are: Latin Kings, Texas Mexican Mafia, Texas Syndicate, Tango Blast and Tang Cliques, Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang and Barrio Azteca.

READ MORE: Brother of high-ranking Zapata law enforcement official arrested on suspicion of driving drunk

"This report provides an overview of gangs operating in Texas, which gives law enforcement important information to help protect our communities from these violent organizations," said DPS Director Steven C. McCraw in a recent statement. "Gangs and their associates remain a significant threat to public safety in our state, not only because of their penchant for violence and criminal activity, but also their relationships with other criminal organizations, such as Mexican cartels."

As per the DPS report, the Texas Mexican Mafia is among a handful of gangs that pose "the greatest gang threat" due to its cartel relationships, high levels of transnational criminal activity, level of committed violence and overall statewide strength and presence.

"Cartel and gang relationships remain steady. Mexican cartels and Texas gangs work together to distribute drugs throughout the state, smuggle illegal (immigrants) across the border and procure and move weapons to Mexico," the DPS report states.

"Cartels sometimes reach out to gang members to commit violent crimes on both sides of the border. The relationships between certain gangs and cartels fluctuate based on cartel structures and cell alignments, gang alignment with specific cartels, threats or coercion and familial ties. As long as illicit cross-border crimes are profitable, the relationship between cartels and gangs will continue."

Keeping ahead

Authorities are always keeping ahead of any new players in the area, said Investigator Joe E. Baeza, Laredo police spokesman.

"We really haven't seen anything that's substantial or raising a red flag. But we're constantly monitoring and tracking any new crime trends in the city," he said.

Proof of the proactive approach LPD has taken could be the reduction in crime over the last eight years. In mid-July, police released its uniform crime reports from last year showing an overall 40 percent reduction in crime.

RELATED: Man wearing 'flamboyant shirt' wanted by Laredo police for robbery at local Stripes

Police said in the report that "2,093 fewer violent offenses and 6,834 less property crimes = 8,927 offenses that did not take place in 2016 compared to 2009 with an overall reduction of 40 percent."

"Today, because of the extraordinary police officers and civilians who risk their personal welfare and their dedication to their duties, the city of Laredo is more secure," LPD said in a statement.
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The District Attorney's Office requested a special prosecutor for a case involving a Webb County Sheriff's Office supervisor indicted on allegations of improper contact with an individual in custody.

A special prosecutor is appointed to cases in which a conflict of interest exists for the authority prosecuting. District Attorney Isidro Alaniz filed the request for permission to appoint a special prosecutor for Lt. Fernando Garcia, since the defendant's brother is an employee of the District Attorney's Office.

The request for permission to recuse and appointment of an attorney pro tem addresses the possibility of the relationship creating "the appearance of partiality or favoritism."

READ MORE: Brother of high-ranking Zapata law enforcement official arrested on suspicion of driving drunk

The document states that while Alaniz's duty is to represent the state of Texas against Garcia, and although he is not disqualified to do so, appointing an attorney pro tem would serve the best interest of Garcia, justice and society.

"Therefore, in Webb County criminal matters concerning Fernando Garcia currently pending, and in the interest of fairness and justice, Isidro R. Alaniz requests that the Court disqualify him and his Office concerning Fernando Garcia," the document further states.

Marcel Notzon, who represents Garcia, said a prosecutor is set to be appointed Sept. 1.

"My client adamantly denies all the allegations," Notzon said. "And I expect my client to be fully vindicated."

RELATED: Man wearing 'flamboyant shirt' wanted by Laredo police for robbery at local Stripes

In May, Garcia and Sgt. Fernando Martel were arrested on allegations they engaged in sexual contact with women in custody. Garcia was indicted on one count of violation of the civil rights of a person in custody; improper sexual activity with a person in custody, a state jail felony and official oppression, a Class A misdemeanor.

Both Garcia and Martel were released on $20,000 and $30,000 bonds, respectively, according to the Sheriff's Office.

A motions hearing is scheduled for Aug. 18 before 49th District Court Judge Joe Lopez, court records state.
July 25

At 8:18 p.m., Officer Younger made contact with a victim in the 4800 block of Pine Street who advised his wallet was stolen out of his unsecure vehicle.

At 6:40 p.m., Officer Liccketto conducted a traffic stop in the 6600 block of the West Loop S/B. Officer Liccketto observed a black Mercedes fail to signal lane change. During the course of the interview, the temporary license plate displayed on the vehicle was found to be fictitious. The driver was arrested and taken to the Bellaire Police Department for booking and processing without incident.

At 5:41 p.m., Officers Lysack and Delgado were dispatched to 5002 Bellaire Blvd. in reference to a disturbance. Officers arrived on scene and began investigating the disturbance. During the investigation it was discovered both suspects were lying about their identities and both had warrants. Both suspects were charged with fail to identify - fugitive from justice.

July 26

At 8:54 a.m., Ofc D.Rocha was in front of the Randall's store at 5130 Bellaire Blvd. when the store's loss prevention officer came out and advised of a possible shoplifting in progress. A suspect walked out of the store with stolen items and loss prevention officer behind her. Ofc Rocha was informed suspect had taken multiple items and left the store without paying for them. The suspect was subsequently arrested and charged with Class B Theft with a previous conviction.

At 5:56 p.m., Officer Delgado conducted a traffic stop in the 6700 block of the I-610 West Service Route on a 2014 white Dodge pickup for defective equipment and fail to signal lane change. Officer Delgado made contact with the driver who provided his Texas Identification and was unable to provide any proof of financial responsibility. The driver was placed in custody for traffic and warrants. The passenger of the vehicle was also placed in custody for warrants. Through investigation, the passenger was found to have given the wrong name and date of birth and was charged with fail to identify fugitive.

July 27

At 6:40 a.m., Officer H. Lopez was dispatched to 4900 block of Pine Street in reference to a burglary of a vehicle. Upon arrival, Ofc. Lopez met with the victim who stated an unknown person broke into his locked vehicle and stole a semi-automatic pistol. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the victim's garage door had been opened and the unknown suspect entered the attached garage and stole some miscellaneous keys.

At 10:17 a.m., Officer D.Rocha was dispatched to the 4700 block of Holt Street for a call in reference to a burglary of a motor vehicle. Upon arrival, Ofc Rocha made contact with the owner of the vehicle. The victim stated between the hours of 5:30 p.m. July 26 and 10:15 a.m. July 27, unknown suspect(s) made entry into his locked vehicle and stole the vehicle's key fob.

At 4:30 p.m., Officer Carson was dispatched to the Bellaire Police station (7008 S. Rice, Bellaire) to meet with a victim of an identity theft. Officer Carson meet with the victim who reported his personal information was stolen and used by unknown suspect(s) to open credit cards at several department stores.

At 11:30 a.m., Officer Guerra was dispatched to the 4900 block of Palmetto Street in reference to found property. The reportee advised Officer Guerra she observed the bicycle in her driveway when she was leaving for work.

July 28

At 2 a.m., Officer Clisham arrived in the area of the 5200 block of IH 610 northbound in reference to a major accident involving one vehicle. Upon making contact with the driver and further investigation, the driver of the vehicle was placed into custody and charged with driving while intoxicated.

At 2:21 a.m., Officer Bellard was returning to the Bellaire city limits after clearing an accident when he observed a vehicle stopped at a green light in the area of 3800 Westpark Drive. Officer Bellard observed the driver to be asleep behind the wheel. After further investigation the driver was arrested for driving while intoxicated 2nd.

At 1:41 p.m., Ofc D Rocha was dispatched to the 5500 block of Grand Lake Street to meet with a victim/reportee in reference to a theft. Upon arrival at 1348 hours, Ofc Rocha made contact with reportee. The reportee stated that between 1 p.m. June 2 and 1:37 p.m. July 28 an unknown suspect(s) had stolen items.

At 8:19 p.m., Officer Liccketto was checking the speed of vehicles going N/B in the 6600 block of the West Loop. Officer Liccketto observed a vehicle going 77mph in a 60mph 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.

July 29

At 4:29 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area of 5134 Spruce St. in reference a possible forgery in progress. The investigation concluded with the suspect being arrested for two Class B Misdemeanor theft charges.

At 5:31 p.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched to 5859 Bissonnet St. in reference to a shoplifting in progress. During the course of the investigation, the suspect was arrested for theft and public intoxication. Officer Liccketto located a vehicle in which the employees of El Ahorro were keeping from leaving the location. Officer Liccketto observed the vehicle to drive forward into the parking spot. The driver of the vehicle was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Both were transported to the Bellaire Police Department for booking and processing without incident.

July 30

At 2:40 a.m., Officer Ortega was notified via Houston Police Dispatch of an in-progress DWI with a citizen following. Officer Ortega located the vehicle observed the vehicle to be weaving in its lane in the 6900 block of IH 610 northbound. The driver was found to be driving while intoxicated. Officer Ortega placed suspect into custody and transported him to the Bellaire Jail for processing and booking.

At 3:52 a.m., Officer Clisham made contact with a male subject in the area of 5100 Bissonnet St. The subject was asleep in the driver's seat of the vehicle and was stopped in a moving lane of traffic at a green light. After further investigation, the male subject was placed into custody and charged with driving while intoxicated.

At 7:55 a.m., Officer Guerra was dispatched to the 5000 block of Evergreen Street in reference to a theft which occurred between 4 p.m. July 28 and 10:30 a.m. July 29. The victim advised Officer Guerra items were stolen.

At 11:49 a.m., Officer Schwausch was dispatched to 5002 Bellaire Blvd. in reference to a solicitor. Officer Schwausch arrived on scene and located the suspect. The suspect was subsequently charged and arrested for criminal trespass.

At 5:13 p.m., Officer Lysack was dispatched to the 4600 block of Evergreen Street in reference to a theft. Officer Lysack met with the victim who stated an item was taken from her house.

At 5:24 p.m., Sgt. Hefferin conducted a traffic stop in the 5400 block of Bellaire Boulevard on suspect vehicle for expired motor vehicle registration. The driver identified himself by name and date of birth. Sgt Hefferin conducted a computer query and found the suspect Virginia driver's license was revoked. The suspect was unable to provide any type of proof of financial responsibility for vehicle he was driving. The suspect later stated he did not have another type of proof of financial responsibility. The ownership of the vehicle driven by the suspect was in question. The suspect was taken into custody for driving while license invalid enhanced.

At 10:45 p.m., Officer Barrientos responded to a theft in the 4400 block of Mildred Street. Ofc. Barrientos spoke with victim who stated an unknown suspect(s) took a jumpstart kit from his garage without his consent.
Do you find that reserving a public camping spot on short notice is hard to do? Well, thanks to startup company Hipcamp, that will soon get a lot easier in the Houston area.

Hipcamp, founded by Alyssa Ravasio, was started in 2013 based on Ravasio's own frustrations in trying to find available camping sites.

According to www.hipcamp.com, she had spent hours trying to find a good camping spot on the beach in California for New Years Eve. Once she did find a place, she was disappointed to realize that it was a great surfing spot. The online listing did not say so, which meant she did not know to bring her surfboard. At this time California was also considering to close down some of the state parks due to lack of funding.

Click through the slideshow to see available Hipcamp sites on private land in Texas

Because of this, Ravasio wanted to somehow make it easier to connect people with nature.

"Hipcamp unlocks private access land for people to go camping. I love to camp and I was frustrated by how difficult it was to find somewhere to go outside. All the good parks and campgrounds can be booked many months in advance. This creates new places for people to go outside," Ravasio said.

HIT THE ROAD: Unique places to vacation in Texas

Hipcamp sites are available in all 50 states, but Hipcamp is currently looking at expanding in more urban areas, including Houston.

"We are looking for land owners to join the platform. When we head into the fall, we will do a lot of lot of outreach in the Texas area. We do have over 500 campsites already in Texas, but we are still definitely focused on finding even more places," Ravasio said.

If someone is interested in becoming a site host on Hipcamp, they have to fill out a simple form where they can tell Hipcamp about their property. Outreach specialists are available to help get the host's listings set up.

It is a win-win situation for everyone involved. Campers can have more options at their finger tips at a moment's notice, and the extra income that the land owners make from the campers helps their ability to keep running and preserve their land. HipCamp keeps just 10 percent of the commissions.

"They get to manage their own calendars and set their own prices. We connect them with the right people and handle the liability insurance," Ravasio said.

The average price of a campsite on Hipcamp averages at around $50 a night, but can range anywhere to $15 to $300, depending on what the camper is looking for, and how large the group of campers are.

According to Ravasio, there are a lot of unique places already available, such as "Privet Spring Fed Creek," a site an hour and a half drive west of Houston. The site includes a pizza oven, kayaks and a wood fired hot tub. Another location is the "Tin Barn Lodge," a two hour drive west of Houston, which is great for large group of people and the property includes mini ponies for guests to enjoy.

Other locations are offered in Sam Houston National Forest, Brazos Bend State Park and on Galveston Island.

With so many new camping options nearby, Hipcamp hopes to promote a "micro adventure," which is a new trend of getting away for one night during midweek, instead of a full weekend, which could also help with the capacity of other sites on the weekends.

"Urbanization is one of the defining trends of our era for sure. Everyone is moving to cities. The public campgrounds and parks just haven't kept up with that and weren't planning for the density," Ravasio said. "I think right now, it is just too difficult to access nature. It is a need. It is part of having a balanced happy life."

Ravasio notes that the biggest difference between camping on private land and at public spaces is the privacy.

"You can get your own slice of nature to yourself. People are drawn to that. Even if you don't have a sleeping bag you can still go camping with the diversity of options that we have," Ravasio said.

For more information, visit www.hipcamp.com.
RICHMOND, Virginia -- Progressive activists, eager to sustain their momentum after helping to torpedo GOP efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, invited Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., on Monday to hold a town hall meeting on health care.

"We're concerned because it's like the zombie bill," said Carolina Lugo, a leader with Together We Will RVA, noting that Republican legislation to repeal and replace the federal health-care law keeps getting "resurrected . . . when it appears to most rational people that it is done."

But Brat, who was jeered and shouted down during the two town hall meetings he presided over earlier this year, said he will not attend.

"It is clear these individuals are more interested in scoring political points with TV cameras running than in having a constructive dialogue about issues," Brat said in an email. "I will not spend 90 minutes being shouted at by individuals who have already demonstrated they have no interest in a productive exchange of ideas."

The invitation came from Lugo's group, three Richmond-area Indivisible chapters and the Culpeper Persisters. They asked Brat to attend a town hall meeting they scheduled for later this month in Henrico County, part of his suburban Richmond district. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which would like to see Brat defeated in the 2018 election, also weighed in.

"Dave Brat should get good and used to hearing from his constituents, whether he shows up to listen or not," DCCC spokesman Cole Leiter said.

Since the election in November, Republican lawmakers increasingly have encountered constituents at town hall meetings who are angry about the proposed repeal of President Obama's sweeping health-care law and other issues. Many Republicans have decided to avoid such confrontations.

Brat, an Obamacare critic and former professor who defeated then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a 2014 primary upset, has not spent the August congressional recess in hiding.

His Facebook posts chronicle appearances around his district, some open to the public and announced in advance, such as a National Night Out event in Chesterfield County, Virginia. But at least so far, Brat has not offered himself up for freewheeling question-and-answer sessions.

"To best engage and listen to the concerns of constituents across a diverse political spectrum in a rational manner, I am spending the month of August traveling throughout the 7th District to meet directly with hundreds of individuals at local events, community gatherings, and businesses," he said in his email.
Chicago officials on Monday filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Justice Department over a plan to withhold federal public safety grants to jurisdictions with so-called "sanctuary city" policies.

The lawsuit, announced by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, is the latest strike in an ongoing legal battle between the Trump administration and cities and counties that refuse to help detain and deport people who are in the country illegally.

The challenge centers on new rules attached to the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program, which provides money to local governments to buy police vehicles and other equipment. The new rules include a requirement that localities give federal immigration authorities open access to jails and notify them 48 hours in advance of plans to release an inmate wanted on an immigration detainer.

Filed in Northern Illinois District Court, the lawsuit argues that the requirements "federalize" local jails and violate the constitutional rights of inmates.

"Chicago will not be blackmailed into changing our values, and we are and will remain a welcoming City," Emanuel said in a statement late Sunday. "The federal government should be working with cities to provide necessary resources to improve public safety, not concocting new schemes to reduce our crime fighting resources."

The Justice Department responded sharply Monday, accusing Chicago leaders of putting illegal immigrants above the safety of police and citizens.

"In 2016, more Chicagoans were murdered than in New York City and Los Angeles combined," Justice Department spokesman Devin O'Malley said in an email. "So it's especially tragic that the mayor is less concerned with that staggering figure than he is spending time and taxpayer money protecting criminal aliens and putting Chicago's law enforcement at greater risk."

The lawsuit comes as President Donald Trump is trying to make good on his promise to crack down on unlawful immigration by building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and more aggressively enforcing federal immigration laws. Among his priorities on this front is cracking down on "sanctuary cities," which in the administration's view undermine efforts to root out and deport violent criminals who are in the country illegally.

The cities, meanwhile, say they are not required to closely cooperate with federal immigration authorities and that doing so makes it more difficult to build trust in immigrant communities, where they want residents to feel comfortable offering tips and reporting crimes. They also argue that holding foreigners in jail at the request of immigration authorities could force them to keep inmates longer than is permitted under the Constitution.

Earlier this year, a federal judge blocked an executive order aimed at withholding federal funds from sanctuary cities. With the new policy on the Byrne grants, the Justice Department has tried to take a more modest, and potentially more legally defensible, step toward penalizing such communities. If allowed to go into effect, the new policy would begin in September.

The conflict puts Trump in something of a bind over conflicting priorities. While he has taken a hard-line stance against sanctuary cities, he also has tried to show that he is committed to fighting urban crime - a goal he has often emphasized by highlighting Chicago's homicide rate, the highest in the nation at more than 400 killings so far this year. At one point, Trump proposed using federal resources to rein in the violence. Any attempt to withhold public safety funds from that city would seem to go against that parallel effort.

Chicago received $2.3 million last year through the grant program, funds that in the past the city has used to purchase SWAT equipment, police vehicles, radios and stun guns. It's a relatively small amount of money for one of the largest cities in the country, but Chicago officials said the fight centers on "standing up to this administration that's trying to make us make this awful choice that we don't think is lawful and constitutional, and also keep them from doing this to other grants," said Shannon Breymaier, a spokeswoman for Emanuel.

In the lawsuit, Chicago officials said the new conditions the Justice Department seeks to impose "would give federal officials the power to enter city facilities and interrogate arrestees at will and would force the City to detain individuals longer than justified by probable cause, solely to permit federal officials to investigate their immigration status." That would conflict with Chicago's "welcoming cities" ordinance, which prioritizes crime prevention and local law enforcement over federal immigration enforcement, and potentially would force them to violate the constitutional rights of foreigners held in city jails, the lawsuit says.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Monday that Chicago has a policy that obstructs the nation's immigration system and has "demonstrated an open hostility to enforcing laws designed to protect law enforcement - Federal, state, and local - and reduce crime, and instead have adopted an official policy of protecting criminal aliens who prey on their own residents." Sessions said in a statement that Chicago needs to recommit to the rule of law and to policies that roll back "the culture of lawlessness that has beset the city."

"This administration will not simply give away grant dollars to city governments that proudly violate the rule of law and protect criminal aliens at the expense of public safety," Sessions said. "So it's this simple: Comply with the law or forego taxpayer dollars."
MANILA, The Philippines - Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday that North Korea could show it is ready for negotiations by stopping missile launches, and said he told Russian diplomats that the Kremlin's meddling in U.S. elections had created "serious mistrust" of them among Americans.

In remarks to reporters at a regional conference in which North Korea's missile and nuclear tests have dominated discussions, Tillerson held out an olive branch to Pyongyang by saying the United States will sit down for talks "when conditions are right" to discuss denuclearization and steps to ensure North Korea can feel secure and prosperous.

"The best signal that North Korea could give us that they're prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches," he said. "We've not had any extended period of time where they have not taken some type of provocative action by launching ballistic missiles. I think that would be the first and strongest signal they could send to us, would be to stop these missile launches."

Pressed for a time frame, Tillerson said, "We'll know it when we see it."

"We're not going to give someone a specific number of days or weeks," he added. "This is not 'Give me 30 days and we're ready to talk.' It's not quite that simple. It is all about how we see their attitude in approaching a dialogue with us."

Tillerson has used the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering here in the Philippine capital to hold meetings on the sidelines with allies and adversaries. He said that when he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday, he tried to drive home the point that Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election had a deep and divisive effect on relations between the two countries.

Tillerson described his conversation with Lavrov as "trying to help them understand just how serious this incident had been and how seriously it had damaged the relationship between the U.S. and the American people and the Russian people - that this had created serious mistrust between our two countries and that we simply have to find some way to deal with that."

Tillerson said he also told Lavrov the United States has still not decided how to respond to Russia's move to expel hundreds of U.S. diplomats. He said a response would come by Sept. 1.

Earlier Sunday, China delivered frank advice to North Korea, its outcast neighbor, telling Pyongyang to make a "smart decision" and stop conducting missile launches and nuclear tests.

The statement by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi came on the heels of a U.N. Security Council decision to impose additional sanctions on North Korea and its exports, and it suggested that the American push to further isolate the regime of Kim Jong Un is reaping some dividends. But Wang also called on the United States to dial back the tension.

After meeting with North Korea's top diplomat at the ASEAN gathering here, Wang said that the situation on the Korean Peninsula is critical - but that it could be a turning point for negotiations over North Korea's nuclear proliferation.

"Do not violate the U.N.'s decision or provoke international society's goodwill by conducting missile launching or nuclear tests," Wang said after talks with Ri Yong Ho, North Korea's foreign minister. Wang, however, quickly added, "Of course, we would like to urge other parties like the U.S. and South Korea to stop increasing tensions."

Tillerson arrived in Manila on Saturday night in what State Department officials said would be a concerted effort to enlist other countries in the campaign to get North Korea to abandon its missile and nuclear tests. Concern has mounted that North Korea is developing its missile technology more quickly than expected, after tests last month of missiles that experts said are capable of striking the U.S. mainland, perhaps as far inland as Chicago.

"Certainly we want to resolve this issue through negotiations, and this pressure campaign, the sanctions, it's all about trying to convince the North Koreans that the fast way forward is to come back to the table and talk," said Susan Thornton, assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs.

President Trump, who is at his golf club in New Jersey, tweeted on Sunday night: "Just completed call with President Moon of South Korea. Very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions."

In the hour-long phone call, Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to cooperate and apply maximum pressure and sanctions on North Korea in a telephone call on Monday, the South's presidential office said, according to Reuters.

Moon was quoted as saying there is a need to show North Korea that the door to dialogue is still open, should Pyongyang give up its nuclear program.

In Washington, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway reveled in the vote, which took place Saturday. On ABC's "This Week," she said Sunday: "And then you also just yesterday saw a unanimous rebuke of North Korea. The greatest economic sanctions package ever levied against them, it'll cost about $1 billion. Even allies in the region like China, Japan, South Korea, all agreeing with the United States that North Korea and its nuclear capabilities must be stopped."

But Tillerson also has pointedly stated several times that the United States does not seek regime change or a rapid reunification of the Koreas, which have been in a state of suspended hostility since an armistice was declared in 1953.

On Sunday, he declared the latest U.N. sanctions a "good outcome." That prompted South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha to correct him slightly. "It was a very, very good outcome," she said.

South Korean officials told reporters that Kang and Tillerson had agreed to pursue the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through peaceful measures.

But the diplomatic road ahead is rocky. U.S. officials rejected Beijing's call for the North to halt its nuclear program in exchange for the United States and South Korea suspending joint military exercises, which Pyongyang considers a prelude to an invasion and regime change.

"This kind of moral equivalency that's implied by the freeze for freeze, which is between the North Koreans shooting off missiles that are prohibited and our reasonably defensive exercises that we undertake in our alliance with the South Koreans to protect them from these launches, is not a reasonable kind of a trade," Thornton said.

Thornton also said the United States would be "watchful" to ensure that China did not slip from its adherence to the new sanctions, which she characterized as the strongest in a generation.

"We want to make sure China is continuing to implement fully the sanctions regime," she said. "Not this kind of episodic back and forth that we've seen."

The United States has unsuccessfully lobbied for the 27 members of the ASEAN Regional Forum to suspend North Korea's membership. The response has been polite but noncommittal.

U.S. officials have been adamant that there will be no direct meetings with North Koreans in Manila, even among lower-level officials.

The ASEAN conference also addressed other issues of regional concern.

Delegates are working to establish the framework for a code of conduct in the South China Sea that would reaffirm respect for the freedom of navigation and overflight, and outline how to arbitrate disputes. The demands that China stop expanding and reinforcing man-made islands in the sea, however, have been watered down from a year ago as more pressing demands have risen to the forefront.

The United States is particularly concerned about Islamist militants gaining a foothold in the Philippines after being pushed out of Syria and Iraq. In the city of Marawi in the country's south, Philippine forces are fighting militants who claim to be affiliated with the Islamic State.

Tillerson started the day on a somber note when he visited the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, where 17,000 American and Philippine troops who fought in the Pacific during World War II are buried.

After touring the site and walking past large stone slabs inscribed with the names of more than 36,000 men and women missing in action in the theater between 1941 and 1945, Tillerson signed a visitors' book, adding after his signature, "Let us never forget - FREEDOM."
"Dunkirk," the taut blockbuster by British-born filmmaker Christopher Nolan, is one of the runaway successes of the summer, grossing more than $300 million worldwide since its July 21 release.

It depicts the harrowing May 1940 evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force, which had been trapped by the rampant Nazi military at the French port of Dunkerque. In their hour of desperate need, more than 300,000 British soldiers were rescued with the aid of a motley civilian flotilla of fishing trawlers, family yachts, barges, tugboats and merchant vessels, which ferried them from the beaches and onto the safety of Ol' Blighty. Had they not escaped, the saga of World War II may have had a far more abrupt ending.

For obvious reasons, the drama and heroism of the evacuation lives long in the British imagination. The rescue was followed by a stirring oration from Winston Churchill, just days into his term as prime minister, in which he declared his nation would "go on to the end" and fight the enemy "on the beaches," "in the fields and the streets." The film closes with the speech being read out by an exhausted, freshly rescued soldier. A strategic calamity becomes a rallying cry, a quintessential exhibition of British pluck and courage against the odds.

Nolan himself has stressed that he didn't want to get "bogged down in the politics of the situation," instead creating a tense, enthralling film that plunges viewers into the terror and alienation of war. But that has not stopped commentators and critics from drawing all sorts of broader political meaning from it.

Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen lamented the conspicuous absence of Germans from a story that's about running away from them - as well as any hint of the wider monstrosity of the Nazi regime. British journalist Jenni Russell feared the story's "narrative of heroic retreat," anchored in a seemingly bottomless reservoir of British national pride, was not the message needed at a time when British politicians are marching toward a potentially catastrophic rupture with Europe.

"Nothing could be less helpful to our collective psyche as the country blunders toward Brexit," she wrote.

Then there was this remarkable bit of chest-thumping: "We see the deep and abiding bond of nationhood. And it is that bond that calls forth extraordinary acts of rescue from ordinary men in boats," extolled the Heritage Foundation, an influential right-wing think tank in Washington. "In a day when soulless globalism is the established orthodoxy of the West (save for Brexit and the United States in recent months), Nolan's depiction of nationhood in 'Dunkirk' is a much-needed medicine for our culture."

This is wishful fantasy, as many of the film's skeptics have noted. Perhaps the most fervent backlash against "Dunkirk" has come from Indian media, where critics justifiably complain about Hollywood's "whitewashing" of World War II.

There were at least four companies of the Royal Indian Service Corps on the beaches of Dunkirk. Mustered thousands of miles away, they joined an empire's global struggle - one that had little to do with the freedoms and aspirations of those in their own homeland. One of the companies was forced to surrender to the Germans; three others were among the last to be evacuated. A British army officer was court-martialed for trying to secure their safe passage in defiance of superiors who didn't think it worth the trouble.

WW2:In Dunkirk J.Ashdown (Father of @paddyashdown) Saved Indian Soldiers by Leading Them To Last Ship.For This He Was Later Court Martialled

- indianhistorypics (@IndiaHistorypic) July 30, 2017

No Indian soldier appears for even a fleeting second of the film, though Nolan does give a tiny cameo to colonial African soldiers among the French. The result is an erasure of history that many argue should no longer be tolerated.

"Observers said [the Indian contingent was] particularly cool under fire and well-organized during the retreat. They weren't large in number, maybe a few hundred among hundreds of thousands, but their appearance in the film would have provided a good reminder of how utterly central the role of the Indian Army was in the war," wrote historian John Brioch. "Their service meant the difference between victory and defeat. In fact, while Britain and other allies were licking their wounds after Dunkirk, the Indian Army picked up the slack in North Africa and the Middle East."

Some 2.5 million soldiers from the Indian subcontinent served in World War II; 87,000 died. Their contributions have gone woefully underrecognized in the West - particularly in Britain, where many seem to prefer their tidy myths of a brave little island holding its own against the Nazi menace. Nolan's film is just the latest affront.

"The focus on Britain 'standing alone' sometimes risks diminishing how the war brought pain in many places, right across the globe," wrote Yasmin Khan, the author of "The Raj at War: A People's History of India's Second World War." "The war, especially when viewed from the East, was about two empires locking horns rather than a nation taking on fascism. Above all, the narrative of a plucky island nation beating back the Germans omits the imperial dimension of the war. Many people living in the colonies were caught up in a vicious conflict beyond their control."

Of course, neither Nolan nor Hollywood should have to shoulder this burden of history alone. Khan and others point to decades of enforced British amnesia - generations of British schoolchildren were taught little of the colonial contribution to the war effort or, for that matter, the horrors exacted in the name of the British Empire.

For Indians, Churchill's lionization in the West is hard to swallow, given his stated contempt for many of Britain's colonial subjects and complicit role in the deaths of millions of Indians in a famine. More than seven decades later, it's strange that so many people, including British and American politicians, still need to see the British bulldog as such an untainted, heroic figure.

"A nation that turns away from the truths of its past ... runs the risk of stunting its future," wrote Mihir Sharma for Bloomberg View, reacting to a recent poll that show the British public exulting in the exploitative legacy of their empire. "Acts of colossal self-delusion, like Brexit, then become inevitable. There's no clearer sign of a nation's descent into self-absorption and petty nationalism than the conviction that its darkest shame is in fact its greatest glory."
Israel is moving ahead with efforts to shut Qatari-owned Al Jazeera's Jerusalem bureau, as its security service assesses whether the broadcaster presents a significant threat to the Jewish state.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised the possibility of closing the broadcaster's operations last month because of its coverage of Palestinian protests at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, which he said constituted incitement to violence. Communications Minister Ayoob Kara said on Sunday that his office has formally proposed the shutdown, suggesting that it could help Israel improve relations with Gulf nations that have taken similar action as part of a political feud with Qatar.

"Democracy has limits," Kara said at a press conference in Jerusalem. "Freedom of expression is not freedom to incite." Netanyahu endorsed Kara's remarks in a Twitter message.

Israel has long presented itself as a bastion of press freedom in a region where government restrictions on the media are commonplace, and has pointed to Al Jazeera's presence in Jerusalem as proof of the nation's liberal values. That changed in the past month after Netanyahu blamed Al Jazeera's reporting for stirring passions against Israel that led to violent Palestinian demonstrations at a contested Jerusalem shrine.

Kara also noted that a Saudi Arabia-led alliance that severed ties with Qatar last month had demanded the closing of Al Jazeera among its conditions for ending the dispute.

"We have based our decision on the move by Sunni Arab states to close Al Jazeera offices and prohibit their work," Kara added. "We want alliances with these countries."

The Shin-Bet, Israel's domestic security agency, has started investigating Al Jazeera's operations and will produce a report that will determine whether it should be shut down and if its journalists' credentials should be revoked, Nitzan Chen, director of the Government Press Office in Jerusalem, said in a telephone interview.

Israel's invoking of the Gulf crisis comes as it quietly deepens relations with Arab monarchies facing a shared enemy in Iran. At the outset of the feud in June, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said it created opportunities for Israel to cooperate with others in the region to fight terrorism.

Kara himself has been working to expand Israel's closeted commercial ties with Saudi Arabia, conducted largely through subsidiaries that mask their origins, and focusing on the sale of Israeli technology. A Druze Arab from Netanyahu's Likud party, he's also pushing for direct flights from Tel Aviv for Israeli Arabs performing the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

While Israel is now casting its lot with the Saudis, it was once with Qatar that it enjoyed its warmest Gulf ties. Qatar was the only Gulf country to let Israel open a trade office, three years after it signed its first peace accord with the Palestinians in 1993. The office was shut down after the start of the second Palestinian uprising against Israel in 2000, and political and economic contacts were suspended in 2009 after the first of Israel's three wars with Gaza.

The Foreign Press Association, which represents journalists reporting in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, called the potential action against Al Jazeera "cause for concern."
Everyone knows cigarettes can kill. Yet 36.5 million adults in the U.S. still smoke.

So after the labels and warnings, the restaurant bans and the grisly ad campaigns, the Food and Drug Administration is exploring a radical approach to helping people quit: regulating nicotine in cigarettes. If the FDA follows through -- something far from certain -- the shift could prompt some to quit or, at least, switch to relatively safer products like electronic cigarettes or vaping.

Peruz Nazli, who sat on a bench near New York's Central Park with cigarette butts around her feet, said she was delighted when she heard about the agency's plans.

"It'll be easier to quit," said the 59-year-old retail worker, who started when she was 14. "People look at us different."

The FDA's initiative may upend the $130 billion American tobacco industry. It's also likely to set off a ferocious lobbying and legal war in Washington, and push the cigarette industry to develop products that rely less on burning carcinogenic tobacco and more on delivering doses of nicotine through cleaner vapor. Smoking-related illnesses cost $300 billion a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Interviews with New York smokers suggested that few had taken notice of the proposal announced last week, but many said they would be more likely to switch to new delivery devices than to smoke diluted cigarette after diluted cigarette. Some have already made the change.

Kevin Cleare, 36, who picked up his first cigarette from a junior-high buddy when he was 13, turned to vaping three years ago on his doctor's advice.

He quit smoking cigarettes for the first time three years ago but resumed for a few months amid a stressful breakup before turning to vaping. Now he's "never going back," and vaping looks like a long-term option.

"I'm so disgusted with cigarettes -- the smell, the taste," he said. "This is a fair, reasonable compromise."

Over the past decades, U.S. regulators have banned smoking in many public places, sending smokers outside or into isolated corners. The rate of adult cigarette use has declined by a quarter since 1965 to only 15 percent, according to the CDC. Teens foresee life as a pariah and turn elsewhere, with daily smoking among high school seniors down to 5.5 percent in 2015.

Kids look at smokers and say, "You're crazy. What are you doing?" said Cleare, who works with teenagers at the New York City health department.

Encouraging the remaining wannabes to suck on vape gizmos that resemble digital tape recorders is a planned inconvenience.

"This is just another way in making it less satisfying," said Douglas Kamerow, a senior scholar at the Robert Graham Center for Primary Care Policy Studies in Washington.

Those who stick with cigs are an increasingly gray crowd.

After emerging from a Mercedes-Benz onto a Brooklyn curb, Trevor Carter reached for a cigarette. The car belongs to his daughter. In the back seat is his grandson.

Carter, 68, has smoked for 50 years, a habit he says is harder to break than cocaine or booze, both of which he kicked. If the retired businessman doesn't give up smoking by year-end, he said, his girlfriend will dump him.

"I'm ready, but I can't break the habit," said Carter. But he said he won't try vaping or e-cigarettes, which mimic the traditional item. Instead, he's "trying to quit the natural way."

E-cigarettes are about 95 percent safer than smoked tobacco, according to the U.K. Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies. Vaping atomizers and e-cigarettes heat liquid nicotine, which then becomes vapor. They don't contain carbon monoxide and tar, chemicals in cigarettes that hurt smokers' health. The FDA plan would encourage the use of the stand-ins by delaying further regulation until August 2022, giving tobacco companies a chance to build up a range of alternatives.

After the FDA's announcement last month, shares of the two largest cigarette sellers in the U.S., Altria Group Inc. And British American Tobacco Plc, suffered their biggest single-day drop since the recession, reflecting investors' belief that companies aren't prepared for the new era.

Vivien Azer, a research analyst with Cowen & Co. who follows the industry, said that despite the sell-off, companies are trying to adapt with new products that take them beyond the simple equation of flame plus leaf.

"Everyone seems to be leaning in heavily into 'heat not burn,' " she said.

In one study published in 2015, cigarettes with lower levels of nicotine reduced not only nicotine exposure and dependence, but the number of cigarettes smoked. The research, conducted over six weeks and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, studied 780 people who regularly smoked with no interest in quitting.

For now, younger smokers are caught between eras.

John Mastbrook, 33, a bearded Brooklyn bike messenger, started smoking at 12 in his native Fairfax, Virginia. He vapes from time to time to wean himself from the cigarettes he rolls himself. "It's just a good alternative," he said.

Smoking refugees like Cleare who've switched to vaping recognize, though, that they may still spend their lives tethered to a habit they don't want. He says he's just "trading one vice for another."

"I'm still obviously addicted to nicotine," Cleare said, pausing to cough into his arm.
An appeals court has sided with the City of Willis in an ongoing legal battle over the use of red light cameras and the issuance of fines associated with those cameras.

A class-action suit filed in 2016 by resident Luis Garcia, and representing others who paid red light camera fines to the city in 2014, claims the Willis red light camera enforcement ordinance is unconstitutional because it involves issuing civil fines in a criminal matter. The suit also claims the fines are not valid because the city installed the cameras prior to conducting a state-required traffic study. The suit seeks more than $1 million in reimbursement for the red light camera fines issued.

The city filed a plea arguing that Willis Municipal Court, not a state district court, has jurisdiction over the case to rule on it. But the 410th state District Court denied Willis' plea, prompting the appeal. The city argues that the plaintiffs did not exhaust their legal options under the statute; that the city had legal authority to install the cameras; and that the district court case should have been dismissed because that court lacked jurisdiction over the case.

The Ninth Court of Appeals in Beaumont ruled in the city's favor, overturning the lower court's decision. The justices concurred with the 14th Court of Appeals ruling in Edwards v. City of Tomball, which held that a city that sets up a red light enforcement program must establish an exclusive administrative procedure to handle disputes related to the program.

Citing the 14th Court's ruling, the Ninth Court determined that even if the city failed to conduct a traffic engineering study before installing the cameras, "such an irregularity does not allow a party to completely circumvent or ignore the administrative procedures."

The court did not address the constitutionality of the state law or the validity of the city's red light camera ordinance.

"And after disposing of several of the plaintiffs' other arguments, the court explained that exhaustion of remedies can even be required before raising constitutional claims where, as here, the Legislature has provided in the governing statute that the administrative remedies are the exclusive means for remedying issues related to the scheme," information from the court stated.

Attorney Russell Bowman, of Irving, who has engaged several Texas cities in red light camera court battles, said he is confident the case will head to the Texas Supreme Court. Bowman said a motion was filed about two weeks ago for a rehearing; and similar cases, such as for the city of Magnolia, are on hold.

"It's tough to fight city hall," Bowman said. "That's the fight we're fighting.  It's going to be a long fight, so this is just another round to go through."

Should the legal fight continue onto the Texas Supreme Court, Willis City Attorney Larry Foerster is confident the city will prevail.

"I think that we are going to win on that also," he said. "The law is pretty settled on how one must proceed."

Bowman argues that city ordinance and Texas statute are unconstitutional because a traffic violation is a criminal offense, not civil. Since it is not being treated as such, Bowman said, the individuals are being denied a right to due process and deprived the right to a jury trial that they would be entitled to under Texas law.

If the statute was to be assumed or ruled constitutional, the lawsuit still states the defendants, including Mayor Leonard Reed, City Manager Hector Forestier and Police Chief James Nowak, allegedly failed to comply with the traffic engineering study requirement imposed by the Texas Transportation Code and the Willis ordinance necessary to allow the City of Willis and other defendants to assess and collect a red light camera penalty.

Foerster said last week that Willis argued in the appeal that Garcia and others "failed to exhaust their administrative remedies and that their claims are barred by governmental immunity."

"By law, they have a right to go to an administrative hearing officer and have red light camera video (reviewed) to conclude whether or not it appeared that person who received the citation had run a red light," Foerster said. "If the administrative officer agrees with the person that it doesn't appear (the person was in violation or) should not be assessed a citation, then the case is dismissed by an officer."

The next step would have allowed an appeal in the local municipal court, but Foerster said the plaintiff failed to take either step in the administrative process allowed by the law.
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The tens of thousands of drivers going through Leon Valley daily are contributing to ever-worsening traffic problems on the Northwest Side, officials say, prompting the approval of a red-light camera system on Bandera Road to catch scofflaws.

At any intersection on Bandera Road, youll see four to five people run red lights every few minutes, said Leon Valley Police Chief Joe Salvaggio, calling the red-light running epidemic.

Salvaggio said his officers handled 1,111 accidents on Bandera Road from December 2015 to February 2017. Many of them involved drivers from outside Leon Valley. He said his officers handed out 4,584 traffic citations in 2016, of which only 7 percent went to Leon Valley residents.

With just three officers patrolling the city each shift and 70,000 to 80,00 vehicles traveling on Bandera Road on a normal workday, Salvaggio said, the technological help is essential.

We would love nothing more than to not put these cameras in, but we dont have the manpower to sit at every intersection to catch people who are running lights, Salvaggio said. Its really a necessity.

The cameras have proved controversial in other areas. Houston ended its program in 2011 after court battles and consumer complaints that the cameras were intrusive and little more than a government money grab. During this years regular session of the Legislature, one lawmaker introduced a bill to ban all red-light cameras in Texas. The bill passed in the Senate despite stiff opposition from local law enforcement, but it died in the House.

In Leon Valley, city officials say there is strong support for the program, which is scheduled to begin this fall. While some expressed reservations about the cameras at last weeks City Council meeting, where an ordinance creating the program was approved unanimously, officials said they have received overwhelmingly positive public feedback.

I havent heard any resistance, said Mayor Chris Riley, citing high approval among roughly 100 attendees at a town hall meeting in January. The system, billed as financially self-sustaining, was recommended by city administration and the Leon Valley Police Departments citizen advisory committee.

Ive had people say, I dont like them. Theyre out to make money. Thats not the purpose, said Chuck Hawsey, vice chairman of the advisory committee. The red-light cameras arent intended to produce income for Leon Valley. Theyre intended to improve safety.

Any money banked above the programs cost would go back into the program or be used for other law enforcement expenses, officials said.

The program involves setting up multiple cameras at strategic intersections along Bandera Road to catch drivers who run red lights. License plates will be recorded, and violators will be notified of the noncriminal offense by mail, with a civil penalty of $75.

The ordinance also establishes penalties such as a $25 late fee and a process for those who believe that they were wrongly accused, including provisions for affirmative defense, such as vehicle theft, a nonjudicial administrative hearing and an appeal to municipal court as a last resort.

American Traffic Solutions will provide the cameras, software and technical support for the program. The City Council approved contract negotiations with the company in March. It will cost the city $4,500 to lease each camera each month; officials believe those costs will be covered by the fines generated by the camera tickets.

The Leon Valley ordinance is modeled after one enacted in 2007 in Balcones Heights, where red-light cameras operated by ATS along Fredericksburg Road are credited with helping curb collisions and driving infractions.

In 2006, we had 137 traffic accidents at the locations where the cameras are, said Balcones Heights Police Chief Darrell Volz. In 2016, we only had 42 accidents at those same intersections.

With San Antonio encircling Leon Valley and Balcones Heights, officials in both small cities face the challenge of regulating traffic on major arteries that each day carry thousands of nonlocals through their respective towns.

These red-light traffic safety cameras are a force multiplier for us, said Volz, whose agency has 12 officers to handle calls and traffic issues. I dont have to assign officers to watch the red lights on Fredericksburg Road because they are covered by the cameras.

In Leon Valley, officials echoed a similar sentiment. The police chief said the automated traffic enforcement system should allow his officers more time for investigating property crimes, assaults and other higher-priority matters.

The Leon Valley plan has drawn mixed reactions from the general public.

I think its a bad idea, said Steven Garcia, 24, as he walked westward along Bandera Road one recent afternoon. He fears drivers may be distracted by the cameras, especially if they utilize a flash.

Kera Tannan, a recent California transplant, on the other hand, welcomes anything to curb what she described as the poor habits of Texas drivers.

People run the red lights even when people are crossing (the intersection) on foot, said Tannan, 21, of San Antonio.

Another frequent driver on Bandera Road, Matilda Valerio, described traffic there as crazy and applauded the camera initiative.

Theres a lot of traffic and a lot of accidents, said Valerio, 46, of Leon Valley. That would help people be a little more cautious.

zeke@express-news.net
A Scottish beer maker has come up with a crafty solution to troubled relations on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Earlier this year BrewDog released a press statement, announcing their intentions to establish a craft beer bar somewhere along the edge America's southern border. Titled "Bar on the Edge," the company would sell brews from each country.
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Heavy rainfall shutdown several San Antonio-area parks Monday morning, as the fire department assisted with stalled vehicles and lightning strikes across the city.

Government Canyon State Natural Area closed all trails at 6:45 a.m. and Guadalupe River State Park near Spring Branch closed at 7:50 a.m.

READ ALSO: Crews race to save S.A. drivers trapped in raging waters

"We are currently experiencing very heavy rainfall at the natural area," reads a post on Government Canyon's Facebook page. "After the storm passes, we will monitor conditions and will reopen trails when they are no longer muddy."

Now Playing: A young man became trapped trying to cross over Pinn Road near Highway 151 on Monday, Aug. 7, 2017, as flood waters inundated the area. Two fire engines had their ladders extended as far as they could go, but couldn't reach him. A boat rescue unit prepared to deploy, but authorities ultimately decided the ladders were the safer option. Video: JW Player

Additionally, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area North of Fredericksburg closed its trailed "due to heavy and continuous rainfall."

RELATED: Homes in S.A. suburb evacuated due to flooding, fire department urges residents to seek shelter

The Comal River remained open in New Braunfels around 10:40 a.m. and no streets were closed, said New Braunfels police spokesman David Ferguson.

In Bexar County, Comanche Park 1 and 3, and Pletz Park closed around 9:40 a.m. Raymond Russell Park will open two hours after the rain stops, as well as Pletz Park.

Rodriguez Park's front entrance is closed but county officials said the rear entrance off Gena and Jerome Road was open.

READ MORE: Heavy rain, thunderstorms flood streets during morning commute

In neighboring Leon Valley, residents in low-lying areas were urged to evacuate and seek safety.

Northwest Vista College's main campus, at 3535 N Ellison Dr., closed Monday due to weather and a power outage.

The University of Texas-San Antonio Alumni Office was closed due to flooding, according to an post on Twitter from the organization.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5
The change to new maintenance contracts last month has been a backward step for a childrens playground in Millwater, according to residents and a local councillor.

Since parents complained to the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board about the use of Glyphosate/Roundup in the little playground in Botanical Drive, at the end of 2015, it has been a no-go area for sprays,

However, parents became aware on July 17 that spraying was taking place. It was subsequently confirmed that Glyphosate was sprayed on weeds there.

Shona Roberts, whose child plays at the park, says when she rang to complain to Auckland Council, she was advised to keep kids off the playground. I thought she was joking, as it was school holidays! Shona says. There is absolutely no need to spray  there are no weeds causing problems.

She also contacted Cr John Watson, who says the spraying was appalling. He is looking into what occurred and seeking answers from Council staff who are in charge of the new contracts.

He says he hopes that the local board advocates for no spraying in local parks which the community has advised it wants. They can ask for that under the new contracts, he says.

Local board chair Julia Parfitt says there was an informal agreement with the former contractors, Recreational Services, not to spray the Botanical Drive playground. However, she says nothing was formalised and that could be why the new contractors were not aware of the arrangement when they began their first round of work last month.

We are currently trying to arrange a meeting between our new contractors, Ventia, and some local groups who want some flexibility in the contracts, Mrs Parfitt says. Those issues need to be formalized and put in the contract.

She says where no spraying is to take place the local board would have to be assured that the park will be maintained to the same standard, or better.

Under the new contract, use of sprays is to be limited and should not be around play equipment, she says.

Shona Roberts says the situation is disappointing. We feel like the little guys who must keep constantly battling to get what we want, she says. It is wearing us out.
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The highly anticipated new Peugeot 5008 SUV, big sister to the award winning Peugeot 3008 SUV, Car of the Year 2017, is now on sale in Ireland, with demonstrator vehicles arriving in Peugeot Dealer showrooms this August: initial retail volumes will arrive in September, with production increasing from October.





A departure from its former traditional MPV body shape, the new Peugeot 5008 SUV features three rows of seats and the new Peugeot iCockpit with digital instrumentation across the range.



A sophisticated, practical and stylish vehicle that combines efficiency with high-levels of safety and technological equipment, the range starts from 28,745 plus delivery related charges for the entry level model, the Access 1.2 130bhp PureTech petrol version.

Colin Sheridan, Sales and Marketing Director at Gowan Distributors Limited, Peugeot Importers in Ireland said, The new Peugeot 3008 SUV has been a huge sales success in Europe since launch in October 2016, where it now has a multitude of international awards under its belt. That performance is being replicated in Ireland since its arrival in March 2017.



"Together with the continued success of the 2008 SUV and the diverse Peugeot van range, our market share jumped by 16% in July, in a market that declined by 7%.

He continued, The new Peugeot 5008 SUV will build on the strong commercial success of the new 3008 SUV, and indeed the previous Peugeot 5008 MPV, the second best-selling compact 7-seater MPV in Ireland in 2016 and a former Irish Family Car of the Year winner.



"Consumer interest in Ireland in SUVs continues to be strong and we are very well positioned now, particularly with our fantastic 1.2 petrol 130bhp engine, in manual and automatic guise. For the Irish market, we also offer a spare wheel as standard on all except the GT version.
Arrest Made in Connection With Stabbing of Man in Valley Stream, According to Police

Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: August 07 2017

NCPD: Fredy Orlando Zacaria-Agustin, 25, is charged with 2nd Degree Attempted Murder and Assault.

NCPD report the arrest of Fredy Orlando Zacaria-Agustin of Valley Stream, 25, in connection with an Assault that occurred on Wednesday, August 2.

Valley Stream, NY - August 7, 2017 - Fifth Squad detectives report the arrest of Fredy Orlando Zacaria-Agustin, 25, of Fifth Squad detectives report the arrest of Fredy Orlando Zacaria-Agustin, 25, of Valley Stream , in connection with an Assault that occurred in Valley Stream on Wednesday, August 02, 2017 at 3:31 am.

According to detectives, a Third Precinct Police officer observed a 25 year old male victim lying on the ground with multiple stab wounds in the vicinity of West Merrick Road / South Franklin Avenue. The victim suffered deep lacerations to his head, neck, arms, and chest. A Nassau County Police Ambulance transported him to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries, and is listed in serious but stable condition.

A subsequent investigation led detectives to the identity of the defendant and he was placed under arrest at his home without incident on Friday, August 4, 2017 at 3:42 pm.

Zacaria-Agustin is charged with Attempted Murder 2nd Degree, Assault 1st Degree and two (2) counts of Possession of a Dangerous Weapon 4th Degree. He will be arraigned in First District Court, Hempstead on 8/5/2017.

Detectives request that anyone with any information regarding the above crime to contact the Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.
Bay Shore Man Arrested for DWI, Endangering Welfare of Child After Crash in Stolen Vehicle

Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: August 07 2017

Justice Bennett, 19, lost control of the vehicle while fleeing police and overturned and crashed in Melville, cops say.

SCPD arrested Justice Bennett of Bay Shore, 19, for DWI (Leandras Law) after he stole a vehicle, fled police and was involved in a motor vehicle crash on Saturday, August 5.

Melville, NY - August 7, 2017 - Suffolk County Police arrested a man for driving while intoxicated and endangering the welfare of a child after he stole a vehicle, fled police and was involved in a motor vehicle crash in Suffolk County Police arrested a man for driving while intoxicated and endangering the welfare of a child after he stole a vehicle, fled police and was involved in a motor vehicle crash in Melville , New York, on Saturday, August 5, 2017 at 3:16 a.m.

A Second Precinct officer observed a man in a 2001 Ford driving recklessly southbound on New York Avenue at east 15th Street, Huntington Station , New York, at 3:12 a.m. The vehicle had been reported stolen from Bay Shore , New York, at approximately 2:30 a.m. An officer attempted to pull over the vehicle and the driver, Justice Bennett, fled. Bennett lost control and the vehicle overturned and crashed at Old Country Road, west of Ponderosa Drive, at 3:16 a.m.

Bennett, 19, of Bay Shore, was transported by the Melville Fire Department to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow for treatment of serious injuries. A 13-year-old passenger and two 14-year-old passengers in the vehicle were all transported by the Melville Fire Department to Nassau University Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Second Squad detectives charged Bennett with Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, three counts of Aggravated DWI (Leandras Law), three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Unlawful Fleeing of Police. He is scheduled for arraignment at a later date.

The vehicle was impounded for a safety check and the investigation is continuing.
School & Education, Local News, Crime, Business & Finance, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: August 07 2017

Investment will Create More than 2,500 Seats for College-in-Prison Reentry Program over Five Years at 17 New York State Correctional Facilities.

Albany, NY - August 7, 2017 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. today announced the award of $7.3 million to fund educational programming and reentry services at 17 New York State prisons over the next five years. The College-in-Prison Reentry Program is being funded through the Manhattan District Attorney's Office's Criminal Justice Investment Initiative. It will create more than 2,500 seats for college-level education and training for incarcerated New Yorkers across the state. This program will significantly increase the likelihood of successful reentry into the community thereby reducing recidivism rates.

"Prison isn't just about serving time for ones crimes. It's an opportunity to help those who have made mistakes rehabilitate and rebuild their lives," Governor Cuomo said. "It has never been more evident that a college education is an important stepping stone to success and by partnering with District Attorney Vance, that success will reach those who never thought they could achieve it. This program not only strengthens the futures of incarcerated individuals and their communities alike, but it will save taxpayer dollars in the long run."

"It makes no sense to send someone to prison with no pathway for them to succeed when they get out," said District Attorney Vance. "Investing in college education programs is a proven, cost-effective way to break the harmful cycle of recidivism and keep our communities safe. I thank today's awardees for recognizing that their institutions have a powerful role to play in enhancing public safety, and I thank Governor Cuomo for his strong commitment to implementing meaningful re-entry reforms across our state."

Last year, Governor Cuomo unveiled this new college education program as part of a common sense criminal justice reform package through his Right Priorities Initiative. The new measure was launched through a partnership, as a way to utilize criminal asset forfeitures seized by the Manhattan DA's Office to help fund a major expansion of higher education inside DOCCS prisons. Providing education in prisons is crucial in preparing that person for a successful reentry into the community, reduce the rate of recidivism, and improve public safety.

study conducted by The Rand Corporation in 2013 found that individuals who participate in prison education programs are 43 percent less likely to recidivate and return to prison, and 13 percent more likely to obtain employment after their release.

Currently, most college education programs at state prison facilities are privately funded. These classes carry long waitlists and standardization across programs is often lacking. These factors prevent many inmates from making significant progress toward the completion of a degree. Just over 1,000 incarcerated individuals in New York State presently receive college-level instruction each year. The College-in-Prison Reentry Program will increase that number by 500-600 per year through a combination of CJII grant and matching funds. Participants will have the opportunity to receive college-level instruction and earn an Associate's Degree, Bachelor's Degree, or industry-recognized certificate. To qualify for the Program, incarcerated individuals must have no more than five years remaining on their prison sentence.

The colleges and universities being awarded grants to provide classes and reentry services are:

Bard College , at Taconic, Coxsackie, Eastern, Fishkill, Green Haven, and Woodbourne correctional facilities;

Cornell University , at Cayuga, Auburn, Elmira, and Five Points correctional facilities;

Medaille College , at Albion correctional facility;

Mercy College , at Sing Sing correctional facility;

Mohawk Valley Community College , SUNY, at Marcy correctional facility;

New York University , at Wallkill correctional facility; and

Jefferson Community College, SUNY, at Cape Vincent, Gouverneur, and Watertown correctional facilities.

The CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance, technical assistance provider to the Manhattan DA's Office on all of CJII, will work with the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to oversee the program's daily operations, working directly with the education providers.

The CUNY Prisoner Reentry Institute, in collaboration with the State University of New York, will receive approximately $2.37 million over five years to serve as the Education and Reentry Coordinator for the Program. The Education and Reentry Coordinator will oversee the education providers' reentry planning and offer technical assistance as needed; align course requirements across and develop articulation/transfer agreements between funded colleges; develop standards for prison education curricula in New York State; and exchange best practices and lessons learned among the education providers.

CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance Executive Director Michael Jacobson said, "This investment is providing critical support to expand college-in-prison programs across New York State, including at DOCCS facilities where no such programming currently exists. But one of the unique parts of this investment is that it was designed with sustainability in mind-the work the colleges will do with the CUNY Prisoner Reentry Institute and SUNY will equip them to provide critical reentry supports to students beyond the term of the grants and address systemic barriers to success that often hinder degree completion post release. The program will also generate important policy documents, including educational standards and a set of best practices for prison education and reentry in New York State, which colleges nationwide can use for years to come."

Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci said, "Thanks to Governor Cuomo, this new investment in funds from the Manhattan District Attorney opens up 2,500 additional seats for people to have a chance at obtaining a college degree. DOCCS will continue its work of transforming incarcerated individuals into law-abiding citizens while making for a safer correctional environment."

Ann Jacobs, Director of the CUNY Prisoner Reentry Institute, said, "We are pleased to be a part of this important initiative, especially in our role as the Education and Reentry Coordinator. Developing standards for prison education statewide and working with education providers to establish transfer agreements will help ensure that individuals can transfer credits easily to other institutions upon release so that they can continue to build on their progress and complete their education. College education is a key component to succeeding in the workforce, which, for returning citizens is vital for successful reentry, family reunification and reintegration into their communities. We are looking forward to working closely with both DOCCS and the education providers to help prisoners' access college education and to ensure they have the support they need when they return home to be able to succeed."

Since taking office, Governor Cuomo has made improving the state's criminal and youth justice systems a priority. The Governor not only led the successful effort to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 18 earlier this year, but his Work for Success Initiative has helped over 18,000 formerly incarcerated people find work upon their release. Additionally, Governor Cuomo formed the state's first Council on Community Re-Entry and Reintegration in 2014 to address obstacles formerly incarcerated people face upon re-entering society. Since its launch, the Council has helped spur a number of changes to improve re-entry ranging from adopting "Fair Chance Hiring" principles in state agencies to issuing guidance that forbids discrimination at New York-financed housing based on a conviction alone.

The Governor has also made expanding other educational opportunities for those re-entering society a key focus of his re-entry efforts. This work includes expanding college courses in prison, increasing literacy in prison by identifying learning disabilities and reducing class size for adult basic literacy learners.
U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham on Tuesday claimed President Donald Trump told him he is willing to go to war with North Korea if it develops a nuclear-capable intercontinental missile that can hit the U.S.

Speaking on NBC's "Today" program, Graham flatly contradicted pundits who say there is no realistic military option against North Korea. "There is a military option to destroy North Korea's nuclear program and North Korea itself," he said.

Trump "is not going to allow the ability of this madman [North Korean leader Kim Jong-un] to destroy America," he said, adding, "He's told me that to my face."

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders tried to contain another scattershot salvo of mixed messages from the U.S. administration by telling reporters, "We're weighing all options, keeping all options on the table."

But Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters the same day, "We felt the appropriate thing to do first was to seek peaceful pressure on the regime in North Korea to have them develop a willingness to sit and talk with us."

But he added there needs to be "an understanding that a condition of those talks is there is no future where North Korea holds nuclear weapons or the ability to deliver those nuclear weapons to anyone in the region much less to the homeland."

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported that Washington is preparing to take retaliatory trade measures against China. The measure is aimed at pressuring China to lean harder on its ally North Korea to scrap its nuclear and missile programs.


Britain is prepared to pay up to 40 billion euros ($47 billion) as part of a deal to leave the European Union, the Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported, citing three unnamed sources familiar with Britain's negotiating strategy.

The European Union has floated a figure of 60 billion euros and wants significant progress on settling Britain's liabilities before talks can start on complex issues such as future trading arrangements. The government department responsible for Brexit talks declined to comment on the Sunday Telegraph article. So far, Britain has given no official indication of how much it would be willing to pay.

The newspaper said British officials were likely to offer to pay 10 billion euros a year for three years after leaving the EU in March 2019, then finalize the total alongside detailed trade talks. Payments would be made only as part of a deal that included a trade agreement, the newspaper added.

"We know ([the EU's] position is 60 billion euros, but the actual bottom line is 50 billion euros. Ours is closer to 30 billion euros but the actual landing zone is 40 billion euros, even if the public and politicians are not all there yet," the newspaper quoted one "senior Whitehall source" as saying.

Whitehall is the London district where British civil servants and ministers are based.
Travelling is magic in itself. It starts from the moment you start talking about the trip a little sliver of discussion here and there amongst close friends on possible destinations in hushed tones. Then, it grows into something bigger, with purchasing airline tickets and actually packing your luggage. Up till the minute you step off the plane, it is likely that the whole experience will feel infinitely surreal. So, why stop that dreamy experience with less-than-impressive accommodations? The next time youre travelling to Thailand, check out these 8 Instagrammable cabins that will bring your vacation to the next level.

Cabins might not sound like the most luxurious choice, we know. After all, villas are found in nearly every corner of the country which is great, but living in a cabin provides an alternative option that will delight as well. After all, these cabins were once the only form of housing available, which gives your holiday an additional cultural and historical twist! So, scroll back up and we promise you wouldnt be disappointed!

Lee Hui Bing

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Eat, Pray, Love: Southeast Asias 5 most blissful retreats

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Kara said he has asked cable and satellite networks to block Al Jazeera transmissions and is seeking legislation to ban them altogether. The minister, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, gave no timetable for such measures.

Communications Minister Ayoob Kara said he plans to revoke the press credentials of Al-Jazeera journalists, effectively preventing them from working in Israel.

Israel said Sunday it plans to ban Qatar's flagship Al-Jazeera network from operating in the country over allegations it incites violence, joining Arab nations that have shut down the broadcaster amid a separate political dispute. The news organization, in turn, said it will take legal action.

Doha-based Al-Jazeera on its English language website condemned the measures as "undemocratic" and said that it will take legal action. It said it will continue operating in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Walid al-Omari, the broadcaster's bureau chief in Jerusalem, said on air that his office has not been informed by Israeli officials of any possible measures the government might take.

Al-Jazeera, a pan-Arab satellite network funded by the Qatari government, already has been targeted by Arab nations now isolating Qatar as part of a months-long political dispute over Doha's politics and alleged support for extremists.

Jordan and Saudi Arabia have recently closed Al-Jazeera's local offices, while the channel and its affiliate sites have been blocked in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain. "Lately, almost all countries in our region determined that Al-Jazeera supports terrorism, supports religious radicalization," Kara said. "And when we see that all these countries have determined as fact that Al-Jazeera is a tool of the Islamic State (group), Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, and we are the only one who have not determined that then something delusional is happening here."

Israeli officials have long accused Al-Jazeera of bias against the Jewish state. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has likened its coverage to "Nazi Germany-style" propaganda.

Nitzan Chen, director of the Government Press Office, said press credentials are not issued if security officials deem the cards would be "liable to endanger the security of the state." He said "Therefore, I have contacted the security echelon and have requested a professional opinion regarding the Al-Jazeera network."

A decision will be made after receiving that opinion, he said. The Foreign Press Association, which represents journalists covering Israel and the Palestinian territories for international news organizations, said the move "is certainly a cause for concern." It said it will study the issue and decide how to proceed.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based advocacy group, criticized the Israeli proposal. "Censoring Al-Jazeera or closing its offices will not bring stability to the region, but it would put Israel firmly in the camp of some of the region's worst enemies of press freedom," said Sherif Mansour, the committee's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. "Israel should abandon these undemocratic plans and allow Al-Jazeera and all journalists to report freely from the country and areas it occupies."

Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, condemned the move. "Al-Jazeera had a big role conveying the Palestinian narrative with a high professionalism," said Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesman.

American viewers became familiar with Al-Jazeera after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when its golden-hued Arabic logo became synonymous with video messages by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. That sparked frequent complaints by then-President George W. Bush's administration. The station defended its policy, saying the messages were newsworthy.

Al-Jazeera was the first Arab satellite news channel to offer a range of views outside of heavily censored state media across the region and extensively covered the 2011 Arab Spring. It also was the first Arab-owned news outlet to host Israeli officials and commentators, which some analysts note coincided with Qatar's ties with Israel at the time.
Make your Chipotle craving a "selfless act" by grabbing a burrito from any Massachusetts location on Thursday, August 10.

Chipotle has teamed up with Northeast Animal Shelter to donate 50 percent of proceeds to the Salem shelter.

Those wishing to participate in the fundraiser must tell the cashier they are donating to Northeast Animal Shelter or show them the flyer before checking out.

Fundraiser for the Northeast Animal Shelter: Eat at any Chipotle Mexican Grill in Massachusetts on Thursday August 10th from 10:45AM-10PM, 50% of proceeds will be donated! Posted by Northeast Animal Shelter on Saturday, August 5, 2017

Northeast Animal Shelter is one of New England's largest non-profit, no-kill animal shelters, according to their website. It also says that it has placed over 125,000 cats and dogs since opening its doors in 1976.

The shelter also has numerous programs, including teaching students how to be "loving pet owners" and bringing animal visitors to local nursing homes, according to the website.
Before I begin this review it's important to note that I am not sponsored by Batch, an ice cream brand based in Boston. I have never spoken to the brand's public relations or media team, they have not sent me free products.That being said, I am completely obsessed with this ice cream brand.

I first saw Batch at Fresh Acres Market in Springfield's Sixteen Acres neighborhood. I liked the packaging and picked up a pint, only to discover it was by far the best chocolate ice cream I've ever had. To this day I have not found anything that compares to the texture, flavor and quality of that pint of ice cream.

I've been wanting to review the vanilla flavor for awhile, but every time I bought it I ended up eating it before I could really do a real review.

In my previous review of the brand's Brown Sugar, Bourbon and Pecan flavor I compared the vanilla bean with the likes of Bart's, Herrell's and Mr. Green Tea Madagascar vanilla ice cream flavors, which have been at the top of my list for long time.

I gave it a five star rating and I stand by that rating now. This is such a simple treat - vanilla ice cream made with minimal, organic ingredients, packed with flavor and with an incredibly creamy texture.

This ice cream is good on its own, with fruit, in a milkshake, with pie. It's just a wonderful vanilla ice cream.

Batch, if you're reading, I love you! Please make a strawberry flavor and perhaps a unique take on cookies and cream?
The Union Oyster House, one of Boston's oldest and most popular restaurants, will reopen on Monday after a small fire broke out last Thursday.

The fire appeared to be caused by exterior lights that hang between the first and second floors. Boston firefighters battled a small blaze at the restaurant Thursday night. Flames and smoke could be seen right where one of the hanging external lamps was located.

The interior of the restaurant, which saw some smoke, was not damaged during the fire. On the exterior, some wooden paneling was torn off around the outside lamps. Another small area that firefighters said provided ventilation to the basement was also torn apart as they tried to identify and contain any smoke that had seeped into walls.

Firefighters quickly put out the flames and were able to ventilate the restaurant without damaging the inside. Firefighters worked hard to prevent damage to the tall glass windows on the second floor.

Patrons were evacuated from the Oyster House and neighboring restaurants. The iconic Boston eatery was closed over the weekend for restoration and clean-up.

The Union Oyster House, "America's oldest restaurant," was founded in 1826. It is considered the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the country. The Oyster House sits on Union Street, along Boston's Freedom Trail, and is considered a National Historic Landmark.
A trial date will be decided on Monday in the case of Radoslaw Czerkawski, the man charged with intensely abusing and leaving for dead a dog now referred to as "Puppy Doe."

Czerkawski, a 35-year-old Polish national who already serving since 2015 a state prison term for stealing from a grandmother, pleaded not guilty to animal cruelty charges when the pup was found in 2013. The main suspect has blamed youths he witnessed at a playground in Quincy, where the beaten puppy was discovered.

The pit bull mix, less than two years old, was found severely underweight and featured many wounds, such as a fractured skill, burns and bruises, stab wound in the right eye, a split tongue and ripped rib bones. The puppy was euthanized due to the extent of her injuries.

Law enforcement found Czerkawski took in the puppy after its original owner gave it away on Craigslist. The owner had reportedly moved into an apartment that did not permit dogs.

The trial was originally set for Tuesday, July 24, but was pushed back when the assistant district attorney prosecuting the case needed emergency eye surgery.

On Monday afternoon, August 7, a judge at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham will assign a new trial date.
The UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously agreed harsher sanctions against North Korea that include a complete ban on exports of coal, iron ore and seafood and freeze labor exports.

UNSC Resolution 2371 follows more than a month's intense negotiations since North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in early July. The South Korean Foreign Ministry estimates that the latest sanctions could slash US$1 billion or one-third of North Korea's annual exports.

The new sanctions ban member states from buying North Korean coal and iron ore and add lead and lead ore to a list of already banned exports that include gold, vanadium and rare earth elements. Seafood, which has also been included, accounts for around seven percent of the North's exports.

Four financial institutions, including the state-run Foreign Trade Bank, and nine individuals have been added to the UNs blacklist. North Korean ships involved in violating any of the bans will be barred from all foreign ports.

U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted following the adoption of the latest resolution, "United Nations Resolution is the single largest economic sanctions package ever on North Korea." Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the UN, said the latest sanctions are "the most stringent set of sanctions on any country in a generation."

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said they aim to effectively suppress North Koreas nuclear and missile development programs.

But critics say they do not go far enough since China and Russia resisted an embargo on North Korea's crude oil imports. They also depend on how stringently China will enforce the bans since it accounts for more than 90 percent of trade with North Korea.

Susan Thornton, the acting assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs, said there has been a pattern of China complying with sanctions following a North Korean provocation, only to loosen them over time.


Elon Musks house runs on solar. The Tesla CEO made the announcement during Wednesdays second quarter 2017 earnings call, where he revealed that both himself and Jeffrey B. Straubel, the companys chief technology officer, have installed solar roof tiles on their houses.

"We have installed and working the Solar Roof tiles," Musk told investors during the conference call.

Tesla started taking pre-orders for the textured black and smooth grey tile styles back in May, with U.S. orders expected to start shipping this year. Unfortunately, those who didnt order immediately have a long wait on their hands: the tiles sold out until next year in just 16 days. The company is expected to start taking orders for the remaining Tuscan and slate styles in November, with deliveries starting next year. International orders are expected to start shipping next year.

The solar roof is offered at a competitive price point. Tesla has priced it at an average of $21.85 per square foot, bringing it down to below the cost of a normal roof.

By Mike Brown

Full Story: https://www.inverse.com/article/35022-elon-musk-tesla-solar-roof-photos-amazing?utm_campaign=organic&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=inverse
The technology could signal the beginning of the end of parking tickets and other revenue sources. Some cities budgets could take a big hit.

by Mike Maciag

Full Story: http://www.governing.com/topics/finance/gov-cities-traffic-parking-revenue-driverless-cars.html
President Moon Jae-in wrapped up his summer break and returned to Cheong Wa Dae on Saturday.

He is now poised to discuss North Korea on the phone with U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Cheong Wa Dae said Moon will chair a meeting of senior presidential secretaries on Monday and hold a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to announce his latest plans.
U.S. 70 East in Marion was closed briefly on Sunday as Marion police officers successfully talked a troubled woman off a railroad overpass.

On Sunday at approximately 1:44 p.m., emergency personnel and officers with the Marion Police Department responded to U.S. 70 East near Memorial Park Road after calls came in about a woman walking on the overpass above the highway.

According to Lt. Rusty Jenkins of Marion P.D., Cpl. D.J. Barrier II and Officer Caleb Duyck were on scene trying to communicate with the person, a 30-year-old McDowell resident, when he was asked via cell phone to offer his assistance.

She was not in a good way the other day, Jenkins said Monday. She was not under the influence of narcotics in any way, just not in a good place in life. I arrived on scene not in uniform  the other two officers had already started a dialogue with her, however they could not get close because of how they were dressed. It was easier for me to gain her confidence because I was in plain clothes.

After an exchange with the person, Jenkins and responding personnel persuaded her to come across the railing to where she would be more secure. Once off the overpass, Jenkins continued to talk with her in his patrol car, unharmed and away from the warm weather as Capt. Donnie Tipton of McDowell EMS treated her, and discussed the appropriate measures to take following the incident, such as reporting to the hospital.

We sincerely hope that this young lady is able to find the help that she needs, said Jenkins.

U.S. 70 East at Memorial Park Road was reopened at 2:21 p.m.

When asked about the protocol taken by law enforcement in emergencies such as this, Jenkins said, Its all about communication. You cant get anywhere when no one is willing to speak with you. Once that communication opens, even if its very small, you can begin to end a circumstance like this more positively. You want to find out what brought them to the situation, without judgement and without saying, Well, the law says this and such. Everything is open to be discussed, everything from relationship issues they may be facing, religious issues they may be facing, or any sort of narcotic abuse or illness that they have and try to offer solutions.

If you or a loved one are seeking help in suicide or crisis-related matters, please contact The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention  North Carolina at (919) 356-2488 or the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
North Korea has told a UN agency that a total of 6,473 women defectors were repatriated to the isolated country over the past decade but "most" were not punished.

Voice of America on Friday quoted a recent statement from the North to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women ahead of its country reviews in early November that those women "returned" to the North after traveling overseas without valid travel permits between 2005 and 2016.

Most are presumed to have been forcibly sent back to the North from China.

The statement said most of the women crossed the border illegally because they had economic difficulties or fell victim to trafficking groups. "Therefore, they were not subjected to any legal punishment, and are now enjoying stabilized life thanks to the all-embracing, benevolent politics of the state," it added.

It claimed only 33 were punished for involvement in felonies like attempted murder and drug trafficking overseas.

The claims fly in the face of overwhelming testimony from defectors that the returned women suffer inhumane treatment, including beatings, torture and rape, according to a report by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the North.

Still, it is unprecedented for the North to put a figure on how many of these women were repatriated.

"It seems that the regime made a false statement to cover up its grave violations of the human rights of returned women defectors and to deflect international pressure over these abuses," said Han Dong-ho of the Korea Institute for National Unification.


What was once the stuff of science fiction is now becoming a reality: entire organs may soon be healed by simply touching a small chip. Share on Pinterest

This small device uses tissue nanotransfection to regenerate full organs at the touch of a finger.

Image credit: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center A team of researchers from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Ohio States College of Engineering, both in Columbus, developed a groundbreaking technology that could soon restore almost any organ. The device changes cell function in a non-invasive way. It relies on a type of nanotechnology called tissue nanotransfection, which can reprogram living adult cells into any other type of cell. The new study was published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, and the research was jointly led by Dr. Chandan Sen, who is director of Ohio States Center for Regenerative Medicine and Cell-Based Therapies, and L. James Lee, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Ohio States College of Engineering.

How the technology works The breakthrough technology relies on two main elements, and the first one is the chip itself. Using nanotechnology, the scientists designed the device so that it could inject a so-called genetic load into the bodys cells. The second element is the genetic load itself: the chip carries a specific genetic code in the form of DNA or RNA, which, when applied to cells, changes them from their previous structure and function to the structure and functions needed to repair the injury. The video below shows the device in action. As the study authors explain, the reprogramming factors are delivered into the cell using a highly intense and focused electric field through arrayed nanochannels. In other words, the chip is placed onto the skin and with a simple touch, a small and nearly imperceptible electrical current forges channels into the tissue. The DNA or RNA is sent through these nanochannels and starts to reprogram the cells, giving them a new identity. As Dr. Sen explains, It takes just a fraction of a second. You simply touch the chip to the wounded area, then remove it. At that point, the cell reprogramming begins.
The lens is located in a capsule just behind the iris and is suspended by fibers attached to the ciliary body. The ciliary muscles adjust the curvature of the lens to enable the eye to focus on objects at different distances. Clouding of the lens due to cataract prevents light from focusing on the retina and therefore affects vision.

When light enters the eye, it passes through the outer transparent dome called the cornea , then through the fluid behind the cornea in the anterior chamber called the aqueous humor , then the opening of the iris called the pupil , and then through a transparent lens and a thick gel-like fluid called the vitreous humor . These media help to focus the light onto the most sensitive part of the retina, which ensures clear vision.

Cataracts are examples of curable blindness. They cannot be reversed, meaning that the crystalline lens cannot become transparent again, but the visual impairment due to a cataract can be rectified by surgical removal of the lens and replacement with a synthetic intraocular lens.

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About 20 million people in the world are blind due to cataract, which accounts for about 51 % of cases of blindness due to various causes. According to the latest statistics, blindness in one out of every three people and visual impairment in one in six people in the world is due to cataract. In India, cataract accounts for 62.6 % of cases of blindness.

Age-related cataract, which appears at an older age, is the most common form of cataract. However, there are other causes as well. Broadly, cataract can be divided into congenital and acquired varieties.

Congenital cataract is cataract that is present from birth. Developmental cataract can develop shortly after birth. Some of the causes are  genetic, galactosemia, (presence of excessive galactose in the blood), Lowe syndrome (an inborn error of amino acid metabolism), congenital rubella (baby born to a mother who had German measles during pregnancy), congenital toxoplasmosis, cytomegalovirus or varicella (chicken pox) infection, Downs syndrome, hypoparathyroidism, hyper- and hypoglycemia (increased or decreased sugar in the blood).

Acquired cataract is most commonly age related. Some of the other causes include  diabetes mellitus, myotonic dystrophy, malnutrition, atopic dermatitis, eye injuries, following eye inflammation, high myopia or short sightedness, and intake of drugs like corticosteroids. Some of the risk factors for age related cataract are genetic factors, smoking, diabetes mellitus, exposure to ultraviolet B rays, deficiency of antioxidants like vitamins A,C and E, and severe dehydrating conditions at a young age.

Age-related cataract is mainly of 3 types  cortical, nuclear and posterior subcapsular. Most patients have more than one of these types at the same time.

A posterior subcapsular cataract is cloudiness just in front of the posterior capsule of the lens. Because of its location (at the center of the visual axis), this type of cataract causes significant disturbances of vision even in its early stages, such as difficulty with near work, and impairment of vision in bright sunlight and during exposure to oncoming headlights during night driving.

Nuclear cataract

Here, there is a hardening of the center part (nucleus) of the lens. This results in short-sightedness referred as index myopia. Persons with an early nuclear cataract are often able to read without glasses (this temporary improvement in vision is referred to as second sight). Differential refractive indices in different portions of the lens can result in double vision or multiple images of the same object (often discernible as seeing multiple moons). In more advanced cases, difficult hue discrimination and impaired vision in the dark are experienced. Gradually, the vision is diminished enough to impair daily activities.

Cortical cataract

In a cortical cataract, the cloudiness or opacification is in the part of the lens lying superficial to the nucleus, and which is referred to as the cortex of the lens. Cortical cataracts occur due to coagulation of lens proteins. The symptoms depend on the location and density of the opacification. Patients frequently experience glare from oncoming headlights, double vision and a general impairment of distance vision that gets progressively worse with time.

A posterior subcapsular cataract gradually spreads from the center of the posterior part of the lens to extend more peripherally; it simultaneously also becomes denser, resulting in a significant impairment of distant vision. Nuclear cataracts become denser, more opaque and change in color from light yellow in the early stages to dark brown in advanced stages. However, though both these types of cataracts give rise to significant visual disability in the advanced stages, neither of them become mature. A cortical cataract, on the other hand, tends to progress in the degree of cloudiness, and eventually the entire lens becomes completely opaque. This is called a mature cataract. If surgical removal is not undertaken, further changes lead to hypermaturity.

Certain complications can occur in association with cataracts.

1. Phacomorphic glaucoma

Here, excess water accumulation in the lens either in the immature or mature phase results in the swelling of the lens to such an extent, that it pushes the iris forward, which then blocks the drainage of aqueous humor from the anterior chamber of the eye, resulting in a sudden rise in intraocular pressure. (The anterior chamber is the part between the cornea on the outside and the iris and the lens on the inside. It contains aqueous humor that is drained at the angle). The eye becomes red and painful, and needs to be treated by an eye doctor immediately.

2. Phacolytic glaucoma

Sometimes, in hypermature cataracts, the cortex of the lens becomes liquefied and leaks out through micro-perforations in the lens capsule. It is taken up by cells called macrophages, which then interfere with the drainage of aqueous humor from the eye. The sudden rise of intraocular pressure results in a red and painful eye and requires emergency treatment.

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3. Lens induced uveitis

The leaked out lens material in hypermature cataracts can result in the formation of proteins called antibodies that result in a red, painful, inflamed eye. The eye doctor should be consulted immediately.

4. Hypermature cataracts can sometimes shrink, lose their support and then get either partially or completely displaced either forward or backward from their natural position. If they get caught in the pupil, there can be a dangerous rise of intraocular pressure, necessitating urgent treatment.

Cortical cataracts can usually be diagnosed with a simple torchlight examination. However, appropriate assessment of cortical and nuclear cataracts and the diagnosis of posterior subcapsular cataracts requires examination with the slit lamp. The examination is a painless procedure where the patient is asked to sit in front of the instrument and place the chin on a chin rest.

To date, there is no known medical treatment of cataract. There have been some clinical trials in the past few years which have studied the use of N-acetyl carnosine used as eye drops to halt the progression or reverse cataract. Some of these have shown positive results while others have not. Thus, there is no conclusive data at present to recommend this treatment for clinical use.

The definitive treatment of cataract today is the surgical removal of the crystalline lens with implantation of a synthetic IOL (intraocular lens  to replace the refractive function of the natural lens). Failure to place an intraocular lens results in a very high hypermetropia (long sightedness) which needs to be corrected either with spectacles or contact lenses for any useful vision to be present. Spectacles and contact lenses have many disadvantages; thus intraocular lenses are the gold standard for correction of vision after removal of cataracts.

Phacoemulsfication is the standard of care, and is the most commonly used surgical technique today to treat cataracts. An ultrasound driven probe is used to fragment the nucleus of the lens (which is hard) which is then sucked out of a very small (approximately 3mm) incision. A foldable intraocular lens is then introduced into the eye, usually by loading it into an injector. The lens unfolds in the eye. Since the incision is small and self sealing, sutures are not necessary. Thus, compared to older surgeries that required a larger incision and resulted in scarring, the chances of astigmatism (refractive error due to irregularities in the shape of the cornea) are largely reduced with the newer surgeries. . In MICS (micro-incision cataract surgery), the incision is less than 2.2 mm. Thus, the advantages of phacoemulsification are a sutureless surgery, very less chances of astigmatism, and a very quick post-operative recovery.

Sometimes phacoemulsification may be difficult or not preferred because of the nature of the cataract. In such cases, a small incision cataract surgery (SICS) is carried out. Here, the incision is about 5.5 to 7 mm in length, but still does not require suturing if the incision is made as a self-sealing one. Also, a foldable lens is not required for an SICS.

The third type of surgery is what is described as an ECCE (extracapsular cataract surgery), wherein the surgical incision is much larger, and requires sutures to close it. This is very rarely performed these days as incidence of astigmatism is much higher in this type of surgery.

Cataract surgery is performed under local anesthesia, either by the instillation of local anesthetic eye drops, or by injection of the anesthetic into the tissue around the eyeballs. General anesthesia is only indicated in poorly cooperative adults and in children.

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) is gaining popularity in recent times. It uses intraoperative image guidance combined with short pulse delivery of a near infrared laser to achieve precise tissue dissection. In this, a femtosecond laser is used to replace manual performance of any or all of the following steps of cataract surgery  the corneal incision, capsulorrhexis (removal of the capsule of the lens), and lens fragmentation. This is what is commonly denoted by laser cataract surgery.

Recent Advances in Intraocular Lens Technology

Intraocular lenses are also available in newer designs. In contrast to the traditional monofocal lenses that correct vision only for distance (thus necessitating wearing of glasses for reading purposes), trifocals and multifocals allow intermediate vision and near correction in addition to that of distance. Another type of IOL is toric IOL, which can correct pre-existing astigmatism (these are akin to cylindrical spectacle lenses for astigmatism). Toric multifocals are also available. Various types of accommodating lenses attempt to respond to the accommodation effort of the patient in order to help in near vision. Various types of lenses that can correct residual post-operative refractive error with magnets, ultraviolet light (light adjustable lens or LAL) or laser are in clinical trials. Some of these are available in select countries, while others are in the trial stage.

Robot-assisted simulated cataract surgery is also being currently evaluated and shows some promising results. Lin and co-workers have attempted a slight modification of technique to aid in the regeneration of a clear lens in pediatric cataracts.

There is no proven method today for preventing cataracts. Smoking and exposure to ultraviolet rays are avoidable risk factors in age related cataract. Cessation of smoking and the use of sunglasses may help in delaying the onset or progression of cataract. There is some suggestive evidence that intake of vitamins A,C, E, niacin, riboflavin, beta carotene and protein is protective. Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids present in the human lens, and some studies have shown a decreased risk with foods rich in lutein such as spinach and broccoli.
People say "true love knows no boundaries" and no matter how cliche this sounds, time and again we come across some heartwarming stories that only go on to prove the statement right. For those scratching their heads wondering if it's a new movie plot, no we are talking about real people. And I have no qualms in saying that there are people who value love more than materialistic pleasures and Angeline Francis Khoo, daughter of Malaysian business tycoon Khoo Kay Peng and Laura Ashley heiress is one such person. She threw away her million dollar inheritance to marry her lover, after her father disapproved of their relationship.

You can't choose your family, nor can you decide whether to be born with or without a silver spoon. All you can do is either struggle your way out or grow up relishing all the opulence. For the rich kids, royalty weaves most of their life and there are only a few who dare to go against those luxuries and choose a life that's filled with struggles, hardships and reality, which isn't wrapped under the garb of lavishness.

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Angeline too was born into a rich family with security guards and staff running after her 24 by 7, private jets and house in continents being a normal thing. In her entire life, she probably got what she wanted and maybe more. But when she fell in love with Jedidiah Francis, a guy who was comparatively a commoner, money meant nothing to her and despite knowing that if she chooses the guy she will have to bid adieu to both family and money, she still stuck to her decision. While this isn't any fairytale romance, but Angeline's love story isn't any less either. Like a typical Bollywood dad, her father who is one of Malaysia's richest men, disagreed to their union and like any romantic movie actress, she kicked the million dollar inheritance to marry Francis.

Talking about this decision, Angeline told the Daily Mail, I believed Dad's stance was wrong, so there was no question about what was right. I've been fortunate to have that perspective: you can have money and it's a blessing; it allows you to do things and gives you options, but there are also things that come with it, such as control.

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Kay Peng is the Chairman of Malayan United Industries, an investment firm and according to Forbes, he net worth is $300 million. While I continue counting the number of zeroes, here's how they met. Reportedly, she met Caribbean-born Jedidiah in 2008 during her Master's at Oxford. Jedidiah who is now a data scientist was a junior dean back then at Pembroke College. She further added, Money amplifies negative characteristics and that can cause problems. To walk away from that was actually very easy. I didn't even consider it. We wonder how many people are as courageous as Angeline to leave everything behind to pursue her heart. In fact, even their wedding was a humble affair that took place in Pembroke College Chapel, with only 30 guests in attendance and no one from her side attending the wedding.

 Facebook/ Soul Conscious Sisterhood

While people were anticipating about what will happen next, now that she has left million of dollars behind. Well, when there's a will there's way and Angeline found her calling and started her own business. Today, she is fashion designer with her own brand Rosie on Fire', which works for a social cause too. Along with making fashionable clothes, she is making a better future for the low-income women in Malaysia, who make those garments. According to the report, the women would otherwise go away from their children in search of work. There is a responsibility that comes with privilege; you have to do things to help other people, she said. Angeline is a role model for everyone, she not only did what she deemed was right, but also proved that money does not decide your worth, your talent does.

Source: The Indian Express
Frankly, we never believe it when someone tells us dream jobs exist in the ordinary world. But every once in a while, you come across some of them and you begin to question your life's decisions. This is probably the range of emotions you'll go through when we tell you there's a whiskey company that's looking for a global drinks ambassador, who will basically be drinking and traveling around the world.

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The company is called Grant's, a Scottish whiskey firm that's looking for people to represent them across the world. You need to be online-savvy, should know your liquor, be fluent with English language and love to travel! Of course, there's a whole range of social and marketing skills required too.

The job requirement says:

The successful candidate will probably  but not necessarily - have prior experience in the drinks sector. They will have the energy, talent and drive to drive trial and retrial in a variety of markets across the world, appealing to a wide cross-section of target markets. You will be online-savvy, with an existing social media audience we can help to grow. Over 25 years old, you will speak English fluently and bring the brand stories to life in entertaining and compelling ways at scale. You'll love to travel, embracing new cultures and behaviours, celebrating collective achievement.

 Thinkstock/Getty Images

The interview process:

 The first round will require candidates to create a drink that reflects their style and share it on Instagram with the hashtag #GrantsInterview. Easy peasy!

 Over 250 aspirants will be shortlisted from this round and will get to fill in application forms for the job. Another round of eliminations (boy, this is a reality show) will bring this number down to 20.

 These 20 lucky people will get to attend a mixer event at their distillery. The candidates will be competing against each other, racing to finish challenges set by the company. This round will have 3 winners.

 Each of the 3 winners will be sent to 3 countries: one will go to Poland, Israel and India, another to Russia, Taiwan, and France and the third to South Africa, the Nordics, and Colombia. And here's the fun part  the final task will require you to tell the world about whiskey, encourage your new friends in these countries to drink whiskey and basically, popularize the brand. And voila! you are a global whisky ambassador.

Is it just me or does the interview process sound like a reality show? Never knew interviews could be so much fun. The deadline to apply is 31 August, so you better hurry!
The UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously agreed on a tougher set of sanctions against North Korea that include the complete ban on exports of coal, iron ore and seafood. But crude oil supplies from Russia and China were once again left out of the resolution, and North Korea can keep collecting hard currency from slave laborers it has already sent abroad.

South Korea and the U.S. believe the latest sanctions will slash North Korea's exports by around US$1 billion or one-third of the annual total. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley lauded them as "the most stringent set of sanctions on any country in a generation."

But while they may pinch, nobody believes that they will be enough to stop Kim Jong-un from continuing to develop nuclear weapons and missiles. South Korea and the U.S. praised the UN Security Council resolutions adopted shortly after North Korea's fourth and fifth nuclear tests last year as the ultimate penalties, but Pyongyang barely flinched and developed an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

The North has been undeterred because China and Russia, which do not want their buffer state to collapse, have excluded shipments of oil for the "livelihood" of North Koreans from the sanctions. The same thing is true this time.

The U.S. does not want to clash with China, no matter how big U.S. President Donald Trump talks, and Beijing knows this very well. As long as this situation continues, the North Korean nuclear standoff will continue. Either the U.S. or China will eventually end up seeking the easy way out and opt for a settlement. If that means acknowledging North Korea as a nuclear-armed state, it could be catastrophic for South Korea. Seoul would end up being dragged around helplessly by Pyongyang.

The North Korean nuclear and missile threats are not just South Korea's problem but the international community's. But it has become increasingly clear that the international community is incapable of solving it. Seoul and Washington agreed at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila on Sunday to start early negotiations on revising bilateral missile guidelines that restrict the range and payload of South Korean missiles. That is a necessary move, but not enough to deal with the looming threat.

South Korea needs to prepare for the worst-case scenario. President Moon Jae-in will soon at long last speak over the telephone with U.S. President Donald Trump. The two leaders must have a frank discussion about the U.S.' limited ability to deal with the threat and ways for South Korea to defend itself.


Premier Li Keqiang first proposed mass entrepreneurship and innovation at the 2014 Summer Davos in Tianjin, and he stressed implementing an innovation-driven strategy and pushing innovation to inspire market vigor and social creativity.

Now mass entrepreneurship and innovation has become a main part of implementing the strategy, and covered all the first, second and tertiary industries.

The latest Global Innovation Index, released on June 15, put China in 22nd place in the global ranking, the only country in the top 25 not to be a high-income economy. And venture capital investment China gained in 2016 accounted for a quarter of the worlds total number.

The Premier had much to say about mass entrepreneurship and innovation in recent years:

Mass entrepreneurship and innovation is an important part of innovation-driven strategy and supply-side structural reform and a strong support for fostering new growth momentum.

-- At Global Entrepreneurial Leaders Forum in Shenzhen on Oct 12, 2016

Innovation-driven development should be attached more importance and rely more on human resources to strengthen new economic drivers and promote economic growth at medium-to-high speed with the goal of reaching medium-to-high end levels.

-- Meeting with postdoctoral innovation research talent in Beijing on Nov 30, 2015

Mass entrepreneurship and innovation not only has brought a great number of job opportunities and promoted the innovation-driven strategy, but also is a reform move. It focuses on people, an important element of productivity, making them make full use of their brilliance and vitality and providing equal opportunities to make lives better.

-- Meeting with the press after annual meeting of National Peoples Congress on March 15, 2017

The core of mass entrepreneurship and innovation is to motivate the creativity of the people, especially young people. Society will come alive when young people are willing to start their own ventures. Our country will become vigorous when young people are full of innovative ideas.

-- In a letter to student makers at Tsinghua University before National Youth Day in 2015

Mass entrepreneurship and innovation is a key growth driver for China, a strong power driving employment, representing an innovative step in the income distribution model and an effective way to promote social justice.

-- Speaking at Summer Davos Forum in Dalian, Liaoning province, on Sept 10, 2015

Platforms should be forged for mass entrepreneurship and innovation promotion. Internet Plus should be utilized to develop new models as crowdsourcing and crowdfunding, facilitate linkups of production and demand, and integration of traditional industries with emerging ones, and effectively converge resources, in efforts to push forward the Made in China 2025 strategy and form a new development pattern featuring innovation-driven growth.

-- At a State Council executive meeting on Sept 16, 2015

Mass entrepreneurship and innovation is not only a road to survive for small and micro-sized companies but also a growth strategy for large companies. Workers, technicians, and social maker groups should use Internet Plus to promote Chinese brands and equipment to go global, demonstrate competitive capacity and create Chinas own golden brands.

-- During an inspection at Luoyang Mining Machinery Group in Henan province on Sept 23, 2015

Big enterprise employees and grassroots entrepreneurs can both create and gain more wealth through entrepreneurship and innovation, which is an important part of adjusting the income distribution structure and an engine that drives social equality and justice. Mass entrepreneurship and innovation has created fair opportunities for everyone to compete and provide channels for competent and industrious people to improve themselves and their lives.

-- At National Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation Week event in Beijing on Oct 19, 2015

The special demonstration bases of mass entrepreneurship and innovation should focus on the main concerns and we should not just put up flags, but make real moves. And there must be details on how to develop the demonstration bases.

-- At a State Council executive meeting on April 20, 2016

Entrepreneurs, together, can show the wisdom and strength of our nation. There is no limit on creativity and entrepreneurship. And I hope that you can turn your ideas into reality.

-- At a national exhibition of mass entrepreneurship and innovation in Shenzhen on Oct 12, 2016

The in-house program for entrepreneurship has not only motivated employees enthusiasm, but also improved the competitiveness of large enterprises, which is a new model for integrated development of large, medium and small enterprises.

-- During an inspection tour at China Telecom on July 31, 2017
As an important part of the supply-side structural reform, streamlining administrative functions has been a priority of the State Council executive meeting presided by Premier Li Keqiang for the last five years.

According to the Premier, administrative reform and transformation of government functions are key to improving the socialist market economy and governing capacity.

Over the past four years, State Council departments cut or delegated more than 40 percent of approval items and slashed 2 trillion yuan in costs for enterprises between 2013 and 2016.

In addition to increased public satisfaction with the administrative changes, the governments determination to cut red tape is reflected in Premier Lis statements in the past several years.

The government should speed up transformation and strike a good balance between administration and the market, allowing the market to play a decisive role in the distribution of resources.

-- Teleconference on administrative reform in Beijing, June 13, 2017

As a part of the supply-side reform, administrative reform and tax reduction can lower institutional costs for enterprises and release energy from the supply side.

-- Seminar on new development concepts and economic momentum in Beijing, April 18, 2017

Governments at all levels should speed up administrative streamlining and transformation of functions to ease restrictions on enterprises and build a fair and competitive business environment.

All the approval items should be simplified and processed with a clear schedule, unleashing more market vitality with less red tape.

-- Government Work Report presented by Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing, March 5, 2015

People have the right to give advice on administrative reform as they are the ones who truly experience the hardship of administrative approvals. We should pursue reform with an open and people-oriented attitude.

-- Teleconference on administrative reform in Beijing, May 12, 2015

We will carry out the Internet Plus government services model, promote better information sharing among government departments, making things easier for the public and businesses. We should cut red tape and root out illegalities to ensure that the people have more equal opportunities and greater space for creativity.

-- Government Work Report presented by Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing, March 5, 2016

We should press ahead with the streamlining of administrative procedures to crack every problem on the way. This is a way to bring convenience to the public by cutting interests of government departments and curbing excessive powers.

-- Meeting with the press after annual meeting of National Peoples Congress in Beijing, March 16, 2016

Administrative streamlining is a reform to cut red tape and departments interests. To make the country and its people better, the government should try to release market vigor and social creativity with less restrictions and better supervision.

-- Teleconference on administrative reform and service optimization in Beijing, May 9, 2016

The government should give a green light to all law-abiding market entities and hardworking entrepreneurs and innovators, and hold a firm stand against all violations.

-- Meeting with the press after annual meeting of National Peoples Congress, March 15, 2017

I have learned that private capital is inclined to make investment in social sectors including healthcare, but there are too many pre-approvals. The government should give more freedom for private investment in healthcare sectors.

-- State Council executive meeting, May 3, 2017

There are five major tasks for the reform this year: easing market access for enterprises to promote employment, reducing burdens on market entities by cutting taxes and fees, encouraging investment, creating a fair business environment and making public services more efficient.

-- Teleconference on administrative reform in Beijing, June 13, 2017

To facilitate peoples lives, all the regions and government departments should abolish redundant certificates, including those with no legal basis or those that can be proved via the internet, personal certificates or written commitments.

-- Teleconference on administrative reform in Beijing, June 13, 2017
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...
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(David Goldman | AP)

General Motors will recall 800,000 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks due to the risk of them losing power steering.

This includes 690,685 Silverado and Sierra 1500s in the U.S., and another 80,000 in Canada and 25,000 in other countries. The defect relates to the power steering, in which these affected vehicles could lose electric power steering and then be over-compensated by the return of EPS assist.

"The loss and sudden return of EPS assist typically happens within a 1 second period and is caused by an electrical/software issue," National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents read.

"Events that demand high current, such as low speed turns, can cause temporary low voltage conditions. When the system voltage drops below 8.8 volts for more than 1 second--e.g., during low-speed turns--EPS assist is disabled until voltage returns to 9 volts for a minimum of 40 milliseconds, at which point EPS assist returns."

The Silverados were manufactured between Jan. 30, 2013 and Sept. 4, 2014, and the Sierras between Jan. 29, 2013 and Sept. 4, 2014. The incident was first investigated back in February of this year, and the recall was decided as the best option on June 22.

GM has not provided a recall schedule for dealers or owners, but said it will make necessary work on the software and reimbursements. The automaker has not provided information on any possible related crashes or injuries.
GRANDVILLE, MI - The Grand Castle apartment complex has raised questions for more than a year as the gray castle-shaped monolith rises out of the ground near the intersection of Int. 196 and 28th Street SW.

The most-asked question?

"When is it going to be done?" said developer Roger Lucas during a hardhat tour of the site this week. After originally setting the opening date as this summer, Lucas has now slid the date back to October.

So far, project manager Elyse Zapolski has not been taking deposits despite fielding dozens of calls a week. "I've been holding them off until I know when it's going to open up," she says.

With more than 500 rental units in a turreted complex that will rise up to 15 floors, the $40 million Grand Castle promises to change the face of Grandville and the area's rental market.

Lucas, a partner in Land & Co., says he's confident the one-of-a-kind castle concept he patterned after Bavaria's Neuschwanstein Castle will be filled once the project is complete.

"Every girl wants to be a princess. And every guy wants to be a king," he says with a grin.

The Grand Castle is aimed at middle-income and young professional, with monthly rents starting at $800 for a studio apartment to $1,740 for three-bedroom units. The penthouse units will rent for up to $4,500 for a 6,315-square-foot unit.

For now, Lucas is focused on the unique construction methods he's employed in building the castle. The inner walls were poured in place last summer using a proprietary method that required him to import a crew of 50 workers from Florida.

Construction workers have already poured more than 30,000 yards of concrete and still have to build a two-story parking ramp that will ring the main structure, said Lucas, who has been an onsite construction manager for the project.

Some 2,700 "geo-piers" were sunk up to 20 feet deep around the site to keep it from sinking more than 1.25 inches. When complete, the project will weigh more than 150 million to 200 million pounds, Lucas says.

The exterior panels with castle-like arched windows and doorways were poured by Superior Wall Systems, a company based in Hamilton, Mich. Other precast concrete panels were made down the street at Kerkstra Precast Inc..

Cone-shaped "hats" are awaiting installation on top of the corner turrets in a week or two. The windows are European-styled triple-paned sets that swing open or tilt in for ventilation. Interior hallways will be decorated by LED light fixtures whose "flames" flicker like a castle lantern.

Inside, workers are beginning to install the shower tubs, hang drywall and finish the concrete surfaces with a thin coat of plaster.

When complete, each apartment will have its own laundry, granite kitchen counters, stainless steel appliances, eight-foot interior doors and self-contained electrical heating units.

Renters on the lower level will have doorways leading to large courtyards in the center of the complex and on the roof of the parking ramps that will encircle the building. Common areas will include a coffee shop, an exercise facility, a resort-style pool, walking and biking trails and access to a 28-acre lake on the property.

Lucas admits his pledge to start moving in tenants in October is optimistic. The website still projects a September opening.

Building something that no one has built in West Michigan before can be difficult, he said. "It's just a never ending solving of problems."
ANN ARBOR, MI - A 38-year-old Lima Township mother is headed to prison for having sex with two teenage boys last summer.

Brooke Lajiness was sentenced to four years and nine months to 15 years in prison on several counts of criminal sexual conduct in Washtenaw County Trial Court on Monday, August 7.

Lajiness trembled and verged on tears while reading a written statement to Judge David Swartz prior to sentencing.

"This has been the biggest regret of my life," she said. "My family means everything to me, and I've caused them great pain for these regretful choices I have made."

The boys were 14 and 15 last summer when Lajiness lured them in with naked pictures of herself on Snapchat. The 38-year-old began showing up at their parents' houses for late-night sexual trysts in her car, according to investigators.

The mother of the then-14-year-old victim addressed the bold meetings in the impact statement she wrote for the court, which was read aloud by a victim advocate.

"You made a conscious effort on several occasions to make arrangements to meet my son," the mother wrote, "sneak out of your house, start your car, leave your husband and children at home and drive to my son's father's house, back into the driveway between midnight and 4 a.m., wait for my son to run the driveway, commit a crime and leave. Did you know that this was wrong? Did you ever worry about the harm you were doing to my son?"

The woman said her son has suffered significant psychological and emotional damage and is in therapy.

"Your actions will affect my son and his relationships with others for the rest of his life," she said.

The mother said the scandal has rocked small-town Chelsea.

"The guys at school pick on him and say it's cool that he had sex with a mom," the mother wrote. "My son shared with me that the guys at school have no idea what he's been going through and how he struggles. He has had to stay strong in front of them."

The woman asked that Lajiness be treated just like men who sexually assault girls, something Lajiness' attorney, Ypsilanti-based David I. Goldstein, disputed.

"To say this should be treated exactly the same if she were a man dealing with young girls is not true," he said. "I think society recognizes that men and women deal with sex and sexuality much differently, both as adults and as children. I think the court will be able to discern that difference in passing sentence."

Assistant Washtenaw County Prosecutor John Vella asked Swartz to sentence Lajiness to the stiffest possible term - 98 months to 15 years - saying she was clearly preying on the teens.

Vella said Lajiness sent the teenage boys Snapchat pictures of herself in the bathtub and performing sexual acts before she started meeting up with them for sex.

He described Lajiness' first interview with Michigan State Police detectives:

"She explained that sex with the victim is not something she wanted to do, but she was helping him," Vella said. "When asked to explain how she was helping him, the defendant had a hard time explaining, but stated she was helping him, 'release his whatever.' This is an incident that this is clearly a predator."

While Lajiness was charged for sex with two teen boys, Vella said the 38-year-old year was cheating with yet a third unidentified male, who may have been an adult, but was also engaged on Snapchat.

Vella said the defendant and her husband, who appeared in the courtroom Monday, both wrote letters to the judge shifting the blame to the victims. Lajiness' husband wrote a letter blaming the sexual assaults on his wife's insomnia. Goldstein later clarified that Lajiness' insomnia medication may have played a role.

"It was this defendant's actions that brought her here," Vella said.

Goldstein said Lajiness was aware her behavior was wrong, but pointed out that a mental health doctor said the woman wasn't a predator, and that with the right kind of therapy, would likely never commit a similar crime again.

The judge agreed the behavior was inappropriate, but decided to sentence Lajiness at the low end of the state guidelines, in part because of her mental health issues and because she doesn't have a criminal past.

"There are significant psychological issues that are extant that obviously contributed to and caused the behavior in this case," he said.

Lajiness, a mother of two, was immediately taken into custody following the hearing.

Lajiness pleaded guilty in June to third-degree criminal sexual conduct for oral sex with the 15-year-old, two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct for intercourse with the 14-year-old, one count of accosting a child for immoral purposes and one count of furnishing obscenity to children for sending nude photographs of herself to a minor.

As part of a plea agreement, 10 other counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person between 13 and 15 years old were dismissed.
WHITMORE LAKE, MI - Northbound U.S. 23 north of Ann Arbor will be closed overnight again on Monday, Aug. 7.

The Michigan Department of Transportation said the freeway will close at Six Mile Road, near Whitmore Lake, at 7 p.m. Monday and re-open at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

U.S. 23 closed in that same area this past Friday night. Crews did not place all the beams at the bridge as anticipated last Friday, MDOT reports.

A detour will be posted when northbound US-23 is closed.

Also, the northbound U.S. 23 ramp to Six Mile Road will be closed starting Aug. 8, and it's expected to re-open Sept. 7. A detour for the ramp will be posted.
Hero of Mollywood's first musical hit 'Thiramala' shares his Hollywood stint, directing Prem Nazir and more
[August 07, 2017] Finland - Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband and Digital Media - Statistics and Analyses

LONDON, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Finland's regulator preps for 3.5GHz auction for 5G services from 2018

Finland's telecom market is among the more progressive in Europe, with considerable emphasis by operators to test-bed technologies, particularly in the mobile and broadband sectors. These efforts have been supported by the regulator which has provided additional spectrum for telecom services and is preparing spectrum auctions in two pioneer bands to enable mobile operators to trial 5G services from 2018.





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As a result of these efforts the country enjoys among the highest broadband and mobile penetration rates in the region, with customers able to make use of the latest iterations of technologies including DOCSIS3.1, carrier aggregation with LTE-A, and GPON fibre infrastructure.



Finland has developed one of most advanced mobile markets in Europe, being among the first to launch 3G and LTE services and now in the forefront of 5G developments. The regulator in late 2016 auctioned spectrum in the 700MHz to extend the availability of LTE services nationally, while it also planned to make available to network operators spectrum in the 3.5GHz band by the end of 2018. This band is one of the pioneer bands which have been assigned for 5G across Europe. The Finnish vendor Nokia Networks is involved in trialling 5G technologies, mainly in cooperation with Elisa.



Growth in the number of mobile subscribers has slowed, in line with the high penetration, while the market has shifted to mobile data and mobile broadband. Although market competition and regulated tariffs and termination rates have put pressure on operator revenue, in June 2017 they successfullypetitioned for a year's extension to retail roaming tariffs after these were abolished across the European Union.







Finland's high broadband penetration has been the result of astute regulatory measures which have encouraged market competition. Companies have also been keen to invest in new technologies in a bid to address demand for improved services among customers. The government has set demanding broadband delivery targets, and as of mid-2017 it was preparing targets to be achieved by 2025 and 2030. This would incorporate a mix of fixed-line and mobile technologies, with the former focussed on FttP and DOCSIS3.1 technologies and the latter on Gigabit LTE and 5G.



This report introduces the key aspects of the Finnish telecom market, providing data on the fixed network services sector together with an overview of important regulatory issues including interconnection, local loop unbundling, number portability and carrier preselection. The major operators are profiled, while the telecoms infrastructure and fixed telephony services are also assessed. In addition the report covers the fixed and wireless broadband markets, together with developments in related technologies such as FttP, powerline broadband, wireless broadband, Wi-Fi and internet via satellite. It also provides broadband forecasts to 2022. Analyses of the mobile market are supported by the latest statistics, while the report also assesses the key regulatory issues and the development of emerging technologies including LTE and 5G.





Key developments:



Nokia launches key technologies for the Smart Tampere project;

Elisa expands its interest in Estonia with Starman acquisition;

Regulator concedes roaming charge extension to June 2018 ;

Telia expands LTE-A footprint;

DNA trials Gigabit LTE service using carrier aggregation technology;

Nokia and Telia trial NB-IoT using spectrum in the 800MHz band;

Nokia trialling 5G technologies;

Regulator prepares for 3.5GHz auction for mobile broadband use;

Elisa trials Nokia's XGS-PON technology providing data at up to 10Gb/s;

Government prepares national broadband targets for 2025 and 2030;

DNA contracts Teleste to provide DOCSIS3.1 equipment;

Telia trials G.fast technology with Huawei;

DNA extends 1Gb/s fibre footprint to more than 600,000 households;

Report update includes the regulator's market data update to December 2016 , telcos' financial and operating data to Q2 2017, recent market developments.





Companies mentioned in this report:



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Website: www.reportbuyer.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/finland---telecoms-mobile-broadband-and-digital-media---statistics-and-analyses-300500501.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

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India state-run bank employees shout slogans and carry placards during a protest rally, as part of a day-long nationwide strike, in Ahmedabad, India February 28, 2017. REUTERS/Amit Dave - RTS10QBG

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About 10 lakh bank employees and officers will go on strike on August 22 to protest against 17 issues including privatisation of public sector lenders, bank mergers, write-off of non-performing loans and hiked services charge post GST (goods and services tax).

The issues also include accountability of banks' top management, implementing recommendations of Parliamentary Committee on recovery of bad loans, pension related improvements and adequate recruitment in all cadres, among others.

The United Forum of Bank Unions which consists of all the 9 bank unions (AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF, INBOC, NOBW, NOBO), has called for the strike. One million bank employees and officers in all the Banks will observe a strike on August 22, 2017.

This may impact the cash transactions and cheque clearing financial services at the bank branch levels. However, internet and mobile banking services and ATMs will remain unaffected.

It said that the unions will also hold massive rallies/morchas in Delhi along with all the officers and employees on September 15, said C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary of AIBEA (All India Bank Employees Association).

Further, the Union could go on another strike in October and November for two days.

A notice for the strike has been served on the Indian Banks Association two days ago, the union said in a statement on Monday.

The Union said it has observed that no concrete steps have been taken to resolve the issue of bad loans. Steps like MOU, PCA, FRDI Bill, NPA Ordnance, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code, etc. are only aimed to clean the balance sheets at the cost of the banks, which represent the hard earned savings of the people.

Recently, State Bank of India and Bank of Baroda have reduced the rate of interest on savings deposits

The Union feels that the burden of the corporate NPAs are put on the shoulders of the common public and banking clientele in the form of hike in fees, charges, penalties, etc. for every type of normal banking services.

"SBI has said that they will gain Rs 4,400 crore per year by reducing the savings deposit interest but see how much they have sacrificed by write off of bad loans of big corporates," the statement added.
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Dear Sir / Madam,Please take note that the Board of Directors of the Company, at their meeting held on Monday, August 07, 2017, approved, acquisition of a Company in Bangladesh.The details as required under Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 read with SEBI Circular No. CIR/CFD/CMD/4/2015 dated September 09, 2015 are provided in the Annexure I attached to this letter.We request you to kindly take the same on record.Thanking You,Source : BSE

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Dear Sir,The Board of Directors of Greatship (India) Limited (GIL), a wholly owned-subsidiary of the Company, at its meeting held today, has granted in principle approval to the merger of Greatship Global Holdings Ltd., Mauritius ('GGHL'), its wholly-owned subsidiary into GIL. The proposed merger would be subject to requisite statutory approvals.On GGHL's merger with GIL, Greatship Global Offshore Services Pte. Ltd. (a wholly owned subsidiary of GGHL) will become a direct wholly owned subsidiary of GIL.The proposed merger does not lead to any benefit to the promoter group of the Company in any way.Source : BSE

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Britannia expects around 10-12 percent of its revenue to come from overseas markets in the next 3-5 years and plans to set up a plant in Nepal as part of global business expansion, says Britannia MD Varun Berry.

The FMCG major is also looking to build its presence further in the African market and Myanmar.

In the domestic market, the company is keen to expand its footprint in Hindi-speaking belts and venture into more segments to fill the gaps in its offerings.

"We would like our international market to grow at faster pace than the India business. Over next 3-5 years, our international business contribution is expected to be double digits at 10-12 percent of our revenue," Berry told PTI.

He hoped that contribution from the international market in Britannia's overall revenue would go up every year.

In 2016-17, Britannia Industries had clocked consolidated net sales of Rs 9,232.30 crore and around 7 percent came in from overseas markets.

A reasonable chunk is accounted for by the Middle-East, where the company has two overseas manufacturing units in Dubai and Oman.

"We are looking to create a hub-and-spoke model to get into more and more markets like Myanmar and the African continent," Berry said, adding that "we would have one new country every year".

Britannia is lining up nearly Rs 55 crore to set up its first overseas greenfield facility in Nepal to cater to the local demand. The company already has a business in Nepal, based on exports from India.

"This would bring our prices down and (helping us) grow more aggressively once we have a manufacturing facility there," he added.

It is venturing into snacking segment, along with Greek baker Chipita.

"That's not the final stop. It is just one of the products which we are looking at. We are also evaluating other micro-snacking category. If something works for us, we would launch products," he added.

Asked whether the company would cross Rs 10,000 revenue mark this year, Berry said: "I think so.
Sudip Bandopadhyay, Market Expert told CNBC-TV18, "Arvind is an excellent story. It is still to completely unfold. There are lot of interesting components and the performance has been improving, the brand has a value sitting inside. The last transaction which happened with a large PE fund values the company and if you take that value and do an extrapolation, the value of Arvind even today should be much higher."

"So, overall it is a great story, solid management and I have no hesitation in mentioning that even at current level I am bullish on Arvind and I am buyer in the stock," he said.

"The oil marketing companies are definitely worth looking at. I wont go to the upstream companies. I have kind of hesitation regarding the oil prices and global oil prices and what is happening there. However, as far as marketing companies are concerned I am definitely a buyer."

"The entire subsidy issue which was really a big burden on them and uncertainty, that has kind of gone. With that going, the holdings getting streamlined at the government level, it doesnt really affect their performance. So, things are going to improve from hereon. Even the kerosene bit is getting normalised, the subsidy burden is going away. So, overall one has to play on the marketing companies  HPCL and BPCL are worth buying. If I have to pick one, I will go for HPCL," he added.

"I am bullish on Tata Steel and will buy the stock on meaningful correction with a one year view."
Meta layoffs | Why Zuckerberg's Metaverse bet has proven to be a bit too costly
Amit Gupta, Head-Derivatives at ICICIdirect told CNBC-TV18, "We are recommending Vedanta, 290 Call option to our clients to buy for this particular series. Last week also I post this particular strike because of the open interest addition in the last two or three weeks and we need to find out any particular stock in matter where still a lot of shorts are there. Vedanta is definitely one of the picks because in the last one month movement when the other metal stocks were quite firm, it was very close to Rs 200 but very much sticky there and we saw Tata Steel moving beyond the crucial level of Rs 520 and then continuously moving up but Vedanta had an intermediate correction from Rs 280 to almost Rs 240 levels and that is where the major chunk of short positions came and now in this particular series we are expecting that particular short closer to pan out."

"We have seen almost 10-15 percent of closer when it surpassed Rs 280 level and these were the highest Call basis. 280 Call was the highest Call and now we have seen closer in that particular strike. So Rs 290-300 is still holding firm in terms of Call basis and our Call is that these open interest position should eventually be closed because they are more writing bias. So we are recommending 290 Call option to buy," he said.
business GST: Telangana seeks further reduction in tax slab on welfare projects Even as Hyderabad gears up to play host to the next meeting of the goods and services tax (GST) Council on the 9th of September, Telangana is seeing red when it comes to tax levied on state welfare schemes. The state government is mulling moving the apex court against the council's proposed 12 percent slab for on-going schemes, instead of the previous 5 percent levy.
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Drug maker Ipca Laboratories said it plans to seek US FDA re-inspection of its Pithampur and Ratlam facilities in Madhya Pradesh in a couple of months, with the company close to completing remedial action.

Remediation action at the Indore SEZ Pithampur plant that makes formulations and active pharmaceutical ingredients is almost finished and the company plans to seek US FDA re-inspection in a months time, while Ratlam could take two more months for completion of remedial action.

The company has already sought re-inspection for the Piparia (Silvassa) formulation facility.

Ipca is one of the worst affected companies by the US regulator's action. Three units of the company situated at Ratlam, SEZ Indore - Pithampur, and Piparia (Silvassa) were under USFDA import ban since 2015, adversely impacting its business and margins.

The company's EBITDA margin has dropped from 22.5 percent in FY14 to 13.9 percent in FY17, while the revenue growth stagnated in the last four years. The company reported net sales of Rs 3,210.6 crore in the year ended March 2017. The company has filed 44 abbreviated new drug applications (ANDA) out of which 18 ANDA applications were granted till date. The company had filed 54 drug master files (DMFs) with the US FDA.

We are hoping the re-inspections should happen by the end of this fiscal year, said Ajit K Jain, joint managing director of Ipca, told Moneycontrol.

Most of our plants have been audited by other regulators and were cleared, except for US FDA, Jain said.

Jain said the company's sole focus is on resolving the import ban.

So far, Ipca spent about Rs 100 crore on remediation work, which involved hiring external consultants and implementation of quality improvement systems across the its manufacturing plants.

Ipca also gave indications of a tough FY18 owing to headwinds in the US market faced by regulatory issues, lumpy malarial business which is largely institutional, and subdued domestic formulation business on account of de-stocking in trade channels on GST rollout.

The total revenue loss for the company because of the USFDA import alert has been close to Rs 3,000 million (Rs 300 crore) on an annual basis, said a latest research report by Nirmal Bang.

Besides the loss of business in the US, the company has also lost tender business which involves procurement of global multilateral funds, the Nirmal Bang report added.

Another analyst who did not want to be named said there is no fixed timeframe for re-inspection by US FDA as it is at the agencys discretion.

There can be a surprise audit anytime once the request for re-inspection is made, the analyst said.

US FDA found data integrity issues at Ipcas SEZ Indore - Pithampur, and Piparia (Silvassa) plants, while at Ratlam which is the companys largest plant that manufactures both APIs and formulations, the agency found deficiencies in computer controls, documentation and testing procedures.
auto Hyundai's plan 2020: Auto major plans to launch 8 new models Remember how Hyundai had a plan to launch eight new models by 2020 from its Chennai plant? Well, last week the company gave the world a glimpse of the all-new next-gen Verna.
IndiGo has submitted a proposal to the aviation regulator seeking to operate 170 flights a day to smaller towns, according to the report by Business Standard.

The airline plans to connect 13 smaller towns with its ATR -72 planes as part of its regional operations. The smaller cities include Tirupati, Gwalior, Vijayawada, Bhopal, Bhuj, Shirdi, Allahabad, and Gorakhpur.

Currently, IndiGo already flies to the north-eastern region of the country using an Airbus A320. The company has also placed a USD 1.3 billion order for 50 ATR  72 planes.

The ATR-72 has 72 seats, whereas the Airbus has 180. Hence, Indigo plans to deploy these on shorter routes, as indicated in a filing. The service is set to start from November 10.

The destinations are all either religious or industrial hubs, there will be no shortage of traffic and IndiGo will have the advantage of having extensive connectivity to become the carrier of choice in these routes, a rival airline official was quoted as saying by Business Standard.

The airline might face setbacks such as finding pilots for smaller aircraft, and getting slots for a longer time due to runway capacity restrictions. It might also affect the airline's schedules as North India may be impacted by fog till mid-February.
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) may only have time till end of 2018 to trim investments in companies such as ITC, Corporate Bank and L&T to 15 percent. A senior regulatory official said that they are hoping that the insurer would bring down its stake to 15 percent in the companies it has exceeded it.

"We do not want institutions to collapse. We have given two years time to LIC to bring down the stake and hope that they are able to reduce it. If they need more time, we are ready to consider that," the official said.

LIC has exceeded 15 percent stake in companies like ITC, Corporation Bank and L&T. To avoid concentration of risks and a have a good balance of risks in their portfolio, IRDAI investment norms stipulate that an insurance company should limit their investments into individual companies at 15 percent.

The investment should be used for policyholder interest, IRDAI chairman T S Vijayan said at the CII Insurance Summit on Monday. Large insurers may need a break. "Under exceptional circumstances, if an insurer seeks permission to have more than 15 percent stake, we may consider it. However, we will advise them to bring it down within the regulatory limits in a stipulated period," said Vijayan.

Recently, LIC chairman V K Sharma had said that they will follow the norms of IRDAI will respect to investments in companies, without giving a deadline.

It is likely that LIC will stay invested above the 15 percent limit into special investment entities where they have been understood to have received special dispensation from the regulator.

Apart from the fact that LIC has exceeded 15 percent stake in ITC, a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in the Bombay High Court has raised concerns about large government entities investing in tobacco companies. LIC had responded to the petition stating that investing in tobacco firms per se is not illegal as per IRDAI norms. The insurer had also said that the company looked at it purely from an investment and return point of view.

During the tenure of former IRDAI chief J Hari Narayan, there were some differences on the investment cap applicable for LIC. IRDAI had then clarified that investment caps apply to all insurers. The regulator has prescribed norms for equity investments in a company based on the size of the insurer. It ranges from 10-15 percent depending on the funds controlled by an insurer.

The LIC Act has said that it can invest up to 30 percent in a company. In most companies, the insurer has stuck to the 15 percent limit and it is only in a handful of cases that the stake has been increased on account of divestment or similar investment opportunities. IRDAI has clarified that 15 percent limit would be applicable to all insurance companies.
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Brokerage houses remained positive on Fortis Healthcare on hopes of double digit growth in second half of FY18 and demerger of SRL Diagnostics. They see up to 38 percent upside in the stock price after Q1 earnings.

While upgrading the stock to buy on stock price correction with target price of Rs 191, Axis Capital said Fortis is a good trade on possible M&A activity; Religare Health Trust buyout which could be value accretive.

Q1FY18 profitability was impacted with consolidated EBITDAC (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation and net business trust costs) margin down by 200 bps to 14 percent due to control on stent pricing, higher marketing spends by SRL and continued effects of demonetisation.

But the management expects margin trajectory to improve towards the end of year, as growth picks up and fixed costs get absorbed. It expects double digit growth in second half of FY18 and EBITDAC margin to expand to 16 percent (13.3 percent in Q1FY18) by year end.

Fortis reiterated focus on brown-field expansion, cost management and clinical excellence. They are also confident of improving SRL margins post the temporary blip in Q1FY18.

Axis Capital expects around 35 percent EBIDTA CAGR over FY17-19 on SRL's (20 percent of revenue) margin expansion as labs mature, higher volume as marketing pays off and operating leverage kicks in; hospital division's (80 percent of revenue) continued brownfield expansion of hospital beds & beds maturing should improve EBITDAC margin by around 100 bps at 16 percent in FY19; service fee plateauing; and increase in procedure prices to counter regulated stent prices.

Motilal Oswal is bullish on the stock, saying it is a top pick in healthcare delivery space but slashed target price to Rs 220 (from Rs 240 earlier), expecting relatively slow margin expansion in the medium term.

The research house cut EBITDA by 3/4 percent for FY18/19 as it built in the impact of stent price control and pricing pressure in diagnostic.

"The stock has remained volatile in recent past due to news flow related to possibility of promoter change and equity infusion in Fortis Healthcare. These events can help prepone value unlocking in the stock, but, regardless of this event, we argue for multiple re-rating led by multifold increase in Hospital EBITDA, SRL demerger, asset light expansion strategy and Fortis Hospitals (FHTL) transaction," Motilal Oswal said.

Consolidated net profit in Q1 fell 66 percent year-on-year to Rs 5.5 crore due to forex & exceptional loss and higher tax expenses and finance cost.

Revenue grew by 3.2 percent to Rs 1,156.6 crore in Q1 while operating profit jumped 37.5 percent to Rs 86.1 crore and margin expanded by 190 basis points to 7.5 percent.

Revenue of hospital business (82 percent of total) grew 3 percent, despite being impacted by price control on stents and demonetisation. While occupancy declined YoY due to high base (71 percent versus 74 percent in Q1FY17), average revenue per occupied bed grew 3 percent YoY. EBITDA grew 38 percent benefiting from lower Business Trust fee post the Fortis Hospitals transaction.

Diagnostic business (18 percent of total) grew 10 percent YoY, driven by higher volumes, but margins remained under pressure due to product mix, higher promotion spends (around 20 percent higher) and staff cost. Interest cost jumped 53 percent YoY due to 100 percent consolidation of Fortis Hospitals' compulsorily convertible debentures and transaction related borrowings.

While maintaining buy rating on Fortis Healthcare with a target price of Rs 230, Edelweiss said it believes Fortis is at the cusp of unlocking significant value by demerging its 56 percent subsidiary SRL (can unlock Rs 53 per share).

The stock has corrected by 25 percent in the last 1 quarter hit by leverage issue at promoters end. It is now trading at 13.4x FY19 EBITDAC versus average sector multiple of 18x, it feels.

Meanwhile, the board of directors of the company gave in-principle approval to raise up to Rs 5,000 crore.

At 13:16 hours IST, the stock price was quoting at Rs 164.45, down Rs 1.50, or 0.90 percent on the BSE.

Posted by Sunil Shankar Matkar
Farm loan waivers in three states have already started impacting most banks balance sheets with a rise in non-performing assets (NPAs) in the first quarter ending June this year.

The countrys top private sector lenders HDFC Bank and Axis Bank have already reported high NPAs owing to defaults in farm loan repayments. This number especially grew in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab, the states which announced loan waivers.

Last month, HDFC Bank reported its highest NPAs in seven years due to slippages linked to the farm sector. The country's second largest private sector lender, known for its largely stable asset quality, reported a 0.20 percent jump in gross NPAs for the June quarter.

HDFC Bank said that its gross NPAs climbed from 1.05 percent in the March quarter to 1.24 percent in the June quarter with bad loans at Rs 7,242 crore. The bank said that about 60 percent of new NPAs are contributed by agriculture loans.

At its annual general meeting, HDFC Banks CEO and Managing Director Aditya Puri said agriculture is the one segment showing most stress because of demonetisation and farm loan waivers.

"At this point of time there is distress which has to be alleviated. Is there going to be some temporary impact on NPAs? Yes, I think the stressed assets will go up but will there be a major impact? No!," he said.

Similarly, Axis Bank saw deterioration in loans outside its so-called watch list and half of its retail slippages of around Rs 1,000 crore are related to agriculture.

Though ICICI Bank has not seen much impact from farm loan waivers, the top three private lenders (ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank) exposure to rural loans stood at Rs 36,630 crore (down from Rs 53,900 crore in March quarter), Rs 28,000 crore and Rs 26,880 crore as of June-end.

Rakesh Jha, Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of ICICI Bank, said in a conference call with analysts that though there no increase in NPAs in the rural portfolio, caution is being exercised: But of course it is a portfolio that we are closely monitoring over the next couple of quarters. We have seen some increase in the overdues, he said.

Bandhan Bank said two-thirds of its NPAs of Rs 175 crore originated in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

All scheduled commercial banks have to make 40 percent lending exposure towards priority sector lending with 18 percent towards direct agriculture.

Farm loan waivers impact public sector banks the most because of their high exposure to agriculture and farmer loans as directed by the government. Though the government reimburses farm loan waivers, such schemes create second order impact in terms of impaired credit discipline and low loan availability.

Top public sector banks, including State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of Maharashtra, Bank of India, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, Union Bank and IDBI Bank (most yet to declare results) have exposure of Rs 226,600 crore to agriculture loans and Rs 61,400 crore to farm loans.

For smaller south-based Andhra Bank, which reported its results last week, of its Rs 3,500 crore slippages during the quarter, Rs 426 crore came from agriculture. Punjab National Bank also saw spike in NPAs and expects it to rise further.

Dena Bank, among other banks, said it has seen lower repayments towards farm loans in the first quarter and hence could see further slippages into bad loans.

Frequent occurrence of such populist actions leads to risks of impaired credit discipline and weak risk-reward for banks and reduced credit availability for borrowers, Kotak Institutional Equities said in a report on June 12.

Banks are likely to witness increase in NPAs in the agriculture sector and a general worsening of credit culture, HDFC Banks economists said in a note.

Several banks have become cautious on further lending to the sector given the rise in non-repayments.

"Loan waivers are likely to also impact the supply of credit as fresh lending to the agriculture sector could dry up...With some farmers receiving loan waivers, other farmers across states, even those who are able to pay, are wilfully defaulting on loans in order to get loan waivers. Thus resulting in a classic microeconomic problem called the moral hazard," the note said.

Meanwhile, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan could also implement loan waivers, with farmers in those states demanding relief.
An Indian scientist points to a patch of genetically modified (GM) rapeseed crop under trial in New Delhi February 13, 2015. REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee/File Photo - RTX2NW03

Foodgrain output in the ongoing 2017-18 kharif season is likely to surpass last year's record of 138.04 million tonnes due to higher acreage and good monsoon for the second straight year, Agriculture Secretary Shobhana K Pattanayak said.

So far, more than 80 per cent of the sowing of kharif crops -- paddy, pulses, oilseeds, cotton, sugarcane and jute -- has been completed and the planting will continue in some parts till next month, Pattanayak told PTI in an interview.

About 19 lakh hectare of crop area has been affected by floods across the country and farmers are likely to take up other kharif crops once the water recedes, he said, expressing concern about poor rains in some parts of Karnataka.

"I am certain overall kharif foodgrain output will be more than last year," he said. While there were floods in some states, there was drought -like situation in parts of Karnataka, he said, adding that there has still been close to 3 per cent jump in the acreage under kharif crops so far. Pattanayak said farmers in flood-hit areas will replant other crops in 19 lakh hectare once water recedes, but the situation in Karnataka has not yet improved.

"South interior Karnataka continues to be problematic, but some rains had come, let's see," he said. Till last week, farmers had sown kharif crops in 878.23 lakh hectare as against 855.85 lakh hectare in the year-ago period, as per the Agriculture Ministry's latest data.

Paddy - the main kharif (summer) crop - was sown in 280.03 lakh hectare, as against 266.93 lakh hectare, while pulses covered 121.28 lakh hectare as against 116.95 lakh hectare in the said period. However, oilseeds acreage was down at 148.88 lakh hectare till last week of the kharif season from 165.49 lakh hectare in the same period last year. This, Pattanayak said, should not be an issue.

"It is lower so far, but the sowing window is not over. They (farmers) will take up little later on marginal lands. Overall, it is not bad." He said the overall acreage for all pulses is higher, except tur. With regard to cash crop, he said that the overall area sown to cotton and sugarcane is higher than last year so far and the output is also expected to be better.

"The cotton acreage has gone up substantially, but part of the area is affected in Gujarat due to floods. Farmers may grow other crops like pulses." As per the data, cotton acreage has increased to 114.34 lakh hectare so far in the 2017-18 kharif season from 96.48 lakh hectare in the year-ago period on account of good rains and better prices.

Similarly, acreage under sugarcane has gone up to 49.71 lakh hectare from 45.64 lakh hectare in the said period because of good monsoon and timely payment of cane arrears by sugar mills. In the 2016-17 kharif season, foodgrain output was record at 138.04 million tonnes while previous record was 128.65 MT achieved during the 2013-14 kharif season.

Production of paddy stood at 96.09 MT, pulses at 9.12 MT, coarse cereals at 32.84 MT, oilseeds at 22.8 MT, cotton at 30.5 million bales in the 2016-17 kharif season, as per the ministry's data.
A security guard patrols besides stacked wheat sacks at a wholesale grain market in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh June 7, 2012. India's wheat stocks at government warehouses surged to a record 50.2 million tonnes on June 1, well above the official target of 4.0 million tonnes for the quarter ending June 30, government sources said on Thursday. REUTERS/Ajay Verma (INDIA - Tags: AGRICULTURE BUSINESS) - RTR3381E

RN Bhaskar

If one goes by appearances, the Warehousing Development & Regulations Authority (WDRA) is alive and kicking. Its website suggests that it is a vibrant and functioning organisation, and lists out the scope of its activities. It has a chairman, and several members. At the same time, there is also an invitation for the post of a new chairman, and it has tenders that are being floated.

But the website does not give any details of what it has done for the past several years. It appears to be an organisation that has lofty intentions. The lack of information on its activities, therefore, remains a mystery.

Yet, there is no denying that the WDRA was meant to be a game changer in India. That is why it is perplexing to discover that so many of Indias legislators have chosen to ignore it for so long.

Consider its introduction. The WDRA was enacted in 2007. Then it was forgotten. It got notified only on October 25, 2010. And it appears that even this notification was partly on account of the tremendous pressure the Supreme Court exerted on the government to explain why it had allowed grain (especially rice and wheat) to rot in the sun and the rain, merely because there were no warehouses.

The apex court had ordered the government to provide all the grain free of cost to Indias poor rather than allow it to rot. The government dragged its feet. Its argument was that sending the grain to public distribution shops (PDS) would be a very expensive affair  costing around Rs.5,000 crore. That justification was obviously specious, because the government could have asked NGOs to pick up the non-warehoused grain free of cost on a as-is-where-is basis. The costs would have to be borne by the NGO concerned. People consuming the grain is a better proposition compared to letting it get devoured by rats or worms.

It is probable that the government did not want to stop the rotting of grain because it wanted  as is being alleged in several quarters  the evidence of the surplus grain to be destroyed by sun, wind, rain and pests. All indicators point to a devious practice by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and several State Warehousing Corporations (SWCs) to make money illegally through grain procurement. The modus operandi appears to be procuring second-rate grain from well-connected farmers at first rate prices. The best way to erase evidence of the fraud is by allowing the evidence of the crop itself to disappear.

That could explain why the government continues to procure more grain than it can store. It procures over 150 million tonnes of grain a year even when its storage capacities are almost half that level (see table). Ideally, it should have sold the excess grain promptly on the spot market or even future markets. Even a sale as a lower price is better than losing all the value through rotting grain.

Whatever the reason, the WDRA finally came into existence in October 2010.

It remains one of the most important pieces of legislation in recent times, could potentially change the way agriculture and the trade surrounding it happens. Of course a lot will depend on the way in which many of the clauses of the WDRA get implemented, but the implications are mind-boggling.

There are several things the WDRA was meant to do which were missing earlier.

First, instead of the state procuring agricultural produce, the Act allowed for WDRA registered warehouses to step in. Farmers could walk into any warehouse (every district was expected to have such facilities) where such produce could be stored.

Second, the warehouse would have an assayer who would evaluate the quality of the produce and certify both the quality and the quantity and give the farmer a receipt.

Third this receipt would be recognized as a negotiable instrument, which the farmer could take to the bank and get money for his produce at prevailing spot market prices. Else the farmer could sell the produce directly through the commodity markets at current or future prices. The farmer also had the option of keeping the receipt with himself till he believed he could get better prices. In that case, the farmer would have to pay for the storage of the produce till the time it got sold.

Thus a small farmer, who was often ignored by the FCI or the SWCs could approach a warehouse with his meagre produce and get a receipt and encash it at his will. It would create a national market where a trader in, say, Orissa could purchase a few tonnes of grain from a farmer in Maharashtra through the commodity markets and collect the given quantity and quality from the local warehouse.

But all this pre-supposed some things.

> It presumes the existence of vibrant commodity exchanges for discovery of current and future prices.

> It presumes the existence of warehouses coming up registered by the WDRA. Currently, The National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange Ltd or NCDEX has a warehousing subsidiary known as National Collateral Management Services Ltd (NCMSL) and the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) has another subsidiary, National Bulk Handling Corporation (NBHC). Both have been setting up warehouses across the country. No consolidated data is available on the number of warehouses per district in India.

> It presumes that all FCI and SWC storage facilities would also come under the WDRA, and that any farmer who wanted to sell his produce could approach them. This would take away the ability of the FCI and any SWC to play favourites with powerful farmers and ignore small and weak growers (who have to then sell at distress prices). It assumed that all mandis (village markets) and APMCs (Agricultural Produce Market Committees) would also get linked to commodity exchanges so that any produce could be bought or sold at current or future prices.

That would ensure transparency, and give every farmer the ability to sell his produce at market prices, and not at distress prices. The farmer could also insulate himself against any potential crash in market prices by selling a part of his produce at prices that he thinks are good even before the crop gets harvested.

It now appears that the government has not ensured the fulfillment of the three preconditions given above. Thus even though the WDRA got notified in 2010, its office bearers have been using up taxpayers money with little to show by way of achievement.

In fact, had all this been done, the pulses crisis could have been avoided. In fact, if one goes through the list of commodities that WDRA is allowed to deal in, pulses are also covered. It is therefore surprising that the government did not use the WDRA route to help pulses farmers out.

A second list shows that WDRA has plans to cater to horticulture as well. Obviously, this is where the warehouse would ideally have to be a cold storage unit as well. It is not clear whether WDRA has moved into this direction, or whether such lists are only for public display. Emails and phone calls to WDRA officials drew a blank.

Maybe even WDRA officials think that the government is not serious about implementing the WDRA vision. That is understandable,. After all, havent the regulations been gathering dust since 2007? It is sad that even after the passage of so many years, there is so little progress for anyone to see. It is even tragic, because this was one surefire way to help reduce the shrillness of the cries relating to farm distress.
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Realty firm Godrej Properties' sales bookings jumped more than three-fold to Rs 1,474 crore while net debt reduced by Rs 400 crore in the first quarter of this fiscal.

Mumbai-based Godrej Properties Ltd (GPL), the realty arm of the Godrej Group, achieved its best ever quarterly sales in housing segment at Rs 1,472 crore in the quarter ended June. The commercial segment contributed only Rs 2 crore to overall sales bookings, according to its investor presentation.

In terms of area, the company's sales booking jumped over three-times to nearly 1.8 million sq ft during the June quarter.

"GPL's best ever quarter for residential sales with a booking value of Rs 1,472 crore," the presentation said.

Housing projects in Mumbai, Pune and Greater Noida contributed maximum to sales bookings.

During the June quarter, GPL added four new projects to its portfolio with nearly 5 million sq ft of saleable area. This included an acquisition of about 15 acre land in Gurgaon for developing a high-end residential project with saleable area of about 1.5 million sq ft.

On projects execution, GPL said that it delivered 1,101 apartments measuring 2 million sq ft in Gurgaon and Vikhroli.

"Delivered 998 apartments measuring 1.86 million sq ft at Godrej Summit, Gurgaon. Delivered 103 apartments measuring 0.15 million sq ft at Godrej Platinum, Vikhroli," it said.

GPL said its net debt reduced to Rs 3,091 crore as on June 30, 2017 from Rs 3,499 crore at the end of the last fiscal. The average borrowing cost also fell to 8.45 per cent from 8.8 per cent during this period.

Last week, the company reported a 46 per cent decline in net profit to Rs 23.37 crore for the quarter ended June as against Rs 43.47 crore in the year-ago period.

This was mainly due to higher tax outgo that surged to Rs 19.48 crore from Rs 10.65 crore during the period under review.

Total income, however, rose 3 per cent to Rs 345 crore in the first quarter of this fiscal from Rs 333 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year.

GPL is currently developing residential, commercial and township projects across about 138 million sq ft in 12 cities.
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State-run Indian Bank is looking to bring down its gross non-performing assets to below 5 per cent by March from over 7 per cent in the June quarter on the back of better recoveries, upgrades and write-offs, a top official said.

The Chennai-based lender is also targeting to improve its net interest margin to 3 per cent from 2.79 per cent now.

"We will contain our gross NPAs below 5 per cent from the present 7.21 per cent by the March quarter as we expect better recoveries, upgrades and write-offs this year from which we are targeting Rs 2,000 crore," managing director and chief executive Kishor Kharat told PTI in an interaction.

Net NPA will be reduced to below 3 per cent from 4.05 per cent in the June quarter, he added. In June quarter, gross NPAs jumped to 7.21 per cent from 6.97 per cent last year. In June quarter, its provision jumped to Rs 880 crore from Rs 596 crore a year ago. Kharat said provisions increased due to ageing of NPAs and also as the bank prudentially did additional provisioning.

"It led to an increase in our provision coverage ratio to 61.65 per cent in the June quarter from 53 per cent in the year-ago period." Kharat said the bank has an exposure to eight of the 12 largest stressed accounts which RBI had asked banks to refer to NCLT for insolvency proceedings in mid-June. Its exposure to these eight accounts is Rs 2,800 crore for which it has set aside Rs 130 crore in provisions in the June quarter.

"In the coming three quarters, we will have to do a total provisioning of Rs 364 crore for these accounts." Besides these eight accounts, the bank has also identified seven more accounts worth Rs 1,200 crore which will be referred to the NCLT for insolvency proceedings. The bank has already taken two of these accounts to NCLT and others are under process. The lender has identified nearly 6,000 accounts worth Rs 535 crore for sale to asset reconstruction companies in the June quarter. These accounts are from small MSMEs and retail sectors, he said.

Kharat said the bank is looking to raise Rs 1,200 crore via qualified institutional placement before December and has already appointed merchant bankers for this.

"We do not require any capital from the government after this QIP as our capital adequacy ratio will be at 15 per cent." The bank is also reviving its home finance subsidiary Ind Bank Housing. "We are going to put extra capital into Ind Bank Housing and will restructure the existing portfolio."

Ind Bank Housing, set up in 1991, though performed well during the initial years, it started showing financial strains due to high NPAs, making networth negative. Following this it was forbidden from accepting public deposits forcing the company to stop home loans from 2000.
In a letter to the exchanges, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has said that it has identified 331 companies that should be traded in a special category.

The stocks of these companies will be traded only once a month, sources close to the development have told Moneycontrol. The step has been taken by the markets regulator on directions of the finance ministry in an effort to identify shell companies, sources added.

According to the sources cited above, the list of these 331 stocks largely comprises mining and infrastructure companies. A public announcement on the same is expected soon.

The regulator has also asked the exchanges to conduct an independent audit of these companies, and if necessary, a forensic audit to be conducted as well.

The margin money on the trades carried out on these stocks would be more than 200 percent, as per the SEBI letter, in a move to discourage traders to bet on them.

Once the directive from the regulator is effective, anyone selling these stocks will get the proceeds only after five months. And if promoters of these companies sell their stocks in the market, depositories will take a note of the transactions and exchanges will scrutinise them.

The PM Narendra Modi-led government has been cracking the whip on shell companies in a move to clean up the system.

On July 1, while addressing a gathering of chartered accountants, PM Modi said the government has deregistered and shuttered more than 1 lakh companies with doctored accounts. He added in a stern message that the government will come down heavily on tax dodgers who refuse to come clean despite repeated warnings.

In another incident on April 1, the Enforcement Directorate launched a country-wide operation and conducted searches at 100 locations in sixteen states as part of its crackdown on shell companies.

In his Budget 2017, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced tweaking of rules relating to long term capital gains tax to make it harder for high networth individuals who launder black money. As per the change notified, now only those investments in equities are eligible for long term capital gains, where securities transaction tax has been paid.
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Tyre companies have, historically, been unable to pass on the full rise in the raw material (RM) prices to customers, leading to huge margin pressure. The brunt of the increase in RM prices was seen in the ugly set of first-quarter results. To make matters worse, the rollout of GST led to destocking. Under the circumstances, which tyre stock looks best placed to negotiate the decidedly bumpy terrain?

Raw material prices  a big worry is now easing

Prices of natural rubber, a key raw material, had been rising until recently, eating into margins for all players. To be specific, from a low in October last year, prices rose nearly 25 percent until March before easing off. The effect of the increase is being seen in this quarter due to companies having used raw material stocked in the January quarter.

Apart from this, crude derivatives also witnessed an uptick. Overall, raw material prices rose 16-18 percent. Due to competition, the companies could effect a price increase of only 5-6 percent. Things are, however, getting better, with the prices of natural rubber abating and crude moving in a range.

GST-led destocking

GST-led destocking impacted tyre companies performance in the quarter. It led to a decline in volumes, leading in turn to operating deleverage, impacting the margins. However, GST augurs well for the tyre companies as it would deter Chinese imports. This is because there will be fewer chances of evading indirect taxes, leading to increasing prices of imported products, thereby reducing the price advantage that the Chinese companies enjoy.

Hope for anti-dumping duty: A big respite

The tyre industry has been demanding this for long now and has put forward the proposal. If the proposal gets through then the anti-dumping duty of close to 10-15 percent would be implemented and that would give a big respite to the industry.

CEAT: A short-term blip but still high on valuations

CEAT has 12 percent revenue market share in India and is the fourth largest player. Over the years, it has become a strong domestic player on the back of its efforts to expand distribution network (4,500+ dealers) and increase in brand building activities. CEATs strategy is focused on high-margin consumer-oriented segments such as passenger vehicle and two-wheeler segments. It is now moving towards off-highway tyres, which is also a very high-margin category.

From the first quarter result perspective, the companys top line witnessed a decline of 1.1 percent (y-o-y). The decline is attributed to 5 percent decline in the volume across all segments due to GST-led destocking, headwinds faced by foreign countries, and lower offtake across CVs on the back of BS-IV implementation.

EBITDA margin declined by 790bps (y-o-y) to 3.4 percent on the back of rising raw material prices, which witnessed, as a percentage of gross sales, an increase of 11.38 percentage points. However, the management expects the RM prices to soften from the second quarter.

MRF  hit by RM prices but deserves premium

MRF is the leader in the Indian tyre market with close to 28 percent market share in terms of revenue. The company has built a huge brand over the years and has a huge distribution network which helps it cater to a large number of customers.

While MRF could save itself a little from de-stocking, it could not spare itself from rising RM prices. Topline grew marginally by 2.3 percent (y-o-y), whereas others posted a decline in the same. RM as a percentage of gross sales grew by 12.6 percentage points, leading to erosion of EBITDA margin from 21.6 percent a year ago to 6.9 percent.

Apollo Tyres  Due for a re-rating

With the capex cycle coming to an end, the company is due for re-rating relative to its peers. Apollo Tyres has invested heavily into the Hungary and Chennai TBR green field projects over FY16-18 and is now in the production ramp0up phase.

The company witnessed a marginal decline in top line on the back of fall in volume attributed to GST-led destocking. Apollo Tyres EBITDA margin was also hit badly by the increase in the RM prices and fell by 756bps (y-o-y) to 7.1 percent.

The management indicated that the gradual ramp-up in new additional capacity, higher depreciation, and finance cost would be a drag to the companys performance over FY18. However, the management is confident that the earnings will pick up once the ramp-up period is over.

Valuations  Apollo at steep discount

CEAT is currently trading at 19.49 times trailing earnings which seem quite expensive. In fact, forward valuations seem expensive for CEAT. We have comfort on CEATs strategy and business but the valuation leaves us cold.

MRF, the leader, deserves premium valuations on the back of its impeccable record and ability to weather headwinds. On the forward basis, it is trading at a reasonable valuation of 14.90 and 12.24 times FY18 and FY19 projected earnings. We would advise investors to accumulate the stock on any weakness.

Apollo Tyres is trading at a steep valuation discount compared to MRF and CEAT. On the forward basis, the company is trading at 13.35 and 10.78 times FY18 and FY19 projected earnings. With valuation and growth prospects in mind, we advise investors to go long in a staggered manner on the stock as the pressure from Hungarian plant would be there in FY18.
The government on Friday announced a new exchange-traded fund (ETF), Bharat-22, which consist of 22 bluechip stocks spread across 6 sectors.

The analyst community has already given a thumbs up to the Bharat-22 exchange traded fund (ETF) as it reflects the confidence of the government in its state-run public sector companies which offers value for money to investors.

The move will help the government to sell its equity stakes in state run firms and also achieve its objective to raise Rs 72,500 crore through disinvestment in FY18.

The pro-growth polices initiated by the Modi-led government changed the inherent profile of PSUs which are now on track to get re-rated. The product is good for investors who have a long term horizon while investing.

For us, the most important factor was the governments confidence and challenge to outlay the performance of Governments policies & reforms led by listed government entities, Vinod Nair, Head of Research Geojit Financial Services told Moneycontrol.

The current Government is more focused on appraisal targets like reforms, governance, and divestment. As a result, we are seeing re-rating in PSU's which will make government more achievable to the goals like privatisation & divestment, he said.

The government did not formally announce the date of the launch of ETF. ICICI Prudential AMC will be the ETF Manager and Asia Index Private Ltd (JV BSE and S& P Global) will be the Index Provider.

Bharat22 is fairly diversified products which will represent the performance of India & Government's agenda over the long-term. We feel the performance and attractiveness of Bharat-22 is better than other ETFs which are linked to index, sector or less diversified. Given better diversity, reform and improved government governance, said Nair of Geojit Financial Services.

Lets first understand what is an ETF? ETFs or exchange traded funds are similar to mutual funds wherein investors can purchase units, the value of which will depend on the rise and fall in line with the performance of 22 stocks.

In the Exchange Traded Fund (ETF), 22 companies will have a diversified portfolio consisting of Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE), Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and will also have some strategic holding in the Specified Undertaking of the Unit Trust of India (SUUTI), Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said told reporters here.

The ETF will be a portfolio of six sectors--basic materials, energy, finance, FMCG, as well as industrial and utilities, Jaitley said. There will be a sectoral capping of 20 percent and a single company stock cap of 15 percent.

Bharat 22 has been formed keeping in mind the divestment strategy of the Government of India. It is a canny way of disinvestment by offering a basket of shares instead of individual shares, Jimeet Modi, CEO, SAMCO Securities told Moneycontrol.

It is more of a defensive play. This ETF is well suited for long term risk averse investors and will not be suitable for aggressive investors seeking higher returns, he said.

Top PSUs stocks which are part of the Bharat 22 index include names like National Aluminium Company, ONGC, IOC, BPCL, Coal India, SBI, Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda, REC, Power Finance Corp., Indian Bank, ITC, L&T, Bharat Electricals, EIL, NBCC, Power Grid, NTPC, Gail India, NHPC, NLC India, and SJVN.

The companies which have been taken in the index are fundamentally sound and may perform well with the improvement in the economy, Sanjeev Jain, AVP - Equity Research at Ashika Stock Broking Ltd told Moneycontrol.

If investors remember the first government ETF (CPSE ETF) was launched in March 2014. The fund has outperformed the index by a wide margin. It is up over 22 percent in the past one year, more than the near-18 percent rise in the Nifty50 index, and 17% which is the average of top 3 ETF linked to the index.

Bharat-22 is adverse to political risk, changes in government policy and governance of PSU which was less active historically. Whereas the main reason for the attractiveness of PSU in the recent years are change in Governments working & policies towards the fiscal & monetary performance of the country, said Nair.
Wipros Big Data Analytics solution is now available on Microsoft Azure Data Discovery Platform for the industries, the Azim Premji-led company announced on Monday.

The Data Discovery platform by Wipro will help in bridging the gap between the acumen required by businesses like banking and financial services, retail, energy, education and manufacturing to the available information, said a report in Business Insider India.

"Together, Microsoft and Wipro have built an industry sector-specific apps ecosystem on the Data Discovery Platform. Today, the platform is a significant enabler of Analytics led Digital Transformation delivering Analytics-as-a-Service to organisations," the report quoted Pallab Deb, vice president and global head-analytics, Wipro Limited.

Corporate vice president of Microsofts Cloud AI Platform, Joseph Sirosh said that Wipros Data Discovery Platform enhance the data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities of Microsoft Azures cloud. It will help to build unique business applications as per demand across the industry verticals, he added.

"By developing pre-built domain specific apps on the platform, Wipro is able to accelerate time-to-value while ensuring scalability and performance," Sirosh further stated.

The platform builds analytical applications by leveraging Microsoft's 'Cortana Intelligence Suite' and Power BI.
The mutual fund industry's assets under management inched closer to a record high of nearly Rs 20 lakh crore as on July 31, largely driven by fresh inflows in equity and debt schemes.

As per data on the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) website, the combined AUM of all mutual funds rose to Rs 19.97 lakh crore by end of July from Rs 18.96 lakh crore at the end of June.

The 42-player mutual fund industry's asset base had crossed the Rs 10 lakh crore milestone for the first time in May 2014. Since then, the base almost doubled in size to touch Rs 19 lakh crore last month.

Mutual fund officials attributed the rise in assets to inflows in equity balanced funds and income schemes, along with buoyant investor sentiment. Fund managers also applauded the continuous rise in SIPs or systematic investment plans from retail investors.

Overall inflows into mutual fund schemes stood at Rs 63,504 crore last month. The positive sentiment in the stock market was reflected by the inflows into equity funds, which saw an inflow of Rs 12,037 crore in July, as per AMFI data.

Investors continued to pour money into balanced funds. The category witnessed inflows worth Rs 7,864 crore in July, taking its total AUM to Rs 1.21 lakh crore.

Fund managers said that expensive valuations have prompted investors to look at balanced funds for investments.

The diversified holding ensures that these funds manage downturns in the stock market without taking too much of a hit compared to an all-equity fund.

With regard to debt funds, income funds saw an inflow of Rs 60,084 crore in July as against Rs 20,685 crore in June, while liquid funds witnessed an outflow of Rs 19,511 crore.

Typically, balanced funds buy a combination of equity shares and fixed income instruments and provide both income and capital appreciation while avoiding excessive risk. These funds are suitable for investors who have low-risk appetite.
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.

CNBC-TV18 brings you a brand new week of Bull's Eye. It's the 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, Sameet Chavan, Vijay Chopra and Sumeet Jain battle it out for top honours.

Below their top stock picks and analysis:

Sameet Chavan of Angel Broking

Buy Century Textiles with a stoploss at Rs 1189 and target of Rs 1272

Buy Radico Khaitan with a stoploss at Rs 139 and target of Rs 159

Buy Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) with a stoploss at Rs 84 and target of Rs 100

Sell Can Fin Homes with a stoploss at Rs 3055 and target of Rs 2850

Vijay Chopra of enochventures.com

Buy Century Textiles with a stoploss at Rs 1206 and target of Rs 1252

Buy Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF) with a stoploss at Rs 100.50 and target of Rs 122

Buy Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) with a stoploss at Rs 86.50 and target of Rs 96

Buy Ujjivan Financial with a stoploss at Rs 314 and target of Rs 336

Sumeet Jain of Destimoney Securities

Buy BEML with a stoploss at Rs 1705 and target of Rs 1750

Buy Jet Airways with a stoploss at Rs 598 and target of Rs 620

Buy NMDC with a stoploss at Rs 120 and target of Rs 130

Buy Power Finance Corporation with a stoploss at Rs 125 and target of Rs 133
live bse live

nse live Volume Todays L/H More 

Eros International Media shares rallied as much as 9.5 percent Monday on a media report that there is likely reverse merger with its global parent.

"Eros Group, the largest movie producer in India, is in talks with Apple Inc, the world's most valuable public company, to sell its entire content library of films and music for around USD 1 billion. A deal may also include their digital OTT platform, Eros Now," The Economic Times said quoting multiple sources aware of the ongoing negotiations.

Parallel discussions with rival media and technology majors Amazon and Netflix have also gathered momentum as the Kishore Lulla led company is planning to embark on a mega restructuring exercise that is likely to result in a reverse merger of its NYSE listed parent Eros International Plc into its locally listed subsidiary Eros International Media by the end of this financial year to create a single listed firm, the report added.

Meanwhile, the meeting of its board of directors is scheduled to be held on August 11, 2017 to consider the unaudited standalone and consolidated financial results for the quarter and three months ended on June 30, 2017.

At 10:54 hours IST, the stock price was quoting at Rs 221.15, up Rs 11.10, or 5.28 percent on the BSE.
A bushel of soybeans are shown on display in the Monsanto research facility in Creve Coeur, Missouri, July 28, 2014. Monsanto engineers designed a chipper to shave a tiny tissue sample off a seed to analyze the seed's genetics. If the sample is positive for desirable genetic traits, the seed is still viable so a breeder can plant it in a field test and use it in the breeding process to create more seeds of its kind. Picture taken July 28, 2014. 20 of 25 Monsanto Stand Alone Picture Package. REUTERS/Tom Gannam (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT FOOD SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AGRICULTURE) - RTR42TJN

Angel Commodities' commodity report on Soybean

NCDEX Soybean August futures closed lower last week to fall 2 weeks low tracking weak international prices and lower edible oil prices. Currently, market participants liquidate their long positions on anticipation of steady demand for soybean in coming weeks due to sufficient supplies of edible oil in the country. As per government data, soybean planting fell 10.4% to 99 lakh hectares compared with the same period last year. Last year, the acreage was 110 lakh hectares. Kharif sowing of soybean fell so far during the period due to a drop in acreage in Madhya Pradesh, the country's largest producer of soybean, as most farmers shifted to more profitable crops such as cotton due to poor returns from oilseeds last year. CBOT November soybean futures closed lower on Friday with the market registered its biggest weekly fall in a year, weighed down by crop - friendly weather across key U.S. producing states. Soybean prices have been pressured by forecasts of showers in Iowa and Minnesota, the No.2 and No.3 soy - producing states in the United States. Soybeans this month are setting pods, the key stage for determining yields.

Outlook

Soybean futures are expected to trade lower due to steady demand and lower acreage in kharif. Moreover, good crop conditions of soybean central India may pressurize prices. However, expectation of good crushing demand on reports of hike in import may support prices.

For all commodities report, click here

Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies 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.

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Security personnel of Bombay's public bus service, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) patrol in front of passenger buses at a bus depot in Bombay November 5, 2001. Over 3000 buses owned by BEST stayed off the road as a protest by its 45,000 employees to demand a bonus payment this year. REUTERS/Arko Datta AD/CP - RTRP1J2

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) worker's union decided to go ahead with the bus strike from this midnight to press for their demands, including timely payment of salaries.

The bus strike would put citizens to inconvenience as 'Raksha Bandhan' is being celebrated on Monday.

The BEST employees and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have been at the loggerheads for the past few days over several issues, including irregular payment of salary.

The BEST employees' union led by Shashank Rao, which claims to have support of 16,500 workers, said, "We wanted a written assurance from the BMC administration but they did not give it. Now, we have decided not to report to duty from midnight. No bus will ply tomorrow."

The Maharashtra government has warned of invoking Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA), 2011 against the employees who go on strike.

"We want a solution and it lies with the BMC, which says BEST employees are its own. BEST employees should get all the facilities that a BMC employee gets. We want a letter from the the civic commissioner admitting that BEST is very much part of BMC," he said.

The union had already announced that it would go on strike from August 7, which prompted the civic administration to hold an urgent meeting today and hold talks with the various unions of the BEST.

Around nine unions of the BEST formed an action committee, which has been holding talks with the administration.

Even Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis tried to intervene in the matter this afternoon, though it failed to resolve the issue. The last meeting with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was also failed to satisfy the union, which is why it decided to go ahead with the strike.

There are over 35,000 employees working in the transport section of the BEST.

"In the last 12 years, the BEST fleet has gone up, but number of commuters is now less than 30 lakh, which was earlier over 40 lakh," a BEST official said.

BEST general manager Surendrakumar Bagade said, "We have agreed to make payment to our employees before August 10. Similarly, BEST will pay the salary by 10th of every month. We have taken this decision irrespective of the financial crisis BEST is facing.
Haryana and Uttarakhand government is planning to deploy gaurakshaks across the states along with government identity cards, according to reported News 18 Hindi.

The move is likely to bring down the violence recorded under the name of gaurakshaks across the state. In the past few months, attacks on minorities by allegedly by gaurakshaks or cow vigilante groups for consuming/trading beef or slaughtering cows have been on the rise.

Over 22 cases pertaining to cow vigilantism were reported in just six months of 2017.

The Haryana government has now asked for candidates to apply for the post of gaurakshaks in every district. Haryana Gau Sewa Ayog Chairman Bhani Ram Mangla had told New18 Hindi in an interview that police verification of all the applicants is in progress.

Once the verification is done, selected candidates will be given government identity cards as gaurakshaks. A strict background check of all the candidates is mandated by government to ensure that the appointed official does not have any other motives.

Over 275 applications from nine districts have been submitted so far, out of which around 80 will be hired, added Mangla.

Applications from other districts of the state are yet to be collected.

With a similar motive to identify gaurakshaks, Uttarakhand Gau Sewa Ayog has requested the government to take steps to identify gaurakshaks with the help of Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

"The Ayog will link these identity cards with Aadhaar details of gaurakshaks so that there are no doubts regarding one's identity," said Uttarakhand Gau Sewa Aayog's Director Narendra Rawat.

The circular for the requirement for official gaurakshaks was sent out in March. However, Rawat said that Uttarakhand has not received a single application for such a post. Following which, on August 5, he had asked the district heads to look in to the matter urgently.
An Indian policewoman takes part in the full-dress rehearsal for India's Independence Day celebrations in Srinagar, August 13, 2015. India commemorates its Independence Day on August 15. REUTERS/Danish Ismail - RTX1O5K1

On this Independence Day, 41 Northeast women cops will guard the security detail at Red Fort and India Gate against any terror attack. They will keep a track of intelligence inputs of Fidayeen women who are planning to target New Delhi, reports the Times of India.

The cops are currently in their four-month advance commando training at Jharoda Kalan, a village in the southwest district of Delhi.

The 41 women were first inducted as constables and went through a 10-month police training. Most of them joined Delhi Police in 2016.

Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik is the reason to this new commando force.

The commandos will be assigned to different units, including Parakram and SWAT. "Many of them will be posted in the anti-terror Parakram vans. As of now, there are 10 such vans and each of them has a women commando. Fifteen more vans will be inducted soon and these commandos will be deployed there too," special commissioner Dependra Pathak told TOI.

The ACP O P Sharma-led training programme has an instructor from the Northeast to fill in the language barrier. "There is an amazing mix of cultures on display at the academy at present," said Sharma.

The training includes advanced hand-to-hand combat moves from an Israeli martial art Krav Maga. The women are now trained to carry out reconnaissance, design maps and begin an assault within 10 minutes of reaching a spot.

A team leader, two recce officers, a communication specialist, two sharpshooters and a medi form one "hit-team."

Each commando is equipped with an AK-47 assault rifle or an MP5 submachine gun with at least four 30-round magazines, a Glock 17 or Glock 26 pistol, hand grenades, a wireless set, a 20-metre nylon rope, a pencil torch, a bulletproof helmet (patka for Sikhs), bulletproof jacket, flame torch, cutter and a commando dagger.

The commandos also learn warfare techniques, such as identifying improvised explosive devices.

For the event of stealth attacks, special knee and elbow pads are worn for protection. Identifying improvised explosive devices, among other warfare techniques are taught to commandos.

These commandos are trained to handle crisis in New Delhi. Their training and combat skills vary from climbing high-storeyed buildings in seconds to rescuing hostages from a room located in the core of a hotel, or a DTC bus or the Metro.
Amit Shah (C) president of India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gestures as he celebrates with party supporters after learning of the initial poll results inside the party headquarters in New Delhi, India, March 11, 2017. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi - RTX30K4J

Amit Shah completed three years as the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday.

While his tenure is not the longest among all the BJP presidents, the three-year period has yielded astonishing results for India's ruling party.

In July 2014, just two months after a landslide win in the Lok Sabha elections, BJP's Central Parliamentary Board approved Shah's appointment as the party president.

Having assumed power at the Centre, BJPs next area of focus was the state assembly elections across the country, hoping to capitalise on the "Modi wave". And Shah has delivered.

About Amit Shah

Amitbhai Anilchandra Shah was born in Mumbai in 1964 in a business family. Shah studied in the Mehsana district of Gujarat and then completed a Bachelor of Science in Ahmedabad.

He participated in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activities since his childhood, but formally became a member of the organisation only when he was in college.

Shah joined the BJP in 1986 and quickly rose through the ranks. In 1991, Shah campaigned for Lal Krishna Advani in the Lok Sabha election and in 1995, Shah and Narendra Modi were tasked with decimating the Congress in the rural areas of Gujarat.

He was elected to the Gujarat Assembly for the first time in 1997 and remained there until 2014 when he moved to New Delhi.

A close confidant of Modi, he became the youngest minister (38) in the state cabinet in 2002. At one point, he was even entrusted with as many as 12 portfolios including home affairs, justice and transport.

Shah is credited with engineering the BJP's win in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Being part of the campaign committee, he was given the responsibility of strategising and executing the party's plans for the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, which sends the most MPs to the Lok Sabha. Under his leadership, the BJP managed to win 71 out of the 80 seats in the state.

BJP under Shah's command

The 52-year-old has had a successful run as the BJP president. Under his stewardship, the 'Lotus' has bloomed across the country.

He started a membership campaign that made BJP the world's largest political party in March 2015 with 100 million members, nearly trebling the 35 million at the start of the campaign.

Shah has travelled more than 5.6 lakh kilometres across India as part of 303 tours and has visited 315 out of the country's 680 districts.

Since his early days as a politician, Shah used the strategy of finding the second most influential leader in a constituency and convincing him or her to join the BJP. The same strategy has resulted into several members of legislative assemblies and former members of parliament defecting to the BJP across the country.

During his tenure, the party achieved tremendous success in several state elections. The party was also able to make inroads into states such as West Bengal, Kerala and Odisha where it had tasted little or no success in years before.

Shah has spearheaded several election campaigns. Between 2014 and 2016, the party won elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand and Assam. In 2017, BJP registered wins in Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Uttarakhand and retained power in Goa.

In Uttar Pradesh, the party and its allies bagged 325 out of the assembly's 403 seats, in what was their most comprehensive victory in 30 years.

During the same period, the party also suffered defeats in Delhi, Bihar and Punjab.

Prior to Shah taking over as the BJP president, the party ruled in six states. By July 2017, their rule has grown to 18 states, with the help of allies and strategic political manoeuvres.

These 18 states include Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir, where the party's presence had been negligible earlier.

Next step

In May, Shah embarked on a nationwide tour spanning over five months. The one lakh kilometre tour includes organisational visits to all of the 29 states and seven Union Territories. He is meeting state leaders, party workers and voters with the aim of strengthening the party ahead of the 2019 general elections.

After a successful three-year term, the "Shah of BJP" is now contesting the Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat on Tuesday. Because of the two-thirds majority the party enjoys in the state, he is expected to sail through comfortably.

Shah has said that he will not be quitting his post as BJP President even after becoming a member of the Upper House. It now remains to be seen if Prime Minister Modi's closest confidant is awaiting a bigger role at the Centre.
Six Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators from Tripura are expected to formally join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), according to a report in the Mint.

TMC had expelled the six MLAs after they cross-voted for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate Ram Nath Kovind in the presidential polls in July.

With the addition of these six MLAs, the BJP is set to be the principal opposition party in the Left-governed state.

With just seven months to go for the Assembly elections in Tripura, this development comes at a crucial time for the BJP which has never won a seat in the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-governed state.

The BJP has witnessed a sudden rise in support in the North Eastern states. The party won the assembly elections in Assam and Manipur in 2016 and 2017 and also runs a government in Arunachal Pradesh.

Sunil Deodhar, BJP in-charge of the state told the newspaper that "the six MLAs of Trinamool Congress had met BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday in Delhi and they would formally join the BJP on Monday.

BJP is targeting 51 seats in the 60-member assembly in the forthcoming polls, he added.

The CPI (M) has 50 seats while its ally the Communist Party of India has one seat in the state assembly.

The Congress had been the principal opposition party since 2013. However, six MLAs of the Congress defected to the Trinamool Congress in 2016.
The Apple logo is seen on the facade of the new Apple Store in Paris, France, January 5, 2017. REUTERS/Charles Platiau - RTX2XOBX

Apple plans to release a version of its smartwatch later this year that can connect directly to cellular networks, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Some of the new models for the Apple Watch will be equipped with LTE chips and be able to perform many tasks without needing an iPhone to be in range, the Bloomberg report said.

Currently, the Apple Watch needs to be connected to an iPhone to send messages, get directions from maps and stream music. Intel will supply the LTE modems for the new watch, according to Bloomberg.

The iPhone maker is already in talks with carriers in the United States and Europe about offering the cellular version of the Apple Watch, the report said. Apple and Intel did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy poses for a picture after an interview with Reuters at his residence in New Delhi, India, December 15, 2015. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy accused the Chandigarh Police of doing a "somersault" on a case involving the Haryana BJP chief's son, accused of stalking a woman. He said he would file a PIL in Punjab and Haryana High Court for the court to monitor a CBI probe into the incident.



With my associate lawyer A.P. Jagga on attempted abduction of a IAS officer's daughter by two drunk goons I will file a PIL in Chandigarh

 Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) August 7, 2017

Asked what prompted him to file a PIL, the Rajya Sabha member told PTI that it appeared the Chandigarh Police was in no position to conduct "a fair and free" probe.

The police, he claimed, had first filed non-bailable offences against the accused and then "withdrawn them all and let him (accused) go after having caught him red-handed".

"Hence this matter should be court-monitored and the CBI should be asked to take it over. You can have a Special Investigation Team (SIT) if you want, other agencies also. This is my prayer," he said.

The woman called the police on Friday night, complaining that two men chased her along a stretch of over 5 kms in Chandigarh.
SP Tulsian

The Niftys move to 10,000 in the last week of July, has boosted market sentiment. As with any big move, this one too was quite swift and unexpected, with the index gaining 500 points in one month alone.

Is this rally sustainable? is the question uppermost in the minds of media, stock market experts, brokers and investors. I have been positive on the market since January (even when most experts were cautious or negative) and predicted the Nifty hitting within 10,000 sometime during the year. I remain positive, not just for remainder of 2017, but for the next four-and-a-half years, during which the Nifty can go all the way up to 20,000, and the Sensex to 65,000.

Here are the reasons for this bullishness:

> GST, the biggest economic reform post-independence, will be a major game changer and the transition from unorganised to organised is expected to happen sooner than later.

Now nobody is seen issuing kachha bill, second sale bill or non-GST bill, though in few cases, compliance has to improve. This is particularly true of Tier III and IV cities, where transactions are seen recorded at 50 percent to 75 percent of real value. But this may be temporary and those who have never paid any tax earlier will have no choice but become part of the GST network.

For instance, many udipi restaurants in Matunga in central Mumbai are likely to pay nearly thrice the tax under GST, against VAT and Excise paid by them earlier put together. This will boost income tax collections as well, maybe with a lag effect as tax authorities can now ascertain the income being earned through official businesses.

> Political stability has not been so predictable in the last four decades. The NDA government led by the BJP looks set retain power in 2019, due to the governance track record so far and also because of the lack of any credible alternative.

Apart from this, we may see state and general elections happening together in April-May 2019 across India. This will see more than 80 percent (in terms of population) states being ruled by the BJP or in coalition with an NDA partner.

The equations in the Upper House will also change in favour of this government from the end of 2018, when laws can get passed in a couple of days as well.

This will see better co-ordination between Centre and states, with faster implementation of reforms as well. Though few experts and the media may call it a risky move, a substantive opposition does not exist. The Opposition parties are to blame, as it has been unable to make itself relevant to the electorate.

> This government is also likely to present two Union Budgets (full -fledged and not one Vote on Account), before the next general elections to be held in middle of 2019. This is owing to the change in Financial Year, likely to happen in April 2018, from March-ending to to December-ending. The next financial year may be of nine months from 01.04.18 to 31.12.18, with calendar year as the financial year from year 2019.

Hence, the Union Budget may be presented on February 1, 2018 and November 1, 2018. This may see direct tax rate cut and re-alignment and reduction of GST slabs and rates as well, with higher allocation to be made on social projects, infrastructure and defence, with phasing out of wasteful subsidy, resulting in an elimination of corruption, partly due to shift to Digital India as well, which will be seen as highly positive for our economy.

> Owing to GST implementation and more businesses becoming part of the formal economy, Indias GDP is likely to rise to 7.8 percent in FY18, from 7.1 percent in FY17. However, it could rise to 8.7 percent in 2018, 9.5 percent in 2019 and 10.2 percent in 2020, owing to gradual gains seen accruing due to GST and normal growth.

> Indias economy is likely to grow to USD 5 trillion in 2021, from USD 2.67 trillion in FY18. Our current market capitalization is around USD 2.07 trillion and the market cap to GDP ratio is quite comforting at 78 percent of the GDP.

> The increase seen in GDP, better tax compliance, expected higher tax to GDP ratio, expected outlook upgrade by global ratings agencies, which may happen this fiscal, will result in huge foreign capital inflow by way of FDI and FII. India will be the fastest growing economy in the world and will visibly remain so for the next five years at least.

Domestic savings inflows into the capital market have surged, due to no comparable alternative for savings. Commodity, bullion, debt and real estate are no more seen as preferred investment avenues, as they are being purchased more on a need basis.

All these factors give an extremely positive outlook on India, which will positively reflect in to our capital market, and may see expected levels, given in the table, on Nifty and Sensex, over the next four-and-half years.

Hence remain prepared to welcome Nifty above 20K and Sensex above 65K in less than four-and-a-half years.

Long live Indian Investors.

The writer is CEO & Editor of www.sptulsian.com
Moneycontrol News

In a split over what sari to wear on India's Independence Day Charge dAffaires of US Embassy in New Delhi, Mary Kay Carlson decided to question the public with a post on Twitter asking netizens what they think is the best for the occasion.



My #SareeSearch continues. Help me pick one to wear for #IndependenceDay by voting for your favorite. #WeWearCulture pic.twitter.com/sL9zhdrC3C

 MaryKay Loss Carlson (@USAmbIndia) August 4, 2017

Carlson has been using the hashtag #SareeSearch in her attempt to select the perfect six yards as she debuts with a sari.

The US Envoy has narrowed it down to four options  a Jamdani, Dupion, Kanjeevaram and Tussar. Indian Twitter users, on the other hand, are gushing over the post.

Later, Carlson shared a video and added four photographs of herself wearing the four options asking the Twitteratti to narrow it down to one and make her job easier, with the hashtags #SareeSearch, #IndependenceDay and #WeWearCulture.

At the writing of this post, the tweet had close to 2,000 replies, over 2,000 likes and hundreds of retweets. A quick scroll through the tweets show that the Tussar or Kanjeevaram are the most preferred, though other suggestions have also poured in.
Venezuela's military said it repelled a "terrorist" attack on a base in the city of Valencia, led by an army deserter allegedly linked to "foreign governments."

Two of the attackers were killed and eight were captured, President Nicolas Maduro said on state television, claiming the group of "mercenaries" -- whose total number he put at around 20 -- had ties to Colombia and the United States.

Officials insisted afterward that all was normal across the country.

Still, the incident heightened fears that Venezuela's deepening political and economic crisis could explode into greater violence.

In Valencia, a major northwestern city, military helicopters flew overhead as tactical armored vehicles patrolled the streets in a climate of tension.

Locals said a nighttime curfew had been imposed, as flaming barricades set up in the street by anti-government protesters spewed black smoke.

The armed forces said in a statement "a group of civilian criminals wearing military uniforms and a first lieutenant who had deserted" carried out the attack, during which a number of weapons were stolen.

The lieutenant and several of the attackers were arrested but "an intense search" was on for the others who made off with the arms, the military said.

Maduro said the captured lieutenant was "actively giving information and we have testimony from seven of the civilians."

Maduro congratulated the army for its "immediate reaction" in putting down the attack, saying they earned his "admiration."

Venezuela has become increasingly isolated internationally as Maduro has tightened his hold on power through a contested loyalist assembly that started work this week.

The opposition, which controls the legislature, has been sidelined. Its leaders are under threat of arrest after organizing protests, fiercely countered by security forces, that have left 125 people dead in the past four months.

One prominent leader, Leopoldo Lopez, was returned to house arrest after being hauled off to military prison four days ago.

The new Constituent Assembly, packed with Maduro allies including the president's wife and son, has quickly used its supreme powers to clamp down on dissent.

On Saturday, it ordered the dismissal of the attorney general, Luisa Ortega, who had broken ranks with Maduro to become one of his most vociferous critics.

Yesterday it announced -- then suspended -- the creation of a "truth commission" sought by Maduro to probe alleged crimes by the opposition.

The United States accuses Maduro of installing an "authoritarian dictatorship" that has turned Venezuela into an international pariah.

The United States, Colombia, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and Peru have slammed the "illegal" sacking of Ortega.

And Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil have indefinitely suspended Venezuela from the South American trading bloc Mercosur for its "rupture of the democratic order."

"Each step by the Constituent Assembly is a step towards the precipice by this government," the leader of the opposition parliament, Julio Borges, told a news conference in Caracas yesterday.

"The only thing it has left is brute force... The only thing it wants is to cling to power," he said, calling for more protests.

The opposition has repeatedly urged the military to abandon Maduro.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches the test of a new-type anti-aircraft guided weapon system organised by the Academy of National Defence Science. Photo: Reuters

The US strategy of exerting pressure on North Korea and its ally China seems to be finally working, after China asked its rogue ally, North Korea, to make a 'smart decision and stop missile tests.

A report in NDTV states that China who is the key ally of North Korea has asked the latter to make a smart decision and stop conducting missile launches and nuclear tests.

The suggestion was given to North Korean officials by Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister during the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) gathering at Manila, Philippines.

"Do not violate the UN's decision or provoke international society's goodwill by conducting missile launching or nuclear tests," Wang said after talks with North Korea's foreign minister.

However, he also cautioned US and its allies that, we would like to urge other parties like the US and South Korea to stop increasing tensions."

The shift in the Chinese stand came after rising international pressure and brimming tensions between US and North Korea have been leading them towards collision course.

The west had increased its sanctions towards North Korea after it emerged that the latters missile capabilities are far advanced than thought with ability to strike as far as Chicago.

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson was also present in Manila. It is speculated that the US official was at the meet to garner more support for the US policy against Pyongyang.
Britain is open to paying up to 40 billion euros (USD 47.1 billion) towards the so-called Brexit divorce bill to the European Union as long as a future UK-EU trade deal can be secured, a media report said.

Three separate sources within the UK civil service and government with knowledge of the UK's Brexit negotiating strategy have confirmed the figure, dismissing previous reports that British Prime Minister Theresa May would agree to a 50-billion-pound bill as "too high".

According to the report published in 'The Sunday Telegraph', the UK government negotiators for Britain's exit from the European Union have been able to ascertain that the 27-member EU's actual opening position is around 60 billion euros  not 100 billion euros as previously suggested.

"The 27 say they can't knock off the bits of their 'bill' until the very end  but politically we can't move on money until the 27 member states start to show compromise. As a negotiation process, it just doesn't work," a senior civil servant based at Whitehall in London told the newspaper.

"We know their position is 60 billion euros, but actual bottom line is 50 billion euros. Ours is closer to 30 billion euros, but the landing zone is 40 billion euros, even if the public and politicians are not all there yet," the official added.

A second Whitehall source confirmed the UK bottom line was "30 billion euros-40 billion euros" while a third political source put the figure in May's mind at "north of 30 billion euros".

Making such a large offer is likely to prove politically divisive for Theresa May.

Brexiteers within the Conservative party will find it hard to accept paying such a sum, especially if it was not in exchange for a workable future relationship.

British Brexit negotiators concluded after second-round talks last month that the EU had created a non-negotiable stance by refusing to talk about trade until it had reached a settlement on citizens' rights, money and Northern Ireland.

UK officials have been looking at a compromise by proposing a transition deal in which Britain would offer to continue to make net payments to the EU of some 10 billion euros a year for up to three years after Brexit.

According to the latest estimate, this continued EU budget payment for 2019-2021 could represent a partial down- payment on a final 40-billion-euros bill that negotiators hope will jump-start talks on trade and future relations.

Britain voted with 52 per cent in favour of leaving the European Union in a referendum last year.
An aerial view showing the town half-submerged in floodwaters following landslides triggered by heavy rain in Khagrachari, Bangladesh, in this still frame taken from video June 13, 2017. REUTERS/REUTERS TV - RTS16XDD

Floods in northern Vietnam have killed 26 people and washed away hundreds of homes over the past week, causing damage estimated at more than 940 billion dong ($41 million), the government's disaster agency said on Monday.

Fifteen people were still missing and the search had been hampered by damage to roads from floods and landslides, the agency said in a report.
I got to see Morganton from a new perspective last week.

I was interviewing the Rev. Dana McKim for an article for The News Herald. He recently took over the senior pastor position at First United Methodist Church in Morganton. While we talked, I was delighted to find out he also grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

We reminisced on common experiences from our childhoods, such as the famed incline transport that takes people up the steep hill on the far side of the downtown area, and Isalys deli chip-chop ham, a culinary treasure greater than truffles or caviar for Pittsburgh natives. It brings to mind a favorite saying among the locals: Its a Burgh thing.

Having only lived in Morganton since 2000, when my husband David, who also is from Pittsburgh, got a job teaching at Freedom High School, I have what natives would consider an outsiders take on this area, but quickly came to appreciate the richness of both the landscape and the community.

I asked McKim what he thought of Morganton and Burke County after recently moving here. He left Pittsburgh as a teenager and has lived in different places around western North Carolina for the past few decades. He affirmed my view that Morganton is a great place to enjoy life.

I love the downtown area, McKim said. Having lived in Hickory, this is where we came to do stuff. We had attended some of the fairs and festivals that go on.

David and I have been faithful attendees to the Historic Morganton Festival each year to get our funnel cakes and Hmong egg rolls. And the annual food festival at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church is, in my opinion, the ultimate foodie experience, where church members cook and serve up authentic dishes from dozens of countries from around the world.

McKim said the slogan for the city should be, Morganton is not normal.

When we finish talking, Im going to the movie theater, and I only have to walk two blocks (from FUMC), he said. We have some really nice restaurants downtown, both formal and casual. There are some really great beer joints. Weve got a few art galleries and nice clothing stores.

CoMMA is unbelievable. Were out here in the middle of rural North Carolina, and the stuff that takes place at CoMMA rivals some of the stuff that will show up in Charlotte or Asheville. Theres a lot happening, and people are working aggressively to build more.

He said he appreciated the variety of experiences offered outside the city limits as well.

There is the immediate passionate commitment to quality community amenities and recreation, but then youve also got this plethora of phenomenal state and national forestry land close by, McKim said. I can drive 15-30 minutes and be anywhere in tens of thousands of (acres of) state or federal forestry lands. Im excited about that, because those are things I didnt have as readily available.

I love to hike and camp. I love getting in the water, kayaking, tubing and swimming. My daughter and I rented inner tubes and laid on the New River for four hours. It was a gorgeous day.

He praised South Mountains State Park in particular. It made me think of the time David and I went hiking there with our Sunday school class from First Baptist Church of Morganton. I remember passing serene woodland views and climbing across a gigantic boulder tilted at a 45 degree angle to finally reach an overlook featuring an impressive waterfall. It was a great adventure.

South Mountains State Park is, to me, one of the crown jewels of the state of North Carolinas parks program, McKim said. Youve got all kinds of phenomenal recreation there, as well as Wilson Creek and Jonas Ridge. Lake James is close by. I can be on the (Blue Ridge) Parkway in 45 minutes. Im looking forward to more exploration.

Rev. McKim has inspired me to renew my motivation to explore some of these local treasures, and reaffirmed my belief that its a blessing to have relocated here and be able to call two wonderful places home.

Tammie Gercken is a member of the Morganton Writers Group.
NEW DENTIST OFFICE OPENS IN DREXEL

Dr. Vader Shelton Jr., a native of Marshall, opened his office for the practice of dentistry yesterday in the Drexel Medical Center. Doctor Shelton received his doctor of dental surgery from Emory Univ. in Atlanta GA. in June 12. He was a member of Delta Sigma Delta dental fraternity.

Dr. Shelton is married to the former Sharon Tomberlin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Drake of Mars Hill. Dr. Shelton is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Vader Sr. of Marshall. The Sheltons have two sons Cecil, 5 and Gregory 31/2.

CHURCH GETS NEW MINISTER OF EDUCATION

The Reverend Edward Eugene Landrus of Hopewell VA, has been called as minister of Education of the First Baptist Church of Morganton and will take up duties here Sept. 1.

The congregation, in church conference Sunday, voted unanimously to extend the call to the ordained minister on recommendation of the board of deacons and a special committee which has been searching for some time to head up the educational ministry of the local Church filling a vacancy that has been open for months.

Rev. Landrus, who is 37, has been director of the First Baptist Church of Hopewell.

AROUNF THE TOWN; MILDRED TOLSON

Home again after attending the wedding of their son and brother in Wyoming are Mrs. Faye Bishop and daughter Nancy, of Catawba Street. The pair made the trip to and from by jet. Nancy was a bridesmaid in her brothers wedding.

Here for a vacation with her mother, Mrs., Mary Smith of Valdese Avenue, are Mrs. Winston Smith and children Terri, Tammy and Rusty of Omaha Nebraska. They are also seeing other relatives while they are here.

IN THE SERVICE OF THE USA

Marine Staff Sergeant Mickey D. Gillespie of 20d Viewmont apartments, Morganton, is in Vietnam serving with Headquarters and service company Third Marine Division. Members of the Third Marine Division form the ground element of the Marine Corps air ground team and conduct large scale search and destroy operations against the enemy in South Vietnam.

Graduates- Seaman recruit, James E. Clippard, USN, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. James E. Clippard of 306 Wilson Drive Morganton, has graduated from nine weeks of basic training at the Great Lakes Navy Training Center Great Lakes Illinois; His training was highlighted by participating in mid-Americas Salute to the Flag ceremonies at Soldier Field in Chicago. He was one of more than 10.000 Navy men who formed a human Lighting Flag in honor of all men and women who have ever served in the Armed Forces.

BLANK CONFIRMED AS PRESIDENT OF WPCC

The North Carolina Board of Education meeting today in Raleigh, confirmed Dr. Gordon Blank as president of Western Piedmont Community College. Dr. Blank, acting president since the resignation of Dr. Herbert F. Stallworth last March has received unanimous approval of the WPCC board of trustees for the position as president. Dr. Blank came to Morganton in 1965 as dean of instruction, a post he filled until the resignation of Dr. Stallworth. He was recommended by the boards special committee on selection of a president, serving were W. Stanley Moore committee chairman, Frank C. Patton, G. Maurice Hill and Dr. E.W. Phifer chairman of the board. Dr, Blank served as a naval officer in the Middle East during the Korean War.

AMONG US MORGANTONIANS; J. GORDON QUEEN (CIRCA 1962 55 YEARS AGO)

Retrospect: Do you remember when John and George Keliveros operated a cafe on the main dragand when a man named Howenstine operated a photographic studio hereWhatever became of the well that stood on the lawn at the courthouse? Oh yes it is long gone and the site is now the statue of the Confederate SoliderDid you know that the First Presbyterian Church manse years ago was in a two story house where the Dixie Home store now operates.

On the Streets: Ernest C. Scott talking politicsOverheard from. Sossoman; How in the world are you? Making any Speed?...Southern Railway trucks loaded on flat cars passing throughA pretty blonde in shortsGood ole warm weatherA girl casting stones at a cackling rooster in a treeA slight car bump on South Sterling Street.

This article is sponsored by the History Museum of Burke County where the Archives of the News Herald are stored. Jimmy Rhyne is a volunteer.
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To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research.

Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.
Wells Fargo said Friday that it has settled a lawsuit dating back to 2006 relating to VA loans which were originated by the lender should did not qualify for VA guarantees.



Although Wells Fargo denies the allegations in the lawsuit, it will pay $108 million to the Us government to resolve the claims made in the action, which was unsealed in 2011.



More than six years ago, when questions about fees on Veterans Administration refinance loans were raised, we resolved those concerns by improving our internal controls and made compensation available to VA customers who closed a refinance before that time, said Tim Sloan, Wells Fargos chief executive officer.



He added that settling the matter allows the company to put the matter behind it.



In a separate message to Wells Fargo employees, Mr Sloan said that rebuilding trust in the lender was his priority when he became CEO last fall due to the fallout from unacceptable retail sales practices in the Community Bank.



He said that rebuilding that trust means the lender must continue to be transparent with all our stakeholders and go beyond what has been asked of us by our regulators by reviewing all of our operationsleaving no stone unturnedso we can be confident we have done all that we can do to build a better, stronger Wells Fargo.



The leader said that he believes efforts to rebuild trust will succeed and praised employees for their hard work and commitment to that end.



He also noted that it would take time for the lenders reputation to fully recover and warned staff to expect more headlines as we fulfill our commitment to identify and fix problems and make things right for our customers.
The Trump Administration could be walking back its promise to protect a tax break popular with homeowners and the mortgage and real estate industries.The cap on the popular mortgage interest deduction  currently set at interest on up to $1 million  could be lowered as part of the administrations tax-reform efforts, according to a Politico report. Despite the fact that the administration promised in April to protect the homeownership deductions, Politico reported that several sources said that a mortgage interest deduction cut was on the table.The topic of the deduction came up during a White House round-table meeting with real estate industry representatives, Politico reported. The meeting was headed up by National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn, whod previously intimated that the deduction could go under the budget knife.Theyre willing to ruffle some feathers, one attendee of the meeting told Politico. Everything was on the table.While lowering the cap on the deduction would help offset tax cuts for individuals and businesses, industry groups have been strongly opposed to it. But there have been proposals to slash the deduction drastically.Ive seen proposals that drop it to $500,000, Rohit Kumar, lead on PricewaterhouseCoopers Washington tax-policy team, told Politico.The mortgage interest deduction is a rare area of agreement between liberal and conservative lawmakers, who blast it as more useful for the wealthy than the working class, Politico reported. Lowering the cap could also save $308 billion over 10 years.But the deduction is wildly popular with homeowners  especially those in more expensive areas. That popularity has let the deduction survive past attempts to eliminate it.And industry groups bristle at the very idea of even a modest cut.Limiting the mortgage interest deduction amounts to a de facto tax increase on current or future homeowners, said National Association of Realtors President William Brown. We would have strong objections over any effort to further cap or limit the deductibility of mortgage interest.
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Many businesses around the state have voiced their opposition to Senate Bill 3, known as the bathroom bill, which if passed would require people to use the restroom associated with the sex listed on their birth certificate.

Of concern for many opposed is that the law restricts transgender people from using the bathroom that matches their identified gender, which in turn would cause discomfort and raise safety concerns.

In a revised letter sent to Gov. Greg Abbott on Aug. 2, several large Houston-based employers, including several oil companies, through the Greater Houston Partnership asked that the governor not support the bill, saying it would harm employee recruitment efforts.

We support diversity and inclusion, and we believe that any such bill risks harming Texas reputation and impacting the states economic growth and ability to create new jobs, the letter said. Innovative companies are driven by their people, and winning the talent recruitment battle is key. Any bill that harms our ability to attract top talent to Houston will inhibit our growth and continued success  and ultimately the success of our great state.

Oil companies whose leaders were among the signatories included BHP Billiton Petroleum, BP America, Chevron North America, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Halliburton and Shell Oil Co.

As letters of opposition pour in from companies in Texas major cities, the Reporter-Telegram reached out via email to oil companies in Midland to get their perspectives.

Pioneer Natural Resources is among the largest employers in Midland County and the largest taxpayer. Based in Irving, it has a sizable Permian Basin headquarters. President and CEO Tim Dove told the Reporter-Telegram that Pioneer does not support the bill.

We believe a diverse and inclusive workforce is the strongest workforce, and we dont support this bill because its inconsistent with our company values and not good for the state of Texas. We consider ourselves a family at Pioneer, and we respect our colleagues, no matter their differences, he said.

Shell Exploration and Production Co. offered similar sentiments. From Scott Sheffler, external relations manager for the Permian region:

With operations across the State of Texas, Shell is a very proud employer in a state we love. We believe in economic development based on a set of business principles that includes respect for people. It is with that value in mind that Shell has joined with other businesses to oppose the bathroom bill being considered in the legislature. We urge our elected officials to carefully consider the repercussions of passing a bill like this, and what it would say about a state otherwise celebrated for its hospitality and inclusive spirit.

The Shell General Business Principles and Code of Conduct are at the heart of how we manage our business. The bathroom bill simply does not square with our values and principles.

Not all business leaders the Reporter-Telegram reached out to disliked the legislation. Tim Dunn is the CEO of CrownQuest and the chairman of conservative policy groups Empower Texans and Texans for Fiscal Responsibility. While companies associated with the Greater Houston Partnership cited employee recruitment concerns, Dunn said the bills passage might help recruitment.

I would expect the Womens Privacy Act to help Texas business employee recruitment, if it has any effect. This state law ensures businesses retain power to create a safe and protected working environment for female employees and should provide nothing but benefit for businesses, he said.

The bill is also referred to as the Texas Privacy Act by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has championed the legislation. In a video he released Thursday on his YouTube Channel, Patrick said the bill doesnt discriminate against anyone.

Twenty-one out of 31 senators voted for the Texas Privacy Act because parents dont want their children showering together in high school, they dont want their children in school sharing locker rooms and restrooms, and adult women dont want men following them into the ladies room, nor do they want their little girls or their granddaughters being followed into a bathroom by a man. Its really that simple, he said. Its common sense, its common decency and its public safety.

SB 3 is now under consideration in the House of Representatives. The special legislative session is scheduled to adjourn Aug. 16.








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A Dunnellon man abandoned a 7-year-old girl at a crash scene and went home, deputies say.

Joshua Adam Townsend charged with child neglect

He and 7-year-old were driving to McDonald's before crash, child says

After crash, he left girl in running truck, went home, deputies say



Joshua Adam Townsend, 34, was charged with one count of child neglect.

Marion County Sheriff's deputies on Sunday were called to the 21700th block of SW 88th Lane Road, where they said they found a 7-year-old girl wandering the roadway, screaming and crying. A person who had stopped to help her was also there.

They also found an abandoned truck just a couple of blocks away at SW 217th Court Road and SW 88th Place Road.

According to the child, Townsend was driving her to McDonald's when they crashed into a pole. While Townsend had gotten out to inspect the damage, the girl fell asleep in the truck. When she awoke, she said, Townsend was gone, but the truck was still running.

Deputies went to Townsend's home, where they found him. He couldn't explain why he left the truck and child, they said.

Townsend was taken to Marion County Jail, where he bonded out.
Aug. 8, 1937: Winn Motor Co. advertised a Ford V-8 sedan starting at $533.

--An estimated 150 Plainviewans attended the Olton Stampede on Friday with Pete Smith and R.E. Cain leading a caravan to cars to Olton.

--Mr. and Mrs. Roy Lippert left here Friday for Chicago where they will spend two weeks in post-graduate work at Gregg College.

Aug. 8, 1947: Pollyanna Erenst is harvesting a nice crop of Elberta peaches from her nine trees. She expects about a half-bushel from each of the 6- and 7-year-old trees at her home, 820 Baltimore.

--The Summer Sorority of Plainview is completing plans for a semi-formal dance centered round the theme of night club life at the Club Happy Holiday.

--The Center Plains Church will begin a revival meeting with the Rev. Woodrow Adcock of Hale Center preaching.

Aug. 8, 1967: Construction costs for the new Central Plains General Hospital, to be built in northwest Plainview are estimated at $3.6 million.

--Paul SoRelle, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bill SoRelle, will serve as one of 80 staff members at the Texas Youth Conference on the Texas University campus.

--Mrs. Shelby Howell Jr. has been elected secretary of the Mary Hardin-Baylor Board of Governors at the groups first official meeting.

Aug. 8, 1987: Dana Moon, Mike Moon and Beth Finley attended the Texas Classroom Teachers Associations leadership conference in Austin.

--Jack Mickey will be guest speaker at the Laymens Prayer Breakfast on Monday at the Nu Griddle Cafe.

--Jess Ludrick and Norman Hardin use their combined 130 years of experience in the printing craft to keep a hot metal job shop going in Plainview.
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Firefighters contained a blaze that broke out in a Berkeley apartment building Sunday evening.

The three-story structure at 1420 Addison St., near Acton Street, was reported around 7:15 p.m. Neighboring residents were evacuated as a precaution, according to the Berkeley Fire Department.

As of 8:11 p.m., the fire was fully contained, said Berkeley Fire Chief Gil Dong.

As many as 40 residents of the building were evacuated, and at least one was injured, Dong said. Residents were allowed back into the building after the fire was extinguished, he said, adding that it was difficult to tackle because it was 200 feet from the street.

The building, which has 27 apartments, is at the end of a long driveway. Two units were damaged  one on the third floor near the back of the building and another with water damage on an unspecified floor.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

All I did was grab my cat and run for it, Liz Sale, 32, who lives on the first floor of the building, said as she cradled her feline, Fernando, outside the building.

More for you Texas couple finds ring lost in tornado, immediately gets engaged

Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn
These times call us each to step up and be counted. I am heartened by the July 24 open letter in the New Haven Register from some of Connecticuts wealthiest citizens: Make us part of the solution in Connecticut.

In a state riddled with side-by-side silos of poverty and wealth, the specter of a $2.8 billion budget gap threatens to deepen this divide, harming our most vulnerable citizens with proposed cuts to EITC, health care, child care, education, job training and other services that disproportionately affect low-income families.
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Santa Rosa officers used pepper spray and Tasers and spent several minutes trying to calm down a man wielding a 12-inch kitchen knife before one officer shot him to death, according to a Sonoma County Sheriffs Office statement released Sunday.

Other details emerged from the Saturday morning shooting, which is under investigation by the Sonoma County sheriff.

According to the statement, officers responded to the 2400 block of West Steele Lane after receiving a call just before 6 a.m. about a person acting crazy. The initial caller wasnt able to give dispatchers much information, so a second person got on the line. That person was crying and told dispatchers that someone in the home had been cut and needed medical attention.

When officers arrived at the scene minutes later, they found a home occupied by numerous residents, including at least two children, according to the Sheriffs Office. The person who had been cut was taken from the house and transported to a local hospital. Other residents also were evacuated.

Officers found a man in one of the bedrooms, under a mattress, holding a kitchen knife. They tried for several minutes to de-escalate the situation and subdue the man, according to the Sheriffs Office.

But those measures didnt work, and the man came toward officers with the knife, according to the Sheriffs Office. One officer shot the man several times. The number of shots fired, how many times the man was hit and where he was hit were not yet known.

Officers attempted to administer first aid, but the man died at the scene, authorities said. His name and age have not been released. An autopsy was scheduled for Monday morning.

The Sheriffs Office said about 20 detectives were called to investigate the incident. The investigation will involve neighborhood canvassing, witness interviews, authoring and serving search warrants, crime scene examination and evidence collection, according to the statement.

Officers were wearing body cameras at the time of the shooting, but the footage has not been released.

Ryan Kost is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkost@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @RyanKost
Finding Mexican food in San Antonio isn't difficult, but knowing where to go for the best of the best could get complicated.

For example, hit up Budro's on the River Walk for the best guacamole, but you'll want to head south to Rosario's for the best salsa  that is, according to Express-News readers.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Paul Stephen /Staff file photo Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Jenny Moore /For to the Express-News Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Jerry Lara /San Antonio Express-News Show More Show Less 5 of 5









The jalapeno may be our official state pepper, but that doesnt stop passions in Texas from firing up when Hatch chile season arrives. New Mexicos signature pepper will be around for the next few weeks, and at least two area grocers plan to celebrate it.

Both San Antonio-area Whole Foods Market properties  stores are located at 255 E. Basse Road in the Alamo Quarry Market and 18403 Blanco Road at the Vineyard Shopping Center  fired up their roasters over the weekend. Fresh Hatch chiles are also available in the produce department at both stores. Additionally, shoppers can sample several prepared dished during the Taste of Hatch event noon to 2 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Vineyard shop.
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BROOKFIELD  On a trip to Tennessee a few weeks ago, the Marturano family discovered a rock decorated like a ladybug at a rest area. On the bottom was a message to check out a Facebook group from Onslow County, N.C., encouraging people to paint rocks with inspirational messages and place them where others are likely to find them.

The Marturanos, who have lived in Brookfield for about five years, had stumbled upon the Kindness Rocks Project, an effort that began in Massachusetts in 2014 and has since spread to hundreds of towns and cities across the world.

Lisa Marturano, said her daughter, 14, and son, 11, were thrilled to find the rock and wanted to hide some of their own across Brookfield. To spread word of the plan, Marturano and her husband created an Instagram page and a Brookfield Rocks Facebook group that in less than two weeks has attracted more than 250 members.

Marturano and the kids have painted 60 to 80 rocks and hidden them throughout town at parks, the library, gas stations and other public places. She said they love to see peoples excitement at finding the rocks.

More for you Texas couple finds ring lost in tornado, immediately gets engaged

Its kind of an impersonal world, so its nice to see someone smile and get a little interaction, Marturano said. Everyone gets to find something fun. We actually watch people pick up rocks when we hide them and they just smile. To brighten someones day, thats all we want to do.

Its a perfect summer activity to get her son away from his video games, too, she said.

Its the easiest thing in the world, and its actually very relaxing, Marturano said.

She added she hopes the rocks travel throughout the country, as did the one the family found in Tennessee.

Hundreds of similar groups exist throughout the world, with several in Connecticut, including Danbury.

The project began in Massachusetts when Megan Murphy started decorating rocks with inspirational messages and hiding them on the beach in Cape Cod. Murphy had long walked the beach and saw heart-shaped rocks and sea glass as a sign from her late parents.

It started out as a simple hobby that I had that made me feel happy and good at a time in my life where I needed something, Murphy said. This filled the space for me. I never in my wildest dreams thought this would go viral and so many people would resonate with it.

Murphy runs social media pages where people can share how finding the rocks have helped them. Often people have discovered rocks when they needed strength to fight breast cancer or while they were grieving for a loved one, she said.

Almost eerily it will relate to that lost person, so the person who finds the rock feels like its a message from beyond, Murphy said.

Dozens of families have posted in the Brookfield Rocks Facebook group with pictures of their kids finding rocks at the Still River Greenway, ShopRite and other places across town. Families are encouraged to take the rocks and hide them somewhere else or to decorate their own.

The Brookfield Police Department joined the fun over the weekend, painting and hiding a few rocks.

Its a fun endeavor, a community-based thing and we like to be involved in the community, Chief James Purcell said.

Murphy said she hopes the rocks remind people of their similarities and lead communities to grow stronger.

Im so grateful that so many people have taken it back to their communities and have done such great work, she said. It becomes more intimate, I think, for communities and that's where connection occurs.
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For the third time since his inauguration, President Trump has unloaded on Sen. Richard Blumenthal over the senators 2010-vintage statements suggesting that he had served in Vietnam when, in fact, he had not.

The presidents outburst early Monday  three tweets in all  were in response to Blumenthals measure aimed at preventing Trump from firing special prosecutor Robert Mueller, who is investigating Trump campaign connections to Russian intelligence during the 2016 presidential campaign.

More for you Blumenthal in Danbury to urge VA upgrades

Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con artist! Trump tweeted just before 7 a.m., minutes after Blumenthal had appeared on CNN to discuss legislation to protect special counsel Robert Mueller.

Never in U.S. history has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal, Trump tweeted. He told stories about his Vietnam battles and how brave he was, and it was all a lie  Now he judges collusion?

Blumenthal tweeted back: Mr. President: Your bullying hasn't worked before and it won't work now. No one is above the law. This issue isn't about me  it's about the Special Counsel's independence and integrity.

The Vietnam charge against Blumenthal harkens back to the his first Senate campaign when he ran against Republican Linda McMahon, who won confirmation earlier this year as President Trumps chief of the Small Business Administration with Blumenthals support.

At the time, he misstated his military record, telling audiences he served in Vietnam, when in fact he served in the Marine Corps reserves stateside.

Blumenthal characterized the misstatement as little more than a slip of the tongue. But his critics sought to cast it as more deliberate than accidental.

The McMahon Senate campaign used the incident in ads: If he lied about Vietnam, what else is he lying about?

Blumenthal quickly apologized and accepted blame, admitting he had not been as clear or precise as I should have been. He went on to defeat McMahon handily for his first Senate term. He easily won re-election in 2016.

Rep. Jim Himes took to Twitter to defend his fellow Democratic lawmaker from Greenwich.

The lies and pettiness of today's anti-@senblumenthal tweets from a man who avoided service lower the President's dignity yet again, Himes wrote, referring to Trumps avoidance of the draft in 1968 at the height of the Vietnam War. Trump won a medical deferment based on bone spurs in his heels.

Trumps harsh critique of Attorney General Jeff Sessions is widely viewed as a prelude to firing him in order to dismiss Mueller. Trump said in an interview that had he known Sessions would recuse himself from overseeing the Trump-Russia matter  and thereby set the stage for appointment of Mueller  he would not have hired him.

The Senate last week moved to block Trump from a recess appointment of a new attorney general during its August break. Blumenthal was on CNN promoting the measure when Trump lashed out at him.

I wont be distracted by this bullying, Blumenthal said in an interview Monday. These tweets simply reinforce my view that legal safeguards are necessary to protect the special counsel (Mueller). Thats why I proposed legislation that will stop President Trump from firing the special counsel without proper judicial review.

Trump has attacked Blumenthal twice before over Vietnam. The first was in February after Blumenthal reported that now Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch  a Trump nominee  told him Trumps attacks on judges were demoralizing and disheartening.

The second was in May in the wake of President Trump abruptly firing FBI Director James Comey. The president said in a subsequent interview that he had been motivated by this Russia thing.

Blumenthal believes his two Senate victories in 2010 and 2016 are proof the Vietnam controversy gained little traction with Connecticut voters.

The elections speak for themselves, he said.
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In a school district with just more than 35,000 students and more than half of that population at an economically disadvantaged level, and 33 percent with limited English proficiency, Spring Branch Independent School District is constantly coming up with ways to help children overcome obstacles to their education.

This summer, two elementary schools will benefit from the districts partnerships with a the prestigious Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation, a national nonprofit started by former First Lady Barbara Bush to increase literacy rates across the country.

Treasure Forest and Shadow Oaks Elementary students will receive donated books to help start an at-home library, as well as school supplies donated by the public at Memorial City Mall and area businesses located inside office buildings owned by MetroNational, a development and real estate company in west Houston, and a participant with the Literacy Foundation in the back-to-school drive.

The Barbara Bush reading initiative started a Houston-specific effort four years ago, said Dr. Julie Baker Finck, president of the Houston foundation, to address what they call a "literacy crises" in the Houston area.

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The big kick-off was Aug. 1 at The Square at Memorial City with story time where Neil Bush, son of Barbara Bush and chairman of his mother's legacy organization, read to children.

"Our Foundation's mission is to improve lives through the power of literacy," said Bush to the children and parents gathered at the event. "The book and supply drive will equip children in our local community with the necessary tools and resources to help them get a good start to the school year. We are excited to partner with Memorial City and Spring Branch ISD and celebrate this Back to School season."

And the public readings will continue throughout the summer.

"We're hosting special story time readings every Tuesday at 10 a.m. through Aug. 22," said Finck. "Local children's authors are lined up to read their stories to children and parents and where they'll bring their books to life."

The motivation to keep kids reading over the summer is part of the foundation's strategy at combating discouraging numbers of children not reading at the appropriate levels. The foundation published a "Blueprint for Community Action" in the Houston area. The 2013 report said that STAAR testing data reveal that 60 percent of Houston children did not posses reading skills expected upon entering kindergarten, and that 24 percent of Houston third graders performed at an unsatisfactory academic performance level on the STAAR reading exam.

"Third is such a pivotal grade. If a child is off track at third grade, they're 4 times more likely to drop out," said Finck. "Children are transitioning from learning how to read, to reading to learn.

Finck says that at-home reading before kindergarten is critical in making sure a child has the skills to learn when they enter public education. The more vocabulary words a child knows at kindergarten, the better equipped they are to master reading and writing in school.

That's where the foundation's At-Home Library program comes in.

All of the books donated at Memorial area drop-off locations will be handed over to Spring Branch ISD for distribution to the two elementary schools to give to the children.

Drop-off bins for children's books and school supplies can be found at Memorial City Central guest services center located at the clock tower in Memorial City Mall next to the food court through August 31.
Commissioners in Fort Bend County are scheduled to meet in a special session on Wednesday, Aug. 9, where they are reportedly planning to call for bond election for mobility projects throughout the county.

At their meeting last Tuesday, Fort Bend County commissioners agreed to meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday to officially call for the election. The bond election would take place 90 days later and be part of the general election on Nov. 7.

According to County Judge Bob Hebert, state law mandates that elections be called between 78 and 90 days before the date of the election.

The proposed bond package would seek nearly $218.6 million, a slight increase from a draft plan circulated last month.

Costs for the bond went up because a new project was added, for a total of 64 projects, County Engineer Richard Stolleis said.

Among the biggest of 18 projects in Precinct 1 are:

FM 521 from FM 2234 to State Highway 6 - a four-lane concrete boulevard at a total cost of $41,894,000 ($6.93 million from the bond).

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FM 521 from State Highway 6 to Brazoria County Line - a four-lane concrete boulevard at a total cost of $32,692,0400 ($5.41 million from the bond).

Old Needville Fairchilds Road from Needville city limits to FM 361 - a two-lane roadway at a total cost of $19,477,300 ($15,920,000 from the bond).

Among the biggest of 16 projects in Precinct 2 are:

Lake Olympia Parkway-segment 2 from Chimney Rock Road to FM 521 - a two-lane boulevard and four-lane boulevard at a cost of $16,751,800 ($8.16 million from the bond).

Chimney Rock Road from Tabor Mills Drive to FM 2234 - a two-lane boulevard and four-lane boulevard at a cost of $13,447,100 ($9.14 million from the bond).

Among the biggest of 12 projects in Precinct 3 are:

Peek Road-segment 2 from Grand Parkway to McCrary Road - a four-lane boulevard at a cost of $18,009,600 ($8.98 million from the bond).

Grand Parkway frontage road-segment 2 - a two-lane southbound frontage road at a cost of $15,423,400 ($12.6 million from the bond).

Among the biggest of 18 projects in Precinct 4 are:

Beechnut Street from 1,650 east of Ashton Brook Lane to Peek Road - a four-lane boulevard at a cost of $14,263,500 ($11.86 million from the bond).

The overall cost of the projects is $388,890,700, of which the county would pay for $218,580,000 from the bond money. The remainder of the money comes from other sources including the Texas Department of Transportation and Houston-Galveston Area Council, among others.

For more information, go to http://tinyurl.com/yaa68gxd.

Reporter Emily Foxhall contributed to this report.
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Meadows Place will provide a respite for Monarch butterflies enroute to Mexico during their annual migration thanks to the efforts of city officials and nonprofit groups.

The city is the first permitted prairie restoration site in power line right of way, according to Barbara Keller-Willy, executive director and founder of Monarch Gateway and president of the Native Prairies Association of Texas. Visit http://www.monarchgateway.org/ for information.

As a Monarch Host City, Meadows Place will convert 13 acres in the middle of the one-square mile city to a pollinators' habitat, including milkweed, on which Monarchs lay their eggs and on which caterpillars feed before they form a chrysalis.

Colene Cabezas, director of the City Parks and Recreation Department, said efforts started about 18 months ago. City officials cut the ribbon for the project in May.

Representatives of Wildlife Habitat Federation are expected to start work in the fall along with volunteers. Work will include killing off invasive plants and planting native plants to create a habitat for pollinators. But's it more than that.

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"I'm here to bring back what we used to have - the animals and plants that existed at one time," said Jim Willis, president of Wildlife Habitat Federation, a nonprofit he formed in 2004.

Weather will affect the project timelime, said Willis, who got involved in the project through Willy of Sugar Land. She also is the link to the Brazos River Prairie Chapter, Quail Forever, which contributed $2,500 to kick start the project. Other groups also are involved.

"What's good for quails is good for pollinators," said Mark Woodson, chapter president. "We're excited about this opportunity to take what is barren ground and turn into habitat for pollinators. That's part of Quail Forever's two main areas: Habitat and educating youth."

Cabezas said the project will involve students who attend Meadows Elementary.

"The school will use it as an educational opportunity for science, math and writing," she said. "It will serve as a subject source for creative writing, science studies of habitat and life cycle, and in math they will use days of growth and development to create charts and math problems."

Woodson, Cabezas and Meadows Place Mayor Charles Jessup see a broader potential if neighboring cities create sustainable habitats for pollinators, too.

Cabezas, who is a Master Naturalist, and Jessup discussed the project with other government officials at a meeting of the Fort Bend Mayor & Council Association. Cabezas said there's little cost to Meadows Place apart from providing the land.

Willy said the project cost over five years is about $26,000 and she has received donations from various nonprofits. "It's about a three- to five- year process from eradication of invasive species to mature prairie plants that you would recognize as a healthy prairie."

"Once it's up and going there's not that much money to maintain it," said Cabezas. "Any city can take this on. It will not be a huge budget impact; just provide space to these groups to do what they need to do."

Willy also has been working more than a year on pollinator habitat in Memorial Park in Sugar Land and has talked with officials in Stafford, Houston and Missouri City.

Stacie Walker, Missouri City director of communications, said that the city in October 2016 co-hosted with Missouri City Green a workshop called "Monarchs in Your Community," which was presented by Willy.

"As part of the workshop, participants received milkweed seeds and propagation instructions, which is essential for Monarchs. This is the only organized opportunity we supported as a city," she said.

When Willy started Monarch Gateway about eight years ago, she said she realized that native milkweed couldn't be bought anywhere, which presented a bottleneck to habitat projects. Last year the nonprofit grew 47,000 plants and this year Willy's goal is 200,000 native milkweed.

"There's a lot of talk about Monarchs, but other pollinators are experiencing a similar trend so we can do for all pollinators by adding additional plants," Willy added.

Cabezas said Meadows Place's pollinator project will mesh with activities planned for an under-development nature center that's set to open in the fall to serve as a base for educational programs. The city will provide the how-tos and example for people to see what can be done. Cabezas said anyone can take part in a project like this and people can plant pollinators in their backyard.

The city is organizing a Monarch Madness Festival for Oct. 7 that will include a barbecue cook-off, craft show, live band and carnival games, according to the mayor.

"The mayor and I both are nature enthusiasts and look at opportunities to use resources to the fullest," said Cabezas. While it took time to advance the habitat development, Cabezas said, "The final project is sustainable and will make a lifelong difference."

Jessup said the city is trying to meet the higher expectations of families today by offering nature opportunities and additional trails.

"If we can do it, Meadows Place will really be your place for life. We're following the lead of the public."
MANILA, The Philippines - Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday that North Korea could show it is ready for negotiations by stopping missile launches, and said he told Russian diplomats that the Kremlin's meddling in U.S. elections had created "serious mistrust" of them among Americans.

In remarks to reporters at a regional conference in which North Korea's missile and nuclear tests have dominated discussions, Tillerson held out an olive branch to Pyongyang by saying the United States will sit down for talks "when conditions are right" to discuss denuclearization and steps to ensure North Korea can feel secure and prosperous.

"The best signal that North Korea could give us that they're prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches," he said. "We've not had any extended period of time where they have not taken some type of provocative action by launching ballistic missiles. I think that would be the first and strongest signal they could send to us, would be to stop these missile launches."

Pressed for a time frame, Tillerson said, "We'll know it when we see it."

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"We're not going to give someone a specific number of days or weeks," he added. "This is not 'Give me 30 days and we're ready to talk.' It's not quite that simple. It is all about how we see their attitude in approaching a dialogue with us."

Tillerson has used the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering here in the Philippine capital to hold meetings on the sidelines with allies and adversaries. He said that when he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday, he tried to drive home the point that Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election had a deep and divisive effect on relations between the two countries.

Tillerson described his conversation with Lavrov as "trying to help them understand just how serious this incident had been and how seriously it had damaged the relationship between the U.S. and the American people and the Russian people - that this had created serious mistrust between our two countries and that we simply have to find some way to deal with that."

Tillerson said he also told Lavrov the United States has still not decided how to respond to Russia's move to expel hundreds of U.S. diplomats. He said a response would come by Sept. 1.

Earlier Sunday, China delivered frank advice to North Korea, its outcast neighbor, telling Pyongyang to make a "smart decision" and stop conducting missile launches and nuclear tests.

The statement by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi came on the heels of a U.N. Security Council decision to impose additional sanctions on North Korea and its exports, and it suggested that the American push to further isolate the regime of Kim Jong Un is reaping some dividends. But Wang also called on the United States to dial back the tension.

After meeting with North Korea's top diplomat at the ASEAN gathering here, Wang said that the situation on the Korean Peninsula is critical - but that it could be a turning point for negotiations over North Korea's nuclear proliferation.

"Do not violate the U.N.'s decision or provoke international society's goodwill by conducting missile launching or nuclear tests," Wang said after talks with Ri Yong Ho, North Korea's foreign minister. Wang, however, quickly added, "Of course, we would like to urge other parties like the U.S. and South Korea to stop increasing tensions."

Tillerson arrived in Manila on Saturday night in what State Department officials said would be a concerted effort to enlist other countries in the campaign to get North Korea to abandon its missile and nuclear tests. Concern has mounted that North Korea is developing its missile technology more quickly than expected, after tests last month of missiles that experts said are capable of striking the U.S. mainland, perhaps as far inland as Chicago.

"Certainly we want to resolve this issue through negotiations, and this pressure campaign, the sanctions, it's all about trying to convince the North Koreans that the fast way forward is to come back to the table and talk," said Susan Thornton, assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs.

President Trump, who is at his golf club in New Jersey, tweeted on Sunday night: "Just completed call with President Moon of South Korea. Very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions."

In the hour-long phone call, Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to cooperate and apply maximum pressure and sanctions on North Korea in a telephone call on Monday, the South's presidential office said, according to Reuters.

Moon was quoted as saying there is a need to show North Korea that the door to dialogue is still open, should Pyongyang give up its nuclear program.

In Washington, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway reveled in the vote, which took place Saturday. On ABC's "This Week," she said Sunday: "And then you also just yesterday saw a unanimous rebuke of North Korea. The greatest economic sanctions package ever levied against them, it'll cost about $1 billion. Even allies in the region like China, Japan, South Korea, all agreeing with the United States that North Korea and its nuclear capabilities must be stopped."

But Tillerson also has pointedly stated several times that the United States does not seek regime change or a rapid reunification of the Koreas, which have been in a state of suspended hostility since an armistice was declared in 1953.

On Sunday, he declared the latest U.N. sanctions a "good outcome." That prompted South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha to correct him slightly. "It was a very, very good outcome," she said.

South Korean officials told reporters that Kang and Tillerson had agreed to pursue the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through peaceful measures.

But the diplomatic road ahead is rocky. U.S. officials rejected Beijing's call for the North to halt its nuclear program in exchange for the United States and South Korea suspending joint military exercises, which Pyongyang considers a prelude to an invasion and regime change.

"This kind of moral equivalency that's implied by the freeze for freeze, which is between the North Koreans shooting off missiles that are prohibited and our reasonably defensive exercises that we undertake in our alliance with the South Koreans to protect them from these launches, is not a reasonable kind of a trade," Thornton said.

Thornton also said the United States would be "watchful" to ensure that China did not slip from its adherence to the new sanctions, which she characterized as the strongest in a generation.

"We want to make sure China is continuing to implement fully the sanctions regime," she said. "Not this kind of episodic back and forth that we've seen."

The United States has unsuccessfully lobbied for the 27 members of the ASEAN Regional Forum to suspend North Korea's membership. The response has been polite but noncommittal.

U.S. officials have been adamant that there will be no direct meetings with North Koreans in Manila, even among lower-level officials.

The ASEAN conference also addressed other issues of regional concern.

Delegates are working to establish the framework for a code of conduct in the South China Sea that would reaffirm respect for the freedom of navigation and overflight, and outline how to arbitrate disputes. The demands that China stop expanding and reinforcing man-made islands in the sea, however, have been watered down from a year ago as more pressing demands have risen to the forefront.

The United States is particularly concerned about Islamist militants gaining a foothold in the Philippines after being pushed out of Syria and Iraq. In the city of Marawi in the country's south, Philippine forces are fighting militants who claim to be affiliated with the Islamic State.

Tillerson started the day on a somber note when he visited the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, where 17,000 American and Philippine troops who fought in the Pacific during World War II are buried.

After touring the site and walking past large stone slabs inscribed with the names of more than 36,000 men and women missing in action in the theater between 1941 and 1945, Tillerson signed a visitors' book, adding after his signature, "Let us never forget - FREEDOM."
Hamas co-founder Mahmoud Zahar, whose eyebrows and beard were once shaved off by Palestinian security forces, listened quietly as the man blamed for his public humiliation proposed a partnership.

The scene played out last month through a video link that let Mohammed Dahlan -- Yasser Arafat's onetime chief enforcer in the Gaza Strip -- address Palestinian legislators from exile in Abu Dhabi, spelling out a vision for reviving the blighted territory together. Zahar, 72, stared at the large screen from the defunct Palestinian parliament chamber and mumbled praise for new "understandings" reached with Dahlan.

"We hope that we will manage to forget the past and start over," Dahlan said in an email interview after that July 27 appearance. "Hatred and differences should not last forever."

What now unites the bitter enemies is a shared antipathy for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and the belief that Dahlan, 55, can solve some of Gaza's biggest problems with help from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, where he's lived since fleeing corruption charges in the West Bank in 2011.

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The unlikely alliance could have broader implications for regional politics, from the showdown with Qatar in the Persian Gulf, to Egypt's and Israel's war on Islamic militants, to the future of the Palestinian Authority amid new questions surrounding the health of its 82-year-old leader.

Dahlan's plans include building a $100 million power plant for the energy-starved territory, channeling Gulf petrodollars to Gaza's poor and providing an orderly exit hatch for the population of 1.9 million fenced in for the past decade by Israel and Egypt.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has encouraged Dahlan's involvement in hopes of drawing Hamas away from its Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood parent, whose ouster from power he led in 2013, said Mkhaimar Abusada, a Gaza-based political scientist at Al-Azhar University.

Egyptian analysts say el-Sissi's ultimate aim is to throw open his country's oft-closed border with Gaza in exchange for security cooperation from Hamas, which he accuses of abetting militants in Egypt's Sinai peninsula. Israel, however, would need to be satisfied that wouldn't allow weapons to be smuggled into Gaza to be used against it.

Dahlan's ability to tap Abu Dhabi's wealth could also help draw Hamas away from Qatar, now a pariah in the Gulf, Abusada said. Qatar, which has been boycotted for two months by a Saudi-led bloc that accuses it of sponsoring terrorism, hosts the Hamas leadership and has poured tens of millions of dollars into reconstruction following conflicts with Israel. It denies the alliance's charges.

Dahlan's involvement might also sideline Turkey, whose diplomatic ties with Israel have ebbed and flowed over its support for Hamas.

That Hamas would join forces with a man notorious for once suppressing the movement is testimony to just how desperate its leaders have become. In the 10 years since Hamas seized control of Gaza from Abbas' forces in a bloody coup, its economy has been brought to the brink of collapse by three wars with Israel, the sealing of its borders by Israel and Egypt, and the Egyptian military's destruction of cross-border smuggling tunnels.

Abbas has recently tightened the screws by chopping the salaries of tens of thousands of Gazans on the Palestinian Authority payroll and persuading Israel to slash the amount of electricity it provides the strip.

After six years when he seldom appeared in public, Dahlan's re-emergence in recent weeks comes at a tricky juncture for Palestinians. Concerns about the health of Abbas -- a lifetime smoker with a history of heart trouble and prostate cancer -- were rekindled with a mysterious late-July visit to the hospital.

Although he denies seeking to replace Abbas, Dahlan -- looking vigorous on screen with his jet black hair and lavender tie -- has maintained a steady presence in Palestinian public opinion polls about Abbas's likely successor. His support is concentrated in Gaza and is virtually nil in the West Bank, where he's blamed for failing to prevent the 2007 Hamas takeover of Gaza when he was in charge of Palestinian Authority security forces there.

"He would like to come back home and compete again for political leadership from his base in Gaza," Abusada says. "He has his own agenda and his own interests."

Since leaving the hospital last week, Abbas has also sought to project strength, telling supporters in an Aug. 5 speech that he will further restrict funds to Gaza unless Hamas shows it's willing to reach a deal to reconcile with his government. Abbas rolled out all the trappings of office Monday when he greeted Jordan's King Abdullah at his new presidential palace in Ramallah, strolling on a red carpet alongside the monarch to review the Palestinian security forces honor guard.

Israel -- the target of dozens of Hamas suicide bombings as well as rocket attacks -- is closely following the Palestinian dynamic amid hopes that Dahlan could be a moderating influence on Hamas, now headed by former militia chief Yahya Sinwar. Israeli leaders know Dahlan well, both from incarcerating him in the 1980s and coordinating security forces and negotiating peace agreements with him in the 1990s.

While Dahlan's popularity in Gaza is clear, Abbas still wields power, and Hamas is unwilling to give up its independent security forces -- a concession the Palestinian leader considers key to unification.

"The whole idea is to bring Dahlan to Gaza so that he has a new power base to compete with Abbas, and people say, 'Why not?'" says Yohanan Tzoref, a specialist on Palestinian affairs at Israel's intelligence ministry. "Smarter people say, 'No, it doesn't work that way.' Abu Mazen is sovereign and he says guns only in the hands of the government."

---

Bloomberg's Fadwa Hodali contributed.
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The body of a 57-year-old man was discovered Sunday morning in the San Marcos River.

According to Texas State University Police Department, Hilario Castilleja was reported missing by a family member at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. Castilleja's body was recovered on the river around 1 a.m. on Sunday.

Police told mySA.com Castilleja and his family were near the vicinity of the bridge on Aquarena Springs Road and Spring Lake, the headwaters of the San Marcos River, at the time of his disappearance.

RELATED: Austin man found dead in the San Marcos River

On Sunday, authorities sent an email advising students to steer clear of the area between the bridge and Spring Lake.

The cause of death is still under investigation.

jthorpe@express-news.net

@jerilynnthorpe
A man who was arrested Sunday night on suspicion of aggravated robbery may have been behind other robberies too, San Antonio police said.

Daniel Henry Lopez Jr., 39, was arrested around 8 p.m. on a $75,000 bond, according to jail records.

On March 16, police were called out to investigate a robbery at a pizza restaurant in the 4600 block of West Commerce Street, according to an affidavit.

RELATED: SAPD searching for armed masked man they say is behind a Saturday morning crime spree

Employees told police a man, later identified as Lopez, came in and ordered a pepperoni pizza. When the clerk rang up his order, Lopez allegedly demanded the clerk open the cash register.

When she refused, Lopez allegedly threatened her, asking if she wanted him to shoot her, police said.

Lopez then pulled up his sweater and showed the clerk a handgun tucked in his waistband, the affidavit says.

The clerk told police she tried talk him out of committing the robbery, telling him he was "making a mistake," according to the affidavit. The suspect left the restaurant without taking any money and drove off in a brown sedan, authorities said.

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The Robbery Task Force Unit, which was investigating other restaurant robberies, noticed this incident was similar to other incidents. Lopez hasn't been charged though in connection to other incidents.

The affidavit states the car, suspect description and his behavior led police to Lopez.

When police set up a photo line up for the clerk a few months after the incident, police said she identified Lopez as the robber.

Aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony, is punishable by up to 99 years in prison.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com



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Twitter: @FaresInSA
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Multiple homes in Leon Valley have been evacuated due to heavy rain in the area Monday morning, and the fire department is urging residents in low-lying areas to seek shelter.

Residents were initially sent to John Marshall High School but are now being asked to go to the fire station.

Norma Tijerina, 45, said a firefighter knocked on her door and told her the fire department was evacuating everyone from the area.

"He said 'Grab whatever you need because we're evacuating. The water is rising pretty fast,'" Tijerina said.

RELATED: Heavy rain, thunderstorms flooding streets during morning commute

Now Playing: A young man became trapped trying to cross over Pinn Road near Highway 151 on Monday, Aug. 7, 2017, as flood waters inundated the area. Two fire engines had their ladders extended as far as they could go, but couldn't reach him. A boat rescue unit prepared to deploy, but authorities ultimately decided the ladders were the safer option. Video: JW Player

She grabbed what she needed, hopped in the rescue vehicle and went to the high school. She said she's lived at her current home in Leon Valley for five years and Monday was the first time she's had to evacuate.

Sandra Orozco and her son, Rene, said Monday was the first time they've ever had to be evacuated as well.

"They said it was mandatory because it's going to be raining for the rest of the day," Orozco said. "This never happens."

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The Orozco home is by a creek in Raymond Rinkus Park, and by the time they had left, the creek was flooded.

"Right now, we're just trying to go somewhere that's not here," Rene Orozco said.

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5
I guess we reached new lows as far as the LGBT issue with the military. I for one am ashamed that our leader of our country would do what he did. I am so pleased that the United Kingdom came out to support their LGBT community. Doesnt matter whether they have one person or a thousand people in the military that are of the LGBT community.

I think it makes a statement that shows President Trump to be an empty figurehead who has no humanity in his heart, no decency in his thinking or behavior, and no soul in his being. He certainly lacks consciousness. Trump committed an unforgivable insult to all those in the LGBT community that serve in our military. Shame on him.
That sound you hear is the wall of elected Republican support for Donald Trump beginning to crack.

There was Sen. Lindsey Graham warning that firing special counsel Robert Mueller would be the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency. There was Sen. Charles Grassley warning that if Attorney General Jeff Sessions were fired there is no way the Judiciary Committee would consider a replacement this year. And there was Sen. Ben Sasse warning Trump that if he were considering a recess appointment to replace Sessions, he should forget about it.

All of these responses are important as preventive measures. But no major elected Republican has provided a comprehensive critique of Trumpism itself. Until now. Sen. Jeff Flakes new book, Conscience of a Conservative, is a white-hot indictment of Republican cowardice in the face of a hostile, ideological takeover. It also represents the single largest act of political bravery of the Trump era.

The book has gained a buzz for its, well, forthright description of Trump himself. He is guilty of erratic behavior, unmoored from principle, and a fly off the handle approach to governance. He is impulsive and lacking in coherent economic analysis. He is willing to heap praise on dictators and to speak fondly of countries that crush dissent and murder political opponents and to undermine confidence in our democratic elections.

Seemingly overnight, Flake writes, reckless, outrageous, and undignified behavior was excused and countenanced as telling it like it is, when it was actually just reckless, outrageous and undignified. And: We degrade our politics enough as it is without turning our democracy over to carnival barkers and reality television.

Flakes ideological critique is libertarian in content but moderate in application. He defends free trade, and views globalization as a fact and an opportunity. But he actually apologizes for opposing the TARP bank bailout in 2008, a vote that he self-diagnoses as an act of cowardice.

The passion of Conscience of a Conservative, however, comes from Flakes deep, religiously rooted outrage at the dehumanization of vast groups of people based on nationality or ethnicity. This is what led him to visit a mosque in a show of solidarity when candidate Trump proposed a Muslim travel ban. This is what led Flake, during the first meeting of Senate Republicans with Trump after the election, to question Trump about his characterization of Mexican immigrants as rapists.

Flakes view of Mexican migrants was conditioned by their hard, reliable work on his family ranch in Arizona. I have always said that I could never look at these migrants and consider them criminals. And the moral center of the book is the moving story of two doctors  one a Palestinian, the other an Afghan  who saved the life of Flakes father after a ruptured aorta. Neither might have been allowed into America, says Flake, had we restricted visas from countries compromised by terrorism.

Flake is a Mormon, and one explanation for the skepticism of many people of his faith about Trump is surely their focus on personal character and rectitude  areas where the president is defiantly lacking. But another is their own history as victims of persecution. Mormons, explains Flake, have had foundational and horrifying experience with some of these worst impulses of mankind and became both refugees and immigrants in our own land. And so when someone starts talking of religious tests and religious bans, we know better.  When we say No Muslims or No Mexicans, we may as well say No Mormons. Because it is no different.

History tends to honor those who are the first to speak with moral clarity in a muddy time. Read Hubert Humphreys speech on racial equality to the 1948 Democratic convention: My friends, to those who say that we are rushing this issue of civil rights, I say to them we are 172 years late.

It was admirable to be for equality in 1964. It was courageous and visionary in 1948. Flakes party is different, but his role is comparable.

michaelgerson@washpost.com
Re: Senators ask that transgender troops not be discharged, Nation & World, July 27:

President Donald Trump has said no transgender people will be allowed to serve in any service branch. And supposedly the service branches are having a hard time recruiting and keeping members. So they had to lower their standards and allow in people with no education, arrest records, etc.

Why not reinstitute the draft? I mean a real draft where no one can claim exemptions such as heel spurs, flat feet, my dad is a congressman/congresswoman  you get the picture. No more, My baby has dreams of going to Harvard, he doesnt look good in fatigues, we are rich, so why should he serve, he was planning to study overseas this year, etc.

And make sure that those sons and daughters of people who want war are first to be drafted. No more Vietnams and Iraqs, both wars launched under false pretenses.

Fred Vasquez

Pardon him?

The con man and fake, President Donald Trump, is beginning to see the writing on the wall. Reports indicate he is asking his lawyers about his options regarding pardoning his kids, staff and, perhaps, himself.

Fred Rodriguez

The gall of Trump

How dare Donald Trump state that he is the most presidential president, except for Abraham Lincoln! His delusions seem to be increasing, along with his narcissism.

Although his campaign antics predicted he would be in trouble if he won, he has exceeded all negative expectations, starting with refusing to release his tax returns. Then he moves his daughter and son-in-law into the White House with him. Were they vetted as capable advisers? What a great opportunity to expand their business deals! What expertise do they have?

And what about his questions regarding his pardoning powers, including the possibility of pardoning himself? No one has been charged yet. Is that not a red flag? How many more people does he have to fire before he qualifies for obstruction of justice charges? Perhaps we must wait until that rope shortens before he hangs himself.

In the meantime, what do we do?

Ruth Frederick

Skip the ideology

We have been hearing the phrase single payer health care the past few weeks. I wonder if most Americans understand what it means. It is, unfortunately, a system where a government functionary has more control of an individuals health care than the physician and the patient, who are in the best position to know the problem, the prognosis and the remedy.

Someone sitting behind a computer would have only a partial understanding.

We would probably have an untrained individual with limited knowledge of the patients real needs looking over the shoulder of the doctor, telling him or her the extent of required medical care. That is scary. Even more so is the question of where to find the trained experts to fill the thousands of new federal positions. The size of that bureaucracy could be humongous.

Perhaps our representatives could explain to America a single payer system before moving forward. It is time for political ideology to be set aside for the welfare of the American citizen.

Hank Forrest

Not good enough?

Growing up, I was taught, Never ask someone to do anything that you are not willing to do yourself.

Well, Congress, are you willing to use Obamacare instead of the medical insurance you have now? Why do you insist the American people should have Obamacare?

Marlena Dupre

Closed mind

My mother had a sign that read: DONT CONFUSE ME WITH THE FACTS, MY MIND IS MADE UP.

Maybe Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has that sign, and he believes and lives by it.

Judith Rodriguez

Religious wars

Re: U.S. founded on freedom, not Christianity, Eric Lane, Other Views, July 27:

Thank you, thank you, for Eric Lanes reminder that the U.S. was not founded as a religious state. Of all the fake news, the notion that we were founded as a Christian nation is among the most dangerous. Imagine the discourse if the Muslim religion made the same claim, or the Buddhist, or any other religion. What if any of them wanted to post its doctrine on a sign at the courthouse steps? Imagine the result.

Mr. Lanes commentary should be required reading for all religious zealots/charlatans. Look at any country where the dominant religion is the law of the land, and youll see turmoil and unrest.

Our founding documents clearly say that religion and state remain separate. One does not have to go back in history to see the death and destruction caused by mans religious beliefs; it is still present all over the world today.

Jerry Kempe, New Braunfels

Good Samaritan

While walking in Tobin Park on July 30, my drivers license somehow fell out of my phone holster attached to my shorts.

After discovering the loss, my partner and I returned to the park and retraced our steps looking for it, to no avail. We also made a report to the Park Police (very nice Sgt. Brian Getchell, who also helped us look).

The following morning, I received a call from my neighborhood gate guard, informing me a man in military uniform had dropped off my license! Thanks whoever you are.

Julie Kallison
A proposal to build an apartment complex that would violate height limits around Mission Concepcion cleared the final round of the citys approval process on Monday.

The citys Board of Adjustment approved the proposal, by local builder 210 Development Group, on a vote of 9-2  the minimum number of votes required. Four of the buildings at the 228-unit complex will exceed by up to 11 feet the height limits of the Mission Protection Overlay, a buffer zone the city created in 2014 to control growth around San Antonios missions.

RELATED: $83 million project planned across street from San Antonio's City Hall

The complex wont be visible to someone standing in front of Mission Concepcion because the view is blocked by existing buildings, said Rob Killen, a local attorney who represented 210 Development at the meeting. The company hired a company to fly drones at the heights of the proposed buildings last month, and none were visible, he said.

It wouldnt be financially feasible to reduce the heights of the buildings, which will be between two and three stories tall, Killen said. The complex will provide much-needed quality housing on the South Side and will redevelop a vacant property that has been plagued by vandalism and vagrancy, he said. 210 Development will rehabilitate some historic buildings as part of the project.

RELATED: $57 million Preserve at Fredericksburg apartments sell

Most of the board was receptive to the companys argument, but board member Mary Rogers said she was worried the project would alter the character of the neighborhood.

There is more to this than seeing the buildings or not seeing the buildings, Rogers said. The World Heritage site does not need development on its doorstep.

The neighborhood association for Roosevelt Park, which the complex will be in, hasnt taken a position on the project because its six-member board is evenly split on the issue. The nearby Mission San Jose Neighborhood Association came out in opposition. Its president, Theresa Ybanez, said at the Monday meeting that the complex would set a precedent for breaking the height limits around the missions.

We understand that you cannot see the height of the buildings, but thats not the point, she said. The point is that its a World Heritage site. The view-shed ordinance was designed to protect the World Heritage site.

RELATED: Renovation work to begin soon on blighted downtown building

The citys Historic and Design Review Commission originally approved the complex last year after 210 Development lowered its height from four to three stories to meet the height restriction. But the company later realized it had to expand the buildings foundations for the sites drainage to work properly, causing them to break the height limits. The HDRC approved the new design last month.

RWebner@express-news.net

@rwebner
1 Afghanistan attack: At least 30 people have been killed by Taliban fighters in northern Sari Pul province, the provincial governor said Sunday. Zahir Wahdat said the victims were mostly civilians, along with some local security forces. The shootings took place Saturday after the Taliban seized control of the strategic Mirzawalang area in Sayad district. Afghan forces retreated from the area after they could not obtain ground or air support from the central government, Wahdat said. Ten Taliban fighters were also killed, according to Zabi Amani, a spokesman for the provincial governor.

2 Syria fighting: Pro-government forces captured the Islamic State groups last stronghold in the energy-rich Homs province in central Syria on Sunday, paving the way to advance on the besieged eastern city of Deir el-Zour, state media and a war monitoring group reported. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 30 Islamic State militants were killed in the past 24 hours in the battle for the town of al-Sukhna, in Homs, before it was captured. The advance puts pro-government forces 68 miles from companion forces trapped in Deir el-Zour. Militants have held the city under siege since 2015.
The Commander Zimbabwe National Army, General David Sigauke has mourned Colonel Dennis Pahla who died on Monday.

Col Pahla, whose Chimurenga name was Cde Kid Nyikandeyedu, died at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals after suffering from injuries sustained in a road traffic accident which occurred when the car he was travelling in rolled over into Gwebi River along the Harare Chinhoyi Road.

He was 64. Col Pahla was born on 17 October 1957 in Chipinge and attended primary education at Madhuklu, Manzire and later Rimai primary schools.

He then proceeded to Chikore Mission for secondary education.

The late colonel however failed to write his O Levels examinations as the liberation war had escalated at that time in his home area.

The Rhodesian forces had increased their patrols into the area following incursion by ZANLA combatants crossing the border from neighbouring Mozambique.

The late Col Pahla subsequently moved to Mutare where he stayed for some months before he crossed the border to join the liberation struggle in Mozambique in 1975.

This was after ZANLA forces had attacked Mutare.

Accompanied by a friend, the two crossed the border into Mozambique at Mary mount Mission.

In a statement gen Sigauke said Col Pahlas first port of call in Mozambique was Villa de Manica before proceeding to Chimoio. They were then ferried to Nyadzonya Refugee camp.

In 1976, the late Colonel was selected to undergo military training in Tanzania and was flown to Nachingweya via Mutwara Airport. He was part of the Songambele group of 5000 ZANLA recruits. After training in 1977 colonel Pahla was deployed to operate in Tete province , Detachment B of the Chitepo sector inside Zimbabwe then Rhodesia.

He operated as a rifleman and rose through the ranks to become section Political Commissar, section Commander before he was elevated to Detachment Commander. At ceasefire in 1979, he went to echo (Luwanga) Assembly Point from where he subsequently joined the ZNA on independence in 1980, Gen Sigauke said.

Col Pahla served in various appointments in the ZNA rising through the ranks to colonel the rank he held until the time of his untimely death.

Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.

Mourners are gathered at plot Number 7 Riverside Farm in Banket.

 Herald

Breaking News via Email
Douglas Mwonzora has been suspended by the MDC Alliance for failing to win at any single polling station!

The Alliance called Mwonzora a disgrace!

RE: SUSPENDED FROM SPEAKING OR CONDUCTING MDC ALLIANCE BUSINESS.

This letter constitutes official notice of your suspension from speaking. representing or conducting MDC-Alliance business in any form, shape or capacity for gross violation of the MDC Alliances Non-Competent Alliance agreement of the 5 of August 2017 and its Amendment. Your suspension is with immediate effect till further notice

On and around January to March 2022, you violated multiple sections of MDC Alliances agreement of the 5 of August 2017 and the Non-Competent Alliance agreement amendment I of the 5th of January 2021. The MDC Alliance was well funded by Mr. and Mrs. Tax Payer but under your leadership, our candidates nationwide failed to win at least one single polling station. You are a disgrace Mr. President.

We are aware of the fact that you are the leader of Opposition in Parliament. Therefore, the alliance Secretariat in consultation with the alliance executive, will be making extensive consultations with Parliament, our legal team and Government seeking solutions on how we should progress with your case.

We wish to reiterate that the decision on whether to return you as the MDC. Alliance President lies with the MDC-Alliance Principals. Kindly be advised that your conduct and performance Justify our action.

You have no moral rights to appeal against this decision.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely

Marakia Bomani  ZimPF SG & Secretariat Alliance Coordinator

Cc Presidents of MCD, PDP, ZIMPF, ZANU-NDONGA & MDC-Green

Cc President of Senate Hon Mabel Chinomona

Cc Speaker of Parliament Zimbabwe Hon Adv. Jacob Mudenda

Cc All MDC Alliance Secretary Generals

More details to follow..

Breaking News via Email
MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa yesterday sensationally claimed that the partys charismatic founder, Morgan Tsvangirai, was killed by his Zanu PF rivals as part of the ruling partys scorched earth policy to weaken opposition politics in the country.

Chamisa told thousands of his supporters at a campaign rally at Chibuku Stadium in Chitungwiza that in killing Tsvangirai, Zanu PF did not anticipate that they were rekindling a brighter flame that would consume them in next weeks polls.

I am saying this for the first time. There are people who connived to kill our leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Chamisa said.

They thought that if they killed him, they would weaken the party. Little did they know that they were rekindling brighter flames that would consume them? They are shedding crocodile tears, but we know they killed him.

Tsvangirai succumbed to cancer of the colon in February this year, shortly after President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga paid a visit and offered him a pension, pledged to pay his medical bills and gave him ownership of a government house he was staying in. Government later provided a State-assisted funeral for Tsvangirai.

The late main opposition leader had opened up on his medical condition on June 27, 2016.

His death triggered a fierce MDC-T leadership fight, culminating in the partys split, with faction leader Thokozani Khupe leading a breakaway faction of the

MDC-T, where she has successfully registered to contest next weeks presidential race using the party symbols and colours.

Chamisa claimed Zanu PF fuelled his succession fights with Khupe in order to further weaken the opposition party.

They (Zanu PF) are right now disappointed, panicking and hopeless. They developed a parasite (referring to Khupe). Dont supply it with fertiliser, it will destroy the country, Chamisa said.

He said despite the setbacks, the opposition party had mobilised adequately to safeguard next weeks votes, with 44 000 agents set to be deployed to cover all polling stations.

We should leave them no room for cheating. There are divisions in Zanu PF. They have disappointed (and) their old man (former President Robert Mugabe), he is very angry. This time, they dont have their goalkeeper (Mugabe) and we are going to score at will.

Chamisa said Mnangagwa was trying to cause civil strife by colluding with Zec to rig the elections.

He has been telling me to go to the court if I have issues. How can he invite me to his bedroom? he asked rhetorically.

Chamisa said he was working with war veterans like Zapu leader Dumiso Dabengwa to tap into their wisdom.

On the issue of land, he said resettled farmers should not be afraid because his government would not displace any farmer, but give them title deeds so that they settle on their farms permanently.

Chamisa said his government would change the governance culture of Zanu PF, improve education, the economy, labour issues and health.

 NewsDay

Breaking News via Email
Coffeys international development team is a comprehensive implementing partner for governments and the private sector, relied on for more than four decades by our clients to successfully deliver their programs in partnerships with local organisations, through our global network of development professionals.In 2016, we joined Tetra Tech, a leading provider of consulting, engineering, program management, construction management, and technical services. Were now part of a team of 16,000 people working in 400 locations across the globe - combining the resources of a global, multibillion dollar company with Coffeys reputation and deep expertise in the regions that we operate.Job No: 495484Location: Abuja, NigeriaWork Type: ContractNigeria Policing Programme is recruiting an efficient and effective Finance Officer to support the adaptive way of working.The project currently runs until 31 March 2019Abuja, Nigeria.Nigeria Policing Programme (NPP) is a 8.25 million programme funded by the British Government (HMG) through its Conflict, Security and Stabilisation Fund (CSSF). It is the second component of the wider Security Justice Reform Programme (SJRP). At present the contract runs until 31 March 2019.The programmes aim is to improve the delivery of the safety and security by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) in target states, and strengthen internal and external accountability mechanisms in support of this. NPP is a national programme that will target its work in selected localities where the political imperative for improved NPF delivery is high.We are working to improve the effectiveness of policing service provision, policing accountability and coherence and coordination across security actors and government bodies at the Federal level and State and Local level in the target States of Borno, Kano, Lagos, and Enugu.At its heart, NPP will be a programme that responds to the evolving environment, adapting and continuously improving its work to deliver the best results possible.An efficient and effective finance function is essential to support this way of working.The key responsibilities and accountability of the Finance Officer will be to deliver a smooth running of NPP financial processes.The position holder will be required to conduct a range of tasks that assist in establishing and maintaining efficient, transparent and responsive financial systems that are audit compliant.They will also assist with the preparation of the financial forecasts, interpreting financial information, and monitoring and interpreting cash flows.Maintain monthly cash books, including petty cash and eventually bank payment booksWork with the Coffey Nigeria Head of Finance and Administration to prepare monthly reconciliation statementsManage/reconcile State office cash disbursements and manage the petty cash registerContribute to development of necessary updates to policies, procedures and systems for procurement, disbursement of funds, accounting, reporting and internal controls.Review invoices against contracts/POs/SLAs, prepare accompanying financial paper work, and liaise with Programme Manager and Coffey Nigeria Head of Finance and Admin to make payments accurately and in a timely mannerWork with the Programme Manager to prepare financial schedules for contracts and monitor expenditure against contracts, escalating when suppliers are exceeding or in breach of financial limitationsWork with the Programme and Operations Officer to conduct market testing and maintain a preferred supplier register and review on a bi-annual basisMaintain both soft and hard copy financial files and documentation ensuring compliance with the procedures stipulated in the Finance and Procurement Manual and preparedness for internal and external auditsCoordinate and ensure all procurement exercises are conducted in line with the Finance and Procurement Manual, ensuring maintenance of a clear audit trail of decisions made.Support timely remittance of PAYE, VAT, WHT, Pension, NSITF & ITF to relevant authorities.Support preparation of forecasts and updates of budget trackers on a monthly basis.Work, with the programme manager and programme and operations officer to communicate clearly to technical colleagues to ensure adequately detailed financial plans and budgets, and enforce adherence to processes.Provide regular and necessary information to the London based Practice Accountant for the updating of Coffeys financial systems.Any other duties relevant to this job description as may be required.Adhere to all security advice from Coffeys Risk Management Team.Adhere to, and support wider team adherence to, Coffey International policies and procedures as outlined in the Operations Manual.Adhere to Coffey Internationals behaviours: Ingenuity, Collaboration, Respect, Intelligent Risk, Integrity and Delivery.Some travel and out of office hours work may be required.Any other duties as may be required for the exigency of the programmeQualified accountant, ICAN or internationally recognised equivalent.Excellent written and verbal English communication skillsStrong Microsoft Excel and Quick books skillsAbility to work unsupervised where appropriateOutstanding relationship management skills, that work to support the achievement of the programmes objectivesUnderstanding of the financial regulations in NigeriaExperience of tracking and reporting financial recordsUnderstanding of adaptive programmingExperience working on UK donor programme.Experience of establishing financial systems.Honest, diligent and personableExcellent financial skills and enthusiasm to learn onExcellent work ethic, committed and effective in any duty they are required to carry outAble to work with others as a team and independently.13 August, 2017
Action Against Hunger | AAH-International works to save lives by combating hunger and diseases that threaten the lives of vulnerable communities, through nutrition, food security, water and sanitation, health and advocacy.Borno, MongunoThe Monitoring and Evaluation Officer be based in Monguno, Borno State and report to the Monitoring and Evaluation Deputy Project Manager.The M & E Officer will be primarily be responsible for data gathering, collation and reporting activities to ensure the quality and accountability of the programs implemented by Action Against Hunger in Northern Nigeria. Under the direction of the M&E Deputy Project Manager and in collaboration with the Project Manager, the M&E Officer will develop and implement clear and practical M&E plans for the program by ensuring program indicators, monitoring formats, databases, data analysis, and reporting are maintained and harmonized. He/she will also track progress of key indicators and provide timely report to his/her manager. The duties and responsibilities includes but are not limited to;Supporting the M&E team in the pilot data collection and integration of findings by providing feedback to the M & E Deputy Project Manager. Review and develop M & E systems for new projects, lead on the implementation of qualitative and participatory tools, including focus group discussions. Working closely with the team and other project team to ensure timely and quality data entry, analysis and interpretation.Under take regular field visits and monitor the design and execution of surveys with other assessments. Representation of Action Against Hunger activities relating to monitoring, evaluation, accountability and reporting when required.The successful candidate will;Have a minimum of Bachelors degree in Economics, international development, statistics, public health, demography or related subject, with previous experience working in humanitarian projects.Have a minimum 2 years of proven experience in monitoring, evaluation and accountability of humanitarian or development programs.Have experience in data collection, collation, analysis, and report writing.Have strong experience in community development programming, preferably in nutrition, food security, livelihoods or WASHBe professional, motivated, flexible and culturally sensitive.Have strong organizational and analytical skills, and ability to work under pressure.Have excellent team, budget, project management and representation competenciesHave excellent computer skills, particularly with Microsoft Excel, spreadsheets, Sphere standard, SPSS, SPHINX, or other statistical packagesBe willing and able to be based and travel regularly within remote areas, where services are limitedBe fluent in English and Hausa (both written and spoken skills).Have experience in statistical analysis with participatory fieldwork methodologies.The deadline for this position is Thursday, August 10 2017 at 5:00 p.m.Qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.10 August, 2017
(Natural News) The hoax of human-caused global warming/climate change unraveled further last week after the resignation of a top official at the Environmental Protection Agency.

As reported by Breitbart News, the official  Elizabeth Betsy Southerland  didnt do it as a matter of conscience, per se; after all, shed worked for EPA for three decades, was no doubt fully vested and has an excellent retirement coming. But she claimed in her resignation letter that President Donald J. Trumps climate policies were to blame.

Southerland, who was director of science and technology in the Office of Water, said in her letter that the environmental field is suffering from the temporary triumph of myth over truth (a claim most climate realists can make about the hoaxers on any given day, really).

But as Breitbart pointed out, if you read her entire letter, its really a blessing that shes gone.

Its supposed to be her Parthian shot  a damning indictment of the decline of a once-great institution under the wicked Donald Trump and his sinister henchman, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, writes Breitbarts James Delingpole. But, actually, it tells you rather more about the weird, reality-denying mindset which prevails among the inhabitants of the swamp which Trump is busily trying to drain. (Related: The global warming hoax has been unraveling for years, as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, has pointed out.)

Perhaps the most hilariously nonsensical claim in her letter is this one, Delingpole suggests:

Today the environmental field is suffering from the temporary triumph of myth over truth. The truth is there is NO war on coal, there is NO economic crisis caused by environmental protection, and climate change IS caused by mans activities.

No war on coal? Really? Thats rich, considering then-candidate Barack Obama said in 2008 he was planning to implement policies as president that would wipe out coal-fired electricity when he said:

If somebody wants to build a coal-fired plant, they can. Its just that it will bankrupt them.

And in doing so  destroying an entire sector of electricity production  Obama further noted that under my planelectricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.

If thats not a declaration of war against coal, nothing is. But the facts are what they are, even if climate hoaxers at EPA dont want to admit it. As noted by The Daily Caller, one chart very clearly outlines the damage Obamas coal policies took on the industry.

The systematic deconstruction of the coal industry has created very real economic hardship for the coal country of Appalachia, which has been economically devastated and offers very few job options for the now-unemployed workers, The DC noted.

Translation: Obama didnt give a damn about these mostly rural, white, low-to-middle class workers because they belonged to an industry he sought to shut down.

So for those workers, surely they suffered an economic crisis, contrary to Southerlands claims. But theres more. In 2012, one estimate said the cost of EPA regulations on the U.S. economy amounted to around $352 billion per year:

Complying with EPA regulations costs the U.S. economy $353 billion per year  more than 30 times its budget  according to the best available estimate. By way of comparison, that is more than the entire 2011 national GDPs of Denmark ($332 billion) and Thailand ($345 billion).

And Delingpole pointed out that the cost of complying with insane global warming policies costs about $1.5 trillion every year. You could buy a lot of hospitals  or reduce a lot of taxes or national debt  for $1.5 trillion, he said.

As for her claim that humankind is causing global warming/climate change  the old settled science argument  that is not a scientific fact backed up by demonstrable, replicable evidence. And its certainly not a fact universally accepted by the scientific community. In fact, theres more evidence that the science has been faked than anything else.

Finally, Southerland is certainly free to leave her job, but it wasnt to serve as high commissioner of the earth; she was a public servant charged with serving the government of the day. That she would resign over changes in philosophy at the agency she works for  Pruitt is not a global warming hoaxer  tells you more about the arrogance of Washingtons bureaucratic swamp and agency overreach Trump is attempting to vanquish.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

ClimateAlarmism.news

DailyCaller.com
(Natural News) Weve been told for several years now that the Democratic Party is the party of compassion, love and acceptance. Theyve told us time and time again that they stand against hatred and bigotry, and that intolerance for those who are different from us has no place in our country. Furthermore, Leftists claim to be strict opponents of violence, going so far as to propose harsh regulations on firearms in an attempt to curb gun-related crime, again in the interest of creating a kinder and gentler America. Who would have thought that the election of our 45th president would turn all of this on its head?

Out of bitterness and resentment towards anything that isnt big government Marxism, the modern day progressives are starting to show their true colors in the era of President Trump. They are becoming increasingly violent, increasingly dangerous, and some are even making calls for an armed revolution to take down what they consider to be a fascist dictatorship. Ironically, none of this resistance was put on display when Barack Obama was in office, when America really was on a path towards a tyrannical state.

One radical Left Wing organization that has recently been calling for an armed revolution is a group called Redneck Revolt, a self described above ground militant formation that was founded in June of last year. The organization, which claims to have over 30 vetted branches across the country, openly supports militant resistance to white supremacy and capitalism, using arguments that sound as though they come straight out of the Communist Manifesto.

Even more horrifying is the fact that Redneck Revolt provides a 36 page Mini Manual of the Urban Guerrilla on its website, which depicts Left Wing militants using RPGs, and includes specific sections on guerrilla warfare, including sabotage, kidnapping, executions, armed propaganda and terrorism.

It would be easy to look at a group like Redneck Revolt and conclude that this is just some fringe organization that does not represent the attitude of most modern day Leftists. However, over the past few months, Redneck Revolt and the idea of a militant revolution have been praised by several popular publications, including The Guardian and Mother Jones.

Back in June, Mother Jones published an article titled A New Wave of Left Wing Militants Is Ready to Rumble In Portland  And Beyond. In it, author Madison Pauly mentions Redneck Revolt by name:

Redneck Revolt is just one among a handful of left-wing groups that have pledged to resist emboldened white supremacists and right-wing extremists through direct action that sometimes goes beyond nonviolent protestincluding picking up arms. Some see themselves as the heirs of 60s radicals like the Black Panthers, while others look to the antifa movement for inspiration.

The article then goes on to list a number of organizations that are supposedly committed to fighting right-wing extremists, including Bastards Motorcycle Club, By Any Means Necessary, and the Huey P. Newton Gun Club.

Its almost humorous how violent Left Wing groups like Redneck Revolt are so committed to fighting the so-called fascism of the Trump administration, yet were completely silent for eight years as Barack Obama and his team of bureaucrats sought to transform America into an authoritarian state. Those on the Right dont condone violence, but it still makes you wonder why Redneck Revolt was nowhere to be found when the real fascists were taking over not just Washington DC, but also Hollywood and college campuses across the country. Do these radical Left Wing groups really oppose police states and institutionalized power structures, or do they only take a stand when its the other side of the political spectrum that has control?

The answer is, without a doubt, the latter.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

MotherJones.com
In a study of the NASA based Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, co author Mark Marley said that they had discovered atmospheric similarities among the planets in the solar system. The team of astronomers detected the presence of a warm stratosphere in the recent exoplanet caught by the Hubble Space Telescope Observatory.

A planet with boiling temperature

Publishing the team's report in the Journal Nature, the scientists used the data from the NASA Hubble Space Telescope to study an exoplanet they call WASP 121b. The planet found outside the solar system is comparable to "hot Jupiter" due to detected atmospheric temperature of about 4,600 degrees Fahrenheit (2,600 degrees Celsius).

Jupiter revolves around the sun once in every 12 years while the WASP 121b only takes 1.3 days to fully orbit its star. Other observations from the Hubble Space Telescope caught other exoplanets similar to the stratospheric conditions of the most recent discovery. The exoplanet is 900 light years away, so far yet nearer than others by galactic standards, reports NASA.

Lead author Tom Evans, a research fellow at the University of Exeter, United Kingdom says that their studies and observations support the scenario in suggesting hot stratospheres of ultra high temperatures with noteworthy implications for their atmospheric physics and chemistry.

An exoplanet hostile to humans

From the Hubble Space Observatory, scientists observed how molecules behave differently with specific wavelengths of light during its investigation and measuring of the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation. An example of this is the predictable reaction of water vapor to particular wavelengths of light with respect to changes of water temperature, reports Astronomy Now.

The giant gas planet is about twice the size of Jupiter and 1.2 times more massive. It hangs close to its parent star that further nearing the distance could rip this exoplanet apart; being that near to its host, light from its mother planet heats up the Wasp 121b as it enters the atmosphere. The reaction radiates to outer space via infrared light.

Study partner Tiffany Kataria of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California explains why light emission from water indicates temperature increases with height. The difference with solar system stratospheres is the rise of temperature. Most of the planets in the solar system have a stratospheric rise of about a 100 degrees Fahrenheit while the WASP 121b indicates a stratospheric rise of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, reports The Space Reporter.

Scientists and Astronomers are still in a frantic search for a duplicate living environment of earth. The discovery of alien planets are indications that we are getting there.
Temperatures are rising to 100 degrees Fahrenheit scorching the areas of Southern Europe that include Croatia, Romania, Spain, and Italy. Eastern Europe is toasting in a hot atmosphere with sweltering temperature records of up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists dub the boiling weather condition as "Lucifer."

Extreme temperatures Fan Forest Fires

"Lucifer's" scathing temperatures triggered as many as 75 forest fires in Albania sending weather warning alerts and destruction of crops worth billions of Euros. 300 firefighters and soldiers are now fighting the bushfires in the country. Albania seeks the help of the European Union to combat the situation as Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, and Macedonia are busy fighting their bushfires.

The worst effect of the heat wave is in the parts of Italy and the Balkans that comprise the regions of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, The Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Slovenia, the European part of Turkey, and Serbia, reports Reuters.

Trail of destruction and Casualties as Lucifer cruises through till the following week

Metro Alarm, Europe's Weather bureau issued a red alert warning to 10 European countries directly affected by the extreme condition. The havoc caused people to suffer heat strokes, and other ailments related to the severe heat "Lucifer."

The temperature over the 40-degree Fahrenheit scale will cascade through next week. The Italian island of Sardinia hit a blistering temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit. The most recent casualty is a woman swept away by muddy waters released by torrential rain caused by humid conditions near the Alpine Ski Resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo.

In Italy, humidity and other conditions are factors making the "Lucifer" phenomenon much hotter like the Campania, the region surrounding Naples hitting a staggering temperature of 131 degrees F. In Rome, tourists risk the penalties in braving to cool off in the fountains of the Eternal City, reports Mail OnLine.

Heat wave in the United States and other countries

The United States caught up with the broiling temperatures dubbed "Lucifer" in Italy. The Pacific Northwest that includes the States of Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, Idaho, and Washington hit the 104 degrees F scale.

Spain is under the red alert warning issued by Metro Alarm where temperatures reached as high as 111 degrees F. The Southern part of Cordoba got an 113 degree F record. Serbia issued warnings and precautions to its citizens like shying away from alcohol, place wet towels on windows in the absence of air conditioning, and to avoid over exertion, reports The New York Times.

Experts say that a broader trend is causing summer to grow hotter every year. Global Warming is the cause for the climate abnormalities happening to the world.
Firefighters knocked down a two-alarm fire that prompted evacuations at a three-story apartment building in Berkeley on Sunday night, according to the Berkeley Fire Department.

The fire ignited about 7:30 p.m. at 1420 Addison St. There was one burn victim, fire Chief Gil Dong said in a Twitter post at about 8:10 p.m. He also said the fire was under control at that time.

No other injuries were reported.

Initially, about 40 people were displaced by the blaze, but several of those residents were allowed to return to their homes. Three units at the complex were damaged by the fire, officials said.

The Red Cross was on hand to provide aid to those displaced by the fire.

No further details were available.
A Google engineer ignited a firestorm of controversy this weekend after writing and releasing an internal memo criticizing the tech company's diversity programs.

The 10-page anti-diversity memo was first reported by Motherboard and published in full by Gizmodo on Saturday.



The memo argued that men are biologically better fit to work in the tech industry and be leaders in the workplace and characterized Google's gender equality efforts as misguided.

The memo went public after it was sent out Friday to Google to more than 40,000 employees. Then, when employees started tweeting about it Saturday, it started to attract a lot of attention.

In May, Google said publicly it had to improve the company's diversity programs and close pay gaps between men and women. Seventy percent of the company's tech-sector employees are men.

One Google employee responded to the memo with a tweet: "That garbage fire of a document is trash, and you are wonderful coworkers who I am extremely lucky to work with."

Another employee wrote: "Imagine working at Google, getting paid all that money, just to spend your time writing a disgusting manifesto and sending it to your peers."

Danielle Brown, Google's new vice president of diversity and inclusion, responded, saying, "We are unequivocal in our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success as a company. ... Weve continued to stand for that and be committed to it for the long haul."

The man who wrote the memo also sounded off this weekend, saying there is sexism at work, but he added that some ideas are "too sacred to be honestly discussed" at Google.

He said the company needs to be more open to conservative ideals.

Kym McNicholas, community director of Extreme Tech Challenge, sent her thoughts to NBC Bay Area via email Sunday.

"I wouldn't give this engineer anything more than a reality check," she said. "It shows he feels threatened, and that's his own insecurity coming out."
California prosecutors have charged a Northwestern University professor with murder in connection with the stabbing death of a 26-year-old Chicago man.

Wyndham Lathem was charged in Alameda County on Monday in the July 27 fatal stabbing of Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau, whose body was found that night in Lathem's Chicago apartment.

Lathem and Andrew Warren, an Oxford University financial officer, were on the run for about a week before they surrendered Friday to authorities in Oakland and San Francisco.



Lathem's attorney, Kenneth H. Wine, said before the hearing that Lathem would plead not guilty.



Lathem waived his right to an extradition hearing and should be back in Chicago by Sept. 6.



Warren doesn't have an initial court appearance scheduled yet.

Wine said the accusations are contrary to the way the suspect has lived his entire life.



"Since the beginning of this case, the defense has received dozens of calls and letters in support of Dr. Lathem, from friends and colleagues who have known him for decades," Wine said in a statement. "They all describe him in the same way  a kind, intelligent, and gentle soul, and a loyal and trusted friend. What he is accused of is totally contrary to the way he has lived his entire life."
Firefighters will make a final sweep Monday at the scene of the 20-acre East Bay Hills vegetation fire "to make sure we are at 100 percent containment," a battalion chief said Sunday.

The fire, which was reported at 1:05 p.m. near Grizzly Peak Boulevard and South Park Drive Wednesday, is presently 90 percent contained, Oakland fire Battalion Chief Melinda Drayton said.

Firefighters from the Oakland Fire Department and the East Bay Regional Park District Fire Department were patrolling the area Sunday, Drayton said.

Half of the fire was on Oakland land in the hills and half of the fire was on land owned by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that's mostly in Contra Costa County, fire officials have said.

UC Berkeley police spokeswoman Sgt. Sabrina Reich said on Thursday that the fire is being considered as a possible arson but Drayton has declined to comment on that, saying that Cal Fire is the lead investigative agency looking into the cause and origin of the fire.

Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Martin said at the scene late Thursday afternoon that the only thing he can say is that there's an open investigation into the fire and the probe could take days, weeks or even months.
A San Francisco supervisor has made a bold and innovative proposal to fight crime near Golden Gate Park: Move McDonald's out of the neighborhood.

The McDonald's restaurant at Haight and Stanyon streets is a spot Board of Supervisors President London Breed is familiar with. She said she receives many calls and emails about it as a troublesome area.

"I just feel bad because most of the time its people who have children," Breed said.

On Thursday, an afternoon shooting became the latest incident in a history of crime near the fast-food joint. A man was shot and rushed to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Breed wants the city to take over the property.

"I have proposed purchasing the site," she said. "Why not let the city develop this particular site?"

The McDonalds Corp. owns the land and released a statement Sunday in response to the city's interest.

McDonalds has received a letter of interest from the City and County of San Francisco regarding property at 700-730 Stanyan Street," spokesman Ron Rogers said in the statement. "The proposal is currently under review."

Breed said its a unique strategy to deal with rampant crime. But its not exactly clear how it would work or how long it will take to complete, if all parties agree to the plan.

Breed said the city needs to find such innovative solutions to the crime, drugs and homeless issues in the area.

"We want to help them, we have services," Breed said. "But were not going to let you be violent and disruptive and make everyone else be uncomfortable in this community."
Vice President Mike Pence blasted the claim that he, along with top aides, will run a 2020 shadow presidential campaign, NBC News reported.

He called it "disgraceful and offensive" and "laughable and absurd."

The New York Times reported Sunday that key Pence aides told major Republican donors that Pence would be prepared to run for president in 2020 if President Donald Trump does not.

"Todays article in the New York Times is disgraceful and offensive to me, my family, and our entire team," Pence wrote in a sharply-worded denial on Sunday. "The allegations in this article are categorically false and represent just the latest attempt by the media to divide this Administration."
A team of professors from the University of Texas at Arlington is working to create a program that will help stop the spread of fake news.

What were talking about  the President uses that term to refer to media in general  but what were talking about are stories that are entirely fictitious or largely fictitious, said Mark Tremayne, Ph.D., an assistant professor of communications at UT Arlington.

The project to root out fake news on social media is titled, Bot vs. Bot: Automated Detection of Fake News Bots, and will eventually result in a computer program that will be designed to alert people when posts theyre seeing, or even comments on social media posts, have likely been generated by automated social media accounts.

The researchers have made assurances that their motivations are not political.

This is not targeted for or against any one party or any one candidate, said Christoph Csallner, Ph.D., an Associate Professor in the Computer Science and Engineering Department. This project is really about national security. You could imagine some real threats [being spread through fake news posts] like another country trying to start confusion among residents, or the military.

At some point this could be considered a danger to democracy or a danger to national security if these platforms, Facebook and the other social networks, are being used as propaganda tools, Dr. Csallner added.

Part of the problem of combating automated efforts to spread fake news is that bots can simultaneously share posts that contain deliberate falsehoods in a single instant across multiple platforms that will be seen and potentially shared by millions of real people.

The stuff can be generated automatically by a program, Dr. Tremayne said. So you dont know as you are scrolling through, especially with the comments, you dont know which one is an actual person [who] sat there and typed them out and which ones were just spit out by some algorithm. And wouldnt you like to know?

The challenge, Dr. Csallner said, will be sorting through the massive amount of content that is published on social media and keying in on indicators that increase the likelihood that any particular post was made by a bot.

The team is in its early stage of development for its program, and expects to have a working result within a year.
A commuter rail employee was seriously injured in an incident at an MBTA station in Waltham, Massachusetts, on Monday afternoon.

The call came in around 4 p.m. for an injured party at the Brandeis/Roberts MBTA station at South Street and Sawyer Road.

A passenger on the train said that as the train was pulling into the station, she saw a conductor tumble out the door. Another witness who was on the platform said he saw the conductor on the ground by the tracks.

Keolis, which operates the MBTA Commuter Rail, confirmed that the injured party was one of its employees.

MBTA Transit Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan said the 29-year-old conductor was doing his standard safety sweep when the incident occurred.

"When the conductors are coming in the doors are ajar. They'll give a safety sweep of the platform to make sure it's clear  and that no one is standing too close to the edge. Thats what he was doing, and for some reason lost footing and fell off train," Sullivan said.

The conductor, a 4-year veteran of Keolis, fell onto the outbound tracks, 15 yards from the platform. He was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries to his left leg.

"I saw him on the ground. He was conscious. I think he was OK but his leg was really mangled, really in bad shape," said witness Richard Saron. "Then the emergency vehicles came around and they took him away but he was talking."

Fitchburg Train 420 was cancelled and passengers were bused inbound between Brandeis and North Station. Several other trains on the Fitchburg line were also delayed.

Motor vehicle traffic was also rerouted on South Street.

The investigation is ongoing.
A Massachusetts Department of Transportation worker and two others were injured in a multiple-vehicle crash on Interstate 95 in Dedham, Massachusetts, on Monday.

The accident was reported just before noon on I-95 north near University Avenue.

Preliminary investigation by Massachusetts State Police said a MassDOT employee driving a 2016 Ford F150 vehicle had responded to a report of debris in the highway and had pulled into the left breakdown lane.

Two northbound vehicles that were behind the pickup slowed down, but a third vehicle that was behind them, a 2000 Chevrolet van, did not slow down in time and swerved to the left to avoid the vehicles in front of him. As the van swerved to the left, it struck one of the vehicles ahead of it, a 2007 Cadillac STS sedan. That van rolled over and struck the MassDOT pickup that was in the breakdown lane.

The MassDOT employee, a 53-year-old South Weymouth man, was either entering or exiting the truck at the time that it was struck by the van. He suffered serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to Beth Israel-Deaconess Hospital in Boston.

The operator of the van, a 37-year-old Canton man, was extricated from his overturned vehicle and was taken by medical helicopter to Beth Israel-Deaconess Hospital.

The driver of the Cadillac, a 26-year-old Brockton woman, was taken by ambulance to Boston Medical Center after complaining of pain.

No information on the exact nature of their injuries was immediately available.

Multiple lanes on I-95 were shut down for about an hour as crews responded to the crash.

Aerial footage from Sky Ranger showed two vehicles with extensive damage. One of the vehicles had rolled over and was resting on its roof.

The crash remains under investigation by state police. No charges have been filed at this time.
Tens of thousands of sales-tax dollars collected locally will now remain in Illinois' state coffers instead of making their way back home.

Illinois' new budget contains a new tax-collection fee. This means that 2 percent of certain local tax dollars collected by the state on behalf of municipalities and counties will be transferred to state funds, the News-Gazette reported.

The Illinois Department of Revenue estimated the fee will amount to $60 million per year for the state.

"It's going to hurt, but we're strong enough that we'll be able to absorb it, but all these things add up," said Mike Marron, board chairman of Vermilion County. He anticipated that it'll cost the county $200,000 in the upcoming fiscal year.

Mike Monson with the city of Urbana said it'll cost them $85,000, and Jeff Hamilton with the city of Champaign said it'll cost them $367,000 in one year. But Champaign officials prepared for funding cuts to local governments, so Hamilton said the city set aside a reserve to cover the loss.

"We don't like to see a reduction, but we can deal with it," said Rantoul Comptroller Scot Brandon. "It's not a significant impact to our budget, but something we will have to deal with on the expense side."

The local impact of the collection fee could be softened this year because the state is also pledging to send local governments extra accelerated Local Government Distribute Fund payments. Those payments are each local government's share of state income tax revenue from individuals, trusts, estates and corporations.

The Illinois Municipal League opposed both measures and cautioned municipalities that the accelerated payments may be contingent on the state comptroller having adequate cash flow.
A salmonella outbreak linked to papayas from Mexico that is already being blamed for one death in the US has sickened at least four people in Connecticut, according to public health officials.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 109 people in 16 states have been sickened by the Salmonella outbreak. The outbreak is being blamed for the death of a person in New York City.

The Food and Drug Administration said in a July news release that it and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are working with state health officials to track cases of the foodborne illness linked to Caribena brand Maradol papayas, which have a yellow skin when ripe and a salmon-colored flesh.

Genetic testing has linked salmonella found in papaya samples from a Maryland grocery store with samples taken from sickened people, the CDC said.

The Maryland Department of Health said in July that three of five papayas bought at a Baltimore grocery store were contaminated with salmonella. Interviews revealed that several ill people in Maryland shopped at the store and bought papayas, which helped officials identify a source.

The FDA and CDC, along with state and local partners, are still investigating the outbreak. The FDA is advising that consumers avoid Caribena and Cavi brands of Maradol papayas, and all varieties of papayas from the Carica de Campeche farm located in Campeche, Mexico. Certain lots of Cavi brand papayas were recalled by Agrosons, LLC, on Aug. 4. The company said the fruit was distributed on July 16  July 19, and available to customers until July 31. Anyone with these papayas should throw them away.

Papayas from Carica de Campeche have tested positive for multiple strains of Salmonella, including Salmonella Kiambu, Salmonella Thompson, Salmonella Agona, Salmonella Senftenberg, and Salmonella Gaminara

Cases have been reported in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Texas, Utah, Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin.

Salmonella bacteria can cause diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain and fever. Young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are the most likely to have severe infections.

Anyone unsure about whether the papaya they bought is a Maradol from Mexico should not "eat, sell, or serve them and throw them out," the FDA said.

For more information from the CDC, click here.
NBC Connecticut Meteorologists are forecasting moderate rain for the afternoon and evening commute.

In addition to the moderate rain there is also a slight chance of a brief thunderstorm.

You can expect scattered showers during the early afternoon to become more widespread by the late afternoon and early evening.

Rain will be falling statewide by 3 to 4 p.m. with the heaviest rain coming down after 5 p.m.

Take a look at First Alert Future Radar at 5:30 in the evening which shows moderate falling for the ride home from work.

Weather model guidance has had a difficult time determining where the center of low pressure will track. The track of the low is extremely important in determining how much rain will fall in the state. A track closer to the state will bring in the heaviest rain.

We're forecasting anything from a half an inch to 2 inches of rain with the heaviest rain falling in southern New London county.

Areas that receive the heaviest rain have a slight risk of isolated flash flooding.
A former counselor at a school for children with emotional, psychological and learning vulnerabilities had been arrested on accusations that he sexually assaulted students.

Connecticut State Police said that 26-year-old Michael Capozzi was arrested Monday as a result of an investigation into a sexual assault at the Arch Bridge School at Wellspring in Bethlehem, a private special education school for students grades 1 through 12.

According to police, the investigation began when two female students, ages 15 and 16, reported that theyd been sexually assaulted by a milieu counselor in June of 2016.

Milieu counselors are professionals trained to work with clients with emotional and behavioral difficulties.

In mid-December 2016, a report came to our attention that Michael Capozzi  who left our employ of his own volition last summer  engaged in inappropriate relationships with a resident and a former resident. We immediately alerted the appropriate authorities and continue to cooperate fully with them. We have reviewed and further strengthened our already rigorous supervision protocols for direct care staff, which are currently in place, Renee Dwyer, an attorney for Arch Bridge School at Wellspring, said in a statement. Wellspring staff are deeply angered and hurt by this betrayal of trust. For 40 years Wellspring has been saving and transforming the lives of the children and families in our care. Our ability to provide quality and compassionate care has not, in any way, been diminished."



As a result of the investigation, State Police arrested Capozzi on Monday. He is charged with second-degree sexual assault, fourth-degree sexual assault, promoting a minor in an obscene performance, and risk of injury to a minor.

He was arraigned on Monday and released on a $50,000 bond. He is next due in court on Sept. 6.

It was not immediately clear if Capozzi has retained an attorney.
Connecticut State Police arrested a 30-year-old Ansonia man after a road rage incident on Route 8 southbound in Shelton Saturday morning.

According to police, the incident began with an altercation between the suspect, identified as Mark Wingster, and another individual just before 9 a.m.

Wingsters charges include assault on a police officer, resisting or interfering with an officer, reckless driving, risk of injury to a child, and breach of peace.

Bond is set for $10,000 and Wingster is scheduled to appear in Derby Superior Court, Monday Aug. 21 at 9 a.m.

This case is still under investigation. Anyone with information regarding this case should contact State Police Troop I in Bethany at 203-393-4200.
Inside a Connecticut barbershop, theres a doggy in the window  hes a star named Teddy.

The famous pup spends his days at Paulies Professional Barber Shop in South Windsor, waiting to greet arriving customers.

He's a barber dog, said shop owner, Paulie Lachance. Its a title Teddy the Dog takes very seriously.

Along with a trim or shave, customers get a haircut companion. Tom Aiello said thats one reason he loves to stop by.

I think it's fantastic. He's one of the team guys, said Aiello.

Teddy is a terrier mix who joined Lachances family back in October 2013. His story, however, wasnt always a happy one. Teddy was found roaming a field in Tennessee, starving and eating mice after he was tossed out of a car.

They said he was emaciated. He was very, very thin, skin and bones," Lachance recalled.

Teddy was sent to Connecticut to live with a foster family who happened to be one of Lachances clients.

"I told him I had always wanted a shop dog, and the guy almost fell out of the chair. He's like, 'I got the perfect dog for you,'" said Lachance,

Fate and an adoption event brought the two together.

He has been the best addition to my business and my personal life, said Lachance.

Lachance credits Teddy with keeping his business booming. He said nine out of 10 people are at his shop to see Teddy, and the haircut is just a bonus.

People walk by the shop every day and honestly just make their way in here just to say 'Hi' to the dog, said Nick LaRusso, an employee at the barber shop.

The barbers at a Paulies Professional Barber Shop admit Teddy is tough competition. He takes his tips in treats, has the most clients and is pretty much famous.

He is a celebrity! I joke all the time that I am going to run him for mayor and I think he could win, said Lachance.

Elected official or official barber shop dog, there is no doubt this pup is proof that a rescue animal can reach new heights and our hearts.

You got all the love you can handle and you are saving a life, said Lachance.
President Donald Trump again took aim at Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Twitter, criticizing Connecticuts senior senator Monday morning for passing judgment on the Russian collusion investigation and claiming that Blumenthal had little right to do so because of a previous controversy.

Trumps tweets appear to refer to comments the senator made about the investigation into possible Russian collusion during the presidential election. Blumenthal has said that the special counsel must look into all financial dealings involving the Russians and the Trump campaign, and spoke more about it, as well as how the Trump administration is treating the Justice Department, Monday morning on CNN.



Trump soon fired back, trying to paint Blumenthal as untrustworthy based on an incident during Connecticuts 2010 senatorial election.

"Never in U.S.history has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal," Trump tweeted.

Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con artist!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017

Blumenthal became embroiled in controversy when he ran against Linda McMahon for Senate in 2010 based off comments he made in 2008 suggesting he served in Vietnam.

A New York Times investigation found that Blumenthal received at least five military deferments from 1965 to 1970 and records show he enlisted in the Marine Reserve  a move that "virtually guaranteed that he would not be sent to Vietnam," according to the Times.

Blumenthal acknowledged that he may have misspoken about his service record at the time the report came out, but denied lying about it.



President Trump - Your bullying wont silence my calls for an independent prosecutor and investigation.  Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) May 10, 2017

Blumenthal responded to the president's tweets by calling them "bullying" and said that the issue isn't about him, but the integrity and independence of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Watching Senator Richard Blumenthal speak of Comey is a joke. "Richie" devised one of the greatest military frauds in U.S. history. For....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2017

years, as a pol in Connecticut, Blumenthal would talk of his great bravery and conquests in Vietnam - except he was never there. When....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2017

caught, he cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness...and now he is judge & jury. He should be the one who is investigated for his acts.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2017

Later Monday, Blumenthal announced legislation to protect special counsel from interference. He said he wants Congress to pass a law that prevents the president from removing a special prosecutor. He called for any attorney general or acting attorney general to submit a request to remove a special counsel to a panel of federal judges.

This issue isn't about me - it's about the Special Counsel's independence and integrity.  Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) August 7, 2017

President Trump wasn't done with his Twitter tirade. Later in the day, the president tweeted "I think Senator Blumenthal should take a nice long vacation in Vietnam, where he lied about his service, so he can at least say he was there."

I think Senator Blumenthal should take a nice long vacation in Vietnam, where he lied about his service, so he can at least say he was there  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017

This is not the first time Trump has used the Vietnam scandal as a vehicle to disparage Blumenthal, who has been an outspoken critic of the president. When Blumenthal called for an independent special prosecutor after Trumps firing of former FBI director James Comey, Trump tweeted that Blumenthal devised one of the greatest military frauds in U.S. history.


An Abilene police officer traveling to Dallas for a Crimes Against Children Conference was killed in a crash Sunday evening, police say.

Detectives Elise Ybarra, Chris Milliorn and Robert Collins were on their way to the Crimes Against Children Conference when they came to a slowdown behind a crash on Interstate 20, outside of Abilene, at about 6:15 p.m.

Police said the 33-year-old Ybarra had been driving an unmarked detective's vehicle when it was struck by a white Chevrolet pickup. She died at the scene of the crash.

Milliorn and Collins were transported to Hendrick Medical Center, and both were expected to recover from their injuries.

This week, more than 4,000 people from across the nation and around the world are in downtown Dallas for the 29th annual Crimes Against Children Conference.

The condition of the pickup truck driver was not released.



Ybarra had been serving with the Abilene Police Department since November 2014. She served as a patrol officer for two years before transferring to the Special Victims' Unit as a Child Abuse Investigator in December 2016.

Ybarra is survived by her husband of eight years, Adam Ybarra, and her 10-month-old daughter.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has launched an investigation into the crash.
An extension of the H-2B visa program has been a blessing for many small business owners who depend on hiring immigrant season guest workers.

This year, under the Trump administration, the program was capped at 66,000 visas and was not extended. Last year more than 13,000 workers were approved under the returning workers exemption.

North Texas landscaping company owner Chris Austin joined several other small business owners in Washington D.C. to speak with state senators urging them to reverse the decision and revive the program.

They werent really showing a lot of support for it, said Austin regarding the response from Texas senators. The climate right now is anti-immigration, but the people that are making a lot of the laws arent really on the ground floor of what is going on."

It has been a brutal summer for Austin. This summer, he tried to hire locally but experienced a 20 percent turnover rate.

We lost $70,000 in the spring," he said. "I was an emotional wreck. It was such a beating every single day. Revenues were off, and profits were way off."

President Trump has criticized worker visa programs, insinuating the programs advocate cheap labor and take jobs away from the American workers. A starting wage for employees at C&T Lawns is $12.61.

If we cant get the H-2B guys, were going to have to reduce full-time workers," Austin said. "People think its just bringing in workers. No, those workers create additional jobs. They sustain other full-time labor.

Congress extended the H-2B visa program for 15,000 more workers in July. Some small business owners expressed regret that the decision came late in the summer. Austin, who was approved for 14 visas, said there is still time to save his American dream.

Hopefully the rest of this year will stay that same way," he said. "When I spoke to the 14 men who are coming they are relieved as well. They were all very happy. It was long overdue for them. They cant wait to get back to work. Just like anybody else they just want to provide for their family.
Detectives in Florida are looking into the death of a Texas woman at a beach as a possible homicide.

Key West police spokeswoman Alyson Crean said in a news release that authorities were called Friday night after 48-year-old Bill Baker pulled his companion, 38-year-old Candice Cooper from the ocean at Smathers Beach. She says police are looking into suspicious circumstances.

Crean says Baker told investigators he spotted Cooper, of Lindale, Texas, floating and unresponsive in the water. He brought her to shore and called 911.

The report says Baker began CPR and she was then taken to a hospital, where she was declared dead.

Crean says preliminary findings "indicate her death might be a homicide."

No further details were immediately available.




Ana Medrado made an after-work Walmart run with her young son, a quick stop for the pens and pencils topping a lengthy school supplies list.



The Houston Chronicle reports her soon-to-be fourth-grader clung to the cart as she scanned the aisles at a Tomball store, memorizing prices. She calculated he'd also need new shoes and button-downs for his uniform and planned to save more expensive purchases for the upcoming statewide sales tax holiday.



"I'm just comparing prices now," she said. "I might check Target, too."



Medrado is among thousands of Texas shoppers who expect to take advantage of the three-day sales tax holiday, an annual reprieve from the extra charge levied on clothing items, shoes and school supplies purchased in stores and online beginning Friday and running through Sunday.



The holiday is one of the most inclusive in the country, and lawmakers have bucked a nationwide trend by proposing to expand it further even as other states scale back or eliminate similar exemptions.



Sales tax holidays, long supported by shoppers and retailers, have become somewhat controversial in recent years as states debate whether their economic benefits justify substantial revenue losses.



A recent study by the Washington, D.C.-based Tax Foundation, an independent think tank, criticized them as "political gimmicks" that shift shopping patterns without generating economic growth or increasing consumer purchases.



The study noted that 16 states will offer sales tax holidays this year, down from 19 in 2010. Only six other states have holidays centered on school supplies.



In Texas, the back-to-school break is the largest of three sales tax holidays offered each year. The state exempts hurricane supplies in mid-April and certain energy-efficient appliances in late May.



The upcoming holiday, expected to save shoppers $87 million in state and local taxes, generates the most excitement. In addition to school supplies, most clothing and footwear items cheaper than $100 are exempted, giving adults the chance to save a few dollars on purchases for themselves as well as for their kids.



Legislators have long pointed to the holiday as a boon for consumers. State Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston, led a move to amend it in 2009 to include school supplies in addition to apparel, anticipating the additions would save shoppers $9.5 million that year.



He again sought to expand it last session with a bill that proposed raising the price limit to $200 per qualifying item and adding certain computers of any price to the list of exempted goods. The legislation stalled, but he plans to introduce a similar measure next session.



"Things that fill the backpack in the 21st century are things like a computer or a tablet or an iPad," he said.



In Houston, pricey additions to back-to-school lists have inflated the cost of supplies. A recent Deloitte survey estimated that local shoppers will spend an average of $623 on classroom items, clothes, electronics and computers this season. That is higher than the national average.



The same survey found that 47 of respondents would increase in-store spending during a sales tax holiday. Forty-two percent would do the same online.



"The timing of the shopping does seem to correspond with the tax-free weekend," said Jeff Buhr, retail partner in Deloitte's Houston office.



Retailers have long promoted sales tax holidays as shopping incentives that save consumers money and boost sales. The prospect for heavier foot traffic has become especially appealing to many stores as rising e-commerce sales squeeze profit margins.

Back-to-school mainstays have been particularly supportive of such tax reprieves. Troy Rice, president of retail for Office Depot and OfficeMax, said in-store sales and traffic increase during tax-free holidays in the states that offer them.



"I can tell you tax-free holidays are an integral component of our back-to-school season and something customers look forward to every year," he said.



The Texas Retailers Association has supported an expansion of the state's back-to-school holiday, arguing that consumers could stand to save even more as electronics and computers become classroom necessities.



Already, the holiday is one of the busiest shopping periods for retailers statewide, said George Kelemen, the association's president and CEO.



"It's going to be a peak three-day period," he said.



The Tax Foundation study, however, questioned the degree to which such periods benefit shoppers. It cited a 2001 study that showed some Florida apparel retailers raised prices during sales tax holidays, capturing as much as 20 percent of the benefit meant for consumers.



It also noted that with such holidays come steep costs to state coffers, prompting some lawmakers to eliminate them in recent years. North Carolina, for example, held its last one in 2013 after passing legislation arguing that such breaks cost the state more than $16 million a year. Massachusetts canceled a similar break last year.



Not all shoppers consider the potential savings worth the effort it takes to fight the crowds during the brief holiday.



Laura Solomon, who just started her school shopping for her three children, said she'd rather pay tax on everything than get stuck in long lines during the tax-free weekend.



"There are too many people," she said. "I can't do it."



Montceny Lamas recently stopped at the Tomball Walmart for school supplies, checking off lists for three girls in high school, middle school and elementary school. She bought their back-to-school clothes last year during the sales tax holiday and might do the same this year if she finds the time to shop this weekend.



"I don't know if it was that much savings," she said, "but it helped."


Chicago filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the U.S. Department of Justice over efforts to block funding to sanctuary cities.

The lawsuit, filed just after 10 a.m., specifically names Attorney General Jeff Sessions and aims to keep him "from imposing sweeping new conditions on an established federal grant program."

That program "has for years provided crucial support for law enforcement in Chicago and other cities," the suit states, and new conditions would directly interfere with Chicago's ability to remain a sanctuary city, meaning one that opts not to cooperate with certain parts of federal immigration enforcement.



"Neither federal law nor the United States Constitution permits the Attorney General to force Chicago to abandon this critical local policy," the complaint claims.

Ed Siskel, head of the citys law department, said the suit is "not about politics" but about "protecting the constituional rights of the residents of the city of Chicago."

"We are bringing this legal challenge because the rhetoric and the threats from this administration embodied in these new conditions imposed on unrelated public safety grant funds are breeding a culture and a climate of fear within the communities in our city and it is important that we make very clear to them and all the residents in the city of Chicago that we are going to fight and stand up for our values as a welcoming city," Siskel said outside the courthouse Monday.

Chicago's mayor announced the lawsuit during a news conference at City Hall Sunday alongside Siskel, as well as Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who highlighted the importance of federal resources in combatting the city's violence.

Chicago is a welcoming City and always will be, and we will not be blackmailed by President Trump's Justice Department," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a released statement. "Forcing us to choose between our values and our Police Departments philosophy of community policing is a false choice, and it is a choice that would ultimately undermine our public safety agenda."

Sessions, however, said the city's stance makes "all of us less safe."

"By protecting criminals from immigration enforcement, cities and states with so-called 'sanctuary' policies make all of us less safe," Sessions said in a statement. "We saw that just last week, when an illegal alien who had been deported 20 times and was wanted by immigration authorities allegedly sexually assaulted an elderly woman in Portland, a city that refuses to cooperate with immigration enforcement.

"By forcing police to go into more dangerous situations to re-arrest the same criminals, these policies endanger law enforcement officers more than anyone," the statement continued. "The Department of Justice is committed to supporting our law enforcement at every level, and that's why we're asking 'sanctuary' jurisdictions to stop making their jobs harder."

The Justice Department also noted that in 2016, more Chicagoans were murdered than in New York City and Los Angeles combined.

"So it's especially tragic that the mayor is less concerned with that staggering figure than he is spending time and taxpayer money protecting criminal aliens and putting Chicago's law enforcement at greater risk," the Department wrote.

The Justice Department released its application for the 2017 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) on Thursday, a program Emanuel said Chicago has used in the past for various public safety initiatives, including the purchase of SWAT equipment, police vehicles, radios and tasers. Last year, the City received $2.3 million in Byrne JAG funding, according to the mayor.

However, this years application includes provisions requiring local governments to allow the U.S. Department of Homeland Security access to any detention facility to meet with and inquire about the citizenship of anyone believed to be undocumented, and to give federal authorities 48 hours advance notice before releasing someone who is wanted on immigration violations, as conditions to receive funding  both changes in the programs requirements from years past.

The city's lawsuit argued that the Justice Department cannot make grants contingent on these requirements because they would "effectively federalize local detention facilities" and violate the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution in requiring detainees to be held beyond the timeframe in which they would otherwise be eligible for release.

The DOJ's shift in requirements is part of President Donald Trumps administrations efforts to crack down on sanctuary cities, the term used for jurisdictions that do not comply with federal requests to detain undocumented immigrants who have been arrested on charges unrelated to their immigration status and turn them over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for possible deportation.

Trump signed an executive order in January to block federal grants to sanctuary cities, an action that a judge blocked in April, ruling that the president could not set new conditions on spending approved by Congress - an argument included in the City of Chicago's lawsuit.

However, Sessions has moved to intensify the crackdown on a number of occasions, most recently sending letters to four cities informing them they would be ineligible to receive resources under a new crime-fighting program unless their police departments show proof of compliance with the DOJs new rules.

In March, Sessions said sanctuary cities' policies are "designed to frustrate the enforcement of our immigration laws"  a claim that Emanuel has refuted, repeatedly defending Chicagos "Welcoming City" ordinance.

"Chicagos Welcoming City ordinance promotes public safety by ensuring that no city resident, regardless of their status, is afraid to cooperate with law enforcement, report criminal activity to the police, serve as a witness in court, or seek help as a victim of crime," a spokesman for Emanuel said in a statement.

"I've always seen Chicago as a welcoming city," Emanuel said in response to Sessions' comments in March.

"It welcomed my grandfather 100 years ago, we continue to welcome entrepreneurs, immigrants, and I would just say think of it this way: Half the new businesses in Chicago and the state of Illinois come from immigrants, nearly half," he added. "Half the patents at the University of Illinois come from immigrants, and so we want to continue to welcome people, welcome their ideas, welcome their families to the city of Chicago, who want to build the American dream for their children and their grandchildren."

"Chicago was built on the back of immigrants and our future is hitched to the wagon of immigrants who come to the city," Emanuel continued. "I would say that the approach of penalizing cities, cities that are driving the economy, driving the energy of the United States  and they do it because we bring people of all different backgrounds to work together  that's just the wrong approach."

Chicago is not alone in its immigration policies, as more than 200 jurisdictions nationwide have declared sanctuary status, including New York City, Los Angeles and more, with some expected to follow Chicago in filing suit.

The city hopes to have a decision on the suit before the Sept. 5 deadline and officials said they do not anticipate the litigation "will cost the city any additional resources."

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Does Usher Raymond have a confession to make?

Three people, two of whom will only be identified as Jane Doe and John Doe in court papers, plan to accuse the pop star of exposing them to the sexually transmitted disease herpes in an lawsuit, says attorney Lisa Bloom. One woman, Quantasia Sharpton, stepped forward with Bloom Monday during a press conference.

Sharpton says she believes she was exposed after being cherry-picked out of a crowd following one of his concerts.

Sharpton said she attended one of Raymond's concerts for her 19th birthday and was selected to go backstage and meet him. "Later a security guard told me Usher had seen me backstage and was interested in me," Sharpton said. According to Sharpton, following the show she and several friends returned to their hotel when she received a call from a blocked number asking her where she was staying.

"About an hour later (Usher) arrived. We spoke for awhile then we engaged in sexual contact," Sharpton said. "He never warned me about any STDs. I never heard from him again. When I first heard he had herpes I couldnt believe it."

The pop star has never said he has any sexually transmitted disease, and Sharpton says she has tested negative for herpes. But Sharpton contacted an attorney after hearing allegations that Raymond did have an STD prior to their sexual contact.

"I was upset by the reports because I never would have consented if I had known. I am doing this so he does not do it to anyone else," Sharpton said.

Sharpton is represented by attorney Lisa Bloom, who is filing a lawsuit in California on behalf of Sharpton and two other individuals who also allege Raymond had sexual contact with them after he allegedly contracted an STD. Bloom says the lawsuit alleges Raymond, 38, contracted genital herpes before his encounters with her clients, which Bloom says occurred after 2012.

California law states individuals who are aware they have a STD may be guilty of a misdemeanor if they do not disclose their status to partners before engaging in sexual acts.

During the presser Bloom noted she does not know whether Raymond has the virus but is filing the lawsuit in order to get some certainty on the matter.



"We hope he has not knowingly endangered his sex partners," Bloom said. "No one is above the law, not even a popular celebrity."

Representatives for Raymond did not respond to calls for comment.
What to Know Jarrod Anthony Samra, 23, was arrested during the Bryant fire last week

Samra was a former member of the fire explorers program

The largest of the eight fires was the July 14 Bridge 2 fire in Highland, which scorched 460 acres

Authorities announced arson-related charges Monday in connection with a series of wildfires in San Bernardino County, including one that injured a firefighter.

Jarrod Anthony Samra, a 23-year-old man from Yucaipa and former member of the San Manuel Fire Departments Fire Explorer program, was arrested last week in a wildfire in the hills above Mentone. His vehicle was found near the Bryant fire, which burned about 300 acres, according to authorities.

A firefighter was injured in one of the fires, which began more than a month ago.

Samra faces eight counts of arson for eight different fires in the county, District Attorney Mike Ramos said. He was charged with one count of arson causing great bodily injury.

"The history of fires in our county and the destruction they have caused to human life and property is absolutely tragic," said Ramos. "Thankfully, through the investigative work of our law enforcement and public safety partners, we were able to stop this individual and prevent any future destruction or potential loss of life."



Most of the fires started along roads and at similar times. Evidence also was found at each scene that connected the fires to Samra, according to authorities.

Samra was a former member of the fire explorers program. Samra aged out of the program, which introduces youth members to firefighting, when he turned 21.

He faces up to 19 years in prison, if convicted.

Investigators were preparing arrest warrants for Samra when the Bryant 2 fire broke out last week. After information about the suspect was dispatched to law enforcement agencies, deputies located his vehicle Thursday near the Bryant 2 fire, burning near Highway 38, Ramos said.

The largest of the eight fires was the July 14 Bridge 2 fire in Highland, which scorched 460 acres.

Samra was expected to be arraigned Monday afternoon. It was not immediately clear whether he has an attorney.

As of Sunday, CAL FIRE reported nearly 4,000 fires in California so far this year. Those fires scorched 220,623 acres. During that same period last year, CAL FIRE reported 3,027 fires that burned 140,095 acres. California's five-year average through mid-July is 3,176 fires and more than 90,000 acres of scorched land.

A report released earlier this year provided a wildfire outlook for the hot, dry summer months in California. The National Interagency Fire Center report said wildfire risk will be high in inland Southern California in July and in parts of Northern California during August and September. The report noted what could be a delayed start to the wildfire season in some locations.

The state is coming off one of its wettest winters in years, which left hillsides covered in grass and other vegetation. That grass will dry out this summer and turn into tinder, providing fuel for rapidly spreading fires often pushed by strong winds.

An increase in the number of dead and dying trees also can exacerbate the wildfire threat, CAL FIRE officials said. An estimated 102 million trees have died in California due to the state's five-year dry spell and bark beetle infestation.

The agency has been urging residents to take prevention steps, such as maintaining 100 feet of defensible space around homes and other structures. Defensible space provides a natural buffer between buildings and grass, trees, bushes, shrubs and other vegetation that can burn.
An Inland Empire woman died Saturday evening after becoming tangled in a ski rope that was attached to a sinking boat in the Colorado River.



The 30-year-old victim, Tasha Turner of Hemet, left with six other people to go tubing near Big River Park in San Bernardino County. During their trip, the boat lost power and began to sink.

The other passengers were able to safely swim away, but Turner was unable to free herself from the rope and was pulled underwater with the sinking boat, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Dive members from the La Paz County Sheriff's Office were unable to look for her the night of the accident due to bad conditions, including a strong current. A dive rescue team recovered Turner's body and the boat from the river Sunday morning around 7:00 a.m.

Authorities are investigating the accident and have identified the operator of the boat as 52-year-old Beaumont resident Umberto Bagnara. He has been named as a suspect.

They are urging anyone with more details about the incident to contact Deputy William Poe of the Colorado River Station/ Marine Enforcement Unit at (760) 326-9200.

Those with information can also submit an anonymous tip via www.wetip.com or by calling 800-78-CRIME.
The Northwestern University professor arrested last week during a cross-country manhunt following a "gruesome" stabbing in Chicago will appear in court in California Monday, authorities said.

Wyndham Lathem, 42, was arrested in the state on Friday, as was University of Oxford employee Andrew Warren, 56. Both were in police custody in Oakland, California following a days-long, multi-state manhunt, Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said, citing the U.S. Marshals Service.

Lathem is scheduled to appear in court Monday morning, but it was not clear when a hearing would be held for Warren. Police expect both men will ultimately be returned to Chicago "where they will be interrogated by CPD homicide detectives."

The two were wanted in connection with the killing of 26-year-old Trenton H. James Cornell-Duranleau, who was found dead on July 27 inside an apartment building in Chicago's River North neighborhood.

Officials said Cornell-Duranleau was discovered stabbed to death around 8:30 p.m. on the tenth floor of the Grand Plaza Apartments on State Street, where police said Lathem lives.

Lathem's attorney, Adam Sheppard, told the Chicago Tribune the professor was "hopeful" before his Monday hearing, adding that they "hope his role in the matter, ultimately, will lead to innocence."

Lathem is an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Northwestern University's medical school, where he has worked for 10 years. He was placed on administrative leave and banned from entering Northwestern campuses, university spokesman Alan Cubbage said Wednesday after warrants were issued for his and Warren's arrest.

Warren is a senior treasury assistant at the University of Oxford in Great Britain, according to the universitys website.

Both men disappeared after Cornell-Duranleau, a hairstylist and Michigan native, was found dead, authorities said. Guglielmi said the crime scene was "gruesome and the victim was savagely murdered."

The Chicago Tribune reported that blood was found on a bedroom door in the apartment where Cornell-Duranleau was found dead from stab wounds. The report, citing law enforcement sources, also said a knife with a broken blade was found in the trash in the kitchen, and another knife was located near the sink.

The pair of suspects was spotted on surveillance video leaving the property after the incident, authorities said. Police said the men later drove to Lake Geneva and donated $1,000 to the Lake Geneva Public Library in the victim's name.

Lathem also sent a video message to family members and friends after the killing, according to police, allegedly apologizing for his involvement in the crime.

Police did not release the video footage, saying it was "integral to any future interrogation efforts," adding that the people who received the video had been interviewed by U.S. Marshals.

Ed Ferrell, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshals office, said Warren was arrested in San Francisco, while Lathem surrendered at the federal courthouse in Oakland after communicating with authorities.

"Both individuals will be held accountable for their actions and we hope [Friday's] arrest brings some comfort for the victim's family," Guglielmi said in a statement last week. "We are also thankful that this did not end in further tragedy."



Lathem was booked in the Alameda County Jail in Oakland, California, and Warren was booked into the San Francisco County Jail, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
A gunman opened fire on a Florida sheriff's deputy who was following him in an unmarked vehicle.

The shooting happened early Monday as the Orange County Sheriff's deputy was following a suspicious car near Orlando. Sheriff's spokesman Jeff Williamson said in a news release that someone in the Honda Accord rolled down the window and fired "multiple" rounds at the deputy, who didn't return fire.

The deputy wasn't injured in the shooting, which NBC affiliate WESH-TV said took place around 2:30 a.m.

Williamson says the vehicle sped away with marked sheriff's vehicles in pursuit. Four male suspects bailed out of the car near an elementary school. One person was caught immediately, with officials saying he was a juvenile, and a second was arrested a short time later.

An investigation continues.
Two Miami men were arrested Saturday for having a large amount of speared and undersized lobster out of season, according to Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

A MCSO deputy a was on patrol when he spotted Jesus Molinet-Salinas, 28, and Julio Turino Borroto, 29, just offshore of the 60 mile marker.

The observed the Molinet-Salinas and Borroto in the water diving with no dive flag, holding spear guns, swimming back and forth to shore several times and place something in the rocks on the shore.

The deputy confronted the men, asking if they had caught anything. They said they hadn't, but when the deputy went to the area on shore where hed seen the men swim to and he found a red bag filled with 44 speared spiny lobster.

Molinet-Salinas and Borroto subsequently arrested. Both men were charged with possession of undersized lobster, possession of lobster over the limit, possession of speared lobster, possession of lobster out of season and having no measuring device while harvesting lobster.
What to Know A 20-year-old man says he was bullied by some cops in the 42nd precinct and by a Bronx prosecutor into falsely implicating people in crimes

He has filed a $20 million notice of claim against the city alleging a pattern of harassment and intimidation

Among the cases in which he allegedly lied: the 17-year-old who was at Rikers for a year because he wouldn't plead guilty to the shooting

A 20-year-old Bronx man claims he was a secret witness who was pressured by police officers to lie against multiple suspects, including 17-year-old Pedro Hernandez, whose case has generated national attention.

Hernandez is the teenager who refused to plead guilty to a shooting he says he didnt do, and remained behind bars on Rikers for a year before the RFK Human Rights Organization posted the young man's bail in late July.

The man claiming to be the secret witness is William Stevens. Stevens' attorneys have filed a $20 million notice of claim against New York City, alleging a pattern of harassment and intimidation by certain officers in the 42nd Precinct and also by a Bronx prosecutor. Other young men have made similar claims of abuse.

Stevens, who was sent to state prison earlier this year on an attempted robbery charge, told the I-Team in an exclusive prison interview at Greene Correctional Facility that he was pressured to lie about Hernandez on three different occasions and sign a photo array.

At first I told them no, and thats when a lot of harassment started happening, he said. They would come to my house for no reason, take me out for stuff I didnt do, follow me on the streets, pull my pants down.

He said that he was beaten and punched during one instance in the back of a police vehicle.

Hernandez was criminally charged in all three cases Stevens mentioned. Two of the cases, involving a shooting and an alleged robbery, were dismissed when surveillance video and other alibi evidence showed Hernandez was elsewhere at the time of the reported crimes.

In July 2016, Hernandez was arrested in connection with another shooting, this one in front of a C-Town supermarket. The victim of that shooting told the I-Team that he was also pressured to lie about Hernandez's involvement. Other witnesses have given statements that the teenager wasnt involved at all.

Stevens said in his court filing that the lead prosecutor in the Hernandez case threatened him into cooperating with police.

A private investigator hired by Hernandez's family, Manuel Gomez, said as he he found Stevens name in a court document as he looked to clear Hernandez's name, but it took months to discover where his family lived.

I knocked on 250 doors in 10 months, he said.

Hernandez trial in the supermarket shooting is scheduled to start Sept. 6. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark has declined to reveal the evidence against the teen. Clark told the I-Team she is not concerned about taking the Hernandez case -- or others out of the 42nd Precinct -- forward amid allegations of witness intimidation.



"I am ready for trial in this case," she said. "Id just like to reiterate, the DAs office is interested in speaking to any witnesses that have information.

Stevens' attorney, John Scola, also represents 17-year-old Tyrese Revels, who filed a similar notice of claim against the city.



"The 42nd Precinct and the Bronx County DAs office have colluded to physically and emotionally abuse our clients into lying about crimes they bore no witness to," he said.

The Bronx County DA's office said it can't comment on any of Stevens' specific allegations because of the pending litigation.
Three men have been arrested in connection with a pair of robberies in Greenwich Village last week, police said Sunday.

Paul Grand, 23, of New York, Damon Johnson, 38, of the Bronx, and James Hatcher, 30, of New York, have been charged with robbery, according to police.

A group of five, made up of four men and one woman, brazenly attacked two men in the span of a half-hour on Wednesday morning in a neighborhood normally bustling after hours, according to police.

Around 12:30 a.m., they targeted a 55-year-old man on West 14th Street, near Sixth Avenue, police say. They punched and kicked the man repeatedly and cut him across the right side of his face. Police say they then stole $30 from him before taking off.

Surveillance video shows them approaching the 55-year-old before the attack. He appears to say something before he tries to take off his backpack and run. Thats when the group gangs up on him.

About 25 minutes after the 55-year-old man was attacked, the group went after a 23-year-old man in front of a church on Seventh Avenue, according to police. They demanded the mans belongings, and when he refused, they cut him on his hand and face before stealing his cell phone and $50, police said.

Both victims were taken to area hospitals in stable condition.

It wasn't immediately clear whether police were still looking for the other two people in the group.
What to Know Police are investigating after a New Jersey family says they were swarmed and attacked by a group of bikers on the road

The family was returning home from JFK Airport when the bikers swarmed them at a light in Woodbridge and smashed the vehicle windows

Police say they're investigating it as a racially motivated attack

A group of bikers attacked a family's two minivans as they traveled from Kennedy Airport to their New Jersey home over the weekend in what police are investigating as a racially motivated attack.

The family were stopped at a red light after leaving a Wawa on King George's Road in Woodbridge just after midnight Sunday when they were attacked, police say.

Men on motorcycles swarmed the vehicles and smashed the windows and punched the 33-year-old driver in the face, according to Woodbridge police. His wife and two children were in the minivan.

A mirror on the second minivan was also broken.

The victim, who lives in Galloway Township, told police there were as many as six bikers involved in the attack. He said the group used profanities as they called him Indian.

The man did not want to be identified publicly but told News 4 he was "frustrated."

"I did not do anything. That's why I'm frustrated and upset," he said. "You know, if I didn't do anything -- that's what I want to find out, if I ever see them. Why would you do this?"

Police are investigating. No arrest has been made.
Five Mexican citizens have been charged in Manhattan federal court for allegedly trying to ship nearly 5,000 pounds of cocaine to the United States in speedboats, then trying to outrun authorities in the waters off their home country.

According to the criminal complaint made public Monday, a U.S. Navy aircraft on patrol off the western coast of Mexico July 8 noticed what appeared to be a "Go-Fast" boat, a vessel the DEA has found a Colombian drug cartel to use to ship cocaine to various parts of the world. The hulls are 20 to 50 feet and most have a maximum capacity of just five passengers.

The Navy aircraft notified the command of the U.S. Coast Guard, which dispatched a team to intercept and board the Go-Fast. The Go-Fast was eventually intercepted, and Coast Guard members gained access to the deck, where they noticed a number of large bundles wrapped in black plastic and brown tape covering a "substantial portion" of the deck, the complaint says.

In total, more than 100 bales and one loose brick were recovered. One of two field-tested samples indicated the presence of cocaine. A search of all the bundles yielded about 4,720 pounds or 2,141 kilos of the drug.

The five men on the ship, who range in age from 30 to 51, were taken into custody and sent to Manhattan on Friday. They are expected to appear in federal court Monday to face charges of conspiring to violate maritime drug enforcement laws and violating maritime drug enforcement laws by possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine. Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The DEAs New York Drug Enforcement Strike Force, which is comprised of officers from the DEA, NYPD, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement  Homeland Security Investigations, New York State Police and the U.S. Marshal Service, among other agencies, and the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, Navy and Naval Criminal Investigative Service assisted in the investigation and extradition.

Manhattan Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim is in charge of the prosecution in New York.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer says he'll fight a proposal from President Donald Trump that would slash funding for smaller, regional airports.

The New York Democrat says the budget proposal from the Republican White House administration would eliminate a funding program that's critical to airports in upstate New York and throughout the country.

He called the cuts "wrong-headed" and "reckless."

Schumer made his remarks Friday during a visit to Adirondack Regional Airport. He says such facilities play a critical role in local economies and provide a vital service to residents, businesses and visitors.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Sunday that the City of Chicago will file a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice over efforts to block funding to sanctuary cities.

"Chicago will not be blackmailed into changing our values, and we are and will remain a welcoming city," Emanuel said in a released statement.

"The federal government should be working with cities to provide necessary resources to improve public safety, not concocting new schemes to reduce our crime fighting resources," he continued. "The City of Chicago will continue to stand up to President Trump and his Justice Department to ensure that their misguided policies do not threaten the safety of our residents."



The mayor announced the lawsuit during a news conference at City Hall alongside legal advisor and head of the Citys Law Department Ed Siskel, as well as Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who highlighted the importance of federal resources in combatting the city's violence.

The Justice Department released its application for the 2017 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) on Thursday, a program Emanuel said Chicago has used in the past for various public safety initiatives, including the purchase of SWAT equipment, police vehicles, radios and tasers. Last year, the City received $2.3 million in Byrne JAG funding, according to the mayor.

However, this years application includes provisions requiring local governments to allow the U.S. Department of Homeland Security access to any detention facility to meet with and inquire about the citizenship of anyone believed to be undocumented, and to give federal authorities 48 hours advance notice before releasing someone who is wanted on immigration violations, as conditions to receive funding  both changes in the programs requirements from years past.

The city's lawsuit will argue that the Justice Department cannot make grants contingent on these requirements because they would "effectively federalize local detention facilities" and violate the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution in requiring detainees to be held beyond the timeframe in which they would otherwise be eligible for release.

The DOJ's shift in requirements is part of President Donald Trumps administrations efforts to crack down on sanctuary cities, the term used for jurisdictions that do not comply with federal requests to detain undocumented immigrants who have been arrested on charges unrelated to their immigration status and turn them over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for possible deportation.

Trump signed an executive order in January to block federal grants to sanctuary cities, an action that a judge blocked in April, ruling that the president could not set new conditions on spending approved by Congress - an argument included in the City of Chicago's lawsuit.

However, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has moved to intensify the crackdown on a number of occasions, most recently sending letters to four cities informing them they would be ineligible to receive resources under a new crime-fighting program unless their police departments show proof of compliance with the DOJs new rules.

In March, Sessions said sanctuary cities' policies are "designed to frustrate the enforcement of our immigration laws"  a claim that Emanuel has refuted, repeatedly defending Chicagos "Welcoming City" ordinance.

"Chicagos Welcoming City ordinance promotes public safety by ensuring that no city resident, regardless of their status, is afraid to cooperate with law enforcement, report criminal activity to the police, serve as a witness in court, or seek help as a victim of crime," a spokesman for Emanuel said in a statement.

"I've always seen Chicago as a welcoming city," Emanuel said in response to Sessions' comments in March.

"It welcomed my grandfather 100 years ago, we continue to welcome entrepreneurs, immigrants, and I would just say think of it this way: Half the new businesses in Chicago and the state of Illinois come from immigrants, nearly half," he added. "Half the patents at the University of Illinois come from immigrants, and so we want to continue to welcome people, welcome their ideas, welcome their families to the city of Chicago, who want to build the American dream for their children and their grandchildren."

"Chicago was built on the back of immigrants and our future is hitched to the wagon of immigrants who come to the city," Emanuel continued. "I would say that the approach of penalizing cities, cities that are driving the economy, driving the energy of the United States  and they do it because we bring people of all different backgrounds to work together  that's just the wrong approach."

Chicago is not alone in its immigration policies, as more than 200 jurisdictions nationwide have declared sanctuary status, including New York City, Los Angeles and more, with some expected to follow Chicago in filing suit.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday that Washington will respond by Sept. 1 to Russia's move to force a major reduction in American diplomatic staff, a move that echoed former President Barack Obama's action to kick out Russian diplomats for Moscow's meddling in the 2016 American election.

Russia said recently it was forcing the U.S. to cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755 people. But there's been confusion because the U.S. is believed to have far fewer than 755 American employees in Russia.

Tillerson spoke to reporters during a visit to the Philippines. He said he communicated U.S. plans to respond by that deadline to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov when they met Sunday in Manila. Tillerson said he told Lavrov that the U.S. still hasn't decided how it will respond. He added that he asked Lavrov "several clarifying questions" about the act of Russian retaliation.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump grudgingly signed what he called a "seriously flawed" package of sanctions against Russia. The legislation is aimed at penalizing Moscow for interference in the election and for its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria, where the Kremlin has backed President Bashar Assad.

Lavrov told reporters that despite strained relations with Washington, his country was ready for more engagement with the United States on North Korea, Syria, Ukraine and other pressing matters. Lavrov said Russia and the U.S. had agreed to resume a suspended high-level diplomatic channel and Washington would send its Ukraine envoy to Moscow for negotiations.

Lavrov's upbeat assessment came amid what the U.S. has called a diplomatic low point unseen since the end of the Cold War.

"We felt that our American counterparts need to keep the dialogue open," Lavrov said. "There's no alternative to that."

Trump's administration has argued there's good reason for the U.S. to seek a more productive relationship. Tillerson has cited modest signs of progress in Syria, where the U.S. and Russia recently brokered a cease-fire in the war-torn country's southwest, as a sign there's fertile ground for cooperation.

The Syrian cease-fire reflected a return of U.S.-Russia cooperation to lower violence there. The U.S. had looked warily at a series of safe zones in Syria that Russia had negotiated along with Turkey and Iran  but not the U.S.

Lavrov cited upcoming talks involving Russia, Iran and Turkey about how to ensure the truce in the last safe zone to be established, around the north-western city of Idlib. He predicted "it will be difficult" to hammer out the details but that compromise can be reached if all parties  including the U.S.  use their influence in Syria to persuade armed groups there to comply.

Tillerson said Russian meddling in the election had "created serious mistrust between our two countries. A U.S. Justice Department investigation is moving ahead into Russia's election interference and potential Trump campaign collusion. Trump denies any collusion and has repeatedly questioned U.S. intelligence about Moscow's involvement.

"We simply have to find some way to deal with that," Tillerson said. "Now, having said that, we also have very important national security interests in the Middle East, in Syria, and we have important national security interests in Afghanistan and that region of the world, and we have serious needs to begin to address the situation in Ukraine. The Russians have indicated some willingness to begin to talk with us about the way forward on Ukraine."

Word that U.S. special representative Kurt Volker plans to visit the Russian capital was the latest sign that Washington is giving fresh attention to resolving the Ukraine conflict. The U.S. cut military ties to Russia over Moscow's annexation of Crimea and accuses the Kremlin of fomenting unrest in eastern Ukraine by arming, supporting and even directing pro-Russian separatists there who are fighting the Kiev government.

In recent days, the Trump administration has been considering providing lethal weaponry to Ukraine to help defend itself against Russian aggression.

In their meeting, Lavrov said, Tillerson agreed to continue a dialogue between U.S. Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov. That channel was created to address what the U.S. calls "irritants" preventing the two countries from pursuing better ties. Russia had suspended the talks after the U.S. tightened existing sanctions on Russia related to its actions in Ukraine.

Lavrov and Tillerson met on the sidelines of an Asian regional gathering in the Philippines. It was their first face-to-face conversation since Congress passed new sanctions legislation in July that makes it harder for Trump to ever ease penalties on Russia. Trump signed the bill last week, but called it "seriously flawed."

The White House said Trump's opposition stemmed from the bill's failure to grant the president sufficient flexibility on when to lift sanctions. Trump's critics saw his objections as one more sign that he is too eager to pursue closer ties to Russia, or to protect the former Cold War foe from penalties designed to punish Moscow for its actions in Ukraine, election meddling and other troublesome behavior.
An off-duty San Diego County sheriffs deputy was shot in the shoulder and rushed to a nearby hospital Monday in downtown San Diego.

The deputy was identified as Jason Philpot, an 11-year veteran of the department, SDSO spokesperson Ryan Keim said. He currently serves in the Emergency Services Division, which includes the SWAT team, Search and Rescue and the Helicopter Squad.

Philpot was shot near Island and Sixth avenues at 1:17 a.m. Monday. It happened on the sidewalk in front of the Gaslamp BBQ. A cook at one restaurant, the Tivoli Bar and Grill, heard the shots fired and immediately shut down the place for the safety of their employees.

Officers responded to the scene and found an off-duty deputy who was on his back conscious and breathing, SDPD Lt. Ernesto Servin told NBC 7. The deputy was transported to UC San Diego Medical Center. He was treated and released from the hospital Monday afternoon.

A man confronted a group of off-duty sheriffs deputies walking on Island Avenue just after 1 a.m. according to San Diego Police. NBC 7s Gaby Rodriguez reports.

A second person who was walking in the street was shot in the arm, according to police. Servin said the second victim was a bystander who happened to be struck.

He was taken first to Sharp Coronado Hospital, but then transferred to UC San Diego Medical Center, police said. Both victims were described as having non-life threatening injuries.

Philpot is expected to recover from his injuries, Keim said. Friends and family visited him in the hospital, along with Sheriff Bill Gore, shortly after the incident.

"The Sheriff is grateful to the San Diego Police Department and all of the medical personnel who are providing Jason with the best possible care," said Keim, in a statement. "The Sheriff's Department will provide any possible assistance to SDPD as they investigate this crime."



Authorities say the shooting appeared to happen as a group of off-duty law enforcement officers was walking east along Island Avenue.

There was some sort of confrontation. Exactly what was said, I dont know, Servin said.



A man pulled a gun on the group, officials said. The off-duty deputy started wrestling the suspect for the gun when three shots were fired, officers said. Those three shots hit Philpot in the shoulder, police said.

The suspect in the shooting was last seen running towards K Street. Servin said surveillance video from nearby businesses suggests there may be a second suspect involved.

Investigators said they have 14 witnesses to the shooting and several recordings from security cameras mounted on surrounding buildings.

"We think there may have been two suspects based on the video," Servin said. "Right now were focusing on the individual with the gun."

Street closures due to the shooting and a look at the roped off crime scene. #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/mIP3q9sPTq  Gaby Rodriguez (@GabyR_news) August 7, 2017

Officers blocked traffic along Seventh from Island to Market and Sixth from Island to Market. Island was also closed from Sixth to Fifth. The roads have since reopened.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Deputy Philpot and his family as they recover from this frightening event," said Keim.

The shooting location is approximately two blocks north of Petco Park and approximately two blocks west of Park at the Park. At the time, the streets were crowded because of a Metallica concert.

The corner was closed for several hours Monday morning as investigators gathered evidence.

The suspect who fired the shots was described as a man in his 30's, about 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighing about 160 to 170 pounds with shoulder length dreadlocks.

Servin said two off-duty Escondido police officers were with the deputy at the time of the shooting. Those officers were uninjured.

No further information is available.
Ten people were injured after an American Airlines flight from Athens, Greece, experienced "severe turbulence" prior to landing at Philadelphia International Airport Saturday.

Adam K. Theil

Three passengers and seven crew members on American Airlines flight 759 from Athens to Philadelphia were taken to the hospital upon landing, American Airlines said in a statement. The fasten seatbelt sign was on at the time of the turbulence, according to the airline.

A passenger described the incident to NBC News as a sudden "lurch" downward as opposed to a prolonged freefall.

"I was looking forward and I just saw everything just move upwards about four feet. So I saw drinks, you know, flying up against walls and up on the ceiling," Alex Ehmke told NBC News. "The gentleman directly behind us and diagonally behind us hit the ceiling himself."

After the sudden drop, he said, "then we were cruising again."

Jessica Huseman, a reporter, tweeted from aboard the plane about her experience.



[[438766803, C]]

Ervin Fang, another passenger on the flight, told NBC10 the turbulence hit about 35 to 40 minutes before the plane was scheduled to land in Philadelphia. Fang said he felt a "big bump, like a big jump" that sent drinks splattering on the ceiling and floor of the plane.

"Wine bottles, soda cans, other debris and trash were scattered across the floor," Fang said.

Fang said the turbulence lasted about five to ten minutes but felt much longer.

"I travel often but I never experienced turbulence like this," he said. "It felt like if it continued any longer the plane would crack...it would crash."



Fang, who is a physician from Los Angeles, said he assisted a flight attendant who suffered a shoulder injury. He also said he saw a few passengers with ice bags on top of their heads.

Worst turbulence ever! Athens to Phil. Even the pilot didn't see it coming. Drinks on the ceiling. @AmericanAir #thoughtthiswasit pic.twitter.com/ndZ8ptgbWz  Ervin Fang (@efnov6) August 6, 2017

The crew reported the turbulence while flying over the North Atlantic Ocean, according to the FAA. The flight landed safely at 3:10 p.m. The plane remained on the tarmac for about 40 minutes after landing so that EMS could respond, according to Fang.



"We are taking care of our passengers and our crew members at this time and want to thank our team members for keeping our passengers safe," an American Airlines spokesperson wrote.



Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Theil shared photos of the fire department's response to the airport.

Adam K. Theil

There was no word on the severity of injuries suffered, but American Airlines reported those going to the hospital were transported "for evaluation."

In 2016, there were a total of 44 injuries reported during turbulence. Thirty-three of the injuries were to passengers and 11 were to crew members, according to the FAA.

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A man with a history of court orders to stay away from U.S. government landmarks is charged with breaking into the U.S. House office of Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., and stealing personal items from Mullins desk.

The News4 I-Team learned the man is also accused of breaching security near the White House earlier this year, one of 23 breaches of White House and U.S. Capitol security since January 2014.

Prosecutors charged Edgardo Javier Ramon with unlawful entry and theft for the incident at Rep. Mullins Longworth House Office Building suite. Police records obtained by the I-Team said Ramon stole commemorative coins and a personalized container from Rep. Mullins desk. The theft occurred at 11:53 a.m. July 26, a busy day of votes and committee hearings in the U.S. House.

Mullins spokesman, Mike Stopp, told the I-Team the congressman was not in his Longworth suite when the theft occurred. The congressmans desk is in an office suite on the first floor of the Longworth House Office Building. U.S. House office suites include a main lobby and several cubicles or work spaces for staffers. The U.S. House members desk is traditionally inside a larger, enclosed office in the suite.

[[437023353, C]]

The stolen coins were challenge coins gifted to the congressman, Stopp said. Rep. Mullin's publicly posted photos show he often distributes similar challenge coins to constituents.

Ramons attorney declined to comment on his case. Court records show he pleaded not guilty to the theft charge.

An investigation by the I-Team revealed Ramon has a history of run-ins with federal law enforcement. In March, he was arrested and charged with defacing a statue in Lafayette Park near the White House. Court records said Ramon used a black sharpie marker to vandalize the statue.

Days later in March, U.S. Secret Service arrested Ramon for violating a stay away order from the White House. Court records said Ramon was spotted walking along the 1400 block of New York Avenue, in violation of court orders he stay away from the areas near the White House.

Ramon violated a stay away order from Capitol grounds days after his arrest for the theft from Mullins office, prosecutors said. He is charged with contempt of court for doing so.



According to the I-Team investigation, Ramon is one of 23 people charged by federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., for breaching security or violating stay away orders from the White House or U.S. Capitol in the past three years.

Court filings from prosecutors show a judge has extended Ramons stay away orders to include U.S. Capitol grounds.
College students in Virginia who fall behind on tuition payments can have a hard time digging out thanks to a state law that pushes unpaid bills into the hands of private collection agencies.

The Washington Post reported Sunday a little-known Virginia law requires public colleges to turn over unpaid accounts of less than $3,000 to private debt collectors if they are 60 days past due.

The debt collectors can add a 30 percent fee to the unpaid account.

George Mason University in Fairfax, the state's largest university, estimated about 1 percent of student accounts are sent to collections.

Del. Marcus Simon, a Democrat from Falls Church, said in a Facebook post Sunday he will seek a legislative fix to ease the burden on students who fall behind.
Two fatal shootings on Saturday put an end to a weekend cease-fire in Baltimore, NBC News reported.

Police said a 24-year-old man and a 37-year-old man were shot and killed in separate incidents. Activists called for a 72-hour cease-fire  a call the city's police department and mayor embraced.

Police spokesman T.J. Smith said that the killings should not take away from the goals of organizers.

"The work doesnt stop," he said.
A judge has dismissed a gun case after prosecutors said an arresting officer may have designed a T-shirt that an advocacy group says has a racist symbol.

The case dismissal is the first since members of the 7th Police District "Powershift'' unit have come under scrutiny for the shirts, The Washington Post reports.

The T-shirt shown in a photo from the group says "Powershift Seventh District." A Celtic cross stands in the place of the letter O. The symbol is used by white supremacist groups including the Ku Klux Klan, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

The shirt shows a skeleton holding a rifle and the MPD shield, with the D.C. flag as a backdrop. Below the image is the words "Let me see that waistband jo."

Law4BlackLives says the words are a reference to "jump outs" and searches of men of color for weapons.

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The Seventh District covers much of Southeast D.C. east of the Anacostia River, including the communities of Anacostia and Barry Farm.



"This is disgraceful and does not represent the hard working and committed officers of the Seventh District," Police Chief Peter Newsham said in a tweet about the controversial shirt.

An internal police investigation of the shirts is underway. Prosecutors tried unsuccessfully to delay the trial until that investigation is complete.

Prosecutors could refile charges at a later date.
Authorities are investigating the death of a man who was found shot Sunday morning outside a home in Lynn, Massachusetts.



According to the Essex County District Attorney's Office, Pedro Carrillo was found outside of 89 Curwin Circle at 1:54 a.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The district attorney said the investigation into Carrillo's death is ongoing, and that no arrests have been made.
State police say a driver has been killed in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 91 in Springfield, Vermont.

They say the car driven by 26-year-old Jeremy Johnston, of Randolph, went off the road and struck a tree on Sunday night. The vehicle then rolled several times and Johnston was ejected. He wasn't wearing a seatbelt.

Johnston was pronounced dead at a hospital. No one else was inside the car.

Authorities say speed appears to be a factor in the crash.
Court records show a man charged with killing a western Missouri police officer on Sunday has been wanted on a warrant in New Hampshire since 2013.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol is searching for 39-year-old Ian McCarthy of Clinton, Missouri, who is charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the shooting death of Officer Gary Michael.

Michael was shot Sunday night after stopping a car in Clinton. The driver jumped out of the vehicle and shot Michael before fleeing.

Court records say a warrant was issued for McCarthy in New Hampshire in October 2013 after he failed to appear for sentencing for a disorderly conduct charge. The records show McCarthy had an extensive criminal background in that state, with 20 counts ranging from misdemeanor traffic violations to criminal charges filed between 1997 and 2011.

Missouri court records indicate McCarthy pleaded guilty in November 2013 in Missouri to a misdemeanor driving without a valid license. In July 2015 he was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. Court records don't indicate the outcome of that case.

The car Michael stopped before he was shot is registered to McCarthy.

Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman Bill Lowe said the driver jumped out of the car and fired at Michael, who was able to return fire. The suspect drove about three blocks before crashing his car and fleeing on foot. Lowe says Michael was "heroic right to the end." It is unclear if the suspect was hit.

Michael, 37, was a lifelong resident of Clinton and leaves behind a wife and stepsons.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren won't face voters for more than a year, but the broad outlines of the effort to unseat the Massachusetts Democrat, and her re-election pitch to voters, are taking shape.

Two Republicans have announced their candidacies, two others are said to be weighing runs, and conservative political groups are chipping away at the candidate.

Still, Warren enjoys enormous advantages, including a national base of support, a fat campaign account and solid poll numbers.

Hanging over everything is the question of whether Warren will run for the White House in 2020.

___

THE CANDIDATE

After she was first elected in 2012, Warren generally shied away from town hall events and the press. With a looming campaign, that's all changed.

On Friday, the 68-year-old held her 10th public town hall this year in Revere, just north of Boston.

"I love the town meetings. It's a chance to hear from people all across Massachusetts," Warren told The Associated Press. "They stand up. They ask questions in the town meeting and I stay afterward for everybody who wants to take a picture, shake hands, tell me something personally that they want me to hear."

She said the top concern is the same: "Health care, health care, health care."

"Right now we have huge fights in front of us and we've got to say focused on those fights"' she said.

___

THE PITCH

Warren is also busy honing her campaign pitch.

She points to legislation she championed aimed at reducing the cost of hearing aids by letting them be sold over the counter. President Donald Trump was expected to sign the measure.

Warren ran through other wins, from debt relief for Massachusetts students cheated by for-profit colleges to helping secure federal dollars to dredge Boston Harbor, rebuild sea walls, extend the Green Line subway route and pay for firefighting equipment.

She also cited her stiff opposition to the GOP effort to repeal former President Barack Obama's health care law - an effort that might not be over.

"Health care could come back at any moment. It's been the zombie bill that after it's killed it comes back from the dead," she said.

___

THE COMPETITION

Two Republican candidates have officially entered the race, neither of whom are household names in Massachusetts.

State Rep. Geoff Diehl announced his candidacy Tuesday in his hometown of Whitman.

Diehl, who served as co-chair of Trump's campaign in Massachusetts, criticized Warren for failing to deliver for Massachusetts while pursuing her own agenda in Washington.

"Where are her tangible results?" Diehl said. "She had a record that shows no ability to work with Republicans."

Shiva Ayyadurai, a Cambridge technology entrepreneur, is also seeking the GOP nomination.

Other possible Republican candidates include former Mitt Romney aide Beth Lindstrom and businessman John Kingston.

___

THE WAR CHEST

As of the end of June, Warren reported having a hefty $11 million in cash in her campaign account.

Nearly 67 percent of the money she raised during the first half of 2017 came in smaller donations under $200, according to a review of Federal Election Commission records. Since the maximum donation per election is $2,700, Warren can reach out that base of smaller donors for additional contributions.

Donors who gave more than $200, and whose home states are included in the FEC reports, hailed from virtually every state.

By contrast, Diehl had just $260,000 in cash and Ayyadurai just $28,000.

Warren has also been adept at capitalizing on unintended fundraising opportunities.

When Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell silenced her in February for reading from a letter by Coretta Scott King during a debate on the nomination of Jeff Sessions for attorney general, Warren fired off a fundraising appeal, raking in hundreds of thousands in donations.

___

THE 2020 QUESTION

Warren insists the only campaign she's focused on is next year's.

"No. I am not running for president," she told the AP. "I have a race in 2018 and I take nothing for granted."

Die-hard supporters and opponents - both of whom view Warren as a fiery liberal alternative to middle-of-the-road Democrats - may not be listening. Both see the 2018 campaign as a prelude for a possible 2020 presidential bid.

The conservative political action committee America Rising has been dogging Warren, most recently charging her with waffling about whether she supports a single payer health plan.

Even Trump, who's taunted Warren for claiming she's part Native American, has suggested she may challenge him in 2020 if he seeks a second term.

"I have a feeling that in the next election, you're going to be swamped with candidates," Trump said in April. "It may be Pocahontas, remember that."
Not made your Christmas pudding yet? Don't know where to start? Come along to a Christmas pudding workshop at Norwich Central Baptist Church on November 21 with MasterChef contestant Jane Wyndham.

Not made your Christmas pudding yet? Don't know where to start? Come along to a Christmas pudding workshop at Norwich Central Baptist Church on November 21 with MasterChef contestant Jane Wyndham.

Norwich Foodbank provides over 4,700 food parcels Norwich Foodbank gave out 4,793 emergency food parcels to people across Norwich in the last year  with 1,790 of these going to children. Read more

Poppies cascading in Sheringham church A fall of poppies cascades from the pulpit in St Andrews Methodist Church in Sheringham, and anyone is welcome to come and see them. Read more

Bishop Graham's prayers for COP27 climate conference Bishop Graham is publishing daily prayers on social media for the current COP27 climate conference, and is asking all to join. Read more

Discovering the Orange in your life The vibrant colours of autumn have been inspiring regular contributor Jane Walters to focus on the positive. Read more

YMCA annual celebration set to inspire YMCA Norfolk is set to hold its much anticipated 2022 annual celebration and awards ceremony on November 17, after almost 3 years since the last event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

Hub manager vacancy at community shop Earlham Community Shop Community Interest Company is looking to appoint a manager for this new venture being developed in the heart of NR5 Norwich. Read more

Abbey Days brings Christmas Magic to Wymondham Visitors to Wymondham Abbeys Christmas fair will be able to treat their children to a magic show and fun baking workshop while they browse more than 60 stalls. Read more

Salvation Armys new Christmas Appeal in Norfolk The Salvation Army has launched their new Christmas appeal across Norfolk which, this year, has evolved from the much-loved Toys and Tins appeal. Read more

Are we storing up treasures on earth? Rising prices affect us all, and Anna Heydon urges us to spare a thought for those who will be struggling with the cost of living this winter. Read more

Latest Norfolk Christian community events Events of interest to the Norwich and Norfolk Christian community happening over the next few weeks are listed. Read more

Covid leaf memorial at Norwich church St Peter Mancroft Church Norwich Presents The Leaves of the Trees an installation by sculptor Peter Walker which provides a memorial for those who died of Covid-19 Read more

Community Chaplaincy Norfolk begins a new chapter Community Chaplaincy Norfolk (CCN) celebrated the beginning of a new chapter this week, as the new chair of trustees Chris Tomlinson led his first annual meeting. Read more

Lowestoft Christians launch on-line bible helps app The Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth branch of Good News for Everyone (GNFE), formerly the Gideons, have introduced a new mobile phone app called On-line Bible Helps. Read more

Addicts' rehabilitation centre plan for Drayton Hall Christian addiction charity Teen Challenge London is planning to turn Drayton Hall near Norwich into its headquarters and a rehabilitation centre for men, after it was gifted the freehold of the hall by its owner, the Lind Trust. Read more

The power of positive protest Philip Young encourages us to take a stand for what we believe, and has just written to Therese Coffey regarding climate change and the forthcoming COP 27. He explains why we should be prepared to protest. Read more

Norwich church celebrates with cribs and trees Rosebery Road Methodist Church in Norwich will be holding its annual Cribs and Trees Festival in December. Read more

Transforming Norwich lunch offers ministry tips Ex-Brighton vicar, Rev Phil Moon, will offer tips on how to keep going in ministry to the Transforming Norwich leaders lunch on Wednesday November 16. Read more
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Air India is looking for bridge loans worth up to USD 740 million to finance purchase of six Boeing 787-8 planes, according to a tender document.

While the government is working on final contours for a strategic disinvestment of its stake in loss-making Air India, the airline is ready with plans to fly to more overseas destinations.

The airline has sought offers from banks and financial institutions to arrange bridge financing of up to USD 740 million for the six aircraft. The amount translates into around USD 123.3 million per plane. At the current exchange rate, USD 740 million is around Rs 4,720 crore.

"In addition to the Government of India guarantee, Air India will offer the aircraft as a security. The facility should be a direct loan without the requirement for formation of a special purpose vehicle structure which requires title transfer," the tender document, floated last Friday, said.

Air India has an agreement with Boeing Company for purchase of 27 B787-8 planes. Out of them, the airline has completed the sale and lease back for 21 aircraft.

For three B787-8 planes -- each of which was delivered in November 2016, January and July -- Air India had arranged bridge financing without Indian government's guarantee.

Among the remaining three aircraft, two are scheduled to be delivered this month and one in October.

According to the document, the government has indicated that it would issue guarantee for the six B787-8 aircraft, which includes three that have already been delivered.

"Therefore, Air India would like to refinance the bridge loan for 22nd to 24th B787-8 aircraft and needs interim bridge financing for the remaining three B787-8 aircraft (25th to 27th) for 15 months at the time of delivery," the document said.

Air India has a fleet of 110 planes, including 33 Boeing aircraft.

Air India, which has the largest international market share among domestic carriers, will soon be launching flights to Stockholm and Copenhagen. Last month, the airline started direct service between New Delhi and Washington, its fifth destination in the US.

As part of efforts to revive Air India, the Cabinet has given its in-principle approval to stake sale in the airline -- which is surviving on taxpayers' money.

NEW DELHI: Air India is looking for bridge loans worth up to USD 740 million to finance purchase of six Boeing 787-8 planes, according to a tender document. While the government is working on final contours for a strategic disinvestment of its stake in loss-making Air India, the airline is ready with plans to fly to more overseas destinations. The airline has sought offers from banks and financial institutions to arrange bridge financing of up to USD 740 million for the six aircraft. The amount translates into around USD 123.3 million per plane. At the current exchange rate, USD 740 million is around Rs 4,720 crore. "In addition to the Government of India guarantee, Air India will offer the aircraft as a security. The facility should be a direct loan without the requirement for formation of a special purpose vehicle structure which requires title transfer," the tender document, floated last Friday, said. Air India has an agreement with Boeing Company for purchase of 27 B787-8 planes. Out of them, the airline has completed the sale and lease back for 21 aircraft. For three B787-8 planes -- each of which was delivered in November 2016, January and July -- Air India had arranged bridge financing without Indian government's guarantee. Among the remaining three aircraft, two are scheduled to be delivered this month and one in October. According to the document, the government has indicated that it would issue guarantee for the six B787-8 aircraft, which includes three that have already been delivered. "Therefore, Air India would like to refinance the bridge loan for 22nd to 24th B787-8 aircraft and needs interim bridge financing for the remaining three B787-8 aircraft (25th to 27th) for 15 months at the time of delivery," the document said. Air India has a fleet of 110 planes, including 33 Boeing aircraft. Air India, which has the largest international market share among domestic carriers, will soon be launching flights to Stockholm and Copenhagen. Last month, the airline started direct service between New Delhi and Washington, its fifth destination in the US. As part of efforts to revive Air India, the Cabinet has given its in-principle approval to stake sale in the airline -- which is surviving on taxpayers' money.
Gurbir Singh By

Express News Service

The face-off with China in the Doklam border region is generating a revival of economic ultra-nationalism from strange quarters. In recent interviews, yoga proponent and entrepreneur Baba Ramdev has been calling for boycott of Chinese goods. If we boycott Chinese products, we will rub their nose on the ground, and they will be forced to bend before us, Baba Ramdev has been seen lecturing TV crews.

Last October, too, Patanjali Baba had tweeted calls to boycott Chinese goods as retaliation against Chinas opposition to labelling Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Massood Azhar a global terrorist. The timing, Diwali, raised suspicions that the Ramdev was driven more by his sense to keep China out as a business competitor rather than for patriotic reasons.

Largest trading partner

Indias trade with China is huge and is a worry because it has not followed the expected script. Last fiscal, India imported a humungous $61.7 billion worth of goods from China, while our exports to that country were just $9.05 billion, a yawning deficit of $52 billion. China is Indias largest trading partner accounting for 16 per cent of our imports. Those next in line from whom we import are miles behind  the US is at $18.15 billion (5.7 per cent share), the United Arab Emirates $17.4 billion (5.5 per cent) and Saudi Arabia $16.6 billion (5.19 per cent).

To put this in perspective trade with Pakistan was a mere $2.67 billion in FY2016 or just 0.41 per cent of Indias global merchandise commerce. India can ignore commercial ties with Pakistan and concentrate on military challenges. With China, trade is too big to be banned at the drop of a hat. There are good economic reasons. Underlying the big trade numbers is the fact that China is a more cost-effective source of advanced information technology and hardware. Anil Ambanis Reliance Communications, for its 4G/broadband programme sources hardware from the Chinese IT giant Huawei. Beyond the jokes of cheap and poor quality Diwali lights, China has become a vital source of telecom and computer instrumentation.

Guns and roses

Even as there is sabre-rattling at the borders by the foreign ministries of the two countries, a few days ago, Union Commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with her Chinese counterpart Zhong Shan in Beijing to tackle the trade deficit and demand a level playing field for Indian agro, pharmaceutical and IT products in the Chinese market. In commerce, there is realism! Chinese businesses are known for their aggression and there is need to investigate the dumping of steel, photovoltaic cells and such like (which India is doing) to protect our own industries. But a rollback by banning Chinese goods is no answer.

Beyond the haze of jingoism, the fact is that Chinese exports to India are of high value-addition, and cost-effective. So, theres a natural demand for them. Telecom and computer instruments and hardware, entire project plants and drug intermediates are chosen on merit by Indian industry. Sitharaman acknowledged as much when she said: These imports feed the growing demand in India for such goods which China, due to variety of reasons, is able to export to India at competitive prices.

There is evidence that India, too, did better when it moved away from traditional exports like iron ore, and cotton and yarn, to more value-added products. According to Chinese customs, Indian exports went up over six per cent in the January-April period with increasing purchases of items such as polished diamonds and other precious stones.

ChinaInterestingly, the Indian consumer is smart and has not fallen prey to jingoistic calls of boycott. And, why should he? He has a head on his shoulders and his hands firmly in his pockets. If he gets equivalent quality and good service at half the price, he would be a fool to pay twice as much to a western or Indian retailer. The iPhone 7 Black sells at Rs 76,000 a piece, a Samsung S6 Edge top model is at Rs 52,000, while the Chinese equivalent in the high-end cell phone market  the OnePlus 5  top model is priced at Rs 38,000. We dont want the Chinese fixing and dumping in our market, but let us also not have a bunch of local monopolists erode competition by calls of pseudo nationalism!

[The author can be contacted at gurbir1@gmail.com]

The face-off with China in the Doklam border region is generating a revival of economic ultra-nationalism from strange quarters. In recent interviews, yoga proponent and entrepreneur Baba Ramdev has been calling for boycott of Chinese goods. If we boycott Chinese products, we will rub their nose on the ground, and they will be forced to bend before us, Baba Ramdev has been seen lecturing TV crews. Last October, too, Patanjali Baba had tweeted calls to boycott Chinese goods as retaliation against Chinas opposition to labelling Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Massood Azhar a global terrorist. The timing, Diwali, raised suspicions that the Ramdev was driven more by his sense to keep China out as a business competitor rather than for patriotic reasons. Largest trading partner Indias trade with China is huge and is a worry because it has not followed the expected script. Last fiscal, India imported a humungous $61.7 billion worth of goods from China, while our exports to that country were just $9.05 billion, a yawning deficit of $52 billion. China is Indias largest trading partner accounting for 16 per cent of our imports. Those next in line from whom we import are miles behind  the US is at $18.15 billion (5.7 per cent share), the United Arab Emirates $17.4 billion (5.5 per cent) and Saudi Arabia $16.6 billion (5.19 per cent). To put this in perspective trade with Pakistan was a mere $2.67 billion in FY2016 or just 0.41 per cent of Indias global merchandise commerce. India can ignore commercial ties with Pakistan and concentrate on military challenges. With China, trade is too big to be banned at the drop of a hat. There are good economic reasons. Underlying the big trade numbers is the fact that China is a more cost-effective source of advanced information technology and hardware. Anil Ambanis Reliance Communications, for its 4G/broadband programme sources hardware from the Chinese IT giant Huawei. Beyond the jokes of cheap and poor quality Diwali lights, China has become a vital source of telecom and computer instrumentation. Guns and roses Even as there is sabre-rattling at the borders by the foreign ministries of the two countries, a few days ago, Union Commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with her Chinese counterpart Zhong Shan in Beijing to tackle the trade deficit and demand a level playing field for Indian agro, pharmaceutical and IT products in the Chinese market. In commerce, there is realism! Chinese businesses are known for their aggression and there is need to investigate the dumping of steel, photovoltaic cells and such like (which India is doing) to protect our own industries. But a rollback by banning Chinese goods is no answer. Beyond the haze of jingoism, the fact is that Chinese exports to India are of high value-addition, and cost-effective. So, theres a natural demand for them. Telecom and computer instruments and hardware, entire project plants and drug intermediates are chosen on merit by Indian industry. Sitharaman acknowledged as much when she said: These imports feed the growing demand in India for such goods which China, due to variety of reasons, is able to export to India at competitive prices. There is evidence that India, too, did better when it moved away from traditional exports like iron ore, and cotton and yarn, to more value-added products. According to Chinese customs, Indian exports went up over six per cent in the January-April period with increasing purchases of items such as polished diamonds and other precious stones. ChinaInterestingly, the Indian consumer is smart and has not fallen prey to jingoistic calls of boycott. And, why should he? He has a head on his shoulders and his hands firmly in his pockets. If he gets equivalent quality and good service at half the price, he would be a fool to pay twice as much to a western or Indian retailer. The iPhone 7 Black sells at Rs 76,000 a piece, a Samsung S6 Edge top model is at Rs 52,000, while the Chinese equivalent in the high-end cell phone market  the OnePlus 5  top model is priced at Rs 38,000. We dont want the Chinese fixing and dumping in our market, but let us also not have a bunch of local monopolists erode competition by calls of pseudo nationalism! [The author can be contacted at gurbir1@gmail.com]
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: As the March 2019 deadline to meet the capital adequacy norms under the Basel-III rules looms large, 12 out of the 21 public-sector banks have lined up to raise funds from markets to shore up their capital base. These include Punjab National Bank, Bank of India and Indian Bank.

Public-sector banks will need substantial capital to make large haircuts on loans to unviable stressed projects and to meet rising Basel III requirements. According to a report by S&P Ratings, PSBs will need at least Rs1.9 lakh crore additional capital by March 2019 to write down non-performing loans.

State Bank of India has already boosted its capital base by raising Rs 15,000 crore by selling 52.2 crore shares through qualified institutional placement (QIP).

Six to seven lenders including Andhra Bank expect to close their capital-raising plan by the end of the current fiscal.

Basel-III norms mandate banks to have at least 11.5 per cent capital adequacy ratio -- a measure of a banks capital, expressed as a percentage of the banks risk weighted credit exposures.

To help state-owned banks meet Basel-III norms, the central government has announced a roadmap called Indradhanush, which estimates that state-owned banks need to raise Rs 1.1 lakh crore from markets,

Allahabad Bank, Andhra Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Dena Bank, IDBI Bank, Indian Bank and Punjab National Bank have got permission from the government to raise capital from the market through QIP or FPO or preferential allotment.

The money banks are to raise from the markets will be over and above the Rs 70,000 crore that lenders will get as capital support from the government. Of this, the government has already infused Rs 50,000 crore in the past two fiscals and the remaining will be pumped in by the end of 2018-19.

This development comes at a time when the RBI is forcing banks to clean up their balance sheets, which are stressed of non-performing assets.

CHENNAI: As the March 2019 deadline to meet the capital adequacy norms under the Basel-III rules looms large, 12 out of the 21 public-sector banks have lined up to raise funds from markets to shore up their capital base. These include Punjab National Bank, Bank of India and Indian Bank. Public-sector banks will need substantial capital to make large haircuts on loans to unviable stressed projects and to meet rising Basel III requirements. According to a report by S&P Ratings, PSBs will need at least Rs1.9 lakh crore additional capital by March 2019 to write down non-performing loans. State Bank of India has already boosted its capital base by raising Rs 15,000 crore by selling 52.2 crore shares through qualified institutional placement (QIP). Six to seven lenders including Andhra Bank expect to close their capital-raising plan by the end of the current fiscal. Basel-III norms mandate banks to have at least 11.5 per cent capital adequacy ratio -- a measure of a banks capital, expressed as a percentage of the banks risk weighted credit exposures. To help state-owned banks meet Basel-III norms, the central government has announced a roadmap called Indradhanush, which estimates that state-owned banks need to raise Rs 1.1 lakh crore from markets, Allahabad Bank, Andhra Bank, Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Dena Bank, IDBI Bank, Indian Bank and Punjab National Bank have got permission from the government to raise capital from the market through QIP or FPO or preferential allotment. The money banks are to raise from the markets will be over and above the Rs 70,000 crore that lenders will get as capital support from the government. Of this, the government has already infused Rs 50,000 crore in the past two fiscals and the remaining will be pumped in by the end of 2018-19. This development comes at a time when the RBI is forcing banks to clean up their balance sheets, which are stressed of non-performing assets.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: An entire residential complex was sealed after the floor of a bedroom in a flat at Ambattur suddenly caved in up to six feet on Saturday night resulting in injuries to two persons who fell into the pit. The incident created a flutter among the residents.

Chandrasekharan, 65, a retired LIC agent, a resident of SSVK housing complex located on Mounasami Madam Road near Ambattur OT was sleeping in the bedroom last night, while his wife Uma was at the kitchen.

Around 9 pm, she heard screams from the bedroom and found that the floor of the room had caved in and her husband had fallen into it. She also fell into the pit as she entered the room, said a senior police officer who visited the spot.

Neighbours immediately alerted the police and fire service personnel who rushed to the spot and helped the couple climb out.

Police said the house was constructed two years ago. The complex has six houses. The police reckon the room caved in by at least six feet.

Firemen who inspected the building suspect a structural flaw in the construction. All 14 members from the five flats panicked as they felt the vibration during the cave in. Locals rushed the couple to a hospital, where they were treated and later sent to their relatives house.

Later, the rest of the residents returned to their respective houses. They also filed a complaint with the promoter. They told the police this was the first time such an incident was reported in their complex.

On Sunday, revenue authorities directed the residents to vacate and sealed the housing complex.

CHENNAI: An entire residential complex was sealed after the floor of a bedroom in a flat at Ambattur suddenly caved in up to six feet on Saturday night resulting in injuries to two persons who fell into the pit. The incident created a flutter among the residents. Chandrasekharan, 65, a retired LIC agent, a resident of SSVK housing complex located on Mounasami Madam Road near Ambattur OT was sleeping in the bedroom last night, while his wife Uma was at the kitchen. Around 9 pm, she heard screams from the bedroom and found that the floor of the room had caved in and her husband had fallen into it. She also fell into the pit as she entered the room, said a senior police officer who visited the spot. Neighbours immediately alerted the police and fire service personnel who rushed to the spot and helped the couple climb out. Police said the house was constructed two years ago. The complex has six houses. The police reckon the room caved in by at least six feet. Firemen who inspected the building suspect a structural flaw in the construction. All 14 members from the five flats panicked as they felt the vibration during the cave in. Locals rushed the couple to a hospital, where they were treated and later sent to their relatives house. Later, the rest of the residents returned to their respective houses. They also filed a complaint with the promoter. They told the police this was the first time such an incident was reported in their complex. On Sunday, revenue authorities directed the residents to vacate and sealed the housing complex.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Five Delhi-based men who managed to purchase a second-hand motorbike in the city with their Aadhaar card and driving licence, were found to be involved in as many as 23 chain-snatching incidents reported in the last one month, the city police claimed.

On Saturday, the police nabbed two of them and recovered 25 sovereign gold jewellery.They have now launched a search for the other three. The police claimed that the series of seven chain snatchings that happened within eight hours on Monday last were also committed by the duo.

Joint Commissioner of Police (East) S Manoharan told newspersons on Sunday that A Sanjay alias Vijaypaul (42) and J Sandeep (30) were picked up near Central Railway station on Saturday night when they had come to take their motorbike.

He said the five men came by air to Chennai on July 4.

They booked a room at a lodge at Sowcarpet and purchased a motorbike, by producing their Aadhaar card and driving licence. They visited various places in Chennai. Whenever they spotted any woman or elderly citizen walking alone, they would snatch their chain and escape, he said.

The men wore helmets to conceal identity and would also ensure there was no Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera coverage at the place of crime. Yet, the police traced them using CCTV footage, which showed up their motorbike registration number at the crime spot, an investigation officer said.

Special teams were formed to nab the suspects.

In the CCTV footage, the vehicle registration number was not very clear, but with the last digit and bike model, the team searched all government and private parking areas in the city, including all railway stations and bus stands. Finally, the bike was spotted at Central Railway Station, the officer said.

On Saturday, the duo had come to take the bike when they were nabbed by the police.

The two would rob jewellery and take it by train to Delhi to avoid frisking. A special team has gone to Delhi to conduct inquiries and to nab the remaining three who are still at large, the officer said.

Ironically, the men who committed the crime in the city bought an apartment in Delhi, which also has a security guard, the officer pointed out.

Both Sanjay and Sandeep are history-sheeters and have around 35 pending cases against them in Delhi, the officer said.

CHENNAI: Five Delhi-based men who managed to purchase a second-hand motorbike in the city with their Aadhaar card and driving licence, were found to be involved in as many as 23 chain-snatching incidents reported in the last one month, the city police claimed. On Saturday, the police nabbed two of them and recovered 25 sovereign gold jewellery.They have now launched a search for the other three. The police claimed that the series of seven chain snatchings that happened within eight hours on Monday last were also committed by the duo. Joint Commissioner of Police (East) S Manoharan told newspersons on Sunday that A Sanjay alias Vijaypaul (42) and J Sandeep (30) were picked up near Central Railway station on Saturday night when they had come to take their motorbike. He said the five men came by air to Chennai on July 4. They booked a room at a lodge at Sowcarpet and purchased a motorbike, by producing their Aadhaar card and driving licence. They visited various places in Chennai. Whenever they spotted any woman or elderly citizen walking alone, they would snatch their chain and escape, he said. The men wore helmets to conceal identity and would also ensure there was no Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera coverage at the place of crime. Yet, the police traced them using CCTV footage, which showed up their motorbike registration number at the crime spot, an investigation officer said. Special teams were formed to nab the suspects. In the CCTV footage, the vehicle registration number was not very clear, but with the last digit and bike model, the team searched all government and private parking areas in the city, including all railway stations and bus stands. Finally, the bike was spotted at Central Railway Station, the officer said. On Saturday, the duo had come to take the bike when they were nabbed by the police. The two would rob jewellery and take it by train to Delhi to avoid frisking. A special team has gone to Delhi to conduct inquiries and to nab the remaining three who are still at large, the officer said. Ironically, the men who committed the crime in the city bought an apartment in Delhi, which also has a security guard, the officer pointed out. Both Sanjay and Sandeep are history-sheeters and have around 35 pending cases against them in Delhi, the officer said.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Five persons, including an engineering student, who were in possession of demonetised currency notes of denomination Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 worth Rs 99 lakh, were arrested by the Hyderabad Task Force police here on Sunday. Old notes of the value of Rs 99 lakh were seized.

According to police, the accused procured the notes from several persons promising to exchange them for new notes and were caught red-handed at Sanjeeviah Park. One of the arrested is V Sai Kumar Reddy (22), an engineering student and resident of Church Colony in Uppal. The others are T Sai (24) of Miyapur, T Prasad (35) of Narsaraopeta in Guntur district of AP, B Nagendar (42) of Jangaon district and P Ram Babu (36) of Gaddiannaram.

Police said Sai Kumar and T Sai planned to earn money by exchanging old notes for new ones. They collected old notes worth Rs 99 lakh from one Praveen two days ago. They struck a deal with one Prasad and offered him a five per cent commission. Prasad contacted brokers Nagender and Rambabu. The accused arrived at Sanjeevaiah Park with old notes. Getting wind of this, police carried out raids and detained the accused. The seized notes and accused were handed over to Ramgopalpet police.

HYDERABAD: Five persons, including an engineering student, who were in possession of demonetised currency notes of denomination Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 worth Rs 99 lakh, were arrested by the Hyderabad Task Force police here on Sunday. Old notes of the value of Rs 99 lakh were seized. According to police, the accused procured the notes from several persons promising to exchange them for new notes and were caught red-handed at Sanjeeviah Park. One of the arrested is V Sai Kumar Reddy (22), an engineering student and resident of Church Colony in Uppal. The others are T Sai (24) of Miyapur, T Prasad (35) of Narsaraopeta in Guntur district of AP, B Nagendar (42) of Jangaon district and P Ram Babu (36) of Gaddiannaram. Police said Sai Kumar and T Sai planned to earn money by exchanging old notes for new ones. They collected old notes worth Rs 99 lakh from one Praveen two days ago. They struck a deal with one Prasad and offered him a five per cent commission. Prasad contacted brokers Nagender and Rambabu. The accused arrived at Sanjeevaiah Park with old notes. Getting wind of this, police carried out raids and detained the accused. The seized notes and accused were handed over to Ramgopalpet police.
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Around 24 people from Boddapadu village of Krishna district who were admitted with high fevers in different hospitals were diagnosed with typhoid. Health officials suspect that water contamination in the village could be the reason for the disease. Similar to the incident in Chaparai village of East Godavari district where 16 people lost their lives, a large number of people were admitted with high fevers and other illnesses on Friday and diagnosed with typhoid.

As on Sunday, the people who were admitted are still availing the treatment and few of them have been shifted to a private hospital in Vijayawada city as their condition is critical. The district health officials have deployed health teams comprising of five doctors in those regions to study the problem. Speaking to Express, District Medical and Health Officer, TVSN Sastry said, There are some viral fevers like malaria and dengue which are still active in the district.

Adding to this, cases of typhoid have also been reported. We are constantly monitoring all fever cases to ensure every person gets proper treatment. We are constantly keeping in touch with the doctors of private hospitals for the updated health report.

Sastry further said that an investigation has to be conducted to study the case in the district as all the people have been affected at a go. We are suspecting that water contamination, particularly in that place, has led to the outbreak of typhoid, just like in Chaparai where people consumed contaminated water. We also directed the Panchayat Raj department to make sure proper sanitation and drinking water is provided in these areas to avoid future outbreaks, he added.

As of now, in Krishna district, 554 malaria cases and 86 dengue cases have been reported of which there were no deaths. Officials have been directed to conduct awareness camps, sanitation drives and periodical health check-ups across the district.

VIJAYAWADA: Around 24 people from Boddapadu village of Krishna district who were admitted with high fevers in different hospitals were diagnosed with typhoid. Health officials suspect that water contamination in the village could be the reason for the disease. Similar to the incident in Chaparai village of East Godavari district where 16 people lost their lives, a large number of people were admitted with high fevers and other illnesses on Friday and diagnosed with typhoid. As on Sunday, the people who were admitted are still availing the treatment and few of them have been shifted to a private hospital in Vijayawada city as their condition is critical. The district health officials have deployed health teams comprising of five doctors in those regions to study the problem. Speaking to Express, District Medical and Health Officer, TVSN Sastry said, There are some viral fevers like malaria and dengue which are still active in the district. Adding to this, cases of typhoid have also been reported. We are constantly monitoring all fever cases to ensure every person gets proper treatment. We are constantly keeping in touch with the doctors of private hospitals for the updated health report. Sastry further said that an investigation has to be conducted to study the case in the district as all the people have been affected at a go. We are suspecting that water contamination, particularly in that place, has led to the outbreak of typhoid, just like in Chaparai where people consumed contaminated water. We also directed the Panchayat Raj department to make sure proper sanitation and drinking water is provided in these areas to avoid future outbreaks, he added. As of now, in Krishna district, 554 malaria cases and 86 dengue cases have been reported of which there were no deaths. Officials have been directed to conduct awareness camps, sanitation drives and periodical health check-ups across the district.
By BNS

Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Katrina Kaif shot for Thugs of Hindostan in Malta a few weeks back.

It was the first and a long schedule of the film which is directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya and is produced by Yashraj Films.

According to latest buzz the makers are once again going to shoot some scenes in Malta.

A source says, The shoot was over but the makers realised that some portions need to be shot again.

So there is a possibility that they will go back and shoot or they may shoot it here. However, there is no official confirmation on it.

Aamir Khan, who is sporting yet again a different look in this film has got his ear and nose piercing done.

He said to have had put on some weight for initially shoot but he has reduced oodles of weight now.

On the other hand Katrina is said to be playing an Indian princess in it, though there are no details out about Amitabh and Fatimas roles.

The film is slated to release in Diwali next year.

Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Katrina Kaif shot for Thugs of Hindostan in Malta a few weeks back. It was the first and a long schedule of the film which is directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya and is produced by Yashraj Films. According to latest buzz the makers are once again going to shoot some scenes in Malta. A source says, The shoot was over but the makers realised that some portions need to be shot again. So there is a possibility that they will go back and shoot or they may shoot it here. However, there is no official confirmation on it. Aamir Khan, who is sporting yet again a different look in this film has got his ear and nose piercing done. He said to have had put on some weight for initially shoot but he has reduced oodles of weight now. On the other hand Katrina is said to be playing an Indian princess in it, though there are no details out about Amitabh and Fatimas roles. The film is slated to release in Diwali next year.
Sanjib Kumar Roy By

Express News Service

PORT BLAIR: A tourist who was carried away from shore by sea currents was whisked away to a Port Blair hospital in a critical condition by a Coast Guard helicopter on Monday.

Three tourists from New Delhi were swimming near the famous Radha Nagar Beach on Havelock island in the Andamans when they were washed away out to sea by strong waves. Two of them were rescued soon enough but the third, Neeraj, was in a poor condition by the time help reached him. He was initially taken to a primary health centre on Havelock but in view of his critical condition, an SOS was sent to the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard pressed one of its Chetak helicopters into operation and the tourist was carried to the G B Pant Hospital in Port Blair on Monday afternoon.

We had to reconfigure the Chetak into an ambulance, said commandant Dalip Singh of the Coast Guard.

The patients condition is said to have improved to stable later in the evening.

PORT BLAIR: A tourist who was carried away from shore by sea currents was whisked away to a Port Blair hospital in a critical condition by a Coast Guard helicopter on Monday. Three tourists from New Delhi were swimming near the famous Radha Nagar Beach on Havelock island in the Andamans when they were washed away out to sea by strong waves. Two of them were rescued soon enough but the third, Neeraj, was in a poor condition by the time help reached him. He was initially taken to a primary health centre on Havelock but in view of his critical condition, an SOS was sent to the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard pressed one of its Chetak helicopters into operation and the tourist was carried to the G B Pant Hospital in Port Blair on Monday afternoon. We had to reconfigure the Chetak into an ambulance, said commandant Dalip Singh of the Coast Guard. The patients condition is said to have improved to stable later in the evening.
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Stenographer Ragvendra Ahirwar, posted at the Jhansi collectorate and was detained by Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Friday was formally arrested and booked under different sections of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) on Monday.

The steno is accused of passing on classified information about military firing exercises, movement of military columns, deployment of units at Babina Cantt to a strange caller who identified himself as Major Yadav.

Ragvendra Ahirwar revealed that the stranger used to make internet calls to him and had spoofed a local number through SIM box. This man, a suspected ISI agent, extracted all the information about army units reaching Babina Cantt for firing exercises. He was in touch with Ahirwar since 2009.

Ragvendra Ahirwar also revealed that the calls were made through the internet and the number only had 9 digits instead of the normal 10. He said Major Yadav had told him he was not authorised to receive calls due to confidentiality.

IG ATS Aseem Arun said, Ahirwar has leaked sensitive information to a stranger and it amounts to a criminal offence. Ahirwar was not selling secrets for money but still what he did was illegal. Sections 3, 4, 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act were slapped against him.

Investigating agencies are also keeping a vigil over the activities of the sub divisional magistrate posted in Babina Cantt whose office is on the district collectorate premises.

Ragvendra Ahirwar is believed to have also told interrogators that the SDM had asked him to help Major Yadav.

Working on a specific tip-off by IB, states ATS had landed in Jhansi last week and put Ragvendra Ahirwar under surveillance. On Friday he was detained for questioning and his cell phone, computer, hard disk and pen drive were seized for probe.

Intelligence agencies also scanned his bank accounts, transactions since 2009 and the accounts of his kin. As no proof of a money exchange surfaced, Ragvendra Ahirwar was not arrested.

With massive field firing range, Babina is one of the biggest exercise ranges with the most vital army installations in the country where hundreds of army units practice with the latest artillery and weapons.

Ragvebdra Ahirwar used to extract the information needed by Major Yadav from the district magistrates office, as the Jhansi collectorate receives all letters regarding firing exercises. Army authorities inform the district administration in advance so as to alert the villagers living nearby. Ragvendra Ahirwar used to have access to all such communiques.

LUCKNOW: Stenographer Ragvendra Ahirwar, posted at the Jhansi collectorate and was detained by Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Friday was formally arrested and booked under different sections of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) on Monday. The steno is accused of passing on classified information about military firing exercises, movement of military columns, deployment of units at Babina Cantt to a strange caller who identified himself as Major Yadav. Ragvendra Ahirwar revealed that the stranger used to make internet calls to him and had spoofed a local number through SIM box. This man, a suspected ISI agent, extracted all the information about army units reaching Babina Cantt for firing exercises. He was in touch with Ahirwar since 2009. Ragvendra Ahirwar also revealed that the calls were made through the internet and the number only had 9 digits instead of the normal 10. He said Major Yadav had told him he was not authorised to receive calls due to confidentiality. IG ATS Aseem Arun said, Ahirwar has leaked sensitive information to a stranger and it amounts to a criminal offence. Ahirwar was not selling secrets for money but still what he did was illegal. Sections 3, 4, 5 and 9 of the Official Secrets Act were slapped against him. Investigating agencies are also keeping a vigil over the activities of the sub divisional magistrate posted in Babina Cantt whose office is on the district collectorate premises. Ragvendra Ahirwar is believed to have also told interrogators that the SDM had asked him to help Major Yadav. Working on a specific tip-off by IB, states ATS had landed in Jhansi last week and put Ragvendra Ahirwar under surveillance. On Friday he was detained for questioning and his cell phone, computer, hard disk and pen drive were seized for probe. Intelligence agencies also scanned his bank accounts, transactions since 2009 and the accounts of his kin. As no proof of a money exchange surfaced, Ragvendra Ahirwar was not arrested. With massive field firing range, Babina is one of the biggest exercise ranges with the most vital army installations in the country where hundreds of army units practice with the latest artillery and weapons. Ragvebdra Ahirwar used to extract the information needed by Major Yadav from the district magistrates office, as the Jhansi collectorate receives all letters regarding firing exercises. Army authorities inform the district administration in advance so as to alert the villagers living nearby. Ragvendra Ahirwar used to have access to all such communiques.
By PTI

SRINAGAR: A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant from Pakistan was today killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Kashmir.



The militant identified as Umar was part of the Abu Ismail group of Kashmir, which is behind the July 10 attack on Amarnath pilgrims that left eight devotees dead and several others injured, a police official said.



The official said that security forces launched a cordon and search operation in village Samboora late last night following information about the presence of militants there.

Also Read: J-K: Pakistan army violates ceasefire along LoC in Rajouri

The search party of forces was fired upon by militants triggering a gunbattle, the official said.



One militant was killed in the encounter, he said.

SRINAGAR: A Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant from Pakistan was today killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Kashmir. The militant identified as Umar was part of the Abu Ismail group of Kashmir, which is behind the July 10 attack on Amarnath pilgrims that left eight devotees dead and several others injured, a police official said. The official said that security forces launched a cordon and search operation in village Samboora late last night following information about the presence of militants there. Also Read: J-K: Pakistan army violates ceasefire along LoC in Rajouri The search party of forces was fired upon by militants triggering a gunbattle, the official said. One militant was killed in the encounter, he said.
George Poikayil By

Express News Service

KASARGOD: Last week, Binesh Balan (25) touched down in London to pursue a master's degree in anthropology at the University of Sussex. It was a dream come true for the son of daily-wagers from a community classified as a Scheduled Tribe in Kerala.

The passage to England, a matter of ease for students from more privileged classes, was a hard-fought one for him. For four years, Binesh Balan fought a casteist bureaucracy that was determined to fail him. But his resolve carried him through.

When New Indian Express reached out to him on phone, it was 5.30 pm in London, and Balan was unwinding in his hostel room after his third day at the university. "In the end, everything fell in place. It is liberating to be here," he said.

Balan, a member of the Mavilan community from Kolichal village in Kasargod, is in London today on a National Overseas Scholarships for Scheduled Tribe students given by the Union government. The scholarship is given to only 20 students and Balan was the only one from Kerala to get it.

Bitter battle

It had Balans dream since 2014 to go to London to study. He first got admission in the University of Sussex in November 2014 for classes starting in September 2015. He approached the Directorate of Scheduled Tribe Development for financial support.

The department funds students from ST communities going to study abroad. "I came to know of it when I saw an order of the directorate sanctioning Rs 20 lakh to the son of a PSC (Public Service Commission) member. That students family was well-off but he still got public money to study in France. So I knew I was deserving," says Balan, whose parents were daily wage labourers and had to give up work because of bad health.

But the section officer in the directorate rejected Balans application, saying he would not get more than Rs 5 lakh. "When I mentioned the PSC member's sons case as a precedent, the officer told me they had influence to pull it off," he recalls. And the file was closed.

Not one to give up, Balan met the then minister for the welfare of Scheduled Tribes P K Jayalakshmi with the help of the then MLA V S Sunil Kumar, who is now a minister. "She was encouraging and cleared a Rs 27 lakh scholarship for my education and other expenses," he says.

But the officers refused to accept the ministers recommendation and sought clearance from the cabinet itself.

As classes were to start in September, Balan wrote to the university seeking more time to secure funding, and was given an extension till January 2016.

On October 15, 2015, the Oommen Chandy cabinet took up his application as a special case and cleared the minister's recommendation of Rs 27 lakh. But the higher officials in the directorate knew how to stonewall even the cabinets decision and Balan did not get any money.

More than the denial of funding, the officials sniggering and casteist remarks were wounding to Balan. "I met all their conditions for funding. Yet they could not help smirking at me because I was an Adivasi," Balan said.

The student lodged a complaint with the Kerala State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. "But when I went to the directorate to ask about the status of my file, the undersecretary was derisive. He wanted to know why I had approached the commission," Balan said.

The undersecretary reportedly told him he knew how to reply to a notice from the commission. Later, he called the section officer to his chamber and "the two officials together harassed and humiliated me".

After denying him the opportunity, the officials reportedly told him: "Now that you cannot go to London, why don't you try in some local universities?"

Balan went home and applied again, and got admission for the next academic year in the same university.

By then the LDF had replaced the UDF in government but the attitude of the officials did not change. He missed out on going to London again.

LSE dreams

Then Binesh Balan decided to give it a go to land the central government's National Overseas Scholarship. "I attended the interview in Delhi on February 12, 2016 and the result came out in the same month. I was among 20 persons selected."

This time, he applied to the London School of Economics. He had scored only 55 per cent in his bachelor's degree against the requisite 70 per cent. "But I had published a paper in the Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, and had a few unpublished works in my kitty," he says. That could have made a difference and he got admission in LSE for 2017.

But he had to change his home university to Sussex as his overseas scholarship of Rs 47 lakh per year was falling short of the expense he would incur in the city.

By then the media had taken up his cause and minister for Scheduled Tribes A K Balan immediately cleared Rs 1.5 lakh for his IELTS training at the British Council in Chennai and for his air tickets to London. "I could not use the money for the air ticket because my visa was cancelled again," he says.

This year too Balan was not expecting his visa to be cleared, but it came through on July 21, a Friday, and he had to join classes on July 31. "A well-wisher in Wayanad booked me an air ticket to Delhi. Officials in the Ministry of External Affairs were very supportive and cleared my papers in four days," he says.

The same well-wisher, who Balan calls Amachi he never met, booked him an air ticket to London too.

Unnoticed childhood

Balan had a tough childhood. Rice was a luxury, and jackfruit seed was the staple food at home. "I started working to support myself in class 4 by picking arecanut for farmers. I did labour work till my under-graduation," he says. Only when he joined MBA did he have the confidence to give tuitions to students to earn money.

He says he was discriminated against on a daily basis by teachers, neighbours and schoolmates. "No one noticed me in my school. But once after class 7, I happened to stumble on an internet cafe during a vacation and that changed my life," he says.

After the vacation in class 8, he was a star because he knew computers'. "I used the internet to learn programming and even Michael Jackson's moves," he says. He realised technology was a great leveller.

After class 12, when he wanted to pursue computer education in Bengaluru, a local politician scuttled his hope of getting funding and he joined St Pius X College in Rajapuram to study for a degree in development economics.

Now, Balan says, he will return to India only after getting a PhD from Harvard or Oxford or from any of top universities of the world. "I do not want their money. I will come back and hope to make a difference."

KASARGOD: Last week, Binesh Balan (25) touched down in London to pursue a master's degree in anthropology at the University of Sussex. It was a dream come true for the son of daily-wagers from a community classified as a Scheduled Tribe in Kerala. The passage to England, a matter of ease for students from more privileged classes, was a hard-fought one for him. For four years, Binesh Balan fought a casteist bureaucracy that was determined to fail him. But his resolve carried him through. When New Indian Express reached out to him on phone, it was 5.30 pm in London, and Balan was unwinding in his hostel room after his third day at the university. "In the end, everything fell in place. It is liberating to be here," he said. Balan, a member of the Mavilan community from Kolichal village in Kasargod, is in London today on a National Overseas Scholarships for Scheduled Tribe students given by the Union government. The scholarship is given to only 20 students and Balan was the only one from Kerala to get it. Bitter battle It had Balans dream since 2014 to go to London to study. He first got admission in the University of Sussex in November 2014 for classes starting in September 2015. He approached the Directorate of Scheduled Tribe Development for financial support. The department funds students from ST communities going to study abroad. "I came to know of it when I saw an order of the directorate sanctioning Rs 20 lakh to the son of a PSC (Public Service Commission) member. That students family was well-off but he still got public money to study in France. So I knew I was deserving," says Balan, whose parents were daily wage labourers and had to give up work because of bad health. But the section officer in the directorate rejected Balans application, saying he would not get more than Rs 5 lakh. "When I mentioned the PSC member's sons case as a precedent, the officer told me they had influence to pull it off," he recalls. And the file was closed. Not one to give up, Balan met the then minister for the welfare of Scheduled Tribes P K Jayalakshmi with the help of the then MLA V S Sunil Kumar, who is now a minister. "She was encouraging and cleared a Rs 27 lakh scholarship for my education and other expenses," he says. But the officers refused to accept the ministers recommendation and sought clearance from the cabinet itself. As classes were to start in September, Balan wrote to the university seeking more time to secure funding, and was given an extension till January 2016. On October 15, 2015, the Oommen Chandy cabinet took up his application as a special case and cleared the minister's recommendation of Rs 27 lakh. But the higher officials in the directorate knew how to stonewall even the cabinets decision and Balan did not get any money. More than the denial of funding, the officials sniggering and casteist remarks were wounding to Balan. "I met all their conditions for funding. Yet they could not help smirking at me because I was an Adivasi," Balan said. The student lodged a complaint with the Kerala State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. "But when I went to the directorate to ask about the status of my file, the undersecretary was derisive. He wanted to know why I had approached the commission," Balan said. The undersecretary reportedly told him he knew how to reply to a notice from the commission. Later, he called the section officer to his chamber and "the two officials together harassed and humiliated me". After denying him the opportunity, the officials reportedly told him: "Now that you cannot go to London, why don't you try in some local universities?" Balan went home and applied again, and got admission for the next academic year in the same university. By then the LDF had replaced the UDF in government but the attitude of the officials did not change. He missed out on going to London again. LSE dreams Then Binesh Balan decided to give it a go to land the central government's National Overseas Scholarship. "I attended the interview in Delhi on February 12, 2016 and the result came out in the same month. I was among 20 persons selected." This time, he applied to the London School of Economics. He had scored only 55 per cent in his bachelor's degree against the requisite 70 per cent. "But I had published a paper in the Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, and had a few unpublished works in my kitty," he says. That could have made a difference and he got admission in LSE for 2017. But he had to change his home university to Sussex as his overseas scholarship of Rs 47 lakh per year was falling short of the expense he would incur in the city. By then the media had taken up his cause and minister for Scheduled Tribes A K Balan immediately cleared Rs 1.5 lakh for his IELTS training at the British Council in Chennai and for his air tickets to London. "I could not use the money for the air ticket because my visa was cancelled again," he says. This year too Balan was not expecting his visa to be cleared, but it came through on July 21, a Friday, and he had to join classes on July 31. "A well-wisher in Wayanad booked me an air ticket to Delhi. Officials in the Ministry of External Affairs were very supportive and cleared my papers in four days," he says. The same well-wisher, who Balan calls Amachi he never met, booked him an air ticket to London too. Unnoticed childhood Balan had a tough childhood. Rice was a luxury, and jackfruit seed was the staple food at home. "I started working to support myself in class 4 by picking arecanut for farmers. I did labour work till my under-graduation," he says. Only when he joined MBA did he have the confidence to give tuitions to students to earn money. He says he was discriminated against on a daily basis by teachers, neighbours and schoolmates. "No one noticed me in my school. But once after class 7, I happened to stumble on an internet cafe during a vacation and that changed my life," he says. After the vacation in class 8, he was a star because he knew computers'. "I used the internet to learn programming and even Michael Jackson's moves," he says. He realised technology was a great leveller. After class 12, when he wanted to pursue computer education in Bengaluru, a local politician scuttled his hope of getting funding and he joined St Pius X College in Rajapuram to study for a degree in development economics. Now, Balan says, he will return to India only after getting a PhD from Harvard or Oxford or from any of top universities of the world. "I do not want their money. I will come back and hope to make a difference."
By PTI

LUCKNOW: In the backdrop of three MLCs recently quitting the party and joining the BJP, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav today said those who wanted to go, should go without offering any excuse, so that he could ascertain who were with him in "bad times".

Referring to the "excuses" put forward by the three MLCs -- Bukkal Nawab, Sarojini Agarwal and Yashwant Singh -- while leaving the party, Yadav said, "Some people are saying they were feeling suffocated as the atmosphere of the party had gone bad. This should not be an excuse for leaving the party, they should find a better excuse."

Asserting that the party was doing well and a large number of women, farmers and youths had joined it recently, he said, "Those who want to leave the party should not give any excuse...they can just leave. In that case, at least I will get to know who are with us during bad times."

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister was addressing the party workers at the SP headquarters here on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

Yadav said he had paid a visit to Nawab on Eid and had 'sewai' (a sweet dish) with him.

"At that time, he (Nawab) had not mentioned that he was planning to leave the party. It has come to our notice that there was some land issue, due to which he was being pressured," he added.

In a dig at Nawab and the BJP, Yadav said, "They (BJP) are doing good work. It is ironic that when a person is not in the BJP, he is labelled as a land mafia and when he joins the party, he becomes honest, upright and a gentleman."

On Agarwal, who runs a medical college in Meerut in the name of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Yadav said he was not aware of what the matter was with her.

"There could be a land issue behind it as well," he added.

A number of women workers of the SP tied rakhi to Yadav on the occasion.

LUCKNOW: In the backdrop of three MLCs recently quitting the party and joining the BJP, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav today said those who wanted to go, should go without offering any excuse, so that he could ascertain who were with him in "bad times". Referring to the "excuses" put forward by the three MLCs -- Bukkal Nawab, Sarojini Agarwal and Yashwant Singh -- while leaving the party, Yadav said, "Some people are saying they were feeling suffocated as the atmosphere of the party had gone bad. This should not be an excuse for leaving the party, they should find a better excuse." Asserting that the party was doing well and a large number of women, farmers and youths had joined it recently, he said, "Those who want to leave the party should not give any excuse...they can just leave. In that case, at least I will get to know who are with us during bad times." The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister was addressing the party workers at the SP headquarters here on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. Yadav said he had paid a visit to Nawab on Eid and had 'sewai' (a sweet dish) with him. "At that time, he (Nawab) had not mentioned that he was planning to leave the party. It has come to our notice that there was some land issue, due to which he was being pressured," he added. In a dig at Nawab and the BJP, Yadav said, "They (BJP) are doing good work. It is ironic that when a person is not in the BJP, he is labelled as a land mafia and when he joins the party, he becomes honest, upright and a gentleman." On Agarwal, who runs a medical college in Meerut in the name of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Yadav said he was not aware of what the matter was with her. "There could be a land issue behind it as well," he added. A number of women workers of the SP tied rakhi to Yadav on the occasion.
Avay Shukla By

These past few weeks have been particularly traumatic for us seditious citizens of this great country, for we have been administered, not one, but two booster doses of nationalism.

The first was at JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University), Delhi, where a day (Kargil or Vijay Diwas) which should have belonged to our uniformed heroes was hijacked to serve a political ideology. The function, presided over by two union ministers and a supine vice chancellor, which was meant to remember those who sacrificed their lives for the country 18 years ago, was somehow distorted into a clarion call for nationalism.

This was further embodied in the menacing silhouette of a battle tank, which shall now be installed on the campus to inculcate in the students the spirit of nationalism.

To associate, or equate, a weapon of war with nationalism or patriotism goes far beyond the jingoism which has been the calling card of this particular vice chancellor. It boggles the mind that any person who has read history or political science can ever think that the true spirit of nationalism is the creation of the Army.

Yes, the Army protects nations and makes sacrifices for their survivalbut it doesnt create them (not democracies, at least). As Rohan DSouza of Kyoto University explains in a brilliant article in the Hindustan Times of 26 July 2017, nation-making and the creation of national identities are the product of thinkers, lawyers, writers, teachers, poets and, most important, the common man on the street facing bullets and lathis.

Nationalism is a concept born out of intellectualism, not militarism; it is spontaneous, not coerced; it is felt in our hearts, not worn on our sleeves. We have to look no further than the history of our own independence movement to appreciate this truism. To be brutally blunt, the Indian nation was not created by Generals Thimayya or Cariappanot even by a Subhash Bosebut by people like Gandhi, Nehru, Tagore, Ambedkar, Patel and the unnamed hordes who took part in and were beaten up in the many dharnas, satyagrahas and Dandi-type marches. We respect our armed forces, but do not assign them a role they were never designed to perform.

As far as I know there is no other university in the world which has inducted on its campus a tank as an exemplar or symbol of an intellectual idea or value. A battle tank is a symbol of the power of the state, of destruction and compulsive obedience, whereas a university is the precise antithesis of these concepts. A university is supposed to promote the power of the intellect and of non-violent didactics, to create new ideas and extend the frontiers of knowledge, to nurture freedomof thought, speech and inquiryand to question, not comply.

Therefore, the JNU tank is nothing but a well-crafted strategy to send a not-so-subtle message to the students and faculty of this institution which has been consistently ranked number one in the country: Behave like a military college, or else. It is no coincidence that JNU was chosen for this latest putsch by the government; this university is the one bugbear that the government would desperately like to see humbledall other central universities, including the IIMs and IITs have more or less caved inso as to complete its emasculation of academia in the country.

The government has tried everything so farsedition cases against students, reducing the PhD seats by almost 800, intimidation of faculty, proscribing of certain events sought to be organised by the student unions, deregistering students who are troublemakers, even approaching the courts to prevent demonstrations and protests on the campusbut this pesky university is still holding out! Hence the tank. One wonders what will come nexta battalion or two of the para-commandos? Convert the campus into a military barracks? Deploy a Sukhoi bomber next to the tank? And come to think of it, a lot of our other institutions also need a dose of this right-wing idea of nationalism and patriotism, so can we expect to see tanks outside Parliament and the Supreme Court too, soon? Just to inspire more patriotic feelings, of course.

The second antibiotic dose of nationalism was administered, unfortunately, by the Madras High Court. By now adept at rushing in where angels, and even the founding fathers of our Constitution were loath to go, the court had earlier this year ordered the state government to waive off all farm loans! Fortunately, the Supreme Court has stayed this order.

Undeterred by this slight setback, the High Court has now directed that singing Vande Mataram ( the national song) shall be mandatory for all government offices, schools and even private institutions, on two days every week. I guess its on stronger ground here for earlier the SC had mandated the compulsory playing of the National Anthem in all movie halls. However, I am unable to comprehend why our courts, which have 40 million other cases to decide, are so intent on turning us into a nation of balladeers and minstrels.

These are empty and meaningless gesturesI daresay the courts would engender much more of the nationalist and patriotic spirit if they decided cases on time, refrained from giving bail to the likes of a Shahabuddin, stopped the Centre from chopping down 1,700 trees in the heart of Delhi to build a convention centre, or asked the government why it has been sitting on the Panama Papers revelations for the last two years (when even a much-derided Pakistan judiciary has removed a PM for similar charges).

The genuine spirit of nationalism and patriotism is created by good governance, equitable delivery of justice and responsive public institutions. Give the people something to be proud of as a country, dont force feed them on tanks and national songs. Heed the words of wiser people, in this case Winston Churchill: I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.

Avay Shukla

served in the IAS for 35 years and retired as Additional Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh

Email: avayshukla@gmail.com

These past few weeks have been particularly traumatic for us seditious citizens of this great country, for we have been administered, not one, but two booster doses of nationalism. The first was at JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University), Delhi, where a day (Kargil or Vijay Diwas) which should have belonged to our uniformed heroes was hijacked to serve a political ideology. The function, presided over by two union ministers and a supine vice chancellor, which was meant to remember those who sacrificed their lives for the country 18 years ago, was somehow distorted into a clarion call for nationalism. This was further embodied in the menacing silhouette of a battle tank, which shall now be installed on the campus to inculcate in the students the spirit of nationalism. To associate, or equate, a weapon of war with nationalism or patriotism goes far beyond the jingoism which has been the calling card of this particular vice chancellor. It boggles the mind that any person who has read history or political science can ever think that the true spirit of nationalism is the creation of the Army. Yes, the Army protects nations and makes sacrifices for their survivalbut it doesnt create them (not democracies, at least). As Rohan DSouza of Kyoto University explains in a brilliant article in the Hindustan Times of 26 July 2017, nation-making and the creation of national identities are the product of thinkers, lawyers, writers, teachers, poets and, most important, the common man on the street facing bullets and lathis. Nationalism is a concept born out of intellectualism, not militarism; it is spontaneous, not coerced; it is felt in our hearts, not worn on our sleeves. We have to look no further than the history of our own independence movement to appreciate this truism. To be brutally blunt, the Indian nation was not created by Generals Thimayya or Cariappanot even by a Subhash Bosebut by people like Gandhi, Nehru, Tagore, Ambedkar, Patel and the unnamed hordes who took part in and were beaten up in the many dharnas, satyagrahas and Dandi-type marches. We respect our armed forces, but do not assign them a role they were never designed to perform. As far as I know there is no other university in the world which has inducted on its campus a tank as an exemplar or symbol of an intellectual idea or value. A battle tank is a symbol of the power of the state, of destruction and compulsive obedience, whereas a university is the precise antithesis of these concepts. A university is supposed to promote the power of the intellect and of non-violent didactics, to create new ideas and extend the frontiers of knowledge, to nurture freedomof thought, speech and inquiryand to question, not comply. Therefore, the JNU tank is nothing but a well-crafted strategy to send a not-so-subtle message to the students and faculty of this institution which has been consistently ranked number one in the country: Behave like a military college, or else. It is no coincidence that JNU was chosen for this latest putsch by the government; this university is the one bugbear that the government would desperately like to see humbledall other central universities, including the IIMs and IITs have more or less caved inso as to complete its emasculation of academia in the country. The government has tried everything so farsedition cases against students, reducing the PhD seats by almost 800, intimidation of faculty, proscribing of certain events sought to be organised by the student unions, deregistering students who are troublemakers, even approaching the courts to prevent demonstrations and protests on the campusbut this pesky university is still holding out! Hence the tank. One wonders what will come nexta battalion or two of the para-commandos? Convert the campus into a military barracks? Deploy a Sukhoi bomber next to the tank? And come to think of it, a lot of our other institutions also need a dose of this right-wing idea of nationalism and patriotism, so can we expect to see tanks outside Parliament and the Supreme Court too, soon? Just to inspire more patriotic feelings, of course. The second antibiotic dose of nationalism was administered, unfortunately, by the Madras High Court. By now adept at rushing in where angels, and even the founding fathers of our Constitution were loath to go, the court had earlier this year ordered the state government to waive off all farm loans! Fortunately, the Supreme Court has stayed this order. Undeterred by this slight setback, the High Court has now directed that singing Vande Mataram ( the national song) shall be mandatory for all government offices, schools and even private institutions, on two days every week. I guess its on stronger ground here for earlier the SC had mandated the compulsory playing of the National Anthem in all movie halls. However, I am unable to comprehend why our courts, which have 40 million other cases to decide, are so intent on turning us into a nation of balladeers and minstrels. These are empty and meaningless gesturesI daresay the courts would engender much more of the nationalist and patriotic spirit if they decided cases on time, refrained from giving bail to the likes of a Shahabuddin, stopped the Centre from chopping down 1,700 trees in the heart of Delhi to build a convention centre, or asked the government why it has been sitting on the Panama Papers revelations for the last two years (when even a much-derided Pakistan judiciary has removed a PM for similar charges). The genuine spirit of nationalism and patriotism is created by good governance, equitable delivery of justice and responsive public institutions. Give the people something to be proud of as a country, dont force feed them on tanks and national songs. Heed the words of wiser people, in this case Winston Churchill: I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught. Avay Shukla served in the IAS for 35 years and retired as Additional Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh Email: avayshukla@gmail.com
Ranjitha Gunasekaran By

There has arguably been no more a consistent commentator on the ongoing investigation into drug peddling in Telangana than filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma. Through his muddled musings on his Facebook account  and they are muddled  one sometimes (if the light is just right) catches a glimmer of truth. For instance, he pointed out on July 28, that once actor Ravi Tejas interview by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was over, the media and everyone would lose interest in the drugs investigation. So far so good. Thats because this whole noise was never ever to do with concern about drugs but its to do with entertaining everybody by putting celebs in embarrassing positions, he argued. Perhaps, hes got that half-right?

Lets rewind. The high-profile investigation into drug peddling and abuse started with a reportedly 20-day operation on part of the Telangana prohibition and excise department which led to the arrest of one Calvin Mascarenhas and two others Hyderabad. Mascarenhas, described by police as a management professional-turned-musician, was arrested on July 2. His Call Record Data allegedly alerted the cops, led by Akun Sabharwal, the departments enforcement director, to the abuse of drugs by school kids and film stars.

Thus began phase one of the drug investigation: into the abuse of drugs by children at posh private schools. Notices were issued to the schools  and leaked to the media  telling school authorities to start monitoring their students, staying alert to any changes in behaviour and such. And then, just as suddenly, even as parents started panicking about the adolescents in their homes, the focus shifted to film stars. In phase 2: At least 12 persons from the Telugu film industry, Tollywood, were issued notice to appear before the SIT for interrogation.

In the same breath as announcing this, Sabharwal said he was going on leave. To go hiking or visit his hometown or both. Speculation was rife that the Honest Cop was being punished for his efficiency. The next day, he said he was cancelling his leave and staying put for the Tollywood-flavoured, drug-related 12 days of Christmas-style parade that was to follow.

Filmmaker Puri Jagannadh was the first to go, questioned for 10 hours and asked to provide hair and blood samples for drug testing. Actor Mumaith Khan left the Telugu Bigg Boss house in Lonavala to appear for questioning. Actor Charmme Kaur moved the High Court demanding that she be allowed to take her lawyer along (HC said no) and that she not be forced to provide samples (HC agreed on this). The wounded excise department felt compelled to tell the media that no one was forcing the stars to give samples. Meanwhile, the police arrested techies ordering drugs online and started exploring the world of darknet. Anti-drug rallies were organised by schools, children, parents, politicians and, of course, filmstars. A Telugu news channel portrayed Sabharwal as a real-life Baahubali (Photoshop is a dangerous tool).

Then, about a week ago, the Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, or KCR, held a review meeting with officials and told them that drug abusers were victims and should be treated as such. Ergo, no filmstar who was addicted to drugs would be arrested unless they were also peddling drugs, regardless of what the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act says. After this even the excise department seems to have run out of steam.

So what was the result of the month-long moral panic generated by the whole investigation?

Studies show that children are more vulnerable to alcohol and tobacco abuse, both substances affordable and easily available. There has been little action on this. Public rehabilitation and de-addiction services in Telangana are limited to about 10 beds in the Institute of Mental Health in Hyderabad. There are a few private rehab services available, but also concentrated in the city. There has been no effort to increase these options. Cracking down on alleged peddlers may perhaps have some effect on supply of drugs in the city but for how long is to be seen.

Meanwhile, some of the things that happened during the excitement of the investigation include the alleged custodial torture of Dalits in Sircilla after villagers set afire lorries reportedly involved in illegal sand mining operations as the vehicles had run over and killed at least two and injured several. The villagers protesting the Mallanna Sagar reservoir for over a year now turned down KCRs in-person compensation offer. Crop loan disbursements have been delayed yet again.

As the excitement dies down, one can only wonder if the investigations goals were more political than otherwise. In which case, the powers that be must ask themselves if they really think such tactics will be effective in the long run. Anger against land acquisition drives, bad roads, a healthcare infrastructure in shambles can at best be temporarily obscured by a flashy show but it is too much to expect that these

Ranjitha Gunasekaran

Assistant Resident Editor, Telangana

Email: ranjitha@newindianexpress.com

There has arguably been no more a consistent commentator on the ongoing investigation into drug peddling in Telangana than filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma. Through his muddled musings on his Facebook account  and they are muddled  one sometimes (if the light is just right) catches a glimmer of truth. For instance, he pointed out on July 28, that once actor Ravi Tejas interview by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) was over, the media and everyone would lose interest in the drugs investigation. So far so good. Thats because this whole noise was never ever to do with concern about drugs but its to do with entertaining everybody by putting celebs in embarrassing positions, he argued. Perhaps, hes got that half-right? Lets rewind. The high-profile investigation into drug peddling and abuse started with a reportedly 20-day operation on part of the Telangana prohibition and excise department which led to the arrest of one Calvin Mascarenhas and two others Hyderabad. Mascarenhas, described by police as a management professional-turned-musician, was arrested on July 2. His Call Record Data allegedly alerted the cops, led by Akun Sabharwal, the departments enforcement director, to the abuse of drugs by school kids and film stars. Thus began phase one of the drug investigation: into the abuse of drugs by children at posh private schools. Notices were issued to the schools  and leaked to the media  telling school authorities to start monitoring their students, staying alert to any changes in behaviour and such. And then, just as suddenly, even as parents started panicking about the adolescents in their homes, the focus shifted to film stars. In phase 2: At least 12 persons from the Telugu film industry, Tollywood, were issued notice to appear before the SIT for interrogation. In the same breath as announcing this, Sabharwal said he was going on leave. To go hiking or visit his hometown or both. Speculation was rife that the Honest Cop was being punished for his efficiency. The next day, he said he was cancelling his leave and staying put for the Tollywood-flavoured, drug-related 12 days of Christmas-style parade that was to follow. Filmmaker Puri Jagannadh was the first to go, questioned for 10 hours and asked to provide hair and blood samples for drug testing. Actor Mumaith Khan left the Telugu Bigg Boss house in Lonavala to appear for questioning. Actor Charmme Kaur moved the High Court demanding that she be allowed to take her lawyer along (HC said no) and that she not be forced to provide samples (HC agreed on this). The wounded excise department felt compelled to tell the media that no one was forcing the stars to give samples. Meanwhile, the police arrested techies ordering drugs online and started exploring the world of darknet. Anti-drug rallies were organised by schools, children, parents, politicians and, of course, filmstars. A Telugu news channel portrayed Sabharwal as a real-life Baahubali (Photoshop is a dangerous tool). Then, about a week ago, the Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, or KCR, held a review meeting with officials and told them that drug abusers were victims and should be treated as such. Ergo, no filmstar who was addicted to drugs would be arrested unless they were also peddling drugs, regardless of what the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act says. After this even the excise department seems to have run out of steam. So what was the result of the month-long moral panic generated by the whole investigation? Studies show that children are more vulnerable to alcohol and tobacco abuse, both substances affordable and easily available. There has been little action on this. Public rehabilitation and de-addiction services in Telangana are limited to about 10 beds in the Institute of Mental Health in Hyderabad. There are a few private rehab services available, but also concentrated in the city. There has been no effort to increase these options. Cracking down on alleged peddlers may perhaps have some effect on supply of drugs in the city but for how long is to be seen. Meanwhile, some of the things that happened during the excitement of the investigation include the alleged custodial torture of Dalits in Sircilla after villagers set afire lorries reportedly involved in illegal sand mining operations as the vehicles had run over and killed at least two and injured several. The villagers protesting the Mallanna Sagar reservoir for over a year now turned down KCRs in-person compensation offer. Crop loan disbursements have been delayed yet again. As the excitement dies down, one can only wonder if the investigations goals were more political than otherwise. In which case, the powers that be must ask themselves if they really think such tactics will be effective in the long run. Anger against land acquisition drives, bad roads, a healthcare infrastructure in shambles can at best be temporarily obscured by a flashy show but it is too much to expect that these Ranjitha Gunasekaran Assistant Resident Editor, Telangana Email: ranjitha@newindianexpress.com
By Associated Press

TEHRAN: Iran has mocked the U.S. push for inspections of the country's military sites, calling it a "ridiculous dream that will never come true."

This comes after U.S. officials said last month that the Trump administration is pushing for inspections of suspicious Iranian military sites in a bid to test the strength of the nuclear deal that Tehran struck in 2015 with world powers.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, told reporters on Monday in Tehran that this request is "possibly something that a satirist wrote up."

The inspections are one element of what is designed to be a more aggressive approach by Washington to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly described the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers as "bad."

TEHRAN: Iran has mocked the U.S. push for inspections of the country's military sites, calling it a "ridiculous dream that will never come true." This comes after U.S. officials said last month that the Trump administration is pushing for inspections of suspicious Iranian military sites in a bid to test the strength of the nuclear deal that Tehran struck in 2015 with world powers. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, told reporters on Monday in Tehran that this request is "possibly something that a satirist wrote up." The inspections are one element of what is designed to be a more aggressive approach by Washington to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. President Donald Trump has repeatedly described the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers as "bad."
By AFP

MAPUTO: Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi and the nation's opposition chief Afonso Dhlakama met today for the first since 2015, a step toward peace after years of instability.

The men spoke in the remote Gorongosa mountains, where Dhlakama retreated in October 2015 with 800 former fighters demanding a greater share of power.

"The two leaders discussed and agreed on the next steps in the peace process, which they hope to be completed by the end of the year," the presidency said in a statement.

They last got together in 2015, before Dhlakama fled into the mountains where he is awaiting the elections set for 2019.

Dhlakama's Renamo is an armed insurgent group that led a 16-year rebellion and an opposition political party that took up arms again in 2013.

Clashes between the ruling Frelimo party government and Renamo last year revived the spectre of Mozambique's civil war that ended more than 20 years ago.

Renamo members, who hold seats in parliament, have called for greater decentralisation of the state and better integration of their people into the police and military.

Dhlakama declared a unilateral ceasefire in 2016, which he prolonged indefinitely in May.

Mozambique is still recovering from its bloody 1976-1992 civil war when one million people died during years of sporadic fighting between Frelimo and Renamo.

The more recent fighting has often focused on Mozambique's main roads, with Renamo attacking government convoys and civilian vehicles, and soldiers ruthlessly targeting suspected Renamo rebels in nearby villagers.

The death toll is unknown but scores of people are reported to have been killed in 2016, with both the Frelimo and Renamo parties also suffering assassinations of local politicians.

MAPUTO: Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi and the nation's opposition chief Afonso Dhlakama met today for the first since 2015, a step toward peace after years of instability. The men spoke in the remote Gorongosa mountains, where Dhlakama retreated in October 2015 with 800 former fighters demanding a greater share of power. "The two leaders discussed and agreed on the next steps in the peace process, which they hope to be completed by the end of the year," the presidency said in a statement. They last got together in 2015, before Dhlakama fled into the mountains where he is awaiting the elections set for 2019. Dhlakama's Renamo is an armed insurgent group that led a 16-year rebellion and an opposition political party that took up arms again in 2013. Clashes between the ruling Frelimo party government and Renamo last year revived the spectre of Mozambique's civil war that ended more than 20 years ago. Renamo members, who hold seats in parliament, have called for greater decentralisation of the state and better integration of their people into the police and military. Dhlakama declared a unilateral ceasefire in 2016, which he prolonged indefinitely in May. Mozambique is still recovering from its bloody 1976-1992 civil war when one million people died during years of sporadic fighting between Frelimo and Renamo. The more recent fighting has often focused on Mozambique's main roads, with Renamo attacking government convoys and civilian vehicles, and soldiers ruthlessly targeting suspected Renamo rebels in nearby villagers. The death toll is unknown but scores of people are reported to have been killed in 2016, with both the Frelimo and Renamo parties also suffering assassinations of local politicians.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In today agreed that North Korea poses a "grave and growing direct threat" to most of the world as the two leaders in a telephone call welcomed the new sanctions imposed on Pyongyang by the UNSC.

The phone call comes a day after the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to increase sanctions on North Korea for its continued intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing and violations of UN resolutions.

They discussed North Korea's July 28 launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the White House said.

"The two leaders affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world," the White House said in a statement.

Trump and Moon welcomed the new United Nations Security Council resolution that targets North Korea's primary exports, including coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. The sanctions also target other revenue streams, such as banks and joint ventures with foreign companies.

"President Trump and President Moon welcomed the new United Nations Security Council resolution that unanimously passed 15-0. The leaders committed to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well," the White House added.

After the phone call, Trump reiterated on Twitter that he is "very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions."

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha in Manila yesterday, the State Department said.

The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said that it is time for Pyongyang to realise that the US is "not playing anymore".

"It is time for North Korea to realise, we are not playing anymore," Haley told Fox News in an interview.

The UN Security Council sanctions sends a strong message in this regard, she said.

"A third of their trade exports have been hit, and we basically gave them a kick in the gut with a billion dollars of sanctions that they are going to begin to feel right away," Haley said.

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In today agreed that North Korea poses a "grave and growing direct threat" to most of the world as the two leaders in a telephone call welcomed the new sanctions imposed on Pyongyang by the UNSC. The phone call comes a day after the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to increase sanctions on North Korea for its continued intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing and violations of UN resolutions. They discussed North Korea's July 28 launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the White House said. "The two leaders affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world," the White House said in a statement. Trump and Moon welcomed the new United Nations Security Council resolution that targets North Korea's primary exports, including coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. The sanctions also target other revenue streams, such as banks and joint ventures with foreign companies. "President Trump and President Moon welcomed the new United Nations Security Council resolution that unanimously passed 15-0. The leaders committed to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well," the White House added. After the phone call, Trump reiterated on Twitter that he is "very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions." Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha in Manila yesterday, the State Department said. The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said that it is time for Pyongyang to realise that the US is "not playing anymore". "It is time for North Korea to realise, we are not playing anymore," Haley told Fox News in an interview. The UN Security Council sanctions sends a strong message in this regard, she said. "A third of their trade exports have been hit, and we basically gave them a kick in the gut with a billion dollars of sanctions that they are going to begin to feel right away," Haley said.
By AFP

SEOUL: North Korea rejected offers of talks from the South during a rare exchange between the two rivals' foreign ministers, Seoul's Yonhap news agency reported Monday after the UN imposed a new round of sanctions on nuclear-armed Pyongyang.

News of the brief encounter on the sidelines of a regional forum in Manila came as the South's President Moon Jae-In urged a "peaceful resolution" to the tensions in a telephone conversation with his US counterpart Donald Trump.

Even a conventional conflict on the peninsula could cost a million dead or wounded within months, estimates say.

Moon told Trump the South "cannot let another war to break out" on the peninsula after the 1950-53 Korean War that sealed the division of two Koreas, the presidential Blue House said in a statement.

The South's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha shook hands with her Northern counterpart Ri Yong-Ho ahead of an ASEAN Regional Forum dinner on Sunday, Yonhap said.

Kang urged Ri to accept Seoul's offers of military talks to lower tensions on the divided peninsula, and for discussions on a new round of reunions for divided families.

But Ri retorted: "Given the current situation in which the South collaborates with the US to heap pressure on the North, such proposals lacked sincerity," the unnamed official was quoted as saying.

Kang reiterated again "the South's sincerity" and repeated a call for Pyongyang to come forward for talks, the official said.

It was the first time cabinet-level officials from the two Koreas had met since Moon -- who urges engagement with the North as well as sanctions to bring it to the negotiating table -- took power in May.

The encounter came a day after the UN Security Council passed sweeping sanctions on the North over its first successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which sparked global alarm.

The growing threat from the nuclear-armed North dominated the annual forum, which came days after the North's second ICBM test.

'Growing threat'

The missile launches have added to tensions on the peninsula with the US leaving open the possibility of military action against Kim Jong-Un's regime.

White House National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster vowed to "provide all options" on the country in a recent interview with CNN.

But Moon, in a phone conversation with Trump on Monday, urged calm and "peaceful and diplomatic resolution".

The two allies are due later this month to start an annual joint military drill hated by Pyongyang, which habitually slams it as a rehearsal for invasion.

The White House said the two leaders "affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world".

They welcomed the sweeping new sanctions passed by the UN Security Council in a 15-0 vote on Saturday in a bid to step up pressure on Pyongyang over its weapons programmes.

The measures ban a wide range of fisheries and mineral exports from the impoverished state in a move aimed at slashing Pyongyang's foreign revenue by a third.

Trump hailed the vote, thanking Russia and China for backing a measure that either could have halted with their UN veto.

"Just completed call with President Moon of South Korea. Very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions," Trump tweeted.

Pyongyang has not officially responded to the latest UN sanctions.

SEOUL: North Korea rejected offers of talks from the South during a rare exchange between the two rivals' foreign ministers, Seoul's Yonhap news agency reported Monday after the UN imposed a new round of sanctions on nuclear-armed Pyongyang. News of the brief encounter on the sidelines of a regional forum in Manila came as the South's President Moon Jae-In urged a "peaceful resolution" to the tensions in a telephone conversation with his US counterpart Donald Trump. Even a conventional conflict on the peninsula could cost a million dead or wounded within months, estimates say. Moon told Trump the South "cannot let another war to break out" on the peninsula after the 1950-53 Korean War that sealed the division of two Koreas, the presidential Blue House said in a statement. The South's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha shook hands with her Northern counterpart Ri Yong-Ho ahead of an ASEAN Regional Forum dinner on Sunday, Yonhap said. Kang urged Ri to accept Seoul's offers of military talks to lower tensions on the divided peninsula, and for discussions on a new round of reunions for divided families. But Ri retorted: "Given the current situation in which the South collaborates with the US to heap pressure on the North, such proposals lacked sincerity," the unnamed official was quoted as saying. Kang reiterated again "the South's sincerity" and repeated a call for Pyongyang to come forward for talks, the official said. It was the first time cabinet-level officials from the two Koreas had met since Moon -- who urges engagement with the North as well as sanctions to bring it to the negotiating table -- took power in May. The encounter came a day after the UN Security Council passed sweeping sanctions on the North over its first successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which sparked global alarm. The growing threat from the nuclear-armed North dominated the annual forum, which came days after the North's second ICBM test. 'Growing threat' The missile launches have added to tensions on the peninsula with the US leaving open the possibility of military action against Kim Jong-Un's regime. White House National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster vowed to "provide all options" on the country in a recent interview with CNN. But Moon, in a phone conversation with Trump on Monday, urged calm and "peaceful and diplomatic resolution". The two allies are due later this month to start an annual joint military drill hated by Pyongyang, which habitually slams it as a rehearsal for invasion. The White House said the two leaders "affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world". They welcomed the sweeping new sanctions passed by the UN Security Council in a 15-0 vote on Saturday in a bid to step up pressure on Pyongyang over its weapons programmes. The measures ban a wide range of fisheries and mineral exports from the impoverished state in a move aimed at slashing Pyongyang's foreign revenue by a third. Trump hailed the vote, thanking Russia and China for backing a measure that either could have halted with their UN veto. "Just completed call with President Moon of South Korea. Very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions," Trump tweeted. Pyongyang has not officially responded to the latest UN sanctions.
By AFP

SRINAGAR: Indian police said Sunday a Pakistan-based Islamist militant group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks was responsible for last month's killing of eight Hindu pilgrims in Kashmir.

Police said an investigation had concluded that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Kashmiri accomplices were behind the July 10 attack that saw militants open fire on a bus carrying Hindus on the annual Amarnath pilgrimage.

"Lashkar was involved and the accused have been identified," Inspector General of Police Muneer Ahmed Khan told reporters in Anantnag district in Indian-administered Kashmir.

"Once the investigation was started it was revealed that... a Pakistani militant of Lashkar along with two other militants and one local Kashmiri Lashkar militant carried out the attack."

Three others who provided logistical support to the militants, including hiding places and vehicles, had been arrested.

The July shooting was the worst such attack in the divided Himalayan region since 2000, when gunmen fired on a group of Hindu pilgrims and killed 32 people including two police officers.

Khan said the militants had carefully plotted to attack any police or tourist vehicle that crossed their path on the evening of the assault.

"They had kept separate code words for tourist and CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) vehicles... It was purely an act of terrorism carried out with an aim to spread fear," he said.

LeT has been blamed for a string of deadly attacks inside India, most notably the Mumbai carnage in November 2008 when heavily armed gunmen battled commandos on the streets of the financial capital.

It took the authorities three days to regain full control of the city and New Delhi has long said there is evidence that "official agencies" in Pakistan were involved in plotting the attack.

Islamabad denies the charge.

Rebel groups, including LeT, have for decades fought Indian troops and police deployed in Kashmir, demanding independence or a merger of the former Himalayan kingdom with Pakistan.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947, but both claim the territory in full.

SRINAGAR: Indian police said Sunday a Pakistan-based Islamist militant group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks was responsible for last month's killing of eight Hindu pilgrims in Kashmir. Police said an investigation had concluded that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Kashmiri accomplices were behind the July 10 attack that saw militants open fire on a bus carrying Hindus on the annual Amarnath pilgrimage. "Lashkar was involved and the accused have been identified," Inspector General of Police Muneer Ahmed Khan told reporters in Anantnag district in Indian-administered Kashmir. "Once the investigation was started it was revealed that... a Pakistani militant of Lashkar along with two other militants and one local Kashmiri Lashkar militant carried out the attack." Three others who provided logistical support to the militants, including hiding places and vehicles, had been arrested. The July shooting was the worst such attack in the divided Himalayan region since 2000, when gunmen fired on a group of Hindu pilgrims and killed 32 people including two police officers. Khan said the militants had carefully plotted to attack any police or tourist vehicle that crossed their path on the evening of the assault. "They had kept separate code words for tourist and CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) vehicles... It was purely an act of terrorism carried out with an aim to spread fear," he said. LeT has been blamed for a string of deadly attacks inside India, most notably the Mumbai carnage in November 2008 when heavily armed gunmen battled commandos on the streets of the financial capital. It took the authorities three days to regain full control of the city and New Delhi has long said there is evidence that "official agencies" in Pakistan were involved in plotting the attack. Islamabad denies the charge. Rebel groups, including LeT, have for decades fought Indian troops and police deployed in Kashmir, demanding independence or a merger of the former Himalayan kingdom with Pakistan. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947, but both claim the territory in full.
By AFP

TEHRAN: Two "terrorists" were killed and four wounded on Iran's northwestern border, a Revolutionary Guards commander said today.

"The counter-revolutionary terrorist cell, which was attempting to enter Iran, was dismantled at the border in western Azerbaijan province," said General Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Guards land forces, according to the Mehr news agency.

"Two of the armed rebels were killed and four others injured," he added, without specifying if they were members of a known group.

Iranian security forces frequently clash with separatist rebels and jihadist insurgents along the restive borders with Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

In June, Iran said two armed groups planning "terrorist attacks" had been intercepted in the southeast and northwest of the country, with at least two suspects killed.

Iran suffered a rare attack in its capital Tehran on June 7, when members of the Islamic State group carried out twin attacks on the parliament complex and tomb of revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

TEHRAN: Two "terrorists" were killed and four wounded on Iran's northwestern border, a Revolutionary Guards commander said today. "The counter-revolutionary terrorist cell, which was attempting to enter Iran, was dismantled at the border in western Azerbaijan province," said General Mohammad Pakpour, commander of the Guards land forces, according to the Mehr news agency. "Two of the armed rebels were killed and four others injured," he added, without specifying if they were members of a known group. Iranian security forces frequently clash with separatist rebels and jihadist insurgents along the restive borders with Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. In June, Iran said two armed groups planning "terrorist attacks" had been intercepted in the southeast and northwest of the country, with at least two suspects killed. Iran suffered a rare attack in its capital Tehran on June 7, when members of the Islamic State group carried out twin attacks on the parliament complex and tomb of revolutionary founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
By PTI

HUAIROU (CHINA): Senior Colonel Li Li of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) may be thousands of kilometres away from Doklam but has a stern message for the Indian Army - withdraw from the Chinese territory to avoid confrontation.

A visit by Indian journalists, sponsored by the Chinese government, on Monday turned into a propaganda exercise by the Chinese Army for delivering its message on the prolonged standoff between troops of the two countries in Doklam near Sikkim.

Sr Col Li claimed, "What the Indian troops have done is an invasion of Chinese territory.

"You can report about what the Chinese soldiers are thinking about. I am a soldier, I will try my best to protect territorial integrity. We have the resolve and determination," he told Indian journalists taken to visit this garrison on the outskirts of Beijing.

The visit included a rare demonstration of combat skills of the PLA troops before the Indian media. The demonstration included sharp shooting skills with small arms, capture of "hostile forces" in close combat, counter-terrorism and laser simulation force-on-force training of reinforced infantry squads.

Li, however, clarified that the demonstration had no particular reference to Doklam where China says 48 Indian troops still stayed put along with a bulldozer.

"In addition, there are still a large number of Indian armed forces congregating on the boundary and on the Indian side of the boundary," the Chinese Foreign Ministry had said earlier.

Responding to questions on the present impasse in Doklam, he said, "What the PLA will do depends on the actions of the Indian side. We will take appropriate action when it is necessary."

"We will follow the orders of the CPC (ruling Communist Party of China) and the Central Military Commission (the overall high command of the 2.3 million strong army headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping)."

The garrison is one of the oldest and most important training centres of the PLA officers and troops. It is also responsible for the security of the Chinese capital. About 11,000 troops are stationed at the garrison.

The state media also continued the tirade against India. An article in the official China Daily today said "geostrategic miscalculations" were behind India's border "trespassing".

"For China, the trespassing by Indian troops was unexpected and it is unacceptable as it happened in a section of the boundary that has hitherto been considered beyond dispute by both sides in the otherwise long drawn out and arduous boundary negotiations," it said.

India's "trespassing" amounts to no less than a violation of China's territorial sovereignty, and China has the lawful right to take "whatever measures" it deems necessary to defend its territory, it said.

"While misunderstandings between neighbours are understandable, India should engage in candid dialogue, not lawless provocations."

Time, it added, is fast running short for India to pull out from Chinese territory and on that basis explore a facesaving solution in consultation with China. "India should do well to remember that its neighbour has the capability to defeat all invading enemies," it said.

India and China have been locked in a standoff in Doklam since June 16 after Chinese troops began constructing a road near the Bhutan trijunction.

Bhutan has protested to China, saying the area belonged to it and accused Beijing of violating agreements that aim to maintain the status quo until the boundary dispute is resolved.

India says the Chinese action to construct the road was unilateral and changes the status quo. It fears the road would allow China to cut off India's access to its northeastern states.



HUAIROU (CHINA): Senior Colonel Li Li of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) may be thousands of kilometres away from Doklam but has a stern message for the Indian Army - withdraw from the Chinese territory to avoid confrontation. A visit by Indian journalists, sponsored by the Chinese government, on Monday turned into a propaganda exercise by the Chinese Army for delivering its message on the prolonged standoff between troops of the two countries in Doklam near Sikkim. Sr Col Li claimed, "What the Indian troops have done is an invasion of Chinese territory. "You can report about what the Chinese soldiers are thinking about. I am a soldier, I will try my best to protect territorial integrity. We have the resolve and determination," he told Indian journalists taken to visit this garrison on the outskirts of Beijing. The visit included a rare demonstration of combat skills of the PLA troops before the Indian media. The demonstration included sharp shooting skills with small arms, capture of "hostile forces" in close combat, counter-terrorism and laser simulation force-on-force training of reinforced infantry squads. Li, however, clarified that the demonstration had no particular reference to Doklam where China says 48 Indian troops still stayed put along with a bulldozer. "In addition, there are still a large number of Indian armed forces congregating on the boundary and on the Indian side of the boundary," the Chinese Foreign Ministry had said earlier. Responding to questions on the present impasse in Doklam, he said, "What the PLA will do depends on the actions of the Indian side. We will take appropriate action when it is necessary." "We will follow the orders of the CPC (ruling Communist Party of China) and the Central Military Commission (the overall high command of the 2.3 million strong army headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping)." The garrison is one of the oldest and most important training centres of the PLA officers and troops. It is also responsible for the security of the Chinese capital. About 11,000 troops are stationed at the garrison. The state media also continued the tirade against India. An article in the official China Daily today said "geostrategic miscalculations" were behind India's border "trespassing". "For China, the trespassing by Indian troops was unexpected and it is unacceptable as it happened in a section of the boundary that has hitherto been considered beyond dispute by both sides in the otherwise long drawn out and arduous boundary negotiations," it said. India's "trespassing" amounts to no less than a violation of China's territorial sovereignty, and China has the lawful right to take "whatever measures" it deems necessary to defend its territory, it said. "While misunderstandings between neighbours are understandable, India should engage in candid dialogue, not lawless provocations." Time, it added, is fast running short for India to pull out from Chinese territory and on that basis explore a facesaving solution in consultation with China. "India should do well to remember that its neighbour has the capability to defeat all invading enemies," it said. India and China have been locked in a standoff in Doklam since June 16 after Chinese troops began constructing a road near the Bhutan trijunction. Bhutan has protested to China, saying the area belonged to it and accused Beijing of violating agreements that aim to maintain the status quo until the boundary dispute is resolved. India says the Chinese action to construct the road was unilateral and changes the status quo. It fears the road would allow China to cut off India's access to its northeastern states.
By AFP

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan police today claimed that they have arrested the leader of a group in Tamil-dominated Jaffna blamed for the increasings incidents of gang violence in the north.

The Terrorist Investigation Division (TD) said at least 6 of them have been arrested three each from Jaffna and Colombo.

Among them is Nisha Victor who is believed to be the leader of the group known as the Ava Group.

They have been blamed a series of sword attacks including the hacking of two policemen in Jaffna last week.

Police chief Pujith Jayasundera said that police would crackdown on the group with increased patrolling as the LTTE in their formative years had carried out similar violent attacks.

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan police today claimed that they have arrested the leader of a group in Tamil-dominated Jaffna blamed for the increasings incidents of gang violence in the north. The Terrorist Investigation Division (TD) said at least 6 of them have been arrested three each from Jaffna and Colombo. Among them is Nisha Victor who is believed to be the leader of the group known as the Ava Group. They have been blamed a series of sword attacks including the hacking of two policemen in Jaffna last week. Police chief Pujith Jayasundera said that police would crackdown on the group with increased patrolling as the LTTE in their formative years had carried out similar violent attacks.
Newport Art Museum wraps up fall with variety of programs

Though it hasnt always felt like fall these past few weeks, the museum is in high gear hosting fall events and planning for winter.
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Mostly cloudy early, then clearing overnight. Low 23F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.
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Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) workers have successfully taken off over 3,800 buses from the roads of Mumbai on Monday. The bus strike coinciding with Raksha Bandhan is sure to put lakhs of locals here in a lot of inconvenience.



The workers union and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have been at loggerheads for the past few days over irregular payment issues. BEST has a total of 35,000 workers in the transport section.



The BEST operates around 3,800 buses on 483 routes, ferrying over 30 lakh passengers every day. Its transport wing is facing daily losses of over Rs 2 crore.



BEST employees union leader Shashank Rao, who claims to have the support of 16,500 workers had said on Sunday, "We wanted a written assurance from the BMC administration but they did not give it. Now, we have decided not to report to duty from Sunday midnight."



According to the protesting workers, barring a few exceptions, all employees are expected to not work on Monday.



While the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) has decided to run extra buses on Monday, autorickshaw and taxi unions have also been asked by the transport department to help commuters.



The Maharashtra government has warned of invoking Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA), 2011 against the employees who go on strike.



"We want a solution and it lies with the BMC, which says BEST employees are its own. BEST employees should get all the facilities that a BMC employee gets. We want a letter from the civic commissioner admitting that BEST is very much part of BMC," Rao said.



The union had already announced that it would go on strike from Monday, which prompted the civic administration to hold an urgent meeting on Sunday and hold talks with the various unions of BEST.



Terming the strike as "unfortunate", BEST committee chairman Anil Kokil appealed to the workers to resume duty.



"It is unfortunate that our workers have gone on strike on Raksha Bandhan. They must think of the inconvenience caused to the commuters and realise that the BEST administration has assured them to pay the salaries on 10th of every month," Kokil told PTI



Nine unions of the BEST formed an action committee to hold talks with the administration.



Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also tried to resolve the matter on Sunday afternoon and failed. The last meeting with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray also failed to satisfy the union and it has decided to go ahead with the strike.



BEST general manager Surendrakumar Bagade said, "We have agreed to make payment to our employees before August 10. BEST will pay the salary by 10th of every month. We have taken this decision irrespective of the financial crisis BEST is facing."




Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday sided with the Maharashtra governments statement that children below the age of 14 should not be participating in the Dahi Handi celebrations.



A division bench of Justices BR Gavai and MS Karnik, however, refused to impose restrictions on the height of human pyramid formations during the festival.



"It is not for the high court to impose restrictions on the age of the participants and height of the pyramids as this falls exclusively in the domain of the state legislature," Justice Gavai said.



"We accept the statement made by the state government that it would ensure children below 14 years of age would not participate in the Dahi Handi festival," the judge said.



Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, told the court that as per the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, children below 14 years of age will not be allowed to participate in the festival since the government had in August last year declared 'Dahi Handi' as an adventure sport.



The court was on Monday hearing two petitions filed by city residents, raising concerns over the participation of minors in the festival and lack of safety measures, due to which several untoward incidents occur.



In 2014, the high court had passed an order saying children below the age of 18 years cannot participate in the festival, and had also imposed a height restriction of 20 feet for the pyramids.



The state government had then appealed in the Supreme Court, which on August 1 this year referred the matter back to the high court directing it to hear the petitions afresh.



(With inputs from PTI)
New Delhi: CCTV footage from five locations in the stalking case involving the son of BJP Haryana president's son was missing, police said Monday, while the party's state unit blamed the victim for driving "so late in the night".



"The girl should not have gone out at 12 in the night. Why was she driving so late in the night? The atmosphere is not right. We need to take care of ourselves," said BJP state vice president Ramveer Bhatti, talking to CNN-News18.



This came when Bhatti was contacted to comment on the Chandigarh police claiming that CCTV footage from 5 locations related to the stalking case in the city were missing. Police sources said the CCTV footage could be a vital piece of evidence in the case.



The 29-year-old daughter of a top bureaucrat alleged that she was followed by Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala's son Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar last Friday. Barala's SUV pulled up close to her car several times in a bid to block her way from other routes.



The Congress attacked the Haryana and the central governments for allegedly trying to cover-up the case. We are releasing three videos today, relating to the stalking of a girl by BJP state president Subhash Baralas son Vikas. The cases filed by the police definitely raise a question. This is clearly a case of abduction. The Centre is trying to stall the case. It was not registered under proper sections of the IPC, said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.



The Congress leader asked what is stopping the Centre from acting when the Chandigarh police comes directly under the Home Ministry.



Why is the FIR diluted? Rajnath Singh and Sushma Swaraj protested when a Congress leader's son was involved in a similar case. The word 'sexual' is totally omitted from the police report in the present case. How have the CCTV cameras stopped working? Is the BJP trying to protect its leader? Surjewala added.



Meanwhile, BJPs Kurukshetra MP Raj Kumar Saini has said that Subhash Barala should resign on moral grounds till the case was on.



Earlier, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar claimed that the state BJP chief Subhash Barala had "nothing to do with the incident". Congress leader Rahul Gandhi retorted by saying that the state government should punish the guilty and not "collude" with culprits and the mindset they represent.



The incident had come to light when the woman called up the police on Friday night and complained that two youth were chasing her. The woman in her complaint had alleged that two youth in an SUV followed her when she was driving from the Sector 8 market in Chandigarh towards Panchkula on the intervening night of August 4 and 5.



"There were two guys inside the SUV, and they seemed to really be enjoying harassing a lone girl in the middle of the night, judging by how often their car swerved, just enough to scare me that it might hit me," the woman wrote on her Facebook post.



Im lucky, it seems, to not be the daughter of a common man, because what chance would they have against such VIPs? I'm also lucky, because I'm not lying raped and murdered in a ditch somewhere. If this can happen in Chandigarh, it can happen anywhere," she said.
Beijing: Amid rhetoric in the state-run media here about China contemplating a "small-scale military operation" to evict Indian troops from Doklam within two weeks, a top PLA official on Monday declined to back it but said that India should withdraw its soldiers unconditionally to end the 50-day long standoff from escalating.



"This kind of reports represents the view of the media and think-tanks. For official information please refer to the statements of foreign ministry and defence ministry spokespersons," China's Defence Ministry's spokesman Sr. Col. Ren Guoqiang told an Indian media delegation here.



He was asked to comment on a report by the state-run Global Times quoting a think-tank that China is contemplating a "small scale military operation" to dislodge Indian troops from Doklam area within two weeks.



"China will not allow the military standoff between China and India in Doklam to last for too long, and there may be a small-scale military operation to expel Indian troops within two weeks," Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, was quoted by Global Times on August 5 as saying.



Hu said that the military operation would aim to "seize Indian personnel illegally lingering in Chinese territory or to expel them".



"The Chinese side will inform the Indian Foreign Ministry before its operation," Hu said, without elaborating on how a scholar based in Shanghai could have such an information about the plans by the Chinese military.



In his two-hour-long interaction with Indian media delegation being hosted by the official body, the All China Journalists Association (ACJA), Col. Ren refused to comment on Hu's claims beyond referring journalists to the foreign and defence ministry spokespersons. He, however, took pains to make a case that Doklam is Chinese territory and Beijing has "ample legal and historical proof".



"We have all the legitimate rights to construct the road in Chinese territory," he said, referring to the action on June 16 which triggered the crisis leading to the Indian troops intervening to stop its construction.



Accusing the Indian troops of illegally crossing into the Chinese territory, he reiterated China's stand that the Indian side should withdraw its troops "immediately and unconditionally".



New Delhi has expressed concern over China's road building activities in the border areas, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India's access to its northeastern states.



Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.



Col Ren also questioned why India has maintained silence over China's plans to build the road even after Beijing informed New Delhi twice. He said China informed India on May 18 and followed on June 8. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said earlier that the information was conveyed through the border meeting mechanism to resolve the disputes.



He had a word of praise for the border meeting mechanism saying that it is a "very mature and stable border exchange mechanism between China and India". He also denied allegations that China was an expansionist country and a hegemonistic power.



"This is not in our genes," he said when asked about public perception in India that China was an expansionist power because of its backing to Pakistan to prevent a UN ban on JeM terror group leader Masood Azhar and building of $ 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
New Delhi: At least two BJP-ruled states have taken a cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modis statement last year when he condemned murders in the name of gau-bhaktiand said that 80-90% of those who called themselves gau rakshaks were indulging in illegal activities at night and became cow protectors by the day.



Haryana and Uttarakhand, both states with a Gau Sewa Aayog (Cow Care Commission), are in the process of handing out official identity cards to genuine gau rakshaks.



The Aayog in Haryana, for instance, has sought police verification of those who have applied to be official cow protectors.



We got a list of people who genuinely care about protection of cows. Those names have been given to the police for verification. We have received reports from nine districts and are awaiting reports from others, said Bhani Ram Mangla, chairman of the Haryana Gau Sewa Aayog.



The Aayog was set up under The Haryana Gau Seva Aayog Act, 2010 for the preservation and welfare of cows. Its main objective is to ensure total prohibition of cow slaughter.



From these nine districts, 275 people have expressed their wish to become official gau rakshaks, out of which 80 will be given the state ID cards.



When asked how will an official cow protector be different from any other on the street and will he have any special legal authority, Mangla said, he will only help the police as an informer about misdeeds in the vicinity.



And Aadhaar plays an important role here.



All official cow protectors Aadhaar number will be linked with their official ID card.



They will not take the law into their hands. That is sacrosanct. PM Modi had raised this concern of rising number of attacks in the name of cow and how people are indulging in violence in the name of cow. This will be a step forward, said Mangla.



While the exact powers of these certified gau rakshaks are yet to be put on paper, but it seems their word would be enough for the police to take action or, at least, start an investigation.



When asked about the selection criteria for becoming an official gau rakshak, Mangla said, the list of people was prepared by various volunteers associated with the Aayog and the Gou Raksha Dal of Haryana.



Plans to issue government ID cards to gau rakshaks is in the pipeline in Uttarakhand as well.



Is it right to give such sweeping powers to gau rakshaks?



Why not? They are being backed by the government. Police must act on their information. That should be within the ambit of the gau rakshaks who get government ID cards. If the police refuse to take necessary action, these volunteers can come to us. We will ask the requisite authorities why action was not taken, said a senior official at the Uttarakhand Gau Sewa Aayog on condition of anonymity.



This plan was discussed in our meeting last week too. We are working closely with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) which will forward the names to us. So we are awaiting the list from their end. Work is going on, the official added.



The SPCA exists in almost every district of the country and the units are headed by the respective district magistrates.



At the time of filing of this report, News18 could not get details from other states, but according to sources, most BJP-ruled states may have official gau rakshaks before Diwali.



The legality of the move, however, remains to be seen.



This seems more like a political move. If they are within the jurisdiction of the law, the respective state laws will have to be examined properly to see under which provision this move fits into, said constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap.
#indianarmy Infiltration bid foiled in Machhil Sector (Kupwara) . Five armed intruders killed. Ops in progress @adgpi  NorthernComd.IA (@NorthernComd_IA) August 7, 2017

The Army on Monday killed five terrorists and foiled a major infiltration bid by the militants to cross over from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to Machhil sector."A major infiltration bid was foiled today in the Machhil sector by alert troops," a defence spokesman said.He said five militants were killed in the operation which was going on when reports last came in.During the search, five weapons have been recovered by the Army, the spokesman said.(With PTI inputs)
Kolkata: Post demonetisation, gold has overtaken counterfeit currency as the favoured commodity for smuggling along the India-Bangladesh border.



Sources told CNN-News18 to India smuggling of counterfeit currency through the Benapole- Petrapole crossing has reduced post demonetisation as the security features of the new currency notes are hard to match.



However, security agencies along the Indo-Bangladesh border have now noticed an increase in gold smuggled.



The gold makes its way into India from Dubai via Bangladesh. The gold then goes to hubs like Bowbazar and Burrabazar in Kolkata, where is then turned into ornaments and re-routed to other parts of the globe.



Some of the gold is kept in the country as reserve as it is a safer method to stash black money.



There is a huge demand for gold in India smugglers from Bangladesh make a lot of money. They pay 3000 Bangaldeshi Taka per tola of gold, which is about 11.66 gm. Gold worth 45,000 Taka (Rs 35,545) is sold in India for 48,000 Taka (Rs 37,915). (One Rupee = 1.27 Taka)



Bangladeshi security agencies have noticed that cattle smuggled from India to Bangladesh are often traded with the smuggled gold. The modus operandi keeps changing to avoid detection.



The gold is smuggled through youngsters and sometimes elderly people and the gold is hidden in the soles of footwear, in sweet packets, in strips around suitcases and mobile phones. The small time smugglers get caught but not the big operators.



Around five thousand Bangladeshis travel to India daily through the Benapole-Petrapole Border Crossing. In the last two years, the Customs in Bangladesh and Border Guards Bangladesh together have seized around 20 kg of gold bars from 25 people.



On the Indian side, joint operations by the Customs Department and Border Security Force show a consistent increase in gold smuggling since March this year.



P S R Anjaneyulu, IPS, IG BSF South Bengal Frontier, said, Most of these havala operations seem to be merged with this gold smuggling. The BSF has so far seized 27 kg compared to 14 kg last year. We are just eight months into the year. I am sure this is only the tip of the iceberg. If we include the local customs, the Police and the customs in Bangladesh, I am sure this would be far higher, about 60-70kg.



Smuggling points at Benapole in Bangladesh have now been sealed. There is strict vigil in no mans land and in the villages that lie between the fencing along the India-Bangladesh border.



Some smugglers get caught during checking by immigration, customs, BGB and BSF officials or by specific information received on possible smuggling attempts along through the land route. While there is a tight vigil along the International border, it is still a tough task to nab smugglers.
: A valley surrounded by snow-capped mountains and a picture-perfect stream flowing by, Gurez, about 120 kilometres from Srinagar, could well be the ideal landscape of Kashmir. However, it has changed, with the locals being displaced, construction of a dam and militant activities.Recently, three militants were killed when they tried to breach the border fence two weeks ago. Indian soldiers shot them on the edge of a forest before they could sneak into a nearby village.Six years ago, the Army shot dead 12 infiltrators who had come upstream on motorised boats to attack an Army camp on top of a hill. They were shot inside the village, 2 kms inside the fence.Infiltrations havent stopped since then and the Army has only increased the fortification to check such militant movements.The volume of barbed wires has doubled and grown taller than before. The wires cut through thick forests of pine and birch trees. It divides the streams, villages and at places people too.Gurez today has become a dockyard of metal and scrap. Heaps of iron railings, tin, rocks, bricks and chips cover the last 10 kilometres of the scenic landscape of Dawar, its headquarters.A 22-km tunnel and a huge dam has been dug up as part of an ambitious hydropower project on river Kishenganga. The water level in this dam has been rising everyday and it has already swamped six villages. More than 30,000 trees were cut to construct this dam. Over 250 families have been displaced and many more would have to move out in the coming days as the water level would go up to 35-feet.The tunnels, a dam, fences and other assortments aren't the only things that have made Gurez ugly. Steel and iron girders and blocks, tin sheets, scores of boring machines, cranes, earth cutters, shuttering material lie scattered in the virgin meadows.Giant trucks ferry iron, steel, sand and cement to the valley, their roar now drowns the sound of the river.However, the 70-km long trail of Gurez valley is still a treat for those who have an eye for adventure. The region which remains snow-covered for seven months still demands to be celebrated for its beauty.As you drive through the narrow and dusty roads, you will see thousands of sparrows moving in the distance. It is only later that you realize that these are actually sheep and goats being herded by the shepherds.In a bid to erase its scars, the Jammu and Kashmir tourism department has been holding Gurez festival to popularise the place and hard-sell it to tourists. It has made some progress with adventure seekers, but accessibility, accommodation and communication are issues that remain to be looked at."This is a great place for people who love adventure and can play with waters or trek. We have a problem with accommodation and connectivity, but the virgin valleys still have a lot to offer," says Riyaz Beig, joint director, tourism department."We have time and again asked for a tunnel and a reliable road link to Gurez, but it is yet to be done. In the winters if the Army or locals are trapped in an avalanche there is no route for a rescue operation," warns Nazir Gurezi, a three time local MLA.The Gurez Valley has 67 villages and about 30,000 residents live here in the summers. During the winter months, only one-sixth of them stay back braving the 10-15 feet deep snow, avalanches and sub zero temperatures. Those who want to get in or get out of place are forced to use chopper services because the road link remains snapped for seven months.
Srinagar: Security forces gunned down a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist in Pampore district of Kashmir in an encounter early on Monday morning. The slain terrorist was identified as Umer, a Pakistani national.



The personnel surrounded three Lashkar terrorists in Sambora, in Pampore district. While one of them was killed, two others managed to escape.



According to police, Umer was part of the Abu Ismail group, which is responsible for the July 10 attack on Amarnath pilgrims that left eight devotees dead and several others injured.



Joint forces of CRPF, Army and J&K police launched a cordon and search operation late on Sunday night following information about the presence of militants, a police official said.



The search party was fired upon by the militants triggering a gun battle.



On Saturday, three Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists were killed during an encounter in Sopore town of Baramulla district.



While the forces managed to recover three AK-47 rifles from the bodies of the terrorists on Saturday, the operation also left one security personnel injured.



On Tuesday morning, Lashkar's key commander in Kashmir, Abu Dujana was killed by the forces in an encounter in Pulwama. It is being seen as a major success in counter-terrorism operations as Dujana was the mastermind behind the recent Udhampur and Pampore attacks.



Dujana had earlier managed to give security forces the slip at least 5 times in recent months. He was finally killed after a seven-hour gun battle that also killed one of Dujana's aides along with him.




Universal individualistic rights were considered insufficient for the protection of the interests of the minorities and therefore Constitution gave special rights to the minorities. Article 29 gives a right to conserve a distinct culture, script and language. This can be best done in the minority educational institutions which create the necessary spaces for the realization of these rights.



Article 30(1) gives minorities, whether based on religion or language, the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. A large number of the minority institutions in the country are institutions of the linguistic minorities.



Hindus, too, run a number of minority institutions on the basis of their status in different states as a linguistic minority: hundreds of Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu and Gujarati minority institutions are flourishing in the country. Hindus are religious minority in Kashmir, Punjab and few north-eastern states.



Minority character is a Constitutional concept and no one has a right to question its conceptual validity. As a matter of fact minorities rights have been held to be the basic structure of the Constitution. The latest decision of the Government of India to oppose the minority character of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University in the Delhi High Court on the analogy of its stand about Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has yet again shaken the confidence of the Muslim minority.



JMI case is entirely different from AMU. JMI was a university from day one and therefore even prior to enactment of JMI Act in 1988, it was very much a university whose degrees too were recognized. It may be recalled that the Supreme Court in 1967 without even hearing AMU had decided that AMU is not a minority institution as it was established by the Central Legislature in 1920 and there was no AMU prior to passing of this law. Moreover, the court said without any record to substantiate that Muslim community has waived its minority character in lieu of recognition of degrees. Thus equating JMI with AMU is erroneous.



It is a misconception that the AMU case is about its minority character. In fact the primary issue is about the powers of Parliament in respect of AMU Act which were questioned by the Allahabad High Court. It is strange that Government of India is not defending the powers of the Parliament. Modi government may not agree with the decisions of earlier governments but as far as Parliament is concerned, every executive government is bound by the laws passed by the Parliament. If it so wishes it can get earlier laws repealed but in the court it has no option but to argue in favour of constitutionality of laws passed by the Parliament.



A minority institution may reserve seats for the members of the minority which had established such an institution. Minority institutions under Article 15(5) are exempt from the SC/ST and OBC reservation. The State under Article 30(2) cannot, in granting aid to educational institutions, discriminate against any educational institution on the ground that it is a minority institution. Governmental funding thus does not affect the minority character of JMI. In fact government is prohibited from attaching such conditions with the funding which will annihilate the minority character of a minority institution.



Parliament has been prohibited from passing any law which impinges on fundamental rights. But Parliament has all the powers to enact laws for the protection of fundamental rights. Aligarh Muslim University Act, 1920 and Jamia Millia Islamia Act, 1988 were passed to promote fundamental rights of the Muslim minority which had taken the initiative on their own to establish these universities. Similar laws have been passed in different states for incorporating number of minority universities. Several deemed Universities of minorities have been established by the MHRD, Government of India under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956. Whatever government can do under an Act (under the UGC Act), Parliament is fully justified to do by an Act (AMU & JMI Acts). Thus the mere enactment of laws by the Parliament cannot be taken as ground to deny minority character to JMI and AMU.



The author is an expert in Constitutional Law and is Vice-chancellor, NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad. Views are personal.




New Delhi: Telangana Chief Miniser K. Chandrashekar Rao has threatened to move the Supreme Court over the tax rate levied on public utility projects. However, he has indicated that he will wait for Prime Minister Narendra Modis response to his letter on the matter before taking legal action.



The Telangana CM wants public utility and infrastructure projects to be taxed at 5%. The GST council has approved that the rate be brought down from the current 18% to 12%. However, even this has not made the Chief Minister happy.



The Telangana Rashtra Samiti party is opposing the higher tax rate because it has committed to building a lot of public welfare projects, as promised in its manifesto in the 2014 elections and the Hyderabad corporator elections last year.



The party promised low cost housing for the people of Hyderabad and safe drinking water projects for the people of the state. In addition to this the Metro project in Hyderabad is also reaching its end stage.



At a review meeting with the GST council on Sunday KCR, as he is called, reiterated that the state government will wage a legal battle over the 12% rate levied on the construction schemes aimed at the people's welfare, Firstpost reported.



He asked how far it is justified to levy GST on the works started on 30 June when the GST came into existence from 1 July. "Since the project estimates have been prepared keeping in view 5 percent of Value Added Tax it is not possible to change them," a statement from the Chief Minister's office quoted him as saying, according to Firstpost.



The TRS has been broadly supportive of the NDA regime and in June the regional party supported the NDAs pick for President. In extending support to Ram Nath Kovind. KCR has been hoping for Central government support in the form of funds for his pet projects in the state.




New Delhi: Three men died allegedly after inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning a sewer pipe in southeast Delhi's Lajpat Nagar on Sunday.



It is being alleged that they died after inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning the pipe.



The Delhi Jal Board (DJB), however, denied that the cleaners were hired by them for the job.



"They were not our staff. However, we have ordered a probe to find out how these men entered the sewer without authorisation," a DJB official said.



According to police, around 11.30 am, one of the three men entered the sewers to clean it. When he did not come out, a second worker went inside to check on him.



Later, the third man also went in to check on the other two, but he did not come out either. Then the contractor, who was assigned the cleaning job, sent a fourth man in the sewer with a rope.



This time, the fourth man was pulled out when he started crying for help after feeling suffocated.



The three men were later brought out of the sewers by the police and rushed to the AIIMS Trauma Centre where the doctors declared them "brought dead".



Police said the three died after inhaling toxic fumes inside the sewer pipe. Two of the deceased were identified as Joginder (32) and Annu (28), while the identity of the third victim is yet to be ascertained, police said.



The fourth worker, Rajesh, had also inhaled the fumes and had to be admitted in a hospital where his condition is stated to be critical.



Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari slammed the Arvind Kejriwal government over the deaths and asked Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal for a probe into the incident.



"I request the LG for a probe into the matter and compensation for the families of the victims," he said.



"This is not the first such death of safai karamcharis (sanitation workers) during sewer cleaning and the attitude of Delhi Jal Board officials as well as the Kejriwal government continues to be callous," Tiwari said.



Last month, four sanitation workers died due to asphyxiation when they entered a septic tank to clean it in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj. Two persons were arrested in connection with the deaths.
New Delhi: For more than a year, he has been busy overseeing one of the biggest tax reforms in the history of Independent India, a paradigm shift which required both legal finesse and hard political bargaining.



With GST done and dusted, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is quietly back in his role as the political troubleshooter for the party and the government. It all began with a seamless coup in Bihar late last month, say sources. The preparations, however, were on for almost six months before the big announcement was made in Patna.



There was a certain understanding in the BJP that Bihar CM Nitish Kumar would not compromise on his personal clean image. In fact, the desperate attempts by top RJD leaders, including Lalu Prasad Yadav and Prem Gupta, to seek some Union ministers help in diluting the cases against their family are said to have cast the die for the Mahagatbandhan.



Sources say the two RJD leaders had also approached Jaitley, seeking a bailout from the corruption cases. But the FM was aware of the deep rot within the RJD and how soaked it was in corruption and benami land deals, said a senior BJP leader.



It was at this point that Jaitley began to play an active role to help out Nitish Kumar. Sources say on the day when Nitish decided to put in his papers, Jaitley was in touch with him, carrying the PMs and Amit shahs message.



At a dinner hosted by SP leader Naresh Agarwal that same evening at a five star hotel in Delhi, Jaitley is said to have had a casual conversation with senior JDU leader Sharad Yadav. Yadav was hopeful of sorting things out, knowing little that at that very moment Nitish was sitting with the Bihar BJP MLAs.



Even in Kerala, where the RSS continues to be engaged in an internecine and bloody war with the Left, Jaitleys visit to Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday was seen as a strong message to the state government. The intervention, sources, say, came at the prodding of the top RSS leadership last week where the BJP was impressed upon to up the ante.



Here again, Jaitleys legal credentials came in handy. The CPI-M too is under scanner for deals. And many speculate about a possible presidential rule in the state should violence go out of control.



A BJP insider said Jaitleys increased involvement in political troubleshooting is also a statement on Prime Ministers ability to optimize deployment of resources at hand.



Jaitleys involvement in political affairs also comes just ahead of the Karnataka Assembly polls slated next year. He enjoys good rapport with leaders in the partys Karnataka unit. In the face of continued infighting, re-capturing Karnataka will be the next big challenge for the BJP. It is the last big state which Congress still holds, and Siddaramaiahs defeat can choke the Congress of resources before the next general election.



Tamil Nadu, too, is the other state which is on the radar of the BJP. Amit Shah has visited the state but the critical challenge now is to get the warring factions together. BJP has made it clear that both the OPS and EPS factions will have to come together. Rajinikanth of course would be the icing on the cake. The Tamil Nadu saga too is soaked in myriad legal hassles and who could be better than Jaitley to handle it.



In Rajya Sabha, where the BJP is now the single largest party, finance ministers way with words and Amit Shahs winning streak and astute political sense could be the perfect blend in the House where the government still lacks majority.
Huairou: Senior Col Li Li of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) may be thousands of kilometres away from Doklam but has a stern message for the Indian Army -- withdraw from the Chinese territory to avoid confrontation.



A visit by Indian journalists, sponsored by the Chinese government, on Monday turned into a propaganda exercise by the Chinese Army for delivering its message on the prolonged standoff between troops of the two countries in Doklam near Sikkim.



Sr Col Li claimed, "What the Indian troops have done is an invasion of Chinese territory."



"You can report about what the Chinese soldiers are thinking about. I am a soldier, I will try my best to protect territorial integrity. We have the resolve and determination," he told Indian journalists taken to visit this garrison on the outskirts of Beijing.



The visit included a rare demonstration of combat skills of the PLA troops before the Indian media.



The demonstration included sharp shooting skills with small arms, capture of "hostile forces" in close combat, counter-terrorism and laser simulation force-on-force training of reinforced infantry squads.



Li, however, clarified that the demonstration had no particular reference to Doklam where China says 48 Indian troops still stayed put along with a bulldozer.



"In addition, there are still a large number of Indian armed forces congregating on the boundary and on the Indian side of the boundary," the Chinese Foreign Ministry had said earlier.



Responding to questions on the present impasse in Doklam, he said, "What the PLA will do depends on the actions of the Indian side. We will take appropriate action when it is necessary."



"We will follow the orders of the CPC (ruling Communist Party of China) and the Central Military Commission (the overall high command of the 2.3 million strong army headed by Chinese President Xi Jinping)."



The garrison is one of the oldest and most important training centres of the PLA officers and troops. It is also responsible for the security of the Chinese capital.



About 11,000 troops are stationed at the garrison.



The state media also continued the tirade against India.



An article in the official China Daily on Monday said "geostrategic miscalculations" were behind India's border "trespassing".



"For China, the trespassing by Indian troops was unexpected and it is unacceptable as it happened in a section of the boundary that has hitherto been considered beyond dispute by both sides in the otherwise long drawn out and arduous boundary negotiations," it said.



India's "trespassing" amounts to no less than a violation of China's territorial sovereignty, and China has the lawful right to take "whatever measures" it deems necessary to defend its territory, it said.



"While misunderstandings between neighbours are understandable, India should engage in candid dialogue, not lawless provocations."



Time, it added, is fast running short for India to pull out from Chinese territory and on that basis explore a face- saving solution in consultation with China. "India should do well to remember that its neighbour has the capability to defeat all invading enemies," it said.



India and China have been locked in a standoff in Doklam since June 16 after Chinese troops began constructing a road near the Bhutan trijunction.



Bhutan has protested to China, saying the area belonged to it and accused Beijing of violating agreements that aim to maintain the status quo until the boundary dispute is resolved.



India says the Chinese action to construct the road was unilateral and changes the status quo. It fears the road would allow China to cut off India's access to its northeastern states.
Take several dozen North Korean clams. Arrange vent-down on concrete slab. Douse liberally with petrol. Ignite. Add fuel until cooked. It is a simple recipe, but one that avoids the need for electricity or a piped gas supply in the isolated, energy-poor country. The "petrol clams" are fleshy and flavorful -- the secret to avoiding a hydrocarbon taste is not to inhale while slipping them into the mouth -- and a specialty of the West Sea Barrage beach at Nampho, southwest of Pyongyang.



The sandy beach lies at the far end of the eight-kilometer barrier across the Taedong river mouth -- ostensibly built for flood control, but which also blocks access to Pyongyang, a few dozen kilometers upriver, for any invading navy.



At the beach, children equipped with pastel inflatable rings play in the shallows, while adults shelter from the sun under tents to enjoy clams and grilled pork, liberally washed down with soju, a Korean alcoholic drink. Most visitors to such seaside spots are on organized outings -- strict controls on movement and a dearth of disposable income put trips like this beyond the reach of the vast majority of North Koreans.



Many making their way to Nampho are work groups -- North Koreans are often expected to socialize with their colleagues -- and some are equipped with portable karaoke machines. The hugely popular North Korean song "Mother's birthday" blasted out from one -- the parent in this case being the ruling party. "My mother - our mother - is the most tender in the world," the lyrics go. "Workers' Party of Korea - mother's birthday."




CHANDIGARH STALKING: The girl should not have gone out at 12 in the night: Ramveer Bhatti, Chandigarh BJP V-P pic.twitter.com/ngYsZrDLJD

 News18 (@CNNnews18) August 7, 2017

Women aren't safe in India. Pick up a newspaper or randomly switch to any news channel on your television set, there is a good chance you'll come across yet another case of sexual harassment of a woman, a minor or even an infant.In such times, you expect the people in power to take crucial steps towards women safety or at the least be sensitive while speking about the horrifying cases that surface every day. Instead, they end up justifying the sexual harassment with their bizarre and clueless explanations while some simply choose to blame the victim.A 29-year-old woman recently alleged that she was followed by Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala's son Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar.CCTV footage from five locations in the stalking case involving the son of BJP Haryana president's son was missing, police said Monday, while the party's state unit blamed the victim for driving "so late in the night". While talking to CNN-News18 BJP state vice president Ramveer Bhatti said, "The girl should not have gone out at 12 in the night. Why was she driving so late in the night? The atmosphere is not right. We need to take care of ourselves."This isn't the first time a politician has made a foot-in-the-mouth statement. Sexist, misogynist, and insensitive statements go hand in hand with some politicians in our country.Here's a bunch of such bizarre statements that will make you bang your head against the desk.There was a wave of shock and horror across the country after the gruesome 2012 gang rape in Delhi. Massive protests were held in the capital. President Pranab Mukherjee's son Abhijeet Mukherjee casually slipped in his sexist remark claiming that the women participating in the protests were "pretty women who were dented and painted".In an interview to ABP Ananda, Mukherjee said, "These pretty women, dented and painted, who come for protests are not students. I have seen them speak on television, usually women of this age are not students."In April 2014, while opposing death penalty to three men convicted in a gangrape case, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had said, "boys will be boys, they commit mistakes."He had even blamed the girls for rape saying that girls get friendly with boys and when they fight and have differences, they term it as rape.[caption id="attachment_1012658" align="alignnone" width="750"] A file picture of Mulayam Singh Yadav.[/caption]Later next year in 2015, Singh said that one person commits rape and four are named in the complaint. To corroborate his claim, he added that "it is impossible for 4 men to rape a woman." "I know of many such cases, where 1 person commits the rape and 4 people are named in the report. There are cases where one person commits crime, 4 brothers in the same family get arrested."In 2015, Karnataka's then Home Minister K J George stoked a controversy with remarks suggesting that two men raping a woman cannot be termed as gang rape, drawing severe flak from parties and activists.He made the insensitive and controversial statement when the media asked him about the rape of a BPO employee. The 22-year-old girl was gang raped by the driver & helper of the tempo traveller. The incident took place in South East Bengaluru when the girl was returning from work around 10 pm.In 2013, Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the right-wing RSS or Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said that the rapes are an urban crime caused by westernisation, and do not happen in rural India rich with traditional values."Crimes against women happening in urban India are shameful. It is a dangerous trend. But such crimes won't happen in "Bharat" or the rural areas of the country. You go to villages and forests of the country and there will be no such incidents of gang-rape or sex crimes."He added, "Where "Bharat" becomes "India" with the influence of western culture, these type of incidents happen. The actual Indian values and culture should be established at every stratum of society where women are treated as 'mother'."In 2014, SP's state president Abu Azmi attracted criticism for his statements about rape survivors. He said, "If a woman is caught (in a rape case), then both she and the boy should be punished. In India, there is death penalty for rape, but when there's consensual sex outside marriage, there's no death penalty against women."In 2013, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in Kolkata that the rising number of rape cases was connected to increasing population."You say rape incidents are on the rise. But the population is also swelling. Is the population in the state the same as it was during the tenure of (the state's second chief minister) BC Roy?" she said."There are more cars now. Shopping malls are increasing. Young boys and girls are becoming more modern," Banerjee told opposition members while closing the debate on the governor's address in the assembly.In October 2012, while speaking at a programme in the city, Banerjee had accused the media of glorifying rape and pointed to the more permissive society."Earlier, if men and women held hands, parents would reprimand them. Now everything is done openly. It's like an open market with open options," Banerjee had said.After the raging protests against the gang-rape of Delhi girl, former Andhra Pradesh Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana unmasked his "dark" side, saying, "Just because India achieved freedom at midnight does not mean that women can venture out after dark. They should ensure that they do not board buses with few passengers."Haryana's former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala backed the theory made by khap panchayat in 2012. A member of one khap panchayats had come out with a bizarre suggestion that the marriageable age limit for women should be abolished, and girls should be married off as early as possible to decrease incidents of rape."Boys and girls should be married by the time they turn 16-year-old, so that they do not stray... this will decrease the incidents of rape," Sube Singh, a Khap representative, had said earlier.To which Chautala said, "People used to marry their girls to save them from Mughal atrocities and currently a similar situation is arising in the state. I think that's the reason khap has taken such a decision and I support it."Actor and TMC MP Tapas Pal was caught on tape threatening to let loose rapists on his opposition, during a speech in a Choumaha village in West Bengal. Pal said, "If anyone from opposition or their wives and sisters are here, then listen up, if any one of your people touch anyone from TMC I will destroy you, I will not spare them. I will send my boys and they will rape people."After the horrific Badaun rapes in 2014, there was a slew of insensitive remarks from some of the most senior politicians in India. SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav was seen warming up to rapists by saying 'boys make mistakes' before the general elections and UP CM Akhilesh Yadav was seen live on TV telling a female journalist that she was safe when questioned about the safety of women in the state.To add to the misery, home minister of MP Babulal Gaur was quoted saying, "This is a social crime which depends on men and women. Sometimes it's right, sometimes it's wrong."Former home minister RR Patil drew ire from across the country after making a controversial remark. Three days before the Maharashtra assembly elections 2014, NCP leader RR Patil had stirred up a controversy by making a shocking statement at a rally in Sangli.Patil said that a certain MNS candidate Sudhakar Khade charged with rape should have committed the crime after the elections.He said, "When I spoke to people here (Sangli), they said they supported me. When I asked why, they said because our candidate from the MNS is in jail because he has been accused of rape." To which, Patil replied, "If he wanted to contest from this seat and become an MLA, he should have committed the crime after the elections."Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) member Dharamvir Goyat brought up an embarrassment for the government by terming the "majority of rapes in the state as consensual".Goyat made this comment while interacting with media-persons at Hisar."If we go into the details of rape cases and abductions, it is found that victims and accused in 90% of cases are runaway couples. So the cases are consensual", he said.And you thought a plate of greasy chowmein leads to only bad stomach? Think again. After a series of 19 rapes happening within 30 days, Haryana Khap Panchayat Leader had a rather unusual explanation that you may not digest well. According to one of its "study's" findings, chowmein was one of the culprits.Chhatar explained, "Chowmein leads to hormonal imbalance, evoking an urge to indulge in acts such as rape and sex. You also know the impact of chowmein, which is a spicy food, on our body. Hence, our elders too advised to eat light and nutritious food."In 2011, Dinesh Reddy, former police chief of Andhra Pradesh blamed the "provocative" dresses for rapes. He said, "Now, wealth has increased, corporate styles have seeped into the villages bringing in liquor and other cosmopolitan cultures.""These modern women are more vulnerable to rapes.He further added, "When you are taking food which gives good josh (energy), you tend to be more naughty as time passes. I am giving you down-to-earth facts. Rapes are not in the control of the police. Even the villagers from coastal Andhra are wearing salwar-kameez (as against traditional dress). All these things provoke."
Srinagar: National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Monday warned of an "uprising" if Article 35A of the Constitution, which empowers the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly to define the state's permanent residents and their privileges, was abrogated.



"When it will come to that decision (abrogation of Article 35 A), you will see this mass (of people) rising. Do not forget that when Amarnath Yatra (land row) thing happened, people rose overnight. So, 35 A will be far greater revolt and I wonder whether they (government) will be able to hold that," the Lok Sabha MP told reporters at his residence after a meeting of opposition leaders.



Abdullah said the opposition parties were united on the issue and would make people aware of the fallout if the Article is done away with.



"The need was to sit together and discuss the issue of Article 35-A because it affects the whole state  Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. So, it is very important that the people understand why we are against the abrogation of Article 35-A, because it (government) wants to do away with our basic thing," Abdullah said.



"All parties  whether in Jammu or Kashmir or Ladakh  will try to make people understand that what effect it (abrogation of the Article) will have on the state, he said.



The meeting, attended by the National Conference, the Congress and others, was called by Abdullah to discuss the fallout of any abrogation of Article 35A.



Article 35A had come into force through a presidential order in 1954. It has been challenged in the Supreme Court by an NGO.



Those seeking abrogation of Article 35A argue it was not added to the Constitution by following the procedure prescribed for amending the Constitution under Article 368.



Asked about the course of action by the opposition parties, Farooq Abdullah said the issue is in the Supreme Court which has not given its decision yet, so the parties would take the issue to the people.



"We will first raise this issue among the people like we did on GST. We will put it up vociferously before the people, he said.



Abdullah alleged that it was a BJP and RSS conspiracy to erode the special status of the state. "As far as conspiracy is concerned, you all know that the agenda of the BJP and the RSS is basically to erode the autonomous structure of this state. And we, as a united front, are going to bring this to the people so that they know the fallout," he said.



He said Article 35-A was for protecting the people of the state and its abrogation would have effects in all the three regions of the state whether Jammu, Kashmir or Ladakh.



Abdullah claimed that the state government had not put up a strong representation before the Supreme Court after an NGO had filed a writ petition seeking the striking down of Article 35 A in 2014.



"It is now being fought legally. The state government has represented in the Supreme Court. Only unfortunate thing is that they did not put the high class representation that should have been put before the Supreme Court," he alleged.



Abdullah said he had heard that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had said that if Article 35-A is removed, she will quit the chair. "I hope she stands by that statement of hers," he said.



The National Conference leader said the chief minister should tour every region of the state and explain the fallout of the abrogation of the Article to the people.



(With agency inputs)
Lucknow: After the resignations of three Samajwadi Party (SP) MLCs from the Legislative Council and the party, sources in the BJP have indicated that the trend is set to continue.



Last week Bukkal Nawab, Yashwant Singh and Dr Sarojni Agarwal gave their resignations, and joined the BJP, in order to allegedly pave the way UP CM Yogi Adityanath and his deputies Keshav Prasad Maurya, Dinesh Sharma to the Legislative Council.



If sources in the BJP are to be believed, then the resignations from Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress will keep coming at regular intervals, in order to send a message to the opposition.



According to reports, there are five more SP MLCs in line to give their resignation and join the BJP. As per the saffron partys strategy the possible defectors could be resigning at regular intervals to maintain BJPs strength and play out a psychological message to other party MLCs and members.



Sources have indicated that the BJP is working on a strategy to not just induct MLCs but also MLAs from other parties. The main focus of the BJP is in getting the right number of rebel MLAs from other parties without losing their membership, which could be in danger under the anti-defection law.



The ongoing family feud inside the SP is being said to be the main reason behind these resignations. The three MLCs who have resigned from SP were considered close to Mulayam Singh Yadav and Shivpal Yadav.
Ahmedabad: A month-long political drama, which entailed defections, and then the movement of MLAs from one state to another, will culminate in a final faceoff between the BJP and the Congress on Tuesday with voting for the three Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat.



Not only will this battle for prestige decide the future of Ahmed Patel, the political advisor to Sonia Gandhi, but also gauge the burgeoning political clout of BJP President Amit Shah.



The outcome of the Rajya Sabha election is likely to leave its imprint on the forthcoming Gujarat Assembly elections, scheduled for later this year.



"There is disgruntlement among Congress MLAs. Let us wait until tomorrow evening. Several Congress MLAs will vote against their candidate," Jitu Vaghani, the Gujarat BJP president, said.



A win for Ahmed Patel will not only infuse a fresh lease of life into his political career but also help Congress put up a decent fight in the Assembly election.



The Congress is said to have yielded ground to the BJP in the past few weeks, particularly after a series of defections from the party.



A loss for Ahmed Patel, however, could plunge Congress into a deeper crisis. Both the principal parties spent the entire Monday brainstorming their strategy for Tuesday's Rajya Sabha poll.



BJP president Amit Shah met Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his cabinet ministers separately, and then interacted with all the party MLAs.



Ahmed Patel, too, met the top party leadership and the Congress MLAs who touched down in Ahmedabad Monday morning from a Karnataka resort.



"I am completely confident I will win the Rajya Sabha seat. All the Congress MLAs are with me. Despite all the attempts by the BJP, it has not been able to break the unity of the Congress MLAs," Ahmed Patel said on Monday.



The arithmetic favours the BJP in Gujarat. With 121 seats in the Assembly, BJP shouldn't find it difficult to get Amit Shah and Smriti Irani elected to the upper House.



For the third seat, however, the ruling party will have to rely on the cross-voting by the Congress MLAs in favour of the BJP candidate.



For the Congress, the options are limited. The party has to ensure that all 44 MLAs who returned from Karnataka vote for Patel. Until late afternoon on Monday, Congress claimed it had the backing of two NCP legislators and the lone JD (U) MLA in the state.



The Congress flew 44 of its MLAs out of Gujarat to Karnataka where they stayed for over a week after a string of defections battered the party. The grand old party also alleged that the ruling BJP was using "money and muscle power" to poach its MLAs ahead of the August 8 Rajya Sabha election.




One of the most humble couples I have ever met  Lathaji and Thalaiva @superstarrajini ji. pic.twitter.com/cBje3aWD5Z

 Poonam Mahajan (@poonam_mahajan) August 6, 2017

BJP youth leader Poonam Mahajan has tweeted a picture of her meeting with Rajinikanth in Chennai on Sunday adding further fuel to speculation on the Tamil superstars possible entry in politics.Mahajan, the BJP Yuva Morchas president, tweeted several pictures on her visit to Rajnikanthss home on Sunday night and captioned that Thalaiva  or chief as the superstar is popularly called  and his wife are among the most humble people she has ever met.Mahajan later said the meeting was non-political. I met Rajinikanth because we knew each other for a long time. My entire BJP team met him and it is always a pleasure meeting him. The meeting is personal, she told CNN-News18.He is the leader of the people and is in peoples hearts and that is the biggest place and space than anything else. He is the Thalaivar of the people, she added.The actors possible plunge into politics has been doing the rounds for the past few months. He had earlier met representatives of several organisations, including the Hindu Makkal Katchi. Rajinikanth, however, has maintained that nothing about politics was discussed in the meetings.The meetings have fuelled speculation that the Kabali superstar would soon join politics. He had told his fans to be ready for war, adding that the "system is rotten" and needs to be changed.His upcoming venture, Kaala, whose poster has Rajinikanth seated on a jeep with an eye-catching number plate: MH 01 BR 1956. The year 1956 was the year when architect of Indian Constitution and Dalit icon BR Ambedkar converted to Buddhism.Several BJP leaders, including Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, have said the actor would be welcome in the party. He is welcome in politics and it is my request to him to think about the BJP. There is an appropriate place for him in the BJP, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways had told CNN-News18.While DMK working president MK Stalin had said that it was Rajinikanth's wish "whether or not to join politics," others, including pro-Tamil leader Seeman, opposed it. All India Mahila Congress General Secretary and actress Nagma had said days before Rajini addressed his fans that the top star will be successful if he chose to come to politics.The buzz triggered on Rajinis possible political entry is reminiscent of the hysteria witnessed in 1996 when he openly defied J Jayalalithaa, asking people not to vote for her. The then hustings saw 'Amma' losing the assembly elections and the DMK-TMC registering a landslide victory.Having had his run-ins with the powers that be in the past, the actor has come a long way from his first outburst in 1996 when he said "even God can't save Tamil Nadu" if AIADMK was elected again.In the ensuing political developments, he backed the DMK-TMC (Tamil Maanila Congress, led by the late G.K. Moopanar) combine, which also cashed in on the severe anti-incumbency against the ruling AIADMK. However, the combine could not keep the momentum on as AIADMK staged a good comeback in the 1998 Parliamentary polls.In the meantime, the actor continued to give some hints of a political entry in his film Baba (2002), which also saw Dr. S Ramadoss-founded PMK go up in arms against his on screen smoking. In the film, dealing with the protagonist's transformation from a carefree atheist to a believer, the plot details the actor's brush with a wily politician.However, whenever his fans have been vocal or proactive about his political plunge, the actor has either remained silent or distanced himself away from the topic. Twice his supporters and actors have come out in the open floating some 'party' or 'outfit' in a bid to pressure Rajini, as he is fondly called, to enter politics.
Ahmedabad: Former Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela on Monday chose to maintain silence on his choice of candidate for the August 8 Rajya Sabha elections, but said that Ahmed Patel, the Congress nominee, was still a "friend."



The former Gujarat chief minister said he was no longer in touch with Congress party. However, Vaghela, in the same breath, dismissed reports that he was in contact with BJP members over voting.



Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, the political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is one of the contestants in the Rajya Sabha polls.



"Each and every voter is the owner of his vote. The vote is the personal property of an MLA (for the Rajya Sabha election). Therefore, I do not want to reveal whom I will vote for," Vaghela, who recently revolted against the Congress, was quoted as saying by PTI.



Stating that he and Patel had been friends since 1977, the year he was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time on a Janata Party ticket, the 77-year-old politician said, "We have been friends since then and we remain friends till now. Even today, we talked over phone. Our relationship is not limited to politics."



The Rajya Sabha election has become a high-stake battle for the ruling BJP and opposition Congress in Gujarat, where the Assembly polls are due later this year.



The election to the Upper House from Gujarat has received greater attention with BJP president Amit Shah and Union minister Smriti Irani entering the fray and the Congress re-nominating Patel.



Vaghela spoke to reporters on a host of issues, ranging from the Gujarat Congress' decision to move 44 of its MLAs to a resort in Bengaluru to prevent any "poaching" attempts by the BJP, his stand on NOTA and the recent attack on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's car at Dhanera in Banaskantha.



"There is no question of any offer (from the BJP). I have no personal interests to negotiate with the BJP," he said while replying to a query.



On the Congress' claims that its MLAs were offered Rs 15 crore by the BJP, Vaghela said the legislators should not act as "saleable commodities" and a political party "should have enough trust in its members to leave them free".



"It is degrading for an elected representative if there are talks of him being bought over with an offer of Rs 1-2 crore. The MLAs should have the moral strength to face the BJP, to say that we are with the party, do not touch us," he added.



Vaghela condemned the attack on Gandhi's vehicle during the latter's visit to the flood-hit districts of Gujarat.



He, however, said there was "public anger" towards the Congress MLAs, who were absent from their constituencies during the flood as they were shifted to Bengaluru.



"I condemn the attack on Rahul Gandhi, but the party should understand that the anger is directed at the MLAs who were absent. The Congress abandoned its voters during the heavy rains and floods. The people had reposed their faith in the Congress MLAs, so the party should also repose faith in its members," said Vaghela.



He added that the move to take the MLAs away might cost Congress "heavily" in the Gujarat Assembly election.



"When I went to Dhanera, the people were asking about their MLAs. The move by the party to take 44 of its legislators to Bengaluru has attracted negative publicity. It will be hard for them (the MLAs) to win (in the Assembly polls) even if they are given tickets by the party," said Vaghela.



On the Election Commission's decision to include the 'NOTA' option in the Rajya Sabha polls, he said, "NOTA is a joke. If you have no one to vote for, why should you go to the booth in the first place. NOTA is a product of an empty mind. Why should you stand in the queue to press the NOTA button," he wondered.



The Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat are set against the backdrop of dramatic developments, including the revolt in the Congress by Vaghela, resignation of half-a-dozen Congress MLAs and shifting of 44 MLAs to Bengaluru by the party to protect them from the "poaching" attempts by the BJP.



(with inputs from PTI)
Patna: Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Monday alleged a nexus existed between Lalu Prasad's family and sand mafia, who purchased three flats from the RJD chief's wife Rabri Devi.



RJD spokesman Shakti Singh Yadav dismissed the allegation as "a bundle of lies".



Talking to media, Modi claimed that Rabri Devi, a former chief minister, owned 18 flats in a housing complex, and to avoid Income Tax and other agencies, sold three to a member of a sand mafia in June 17 this year.



Modi distributed copies of purported sale deeds of the three flats to the media, purchased by the three companies engaged in sand mining. He claimed the director of all three companies was SP Yadav the "right hand man" of Lalu Prasad.



He alleged that with the help of the RJD president the sand mafia had acquired mining lease of sand in six districts  Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Jehanabad and Arwal  for Rs 237 crore.



"Why the sand mafia purchased three flats from Rabri Devi on a single day at a cost of Rs 1.62 crore?" he asked and said it showed his close nexus with Lalu Prasad's family.



Sushil Modi said he would write to Income Tax and Registrar of Companies to probe sale and purchase of the three flats and take necessary action.



He said he would also intimate Chief Minister Nitish Kumar about this and request him to order a probe by state agencies.



Modi asked Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and their son and former Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav to make pubic details of such "dubious" sale and purchase of flats in the next 3-4 days, failing which he said he would keep "exposing" such deals.



The BJP leader alleged that the sand mafia was funding the RJD.



Immediately after coming to power, the new government in Bihar has launched a major crackdown against sand mafia, seizing machines used for illegal mining and a large number of sand laden trucks.



Meanwhile, RJD spokeman Shakti Singh Yadav dismissed the allegation as "a bundle of lies". "The lease was given to the person when Sushil Kumar Modi was the mines and minerals minister in the previous NDA government, he claimed.



This is an attempt to "disturb" the RJD's August 27 rally, he said.
Lucknow: In the backdrop of three MLCs recently quitting the party and joining the BJP, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said those who wanted to go, should go without offering any excuse, so that he could ascertain who were with him in "bad times".



Referring to the "excuses" put forward by the three MLCs -- Bukkal Nawab, Sarojini Agarwal and Yashwant Singh -- while leaving the party, Yadav said, "Some people are saying they were feeling suffocated as the atmosphere of the party had gone bad. This should not be an excuse for leaving the party, they should find a better excuse."



Asserting that the party was doing well and a large number of women, farmers and youths had joined it recently, he said, "Those who want to leave the party should not give any excuse...they can just leave. In that case, at least I will get to know who are with us during bad times."



The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister was addressing the party workers at the SP headquarters here on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.



Yadav said he had paid a visit to Nawab on Eid and had 'sewai' (a sweet dish) with him.



"At that time, he (Nawab) had not mentioned that he was planning to leave the party. It has come to our notice that there was some land issue, due to which he was being pressured," he added.



In a dig at Nawab and the BJP, Yadav said, "They (BJP) are doing good work. It is ironic that when a person is not in the BJP, he is labelled as a land mafia and when he joins the party, he becomes honest, upright and a gentleman."



On Agarwal, who runs a medical college in Meerut in the name of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Yadav said he was not aware of what the matter was with her.



"There could be a land issue behind it as well," he added.



A number of women workers of the SP tied rakhi to Yadav on the occasion.
Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has accused the BJP of planning to unleash political violence in Kerala to deflect attention from a medical college bribery case, a day after he came under fire over the killing of an RSS worker in capital Thiruvananthapuram.



Vijayan told the State Assembly on Monday that he ordered precautionary measures after he received inputs from state intelligence agencies that BJP would carry out political attacks in some parts of the state.



Vijayan on Monday lashed out at BJP for distorting facts over the recent political violence in the state. He also alleged that there was a fake propaganda by the BJP to tarnish the image of Kerala.



The BJP is trying very hard to paint a negative image of Kerala. They are trying to divert attention from the several corruption cases against BJP leaders, alleged Vijayan.



The attacks, he said, would be to deflect public attention from a case in which a state BJP functionary was accused of taking bribes to get a Medical Council of India (MCI) affiliation for a private medical college in the state.



The Kerala BJP unit had also ordered an internal probe into the bribery case after a party leader admitted to have taken a bribe of Rs 5.60 crore from the owner of a medical college.



The chief minister later added that the Kerala police are taking prompt action against all violence cases in the state. Kerala Police has been doing a good job but they need to a better job in some cases. It is not right to assume that Kerala is an intolerant state, Vijayan said.



Union minister Arun Jaitley, who was visiting Kerala on Sunday, launched a tirade against the Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, saying violence in the state increases every time they come to power.



Jaitley was in Kerala to meet the family of an RSS worker, Rajesh, who was last week hacked to death allegedly by CPI(M) activists.



The finance minister came out all guns blazing against the ruling front and went on to say that "the wounds inflicted on Rajesh would have embarrassed even the terrorists".








Taking directly on the like of Olx and Quikr, Amazon.in has announced Local Finds, a service which enables customers on Amazon.in to sell their used and new products with Amazon facilitating delivery and payments. Through Local Finds, customers can buy and sell across multiple categories including books, video games, music, movies, mobiles, tablets, laptops, accessories, fashion, home decor and more. Delivery and payments are facilitated by Amazon India such that customers need not spend their time and money in meeting strangers or answering calls and texts.This service was piloted in Bengaluru with around 600 sellers earlier this year. Over the last few months, over 30,000 customers have used this service, and amazon.in has now expanded the service to 3 more cities - Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai.As an introductory offer, customers can avail free delivery along with cash-back (up to Rs 100) as Amazon Pay Balance for jewellery, apparel and home decor purchases worth Rs 500 or more on Local Finds. Individuals and home entrepreneurs selling on the platform for the first time can earn up to Rs 500 extra for selling more than five products.
New Delhi: Mumbai attacks mastermind and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed has launched a political party in Pakistan, according to media reports.



The new Milli Muslim League party will follow the ideology of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD). "We have decided to make a new political party, so that Pakistan is to made a real Islamic and welfare state," Reuters quoted Milli Muslim League President Saifullah Khalid as saying.



Saeed, the founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, missed the launch event as he remains under house arrest in Lahore. Other senior JuD figures are unlikely to be involved in the new party that will adhere to JuD's ideology, reports said.



India has accused Saeed of trying to hide behind ballots.



"It is both ironical and disconcerting to notice that such an individual is perhaps wanting to hide his blood-stained hands behind the ballot ink or the person who has traded in bullets to take human lives is trying to hide behind ballots," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay had said.



Baglay had said that Saeed is an internationally designated terrorist under the UN Resolution 1267 provisions and his organisation, whether it is called Lashkar-e-Taiba or Jamat-ud-Dawah, is one and the same.



"They have been carrying out terrorist activities not only against India but against others in the region and it has been a matter of concern not only for us but for the entire region and beyond," he had said.



In the past, Saeed has often denounced democracy and the electoral process, saying it is not compatible with Islam.



The United States has offered $10 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Saeed.



The US State Department's country report on terrorism for 2016 issued last month said the LeT and its wings continued to make use of economic resources and raise funds in Pakistan.



Ayesha Siddiqa, a security analyst, said the new party was designed to give militants better cover amid pressure from the international community on Pakistan to crack down on LeT and JuD.



"The making of a party indicates the need of JuD to hide itself further so to avoid criticism," Siddiqa said.



(With agency inputs)
Sydney: An Australian Navy survey ship has located a U.S. military aircraft that crashed off the Australian northeast coast at the weekend and left three Marines missing, Defence Minister Marise Payne said on Monday.



The navy divers will conduct remotely operated underwater vehicle operations before considering sending down divers, Payne said in a statement.



The U.S. Marine Corps had suspended a search for the three Marines missing since the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft crashed while on regular operations on Saturday.



The Marines have described the incident as a "mishap" and said it was under investigation.



"Royal Australian Navy survey ship Melville arrived in Shoalwater Bay overnight," Payne said in the statement. "Shortly after commencing survey operations in the area, the submerged aircraft was located."



The aircraft had taken off from the USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) amphibious assault ship and was on regular operations when it crashed, according to the Marine Corps.



Twenty-three other personnel aboard the aircraft were rescued.



The Marine Corps said earlier it had shifted from a search-and-rescue effort to a recovery operation, which could last several months.
Jerusalem: Israel said on Sunday it planned to close the offices of Al-Jazeera in the Jewish state, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Arab satellite news broadcaster of incitement.



Netanyahu had said on July 27 that he wanted Al-Jazeera expelled amid tensions over a sensitive Jerusalem holy site.



"Al-Jazeera has become the main tool of Daesh (the Islamic State group), Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran," Communications Minister Ayoob Kara, a member of the Druze community from Netanyahu's Likud party, told a news conference.



He accused the Qatar-based broadcaster of "inciting violence which has provoked losses among the best of our sons", referring to two Druze policemen who were killed in a July 14 attack near the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem.



Netanyahu tweeted his congratulations to Kara "who on my instructions took concrete steps to end Al-Jazeera's incitement" in Israel.



An official at Al-Jazeera in Doha said the channel "deplores this action from a state that is called the only democratic state in the Middle East" and called the move "dangerous".



The official, who declined to be named, said the broadcaster would "follow up the subject through appropriate legal and judicial procedures".



Israel's communications ministry said "nearly all countries in the region including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, have concluded that Al-Jazeera incites terrorism and religious extremism."



It said it had become "ridiculous that the channel continued to broadcast from Israel".



Credentials revoked



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.



The Al-Jazeera official said Sunday he was "surprised" at Israel's move, and defended the channel's "professional and objective" coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.



The channel's Jerusalem bureau chief, Walid al-Omari, said his office had not received any official notification that it would be forced to close.



Speaking on Al-Jazeera, he said the move was related to internal Israeli politics.



"Netanyahu wants to distract attention from issues he is facing," he said, in an apparent reference to ongoing investigations into graft cases allegedly involving the premier.



The Israeli ministry said it would cut the channel's cable and satellite connections and demand that Al-Jazeera journalists be stripped of their credentials.



The closure of Al-Jazeera's offices would come under the remit of security officials.



Israeli authorities would also seek to limit access by the Jewish state's Arab citizens to the station's Arabic-language broadcasts, the ministry said without elaborating.



Arab Israelis, the descendants of Palestinians who stayed after the state of Israel was created in 1948, make up 17.5 percent of the country's population.



Israel has regularly accused Al-Jazeera of bias in its coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.



Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in Israeli history.



He has frequently criticised the news media, accusing outlets of seeking to undermine his government.



'Incitement'



In July, Netanyahu accused the channel of "inciting violence around the Temple Mount," a sensitive Jerusalem holy site known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif compound.



The site in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed, is central to the Israeli-Arab conflict.



Protests erupted there last month after Israel installed new security measures including metal detectors, after the two Israeli policemen were shot by attackers who emerged from the compound.



"I have appealed to law enforcement agencies several times to close the Al-Jazeera office in Jerusalem," Netanyahu said on July 27.



"If this is not possible because of legal interpretation, I am going to seek to have the necessary legislation adopted to expel Al-Jazeera from Israel."



Palestinians refused to enter the site for nearly two weeks over the new security measures imposed after three Israeli Arabs shot dead the policemen nearby.



That triggered protests which left six Palestinians dead. A Palestinian also broke into a home in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank and stabbed four Israelis, killing three of them.



The crisis ended when the Israeli authorities removed the new security measures including the metal detectors.



Palestinians, who viewed the measures as an Israeli attempt to assert further control over the compound which houses the revered Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock, then ended their boycott of the site.



Under a decades-old agreement, only Muslims may pray inside the compound, although anyone can visit, including Jews.
Berlin: Convicted Holocaust denier Ernst Zuendel, who served jail time for inciting racial hatred, has died in Germany at the age of 78, his family said Monday.



Zuendel, one of the leading figures in the denial movement, died on Saturday at his home in the southwestern spa town of Bad Wildbad, his sister was quoted by DPA news agency as saying.



His wife Ingrid confirmed his death in a statement to Canadian media and said he had apparently died of a heart attack.



Zuendel, who lived in Canada for decades before being extradited in 2005 over his anti-Semitic views, was sentenced to five years in prison by a German court in 2007 for repeatedly disputing the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis in World War II.



He was freed in 2010, with time spent behind bars before his trial counted as part of his sentence.



The court in the western city of Mannheim at the time counted 14 instances on Zuendel's website in which he denied the historical facts of the Holocaust and incited anti-Semitism.



His wife Ingrid, who lives in the United States, told Canada's CTV that she had spoken to Zuendel "just hours before he passed on and he was as optimistic and upbeat as ever".



A neo-Nazi "historian", Zuendel gained notoriety by writing a book titled The Hitler We Loved and Why, describing the Nazi leader as a "man of peace" and helping to disseminate a range of anti-Semitic literature.



Zuendel's tumultuous trial even sent one of his own lawyers behind bars, after she called the Nazis' slaughter of European Jews "the biggest lie in world history" during the proceedings.

The lawyer, Sylvia Stolz, also signed a motion during the trial with "Heil Hitler". She was sentenced to three and a half years in prison and barred from practising law for five years.



It is a crime to deny the Holocaust in more than a dozen European countries, including Germany and Austria.
Washington: US Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday denied that he is preparing for a presidential election run in 2020, saying the suggestion is "disgraceful and offensive."



Pence was responding to a New York Times report that some Republicans were moving to form a "shadow campaign" as though President Donald Trump were not involved. It said multiple advisers to Pence "have already intimated to party donors that he would plan to run if Mr. Trump did not."



The report said Pence had not only kept a full political calendar but also had created his own independent power base, including a political fund-raising group called the "Great America Committee."



But Pence called the article "fake news" and said his entire team was focused on advancing Trump's agenda and seeing him re-elected in 2020.



"The allegations in this article are categorically false and represent just the latest attempt by the media to divide this Administration," Pence said in a statement.



The Times stood by its coverage. "We are confident in the accuracy of our reporting and will let the story speak for itself," New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said in an email.



Pence has good relations with conservative political groups and some of the Republican Party's big donors, including billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.



He is also a Trump loyalist, and there is typically little distinction between his public statements and the policies of the president.



But as investigations deepen into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 US election and possible ties to members of Trump's campaign, Pence has put some distance between himself and the president on the best way to approach Moscow.



On a trip to Eastern Europe last week, Pence condemned Russia's presence in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, with which Moscow fought a brief war in 2008. He also said ties with Russia would not improve until Moscow changed its stance on Ukraine and withdrew support for countries like Iran, Syria and North Korea.



The US Congress recently passed a bill imposing new sanctions on Russia with overwhelming bipartisan support, but Trump signed it into law last week with reluctance.



"Our relationship with Russia is at an all-time & very dangerous low," Trump wrote on Twitter after signing the bill. "You can thank Congress."



Trump has described probes into his campaign's ties to Russia, including those under way in Congress and a Justice Department investigation headed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, as a "witch hunt."



The president has also sent mixed messages on whether he agrees with US intelligence agencies' conclusions that Russia tried to intervene in the 2016 election to boost his chances of beating Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.



White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conway on Sunday also dismissed the idea that Pence was looking at running for president in 2020.



"It is absolutely true that the vice president is getting ready for 2020 - for re-election as vice president," Conway told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday.



"Vice President Pence is a very loyal, very dutiful, but also incredibly effective vice president, and active vice president," said Conway, adding that she had worked for Pence for a decade as his pollster and senior adviser.
Cape Town: A parliamentary vote of no confidence in South African President Jacob Zuma will be held by secret ballot, it was announced on Monday, in a move that could encourage some ANC lawmakers to choose to oust him.



The vote to be held on Tuesday has become a test of African National Congress (ANC) unity as senior party figures have been increasingly critical of their leader  but it is unlikely to succeed in toppling Zuma.



"Voting on the motion of no confidence in the president... will be by secret ballot," parliament Speaker Baleka Mbete announced, in a decision that took many analysts by surprise.



Zuma, who came to power in 2009, has been implicated in multiple corruption scandals, while the South African economy has fallen into recession and unemployment has risen to record levels.



The 75-year-old is due to step down as head of the ANC in December, and as president before the 2019 general election  lessening pressure for his party to seek imminent change.



The vote has been subject to a long legal battle waged by opposition parties, with the Constitutional Court ruling that a secret ballot was an option.



"It's a surprising but strategic move," independent analyst Judith February told AFP.



"Zuma is likely to remain even if a few MPs vote against him. I would be very surprised if Zuma goes by this process.



"The decision takes the wind out of the sails of the opposition as well as civil society marches and activism around this issue."



'Larceny on a Grand Scale'

Anti-Zuma protesters gathered outside the parliament in Cape Town on Monday, with further protests from supporters of both camps expected on Tuesday.



"ANC MPs now have no excuse. They must use their vote tomorrow to stand up to grand corruption and vote to remove Jacob Zuma as president," the main opposition Democratic Alliance party said.



A group of ANC veterans from the anti-apartheid struggle also called for MPs to vote against Zuma, who was himself imprisoned with Nelson Mandela on Robben Island under white-minority rule.



South Africa is "witness to larceny on a grand scale, leaving the country not only impoverished, but also increasingly in the hands of criminalised and compromised governance," the ANC veterans said.



But the ANC party leadership has fought back, saying it expects its lawmakers to support the president.



"We have no doubt that this frivolous motion, which has been hyped up by opposition parties as some sort of Damascus moment, will fail like many before it," it said.



Last week party chief whip Jackson Mthembu acknowledged recent criticism of the ANC and the impact of a cabinet reshuffle in March when respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan was replaced with a Zuma loyalist.



Gordhan's sacking led to a string of downgrades to South Africa's credit rating as well as causing the rand currency to tumble.



Public support for the ANC, which swept to power under Mandela in the first non-racial elections in 1994, slipped to 55 percent in last year's local polls  its worst-ever result.



But Zuma has easily survived several previous parliamentary votes attempting to oust him, due to the ANC holding 249 seats in the 400-seat parliament.



Nomura analyst Peter Attard Montalto said in a note to investors last week that he did not expect the vote to succeed, even if there was a secret ballot.



"There is a higher probability of the vote being passed under a secret ballot (but) ultimately we think most anti-Zuma MPs worry a secret ballot will not be secret because of the involvement of the security services and numbered ballot papers," he wrote.
SEOUL/BEIJING (Reuters) - South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart, Donald Trump, agreed to cooperate and apply maximum pressure on North Korea in a telephone call on Monday, as Chinese media warned of the limits of new UN sanctions.



The United Nations Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Saturday that could slash its $3 billion annual export revenue by a third.



The US-drafted resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood following Pyongyang's two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July.



It also prohibits countries from increasing the current numbers of North Korean labourers working abroad, bans new joint ventures with North Korea and any new investment in current joint ventures.



During the hour-long phone call, Moon and Trump said they would continue cooperating to rein in North Korea, particularly ahead of a regular joint military drill set for late in August, South Korean presidential office spokesman Park Su-hyun told a media briefing.



Moon was also cited as saying there was a need to show North Korea the door to dialogue is still open, should Pyongyang give up its nuclear programme.



In a separate statement, the White House said the two leaders "affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world".



"The leaders committed to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well," the White House said.



In a Titter post, Trump said he was "very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote" on the sanctions.



MANILA MEETINGS



North Korea has accused the United States and South Korea of escalating tensions by conducting military drills. North and South Korea are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.



The standoff has been in focus at a weekend regional security forum in Manila. The South Korea and North Korean foreign ministers ran into each other on Sunday evening at a waiting zone for a gala dinner, according to a South Korean foreign ministry official.



They had a brief exchange where South Korea's Kang Kyung-wha asked the North to swiftly respond to the South's proposals to improve ties with North Korea, the official said.



North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong Ho momentarily paused then said Seoul's proposals lack sincerity when South Korea is imposing sanctions on the North with the United States, the official added.



Key to the new UN sanctions will be China, with which North Korea does the vast majority of its trade.



China has said it is committed to fully enforcing sanctions, but that sanctions are not a lasting solution.



In a front page commentary on Monday, the overseas edition of the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily said North Korea's open flouting of UN rules with its missile launches meant that it had to be punished, but sanctions had to be targetted.



"Sanctions to the greatest possible extent must avoid causing negative impacts to ordinary people and to third countries, and avoid bringing disaster to the country in question's normal and legal trade and business exchanges with the outside world, people's normal lives and the humanitarian situation," it wrote.



"A precision blow is the essential part of sanctions."



China has also called for Washington and Seoul to help lower tensions by reining in their military activities and drills, and by withdrawing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system.



The influential Global Times, published by the People's Daily, said it an editorial that the United States needed to curb its "moral arrogance over North Korea".



"The West should be reminded to exercise restraint. If it believes it is only North Korea rather than the US and South Korea as well to blame for the nuclear issue, this ill-fitting mindset will not help solve the crisis," the strongly nationalist publication said.



"The US should aim for peace and co-existence rather than geopolitical dominance."
Manila: The Trump administration has yet to decide how to respond to Russia's move to expel hundreds of American diplomats, but plans to deliver a response to Moscow by Sept. 1, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday.



A day after sitting down in the Philippines with Russia's top diplomat, Tillerson said he'd asked "clarifying questions" about the Kremlin's retaliation announced last month following new sanctions passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump. The Trump administration has struggled to determine how the move will affect the U.S. diplomatic presence in Russia, as well as the broader implications for the troubled relationship between the nuclear-armed powers.



Despite the Russian move, which seemed to plunge the two countries even further into acrimony, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emerged from the meeting declaring a readiness for more engagement with the U.S. on North Korea, Syria and Ukraine, among other issues. Tillerson broadly echoed that sentiment, saying the two countries had critical national security issues to discuss despite deep disagreements on some matters.



"I don't think it is useful to just cut everything off on one single issue," Tillerson said following his first meeting with Lavrov since the new sanctions were imposed. "These are two very large countries and we should find places that we can work together, let's try to work together. Places we have our differences, we're going to have to continue to find a way to address those."



Tillerson also said that Russia has been showing "some willingness" to start talking about a resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, devoid of real progress for years. That assessment came as Lavrov announced that the Trump administration had committed to sending its new special envoy for Ukraine negotiations, Kurt Volker, to Moscow to discuss next steps.



Yet several obstacles hang over any attempt to pursue a more functional U.S.-Russia relationship: the new U.S. sanctions, Russia's retaliatory move to expel diplomats, and the ongoing U.S. Justice Department investigation into Russia's election meddling and potential Trump campaign collusion.



Fearing Trump might move inappropriately to ease sanctions on Russia, Congress last month passed new legislation that both added more sanctions and made it harder for the president to lift them. Trump and Tillerson opposed the legislation, but facing a likely veto override, Trump begrudgingly signed the bill.



Moscow's response to the sanctions was to announce it would force the U.S. to cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755 people. That move stoked confusion in Washington, given that the U.S. is believed to have far fewer than 755 American employees in Russia.



Lavrov, describing his meeting with Tillerson, said Russia and the U.S. had agreed to resume a high-level diplomatic channel that Moscow had suspended after a previous U.S. move to tighten existing Russia sanctions.



"We felt that our American counterparts need to keep the dialogue open," Lavrov said. "There's no alternative to that."



Trump's administration has argued there's good reason for the U.S. to seek a more productive relationship. Tillerson has cited modest signs of progress in Syria, where the U.S. and Russia recently brokered a cease-fire in the war-torn country's southwest, as a sign there's fertile ground for cooperation.



The Syrian cease-fire reflected a return of U.S.-Russia cooperation to lower violence there. The U.S. had looked warily at a series of safe zones in Syria that Russia had negotiated along with Turkey and Iran  but not the U.S.



Lavrov cited upcoming talks involving Russia, Iran and Turkey about how to ensure the truce in the last safe zone to be established, around the north-western city of Idlib. He predicted "it will be difficult" to hammer out the details but that compromise can be reached if all parties  including the U.S.  use their influence in Syria to persuade armed groups there to comply.



Tillerson said Russian meddling in the election had "created serious mistrust between our two countries." Although he and other Cabinet officials have maintained that position consistently, Trump has repeatedly questioned U.S. intelligence about Moscow's involvement while denying any collusion with his campaign.



Word that Volker, the Ukraine envoy, plans to visit the Russian capital was the latest sign that Washington was giving fresh attention to resolving the Ukraine conflict. The U.S. cut military ties to Russia over Moscow's annexation of Crimea and accuses the Kremlin of fomenting unrest in eastern Ukraine by arming, supporting and even directing pro-Russian separatists there who are fighting the Kiev government.



In recent days, the Trump administration has been considering providing lethal weaponry to Ukraine to help defend itself against Russian aggression.
The confession of a Pakistani teenager who was captured moments before carrying out a suicide attack has given police a rare glimpse into a militant network they say is behind the recent surge in sectarian violence.Usman's testimony, a copy of which has been seen by Reuters, describes a web of radical seminaries and training and bomb making facilities stretching from eastern Afghanistan, where the young man was recruited, to Pakistan's southern Sindh province.Hundreds of people have been killed in attacks on Pakistan's small Shi'ite community, heightening fears in the Sunni-dominated country of an escalation in sectarian bloodshed that has been a persistent threat for decades.Pakistani police believe the network, which Usman says aided him on his 2,000 km journey, has also helped Islamic State spread its extremist agenda in South Asia, even without proven operational links with its core in the Middle East.The Pakistani network brings together several known jihadists belonging to extremist groups that have targeted religious minorities for decades, police said, providing fertile ground for Islamic State's ideology to spread.Usman's confession does not name Islamic State directly, but police say they believe the network that recruited and trained him was behind five deadly sectarian bombings in Pakistan, four of which have been claimed by the group based in Syria and Iraq."ISIS (Islamic State) has no formal structure (in Pakistan). It works on a franchise system and that is the model that is being used in Pakistan," senior Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officer Raja Umer Khattab told Reuters.By that he said he meant Islamic State could claim attacks as its own, even if it had no direct role in coordinating them.Usman, 18 at the time of the thwarted attack, is currently on death row in the town of Shikarpur, where he was caught.Reuters was unable to contact him for this story, but Usman's court-appointed lawyer said the family had shown no interest in the case."I am not sure if an appeal has been filed against the sentence, since no one from his family ever turned up to even meet Usman," advocate Deedar Brohi told Reuters, adding that his client had been sentenced by an anti-terrorism court in March.Police say the network emerged relatively recently - the main suspects became known to police over the last two years - but it is not clear whether it is acting alone or on the orders of other groups like Islamic State.Under interrogation, Usman, arrested last September, described his recruitment in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, where U.S. and Afghan forces have been fighting a local offshoot of Islamic State estimated to number a few hundred fighters.A policeman (L) and residents walk past a shop displaying the pictures of men, who were killed in a suicide blast on January 2015, in a Shi'ite mosque in Shikarpur, Pakistan (REUTERS)Originally from the Pakistani valley of Swat, his family fled to Nangarhar after his father, a member of the Pakistani Taliban, was killed in a drone strike.Usman told investigators he came home one day to find his brother sitting with an older man."My brother said that you should join jihad ... you should become a suicide bomber," Usman said in the confession.He left that day and travelled with the older man by bus to the Afghan province of Kandahar, where they crossed into Pakistan's Baluchistan province.From there, they rode a motorcycle to the remote desert town of Wadh in southern Baluchistan, where Usman began his training and stayed at the home of a man called Maaz."In our room, Maaz took out explosives from a bag and prepared two suicide jackets," Usman told investigators.Police suspect Wadh is where several militant movements, including al Qaeda, the Pakistani Taliban and other local banned groups, have been active.The media wing of Pakistan's military did not respond to requests for comment for this article, including how militants could use Wadh as hub.An intelligence official, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the press, denied Wadh was part of a militant network."No training camp in Wadh or safe (haven) for militants now," the official said in a Whatsapp message.After about a month in Wadh, Usman said he travelled by motorcycle with an escort on dusty back roads to Shikarpur. A few days later, he was dispatched with his explosives vest to attack a prayer meeting attended by Shi'ite Muslims.The attack failed when one worshipper spoke to Usman in the local Sindhi language, which he could not understand. A crowd gathered and grabbed him before he could reach his detonator.Police investigators, who spoke about the case on condition of anonymity, said Usman's confession helped them identify several key militants including a suicide vest maker and the man who oversees the network - a former Pakistani intelligence services asset named Shafiq Mengal."Our intelligence shows that he has 500-1,000 militants working under him and is living in the mountains," said a senior police official.Reuters was unable to contact Mengal or independently confirm the assertions of the police official. But his father, a prominent Baluch politician during the military regime of General Zia ul Haq in the 1980s, said his son had no links with militant networks.A policeman gestures beside a wall with shrapnel-scars, which witnesses said was damaged in a suicide blast on January 2015, in a Shi'ite mosque in Shikarpur, Pakistan (REUTERS)"Shafiq has not given shelter to any terrorist outfit and their activities," former Baluchistan chief minister Naseer Mengal told Reuters.However, the older Mengal added that his son had been active in supporting Pakistani security forces in battling Baluch separatist groups."Shafiq fought against those elements who challenged the writ of State and were involved in target killings of innocent people and security forces," he said.An internal police profile of Mengal seen by Reuters said he attended an elite school in the eastern city of Lahore before completing his education at a madrassa.According to the document, prepared by a Baluchistan police official, Mengal "was set up by the intelligence agencies to counter separatist Baloch militants" that fight the government in Baluchistan.The report said that, more recently, it appeared Mengal shifted his efforts to helping jihadists.The intelligence official said Mengal no longer had any association with the military.The armed forces have launched several major offensives against groups including al Qaeda and the Taliban in recent years, but they have also been accused of using militants as proxy fighters in Kashmir and Baluchistan - a charge they deny.Police said another important suspect in the network was Hafeez Brohi, already on Pakistan's wanted terrorist list. He comes from Shikarpur, and it was at Brohi's residence that they said the teenager stayed before the failed attack.Usman did not name Brohi directly but said a man named Umer Hafiz, who police officials say was actually Brohi, took him from Wadh to Shikarpur by motorbike.Usman's police case file also identifies Brohi as one of the main suspects in the failed bombing. Case files seen by Reuters on several other sectarian attacks in Shikarpur also single him out.A general view of a wall with shrapnel-scars, which witnesses said was damaged in a suicide blast on January 2015, in a Shi'ite mosque in Shikarpur, Pakistan (REUTERS)The town itself, some 250 km east of Wadh but several times that distance by road, is seen as an increasingly important centre of sectarian extremism, according to officials from the counter terrorism department.Two local Shi'ite mosques were targeted by attacks in 2015.Several new madrassas have been built in the area in recent years, and members of the Shi'ite minority suspect that they are used by Sunni hardliners to spread religious intolerance."The madrassas are concentrated in remote villages," said Syed Atta Hussain Shah, the imam of the Shi'ite mosque in Shikarpur. "Preachers show up from elsewhere and stay in these madrassas and deliver hate-filled sermons."Police officials said they suspected Brohi was the point man for the network in southern Sindh province and was involved in the bombing at Sehwan Sharif shrine that killed 90 people - the most deadly attack in Pakistan claimed by Islamic State.Brohi has been in hiding for the last three or four years, according to CTD officials.Usman was sentenced to death in March along with 10 militants in absentia, including Brohi.
As the start of the school year draws near, employees of Lynchburg City Schools attended convocation Monday to set the tone for the fall semester, which begins Aug. 14.

LCS employees heard from administrators, city officials and the school board as they kicked off the start of teacher work days, which run from Aug. 7 to 11, before the start of the school year.

Delivering the keynote was LCS Interim Superintendent Larry Massie, who encouraged teachers to love the children in their schools, to respect the children and each other and to always be honest.

Every child deserves to be loved, and we know that some children have more love than others from home, Massie told a mostly full auditorium at E.C. Glass High School on Monday morning.

Massie promised to respect, empower and trust LCS staff in his time as the interim superintendent.

The central office must work for the schools and not the other way around, Massie said.

Massie noted two areas where the school division needs improvement: raising the academic results for minority and economically disadvantaged students and achieving full accreditation at all schools.

State Standards of Learning test scores show an achievement gap between white students and minority and economically disadvantaged students in LCS, who earn lower scores on SOL results.

Working off of preliminary Standards of Learning test results from the 2016-17 school year, Massie listed off the following schools as expected to be fully accredited when official results are released in the fall: E.C. Glass, T.C. Miller Elementary School for Innovation and Paul Munro, Bedford Hills, R.S. Payne, Sandusky and Sheffield elementary schools. He noted Perrymont Elementary School was expected to miss full accreditation by one point.

Accreditation is determined by Virginia SOL test score results. Elementary and middle schools must achieve a 75 percent or higher pass rate in reading and writing and 70 percent in math, science, and history and social sciences to be fully accredited. For high schools, full accreditation requires SOL marks of 75 percent or better for reading and writing and 70 percent or above in all other subject areas. High schools also must meet commonwealth graduation standards. A school can be denied accreditation if it fails to meet these state benchmarks for four or more consecutive years.

LCS currently has five fully accredited schools based on 2015-16 SOL results: Bedford Hills, Paul Munro, Sandusky and Sheffield elementary schools and Heritage High School. Partially accredited schools are: Dearington Elementary School for Innovation; Heritage, Perrymont, Linkhorne, Robert S. Payne and William Marvin Bass elementary schools; Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School for Innovation; Sandusky Middle School; and E.C. Glass High School.

Linkhorne Middle School and T.C. Miller were denied accreditation last year.

New accreditation results based on 2016-17 SOL results will be released by the Virginia Department of Education in the fall.

Massie has served as interim superintendent since July 1. He joined the division following the departure of former LCS Superintendent Scott Brabrand, who left for Fairfax County Public Schools.

This is Massies second stint as LCS interim superintendent, after serving in the same capacity from August 2011 to April 2012 while the school division conducted the search that landed Brabrand.

Im like the Godfather  just when I think Im out, they pull me back in, Massie joked.

Prior to Massies address, LCS employees heard from school board chairman Michael Nilles, who noted the ongoing superintendent search was a big moment for the future of the school division.

A major priority for the board is that we get input from all stakeholders, Nilles said.

Nilles added the school board plans to work with a search firm to find the next superintendent, and an announcement with more details was likely to come within the next couple of weeks.

This is a decision we need to get right, we want to get right, and with your help, we will get it right, Nilles said.

School employees also heard from Lynchburg Mayor Joan Foster at Mondays convocation.

Foster discussed the citys Poverty to Progress Initiative, an effort to tackle the 24 percent poverty rate in Lynchburg, according to the 2010 U.S. census. She noted 18,000 Lynchburg residents live in economic distress, and more than 6,000 of the divisions 8,500 students qualify for free or reduced lunch, a standard measure used by the Department of Education to indicate poverty in school populations.

There is a shadow over our city that covers our schools, our neighborhoods, our public places and even city government, and that shadow is income inequality, Foster told LCS employees.

Foster stressed the importance of educators and policy makers being on the same page.

Our success as a community is tied directly to the educational success in our schools, Foster said.
Shoppers picked through a rainbow sea of 2-pocket folders lined neatly along the back wall at Target on Wards Road Sunday. Children hung onto the sides of carts as their parents compared the prices of two different pencil sets.

A mother and daughter stood side-by-side looking at two types of binder sizes  which did they need, 1 or 1  inch?

From Friday through Sunday, Lynchburg area shoppers filled their carts with glue sticks, pencils and marble-cover notebooks during Virginias sales-tax free weekend.

This is kind of what gets us excited, said Diana Clements, a teacher at Liberty Christian Academy, as she picked up 25 individual packets of crayons, markers and colored pencils, one for each student in her fourth grade class. Its sort of like Black Friday shopping for Christmas.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), back-to-school and back-to-college spending is set to reach $83.6 billion. This will be the second-highest spending year on record, increasing more than 10 percent from 2016s $75.8 billion, the NRFs annual back-to-school surveys released in July showed.

This holds true with Lynchburgs turnout.

James Hornsby, manager at Walmart on Wards Road, said he saw larger crowds during the weekend, especially on Friday.

The whole month of August is ever so busy, said Hornsby. Families are bringing their kids in to try on school clothes or try on shoes. So, sometimes we only have Mom and Dad, but this time, you usually have Mom and Dad with three or four kids with them.

Walmart on Wards Road had six additional aisles as well as several stand-alone displays specifically for back-to-school supplies, while employees at the Target further down the street filled the stores seasonal section with everything from locker decor and purple, glitter-filled glue bottles to graphing calculators and mini fridges.

Well continue to see traffic throughout this whole week and next weekend and then it actually shifts to a more back-to-college theme as opposed to grade school, said Thomas Joyner, Target team leader for logistics. Next weekend, well see a shift in shopping.  The traffic will shift throughout the whole store  bedding, storage. So this is sort of the kickoff to back-to-school season.

Families with children in elementary through high school plan to spend an average of plan to spend an average $687.72, with about $114.12 on school supplies and the rest on apparel and electronics, according to the NRFs most recent survey.

Savings during the tax-free holiday can really add up, especially for families with multiple children, said Tabitha Brown, whose two daughters, Anesa and Ayana, attend school in Nelson County.

If Im buying clothes and supplies, I usually save at least $20 to $30 more, she said. Thats a book bag. It saves a lot.

Such as in the past two years, the tax-free holiday in Virginia also enabled customers to save on hurricane and emergency preparedness supplies as well as Energy Star and WaterSense items.

But most shoppers still used it for school shopping.

Were hunting for cap erasers now, said Clements, pushing her cart up the aisles. The colorful ones, because kids want colors not the plain ones.
RUSTBURG  A juvenile witness in a murder case in Campbell County will be able to give her testimony outside of the courtroom, a judge ruled Monday.

Kimberly Mayhew Barksdale, 50, of Altavista, stands accused of second-degree murder in the 2016 shooting death of her husband, Todd Lee Barksdale. Law enforcement found his body outside a Main Street residence near Altavista on Nov. 18 and arrested Kimberly Barksdale later that day.

Campbell County Commonwealths Attorney Paul McAndrews argued his motion Monday to allow a juvenile witness in the case to testify from a back room over closed circuit television, as opposed to in an open courtroom.

Deborah Maxey, a licensed professional counselor and traumatologist who has worked with the juvenile, testified the girl had suffered severe emotional damage related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while testifying for a related civil case. Maxey said the girl might not be able to testify in open court during the trial at all because of that PTSD. Considering the potential for re-emergence of that PTSD, Judge John T. Cook granted the motion.

Cook also denied a motion Monday to move the trial from Campbell County to another venue. Barksdales defense attorney Jim Childress presented a package of media coverage of his clients case so far, but McAndrews said the motion was premature, and the presence of media articles is just not enough to warrant a change of venue. Cook agreed publicity itself wasnt enough to grant the motion, and the jury candidates will be asked if they can be fair and impartial during the trial.

The date of that trial will be set later this month.
Although the Leesville Lake Marina has seen about 50 boat launches per week this summer, there have been times this year when natural debris is so heavy it blocks boats from entering the marina, Leesville Lake Marina owner and operator Lisa Zimmerman said.

I think there is definitely more debris this year, Zimmerman said. There have been days specifically at our marina, and we have a home property, where we cannot even get out of our dock and people cannot come into our dock because theres so much debris.

Zimmerman said while this isnt the norm, the debris is a concern.

Since the beginning of this year, Appalachian Power Company, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, has removed 555 tons of natural debris from the Smith Mountain Project  a two-reservoir hydroelectric generation project operated by APCo  and specifically Leesville Lake, surpassing last years collection of 528 tons, APCo spokesperson John Shepelwich said. In 2015, the company removed 171 tons of debris.

Leesville Lake is a reservoir with the Smith Mountain Project, and its water level can fluctuate about 13 feet, Shepelwich said. When the water level lowers, debris composed of trees, branches and even roots can be dragged into the lake.

The water fluctuation is controlled by PJM, a regional transmission organization, so water level changes are not necessarily predictable, Shepelwich said.

Lee Walker, outreach director for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, said boaters should look out for debris, slow down and wear life jackets. Boaters also should be aware of limited visibility early in the morning, late in the afternoon and during fog or rain.

APCo, which built Leesville Lake in the 1960s, operates the 636-megawatt hydroelectric facility.

Most of the increased debris can be attributed to the removal of the Power Dam on the Pigg River, which empties into Leesville Lake, Shepelwich said.

The Power Dam was removed in August and September of last year, said Bill Tanger, chairman of the statewide river conservation coalition Friends of the Rivers of Virginia. Tanger expects increased amount of woody debris for several years.

Even after the temporary increased amounts have subsided, there will be some permanent increase due to the absence of the Pigg River dam, which will now allow woody debris from much further upstream to move downstream toward the lake, Tanger said in an email. Until then, APCo has appropriately increased debris removal efforts.

The dam was removed to help restore the Pigg River, including improving the conditions for fisheries and specifically for the endangered fish species Roanoke logperch, Tanger wrote.

The nonprofit Leesville Lake Association created a debris committee this summer to communicate with APCo, said Jim Weiss, of the committee, who added there currently are nine members.

We formed the committee so we can make sure that AEP is being informed when there is debris and that they are keeping up with their contractual obligations of keeping the lake clean of what seems an increased load, Weiss said.

Since the committee was formed, debris reporting has increased, Weiss said.

We all came to this lake because its beautiful and peaceful and the lifestyle is really close to idyllic, and we want to keep it that way, Weiss said.
Central Virginia residents are invited to a wreath-laying ceremony at noon today at Monument Terrace in Lynchburg in honor of National Purple Heart Day. An official ceremony is not planned for the event, but those who attend are welcome to speak.

National Purple Heart Day, celebrated on Aug. 7 in honor of the medals creation by George Washington on that day in 1782, honors those wounded or killed in service.

Purple Heart lights also will be on display this evening on the 22nd floor of the Bank of the James building in Lynchburg and at Liberty Universitys Freedom Tower.
The Bedford Area Family YMCA is under investigation by the Virginia Department of Social Services following one mothers concerns her daughter may have been shocked by an electrical outlet while at day care there.

Shannon Dominguez said teachers at the Bedford Area Family YMCA day care notified her of an incident report regarding her 3-year-old daughter, Paloma, when picking her up from her last day there July 27. They told her Paloma may have been shocked by inserting keys into an outlet, but no one had witnessed her being shocked, she said. Paloma had told her mother she had screamed, a teacher had told her to stop screaming and then saw she couldn't remove the keys from the outlet, according to Dominguez. She said a YMCA worker had left their keys out, and her daughter was not supervised properly at the time of the incident.

She took Paloma to Bedford Memorial Hospital that day and was told by nurses her daughter's electrocardiogram, or EKG, was normal. After that, she said shespoke with Department of Social Services personnel about the incident. She received a call the following day from a cardiologist who had reviewed the EKG and found an abnormality but later was told that everything was fine after a follow-up examination.

Julie Ferguson, licensing administrator for the Virginia Department of Social Services Piedmont Division Licensing Office, stated Thursday there is an ongoing, complaint-related investigation into the Bedford Area Family YMCA, and the department cant release any more information about it at this point. Any results will be posted on the departments websites once that inspection is complete. According to Ferguson, the inspection in progress is because of a report of alleged violations of licensing standards resulting in the alleged electrical shock of a child.

I just want the problem to be corrected so it doesnt hurt other people, Dominguez said.

Bedford Area Family YMCA officials did not respond to calls seeking comment.

The Virginia Department of Social Services website states in a disclaimer a compliance history is in no way a rating for a facility.

Ferguson stated in an email facilities can report a plan of correction for violations found during investigations, including a date by which the correction will be made. Social Services also can impose administrative sanctions when appropriate in order to ensure prompt correction of violations involving noncompliance with state law or licensing regulation.

Ultimately, any violation of law or standards could initiate an administrative sanction if assessed at a significant level of risk to the health, safety and welfare of a child, Ferguson stated.

Sanctions imposed could be civil penalties or even revocation of a child day center license, according to Cletisha Lovelace, Virginia Department of Social Services public relations and media specialist. The Bedford Area Family YMCA has had no complaint-related inspections in the past five years.
Robert "Bob" Gould, 76, of Forest, Va., stepped into the presence of his Lord and Savior Friday morning, August 4, 2017. He was the husband of Gayle Hogan Gould for twenty years. Bob was born on June 15, 1941, in Jamestown, N.Y., a son of the late Raymond Wolfe Gould and the late Raymonde Elise Uson Gould. He loved teaching middle school science at Jefferson Junior High School in Jamestown, N.Y. and Liberty Christian Academy, was a member of the body of Christ at Thomas Road Baptist Church where he took great pleasure in singing in the choir and participating in the Faith Bible Class. In addition to his wife, Bob is survived by his children, Kathy Killmon and her husband, Dean of Forest, Va., Crista Murphy and husband, Jay of Forest, Va., and Michael Gould and wife, Karin of Austin, Texas.; grandchildren, Elizabeth, Grace and John Riley Killmon of Forest, Va., Amanda, Kelly, Rachel and Jake Murphy of Forest, Va., Madison, Ellie, Joshua and Rebekah Gould of Austin, Texas; great-grandchildren, Karis and Isaac Murphy of Forest, Va.; and a brother, Ronald Gould and wife, Mary of Jamestown, N.Y. After he accepted Christ as His Savior on April 25, 1954, Bob enjoyed serving in the churches he attended in N.Y. and Va., as well as in the community by leading music at various community crusades and rallies, serving as Deacon and Trustee at Hillcrest Baptist Church, beginning a bus ministry and children's church, and completing building projects for those in need. He modeled a life of service that impacted many spiritually, educationally, and physically. His family finds comfort in these words from Romans 8 highlighted in his Bible, "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." A memorial service will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, August 9, 2017, at Thomas Road Baptist Church, Pate Chapel with the Reverend Jonathan Falwell officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. The family requests memorial contributions be made to Faith Comes By Hearing, 2421 Aztec Rd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87107, or at FaithComesByHearing.com. Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family. To send condolences please visit tharpfuneralhome.com
Clinton's scandals are bigger

After more than nine months of wasting taxpayers dollars in a bogus investigation, two things have become abundantly clear: There is not one shred of evidence implicating the Trump administration in collusion with the Russians to alter the election and no outside force changed the outcome.

Even the staunchest Trump haters have been forced to admit this. Hillary Clinton lost because her policies and her criminal behavior were rejected by the American voters. Personally, I would have voted for Attila the Hun in order to keep her out of the White House and prevent her from continuing the insanity of Barack Obamas policies. In my opinion, the blizzard of investigations now being done by Democrats and some feckless Republicans is a direct attempt to interfere with and undermine a duly elected president and treads very close to the line of being sedition. Unfortunately, the mainstream media is playing an active role in this travesty.

I think it is interesting that Democrats and the media had no concern about voter fraud or collusion when they thought Clinton was winning. No problem in the past with the IRS targeting 400 conservative organizations to hamper their fundraising capabilities. No problem in the past with districts where the Republican candidates received not one vote. No problem when Clinton was given a heads up on debate questions prior to a Democratic candidates debate or when the news media consulted with her to insure that her speeches were put in the best light. Obama even joked and made fun of the idea of voter fraud and the possibility of altering the outcome of an election. He called it ridiculous.

All of this changed when Donald Trump was elected.

We are now seeing how much liberals and the press respect the democratic process and the rule of law. Even before Trump was sworn in, liberals were rioting and calling for impeachment. Compare this to the treatment Obama received when he was elected. Conservatives did not set buildings on fire or burn police cars or deny the opposition speaking time on college campuses as liberals are now doing. There were no unruly mobs challenging the police and putting the public in danger.

Yet unbelievably, we elected a man who sat in a church for 20 years listening to a preacher curse, revile and damn this country and whose closest friends were mostly unrepentant America-hating radicals. Frank Marshall Davis, Bill Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, Jeremiah Wright and indeed his own mother and father to name a few. This association alone should have negated any chance of him ever being a presidential candidate and an indication of his true character. If ever a president needed to be investigated it was Obama. Instead, all of this was ignored by a corrupt and agenda-driven media in their haste to elect a historic black president. He was historic all right, about in the same way the Trojan horse was historic to the city of Troy or the way that Vesuvius was historic to the city of Pompeii. Yet he was coddled by the media for eight long years with no calls for investigations and any attempt at inquiry into his somewhat nebulous past were silenced with charges of racism.

Currently we have Sen. Tim Kaine even making suggestions of treason about the Trump administration. I guess it was not treason when Obama released $1.5 billion dollars to the Iranians who, during negotiations, were leading chants of death to America and supplying the devices that were maiming and killing our soldiers. He and his fellow Democrats did not see any treason when Obama skirted the law and gave an additional $400 million in cash to the same people or when he traded five top Taliban commanders for one deserter or commuted the sentence of Chelsea Manning who had revealed military secrets to our enemies. Kaine and his comrade, Sen. Mark Warner, had no problem with Clinton as secretary of state signing off on a deal giving 20 percent of our uranium to the Russians and receiving millions of dollars in donations to the Clinton foundation and a huge speaker honorarium for Bill in return. What hypocrisy!

The only real collusion that currently threatens our country is the collusion between the mainstream media and the Democratic Party. It is indeed a sad day in America when the press can no longer be relied upon to print the truth or overwhelmingly supports one party over another by distorting the facts or outright deception. Only recently three major network reporters (one a Pulitzer Prize winner) resigned (read fired) because they failed to completely vet an article about a Trump supporter. Such behavior is unacceptable and is the real danger to our Republic, not some phony collusion myth invented by Democrats who cant get over losing the election.

EUGENE R. THURSTON JR.

Goode
The labour row pitting the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and security guards it retrenched five years ago is back at the Labour Court with the former employees demanding their dues.



The Supreme Court referred the dispute to the lower court earlier this year to consider whether the salaries and benefits stipulated in the works council agreement concluded in September 2010 encompassed the 153 former security guards.



According to the ruling, if the agreement applied to 153 then the matter should proceed to quantification of the salary and benefits due to each guard in terms of the agreement. The calculation would be from March 1 2009 to the respective date of expiry of each guards employment con- tract.



This followed an appeal against the judgment of the Labour Court setting aside an arbitral award in favour of the guards which upheld their claim for payment of salary arrears and benefits.



Last week Labour Court judge Justice Susan Chivizhe, sitting with Justice Fatima Maxwell, deferred the hearing to allow the parties to lead evidence.



The guards, all former police officers, were employed by the central bank on fixed term contracts renewable every three months. Their contracts ranged from 2007 and 2008 until January and April 2011 when they expired by the passage of time.



The contracts were not renewed because the project for which they were employed was finally wound up in 2011. In the Labour Court, the guards are basing their argument on the arbitral award made on July 28 2010.



In that case, arbitrator Mr Nasho Wilson made an award for 109 workers and ordered RBZ to regularise the workers contracts of employment in line with the multi-currency system prevailing at the time.





The salaries and benefits were to be backdated to March 1, 2009.

Lead guard in the matter Mr Joseph Lungu stated in the papers at the Labour Court that the Supreme Court had confirmed in its judgment the actual position on the case.

Applicants are part of this award as they were represented by the workers committee, he stated.

The Supreme Court judgment recognises that the resolution was intended to address a continuing wrong by respondent (RBZ).





As confirmed by the Supreme Court, applicants (security guards) are entitled to their arrear salaries and benefits as per works council agreement of September 2010.

Mr Lungu further stated that the RBZ could not argue that the guards were not covered by the agreement. He said the works council resolution covered all non-managerial workers of RBZ without discrimination.





The court should therefore find in favour of applicants and respondent must pay the cost of suit at punitive scale of attorney client as a result of its frivolous arguments in this matter.

In its counter-argument, RBZ contends that the arbitrator erroneously applied the terms of the 2010 agreement to the security guards by conflating various claims.





The RBZ argues the 2010 agreement was confined to permanent workers. herald
Having been touched by the rape and callous murder of a woman who was fit to be the accuseds grandmother, Inspector Tendai Nehwangure went out of his way to ensure that the case was investigated and brought before the courts, hence his decision to personally go to Bindura Prison to take the accused for indications, she said.
PRIMARY and Secondary Education Minister Dr Lazarus Dokora has urged school authorities not to chase away pupils from school over non-payment of fees, saying doing so was a curse.



He said parents failing to pay fees must instead provide labour in schools. Dr Dokora made the remarks at Numwa Secondary School in Hwedza last Friday at a function to celebrate bursaries for disadvantaged children.



These children have not committed any crime and are not responsible for their own welfare, said Minister Dokora.



These kids are born to us as a blessing not as curses so we should not quarrel about whether they should be chased away or not. They should be protected and if we dare exclude them from school, we are cursed.



Minister Dokora urged schools to embark on projects that generate money.

We are going all out to empower schools and get more land for agricultural projects because we can do more on that land including looking after these kids, he said.



If there is no money, parents should come and work. Chasing children from school is a thing of the past.



Minister Dokora also urged parents to consider family planning. Before parents plan on having children, first they sit down and plan, including how they will take care of the children. We should also take care of our children during pregnancy by not emotionally troubling their mothers so that they are not born underweight, he said.



The success of our children start from the first meeting when you say we want a child so zvinozobva kupi zvekuti kana mwana ava kuchikoro mozoti ndezvaDokora zvekuchikoro izvo? Ngaangoenda hatibhadhari isu. Wemakuda kuti ngaashungurudzwe ndiyani? Akaita dare rekutanga ndiyani? Hamuchamuda nhasi? Kana vari vana vatakaitira dare rekutanga riya ngatirambe tinavo.





If there is money required at the school, let us pay up but if you do not have please talk to the school heads and come and work at the school, so that our children remain in school and do well. Even God will bless us for such noble initiatives.





Minister Dokora applauded the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) for the support they give to the girl child.





We have heard testimonies from some of the young women today and some of you can witness the assistance given to some of our learners by CAMFED, he said.





Today we acknowledge and celebrate as a ministry a total of 10,6 million pounds as additional investments into education through CAMFED for bursaries to support 23 384 boys and girls in secondary school for three years. This is a build up from previous grants provided in 2012, 2013 and 2016 totalling 29 million pounds sourced through both the country office and the Girls Education Challenge Fund, said Dr Dokora.





CAMFED Country Director Mrs Faith Nkala said: To date, as I speak CAMFED has provided secondary school bursaries and supported more than 83 000 girls in Zimbabwe to go through secondary school and this year alone more than 30 000 of them are in school across 29 districts and eight provinces of Zimbabwe we partner with in this noble job, she said.





We have also learnt that in a context of extreme poverty, economic hardships, drought, and marginalisation, parents often lack the financial means to secure equality and quality education for their children.





Our dual package of financial and social support provides girls and boys with their key needs to access education in a safe and secure environment. herald
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A 30-year-old man has been arrested in the alleged kidnapping of a young British model who thought she was coming to Milan for a photo shoot, but instead was drugged, hustled away in a suitcase, and handcuffed in a house in northern Italy before being released, Milan police said Saturday. Police released a mugshot of the suspect whom they identified as Lukasz Pawel Herba, a Polish citizen with British residency. He was jailed for investigation of suspected kidnapping for extortion purposes, police said. Per the AP, a statement from Milan police headquarters detailed the woman's ordeal. "Attacked, drugged, handcuffed, and closed inside a suitcase, that's how a 20-year-old English model was kidnapped on July 11 in Milan to be sold to the best offer on pornography sites," on the internet, the statement said.

A photographer had booked the session through the model's agent, but as soon as she stepped inside the Milan apartment for the appointment, she was attacked by two men. "The kidnappers loaded the suitcase with the girl [inside] into a car trunk" and drove to a rural home in a hamlet outside Turin, the statement said. In the house, "the model was kept handcuffed to a wooden dresser in a bedroom" until she was released on July 17. The suspect was arrested on July 18, the day after he allegedly released the woman and dropped her off at the British consulate in Milan. Police suspect the Polish man advertised the "sale" of the woman online, while at the same time demanding ransom from the woman's agent of $300,000. An investigation is being conducted in Poland and Britain as well as in Italy. (Read more kidnapping stories.)
A British model allegedly kidnapped by a human-trafficking gang in Italy has shared details of her terrifying ordeal. Chloe Ayling, 20, says she feared for her life "second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour" after being drugged and taken to a remote farmhouse, the Telegraph reports. She says she was attacked by two men after flying to Milan and going to an apartment for a photo shoot. "I think I lost consciousness," she said in a statement to police published in Italian media. "When I woke up I was wearing a pink bodysuit and the socks I'm in now. I realized I was in the [trunk] of a car, with my wrists and ankles tied and my mouth taped. I was inside a bag, with only a small hole that allowed me to breathe."

Ayling says she was tied to a chest of drawers and held captive for six days by the men, who threatened to sell her as a sex slave on the darknet if a ransom wasn't paid, the Guardian reports. She says the kidnappers later realized she was the mother of a young child and told her that kidnapping her had been against their organization's rules. Lukasz Pawel Herba, a Polish citizen with British residency, has been arrested, and police say they're seeking at least one more suspect. "I'm incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release," Ayling said after returning to the UK over the weekend, per People. "I am not at liberty to say anything further until I have been debriefed by the UK police." (Read more kidnapping stories.)
The hot talk of the tech world is a controversial memo written by an engineer at Google who argues women aren't suited to jobs in technology because of biological and psychological differences with men. The document, "Google's Ideological Echo Chamber," is in wide circulation internally and can be read in full at Recode or Gizmodo. Among other things, the lengthy memo says women are more prone to "neuroticism" and can't handle high-stress jobs as well as men. It adds that men dominate engineering because they have a "higher drive for status," and suggests that the gender wage gap is politically correct nonsense, per CNN. On the latter point, the author says women aren't as good as men at leading or negotiating raises. The memo first came to light when Motherboard reported that it had gone viral internally, even while being met with widespread derision.

Google just happens to have a new head of diversity, Danielle Brown, and she issued a memo in response calling out the original because it "advanced incorrect assumptions about gender." At Recode, Kara Swisher writes that it's filled with "sexist twaddle," and a former male senior engineer wrote a post at Medium saying the unidentified author doesn't seem to understand either gender or engineering. "What you just did was incredibly stupid and harmful," adds Yonatan Zunger. "You just put out a manifesto inside the company arguing that some large fraction of your colleagues are at root not good enough to do their jobs." But a former Google engineer tells Motherboard that the author is not alone in his general sentiment. "I feel like there's a lot of pushback from white dudes who genuinely feel like diversity is lowering the bar." (Read more Google stories.)
Surrounded by stone breasts, one mom was pressured to cover up her own. NPR reports on a breastfeeding mother who was asked by a staffer at London's Victoria and Albert Museum to cover up while trying to feed her 1-year-old in a museum courtyard over the weekend. But instead of meekly complying, the woman took to Twitter to vent, noting she was "perplexed" by the request after she "flashed a nanosecond of nipple." "I had been attempting to be discreet and to feed under a cardigan, but with a distracted 1-year-old it can be challenging," the mom so far identified only as @vaguechera tells the BBC. She says even though the museum worker was polite, the entire incident was "intrusive, unpleasant, and embarrassing for me, as well as obviously ludicrous."

Especially considering all of the bare breasts on display throughout the museum, which she pointed out in her next few snarky tweets. "If people really want an eyeful of boob, there are plenty to choose from, mostly far more exquisite than mine and unimpeded by a writhing toddler," she noted, per the Independent. After her tweets, she had to field what she called plenty of "vitriol" online by those who disagreed with her decision to feed her baby in public. The director of the museum eventually apologized via Twitter, tweeting, "Our policy is clear: women may breastfeed wherever they like, wherever they feel comfortable & shld not be disturbed." The museum also offered its mea culpa, adding it has "quiet spaces for those who would prefer privacy." The Guardian notes the museum staffer's request came during World Breastfeeding Week. (Read more breastfeeding stories.)
Western tourists aren't the only ones who occasionally act like idiots in other countries: Two Chinese tourists were arrested in Berlin on Saturday after a police patrol spotted them taking pictures of each other giving the Hitler salute outside the Reichstag, the Telegraph reports. The two men, aged 36 and 49, were detained under a post-1945 law that bans the "flags, insignia, uniforms, slogans, and forms of greeting" of "unconstitutional organizations," like the Nazis, NPR reports. The maximum penalty is three years in prison.

The law is generally used to prosecute far-right groups and it's not clear whether the Chinese visitors would have been aware of it, reports the New York Times. Authorities in Berlin say the men were questioned at a local police station and released after paying bail of around $589 each. A police spokeswoman says it's not clear whether the two men are still in Germany. She says they are allowed to leave the country while the incident is being investigated and even if they are fined, the bail money will probably cover it. (This teenage tourist from China caused outrage with graffiti on an ancient Egyptian temple.)
All that avocado toast the kids are so fond of these days is having a very real effect in the very country where it's long been a staple: The fruit has become so popular worldwide that these days it's impossible for many in Mexico, the world's largest producer, to afford them. International demand for avocados has risen to such high levels that a single kilogram often sells for 80 pesos, equal to Mexico's daily minimum wage, the Guardian reports. "It's a luxury," says one woman who runs a taco stand in Mexico City. Avocado exports now bring in more money to the country than petroleum, per government statistics. Avocados have become such big business, in fact, that growers in the town of Tancitaro have formed an armed vigilante group to protect themselves from criminal cartels.

While some producers claim the jump in prices is due to a 20% decrease in the crop, many experts blame international demand. For example, American consumption of avocados is growing 15% per year. Meanwhile, Mexican consumption continues to drop, even as the country remains the world's biggest per capita consumer of the fruit. Mexico is now considering importing avocados, a prospect once considered unthinkable. It seems laughable, being able to bring in avocados from other areas at a time when we are so successful in exporting [avocados]  but were not ruling it out, said economy secretary Ildefonso Guajardo. (Read more Mexico stories.)
Ernst Zundel, a far-right activist who rose to notoriety over decades of public neo-Nazi activity in Canada and the US before being deported back to his native Germany on Holocaust denial charges, has died at age 78. Media in Canada quoted a statement from his wife, Ingrid Zundel, saying that he died of a heart attack at his home in Baden-Wuerttemberg on Sunday, per the AP. His wife, who lives in the United States, told CTV news she had spoken to her husband "just hours before he passed on and he was as optimistic and upbeat as ever." Born in Germany in 1939, Zundel emigrated to Canada in 1958allegedly to avoid German military serviceand lived in Toronto and Montreal until 2001.

He achieved international notoriety for his neo-Nazi beliefs and writings, including The Hitler We Loved and Why, and operated Samisdat Publishers, a leading distributor of Nazi and Nazi-era propaganda. He also provided regular content for an eponymous far-right website. Canadian officials rejected his attempts to obtain citizenship in 1966 and 1994. After leaving Canada, he moved to Pigeon Forge, Tenn., where he had married fellow right-wing extremist Ingrid Rimland. But in 2003 he was deported back to Canada for alleged immigration violations. After he arrived in Toronto, he was arrested and held in detention until a judge ruled in 2005 that his activities posed a threat to national and international security and he was deported to Germany, where he was being sought for Holocaust denial, which is illegal in the country. He served five years in prison. (Read more Holocaust denier stories.)
A British woman traveling in Brazil took a terrible wrong turn Sunday and ended up getting shot in front of her family. Eloise Dixon, who's reportedly from Kent, was on holiday with her husband and three children in the popular tourist beach town of Angra dos Reis, about 90 miles from Rio de Janeiro, when the family misunderstood directions they received while searching for bottled water and ended up in one of the area's favelas, or slums, the Guardian reports. Authorities say a group of people approached the car and yelled at them to either leave the area or get out of the car, but the family didn't understand the orders and someone opened fire.

Police say Dixon was hit in the abdomen and taken to a nearby hospital, where the medical director reported that the "bullet traveled through her abdomen but luckily didnt hit any major arteries or vital organs, the Independent reports. She's said to be in stable condition. The rest of the family was unhurt. The Agua Santa neighborhood is said to be home to a drug-trafficking gang known as Terceiro Comando Puro, or Pure Third Command. (Read more Brazil stories.)
A little over a month after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the New York City subway, his longtime nemesis in the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio, is proposing a new tax on wealthy New Yorkers to help fix the ailing system. On Monday, de Blasio will announce what the New York Times refers to as a "millionaires tax" to help repair the deteriorating system, which is plagued by delays, mechanical issues, and even derailments, the AP reports. The tax would also subsidize reduced fares for low-income riders. The tax would bump the top income rate from 3.9% to 4.4% for couples who make more than $1 million per year and individuals who make more than $500,000. It would affect just under 1% of people filing taxes in the city.

The new tax proposal could be a hard sell for de Blasio, the Times notes. Cuomo and de Blasio are both under immense pressure to fix the city's aging system, and the two men, who have had an acrimonious relationship since de Blasio took office in 2013, have fought over financing the subway system. The Metropolitan Transit Authority is run by the state, not the city. Since the tax would require approval from the New York State Legislature, de Blasio would likely need Cuomo's help to gain approval from the Republican-controlled Senate. In May the New York Times reported that delays in the subway system had risen to 70,000 per month from about 28,000 in 2012. (Read more Bill de Blasio stories.)
A British man survived for three days in the Australian Outback using techniques he learned watching survival reality shows on television, but authorities say those same techniques nearly prevented him from being rescued. Anthony Collis was traveling with Debbie Blomfield (described in various media as his "partner," "traveling companion," or "girlfriend") through the remote Pilbara region of northwest Australia Thursday, when their car got bogged down in muddy terrain, per the Independent. The two then walked off in separate directions, with the Telegraph noting they'd allegedly had an argument. Blomfield walked for 5 miles before showing up, disoriented and dehydrated, in a mining camp, where she reported Collis missing.

Authorities initiated a search involving planes, helicopters, and aboriginal trackers and quickly found the couple's car and some of Collis' clothes and gear. But officials assumed Collis was dead because he failed to appear on their heat-detecting devices. Little did they know that Collis was undetectable because he'd buried himself in sand and leaves to protect himself from the cold, a trick he says he learned watching British adventurer Bear Grylls on television. Police officers found Collis on Sunday less than 2 miles from his vehicle. During that time Collis survived by eating bugs and flowers, a trick he also learned from Grylls. (Read more Bear Grylls stories.)
Nashville Mayor Megan Barry is back to work Monday, little more than a week after her 22-year-old son died of an apparent drug overdose. In an emotional press conference upon her return, Barry was open about Max's drug use and death, explaining that he had completed a rehab program in Florida last summer, then graduated from the University of Puget Sound earlier this summer. He had just moved to Colorado and gotten a job when he died during a night with friends. "I don't want his death to define his life but we have to have a frank conversation about how he died," Barry said, per the Tennessean. "The reality is that Max overdosed on drugs."

She noted that Tennessee's Davidson County saw 245 opioid-related overdoses last year. It's not yet clear which drugs contributed to Max's death, but Narcan was administered in an attempt to save him. It didn't work, which shows thatthough Nashville officers do carry it with them in case of an overdose"as we continue to think about what we can be doing as a community, it's not that last moment," Barry said. "It's all those moments that come before the Narcan. That's meaning that we have to be more specific about this crisis." Also Monday, Barry published an op-ed in the Tennessean thanking the community for its support after Max's death. (Read more Nashville stories.)
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New Delhi:

The police on Sunday arrested Faizuddin Laskar, a teacher who had posted obscene photographs with his student online. The teacher of the Model High School in Assam allegedly clicked objectionable photos with a minor girl, which were later posted online.



The leader of Opposition in Assam and Congress leader Debabrata Saikia condemned the incident and demanded strict action to be taken by the state government against the teacher. He also attacked the BJP who had launched 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' earlier and said the recent incident has shown improper implementation of the scheme.

ALSO READ: Assam school teacher posts obscene photos with student; no action taken yet



While speaking to ANI, Saikai said "This sort of behaviour is very unfortunate. It is surprising that the state government and education departments have not reacted upon the case. This kind of incident will only further discourage girls from pursuing education. Even the Centre has not reacted upon this. I think the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' will remain as just a slogan, rather than a constructive move."



It is still not clear that who had clicked the photos. However, the background in the photos reveals that they were in the school premises.

ALSO READ | 70% of women who perceive sexual harassment at workplace do not complain: NCW
Ludhiana:

A court in Ludhiana on Monday rejected the anticipatory bail application of actress Rakhi Sawant and issued a fresh arrest warrant against her for failing to appear in the court in a case related to hurting the sentiments of the Valmiki community. Judicial magistrate Vishav Gupta posted the matter for September 5.

Lawyers of Sawant, meanwhile, moved an application in the court of district sessions judge Gurbir Singh seeking extension of the bail on the plea that she could not appear in the court on Monday as she was in USA.

The district sessions judge had on August 5 granted anticipatory bail to the actress on the condition that she would surrender before the trial court on August 7 and furnish surety bonds to the satisfaction of the court.

Advocate Narinder Adiya had filed the complaint against Sawant on July 9 last year, claiming her commentsallegedly made on a private television channelhad hurt the sentiments of the Valmiki community.

The actress had tendered an unconditional apology to the Valmiki community after its members voiced outrage over her alleged remarks.

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New Delhi:

After Bollywood actor Aamir Khan failed to attend the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup Awards due to his ongoing suffering from swine flu, Shah Rukh Khan has appeared as an angel to manage the situation.

The 'Dilwale' actor is even extremely happy after attending the event, organised by the NGO Paani Foundation, in Pune on Sunday which was supposed to be attended by Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao.

Though, unfortunately, Aamir's illness forced him to give a miss to the show, he made his presence count through a Skype chat.

Being excited Shah Rukh took the matter to Twitter and wrote, "Thx Aamir & Kiran for giving me the honour to stand in for u. Devendra Fadnavis, ur concern for farmers is touching."

Thx @aamir_khan & Kiran for giving me the honour to stand in for u. @dev_fadnavis ur concern for farmers is touching pic.twitter.com/lWX3Rh8xIH  Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 6, 2017

While Shah Rukh is all praise being a part of the event Aamir expressed his emotions and sadness over not being a part of the event.

During his skype chat he said, "Its a happy day but we are very sad because after working so hard for a year, when the time came for us to celebrate with you, we got this illness. And the disease we are suffering from is one which spreads rapidly. Its called H1N1 or swine flu in common usage." Apart from the 'PK' actor, Kiran has also been seen in the video who was trying to appear happy in the video.

Also Read: 'Jab Harry Met Sejal': Aamir Khan has high hopes from SRK-starrer

The two Khans of Bollywood have previously set a good example of their friendship and SRK has proved it yet another time when Aamir is really in need. In the past both the actors have been seen attending various events together and also share a nice, cordial relation with each other.

On the work front, while Aamir is busy shooting his upcoming flicks 'Secret Superstar', 'Thugs of Hindostan' and others, Shah Rukh will be next seen romancing Priyanka Chopra in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Gustakhiyan.

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New Delhi:

Three sanitation workers died and one is battling for life at a city-based hospital, after inhaling toxic fumes in a sewer pipe they had gone to clean at Lajpat Nagar in south Delhi on Sunday afternoon.

Police said sanitation workers were engaged in cleaning a line near the Kabir Ram Mandir, when they inhaled toxic fumes which made them unconscious.

According to eyewitness account two labourers got suffocated to death trying to save the first victim.

Police have identified two victims as Joginder, 32, Annu, 28. While the third victim is yet to be identified.

Police said the four after being pulled out from the sewer in unconscious state were rushed to AIIMS for medical attention. The doctors of the hospital announced three to be brought dead and the fourths condition as critical.

One of the the eyewitness said, I rushed to the incident site to see what was wrong. On peeping through the manhole I saw a man lying in unconscious state.

He added that another labourer jumped inside the sewer to help the first victim. Within seconds the second man died of suffocation, added one of the eyewitnesses.

The eyewitness told the media that third victim was on verge of jumping inside the sewer when he was stopped by the crowd there.

According to other eyewitnesses a rope was arranged and so that third rescuer could be pulled out safely in case of any untoward incident but the rescuer did not tie the rope and jumped into the sewer holding the rope. As he moved down within seconds he too was unconscious, said an eyewitness.

People managed to save the fourth rescuer as he was pulled out of the sewer when he showed discomfort signs.

In a similar kind of incident four sanitation workers were suffocated to death in south Delhis Ghitorni last month.

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Lucknow:

In the backdrop of three MLCs recently quitting the party and joining the BJP, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said those who wanted to go, should go without offering any excuse, so that he could ascertain who were with him in bad times.



Referring to the excuses put forward by the three MLCs Bukkal Nawab, Sarojini Agarwal and Yashwant Singhwhile leaving the party, Yadav said, Some people are saying they were feeling suffocated as the atmosphere of the party had gone bad. This should not be an excuse for leaving the party, they should find a better excuse.



Asserting that the party was doing well and a large number of women, farmers and youths had joined it recently, he said, Those who want to leave the party should not give any excuse...they can just leave. In that case, at least I will get to know who are with us during bad times.



The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister was addressing the party workers at the SP headquarters here on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

Suggested read | Amit Shah's Lucknow visit stokes sparks of revolt against Akhilesh Yadav, 2 SP MLCs resign



Yadav said he had paid a visit to Nawab on Eid and had sewai (a sweet dish) with him.



At that time, he (Nawab) had not mentioned that he was planning to leave the party. It has come to our notice that there was some land issue, due to which he was being pressured, he added.



In a dig at Nawab and the BJP, Yadav said, They (BJP) are doing good work. It is ironic that when a person is not in the BJP, he is labelled as a land mafia and when he joins the party, he becomes honest, upright and a gentleman.



On Agarwal, who runs a medical college in Meerut in the name of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, Yadav said he was not aware of what the matter was with her.



There could be a land issue behind it as well, he added. A number of women workers of the SP tied rakhi to Yadav on the occasion.

Suggested read| Akhilesh takes jibe at BJP, says 'pelt stone and poach MLC'

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New Delhi:

A 20-year-old woman abducted by three men in a car was saved by bikers after hearing her cry for help on Sunday late in Delhi.

Delhi police told the media that three men had abducted a girl in a car. The girl cried for help from the running car when her abductors started molesting her.

Bikers having dinner at a road-side stall heard the victims cry for help. After a chase of a few kilometers they managed to force stop the car and rescued the girl, said police.

Police added that two of the abductors were caught by the bikes after a minor scuffle. While, one of the accused managed to escape.

According to police, irate crowd on learning the incident attacked the abductors and torched their car.

One of the girls rescuers, Aman Goyal, told the media that the woman was in state of shock and in semi-conscious state when she was rescued.

The victim lodged a zero FIR at the Begampur police station which was later transferred to Mangolpuri police station as the abduction had taken place there.

An FIR under the IPC sections 354B (use of criminal force on woman with intent to disrobe) and 362 (abduction) against the accused, said DCP (outer) MN Tiwari.

The victim in her complaint told the police that she knew one of the accused who had offered her life. Two other men were sitting in the car whom she did not identify. After moving sometime they started molesting me.

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New Delhi:

The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a high alert regarding possible terror attacks across the nation which might take place ahead of Independence Day and Janmashtami. The nation will witness both festivals on the same day.

The MHA also stated that the Pakistan-based terrorists could enter in Delhi using buses and carry out attacks on the lines of Nice terror attack in France. The MHA also warned, saying that they can use police or Army uniforms to cover their identities.

As per intelligence inputs, the terrorists could disguise themselves in form of beggars and could target metro stations, railway stations and bus stations. The ministry has all asked states to beef up security at the public places.

Also Read | J&K: Terrorist attacks, stone pelting incidents have reduced in 2017, says MHA

The MHA has asked Uttar Pradesh police to enhance its vigil in Mathura on the occasion of Janmashtami.

Also Read: MHA launches Twitter handle to help kin of martyred soldiers

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New Delhi:

Haryana Congress has alleged that the CCTV evidences are being destroyed to protect the BJP Chiefs son, two days after an IAS-officer's daughter accused son of a BJP leader for stalking and trying to kidnap her in a widely-shared Facebook post.

Randeep Singh Surjewala of the opposition Congress said, It is strange that the CCTV cameras placed in high-profile areas were not working. It seems to be a cover-up."

The Congress leader has also accused the BJP of pressurising Chandigarh administration to protect Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barlas son.

The BJP is trying to shield the Haryana state chief's son, who harassed and stalked an IAS officer's daughter, added the Congress leader.

Targeting the Chandigarh police Surjewala said, If a drunken youth or goons chase a girl for seven kilometers, forcibly open the car-door and try to enter the car, is it not the case of abduction and outraging the modesty of a woman?

Also Read | Haryana stalking case: Victim thanks police, says Lucky I'm not common man's daughter'



He added, Why the police have not lodged these offences in the case.

Surjewala of the opposition Congress has also alleged that five of seven CCTV cameras along the road are missing and it indicates an attempt to destroy evidence to save the BJP politician's son.

The two accused are out on bail. The Chandigarh police have only added a "wrongful restraint" charge on original FIR of stalking.

However the Chandigarh police have denied any political pressure.

Also Read | Chandigarh stalking case | Govt must punish guilty, not collude with culprits: Rahul Gandhi



According to reports published in various Chandigarh-based newspapers, the police said that the woman did not refer to kidnapping in her statement before the magistrate.

The girl, a daughter of an IAS officer, had accused that Vikas and his friend Ashish Kumar of allegedly stalking her and tried to abduct her on Friday night after which they were arrested.

The duo have been booked under the section 354D (stalking) of IPC and 185 of the Motor Vehicle Act (driving by a drunken person or by a person under the influence of drugs).

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New Delhi:

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Monday blamed BJP and RSS, saying that these organizations have agenda to erode the autonomous structure of the state.

He said, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has said that she will quit the chair if 35A is removed. I hope she will stand by it.

Reminding attack on Amarnath pilgrims that how people rose overnight, he said it will be a far greater revolt if 35A is removed.

Last month, Farooq Abdullah had said: "Hurriyat has received funds from the central government and it was mentioned in the book of AS Dulat who was former RAW (Research & Analysis Wing) chief.

Agenda of BJP & RSS is to erode the autonomous structure of the state (J&K), that is what their plan is: Former J&K CM Farooq Abdullah pic.twitter.com/XF9NLHqIOQ  ANI (@ANI_news) August 7, 2017

Abdullah had said that he would not like to disclose the names of those who had funded to Hurriyat leaders, but the nation is bearing consequences.

CM (Mehbooba Mufti) has said she will quit the chair if 35A is removed, hope she stands by it: Farooq Abdullah pic.twitter.com/kB6XMSAAmn  ANI (@ANI_news) August 7, 2017

Also Read: Farooq Abdullah says 'Hurriyat has received funds from govt'

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New Delhi:

All 44 MLAs of Gujarat Congress returned to the state from Bengaluru as the Rajya Sabha polls will be held on Tuesday. The party MLAs reached Neejanand Resort in Anand on early Monday morning. The administration has deployed heavy police personnel to ensure the security of MLAs.

Senior Congress leader and MLA Shaktisinh Gohil said that BJP cannot threaten any MLA and horse trading is not possible with those who are with them.

Shailesh Parmar, chief whip of the Congress in Gujarat Assembly, told that Ahmed Patel will meet all the MLAs in the evening.

Ahmed Patel will meet all MLAs at the resort this evening: Shailesh Parmar,Chief whip of the Congress in Gujarat Assembly #RajyaSabhapolls pic.twitter.com/2nKLKHJG6C  ANI (@ANI_news) August 7, 2017

While talking to media, S Singh, SP Anand, informed that they have made sufficient security arrangements at entrance and periphery of the resort to restrict unknown entry.

Have made sufficient security arrangements at entrance&periphery of the resort so there is no unknown intrusion: S Singh, SP, Anand #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/QethsVLAwz  ANI (@ANI_news) August 7, 2017

Also Read: Ahead of Rajya Sabha polls, Amit Shah holds meeting with party leaders in Gujarat

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New Delhi:

On August 5, BJP Haryana president Subhash Barala's son Vikas Barala was arrested along with a friend by Chandigarh police on charges of stalking a girl, daughter of a senior Haryana cadre IAS officer, who shared her traumatic experience in a Facebook post.



Vikas and his friend Ashish were later released on bail.



Now, the girl and her father have taken to Facebook to tell their side of the story.

Describing the incident, the girl's father wrote on Facebook, "If we do not persist in trying to bring the guilty to justice, more and more daughters will suffer this hurt. Chandigarh police was pretty efficient and helpful. They intercepted the goons, were responsive to Varnika's distress calls, and were neutral in filing the complaint."



He stated how his family is going through "horrendous experience" and that it will take a long time for his daughter "to go back to a normal life."



"We are thankful that she survived this ordeal. The goons had a very clear intention of abducting her, and she escaped due to her courage and presence of mind, but it was a very close call, and her trauma is unimaginable. I suppose it will take her a long time to go back to a normal life," the post read.



"Our clear intention is to bring the culprits to book," said Virender Kundu, the father of the girl Varnika Kundu, on being asked the reason for writing the Facebook post.



Meanwhile, the BJP state unit is strongly defending Vikas.



"The girl should not have gone out at 12 in the night. Why was she driving so late in the night? The atmosphere is not right. We need to take care of ourselves." the state unit told a private news channel on Monday.



Both Vikas, an LLB student, and his friend Ashish were booked under section 354 D (stalking) of IPC and 185 of the Motor Vehicle Act (driving by a drunken person or by a person under the influence of drugs), the police said.

Also read: Haryana: BJP state president Barala's son arrested for stalking a girl in Chandigarh



Chandigarh stalking case: Cong alleges police trying to save Haryana BJP chiefs son

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New Dlehi:

A major untoward incident has been thwarted by joint security forces in Mumbai by unearthing huge cache of explosive materials from the metro citys Thane area on Monday.

Security forces have recovered huge cache of Ammonium Nitrate and have arrested three people in connection to the recovery.

Security forces believe that terrorists were planning a major attack before or during Independence Day.

A senior police official part of the raiding team not authorised to talk to the media said that the raids were made on specific intelligence inputs.

The official further added that Mumbai Crime Branch, Railway Police and Maharashtra Anti-terrorist Squad (ATS) was part of the raiding team.

According to sources, the raids were conducted after surveillance and intelligence input was received by the Crime Branch, Railway Police and the Maharashtra ATS. The police have seized ammonium nitrate and nine detonators in the raids.

The officer further added that Ammonium Nitrate is used to make improvised explosive devices (IED) and the bomb-making explosive material is usually used by terrorists and Maoists to make bombs.

The officer further added that Ammonium Nitrate has been used in several blasts in Mumbai earlier.

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New Delhi:

The Indian Army gunned down one terrorist in encounter in Samboora area of Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on early Monday morning. The Pakistani terrorist was identified as Umer of Abu Ismail group.

The encounter began between security forces and militants at 10:30 pm on late Sunday night.

Jammu and Kashmir DGP SP Vaid informed that one Pak LeT terrorist was killed in the encounter while 1-2 terrorists managed to escape from the spot. One terrorist got injured, he said.

Vaid said it is the strong resolve of security forces to rid Kashmir from menace of terrorism.

On the other hand, the Pakistani Army violated the ceasefire by firing at Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said.

Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire in the Baba Khori belt of Naushera sector, Deputy Commissioner of Rajouri Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said.

#UPDATE In the encounter one Pakistani LeT terrorist Umer of Abu Ismail group killed in Samboora #JammuAndKashmir  ANI (@ANI_news) August 7, 2017

According to reports, the Pakistani troupes resorted to shelling and firing in forward areas. Pakistan violated the ceasefire by firing at Indian posts along the LoC in the Kalsia belt of Rajouri district on July 31.

On July 30, Pakistani forces had violated the ceasefire by firing from light weapons and medium machine guns in the Baba Khori belt of Naushera sector.

Also Read | J&K: Army kills terrorist in Anantnag encounter, body recovered

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New Delhi:

Indian security forces foiled a major infiltration bid in Jammu and Kashmir's Machil sector on Monday. The forces have reportedly shot five terrorists down and have recovered five weapons.



Operations are still on. More details awaited.



In the morning, Indian Army gunned down one terrorist in an encounter in Samboora area of Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani terrorist was identified as Umer of Abu Ismail group.



The encounter began between security forces and militants at 10:30 pm on late Sunday night.

Jammu and Kashmir DGP SP Vaid informed that one Pak LeT terrorist was killed in the encounter while 1-2 terrorists managed to escape from the spot. One terrorist got injured, he said.



Vaid said it is the strong resolve of security forces to rid Kashmir from menace of terrorism.



On the other hand, the Pakistani Army violated the ceasefire by firing at Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said.



Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire in the Baba Khori belt of Naushera sector, Deputy Commissioner of Rajouri Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said.



According to reports, the Pakistani troupes resorted to shelling and firing in forward areas. Pakistan violated the ceasefire by firing at Indian posts along the LoC in the Kalsia belt of Rajouri district on July 31.

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New Delhi:

Noted economist Rajiv Kumar who is now the new Vice Chairman of Niti Aayog on Sunday said that he is looking forward to serve the country as the new Vice Chairman of Niti Aayog.

"Look forward to serve the nation with my role @nitiaayog @pmoindia," Kumar tweeted.

In another tweet, Kumar said, "With India's simultaneous triple transition-social, political and economic-well on course, our country will be global exemplar@Niti Aayog." "Structural reforms by Govt are generating inflection point for India to achieve growth trajectory @NITIAayog will further contribute to this," he added.

Rajiv Kumar was named as the new Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog on Saturday, five days after the incumbent Arvind Panagariya announced that he would quit to return to academics.

The government also appointed Dr Vinod Paul, a pediatrician at the AIIMS, as a member of the NITI Aayog, an official spokesman said.

Kumar, who holds a DPhil in economics from Oxford and a PhD from Lucknow University, is a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR).

Earlier, he was Secretary General of the FICCI and had also served as Director and Chief Executive of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).

He was a member of the National Security Advisory Board between 2006 and 2008.

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New Delhi:

A Pakistani origin woman Qamar Mohsin claimed that she has been tying Rakhi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for over 20 years. "This time I thought PM Modi must be busy but two days back he called up, I was very happy to know that; started preparing for Raksha Bandhan, said the Pakistan lady to ANI.

Qamar met a man who would go on to become her 'brother' with whom she has been celebrating Raksha Bandhan every year for the last 36 years. "I met him during one of my visits to Delhi with my husband who is a painter. His nature is very nice. He would often meet me, hit me on my back with love and ask 'Kaisi ho behan'. I have been tying him rakhi for past 36 years," she narrates.

Qamar's rakhi brother who was an RSS worker when she first tied him rakhi is now the Prime Minister of India.

She returned to India from Pakistan after her marriage and has been living here since then. She also said that two days back she received a call from her brother Prime Minister Modi.

"When I first tied rakhi to Narendra Bhai, he was a Karya Karta but with his sheer hard work and vision he has become the PM," said an excited Qamar.

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New Delhi:

Today, on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be hosting very special guests from the city of Lord Krishna, Vrindavan.



PM Modi has invited widows from the holy city of Vrindavan to tie rakhi on his wrist at his official residence. The widows have been living in ashrams in Vrindavan and Varanasi.



The widows say unanimously that it will be a dream come true for them and that they have been preparing special rakhis for their brother Modi ji. They also have high hopes that the Prime Minister will take concrete steps for their welfare.



The invitation from Mr. Modi is a rare honour for these widows who have been living a life in penury, shunned by their kin and cut off from the mainstream. This bonding between the widows and Mr. Modi would mark the beginning of a new era, said Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh International who will accompany these widows to 7 LKM.



A special programme was organised at the five-century-old Gopinath temple in Vrindavan, where rakhis were packed in beautifully decorated baskets carrying sweets.



Widows living in Vrindavan's 'Meera Sahabhinini' ashram made a major contribution in the making of these scared threads.



Around 1,500 hand-made rakhis would be given to the prime minister.



94-year-old Manu Ghosh, while showing a rakhi carrying a picture of the prime minister, said, "I have made this rakhi with my own hands and I am very excited to tie it on the prime minister's wrist."



Vineeta Verma, the vice-president of the organisation, said, "A green signal has been received from the Prime Minister's Office. A team of these women and social workers will be leaving for Delhi today."

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New Delhi:

In yet another act of provocation by the Chinese media, Peoples Daily has issued a fresh warning to India. The daily has said that India should not underestimate Chinas resolve to defend its territorial sovereignty.



The write-up carrying the warning has byline of Zhong Sheng. Peoples Daily has charged Indian troops of crossing the China-India border in the Sikkim sector into the Chinese territory terming it totally illegal.



The daily further said China will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate and lawful rights and interests.



The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had on August 2 issued an endorsed paper titled The Facts and Chinas Position Concerning the Indian Border Troops Crossing of the China-India Boundary in the Sikkim Sector into the Chinese Territory giving its side of the story.



According to the paper, Indian troops crossed the border on June 18 and illegally stayed in Chinese territory.



However, the daily didnt concede that the area in question is a disputed one between Bhutan and China and that China had moved to disrupt the status quo in violation of a 2012 agreement between India and China. The agreement was regarding tri-party discussion in issues related to tri-junction boundary points between India, China and third countries like the one in Doklam.



The article said Indian move can be defined as illegal and that it aims at making trouble. It mentioned a convention signed between Britain and China relating to Sikkim and Tibet and said that according to that convention, Doklam was indisputably Chinese territory.



It alleged that India made pretexts to justify its illegal action since the incident of border crossing broke out and also said that Indias security concerns over Chinas road-building activity are ill-founded.



It said that Indias claim that Dokalam is a disputed area between China and Bhutan is against the truth and law. The Doklam area has all along been part of China and under Chinas continuous and effective jurisdiction. There is no dispute in this regard, it said, adding that India had no right as a third party in the equation to make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan.



It said that Indias position posed a challenge to the sovereignty and independence of Bhutan.



China and India ought to sign a new boundary convention in their own names to replace the 1890 Convention, said the daily.



The Dokalam stand-off started in mid-June when India accused China of constructing a road in the disputed territory towards Doklam Plateau which was also raised by the Royal Bhutanese Army.



The impasse continues and the situation between India and China remains tense.

Also read: Doklam standoff: India-China may soon enter into full-scale war; Washington will support New Delhi, says Meghnad Desai

Doklam | India should show willingness for peace through deeds: China

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Bridgewater:

Vice President Mike Pence has pushed back against a news report suggesting he is laying the groundwork for a possible presidential bid in 2020 if President Donald Trump does not run.

In a statement released by the White House, Pence said yesterdays story in The New York Times is disgraceful and offensive to me, my family, and our entire team. He added that the allegations in this article are categorically false.

The formal rebuttal of a news report by the vice president was an unusual move. In it, Pence also said his team will focus all our efforts to advance the presidents agenda and see him re-elected in 2020.

The report details efforts of several Republicans looking ahead to 2020, calling it a shadow campaign. It notes Pences political schedule and active fundraising, though it also says unnamed advisers have signaled that hed only run if Trump doesnt.

The article noted Pence has set up a fundraising committee. Called the Great America Committee, it can accept checks of up to USD 5,000 from individual donors. Pence raised about USD 1 million at a Washington fundraiser last month, attended by dozens of lawmakers and featuring remarks from White House adviser Ivanka Trump.

Also Read | US President Trump to attend ASEAN, APEC summits: Pence

Trump has not suggested he wont seek a second term. But his first six months in office have been turbulent, marked by staff infighting, legislative struggles and a series of investigations.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway also dismissed the report and said Pence is readying to run in 2020 for re-election as vice president.

Vice President Pence is a very loyal, very dutiful, but also incredibly effective vice president, and active vice president, with this president, said Conway on ABCs This Week. He is a peer to the president in the West Wing.

Also Read: Mike Pence visits Japan to reaffirm ties as North Korea tensions rise

New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said in an emailed statement: We are confident in the accuracy of our reporting and will let the story speak for itself.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

A 28-year-old doctor from Kerala has been arrested by the United States police for groping a minor girl sitting beside him in a United Airlines flight bound to New Jersey. While, the accused doctor has denied all allegations.

U.S. media reported that the 16-year-old girl was travelling alone on July 23 and was asleep on the flight. When a strangers hand on her thigh awakened her.

Washington Post reported that the Indian man has been identified as Vijakumar Krishnappa, sitting next to her removed his hand as she woke up.

The newspaper quoting the federal court complaint wrote, the teenager went back to sleep but few minutes after woke up again and founf the man was groping her.

The newspaper wrote that the girl complained the incident to the airline crew.

According to the newspaper article the girl on landing at the Newark Liberty Airport called her parents and detailed the incident. On the mean time the accused left the airport.

The girls family has also filed a complaint against the United Airlines for neglecting to detain the accused.

The incident is being handled by FBI. The agency has charged Krishnappa with criminal sexual contact.

According to US media reports Krishnappa was charged in the federal court of Newark.

According to media report Krishnappa has been released on bond and has been placed with electronic monitoring. The court has directed him not to contact with minors while the criminal case is pending.

While, Krishnappas court-appointed attorney, John Yauch, told the media that his client adamantly denies the charges and deserves to be considered an innocent man.

The doctor's court-appointed attorney, John Yauch, told the Post that his client "adamantly denies the charges and deserves to be considered an innocent man."

Krishnappa is studying medicine in the United States.

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
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STAMFORD  Consulting a range of companies in recent years, Hugh Seaton saw his clients had the right instructional materials for their employees. But they lacked systems to keep them on track.

A Stamford native with more than two decades in advertising and marketing, Seaton, 45, said he has found the answer in the palm of his hand. Launched in February, his digital HR startup Aquinas Training has developed an app that allows firms to send smartphone notifications to employees to review their professional learning. Seaton believes companies using the app would have a tool to support employees efforts to retain new material.

Almost all training right now is still a guy or woman in front of you talking about it, Seaton said in a recent interview. You have a huge issue. Once you do this, thats it  unless its reinforced.

As a branding consultant, Seaton noticed companies would launch professional-development initiatives but would not follow up on initial events such as workshops. The lack of practice would then compound inherent limits to retaining knowledge. Research cited in publications such as Learning Solutions Magazine has found people forget within a week an average of 90 percent of new information.

The point of having an outside company is youre benefiting from the other tens of thousands of people using the product, Seaton said. It becomes more powerful, the more people who use it.

Seaton also cited the customization options of the Aquinas app, which he said would work well for training tied to leadership, management, compliance and sales. Managers could choose the times their staff would receive push notifications on their phones. They might decide, for instance, to schedule a 9 a.m. reminder including a link to a quiz.

If its relevant to what you know is about to happen, youll pay more attention to it, Seaton said. To the degree we can be more relevant, people will read it and apply the training and learn it.

Aquinas is working with three clients, with PayPal the most prominent partner so far.

We opted to try the Aquinas system because we appreciate the value of reinforcement in learning and retention  particularly something that is light touch, available to the learner when they need it and easy to administer, said Stephen Dornsife, of PayPals Learning and Organizational Development team.

For this year, Aquinas is focusing on push-notification and text-message reminders. But Seaton said he sees potential in other platforms such as augmented and virtual reality and voice technology similar to the Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa and Google Home services.

As a small company with big ambitions, its smart to understand where you might go and how you might stay ahead of the competition, Seaton said.

Aquinas consists of a seven-person team whose members are mostly based in Connecticut. It is headquartered on Stamford Avenue in the citys Shippan section.

By running local hackathons and other nonprofit technology initiatives, Seaton said he has been able to find the talent he needs to build his firm. A Stamford resident, his experience includes a total of about nine years in several stints in advertising positions in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Stamford is a fantastic place to start a company, Seaton said. The amount of money you need to get rolling and stay rolling here is an order of magnitude less than New York. You can benefit from whats in New York without having to live there.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; Twitter: @paulschott
BETHEL  A local Girl Scout will showcase the video she made for her Gold Award project at an upcoming event through the Bethel Historical Society.

Rachel Salvador, an Ambassador Girl Scout with Bethel Girl Scout Troop 50610, created a short film, Connecting with History, as part of an effort to help children relate to the history around them. Salvador earned the Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting, for the project.
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NEW FAIRFIELD  A Guatemalan-born man who faces deportation Aug. 17 has applied for asylum in the United States, saying he fears for his life if he returns to the Central American country.

Joel Colindres, 33, came to the U.S. in 2004. He has since married an American woman and has two American-born children.

Colindres and his wife, Samantha, were joined at their New Fairfield home on Monday afternoon by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Elizabeth Esty, who both voiced their support for his effort to gain permanent residency.

We are fighting for this family because they are the poster child for why the Trump Administrations deportation policies are irrational and cruel, Blumenthal said outside of the Colindres home. The thought of this family being ripped apart is gut-wrenching and heartbreaking.

Both federal lawmakers said Colindres needs more time in the United States to present his case for asylum  on the grounds that he would fear for his safety in danger in Guatemala  and to argue that his marriage to an American entitles him to stay.

Theres really no justification to deport him right now, when hes got two independent very strong claims to make, Esty said. Thats cruel and it doesnt reflect the values we believe in as Americans to keep families together.

He deserves his day in court ,a chance to make both of these claims, and were hopeful that theyll be able to do that, Esty said.

Samantha Colindres said Monday that each day brings a wave of emotions.

A day like today brings some hope when you have everybody here, she said. Were not going to stop fighting for him, for whats right and for him to stay here for us.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Shawn Neudauer said in an email Monday that the agency had no new information about Colindres case.

On July 20, Colindres was told during a meeting with ICE that he has to leave the country by Aug. 17.

Colindres said that when he came to the United States in 2004, a mix-up with paperwork led him to miss a court date that year, resulting in an order for his removal. The order has created a barrier for him to receive legal status based on his 2010 marriage.

In May, Colindres attorneys filed a request for a waiver from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, which if approved could help him get legal status.

Colindres attorney, Erin ONeil-Baker, has said that since Colindres has a removal order, he cant get permanent residency and, if he leaves the country, wont be able to return for 10 years. If the waiver is granted, she said, it means in essence that it has been excused or forgiven. She added that it can take six to nine months for USCIS to decide on the waiver.

Last week, O-Neil-Baker filed the application for asylum. She said Monday an asylum application can take 18 months to two years to be resolved. She has also filed an application for a stay of his removal.

Also last week, Esty, Blumenthal and U.S. Sen. Christopher Murphy wrote to federal immigration authorities asking that ICE give a stay of Colindres deportation full and fair consideration.

About 100 people gathered in Hartford on July 27  the same day that Colindres had to show ICE officials that he had bought a plane ticket  to demand that he be allowed to stay in the country.
Want to start a business and avoid having to lease commercial space and take out massive business loans? Well, thanks to the internet, there are several online businesses that you can start with very little to no money.

In order to help you find the right opportunity for yourself, I spoke with eight successful entrepreneurs, asking them to provide me with their best home-based business idea. Use these suggestions to find an online business opportunity that interests you.

1. Blogger.

If you are very passionate about a particular topic or subject, start a blog. There are several ways you can monetize it if you build a loyal audience, and the only way to accomplish this is by truly understanding the subject matter. When you combine passion and knowledge, you position yourself as an expert on the subject, attracting loyal readers. From there, you can monetize through advertisements or by selling your own products or service. -- Andrea Anaya, Founder of Boom Seminars

Related: 8 Reasons a Powerful Personal Brand Will Make You Successful

2. Social media consultant.

Social media has become such a viable outlet to attract new customers and promote your business, requiring more full-time attention than it did in the past. I see several older companies that havent quite yet grasped the concept, proving there is a large demand for social media savvy experts to come in and take the reins. For Millennials especially, a social media marketing consultant is an online home business that has the potential to be fun as well as financially rewarding. -- Evan Haines, Co-Founder of Alo House Recovery Centers

3. Search engine optimization (SEO) consultant.

As a small business owner who understands the importance of organic website traffic, there are two things I can tell you about search engine optimization. First, most small business owners are already spread very thin handling multiple responsibilities, so there isnt time to spend on SEO. Second, there are far more bad SEO companies out there than good ones. If you have the knowledge and skills, there are endless customers available. -- Mark Mason, CEO of Breckinridge Heating and Cooling

4. Website designer and developer.

As more entrepreneurs are starting online businesses, there is an increased demand for freelance website designers and developers who are capable of delivering attractive and functional websites at a lower price point than offered by larger agencies. If I could offer one piece of advice for those interested in pursuing this, it would be to build a couple websites for local businesses for free. This gives you a portfolio that you can use to sign new clients, and local raving fans of your work will provide priceless word-of-mouth advertising for you. -- Maxinder Soni, CEO of Zooomr

Related: How to Start a Business With (Almost) No Money

5. Affiliate marketer.

Affiliate marketing is an online career that has unlimited scaling potential. You will need to find an offer and traffic source that converts, but once you have a winning combination, its easy to scale your efforts. With e-commerce giants like Amazon implementing affiliate programs, it isnt long before even more traditional industries like ours begin to roll out programs that award online promoters and marketers. With a steep learning curve, this is a path that is best taken by someone with some testing and development capital available. -- Ryan Hulland, President of Netfloor USA

6. Freelancer content writer.

As content marketing evolves, the demand for quality writers has skyrocketed along with their fees, and I see that demand continuing to increase over the next several years. If you have excellent writing skills, matched with a full understanding of grammar and the different types of content businesses utilize, then a very rewarding career can be started with literally a laptop and internet connection. You can begin to source clients immediately through various freelancer marketplaces. -- Kris Lippi, Owner of Get LISTED Realty

7. Virtual assistant.

Thanks to the internet, business has shifted from 9 to 5 Monday through Friday to 24/7, 365 days a year. Simply put, businesses need more help these days, and many are turning to virtual assistants to help their businesses flourish. Its quite possible to work full-time for one business owner, spread your availability across several businesses or work on a limited part-time schedule. There's no shortage of companies looking to hire VAs, and its a career you can start with little to no startup costs. -- Johnny Carpet of Dallas Flooring Warehouse

Related: Habits of the World's Wealthiest People (Infographic)

8. Drop shipping reseller.

One of the most popular e-commerce trends is to build a drop shipping business. If you do it right, it can be a viable source of income that can grow along with your efforts, including larger product lines and multiple stores. You can get up and running thanks to options like Shopify, giving you access to pre-built e-commerce themes designed to provide pleasant user experiences on all types of devices and easy to manage on the back end. -- Jake Braun, Co-Founder of Kapok Marketing

Related:



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


This week, President Trump said he supports a Senate bill to curb legal immigration to the United States. The legislation, a revised version of an immigration-reform bill introduced in February, would give priority to high-skilled, English-speaking immigrants.

For me, the news hit especially close to home.

My parents landed in the United States in the early 1960s. Like hundreds of thousands from Cuba, they did so to escape the heavy-handed regime of Fidel Castro. With little money and no formal education but a few life-learned skills under their belts, they survived in a strange land where they did not speak the language and knew only a few family members.

Related: 4 Reasons Why Immigrants Are Essential for Entrepreneurship

They moved to an area of New Jersey where other Cubans had fled, and they banded together with other Spanish speakers. Eventually, they met, married and raised four children on modest means and a backbreaking work ethic.

While Dad spoke broken English at best when he arrived. Mom spoke none. As a young boy I remember people giving her the stink eye or poor customer service while she tried her hardest to convey what she needed. Some told her, "If youre in America, speak English.

These comments sometimes made her cry but never broke her spirit. Her inability to speak English was in no way a reflection of her character or work ethic, nor was it a political statement or a lack of love for her new country. Mom believed strongly in the American dream and was determined to see it come to fruition for herself and her family.

Early on, Mom was a cleaning lady. She recently retired as a senior manager overseeing major projects and a staff of more than 70. Today, Im proud to say that she is a competent English speaker. Though sometimes when she tries to pronounce certain words we kids get a good laugh, Mom faced her challenges head on and carved out a decent life for her family.

Related: The Immigrant Entrepreneurs Behind Major American Companies (Infographic)

Mom's bilingual skills came in handy as she climbed the career ladder to eventually oversee a crew of cleaners. They, like her, came to this country with low skills and unable to speak the dominant language.

My parents are the immigrants many of Trumps supporters would like to ban from entering this country. Mom and Dad may have been stopped at the border if this bill been law when they fled Cuba for freedom.

Because of my parents resilience and perseverance, their American children now have a much easier life.

I was able to attend Parsons, one of the countrys foremost design schools. From there, I had a two-decade career as a designer for some of the worlds most successful luxury brands. A few years ago, after a trip my partner and I took around the world, I launched Bixbee, a backpack and accessories company for kids.

Because of my own familys struggles and their belief that an education helps pave the way to big dreams, it was important to create a company that gives back. Since our launch, weve donated tens of thousands of backpacks to kids in the United States and around the world. Providing kids in need with an opportunity for an education is my way of helping them achieve their own dreams and part of the American dream my parents taught us to believe in.

Related: Here's How to Fix the H-1B Visa Program to Drive Startup Growth

Mine is one story of millions. America was, after all, built on the trials and triumphs of immigrations, many of whom were unable to speak English and came to this country with little more than an unshakable work ethic. Its in our national DNA and has made this country so great from its beginning.

Ill be the first to admit that our current system is far from perfect. But in the course of trying to fix it, lets not forget that most who cross our borders are more than just workers. They are liberty-loving risk takers who, like my parents, came here to create a better life for themselves and their families.

As Robert F. Kennedy once said, Neither race nor place of birth should affect their chances.

Related:

A First-Generation American Entrepreneur Reflects on the Immigration Proposal That Would Have Barred His Parents

Will Entrepreneurship Make You Rich? A Realistic Perspective.

Super Bowl Advertisers Struck Political and Social Undertones



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


Have you ever tried to tell a whole story in 140 characters or less? That's how short a tweet on Twitter must be (with recent changes) if you want to leave room for others to share and comment.

Related: Without Twitter's 140 Character Limit Brevity Is No Longer the Soul of Wit

Now, I have no problem speaking for an hour with zero preparation, and when I do, I get rave reviews from audiences. But when I delivered a 15 minute TEDx talk, I spent two months preparing and still didn't deliver as well as I'd wanted. Delivering an effective message that will influence others in 140 characters is tough work. This is especially true when the products and services you offer are complicated. Take business accounting services, for example.

"Accounting is not known for its simplicity," Brad Hanks, VP of growth at accounting software startup, ZipBooks, told me. "Debits and credits can get messy, and content marketing is hard to master in general, let alone when [you're] trying to reach potential clients on Twitter."

For those of you trying to shrink your tweets, or tighten any other writing you do, here are some tips to help you get your point across in short order.

1. Say it once.

Redundancy in writing is a common problem, but it's easy to fix. Here's an example:

Original tweet: We put your data in the cloud, so you can access it online whenever you want.

Revised tweet: We put your data in the cloud, so you can access it whenever you want.

Comment: We already know the cloud is online, so remove "online" to conserve precious characters.

Related: Twitter Might Be Expanding Its 140 Character Limit - Sort Of

2. Get to the point.

Simplicity keeps your sentences short and clear. Here's how the former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, tweeted his support of the Paris Agreement.

Original tweet: So much for the idea that protecting the environment kills jobs. CA leads in job growth, pumping up the US economy.

Comment: For someone nicknamed "The Terminator,, this goes on far too long. He could have gotten the same point across faster and better:

Revised tweet: Protecting the environment creates job. CA leads growth in jobs AND regulations.

3. Get rid of intensifiers.

Adverbial intensifiers, like "very," add emphasis to an adjective. Stephen King (whose book On Writing is a must-read for writers, even if you don't like anything else King has written) said, "The road to hell is paved with adjectives," so let's get rid of those as well while we're at it. I admire the work of expert writer Darren Rowse over at @problogger, so I dug through Rowse's Twitter feed to test a hypothesis. As I suspected there was not an intensifier to be found.

4. Cut filler words.

Including such phrases as "it is," "there are," etc., adds no meaning. See how a small tweak can jazz up a tweet from @SteveKrak (formerly of CNN and TheBlaze):

Original tweet: BREAKING: Comey statement confirms whatever it is you personally believed about President Trump before the statement was released.

Revised tweet: BREAKING: Comey statement confirms what you believed about President Trump before the statement was released.

William Zinsser, the author of On Writing Well, wrote, "Look for the clutter in your writing and prune it ruthlessly. Be grateful for everything you can throw away."

5. Don't "think," don't "believe." Just say it.

Avoid phrases like "I think," "I believe," etc. These words are unnecessary. If you're saying it, people assume that you've thought about it and that you believe it, unless, of course, you're a politician.

6. Stay active.

Active voice keeps your tweets short and sweet because it's clear right away who's doing what. Keeping verbs active is a great way to communicate the same amount of information with fewer characters.

Original tweet: Customers with questions can be helped by Mary.

Revised tweet: Mary can help customers with questions.

In the second version, Mary is actively helping customers with questions. Mary is active. So, be like Mary.

7. Use contraction subtraction.

Even if you save only a couple of characters by using contractions, you'll have that much more room to respond and retweet your tweets. If it fits your brand, you can also use shorteners, like "w/" instead of "with" and "&" instead of "and."

Original tweet: The Cleveland Cavaliers are not out of the running yet!

Revised tweet: The Cleveland Cavaliers aren't out of the running yet!

Related: 10 Quick Tips for Better Business Writing

If you want to have an outsized influence on others, learn to be concise. Albert Einstein said, "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." Brevity is difficult, yet with the limited space on social media, it's more important than ever that you hook your audience in the few seconds -- and characters -- you have.

Related:

Why is it too Early to Write off Prashant Kishor's Charisma

Having Trouble Saying What You Want to Say? 7 Ways to Cut Your Twitter Characters.

Discovery Responds To Tweeters Who Are Pissed That Michael Phelps Wasn't Eaten By a Shark



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


TORONTO, Aug. 4, 2017 /CNW/ - (TSX: KFS, NYSE: KFS) Kingsway Financial Services Inc. ("Kingsway" or the "Company") today announced it will release its financial results for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2017 after the market closes on Monday, August 7, 2017.

Kingsway's management will also host a conference call to provide an investor update the following morning (Tuesday, August 8, 2017) at 8:45 a.m. ET. The purpose of the call is to serve as a mid-year update on the Company between its Annual Shareholder Letter and the Company's planned Investor Day in November. Kingsway intends to make its discussion materials available to shareholders in advance of the conference call. These materials will be found on Form 8-K, which can be accessed on the Canadian Securities Administrators' website at www.sedar.com and on the EDGAR section of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov, or through the Company's website at www.kingsway-financial.com.

Conference Call Details

Date/Time: Tuesday, August 8, 2017  8:45 a.m. ET

Participant Dial-In Numbers: (United States): 877-407-5976 (International): 412-902-0031

To access the call, please dial-in approximately five minutes before the start time and, when asked, provide the operator with passcode "Kingsway."

Webcast

The call will also be simultaneously webcast over the Internet via the Investor Relations section of Kingsway's website or by clicking on the conference call link: http://kingsway-financial.equisolvewebcast.com/inv-update.

About the Company

Kingsway is a holding company functioning as a merchant bank with a focus on long-term value-creation. The Company owns or controls subsidiaries primarily in the insurance, extended warranty, asset management and real estate industries and pursues non-control investments and other opportunities acting as an advisor, an investor and a financier. The common shares of Kingsway are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "KFS."

Additional Information

Additional information about Kingsway, including a copy of its 2016 Annual Report and filings on Forms 10-Q and 8-K, can be accessed on the Canadian Securities Administrators' website at www.sedar.com, on the EDGAR section of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov or through the Company's website at www.kingsway-financial.com.

SOURCE Kingsway Financial Services Inc.

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WASHINGTON >> Fewer flights were on time and consumer complaints about airlines rose in May, according to the latest government figures .

The Transportation Department said Friday that 79.1 percent of flights on the 12 largest U.S. airlines arrived on time in May, down from 83.4 percent in May 2016.
As the legal process proceeds for a Milford restaurant owner suspected of using zapper software to shield $80,000 in receipts from Connecticut sales taxes, retailers and other companies face a major change this fall.

State authorities hope the change will bring to light as much as $200 million more in delinquent taxes each year that travel straight from cash tills into the pockets of proprietors without the state collecting its cut.

Starting in October, the state Department of Revenue Services will set the clock at two years to renew sales tax permits it issues from that point forward, jettisoning the current five-year renewal period. The shortened time frame will allow DRS to deny a new permit to taxpayers in arrears.

It is all part of a Connecticut effort to plug leaks in its revenue pipeline, with the state addressing both mom-and-pop stores and big dotcoms like Amazon and Airbnb, which both acceded state demands that they collect sales taxes at the point of sale.

Speaking in April in Hartford, DRS Commissioner Kevin Sullivan told legislators Connecticut has a $200 million sales-tax gap, representing collections it could use to finance government operations, whether the result of tax cheats or proprietors failing to meet their obligations for other reasons.

Either way, Sullivan expects the new permit schedule to pay immediate dividends for the state.

You have a moment where you can say to that business, All well and good (but) youve been in business for a number of years, you owe the state of Connecticut money. You are not going to get to continue until you have either worked out a payment plan or made whole the state of Connecticut (for what) you owe, Sullivan said during an April hearing in Hartford. It is an incredibly successful and powerful compliance tool for people who are grossly out of compliance.

Phantomware and zappers

If noncompliance remains an issue, so is outright tax evasion. At the tail end of July, authorities arrested Xiaoning Fan, 64, a New Haven resident who was charged with using a zapper device to artificially suppress dollar amounts recorded in ledgers that were collected from checks rung up at her Lao Sze Chuan restaurant in Milford.

It marked the first time DRS has sought to hold an individual accountable for using a zapper at the point of sale, with other states and municipalities nationally having pursued their own prosecutions over the past decade. In an April report, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development highlighted other high-tech tools fraudsters are using, to include phantomware software installed directly on point-of-sale devices and even sales suppression as a service in which a third-party service provides deletion, alteration and replacement of sales data over the web  a difficult knot for tax authorities to unwind, according to OECD.

The $200 million figure cited by Sullivan amounts to 5 percent of the sales and use taxes the state collected in the 2017 fiscal year that ended June 30. Connecticut sales tax collections increased 1 percent to $3.94 billion in fiscal 2017, putting an extra $40 million in the states coffers, according to preliminary DRS estimates.

At 6.35 percent of purchases, Connecticuts sales tax is the 12th highest among states, as determined in a Tax Foundation study published last January. But when factoring in local sales taxes charged in two-thirds of states, Connecticuts sales tax ranks just 32nd. Three states  New Hampshire, Delaware and Oregon  charge no sales tax, while Louisiana has the highest with a combined tax rate of 9.98 percent.

New York is ninth nationally and leads the Northeast with an estimated average combined sales tax rate of 8.5 percent. It was perhaps that large spread in comparison to Connecticut  in excess of 3 percent  that spurred Democrats in the Connecticut House of Representatives to mull hiking Connecticuts sales taxes to just short of 7 percent in an effort to close a budget deficit, a proposal that was criticized widely by those who prefer the state cut spending to make ends meet.

Living by the same rules

As the budget debate extends into August, legislators tackled a few small elements of the sales tax code that take effect in the coming year. Bed-and-breakfast inns and Airbnb hosts will now charge a flat 11 percent rate on their bill that includes both room and meals, sparing them from calculating separate 15 percent room taxes and 6.35 percent meal taxes that larger hotels must still remit.

And as of January 2018, DRS can require businesses that are chronically late remitting their sales taxes to make their weekly payments either from dedicated bank account audited by DRS or through external service providers similarly monitored. Currently, DRS is forcing several hundred businesses to pay their sales taxes on a weekly basis, according to Sullivan  a fraction of the some 150,000 businesses in Connecticut that pay sales and use taxes, but a number Sullivan expects to grow as DRS enforcement officers ferret out additional non-payers.

In two weeks, shoppers will get a brief window in which they can sidestep sales taxes on up to $100 in clothing rung up in any store, part of a state-sanctioned sales tax holiday held annually on the cusp of families hitting the stores for back-to-school shopping. This years tax-free week runs from Aug. 20 through the following Saturday.

If you have to ante up the other 51 weeks of the year for lifes basics, like clothing, at least youre not alone. And the possibility exists that DRS will get any others derelict in paying state sales taxes to cough up what they owe.

Its not that we live to make peoples life miserable, Sullivan said of the new powers of his DRS staff. I just think we have reached a point of saying to the people of the state of Connecticut that if there is $200 million or $300 million that is not being remitted, ... we have an obligation to the rest of the taxpayers of the state to make those people live by the same rules that everybody else is living by.

Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; www.twitter.com/casoulman
By Cara Rosner

CTNewsjunkie.com

NEW HAVEN >> In states where minors are banned from using indoor tanning facilities, like Connecticut, young people are still accessing the services, a new study has found.

Research assistants from the Yale School of Public Health posed as minors and called tanning salons in 13 states that have bans, including Connecticut. One in five tanning salons nationwide agreed over the phone to knowingly book appointments for minors, the study found.

Of 412 respondents, 20 percent said they would provide the service to the minor caller. About 12 percent said yes outright while 7.5 percent said it depended, or that a minor could obtain services with permission from a guardian or health professional.

Connecticut-specific data was not available in the study.

Given the small sample size in our state, we cant make interpretations based on our data for Connecticut only, said study leader Leah Ferrucci, associate research scientist at the Yale School of Public Health.

The study, published in the journal Translational Behavioral Medicine, found the lowest rates of compliance in Southern states, where about 29 percent of respondents were willing to let minors access tanning services. Compliance was highest, at about 88 percent, in places where bans had been in place for two years or more, researchers found.

Connecticut became one of the first states in the nation to ban the use of indoor tanning facilities by minors under age 17 when it did so in October 2013. Other states with bans that were included in the Yale study are: New York, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia.

To read original version, visit ctnewsjunkie.com
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By John Burgeson

STRATFORD >> Some called him cute. Others said hes creepy.

Either way, he now can look down on everyone in town.

The Sterling House gargoyle was hoisted by crane to its new perch atop the 131-year-old building on Friday, ending its 25-year imprisonment indoors.

The figure  its technically a grotesque, rather than a gargoyle, because its not a rain spout  was on the roof of the carriage house on the centers south side. It was stolen as a teenage prank in 1983.

It was recovered and installed again, only to be swiped a second time in 1992, after which detectives tracked it down to an antique dealer. Since then, it had been holding its grim court in the foyer.

Now its back were it belongs  on the roof, said Amanda Meeson, executive director of the multipurpose community center. And its up so high now, I doubt if anyone will bother it again.

The grotesques new home, about 60 feet over the sidewalk below, was made possible by an ongoing construction project thats both enlarging the community center and making it more handicapped accessible. At about 3 p.m. on Friday, roofers, with the help of a platform crane, brought the clay sculpture to the peak of the new, rear addition to the Sterling House.

The operation took the better part of an hour.

Meeson said that some thought that the winged statue was giving off bad vibes and was creepy.

But, you know, maybe he wasnt so bad after all, she said. Weve had a pretty good year, all things considered.

The improvements, officials say, will make the Sterling House  chockablock with doors, staircases and hallways  more handicapped accessible. That work has been progressing, and the relocation of the gargoyle was a small  but some say important  part of that project.

Stratfords delegation to the State Capitol announced a year ago that the State Bond Commission OKd a $1.2 million grant to construct an elevator and a new south-side entrance for the 131-year-old building. Its hoped that the improvements will be completed in October.

The Sterling House is named after merchant sea captain John W. Sterling (1796-1866). Sterling witnessed Napoleons return from Elba at Le Havre, and earlier, as a child, watched Robert Fultons first steamship on the Hudson. But Captain Sterling didnt build the house, though. It was built by his son, John Sterling, in 1886.

The son died in 1916, leaving the house and the familys fortunes to his sister, Cordelia.

Cordelia never married and had no children. When she died in 1931, it was discovered she had willed the home as community center for the town, along with a $250,000 endowment fund, or $3.9 million in todays dollars.

Her will stated the center would not be run directly by the town, but rather by the Congregational Church Ecclesiastical Society, an arrangement that continues to this day. The center opened in 1932.

Grotesques are traditionally seen on Gothic revival cathedrals in Northern Europe constructed in the 19th century.

jburgeson@ctpost.com
Its the little things that count.

Connecticut is getting some high marks for some of its initiatives to reduce smoking in the state but it isnt getting applause for its failure to shore up crucial cessation services and programs.

The state received mixed reviews from a report released earlier this month by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, or ACS CAN.

Connecticut received passing grades when it came to supporting policies and passing legislation aimed at preventing and reducing suffering and death from cancer.

But the state failed at providing funding for tobacco cessation programs.

Indeed, Connecticut was one of only two states  New Jersey being the other  that put no money toward a tobacco prevention and cessation program in fiscal 2017.

Thats a big no-no in the fight to curb tobacco use as well as reduce the health care costs associated with it.

The annual estimated smoking health costs in Connecticut is $2.03 billion, according to the report, Broken Promises to our Children: A State-by-State Look at the 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 17 Years Later.

The report found that in 2016, states collected $25.8 billion in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes but will spend only $468 million on programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Connecticut spend $32 million on tobacco prevention programs.

That is not happening. According to the report, state funding for prevention programs dropped to $6 million in 2013, to $1.2 million in 2016, and to zero in fiscal 2017.

On the other side of the coin, tobacco companies spent 67 percent more on marketing, with experts estimating they spent $80.4 million in Connecticut alone.

Its pretty tough for Connecticut to get the message to stop smoking across when it is being outspent so widely.

Bryte Johnson, director of government relations for the ACS CAN in Connecticut, told ctnewsjunkie.com that Comprehensive, adequately funded tobacco control programs reduce tobacco use and tobacco-related disease, which in turn reduces tobacco-related health care costs.

Connecticut does get good marks for some of its efforts  cigarette tax rate, Medicaid coverage of tobacco cessation services, increased access to Medicaid, breast and cervical cancer early detection programs, and access to palliative care.

So, it does a lot of things right.

But it must nip smoking in the bud by getting its message to kids early through prevention programs.

And that requires funding  money the state must find to ward off the long-term costs associated with smoking.
Four years ago, North Koreas Rodong newspaper released a photograph of Kim Jong Un sitting in front of an intercontinental-ballistic-missile targeting map depicting Washington, Los Angeles and Austin. What once may have sparked laughter is no longer a joke. Kims latest successful ICBM test last week could make the entire continental United States vulnerable to a nuclear strike from Pyongyang.

We can no longer defer our response to this crisis. North Korea has demonstrated, time and again, that it may upend the tenuous armistice along the 38th parallel at any moment and drag the United States and our allies into a devastating conflict. What the United States needs now is swift action backed by a realistic strategy to secure the denuclearization and reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

We can achieve this if we effectively nullify Pyongyangs ability to target the United States and our allies, freeze the resources that North Korea funnels to its ballistic missile and nuclear capabilities and send a signal to disenchanted Korean Workers Party elites that they could have a future in a reunified Korea.

Today, only the ground-based midcourse defense system  designed to intercept ICBMs as they travel through space  protects the United States from nuclear attack. The terminal high-altitude area defense system, calibrated to destroy medium-range missiles as they reenter Earths atmosphere, defends South Korea. Both platforms, and accompanying missile-interceptor programs such as the multi-object kill vehicle, must remain top priorities, but North Koreas ICBM tests necessitate new measures.

We must now take missile defense into space.

Although the Institute for Defense Analysis reported in 2011 that the United States possesses the requisite technology to field a space-based interceptor program within 10 years, little progress has been made in the six years since. Legislating to advance SBI and expand the scope of the Missile Defense Agency has been a critical priority for me on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Only with a serious space-based capability can we target missiles in their boost phase and maximize discrimination of decoys during mid-course flight.

Our aim must be to outpace the North Korean threat by orders of magnitude, not merely keep up with it. Space-based missile defense can get us there.

However, simply defending against North Korean projectiles is insufficient. We must also deprive Pyongyang of the resources it directs to its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Unfortunately, during the Obama administration, the White House was more interested in securing a climate deal with China than enforcing sanctions against Pyongyang.

President Donald Trump is right when he says that China holds unique sway over North Korea. Beijing is effectively its only real trading partner, and the illicit network that finances North Koreas atomic pursuits runs through Chinese banks and companies.

I applaud the Treasury Department for recently designating the Bank of Dandong as a primary money laundering concern; now is the time to take further action against other key violators that bankroll the North Korean mafia state, including Bank of China. U.N. reports, Justice Department documents and nongovernmental organization research have proved that Kim depends on the U.S. financial system to pay his elites, generals, security forces and soldiers. We must, through our financial regulations, compel U.S. banks with correspondent accounts linked to North Korean entities to begin mapping out the complex financial web of beneficial ownership that Pyongyang obscures with Chinese assistance.

Yet even a sanctioned North Korea remains a threat. Endemic to the regime is the enduring Juche ideology that deifies the Kim family and promises reunification of Korea in a Communist utopia. Like all authoritarian regimes before it, the Korean Workers Party propagates these lies in a vacuum of truth.

Reauthorization of the North Korea Human Rights Act (which I am co-sponsoring) can enable the United States to reach the people of North Korea with targeted messages of hope and support, as well as examples of the freedoms we enjoy every day. We should take this a step further and begin to initiate targeted information operations focusing on North Korean political elites who, like every day North Koreans, have also felt the brunt of Kims paranoid persecution. We must begin to quietly signal to these elites that there is a future for them if they are prepared to do the right thing when it matters most.

The only way to degrade the growing power of Pyongyang is through a coordinated approach that nullifies North Koreas missile advances, stymies its illicit cash flow and challenges the lies that underpin Kims hold on power. This would turn the tables on Pyongyang and give us back the advantage.
It is no surprise to Connecticut residents that the state is currently in the middle of a contentious budget fight. The Nutmeg States budget gap is the largest it has been since the recession and Governor Malloy could potentially have to lay off over 1,000 government employees. With Democrats and Republicans unable to agree on even the simplest decision--whether to televise budget talks--the state needs any incoming cash flow it can get.

Fortunately, there is a simple, proven option to save Connecticut tens of millions of dollars and create homegrown jobs and industry  all while making the state cleaner and healthier.

Right now, Governor Malloy and stakeholders from the eight other Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) participating states are deciding how to update the program. The regional initiative sets a limit on climate-disrupting carbon pollution from fossil fuel power plants throughout the region. The program forces polluters to pay for what they emit, and then gives that money back to those participating states. Through the carbon reduction plan, RGGI invests money back into Connecticut communities in the form of clean energy, electricity bill assistance and energy efficiency programs. The current programs goals are set to expire in 2020, but participating state governors and decision makers are now negotiating an update to the plan that would lock in carbon pollution reduction goals through 2030.

Last month, the RGGI stakeholders met for the last time this summer before deciding on a proposed update to the program. In the current state budget, lawmakers have proposed to raid RGGI funds for other programs despite the fact that the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative has provided tens of millions of dollars in private investments throughout the state  investments which have decreased energy costs for manufacturers and local businesses while spurring job growth. A strong RGGI with increased carbon pollution limits mean more money for the state and its electricity customers.

Connecticut needs to step up and be a leader the region can follow by publicly calling for the states to adopt the strongest carbon reduction limit currently under consideration. Just last month, Governor Malloy announced that Connecticut will remain committed to the goals set forth by the Paris Agreement, which is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (like carbon) 26 to 28 percent by 2025. Now is his time to turn that pledge into policy.

RGGI has saved Connecticuts homes and businesses more than $77 million on their electricity bills last year alone. But RGGI could be working even harder for the state. If Connecticut acts to strengthen the program, the state would create an average of 7,500 new jobs every year for the next decade.

And Connecticut voters want a stronger RGGI. In a recent bipartisan study conducted by Hart Research Associates and Chesapeake Beach Consulting, 74 percent of Nutmeggers polled support their states participation in the RGGI program. The RGGI program can benefit industry, aid small business growth and help with the budget crisis by increasing Connecticuts clean energy capacity. Simply put, RGGI puts money back into the states communities in many different ways. Investment in energy efficiency, for example, creates far more good jobs than equal investments in dirty energy expansion.

Governor Malloy said he will uphold the goals set forth by the Paris agreement. His opportunity to do that is right now, starting with advocating for the strongest carbon pollution limit with the RGGI program. RGGI has the ability to save consumers money, boost economic development through energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives, and re-invest in the state. While its not the only solution to Connecticuts budget woes, RGGI is a critical program that will help bring funding and investment at a time when it is needed the most. Tell Governor Malloy, advocating for a stronger RGGI means a stronger and more financially stable Connecticut.

Martha Klein is the Connecticut Chapter director from the Sierra Club.
After the murder of 14-year-old Tyriek Keyes, the shooting of a 13-year-old less than a week later and the shooting of another young man on July 23, New Haven is once again asking how the scourge of gun violence in the city can be stopped.

Tyriek, who had just completed eighth grade, was shot multiple times by a gunman on Bassett Street near Newhall Street around 9:30 p.m. on July 16. Taken by emergency responders to Yale-New Haven Hospital in critical condition, he died of his wounds four days later. His death was the fifth homicide in the city this year, the fourth by gun.

New Haven Police Assistant Chief Achilles Generoso said Tyriek, a member of the Ice the Beef anti-gun violence group, appears to have been the specific target of the gunman. Because he was shot on a poorly lit street in the evening by a masked gunman and there were no surveillance cameras nearby, the police have little information to work with and the killer remains at large.

Around 3 p.m. July 22, the 13-year-old boy was shot in the vicinity of Shelton Avenue and Ivy Street. He is reported to be in stable condition. The next day, a 21-year-old man was shot in the face in an exchange of gunfire on Walnut Street between Wallace and East streets. He too is reported to be in stable condition. On Tuesday, another 21-year-old man was arrested for shooting the 13-year-old.

The murder of 14-year-old Tyriek recalls for many the horrible summer of 2006 when two young teens were killed. In June of that year, Jajuana Cole, 13, was killed at a neighborhood gathering on Dickerman Street by a young man who, with other members of the Ville, a notorious gang based in the Newhallville area, had come to the gathering with the intention of shooting members of another gang. One month later, Justus Suggs, also 13, was murdered as he rode home on a bike from a carnival at Hill Regional Career High School.

In recent years, through a combination of a renewed commitment to community policing, cooperation with federal and state agencies to stop the flow of guns into and within the city, a shooting task force, periodic gun buybacks, the use of hot-spot intelligence to anticipate potential sites of violence, and Project Longevity, New Haven has made progress in reducing gun violence. Whereas the city had 19 homicides in 2011, it has had between 13 and 15 in each of the last three years and has had five thus far this year. By comparison, Hartford, a smaller city, has had 16 homicides thus far this year.

But even one homicide a year is one too many and, despite the progress, the murder of Tyriek Keyes and the shootings of other young men make it clear that, notwithstanding the substantial progress that has been made in the last several years, more must be done.

How can the scourge of gun violence be stopped? There are no easy answers. But there is something those who live or work in New Haven can do: They can commit themselves to working with others in the community to stop gun violence by supporting the citys Youth Stat initiatives, the counseling efforts of the recently formed Joshua Generation Organization of Newhallville-based clergy, and the continuing efforts of the New Haven police. As Stacy Spell, the project manager for Project Longevity, said, We need more people involved. We need partners out on the street.

The police cant do it alone and neither can the community. But working together, perhaps they can.

David R. Cameron is a professor of political science at Yale.
At Wednesdays White House press briefing on President Trumps support for the Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment Act (RAISE Act), what unfolded was a demonstration of the medias bias and lack of knowledge about policy. Obviously, much of the liberal media is against any limits on any type of immigration, legal or otherwise, so the hostility was already in the room before Stephen Miller, senior policy adviser to the president, even started. Their frustration was palpable. But it was no match for Miller, the GOPs new hero.

CNNs Jim Acosta tried to create a melodramatic moment, lecturing about the meaning of immigration, the Statue of Liberty and its history. Perhaps Acosta is too certain of his own wisdom, or he is used to talking to people who dont know their facts, but Miller put him in his place. See the whole exchange here.

Think of Miller as a thinking persons Donald Trump. He is arrogant, condescending and full of himself, but he knows what he is talking about and he is proud of it. Good for Miller.

Too often, many in the media dont want to talk about policy or even have an honest back-and-forth dialogue about issues. The media is more interested in covering process stories and day-to-day fights inside the White House. The Trump White House has done a terrible job of depriving the media of these stories, but it is no secret that the press would rather talk about who is up, who is down, who is in, who is out, etc. So, when someone such as Miller shows up and takes on all comers about a serious policy matter, most of the media isnt prepared. They just arent used to someone with Millers piercing attitude and command of the facts.

Maybe Millers performance Wednesday is a good lesson for the White House. If they want news coverage about policy, the White House should supply more articulate policy experts  not just political generalists who are unable to move past the usual platitudes.

By the way, in talking with folks around the country, Ive learned just how few people understand how many legal immigrants are allowed into the United States every year. No one knew for sure, but their guesses ranged from 200,000 to 10 million. For whatever it is worth, the actual number of immigrants granted permanent legal status in the United States each year is about 1 million  slightly more than the population of San Francisco.

Supported by Trump and introduced by Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and David Perdue, R-Ga., the RAISE Act would lower the number of green cards issued to immigrants to around 500,000 within 10 years. Even then, it would be like adding a city bigger than Colorado Springs, Colo., every year.

As the president said in February, The current, outdated system depresses wages for our poorest workers and puts great pressure on our taxpayers. The RAISE Act would adopt a merit-based system that will not only benefit American companies but also help more immigrant families enter the middle class. Miller did a good job of making that clear yesterday.

The outcry over Millers presentation has already begun, with mainstream media outlets such as Vox (Stephen Miller couldnt defend a new immigration bill without demeaning the press), CBS News (Trump aide dismisses Statue of Liberty huddled masses poem), and Politico (White House aide blasts CNN reporter for cosmopolitan bias) accusing the White House of dismissing a legitimate press inquiry and resorting to insults. Thats right, the press says Miller was demeaning, he dismissed the Statue of Liberty and that he blasted a reporter. But the award for the most ludicrous and downright comical coverage of Wednesdays press briefing goes to the liberal group Think Progress, which published a story, Stephen Miller attacks Statue of Liberty poem, echoing popular white nationalist talking point.

Miller clearly hit a nerve.

Many in the media can dish it out, but they cant take it. They despise Trump, and they dont like Miller. But I get the sense that Miller is not intimidated and he enjoys the fray. Maybe the briefing room will be seeing more of Stephen Miller.

Courtesy of The Washington Post
To piggyback on a New Haven Register editorial of July 25, An opportunity to move gun discussion forward, I submit this.

Blaze News reports 98 percent of mass shootings have occurred in gun-free zones. Richard Corcoran (speaker of the Florida House of Representatives) in a February interview on CBS said, most of the mass shootings take place in areas where youre not allowed to have a concealed weapon. In a 2016 study of 171 countries by criminology professor Adam Lankford of the University of Alabama on mass shootings and firearms, the U.S. had a disproportionately high number of such cases.
DERBY >> At least one bidder is better than none.

Thats how Derby Housing Authority Chairman Linda Fusco feels after just one bid package was received last week for the potential sale of the vacant Barrons Block building, located at 31-37 Anson St.

We received one bid package, said Fusco. The bidder is an architect working in conjunction with others.

The DHA put out a Request for Proposals July 5 and gave interested buyers/developers until July 31 to respond. A tour of the property also was conducted for those who requested it.

While Fusco said 12 people requested RFP packets, just one put in a bid.

Of course I would have loved 12 bids, but Im very excited that interest has been shown in the building, said Fusco.

The DHA was slated to meet last week to open the bid packet with its consultant Peter Hance, but due to a lack of a quorum, Fusco said the meeting had to be cancelled. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at City Hall.

Hance, former executive housing director for Waterbury and former finance director for both Bridgeport and New Haven, who also taught housing and development courses at Yale and Columbia, is working with the DHA to navigate its financial issues.

Fusco said once the bid packet is opened by the DHA and Hance, it will be important to see if the bidder is asking for contingencies, and of course to look at the offer and to make sure it meets the needs of the agency.

The DHA is hoping to sell the 17,745-square-foot building to help replenish a reserve fund that was depleted a few years ago.

The DHA, under former Mayor Anthony Staffieris administration, purchased the three-story, multi-family property in 2013. Some $220,250 in the DHAs reserve fund allegedly was used to buy the building, according to officials from the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority. The DHA, however, never received permission from CHFA to use that money. The reserve, while locally controlled by the DHA, was basically used for something other than what it was intended, and must be replenished, CHFA officials had said.

DHAs reserves now stand at just $18,000, which is well below CHFAs guidelines. There are 106 government-subsidized housing units in Derby that the DHA oversees. CHFA officials said DHAs reserve balance must be at least $106,000, which translates to $1,000 per unit.

Money from the reserves, which mainly comes from tenants rent, is intended for capital improvement projects, such as window and door replacements, roof repairs and related items, CHFA officials said. Fusco said the three properties DHAs oversees  Cicia Manor, Lakeview Apartments and Stygar Terrace  are not in need of any major repairs.

Fusco said if Barrons Block is sold, the DHA will be able to replenish its reserves to the level required by CHFA.

Barrons Block, built in 1912, formerly was an apartment building.

Staffieri and the DHA, which was comprised of previous members who no longer sit on the current board, had said the building was purchased with the intent to redevelop it into senior housing. Those plans, however, failed to come to fruition, due in part to inadequate parking, and the building to date remains partially boarded up and vacant, Fusco said.

Fusco said the hope is to have the building eventually redeveloped into senior housing, if at all feasible.
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Air Peace has fixed the launch of its maiden flight into the Akure Airport for Friday, August 11. 2017.A statement issued by the Corporate Communications Manager of the airline, Mr. Chris Iwarah said the carrier was collaborating with the Governor Rotimi Akeredolu administration to guarantee easy access to Ondo State by investors, tourists and other categories of air travellers.The inaugural Lagos-Akure-Lagos flight, the statement added, would take off from the airlines Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja hub and touch down at the Akure Airport.The return flight, Air Peace said, would depart the Akure Airport same day and land at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.We are delighted to announce the commencement of our Lagos-Akure-Lagos service on Friday, August 11, 2017. Air Peace has been operating from our main hub in Lagos State since 2014 and so the launch of the second route in the South West of Nigeria is only a natural progression.Air Peace is pleased to have this opportunity to add such an important destination as Akure to our local route network. Akure lies geographically on the tropical belt and is bordered in the north by Ekiti and Kogi; east by Edo; west by Oyo and Ogun. Ondo is one of Nigerias most exciting destinations for leisure and business travel.The flights to Akure will open up a whole new opportunity for Air Peace guests to visit and explore the wealth of tourist attractions of the state as well as expand the access of investors and other categories of air travellers to connect with the state.The new route allows for connections to additional markets from Akure, creating a more convenient trip for those wishing to visit the city.We expect that our new service will contribute to the economy of Ondo State by bringing new travellers to the area from across our route network, while at the same time offering greater competitive choice for the air travel public and passenger connectivity for the area to all the destinations we serve. We anticipate that the launch will jump-start the effort of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to open up the the Sunshine State to massive investment engagements.We are committed to offering all Air Peace guests first-class service and innovation, both on board and on the ground, the statement said.Air Peace, which commenced commercial flight operations to a record five destinations in 2014, currently has presence in Lagos, Abuja, Benin, Uyo, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Enugu, Owerri, Sokoto and Accra-Ghana.Around the close of 2016, the airline embarked on a massive route and fleet expansion project. Besides securing approvals to operate flights into Lome, Monrovia, Abidjan, Dakar, Douala, Niamey and other West Coast countries of Africa, the carrier has also been designated by the Federal Government to do flights into international destinations, including Johannesburg, Atlanta, Dubai, Guangzhou-China, London and Mumbai.Air Peace, which lifted a third of all air travelers in the country in the first quarter of this year, recently embarked on acquisition of more aircraft, comprising a couple of Boeing 737, Boeing 777 and Embraer 145 jets, to bring its fleet size to about 24 aircraft.




Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State, Monday, addressed the people of the state following the Sundays attack at St Phillips Catholic Church Ozubulu , which left several persons dead.Obiano maintained that the incident was not a terror attack, reiterating his earlier statement that it was a spill over of a drug war between indigenes of the state living abroad.He promised that the perpetrators would be arrested and prosecuted no matter how highly placed they were in the society.Below is the full speech of the Governor:A Special Broadcast by the Governor of Anambra State, His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano on the St Phillips Catholic Church Killings at Ozubulu on August 7, 2017.Good morning fellow citizensNdi Anambra ekenem unuWith a sorrowful heart, I stand before you today to brief you on the tragic killing of 12 people at St Philips Catholic Church, Amakwa, Ozubulu yesterday.First, I want to assure you all that what happened in Ozubulu yesterday was a tragic dimension of a long battle between two business partners who are from the same town. I have been fully informed that this dangerous conflict has been going on for a while in the country where they both live outside Nigeria before they decided to bring the conflict home. But let me assure you that Anambra is too hot for them to operate here, going forward.This explanation, I believe, has erased the fears that the incident may have been caused by either some terrorist organizations or some members of some groups of agitators in the country.Brothers and sisters, what happened in Ozubulu was neither a terror attack as we know it, nor a violent action by some agitators. We are dealing with a dangerous GANG WAR that has spilled over to Anambra State from another African country. But this is the last time it will happen under my watch!Fellow citizens, I want to assure you that we are on top of this situation. We are completely in charge here. The people directly and remotely involved in this crime are known to the law enforcement agencies. But no suspect, no matter how highly placed, is above the law. So, we have taken bold steps to bring them to book and restore the peace and tranquility that Anambra State has enjoyed since the past three years.Sincerely, there is no cause for fear or alarm here. Anambra state is safe. Our churches and places of worship are safe. So, our people should not be discouraged from going to church to serve their God because what happened in Amakwa, Ozubulu is an isolated case. It will not happen again! Ndi Anambra should continue to sleep with both eyes closed because we are staying awake for them. In the words of Wendell Philips, the American abolitionist and liberal activist, the price of liberty is eternal vigilance.We have chosen to stay awake that Anambra may find sleep! I repeat, never again will this type of bloodshed happen in Anambra State under me!Ndi Anambra, in all our 25-year history, never has a single act of senseless violence consumed so many lives. I strongly condemn this wanton killing of our fellow citizens who left their loved ones in the early hours of Sunday morning to worship their God. I condemn the senseless violation of sacred places of worship by people to whom neither man nor God is worthy of respect or honour. I condemn these people who did not think twice before placing such a heavy burden on our humanity!All the shadowy characters behind this crime shall account for it. This is the first and the last of this appalling crime!Fellow citizens, I call on you today, to join hands with me to rid our society of all vestiges of crime and criminality. Nothing else can stand in the way of accelerated development as crime does. We are familiar with this fact in Anambra State. That is why we have fought tooth and nail to usher in the long period of peace we have enjoyed in Anambra State.To our numerous friends and partners, I want to assure you that Anambra is still Nigerias safest state. Indeed, the Ozubulu killings have only strengthened our commitment to create a safer, business-friendly and prosperous state. We remain focused on our Vision and Mission to this great state. No amount of threats or wholesale destruction can shake our commitment to these ideals.Ndi Anambra, I have declared today a Day of Mourning in honour of our brothers and sisters that were slain yesterday. We shall observe a minute of silence in their honour at 12 noon today and special prayers shall be offered for them in churches and prayer houses across Nigeria and in the Diaspora. We have also opened a Condolence Register for them in the Government House.Finally, for the 18 survivors of this carnage who are nursing different injuries in the hospital, my administration shall pick up all their medical bills.I have visited them at the hospital to ascertain their recovery rate. I have also dispatched 50 additional medical doctors to the hospital to ensure that they have access to the best medical care possible. Indeed, all hands must be on deck to save more lives.At this juncture, I want to thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari who called me last night from London to commiserate with Ndi Anambra on this tragic incident. I must also thank the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo who also called last night to condole with us. My gratitude goes to everyone who has called my Team and I to say a soothing word since this incident happened. Your calls have re-affirmed my belief that we are one people under God! It has strengthened my faith in the unity of this country.Anambra State has survived incredible odds in our modest history. This too shall pass!




Former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar





An anti-Igbo song circulating in the north has been condemned by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. Ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised alarm over an anti-Igbo song being circulated in the Northern part of Nigeria as he said it could become another tool for ethnic genocide.

Abubakar who said this in a blog post warned that spreading such message could lead to more ethnic tension as he urged nigerians to not to repeat the mistake of Rwanda. He condemned the release of such song saying: the release of a song disparaging people of Igbo origin.



Entitled Nigeria Does Not Need a Rwandan Deja vu, Atiku wrote:

"It has come to my attention that a song disparaging people of Igbo origin, and which wishes them dead, is circulating in some parts of the nation. I totally and unequivocally condemn this development, and I call on all men of goodwill to rise up against this evil.



This song is reminiscent of the beginnings of the Rwanda Genocide. Nigerians need to be aware that the Rwanda Genocide was believed to have been ignited by a song titled Nanga Abahutu (I hate Hutus), sung by Rwandas most popular musician at the time, Simon Bikindi. God forbid that we should have such a deja vu in Nigeria.







I call on the security agencies to thoroughly and decisively swing into action and apprehend, try, convict and severely punish those behind this ungodly song which incites racial hatred.





Simon Bikindi was convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for igniting and aiding the Rwandan genocide. Thus, let those who think they can treat their fellow citizens so unjustly know that within and outside Nigeria exist mechanisms that will ensure they answer to their crimes.





I call on all men of goodwill to remember those immortal lines from our former National Anthem, Though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand.







The effects of hate in any shape or form were made even more evident over the weekend, in a mass shooting incident that left many of us reeling with shock. I commiserate with the people of Ozubulu in Anambra State, who lost family members in the fatal shooting that also left almost a score injured. I pray that peace will return to their minds and their community soon, even as the police work hard to get to the bottom of the matter. May God comfort them as no man can.





The difference between us as Nigerians is not a difference in our tribe or our religion.





It was and remains a difference based on whether we are good Nigerians or bad Nigerians, and I am very certain that the good Nigerians far outnumber the very few bad ones."





See the tweet:
The horrific events in Ozubulu town in Anambra state that took place today are shocking and barbaric. Dozens of worshippers slaughtered in the Church and at the alter by unknown masked gunmen.

I do not buy the Fulani Commissioner of Polices version of events. He finished his investigation in record time and just a few minutes after the event he told us that those behind the attack were Igbos that were involved in a communal struggle which has its roots in South Africa.

I smell a rat here and I suspect that the government is trying to cover up the truth.

Until they show me the evidence I remain skeptical about the Commissioners assertion.

I believe that the usual suspects are behind these killings and the fact that they were carried out in a Church just one day after the Hausa song that called for the mass murder of Igbos was released all over the north is relevant and noteworthy.

Anyone that doubts that should read the lyrics of that shameful song and hear what those it was written by instructed their people to do. This country has become ungovernable and I put the blame squarly on the shoulders of the Buhari/Osinbajo government who have encouraged this godless barbarity by refusing to arrest the Fulani herdsmen that have been butchering innocent people all over the country.

They have also refused to apprehend the Arewa youths who have openly threatened the Igbo with genocide if they dont leave the north by Oct. 1st..

May God deliver Nigeria!

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday condemned the Ozubulu Church attack in Anambra State by a yet to be identified gunmen.In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President described the incident as an appalling crime against humanity and unspeakable sacrilege.Buhari said there was no justification whatsoever to target church worshippers and kill them in cold blood. He said this kind of atrocity plumbs the depth of depravity and extreme cruelty of the kind that words cannot adequately express.Punch reports that the President said, there is no religion that does not lay constant emphasis on the sanctity of life, and that all Nigerians must rise up and speak with one voice against these remorseless evil men.While expressing sympathy with the families of the victims, the church leadership and the government of Anambra State, Buhari reassured all Nigerians of his administrations firm and uncompromising commitment to protect their lives and property at all times.Nigerias former Minister of Aviation and PDP Chieftain, Femi Fani-Kayode has also allegedly disclosed that he suspects government want to cover the truth in Ozubulu, Anambra attack that claimed many lives.This is coming after the Governor of the State, Willie Obiano, visited the scene claiming intelligence report linked the shooting to an existing feud existing between some members of Umuezekwe Ofufe Amakwa community of Ozubulu living abroad.News of an armed attack on worshippers at St.Philips Catholic Church in Ozubulu in Anambra State hit me with a shock. As I send this, I still am unable to fathom the rationale behind such barbarism and clear wickedness. It is very depressing and no reasons justify such act of terror. It is condemnable. It is wrong. It is uncalled for. We do not need further bloodshed in Nigeria. I urge the security agencies, Federal and state governments and all local security apparatus to ensure that those behind this barbaric act, and their sponsors, are exposed and made to face the full wrath of the law. We cant continue like this. No one, no matter how highly placed, should get away with such acts. While I commiserate with families of victims of the attack and the Catholic Church in Anambra State,the state government and Nigeria at large, I also wish to call on all Nigerians to remain vigilant at all times and report suspicious movements around them to nearby vigilantes and Police.




Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has issued an ex-parte order directing that the Paris-London Club Refund bank accounts of Abia, Cross River, and Delta states be frozen.The accounts to be frozen are listed as follows: Abia state Paris and London Club Debit Refund, 1019892950, UBA Bank Plc; CRS Paris and London Club Debit Refund, 101989719, UBA Bank Plc; and DTSG CRS Paris and London Club Debit Refund, 1012906702, Zenith Bank Plc respectively.The court gave the order amidst allegations that the governors of the three states preferred payment to family members, friends, and cronies in the guise of settling the fees for consultancy services at the expense of the real consultant progenitor of the Paris-London Club Refund.Abia state government reportedly owes the real consultant progenitor the sum of $11,325,000 and N1.72bn; Cross River state government owes the sum of $8,050,000 and N1.2bn; While, Delta state government owes $27,274,135 and N3bn.According to documents exclusively obtained by DAILY POST, the court orderwas sequel to an affidavit in support of ex-parte originating summons sworn to by Dr. Maurice Ibe, the Chairman and Managing Director of Mauritz Walton Nigeria Ltd, and filed before the court by his Counsel; Alex Marama, Charles Ude, and Kenneth N. EsqIbe averred that there is an urgent need for the court to direct the third defendants (United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc and Zenith Bank Nig. Plc) in the suits CV/2470/17, CV/2536/17, CV/2469/17 and motions M/8777/17, M8780/17, M/8784/17 to, in the interim, stop further disbursement of the money already in or accruing to the respective Paris-London Club Refund accounts domiciled with them which belong to the three states respectively.The Court also ordered the banks to set up an escrow account where the said funds will be deposited pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.Abia state government led by Theophilus Orji had engaged Mauritz Walton Nigeria Ltd on the 3rd of November, 2014 to pursue the refund of excess deductions on foreign loans and miscellaneous charges in exchange of 30 percent of any fund recovered.Similarly, Cross River government engaged the same consultancy firm on the same date for the same purpose in exchange of 20 percent of any fund recovered.Delta state government under governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan also engaged the services of Mauritz Walton Nigeria Ltd in exchange of 30 percent of any fund recovered.Justice Halilu, while granting the order freezing the accounts, adjourned the suit to 7th September, 2017 for hearing.
Two hundred and twenty-two Muslim pilgrims, who were being airlifted by the Medview Airline from Ilorin International Airport to Saudi Arabia escaped death after birds attacked the aircraft.Our correspondent in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, gathered on Sunday that the Boeing 767 aircraft conveying the 222 pilgrims was taxiing for take-off when it was struck by a brood of birds.It was further learnt that the pilot displayed a high sense of professionalism by aborting the flight while the pilgrims, who were said to be unhurt were de-boarded.It was also learnt that the incident took place between 7 and 8pm on Saturday.Our correspondent also gathered that following the delay the incident had caused to the pilgrims, Medview Airline arranged a Boeing 747 aircraft to airlift the 460 pilgrims including the affected ones.Medview Airline media consultant, Obuke Oyibotha, in a statement confirmed the bird strike.He said, Birds strike on Saturday night forced a Medview Airline to abort a Saudi bound flight at Ilorin airport. The B767 aircraft carrying 222 pilgrims was taxiing for take-off when it was struck by a brood of birds forcing the pilot to abort the flight.The 222 pilgrims were de-boarded without incident, and arrangements were made to provide another aircraft to airlift them. The airline assured all pilgrims that the schedule for their airlift to the Holy Land will not be affected by the incident. The airline on Saturday night flew a team of engineers and rotables to Ilorin to get the aircraft back to service.Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Medview Airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, said the airline had already airlifted 675 pilgrims from the Ilorin International Airport.He stated that 460 pilgrims departed from the airport about 12.30pm on Thursday while 215 pilgrims of the second batch were also airlifted.He said the airline would also airlift pilgrims from Ondo and Ekiti states with three categories of aircraft, adding that Medview Airline would continue to maintain its adherence to safety standards and convenience of its passengers.According to him, the airline will airlift between 11,000 and 12,000 pilgrims nationwide for this years pilgrimage to Mecca.
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has described the early morning massacre of worshippers at St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu, Anambra State by yet to be identified gunmen as animalistic, bizarre, reprehensible and shocking.NLC in a statement personally signed by its National President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba in Abuja, Monday said places of worship quite often in decent conflicts are sanctuaries.According to Wabba, What makes this attack more confounding is the fact that Ozubulu is far removed from any known theatre of conflict at the moment and has had little or no history of violent conflict.Whatever may have been the situation, this attack represents a descent into the pit of hell. It is animalistic, cowardly and shameful and all necessary steps should immediately be taken by security forces to bring the perpetrators to book.Our heartfelt condolences go to the families of the victims, the Catholic Church, Governor Willie Obiano and the people of Anambra State.We urge our security agencies to step up security in and around places of worship. We similarly urge worshippers to take the initiative of securing their premises.
In what started like an action-packed movie, a gunman dressed in black, stormed a church in Anambra on Sunday, opening fire on worshippe...

There was commotion. By the time the gunman left, no fewer than 11 worshippers lay dead.That was the scene yesterday at St. Philips Catholic Church, Amakwa-Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State. The gunman came during the early morning mass.Many were injured during the incident, which Governor Willie Obiano described as sacrilegious.An eyewitness, who narrated how the attack occurred, said the priest, Rev. Fr. Jude Onwuaso, was unhurt. The witness, who said he was part of those who evacuated the victims, said the gunman went into the church, identified Chief Akunwafor Ikegwuonwu, a parishioner, and shot him dead. He then went on the rampage, shooting indiscriminately at worshippers.Commissioner of Police Garba Baba Umar said 11 persons were killed and 18 injured. He said some people in the community had been invited for interrogation.It was leant that the gunman may have struck on the instruction of one of two suspected drug barons from the community who live in South Africa. One of them, who was the gunmans target, is believed to have built the Catholic Church about two years ago.There are two accounts of the incident. One is that a gunman committed the crime. The other claimed there were six gunmen.A source from the community, who pleaded for anonymity, revealed that the gunmen visited the home of one of the drug barons, perhaps to assassinate him, but discovered that he had travelled.This, according to the source, might have made them to visit the Catholic Church near his house.The father of the suspected drug baron was killed along with others in the churchThe police commissioner said preliminary investigation revealed that the attack was carried out by people from the area and not by Boko Haram as being speculated in some quarters.He said: From our findings, it is very clear that the person who carried out the attack must be an indigene of the area.We gathered that worshippers for 6 oclock Sunday mass at St. Philip Ozobulu were in the service when gunmen dressed in black attire, covering their faces with fez caps, entered the church and moved straight to a particular direction and opened fire.The men, after shooting at their targeted victim, still went on a shooting spree, killing and wounding other worshippers.It was learnt that the attackers were speaking Igbo when firing at the worshippers.Umar said though no arrest had been made, the police were working on the information that the attack followed a quarrel between two Ozubulu men living abroad.The commissioner of police said it was wrong for the perpetrators of the act to take their quarrel into the church, saying such conduct shows the people behind the act do not fear God.The police have launched a manhunt for suspects.Dismisssing the rumour that the attack was carried out by Boko Haram elements, Umar urged residents to go about their businesses without fear.Obiano visited the church and the Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital, NAUTH, Nnewi where the injured were being treated.He also confirmed that the shooting followed a clash of two brothers based abroad. He described it as a communal feud.Obiano promised to offset the medical bills of the injured and assist in the funeral for those killed.Some of the critically injured died on the way to the hospital.Obiano added that intelligence report linked the shooting to an existing feud between some members of Umuezekwe Ofufe Amakwa community of Ozubulu living abroad.It is an isolated case and I urge worshippers in the Church and residents of the area to go about their normal activities.He also said 50 doctors had been mobilised to the hospital to assist in providing the best medical care to the injured persons.The governor also visited Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Cathedral, Nnewi, where he addressed a congregation of worshippers.He intimated the worshippers on the true picture of the incident, saying there was nothing to worry about.The Priest of St. Philips Catholic Church, Rev. Fr. Jude Onwuaso, said the attack took place at about 6.30 a.m.According to him, an unidentified man came into the church, shot at a man, Ikegwuonwu, before shooting sporadically at other worshippers.An eyewitness, who simply identified herself as a choir member, said the church was dark as there was no power supply at the time.She said the generating set suddenly stopped working; so, the mass proceeded with the congregation using candles.According to her, the gunman, after the shooting, immediately jumped into a waiting car with a driver.One of the survivors, Mr. Stephen Ohamadike revealed that the gunmen entered the church around 6.45am as they were about to begin  the prayer of the faithful.His words: Those of us who were to say the prayers of the faithful had just assembled at the altar and I had number 2 which meant that I was to say the prayer for Nigeria.Suddenly, I saw someone who was putting on a cap, shooting indiscriminately inside the church.There was pandemonium and in the midst of the confusion, I just lay down on the floor.The officiating priest and the Mass servers quickly left the altar and the Mass came to an abrupt end.I counted 11 bodies and many were injured. I used the vehicle belonging to Pa Ikwgwuonu to take him and his wife and others to Evans Hospital where the doctors advised us to go to the teaching hospital. I used the car to convey many other people to the hospital before I came back to Amakwa.
Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has issued an ex-parte order directing that the Paris-London Club Re...

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has issued an ex-parte order directing that the Paris-London Club Refund bank accounts of Abia, Cross River, and Delta states be frozen.

The accounts to be frozen are listed as follows: Abia state Paris and London Club Debit Refund, 1019892950, UBA Bank Plc; CRS Paris and London Club Debit Refund, 101989719, UBA Bank Plc; and DTSG CRS Paris and London Club Debit Refund, 1012906702, Zenith Bank Plc respectively.





The court gave the order amidst allegations that the governors of the three states preferred payment to family members, friends, and cronies in the guise of settling the fees for consultancy services at the expense of the real consultant progenitor of the Paris-London Club Refund.





Abia state government reportedly owes the real consultant progenitor the sum of $11,325,000 and N1.72bn; Cross River state government owes the sum of $8,050,000 and N1.2bn; While, Delta state government owes $27,274,135 and N3bn.





According to documents, the court order was sequel to an affidavit in support of ex-parte originating summons sworn to by Dr. Maurice Ibe, the Chairman and Managing Director of Mauritz Walton Nigeria Ltd, and filed before the court by his Counsel; Alex Marama, Charles Ude, and Kenneth N. Esq





Ibe averred that there is an urgent need for the court to direct the third defendants (United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc and Zenith Bank Nig. Plc) in the suits CV/2470/17, CV/2536/17, CV/2469/17 and motions M/8777/17, M8780/17, M/8784/17 to, in the interim, stop further disbursement of the money already in or accruing to the respective Paris-London Club Refund accounts domiciled with them which belong to the three states respectively.





The Court also ordered the banks to set up an escrow account where the said funds will be deposited pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.





Abia state government led by Theophilus Orji had engaged Mauritz Walton Nigeria Ltd on the 3rd of November, 2014 to pursue the refund of excess deductions on foreign loans and miscellaneous charges in exchange of 30 percent of any fund recovered.





Similarly, Cross River government engaged the same consultancy firm on the same date for the same purpose in exchange of 20 percent of any fund recovered.





Delta state government under governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan also engaged the services of Mauritz Walton Nigeria Ltd in exchange of 30 percent of any fund recovered.





Justice Halilu, while granting the order freezing the accounts, adjourned the suit to 7th September, 2017 for hearing.
The Federal Ministry of Health says it has placed medical experts on standby to beef up services at the Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, for worshippers injured in the Ozubulu church attack, should the need arise.The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, gave this indication in a statement by the ministrys Director of Media and Public Relations, Mrs. Boade Akinola, on Monday in Abuja.The minister, who described the incident as shocking, assured the Chief Medical Director of the hospital of immediate Federal Government support as soon as such was required.He commended the doctors at the hospital for being proactive in their response to the emergency.Adewole commiserated with the government and people of Anambra on the unfortunate incident.The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the early Sunday morning attack on St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of the state, claimed 11 lives with 18 others injured.Meanwhile, Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has vowed to apprehend those behind the attack.
A National Assembly member, Sen. Stella Oduah, said approval of independent candidacy in ongoing review of 1999 Constitution would help in reducing political parties impunity in picking candidates for elections.Oduah, who represents Anambra North Senatorial District in the Senate, stated this in Abuja.She said that inclusion of the clause in the Constitution would also give Nigerians the opportunity to freely choose any person they truly want to represent them.She expressed optimism that the bill would succeed at the end of the amendment process, and said that it would present a freedom platform for candidates and the electorate.For the first time, with that platform, people will vote for those they really want and not party and so, it will be a direct contract between the contestants and the electorate.So, if faced one-on-one, the electorate will ask how the candidates emergence will be of benefit to them.If both agree that the man or woman is the person they are looking to impact positively on their lives, then it becomes a contract.Nobody will come tomorrow and say it is not you we voted for and no party will impose on people the candidate that is not of their choice.So, it will have direct impact, ensure freedom and remove party impunity, where parties often impose some people that are not the peoples choice.I think that is what we need in this country at this point in time, the lawmaker said.On measures to put in place to ensure that the independent candidacy platform is not abused, she said that it was the duty of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to set stringent criteria.Oduah said that if the right criteria were put in place it would not be an all-comers affair, adding that when all the filters are put in place you will not have more people than political parties will present.On fears that political parties might not allow it to flourish, she said that there was nothing to be afraid of.The political parties cannot stop this from coming. Clearly they will fight but I believe that even political party members will be those that will apply under independent candidacy.For me, there is nothing as freeing and as fair as giving the people who they truly voted for.That is just what independent candidacy means. For the first time, you wont have party imposition or impunity and so, peoples vote will count and their voices will be loud, she said.Oduah, who supported the approval of independent candidacy clause in the Senate, said she was able to convince her colleagues about the importance of the platform.She said, I believe that politics is all about horse-trading; it is about assuaging people, it is about allowing people to work based on their conviction and they know the right thing to do.It wasnt that difficult because we have a spectacular Senate this time. A senate that represents hope for Nigeria and I believe they did what the Nigerian people are asking for.
The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria on Monday condemned in strong terms the Sundays killings in St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu, near Nnewi, Anambra.A gunman stormed the church and killed at least eight worshipers and injured 18 people.The group made the condemnation in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by its National Coordinator, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi.Abdullahi described the perpetrators as dare-devil murderers who stormed Ozubulu Catholic Church in Anambra State and killed scores of people during an early-morning mass.This is the hand work of terrorists within the community who were reportedly living abroad but came home for what only God knows.The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria condemns in strong terms this sacrilegious and terrible act.This crime must be properly investigated and culprits should be urgently arrested before they escape from the community.According to Abdullahi, it is commendable that the Police in Anambra State have useful information on the background to the crime as narrated by the Anambra State Commissioner of Police.This information should be properly processed to give a lasting solution to addressing acts of terrorism of this nature which must not go unpunished.Meanwhile, the elites in our midst sending their children and wards abroad to study must examine the negative aspects of their action on their children.Some of which include the bad culture of killing innocent people with reckless abandon, joining irresponsible clubs where crimes are perpetrated to revenge certain acts, use of dangerous drugs and various acts of terrorism.The national coordinator said that wealth should be channelled to positive ventures such as teaching the children the way of God and worshipping Him wholeheartedly.According to him, children should acquire the training they are given on how to imbibe and practice good character in addition to an educational pursuit.All these could be achieved here in Nigeria easily.Parents and guardians living in the country should as well discourage their children from watching dangerous movies which serve as a training ground from breeding criminally-minded children, Abdullahi said.
by Olalekan Waheed Adigun The story is told of an Emperor whose obsession with clothes is second to none. His love for clothes was ...





by Olalekan Waheed Adigun





The story is told of an Emperor whose obsession with clothes is second to none. His love for clothes was so much that he spent all his money on being well dressed.





The interesting this about this story, writes Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, in his The Emperors New Clothes, is that, unknown to the Emperor, the Kings council members an equivalent of todays cabinet, for fear of being seen as unfit for their positions, have perfected the art of making the King believe hes always on new clothes. The members of the Council and his weavers who cannot get quality fabric, the Emperor thought he could tell the wise men from the fools.





Incidentally, we have a new Emperor in town in Nigeria today. He has been referred to in different names by his most fanatical supporters. Some have described him as John the Baptist, laying the foundation for the coming of the Lord. Some ridiculous ones have even put him in the place or on equal footing with the Lord Himself. He is regarded by others as the Supreme Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) or the Igbos. He can do no wrong. His word is Law. If he issues any command, such must be obeyed without question. This new Emperors name is Nnamdi Kanu who dreams of leading a nation he calls Biafra!





Kanu, like his supporters, are deluded. His supporters are the most unfortunate. They echo whatever the Emperor says like a chorus. Like Boxer in George Orwells Animal Farm whos never tired of saying, If comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right. Boxer is about the strongest of the animals in the farm, even stronger than Napoleon himself, yet hes one of the least intelligent. It is on the army of this mass that the Emperor derives his power. Their ignorance is his is his wisdom; their poverty, his wealth; and their death, his life; their misery, his happiness; and their loss, his gain!





Few days ago, Joe Igbokwe, one of the few Igbos that refuses to see new clothes on the Emperor published his story in obvious response to Kanu who called him a slave. Joe published his rags to riches story of how he came from his village in Nnewi to Lagos in search of better life and economic prosperity. He explains why he owed everything to Lagos and why he always appreciates the state. He served three different Governors (Tinubu, Fashola and Ambode) in high capacities even though he is Igbo, a feat even indigenous Lagosians cannot boast of.





Rather than his supporters to tell the Emperor he is walking naked and urge him to publish his own story, if he has any, many of them went on to tell Joe to keep quiet. Some of us fell the Emperor should simply have told us how better he is than Igbokwe. He should have told us how he graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He should have told us the businesses the Emperor engaged in while he was in London. We waited patiently to hear the jobs he did before he was appointed as director of Radio Biafra. It appears we will have to wait longer to hear all these. Some things are better kept secret!





Understandably, our Emperors wont give up without a fight. On Friday 4 August 2017, I read an article under the title THE GAPS IN JOE IGBOKWES STORY by one Onyebuchi Ememanka published online by Scan News.

When I saw the captivating title THE GAPS I felt it was time to demystify Joe Igbokwe. I thought it was time to see the lies, or exaggerations made by the APC Lagos image maker. I became more excited I read the writers claim when he said, For starters, I know Engr. Joe Igbokwe personally and I must say that he is a man I respect a lot.





He went further to write, For the seven years I spent in Lagos, I attended the same church with Igbokwe  St. Bartholomews Anglican Church Aguda Surulere, one of the most powerful Anglican churches in Lagos and indeed Nigeria, both in terms of the quality of membership and evangelical depth. A full time Igbo church in Lagos, St. Barths is in a class of its own with one of the most fiery and charismatic Pastors, The Venerable Ben Nwanekwu.





My excitements depreciated as I went on reading Onyebuchis article. There were no real Gaps in Joe Igbokwes Story as the title claimed. There were no exaggerations in Joes story either. The writer also made no attempt(s) to introduce irrelevances into his own story when he brought in a time when Lagos PDP Gubernatorial candidate visited their Church which saw the entire church erupted in applause when he arrived. The question I asked myself was, What gaps in Joes story does this fill?





If Joes offence was that he served in APCs government under three different political administration or that he doesnt make much noise about going home like most people do, in my opinion, he committed no offence and the writer goofed. Is Joe not supposed to be an adult that has the right to freedom of association under the 1999 Constitution? Joe is the spokesman of the party in Lagos. He is the manager of a large government agency in Lagos. He lives, like many of us in Lagos. He has a job to do in Lagos, what do you want him to always say? These are no easy jobs!





For the records, I am Igbomina from Kwara state. My father moved to Lagos before Independence with nothing. By sheer efforts, he built nine houses in Lagos. His only house in Ajase-Ipo was built for his aunt. I was born in Lagos. Apart from my two-year National Diploma (ND) in Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin in 2006, I have not visited the state. Does that make me less Igbomina?

If the Emperors supporters are sincere, they should be able to tell he is naked rather than saying he has new clothes!




Former National Chairman of the Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA) Chief Larry Essien, has fired former Senate president, Ken Nnamani, for ...

Former National Chairman of the Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA) Chief Larry Essien, has fired former Senate president, Ken Nnamani, for claiming that he scuttled the third term agenda of former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

Essien described Nnamanis claim as false and self glorification adding that the former lawmaker arrogated to himself what he never engineered.





Nnamani had recently affirmed that he had no regrets truncating the third term bid of former president Olusegun Obasanjo.





He had, said, If given another opportunity, I would still preside over stoppage of the botched third term agenda.

Reacting, however, Essien recalled that it was former Deputy Senate president, Ibrahim Mantu, who, at the time, was also the chairman of the constitution review committee, former vice president, Atiku Abubakar; former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, who he said Obasanjo had suspected to work with the United States against him; former speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Bello Masari and a few others that made it impossible for the third term agenda to scale through.





He noted that Nnamani was just a senator and did not have the capacity, both as an individual and as Senate president, to stop what Obasanjo wanted.





He said: The lies sold to the public is unbecoming and I am surprised that the former senate president is trying to circumvent the true facts of third term agenda.

If the constitution review committee had subscribed to the idea of tenure elongation which Senator Ibrahim Mantu chaired, third term agenda would have been a success story, he said.

Essien noted further that Senator Mantu, who has maintained relative silence on the matter, was able to give Nigerians a little light when he was quoted in an interview as saying, the third term agenda failed because most of the senators bought into the campaign of those men who did not want Obasanjo to have another tenure.





Atiku and Kalu came under serious political persecution for opposing the third term agenda which attempted to remove constitutional term limits.

First, they were deregistered from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which led to Kalus founding of Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA) and subsequent casting of Atiku as corrupt and unreliable. The big arm of the Federal Government fell on Kalu and his businesses, he further said.
By Owei Lakemfa I bought two products of the Coca Cola conglomerate three days ago. They are bottles of Fanta and Sprite. I looked for...

I bought two products of the Coca Cola conglomerate three days ago. They are bottles of Fanta and Sprite. I looked for a warning on them which should read that the drinks are poisonous when taken with Vitamin C.This would be in accordance with the March 2017 judgment of the Lagos High Court which found the products unfit for human consumption as they contain high levels of sunset yellow and benzoic acid which according to European and American drug agencies, can form the carcinogen benzene when combined with ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). The court had ordered Coca Cola to comply not later than June, 2017.But I did not see such warning. I did not expect to see the warning because as expected, Coca Cola would be hiding behind technicalities and a claim that it is appealing the judgment. However, if it were interested in the health of Nigerians and not just profits, the company by now, would have saturated us with adverts warning of the dangers of taking their products as ordered by the court. In a matter affecting lives such as this, the company should comply with the judgment even if it seeks a reversal in the higher court.This is basically because while it can recoup losses, it cannot bring back lives that might be lost as a result of its non-compliance. Given its angry reaction, I am not sure Coca Cola will obey the judgment. Rather, I expect it to assemble an armada of Senior Advocates of Nigeria to appeal the pro-life judgment and sink it with nuclear weapons. A lot will depend on whether the appellate courts will stand firm and deliver justice like Justice Adedayo Oyebanji did, or, take cover under a mountain of technicalities to shoot down the judgment.If the courts were to upheld the judgment, It is unlikely a transnational corporation like Coca Cola, given its contemptuous defence in court, would willingly comply. Yet there is need for haste as the revelation that these products are unfit for human consumption had been made one decade ago.Who knows how many Nigerians have ignorantly continued to take these products with something as common and popular as vitamin C? How many have been exposed to the health risks or have developed health complications taking these drinks? The revelations about Fanta and Sprite began in March 2007 when the United Kingdom confiscated and destroyed large quantities of the products imported by Nigerian businessman, Dr. Emmanuel Fijabi Adebo.Tests carried out on the products by the Stockport Metropolitan Borough Councils Trading Standard, Department of Environment and Economy Directorate and corroborated by the other European agencies showed they could be dangerous. But Coca Cola while accepting that it produced the destroyed items argued that they were produced for distribution and consumption in Nigeria alone and not for export. So the export was illegal as the UK has its own different Coca Cola franchise.The company arrogantly and contemptuously argued that the levels of chemical components which are dangerous by European standards, are safe for Nigerians. An obviously miffed, Justice Oyebanji said: It is imperative to state that the knowledge of the Nigeria Bottling Company (producers of Coca Cola in Nigeria) that the products were to be exported is immaterial to its being fit for human consumptionsoft drinks manufactured by the Nigeria Bottling Company ought to be fit for human consumption irrespective of colour or creed.In agreeing with the learned judge, does it not make commonsense that as a transnational corporation, if Coca Cola is changing its formula, it should do so for all countries and not give underdeveloped countries a formula that can be carcinogenic or injurious? Why would it use an outdated formula in Africa and an updated one in Europe? Since Coca Cola has declined to warn Nigerians about its products as it obviously puts profit above all other considerations, the National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, which is a government agency has no excuse not to have commenced a mass enlightenment on the harmful effects of Fanta and Sprite.It is tragic that NAFDAC which is publicly funded to protect Nigerians, was unable to put up a defence in court for its certification of the products. The courageous Justice Oyebanji in her well- considered judgment had declared that: It is manifest that NAFDAC has been grossly irresponsible in its regulatory duties to the consumers of Fanta and Sprite manufactured by Nigeria Bottling Company.In my respective view, NAFDAC has failed the citizens of this great nation by its certification as satisfactory for human consumption products, which in the United Kingdom failed sample test for human consumption, and which become poisonous in the presence of Ascorbic Acid ordinarily known as Vitamin C, which can be freely taken by the unsuspecting public with the companys Fanta or Sprite .Justice Oyebanji was very clear and unambiguous in her judgment when she ruled further that: The court, in the light of the damning evidence before it showing that NAFDAC has failed to live up to expectation, cannot close its eyes to the grievous implication of allowing the status quo to continue as it is.For the reasons herein adumbrated in this judgment, the court hereby orders as follows: That NAFDAC shall forthwith mandate Nigeria Bottling Company to, within 90 days hereof, include on all the bottles of Fanta and Sprite soft drinks manufactured by the company, a written warning that the content of the said bottles of Fanta and Sprite soft drinks cannot be taken with Vitamin C as same becomes poisonous if taken with Vitamin C.If this judgment were delivered in countries where the health of the citizenry, and public office is taken serious, the Director General of NAFDAC would have publicly apologised and resigned. But in this case, even after the judgment, NAFDAC is still making a case for Coca Cola and justifying its sale of the products. There is also the Consumer Protection Council, CPC, another public agency which should have moved speedily to begin mass public enlightenment. Rather, it takes shelter behind claims that it is investigating the matter.How long will it investigate? The CPC has not told the country it has the laboratories to conduct research into Fanta and Sprite.In any case what investigation does it require when all it needs to do is get copies of the scientific evidence produced in court and act in the higher interests of consumers. The wellbeing of Nigerians is in our hands, we have a duty to protect our lives and those of our children.If we will do it, we can make companies, no matter how powerful to comply with international standards especially on food, drinks and drugs.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has withdrawn the nomination of two board members of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other offences Commission, ICPC, five days after they were nominated.The nominees withdrawn are Maimuna Aliyu and Saad Alanamu. And another, a former military governor of Ogun State, Sam Ewang may also suffer the same fate as past indictments of abuse of office have been dredged out.The two nominees were exposed in a damning report by ICIR(International Centre for Investigative Reporting), as being unfit for the job as they have corruption cases to answer.The ICIR report published last Friday was too detailed to be ignored by the government.It said while Alanamu is being investigated on corruption charges allegedly committed while he headed several institutions in Kwara State, Aliyu has a longstanding case of abuse of office, misappropriation and diversion of public funds against her.In fact, the ICIR learnt on Friday that charges were already being prepared against her by the ICPC in preparation to taking her to court when her name was announced as a member of the new board of the commission.Apart from the ICPC investigation, our investigations also show that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nigerian Police have investigated several corruption cases against Aliyu, a former Executive Director of the Aso Savings and Loans.In fact, in May, a police investigative report indicted her and recommended her for prosecution. The investigative report dated May 31, 2017, and signed by Taiwo Oyewale, a Superintendent of Police, for the Deputy Commissioner of Police, IGP Monitoring Unit, said that Aliyu illegally converted to personal use a total of N58 million being proceeds of three plots of land belonging to her employers, Aso Savings and Loans.Police investigations showed that as Executive Director, Marketing, Aliyu got approval to sell three of the banks landed properties in Abuja. The plots were offered for N19 million each. Aliyu is said to have sold the lands for N58 million but refused to hand over the money to the bank.The police investigations commenced after Aso Savings and Loans wrote a petition in November 2016 alleging that Aliyu, who had by then retired from the bank for three years, had refused to hand over the proceeds of the land sold.The same month, the bank also wrote a petition against her to the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the EFCC and the ICPCIn one of the investigations, it was discovered that Aliyu actually sold the three plots of land entrusted to her by the bank at N40 million each (instead of N19 million) totalling N120 million and held on to every penny.Apart from the N120 million allegedly misappropriated by her, the bank also lodged several complaints of abuse of office and conversion or diversion of its funds, totalling nearly N1 billion.But in a series of tweets on Sunday, Laolu Akande, the spokesperson to Mr. Osinbajo, said government had decided to withdraw the nominations of the affected persons.We are stepping down two of the new ICPC board nominees who have ongoing investigation issues with the commission as this presents a conflict.This case presents a peculiarity as we have confirmed that the agency in which they are to serve is indeed investigating the two of them.Akande said, While existence of allegations or petitions against someone shouldnt necessarily disqualify them from considerations for appointments, A basic check showed no court convictions against them. But when weighty petitions come up, this administration ll always do the right thing.Meanwhile, another publication has also called into question the eligibility of Sam Ewang, as a member of the board of the anti-graft agency.In an online publication, Mr. Sam Ewang, a retired Group Captain from the Nigerian Airforce, was indicted by a probe panel set up by the Chief Olusegun Osobas administration of embezzlement of N28million which he claimed was used to purchase protective equipment. The equipment was nowhere to be found.Another panel also revealed that N20million was missing from the coffers of the state Councils of Arts and Culture.Ewang reportedly made away with official vehicles and generator belonging to the governors office after his tenure, said the report.The Presidency is yet to react to this latest report.
Chairman, National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, said, yesterday, that the party had nothing against restructuring but stressed there was need to for a common ground on what needs to be restructured.Makarfi, who spoke in an interview with Vanguard, said: Because it (restructuring) means different things to different people, there is need to sit down and build consensus on what is generally acceptable to the people, the modalities, nature and time frame should be clearly spelt out.This is even as the PDP, yesterday, chided the Kano State chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, for what it described as impunity, following failure of Speaker of the state House of Assembly to swear in Abdullahi Muhammed of the PDP 21 days after the Supreme Court ordered Hayatu Musa Sallahu of the APC to vacate his seat.Makarfi said the importance of a common ground on what needed to give way for a Nigeria that would be acceptable to all could not be over-emphasised.The fact that people see it differently means that something is wrong. But there is need to commonly agree on what needs to be restructured, be it economic, institutional or political. Theres need for us to respect one another, he said.On calls for 2014 confab report implementation, Makarfi maintained that the National Assembly had a key role to play as representatives of the people.He said: If the National Assembly requests for it and it is forwarded to them, there is nothing wrong with it. People must understand that there are processes and steps to be followed.Meanwhile, the PDP has chided the Kano State chapter of the APC over the refusal of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly to swear in Abdullahi Muhammed of the PDP 21 days after the Supreme Court ordered Hayatu Musa Sallahu of the APC to vacate his seat.In a statement by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, the party said: We call on the governor of Kano State, Attorney General of the Federation and well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the speaker of Kano State House of Assembly to obey the rule of law and to perform his constitutional duty by swearing in Mr. Abdullahi Mohammed without further delay.Meanwhile we are looking at all legal options to bring the erring Speaker to book for this constitutional violation.We fought hard for this democracy. We sustained it for sixteen good years. We will not allow it to be destroyed by the recklessness of those who are intoxicated by power.
The total quantum of electricity on the nations power grid crashed by 1,835.6 megawatts within a period of three days.After reaching a peak of 4,282.6MW on August 2, 2017, power generation dropped to as low as 2,447MW on August 5, according to the latest data on the performance of the grid obtained in Abuja on Sunday.Power generation has continued to fluctuate for several months now, as operators blame the development on gas and frequency constraints.The recent power briefing from the Transmission Company of Nigeria stated that 1,651MW of electricity could not be generated as a result of frequency management constraint on Friday alone, which was due to loss of feeders of power distribution companies.It also stated that the reported gas constraint resulted in the inability to generate 505MW on the same day.However, further findings showed that electricity generation since the beginning of August had continue to hover between 2,387MW and 4,280MW.On Wednesday, data indicated that gas-fired electricity-generating turbines in seven stations across the country were dormant, a development that adversely affected power generation.The industry data showed that on August 2, all the hydro and steam power stations had at least one hydro or steam turbine that was functional. It highlighted three hydro power stations as well as three steam stations.But out of the 22 gas power generating stations that were captured in the report, seven had dormant turbines, and they were Afam IV-V, Alaoji NIPP, Olorunsogo NIPP, A.E.S, ASCO, Rivers IPP and Gbarain NIPP.It was also gathered that increased gas constraints to power-producing turbines was another reason why some of the machines were left dormant.The Executive Secretary, Association of Power Generation Companies, Dr. Joy Ogaji, recently announced that electricity producers were owed over N500bn by the market, adding that this had made it tough for some of the Gencos to pay their gas suppliers.Ogaji had said, For us to be able to procure gas, we need money. Gas companies are owed several billions by us. We are being owed nearly N600bn and we are owing gas companies nearly N200bn.Most of them now say they cannot supply anymore until we pay. In fact, most of the companies like Shell and Total now do what we call pay-before-service. And since the market is paying us 29 per cent out of the expected 100 per cent, how do we pay for the gas?Some of these power companies that youve heard about cannot put all their machines on, they will just select from maybe out of five machines; they will just put on two or one, depending on what you can pay for with respect to gas. Thats the situation and it is a precarious and pitiable state.
Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, has asked Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to return the entire pension he received since 2007 from Kw...

Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, has asked Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to return the entire pension he received since 2007 from Kwara State government to the state.

The lawyer also called on Saraki to submit the house the state government bought for him in Abuja.





Saraki said last week that he had written to the state government to stop his pension.





This was following the allegation by the Socio-Economic and Accountability Project, SERAP, that the Senate president and some former governors, who hold political office, were receiving double pay.

But Falana in a statement, Sunday, however, commended Saraki for doing the right thing and urged him to prevail on 20 other senators, who are former governors, to stop receiving pension from their states.





He said, The Senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki, announced last week that he had stopped collecting pension as a former governor of Kwara State following the protest by the Socio-Economic and Accountability Project, SERAP.





According to the Senate president, the moment his attention was drawn to the allegation of the payment of double salaries, he wrote to the Kwara State government to stop the payment of his pension. In like manner, three serving ministers in the Buhari administration who are former governors have disclosed that they are not being paid pensions from any of the state governments.





Other ministers and legislators who are former governors and deputy governors should speak out so that Nigerians can know the public officers who are involved in the illegal collection of pension from state governments and salaries from the Federal Government at the same time.





Apart from writing to the Kwara state government to stop further payment of the pension due to him under the former governors pension law of Kwara State, Dr Saraki decided to contribute to the debate on double payment of salaries by some ex-governors.





Since Dr Saraki has come to the conclusion that the collection of the pension is immoral, he is advised to refund the pension he had collected from the Kwara State government since he became a senator in June 2007.





He should also relinquish the house bought for him in Abuja by Kwara State government since he is said to be receiving housing allowance as president of the Senate.





However, while Dr Saraki is commended for demonstrating leadership by example with respect to the illegal collection of the ex-governors pension he should proceed to use his position as the president of the Senate to prevail on the 20 other senators who are former governors and deputy-governors to stop further collecting pension from their state governments since they are currently receiving jumbo salaries and allowances from the national assembly.




A 35-year-old woman, Micheal Modupe, is to spend the next 12 months in prison for stealing a police officers N99,000 in his office, an ...

A 35-year-old woman, Micheal Modupe, is to spend the next 12 months in prison for stealing a police officers N99,000 in his office, an Abeokuta Magistrates Court in Ogun State ruled at the weekend.Modupe, whose address was not provided, was arraigned for stealing.News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the light-fingered woman pleaded guilty.The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Adeola Adelaja, said the court had no option but to sentence her since she had pleaded guilty.The sentence was without an option of fine.Police prosecutor Sunday Eigbejiale told the court that the woman committed the offence on April 7 at 4p.m. at Onipanu Police Station, Ota, Ogun State.He said the accused stole N99, 000, property of a police officer, Mr. Akinleye Akinwale.Eigbejiale said Akinwale, the complainant, is attached to the Divisional Crime Office at the station.According to him, the complainant kept the money in his bag in the office and discovered that the money was missing.The woman was the only person with him in the office when the money was stolen.
Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo has condemned the statement by Acting President, Yemi Osinabjo, that those agitating for restructur...

Afenifere chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo has condemned the statement by Acting President, Yemi Osinabjo, that those agitating for restructuring were only looking for appointment.

The elder statesman spoke on Sunday at the Southern Leaders Forum meeting in Lagos.





He said: That is a very unfortunate statement. The Acting President was born on the principle of restructuring. Myself and his father were followers of Awolowo since the 1950s.





He cannot say we are looking for appointment. Is it me or Horsfall or Gen Ike Nwachukwu? It just shows someone in position, but does not understand the problem of the people he is leading.

It is an unfortunate statement to make. I am not going to engage in a brick bat with him, it shows the limit of his knowledge of how the country came together. I think he should know better.

He is not only a lawyer, he has been an Attorney-General and Vice President, Pa Adebanjo told Vanguard.

Recall that former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, also criticised Osinbajo over the comment.

He said the acting president was receiving dictation from the cabal in the presidency.
HACKENSACK - Ken Zisa, the city's former police chief, has filed a civil rights lawsuit against law enforcement officials in Bergen County, alleging they conspired to destroy his life, reputation and career during an official misconduct trial they knew was bogus.

Zisa, 63, endured a lengthy court battle over allegations in 2008 that he removed his girlfriend from the scene of an accident before she could submit to a sobriety test.

The charges against Zisa were dismissed in court and he was awarded $2.8 million in back pay and legal costs.

The federal lawsuit, filed July 28 in Newark, alleges "flagrant abuse of power" and names members of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, the Bergen County Sheriff's Office and the Hackensack Police Department.

The amount sought is not mentioned in the complaint. However, a notice of claim filed ahead of the lawsuit seeks $30 million in damages.

Zisa claims his legal troubles began when several Hackensack police officers facing administrative charges gave Zisa an ultimatum - drop the charges or we will create false allegations about you.

The chief refused to drop the charges - which included steroid use - and the officers brought up several allegations connected to an accident involving Zisa's car and girlfriend.

After multiple agencies investigated, Zisa was arrested and indicted on several felony counts, including official misconduct, conspiracy, fraud and witness tampering.

"Zisa then was falsely accused, arrested, maliciously prosecuted, denied a fair trial, wrongfully convicted, and confined to home for 34 months," Attorney Patricia Prezioso of Florham Park wrote in the complaint.

"His civil rights were violated by defendants who knowingly conducted a tainted investigation and who denied Zisa a fair trial," Prezioso wrote.

Prezioso wrote that even after several of the charges were dismissed, Zisa was required to wear a monitoring bracelet on his ankle and confined to his home pending the appeal.

In addition to the police officers lying about him, the suit accuses city officials of failing to intervene in the misconduct of the officers.

The complaint alleges members of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office "procured false incriminating statements from witnesses and failed to investigate leads that would have" proved Zisa's innocence.

Members of the Bergen County Sheriff's Office are accused of conspiring with Hackensack police and the prosecutor's office to wrongfully investigate and prosecute Zisa.

"The depravity, brazenness, illegality, abuse of the criminal justice system, abuse of office, abuse of power, and corruption demonstrated by these defendants calls for the harshest civil penalties to be imposed," the attorney wrote.

During the time Zisa was under indictment, both of his parents died and the media mentioned his legal troubles in his mother's obituary, the suit states.

Zisa's two adult children both got married and did not have receptions because Zisa was on home confinement, according to the suit.

"Zisa had to borrow money from his family and friends to avoid losing his house," the suit states. "He lost his life's savings, nearly every asset but for his house, and narrowly avoided bankruptcy."

The suit states Zisa endured debilitating emotional stress and that his reputation has not recovered.

"To this day, Zisa is subjected to public humiliation and ridicule because of this malicious prosecution, which has forever and irreparably destroyed his reputation," the suit states.

The lawsuit demands a jury trial, along with compensatory and punitive damages.

Zisa, who was a police officer for more than 30 years and a former Democratic assemblyman, has been on administrative leave. He plans to retire after restoration of his pension, according to Prezioso.

A spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office and a spokesman for the sheriff's office said their agencies do not comment on pending litigation.

Hackensack City Manager Ted Ehrenburg did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
HACKENSACK - A lawsuit alleging more than $5 million in damages has been filed against a landlord and the construction worker he hired to repair a roof on a North Bergen furniture store that later caught fire and burned to the ground.

The lawsuit, filed by Discount Kennedy Furniture on July 25 in Bergen County Superior Court, alleges a blowtorch was used but that nobody obtained a permit from North Bergen township. The suit also alleges neither the worker, nor the landlord had a fire extinguisher nearby in case of an accident.

The fire began about 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 21, 2016 at the furniture business and raged for hours, destroying the building along with the store's entire inventory.

The building's landlord, identified in court papers as Stephen Ascione, of Brick, told police he hired a worker from AAA Empire Construction LLC of Haledon to work on the roof. Ascione told police the only information he had about the worker was "that he goes by the name of 'Alex,'" according to the suit.

Ascione told police Alex spilled a "hot unknown liquid on the roof" but later changed his story to say there must have been an electrical problem, the suit states.

The suit states New Jersey Uniform Fire Code requires a permit be obtained from local officials if a blow-torch is going to be used to seal roof membranes.

The code also states that a fire extinguisher must be accessible within 30 feet of where the work is being performed.

The suit, which was filed against Ascione Building Corp. of Demarest, Stephen Ascione, AAA Empire Construction LLC and other unknown parties, claims negligence on the part of all defendants, along with negligent hiring and supervision on the part of Ascione.

The suit accuses the defendants of creating a public and private nuisance because they "knew or should have known that their conduct created an abnormally dangerous condition" that "exposed plaintiff to increased risk of fire."

Contacted Friday, Ascione said he had not yet been served with the lawsuit.

"Until I hear anything from them, I have no comment," he said.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A state board formally revoked a teaching certificate from a former Bergen County Academies teacher who was sentenced to prison last year for having sex with a student.

Donald DeWitt, of Warwick, N.Y., pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child and was sentenced to four years in prison. He was also ordered not to have contact with the victim and is subject to parole supervision for life.

Donald DeWitt, Warwick, N.Y.

DeWitt was one of the first teachers at the school, where he taught biology and human sexuality. He was banned from the campus after he was arrested and later fired after he pleaded guilty.

The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office began its investigation when the sister of the then-16-year-old student found sexually explicit texts from DeWitt.

The State Board of Examiners revoked the Teacher of Biological Science certificate he'd held since 1993.

In answering the state, DeWitt reportedly apologized for the "embarrassment and dismay I have caused."

Sara Jerde may be reached at sjerde@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde.

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MARLTON -- HGTV's "House Hunters" will make its way through three South Jersey homes in a new episode premiering Monday night.

The episode, titled "Making a Move to Marlton,'' will air at 10 p.m. It features Amanda and Evan Longmore, who told the Courier-Post they've always loved watching the show and jumped at the chance to take part.

The show follows home buyers as they look at three properties with the help of a seasoned realtor, hoping to find a dream home in their budget.

The network describes the two as "New Jersey newlyweds who are sick of apartment living," searching for their first home together before their lease runs out.

Amanda and Evan, who are Washington Township and Marlton natives, respectively, have been living in Maple Shade, the Courier-Post reported. In the show, they tour three homes -- two in Cherry Hill, and one in Marlton.

Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amahoover. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Mazda and Toyota could look South to build new auto plant
Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 42F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 42F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph.

Tomorrow

Mainly sunny. High 58F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.
Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 42F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 42F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph.

Tomorrow

A mainly sunny sky. High 57F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.
WASHINGTON  Donald Trump may have annoyed the wrong man in Congress.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has been ramping up an investigation into possible collusion between Russia and Trump's presidential campaign, in addition to the president's dismissal of former FBI Director James Comey.

The plain-spoken Iowa Republican had sharply criticized the administration's initial failure to respond to many lawmakers' requests for information. He also hasn't been shy about other topics, including the use of foul language by the recently dismissed White House communications chief, Anthony Scaramucci.

Grassley's decision to move full speed ahead on Russia, including threatening Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., and others with subpoenas, will likely force a more public  and unpredictable  autopsy of topics the administration would rather fade away. Grassley, working with the Judiciary Committee's top Democrat, Dianne Feinstein of California, is pressing to uncover any attempts to obstruct justice or influence the presidential election.

The senator's approach puzzles some of his Republican colleagues. GOP leaders have preferred to keep the Russia probe limited to the Intelligence Committee, a buttoned-down panel that usually conducts its business behind closed doors.

Colleagues say Grassley remains a loyal Republican who is merely doing what he's done for decades. He has defended Trump on a range of issues, helped install Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court, and has lambasted Democratic leaders. He even criticized the media for "hysteria" about the Russia investigations.

"He's a good conservative, but he loves the institution, and he's got that Iowa sense of fairness," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, who serves on the Judiciary Committee, in an interview. "He doesn't go pick a fight, but if you get in a fight with him, you've got a worthy opponent. I think the more you stonewall him, the worse it gets."

Earlier this year, some Democrats complained Grassley wasn't doing enough to pursue the Russia matter. Then in June, the committee started delving deeper and the Democrats' complaints turned to praise.

Grassley said he's investigating for a simple reason: Congress has a responsibility to provide oversight.

"This is what Chuck Grassley does," Grassley said in an interview at the Capitol last week.

"They may be new to town, but they surely recognize what Chuck Grassley's reputation is. And if they don't know it, they've been told, I bet, a hundred times," he said. "I think I've got a pretty good reputation for being what I call an equal-opportunity overseer."

Grassley said nobody from the White House has asked him to stop or slow his efforts  though Trump has repeatedly tweeted about how the Russia probes are unfair and that Republican lawmakers should be standing by him.

Grassley's advocacy has already notched a win, when the White House pledged last month to respond to oversight letters from rank-and-file members in both parties. An earlier legal memo argued that only chairmen were entitled to oversight responses from the administration, prompting a six-page letter of condemnation from Grassley.

"Shutting down oversight requests doesn't drain the swamp, Mr. President. It floods the swamp," Grassley wrote.

"I'd be doing it if Obama was president, and like I told you, back in the Reagan years, I subpoenaed William French Smith," who was then the attorney general, Grassley said.

Grassley, 83, has served in the Senate since 1981 after serving six years in the U.S. House. He was elected to the Iowa State Legislature in 1958.

"You want to know what I do?" he said he asks high school students. "Most of you think all we do is pass bills and appropriate money. But that's only half of it. Once we've done that we have a constitutional responsibility to do what the Constitution says. Is the president faithfully executing the laws? Or anybody that works for him?"

If Trump were to try and dissuade him, it wouldn't work, Grassley said. "I treat all presidents the same, Republican or Democrat."

Soon after Trump took office, Grassley tweeted to Trump in hopes the administration would respond to senators' requests for records "so we can do oversight." In June, Grassley wrote a letter blasting a Justice Department opinion arguing that only committee chairmen were authorized to demand responses from the administration.

Grassley's Republican colleagues haven't directly urged him to back off, although some have questioned the probe to reporters, including second-ranking Senate Republican John Cornyn of Texas. The senator said in June it's "wholly inappropriate" for Judiciary to examine possible obstruction of justice because that's the job of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading a criminal investigation into the Russia matter. "We could end up harming the investigation," Cornyn said.

Grassley brushed off such comments at the time. "They aren't chairman of the committee," he said then. "It's my jurisdiction."

Feinstein said Grassley is "terrific" to work with. "What I know of Grassley is, he's got strong beliefs in what's right and what's wrong," Feinstein said in an interview. "He is very honest, very direct, he is without artifice. and he's basically a good man. A little gruff sometimes, but we all have our ways."

Among the areas they are probing is unregistered lobbying and advocacy efforts by Russians, Ukrainians and others during last year's campaign. That led to Grassley's threat to subpoena the president's son and campaign manager Paul Manafort if they didn't cooperate with a request for testimony and documents relating to a June 2016 meeting with Russians who promised to deliver incriminating information on Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Feinstein said she and Grassley are completing details for what could be two public hearings in late September at which Trump Jr. and Manafort would testify.

"Chuck Grassley is determined, I think, to uncover the truth about any obstruction of justice involving the firing of Jim Comey or other political interference in the investigation of Russian meddling," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat who serves on the Judiciary Committee, said in an interview.

The Senate Intelligence Committee staff already has interviewed Manafort, and the panel also wants to hear from Trump Jr. and others.

Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr of North Carolina said Grassley's investigation isn't interfering with his probe, which he said has included interviews with more than 70 people.

"I'm not sure that I understand exactly what they're trying to do," Burr said in an interview, adding that Judiciary doesn't have access to classified intelligence documents. "They tried to subpoena Paul Manafort; we interviewed him," Burr noted.

Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, a Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said it's in the committee's purview to determine whether the president obstructed justice, why Comey was fired, and why Trump has publicly criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions over his recusal from the Russia probe.

"As long as those are active questions, I think they are well within the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee," Coons said in an interview.

Graham, who has been critical of Trump, points to the firing of Comey and his subsequent testimony to the Intelligence Committee as a turning point for Grassley.

"Over time, he has gotten much more assertive in terms of the committee's jurisdiction," Graham said of Grassley. "As the facts have unfolded, more and more of the Russian intrigue is in the Judiciary lane. Obstruction of justice, you know, maybe campaign finance laws being violated."

Graham said he's pleased with how Grassley has proceeded.

"In all the things he's done in his very illustrious career, I think this is one of his finest hours," Graham said.
More than 9.5 million Americans have Polish ancestry, ethnic groups often like to stage summer festivals, and the humble pierogi is central to Polish cuisine; so it stands to reason that Whiting wouldn't be home to the only pierogi festival in the country.

In fact, other pierogi festivals take place all over the country, especially in the largely Midwestern industrial belt around the Great Lakes where many Eastern European immigrants settled.

In May, the first Buffalo Pierogi Fest aimed to "separate the Babcias from the boys." In June, the Cleveland suburb of Parma, Ohio, held its fifth annual Pierogi Palooza. Next week, the Sweetest Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Detroit will raise funds for its "Save the Steeples" campaign at the Sweetest Heart of Mary Pierogi Festival, which will include a "reverent Polka Mass." The Pittsburgh Pierogi Festival, which drew 7,000 in its first year, returns in September.

But the Pierogi Fest that throngs 119th Street in downtown Whiting with 300,000 visitors every year owns a trademark of the title, "Pierogi Fest," which is the center of a legal food fight with the Edwardsville Pierogi Festival in Pennsylvania that's made headlines nationally as "odd news."

The Edwardsville Hometown Committee preemptively sued after getting a letter from the Whiting-Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce warning it had to stop using the name or pay royalties.

Whiting's Pierogi Fest began in 1994, and got a trademark in 2006. Its doppleganger in Edwardsville started five years ago.

"When we find out about other Pierogi Fests we ask that they get our approval and license our trademark," organizer Tom Dabertin said. "There's a suburban community in the Chicago area that came to us and asked for permission to do a Pierogi Fest. We're happy to work with them."

Pierogi Fest already has successfully defended its trademark in court, after filing an infringement lawsuit against the Pittsburgh Pierogi Festival when it sought to trademark its own name about a year and a half ago, Dabertin said. The Whiting-Robertsdale chamber won the case, he said.

"We have to aggressively defend our trademark rights or we lose our intellectual property," Dabertin said. "Every company that has a trademark has to do the same thing and defend it aggressively."

Pittsburgh Pierogi Festival organizers did not respond to requests from The Times for comment.

Trademark ownership has its privileges  and responsitilibies

Dabertin said the chamber will give permission to use the phrase Pierogi Fest, and that anyone seeking to throw a pierogi festival should ask permission first.

In New York, organizers of the Buffalo Pierogi Fest, a much smaller affair that featured 10 pierogi makers, food trucks and a cash bar, weren't aware of the trademark.

"We have not had any legal trouble with our event name," organizer Lauren Spoth said. "To our knowledge the words 'Pierogi Fest' are not trademarked, and there are actually several other pierogi fests in Pittsburgh and other cities around the country."

Dabertin said it was impossible to know how many pierogi fests there were nationally, since "there's not a registry," and a church or civic group could launch a new one at any time.

"Clearly, we're the largest and most well-known," he said.

"We've been in the Wall Street Journal; Trip Advisor named us one of the wackiest summer festivals; Oprah Winfrey recommended us; Saveur Magazine said we're one of the 20 food festivals to check out in North America. We've been in national broadcasts. National Public Radio has done stories. We've been on CNN, PBS, the Travel Channel, the Food Network and nationally acclaimed media venues that increase the value of the trademark."

Dabertin said the Whiting-Robestsdale Chamber has worked out agreements for others to use the Pierogi Fest language, and some have even changed the names of their festival so it doesn't infringe.

"It depends what it is, and what they're doing with the monies," he said. "It's one thing if it's a small fundraiser and another if it's bringing in tens of thousands of dollars."
CROWN POINT  The 44-year-old woman accused earlier this year of operating a dangerous home day care in Merrillville has found new work in the trucking industry, according to court records.

Tawana Cole sought permission late last month to occasionally leave the county so she could work as an over-the-road truck driver and transporter, according to a motion filed July 28 in Lake Criminal Court.

Judge Samuel L. Cappas approved the motion Aug. 1, records state.

Despite the new line of work, Cole is seeking to keep the state licenses that allow her to operate three home day cares in Lake County, according to a spokeswoman for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.

Cole was charged April 13 in Lake Criminal Court with 13 counts each of neglect of a dependent and criminal confinement on allegations she attempted to hide 15 children from police in her home day care at 1730 W. 53rd Ave. in Merrillville.

An officer eventually entered the home through an open window and found the children, including one child with a head wound, hiding with two day-care employees in a bedroom, the affidavit states.

A police search of the home turned up four loaded guns, assorted swords and daggers, and three bottles of alcohol, all of which were allegedly within reach of the children, according to the affidavit.

Cole has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and she was released from jail May 2 on a $13,000 cash bond, according to court records.

Timothy Bianco, a defense attorney for Cole, could not be reached Monday for comment.

A spokesman for the Family and Social Services Administration told The Times in April that Cole is the operator of three home day cares in Lake County.

The state began proceedings in late April to revoke the woman's licenses to operate Tender Loving Spirits, also located on 53rd Avenue in Merrillville, and Kids in Kare, 1217 W. 19th Ave. in Gary.

The state denied an application from Cole to continue to operate the home day care that was the subject of the police search.

Inspectors with Family and Social Services Administration have visited the home day cares on several occasions since Cole's arrest, according to inspection reports.

Marni Lemons, a spokeswoman for the administration, said in an email Monday that the inspectors have found no evidence that the home day cares remain in operation.

Lemons said in the email that Cole has appealed the state agency's decision to revoke and deny her licenses.

An administrative hearing on the issue is scheduled for Sept. 6.

Cole is scheduled to appear at a court hearing Friday on the criminal charges.
The Lansing Police Department Criminal Investigations Division has charged a middle school teacher with multiple counts of child pornography.

Police said Walter Clay, 30, of Lansing, has been charged with a variety of offenses.

In a statement released by police Monday, the Lansing Police Department said it was alerted to possible criminal activity in July involving Walter Clay, a teacher at Coolidge Middle School in Phoenix, Illinois, and an underage female.

Subsequently, authorities said a search warrant was executed on Clays social media accounts which reportedly revealed evidence of child pornography.

Police said Clay was arrested at his home on Friday, and taken to the Lansing Police Department for further investigation.

The Lansing Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit worked with Cook County prosecutors and charged Clay with two counts of possession of child pornography, one count of grooming and one count of indecent solicitation of a child.

Police learned when Clays wife first discovered evidence of the inappropriate relationship she confronted Clay and he allegedly physically attacked her and tried to choke her. Clay also was charged with domestic battery.

Clay was transported for his initial court appearances and is being held on a $100,000 bond pending his next court date on Aug. 14 at the Cook County 6th District Courthouse in Markham.
HAMMOND  Presentation of evidence opened Monday afternoon in the public corruption trial of Lake County Sheriff John Buncich.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Benson told jurors Buncich sold his office to pay off his campaign debts in his opening statement to the jury. Benson told jurors they will see video and hear audio tapes of the sheriff personally accepting bribe money from tow truck drivers.

You will see the sheriff taking money and putting it in his back pocket," Benson said Monday afternoon in an opening statement where he pointed his finger at the sheriff, seated at the defense table. The sheriff remained passive during these accusations.

One of Buncich's lawyers, Bryan M. Truitt, of Valparaiso, said in his opening statement the sheriff did nothing wrong. "The FBI tried to buy a crime where one didn't exist."

The first witness Benson called was Scott Jurgensen, owner of Samsons Towing, of Merrillville. He was cross-examined by Larry W. Rogers, of Valparaiso, Buncich's other attorney.

Buncich is pleading not guilty to six counts of wire fraud and bribery alleging he corruptly used his authority over towing contracts to enrich himself by soliciting and accepting cash and campaign contributions.

Jurgensen, a 20-year veteran of the Merrillville Police Department, said he got into towing after a back injury ended his police career.

Jurgensen said he experienced difficulty getting contracts to do towing for local police departments including Merrillville's. He said an FBI agent asked him why and he answered, "I don't pay bribes."

He said the agent asked him to start paying the bribes as a confidential informant of an FBI investigation.

Jurgensen said he balked initially because he feared for the safety of his family. He said he agreed after an FBI agent told him, "Evil men prosper because good men do nothing." He said the FBI paid him more than $130,000 over five years for his work and the expenses involved, including bribe money.

Jurgensen said he already was on the sheriff's approved tow list before he became an informant and started paying bribes because he was a friend of Timothy Downs, the sheriff's second-in-command.

But he began working with William Szarmach, a Lake Station towing firm owner who said he was cold to the sheriff. They agreed to jointly pay bribes to increase the work they received from county police.

"I knew that if I wanted to stay on the tow list, I had to pay," Jurgensen said.

Jurgensen said Downs and Daniel Murchek, the sheriff's third-in-command, brought him the sheriff's campaign fundraising tickets, and he bought thousands of dollars of tickets even though he never went to the fundraising events.

Jurgensen said he was prepared to support Downs for sheriff once Buncich left office because of term limits, but Downs later backed out after Dan Murchek opened his own campaign for sheriff.

He said he gave Murchek campaign contributions and Murchek promised him a county police towing list that would be shorter than Buncich's.

Jurgensen said he and Szarmach met personally with the sheriff and made payments to him several times last year and Jurgensen said he recorded the meetings without the sheriff's knowledge.

He said at one meeting, in April 2016, Szarmach invited the sheriff to look at Szarmach's new truck. The sheriff went inside and came out with what appeared to be thousands of dollars in cash Szarmach left on the seat.

Jurgensen said he gave the sheriff an envelope containing money too and he and Szarmach later got exclusive work to tow derelict cars in Gary, which allowed the sheriff to enforce cars in violation of the city's ordinances.

Jurgensen said he later gave the sheriff $7,500 to get exclusive towing rights in the town of New Chicago. He said the sheriff said he would speak with Sue Pelfrey, then a town councilwoman, on Jurgensen's behalf. Jurgensen said he later got sole towing rights in the town.

Larry W. Rogers, who is part of Buncich's defense team, questioned Jurgensen how he knew others were paying the sheriff bribes. Jurgensen said he trusted those who told him so, including Szarmach and Downs.

Jurgensen said he believes the sheriff had sole authority over who stayed on the approved towing list. He said after he became identified as a confidential informant for the FBI in the bribery case, he said the county stopped sending him towing work.

Benson told the court he expects to begin presenting video and audio surveillance as early as Tuesday.

Check back at nwi.com for updates to this story.
VALPARAISO  A former Porter County police detective, who retired during an investigation into alleged sexual relations with a 17-year-old, has been charged with possessing nude photographs of the girl.

Roger Bowles, 56, faces a felony count of possessing child pornography and a misdemeanor count of providing alcohol to a minor.

Bowles met the girl while they both were working security and traffic control during the 2015 Porter County Fair, according to the investigation done by Indiana State Police.

The girl said she and Bowles exchanged telephone numbers during last year's fair and began communicating through text messages, police said. A relationship developed that resulted in sex, she said.

The girl said the sex was consensual, which is legal in Indiana because she was at least 16 years old, police said.

But police said they discovered during the investigation that Bowles had nude photographs of the girl on his cellphone. Police said they determined the photographs were taken with Bowles' phone, including one on Dec. 8, 2016.

"Juvenile later confirmed that defendant had taken this photograph of her," according to the charging documents. "At the time of the photograph, juvenile was seventeen (17) years of age, this being below the statutory age limit."

Police said they also discovered that Bowles had invited the girl to stay at his residence multiple times and the girl did not reveal to her parents where she was staying. During these encounters, Bowles is accused of providing her with alcoholic beverages more than once and she drank them.

Police said they found text messages from the girl to Bowles referring to her drinking shots.

Police said the girl conducted the "secret" relationship without her parent's knowledge and that Bowles also did not share the information with his professional acquaintances.

Bowles reportedly told police he knew the girl, but declined to say more once he was questioned about the relationship. He asked for an attorney, which brought the interview to an end.

The sexual relationship was reported by one of Bowles' co-workers at the department, who is related to the girl, police said.

The investigation was turned over to the Indiana State Police, and a special prosecutor has been called in to handle the case. It has been assigned to Porter Superior Court Judge Bill Alexa.

Bowles posted $1,200 cash and bonded out of jail Saturday morning shortly after turning himself in, according to the sheriff's department.

Porter County Sheriff Dave Reynolds said Bowles retired during, and as a result of, the investigation.

Bowles had worked as an officer with the department for 16 years after being hired from the jail staff, Reynolds said.

Check back at nwi.com for more details as they become available.
CROWN POINT  With thousands of visitors descending upon the city and Northwest Indiana last month for the National Softball Association Northern World Series, the question came up again.

Will Crown Point get a hotel?

The city not only hosted those tournament games but also held a parade for the participants.

"We would like to see those families stay here," Mayor David Uran said.

The question about a hotel came up during Uran's monthly midweek meeting on Wednesday with residents at Great Harvest Bread Co.

"It's coming along," Uran said.

The hotel likely would be built in the development east of Broadway and north of 109th Avenue. It's the same area where previous proposals for hotels were made but fell through. One plan, in what was known as the Galleria Center, called for a hotel in that area to begin construction in spring of 2016.

That never happened but Uran said he hopes to see something out there soon. There have been some letters of intent for the area, and they include companies that build hotels.

Work has already begun in the Beacon Hill commercial development between the northwest corner of 109th Avenue and the southeast corner of Broadway and Summit Street.

Summit Street will be extended east of Broadway, and private roadways and roundabouts are planned in the development. The corridor is expected to attract light industrial, retail and commercial businesses. One multi-use building is planned to house Uptown Cafe, a smoothie bar and a beauty salon. A high-end car wash is also being planned for the area.

A hotel could be next. With events like the softball tournament and having the Sportsplex, Crown Point is already filling up Merrillville hotels.

"We're getting positive interaction," Uran said. "We want to have a hotel in Crown Point. We want to keep people in our community."
A growing chorus is imploring Calumet Township Trustee Kimberly Robinson to repay some of the poorest Region taxpayers for a government-funded tropical junket.

She and her chief deputy, who took the collective $2,868.44 trip to an unjustifiable conference in Aruba late last year, should appeal to the better angels of reason and listen.

Add Calumet Township Board President Darren Washington to a slew of taxpayers and other public officials voicing disgust at Robinson's trip.

As I wrote in a previous column, the ridiculous expense is exacerbated by the status of Robinson's township as one of the poorest in the Region and state.

Township trustees are supposed to provide emergency poor relief to their economically struggling constituents.

With a median household income of $28,020, nearly $26,000 less than the national average, Calumet Township residents collectively represent one of the poorest populations in the Region and state. A gasping 37 percent of Gary residents, which make up most of the township population, live in poverty.

So Robinson and her chief deputy, Sherita Smith, who respectively earn $95,000 and $75,000 annual salaries, had no business attending an Aruba conference regarding how to "treat people of color."

Township board President Washington contacted me last week, noting neither he nor board member Clorius Lay agreed with Robinson's trip.

The board has no authority to make Robinson or her deputy repay the money, Washington said.

It approves the trustee's budget, but as the elected chief officer of the government body, Robinson decides how to spend that money.

But Washington is a Calumet Township taxpayer who expressed both disappointment and disgust at the misguided tropical junket.

He said he's heard from a growing number of taxpayers who are upset Robinson charged the trip to the township.

Washington is imploring Robinson to repay the money.

"What elected officials sometimes don't understand is it's not about us. It's about the people we represent," Washington told me Friday.

"There's nothing wrong with saying you made a mistake. Admitting you've done wrong doesn't make you look weak. We're human."

Those are sage words Robinson should heed.

Robinson was first elected trustee in 2014, campaigning as a reformer to the troubles of past township leadership.

"Troubles" is an understatement.

Previous trustee Mary Elgin, whom Robinson vanquished in the primary, recently pleaded guilty to federal felony charges for shaking down employees for campaign contributions.

Another previous trustee, Dozier Allen, also served federal prison time for siphoning money off a federal grant  money that was supposed to be spent for accurate counts of the township residents receiving poor relief.

The fiscal abuse of some of our poorest taxpayers  and of other state and federal taxpayers  must stop.

Robinson, who did not return my calls seeking comment Friday, has an opportunity to turn a page and repay her constituents for this ill-conceived conference.

Leaders know when to do the right thing and admit past wrongs.

Meanwhile, the bar is set tragically low from the past transgressions of Robinson's predecessors, so here's an easy opportunity for her to set herself apart.

We all await her decision.
EAST CHICAGO  HUD Secretary Ben Carson said it was clear that residents relocated from the West Calumet Housing Complex because of soil contamination felt uprooted and that some were inconvenienced.

However, Carson said it was important to recognize it was necessary to remove residents from harms way and the relocation was done in a good way.

Residents, who spoke to reporters after their meeting with Carson and other officials inside the old Carrie Gosch Elementary School, said the relocation was far from a success and rejected statements by public officials that East Chicago could be a national model or blueprint for how to handle similar challenges in other communities.

Maybe a blueprint of what not to do, said Tara Adams, a former West Calumet resident, while meeting with reporters after public officials concluded their news conference.

Even before the announcement was made, we should have been involved, she said.

West Calumet residents also could have been given more time to move and been treated better by East Chicago Housing Authority staff, she said.

A total of 12 residents were permitted inside the meeting with Carson, U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, and Gov. Eric Holcomb, a spokeswoman for the governor said.

A year of challenges

The East Chicago Housing Authority and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ordered more than 1,000 people to relocate about one year ago from the West Calumet Housing Complex, which comprises about one-third of the USS Lead Superfund site in East Chicago.

Residents living at more than 1,000 properties in Calumet and East Calumet were not told to leave their homes before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began removing lead- and arsenic-contaminated soil.

Carson said he wanted to hear firsthand from residents about the challenges theyve faced. The health of residents, particularly the young and vulnerable, was of particular concern, he said.

However, Carson didnt want to spend time focused on laying blame, he said. The complex was built in the early 1970s, before people became fully aware of the dangers of lead and arsenic exposure, he said.

Adams said she and other residents arent looking to place blame on public officials responsible for building the complex in the footprint of the former Anaconda Lead Products smelter in the 1970s.

What about right now? What about what happened last year? she asked. We can place blame there. It wasnt right. Its all about compassion.

Carson and others stressed that officials at the local, state and federal level have come together during the past year to address the challenges. All of the public officials said they remain committed to continuing that cooperation.

Donnelly said the relocation wasnt perfect, but the officials would continue working to improve.

The commitment we make is well be here with residents every step of the way, he said.

Donnelly said he, Young and Visclosky recently sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services seeking long-term health monitoring for residents.

Young and Visclosky both talked about ensuring the city has sufficient resources to address the challenges. Visclosky said he felt a particular responsibility, because he is the only member of Northwest Indianas congressional delegation who serves on an appropriations committee.

List of demands presented

Members of Calumet Lives Matter, the Community Strategy Group and East Chicago/Calumet Coalition Community Advisory Group presented Carson and his staff with a list of demands.

The demands to HUD include making federal funds available for a recovery fund to help residents affected by the crisis, giving former West Calumet residents the first right to any new housing developed in the city, and requiring a full environmental review of the former complex site before approving a demolition plan.

James Cunningham, deputy administrator for HUD Region 5, said there is no firm timeline for approval of ECHA's proposed demolition plan.

Residents also want HUD to review the East Chicago Housing Authoritys programs and statements about lead abatement in its units and to investigate ECHAs statements about lead-based paint in its units and its employees conduct during the relocation process.

The groups gave HUD a deadline to respond to their demands, said the Rev. Cheryl Rivera, of the Community Strategy Group. Carson and other public officials offered no assurances any of the demands would be met, she said.

Residents said Carson listened, but offered no insights into what the future might hold for the shuttered complex or its former residents.

"I just don't feel hopeful after this meeting," said Sherry Hunter, who has advocated on behalf of former West Calumet residents.

Copeland and Donnelly said during the news conference they support giving former West Calumet residents the first opportunity to move into any new housing.

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority announced Monday it is advancing a plan to develop more affordable housing in Northwest Indiana. The state received bids Monday from six development teams, and the authoritys board is scheduled to select two teams later this month.

At least one of two projects would be in East Chicago, but no specifics about the location or design were available yet. Ground would not be broken until 2019.

Adams said there may be some residents who will always want to move home, but time could be a deterrent for her family. Once shes established in another community, she likely will be reluctant to move her family back.

People dont think about the stress for the children, she said.
INDIANAPOLIS  The essence of Indiana is as varied as each of its 6.6 million inhabitants and perhaps only a poet has any hope of fully capturing it.

Hoosiers ready to take their shot have until Sept. 1 to apply to the Indiana Arts Commission at in.gov/arts/3013.htm for a two-year term as the state's poet laureate.

Applicants should be published poets, with experience in educational program development, who can travel the state promoting poetry appreciation and recommending ways to improve poetry knowledge.

"Serving as an ambassador for poetry has been an incredible blessing, full of new friendships and opportunities to promote what I care for so deeply," said Shari Wagner, Indiana's current poet laureate.
NEW YORK - A new lawsuit argues Mayor Bill de Blasio should be paying his own legal bills.

Some of his political rivals say he should pay for his corruption probe, not taxpayers.

The suit was filed by three men - Democratic mayoral challenger Sal Albanese, Reform Party Chair Curtis Sliwa, and Staten Island political activist Frank Morano.

Sliwa also appears weekly on NY1's Road to City Hall.

The mayor racked up $13.6 million in legal fees during the investigation.

He announced in June that $2 million would be covered by taxpayers.

This comes after reports the mayor ordered his aides to help two top campaign donors with overdue water bills and thousands of dollars in violations.

A spokesman for de Blasio says the men received no special benefit.

Earlier this year, federal and state prosecutors cleared the mayor of any wrongdoing related to his fundraising activities.
State Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan sent shockwaves through Albany on Sunday afternoon, revealing that he recently went to rehab for alcohol addiction.

"Recently, I recognized that alcohol was becoming a crutch to deal with pressure I was under related to my responsibilities as Majority Leader of the New York State Senate. Therefore, I proactively took control of the situation and sought immediate help so I could overcome it and move forward," Flanagan said in a statement Sunday.

Our understanding is that Flanagan underwent an in-patient treatment somewhere out of New York State, and is back at work and traveling back-and-forth between Long Island and Albany.

There had been rumors that Flanagan was unhappy; he recently went through a divorce, for example.



Gov. Andrew Cuomo expressed support for the state senate majority leader after the statement.
Loachapoka mayor Zach Holmes is getting into the swing of things as Loachapoka mayor, just a few months removed a unique election process.

So far it hasnt been too hectic, Holmes said. All of the citizens that are on the council, we just kind of feel duty bound to serve because were kind of the only ones that can do it.

Holmes was elected back in March after a whirlwind of events last year caused some confusion leading up to the towns special election.

We kind of fouled up the paperwork a little bit, but our town attorney and the league of municipalities helped us out quite a bit on getting all of that straightened out, Holmes said.

In 2016, no candidate qualified for the town council after failing to file statements of candidacy with the town clerk by the July 19 deadline.

Confusion over the election law led the town to not hold any election on the scheduled day of Aug. 23, 2016. A special election was held March 30 and Holmes was elected as the new mayor.

Coming to Auburn

Holmes, who grew up in the Anniston/Oxford area in Calhoun County, came to Loachapoka to attend Auburn University.

I came down here to go to Auburn for school and just loved it too much to leave, Holmes said.

Holmes graduated from Auburn University in 2004 and has lived in Loachapoka since 2008.

After graduation, Holmes drove a school bus for a couple of years and had his own business for awhile. He joined Loachapokas council in 2011.

We are not career politicians by any means and I dont think any of us want to be, Holmes said. We serve because were such a small area and just based on the fact where each of us on the council live being inside the town limits, we kind of feel like its our duty to serve and contribute as much as we can.

Holmes said the position of mayor became available after James Grout, former mayor, decided to not run for it last year.

The previous mayor James Grout has been an excellent example for handling business, keeping the books correct and everything, Holmes said.

Grout, who is currently a member of the towns council, said he is glad for Holmes to be the new mayor.

I have known Zach Holmes for 14 plus years, Grout said. Both of us have been on the council, worked well together. Zach has the town of Loachapoka and its residents as his first and foremost concern.

Small town controversy

Under Alabama law, if a candidate in a municipal election faces no opposition they are declared the winner and presented with a certificate of election at the next city meeting.

During the 2016 election cycle, Ben McDaniel was the only person to file a statement of candidacy with the city and the only candidate with a copy of an appointment of a principal campaign committee on file with the Lee County Probate Office as required by Alabama law. He filed a statement of candidacy for mayor, but was disqualified for not living in the town limits, even though he said the property that belongs to him and his wife is in town.

"The house that we live in has been here for over 30 years," McDaniel said.

McDaniel said the Alabama Secretary of State's office began an investigation into the council's actions last year, but has not heard any updates on it.

On March 6, 2017, I contacted Director of Elections, Ed Packard, via email to inquire about the status of the investigation in Loachapoka, and requested a written response to share with the citizens," McDaniel said. "Dir. Packard said that he forwarded the email to Brent Beal, the attorney handling the complaint. However, to date, no update from Dir. Packard or Attorney Beal has been received.

Travis Wisdom, attorney for the town of Loachapoka, said all applicable statutes under Alabama law were followed and a legal, valid and binding special election was conducted."

Working for Loachapoka

Holmes explained how he hopes the towns residents view him.

I hope they see me as approachable, somebody they can call or contact and talk to anytime, Holmes said.

Holmes said the councils main objective is to be an advocate for the towns residents.

We try to listen and do what we can, Holmes said.

As cities like Auburn and Opelika continue to grow and develop, Holmes said he wants to keep the history of Loachapoka alive.

We want to keep Loachapoka as historical as we can keep it, Holmes said. Were not trying to get hotels or any kind of big industry or business in here. We like the super small town life and hopefully we will maintain that.

Holmes said he wants to continue to have the towns Pioneer Day (formerly Syrup Sopping) event, which celebrates Loachapokas history.

Loachapoka goes from a town of 150 or so to sometimes 10 to 15,000 on that day, Holmes said. Getting to see the things that nobody does anymore, making syrup the old timey way with mules, horses and stuff. Thats an attraction and the historical stuff we want preserved.

Holmes said he and the council members are working on bringing high speed internet to the town.

One of our newest council members Pat Conover, shes been very diligent on working on that, Holmes said. So hopefully within the next year, were looking to be able to offer that high speed Internet and get some type of provider. Shes been talking with Verizon and all of the folks seeing who offers the best.

Holmes said the town is limited in what it can do for its citizens because it doesnt offer any utilities and only has two main sources of income.

Our two main sources of income are the Loachapoka Community Center and we rent that out for family reunions, for parties, Holmes said. We have the Pioneer Day that we partner with the Lee County Historical Society every year. Its enough for us to operate on.
The minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja, has come out to explain why dozens of coffee factories in the greater Masaka sub-region were shut about two months ago.

In his report, presented to members of parliament on July 27, Ssempijja said the closure was as a result of factory owners being found in possession of poor-quality coffee due to poor post-harvest handling practices.

Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) effected the closure and about 60 factories in Kinoni, Masaka, Lwengo, Sembabule, Rakai, Kalungu and Bukomasimbi were left sealed.

Ssempijjas 23-page statement was a response to Deogratius Kiyingi, the Bukomansimbi South MP, who raised a concern about the same issue on June 22 and demanded a thorough explanation.

Coffee farmers

Ssempijja further explained that the factory owners were found guilty of possessing immature coffee beans, having wet kiboko coffee that had not attained the recommended moisture content of 13 or 14 per cent, and heaping of wet coffee before drying, which leads to the growth of mould.

The other shortcomings included drying of coffee on bare ground, possession of substandard coffee hulling equipment, possession and drying of coffee in unhygienic conditions and non-compliance to the recommended factory structural guidelines.

Ssempijja said the offences are serious because they threaten the competitiveness of Ugandas coffee on the global market and also pose a threat to the health of Ugandans who consume coffee products. Ssempijja notes that currently, Uganda is ranked as the eighth coffee producer in the world, having declined from the third position in 1995.

In the event that the stakeholder does not comply with the above, the report reads, the stakeholders registration will be suspended by having the facility sealed and given a specified timeframe to rectify and put right the identified anomaly.

Ssempijja further stated that the seal may be removed only if compliance has been identified, before adding that some factories have already been reopened after they complied with the regulations.

Ssempijja added that the move to close coffee factories that are not meeting the guidelines has just started and it will be effected in all the other coffee-producing districts.

From Masaka, the exercise will continue to Busoga, Luweero, and Mubende...We will continue to sensitize the stakeholders especially the farmers, traders and coffee factory processors to appreciate the benefits of good post-harvest handling and good quality coffee, reads the report in part.

The districts that have been credited for compliance are Bushenyi, Sheema, Ibanda, Mbale, Bulambuli and Sironko. President Yoweri Museveni has already launched the 2020 coffee roadmap, whose target is to produce 20 million 60 kilo bags.

tusiime.chris20@gmail.com
Out-of-date agricultural practices, poor farm inputs, climate change and unregulated cross-border trade may hugely diminish Ugandas chances of achieving the second Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger by 2030.

This grim assessment is contained in a groundbreaking National Review for Ending Hunger in Uganda, conducted in the last 11 months to assess the countrys readiness to achieve zero hunger by 2030.

The review that was carried out countrywide by the National Planning Authority (NPA) in partnership with the World Food Programme found that 96 per cent of families in Uganda dont have food security.

The review also found that nearly half of Ugandans consume less kilocalories (a unit of energy of 1,000 calories) than they need each day. They also widely depend on staple carbohydrate foods (maize, sorghum, millet) produced in low quantities, which increases malnutrition levels mostly in children.

At the launch of the review held at Imperial Royal hotel on July 27 2017, Dr Kisamba Mugerwa, the NPA chairman, noted that majority of school-going children leave home hungry and that only one in three is able to get a meal at school.

Children in Karamoja with their plates of food

According to the review, even when the rates of stunted growths have reduced from 33 percent to 29 percent in the last six years, the country is not moving fast enough to meet the zero hunger targets by 2030.

Food security is also lacking because there are a few food reserves, mostly silos, owned by private companies. This puts Uganda behind its neighbours Kenya and Tanzania in terms of food security because of the limited policy options to address sudden food shortages.

Since last year, prolonged drought and hunger have ravaged many parts of the country, claiming some lives. First deputy prime minister Moses Ali said government has so far spent over Shs 50 billion to fight the escalating disaster although little has been done to stop its root cause.

The challenge is not just about people lacking what to eat. It is also about people knowing what type of food to eat and in what amounts. There should be an amount set for storage too, Moses Ali said. He lashed out at parents who dont give their children enough food but instead sell most of their harvest.

This is criminal. Those people must think twice. Why do you produce little food and yet you cant even give it to the children? We shall arrest such people and take them to courts, he said.

According to Mugerwa, only four percent of families in the country were found to be food secure over the last six years.

The review recommends that for the country to achieve zero hunger by the stipulated time frame, it must fix public financing structures, establish a comprehensive feeding policy, and a high political commitment to land reform.

kamogajonathan50@gmail.com
The 100-bed China-Uganda Friendship hospital (CUFH-N), Naguru, is stretched by the more than 500 patients who turn up daily and is running thin on essential medicines.

Interviewed on August 1, patients suffering from complicated diseases like diabetes and hypertension said the most they get from the hospital is a doctors review and nothing more. Yudaya Namusoke, 54, suffers from diabetes and usually reports to CUFH-N for review and medication.

During her past three visits, she has only been reviewed by doctors and told to buy medicines elsewhere. According to her, doctors say government has not delivered the particular drugs she needs.

They have told me they dont have the medicines I need. I have to buy all of these, Namusoke said as she flipped open her green exercise book with four different prescribed medicines. These, she said to me, cost Shs 20,000 and above.

I dont know where Im going to get the money yet I feel too much pain, she said in a Tuesday interview. Other patients too are turned away and advised to procure their own drugs elsewhere.

China Uganda Friendship hospital

Only patients who need malaria drugs and pain relievers like paracetamol are in luck but they too are not given full doses. The nearly empty shelves in the facilitys pharmacy are a clear indication of the bigger challenges to come.

On the shelves in the pharmacy, there were 100 containers of medicines, which are too few to cater for the 500 patients who visit the hospital every day. If she had another option, Annet Akot said, she wouldnt have returned to Naguru simply because the facility has no capacity to treat complicated conditions anymore.

She said health workers only review patients progress and prescribe medicines but dont dispense any drugs. When her seven-year-old son was admitted last month, doctors asked her to buy medicines.

We have come here so that the doctors tell us what medicines to buy but we dont expect anything here. When they have the stock, they give us but currently my son will get nothing, Akello said.

HUGE NUMBERS

Hospital officials interviewed for this story but declined to be named, said the hospital is limping toward a crisis. Currently expectant women go through lots of torment. One midwife said every day they deliver close to 30 babies, five by caesarian, yet drugs required for the operation are few.

About 24,000 women attend ante-natal care (ANC) services at the hospital monthly.

When we are given drugs, we give them to the patients; what do you expect us to do? We work with what is provided, the midwife said.

She observed that CUFH-N receives drugs meant for a 100-bed facility yet it receives over 500 patients daily.

We are given most of the medicine by the ministry of Health but they dont even take us through a month because the patients are too many, the hospital official said.

We are even forced to discharge those that have been resuscitated so that others can take over the beds.

In a phone interview with The Observer, Dr Emmanuel Batibwa, the director of CUFH-N, said hospitals countrywide are short on drugs. He, however, rejected any suggestion that his facility is faced with a looming crisis.

According to Vivian Nakaliika Serwanja, the ministry of Health spokesperson, the shortage of medicines at Naguru might have been caused by the hospital authorities.

She said CUFH-N authorities are supposed to inform the National Medical Stores (NMS) that more drugs are needed. She told The Observer by telephone that the ministry will come out with its position after ascertaining who is responsible for the current situation at CUFH-N.

We have not established how much they requested and for what period of time and how much was delivered. Its either they (CUFH-N) requested for little or NMS didnt deliver, said Nakaliika.

Dan Kimosho, the NMS spokesperson, couldnt be reached for a comment. He neither answered nor returned our repeated phone calls. CUFH-N was completed in 2012 and cost Shs 20b and was built by China.

abumay1988@gmail.com
Bank of Uganda (BoU) has denied reports that it is hiding over Shs 10 billion in a secret account in Germany.

In a press statement issued this morning, BoU communications director, Christine Alupo, describes the reports as misrepresentation "of the information that was provided in the testimony by the Bank of Uganda (BoU) before the parliamentary committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) on August 2, 2017".

On that day, BoU officials appeared before COSASE to respond to issues that had been raised by the auditor general arising from routine end of financial year audits covering three financial years starting from 2013/14 forward.

Alupo explains that one of the issues that had been raised pertained to a dormant trust account held in Deutsche Bank in Germany that had not been reflected in the books of the Bank of Uganda.

According to Alupo, BoU in carrying out its role as banker to government, opens and executes authorized transactions on government accounts both domestically and internationally.

Alupo says the account in reference was opened on December 17, 2003 on the instructions of ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) in the Deutsche Bank in Germany.

She says the purpose of the account "was to receive proceeds from the sale of shares in DFCU bank by a German company called Deutsche Entwicklungs Gesellschaft (DEG), which until then, had been a shareholder in DFCU bank", adding that "the funds had been designated as a grant to the Uganda government".

Alupo further explains that "during the process of preparing the annual statements for the financial year 2013/14, Bank of Uganda classified the DEG account as dormant, and accordingly informed the accountant general in September 2013.

She says "from the time the matter of dormancy was raised, it was handled between the BoU and MoFPED in line with procedure related to dormant accounts".

Alupo claims that consequently, authorization to close the account was given by the accountant general, and in February 2015, the funds were transferred to the consolidated fund.

She says the amount transferred was Shs 10.7 billion, the equivalent of 3.3 million euros. The BoU communications chief concludes that it is "erroneous and misleading to claim that the Bank of Uganda 'hid' the funds in a 'secret' foreign account".

The report comes at a time when the central bank and businessman Sudhir Rupareila are in court over the closure of Crane bank.
RIP: Brig Geoffrey Kyabihende

Brig Geoffrey Kyabihende, popularly known as Taban, has died.

The 56-year-old NRA/UPDF veteran officer succumbed to cancer-related complications today at Nakasero hospital in Kampala where he was admitted on Tuesday last week.



According to military sources, Kyabihende's condition was being closely monitored since Friday when he was placed in the Intensive Care Unit at Nakasero hospital.



UPDF spokesperson Brig. Richard Karemire has confirmed the demise of Kyabihende.

"It's very sad and unfortunate that we have lost a great comrade," said Karemire.



Kyabihende was among the first 100 NRA soldiers. He was later recruited among the first seven body guards of then rebel leader and current Uganda president Yoweri Museveni, under the command of the late Fred Rwigyema.



At the time of his death, he was Uganda's defense attache at the Ugandan embassy in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.



rachealnuwahereza@gmail.com
State Minister for Higher Education John Chrysostom Muyingo has announced today that the deadline for student loan applications has been extended by two weeks.

About 1,200 students are expected to benefit from the scheme this year.

We are extending the loan application deadline to Friday August 18 for the undergraduate programs and Thursday August 31, 2017 for students applying for loans to pursue diploma programs in the tertiary institutions, Muyingo announced at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala.

He explained that the extension has been as a result of delays associated with students admission procedures in both public and private institutions of higher learning.

He added that the student loan board, Higher Education Students Financing Board (HESFB), relies on admissions from participating universities and other higher education institutions to start the selection procedure and this has been hampered as the admission lists were not released promptly.

You know very well that one must have got admitted to apply for the loan. Any delays on the part of the university cause delays in the selection of eligible students, Muyingo said.

The chairman, HESFB Board of Directors, Rev Fr Callisto Locheng, said they will have 21 days after the deadline to process the applications and the lists of successful applicants will be released in early September.

The HSFB executive director, Michael Wanyama, said that this year, the board is also welcoming applications from arts students.

Beginning 2017/2018 academic year, we are going to support students who are doing humanities but particularly those who are disabled simply because of the difficulties they go through in terms of doing sciences. We are supporting them to pursue programmes like Bachelor of Arts with Education, Bachelor of Social Sciences and also Law, Wanyama said.

tusiime.chris20@gmail.com
Implicated: Andrew Sseguya

The Inspectorate of Government has completed investigations into the allegations of bribery and mismanagement levelled against Dr Andrew Sseguya, the executive director of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).

Ali Munira, the spokesperson, Inspectorate of Government, told URN over the weekend that the Inspector General of Government (IGG), Justice Irene Mulyagonja has already dispatched the report to the president.

"We completed the investigations and handed over the report to the president who is the complainant. We cannot reveal our findings because the report is not ours," Munira said.

In a May 2, 2017 letter, President Yoweri Museveni wrote to Mulyagonja ordering for investigation into the affairs of UWA. He listed eight issues he needed investigated - key among them was that Sseguya authorized the export of pangolin known as Olugave in Luganda, its meat and scales contrary to international conventions.

He noted that in July 2014, UWA issued a permit for the export of over 7,000 kg of pangolin scales to Laos in Asia. Pangolin scales, skin and meat are all highly valued, making it the most illegally traded mammal in the wild, according to International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Pangolin meat is a delicacy among the newly affluent parts of China and Vietnam. Museveni also expressed displeasure over the reported theft of 1,300Kgs of impounded Ivory worth Shs 3 billion from UWA stores and murders in national parks among criminals fighting for proceeds from poaching.

He also asked the IGG to investigate Sseguya for trying to get a bribes from Centenary, DFCU and Crane bank so as to maintain the Shs 28 billion deposits in those banks.

"When the banks refused to bribe him, he withdrew the money and caused loss of Shs 1.5 billion. Even without causing financial loss, it is criminal enough for a public officer to take bribes." reads Museveni's letter.

Museveni also asked the IGG to investigate the procurement of the software for tracking gorillas in disregard of the laid down procedures. He was also bitter that UWA has failed to act on his advice to install an electric fence around national parks.

"Up to now, the UWA people have never either acted on it, or had the courtesy to tell me why they cannot," he said.

A reliable source in the office of the Inspectorate of Government, says the UWA boss is implicated on three of the eight issues raised by the president.

According to the source, Sseguya is implicated for authorising the export of pangolin contrary to international treaties, soliciting bribes from Centenary and Crane banks and failure to implement the president's directive to install an electric fence around the national parks.

Don Wanyama, the president's press secretary told URN this afternoon that he wasn't yet aware of the report, but hastened to add that if the IGG has confirmed then there is no doubt the report was handed over.
Two polling stations have been set up at the Kenyan High Commission in Kololo for Kenyans living in Uganda to cast their ballot in Tuesdays general elections.

William Kahindi, the deputy returning officer under the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for the diaspora polling station in Kampala, says that they are set to have Kenyans in Uganda choose their next leaders.

Each of the polling stations is expected to have 592 registered voters totalling to 1,064 voters in Uganda. According to Kahindi, all the necessary electoral materials have already arrived in the country.

Voting will be through the Kenyan Integrated Electoral Management System after which the results will be transmitted to Kenya.

Kenyans cheering their athletes at Kololo during the cross-country championship recently

The High Commission in Kampala is part of the five countries including Burundi, South Africa, Rwanda and Tanzania where Kenyans will be allowed to vote.

Kahindi appealed to all Kenyans registered to vote from Uganda to utilise the provided time between 6:00am and 5:00pm tomorrow to vote for their leaders.

At least 19.7 million voters go to the polls in Kenya to elect a president, members of parliament and devolved government leaders, including county governors and ward representatives in the August 8 elections.

The presidential election is seen by many observers as too close to call, with President Uhuru Kenyatta facing stiff competition from his rival, opposition candidate Raila Odinga.

Odinga is making his fourth attempt at the presidency, having tried unsuccessfully in 1997, 2007 and 2012. To win the election outright, either candidate must gain at least 50% of the votes as well as at least 25% of the votes in half of Kenya's 47 counties.

Joyce Onyango, the voter educator at the Kenyan High Commission in Kampala says that only Kenyans registered to vote in Kampala will be allowed to vote. She appealed to voters to carry along their Kenyan Passports and cautioned them against carrying campaign materials or appearing in campaign attire.

Kenyans in the diaspora who are registered here in Kampala, only Kenyans registered will vote here and they are encouraged to come with their Kenyan passport, And as they come they are notified not to wear any campaign clothing, not to do any campaigns in the polling stations within these areas, she said.

While there are eight candidates in the presidential election, the race is between President Uhuru Kenyatta of the Jubilee Party of Kenya and Odinga of National Super Alliance.

Other candidates include Ekuru Aukot of Third Way Alliance Kenya, Dida Abduba of Alliance of Real Change, Cyrus Jirogo of United Democratic Party, and independent candidates Micheal Mwaura, Japheth Kaluyu and Joseph Nyagah.

Tensions have increased since the kidnapping and murder, a week ago, of Christopher Msando, head of information at Kenya's Integrated Electoral Management System, the IEBC department responsible for voter identification and result-transmission technology.

Kenya's 2013 election passed off peacefully, despite a breakdown in voter identification technology that Odinga based on to contest the results of the vote.

He petitioned Kenya's highest court which ultimately ruled in Kenyatta's favour. In 2007, the country was plunged into widespread violence in the aftermath of the elections and more than 1,500 people were killed and 600,000 displaced in the months of bloodshed.

This was after Raila Odinga who had been defeated by the then-President Mwai Kibaki claimed the vote had been rigged.
In 2005, parliament unfortunately voted for the removal of presidential term limits.

Twelve years later, there is widespread speculation of a possible injudicious manoeuvre to remove the age limit cap for presidential candidates.

Amending the Constitution today to lift the presidential age limit would be terrible for all Ugandans, especially youths. Why? Article 102 (b) provides the only remaining safeguard to enable peaceful transition of power.

If this article is amended, violence will be the only alternative for removing presidents with selfish ambitions of lifelong presidencies.

The prospect of violence will harm investor confidence, even for critical sectors that could potentially employ the youth such as that of oil. Why would any Ugandan want this, especially when investor interest in Uganda is still lukewarm?

Since 2012, government has failed to find an investor for Ugandas proposed oil refinery to be located in Kabaale-Buseruka, Hoima district. Last year, Russian consortium, RT Global Resources, pulled out of the refinery deal. South Koreas SK Engineering also said No Sir to developing the refinery.

There have also been recent reports that the Chinese consortium of China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation (CPECC) that was the preferred contender in constructing the refinery collapsed.

Uganda needs productive sectors to create the much-needed employment for all, including the youth whose unemployment rate stands at a whole 83 per cent.

Moreover, a president who amends a Constitution to lift the age has to rely on political patronage before and after the limits are lifted.

In 2005, there were reports that members of parliament were bribed with Shs 5m to vote for the removal of term limits. Such political patronage is likely to be repeated.

After the presidential age limit is lifted, to reward those who enable him to entrench himself in power, the president will likely create more districts, constituencies and appoint more ministers and presidential advisors.

This patronage will further hamper service delivery and affect the economy in the long run. Nothing good comes with the lifting of the age limit; MPs must reject it.

Cyrus Kabaale,

Kampala.



I am a living example that disability is not inability



I have had a visual impairment since I was four months old when my mother realised changes in my eyes which required immediate medical attention.

Thank God, she saved my life although I faced the nucleation of the first and second eye at the age of eleven months and four years respectively.

My parents and doctors tried to stop this but in vain. This eventually turned me into one of the many people in the whole world with this disability.

I joined the group of people where hands, ears and the mind explain their success and perfection in this world.

In my case, I do not know how my face looks like or how my parents look like. It is my parents and education that always make me happy and confident. For me, disability is neither a curse nor a blessing but a concern for everyone because there is no one who wishes for that kind of life.

I call upon the public to treat people with disabilities as equals because we were all created in Gods image. It is so fascinating to hear that the keyboard of a typewriter was designed by a visually-impaired person.

Also, the construction of tarmac roads was brought on board by a visually impaired man. This encourages and motivates me to work hard no matter my state of life.

I have grown without eyes, studied without eyes, acquired certificates in different fields of education and earned a degree without eyes. I can now read and write with my hands. Who says disability means inability?



Warren Abomugisha,

0859712653.



Reasons for land bill are unconvinving



The constitutional amendment targeting private land is one of the hottest and most controversial topics in Uganda.

The Constitution Amendment Bill 2017 is already before parliament while another to remove the presidential age limit is in the offing.

Some people have argued that after selling and sharing all government land in their custody, state operatives have now shifted their greed on private land through claims of compulsory acquisition before compensation to speed up government projects.

Others say the bill is meant to weaken Buganda kingdom. Whatever the reasons, this amendment is uncalled for because government has enough money to buy land  what it lacks is the goodwill.

The World Bank has just reported that government has been causing losses in millions of dollars per year because of its inefficiency in implementing infrastructure projects.

It is also reported that government has been constructing roads at a price three times higher than what its neighbours use.

Under such circumstances, it baffles me to hear government crying that some landowners inflate compensation claims. The problem is not Ugandans; its NRM.

Kennedy Kabonge,

kabongek@yahoo.co.uk.



Dialogue is better than striking



I hate the word strike. If you have studied at Makerere University before, then you know what I mean.

Let me get to the point: support staff at Makerere University have their grievances and deserve a fair hearing and a long-lasting solution.

But striking shouldnt always be the solution. I am glad the support staff at Makerere and Kyambogo have suspended their sit-down strike.

Makerere students suffered last year after the president ordered its closure. I think dialogue is the best solution here; otherwise, public universities will only be about striking and being closed and students wont benefit.

Support staff should remember that the students have been affected enough, especially those at Makerere, and resuming and maintaining their duties is the solution.



Arthur Musinguzi,

Kampala.



letters@observer.ug
Madam Minister, You will recall that soon after your appointment to be in charge of the land docket, you called me on June 9, 2016, requesting to have a chat and tap your brains as someone who has worked in lands for a long time and is knowledgeable in land matters before I embark on this new responsibility.

I was attending a meeting in Gulu, but I agreed to meet you anytime during the following week. You promised to call back. I am still waiting. But this is for another time.

Today, I have decided to pen a letter to you following a statement attributed to you, which appeared in the Daily Monitor of July 31, 2017 under the title Government to use force over Amuru land.

On page two of that paper, you reportedly said: Anyone thinking of stopping (next weeks) survey of this land or anyone who is thinking of stopping the acquisition of this land is dreaming. I have come with all the power from the government to ensure that this land is surveyed.

These words sent chills down my spine. The Amuru land saga started eleven years ago, ten years before you became a minister. It is likely to remain an issue long after you have left that office. When it started, the Lands minister was Hon Daniel Omara Atubo.

Both of you hail from Lango, a permanent neighbour to Acholi community. Have you ever asked yourself why this should be the case? If you have not, think about it. Do you see any political game in it? Methods of land acquisition are known worldwide.

The main ones are inheritance, purchase, gift, and acquiescence. Military might and force of arms are not methods of land acquisition. They can only qualify as methods of land grabbing. I see some technical difficulty with your proposed compulsory and militarised survey.

In Acholi, people hold their parcels of land scattered in several places. Even the parcels of those who have consented may not be adjacent in one block.

They may be mixed with the parcels of those who have not consented. How will the survey proceed in such a situation? How will the parcels of those who have declined to welcome the project be excluded?

You should be reminded that on February 26, 1885, seven European nations assembled at the Berlin Conference and Belgiums King Leopold, while reminding them about the urgency to colonise and share out the African continent, told them: We are here to see how we should divide among ourselves this magnificent African cake.

Indeed, they came, chopped up and shared Africa, except Ethiopia, among themselves, calling their spheres of influence after their countries thus German Africa, French Africa, Belgium Africa, etc.

By use of the gun, they took the most fertile parts of Africa, pushing the rightful owners to the periphery, to the arid areas. As I write to you now, the colonialists are no more. They have left and, in most countries, the land is back in the hands of Africans.

In view of what is happening in Acholi sub-region, I want to ask you: has there been a mini Berlin conference here in Uganda to divide the magnificent Acholi cake among some people? Land is the most important thing in the life of any human being.

It is wealth, it is an asset (in our case the only one left), it is the first development capital, it is livelihood (ours), it is security, it is our culture, it is our all. How come that our people should be forced to give away their most precious possession, free of charge, to some so-called investor?

What if it was your land, Madam Minister, how would you feel? There is no investor under the sun who will put their money where the locals do not welcome it. Never. Is it really Madhvani?

Or is Madhvanis name being used to camouflage land grabbing? In the 8th parliament, Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG) raised the question of precious minerals, including oil, under that land.

APG then asked government to explore what is under the land first before this issue of sugarcane growing could be considered. No one ever paid attention to this. Is it deliberate?

Madam Minister, in your own words, your project is unstoppable, least of all by the Acholi community. I do entirely agree with you. Due to the sufferings we have gone through in the last three decades, our community is now a shadow of what it was.

Our livestock, which was our bank accounts, our pride, and our security were swept (1987-93); the entire population was interred in concentration camps (glorified as internally displaced persons camps) for 20 years; poverty levels are skyrocketing.

All these have left us a broken community. Our brokenness is now being taken advantage of to grind us to dust. But remember, however tall a person may be, he/she cannot see tomorrow.

The author is a property consultant.
Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA), once again, found itself facing the wrath of ordinary citizens after the organisations law enforcement officers chased a woman to her death in Nakivubo channel.

Olivia Basemera, 38, was a handkerchief vendor trying to escape from a KCCA law enforcement crew when she met her death.

The callous reaction of the KCCA officers, who drove off as Basemera lost her life, sparked off an angry reaction from city dwellers, including vendors and boda boda riders.

The initial reaction by KCCA, especially through the statement released by its communications desk, caused further uproar, with many saying the city authority was taking an otherwise grave matter lightly. Over the weekend, following public pressure, KCCA moved to redeem itself.

The authority arrested four of its law enforcement officers involved in the incident that led to the death of Basemera, a mother of three. Yet this is not the first time that the actions of KCCA law enforcement officers have caused harm to ordinary Ugandans and triggered intense public distress.

Sometime in 2014, two-year-old Ryan Ssemaganda was crushed by a KCCA vehicle after his mother, Madinah Namutebi, had been arrested by the authoritys law enforcement officers for illegally selling fruits and other items on Kampala streets.

In another incident caught on camera, KCCA law enforcement officers brutally bundled a mother and her child onto a pick-up truck, injuring her in the process.

Kampalans have also not forgotten the 2012 shooting in Luzira during an eviction exercise conducted by the late George Agaba, who was by then the KCCA director for physical planning.

These and other incidents that have happened outside the glare of media cameras clearly show that a lot is wrong with the way KCCA conducts its law enforcement activities.

Why should ordinary Ugandans be subjected to such horrifying torture in their own capital city? We hope the arrest of the law enforcement officers involved in Basemeras death is not merely a public relations ploy.

KCCA needs to overhaul its law enforcement methods, review the personnel it deploys and set up fresh engagement procedures. The current methods are clearly causing more harm than good. The time to clean house is now.
Kevin Foley

From the time I joined the Boy Scouts as a Tenderfoot until I left as a Life Scout six years later my young life was shaped by selfless men devoted to teaching adolescents and teens what it means to be good citizens and good people.

These men sacrificed their personal time to lead us on weekend outings and summer camps. Their only reward was seeing how we boys responded to their example of patience and kindness while instilling in us respect for the truth, the greater good and ourselves.

I never had the opportunity to attend a Boy Scout National Jamboree, but the gatherings are a wonderful celebration of the organizations values, one where tens of thousands of Scouts and their leaders from across America come together to rededicate themselves to the high ideals for which Scouting stands.

President Trump has seldom if ever governed his personal, business or political lives by the Boy Scout Law: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent. So I wonder what those decent, selfless men I so fondly remember would think of someone so disgracefully inclined to lie and cheat addressing impressionable youths at last weeks 2017 Boy Scout Jamboree.

Heres a guy who amassed a fortune on failed gambling casinos that promoted alcohol and prostitution; someone who bilked his business associates; a guy who bragged about philandering and committing sexual assault, and who consorted with sketchy Russians.

Donald Trump represents everything the Scouts dont want young men to become. Yet there he was. Unfortunately, as the sitting president, Trump is the titular head of the apolitical Boy Scouts of America. He has to be invited to address the Jamboree. A friend who would know told me the B.S.A.s national leadership reviewed and cleared Trumps speech in advance. But they must have also known the president rarely sticks to the script, especially if it means indulging his hyper-inflated ego before a big crowd.

What should have been a brief inspirational talk about the guiding principles of Scouting devolved into a 40-minute soliloquy about the wonders of Donald Trump.

Who the hell wants to speak about politics when I'm in front of the Boy Scouts?" brayed the president before proceeding to yammer on about politics and, of course, himself.

I am disappointed in the president for exploiting a captive audience of young people to engage in flagrant self-promotion and to widen the chasm of division that pollutes our politics, wrote Eagle Scout Jason Pontz at Lancaster (Pennsylvania) Online. I am disappointed in attendees who applauded the president as he demeaned his predecessor Barack Obama (who, incidentally, was involved in Scouting), his former opponent Hillary Clinton, and the media,

Pontz wasnt alone. Many disgusted Scouting parents expressed their outrage on social media following Trumps bizarre speech.

Done with Scouts after you felt the need to have my kid listen to a liar stroke his ego on our time," wrote one of many angry parents on the Boy Scouts Facebook page.

"I am now suddenly questioning whether Scouts represent (the) values that I want my children to learn if this is someone they put forward as a role model, commented another.

There was no such reaction when past presidents addressed the Jamboree. In 2010, for example, President Obama saluted the community services Boy Scouts perform, adding, "In the years ahead we're going to depend on you, the next generation of leaders, to move America forward."

President George W. Bush told the Scouts at the 2005 Jamboree. Youll find that confronting injustice and evil requires a vision of goodness and truth.

After listening to Trumps Jamboree speech, I began to wonder if the president is suffering from the early stages dementia, so astoundingly inappropriate and disjointed were his remarks.

My opinion was reinforced when, during the firestorm over his Jamboree appearance, the president told the Wall Street Journal, I got a call from the head of the Boy Scouts saying it was the greatest speech that was ever made to them.

Trump lied. There was no such call, as confirmed by the White House.

In fact, embarrassed national Boy Scout leadership scrambled to repair the public relations damage Trump did to the organization and its commitment to non-partisanship.

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, wrote Chief Scout Executive Michael Surbaugh on the BSA web site.

Think about that: the Boy Scouts of America forced to apologize for the words of the President of the United States.

***

Kevin Foley owns KEF Media Associates, Inc., an Atlanta-based producer and distributor of electronic publicity. He can be reached at [email protected].
Afghanistan hired Sonoran Policy Group, which boasts of ties with President Trump, to a $120K three-month contract.

The Presidents national security team is currently reviewing US policy in Afghanistan.

SPG is to engage with the executive and legislative branches of the US government, provide defense consulting services, give strategic advice regarding extremism/terrorism and promote democracy and direct investments, according to its contract with Afghanistan.

The Washington-based lobbying firm was until April the professional home of Stuart Jolly, who was political director of the Trump campaign. Other staffers are Robin Townley, one-time aide to former national security advisor Michael Flynn, and Jacob Daniels, campaigns chief of staff for Michigan.

SPG, in March, inked Saudi Arabia to a $5.4M contract and signed a $1.2M pact with Kenya last month.
Washington D.C.-based public relations firm Keybridge Communications has been hired to provide media outreach and monitoring services for the government of the Republic of Honduras.

Tegucigalpa, Honduras

According to Foreign Agents Registration Act documents filed in August, Keybridge will distribute press releases to the media with news regarding Honduras, will petition the media to interview and write articles about Honduran representatives and will also monitor the media for news of interest to the Central American nation.

Keybridge is performing the work on behalf of D.C.-based government consulting practice Gus West Government Affairs, which was hired by Honduras in February to improve bilateral relation between Honduras and the United States by arranging meetings with government officials and think tank policy organizations and informing those leaders of ongoing Honduran initiatives in a bid to establish the country as a top U.S. ally.

Keybridge, which was founded in 2003, specializes in op-eds and earned media campaigns, as well as issues advocacy and web development.
Agricultural News

OPC's Ron Sholar Helps Oklahoma Farmers Working for Peanuts, Search for More Contracts

During a recent visit to the Radio Oklahoma Network studios, Ron Sholar of the Great Plains Canola Association, switched hats for a moment, to talk about his alternate role with the Oklahoma Peanut Commission. He told Farm Director Ron Hays, that this year's peanut crop in Oklahoma, is looking very well so far. Listen to their full conversation, by clicking or tapping the LISTEN BAR below at the bottom of the page.





"We went in really good in May, good moisture," Sholar said. "The crop looks really good."





He says, too, production is also on the rise this year.





"We have twice as many acres as we had in '15, which would be about 50 percent more than we had in '16, so that's really good news," Sholar shared. "We see peanuts in fields where they have not been in a number of years."





According to Sholar, this means those fields are fresh and will help to control pest and weed populations and lower disease pressures.





While the condition of the crop seems to be under control, Sholar says the concern now for his organization is to find peanut producers more contracts, with the hope of restoring Oklahoma to its former glory as the primary producer of Spanish peanuts.





"That continues to be our concern," he said. "Getting more contracts for our growers. We would grow more if more contracts were available. We're optimistic we'll continue to be a player."





Currently, though, Sholar says producers are raising a mix of runners, both Virginias and Spanish, and says Oklahoma has become a very important producer of both types.





















Listen to Ron Hays speak with Ron Sholar about this year's peanut crop and the desire to plant more

WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady NSI

Top Agricultural News
Four people were injured in two stabbing incidents early Sunday.

None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening, police said.

The first incident was a domestic violence assault, reported at 12:01 a.m. in the 400 block of William Street, police said.

A 32-year-old woman said she had stabbed her boyfriend in self-defense during an assault.

She told police that she was sleeping when her boyfriend woke her up, pinned her down, assaulted her and put her in a chokehold. The boyfriend threw her phone so she couldnt call 911, police said.

The woman eventually escaped, grabbed a knife and stabbed him, according to police. The boyfriend then fled in a vehicle. Police stopped him near 20th Street and St. Marys Avenue on suspicion of reckless driving, police said.

He was taken by ambulance to the Nebraska Medical Center.

The other incident was first reported at 5:23 a.m., when an apparent stabbing victim, a 36-year-old man, arrived at the Nebraska Medical Center. Police initially were unable to talk to him because he was taken into surgery.

But they later discovered that his injury was related to the stabbing of a 32-year-old woman near 30th Street and Ames Avenue. Her injury was reported at 5:42 a.m., when she sought medical help at Creighton University Medical Centers University Campus near 24th and Cuming Streets.

She told police that she had been cut during an argument.

The 36-year-old was to be arrested after his release from the hospital, police said.
Darkness will drive some colleges and universities across Nebraska to shed light this month on physics and astronomy.

Colleges such as the University of Nebraska at Kearney and Concordia University in Seward plan to fill their stadiums with students and visitors for the total solar eclipse Aug. 21. The eclipse will sweep through the state, and some professors and institutions view the phenomenon as an opportunity to teach college students and younger kids about astronomy, space and science in general.

At least one college, Central Community College in Grand Island, decided to move the first day of school from Aug. 21 to the following day so that it wouldnt compete with the eclipse and the many visitors who are expected to pour into town.

This is a rare chance to view a natural wonder, said Kent Reinhard, an instructor of physics and astronomy at Southeast Community Colleges Lincoln campus. Its just a great opportunity for anybody who has any kind of interest in the world around them.

So rare is the opportunity, Reinhard said, that he requested Aug. 21, 2017, off seven years ago. He said he was torn between staying on campus and going out on his own to view the eclipse. He chose the latter so he could drive a great distance to find clear sky in case its a cloudy day in eastern Nebraska.

Jack Gabel, associate professor of physics at Creighton University, said he has never seen a total eclipse.

From what Ive heard, its jaw-dropping  awe-inspiring like no other natural event people have seen before, Gabel said. Theres so many good things about this.

The last time a total eclipse went from one coast of the nation to the other was 99 years ago. The approximately 70-mile-wide swath called the path of totality, in which darkness will fall for up to 2 minutes as the moon covers the sun, crosses Nebraska diagonally on a 470-mile path. Those communities outside the zone of totality, such as Omaha, Columbus, Nebraska City and Ogallala, will see a partial eclipse.

Experts say special eye protection is essential.

Gabel said he has been delighted by the many questions hes been asked by members of the public, such as where one should go to view the eclipse, what will happen, how to view it safely, why the eclipse is happening and how rare it is.

It will cross Nebraska at a good time, too: midday. So it just couldnt be more ideal, really, he said.

Following are some of the activities and observances on Nebraska campuses:

 Donde Plowman, executive vice chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, encouraged the instructors of all 270 classes meeting during the eclipse to interrupt class and allow students to see it.

 Nebraska Methodist College in Omaha tentatively plans a viewing party for students and staff with SunChips and SunnyD beverages.

 Mid-Plains Community College will bus students and staffers from its McCook campus to its North Platte campus. North Platte is in the zone of totality.

 All three of Western Nebraska Community Colleges campuses are taking an hourlong break for cookies and eclipse viewing. Safety glasses and brochures on the phenomenon also will be distributed.

 Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln is canceling classes for an hour for eclipse viewing.

 At Metro Community Colleges Fort Omaha campus, special sunglasses will be passed out and a viewing held at the gazebo.

 At the University of Nebraska at Omaha, members of the Student Involvement Office will hand out safety glasses.

 Union College in Lincoln will hold a picnic for students and staffers, and campus clubs will hand out Moon Pies and Eclipse gum.

Some professors and colleges are holding events leading up to the eclipse. For instance, Creightons Gabel will give a free lecture at 5:30 p.m. today at Creightons Rigge Science Building lecture hall, Room 120. The discussion is open to the public. Free eclipse-viewing glasses will be given out while supplies last.

Southeast Community College will organize sessions with the Omaha Astronomy Club at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 14 in Beatrice, Hebron, Plattsmouth, Falls City, Nebraska City and Wahoo at $10 per person. Most sites will use audio-visual technology to beam in the session. The registration deadline is today. For information, call Lyn Belitz at 800-828-0072 ext. 2298.

Todd Young, director of the Wayne State College Planetarium, will host a free session on the phenomenon at noon Aug. 15 at the College Center in South Sioux City, Nebraska.

Central Community College will have Jim Greenhouse, space science director of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, speak at 3 p.m. Aug. 20 at College Park in Grand Island. Admission is $5.
Three people from Council Bluffs were injured Sunday night in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 29 in western Iowa.

The Iowa State Patrol said the crash occurred around 9:05 p.m. on southbound I-29 north of Missouri Valley in Harrison County.

The patrol said a 2003 Ford Explorer driven by Brandy Huddleston, 35, veered partially into the grass median. The driver overcorrected and then lost control of the SUV, with the Ford rolling and coming to rest in the west ditch, the patrol said.

Huddleston and a passenger, Ralynn Francisco, 30, were taken by separate medical helicopters to Mercy Hospital in the Bluffs, the patrol said. Another passenger, Ramsey Edenburn, 21, was taken by rescue squad to Missouri Valleys hospital.

The patrol said Huddleston and Edenburn were wearing seat belts and Francisco was not restrained.

The crash remains under investigation, the patrol said.
If the arts community had been blossoming in north Omaha when Adrienne Brown-Norman was growing up there in the 1960s and 70s, she may never have moved to California and become a senior illustrator for Disney Publishing Worldwide.

If places like the Union (for Contemporary Art) were around I may never have left, she said of the center founded in 2011 to create an arts-based bridge between north Omaha and the larger community. Thats such a great, creative place to find out what to do as an actor, an artist or a writer. Of course, though, I would not ever have met Floyd.

That would be her husband, Floyd Norman, the now-legendary first African-American artist at Walt Disney Studios.

Floyd Norman, 82, began working for Disney in 1956 and was named a Disney Legend in 2007. In 2016 Norman was appointed to the education and outreach committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

In Omaha for Native Omaha Days, the Normans talked about their work and lives Sunday over breakfast at Big Mamas Kitchen. Its a favorite location for Brown-Norman, who grew up in the Higgins family and graduated from Central High in 1974.

The Normans recently collaborated with legendary songwriter Richard Sherman (Mary Poppins) on a picture book called A Kiss Goodnight.

The book tells the story of how the young Walt Disney was enchanted by fireworks and subsequently chose to send all of his Magic Kingdom guests home with a special kiss goodnight of skyrockets bursting overhead.

Topics over the nearly two-hour interview included the recent showing of Floyd Norman: An Animated Life at Film Streams. The 94-minute documentary was produced by Michael Fiore Films and is available on Netflix and on Blu-ray at FloydNormanMovie.com. It features his animation work on classics such as Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians.

Walt Disney later picked Norman to join the team writing the script for The Jungle Book. Disney had seen Normans gags posted around the office and recognized a talented storyteller.

I didnt think I was a writer, but the old man did, Norman said. Then I realized that maybe I am good at this.

Norman named The Jungle Book as his favorite project, because he worked alongside Disney. It also proved to be Normans last feature at Disney for several years because he left to found his own production company.

What I learned from the old man was the technique of storytelling and what made a movie work, Norman said.

I had an amazing opportunity to learn from the master. If you were in the room with Walt, it was for a reason. There are a lot of people who wanted to be in that room but didnt get an invitation.

The Normans, married 24 years, met at Walt Disney Studios. She was attracted by his humor and gift for voices, especially his Darth Vader imitation.

Although I almost broke up with him when I found out he was also working on (TV cartoon) Scooby-Doo,  she said. I couldnt stand that show.

Working at Disney presented its own challenges.

When Norman turned 65, the studio pushed him to retire. Instead, he began freelancing, and eventually worked his way back to Disney.

To have a real tour of the Disney studios, you have to go with Floyd, his wife said. He gets into offices and other places that I cant even go, and I still work there.

Brown-Norman primarily paints childrens storybooks based on Disney and Pixar animated features. Some of her work has included such classic Disney characters as Mickey Mouse, and Pixar stars Buzz and Woody from Toy Story.

In the beginning I did a lot of princesses, which I liked, she said. But my favorite subjects to paint are fairies, like Tinker Bell.

One day at the studio the Normans recall pausing to watch the filming of Saving Mr. Banks, the story of Disneys quest to acquire the rights to film Mary Poppins. Norman had worked on the movie and was interested in seeing Tom Hanks portrayal of his old boss.

Tom Hanks rushed from his trailer in full costume to meet Floyd, shouting, Where is that famous animator?  Brown-Norman said. You dont expect a man like Tom Hanks to come running up. Then Tom wouldnt let us leave. He wanted to know more about Walt, and if he was getting it right.

Norman said hes always a little surprised when people recognize him on the street. With his sharp, dry wit, he doesnt think of himself as a legend.

What I enjoy is the love of Disney that made so many people happy, he said. Maybe they were poor. Maybe they were in a bad home, but they tell me Disney stories gave them an escape. They gave them happiness, and thats what I like.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  Kansas City already was heading toward its worst homicide year in decades when three men were slain in separate shootings over four hours one day in July. One was gunned down on a porch, another in a vehicle. The third man was shot in a front yard.

The bloodshed has the city in an unwanted spotlight and on the defensive, with the mayor, police brass and a local anti-crime task force official grasping for answers as homicides have soared by more than 43 percent so far over last year. The federal government already had put Kansas City on a list of communities to help.

The citys 86 homicides as of Tuesday are 26 more than the same period in 2016  a year that ended with 130, the most here since 1998. The 82 local homicides in 2014 were the fewest in 42 years, though the 111 the next year returned the city to its 10-year average, police figures show.

The citys homicide rate actually dropped significantly from 1993 through 2015, mirroring a nationwide decline in violent crime during that run, a recent Kansas City Star analysis showed. But that same analysis found that the homicide rate in 481,400-resident Kansas City is higher than the national rate  typical of big cities with large concentrations of people and economic deprivation  but is also decreasing at a slower rate than the rest of the country.

Kansas Citys mayor is Sly James, a Democrat, lawyer and former Marine who in 2015 swept to a second four-year term with 87 percent of the vote. Whats happened lately has James pinning considerable hopes on building coalitions among local, diverse crime-fighting interests.

I dont have any magic answers here. Im not God, James told reporters recently during a meeting of the citys police board. Theres no accounting for the brutality, the crime and the senselessness of what goes on in this and every other large city in the country.

Other U.S. cities also are wrestling with the problem. In Little Rock, Arkansas, which has a population of 198,000, police say they need the communitys help combating crime. The citys 2017 homicide total is now 37  19 more than this time last year.

In Louisville, Kentucky, population 616,000, the 73 homicides this year as of Tuesday are a dozen more than at this time in 2016 and put Louisville on pace for one of its bloodiest years on record. Louisville homicides had hovered at 60 each year before spiking to 80 in 2015, then to 118 last year.

James and others suspect that the killings in Kansas City have much to do with entrenched racism, poverty, a lack of education and jobs in the urban core, and the availability of illegal guns.

Police figures show that six out of every 10 victims of homicide this year in Kansas City were black males ages 17 to 34, and 71 of the 86 slayings as of Tuesday involved firearms, though it was unclear how many of those were unlawfully obtained.

Last Friday the citys police board promoted Maj. Rick Smith, a 29-year veteran of the force and a former homicide unit supervisor, to the chiefs job, effective Aug. 15.

City Councilwoman Alissia Canaday said the citys crime figures have reached a level of extreme concern, and the only thing thats complex about this is what it takes to get to the answer.

When people have no money and are living in blighted conditions and in a dysfunctional family setting, violence is going to occur, Canaday said. If we address that three-legged stool, well see a reduction in violence.

The Justice Department announced in June that it will help local authorities in a dozen U.S. cities, including Kansas City, study crime patterns and create specially tailored plans to reduce gang and gun violence. The targeted cities have higher-than-average rates of violence and are receptive to help.

A citizens task force in April closed out more than a year of study of Kansas Citys violence with a sweeping blueprint for how to tackle it, from defter coordination of youth and community services to enlisting civic and business leaders to mentor youths.

But little has been done, including what James said last month remained the top priority: hiring a full-time staffer to coordinate local violence-prevention efforts and forge coalitions among advocates, law enforcers, researchers and activists. The city is accepting applications for that job and hopes to make the hire this month.

To Ken Novak, a University of Missouri-Kansas City criminal justice professor, that position is almost so intuitive, given that unifying efforts shouldnt be a novel idea, but it is. If it can work, it can work big. The devil is in the details.

James hopes for state help similar to what Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens recently pledged to St. Louis, where homicides have escalated over the past three years, with 110 as of last Wednesday and 188 in both 2015 and 2016.

Labeling St. Louis the nations most dangerous city, Greitens has commissioned a special Missouri State Highway Patrol unit to target violent felons on that citys freeways. The crackdown also involves collecting better intelligence to aid local police and stop drug trafficking.

In south Kansas City, four men have been slain since last August in separate, still-unsolved shootings on the Blue River and Indian Creek Trails.

The Indian Creek Trail is near the home of John Kiesendahl, 74, a semiretired dentist who now shuns the path, calling the unresolved bloodshed scary.

Ive never had any real fear of being outside and walking, he said, but this really makes you think.
LINCOLN  Lawyers sparred over issues of credibility and relevancy as the states hearings on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline began Monday.

Witnesses testifying on behalf of pipeline developer TransCanada spent the day defending the adequacy of its application for the 275-mile route across Nebraska and even the accuracy of its projections that the $8 billion project would generate 4,000 construction jobs and millions of dollars of additional property taxes.

Dave Domina, the lawyer for landowners opposed to the pipeline, asked why no one representing the actual applicant for the pipeline route, TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, would be testifying during the scheduled weeklong hearings before the Nebraska Public Service Commission.

The chief testifier for the pipeline was Tony Palmer, the head of two TransCanada subsidiaries.

Domina said that if a grain warehouse wanted to open in Nebraska, the PSC would expect the owner to come and testify, not the head of subsidiaries who, according to Palmer, own .02 percent of the project.

Its important for my clients because we want to know who were dealing with, Domina said. He suggested that the multiple layers of TransCanada subsidiaries were a way to dodge responsibility and liability for pipeline problems.

Palmer disputed that in his testimony, saying his subsidiaries will manage the Keystone XL and will abide by all laws and conditions placed on its parent corporation. He also fended off speculation that the pipeline may never be built because its no longer needed by oil shippers.

We are highly committed to this project, Palmer said. Weve sought it for nine years, and we need approval for it from this body.

During grilling by Domina, Creighton University economist Ernie Goss admitted that his socio-economic report on the benefits of the pipeline project was mostly an update of a report generated by a pro-pipeline group based in Houston, the Consumer Energy Alliance.

Goss said that while his study was not peer-reviewed, he was confident in its conclusions, which he called conservative.

Domina bore into the economic benefits that Goss had projected for Keya Paha County, a rural county with fewer than 800 residents that the pipeline would cross. The lawyer voiced skepticism about Goss projections that the Keystone XL would create .2 of a job and generate $217,000 in yearly labor benefits in that county.

Goss said his projection included money earned from the pipeline project by self-employed residents and not just the one-fifth new job created in Keya Paha County.

The pipeline would be taxed as personal property, and its taxable value would decline to zero after 15 years (that is unlike the five pumping stations across the state, which will pay real property taxes). Goss projected that the XL would pay $58.6 million in property taxes overall, including $6.8 million in Keya Paha County.

Domina contrasted that 15 years of tax liability to his brothers on the familys century-old farmhouse in Cedar County, which is still being taxed.

He added that if the pipeline is used for 50 years, as was projected, the tax benefits are further diluted.

In recent weeks, TransCanada officials have said they will decide in December whether to proceed with the project after learning how many oil producers will sign 20-year contracts to use the 36-inch pipeline.

Low oil prices, cooling of production in the oil sands region of Canada and the advent of other competing pipelines have raised doubts about whether the Keystone XL project, first proposed nine years ago, is still needed.

Domina asked why TransCanada needs permission for a pipeline it hasnt yet decided to build and also whether the company could gain permission for a pipeline route and then sell it to another firm.

Palmer initially said he couldnt answer yes or no about whether the pipeline route could be sold. After a lunch break, he testified that TransCanada had no intention of selling the route.

Palmer also said the pipeline would not be used for transporting water, which has been speculated about by some ranchers in groundwater-rich Nebraska.

Much of the court-like proceeding involved spats between Domina and attorneys representing TransCanada.

Omaha attorney Jim Powers, who is representing the pipeline firm, objected to Dominas questioning as argumentative and delving into safety issues, which are outside of the scope of the permitting process set up by the Nebraska Legislature.

Whether or not the pipeline route is in the public interest is the question before the five elected members of the Public Service Commission. The hearing officer, retired Lancaster County Judge Karen Flowers, sustained many of Powers objections.

The PSC could also decide that a better route for the XL would be alongside the existing Keystone pipeline, which has been transporting oil across eastern Nebraska since 2010.

It was pointed out Monday that moving the route would avoid all sandy, erodible soils, avoid whooping crane migration routes and pass by fewer wells and center pivot irrigation systems. But TransCanada officials defended their preferred route as the shortest and saying it would disturb the fewest miles of land.

Security was tight, though the spectators were well-behaved. Only about 60 people attended the session. About 30 state troopers and Lincoln police officers and firefighters provided security inside and outside the Cornhusker Hotel.

Thirteen lawyers, representing labor unions, Indian tribes and anti- pipeline groups like Bold Nebraska, sat before the hearing officer.

The hearings are scheduled to conclude Thursday or Friday.
MANILA, Philippines (AP)  The Trump administration has yet to decide how to respond to Russias move to expel hundreds of American diplomats, but plans to deliver a response to Moscow by Sept. 1, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday.

A day after sitting down in the Philippines with Russias top diplomat, Tillerson said hed asked clarifying questions about the Kremlins retaliation announced last month following new sanctions passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump.

The Trump administration has struggled to determine how the move will affect the U.S. diplomatic presence in Russia, as well as the broader implications for the troubled relationship between the nuclear-armed powers.

Despite the Russian move, which seemed to plunge the two countries even further into acrimony, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emerged from the meeting declaring a readiness for more engagement with the U.S. on North Korea, Syria and Ukraine, among other issues. Tillerson broadly echoed that sentiment, saying the two countries had critical national security issues to discuss despite deep disagreements on some matters.

I dont think it is useful to just cut everything off on one single issue, Tillerson said following his first meeting with Lavrov since the new sanctions were imposed. These are two very large countries and we should find places that we can work together, lets try to work together. Places we have our differences, were going to have to continue to find a way to address those.

Tillerson also said that Russia has been showing some willingness to start talking about a resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, devoid of real progress for years. That assessment came as Lavrov announced that the Trump administration had committed to sending its new special envoy for Ukraine negotiations, Kurt Volker, to Moscow to discuss next steps.

Yet several obstacles hang over any attempt to pursue a more functional U.S.-Russia relationship: the new U.S. sanctions, Russias retaliatory move to expel diplomats, and the ongoing U.S. Justice Department investigation into Russias election meddling and potential Trump campaign collusion.

Fearing Trump might move inappropriately to ease sanctions on Russia, Congress last month passed new legislation that both added more sanctions and made it harder for the president to lift them. Trump and Tillerson opposed the legislation, but facing a likely veto override, Trump begrudgingly signed the bill.

Moscows response to the sanctions was to announce it would force the U.S. to cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755 people. That move stoked confusion in Washington, given that the U.S. is believed to have far fewer than 755 American employees in Russia.

Lavrov, describing his meeting with Tillerson, said Russia and the U.S. had agreed to resume a high-level diplomatic channel that Moscow had suspended after a previous U.S. move to tighten existing Russia sanctions.

We felt that our American counterparts need to keep the dialogue open, Lavrov said. Theres no alternative to that.

Trumps administration has argued theres good reason for the U.S. to seek a more productive relationship. Tillerson has cited modest signs of progress in Syria, where the U.S. and Russia recently brokered a cease-fire in the war-torn countrys southwest, as a sign theres fertile ground for cooperation.

The Syrian cease-fire reflected a return of U.S.-Russia cooperation to lower violence there. The U.S. had looked warily at a series of safe zones in Syria that Russia had negotiated along with Turkey and Iran  but not the U.S.

Lavrov cited upcoming talks involving Russia, Iran and Turkey about how to ensure the truce in the last safe zone to be established, around the north-western city of Idlib. He predicted it will be difficult to hammer out the details but that compromise can be reached if all parties  including the U.S.  use their influence in Syria to persuade armed groups there to comply.

Tillerson said Russian meddling in the election had created serious mistrust between our two countries. Although he and other Cabinet officials have maintained that position consistently, Trump has repeatedly questioned U.S. intelligence about Moscows involvement while denying any collusion with his campaign.

Word that Volker, the Ukraine envoy, plans to visit the Russian capital was the latest sign that Washington was giving fresh attention to resolving the Ukraine conflict. The U.S. cut military ties to Russia over Moscows annexation of Crimea and accuses the Kremlin of fomenting unrest in eastern Ukraine by arming, supporting and even directing pro-Russian separatists there who are fighting the Kiev government.

In recent days, the Trump administration has been considering providing lethal weaponry to Ukraine to help defend itself against Russian aggression.

Copyright 2017, the Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Great Britain just announced that it will ban the sale of all vehicles with internal combustion engines by 2040, along with most of Europe. The handwriting is on the wall. The fossil fuel industry is about to lose its reign of control on planet Earth.
Ending the policy of literally air-dropping weapons into a war zone, some of which (documented on camera) were accidentally landing in Islamic State-controlled areas, should not be a partisan issue (Letting Assad off the hook, Aug. 1 Public Pulse).

The enemy of our enemy is not necessarily our friend. We provided arms and other support for Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war. We famously provided arms to Osama bin Laden and other rebels in Afghanistan to fight the Soviets. How did these seemingly well-intentioned arms programs end up for us decades down the road?

The situation in Syria is not as straightforward as support rebels, take out Assad. A large portion of the opposition his forces are fighting are affiliated with the Islamic State. Their atrocities are as well documented as Bashar Assads.

There are other, better options we can take to support supposed moderate rebels in Syria without air-dropping pallets of weapons indiscriminately into combat zones.

Stash Dwornicki, Omaha
400 Cognizant executive opt for Voluntary Separation Package

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

In a move that will help save about 60 million dollars annually, around 400 senior executives of Cognizant have accepted the company's voluntary separation package (VSP).

In May, the company had initiated a voluntary separation programme, offering up to nine months of salary as part of it to some of its top-level executives in the US and India. Cognizant has a significant chunk of its total 2.56 lakh workforce in India and it is estimated that of the 400 people who opted for the separation, a large number could be from India.

However, the company did not disclose the number of Indian executives who have accepted the offer.

"Of the $39 million of realignment charges, $35 million was for the roughly 400 associates who accepted our VSP. We expect approximately $60 million of annualised savings as a result of the VSP," Cognizant CFO Karen McLoughlin said at a recent investor call.

She added that Cognizant expects to incur additional cost related to advisory fees, severance, lease termination, and facility consolidation costs in the remaining part of 2017.

McLoughlin said the company has also made "good headway" in the June quarter driving utilisation rates higher by "slowing the pace of our hiring and improving resource alignment" to its re-skilling and multi-skilling programmes.

She explained that these "adjustments" will help improve the company's profitability.Cognizant's overall headcount decreased by about 4,400 people at the end of June from March 2017 quarter, even though it had hired 10,800 people (gross) during the June quarter.

"Our attrition level was higher than normal given reductions resulting from performance evaluations and the voluntary separation programme," McLoughlin said.

She added that while the company will carefully manage headcount, it will continue to hire and invest in critical skills needed to grow Cognizant's digital business.The annualised attrition rate for Cognizant stood at 23.6 per cent, including BPO and trainees, during the June quarter from 17.1 per cent in the year-ago period.

Cognizant president Rajeev Mehta said the company is investing "tens of millions of dollars" this year to continuously deepen and broaden skills in areas like analytics, artificial intelligence, data science, and digital security.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 8:57 [IST]
Ahmed Patel's RS election: Oh! What a run up it has been

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The battle lines are drawn for a crucial Rajya Sabha election which would decide whether Ahmed Patel of the Congress would win or not. 45 is the magic number that Patel, a close confidante of Sonia Gandhi needs to return to the Rajya Sabha.

While on one hand Amit Shah would sail through easily and make his debut in Parliament, for Patel, these are tense moments as he tries to keep his flock intact by moving them from resort to resort.

On Tuesday lawmakers in Gujarat would decide whether Patel goes to the Rajya Sabha or not. Sonia Gandhi's political secretary, Patel has done everything under the sun to ensure that the Congress is intact. He is in a battle with Shankersinh Vaghela who has split the Congress.

In the 182 member Gujarat Assembly, the strength of the Congress has gone down to 51 from 57. Vaghela who broke away is alleged to have written this script. The Congress would need the support of 45 MLAs to elect Patel. Both Vaghela and the BJP would hope that one or two either vote against Patel or exercise the NOTA to defeat him.

On the mind of the Congress the Presidential elections too would be weighing in very heavily. 11 from the Congress had cross voted in favour of the NDA's candidate Ramnath Kovind. The Congress would not want a repeat of that.

The Congress has done everything it could to keep its flock together. It carted away its MLAs to a resort in Bengaluru. After staying there for a few days, the MLAs' hospitality in charge was raided by the Income Tax department. The MLAs continued to stay on before reaching Gujarat early this morning. They were once again carted away to a resort in Anand and will stay there before they are taken straight to the Assembly on Tuesday.

The Congress has also resorted to further desperate measures and warned its legislators against cross voting or exercising NOTA. It has said that any move to defy the party will attract heavy penalty including legal action which would mean being barred from contesting elections.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 14:58 [IST]
Amarnath yatra attack was about oneupmanship between warring Lashkar factions

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The attack on the Amarnath yatra was about oneupmanship between the two warring factions of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. Abu Dujana who was killed in an encounter last week had fallen out with Abu Ismail a few months back.

On Sunday, the police in Jammu and Kashmir said that three conspirators who provided logistic support to Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists to carry out the attack were arrested.

Dujana was the commander of the Lashkar, but owing to a fall out with Ismail, the latter took over as the chief of the outfit. Ismail in a bid to impress his masters that he is capable of handling the job decided to carry out the Amarnath yatra attack, investigations have revealed.

On July 10 a bus from Gujarat came under heavy fire in which 8 persons were killed. Terror groups have normally refrained from attacking the pilgrimage. The questioning of the arrested persons revealed that these were desperate measures that were taken by Ismail to prove a point to Dujana and also justify the latter's ouster from the Lashkar.

On Sunday the police said that terrorists led by Abu Ismail, a Pakistani national, carried out the attack. The police are still on the lookout for Abu Ismail alias Haroon, Abu Furkan, Abu Mavia - and Yawar, a local recruiter for the Lashkar. "The arrested over ground workers (OGWs) have been identified as Bilal Ahmed Reshi, Aizaj Wagey and Zahoor Ahmed Sheikh had chosen Botengo near Khanbal as the spot where the attack could be carried out," said inspector general of police Munir Khan. "I am happy to tell you that three suspects have been arrested. They have revealed everything," he said.

He said the terrorists had attempted an attack on Amarnath pilgrims on July 9 also but were frustrated by heavy security arrangements. IG Khan said the terrorists had used code name "Shaukat" and "Bilal" for the attack. "Shaukat" was for yatra bus and "Bilal" was for CRPF bus.

Investigators say that they suspected Aijaz Wagey's involvement, and his call details nailed other involved in the terror attack. After his interrogation, the police arrested the other two accused. The trio had also provided shelter to the four terrorists in Khudwani and Sriguffwara of South Kashmir.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 9:00 [IST]
Bimal Gurung claims of repeated invites from Delhi for talks

India

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By Amitava

Darjeeling: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) Chief Bimal Gurung who till now constantly criticized Delhi 's silence over the Darjeeling impasse and even issued a deadline to the Union Government to intervene by August 8, suddenly claimed that he is being called repeatedly for talks to Delhi.

As the indefinite bandh clamped by the GJM hit the 53 day mark and the fast onto death reached the 17th day, on Sunday Gurung talking to media persons at Patleybash, 8 km from Darjeeling town stated "Delhi is constantly calling me for talks and there have been many an emissary from Delhi with the invite for talks. However I have made it clear to the emissaries that we will attend only if the talk is over the Gorkhaland issue."

Gurung's claim comes at a time when most of the front rung leaders of different hill political outfits are camping in Delhi, meeting Ministers and other political leaders over the Gorkhaland issue. Even Mann Ghising, son of Late Subash Ghising and the President of Gorkha National Liberation Front is in Delhi.

Though the Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee (GMCC- a conglomeration of 13 pro Gorkha outfits including the GJM) had demanded the resignation of BJP MP from Darjeeling SS Ahluwalia stating that Ahluwalia though having won elections on the Gorkhaland plank had failed to utter "Gorkhaland" even a single time during a recent press meet in Delhi; Gurung feels otherwise.

"MP Ahluwalia should not resign. He is working in Delhi on the Gorkhaland front. He is corresponding with the Government top brass on the Gorkhaland issue. He is acting as bridge between us and the Government is Delhi on the Gorkhaland issue. " claimed Gurung.

Expressing clear difference of opinion with the GMCC Gurung stated that Independence day should be celebrated on a grand scale as usual in the Hills. "We are proud Indians and we have always been celebrating Independence day on a grand scale. This year too this should continue. " He did not however specify on whether the ongoing bandh would be lifted on Independence day or not.

Interestingly the GMCC had stated that Independence day commemorations will be on a low key note this year owing to the unrest. They had stated that except for singing the national anthem and hosting the tricolor there would be no celebrations.

Gurung further claimed that Gorkhaland would soon become a reality. "The very fact that Bengal is trying to suppress the movement with excess force is an indication of this. Bengal has started feeling the pangs of getting dismembered soon with Gorkhaland to be carved out of the State" stated Gurung.

Answering to the call from Prime Minister Modi to commemorate 75th anniversary of Quit India Movement by embarking on a "Tiranga Yatra" from August 9 to 15, the GJM will also organize the same in the Hills but with a Gorkhaland twist.

Along with slogans like "Vande Mataram" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" the GJM will also chant "Bengal Quit the Hills;""Bengal Pahar Choro" and "We want Gorkhaland. "

Political commentators opine that Gurung's sudden claims of Delhi talk invites is an effort to send across the message of GJM's standing relation with Delhi at a time when other hill political parties are trying to cut a mark in the Capital. Gurung also is trying to prove his sincerity to the Gorkhaland cause by stating that he will not attend any talks where the issue of discussion is other than Gorkhaland.

However political pundits further state that Delhi will not be interested in holding talks bypassing the West Bengal Government. In a recent meeting with Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh made it clear that the onus lies with the State Government to initiate steps to resolve the Darjeeling impasse and that the Union Government is ready to extend all cooperation in this direction. Delhi in turn is trying to project its sincerity towards upholding the federal nature of the Indian Government by this move feel political commentators.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 6:19 [IST]
BJP confident of defeating Ahmed Patel in crucial Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Ahmedabad, August 7: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident of beating senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel in the crucial Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat on Tuesday.

"The BJP will win all the three seats and Ahmed Patel will definitely lose," said Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani during Raksha Bandhan celebrations on Monday.

Patel's opponent is the BJP's candidate Balwantsinh Rajput, who has recently deserted the Congress to join the saffron party. A total of six Gujarat Congress members of legislative assembly (MLAs) left the parent party to join the BJP.

In the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, the strength of the Congress has gone down to 51. The other two high profile BJP candidates contesting the Rajya Sabha polls from the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are BJP president Amit Shah and union minister Smriti Irani.

After the defection of the six MLAs, the Congress recently flew down 44 of its MLAs to a resort in the suburbs of Bengaluru, Karnataka, to avoid further "poaching". However, on Monday, they came back to Gujarat to cast their votes for Tuesday polls.

Currently, the MLAs are staying in a resort in Anand, Gujarat. The Congress MLAs alleged that they were offered Rs 15 crore each to join the BJP. The saffron party, on its part, denied the allegations and criticised the Congress for taking away the MLAs from their home state to Karnataka at a time when floods have created havoc in Gujarat.

"People are dying in floods and the MLAs are enjoying in resort. Their (the Congress) MLAs are not under their control. They don't trust them," Rupani said.

In the last couple of days, the Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat have become a prestige battle between the BJP and the Congress. According to reports, BJP president Shah is trying his best to defeat Patel in the elections to hurt the Gandhi family.

Patel, the political secretary of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, is considered close to the Gandhi family.

On reaching Gujarat, the MLAs, while addressing the media, said they are all united and "horse-trading" was impossible. The Congress alleged that the ruling BJP was indulging in "vendetta politics" to defeat Patel.

"All of us are united. The BJP can't threaten any MLA. Horse-trading is not possible with those who are with us now," Shaktisinh Gohil, Congress MLA, said. The MLAs are also going to meet Patel at Neejanand resort in Anand on Monday evening, informed Shailesh Parmar, Congress MLA from Gujarat.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 13:13 [IST]
Maharashtra govt files caveat in SC in Dahi Handi matter

India

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Maharashtra government has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court to stop ex-partite order in the Dahi Handi matter. The state government has requested the Apex court not to pass any further orders in the matter without notifying the same to it.

The Bombay High Court on Monday lifted the 20-feet height restriction on human pyramids during Dahi Handi celebrations in Maharashtra. The court also accepted the government's undertaking that no children, below the age of 14 years, will be allowed to take part in the festival.

The Maharashtra government, in response to a PIL on Dahi Handi, gave an undertaking that children below 14 years of age will not take part in the competition or be part of the human pyramids. On the issue of restricting the height of the Dahi handi, the court said that it was under the state's ambit. "The height of the human pyramids can only be regulated by the state government. If the court intervenes, it would amount to encroaching on legislative powers," the court observed before lifting the restriction.

A famous ritual in Maharashtra, Dahi Handi will be observed during Janmashtami which falls on August 14 this year. The High Court also asked the state to ensure that organisers adhere to safety measures mentioned by it in the affidavit. "The concerns in regard to accidents of Govindas and the measures recommended for their safety should be adopted to by the organisers," the court said raising concerns over accidents caused due to 'selfies'.

In 2014, the Bombay High Court had ordered that the height of human pyramids should not exceed 20 feet and that children below the age of 18 should not be allowed to participate. An appeal was made in the Supreme court the same year. The Apex court ordered a stay on the High Court's order on the age limit of participants. Later, the state government went back to the Supreme Court to seek clarification.

Earlier in August this year, the Supreme Court had sent back the plea to the Bombay HC to consider. The HC was asked to take look into a plea by the Maharashtra government challenging its order restricting the height of the human pyramid and banning participation of minors.

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Doklam standoff: Indo-Nepal relations will be put to test

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Indo-Nepal relations will be put to test amidst the Doklam standoff. All eyes would be on the visit by Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to New Delhi during which Nepal's position on the bilateral issues between India and China would be highlighted.

China's outreach to Nepal would be an issue that would be discussed during the visit. Following this visit, External Affairs Minsiter, Sushma Swaraj would travel to Kathmandu to take part in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation on August 10.

India has said that the visit would also have a bi-lateral component. The MEA in its briefing last week had said that the minister would hold a bi-lateral apart from the multilateral meetings.

India would also closely watch the visit by China's vice premier, Wang Yang to Nepal on August 14. Nepal has indicated that the visit would be a routine one. However Yang has made several visits to Kathmandu in the recent past and in recent time emerged as an expert on South Asia.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 8:30 [IST]
Back in Gujarat, MLAs check into another resort

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Gujarat MLAs who were holed up at a Bengaluru resort to avoid poaching ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections have arrived in Ahmedabad.

Contrary to reports that they would be flown in Delhi first, the MLAs reached their home state directly amidst tight security. The RS polls are scheduled to be held on August 8. They have been taken to another resort. From there, the MLAs would be directly to the state assembly on Tuesday where they will vote. They are currently at the Neejanand resort at Anand.

The MLAs were taken to Bengaluru over a week back to avoid poaching. Senior Congress leader, Ahmed Patel faces a crucial RS election. He needs the support of 45 MLAs to win the elections.

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How Doval's non-appeasement policy and NIA's iron fist killed Kashmir separatists' spirits

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Stung by the National Investigation Agency in the Hurriyat terror funding case, its leaders are now looking desperately for legal help. This is for the first time that the Hurriyat leaders are seriously looking for legal help as they have realised the case against them is a water-tight one.

There have been probes in the past as well, but these leaders have never taken it seriously. This time around the documents seized and the huge number of arrests carried out suggests that the NIA is going for the big guns next.

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NIA sources suggest that next in line could be Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq. The details against the two Hurriyat hawks is very strong in nature. Moreover these two separatists have been desperately looking for a good lawyer to defend them in court. The arrests of their aides and also Shabir Shah has sent the two into panic mode. They have the most to hide says the NIA official.

The NIA says that it is confident that this case would be taken to the logical end. The cases of the past have not been as strong. In fact the NIA had to drop a 2016 case on the same issue.

The probe this time is different for a variety of reasons. First and foremost the NIA has been given a free hand to probe the cases and there is no political compulsion on the agency on who to arrest and who not to. The probe was carried out in multiple directions. Moreover if one looks at the manner in which Kashmir is being handled, it is text book Ajit Doval doctrine in which it says that the policy of non-appeasement must be shunned.

The NIA began with the foreign funding which came in from Pakistan, Dubai, London and Saudi Arabia. The agency then studied thousands of documents relating to the cross border trade. It was suspected that this route through the Line of Control was used to pump in the funds.

While these dimensions were already know, the NIA decided that it would actually act upon it and hence carried out the arrests. It was the arrests that became the turning point for the NIA. The questioning of these separatists and their associates only added weight to the evidence that the NIA had already sourced.

The arrests and this hectic probe by the NIA had its ripple effects in Kashmir as well. The unrest is dying a slow death and the funds are gradually drying up. Earlier separatists used to dole out money at will to fund stone pelters and terrorists. However this time they are careful, watchful as they are fully aware that a full-fledged probe with all its seriousness and minus the appeasement is on.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 13:43 [IST]
Madras HC permits RSS to conduct rallies at 44 places in Tamil Nadu

No Hindutva or RSS extremism involved in Leicester violence; influencers spread false narrative: UK think tank

Another propaganda busted, but will the anti-Hindu rhetoric in the West end

How many RSS workers have been killed in Kerala so far

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

How many RSS workers have been killed in Kerala is a questioning that many are asking amidst the never ending political violence in the state. On Sunday Union Minister Arun Jaitley who visited the house of a slain RSS worker said even a terrorist would be put to shame looking at such instances of violence.

With political murders on the rise, it would be important to look at the data relating to the number of deaths of RSS, CPM and Congress workers who have been killed in political political violence.

Data of RSS workers killed in Kerala:

Between 2000 and 2016, Kannur district alone reported 69 political murders. In 2016 alone there were 7 such instances reported. In the year 2017 alone there have already been four such instances.

The data available for the past 17 years shows that there have been 160 political murders that have taken place. Most of the killings between 2000 and 2017 are due to political rivalry. During this period, Kerala witnessed the murders of 65 RSS or BJP workers. 85 CPM workers and 11 workers of the Congress-IUML were murdered between 2000 and 2017.

2017 list of political murders in Kerala:

Ezhuthan Santhosh, a 52 year old BJP worker was hacked to death at Andallur on 18 January 2017.

RSS worker Biju was murdered by alleged CPM activists at Payyanur on May 12 2017.

Ananthu Ashokan, a teenager murdered in April 2017 Cherthala. 16 RSS workers were arrested although the case was not declared as a political murder.

RSS worker Rajesh was murdered on July 29 2017.

2016 list of political murders in Kerala:

Sujith, an RSS activist was killed on February 13.

CPM worker Cherikandath Raveendran, 55, was killed on 18 May 2016 at Kandyarmukku.

Dhanraj, 52 a CPM worker was stabbed at Payyanur on July 11.

C K Ramachandran an auto-rickshaw driver killed allegedly by CPM workers on July 11.

26-year-old RSS worker Bineesh was hacked to death by suspected CPM supporters on 4 September, 2016 in Kannur district.

Kuzhichalil Mohanan, 50 of the CPM was killed on 10 October 2016.

On October 12, BJP worker Ramith was killed in an attack. Ramit's father Uthaman too had met with a similar fate in 2002.

For more details check out this RTI reply: http://factchecker.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/kannur-RTI-data.pdf

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 9:34 [IST]
How the Saudi vs Iran Wahhabi-Shia war is playing out in Kerala

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Kerala is witness to a lot of activity which includes political murders, the rise of Wahhabism and hawala. A state that is coping with so many pressing issues has another problem to deal with and that is a possible outbreak of an all out Sunni vs Shia fight.

Several Muslim intellectuals in recent discussions have been pointing to a sustained campaign by Iran to push in the Shia ideology in Kerala. The Sunnis say that the Constitution does not bar the presence of Shias, but they need to be truthful about their presence.

In a May 2017 report published in the Milli Report, Abdurehman Adreseeri, a critic of the Shias, said former SIMI leader P Koya, who is now part of the PFI is the person behind this.

It is also suspected that the Islamic Youth Centre in Kozhikode is the organisation behind the spread of Shia ideology in Kerala. Another organisation called the Islamic Foundation in Mallapuram too is being blamed for the fast spread of Shia ideology after it brought out over 30 books on the faith.

The Intelligence Bureau says that there is a fast rise of Shia ideology. However it is not in the harmful way. The IB however cautioned that a section is trying to dish out emotions and create a rift between the two faiths. The IB also points out that the number of Shias in Kerala is negligible.

A Times of India report says, "it is intriguing that so many books have been in circulation though the actual number of Shias in Kerala is much less," said Swalih Nizami Puthuponnani, who has done an extensive study on the subject.

The worry for the Sunnis is that despite the number of Shias being less in Kerala, they are capable of exerting pressure on intellectuals.

Adreseeri says that around 70 Shiites have emerged in Kerala and have also conducted secret meetings at Ponnani recently. V A M Ashraf and C Hamza had attended the meeting," he also said.

If one looks at the broader picture, then it appears that Iran vs Saudi fight is playing out in Kerala as well. Saudi has been pushing the Wahhabis into Kerala for long. The funds and the ideology is out there in the open for people to see. The Intelligence Bureau too has flagged this issue several times.

Iran on the other end may be trying to push the Shia faith into Kerala to counter the Wahhabis, analysts feel. Security officials say that they have this issue under control. If the local police do not act quickly on the issue then it could blow up into a full-fledged war in Kerala, the IB also says.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 11:44 [IST]
J&K: One terrorist killed in encounter at Pulwama

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

A Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist was gunned down in an encounter by security forces at Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. The identity of the terrorist is yet to be confirmed. The police said that the Lashkar's Ayoub Lelhari and Rehman were holed up at the encounter site.

Acting on a tip-off about presence of terrorists in Samboora village, a joint cordon and search operations(CASO) was launched by 50 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of Indian Army and Special Operations Group (SOG) of state police," a senior police official said. "As the cordon was being laid, the hiding terrorists fired upon the soldiers,"

Authorities have suspended internet services as a precautionary measure.

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Meeting seers, Dalit leaders: Amit Shah's priority during Karnataka visit

India

oi-Anusha

BJP's National President Amit Shah will tour Karnataka for three days starting August 12. Given the political situation in the state, Shah is expected to meet a host of seers, heads of religious institutions and prominent Dalit and OBC leaders.

As part of the Vistarak program, Amit Shah has made it a point to visit and dine at Dalit homes. In Karnataka too, Shah will hold meetings with Dalit leaders apart from visiting mutts. Amit Shah is expected to land in Bengaluru at around 10.45 AM on August 12 and head straight to the BJP headquarters in Malleswaram. The BJP in Sunday's state executive meeting planned the welcome program for Amit Shah.

On August 13, Shah will visit the Adichunchanagiri mutt and before the end of the day, he will visit Sri Sri Ravishankar at his ashram. Shah is expected to meet vistaraks from Karnataka and receive reports about the places that were covered. This information will form the basis of BJP's poll strategy in Karnataka.

On the last day of his three-day tour, Amit Shah is expected to meet leaders of the BJP from regions where the party is the most vulnerable. with the information gathered through the vistarak program, the BJP hopes to chalk out plans to strengthen the party in regions that it lags.

On August 14, Amit Shah is expected to hold separate meetings with the party leaders, leaders from the SC/ST community and OBC leaders independently. The BJP, that has so far been on the backfoot on many issues in Karnataka is expected to revive its prospects after Amit Shah's visit when its plan of action for the upcoming assembly elections will be strategized.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 15:02 [IST]
Mumbai: BEST workers call off bus strike as Thackeray assures salary on time

India

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By Deepika

In a major relief for lakhs of suburban commuters in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport workers on Monday called off their indefinite strike.

The announcement came after a meeting with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence Matoshree, on Monday around 4.15 pm.

According to sources, Thackeray promised to distribute BEST employees' salary before the 10th of every month. He also promised that a decision on the merger of the budget for BEST and BMC will be taken within couple of months.

Meanwhile, BEST officials said although the strike has been called off, it will take at least few hours for them to resume bus operations depending on the availability of the staff.

Over 3,500 buses of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking went off the roads here after its workers' union went on a strike to press for their demands, including timely payment of salaries.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 18:19 [IST]
Pakistani woman, tying rakhi to Modi for 23 years, sends strong message on brotherhood

India

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By Oneindia

New Delhi, August 7: The relationship between India and Pakistan has reached a low point in the recent times as the latter continues to foment violence along the line of control (LoC) through cross-border terrorism.

Should political trouble between the two neighbouring nations impact people-to-people contact? Definitely not. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani sister, Qamar Mohsin Shaikh, have a special message on "brotherhood" for everyone on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, the pious Hindu festival where sisters tie rakhi (a colourful sacred thread) on the wrist of their brothers and brothers in return vow to protect their sisters.

Shaikh claimed that she has been tying rakhi to Modi for the last 23 years. Yes, the bonding between the two goes back to the times when Modi was a karyakarta (worker) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

"I have been tying rakhi to Narendra bhai for the last 22-23 years. I am excited to do it this time too," Shaikh told ANI.

"When I first tied rakhi to Narendra bhai he was a karyakarta, but with his sheer hard work and vision he has become the PM. This time I thought he (PM) must be busy but two days back he called up, I was very happy to know that. So, I have started my preparation to meet him on Raksha Bandhan," she smiled.

According to a report by India Today, Shaikh came to India from Pakistan after her marriage and has been living here ever since. She recalled how she did not have any relatives around except for her in-laws.

However, she was "lucky" to meet Modi soon after she came to India. Since then this brother-sister duo has been celebrating Raksha Bandhan together for the last 23 years.

"I met him during one of my visits to Delhi with my husband who is a painter. His nature is very nice. He would often meet me, hit me on my back with love and ask 'Kaisi ho behan (How are you, sister?)'. I have been tying him rakhi for the past 23 years," she narrated.

Even elderly women and widows residing in ashrams (special homes) and old age homes of Varanasi and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh have made special rakhis to be tied on the wrist of Modi.

Like every year, this time too, these women will meet Modi and personally tie rakhis on his wrist. Speaking to reporters a woman said, "The PM is our brother Modi. He is doing a great job for the country. We are proud of him. We are making special rakhis for him. All of us are excited to meet him again."

In fact, Varanasi is the parliamentary constituency of Modi from where he won the 2014 Lok Sabha polls with a huge margin.

Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated across the country on Monday. The Hindu religious festival is celebrated by people belonging to all religions as it marks a special bond between brothers and sisters.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 8:27 [IST]
Former Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh to be cremated at Rampur on July 10 at 3 pm

Qualification relaxed for direct recruitment to Class IV posts of visually impaired

India

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By Vijyender Sharma

SHIMLA----The Himachal cabinet decided to relax educational and other qualification for direct recruitment on class-IV posts and services against direct recruitment quota posts in favour of visually impaired persons who have crossed age of 35 years. It also gave relaxation in other qualification prescribed for direct recruits for the post of Junior Office Assistant (IT) i.e. diploma in computer science in favour of visual impaired.

The selected visually impaired persons after appointment may not be insisted up on to complete the diploma as required in the light of recruitment rules and may be imparted basic computer training by the concerned departments.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh presided over the meeting.

It also approved Senior Citizen Health Insurance Scheme (SCHIS) with an objective to provide easy access to curative geriatric health care services by way of additional insurance cover for utilization by senior citizens aged 60 and above and enrolled under Rashtriya Swasthay Bima Yojna only. The scheme shall provide an additional coverage of Rs. 30,000 per senior citizen per year in the eligible RSBY beneficiary family. A beneficiary under SCHIS will be able to get cashless treatment in any of RSBY empanelled hospitals. At present there are 1,30,587 senior citizens enrolled under RSBY in the State.

The Cabinet in its meeting held here today approved that the Staff nurses and other para-medical staff appointed under Rogi Kalyan Samitis (RKS) through Staff Selection Hamirpur, after following the proper procedure of recruitment as per R&P Rules would be considered for regularization after 3 years service, at par with the other contractual employees of the state.

To benefit the Himachali's and to meet the power requirements of remote areas investing in Micro-hydel projects upto 100 KW, the Cabinet decided that the HPSEBL will buy the power from the projects up-to 100 KW capacity and the royalty rates for these projects will be 2 percent for first 12 years, 12 percent from 13 to 30 years and 18 percent from 31 to 40.

As a big relief measure to the power producers, the Cabinet gave its nod to reduce the Capacity Addition Charges from Rs. 20 lakh per MW to Rs. One lakh per MW or the upfront premium quoted whichever is higher, for those projects whose installed capacity after capacity enhancement is more than 5 MW.This provision will be applicable only to those projects where revised capacity agreements for enhancement of capacity have not been signed and for all projects which will have capacity enhancement after the notification of this provision. The above provision shall not be applicable to the projects where revised capacity agreements have already been approved and signed.

Cabinet gave its nod for setting up of Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the implementation of the Smart City Mission at Shimla. Shimla smart city will have a robust advisory mechanism in shape of city advisory forum comprising of all stakeholders for rendering support to SPV at all stages of planning and implementation.

It also approved to increase the remuneration of Special Police Officers (SPOs) from Rs. 4000 to Rs. 6000 per month from prospective effect to fulfill the announcement of the Chief Minister as they render vital support to state police and security forces deployed in difficult and remote areas of district Chamba and Lahaul bordering Jammu and Kashmir. The services of 518 SPOs have been approved in above districts by Government of India.

Other Important Decisions

The cabinet decided to extend the period of acquiring minimum education qualification for PTAs as per R&P Rules from 2 years to 5 years i.e. till 16 August, 2021 and to provide 10 day medical and 10 days casual leave instead of 8 days to the PTA (GIA)

Cabinet approved to give regular scale of the respective post of 97 left out Para Teachers at par with their predecessors.

It was decided in the cabinet to give 10 days medical leave to Primary Assistant Teachers (PAT) and 10 days casual leave in a calendar year besides framing one time transfer of PATs against vacancy on the request of individual.

The cabinet also decided to provide an honorarium of Rs. 1500 per month to cooks cum helpers engaged under Mid Day Meal Scheme. Besides, it also enhanced Grant-in-Aid to tailoring teachers to Rs. 6300.

The Cabinet in its meeting held last month approved the procurement price of apple to Rs. 6.75 per kilogram under Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) proposes to enhance the same to Rs. 7.00 per Kg to provide remunerative prices to the farmers.

Cabinet also approved opening of Sub-Divisional Office (c) at Dheera in Kangra district and Sub-Treasury Office at Ner Chowk in Mandi district.

It was decided by the Cabinet to hire manpower on outsource basis for Lal Bahadur Shastri Government Medical College, Mandi and Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Medical College, Chamba.

Besides, a decision was taken to provide one seat in medical college at Nahan and two seats in Chamba Medical college be filled up from Tibetan refugees on the basis of NEET-UG Merit, subject to the availability of the eligible candidates.

The cabinet gave its approval for Sub-Tehsil at Panjhera in district Solan and new Patwar Circle in Badhawani in Shimla rural, Mahasu and Bagahar in Kotkhai in district Shimla, at Pangi in Kalpa in district Kinnaur and Parwada, Dharot (Chachiot), Bara-gaon (Padhar), Karla (Nihri) in Mandi and Barog (Solan), Ghadsi (sub-tehsil Krishangarh) and Shehrol (Arki) in district Solan.

It gave approval for opening of Sub-Tehsil at Lagdu in Kangra district, Sub-Tehsil at Jangla in Shimla district, Sub-Tehsil at Saraswatinagar in Shimla district and up-gradation of Sub-Tehsil of Ramshehar to Tehsil in Solan district to fulfill the announcement of the Chief Minister.

The cabinet gave its approval for opening of Sub-Employment Exchange at Padhar, in district Mandi along-with staff as recently announced.

Cabinet approved the setting up of Himachal Pradesh Central Inspection System (HPCIS) for ease of doing business covering department of Labour and Employment, Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board, Industries Department etc. for more effective planning of inspections.

As per the representation of the Panchayats the Cabinet approved transfer of area of jurisdiction of Gram Panchayat Khatnol (Shimla) under Police Station Sunni, Gram Panchayat Changer-Handola in Mehatpur under police station Una and Gram Panchayat Santoshgarh under Sadar Police Station Sadar, in Una.

Cabinet gave its approval for opening of Fire post at Banalgi (Kuthar) in District Solan by creating 7 technical posts and Fire Post at Dada Siba and at Dehra in Kangra District by creating 7 technical posts as per prevailing pattern.

It also decided to renew MoU for telemedicine project in tribal areas of the State.

It also decided to up-grade government High School Rehan (girls) to Senior Secondary School in Kangra as per announcement of the Chief Minister.

The Cabinet decided to declare Maa Nagarkoti Fair Narag, Ram Navami Fair Nainatikkar, Gugga Navami Fair Pabiana (Dhawag) of district Sirmaur and Mata Durga Gaada Gushaini Fair in Mandi as district level fairs.

Posts created or filled

The Cabinet gave approval to fill up 262 posts of Assistant Professors (College cadre) in various subjects on contract basis as per R&P Rules including conversion from surplus pool.

It also gave its approval to engage 500 Jal Rakshaks in Gram Panchayats to ensure at-least one staff for every functional drinking water and irrigation scheme. They will ensure distribution of water twice a day and chlorinate the storage tanks, to carry out minor repair and report leakages to the department besides cleaning and disinfecting the storage tanks.

Cabinet gave its approval for filling up of two posts of Senior Planning Draughtsman Class-II in the Department of the Town and Country Planning in relaxation of R&P Rules.

It also approved filling up of four posts of Inspector, Legal Metrology on contract basis in the Weights and Measures Organization of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department.

It gave approval for filling up of 3 posts of peons and 2 posts of Chowkidars for newly opened Jawahar Lal Nehru Government College of Fine Arts Chaura Maidan, Shimla from surplus pool.

Cabinet gave its approval for filling up of two posts of Steno typist on contract basis in the Directorate of Empowerment of SCs, OBCs, Minorities and Specially Abled.

It gave approval for creation and filling up of one post of IT Programmer in the Department of Women and Child Development Department.

It also gave its approval for filling of 2 vacant posts of Junior Office Assistant (IT) on contract basis besides other three class-IV posts on daily wages basis in H.P. Council of Child Welfare.

It also approved filling up of one Post of Public Relations Officer on contract basis in Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan.

It also approved filling up of 10 posts of Laboratory Assistants in Horticulture Department.

The cabinet agreed to create and fill the posts of music lecturers in Government Senior Secondary Schools provided that the students who opt for the subject are 25 or more than that.

Health

Cabinet gave its approval for up-gradation of Health Sub Centre Chamiari to Primary Health Centre in district Una, along-with creation of one Post of Medical Officer, One each post of Pharmacist and Class-IV and shifting of Health Sub Centre Chamiari within the same Gram Panchayat.

It also approved up-gradation of Community Health Centre (ESI) Gagret to 50 bed Civil Hospital in district Una along with creation of posts.

Decision was taken to upgrade civil hospital Dalhousie to 50 bed alongwith creation of 18 posts. Cabinet also decided to upgrade Primary Health Centre Gopalpur to Community Health Centre along-with creation of 12 posts.

Decision was taken to open Primary Health Centre at Kuthari in Tehsil Jubbal alongwith creation of 3 posts in PHC Kuthari. The cabinet accorded approval to upgrade Veterinary Dispensary Chandi in Solan district to Veterinary Hospital as announcement of Chief Minister.

The cabinet also gave its approval to open Ayurveda Health Centre at Village Khabli in Dehra block and at village Jakhar in Rantari Panchayat in Teshil Rohru along-with four posts in each.

The Cabinet gave its nod to create Department of Hospital Administration along-with faculty staff in IGMC Shimla and Tanda Medical College Kangra.

The cabinet approved 19 posts of para-medical staff in Civil Hospital Tegubehad in Bhuntar, district Kullu.

It was decided to provide mobile food testing laboratories in the state under central sector scheme along-with creation of 6 posts.

It also decided to open Health Sub Centre at Missarwala in district Sirmaur along-with creation of two posts.

Acts/Rules

Cabinet gave its approval for formulation of The Himachal Pradesh Administrative Tribunal(Recruitment and Promotions and other conditions of services of officer and other employees of the Administrative Tribunal) Rules, 2-17

Cabinet also approved amendment in Himachal Pradesh Technical University Act, 2014. Under the amendment of Section 12 (6) of the Act the Vice Chancellor shall be appointed for a period of 3 years and eligible for reappointment for further three years but not beyond the age of 70.

The Cabinet approved the draft for revival of Medium, Small Scale and Micro Industries in the State. A sub-Committee would be formed in this regard.

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Rajinikanth meets BJP leaders, party deems it 'apolitical'

India

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Tamil superstar Rajinikanth met leaders of the BJP fuelling speculations of his support to Narendra Modi's party once again. Photos that emerged on Monday showed the actor in conversation with BJP Yuva Morcha's National President Poonam Mahajan.

The meeting is said to have taken at Rajinikanth's residence on Sunday. However, the BJP maintained that the meeting was apolitical. This is not the first time that BJP leaders have met the actor after he expressed his intentions over taking the political plunge. BJP's candidate for the now countermanded R KNagar bypoll, Gangaiamaran had created a storm after he posted pictures with Rajinikanth ahead of the elections.

The actor's meeting with members of the Hindu Makkal Katchi, a pro-right wing organisation had also garnered some spotlight. Entry of Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan to Tamil Nadu politics has been the centre point of many debates over the last few months. Kamal Haasan jumped into the fray after Rajinikanth asked his fans to 'prepare for the war ahead' and indicated that he may make a political entry.

Both the stars have been invited by the DMK for a party event. Their participation in the same will mark the first appearance on the political front.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 13:15 [IST]
Lost my father to 'hate and division', do not want to lose country: Rahul

Rajiv Gandhi Chairtaible Trust told to vacate land in Amethi

India

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By Vicky

The Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust has been told to immediately vacate the land at Rokha village in Jais where it was imparting vocational training to members of self-help groups.

The issue relating to the ownership of land was first raised by Union Minister Smriti Irani.

It was alleged that the land was initially registered in the name of a vocational training centre. However it was later captured by the Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust.

Smriti Irani had dashed off a letter to the administration raising questions about the ownership of the land. However during the Akhilesh Yadav regime the same was not taken up. The issue was however taken up after the Yogi Adityanath led BJP government came to power in Uttar Pradesh.

Subsequently, Amethi district magistrate Yogesh Kumar asked Tiloi sub-divisional magistrate Ashok Kumar Shukla to consider the matter with "special attention".

The first notice to the trust was issued by District Development Officer (DDO) OP Pandey on March 27, which was followed by notices from chief development officer Om Prakash on April 10 and Shukla on April 28.

The notices asked the trust to produce the documents pertaining to the ownership or use of the land.

Meanwhile, one Kiran Singh, claiming to be representing the self-help groups, the members of which were being trained by the trust, approached the Allahabad High Court, which asked the district administration to throw light on the status of the land and the activities of the self-help groups.

The SDM again asked the trust to furnish the documents pertaining to the use of the land. As the trust failed to do so, the SDM last week directed the Tiloi tehsildar to initiate the process to vacate the land.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 6:24 [IST]
Raksha Bandhan 2017: Vrindavan widows to send 1500 rakhis to Modi

India

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Widows from Vrindavan would tie rakhi on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wrist in Delhi on Monday on the occasion of Rakshabandhan that celebrates the brother-sister bond.

A special programme was organised at the five-century-old Gopinath temple in Vrindavan, where rakhis were packed in beautifully decorated baskets carrying sweets.

Widows living in Vrindavan's 'Meera Sahabhinini' ashram made a major contribution in the making of these scared threads.

The programme was organized by Sulabh International, a non-governmental organisation, taking care of 1,000 widows of Vrindavan, Varanasi and Uttarakhand since 2012.

Madan Jha, media in-charge of the organization, said, "Tomorrow, on the occasion of Rakshabandhan, 5 widows from Vrindavan will visit the prime minister's residence in Delhi and tie rakhi to him."

Around 1,500 hand-made rakhis would be given to the prime minister. 94-year-old Manu Ghosh, while showing a rakhi carrying a picture of the prime minister, said, "I have made this rakhi with my own hands and I am very excited to tie it on the prime minister's wrist."

Vineeta Verma, the vice-president of the organisation, said, "A green signal has been received from the Prime Minister's Office. A team of these women and social workers will be leaving for Delhi today."

PTI
RS polls: Gujarat MLAs rubbish report of horse-trading, set to meet Ahmed Patel

India

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By Oneindia

Ahmedabad, August 7: Just a day ahead of the crucial August 8 Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat, 44 Congress members of legislative assembly (MLAs) came back from Bengaluru, Karnataka, to their home state.

Immediately after reaching Ahmedabad, the former capital city of the state, the MLAs were taken to a resort in Anand, where they are going to stay till Tuesday for sure. In fact, the MLAs were staying at a resort in the outskirts of Bengaluru for the last 10 days.

They were being flown together to Bengaluru by the Congress after six MLAs resigned from the party ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

[Back in Gujarat, MLAs check into another resort]

On reaching Gujarat, the MLAs, while addressing the media, said they are all united and "horse-trading" was impossible. The Congress alleged that the ruling BJP was indulging in "vendetta politics" to defeat Ahmed Patel, the political secretary of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is contesting from one of the three Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat.

Earlier, the MLAs claimed that the BJP was offering them Rs 15 crore each to join hands with the saffron party. They also accused the BJP of using force and coercion to change their allegiance.

"All of us are united. The BJP can't threaten any MLA. Horse-trading is not possible with those who are with us now," Shaktisinh Gohil, Congress MLA, said. The MLAs are also going to meet Patel at Neejanand resort in Anand on Monday evening, informed Shailesh Parmar, Congress MLA from Gujarat.

In the last couple of days, the Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat have become a prestige issue between the BJP and the Congress. According to reports, BJP president Amit Shah is trying his best to defeat Patel in the elections to hurt the Gandhi family.

The BJP on its part said that the Congress MLAs are not united as they want to join the saffron party due to lack of leadership in their parent organisation. The BJP strongly criticised the Congress' move to bring Gujarat MLAs to Bengaluru at a time when floods have hit the state.

During the middle of their stay in the resort, the Income Tax (IT) sleuths raided multiple properties of Karnataka energy minister DK Shivakumar, who was in-charge of the Gujarat MLAs.

OneIndia News
Central team roped in as dengue cases in Bihar rise to over 5000

Bihar's Gopalganj by-poll to see a tough fight between BJP and RJD

Bihar: Over 200 students sick, claim they saw 'dead lizard' in mid-day meal

Sushil Kumar Modi fires fresh salvo at Lalu family

India

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Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar on Monday alleged alleged nexus between sand mafia funding the RJD and investing in Lalu Prasad's family assets.

Talking to media, Modi claimed that Rabri Devi, a former chief minister, owned 18 flats in a housing complex, and to avoid Income Tax and other agencies, sold three to a member of a sand mafia in June 17 this year.

Modi distributed copies of purported sale deeds of the three flats to the media, purchased by the three companies engaged in sand mining. He claimed the director of all three companies was S P Yadav the "right hand man" of Lalu Prasad.

He alleged that with the help of the RJD president the sand mafia had acquired mining lease of sand in six districts-- Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Vaishali, Jehanabad and Arwal-- for Rs 237 crore.

"Why the sand mafia purchased three flats from Rabri Devi on a single day at a cost of Rs 1.62 crore?" he asked and said it showed his close nexus with Lalu Prasad's family.

Sushil Modi said he would write to Income Tax and Registrar of Companies to probe sale and purchase of the three flats and take necessary action.

He said he would also intimate Chief Minister Nitish Kumar about this and request him to order a probe by state agencies.

Modi asked Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and their son and former Deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav to make pubic details of such "dubious" sale and purchase of flats in the next 3-4 days, failing which he said he would keep "exposing" such deals.

The BJP leader alleged that the sand mafia was funding the RJD.

Immediately after coming to power, the new government in Bihar has launched a major crackdown against sand mafia, seizing machines used for illegal mining and a large number of sand laden trucks.

Meanwhile, RJD spokeman Shakti Singh Yadav dismissed the allegation as "a bundle of lies".

PTI

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Story first published: Tuesday, August 8, 2017, 0:51 [IST]
To oust Mayawati, National Bahujan Alliance with 16 Dalit, Muslim, OBC outfits formed

India

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By Vicky

A daylong meeting at New Delhi to plot the ouster of BSP supremo Mayawati was held on Sunday. 16 outfits of Muslims, Dalits and OBCs, led by former leaders of the BSP met at the national capital and chalked out an agenda to oust Mayawati.

The meeting is significant as it was also aimed at denting Mayawati's core vote base.

The 16 outfits also formed the National Bahujan Alliance. Its coordination committee under the leadership of former BSP MP, Pramod Kureel was also formed. These outfits were brought together by Naseemuddin Siddiqui who was once a close aide of Mayawati.

Mayawati had resigned from the Rajya Sabha last month. She said that she was quitting since she was not allowed to speak on the issue of Dalits. Party sources had said that the decision to quit was a calculated one as she wanted to return to Uttar Pradesh and begin work ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

There was heavy speculation about Siddiqui's next move after he had been shunted out of the party following the BSP's crushing defeat in the recently held UP assembly elections.

Siddiqui has been in touch with several persons since then and sources indicated that he had met with some BJP leaders too. Although the National Bahujan Alliance is not ready to align with the BJP in principle, sources indicate that talks are not over as yet.

Following the meeting that was held at the Delhi's Constitution Club, Siddiqui said that the Committee will soon hold another meeting and we will form a joint front of Sarv Samaj and contest elections.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 8:10 [IST]
There is no 'one-size-fits-all' to curb poverty

4 held in Assam for suspected links with Bangladesh's terror outfit

Thief calls cops for help after being caught by mob

Cyclone Sitrang heading towards Bangladesh; Heavy rains likely to pound West Bengal, Odisha and NE

UP: ATS gets transit remand of suspected Bangladeshi terrorist Abdullah

India

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A Muzaffarnagar court on Monday granted the transit remand of a suspected Bangladeshi terrorist to Uttar Pradesh police's Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), which will produce him in a Lucknow court on Tuesday to seek his custody.

Chief judicial magistrate Gopal Tiwari allowed the ATS transit remand of Abdullah after which it took him to Lucknow.

Abdullah, who was arrested on Sunday by the ATS, is allegedly associated with Islamic extremist group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).

He was living in Kutesara locality in Charthawal area of Muzaffarnagar for the past one month, Inspector General, ATS, Asim Arun said.

During interrogation, Abdullah told ATS sleuths that he used to prepare fake identity proofs with the help of one Faizan, resident of Deoband, IG Arun said.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 23:42 [IST]
Uproar in Kerala assembly over political violence

India

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The Kerala assembly was marred by ruckus on Monday over political killings in the state. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that a fake propaganda was fuelled by a political agenda.

"I was warned by the intelligence wing that the BJP would adopt violent ways to divert people's attention from the medical council affiliation scam. The state had taken precautionary measures after the intel report," said Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the assembly. "The fake propaganda against the state is huge and there is a clear political agenda behind it," he added.

The CPM and Congress leaders accused the BJP of attempting to divert public attention from a graft allegation against one of its leaders. Congress used the opportunity to attack the CPM as well as the BJP over the issue. "The CPM is giving a facelift to the BJP that was struggling after the medical college corruption allegation surfaced," Congress MLA K Muraleedharan said in the assembly.

Vijayan told the house that the state government was willing to transfer the bribery allegations to the CBI to inquire.

Arun Jaitley who had visited the state on Sunday accused the state government of keeping mum on the political killings and the CPM for failing to reign in its cadres. "Kerala deserves peace, not the LDF. LDF's violence would put even terrorists to shame," Jaitley had said after visiting the family of slain RSS worker Rajesh.

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Violence is violence, whether its brutal murder of Muslim man or RSS worker

India

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By Maitreyee

New Delhi, August 7: Is violence left, right or centre? A murder is a murder. When blood oozes out of a slain person's veins, religion, caste, gender and nationality take a back seat. And so does political affiliations. Or maybe it doesn't.

Death, unlike life, does not believe in any trapping like an Aadhaar card, a passport or a caste certificate. A brutal death always evokes fear, horror, sympathy and mourning among the livings.

In the current chaotic atmosphere in the country, where violence has almost become regular and to a great extent acceptable, different massacres get different responses from different political parties.

Say if it's the butchery of a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker in Kerala, the Congress, the Left and other opposition parties maintain a deafening silence over it. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre maintains a similar silence or brushes aside cases of mob lynching of Muslim men as an "aberration".

The same Congress and Left join hands and create ruckus in Parliament to condemn mob lynchings of Muslim men witnessed across the country in the name of cow protection in the recent times. The BJP, on its part, wakes up from its "slumber" when a man belonging to its ideological wing, the RSS, is stabbed to death multiple-times allegedly by "goons" belonging to the ruling dispensation in Kerala.

On Sunday, when very "Delhi-centric" Arun Jaitley went on a trip to Kerala to meet the family of slain RSS worker Rajesh Edavakode, who was allegedly hacked to death by Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) workers on July 29, one could not stop but wonder why similar "urgency and anger" was not displayed by the finance-cum-defence minister of the country when mob killed Muslim men like Mohammad Akhlaq and Pehlu Khan for allegedly storing beef and smuggling cow.

Condemning Rajesh's death, a visibly angry Jaitley said, "The kinds of wounds inflicted on Rajesh would have embarrassed even terrorists."

The senior-most minister in the Narendra Modi regime blamed the ruling CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) regime in Kerala for the killings of RSS workers. However, he did not say a word about the assassinations of CPI-M cadres, neither did he cared to visit the house of a murdered left party worker.

If figures are to be believed in the last 17 years, political killings in Kerala took lives of equal numbers of the RSS-BJP workers and the left cadres.

According to an exclusive report by NDTV, as per the state police department record, between 2000 and 2017, 85 CPI-M workers, 65 RSS/BJP workers and 11 persons from the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) have been killed in Kerala.

The police called all these murders result of political rivalry between various parties. The investigations clearly found involvement of either the RSS/BJP or the CPI-M workers in all of these killings.

Over the years, Kannur district had the dubious distinction of being the hub of political killings in the southern state. However, in recent past violence has reached the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram.

NDTV in the same report cited the figures of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) pertaining to political killings in the state. As per the NCRB, since 1991, 45 CPI-M workers and 44 RSS/BJP workers have been killed allegedly by political rivals in Kannur.

Jaitley, and his party, the BJP, which has its government in the Centre and in 18 states of the country, should stay away from taking a partisan view of violence. By having a one-sided view of savagery, senior BJP leaders like Jaitley and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (who advised the Opposition to visit other countries to see the plight of minorities) are not only doing a disservice to the country, but are also harming the reputation of the Prime Minister who insists on Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas (together with all, development for all).

"It is sad that every time the LDF is in power, incidents of violence increase. You have political opponents being killed," Jaitley said, while addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram.

When the Congress and other anti-BJP parties accuse the Modi regime of giving tactical support to the right wing groups, accused of murdering and beating Muslims and Dalits, Jaitley and other leaders of the saffron party warn them of not "politicising" mob lynchings.

Late last month, during a debate on mob lynchings in the Rajya Sabha, Jaitley slammed the Opposition for politicising the issue of mob lynching and said "violence can never be a partisan issue and oppression in the name of cow won't be tolerated."

On Sunday, in Kerala, the union minister conveniently forgetting his own caution issued against the Opposition a few days ago, ended up committing the same blunder of "politicising" the killings in the state.

Kerala, considered to be the bastion of the communists, has been proving a tough electoral battlefield for the BJP with just one MLA in the current state assembly. Kerala is also the state where the RSS has the highest number of its sakhas (branches) in the country.

However, still the BJP is finding it hard to win the votes of the Keralites. Thus, Jaitley's visit to the state when political killings have shaken the ruling party is clearly to win sympathy among the masses by highlighting "murderous streak" of left cadres.

Jaitley said, "Visited the family of our deceased karyakarta Rajesh, who was slaughtered in the most barbaric manner. This kind of violence will neither suppress ideology in Kerala nor it will be able to scare our workers. It will only increase their determination to work harder against those who are perpetuating this operation."

"He belonged to the weaker section of society. Rajesh belonged to a poor family and now his family has no means of a livelihood. He was stabbed mercilessly and there were 70-80 wounds inflicted on his body, even enemies would not be as brutal as those involved in the murder. In the past few months party officers are being attacked, our workers are being attacked and their houses are being set ablaze," Jaitley added.

All Jaitley did in Kerala was spoke like a karyakarta (worker) of the BJP. He should not forget that he is holding two top political berths (defence and finance portfolios). As a union minister he is responsible for the safety of all countrymen, not just that of people belonging to his party or affiliated parties.

Those who still believe that only one kind of killings should be condemned and others ignored, read these lines from the evocative poem--It is murder--by contemporary poet, Sylvia Chidi.

When you take away a life/With the aid of a knife/It is murder/While you extinguish the living with a gun/Without being able to recreate what was born/It is murder/If you feed someone dead tablets/Later have second acrimonious regrets/It is murder/You are taking away a life/It is clinging on to survive/Need I say anymore further/It is murder.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 11:23 [IST]
Warned high command that MLAs might join BJP, they said let them go': Vaghela

India

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By Vikas

Coming down hard at the Congress leadership for sending MLAs to Bengaluru amid flood crisis in Gujarat, Shankarsinh Vaghela on Sunday said the party would suffer because of the ill-timed move.

Vaghela told news agency ANI that he had warned the top leadership that MLAs were not happy and might join the BJP.

"I was told, let them go if they want to. I said so be it," he said.

"Had prompt action been taken, which was very much required, they need not have taken them to Bengaluru," he added.

Vaghela said the Congress will "suffer" because of moving MLAs to Bengaluru when the state was reeling under flood.

"People are dying in flood, MLAs are not there. Bad timing of shifting MLAs is something which will make them(Congress) suffer," ANI quoted the former Congress leader as saying.

Congress MLAs from Gujarat who have been lodged at a resort in the outskirts of Bengaluru will return to their state on Monday. The MLAs are expected to be shifted into Neejanand Resort in Gujarat till the Rajya Sabha elections conclude.

[Congress MLAs to leave Bengaluru resort on Monday, to shift to another in Gujarat]

The first batch of Congress MLAs is scheduled to leave from Bengaluru at around 4 AM. 10 MLAs are expected to board the flight at around 4 AM on Monday while the rest will travel to Ahmedabad at noon. Once they reach Ahmedabad, the MLAs will be taken to Neejanand Resort on Anand-Borsad Road in Gujarat.

MLAs from Gujarat, 44 in number, were flown down to Bengaluru in three batches by the party senior leadership on last Saturday.

The Congress was forced to shift its MLAs out from Gujarat following a spate of resignations in the backdrop of Rajya Sabha elections. Ahmed Patel's election to the Rajya Sabha is of utmost importance to the Congress that has lost its 'largest party' tag to the BJP by one seat recently.

OneIndia News
When Gujarat Congress MLAs tied Rakhi to D K Shivakumar

India

oi-Anusha

In a gesture to thank him for taking care of them, women legislators from Gujarat tied Rakhi to Karnataka Energy minister D K Shivakumar. Kaminiben B Rathore from the Dahegam Constituency thanked Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh for protecting her and the other MLAs like 'true brothers'

D K Shivakumar, unfazed by the three-day Income Tax raids at his residence landed at the resort last on Sunday night. Focused on fulfilling the job given to him by the Congress leadership, Shivakumar made all arrangements for the legislators to reach the Bengaluru airport safely.

The legislators posed for group pictures with their caretakers, D K Suresh and Shivakumar. As a parting shot, women legislators tied Rakhis to both Kanakapura brothers as a mark of respect and gratitude. The moment was captured on camera.

The legislators were given a warm send off from the resort with garlands and bouquets. In all, the Congress had booked 61 tickets on an early morning flight to Ahmedabad. 43 MLAs along with other Congress leaders boarded the flight that took off from Bengaluru.

OneIndia News
Doklam: China's three step warfare to win a war without fighting it

International

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By Vicky

If one goes through a document prepared by China's Central Military Commission in 2003, it is clear that the Chinese will go for a war. In 2003 the CMC came out with a document for the Peoples' Liberation Army called "Three Warfares or san zhong zhanfa.

One can clearly see this play out in the Doklam standoff. The three warfares including Media, Psychological and legal warfare. This basically would mean that China is trying to win the war without fighting it. Everyday the rhetoric is in the Chinese media. Articles warning India of war are played out in the media in an attempt to build psychological pressure.

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Let us examine what the Three warfares or san zhong zhanfa is:

Media Warfare: To influence domestic and international public opinion to build public (domestic) and international support for china's military action and to dissuade an adversary from pursuing policies perceived to be adverse to china's interests.

Psychological Warfare: To undermine an enemy's ability to conduct combat operations through psychological operations aimed at deterring, shocking and demoralizing enemy military personnel and supporting civilian population. As part of this strategy China often reminds India of the 1962 war. It also keeps telling India that it would interfere in Jammu and Kashmir and also move for the liberation of Sikkim.

Legal Warfare: Intending to use international and domestic laws to gain international support and manage possible repercussions of china's military actions. China with the help of its universities comes out with articles defending the Chinese stand on a lot of issues in a bid to give them claim legitimacy.

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Doklam standoff: Worry of accidental escalation looms large

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Chinese media has spoken about war several times amidst the Doklam standoff. India however is sure that it is nothing more than a rhetoric and China will not risk a war.

Top sources in New Delhi tell OneIndia that all the talk in the Chinese media is being viewed by India as a rhetoric. China is trying to pressurise India to withdraw troops at Doklam. However India has maintained that it will not pull out of Doklam first. It is a two way street and if there is to be a solution then both sides would have to withdraw simultaneously, the official noted.

However going by the developments it is clear that both sides want a face saving exercise. This is not about chest thumping said the official while adding that if at all it comes down to a battle, India is well prepared to take on the Chinese.

Top Indian officials have analysed the situation carefully since the past 50 days and have found that China is not interested or cannot afford a war. China is yet to take a reconciliatory approach on the issue. India has however made it clear that it would not be the first mover in the issue whether it comes to war or a pull out.

India would look at a couple of solutions if China is ready to talk. While back channel talks are yet to be opened up, Indian officials say that they are ready to negotiate, provided China makes the first move.

India is ready for a couple of options to end the standoff. The first would be a mutual troop withdrawal. The second would be a re-adjustment. Lastly India would like the Bhutan troops to be stationed at Doklam.

There are around 350 trooops of both sides stationed at Doklam since the past 50 days. Officials in India say that there has been no escalation of tension at the areas. Both sides are on guard and barring a few verbal exchanges there has been no other action there, the officer also adds.

Analysts say that the war rhetoric is not good for both sides. It is however clear that both sides would not engage in a war. However the only worry is about an accidental escalation, analysts state.

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Story first published: Monday, August 7, 2017, 7:05 [IST]
Blacklisting Mahmood blocked by China: The man who raised funds under garb of religion in India

One Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist gunned down in Jammu and Kashmir

Hafiz Saeeds Jamaat-ud-Dawa launches political party in Pakistan

International

oi-PTI

Pakistan's banned terrorist outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa on Monday announced the formation of new political party 'Milli Muslim League' in Islamabad following weeks of campaign in Punjab's provincial capital Lahore.

The move comes days after authorities extended its chief and Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed's "house arrest" for two months fearing threat to public order.

Saifullah Khalid, closely linked to Saeed, announced the formation of 'Milli Muslim League' in Islamabad following weeks of campaign in Punjab's provincial capital Lahore.

"We would soon file application with Election Commission of Pakistan for its registration," Khalid, who claimed to be the president of the new party, said.

Khalid said the new party will strive to make Pakistan a "real Islamic state" and demanded the immediate release of Saeed, who is under "house arrest" since January.

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The party, political observers said, seems as an effort to set up a front which is acceptable to moderate Pakistanis.

However, there appears to be little chance of electoral success for religious parties in Pakistan as the share of such political outfits have gradually shrunk in parliament.

Currently, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal of Maulan Fazlur Rehman is one of the largest such party with about a dozen elected members in the National Assembly, whereas the Jamaat-e-Islami has about half a dozen in the 342-member house.

In a notification issued on July 28, the Punjab government's Home Department said that on the recommendation of the federal interior ministry, the detention of Saeed has been extended for another 60 days.

It said Saaed and others' detention expired on July 27 after his house arrest was extented for another 90 days.

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The Rohingya influx continues as Tripura police nets seven of them

Indian doctor arrested for groping teen on United Airlines flight

International

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By Vicky

An Indian doctor has been arrested on charges of groping a minor girl on a New Jersey bound United Airlines flight.

The 16-year-old girl, who was travelling alone on July 23, was asleep on the flight, when a stranger's hand on her thigh awakened her, the Washington Post reported.

The man, identified as Vijakumar Krishnappa, sitting next to her quickly removed his hand, according to a federal court complaint, and the teenager went back to sleep. Then, she woke up again -- and this time, the man was groping her, the complaint says.

She reported the incident to the airline crew and was allowed to move seats.

Once the flight from Seattle landed at Newark Liberty International Airport, the girl, from Washington state, called her parents. While she did, the accused left the airport, said Johnny McCray, an attorney for the girl's family.

The girl's family has filed a complaint against United Airlines for neglecting to detain Krishnappa after the alleged assault, the report said.

The FBI was called to handle the investigation. It used the flight manifest to track down Krishnappa, a doctor from India. The girl identified him from a photo array, ABC reported.

Krishnappa was charged in the federal court in Newark, a day after the incident, according to court records filed by the FBI charging him with criminal sexual contact.

Court records show he was arrested and charged with knowingly engaging in sexual contact with a minor female, the report said.

He has been released on bond, placed on electronic monitoring, and ordered to not have any contact with minors while the criminal case is pending, according to court records.

The doctor's court-appointed attorney, John Yauch, told the Post that his client "adamantly denies the charges and deserves to be considered an innocent man."

Krishnappa is studying medicine in the United States through a months-long fellowship that allows for doctors from foreign countries to learn from experts in the US, the daily said.

A spokesman from the Federal Aviation Administration told the daily that the airlines typically notify law enforcement about incidents before landing.

The safety and security of our customers is our top priority. We take these allegations seriously and continue to work closely with the proper authorities as part of their review," a spokesperson for United Airlines said in a statement.

OneIndia News
Prosecutions story may be attractive but should be backed by evidence

32,000 girls converted to Islam and sold as ISIS slaves: This is The Kerala Story

The Jihadi bride: How ISIS is selling empowerment to lure women

International

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By Vicky

Jihadi bride is a term that the Islamic State uses while luring women into its fold. While selling women empowerment, the ISIS has been luring women from foreign countries to join it in Syria says a report compiled by the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies.

The report says that the reasons that drove hundreds of women to journey from Europe to ISIS territories were "complex".

"We talked to women who hadn't been radicalised but could understand why some of these girls might have gone to Syria and Iraq so they could live as 'good Muslims'," said Emily Winterbotham, the report's co-author.

She said the use of the term "jihadi bride" to describe all female ISIS members was not truly representative.

"ISIS has been successful at selling that image to women. It's not just about the naive vulnerable jihadi bride, it's women saying: 'This is in line with my religion, my political beliefs, the fact I want to live how I want'," Winterbotham told 'The Independent'.

Possible draws were found to include "a rejection of Western feminism, online contact with recruiters who offer marriage and adventure, peer or family influence, adherence to ISIS ideology, naivety and romantic optimism, and the chance to be part of something new, exciting and illicit", she said.

The author said the concept of "empowerment" differed from what would be shared by most non-Muslim Western women, being seen through a dominantly religious lens.

"Women are saying 'this is empowering for me' but the irony is that's not going to happen once they get there," Winterbotham said.

"After speaking to men and women who knew female ISIS supporters or worked in de-radicalisation programmes, they found that some women saw the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) as a source of 'empowerment' despite its subjugation of women, violent enforcement of its interpretation of Sharia law," she said.

Winterbotham, a senior research fellow at RUSI, and co- author Elizabeth Pearson, a RUSI associate fellow and a PhD candidate in war studies at King's College London, conducted their research in the UK, Canada, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The number of foreign women living in the so-called Islamic State is uncertain. A 2014 report estimated that 18 per cent all European ISIS members were female and the total number is now believed to be more than 550.

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SAN LUIS POTOSI, Mexico  Mexico's north-central state of San Luis Potosi are eyeing more investment from China and hopes to receive a business delegation from the Asian country before the end of the year.

San Luis Potosi Governor Juan Manuel Carreras Lopez told Xinhua that Chinese companies are interested in doing business in his state, especially in the automotive sector, as well as in the fields of technology and aerospace.

"The state of San Luis Potosi has huge potential for Chinese entrepreneurs because we are located along the country's enormous Centro-Bajio (industrial) corridor, which offers the chance to create automotive clusters and also aerospace clusters," Carreras said, "I think San Luis Potosi is ideal for investment of an industrial nature, which any Chinese business leader can seek."

The two countries should continue to strengthen investment, scientific and technological cooperation, and labor training "since we are going to be able to generate enormous synergy," said the governor.

The state also has huge advantages as a trade hub since it could conveniently reach both the Atlantic and the Pacific, as well as the United States, added Carreras.

Federal Senator Teofilo Torres Corzo, of San Luis Potosi, believes that the state is ideally situated for trade and transport.

"In addition to being in the center of the country, we border on seven Mexican states ...and in addition to being seven hours away from the United States, the state has aerial, highway and rail communications infrastructure," said Torres.

Torres, a former governor of San Luis Potosi, said the state has other qualifications to attract Chinese investment, including a qualified labor force and "abundant resources in diverse sectors."

In San Luis Potosi, there is strong desire for further economic growth, and the state officials "hope that in a month or two we meet with Chinese business leaders," said Torres.

"San Luis Potosi is a land of opportunity. We can do a lot together with Chinese firms in investment and also co-investment," he said.

According to Mexico's Economy Ministry, San Luis Potosi aims to become a key investment destination. In 2015, the state drew upwards of $1.6 billion in foreign direct investment, and now ranks in the sixth place nationwide in terms of investment quantity.

China's ambassador to Mexico, Qiu Xiaoqi, acknowledged the interests among various Chinese companies to explore investment options in the state.

San Luis Potosi "is a dynamic state with an economic future and we are interested in promoting mutual knowledge between the two sides (and) promoting economic and trade cooperation. I think ties are more fruitful with each passing day," said Qiu.

Bilateral ties between Mexico and China are "at a good moment," said Qiu, adding that the two sides could have more cooperation in diverse fields.
A "feast" of delicacies, fruit and vegetables on display at a jewelry and jade exhibition in Zhengzhou, Henan province, Aug 6. [Photo/VCG]

There is more than one way to create delicious food. Several store owners set out a "feast" of Chinese delicacies at a jewelry and jade exhibition held in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on Aug 6.

Dozens of dishes, including lobster, roast duck, moon cake, and tofu, were hand-carved from Shoushan stone or pagodite, which originates in Southeast China and is known for its bright colors and beautiful texture.

At first glance, these stone sculptures look just like real food to the naked eye. The special display has attracted lots of visitors to stop and admire the craftsmanship of the sculptors.

This exquisite stone feast does not come cheap. One of the store owners priced the whole table at 380,000 yuan ($56,500).
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United States Aortic Stent Grafts Market: Top Players - Cook Medical, Endologix, Medtronic & W.L. Gore & Associates

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "United States Aortic Stent Grafts Market: Top Players - Cook Medical, Endologix, Medtronic & W.L. Gore & Associates" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies sales (consumption) of Aortic Stent Grafts in United States market, focuses on the top players, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player, coveringCook MedicalEndologixMedtronicW.L. Gore & AssociatesBolton MedicalJohnson & JohnsonJotecLombard Medical TechnologiesTerumoTriVascular TechnologiesSplit by product types, with sales, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoType IType IIType IIISplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Aortic Stent Grafts in each application, can be divided intoApplication 1Application 2Application 3To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Table of ContentsUnited States Aortic Stent Grafts Market Report 20161 Aortic Stent Grafts Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Aortic Stent Grafts1.2 Classification of Aortic Stent Grafts1.2.1 Type I1.2.2 Type II1.2.3 Type III1.3 Application of Aortic Stent Grafts1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 21.3.3 Application 31.4 United States Market Size Sales (Value) and Revenue (Volume) of Aortic Stent Grafts (2011-2021)1.4.1 United States Aortic Stent Grafts Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.4.2 United States Aortic Stent Grafts Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)2 United States Aortic Stent Grafts Competition by Manufacturers2.1 United States Aortic Stent Grafts Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 United States Aortic Stent Grafts Revenue and Share by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.3 United States Aortic Stent Grafts Average Price by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.4 Aortic Stent Grafts Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.4.1 Aortic Stent Grafts Market Concentration Rate2.4.2 Aortic Stent Grafts Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.4.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 United States Aortic Stent Grafts Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (2011-2016)3.1 United States Aortic Stent Grafts Sales and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)3.2 United States Aortic Stent Grafts Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)3.3 United States Aortic Stent Grafts Price 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 @
Introduction Of Global Stented Tissue Valve Sales Market: Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Introduction Of Global Stented Tissue Valve Sales Market: Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies sales (consumption) of Stented Tissue Valve in Global market, especially in United States, China, Europe, Japan, focuses on top players in these regions/countries, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player in these regions, coveringEdwards Lifesciences Corporation (US)JenaValve Technology, Inc. (US)Medtronic, Inc. (US)On-X Life Technologies, Inc. (US)Sorin Group (Italy)St. Jude Medical, Inc. (US)Market Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Regions, with sales (consumption), revenue, market share and growth rate of Stented Tissue Valve in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), likeUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSplit by product Types, with sales, revenue, price and gross margin, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoType IType IIType IIISplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Stented Tissue Valve in each application, can be divided intoApplication 1Application 2Application 3To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Table of ContentsGlobal Stented Tissue Valve Sales Market Report 20161 Stented Tissue Valve Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Stented Tissue Valve1.2 Classification of Stented Tissue Valve1.2.1 Type I1.2.2 Type II1.2.3 Type III1.3 Application of Stented Tissue Valve1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 21.3.3 Application 31.4 Stented Tissue Valve Market by Regions1.4.1 United States Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.2 China Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.4.4 Japan Status and Prospect (2011-2021)1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Stented Tissue Valve (2011-2021)1.5.1 Global Stented Tissue Valve Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.5.2 Global Stented Tissue Valve Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)2 Global Stented Tissue Valve Competition by Manufacturers, Type and Application2.1 Global Stented Tissue Valve Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1.1 Global Stented Tissue Valve Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2011-2016)2.1.2 Global Stented Tissue Valve Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2011-2016)2.2 Global Stented Tissue Valve (Volume and Value) by TypeBrowse 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 @
Machine Tools Market In The US To Grow At A CAGR Of 4.34% During The Period 2017-2021 Key vendors - Dalian Machine, DMG MORI, Haas Automation, JTEKT, Komatsu

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Machine Tools Market in US 2017-2021" to its huge collection of research reports.A machine tool is defined as a machine for shaping and machining metals or other rigid materials in a wide range of industrial applications. These tools are extensively used across the automotive, aerospace, and electronics industries.Technavios analysts forecast the machine tools market in the US to grow at a CAGR of 4.34% during the period 2017-2021.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the machine tools market in the US for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the new installations, sales, value and retrofit, replacement, spares, aftermarket, services market.Machine Tools Market in the US 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 vendorsDalian MachineDMG MORIHaas AutomationJTEKTKomatsuBrowse Detail Report With Full TOC @Other prominent vendorsAmada Machine ToolsFivesGleasonHardingeMitsubishi ElectricMakinoOkumaYamazaki MazakTRUMPFMarket driverIncreased demand for fabricated metal productsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeHighly capital-intensive marketFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendCloud-based machine toolsFor 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?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 Electronic Data Interchange Software Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 - EDI Engine, Accellos, Axway, Babelway & DiWeb

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Albany, New York, August 4, 2017 : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of " Shares of Electronic Data Interchange Software Market in Global Industry : Technology, Applications, Growth and Status 2017 " globally.This report studies the global Electronic Data Interchange Software market, analyzes and researches the Electronic Data Interchange Software development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeEDI EngineAccellosAxwayBabelwayDiWebeBridgeHighjumpMyB2BRedTailFoundation 3000BeaconSeeburgerExactSkySignatureConfluxGet PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaMarket segment by Type, Electronic Data Interchange Software can be split intoPCCloudMarket segment by Application, Electronic Data Interchange Software can be split intoSmall BusinessMedium BusinessLarge BusinessTable of Contents1 Industry Overview of Electronic Data Interchange Software1.1 Electronic Data Interchange Software Market Overview1.1.1 Electronic Data Interchange Software Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Electronic Data Interchange Software Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EU1.2.3 Japan1.2.4 China1.2.5 India1.2.6 Southeast Asia1.3 Electronic Data Interchange Software Market by Type1.3.1 PC1.3.2 Cloud1.4 Electronic Data Interchange Software Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Small Business1.4.2 Medium Business1.4.3 Large BusinessMake an Enquiry about TOC @2 Global Electronic Data Interchange Software Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Electronic Data Interchange Software Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 EDI Engine3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Electronic Data Interchange Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Accellos3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Electronic Data Interchange Software Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Axway3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and SolutionsBrowse Report @ResearchMoz 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.ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on :
Global Rapid Prototyping Equipment Market To Grow At A CAGR Of 4.60% During The Period 2017-2021 Key vendors - 3D Systems, EOS, Stratasys

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Rapid Prototyping Equipment Market 2017-2021" to its huge collection of research reports.A group of techniques used to fabricate a model of a part or the entire assembly is known as rapid prototyping. 3D computer-aided design data are used for prototyping. Various rapid prototyping technologies such as stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), laminated object manufacturing (LOM), fuel deposition modeling (FDM), solid ground curing (SGC), and Ink Jet printing techniques are commercially available.Technavios analysts forecast the global Rapid Prototyping Equipment market to grow at a CAGR of 4.60% during the period 2017-2021.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global rapid prototyping equipment market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the retail selling price is considered as the average selling price for the product.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEAGlobal Rapid Prototyping Equipment 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 vendors3D SystemsEOSStratasysBrowse Detail Report With Full TOC @Other prominent vendors3T RPDAAROFLEXAfitProto LabsArcamBeijing YinhuaBiomedical ModelingConcept LaserCubic TechnologiesDesktop FactoryEnvisionTECExOnefcubicGPI Prototype and Manufacturing ServicesGreatbatchCubic TechnologiesHgansKiraLimacorporateMaterialiseMcor TechnologiesMenix EngineeringMorris TechnologiesPhenix SystemsRenishawSolidscapeShanghai Union TechnologySintermaskDentsply SironaSLM SolutionsSOLIDOSonySURGIVALTRUMPF SISMAvoxeljetWuhan Binhu Mechanical & ElectricalXilloc MedicalMarket driverReduced time-to-marketFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeLimited availability of raw materials for fabricationFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendDeveloped rapid prototyping equipment for healthcare industryFor 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?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 @
Overview of Surgical Robots Market In Global Industry : Share, Trends, Insight and Application 2017

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Albany, New York, August 4, 2017 : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Surgical Robots Market Shares, Strategies, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2015 to 2021" globally.The new study Surgical Robots: Market Shares, Strategy, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2015 to 2021 has 553 pages, 216 tables and figures. Worldwide surgical robot markets are poised to achieve significant growth as next generation systems provide a way to improve traditional open surgery and decrease the number of ports needed for minimally invasive surgery.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Intuitive Surgical has market leadership position, advanced technology, an impressive installed base and a well trained group of surgeons able to manage the robots. Patients fare better when the surgery is done by surgical robots. The documentation of improvements in care delivery, the ability to ensure better outcomes from surgery promise that surgical robotics is a strong growth market. Intuitive Surgical will be difficult to dislodge, its dominant position is based on technological excellence that keeps being improved and competitors have a difficult time catching up, much less improving on the Intuitive Surgical technology.Other leading competitors will emerge and the group of several surgical robotic companies will collectively have enough marketing dollars and enough marketing clout to drive replacement of all open surgery. Robotic surgery is positioned to become the standard of care. Intuitive Surgical has achieved market saturation in colorectal surgery in the US, it will work on increasing its presence in other surgical market sectors. The leading robotic surgical companies are poised to grow through acquisition, purchasing smaller companies that have developed as specialized product and gained FDA approval. As detailed in the market research study there are a lot of those in every medical specialty and more to come.The surgical robot market is characterized enormous variety and innovation. Snake robots are wonderfully interesting surgical robots. Medrobotics offers a highly articulated multi-linked robot. It enables minimally-invasive procedures to replace open surgical procedures. It works for many parts of the anatomy. It works in places in the body that are difficult or previously impossible to reach. The robot-assist platform includes on-board visualization. and contains multiple open device channels to accept a variety of third party surgical and interventional instruments. The robot enables physicians to operate through non-linear circuitous paths, self-supported, and through a single-site access into the body.The maneuverability of the robot is gained from its numerous mechanical linkages with concentric mechanisms. Each mechanism can be placed into a rigid or a limp state. By employing a patented "follow-the-leader" movement strategy with these alternating states, the robot can be directed into any shape through the relative orientations of its linkages.A surgical robot recurring revenue model business model is essentially large one time purchase for a system complimented by replaceable or disposable instruments that cumulatively market a much larger and ongoing market. Vendors make money from the one time sale of a system and recurring revenue from sale of devices used in every operation.Initially, a vendor sells and installs the surgical system into new customer accounts. Once systems are sold into customer accounts, the vendor generates recurring revenue as our customers use the system to perform surgery. To do surgeries, the customers need to buy and consume instruments and accessory products. Vendors also generate recurring revenue from system service.The ability to deliver such an accurate dose of radiation means that the cancer can be eradicated in patients before the patient is administered a lethal dose of radiation. This prepresents a cure for cancer once it gets working according to the promise of the systems now in place.Make an Enquiry about TOC @The Accuray radiation systems that address the oncology market are perhaps the most exciting technology ever offered to any market. Because the systems are able to control the dose of radiation Amount of activity in the market, many companies, FDA approvals, way for existing vendors to improve footprint in market In the field of radiation oncology, the Accuray CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System is universally recognized as the premier radiosurgery system capable of delivering high doses of radiation with sub-millimeter accuracy anywhere in the body. As validated and proven in numerous peer-reviewed publications, the precision and accuracy of the system combines with continual image guidance and robotic mobility to deliver treatments characterized by high conformality and steep dose gradients. The newest addition to the CyberKnife product line, the CyberKnife VSI System, continues Accurays tradition of innovation. Building on a foundation of accuracy and precision in radiosurgery, the CyberKnife VSI System extends these benefits to fractionated high precision radiation therapy with Robotic IMRT that can be delivered anywhere in the body.The automated process revolution in surgery and communications is being implemented via robots. Robots automation of systems is providing significant improvement in the accuracy of surgery and the repeatability of process. According to Susan Eustis, lead author of the study, Existing open surgery can be replaced in large part by robotic minimally invasive surgery (MIS) during the ofrecast period. Minimally invasive robotic surgery, new robotic radiation treatment, and emerging robotic surgical approaches complement existing surgery techniques. Soon, all surgery will be undertaken with at least come aspects of robotic surgery replacing or complementing open surgery.During a robot assisted surgical procedure, the patient-side cart is positioned next to the operating table with the electromechanical arms arranged to provide access to the initial ports selected by the surgeon. Metal tubes attached to the arms are inserted through the ports, and the cutting and visualization instruments are introduced through the tubes into the patients body.The surgeon performs the procedure while sitting at a console, manipulating the instrument controls and viewing the operation through a vision system. When a surgeon needs to change an instrument the instrument is withdrawn from the surgical field using the controls at the console. This is done many times during an operation.The companies that get an early foothold in the market have significant strategic advantage. The robotic surgical technique benefits hospitals by reducing the length of patient stays, thereby enabling better cost management. This factor is driving demand for surgery robot systems. Since robotics provide surgeons with a precise, repeatable and controlled ability to perform procedures in tight spaces, they are increasingly in demand.The aging US population has supported demand, since the occurrence of health issues that require medical devices is higher in the elderly population. Buoyed by strong demand and sales, industry profit margins have increased considerably during the past five years. Hospitals are adopting robotic surgical devices to improve their outcomes numbers. Hospitals are measured on outcomes, robots for surgery, when used by a trained physician are improving outcomes significantly.Hundreds of universities worldwide have research programs in robotics and many are awarding degrees in robotics. These roboticists are increasingly being hired by Global 2000 organizations to link mobile robots (mobile computers) into existing IT systems.Compared with other minimally invasive surgery approaches, robot-assisted surgery gives the surgeon better control over the surgical instruments and a better view of the surgical site. Surgeons no longer have to stand throughout the surgery and do not tire as quickly. Hand tremors are filtered out by the robots computer software. The surgical robot can continuously be used by rotating surgery teams.Surgical robot device markets at $3.2 billion in 2014 are anticipated to reach $20 billion by 2021 as next generation devices, systems, and instruments are introduced to manage surgery through small ports in the body instead of large open wounds. The complete report provides a comprehensive analysis including procedure numbers, units sold, market value, forecasts, as well as a detailed competitive market shares and analysis of major players success, challenges, and strategies in each segment and subsegment. The reports cover markets for: medical specialties and sub-specialties.Browse Report @Companies ProfiledMarket LeadersIntuitive Surgical AccurayStryker / Mako Hansen MedicalMedrobotics Freehand 2010Market ParticipantsAccel SpineAccurayAesynt / Health RoboticsAlliance SpineAlphatec SpineAmedicaResearchMoz 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.ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on :
Matrix Conducted a Product Expo to Educate Esteemed Partners about Innovative Telecom and Security Solutions

Matrix, a pioneer of Telecom and Security solutions, conducted a Product Expo in association with its esteemed partner Octel Networks Pvt. Ltd at Bengaluru. The objective of this meet was to educate partners about the applications of latest Telecom and Security solutions in different industries.Matrix, promoting the IP based communication technology, showcased SARVAM UCS. The Unified Communications solution designed with IP at core offer advantages of seamless collaboration and quick connectivity. The reliable and advanced communication solutions for small and medium enterprises were also displayed. An Office-in-a-Box solution catering to the messaging, internet connectivity, mobility and security needs of small offices was highlighted.VARTA WIN200  the UC Client for Seamless Collaboration gained maximum limelight. With easy access to PBX features from the handheld terminals, VARTA adds a dash of convenience to regular office communication. Equipped with functionalities like Outlook Integration, Click to Call, Calendar Integration and Hot Keys, the mobility extension optimizes routine business operations.Under the Security domain, Matrix highlighted its perfectly tailored range of biometric Time-Attendance and Access Control solution. Mobile being the next generation technology in terms of security, Matrix displayed its Your Mobile is Your Identity solution. In Mobile based Access Control, user either scans the QR code through his/her mobile or simply twists the mobile to get access using Bluetooth. Using mobile application, a user can mark attendance automatically through GPS or Wi-Fi. Matrix also showcased COSEC DOOR FMX  a high-performance door controller with multispectral fingerprint sensor. The device is powerful enough to read fingerprint of dry, wet, elderly or oily fingers. In addition, Matrix unveiled Elevator based Access Control, specially designed for hospitality and healthcare sectors. Along with new solutions, Matrix demonstrated its comprehensive web based Time-Attendance and Job Costing solutions. Matrix presented its standalone Access Control solution capable of managing 255 devices and 25,000 users without a server.Matrix launched the all new range of 2MP and 3MP IP Cameras to solve problems associated with the ordinary cameras, in turn leading to transparent surveillance. Matrix IP Camera incorporates SONYs STARVIS series sensor. The sensor is made with SONYs patent EXMOR Technology, wherein the sensor is back illuminated, resulting in less dark current. This leads to reduced noise, smoother action sequences and higher image quality, especially in low-light conditions at as low as 0.08lux.Product Expos are a window for our channel partners to peep into the latest developments in the Telecom and Security sectors. A proper understanding of products and its applications shared during the event will help partners derive high customer satisfaction, said Sagar Gosalia, Sr. VP. Sales and Marketing.About MatrixEstablished in 1991, Matrix is a leader in Telecom and Security solutions for modern businesses and enterprises. An innovative, technology driven and customer focused organization, Matrix is committed to keep pace with the revolutions in the telecom and security industries. With more than 40% of its human resources dedicated to the development of new products, Matrix has launched cutting-edge products like IP Video Surveillance, Access Control, Time-Attendance, Unified Communications, IP-PBX, Universal Gateways, Convergence, VoIP Gateways and GSM Gateways. These solutions are feature-rich, reliable and conform to the international standards. Having global footprints in Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Asia through an extensive network of more than 500 channel partners, Matrix ensures that the products serve the needs of its customers faster and longer. Matrix has gained trust and admiration of customers representing the entire spectrum of industries. Matrix has won many national and international awards for its innovative products.394, GIDC Makarpura,Vadodara-390010+91 0265 2630555
Paragon Hard Disk Manager 16 Preview Delivers New UI, Backup Wizards - $50 Value, Now Available FREE for Unlimited Use

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Choose one of eight short cut wizards or create your own backup strategy with predefined options in just a few clicks!FREIBURG, Germany  August 4, 2017  Paragon Software Group (PSG), a leader in data backup, disaster recovery, and data migration solutions, releases Paragon Hard Disk Manager 16 Preview  a complete all-in-one solution to protect, maintain, and manage PC systems and data. Paragon Hard Disk Manager 16 Preview includes comprehensive backup, recovery, and partitioning features for managing modern storage devices. The 16th version comes with a completely redesigned, intuitive UI, new handy scopes to represent feature sets, and advanced features to accomplish system and data management tasks  even the most advanced ones  easier than ever.Paragon Hard Disk Manager 16 Preview provides advanced users full control via extra backup strategy settings. The new Create Backup Job Wizard feature makes complex backup processes simple and ultra-fast, allowing users to define automatic backup jobs by selecting from predefined strategies. Create Backup Job Wizard has several built-in automatic backup strategies to choose from, or users can create their own. When creating your own backup strategies, users can specify the start time (daily, weekly, monthly, or at specific events, such as system start or user login), adjust the number of increments created, define a strategy for deleting old archives, and control other options, such as shutting down the PC after backup. Another handy new feature is the creation of network connections, which are used to save backups on networked storage.New features and key benefits:Free to use for an unlimited time (no free upgrades to later versions);Completely new UI helps users manage systems easier than ever;Define scenario-based backup jobs;Quick stand-alone/single time backups;All wizards redesigned to cover more scenarios. The new UI combines all wizards into modules that represent a specific feature set to guide users to the right selection:Backup & Recovery:Create single backup;Create backup job;Restore backup;File Transfer Wizard.Partition Manager:Undelete partitions;Split partition;Redistribute free space;Merge partitions;Disk Wiper:Wipe disks or partitions;Drive Copy:Migrate (with Copy HDD and Copy partition);Redesigned Express view provides ad hoc access to all wizards. Express view is also organized by color;Direct control over partitioning: Move and resize partitions via drag and drop in My Computer disk map view or launch specific tasks via dialog:Test partition surface;Change primary slots;Convert file system;Set partition as active/inactive;Convert to MBR/GPT disk;Change volume label;Format volume;Delete volume;Check File System integrity.Redesigned Show advanced properties dialog;Separate whole computer backup scenario allows users to back up all data on the machine worry-free in just 3 clicks;Restore several objects (disks, partitions, files) in a single pass without repeatedly running the wizard multiple times;Fast migration to new HDDs & SSDs.The first twenty users to provide valuable feedback will receive free licenses for the Paragon Hard Disk Manager 16 commercial edition when it becomes available in fall 2017. All other users receive a 30 percent discount on the commercial version, or are welcome to continue using the Preview without further upgrades. We believe technology enthusiasts and early adopters will help bring this new tool to a higher quality level and shape the development of future software.System requirements:Windows 7 SP1 and later.Availability:Paragon Hard Disk Manager 16 Preview is available for free download at. The commercial release is scheduled for fall, 2017.About Paragon Software Group:Paragon Software Group is an innovative software developer focused on two dynamic growth markets. The company's comprehensive product line for the data storage market addresses the needs of data security, storage and management for PCs, servers, and networks. A second portfolio of products focuses on mobile productivity applications for handheld devices. Founded in 1994, Paragon Software has offices in the USA, Germany, Japan, Poland, and Russia, delivering its solutions to consumers, small business, and enterprise clients worldwide through a network of Value Added Resellers, distributors, and OEMs as well as online through the company website. Paragon Software provides technology to a host of world-class companies and partners including Belkin, Bosch, Cisco, D-Link, Dell, Toshiba, HP, Western Digital Corp., ASUS, Seagate, LG Electronics, Logitech, Buffalo, Acer, EMC/Iomega, Siemens, Lenovo, Microsoft, Motorola, Nokia, and ZTE. For more information please visit the company website atKatia ShabanovaHead of Public RelationsParagon Software GroupGermany, Freiburg
Pearson Medical Technologies awarded Medication and Supply Automation agreement with Premier Inc.

Alexandria, LA  July 1, 2017  Pearson Medical Technologies has been awarded a group purchasing agreement for Medication and Supply Automation with Premier Inc. Effective July 1, 2017, the new agreement allows Premier members, at their discretion, to take advantage of special pricing and terms pre-negotiated by Premier for tabletop unit dose packaging systems and bar code labeling software.Like Premier, Pearson Medical is committed to helping health care providers provide safe efficient care that promotes better health outcomes for their patients. We completely understand the medication delivery process, and the importance of accurate packaging, labeling and bar coding in reducing the chance of medication errors. We look forward to working with all of the Premier members to eliminate medication errors in their facilities, stated Brent Pearson, CEO of Pearson Medical Technologies.The iPack Rx is the only high-speed, tabletop unit dose packager on the market offering no crush technology, unlimited customized label templates, automatic bar code verification of every package, independent motor control, and the intelliCount Automated Universal Tablet/Capsule Feeder to pharmacies in the United States and internationally. Along with the Pearsons m:Print Bar Code Labeling Software, the iPack system is designed and developed to optimize workflow and provide complete bar code compliance in any institutional pharmacy. The system allows users to design an unlimited number of label templates for the iPack Rx as well as for any Windows driven label printer for manual packaging of items such as oral suspensions, pre-filled syringes, and nebulizers -- making the iPack Rx a complete unit dose packaging solution for any pharmacy. m:Print is also available as a stand-alone software.Premier is a leading healthcare improvement company, uniting an alliance of approximately 3,750 U.S. hospitals and 130,000 other providers to transform healthcare. With integrated data and analytics, collaboratives, supply chain solutions, and advisory and other services, Premier enables better care and outcomes at a lower cost.Pearson Medical develops, distributes and supports safe efficient pharmacy automation solutions for unit dose and multi-dose packaging and bar coded labeling for hospital, retail and long-term care pharmacies. From the family that pioneered pharmacy automation, Pearson Medicals commitment to innovation, quality service, patient safety and the needs of pharmacists and patients is evident in all our products and services.Opal JohnsonVP, Marketing & Sales2804 North Bolton AvenueAlexandria, LA 71303
10th Asia Pacific Global Summit on Healthcare

Healthcare Asia Pacific 2018

We are cordially inviting participants from all over the world to attend 10th Asia Pacific Global Summit on Healthcare during March 12-14, 2018 in Singapore. This conference includes prompt keynote presentations, Oral talks, Poster presentations, workshops, Symposiums and Exhibitions. Healthcare Asia Pacific 2018 is an extraordinary event designed for professionals to facilitate the dissemination and application of research findings on Healthcare.Special Sessions:Healthcare and Management, Public healthcare, Private Healthcare, Occupational healthcare, Healthcare Case Studies, Home Care, Nursing Education, Cancer and Care, Infectious Disease and Prevention, Healthcare and Chronic Diseases, Psychiatric and Healthcare, Community Healthcare, Women Health Issues and Care, Paediatric Healthcare, Nutrition and Healthcare, Dental Care, Healthcare Services, Health Informatics.Target of Audience:Healthcare Professionals, Doctors, Nurses, Allied Healthcare professionals, Professors, Associate Professors, Primary healthcare Professionals, Hospital related people, Academic People, Industrial people and all healthcare related people etc.Target of Audience:Healthcare Professionals, Doctors, Nurses, Allied Healthcare professionals, Professors, Associate Professors, Primary healthcare Professionals, Hospital related people, Academic People, Industrial people and all healthcare related people etc.Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium317 Outram Road Singapore 169075
Banasthali Orientation on Glory of Chemical Engineering

Banasthali Orientation on Glory of Chemical Engineering

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For many universities in USA through Europe to Australia, such orientation function is as colorful as the graduating students convocation function and remains etched in the memories of the student throughout life.When one moves out of schooling to step into college, the freshers Orientation indeed eases the transition from hand holding by parents to hand shaking with friends heralding the transformation of dreamers into performers and achievers.The Institution which is also the largest fully residential womens university in the world has played a big role in revolutionizing womens education in the country for the last eight decades with a belief that there is a tremendous role of higher education in empowering the women. Banasthali has scripted numerous success stories in a wide range of fields, and stands tall among the citadels of learning in India today. Banasthali University has always been among the top ranking institutions in India today providing the transformational experience for the finest education and training in science, technology, management, humanities, fine arts and music to the next generation of independent and critical thinking women scholars who will emerge as leaders and innovators in all walks of life. Towards achieving the same, Banasthali has incorporated the best practices followed in top ranking UniversitiesWelcoming the newly admitted students on 24 July 2017, third year BTech student Miss Natasha on behalf of the Innovative Chemical Engineers ICE Club triggered the proceedings with a video on evolution of Banasthali from Pathshala in 1935 to present VishwaVidyalaya. This was followed by an innovative e lamp lighting to a thunderous applause by Department Head Prof Satish Shukla, Prof BR Natarajan, along with one student representative from each year. The history of chemical engineering and the direction in which it is moving were presented to the students through a video from University of Michigan and Stanford.Ms Meenakshi Chemical Engineering Faculty anchored a slideshow and gave an overview of the Chemical Engineers who changed the world which included Johann Rudolph Glauber, Nicholas Leblanc, Charles Edward Howard & Norbert Rillieux, Henry Bessemer, Paul Heroult and Charles Hall, Carl von Linde and William Hampson, George E Davis, Fritz Haber & Carl Bosch, Kenneth Bingham Quinan, Leo Hendrik Baekeland, Arthur D Littlle, Thomas Midgley, Waldo Semon, Dermot Manning, Donald Campbell, Dudley Maurice Newitt, Magnus von Braun, Jasper Kane and John McKeen, Vladimir Haensel, Intel Andrew Grove, George Rosenkranz, Francis Bacon, Trevor Kletz, Victor Mills, Lewis Urry, Csaba Horvath, Tomio Wada, Bob Gore, Jay Bailey, Spencer Silver and Arthur Fry, Jack Welch (General Electric), Roberto Goizueta (Coca Cola), Yoshio Nishi (Sony), Nathaniel Wyeth, Xi Jinping President of Peoples Republic of China.When Ms Meenakshi presented that seven chemical engineers Linus Pauling, Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, Mario Molina, Gialio Natta, Lars Onsager and Martin Lewis Perl are also Nobel laureates, there was another round of thunderous applause from the audience. She also highlighted the significant features of the Chemical engineering curriculum at Banasthali including the semester long Internship, subjects such as Object Oriented Programming, Data Structures as an integral component of the academic curriculum.Invited Guest Process Engineer to Project Engineer to Product Marketing Engineer Ms Deepika Thiaga Rajan from Billion Dollar Company S&C Electric Chicago USA who holds BE (Hons) Chemical from BITS Pilani (2004), MS Chemical from IIT Chicago (2006), MBA Kellogg School of Management USA (2013) congratulated the girls for choosing Chemical branch at Banasthali and highlighted her own journey in life as chemical engineer. The students were indeed excited to hear the challenging assignments carried out by Deepika at Unilever USA. The students were thrilled by the concluding remarks of Deepika which went as Enjoy College. It is more than just classes. Youll learn a lot from making friends and participating in extra-curricular activities. The connections you make in college will help you throughout life. Don't stress out over mistakes. They are actually opportunities for learning; it is not the end of the world. Be bold. Don't be afraid to ask for opportunities you want! Sometimes, waiting around for somebody to recognize your talent or skills wont work in the real world outside college. So believe in your own self worth and seek out opportunities. This is especially true for my fellow female ChemEs.The program ended with introduction of faculty team from the Department of Chemical Engineering who are also alumnus of top ranking institutions like IIT, BITS Pilani and NITs and group photograph. Proud to be Banasthalites who attended the orientation left with beaming faces and pride that they were indeed part of an institution which is a shining jewel in the crown among the institutions in India today.For more details seeAbout Banasthali: The Institution which is also the largest fully residential womens university in the world has played a big role in revolutionizing womens education in the country for the last eight decades with a belief that there is a tremendous role of higher education in empowering the women. Banasthali has scripted numerous success stories in a wide range of fields, and stands tall among the citadels of learning in India today. Team Banasthali with Vice Chancellor J C Bose Memorial Award for eminent scientist recipient Prof Aditya Shastri a highly acclaimed alumnus of BITS Pilani, SUNY State University of New York Stony Brook and MIT USA is indeed racing forward to be the very best among global women universities. Proud to be Banasthali alumni who call themselves as Banasthalites can be found in all latitudes, longitudes and altitudes in all walks of life across the globe.Banasthali UniversityP.O. Banasthali VidyapithRajasthan  304022Phone 91 1438 228456 / 228341Email: info@banasthali.ac.inWebsite:Facebook:
Infant Formula Ingredients Market by Type, Application, Form, Source & Region - Global Forecast to 2022

Infant Formula Ingredients

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Infant formula ingredients market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9.4%.The infant formula ingredients market is projected to reach USD 23.79 billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 9.4% from 2017 to 2022. The market is driven by factors such as the increasing number of working women, especially in regions such as Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, preference of convenience feeding as a result of busy lifestyles of mothers, and the inability of mothers to lactate sufficiently. Increasing awareness for natural infant feeding and strict regulations for infant formula are the major factors restraining the infant formula ingredients market.To read the complete report, click the link below :The growing-up milk segment led the infant formula ingredients market, by application, in 2016.Growing-up milk is consumed by infants over 12 months of age. Its demand is higher compared to other formulas due to its nutrient benefits, such as calcium, vitamin D, and iron. Moreover, its demand is increasing in the market as parents are becoming cautious about the food they feed to their children and the rising awareness about the available options in the market. Furthermore, growing-up milk can be used as a nutritional drink or can be used in combination with other foods which have contributed to the overall demand for growing-up milk.Asia-Pacific to dominate the infant formula ingredients market through 2022.The market for infant formula ingredients in the Asia-Pacific region was the largest, wherein China was the largest country-wise market. The Asia-Pacific region has a large market for infant formula products. Its growing population and increasing purchasing power are two of the major factors attracting multinational players to expand in the domestic market. In terms of import of infant formulas, New Zealand is one of the major exporters of infant formulas to China, which generates high revenue for the country; hence, the market for infant formula ingredients is expected to witness substantial growth during the forecast period.The breakdown of the primaries on the basis of company, designation, and region, conducted during the research study, is mentioned as follows:By Company Type: Tier 1  28%, Tier 2  39%, and Tier 3  33%By Designation: Director Level  21%, C Level  49%, and Others  30%By Region: Asia-Pacific  40%, Europe  34%, North America  15%, and RoW  11%Key players are as follows:The global infant formula ingredients market is dominated by key players such as Arla Foods amba (Denmark), Glanbia plc (Ireland), Sachsenmilch Lepperdorf GmbH (Germany), AAK AB (Sweden), and Carbery Food Ingredients Limited (Ireland).Research CoverageInfant formula ingredients, on the basis of type, is segmented into carbohydrates, oils & fats, proteins, vitamins & minerals, prebiotics, and others (nucleotides, emulsifiers, and probiotics). The applications of infant formula ingredients studied are growing-up milk, standard infant formula, follow-on formula, and special formula. On the basis of form, the market is segmented into powder and liquid & semi-liquid. The major sources considered include conventional and organic. On the basis of region, the market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World (RoW).Reasons to buy this reportFrom an insight perspective, this research report has focused on various levels of analysesindustry analysis (industry trends) and company profiles, which together comprise and discuss the basic views on the competitive landscapeemerging and high-growth segments of the global infant formula ingredients market; high-growth regions; and market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges.The report provides insights on the following:- Market Penetration: Comprehensive information on infant formula ingredients offered by top players in the global market.- Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming equipment products, technologies, research & development activities, and new product launches in the infant formula ingredients market.- Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative emerging markets.- Market Diversification: In-depth information about new products, untapped regions, recent developments, and investments in the global infant formula ingredients market.- Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market share, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of leading players in the global infant formula ingredients market.Click the below link for related reports :Follow us on : Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Google PlusAbout Bharat Book Bureau :Bharat Book Bureau is 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.Contact us at :Bharat Book BureauTel: +91 22 27810772 / 27810773Email: poonam@bharatbook.comWebsite:
Rakhi Store GiftsbyMeeta is Offering Rakhi Gifts in Delhi NCR with Same Day Delivery

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Keeping in mind the end goal to make the celebration paramount and sprightly for each sibling, GiftsbyMeetas recent release of its most recent launch named same day Rakhi delivery in Delhi NCR is another sort of shopping offer for the siblings residing in Delhi NCR area.GiftsbyMeeta, a leading online Rakhi shopping website has now been offering same day online Rakhi gifts delivery in Delhi NCR (). This service has been made available exclusively for those of the siblings forget to place their pre order on this occasion. Along these lines, this store is putting forth the quick arrangements of the online Rakhi gifts on the same day basis.India, the nation figured for its greatness of numerous festive merriments is soon to get revealed into another major promising celebration festivity that is named as Rakshabandhan. For each sibling, the festival of Rakshabandhan is viewed as a jolly day of the family get-together. And those cannot be with their siblings due to numerous reasons GiftsbyMeeta is offering online Rakhi gifts. And for those stranded in the last minute, the same day Rakhi delivery in India () is helping hand to those of the siblings couldnt buy rakhi earlier. There is a huge scope of online rakhi gift for this day as its the day of exhibiting affection and care to each other.Talking about the Rakhi accumulation 2017, the product manager stated, "The pattern of sending online Rakhi to sibling living miles away have been becoming more popular. At GiftsbyMeeta, the company is letting no stone unturned to make this a simple and helpful errand for siblings in Delhi NCR. Relying upon wide and productive Rakhi conveyance organizes over the globe, GiftsbyMeeta has risen as a reliable name for Rakhi conveyance in India and around the world. And the launch of same Day Rakhi gifts in Delhi NCR is just another festival offer for the customers at this company.About The Rakhi Gifts from GiftsbyMeeta: Throughout the years, GiftsbyMeeta has developed as truly outstanding and quite favored online gifting destination of India. Truth be told, GiftsbyMeeta, one of the biggest shopping portals, is eluded as one-stop look for each sort of Rakhi shopping needs. Also, incite administrations for Rakhi conveyance in India and worldwide are other validity of the online Rakhi shopping store.Throughout time and unending changes in slant, Rakhi thread, the consecrated string of adoration has the vital interview. Truth be told, an endless scope of online Rakhi gifts in heap of the exceptional plans, examples, lovely hues and materials is accessible nowadays.GiftsbyMeeta is a home for such lovely online Rakhi strings that can be purchased inside a matter of few ticks. Mauli Rakhi, Designer Rakhi for Kid, Evil Eye Bracelet Rakhi, Kundan Rakhi, Blue Stone Studded Rakhi, Ganesha Rakhi, Rudraksha Rakhi, Auspicious Om Rakhi, Pearl Rakhi, Stone Rakhi, Peacock Rakhi and numerous other delightful determinations are there to shop online from this website.Gifts By Meeta 10MG Road, 1st Floor, New Delhi Opp. Metro Pillar No. 47, Near to Sultanpur Metro Station, New Delhi
Transparent Conductive Coatings Market Report 2017, Trends, Analysis, Share, Estimates and Forecasts to 2022.

http://www.strategymrc.com/report/transparent-conductive-coatings-market

http://www.strategymrc.com/report/transparent-conductive-coatings-market

According to Stratistics MRC, the Global Transparent Conductive Coatings market is accounted for $5.62 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach $9.5 billion by 2022 growing at a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period. The increasing demand of these coatings from eyewear as well as the electronics industry is one of the key factors fueling the market growth. Rising demand for comfortable and high light-transmitting lenses will offer huge opportunities for the transparent conductive coating products and technologies.North America region is the largest market for transparent conductive coatings owing to increasing demand for transparent conductive coatings for eyeglasses, lenses, and Smartphone displays in this region. European demand for transparent conductive coatings is mainly driven by solar and automobile industries.Some of the key players in the market include 3M Touch Systems, Apple, Honeywell International Inc., Janos Technology LLC, General Electric (GE), Hoya Corporation, PPG Industries Inc., Essilor International S.A, Rodenstock GmbH, Optical Coatings, Lenovo, Amazon, Samsung Electronics Corp., Blue Nano and Eikos.For More, Please Visit:Product Type Covered: Index Matching Circular Polarizer Single Layer Interference Moth Eye Absorbing Multi-Layer InterferenceResin Type Covered: Epoxy Polyurethane Acrylic OthersApplications Covered: Telescopes Touch screens Lighting Video Glasses Flat Panel Thin film solar cells Riflescopes Binocular Lenses Kiosk Displays Displays Smartphone DisplaysEnd-User Covered: Solar Automobile Eyewear Electronics OthersRegions 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 advancementsFor More, Please Visit:We offer wide spectrum of research and consulting services with in-depth knowledge of different industries. We are known for customized research services, consulting services and Full Time Equivalent (FTE) services in the research world. We explore the market trends and draw our insights with valid assessments and analytical views. We use advanced techniques and tools among the quantitative and qualitative methodologies to identify the market trends. Our research reports and publications are routed to help our clients to design their business models and enhance their business growth in the competitive market scenario. We have a strong team with hand-picked consultants including project managers, implementers, industry experts, researchers, research evaluators and analysts with years of experience in delivering the complex projects.STRATISTICS MRC17049 King James Way, Gaithersburg,MD, 20877, USA
Find Top Wedding Photographers in India- ClickersAdda.com

Find Top Wedding Photographers in India- ClickersAdda.com

https://www.clickersadda.com/

As couples begin thinking about their wedding, they are often confused over how much to spend, where to obtain specialized services, and how to choose best wedding vendors like professional wedding photographers. These worries often mount as quickly as the cost of the wedding. Couples are faced with decisions about everything from invitation wording to planning their honeymoon. Couples often find they want experienced professional help for their wedding. The average wedding can take more than hundred and fifty hours to plan. With today's hectic lifestyles, you may not have time to compare all the options, making sure you get the best deal, and making sure all the details are in place.Choosing a photographer is a very important step in your wedding pictures. You want someone experienced that will do an excellent job for you. It's possible that you may be on a budget and price may be a factor as well.Pocket-friendly is one of the main concerns of people in India, and if they are searching for capturing the each and every special moment of their wedding, then that search ends here. Here ClickersAdda.com will help to you to find best wedding photographer. ClickersAdda.com is Indias premium business listings portal for professional wedding vendors and photographers. Clients can search, find best wedding photographers, post their requirements and can contact best photographers for their services. Some more features at ClickersAdda.com- Feature to search Local Photographers in Your City. Direct Contact Information is available. Request a Quote Feature to Get Instant Quote in your Inbox. Live Chat Support on Website, WhatsApp. Rate Photographer and Reviews about Their ServicesClickersAdda.com will be of assistances to come across the best wedding vendors counting photographers, event organisers, videographers, Mahanadi artists, makeup artists and many more. Clickers Adda also update top 10 photographers list time to time, Clients can browse list of top 10 top wedding photographers, top 10 videographers and candid photographers in India.Find best wedding photographers, wedding planners, wedding decorators, mehendi designers, makeup artists, florist, bridal designer and other wedding vendors at one place, visit ClickersAdda.com and saves you valuable time and money. More discount, coupons, promotional offers and free wedding invitation websites are waiting for you.Clickers Adda is an online platform that allows users to find wedding vendors in India, UK and, USA. You can find best affordable local photographers, event organizers, bridal designers, boutiques, salons, calligraphers, caterers, dance studios, decorators, hair stylists, wedding halls. makeup artists. photo booth, wedding venues, florist, dress designers & bridal shops in India, UK, USA, Australia & Canada.ContactBe it a phone or Whatsapp It is quite easy to contact with clickersadda. Below are the contact details.Sales: sales@ClickersAdda.comSupport: Support@ClickersAdda.comPhone: 91-999-990-7542Whatsapp: 91-99-993-51746Website:
Getsvisionsolutions, A leading Emailing Marketing Services Provider Eyeing on Mid and Small Sized Company

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The leading email marketing services provider in Noida () and Delhi NCR, Getsvisionsolutions has slashed the prices of available email marketing packages for its premium customers. The company is eyeing on the small and mid sized companies in India who is not able to spend huge on the advertising activities and price reduction will help them to promote their products and services.Getsvisionsolutions, Aug 6th, 2017, Noida, India: - Getsvisionsolutions, India's pioneering SMTP server provider for bulk email marketing solutions have drastically reduced the prices of the available packages of the bulk email marketing services in Noida, and Delhi - NCR, for its premium customers. The Noida, Delhi - NCR based company, for offering complete bulk email marketing solutions, is eyeing the mid sized companies for adding them into the list of new clients list. As the mid and small sized companies who are not able to spend heavily on their marketing and advertising activities, the bulk email marketing seems more viable option to reach to their target customers at pocket-friendly prices.The product manager at Getsvisionsolutions told the media personals in Noida:The company has classified its range of bulk email sending services packages in various categories, such as basic, premium, diamond and platinum. The basic and premium named packages available for the email marketing services in Noida, which are mostly subscribed by the small and mid sized companies in India. The company in latest move has slashed the prices approximately 30% so that the mass email marketing can be made more viable for the emerging and small companies.This move will the company to attract those small and mid sized companies looking for affordable marketing solutions as they have limited capacity invest on the conventional way of advertising and marketing. Gets Vision Solutions provides you top SEO services () for your business to get higher rank in major search engine."Bulk email marketing in Noida from Getsvisionsolutions has now become the most affordable as well as the most effective with this move," told the product manager at Getsvisionsolutions in Noida.About the Company: -Getsvisionsolutions, a leading company provides SMTP servers for bulk email marketing in Noida and the bulk mail sending applications for the companies from across the country. The cloud based the server side resources, the advanced email sending applications, dedicated IPs, the customization of templates and easy to use email sending applications from this company have ensured its position among the top digital marketing solutions providers in India. With becoming the crucial roles of, email marketing activities for the small, mid sized as well as larger companies, has fueled a huge demand for the quick, affordable and user-friendly email marketing applications.Getsvisionsolutions caters with advanced SMTP servers. The SMTP server solutions from this company are available with dedicated IP, dedicated SMTP server, SSL layer protection, sufficient RAM and Bandwidth, the updated emails database, and with the quick set-up like features.Contact Information:GetsvisionsolutionsPhone Number: +917042398111E-mail: info@getsvisionsolutions.comAddress: Office No.8, Bhawani Market, Noida sec-27Pin: 201301Website:Facebook:Twitter:
Electrodes For Liquid Analysis Global Market Outlook 2017-2022 Hach, Hamilton Bonaduz, Mettler Toledo, Shamadzu

Electrodes For Liquid Analysis Market

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Electrodes For Liquid Analysis Market Research ReportA market study  Global Electrodes For Liquid Analysis Market  examines the performance of the Electrodes For Liquid Analysis market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Electrodes For Liquid Analysis market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Electrodes For Liquid Analysis market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Electrodes For Liquid Analysis Market 2017 report includes Electrodes For Liquid Analysis market Size, Revenue, market Share, Electrodes For Liquid Analysis industry volume, market Trends, Electrodes For Liquid Analysis Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Electrodes For Liquid Analysis Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Electrodes For Liquid Analysis Market 2017:JumoThermo ScientificABB Measurement & AnalyticsHachHamilton BonaduzMettler ToledoShamadzuHanna InstrumentsAnalytical TechnologyAuxilabBroadley-JamesBuckleys (Uvral) LimitedEtatron D.S.Gondo ElectronicHoribaMetrohmMonokrystalySartoriusSi AnalyticsWalchemYSI Life ScienceElectrodes For Liquid Analysis Market : Type AnalysisType IType IIElectrodes For Liquid Analysis Market : Application AnalysisApplication 1Application 2Firstly, the report covers the top Electrodes For Liquid Analysis manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Electrodes For Liquid Analysis report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Electrodes For Liquid Analysis industry, Electrodes For Liquid Analysis industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Electrodes For Liquid Analysis Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Electrodes For Liquid Analysis research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Electrodes For Liquid Analysis market revenue worldwide.Finally, Electrodes For Liquid Analysis market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. 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
Vinyl Record Global Market Outlook 2017-2022 GZ Media, MPO International, Optimal Media, Record Industry

Vinyl Record Market

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Vinyl Record Market Research ReportA market study  Global Vinyl Record Market  examines the performance of the Vinyl Record market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Vinyl Record market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Vinyl Record market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Vinyl Record Market 2017 report includes Vinyl Record market Size, Revenue, market Share, Vinyl Record industry volume, market Trends, Vinyl Record Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Vinyl Record Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Vinyl Record Market 2017:GZ MediaMPO InternationalOptimal MediaRecord IndustryUnited Record PressingPallasRainbo RecordsQuality Record PressingsR.A.N.D. Muzic Record ManufacturingPrime DiscIndependent Record PressingStereoDiskVinyl Record Market : Type AnalysisType IType IIVinyl Record Market : Application AnalysisApplication 1Application 2Firstly, the report covers the top Vinyl Record manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Vinyl Record report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Vinyl Record industry, Vinyl Record industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Vinyl Record Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Vinyl Record research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Vinyl Record market revenue worldwide.Finally, Vinyl Record market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. 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
Commercial Flooring Global Market Outlook 2017-2022 Mohawk Group, Mannington, Armstrong, Shaw Industries, Tarkett

Commercial Flooring Market

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Commercial Flooring Market Research ReportA market study  Global Commercial Flooring Market  examines the performance of the Commercial Flooring market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Commercial Flooring market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Commercial Flooring market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Commercial Flooring Market 2017 report includes Commercial Flooring market Size, Revenue, market Share, Commercial Flooring industry volume, market Trends, Commercial Flooring Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Commercial Flooring Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Commercial Flooring Market 2017:Mohawk GroupManningtonArmstrongShaw IndustriesTarkettLG HausysMilliken & CompanyJ+J Flooring GroupStonePeak CeramicsRoppeFlorim USALamosaKronospanCrossvilleParterreCommercial Flooring Market : Type AnalysisResilient CategoryCarpetHardwood and LaminateCeramic TileCommercial Flooring Market : Application AnalysisEducation SystemMedical SystemSports SystemLeisure and Shopping SystemFirstly, the report covers the top Commercial Flooring manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Commercial Flooring report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Commercial Flooring industry, Commercial Flooring industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Commercial Flooring Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Commercial Flooring research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Commercial Flooring market revenue worldwide.Finally, Commercial Flooring market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. 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
Wind Chimes Global Market Outlook 2017-2022 8DIO Productions, Gibraltar, Gon Bops, LP, Meinl

Wind Chimes Market

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Wind Chimes Market Research ReportA market study  Global Wind Chimes Market  examines the performance of the Wind Chimes market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Wind Chimes market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Wind Chimes market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Wind Chimes Market 2017 report includes Wind Chimes market Size, Revenue, market Share, Wind Chimes industry volume, market Trends, Wind Chimes Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Wind Chimes Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Wind Chimes Market 2017:8DIO ProductionsGibraltarGon BopsLPMeinlNinoOverseas ConnectionRhythmTechSabianSchlagwerkSound Percussion LabsTocasWind Chimes Market : Type AnalysisMetalWoodWind Chimes Market : Application AnalysisHome UseMusic PerformanceFirstly, the report covers the top Wind Chimes manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Wind Chimes report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Wind Chimes industry, Wind Chimes industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Wind Chimes Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Wind Chimes research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Wind Chimes market revenue worldwide.Finally, Wind Chimes market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. 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
Blast Cabinet Global Market Outlook 2017-2022 CLEMCO INDUSTRIES, MHG Strahlanlagen, Crystal Mark, Norblast

Blast Cabinet Market

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Blast Cabinet Market Research ReportA market study  Global Blast Cabinet Market  examines the performance of the Blast Cabinet market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Blast Cabinet market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Blast Cabinet market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Blast Cabinet Market 2017 report includes Blast Cabinet market Size, Revenue, market Share, Blast Cabinet industry volume, market Trends, Blast Cabinet Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Blast Cabinet Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Blast Cabinet Market 2017:CLEMCO INDUSTRIESMHG StrahlanlagenCrystal MarkNorblastMetalfinishingPaul AuerFerroCrtalicBlastingPro-TekHodge ClemcoBlast Cabinet Market : Type AnalysisType IType IIBlast Cabinet Market : Application AnalysisApplication 1Application 2Firstly, the report covers the top Blast Cabinet manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Blast Cabinet report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Blast Cabinet industry, Blast Cabinet industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Blast Cabinet Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Blast Cabinet research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Blast Cabinet market revenue worldwide.Finally, Blast Cabinet market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. 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
Cord Reels with Hand Lamps Global Market Outlook 2017-2022 Lumapro, Reelcraft, National Electric USA, Bayco

Cord Reels with Hand Lamps Market

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Cord Reels with Hand Lamps Market Research ReportA market study  Global Cord Reels with Hand Lamps Market  examines the performance of the Cord Reels with Hand Lamps market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Cord Reels with Hand Lamps market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Cord Reels with Hand Lamps market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Cord Reels with Hand Lamps Market 2017 report includes Cord Reels with Hand Lamps market Size, Revenue, market Share, Cord Reels with Hand Lamps industry volume, market Trends, Cord Reels with Hand Lamps Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Cord Reels with Hand Lamps Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Cord Reels with Hand Lamps Market 2017:LumaproReelcraftHubbell Wiring Device-kellemsNational Electric USABaycoNational Electric MFGStandard PortableCord Reels with Hand Lamps Market : Type AnalysisType IType IICord Reels with Hand Lamps Market : Application AnalysisApplication 1Application 2Firstly, the report covers the top Cord Reels with Hand Lamps manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Cord Reels with Hand Lamps report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Cord Reels with Hand Lamps industry, Cord Reels with Hand Lamps industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Cord Reels with Hand Lamps Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Cord Reels with Hand Lamps research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Cord Reels with Hand Lamps market revenue worldwide.Finally, Cord Reels with Hand Lamps market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. 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
Linear Motion Bearing Global Market Outlook 2017-2022 SKF, IKO, Thomson, NTN Corporation, Nippon Bearing

Linear Motion Bearing Market

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Linear Motion Bearing Market Research ReportA market study  Global Linear Motion Bearing Market  examines the performance of the Linear Motion Bearing market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Linear Motion Bearing market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Linear Motion Bearing market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Linear Motion Bearing Market 2017 report includes Linear Motion Bearing market Size, Revenue, market Share, Linear Motion Bearing industry volume, market Trends, Linear Motion Bearing Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Linear Motion Bearing Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Linear Motion Bearing Market 2017:SKFIKOThomsonNTN CorporationNippon BearingPBC LinearFAGISB Bearings & ComponentsLishui Qihang BearingLinear Motion Bearing Market : Type AnalysisRolling BearingPlain BearingLinear Motion Bearing Market : Application AnalysisPacking MachineryAluminum & Wood Processing MachineryMeasuring EquipmentPositioning SystemRobotFirstly, the report covers the top Linear Motion Bearing manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Linear Motion Bearing report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Linear Motion Bearing industry, Linear Motion Bearing industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Linear Motion Bearing Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Linear Motion Bearing research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Linear Motion Bearing market revenue worldwide.Finally, Linear Motion Bearing market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. 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
Nano Medical Device Global Market Outlook 2017-2022 Arcam, Concept Laser, EOS GmbH, EnvisionTEC, Materialise

Nano Medical Device Market

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Nano Medical Device Market Research ReportA market study  Global Nano Medical Device Market  examines the performance of the Nano Medical Device market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Nano Medical Device market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Nano Medical Device market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Nano Medical Device Market 2017 report includes Nano Medical Device market Size, Revenue, market Share, Nano Medical Device industry volume, market Trends, Nano Medical Device Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Nano Medical Device Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Nano Medical Device Market 2017:ArcamConcept LaserEOS GmbHEnvisionTECMaterialiseProdwaysRenishawStratasysNano Medical Device Market : Type AnalysisType IType IINano Medical Device Market : Application AnalysisApplication 1Application 2Firstly, the report covers the top Nano Medical Device manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Nano Medical Device report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Nano Medical Device industry, Nano Medical Device industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Nano Medical Device Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Nano Medical Device research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Nano Medical Device market revenue worldwide.Finally, Nano Medical Device market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. 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
Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment Global Market Outlook 2017-2022 Coflax, Lincoln Electric, Illinois Tool Works, Air Liquidie

Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment Market

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Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment Market Research ReportA market study  Global Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment Market  examines the performance of the Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment Market 2017 report includes Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment market Size, Revenue, market Share, Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment industry volume, market Trends, Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment Market 2017:CoflaxLincoln ElectricIllinois Tool WorksAir LiquidieBOCGCE holding ABKoike AronsonFronius international GMBHOxy-Fuel Welding Equipment Market : Type AnalysisType IType IIOxy-Fuel Welding Equipment Market : Application AnalysisApplication 1Application 2Firstly, the report covers the top Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment industry, Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment market revenue worldwide.Finally, Oxy-Fuel Welding Equipment market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. 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
Finned Coil Heat Exchanger Global Market Outlook 2017-2022 Tranter, Xylem, Hamon Group, Hisaka Works, Kelvion

Finned Coil Heat Exchanger Market

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Finned Coil Heat Exchanger Market Research ReportA market study  Global Finned Coil Heat Exchanger Market  examines the performance of the Finned Coil Heat Exchanger market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Finned Coil Heat Exchanger market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Finned Coil Heat Exchanger market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Finned Coil Heat Exchanger Market 2017 report includes Finned Coil Heat Exchanger market Size, Revenue, market Share, Finned Coil Heat Exchanger industry volume, market Trends, Finned Coil Heat Exchanger Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Finned Coil Heat Exchanger Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Finned Coil Heat Exchanger Market 2017:TranterBarriquand Technologies ThermiquesXylemChicago Bridge&Iron CompanyGEA Heat Exchangers GroupHamon GroupHarsco Industrial Air-X-ChangersHisaka WorksKelvionSondexSmartHeatFinned Coil Heat Exchanger Market : Type AnalysisType IType IIFinned Coil Heat Exchanger Market : Application AnalysisApplication 1Application 2Firstly, the report covers the top Finned Coil Heat Exchanger manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Finned Coil Heat Exchanger report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Finned Coil Heat Exchanger industry, Finned Coil Heat Exchanger industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Finned Coil Heat Exchanger Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Finned Coil Heat Exchanger research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Finned Coil Heat Exchanger market revenue worldwide.Finally, Finned Coil Heat Exchanger market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. 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
Aprotinin Global Market Outlook 2017-2022 Cayman Chemical, Dadeli, A.S.Joshi&Company, AdooQ BioScience

Aprotinin Market

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Aprotinin Market Research ReportA market study  Global Aprotinin Market  examines the performance of the Aprotinin market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Aprotinin market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Aprotinin market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Aprotinin Market 2017 report includes Aprotinin market Size, Revenue, market Share, Aprotinin industry volume, market Trends, Aprotinin Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Aprotinin Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Aprotinin Market 2017:BeiJing Geyuantianrun Bio-tech?Cayman ChemicalTaj Pharmaceuticals LimitedGuangdong Techpool Bio-pharmaDadeliA.S.Joshi&CompanyEnzymeking BiotechnologyAdooQ BioScienceProSpec ??Yaxin BiotechnologyAMRESCOPanReac AppliChemRunhaoAprotinin Market : Type AnalysisType IType IIAprotinin Market : Application AnalysisApplication 1Application 2Firstly, the report covers the top Aprotinin manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Aprotinin report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Aprotinin industry, Aprotinin industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Aprotinin Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Aprotinin research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Aprotinin market revenue worldwide.Finally, Aprotinin market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. 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
Offshore Hydropower Market Share 2017 Iberdrola, First Solar, Bronzeoak Philippines, Vattenfall

Offshore Hydropower

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Offshore Hydropower Market ResearchA market study  Global Condenser Microphones Market  examines the performance of the Offshore Hydropower market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Offshore Hydropower market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Offshore Hydropower market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Offshore Hydropower Market 2017 report includes Offshore Hydropower market Size, Revenue, market Share, Offshore Hydropower industry volume, market Trends, Offshore Hydropower Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Offshore Hydropower Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Request For Sample Report:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Offshore Hydropower Market 2017:1. Iberdrola2. First Solar3. Bronzeoak Philippines4. Vattenfall5. NextEra Energy, Siemens6. Alstom7. China Yangtze Power8. RusHydro9. LDK Solar10. Suzlon Energy11. E.on UK12. Hydrochina International Engineering...Firstly, the report covers the top Offshore Hydropower manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Offshore Hydropower report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Offshore Hydropower industry, Offshore Hydropower industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Offshore Hydropower Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Inquiry Before Purchasing Report:The Offshore Hydropower research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Offshore Hydropower market revenue worldwide.Finally, Offshore Hydropower market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. 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
Biologics Safety Testing Market Forecast to 2022

Biologics Safety Testing

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The biologics safety testing market was valued at USD 2.75 billion in 2017 and expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.2% to a USD 4.90 billion market by 2022. Growth in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry driven by government support, the positive trend of R&D investment in the life science industry, and an increase in the number of new drug launches are factors driving the growth of this market. On the other hand, the time-consuming approval process for new drugs is considered a restraint for the market.Kits & reagents segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast periodThe biologics safety testing market is classified on the basis of product & service into kits & reagents, services, and instruments. The kits & reagents segment is expected to register highest growth rate during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the reoccurring purchase of kits & reagents, which is required for running tests.To read the complete report, click the link below :Endotoxin tests segment is accounted for largest share in the marketThe biologics safety testing market is classified by test type into endotoxin tests, sterility tests, cell line authentification and characterization tests, residual host contamination detection tests, adventitious agent detection tests, bioburden tests, and other tests. The endotoxin tests segment is expected to register the highest growth rate during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the increase in the number of drug launches.Increase initiative for immunization, increase company investment in vaccines development drives growth of the vaccines and therapeutics development segmentBy application, the biologics safety testing market is segmented into vaccine and therapeutics development; blood and blood-related products testing; cellular and gene therapy; tissue and tissue-related products testing; and stem cell research. The vaccine and therapeutics development segment are expected to register highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth in this segment primarily attributed to initiatives for immunization and increased company investment in the development of vaccines.North America is account for the largest regional segment in the marketGeographically, the biologics safety testing market is dominated by North America, followed by Europe. The North American region is estimated to account for the largest share of the market in 2017 and the trend is expected to continue during the forecast period. The growth in this market can be attributed to the presence of major key players in the region, a strong trend in R&D in life science industry and an increase in drug approvals.The primary interviews conducted for this report can be categorized as follows:- By Company Type - Tier 1  43%, Tier 2  14% and Tier 3  43%- By Designation  C level  14%, Director level  43%, Others  43%- By Region  North America - 29%, Europe  14%, APAC  43%, RoW  14%Key players operating in the biologics safety testing market include Lonza Group LTD. (Switzerland), Charles River Laboratories (U.S.), Merck KGaA (Germany), SGS SA (Switzerland), WuXi Apptec (China), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (U.S.), Sartorius AG (Germany), Cytovance Biologics, Inc. (U.S.), Pace Analytical Services Inc. (U.S.), and Toxikon Corporation (U.S.).Study Coverage:The report analyses the biologics safety testing market by product & service, test type, applications, and regions. Apart from comprehensive geographic and product & service analysis and market sizing, the report also provides the competitive landscape that covers the growth strategies adopted by industry players over the last three years. In addition, the report profiles companies with developments, and strategies adopted by key players to maintain and increase their shares in the market. The market research data, market size, and forecast of the future trends will help key market players and new entrants to make the necessary decisions to be successful in the market.Click the below link for related reports :About Bharat Book Bureau :Bharat Book Bureau is 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.Contact us at :Bharat Book BureauTel: +91 22 27810772 / 27810773Email: poonam@bharatbook.comWebsite:Follow us on : Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Google Plus
Epic Research Weekly Agri Commodity Report 07 AUGUST 2017

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Commodity NewsTurmeric futures traded lower on NCDEX despite fall in supply due todry conditions in the turmeric growing regions of south India. The contractfor August delivery was trading at Rs 7672.00, down by 0.08% or Rs 6.00from its previous closing of Rs 7678.00. The open interest of the contractstood at 8440 lots. The contract for September delivery was trading at Rs7750.00, down by 0.10% or Rs 8.00 from its previous closing of Rs 7758.00.The open interest of the contract stood at 10205 lots on NCDEX.Soyabean futures traded marginally lower on NCDEX, on anticipation ofsteady demand in coming weeks due to sufficient supplies of edible oil in thecountry. Meanwhile, soybean too fell in overseas markets due to crop-friendly weather across key US producing states. The contract for Augustdelivery was trading at Rs 2943.00, down by 0.57% or Rs 17.00 from itsprevious closing of Rs 2960.00. The open interest of the contract stood at48140 lots.Jeera futures traded up on NCDEX on pick-up in domestic market as wellas export demand at the spot market. Further, tight supplies due to raindamage in the producing regions too fuelled the uptrend. The contract forAugust delivery was trading at Rs 19410.00, up by 2.00% or Rs 380.00 fromits previous closing of Rs 19030.00. The open interest of the contract stoodat 6297 lots. The contract for September delivery was trading at Rs19620.00, up by 1.98% or Rs 380.00 from its previous closing of Rs19240.00. The open interest of the contract stood at 10704 lots on NCDEX.Coriander futures edged higher on NCDEX as participants enlarged theirholdings, tracking rising demand in the spot market. Besides, fall in suppliesfrom major producing regions also fuelled the uptrend. The contract forAugust delivery was trading at Rs 4784.00, up by 0.5% or Rs 24.00 from itsprevious closing of Rs 4760.00. The open interest of the contract stood at20860 lots. The contract for September delivery was trading at Rs 4871.00,up by 0.39% or Rs 19.00 from its previous closing of Rs 4852.00. The openinterest of the contract stood at 25970 lots on NCDEX.Economic NewsThe Agriculture Ministry today said it received Rs 16,094.13 crore inthe April-June quarter of the current fiscal for implementation of variousschemes. The amount is 53 per cent higher compared to Rs 10,498.90crore received by the ministry in the same period last year, it said in astatement. The ministry's total budget allocation for 2017-18 fiscal hasbeen increased to Rs 62,125.02 crore from Rs 44,721.84 crore last year ina bid to achieve the goal of doubling farmers' income by 2022. Under thePradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the Centre has already incurred anexpenditure of Rs 4,664.88 crore till June, while Rs 967.89 crore has beenutilised under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) in the saidperiod, the statement added. The ministry said that more funds beenutilised for implementation of other programmes like Rashtriya GokulMission and Blue Revolution.The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today gave ex-post factoapproval for an MoU signed by India and other BRICS nations for settingup of an agriculture research platform. In October last year, amemorandum of understanding (MoU) for setting up agriculture researchplatform (ARP) was signed by foreign ministers of BRICS countries in the8th BRICS Summit held at Goa, an official release said. The ex-post factoapproval to the same MoU was given by the CCEA in a meeting heldtoday, the release said. "The Centre will promote sustainable agriculturaldevelopment and poverty alleviation through strategic cooperation inagriculture to provide food security in the BRICS member countries," itsaid. BRICS-ARP will act as a global platform for science-led agriculture-based sustainable development for addressing the issues of world hunger,under-nutrition, poverty and inequality, particularly between farmers' andnon-farmers' income, and enhancing agricultural trade, bio-security andclimate resilient agriculture, the statement added.Trading RecommendationsBUY GUARGUM5 ABOVE 8000 TARGET 8050 8150 SL BELOW 7950SELL GUARGUM5 BELOW 7800 TARGET 7750 7650 SL ABOVE 7900BUY CORIANDER ABOVE 4850 TARGET 4900 5000 SL BELOW 4800SELL CORIANDER BELOW 4700 TARGET 4650 4550 SL ABOVE 4750Epic Research Limited is a supreme level financial advisory services provider firm .We have designed services for different investors as per their needs like equity tips , mcx tips, agri tips and many more to serve our clients. We offer regular services for investors with less capital and premium services for massive investors looking for higher returns on investments with bigger targets.Want to take a FREE TRIAL? Visit our site link below and become a part of our Epic family. Happy trading.ormail us @ info@epicresearch.coAlso you can Whatsapp us at :7049084664Our Office:411 Milinda Manor, 2 RNT Road, Indore 452001 .
United States Market For Camera Accessories (Sales) Industry, Size, Share, Trends, Analysis and Forecast By 2021

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The recently published report titled United States Market For Camera Accessories Industry 2016 Market Research Report is an in depth study providing complete analysis of the industry for the period 2016  2021. It provides complete overview of United States Market For Camera Accessories market considering all the major industry trends, market dynamics and competitive scenario.The United States Market For Camera Accessories Industry Report 2016 is an in depth study analyzing the current state of the United States Market For Camera Accessories market. It provides brief overview of the market focusing on definitions, market segmentation, end-use applications and industry chain analysis. The study on United States Market For Camera Accessories market provides analysis of China market covering the industry trends, recent developments in the market and competitive landscape. Competitive analysis includes competitive information of leading players in China market, their company profiles, product portfolio, capacity, production, and company financials. In addition, report also provides upstream raw material analysis and downstream demand analysis along with the key development trends and sales channel analysis. Research study on United States Market For Camera Accessories market also discusses the opportunity areas for investors.With tables and figures, the report provides key statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Download Sample Report Copy From Here:Reasons to Buy this ReportThe research report will enrich your decision-making capability by helping you to Design and improve your product development and sales strategies and enhancing your marketing activitiesDevelop business strategies by understanding the market dynamics and developments driving the United States Market For Camera Accessories marketDevelop market-entry strategies and effective ways to sustain competitionCreate merger and acquisition opportunities by identifying the market players with the most innovative pipelinesIdentify the regional market potential which would further help in designing regional market strategiesUnderstand the competitive scenario in the United States Market For Camera Accessories marketTake more informed business decisions by relying on the insightful opinions from industry expertsWhy Global QY Research ?Technically acclaimed Analysts with complete industry knowhowRobust research methodology followed by our publishers to arrive at market estimatesFocus on technology trendsExtensive repository of market research reports to meet our clients needsBased on extensive research, we provide clear view of real market scenario and help clients with making informed business decisionsTable Of Contents:1 Industry Overview1.1 Definition and Specifications of Camera Accessories1.2 Classification of Camera Accessories1.3 Applications of Camera Accessories1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Camera Accessories1.5 Industry Overview of Camera Accessories1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Camera Accessories1.7 Industry News Analysis of Camera Accessories2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Camera Accessories2.1 Bill of Materials (BOM) of Camera Accessories2.2 BOM Price Analysis of Camera Accessories2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Camera Accessories2.4 Depreciation Cost Analysis of Camera Accessories2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Camera Accessories2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Camera Accessories2.7 United States Price, Cost and Gross of Camera Accessories 2011-20163 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of United States Key Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of United States Key Camera Accessories Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of United States Camera Accessories Key Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of United States Camera Accessories Key Manufacturers in 20154 Production Analysis of Camera Accessories by Regions, Type, and Applications4.1 United States Production of Camera Accessories by Regions 2011-20164.2 United States Production of Camera Accessories by Type 2011-20164.3 United States Sales of Camera Accessories by Applications 2011-20164.4 Price Analysis of United States Camera Accessories Key Manufacturers in 20154.5 United States Capacity, Production, Import, Export, Sales, Price, Cost and Revenue of Camera Accessories 2011-20165 Consumption Volume and Consumption Value Analysis of Camera Accessories by Regions5.1 United States Consumption Volume of Camera Accessories by Regions 2011-20165.2 United States Consumption Value of Camera Accessories by Regions 2011-20165.3 United States Consumption Price Analysis of Camera Accessories by Regions 2011-20166 Analysis of Camera Accessories Production, Supply, Sales and Market Status 2011-20166.1 Capacity, Production, Sales, and Revenue of Camera Accessories 2011-20166.2 Production Market Share and Sales Market Share Analysis of Camera Accessories 2014-20156.3 Sales Overview of Camera Accessories 2011-20166.4 Supply, Consumption and Gap of Camera Accessories 2011-20166.5 Import, Export and Consumption of Camera Accessories 2011-20166.6 Cost, Price, Revenue and Gross Margin of Camera Accessories 2011-20167 Analysis of Camera Accessories Industry Key Manufacturers7.1 Nikon7.1.1 Company Profile7.1.2 Product Picture and Specification7.1.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue7.1.4 Nikon SWOT Analysis7.2 Sony7.2.1 Company Profile7.2.2 Product Picture and Specification7.2.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue7.2.4 Sony SWOT Analysis7.3 Canon7.3.1 Company Profile7.3.2 Product Picture and Specification7.3.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue7.3.4 Canon SWOT Analysis7.4 Ricoh7.4.1 Company Profile7.4.2 Product Picture and Specification7.4.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue7.4.4 Ricoh SWOT Analysis7.5 Phottix7.5.1 Company Profile7.5.2 Product Picture and Specification7.5.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue7.5.4 Phottix SWOT Analysis7.6 Olympus7.6.1 Company Profile7.6.2 Product Picture and Specification7.6.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue7.6.4 Olympus SWOT Analysis7.7 JOBY7.7.1 Company Profile7.7.2 Product Picture and Specification7.7.3 Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue7.7.4 JOBY SWOT Analysis8 Price and Gross Margin Analysis8.1 Analysis of Price8.2 Gross Margin Analysis8.3 Price Comparison by Regions8.4 Price Analysis of Different Camera Accessories Product Types8.5 Market Share Analysis of Different Camera Accessories Price Levels8.6 Gross Margin Analysis of Different Camera Accessories Applications9 Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of Camera Accessories9.1 Marketing Channels Status of Camera Accessories9.2 Traders or Distributors of Camera Accessories with Contact Information9.3 Ex-work Price, Channel Price and End Buyer Price Analysis of Camera Accessories9.4 United States Import, Export and Trade Analysis of Camera Accessories10 Development Trend of Camera Accessories Industry 2016-202110.1 Capacity and Production Overview of Camera Accessories 2016-202110.2 Production Market Share by Product Types of Camera Accessories 2016-202110.3 Sales and Sales Revenue Overview of Camera Accessories 2016-202110.4 United States Sales of Camera Accessories by Applications 2016-202110.5 Import, Export and Consumption of Camera Accessories 2016-202110.6 Cost, Price, Revenue and Gross Margin of Camera Accessories 2016-202111 Industry Chain Suppliers of Camera Accessories with Contact Information11.1 Major Raw Materials Suppliers of Camera Accessories with Contact Information11.2 Manufacturing Equipment Suppliers of Camera Accessories with Contact Information11.3 Major Players of Camera Accessories with Contact Information11.4 Key Consumers of Camera Accessories with Contact Information11.5 Supply Chain Relationship Analysis of Camera Accessories12 New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Camera Accessories12.1 New Project SWOT Analysis of Camera Accessories12.2 New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Camera Accessories13 Conclusion of the United States Camera Accessories Industry 2016 Market Research ReportBuy This Report Now: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
CEE & CIS Downstream Project Management Conference,

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Successful implementation of complex revamp and construction projects without budget overruns and schedule slippage is the dream of any refinery manager.VPs and Project Managers of companies such as LUKOIL, GAZPROM NEFT, MOL, SLOVNAFT, SOCAR and KAZMUNAYGAZ will take part in the 4th CEE & CIS Downstream Project Management Conference, 2- 3 November 2017 in Vienna, to exchange best practices in the project execution and capital efficiency.The conference includes A technical site-visit to Slovnaft Refinery. Spaces for the site visit are limited so early booking is recommended. Special focus on the best practices in executing revamps projects presented by the world-leading EPC contractors Detailed analysis of the current state of downstream projects in the CEE & CIS regions and outlook for projects planned for 2018-2022 Overview of innovative project delivery technologies (IoT, digital & automation) to improve project performance & optimise CAPEXDownstream Project Management Conference is the regions only event for projects owners, major refineries and petchem plants, EPC contractors, engineering companies and technology licensors who are interested in improving performance of capital projects in the CIS & CEE downstream sector and if you are one of them please join us on 2-3 November for the exciting conference and exclusive technical visit to Slovnaft Refinery.Conference website:Elmira GabidullinaMarketing Manager+44 (0) 845 868 8234e.gabidullina@globuc.comGBC Ltd is an international company run by professionals with more than 20 years experience and a passion for organising highly successful international oil & gas events.Office 301, 22 Highbury Grove, N5 2ER UK
EMEA Precast Construction Market to Register Substantial Expansion by 2022

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In this report, the EMEA Precast Construction 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 EMEA into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, With sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Precast Construction for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast)Europe: Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Benelux;Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran;Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.EMEA Precast Construction market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Precast Construction sales volume (K Units), price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingGrupo ACSBalfour Beatty PLCKomatsu Ltd.Bouygues ConstructionJulius Berger Nigeria PLC.Red Sea Housing ServicesTaisei CorporationKiewit CorporationLaing O'rourkeL&T IndiaBrowse complete report at@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 intoModular ConstructionManufactured HomesOthersOn 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 Precast Construction for each application, includingResidentialNon-residentialInfrastructureOthersIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Request for sample at@Table of ContentsEMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Precast Construction Market Report 20171 Precast Construction Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Precast Construction1.2 Classification of Precast Construction1.2.1 EMEA Precast Construction Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 EMEA Precast Construction Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Modular Construction1.2.4 Manufactured Homes1.2.5 Others1.3 EMEA Precast Construction Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 EMEA Precast Construction Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-20221.3.2 Residential1.3.3 Non-residential1.3.4 Infrastructure1.3.5 Others1.4 EMEA Precast Construction Market by Region1.4.1 EMEA Precast Construction Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Middle East Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Africa Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 EMEA Market Size (Value and Volume) of Precast Construction (2012-2022)1.5.1 EMEA Precast Construction Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 EMEA Precast Construction Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Request for discount at@2 EMEA Precast Construction Competition by Manufacturers/Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and Application2.1 EMEA Precast Construction Market Competition by Players/Manufacturers2.1.1 EMEA Precast Construction Sales Volume and Market Share of Major Players (2012-2017)2.1.2 EMEA Precast Construction Revenue and Share by Players (2012-2017)2.1.3 EMEA Precast Construction Sale Price by Players (2012-2017)2.2 EMEA Precast Construction (Volume and Value) by Type/Product Category2.2.1 EMEA Precast Construction Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 EMEA Precast Construction Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.3 EMEA Precast Construction Sale Price by Type (2012-2017)2.3 EMEA Precast Construction (Volume) by Application2.4 EMEA Precast Construction (Volume and Value) by Region....About us:Research Trades has team of experts who works on providing exhaustive analysis pertaining to market research on a global basis. This comprehensive analysis is obtained by a thorough research and study of the ongoing trends and provides predictive data regarding the future estimations, which can be utilized by various organizations for growth purposes.We distribute customized reports that focus on meeting the clients specific requirement. Our database consists of a large collection of high-quality reports obtained using a customer-centric approach, thus providing valuable research insights.Contact Us:Email: sales@researchtrades.comCall us: +1 6269994607 / +91 7507349866Skype ID: researchtradesconWeb:
Global Scrub Trough Sales Market Report 2017

Global Scrub Trough Sales Market Report 2017

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QYRlogoThe Scrub Trough Industry 2017 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Scrub Trough industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Scrub Trough 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 Scrub Trough 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.Global Scrub Trough market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Scrub Trough sales volume, Price (USD/Dose), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingALVO MedicalElpis MedicalTechnikSkytronMortech ManufacturingAgencinoxInmoclincUZUMCU Medical......Ask a complete & professional report sample, please send message to tinaning@qyresearch.com or visit atTable of contents:1 Scrub Trough Market Overview2 Global Scrub Trough Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application3 United States Scrub Trough (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4 China Scrub Trough (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5 Europe Scrub Trough (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6 Japan Scrub Trough (Volume, Value and Sales Price)7 Southeast Asia Scrub Trough (Volume, Value and Sales Price)8 India Scrub Trough (Volume, Value and Sales Price)9 Global Scrub Trough Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data10 Scrub Trough Maufacturing Cost Analysis11 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers12 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders13 Market Effect Factors Analysis14 Global Scrub Trough Market Forecast (2017-2022)15 Research Findings and Conclusion16 AppendixRelated Reports:Global Scrub Trough Sales Market Report 2017Europe Scrub Trough Sales Market Report 2017China Scrub Trough Sales Market Report 2017India Scrub Trough Sales Market Report 2017Japan Scrub Trough Sales Market Report 2017USA Scrub Trough Sales Market Report 2017Korea Scrub Trough Sales Market 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 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
Wireless Power Transmission System Market  Outlook Trends, Growth Factors, Top Manufacturers, Research Methodology and Forecasts by 2022

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Latest Report Available at Orbis research Wireless Power Transmission System Market provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics and a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining industry growth.Request sample copy of this report @In our aim to provide our erudite clients with the best research material with absolute in-depth information of the market, our new report on Global Wireless Power Transmission System Market is confident in meeting their needs and expectations. The 2017 market research report on Global Wireless Power Transmission System Market is an in-depth study and analysis of the market by our industry experts with unparalleled domain knowledge. The report will shed light on many critical points and trends of the industry which are useful for our esteemed clients.The report covers a vast expanse of information including an overview, comprehensive analysis, definitions and classifications, applications, and expert opinions, among others. With the extent of information filled in the report, the presentation and style of the Global Wireless Power Transmission System Market report is a noteworthy.The Global Wireless Power Transmission System Industry report provides key information about the industry, including invaluable facts and figures, expert opinions, and the latest developments across the globe. Not only does the report cover a holistic view of the industry from a global standpoint, but it also covers individual regions and their development. The Global Wireless Power Transmission System Industry market report showcases the latest trends in the global and regional markets on all critical parameters which include technology, supplies, capacity, production, profit, price, and competition. The key players covered in the report provide a detailed analysis of the competition and their developments in the Global Wireless Power Transmission System Industry. Accurate forecasts and expert opinion from credible sources, and the recent R&D development in the industry is also a mainstay of the Wireless Power Transmission System Market report.Browse Complete Report @The report also focuses on the significance of industry chain analysis and all variables, both upstream and downstream. These include equipment and raw materials, client surveys, marketing channels, and industry trends and proposals. Other significant information covering consumption, key regions and distributors, and raw material suppliers are also a covered in this report.Finally, the Wireless Power Transmission System Market report ends with a detailed SWOT analysis of the market, investment feasibility and returns, and development trends and forecasts. As with every report on Orbis Research, the Wireless Power Transmission System Industry is the holy grail of information which serious knowledge seekers can benefit from. The report which is the result of ultimate dedication of pedigree professionals has a wealth of information which can benefit anyone, irrespective of their commercial or academic interest.Purchase a copy of Wireless Power Transmission System Market visit @For more information contact sales@orbisresearch.com .Some points from TOC:Chapter One: Wireless Power Transmission System Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Wireless Power Transmission System1.2 Wireless Power Transmission System Segment By Technology1.2.1 Global Wireless Power Transmission System Production and CAGR (%) Comparison By Technology (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Wireless Power Transmission System Production Market Share By Technology (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Inductive Coupling1.2.4 Resonant Inductive Coupling1.2.5 Capacitive Coupling1.2.6 Others1.3 Wireless Power Transmission System Segment By Range1.3.1 Near Field1.3.2 Far Field1.4 Global Wireless Power Transmission System Segment by Application1.4.1 Wireless Power Transmission System Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.4.2 Consumer Electronics1.4.3 Healthcare1.4.4 Automotive1.4.5 Industrial1.4.6 Others1.5 Global Wireless Power Transmission System Market by Region (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Wireless Power Transmission System Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.5.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.6 Global Market Size (Value) of Wireless Power Transmission System (2012-2022)1.6.1 Global Wireless Power Transmission System Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.6.2 Global Wireless Power Transmission System Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Chapter Two: Global Wireless Power Transmission System Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Wireless Power Transmission System Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Wireless Power Transmission System Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Wireless Power Transmission System Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Wireless Power Transmission System Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Wireless Power Transmission System Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Wireless Power Transmission System Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Wireless Power Transmission System Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Wireless Power Transmission System Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Wireless Power Transmission System Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, ExpansionFor any enquires before buying, connect with us @ enquiry@orbisresearch.comAbout Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Information:Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas  75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +9164101019Follow Us on LinkedIn:Follow us on Twitter:Like us on Facebook:
Valve Market - Analysis and Outlook to 2022

Data Triangulation,Sales Channel,Assembly Manufacturing,Marketing Environment, Nominal Pressure

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Browse full table of contents and data tables at :This report presents a comprehensive overview of the Valve market in Europe, which shares the history data information from 2012 to 2016, and forecast from 2017 to 2022.Request a sample copy at :This report provides a detailed analysis of the market, including 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 Valve industry.Order a Purchase Report Copy at :This report focuses Global and Europe market, including details as following:Key PlayersFISHERiUSiMasoneilaniUSiKitz(JP)CAMERON(UK)OTTO(FR)KSB(DE)KROSiUSiLOCKE(DE)SpiraxSarco(UK)Ring valve(CN)BTLiCNiWenzhou City TorchiCNiNEWAYiCNiSUFAiCNiBVMCiCNiYuanda ValveiCNiThree Flower Holding GroupiCNiJiangnan Valve Co LtdiCNiCVVZiCNiDun AniCNiShenTongiCNiKFiCNiBVMCiCNiCHADAiCNiKey RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersKey Product TypeBy Nominal Pressure: Vacuum Valve, Low Pressure Valve, Medium Pressure Valve., High Pressure Valve, Super High Pressure Valve.By Temperature: Cryogenic Valve, The Normal Temperature Valve, Medium Temperature Valve, High Temperature Valve.By Structure Characteristics: Door Shape Cock And Ball, Shape Of A Swing, Butterfly, Slide Valve Type.Key ApplicationsPiggingExhaustDrainExhaustFilterTable of ContentsGlobal and Europe Valve Market - Analysis and Outlook to 20221 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 Disclaimer1.2 Regulatory Factors1.3 End-User Analysis1.4 Strategic Benchmarking1.5 Industry Chain and Supply Chain1.5.1 Valve Industry Chain Structure1.5.1.1 R&D1.5.1.2 Raw Materials (Components)1.5.1.3 Manufacturing Plants1.5.1.4 Regional Trading (Import Export and Local Sales)1.5.1.5 Online Sales Channel1.5.1.6 Offline Channel1.5.1.7 End Users1.5.2 Valve Manufacturing1.5.2.1 Key Components1.5.2.2 Assembly Manufacturing1.5.3 Consumer Preference1.5.4 Behavioral Habits1.5.5 Marketing Environment1.6 SWOT Analysis1.7 Feasibility Analysis1.8 Development Trend and Research Conclusion1.8.1 Development Trend1.8.2 Research Conclusion2 Global Valve Product Overview2.1 Global Valve Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20172.2 Valve, by Nominal Pressure 2012-20172.2.1 Global Valve Sales Market Share by Nominal Pressure 2012-20172.2.2 Global Valve Revenue Market Share by Nominal Pressure 2012-20172.2.3 Global Valve Price by Nominal Pressure 2012-20172.2.4 Vacuum Valve2.2.5 Low Pressure Valve2.2.6 Medium Pressure Valve.2.2.7 High Pressure Valve2.2.8 Super High Pressure Valve2.3 Valve, by Temperature 2012-20172.3.1 Global Valve Sales Market Share by Temperature 2012-20172.3.2 Global Valve Revenue Market Share by Temperature 2012-20172.3.3 Global Valve Price by Temperature 2012-20172.3.4 Cryogenic Valve2.3.5 The Normal Temperature Valve2.3.6 Medium Temperature Valve2.3.7 High Temperature Valve2.4 Valve, by Structure Characteristics 2012-20172.4.1 Global Valve Sales Market Share by Structure Characteristics 2012-20172.4.2 Global Valve Revenue Market Share by Structure Characteristics 2012-20172.4.3 Global Valve Price by Structure Characteristics 2012-20172.4.4 Door Shape Cock And Ball2.4.5 Shape Of A Swing2.4.6 Butterfly2.4.7 Slide Valve Type3 Europe Valve Product Overview3.1 Europe Valve Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20173.2 Valve, by Nominal Pressure 2012-20173.2.1 Europe Valve Sales Market Share by Nominal Pressure 2012-20173.2.2 Europe Valve Revenue Market Share by Nominal Pressure 2012-20173.2.3 Europe Valve Price by Nominal Pressure 2012-20173.2.4 Vacuum Valve3.2.5 Low Pressure Valve3.2.6 Medium Pressure Valve.3.2.7 High Pressure Valve3.2.8 Super High Pressure Valve3.3 Valve, by Temperature 2012-20173.3.1 Europe Valve Sales Market Share by Temperature 2012-20173.3.2 Europe Valve Revenue Market Share by Temperature 2012-20173.3.3 Europe Valve Price by Temperature 2012-20173.3.4 Cryogenic Valve3.3.5 The Normal Temperature Valve3.3.6 Medium Temperature Valve3.3.7 High Temperature Valve3.4 Valve, by Structure Characteristics 2012-20173.4.1 Europe Valve Sales Market Share by Structure Characteristics 2012-20173.4.2 Europe Valve Revenue Market Share by Structure Characteristics 2012-20173.4.3 Europe Valve Price by Structure Characteristics 2012-20173.4.4 Door Shape Cock And Ball3.4.5 Shape Of A Swing3.4.6 Butterfly3.4.7 Slide Valve Type4 Valve Top Companies Profile4.1 FISHERiUSi4.1.1 FISHERiUSi Company Details and Competitors4.1.2 FISHERiUSi Key Valve Models and Performance4.1.3 FISHERiUSi Valve Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast4.1.4 FISHERiUSi Valve Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin4.2 MasoneilaniUSi4.2.1 MasoneilaniUSi Company Details and Competitors4.2.2 MasoneilaniUSi Key Valve Models and Performance4.2.3 MasoneilaniUSi Valve Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast4.2.4 MasoneilaniUSi Valve Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin4.3 Kitz(JP)4.3.1 Kitz(JP) Company Details and Competitors4.3.2 Kitz(JP) Key Valve Models and Performance4.3.3 Kitz(JP) Valve Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast4.3.4 Kitz(JP) Valve Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin4.4 CAMERON(UK)4.4.1 CAMERON(UK) Company Details and Competitors4.4.2 CAMERON(UK) Key Valve Models and Performance4.4.3 CAMERON(UK) Valve Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast4.4.4 CAMERON(UK) Valve Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin4.5 OTTO(FR)4.5.1 OTTO(FR) Company Details and Competitors4.5.2 OTTO(FR) Key Valve Models and Performance4.5.3 OTTO(FR) Valve Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast4.5.4 OTTO(FR) Valve Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin4.6 KSB(DE)4.6.1 KSB(DE) Company Details and Competitors4.6.2 KSB(DE) Key Valve Models and Performance4.6.3 KSB(DE) Valve Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast4.6.4 KSB(DE) Valve Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin4.7 KROSiUSi4.7.1 KROSiUSi Company Details and Competitors4.7.2 KROSiUSi Key Valve Models and Performance4.7.3 KROSiUSi Valve Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast4.7.4 KROSiUSi Valve Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin4.8 LOCKE(DE)4.8.1 LOCKE(DE) Company Details and Competitors4.8.2 LOCKE(DE) Key Valve Models and Performance4.8.3 LOCKE(DE) Valve Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast4.8.4 LOCKE(DE) Valve Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin4.9 SpiraxSarco(UK)4.9.1 SpiraxSarco(UK) Company Details and Competitors4.9.2 SpiraxSarco(UK) Key Valve Models and Performance4.9.3 SpiraxSarco(UK) Valve Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast4.9.4 SpiraxSarco(UK) Valve Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin4.10 Ring valve(CN)4.10.1 Ring valve(CN) Company Details and Competitors4.10.2 Ring valve(CN) Key Valve Models and Performance4.10.3 Ring valve(CN) Valve Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast4.10.4 Ring valve(CN) Valve Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin4.11 BTLiCNi4.12 Wenzhou City TorchiCNi4.13 NEWAYiCNi4.14 SUFAiCNi4.15 BVMCiCNi4.16 Yuanda ValveiCNi4.17 Three Flower Holding GroupiCNi4.18 Jiangnan Valve Co LtdiCN4.19 CVVZiCNi4.20 Dun AniCNi4.21 ShenTongiCNi4.22 KFiCNi4.23 BVMCiCNi4.24 CHADAiCNi5 Valve by Regions 2012-20175.1 Global Valve Sales Market Share by Regions 2012-20175.2 Global Valve Revenue Market Share by Regions 2012-20175.3 Global Valve Price by Regions 2012-20175.4 North America5.4.1 United States5.4.2 Canada5.5 Latin America5.5.1 Mexico5.5.2 Brazil5.5.3 Argentina5.5.4 Others in Latin America5.6 Europe5.6.1 Germany5.6.2 United Kingdom5.6.3 France5.6.4 Italy5.6.5 Spain5.6.6 Russia5.6.7 Netherland5.6.8 Others in Europe5.7 Asia & Pacific5.7.1 China5.7.2 Japan5.7.3 India5.7.4 Korea5.7.5 Australia5.7.6 Southeast Asia5.7.6.1 Indonesia5.7.6.2 Thailand5.7.6.3 Philippines5.7.6.4 Vietnam5.7.6.5 Singapore5.7.6.6 Malaysia5.7.6.7 Others in Southeast Asia5.8 Africa & Middle East5.8.1 South Africa5.8.2 Egypt5.8.3 Turkey5.8.4 Saudi Arabia5.8.5 Iran5.8.6 Others in Africa & Middle East6 GlobalValve by Players 2012-20176.1 Global Valve Sales Volume Market Share by Brands 2012-20176.2 Global Valve Revenue Share by Brands 2012-20176.3 Global Top Players Valve Key Product Model and Market Performance6.4 Global Top Players Valve Key Target Consumers and Market Performance7 EuropeValve by Players 2012-20177.1 Europe Valve Sales Volume Market Share by Brands 2012-20177.2 Europe Valve Revenue Share by Brands 2012-20177.3 Europe Top Players Valve Key Product Model and Market Performance7.4 Europe Top Players Valve Key Target Consumers and Market Performance8 Global Valve by Consumer 2012-20178.1 Global Valve Sales Market Share by Consumer 2012-20178.2 Pigging8.3 Exhaust8.4 Drain8.5 Exhaust8.6 Filter8.7 Consuming Habit and Preference9 Europe Valve by Consumer 2012-20179.1 Europe Valve Sales Market Share by Consumer 2012-20179.2 Pigging9.3 Exhaust9.4 Drain9.5 Exhaust9.6 Filter9.7 Consuming Habit and Preference10 Global Valve Market Size (Sales and Revenue) Forecast (2017-2022)10.1 Global Valve Sales (K Pcs), Revenue (Million USD) Forecast (2017-2022)10.2 Global Valve Sales (K Pcs) Forecast by Regions (2017-2022)10.3 Global Valve Sales (K Pcs) Forecast by Application (2017-2022)10.4 Global Valve Sales (K Pcs) Forecast by Nominal Pressure (2017-2022)10.5 Global Valve Sales (K Pcs) Forecast by Temperature (2017-2022)10.6 Global Valve Sales (K Pcs) Forecast by Structure Characteristics (2017-2022)11 Europe Valve Market Size (Sales and Revenue) Forecast (2017-2022)11.1 Europe Valve Sales (K Pcs), Revenue (Million USD) Forecast (2017-2022)11.2 Europe Valve Sales (K Pcs) Forecast by Regions (2017-2022)11.3 Europe Valve Sales (K Pcs) Forecast by Application (2017-2022)11.4 Europe Valve Sales (K Pcs) Forecast by Nominal Pressure (2017-2022)11.5 Europe Valve Sales (K Pcs) Forecast by Temperature (2017-2022)11.6 Europe Valve Sales (K Pcs) Forecast by Structure Characteristics (2017-2022)About Reports And MarketsReports And Markets is part of the Algoro Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.Are you mastering your market? Do you know what the market potential is for your product, who the market players are and what the growth forecast is? We offer standard global, regional or country specific market research studies for almost every market you can imagine.Contact PersonSanjay JainManager - Partner Relations & International Marketinginfo@reportsandmarkets.comPh: +1-214-377-1121 (US), +44-020-3286-9338 (UK)
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If a registered trademark is infringed, it is possible to take action against this. GRP Rainer Rechtsanwalte is experienced in enforcing and fending off claims arising from trademark violations.Trademarks create greater brand recognition among consumers and in doing so foster customer loyalty. It is therefore crucial for businesses to have their trademarks protected to prevent competitors from profiting from their success.As a commercial law firm with a great deal of experience in the field of trademark law, we at GRP Rainer Rechtsanwalte note that a symbol or mark is in principle capable of being registered as a trademark if it is sufficiently distinctive vis-a-vis goods and services provided by other companies. Nonetheless, even if a trademark is registered and protected, there is always the possibility of trademark violations occurring. These kinds of infringements ought to be consistently pursued in order to protect ones business and legal action taken in the form of, for instance, formal warnings, cease-and-desist declarations or claims for damages.That being said, it is important to check beforehand whether a trademark violation has in fact occurred. If, for example, a formal warning is wrongfully issued, this is considered negligent in the absence of a prior investigation and entails culpability. This can, in turn, result in the company that was wrongfully issued with a formal warning being able to assert damages claims.Avoiding this kind of scenario is absolutely essential. That is why one should first of all establish the field in relation to which a trademark has been registered. Examples of marks capable of being registered include word marks, figurative marks, colour marks, audio marks, 3D marks, or a combination of the above. Additionally, it is also necessary to assess the territorial area with respect to which the trademark has been afforded protection. This is especially important at a time when globalization continues to advance. A trademark is initially protected in the country in which it was registered. However, it is possible to expand this protection, e.g. to other European Union member states and beyond. Particularly in light of the United Kingdoms upcoming exit from the European Union, it may be a good idea to have another closer look at trademark protection. It is, of course, also necessary to ensure that ones own trademarks do not infringe any existing trademark rights.Lawyers who are experienced in the field of intellectual property law can advise on all matters pertaining to trademark law as well as assume responsibility for enforcing or fending off claims arising from trademark violations.GRP Rainer LLPis an international firm of lawyers and tax advisors who are specialists in commercial law. The firm counsels commercial and industrial companies and corporations, as well as associations, small- and mid-sized businesses, self-employed freelancers and private individuals worldwide from offices Cologne, Berlin, Bonn, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and London UK.Contact Michael RainerLawyer, Managing PartnerGRP Rainer LLPGurzenich-QuartierAugustinerstrae 1050667 CologneGermanyPhone: +49 221-27 22 75-0info@grprainer.com
Global Directional Drilling Service Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 Top Players : D. P. Jindal Group, Halliburton

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report ## to its huge collection of research reports.A recent report by QYResearchReports.com presents readers a concise yet all-inclusive overview of the global Directional Drilling Service market. The report examines the current state of the various elements and dynamics of the market in great detail and elucidates every aspect of the market that is likely to have an impact on the growth trajectory of the global Directional Drilling Service market during the reports forecast period.The report analyzes the major growth drivers, challenges, and trends impacting the market are with the help of several industry-best analytical and business intelligence tools. Past and estimated future growth statistics is included in the report to give readers a complete picture of the market.This report studies the global Directional Drilling Service market, analyzes and researches the Directional Drilling Service development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeGeneral ElectricHalliburtonD. P. Jindal GroupBaker Hughes IncorporatedNational Oilwell VarcoNabors Industries Ltd.Schlumberger LimitedCathedral Energy ServicesWeatherfordScientific Drilling InternationalTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report gathers the vast market research data with the help of a number of primary and secondary research techniques and has been narrowed down with the help of several analytical methods for providing readers the most crucial data pertaining to the global Directional Drilling Service market.The report also gives thorough insights into the competitive scenario of the market by providing business profiles, marketing strategies, products and services offered, and the current state of some of markets most prominent vendors in the market. The report profiles some of the most influential companies that have had a major contribution toward the growth of the market in the past, or are expected to do so over the reports forecast period.The report, with its 360-degree span of analysis, allows business strategists, businesses, managers, and all other parties concerned about the overall development of the global Directional Drilling Service market in formulating strategies that will prove to be most effective in the current and projected period.Obtain Report Details @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Directional Drilling Service1.1 Directional Drilling Service Market Overview1.1.1 Directional Drilling Service Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Directional Drilling Service Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.3 Directional Drilling Service Market by Type2 Global Directional Drilling Service Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Directional Drilling Service 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 General Electric3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Directional Drilling Service Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Halliburton3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Directional Drilling Service Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 D. P. Jindal Group3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Directional Drilling Service Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent DevelopmentsList of Tables and FiguresFigure Directional Drilling Service Product ScopeFigure Global Directional Drilling Service Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2017)Table Global Directional Drilling Service Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure United States Directional Drilling Service Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure EU Directional Drilling Service Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Japan Directional Drilling Service Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure China Directional Drilling Service Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure India Directional Drilling Service Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)QYReseachReports.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.1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United States
Global Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Industry Report 2016 - Emerging Trends, Forecast, Growth Drivers, Outlook and Opportunities

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ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Global Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Industry 2016, Trends and Forecast Report " to it's Large Report database.2016 Global Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Market Report is a professional and in-depth research report on the world's major regional market conditions of the Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment industry, focusing on the main regions (North America, Europe and Asia) and the main countries (United States, Germany, Japan and China).The report firstly introduced the Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment basics: definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain overview; industry policies and plans; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures and so on. Then it analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, capacity utilization, supply, demand and industry growth rate etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:The report includes six parts, dealing with: 1.) basic information; 2.) the Asia Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment industry; 3.) the North American Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment industry; 4.) the European Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment industry; 5.) market entry and investment feasibility; and 6.) the report conclusion.Table of ContentsPart I Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Industry OverviewChapter One Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Industry Overview1.1 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Definition1.2 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Classification Analysis1.2.1 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Main Classification Analysis1.2.2 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Main Classification Share AnalysisBrowse more details @1.3 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Application Analysis1.3.1 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Main Application Analysis1.3.2 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Main Application Share Analysis1.4 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Industry Chain Structure Analysis1.5 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Industry Development Overview1.5.1 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Product History Development Overview1.5.1 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Product Market Development Overview1.6 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.1 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Global Import Market Analysis1.6.2 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Global Export Market Analysis1.6.3 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Global Main Region Market Analysis1.6.4 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.5 Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Global Market Development Trend AnalysisChapter Two Nuclear Power Plant and Equipment Up and Down Stream Industry Analysis2.1 Upstream Raw Materials Analysis2.1.1 Upstream Raw Materials Price Analysis2.1.2 Upstream Raw Materials Market Analysis2.1.3 Upstream Raw Materials Market Trend2.2 Down Stream Market Analysis2.1.1 Down Stream Market Analysis2.2.2 Down Stream Demand Analysis2.2.3 Down Stream Market Trend AnalysisAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's 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. ResearchMoz's 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.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at:
Global Alpha 1-Antitrypsin (AAT) Replacement Therapy Market: Size, Trends and Forecast (2016-2020) - Researchmoz

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Alpha 1-Antitrypsin (AAT) Replacement Therapy Market: Size, Trends and Forecast (2016-2020)" to its huge collection of research reports.The report titled Global Alpha 1-Antitrypsin (AAT) Replacement Therapy Market: Size, Trends and Forecast (2016-2020) provides an in-depth analysis of the global AAT Replacement Therapy market with detailed analysis of market sizing, growth and market share. The report provides market size by value and volume along with the supply trend prevailing in the market.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report provides detail market analysis of the major products available in the market for treating AAT deficiency. The four major products included are, Prolastin, Glassia, Zemaira, and Aralast. Among which, Prolastin had the monopoly in the market for over 25 years, Asit was the first AAT Replacement Therapy available in the market for the treatement.The report also assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall global AAT Replacement Therapy market has also been forecasted for the period 2016-2020, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends. The competition in the global AAT Replacement Therapy market is stiff and dominated by the big players like Grifols. Further, key players of the AAT Replacement Therapy market, Kamada, Shire and CSL Behring are also profiled withtheir financial information and respective business strategies.Regional CoverageGlobalCompany CoverageGrifols SAKamada Ltd.CSL Behring LLCShire PLCBrowse Detail Report With Full TOC @Executive SummaryAlpha 1 antitrypsin is a type of plasma protein inside our body, it is called protease inhibitor. AAT is made in the liver and its function is to protect lungs and liver. Deficiency of AAT protein is caused by genetic defect. Adults with severe AAT deficiency develop emphysema. Smoking can increase the risk of emphysema. The market to replace AAT deficiency by replacement therapy has grown with in past 5-10 years.The global AAT Replacement therapy market has increased at a significant CAGR during the span of 4 years i.e. 2012-2015 and projections are made that the market would rise in the next five years i.e. 2016-2020 tremendously. The market for AAT replacement therapy has increased significantly in these years because the people as well as doctors have become more aware of the disease. Earlier, patients suffering from AAT deficiency were treated like asthma patients or other COPD patients. But, now, doctors have access to better diagnostics tests that can detect disease at the early stage.Improvement in the method of treatment is the major driver for the growth of the market, a number of technologies and diagnostics have been innovated to treat and diagnose the same. Thus, the increased awareness along with improved treatment signifies the upsurge in the AAT Replacement Therapy market. Also, the number the of prescriptions for AAT Replacement therapy have been reported to increase at an increasing rate, driving the market in the positive direction. Despite the market is governed by various growth drivers, there are certain challenges faced by the market such as: the cost of the treatment is high for people, limited plasma fraction capacity and side-effects of alpha1 proteinase inhibitor.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 Vacuum Valve Industry Key Trends, Size, Growth, Shares And Forecast Research Report (2016-2020)

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Vacuum Valve Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2020)" to its huge collection of research reports.The report titled Global Vacuum Valve Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2020) provides an analysis of the global vacuum valve market by value and by segments.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall global vacuum valve market has also been forecasted for the period 2016-2020, taking into considerations the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.The report also portrays a competitive landscape of the vacuum valve market with comparison of top market players. VAT is the market leader, with the largest share in the global vacuum valve market.Browse Detail Report With Full TOC @A brief company profiling of major market players namely VAT, MKS Instruments, Pfeiffer Vacuum and INFICON has been provided in the report on the basis of aspects like business overview, financial overview and business strategies adopted by these companies.Company CoverageVATMKS InstrumentsPfeiffer VacuumINFICONExecutive SummaryVacuum valve directs the flow of fluid to create a vacuum and generally operated inside machinery which uses gauges or switches in order to control the pressure inside the valve. Vacuum is created by controlling the intake of air on one end of the valve and closing it off from being released elsewhere. There are four major types of vacuum valves: gate valve, butterfly valve, angle valve and ball valves.The global vacuum valve market has increased at a significant CAGR during the years 2012 to 2015 and projections are made that the market would rise in the next four years i.e. 2016 to 2020 tremendously. The vacuum valve market is expected to increase due to technological advancements, advanced packaging technologies, growing semiconductor industry and increasing use of valves in display technologies such as FPD and LED. Yet the market faces some challenges such as, barrier to new market entrants, increase in raw material pricing, increasing semiconductor node shrink and slow growth of OLED display market etc.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 @
United States Flu Vaccine Market & Forecast

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United States Influenza Vaccine Market is expected to reach more than US$ 2.5 Billion by the year end of 2022.Market growth can be attributed to factors such as increased disease awareness, expanded recommendations by governmental and advisory bodies to be vaccinated against influenza vaccine and introduction of quadrivalent influenza vaccine.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industryvalidated market data. It provides essential insights into United States influenza vaccine market and forecast. It covers vaccination pattern, doses distribution, production and offers a clear view of the regulatory landscape. Additionally, the report includes insight of clinical trials, pipeline and promising vaccines in United States influenza vaccine market. Key trends in terms of M&A, collaborations and licensing agreements are analyzed with details.The report concludes with the profiles of major players in the influenza vaccine market such as Sanofi Pasteur, GSK, Seqirus, AstraZenecca and Protein Sciences Corporation. The major market players are evaluated on various parameters such as company overview, product outlook and sales analysis of influenza vaccine market from 2011 to 2022. Other emerging players such as Novavax, DaiichiSankyo, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd, and VaxInnate are making novel technology based influenza vaccine which is likely to affect the market share during the forecast period. The report also entails major drivers and barriers of influenza vaccine market.Complete Report @Major and Promising Vaccine covered in the report are as follows:Fluzone HighDoseFluzone QuadrivalentIntradermal (ID) TrivalentVaxigripFluarix QuadrivalentFlulaval QuadrivalentFluenz TetraFluMist QuadrivalentFlublokVN100M001VAX2012QTAK  850Flucelvax QuadrivalentAfluria QuadrivalentAgrippalFluadFluvirinFluvaxKey Companies Covered in the Report are as follows:Sanofi PasteurGlaxoSmithKline(GSK)SeqirusAstraZeneccaProtein Sciences CorporationNovavaxDaiichiSankyoMitsubishi Tanabe PharmaBiondVax Pharmaceuticals LtdVaxInnateDPI Research is a business solutions firm which offer bespoke market research reports, custom research solutions and consulting across multi geographies and industry verticals. We deliver wide range of cutting-edge research solutions that helps organizations in making better decisions of the business to business needs.DPI Research provides high standard of business research reports to the clients across industry verticals comprising Life Sciences, Information Technology, Telecom & Internet, Food Beverages & Agriculture, Travel & Tourism, Consumer Goods & Retail, Education and Social Sciences. We are committed to use advanced analytical tools and methodologies to help clients with crucial industry information for decision making.DPI Research approaches for the business research led by a team of dynamic industry experts. DPI Research provides a real insight for effective decisions to help business with the help of current source and accurate data available in the market. DPI Research reach across the globe with global standards from established markets in the North America and Europe to emerging markets in South America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa to provide the best business solutions.Contact Us:Maria RaiTel :+91 -7289949987Email: sales@dpiresearch.comWebsite:
Liquid Applied Membrane Market Report 2016-2023 Growth, Trend & Forecast Analysis

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DecisionDatabases.com offers Liquid Applied Membrane Market Research Report. This Report covers the complete Industry Outlook, Growth, Size, Share and Forecast Till 2023. The report on global liquid applied membrane market evaluates the growth trends of the industry through historical study and estimates future prospects based on comprehensive research. The report extensively provides the market share, growth, trends and forecasts for the period 2016-2023. The market size in terms of volume (MN Sq. Meters) and revenue (USD MN) is calculated for the study period along with the details of the factors affecting the market growth (drivers and restraints).The major market drivers are Developments in the construction sector, Increasing demand of waste and water management systems and Long lasting membranes. The market growth might be restricted due Cost fluctuations of the raw materials and increasing need of sheets membranes under the study period.Get FREE Sample Report Copy With FULL Segmentations and TOC @The comprehensive value chain analysis of the market will assist in attaining better product differentiation, along with detailed understanding of the core competency of each activity involved. The market attractiveness analysis provided in the report aptly measures the potential value of the market providing business strategists with the latest growth opportunities. The report classifies the market into different segments based on product, application and end-use. These segments are studied in detail incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country level. The segment analysis is useful in understanding the growth areas and probable opportunities of the market.The report also covers the complete competitive landscape of the worldwide market with company profiles of key players such as BASF SE, CICO Technologies Limited, Dow Chemical Company, DuPont, Fosroc Ltd., Hexis S.A., Kemper System America, Inc., Paul Bauder GmbH & Co. KG, Pidilite Industries Limited and Sika AG. In terms of geography, the liquid applied membrane market has been segmented into regions such as North America (NA), Europe (EU), Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America (LA) & Middle East & Africa (MEA). The study provides a detailed view of country-level aspects of the market on the basis of application segments and estimates the market in terms of revenue and volume during the forecast period.Table Of Contents - Overview1. Introduction2. Executive Summary3. Market Analysis4. Liquid Applied Membrane Market Analysis By Product5. Liquid Applied Membrane Market Analysis By Application6. Liquid Applied Membrane Market Analysis By End-Use7. Liquid Applied Membrane Market Analysis By Geography8. Competitive Landscape Of The Liquid Applied Membrane Companies9. Company Profiles Of The Liquid Applied Membrane IndustryPurchase Complete Global Liquid Applied Membrane Market Research Report At:About Us:DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains.Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed.3rd Floor,Fountain chambers,Nanabhai Lane,Fort, Mumbai - 1E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.comPhone: +91 99 28 237112Web:
Global CRM Software Market Analysis with Focus on Cloud Applications (2016-2020)

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The report titled Global CRM Software Market with Focus on Cloud Applications (2016-2020) provides an in-depth analysis of the CRM software market with main focus on cloud-based CRM software or cloud applications. The report analyzes the significant trends and potential opportunities in the global CRM software market. The report provides detailed description regarding market overview, market sizing and growth, market segmentation, top players of the market and regional breakdown of market as well. The report also focuses on the available opportunities for the market and key factors that will be accountable for the growth of the market.The report summarizes country analysis of North America, Western Europe and rest of the world in terms of revenue. North America is the largest market for CRM software. It has the largest share in the overall CRM software market. Western Europe is the second largest market for CRM software. Other regions of the world like Asia Pacific nations have the potential to grow in coming years and will emerge as top players of the CRM software market.A brief description of competitive landscape is also provided in the report. Salesforce is the market leader of CRM software market. Top market players like Salesforce.com, SAP, Oracle and Microsoft etc. captured large part of market share. These companies are global leaders of CRM software market.Get The Sample Copy of this Report :Furthermore, the report also profiles key market players such as Salesforce.com, Oracle Corporation, SAP, Verint Systems Inc. and International Business Machine Corporation (IBM) on the basis of attributes such as company overview, recent developments, strategies adopted by the market leaders to ensure growth, sustainability, financial overview and recent developments.Country CoverageNorth AmericaWestern EuropeROWCompany CoverageSalesforce.comOracle CorporationSAPVerint Systems Inc.International Business Machine Corporation (IBM)Executive SummaryCRM software is broadly classified into three categories: On-Premises CRM, Cloud-Based CRM and Open Source CRM. Among these cloud-based CRM is most popular among business organizations now days. Cloud CRM means customer relationship management technology where the CRM software, CRM tools and the organizations data located in the cloud and is delivered to the end-users via the Internet.Send An Enquiry :CRM software market has shown increasing trends over the past few years. The growth in the market is due to movement of business organizations towards digital marketing, adoption of software in emerging economies like India, development of mobile and social CRM platform etc.The key factors driving the growth of the market are increasing use of SaaS, customer experience initiatives, adoption of CRM software by medium as well as small organization and increasing usage in multiple industries like hospitals, banks and restaurants etc.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
Dot Com Infoway Releases Mobile Game Business in India - Infographic

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Dot Com Infoway (DCI), a global award winning design and mobile app marketing firm recently released an infographic on Mobile Game Business in India.The infographic provides an overview of the gaming market in India with the help of facts presented in easy-to-understand graphs, charts and tables.We have collated latest cutting-edge insights on the gaming industry in India from various respectable sources and compiled facts in a fun and engaging manner to make it easier for the audience to understand as well as retain the facts and figures, says C. R. Venkatesh, MD & CEO of Dot Com Infoway, while speaking about the infographic.The infographic is divided in several heads dealing with different aspects of the gaming industry in India:1) Market overview - where insights on gaming market size as well as revenues are shown - readers can easily compare the growth in market size and revenues from the previous year.2) Game download trends reflect peoples approach towards downloading and playing games. The infographic also shows top trending games in India in the current year as well as in 2016.3) The infographic also showcases the top mobile game genres in India along with a mention of top grossing games.4) From a user information perspective, the infographic offers gender-wise stats of game users in India. Readers can find out how much time men and women spend each week on playing games and what percent of them play single player and team games.The infographic designed by our team also highlights the gaming behaviour trends in a tabular form. This section reveals certain interesting revelations about the gaming market in India, explains Mr. Venkatesh, gaming enthusiasts, game developers and advertisers will find this infographic very useful, he adds.The infographic is compiled with information sourced from Business Standard, Pocketgamer.biz and Tune and is designed by the in-house team of DCITo learn more about the topic check the infographic hereDot Com Infoway, an award-winning, CMMI Level 3 multinational Information Technology Company, is a pioneer in delivering software development, mobile application and Internet marketing solutions and technologies to business. With offices in India, the United States and Germany, DCI is positioned to become a leader in delivering advanced IT services for your business.Dot Com Infoway189, Aarthy chamber, Mount road,Opposite to Raj Video Vision Building,Chennai  600 006Tamil NaduIndia
Cost Structure of Automotive Handbrake and Clutch Cables market Forecast 2022 including Key Companies Profile, Supply, Trends & SWOT Analysis

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A new research document with title 'Automotive Handbrake and Clutch Cables - Global Market Outlook (2016-2022)covering detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions United States, Europe, Japan, China, India and important players/vendors such as TRW Automotive, Hella Pagid GmbH, Catton Control Cables, Cable-Tec, etc. The report will help user gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast to 2022.SummaryAccording to Research, the Global Automotive Handbrake & Clutch Cables market is estimated at $xx million in 2016 and is expected to reach $xx million by 2022 growing at a CAGR of xx% from 2016 to 2022. Factors such as positive macro-economic environment across major automotive hubs and increasing passenger vehicle production due to growing disposable incomes are influencing the market growth. However, the low priced counterfeit products offered in the market from China and India are of low quality and less durability which in turn could affect the brand image of existing players and therefore hampers the market growth.Request a sample report @Asia Pacific is anticipated to hold the major market share both with respect to supply and demand for respective cables and is expected to emerge as a key exporter to many countries. In addition, countries in the region such as China, India and South Korea are expected to remain as the main contributors to the growth of the market.TRW AutomotiveTMD Friction Group (TMD PAGID)Hella Pagid GmbHDURA Automotive SystemsContinental Automotive GmbHCatton Control CablesCable-TecAnropa Cables (Pty) LtdVehicle Types Covered: Commercial Vehicleso Higher Heating Value (HCV)o Lower Heating Value (LCV) Passenger Cars Two-WheelersProduct Types Covered: Handbrake Cables Clutch CablesSales Channels Covered: Aftermarket OEMGet customization & check discount for report @Regions 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 advancements1 Executive Summary2 Preface2.1 Abstract2.2 Stake Holders2.3 Research Scope2.4 Research MethodologyBuy this report @3 Market Trend Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Drivers3.3 Restraints3.4 Opportunities4 Porters Five Force Analysis4.1 Bargaining power of suppliers4.2 Bargaining power of buyers5 Global Automotive Handbrake & Clutch Cables Market, By Vehicle Type5.1 Introduction5.2 Commercial Vehicles5.2.1 Higher Heating Value (HCV)5.2.2 Lower Heating Value (LCV)....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
Growing Number of Products in the Pipeline Drives the Secondary Hyperparathyroidism Treatment Market Growth

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Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a disease that affects the parathyroid glands, leading to an increased production of parathyroid hormone (PTH) to maintain normal calcium levels in the blood. The disease is caused by an underlying chronic kidney disease in which the phosphorus in the blood is not cleaned by the kidneys. This excess phosphorus in the blood leads to a decline in calcium levels causing secondary hyperparathyroidism. In the early stages of secondary hyperparathyroidism, the PTH levels are high though the calcium levels are low or normal. The high levels of PTH lead to cardiovascular complications, low blood count, abnormal fat and sugar metabolism, weakening of bones, and calciphylaxis. The other causes of secondary hyperparathyroidism include vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D-resistant rickets, high abnormal levels of magnesium, malnutrition, and gastrointestinal malabsorption syndrome.Obtain Report Details @Growth in prevalence of chronic kidney disease, which is a leading cause of secondary hyperparathyroidism, is one of the primary reasons for the growth of the secondary hyperparathyroidism treatment market. In addition, increase in research activities on the disease and rise in product approvals contribute to the growth of the market. For instance, in 2016, Amgens Parsabiv (etelcalcetide) was granted marketing authorization in Europe for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in adult patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis. Furthermore, the growing number of products in the pipeline drives the market growth. However, the side effects associated with the secondary hyperparathyroidism treatment such as diarrhea, vomiting, muscle spasm, and decrease in serum calcium might have a negative impact on the market. Furthermore, decrease in the serum calcium levels as a result of the treatment leads to increased risk of heart failure owing to hypotension and decreased myocardial performance.The secondary hyperparathyroidism treatment market can be segmented based on treatment type, distribution channel, and geography. On the basis of treatment type, the market can be segmented into surgery and drug class. The drug class can be further sub-segmented into vitamin D and derivatives, calcimimetics, and phosphate binders. Among the drug class, calcimimetics are anticipated to record a significant growth owing to their ability to bind to parathyroid cell receptors and decrease the level of calcium in blood serum. Furthermore, the increasing product approvals of calcimimetics contribute to the rapid growth of the segment. On the basis of distribution channel, the market can be segmented into hospital pharmacies and retail pharmacies. The hospital pharmacies segment is anticipated to dominate the market during the forecast period.Make an Enquiry @Geographically, the secondary hyperparathyroidism treatment market is distributed over North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America is anticipated to record a significant market share of the secondary hyperparathyroidism treatment. This can be attributed to the well-developed health care infrastructure, growth in awareness among people, and favorable reimbursement scenarios. Europe is anticipated to be the trailing next region in the market. However, the market growth in the region is anticipated to be affected owing to the sluggish economic growth. The Asia Pacific market is expected to record a robust CAGR during the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to the significant contribution from the emerging countries such as China and India. The high prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the region further drives the growth of the market.The leading players operating in the secondary hyperparathyroidism treatment market include Amgen Inc., OPKO Health, Inc., AbbVie Inc., Shire Plc, F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Sanofi S.A., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Ltd., Astellas Pharma Inc, KAI Pharmaceuticals, Leo Pharma A/S, and Deltanoid Pharmaceuticals.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. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Automotive Ignition Coil Market Development at a CAGR of 5.2% by Top Manufacturers, Forecast to 2022

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A new research document with title 'Automotive Ignition Coil - Global Market Outlook (2016-2022)covering detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions United States, Europe, Japan, China, India and important players/vendors such as Marshall Electric Corp, Continental AG, DENSO Corporation, NGK Spark Plug Co. Ltd., AcDelco, etc. The report will help user gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast to 2022.SummaryAccording to Research, the global Automotive Ignition Coil Market is accounted for $2.35 billion in 2016 and expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% to reach $3.19 billion by 2022. Factors such as rising automotive production, per capita income growth, stringent fuel efficiency and emission norms and demand for advanced ignition coils are driving the market growth. However, increasing air pollution, adoption of electric cars and ongoing research and development in powering cars with solar energy are the constraints faced by the market. New product development and decisive partnerships with OEMs will provide remunerative growth prospects for automotive ignition coil.Request a sample report @Passenger cars segment is anticipated to show attractive growth due to increasing demand for compact cars. The pencil ignition coil product segment accounted for the highest CAGR during the forecast period owing to Engine downsizing which requires efficient components for engines assembly. Asia Pacific is the largest market followed by Europe in terms of revenue due to increase in purchasing power in nations such as China, Germany and India.Some of the key players in global Automotive Ignition Coil market areMarshall Electric CorpDelphi Automotive LLPBorgWarner Inc.Continental AGDENSO CorporationFederal-Mogul CorporationHitachi Automotive Systems America Inc.Standard Motor ProductsMitsubishi Electric CorporationNGK Spark Plug Co. Ltd.Nissan Motor Co. LtdRobert Bosch GmbHAcDelcoToyotaValeo SA Woodward IncProducts Covered: Electronic Distributor Coil Can-type Ignition Coil Double Spark Coil Ignition Coil Rail Pencil Ignition Coil Other ProductsVehicle Types Covered: Passenger Cars Light Commercial Vehicle Heavy Commercial Vehicle (HCV)Distribution Channels Covered: Physical Examination Aftermarket Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)Get customization & check discount for report @Regions 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 6 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 advancementsBuy this report @1 Executive Summary2 Preface2.1 Abstract2.2 Stake Holders2.3 Research Scope2.4 Research Methodology3 Market Trend Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Drivers3.3 Restraints4 Porters Five Force Analysis4.1 Bargaining power of suppliers4.2 Bargaining power of buyers5 Global Automotive Ignition Coil Market, By Product5.1 Introduction5.2 Electronic Distributor Coil...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.Contact Us:CRAIG FRANCIS (PR & Marketing Manager)sales@htfmarketreport.comPh: +1 (206) 317 1218HTF 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
Research Delivers Insight into the Global Outlook for Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Market 2025

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The process of combining medical and psychotherapeutic treatment to address the dependence on alcohol and drugs such as prescription drugs and street drugs is called rehabilitation. Addiction to alcohol and drugs is considered a chronic disease. If the addiction is untreated, it can have serious life threatening effects. Drug and alcohol addiction is treated with several steps such as detoxification, counselling, medication, and long term follow ups to avoid relapse. Withdrawal symptoms are serious such as sweat, nausea, and vomiting. Hence, addiction is considered treatable, but a complex process.Obtain Report Details @The global drug and alcohol rehabilitation market is expected to expand at a significant growth rate during the forecast period. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 26.9% of people aged 18 and above were engaged in binge drinking in a month in 2015. Rising prevalence of alcoholism is likely to be a key factor driving the global market from 2017 to 2025. Increased usage of illegal drugs is another factor anticipated to propel the global market during the forecast period. Furthermore, rise in major depression disorders, surge in trend among youngsters toward drugs and alcohols, underage drinking, peer pressure, and self-medication are some of the factors projected to fuel the growth of the global drugs and alcohol rehabilitation market during the forecast period. Serious withdrawal symptoms of the treatment is a major factor anticipated to restrain the global market from 2017 to 2025.The global drugs and alcohol rehabilitation market can be segmented based on treatment, screening, end-user, and region. In terms of treatment, the global market can be segmented into counselling, medication, and behavioral treatment. The medication segment can be sub-segmented into opioid addiction, tobacco, alcohol, and others. The medication segment is expected to account for a significant share of the global market during the forecast due to increase in usage of illicit drugs, alcoholism, and self-medication. Based on screening, the global market can be divided into oral fluid drug screening, urine drug screening, breathe alcohol screening, hair analysis, and others. In terms of end-user, the global drugs and alcohol rehabilitation market can be segmented into rehabilitation centers and clinics, hospitals, and home care settings. The rehabilitation centers and clinics segment is anticipated to hold the largest share of the global market during forecast period due to factors such as increasing federal funding.Make an Enquiry @The global drug and alcohol rehabilitation market is projected to expand at a significant growth rate across regions. Geographically, the global drug and alcohol rehabilitation market can be divided into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America dominates the global market in terms of value. Factors attributed to the growth of the market in North America are increase in patients suffering from major depression, prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle, surge in drug trafficking, and peer pressure. Europe is anticipated to account for the second largest share of the global market due to highest number of alcoholism-related disorders in the region. The market in Asia Pacific is expected to experience high growth due to increase in alcohol usage.To maintain a significant position in the global drug and alcohol rehabilitation market, the key players are adopting strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, robust research and development, and geographical expansion. Major players operating in the global drug and rehabilitation market are Indivior, Inc., West-Ward Pharmaceuticals Corp., and Pfizer, Inc., among others.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. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
PwC optimistic that Nigerias solid minerals sector can contribute up to 3% of GDP by 2025

Nigeria Mining Week to gather burgeoning industrys leaders in Abuja

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I am quite optimistic that if the right steps are taken and the current momentum is sustained, the solid minerals sector in Nigeria can contribute up to 3% of GDP by 2025 as predicted in the current roadmap, up from a current contribution of just about 0.5%. This is according to Cyril Azobu, Advisory Partner and Mining Leader at PwC Nigeria. He adds: my vision for the sector is one that is profitable to all stakeholders and in which the Nigerian people are able to enjoy the maximum benefits possible for these natural endowments. The upcoming Nigeria Mining Week, which is taking place again in Abuja from 16-19 October, is a successful partnership between PwC, the Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) and event organisers Spintelligent. This high-level, strategic mining investment platform will link investors, project developers, financiers, technology providers and government to share best practices and demonstrate the latest strategies to evolve the sector successfully.New roadmap for the sectorAccording to Mr Azobu, several important developments in the Nigerian mining sector in the last year bode well for the industrys future: perhaps the most significant is the approval in August 2016 of a new roadmap for the sector by the government. This very important policy document has really set the tone for the development of the sector. Following from this, we have seen the constitution of the Mining Implementation and Strategy team whose duty is to co-ordinate the implementation of the roadmap and program manage its execution.He adds: furthermore, the Federal Government also approved a N30bn Mining Intervention Fund. A significant proportion of the fund has gone into data gathering and a part of it is to go into capacity building for artisanal miners. We are also seeing the Federal Government making efforts to take advantage of some strategic minerals such as Steel and Bitumen but all of these are still in the early stages.Attracting more investment for the sectorRecently, the Board of the Solid Minerals Development Fund was inaugurated by the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. The PwC Nigeria Advisory Partner and Mining Leader explains: this board has the mandate to restructure and operationalise the fund by designing the appropriate governance structure, organisation, strategies and operations for effective management. This development will help establish a governance and financial structure and attract more investment for the sector. Another strong sign of an industry getting its house in order is the Federal Government inaugurating the Development Partner and Donor Agencies Coordination Group on Mining. The forum is expected to serve as a platform where development partners and donor agencies such as the World Bank, DFID, UNDP and the likes, meet to review, coordinate and synergise their programs with the aim of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of assistance provided to the mining sector.Issue of illegal miningAccording to Mr Azobu there has also been some effort to tackle the issue of illegal mining through the establishment of the Mines Police Division. He expands: this unit comprising the Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) will work with all the state mines offices to carry out surveillance of mining sites to achieve sanity, safety of lives and compliance of laid down procedures and environmental standard requirements.He says we are also beginning to see better collaboration between the Federal Government and the States with a few states increasingly taking advantage of this to develop their solid minerals sector and grow their internally generated revenue (IGR). We also know that states now earn 13% derivation from solid minerals revenues.Beyond Nigerian shores: the Federal Government has also indicated its intention to harmonize the current roadmap with the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) such that Nigerias strategy aligns with the wider African vision and that the AMVs ideals are domesticated in Nigeria.On the agenda at Nigeria Mining Week 2017, including new features, include:- B2B INTERNATIONAL EXPO: Featuring leading technology and innovative services covering the value chain of the mining industry.- STRATEGIC CONFERENCE: Providing strategic insights into hot legal and regulatory issues, investment, finance as well as market access and community involvement.- FREE TECHNICAL WORKSHOPS: Enhancing practical expertise to grow artisanal and small-scale operations with an A to Z mining toolkit.- CEO ROUNDTABLE: Deep diving into the key challenges facing the private stakeholders, driven by MAN and PwC - new.- INVESTOR BREAKFAST: Delivering all the necessary information and contacts required to invest in mining in Nigeria  new.- DRAGONS DEN: Enabling project financing by pitching mining business plans to a panel of selected financiers  new.- SITE VISIT: Discovering first-hand the reality and best practice of a world-class operation  new.Industry supportAs with previous years, the Nigeria Mining Week is enjoying strong support from the industry with early confirmed sponsorships from Palladium Mining Limited, SBOG, Congo Energy Solutions, Kian Smith Trade & Co, Minelab and Wilbahi.Nigeria Mining Week dates and location:Pre-conference: 16 October 2017Conference: 17-18 October 2017Site visit: 19 October 2017Venue: Nigerian Air Force Conference Center, Abuja, NigeriaThe Nigeria Mining Week is organised by the Miners Association of Nigeria in partnership with Spintelligent and PwC Nigeria. Spintelligent is a well-known trade conference and expo organiser on the continent. The company has particular expertise and experience in mining and infrastructure development events; including the long running flagship shows such as DRC Mining Week in Lubumbashi, the Kenya Mining Forum in Nairobi and African Utility Week in Cape Town.Senior communications manager: Annemarie RoodbolTelephone: +27 21 700 3558Email: annemarie.roodbol@spintelligent.comWebsite:Postal address: PO Box 321, Steenberg, 7947, South Africa
MyDiaby Watch: the needle-free revolution for diabetics is arrived!

MyDiaby Watch can continuously monitor your blood sugar levels through your skin. Now you are free from finger pricking or glucose sensors inserted under the skin. Discover the new non-invasive glucose monitor that helps you take control of your life.Now you can monitor your glucose levels anytime, anywhere. Are you driving, doing sport, sleeping or anything else? Now MyDiaby Watch will monitor blood glucose levels to avoid dangerous situations.Despite these risks, studies show that 72% of people on treatment do not monitor their diabetes enough and do not measure their blood glucose levels as many times as necessary. Pain, lack of time, difficulties of understanding are as much brake to a good monitoring of the blood sugar.MyDiaby Watch is a revolutionary medical device developed and produced by Genetic Healthcare Group S.A.MyDiaby Watch is a technology-driven global division built on entrepreneurial innovation, integrity and teamwork. Our dynamic and visionary team includes scientists, engineers and designers with proven experiences in wearable sensors, nanotechnology, thermoelectric technology and device design.MyDiaby Watch is a revolutionary medical device developed and produced by Genetic Healthcare Group S.A.MyDiaby Watch is a technology-driven global division built on entrepreneurial innovation, integrity and teamwork. Our dynamic and visionary team includes scientists, engineers and designers with proven experiences in wearable sensors, nanotechnology, thermoelectric technology and device design.Genetic Healthcare Group S.A.Cours de Rive1204 GenevaSwitzerland
The 5G Wireless Ecosystem: Technologies, Applications, Verticals, Strategies & Forecasts 2017 - 2030

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "The 5G Wireless Ecosystem: 2017 - 2030 - Technologies, Applications, Verticals, Strategies & Forecasts" to its huge collection of research reports.Despite the lack of sufficient LTE coverage in parts of the world, mobile operators and vendors have already embarked on R&D initiatives to develop 5G, the next evolution in mobile networks. 5G is expected to provide a single network environment to deliver not only existing mobile broadband and IoT services, but also new innovations such as self-driving cars, cloud robotics, 3D holographic telepresence and remote surgery with haptic feedback.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @In fact, many mobile operators are betting on 5G to diversify their revenue streams, as conventional voice and data service ARPUs decline globally. For example, South Korea's KT has established a dedicated business unit for holograms, which it envisions to be a key source of revenue for its future 5G network.At present, the 3GPP and other SDOs (Standards Development Organizations) are engaged in defining the first phase of 5G specifications. However, pre-standards 5G network rollouts are already underway, most notably in the United States and South Korea, as mobile operators rush to be the first to offer 5G services. SNS Research estimates that by the end of 2017, pre-standards 5G network investments are expected to account for over $250 Million.Although 2020 has conventionally been regarded as the headline date for 5G commercialization, the very first standardized deployments of the technology are expected to be commercialized as early as 2019 with the 3GPP's initial 5G specifications set to be implementation-ready by March 2018. Between 2019 and 2025, we expect the 5G network infrastructure market to aggressively grow a CAGR of nearly 70%, eventually accounting for $28 Billion in annual spending by the end of 2025. These infrastructure investments will be complemented by annual shipments of up to 520 Million 5G-capable devices.The 5G Wireless Ecosystem: 2017  2030  Technologies, Applications, Verticals, Strategies & Forecasts report presents an in-depth assessment of the emerging 5G ecosystem including key market drivers, challenges, enabling technologies, usage scenarios, vertical market applications, mobile operator deployment commitments, case studies, spectrum availability/allocation, standardization, research initiatives and vendor strategies. The report also presents forecasts for 5G investments and operator services.The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report, as well as a 5G deployment tracking database covering over 60 global 5G trials, demos and commercial deployment commitments (as of Q12017)."The report covers the following topics:- 5G NR (New Radio) and NextGen (Next Generation) system architecture- Market drivers and barriers to the adoption of 5G networks- 5G requirements, usage scenarios, vertical markets and applications- Key enabling technologies including air interface design, higher frequency radio access, advanced antenna systems, flexible duplex schemes, D2D (Device-to-Device) connectivity, dynamic spectrum access, self-backhauling and network slicing- Complementary concepts including NFV, SDN, hyperscale data centers, Cloud RAN, satellite communications and aerial networking platforms- Case studies and review of mobile operator 5G commitments- 5G standardization, development and research initiatives- Analysis of spectrum availability and allocation strategies for 5G networks- Competitive assessment of vendor strategies- Review of investments on R&D and pre-standards 5G networks- Standardized 5G infrastructure, user equipment and operator service forecasts till 2030Browse Detail Report With Full TOC @Forecast SegmentationMarket forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:5G R&D Investments- New Air Interface & Millimeter Wave Radio Access- MIMO, Beamforming & Advanced Antenna Technologies- Spectrum Sharing, Aggregation & Interference Management- Virtualization & Cloud RAN- Network Slicing & Other TechnologiesPre-Standards 5G Network Investments- Pre-Standards Base Stations- Pre-Standards User Equipment- Transport Networking & Other InvestmentsStandardized 5G Infrastructure Investments- 5G NR (New Radio)- - Distributed Macrocell Base Stations- - Small Cells- - RRHs (Remote Radio Heads)- - C-RAN BBUs (Baseband Units)- NextGen (Next Generation) Core Network- Fronthaul & Backhaul NetworkingStandardized 5G User Equipment Investments- Handsets- Tablets- Embedded IoT Modules- USB Dongles- Routers5G Operator Services- Subscriptions- Service RevenueRegional Segmentation- Asia Pacific- Eastern Europe- Latin & Central America- Middle East & Africa- North America- Western EuropeThe report provides answers to the following key questions:- How big is the opportunity for 5G network infrastructure, user equipment and operator services?- What trends, challenges and barriers will influence the development and adoption of 5G?- How will 5G drive the adoption of AR (Augmented Reality)/VR (Virtual Reality) applications such as 3D holographic telepresence and 360 degree streaming of live events?- How have advanced antenna and chip technologies made it possible to utilize millimeter wave spectrum for mobile communications in 5G networks?- How can non-orthogonal multiple access schemes such as RSMA (Resource Spread Multiple Access) enable 5G networks to support higher connection densities for Millions of IoT devices?- What will be the number of 5G subscriptions in 2019 and at what rate will it grow?- Which regions and countries will be the first to adopt 5G?- Which frequency bands are most likely to be utilized by 5G networks?- Who are the key 5G vendors and what are their strategies?- Will 5G networks rely on a disaggregated RAN architecture?- How will 5G impact the fiber industry?- Will satellite communications and aerial networking platforms play a wider role in 5G networks?The report has the following key findings:- The Unites States and South Korea are spearheading early investments in pre-standards 5G trial networks, as mobile operators rush to be the first to offer 5G networks. SNS Research estimates that by the end of 2017, pre-standards 5G network investments are expected to account for over $250 Million.- Following completion of the 3GPP's first phase of 5G specifications in March 2018, SNS Research expects that early adopters across the globe will simultaneously begin commercializing 5G services in 2019.- Between 2019 and 2025, we expect the 5G network infrastructure market to aggressively grow a CAGR of nearly 70%, eventually accounting for $28 Billion in annual spending by the end of 2025.- Although early 5G R&D investments have primarily targeted the radio access segment, network-slicing has recently emerged as necessary ""end-to-end"" capability to guarantee performance for different 5G applications which may have contrasting requirements.- In order to support diverse usage scenarios, 5G networks are expected to utilize a variety of frequency bands ranging from established sub-6 GHz cellular bands to millimeter wave spectrum.List of Companies Mentioned- 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project)- 5G Americas- 5G Forum, South Korea- 5G PPP (5G Infrastructure Public Private Partnership)- 5G TSA (5G Open Trial Specification Alliance)- 5GAA (5G Automotive Association)- 5GMF (Fifth Generation Mobile Communications Promotion Forum, Japan)- 5GRUS- 5GTF (5G Technical Forum)- 5GTR (Turkish 5G Forum)- Alcatel-Lucent- Alpental Technologies- Alphabet- America Movil- Anatel (Agencia Nacional de Telecomunicacoes)- Arcep- Argela- ARIB (Association of Radio Industries and Businesses)- Arqiva- Ascenta- AT&TContinued...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 @
ProSe (Proximity Services) for LTE & 5G Networks Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts 2017 - 2030

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "ProSe (Proximity Services) for LTE & 5G Networks: 2017 - 2030 - Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts" to its huge collection of research reports.First introduced in Release 12 of the 3GPP specifications, ProSe (Proximity Services) is a D2D (Device-to-Device) technology that allows LTE devices to detect each other and to communicate directly. It relies on multiple enhancements to existing LTE standards including new functional elements and a ""sidelink"" air interface for direct connectivity between devices.In comparison to existing D2D and proximity networking technologies, ProSe offers several distinct benefits including but not limited to better scalability, manageability, privacy, security and battery-efficiency. At present, efforts to commercialize ProSe are being spearheaded by the public safety and critical communications sector, amid the ongoing transition from legacy LMR (Land Mobile Radio) systems to LTE networks.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Although initial investments in ProSe-enabled devices will be driven by the public safety and critical communications sector, there also exists a much larger opportunity in the commercial arena. Mobile operators can leverage ProSe to offer a range of B2B, B2B2C and B2C services that rely on proximity, including advertising, social networking, gaming, relaying traffic for wearables and V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) connectivity.By the end of 2025, SNS Research estimates that mobile operators can pocket as much $17 Billion in ProSe based annual service revenue. Up to 55% of this revenue figure will be attributable to proximity advertising.The ""ProSe (Proximity Services) for LTE & 5G Networks: 2017  2030  Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies & Forecasts"" report presents an in-depth assessment of the ProSe market including enabling technologies, key trends, market drivers, challenges, standardization, use cases, applications, business models, pre-commercial case studies, opportunities, future roadmap, value chain and strategic recommendations. The report also presents forecasts for ProSe-enabled device shipments and ProSe based mobile operator service revenue from 2018 till 2030. The forecasts cover multiple submarkets and 6 regions.The report comes with an associated Excel datasheet suite covering quantitative data from all numeric forecasts presented in the report.The report covers the following topics:- ProSe technology- Market drivers and barriers- Sidelink air interface and spectrum bands- ProSe discovery and direct communication services- ProSe coverage scenarios and modes of operation- ProSe reference architecture, key functional elements and interfaces- 3GPP standardization efforts for ProSe- Competing D2D and proximity networking technologies- Key applications, business models and monetization strategies- Case studies of pre-commercial ProSe engagements- Industry roadmap and value chain- Strategic recommendations for key ecosystem players including chipset suppliers, device OEMs, infrastructure vendors, public safety agencies and mobile operators- Market analysis and forecasts from 2018 till 2030Browse Detail Report With Full TOC @Forecast SegmentationMarket forecasts are provided for each of the following submarkets and their subcategories:ProSe Device Shipments & RevenueSubmarkets- Public Safety & Critical Communications- Commercial SectorForm Factor Segmentation- Smartphones- Tablets- Wearables- Vehicle Mount Devices- V2X Devices- Other DevicesRegional Markets- Asia Pacific- Eastern Europe- Middle East & Africa- Latin & Central America- North America- Western EuropeProSe Based Mobile Operator Service RevenueSubmarkets- Advertising- Social Networking- V2X Connectivity- Public Safety & Critical Communications- Other ApplicationsThe report provides answers to the following key questions:- How big is the ProSe opportunity?- What trends, challenges and barriers are influencing its growth?- How will the ecosystem evolve by segment and region?- What will the market size be in 2020 and at what rate will it grow?- How big is the ProSe service revenue opportunity for mobile operators?- How will ProSe help public safety agencies in replacing legacy LMR systems with LTE and 5G networks?- How will consolidation in the chipset ecosystem affect the adoption of ProSe?- How can ProSe deliver localized V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) connectivity?- What strategies should chipset suppliers, device OEMs and mobile operators adopt to remain competitive?The report has the following key findings:- In comparison to existing D2D and proximity networking technologies, ProSe offers several distinct benefits including but not limited to better scalability, manageability, privacy, security and battery-efficiency.- At present, efforts to commercialize ProSe are being spearheaded by the public safety and critical communications industry. The ongoing transition from legacy LMR systems to LTE networks is expected to trigger the very first investments in ProSe-enabled devices, as direct communication between devices is an essential requirement for users in this domain.- In the commercial area, mobile operators can leverage ProSe to offer a range of B2B, B2B2C and B2C services that rely on proximity including advertising, social networking, gaming, relaying traffic for wearables and V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) connectivity.- By the end of 2025, SNS Research estimates that mobile operators can pocket as much $17 Billion in ProSe based annual service revenue. Up to 55% of this revenue figure will be attributable to proximity advertising.List of Companies Mentioned- 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project)- Apple- ASTRI (Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute)- Bluetooth SIG (Special Interest Group)- Compass.To- DT (Deutsche Telekom)- EE- Ericsson- Facebook- FirstNet (First Responder Network Authority)- Home Office, UK- Huawei- IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)- Intel Corporation- KT Corporation- M87- MPSS (Ministry of Public Safety and Security, South Korea)- NEC Corporation- Nokia- NTT DoCoMo- NXP Semiconductors- OnePlus- Qualcomm- Samsung Electronics- TanTan- Telecom Italia Group- U.S. Department of Commerce- U.S. NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology)- Wi-Fi Alliance- Yahoo- ZigBee AllianceCountires Covered- Afghanistan- Albania- Algeria- Andorra- Angola- Anguilla- Antigua & Barbuda- Argentina- Armenia- Aruba- Australia- Austria- Azerbaijan- Bahamas- Bahrain- Bangladesh- Barbados- Belarus- Belgium- Belize- Benin- Bermuda- Bhutan- Bolivia- Bosnia Herzegovina- Botswana- Brazil- British Virgin Islands- Brunei- Bulgaria- Burkina Faso- Burundi- Cambodia- Cameroon- Canada- Cape Verde- Cayman Islands- Central African Republic- Chad- Chile- China- Cocos Islands- Colombia- Comoros Islands- Congo- Cook Islands- Costa Rica- Cote d'Ivoire- Croatia- Cuba- Cyprus- Czech Republic- Democratic Rep of Congo (ex-Zaire)- Denmark- Djibouti- Dominica- Dominican Republic- East Timor- Ecuador- Egypt- El Salvador- Equatorial Guinea- Eritrea- Estonia- Ethiopia- Faroe Islands- Federated States of Micronesia- Fiji- Finland- France- French Guiana- French Polynesia (ex-Tahiti)- French West Indies- Gabon- Gambia- Georgia- Germany- Ghana- Gibraltar- Greece- Greenland- Grenada- Guam- Guatemala- Guernsey- Guinea Republic- Guinea-Bissau- Guyana- Haiti- Honduras- Hong Kong- Hungary- Iceland- India- Indonesia- Iran- Iraq- Ireland- Isle of Man- Israel- Italy- Jamaica- Japan- Jersey- Jordan- Kazakhstan- Kenya- Kirghizstan- Kiribati- Korea- Kosovo- Kuwait- Laos- Latvia- Lebanon- Lesotho- Liberia- Libya- Liechtenstein- Lithuania- Luxembourg- Macau- Macedonia- Madagascar- Malawi- Malaysia- Maldives- Mali- Malta- Marshall Islands- Mauritania- Mauritius- Mayotte- Mexico- Moldova- Monaco- Mongolia- Montenegro- Montserrat- Morocco- Mozambique- Myanmar- Namibia- Nepal- Netherlands- Netherlands Antilles- New Caledonia- New Zealand- Nicaragua- Niger- Nigeria- Niue- North Korea- Northern Marianas- Norway- Oman- Pakistan- Palau- Palestine- Panama- Papua New Guinea- Paraguay- Peru- Philippines- Poland- Portugal- Puerto Rico- Qatar- Reunion- Romania- Russia- Rwanda- Samoa- Samoa (American)- Sao Tome & Principe- Saudi Arabia- Senegal- Serbia- Seychelles- Sierra Leone- Singapore- Slovak Republic- Slovenia- Solomon Islands- Somalia- South Africa- Spain- Sri Lanka- St Kitts & Nevis- St Lucia- St Vincent & The Grenadines- Sudan- Suriname- Swaziland- Sweden- Switzerland- Syria- Tajikistan- Taiwan- Tanzania- Thailand- Togo- Tonga- Trinidad & Tobago- Tunisia- Turkey- Turkmenistan- Turks & Caicos Islands- UAE- Uganda- UK- Ukraine- Uruguay- US Virgin Islands- USA- Uzbekistan- Vanuatu- Venezuela- Vietnam- Yemen- Zambia- ZimbabweMake 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 @
Looking for Top Candid Photographers in India? Visit ClickersAdda.com

ClickersAdda.com- Find Top Candid Photographers in India

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About Candid Photography: Candid photography is photography that focuses on spontaneity rather than technique. Your subject's focus is not on the camera, but on their current task. So we're not talking about the photo albums full of people looking at the camera and smiling here! Your subjects are un-posed and the shots are unplanned. Candid photos are usually simple photos without a lot of technical equipment or any time taken 'setting up the shot'. Thus they capture some wonderful 'slices of life'!Candid photography is a great way to add some artistic flare to your photos without spending a lot of time with the technical aspects of photography.Tips before Hiring a Candid Photographer: Check the photographer's References- This cannot be stated enough. Going by a portfolio is not enough. Call up his references. You'll be surprised at how many wedding vendors give references of clients who were not that happy with their service! Research the national Better Business Bureau. Is there a multitude of complaints? If there was one complaint, was it resolved? (Well at that point you might want to look elsewhere regardless. Why take chances.) Please ask a lot of questions. Choose the Photography Style You Want- If you are looking to capture more candid photo shoots at a formal wedding you could still go with a photographer who has a mix of skills. Your photographs may give off a more semi-formal aura as a result though. Just remember to take your time. One of the main things to consider when it comes to photography is what you want from your pictures. Do you want pictures of your while family or mainly of the two of you? If it a larger wedding or is a more private celebration? You and your soon-to-be spouse should sit down and list all of the pictures that you would like to have in your wedding album--that is, poses for pictures. With this list, you'll be able to see if you should invest in a professional or consider other options. Where do you want your pictures taken? Some couples like to have outdoor pre wedding photoshoot, so they will need to find a photographer that does that as part of their services. The length of time you would like the photographer to be at the wedding will also factor into the price. Look at photographer samples to see if your styles match. If they don't, the photographer may recommend someone else. They want you to have good pictures, even if it's not with them.Pocket-friendly is one of the main concerns of people in India, and if they are searching for capturing the each and every special moment of their engagement, mehendi, sangeet, wedding and reception ceremony, then that search ends here. Keeping in the mind of all the necessary requirements of the wedding, ClickersAdda.com is aware of and value of the emotions of people. ClickersAdda.com will be of assistances to come across the best wedding vendors counting photographers, event organisers, videographers, Mahanadi artists and many more. You can find Top Candid Photographers in India at ClickersAdda.com. We have created a section, where we have listed Top Candid and Wedding photographers of India. For more visit our website-Clickers Adda is an online platform that allows users to find wedding vendors in India, UK and, USA. You can find best affordable local photographers, event organizers, bridal designers, boutiques, salons, calligraphers, caterers, dance studios, decorators, hair stylists, wedding halls. makeup artists. photo booth, wedding venues, florist, dress designers & bridal shops in India."CLICKERS ADDA, IndiaWebsite:Email: info@ClickersAdda.comPhone: 91 999 990 7542, 999 935 1746Press Contact: Press@ClickersAdda.com"
Offshore Corrosion Protection Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025

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Corrosion is caused by the reaction between metal and gasses in the environment. Deterioration in metal surface can be proximately reduced by changing the type of environment or removing the metal. Metal corrosion can be controlled by limiting the contents in environment such as chloride, sulfur, or oxygen. Offshore oil & gas exploration, transportation, and refining activities lead to deterioration of metals owing to reaction with various chemicals and gaseous present in the environment.Browse Market Research Report @Galvanic corrosion often attacks offshore rigs, ship hulls, and oil & gas pipelines. Various regulatory bodies such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) have levied stringent regulations on the usage of the corrosion protection method or products for operators safety. NACE has designed the standards for quality of coatings applied externally and internally to pipelines in order to mitigate corrosion. In order to maintain technical standards for construction, operation and survey of vessels, offshore structures, oil platform, and submarine by various non-governmental organization named as classification society. Classification societies such as the Lloyd's Register, the American Bureau of Shipping, and Indian Register of Shipping carry out regular surveys to ensure compliance with the standards.The offshore corrosion protection market can be segmented into technique, application, and region. Based on technique, the market can be divided into coatings, corrosion inhibitors, and cathodic protection. Coatings are used on pipelines to protect them from deterioration. Common types of coatings are painting and plating. These provide effective corrosion protection and esthetic appearance. Corrosion inhibitors are split into liquid phase inhibitors (LPIs) and volatile corrosion inhibitors (VCIs). Cathodic protection is more effective in preventing corrosion for offshore based industries. Cathodic protection can further be divided into two forms: sacrificial anode cathodic protection (SACP) and impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP). SACP is widely used, as it is more economical and easier to employ than ICCP.Based on application, the market can be segmented into pipelines, rigs, platform, ships, offshore wind turbine, and others. Transportation or supply of products such as natural gas, crude oil, and intermediate products from various modes such as pipelines and marine are being increased in past few years and this factor is expected to propel the market growth over the forecast period. This will drive the demand of corrosion prevention market during forecast period. Based on region, the offshore corrosion protection market can be segregated into North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Middle East & Africa.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Offshore Corrosion Protection Market . Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @North America is the key region of the market owing to the presence of major oil & gas exploration companies in the U.S. and Canada. Infrastructure developments and government initiatives in these countries are further propelling the offshore corrosion protection market. Rapid technological advancements and infrastructure development in the oil & gas sector are also expected to drive the demand for offshore corrosion protection during the forecast period. By increasing demand of energy in various countries, are highly dependent on export and import led to increase the demand of cargo vessels. This is anticipated to boost the offshore corrosion protection market in the near future. Increase in demand for oil and gas due to the rapid rise in population and growth in industrialization in Asia Pacific are augmenting the offshore corrosion protection market in the region.Key players operating in the global offshore corrosion protection market are Southern Cathodic Protection, 3M Company, The Valspar Corporation, AkzoNobel N.V, Chase Corporation, Jotun A/S, Hempel A/S, Axalta Coating System Ltd., Kansai Paints Co. Ltd., The Sherwin-Williams Company, RPM International, Inc., Aegion Corporation, Ashland Inc., and BASF SE.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:
Purging Compound Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025

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Purging compounds are chemical cleaning compounds that contain certain resins and additives in their formulation. They are widely used with various polyolefins such as thermoplastic olefin (TPO), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene (PE); high temperature resins such as polysulfones (PSU) and polyether ether ketone (PEEK); and engineered resins such as high impact poly styrene (HIPS) and polyamide (PA). Purging compounds are extensively employed to clean extruder lines and molder machines. Furthermore, these compounds are used to clean palletizing units in various chemical operations. They are also employed to clean carbon deposit and to bring about color and material changes. Purging compounds help clear machines in quicker time. They are also more efficient compared to traditional cleaning methods such as purging with regrind. Benefits of using purging compounds include less scrap, reduced downtime, low production cost, and less material waste.Browse Market Research Report @The global purging compound market can be segregated in terms of product and process. In terms of product, the market can be categorized into mechanical purging, chemical purging or foaming purging, and liquid purging. Mechanical purging compounds generally contain high-viscosity polymers and are used to eliminate scrap materials from screws, dies, and barrels. They do not require any residence time and neither aid in chemical reactions. Chemical purging compounds contain ammonia and other foaming agents that need residence time of 15 minutes to 30 minutes. These compounds facilitate chemical reactions and eliminate residue by reducing viscosity and molecular weight of the scrap material. They are used typically in low pressure areas. Chemical purging is the leading product segment of the purging compounds market, followed by mechanical and liquid purging. Growth of the chemical purging segment can be ascribed to its features such as high moldability rate. Based on process, the market can be split into extrusion, blow molding, and injection molding. Demand for purging compounds in the injection molding process is expected to rise significantly during the forecast period. Injection molding process is one of most popular processes for producing plastic parts. It involves many machine tools and configurations that need continuous scrap removal and carbon cleaning. Adoption of injection molding in the extrusion process is anticipated to increase, as it offers certain benefits such as fast contaminant removal.Rapid growth in the chemical industry coupled with increasing demand for cost effective scrap removal solutions from equipment to control corrosion and carbon deposition are driving the purging compound market. Furthermore, increase in mergers and acquisitions to enhance product offerings is another factor positively influencing the market. For instance, Chem-Trend L.P, a leading manufacturer of purging compounds, acquired Moulds Plus Internationals business Ultra Purge in 2016 to broaden its thermoplastic processing portfolio. Volatility in raw material prices due to variations in crude oil prices may hamper market growth. There exists intense competition in the purging compound market. Manufacturers are focusing towards improvement and development of innovative product as per consumer requirement. All these factors are responsible for markets growth.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Purging Compound Market . Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @In terms of region, the purging compound market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. In terms of consumption, North America is the leading region, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. High number of plastic processing plants coupled with rising demand for purging compounds, typically in engineering thermoplastics, is propelling the purging compound market in North America. The purging compound market in Asia Pacific is expected to expand significantly due to the rapid industrialization, which can lead to expansion of various industries such as petrochemicals, chemicals, and automotive. Latin America and Middle East & Africa are the lucrative regions of the purging compounds market due to the revival in their economy and rising investment by various manufacturers. Increase in research & development and brand promotion are likely to create new avenues for manufacturers of purging compounds.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:
Petcoke production rises in Asian markets, while Brazil shows a downward trend

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Greenwich (CT), USA, August 7, 2017  According to CW Researchs Petcoke Market Data, importers have recorded mixed trends in May 2017, production-wise. While Asian markets have increased production, political instability and lower cement production in Brazil has propelled a reduction in demand and production.In India, year-to-date production has recorded a five percent increase of petcoke market volumes until May 2017, when compared to the same period in the previous year. May was also the first month of 2017 when domestic production of petcoke has topped one million tons.As observed by Filipe Gouveia, analyst at CW Group: In May, petcoke production in India didnt shown signs of slowing down despite the National Green Tribunals discussions on a petcoke ban. Consumers of the byproduct in the country have increased stocks of the material in preparation for the monsoon season.In China, petcoke production has risen eight percent on a yearly basis. Liaoning and Guangdong were the regions that drove regional output expansion, recording a 63 percent and a nineteen percent increase year-on-year (YoY), respectively. Petcoke production in Shangdong, Chinas largest producing regional market, has risen to 6.2 million tons in May, up seven percent on a monthly basis.Brazilian petcoke output declinesUnlike in the Asian markets, Brazil has registered a downward trend in petcoke production in 2017. Output of petroleum coke has fallen ten percent on a yearly basis in May. A year-on-year decrease of petcoke production was recorded in all regions, with the exception of Sao Paulo, where it rose two percent on a yearly basis to 0.5 million tons in May.When it comes to petcoke exports, Spanish producers benefited from a domestic surge in cement production in 2017. Production of petcoke in Spain has been expanding year-on-year for the third month in a row. In May, petcoke output expanded 38 percent on a yearly basis. From January until May, Spanish petcoke production has surpassed 1.5 million tons.****For more information, placing an order, or interview inquiries, please contact Liviu Dinu, Market Services & Marketing Consultant, CW Group, by phone at +40-744-67-44-11, or e-mail at ld@cwgrp.com.About Petcoke Market DataCW Researchs Petcoke Country Market Data analysis, part of the CW Groups premium PetcokeWeek market reporting service, extensively covers petcoke volume trends across the globe. Particular emphasis is given to demand & supply volumes for the largest petcoke producing and consuming markets around the world. Presented in an objective, easy-to-understand format, the Petcoke Country Market Data is an indispensable tool for producers, suppliers, investors and end-users who wish to always be updated on all the relevant petcoke trends.Additional coverage on Petcoke Country Market Data can be found here:About CW GroupThe Greenwich (Conn.), USA headquartered CW Group is a leading advisory, research and business intelligence boutique with a global presence and a multi-industry orientation. CW Group is particularly recognized for its sector expertise in heavy-side building materials (cement), light-side building materials, traditional and renewable power & energy, petrochemicals, metals & mining, industrial minerals, industrial manufacturing, bulk cargo & shipping, among others. We have a strong functional capability, grounded in our methodical and quantitative philosophy, including due diligence, sourcing intelligence, feasibility studies and commodity forecasting.PO Box 5263, Greenwich, CT 06831, USALiviu DinuMarket Services & Marketing ConsultantM: +40-744-67-44-11E: ld@cwgrp.com
Battery Materials Market SWOT Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecasts To 2024

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Global Battery Materials Market: Brief AccountThe global battery materials market is driven by the use of batteries in automotive industries, medical sector, defense and military, electronics industries, marine, and in power backup systems. Different battery materials are used as per their application requirements. The demand for battery materials is especially noteworthy from Asia n countries such as China, South Korea, and Japan. Players are making extensive research to develop batteries that have long life and high power density. Players are also striving to achieve low cost of production without compromising on the performance of the end product. Developing products that are eco-friendly is the new trend and is driving the global battery materials market to a new high. Batteries are essential in small household equipment as well as in large industries and thus, the demand for battery materials will always exist. Technological developments will ensure the development of many other equipment and gadgets that require batteries and this will create a huge demand for battery materials in the future.View Report @Global Battery Materials Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe rising demand for smartphones and laptops is expected to fuel the demand for Li-on battery materials. In fact, the flourishing electronics sector is the major driver for the battery materials market across the globe. Backup power systems have become absolutely necessary today for businesses and industries to function without causing tremendous losses. This is driving the demand for lead-acid battery materials. Moreover, electric plug-in vehicles make use of NiMH batteries. Thus the demand for these battery materials will also see a growth in the coming years as electric vehicles are expected to have huge scope of growth in the coming years. The demand for electric vehicles is projected to rise in an attempt to reduce carbon footprint. All these factors are boosting the demand for different battery materials all across the globe, especially in Asia Pacific. However, issues with safety could be a restraining factor for this market. Strict regulations could increase the cost of the production and this in turn will decrease the demand.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Battery Materials Market Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Global Battery Materials Market: Geographical AnalysisThe global battery materials market is segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North Americam and the Rest of the World. Of these, Asia Pacific is a clear winner in terms of being the most lucrative regional segment in the world. The presence of a large number of manufacturing base is a key reason driving the demand for battery materials. The region is also house to many battery materials manufacturers, especially in China and Japan. Countries such as Germany and Europe are also host to many battery materials manufacturers. These and various other developed nations are poised to be lucrative markets for battery materials on account of technological advancements leading to the development of many advanced gadgets and equipment, which requires the use of batteries.Global Battery Materials Market: Companies MentionedKey players operating in the global battery materials market include Jiangxi Zichen Technology Co. Ltd., Huzhou chuangya power battery materials Co. Ltd., Eveready Industries India Ltd., Shenzhen Sinuo Industrial Development Co. Ltd., Panasonic Corporation, ZETO, BTR New Energy Materials Co., Ltd., Hunan Shinzoom Technology Co. Ltd., Shaneshan Technology, Energizer Holdings, Inc., Duracell Inc., Uniross Batteries, Hitachi Maxell Ltd., Shantou Jinguang Hi-tech Co., Ltd., Capchem, GP Batteries, and Beijing Institute of Chemical Reagent. This market is fragmented and most players in the market are investing extensively in research and development to make batteries efficient and durable.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:
Combined Heat and Power Installation Market SWOT Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecasts To 2024

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Global Combined Heat and Power Installation Market: Key TrendsThe upsurge in the consumption of fuel derived from biomass, wood, and waste heat, is likely to boost the installation of combined heat and power (CHP) across the globe. Transparency Market Research forecasts the global CHP installation market to exhibit a CAGR of 4.38% between 2014 and 2024. The prospects for CHP installations have improved globally in response to the rising energy prices. This, combined with stringent regulations implemented to curb carbon emissions from conventional systems, is expected to aid the proliferation of CHP systems worldwide.CHP systems run on both renewable and non-renewable fuels such as natural gas, coal, wood, biomass, oil, and waste heat. They can operate at an efficiency level as high as 77% to 90% as compared to the 46% efficiency level of conventional systems. However, the best economics of a CHP system is achieved in cold climates, when the energy rates are high, prices of natural gas fall, and there is a continuous demand for heat. Besides this, diverse functionalities offered by CHP systems also encourage their installation in both colder and hotter regions.View Report @Strong Existing Network of CHPs to Boost their Installation WorldwideBased on in-depth research, TMR has pegged the combined heat and power installations worldwide to reach US$812.80 bn by 2024. The global CHP installation market stood at US$524.89 bn in 2014. The market will further gain impetus from the strong existing CHP network. The increasing awareness about CHP systems, particularly in developing nations is likely to translate into increased sales for the global CHP installation market. These countries are exhibiting high aggregate demand for energy-efficient technologies, thus creating enough opportunities for the market to leverage from during the reports forecast period.However, TMR expects the value chain of the global combined heat and power installation market to remain complicated with the prominent companies in the market adopting forward integration in response to the implementation of stringent policies by governments. Additionally, high initial cost incurred on the installation of CHP systems also discourages their widespread deployment. Nevertheless, the market is expected to find substantial opportunities in the residential and commercial energy markets in the near future.Demand for Large-scale CHPs to Increase in Emerging EconomiesThe global CHP installation market can be broadly bifurcated into micro- and small-scale CHPs and large-scale CHPs. The latter of these segments has been witnessing overwhelming demand over the last few years. By revenue, the large-scale CHPs segment accounted for a share of 85.69% in the market in 2014. However, the segment is likely to lose a significant portion of its market share in the forthcoming years as the usage of small-scale CHPs increase globally. Growth exhibited by the micro- and small-scale CHPs is expected to be the fastest during the forecast period. Nevertheless, the increasing installation of CHP systems in developing nations such as India and China will keep the demand for large-scale CHP systems high during the forecast period.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Installation Market Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Easy Availability of Natural Gas Boosts CHP Installations in EuropeRegionally, Europe exhibits the most lucrative prospects for the global combined heat and power installation market. The region held a share of 67.96% in the overall market in 2014. The easy availability of natural gas in Europe makes installation of CHPs relatively easier and more cost-effective. This has been spurring demand for CHP installations in countries such as Belgium, Germany, Poland, Italy, and Netherlands.The leading vendors in the market are also exploring opportunities in Asia Pacific. The high demand for small-scale CHPs in Japan, coupled with their increasing installation across diverse industries, has been boosting demand for the CHP installation in the region.The competitive landscape of the global combined heat and power installation market is highly fragmented. Some of the leading enterprises operating in the market include 2G Energy AG, Siemens AG, Edina Ltd., Wartsila Corporation, ENER-G Holdings Plc (ENER-G), Clarke Energy Ltd., and 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.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Rubber Processing Chemicals Market SWOT Analysis Of Top Key Player Forecasts To 2024

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Global Rubber Processing Chemicals Market: OverviewRubber processing chemicals belong to a group of specialty chemicals added to rubber to make it commercially viable for usage in various application. They are used to impart different characteristics to rubber such as resistance to ozone, heat, mechanical stress, oxidation, and others. They exhibit properties such as resilience, abrasion resistance, flex resistance, hardness, and tensile strength for product-specific end-use applications.The report estimates and forecasts the rubber processing chemicals on the global, regional, and country levels. The study provides forecast between 2016 and 2024 based on volume (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) with 2015 as the base year. The report comprises an exhaustive value chain analysis for each of the product segments. It provides a comprehensive view of the market. The study includes drivers and restraints for the rubber processing chemicals market along with their impact on demand during the forecast period. The study also provides key market indicators affecting the growth of the market. The report analyzes opportunities in the rubber processing chemicals market on the global and regional level. It also provides the global average price trend analysis.View Report @Global Rubber Processing Chemicals Market: Scope of the ReportIn-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.Secondary 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.The report includes Porters Five Forces Model to determine the degree of competition in the rubber processing chemicals market. The report comprises a qualitative write-up on market attractiveness analysis, wherein type, application 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.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Rubber Processing Chemicals Market Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Global Rubber Processing Chemicals Market: Key SegmentsThe study provides a comprehensive view of the rubber processing chemicals market by dividing it into type, application and geography. In terms of type, the rubber processing chemicals market has been segmented into antidegradants, accelerators, stabilizers, vulcanizing agents, and others. In terms of application, the rubber processing chemicals market has been segmented into tire and non-tire. The non-tire segment has been further segregated into automotive, building & construction, industrial, and other segment. Application segments have been analyzed based on historic, present, and future trends, and the market has been estimated in terms of volume (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) between 2016 and 2024.Global Rubber Processing Chemicals Market: Regional OutlookRegional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for rubber processing chemicals in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). Additionally, the report comprises country-level analysis in terms of volume and revenue for type and application segments. Key countries such as the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, the U.K., Spain, Italy, Japan, India, China, Mexico, South Africa, and Brazil have been included in the study. Market segmentation includes demand for individual type and application in all the regions and countries.Global Rubber Processing Chemicals Market: Competitive LandscapeThe 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 BASF SE, Eastman Chemicals Company, LANXESS, Arkema Inc. Akzo Nobel N.V., Solvay, and Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, Emerald Performance Materials, LINKWELL, and Merchem. 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).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:
Roofing Underlying Materials Market 2016 Share, Trend, Segmentation and Forecast to 2024

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This report analyzes and forecasts the market for roofing underlying materials at the global and regional level. The market has been forecast based on volume (million square meter) and revenue (US$ Mn) from 2016 to 2024. The study includes drivers and restraints of the global roofing underlying materials market. It also covers the impact of these drivers and restraints on demand for roofing underlying materials during the forecast period. The report also highlights the opportunities in the roofing underlying materials market at the global and regional level.The report includes detailed value chain analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the global roofing underlying materials market. Porters Five Forces model for the roofing underlying materials market has also been included to help understand the competitive landscape. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, wherein end-users are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.View Report @The study provides a decisive view of the global roofing underlying materials market by segmenting it in terms of products and applications. These segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends. Regional segmentation includes the current and forecast demand for roofing underlying materials in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The report also covers demand for individual product and application segments in all the regions.The study includes profiles of major companies operating in the global roofing underlying materials market. Key players profiled in the report include Atlas Roofing Corporation, Duro-Last Roofing, Inc., CertainTeed Corporation, Braas Monier Building Group Services S.A., GAF, IKO Industries Ltd., DuPont, Owens Corning, Firestone Building Products Company, TAMKO Building Products, Inc., and Carlisle. Market players have been profiled in terms of attributes such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, and recent developments.The report provides the estimated market size of roofing underlying materials for 2015 and forecast for the next nine years. The global market size of roofing underlying materials has been provided in terms of volume and revenue. Market numbers have been estimated based on key product segments and application segments of roofing underlying materials. Market size and forecast for each major product and application have been provided in terms of global and regional markets.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Roofing Underlying Materials Market Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.In order to compile the research report, we conducted in-depth interviews and discussions with a number of key industry participants and opinion leaders. Primary research represents the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by extensive secondary research. We reviewed key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents for competitive analysis and market understanding. Secondary research also includes a search of recent trade, technical writing, internet sources, and statistical data from government websites, trade associations, and agencies. This has proven to be the most reliable, effective, and successful approach for obtaining precise market data, capturing industry participants insights, and recognizing business opportunities.Secondary research sources that are typically referred to include, but are not limited to company websites, annual reports, financial reports, broker reports, investor presentations, SEC filings, EPDM Roofing Association (ERA), International Green Roofing Association (IGRA), internal and external proprietary databases, and relevant patent and regulatory databases such as Asphalt Roofing Manufactures Association (ARMA), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Factiva, and Bloomberg, national government documents, statistical databases, trade journals, market reports, news articles, press releases, and webcasts specific to companies operating in the market.Primary research involves e-mail interactions, telephonic interviews, and face-to-face interviews for each market, category, segment, and sub-segment across geographies. We conduct primary interviews on an ongoing basis with industry participants and commentators in order to validate the data and analysis. Primary interviews provide firsthand information on market size, market trends, growth trends, competitive landscape, and outlook, etc. These help validate and strengthen secondary research findings. These also help develop the analysis teams expertise and market understanding.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:
Piperidine Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025

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The name Piperidine comes from the genus name Piper, which is the Latin word for pepper. Piperidine is an organic compound in the form of a clear, colorless liquid with pepper-like odor. Its molecular formula is (CH2)5NH. Piperidine vapors are heavier than air. Piperidine is best known for its use in several pharmaceuticals, chemical manufacturing catalysts, and in the manufacture of pesticides and fertilizers. Piperidine is widely used as a building block and chemical reagent in the synthesis of certain organic compounds. Piperidine is a widely used secondary amine. It is employed to convert ketones to enamines. Piperidine is used as a solvent and base. The same is true for some of its derivatives. For example, N-formylpiperidine is a polar aprotic solvent with better hydrocarbon solubility than other amide solvents. 2, 2, 6, 6-tetramethylpiperidine is a highly sterically hindered base, which is useful due to its low nucleophilicity and high solubility in organic solvents. Piperidine is known to exhibit anti-platelet, antibiotic, vasodilator, anti-hypertensive and excitant functions.Browse Market Research Report @Piperidines have recently gained attention in the fields of organic, bio-molecular chemistry and biotechnology owing to their useful biological properties. Piperidine derivatives can be extracted from plant materials and synthesized by one or more chemical reactions. Piperidine is observed to play a beneficial role in numerous pharmaceuticals that are currently available in the market. Alogliptin, Ritalin, and Risperidone are drugs with the piperidine nucleus. These drugs are utilized to treat diabetes, improve childrens ability to concentrate, and reduce symptoms of schizophrenia. The drug CP-690550, also known as Janus kinase 3 (JAK3), inhibits autoimmune diseases and is used in transplant patients. Piperidine rings are well-known for their anti-microbial activities. Antiviral and antifungal activities of certain piperidine analogs have also been invented. A significant industrial use of piperidine is for the production of dipiperidinyl dithiuram tetrasulfide, which is used as a rubber vulcanization accelerator.Key drivers for the piperidine market include use of piperidine in pharmaceuticals. Antibiotic resistance and re-emerging diseases are known to pose major medical challenges. Pathogens are spreading with extraordinary speed across the world, leading to increase in the mortality rate of patients infected. Microorganisms are known to frequently develop resistance against the available drugs. These drugs often lack selectivity and ability. Also, they have unfavorable side-effects. The key to efficient and effective treatment of emerging diseases lies in early identification, diagnosis, and treatment of infections. Thus, there exists a constant need for novel therapeutic agents. The restraining factor for the piperidine market is that exposure to piperidine causes several health hazards including nausea, vomiting, depression, eye damage, and muscle weakness. Piperidine is a highly flammable liquid and this leads to risk of fire hazard. Hence, proper care needs to be taken while transporting piperidine.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Piperidine Market . Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @North America dominates the global piperidine market, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. In North America, there is tremendous growth in the pharmaceuticals which triggers the market for piperidine. Demand for piperidine in Asia Pacific is rising, due to the expanding hygiene & anti-microbial industry in the region.Prominent players operating in the global piperidine market include BASF, Taj Pharmaceuticals Limited, Kopalle Pharma Chemicals, Vasudha Pharma Chem Limited, and AllChem Laboratories.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 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:
Flame Resistant Fabrics Market 2016 Share, Trend, Segmentation and Forecast to 2024

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Global Flame Resistant Fabrics Market: SnapshotFlame resistant fabrics, the textiles which inherently possess flame resistant properties or are treated with a flame resistant substance, are extensively used to manufacture garments, furnishings, and apparels for applications across a number of industries, including hospitality, military, healthcare, and oil and gas. Blends of treated and inherently flame resistance fibers fabrics are also commonly used to manufacture flame resistant products for use across these and other industries.In the past few years, a vast rise in demand for flame resistant clothing for use in the defense industry and several other industries with constant risk of fire outbreaks has been witnessed across the globe. Thus, flame resistant clothing and the market producing and marketing flame resistant fabrics makes for a marketplace with vast growth opportunities, especially as government regulations regarding employee safety in high-risk industries and operations become increasingly stringent.Transparency Market Research estimates that the global flame resistant fabric market will exhibit a promising 6.8% CAGR from 2016 to 2024 and rise from a valuation of US$3.63 bn in 2015 to US$6.56 bn by 2024.View Report @Applications in Industrial Protective Clothing to Rake in Leading Sale VolumesOf the key applications of flame resistant fabrics, including use in law enforcement and firefighting services, corporate and home furnishing, industrial protective clothing, and the transport industry, applications across the industrial protective clothing are presently the most lucrative ones. The segment topped amongst key application areas in terms of volume-wise consumption or sales of flame resistant fabrics in the global market in 2015 and was followed by the law enforcement and firefighting services and transportation segments.Industrial protective clothing creates an inert and stable barrier between the skin and fire, granting the wearer effective protection against direct exposure to flames or excessive temperatures. While industrial protective clothing has witnessed extensive rise in demand across key end-use industries, its demand curve steepened in 2015 owing to a significant slowdown in the oil and gas industry. Nevertheless, applications across the transport industry helped the market achieve stable growth and sustainable returns.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Flame Resistant Fabrics Market Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Market in Europe Projected to Retain DominanceIn terms of geography, the global flame resistant fabric market witnessed the dominance of Europe, which gained a nearly 30% of the global market in 2015. Vast demand for flame resistant fabrics for the production of a diverse range of products utilized in the regions established and high-growth transportation industry is the key factor driving the Europe flame resistant fabrics market. Countries such as Italy and Germany are expected to remain the leading demand drivers of the regions flame resistant fabrics market due to the high demand from end-use industries such as car racing.Asia Pacific is presently the second-leading consumer of flame resistant fabrics and is expected to remain one of the most promising regional markets for flame resistant fabrics in the next few years as well. The region features a rapidly expanding industrial sector across countries such as India and China and has a constantly rising human resource pool serving it. As a result, the demand for protective clothing is presently high and is expected to rise substantially over the next few years.North America accounted for the third-largest share in the global market in 2015 and is expected to remain one of the leading consumers of flame resistant fabrics in the near future owing to strict employee safety regulations. The market for flame resistant fabrics is also expected to witness sizeable traction in the Middle East and Africa owing to encouraging growth observed in the industrial sector of late.Some of the key vendors operating in the market are Teijin Aramid, TenCate, DuPont, Lenzing AG, and Milliken & 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.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Market Growing at a CAGR of 6.1% During 2017 to 2022 Says a New Report at MarketResearchFuture.com

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Market Research Future adds new report of Global Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Market Research Report- Forecast till 2023 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentMarket Segments Cruelty-Free Cosmetics has been segmented on the basis of Product-Type which comprises of skin care, hair care, perfumes & fragrances, makeup & color cosmetics, others. Makeup & color cosmetics hold a dominant share out of all the other types. Cruelty-free cosmetics have been segmented on the basis of Form namely cream, gel, liquid, powder, and others. Cream based products hold a lions share among the various forms followed by gels. Cruelty-Free Cosmetics has been segmented on the basis of Distribution Channel which comprises of supermarket/hypermarket, specialty retailers, convenience stores, e-commerce, others. Sale through supermarket/hypermarket is growing at a higher growth rate backed up by a convenient shopping experience of the consumers.Key Findings: Sale of perfumes & fragrances cruelty-free cosmetics is found to be growing at a higher rate during the forecast period Top exporters of cruelty-free cosmetics include France, U.S., India, Germany and New ZealandRequest a Sample Report @Market Highlight:Changing cosmetic trends is influencing the growth of cruelty-free cosmetics as mass consumers find the testing on animals unethical and have started spreading awareness against the act. In addition, adoption of natural alternatives like plant based personal care products by the consumers is considered to be one of the major drivers for this market. Increased awareness about the tests performed on animals and even use of animal products such as fur, hair and others is prohibited in some countries of developed region which has further increased the market for cruelty-free cosmetics on a global level. Mass market penetration is leading to introduction of new products and their retail across various regions. High focus on Research and Development has led to innovations and in the product line and use of natural harmless chemicals which has fueled up the market share of cruelty-free cosmetics in global market.Among the various types of cruelty-free products, makeup & color cosmetics are evaluated to hold a major share as mass consumers have high per capita consumption of face care products. Cream based cruelty-free cosmetics hold a dominant share based on convenience usage and easy storage properties. Based on the distribution channel, sale through supermarkets and hypermarkets retailers is found to hold a major share owing to one-stop purchase and easy availability of the desired product through the channel.Browse Report Details @Key PlayersThe key players profiled in the global Cruelty-Free Cosmetics market are L'Oreal S.A. (France) COVER FX Skin Care Inc. (Canada) INIKA Organic (Australia) Spectrum Collections (U.K.) Kat Von D Beauty (U.S.) Beauty B (U.S.) PHB Ethical Beauty (U.K.)Intended Audience Cruelty-Free Cosmetics manufacturers Natural cosmetics manufacturers Personal care products manufacturers Traders, importers and exportersRequest Table of Contents for this Report @Study Objectives of Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Market Detailed analysis of the markets segments and sub-segments To estimate and forecast market size by product-type, form, distribution channel & region To analyze key driving forces influencing the market Region level market analysis and market estimation of North America, Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world (ROW) and their countries Value Chain Analysis & Supply Chain Analysis of cruelty-free cosmetics Company profiling of major players in the market Competitive strategy analysis and mapping key stakeholders in the market Analysis of historical market trends and technologies along with current government regulatory requirementsRegional AnalysisThe global cruelty-free cosmetics market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (ROW). Europe has the major market share followed by Asia Pacific. Increased production of cruelty-free cosmetics in major European countries is projected to generate a high revenue from Europe region during the given forecast period. Changing consumer preferences for natural and vegan products will support the sale of cruelty-free cosmetics in various region during the forecast period. The major importers of cruelty-free cosmetics include U.S., China, U.K., Germany, and Singapore. Based on the higher demand for personal care products especially in female population, the import and export of cruelty-free cosmetics for manufacturing such products in the developed countries is found to rise at a steady rate.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
Global Circuit Breaker Market is foreseen to create at CAGR of 6.5% from 2016 to 2027

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Market Research Future adds new report of Global Circuit Breaker Market Research Report - Forecast to 2027 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentCircuit Breaker Global Market -SynopsisSF6 circuit breaker technology market valued immensely in 2015 and is anticipated to register a substantial rate of CAGR during 2016 to 2024. The growth can be attributed to the rising product demand, owing to significant features such as high dielectric strength and sufficient arc quenching capability. Vacuum based technology will register a considerable rate of CAGR in the recent future, due to its upsurge demand for the various high and medium voltage substation applications.Circuit Breaker Global Market - SegmentsCircuit Breaker Market can be segmented in to 4 key dynamics for the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding; Segmentation by Type: SF6, Vacuum Segmentation by Voltage: High Voltage, Medium Voltage, and Low Voltage Segmentation by End Users : Residential, Industrial and Commercial Segmentation by Regions : Comprises Geographical regions - North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the WorldRequest a Sample Report @Circuit Breaker Global Market - OverviewCircuit breaker is basically a switching device which can be operated manually and automatically for controlling and protection of electrical power system respectively. As the modern power system deals with huge currents, the special attention should be given during designing of circuit breaker for safe interruption of arc produced during the operation of circuit breaker. Circuit breakers are preferred over fuses because fuses have to be replaced after each operation while a circuit breaker has to be just reset after each operation.According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, the global market of Circuit breaker is forecasted for a record breaking growth in terms of value and volume, with a striking 6.5% of CAGR during the forecasted period (2016  2027) thanks to the growing demand for the modular and packaged substation primarily across commercial and industrial end users which is providing the impetus to the growth of global circuit breakers market during the forecast timeframe.With the growing concern for safety in industries such as electric, telecommunication, electronic, and automotive, circuit breaker devices are growing in popularity. Additionally, rising implementation of numerous medium and large capacity renewable energy projects will stimulate Circuit Breakers Market growth favorably over the period of 2016 to 2027. Elevated replacement and development activities will enhance the electricity transmission capability worldwide and will also generate exponential revenue over coming timeframe. Shifting trend towards smart transmissions and distribution network as well as high investment in the development of digital substation will drive the circuit breakers Market greatly.Browse Report Details @Circuit Breaker Global Market - Key PlayersThe key strategies traced from the MRFR analysis of recent developments of the key players operating in the Circuit Breaker Market include Product Launch, Agreement & Partnership, collaboration, Acquisition and expansion. Numerous contracts have changed the terrain of the circuit Breaker market landscape. Companies were active in acquisitions for a multiple motives especially the low financing cost in multiple regions of the world, which meant that borrowing rates in the United States and European Central bank were almost nil.Identified and profiled in MRFR analysis some of the key players operating in the Circuit Breaker Market are: ABB Group (Switzerland) Siemens (Germany) Honeywell International Inc. (US) STAHL (Netherlands) Schurter Electronics (Switzerland) Holley Metering Ltd. (China) General Electric (US) Sensus (US)Circuit Breaker Global Market - Regional AnalysisThe North American Region is one of the leading markets for the Circuit Breaker Market mainly due to the rapid expansion in the production base in the recent times. Europe closely follows North America in leading the circuit breaker market. In 2015, US circuit breakers market valued immensely and will grow at a considerable rate of CAGR in the recent future, primarily driven by the favorable government support to improve the reliability and safety of the distribution and transmission network.Request Table of Contents for this Report @Developing economies like India, China and Indonesia are expected to grow at the fastest pace. Considering the geographical landscape, China circuit breakers market will witness a surpassing growth in terms of revenue by 2027, owing to the numerous on-going renovation and replacement activities of existing transmission and distribution activities. In addition, China Village Electrification Program and China Township Electrification Program will also contribute favorably toward the industry growth. India circuit breakers industry size is predicted to record a substantial rate of CAGR during 2016 to 2024. The futuristic electrification mission of the Government like One Nation, One Grid, and One Price will augment the regional share noticeably.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
Global Disconnect Switch Market is expected to Post a Moderate Growth Rate of around 6-7% by 2027

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Market Research Future adds new report of Global Disconnect Switches Market Research Report - Forecast to 2027 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentMarket Segments:The Disconnect Market can be segmented on the basis of Type into, fused and non-fused categories. On the basis of Mounting Types it has been categorized as panel, DIN rail On the basis of Voltage Range the market has been divided into high, medium, and low voltage switches On the basis of End-User as utility, manufacturing, infrastructure, commercial and other end-usersMarket Highlight:Rapid industrialization in the Asia-Pacific region mainly in the India and China region has massively contributed to the growth of the Disconnect Switch market. Non-Fused type disconnect switches have been gaining popularity owing to the fact that it doesnt require any additional fuse protection. Its market is expected to grow at a comparatively fast pace as that for fused type switches. The Disconnect Switch Market is expected to register a CAGR of about 6-7% in the forecast period.Request a Sample Report @Key PlayersSome of the key players in the Disconnect Switch Market are: Eaton Corporation (Ireland) General Electric Company (U.S.) Share-Tech (HK) Limited (China) ABB Ltd. (Switzerland) Elemech International FZE (UAE) Siemens AG (Germany) Schneider Electric SE (France) Wenzhou Shuguang Fuse Co. Ltd. (China)Browse Report Details @Study Objectives of Disconnect Switch To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Disconnect Switches market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To Analyze the Disconnect Switch market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis 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-Pacific, 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 segment by Type, Voltage range, Mounting type, and End User as well as its 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 Disconnect Switches marketRequest Table of Contents for this Report @Regional Analysis of Disconnect SwitchesAsia Pacific is the largest market for disconnect switch market and holds a considerably high market share as compared to other regions. Its dominance in this market can be mainly attributed mainly to the significant increase in infrastructural activities as well as rapid expansion in the electrical supply networks in the developing nations. North America and Europe also are expected to provide ample growth opportunities to the players in this market.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
Global Potato Chips Market 2023 Major Manufacturer  PepsiCo Inc., Diamond Foods Inc., Intersnack Group, Snyders-Lance

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Market Research Future adds new report of Global Potato Chips Market Research Report- Forecast to 2023 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentKey Findings: Potato chips market in Asia Pacific region is growing at higher rate Top five exporters of potatoes are Netherlands, Belgium, U.S., U.K. and GermanyMarket Segments Potato chips market has been segmented on the basis of Flavor; which includes barbecue, cheddar & sour cream, salt & pepper, classic potato chips, spicy jalapeno, cheese & onion, and others. Salt & pepper holds the major market share and it is growing at moderate rate due to introduction of various others flavors Potato chips market has been segmented on the basis of Product Type; which includes salted, chili, plain, flavored and others. Salted and chili product type capture major market share in Asia Pacific region Potato chips market has been segmented on the basis of Specialty Food Type; which includes gluten-free, GMO- free, vegetarian, kosher, organic and others Potato chips market has been segmented on the basis of Distribution Channel; which includes supermarket/hypermarket, convenience store, e-commerce and othersRequest a Sample Report @Market Highlight:All around, the savory snacks market is developing at huge rate and this component is supporting the development of potato chips Market. Presentation of different flavors and colossal interest for snacks is boosting the request of potato chips over the globe. Accessibility of assets and extensive purchaser base is making tremendous open door for key players to extend their business in Asia Pacific area particularly in China and India. Development in flavor and bundling structure real players is drawing in the customers to purchase potato chips contrast with different snacks which is affecting the market development in North America and Europe. Rising wellbeing mindfulness among customer has supported the request of natural and gluten free potato chips.Key PlayersThe key players profiled in the potato chips market are as PepsiCo Inc. (U.S.) CALBEE Inc. (Japan) Diamond Foods, Inc. (U.S.) Herr Foods Inc. (U.S.) Lorenz Bahlsen Snack-World Group (Germany) Intersnack Group (Germany) Snyders-Lance (U.S.)Intended Audience Potato Chips manufacturers Agriculture Industry Food Industry E-commerce Retailers and wholesalers Traders, importers and exportersBrowse Report Details @Study Objectives of Potato Chips Market To give point by point examination of the market structure alongside figure for the following 5 years of the different fragments and sub-sections of the worldwide potato chips Market To give experiences about elements influencing the market development To investigate the market in view of different variables - value examination, esteem chain, store network examination, watchmen five compel examination and so forth. To give chronicled and figure income of the market sections and sub-portions regarding four primary geologies and their nations North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East and Africa. To give nation level investigation of the market regarding the present market size and future imminent To give nation level investigation of the market for fragments by season, item sort, claim to fame nourishment sort, conveyance channel and area To give diagram of key players and their vital profiling in the market, extensively breaking down their center capabilities, and drawing an aggressive scene for the market. To track and break down focused advancements, for example, joint endeavors, key unions, mergers and acquisitions, new item improvements, and research and improvements all around.Request Table of Contents for this Report @Regional AnalysisThe Potato Chips Market is fragmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and rest of the world (ROW). North America has the real piece of the overall industry taken after by Asia Pacific. Expanding prevalence of different new kinds of potato chips is driving the market development in North America locale. Potato chips Market in Asia Pacific district is developing at critical rate because of expanding utilization of potato contributes nations like China and India where huge purchaser base is accessible. The business extension of key players in Middle East and Africa district is assuming key parts in development of potato chips Market.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
Atrial Septal Defect Market in global growth and status 2016

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Global Atrial Septal Defect Market: OutlookAtrial septal defect is one of the most common congenital cardiac diseases and usually affects women more than men. It is characterized by a hole or defect in the interatrial septum that separates the hearts two upper chambers, i.e., atria. The opening in the septum usually closes when the baby is born, but in few cases if the opening does not close, the hole is referred to as atrial septal defect. Huge and long-term atrial septal defects may lead to serious heart and lung damage.View Report @In some cases, extra blood volume can overfill the lungs and increases the blood pressure of the lungs, leading to pulmonary hypertension. Most of the congenital heart diseases are caused by certain genetic defects. The three most common types of atrial septal defects are ostium secundum atrial septal defect, ostium primum atrial septal defect and sinus venosus atrial septal. Various symptoms associated with atrial septal defect are as follows:Difficulty in breathing (dyspnea)Frequent respiratory infectionsSwelling of legs and feetHeart palpitationsFatigueGlobal Atrial Septal Defect Market: Key SegmentsBased on diagnosis, the atrial septal defect market can be segmented as follows:Electrocardiogram (ECG): ECG records the electrical activity of an individual and identifies heart problemsChest X-ray: With the help of X-ray, condition of the heart and lungs are detectedCardiac catheterization: In this test, a catheter is inserted into the heart via vein and any congenital heart defects can be diagnosed including amount of oxygen in the bloodTransesophageal echocardiography (TEE): The test provides an ultrasound image to provide a clearer image of the atriaPulse oximetry: This test helps to detect whether oxygenated blood is mixing with deoxygenated blood, thereby confirming any type of heart defectThe medications which are used to reduce the signs and symptoms of atrial septal defect include beta blockers (Lopressor, Inderal), anticoagulants (Coumadin) and anti-platelet agents (aspirin). In some instances, surgery is also done to repair an atrial septal defect such as open-heart surgery and cardiac catheterization.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.Global Atrial Septal Defect Market: Regional AnalysisBased on geography, the atrial septal defect market can be segmented into four major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). Out of these regions, North America holds a leading position in the market followed by Europe. The prime factors which are driving the growth of atrial septal defect market in these regions are high prevalence of genetic heart disorders, and growing awareness of the population regarding atrial septal defects. Moreover, technological advancement in the treatment of congenital heart diseases is also accentuating the growth of the market. Asia Pacific is the most lucrative market for the growth of atrial septal defect market. The advantageous factors which would propel the growth of the market in Asia Pacific are presence of large population base and emerging economies such as China, Malaysia, India and Vietnam. Furthermore, favorable reimbursement policies and increasing disposable income of the Asian population would further boost the growth of atrial septal defect market in the coming years.Global Atrial Septal Defect Market: Companies Mentioned in the ReportVarious pharmaceutical companies are constantly trying to come up with novel therapeutic developments for the treatment of atrial septal defect. Some of the top major players operating in the atrial septal defect market are Asklepion Pharmaceuticals, LLC, Actelion Ltd., Novo Nordisk A/S, Abbott Laboratories, INO Therapeutics, LLC and others.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.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:
Wine Market To Generating Opportunities in Various Segment

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Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from grapes, without the addition of acids, enzymes, sugars, water, and other nutrients. Yeast helps in the consumption of the sugar in the grapes and converts it into carbon dioxide and ethanol. Different yeasts and different varieties of grapes produce different types of wine.The variations in wine result from the complex interaction between the biochemical developments of the grapes. Grapes that are ideal for wine-making are mostly grown between the 30th and the 50th-degree latitude in both the Southern and Northern hemisphere.Wines that are not produced from the grapes are developed from rice and different fruits such as cherry, plum, elderberry, and pomegranate. The earliest known traces of wine include wines from China, Iran, and Georgia.Obtain Report Details:The global market for wine has been segmented on the basis of type and distribution channel. In terms of type, the global wine market has been segmented into sparkling wine and still wine. Still wine has been further sub-segmented into rose wine, red wine, white wine.Still wine is estimated to hold a prominent part of the wine market due to its easy convenience and popularity among the consumers. In terms of distribution channel, the global wine market can be segmented into online distribution channel of wine and offline distribution channel of wine.The offline distribution channel of wine can be further sub-segmented into supermarkets and hypermarkets, specialty stores, and convenience stores. The online distribution channel of wine is anticipated to expand rapidly during the forecast period due to rising internet facilities, easy convenience, and the presence of a large number of brands.However, the offline distribution channel of wine is estimated to dominate the market due to the presence of organized retail networks of wine in the developed and developing regions. Supermarkets and hypermarkets have been more popular in selling wine among consumers in recent years.The global wine market is primarily driven by the rise in population consuming wine and considering it as a way of social recognition. Changing lifestyle and rising income among consumers are fuelling the global wine market.However, rising prices of wine due to high production costs are creating a restraint for the global wine market. Wine is mainly consumed among some sections of the population, as all the sections cannot afford wine. Moreover, rising government rules and regulations and imposition of taxes are hindering the expansion of the global wine market.Additionally, different product innovation of wine and rising application of wine in different food and beverage products are generating opportunities for the global wine market.In terms of region, the global wine market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. North America and Europe are expected to hold a major share of the wine market due to the rising grape production in these regions.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Wine Market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market.The U.S is projected to dominate the wine market in the near future due to increasing grape cultivation and modernized processing methods. However, Asia Pacific, which includes China, India, and Japan, is likely to expand rapidly during the forecast period due to the rising number of retail companies of wine in the region.Wines are gaining importance recently, and the keys players of wine are engaged in product innovation in order to satisfy the rising demand for wines among the population. Major players operating in the global wine market include Constellations Brand, E & J Gallo Winery, Torres, Treasury Wine estates, vina Conch y Toro, Distell Group, Global Drinks Finland, International Beverage Holdings, John Distilleries, Soyuz Victan and SPI Group, Accolade wines, and The Wine Group.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES) Market to grow at over 5% CAGR from 2016  2024

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Sodium lauryl ether sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) market applications are broadly categorized into detergents & cleaners, and personal care products apart from other uses such as medical, antimicrobial, and agricultural chemicals.Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES) Market size will likely surpass USD 1.5 billion by 2024; as per the latest research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.Growing awareness about personal hygiene along with huge investments in the commercial activities of personal care products will have a significant impact on global sodium lauryl ether sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) market in the coming years.SLES is a cost-efficient anionic surfactant and foaming agent commonly used in shampoos, soaps, body washes, toothpastes, and several other daily use personal care products. Increasing pollution and concerns about personal grooming, appearance, and health will positively influence the global personal care products market, which generated more than USD 500 billion in 2015 and will have a decent growth rate in the coming years.Request for a sample of this report @Moreover, regular development and commercialization of new personal care products to meet specific customer demands will also bolster the global SLES market in the forecast spell.Harmful side effects and increasing substitution of the product with organic and bio-based chemicals may restrain the global SLES market growth in upcoming years. Rising health concerns pertaining to SLES based personal care products due to traces of a carcinogenic chemical, 1,4-dioxane, in the by-products during the product synthesis have encouraged the manufacturers to find safer organic substitutes derived from natural sources such as palm oils, coconut, argan oil, etc. Inclination towards the usage of these products, especially in the developed countries, may have negative effects on the SLES market in the forecast timespan.Browse key industry insights spread across 75 pages with 82 market data tables & 11 figures & charts from the report, Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES) Market Size By Application (Detergents & Cleaners, Personal Care Products), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, China, India, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, GCC), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016  2024 in detail along with the table of contents:Sodium lauryl ether sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate or SLES market research report has been categorized on application basis into personal care products, detergents & cleaners, and other applications.In 2024, detergents & cleaners application segment of the global SLES market was worth over USD 650 million and it will hold sway throughout the forecast spell owing to the superior foaming and stain removal properties in both hard and soft water.Personal care products such as body and face cleansers, shampoos, soaps, toothpastes, etc. will account for over 25% of the overall SLES market share by 2024 and expanding at more than 6% CAGR. Though the market may face competition from organic substitutes in the developing countries, growing acceptance of the product in the developing economies will propel the market growth.Asia Pacific SLES market will register more than a third of the overall SLES market share in 2024 owing to increasing awareness towards personal, residential, and institutional hygiene in the developing countries such as China and India. The regional market will likely grow at a CAGR over 5% in the forecast span.Europe SLES market will witness a decent growth in the next eight years owing to the enhanced living standards of the Western Europe population. The region will generate close to USD 400 million in 2024, witnessing growth at more than 4.5% CAGR.SLES market competitive landscape is fragmented due to presence of numerous multinational conglomerates such as BASF SE, Evonik Industries, Huntsman Corporation, The Dow Chemical Company, Clariant Corporation, Croda International, and Solvay SA. Other notable manufacturers include Kao Corporation, Stepan Company, Godrej Industries, Galaxy Surfactants, Ultra Group, Zhejiang Zanyu Technology, Ho Tung Chemical, and Taiwan NJC Corporation.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @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:
Nanorobotics Systems Market to Grow at a Remarkable Pace in the Coming Years

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Nanorobotics is an evolving technology arena that creates robots or machines which have components near to the scale of a nanometre (109 meters). Nanorobotics denotes the nanotechnology engineering discipline of planning, designing, and building nanorobots, primarily from molecular components. Nanorobotics is an attractive new field, especially in medicine, which focuses on directed drug delivery using nanoscale molecular machines. These nanobots carry a load with the drug and they are capable of identifying specific categories of cancer cells among billions of healthy cells by using biomarkers. The nanobots then disentangle on contact with the target cells and release the drug, thereby destroying the transmuted cells.Some of the major drivers of micro- and nanorobots are initiatives undertaken by universities and governments to encourage investments in this sector, the increasing acceptance and preferment of entrepreneurship, and technological advancements in the field. All these factors are poised to fuel the growth of the nanorobotics systems market during the forecast period. Moreover, the increased demand for miniaturization coupled with high demand for automation across sectors has driven the overall nanorobotics systems market. Countries such as the U.S., Japan, and the U.K. hold majority share in this market. This is due to factors such as advancement in technology, availability of high end infrastructure, and high capital disbursement into development of new and developed nanorobotics systems.Obtain Report Details @High manufacturing cost as well as challenges related to miniaturization are some of the major restraints faced by the industry. However, emergence of mind-controlled nanorobots and development of swarm intelligence is expected to give a positive push to the global nanorobotics systems market. Moreover, growing health related issues, higher acceptance of automated medical devices, and advancements in features of nanorobotics systems will lead to higher growth of the global market.The global nanorobotics market can be divide into five regions. They are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. North America held a considerable market share and is expected to be the market leader over the forecast period. One of the foremost factors for the regions growth is the growing backing of nanorobotics from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and National Science Foundation (NSF). Growing adoption of nanotechnology coupled with high expenditure on healthcare will foster the growth in this region in the future. Asia Pacific is projected to grow at the maximum rate during the forecast period. Rise in disposable income, and significant growth of aging population will fuel the growth of the nanorobotics systems market in the region. Additionally, a number of companies are looking to tap into this growing market; therefore, they are investing heavily in this region, which is poised to further propel the growth of this market.Brochure With Latest Advancements With Application @The nanorobotics systems market is extremely disjointed due to the existence of many vendors. As the market is highly capital-intensive, market players are shifting toward mergers and acquisitions, to minimize cost and leverage on technological advancements. This has resulted in reduced cost for single players. Various sellers are concentrating on incorporating the best supplementary tools to increase the instrument performance.Some of the key players in the market are Bruker (Massachusetts, U.S.), JEOL Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan), Agilent Technologies (California, U.S), FEI Company (Oregon, U.S.), and EV Group (St. Florian am Inn, Austria). Other prominent dealers in the market include Park Systems Corporation (Suwon, South Korea), Anasys Instruments (California, U.S.), AIXTRON SE (Herzogenrath, Germany), Asylum Research (California, U.S.), NT-MDT (Moscow, Russia), Novascan Technologies (Iowa, U.S), Cavendish Kinetics Inc. (California, U.S), JPK Instruments (Berlin, Germany), Nanonics Imaging Ltd. (Jerusalem, Israel), Angstrom Advanced Inc. (Massachusetts, U.S.), Nanosurf AG (Liestal, Switzerland), and WiTec GmbH (Ulm, Germany).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:
Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Market to Witness Healthy Growth in the Coming Years

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The lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) battery refers to rechargeable lithium-ion battery which uses LiFePO as a cathode material. The energy density in LiFePO batteries are lower as compared to that of have common LiCoO design available in consumer electronic. However, better power density and longer lifetimes and safety are some of the benefits associated with these batteries.. Lithium Iron Phosphate, also known as LFP has various features such as long cycle life, high safety and high temperature resistance. Lithium iron phosphate batteries find application in power tools, electric vehicles, energy storage devices and electric bicycles among others. But as of now, the main use of Lithium Iron Phosphate battery is its use power batteries for electric vehicles.The Lithium Iron Phosphate battery market is expected to grow as a result of various factors such as the ever increasing population due to which there has been a significant depletion of fossil fuel reserves. This has led to a shift in the focus on the part of various countries towards have renewable power generation. Therefore, as a result of increasing focus towards renewable energy to address the serious concern of climate change and also improving upon the energy conservation is expected to contribute to the growth of the Lithium Iron Phosphate battery market during the forecast period. Moreover, there has also been a growing focus towards the integration of renewable energy resources with power grid networks which in turn is fuelling the growth of the market. These hybrid power systems and power grids use lithium iron phosphate batteries as a backup.Obtain Report Details @As per trends it has been observed that the various manufacturers of Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are continuously engaged in research and development activities. The market requires extensive investments and return on investment is a time taking process. This has resulted in the manufacturers to be heavily dependent on government funding in order to expand their their facilities. Moreover, as a result of favorable government policies in countries such as Japan, South Korea and China among others is helping the market to flourish. The government in these countries are in support of green and eco-friendly technologies, which is bound to result in many manufacturers to enter the market and develop their own manufacturing units. Currently, the Lithium Iron Phosphate battery market is highly competitive and product quality, brand recognition, durability, reliability, pricing and energy density are of prime importance for the manufacturers in order to stay afloat in the competition. Furthermore, manufacturers offering better quality products at a competitive price are expected to prefer.The lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) battery on the basis of application can be segmented into; EVs and HEVs (electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicle), Renewable power and Consumer electronics. The EVs and HEVs is expected to dominate the market in terms of revenue. Unconventional energy storage systems that have the capability to enhance the performance and vehicle efficiency are an important area of focus for the EV manufacturers. As a result of long cycle time and high energy density, lithium iron phosphate batteries are expected to be the most preferred choice as far as alternative energy storage systems are concerned. Therefore, the growth in the demand for EVs in countries such as China is expected to fuel the demand for lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) batteries.Brochure With Latest Advancements With Application @Geographically, the lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) battery market can be segmented into five regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America.Some of the key players operating in the lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) battery market are BYD, A123, Electrical Vehicle Power System Technology, OptimumNano Energy, K2Energy, Pihsiang Energy Technology and Victory Battery Technology among others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. 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. 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:
Diamond Semiconductor Substrates Market to Witness Healthy Growth in the Coming Years

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A diamond is the hardest material on earth, and has long-since been recognized for its beauty as a gemstone. The major producing countries include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Australia, Botswana, Russia and South Africa. The two types of diamond semiconductor substrates available in the global diamond semiconductor substrates market are natural and synthetic. One of the major factors for this segment will be the rising usage of diamonds in sectors such as electronics, healthcare and construction among others. The other factors boosting the market are low cost of synthetic diamond as compared to natural diamond. In addition, identification of new applications in semiconductor and electronics industry is anticipated to act as an opportunity for the diamond semiconductor substrates market for the near future.Based on types, the diamond semiconductor substrates market is segmented into natural and synthetic. In 2015, the synthetic segment expected to be the most important market and anticipated to be the same during the forecast period. The major factor driving the market is large number of industrial applications. Some of the other factors are usage of synthetic diamond in different industries such as chip production, construction, mining activities, oil and gas industries, in surgeries and stone polishing and cutting. Thus, the specific increase in these activities has lead to an increase in the demand for the diamond semiconductor substrates market. The synthetic diamond is used in research services and for extremely rough tasks such as polishing and cutting. However, complex manufacturing process is the restraining factor for diamond semiconductor substrates market in the forecast period.Obtain Report Details @Based on the various applications, the diamond semiconductor substrates market is segmented into healthcare, consumer electronics, construction & mining, electronics and others. In 2015, the consumer electronics segment anticipated to be the foremost market. There are numerous major factors boosting the diamond semiconductor substrates market such as growing adoption of diamond semiconductor substrates in jewelry making. In addition, rising research and development activity to deliver better products in the forecast period is other factor driving the market for diamond semiconductor substrates market. However, the time consumed for making synthetic diamonds is expected to hinder the expansion of this diamond semiconductor substrates market during the forecast period of 2016  2024.Based on the regions, the diamond semiconductor substrates market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). Asia Pacific holds the major market share followed by North America. In addition, North America is the second largest market for diamond semiconductor substrates market followed by Europe and Rest of the World. China and India are the key contributors to the diamond semiconductor substrates market in Asia Pacific. Diamond semiconductor substrates is high in Asia Pacific is due to identification of new applications of synthetic diamond in electronics and semiconductor industry. However, the market for diamond semiconductor substrates has seen the growth in product improvement from companies like Pure Grown Diamonds, Applied Diamond Inc., Washington Diamonds Corporation, Element Six, and ILJIN among others nearly one hundred others company. Furthermore, opening manufacturing plants in rising country of Asia Pacific such as India, Japan and Korea among others will also give output on higher returns on investments this in turn driving the market for diamond semiconductor substrates market.Brochure With Latest Advancements With Application @Some of the important players in the diamond semiconductor substrates market includes are Applied Diamond Inc (The U.S.), Pure Grown Diamonds (The U.S.) and Element Six (Luxembourg). These top players are aiming to penetrate increasing economies and are adopting various methods to drive their market share. Some of the others players are New Diamond Technology LLC (The U.S.), Scio Diamond Technology Corporation (United States), Washington Diamonds Corporation (The U.S.) and ILJIN Diamond Co., Ltd (Korea) among others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. 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. 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 Cognitive Security Market is Expected to Reach Approximately USD 10 Billion by 2023

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Market Research Future published a half cooked research report on Cognitive Security Market, Cognitive Security Market is Expected to Reach Approximately USD 10 Billion by 2023Cognitive Security Market, By Deployment (Cloud, On-Premise), By Organization Size (Small and Medium Enterprises, Large Enterprises), By Vertical (Logistics, BFSI, Healthcare, IT & Telecommunication) - Forecast 2023On the basis of regional analysis the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. North America region is generating highest market share in the cognitive security market owing to better network infrastructure, digitization and higher technology implementation. Digitization in North America is mainly due to the invention of advanced technology and economies benefitting from it. North America region is leading due to presence of major players from the region in the cognitive security market. The implementation of cloud based cognitive security solutions by both small and medium enterprises is increasing rapidly, especially one into banking and finance. The cognitive security is gaining demand as organization seek to increase their business productivity by shifting from on-premise to cloud based. The initial low cost, saving amount spent on infrastructure, automatic software upgrading and seamless integration is driving the market of cloud based cognitive security solution.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 30 market data tables and figures spread over 100 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on The Cognitive Security Market Research Report -Forecast to 2023.Get a sample report atCognitive Security Market SegmentationThe cognitive security market has been segmented on the basis of deployment, organization size and vertical. In North America region there is high adoption of cloud security by small and medium size enterprises owing to dynamic benefits and cost factor. The developed infrastructure in the region is significant factor boosting the cognitive security market. By vertical, BFSI accounts for largest market share in the region owing to its numerous benefits that includes automated threat intelligence and prevention techniques, fraud analysis and investigation.The prominent players in the cognitive security market are  XTN (Italy) Intel Security (U.S.) Symantec Corporation (U.S.) IBM Corporation (U.S.) Cisco systems (U.S.) CA Technologies, Inc. (U.S.) CSC (U.S.) Fortinet, Inc. (California, U.S.) Cato Networks (Israel) Check Point Software Technologies (Israel)Market Research Analysis:The cognitive security market in North America region is growing due to high adoption of cognitive systems by enterprise and need to improve cyber security in organizations. Changing banking regulation, that requires changes in documents and financial transaction is driving the market in the region. According to the study, the cognitive security market will remain steady in Europe region. Asia-Pacific market is estimated to be one of the fastest growing market as enterprises are continuously investing into research and development of cognitive security market. Increasing IT landscape is boosting the market in the region. The region is witnessing high adoption of internet of things and bring your own device technology by enterprises. Developing countries such as India and China are adopting cognitive security systems at a large scale owing to increasing IT infrastructure, digitization and robust industrialization that is boosting the market in the region. By vertical segment, BFSI and IT & telecommunication sector is driving the cognitive security market. The region is witnessing high growth in cognitive security market due to growing technological advancement in cloud, analytics and mobile technologies.ACCESS REPORT DETAILS @Study Objectives of Cognitive Security Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the cognitive security market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the cognitive security 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 on the basis of deployment, organization size and vertical. 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 cognitive security market.Ask Question to Expert atThe regional analysis of cognitive security market is being studied for region such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. North America region is the leading player in the cognitive security market. The need of safety & security solutions to secure the huge existing database of the organizations is contributing to the growth of cloud security market in the region. The European region has highly developed network infrastructure. The growing healthcare industry in the region is demanding for security over cloud technology thereby driving the cloud security market. The Asia Pacific region is promoting the concept of bring your own device to the company premises which is increasing the threat of cyber-attacks for data on-cloud. To save the corporate data from unauthorized access and treats of cyber-attacks more and more companies are establishing the cloud security systems.At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Akash AnandP: +1 646 845 9312W:
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New study counters previous research that suggested two domestication processes led to the modern dog---By analyzing the DNA of two prehistoric dogs from Germany, an international research team led by Krishna R. Veeramah, Ph.D., of Stony Brook University in the USA has determined that their genomes were the probable ancestors of modern European dogs. The study also suggests that all contemporary dogs have a common origin and emerged through a single domestication process of wolves 20,000 to 40,000 years ago. Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) also participated in the study, the results of which recently have been published in Nature Communications.Dogs were the first animals to be domesticated by humans. The oldest remains of dogs that can be clearly distinguished from those of wolves originate from what is now Germany and are about 15,000 years old. Unfortunately, the archaeological record is ambiguous, with claims of ancient domesticated dog bones from the most varied locations as far away as Siberia.Only last year were researchers able to sequence the genome of a 5,000-year-old dog from Ireland using the latest paleogenomic techniques. The results of the study led the research team at the University of Oxford to suggest dogs were domesticated not once but twice. In addition, the research team also hypothesized that an indigenous dog population domesticated in Europe was replaced by incoming migrants independently domesticated in East Asia during the Neolithic period."Contrary to the results of this previous analysis, we found that our ancient dogs from the same time period were very similar to modern European dogs, including the majority of breed dogs people keep as pets," explained Veeramah, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University. "This suggests that there was no mass Neolithic replacement that occurred on the continent and that there was likely only a single domestication process for the dogs observed in the fossil record from the Stone Age and that we also see and live with today."In their article "Ancient European dog genomes reveal continuity since the Early Neolithic," Veeramah and his colleagues used the older 7,000-year-old dog to narrow the timing of dog domestication to the 20,000 to 40,000 years ago range. They found evidence that the younger, 4,700-year-old dog represents a mixture of European dogs and a population that resembles current Central Asian/Indian dogs. This finding may reflect people migrating from the Asian steppe to Europe at the beginning of the Bronze Age, bringing their own dogs with them."Our study shows how the analysis of entire ancient genomes can help us to gradually understand complex processes, such as dog domestication. Only direct insights into the past like this enable us to disentangle the effects of the many parallel and successive events that are involved, including targeted breeding by humans as well as population movements and admixture of multiple populations," added Dr. Amelie Scheu, one of the primary authors of the article and a research assistant in the Palaeogenetics Work Group at the Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.Overall, however, the question where exactly dogs were first domesticated in geographic terms remains a mystery, although Krishna R. Veeramah expects that the sequencing of additional ancient Eurasian genomes will help to eventually solve the issue.The study and findings are a collaboration between scientists at Stony Brook University and the University of Michigan in the USA, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and the University of Bamberg in Germany, Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, and the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage in Rhineland-Palatinate, GermanyImages:An archaeologist entering the Kirschbaumhohle (Cherry Tree Cave) in the Franconian Alps, where the remains of the dog that lived 4,700 years ago during the Neolithic period were found. Researchers were able to sequence the animal's complete genome.photo/: Timo Seregely, University of BambergThe skull of the 4,700-year-old Neolithic dog was found in the Kirschbaumhohle (Cherry Tree Cave), here still in situ before whole genome sequencing.photo/: Timo Seregely, University of BambergThe skull of the 4,700-year-old Neolithic dog found in the Kirschbaumhohle (Cherry Tree Cave) in the lab, shortly before the animal's entire genome was sequenced.photo/: Amelie Scheu, Johannes Gutenberg University MainzPublication:Laura R. Botigue, Shiya Song, Amelie Scheu et al.Ancient European dog genomes reveal continuity since the Early NeolithicNature Communications, 18 July 2017DOI: 10.1038/ncomms16082Further information:Dr. Amelie ScheuPalaeogenetics GroupInstitute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary BiologyJohannes Gutenberg University Mainz55099 Mainz, GERMANYphone +49 6131 39-26929e-mail:Weitere Informationen: The Palaeogenetics Lab at Mainz UniversityQuelle: idw
A meta-analysis on observational and drought manipulation studies reveals that hydraulic failure is a universal factor when water deficiency kills trees. The finding, persistent across 26 different species globally analyzed, addressed a contentious hypothesis on drought-induced tree mortality.---As the number of hot droughts increases worldwide, scientists try to solve the difficulty of making consistent predictions about what will happen to plants and vegetation in the future. This is of importance for land-surface models used to predict climate change because plants take up about half of the CO2 emissions that humans put in the atmosphere. Therefore, the effect of sudden shifts in plant populations at large scales, such as tree die-off observed globally in recent decades, could affect the rate at which the climate changes. Current global vegetation models have a hard time producing consistent estimates of plant CO2 uptake, and their predictions vary widely based on the assumptions they use about how plants respond to environmental stress.Droughts are simultaneously happening over large regions of the globe, affecting forests with very different trees, says Liz Blood, director of NSFs Macrosystems Biology program. The discovery of how droughts cause mortality in trees, regardless of the type of tree, allows us to make better regional-scale predictions of droughts effects on forests.Trees and forests are particularly important in this process because they take up and store a lot of carbon, and they also affect their environment in other ways. One idea for improving these models is to base forest responses on how trees die in response to heat, drought, and other climate stresses. But progress on this has been limited by disagreement over whether carbon starvation or hydraulic failure, the inability of a plant to move water from roots to leaves, is the true cause of death in trees.Plants transpire large amounts of water for transporting nutrients and for cooling but also to carry out photosynthesis. Transpiration is facilitated by stomata, small pores in the leaves that also let in CO2. Trees respond to the stress of drought by closing those pores and hence reduce both water loss and photosynthesis. At that point, they need to rely on their stored sugars and starches to stay alive, and could die from carbon starvation if they run out before the drought is over.Also as the soil dries out, trees have to suck harder to get water out of the soil, thereby increasing the risk of gas bubbles forming in their vessels. The bubbles, or embolisms, interrupt the transport of water from the roots upwards to the leaves, a process we call hydraulic failure and which may become lethal as the whole tree dries out.A new study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, led by Henry Adams at Oklahoma State University, brought together 62 scientists from across the globe to synthesize all known research from drought manipulation studies that killed trees. They found that hydraulic failure was universal when trees died, whereas carbon starvation was a contributing factor roughly half of the time."This study makes a substantial scientific contribution because it combines results from many different experiments in a consistent way. We can now draw general conclusions that we couldnt make from the individual case studies" states Henrik Hartmann, scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena, who conducted two of the drought stress experiments included in the meta-analysis and is one of the main authors.The new study documents that both carbon starvation and hydraulic failure appeared to occur as trees died. "This makes sense, because stored sugars and starches are also im-portant for preventing hydraulic failure by acting as osmoprotectants, increasing the trees ability to hold on to its water. " says Henrik Hartmann. The studys results help link together the theories of carbon starvation and hydraulic failure, and provide a strong suggestion for how to go about improving vegetation models and overall predictions of climate change.The interdisciplinary approach served the purpose of the NSFs macrosystems biology grant program. Funding from this project supports, predictive understanding of large-scale biological responses to climate [and] land-use change. By forging a unified theory of the most basic question  what actually kills a tree in a drought?  scientists may now focus on effective solutions.These findings zing in to help us improve our understanding of how trees die, which is critical to understand in the context of climate change, says collaborator David Breshears, professor of natural resources at the University of Arizona.Original publicationAdams et al. (61 co-authors). A multi-species synthesis of physiological mechanisms in drought-induced mortality. Nature Ecology and Evolution, DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0248-xContact at Max Planck Institute for BiogeochemistryDr. Henrik HartmannPhone: +49.3641.576294Mobile: +49.171.8188273Contact at Oklahoma State UniversityHenry Adams, PhDAssistant Professor  Environmental Ecology LabDepartment of Plant Biology, Ecology, & EvolutionMobile: +1 303 819 6715Quelle: idw
UPDATED Wednesday, Sept. 27: Man arrested in fatal Gresham shooting

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A Portland man died after being shot Sunday night in Gresham, police said.

Adrian Gilberto Berg

Police said Adrian Gilberto Berg, 32, got in a verbal altercation with a man while attending an event at Pat Pfeifer Park. The suspect, who police think is in his 20s or 30s, reportedly shot Berg and left. Authorities are trying to identify the suspect and determine if he and Berg knew each other.

The shooting happened around 8 p.m., and Berg died later that night at a hospital, Gresham police said in a news release.

The circumstances leading to his death, which was ruled a homicide, remain under investigation.

Police ask anyone who saw the shooting or has suspect information to call their tip line, 503-618-2719.

The altercation reportedly happened near the park's southeast boundary, according to police.

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive
Aubrey Chambers, Midland High School, recently attended the Women in Computer Science program at Michigan Technological University in Houghton. Young women in grades 9-11 from six states were accepted into this highly competitive scholarship program. WICS is part of Michigan Tech's Summer Youth Programs.

Women in Computer Science is a weeklong discovery of the field of computers. The young women experienced different areas of computing including programming, artificial intelligence, robotics, virtual reality, visualization, networks and security. They learned about the many career opportunities in computing and the job prospects in a wide range of industries. In addition, they interacted with Michigan Tech alumni and role modes to get first hand accounts of the diverse careers in computing.

In addition, the young women experienced college life by staying in residence halls, eating in university cafeterias and exploring campus life among others with similar interests.
Midland County Habitat for Humanity is partnering with The Dow Chemical Co. to rehabilitate 15 homes in the city of Midland as part of the company's 2017 commitment to Habitat for Humanity.

"Midland County Habitat for Humanity is thankful for The Dow Chemical Company's continued support of the Habitat mission. Not only does Dow provide funding for this project, they provide their greatest assets, their employees, to volunteer on the project," stated Jennifer Chappel, Executive Director of Midland County Habitat for Humanity.
Thomas Matonican of Midland has been reappointed by Gov. Rick Snyder to the Michigan Collection Practices Board.

Housed within the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, the nine-member board licenses and regulates collection agencies operating in Michigan.

"(Matonican's) experience will be an asset to this board and I thank him for serving," Snyder said.

Matonican will serve a four-year term expiring June 30, 2021. His appointment is subject to the advice and consent of the Michigan Senate.
MINNEAPOLIS  In the age of online shopping, Target is trying new ways to connect with college students while also bringing stores closer to campuses as it opens new smaller-format locations.

"How we're reaching college students has changed and is evolving," said Joshua Thomas, a Target spokesman. "As consumers are changing, so has our strategy and how we can service students."

For more than 15 years, the Minneapolis-based retailer has played host to after-hours shopping events replete with DJs and school mascots in which they bus tens of thousands of students from campuses to Target stores around the country.

This fall, Target is paring back the number of busing events as it tries several other strategies to reach college students, an increasingly important demographic for its growth strategy.

It is testing a new service called "Shop Now, Pickup Later," a spin on the buy online pickup in store programs that many retailers, including Target, have begun offering in recent years.

In the college-focused pilot program, students at six universities including Arizona State University and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas can pre-order online from a curated list of about 300 items such as sheets, lounge chairs and mini-fridges and then pick them up weeks later around move-in time at a designated spot near campus.

"No need to haul it all from home," Target says on its website in promoting the program. "Have those big bulky items like furniture, bedding, appliances and more delivered close to campus."

At the same time, Target is reshaping its marketing outreach to students as it opens more stores right on the edge of campus. In July, the company opened four more such stores. At two of them, located near the University of Cincinnati and University of North Carolina, the retailer will offer complimentary rides to the stores in late August and early September through a partnership with Gotcha Ride, which runs free shuttles on some campuses through corporate sponsorships.

In addition, Target is experimenting with a two-day pop-up shop right on the UNC campus, bringing items like dorm-room decor, lighting and storage units closer to students while also promoting the new nearby store.

College students, a typically budget-strapped demographic, were once overlooked by retailers. But these days, retailers including Target and Amazon are increasingly courting them. The hope is that if they can hook them at a young age, they will become lifelong customers. After all, going to college is the first time many students begin buying more than clothing as they look to outfit their dorm room or first apartment.

"Heading off to college is a pretty pivotal life moment," Thomas said. "We see it as an opportunity to establish ourselves in new ways or deepen our affinity with them."

And it's a growing market. Families are expected to spend a record $54 billion, up from $48.5 billion last year, on back-to-college purchases this year, driven in part by higher college enrollment, according to the National Retail Federation.

Amazon has opened more than a dozen campus locations in the last couple years where students can pick up and return orders as mailrooms get more overwhelmed with packages from online orders. It also gives college students Prime memberships for half off the normal price after an initial six month free trial period.
BLOOMINGTON  Students can enjoy the last weekend of summer vacation by receiving free school supplies at the upcoming 19th annual Neighborhood Block Party in Bloomington.

Around 1,100 school supply kits will be distributed to children in kindergarten through eighth grade from 9 a.m. to noon on Aug. 12 at First Christian Church at 401 W. Jefferson St., near downtown.

The only guideline to receive school supplies is that a parent or guardian must be with the child, said event co-chair Julie Robinson. There are no financial restrictions and the event is open to anyone.

The party will include free health screenings for children and adults and social service agencies will be available to answer questions.

For the first time, the McLean County Health Department will bring a bus to the event to provide information on its WIC (Women, Infants and Children Nutrition, Education and Supplemental Food) program and answer case management questions.

Those attending also can enjoy a climbing wall from Upper Limits and an inflatable obstacle course, check out a fire truck and police car and participate in a cake walk and bike raffle.

A sack lunch will be provided for all who attend.

There are so many fun things to do, its a great event for adults and children. Even if people dont get a school kit, theyre welcome to come and join the fun, get a lunch, listen to music and connect with social service agencies and health screenings, said Robinson.

Volunteers are still needed to help man games and distribution. To learn more about the event or to sign up to volunteer, visit www.Facebook.com/2016westsideblockparty.

First Christian Church joined with Holy Trinity, Historic St. Patricks, Centennial, First and Second Presbyterian and Trinity Lutheran churches in collecting donations and support for the block party.
NORMAL  A new joint committee of the town of Normal and McLean County Unit 5 schools will meet for the first time later this month.

The committee will meet 11:45 a.m. Aug. 29, according to a memo from Normal City Manager Mark Peterson. No venue was specified.

The council and school board met jointly last month and laid out the committee, expected to meet at least quarterly and include two representatives from each board in addition to Normal's city manager and Unit 5's superintendent. The current superintendent is Mark Daniel.

That resulted in an agreement to be approved by the Normal City Council at its next meeting, 7 p.m. Monday on the fourth floor at Uptown Station. Unit 5's board also will be asked to approve the agreement before Aug. 29.

"Mayor (Chris) Koos will be appointing two members of the (council) to serve as the town's representative on that committee," Peterson wrote. "Staff will be prepared to answer (council) questions (Monday)."

Officials hope the committee will make both the town and district more stable and less susceptible to external obstacles. Both have struggled with poor funding and communication from the state and hope pooling resources will help them plan and respond to crises.

"Our first challenge in doing this is to keep this liaison committee relevant," said Mayor Chris Koos at the joint meeting; a similar committee died due to lack of interest. "We don't want to see it go away again."

The agreement also mandates an annual meeting between the City Council and school board.

In other business, the council will consider:

 A new 20-year lease agreement with Union Pacific Railroad, which owns land under the train platforms at Uptown Station, to cost $84,300, to be paid now.

The town budgeted $15,000 for the lease, but Union Pacific has changed its policy to account for fair market value of the property, according to a memo from town attorney Brian Day.

 A $118,000 fiber-optic system to enable traffic signal communication from Oak Street to Main Street, including the new town engineering office at One Uptown on the Circle, along College Avenue and Mulberry Street.

Motor fuel tax funds will pay for the work, to be done this fall. The new engineering office, and other town offices in the One Uptown building, is expected to be occupied this year, said Peterson.

 Extending the lease for a cell tower at the town's public works facility at 1301 Warriner St. The deal is part of moving a cell tower at the 604 Adelaide St. fire station, which the town gave to Illinois State University in a land swap.

 A new plat for 602 and 604 Dry Grove Street, where two student apartment buildings stood until demolition this spring. Sauder LLC is replacing them with a single 88-bed, 28-unit building to open fall 2018.
NORMAL  Mark Peterson thinks his best work as Normal city manager could lie ahead.

My most satisfying accomplishment might be yet to come. Who knows? he told The Pantagraph. "I told everybody at the staff meeting this morning, 'Business as usual. ... Dont think Im going on cruise control.'

For the first time, however, the finish line is in sight after the town announced Monday that Peterson will retire at the end of March.

For Peterson, 58, it's a chance to "relax and do things Ive been putting off while giving the town fresh leadership after nearly two decades at the helm  first alongside Mayor Kent Karraker and now with Mayor Chris Koos.

I liken it to a professional athlete. Best to go out when you're still contributing rather than wearing out your welcome, Peterson said. Im ready to look to the future.

For Koos and the Normal City Council, that means picking Peterson's successor. That process starts Friday morning with an executive session.

While it is hard to imagine the town without Mark Peterson as city manager, Koos said in a statement, we are very fortunate that he is allowing us the better part of eight months to carefully consider our next steps.

Council member Jeff Fritzen said that process is likely to be mostly private, as the town often handles personnel matters.

When asked about Pam Reece, who is now assistant city manager  the role Peterson held before taking the top job  Fritzen demurred.

All viable candidates who display an interest in the job will get an opportunity to express that and contact us, and thats something Pam will have to decide," he said. "Shes obviously a very capable administrator and has worked well in our system.

Reece could not be reached for comment on Monday.

Peterson will retire with 30 years of service to the town. He helped shape uptown Normal alongside Koos, as well as the expansion of Constitution Trail and redevelopment of the Shoppes at College Hills.

Fritzen also mentioned upgrading park facilities, spurring economic development, improving the town's relationship with Illinois State University and maintaining a good employee culture among Peterson's accomplishments.

A good city manager is one who will keep day-to-day operations in order, but an outstanding city manager is going to go beyond that and see the potential in things and challenge the council to look at things normally they might not, said Fritzen. "Its not easy, but Mark makes it look easy.

Before coming to Normal in 1988, Peterson, a University of Iowa graduate, worked in Ankeny, Iowa; Coralville, Iowa; and Liberty, Mo., where he was assistant city administrator. His town salary is $189,405.

Peterson also served on several local commissions and boards, including the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council, Central Illinois Regional Broadband Network (CIRBN), Connect Transit and McLean County Regional Planning Commission Executive Committee.

While Peterson plans to stay in the Twin Cities after retiring, he plans to leave those boards and stay out of his successor's way.

"There may be some professional opportunities. I dont know, and Im not prepared to talk about them, he said.

Peterson also wants to spend time with his wife, Becky; their sons, Adam and Tanner; and their first granddaughter, 1-year-old Elise.

"I highly recommend grandparent-hood," he said with a laugh. "I also have horses and dont get to spend much time with them. ... They might be the ones most disappointed by my retirement. Theyre going to get worked hard.

Peterson hopes to also "maybe enjoy some of these great things Ive been involved in creating.

Theres a lot on our plate, he said of the town. I expect to get a lot of things done in eight months.
Monadnock Paper Mills Appoints Lee Corson as Director of Supply Chain Logistics

Lee Corson

August 7, 2017  Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. announced that Lee Corson has joined the company as Director of Supply Chain Logistics. In this role he is responsible for the efficient and effective logistics strategy of the mill guided by its third-party certified ISO 9001 Quality Management System and ISO 14001 Environmental Management System.

Corson joins Monadnock from Schweitzer-Mauduit International where he led their U.S. purchasing operations. Previously he held positions with Wausau Mosinee Paper Corporation and James River Paper in a broad spectrum of roles including Procurement, Production Planning, Information Technology, Customer Service and Accounting.

Lee is an excellent addition to our team, said Richard Verney, Chairman and CEO of Monadnock. His extensive knowledge of procurement practices and business systems within the paper industry will prove invaluable to our success as we approach our 200th year of operation.

Corson holds an M.B.A. in International Business from Southern New Hampshire University, as well as a B.S. in Computer Science from Franklin Pierce College, Concord, New Hampshire and a B.S. in Business Administration with a Minor in Accounting from University of Maine, Orono.

Monadnock provides a diverse range of paper products including technical/specialty papers, premium printing and packaging papers and meltblown non-woven media for leading brands worldwide. To learn more, please visit: www.mpm.com .

SOURCE: Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc.
In late July Foxconn's Terry Gou announced his plans for a $10 billion dollar plant in Wisconsin that will produce next-gen 8K LCD displays for TV, auto and medical industries. As part of Foxconn's 'Flying Eagle' Project, Samsung will be investing more money in the U.S. covering different projects. Other cities that are bidding for new Foxconn plants include Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina. In a new Nikkei report published today, Foxconn is considering the Midwestern state of Michigan as a location for further U.S. investment after state Gov. Rick Snyder visited the company's facilities in Shenzhen, China.

Foxconn said in a statement sent to the Nikkei Asian Review on Monday stated that "Michigan is one of the states that we are considering as an investment location and our company is conducting an evaluation of the conditions for establishing a facility in that state.

The government-run China Daily reported that Gou said after the meeting that Foxconn was planning to establish a research center in Michigan. China's Securities Times reported that Gou said Foxconn would work on next-generation automobile technologies such as autonomous vehicles in Michigan, although he could not as yet reveal the potential amount of investments in the state, known for its auto industry.

To lure possible Foxconn investments, Snyder signed 'good jobs' bills into law in late July to allow companies to keep up to 100% of the income taxes paid by their new employees for 10 years if they meet certain investment criteria.

The annual tax revenue the state government would be allowed to give up is capped at $200 million." For more on this story, read the full Nikkei report here.

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Patna: The women members of the Congress Party in Bihar on Saturday staged a protest in Patna to condemn the attack on the vehicle of Congress National Vice President Rahul Gandhi during his visit to flood-affected town of Dhanera in Gujarat last Friday.

Led by Congress Party's women wing President Amita Bhushan, dozens of female Congress members chanted anti-BJP slogans and burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Boring Road Crossing.

"Narendra Modi has murdered democracy in India where opposition leaders are beaten up and silenced in a political environment never seen before in the history of India. The BJP has lost its mind in view of the growing popularity of Rahul Gandhi. We condemn attack on our leader and ask the Prime Minister to put an end to his divisive politics that is very dangerous for the nation," Bhushan said.

Meanwhile, members of the Youth Congress in Patna also burnt the effigy of Modi and BJP national President Amit Shah to condemn attack on the vehicle of Rahul Gandhi.

Police in Gujarat on Saturday arrested Jayesh Darji, a Youth BJP leader who remains the main accused in throwing a rock on Gandhi's car. While the Congress leader who was sitting on the front passenger side was not hurt, a security guard sitting in the back seat was injured and had to be treated at a local hospital for minor injuries.
Regional countries to help Iran reshape medical tourism

08/07/17

Source: Tehran Times

TEHRAN - Iran has signed agreements with 13 neighboring countries with the aim of developing and reorganizing its medical tourism sector. The state-run Tourism Holding Company, affiliated with the Social Security Organization, is to unveil this week a comprehensive plan, which will be implemented with the participation of 22 hospitals and over 200 physicians, specialists, and surgeons.



Related Article:

7 Reasons Why Iran Is an Excellent Medical Tourism Destination



"We have already signed agreements with 13 regional countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Bahrain and Oman to facilitate travels to Iran for people who are in need of medical services," ISNA quoted Gholamhossein Ebrahimbay-Salami, managing director of the Tourism Holding Company as saying.



"The scheme will involve 17 hospitals run by the Social Security Organization and five privately-owned ones. It will also hire some 40 renowned medical doctors as well," the official added.



"The hospitals have already worked in the field of medical tourism and we are consulting with a number of others that are located in major cities of Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz and Rasht, as well as some border cities like Kermanshah, Zabul, and Zahedan," Ebrahimbay-Salami said.



Elsewhere in his Remarks, the official referred to 'weaknesses' that has hampered the health tourism in the country.



So far, the health tourism sector [in its literal meaning] has suffered from its theoretical weakness and its public discourse, as sometimes medical tourism is mistaken for health tourism or other associated aspects of tourism that are utilized for curative and wellness, and rehabilitation purposes, the official pointed out.



"In medical tourism, which is a subset of health tourism, the prescriptions, surgery operations and medical care are of high priority. While health tourism utilizes features such as hot springs, aroma therapeutics and salt caves, and the medical profession is not induced," he clarified.



Due to the lack of such rankings in the country, the Tourism Holding Company is set to redefine medical tourism in the first step and track the other associated aspects later, Ebrahimbay-Salami added.



Patients from Iraq, Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Persian Gulf littoral states constitute the largest number of travelers who visit Iran annually for medical services.



The Ministry of Health registered some 105,000 inbound patients over the past Iranian calendar year (March 2016-March 2017), ISNA quoted a tourism official as saying back in July.



Iran has launched extensive plans to bolster its tourism sector. Under its 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, the country is expecting to increase the number of tourism arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025.
The UK government has reiterated its commitment as a trading partner to Ghana even after exiting the European Union.



According to the UK minister of State for the commonwealth and the United Nations, Lord Tariq Ahmed, Ghana's trade volumes to Britain stands at about 1.13 billion pounds making it one of Britains largest trading partners.



Lord Tariq Ahmad has also commended Ghana for its political stability particularly in organizing successful elections and its peaceful transition of power. According to him, the UK government was particularly pleased with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) governments resolve to direct the country away from aids and handouts.



Lord Ahmad has expressed his support and delight in the vision of the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the government to uplift the socio-economic status of the country. He is convinced of the government's competence in achieving this aim saying "aid should be an enabler and not an end in itself.



I have absolute confidence in the new administration and the British government is ever prepared to support the Ghana government to succeed, Lord Ahmad, who was recently in Ghana for a short visit stated.



"President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, upon assumption of office, promised to build a Ghana beyond aid; a Ghana which looks to the use of its own resources. We want to build an economy that is not dependent on charity and handouts but an economy that will look at the proper management of its resources as the way to engineer social and economic growth in our country, Lord Ahmad reiterated.

]

He stressed on the need for government to consider a national airline in order to attract needed investments for the sector, noting that Ghana had a great potential to become an aviation hub.



Lord Ahmad hinted the U.K's readiness to host the next Commonwealth summit scheduled for London and Windsor in April 2018. Issues to be discussed at the conference include sustainability, prosperity, fairness and security to re-energise and revitalise the alliance of nations.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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It has emerged that the previous Mahama administration in 2016 flouted the Petroleum Revenue Management Act (PRMA) in its spending.



According to the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC), the erstwhile NDC government made expenditure in 13 areas instead of four priority areas prescribed under the law.



The PRMA guides government on how to spend the countrys petroleum revenue.



Per the PRMA, out of the 13 priority areas in which government can make expenditure, it is only required to spend in four priority areas which can be changed every three years.



However, instead of spending solely on the already selected four priority areas (Capacity Building, Roads and Other Infrastructure, Amortisation and Agriculture Modernisation) for the last five years (2011-2016), the government spent in all 13 priority areas, especially in 2016, the election year.



The 13 broad areas from which any four priority areas could be chosen every three years are, Agric and Industry, Science and Technology, Potable water, Infrastructure Development, Social Welfare and Rural Development.



The rest are Strengthening Institutions, Housing Delivery, Health Care, Environmental Protection, Public Security and Alternative Sources.



PIAC Unhappy



Addressing residents during town hall meetings in the Keta and Ketu South Municipalities, the Vice Chairman of PIAC, Kwame Jantuah, said the financial indiscipline is worrying, particularly when the funds are spread so thinly that the impact of the funds cannot be felt.



He stressed that revenue from the oil and gas sector should not be misapplied since there are procedures in ways in which the funds should be allocated.



We are very disappointed that government will do that and spend without recourse to the law, because it was an election year, he lamented.



He added that such spending reduces the impact of funds and in most cases makes it difficult for us (PIAC) to even trace them, as the allocation is so thin and hidden in bigger projects being funded by the Consolidated Fund.



Details of ABFA Allocation



Per the PRMA, petroleum revenue is to be disbursed among the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Ghana Stabilisation Fund (GSF), Ghana Heritage Fund (GHF) and Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA), which supports the countrys budget.



It is the allocation to the ABFA that the Ministry of Finance disburses to fund government projects based on the four priority areas chosen at any given period.



According to the semi-annual report of PIAC, about $3.427 billion was accrued from the petroleum revenue between 2011 and 2016.



Out of this amount, about $1.473 billion was allocated to ABFA, which supports projects in Ghanas budget.



Mr Jantuah expressed dissatisfaction with the misapplication of a whopping amount of $1.473 billion, equivalent to about GH5.8billion.



He said, It is very worrying because the petroleum revenue represents just four percent of governments total revenue. It is not right to spread the meagre petroleum oil revenue thinly on plenty projects when you have been asked to spend on four specific areas, all because of politics and votes.



For instance, Under capacity building, you have payments for feeding cost, BECE subsidy, capitation grant, school uniforms, etc which fall mostly on education, a different priority area on its own. These things could be taken care of by the GETFund.



Dr. Affail Monney and Mohammed Afum, who are members of PIAC, therefore called on the current government to stick to the four priorities areas (Agriculture, Education, Health and Road Rail and other Infrastructure projects) chosen for 2017 to 2019.



They added that the allocations should not be thinly spread, but made on specific long-term and beneficial projects.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Ghana requires substantial and fresh investments in the agricultural sector if the country is to boost growth of the economy sustainably, the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Ami Mehl, has said.



He observed that the countrys eight million hectares arable land lying uncultivated could ensure food security when put to use.



For a country that wants to reduce food import to save money to cater for other aspects of the economy, the way to go is to produce your own food he said.



Available data shows the country spent US$2.2 billion on food import in 2016.



Mehl, believes the amount would be higher this year if Ghanaian investors look elsewhere rather than investing in agriculture.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), for instance, estimates that organic mango farmers in Ghana could take advantage of the US$500 million US organic mango market through exports.



Worryingly, also, an estimated US$150 million worth of fruit juice is said to be imported into the country each year, while demand of local fruit juice processors go unmet.



The challenge, Mehl believes, is due to the countrys inability to produce more fruits to feed fruit processing companies.



I represent Israel in Ghana and my goal is to take businesses and investments back to boost Israels economy but I also have to be truthful and advice citizens of this country to take agriculture serious and invest in it he said.



Speaking to the Goldstreet Business at the Ghana-Israel Chamber of Commerce forum on Thursday, Mehl noted that the most important thing is for the countrys leadership to take an initiative to re-engage investors while making efforts to build stronger relations with other countries to bring in investments.



CEO of GIPC Mr. Yofi Grant, guest speaker at the forum, said though Ghana and Israel have good trading relations, Israels investment in Ghana, as at 2016, stood at only US$56 million.



The amount, he noted, is on the low side for a country that has a longstanding relationship with Ghana, right from its independence.



Israel is a leader in agriculture, innovation, technology and several other sectors. It would be prudent that more Israeli companies come to do business in Ghana. We have a good incentive regime for foreign companies that want to do business in Ghana Grant said.

Source: goldstreetbusiness.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) David Asante-Apeatu on Saturday joined hundreds of mourners from all walks of life at the funeral of the late Corporal Robert Kumi Ackah at Axim in the Nzema East Municipality of the Western Region.



The late Corporal Ackah served with the Tamale Rapid Deployment Force.



He was allegedly shot and killed by a fellow police officer mistakenly during a shoot-out with armed robbers on May 28, this year.



The patrol team mistook the deceased, who was in mufti for an armed robber when it arrived at the scene.



The mourners included Commissioner of Police (COP), Prosper Agblor, Director-General Welfare at the Police Headquarters, the Western Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kwasi Mensah Duku and other officers of the Ghana Police Service.



Also in attendance were the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, who is also the Minister for Tourism, Catherine Abelema Afeku and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Frank Okpeyen.



The late Robert Kumi Ackha was born on May 26, 1986 to Mary Kumi, a trader and John Anyimah Ackah, an administrator.



He had his police training in Kumasi and passed out successfully in the year 2012 and was later posted to Tamale for police duties.



His major police operational duty was during the funeral of the late President Atta Mills.



The late Corporal Kumi Ackah met his wife, Hannah Dedo Dun in Tamale and they had a daughter, Mary Nana Tawiah.



Corporal Ackah was escorting an OA passenger with registration number GE 6402-14 when they were attacked by armed robbers in the Northern Region.



A police patrol team, which responded to a distress call, gunned down Lance Corporal Ackah mistakenly.



Police preliminary investigations revealed that at about 2.30am, a patrol team had information that some armed men had blocked the road between Kawampe and Gulumpe.



The team proceeded to the scene and saw about 20 cars parked alongside the road.



They were said to have manoeuvred to the scene where the armed robbers reportedly opened fire on the patrol team. The team also returned fire immediately and moved ahead.



The patrol team shot the deceased in the thigh.

Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Mayor of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), has asserted, the sanitation problem in the capital city is daunting and a challenge that cannot be solved easily.



Speaking to Kwame Tutu on Rainbow Radio 87.5fm, Mohammed Nii Adjei Sowah said, the issues of sanction confronting the nation is serious and "I dont like complaining when there is a lot to be done."



We need to find solutions and ensure that Accra becomes the cleanest city," he added.



He told the host that the AMA is indebted to all the waste management companies and that has also affected their operations since some of the staff have abandoned their post.



"We took over office when all the service providers were owed." We are indebted to Zoomlion to the tune of GHc 14 million and Stanley Owusu GHc 2 million.



I go on and on, he said. The failure of government to pay its debt, has weakened their operations and they are unable to buy equipment to collect the refuse. The labourers working, are Zoomlion staff and because theyve not been paid, they have refused to work.



He also clarified that the management of waste at the major markets in Accra "is not under the AMA" because "we [AMA] do not take tolls from the drivers. We do not take money from the traders. It is the market company that collects these monies and it is the responsibility of the market company to evacuate the waste there."



The AMA he stated has invested heavily in assisting the Kaneshie market, to evacuate waste there because when people see a heap of refuse there, they blame the AMA when it is not our responsibility.



"You cannot take money from the people in the market and expect the AMA to pay for the evacuation. We will assist them so they get on their feet to do what is necessary," he said.



Nii Adjei Sowah further explained that, some individuals who collect waste at some locations within Accra, dump them at major areas because they refuse to pay at the major dump sites. He described the situation as unfortunate and cautioned those to stop from doing so. According to him, some drug users who have turned themselves into waste collectors all the ones doing that.



The AMA he assured will do it best to resolve the situation. The Mayor said he came to inherit 42 illegal dump sites and has written letters to such places for it to be halted.

Source: Primenewsghana.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Dancehall artiste Shatta Wale has accused his friend and fellow artiste Sarkodie of being arrogant.



According to the "Ayoo" hit maker, some fans of Sarkodie told him (Shatta) that Sark refused to pose for a selfie with a fan who approached him while in traffic.



The dancehall King, who was on Accra-based Okay FM as part of his media tour, told Abeiku Santana on Friday, August 4, 2017 that he has received numerous reports of how some of his fellow musicians behave haughtily towards their fans.



Although Shatta Wale was not ready to mention any name, the host  Abeiku Santana pushed him to the wall, forcing him to name Sark as the culprit.



Shatta Wale confirmed to Abeiku Santana that Sarkodie refused to grant a fans request for a selfie with him; an act he (Sark) could easily have done, since he was stucked in traffic at that particular time.



I really understand and feel their pain, because they are not getting any artiste that understand them, recently I heard a rumor about an artiste that refused to take a selfie with a fan, yes Sarkodie, and I felt bad about it", he disclosed.



Shatta Wale condemned the act and advised Sarkodie to learn how to get on well with his fans and not to be bossy over them.



"...he (Sark) and my colleague artiste shouldn't forget that it is the hawkers, market women and ordinary people on the streets, who made them who they are, so it is very important to grant fans audience when they approach them," he added.



According to Shatta Wale, should he does meet a mechanical engineer and he wants to be warmly embraced, he will gladly do so irrespective of their stained outfit; because "i have enough money to buy another one if they dirty my attire."









Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A woman types on her laptop in Miami in a Monday, Dec. 12, 2016, photo illustration. In the past month, Roxanne messaged more than two dozen Ontario women on Facebook to warn them that their photos had surfaced on the image-sharing site Anon-IB.It's something the Toronto resident has been doing on and off since she learned four years ago that her own photos had cropped up on the site a a place where users gather to share images, many of which are sexually explicit. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Wilfredo Lee
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.
Rosneft lends $1.02 billion to Venezuela oil company PDVSA



Sources: Thomas W. O'Donnell : PDVSA,Gazprom, Global Business Consultans, Bloomberg

Russia's Rosneft standing by investment plans in Venezuela.

By Elena Mazneva and Stephen Bierman

MOSCOW

Petroleumworld 08 07 2017

Russia's largest oil company disclosed another advance payment to Venezuela's state producer after the U.S. sanctioned President Nicolas Maduro on Monday.

Rosneft PJSC paid $1.02 billion to Petroleos de Venezuela SA in April for future crude supplies, the state-run Russian producer said in an earnings statement on Friday. That follows advance payments of about $1.5 billion in 2016 and comes a day after Rosneft Chief Executive Officer Igor Sechin pledged to stick with investment plans in the crisis-torn Latin American nation.

The South American country became Rosneft's largest source of crude outside Russia through deals with late President Hugo Chavez and after it acquired shares in Venezuelan producers, led by PDVSA, as part of its purchase of TNK-BP in 2013. Bets on a Venezuela default are climbing as political turmoil in the oil-dependent nation compounds a crude price crash and declining production.

This is an indirect way of providing some financial aid to PDVSA, according to Ovanes Oganisian, a strategist at MidLincoln Research, a consulting firm in Moscow. PDVSA bonds are trading now with yields indicating a very solid possibility of default.

The U.S., the biggest buyer of Venezuelan crude, sanctioned Maduro after he held elections on the weekend for a new assembly that will rewrite the constitution. The socialist state is said to be working on a Plan B to find markets for its oil if the White House ratchets up the punitive measures and bans imports.

Debt Challenge

Rosneft holds a 49.9 percent stake in PDVSA's U.S. subsidiary, Citgo, as collateral for the $1.5 billion loan last year. Several U.S. lawmakers have asked the Treasury Department to investigate the matter, saying it could have national security implications if Rosneft gains control over Citgo.

The prepayment by Rosneft probably won't resolve the challenge PDVSA faces in repaying its debt, according to Alexander Griaznov, a Moscow-based credit analyst at S&P Global Ratings.

There is no immediate impact on PDVSA, as the company still faces very material liquidity challenges under current oil prices, Griaznov said. PDVSA already did a distressed exchange last year, which constitutes a default under our criteria, and we think there is a high likelihood of similar transaction going forward.

Fitch Ratings Ltd. has said a default of PDVSA's debt is "probable," citing lower output, limp oil prices and weak liquidity. The state oil company sent a letter dated July 31 asking bond investors for a temporary waiver from financial reporting requirements because it can't complete the documents on time.

Still, Rosneft sees Venezuela's heavy oil as a feedstock for the Indian refinery it's acquiring. The Russian producer plans to boost output from Venezuela almost fivefold to 12.5 million metric tons within a decade. Rosneft and PDVSA completed feasibility studies for three fields off Venezuela in July.

Sechin, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has denied any involvement by Rosneft in Venezuelan politics, pointing to the nation's world-leading oil reserves as the company's motivation.

Russian Support

Venezuela's opposition-controlled congress earlier this year voted to reject a $500 million deal in which Rosneft increased its stake in the PetroMonagas venture with PDVSA. The country's Supreme Court later invalidated the congressional ruling.

While the U.S. has sanctioned Maduro and other senior Venezuelan officials, Russia expressed its support following the elections.

The recent vote gave a clear signal about the long overdue need to overcome the crisis experienced by the country through political means, through dialog, in line with the current legislation, on the basis of popular will and without outside interference, Russia's Foreign Ministry said on July 31.

Rosneft's interests in Venezuela are strictly business-related, according to Chris Weafer, a partner at Macro Advisory in Moscow.

Rosneft does have to be careful to show that its financial assistance is strictly for PDVSA and not intended to support the regime, Weafer said. Right now it is one of the few partners PDVSA can rely on and, over the longer term, that is going to be a big positive for Rosneft.







Story by Elena Mazneva and Stephen Bierman from Bloomberg .



bloomberg .com / 08 03 2017
CC Orlando & Sons, which baked countless wedding and holy communion cakes and pastries since its founding on an Overbrook corner in 1948, closed after business Sunday.

The Orlando family cited not only the challenges of the baking business in these days of ubiquitous Dunkin' Donuts shops and 24-hour supermarkets but the city's 1.5-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages and a recent rise in property assessments.

"The soda tax was the kill shot," said Anthony Voci Jr., a grandson of Christopher Columbus "Chick" Orlando and now a lawyer in Philadelphia.

Chick Orlando started in the baking business with his father in the 1930s with a shop in West Philadelphia, and ran several shops in the city and Delaware County until he was killed by a drunken driver while making a delivery shortly before Christmas 1971. His sons David and Robert took over Orlando's.

The business' last owner, Tyler Orlando, 32, also a grandson, said business was off 60 percent since the soda tax went into effect Jan. 1  a difficult situation for a low-margin business. Orlando said his customers simply crossed the nearby city line to avoid the higher prices for juices, milk and other sweetened drinks typically purchased with doughnuts and pastries. "I'd see my customers in there," he said. "I don't blame them."

Orlando also said city health inspectors were "relentless" this year. During an inspection three days before Mother's Day, the report said, mice and droppings were noticed and the bakery was closed for five days. He said that the shop was clean and that he did not lose customers over the closing.

Sunday's crowd at the store, at Lebanon Avenue and Kenmore Road, was in tears over the closing and the layoff of the five workers, who were like family. Voci had to leave early, as he was overcome with emotion.

Orlando, who said he had found a job as a foreman for another bakery, had worked at Orlando's since he was about 7 years old. His father, Bob, now retired, put him to work using steel wool to clean the baked-on sugar from the pans. "He told me there was a pearl at the bottom of the sink under the pans," Orlando said. When young Tyler didn't find the pearl, his father told him that it must have fallen down the drain and to try again with more pans. Voci, who also worked there as a lad, said he had been told the same thing.

Pearl-diving, they called it.

Orlando said a developer was interested in the building. Meanwhile, he said he would give his pound cake recipe to Overbrook School for the Blind, a longtime customer.
Israel's government urged Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., the country's largest company, to bring jobs and operations back home while signaling its willingness to aid in a rescue of the beleaguered drugmaker.

The company has an obligation to Israel because of the special tax benefits it's enjoyed over the years, according to a statement Monday from Economy Minister Eli Cohen. Government officials have in recent days successfully pressed Teva to delay 350 job cuts in its home market until after the Jewish holidays in October, and are asking the Petach Tikva, Israel-based company to consider paring costs by targeting the management rather than rank-and-file staff. The company's North American headquarters are in North Wales.

"Teva's Israeli workers don't need to pay the price for failed investments abroad," Cohen said in the statement, after speaking to the drugmaker's interim chief executive officer Yitzhak Peterburg. "The Ministry of Economy will discuss with the company the return of activity to Israel and help it get out of the crisis it is in."

The Israeli government's hints about potential support for a rescue plan may cheer investors, though its intervention in the proposed job cuts adds another level of complexity for Teva, already under pressure to pay down $35 billion of debt and revive growth. The company lowered its profit forecast and slashed the dividend last week, while warning that it may breach debt covenants this year if the cash balance doesn't rapidly improve and it fails to raise enough funds from asset sales. Teva shares and bonds have plummeted.

A spokesman for the drugmaker didn't immediately respond to requests for comments.

Teva is looking to lower costs as it struggles to pay back debt following the acquisition of Allergan PLC's generic drugs unit for $40.5 billion last year. The company has said that by the end of the year, it will have eliminated 7,000 jobs globally, or about 12 percent of total headcount, from the time the Allergan deal closed in August 2016.

The planned cuts in Israel represent just five percent of the total for Teva, one of Israel's largest employers with 6,863 workers at the end of 2016. The company assured Cohen it would delay some of the job cuts, and that most reductions would come through a voluntary retirement plan instead of firings.

A domestic environment that fosters innovation allowed the firm to become the world's largest maker of generic medicines, the minister said.

"Successful management in the past, alongside tax benefits in Israel and the developments of Israeli scientists, have contributed to Teva's position as a leading international company," Cohen said in the statement. "Therefore as part of the company's global streamlining, it should bring activity back to Israel at the expense of other countries, where Teva's failed investments led to the need for a recovery plan."
With inventory in Philadelphia and across the country at historically low levels, homes are being snatched up and put under contract faster than ever. Read more

In certain Philadelphia neighborhoods, it's not unusual to see hopeful homeowners jostling to buy houses; Rittenhouse Square, Society Hill, and Fairmount have topped the list for years.

It's in these highly desired, affluent areas that home buying has become a full-out frenzy. To secure properties, buyers have been offering to pay prices well above asking or have been waiving typical provisions such as the appraisal contingency, thus preventing the buyers from exiting a sale, even if an appraisal is lower than the original sale price.

But these days, historically overlooked neighborhoods beyond Center City have been experiencing that same housing mania. Last month, Realtor Michael P. Cohen told me he listed a house in Overbrook Park in West Philadelphia on a Monday  and by Wednesday, he had 11 offers. And in South Philadelphia, Realtor Kristin McFeely, with the Philly Home Girls team at Coldwell Banker Preferred, also listed a house in July on the 1400 block of Jackson Street. Within a few days, it had eight offers.

"It's a fine, stable area," McFeely said. "Not an area that you would consider a hot neighborhood, but there are still multiple offers for houses down there."

The driving force behind this excitement is historically low inventory  a real estate term used to describe the number of houses for sale at a given time. A balanced, healthy supply is considered "five to seven months," meaning how long it would take to deplete the supply of homes on the market if no listings were added.

In Philadelphia alone, today's supply is at 3.1 months, nearly half of what real estate professionals consider healthy.

Real estate professionals and industry analysts agree that today's inventory is a problem. At three months, it's considered a seller's market, meaning that buyers are often competing for homes and paying more than they typically should. And it has big implications for first-time and low-income buyers: Fewer total homes can mean fewer starter homes, forcing hopeful home buyers to either splurge or remain renters.

What real estate professionals do not necessarily agree on, however, is what is driving such low inventory.

Trulia chief economist Ralph McLaughlin recently tested five leading theories to determine which have the greatest impact. Rather than test them in isolation, Trulia controlled for the impact of other factors.

The good news: McLaughlin determined that two factors, in particular, have significant influence on inventory levels.

The bad news: Unless something changes dramatically, inventory may not increase any time soon.

According to McLaughlin, the two biggest influences on inventory are new home construction and investor ownership. For every one percentage point increase in a market's housing stock between 2010 and 2016, total inventory was about 13 percent higher on average across the United States, Trulia found.

For example, if the Philadelphia metro area had increased its total housing stock by 1.2 percent between 2010 and 2016  rather than the just 0.2 percent that it actually did  the area could add 807 more homes to its inventory this year. (For this study, Trulia defined the Philadelphia metro area to include both Philadelphia and Delaware Counties.)

At the same time, Trulia found, for every percentage point increase in investor-owned housing, inventory dropped 2.8 percent on average between 2010 and 2016. As for the Philadelphia area, if investor ownership dropped from 41.9 percent to 40.9 percent, the area would have 173 homes more homes listed for sale this year. (In its study, Trulia included both single- and multi-family homes to measure inventory. Investor ownership appears high because of the number of apartments in the area.)

"The housing market is very interconnected," McLaughlin said in an interview. "When all homes get filled up and vacancy rates are basically zero, you get gridlock, and that's what we have seen across the country."

"For every house that's owned by an investor, that's a home that will potentially not be sold because the investor is holding on to it for renting or for the income," McLaughlin continued. " And while new construction is a bit of a no-brainer  new homes provide a place for people to go, which frees up their home, which frees up another home."

With new construction remaining sluggish and with investor-ownership in the area still high, will we see any kind of rapid change?

"I am skeptical that there will be enough building that can happen before the next downturn to help relieve inventory," McLaughlin said. "Investors who bought during the bottom of the housing market might think about selling in the next couple of years."

"But," he added, "we don't see any major trends in that direction yet."
You've committed a crime. The cops are after you. You're on the run. How can you disappear, vanish into thin air?

That's the question Philadelphia police must be asking themselves as they hunt Derrick Hershal Rollins, 24, chief suspect in the random shooting of John Le, 29, on July 29 in Haverford Township.

We are told that criminals are dumb, and there are countless examples to prove that, but they often know things the honest Jamal or Jane would not know.

Like disappearing, for instance, vanishing from the grid, as Rollins has done, even while police raid places he is known to have been.

Police believe he has remained in the area because "he has strong family ties, he has a young child with a young lady, and is dating another young lady," I'm told Monday by Lt. John Walker of Southwest Detectives. "We believe he has no money."

Walker suspects that Rollins is getting help from friends.

In the trade, that's known as "couch surfing," says Marc Bourne, co-founder of the Know It All Intelligence Group, a private-eye firm in Bensalem. The suspect may bunk in a friend's basement or on a couch.

"He is a fugitive," Walker warns, "and if they get caught helping him, obstruction of justice has a very serious penalty."

Bourne says, "In police work the big thing is finding out who the associates are. Word on the street is like Facebook: Somebody is going to know something."

That gives Rollins reason to run, and it doesn't take much money to jump on a bus or train, and if he pays with cash, there would be no trace of it.

Speaking of trace, isn't that something the FBI does routinely?

Yes, it is, but FBI spokeswoman Carrie Adamowski declined to comment on disappearing techniques, saying, "We don't want to give criminals looking to go off the grid any ideas on how to evade capture."

Understandable, but the real baddies already know how to do it and the less-experienced crooks can find guidance on the web.

Just as I did.

What follows isn't a primer for aspiring felons, it's a roundup of techniques that are pretty much common knowledge:

If you have a car, you won't want to drive it (unless you switch the license plate). Stay away from taxis and Uber, because they record where you were dropped off.

You may love your cellphone, but it's a beacon to your location. Get a prepaid phone that you will use and toss, just like the terrorists. Don't call friends and family, even with a prepay, because your call can be traced to a location.

Same thing with credit cards, ATM machines, and even your checks. It's cash and carry for fugitives. You should have prepared a cache of cash before your decision to vanish. Preparation is essential and can take months or longer, says Bourne.

Avoid public places with a lot of closed-circuit security cameras. Such camera-free oases are getting rare.

Change your appearance in a dramatic way. If your hair is long, cut it short. If it's short, use a long wig. Change the color of your hair. Bourne says hats, sunglasses, and hoodies are all effective in covering your face.

In the end, though, Bourne expects Rollins to be captured soon.

So do I, because most fugitives are.
Khepera Charter School in North Philadelphia, which ended the school year early because of financial problems, insists that it will open for students next month, but it's facing daunting odds.

Its landlord has asked Common Pleas Court to kick the K-8 school out of its building on Sedgley Avenue for unpaid rent.

Teachers complain that the school still owes them wages from the last school year.

And a company that provides special education teachers, substitutes and counselors sued Khepera last week, saying the charter owes it money, too.

General Healthcare Resources Inc., based in Plymouth Meeting, said in a court filing that the school had not made any payments since April and owed the firm about $86,683 for staffing services.

The school's problems are not new. It's the only charter school among more than 80 citywide that faces revocation of its charter.

Officials at Khepera did not respond to email or phone calls Monday seeking comment. Located at 926 W. Sedgleym the charter had 450 K-8 students in the last academic year. The school opened in 2004 and has an African-centered curriculum.

"I know that every signal that the school is sending at this point  is that they are intending to open," said Dan Dueholm, a staff representative with the Alliance for Charter School Employees, the union that represents 16 Khepera employees. "But where and how has not been established."

Lee Whack, a Philadelphia School District spokesman, said Khepera has told the charter school office that it plans to open in September. He said the charter submitted a school calendar for the 2017-18 year, requested busing services for its students "and maintains that it will be open."

Whack said that Khepera was set to receive its full payment from the district for August of $399,350.

He said that the district's charter office has been assisting Khepera parents who have asked for help finding new spots in district schools for the fall. But Whack said the district cannot contact parents directly about enrolling their children in other schools as long as Khepera says it will be opening.

Khepera received no payment from the district for June and only a partial payment in July because it owed the district money for contributions to the state teachers' pension system.

When a charter school fails to make pension payments, the amount is deducted from funds the district receives from the state. The district recovers the money by withholding that amount from monthly charter payments.

The loss of June's payment caused Khepera to end the school year early. Charter officials said at the time that the school closed only a few days early and that students missed out on some end-of-the-year activities but not instruction.

Later in June, the School Reform Commission voted to begin the process of revoking Khepera's operating charter for declining academic performance and financial instability. Among other things, the SRC noted that the charter had failed to submit annual financial reports for 2015 and 2016, which are required by state law. The school also failed to make more than $1 million in payments to the state teachers pension system in the last fiscal year.

A public hearing on the revocation will begin at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at district headquarters. The hearing is expected to last several days. State law allows a charter to remain open pending a final vote by the SRC.
Frederick Haas played Happy Birthday for  and on  the organ named for his grandfather Fred J. Cooper at Verizon Hall. Read more

Expect to hear more vibrating rumbles and soaring high notes at Philadelphia Orchestra concerts in Verizon Hall in the near future  though not from the orchestra itself.

With the backing of local philanthropist and organ enthusiast Frederick R. Haas, the Wyncote Foundation is giving the orchestra $5 million over the next five years to enhance organ programming and activities highlighting the instrument.

The Kimmel Center is hardly wanting for organ programming. Philadelphia Orchestra repertoire frequently incorporates the organ, and Haas has supported ways in which the public can learn about and listen to the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ, the "world's largest mechanical-action concert hall pipe organ," according to the orchestra.

But the organ project, which is to begin this coming season, will make the orchestra and the Kimmel even more organcentric: commissioning new works; programming additional organ concertos and orchestral works that weave organ in and out of the overall texture; holding community concerts, recitals, and postlude concerts; and providing real-time program notes that explain the way the organ works.

"I would say we had not been programming concertos every year, and now we are," said orchestra president Allison Vulgamore. "We have had a focus on using the organ clearly in works well known to the audience, such as the Saint-Saens Symphony No. 3, but not canvassing works to introduce to the audience. And that means we are spending time  keeping [the organ] in mind when we do our programming."

The orchestra has been brainstorming with Haas for several years on ways to increase the use of organ, said Vulgamore, and increased activities for the organ's recent 10th anniversary served as a catalyst for the formalization of the entire five-year initiative, which has been dubbed the "Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ Experience."

Cooper, an amateur organist, was Haas' grandfather.

The orchestra already had programmed several works with organ next season but has now added three more as a direct result of the gift, plus six postlude concerts, said orchestra artistic planning vice president Jeremy Rothman. Additionally, a new work by Tod Machover will now incorporate organ, he said.

The money will be spent down, not kept in endowment in perpetuity as some other gifts are, and Haas has been given the title of artistic adviser with the orchestra, consulting on repertoire as well as organists the orchestra might engage. "Fred is a voice at the table with Yannick [Nezet-Seguin, the orchestra's music director]," Vulgamore said.

Haas was not available for comment, an orchestra spokeswoman said.

The new initiative also aims to bring greater visibility to the organ generally  in neighborhood concerts in halls where there might be an instrument, for the orchestra's play-in concerts for amateurs, on tour, and in radio broadcasts.

Haas, one of four members of Wyncote's board of directors, is a trained organist in his own right  he studied at the Oberlin Conservatory  and can sometimes be heard playing the Wanamaker Grand Court Organ in Macy's Center City. The six postlude concerts next season will be played by Peter Richard Conte. Conte is grand court organist of the Wanamaker Organ.

The instrument may be big and its presence expanding, but the organ world is still small.
Two years ago, Ivy Sole stood among the Class of 2015 at the University of Pennsylvania, having just received her business degree from the Wharton School. Today, the 24-year-old is a rapper, gearing up for her first national tour. Not exactly what most of her peers are doing.

Sole, who lives in West Philadelphia, is receiving national attention as a powerful up-and-coming voice in hip-hop. Sole writes all her own music, which has been streamed more than 2.6 million times on Spotify  where she was named a Fresh Finds pick earlier this month  since she released her first album a year ago.

West, released July 26, is Sole's third album, after 2016's Eden and East. "I've always felt that music was what I was going to do," Sole said. Sole devoted much of her college career to arts and thought the business degree didn't represent her goals.

Sole's music, which she laughingly calls "narcissistic," is truly a personal exploration as she delves into topics such as inner spirituality, mental health, and home.

"Life is short, life is simple / Life is joy, life is pain / Life is wonderful, and terrible / But it's beautiful, and love's the same," Sole croons in her biggest hit, "Life," which was released as a single last year. With a clear voice and strong delivery, Sole's style is similar to that of poet and hip-hop artist Noname.

Sole, who says she finds inspiration in Anderson Paak's combination of classic hip-hop and newer sounds, has expertly shaped her latest album with elements from indie rock, soul, and rap. On the title track, Sole has achieved a long-term goal of creating a hip-hop-meets-Southern banger about her hometown of Charlotte. N.C.

"In these last couple of albums I've been exploring the definition of home and how that's changing," said Sole, who moved to Philadelphia from Charlotte six years ago. "What about me changes when my area code changes?  How do you have an impact on the place you grew up in, and how do you have an obligation to support and foster growth in the city that you're currently living in?"

Those are just some of the questions Sole tries to answer on West. Sole calls the album "an ode to Charlotte," which she feels is sadly underrepresented in the music world. "Charlotte gets no love ever, at all," she said. East and West are her two-part response to this lack of love and a reflection on growing up and experiencing different areas of the city.

Charlotte was where Sole was introduced to music, and her childhood was filled with lessons in violin, piano, clarinet, and bassoon, not to mention gospel choir. It wasn't until age 16 that she began to create music of her own.

"I honestly thought that I was going to be the next J. Cole," Sole said. She imagined a success story mirroring that of Cole, the North Carolina rapper who was discovered by Jay-Z after moving to New York. "But I've become a lot less naive.  I have had a solid six years of making things that were not nearly as good as I wanted them to be, and now I'm finally getting to the point where I'm making the music I always wanted to."

It was in those six years that Sole gained a "creative confidence" in herself and her sound. Through Penn, she encountered new people and music by filling her time with activities such as a West African and Afro Cuban dance troupe, spoken word poetry, and acting in The Vagina Monologues. She even had the opportunity to rap alongside Kendrick Lamar onstage when he visited Penn in 2011, a moment that remains one of her career highlights.

Sole's easy-going attitude has given her the ability to be quite versatile in her work, which continues to impress her manager, Ethan Boye-Doe.

"She's able to combine so many different elements of music  and there aren't that many people who can," said Boye-Doe, 26. "Her voice has a deep and soulful energy to it that I don't think I've really heard anybody else sound like."

Yet her true strength, said Kaila Bridgeman, a longtime friend who saw Sole take the stage with Lamar in 2011, is the sincerity of her lyrics and their ability to relate to listeners. "There's a great vulnerability and authentic quality to her music," Bridgeman said. "The music feels familiar to me, like an extension of her in a really genuine way."

Sole cites writing as her favorite part of making music, and her background in spoken-word poetry has influenced her lyrics.

"If I could make music and be successful at it and not have to interact with too many people I probably would," said Sole, who said writing allows her to give in to her more introverted side. "But when I'm not in my introverted state it is nice to be able to give and receive energy in [a live performance]. It's a very beautiful thing."

As a woman in the hip-hop industry, though, Ivy knows there are still people who doubt her abilities. "People assume that I'm less capable," said Sole, who writes all her own lyrics and makes many of her own beats. "I don't really care that much because when it comes down to crediting, I know what I did. It's just unfortunate that people are consistent with how skeptical they are of women's contributions."

This summer, Sole will get well-deserved credit as she embarks on her first national tour, opening for rapper Rag'N'Bone Man, including a sold-out show in Washington and shows in New York and Los Angeles. Philadelphia can also expect a visit August 30, when Ivy is featured at the Key Philly Music Showcase at MilkBoy.

After that, Sole says her home will continue to be in the West; Philadelphia, that is. As a coordinator for Penn's black cultural center, Makuu, she plans to work at Penn advising students "until [she] absolutely cannot."

And as for her music? Boye-Doe hopes Sole will soon be able to headline her own tour. But Sole's goal is even simpler than that: keep making good music.

"I just want to make as much music as possible," Sole said. "I hope people want to keep listening."
A barbecue at the Lonnie Young Recreation Center in East Germantown turned rowdy on Sunday night when a crowd of roughly 500 teenagers massed there and some of them threw rocks and bottles at police cars.

The recreation center at the corner of Ardleigh Street and East Chelten Avenue hosted a cookout starting at 6 p.m., similar to a gathering on July 17, which also attracted a police presence. At the earlier event, police made no arrests and the teenage crowd dispersed.

Two juveniles were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and failure to disperse after Sunday night's disturbance,police said Monday.

Unlike the earlier incident, police helicopters circled tracking the movements of large groups Sunday night.

Sharyn Flanagan, a resident of the neighborhood, said on social media that there were "police choppers, tons of kids, cops chasing ppl down street they're at it again near #Philadelphia Lonnie Young Rec Ctr."

Police instructed all units to use caution, because "juveniles are now throwing rocks at police," according to a police statement.
Asa Khalif (left) of Black Lives Matter Pennsylvania and Isaac Gardner (right) of the Justice for David Jones Coalition interrupt a news conference by Philadelphia Council President Darrell L. Clarke at City Hall. Read more

A group of Black Lives Matter protesters shut down a news conference to announce a new city anti-litter initiative Monday morning, interrupting a presentation by Mayor Kenney and Council President Darrell L. Clarke in City Hall.

As Clarke spoke about the need to change the culture of littering in Philadelphia, Asa Khalif of Black Lives Matter Pennsylvania and Isaac Gardner of the Justice for David Jones Coalition stormed into the Mayor's Reception Room, demanding that Clarke publicly acknowledge David Jones, who was fatally shot in the back by Philadelphia Police Officer Ryan Powell.

"This is a history and a pattern of abuse from the 15th District law enforcement, right here in Philadelphia, and no one is saying anything," Khalif said during the interruption. "This is an outrage that this officer is allowed to be back on the force."

As is routine, Powell was restricted to desk duty pending the outcome of investigations by District Attorney's Office and the Police Department into the shooting.

Although the mayor and Managing Director Michael DiBerardinis were both present, protesters were mainly looking for a response from Clarke, who they said had been silent on the issue. During a heated exchange, Clarke said, "I do have problems with possibly inappropriate shootings by police officers. I also have problems with the more than 300 people who get killed every year." He was referring to all fatal shootings in the city.

He and other city officials left the room shortly after, the news conference about the Zero Waste and Litter Action Plan over.

Before he left, Clarke told protesters the investigation into the death of Jones had been referred to the Pennsylvania attorney general. Cameron Kline, spokesman for the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, and Joe Grace, spokesman for the Office of Attorney General Josh Shapiro, confirmed that due to a conflict of interest in the District Attorney's Office, the investigation had been referred to the attorney general.

"We will conduct a careful and thorough review of the facts and the law, and make a determination based on the evidence," Grace said in a statement. Kline declined to comment on the nature of the conflict.

Lauren Hitt, Mayor Kenney's spokeswoman, said the Police Department's probe into the shooting would continue despite the changes made known Monday.

"We appreciate the AG's investigation into this matter. The Independent Shooting Unit will proceed separately with their investigation, and we expect that process to conclude within four weeks," Hitt said in an email.

Hours after the news conference, Clarke's office issued a statement, offering condolences on behalf of City Council. "People knew this man, loved this man, and had hopes for his future. His death and the weeks following have been painful for all parties involved," he said. "The pain being felt by Mr. Jones' loved ones must be honored and respected, no matter the outcome of this investigation."

Black Lives Matter protesters said they had shut down several other events in the last three weeks. Hitt said that protesters had interrupted a few of the mayor's events and that Kenney respected their First Amendment right to do so.

Khalif and Gardner said they planned more interruptions for this week.

"We're going to do this because we have no other choice, because there has been no transparency whatsoever," Khalif said after the protest.
Derrick Rollins, who police say killed a man in a random attack in Haverford Township last month, continued to elude police Monday, nine days after a shooting that stunned a quiet community and sent investigators scrambling to arrest him.

The killing of John Le, 29, came on the same day Rollins brazenly fired shots on a street in Overbrook Park in broad daylight, Philadelphia police said. Ever since, law enforcement officials have been on the hunt.

"We're continuing to ask the public or anyone who knows his location to contact us or call 911," said Philadelphia Police Sgt. Eric Gripp. "He should be considered armed and dangerous."

Rollins, 24, has crossed paths with police before. At the time of the shooting, he was on probation for a 2014 drug conviction. In May of that year, he admitted selling cocaine on a North Philadelphia street corner and was placed on five years' probation. He also forfeited the $294 that police found in his pants pockets.

Two months later, he was arrested on firearms charges after police said they spotted him carrying a gun on an East Germantown street. Bail was set at $300,000, and Rollins spent two years in jail before the charges against him were dismissed. The path to that moment was circuitous. At his first trial in July 2015, the judge dismissed charges that he had carried a gun in public and allowed the case to proceed on a single count of gun possession. The jury could not reach a unanimous verdict on that charge, and the case ended in a mistrial.

Prosecutors sought to retry the case, but a year later, as Rollins' second trial was scheduled to begin, two key prosecution witnesses  both police officers  did not show up to testify. The judge dismissed the case and took the unusual step of barring prosecutors from refiling the charges without his permission.

The District Attorney's Office initially sought to use Rollins' arrest as a probation violation but abandoned that course after the gun charge was dismissed.

Rollins' trouble with the law traces to his days as a student at Simon Gratz High School. In 2010, when he was 17, court records show, he and three other teens, including his then-16-year-old brother Marquesse, were riding a northbound subway train near the Cecil B. Moore station when they surrounded a 15-year-old boy, threatened him and demanded his cellphone.

Police said Marquesse Rollins had a gun tucked into his waistband and showed it to the victim, who then handed over his phone. The four got off the train at the North Philadelphia station and told the victim to stay on the train. As it turned out, the crime was captured on surveillance video, both on the train and later, in the station, where the four could be seen with the stolen phone. Police took the video to several schools in the area. Officials at Simon Gratz identified the boys as the Rollins brothers and a classmate.

Rollins was adjudicated delinquent on robbery and conspiracy charges. Marquesse Rollins was adjudicated delinquent for robbery with a threat to inflict serious bodily harm. He went on to pistol whip and rob a man at gunpoint on a North Philadelphia street in 2012 and is now in state prison after a robbery and firearms conviction.

Court records show that Rollins lived with his mother in Strawberry Mansion before he was jailed while awaiting trial on the gun charges. He is the father of a child, the records show, and he provides voluntary child support.

Rollins had been out of jail for only eight months when police say he went on a bizarre rampage on July 29. That afternoon, police say, he went on a shooting spree on 77th Street in Overbrook Park. Police say he fired 17 shots at two people who confronted him because they believed he had been acting suspiciously. They managed to flee, unharmed. Rollins then left the city in his 2004 Volvo and sped to Haverford Township, where 45 minutes later, just after 6 p.m., police say, he killed Le.

Le, who lived in nearby Narberth, had just left a pizzeria and was on his way to a friend's apartment in the 2300 block of Haverford Road when he was struck by a bullet to his torso. He collapsed in the doorway of the apartment building. Police said his cellphone was missing.

Surveillance video captured images of a man police identified as Rollins, in jeans and a red hoodie, running in the area of the crime.

Haverford Township Police Chief John Viola said Monday that the working theory of the case was that the shooting began as a robbery. "Maybe he saw this guy carrying a bag and thought he had money," Viola said. "We don't know what happened on that doorstep."

Police said they had searched two addresses believed to be connected to Rollins, and as the search enters its ninth day, investigators are asking anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts to contact police.

A $7,500 reward is being offered for information leading to Rollins' arrest.

"He's in somebody's house," said Viola. "Somebody's going to give him up."
Tyquail Duffy, now 18, was sentenced in the fatal April 2015 shooting of Chinese food deliveryman Rendong Zheng, 49, at the Hill Creek Apartments in Crescentville. Read more

A Crescentville teen, found guilty of a 2015 armed robbery that ended in the death of a deliveryman for the New China Restaurant in the neighborhood, was sentenced Monday to 17 to 35 years in prison by a Philadelphia judge.

With the victim's widow and members of a city Chinese restaurant-owners group watching, Tyquail Duffy, 18, declined to speak before he was sentenced in the April 23, 2015, slaying of Rendong Zheng, 49.

Despite testimony by his admitted 14-year-old accomplice, Sahmir Walker, who said Duffy brought a gun to his apartment and then hatched the idea of robbing the deliveryman, a Common Pleas Court jury acquitted Duffy of murder in May.

The jury found Duffy guilty of robbery, carrying a gun on public streets, and conspiracy. As part of his deal with prosecutors, Walker was tried as a juvenile on a single count of robbery.

The jury also found him guilty of witness intimidation and terroristic threats for pointing his gun at the head of Walker's aunt Edna Myers, with whom Walker was staying, and threatening to kill both of them if they talked to police.

Judge Sandy L.V. Byrd told Duffy that "this was a particularly difficult case for me. On the one hand, you're leaving behind a grieving family, including a wife. On the other hand, you're 18 years old and acquitted of a homicide charge."

Still, Byrd said, the minimum sentence recommended for Duffy under state sentencing guidelines was 16 to 32 years. The judge ordered Duffy to reimburse $7,090 for Zheng's funeral expenses.

Speaking through tears in Mandarin with an interpreter, Zheng's widow, Xiuhong Wang, said the loss of her husband of seven years has "broken our family."

"My husband was a good person; he was a good son and a good father," Wang said. "He was the main source of income for the family."

She said Zheng had a 20-year-old son from a previous marriage and helped support his elderly mother, who lives in a rural area of Fujian province in China.

Since her husband's death, Wang said, she has left Pennsylvania to live with relatives and earns money caring for their children.

Defense attorney Trevan Borum argued that Duffy was then just 15 and had since matured. He presented testimony by two witnesses from the nonprofit Beyond the Bars, which operates a music program for juveniles being tried as adults and who are housed in the city's adult prison system.

The agency's executive director, Matthew Kerr, and volunteer Brian Thomas both used the term "overwhelmingly positive" to describe their contacts with Duffy. They said he was eager to learn, taught other inmates, and was a classroom leader.

Duffy's mother, Tanya, who was paroled after serving 2 months in jail for contempt of court after she was caught taking a courtroom photo during her son's 2015 preliminary hearing, testified that her son was a quiet boy who was frequently bullied by students and teachers.

"He was a good kid," she said.

Assistant District Attorney Chesley Lightsey, however, cited Duffy's school record of classroom disruption, weeks of unexcused absences, and 10 suspensions from 2009 to 2013.

Lightsey asked the judge to sentence Duffy to 30 years to life, citing the impact on Zheng's family and on Philadelphia's Chinese community.

Zheng's slaying and Duffy's trial and sentencing were covered by

Chinese-language news media around the United States.

Zheng and his wife emigrated to the United States from Fujian to "find their dream," said Steven Zhu, president of the 300-member Greater Philadelphia Chinese Restaurant Association. "Their dream has been crushed."

Zhu, 60, who emigrated 32 years ago from Fujian, said that in the last year, eight city Chinese takeout restaurants have been hit by armed robberies. He said they are vulnerable because many staff do not speak English and don't understand how the police and courts can help them.

Zhu said the association has been working with Chinese-owned restaurants to educate proprietors about the police and courts, and how to protect themselves from robberies.

"This case has sent a message that many people now know about," Zhu added.
Rich Cordisco, a Bristol Borough native, boards his 31-foot SunRay Corsaro at the revitalized towns new $3M Delaware River waterfront docks. Read more

Paulette Kasmer opened Polka Dot Parlor  vintage-to-hipster women's clothing and a kitschy cornucopia of wooden bow ties, 10-cent Squirrel Nut Zippers candies, and plastic donkeys that smoke tiny cigarettes  in sleepy Bristol Borough in October.

The purple-haired, irrepressibly upbeat Kasmer was gambling that Mill Street, the once-bustling, long-battered main drag in the ancient Delaware River town, would somehow spring to life and support a boutique for "everyone with a sense of humor and a little edge," she said.

Last week, she proudly pointed to a black corset-back tank top held together with red ribbon laces and said she had only one in each size, small to 3X, because, "I don't want you to see another girl walking down the street in the same black corset with the same red ribbon."

Before this year, there was no danger of that ever happening on Mill Street.

Despite having the waterfront Lions Park, a sycamore-lined riverbank trail, spring-to-autumn gazebo concerts, and Irish, Italian, Puerto Rican, and African American festivals, Bristol Borough's business district was dormant for decades.

Too many vacant storefronts on Mill Street gave silent testimony to persistent hard times.

And then, suddenly this year, Bristol Borough's ship came in. Twice.

In February, it beat out 14,000 other small towns in 50 states to win a $500,000 makeover in Deluxe Corp.'s "Small Business Revolution: Main Street" contest. The beleaguered business district is already showing signs of what half a million dollars in professional physical and marketing revitalization can do. Bill Pezza, a tireless Bristol Borough booster, and Raising the Bar, his nonprofit civic organization, got out the online vote to deliver the little-engine-that-could victory.

Then, just before July Fourth weekend, the long-awaited, $3 million floating day-docks and new fishing pier opened, a godsend for boaters and merchants alike.

Bristol's riverbank breakwater of big boulders protects the town from flooding but also prevented boaters from cruising in and coming ashore for meals and shopping.

The 25 new day-docks  government-funded, privately maintained by Bristol's Grundy Foundation, and free to all boaters  have been bustling, as they were on a recent weekend.

Wearing his weathered Eagles cap and sitting near his Eagles cooler, Robert Dorr from East Torresdale in Philly relaxed in his 19-foot Maxum Runabout. Dorr, who has cruised the Delaware River for 13 years, was awaiting his family's return with Mexican takeout from the Mill Street Cantina.

"Before these docks opened, there was nowhere to tie up in Bristol," he said. "We've been coming here every weekend since they opened. Ain't nothing like being on the river."

Rich Cordisco, a Bristol native, tied up his 31-foot SunRay Corsaro, the good ship "Suck It Up!"  "It sucks up gas and I'm always telling my kids to 'Suck it up!' so it works for me"  and said he and his party of five were headed ashore for dinner and drinks.

"Before these docks, we would just drop anchor in the river and listen to the music," Cordisco said as a local rock band played oldies in the gazebo. He said he was happy to finally be able to come ashore in his hometown after a day cruise on the river.

"Stores would come here and last a year and close down," Cordisco said. Now, he said, they have a chance to survive.

At Polka Dot Parlor, Kasmer agreed, saying, "Winning the Small Business Revolution contest put the wind underneath our wings and we're flying now."

She looked around at her wildly colorful women's clothing. "I help women set up outside their comfort zone," she said. "I want you to have an 'Aha!' moment when you walk in."

Talk about "Aha!" moments. Bucks County's oldest town  settled by English Quakers in 1681 and claiming the county's first post office, courthouse, public school, paved road, mill, and African American church  now has the Noble Earth wellness teahouse offering so-21st-century kombucha, and the equally hip Calm Waters Coffee Roasters.

Already attracting a loyal following, the newcomers seem to signal better days ahead for Bristol Borough, where, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, population has declined since 2010 from 9,726 to 9,534, the median household income has fallen from $47,693 to $41,701, and the poverty rate among families with related children under 18 has increased from 13.6 percent to 15.9 percent.

The 2017 main street makeover is too new for statistical data, but Bristol Borough Manager James Dillon said business owners were reporting 300 percent sales increases, and Bruce Lowe, co-owner of the waterfront's historic King George II Inn, established in 1681, said the influx of weekend sailors in his dining areas had been "extraordinary."

"A younger crowd, the 21-to-30 set, is coming into town," said Megan Hems, who has co-owned Hems Truck & Auto service center with her husband, Roland, for 10 years. "We're getting trendy down here."

Hems credits Bristol's rebirth to the makeover and technical advice from Deluxe Corp., a national check-printing and small-business consulting firm.

She said the first-prize package included a personal session with Robert Herjavec, star of Shark Tank, the reality show where self-made millionaires give wannabe entrepreneurs the chance to realize their business dreams.

"I sat down with Robert Herjavec and he wasn't a shark that day," Hems said. "During our interview, I kept going back to the fact that I only have a degree in psychology, and I must've said it too many times. Finally, he said, 'Wait! Stop! I only have a degree in literature. But I'm not Robert the literature degree. I'm Robert the business owner.'"

Hems said Herjavec told her to remember she had 10 years' experience in the auto and truck repair business so she should stop putting herself down with the just-a-psych-degree talk.

"He told me, 'Own it, lady!' " Hems said, "That was an 'Aha!' moment for me."

TV crews are filming Hems, Kasmer, and other Bristol Borough entrepreneurs for an eight-part Small Business Revolution  Main Street Hulu TV series, co-hosted by Herjavec, to be shown in September.

Hems said Bristol Borough "has always been fighting this stereotype that it's a poor area. Finally, there's good news to celebrate here. We can rival New Hope and Yardley. We can be New Hope. We can be Yardley. We have the same waterfront."

Bristol native Robert Angelaccio, for 14 years chef and owner of Annabella's Italian Restaurant on Radcliffe Street, just off Mill Street, said he hoped his little town's big infusion of new visitors show up in his remodeled dining room to eat the home cooking he learned from his mother, the late Annabella, whose photos grace the walls.

"We were decently busy until about 2008, which began a long stretch of trying to stay alive," Angelaccio said. "At one point, it was down to just me in the kitchen. I guess somebody else would have closed the doors, but that's just not in my makeup."

Now, he said, more people are coming into town from the boats that are finally able to dock along the waterfront.

"There are new businesses on Mill Street instead of empty buildings," Angelaccio said. "There's more foot traffic than I've seen in a long time. People are coming into town wanting to see what all the scuttlebutt's about. We're still not there yet, but people are interested in Bristol again."
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump keeps calling the Russia investigation "fake news." But with each passing week, the independent investigation into Trump's campaign ties to Russia is getting more real, not less.

Here's how:

It's expanding, both in size and scope. Special Counsel Robert Mueller has built a team of lawyers who have expertise in cybercrime, white-collar crime, the mob, money laundering and Watergate. Together, his team has more than a century of legal experience.

The Department of Justice's No. 2, Rod J. Rosenstein, originally appointed Mueller to investigate Trump campaign connections to Russia, but Mueller has wide latitude to look into whatever he wishes. So far, we know that's expanded to: Jared Kushner, Michael Flynn, unspecified financial crimes and very specific accusations by the former FBI director that Trump himself tried to obstruct justice.

It's getting more in depth. As the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, they've set up a grand jury, which can subpoena witnesses and documents and, if need be, indict people. The president's defenders, like New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie, point out that grand juries are a normal process of any investigation.

But implicit in that statement: It's a normal process of any serious investigation. If there really was nothing to see here, as Trump claims, Mueller's team won't need to keep digging. And it suggests they had enough evidence to convince a federal judge to OK the grand jury.

As Rep. Adam B. Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on CNN on Sunday: "[R]ather than turning that investigation off, rather than concluding, we have looked at this for a year, there's really nothing to see here, as the president would claim, instead, if these allegations are true, it's moving into a new phase."

Congress is taking it seriously. Republican-led committees in the Senate and the House are leading parallel investigations into Russia meddling in the U.S. election and have said they'll go wherever the facts lead.

Outside those committees, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Congress are writing legislation to give Mueller room to do his investigation and make sure that Trump can't fire him. It's yet another example of Congress putting its faith somewhere besides with Trump. They forced Trump to sign a Russia sanctions bill into law last week, and the Senate left town but technically stayed in session so that Trump can't fire, then self-replace, his attorney general and reshape the special counsel investigation.

The Trump campaign has a lot of Russian connections. And the more we learn about them, the deeper they seem. Take Donald Trump Jr.'s campaign meeting with a Russian-government-connected lawyer. First, he told the New York Times it was about adoptions. (A narrative The Washington Post reports Trump himself dictated.) But that explanation quickly caved to reveal the truth: It was to get dirt on Hillary Clinton and came after he was told the Russian government was trying to help provide that dirt.

And then you have former campaign aides Paul Manafort, Carter Page and Michael Flynn, all of whom have done business with and have connections in Russia. Others now in the administration, like Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Kushner, have not been forthcoming about their Russia meetings, however innocuous they might have been.

As Schiff said in March: "Is it possible that all of these events and reports are completely unrelated and nothing more than an entirely unhappy coincidence? Yes, it is possible. But it is also possible, maybe more than possible, that they are not coincidental, not disconnected and not unrelated."

Congress, the judicial branch and Trump's own administration have all played a role in expanding the investigation and taking it seriously. If this were a "witch hunt," as Trump claims, then it's "witch hunt" the entire political and judicial system is in on. Even the most cynical person has to acknowledge that would be an extraordinary conspiracy the likes of which the U.S. has never seen.

Now, just because an investigation is indeed very real doesn't mean we know its conclusion. It could take months, even years, to finish, much less come to a conclusion about whether Trump colluded with Russia to win the White House. But with each passing day, it's increasingly clear this investigation is neither made up nor built on fake news.
Nonrecyclables are separated out from recyclable materials at a waste-management plant in the Northeast. Read more

Each year, Philadelphians dispose of 1.5 million tons of commercial and residential waste  one ton per resident  and the city spends millions of dollars clearing our public spaces of litter. If Philadelphia is to become a cleaner, greener, and more equitable city, we need to address these challenges head on  deliberatively and together.

That's why, in December, the Zero Waste and Litter Cabinet was created to coordinate city operating departments and outside stakeholders like Keep Philadelphia Beautiful in tackling the pervasive issue of litter in Philadelphia. In order to reduce waste before it even becomes litter, the goal is to move us toward becoming a zero-waste city by 2035 by diverting more than 90 percent of our waste from landfills. This week, the Zero Waste and Litter Cabinet is excited to release its action plan, which you can find on cleanphl.org.

If Philadelphia is going to be successful in this effort to make our city cleaner and more sustainable for our residents and visitors, and for future generations, we all need to do our part:

Sweep up in front of our houses and make sure we're setting out our trash properly each week;

Think about the items we throw away and whether they can be recycled or replaced by a reusable product;

Go to cleanphl.org to find out how to become involved in our neighborhoods through the Streets Department block captain network, a parks friends group, or another program.

Philadelphia won't become a litter-free and zero-waste city overnight, and without all of us working together. But the Kenney administration and the Zero Waste and Litter Cabinet are committed to achieving these goals, and we hope you will roll up your sleeves and join us. The hard work is just beginning.

Jim Kenney is mayor of Philadelphia. james.kenney@phila.gov

Michelle Feldman is director of Keep Philadelphia Beautiful. michelle@keepphiladelphiabeautiful.org
A bill package recently approved by the state Senate to help pay for the commonwealths spending plan contains provisions that would cripple environmental protection in Pennsylvania, according to State Rep. Greg Vitali. Read more

A bill package recently approved by the state Senate to help pay for the commonwealth's spending plan contains provisions that would cripple environmental protection in Pennsylvania. Even though these bills provide some needed revenue, the House and Gov. Wolf should reject this legislation.

The most damaging provisions are contained in the tax code. One provision would privatize the environmental permitting process, allowing gas drillers and other applicants to seek permit approval from third parties rather than the Department of Environmental Protection. This would eliminate a core protective function of the DEP, introduce conflicts of interest that would weaken protections for public health and the environment, remove public participation from the permitting process, and deprive the DEP of the application fees it needs to support the staff who protect all of us.

Another provision would establish a politically appointed advisory committee to decide on air-quality permits for unconventional gas well sites. This is a direct attack on the methane-reduction strategy Wolf proposed last year. Reducing fugitive methane emissions is one of the most important things Pennsylvania can do to address climate change and protect public health in the gas fields.

Former Republican DEP Secretary David Hess writes that these changes would "emasculate the ability of the Department of Environmental Protection to regulate pollution under any of its programs."

Tucked in the fiscal-code bill is a provision to repeal the Oil and Gas Lease Fund Act of 1955. This fund collects money from drilling on state lands and uses it for conservation purposes. The repeal appears unconstitutional in light of the recent state Supreme Court ruling that the Legislature and the governor must act as trustees of this money and use the fund only to conserve and maintain Pennsylvania public lands.

Also inserted in the fiscal-code bill is a provision transferring $30.4 million from the Volkswagen settlement earmarked for air-quality improvement to the general fund. That transfer may violate the terms of the settlement agreement reached in federal court.

The administrative-code bill contains a provision weakening water-quality regulations for manganese  something coal companies have sought.

The bill also contains a provision extending weaker standards for water-treatment plants serving the conventional drilling industry. Discharges from these facilities are harming freshwater mussels, a federally protected species. This provision may violate federal and state law.

Overall, this bill package is the worst collection of antienvironmental legislation I have seen in a long time, and Pennsylvanians should be outraged that the Senate would attempt to pass this damaging package in such a covert manner.

Budget bills should be about revenue and spending. They should not include special-interest provisions that could not be approved if considered separately.

These bills now move to the House, which should reject them. And the governor should declare his intent to veto this legislation should it reach his desk.

State Rep. Greg Vitali (D., Delaware, Montgomery) represents the 166th Legislative District. gvitali@pahouse.net
The latest campaign to save Cheyney University, like so many previous attempts, is largely fueled by emotion. But emotion, no matter how strong, will only carry you so far. The nation's oldest black college needs more than appeals to the heart. To survive, it needs a credible plan.

Virtually every one of the nation's 104 historically black colleges and universities has had financial problems in the past decade. They hope to avoid the fates of Western University (Kansas), founded in 1865; Bishop College (Texas), 1881; St. Paul College (Virginia), 1888; and Daniel Payne College (Alabama), 1889, which closed after years of struggling to escape financial disaster.

Cheyney, founded in 1837, has been on the precipice for too long. The only thing keeping it alive has been a series of loans from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, which oversees funding to 14 state-supported schools. Cheyney was loaned $2 million in 2013, $4.5 million in 2014, $6.5 million in 2015, $9.5 million in 2016, and $8 million this year. The cash has bought it time, but not a solution.

Graduates and supporters of Cheyney recently held a Philadelphia rally to save it. Sen. Bob Casey and U.S. Reps. Dwight Evans and Bob Brady joined protesters in urging PSSHE chancellor Frank Brogan to do more for Cheyney. Demonstrators blamed Cheyney's problems on past discrimination. They said PSSHE never fulfilled a 1999 agreement with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights to give Cheyney more funds. That may be true, but it's not the only truth.

All 14 schools in the PSSHE system have suffered from budget cuts since the recession. Their state funding has not changed significantly in 20 years. Adding to their woes have been changes in federal financial aid rules involving Pell Grants and Parent Plus loans, which had a bigger impact on historically black schools due to their larger percentages of low-income students.

Ironically, those changes were instituted by the Department of Education during the administration of the nation's first black president, Barack Obama.

Cheyney's predicament certainly has a racial component, but the solution must go beyond that perspective. It thrived in the 1960s when it was known as Cheyney State Teachers College and served as the principal institution in Pennsylvania training African Americans to become teachers. But it has struggled to find its niche in post-segregation America.

To survive, Cheyney must be able to compete for students of any ethnicity. For example, Tuskegee University (Alabama), founded in 1881, attracts students to its college of veterinary medicine. It also is the nation's top producer of African American aerospace science engineers.

A task force created to develop a new institutional model for Cheyney has discussed making it an "honors" college. Cheyney currently has a program called Keystone Honors Academy, which receives $1.8 million from the state to cover the tuition, fees, room, and board of participants. The honors college idea alone won't pull Cheyney from insolvency.

Cheyney alumni loathe the idea of merging with West Chester University. They don't want their school to lose its historic identity. But with enrollment dropping 53 percent in six years to 750 students, Cheyney is running out of options to avoid extinction.
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Cha Tru Mue Rose Thai Milk Tea Is Available in Malaysia Now

Cha Tru Mue is a popular Thai Tea company from Thailand. For those who often travel to Bangkok, you can easily see their stalls in BTS stations and also in various shopping malls. Currently, they have eleven outlets in Malaysia! For those who missed Cha Tru Mue in Thailand, you can find them in Malaysia too.

The company have a history of over seventy years as a tea company and Thai Ice milk tea specialist. Their top seller is their Thai Milk Tea or Cha Yen in Thai and they offer a variety of Thai milk tea with other flavours.

A few weeks ago, they launched the Rose flavour in Thailand and it was a big hit. Of course, I didnt travel to Thailand in recent weeks so I didnt manage to taste it.

The good news it, it is now available at Cha Tru Mue outlets in Malaysia. I walked pass the outlet and bought one.

Since it is a unique flavour, it is priced at RM 8.90 with a cool looking plastic cup/ container. For the taste of this Rose Thai Milk Tea, watch the video.

Overall, I enjoyed this new flavour. The rose flavour somehow blends perfectly with the Thai milk tea. The taste resembles our favourite bandung but you get more Thai tea flavour in this version.

For more information on Cha Tru Mue Malaysia, visit their website at http://www.chatramue.com.my/index.html

If you are interested to know about Thailand, you can read all our stories about Thailand HERE.

Wilson Ng A Father and traveler who enjoys to eat, shop, travel and taking pictures with Samsung S22 Ultra and Sony ZV-1. Im a full time blogger, youtuber and father for two. I used to travel around 17 International trips per year but now staying at home. Remember to follow us at www.instagram.com/placesandfoods and www.youtube.com/placesandfoods. For advertisements or features, contact me at [email protected] See author's posts
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Police are believed to be hunting another organised crime gang targeting works vans across the city.

In July the Herald reported how a gang of thieves who targeted vans across Plymouth and Saltash during April were picked up by Irish police in Dublin with two vehicles full to the brim with stolen tools.

The vans were stopped getting off the ferry from England and police in Plymouth were able to link around a dozen cases to the two Irishmen arrested and their haul.

According to reports from police, a new spree began on July 11 with the theft of tools from a plumbers van in Plymstock.

Since then police say they have received three reports of thefts in the Saltash area, five in the Weston Mill area, 11 around Plympton and on August 4 Friday night three more cases in the Leigham and Mainstone.

The first, sometime between 6pm on Friday and 8am on Saturday was in Mothecombe Walk, Leigham where a van was entered and tools stolen, including a Dewalt theodolite and two Hilti cordless drills.

The same night crooks broke into a van in Cockington Close, Leigham and made off with 1,600 worth of tools including a Hilti drill and a toolbag packed full of hand tools.

Also on the same evening, they targeted a van in Colwill road stealing around 1,680 worth of tools including a 450 nail gun, a Dewalt power drill, assorted hand tools, a Makita power saw worth 400 and a jigsaw planer.

Police said all three vehicles were of a Ford Transit make and in each case there was no evidence of forced entry, suggesting the thieves used some kind of specialist tool or skeleton key to gain access.

Last week Plympton police highlighted a string of similar thefts from works vans, with thieves targeting vehicles in St Margarets Road, Plymtree Drive, Cranfield, Larkham Lane, Plymbridge Road, Woodford Crescent and Westfield.

Investigators say all those offences took place overnight on July 28 Friday, July 29 Saturday and July 30 Sunday

Plympton police said one witness saw three men carrying out the break-in on a van parked at St Margarets Road, but there were no further descriptions.

A spokesman for the north neighbourhood team, who are investigating some the thefts, said: This has severely affected the livelihood of those that they belong to who are now unable to work.

All of these crimes occurred overnight on Friday into Saturday. We would like to remind residents to ensure their vans and motor vehicles are locked and secure, and to remove any high value items.

We believe these breaks are linked to a number of similar offences taking place across the city.

If you have any information that may assist police call 101 or email 101@dc.police.uk
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Heritage trails celebrating key moments in Plymouths history will be installed as part of the Mayflower 400 celebrations, council chiefs have confirmed.

Plans to introduce historic trails took a setback after a 4.7million funding bid was rejected by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

But now the leader of Plymouth City Council has allocated 3.5million of capital funding to get the project under way.

As well as the trails, improvements are due to be made to key public spaces and buildings in and around the Barbican to make the locations more welcoming.

(Image: SWNS)

The three heritage trails, which will form part of a national network of trails, are designed to showcase the citys rich heritage and enable locals and visitors to grasp the scale of Plymouths part in the nations story.

The first trail will journey around the historic Barbican and Sutton Harbour area and take visitors back to the 16th and 17th centuries.

Proposals have also been made to restore Elizabethan House - a historic property laid out in the style of a merchant or sea captains home from the 1600s - to create what the council describes as an immersive attraction to help visitors get a sense of life during this period of history.

The second trail will help visitors navigate between the Barbican and The Box - the citys new visitor attraction, museum and gallery  which will house the wider history, art and culture of Plymouth.

(Image: Penny Cross)

The third will trace the journey along The Hoe, looking out towards Plymouth Sound.

The Mayflower National Trail will connect 11 destinations across Britain to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower journey - a symbolic moment in the shared history of Britain, the Netherlands and the USA.

Using his delegated authority, Cllr Bowyer has given the green light for 3.5 million for the projects.

He said: We want Plymouth to look its best in the global spotlight and I hope people are as excited as I am about the physical changes.

Weve got something brand new in the form of the trails and improvements to public areas  and something very, very old  our incredible Elizabethan houses to help us tell this incredible story.

We are planning a year-long cultural programme including major events, but these projects are about improving areas so that Plymouth people, as well as visitors, can enjoy them for many years to come.

(Image: Penny Cross)

The event is expected to bring in millions of pounds to the regions economy.

Cllr Bowyer added: The immediate impact of these projects during 2020 is estimated to be in the region of an additional 500,000 visitors, creating an additional economic impact of at least 18 million and 360 jobs.

Longer term these projects will support our target growth figures for visitor numbers which is good for jobs, good for local business and good for families living in and around Plymouth.

It is hoped that local people of all ages will play a big part in the design process and get involved in creating way-markers and interpretation panels by unearthing stories through research with historians.

Works are due to be carried out at the Mayflower Steps and Mayflower Museum, Sir John Hawkins Square - behind the law courts, Prysten House, and the entrance to Southside Street - the gateway to the Barbican.

The project team is asking for funding to help support further detailed investigations into the condition of the citys two Grade II* Elizabethan buildings, the Elizabethan House in New Street and the Merchants House in St Andrews Street.

Given their age  older than the USA  specialist advice and contractors will be needed for restoration.

(Image: John Allen)

Charles Hackett, chief executive of Mayflower 400, said: These trails will be a permanent and lasting reminder of the part Plymouth has played in the Mayflower story.

This is an opportunity to put Plymouth at the heart of an internationally significant commemoration  but also for Plymouth people to get involved as this is their story too.

This is why we are so keen to get all of Plymouth on board to help us showcase the great things that Plymouth has.

Plymouth's Mayflower leadership group and the National Mayflower Compact Partnership are chaired by Adrian Vinken OBE.

He said: Its exciting to see the ideas and projects weve been planning over the past few years finally starting to come together.

Parts of the city will be transformed for the better by the time we get to 2020.

The paper agreed by Cllr Bowyer also gives the green light to investigate the feasibility of a Mayflower monument, as well as the need for waterfront event infrastructure on the Hoe linked to Mayflower events.
Clinton, MO, police officer Gary Michael was shot and killed at a traffic stop Sunday night. A manhunt is under way for the suspect. (Photo: Missouri Highway Patrol)

A Clinton, MO, police officer was shot and killed Sunday night after making a traffic stop. The suspect is at large and the subject of a manhunt.

Sgt. Bill Lowe with the Missouri State Highway Patrol says around 10: 45 p.m. Sunday, Officer Gary Michael of the Clinton Police Department initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle for a registration violation. As Officer Michael exited the patrol vehicle to make contact with the driver, the driver fired a round toward the officer, striking Michael.

According to Sgt. Lowe, Officer Michael tried to return fire, but it is unclear if the suspect was hit. The suspect then fled the scene in his vehicle. By 6:30 a.m., officers had located the suspect vehicle, but the suspect remained on the run.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol considers Ian McCarthy, 39, of Clinton, Mo., the suspect in the case.

Check points have since been set up around Clinton, Mo. Henry County Deputies, Missouri State Troopers and Clinton Police have several parts of the city blocked off, Fox 4 TV reports.
A gunman rolled down a car window early Monday morning and shot at a deputy numerous times, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.

The shooting was reported shortly after 2:30 a.m., Sheriff's Office spokesman Jeff Williamson said.

A deputy who was driving an unmarked patrol truck was following a Honda Accord that investigators considered suspicious because it had been spotted multiple times throughout the morning, Williamson said.

Investigators said the vehicle's driver's side window was lowered and a gunman shot at the deputy, hitting the truck six to seven times.

The deputy got out of the vehicle to take cover, Williamson said. Backup deputies were already on their way to the scene before the gunfire, he said.

Deputies said the driver fled to nearby Ridgewood Park Elementary School, where the vehicle was ditched. They said a juvenile was captured after falling down and a second person was taken into custody.

Investigators said two others ran away from the vehicle and remain at large. As many as 30 deputies searched for the pair, who are considered armed and dangerous, officials told WFTV.
The NYPD's boycott of Dunkin Donuts is apparently heating up, as a sergeant was spotted Sunday walking into the 73rd Precinct station house with trays full of what appeared to be generic, corner-market brew.

No D&D in the 7-3, he proudly announced.

The boycott was triggered last Sunday when a worker at a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin-Robbins in Bedford-Stuyvesant refused to scoop ice cream for two 73rd Precinct detectives  allegedly because they were cops.

Police union heads called for a boycott of the national chain, and the movement has since percolated throughout the department.

A manager at the Brooklyn franchise apologized, but parent company Dunkin Brands claimed the stores confusing layout led the cops to order at a closed register  an explanation that police unions have called an insult, the New York Post reports.
Detective Elise Ybarra of the Abilene (TX) Police Department was killed Sunday in a crash that also injured two other detectives. The detectives were on their way to a conference on crimes against children. (Photo: Abilene PD)

A 33-year-old Abilene, TX, police detective was killed and two other detectives injured Sunday during a crash on I-20 at Clyde.

During a news conference Sunday night, Police Chief Stan Standridge said Elise Ybarra died in the crash. Injured in the accident were detectives Chris Milliorn and Robert Collins.

Milliorn and Collins didnt appear to have life-threatening injuries, Standridge said, but the Texas Department of Public Safety said the two have incapacitating injuries. Milliorn and Collins are currently at Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene.

Ybarra, Milliorn, and Collins were on their way to the Crimes Against Children Conference in Dallas when the wreck occurred about 6:15 p.m. on eastbound I-20, KTXS TV reports.

They encountered traffic moving at a slow pace, as there had been a vehicle crash ahead, Standridge said. Ybarra, who was driving an unmarked detectives vehicle, entered a line of slow-moving traffic. A short time later, an eastbound white Chevrolet pickup came upon the line of traffic that was slowed and collided with the detectives vehicle.
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How was Donald Trump allowed to enter the White House as leader of the most influential nation on the planet? By electing Trump as President of the United States, we as citizens may have done irreparable damage to America. Mr. Trump has not only stoked the flames of ignorance; he has undeniably revealed our democratic system to be flawed and in need of an ideological reconstruction.

As Americans, we profess ourselves to be intelligent, a people of strong moral fiber, to be just, merciful, tolerant and proponents of cultural diversity. However, by entrusting our nation in the hands of Trump, we made a choice that doesnt reflect any of these characterizations.

Donald Trump didnt arrive in Washington D.C. and suddenly transform into the miscreant we see before us today. Hed built a track record of dishonesty, ignorance, bigotry, misogyny, corruption and suspect intellect long before November 8, 2016.

Donald Trump openly campaigned on a platform of hate. He made sweeping declarations regarding entire races of people, based on faith and ethnic origin. Trump fabricated stories and facts to fit his ignorant narrative daily. When caught in his deceptions, he never accepted responsibility and pivoted to other topics. His rallies were hotbeds of violence and intolerance of opposition. Trump was repeatedly called to the carpet to explain his actual agenda and repeatedly failed to comply.

Despite these obvious warning signs, Trump won the election. The last vestige of hope was in the hands of the Electoral College.

There is very specific and relevant language in the constitution that calls for Electoral College to void the results of an election when faced with the proposition of a man like Donald Trump as POTUS:

The process of election affords a moral certainty, that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.

Talents for low intrigue, and the little arts of popularity, may alone suffice to elevate a man to the first honors . .but it will require other talents, and a different kind of merit, to establish him in the esteem and confidence of the whole Union, or of so considerable a portion of it as would be necessary to make him a successful candidate for the distinguished office of President of the United States. Furthermore, the Electoral College was also instituted to ensure that a charismatic tyrant who has manipulated public opinion would not come into power.

There has never been another presidential candidate that has warranted invoking this constitutional protection more so than Donald Trump. Our system, by way of the the Electoral College, spectacularly failed America.

The impeachment and possible imprisonment of Donald Trump, for treasonous acts are almost inevitable but it never shouldve come to this, and it wont solve the long term ramifications of his presidency.

We now must envision his service, ironically, in the context of a tainted investigation. When law enforcement doesnt secure a proper search warrant, any incriminating evidence discovered by way of this faulty warrant is determined to be poisonous fruit, garnered from the tree which was off limits.

The office of President is now a poisonous tree. Upon impeachment his successor will be the fruit of that tree, leaving the country in no better hands than with Trump. Look at his entire administration and find one person you would entrust with the fate of America. We have to take our responsibility as voters more seriously.

American citizens must resolve to fully vet the candidates that they favor and cast votes not based on party, but on policy. We have to enact more stringent requirements of the next elected Commander in Chief, such as psychological, physical and mental baselines to properly determine fitness for duty. We must revamp and reinforce the guidelines of the Electoral College and employ electors with a clear vision and intelligible understanding of democracy. The current set of cowards must be promptly replaced due to blatant dereliction of duty. Donald Trump is a tragic and appalling mistake that must never happen again. It will take many years for America to recover and rebuild from his incompetence.

This dim prognosis is a direct result of a segment of Americans casting a ballot based on cultural and racist bias, fanatical political party allegiance and old fashioned stupidity. The end of Donald Trumps presidency wont mend the open wounds of our nation or ease the pains of our bruised liberty, but for the sake of healing and national redemption, it must take place sooner, rather than later.
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Trump tried to bully Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) with one of angry personal attack tweets on the Russia scandal, but the Democrat shot back the six words that terrify Trump, No one is above the law.

Trump tweeted:

Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con artist!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017

Never in U.S.history has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal. He told stories about his Vietnam battles and.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017

conquests, how brave he was, and it was all a lie. He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child. Now he judges collusion?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017

Blumenthal replied:

Mr. President: Your bullying hasn't worked before and it won't work now. No one is above the law.  Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) August 7, 2017

This issue isn't about me  it's about the Special Counsel's independence and integrity.  Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) August 7, 2017

Trump believes that the President is above the law. He also believes that the President Of The United States is not a civilian. Sen. Blumenthal struck at the heart of the reason for some of Trumps failure as president. Donald Trump won the Republican nomination by bullying his opponents. He bullied Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and John Kasich. Trump spent the presidential debates menacing as he attempted to bully Hillary Clinton.

As president, Trumps problem with Congress is that the bullying doesnt work. Congress isnt intimidated by anything Trump says or does. They are a co-equal branch of the federal government, so when Trump tries to bully, they do what Sen. Blumenthal did, they ignore the dumb personal attacks and get back to the matter at hand.

The entire premise of Trumps view of the presidency is that he is above the law. The underlying battle between Congress and the President on Russia is the definition of executive power. The six words that are the driving force at the heart of this matter is the belief by those in Congress that no one is above the law.
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MSNBCs rating surge is being powered by a surge in new cable news viewers as the Trump presidency has gotten more opponents involved and engaged which is bad news for the President and his party.

The AP reported:

Essentially, MSNBCs surge is fueled by newbies, people who werent regular cable news viewers. So the question remains of why these people are primarily going to MSNBC instead of CNN. CNNs prime time is panel-based, with a stream of people talking about the news. Unlike MSNBC, CNN regularly includes Trump supporters in the mix and some of those  think Jeffrey Lord  infuriate the presidents opponents. CNNs immediate announcement that it wasnt interested in outgoing White House press secretary Sean Spicer as a contributor was understandable given the administrations biting attacks on the network, but Spicer is likely to be more skilled than Lord.

The reason why CNN hasnt gained in the ratings like MSNBC has is simple. CNN provides airtime to contributors that anti-Trump viewers cant stand. They also provide a platform for anti-Trump voices that this president and his supporters cant stand. In a partisan political world, CNN is a network without a natural base viewership.

As Republicans and the White House know, surging ratings at a friendly cable news network can provide circumstantial evidence of an engaged base. People who choose to watch cable news are more likely to vote than those who dont. The fact that MSNBC is surging in the ratings due to viewers who are new to cable news suggests a groundswell of opposition to Trump and the Republican Party.

The tide is turning, and a midterm election landscape that looked unfriendly may be becoming downright hostile if the ratings at MSNBC are an indication of the storms to come.
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.
Mina covers local news and North Charleston at The Post and Courier. She has written for the Boston Globe, the Sun News in Lowell, Mass. and The Daily Free Press at Boston University.
Derryck Barentine had just turned 20 and was working as a welder apprentice through a contractor at Detyens Shipyards, a ship repair yard in North Charleston. In the sprawling industrial complex, deaths due to falls, crushing and electrocution have left coworkers like him  men and women scarred by the tragedies they witnessed and the friends they lost. Read moreShipyard deaths take toll on workers left to grapple with trauma, friends lost
Few outside the media probably took note, but the city of Charleston sent out one of its stranger news releases earlier this month, one that essentially said: Remember that property tax increase City Council passed last year? Never mind. Read moreBehre: Sales tax revenue means Charleston officials can be LOST at budget time
LAS VEGAS  Control of the U.S. Senate may come down to Nevada, where a slow ballot count entered its final act Saturday in the nail-biter contest between Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Republican challenger Adam Laxalt. Read moreSenate control may come down to Nevada as count nears end
AUSTIN  An Austin fraternal organization is still giving back to the community after 120 years of service.

Lodge 38, a fraternal group with Western Fraternal Life, is a nonprofit life insurance provider that also conducts community outreach and volunteer work. But membership for the group, like many others of its kind, is dwindling  causing members to engage more youth in hopes of boosting participation.

Lodge 38 was founded in 1893 by a group of Czech immigrants. Today, there are several other lodges across Minnesota  including in Hayward, Owatonna and Alexandria  and in other parts of the country.

The lodge typically meets once per month on Saturdays at the Mower County Senior Center, where they discuss group projects and heritage, hold potlucks and do volunteer and charitable work. On July 22, Lodge 38 celebrated its 120th anniversary.

"It's based on fraternalism and heritage," said Bonnie Sawyer, lodge member and publicity coordinator.

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Lodge 38 does a variety of charitable work, Sawyer said, such as volunteering at nursing homes, making donations to the Dorothy Day House and Salvation Army and giving scholarships to younger members.

The lodge's youth group, Young Engaged Lodge Leaders (YELL!), have worked on projects such as building mini free libraries for people to trade books.

"It really has inspired the youth that we work with," Sawyer said.

But the lodge's YELL! group has also served another purpose.

Lodge memberships have declined over time as current members have grown older and fewer youth have gotten involved, Sawyer said.

"The memberships are dwindling because it's  older people who will go to a meeting because youth do so much online now and connect in a different way," she said.

The YELL! group was originally formed as a means to garner more interest and participation from youth, Sawyer said.

And so far, it's worked, said Ellie Haeska, Lodge 38 and YELL! member. The group currently has around 20 members.

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"Everybody's there to help each other out and to help the community, and it's really just a very welcoming environment," Haeska said.

Lodge 38 is like a family, she said, despite not all being related.

"That's something that I really like about our lodge," Haeska said.
News of the attack on a mosque in Bloomington sent shockwaves through Rochester's Muslim community, said Dr. Muhamad Elrashidi, a member of the Rochester Muslim Community Circle.

"We've had families say they might stop bringing their kids to Sunday school because they are afraid," he said.

It is not just the bombing in Bloomington that has area Muslims concerned, he said, but a growing pile of rhetoric aimed at Muslims both locally and nationally.

"The worry is these are not really isolated incidents, but an outgrowth of the permissiveness of hateful rhetoric and expressions," he said.

That rhetoric begins, he said, with the current occupant of the White House, who Elrashidi believes marginalizes people with his speech.

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Muslims aren't the only group facing an increased volume of hate speech. Elrashidi said he has seen other faith communities, races and ethnicities facing rhetoric of hate around the country as people are emboldened to incite violence with their words.

"The attack on the mosque, which is an act of terrorism, brings to light that we're not immune to these troubling currents," he said.

Dee Sabol, executive director of the Diversity Council, said her organization has definitely seen increased rhetoric from people who have anti-immigration and anti-Muslim sentiments. That rise, she said, has come with a change in the socio-political climate. Hateful language has increased in mainstream and social media, and that trickles down to average people.

"People feel others think they same way they do about some aspect of immigration," she said."Those people feel they won't be shut down for their anti-immigration sentiments, their anti-Muslim sentiments."

Like Elrashidi, Sabol said that distrust of "others" extends not just to immigrants but to people with disabilities, the poor and the LGBT community.

Still, even with those rising voices, most people are welcoming and see the bombing in Bloomington as wrong. "I believe a majority of Minnesotans don't want to be hateful," she said.

That is the sentiment Elrashidi said he hopes wins out. Born and raised in Minnesota, Elrashidi said he grew up in Bloomington not far from where the bombing occurred at the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center. He said he was heartened to see other faith communities reach out to the Muslims in Bloomington and offer assistance.

That kind of interfaith connection is alive in Rochester, and helps local Muslims know they are not alone. "It's about building those bridges and realizing an attack on any of our houses of worship is an attack on all of us," he said.

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A local state senator is vowing to fight Mayo Clinic Health System's decision to move most inpatient services from its Albert Lea clinic to its Austin location.

Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, said in a statement that his phone has been ringing off the hook since Mayo announced the consolidation plans.

"Countless local officials, Mayo employees and area residents have contacted me about their fears and Mayo's lack of transparency. I empathize with the residents of Albert Lea and the surrounding communities, because these hospital services are vital to the quality of life in our towns," Sparks said.

Under the plan, services such as the Intensive Care Unit, inpatient surgeries and childbirth would be moved from Albert Lea to Austin. The first transition is set to happen in October, when the ICU moves to Austin. Mayo Clinic Health System officials have said the consolidation is needed because the clinics have lost millions of dollars in recent years and have had difficulty attracting physicians.

Sparks said he is particularly dismayed to see the move happen after state lawmakers supported the Destination Medical Center initiative. Legislators OK'd $585 million in tax dollars to build public infrastructure that will support Mayo Clinic's planned expansion.

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"I voted for the DMC funding and was very frustrated when the consolidation was announced. I did not expect expansion in Rochester and service reduction in Albert Lea. The DMC was advertised as good for the entire region  the decision to reduce services in Albert Lea appears like Mayo is going back on its word," Sparks said.

The Austin Democrat said he will discuss the meeting at an upcoming health care meeting in St. Paul. Meanwhile, members of Save Our Hospital are planning to rally outside Mayo's Gonda Building on Thursday afternoon.

Senjem for mayor?

Sen. Dave Senjem said some people have asked him to consider running for Rochester mayor in 2018.

"I will admit to being courted by a few people suggesting that I should," the Rochester Republican said.

But Senjem said at this point, he hasn't given any "serious thought" to running for the post.

"People have asked me about it. I don't think you ever rule anything out, but I certainly haven't ruled it in," he said.

Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede has not said whether he plans to seek re-election in 2018. Former Rochester DFL Rep. Kim Norton has said she is interested in running for mayor but won't if Brede opts to run again.

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Mustafa makes congressional run official

More than 50 people packed the Jive Mill in Rochester last Thursday to cheer on Rochester activist Regina Mustafa as she formally announced her bid for the 1st Congressional District seat.

In her speech, Mustafa said her life experiences make her a strong candidate. As founder of Community Interfaith Dialogue on Islam, the Rochester Democrat said she has taken time to sit down over a cup of coffee with people who disagree with her and worked to find common ground. Mustafa said when she was seven months pregnant with her first child, her husband lost his job and the family no longer had health insurance. She supports single-payer health care and said health care coverage is a human right.

"One of my key issues is affordable health care," she said, "because I know what it is like to wake up in fear of what if something happens to me, to my loved one and what are we going to do?"

She is one of seven Democrats running for the open 1st District seat. Others running are Rochester website developer Johnny Akzam, Eyota teacher John Austinson, U.S. Army veteran Dan Feehan, former state Sen. Vicki Jensen, electronic pull-tabs salesman Colin Minehart and Mankato lawyer Joe Sullivan. Blue Earth Republican Jim Hagedorn, who narrowly lost last year's election, is running again.

Mustafa, who is legally blind, said she is also deeply concerned about the Trump administration. She strongly opposes Trump's temporary travel ban involving seven majority-Muslim countries.

"I only have 10 percent of my usable vision, but I can see the garbage coming out of this administration," she said. "I can see what you are doing, and I'm not going to be silent about it."

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Over the weekend, the New York Times published a story on Republicans who supposedly are angling for their partys 2020 presidential nomination: Republican Shadow Campaign for 2020 Takes Shape as Trump Doubts Grow. The story was, of course, part of the papers daily war on President Trump. Its purpose was to cause doubts about President Trumps being the GOP nominee in 2020 to grow.

The Times article contains no actual news. It quotes a handful of people speculating about the motives of Republicans like Mike Pence, John Kasich and Tom Cotton who arecan you believe it?attending political events around the country:

Senators Tom Cotton and Ben Sasse have already been to Iowa this year, Gov. John Kasich is eyeing a return visit to New Hampshire, and Mike Pences schedule is so full of political events that Republicans joke that he is acting more like a second-term vice president hoping to clear the field than a No. 2 sworn in a little over six months ago.

Vice President Pence responded furiously to the Timess claim that he wants to replace Trump on the ticket in three years:

Todays article in The New York Times is disgraceful and offensive to me, my family, and our entire team, Pences statement read. The statement went on to say the suggestion that Pence was not working solely for Trumps agenda and re-election was laughable and absurd.

As for Senator Cotton, does the Times think he needs to boycott Iowa for four years? He was in Minnesota earlier this Summer, too, but of course that doesnt count since Minnesota isnt an early primary state. Then there is this:

Mr. Cotton, for example, is planning a two-day, $5,000-per-person fund-raiser in New York next month, ostensibly for Senate Republicans (and his own eventual re-election campaign).

Ostensibly.

When is speculation news? When it gives the Times an opportunity to promote its agenda. That is what turns anonymous leaks into news, too.

President Trump responded furiously to the Timess implication that he is likely not to be on the ballot in 2020:

The failing @nytimes, which has made every wrong prediction about me including my big election win (apologized), is totally inept!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017

The Trump base is far bigger & stronger than ever before (despite some phony Fake News polling). Look at rallies in Penn, Iowa, Ohio.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017

There was considerably more in the same vein. This led to a tag-team attack by the Washington Post: Trump says base is stronger than ever despite polling to the contrary.

President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Monday morning to declare that his political base is bigger & stronger than ever before despite recent polling  which he branded fake  that shows a drop-off in support.

***

A poll last week from Quinnipiac University found that just 33 percent of voters overall approve of Trumps job performance, a new low. Notably, support among white voters without a college degree  a key Trump demographic  had fallen off as well.

This is what passes for a news cycle nowadays. Attacks on Trump that are often disconnected from any actual news, a response by the president, and attacks on the response. It is all part of the Democrats effort to drive Trump from office.
This morning on Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace asked Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein about the administrations determination to stop leaks, including criminal leaks that damage national security. The key question here is whether DOJ is willing to go after reporters who publish classified information in violation of the Espionage Act. As Scott has written, there is no obstacle under current law to prosecuting reporters and editors. But Rosenstein seemed distinctly lacking in enthusiasm:

WALLACE: But the head of the reporters committee for the freedom of the press says when the  what the attorney general is suggesting is a dangerous threat to the freedom of the American people to know and understand what their leaders are doing and why. Your response? ROSENSTEIN: I think thats an overreaction, Chris. The attorney general has been very clear that were after the leakers, not the journalist. Were after the people who are committing crime.

Emphasis added. The reporter is committing a crime, too. What about him?

And so, were going to devote the resources we need to identify who is responsible for those leaks and who has violated the law and hold them accountable. WALLACE: Well, there are a couple of aspects to that. First of all, you say you are after the leakers, not the reporters. President Trump has reportedly suggested at one point prosecuting the reporters if they leak  if they publish classified information. Are you ruling that out? ROSENSTEIN: Chris, we have the same position on that I think as Attorney General Holder, that is we dont prosecute journalist for doing their jobs.

Does Rosenstein seriously believe that illegally publishing classified information that is damaging to the national security is part of a journalists job? It sounds that way.

We look at the facts and circumstances of each case and we determine whether somebody has committed a crime and whether its appropriate to hold them accountable for it. WALLACE: And you dont consider the publishing classified information as a crime?

It is frustrating that Wallace seems to have a better grasp of the law than the Deputy Attorney General.

ROSENSTEIN: Well, Chris, I dont think you can draw any general line like that, it depends upon the facts and circumstances. You know, generally speaking, reporters who publish information are not committing a crime. But there might be a circumstance where they do. You know, I havent seen any of those today, but I wouldnt rule it out in the event that there were a case where a reporter was purposely violating the law, then they might be a suspect as well.

This riff is mystifying. Is Rosenstein seriously unaware of the many instances where reporters and editors have published classified information that compromised the nations security in violation of the Espionage Act? And what is the point of Rosensteins qualification of purposely breaking the law? Does he think the New York Times and the Washington Post are doing it accidentally?

But thats not our goal here. Our goal is to prevent the leaks. And so, thats what were after here. We havent revised a policy with regard to reporters. WALLACE: OK. But theres another aspect of this, which is if a reporter gets information from somebody, puts it out in the beginning of the Obama administration, they were very aggressive in going after their sources. And if you subpoena information and they refused to disclose it, they can still end up in jail at the end of the Obama administration after a backlash from reporters, they loosened up on that. And first of all, it had to be approved specifically by the attorney general and it was kind of a last resort to go after reporters sources. Are you are reviewing that?

Another good question by Chris Wallace. There is no federal shield law. Reporters are not entitled to protect their sources in response to a federal subpoena. If they refuse to answer questions about their sources, they can be jailed until they change their minds. This is what happened to Judith Miller some years ago.

ROSENSTEIN: Yes, Chris, thats a different issue. That policy has been in existence for a very long time. Attorney General Holder revised that in 2015. Its possible he got it exactly right but maybe he didnt. Were going to take a fresh look at that, and weve gotten feedback from our career prosecutors and agents that some of the procedural hurdles are delaying their investigation. So, I think its important for us to take a fresh look at it and evaluate whether or not there are any improvements that should be made.

I have no idea what that answer meant, but if I were a criminal reporter, I would be breathing easy.

WALLACE: And what that means in your effort to get sources that you end up putting a reporter who refuses to disclose that source in jail? ROSENSTEIN: Im not going to answer a hypothetical, Chris. As I said, I think it depends upon the facts and circumstances in each case.

A very squishy performance by Rosenstein. If President Trump really wants to stop illegal leaks, he needs to put the fear of God into reporters and editors. Nothing else will suffice. If three or four reportersor, better yet, editorswere doing hard time in Leavenworth, national security leaks would dry up quickly.
Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, voiced his support for H.R. McMaster today. He attributed criticism of the national security adviser to the Russians. They may not like his policies, what hes advocating with the administration, or they may just be seeking to sow further discord among Trump administration officials, feeling that that would weaken the administration, he opined.

Schiff should know about trying to weaken the Trump administration. If he had his way, President Trump would be impeached.

Its probable that the Russians dont like some of what McMaster is advocating  e.g., U.S. involvement in Syria. However, of the people I know who are criticizing McMaster, none is Russian and to my knowledge none sympathizes with Russia.

Russia is to the Trump administration as racism is to just about everything else. All you have to do is say Russia and the need for argument and analysis is obviated. Democrats have been using this tactic since the beginning of the Trump administration. Now some Republicans are mimicking them.

Adam Schiffs endorsement should carry no weight with any conservative and/or Trump supporter. If anything, it should reinforce doubts about McMaster.

I also want to make one point in response to a piece Victor Davis Hanson wrote in defense of McMaster. According to Hanson, McMasters firings at the NSC were, as in the case of John Kellys firing of the talented but otherwise profane, erratic, disruptive, and often naive Anthony Scaramucci, likely process-driven rather than ideological.

Thats possible, I suppose. But what about the hiring of Kris Bauman, who attacked Israel and the Bush administration for not recognizing Hamas as a force for moderation in the peace process, as his Israel adviser. Was that process-driven too? Of course not.

It wont do to blow off criticism of McMaster. At a minimum, Trump should insist on a halt to McMasters purging of pro-Trump staffers.

UPDATE: Media Matters has weighed in. It doesnt exactly endorse McMaster. Rather, it is content to bash McMasters critics. To be fair, some of the criticism cited is over-the-top.
The Washington Post reports, with mixed emotion, that the governor of Missouri has dispatched some members of the Missouri Highway Patrol to St. Louis in response to a surge in shootings and assaults in that city. (St. Louis is on pace for its most homicides in more than two decades). Similarly, last month, after 25 people were shot in a nightclub not far from the governors mansion in Little Rock, governor Asa Hutchinson organized state troopers and FBI agents to respond to a looming cloud of violence in that city.

Washington Post reporters Tim Craig and Emma Ockerman fret that the two governors are reopening historical tensions. But they dont live in St. Louis or Little Rock and they have no responsibility for public safety in either city.

That responsibility falls on mayors Lyda Krewson and Mark Stodola, respectively. Both are Democrats. Both support the decision of the Republican governors to send in more law officers. And why not? Its a no-brainer.

As Krewson puts it: As long as its done in a responsible way  and I dont have any reason to believe it wont be  I think its a good help. Krewson, by the way, has personal experience with St. Louis homicide. In 1995, she saw her husband fatally shot during an attempted carjacking in front of their home in the citys West End.

There are, to be sure, local politicians who have major reservations about sending in the highway patrol. After Missouri governor Eric Greitens was heard telling Missouri troopers Lets go get them, one St. Louis Democrats said: A lot of folks wonder who them is. . . Them is the criminals, moron.

This Washington Post story reminds me of one from last year, out of Baltimore. In a West Baltimore church:

40 or so longtime residents. . . many of whom were older black women afraid to walk to the store or leave their homes at night  had come to urge police to clear their corners of miscreants and restore order to their crime-plagued community. Please, help me, pleaded gas station owner Chaudhry Masood, whose parking lot has been overrun by loiterers and where a 17-year-old was recently shot and killed.

Meanwhile, in another room at the same church:

Justice Department civil rights attorneys were discussing how to overhaul the police department with another group of residents intent on curbing the abusive behavior of corner-clearing cops. Those attending included black youths long targeted by police.

Although the church is located in the smallest of the citys seven patrol areas, that patrol area has the citys highest crime rates, according to the Post. In 2015, there were 66 killings in the districts 2.8 square miles.

Care to guess how many of the 66 victims were Black? Care to guess how many of the 110 homicide victims in St. Louis in the first seven months of 2017 were Black?

Im guessing the vast majority, in both cases.

Yet, just as the Obama Justice Department wanted the Baltimore police to pay more attention to wealthier neighborhoods where, it speculated, whites use illegal drugs to about the same degree as blacks in poorer neighborhoods, there apparently are those who object to diverting Missouri highway patrolmen from farm country to St. Louis.

Apparently, black lives dont matter to them.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, said on Monday the nations current crude oil production had risen to 2.35 million barrels per day.

Its Group Managing Director, GMD, Maikanti Baru, said this at the inauguration of the members of the corporations re-constituted anti-corruption committee in Abuja.

He said: In the upstream, we have also been making strides in the stability and security in the Niger-Delta and production is coming back steadily.

At one point, we have reached the level of almost 2.35 million barrels per day, including condensates, which accounts for about 400,000 barrels per day.

Mr. Baru said it was good that petroleum products supply in the country was being sustained.

He attributed the steady supply to conscious plan by the management, with support from staff and other stakeholders in the industry.

I want to thank each member of staff and our clients involved in the supplies of petroleum products and other services in the country, for sustaining the supply of petroleum products across the country; the status quo has been restored.

We are in the period of ease, it is not too long ago in December, January and February, when NNPC was a sole importer of petroleum products in this country with the challenges associated with distribution and the caped price of N145 to a litre of petrol.

We got some ease when the international price went down and the importers decided to come back to import because they can make some margin; they have raised the importation level to about 30 per.

He said it was important to keep the stability of the supply of petroleum products ongoing.

The NNPC GMD also said the corporation was committed to exiting the cash call, noting that the federal government had provided the required support.

As you are aware, we have committed to exiting the cash calls process and government has been very supportive and they have given us all approval and endorsement in that direction, particularly the economic council and the entire three tiers of government have endorsed this project, and we have started the implementation.

He said that the four Joint Venture Projects NNPC signed with its JV partners would result into incremental revenue for the country within the less than 10 years of the lifespan of the projects.

He said that the projects were attracting the inflow of foreign direct investments in the nations oil and gas sector.

The NNPC GMD said: In our joint venture project with Chevron, we have attracted an oversubscribed $1.2 billion Foreign Direct Investment.

The E and P joint venture with NNPC attracted 800 million dollars foreign direct investment which was signed up in May.

Last week in London, the NNPC, Shell, Agip and Total joint venture attracted over $1 billion foreign direct investment.

The Chevron, NNPC Joint venture project is $780 million worth of investments.

Mr. Baru also said that the projects would serve as an avenue for the corporation to exit the JV cash call.

The JV cash call has components; we have to pay arrears of about six billion dollars that were incurred in 2016 in JV operations.

We are paying up about one billion dollars 2016 arrears we started in April; we have paid in $400 million and we hope to pay the balance before the anniversary of the first payment.

According to him, NNPC, on behalf of the government, will ensure that every surplus from the corporation at the end of the year after deducting the cost of operation, will be returned to the national treasury.

(NAN)

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Mauritania voted in favour of a referendum to abolish the senate and change the national flag.

The countrys president, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, on Friday described the senate as useless and too costly.

He has said the move to abolish the governing body would improve governance by introducing more local forms of lawmaking.

But the countys opposition says the exercise was just a bid by President Abdel-Aziz to bolster power and extend his mandate.

The referendum won 85 per cent of the vote, the national electoral commission said, though only a little over half of the population voted.

The opposition, which boycotted the vote, said the referendum would give Mr. Abdel-Aziz too much power over decision-making and pave the way for him to scrap presidential term limits.

Opposition aid the vote was marred by fraud.

The capital, Nouakchott, was on high alert before the vote on Saturday due to opposition protests in the week before, though voting went ahead on Saturday without incident.

According to a Reuters witness, a strong police presence was seen on Sunday.

Mauritania has never had a peaceful transfer of power and senior officials have spoken in favour of lifting term limits, currently set at two terms.

Mr. Abdel-Aziz in 2016 said he had no plans to extend the presidential mandate.

Still, police clashed with anti-government demonstrators in a series of protests in Nouakchott, and senators on Saturday occupied the senate building in protest.

Mr. Abdel-Aziz has been an ally of the West in the fight against Islamists in the Sahara.

He first came to power in a coup in 2008 and won a second term in 2014, but is barred by the constitution from running again.

Scrapping term limits would enable Abdel-Aziz to follow leaders of more than a dozen other African countries including in Uganda, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and more recently Rwanda and Congo Republic.(Reuters/NAN)

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An Egyptian court on Monday sentenced 12 former supporters of President Mohamed Morsi to death over storming Matay police station and killing its chief in 2013, official MENA news agency reported.

Meanwhile, 140 defendants had been sentenced to life in the same case, while 238 others were acquitted, according to the MENA.

The case dates back to mid-2013, when members of Muslim Brotherhood broke into Matay police station in Upper Egypts Minya Province, killing the stations chief in retaliation for the polices harsh crackdown on the supporters of Morsi who was ousted by the army in response to mass protest against him.

Mr. Morsi along with prominent figures of his Brotherhood group were sentenced to death over killing protesters, spying for foreign countries amid other charges pending appeals.

(Xinhua/NAN)

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday night called the Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, to commiserate with him over an attack on a church.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the attack on the St. Phillips Catholic Church in Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of the state.

The police have confirmed 11 deaths from the attack and vowed to arrest the gunman and possible collaborators.

According to a statement by presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, during Mr. Buharis phone call, he commiserated with him, the famines of the victims and the citizens of the state over the tragic shooting incident.

Mr. Shehu had earlier released a statement quoting the president condemning the attack.

Mr. Buhari has been away from Nigeria for over three months.

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Troops of the Operation Lafiya Dole neutralised over 13 terrorists on Saturday in various areas in Borno and Adamawa during clearance operations.

The army spokesman, Sani Usman, who confirmed this in a statement, said 12 were neutralised when the troops laid ambushed for them at Miyanti-Banki junction in Borno and one at Kafin Hausa in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa.

Mr. Usman, a brigadier general, added that at Dukje-Mada road near Gulumba Gana village, the troops neutralized quite a number of the terrorists.

Unfortunately, two soldiers lost their lives when their vehicle stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) buried along the road, while four others sustained injuries.

The remains of the gallant soldiers, that paid the supreme price, and the wounded have been evacuated to Maiduguri, he said.

He listed items recovered from them as 18 bicycles, 30 bags of flour, one bag of groundnut, two bags of salt, two baskets of kola nut and five torchlights, a carton of mixed juice sachets and four rolls of brocade material.

Others, according to him, are two packets of sweet, one carton of washing soap, five packets of cold patch, two packets of Maggi cubes, two pairs of bathroom slippers, two packets of yeasts and four packets of Vedan.

He also listed two rolls of sewing thread, four kegs of herbicide, 14 packets of insecticide, one keg of groundnut oil, a bag of pepper and N4,000 as items recovered from them.

Mr. Usman added that the troops recovered nine primed cylinders from the terrorists Improvised Explosive Devices making factory and destroyed the factory, as well as one AK-47 rifle with registration number 02527 MTD and a magazine.

(NAN)

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Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has declared Monday as a day of mourning for those who died in Sundays attack at St Phillips Catholic Church Ozubulu which claimed 12 lives.

The governor stated this in a broadcast to the people of the state on Monday.

The governor, who debunked reports attributing the incident to terror attacks, again reiterated his earlier statement that the incident was a spill over of a drug war between indigenes of the state living abroad.

He promised that the perpetrators would be arrested and prosecuted no matter how highly placed they are in the society.

The governor also thanked President Muhamadu Buhari and Acting President Yemi Osibanjo for calling to show concern over the incident.

He said the state is still very safe for people despite the incident which he promised would not be allowed to repeat again.

Below is the full speech of the Governor

A Special Broadcast by the Governor of Anambra State, His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano on the St Phillips Catholic Church Killings at Ozubulu on August 7, 2017.

Good morning fellow citizens

Ndi Anambra ekenem unu

With a sorrowful heart, I stand before you today to brief you on the tragic killing of 12 people at St Philips Catholic Church, Amakwa, Ozubulu yesterday.

First, I want to assure you all that what happened in Ozubulu yesterday was a tragic dimension of a long battle between two business partners who are from the same town. I have been fully informed that this dangerous conflict has been going on for a while in the country where they both live outside Nigeria before they decided to bring the conflict home. But let me assure you that Anambra is too hot for them to operate here, going forward.

This explanation, I believe, has erased the fears that the incident may have been caused by either some terrorist organizations or some members of some groups of agitators in the country.

Brothers and sisters, what happened in Ozubulu was neither a terror attack as we know it, nor a violent action by some agitators. We are dealing with a dangerous GANG WAR that has spilled over to Anambra State from another African country. But this is the last time it will happen under my watch!

Fellow citizens, I want to assure you that we are on top of this situation. We are completely in charge here. The people directly and remotely involved in this crime are known to the law enforcement agencies. But no suspect, no matter how highly placed, is above the law. So, we have taken bold steps to bring them to book and restore the peace and tranquility that Anambra State has enjoyed since the past three years.

Sincerely, there is no cause for fear or alarm here. Anambra state is safe. Our churches and places of worship are safe. So, our people should not be discouraged from going to church to serve their God because what happened in Amakwa, Ozubulu is an isolated case. It will not happen again! Ndi Anambra should continue to sleep with both eyes closed because we are staying awake for them. In the words of Wendell Philips, the American abolitionist and liberal activist, the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. We have chosen to stay awake that Anambra may find sleep! I repeat, never again will this type of bloodshed happen in Anambra State under me!

Ndi Anambra, in all our 25-year history, never has a single act of senseless violence consumed so many lives. I strongly condemn this wanton killing of our fellow citizens who left their loved ones in the early hours of Sunday morning to worship their God. I condemn the senseless violation of sacred places of worship by people to whom neither man nor God is worthy of respect or honour. I condemn these people who did not think twice before placing such a heavy burden on our humanity!

All the shadowy characters behind this crime shall account for it. This is the first and the last of this appalling crime!

Fellow citizens, I call on you today, to join hands with me to rid our society of all vestiges of crime and criminality. Nothing else can stand in the way of accelerated development as crime does. We are familiar with this fact in Anambra State. That is why we have fought tooth and nail to usher in the long period of peace we have enjoyed in Anambra State.

To our numerous friends and partners, I want to assure you that Anambra is still Nigerias safest state. Indeed, the Ozubulu killings have only strengthened our commitment to create a safer, business-friendly and prosperous state. We remain focused on our Vision and Mission to this great state. No amount of threats or wholesale destruction can shake our commitment to these ideals.

Ndi Anambra, I have declared today a Day of Mourning in honour of our brothers and sisters that were slain yesterday. We shall observe a minute of silence in their honour at 12 noon today and special prayers shall be offered for them in churches and prayer houses across Nigeria and in the Diaspora. We have also opened a Condolence Register for them in the Government House.

Finally, for the 18 survivors of this carnage who are nursing different injuries in the hospital, my administration shall pick up all their medical bills. I have visited them at the hospital to ascertain their recovery rate. I have also dispatched 50 additional medical doctors to the hospital to ensure that they have access to the best medical care possible. Indeed, all hands must be on deck to save more lives.

At this juncture, I want to thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari who called me last night from London to commiserate with Ndi Anambra on this tragic incident. I must also thank the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo who also called last night to condole with us. My gratitude goes to everyone who has called my Team and I to say a soothing word since this incident happened. Your calls have re-affirmed my belief that we are one people under God! It has strengthened my faith in the unity of this country.

Anambra State has survived incredible odds in our modest history. This too shall pass!

God bless Anambra State

God Bless Nigeria

Thank you

Dalunu!

Willie Obiano

Governor Anambra State

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The federal government on Monday released the full list of the 27 key industries and products included in the revised list of pioneer status incentives for prospective investors.

At the end of the meeting of the Executive Council of the Federation, FEC, last week, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, disclosed the approval given to the 27 industries.

Mr. Enelamah did not, however, list the 27 industries.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, later confirmed that the creative industry was among the 27.

Earlier, the trade and investment ministry announced the lifting of the administrative suspension on processing pioneer status incentives, PSI, applications for prospective investors in the country.

Some of the benefits of the pioneer status include tax relief, mainly for corporate income tax.

Here is the full list of the 27 industries to enjoy the pioneer status.

Mining and processing of coal; Processing and preservation of meat/poultry and production of meat/poultry products; Manufacture of starches and starch products; Processing of cocoa; Manufacture of animal feeds; Tanning and dressing of Leather; Manufacture of leather footwear, luggage and handbags; Manufacture of household and personal hygiene paper products; Manufacture of paints, vanishes and printing ink; Manufacture of plastic products (builders plastic ware) and moulds; Manufacture of batteries and accumulators; Manufacture of steam generators; Manufacture of railway locomotives, wagons and rolling stock; Manufacture of metal-forming machinery and machine tools; Manufacture of machinery for metallurgy; Manufacture of machinery for food and beverage processing; Manufacture of machinery for textile, apparel and leather production; Manufacture of machinery for paper and paperboard production; Manufacture of plastics and rubber machinery; Waste treatment, disposal and material recovery; E-commerce services; Software development and publishing; Motion picture, video and television programme production, distribution, exhibition and photography; Music production, publishing and distribution; Real estate investment vehicles under the Investments and Securities Act; Mortgage backed securities under the Investments and Securities Act; and Business process outsourcing.

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The Commissioner of Police in Anambra, Garba Umar, has said that some suspects have been arrested in connection with Sundays killings at St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu, in the state.

Mr. Umar told journalists on Monday that the number of arrest would not be disclosed so as not to jeopardise ongoing investigation into the massacre of 11 persons by unknown gunmen.

The gunmen attacked the church while Mass was going on. Apart from the dead, 18 others were hospitalised for gunshot injuries.

The commissioner had on Sunday said the attack was an isolated case of feud between two individuals from the same community, adding that the police had contacted some persons who would be useful in the investigation.

Separately, the federal government has promised to unmask and deal decisively with the attackers.

The Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, made the pledge in a statement signed by the Director Press in the Ministry, Willie Bassey, on Monday in Abuja.

The minister condemned in strongest terms the killings and assured that all hands will be on deck to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Mr. Dambazau commiserated with Gov. Willie Obiano, the Ozubulu community, families who lost their loved ones, the injured, and the entire people of Anambra.

He described the incident as a wicked and cowardly act which the police and other security agencies were working hard to unravel.

Meanwhile, Ikenna Ofodeme, Transition Committee Chairman of Ekwusigo Council, has said that his people were still in shock after the gun attack at the Ozubulu.

Ofodeme told newsmen on Monday in Awka that the trauma among the resident was because the tragedy was not expected as such gruesome attack had never happened in the South-East.

It was a black Sunday for us; we are still in shock because it has never happened in the South-East. We hear of this type of attack from other parts of the world but its sad that it happened in my constituency, he said.

He disclosed that he had been part of the rescue operations, adding that 40 worshipers were affected, out of whom 12 persons had died.

The chairman said the dead were nine women, a baby girl and two men.

One of the survivors of the attack, Samuel Ndulue, who got gunshot wounds, was full of thanks to God for sparing his life.

At the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, where he is receiving treatment, he said he was gradually coming to terms with what struck him and others.

(NAN)

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A 12-year-old boy (name withheld), who allegedly stole a mobile phone valued at N5,000, was on Monday brought before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates Court in Lagos.

He was, however, remanded in a correctional home.

The out-of-school boy, who lives with his mothers relations at Egbeda, a suburb of Lagos, is facing a charge of stealing.

Police Prosecutor Clifford Ogu told the court that the offence was committed on July 17 at Kuffo Bus Stop, Ayobo in Ipaja area of Lagos.

The complainant, Taiwo Adeleke, was charging his mobile phone inside his tricycle and was discussing with other colleagues when the boy stole the phone.

The boy sneaked into the tricycle, removed the phone and disappeared.

The following week, the same boy came back to the spot to beg for money, but unfortunately for him, a woman who saw him when he stole the phone raised an alarm and he was immediately apprehended and handed over to the police, he said.

The offence contravened Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The boy, however, pleaded guilty to the charge.

In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Taiwo Akanni remanded the boy in Juvenile Correctional Centre at Oregun in Ikeja.

She adjourned the case indefinitely.

(NAN)

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The Nigeria Police Force said it had received 657 complaints of professional misconduct against its personnel across the country, from May to July,2017

Abayomi Shogunle, an assistant commissioner of police and head, Public Complaints Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU), disclosed this in a report on Monday in Abuja.

Mr. Shogunle said the number of cases of misconduct against the police decreased by 17 per cent compared to the 906 cases recorded in the same period in 2016.

He said that the unit resolved 589 complaints, which represent 90 per cent of complaints made against the police from across the country in the second quarter.

Mr. Shogunle said the highest number of 454 processed complaints came through telephone calls, which represent 69 per cent of complaints received.

He added that the WhatsApp, SMS, BBM, Twitter, Facebook and E-mail platforms jointly accounted for the remaining cases.

He said that Lagos, Rivers, and FCT topped the state ranking, with 137, 89 and 82 complaints respectively.

The head of PCRRU said Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, and Yobe recorded no complaints from members of the public within the period under review.

He said that complainants were satisfied with the manner their grievances were handled by the PCRRU.

Shogunle said that the period under review, recorded the dismissal of two traffic wardens in Abuja and four police officers in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun.

He said that the dismissal of the officers was in keeping to the promise of the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, to flush out corrupt officers from the force.

Shogunle said that N265, 000 extorted money was also recovered from dismissed officers and handed over to the rightful owners.

The PCRRU was established by the Nigeria Police Force in November 2015, with a mandate to receiving and resolving cases of professional misconduct brought against its officers.(NAN)

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Ogbonnaya Onu, the Minister of Science and Technology, has unveiled the National Science, Technology and Innovation Road Map from 2017 to 2030 to serve as a catalyst to Nigerias economic growth.

Mr. Onu, who disclosed this in a statement by Henrietta Okokon, Assistant Chief Information Officer in the ministry on Monday, said the Integrated Road Map was a unique piece formulated to redirect the energy of the nation in science and technology.

Mr. Onu was speaking at the unveiling of the road map to staff of the ministry in the South East zone in Owerri, Imo.

The minister also paid a visit to Gov. Rochas Okorocha in his office.

He said the road map would be incorporated into the system to would serve as a catalyst to Nigerias economic growth and to develop competitiveness in raw materials endowment.

This will in turn provide jobs, create wealth and reduce poverty drastically.

The aim of the formulation of the document was to encourage youths to develop interest in science subjects as well as reduce the level of over dependence on foreign goods and services in Nigeria.

The road map is designed in such a way that it will cover short-term, medium-term and long-term with a view to attaining an effective implementation of projects in the country.

It targets the mobilisation of Nigerias intellectual resources for the growth, the diversification of the economy, provision of incentives for all stakeholders to engage innovation in order to improve science structures, he said.

Mr. Onu said he embarked on a tour to South-East zone to inspect projects developed by the ministry and to inaugurate the waste to wealth pilot project domiciled in Umuahia, Abia.

He said the institute in Imo would help the youth acquire entrepreneurial skills to start small and medium scale enterprises.

He said it would also develop skills transfer, which would be beneficial to small scale business owners.

Responding, Mr. Okorocha commended the minister on the transformation drive he was carrying out in the science sector in the country.

The governor called on Nigerians to embrace science and technology, adding that it was a lifeline for all sectors to key into national economic development.

He advised the minister to set up a science and technology department that would be constitutionally recognised by the National Assembly. (NAN)

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The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, on Monday said it would not close the change of courses and institutions procedures, until 2017/2018 admission is concluded.

JAMBs Head of Public Relations, Fabian Benjamin, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Bwari, FCT.

Mr. Benjamin said it was wrong for any student to observe that the board would close the change of courses and institutions procedure soon.

He advised candidates to avoid panic, but take time to make decision that is suitable for them, to secure admission into higher institutions.

According to him, it is a continuous exercise and we do not intend to close the procedure; it will only close after admission has been concluded.

This is so because there are moments whereby candidates who chose particular institution will not have opportunity there and other one will want to offer them admission.

If closed, it will be difficult to access such offer, all candidates need to do is go back to the portal and make changes to those institutions and access available opportunities.

We want to avoid situation whereby candidates will have multiple admission and will take one and be denied that opportunity.

When we do that statistics will be strengthened; if candidates choose University of Lagos and later consider Yaba-Tech the statistic will reflect the second choice.

So that when we are giving account of admission of candidate, we will be able to provide accurate statistic and not distorted data we have been dishing out before, he said.

He said that the change is imperative for candidates who made mistakes while choosing courses they want to study or the institution or university they want to apply to.

Benjamin explained that the process of change of courses and institutions could be done with the payment of N2,500 in JAMB Computer Based Tests (CBT) centres and at other approved centres.

He, therefore, advised candidates who wished to change their choice of course or institution to think properly, before doing so to avoid irregularities.

Mr. Benjamin said that the board would hold the policy committee meeting on August 21 and 22, to determine cut-off points for admissions this year into various courses and tertiary institutions.

He further said that the decision for the cut-off points for admission would be decided by Vice-Chancellors of universities, Rectors of Polytechnics and Mono-techniques and Provosts of Colleges of Education.

(NAN)

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The Police in Enugu State have arrested a bishop, Ginika Obi for allegedly defrauding members of the public of over N500 million.

The spokesperson of the police command in the state, Ebere Amaraizu, said this in a statement on Monday in Enugu.

Mr. Amaraizu said Mr. Obi, who is in-charge of the City of Liberation and Comfort Ministry in Enugu, had been trailed by police operatives for three months.

Bishop Ginika Obi in-charge of City of Liberation and Comfort Ministry is now helping police operatives of the Commissioner of Police Enugu Monitoring Unit following his arrest over the weekend in a Hotel in Enugu where he has been taking refuge.

Before now, the suspect who hailed from Umuaku in Uli community of Ihiala Local Government Area in Anambra was also in-charge of an alleged financial Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) known as `Build Your Generational Organisation where his victims are made to invest with a hope of reaping a bumper financial dividend.

It was gathered that his victims are numerous and with various degrees of complaints of huge amount of money swindled from them without anything to show for it.

The suspect on noticing that police are on his trail based on complaints of alleged swindling of some suspected members of the public to the tune of N500 million with his wife and some of his eight alleged pastors, disappeared for months.

The bishop, however, left his wife in Enugu Prisons custody over the matter.

During his disappearance from Enugu, preliminary investigations revealed that he escaped and relocated to Asaba in Delta to avoid being nabbed by police operatives for months.

It was further gathered that luck ran out of the suspect over the weekend as he was trailed based on intelligence information to a hotel at Amechi Road off Agbani Road in Enugu where police operatives acting on a tip-off nabbed him, he said.

Mr. Amaraizu said that the bishop had also revealed during preliminary investigations that he never knew that his alleged financial NGO would turn out in this way.

The suspect (bishop) disclosed that the amount he defrauded was not up to the sum of N500 million but N186 million, while regretting his action, the police spokesman said.

Some of the suspects victims  Blessing Edekin, a widow; Nnenna Okonkwo, and Chidiebere Okolo  told the News Agency of Nigeria that the bishop had defrauded them of various sums of money and disappeared.

They expressed delight at his arrest.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Danmallam Mohammed, had directed a full-scale investigation into the alleged nefarious activities of the cleric.

(NAN)

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, says it has intensified probe of a man arrested in possession of 849 debit cards of different banks in the country.

The spokesperson of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this in a statement on Monday, identified the suspect as Yasir Abdullahi.

He said Mr. Abdullahi was arrested at the Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, on Friday while preparing to board an Egypt Air plane heading for Dubai, United Arab Emirates, UAE.

Mr. Uwujaren said the anti-graft agency was looking into how the suspect came by the cards popularly known as Automated Teller Machine, ATM, cards in Nigeria.

He said, The suspect was intercepted after a scan of his luggage by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service revealed the suspicious items.

The officers then alerted the EFCCs office in Kano. On arrival, operatives of the commission discovered that he had 490 Guaranty Trust Bank ATM cards, 287 cards of Access Bank, 49 of Eco Bank and 10 of United Bank for Africa (UBA).

Others are six ATM cards of Stanbic IBTC Bank, four of Zenith Bank, and one each of Sterling Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and First City Monument Bank, he said.

The EFCC spokesman said another suspected fraudster and Chinese national, Ma Yongbin, alias Suleiman Yunusa, was also arrested at the same airport on Friday.

He said 43-year-old Yongbin was picked up as he tried to board an Egypt Air flight to China.

He was arrested at the baggage checkpoint where he was found to have in his possession the sum of N305,000 in N5 denomination.

He was eventually handed over to the commission for further investigation.

The two suspects have made useful statements. They have also been granted administrative bail while investigations continue, he added.

(NAN)

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The 65th Annual Convention of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) kicked off Monday morning at the Redemption Camp of the church along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

With the theme Halleluyah, it promises to meet expectations of participants from around the world. Participants include those who are able to make it to the Camp, those at Viewing Centres in the 195 countries where the Church has branches and others who view it on TV and by Internet.

Those who have been termed barren should start to rejoice because what has been out of place all these while is coming back. What has been out of place in business, career, ministries, and other areas will come back to place, said Enoch Adeboye, General Overseer of the mega church.

The day started with the ordination of Deacons and Deaconesses and it was rounded off with House Fellowship Leaders and Workers meeting; and the meeting of the Church Council.

Over 8,000 deacons and deaconesses were ordained. In a message by Rev Charles Achonwa, he called for total sanctification and dedication to God, with the passion to conquer.

In his remarks, Pastor Adeboye who called them to the altar for ordination and prayers expressed his joy for them.

The Convention which started as Gods birthday gift to Pastor Adeboye has grown over the years, and is now like an annual pilgrimage for many faithfuls.

How it started

Pastor Adeboye, who has never missed any of the conventions, tells the story of its beginning in the book, Stories of Pastor E.A. Adeboye: In 1986, I was in London preparing the Sunday school booklet for the mission when I heard from God.

He said, Son, what do you want for your birthday?

I was shocked. The reason I was shocked was that I didnt know God was interested in my birthday; secondly, I didnt know He could be asking me about what I wanted as present.

So I said, Lord if that is you, please repeat the question.

He assured me it was Him and asked again what I wanted as a birthday present.

I replied, What I want is that all my members will get miracles.

He asked, Is that all?

I replied, Thats all I want.

Then He said, In that case when you get home, call them together and I will give them whatever they ask for.

I needed to call the service a name, so I asked Him.

And He said: Holy Ghost Service

What happened at the first Holy Ghost Service was wonderful. And when we finished, my people came to me to request that I consult God for the service to hold every year.

God granted the request.

But soon after that, members of the church suggested that I request a monthly Holy Ghost Service. And that is why we have been holding it every month now.

In 1998, while visiting the Lekki area with some foreigners, the Lord told him to hold a service in the beach area and that became the historic Lekki 98 Convention.

The theme of the event was Divine Visitation. The Holy Ghost Service later moved to the Redemption Camp on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

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Nigerias Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday said that anyone serious about investing in Africa must come to Nigeria.

Mr. Osinbajo made this remarks at the Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja while addressing a gathering at the Nigerian Initiative for Economic Development on Monday.

According to the Acting President, Nigeria is a country open to free enterprise and it will work.

I like the idea of investors knowing that the reason why you are coming to Nigeria is not to help Nigeria. You will ultimately end up helping Nigeria. But the reason why you are coming here is because this is a good place to do business, Mr. Osinbajo said.

The Acting President, who echoed the thoughts of the DG of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, NIPC, noted that anyone who doesnt invest in Africa or Nigeria in 10 years time would be queried by the business establishment for missing out on the best possible opportunity.

Mr. Osinbajo, who said it is easy to miss out in the best business opportunity, also buttressed his point with a personal illustration.

I remember that I was counsel; I was a lawyer, teaching in the university but also in corporate practice when the first telecom licenses were to be issued, he said.

And I recall that at the time, even the most optimistic of the investors (because we had only 400,000 telephone lines at the time) thought well maybe in five years, we will double the number of lines or maybe triple the number of lines and then we will make profit in about five years or ten years. There were so many who thought, well, it may not be worth it. Aaaah! You know, the business environment is a difficult one etcetera, etcetera.

But in about a year of the licenses being granted, all of those who did not invest in it, the big telecom companies who did not invest in it, found themselves holding the short end. They realized that it was a huge mistake because in five years MTN had shown that the telecom sector in Nigeria was just incredibly profitable. They had made profit in one year. MTN alone now has something in the order of about 12million or so lines if not more, and thats one of the telecom companies that we have.

So, really, Nigeria is a place that is waiting to happen and it will happen. Thats really the point. It will happen. The truth of the matter is that any country that opens itself to free enterprise, the way Nigeria is opening itself to free enterprise, will somehow find that it will work.

That is one of the critical things that we are bringing into the mix.

The acting president said government is insisting that the only way the country can make the profit that it needs to make is by private sector investment, beginning with local investment.

Our budget is N7 trillion this year. Now, N7trillion is a small amount of money. I am not adding the budget of the states because if you add that it comes to something close to N20 trillion. But just looking at the federal budget it is just 7trillion, he said.

But we have private sector investments that challenge that size. For example, the largest single line refinery in the world is a private sector investment and its going to be doing 650,000 barrels of oil every day. That refinery is purely private sector driven.

So, really what we intend to do is to push private sector and thats why we are doing everything that we are doing to ensure that the private sector can come in and invest, he added.

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The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, on Monday said the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri standard gauge rail lines would start commercial operation in June 2018.

Mr. Amaechi made this known this while inspecting the ongoing rail project in Warri.

He said that the federal government had instructed that the project must be completed by the first quarter of 2018, which was included in the budget.

The minister said that the project was first awarded in 1987 and abandoned for over 30 years which would have been the first standard gauge in Africa.

There are two phases of the contracts; the first one was awarded in 1987. We have a directive from the federal government that we must complete the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail line and it was put in this year budget.

By the end of December last year, we had disbursed some money to the contractors; Julius Berger and others to commence work, so we have come to see how far.

We are constructing bridges too in order to reduce contact with human beings who would try to cross the track because this is a speed lane and once it starts, it is going to be 120 to 150 km per hour because it is a standard gauge.

If this contract was completed within the time it was awarded, Nigeria would have been the first country in Africa to have a standard gauge line.

We need to get this place functioning and the directive of the Federal Government is, we should start and our target is that by June, commercial activities will resume, he said.

He said that Julius Berger opted out of the project because it did not have equipment on ground after the Itakpe-Ajaokuta rail tracks was vandalised.

He said that the Itakpe-Ajaokuta track that was vandalised would be given to China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) because it has the facilities on ground to complete the project.

He further disclosed that Julius Berger would however handle the civil work to construct new yard, the 99 bridges, flyovers and refurbish the 178km yard in Agbor.

Inspecting the railway village in Agbor, the minister ordered that the village with about 420 houses should be handed back to the ministry due to poor maintenance.

He said that the ministry would hand over the village to Julius Berger for totally rehabilitation which could be rented to workers.

At the Abraka site, the minister directed the Team Nigeria Ltd., the project consultant to expand the bridges to accommodate two vehicles as the bridges constructed could only accommodate one vehicle.

However, David Imafidon, Julius Berger Site Engineer, said that with the level of work ongoing, the project could be completed within the speculated time.

He said that 99 bridges were to be constructed in the ongoing project with 12 rail stations to be constructed, adding that the overpasses to Agbor town were already completed.

Chiedu Nwazojie, the Consultant of Team Nigeria Ltd. said that the company would make all the adjustment indicated by the minister to expand the bridges to accommodate more vehicles.

He said that the June 2018 date given to them by the minister was feasible.

The News Agency of Nigeria correspondent on the entourage observed that the rail site had abandoned facilities such as the wagons, communication towers, locomotives workshop, rolling stock depot and clinic.

The rail site was constructed since 1994 but was not completed, while the Agbor, Abraka and Warri sites, the tracks and the environment were covered with thick vegetation.

(NAN)

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Southern leaders under the aegis of Southern Leaders Forum on Sunday called on their colleagues from the North to renegotiate Nigeria.

The Southern leaders, drawn from three geopolitical zones of the south, made their position known after a meeting in Lagos.

The leaders, according to Vanguard newspaper, said Nigeria was approaching a terminal crisis from which it cannot recover unless it is restructured along the paths of the 1963 Constitution.

The southern leaders included Afenifere leader, Ayo Adebanjo; former Director General of the State Security Service, A.K Horsfall; former president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Joe Irukwu; Ike Nwachukwu; Secretary of the Yoruba Council of Elders, Kunle Olajide; Afenifere chieftain, Amos Akingba; former chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, and Vanguard Publisher, Sam Amuka, among others.

The leaders said the National Assemblys rejection of the proposal for devolution was against popular demand, vowing that they will press on with their demand until the issue was brought to a conclusion.

They also berated security agencies for threatening to deal with agitators of the countrys restructuring, describing it as empty and ineffective threats.

Mr. Adebanjo, on his part, specifically flayed Acting President Yemi Osinbajo over his reported comment that agitators for restructuring were those looking for appointments.

That is a very unfortunate statement. I would not like it to appear that we are attacking our acting president. The Acting President was born on the principle of restructuring. Myself and his father were followers of Awolowo since the 1950s, he said.

Speaking further, the Afenifere chieftain said: He cannot say we are looking for appointment; Is it me or Horsfall or Gen. Ike Nwachukwu? It just shows someone in position, but does not understand the problem of the people he is leading. It is an unfortunate statement to make, I am not going to engage in a brickbats with him, it shows the limit of his knowledge of how the country came together. I think he should know better. He is not only a lawyer, he has been an Attorney-General and Vice President.

Afenifere Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, who read the communique of the forum, said: We do not want a Nigeria where any section will live as slaves of another, but rather we want a Nigeria where all citizens irrespective of their ethnic or religious affiliation are able to live their lives to the fullest and in happiness without let or hindrance.

We hold dearly that anyone who is opposed to this vision is an enemy of Nigeria of our dream, the statement said.

Flaying the decision of the National Assembly to shoot down the proposal on devolution of powers during the recent constitution alteration exercise, he said: Their decision reflects the deepest disregard for the popular demand for the freeing of more powers to the federating units from our shocking central government. Instead of devolving power, the National Assembly has now given us a stronger centre that will now conduct elections in local governments against extant provisions of the federalism.

It is obvious that the National Assembly has taken itself out of the resolution of the Nigerian crisis by foreclosing devolution of power. Unknown to the lawmakers, they have unwittingly given more ammunition to self-determination forces by attempting to collapse the restructuring column in the battle for the soul of Nigeria.

It would, however, be short-sighted for the National Assembly and their sympathisers to think this is the end of the matter. The demand for restructuring cannot end with their decisions as Nigeria has reached a terminal crisis from which it cannot recover except it is restructured.

Vowing to continue on its insistence for the restructuring of Nigeria, the leaders said, for emphasis, the restructuring we demand is a return to principles of federalism in Nigeria as obtained in the 1963 Constitution, which allowed the federating units to have autonomy over their local affairs to create a Nigeria that sustains the principles of fairness, equity, respect for all constituent units of Nigeria.

We restate in clear terms that this country has gone through war once and it is not likely to survive another one. The only way therefore to have a peaceful Nigeria is to have a country based on justice and equity for all Nigerians. In order to achieve the above, there is need for sacrifices on all sides as the only insurance for peace and justice is equity.

We, therefore, call for immediate meeting of well-meaning leaders from the South and the North to find a way to save Nigeria from destruction and crisis. An urgent return to the principles our founding fathers agreed as the basis for our independence is the only way out for Nigeria as most sectors of our country have lost faith in the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

Commenting on the threat to deal with agitators of the countrys restructuring, the forum faulted the security operatives, saying: Lastly, we are aware of the threat issued from the recent security meeting in Abuja where operatives of the government were issuing threats against agitators for renegotiation of the polity.

We, therefore, say that such threats are not taking into account the realities on the ground, the forum said.

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned a song he said wished the people of Igbo ethnic group dead, warning that the country should not be allowed to slide into genocide like Rwanda.

Mr. Atiku said the song currently circulating in some parts of Nigeria could trigger a major crisis as happened in Rwanda.

Hundreds of thousands of Rwandans were killed in an inter-ethnic conflict between the Hutus and Tutsis, two major groups in the East African country in 1994, following the death of that countrys president in a plane crash.

In a statement released by his media office, which he personally signed and titled, Nigeria Does Not Need a Rwandan Deja vu, Mr. Atiku urged all Nigerians to condemn what he said was reminiscent of the beginning of the Rwandan Genocide.

The former president called on the security agencies to fish out and bring to trial those responsible for the song. He did not give further details of the song he was referring to.

It has come to my attention that a song disparaging people of Igbo origin, and which wishes them dead, is circulating in some parts of the nation. I totally and unequivocally condemn this development, and I call on all men of goodwill to rise up against this evil, Mr. Atiku said.

This song is reminiscent of the beginnings of the Rwanda Genocide. Nigerians need to be aware that the Rwanda Genocide was believed to have been ignited by a song titled Nanga Abahutu (I hate Hutus), sung by Rwandas then most popular musician, Simon Bikindi. God forbid that we should have such a deja vu in Nigeria.

I call on the security agencies to thoroughly and decisively swing into action and apprehend, try, convict and severely punish those behind this ungodly song which incites racial hatred.

Simon Bikindi was convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for igniting and aiding the Rwandan genocide. Thus, let those who think they can treat their fellow citizens so unjustly know that within and outside Nigeria exist mechanisms that will ensure they answer to their crimes.

I call on all men of goodwill to remember those immortal lines from our former National Anthem though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand.

The effects of hate in any shape or form were made even more evident over the weekend, in a mass shooting incident that left many of us reeling with shock.

I commiserate with the people of Ozubulu in Anambra State, who lost family members in the fatal shooting that also left almost a score injured. I pray that peace will return to their minds and their community soon, even as the police work hard to get to the bottom of the matter. May God comfort them as no man can.

The difference between us as Nigerians is not a difference in our tribe or our religion. It was and remains a difference based on whether we are good Nigerians or bad Nigerians, and I am very certain that the good Nigerians far outnumber the very few bad ones.

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The Federal Ministry of Health says it has placed medical experts on standby to beef up services at the Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, for worshippers injured in the Ozubulu church attack, should the need arise.

The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, gave this indication in a statement by the ministrys Director of Media and Public Relations, Boade Akinola, on Monday in Abuja.

The minister, who described the incident as shocking, assured the Chief Medical Director of the hospital of immediate federal government support as soon as such was required.

He commended the doctors at the hospital for being proactive in their response to the emergency.

Mr. Adewole commiserated with the government and people of Anambra on the unfortunate incident.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the early Sunday morning attack on St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of the state, claimed 11 lives with 18 others injured.

Meanwhile, Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra has vowed to apprehend those behind the attack.

(NAN)

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Two suspected quacks  Adetoun Oyebade, a nurse, and Moses Dada, a health assistant  who allegedly performed a surgery on a woman, who complained of stomach pains, were on Monday brought before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates Court, Lagos.

The accused  Oyebade, 43, a resident of Fajumo Street, Alakuko, a Lagos suburb, and Dada, 41, who lives in Ifo, Ogun  are facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, operating unregistered clinic, impersonation and performing illegal surgery.

The police prosecutor, Clifford Ogu, told the court that the accused committed the offences on June 10 at 12B, Fajumo St., Alakuko, Lagos.

Mr. Ogu said the accused operated an unregistered clinic where they carried out an operation on the complainant, Mrs Sherifat Laws, who had acute stomach pains.

Oyebade diagnosed that the complainant had appendicitis and told her that the best option is to remove it through a surgery.

She then called Dada to her `clinic to perform the operation. After the operation, the wound refused to heal.

The complainant was taken to another hospital when her condition became worse, he said.

He said the case was reported to the police and the accused persons were investigated and arrested.

The offences contravened Sections 209, 210, 380 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Chief Magistrate, Taipei Akanni, in her ruling, granted the accused bail in the sun of N200, 000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

She adjourned the case until August 28 for mention.

(NAN)

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A coalition of civil society groups on Monday commenced demonstrations in Abuja and London to demand an end to President Muhammadu Buharis prolonged absence from office.

In Abuja, protesters, which include entertainer Charley Boy, vowed to camp at Unity Fountain; while those protesting in London stayed briefly outside the Abuja House.

Those who protested in Abuja marched from Unity Fountain to the Presidential Villa in Asokoro district, promising to continue the exercise until their demands are met.

Mr. Buhari has since May 7 remained in London, where he is treated for an undisclosed ailment.

Although he met constitutional requirement by relinquishing presidential powers to his vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, Mr. Buhari still faces criticism for leaving the country in a state of anxiety, Deji Adeyanju, one of the organisers of todays protest, said.

Someone called himself a president and he disappeared from his country for so many days all while refusing to even tell the citizens what exactly ails him, Mr. Adeyanju, convener of Concerned Nigerians, said. We cannot continue like this.

A country of 180 million people cannot continue like this because of only one man who has become clearly incapacitated by old age.

President Buharis health, which was a major issue during the campaign, has loomed large on his administration.

His first medical trip abroad came in June 2016, after barely a year in office.

He travelled again in January and returned in March, spending exactly 50 days.

He has so far spent 92 days on his latest trip without any sign of his return.

Within the last month, he received several leaders, including Mr. Osinbajo and state governors, during which he assured Nigerians of his imminent return.

But critics say the president did not go far enough to assuage fears about his illness.

Pictures are not enough, said Chidi Cali, who organised the London protest. We believe his time is now up.

If hes not willing to resume, he should be ready to step down.

The protesters carried banners that read Our Mumu Don Do, which literally translates as Our docility must stop, amongst others.

Weve been fooling around in this country for too long, Mr. Adeyanju said. Enough is enough!

The protesters called on the National Assembly to invoke relevant sections of the Constitution and mandate the current Federal Executive Council, under the supervision of Mr. Osinbajo, to set up a medical team to ascertain Mr. Buharis health status.

Administration officials have shut down complaints about the presidents whereabouts or the nature of his illness and maintained that government activities would not suffer as a result of Mr. Buharis absence.

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The presidency has urged Nigerians to ignore calls for ailing President Muhammadu Buhari to return to work or resign his position.

Garba Shehu, a presidential spokesperson, said activists who took to the street to protest Mr. Buharis prolonged absence have a right to do so, but that they overstepped their bounds by trying to force the presidents hands.

The President has complied 100 per cent with the constitution by handing over power to the Vice-President before proceeding on his vacation, Mr. Shehu said. He has not breached any law or the constitution by staying away from office to take care of his health.

The president has been away in London since May 7, where hes believed to be receiving treatment for unknown ailments.

Nigerians have demanded specific details about his ailments, a request that his office has continued to rebuff.

Several groups took to the streets in Abuja and London on Monday, demanding his immediate resignation or return to work.

Someone called himself a president and he disappeared from his country for so many days all while refusing to even tell the citizens what exactly ails him, Deji Adeyanju, convener of Concerned Nigerians, said. We cannot continue like this.

A country of 180 million people cannot continue like this because of only one man who has become clearly incapacitated by old age, he added.

Other Nigerians who participated in a simultaneous demonstration in London also called on the president to either return home and resume work or step down from office.

Entertainer Charlie Boy was amongst those who participated at Mondays protest in Abuja.

Responding to the protesters shortly after they rounded off the days exercise, the presidency said no further explanations were necessary since Mr. Buhari had handed over powers to Yemi Osinbajo, who has been functioning as acting president for more than three months.

There is nothing like a power vacuum in the country given the competence and general harmony with which the whole government is running.

Any such calls as being made by this or any other group represent an irrational assault on the constitution and should be ignored by well-meaning members of the public.

The need of the hour for this country is to rid it of corruption, reform and reinvigorate the economy and to fight crime and insurgency.

The government is busy with the reconstruction and rehabilitation of infrastructure all over the country. It is creating jobs for the unemployed, Mr. Shehu said.

But Mr. Adeyanju told PREMIUM TIMES that sundry government functions have been paralysed by Mr. Buharis absence, describing role of Mr. Osinbajo as a facade.

Nigerians are not fooled, he stated. But even if we were, now were saying: enough is enough!

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The Senate has confirmed Abdullahi Attah as the Executive Chairman of the Board of the FCT Internal Revenue Service.

This was contained in a letter sent to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mohammed Bello, by the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki.

The senate president gave Mr. Bello the go-ahead to formally appoint Mr. Attah as chairman of the FCT Internal Revenue Service board.

President Muhammadu Buhari had in April reconstituted the Board of Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service.

Mr. Buhari appointed Mr. Attah as Chairman/Chief Executive and seven others as board members.

Until his appointment, Mr. Attah, a chartered accountant, was a member of the governing council of the federal university in Lafia.

He also served at various times as special adviser to the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, and a director of the same organisation.

He also served as a pioneer member of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

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The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Charles Aniagwu, has disclosed how the Delta State Government spent the N10 billion it recently received from the federal government as part of the Paris Club excess loan deduction refunds.

Mr. Aniagwu disclosed that out of the N10 billion, local governments in the state were given N2.1 billion as their statutory share while about N5 billion was set aside to settle certain issues relating to certain aspect of salary arrears, co-operative deductions and pensions. The sum of N2 billion plus was earmarked for priority projects that require urgent attention and payment of contractors, he said.

The governors spokesman stated this on Monday (07/08/17) while answering questions on Trend talk a radio programme on Trend 100.9Fm Asaba.

He noted that the Okowa-led administration was committed to the prudent, transparent and accountable management of the states resources just as he is committed to taking decisions that will be in the best interest of the people.

Governor Okowa has vowed to remain prudent, transparent and accountable to the people because he realises that the ultimate political power rests on the people who overwhelmingly voted him into office.

He has assured that Deltans will get value for every money that accrues to the state at all times.

While answering questions bothering on the payment of local government workers salaries, Mr. Aniagwu stated that the local governments are a separate tier of government, adding that the state government is not responsible for the payment of their salaries.

Even though we assisted them in the past, we couldnt continue in the present economic circumstance as we have our own challenges because a man cannot give what he doesnt have.

Justifying the setting aside of about N3 billion for infrastructure and payment of contractors, Mr. Aniagwu stressed that government exists for everybody and not just for the payment of salaries of workers which are less than two per cent of the population of the state.

If the government spends virtually all that comes to pay salaries of workers, what happens to the larger chunk of the population? he queried

He assured that the state government with the support from the Nigeria Society of Engineers will tackle headlong the flooding of Asaba while also reiterating the governments commitment to completing the Okpanam road, DLA and Mariam Babangida roads.

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The Police in Rivers State said three out of the five passengers of God is Good motors kidnapped on Monday morning on the East-West road in Rivers had been released.

The spokesperson of the police command in the state, Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Port Harcourt.

Mr. Omoni said five passengers were initially kidnapped from the vehicle.

He said that the bus was en route to Lagos from Port Harcourt when the incident occurred.

He said that the police were on top of the situation to ensure that the remaining two passengers were released.

NAN learnt that the incident happened at Emuoha community along the East-West road at 7.30 a.m.

Efforts to speak with the Manager of the Transport Company in the state proved abortive as he was said to have travelled with other management staff to the scene of the incident.

(NAN)

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A High Court in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has frozen the bank account of the Delta State government over a dispute surrounding the money the state received as its share of the Paris-London Club loan refund.

The court presided by Justice Y. Halilu issued an interim order, August 1, barring the state government from having access to $27.2 million and N3 billion in its account with the Zenith Bank.

The order followed a suit filed by a private firm, Mauritz Walton Nig Ltd, which claimed that the frozen sum is what was due to it as consultancy fee from the money the state received as proceeds of the refund of excess deductions on foreign loans and miscellaneous charges (aka Paris-London Club Refund).

Mauritz Walton Nig Ltd, according to a court document, said going by their contract with the Delta State government, they were entitled to 30 per cent of the total sum received by the state government.

Zenith Bank is a co-defendant in the suit which has been adjourned to September 7.

The court ordered the bank to set up an escrow account for the frozen fund pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.

Mauritz Walton Nig Ltd, owned by a Nigerian businessman, Mauritz Ibe, is said to have assisted some state governments in computing and negotiating the refund of the excess deductions on the foreign loans.

The company and other consulting firms have been at loggerheads with the state governments over the non-payment of the consultancy fees.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Charles Aniagwu, the spokesperson to the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, on Monday, he said he was not aware of the court order.

A source within the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, Abuja, told PREMIUM TIMES, Monday, that there were hundreds of consultants who at first were demanding between 10 to 30 per cent of whatever money was due to state governments.

In order to create an ease, the NGF brought together all the consultants and collapsed into three big consultants, the source said.

The source, who did not want his name mentioned in the report, said that the state governors had complained against the consultancy fees as being too high before they eventually agreed to pay a uniform 1.5 per cent to all the consultants.

Dont forget that some states have had like about three (successive) governors since the negotiations for the refund started, the source said.

In some states, you could have a governor go into a generous agreement to pay as much as 30 per cent to a consultant.

The source, who revealed that the NGF has also had its bank accounts frozen because of court cases with several people, said although the states were having challenges because of the paucity of funds, it was erroneous to think that the consultants did not do anything to merit the payment of fees to them.

He mentioned an instance where a consultant said he had to deploy the Freedom of Information Law to get information on the exact amount of money that was due to a particular state.

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The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, on Monday advised the electorate in Anambra to shun the call by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to boycott the governorship election in the state coming up in November.

The partys National Director of Publicity, Ifeanacho Oguejiofor said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja that the call was unrealistic as nothing would stop the election.

Mr. Oguejiofor said, Nobody should listen to the so called IPOB telling them that there wont be election in Anambra, it is not possible.

Whether we like it or not there can never be two states in a state likewise there can never be two authorities or two supremacists in a state.

Until that is done, Anambrarians should go and register and have their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) so that they can express their choice.

This is because the choices they make today will affect their future, so they should go all out and obtain their PVCs which is their power, he said.

Mr. Oguejiofor urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to give all political parties level playing ground to enable them transform the countrys democracy, nurture and sustain it.

The director expressed confidence that no political party would beat APGA in the forthcoming polls.

According to him, the party has built solid foundation over the years in terms of people and infrastructural development since it wrested power from the PDP in the state.

Since then we have been building the foundation and Willie Obiano is also building a super structure that no political party will be able to edge him out of the race.

Whether you like it or not Anambra State is working, Obiano is equally working; the internally generated revenue of the state has improved since he came to power, he said.

Mr. Oguejiofor disclosed that the party would commence sale of expression of interest form at the rate of N1 million and nomination form at N4 million from Aug. 8-10.

He said that primaries would be held on August 15 while August 17 would be for the sitting of the governorship primaries appeal panel.

The director added that the party would commence campaign on August 18.

(NAN)

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The Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohaneze Ndigbo, on Monday condemned the attack on St. Philip Catholic Church Ozubulu, Anambra State by a gunman, describing it as an attack on God.

Such a dastardly and cantankerous act smells to high heaven. People have lost reason, civility and good conscience. This is a direct attack on God with daft and brazen impunity, the organisation noted .

In statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Uche Achi-Okpaga, the group said the attack was unforgivable.

The devil sold a dummy to them and they bought it hook, line and sinker. This is condemned in all ramification. If you attack a man you appeal to God for recompense, when you attack God in His sanctuary who will will appeal to, he queried.

The group, while commiserating with the government and people of the state, urged the police not to speculate but to carry out detailed investigation to unmask the perpetrators.

Ohaneze joins the league of well meaning Nigerians to commiserate with the good people of Anambra state and, in particular, the entire bereaved families and pray the Almighty God to give them enough spiritual shock absorber to bear the irreparable and irreplaceable loss.

The operatives should not speculate. They should swing into action to unmask the devil incarnates.

Mr. Achi-Okpaga urged security agencies to redouble their efforts to make the south east zone safer for the people.

The whole of South East is under siege with Police and military blockades here and there. Yet herdsmen killings and kidnapping and all sorts of vices have become the order of the day. It is unfortunate, he lamented.

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities of the Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike in Abia State, has endorsed the decision by the university last month to disengage over 400 workers.

The university teachers said the affected workers were engaged on temporary basis, which under the laws of the university could not extend beyond 12 calendar months.

They noted that in line with the provisions of the Federal University of Agriculture laws, the vice-chancellor only has the power to make temporary appointments to academic and non-academic positions for a period not exceeding 12 calendar months.

The teachers stated this position in a statement by their union, ASUU, signed by its chairperson, C.A Echendu, and Secretary, F.A Nkaa, and made available to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday.

The association said it was clearly indicated in the appointment letters of the temporary appointees that their appointments would terminate automatically after one year.

The claim that MOUAU sacked over 400 staff is an utter falsehood and totally misleading.

The appointments of these temporary appointees automatically expired on its own as provided for in the extant laws of the university and as clearly stated in their appointment letters.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported the controversy over the termination of the appointments of the 496 workers.

The lecturers urged the federal government to conduct a forensic staff and financial audit of the the university from March 1, 2011 to February 29, 2016 to get to the roots of the crisis of the institution.

They said they had written to the pro-chancellor and chairman of governing council of the institution, Anya Oko, on March 20, 2014 to complain that the former vice chancellor, Hillary Edeoga, was breaching due process and abusing his power to make temporary appointments.

The use of temporary appointments to fill academic staff vacancies has become the rule rather than giving the university the opportunity of giving candidates equal opportunity and selecting the best and most suitable candidates. We believe that a competitive selection process is the best option for recruiting high calibre faculty and administrative staff, they quoted the letter as statin

The union said it also wrote a petition on August 5, 2015 to the visitor of the school, President Muhammadu Buhari, that Mr. Edeoga had single-handedly, under the guise of the instrument of temporary employment, recruited over 1000 staff.

The union said the former governing council under Anya Oko as chairman swept the matter under the carpet until January 29, 2015 when it was compelled by the deepening crisis to set up a cosmetic committee headed by a member of that council, Rasheed Ojikutu, to investigate the petition from ASUU MOUAU.

According to the union, a fact-finding committee sent to the institution in December 2015, sequel to the petition to President Buhari, cautioned in its report that the power to make temporary appointments should be exercised responsibly.

The report recommended that the governing council should revisit the entire process of appointments and promotions with a view to determining in specific and clear terms whether there are infractions, and in established cases of infraction, take decisions that may be deemed appropriate.

It said although the Federal Ministry of Education upheld the recommendation of the fact-finding committee and directed that the governing council should revisit the entire process of appointment and promotion, the council failed to comply with the directive formally conveyed by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.

The union said it had also written to the new governing council on June 20, demanding that fractional payment of salary should cease immediately and that the council should take immediate steps to redress weighty issues that border on impunity by the former vice chancellor and Anya-led governing council.

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The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari has lashed out at the Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, saying his much-advertised stomach infrastructure was merely an avenue to glamourise poverty for political gains.

Babafemi Ojudu, a former senator, who spoke with journalists over the weekend, said Ekiti State had experienced a setback in development since Mr. Fayose took over office, attributing it to the governors ineptitude, graft and his lack of capacity to understand what the office actually expects of him.

Fayose is completely insensitive to the plight of our people, said Mr. Ojudu, who is also from Ekiti State.

He is deploying poverty as tool to hold our people down. He is glorifying poverty by sharing N200 and kongos of Rice which he use for photo opportunities rather than embark on genuine programmes that would bring development to the state.

How do you line up people and ask them to raise up one kilogrammes of rice so they could be photographed? There are more dignifying ways of providing welfare for the people not to dehumanise them and exploit them for cheap populism.

Mr. Fayose, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, has remained one of the most vocal critics of President Buhari. Recently he insisted Mr. Buhari, who has been away on medical leave in London since May, is critically ill despite visits by his party members and demanded a photo evidence to prove him wrong.

In his comments about the governor, Mr. Ojudu accused him of consciously obstructing Ekiti indigenes from benefiting from programmes of the Federal Government which include the School Feeding Initiative, the Rice Out growers Initiative, Cocoa Renewal among others.

On reports that he was interested in the 2018 governorship election, Mr. Ojudu said: I believe in due process, law and order. We are guided by the Electoral Act. We need to wait for INEC to release a time table for the Ekiti Election. I am currently consulting and meeting Ekiti people on how to rescue our state.

First we must all be united we must all come together to remove the shame Fayose has brought to Ekiti and work in unison to restore our glory. When the time comes, I will come back again and ask if my people all want me to serve our state at that level and with that we will all be stakeholders in that project.

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The Ogun State Government on Monday explained why it approached the World Bank to secure a N350 million loan.

The government also dismissed reports that the House of Representatives Committee on Loans, Aids/ Debt Management had disapproved of the loan request.

The state government had on Wednesday sought the approval of the National Assembly as part of the requirement for securing the loan.

The Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Aderenle Adesina, while shedding light on the loan said any serious government desirous of development should take advantage of such facility which she described as a concessionary loan offered at two per cent.

Ms. Adesina, accompanied by her counterparts in the ministries of education, agriculture, commerce and industries, explained that the Ogun government had become an attractive bride to international financial institution including the World Bank, due to the infrastructural development that it had undergone in the last six years.

World Bank considers states that have demonstrated ability to perform and partners with such states in development.

Firstly, the loan attracts just two per cent interest as against the 22 percent obtainable in the normal financial market, she stated.

The loan is also payable over a period of 25 years with a five -year moratorium which means that we have about 30 years to pay it. It will be foolhardy for any government to reject such an attractive offer, she said.

She further explained that the loan is not like the conventional loan where the full amount being sought is disbursed at once, stating that disbursement would be made in tranches based on performance.

The commissioner emphasised that the highest that the present administration in the state could get is a maximum of 25 per cent.

This is a loan mainly for the future as the subsequent administrations in the state stand to benefit more as more tranches are disbursed in the course of time.

It will therefore be misleading to claim that the loan is meant just for the present administration, she said.

Ms. Adesina explained that if the state is granted the loan, it would be used to further boost its transformational programme in the agricultural, educational and industrial sectors among others.

Reacting to reports that the House of Representatives had denied approval for the loan, she said that was untrue.

There is a chain in the process. The Federal Executive Council as well as the Senate have already approved our request and we had also approached the House of Representatives for its approval, she stated.

The engagement with the House of Representative is ongoing and we are still on course and it will be wrong for anyone to conclude that the House had rejected our proposal, the commissioner said.

Ms. Adesina equally faulted claims that the Ogun State Government did not need such loan with a monthly Internally Generated Revenue of N7 billion.

She said the government under Ibikunle Amosun should first be commended for raising the internal revenue.

The commissioner also noted that the present administration intended to further raise the figure to N15 billion monthly and it needed to take advantage of such loans to effect more infrastructural development to move the state to an enviable height.

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Pobierz zdjecie Przeczytaj o zasadach pobierania zdjec President Andrzej Duda in front of a monument in Warsaws Wola district, commemorating the victims of wartime mass executions (1)

"The terror of those events is beyond words", President Andrzej Duda wrote in a letter read out during the observances of the so-called Wola Massacre to have been launched by the Germans 73 years today.

Saturday's ceremony featured a roll-call and the firing of a honorary salvo, while wreaths were also laid in remembrance of the civilian victims of the insurgency.

The president emphasised that following the outbreak of the Uprising, the German forces and their allies proceeded to exterminate a city of over a million inhabitants.

"This criminal operation was capped by the killing of tens of thousands of Wola residents", Duda wrote. "From bullets, grenades and bayonets, from the flames of fire and collapsing buildings, whole families and neighbourhood communities were dying - men, women, children, the elderly, the injured, the ill and the disabled". The president stressed that "the terror of those events is beyond words".

Andrzej Duda wrote Poland's losses in the Warsaw Uprising were impossible to appraise and make up for. "The flower of Poland's youth, thousands of heroic underground soldiers and over 150,000 civilians lost their lives", the President pointed out. "Their tragic death represents a great, unshakeable burden of guilt on the part of those who captured and exterminated Warsaw." "Apart from killing the people - Duda continued - there was enormous destruction of cultural artifacts, works of art, ancient texts and old buildings".

The President said the mass murder of insurgents and civilians remained a painful wound in the Polish soul. "Hopefully time will heal it", he added.

"We can't change our history  Andrzej Duda went on - but we can and should learn our lesson. It is our duty to remember the heroism and martyrdom of the Polish people during WW2, but equally, we should build a state which will be our safe and durable haven, the guardian of our rights, a space for freedom, a country where integrity and patriotism, creativity and work, solidarity and service are fairly rewarded", the president wrote.

"May the Wola Massacre Memorial and Warsaw's Remembrance Square, surrounded by modern office and apartment buildings, be a symbol of new Poland, the image of a state which, while drawing strength from its history and tradition, independently builds its good future", President Duda concluded.
Exactly 2 years ago, on August 6th 2015, Andrzej Duda took the presidential oath before the National Assembly. To mark the anniversary, his office summarised his hitherto activities.

Among the key events of the Andrzej Duda was US President Donald Trump's visit to Poland, as honorary guest of the regional Three Seas summit - a platform co-initiated by the Polish President to boost cooperation between presidents of the 12 countries situated between the Adriatic, Baltic and Black seas.

Last year, on the other hand, Polish head of state hosted a NATO summit, during which he met the then US president, Barack Obama. The summit was attended, in total, by 18 presidents, 21 heads of government, 41 foreign ministers and 39 defence ministers.

Polish President met 6 heads of state and government in 2015, 19 in 2016 and 13 so far in 2017. He has also made 52 foreign visits.

The President is placing great emphasis on defence policy.

At the beginning of June, Poland was elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations' Security Council, garnering the support of 190 countries following a strong campaign, in which the President actively participated.

At the NATO summit in Warsaw, the alliance leaders decided to bolster its Eastern flank by stationing four batallions, totalling around 1,000 soliders, in Poland and the Baltic states.

Poland is one of the few NATO members delivering on the pledge to spend 2 percent of GDP on defence, with the figure designed gradually to rise to 2.5 percent in 2030, with Duda's full support.

The President, most often accompanied by wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda and his aides, has paid 187 domestic visits, meeting the Polish people, as well as attending key ceremonies and events.

On the legislative front, Andrzej Duda has so far signed over 450 bills. On 7 occasions, he asked parliament to reconsider a piece of legislation, while 3 bills were sent to the Constitutional Tribunal, to assess their constitutionality.

The President also took part in important cultural events such as the opening of UNESCO's 41st World Heritage Committee session in Cracow this year. It was the first time a meeting of this sort took place in Poland.

'Dudapomoc', the legal service for citizens who feel mistreated by public authorities, has also been active ever since its creation during the presidentioal campaign, receiving 33,670 letters and emails over two years.

In addition, the President's office has taken part in an educational project for youth. Entitled "Lesson RP", it seeks to familiarise young people with Polish history and its main figures.

The First Lady, a teacher by profession, took part in many more educational initiatives, including a series of debates with young activists, held at the presidential palace.

The President and First Lady also participate in many charity projects, both at home and abroad, including for Caritas, the Food Bank, children's hospices, and the Grand Christmas Aid Orchestra (WOSP). Agata Kornhauser-Duda donated a photo from Cracow's World Youth Days to the latter, whereupon it was auctioned for PLN 200,000 (EUR 47,000).

The First Lady was the patron for a total of 151 initiatives for children and youth, the ill and the disabled over the past two years. As a German philologist, she also gave 55 German lessons. (PAP)
From its onset, Islam has been a religion that promotes peace and belief in one God. Nowhere in the Quran does God invite Muslims to commit acts of terror or coerce non-Muslims to convert to Islam. Islam is, and will continue to be, a religion of peace, compassion and tolerance.

All wars that took place during the birth of Islam were just as were European religious wars. Both Muhammad and Jesus preached that killing is wrong. They encouraged their followers to love their enemies and to be peacemakers. How then can ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), a group of violent fighters, be equated with Islam?

The majority of non-Muslims have been led by the media to believe that Islam is a religion of terror and that it seeks to conquer the souls of those who do not conform to its beliefs or to the political views of ISIL, who, to date, have murdered vastly more Muslims (82 to 97 percent) than other religions. Since the actions of ISIL are so predictable, it should not be difficult for the leaders of the modern world to figure out their strategies, isolate them, block their financial means, and deter them from committing further harm to thousands of innocent people.

With hundreds of Muslim leaders and organizations using the tiresome cliche that not all Muslims are terrorists, it would be equally safe to say that not all terrorists are Muslim. For centuries, Muslims in America have been peace-abiding citizens. Today, many of them find themselves searching for ways to eliminate doubt from the minds of their non-Muslim friends and neighbors and prove to them that they have nothing to be nervous or suspicious about. The actions of a few should not lead to stereotyping or making invalid inferences on 3.3 million Muslims currently living in the United States. Such stereotyping conveys negative impressions, leads to social categorization and prejudicial attitudes. The separation of church and state, a phrase written by Thomas Jefferson to express an understanding of the intent and function of the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution, was introduced to give American citizens the right to practice religious freedom. Why then should Muslims be judged, stereotyped and shaped to fit the ISIL mold?

In lieu of sending hate letters to mosques and Muslim organizations or to deliberately murder and antagonize Muslim men, women and children, why not draw on Muslims positive traits and avoid equating them with terrorism? Why execute a ban on Muslim refugees? Those who committed the unforgettable 9/11 attacks on innocent citizens were not refugees. The majority were from Saudi Arabia, a country not included on the ban list. How is banning refugees going to make this country safer when more than 30,000 people are killed from firearms each year? In sum, Muslims respect all religions and they closely abide by the tenets of the Ten Commandments, including specifically: Thou shalt not kill.

In the end, no religion is flawless. Are there disagreements in certain Muslim countries regarding misogyny, honor killings and tyranny? Yes, but is there disagreement among Catholics after Pope Francis said: If a homosexual person is of good will and is in search of God, I am no one to judge  it is not right to interfere spiritually in the life of a person? Yes, but only God will judge among mankind, not people. Viewed from this lens, its time to have courageous conversations with Muslims. Conversing with others of the Muslim faith can be a painless way of giving up a former way of thinking in favor of a new, more open one.

Dr. Mary Assel is the retired director of the English Language Institute at Henry Ford College in Dearborn and Vice-Chair of the Committee to Promote Better Understanding of Islam. She holds a doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction from Wayne State University in Detroit and taught writing to foreign students for more than 30 years at the high school and college levels.
Legislation was signed into law Monday to rename a portion of Route 55 in Millville in honor of the state trooper who died in an accident there last year.

The law will officially rename the section of Route 55 between milepost 20 and 23 as State Trooper Frankie L. Williams Memorial Highway. Signs will be installed to reflect the designation, according to the law.

Williams, 31, of Egg Harbor Township, died Dec. 5 in a head-on crash while responding to a call about an erratic driver on Route 55. The crash happened near milepost 22.2.

Trooper Williams passing was a tragic loss to the community and the entire state. He was an outstanding example of a public servant, and he had accomplished so much in his life, bill sponsor Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, said in a statement. This designation will serve as a remembrance of his dedication to our community and to New Jersey.

Assemblymen Vince Mazzeo, Gordon Johnson, Bruce Land and Bob Andrzejczak sponsored an Assembly bill for the renaming.

Renaming a part of Route 55 as a tribute to Frankie Williams is a good way to pay homage to him while also reminding drivers to act with the selflessness and courage he embodied, said Land, D-Cape May, Atlantic, Cumberland.

Williams graduated in the 156th New Jersey State Police academy class in January 2016, completing his dream to become a trooper.

He graduated from Atlantic Cape Community College in Mays Landing in 2009 and from Rutgers University in Camden in 2012 with a bachelors degree in criminal justice. He was finishing his masters degree at Rutgers Camden in criminal justice at the time of the crash.

In July, the Atlantic Cape Board of Trustees approved a motion to name and dedicate the street at Tuckahoe Road and T Building as Frankie Williams Way.

The school will have a dedication ceremony in September.
Assemblyman Chris Brown has received the support of Atlantic Citys main hospitality workers union in his bid for state Senate.

Brown, R-Atlantic, was endorsed unanimously over Democratic candidate Colin Bell by the political action committee of Unite Here Local 54, union President Bob McDevitt said.

Chris Brown stood firmly with working families by leading the fight against North Jersey casinos, preventing the loss of 15,000 existing local jobs, McDevitt said in a statement. Thanks to Chriss efforts, Hard Rock is now investing in Atlantic City, creating over 3,000 new jobs.

Brown consistently railed against the idea of expanding casino gaming to North Jersey during last years election cycle, when a ballot referendum asked New Jersey residents if they would support casinos outside of Atlantic City.

The issue of North Jersey casinos was a hot-button topic for Local 54, which represents about 10,000 hospitality workers in the Atlantic City area.

The fear was that if gaming was expanded to North Jersey, then more casinos in Atlantic City would close.

Browns Atlantic County counterpart, Democratic Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo, penned a letter to the editor in The Press of Atlantic City on Sept. 22 voicing his opposition to North Jersey casinos. Outgoing state Senator Jim Whelan, a Democrat, was against expanding casino gaming, but also said he thought it was inevitable.

Bell, a former Atlantic County freeholder, was not part of the state Legislature during the North Jersey casino debate.

Members of Local 54, including Marc Scittina, said Brown is the right candidate for them because he will stand up to special interests.

We need Chris Browns leadership in the State Senate, Scittina said. Hes proven he has the courage and independence to stand up to special interests and do whats right for our local working families.

Bell and Democratic 2nd District Assembly candidates Mazzeo and John Armato picked up a key endorsement Monday from the American Federations of Teachers in New Jersey.

Mazzeo and Armato are running against Republicans Vince Sera, a Brigantine councilman, and Brenda Taube, a former Margate commissioner.

I am honored to have the support of AFT NJ, Bell said in a statement. Ensuring our children in Atlantic County get the best education they can, and that the professionals who making that possible get the support they need, is paramount to a bright future for Atlantic County. I am thankful to AFT NJ for the incredible work they do and promise to fight for their issues in Trenton."
After her son was revived from a heroin overdose in Atlantic City, Elisa Ford wrote a letter thanking the police officer who used Narcan on her son that night.

Atlantic City police Officer Joe Bereheiko had never gotten any correspondence like that in all the years he had worked as a first responder in the city. He remembers the February 2015 night vividly, as Fords son was the first of many people he would go on to save from an overdose.

Experts say interactions between the family members of victims and first responders are becoming increasingly common as more police, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics and others work to reverse opioid overdoses.

And because of that, first responders say theyve come to better understand what people who suffer from addictions and their families are going through and put them in touch with the right agencies, professionals and programs for support.

Its good to hear that what we do, saving their lives, sometimes puts them over the edge, and they go into treatment or get off the streets after, Bereheiko said. It can be an unfortunate wake-up call for them and their families, but we have to try and help.

Atlantic County has one of the highest number of Narcan deployments in the state, with 242 uses from January through March, according to the state Attorney Generals Office. Neighboring counties Cumberland, Cape May and Ocean all recorded 100 or less.

Atlantic City police spokesman Sgt. Kevin Fair said the department has used Narcan, also known by the opioid antidotes generic name, naloxone, 11 times so far this year.

Ford, of Newfield, Gloucester County, said she knew little about addiction. It wasnt until her son came to her at 19 years old, pulled up his sleeves and showed her the track marks on his arm that she was thrust into that world.

The things I saw, what he showed me, just didnt make sense, she said. I was so naive about what was going on in the communities, I missed it right in front of me. I was blown away.

Ford said that was the beginning of her and her sons 10-year journey with addiction. She was in denial until she was able to accept what was going on and what was within her power to help, she said, which did not include being able to fix him.

It wasnt easy finding resources to help her and her son, but Ford eventually got connected with family support groups, 12-step programs, treatment centers and a therapist who specialized in helping families touched by addiction.

Tonia Ahern, Atlantic and Cape May county advocacy team coordinator for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, said advocates recognized both families and first responders could benefit from programs teaching people about local addiction outreach and support services.

The NCADD chapter, in partnership with the Mental Health Association in Atlantic County, plans to host a weekly family support group and first responder training sessions starting this fall.

Police officers have said, I dont know what to do for families. We see them struggling, but I dont know what to do for them, Ahern said. Training for police and other departments is to help them get those resources. The new class for families will provide the education piece for people to continue with support.

Ahern, whose son has struggled with addiction, said first responders at a local event last year expressed frustration with using Narcan to revive some of the same people over and over again.

It wasnt until Ahern spoke about how an overdose revival gave her son the chance to seek treatment and the opportunity to reach sobriety that the responders outlook on their actions changed, she said.

Despite reports of police officers in one Ohio county refusing to carry and administer Narcan to overdose victims, Fair said Atlantic City responders will continue to help people suffering from addiction for as long as its prevalent in the community.

Bereheiko said several years ago, he wouldnt have been able to help if a parent or loved one of an overdose victim asked him about what to do.

Now, if he comes in contact with family members seeking help, he at least can put them in touch with Officer Jose Gonzalez, the Police Departments liaison to the migrant and homeless communities, mental health agencies and addiction resources.

The relationships between agencies and first responders give Ford hope more can be done for people like her son, she said.

This is an epidemic. People need to educate themselves, she said. My son is a really cool person, a great person to know. To them, he could have just been another addict, but hes somebody. Hes my somebody, and Im so grateful to Officer Bereheiko for saving his life.
TRENTON  Legislation that would create an online registry to highlight 9/11 memorials throughout the state has been signed into law, Assembly Democrats said in a statement Monday.

Assemblymen Vince Mazzeo, D-Atlantic, and Wayne DeAngelo, D-Mercer, Middlesex, sponsored the bill.

Jim Smith and Ed Vincent of the Absecon 9/11 Memorial Committee were inspired to create the registry after the September unveiling of a new 9/11 memorial on Mill Road near City Hall, according to the statement. The memorial features a 16-foot steel beam from the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

After a year of intense efforts by several Absecon firefighters, the city beat 1,500 other towns to obtain a piece of steel from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The Absecon memorial is a very impressive and touching tribute to this moment in American history that affected so many lives, Mazzeo said. After seeing it, I realized that there are probably many memorials throughout the state that residents arent even aware of. We should find a way to highlight them so residents and tourists alike can visit and pay their respects.

The registry will include the location and condition of all 9/11 memorials in the state that are owned, operated or maintained by a government entity, the statement said. It will be published on the Division of Travel and Tourisms website and will be updated as new memorials are established.
SEA ISLE CITY  Animals spotted on the citys beaches have been positively identified as foxes, not coyotes, city officials said Monday.

Earlier reports said coyotes were seen between 39th and 49th streets.

Coyotes are not native to South Jersey, but have a growing population in western Atlantic County. Foxes are part of the local ecosystem and are native to New Jerseys barrier islands, city officials said in a news release.

Shore Animal Control officials believe the foxes spotted on Sea Isles beaches and dunes are a mother and pup. They said the foxes may have mange, a skin disease caused by mites. Traps have been set to capture the foxes and take them to an animal rehabilitation center for treatment.

The city reminded the public not to interact with or feed the animals, stay off the dunes and avoid the traps.

Local sightings of foxes can be reported to the Police Departments dispatch office at 609-263-4311.
State lawmakers approved a series of health-related bills in the last Assembly vote of July.

One measure heading to Gov. Chris Christies desk would expand medical-parole eligibility for inmates who are physically incapacitated and do not pose a safety threat to society. The bill also would allow those people to enroll in Medicaid.

Eligible inmates would have a medical condition that causes the permanent inability to perform basic daily activities, requires them to have 24-hour care and did not exist at the time of sentencing.

Supporters of the bill said it would reduce spending by county jails and the state Department of Corrections, which would no longer have to pay for incarceration or medical care for those individuals.

Releasing them from the confines of our prison system would save the state money by shifting the costs to Medicaid  and in turn enable them to get treatment in a more humane setting, said bill co-sponsor Assemblyman Gary Shaer, D-Bergen, Passaic.

An inmate may be released on medical parole under the current law if he or she suffers from a terminal condition, disease or syndrome with a prognosis of no more than six months to live. The inmate also must be found permanently physically incapable of committing a crime.

Medical parole has only been granted, at most, two times annually since 2010, according to the state Office of Legislative Services, but legislators said they hope more people qualify in the future and can take advantage of Medicaid coverage for health care.

Christie vetoed a similar measure in 2015.

 After holding a joint hearing last week with more than 20 health care providers and experts, the majority of Democratic assembly members passed a resolution to block Christies proposal to transfer mental health and addiction services to the state Department of Health.

Services are currently carried out by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services within the state Department of Human Services. Christies plan could involve moving millions in state funding, a couple hundred employees and regulation changes between the two departments.

According to a copy of his June 29 reorganization plan, Christie said the changes would remove bureaucratic obstacles to the integration of physical and behavioral health care, and effectively address substance-use disorder as the public health crisis that it is.

Department of Health Commissioner Cathleen D. Bennett said in a statement that while it would be challenging, the reorganization would lead to better integrated care of physical and mental health.

However, some community providers and legislators said the timing was poor, as mental health and addiction treatment providers undergo an ongoing switch to a fee-for-service payment system, and that Christies plan lacked a detailed integration strategy or policy change.

 The resolution would have to pass in the Senate to completely stop Christies reorganization plan from taking effect.

Legislators made amendments to what is known as Stephen Komninos Law with Christies recommendations in his conditional veto of the bill July 23.

The bill aims to better protect children and adults with developmental disabilities from potential abuse and neglect by caregivers. It now goes the Senate.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- America depends on its military veterans and their families to keep us safe at home and around the world. But their sacrifices come at a cost; every day in the U.S. 21 veterans commit suicide and another 50,000 veterans are homeless. These unacceptable statistics inspired the creation of a new resource for military families entitled 101+ Resources for Veterans: The Ultimate Resource Guide.

Jennifer Hammond 101+ Resources for Veterans: The Ultimate Resource Guide

Published in July, the new guide is the work of Washington, D.C.-based author and radio personality Jennifer Hammond in association with A Hero Foundation, aherofoundation.org, a nonprofit group based in Beverly Hills, Calif., formed to assist military veterans as they transition to civilian life.

101+ Resources for Veterans, which took two years to research and write, brings together nonprofit, for-profit and government resources that are available to veterans in such areas as employment, education, entrepreneurship, wellness, transitioning home after service, community and housing, GI support and scholarships, financial services and social services.

Already an Amazon bestseller, the book represents a way of giving back for Hammond, who was adopted by a military family as a teenager. She credits that family with encouraging her to finish high school and obtain a scholarship to complete college and graduate school.

Hammond's goal was to create a book that is more user friendly than the cumbersome annual directory produced by the Department of Veteran Affairs which lists many inactive websites and organizations whose voice mail boxes are full or do not return phone calls. Her book aims to feature the most effective organizations and will be updated to keep it current.

In an interview, she can answer such questions as:

What are some of the ways the book is already changing lives?

How can homelessness among vets be ended?

Which organizations provide scholarships to vets or help them become entrepreneurs?

What was it like living in the military community of Pensacola, Fla. ?

Attention radio hosts: Hammond will give away a copy of her book during each interview.

Jennifer Hammond is an author, real estate professional, SiriusXM radio talk show host and advocate for veterans. She has brought veterans issues to light while interviewing seven congressmen on Capitol Hill for the Veterans Legislative Forum, the Veterans Homelessness Forum, and the Military Family Housing Forum for radio shows at SiriusXM, where she hosts her own radio program on real estate. Hammond has been featured on ABC, Bravo and HGTV's Flipping Boston. She is the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of career Army soldiers.

Availability: Washington, D.C., nationwide by arrangement and via telephone

Contact: Jennifer Hammond, (202) 345-2343; [email protected]; www.jenniferhrealty.com/veterans-resources

SOURCE Jennifer Hammond
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

PHOTO OPS: Thursday, August 10 - 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

The Salvation Army Homewood Worship and Service Center @ 8020 Frankstown Road

Pittsburgh, PA 15212 Phone: 412-242-1434



VISUALS: More than 100 children anticipate the start of school by opening their new backpacks and searching through the school supplies they just received





113 children will be served at this location:

Homewood Brushton  30 children

McKeesport  10 children

Steel Valley  10 children

Westside  15 children

Northside  20 children

Braddock  10 children

Pittsburgh Temple  18 children

PNC Bank gives back to the communities it serves in a direct hands-on way, and for a second year will support The Salvation Army's back-to-school backpack program. Through a grant provided by PNC Bank, 800 needy kids will return to school well prepared and ready to learn. New backpacks containing a variety of necessary school supplies will be distributed by The Salvation Army for disadvantaged students in kindergarten through 8th grade.

On the morning of Thursday, August 10th, PNC Bank employees will hand out backpacks to children at The Salvation Army's Homewood Worship and Service Center at 8020 Frankstown Road, where over 100 children from Allegheny County will be served. The remaining 687 backpacks will be distributed throughout the 28-county Western Pennsylvania Division at various Salvation Army Worship and Service Center locations.

"When students have the necessary classroom resources, they are more likely to succeed at school," said Dan Taylor, senior vice president and downtown Pittsburgh regional manager for PNC Bank. "Through this model program with The Salvation Army, we help engage deserving children in their own education and give them the right start to school this fall."

Both a church and a social service organization, The Salvation Army was founded in London, England in 1865. Today, it provides critical services in 129 countries worldwide. The 28-county Western Pennsylvania Division serves thousands of needy families through a wide variety of support services. To learn more about The Salvation Army in Western Pennsylvania, log onto www.wpa.salvationarmy.org. The Salvation Army  Doing the most good. for the most people . . . in the most need.

SOURCE Salvation Army Western PA Division

Related Links

http://www.wpa.salvationarmy.org


"Stephanie has a distinguished career in educationboth as a professor and a researcherhaving received teaching awards and been recognized as a top accounting scholar," said Thomas R. Robinson, president and chief executive officer of AACSB. "As a business school dean, AACSB board member, and dedicated AACSB volunteer for many years, she is well qualified to advance AACSB's strategic vision as we continue to grow accreditation globally, support the needs of business schools and business, and expand our portfolio of quality improvement products and services."

As a member of the AACSB executive leadership team, Bryant will provide vision, leadership, and oversight of AACSB's accreditation-related services, including the coordination of nearly 550 volunteers from business schools and business who play an essential role in helping schools achieve their mission through accreditation. As an established thought leader, Bryant will act as spokesperson and advocate for the advancement of quality business and accounting education and engage business stakeholders to help business schools prepare future leaders with the right skills and mindset to lead in a changing, diverse, and global world.

"I am thrilled to be joining such a dynamic and prestigious organization as AACSB. I look forward to working closely with all our constituents across the world to promote innovation and thought leadership that meaningfully advances business education," said Bryant.

Under Bryant's leadership as Dean of the College of Business at Missouri State University, the AACSB-accredited school has risen to become the 34th largest college of business in the United States. During her tenure, enrollment grew by 890 students to 5,500 students, making it one of the largest colleges of business at any public university in the central Midwest. Previously she was director of the University of South Florida's School of Accountancy, overseeing a program of nearly 1,000 undergraduate, master's, and Ph.D. accounting students. With over two decades of experience as a professor and in college administration, she is a highly-respected researcher and scholar. Her area of academic specialty is information technology security and control, and she has co-authored two textbooks and more than 30 academic articles. She is actively involved in civic and community activities including Beta Alpha Psi, an honor organization for financial information students and professionals, and the American Accounting Association. Bryant received her Ph.D. and B.S. in Accounting from Louisiana State University and is a Louisiana CPA (inactive). A proven leader, innovator, and global thinker, Bryant is the 2016-17 chair of the AACSB Accounting Accreditation Committee (AAC), is a member of the 2016-18 AACSB Board of Directors, and has served on the AACSB Committee on Accreditation Policy (CAP) and the AACSB Accounting Accreditation Task Force.

"I have had the privilege of working closely with Stephanie over the years as she has been an active AACSB volunteer," says Reid. "Her involvement on our accreditation peer review teams and various accreditation task forces and committees further underscore her commitment to accreditation excellence and positions her and AACSB for success as she endeavors to help shape the future and the impact of business education worldwide."

Prior to assuming her new role at AACSB, Bryant will be speaking on accounting accreditation at the upcoming Annual Accreditation Conference, September 24-26, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

AACSB provides internationally-recognized, specialized accreditation for business and accounting programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral level. The AACSB Accreditation Standards challenge post-secondary educators to pursue excellence and continuous improvement throughout their business programs and 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. Only the best business schools from around the world have earned AACSB Accreditation, which is recognized as the highest standard of quality in business education.

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 1,600 member organizations and 796 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.

Resources:

About AACSB International

AACSB-Accredited Institutions

About Accreditation

SOURCE AACSB International

Related Links

http://www.aacsb.edu


A prolific actor of both film and television, Gordon-Levitt's acting credits include the films, Snowden , The Dark Knight Rises , Lincoln , Loope r, Inception and many more. In 2013, Gordon-Levitt made his screenwriting and directorial debut when he wrote, directed and starred in the film Don Jon . He's also well-known to TV audiences for his starring role on NBC's award-winning comedy, 3rd Rock from the Sun. Gordon-Levitt has been nominated for several awards including The Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild . Additionally, Gordon-Levitt founded an online collaborative production company called hitRECord. The collaborative of over 350,000 artists creates and develops art and media collectively. hitRECord has produced music, books, DVDs and short films, and even produces an Emmy-Award winning series, hitRECord on TV which is hosted by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

"Besides his depth of talent as an actor, writer and director, it's impressive to see how Joseph Gordon-Levitt has built and grown an incredible community of content creators," explains Joe Pulizzi, founder, Content Marketing Institute and co-author of upcoming book Killing Marketing. "He truly believes in the importance of storytelling and collaboration - and has been able to monetize it for this community."

Joseph Gordon-Levitt will deliver the final afternoon keynote address on Thursday, September 7 to the expected 4,000 Content Marketing World attendees at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. Content Marketing World is the one event where attendees can learn from and network with the best and brightest in the content marketing world, featuring over 150 sessions with marketing leaders from the world's leading brands. Other keynote speakers include Pulitzer Prize winning author, Colson Whitehead, popular YouTuber, Casey Neistat, Senior Integrated Marketing Content lead at Coca-Cola, Kate Santore and General Electric CMO, Linda Boff.

There is still time to register for #CMWorld by visiting: http://www.contentmarketingworld.com/

You can also check out this video to see what #CMWorld is all about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgRee6sqags&t=2s

About Content Marketing Institute

Content Marketing Institute is the leading global content marketing education and training organization, teaching enterprise brands how to attract and retain customers through compelling, multichannel storytelling. CMI's Content Marketing World event, the largest content marketing-focused event, is held every September in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, and the Intelligent Content Conference event is held every spring. CMI publishes the bi-monthly magazine Chief Content Officer, and provides strategic consulting and content marketing research for some of the best-known brands in the world. Watch this video to learn more about CMI. Content Marketing Institute is organised by UBM plc. UBM is the largest pure-play B2B Events organiser in the world. Our 3,750+ people, based in more than 20 countries, serve more than 50 different sectors. Our deep knowledge and passion for these sectors allow us to create valuable experiences which enable our customers to succeed. Please visit www.ubm.com for the latest news and information about UBM.

SOURCE Content Marketing Institute
SIMI VALLEY, Calif., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Airborne Wireless Network (OTC QB: ABWN) is pleased to announce the appointment of Earle Olson, ABWN's VP of Industry Relations, to the Global Connected Aircraft Summit Advisory Board. Other members of Global Connected Aircraft Summit's Advisory Board include senior managers of United Airlines, Delta Airlines, FedEx Express, Qatar Airways, Icelandair, Southwest Airlines, Google, Rockwell Collins, Panasonic Avionics, Gogo, and Honeywell Aerospace.

The 2018 Global Connected Aircraft Summit brings together companies from all across the aviation industry and will be held in San Diego on June 4th through June 6th, 2018. The 2018 Global Connected Aircraft Summit will also include Global Connected Ship. Global Connected Ship will bring key end users, such as cruise ships, yacht operators and commercial shipping companies together with service providers and technology vendors to discuss the most pressing needs and demands to the future of the maritime connectivity.

Mike Warren, CEO of ABWN said: "We are honored that the Global Connected Aircraft Summit has selected Earle Olson, our VP of Industry Affairs, to become a member of its Advisory Board. Earle is serving on a board with luminaries from airlines, information technologies, communications, connectivity, among other aviation related industries. The Global Connected Aircraft Summit should present an excellent forum to discuss ABWN's Infinitus Super HighwayTM with global aviation participants. In addition, as Global Connected Ship is also being held at the Global Connected Aircraft Summit, ABWN will have the ability to introduce its Infinitus Super HighwayTM to the maritime industry."

About Global Connected Aircraft Summit

The Global Connected Aircraft Summit brings together companies from all across the industry to assess some of the early market lessons, potential demand, and best practices. In this three-day summit, Avionics and Via Satellite magazines will bring together panels on topics ranging from airline business models and cockpit improvements, telemedicine, to satellite bandwidth and alternative industry perspectives. It is the most comprehensive event of its kind anywhere in the world. The Global Connected Aircraft Summit continues to grow, branching out to look at more operations capability and how the connected aircraft will make a difference. Some of the sponsors of the Global Connected Aircraft Summit include Inmarsat, ViaSat, intelsat, Honeywell, Gogo, Panasonic, Rockwell Collins and Global Eagle. Representatives from Facebook, Netflix, Emirates, United Airlines, Lufthansa, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, ANA (Japan) Saudi, Scandinavian Airlines, LATAM Airlines, Nok Air, British Airways, the FAA, Etihad Airways, Norwegian, Icelandair, Hawaiian Airlines, Finnair, Gulf Air, Royal Caribbean, Rolls Royce, Federal Express, Cisco, Marriott Hotels, Hyatt Hotels, and NetJets have spoken at prior Global Connected Aircraft Summits.

For more information, see: http://www.gcasummit.com/gca-summit/

About Airborne Wireless Network

The Company intends to create a high-speed broadband airborne wireless network by linking commercial aircraft in flight. It is projected that each aircraft participating in the network will act as an airborne repeater or router, sending and receiving broadband signals from one aircraft to the next and creating a digital superhighway in the sky. The Company intends the network to be a high-speed broadband internet pipeline to improve coverage connectivity. The Company does not intend to provide retail customer coverage to end users, but, instead, act as a wholesale carrier with target customers, such as internet service providers and telephone companies.

Currently, the world's connectivity is achieved by use of undersea cables, ground based fiber and satellites. The Company believes that the Company's airborne digital highway may be a solution to fill the world's connectivity void. Once the network is developed and fully implemented, its uses may be limitless. The Company's network, once developed, should provide low cost, high-speed connectivity to rural areas, island nations, ships at sea, oil platforms, in addition to connectivity to commercial and private aircraft in flight.

For further information see: www.airbornewirelessnetwork.com

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, availability of capital; the inherent uncertainties associated with developing new products or technologies and operating as a development stage company; our ability to raise the additional funding we will need to continue to pursue our business and product development plans; our ability to develop and commercialize products based on our technology platform; competition in the industry in which we operate and market; general industry conditions; general economic factors; the impact of industry regulation; technological advances; new products and patents attained by competitors; manufacturing difficulties or delays; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

Contact:

[email protected]

805-583-4302

SOURCE Airborne Wireless Network

Related Links

http://www.airbornewirelessnetwork.com


SAN CARLOS, Calif., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Alkahest, Inc. ("Alkahest"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and other age-related conditions, announced today that Helen Jenkins has joined the company's executive team as Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Ms. Jenkins will be responsible for translating corporate business priorities into operational tactics that achieve Alkahest's financial and strategic goals.

Ms. Jenkins joins Alkahest from Tobira Therapeutics, Inc. where she served as Chief Operating Officer, and played a key role in Tobira's acquisition by Allergan plc in a deal valued at up to $1.7 billion in November of 2016.

"Helen is an outstanding drug developer with an excellent track record of industry leadership," said Dr. Karoly Nikolich, Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of Alkahest. "Helen brings extensive product development and management expertise to Alkahest and shares our dedication to discover and develop effective therapies for neurodegenerative diseases."

"I am thrilled to join Alkahest's leadership team, and to participate in the progression of the Company's preclinical and clinical stage pipeline. We are entering into an unprecedented period of productivity in the development of therapies for age-related diseases, and it's exciting to be at the forefront," said Ms. Jenkins.

Ms. Jenkins brings nearly 30 years of drug development experience in biotechnology to Alkahest, highlighted by a strong understanding of science, drug development, project management and regulatory requirements. Before serving in multiple roles of increasing responsibility at Tobira, Helen served as a corporate officer at Nuon Therapeutics, Inc. and Saegis Pharmaceuticals, where she was responsible for development operations, strategic planning and portfolio management. Prior to Nuon and Saegis, Ms. Jenkins was Senior Director, Product Development/Regulatory Affairs, at Valentis, Inc., and she previously led preclinical programs through successful IND filings during her tenures at Glycomed Inc. and Genentech, Inc. Ms. Jenkins has a Masters of Arts in cellular and molecular biology from San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA.

About Alkahest

Alkahest is developing treatments for age-related diseases, with an emphasis on cognitive dysfunction and dementia -- key medical challenges of our generation. The company's breakthrough research has demonstrated that factors in blood plasma of young animals are able to reverse brain deficits in normal aging and Alzheimer's disease models in animals. Alkahest is a clinical-stage private company based in San Carlos, CA, with investors including Barcelona, Spain-based Grifols, a global healthcare company and leading producer of plasma therapies, as well as a collaboration and commercialization partner. For further information, see www.alkahest.com.

Contact Information:

Joe McCracken

Vice President Business Development

Alkahest, Inc.

650-245-2973

[email protected]

SOURCE Alkahest, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.alkahest.com


FORT MYERS, Fla., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Arbor Company, the South's premier operator of outstanding senior living communities, is proud to announce the introduction of its unique Bridges memory care program for residents at its Barrington Terrace senior living community in Fort Myers. More information on the Bridges program at Barrington Terrace can be found at www.arborcompany.com/locations/florida/ft-myers-barrington-terrace.

Most senior living communities offer a one-size-fits-all approach to memory care, not tailoring programs to individual residents and the stage of their dementia. The Arbor Company sought to change this approach by developing its Bridges program, which provides three "neighborhoods" for residents based on their needs and abilities:

Assisted living: Arbor's assisted living program focuses upon providing residents with anything from minimal assistance to comprehensive care. It's the perfect choice for most seniors looking for just the right amount of care and assistance to supplement, but not change, the lifestyles they love.

Arbor's assisted living program focuses upon providing residents with anything from minimal assistance to comprehensive care. It's the perfect choice for most seniors looking for just the right amount of care and assistance to supplement, but not change, the lifestyles they love. Bridges: The Bridges neighborhood is for seniors with early-stage dementia and memory loss. Bridges is a high-sensory, purposeful environment that offers the perfect amount of support and the right types of activities. Residents are surrounded by others in similar stages of memory loss, thus resulting in less isolation and more comfort.

The Bridges neighborhood is for seniors with early-stage dementia and memory loss. Bridges is a high-sensory, purposeful environment that offers the perfect amount of support and the right types of activities. Residents are surrounded by others in similar stages of memory loss, thus resulting in less isolation and more comfort. Evergreen: The Evergreen neighborhood is specially designed to provide 24-hour support for seniors with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. Driven by the latest memory care research and backed by extensive staff experience and training, Evergreen is a smaller, more intimate, low-sensory neighborhood that features completely individualized care programs, specialist attention, aromatherapy, Namaste programming, and even counseling and support for family members.

The introduction of the Bridges program to Barrington Terrace brings an innovative level of memory care to Fort Myers. This Arbor community is now able to offer more tailored options to residents with dementia and advanced clinical needs, as well as match their life engagement needs by providing a unique and robust schedule. Moreover, the Bridges program makes introductory memory care more affordable, as residents pay for a higher level of care only when they truly require a move to the Evergreen neighborhood.

"Our new neighborhoods at Barrington Terrace make an immediate impact upon families who tour," says Laura Ellen Christian, The Arbor Company's Vice President of Engagement and Training. "Bridges feels like home and is well decorated and inviting. Evergreen feels spa like with aromatherapy, and we have brought the outdoors in with wall plants and local island photography. And those are just the aesthetics: The services and programs Barrington Terrace offers its residents are beyond compare. We are excited to introduce the Bridges concept to Fort Myers and to the families who will benefit from our unique philosophy of memory care."

To learn more about the Bridges program or any of The Arbor Company's senior living communities, visit www.arborcompany.com.

About The Arbor Company

The Arbor Company is an Atlanta-based operator of more than 30 independent living, assisted living and memory care communities, serving seniors in nine states. With nearly 30 years of dedication and experience, The Arbor Company strives to deliver the highest-quality care and service to residents and their families. The company's innovative Engaged Living program creates meaningful moments through structured activity programs and spontaneous interactions, filling each day with the right balance of purpose and fun. More information about The Arbor Company is available at www.arborcompany.com.

https://www.arborcompany.com/locations/florida/ft-myers-barrington-terrace

SOURCE The Arbor Company

Related Links

http://www.arborcompany.com


LONDON, August 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Forecasts & Analysis by Biometric System Type (Iris Recognition, Face Recognition, Fingerprint Recognition, Other (Retina Scan, Hand Geometry, Palm Vein Authentication)), by Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars, Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV), Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCV)) and by Region plus Profiles of Leading Companies Developing Technologies.

The latest report from business intelligence provider Visiongain offers comprehensive analysis of the global biometric vehicle access technologies market. Visiongain assesses that this market will generate revenues of $614m in 2017.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/523989/Visiongain_Logo.jpg )



Now: In early 2017, Synaptics Incorporated acquired Conexant Systems, LLC and the Multimedia Solutions Business of Marvell Technology Group. This is an example of the business critical headline that you need to know about - and more importantly, you need to read Visiongain's objective analysis of how this new will impact your company and the industry more broadly. How are you and your company reacting to this news? Are you sufficiently informed?

How this report will benefit you:

Read on to discover how you can exploit the future business opportunities emerging in this sector. Visiongain's new study tells you and tells you NOW.

In this brand new report you find 115 tables, charts and graphs - all unavailable elsewhere.

The 152 page report provides clear detailed insight into the global biometric vehicle access technologies market. Discover the key drivers and challenges affecting the market.

By ordering and reading our brand new report today you stay better informed and ready to act.

Report Scope:

Global biometric vehicle access technologies market forecasts from 2017-2027

Regional biometric vehicle access technologies market forecasts from 2017-2027 covering.

Asia-Pacific biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027:

China biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

India biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

Japan biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

Australia biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

South Korea biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

Taiwan biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

Rest of Asia Pacific biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

North America biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027:

US biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

Canada biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

Mexico biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

South America biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027:

Brazil biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

Rest of South America biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

Europe biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027:

UK biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

Germany biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

France biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

Spain biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

Russia biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

Rest of Europe biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

Rest of the World biometric vehicle access technologies forecasts 2017-2027

Biometric vehicle access technologies submarket forecasts from 2017-2027 covering by vehicle type, by biometric system type:

 Iris Recognition Forecast 2017-2027

 Face Recognition Forecast 2017-2027

 Fingerprint Recognition Forecast 2017-2027

 Other (Retina Scan, Hand Geometry, Palm Vein Authentication) Forecast 2017-2027

Biometric vehicle access technologies submarket forecasts from 2017-2027 covering by vehicle type, by vehicle type:

 Passenger Cars Forecast 2017-2027

 Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) Forecast 2017-2027

 Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCV)) Forecast 2017-2027

Analysis of the key factors driving growth in the global, regional and country level biometric vehicle access technologies markets from 2017-2027:

Profiles of the leading 10 biometric vehicle access companies

 OT-Morpho

 Sonavation Inc

 Continental AG

 Hitachi

 Fujitsu

 Synaptic

 Miaxis Biometric Co. Ltd.

 Techshino

 Fingerprints Cards AB

 Bioenable

Who should read this report?

 Automobile OEMs

 Biometric security providers

 Security companies

 Software developers

 Sensor manufacturers

 Component suppliers

 R&D staff

 Electronics engineers

 NPD specialists

 Market analysts

 Consultants

 Marketing managers

 Business development manager

 Government agencies

 Insurance companies

 Regulators

 Motoring organisations

 Investors

 Banks

Visiongain's study is intended for anyone requiring commercial analyses for the biometric vehicle access technologies market and leading companies. You find data, trends and predictions.

Buy our report today Biometric Vehicle Access Technologies Market 2017-2027: Forecasts & Analysis by Biometric System Type (Iris Recognition, Face Recognition, Fingerprint Recognition, Other (Retina Scan, Hand Geometry, Palm Vein Authentication)), by Vehicle Type (Passenger Cars, Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV), Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCV)) and by Region plus Profiles of Leading Companies Developing Technologies. Avoid missing out by staying informed - get our report now.

To request a report overview of this report please email Sara Peerun at [email protected] or call Tel: +44-(0)-20-7336-6100

Or click on https://www.visiongain.com/Report/1944/Biometric-Vehicle-Access-Technologies-Market-2017-2027

Companies Mentioned:

3M Cogent Inc

4G Identity Solutions Private Limited

ABC Inc.

Access IS

Accurate Biometrics Inc

Accusafe Safety Solutions Pvt

Aditya Infotec Ltd

Advent International

A-Kerr

Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI).

Animetrics

Arkami, Inc

Arrow Electronics

Ashok Leyland

Bayometric

Biel Crystal

Bioenable

BioEnable Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Bioid Technologies, Inc

BioLink Solutions

Biomatiques Identification Solution Pvt. Ltd

Biometric Cloud Solution Inc.

Capture innovative Solutions

Cognitec

Conexant Systems, LLC.

Continental AG

Corning

Credence ID

CSS Group Plc

Cyberfy Technologies

Delaney Biometrics

Delphi Automotive

Delta ID

DERMALOG Identification Systems GmbH

Descartes Biometrics, Inc.

Diamond Fortress Technologies

DigitalPersona Inc

Dongfeng.

Enterprise Software Solution Lab Pvt. Ltd.

EyeLock

FaceFirst, LLC

Ferrari

FingerTec USA

Fingerprint Cards AB

Ford Motor Company

Fujitsu Limited

Fulcrum Biometrics

GBSG

Gemalto

General Motors

GenKey

Global Biometric Solutions, LLC.

GM

Green Bit S.p.A.

HID-Global

Hitachi Automotive Systems (China) Ltd.,

Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.

Hitachi Group

Hitachi Plant Saudi Arabia, Ltd.

Hitachi Saudi Arabia, Ltd

Honda Motor

Hyundai.

IdentyTech Solution America

Ievo

Integrated Biometrics

Inttelix Security Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

IP Biometrics

IriTech Inc.

Lear Corporation

Mahindra

MAN

Marvell Technology Group

Mercedes Benz

Miaxis Biometrics Co., Ltd.

Morpho

Neurotechnology

Nissan

Nortech Access Control Ltd

Oberthur Technologies (OT)

OT-Morpho

PSP Security Co. Ltd.

Robert Bosch GmbH

Safran Group

Scania

Sonavation, Inc

Synaptics Incorporated

Synel

Tata

Techshino

Tensor plc

Tesla

Valeo

Virdi

Voicebox Technologies

Volkswagen Group

Volvo

VOXX International

To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on [email protected]

SOURCE Visiongain Ltd
Located in Milan, Italy, XGLab was established in 2009 as spin-off of the Politecnico di Milano, one of Italy's leading technical universities. The company originates from a research group with a history of innovation in the field of nuclear electronics and radiation detectors. XGLab introduced its portable small-spot X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer ELIO in 2012, followed by the macro-XRF scanner CRONO in 2014. Both instruments, as well as the recently introduced combined XRF and Raman analyzer, XRAMAN , serve the need for in-situ characterization in art and conservation science, forensics, material science and process control. XGLab also supplies the CUBE , a highly innovative and unique preamplifier based on CMOS technology for various X-Ray and Gamma Ray detectors.

Thomas Schuelein, President of the Bruker Nano Analytics Division, stated: "We are very pleased to welcome the XGLab team to our division. Their instruments perfectly fit into our portfolio of handheld and mobile spectrometers for elemental analysis and imaging, and will allow us to serve our customers in many application fields even better, particularly in art & conservation and materials research. In addition, XGLab's expertise in detector electronics and customized spectrometers will enhance our technology base and help us drive further innovation in X-Ray detection and analysis."

Tommaso Frizzi, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of XGLab, commented: "XGLab's team is proud to become part of Bruker. This is the logical next step of what we started in 2009, when we decided to transfer the results of our academic research to industrial products and services. We believe that Bruker is a very good environment for XGLab to continue to innovate, and that XGLab's and Bruker's customers will benefit from our synergies."

XGLab will continue to operate under its current name and management, and is also looking forward to expand its read-out and signal processing OEM business with existing and additional partners.

About Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ: BRKR)

For more than 55 years, Bruker has enabled scientists to make breakthrough discoveries and develop new applications that improve the quality of human life. Bruker's high-performance scientific instruments and high-value analytical solutions enable scientists to explore life and materials at molecular, cellular and microscopic levels. In close cooperation with our customers, Bruker is enabling innovation, productivity and customer success in life science molecular research, in applied and pharma applications, in microscopy, nanoanalysis and industrial applications, as well as in cell biology, preclinical imaging, clinical research, microbiology and molecular diagnostics. For more information, please visit: www.bruker.com.

Investor Contact: Media Contact:

Miroslava Minkova Veronica Fernandez

Bruker Head of Investor Relations Bruker Nano Analytics MarCom

T: +1 (978) 663-3660 x1479 T: +49 (0)30 670990-8593

E: [email protected] E: [email protected]



SOURCE Bruker Corporation

Related Links

https://www.bruker.com


SAN DIEGO, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cubic Global Defense (CGD), a business unit of Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB), today announced that Cubic Defence Australia has been selected as the primary contractor for the development and delivery of local and distributed simulation-enabled training events for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The four-year contract, valued at approximately USD $7.11 million or AUD $9 million, provides a wide range of simulation planning, technical support and professional interactors to enhance RAN's multisite synthetic training events at the Navy Synthetic Warfighting Centre (NSWC).

The NSWC was recently established at the HMAS Watson Naval Base on Sydney Harbour. The NSWC will facilitate synthetic training events and focus on delivering local and distributed mission training activities in both land-based simulators and ships in an agile manner.

"We are proud to partner with the RAN in the ongoing development of the Navy Synthetic Warfighting Centre," said Miles Macdonald, general manager Cubic Defence Australia. "We look forward to leveraging the expertise of our Australian simulation team and the best practices of our various global programs to aid the RAN in achieving world-leading capabilities for simulation-enabled individual and collective training."

Cubic's solutions and services are designed to further enhance warfighting capabilities and improve training for RAN crews and ships throughout their evolution cycle. In addition, Cubic's contract will increase the potential of live, virtual and constructive training integration across the RAN. Supporting both individual and collective training, Cubic will design and deliver synthetic training events and networks involving a combination of dedicated simulators, which will be distributed to naval vessels.

In addition to its partnership with the RAN, Cubic is the incumbent Simulation Support Service contractor for the Australian Defence Simulation and Training Centre (ADSTC), which supports joint collective training. Cubic also provides training as well as simulation systems and services to the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force.

About Cubic Corporation

Cubic Corporation designs, integrates and operates systems, products and services focused in the transportation, defense training and secure communications markets. Cubic Transportation Systems is a leading integrator of payment and information technology and services to create intelligent travel solutions for transportation authorities and operators. Cubic Global Defense is a leading provider of live, virtual, constructive and game-based training solutions, special operations and intelligence for the U.S. and allied forces. Cubic Mission Solutions provides networked Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities for defense, intelligence, security and commercial missions. For more information about Cubic, please visit the company's website at www.cubic.com or on Twitter @CubicCorp.

SOURCE Cubic Corporation

Related Links

http://www.cubic.com


ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fair Food Network announced today $3.5 million in new federal funding to expand and innovate the Double Up Food Bucks produce incentive program in Michigan, Colorado, and Western New York. This was matched by philanthropic and State of Michigan support.

"Support for produce incentives has energized the field with direct benefits for low-income families and American farmers," said Oran Hesterman, CEO of Fair Food Network, which developed the Double Up model in 2009 in Michigan. "Senator Stabenow has been a steadfast champion of this work, which today is garnering support from across the political spectrum."

Produce incentives boost the value of SNAP (formerly known as "food stamps") when spent on fruits and vegetables. For instance, if a family spends $10 in SNAP benefits at a farmers market, they receive $10 in Double Up Food Bucks to buy locally grown produce.

Fair Food Network is a national leader in this work. New funding continues program growth and innovation with a focus on:

Grocery expansion in Michigan , Colorado , and Western New York . While SNAP incentives began in farmers markets, grocery is a critical venue to reach more consumers. Many grocery sites in Michigan will also start running year-round.

While SNAP incentives began in farmers markets, grocery is a critical venue to reach more consumers. Many grocery sites in will also start running year-round. Technology Innovations:

E-Incentives: Until recently, most farmers markets processed incentives with physical tokens. New electronic transaction technologies will be deployed in all three states.

Until recently, most farmers markets processed incentives with physical tokens. New electronic transaction technologies will be deployed in all three states.

Interoperability: In select Michigan communities, shoppers will be able to earn Double Up Food Bucks at one site and redeem them at a different location. This technology was developed in Flint to help residents get more fresh produce in response to the lead crisis. Double Up is now reaching approximately 40% of SNAP households in Flint , up from 9% before the launch of this tech innovation one year ago.

The Double Up model is now active in 23 states. Many programs are supported by USDA's National Institute of Food & Agriculture's Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) program, established in the 2014 Farm Bill. Partners in Hawai'i, Iowa, and Nevada also received FINI awards this year. Fair Food Network first received FINI funding in 2015.

Philanthropic support is being provided by Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Flint, Michigan Health Endowment Fund, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Ruth Mott Foundation, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, and Wege Foundation.

This builds on a foundation of support provided over the years by Bank of America, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Newman's Own Foundation, Osprey Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, United Way for Southeastern Michigan, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Woodcock Foundation, among others.

FAIR FOOD NETWORK pioneers solutions that support farmers, strengthen local economies, and increase access to healthy foodespecially in our most underserved communities.

fairfoodnetwork.org | Facebook | Twitter @FairFoodNetwork

SOURCE Fair Food Network
AKRON, Ohio, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DRB Systems and Unitec have opened its new West Coast office in Fontana, CA. The new office will provide sales and service support for the West Coast, as well as extended shipping hours for customers throughout the United States. This new location is particularly well suited to support the continued growth that is occurring in the car wash industry in southern California.

The car wash industry leaders also have offices in Akron and Canton, Ohio and Elkridge, MD. Since the acquisition of Unitec in September 2016, the DRB Systems organization has grown to include 300 employees; adding sales, engineering and technical personnel in the Akron and Canton locations. Having recently been selected as one of the top 100 work places in northeast Ohio, DRB Systems is dedicated to its staff, its customers and continuing advancements in new product innovation and support infrastructure. DRB Systems and Unitec serve a combined install base of more than 14,000 car washes. The organization is positioned to serve every car wash segment in the United States with superior technical and production capabilities and knowledge.

"One of the most important focus points of our mission at DRB and Unitec is to create opportunities for our customers and employees. It's a very rewarding moment when an expansion effort, like the addition of our California office, serves both our team and customers. We look forward to expanding the capacity and resources in all of our locations as we continue to build the world's leading technology company serving the car wash industry," said Bill Morgenstern, CEO of DRB and Unitec.

About DRB Systems

DRB Systems (Akron, Ohio) for more than 30 years has been the leading point-of-sales software and business solutions company in the car wash industry, providing technology and marketing support to enhance customers' experience and operational efficiency. DRB Systems strives to help operators unlock their hidden potential needed to enhance their businesses, revenues and lives.

See www.drbsystems.com

About Unitec

Unitec (Elkridge, MD.) founded in 1983, is a high-performance manufacturer of advanced hardware and software solutions for the car wash market. Unitec products combine state-of-the-art technology, user-friendly operations and dependable, rugged construction. Unitec's staff is dedicated to unsurpassed customer service, advanced product design and superior quality standards.

See www.startwithunitec.com

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE DRB Systems

Related Links

http://www.drbsystems.com


JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- While all kids can face some stress heading back to school after a long break, military kids in particular could use additional help transitioning back to school.

Military kids often experience challenges that set them apart from their peers such as coping with a parent's combat injury, the deployment of a family member, and frequent moves due to a change in duty station  which also means going to a new school every couple of years.

This back-to-school season, the Department of Defense's (DoD) Military Kids Connect program is highlighting helpful resources for military children and their educators. Military Kids Connect is the first and only DoD web-based resource designed specifically to support kids of all ages dealing with military life.

The DoD's 2015 Demographic Profile of the Military Community reported that there are more than 1.7 million military kids worldwide. According to the DoD Education Activity, the average military child will move six to nine times during their school career  three times the average for non-military families. Often, these students are in civilian schools where educators and peers may not understand the challenges they may face.

"Now is an important time to raise awareness about the challenges military-connected students face when going back to school, because it can be a completely different experience for them," said Kelly Blasko, a counseling psychologist at the National Center for Telehealth & Technology (T2). "When relocating to a new school, military children can have a tough time maintaining and initiating friendships, and adapting to a new school culture. They also might have a teacher who doesn't understand what's going on. While our military kids are resilient, they may feel lonely and frustrated. Military Kids Connect offers resources to help them stay strong, while offering information for educators to work better with them."

Created by psychologists and technology specialists at T2, the Military Kids Connect website has three portals  for kids ages 6 to 8, tweens ages 9 to 12, and teens ages 13 to 17  as well as a separate educator track with information on how to support military children at school. The educator portal includes videos of experienced teachers and counselors offering advice on teaching students from military families; lesson plans with content about military life and world cultures, with key concepts in language arts, math and other subjects; and information on military culture, students in transition and students coping with a parent's deployment.

Military Kids Connect is a safe online community were military kids can interact with one another. The website offers age-appropriate resources and activities  such as the Where Are You Going? interactive map, which explains the culture and customs of locations around the world where service members deploy  and information on tougher topics, such as coping with grief and a parent's combat injuries. The Military Kids Connect YouTube page also features military kids sharing their advice and experiences on going back to school.

"Military Kids Connect is a valuable resource year-round but it's particularly helpful this time of the year when students and teachers are making a new start," said Blasko.

Visit militarykidsconnect.dcoe.mil to learn more, and follow Military Kids Connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

SOURCE National Center for Telehealth & Technology
WASHINGTON, August 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- IFS, the global enterprise applications company, announces that GERHARDI Kunststofftechnik, a leading provider of galvanized and technically sophisticated plastic parts, has decided to implement IFS Applications 9. The contract comprises licenses and services valued at 1.68 million euros.

With more than 1,400 employees and locations in Ludenscheid, Werdohl and Ibbenburen (Germany), GERHARDI develops and produces sophisticated plastic parts used for interior and exterior automotive parts. Currently experiencing rapid international growth, the company recently established its first overseas operation. The new site is located in Montgomery, Ala. and will be operational on January 1, 2019.

With IFS Applications 9, GERHARDI will implement a unified and modern solution that supports the processes of all its divisions and locations. It will also cover the international requirements of the newly established US production site as well as ensure transparency across the entire group. The IFS solution will support mission-critical processes such as accounting, human resources, production, supply chain management, and document management. IFS Applications will replace a varied landscape of stand-alone legacy systems.

"IFS Applications offers comprehensive functionality that covers many of our requirements without the need for additional customizations," said Sacha Treude, ERP Project Manager at GERHARDI Kunststofftechnik. "The solution's modern architecture and intuitive user experience were also important deciding factors. Furthermore, the company's international presence and well-documented expertise in the automotive industry made IFS the ideal software partner for us."

Peter Hohne, Vice President Sales & Marketing for IFS in Central Europe, added, "We are very happy to welcome GERHARDI Kunststofftechnik to our growing customer base. GERHARDI, another well-known company from the automotive industry, has decided to implement our future-proof business solution to optimize its business processes and to support its international growth."

More information on the IFS solutions for the automotive industry: http://www.ifsworld.com/corp/industries/automotive/.

Annett Obermeyer, Manager Marketing & Public Relations for IFS in Germany. Telephone: 49 9131 77 34-105, [email protected]

Kathleen Hahn, PR-COM for IFS. Telephone: 49 89 599 97-763, [email protected]

About GERHARDI Kunststofftechnik

The traditional company from Ludenscheid is one of the Europe market leaders in the field of development and production of galvanized and technically sophisticated plastic parts. With approximately 1,400 employees, GERHARDI Kunststofftechnik GmbH produces interior and exterior plastic parts for the automotive industry. Read more: http://www.gerhardi.com/en/company/.

CONTACT:

Laura Zadravetz, Director of Marketing Communications, IFS North America. Phone: 1 (262) 717-6591, [email protected]

Chuck Rathmann, Senior Marketing Communications Analyst, IFS North America.Phone: 1 (262) 317-7419, [email protected]

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

The following files are available for download:

http://mb.cision.com/Public/855/2322807/b8e77ff7a57c629a_org.png Gerhardi Standort Ibbenburen RGB

SOURCE IFS
FLORENCE, Ky., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Firestone Building Products Company, LLC, a leading manufacturer and supplier of high-performing building product solutions, presented Holland Roofing with the 2017 Platinum Master Contractor award, a distinguished honor in the commercial roofing industry. The firm is in the top 1 percent of Firestone Building Products Red Shield Licensed Roofing Contractors to earn the distinction.

The annual Master Contractor Program honors top Firestone Building Products contractors for excellence in roofing system installation, quality of work and customer service. This year is special for the Master Contractor program, as it marks the 30th anniversary of Firestone Building Products recognizing licensed roofing firms throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.

"For 30 years, our contractors continue to prove they're among the best in the industry. The Master Contractor award reflects their hard work and attention to detail," said Tim Dunn, president of Firestone Building Products. "This esteemed Master Contractor distinction is among the longest running and most desirable recognition in the commercial roofing industry, and we're honored to be partnered with these reputable firms."

Platinum Master Contractor award winners must meet requirements for total square footage installed and quality points accumulated for outstanding inspection ratings on installations covered by the Red Shield Warranty, including: RubberGard EPDM, UltraPly TPO, asphalt and metal roofing systems. In the sustainability category, qualifying installations include the SkySCape Vegetative Roof Systems and SunWave Daylighting System.

Contractors had to complete a minimum of eight Red Shield warranted jobs in the 2016 calendar year, be in good financial standing with Firestone Building Products, and have a Preferred Quality Incidence Rating (QIR) that did not exceed 2.5 times the average QIR for Red Shield Licensed Roofing Contractors. QIR is determined by the annual number of quality incidents per million square feet of roofing under warranty.

This highly regarded award represents contractors who have mastered quality commercial roofing solutions and who exemplify the hard work, determination and entrepreneurial leadership that defines Firestone Building Products.

For information about Holland Roofing, please contact Adam Bultman by calling 859-525-0887 or emailing [email protected]. You may also visit the company's website at www.hollandroofing.com.

SOURCE Holland Roofing

Related Links

http://www.hollandroofing.com


TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez announced that Honduras is on track to cut its 2011 homicide rate nearly in half by December.

"This is a momentous achievement for Honduras," said President Hernandez. "The government's actions to combat violence and arrest criminals have saved lives. But our work is not done."

Republic of Honduras

Hernandez stressed that Honduras must continue its efforts to reduce violence in the country. He vowed to curb domestic violence, construct new prisons, and arrest corrupt former public officials.

President Hernandez said that he intends to fight gang violence by developing community spaces and expanding economic opportunity for young people.

One initiative that's already been launched is Vida Mejor, or A Better Life. The program works with the Inter-American Development Bank to provide cash transfers, housing assistance, and family counseling to poor Honduran families. Since its inception in 2015, Vida Mejor has reached 2 million Hondurans.

In addition, President Hernandez stressed the importance of education, saying, "Parents must work closely with teachers and community leaders to bring principles and values back to schools."

The president also pushed for other reforms to enhance public safety, including the construction of new prisons. He noted that Honduran prisons were essentially crime planning centers and drug trafficking stations before he took office.

The Hernandez administration has transferred dangerous prisoners from San Pedro Sula to maximum-security prisons El Pozo 1 and 2, with the goal of stopping prison breaks and isolating prisoners from their criminal networks. The government is also building El Pozo 3 and 4 in some of the remotest areas of the country.

"My administration's efforts have made Honduras a much safer place," Hernandez said. "But we will not rest until all Honduran families feel secure in their homes."

Media Contact:

Andrew Grafton

[email protected]

202-471-4228 ext. 119

SOURCE Republic of Honduras
WASHINGTON and ISLAMABAD, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Code Council (ICC) signed an agreement with the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) to support their efforts to update the Building Code of Pakistan.

This agreement grants PEC the ability to use ICC's 2015 International Building Code, International Zoning Code and Performance Code for Buildings and Facilities to modernize Pakistan's building code. The Code Council's set of model codes and standards, called the International Codes, reflect the most advanced building science construction methods and practices available and support the creation of safe, innovative, efficient and resilient structures.

The Code Council and S.K. Ghosh Associates, the latest addition to the ICC Family of Companies, are familiar with Pakistan's past efforts to update its building codes, having worked with the National Engineering Services Pakistan Limited to assist in these efforts in 2006. The ICC-PEC agreement builds on the Code Council's long and successful relationship in working with the government of Pakistan on its building code efforts.

"We're proud to announce this important partnership, another sign of our commitment to strong building codes and standards worldwide," said President of ICC's Board of Directors M. Dwayne Garriss. "Pakistan joins many other countries and entities in using ICC's model codes as a basis for strengthening their own."

"The Code Council is an active proponent of updated, modern codes that contribute to safe buildings and resilient communities. We're excited to announce this new agreement with PEC, a part of our expanding global footprint," said ICC Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO.

PEC Chairman Engr. Jawed Salim Qureshi stated, "The world's premier organization, ICC, played a vital role in the development of the Building Code of Pakistan in 2006. Recently, ICC honored PEC's request and granted a license to use the aforementioned International Codes to modernize the building code of Pakistan." He added, "The revision of our building codes will provide life safety to around 200 million people in Pakistan who are living at the junction of three of the world's major tectonic plates."

The Code Council has similar partnerships with Colombia, Haiti, Mexico, Trinidad & Tobago, the United Arab Emirates and others to help communities worldwide establish the safest and most resilient buildings and communities. For more information about ICC Global Services, click here.

About the ICC

The International Code Council is a member-focused association. It is dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures. Most U.S. communities and many global markets choose the International Codes.

About the PEC

The Pakistan Engineering Council is a regulatory statutory body enacted by the Parliament to regulate the engineering profession in Pakistan. The Council sets, maintains and upholds realistic and internationally-relevant standards of professional competence and ethics for engineers, license engineers and engineering institutions.

Contacts:

Whitney Doll

ICC

(202) 568-1798

[email protected]

Faiz ul Sibtain

PEC

+92-51-9219500 (Ext. 204)

[email protected]

SOURCE International Code Council

Related Links

http://www.iccsafe.org


LONG BEACH, New York, August 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Ipsidy Inc. (http://www.ipsidy.com) [OTC:IDGS], (formerly known as ID Global Solutions Corporation), a provider of secure, biometric identification, identity management and electronic transaction processing services, today announced its results for the quarter ended March 31, 2017.

Financial Highlights for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2017

 Total revenue for the quarter was $0.6 million, compared to $0.3 million for the quarter in 2016.

 Net loss for the quarter was $8.7 million, compared to net income of $7.7 million for 2016 (The net income in 2016 was driven by a $12.9 million gain on the reduction of the derivative liability).

 Basic and diluted net loss per share for the quarter was $0.03 cents, compared to basic net income per share of $0.04 cents and diluted net loss per share of $0.02 cents for 2016.

 Adjusted EBITDA loss for the quarter was $1.6 million, compared to $1.0 million in 2016, as the Company invested in people, infrastructure and technology to support on-going and future operations.

 Converted outstanding debt and accrued interest in the amount of approximately $6.3 million into approximately 84.8 million shares of common stock.

 Repaid an additional $0.3 million of outstanding debt, cancelled 3.6 million warrants and cancelled 2.5 million shares of the Company's common stock.

 Secured $7.0 million of additional debt and equity financing.

 Total liabilities reduced to $4.5 million compared to liabilities of $25.8 million as of December 31, 2016 and stockholders' equity increased to $12.9 million compared to a stockholders' deficit of $13.3 million as of December 31, 2016.

The combination of the above events is reflected in the substantial improvement in the Company's balance sheet and provided near-term working capital.

Refer to Table 1 for reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA (a non-GAAP measure).

Operational Highlights

Announced the appointment of Philip Beck as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive and President and Stuart Stoller as CFO on January 31, 2017 .

as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive and President and as CFO on . Continued process improvements to the Company's MultiPay bill pay transaction platform in Colombia .

. Continued development of the Ipsidy identity transaction platform

Continued development of a digital payment processing platform comprising modules for payment card issuance, HCE, tokenization, and a consumer mobile wallet as well as a merchant acquiring gateway and mobile point of sale, and mobile-commerce, beacon marketing and loyalty products.

"Ipsidy is redefining identity as a transaction so that it can be managed as easily and securely as a payment transaction," said Philip Beck, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ipsidy. "We are enabling our identity transaction platform to provide our customers with reimagined solutions that let a user authenticate their identity to their own device. Our platform facilitates the processing of diverse electronic transactions, be they payments, votes, or physical or digital access, embedded with the participant's identity."

In a world that is increasingly digital and mobile, but also fraught with account breaches and stolen identity information, our vision is to offer solutions that provide pre-transaction verification of identity as well as embed identity verification within every electronic transaction message processed through our platform, or other electronic systems. We believe that it is essential that businesses and consumers know who is on the other side of an electronic transaction and have an audit trail, proving that the identity of the other party was duly verified. Ipsidy is therefore developing solutions intended to provide our customers with the next level of transaction security, control and certainty operating in both physical and digital environments leveraging mobile eco-systems.

We are building upon our existing capabilities in biometric identification and multi-factor identity management solutions to develop an identity transaction platform for our customers. The platform enables mobile users to easily authenticate their identity to a mobile phone or portable device of their choosing (as opposed to other identity solutions requiring dedicated hardware). Our system allows participants to complete transactions with a digitally signed authentication response, including the underlying transaction data and embedded attributes of the participant's identity, accessible to the business.

Our strategy is to leverage our identity transaction platform to support a variety of vertical markets. These vertical markets include but are not limited to border security, public safety, public transportation, enterprise security, electronic payments transactions and banking. In addition, our platform is designed to be highly available and language agnostic thereby accessible to customers around the world. We believe that the various technologies that Ipsidy is developing and has acquired can be combined into a unified offering.

Ipsidy's digital mobile wallet application, or electronic account holder, will contain different services and accounts that enable users to conveniently and securely authenticate and authorize a variety of electronic transactions, using their identity. For example, our closed-loop payment account and digital issuance platform is intended to offer secure and cost-effective methods of conversion of cash and paper to electronic payments. Consumers accessing this system, using their mobile phones, electronic devices, or smart card payment tokens will be able to participate in the digital economy thereby facilitating financial inclusion for the un-banked and under banked population around the globe. Another example is for consumers and employees to use their mobile application to verify identity, in order to access secure, digital or physical environments.

Additional analysis of the Company's performance can be found in 'Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations' included in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the Quarter ended March 31, 2017 filed at http://www.sec.gov and posted on the Company's investor relations website.

About Ipsidy:

Ipsidy is a provider of secure, biometric identification, identity management and electronic transaction processing services. Ipsidy is headquartered in New York and has operating subsidiaries: MultiPay in Colombia http://www.multipay.com.co and Cards Plus in South Africa. http://www.cardsplus.co.za. In a world that is increasingly digital and mobile, our vision is to enable solutions that provide pre-transaction verification of identity as well as embed identity verification within every electronic transaction message processed through our platform, or other electronic systems. We believe that it is essential that businesses and consumers know who is on the other side of an electronic transaction and have an audit trail, proving that the identity of the other party was duly verified. We are therefore developing solutions intended to provide our customers with the next level of transaction security, control and certainty. Further information on Ipsidy can be found at http://www.ipsidy.com or contact us at [email protected].

Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.

Information contained in this announcement may include "forward-looking statements." All statements other than statements of historical facts included herein, including, without limitation, those regarding the financial position, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations of both Ipsidy and its business partners, net revenue, net income, Adjusted EBITDA, diluted earnings per share, future service launches with customers and new initiatives and customer pipeline are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of assumptions regarding Ipsidy present and future business strategies, and the environment in which Ipsidy expects to operate in the future, which assumptions may or may not be fulfilled in practice. Implementation of some or all of the new services referred to is subject to regulatory or other third party approvals. Actual results may vary materially from the results anticipated by these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of risk factors, including the risk that implementation, adoption and offering of the service by customers, consumers and others may take longer than anticipated, or may not occur at all; changes in laws, regulations and practices; changes in domestic and international economic and political conditions and others. Additional risks may arise with respect to commencing operations in new countries and regions, of which Ipsidy is not fully aware at this time. See the Company's Annual Report Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year ended December 31, 2016 filed at http://www.sec.gov for other risk factors which investors should consider. These forward-looking statements speak only as to the date of this announcement and cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance. Ipsidy expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained in this announcement to reflect any changes in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based.

Non-GAAP Financial Information.

The Company provides certain non-GAAP financial measures in this statement. Management believes that Adjusted EBITDA, when viewed with our results under GAAP and the accompanying reconciliations, provides useful information about our period-over-period results. Adjusted EBITDA is presented because management believes it provides additional information with respect to the performance of our fundamental business activities and is also frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties in the evaluation of comparable companies. We also rely on Adjusted EBITDA as a primary measure to review and assess the operating performance of our company and our management team in connection with our executive compensation. These non-GAAP key business indicators, which include Adjusted EBITDA, should not be considered replacements for and should be read in conjunction with the GAAP financial measures.

We define Adjusted EBITDA as GAAP net loss adjusted to exclude: (1) interest expense, (2) interest income, (3) provision for income taxes, (4) depreciation and amortization, (5) stock-based compensation expense (5) derivative income (expense) and (6) certain other items management believes affect the comparability of operating results. Please see "Adjusted EBITDA" below for more information and for a reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net income, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

Table 1

Reconciliation of Net Loss to Adjusted EBITDA Quarter Ended March 31, 2017 2016 Net Loss $ (8,669,092) $ (7,692,510) Interest Expense 604,015 926,752 Conversion of debt, etc. 4,106,651 - Gain on derivative liability - (12,941,663) Depreciation and amortization 109,534 147,052 Taxes - - Stock compensation 2,294,160 3,214,732 Adjusted EBITDA $ (1,554,732) $ (960,617)

IPSIDY INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS March 31, December 31, 2017 2016 ASSETS

Current Assets: Cash $ 4,946,012 $ 689,105 Accounts receivable, net 112,634 138,359 Current portion of net investment in direct financing lease 48,734 44,990 Inventory 147,816 150,679 Other current assets 388,200 166,479 Total current assets 5,643,396 1,189,612 Property and Equipment, net 268,386 115,682 Other Assets 693,872 358,343 Intangible Assets, net 3,388,149 3,474,291 Goodwill 6,736,043 6,736,043 Net investment in direct financing lease, net of current 658,877 674,015 Total assets $ 17,388,723 $ 12,547,986 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current Liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 2,089,020 $ 1,687,900 Convertible notes payable, net - 250,000 Derivative liability - 8,388,355 Capital lease obligation, current portion 25,071 - Notes payable, net, current portion 45,646 109,819 Deferred revenue 255,657 398,680 Total current liabilities 2,415,394 10,834,754 Long-term Liabilities: Convertible notes payable, net, less current maturities - 2,245,596 Notes payable, net, less current maturities 1,943,526 3,051,603 Capital lease obligation, net of current portion 136,379 Derivative liability, net of current portion - 9,668,276 Total long-term liabilities 2,079,905 14,965,475 Total liabilities 4,495,299 25,800,229 Commitments and Contingencies Stockholders' Equity (Deficit): Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 500,000,000 shares authorized; 344,093,411 and 234,704,655 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively 34,409 23,470 Additional paid in capital 70,952,037 35,341,669 Stock subscription receivable (830,000) - Accumulated deficit (57,595,085) (48,925,993) Accumulated comprehensive income 332,063 308,611 Total stockholders' equity (deficit) 12,893,424 (13,252,243) Total liabilities and stockholders' equity (deficit) $ 17,388,723 $ 12,547,986

IPSIDY INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS For the three months ended March 31, 2017 2016

Revenues: Products and services $ 565,545 $ 320,746 Lease income 19,144 - Total revenues, net 584,689 320,746 Operating Expenses: Cost of Sales 149,129 118,110 General and administrative 4,255,382 4,392,886 Research and development 28,948 29,072 Depreciation and amortization 109,534 103,079 Total operating expenses 4,543,115 4,643,147 Loss from operations (3,958,422) (4,322,401) Other Income (Expense): (Loss) gain on derivative liability (452,146) 12,941,663 Gain on extinguishment of debt 2,802,235 - (Loss) on conversion of debt (5,978,643) - (Loss) on modification of warrant(s) (158,327) - (Loss) on modification of derivatives (319,770) - Interest expense (604,015) (926,752) Other income (expense), net (4,710,666) 12,014,911 Income loss before income taxes (8,669,092) 7,692,510 Income Taxes - - Net (loss) $ (8,669,092) $ 7,692,510 Net (loss) income per share - Basic $ (0.03) $ 0.04 Net (loss) income per share - Diluted $ (0.03) $ (0.02) Weighted Average Shares Outstanding - Basic 295,596,151 210,816,797 Weighted Average Shares Outstanding - Diluted 295,596,151 270,712,051

IPSIDY INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS For the three months ended March 31, 2017 2016

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING: Net loss $ (8,669,092) $ 7,692,510 Adjustments to reconcile net loss with cash used in operations: Depreciation and amortization expense 109,534 103,079 Stock-based compensation 2,294,160 3,214,732 Common stock issued for services 42,376 270,000 Amortization of debt discount 235,985 655,817 655,817 Amortization of debt issuance costs 268,954 167,700 Loss (gain) on derivative liability 452,146 (12,941,663) Gain on extinguishment of notes payable (2,802,235) - Loss on modification of derivatives 319,770 - Loss on modification of warrants 158,327 - Loss on conversion of debt 5,978,643 - Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable 25,725 731,004 Lease receivable 11,394 - Other current assets (226,174) (32,200) Inventory 2,863 (74,261) Accounts payable and accrued expenses 736,535 (284,877) Deferred revenue (143,012) (70,116) Net cash flows from operating activities (1,204,101) (568,275) CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING: Purchase of property and equipment (4,563) (11,307) Investment in other assets including work in process (343,655) (20,157) Cash acquired in acquisitions - 419,042 Net cash flows from investing activities (348,218) 387,578 CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING: Proceeds from issuance of notes payable and common stock 3,000,000 100,000 Payment of debt issuance cost (86,331) - Proceeds from sale of common stock 2,880,710 - Principal payments on capital lease obligations (1,957) Principal payments on notes payable (14,173) (16,372) Net cash flows from financing activities 5,778,249 83,628 Effect of foreign currencies 30,977 57,229 Net Change in Cash 4,256,907 (39,840) Cash, Beginning of Period 689,105 349,873 Cash, End of Period $ 4,946,012 $ 310,033 Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information: Cash paid for interest $ - $ - Cash paid for income taxes $ - $ - Non-cash Investing and Financing Activities: Issuance of common stock for conversion of debt and related interest $ 21,609,673 $ 21,122 Issuance of common stock for debt issuance costs $ 224,460 $ 76,000 Reclassification of derivatives upon removal of price protection in warrants $ 7,614,974 $- Reclassification of derivative liabilities upon conversion into common stock $ - $ 316,734 Acquisition of equipment due to a capital lease $ 163,407 $ - Acquisition of FIN Holdings (2016): Issuance of common stock as consideration $ - $ 9,000,000 Assumed liabilities - 914,218 Inventory - (112,408) Accounts receivable - (311,867) Property and equipment - (100,339) Intangible assets - (8,970,562) Cash acquired $ - $ 419,042



Contacts:

Ipsidy Inc.

+1-407-951-8640



Philip D. Beck, Chairman, CEO & President

[email protected]



Stuart P. Stoller, CFO

[email protected]



SOURCE Ipsidy Inc.
RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaleo, a privately-held pharmaceutical company, today announced a new charitable product donation program, offering AUVI-Q (epinephrine injection, USP) Auto-injectors free of charge to all public elementary schools in the United States. The new program, "Q Your School," provides up to four AUVI-Q cartons (each carton contains two epinephrine auto-injectors and a Trainer) per school per academic year, as well as access to educational materials on how to identify and respond to life-threatening allergic emergencies.

AUVI-Q (0.15 mg and 0.3 mg) is a FDA-approved prescription medicine used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in people who are at risk for or have a history of serious allergic reactions. It is an epinephrine auto-injector (EAI) with innovative features such as voice instructions that help guide a user with step-by-step instructions through the epinephrine delivery process and an automatic retractable needle system, a first for epinephrine auto-injectors, that injects the epinephrine and retracts the needle back into the device within seconds. AUVI-Q is not a substitute for emergency medical care.

"There are nearly 6 million children, under 18, living with life-threatening allergies," said Spencer Williamson, President and CEO of kaleo. "We are proud to offer the "Q Your School" charitable donation program offering free AUVI-Q Auto-injectors to all public elementary schools across the nation."

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are approximately 67,000 public elementary schools in Americai. Through the Kaleo Cares Product Donation Program, qualified applicants may apply to receive up to four AUVI-Q cartons (each carton contains two epinephrine auto-injectors and a Trainer) per school per academic year, free of charge. There are no obligations, such as marketing or product exclusivity requirements, attached to the "Q Your School" program.

"Schools play an important role in helping to keep kids with food allergies safe," said Melanie Carver, Vice President of Community Services at the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). "This is an exciting program because it helps schools be better prepared to recognize and respond to life-threatening allergic emergencies."

Identical twin brothers, Evan and Eric Edwards, the inventors of AUVI-Q, know what it is like to live with life-threatening allergies, both as patients themselves and parents of food-allergic children. Their goal was to develop an epinephrine auto-injector that contained innovative features, such as a voice instruction system that helps guide patients and caregivers step-by-step through the injection process. Evan and Eric Edwards believe and trust in AUVI-Q, not only for themselves, but also for their children and other families who may have to depend on it to administer epinephrine during an allergic emergency.

"Not all kids with food allergies are the same. They may have different needs and preferences," said Tonya Winders, President & CEO of the Allergy and Asthma Network (AAN). "This is an exciting announcement because it helps schools to be more aware of the various epinephrine auto-injector options now available to students at risk for a life-threatening allergic emergency and know how to use them in an emergency."

For information and an application for the "Q Your School" program, please visit https://kaleopharma.com/who-we-are/kaleo-cares/.

To learn more about AUVI-Q (0.15 mg and 0.3 mg), please visit www.auvi-q.com.

About Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis (pronounced ana-fuh-lak-sis) is a serious allergic reaction that happens quickly and may cause death. Anaphylaxis can occur as a result of exposure to allergens including tree nuts, peanuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, soy, wheat, insect bites, latex and medication, among other allergens.

About AUVI-Q (0.15 mg and 0.3 mg)

AUVI-Q (epinephrine injection, USP) Auto-injector is a prescription medicine used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in people who are at risk for or who have a history of serious allergic reactions. AUVI-Q contains epinephrine, a well-established, first-line treatment for severe, life-threatening allergic reactions that occur as a result of exposure to allergens including food such as peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, dairy, eggs, soy and wheat; insect stings or bites; latex and medication, among other allergens and causes.

AUVI-Q is the only compact epinephrine auto-injector with a voice instruction system that helps guide patients and caregivers step-by-step through the injection process, and a needle that automatically retracts following administration. In anaphylaxis emergencies, it is often individuals without medical training who need to step in and deliver potentially life-saving epinephrine. AUVI-Q was designed through careful analysis of the situations where epinephrine auto-injectors are used and with significant input from the allergy community that relies on it incorporating Human Factors Engineering (HFE). HFE is about designing products or systems that are easy to operate and, most importantly, support correct use, with the goal to remove the potential for error. For more information about AUVI-Q (0.15 mg and 0.3 mg) visit www.auvi-q.com.

Indication

AUVI-Q (epinephrine injection, USP) is a prescription medicine used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in people who are at risk for or have a history of serious allergic reactions.

Important Safety Information

AUVI-Q is for immediate self (or caregiver) administration and does not take the place of emergency medical care. Seek immediate medical treatment after use. Each AUVI-Q contains a single dose of epinephrine. AUVI-Q should only be injected into your outer thigh, through clothing if necessary. If you inject a young child with AUVI-Q, hold their leg firmly in place before and during the injection to prevent injuries. Do not inject into veins, buttocks, fingers, toes, hands, or feet. If you accidentally inject AUVI-Q into any other part of your body, seek immediate medical treatment.

Rarely, patients who use AUVI-Q may develop infections at the injection site within a few days of an injection. Some of these infections can be serious. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms at an injection site: redness that does not go away, swelling, tenderness, or the area feels warm to the touch.

If you have certain medical conditions, or take certain medicines, your condition may get worse or you may have more or longer lasting side effects when you use AUVI-Q. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, especially medicines for asthma. Also tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, especially if you have asthma, a history of depression, thyroid problems, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, heart problems or high blood pressure, have any other medical conditions, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Epinephrine should be used with caution if you have heart disease or are taking certain medicines that can cause heart-related (cardiac) symptoms.

Common side effects include fast, irregular or 'pounding' heartbeat, sweating, shakiness, headache, paleness, feelings of over excitement, nervousness, or anxiety, weakness, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, or breathing problems. These side effects usually go away quickly, especially if you rest. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Please click here to see the full Prescribing Information and the Patient Information at www.auvi-q.com.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

About kaleo (kuh-LAY-oh)

Kaleo is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to building innovative solutions for serious and life-threatening medical conditions. Our mission is to provide innovative solutions that empower patients to confidently take control of their medical conditions. We believe patients and caregivers are the experts on how their medical condition impacts their lives and are an integral part of our product development process. Kaleo is a privately-held company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. For more information, visit www.kaleopharma.com.

i https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=84

Contact: Mark A. Herzog

kaleo

[email protected]

[email protected]

804-545-6360 (office)

SOURCE kaleo

Related Links

http://www.kaleopharma.com


MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kodiak Data today announced that it will partner with Altinity to enable its customers to run powerful, interactive analytics at scale on Kodiak Data MemCloudTM, the edge-cloud for Big Data. The partnership offers a comprehensive set of demo, benchmarking, sandbox and production environments for users of ClickHouse, a leading open-source columnar SQL database used for analytics and reporting. Under this partnership agreement Kodiak Data will offer pre-configured and custom clusters for ClickHouse on MemCloud and Altinity will offer professional services, training, and operational services for ClickHouse.

Leading ClickHouse Service Provider

"We are excited to partner with Altinity, the leading domain experts for ClickHouse, to bring this suite dedicated to simplify evaluation, deployment and operation of ClickHouse," said Kodiak Data's CEO, Som Sikdar. "Users now have a well-proven technology backed by the best service expertise and memory-speed cloud, instead of expensive commercial analytics databases that use dated technology and force vendor lock-in."

"We have worked with Kodiak Data on delivering the first managed ClickHouse solution and have been impressed by the company's ability to offer memory-speed cloud infrastructure to power big data analytics," said Mindaugas Zukas, CEO of Altinity. "By combining the linear performance scalability and real-time report generation capability of ClickHouse with MemCloud, our customers will benefit from ease of administration, unmatched value and performance, and Altinity's 24x7 support."

About Kodiak Data

Kodiak Data is an edge-cloud infrastructure company that allows customers to easily deploy and scale big data infrastructure in both public and private clouds. The Kodiak Data platform is the only solution that can create, within minutes, virtual clusters for cloud, data and storage services that run at memory-speed, and scale to the needs of big data applications and processing. For more information about Kodiak Data, visit our sites at www.kodiakdata.com and info.kodiakdata.com.

About Altinity

Altinity is the leading service provider for ClickHouse  an open-source column-store analytic database. Altinity helps customers around the world take advantage of the cutting edge technology for managing and analyzing extremely large volumes of data without expensive license costs. Altinity provides 24/7 ClickHouse Support and Professional Services. Visit altinity.com or follow us @AltinityDB. For more information, please contact [email protected].

Media Contact:

Sherri Chien-Niclas

[email protected]

408.504.0400

SOURCE Kodiak Data

Related Links

http://www.kodiakdata.com


SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lilis Energy, Inc. (NYSE American: LLEX), an exploration and development company operating in the Permian Basin of West Texas, announced today that Ronald D. Ormand, the Company's Executive Chairman of the Board, will present at EnerCom's The Oil & Gas Conference on Tuesday, August 15, from 9:15-9:40 a.m. Mountain Time in the Conference C Room. A breakout session will follow from 9:40-10:30 a.m. Mountain Time in the Lawrence A Room. Mr. Ormand will discuss the Company's advancements in the Permian's Delaware Basin.

In its 21st year, EnerCom's The Oil & Gas Conference is being held at The Westin Denver, August 13-17. For more information, please visit http://www.theoilandgasconference.com/.

About Lilis Energy, Inc.

Lilis Energy, Inc. is a San Antonio-based independent oil and gas exploration and production company that operates in the Permian's Delaware Basin, considered amongst the leading resource plays in North America. Lilis's total net acreage in the Permian Basin is approximately 10,000 acres. Lilis Energy's near-term E&P focus is to grow current reserves and production and pursue strategic acquisitions in its core areas. For more information, please visit www.lilisenergy.com.

SOURCE Lilis Energy, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.lilisenergy.com


BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LiveXLive Media, Inc. (OTC: LIVX) (the "Company"), one of the world's only premium internet networks devoted to live music and music-related video content, announced today that it has formally changed its company name from "Loton, Corp" to "LiveXLive Media, Inc." and has completed its reincorporation from the State of Nevada to the State of Delaware. The Company's ticker symbol, "LIVX," will remain unchanged.

Robert Ellin, the Company's Executive Chairman and President, said, "Our new name is part of a broader corporate strategy that reflects the Company's goal of becoming a leading destination for premium music video content on the internet. Our name change aligns our historical operations with our strategic acquisitions under one 'LiveXLive Media' corporate brand and preserves the goodwill associated with the 'LiveXLive' platform."

The Company's name change and change in jurisdiction of organization became effective August 2, 2017. Stock certificates previously issued for shares in Loton, Corp, the Nevada corporation, automatically represent shares in LiveXLive Media, Inc., the Delaware corporation, and stockholders are not required to exchange stock certificates as a result of the reincorporation. The reincorporation will have no material impact on the Company's management, employees, customers or its operations. The corporate headquarters will remain in Beverly Hills, California.

Mr. Ellin concluded, "Changing our corporate name to LiveXLive is important to us as we continue to execute on our growth strategy and seek to improve value to our stockholders. We have a strategic plan in place for 2017 that includes uplisting to a national securities exchange, which will allow us to tap into much broader capital market resources."

About LiveXLive Media, Inc.

LiveXLive Media, Inc. ("LiveXLive") is one of the world's only premium internet networks devoted to live music and music-related video content. Since LiveXLive's launch in 2015, LiveXLive has been building an online destination for music fans to enjoy premium live performances from music venues and leading music festivals around the world, such as Rock in Rio, Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival and Hangout Music Festival, as well as premium original content, artist exclusives and industry interviews. The LiveXLive platform has featured performances and content from some of the most popular artists in various music genres, including Rihanna, Katy Perry, Metallica, Duran Duran, Radiohead, Chance The Rapper, Bruce Springsteen, Major Lazer and Maroon 5.

For more information, visit our website at www.livexlive.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @livexlive.

Forward-Looking Statements

All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements." These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These factors include uncertainties as to identifying, acquiring, securing and developing content, ability to attract and retain users, successfully implementing the Company's growth strategy, including relating to its technology platform, management's relationships with industry stakeholders, changes in economic conditions, competition, and other risks including, but not limited to, those described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2017 and its other filings and submissions with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligations to update these statements except as may be required by law.

SOURCE LiveXLive Media, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.livexlive.com


CHICAGO, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Luxury Portfolio International, the luxury face of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World is pleased to announce the speaker list for the 2017 Affluence Forum to be held August 22 and 23 at The Merchandise Mart in Chicago. The two-day event is open to staff members at Luxury Portfolio member-companies as well as selected invited guests.

"Having The Merchandise Mart so near our Chicago office is a real opportunity to do something special," said Paul Boomsma, president of Luxury Portfolio International. "We are excited to be joined by many luxury brands and speakers that work with the high-net-worth, who will offer education on a myriad of trends in the home/shelter industry and more."

Michela O'Connor Abrams, former CEO of Dwell Media and noted lifestyle expert, will speak on the growing trend of experience marketing and how brands can use it as a differentiator for their customers.

"Luxury Portfolio is committed to providing actionable research and information for their members," said O'Connor Abrams. "I've attended their annual conference and been impressed by the variety of speakers they bring together, creating a comprehensive view of the way real estate touches all aspects of our lives."

The agenda will also include the latest research on the affluent consumer from YouGov and Leading Real Estate Companies of the World Chief Economist Dr. Marci Rossell, who will share her analysis of the global economic landscape. The forum will also bring together representatives to speak about the latest trends in home technology, customization, restoration and wealth management from companies such as Barrett's Technology Solutions, The Lord Companies, Fraser Builders and UBS Wealth Management.

Attendees will have enrichment opportunities including an architecture cruise which will showcase some of Chicago's innovative local buildings and visits to some of The Merchandise Mart's showrooms to view the latest in home renovation.

"We are always challenging ourselves to do something different," added Boomsma. "This forum will deliver real value for attendees who need to be conversant with the latest trends in luxury."

For more information on Luxury Portfolio, please visit LuxuryPortfolio.com.

About Luxury Portfolio International

Luxury Portfolio International (www.LuxuryPortfolio.com) is the luxury face of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, the largest global network of premier locally branded companies dominated by many of the world's most powerful independent luxury brokerages. Luxury Portfolio International attracts a global audience of visitors from over 200 countries/territories every month and marketed over 50,000 luxury homes to over three million high-net-worth visitors last year.

Contact: Lion & Orb



Audie Chamberlain

[email protected]

SOURCE Luxury Portfolio International

Related Links

http://www.LuxuryPortfolio.com


LONDON, Aug.7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Malaysia tire market is expected to reach $ 2.26 billion by 2022, on the back of growing demand for vehicles, continuing infrastructure development and increasing purchasing power of consumers. In Malaysia, overall vehicle production grew from 1.11 million units in 2012 to 1.16 million units by 2016, and it is expected to increase further in the coming years as well, thereby imparting growth in Malaysia tire market during forecast period.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5043150/



According to TechSci Research report "Malaysia Tire Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2012  2022", few of the major players operating in Malaysia are Michelin Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Continental Tyre PJ Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Goodyear Rubber Industries Sdn Bhd, Bridgestone Tyre Sales (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Hankook Tire Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Toyo Tyre Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Friendship Rubber Industry (M) Sdn. Bhd., GT Radial, Sumirubber Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., YHI (MALAYSIA) Sdn. Bhd., etc. "Malaysia Tire Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2012  2022" discusses the following aspects of tire market in Malaysia:



- Malaysia Tire Market Size, Share & Forecast

- Segmental Analysis  By Vehicle Type (Sedan & Hatchback, MPV, SUV, & Window Vans), By Demand Category (OEM Vs. Replacement) and By Radial Vs. Bias

- Policy & Regulatory Landscape

- Changing Market Trends & Emerging Opportunities

- Competitive Landscape & Strategic Recommendations



Why You Should Buy This Report?



- To gain an in-depth understanding of Malaysia tire market

- To identify the on-going trends and segment wise anticipated growth in the coming years

- To help industry consultants, tire manufacturer, distributors and other stakeholders align their market-centric strategies

- To obtain research based business decision and add weight to presentations and marketing material

- To gain competitive knowledge of leading market players

- To avail 10% customization in the report without any extra charges and get research data or trends added in the report as per the buyer's specific needs



Report Methodology



The information contained in this report is based on both primary and secondary sources. Primary research included interviews with vehicle manufacturers, distributors, retailers and industry experts. Secondary research included an exhaustive search of relevant publications like company annual reports, financial reports and proprietary databases.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5043150/



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


KELOWNA, British Columbia, August 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Marapharm Ventures Inc. (OTCQB: MRPHF) (CSE: MDM.CN) (FSE: 2M0) ("Marapharm" or the "Company") (http://www.marapharm.com/) announces that approximately $6 million of the common share warrants announced on July 5, 2017 have been reserved and/or paid for. Due to overwhelming interest, Marapharm decided that they will extend the warrant offering to September 15, 2017. Additionally, Marapharm will include new exemptions to make the offering more inclusive.

Further to its press release dated July 5, 2017 announcing a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of up to 80,000,000 common share purchase warrants (the "Warrants") at a price of $0.10 per Warrant for proceeds of up to $8,000,000, the Company may complete a portion of the Offering pursuant to Multilateral CSA Notice 45-318 Prospectus Exemption for Certain Distributions through an Investment Dealer ("CSA 45-318") and the corresponding instruments, orders and rules implementing CSA 45-318 in the participating jurisdictions (collectively with CSA 45-318, the "Investment Dealer Exemption"). In addition to conducting the Offering pursuant to the Investment Dealer Exemption, the Company will also accept subscriptions for Warrants where other prospectus exemptions are available.

In addition, Marapharm will make the Offering available to all existing shareholders of Marapharm who, as of the close of business on July 4, 2017 (such date being one day prior to the initial announcement of the Offering), held Shares (and who continue to hold such Shares as of the closing date), pursuant to the prospectus exemption set out in BC Instrument 45-534 - Exemption from prospectus requirement for certain trades to existing security holders and in similar instruments in other jurisdictions in Canada (the "Existing Shareholder Exemption").

There are conditions and restrictions when relying upon the Existing Shareholder Exemption, namely the subscriber must: (a) be a shareholder of the Company on the record date (and still be a shareholder), (b) be purchasing the Warrants as a principal - that is, for his or her own account and not for any other party, and (c) may not purchase more than $15,000 value of securities from the Company in any 12 month period. There is one exception to the $15,000 subscription limit. In the event that a subscriber wants to purchase more than a $15,000 value of securities, then he or she may do so provided he or she first received suitability advice from a registered investment dealer, and, in this case, subscribers will be asked to confirm the registered investment dealer's identity and employer.

Subscriptions will be accepted by the Company on a 'first come, first served basis'. Therefore, if the Offering is oversubscribed it is possible that a shareholder's subscription may not be accepted by the Company. Additionally, in the event of an imbalance of large subscriptions compared to smaller subscriptions, management reserves the right in its discretion to reduce large subscriptions in favor of smaller shareholder subscriptions.

Further terms and conditions shall be set out in the form of subscription agreement that will be made available to interested shareholders, who are directed to contact the Company.

All securities distributed pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and a day from the date of issuance. Closing of the Offering is subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals.

About Marapharm Ventures Inc.

http://www.marapharm.com



Marapharm has more than 300,000 square feet of medical marijuana licenses for its land and facilities in WA, CA and NV. In Nevada, the 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.





For Further Information:

Linda Sampson

CEO

+1-778-583-4476

email: [email protected]



http://www.marapharm.com

SOURCE Marapharm Ventures Inc.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. and BURLINGTON, Vt., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Seeking to expand the applications of computational, social and data science, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) announced today that it is providing the University of Vermont (UVM) $500,000 to fund an innovative pilot program within the university's Vermont Complex Systems Center.

The partnership with UVM focuses on three specific initiatives:

Funding for a newly created MassMutual Ph.D. Fellowship. This four-year fellowship will provide funding for a Ph.D. student working in data science and complex systems at UVM. The MassMutual fellow will explore research at the intersection of human health and well-being, data science, and complex systems.

This four-year fellowship will provide funding for a Ph.D. student working in data science and complex systems at UVM. The MassMutual fellow will explore research at the intersection of human health and well-being, data science, and complex systems. Supporting faculty collaboration. Through a named research fund, MassMutual will support exploratory questions related to wellness, human behavior and networks with a team of interdisciplinary faculty in UVM's Vermont Complex Systems Center.

Through a named research fund, MassMutual will support exploratory questions related to wellness, human behavior and networks with a team of interdisciplinary faculty in UVM's Vermont Complex Systems Center. Hiring a visual data artist-in-residence. Visual data is an essential tool that communicates complex information clearly, creatively and effectively. The MassMutual Visual Data Artist-in-Residence will partner with Complex Systems Center students and faculty and with MassMutual's data science team to create visualizations that allow people to easily understand and interact with complex data.

"We are excited to be working with the Vermont Complex Systems Center, and the world class research talent it brings to our strategic initiative of blending and applying academic and industrial capabilities to many fundamental issues," said Sears Merritt, MassMutual's head of data science. "Our partnership with UVM aims to enable the development of novel quantitative methods, as well as uncover new insights related to changes and patterns in human behavior and the determinants of social well-being."

The Vermont Complex Systems Center supports data science and complex systems education through interdisciplinary learning, and the Center's Master's and Ph.D. level graduates have gone on to work for leading data science teams in the private sector at major US and international companies. The data science initiative with MassMutual represents the largest single corporate collaboration with the Center since its inception in 2009.

"All of us at the Vermont Complex System Center are very excited about our new and growing connection with MassMutual," said Peter Dodds, director of the Vermont Complex Systems Center. "In this increasingly data-rich age, our students are becoming ever more valuable for companies like MassMutual, and we're also seeing a vast landscape of basic science possibilities."

"MassMutual's investment in the Vermont Complex Systems Center aligns well with two critical campus priorities at UVM  STEM and Health research  so our hope is that this collaboration with MassMutual is the first step in a long-lasting partnership," said Shane Jacobson, president and CEO of the UVM Foundation. The UVM Foundation is spearheading Move Mountains: The Campaign for The University of Vermont to raise private support for UVM as one of the nation's best public research universities.

This new, multi-pronged initiative with the Vermont Complex Systems Center represents MassMutual's latest effort to support data science and cyber initiatives, with the University of Vermont joining MassMutual's expanding list of strategic university research partners.

In the past four years, MassMutual has made several investments in data science initiatives, including a $2 million, four-year program providing Mount Holyoke College and Smith College  both established leaders in educating women  the resources to hire five visiting faculty positions and support the development of a data science-focused curriculum; the opening of a state-of-the-art 5,000-square-foot data science lab in Amherst and, most recently, the MassMutual Foundation in 2016 announced a donation to UMass Amherst of $15 million over 10 years to further strengthen the university's world-class data science and cybersecurity research and education programs in Western Massachusetts.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The field of data science draws on statistical methods to answer questions in an array of disciplines in the sciences, social sciences and humanities. Graduates work in fields ranging from medicine to environmental science, actuarial professions and statistics.

About MassMutual

MassMutual is a leading mutual life insurance company that that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyowners. MassMutual offers a wide range of financial products and services, including life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, annuities, retirement plans and other employee benefits. For more information, visit www.massmutual.com.

About the Vermont Complex Systems Center

The Vermont Complex Systems Center, established in 2009, is an interdisciplinary research and teaching center at the University of Vermont that is focused on complex systems, data science/data analytics, computation, social contagion, and machine learning. Housed in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, the Center's research explores human behavior, relational networks, health and biology, evolutionary robotics, weather prediction, and measuring happiness, among other things. The program offers a Master's degree in Complex Systems and Data Science, a Certificate of Graduate Study in Complex Systems, and supports Ph.D. students focused on complex systems and data science.

About The University of Vermont Foundation

The University of Vermont Foundation is a nonprofit corporation established to secure and manage private support for the benefit of the University of Vermont. The UVM Foundation, in partnership with the University, is currently engaged in a comprehensive campaign with four strategic priorities: student access and scholarship; faculty research and support; student-centered programs; and long-term investments in the physical campus. Move Mountains: The Campaign for The University of Vermont seeks to raise $500 million in private support and assert UVM's position as one of the nation's best public research universities. For further information about giving to UVM, contact the University of Vermont Foundation, 411 Grasse Mount, Burlington VT 05401; 802-656-2010, www.uvmfoundation.org, email [email protected]. For corporate engagement opportunities, contact Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations Alexa Woodward at [email protected].

Contacts:

MassMutual

Michael McNamara

(413) 744 3917

[email protected]

University of Vermont Foundation

Mark Ray

(802) 656 3537

[email protected]

SOURCE MassMutual

Related Links

http://www.massmutual.com


Creating Michael Jackson's Thriller 3D , the original iconic short film, directed by John Landis and written by Landis and Michael Jackson, was not reedited or recut in any way. Rather Optimum Productions brought Landis in and together they supervised an elaborate and labor intensive process that began with the original 35mm film negative from Michael's archives and resulted in a 3D conversion of the acclaimed film using the latest available technology.

To complement the enhanced visuals, all of the audio, including Michael's music, Elmer Bernstein's score and the sound effects, has also been updated to 5.7, 7.1 and Atmos standards in order to create the highest quality audio and visual experience for in theater viewing which is how Michael and Landis intended the film to be enjoyed.

In making the announcement, John Landis said, "I am so happy to have had the chance not only to restore but enhance Michael Jackson's Thriller! We took full advantage of the remarkable advances in technology to add new dimensions to both the visual and the audio bringing it to a whole new level. Even though Thriller was shot traditionally, I was able to use the 3-D creatively. Let me just warn you, there is a rather shocking surprise in there!"

John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of the Estate of Michael Jackson said, "Michael Jackson made Thriller a rich theatrical experience: fun, funny, scary and wildly entertaining. No one before or since has made anything like it. Michael Jackson's Thriller 3D is a modern day technical enhancement of his and John Landis' original vision, and I think fans will love it."

From the beginning Michael Jackson and John Landis set out to produce Thriller with the aesthetics of a feature film. Michael was a fan of An American Werewolf In London, and called Landis to collaborate on the project. Academy Award-winning make-up artist Rick Baker was brought in for the elaborate prosthetic transformation of Michael and the cast. Michael Peters collaborated with Michael on the choreography. John Branca, Michael's attorney at the time and now the co-executor of his Estate with John McClain, worked out a deal with MTV and Showtime for a first of its kind "making of" documentary, Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller, to offset the cost of making the short film.

Thriller premiered at the AVCO Theatre in Los Angeles in 1983, and it sold out every night for three weeks. No other music film generated such excitement and has such a hold on our attention, such that more than three decades later, we all share it as a collective memory and it remains the only music video to be inducted into the elite National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. It is fitting that Michael Jackson's Thriller 3D and Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller will premiere at the prestigious Venice Film Festival, the oldest film festival in the world. The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller was available on VHS from 1983-1990, and has never been available for purchase in any format since then. Its screening in Venice will mark the first time that the award-winning documentary has ever been shown in a theater.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The following provided services for the creation of Michael Jackson's Thriller 3D:

2D Film Restoration  Deluxe Lab

3D Film Conversion  Legend3D

Audio Work  NBCUniversal Studio Post Feature Sound

and Humberto Gatica and Martin Nessi

SOURCE the Estate of Michael Jackson

Related Links

http://www.mjthriller.net/


MELVILLE, N.Y. and DAVIDSON, N.C., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MSC INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY CO. (NYSE: MSM), a premier distributor of Metalworking and Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) products and services to industrial customers throughout North America, has acquired DECO Tool Supply Co., an industrial supply distributor based in Davenport, Iowa.

The transaction was completed on July 31, 2017. DECO's annual revenue was approximately $100 million in 2016, generated by 190-plus associates across 10 branch offices located primarily in the Midwest. DECO's sales force and branch footprint complements MSC's coverage in the region. In time, MSC will be able to provide DECO customers access to MSC's one million-plus product portfolio to support their full metalworking and MRO needs.

"We are extremely excited about the acquisition of DECO, which has long been one of the best metalworking distributors in the country, with a well-earned reputation for integrity, customer service and quality. DECO is a perfect fit with our strategic plan as the acquisition enhances our metalworking business, which is the foundation of MSC. DECO brings a talented team with considerable experience and expertise, and strengthens our presence in several important markets in the Midwest," said MSC President and CEO Erik Gershwind. "We are equally excited by the expanded offering MSC can bring to the DECO customers, including a broad and deep MRO product portfolio, next-day delivery, inventory management solutions and more."

Both DECO and MSC each bring more than 70 years of expertise in metalworking and MRO solutions.

"DECO and MSC represent a powerful combination. Both organizations offer decades of metalworking expertise through top-notch people who put the customer first. Leveraging the strengths of DECO and MSC will provide our customers greater product offerings, service levels and value-added solutions to help them succeed," said DECO President Dennis Quinn.

About MSC

MSC Industrial Supply Co. (NYSE:MSM) is a leading North American distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) products and services. We help our customers drive greater productivity, profitability and growth with more than 1 million products, inventory management and other supply chain solutions, and deep expertise from over 75 years of working with customers across industries.

Our experienced team of more than 6,000 associates is dedicated to working side by side with our customers to help drive results for their businesses - from keeping operations running efficiently today to continuously rethinking, retooling, and optimizing for a more productive tomorrow.

For more information on MSC, please visit mscdirect.com.

SOURCE MSC Industrial Supply Co.

Related Links

http://www.MSCdirect.com


Selected by NASA as a mission specialist in 1998, Dr. Reisman has experienced some of the most extreme environments. In 2003, Dr. Reisman was a crewmember on NEEMO V, living on the bottom of the sea in the Aquarius habitat for two weeks. In 2008 he completed his first space flight; going on to log over 107 days in space on two different missions. With three different EVA space walks totaling over 21 hours suspended outside of the shuttle and operation of the Space Station Robotic Arm, Dr. Reisman has a first-hand perspective of what technological innovation can achieve.

Currently Director of Space Operations for SpaceX, Dr. Reisman has played a pivotal role in readying the SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft to transport people into space.

"Dr. Reisman is the perfect person to set the tone for this year's LANAP Study Club," states Dawn Gregg, DDS, Training Director of the Institute for Advanced Laser Dentistry (IALD). "The cornerstone of space exploration is to aim for the stars and broaden the horizons of what is feasible. Similarly, the LANAP protocol does for dentistry what was previously thought to be impossible - regrow bone."

"Like Space X privatizing space flight, achieving True Periodontal Regeneration without foreign biologics was once considered a foolish endeavor," adds Robert H. Gregg II, DDS, inventor of the LANAP protocol. "Through innovative application of technology, we are able to achieve the Holy Grail of periodontal healing - regeneration."

Hosted by the Institute for Advanced Laser Dentistry and sponsored by Millennium Dental Technologies, Inc., this year's meeting will be held on September 8, 2017 at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf, MA. The event concludes with world-class fellowship reception overlooking the beautiful Boston Harbor.

The meeting is open to all LANAP clinicians and earns 8 hours of CE credits. Space is limited, with early bird registration available through August 25.

ABOUT MILLENNIUM DENTAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.: Millennium Dental Technologies, Inc., is the developer of the LANAP protocol for the treatment of gum disease and the manufacturer of the PerioLase MVP-7 digital dental laser. MDT's FDA-cleared LANAP protocol removes the fear from gum disease treatment, offering a vastly less painful and less invasive regenerative treatment alternative to conventional surgery. The company's founding clinician, Robert H. Gregg, II, continues to operate the company with the vision: To create better clinical outcomes in periodontal disease patientsand to remain true to the guiding principle"It's all about the patient."

SOURCE Millennium Dental Technologies, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.lanap.com


SAN DIEGO, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today is Purple Heart Day, a day when the nation honors the men, women, and their families who have sacrificed for their country. One of the biggest ways our nation can honor Veterans is to ensure they and their families have a safe place to call home. In support of this effort, mayors and credit unions in cities across the country are working with the National League of Cities, Purple Heart Homes, and The Home Depot Foundation to officially kick-off of the second annual Operation Veteran Home Renovation campaign, created to help older, approved Veterans and their caregivers with needed home modifications.

Selecting approved veterans in Hattiesburg Mayor's office Ben Donald, Keesler Branch Manager; Vicki Thomas, Purple Heart Homes; Ann Jones, Mayor's Chief Administrative Officer; Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker; Valerie Arnold, Project City Leader OVHR/NLC; Elisha Harig-Blaine, Principal Housing Associate (Veterans and Special Needs) National League of Cities; Carol Lucas, Business Development Officer, Keesler Federal Credit Union Receiving a check from Dover Federal Credit Union for materials to build a ramp for a WWII Veteran. The ramp was constructed by the Home Builders Association of Delaware Photo (l-r) Tyler Kuhn, Community Relations Officer, Chaz Rzewnicki, President and CEO of Dover Federal Credit Union; Sue Yocum, Community Relations officer; Vicki Thomas, Purple Heart Homes

The campaign was announced today in San Diego at the Defense Credit Union Council's Annual Conference where, as a show of support for troops and their families, Purple Heart Homes was selected as the 2017 charity organization. The Defense Credit Union Council is raising funds at the conference with a silent auction, a 50-50 raffle, raffle for a donated handmade blanket, and mulligan sales from this year's 24th Annual VADM Vince Lacara Gold Tournament. All proceeds will be donated to Purple Heart Homes.

"We are grateful to be working with the National League of Cities, mayors, credit unions and The Home Depot Foundation to help more older veterans live safely and with dignity in their homes," said Dale Beatty, Purple Heart Homes Co-Founder and Strategic Development Officer. "Older veterans live in homes built in the 1950's and 1960's that oftentimes are not suited for service connected disabilities combined with normal aging issues in later life."

Mayors in seven cities are participating in the campaign. Each city will help identify veterans who need home modifications and to organize volunteers to work on approved projects. Credit unions are supporting these efforts by volunteering and raising much needed funds of up to $5,000 for approved veterans to receive ramps, grab bars, fresh coat of paint, or to help with yard cleanup.

The seven cities include:

Fayetteville, NC/Fort Bragg Federal Credit Union;

Hattiesburg, MS/Keesler Federal Credit Union;

Mobile, AL, with help from the Young Professionals Group (YPG) that represents several credit unions in Mobile;

Tacoma, WA/Sound Credit Union

Winston-Salem, NC/ Allegacy Federal Credit Union;

Colorado Springs, CO  financial partner to be announced

Rochester, NY- financial partner to be announced

"In cities across the country, mayors and local leaders know the critical importance of a safe place to call home," said Clarence Anthony, CEO and Executive Director of the National League of Cities. "We are proud to join with national partners and local stakeholders across the country to honor the sacrifice of our veterans by enabling them to remain in their communities."

The campaign kicks-off officially on August 7 and approved projects can be started any time, but must all be completed by Veteran's Day, November 11, 2017.

The National League of Cities and Purple Heart Homes are national partners of The Home Depot Foundation. The Foundation has encouraged its partners to collaborate on improving efficiencies in order to help more older veterans age safely in place.

The Home Depot Foundation works to improve the homes and lives of U.S. military veterans and their families. Since 2011, it has transformed more than 33,000 homes and facilities for Veterans across the country and is growing its commitment to veteran-related causes to $250 million by 2020.

Other credit unions participating in Operation: Veteran Home Renovation include: Dover Federal Credit Union in Dover, DE; Travis Credit Union in Vacaville, CA; Peach State Federal Credit Union in Lawrenceville, GA; Scott Credit Union in Edwardsville, IL; Tinker Federal Credit Union in Oklahoma City; Robins Financial Credit Union in Warner Robins, GA; United Federal Credit Union in Statesville, NC.

Purple Heart Day commemorates the creation of the Purple Heart Medal in 1782. The Purple Heart is awarded to those who were wounded or killed while serving in the US military. Dale Beatty and John Gallina, Purple Heart Homes co-founders, were both wounded on November 15, 2004, while serving in Iraq and both received the Purple Heart medal. Veterans approved for Operation: Veteran Home Renovation need not have a Purple Heart medal.

To learn more about Operation: Veteran Home Renovation and how to get involved, contact: Vicki Thomas, Purple Heart Homes (203) 984-2138 or email to [email protected]

ABOUT THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES

The National League of Cities (NLC) is dedicated to helping city leaders build better communities. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns, and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans. www.nlc.org

ABOUT PURPLE HEART HOMES

Purple Heart Homes is a 501(c)3 founded by Dale Beatty and John Gallina, two Iraq combat-wounded Veterans who remain on a mission to provide housing solutions to Service Connected Disabled Veterans and their families. Driven by the belief that no Veterans should be left behind, Purple Heart Homes, together with the community. Is committed to ensuring quality of life solutions for disabled American Veterans of all eras. www.phhusa.org

SOURCE Purple Heart Homes

Related Links

http://www.phhusa.org


Jared Wosleger, Lockton's property risk cyber expert in New York, explains in the white paper " From Third to First: A Game-Changing Play in Cyber Risk ," that cyber should also be looked at as a property issue and underwriters need to pay attention as the risks propagate.

"Just one cyber event can cause multiple losses in unanticipated ways," Wosleger said. "Unlike a wind event, which poses a threat to a specific region or number of locations, a cyber-attack poses a serious aggregation issue that can be a catastrophe waiting to happen."

Max Perkins, co-author of the white paper and Lockton's London-based expert on technology and privacy risk explains that while insurers have not historically looked at cyber as a property issue, it is increasingly becoming one.

"Companies must work to better understand their cyber exposures as boards and shareholders focus more on this threat and the public perception that the playing field favors the attackers," Perkins said. "In order to aid this process, insurance carriers continue to adjust their appetites to take on cyber risk, with the property insurance market being the first of the traditional markets to move."

Hackers no longer only have criminal intent like stealing personal data, but have political or terroristic motivations. Britain's security services concluded that North Korea was behind the WannaCry ransomware attack the first of its kind conducted by a nation state that affected Britain's National Health Service, FedEx, Germany's railway system and others.

Another emerging threat that is outpacing available defenses is attacks on physical devices and assets. The Internet of Things (IoT) has allowed individuals to control their environment via smartphones. It has also introduced connected devices to be exposed to physical attacks. Companies are using IoT to remotely control machinery and equipment which leaves them exposed to their physical assets being disrupted.

Businesses who do not take steps to mitigate their cyber risk can become exposed to first-party consequences like:

Property damage

Network interruption

Data corruption

Theft of intellectual property

Cyber extortion

Reputational damage

Addressing cyber risk as a property issue is a relatively new concept but aggressive action needs to be taken since risks are continuing to multiply. The insurance industry must innovate to remain an indispensable partner and Lockton experts are keeping up to help guide clients through the evolving landscape of unforeseen threats.

About Lockton

Lockton is a global professional services firm with 6,500 Associates who advise clients on protecting their people, property and reputations. Lockton has grown to become the world's largest privately held, independent insurance broker by helping clients achieve their business objectives.

For eight consecutive years, Business Insurance magazine has recognized Lockton as a "Best Place to Work in Insurance." To see the latest insights from Lockton's experts, check Lockton Market Update.

SOURCE Lockton

Related Links

http://www.lockton.com


BOSTON, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ilene Strongin-Garry, Manager, Knowledge Management and Sharing Culture Champion at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and a Northern Light SinglePoint portal administrator for the past five years, has received a 2017 "Outstanding Woman in Travel Research" award from Women in Travel and Tourism International (WITTI).

Strongin-Garry was honored recently as part of the annual WITTI Awards program based on the evaluation results of a panel of peers from WITTI, an association with a network of over 14,000 women working in the travel industry around the globe. She was selected from among more than 80 nominees.

"We are excited for and extremely proud of Ilene for receiving this significant industry recognition," C. David Seuss, CEO of Northern Light, said. "She is a consummate knowledge management professional that understands how to deliver high value business intelligence to decision makers within IHG. Ilene is a creative 'power user' and administrator of Northern Light SinglePoint, IHG's strategic research portal. Ilene conceived KnowledgeNet from scratch, loaded it with high value content, and built an array of strategic dashboards and newsletters that deliver timely news, research, and analyses tailored to the needs of IHG for business decision-making purposes."

Seuss noted that many organizations Northern Light works with across all industries have women in leadership roles in market research and competitive intelligence. "Over sixty percent of the SinglePoint market research and competitive intelligence staffs we serve are women," Seuss said. "We applaud the WITTI for its advocacy of women in leadership roles in the travel industry and we applaud all the women in market research and competitive intelligence across all industries."

Strongin-Garry began her career with IHG (then Bass Hotels & Resorts) in 1999. Starting out by creating an access database for primary research at IHG in 2001, Strongin-Garry has built a world-class knowledge management function, cultivating a sharing culture across the enterprise and identifying and procuring market intelligence resources to meet the critical business research needs of IHG colleagues across the globe. She is the focal point of access to authoritative information by the business. She is also responsible for starting the competitive intelligence and market trends functions for IHG.

IHG is a global organization with a broad portfolio of hotel brands. IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns nearly 5,200 hotels and 770,000 guest rooms in almost 100 countries, with nearly 1,500 hotels in its development pipeline.

About Northern Light

Northern Light has been providing strategic research platforms for competitive intelligence and market research insights to global enterprises since 1996. In addition, Northern Light pioneered the application of machine learning and cognitive computing for the automated analysis and extraction of meaning from large collections of market research and competitive intelligence. Northern Light's current clients include 10 of Boston Consulting Group's 50 "Most Innovative Companies" of 2016, and Fortune 1000 leaders across multiple industries such as information technology, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and life sciences. Northern Light has over 250,000 users of its strategic research portals. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Northern Light has unique content aggregation partnerships with more than 150 of the world's leading syndicated technology and industry research publishers, aggregates business and technology news from over 6,000 news sources, and is a charter member of the Center for Complex Systems and Enterprises at the Stevens Institute of Technology.

Media Contact:

David Domeshek

(508) 873-7068

[email protected]

SOURCE Northern Light

Related Links

http://www.northernlight.com


KELOWNA, British Columbia, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hotdiggiddy.com is a new, Canadian based, online dating site that focuses on connecting people who love dogs. You do not have to own a dog, just love them.



Hotdiggiddy has been created as a "Social Dating Site" for Dog Lovers who are interested in finding someone to date, or, find a platonic relationship with another like minded person or people (dog lovers).

At Hotdiggiddy they believe that most people who are responsible for the life of a dog are usually warm, loving people who are capable of caring for another human being, whether it is their significant other or one of their friend(s).



"Have you ever invited someone over for a visit and as soon as they walked in the door your dog immediately reacted to them? Not in a nice way. Well, we have time and again. We find that the people who our dogs like are usually people who we can trust and get along with; even if they are not dog owners themselves. These people just seem to give off good vibes that you and your dog can feel," says Scott Murray, Hotdiggiddy's CEO.



Hotdiggiddy is looking for people living life to the fullest, they accept anyone over the age of 18, but their key demographic would be 30 years of age and up. They want people who enjoy life, who have been around a bit and have a good head on their shoulders, and obviously, people who love dogs.



Hotdiggiddy is where single dog-lovers come together for everything from a walk in the dog park, a hike with their dogs or a meeting at the local dog friendly cafe.



Photos:

https://www.prlog.org/12656684



Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE Hotdiggiddy

Related Links

http://Hotdiggiddy.com


HOUSTON, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Parkway, Inc. ("Parkway") (NYSE:PKY) announced today that it will hold a Special Meeting of its Stockholders (the "Special Meeting") on Monday, September 25, 2017, at 1:00 p.m. Central Time, at 5847 San Felipe Street, Houston, Texas 77057. At the Special Meeting, Parkway's stockholders will be asked to consider and vote on a proposal to approve the previously announced merger of Parkway with affiliates of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board ("CPPIB"), with Parkway surviving such merger, and the other transactions contemplated by the related merger agreement and a proposal to adjourn the Special Meeting if there are not sufficient votes at the Special Meeting to approve the merger proposal. The record date for determination of stockholders entitled to vote at the Special Meeting has been set as the close of business on Monday, August 7, 2017.

About Parkway

Parkway, Inc. is an independent, publicly traded, self-managed real estate investment trust ("REIT") that owns and operates high-quality office properties located in attractive submarkets in Houston, Texas. As of June 30, 2017, our portfolio consists of five Class A assets comprising 19 buildings and totaling approximately 8.7 million rentable square feet in the Greenway, Galleria and Westchase submarkets of Houston.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release, including those that express a belief, expectation or intention, as well as those that are not statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws and as such are based upon Parkway's current beliefs as to the outcome and timing of future events. There can be no assurance that actual future developments affecting Parkway will be those anticipated by Parkway. Parkway cautions investors that any forward-looking statements presented in this press release are based on management's beliefs and assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. When used, the words "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "guidance," "intend," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "should," "will," "result" or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters are intended to identify forward-looking statements. You can also identify forward-looking statements by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties (some of which are beyond Parkway's control) and are subject to change based upon various factors, including but not limited to the following risks and uncertainties: the ability of Parkway to obtain required stockholder approval required to consummate the proposed merger; the satisfaction or waiver of other conditions in the merger agreement; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Parkway and others related to the merger agreement; the risk that the merger, or the other transactions contemplated by the merger agreement may not be completed in the time frame expected by the parties or at all; the ability of Parkway to implement its operating strategy; changes in economic cycles; and competition within the office properties real estate industry; and other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Parkway's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties occur, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, Parkway's business, financial condition, liquidity, cash flows and results could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statement. While forward-looking statements reflect Parkway's good faith beliefs, they are not guarantees of future performance. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New risks and uncertainties arise over time, and it is not possible for us to predict the occurrence of those matters or the manner in which they may affect us. Except as required by law, Parkway undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, of new information, data or methods, future events or other changes.

Additional Information About the Proposed Transaction and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed transactions, Parkway expects to file with the SEC a proxy statement, which proxy statement will be mailed or otherwise disseminated to Parkway's stockholders when it becomes available. Parkway also plans to file other relevant documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transactions. INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. You may obtain a free copy of the proxy statement (if and when it becomes available) and other relevant documents filed by Parkway with the SEC at the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed by Parkway will be available free of charge on its website at www.pky.com, or by directing a written request to Parkway, Inc., One Orlando Centre, 800 North Magnolia Avenue, Suite 1625, Orlando, Florida 32803, Attention: Investor Relations.

Parkway and its directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transactions. You can find information about the Parkway's directors and executive officers in Parkway's definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on April 5, 2017 in connection with its 2017 annual meeting of stockholders. Additional information regarding the interests of such potential participants will be included in the proxy statement and other relevant documents filed with the SEC if and when they become available. You may obtain free copies of these documents from Parkway using the sources indicated above.

Contact:

Thomas Blalock

Vice President, Finance & Capital Markets

(407) 581-2915

SOURCE Parkway, Inc.
DIAMOND BAR, Calif., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- QTC Medical Services, Inc. (QTC), a Leidos (NYSE: LDOS) company, was awarded its second prime contract by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to continue to provide medical disability examinations for the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). The contract has a one-year base period of performance, four one-year options, and a total contract ceiling of $6.8 billion, if all options are exercised. This second award follows the initial award of VBA's only nationwide contract supporting disability examinations for separating and retiring Department of Defense servicemembers.

The series of contract awards is part of a VA initiative to improve disability examination experiences for Veterans through an efficient and streamlined process. The new program management and delivery process will also continue to ensure broad national and international coverage of medical examination requirements to meet Veterans' needs worldwide. Under the contract, QTC will apply its 30-year expertise in providing high-quality, technology-driven exam solutions to continue to provide the VBA with medical disability examination services. QTC will use its customized, systematic operational workflow to administer evaluations, supported by innovative technology that will help VA achieve efficiency and accuracy goals.

"Our Veterans deserve an expedient, efficient and reliable system to provide medical disability examinations. We're proud the Department of Veterans Affairs has entrusted QTC to continue to provide these important services for our Veterans," said QTC President Grant Kim.

About QTC Medical Services

QTC Medical Services, Inc., acquired by Leidos in 2016, partners with each customer to identify existing and forecasted program needs and delivers a full complement of disability-focused medical examination and diagnostic testing services. Since 2000, QTC has provided more than 4.5 million physical examinations and diagnostic tests.

About Leidos

Leidos is a FORTUNE 500 science and technology solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company's 32,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $7.04 billion for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2016. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 30, 2016, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

SOURCE Leidos

Related Links

http://www.leidos.com


LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Radial announced today its plan to bring on an additional 100 workers in Lawrenceville, Georgia, to support the busiest time of year in the retail industry. As more people shop online, job opportunities in the fulfillment and transportation sectors have expanded dramatically to ensure consumers' holiday packages arrive at their doors on time.

Radial understands the importance of providing a positive work experience for its seasonal hires. Seasonal workers will have access to competitive hourly wages, overtime and holiday pay, flexible work schedules, employee discounts, and a referral bonus program. The fulfillment center in Lawrenceville also provides holiday meals and fun events, giving workers a chance to unwind while at work.

For workers who may be looking for something more long term, Radial converted over a thousand seasonal employees last year into full-time roles after the holidays.

At the fulfillment center in Lawrenceville, seasonal hires will have the chance to work with some of the world's favorite brands and retailers. Workers will source orders and send them to their final destinations faster using Radial's technology, fulfillment and transportation solutions.

"We're thrilled to be creating so many additional jobs in Lawrenceville, many of which may lead to full-time opportunities. If you value quality, excellence and the best customer service possible, and you thrive in an energized, fast-paced and rewarding workplace culture, we'd love to have you work with us," said Kelly Scally, Director, Strategic Staffing, at Radial. "Whether you're looking to earn extra cash for the holidays or wanting to get your foot in the door at Radial, seasonal work is a great place to start."

To learn more about seasonal job openings in Lawrenceville, visit www.radial.com/jobs.

About Radial

Radial is the leader in omnichannel commerce technology and operations, enabling brands and retailers to profitably exceed retail customer expectations. Radial's technical, powerful omnichannel solutions connect supply and demand through efficient fulfillment and transportation options, intelligent fraud detection, payments, and tax systems, and personalized customer care services.

Hundreds of retailers and brands confidently partner with Radial to simplify their post-click commerce and improve their customer experiences. Radial brings flexibility and scalability to their supply chains and optimizes how, when and where orders go from desire to delivery. Learn how we work with you at www.radial.com.

Media Contact:

Laura Beauregard

PAN Communications for Radial

407-734-7320

[email protected]

SOURCE Radial

Related Links

http://www.radial.com


NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- RiskPro, announced a full integration agreement and an imminent launch of their cutting edge technology with Cantella & Co., Inc. of Boston, MA.

As the fiduciary standard is adopted across the wealth management industry, RiskPro is providing Financial Advisors with a mathematically sound approach to assisting clients in determining their true risk budget and constructing portfolios that are aligned with that risk budget. Not only will advisors have a strong, repeatable methodology in place, but they will also have ongoing compliance help. RiskPro's portfolio surveillance technology with ongoing monitoring is especially appealing to firms in the industry.

Jennie Devlin, President, Cantella & Co. commented, "In our long search through vendors, we found RiskPro to be the 'real deal.' Number one, they are Financial Advisors first, so they speak our language and know our business. Second, RiskPro has a highly accessible and creative IT Team, which worked closely with us, offering great ideas for a customized implementation. Finally, the business and the IT Team are in sync. In fact, what ended up being extremely valuable to us was RiskPro's advisory support team, who is providing hands on training and ongoing support to each of our advisors. That was a huge benefit."

About RISKPRO

RiskPro was developed by ProTools, LLC, a technology company headquartered in Newport Beach, CA. RiskPro was designed by financial advisors and built by econometricians to serve as a revolutionary risk profiling and portfolio construction system, which enables financial advisors to improve the client experience. Through RiskPro, advisors can meet their fiduciary responsibilities to provide clients with prudent investment advice. For more information, visit www.riskproadvisor.com

About Cantella & Co., Inc.

Cantella & Co., Inc., is a national broker/dealer located in the Financial District of Boston. Our experienced financial advisors utilize a vast array of wealth management tools to help individuals, families, and business owners develop investment portfolios and strategies to meet their short and long-term goals. For more info, visit: www.cantella.com

PACIFIC FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC

Pacific Financial Group, an investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is an affiliate of ProTools and the exclusive distributor of RiskPro. Pacific Financial is based in Newport Beach, CA.

SOURCE RiskPro

Related Links

http://www.riskproadvisor.com


LONDON, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Slovenia's regulator and government initiate 5G trials

Slovenia's fixed-line telecom market remains dominated by Telekom Slovenije. The company has endeavoured to address declining revenue by diversifying its business interests and lessening its reliance pure telecom services. In response to domestic competition the telco has also developed an international presence, focused predominantly on the Balkans region where it is becoming a regional provider of IT and multimedia services.





Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3365825/







The broadband market continues to be dominated by a small number of players. Despite the launch of competing platforms, DSL remains the most popular access method though its market share is being eroded by the steady development of fibre-based networks, as well as by upgraded cable networks which offer data rates of up to 220Mb/s. The deployment of DOCSIS3.1 technology expected among cablcos from about 2018 will provide services of at least 1Gb/s, and so enable the operators to improve the delivery of bundled services.



Increased internet usage and activity has characterised an emerging internet society, comprised of e-government, e-commerce and e-health among other services. Digital TV availability is expanding via cable, IPTV, satellite and terrestrial free-to-air platforms, increasing competition and choice for end-users. Slovenia was among the first countries in Europe to switch from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting, and so has been able to make use of digital dividend spectrum for mobile broadband services.



The competitive mobile market has four mobile network operators and a small number of mobile virtual network operators. With high mobile penetration, telcos have branched into offering both mobile and fixed-line services so as to offer bundled products. This strategy saw the cableco Telemach acquire Tusmobil and Si.mobil merge with Amis Telekom, with both of the latter being rebranded as A1 Slovenia in April 2017.



The regulator has addressed the need of mobile operators to be provided with more spectrum. In 2013 additional concessions were made available, while a significant multi-spectrum auction was held in 2014. An auction for left-over spectrum in the 1800MHz and 2100MHz bands was held in late 2016, with Telemach securing all three blocks on offer. Another auction for fixed-wireless broadband services using spectrum in the 3.5GHz, 10GHz and 12GHz bands is expected to be held later in 2017, mainly for the provision of fixed-wireless broadband services.



This report offers a variety of insightful statistics and a concise overview of Slovenia's fixed-line telecoms market, covering the major players, regulatory measures and developments in fixed-line infrastructure. The report also offers analyses and statistics on the mobile market, including updates on operators and regulatory measures as well as developments relating to LTE and 5G. In addition, the report covers the fixed-line broadband market, including subscription forecasts to 2022 as well as an overview of the digital media sector, highlighting major players and industry developments.



Key developments:



Si.mobil and Amis Telekom rebranded as A1 Slovenia;

Alternative operator T-2 avoids bankruptcy proceedings;

Sharp rise in VoIP connections as PSTN declines;

Telecoms sector investment recovers from economic downturn;

Proportion of access lines on NGNs continues to grow;

CME sells POP TV;

Telemach acquires the ISP Maxtel;

Government broadband program targets extending FttP to 90% of the population by 2020;

Regulator determines that the three mobile licensees have met LTE coverage obligations;

A1 Slovenia trials carrier aggregation technology to provide data at up to 877.5Mb/s;

Regulator and Ministry of Public Administration initiate a number of trials for the use of 5G technologies;

Regulator opens consultation into auction of spectrum in the 3.5GHz, 10GHz and 12GHz bands;

Report update includes the regulator's market report to December 2016, State Statistical data to Q4 2016, telcos' operating and financial data to Q1 2017; recent market developments.





Companies mentioned in this report:



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3365825/



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

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BOLINGBROOK, Ill., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As September approaches, many families, teachers and school districts are tasked with Back to School shopping to prepare for the upcoming school year. For some, the cost of school supplies can be a burden.

Boxes filled with Sharp and Victor scientific calculators make their way to Kids In Need Foundation!

The dedicated people at Kids In Need Foundation understand this trying situation. Through their robust network of donors, distribution centers, employees and volunteers, Kids In Need Foundation supported 5.4 million students and more than 150,000 teachers in 2016 with the school supplies those students and teachers needed to have a successful school year.

Victor Technology is proud to partner with Kids In Need Foundation for the 2017-2018 school year with a donation of over 200 Sharp and Victor branded scientific calculators worth $2,600. The donated calculators range from basic scientific calculators needed for algebra classes up to advanced scientific calculators for courses such as calculus, physics and engineering.

Want to help students in your community? Kids In Need Foundation accepts donations from the public. Learn more on their site: www.kinf.org

Sharp calculators are distributed in the United States and Latin America by Victor Technology LLC. Victor Technology is an American owned and operated supplier of printing, scientific, financial, and basic calculators as well as desktop accessories. Sharp and Victor calculators can be purchased online at many of the leading school supply retailers such as Staples, Office Depot, Meijer, Amazon and online at: www.victortech.com and www.sharpcalculators.com

Media Contact:

Shannon O'Connell

630-754-4400

[email protected]

SOURCE Victor Technology

Related Links

http://www.victortech.com


PHOENIX, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Virtua Partners announced today that it has completed the sale of a 2.32-acre hotel site located off the Southeast corner of McDowell Road and 91st Avenue in the City of Tolleson. An affiliated entity, Virtua West Valley Hotels, purchased the site for $1,010,592 or $10 per square foot. Virtua affiliate Quyp Hospitality plans to build a Fairfield Inn and Suites on the site.

Future site of Fairfield Inn and Suites in the City of Tolleson

The 2.32-acre parcel is part of an approximately 21-acre mixed use site that Virtua purchased in May of 2016 for $2,550,000, or $2.83 per square foot. The project zoning and site plan were processed through the City of Tolleson and approved in February of this year. Sales activity on the project has been strong and two additional commercial lots are in escrow and expected to close in the next 60 days.

"The Phoenix regional economy continues to perform strongly," said Nick Montague, President of Quyp Development. "The underlying economic fundamentals appear solid and we are expanding our Phoenix Area development pipeline. We currently have 20 development projects located across the metroplex in Phoenix, Mesa, Peoria, Avondale, Tolleson, Goodyear, Glendale, and Queen Creek."

Virtua Partners affiliate Versant Commercial Brokerage, Inc. assisted in structuring the transaction.

About Virtua Partners: Virtua Partners is a private equity firm specializing in commercial real estate. Virtua sponsors a variety of investment funds and commercial real estate projects across the United States and currently has 16 million square feet of assets under management or development.

Our investment products range from fixed income to aggressive growth in a variety of asset types including office, flex office, industrial, hospitality, single family residential, multi-family and mixed-use projects. Virtua Partners and its affiliates provide debt and equity origination, asset and property management, debt restructuring, commercial real estate development, and fund management.

Please visit http://www.virtuapartners.com to learn more about our investor services.

Media Contact:

Derek Uldricks

619-764-9633

SOURCE Virtua Partners

Related Links

http://www.virtuapartners.com


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Caracas, Aug 3 : Venezuelan Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz has announced the opening of an investigation into the alleged manipulation of results from the July 30 Constituent Assembly election.

"I have appointed two prosecutors to investigate the four directors of the National Electoral Council (CNE) for this very scandalous act," Ortega said in a CNN interview on Wednesday, after the company responsible for the election's voting system reported that the voter turnout data was "tampered with".

"We are also evaluating to go to international organizations, once we are facing possible crimes against humanity," the prosecutor added.

According to the CNE, a total of 8,089,320 people or 41.53 per cent of the electorate participated in the election, on a day marked by nationwide violent protests and the deaths of at least 10 people during riots.

However Antonio Mugica, CEO of Smartmatic, the company that installed around 24,000 electronic voting machines in Venezuela, said on Wednesday that the official figures significantly overestimate the number of citizens who actually went to the polls, reports Efe news.

"We estimate the difference between the actual participation and the one announced by authorities is at least one million votes," Mugica said.

Ortega said authorities must take action to address the allegations, which she said represents "one more element of the fraudulent, illegal and unconstitutional process" of the Constituent Assembly.

The head of the public ministry also requested a new audit with "national and international experts, but without the CNE directors because they are the first suspects".

Ortega has been one of the most critical voices of the Constituent Assembly election, branding it a "dictatorial ambition" of pro-government groups.

She said the assembly should be "convened by the people" and not by President Nicolas Maduro.

"I have to give this country security, because this Constituent Assembly has infinite powers," Ortega said, stressing that the assembly, due to be inaugurated on Friday, "will be a body with superpowers".

The opposition refused to take part in the Constituent Assembly election, considering it to be "fraudulent".

The election was held amid ongoing political and social upheaval in the country, where at least 121 people have been killed during anti-government protests that began on April 1.
New Delhi, Aug 3 : Saudi Arabia has slammed Iran for not allowing a Saudi diplomatic team to be a part of an investigation into attacks on the Gulf kingdom's embassy and consulate in Iran last year.

A statement from the Saudi Arabian Embassy here on Thursday said that despite initial approval, Iran denied the Saudi team a role in probing the attacks on its embassy in Tehran and the consulate in the Iranian city of Mashhad in January last year.

On January 2, 2016, Saudi Arabia executed Shaykh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent Shia cleric, and 46 others on terrorism offences. After the execution, protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran and the consulate in Mashhad.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani later condemned the attacks.

"Iran's refusal to allow the presence of a diplomatic team in the investigations confirms that it is neither serious about conducting fair and transparent inquiries nor about pursuing the real culprits behind the attacks," the Saudi statement said.
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Beijing, Aug 4 : A top Vatican official arrived in China on Friday in a gesture of rapprochement between Beijing and the Holy See, despite the absence of bilateral ties.

According to the Global Times daily, Sorondo participated in a conference on organ transplant and donation in Beijing, where he stressed on the love that the Supreme Pontiff has for China.

"Pope Francis loves China and loves the people of China, its history and population. We hope China can have a great future," said Sorondo, who has been heading both the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences since 1988.

The visit to China from the top Vatican official appears to reciprocate the visit made by a Chinese Health Ministry official to the Vatican in February in another rare diplomatic rapprochement between the two countries whose ties were cut in 1951.

Huang Jiefu, the Director of China's Organ Donation and Transplantation Committee, attended conferences on the subject in Rome, reports Efe news.

Pope Francis has expressed his desire to resume bilateral relations with China where the Catholic community is divided between those faithful to the Vatican and the members of the "patriotic church", controlled by the Chinese government.

China and the Vatican remain in conflict over issues such as the appointment of bishops as Beijing does not accept Rome appointing ecclesiastical positions on Chinese territory.
Damascus, Aug 4 : At least seven children were killed in US-led airstrikes in Syria's Raqqa city, the de facto capital of Islamic State (IS) militant group, the media reported on Friday.

The airstrikes targeted several residential areas in Raqqa overnight, leaving many people wounded and destroying their houses, Xinhua quoted media reports.

The US-led coalition has carried out 44 raids over the past 48 hours, targeting residential areas.

The government said the Washington-led coalition had been formed "illegitimately... under the pretext of fighting terrorism, while the coalition attacks infrastructure and commits massacres".

Citing the falling of victims on daily basis, the Syrian Foreign Ministry earlier this week urged the UN to dissolve the coalition that started its operation in the country in 2014.

Recently, the coalition surged its strikes on Raqqa as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are on a crushing offensive to drive the IS out of its main stronghold in Syria.

The SDF has been making strides in the battles against IS in Raqqa, whose countryside is also subject to a military offensive by the government forces.

Raqqa is a major stronghold of the IS, but the battle to eradicate the UN designated terror group, will not be easy with recent reports suggesting the IS was in possession of chemical weapons inside that city.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the IS would likely use such weapons should the SDF further advance into Raqqa.
Chandigarh, Aug 5 : The son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala has been arrested along with another person for allegedly stalking a senior state IAS officer's daughter, police said on Saturday.

Vikas Barala was arrested by the police along with his accomplice, Ashish, from the Housing Board light early on Saturday. Police said that both accused were drunk when they were stalking the victim.

Police officials told IANS that Vikas and Ashish were granted bail as the sections imposed against them were bailable.

The victim, daughter of a senior Haryana cadre IAS officer, shared her traumatic experience in a Facebook post.

The victim, who was driving towards adjoining Panchkula town, alleged that both men followed her in their Tata Safari Storm SUV (HR 23-G-1008) from the Sector 7 area.

She said she was driving alone from Sector 8 in Chandigarh towards Panchkula around 12.15 a.m. (on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday) when the two youth started following her. She said that the SUV pulled up close to her car several times and even tried to block her way to force her to other routes.

She claimed that at one point, the SUV blocked her way and one youth jumped out of it and started walking towards her vehicle. While she reversed at full speed and tried to evade them, they continued to follow her.

The victim then called up the Police Control Room and gave the number details of the SUV. Police intercepted the car at the boundary of Chandigarh and Panchkula (which is in Haryana).

Deputy Superintendent of Police, East, Satish Kumar said that the youth were arrested and booked under section 354 D (for stalking a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Section 341 IPC (wrongful restraint) was later added against the accused.

"We have arrested both the accused. We got their medical examination done and it was confirmed that they were under the influence of liquor," Kumar told media. He confirmed that one of the suspects was related to a senior BJP leader of Haryana. Both the accused are law students.

Police sources told IANS that the Chandigarh Police was under pressure from political leaders in Haryana and the Central government to dilute the case against Vikas and his friend.

Subhash Barala is a sitting legislator of Haryana's ruling BJP from Tohana assembly seat and a powerful Jat leader.
Chennai, Aug 6 : The makers of superstar Mahesh Babu's upcoming Telugu political drama "Bharath Ane Nenu", being directed by Koratala Siva, will shoot the next schedule in Lucknow from next week, a source said.

"The Lucknow schedule starts from August 10 and will go on till the 22nd. The team will shoot in places such as Jahangirabad palace, Nadwa College and Moosa Bagh Palace. All the key actors of the cast, including Mahesh sir, will be part of this schedule," a source from the film's unit told IANS.

In the film, Mahesh will be seen playing a Chief Minister.

"Bharath Ane Nenu" marks Mahesh Babu's second collaboration with filmmaker Koratala Siva. They have previously worked together in 2015 film "Srimanthudu".

Kiara Advani, who made her acting debut in 2014 with Kabir Sadanand's "Fugly", is foraying into Telugu filmdom with this project.

She plays Mahesh Babu's love interest in the film.

The film also stars popular Tamil actor Sarath Kumar as Mahesh Babu's father.
Riyadh, Aug 7 : A Saudi Arabian court on Sunday sentenced a member of the Islamic State militant group to 20 years in prison for plotting terror attacks, local Alyaum online news reported.

The person was accused by the court in Riyadh of planning terror attacks targeting foreign embassies, officials and the Arar airport in the northern border of Saudi, Xinhua reported.

The person has taken part in the IS camps in Syria and Iraq, before returning to Saudi for terror acts.

The court also issued a 20-year-travel ban on him.

The tough sentence is part of the measures taken by the Saudi government to punish extremists and terrorists, following a number of bloody blasts that erupted in various parts of the country in recent years.
Damascus, Aug 7 : The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Sunday renewed calls on the UN to dissolve the US-led anti-terror coalition over crimes against civilians in Syria, according to the state news agency SANA.

"The US systematic massacres against Syrian civilians constitutes a flagrant violation of the International law," the ministry said, urging for "the immediate dismantling of the coalition that has been formed without the request of the Syrian government and outside the framework of the UN."

The ministry referred to several incidents where civilian casualties were caused by the airstrikes of the US-led coalition, saying the US has used white phosphorus in its attacks on civilians in the northern city of Raqqa, Xinhua reported.

It also said the attacks destroyed houses and hospitals in Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State (IS) group.

The ministry noted that the coalition's "crimes" were repeated in the provinces of Hasakah, Aleppo and Deir al-Zour.

The condemnation comes a day after US-led airstrikes killed 43 civilians in the several areas in Raqqa.

Over the past two months, the US coalition has upped its attacks on Raqqa, coupled with the ground offensive of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which captured half of Raqqa from IS.
Seoul, Aug 7 : South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart Donald Trump on Monday stressed the need for maximum pressure on North Korea to induce it to change its behaviour and choose the "right path".

"President Moon and President Trump shared concerns over North Korea's evolving nuclear capabilities, and agreed their countries must put maximum pressure and sanctions on North Korea under cooperation with the international community to have North Korea give up its nuclear and missile programmes, and choose the right path," presidential office spokesman Park Soo-hyun said of a telephone conversation between the two leaders.

The talks came after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a new sanctions resolution against Pyongyang, condemning the regime's launch of claimed intercontinental ballistic missiles on July 4 and July 28, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Resolution 2371, bans North Korea's exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood.

"Just completed call with President Moon of South Korea. Very happy and impressed with 15-0 UN vote on North Korea sanctions," Trump tweeted.

Moon hailed the UNSC resolution, noting it has also been supported and endorsed by China and Russia, both close allies of Pyongyang.

"President Moon said he hoped the new resolution will be a chance to induce a change in North Korea's behaviour," Park told a press briefing.

In a released statement, the White House said the two leaders affirmed that "North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world."

"The leaders committed to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well," it added.

During their 56-minute conversation, Trump also expressed interest in Seoul's recent offer for Pyongyang to hold inter-Korean dialogue, according to Park.

The phone call ended with Moon's renewed invitation for the US leader to visit South Korea before the year's end or during the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games to be held here in February 2018.
Chandigarh, Aug 7 : Every time the law is violated, there is one set of rules for the common man and another for the privileged class and their spoilt brats. The incident in which the daughter of a senior Haryana IAS officer was stalked, wrongly restrained, intimidated and almost abducted - all in 25 minutes on the streets of Chandigarh by the son of Haryana BJP President Subhash Barala and a friend - proves the point.

"Ever since it became known that the arrested youth was the son of the Haryana BJP chief, the whole effort has been towards 'Beta Bachao' by the high and mighty. Chandigarh Police is under pressure to dilute the matter," a Chandigarh Police officer told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

The 'Beta Bachao' reference is a satire on Haryana's ruling BJP politicians who have been gaga over the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign for the girl child launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Haryana, a state with the worst sex ratio.

The fact that the incident happened just hours after BJP national President Amit Shah had told Haryana BJP leaders to conduct themselves well in public is another matter.

While the 29-year-old victim and her father lauded the initial response of the Chandigarh Police in helping her by arresting Vikas Barala, 23, and his friend Ashish Kumar, 22, the bureaucrat father must be wondering about the subsequent conduct of the Chandigarh Police.

Both accused had stalked the victim by driving their SUV along her car and trying to block her way. At one point, one of them even walked up to her car and tried to open the door and knocked at the windowpanes but the victim managed to drive away. She later told the police and wrote on her Facebook post that the "boys" wanted to abduct her.

"These boys thought they could either get into my car, or take me into theirs, just because they're from an influential background," the victim wrote.

The Chandigarh Police flip-flop on invoking the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections against the VIP brat and his friend are too glaring.

While the First Information Report registered by the police clearly mentions "attempt to kidnap" and "outraging the modesty" of the victim, the relevant sections were conveniently omitted in the case made against the accused. They were booked under milder bailable sections (354D - stalking a woman; 341 - wrong restraint; and 185 of Motor Vehicles Act - drunken driving). So the accused were out on bail within hours.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Satish Kumar, after admitting that the complainant had mentioned the bid to kidnap her and outraging her modesty, diluted the matter later saying nothing of this was mentioned by the victim in her statement under Section 164 Cr.PC before a Magistrate due to which the police did not include the stiffer, non-bailable sections.

The attempt to abduct section was not included at all. Following criticism in the media, social and political circles, the Chandigarh Police is now saying they are seeking legal opinion.

That the top brass of the Chandigarh has chosen to keep mum over the matter and the investigation speaks about the pressure on them.

Chandigarh's Member of Parliament Kirron Kher, a woman, has chosen to wash her hands off from the matter saying she has no control over Chandigarh Police.

Chandigarh, being a union territory, is directly managed by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the BJP-ruled central government. Chandigarh's Administrator V.P. Singh Badnore, also the Punjab Governor, is a former BJP MP from Rajasthan.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who has always harped on his transparent and fair governance claim, has been defending the state BJP President Subhash Barala saying he has nothing to do with the case involving his son.

Khattar has ruled out Barala senior's resignation as Haryana BJP President.

While the victim and her family have decided to fight and take the case to a "logical conclusion", the BJP and the system is working overtime to save junior Barala - 'Beta Bachao'.
Mumbai, Aug 7 : Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has thanked star Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao for letting him stand in for them at the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup, organised by the NGO Paani Foundation.

Aamir revealed that he and his wife Kiran were scheduled to attend the event held in Pune on Sunday, but couldn't as they are down with swine flu. They addressed the gathering via Skype.

Shah Rukh shared a photograph of himself along with Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis.

"Thanks Aamir Khan and Kiran for giving me the honour to stand in for you. Devendra Fadnavis your concern for farmers is touching," Shah Rukh captioned the image.

Aamir on a video call said: "It's a happy day but we are very sad... because after working so hard for a year, when the time came for us to celebrate with you, we got this illness. And the disease we are suffering from is one which spreads rapidly. It's called H1N1 or swine flu in common usage."

"The problem with swine flu is if I go anywhere, I will give it to other people, so we have been forced to stay at home for a week. And that is why we can't be there with you and we're very sad about it."

Creative director of MAMI Smriti Kiran too was present at the event with Anupama Chopra as Kiran Rao's friend and collaborator on MAMI.

She posted on social media: "Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao both have swine flu, so couldn't make it for the finale. Both plug into the event via Skype and say that today is Friendship Day, so they requested Shah Rukh Khan to represent them at the Paani Foundation Cup finale."

Among other guests at the event were Nita Ambani, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Ashutosh Gowariker, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Ram Madhvani and Nagraj Manjule.

Maharashtra is among states the worst-hit by swine flu, which has claimed the lives of over 300 people since January, including almost 150 during the current monsoon.

Among the affected regions are Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik where many patients are also currently under treatment in various hospitals.
Chennai, Aug 7 : Actor Sundeep Kishan, who has had a phenomenal year with hits such as "Maanagaram" and "Shamanthakamani", is likely to collaborate with filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon for a bilingual soon, a source said.

Sundeep is currently shooting for Gautham's upcoming Tamil production "Naragasooran".

"Sundeep and Gautham Sir have been discussing about working on a Tamil-Telugu bilingual. Both have known each other for a long time. In fact, even before he became an actor, Sundeep assisted Gautham briefly. An official announcement can be expected soon," a source in the know told IANS.

They are currently busy wrapping up "Naragasooran". If everything goes as planned, they might join hands next.

"Gautham Sir is really impressed with Sundeep's knack for choosing diverse roles. He really loved his work in 'Maanagaram'. They had planned to work together in the past but things didn't fall in place," the source said.

Directed by Karthick Naren, "Naragasooran" is being shot in Kerala. The film also stars Arvind Swami, Indrajith Sukumaran and Shriya Saran.

Gautham Menon, on the other hand, is busy wrapping up Tamil spy thriller "Dhruva Natchathirama, which stars Vikram in the lead.
Mumbai, Aug 7 : On the occasion of Rakshabandhan on Monday, a string of celebrities, including Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Manoj Bajpayee and Farah Khan, wished their siblings and fans a year full of love and happiness.

Here is what Bollywood personalities had to say:

Amitabh Bachchan: On the auspicious occasion of Rakshabandhan, wishing all our brothers and sisters a most wonderful day of love protection and blessings.

Anupam Kher: On the occasion of Rakshabandhan, I give you all a lots of love. This day may be celebrated just one day, but follow this on all 365 days.

Manoj Bajpayee: A very happy Rakshabandhan.

Farah Khan: Brothers and sisters, the friends God chose for you.

Mallika Sherawat: Happy Rakshabandhan to my brother Vikram Lamba, thank you for being my pillar of strength, you are the best brother in the whole world. Happy Rakhi.

Ashoke Pandit: Happy Rakshabandhan day.

Sunil Grover: Raksha Bandhan ki badhai sab ko bahot bahot (A very happy Rakshabandhan to all)! Along with our sisters let's respect others' sister too. Girls are precious.

Kailash Kher: Happy (Rakshabandhan) to all good humanity... May the aesthetics of relation and bond be as pure as purity. May the dignity of such festival grow more meaningful and higher. May our tradition lifestyle be less questionable by coming generations. Love to all.
Vatican City, Aug 7 : Pope Francis is "deeply saddened" by the deadly gun attack on a church in Nigeria's Ozubulu in which at least 11 people were killed, the Vatican said on Monday.

"Deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury following the violent attack in Saint Philip's Catholic Church, Ozubulu," read a telegram sent by Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin to Bishop of Nnewi Hilary Paul Odili Okeke.

"Pope Francis extends heartfelt condolences to you and to all the faithful of the Diocese of Nnewi, in particular the families of the deceased and all those affected by this tragedy.

"Upon the entire Diocese, His Holiness willingly invokes the divine blessings of consolation and strength," it said.

The authorities have said they do not believe there was any involvement in Sunday's attack by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which has burned hundreds of churches during its insurgency in the north-east of the country over the past decade.

Police said a feud between expatriate Nigerians from Ozubulu led to the shooting spree, in which 18 people were also wounded, some of them critically.

It was not immediately clear if one or more gunmen carried out the attack.
Ankara, Aug 8 : Turkish security forces have detained 1,026 foreigners at the border for entering the country illegally, the Turkish General Staff said on Monday.

They included 926 Syrians, 28 Bulgarians, 18 Greek and three Iraqi nationals, the Anadolu Agency quoted the Turkish General Staff's statement as saying.

Meanwhile, at least 50 foreigners were caught while crossing illegally into Syria from Turkey. Another person was detained trying to cross into Greece from Turkey, the report said.

Turkey has boosted security measures in recent years along its border with Syria and Iraq to prevent illegal crossings which have increased as result of the wars in the two countries.

Turkey in last year erected about 330 km of walls along its borders with Syria and Iraq.
Aquarium Board members: Andrew Sherwin, Operations Director with Jazz and Milo; Managing Director Ed Shropshire with Coco and Mark Colonnese, VP Sales & Marketing; with Loula and Archie 74 per cent of Americans who have never had pet insurance represents a massive market opportunity and while cash is king, buying insurance for pets is a decision made on experience and emotion.

Eds presentation led with the emotional connection between pet and pet parent, backed up by Aquariums latest YouGov research conducted in both the US and UK. Ed revealed that NAPHIA delegates working under any assumption that the US and UK markets are very different - couldnt be more wrong. Confusingly, they couldnt be more right, either.

There is something of a special relationship between pet insurance markets in the UK and US markets that people have been slow to realise, said Ed Shropshire, Aquarium Softwares MD. The exciting thing is, if these similarities and differences hold true worldwide, they represent a roadmap for successful globalisation and commercialisation of the pet insurance market. It would seem emotional attachment could be the globally unifying theme that binds pet parents to pets and insurer, unlike any other insurance product.

The same questions were asked in the UK and the US and showed less than five per cent variance on average between the opinions of US and UK pet owners overall, with many uncanny similarities - particularly in how pet parents view emotional ties with their pets. Broad agreement came in agreeing pets are just as important to the family as humans (US 72 per cent agree; UK 69 per cent agree) and a majority in both nations would save their pet first over a stranger, if both the pet and the person fell in a river.

Focusing on the emotional connection between pet and pet parent and its impact on the customer journey, are themes of critical importance to UK-US pet insurance sectors, but also further afield, added Mark Colonnese. Asia and the Far East are pet projects for Aquarium and we are seeing there how emotion with regard to pets, coupled with respect for trusted brands is capable of delivering significant gains in market share.

While the broad emotional wellspring is consistent, interesting variants come in attitudes to health insurance, both human and animal. You would think the established health insurance market in the US would see Americans recognise the value of policies for pets, but while 71 per cent of Americans have private health insurance (compared to just 11 per cent of the UK); a staggering 74 per cent have never had pet insurance, compared to 42 per cent of the UK  a 32 per cent difference.

74 per cent of Americans who have never had pet insurance represents a massive market opportunity and while cash is king, buying insurance for pets is a decision made on experience and emotion, explained Ed. It is not a purely financial transaction like car or house insurance and should not be treated as such. A marketing approach based on our emotional responses as pet parents is much more likely to be effective.

Once persuaded to purchase the policy, pet parents need the right customer journey to see the advantages of continuing to renew and intuitive technology and software can help insurers improve their pet proposition while at the same time delivering a profitable pet insurance business model with long term viability.

Aquariums findings were supported by NAPHIAs own research, which also strongly indicated that pet insurance is an emotional decision and not simply a rational one.

Aquarium Softwares specialist pet insurance solution spanning premiums rating, policy admin, billing and claims has been implemented by a number of insurers around the globe. For further information contact Aquarium Software on +44 (0)161 927 5620 or visit http://www.aquarium-software.com
Dr. Larry Brilliant Were thrilled to welcome Dr. Brilliant to the ASDS Annual Meeting to inspire and promote innovation within our specialty.

The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), the largest specialty organization representing dermatologic surgeons, announced today that the opening keynote address of its 2017 Annual Meeting on Oct. 5-8 in Chicago will be presented by Larry Brilliant, MD, MPH.

Dr. Brilliant serves as the Chair of the Skoll Global Threats Fund and is former Vice President of Google and Executive Director of Google.org. He is board-certified in preventive medicine and public health, and his recent awards include the TED Prize, TIME Magazines 100 Most Influential People, International Public Health Hero and two honorary doctorates.

In his new memoir Sometimes Brilliant: The Impossible Adventure of a Spiritual Seeker and Visionary Physician Who Helped Conquer the Worst Disease in History, Dr. Brilliant reflects on his extraordinary experiences as a doctor, innovator, philanthropist and cultural revolutionary. As he revisits his encounters with prominent leaders and icons including Martin Luther King, Jr., Steve Jobs and the Dali Lama, he offers transformative messages of wisdom and compassion that encourage readers to aspire for a better, more brilliant existence.

Were thrilled to welcome Dr. Brilliant to the ASDS Annual Meeting to inspire and promote innovation within our specialty, said ASDS President Thomas Rohrer, MD. Meeting attendance continues to climb, and the renowned faculty, engaging sessions and hands-on workshops consistently make this event a highlight for our members and industry professionals.

Attendees are invited to join Dr. Brilliant after his keynote lecture for a book signing in the Exhibit Halls Resource Center at noon on Oct. 5. The first 100 participants will receive a free copy of Sometimes Brilliant.

The ASDS Annual Meeting is a premier educational conference that attracts top dermatologic surgeons internationally and will feature four concurrent tracks: General Dermatology; Reconstruction, Skin Cancer and Mohs; Cosmetic; and Practice Management. More than 90 sessions allow both early career and tenured dermatologists the opportunity to create a customized agenda specific to their interests.

Early registration closes Friday, Sept. 12 and is open to member and non-member board-certified dermatologists who are actively practicing in or employed full-time by a medical practice that is focused on dermatologic surgery. A dermatologists staff members may also attend with their employer.

To view the program details and register, visit asds.net/AnnualMeeting.

Follow Dr. Brilliant on Facebook and Twitter @LarryBrilliant.

# # #

About American Society for Dermatologic Surgery

American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) is the largest specialty organization exclusively representing dermatologic surgeons who have unique training and experience to treat the health, function and beauty of your skin. ASDS members are pioneers in the field. Many are involved in the clinical studies that bring popular treatments to revitalize skin and fill and diminish wrinkles to the forefront. Their work has helped create and enhance many of the devices that remove blemishes, hair and fat, and tighten skin. Dermatologic surgeons also are experts in skin cancer prevention, detection and treatment. As the incidence of skin cancer rises, dermatologic surgeons are committed to taking steps to minimize the life-threatening effects of this disease. For more information, visit asds.net.

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ASDSNews

Become a Facebook fan: facebook.com/TheASDS

Locate a dermatologic surgeon in your area: asds.net/findadermatologist.aspx
Dr. Shannon Simonelli, award-winning creator of The Luminous Life Maps System, a powerful Creative Arts Therapy experience based in Salt Lake City, Utah, is the proud recipient of the 2017 Woman Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce.

This event is the most acclaimed event organized by the Business Womens Forum of Salt Lake City. The organization has committed to empowering women entrepreneurs in Utah by providing a platform for business development, entrepreneurial counseling, and mentoring opportunities.

I and my team are honored to be recognized by The SLC Chamber & Women in Business Group as Entrepreneur of the Year, said Dr. Simonelli We have been dedicated for several decades to providing embodied empowerment, confidence and freedom to all individuals, especially women. This award highlights our mission of being a pivotal point in the lives of the women and people we guide, and our desire to make a genuine contribution to the fields we work in.

The Luminous Life Maps System is Dr. Simonellis innovative Creative Arts Therapy experience. The Luminous Life Maps program focuses on providing relief from self-doubt, anxiety, physical and emotional pain, and supports weight loss in as little as 12 weeks. Advocates of her program claim that the system has transformed their lives, and allowed them a freedom they had been unable to attain through any other form of therapy, traditional or otherwise.

About The Luminous Life Maps System

The Luminous Life Maps System is an integrative dance, imagination, brain shifting and art therapy based personal and professional development program. Dr. Shannon Simonelli guides travelers through her system, addressing each individuals personal challenges. Dr. Simonellis work has earned her several awards, including Best in Honolulu, (Psychotherapy) Private Practice, Integrative Art Therapy. In her 20 years in practice she has helped hundreds of people feel better in their daily lives and transform what they believe is possible for their future.

For media inquiries, contact Lisbeth Spencer at (949) 463-5439 or Liz(at)LuminousLifeMaps(dot)com

Luminous Life Maps is headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT. For more information, please visit http://www.LuminousLifeMaps.com . Connect with Dr. Simonelli on Facebook or Instagram.

For more information on The SLC Chamber & Women in Business Group, please visit http://slchamber.com/wbcsummersocial/.
Victor Beyer, Senior Investigator with ICW Groups Special Investigations Unit This top honor is a testament to ICW Groups task force approach in investigating insurance fraud and the quality of the investigators who represent it.

ICW Group Insurance Companies, a group of property and casualty carriers, today announced that Victor Beyer, senior investigator with ICW Groups Special Investigations Unit (SIU), was awarded Investigator of the Year by the Southern California Chapter of the International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU).

We take pride in having the best investigators in the business, said Mike Bender, head of ICW Groups SIU. This top honor is a testament to ICW Groups task force approach in investigating insurance fraud and the quality of the investigators who represent it.

Beyers award-winning investigation focused on claims with complex medical providers involved in organized criminal activities. These criminal groups take advantage of injured workers and their employers by billing for services not rendered, denying some of and failing to provide proper medical treatment.

Beyer obtained evidence of criminal activity involving doctors, medical equipment suppliers, illegal kickbacks and bribes. In turn, this information was used by law enforcement which assisted in the filing of multiple federal criminal charges. The estimated total medical billings reached $45-50 million attributed to California Workers Compensation carriers. Parts of this investigation are still ongoing and have led to an expansion of involved conspirators.

Im honored to be recognized by the IASIU, and to be in the company of such acclaimed leaders within the industry, said Beyer. Im extremely proud to represent ICW Group and could not do this without the outstanding help and support from my fellow team members.

Beyer, a 16-year insurance veteran, has also been recognized by numerous federal enforcement agencies, law enforcement, and district attorney's offices for his investigative skills in determining the cause of questionable claims committed against ICW Group policyholders and their employees. His investigative efforts had a measurable effect in disrupting several crime rings.

Utilizing his vast expertise and knowledge, Vics investigations led to numerous successful outcomes that helped make ICW Group a leader in the industry in fighting fraud, said Bender. All of us at ICW Group congratulate Vic on this prestigious award and look forward to many more years of his valuable service in protecting our policyholders.

The IASIU winners were selected by a panel of judges based on the impact made to the nominees special investigation unit and organization, in addition to the positive effect the investigation had on the insurance industry and the outside community.

###

About ICW Group

Based in San Diego, ICW Group Insurance Companies is the largest privately held insurance company domiciled in California. Quoting more than $3 billion annually, ICW Group represents a group of Property, Auto and Workers Compensation insurance carriers, including Insurance Company of the West and Explorer Insurance Company. ICW Group is recognized nationally as an industry leader in helping policyholders achieve fewer and less costly claims, and is committed to meeting the needs of its policyholders and elevating the trusted agents and brokers who advise them. More information is available at http://www.icwgroup.com.

About IASIU

Headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, IASIU is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting a coordinated effort within the industry to combat insurance fraud. Membership is made up of more than 4,100 individuals from more than 600 insurance and self-insured companies worldwide. IASIU also provides education and training, develops a greater awareness of the insurance fraud problem, encourages high professional standards of conduct and supports legislation to deter insurance fraud. For more information about IASIU, visit http://www.iasiu.org.
A culture of safety is not just smart, its smart business.

The EHS Daily Advisor has announced the results of its OSHA Recordkeeping Standard and Electronic Submission Survey sponsored by Sphera, the worlds largest global provider of Operational Excellence software and information services. The survey, conducted in May and June of 2017, sheds light on how companies are faring in response to OSHAs upcoming 1904 recordkeeping rule updates and what solutions are expected to help them with electronic submission.

Highlighted findings from the poll of over 400 survey participants include the following:



79% of respondents either somewhat or strongly agree with OSHAs belief that public disclosure of workplace injuries and illnesses will encourage employers to improve workplace safety.

47% of participants plan to leverage workplace injuries and illnesses information collected by OSHA from other peer firms for their own benchmarking purposes.

35% believe that technology will have a substantial impact on driving operational excellence in health and safety and helping businesses manage recordkeeping, reporting, and analytics initiatives.

53% of survey respondents expect to undertake, or have already undertaken, changes to the companys safety governance model due to this rule update.

59% of participants deem web-based forms available from within the company network or Intranet to be a reasonable procedure for reporting work-related injuries and illnesses.

35% of participants deem a mobile application a reasonable procedure for reporting work-related injuries and illnesses.

Market response has confirmed the importance of record keeping and the growing relevancy of technology in providing an efficient platform for employees and contractors to report injuries and illnesses.

A culture of safety is not just smart, its smart business, said Paul Marushka, Spheras president and CEO. Creating a true safety-reporting culture and providing workers with the tools and solutions they need to track, record, and report incidents and near-misses is one of the most powerful actions a company can take. The more data and information a company has, the better they can figure out where the next incident is most likely to occur.

While the compliance deadline for electronic recordkeeping and reporting was recently delayed by OSHA until December 1, 2017, now is the time for companies to prepare for their new responsibilities under the rule.

Download a copy of the full survey results here: http://clk.ml-links.com/clk?pub=522&pgr=960&src=10513&ctg=467&tstamp=20170802T141313&ast=65894&cmp=25315&crv=0&pos=0&frm=2996&imp=6346235627675127197&yld=0

About EHS Daily Advisor

EHS Daily Advisor comes from BLR, (Business & Legal Resources), which helps U.S. businesses simplify compliance with state and federal legal requirements. Expert in-house editors and an exclusive attorney network provide comprehensive, reliable, state-specific information for businesses in all 50 states. Award-winning informational productsincluding training programs, events, Web portals, reports, and subscription servicesgive businesses of all sizes and industries the best tools available at affordable prices. For more information on their offerings, visit http://www.BLR.com.

About Sphera

For more than 30 years, Sphera has been committed to creating a safer, more sustainable and productive world by advancing operational excellence. Sphera is the largest global provider of Operational Excellence software and information services with a focus on Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S), Operational Risk and Product Stewardship. The Chicago-based company serves more than 2,500 customers and over 1 million individual users across 70 countries. Sphera is a portfolio company of Genstar Capital, a leading middle-market private equity firm focused on the software, industrial technology, financial services and healthcare industries. More information can be found at http://www.spherasolutions.com.
Lester Sualog, client solutions director, SKIM Asia SKIM is making notable investments in the APAC region by expanding our presence in Singapore."

International customer insights agency SKIM is growing its Singapore office with one new team member and a transfer from SKIM New York. SKIM Singapore welcomes Lester Sualog as client solutions director, Asia, and Paul Janssen as vice president, SKIM Singapore.

Sualog, who has nearly 20 years of research, analytics and measurement experience, will lead the development and execution of commercial plans, including business development and regional marketing activities. Prior to joining SKIM Asia, Sualog worked for 15 years in the Asia Pacific FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) and technology sectors for TNS (now Kantar TNS). He has lived in the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia and Singapore. Sualog was also a managing director for the APAC office of Fuld & Company, a research and strategy consultancy providing competitive intelligence, strategy, and research services. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Research from the University of the Philippines, Quezon City.

Sualogs regional experience and research expertise will be a tremendous asset to SKIM Asia, said Robin de Rooij, director Asia Pacific, SKIM.

SKIM Singapore also welcomes SKIM vice president Paul Janssen from our New York office. After having led their New York team for three years, Janssens new global role will have him leading SKIMs innovation effort around brand communications. He holds an MBA with distinction from INSEAD and a Master in Brand Management from Maastricht University and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Prior to joining SKIM 10 years ago, Janssen worked in brand management at Kraft Foods in Brussels. His business background and vast experience in brand communications makes him SKIMs resident expert in this field. He regularly speaks at leading conferences (e.g. ESOMAR, TMRE, EphMRA) and consults with marketing and consumer insights teams from multinational clients including Unilever, Intel and Clorox.

I'm most excited about the growth potential for SKIM in Asia, said Janssen. SKIM is making notable investments in the APAC region by expanding our presence in Singapore. Personally, I've had a special connection with Asia ever since I studied at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. I'm happy to be back.

About SKIM

SKIM people are research heavyweights specialized in customer decision behavior. With roots in advanced research methods, SKIM converts tough business challenges into actionable answers. For over 35 years, team SKIM has worked with leading companies to understand and influence buying decisions across all channels. SKIM is a refreshingly human customer insights agency with offices in Europe, the US, Latin America, and Asia. Visit skimgroup.com for more information.
Mentoring Inside Out youth on a field trip. Pathfinder's Bounce Back program will support Portland children who have experienced traumatic events, such as separation from parents due to incarceration or involvement in the child welfare system.

Pathfinders of Oregon is pleased to announce that it has received funding from Portland Childrens Levy to implement a new, culturally responsive and trauma-informed after-school enrichment program for children whose parents are involved in the criminal justice system. Bounce Back will provide group trauma intervention, homework help, culturally responsive activities and summer day camp to 40-48 children per year in grades 3-5 at Lincoln Park, Lents, Parklane and Alder elementary schools, located in East Multnomah County.

Designed to support elementary-school children who have been exposed to traumatic events, Bounce Back helps children develop cognitive-behavioral coping skills and relieves symptoms of child traumatic stress, anxiety, depression and functional impairment. The curriculum, developed in schools serving diverse, multicultural and multilingual students, addresses the culturally specific needs of low-income children of color, a population that disproportionately experiences separation from parents due to incarceration or involvement in the child welfare system.

Parental incarceration is a devastating adverse childhood experience for children that impacts their ability to succeed in school, explains Alison Dunfee, Pathfinders director of Community Programs. We are excited to be able to expand our Mentoring Inside Out program by adding after-school support and trauma intervention to children impacted by parental incarceration.

In addition to on-site school support offered by Bounce Back, participating children will receive one-on-one mentoring, tutoring and advocacy as part of Mentoring Inside Out, the research-informed youth mentorship program currently offered by Pathfinders at the Center for Family Success. As part of Bounce Back, parents and/or caregivers will have the opportunity to attend parent education sessions located at each of the schools, and will also be invited to attend parenting classes at the Center for Family Success.

For more information, please visit https://www.pathfindersoforegon.org.

Pathfinders of Oregon is a 501 (c) (3) social service agency founded in 1993 with a mission to provide justice-impacted individuals and families the tools and support they need to be part of safe and thriving communities. Pathfinders of Oregon provides cognitive-behavioral programs, parenting programs, education and support services for pro-social living to adults in the Oregon prison system and to children and families in the community.
Ken Lloyd, Chief Technical Officer and Co-Founder of Mi3 Security https://www.mi3security.com and board member for CMDSP (Credentialed Mobile Device Security Professionals) https://www.cmdsp.org will explain the leading Enterprise Mobility Credential, CMDSP and discuss the latest mobile security technologies that impact the IT Mobile Administrator on August 10, 2017.

Entitled CMDSP - Mobile Security for the Mobile IT Administrator, the webcast will address the advent of a new role in enterprise IT, the Mobile IT Administrator. Together with a discussion of opportunities and challenges that go with this strategic role, the webcast will also describe how CMDSP is helping organizations improve their enterprise mobility management strategy.

Lloyd says, With the huge up-take in mobile communications and computing, mobile IT administration will no longer be confined to the traditional IT department. In their new roles, individual mobile IT administrators not only need the right tools, but must also develop the right mindset to keep end-users and their mobile devices secure and protected.

Recognized as a subject matter expert (SME) in mobile security, security awareness, and IT security, Ken Lloyd has more than 18 years of experience focusing in powerful mobile and security solutions for business and consumer sectors.

To join the webcast, which will begin at 10 am PDT on Thursday, August 10, free registration is available at https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/14987/271975

About Mi3 Security

Mi3 Security is the leader in intelligence-driven app security. The companys SaaS solutions offer unmatched, comprehensive analysis of security and privacy risks for iOS and Android applications. Employing a patent-pending, parallel, multivariate risk analysis engine, combining content, context, intent and predictive behavior attributes, Mi3 Security can quickly declare an app In or Out, and provide IT management with the actionable intelligence it needs to protect its enterprises privacy and security before a breach occurs. Follow Mi3 Security on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mi3security

About CMDSP

CMDSP is rapidly expanding and growing the pool of Credentialed Mobile Device Security Professionals. The Credentialed Mobile Device Security Professional (CMDSP) certification promotes knowledge of mobile devices, securing devices, and securing environments for mobile devices for the mobile IT administrator role.

About ITPG Secure Compliance

ITPG Secure Compliance provides consulting and training services in IT security, risk mitigation, compliance, gap analyses and threat remediation.

Contact:

Katia Zhivaikina

Katiaz(at)mi3security.com

(929) 277-7475 ext.104

Mi3 Security, Inc.

650 Castro Street

Suite 120-369

Mountain View, CA 94041
CRN Fast Growth 150 As our customers continue to transform the way technology drives their business, our Cloud Enabled Enterprise focus has been a catalyst for our rapid growth

IDS, a leading data center technology integrator and cloud services provider, has been named to The Channel Companys 2017 CRN Fast Growth 150 list for the third consecutive year and is ranked at No. 55.

The Fast Growth 150 List is curated by CRN, The Channel Companys multimedia network, and annually ranks North America-based technology integrators, solution providers, and IT consultants that have earned a minimum of $1 million in gross sales over a two-year period. The companies recognized this year have reported total, combined revenue of more than $16,717,688,643.

All of us at IDS are incredibly proud to be recognized on the CRN Fast Growth 150 list for the third year in a row said Justin Mescher, Chief Technology Officer at IDS. As our customers continue to transform the way technology drives their business, our Cloud Enabled Enterprise focus has been a catalyst for our rapid growth. We are all humbled by our recent successes and thank our customers and partners for their continued loyalty.

In the past few months alone, IDS has been recognized for its success on the Crains Chicago Fast 50, and CRNs Solution Provider 500 List, for the seventh and fifth times, respectively.

The companies on CRNs 2017 Fast Growth 150 list are thriving in what is now a very tumultuous, demanding IT channel climate, said Robert Faletra, CEO of The Channel Company. This remarkable group of solution providers has successfully adapted to a landmark industry shift away from the traditional VAR business model to a more services-driven approach, outpacing competitors and emerging as true channel leaders. We congratulate each of the Fast Growth 150 honorees and look forward to their continued success.

The Fast Growth 150 list is highlighted in the August issue of CRN and can be viewed online at http://www.crn.com/fastgrowth150.

About IDS

IDS is a data center technology integrator and cloud services provider backed by an award-winning IT consulting practice. IDS works with a select list of industry leading technology partners to deliver custom IT solutions. Primary areas of focus are storage, data protection, disaster recovery, data analytics, virtualization, mobility, networking, servers, security, managed services, and cloud. Since its founding in 2002, IDS has experienced incredible growth and is recognized for its forward thinking solutions that provide improved efficiency, flexibility, performance and competitive advantage. Learn more at http://www.idsforward.com.

About the Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. http://www.thechannelco.com
Pleural Mesothelioma Risk Over Time Pleural cancer rate increased during the first 40 years...

New research conducted in Italy suggests that the rate of pleural mesothelioma may plateau four decades after a person is first exposed to asbestos. Surviving Mesothelioma has the full details. Click here to read the article now.

Asbestos is the primary cause of both pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma and has been linked to several other malignancies including lung, ovarian, laryngeal and digestive tract cancers.

But epidemiologists with the University of Eastern Piedmont, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, Italys National Cancer Institute, and other Italian research institutions say, while the risk for lung, ovarian, and peritoneal cancer continue to increase over time, the chances of contracting pleural mesothelioma eventually level off.

Pleural cancer rate increased during the first 40 years of TSFE (time since first exposure) and reached a plateau after, writes author Daniela Ferrante with the University of Eastern Piedmont in Novara.

In addition, the study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine confirmed the increased risk for cancer of the lung, ovary, pleura and peritoneum after asbestos exposure, but did not identify an increased risk for cancers of the larynx and the digestive tract.

While it is certainly not good news to know that the risk of pleural mesothelioma can exist for four decades after exposure, this study may provide some comfort to people who were exposed to asbestos even longer ago, says Alex Strauss, Managing Editor for Surviving Mesothelioma.

For more on asbestos and mesothelioma risk, see Malignant Mesothelioma Risk May Eventually Plateau, now available on the Surviving Mesothelioma website.

Farrante, D, et al, Italian pool of asbestos workers cohorts: mortality trends of asbestos-related neoplasms after long time since first exposure, August 3, 2017, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epub ahead of print, http://oem.bmj.com/content/early/2017/08/03/oemed-2016-104100

For more than a decade, Surviving Mesothelioma has brought readers the most important and ground-breaking news on the causes, diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma. All Surviving Mesothelioma news is gathered and reported directly from the peer-reviewed medical literature. Written for patients and their loved ones, Surviving Mesothelioma news helps families make more informed decisions.
SWLEOC selects Genmed for vendor neutral managed services Mary Richardson, SWLEOCs director, explains, Genmed has essentially become an extension of our procurement department buying everything for the organisation."

Genmed announces today that it has been selected by South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC) as its preferred vendor neutral managed services provider for the procurement of all equipment required for the running of the specialist hospital. It has a signed a seven-year contract renewable annually by agreement thereafter.

Founded in 2003, SWLEOC is a partnership organisation established by four South West London Acute Trusts to reduce waiting lists and deliver strategic change in how planned orthopaedic care is provided in the region. All orthopaedic work from the four Trusts is now delivered by SWLEOC with over 5,000 procedures performed each year.

Located on the Epsom Hospital site, SWLEOC operates two wards, five state of the art theatres, employs up to 300 staff including 32 visiting surgeons and is recognised as one of the largest joint replacement centres in the UK and Europe. It specialises in shoulders, ankles with most of its work focused on hips and knees. SWLEOC also runs a 17-bed post anaesthesia care unit [PACU] which all patients go through after their operations. It unique to the hospital and offers high dependency and critical care facilities.

Mary Richardson, SWLEOCs director, explains, Genmed has essentially become an extension of our procurement department buying everything for the organisation. Its staff are fully engaged with our clinical and medical team to source and deliver the best products for the best prices so we drive down costs.

This is crucial as the Government has cut the tariff for orthopaedics by 13% resulting in an annual budget reduction for SWLEOC of up to 3.5 million. Ensuring that the sourcing of equipment and consumables for the organisation is managed carefully is therefore paramount.

Genmed managed services are HMRC compliant for VAT recovery. Based on the scale of its purchasing, SWLEOC has already saved 1 million on VAT. This is then re-invested in providing ongoing patient care. It is expected that in the financial year ending March 31, 2018, Genmed will procure over 11 million of consumables for SWLEOC.

Genmeds engagement with SWLEOC is broad and covers a range of responsibilities:



Managing the non-clinical activities of SWLEOC;

Proactive contract management to ensure adherence to Key Performance Indicators and Service Level Agreements involving approximately 300 suppliers;

Administration and ordering of all equipment and consumables such as syringes, needles, stockings to paper towels, rubber gloves, sutures, masks, stationary  absolutely everything SWLEOC requires to operate on a day to day basis;

Close engagement with SWLEOCs Theatre Efficiency Group (TEG). While clinical processes and patient flows work well, an opportunity existed around reducing expenditure. Genmed is working in tandem with the clinical and medical directors to review which products are currently used and test news ones which could work as well but cost less.

Organisation and management of multiple equipment trials which are evaluated by the TEG group. SWLEOC then applies the 80/20 rule  if 80% of surgeons are happy with a new product, it will be introduced once senior clinical sign off is received;

Supplier invoice processing and administration;

Organisation of stakeholder days to encourage suppliers to review and offer SWLEOC better pricing on products given the importance and reputation of the hospital.

Another key benefit of working with Genmed has been the provision of new equipment  the costs of which are spread over its 7-year contract. SWLEOC has already been able to introduce new anaesthesia and ultrasound machines, new theatre tables, specialised IT and patient monitoring equipment for the PACU  an investment totalling over 770,000.

Richardson says, This is unheard of in the NHS where there is only ever so much money for capital expenditure such that you end up limping along with kit thats on its knees. Our contract with Genmed means we have been able to invest now working within an envelope of outlay agreed with them.

After engaging with SWLEOC, Genmed, as part of the services it provides, recently implemented hTrak, a healthcare information management system, which tracks the usage of consumables and equipment using barcodes.

Richardson says, The system will allow us to look forensically at what were doing and give greater intelligence about what we're buying. So, for example, well be able to review the differences between consultants and what one person spends versus another and drill down into this to make improvements if there is wide variability.

The system will help SWLEOC build a complete catalogue for Genmed in terms of everything it is currently buying and costs associated so the procurement process and supplier selection can be closely managed and enhanced. This also means SWLEOC will be GS1 compliant well before Governments target date.

Richardson concludes, Having run big divisions of surgery in the past at other Acute Trusts, I would have loved to have worked with an organisation like Genmed. Life would have been so much easier. Genmed has been brilliant. Theyre down to earth, have good interpersonal skills and are focused on sourcing solutions which are priced right yet gain clinical acceptance.

Robin Modak, Genmeds chief executive officer, says, Were vendor neutral as a managed service supplier. Were not tied to anyone and select consumables and equipment based on close collaboration with managers and clinicians. This is important. The NHS is obviously publicly funded so budget needs to be spent effectively and with transparency so that organisations like SWLEOC get the very best value for money. Thats what we specialise in.

About Genmed

Founded in 2007 and based in London and Wales, Genmed is a vendor neutral managed service provider specialising in the health sector. It works with 40 NHS Trusts and Health Boards around the country where, to date, it has 220 contracts supporting a variety of clinical disciplines such as pathology, surgery, endoscopy, imaging along with medical records, IT and facilities. Genmed asset finance requirements are funded by large blue chip partners including Societe Generale, GE Capital, Macquarie and Lloyds Corporate. Currently Genmeds contract portfolio totals around 430 million.

Genmed is headquartered in Weybridge, Surrey. For further information, please visit http://www.genmed.eu

For further information, please contact

Tom Herbst

Tom Herbst PR

T:07768 145571

Email: tom(at)tomherbstpr(dot)co(dot)uk
True Anthem, winner of Digiday Signal Awards for Best Social Media Marketing Platform We designed and built our content distribution platform using artificial intelligence and automation to help publishers and media companies become more profitable.

True Anthem, an AI-Powered Content Distribution Platform, announced today that it has been named Best Social Media Marketing Platform in the 3rd annual Digiday Signal Awards. The Digiday Signal Awards are presented by Digiday, and recognize the technology platforms that are bringing efficiency, effectiveness and creativity to the media and marketing processes for brands, agencies and publishers.

The judging panel comprised marketing and advertising tech experts, including Matt David, head of communications and marketing, Tinder; Yuyu Fang, director, programmatic buying unit, Mindshare; Veronika Luik, programmatic group planning director, Neo@Ogilvy; and Maegan Moore, media manager, Sony Corporation of America.

We designed and built our content distribution platform using artificial intelligence and automation to help publishers and media companies become more profitable, said Chris Hart, founder and CEO, True Anthem. In a media environment where the majority of content is discovered via social media, its crucial to have a bifurcated content distribution strategy. Our solution delivers the right content to the right people, at the right time, and creates the balance between audience engagement and traffic acquisition.

True Anthem currently serves media companies and publishers including local media and global news organizations such as Tribune, Hearst, and Reuters; feature publishers such as Meredith, and online giants including CBS Interactive. Increasing bandwidth for its clients, True Anthem has saved as much as 811 hours a month for social media teams. By automating some labor-intensive tasks such as manually posting to social media, that time has been reinvested in more strategic and creative activities.

"This year's group of Digiday Signal Awards winners represent the very best of a vital part of our industry - marketing and advertising technology providers, says Digiday Media CEO Nick Friese. The third annual Signal Awards are proud to recognize these companies for their innovative solutions and their contribution to the advancement of our industry as a whole."

True Anthem will join other winners to be honored at the Digiday Awards in November 2017 in New York City.

About True Anthem:

True Anthem is an AI-Powered Content Distribution Platform for media companies and publishers. Clients use our Platform to drive significant increases in monetization by efficiently distributing their most popular stories across social media. We pioneered the use of artificial intelligence to identify the right content for social audiencesand then automatically post it at the right time. Unlike legacy scheduling tools and manual social media processes, the resulting increases in traffic, revenue and efficiency, typically result in a 300% lift in ROI for our clients. We partner with local media and global news organizations including Tribune, Hearst, and Reuters; feature publishers such as Meredith, and online giants including CBS Interactive. True Anthem is based in San Francisco, California. Find out more and request a demo at trueanthem.com.

Find the Digiday Awards online:

Twitter: @DigidayAwards

Website: https://digiday.com/event-type/award/

About the Digiday Awards:

Digiday Medias awards programs are the leading media and marketing industry awards, celebrating excellence and achievement in innovation. The Digiday Awards programs celebrate overall excellence and breakthrough achievements in media, marketing, advertising and technology in the U.S. and Europe.

Contact:

Libby Kearney - libby(at)flockmktg.com

Caroline Bottger - caroline(at)digiday.com
With more than 1.3 million service members, RallyPoint serves as a perfect platform for Ecotech Institute to connect with and provide added value to our military students who seek to continue their education and start rewarding careers.

Americas first and only college dedicated solely to clean and renewable energy education Ecotech Institute is pleased to announce that it has recently joined RallyPoint, the worlds largest military-focused professional network platform. Considered to be one of the top military-friendly colleges in the United States, Ecotech Institute is now even more accessible to service members and veterans than ever before.

With an array of practical energy degree programs, including solar, wind, power utility and more, Ecotech Institute provides its veteran and active duty students with an opportunity to continue serving or working while taking classes by offering both day and night schedules. The school also offers numerous military benefits, including 5 percent tuition allowance for military members and their spouses, a special tutoring program for the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB), and a dedicated Military Student Center staffed by many fellow veterans.

We are excited to launch our official page on the RallyPoint network, said Chris Gorrie, Ecotech Institute Campus President. We have enormous respect for our service members, and we understand that transitioning back to civilian life and starting a new career can be difficult. This is why we gear our educational programs toward the current job market and ensure that our staff fully understands the needs of our military students and their families.

Ecotech Institutes Regional Director of Student Finance Mike Childress added: Having a strong support network of people who understand your background and your needs is very important. With more than 1.3 million service members, RallyPoint serves as a perfect platform for Ecotech Institute to connect with and provide added value to our military students who seek to continue their education and start rewarding careers as they make their transition.

Widely considered one of the top-rated military-friendly schools in the nation, last year, Ecotech Institute was included in Military Advanced Education's list of Top Colleges and Universities. The school has also been named to Military Times Best for Vets: Career & Technical Colleges list for two years in a row.

About Ecotech Institute

Ecotech Institute is the first and only college in the U.S. solely focused on energy. Through flexible options designed to meet diverse career goals, students can pursue education in energy in a way that works for them. Located in Aurora, CO, Ecotech Institute offers an array of practical energy degree programs that prepare students for energy careers. Ecotech Institute is a division of Education Corporation of America and is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools. For more information about Ecotech Institute, visit ecotechinstitute.com or call 877-326-5576.
Spar runs around 320 small and medium-sized supermarkets in the Netherlands. Recently, the grocery retailer decided to fully centralize its price, item and data management and migrated into a cloud-based solution. All local servers were removed and all existing weighing scales were updated to METTLER TOLEDO UC Evo Line networked scales. As part of this project, Spar also decided to reorganize its scale management activities. METTLER TOLEDO, as a long-standing partner of the grocery retailer, added a software solution to the project, the METTLER TOLEDO RetailSuite (MTRS), which was perfectly aligned with Spars new centralization process.

The solution sounded interesting to us right from the start, recalls Paul Willems, Manager Store Support at Spar Netherlands, because the METTLER TOLEDO software enables data from each scale to be exchanged immediately via a single, central server.

With MTRS, data management for all scales now takes place via the DistributionServer, which is located at Spars headquarters and is the centralized server for pulling and pushing information centrally for RetailSuite. Thanks to the intuitive portal of the DistributionManager, Paul Willems and his support team are able to see all the scales at a glance, grouped according to country, region and sales division. In just a few clicks, single scales can be updated, or all scales in the store network can be reconfigured.

Shortly after the installation of the new system, Spar was able to use MTRS to establish the parameters for their new label layout in accordance with the new labelling regulations.

Furthermore, the scales are loaded with price and item information by the DistributionServer, which ensures that every scale is always up to date.

To download the full case study and learn more about MTRS, visit http://www.mt.com/retail-spar.

About METTLER TOLEDO

METTLER TOLEDO is a leading international manufacturer of precision measuring instruments. The company is the worlds largest manufacturer and supplier of weighing systems for laboratories, industry and food retail.

METTLER TOLEDO is one of the three leading suppliers of various complementary measuring technologies and a leading supplier of automated pharmaceutical research and ingredient development systems. Moreover, the company is the worlds biggest manufacturer and supplier of metal recognition systems for the production and packaging industry. Further information on METTLER TOLEDO Retail can be found at: http://www.mt.com/retail.
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1. Britain is prepared to pay up to 40 billion euros ($47.1 billion) to the European Union to settle its accounts when it leaves the bloc, the Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported.It is the first time the British side has put a figure on its so-called Brexit bill -- although the sum falls well short of the 100-billion sum discussed in Brussels.

2. New York-based startup WeWork on Monday said it will invest $500 million in Southeast Asia and South Korea in its latest effort to tap growing demand for shared office space in Asia.The firm, which provides workspace for users as varied as freelancers, entrepreneurs and corporations, said it will buy Singaporean peer Spacemob for an undisclosed amount, and that it will retain Spacemob's management team.

3 Japan's Nikkei share average rose on Monday morning, led by sharp gains for Toyota after it upgraded its earnings outlook, while a weaker yen following strong US jobs data underpinned overall sentiment. Toyota rallied 2.3% to 6,360 yen, the highest level since mid-March, after the world's No.2 automaker raised its full-year outlook on Friday thanks to favourable exchange rates.

4. The United States and China piled new pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear missile programme after the UN Security Council approved tough new sanctions which could cost Pyongyang $1 billion a year.One day after Council members voted unanimously for a partial ban on exports aimed at slashing Pyongyang's foreign revenue by a third, top diplomats from the key powers in the dispute met in Manila.

5. Arqiva, a company that runs much of Britain's TV and mobile infrastructure, has hired four banks for an initial public offering.The company, whose biggest shareholders include the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Macquarie, has appointed Barclays, Goldman Sachs, HSBC and JP Morgan for the listing.

6. The government of Germany's Lower Saxony denied a newspaper report that its premier softened speeches critical of Volkswagen in the diesel emissions scandal at the company's request.Stephan Weil, already facing an unexpected election after the defection of a member of his ruling coalition to Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, is under fire for what some see as a too-cozy relationship with VW.

7. Britain needs to make clear to the European Union that it is prepared to go it alone if it fails to reach a satisfactory deal in Brexit talks, former Bank of England Governor Mervyn King said. King - who said in December that Britain should leave the EU's single market and possibly its customs union - said his country needed to be able to show that it had a clear plan of how it would manage without an EU trade deal.

8. Britain's government launched a review on how best to reduce long-term energy bills for households and business, prompted in part by concern that high electricity costs could damage industrial competitiveness.The government said it was still committed to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases in line with its existing legal commitments, but also wanted to reduce Britain's energy costs to the lowest in Europe.

9. Russia said the European Union's decision to sanction a Russian deputy energy minister over the delivery of Siemens' turbines to Moscow-annexed Crimea was politically motivated and illegal.The EU first imposed sanctions on Russia after the 2014 military annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. On Friday, it introduced additional measures in response to the delivery of Siemens' gas turbines to Crimea, which violated its existing sanctions.
The decision to purchase ready-made commercial airliners instead of custom-built aircraft is part of President Trump's plan to keep the costs of the Presidential Airlift Recapitalization program under control.

The USAF expects to begin the conversion process in 2019 with the planes set to enter service in 2024 at which point the current pair of Boeing 747-200-based VC-25A will be 34 years old.

(The VC-25A and other presidential aircraft only become Air Force One when the President steps on board.)

"Purchasing these aircraft is a huge step toward replacing the aging VC-25As," executive officer, Maj. Gen. Duke Richardson, said in a statement. "This award keeps us on track to modify and test the aircraft to become presidential mission-ready by 2024."

According to the USAF, modifications will include a mission communications system, electrical power upgrades, a medical facility, an executive interior, and a self-defense system.

Boeing confirmed to Business Insider that the two brand-new jumbo jets were abandoned after Russia's Transaero went bust in late 2015.

So instead of delivering the planes, Boeing completed flight testing and sent them to the California desert where they have been waiting for a new buyer. Now, the planes are now destined to take on the call sign, Air Force One.

The USAF declined to disclose the costs of the aircraft. However, the Air Force is believed to have received a significant discount over the 747-8I's list price of $386.8 million.

Air Force One is instantly recognizable  both as the airplane of the President of the United States and as a flying symbol of American military and economic might. With its hand-polished blue, white, and silver livery, it boldly proclaims the arrival of the most powerful man in the world.

What many people don't know is that there isn't one, but two nearly identical Boeing jets that serve as the official aircraft of the president. Normally, the planes are referred to by their tail numbers  28000 and 29000  but when the Commander and Chief steps on board, they take on the call sign "Air Force One." In fact, presidential airplanes didn't begin using the Air Force One designation until 1959.

The president's pair of Boeing VC-25A jets are operated by the Presidential Airlift Group out of Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. While the current Boeing 747-based planes have been in service for more than two decades, they're simply the latest in a long-line of flying White Houses.

Here's a look back at the history America's presidential airplanes.

Today, presidential air travel is a massive, highly coordinated operation. However, this wasn't always the case.

It all started with Theodore Roosevelt  a true American pioneer. The 26th president was the first to fly in an airplane. More than a year after leaving office, he flew in a Wright Flyer on October 10, 1910.

It wasn't until 1933 that the government actually acquired an aircraft specifically for presidential travel. That year, a Douglas Dolphin amphibious plane  similar to the one pictured below  was specially outfitted for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Unfortunately, FDR never flew in the Dolphin.

Instead, the first official presidential flight took place on January 14, 1943 when FDR crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a Boeing 314 Clipper similar to the one pictured below  on a trip to Casablanca, Morocco.

The first aircraft to be custom built for presidential use was a Douglas VC-54C nicknamed "Sacred Cow." The Sacred Cow famously transported Roosevelt to the Yalta Conference.

On July 4, 1947, Truman replaced the Sacred Cow with a new aircraft  a Douglas VC-118. The new plane was christened "Independence" after the 33rd president's hometown in Missouri. On August 31 of that year, it made its first official presidential trip to a conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The VC-118 is a civilian Douglas DC-6  the 26th to roll off the production line  that was modified on orders from the Air Force for presidential duty. The Independence has room for 24 seated passengers or 12 sleeper berths.

It also features dedicated meeting space for the president and...

... A full kitchen. The aircraft served in the presidential fleet until 1953.

That year, a Lockheed Constellation  christened "Columbine II" after the state flower of Colorado  took over the presidential flying duties. In 1953, an air traffic controller confused the airplane carrying President Eisenhower with an Eastern Airlines flight using a similar call sign. The incident helped bring about the use of the designation "Air Force One."

In November of 1954, the US Air Force took delivery of a new personal aircraft for President Eisenhower  a heavily modified Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation called the VC-121E. In fact, it was the only VC-121E ever built. Christened the "Columbine III", the Lockheed plane served the president until 1961.

The VC-121E would be the last non-jet-powered plane to serve as the official presidential aircraft.

That's because on October 10, 1962, the US Air Force and President John F. Kennedy took delivery a new Boeing 707-320B-based VC-137C known as Special Air Mission or SAM 26000.

Even though President Eisenhower had been known to use Air Force Boeing VC-137A jets during his time in office, SAM 26000 was first purpose-built presidential jet transport.

Decked out in blue, white, and silver with the words "United States of America" emblazoned on its side, SAM 26000's livery became the most iconic in aviation history. The airplane's look is the brainchild of legendary industrial designer Raymond Loewy. Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy is also said to have contributed to the stunning design.

Unfortunately, President Kennedy didn't get to use SAM 26000 for very long. The 35th President of the United States was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963. Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn-in as the 36th commander-in-chief aboard the SAM 26000.

The aircraft was also tasked with transporting President Kennedy's body back to Washington. Here, the president's coffin is unloaded at Andrews Air Force Base under the guidance of the First Lady.

Post-Kennedy, SAM 26000 went on to serve as the primary presidential aircraft for the Johnson...

... and the majority of the Nixon administration.

In fact, 26000 took President Nixon on his historic trip to China in 1972.

During its 36-year career, SAM 26000 flew eight sitting presidents including Ford, Nixon, and Carter  pictured here.

In 1972, President Nixon took delivery of a second VC-137C call sign SAM 27000. The new plane took over as the president's primary aircraft with SAM 26000 serving as the backup.

Unfortunately for President Nixon, the jet was also tasked with taking him home to California after his resignation in 1974. As President Ford was sworn in, the pilot of the aircraft famously called in to air traffic control to announce that the flight's call sign had changed from Air Force One to SAM 27000. As a result, SAM 27000 made 1,440 takeoffs as Air Force One, but only made 1439 landings with the presidential call sign.

The president that clocked the most miles on board SAM 27000 was Ronald Reagan.

Which is why the plane can now be found at the Reagan Presidential Library.

By the mid-1980s, the Air Force's fleet of VC-137Cs were beginning to show their age.

Which is why President Reagan and the US Air Force ordered a pair of new presidential jets based on the most recognizable airplane the United States has ever produced  the Boeing 747.

After several delays, the duo of Boeing 747-200 derived VC-25A jets entered service in 1990 during the administration of President George H.W. Bush.

The two planes  SAM 28000 and SAM 29000  remain in service today. The flying Oval Offices feature 4,000 square feet of interior space incorporating presidential living quarters, work areas, meeting rooms, and 2 galleys capable of serving 100 people at a time.

In addition, the planes feature midair refueling capabilities, advanced satellite communications, self-sufficiency capabilities at foreign airports, electronics countermeasures, and missile defense systems.

Thus far, the VC-25As have served Presidents George H.W. Bush...

... Bill Clinton...

... George W. Bush and ...

... Barack Obama.

President-elect Donald Trump will be the next president to travel aboard the VC-25A.

However, with more than a quarter century under its belt, the VC-25A's time as the primary presidential transport is drawing to an end.
Stephanopoulos said the White House and Trump's surrogates had given conflicting statements about how involved the president was in responding to initial reports that Donald Trump Jr. met in June 2016 with the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya. Paul Manafort, then the campaign's chairman, and Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law who is now a senior adviser, were also at that meeting.

When Stephanopoulos pressed her on the discrepancy in the statements and said the White House "didn't tell the truth," Conway pivoted to the Affordable Care Act.

"Let's talk about telling the truth," Conway said. "Let's talk about a president looking Americans in the eye, who are still suffering eight years later, who were lied to. If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor."

Conway then shifted to the Obama administration's response to the 2012 attack on the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya.

"Benghazi happened because of a video," she said. "Go tell the families of those four innocent Americans who were slaughtered in Benghazi that that lie mattered."

"Hold on a second," Stephanopoulos interjected. "You're changing the subject."

"No. No. That is a subject," Conway replied. "Let's talk about credibility that impacts people."

Stephanopoulos said Conway was "going back to President Obama and Hillary Clinton," to which she replied that "those were big lies."

When Stephanopoulos continued grilling her on the different responses offered by the Trump administration about Trump Jr.'s meeting, Conway did not address the question, and she later called the FBI's counterintelligence investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the 2016 election "fabricated."
Major bus stations were over the weekend awash with passengers as they jostled for space in the few available buses.

A spot check by Business Insider SSA at the Machakos and Athusi bus stations in downtown Nairobi noted a huge number of travellers ready to travel to their ancestral homes to vote or avoid any potential violence.

I am not taking any chances this time round given the violent scenes I witnessed during the aftermath of the 2007 elections, said Esther Nasimiyu as she boarded a Busia bound-bus with her 3 children.

Kenyans will on August 8 take part in one of the most tightly contested elections in the countrys history and some of the commuters fear that the election outcome might trigger ethnic violence between supporters of rival parties.

ALSO READ: Raila Odinga expects a decisive victory for his NASA party on election day

Some of the travellers interviewed by Business Insider SSA said that they were taking their kids to their ancestral home as a precautionary measure should violence erupt.

I will vote in Nairobi but will take my kids to Makueni County in the event that there is violence. It will be much easier to safeguard myself when they are not around, said Ann Mwende.

High fares

Bus companies took advantage of the situation to hike fares much to the complaints of the commuters. For instance, a trip to Busia County costs Kshs 800 but over the past few days the price has surged to Kshs2.500.

Transport companies said twice as many 65-seater buses had left Nairobi's biggest bus station, Machakos.

Nickson, a bus tout, stated that passengers were not deterred by the high prices as long as they reached their rural homes safely.

Weve recorded a sharp increase in number of passengers plying this route over the weekend compared to the past few months. Most of them have fled the capital to await the results from their rural homes, noted Nickson as he stacked up a few mattresses atop a bus.

Election uncertainty

Anxiety over the Aug. 8 polls, which come a decade since 1,200 people were killed in ethnic unrest after a disputed election, increased last week with the brutal murder of a senior election commission official.

The government has acknowledged that many people were nervous but stated it has marshaled 180,000 personnel from various security agencies to man the elections and to forestall any related violence.

Even then, Kenyans called for peace in the wake of the high-stakes polls.
Uber's lawyers released a lightly-redacted copy of the transcript on Friday afternoon in the latest update to the sprawling legal battle between the world's most valuable startup and the Alphabet self-driving subsidiary, Waymo.

Much of the transcript focuses on whether, and when, Kalanick knew that Anthony Levandowski, a talented engineer, took files about laser sensors called lidar from Waymo.

In 2016, Uber bought the startup Levandowski founded after he left Waymo for a reported sum of $680 million.

That's a lot of money for a startup that was less than a year old. But in his deposition, Kalanick gives a rousing defense of the "acqui-hire," or the practice of big tech companies buying young startups for talent, and also explains why the 25-person company may have been worth that much.

Waymo: Why wasn't the decision just to hire Mr. Levandowski straightaway?

Kalanick: I mean, I would say though this was technically an acquisition, it was very much like hiring him.

Waymo: Okay, so it was just structured as an acquisition.

Kalanick: Yeah. It was like  it was  there are different things on acquisition. You have this thing called an acquihire. Then you have like an acquisition of a very mature company. And there's lots of stuff in between.

We basically were hiring him and his team but getting some  like a sort of small acquisition along with it. It was sort of  it was a  it was a hybrid of the two.

Waymo: And what was the small acquisition?

Kalanick: Well, I mean, he'd set up the company. He had, of course, recruited a team. He had  he had, you know, he had trucks that were  you know, let's call them self-driving trucks, of course, with a safety driver.

I was in one of them. Glad there was a safety driver.

You know, so he was getting down that path and building something that he had a team that was passionate about, but it was early, you know.

Waymo: What was the -- what was the benefit of doing a structure where you hired him and his team through an acquisition as opposed to just hiring them directly?

Kalanick: Well, I mean, one was because he wanted to -- he was -- he was -- he was building something. Like we didn't come up with an agreement until, I think, April of '16. He was building one way or the other. Right?

So I would have loved to have hired him for $100,000 a year -- that would have been amazing -- and been able to recruit lots of wonderful engineers as well. But it's a two-way street. Right? The other side, of course, has to be excited about what they're doing.

You know, they have to feel like they're being valued at what they're worth.

You know, a lot of  my understanding is a lot of Google employees had gotten very huge bonuses. So you're just going to have a tougher time just recruiting in a situation like that.

...

Waymo: Why would it make any sense to do a structure where you agree that first Mr. Levandowski and his team would form a company and then later Uber would buy that company versus just hiring Mr. Levandowski and  and his team?

Kalanick: I mean, you would have to  I think there's a couple of reasons.

One is you  you would have to come up with some kind of  some kind of structure to bring those employees in if you wanted to.

And if you didn't  if they didn't  if  if there are a group of people who wanted to come across, but they wanted to prevent us from hiring each individual, I could imagine wanting to structure a company they were all a part of , and then requiring us to buy that structure in order to get all of them.

So it was almost like  kind of collective bargaining almost.

Experts in autonomous vehicles and self-driving cars are known in Silicon Valley for being some of the most high-paid talent. Levandowski was paid a $120 million bonus by Google before he started Waymo, for example.

It's evident that Kalanick and Uber's top leadership were concerned that they were ultimately paying a lot of money for a handful of engineers, at one point calling the talks to buy Otto "Project Dollar Sign."

The prices discussed for Otto in the transcript are redacted, but Uber reportedly paid $680 million in stock as well as other considerations for the young company.

"But that's a LOT of money for 25 people," says one email mentioned in the transcript. The email was purportedly sent by Emil Michael, one of Kalanick's top lieutenants.

The final reported sale price for Otto would work out to about $27 million per employee.

"Jeff, I think we need to do some quick work on per capita equity for these guys versus other recent hires to show them their math is wrong on not getting a sufficient premium to off-the-street folks," another Uber leader wrote in an email mentioned in the transcript.

Later in the deposition, Kalanick says that the price Uber paid for the 25 Otto employees was in-line with the industry.

Kalanick: I don't know if that's clear, but certainly, getting a team of people together that's worked  that's some of the best experts in the world, and get them on board, working as a team as quickly as possible, is incredibly valuable.

I mean, you look at the deals that were going on at this time. You have, like a Cruise deal that was in, like, the billion-dollar range. You have companies like Amazon, Apple, others sort of sniffing around, bringing on talent at, like, exorbitant rates.

And to be honest, if you just look at any scan of AV acquisitions or machine learning or other types that are related, the kinds of acquisitions and the kind of premium that the talent is getting right now, it's not really disputable that that's just normal.

Levandowski has been fired from Uber and Kalanick is no longer CEO of the embattled startup.

A Waymo spokesperson referred us to this statement:

"We believe these actions were part of a concerted plan to steal Waymos trade secrets and intellectual property. Months before the mass download of files, Mr. Levandowski told colleagues that he had plans to 'replicate' Waymos technology at a competitor.
The Senior Minister was speaking at the Ghana Economic Forum on Monday, August 7, 2017.

In 2005 and when I was Minister of Education we had 8 total universities. Today as I speak we have about 20 universities in the public sector and about 75 private universities.

Ask yourself where will the product of these almost 100 universities go?

Many university graduates after school look forward to being employed in the public or private sector.

But the Senior Minister said the public sector is full. We may even have to lay some off.

They (university graduates) only find jobs if the private sector grows, if the private sector expands, if the private sector becomes prosperous.

If we do not get our mindsets in this direction, then we are heading for trouble as a country."

He attributed this to the fact that most universities are training less technical brains as compared to the humanities.

Most people coming out of our universities are not technical brains. Most of them are in the humanities."

But he did not blame the universities entirely. He explained that it is expensive to train technical brains in the country.

It is very expensive for the private sector to put up a credible technical university. So most of the private sectors go into the training of marketing, sociology, economics. Those subjects can be easily taught without expensive laboratories and workshops.
This is according to the Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Marfo.

The Senior Minister was speaking at the Ghana Economic Forum held in Accra on Monday (August 7, 2017).

He explained that a country with 60 percent arable land and other good conditions that support crop production has no reason importing food from other countries.

People have never understood why Ghana as a country with the quality of land we have should be a net importer of food.

Successive governments have spoken about creating a self-sufficient agricultural sector but this has not materialised.

Marfo said there should be a total effort to make it. 60 percent of your land is arable the rivers in Ghana run uniformly in the country to make irrigation easy.

So do we have any reason to import vegetables, to import flowers? I dont think we have and we cant defend it to the future generation.

Ghana imports tonnes of food to support the yields local farmers bring to the domestic market for consumption by residents in the country.

Statistics show that the main food products imported are rice, wheat, poultry products among others.

However, the Senior Minister argued that these are also produced in Ghana and enough effort must be put in place to reduce food imports to the country.
The vice-president of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as part of his opening remarks for the Ghana Economic Forum has assured Ghanaians that the New Patriotic Party government led by His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is working to build a Ghanaian economy beyond aid.

Dr. Bawumia, who was not physically present at the even said via a pre-recorded video:

Fundamentally, the vision of Nana Addo Dankwa is essentially to build an economy beyond aid and to build an economy that is beyond dependency.

We are looking at building a vibrant Ghanaian economy.

If you look at the things that we are doing as a government, and the framework, we want to build an economy beyond aid.

We are making sure that as far as government contracts are concerned, for tax payers funded contract we award 70% to local entities. This will really help us in Ghanaian ownership."

The vice president of Ghana also touched on his governments measure to build the average Ghanaians confidence in investing in the nation.

We also want to build an economy that encourages investment, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia continued.

That investment has to be encouraged by making sure that macro economy is stable. Ghanaians are not going to invest in an economy which is unstable. Foreigners wouldn't invest and Ghanaians wouldnt invest either.

We are moving quickly in that direction.
Speaking at the Ghana Economic Forum on Monday, August 7, 2017, the Senior Minister backed his point by encouraging the training of technical brains and admonishing everyone to have a mind-set of growing the private sector in Ghana.

The public sector is full. We may even have to lay some off, Honourable Yaw Osafo-Marfo said.

They (university graduates) only find jobs if the private sector grows, if the private sector expands, if the private sector becomes prosperous.

If we do not get our mind-sets in this direction, then we are heading for trouble as a country.

Most people coming out of our universities are not technical brains. Most of them are in the humanities.

It is very expensive for the private sector to put up a credible technical university. So most of the private sectors go into the training of marketing, sociology, economics. Those subjects can be easily taught without expensive laboratories and workshops.

The Minister gave a practical example of how Ghana could go in a bid to have a Ghanaian-owned economy, releasing the pressure currently on the public sector.

If our economy was to go on a tangent like the German economy has gone, then the public sector will not be the place to look for a job. If you leave the university, you would be looking for a job in the private sector or by virtue of the training you have, you will be employing yourself.

This is how we should all see the development of this nation.
He was speaking at a Breakfast meeting organised by the centre on the theme Policy updateGhanas Tax Exemption Regime.

Grant said this was because the policy was implemented in a wrong manner.

READ ALSO: How to be resourceful as an entrepreneur

He added that this was what led to the scrapping of the current tax exemption regime in the 2017 budget.

My numbers stand to be corrected, but I think last year the budgeted amount of exemptions was about GH 800 million but at the end of the day they realised that exemption had built up to GH 2.4 billion.

That means there must have been significant abuses of the system and they discovered that truly there were serious abuses in the system. The cost of not checking the abuses means that the good business ends up paying relatively more than they are supposed to and that is a problem, he added.

Exemption Process at GIPC

Grant explained that the Centre was mandated under section 26 of the GIPC Act to grant import duty and Value Added Tax (VAT) exemptions to qualified companies registered with the Centre.

A typical approved strategic investment has incentives which include exemptions from the payment of import duty and VAT on plant machinery and equipment specifically for the project, construction materials specifically for the project, and on locally purchased construction materials and equipment required specifically for the project.

He was quick to call on the stakeholders present at the meeting to share their experiences on the new tax regime. He said this will help the government to take favourable decisions in the sector.
This is because the government of Ghana can do very little to support and help expand Ghanaian businesses in the country.

This was disclosed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Investment Promotions Centre (GIPC), Yofi Grant.

He was speaking at the Ghana Economic Forum held in Accra on Monday (August 7, 2017).

Asked what support government has to offer start-ups that have the potential of becoming international brands.

He said businesses here are like businesses everywhere. Sometimes you dont need government to support you. Those who always line up to see government officials before they get their businesses growing do not go far.

He explained that this is because the government can do very little for you. The government concerns and needs are bigger than pushing a private businessman.

We can only create the space and make sure that space enables you to grow, he added.

The CEO of GIPC explained that there were Ghanaian businesses doing well even though they have never come to the government for any help.
For lovers of the latter  myself included  the place to be was certainly the National Theatre. For close to a month there were posters/banners, short clips and promotional videos of the stage-play You play me, I play you on many media spaces. Such a build up to the event could only mean that the show was never going to be a disappointment.

And it wasnt.

Interest in Ghanaian theatre has been on the rise for sometime now, and Saturdays stage-play only goes a long way to emphasise the fact that the industry is really growing fast.

You play me, I play you is a purely satirical theatre that features two tricksters trying to outsmart each other. Originally written by the late Efo Kodjo Mawugbe and directed by Fiifi Coleman, the play fuses craft with rib-cracking drama in its various scenes.

The main cast features two friends who would go any length just to make money  an attitude that means they would end up stepping on each others toes.

The title You play me, I play you stems from the fact that each of them is always on the look out to find a way to outwit the other.

The play explores the kind of relationship that exists between colleagues who would relegate friendship just to get to their goals and aspirations in life. In the regard greed and selfishness sets in, as they employ various tricks and dubious ways in a bid to get to the top.

If you have read up to this part, then you might be forgiven for thinking this was an all serious play without any hilarious scenes. If you are asking where the comedy part is, wait no further!

Now, imagine being stopped by a policeman who charges you not just for overspeeding and overloading, but also for over-darkness of your skin colour and over-burdening since you talk too much.

Did you also know that houseflies from the Brong Ahafo Region are the most dangerous because they are so fearless that they can enter into any hole? At least that is what You play me, I play you tells us to believe. Shout out to the entire city of Berekum and Rashida Black Beauty for this one.

And, how do you relate to grown-up men who wear pampers and behave like babies just to escape from the claws of a troubling, loud-mouthed kenkey seller they owe? The aforementioned friends did exactly that and even more.

The subplot explores some of the dubious ways which certain so-called pastors use to take advantage of their members all in the name of prophecies and deliverance.

There is also the hilarious scene of the awkward newspaper headlines which suggest that Shatta Wale will soon be having a collaboration with Christiana Love, with Asiedu Nketia also rumoured to have quit politics for gymnastics.

Aside its comedy and rib-cracking scenes, the play also makes room for a bit of education on biblical interpretations on generosity and investing in the Lord. It relives the biblical story of how Jesus Christ fed the multitude with just five loafs of bread and two fishes, albeit in purely satirical fashion, while also highlighting the need to have the church also give back to society.

Overall, You play me, I play you was a good show and the audience totally loved it, as they were made to laugh off their seats all night. However, the review cant end without highlighting some of the negatives on the night.

Once again time was a problem. The National Theatre was booked for two shows  4pm and 8pm. However, both shows did not start on time, especially the 8pm event which led to a late closure. Majority of the audience were also left hanging, as the conclusion of the play was not befitting of such wonderful show. It certainly could have been better than it ended.

That said, the production has done no harm to their name and brand. Im sure many people had never heard of FC Play House prior to this event, but on the back of such a well-organised theatre, the audiences would certainly be yearning for more from them.

The stage-play 'You play me... @ Emmanuel Ayamga
But one thing about Tim is that he has always been flirtatious and even after marriage, he has refused to so stop, which often cause problems for him and at such times, I would be the one to mediate and settle their quarrels.

Mary always looked to me to sort them out and it was on one such occasion that she seduced me. That Saturday, they had had a fight and she ran to my house with bruises all over her body.

My wife and kids had traveled to her village to spend some time with their family and I was all alone. I was so mad at what Tim did and called him to come over to my place but he bluntly refused, telling me he does not want to see his wife.

When I insisted, he switched off his phone and I could not get to him again. I tried my best to give Mary first aid treatment and gave her some drugs to take.

She was crying bitterly and I did all I could to comfort her and without knowing how it happened, we ended up making love.

When the deed had been done, I felt so bad and blamed myself for falling into such a stupid temptation but Mary told me she also wanted it as much as I did and would not mind us having an affair.

I told her to forget it as we both made a mistake and should see it as such but since that day, Mary has continued to blackmail me emotionally, often sending me raunchy text messages, telling me how much she wanted me and all that.

She has now added another dimension to the blackmail by saying she would tell Tim that i raped her the day she came to me and I know the damage such an allegation could cause for everyone.

What should I do to put a stop to Mary's harassment?

Andy."
On Thursday, August 3, 2017, a magistrate court in Lagos arraigned 42 suspected homosexuals who were recently arrested at a hotel located at Owode Onirin.

The court confirmed that the group were on July 29, 2017, caught in the act of homosexuality, punishable under the Lagos State criminal law.

The presiding judge, Chief Magistrate Adewale Ojo granted the accused bail in the sum of N500,000 following their not-guilty plea.

It seems my dear country has a knack for producing baffling and downright sad stories. Nigeria is a shock-jock country just like shock jocks on American radio. Shock jocks are on-air-personalities who express deliberately controversial opinions to offend or provoke people. Nigeria is a shock jock nation.

It is sort of puzzling that our dear Nigerian Police Force has weighed the scales and determined that is more important to arrest alleged homosexuals instead of cracking bigger issues.

The last time we all checked, the cult gang known as Baddo is still doing its thing. The respectable detectives in the NPF are more concerned with who sleeps with who than men of the underworld who are committing mass murders in Ikorodu.

All of a sudden, our police officers have become super detectives who deem it fit to arrest alleged gays and ignore hardened criminals. What a sense of priority.

You don't have to support homosexuality to get what I am driving at. If our police officers think it is more important to catch men who like men and not bother about murderers and rapist, then we are in big trouble. The police should not be concerned with people's sexual preferences and orientations. But this is Nigeria.

Let's leave our friends who collect N50 at every check point and focus on the judiciary. Our legal system that has shown it lacks the moral conviction to trial alleged corrupt politicians has all of a sudden sprang up to deliver justice on men who haven't killed or stolen.

The Nigeria legal system is notoriously slow and indecisive when it comes to political cases dealing with corruption. Remarkably it is fast and swift when it comes to an issue such as this.

We don't have our priorities set straight in this country. Alleged gay men who haven't disturbed anyone, who haven't threatened to secede, who haven't killed families or put bombs on children are now our main focus. You don't have to accept homosexuality to understand we are not well in this country. Yes homosexuality is illegal but so also is corruption.

It's easier for gay people to see the four walls of a court room than a corrupt politician. We have no sense of direction.

People's sexual orientation shouldn't be of public interest anyway. Who you choose to love and how you choose to love is between you and your maker and not the state.
READ MORE:Yvonne Okoro Shows Off Her Banku Skills

But speaking with Berla Mundi on GhOne TV, Okoro said she will feature in one if she is given a better offer and a good script.

She further said the movie industry should not be segregated into Ghallywood and Kumawood, saying they all serve their purpose.

I was asked if I was willing to work in Kumasi and I told them it is about time we stopped segregating between Ghallywood and Kumawood, she said.
Emmanuel Adi, a senior high school (SHS) graduate, also butchered himself with the same sharp machete after killing a dog belonging to one of the victims with the same object.

Many believe that the suspect was under the influence of some illegal substance which got him intoxicated.

The victims of the heinous act have been identified as Kojo Ampong, 85; Evans Amponsem, 23; Akwasi Nyansah aka Mfante, 76, and John Atta, 45.

They are currently at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi for treatment.

The suspect, Adi who also suffered serious head injuries, is also receiving treatment at the New Edubiase Government Hospital under police watch.

The incident was said to have occurred after residents had returned home from communal labour, the Daily Guide newspaper reports.

The suspect attacked John Attas dog first at his home, before butchering John. He subsequently butchered three more people.

READ ALSO: Teacher commits suicide in public toilet

He started behaving strangely and even went ahead to hit his head with the machete, resulting in serious injuries.
The plaintiff, Mr Ayamga Yakubu Akoglo, is praying the court to declare any action that has already begun or ongoing against the EC Chair as unconstitutional, void and of no effect.

He argues that the issues raised in the petition (allegation of financial or procurement impropriety) calling for the removal of Ms Charlotte Osei has nothing to do with her core functions as prescribed in Article 45 of the 1992 Constitution and, therefore, do not warrant her removal per Article 146 (1) of the 1992 Constitution.

The petition on the face of the record did not meet the constitutional requirements of incompetence to warrant the determination of a prima facie and to remove from office the Chairperson of the EC. On the face of the petition, there is no constitutional function of the EC not competently discharged by the Chairperson of the EC, he said in his statement of case.

READ ALSO: Workers petition Nana Addo to remove Charlotte Osei

The contents of the petition did not on the face of the records demonstrate or indicate that the Chairperson of the EC was convicted of a stated misbehaviour under the written laws of Ghana, he added.

Mr Akoglo asserted that statutory agencies such as the office of the Auditor-General, the Public Procurement Authority, the Controller and Accountant Generals Department and the Internal Audit Agency are best and well placed to deal with these complaints.

The plaintiff is also challenging the removal procedure of the EC Chairperson as prescribed in Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution, the same procedure used to remove Justices of the Superior Courts.

He argues that Though linked to a Justice of Superior Court, in terms of conditions of service, the Chairperson of the EC undoubtedly is special and distinguishable on grounds of functions, political risks, and effects on political and democratic stability in the country. It is our prayer that a different procedure be adopted for the removal of the Chairperson of the EC.

READ ALSO: President has no plans of replacing EC Boss

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo last two weeks referred the petition calling for the removal from office of the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Mrs Charlotte Osei, to the Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo.
The Public Relations Officer of the task force, dubbed Operation Vanguard, Major Gariba Pabi, said around 17:00 GMT Sunday, personnel from the Ashanti Region while patrolling the area, met some stone-pelting illegal miners at Wawasi, a community in Obuasi widely noted for galamsey.

He said the illegal miners subsequently fired a gun at the patrol, and in a move to protect themselves, the patrol team fired back to disperse the miners.

READ ALSO: 2000 galamsey equipment destroyed in the Ashanti Region

But after their escape, the task force realised that one of the illegal miners had been shot.

He was sent to the hospital for treatment but died later.

The identity of the deceased is not yet known, Major Gariba said.

The rest of the miners are currently on the run, but the PRO of the task force is optimistic that they will soon be arrested.

The Operation Vanguard is made up of 400 security men from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and the Police Service.

The team has been divided into three groups to cover the Ashanti, Eastern and Western regions.
The Public Relations Officer of the task force, dubbed Operation Vanguard, Major Gariba Pabi who disclosed this said that the arrests were made in the three regions where galamsey is widely noted for  Eastern, Western and Ashanti.

The taskforce also seized 25 floating machines used to mine in water bodies.

Meanwhile, the task force on Sunday evening clashed with some illegal miners in the Ashanti Region, leaving one illegal miner dead.

Major Gariba Pabi, said around 17:00 GMT Sunday, personnel from the Ashanti Region while patrolling the area, met some stone-pelting illegal miners at Wawasi, a community in Obuasi noted for galamsey.

He said the illegal miners subsequently fired a gun at the patrol, and in a move to protect themselves, the patrol team fired back to disperse the miners.

But after their escape, the task force realised that one of the illegal miners had been shot.

He was sent to the hospital for treatment but died later.

The identity of the deceased is not yet known, Major Gariba said.

READ ALSO: 2000 galamsey equipment destroyed in the Ashanti Region

The Operation Vanguard is made up of 400 security men from the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and the Police Service.

The team has been divided into three groups to cover the Ashanti, Eastern and Western regions.
Speaking to Joy News, Mr Boadu said Mac Manu was leading an election observer team, denying that he was there to effect a regime change.

READ MORE: How Mac Manu was prevented from entering Kenya

He said: "I had a wind of what happened at the Airport. It is unfortunate that a country like Kenya that has been evolving will engage in something like this.

They were the first country to have experienced the use of law court to settle election dispute.'

Mac Manu is a member of the Democratic Union of Africa which is a sub body of the bigger body of the International Democratic Union.

It is rather unfortunate that the Kenya authorities will behave like that.

I dont know what the motive was. Whatever it was, it was wrong."

Mac Manu was prevented from entering the East African nation on Friday ahead of the country's general elections.

James Orengo, a senior official in the National Super Alliance (NASA) opposition coalition, told Journalists in Nairobi that Mac Manu was prevented from entering Kenya along with another Ghanaian.

He said: Last night, there were two Ghanaians who were coming to help and share their experiences, not as employees but to share experiences with us on how elections were conducted in Ghana.

And as you know, the system of elections to the extent that it depends on electronics is similar to that of Ghana.

And they were removed from their plane, or planes. They did not formally disembark from the plane.
This comes on the back of the latest epistle by Martin Amidu accusing former President John Mahama in the appointment of Charlotte Osei to rig the 2016 elections for him [Mahama].

The citizen vigilante said Mahama must be blamed for the current conflict between Charlotte Osei and her deputies.

He added that the NDC only appointed Mrs Osei to help rig the election but failed in that regard.

But in a rebuttal, Kofi Adams said it's meaningless for him to make such allegations.

"That is a very silly thought. Please! Let people use their head," he said on Accra-based Starr FM.

Kofi Adams indicated that "I am quite disturbed and worried, and I think that you in the media must begin to help to expose chaff from the useful feed. Clearly, people just sit somewhere and write anything and when they are called to come and defend they will tell you they wont speak."

He said no single person at the EC can rig elections in favour of any presidential candidate.
He has alleged that Mahama appointed Charlotte Osei in a bid to "rig" the 2016 general elections.

He said Mahama must be blamed for the current conflict between Charlotte Osei and her deputies.

READ MORE: Charlotte Osei faces Parliament

Mrs. Osei and her deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Amankwaa have been trading accusations and counter accusations at each other over the last few weeks.

Whiles the deputies accuse Charlotte Osei of incompetence and arrogance, Osei has hit back accusing them of corruption and financial malfeasance.

A petition seeking the removal of Mrs. Osei by unknown staff of the election management body is currently being examined by the Chief Justice.

Martin Amidu in his latest article said the EC boss was appointed to help the NDC government execute a rigging agenda.

"But as I said time without number during the 2016 elections, she was appointed by a corrupt Government precisely because of her incompetence that made her susceptible for use for an election rigging agenda.

"Her appointing Government failed in the rigging agenda despite all the attempts by the Commission to narrow the election to a two-party race to facilitate easy rigging for the incumbent. She has, either on her own or at the instance of her mentor, been trying to recycle herself as a neutral Electoral Commissioner after her Church Papa mediated her peaceful announcement of the election results, he said.

Read below Martin Amidu's latest article:

NDC CREATED THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION CHAOS THAT NOW PORTENDS A BAD OMEN FOR THE CONGRESS: BY MARTIN A. B. K. AMIDU

The NDCs precipitate defensive actions, without waiting for the blood to cool and reason to assume its seat, when the petition against their appointed Electoral Commission Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, became public knowledge, may see all the three Commissioners appointed by the Congress or a number of them whipped out of office and new ones appointed by their so called adversaries, the NPP. This is happening because we all remained silent and allowed charlatans and strangers to our values and ideals to hi-jack the NDC and alienate the most committed, selfless and experienced strategic and tactical founding thinkers of the party.

The last few weeks saw the Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Charlotte Osei, with the conditions of service of a Justice of the Court of Appeal, descending into the gutters and casting aspersion on her two Deputy Commissioners, also with the conditions of service of Justices of the High Court. She completely lost her comportment, decorum, and above all the high moral character and proven integrity of a Justice of the Court of Appeal to exhibit absolute patience in the face of every provocation so as to maintain the honour and dignity of her high office as the Electoral Commissioner and of the Commission as a whole  simply because the constitutional right of petitioning for her removal had been invoked against her.

Come what may, the Chairperson of the Commission had a supreme responsibility to maintain the integrity of the priceless Commission of which she had leadership. She should not have allowed herself to have been baited into fighting and exchanging vituperative words publicly with both Deputy Commissioners and other members of management. Speaking for myself, she once more exhibited her incompetence and lack of leadership skills that in my view rendered her unfit for appointment to the high office of Electoral Commissioner in the first place.

But as I said time without number during the 2016 elections, she was appointed by a corrupt Government precisely because of her incompetence that made her susceptible for use for an election rigging agenda. Her appointing Government failed in the rigging agenda despite all the attempts by the Commission to narrow the election to a two-party race to facilitate easy rigging for the incumbent. She has, either on her own or at the instance of her mentor, been trying to recycle herself as a neutral Electoral Commissioner after her Church Papa mediated her peaceful announcement of the election results.

The petition to the President for her removal from office by some alleged officers of the Commission made her to welcome support even from the leadership of the NDC in and out of Parliament. They in turn, without producing any evidence charged the NPP Government in several statements and interviews published in the media with witch-hunting her from office. The two Deputy Electoral Commissioners who were also appointed to the Commission by the past NDC Government felt compelled to explain their versions in response to the unusual accusations from their Chairperson in the media, as though they supported the petition against her, Charlotte Osei.

The responses of the two Deputy Commissioners who had been longer on the job than the Chairperson cannot be said to be witch-hunting by the NPP. However, the NDC, which had alienated almost all their experienced and founding strategic and tactical thinking members just could not think very deeply about the consequences of their three appointees fighting each other in public at the Commission. I suspected that once the NDC had openly taken the side of the Chairperson whom we, anti-corruption crusaders, suspected was appointed with a rigging agenda, they threw caution to the wind and could not have the patience of old age to cut their losses.

My fears that the chaos at the Commission would lead the present young crop of the NDC to self-destruct was confirmed when I discovered on 29th and 31st July 2017 respectively that the author of the second petition for the removal of the two Deputy Commissioners was Emmanuel Korsi Senyo, the concerned citizen, who had acted in the past as an NDC surrogate commencing action against the General Legal Council in the Supreme Court in defence of Francis Sosu, who had contested the primaries in my constituency, Madina, for the NDC. The second petition is not, therefore, from any witches from the NPP let alone to hunt the Deputy Commissioners.

A quick Google search will establish that Emmanuel Korsi Senyo a.k.a Emmanuel Korsi Senyo Kumedzina is a young activist of the NDC and Tutor and Head of Department Social Science at the St Prosper College, Ho who graduated from KNUST sometime in 2009. This discovery made me to find out whether the NDC could blame anybody should the investigations of the three petitions lead to the removal of all three Commissioners and how that was going to be an achievement for the NDC. Certainly, the NPP would then appoint all the three new Commissioners should the independent Committees investigating the allegations contained in the three petitions find all three Commissioners guilty of the charges against them.

What is the political utility to the NDC if the Committees do find even the two Deputy Commissioners guilty as charged? So, I asked my NDC colleagues the question, why did the defence of the Chairperson get the NDC so incensed that their surrogates decided to throw out the baby with the bath water by petitioning against their two other appointees? This could not have happened in the founding NDC because the incompetent and massive looser John Dramani Mahama would never have had the chance to fool the youth to kill all their parents and be without experienced elders to consult for strategic and tactical decision-making. We are now working in the NDC kingdom without fathers which John Mahama created, and with which he massively lost the elections.

Should all the three Commissioners or one or two be removed from office, the NDC can only have itself to blame for its predicament and not any witch-hunters from the NPP after being petitioners ourselves to facilitate the possible removal of all three Commissioners. I hope the NDC has learnt bitter lessons from the John Mahama Governments inept looting and losing leadership style and wish to God that we can collectively reorganize the party to instil that level of integrity and honour that will give us a chance in the nearest future to return to lead a true incorruptible social democratic Government of the people and for the people of Ghana.

Martin A. B. K. Amidu
Speaking on Accra-based Okay FM, she said I am daring him to face me on radio, television or any other platform for an intellectual discourse. I will show him that there were men to fight but Yaa Asantewaa decided to lead a war in the Asante Kingdom.

She noted that I have been looking for him but he keeps running away but I will want us to get a platform so that I will expose all the lies he has been spewing about me and the NDC. I am daring him if he is man enough he should accept the invitation to any platform for us to meet.

She said the governing NPP is notorious for peddling falsehood and the communicators who they use for the falsehood must be whipped into line
The poll, from the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, found that the Arizona senator's support of the GOP's healthcare push had hurt voters' opinions of him.

Overall, 52% of Arizona voters surveyed for the poll said they were less likely to vote for Flake in his 2018 reelection bid because of his vote in support of the various Republican plans. Twenty-six percent said they were more likely to vote for him because of the vote, and 20% said it made no difference.

Just 31% of those surveyed said they would vote for Flake if the election were held immediately, compared with 47% saying they would vote for a generic Democratic opponent. The poll also found that 62% of Arizonans disapproved of Flake's performance, while only 18% approved. Just one Democrat, political newcomer, has entered the race to challenge Flake

In contrast, Flake's fellow Republican Arizona senator, John McCain, voted against the latest Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, derailing the GOP healthcare efforts but drawing positive reviews from his state's voters. Fifty-four percent said they approved of McCain's vote, while 40% said they disapproved.

The poll provided some of the first concrete evidence that some GOP members could get dinged for voting in favor of the healthcare push. It may not come as much of a surprise, since the Republican healthcare bill was among the least popular pieces of legislation in decades.

Democrats are capitalizing on the public's distaste for the Republican plans. Rep. Jacky Rosen, the Democratic challenger to Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada in 2018, is already running ads about Heller's vote for the Republican healthcare bills.
According to Yun Sun, a senior associate at the Stimson Center who is an expert on China and North Korea, the US essentially persuaded China to agree to the extensive sanctions on Pyongyang by threatening to sanction Chinese banks that do business with North Koreans.

With China on board, Russia, a country that refuses to even acknowledge that North Korea has built an ICBM, decided against a conspicuous veto that would draw attention to its dealings with Pyongyang.

"It's quite impressive how the Americans got the Chinese to agree to such comprehensive sanctions," said Sun, who described the sanctions as "unprecedented, the most comprehensive, most extensive we have seen so far."

President Donald Trump said that he was "very happy and impressed" with the 15-0 UN vote passing the sanctions and that he had called South Korea's president to talk it over.

But will these sanctions stop North Korea from building and testing missiles and nuclear devices?

"The answer is no," Sun said. "The belief that sanctions are going to bring North Korea to its knees have been proven to be false assumptions."

According to Sun, during economically lean times, it's the North Korean people who suffer. Pyongyang has prioritized its military and will most likely fund its weapons programs above all else.

Additionally, John Park, the director of the Korea Working Group at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, told South Korea's Hankyoreh that North Korea had billions stockpiled from years of a trade surplus. He projects that the regime could survive for years even under these strict sanctions.

After the latest sanctions passed, the US offered North Korea an olive branch, with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saying Pyongyang could signal diplomatic talks if it "stopped testing these missiles."
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!
We acknowledge those who have made a name for themselves or maintained their already known names.

This list is of religious leaders that are very powerful in Nigeria. Here are five most influential religious leaders of 2016.

1. Prophet T.B Joshua: This man has done some things, things most Men of God could never live down. Yet somehow, he manages to rise up above everything with his die-hard followers clapping for him. He is the preacher everyone loves to hate, but he undeniably has the ears of most Nigerians. When he speaks, people listen. This makes him the most influential Man of God in this country.

2. Pastor Enoch A. Adeboye: The General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God is simply revered. In fact, I think i can say he is adored and worshipped by his many devoted church members. Even people that do not go to his church hold him in high esteem. Little wonder, he is fondly called 'Daddy G.O.'

3. Bishop David Oyedepo: The founder and General Overseer of Living Faith Church also known as Winners Chapel has faced a lot of criticisms over the years. This year, he was dragged on the Internet for saying that the expensive school fees have been approved by God. He was also attacked when his daughter, Joy, performed an unbelievable 'miravle.' In spite of these, he is still loved and admired by many Nigerians. There is no doubt that he has a lot of effect many people.

ALSO READ: Top 10 Pastors In Nigeria Popular On Social Media

4. Pastor Paul Adefarasin: This man has managed to capture the hearts of many people, especially Lagosians. He gained major popularity points when he started The Experience Lagos in 2005! This interdenominational Gospel concert with great musical talents is a favorite for most people. The fact that he can get top notch artists like Cece Winans, and more to show up proves how influential he is. Over 750,000 worshippers were in attendance this year.

5. Sultan of Sokoto: Muhammadu Sa'ad Abubakar IV, the 20th Sultan of Sokoto, is no doubt the most influential man in the Islamic society. This is because he is considered the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims. He announces all major events like the Ramadan, and so on. He is also the chairman of Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs. He recently celebrated his 10th anniversary on November 5, 2016. This huge event was attended by dignitaries like President Buhari, former president Olusegun Obasanjo, Senate president Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state, Rochas Okorocha of Imo state, Reverend Father Matthew Kukah, the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II, and the Ooni of Ife.

Honourable Mention: All South African pastors. The dictionary describes influence as 'the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself.' This is the perfect definition of what S.A preachers. How else can we explain why anyone would drink Dettol,allow a pastor spray Doom insecticide on them, drive over them, put them in freezers. e.t.c. Kudos to them because they wield a different kind of influence that Nigerian pastors simply do not have.

ALSO READ: 10 times South African pastors have embarrassed Christianity
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
Today, Sunday, August 6, 2017,

The police have also confirmed that 18 people were injured in the massacre.

According to the Commissioner of Police, Mr Garba Umar, the person responsible for the bloody act is most likely an indigene of the state.

From our findings, it is very clear that the person who carried the attack must be an indigene of the area," said Umar.

Additionally, he said, We gathered that worshippers for 6 oclock Sunday mass at St. Philip Ozobulu were in the service when a gunman dressed in black attire covering his face with a cap entered the church and moved straight to a particular direction and opened fire.

The man after shooting at his targeted victims still went on a shooting spree, killing and wounding other worshippers."

The commissioner also revealed that the gunman spoke in undiluted Igbo. No arrest has been made yet.

While millions of Nigerians are wondering what could have led to this act of murder in the House of God, a Twitter user @isinmiri claims to know the reason behind it.

According to @isinmiri, the story involves a man named Bishop who was dealing with drugs in South Africa with the rest of his gang.

Bishop would leave the gang and take away the gang member's money. This move annoyed the gangsters and they took revenge by killing those loyal to Bishop in Nigeria.

Bishop who had absconded with the money came back to Nigeria and used some of it to build the St. Philips Catholic Church allegedly.

Word got back to the gang and decided to strike against Bishop during the Thanksgiving service which was meant to hold today.

Isinmiri claims Bishop knew about the hit and decided not to show up. His father and other members of his extended family however attended. Bishop's father was among those who were killed today reportedly.

There is no substantial evidence to prove this story from the Twitter user.
The quiet successes of Brexit

8 July 2017Just a few weeks ago, the Conservatives triumphed in the local government elections and Theresa May was hailed as an all-conquering Brexit Boudicca who could do no wrong. Now, after her general election humiliation, an opposite view has taken hold: that the government is a disaster, the country is in an irredeemable mess, Brexit has been derailed and nothing can go right. This is a sign that parliamentary recess is overdue; a great many people are exhausted and a little emotional. But the facts, for those with an eye to see them, do not give grounds for such pessimism.The Tories have lost their majority and deserved to do so after an awful campaign. But some 85 per cent of the public voted for parties promising a clean exit from the European Union, the better to retrieve sovereignty and freedom to negotiate our own trade deals with the rest of the world. It was a call not to withdraw from the world, but to manage globalisation better; a reminder that the nation state still matters, especially to those who look to it for protection.The official Brexit talks were always going to be a pantomime, intended to embarrass Britain. The European Union has taken Brexit badly, and is understandably anxious that a majority of French, Spanish, Italians and Poles now say they would support a referendum on their EU membership. We can expect patronising remarks from Jean-Claude Juncker, and various staged events intended to portray Theresa May as isolated and friendless. At the last Brussels summit she was asked to give a presentation while waiters cleared away dinner cutlery. This is how the EU works  which is, in part, why so many Britons voted to leave.The EU sells more to Britain than we buy from its member states, so it has a greater need for a free-trade deal. This basic fact will prevail in the end. Meanwhile, Britain is getting down to business with new partners  specifically the United States, with whom free-trade talks begin later this month. To be able to strike such a deal, something the EU has so far failed to do, is one of the prime advantages of leaving. Informal talks have also been taking place with India, Latin America, Israel and South Korea.For some, free trade seems to be a good thing only when conducted with European countries. We hear dark warnings about being shut out of the single market. Yet, when its pointed out that Brexit will make possible freer trade with the US, we then hear scare stories about hormone-infected beef and chlorine-soaked chickens. This perverse contradiction ignores the reality of the situation: in bilateral trade talks with the US, it will be within Britains power to lay down what product standards we want. We have no such power in the EU, where we can be outvoted on product standards. Brexit will, for example, give us the chance to tighten standards on livestock transportation.Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, this week signalled another change that will be to our advantage following Brexit. He announced that Britain will withdraw from the Fisheries Convention, as well as reclaiming the exclusive right to exploit fish stocks in our territorial waters, signed away by Edward Heath as a common resource. Between them, these two measures will reserve for British fishermen the waters within 200 miles of our shores, or up to the median line between the coast of Britain and neighbouring countries. Fishermen have been badly hit in recent years, and had been told that EU rules meant there was nothing the government could do to help. This is now changing.Brexit is not, and was never, about withdrawing from Europe. It is about striking a new relationship with our neighbours  one that gives the government more freedom to fulfil obligations at home and to its allies abroad. The Ministry of Defence this week laid out details of its decision to deploy 1,500 troops for an EU battlegroup from July 2019  even if we have left the EU by that date.Meanwhile, Pascal Lamy, who says he was acting with the authority of chief EU negotiator Michael Barnier, warmly invited Britain to remain part of the European Research Area, which co-ordinates and funds scientific research across Europe. It is an invitation which we should have no problem in accepting, and shows that, after all, the EU is prepared to allow Britain to opt in to individual areas of European co-operation. The British-based scientists who were penning round-robin letters to the press warning of the consequences of Brexit might now be persuaded that things might not be so bad. Not only do they look like remaining in the European Research Area, but they will also have the benefit of the extra 2 billion a year of domestic funding announced in last years autumn statement.The result of the EU referendum campaign was a profound psychological blow for a great many people who are still fighting it, magnifying every problem and forecasting doom. It doesnt help that the government may be a shambles, unable to enact its manifesto and riven with infighting that goes right to the top of the cabinet.But Brexit has its own logic and its own momentum: if it makes sense for Britain and the EU to co-operate on issues such as defence, trade, patents and scientific research, then a deal is likely. That is not blind hope, but what is happening already.
The event is a multi-stakeholder meeting now in its 6th year, organised by young Nigerian, Bekeme Masade, along with other passionate youth in her employ, who believe that ethical management of our resources will yield great benefit for all stakeholders resulting in reduced conflict and equitable division of resources regardless of creed or stature.

A major highlight of the 2-day event was the attendance of the two most senior officers for the industries, the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, and the Honourable Minister for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi; both delivering key insights into the ministries plans for the oil & gas and the mineral sectors, respectively.

The multi-stakeholder event enjoyed active support from industry partners  Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (FMPR), Federal Ministry of Mines & Steel Development (FMMSD), Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) and Zenera Consulting; and notable sponsors  Aiteo, Ford Foundation, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Petrolex Oil & Gas, Access Bank and Lafarge Africa Plc.
Ebisike, a native of Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, took to her Facebook wall to post the heartbreaking comment, further narrated that she has been infected with the ailment which she claimed was due to poison and has expended all her money to look for a cure to no avail and now wants to take her life as she does not have any money to continue treating herself.

In the same breath, Ebisike who seems to have given up on life added that she would ingest rat poison to kill herself and invited people to come to her funeral, giving the specific date for her burial to as August 31, 2017.

The post has continued to elicit sympathy from many who have seen it with people coming out to discourage her while other took to praying for her to get a divine healing.

Many have also volunteered to give her financial assistance so that she could continue with her treatment, with a man from South Africa even volunteering to sponsor her trip to that country as well as take care of her medical bills.

This is what she posted:

"TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

You are cordially invited to my burial ceremony on the 31st of August, 2017, as I don't have money to continue my treatment. But I can afford N5 to buy rat killer to terminate my life."
A Zimbabwean newspaper, Weekend Post, reports that the woman, Netsai Chigairo, made the startling confession at a church where she had gone for a deliverance service in the in Chitungwiza region, 30 kilometers south-east of the Harare city.

It was gathered that the housemaid who is from the Mhondoro area shocked the church members when she confessed that she has been mixing her menstrual blood and urine in the food she serves her employers for a long time in protest over her outstanding wages.

Chigariro reportedly made the shocking revelation at a service held at the New Revelation Ministries at Unit L Community Hall in Chitungwiza on Saturday, August 5, 2017.

She was quoted as saying:

My employers had gone for four months without paying me; they were not even willing to increase my monthly wage. They chose to splash money on petty things at my expense and as a result, there was nothing I could do so I fixed them through the food.

I used to cook their food with menstrual blood and urine. On another day, I collected blood from a dying cat and put some of its blood in tomato sauce. Their favourite food was scrambled eggs hence I usually fixed them through eggs.

Its a pity it happened but I promise to be a good and trusted maid in future."

Chigariro added that she was employed by a family in Borrowdale suburb in Harare before she quit the job.

The General Overseer of the church who presided over the deliverance service, Miracle Paul, said Chigariros acts were inspired by the devil.

The devil took advantage of her; she did not know what she was doing as the devil was at work. She was being used to advance the devils mission and agenda, Paul said.

This is not the first time a housemaid has committed such atrocity as a 19-year-old maid was caught by a Close Circuit Camera installed by her employer in Kenya in 2015, urinating in a pot of soup she was preparing.
With regards to these milestones, the Chairman of Big Churchill Foundation has opened up in this interview on all that transpired during the visit, the motive behind the fire charity donation, more insight about his foundation.

1. You recently met with the Liberian president and also became a chief in the country, tell us about that experience?

My meeting with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was an honour and a very special moment in my life. Liberia was a pleasant experience, i was well hosted and celebrated by the people of the country.

I was one of the key note speakers at the KuKatornon Peace festival with the theme " Let's Maintain The Peace, promoting Non-violent Elections", because of the forthcoming general elections. I spoke along side Vice-president Joseph Boakai.

We had a peace match at the Stadium in the capital city of Monrovia. I had a very successful meeting with President Sirleaf and her ministers. Some of the issues we talked about is our Agricultural Empowerment project and other philantropic issues. One of the highlights of the trip was when the Council of Chiefs of the Kamara community conferred me with a Chieftaincy title in a traditional ceremony. I was truly humbled by their benevolence, and warmth.

2. You were also in the country for your charity foundation. How do you fund the Big Church Foundation?

 During my visit to Liberia, i was able to visit the centre for the blind where we distributed medical eye glasses and other Items to them. We also went to some less privileged homes and communities to donate food stuffs and money to support them.This is our own little way of helping to alleviate the sad memories of the country's civil war crisis.

The Big Church Foundation is funded from the 10% of all the revenue from the parent company - Big Church Group. It is a pledge we made at the early stage of the company to socially impact our immediate communities and the continent as a whole.

3. We heard reliably that you started your foundation from Malaysia

 It is quite unfortunate that people say what they dont know about. That information is misleading. The Big Church Foundation did not start in Malaysia, rather we conceptualised the idea of the foundation during my early days in Ghana. I do not have any ties with Malaysia or memories there. We have visited some African countries, and Liberia Is the latest country we visited for charity and peace movement.

4. So you have never lived in Malaysia?

The truth is, I have never visited Malaysia let alone live there. I do not have or run any business in Malaysia. I may visit there some time in the future but not now, it is not a priority. I have lived in Ghana, Switzerland, Nigeria and a few other European countries because I have offices there, and operate my businesses within these regions.

5- What inspired you to be charitable?

I come from a family that is very charitable. Grandma raised me,Grand mother is selfless and very passionate about giving. I also wish to see a world that is devoid of poverty and hunger, a world that is filled with happiness, joy and abundance.If God blesses someone, I feel it is important he or she extends his hand of love to the needy. Empowering people is very important to me. The desire to assist the poor or less priviledged is an integral part of me. I live by the mantra; "Giving Is Living".

6- Is it every charitable work you do that you publicize?

 Well, funny enough 60% of my humanitarian activities are not publicized, or In the media. My several charity activities in Ghana and other African countries are usually behind the camera. Some of our activities you see or read In the media are a selected few to encourage others to support the cause, and also start to give back in their own way.

We are not in it for fame or glory, but to inspire others In the private sectors to be socially responsible. It is also important to note also that our charity projects and activities tend to attract media attention, and we are grateful for their continued support.
According to a Facebook user, Ikem Kalu, who claims to be from Ozubulu, the man who has been identified as Chief Aloy Ikegwuonu a.k.a Bishop, an alleged drug baron based in South Africa, and another of his kinsman known only as Obrocho, had a drug deal that went bad, leading to bad blood between them which has spilled over to their hometown.

It was gathered that Bishop who is very popular in the state and is known as a philanthropist, was the one who built and donated the church to the parish and is held in very high esteem.

Kalu said that prior to the attack which claimed 11 lives including Bishop's father, with another 18 seriously injured, the gunmen had traced him to his house, but were told he had gone to the church where he was meant to hold a Thanksgiving service.

But when they stormed the church and could not find him, they made for Bishop's father and shot him dead while also opening fire on the members of the church.
Punch reports that the suspected gang members had disguised as worshippers and joined the vigil which held on Friday, August 4, 2017, and on the morning of Saturday when the vigil ended, they attacked the woman after the church members had slept of, smashing her head in the process.

It was gathered that following the attack, the victim raised the alarm which woke up other church members and residents of the area who gave the suspects a chase and nabbed one of them while others managed to escape.

A resident of the area who gave his name as Joseph said the residents came out en masse and gave the suspects a chase leading to the capture of one.

After his arrest, he [suspect] told us that they were three that attended the vigil. They pretended to be members of the church.

People were exhausted after the service and slept off inside the church. During that period, they attacked the woman. She was seriously injured in the head.

Two of them fled but the third suspect was apprehended and taken to the Ipakodo Police Station. Some youths wanted to lynch him, but they were stopped.

A community elder who also spoke on the incident urged the police to conduct adequate investigation on the suspect with a view to arresting other fleeing members of the gang and their sponsors.

The woman is in a critical condition at the hospital. It took the intervention and assurances from elderly members of the community that justice would be done before the youths agreed to hand over the suspect to the police.

We have witnessed a situation where a suspect was caught like this and handed over to the police, but nothing came out of it. The police should ensure diligent investigation and prosecution. If justice is done, people will stop jungle justice.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who confirmed the incident, said the command did not want to disclose details of the suspect so as not to jeopardize investigations.

We dont want those ones that ran away to have an inkling of what we are doing. We have been looking for how to get them. If we blow this open, others may go into hiding.
Speaking on Monday August 7, 2017 during a visit to the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) in Abuja, the minister said medical tourism 'causes huge destruction' to Nigeria's economy.

recalls that President Buhari departed Nigeria 90 days ago to treat an undisclosed ailment in London.

Buharis prolong stay in London has led calls for his resignation by different individuals and civil society groups.

Commending NSIA in its interventions in the country especially in the area of healthcare, Mohammed noted that the organization has saved Nigeria huge amount of money.

He noted that other countries are building their economy from foreign exchange on health tourism.

When relations have to travel with their patients to India, US, UK, Dubai, the destruction to the economy is huge, the minister said.

ALSO READ:Protesters demand Buhari's return or resignation

Healthcare is so important. Your interventions have saved Nigeria a billion dollars in foreign exchange. Most countries today are building the economy on health tourism.

You are not just saving the country a billion dollars when your partnership with LUTH materializes, you are saving people a lot of pain, agony and inconvenience.

The destruction to social life is huge. This is an area we should beam our searchlight and I hope you are able to complete it in the next couple of months, he added.

Speaking earlier, the managing director, Uche Orji said the NSIA has boosted the production, distribution of fertilizers to farmers at highly affordable rates.

He noted that the NSIA has revived eleven blending plants used in fertilizer production adding that more would be revived in a few months.
He alleged that the three past leaders are already searching for Buhari's successor ahead of 2019 elections, describing the act as "conspiracy against good governance."

Speaking in an interview with Punch on Monday, August 7, Kassim said Obasanjo, Babangida, and Abdulsalami are working against Buhari's anti-corruption war.

"I debunk media reports of purported hunt for the replacement of President Muhammadu Buhari by three former military presidents," the lawmaker, who is also the national chairman of the Democratic Youth Congress, said.

According to him, Buhari never confided in any of the ex-leaders about his future political plans.

Kassim added that these leaders "ignominiously mismanaged" Nigeria, thereby lacking the moral standing to chart a political course for the country.

He said the alleged search was intended to "cause political disharmony in the polity."

"What have Obasanjo, Babangida and Abdulsalam Abubakar bequeathed to this country as leaders, if not corruption, nepotism, underdevelopment and values laced with mutual distrust and suspicion which has further compounded our journey to prosperity as a nation," Kassim said.

"Enough is enough. We Nigerian youths have allowed such leaders to mortgage the future of this country.

"We, Nigerian youths, would henceforth use any civil and political will to resist such attempt by past leaders to  determine the common destiny of this great nation."

ALSO READ: Buhari condemns attack on Anambra church

Ailing Buhari has been under criticisms for being away from the country for months without openly telling Nigerians the nature of his ailment.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said Buhari has not broken any law that could justify his resignation.

Speaking in an interview with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, he noted that the President complied with the laws of the land before traveling abroad.

On May 7, 2017, Buhari traveled back to London, the United Kingdom, to receive further medical attention.

The protesters, a coalition of civil society groups, marched to the Villa on Monday, demanding that the President either resumes or resigns.

But Shehu reminded them that Buhari handed over to the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, whose performance has been commended by Nigerians and Buhari himself.

He said, "They (the protesters) are only exercising their rights in line with the constitution of this country.

"Of what use or value is a democracy in which citizens cannot embark on peaceful protests? So we respect their right to convene or undertake peaceful protest.

"On the second issue of whether the President should resign or disclose or whatever, I think they are stepping outside the laws of this country.

"Anyone conversant with the constitution of this country would have noticed or seen that Mr. President has complied 100 percent with the requirements of the constitution of this country.

"He has handed over power to the Vice President, relying on the constitution and the Vice President is carrying on with the affairs of this country. He is undertaking activities of government in line with the constitution in a way that the President himself has given words of commendation.

"So, the President has not breached any law. What he has done is perfectly in line with the constitution of this country and people are looking for things to say. I think they should do their research very well."

ALSO READ: Youth group gives Buhari 8-week ultimatum to resign
This is coming after the Socio-Economic and Accountability Project (SERAP) commended the Senate Presidents decision to stop receiving pensions.

SERAP had earlier alleged that some former Governors in Buharis cabinet are receiving double salaries.

Speaking further, Falana said that Saraki should also return the house which the Kwara state government gave to him.

He said The Senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki, announced last week that he had stopped collecting pension as a former governor of Kwara State following the protest by the Socio-Economic and Accountability Project, SERAP.

According to the Senate president, the moment his attention was drawn to the allegation of the payment of double salaries, he wrote to the Kwara State government to stop the payment of his pension.

In like manner, three serving ministers in the Buhari administration who are former governors have disclosed that they are not being paid pensions from any of the state governments.

Other ministers and legislators who are former governors and deputy governors should speak out so that Nigerians can know the public officers who are involved in the illegal collection of pension from state governments and salaries from the Federal Government at the same time.

Apart from writing to the Kwara state government to stop further payment of the pension due to him under the former governors pension law of Kwara State, Dr Saraki decided to contribute to the debate on double payment of salaries by some ex-governors.

Since Dr Saraki has come to the conclusion that the collection of the pension is immoral, he is advised to refund the pension he had collected from the Kwara State government since he became a senator in June 2007.

He should also relinquish the house bought for him in Abuja by Kwara State government since he is said to be receiving housing allowance as president of the Senate.

'wever, while Dr Saraki is commended for demonstrating leadership by example with respect to the illegal collection of the ex-governors pension he should proceed to use his position as the president of the Senate to prevail on the 20 other senators who are former governors and deputy-governors to stop further collecting pension from their state governments since they are currently receiving jumbo salaries and allowances from the national assembly.
Ernst Zundel will not be missedBy Joe Warmington, Toronto SunFirst posted: Monday, August 07, 2017 11:09 AM EDT | Updated: Monday, August 07, 2017 11:14 AM EDTHe spent a quarter of a century battling Ernst Zundel, but Bernie Farber could not bring himself to do the same when it came to commenting on the death of the infamous Holocaust denier.Jewish tradition demands that we do not defame the dead, said Farber, who worked with the Canadian Jewish Congress and fought Zundels campaign of Holocaust denial.Farber chose to keep it civil, on the high road and on the facts.Ernst Zundel denied the genocide of six million Jewish men, women and children, said Farber. He brought terrible anguish to those few who survived the evil of the Shoah.And despite being jailed, deported and having his house firebombed, Zundel was still very much doing that until his death Saturday age 78.His demise is the end of almost 50 years of public Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism.You have to watch the Jewish people because they are tricky, he told me in 1995 after dropping off an unmarked package to Toronto Polices 51 Division that had originally been delivered to his home. It turned out to be an explosive filled with nails that had to be detonated by the bomb squad.He issued a statement at the time saying, I think it is about time for those in authority to take their blinders off and overcome their own prejudices and investigate leftist and Jewish violence as diligently as they pursue people of the right, before someone gets seriously hurt or killed.It was never proven who sent the bomb.It was not Zundels first experience with such a delivery. His home and office at 206 Carlton St. in Toronto, nicknamed the Nazi Bunker, was a fortress and equipped with iron bars on windows and surveillance cameras after a firebomb caused $75,000 in damage.Despite arrests, court cases that went to the Supreme Court of Canada, and retaliation against him, Zundel would not stop printing his pamphlets of hate and propaganda, and even wrote a book called The Hitler We Love and Why.There are legitimate and constitutionally protected other viewpoints on political and historical matters than the Anglo-Jewish drivel served up by the self-serving bunch from the media, Zundel once said in a news release.The Zundel trial was a landmark case in the fight against hate speech in Canada, one in which Bnai Brith was instrumental in highlighting the dangers of Holocaust denial, said Amanda Hohmann, national director of Bnai Briths League for Human Rights.There is only one reason to engage in such rhetoric, and that is to create a false narrative of Jewish power and manipulation motivated by financial or material benefit for the Jewish people. It relies on conspiracy theories targeting world Jewry and can have no motivation other than anti-Semitism. That is the legacy that Ernst Zundel has left for the world.And despite being illegal to do so in Germany, Zundels web page still pushes the non-genocide narrative.Adolf Hitler never gave an order to eradicate the Jews, it states. There were no homicidal gas chambers in any German concentration camps set up specifically to kill human beings. Not nearly as many Jews died or were killed as a result of German policies as is now widely and ever more viciously claimed.Of course, testimonials from survivors and disturbing evidence presented at trials at Nuremberg show the opposite.That Zundel was still spreading these views very much upset the Jewish Defence League, whose Canadian director Meir Weinstein commented Sunday: Hitler Lover Ernst Zundel is dead ... Time for a party.Ernst Zundel deserved agony, not a quiet exitBy Mark Bonokoski, Postmedia NetworkFirst posted: Monday, August 07, 2017 01:19 PM EDT | Updated: Monday, August 07, 2017 01:45 PM EDTAs historical footnotes go, one of my proudest contributions was the exposing of Ernst Zundel as a neo-Nazi.From that point onward, the secret world of this notorious Toronto-based anti-Semite began to unravel, leading to years in court fighting extradition as a security risk, and finally his deportation to a German jail where he served time for inciting racial hatred and for being a Holocaust denier, a criminal offence in Germany.It has been learned, through a posting by his estranged wife, that Zundel  odious to the core  died of a heart attack Saturday at age 78 at his home in Germanys Black Forest where he lived after his release from prison in 2010 following five years of incarceration.In the end, he had been deported from both the United States and Canada, and was wanted by no one.Germany had no choice. Zundel was one of theirs.It began for me in 1978 when a TV mini-series on the Holocaust saw the sudden appearance of Ernst Zundel being quoted in all the media as a legitimate and seemingly benign spokesman for a group called Concerned Parents of German Descent, who argued that the Second World War was long over, and that Germans were being tarnished yet again by the sins of their forefathers.Who in hell was this Ernst Zundel?As I would soon uncover and expose, he was the author, among many hate-filled pamphlets, of a recently published 120-page book called The Hitler We Loved and Why, which he had written under the nom-de-plume of his two middle names, Christof Friedrich.It was printed and distributed by White Power Publications (WPP) in Reedy, West Virginia.Its editor, George Dietz, convinced by my ruse that he and I shared similar ideologies, admitted in a phone conversation that Ernst Zundel and Christof Friedrich were the same.A review of Zundels book, published in the neo-Nazi Liberty Bell magazine, which was also a product of WPP, read as follows:(Friedrich) leaves no doubt about it. Hitler was well loved and loved in return, but this relationship between the Leader and his people was not the gushy, sickly-sweet effusion of an obese Jewish mother for her pimply, draft-dodging son. This was Aryan love. Strong, steady and uplifting.Out of the rubble for a nation laid waste by the Jews, the Fuehrer built an orderly, corruption-free, economically vibrant and morally-pure society in which our men were manly.In Zundels mind, like in the mind of like-thinking neo-Nazis, the death of six million Jews in German extermination camps was a hoax, and Hitler was a type of risen German Christ, a faith figure in the eyes of his people.Within hours of that column hitting the newsstands of the day, complete with that review of Christof Friedrichs essay on Hitler love, Ernst Zundels jig was up. His days as a credible media spokesman were over.By the next morning, he was forced to admit on the CBC that he and Christof Friedrich were one and the same and, before long, a series of criminal courts became his second home.When Zundel was eventually released from that German prison, he complained his cell was no better than a chicken coop. Compared to the concentration camps where six million Jews lived and died, however, it was a five-star hotel.The fact that he was able to die at home in Germany, of natural causes, and apparently in robust health up until the heart attack hit, is just another example of how life isnt fair.He deserved agony, but got none.
According to reports, an unidentified man went inside the Church, shot at a man, Chief Akunwafor Ikegwuonwu, before shooting sporadically at other worshippers.

The attack, which happened during mass, has claimed 11 lives, leaving 18 others injured.

ALSO READ: Death toll rises to 11

Taking to his Twitter page, on Monday, August 7, Governor Fayose condemned the "hearless murder".

In a series of tweets, he posted, "Killing fellow human beings is devilish, not to talk of killings in the house of God. I condemn the Ozubulu murder in its entirety.

"On this heartless murder of Nigerians at Ozubulu, Anambra State, police and other security agencies must carry out thorough investigation.

"It is time for us as a nation to have another look at our moral values. Where did we get it so wrong that we now kill one another at will?

"Boko Haram in NE, Badoo in Lagos, herdsmen across the country, ritual killers everywhere, and now drug war, what's wrong with us as a people?

"I commiserate with the Catholic Church, govt & people of Anambra State as well families of victims of the wicked and devilish killings."

The governor's condemnation of the attack comes after President Muhammadu Buhari called the attack, "an appalling crime against humanity and unspeakable sacrilege".
Osinbajo said investors who do not take advantage of the opportunities in the Nigerian economy now will blame themselves in 10 years time.

In a statement released on Monday, August 7, by Osinbajo's spokesman, Laolu Akande, the Acting President stated this at the presidential villa in Abuja during a meeting of delegates from the Nigerian Initiative for Economic Development (NEID).

Osinbajo made reference to the growth and return on investment in the telecom industry, saying companies which did not invest regretted later.

He said, "If you are really serious about investing in Africa, Nigeria is where to come. If you dont invest now, your company will query you in 10 years.

"This is a country of 180 million people, and in another 10 years, we are probably going to be the sixth or seventh largest country in the world. There is no way we are not going to need power, whether it is off-grid power or on-grid power. Power is required by everyone where we have a major power deficit.

"So, we are going to open up that power sector and anyone who invests in the power sector will definitely make money. No question. It is going to be much bigger and better than telecom."

The Acting President also clarified that though prospective investors are helping Nigeria, ultimately the country is a fertile place for investment.

"I like the idea of investors knowing that the reason why you are coming to Nigeria is not to help Nigeria. You will ultimately end up helping Nigeria, but the reason why you are coming here is because this is a good place to do business," he said.

"Nigeria is a place that is waiting to happen and it will happen. Thats really the point. It will happen. The truth of the matter is that any country that opens itself to free enterprise, the way Nigeria is opening itself to free enterprise, will somehow find that it will work.

"My friend is from Rwanda. Rwanda is a very lovely country and Paul Kagame is an incredible individual doing really good things in that country and I believe that the country will do great things. But compare Rwanda to Nigeria in terms of just the size of the economy. We have 36 states in Nigeria. Lagos alone which is the commercial nerve centre is six times the economy of Rwanda.
The BZF recently announced its independence from Nigeria and named some prominent Nigerians as members of its cabinet.

He said I want to register, in the strongest possible terms, that Biafra Zionist Federation, BZF, is totally alien to me, even by name, and it is very devious for them to have included my name as a cabinet member of its purported Interim National Government.

I have never had any link with them, whether in word, speech, thought or in person. It is most uncharitable and unthinkable that BZF would seek to relate my hard-earned reputation with its interests. I completely dissociate myself from this body in every ramification.

My candid preference has and will always be for a solid, united, stable, peaceful and productive Nigeria that has so many opportunities, whether it be economic or social on the basis of its diversity.

ALSO READ: Biafran group announces interim government

I do not support a break up of our country in whatever manner, and will advise the proponents of BZF to have a rethink and to set out to work towards building a Nigeria that they will be proud of.
The group demanded that the absentee president, who left the country 92 days ago, should return home soon or resign from his position. The protest ended a little after noon.

President Buhari left the country on May 7 to resume treatment in London for an undisclosed illness, leaving Acting President Yemi Osinbajo in charge of the country's affairs.

77 days after he left the country, pictures of him finally surfaced online when he met with state governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on July 23, at the Abuja House in London.

Since then, he has met with another delegation of Nigerian governors, as well as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, on Friday, August 4.
Reports say unknown gunmen entered St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu, and opened fire on those inside on Sunday, July 6, 2017.

Speaking further on the incident, the Senate President described it as the purest form of evil.

Saraki, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu said Today, my heart goes out to Nigerias Christian community, Governor Willy Obiano, the people of Anambra State, and the families of the victims and the survivors of this terrible massacre.

This brutal act of attacking innocent and unsuspecting worshippers represents the purest kind of evil.

Our security forces must not stop until everyone involved in the orchestration and execution of todays massacre in St. Philips Catholic Church, Anambra are brought to book by the strong arm of justice.

ALSO READ:Buhari condemns Anambra church killings

The Senate will continue to offer any form of necessary assistance in this endeavor, because today, all of us, as Nigerians have been attacked by this senseless act committed by evil people.
On the second night of battles, six group of contestants confront each other, delivering performances with hopes of making it to the next phase of the competition; the Live Shows.

Six contestants made it to the next stage, and they were two steals by Yemi Alade and Timi Dakolo.

Did you miss the exciting episode? Pulse Movies has put together all the performances you should see.

1. Team Timi's Blessed and Bada performed Steve Wonders song titled Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

Bada was saved to proceed to the Live Shows, while Blessed exited the show.

2. Yemi Alade chose Majeeka for the Lives after her "Toh Bad" battle with Wole.

Timi made the first steal of the night by choosing Wole.

3. Team Patoranking's Nisa and Annie performed Labrinth's "Beneath Your Beautiful."

Patoranking chose Annie to proceed to the Lives.

4. Team Waje's Obichi and Zicsaloma performed Korede Bello ft Tiwa Savages song titled Romantic.

Waje picked Obichi for the Lives, ending Zicsaloma's journey.

5. Team Patoranking's Hightee and Blessyn performed Jordin Sparks' "No Air."

Patoranking saved Hightee, sending Blessyn home.

6. Team Waje's Wilson and Glowrie performed Babyface and Toni Braxton's "Every Woman."
The former spokesman also condemned the APC national working committee for leading the party astray.

He said Im happy that some of our leaders are now speaking out against the lack of internal democracy I have been fighting for all this while.

It is still not too late if others will shun sentiments and see reasons to quickly rescue the APC from the current handlers, who are merchants and without minds of their own.

Frank also commended ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Senate President Bukola Saraki for speaking up against the undemocratic activities in the ruling APC.

Atiku had earlier accused the leadership of the APC of failing to organise statutory meetings for the organs of the party.
PLATTSMOUTH  A former Plattsmouth resident will spend five years on probation for keeping methamphetamine-related items in his truck.

Chad T. Bashus, 29, appeared in Cass County District Court on Monday morning for sentencing on one Class IV felony charge. Bashus, who now lives in Pacific Junction, Iowa, pled guilty in March to one charge of possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine.

A Cass County Sheriffs Office deputy stopped Bashus near Chicago Avenue in Plattsmouth in February 2016 for an active warrant. The deputy discovered a methamphetamine pipe in between the seats of the truck Bashus was driving. The deputy also discovered another item used to ingest the drug. State crime lab workers later confirmed the presence of methamphetamine on both objects.

The state had originally charged Bashus with three identical Class II felony counts of possession of firearm while committing a felony. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss those charges in exchange for his guilty plea on the drug charge.

Deputy County Attorney Colin Palm said Monday that the state recommended a prison sentence. He said Bashus had recently been arrested on similar drug and firearm charges. The alleged offenses took place July 11. He said he was disappointed to learn Bashus had allegedly relapsed after the successful completion of an inpatient treatment program.

Its hard to understand why he would throw away all of the progress he had made with treatment recently, Palm said.

Palm said he also took Bashus criminal record into consideration when preparing for the sentencing hearing. He said Bashus had committed his first minor-in-possession offense in 2006 and had been arrested for theft in 2007. His record also included two arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol and separate charges of assault, false reporting, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and open container of alcohol.

Defense attorney Julie Bear asked the court to place her client on probation. She said Bashus had never been given an opportunity to be on probation in any of his earlier cases. She said a more intensive form of probation such as Specialized Substance Abuse Supervision would help him continue to make progress with his drug addiction.

There would be nothing more productive than a SSAS-style probation for Mr. Bashus, Bear said. He has the desire to be abstinent.

Judge Michael Smith said he was concerned about the new charges against Bashus. He said he would have to weigh different options in a future case if those allegations were proven true. He said he would issue probation in the current case because of the successful completion of treatment.

Smith ordered Bashus to serve 60 months on probation. Bashus must complete a chemical dependency evaluation within 30 days and will pay a $500 fine. He must also enroll in an anger management course and attend all 12-step meetings recommended by probation officials.
Announcing this on Sunday, August 6, Olusola Bankole, the Chief Marketing Officer, Surfwella, said that the firm would make free Wi-fi available in all University campuses across the country.

According to Bankole, the free Wifi would be launched in University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) on Wednesday, August 9, followed by Lagos State University (LASU)

"The University of Abuja will be the first beneficiary, with the service scheduled for launch on the institutions campus this week Wednesday.

"The Lagos State University will be next, followed in quick succession by the College of Agric, Lafiaji, and the University of Lagos.

It is our own form of Corporate Social Responsibility. It is all about empowering the students to be globally competitive, and access to free Internet is the best way to empower the budding oncoming Generation-Z.

The whole idea of this project is to ensure that future graduates from universities across the country will compete with their contemporaries from other countries of the globe. More so, the surest way to be an entrepreneur is to acquiring Information and Communications Technology skills,

ALSO READ: Best student in WAEC exams rewarded on Twitter
"Spain is backing a European finance minister and a European budget which will progressively bring closer together living standards and the wealth of all European countries," said Rajoy, who will attend the summit in Paris hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, a fellow backer of the policies.

"Spain is going to bet on the existence of eurobonds, a European treasury emitting eurobonds," said Rajoy, adding that would bolster eurozone market credibility.

Spanish Finance Minister Luis de Guindos in June urged deep reform of the eurozone to include the creation of a "European monetary fund" and decide on "a certain percentage of national budgets.

De Guindos told the Financial Times that Brexit and the Trump presidency were both factors pushing Europe and the single currency zone towards greater integration, although the proposed reforms would require amending existing treaties.
In the runup to Tuesday's elections the signs were clear: a tight race and a history of political violence meant many Kenyans were taking no chances, choosing to head for the sanctuary of their ethnic heartlands for the election period.

Some will vote there, where they are already registered, but others are trading their franchise for safety.

"You cannot predict how the situation will be," Ezekiel Odhiambo told AFP at a Nairobi bus terminal after putting his five daughters on a bus headed to the countryside.

Worries like these are common around election time in Kenya, exacerbated by memories of the bloody months after the disputed 2007 vote, when politically-motivated ethnic violence killed at least 1,100 people and displaced 600,000.

This year, security chiefs say there will be 180,000 officers on the streets -- everyone from the police to the forest service -- to ensure the vote is at least as peaceful as it was during Kenya's last election in 2013.

Still, people are "hoping for the best but preparing for the worst," said Peter Wairimu, a petrol station attendant, where sales have dropped off in recent weeks as people have left town.

Getting ready

The two main candidates in this election are well-known to Kenyans.

Uhuru Kenyatta has been president since 2013 and is standing for a second term, while Raila Odinga is a longtime opposition leader who disputed his defeat in both 2007 and 2013.

In the run up to this week's vote, both candidates have refrained from making inflammatory speeches, observers say, perhaps a consequence of the International Criminal Court's now-abandoned indictment of Kenyatta and his running-mate William Ruto for their alleged roles in the 2007 bloodshed.

Yet people are nervous: hate speech flyers and text messages have been circulating, both candidates have accused the other of underhanded campaign tactics and seem convinced that anything other than victory will be evidence of rigging.

Many Kenyans simply don't trust their politicians not to stir up trouble.

Editar Ochieng, a resident of the Nairobi slum Kibera, where clashes broke out in 2007, has sent her two daughters out of town for the duration of the elections.

"I don't want to play a 50-50 betting game. I want to be sure," she said.

Businesses have also taken precautions, with local newspapers reporting that employees are being advised to gather supplies and family members and keep the number of a doctor handy.

A 'frenzy'

Kenya's police chief and interior ministry have tried to reassure Kenyans that they have nothing to fear, but people are hitting the road and stocking their pantries anyway.

"There is a frenzy right now," said Hanif Rajan, group operations managers for supermarket chain Chandarana. Five months ago, he put in extra orders for essentials like water, rice, batteries and frozen ground beef, anticipating the election-time rush.

Down at Nairobi's Machakos bus station, transport bosses have more than doubled fares on some routes, but that hasn't stopped a surge in customers who line up before dawn each morning for a bus to Kenya's west where Odinga is strongest.

Those travellers may represent votes that Odinga desperately needs to win what is probably the 72-year-old's last run at the presidency.

jpegMpeg4-1280x720Recently, a politician from Odinga's National Super Alliance opposition coalition asked ticket agents at the station to check the voting card of travellers to make sure they were registered where they were travelling, said Lary Taja, an agent at Machakos.

"We inspect them at times such that, when we find the vote belongs here, we ask them to stay and vote and then travel home later," bus driver Chelule Julius said.

Despite the movement, plenty of Kenyans are staying put, confident that this election will go peacefully.
Even a conventional conflict on the peninsula could could cost a million dead or wounded within months, estimates say.

Moon told Trump the South "cannot let another war to break out" on the peninsula after the 1950-53 Korean War that sealed the division of two Koreas, the presidential Blue House said in a statement.

The South's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha shook hands with her Northern counterpart Ri Yong-Ho ahead of an ASEAN Regional Forum dinner on Sunday, Yonhap said.

Kang urged Ri to accept Seoul's offers of military talks to lower tensions on the divided peninsula, and for discussions on a new round of reunions for divided families.

But Ri retorted: "Given the current situation in which the South collaborates with the US to heap pressure on the North, such proposals lacked sincerity," the unnamed official was quoted as saying.

Kang reiterated again "the South's sincerity" and repeated a call for Pyongyang to come forward for talks, the official said.

It was the first time cabinet-level officials from the two Koreas had met since Moon -- who urges engagement with the North as well as sanctions to bring it to the negotiating table -- took power in May.

The encounter came a day after the UN Security Council passed sweeping sanctions on the North over its first successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which sparked global alarm.

The growing threat from the nuclear-armed North dominated the annual forum, which came days after the North's second ICBM test.

'Growing threat'

The missile launches have added to tensions on the peninsula with the US leaving open the possibility of military action against Kim Jong-Un's regime.

White House National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster vowed to "provide all options" on the country in a recent interview with CNN.

But Moon, in a phone conversation with Trump on Monday, urged calm and "peaceful and diplomatic resolution".

The two allies are due later this month to start an annual joint military drill hated by Pyongyang, which habitually slams it as a rehearsal for invasion.

The White House said the two leaders "affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world".

They welcomed the sweeping new sanctions passed by the UN Security Council in a 15-0 vote on Saturday in a bid to step up pressure on Pyongyang over its weapons programmes.

The measures ban exports of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore as well as fish and seafood from the impoverished state in a move aimed at slashing Pyongyang's foreign revenue by a third.

Trump hailed the vote, thanking Russia and China for backing a measure that either could have halted with their UN veto.

"Just completed call with President Moon of South Korea. Very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions," Trump tweeted.
"It's quite clear in terms of there being no daylight between the international community as to the expectation that North Korea will take steps to achieve all of my objectives, which is a denuclearised Korean peninsula," he said.

On Sunday, Tillerson held separate talks in Manila with foreign ministers Wang Yi of China and Sergei Lavrov of Russia, both of whom he said were in support of a tough stance on Pyongyang's arsenal.

While Wang called for a resumption of dialogue with North Korea, Tillerson insisted Kim must first stop the missile tests.

"The best signal that North Korea could send that they're prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches," he said, holding out the prospect of US envoys sitting down with Pyongyang's isolated regime.

But he would not set a timeframe on when this might be possible or how long North Korea might have to refrain from testing more long-rang missiles.

"We'll know it when we see it," he told reporters.

"I'm not going to give someone a specific number of days or weeks. This is really about the spirit of these talks.

"And they can demonstrate that they are ready to sit in the spirit of finding their way forward in these talks by no longer conducting these missile tests."

The UN Security Council on Saturday approved a US-drafted sanctions package against North Korea that could cost it $1 billion a year in an effort to halt its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.
DAVENPORT -- U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue sweated under full fire department gear Sunday as he assisted in a mock rescue of a "farmer" pinned under an overturned tractor at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds.

"Hang in there. We'll get ya," Mr. Perdue, 70, said to the mock victim, formed from folded hoses, during a demo on the last day of this year's Mississippi Valley Fair. The training for about a dozen area volunteer firefighters was led by Brad Kruse, an instructor for the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety and a Dubuque firefighter.

The NECAS is based in Peosta, Iowa, and does about 200 such ag-related emergency demonstrations a year across the state, he said later.

The firefighters showed Mr. Perdue the complex process of rescuing someone from beneath an overturned 18,000-pound tractor with the help of chains, wood blocks, wedges and air bags (pumped on site) that have the ability to lift up to 80,000 pounds, Mr. Kruse said.

"We only lift the side we have to. Any more than that, it becomes a danger for us," he said, noting these air bags also are used for rolling semi-trailers up.

Mr. Kruse helped Mr. Perdue, who is not associated with the Perdue food company, slowly get into his turnout gear, including helmet and gloves. "We have to put this on in less than 60 seconds," the firefighter, who also volunteers for the Epworth, Iowa, department, said.

"It was real nerve-racking," Mr. Kruse said of doing the demo in front of Mr. Perdue, a former farmer, veterinarian, state legislator and Georgia governor who became the 31st secretary of agriculture in April. "It was neat to have him here, have him in gear, showing him what it takes."

"The funny thing is, he saw that we had an air-bag failure. Unfortunately, that is real life. That does happen," Mr. Kruse added. "We don't like it to happen, but it does happen."

Mr. Kruse said, in this area, there usually are half a dozen accidents each year involving overturned tractors. There have been fatalities, he said, noting one in June in Shellsburg, Iowa.

The ag secretary came to the fair -- where he met local farmers, kids and some horses -- on the last day of a five-state Midwest RV tour called Back to Our Roots" to gather input on the 2018 Farm Bill and increasing rural prosperity. During the tour, Mr. Perdue met with farmers, ranchers, foresters, producers, students, governors, members of Congress and U.S. Department of Agriculture employees.

"Farming is a very dangerous occupation for most people," he said Sunday after about 45 minutes at the demo. "We always have to be vigilant and careful."

"Part of our responsibility is communicating safety on the farm, and we have a USDA program to help do that," Mr. Perdue said. "It's all of our responsibilities. We're here at the great Mississippi Valley Fair and having a great afternoon."

"We want people who are trained, who know what they're doing," he said. "The demonstration here today is very important for local volunteer fire departments, in mostly rural areas, to be trained over these procedures, to get people out of problems like overturned tractors and other trauma that happens on farms."

Before the tour started at the Wisconsin State Fair, Mr. Perdue said it would "allow us to hear directly from people in agriculture across the country, as well as our consumers -- they are the ones on the front lines of American agriculture, and they know best what the current issues are."

"We are committed to making the resources and the research available so that Congress can make good facts-based, data-driven decisions," he said. "Its important to look at past practices to see what has worked and what has not worked, so that we create a farm bill for the future that will be embraced by American agriculture in 2018.

On Sunday, Mr. Perdue said U.S. farmers have "enjoyed some benefits from NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) over increased exports, and they'd like to continue that. They want a safety net with crop insurance."

"Farmers have to deal year after year with risks we don't have to deal with," he said, noting the weather as one. "The risk on farming, the multiple risks from pests, weather and prices, year in and year out. That's the great thing about farmers -- they're great optimists."

Mr. Perdue -- who will soon visit South Korea and Japan to work on trade deals -- said only minor aspects of NAFTA regarding trade with Canada and Mexico need to be modernized.

The 2018 proposed budget for the USDA is $137 billion, about $11.8 billion less than the current year, according to the department. Discretionary spending includes funding for the supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (WIC); rural development; forest service; food safety; research; and conservation activities.

Mr. Perdue said this tour -- the first of two he's planning for this summer -- is meant to get feedback and input on how the USDA can better serve the public and boost American productivity.
G'day! It's Murray here. I've put together a little quiz to test your musical knowledge. Think you can score top marks in Murray's Magic Music Quiz? Give it a go now!
Fepasa will connect Santana do Araguaia in the south with the port of Vila do Conde in Barcarena near the state capital Belem.

According to the states minister for economic development, mining and energy Mr Adnan Demachki, extending the line 58km from Rondon do Para to Acailandia in the state of Maranhao would connect Fepasa with FNS and the Carajas Railway (EFC).

This means companies using the FNS will have access to a port in Para for export traffic, providing an alternative to the port of Itaqui near Sao Luis, in Maranhao, which is served by EFC.

Brazils federal government has already informed the state of Para via an official letter of intent that it wants to realise the Fepasa project, which could now emerge as an alternative to the northern section of FNS.

The total cost of Fepasa and expansion of the port is estimated to be around Reais 14bn ($US 4.5bn) and the line would have capacity to carry up to 170 million tonnes of freight annually.

On August 3 the government of Para held a technical meeting for entrepreneurs in Sao Paulo and will make another presentation in Brasilia in the coming weeks. In addition, it will hold public hearings in the 23 towns along the route. Tendering is expected to begin before the end of the year.

Regarding demand, Demachki said two customers have come forward which already guarantee the viability of Fepasa. Vale, Brazil's largest mining company, will participate in the project and will use the line for its freight, although the volumes involved are still under study by the company, he says. In addition, the Norwegian company Norsk Hydro will sign a commitment to transport approximately five million tonnes per year.

As for environmental licensing and social and legal obstacles, Demachki says that the alignment does not pass through indigenous or quilombola areas or dense forest. Environmental licensing is already being conducted by state agencies.

Demachki also says that Fepasa has attracted interest from logistics companies from Russia, China and Korea, while the Brazilian National Development Bank (BNDES) is expected to participate in financing the project.
The 2017 Beer Barrel Days in Prague, Nebraska, will begin Friday, August 11 and run through Sunday, August 13.

It begins with a Friday Night Lights kick-off celebration at 6 p.m. Friday.

The Run to Rescue 5K, eight-mile and one-mine runs and walks are Saturday at 8 a.m. at Czechland Lake in support of Prague Fire and Rescue. Participants can register online.

A catfish fishing tournament will be held Saturday at 7 a.m., with registration at 6 a.m.

The Czech Heritage Celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at Prague Parish Hall.

The parade will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday.

A complete schedule is available at www.pragueproud.com.
Russian businessman Mikhailov loses libel suit against Navalny

Context Russian businessman Mikhailov files libel lawsuit against Navalny

MOSCOW, August 7 (RAPSI, Oleg Sivozhelezov)  Moscows Lyublinsky District Court on Monday dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by businessman Sergey Mikhailov against opposition politician Alexey Navalny and the Anti-Corruption Foundation, RAPSI reports from the courtroom.

The lawsuit is related to Chaika article, published on the Anti-Corruption Foundations website, calling Mikhailov a gangster.

The court refused to declare this information libel and to oblige Navalny and the Foundation to publish refutation as well as to collect 250,000 rubles (about $4,200) in moral damages and 20,000 rubles (about $330) in court expenses from each defendant.

On May 31, the Lyublinsky District Court granted a defamation lawsuit filed by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov against Navalny. The court recognized information about Usmanov distributed by the Anti-Corruption Foundation and Navalny as discrediting and untrue and ordered the defendants to refute the statements.
If you caught assorted television commercials being run by New York State government in recent years, you might think that the Empire State finally has its act together. Heck, one or two of those commercials even touted lower taxes.

Dont be fooled. Like so much on television, none of this has anything to do with reality.

In fact, New York remains a costly tax mess. And matters actually look like theyre getting worse.

First, understand that the tax burden in New York, as illustrated by a host of comparative studies, still ranks among the weightiest across the 50 states. For example, according to the Tax Foundations 2017 State Business Tax Climate Index, New York ranked 49th, or second worst, in the nation. Only neighboring New Jersey was worse. And according to the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Councils Small Business Tax Index 2017 (which I author), New York ranked 43rd, or eighth worst. To sum up, New York imposes most major taxes on individuals and businesses, and theyre all high.

Second, state government officials patted themselves on the back for passing corporate tax reform in 2014. The state did cut the corporate tax rate from 7.1 percent to 6.5 percent in 2016. However, the state also imposes a surcharge  the Metropolitan transportation business tax surcharge or MTA business tax surcharge  on downstate businesses. That is, on the majority of businesses in the state. This surcharge had been temporary, but was made permanent under the 2014 changes, and increased from 17 percent to 25.6 percent in 2015. But theres more. In each subsequent year, the states tax commissioner now gets to set the surcharge rate, not state legislators. So, the corporate tax rate can increase without any input by elected officials. The surcharge climbed to 28 percent in 2016, and 28.3 percent in 2017. So, now the total state corporate income tax rate for these downstate businesses registers 8.34 percent, which is actually higher than where the rate stood before the 2014 reform (8.307 percent). No doubt, it will be hiked once again in 2018.

So, under the New York version of tax reform, the tax rate increases. Obviously, Congress should not look to New York for corporate tax reform ideas.

Third, the states top personal income tax  which also applies to capital gains, keep in mind  was scheduled to drop at the end of this year from 8.82 percent to 6.85 percent on high-income earners, who tend to be entrepreneurs and investors vital for economic growth. But state lawmakers earlier this year decided to put off that decline until 2020. Of course, given New Yorks dismal track record on taxes, no one should hold their breath at the end of 2019.

Fourth, New York City inflicts its own burdensome taxes on top of what the state imposes. For example, the city imposes its own, additional corporate income tax at a rate of 8.85 percent. The city also has an unincorporated business income tax of 4 percent. And the city personal income tax has a top rate of 3.876 percent. But thats not enough for Mayor Bill de Blasio, who now wants to jack up the top city rate to 4.4 percent.

It seems that government  even though it has spent lavishly for decades  has done a lousy job with the subway and bus systems. Go figure. So, as any good, mindless advocate of big government would do, Mayor de Blasio wants to award such failure with more money.

State and local governments in New York, quite simply, are money pits, and no one in government seems to have a clue that anything is really wrong. But millions of people do. After all, New Yorks top export turns out to be people to other states. From 2010 to 2016, for example, New York lost 847,000 people net to other states. That came after losing 1.7 million to other states from 2000 to 2009, and 1.9 million from 1990 to 1999. And earlier this year, the New York Post reported, More people are leaving the New York region than any other major metropolitan area in the country. More than 1 million people moved out of the New York area to other parts of the country since 2010, a rate of 4.4 percent  the highest negative net migration rate among the nations large population centers, U.S. Census records show.

The economics of this are pretty straightforward. New Yorks high taxes create disincentives for living, working, starting up and operating a business, and investing in the state. Resources are sucked away from productive private-sector ventures, and handed over to be wasted on old and new spending schemes dreamed up by politicians and government bureaucrats. With no real change in sight, New Yorks long, relative decline compared to much of the rest of the nation promises to continue  no matter what the states silly TV commercials might claim.
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Madrid is preparing to host one of the oldest events in the world, by the International Dental Federation. The 105th FDI World Dental Congress will take place from 29 August1 September in Madrid, Spain, at IFEMA  Feria de Madrid. In collaboration with the Spanish Dental Association, this years theme focuses on Bringing the world together to improve oral health.

The congress in Madrid promises an international meeting point for sharing science, policy, information, the latest ideas and technologies in dentistry and oral health. Madrid will host more than 12,000 professionals at the congress. This years scientific programme offers insight on a range of topics from infection control to restorative dentistry to aesthetic dentistry. Sessions are also programmed in Spanish to cover areas such as periimplantitis, orthodontics and endodontics  to name a few.

Special international sessions are scheduled over the course of the four days including genetics, anesthesia and prosthodontics. Hot topics will address digital dentistry, dental materials, and oral pathology. Overall, more than 1,000 abstracts were received from almost 50 countries. Participants attending Madrid should expect over 100 national and international experts and more than 200 courses and special sessions  including FDIs landmark Meet the Expert courses.

Following the trend of matching conferences of neighboring disciplines, it will coincide with the World Oral Health Forum congress. This years World Oral Health Forum on 31 August (9:0012:00, FDI Assembly and Forum Hall) is dedicated to periodontal health, covering the importance of periodontal disease, its preventability and treatability, and the current problems and recommended actions related to the disease. The programme also includes a joint session with the NCD Alliance on 30 August (11:3013:00, Room 106) entitled No health without oral health: How the dental community can leverage the NCD agenda to deliver on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Book your hotel room near IFEMA  Feria de Madrid.
Says CISCO executive chairman John Chambers, who's 'met every leader in the world, and got to know them very well.'

He explains why he believes Prime Minister Modi's vision can make India not just one of the top economies in the world but one of the best places to do business.

Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

In June, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US to meet President Donald Trump, both sides pledged their commitment to the US-India strategic partnership, with Trump underlining that the relationship between the two countries has never been stronger.

To understand this relationship, Ishan Bakshi spoke to John Chambers, executive chairman, CISCO, and chairman of newly launched US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).

Much has been written about the special US-India relationship. But in pure economic terms, it hasn't really lived up to expectations. What are your views?

A strategic partnership between the US and India has potential. It is similar to the potential 'digitisation' had eight years ago. But it was only in the last three years ago that it really took off.

I've always felt, not just in the last three months like my peers, but years ago, that the most important strategic relationship for the US should be India. And I felt that for India too.

It's like the prediction I made three years ago -- bet on India, bet on the prime minister's vision. He has an ability to outline a very clear vision of what's possible. He builds peoples' hopes, then he makes them believe it's possible, then he gets them to see that it is probable. He understands that no one can do it alone. Government and business must work together with the citizens.

The meeting [between Modi and Trump] was better than what you saw in the press. The press said it was really good. Everybody knows the hug. But in the back channels, both sides were very impressed and comfortable on how this could be a win for everyone.

I was with the CEOs when they met the prime minister. Three years, ago most CEOs wouldn't have come. They would have sent someone else. But now they were on board with what the prime minister wanted to do. He listened to each one of them. They are going to bet on India, on this relationship, in a way they haven't done before.

There have been some complaints in the past about the slow pace of reforms in India. What do you think?

Now, it's the reverse. In the session with the CEOs, the prime minister pushed us to be more critical. He takes the action items himself.

When we made a decision to manufacture in India, we shared all our concerns with the prime minister. He had the courage to change that too at a remarkable speed.

Now, government by its very nature tends to move slowly. And that was part of the safety valves of the past. But now it's all about speed.

He [Modi] demonetised currency [quickly]. I find it tremendously interesting that India moved from what I would have defined as a slow follower to a fast innovator. People are saying that, at times, India is moving too fast now.

We have to continue to move. And each time I'm with the PM or other business leaders, he listens to what we are doing, but asks how we can do better.

What are the reforms you are pushing for, in India?

The first thing you have to do with any government is to outline what you think is possible.

You start with what are the government's priorities and where business can play a role in that. And then figure out in each of those categories what can you really make a difference in.

So, if your priority is to Make in India, we were very candid about the things that have to be changed and they did that. There's still room for improvement.

We opened our manufacturing here, which we wouldn't have done three years ago. Now to become an exporter, we need a much better supply chain.

People don't understand the impact of the goods and service tax on the economy and I'm surprised at the critics. People don't grasp how important the move was.

You've got to have a commonality across borders to be a manufacturing nation and for companies to invest. And then you've got to be easier to do business with. Good progress in all categories.

We would then ask how the education system can be changed and made inclusive.

I like the progress. I would give the government an A on progress. Like every company in the world, we all want to move faster, and the PM wants to move faster.

I've met every leader in the world, and I got to know them very well. He's in the top 3 leaders I've ever seen in my life. And his vision for India could make India not just one of the top economies in the world but one of the best places to do business and inclusive.

There seems to be a preference for bilateral trade agreements now as opposed to multi-lateral trade deals. What do you think?

I'm not going to focus on global issues. I'll talk as a business leader. And as a business leader, every strategic partnership has had to be one-to-one. It's hard to do one-to-many. Because you don't move the needle. You don't have the same priorities. It's too slow.

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'I'd give the Modi-Trump summit 10/10'
'We do not want people who are air dropped and who fly out once the job is done.'

'Ever since liberalisation started, we keep on hearing that it's going to be jobless growth.'

'This speaks of the failure of the foreign returned policy makers.'

'When questions are raised, answers should be given and not a resignation.'

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch had been quite critical of the NITI Aayog ever since it supported genetically modified crops. It had also been critical of Dr Arvind Panagariya, the Niti Aayog's vice-chairman.

Dr Panagariya has resigned and will return to Columbia University in New York, where he is the Jagdish N Bhagwati Professor of Economics, at the end of August.

Dr Ashwani Mahajan, co-convenor, SJM, tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier why the Manch is against the Narendra D Modi government airlifting economists from the United States.

Now that the government has appointed a home-grown economist -- Dr Rajiv Kumar -- to replace Dr Panagariya and not brought anyone from the US, is the Swadeshi Jaagran Manch happy?

If I say I am happy, many people may come up with various interpretations.

He (Dr Rajiv Kumar) had attended the roundtable conference on two years of NITI Aayog organised by the SJM in January.

He said there that so far the policies were being made for the elite class and the situation needed to change.

We, at the SJM, hope that he will change the elitist approach and the focus of the NITI Aayog will be the common man and the deprived.

Can we assume that the Swadeshi Jagran Manch had a hand in the government choosing Dr Rajiv Kumar?

Not at all.

Yes, he did attend the roundtable conference organised by us and he was in tune with what we have been saying all along.

Before he was appointed vice-chairman, he had shared with me an article he had written.

He wrote, 'It has taken 70 years. And yet, we are only now, under the Modi government, seeing the beginning of Indian policy making being liberated from external, more specifically deeply ingrained Anglo-American influences.'

'This is terrific news if it can be sustained and taken to its logical and efficient conclusions.'

Like us, he believes that we have to make policies for India and that Western policies will not work here.

You say you have no hand in the government choosing Dr Rajiv Kumar, but you had been quite critical of the 'corporate leaning' policies taken by the NITI Aayog under Dr Panagariya.

Was it because of the SJM's constant criticism that he decided to resign and go back to the US?

Pangariyaji said he could not extend his leave!

It is true that we had difference of opinion with the policies of the NITI Aayog, but it had nothing to do with any individual.

That was why we organised the round table conference. Arvind Pangariyaji did not attend the conference, but sent a letter to us saying he was interested in knowing what we discussed.

The NITI Aayog was created replacing the Planning Commission to have a better Centre-state financial relationship.

Under the Planning Commission, the states were treated like beggars.

The NITI Aayog was to follow corporate federalism in the Centre-state financial relationship which was a noble objective and that was why the Swadeshi Jagran Manch welcomed the formation of the NITI Aayog.

Did you meet Arvind Panagariya to express your objections about the NITI Aayog's policies?

I did meet him twice and expressed our views on the policies.

He was very courteous and listened to what I had to say.

As far as the policies of the NITI Aayog were concerned, especially that of GM crops, our position was totally different.

An organisation like the NITI Aayog that was supposed to guide the government on policies, it had to listen to all the viewpoints and take an impartial view based on scientific fact.

Also, agriculture is a state subject and the GM issue is related to the states, so the NITI Aayog was expected to follow corporate federalism and take the views of the concerned states as promised in the Preamble.

You should also understand that none of the states supported GM crops.

When you raised the issue of GM crops, what was the NITI Aayog and Dr Pangariya's reaction?

Panagariyaji said they wanted to educate the state governments on this issue and that was why they gave their opinion on the GM crops.

We were of the opinion that it was not the NITI Aayog's job to educate state governments; they had to only take the opinion of the state governments as they were one of the stakeholders.

We also felt that the NITI Aayog report did not take into account other opinions.

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch has said on many occasions that Indian governments -- whether it is the UPA or NDA -- had been inviting economists from abroad to take policy decisions for the country, and that they did not understand India or what India wanted.

I am of the opinion that a think-tank like the NITI Aayog guiding the government should be headed by someone who understands India.

Not only NITI Aayog, even economic advisors or anyone from whom the government seeks opinion should be chosen from within; those who are connected to the soil of the country.

I always say that we do not want people who are air dropped and who fly out once the job is done.

Nation building cannot be done by people on sabbatical leave.

Do you feel that economists like Dr Raghuram Rajan or Dr Panagariya do not understand the real India?

Is it not true by the outcome?

If you want to improve the condition of the common man, you have to solve the basic problems of this country like unemployment, poverty, starvation, etc and not increase GDP growth.

These people are obsessed with GDP growth.

This jobless growth has to stop.

Ever since liberalisation started, we keep on hearing that it's going to be jobless growth.

This speaks of the failure of the foreign returned policy makers.

Why do you think Indian governments are keen on having economists from the US to guide them in policy making?

I fail to find an answer to the question.

Whenever I had a chance to talk to the people who make these choices, I understood that they were obsessed with the idea of development.

For them, the idea of development means FDI, big corporates and GDP.

For them, development is the way America is working.

India is not America and India's problems are different from America's.

To me, a person who has been working with the Swadeshi Jagran Manch for so many years, development means providing the basic necessities of life, health, education, housing and reasonable amount of assets.

Earlier, it was said that it was to please the World Bank that they brought economists from the US. But what prompts them to do so today?

Though the World Bank ceased to be a dominant force in deciding such appointments, the mindset of our governments about development has not changed.

When Panagariyaji came to head the NITI Aayog, we knew what kind of policies he would implement. He didn't surprise us also.

After all, he was only familiar with the World Bank, IMF, free trade, etc. He has not raised any voice on how poverty could be reduced.

When a debate was going on between Amartya Sen, (Jagdish N) Bhagwatiji and Panagariya on how poverty could be tackled, Bhagwatiji and Panagariya said that there was no need for any subsidies as the benefits would percolate ultimately.

Their suggestions were for land acquisition and privatisation of public health etc.

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch is not with Amartya Sen or with Bhagwatiji and Panagariya.

Our dream is to have such a kind of economic system whereby people are allowed to earn sufficiently.

The solution is not a subsidy or an unemployment allowance; these things do not give a person any objective to live.

That is why employment should be the fundamental right of an individual. They shouldn't be dependent on government subsidies.

The third way is where small scale and cottage industries are allowed to exist, farmers are given due price for them to have a decent life so that jobs are created automatically and thus incomes are generated so that they are not dependent on any kind of government help.

You have spoken on various platforms and also written to the prime minister on the need to have policy makers who understand India.

Are you happy that Dr Panagariya has resigned and Dr Rajiv Kumar has been appointed in his place?

I did not write to the prime minister, but we have raised this issue many times at various public platforms.

It is the prerogative of the prime minister and the government to choose the person. We can only make suggestions.

In a democratic set-up, it is the job of an institution to ask questions on issues that concern the country.

When questions are raised, answers should be given and not a resignation.
Facing capacity constraint, firm is yet to take a call on setting up a new manufacturing unit in India.

Korean carmaker Hyundai, which has lost its position as the countrys largest car exporter to Ford, will rework its growth strategy to expand volumes in the domestic market.

Unlike most other carmakers, who are sitting on a surplus capacity, the second-biggest carmaker, is facing a capacity constraint. It is yet to take a call on setting up a new manufacturing facility in the country.

We are conscious of the growth of the Indian market. We will continue to rework our production plans with a high focus on the domestic market.

We will tweak the domestic and export strategies so that we do not lose volume or market share in India, said Rakesh Srivastava, director (sales and marketing) at Hyundai Motor India.

The company, which has a 17 per cent share in the domestic passenger vehicle market, is operating its plants at a 99 per cent capacity and has little headroom to expand production.

It will, therefore, have to sacrifice export growth in favour of the domestic market. With the global markets turning uncertain and volatile, Srivastava said the firm will react as the situation unfolds.

There are changes in norms across countries, he said. The company exported 33,158 vehicles in the first quarter of FY18, declining more than 16 per cent to corresponding period of last year.

American carmaker Ford exported 48,971 vehicles in the three months, clocking a growth of 54 per cent, Siam data showed.

Hyundais domestic sales grew 0.66 per cent to 124,327 vehicles during the April-June quarter as June volumes took a hit due to the goods and services tax (GST).

For the full year, the company is eyeing a growth of 5-6 per cent in the domestic market.

It has launched HyBuy, a referral programme for buyers who book cars online and refer it to friends and relatives.

Hyundai said the company was well placed to emerge as a key beneficiary of the GST.

We believe that Hyundai will be one of the largest gainers post the GST. We have products ranging from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 30 lakh.

While we were always strong in cars priced up to Rs 10 lakh, GST will increase our presence in the Rs 10 lakh plus segment, which now brings almost 20 per cent of our volumes through cars such as Creta, Elantra and Tucson.

The price drop of up to Rs 2 lakh makes the price value equation more favourable for these cars, said Srivastava.

The company, which transports almost 2,000 cars every day from its plants to dealerships and ports, said the GST would bring a significant change in the time and cost taken by logistics.

I believe that there could be a reduction of ten per cent in logistics cost going forward. The net benefit will go to customers, said Srivastava.

Freight cost on a car ranges from Rs 10,000-14,000, the company said.

He said the GST has helped dealers to clear inventory to a large extent and released the blocked capital.

This money is now available for dealers to build inventory of fresh stocks that should lead to a good festive season demand for the company, he added.

Photograph: Kind courtesy, Hyundai India
The total number of returns filed as on August 5 stands at over 2.82 crore as against over 2.26 crore filed during the corresponding period of 2016-17

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

The number of I-T returns filed for 2016-17 year grew by 25 per cent to 2.82 crore, as increased number of individuals filed their tax returns post demonetisation, the tax department said on Monday.

The growth in ITRs filed by individuals is 25.3 per cent with over 2.79 crore returns having been received up to August 5 as against over 2.22 crore returns filed in the corresponding period last fiscal.

"As a result of demonetisation and Operation Clean Money, there is a substantial increase in the number of Income Tax Returns (ITRs) filed," an official statement said.

The total number of returns filed as on August 5 stands at over 2.82 crore as against over 2.26 crore filed during the corresponding period of 2016-17.

This was an increase of 24.7 per cent compared to growth rate of 9.9 per cent in the previous year.

The last date for filing of income tax returns by individuals and HUFs, who need not get their accounts audited, was August 5.

The finance ministry said that the number of ITRs filed showed that substantial number of new tax payers have been brought into the tax net subsequent to demonetisation.

The effect of demonetisation is also clearly visible in the growth in direct tax collections, it said.

Advance tax collections of personal income tax (other than Corporate Tax) as on August 5 showed a growth of about 41.79 per cent over the corresponding period in 2016-17.

Personal Income Tax under Self Assessment Tax (SAT) grew at 34.25 per cent over the corresponding period in 2016-17.

"The above figures amply demonstrate the positive results of the government's commitment to fight the menace of black money," it added.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), which is the apex policy making body of the I-T department, is committed in its resolve to eradicate tax evasion in a non-intrusive manner and widening of tax base.

To fight the menace of black money, the government had on November 8, 2016, demonetised old 500 and 1000 rupee notes and asked holders of such notes to deposit in bank accounts.

The I-T department had then launched operation clean money to clamp down on unaccounted money funnelled into bank accounts post demonetisation.
If Nitish Kumar did not make his choice now, he could not re-enter the NDA later on and hope to be counted in as a prime ministerial possibility whenever the chance arises, says N Sathiya Moorthy.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Photograph: PTI Photo.

Though Bihars JD-U Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may have declared that no one can challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the parliamentary polls of 2019, if there is anyone in sight to do so it could well be Nitish himself.

For now, Nitish Kumar has seemingly referred only to challenges to Modis leadership from outside of the BJP-NDA, of which he has once again become part.

But what if the NDA does win but the BJP is not able to make up the numbers on its own? In theory at least, such possibilities could emerge even before Elections 2019, for the collective NDA leadership to look around for options.

It looks far-fetched just now, but so did the BJP-NDA defeat in 2004. The Congress is worse off now than in 2004, but there are parallels from the past that the BJP-NDA leadership cannot but recall for its own benefit.

Long before 1996 elections, the fate of the ruling Congress under reformist Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao had been sealed. The BJP hoped to make it with relative ease than any time in the past, but it was not to be.

The people of India wanted the Congress out, but they also thought the BJP was not up to expectations as yet.

Thus came the Janata Dal-United Front experiment in 1996, even though the voter at the very start knew well that they could not be expected to provide a stable government.

Yet, until after the elections, pundits and pollsters alike would not give the JD-UF a chance, just as they would not do so with the Congress-UPA in Elections 2004.

The Indian voter did not turn the BJP way until after the Chennai declaration of 1998, when they resolved to put controversial issues of the Ayodhya-Hindutva type in cold storage.

If Narendra Modi became BJP-NDAs prime ministerial candidate in 2014, it had been written into the script more than a decade earlier.

Those in the know at the time knew that it would be Advani for prime minister in 2004 and 2009. For the 2014 polls, the BJP-NDA had a tricky formula. It would be Modi if the BJP was confident of independent victory, and Nitish Kumar as NDA prime ministerial nominee otherwise.

Thus, Modi could not be faulted if he went ahead and challenged the leadership for his turn when Advani failed himself and the party in two successive polls of 2004 and 2009. Credit should also go to Modi for keeping his counsel to himself on both occasions.

Though he might have jumped the gun by not taking the NDA in general and Nitish otherwise into confidence ahead of the 2014 polls, post facto, he proved himself and the BJP right, by sweeping the polls and getting the party a majority for the first time ever.

That should still explain why Nitish Kumar pulled the JD-U out of the NDA after the BJP unilaterally made Modi their prime ministerial candidate for the coalition.

For Nitish now, there is no political future after 2019. Independent of what he may have achieved, there is no denying anti-incumbency possibly taking its electoral toll on him, Lalu or no Lalu, corruption or no corruption.

At the national level, he also has competition from the rest if the BJP were to choose a prime ministerial candidate other than Modi (purely for arguments sake).

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan is among the probables from within the BJP. Who knows, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath may be the hard-liners choice if Hindutva were to replace Modis development agenda as the BJPs campaign call in 2019.

Even from within the NDA, there is Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

Thus, if Nitish Kumar did not make his choice now, he could not re-enter the NDA later on and hope to be counted in as a prime ministerial possibility.

By declaring his loyalty to Modi just now, he is also ensuring the support of the BJP. It is clear to him, as to anyone else, that it has to be Modi in 2019, at least as the prime ministerial candidate until and unless there are overt signs of the people looking for change.

If that change has to come from within, especially if the united or not-so-united Opposition were not ready or is unacceptable to the voter, then the NDA would have little choice to look around either within the BJP or outside of it.

That seems to be Nitishs choice for riding the so-called anti-corruption wave.

Despite all this, there is also no denying the logic behind the fast-tracked Nitish-Modi approach to the former changing the boat mid-stream.

By taking Lalu Yadav and the RJD by surprise and getting sworn in with BJP support within hours after quitting as Bihar CM, Nitish Kumar handed down a fait accompli of sorts to the higher judiciary if it intended on intervening.

It is anybodys guess why the RJD did not move either the governor or the Supreme Court within the hours available to them between Nitish quitting and getting back the old job, to stake claim as the single largest party and possibly the coalition too at the time, with the Congress still backing it.

Today, it is anybodys guess if the Supreme Court, if moved and finds substance in the RJD argument, would want to set the clock back, and direct the governor to revisit the process and invite the RJD to try and form the government.

Instead, constitutional logic and legal practicality might dictate the need for the court to follow in the spirit of the S R Bommai case verdict (1994), if approached now.

If so, the court, if approached, might direct Nitish Kumar to prove his majority in a floor-test, which he has done already -- and would have no problem doing it again, if it came to that.

Does it mean that the BJP-JD-U camp feared defections if the RJD had moved the court during the interregnum?

Or, did they fear a popular backlash of the earlier kind when Governor Buta Singhs sacking of the Nitish Kumar government in 2005 led to wholesale condemnation, to which the Supreme Court also lent its powerful voice, later?

N Sathiya Moorthy, veteran journalist and political analyst, is Director, Observer Research Foundation, Chennai Chapter.
The Chabahar port, says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar, 'can be the first significant footfall in an Indian variant of the 'Belt and Road' initiative.'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to depute Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to represent India at the inaugural ceremony of Iran's President Hassan Rouhani on his second term is a most appropriate, timely and thoughtful decision.

'Appropriate' because it is a signal that India attaches high importance to relations with Iran.

Gadkari is a senior figure in the Cabinet -- all but prime ministerial material, one might say.

'Thoughtful' because of two reasons. One, Gadkari is also the government's point person with regard to the strategic Indian project to develop a transit route to Afghanistan and Central Asia via Iran's Chabahar port.

Two, it is an assertive statement that India's cooperation with Iran will not be buffeted by 'Trumpspeak'.

This is timely because Iran-US engagement has run into difficulties and US officials have spoken of a preposterous 'regime change' agenda vis-a-vis Iran.

A confrontation seems improbable but a showdown cannot be ruled out, either.

If there is a confrontation/showdown, the Modi government will come under pressure not only from the US but also from Israel, and India will be in the unhappy position of having to stand up and be counted.

Strategic ambivalence, which comes easy to the Indian DNA, may no longer be an option.

The previous government, of course, simply opted to pull down the shutter and fall in line with the US diktat.

It will be interesting to see how much spunk the present nationalist government would show to resist pressure on its regional policies, if push comes to shove.

However, India is in good company if it views Iran as a major partner.

The presence of Federica Mogherni -- the European Union's foreign policy chief -- at Rouhani's inaugural underscored that the EU does not go along with the US' sanctions bill against Iran.

So, indeed, the presence of Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, a close confidante of President Vladimir Putin, signals that Moscow has a big agenda to expand and deepen the cooperation with Iran.

Chinese President Xi Jinping deputed He Lifeng, head of China's National Development and Reform Commission, to represent China. He is the principal driver of the Belt and Road Initiative in the Chinese government.

Indeed, if the inaugural ceremony was a litmus test of Iran's integration with the international community, the result is positive and impressive.

Nineteen presidents, vice-presidents and prime ministers as well as 18 heads of parliaments attended the ceremony.

It is virtually impossible for the Trump administration to 'isolate' Iran over its missile development programme or its regional policies.

By the way, the participants at the ceremony in Tehran included a high-powered delegation from Hamas and a cabinet minister from Qatar.

Gadkari has promised that the Chabahar transit route will be operational by next year.

The country must hold the government to its word. There shouldn't be any slip-ups.

This can be the first significant footfall in an Indian variant of the 'Belt and Road' initiative.

More importantly, perhaps, India must now resuscitate the plans of investments in the Chabahar region for industrial collaboration.

The enthusiasm with which we spoke about it two years ago has petered out.

Again, a major push is needed to realise the much-talked about North-South Corridor via Iran.

In political terms, a visit by Rouhani to India is overdue.

The visit will give an overall verve to the relationship and add momentum to bilateral cooperation.

The Farzad-B gas field project has proved elusive.

The revised $11 billion investment offer by ONGC Videsh is pending for a decision in Tehran.

The Iranian side has driven a hard bargain, which is understandable since oil is a major source of income for its economy.

But then, Tehran must also realise that Farzad-B will be a 'game-changer' for the entire relationship with India.

Perhaps, this is the single biggest investment offer India has ever made to a foreign country.

The business spin-off in the downstream, if the Farzad-B project takes off, will be massive.

IMAGE: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani receives the presidential mandate from Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at an endorsement ceremony, Tehran, August 3, 2017. Photograph: President.ir/Handout/Reuters
The new Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, Professor Dr. Numan Kurtulmus announced his strategic vision how to increase travel and tourism as well as countrys tourism targets in terms or number of arrivals and its contribution to economy.

As Turkeys tourism begins to recover in 2017, Mr. Kurtulmus has set a target of 50 million international visitors to Turkey by 2023. While that goal is expected to generate $50 billion in economic impact, Mr. Kurtulmus said the most valuable result of increasing tourism is forming the foundation for a stronger global community through the better sharing of ideas and values between cultures.

Few countries have as wide a variety of tourism and cultural attractions as Turkey, including  and, perhaps most importantly  its figurative and physical position as a bridge between East and West that embraces visitors from across the globe, Mr. Kurtulmus said. We see this strength as vital to our vision for bringing communities together, and we will invest heavily in public and private partnerships to ensure we are developing these tourism products to diversify our markets and audiences. Turkey has already made progress towards its goals this year, with tourism to the country up

14.05 percent during the first 6 months of 2017, and up by 36.53 percent in June this year compared to June 2016.

Over the last 3 years the Ministry has seen the potential of social and digital media channels and has been working on social and digital media marketing campaigns with the likes of Google, Facebook, Twitter and most recently Lonely Planet and Matador Network on a collaborative campaigns via the www.hometurkey.com. Turkey is now the second most popular destination on social media with just over 6 million followers globally.

Turkey is one of the most diverse destinations in the world, with a richness of history, archeology, gastronomy and geography from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, combined with art and culture that spans the ages yet is at the forefront modern innovation, Mr. Kurtulmus said.

I invite travelers from all over the world to discover the beauty of our country, whether the new UNESCO World Heritage site in Aphrodisias or its mesmerizing Turquoise coast. With so many varied characteristics, combined with Turkeys history of hospitality from millennia of civilizations making the land their home, we have the potential to enrich our global community through cultural diplomacy.
Elections in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan will see the BJP and Congress in direct contest.

Amit Agnihotri reports.

IMAGE: Constant infighting and recent losses to the BJP has left the Congress in a bind. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters

Still to overcome the latest shocker in Bihar, the Congress party faces political battles with the Bharatiya Janata Party in six states over the next 18 months.

Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will have assembly polls by the year-end, Karnataka will go to the polls in April 2018.

Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan will have assembly polls in the latter part of 2018, in a contest being billed as the semi-final, ahead of the 2019 national election.

Infighting continues to plague the Congress in the poll-bound states. If not curbed, it could dent the party's attempts to stay relevant.

GUJARAT

Distance and difficulties

The Congress, out of power for 19 years, faces an uphill task in wresting the western state back from the BJP.

The latest tussle within the state unit saw veteran Shankarsinh Vaghela quitting the post of Leader of the Opposition, indicating a rough road ahead for the party.

An import from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the BJP's ideological mentor, Vaghela had been pressing for the past few months that he be replaced with state unit chief Bharatsinh Solanki, something party headquarters refused to do.

Reports of eight party legislators cross-voting in the Presidential election has added to problems of Congress managers.

Sonia Gandhi loyalist Ashok Gehlot is now the Congress general secretary in charge of Gujarat affairs, but sources aver the appointment is a bit late in the day.

Gehlot was brought in after predecessor Gurudas Kamat, not happy with the state unit, decided to quit all party posts in frustration.

The Congress' hopes of roping in Patel quota movement leader Hardik Patel to woo the powerful community have not materialised.

MADHYA PRADESH

Pulling the seniors together

Divided between regional heavyweights like former two-term chief minister Digvijaya Singh and former Union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath, the Congress high command has not been able to project a face for the Madhya Pradesh assembly election next year.

Incumbent state unit chief Arun Yadav, considered neutral, does not carry much political weight and has failed to inspire the rank and file.

The state unit got an opportunity to regroup over the recent farmer shootings in Mandsaur, but it has not been able to capitalise on the state-wide farm distress, say sources.

Singh, who has a hold over the organisation, is planning a foot march across the state to stay relevant.

In the past, the Congress has flagged the Vyapam jobs scam against Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, but this did not move the voters.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Trying to avoid vertigo

Veteran Ambika Soni urged Congress chief Sonia Gandhi to relieve her of the hill state's charge, citing health reasons.

The high command brought another senior, Sushilkumar Shinde, as general secretary in charge.

Earlier this year, the party had lost the election in Uttarakhand, also under Soni, to the BJP. And lost the Shimla Municipal Corporation elections, the BJP winning 17 wards to the Congress's 12.

The civic body had been a Congress stronghold for 15 years.

In 2012, veteran Virbhadra Singh, the current chief minster, won the hill state for the Congress. However, the octogenarian is under the lens of the Central Bureau of Investigation for alleged financial irregularities.

The BJP is planning to target him on the issue of corruption and the governance model. Soni had played a key role in resolving the tussle between Virbhadra Singh and state party president Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, but the problem isn't over, say sources.

Virbhadra Singh still has a grip on the party, to the rebels' dismay.

KARNATAKA

Squabbles around the chair

In a wise move, Sonia Gandhi decided to project Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, a backward classes leader and once of the Janata Dal-Secular, as the party's face ahead of the polls.

His style of functioning and eminent position has not gone down well with many state seniors.

Scotching rumours that state unit chief G Parameshwara might also be replaced, the party instead opted for a compromise and brought a veteran, S R Patil, as a second working president, in addition to last year's appointment of Dinesh Gundu Rao.

As Karnataka is the only big state still with the Congress, the party also appointed a new general secretary in charge, K C Venugopal. He is trying to push a new work culture in the state unit, under directions from national vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

Veteran S M Krishna, a former CM, has joined the BJP and will limit the Congress' prospects in his Vokkaliga community-dominated areas like Mandya and Hasan.

Sensing the gap between legislators and local leaders, Venugopal has asked his deputies to travel across the state and collect feedback from the ground.

He has conveyed to the CM the need to address the gaps between MLAs and leaders at the earliest.

RAJASTHAN

Working on a tough task

This is the brightest spot for the Congress.

State unit chief Sachin Pilot, also a backward classes leader, has been working hard to rejuvenate the party.

Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, also from the backward classes and having a sway over party workers, continues to dabble in state politics despite being given charge of Gujarat.

Another senior, C P Joshi, a Brahmin, never takes his eyes off the state.

Pilot has been has able to keep the flock together, regroup the local units and target Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, whose style of functioning does not gel even with the BJP bosses.

Pilot's main challenge is actually to tap into the anti-incumbency mood, ahead of the battle next year.

That he enjoys the blessings of Sonia and is in Rahul Gandhi's good books might help him prove the critics wrong at the hustings next year.

CHHATTISGARH

A tradition of sparring

Infighting in Chhattisgarh has been the bane of the party for a long while.

Former chief minister Ajit Jogi often spoke his mind, annoying party managers and state chief Bhupesh Baghel.

After a long time, the general secretary in charge, B K Hariprasad, offered to resign.

The high command recently sent Uttar Pradesh Dalit leader P L Punia to turn a new leaf for the party in the state.

Jogi, also a Dalit and whose influence cost the Congress dear in the 2013 assembly poll, has floated a new outfit and might cut into party votes.

Legislative party leader T S Singhdeo does a balancing act between the state and the central leadership.
IMAGE: Senior Congress leaders Bharatsinh Solanki, Arjun Modhwadia, Ahmed Patel at Ahmedabad airport during arrival of the party's MLAs from Karnataka on Monday, ahead of Rajya Sabha elections. Photograph: PTI Photo



Giving some anxious moments to the the Congress on the eve of Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat, Nationalist Congress Party MLA Kandhal Jadeja on Monday claimed the party high command has decided to support Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Balvantsinh Rajput.

MP Supriya Sule, daughter of the party founder Sharad Pawar, however, said that NCP MLAs in Gujarat would back the Congress.

The NCP has two MLAs in Gujarat -- Kandhal Jadeja and Jayant Patel, its state unit president.

Jadeja told reporters in Gandhinagar that the party has asked both of them to give their first preference votes to Rajput.

As per our partys directive, we have to give our vote to BJPs Balvantsinh Rajput. He will be our first preference, said Kandhal, who has openly admitted in the past that he was very close to senior leader Shankersinh Vaghela, who recently quit the Congress.

I just received a phone call from my party leaders who asked me to vote for Rajput, said Jadeja.

Jayant Patel and NCPs in-charge for Gujarat, Praful Patel, were not available for comments.

Asked to comment on reports that the party MLAs have been asked to vote for BJP, Sule said, To the best of my knowledge its Congress (that NCP MLAs would vote for).

On Sunday, Praful Patel had said his party, which shared power with the Congress at the Centre during the United Progressive Alliance regime and also had a pre-poll alliance with it in Gujarat in 2012 assembly elections, had not taken any decision.

However, referring to some unconfirmed reports, Congress candidate Ahmed Patel today claimed that NCP had taken the decision to vote for him.

The election to three Rajya Sabha seats from Gujarat has turned into a high-stake battle.

BJP president Amit Shah and Union minister Smriti Irani are in the fray; the ruling party has also fielded Rajput, a former Congress MLA, as a third candidate.

Going by its strength in the assembly, the BJP is certain to win two seats but would require additional votes to ensure the victory of the third candidate.

The Congress was recently jolted by Vaghelas exit, cross-voting in presidential election and resignation of half a dozen party MLAs.

A confident Ahmed Patel, after meeting the Congress MLAs who have returned from Bengaluru, had said he has the support of more MLAs than required for the win.

Apart from these 44 (Congress) legislators, two of NCP, one of JD-U (Janata Dal-United) would give their vote for me," he had said.

Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, needs 45 votes to win.

It is after a gap of about two decades that a contest is happening in Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, where official nominees of major parties used to get elected unopposed, after the BJP fielded a Congress rebel against Patel, who is seeking a fifth term.

Ahmed Patel, who met Congress MLAs after they returned from their Bengaluru sojourn, said he was confident of his victory.

The Congress, which has been out of power in the state for over a decade-and-a-half now, was rattled by the surprise exit of party stalwart Vaghela recently.

It was jolted further when its six MLAs, including Rajput, a relative of Vaghela resigned from the assembly. Three of them later joined the BJP, setting off alarm bells in the party in Gujarat where assembly elections are due later this year.

The beleaguered Congress flew its 44 MLAs to Bengaluru to ward off any threat of poaching by the BJP.

However, six of the 51 MLAs still in the Congress, apart from Vaghela, have not put their cards on the table. They were not among the MLAs packed off to Bengaluru.

Vaghela, who resigned from the party and as the leader of the opposition, has not quit the House yet, giving the Congress a major cause for worry.

The Congress had faced a major embarrassment in the presidential election when joint opposition candidate Meira Kumar could manage 49 votes when the partys strength then was 57.

A candidate will require 45 votes for a straight win in the poll, and the BJP with 121 MLAs in the truncated 176-member Assembly following the resignation of six Congress legislators, can secure easy victories for Shah and Irani.

The party will be left with 31 surplus votes for Rajput, who will require the backing of rebel MLAs of the Congress and smaller parties to win. Now that he has the support of two NCP MLAs, his task would become a bit easier.

For now, Ahmed Patel looks like having the clear backing of 44 Congress MLAs, but even if none of them cross-votes or uses NOTA (None of the Above) option, the Congress candidate will require one additional vote for his victory.

The Congress is also banking on the support of two NCP MLAs, and one each of the JD-U and Gujarat Parivartan Party.

JD-U MLA Chotubhai Vasava has been saying he will only support those who will give something to his constituency.

Keeping his cards close to chest, Vaghela today chose to maintain silence on his choice of candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls, but said Congress nominee Ahmed Patel remained a friend.

Each and every voter is the owner of his vote. The vote is the personal property of an MLA (for the RS polls). Therefore, I do not want to reveal whom I will vote for, Vaghela told reporters.

The 77-year-old veteran said he was no longer in touch with the Congress and dismissed the talk that he was in contact with the BJP.

According to Election Commission officials, a candidate would require one-fourth of the total number of votes plus one to get elected. This would mean a contestant has to muster 45 votes.

The MLAs have to give their preferential votes indicating first choice, second, third, fourth (as per number of candidates) or they can choose NOTA, they said.

Meanwhile, Amit Shah, who has helmed the party to spectacular victories in several elections since 2014, is camping in Gujarat strategising on how to get all three BJP nominees win.
Pakistan's banned militant outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawah on Monday launched a political party, days after authorities extended its chief and Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed's 'house arrest' for two months fearing threat to public order.

Saifullah Khalid, closely linked to Saeed, announced the formation of 'Milli Muslim League' in Islamabad following weeks of campaign in Punjab's provincial capital Lahore.

"We would soon file application with Election Commission of Pakistan for its registration," Khalid, who claimed to be the president of the new party, said.

Khalid said the new party will strive to make Pakistan a 'real Islamic state' and demanded the immediate release of Saeed, who is under 'house arrest' since January.

The party, political observers said, seems as an effort to set up a front which is acceptable to moderate Pakistanis.

However, there appears to be little chance of electoral success for religious parties in Pakistan as the share of such political outfits have have gradually shrunk in parliament.

Currently, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal of Maulan Fazlur Rehman is one of the largest such party with about a dozen elected members in the National Assembly, whereas the Jamaat-e-Islami has about half a dozen in the 342-member house.

In a notification issued on July 28, the Punjab government's Home Department said that on the recommendation of the federal interior ministry, the detention of Saeed has been extended for another 60 days.

It said Saaed and others' detention expired on July 27 after his house arrest was extented for another 90 days.

He was initially put under house arrest on January 31.

The JuD is believed to be a front for Lashkar-e-Tayiba, the group behind the 2008 deadly attacks in Mumbai in which 166 people were killed by 10 terrorists who came from Pakistan.
Congress MLAs from Gujarat, who were camping in Bengaluru ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls, returned to the state on Monday morning and were taken to a resort in Anand district, party leaders said.

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel is in fray for the Rajya Sabha polls which will be held on Tuesday. Patel is also the political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

All our MLAs have returned and they have been taken to a resort in Anand, Congress party chief whip and senior leader Sailesh Parmar told reporters in Anand.

The MLAs were whisked away from the airport and have been kept together at one Nijanand resort on the outskirts of Anand town.

All our MLAs have decided not to go to their home even on this day of Rakshabandhan and be loyal soldiers of the Congress party. They will stay together and they will go to vote for the Rajya Sabha polls tomorrow (to Gandhinagar) from Anand, Parmar said.

Ahmed Patel and state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki will come to Anand to meet them, he said adding they have not taken police security at the resort.

Election to three Rajya Sabha seats will be held on Tuesday, in which Patel is pitched against Bharatiya Janata Party candidates including party chief Amit Shah, union minister Smriti Irani and former Congress party chief whip Balwantsinh Rajput who recently joined BJP.

A pitched battle is on between the two parties to win Rajya Sabha elections after senior Gujarat Congress leader Shankarsinh Vaghela quit the party.

In a jolt to the Congress, six of its MLAs quit the party on July 27 and July 28.

In the 182-member Gujarat assembly, the strength of the Congress has gone down to 51 from 57.

Subsequently, the rattled Congress tucked away 44 of its MLAs to a Bengaluru resort to insulate them from alleged poaching attempts by the BJP.

Image: Congress MLAs staying in Eagleton Resort depart for Gujarat. Photograph: ANI/Twitter
Congress accuses Centre of 'protecting' state BJP chief's son. BJP asks 'why are you silent on rape and murder of Himachal Pradesh teen'.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Anil Jain, in-charge of the party's Haryana affairs, on Monday ruled out the resignation of its state unit chief Subhash Barala following the arrest of the latter's son in a stalking case in Chandigarh.

'Subhash Barala has nothing to with the Vikas Barala case. The law is taking its own course. There is no reason for Subhash Barala's resignation,' Jain said in a statement in Chandigarh.

Jain's statement ruling out Barala's resignation comes a day after Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar also said that the BJP state unit chief had 'nothing to do with incident'.

The opposition has been mounting pressure seeking Subhash Barala's resignation on the issue.

"Subhash Barala has nothing to do with this incident. It is an individual happening, the accused will face action once found guilty. This is my official stand, this was my stand yesterday and today also this is my stand. After this, on this issue, no question, no answer," Khattar had told reporters on Sunday.

Subhash Barala had earlier said that he respects the law and the 'truth' will come out through the judicial process.

The son of Haryana's ruling BJP chief was arrested along with his friend for allegedly stalking a woman in Chandigarh.

Both the accused, Vikas Barala, 23, and Ashish Kumar, 27, were released later on bail as they were booked under bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicles Act, amid a major outcry.

The incident came to light when the woman, around 28 years of age, called up the police on Friday night and complained that two youth were chasing her.

Meanwhile, Haryana Congress Chief Ashok Tanwar on Monday met the victim and her family at her residence here and assured her of support in fighting the case.

A protest march was also taken out in Chandigarh over the incident.

"We appreciate the brave girl for standing up to harassment by two men, one of them belonging to an influential family. The whole of Chandigarh stands by her side," said a citizen.

A Congress worker also accused the Chandigarh police of acting under pressure in the stalking case to protect the accused.

No pressure, we're proceeding with 'open mind': Police

The Chandigarh Police said it will not hesitate to add non-bailable provisions in the case if legal opinion is in its favour.

Senior Superintendent of Police Eish Singhal said they were investigating the matter with an 'open mind' and were taking legal opinion on several issues pertaining to the case.

He rejected the claims that the force was under any kind of pressure, noting that an first information report was immediately registered in the case and the accused promptly arrested.

"Chandigarh police is a professional investigating agency. We are conducting a fair investigations. There is no pressure on us of any kind," he said while replying to queries at a press conference on Monday evening.

To a question on why kidnapping charge had not been slapped against the accused, Singhal said, "We are proceeding in this case with an open mind and if any such section is to be added, we will definitely add it (in the FIR already registered in the case), but we are not working under any pressure."

"We are taking legal opinion in several things pertaining to the case. If legal opinion suggests, then we will certainly add the relevant section," Singhal said, replying to a volley of questions.

Opposition parties have accused the Chandigarh police of working under pressure and 'weakening' the case by not adding kidnapping charge against the two accused.

The woman in her complaint had mentioned that there was an attempt to kidnap her by the accused. 'To me it was very clear that that these boys intended to abduct me even tried to open the door,' the victim had said in her complaint.

Asked why legal opinion had not been sought so far, Singhal said, "We have been investigating this case for three days only".

"There are many things on which we are seeking legal opinion and let these be completed. Don't turn this case into a media trial," the SSP said.

Singhal said the police has reconstructed the scene of crime.

"We have identified several CCTV cameras on the route taken by the accused and we are in the process of taking footage and when their technical analysis is complete, we will let you know," he said.

"At present, we are thoroughly looking into all the facts of the case from various angles," he added.

On allegations that six CCTV cameras on the route were non-functional, he replied, "I can brief about this only when the technical analysis is complete."

"We are analysing every single camera on that road stretch. When technical analysis is complete, details will be put before you."

To another query, he said, "We are here to provide all sorts of help to the victim".

Barala's son Vikas and Ashish Kumar were earlier arrested for allegedly stalking the woman, daughter of a senior IAS office, in Chandigarh.

However, both the accused were released later on bail as they were booked under bailable sections of the IPC and the Motor Vehicles Act.

No political pressure on Chandigarh police: Kirron Kher

BJP MP Kirron Kher on Monday said Chandigarh police was not facing any political pressure in the incident and assured the victim and her family that justice would be done.

She lamented that certain 'wild allegations' like the one on CCTV footage going missing were being made and stressed that the law would take its course.

The woman's father, a senior Haryana IAS officer who had taken to the social media to urge people to fight crime against women, told reporters that he had full faith in the system and was grateful to Chandigarh police for 'saving' his daughters life.

He said he had requested the Home Department immediately after the FIR was lodged that care be taken to secure the CCTV footage.

He also said that 'unless somebody from the family (of the accused) is trying to sabotage the investigations and the prosecution, they are not involved in this, we are very clear. We do not hold the family responsible in any way'.

His response came as the opposition stepped up demand for resignation of Subhash Barala and criticised the Chandigarh police for not charging his son with kidnapping in the incident.

Kher, the MP from Chandigarh, on Monday rubbished claims that the accused were booked under lenient provisions as one of them is related to the state BJP leader.

"The police are under no political pressure, this is absolutely baseless. The Chandigarh police are doing their job as any professional force does," she said

"During police investigation if something else comes up, I am sure police will follow through," Kher said.

The MP said that security will be further strengthened in the city so that such incidents are not repeated.

Asked about reported allegations that CCTV footage was missing, Kher said, "These people who are saying about footage going missing are making wild allegations.

"The police have assured the victim and her family that wherever CCTV cameras are installed and any footage that the cameras would have captured is going to be kept secure."

Assuring the victim and her family that justice would be done, Kher said, "As a mother, I can understand the sentiments of the victim's family at this time. Whatever is legal and correct in this case, will be done."

BJP leader says women should not go out alone in night

Meanwhile, Chandigarh BJP vice president Ramveer Bhatti drew flak for his reported controversial remarks on the incident.

Asked about a section of media quoting him as saying that girls and women should not go out alone at midnight, Bhatti said, "What I meant to convey is that it is the responsibility of parents to watch over their children and their activities."

"It is a general statement and not directed at the victim. I am saying, be it a boy or a girl, parents should be watching what they are doing. I am not saying that girls should be confined to their homes," he said.

He described the stalking incident as unfortunate and shameful.

"It is a shameful incident. Whatever happened is unfortunate," Bhatti said.

Bhatti also attacked the Congress leaders, saying why did they remain 'silent' in the rape and murder case involving a minor at Kotkhai in Himachal Pradesh.

"See their insensitivity... I am saying that such incidents, wherever these may take place in the country, are highly condemnable," Bhatti said.

However, Bhatti's reported statement that girls should not step out during the night alone did not go down well with his own party colleague Kher.

"I think this is a very unfortunate statement, which reflects the mindset of many men in this country. I think that Bhatti should have exercised restraint and not made this comment," Kher said.

"There are many young girls and women who work late, they work in hospitals as nurses, at call centres, various other places or go out to watch a movie, go to friend's houses, we have to provide them security and safety. We can't put the blame on them why they were out at night, whether its a boy or a girl, both have equal rights."

Barala's son Vikas, 23, and Ashish Kumar, 27, were earlier arrested for allegedly stalking the woman. However, both the accused were released later on bail as they were booked under bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Motor Vehicles Act.

The incident had come to light when the woman, around 28 years of age, called up the police on Friday night, complaining that two youth were chasing her along a stretch of over five kilometre from Chandigarh right up to a point in the Unio Territory, which is adjoining Haryanas border.

Centre, BJP conspiring to hush up stalking case: Surjewala

The Congress meanwhile accused the central government and the BJP of 'conspiring to hush up' the case against the Haryana BJP chief's son.

All India Congress Committee media incharge Randeep Surjewala said the Chandigarh police comes directly under the Union home ministry and they are trying to protect Subhash Barala and his son.

He demanded an answer from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah why the BJP leader and his son were being 'protected'.

"The Union home ministry, which directly controls UT Administration and UT Police of Chandigarh, is conspiring to hush up the entire matter so as to protect the Haryana State BJP president and his son.

"Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah answer to the nation as to why BJP state President and his children are being protected in this fashion," Surjewala said.

He also accused Chandigarh Police Deputy Superintendent of Police Satish Kumar, probing the case, of changing his statement within hours, allegedly at the behest of the central government.

The Congress also released three videos of the DSP's statement and the woman narrating the incident.

Surjewala said the police was saying that the footage of CCTV cameras, showing the stalking incident was not available.

"Even before you have registered a case under correct sections, the CCTV footage has gone. Does it not show that the Union government is giving diktats to protect the Haryana BJP president and his son?" he said.

He accused the BJP of adopting double standards, saying when a similar incident happened involving the son of a senior minister in Haryana government a few years ago, the current Union home minister as the then National BJP president had demanded his resignation, which the Congress had accepted.

"Why double standards are being adopted by the BJP is a question that the country wants the prime minister, BJP president and others to answer," he said.

The Congress leader also asked if the BJP government and the UT Administration answer as to how all those CCTV cameras have stopped functioning and how all the CCTV footage had gone missing.

"Is that the transparency that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks about? And we have also released the video of the girl in question and this young girl has clearly said that she has stated so before the magistrate in a statement under 164 and she is saying so again on camera that there was a clear cut unequivocal attempt to abduct her. But why has no FIR been lodged?" he asked.

Girl, father vow to continue fight

The woman, who has been interacting with the media afterthe incident, on Monday said that had she not been the daughter ofan IAS officer, things could have ended differently.

"If I had been a village girl, probably I would not havethe resources to fight these guys," she said.

However, she also said, "If we (being daughter of IAS officer) don't do it (pursue the case), then who will. Like with my father and his post, if we are not going to do this (pursue the case), then how can we expect others to raise their voices," she said.

At the same time, she also said, But I have the power of people behind me, never before in my life have I felt so much support.

The woman's father said he had full faith in the investigations.

"In all honesty, I must say Chandigarh police have actually saved my daughter's life and I am grateful for that.

"I have faith in the system and law of this land and I must say that my daughter is alive today because the system works. If the Chandigarh police system of helping out women in distress did not work, it is quite possible that she might not have been alive today," he said.

The IAS officer said that it was an issue of safety of a daughter.

"Had it been a daughter of a labourer being stalked by some petty criminals, will the offence become any less? They are as much citizens of this country as I am or as that boy is," the woman's father told the media.

The IAS officer said that Chandigarh police are carrying out their investigations.

"Wherever I have any concerns, I actually expressed these to the police authorities and they have assured me that they will do the needful. I had requested the Home Department immediately after the FIR was lodged that care be taken to secure CCTV footage," he said.

On the opposition demand that the Haryana BJP chief should resign as he can influence the investigation, the IAS officer said, "I am very clear that both the accused are young men, they are law students and they are fully aware of the consequences of their action. I do not hold their family responsible for their action."

About Bhatti reported controversial remark, the woman's father said, "That kind of statement is outrageous, but I do not want to join any political debate of any kind, I am an administrator, I am a bureaucrat, I do not want to join the debate.

"At the same time, I want to say that every daughter in the country has the right to live as free and equal citizen and I absolutely stand by that right. There is no way I can support anyone who say that girls should not step out at this time or that time. They have every right to carry out any lawful activity like any other citizen," he said.

The victim's father had taken to the social media and urged people to fight crime against women while sharing the ordeal his family had gone through due to the stalking incident.

'Will move court if charges diluted'

The Haryana IAS officer sought 'maximum punishment' for the accused and said that he will move court if charges against the duo were 'diluted'.

He, however, asserted that the family would not interfere with the investigation.

'We will not interfere with the investigation or the prosecution, just as we do not want the accused to influence the investigation in any way. The police and prosecution should be allowed to do their job.

'We will join the investigation whenever required by the police. We will contest in the court if we feel the charges are diluted or inadequately framed,' the bureaucrat said in a Facebook post.

He promised the people who were supporting his family that, 'WE SHALL NOT, EVER, BACK OUT OR STAND DOWN, irrespective of hardships or pressures'.

The IAS officer said the accused being law students were fully aware of the consequences of their action.

'Our target is to ensure that the guilty are brought to book. They are adult men, students of law, who are fully aware of the consequences of their actions, and hence must be appropriately punished.

'We want them to be punished for the offences they have actually committed, and that awarded punishment commensurate with their culpability. Not over punished, but definitely not under punished either,' he said.

Terming the incident as a 'cut and dried' case, the bureaucrat said there would be something wrong in the society if the system failed to deliver justice.

'In a cut and dried case like this, where there is nothing hazy or unclear in terms of actions or identities, if the system fails to deliver justice, then there is something deeply rotten in our society, our government and our country,' he said.

'The issue is, does our country allow a woman to live as a free and equal citizen, and if she is wronged, does it give her enough confidence to even claim justice? If not, we are no better than a lawless, barbaric society,' he further wrote on Facebook.

Swamy to file PIL to seek CBI probe

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy, meanwhile, accused the Chandigarh Police of doing a 'somersault' on the case and said he would file a public interest litigation in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for a court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the incident.

'With my associate lawyer A P Jagga on attempted abduction of an IAS officer's daughter by two drunk goons, I will file a PIL in Chandigarh,' he tweeted.

Asked what prompted him to file a PIL, the Rajya Sabha member told PTI it appeared the Chandigarh Police was in no position to conduct 'a fair and free' probe.

The police, he claimed, had first filed non-bailable offences against the accused and then 'withdrawn them all and let him (accused) go after having caught him red-handed'.

"Hence This matter should be court-monitored and the CBI should be asked to take it over. You can have an SIT if you want, other agencies also. This is my prayer," he said.

NCW demands free, fair probe

The National Commission for Women has sought a free and fair probe in the case.

The commission has also asked for regular updates in the case, NCW Chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam told PTI.

"In the letter (to police) we have asked them to conduct a quick, immediate, fair and free investigation in the case and let us know what is happening in every stage," she said.

Kumaramangalam also said, "I have always said that who are these people should not matter who the person is their antecedents don't matter, they could be rich poor political religious, doesn't matter. Crime against women is crime against women."

She further said that, "Unfortunately the police and the judicial system comes under a lot of pressure from the so-called VVIPs and that is not correct."

Kumaramangalam also described as 'regrettable and unfortunate' the reported remarks by Bhatti that girls and women should not be going out alone during midnight.

IAS officers' body for exemplary punishment

An association of Indian Administrative Services officers has described the case as 'absolutely shocking' and demanded 'exemplary and timely punishment' for such offences.

The Indian Administrative Service (Central) Association -- which claims to represent all 5,004 IAS officers working across the country -- stressed in a Tweet the need to make India 'a safe place' for women.

'Absolutely shocking. Time we made our nation a safe place for all women. Exemplary and timely punishment for offences a must,' it said on Sunday.
One police officer's initiative has led to reuniting 92 people with their families, and bringing closure to the families of 148 other missing persons.

A Ganesh Nadar reports.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

All it took was one phone call to make a difference.

To turn a State Crime Records Bureau into a help unit for mentally ill people who have wandered away from their homes.

It all started when Seema Agarwal, the additional director general of police, Tamil Nadu State Crime Records Bureau, got a call from Uttarakhand about a mentally disturbed woman. She was found living on the streets and said she was from Tamil Nadu's Vellore district.

The IPS officer, who has served in the police department for 27 years, swung into action.

She called up her colleagues in Vellore and asked them to trace the woman's family.

"It had been 12 years since she had gone missing, so it was not easy to find them. The happiness on their faces when they met each other was our reward," she smiles.

Agarwal recalls another case where a lady from Maharashtra was rescued in Tamil Nadu and reunited with her family.

The lady wept, her family wept. Agarwal too had tears in her eyes.

Her department has been successful in reuniting 92 people in the last 12 months; that is almost two reunions a week.

IMAGE: Seema Agarwal's department has been successful in reuniting 92 people in the last 12 months; that is almost two reunions a week. Photograph: A Ganesh Nadar/Rediff.com

"We not only reunite families, but also make sure it is a happy reunion. For example, if a woman disappears for two decades and her husband has remarried, reuniting her with her family is difficult. We make sure the family wants them back. We don't want them to be on the streets again," Agarwal says.

If the family does not want them back, or they have no family to go back to, they are looked after in a government home.

The SCRB's responsibility is to upload the details of a person reported missing or found on the streets on its Web site.

What it is doing at the moment is beyond the call of duty.

SCRB staff work with over 40 government-approved NGOs who rescue mentally disturbed people from the streets.

"They find them and give us the details, which we put up on our Web site. We also send our people to talk to them and see if we can get additional details. Sometimes, we are successful; sometimes we are not. Some regain their memories after months and are able to share details," says Agarwal who has given Inspector A S Tahira the responsibility of reuniting them with their families.

"If a woman is found in Chennai or in the Kancheepuram district (located on Tamil Nadu's north east coast), I try to go personally and talk to her. If I am busy with another case, I send one of my juniors. If a woman is found in other parts of Tamil Nadu, I depute my people from that district," says Tahira.

The fact that she knows Hindi is an advantage when she has to speak to north Indians.

"We have worked with the regular police and even taken the help of the revenue department and the district collector to trace families," Tahira adds.

Getting the women to talk is not easy.

Sometimes, they are intimidated by the environment. Sometimes, they are just scared.

At times, they are violent.

"I have seen them assault NGO workers who bear it stoically. Dealing with one mentally disturbed person in the family is difficult, so imagine dealing many of them. I salute the NGO workers," Tahira says.

The SCRB works only with registered NGOs.

"We know there are homes that are unregistered and house these people, but we leave that out of our ambit," the inspector says.

The SCRB, Tahira adds, have also been successful in matching missing persons with unidentified dead bodies.

"We have helped close 148 such cases. People need closure to get on with their lives."
Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry has made a new promotional short film with a theme of poetry, featuring several iconic sites from Turkey, was aired on ministrys social media accounts. Short film called "Home of Poetry" has been prepared within the scope of the country's global tourism and cultural campaign "Turkey Home" launched by the ministry in 2014.

The promotional video consists of a main advertisement film lasting over three minutes; three other shorter movies have been shot in ancient lands of Turkey across 12 cities.

Inspired by Turkey's tradition of poetry, the advertisement project features verses from famous Turkish poets such as Atilla Ilhan, Ilhan Berk, Yahya Kemal Beyatli, Edip Cansever and Fazil Husnu Daglarca to promote the country's beauty and charm besides its historical heritage, the ministry said.
Despite occupying less than 0.1% of the earths surface, coral is main reason why travelers choose to visit tropical destinations. According to a recent research, it is revealed that the worlds coral reefs contribute to 70 million trips per annum, showing that coral reefs are a powerful driving force for tourism.

The study, published by Spadling et al, also revealed that coral reefs represent an astonishing $36 billion a year in economic value to the world. Of that $36 billion, $19 billion represents actual on-reef tourism like diving, snorkeling, glass-bottom boating and wildlife watching. The other $16 billion comes from spillover effects of coral reefs; including world class seafood, beautiful views of white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, charter fishing, bareboat sailing, cruise shipping, helicopter and seaplane rides, water sports, whale watching, etc.

Unfortunately, there is also a grim side to increased tourism activities. Breakage of coral colonies and tissue damage from direct contact such as walking, touching, kicking, standing, or gear contact is a major issue. Boat anchors can cause breakage or overturning of coral colonies and tissue damage. Moreover, there may also be changes in marine life behavior from feeding or harassment by humans.

Tour operators, hotel owners and government have a responsibility over the protection of coral reefs. Proper education to visiting tourists and locals are essential for proper management. One emerging resolution that is proving to be effective is the modeling of the economic contributions of coral reefs. An example of this working is in Bonaire, a small Caribbean island. In Bonaire, it was demonstrated that coral reefs generate approximately $23 million from its related activities, and in contrast it would take a mere $1 million to establish strict protection. This was an easy sell to the local policy makers, who have established strict laws governing coral reef protection in Bonaire (Talbot & Wilkinson, 2001).

Human impacts are not the only cause of reef devastation. In 1998, Seychelles underwent a major El. Nino event which had caused the destruction of over 90% of the live coral cover. When major disasters such as this occur, it gives rise to unwanted algal growth. The photographs depicted below were taken during my field research. They demonstrate the contrast between a coral dominated system and an algal dominated system.

Herbivorous fish species such as parrotfish, surgeonfish and rabbitfish help promote coral recovery by grazing on the unwanted algae. However, these fish species are also a major delicacy in the Seychelles, forming over 60% of the total artisanal catch. Moreover, fishing of these fish species is not regulated in the country, making them susceptible to over-fishing.

Following the 1998 bleaching event, the coral in Seychelles had shown some recovery, but suffered another El. Nino event in 2016, taking things back to square one. Natural disasters are becoming ever more frequent with climate change on the rise. Tropical destinations such as Seychelles will have to act quickly to safeguard their coral reefs.

Science needs to be incorporated more efficiently into governmental policy, as has been done in Bonaire.

Read more at St. Ange Tourism Report, 9th edition

Photo credit: Eddy Tuchman, travel writer
Deadly trade through Niger snares refugees and migrants

Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Author Michelle Hoffman Publication Date 4 August 2017 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Deadly trade through Niger snares refugees and migrants, 4 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59882a664.html [accessed 13 November 2022]

Daniel knows well the dangers of the route to Libya. As he recalls his journey from his native Cameroon, the details spill out in a staccato of words, fidgets and sideways glances, an occasional smile dashing across his face. It is not excitement, but despair, that drives the constant movement.

He is a man used to being on the move. The 26-year-old left his homeland earlier this year with his twin brother and uncle, aiming to reach Libya, then Europe. But for the trio, as for untold thousands of others, the trip went badly wrong as they fell into the hands of ruthless smugglers.

"When we reached Libya, the driver told us we had to pay another 1,500 dinars (US$1,100) per person, so 4,500 dinars for all three," he says. "We didn't have any more money. We tried to explain the situation, but they didn't want to hear it."

So for lack of pay-off money, the three were thrown into one of Libya's informal detention centres, Daniel says, and beaten with weapons.

"We were tortured, kept in a compound where other passengers were allowed to go out, but not us since they thought we might escape," he explains.

He was then taken back here, to neighbouring Niger, where he was bound into forced labour by his Libyan captors, while his family remained hostage across the border. When they finally released him, two months later, he had no money, nowhere to call home, and a ransom demand to pay.

Daniel's harrowing journey took him along a centuries-old caravan trail to the Mediterranean, and left him at one of its crossroads - Agadez.

Once a hub in the trade in gold and salt, the low-slung labyrinth of ochre-walled compounds on the southern edge of the Sahara desert is now a centre in a dangerous trade in guns, drugs and, above all, people. In 2016 some 330,000 people crossed to Libya from Niger, mostly through Agadez, including about a quarter of them from Niger itself.

In 2015, largely in response to pressure from EU governments, Niger began cracking down on operators helping those travellers, mainly from West and Central Africa, cross into Libya. In return, the EU has offered more than 2 billion in aid to help the region - also including other priority African countries - on issues ranging from security to economic development.

While the numbers of people transiting through Agadez has dropped since the crackdown began, some observers say it is simply forcing the business of people smuggling underground, making the illicit trade even riskier.

Smugglers are taking alternative routes that are less well known - and charging higher prices for their services. Those who call themselves "migration service providers" in Agadez also say their business of transporting people is now attracting more criminal traffickers who also transport drugs and weapons.

Groups of migrants have been abandoned in the desert - some deliberately, others when a smuggler's vehicle breaks down. Sometimes they are rescued but unknown numbers have died - and some estimate the figures of those who have perished en route in the deserts of Niger and in Libya are higher than the figures of those lost at sea heading to Europe.

Across the border in Libya, a whole host of other threats await. The country, in the throes of civil and political upheaval, has simply become a "machine that destroys humans," said Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR's Special Envoy for the Central Mediterranean Situation, during a visit to Niger last week.

"Irrespective of the status of people - whether they are economic migrants or refugees - we are telling people it is dangerous to go to Libya. People disappear. People are killed in the desert, much more than the people being killed in the Mediterranean trying to cross to go to Europe," he said.

Most of those who risk this desperate journey have been considered migrants, but analysis by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, shows that about 30 per cent of those who take migration routes through Niger could qualify for international protection status once they reach Europe. Thus, tens of thousands of people traumatized by war, political persecution and terrorism go headlong into more danger.

A view over Agadez, Niger.  UNHCR/Louise Donovan

"It's something I've learned during this trip to Agadez, from testimonies we've heard from people," said Cochetel. "Everybody has seen people dying in front of them in detention centres ... either in the hands of militias, or smugglers and traffickers. Everyone has had that experience  So we're telling people it's for your own protection. It's dangerous to be there. There are solutions on the way."

UNHCR has stepped up its operations in Niger, both to identify and protect vulnerable people of concern, and to help the Niger government to improve its capacity for determining asylum claims. It is also working closely with its partner, the International Organization for Migration, to reach out to people who may have fled war or persecution, to let them know that asylum is possible in Niger.

As part of a wider drive to tackle the root causes of displacement, the UN Refugee Agency continues to offer its support to governments to seek lasting political solutions to the conflicts that provoke humanitarian crises in the region and worldwide.

After two months Daniel was released by his captors onto the streets of Agadez. There he has found some solace in the city's tiny Catholic parish and its priest, Father Pascal, who ministers to many migrants and refugees. Daniel has found the courage to voice his story and deliver a message to those who will listen.

"I've met other people here who want to go to Libya," he said. "I told them about what I've gone through. I don't know if they've gone anyway or not. That's up to them. But I know that I've done my part as a Christian - warning them about what happens out there."
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.
Manus Island/Australia: Authorities must respect right to protest, refrain from violence

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 4 August 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Manus Island/Australia: Authorities must respect right to protest, refrain from violence, 4 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59882c8d4.html [accessed 13 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Responding to reports of protests on Manus Island, where Papua New Guinea (PNG) immigration officials, implementing a policy set by the government of Australia, are attempting to force refugees and asylum seekers out of an immigration detention centre, Josef Benedict, Amnesty International's Deputy Campaigns Director for Southeast Asia & Pacific, said:

"Until there is a safe place for them to go, forcing refugees and asylum seekers out of the detention centre will cause even more suffering. Reports that police are attempting to forcefully clear the compound by cutting off water and electricity are alarming, but sadly typical of the policies of the Australian department of immigration, whose conduct on Manus Island has been marked by human rights abuses and deliberate cruelty.

"Australia's offshore refugee processing system is illegal and abusive, but forcing refugees and asylum seekers out of the centre is not the answer, and risks making their already desperate situation even worse. Repeated attacks and threats from some members of the local community have left refugees terrified of leaving the compound.

"The refugees have - understandably - protested the attempts to drive them into an even worse situation on Manus, and there is now a serious risk that peaceful protests will be met with excessive force by the PNG police. The police must respect their right to peacefully protest the closure of the centre, and refrain from using violence as they have in the past.

"We are calling on the Australian authorities to immediately bring all refugees and people seeking asylum to Australia, and ensure that all those who were granted refugee status have the right to settle in Australia."

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
Nigeria: Long overdue judicial commission to probe human rights violations is set up

Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 5 August 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Nigeria: Long overdue judicial commission to probe human rights violations is set up, 5 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59882cf24.html [accessed 13 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Responding to Nigeria's acting President Prof Yemi Osinbajo setting up of a judicial commission to review compliance of armed forces with human rights obligations and rules of engagement, Osai Ojigho, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria said:

"We welcome the setting up of the judicial commission and its mandate to investigate alleged acts of violation of human rights by Nigeria's security agencies. The mandate of the commission to advise on preventing violation of humanitarian and human rights law in conflict situations is also a vital step for the country. While the judicial commission is long overdue it is an opportunity to finally bring justice to victims of human rights violations across parts of Nigeria affected by conflicts."

"We call on the government to ensure that victims of human rights violations are allowed to present their cases, without fear and with all the necessary protection from intimidation. We also call on the government to ensure that the commission is independent, impartial and free from any conflict of interest that may affect the integrity of its work. Making the terms reference and working guidelines of the commission public can bring transparency to its work."

"Investigating compliance of security agencies with rules of engagements in all conflicts, and violation of international and regional human rights laws during security operations is a step in the right direction that must be carried out with all sense of responsibility of making sure that no human rights violation goes unaccounted for."

"Amnesty International's priority is justice, human rights and the dignity of human life in Nigeria. We maintain that those suspected of committing human rights violations and crimes under international law on all sides of all conflicts must be brought to justice in fair trials before civilian courts without recourse to the death penalty.

Copyright notice:  Copyright Amnesty International
UN: Myanmar's Threat to Block Fact-Finding Mission

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 3 August 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN: Myanmar's Threat to Block Fact-Finding Mission, 3 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59882fa24.html [accessed 13 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

The United Nations needs to insist on its ability to carry out a mandated fact-finding mission on Myanmar, Human Rights Watch said today, releasing a series of questions and answers on the topic.

In March 2017, the UN Human Rights Council established a fact-finding mission to investigate alleged human rights abuses in Myanmar. Since then, however, various Myanmar government officials have publicly said the government plans to block these efforts by denying visas to mission members. The mission will officially begin its work in August.

"Myanmar's threat to block the UN Fact-Finding Mission from entering the country will only end up harming the government's standing on human rights," said John Fisher, Geneva director. "Even if the mission doesn't get access, we're confident that they will carry out their work and produce a report that advances justice for the victims of human rights abuses in Myanmar."

If Myanmar follows through on its threats and refuses to provide visas to the mission members, it will be joining an ignominious group of pariah states, including North Korea, Syria, Eritrea, and Burundi, that have denied Human Rights Council-authorized fact-finders' access to their countries.

Human Rights Watch is issuing the Q&A to emphasize the need for the Fact-Finding Mission's work, to clarify the scope of its mandate, and to highlight the government's attempts at obstruction.

The document answers basic questions about the mission and its mandate, the current human rights situation in Myanmar, and the likely effect of visa denials on the mission.

"The United Nations needs to stand up to Myanmar's bullying tactics of threatening visa denials," Fisher said. "The Burmese military has long avoided any accountability for its widespread and serious abuses. Granting entry to the Fact-Finding Mission would send a signal that the government is prepared to work collaboratively with the international community to help identify perpetrators of serious crimes, and deter future crimes by all parties to Myanmar's armed conflicts."
UN Security Council toughens sanctions on DPR Korea over ballistic missile launches

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 5 August 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN Security Council toughens sanctions on DPR Korea over ballistic missile launches, 5 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/598832ae4.html [accessed 13 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

In response to the launches of ballistic missiles of possible intercontinental range by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the United Nations Security Council today moved to strengthen sanctions on the Northeast Asian country's exports.

In a resolution adopted unanimously, the 15-member body strongly condemned the DPRK's ballistic missile launches on 3 July and 28 July, which the country has stated were of "intercontinental" range.

The Council reaffirmed previous Council decisions that the DPRK not conduct further launches using ballistic missile technology, nuclear tests, or any other provocation.

The Council moved to significantly strengthen the sanctions on the DPRK, imposing a full ban on the export of coal, iron and iron ore from the DPRK. Previously these items could be exported for livelihood purposes, for a limited amount.

The Council also prohibited countries from increasing the total number of work authorizations for DPRK nationals. It banned new joint ventures or cooperative entities with DPRK entities or individuals as well as additional investments in existing joint ventures.

Member States are requested to report to the Security Council, within 90 days of the adoption of this resolution, on concrete measures they have taken to effectively implement this resolution.

The Council also designated several additional individuals for a travel ban and assets freeze, as well as designating entities for an assets freeze.

On the political front, the Council calls for resumption of the Six-Party Talks and reiterated its support for the commitments set forth in the Joint Statement of 19 September 2005 issued by China, the DPRK, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States.

The commitments included that the goal of the Six-Party Talks is the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner, and that the United States and the DPRK respect each other's sovereignty and exist together peacefully.
DR Congo: UN report indicates Government participation in ethnic massacres in Kasai

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 4 August 2017 Cite as UN News Service, DR Congo: UN report indicates Government participation in ethnic massacres in Kasai, 4 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/598833cb4.html [accessed 13 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.

Violence in the Kasai provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) appears to be taking on an increasingly disturbing ethnic dimension, a United Nations human rights wing has warned, citing testimonies that Government forces have led ethnicity-based attacks.

"Survivors have spoken of hearing the screams of people being burned alive, of seeing loved ones chased and cut down, of themselves fleeing in terror. Such bloodletting is all the more horrifying because we found indications that people are increasingly being targeted because of their ethnic group," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Rafad Al Hussein in a news release from his Office (OHCHR).

"Their accounts should serve as a grave warning to the Government of the DRC to act now to prevent such violence from tipping into wider ethnic cleansing," he added, calling on the Government to take all necessary measures to fulfil its primary obligation to protect people from all ethnic backgrounds in the greater Kasai area.

The report is based on interviews with 96 people who had fled to neighbouring Angola to escape the violence in Kamonia territory in Kasai.

The UN team was able to confirm that between 12 March and 19 June, some 251 people became the victims of extrajudicial and targeted killings, including 62 children, of which 30 were aged under eight.

Interviewees indicated that local security forces and other officials actively fomented, fueled, and occasionally led, attacks on the basis of ethnicity.

The UN Mission in the DRC has identified at least 80 mass graves in the Kasais.

The fighting between the Kamuina Nsapu militia and the Government began in August 2016. The UN team was able to confirm that another militia, called the Bana Mura, was formed around March/April 2017 by individuals from the Tshokwe, Pende and Tetela ethnic groups. It was allegedly armed and supported by local traditional leaders and security officials, including from the army and the police, to attack the Luba and Lulua communities who are accused of being accomplices of the Kamuina Nsapu.

According to the report, the Bana Mura allegedly undertook a campaign aimed at eliminating the entire Luba and Lulua populations in the villages they attacked. In many of the incidents reported to the team, soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, known by its French acronym FARDC, were seen leading groups of Bana Mura militia during attacks on villages.

Given the situation in the Kasais, the report highlights the need for the team of international experts on the situation in the Kasais, established in June by the UN Human Rights Council, to be granted safe and unrestricted access to information, sites and individuals deemed necessary for their work.

This report will be put at the disposal of the international experts, as well as any other judicial institution addressing the human rights situation in the Kasais, in an effort to advance accountability efforts in this regard.
Tallying fewer crossings, UN agency reports rise in migrant deaths at US-Mexico border

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 4 August 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Tallying fewer crossings, UN agency reports rise in migrant deaths at US-Mexico border, 4 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/598834a84.html [accessed 13 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.

Even as the flow appears to have thinned, migrants crossing the United States-Mexico border are dying at a faster rate in 2017 than in past years, according to a new United Nations agency study.

Some 232 migrant fatalities have been recorded in the first seven months of 2017, an increase of 17 per cent compared with the 204 deaths recorded between January and July 2016, said Julia Black, coordinator of the Berlin-based Missing Migrants Project (MMP) at the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) Global Migration Data Analysis Centre.

These numbers are especially concerning considering that, according to US Border Patrol figures, fewer migrants seem to be crossing into the US in 2017. The US Border Patrol has apprehended 140,024 migrants between January and June 2017, about half the number recorded in the first six months of 2016, she added.

Fifty bodies were recorded as discovered in July, the most recorded in any month so far this year, Ms. Black said, explaining that their remains were found across the border region.

Nine were recorded in various locations along the Rio Grande; ten in a truck in San Antonio, Texas; and 16 in other locations in Texas, she elaborated.

Fifteen others were recovered in Arizona's Pima County, a notoriously dangerous crossing, where seasonal temperatures regularly soar above 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius between the months of May and September. So far this year, 96 bodies have been recovered in Pima County.

According to the briefing, its Missing Migrants Project has recorded more than 1,250 migrant fatalities on the US-Mexico border since 2014.

MMP staff reflecting on the deaths see each as an individual tragedy that serve as reminders of the many migrants who continue to risk their lives pursuing their 'Sueno Americano,' or 'American Dream.'

Although the story of 10 migrants who died trapped in the back of a tractor-trailer in Texas last Sunday was covered in the media, most recorded deaths in the border region  which occur in single digits on a nearly daily basis throughout the summer  rarely make headlines.

Many of those pursuing el Sueno Americano travel from Mexico to Texas, compelled to cross the swift-flowing Rio Grande to the US.

For example, on Wednesday, a five-year-old child migrant drowned in the Rio Grande near Tamaulipas, Mexico, as the father went missing during the river crossing.

According to the IOM, 57 people drowned in the border river in 2017  a 54 per cent hike over the 37 deaths recorded in the Rio Grande between January and July 2016.

IOM's office in Mexico cites heavy rainfall in recent months, which has made the river faster and deeper, as a possible cause for the increase. However, the upsurge in migrant deaths in other border areas, such as the Arizona desert, remains unexplained.

Though migrant fatalities on the US-Mexico border represent 65 per cent of the total number recorded in the Americas, it is likely that many migrant deaths occur in Central and Southern America that go unrecorded. Notably, several bodies, presumed to be migrants, were seen floating off the coast of Nicaragua on Tuesday; another migrant was killed near Oaxaca, Mexico on Sunday after being struck by a train; and another, from El Salvador, was the victim of a stabbing.

Noting that the true number of migrant fatalities in 2017 is likely to be higher than the MMP indicates, Ms. Black concluded by pointing out that it's something that is true for all regions of the world, unfortunately.
Syria: UN study finds foreign fighters return 'disillusioned' by groups they joined

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 4 August 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Syria: UN study finds foreign fighters return 'disillusioned' by groups they joined, 4 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/598835e14.html [accessed 13 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.

A number of "disillusioned and disappointed" foreign terrorist fighters left Syria and returned to their countries of origin when they found these groups hardly make good on their promises, except promise of death and destruction, according to a report issued by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT).

The report, released Thursday, is the product of direct interviews with 43 fighters from 12 nationalities in seven countries.

The authors believe that despite some shortcomings - such as the small sample size - the survey remains a useful tool for Member States that wish to get to grips with the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters, develop their capacities to deal with it, and design more effective policies and programmes to stem the flow and facilitate the effective reintegration of returnees.

This study calls for action at the national, regional, and international level based on a comprehensive and balanced approach that puts more emphasis on prevention than has been common until now.

Warning against sweeping generalizations as there is no single profile for foreign terrorist fighters, the report's findings confirm the results of other similar studies, while other findings suggest that different samples will draw different conclusions.

The report did find that while foreign fighters are most likely to be male, young and disadvantaged economically, educationally, and in terms of the labour market, evidence suggests that the flow of women, especially from Western countries has increased since early 2016, while the flow of men has declined.

Most of those interviewed in this survey are neither well educated nor well off economically. This perhaps contradicts other findings in the literature, which often conclude that foreign terrorist fighters are both better educated and better off economically than their peers.

About half of the interviewees in this sample were already married by the time they went to Syria, with or without children of their own, and a significant percentage come from large families, often where there was a history of domestic violence, single parenthood or other family problems.

Most of them also come from communities in poor urban areas or on the periphery of cities that are somewhat removed from the main centres of commercial activity. In these areas, youth share similarly low educational levels, poor job prospects, little hope for change, and limited opportunity for social or economic mobility.

This survey also suggests that friendship circles and social networks are the most dynamic and powerful mechanism through which recruitment occurs, with the Internet playing a far less significant role as an independent source of radicalisation than is generally assumed, and certainly a far less significant role than real life contact.

Bad governance, especially disregard for the rule of law, discriminatory social policies, political exclusion of certain communities, inadequate courts, corruption, particularly in the distribution of state benefits, harassment by the security authorities, and confiscation of passports or other identity documents, all contribute to feelings of despair, resentment, and animosity towards the government and provide fertile ground for the terrorist recruiter, especially when the vision of a new life is presented as almost effortlessly attainable.

In addition to these "push" factors, there are also "pull" factors, most notably the empathy felt by would-be foreign terrorist fighters towards a perceived in-group suffering from violence and aggression in a conflict zone.

Such suffering resonates well with the personal experience of some marginalized and disadvantaged youth.

The report says that the armed groups in Syria ultimately provide no positive outcomes to the youth they recruit. They hardly deliver on any of their promises, except the promise of death and destruction, both for its recruits and for the Muslim communities it claims to defend.

"It is this failure to deliver, coupled with its extreme, violent ideology and brutal tactics, its in-fighting and the corruption of some of its leaders, that, according to this survey, most often gives rise to the disappointment and sense of disenfranchisement and exclusion that leads foreign terrorist fighters to defect," the report says.

While social networks play a key role in motivating individuals to go to Syria, their influence on the decision to return is less evident. Instead, it is the family network, particularly mothers, that exert the most influential pressure on foreign terrorist fighters to return home, though only once their disillusionment and disappointment has begun to kick in.

While the risk presented by returning foreign terrorist fighters is a real one, it should not be exaggerated. A practical, effective and proportionate response should start from a sound understanding of the root causes of the problem, the report says.
New UN human rights office to open in Liberia in early 2018

Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 4 August 2017 Cite as UN News Service, New UN human rights office to open in Liberia in early 2018, 4 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5988364a4.html [accessed 13 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 Liberia has made significant progress since the civil war ended, precarious human rights conditions have prompted the United Nations to open an office there early next year to monitor and report on the situation.

Liberia has progressed dramatically since my last visit just after the brutal civil war," said UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour after wrapping up a three-day visit to Liberia.

After commending the efforts of the Government and the Liberian people, he noted that the human rights gains are still precarious, hence the vital need for the UN to continue our support.

With the main purpose of the visit to establish a UN Human Rights Office in the country, an agreement was signed with the Government for the new office to open in early 2018.

What we have learned in country after country is that neither peace nor development can be properly sustainable unless they are firmly grounded in human rights, said Mr. Gilmour.

He expressed his appreciation to Foreign Minister Marjon V. Kamara, with whom he signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the new office, set to open early in 2018.

This office will conduct human rights monitoring and reporting, as well as provide technical assistance to State institutions, the Independent National Commission for Human Rights, civil society and other partners.

Mr. Gilmour highlighted the primary role of the Government in promoting and protecting human rights in Liberia.

During his visit, the senior UN human rights official met with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, cabinet ministers, several leaders of civil society organizations, and foreign ambassadors.

True peace is never possible if people feel that their desire for justice has not been met

Underlining Liberia's international human rights obligations, Mr. Gilmour expressed serious concern over the continued prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) and urged the Government to do far more within its power to discourage this and other harmful traditional practices, including trial by ordeal, accusations of witchcraft and ritualistic killings.

He discussed the plight of lesbian, gay and transgender people, saying that their unbearable discrimination and abuse must be confronted. He also raised trepidations surrounding the rights of people with disabilities.

While acknowledging Government efforts to address sexual violence, he stressed that the appalling frequency of rape in Liberia, including of young girls, is partly due to widespread impunity for this crime.

After visiting Monrovia Central Prison, Mr. Gilmour praised the work of the wardens but remarked on the very serious overcrowding and insufficient food, which he attributed to a high number of people held in pre-trial detention owing to the slowness of judicial procedures.

Concluding his stay, Mr. Gilmour visited the Palava Hut Memorial for victims of the civil war. He expressed the importance of transitional justice for national reconciliation and called for it to be a paramount concern for the new Government following the October elections  while warning against what some term a worrying rise in hate speech as election season approaches.

True peace is never possible if people feel that their desire for justice has not been met. Abominable war crimes were committed in this country, and the perpetrators of the worst crimes should now understand that justice will catch up with them, stressed the Assistant Secretary-General.
Kazakhstan: Six fines, one deportation for baptism

Publisher Forum 18 Author Felix Corley Publication Date 4 August 2017 Cite as Forum 18, Kazakhstan: Six fines, one deportation for baptism, 4 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59883cb94.html [accessed 13 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.

After a Protestant Pastor and five foreign guests held baptisms in hot springs near Almaty, a court fined all six and ordered one foreigner deported, deeming they had conducted illegal "missionary activity". A Baptist pastor succeeded in overturning a police fine for leading his church.
Occupied labour: The treadmill of Palestinian work in Israel

Publisher IRIN Author Andreas Hackl Publication Date 2 August 2017 Cite as IRIN, Occupied labour: The treadmill of Palestinian work in Israel, 2 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59883e304.html [accessed 13 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.

Driving near the concrete barrier that separates Israel from the southern West Bank, a car passes a Bedouin settlement, leaves the main road for a dirt one, and veers into a field. It stops next to a gap in the wall. Three men get out, rush through the opening, and are picked up on the other side - inside Israel.

Further west, the ground becomes rocky and hilly. Four-wheel drives bring groups of men to another spot where the wall breaks. As the passengers step out, a car motors towards them, kicking up a massive dust cloud. The Palestinian men get in and the car speeds away towards an Israeli town.

All of this repeats itself every few minutes each evening near Yatta, the West Bank's third largest city, although it doesn't look it: With a population of 65,000 on the dusty hills south of Hebron, its Old Town rarely sees an outside visitor, while piles of abandoned cars line its many winding streets.

If Yatta seems forgotten, that's because only 2,400 of its residents have jobs locally. Like much of the rest of the West Bank, the vast majority depend on the Israeli labour market for employment, in one way or another.

This sort of dependency, fostered by 50 years of occupation, makes for a mean cycle. Salaries are higher in Israel, so young Palestinians look for work across the border. There is also less investment at home, and the local economy doesn't create good jobs.

For most West Bank Palestinians, crossing the border for work requires a job and a permit from the Israeli government. These can be hard to come by, so many take the illegal route, crossing through weak points in the barrier and finding lower paid informal employment.

If caught, they face imprisonment. But for many, the risk is worth it.

The Abu Bakr family* has a story like so many others in this small city: The oldest son can no longer enter Israel after repeated prison terms for crossing the wall illegally, the second oldest works on Israeli construction sites with a permit, the third does so without.

The youngest, only 16, is looking to smuggle himself across the barrier for the second time during the summer holidays. Once there, he plans to work seven days a week, 12 hours a day, at a car wash. He'll live on the margins of society, constantly fearing capture.

It's an unquestionably difficult life, but locals have little choice but to tie their fates to business on the other side of the concrete, barbed wire, and checkpoints.

"Without work in Israel, no family can survive here," explained Yatta Mayor Ibrahim Abu Zahra.

The bottom line

The UN says Israel's occupation is the "main trigger" of humanitarian needs in the West Bank and Gaza.

A strangled economy is part of that occupation. While Gaza continues to suffer under a blockade, the combination of a demand for cheap labour inside Israel and the West Bank's struggling economy - brought on in part by restrictions on movement and trade - mean many Palestinians seek work in Israel and "aspire to that as a primary solution" to their economic problems, according to the International Labor Organization.

By the ILO's count, at no point over the last 15 years have so many Palestinians worked in Israeli jobs: currently around 120,000, who earn a quarter of the West Bank's total salaries.

The cash flow from work in Israel may be considered essential by many individuals and families, but it comes at a hefty price: the sustainable economic development of the Palestinian towns themselves. The combination of political instability and Israeli economic restrictions mean no one wants to invest in Yatta and workers look first to work across the wall, said its municipal manager, Nasser Raba'i. "Our economy is completely entangled with the Israeli economy," he told IRIN.

Saleh, a geography teacher from Yatta, said it's rare for school leavers to even consider building their employment futures at home. "A student will not try to start a project here, work his land, and open a factory. The student at school thinks: 'I want to leave school and make money in Israel to build a future: he wants to marry, build a house, and buy a car.'"

Permit pressure

Economic dependency also means vulnerability. It can be a form of political pressure because Israel requires that the majority of Palestinian workers hold permits - tied to their jobs - to cross through checkpoints. Some 81,500 currently hold such conditional permits.

Israeli regulations allow men above 55 and women above 50 to enter and work without a permit. Young men are only eligible for permits if they are married and at least 22 years old, although age limits sometimes change and vary across different sectors.

Permits are often denied for "security reasons", but Palestinian workers' rights advocates doubt this security need, given that the ban can be lifted after a simple legal process.

Workers without permits, estimated to number between 35,000 and 42,000, are smuggled across the borderland.

Yatta is a the West Bank's main smuggling hub, and workers complain that Israel can switch off their access to employment like water running from a tap. They recount permits used as a bargaining chip by recruiters from Israel's internal security agency, the Shin Bet, which in part relies on Palestinian informants for intelligence. While it is impossible to verify such accounts, they are certainly widespread.

Israel has annulled permits after violent incidents: When two Palestinians from Yatta killed four Israelis in a Tel Aviv shooting last June, Israel promptly cancelled 83,000 visiting permits issued to Palestinians during the holy month of Ramadan (some were later reinstated) and froze hundreds of working permits from the perpetrators' clan.

Israel justifies tight control of Palestinian movement as a necessary security measure, but tightening can often lead to escalation. This became clear when the recent set up of metal detectors outside Jerusalem's Temple Mount/al-Aqsa Mosque compound sparked sustained protests, an attack that killed three Israelis in their home, and a violent crackdown on Palestinians in east Jerusalem and the West Bank.

The metal detectors were put up after three Palestinian citizens of Israel shot and killed two Israeli policeman inside the holy site.

Israel's power to revoke permits or change movement patterns has made some fearful to speak their mind. "We workers cannot talk about politics," said one construction worker from Yatta who has a permit to work in Israel, and would not be named. "Maybe I say something then they say I am politically active and can no longer enter."

Whether one sees such pressure as a justified security measure or a way of pushing through quiescence, the economic implications are the same.

Raba'i is concerned about what dependence paired with political instability entails for Yatta's failing economy.

He said that after movement and permits were halted in the wake of the Tel Aviv killings, many locals became temporarily unemployed, so the municipality could not collect money for electricity bills.

Shops were affected too.

"The worker consumes with the money he brings home from Israel, so if he doesn't bring any, it has a huge influence here," explained Raba'i. "Some say, 'I didn't work today, so I cannot have dinner.'"

Samir Salameh, assistant deputy minister at the Palestinian Ministry of Labour, said the permit system and the possibility of mass cancellations is a major issue.

"If permits will be cancelled, we will find ourselves in a serious problem," he told IRIN. "If suddenly 100,000 people are unemployed, what to do with them?"

Lost time and money

It's not just permits that make legal crossing difficult.

The checkpoints between Israel and the West Bank - located at various points along the wall (variously known as the fence, the security barrier, the separation barrier and other terms) - can move slowly as soldiers search cars, buses, and individuals on foot.

The northern West Bank town of Qalqiliyah was once a vibrant market town, but now the separation barrier almost entirely encircles it, encroaching into its lands.

In the middle of the night cars rush through its unlit streets, towards the Israeli checkpoint at the walled-off edge of town. As workers exit cars and taxis, salespeople begin intensive morning shifts at dozens of market stands, selling snacks, coffee, and cigarettes.

All told, these checkpoints are a heavy burden for the workers: several thousand Palestinians push through here every morning - so many that a team of 70 volunteer "herders" must keep the masses in order.

"I leave my house at 3am so I can cross the checkpoint on time," said Ahmed, a construction worker outside the crossing.

Each day, he travels from Tubas, on the other side of the West Bank, and makes a long but short journey to Tel Aviv: four hours just to get 60 kilometres as the crow flies. After a rough day of burning tar on building sites, he is back in bed around 8pm, to wake up at 2am when the treadmill spins on. "I only see my children asleep," he said.

Brokers

Despite all this trouble, Palestinians who work inside Israel often don't bring home their full wages. A share of pay cheques from those employed regularly is dedicated for Israel's national insurance and pension funds, but most of the money never makes its way to Palestinian workers.

Those who manage to get permits lose yet more money to powerful intermediaries - often Palestinians themselves - who broker permits and connections between workers and employers.

That's because permits tie workers to specific employers. The way around this is through a middleman, who effectively sells permits if an employer is allotted more than they need.

The Israeli government itself said in July that the permit system leads to the exploitation of workers and lost money for labourers. The ILO estimates those losses at between 232 and 1,360 million Israeli shekels, or between $66 million and $389 million, each year.

The affected workers pay up to 2,500 shekels ($716) of monthly "broker tax" for permits that are resold by employers who don't use up their allocated quotas. Brokers often charge additional money for transport.

Brokers hold similar sway on settler farms and construction sites, where cheap Palestinian labour is used in "Area C", about 60 percent of the West Bank that is under full Israeli control.

On a veranda overlooking Jericho, Kifah, a Palestinian broker who is employed by Israeli settlements businesses, told IRIN she brings around 70 workers a day into the settlements so they can work there for $20 a day, of which they pay Kifah $6 (30 percent) for transport.

Brokers who bring workers from faraway towns in the West Bank often charge much more than Kifah does.

Abed Dari, an expert at workers' rights NGO Kav LaOved, explained why these brokers are such a massive problem, both in the West Bank and Israel: "Because of them, there is no direct connection between the employer and the employee, which undermines their claims to their rights."

Without proof, complainants pay $850 just to start a court case if they are mistreated. But Dari said this is a rarity, in part because settlements keep a "black list" of workers who "cause problems".

Search for alternatives

Israel is investing in upgrading major checkpoints and, together with the Palestinian Authority, it is considering changes to the permit system that could soon tackle the problem of brokers.

Salameh, the assistant deputy minister, said workers' permits must be disconnected from specific Israeli employers. The NGOs agree.

One idea is to give Palestinian construction workers permits per sector rather than per employer, allowing them to switch employers within sectors and put an end to the practice of reselling unused permits on the black market.

Salameh said he is still awaiting a concrete response from COGAT, the Israeli body that governs civil affairs in the West Bank. COGAT has announced some changes to the system, but IRIN understands that officials don't yet know when exactly these will be implemented and how.

COGAT did not reply to a request for comment but said in published statements: "Trading employment licenses has created a black market and a brokerage scene which involve Israelis and Palestinians and generate large profits."

The body, which runs an Arabic-language Facebook page called "al-Munaseq" ("The Coordinator"), says it sees Israel as "a pivotal economic source for many Palestinians as thousands of them turn to Israel to seek employment and to have a stable source of income in hopes of a better life".

Even if major changes do come, many believe only an end to occupation will allow the building of a sustainable economy. A cash-strapped Palestinian Authority, lacking foreign investments and the much higher salaries in Israel, means Palestinians will continue to accept hardship in exchange for cash.

"Without a solution, we must learn to live with it," said Abdel-Jalil, a Palestinian trade unionist based at the Qalqiliya checkpoint, where he sees thousnda cross into Israel every day. He wishes more Palestinians could find employment at home.

"Working in Israel is not the solution," he said. "It is part of the problem."

ah/as/ag

*Name has been changed
Somalia's impossible fight against cholera

Publisher IRIN Author Amanda Sperber Publication Date 1 August 2017 Cite as IRIN, Somalia's impossible fight against cholera, 1 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/598843a74.html [accessed 13 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.

Ahmed Hussein's perfectly white teeth seem too big for his mouth; his upper arms look like they belong to a little boy, not a 23-year-old man.

Propped up on an iron bed, Hussein laughs and says he always was slim. But he is clearly malnourished. Hussein arrived at Mogadishu's Bandir Hospital a day earlier with his mother and two sisters, all suffering from acute watery diarrhoea: a tell-tale sign of cholera. A nurse at the hospital told IRIN she believed the whole family got sick from the same water source.

This is Somalia's worst cholera outbreak in five years. So far, 71,663 cases have been counted, including more than 1,098 deaths, according to Doctor Ghulam Popal, the World Health Organization representative. In July, when Hussein was admitted, 5,840 cases of acute watery diarrhoea were reported at Bandir Hospital alone.

Cholera is an acute disease that can kill within hours if left untreated. Waterborne, it thrives in unsanitary conditions.

After nearly three decades of continuous conflict, Somalia has a barely existent government with no public health system and 800,000 people driven into unsanitary settlements by drought and insecurity - perfect conditions for cholera to thrive.

"[The] WASH infrastructure in Somalia is totally collapsed due to the absence of the government," explained Hassan Ahmed Ali, a Water Sanitation and Hygiene expert with the Norwegian Refugee Council, a development agency.

Unknown scale

The extent of Somalia's cholera crisis is likely to be a good deal worse than the official numbers suggest.

There are no health clinics or hospitals for 400,000 displaced people clumped in settlements along the two main arterial roads that feed into Mogadishu.

Ali of the NRC believes many people, not counted in the statistics, will have died before they could reach treatment. Neither are the cases counted in the swathe of territory controlled by the jihadist group al-Shabab, which is battling the government.

Compounding the effects of the war, three consecutive seasons of drought have served to tip Somalia into an even deeper food crisis. More than 6.2 million people - over half the population - need aid. That vulnerability increases their susceptibility to cholera.

Rules and regulations

"Unless the systems are strengthened, we can only save lives. Long-term social well-being cannot be achieved," said Mahboob Ahmed Bajwa, the head of WASH for the UN's children's agency, UNICEF.

"Systems" refers both to the federal government's loose relationship with the decentralised states, and the country's generally pitiful infrastructure.

National institutions are weak. In the absence of government, all water supply is privatised and unregulated. These profit-driven companies do not overly concern themselves with cleanliness or quality, despite the obvious risks.

Doctor Lul Mohamed, head of paediatrics at Bandir Hospital, points to the problem of open defecation, and to the lack of controls that allows what toilets are available to be built right next to wells.

The Ministry of Energy and Water Sources is creating new regulations to tackle contamination. But the bill has to go to parliament and will take at least three months to pass into law, according to Omar Shurie, an advisor to the ministry.

Besides the infrastructural deficiencies, recruiting qualified health workers and paying them regularly is yet another of the seemingly endless tasks on Somalia's to-do list. Doctor Mohamed, for example, does not receive a government salary. She earns money lecturing at a university in the city, only working at Bandir out of a sense of duty.

Stronger response

Despite the magnitude of the current food crisis and the cholera outbreak, the response of the humanitarian community and the generosity of the Somali diaspora have built a better ability to cope compared to previous disasters.

"Aid works, and it is critical that we continue providing this support throughout the remainder of 2017"

In 2011, drought led to a famine in which 250,000 people died from hunger and related diseases, including cholera.

"The drought in 2016/17 was worse than the previous one [in 2011] but the impact was [not as severe] due to improved overall capacity to respond," said Doctor Abdinasir Abubakar, head of the WHO's Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response.

"Similarly, the cholera outbreak could have been worse if appropriate preparedness and response interventions had not been implemented."

According to Thomas Lay, humanitarian director of Save the Children: "This collective effort has resulted in a positively different situation than we saw at the same point in the 2011 drought.

"Aid works, and it is critical that we continue providing this support throughout the remainder of 2017."

What lies ahead?

Over the past few weeks, the trend in acute watery diarrhoea and cholera has been declining, with some regions having no new cases.

Doctor Abubakar is confident: "The risk of another wave of cholera outbreak is high, but the preparedness and response capacities have been scaled up."

However, there is little ressembling a long-term silver lining here.

The WHO has warned that although the current rains have brought drought relief, the ensuing floods are now expected to increase the number of cholera cases.

Two-year-old Mohamed Yusuf is lifeless, but not dead. His brown eyes are glazed and unfocused, rolled back into bony sockets. His mother brought him to Bandir a day ago with acute watery diarrhoea. Now he's hooked up to an IV line and rehydrating.

Her son splayed across her lap, Mohamed's mother looks more angry than sad, batting flies off his angular face. He is getting better, but the endless war and cycle of drought mean the conditions that caused his illness are unlikely to improve anytime soon.
The dangerous fiction of Darfur's peace

Publisher IRIN Author Jerome Tubiana Publication Date 2 August 2017 Cite as IRIN, The dangerous fiction of Darfur's peace, 2 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5988459f4.html [accessed 13 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

In May of this year, Darfuri rebels based in Libya barrelled across the border in some 160 vehicles, breaking through Sudanese defence lines and giving the lie to the widely touted notion that conflict in Sudan's vast western region was finally over.

The Sudanese Armed Forces and their allied militia, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), managed to exact some losses on the Mini Minawi faction of the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA-MM). But the rebels, after two years spent mostly in Libya and South Sudan reconsolidating their forces, managed to achieve what the RSF had thwarted in 2015: place a significant number of troops back in Darfur.

While the attack may have been only of modest strategic significance in Darfur itself, it was a good time for the SLA-MM to leave Libya. There, Darfuri rebels were growing tired of fighting as mercenaries in a foreign country, one where they might easily find themselves taking on their compatriots enlisted by other parties to Libya's multifaceted conflict.

The chaos of Libya had also given the rebels an opportunity to re-arm sufficiently to attempt another incursion.

The timing was also propitious because of major political developments further afield. Sudan's diplomatic situation has been weakened by the row between two of its main allies: Qatar and Saudi Arabia (who are also at odds in Libya). The attack took place shortly ahead of a scheduled US decision on whether to fully lift, after a six months' easing, its economic sanctions on Sudan, and just as the hybrid UN/African Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) announced a 25 percent reduction of its contingent, amounting to 5,000 personnel.

The attack neatly laid bare the fragility of the narrative put forward recently by the US and by elements within the UN - and by Khartoum long before - namely that rebels no longer operate in Darfur and that peace has been restored there.

Still, the messages emanating from the UN are mixed. On 10 July, the UN Country Team in Sudan, which includes UN agencies working on development, emergency, recovery, and transition, called for a "positive decision" on sanctions relief, citing a "marked improvement in humanitarian access".

Continuing violence

Yet civilians in Darfur still face "violence and criminality", the UN's then head of peacekeeping told the Security Council in January. Herve Ladsous pointed in particular to the "widespread proliferation of weapons and the inadequacy of law and justice institutions" as well as inter-communal violence over land, water, and other resources. This violence and tension prevents the return home of some 2.1 million internally displaced people, according to an April overview from the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

A growing number of Darfuris consequently are making their way to Europe through risky crossings of the Sahara and the Mediterranean.

UNAMID is well aware of this continuing violence and of who is behind it: the RSF, which are no less abusive than the infamous janjawid used to be in 2003-2004. Two years ago, Human Rights Watch accused UNAMID of failing to report the magnitude of RSF's crimes in Darfur.

Given the fiction of improved security, "the only reason" UNAMID is downsizing, according to one UN official, "is that donors have no more appetite for it".

What happens with the 20-year-old US sanctions is less certain. President Barack Obama eased them days before leaving office in January, reviving a long-running debate over Sudan policy between fans of carrots and those of sticks. It's worth noting that both camps have co-existed within various US administrations: the publicly bipartisan nature of Sudanese issues has long hidden significant divisions, especially under Obama.

These divisions, coupled with a lack of experienced personnel at the State Department, may explain why the decision on a permanent lifting of the sanctions was postponed at the 11th hour earlier this month.

Sanctions ineffective?

Those in favour of ending the sanctions - the carrot camp - argue that the measures have been largely ineffective in today's multilateral world, one where Sudan has been able to find other partners. They also say that sanctions, in general, tend to hurt civilians more than the regimes they target.

Champions of the stick counter that far more harm has been meted out to people in Sudan's peripheral regions by Khartoum's counter-insurgency operations, which often target entire communities, than by the economic effects of the sanctions. They back their argument by pointing to the fact that, in the midst of an economic crisis, Sudan spends 75 percent of its budget on defence and security.

In theory at least, the US conditions the permanent lifting of its sanctions on five benchmarks: Khartoum's co-operation on counter-terrorism; resolution of the conflicts in South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur; improving access to humanitarian aid; ending support to armed opposition groups in South Sudan; and addressing the threat of the Lord's Resistance Army.

Khartoum says it has met these conditions, and Obama cited progress on some of them to justify the six-month easing.

The claims of progress merit scrutiny. For example, the much-weakened LRA hardly poses the same degree of threat to civilians as conflicts in Sudan's peripheral regions, which would require a complete change of thinking in Khartoum to conclusively end.

Questionable yardsticks

One also wonders how cooperation against terrorism can be deemed successful when information that could allow us to evaluate this is for the most part secret. And, in at least one instance, available evidence suggests such cooperation may involve further abuses: In 2011, Chadian former Guantanamo detainee Mohammed el-Gorani, whose release a US judge had ordered for lack of evidence of terrorist activity, and who was subsequently repatriated to Chad, went to Sudan for health treatment and was quickly arrested by the Sudanese intelligence services, in the name of their cooperation with the CIA. He somehow managed to escape.

As for South Sudan, it is clear that Khartoum is interfering there to a lesser degree than it was before and around the time of secession in 2011. Yet, since the beginning of the new civil war in December 2013, weapons experts have found evidence of repeated and substantial supplies of arms and ammunition from Sudan to South Sudan.

More importantly, the wars in Darfur, South Kordofan, and Blue Nile have not ended, and humanitarian access is far from what it was in Darfur in 2004, when the conflict there was at its peak. The international narrative that the wars in Sudan are now "low-intensity conflicts", with sufficient security on the ground to implement early recovery and development programmes, is a dangerous fiction.

Paltry targets

Also deserving of scepticism is another argument used by some of those favouring lifting sanctions on Sudan - that doing so would leave in place the stick of some "targeted sanctions". But those are merely sanctions the US is compelled to enforce on four individuals listed for travel bans and asset freezes by the UN Security Council since 2006. Not only have the travel bans been repeatedly violated and no assets frozen, but the measures are also unlikely to represent any kind of pressure for Sudan, since the individuals (two rebel commanders, one of whom has died, a retired army general, and the janjawid leader Musa Hilal who has been at odds with the government for a few years) do not really matter to Khartoum, to say the least.

Meanwhile, the Security Council is unable to reach consensus on designating a Sudanese government official for any new targeted sanctions because China and Russia would only agree if rebel leaders were also the subject of such measures.

Advocates of the Darfur cause in the United States were at times rightly criticised for their simplistic views of the situation. Now, a similar myopia seems to affect many UN and US officials.

Arguably, less is now known about what's happening in Darfur than at any time since 2004, because access for international observers, aid workers, researchers, and journalists is constantly squeezed and is more difficult than ever. Those who do manage to get in are so afraid of being kicked out that they often prefer, consciously or not, to under-report, not to report, or even to deny the extent of the violence. For instance, UNAMID has repeatedly attributed attacks by government militias to "unidentified", "unknown" or "other armed groups", or "bandits".

There are however still ways to discover what's really happening in Darfur, through credible media outlets such as the Sudan Tribune, social media, and the increasing number of Darfuri refugees who manage to reach Europe. One can also visit border areas in South Sudan and Chad and talk with refugees and nomads, whose stories generally differ significantly from what is reported by the government or UNAMID.

Darfur fatigue

But the problem the West has now with Sudan is not only lack of information: mention the word "Darfur" to a Western diplomat and you'll be met with fatigue, and hostility towards those rebels who kept refusing to sign a deal with the government. International players now have other priorities, including Libya and South Sudan. And Darfuri rebels active in those countries will be generally described as spoilers.

These are the limits of an analysis that is not truly regional. If Darfuri combatants recently operated in several neighbouring countries, it is precisely because opportunities for serious peace talks have remained elusive and because many of those who did make peace with Khartoum, notably in Qatar in 2011, became disillusioned, and are now among those Sudanese operating as "mercenaries" and "bandits" in Libya. Many other Darfuri combatants are also members of government militias who move back and forth between Sudan and Libya as if there was no border, returning intermittently to their RSF jobs in Sudan.

Members of pro-government paramilitary forces and rebels who joined the government are, in principle, under the responsibility of the Sudanese government, but have become a broader problem as the Darfur conflict metastasizes into the wider Sahel region. It risks spreading further if Khartoum and the international community fail to change the way they deal with Darfur.

(Top photo: Thousands of people, mostly women and children, take refuge at a safe zone adjacent to UNAMID's base in Um Baru, North Darfur, in January 2015. Hamid Abdulsalam/UNAMID)
At least 15 journalists arrested during DRC demonstrations

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 1 August 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, At least 15 journalists arrested during DRC demonstrations, 1 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/598846b84.html [accessed 13 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 arrests of at least 15 journalists in various cities in the Democratic Republic of Congo yesterday while covering demonstrations to demand the publication of an election calendar. Some of the journalists were physically attacked.

The demonstrations were called by civic society groups to press the authorities to publish a calendar for elections, as envisaged in accords reached last December under which President Joseph Kabila is supposed to stand down.





Demonstrations have been banned for the past year and the security forces dispersed yesterday's with the help of a great deal of teargas and, according to some sources, live rounds. Most of the detained journalists were eventually released but their photos and videos were usually deleted first.





"We firmly condemn this police crackdown, which did not spare journalists who were just doing their job, said Tshivis T. Tshivuadi, the secretary-general of Journalist in Danger (JED), an RSF partner organization. We call on the newly appointed police chiefs to respect, and to ensure that their personnel respect, the work of journalists during political demonstrations."





The BBC's Lei Wera, Radio France Internationale's Swahili correspondent, Daniel Chube Ngorombi, and Justin Kabunga of Congo Synthese were arrested in Goma along with a photographer who was not identified and were held for two hours. The police temporarily confiscated Wera's camera and sound recorder and deleted what she had recorded.





In Bukavu, police used violence to arrest reporter Nino Esther and cameraman Christian Safari, who work for Canal Futur, a TV channel owned by opposition politician Vital Kamerhe. The police took them to an unidentified location and forced them delete all their video footage before releasing them.





Seven journalists working for VoxCongo, Radio Okapi and the Xinhua and Anadolu news agencies were arrested in Kinshasa, were subjected to intimidation and were confined in a school yard until released after Kinshasa's new police chief, Gen. Sylvano Kasongo Kitenge, intervened.





RSF has just learned that two other journalists, Merveille Kakule of Radio Soleil and Georges Kisando of Graben university radio, were harassed and manhandled in the northeastern city of the Butembo and their equipment was confiscated.





"The sole aim of these arrests was to prevent the journalists from doing their job and covering what were historic events for the DRC, said Clea Kahn-Sriber, the head of RSF's Africa desk. The crackdown was part of the government's attempts to suppress all democratic discourse. These attempts must stop now."





Ever since January 2015, when the National Assembly passed an electoral law amendment allowing the authorities to postpone elections originally envisaged for November 2016, journalists have been the targets of violence and intimidation when trying to cover discontent with this decision.





RSF and JED issued a joint release last week condemning the government's decision to restrict the movements of foreign reporters. In June, RFI reported that the authorities had not renewed the accreditation of its Kinshasa-based correspondent, Sonia Rolley.





The DRC has seen a constant declined in media freedom for the past ten years and is ranked 154th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
Two newspaper journalists detained illegally in Cote d'Ivoire

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 2 August 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Two newspaper journalists detained illegally in Cote d'Ivoire, 2 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/598847124.html [accessed 13 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) calls for the immediate release of two journalists with the opposition newspaper Le Quotidien, whose arrests yesterday in Abidjan on a charge of "divulging false news" violated Cote d'Ivoire's press law.

Dan Opeli and Yves Kuyo were arrested over a report in the newspaper's 28 July issue claiming that National Assembly speaker Guillaume Soro was the target of a judicial investigation and that his bank accounts had been frozen.





They are being held at the National Gendarmerie's department of investigations at the behest of Abidjan-Plateau district prosecutor Richard Adou, who denied the report. Soro himself has not brought any legal action or demanded the right to reply in the newspaper.





The arrests of the two journalists and their continuing detention is very disturbing inasmuch as press offences were decriminalized by the 2004 press law, which is still in effect.





"We call on the judicial authorities to free Dan Opeli and Yves Kuyo because the press law in effect in Cote d'Ivoire does not allow journalists to be detained, said Clea Kahn-Sriber, the head of RSF's Africa desk. Journalists cannot be jailed for what they report. If it is defamatory or mendacious, legal recourse is available."





Prosecutor Adou often takes advantage of one of the flaws in the press law's wording in order to bring charges against journalists that are linked to the criminal code. The authorities also try to defend their actions by arguing that police custody and preventive detention do not constitute imprisonment.





Under the press law, only the National Press Council, the body that regulates and manages the media, is authorized to punish journalists for any breach of the law. Prosecutor Adou has nonetheless increasingly allowed himself to take liberties with press freedom since Alassane Ouattara became president in December 2010.





This is not the first time that journalists have been detained improperly for press offences. Six newspaper owners and journalists were detained for several days in February on charges of "publishing false news" and "inciting army personnel to insubordination and rebellion." The case is still pending before the Abidjan-Plateau district court.





Cote d'Ivoire is ranked 81st out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
Press freedom violations recounted in real time January 2017

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 7 August 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Press freedom violations recounted in real time January 2017, 7 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/598847cf4.html [accessed 13 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.

02.08.2017 - A journalist and four Telegram group administrators bailed

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that four administrators of a group that used the instant messaging service Telegram to circulate information - Seid Mojtaba Bagheri, Said Naghdi, Javad Jamshidi and Nima Keshvari - were freed on bail of 500 million toman (410,000 euros) on 30 and 31 July.

Held in Tehran's Evin prison after their arrest by Revolutionary Guards on 16 March, they are due to be tried on 12 August. Two other members of the group who were arrested at the same time, Sobhan Jafari Tash and Ali Ahmadinia, will be freed as soon as their bail is paid, their lawyer, Ali Mojtahad Zadeh, said.





RSF has also learned that the journalist and photographer Assal Esmaeilzadeh was freed on bail of 300 million toman (270,000 euros) on 13 July pending trial. She was arrested without charge at the behest of the Tehran prosecutor's office for culture and media on 20 June.

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30.06.2017 - Two months after release, journalist sentenced again

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the six-month jail sentence that was imposed on Issa Saharkhiz, the former editor of several, now-closed reformist newspapers, on 19 June, just two months after his release. His lawyer, Mahmoud Alizadeh-Tabatabaie, said he was convicted of insulting the head of the judicial system.





One of the victims of a wave of arrests in early November 2015, Saharkhiz was sentenced by a Tehran revolutionary court in August 2016 to three years in prison on charges of anti-government propaganda and insulting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. His lawyer reported at the time that two other charges against Saharkhiz - publishing false news and insulting the head of the judicial system - would be tried separately as political crimes before a court of assizes.





After the latest sentence was passed on 19 June, Alizadeh-Tabatabaie pointed out that the court had accepted that his client's criticism of the head of the judicial system had been personal in nature. It therefore could not be regarded as a political crime meriting a six-month jail sentence, he added, announcing that they planned to appeal.





Saharkhiz was released on 15 April after being deemed to have completed the first sentence. While held, he staged several hunger strikes in protest against his imprisonment and had been serving his sentence in a Tehran hospital since March 2016.

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26.06.2017 - Newspaper journalist freed provisionally

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that, after payment of 300 million toman (270,000 euros) in bail, Borna News social affairs editor Tahereh Riahai was released provisionally on 24 June pending trial. Arrested by plainclothes intelligence officers on 27 December 2016, she had been kept in isolation in Section 209 of Tehran's Evin prison for months.

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23.06.2017 - Ahmadinejad's former press adviser arrested

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Abdol Reza Davari, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's onetime press adviser, who also once ran the newspaper Shahrvand and the government news agency Irna, was arrested on 31 May in order to serve a three-year jail sentence.

Davari was convicted in September 2013 of "insulting" Supreme Leader AliKhamenei in three comments posted on Facebook and was given a six-year jail sentence that was reduced to three years on appeal. He was arrested two days after posting an open letter criticizing Ebrahim Raisi and Mostafa Pour Mohammadi, two members of a commission that passed death sentences in 1988 on thousands of political prisoners who refused to renounce their beliefs.

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01.06.2017 - Narges Mohammadi back in prison two days after operation

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is very concerned about the health of Narges Mohammadi, an imprisoned journalist and human rights defender who has been returned to prison just two days after undergoing an operation. Rushed to hospital with severe uterine bleeding on 28 May, Mohammadi was operated on the next day and was taken back to prison yesterday.

Held since May 2015, Mohammadi was deemed to have completed an initial six-year sentence on 17 March and immediately began a second, ten-year one. She has several ailments including muscular paralysis but is being denied the medical care she needs. Her health is in danger and she should not be in prison. We call for her immediate release.

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24.05.2017 - Magazine editor Morad Saghafi released on bail

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Morad Saghafi, the editor of the magazine Goft o Gu (Dialogue in Persian), was released on payment of bail on 20 May pending trial. He had been arrested at his Tehran home on 16 March.

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18.05.2017 - Hengameh Shahidi suspends hunger strike

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) was relieved to learn today that imprisoned

journalist Hengameh Shahidi decided to suspend her hunger strike after receiving a visit from her family in 16 May and a promise from the Tehran prosecutor's office that her appalling prison conditions will be improved and that she will be given complete medical examinations.

According to her family, she is suffering from several heart and respiratory ailments, along with other conditions. She had not been eating any food since 10 May.

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12.05.2017 - Journalist freed after ten years in prison

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is pleased to learn that Mohammad Sedegh Kabodvand, the editor of Payam-e mardom-e Kurdestan (a regional newspaper closed by the authorities in 2004), was granted a conditional release today on completing ten years in prison.





Held since July 2007 in Tehran's Evin prison, Kabodvand was sentenced to a total of 11 years in prison in connection with his journalistic activities and his creation of a human rights organization in Iranian Kurdistan, the northern region where he lived.





He has been freed provisionally pending a judicial decision on the application of article 134 for the new Islamic criminal code to the rest of his sentence. Under a 2013 amendment to the code, a person convicted on several charges should serve only the most important sentence. By this token, he should have been freed four years ago.

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27.04.2017 - Two journalists freed conditionally

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that two imprisoned journalists, Kaivan Karimi and Issa Saharkhiz, have been released conditionally in the past week.





Karimi, a young documentary filmmaker, was freed on 20 April after completing half of the one-year sentence he received in November 2016 . Saharkhiz, the editor of several reformist newspapers was released on 25 April. His lawyer, Mahmoud Alizadeh-Tabatabaie, said he had completed his sentence.





One of the victims of a wave of arrests in early November 2015, Saharkhiz was sentenced by a Tehran revolutionary court in August 2016 to three years in prison on charges of anti-government propaganda and insulting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. While held, he staged several hunger strikes in protest against his imprisonment and had been hospitalized since March 2016. The sentence was reduced last September.

Ranked 165th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press

Freedom Index, Iran is one of the world's five biggest prisons for

media personnel, with a total of 28 journalists and citizen journalists

detained.



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19.04.2017 - Narges Mohammadi begins serving second jail term

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is outraged by the continuing persecution of journalist and leading human rights defender Narges Mohammadi, who has just started serving a ten-year prison sentence on completing a six-year one. She received the ten-year sentence a year after her most recent arrest, on 5 May 2015.





Mohammadi has a long history of persecution by the judicial authorities and has been arrested several times. During her spells out of prison, she has worked closely with Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi at the Centre for Human Rights Defenders.





The six-year sentence followed her arrest at her home on the evening of 10 June 2010. She was convicted two months later on charges of "meeting and plotting against the Islamic Republic," "anti-government publicity:" and "collaborating with the Centre for Human Rights Defenders" and was given an 11-year jail term that was reduced to six years on appeal in March 2011.

Mohammadi suffered muscular paralysis as a consequence of the heavy-handed interrogation sessions to which she was subjected after her arrest in 2010. As a result, she was paroled in July 2012.

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17.03.2017 - More journalists arrested

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) yet again condemns the persecution of journalists in Iran after at least three more were arrested in the past week.





The latest victims include Morad Saghafi, the editor of the magazine Goft o Gu ("Dialogue" in Persian), who was arrested at his Tehran home yesterday and was taken to an unknown location. His lawyer, Hamed Zargar, said neither he nor Saghafi's family have been told why he was arrested.





Meanwhile, Ali Motahari, the deputy speaker of Iran's parliament, yesterday asked the minister of intelligence to explain why a military unit recently arrested 12 editors of pro-reform information pages on the instant messaging service Telegram.

Motahari also criticized the detention of Ehssan Mazandarani, the former editor of the newspaper Farhikhteghan, on 12 March (see RSF's 13 March release). His wife, Malieh Hossieni, a journalist with the newspaper Farhikhteghana, was fired the day after his arrest.





Although banned, apps and social networks such as Telegram, Facebook and Twitter nowadays play an important role in providing Iranians with news and information. Telegram says it has more than 15 million users in Iran.

According to the Kalameh news website, Ali Ahmadinia, the administrator of the Eslahat News (Reform News) channel on Telegram, was arrested on 14 March and was taken to an unknown location.





RSF is currently very concerned about the health of two journalists who have been on hunger strike since their arrest. One is Mazandarani, who was arrested on 12 March (see above). The other Henghameh Shahidi, who was arrested on 9 March.

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15.03.2017 - Former editor gets six-month jail term

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the six-month prison sentence that has been passed on Hossein Karoubi, the former editor of Etemad Meli (a newspaper closed since August 2009) for circulating the open letter that his father, Mehdi Karoubi, wrote to President Hassan Rohani.

In the April 2016 letter, published in mostly foreign-based media outlets and on social networks, Mehdi Karoubi asks to be tried before a public court "in order to present the evidence I possess about massive fraud during the 2005 and 2009 presidential elections and to show what has happened to young Iranians in the country's legal and illegal detention centres."





Etemad Melli's owner and a former parliamentary speaker, Mehdi Karoubi has been under house arrest since February 2011, a fate he has shared with former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Mousavi (the owner of the closed newspaper Kalameh Sabaz) and Mousavi's wife, the writer Zahra Rahnavard. Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi, who are both former presidential candidates, are being held illegally and are being denied their rights. Their state of health is very worrying.





RSF has meanwhile learned that Samna Safari, a journalist with the monthly Andisher Poya, was released on 11 March after the authorities determined that he had served his two-year jail sentence. Detained along with three other journalists in a wave of arrests in November 2015, he was sentenced by a revolutionary court in March 2016 to five years in prison for "anti-government propaganda activities." This was reduced to two years on appeal.

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28.02.2017 - City of Qom suspends newspaper

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the decision by the city of Qom's public prosecutor to suspend the newspaper Shakheh Sabz on 26 February, a day after it ran a story criticizing the level of violence in one of its poorest districts, which it likened to a "jungle." The suspension was ordered after 136 parliamentarians supported a resolution accusing the daily of "insulting the population of the Holy City of Qom." The newspaper's name means "Green Branch."

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22.02.2017 - Ahmad Montazeri returned to prison

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) firmly condemns progressive cleric Ahmad Montazeri's arrest yesterday. The editor of the website of his late father, Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, he was returned to prison after being summoned before a special court for clerics.

Tried behind closed doors and without a defence lawyer on 20 October, Montazeri was sentenced on 27 November to ten years in prison for endangering state security, ten years for publishing a "classified audio recording" and another year for anti-government "propaganda."

He was prosecuted for posting an old recording on the website on 9 August 2016 in which his father could be heard criticizing the wave of executions of political prisoners in the 1980s.

For more information: Ahmad Montazeri gets 21-year jail term as part of bid to suppress history





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17.02.2017 - Editor freed on completing jail term

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Ehssan Mazndarani - the editor of the newspaper Farhikhteghan and one of the victims of a wave of arrests in November 2015 - was released on 9 February. He had been given a seven-year jail sentence that was reduced to two years on appeal, His lawyer said he was freed as a result of a decision that he had completed his sentence. While in prison, he was hospitalized several times with heart and chest problems after a three-week hunger strike.

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10.01.2017 - Website reporter flogged for getting facts wrong

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is appalled to learn that Hossien Movahedi, a local news website reporter, was flogged last week in Najafabad, a city 450 km south of Tehran, for getting one of his facts wrong in a story about the confiscation of mopeds from female students at a technological secondary school in the city.





Movahedi reported on the Najafabad News website on 14 June 2016 that the police seized 35 mopeds when, according to the police, it was only eight. Although he apologized for his mistake and although the police were allowed to publish their version on the website, the police pressed charges against him and a Najafabad court sentenced him to 40 lashes for "publishing false information." This inhuman and medieval sentence was carried out on 4 January.





Iran has yet to ratify the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment.

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06.01.2016 - Woman journalist freed on completing one-year jail term

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Rihaneh Tabatabai, a journalist who has worked for several reformist newspapers, was released yesterday on completing a one-year jail term on charges of endangering national security and anti-government publicity. She was arrested on 12 January 2016 to begin serving the sentence, which was originally imposed in November 2014 and was confirmed by a Tehran appeal court a year later. The sentence also includes two-year ban on political and journalistic activity in the media and online following her release. In all, Tabatabai has been jailed four times since 2010 in connection with her journalistic activities.





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Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January -December 2016)



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Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January -December 2015)

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Press freedom violations recounted in real time ( January-December 2014)

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Press freedom violations recounted in real time ( January-December 2013)

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Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January-December 2012)

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Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January-December 2011)

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Press freedom violations recounted in real time (July-December 2010)

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Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January-July 2010)

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Press freedom violations recounted in real time (June-December 2009)
Syrian software developer's execution in 2015 confirmed

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 3 August 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Syrian software developer's execution in 2015 confirmed, 3 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/598848284.html [accessed 13 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) has received confirmation that Bassel Khartabil Safadi, a Syrian software developer and free speech activist, was executed by President Bashar al-Assad's regime in October 2015.





Bassel Khartabil's wife, human rights lawyer Noura Ghazi Safadi, confirmed on Monday 1 August that he was executed a few days after his removal from a Damascus prison to an unknown location on 3 October 2015. Until now, there had been no news of him since that date. He was 34.

An open source culture advocate who tried to promote unrestricted online access to news and information in Syria, Khartabil had been held ever since military intelligence arrested him in Damascus on 15 March 2012 - almost certainly in connection with his activities.





"We offer our condolences to the family of Bassel Khartabil, whose release we had repeatedly demanded," RSF said. "After this news of yet another shocking crime, we reiterate our call to the UN Security council to refer crimes against journalists in Syria to the International Criminal Court."





Khartabil's wife told the media in November 2015 that she had learned from Syrian intelligence sources that a military field court might have sentenced him to death. Human Rights Watch noted at the time that "military field courts in Syria are exceptional courts with secret closed-door proceedings that do not meet international fair trial standards."





Khartabil founded the Aiki Lab in Damascus in 2010 with the aim of developing digital art practices and teaching collaborative technologies. He also participated in international projects such as Mozilla Firefox, the Arabic version of Wikipedia and the Syrian branch of Creative Commons.





He was responsible for the "New Palmyra" project, a website with a downloadable 3D version of the ancient city of Palmyra as it was before its destruction by Islamic State fighters. He was on Foreign Policy magazine's list of the Top 100 Global Thinkers in 2012, and won the Index on Censorship Digital Freedom Award in 2013.





Syria is ranked 177th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
Rouhani urged to keep media freedom pledges during second term

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 3 August 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Rouhani urged to keep media freedom pledges during second term, 3 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/598848b34.html [accessed 13 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.

Above all, RSF calls for the unconditional release of the 10 journalists and 17 citizen-journalists currently detained in Iran, which is one of the world's five biggest prisons for journalists and citizen-journalists. It is also one of the biggest prisons for women journalists.





During Rouhani's first four-year term, at least 200 journalists and citizen-journalists were summoned, detained, and interrogated and at least 32 of them were given sentences ranging from three months to 16 years in prison.





The judicial system and the Revolutionary Guards, who are overseen by the Supreme Leader, were responsible for much of the persecution of journalists and the suppression of independently-reported news and information, but Rouhani's minister of intelligence was also implicated.





Intelligence ministry officials arrested many journalists and citizen-journalists, including at least six during a wave of arrests from December 2016 to March 2017. Three of them - Narges Mohammadi, Hengameh Shahidi and Zeinab Karimian - were women journalists. They are still detained in extremely worrying conditions.





During a campaign meeting that President Rouhani gave on 15 May, his supporters chanted slogans calling for the release of political prisoners and blaming Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei for their detention. "My arms don't have enough strength on their own to solve certain problems but they will be more effective with a vote of more than 51%," Rouhani responded.





Rouhani won 57% of the votes cast four days later. He must not forget that it was his comments about free speech and media freedom and the release of political prisoners that persuaded progressively-minded Iranians, especially women and young people, to vote for him en masse.





As long as these demands are not satisfied, the Iranian people will not be able to regard themselves as free. RSF therefore urges President Rouhani:





- To keep his pledge to the millions of Iranians who are calling for an end to the arbitrary house arrest of Mehdi Karoubi, the owner of the now closed newspaper Etemad Melli, Mir Hossien Mousavi, the owner of the now closed newspaper Kalameh Sabaz, and Mousavi's wife, the writer Zahra Rahnavard. These leaders of the protests against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed reelection in June 2009 have been branded as "leaders of sedition" and are being denied their rights. Their detention violates Iranian law as well as international standards.





- To seek the unconditional release of the 27 journalists and citizen-journalists currently imprisoned in Iran. The freedom to inform and be informed will not be guaranteed as long as journalists continue to be systematically imprisoned.





- To undertake to overhaul Iran's media legislation in order to protect media freedom in accordance with article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Iran is a party.





- In particular, to undertake to decriminalize media offences and guarantee the freedom to inform without discrimination based on language, religion or political opinion. A revision of the 1986 press law (amended in 2000 and 2009 to include online publications) is urgently needed. The law allows the authorities to verify that the media "do not endanger the Islamic Republic," "do not insult the Supreme Leader," and "do not disseminate false information." Amendments that require online publications to be licensed must be repealed.





- To undertake to ensure that journalists enjoy the right to free association, including the right to form unions and join them in order to protect their interests.





- To undertake to ensure that Iranian citizens enjoy the right to be informed and the right to free, uncensored and unmonitored Internet access. The creation of a "Halal Internet" (National Internet) designed to impose a digital apartheid constitutes a grave danger for Iran.





- To undertake to end arbitrary acts and impunity. The instigators and perpetrators of the murders of dissident journalists have never been punished. The many cases include Ebrahim Zalzadeh, Majid Charif, Mohamad Mokhtari, Mohamad Jafar Pouyandeh and Pirouz Davani, all executed by agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and National Security in November and December 1988. They also include the deaths in detention of Zahra Kazemi (2003), Firat news agency reporter Ayfer Serce (2006), blogger Omidreza Mirsayafi (2009), former Abrar Economy reporter Alireza Eftekhari (2009), journalist and women's rights activist Haleh Sahabi (2011), Iran-e-Farda journalist Hoda Saber (2011) and blogger Sattar Beheshti (2012).





Iran is ranked 165th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
RSF urges Russia not to send Uzbek journalist back to Uzbekistan

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 3 August 2017 Other Languages / Attachments Russian Cite as Reporters Without Borders, RSF urges Russia not to send Uzbek journalist back to Uzbekistan, 3 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/598849464.html [accessed 13 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) calls on the Russia authorities not to expel Khudoberdi Nurmatov, an Uzbek journalist seeking asylum in Russia. A Moscow court has ordered him sent back to Uzbekistan, which is ranked 169th out of 180 countries in the RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.





Arrested on 1 August, Nurmatov was taken later the same day before a judge, who issued the expulsion order at around 11 pm. The speed was suspicious, especially as the order was issued after the legal closing time for the courts. Nurmatov was placed in a detention centre for foreign nationals.





Also known by the pen-name of Ali Feruz, Nurmatov tried to take his own life at the end of the hearing, his lawyer said.





"Ali Feruz must not be sent back to Uzbekistan," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. "He would be in great danger if expelled to that country, which criminalizes independent journalism and systematically uses torture. We urge the Russian authorities to overturn this decision on appeal and to release this journalist without delay."





Stripped of his passport several years ago, Nurmatov was first arrested in March for "residing in an irregular manner" in Russia, although his asylum application sufficed to give a legal basis to his presence in the country.





Nurmatov fled Uzbekistan in 2009 to escape growing pressure from the Uzbek intelligence services. His mother lives in Russia and has Russian nationality. His asylum application was finally rejected in May but he had filed an appeal against this decision.





After helping various human rights groups, Nurmatov had been working for more than a year for the Moscow-based independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta , writing articles on Uzbek domestic policy and the appalling conditions in which Central Asian immigrants live in Moscow.





In Uzbekistan, the regime has a complete monopoly of news and information, and independent journalists who try to keep working are exposed to terrible reprisals. Many reports have documented the widespread use of torture in Uzbek prisons.





The Russian and Uzbek governments are linked by security cooperation accords that are often invoked to the detriment of international humanitarian law. Several Uzbek citizens who had been seeking asylum or had been granted refugee status have gone missing in Moscow in recent years only to reappear some time later in Uzbek jails.
RSF urges Turkey to free French freelancer held on terrorism charge

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 3 August 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, RSF urges Turkey to free French freelancer held on terrorism charge, 3 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/598849fc4.html [accessed 13 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) calls for the immediate release of French freelance reporter Loup Bureau, who is the latest journalist to be jailed on a terrorism charge in Turkey. He has been held for the past eight days in the southeast of the country.





Bureau was arrested on 26 July near the Iraqi border, in an unstable region where he was preparing a report on the Kurdish issue and what life is like for the local population. After five days in police custody, he was charged and taken to a prison in the town of Srnak on 1 August.





He is accused of terrorism-related activities, a charge often brought against journalists nowadays in Turkey. Last week, RSF attended the start of the trial of 17 employees of the independent newspaper Cumhuriyet who are facing up to 43 years in prison on terrorism charges.





"We call for Loup Bureau's immediate release," said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF's Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. "We are extremely concerned about his imprisonment and the serious charges brought against him. He is just a journalist. We hope that the Turkish investigators will soon recognize this."





Aged 27, Bureau is on the point of completing his journalism studies and is due to defend his thesis next month. He has already covered many of the world's hotspots including Egypt, where he spend a year after the 2011 revolution, and Ukraine, where he was one of the authors of an award-winning report on the Maidan protests.





He has also covered Pakistan's Tribal Areas and Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. It seems that a report he did for TV5Monde in 2013 on Syrian Kurdish militias fighting Islamic State is being treated by Turkish judicial investigators as evidence against him.





Turkey is ranked 155th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index. The situation of its media was already worrying but has become critical under the state of emergency proclaimed after the July 2016 coup attempt. Around 150 media outlets have been closed, mass trials are being held and more than 100 journalists are currently in prison - a world record.







Foreign journalists are no longer spared. Several dozen have been expelled in the past two years and some are being detained. They include Deniz Yucel , a journalist with German and Turkish dual nationality.
Vietnam : Why is the Party cracking down harder on bloggers?

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 4 August 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Vietnam : Why is the Party cracking down harder on bloggers?, 4 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59884a514.html [accessed 13 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) is alarmed by a sudden increase in the persecution of dissidents by Vietnam's authoritarian one-party state. Seven bloggers and citizen-journalists have been arrested in recent weeks and two have been given long jail terms.

In a country where nationalist fervour is essential for the regime's survival and the government's failings must not be mentioned, citizen-journalists who raise these issues are regarded as enemies of the nation.





In the past two weeks alone, five people have been arrested on charges of "attempting to overthrow the government" or "anti state activities" under article 79 of the penal code. All are facing the possibility of a death sentence because of what they posted.





They include four former prisoners of conscience - bloggers Pham Van Troi and Nguyen Trung Ton, journalist Truong Minh Duc and human rights lawyer Nguyen Bac Truyen - who were arrested on 30 July.





They are accused of being in contact with Nguyen Van Dai, a fellow member of the Brotherhood of Democracy, an association of former prisoners of conscience. Dai was himself arrested in December 2015 on a charge of "propaganda against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam" under article 88 of the penal code.





Blogger Le Dinh Luong was meanwhile arrested by plainclothes police in the central province of Nghe An on 24 July, as he was about to visit the wife of Nguyen Van Oai, a human rights defender and citizen journalist who has been detained since 19 January.





Luong is from one of the regions affected by a toxic spill from a Taiwanese-owned steel plant in April 2016 and often wrote about it on Facebook. A war veteran, he also wrote about China's 1979 offensive against Vietnam.





"We firmly condemn the arrests and sham trials of the past few weeks," RSF said. "Thanks to new technology, citizen-journalists in Vietnam are able to able to write about developments and describe the country's reality in a lively manner very different from the state propaganda."





"These arbitrary arrests call for an effective reaction from the international community, which must press the Vietnamese authorities to release the detainees and stop harassing citizen-journalists."









New hope for autocrats





Vietnam is cracking down harder on freedom of information for several reasons, sources have told RSF. Upheavals in the international arena resulting from the election of new leaders, including Donald Trump in the United States, have given the Vietnamese government more room for manoeuvre.





While the previous US administration respected Vietnam's sovereignty by limiting its interventions in its domestic affairs, it was nonetheless a leading advocate of human rights and sought to promote them.





Trump's election has ended this and, according to Jonathan London, a leading academic specialist in Vietnam, it has played a significant role in the sudden crackdown. Trump's withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement has without a doubt also removed a reason for Vietnam's ruling Communist Party to improve respect for human rights.





The divided Party's most conservative sectors are trying to use the situation to get the upper hand by tightening their grip on the news and information circulating within the country. Anyone posting articles that reflect badly on the government is punished severely, especially at a time of renewed tension between Vietnam and China over the exploitation of oil and gas reserves in the South China Sea.





Bloggers who refer to China's domination of the region are often harassed, attacked or prosecuted, as was the case with Pham Minh Hoang, a dissident who was recently expelled.





Bloggers also often refer to the government's mishandling of the environmental disaster caused by the toxic spill from the Taiwanese-owned Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation plant in Ha Tinh province in April 2016.





More than a year has elapsed since the disaster and the Party had expected the criticism to have died down. But, in their fight for democracy and the freedom to inform, citizen-journalists have refused to drop the issue. The government now clearly wants to shut them up once and for all.





Dissident bloggers who anger the Party are often beaten up. The blogger Tran Thi Nga was among those who were the victims of physical violence before she was arrested and then sentenced on 25 July to nine years in prison on a charge of "anti- state propaganda."





The mother of Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, a blogger sentenced to ten years in prison in late June, reports that Quynh's health is worsening in detention and that the prison authorities refuse to give her the medicine that her family is sending.





Nga is meanwhile being subjected to "disciplinary measures" in prison, which probably include isolation in the most appalling conditions, a cruel technique often used in an attempt to purge dissidents of their ideals.





Vietnam is ranked 175th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
Newspaper seized over story about harassment of journalists

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 4 August 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Newspaper seized over story about harassment of journalists, 4 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59884ad04.html [accessed 13 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.

Condemning this week's confiscation of a newspaper issue and the frequent intimidation of journalists, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) urges Equatorial Guinea's government to stop harassing the media and to train security forces in respecting the journalists' ability to work freely.

The authorities gave orders on 1 August to withdraw all copies of the latest issue of the pro-government weekly Ebano from sale and then burn the entire issue because of an article about government harassment of the media and journalists in Equatorial Guinea.





The story was based on an interview with Samuel Obiang Mbana, a freelance reporter for Agence France-Presse, Deutsche Welle and Africa No. 1 radio, who called on the government to train the security forces to respect the role of the media and to let journalists to their job.





In the interview, Obiang Mbana described his latest run-in with the security forces at a political meeting a few days ago, when a plainclothes policeman accosted him and a reporter for the newspaper El Lector, confiscated their camera memory cards and took them to the security ministry, where they were later released.





"This is a blatant violation of the right to access information," said Clea Kahn-Sriber, the head of RSF's Africa desk. "Aside from the island where Malabo, the capital, is located, most of the country is cut off from freely-reported news and information. Journalists are followed and threatened. The Internet is censored. We urge the authorities to let journalists work properly, especially with parliamentary elections due in December."









Hounded by the security forces





According to the information obtained by RSF, Obiang Mbana was denied access to a press conference by the interior minister on 26 July on the grounds that "His Excellency said he did not want Africa No. 1."





As the article reported, Obiang Mbana has often been arrested or harassed by the authorities in connection with his work in recent years. In March 2016, for example, he was arrested while covering the use of force by police to break up a student demonstration in Malabo. Neither his equipment nor his photos were returned to him when he was freed after being held for eight hours at police headquarters.





Equatorial Guinea has been ruled since 1979 by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who keeps the civilian population and the media under the closest control and predictably won another term in April 2016.





The very few independent media outlets are subject to frequent obstruction, while journalists can be detained without charge. There is constant censorship with the aim of silencing all criticism of the regime. It extends to foreign reporters, who are often denied visas or forcibly expelled.





Equatorial Guinea is ranked 171st out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index after falling another three places in the past year.
Hungary: Orban allies acquire regional press monopoly

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 7 August 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Hungary: Orban allies acquire regional press monopoly, 7 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59884b174.html [accessed 13 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) deplores the purchase of Hungary's last five independent regional newspapers by oligarchs allied with Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Their acquisition in the past few days is the latest attack on pluralism in a country where the government keeps extending its control over the media.





Ten months after the independent national daily Nepszabadsag's sudden closure last October, supporters of the ruling Fidesz party now control all of Hungary's regional dailies. Orban's latest media "bag" was preceded by the purchase of 13 regional newspapers by an old school friend in December.





"In less than a year, Fidesz has extended its sway over the entire regional press," RSF said. "This sounds the knell for media independence in Hungary."





Orban trio





Andy Vajna, a former Hollywood producer and Orban buddy, began acquiring the Lapcom press group, which publishes the newspapers Kisafold and Delmagyarorszag, at the end of last month.





The Austrian press firm Russmedia announced on 31 July that it was selling the Hungarian local newspapers Hajdu-Bihari Naplo, Eszak-Magyarorszag and Kelet-Magyarorszag. Their buyer is none other than Heinrich Pecina, Nepszabadsag's former owner, who was blamed at the time for its closure last October. It was also Pecina who facilitated the purchase of Mediaworks, the publisher of the 13 other regional dailies, by Orban's former school friend, Lorinc Meszaros, in December.





The manoeuvring by the Pecina-Vajna-Meszaros trio, which has ended up with a monopoly of Hungary's 18 regional newspapers, has taken media concentration in this European Union member country to a new, grotesque level.





Media concentration in run-up to elections





"These latest acquisitions by ruling party supporters are further confirmation of the government's desire to control the media," RSF added. "This blow to regional press independence is all the most disturbing in the run-up to parliamentary elections."





Fidesz's control of the regional press will enhance its sway over Hungary's 4.5 million voters when they elect a new parliament in April. Since 2010, Orban has made no bones about his desire to extend state control over strategic sectors such as the media.





Ever since Orban's return to power in 2010, democracy has been in retreat in Hungary, which is ranked 71st out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index.
Bahrain: FCO Silence on Nabeel Rajab "Appalling", Say 17 Rights Groups and MPs Ahead Of His Trial

Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 7 August 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Bahrain: FCO Silence on Nabeel Rajab "Appalling", Say 17 Rights Groups and MPs Ahead Of His Trial, 7 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59884b694.html [accessed 13 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 Foreign and Commonwealth Office's silence on the sentencing of human rights figure Nabeel Rajab in Bahrain has been called "appalling" in a letter to the Foreign Secretary, signed by 17 rights groups and parliamentarians.

The President of the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights faces trial on 7 August for tweeting about the Yemen war and torture in Bahrain. He faces up to 15 years. He was sentenced in absentia following an unfair trial to two years in prison for giving media interviews on 10 July. Rajab has not been allowed to speak to his family since 15 July. Rajab has been held largely in solitary confinement in the first nine months of his detention. This led to his health deteriorating in April, and he is currently recovering in the Ministry of Interior clinic.





Despite British Embassy representatives regularly attending Rajab's trials, the 10 July sentence, which clearly violated his freedom of expression, went unremarked on for over two weeks. On 26 July, the FCO stated in response to a parliamentary question: "We note the two year sentence given to him and understand there are further steps in the judicial process, including the right of appeal".





The letter, signed by 17 rights groups says: "It is appalling that while the FCO recognises the brave work of human rights defenders worldwide, it has turned a blind eye to the human rights abuses in Bahrain, including the reprisals against Mr Rajab". They raise the FCO's Human Rights and Democracy Report, published last month, which applauds the work of human rights defenders globally and state that silence on Rajab's case contradicts policies to support human rights defenders.





The FCO's response evaded providing an opinion on Rajab's sentence and compares unfavourably with its response to a previous sentence Rajab received in 2012 on similar charges related to his expression. At that time, Middle East Minister Alistair Burt stated he was "very concerned" at the sentencing of Mr Rajab on charges related to his free expression, and added, "I have made it clear to the Bahraini authorities that the human and civil rights of peaceful opposition figures must be respected". Burt was reshuffled out of the Foreign Office in 2013, but reappointed Middle East Minister following the June election.





The rights groups told the Foreign Secretary today: "British silence on this case contradicts FCO support for human rights defenders internationally and the FCO's own past record on Mr Rajab's case. We urge you to overturn this policy of silence and support Nabeel Rajab and all human rights defenders in Bahrain...by condemning his sentence and calling on the Government of Bahrain for his immediate and unconditional release and the dropping of all pending charges against him".





While the UK was initially silent on Rajab's sentence, key allies of Bahrain including the United States and the European Union as well as Germany and Norway all called for Rajab's release shortly after the ruling. The US, EU and Norway called for Rajab's release, and Germany deplored his sentence. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' office called for his unconditional release.





"The FCO's weak language on Nabeel Rajab's case falls in line with the UK's overall disappointing position on free expression in Bahrain and more widely in the Gulf. Boris Johnson should call for Rajab's immediate release and take broader steps to ensure that human rights - not just arms sales - are a priority in the UK's relations with Bahrain and the other Gulf states", said Rebecca Vincent, UK Bureau Director for Reporters Without Borders.





"Instead of working with civil society and human rights defenders to address systemic problems and reform in Bahrain, as it has previously committed to, the government of Bahrain continues to persecute human rights defenders like Nabeel Rajab simply for exercising their right and duty to promote and protect human rights", said Andrew Anderson, Executive Director of Front Line Defenders.





Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, Director of Advocacy, Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy: "Boris Johnson should be ashamed of his isolated policy, which is at total odds with the foreign policy of all Bahrain western allies and partners. True partners should speak out to their allies when they cross the line. The Bahraini government's abuses don't seem to matter to Boris Johnson's Foreign Office, which only appears to be vocal against repression when it's by governments that don't host the Royal Navy or trade with the UK".





The letter was signed by Article 19, English PEN, FIDH, Front Line Defenders, Index on Censorship, the Jimmy Wales Foundation, PEN International, Reporters Without Borders and World Organisation Against Torture, alongside the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain, Gulf Centre for Human Rights and European Centre for Democracy and Human Rights. The letter was also signed by Sue Willman, Director of Deighton Pierce Glynn, Julie Ward MEP and Tom Brake MP.





The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales is also separately seeking an urgent meeting with the Foreign Secretary to raise concerns over the treatment of human rights defenders in Bahrain and about the breaches of freedom of expression and fair trial and due process in Nabeel Rajab's case.





"The trial in absence and subsequent imprisonment of Nabeel Rajab was in flagrant breach of his rights to a fair trial process. The criminalisation of Nabeel Rajab - for sharing an opinion - is contrary to international rights and protections of freedom of expression. Whilst Mr Rajab's health continues to deteriorate, due his treatment in prison, this case stands as a sad indictment of Bahrain's attitude to citizens who voice criticism. It is not too late for proper due process to be applied in this case; this would result in Mr. Rajab's immediate release", said Kirsty Brimelow QC of Doughty Street Chambers.
Uzbekistan must start genuine cooperation with the UN

Publisher International Federation for Human Rights Publication Date 1 August 2017 Cite as International Federation for Human Rights, Uzbekistan must start genuine cooperation with the UN, 1 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59884d384.html [accessed 13 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 Presidency of Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who took over from Islam Karimov in September 2016, has failed to take any measurable steps to implement its international human rights obligations and to cooperate fully with the United Nations.

Two years ago, the UN Human Rights Committee1 found the Uzbek government responsible for the torture and ill-treatment of prominent Uzbek human rights defender Mutabar Tadjibayeva, who was tortured, raped and forcibly sterilized in Uzbekistan.

The Committee found multiple violations of her rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (to which Uzbekistan acceded in 1995), committed by Uzbekistan in response to her human rights work, including her right to be free from torture and ill-treatment; to liberty and security; to a fair trial; to freedom of expression and to be protected against discrimination on the grounds of sex and opinion.

Uzbekistan was requested to promptly investigate, prosecute and punish those responsible, and to compensate her, but this decision remains unimplemented together with dozens of other UN decisions. This is despite the fact that the Committee found that Tadjibayeva had presented compelling evidence that showed that she was singled out for harassment, abuse and torture, both as a human rights activist and as a woman.

The deadline set by the UN to implement its decision in Tadjibayeva's case expired in April 2016, more than a year ago. But instead of meeting its international obligations, in October 2016 Uzbekistan challenged the findings of the Committee citing arguments already presented to the Committee during the case review and which were assessed as not credible.

Uzbekistan's submission to the Committee contained serious factual mistakes. The government also stated that it was impossible to establish the truth in Tadjibayeva's case since it had destroyed all relevant files past the 10-year time limit set in the national legislation for file preservation. REDRESS and FIDH informed the Committee that Uzbekistan had not complied with any of the measures ordered two years ago.

The UN Human Rights Committee, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and the UN Committee against Torture have documented for more than a decade the widespread nature of torture in Uzbekistan's prisons and places of detention.

For 14 years, Uzbekistan denied access to at least 14 UN experts who requested invitations, including the UN special rapporteurs on the situation of human rights defenders and on torture, and has failed to comply with recommendations made by various expert bodies.

The first visit of a high level human rights official was not allowed until May 2017, when the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visited the country for two days and urged the Uzbek government to translate words into actions.

For more information or to request an interview, please contact Eva Sanchis, Head of Communications of REDRESS, on +44 (0)20 7793 1777 or [email protected] (English), Mutabar Tadjibayeva (Uzbek, Russian), President of Fiery Hearts Club, on +33 6 79 23 39 27 or Audrey Couprie (English, French, Spanish), Press Officer of FIDH, on [email protected], or +33 6 48 05 91 57.

Background information

Mutabar Tadjibayeva has repeatedly sought an investigation from the Uzbek authorities into the serious human rights violations that she has suffered since 2002, but her claims have never been properly investigated and no-one has ever been prosecuted for them.

Tadjibayeva forcefully condemned the killing of hundreds of unarmed civilians by government forces in the city of Andijan in May 2005. Five months later, she was arrested by masked and armed security forces. She was charged on 18 counts of criminal activity, including tax fraud and membership of an illegal organisation - her own human rights group, the Fiery Hearst Club. In 2006, she was sentenced to eight years in prison following a trial that violated the most basic international fair trial standards.

While in prison, she was forced to undergo an operation to remove her uterus, which left her infertile. She has never been given the reason for the operation. During her two years and eight months in prison, she suffered other forms of torture and ill-treatment, including being beaten, hung from a hook, forced to stand naked in the cold until she fell unconscious, and being placed in solitary confinement and a psychiatric ward with dangerous criminals. She was freed in June 2008, after intensive efforts by diplomats and human rights organisations.

Previous to her imprisonment, in April 2005, Tadjibayeva was kidnapped by several law enforcement officials and taken to the Department of Internal Affairs, where she was interrogated about her human rights activities and gang-raped.

In 2005, Tadjibayeva was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2008 she received the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders whereas the Fiery Hearts Club that she founded, and which now runs from Paris where she has been living as a refugee since 2009, was awarded the Medaille de la Republique Francaise de la Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite.

The Uzbek government has a well-documented record of serious human rights violations, including systematic torture and ill-treatment of human rights defenders and political prisoners. There have also been reports by rights organisations of a government campaign to forcibly sterilise women in Uzbekistan.
Kenya: Human rights defenders should be protected during electoral processes

Publisher International Federation for Human Rights Publication Date 4 August 2017 Cite as International Federation for Human Rights, Kenya: Human rights defenders should be protected during electoral processes, 4 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59884dc14.html [accessed 13 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.

Four days ahead of the Kenyan Presidential elections, as attacks against human rights defenders have increased during the pre-electoral period, the Observatory (OMCT-FIDH) and the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders - Kenya (NCHRD-K) urge the authorities to ensure their protection, and publicly recognise their role to ensure transparent, fair, peaceful and human rights focused elections. Authorities should prevent further escalation and improve the environment for civil society in Kenya, especially ahead of, during and after the elections.

During the pre-election phase from April to June 2017, 13 cases of attacks against human rights defenders linked to the electoral context, were reported to NCHRD-K [1] .

According to NCHRD-K, several human rights defenders involved in monitoring, documenting and observing the electoral campaign and primaries were physically attacked or harassed, threatened, and even arbitrarily arrested. Journalists and human rights defenders were also barred from documenting, entering or forced to leave campaign meetings. Furthermore, during these political rallies, intimidating statements and negative rhetoric against human rights defenders have been used by politicians, government and party officials, accusing them of influencing the outcome of the elections.

The Observatory recalls the findings of its mission report "Kenya: 2017 elections: Broken promises put human rights defenders at risk", published in May 2017 [2] , that denounced a widespread pattern of violence and harassment aimed at silencing dissenting voices and perpetuating impunity, including a worrying increase in cases of police brutality, extrajudicial killings [3] and enforced disappearances, in an entrenched culture of impunity for these violations [4], as well as urges the authorities to implement the recommendations formulated in this report.

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.

Footnotes

[1] See NCHRD-K's report: "Human rights defenders and journalists situation leading up to the 2017 elections. Report for the period April to June 2017", July 2017

[2] See the Observatory's report "Kenya: 2017 elections: Broken promises put human rights defenders at risk", May 2017

[3] On April 3, 2017, two unarmed boys were brutally killed by police in plain clothes. Three Commissioners of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR) condemned the extrajudicial killing and asked for a prompt investigation. See ACHPR ACHPR Joint Press-Release of April 5, 2017 on the alleged public killings of two persons in Eastleigh in Kenya.

[4] See FIDH's report "Kenya's Scorecard on Security and Justice : Broken Promises and Unfinished business".
Residents of Afghan Province Demand Better Healthcare

Publisher Institute for War and Peace Reporting Author Khan Zali Feroz Publication Date 2 August 2017 Cite as Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Residents of Afghan Province Demand Better Healthcare, 2 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/598851b14.html [accessed 13 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.

Residents of Nuristan province demanded improved health services in a debate organised by IWPR in the provincial capital Paron on July 29.

The remote, mountainous province is one of the most underdeveloped in Afghanistan and Sebghatullah Jenah, representing the local branch of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), said that most people simply could not access proper health services.

"A major problem is that medical centres in most remote areas just have nursing staff, with medical doctors located only in clinics in the district centres," he said. "This has caused longlasting health issues."

Civil society activist Noor al-Huda Fakoor accused officials of only supporting projects that would serve their own interests, adding that there was just one female doctor in the whole province, located in Barg-e Matal district.

Provincial council member Zahir Nuristani acknowledged that there were problems with health provision, but said that serious measures had been taken to address the shortfall.

"In the past, there wasn't a single health centre in the whole of Nuristan province, but now there are dozens of clinics here."

He added that local officials had raised the issue of the lack of female doctors with the ministry of public health several times, but that no action had been taken.

Mawlawi Shafiqurrahman, the imam at the main mosque in Paron, said that Islam placed great importance on hygiene and healthcare. He also dismissed local rumours that vaccinating children was against Islam.

Debate participant Abdul Satar complained that local doctors were corrupt and siphoned off aid for their relatives and friends. Another participant, Bashir Ahmad Jalali, said that he had personally witnessed how staff at local health centres ignored and dismissed people seeking treatment, only checking on patients when they felt like it.

The provincial director of public health, Nooruddin, accepted that there were problems with local healthcare provision, but told the debate that his department was working to address them.

He said that central government and the ministry of public health were still providing Nuristan with medical services based on an old census, although the population of the province had massively increased.

"We are in the process of opening new wards at Paron's 50-bed hospital for children, addicts and mother and child healthcare," he said. "Their establishment will resolve these problems to some extent."

Copyright notice:  Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Afghan Province Sees Rise In Civilian Casualties

Publisher Institute for War and Peace Reporting Publication Date 2 August 2017 Citation / Document Symbol ARR 575 Cite as Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Afghan Province Sees Rise In Civilian Casualties, 2 August 2017, ARR 575, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/598852004.html [accessed 13 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.

Civilian casualties are rising in the northeastern Afghan province of Badakhshan, a police official told a recent IWPR debate on human rights.

Sher Ali Ekhlas, the chief of Badakhshan's community police, told the audience of some 120 men and women in Faizabad city that violence was getting worse.

He said that police had recorded about 40 civilian casualties throughout the whole of the previous year.

"In the last four months, 54 civilians have been killed," he concluded.

"The increase in the rate of civilian casualties is tragic and heartbreaking," civil society activist Imam Mohammad Saee told the July 25 debate. "The parties involved in the conflict should care about civilian lives and respect the laws of war."

Other participants said that it was not just the armed insurgents who were responsible for human rights abuses.

Arifa Naweed, head of the provincial office of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said, "Violations and injustice are widespread in areas under government control as well as in less secure parts of Badakhshan and this has caused problems for governance and the rule of law in this province."

She highlighted a failure "to investigate cases of human rights' violations, the interference of powerful people and the weakness of local government" as major challenges.

Anees Gul Akhgar, an advisor to the Badakhshan governor, said that local people also had to take responsibility for law and order.

"Despite all the deficiencies and weaknesses of the government, we should not hold the government solely responsible for all these problems," he said. "We, as civilians, should accept and obey the laws of the land and it's also our duty to help in the implementation of the law."

But debate participant Saboor Rahimi said that ordinary people were the victims, routinely denied access to justice.

"I lost my brother about a year ago after he was attacked and killed by a gunman, but the case has still not been solved," he said, adding, "Not only has justice not been done and the criminal punished, but my sister-in-law has been imprisoned without committing any crime. I tried very hard to get her released from custody, but since I don't know any high-ranking government official, she has not been freed."

Anther participant, social activist Abdul Baseer Waseeq, said the event had provided a rare opportunity to raise important issues with officials, adding, "Cases of human rights violations were very often seen in areas controlled by the government, but until now we never had the opportunity to pose questions to officials to draw their attention to these problems."

Copyright notice:  Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Kyrgyzstan: Election Campaigning Co-opts Islam

Publisher Institute for War and Peace Reporting Publication Date 26 June 2017 Cite as Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Kyrgyzstan: Election Campaigning Co-opts Islam, 26 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/598852324.html [accessed 13 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 it remains a secular state in which all citizens have equal rights, religion has been growing steadily in popularity in the Muslim majority republic since independence.

For instance, there are now some 2,500 mosques across Kyrgyzstan, in comparison to only a few dozen in the early 1990s.

This increased interest in Islam has also been associated with growing radicalisation. Some 600 Kyrgyz nationals are known to have travelled to fight in Syria and Iraq.

Aman Saliev, an expert on Islam at the Institute for Strategic Analysis and Forecasting at the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University (KRSU), said that the public simply placed greater trust in officials who professed religious belief.

"People commonly associate religiosity with honesty," Saliev said. "Unfortunately, most of the population has certain stereotypes. They think that if an official or a politician, or any other prominent public person, describes themselves as a religious person, then they must be honest, decent, and probably educated."

He said that in recent years politicians had begun to gradually introduce religious language into their discourse in an attempt to win believers over.

For instance, one presidential candidate, former prime minister Temir Sariev, recently presented a valuable, 18th century copy of the Koran to the Islamic University of Kyrgyzstan.

His press secretary, Nazira Akhmedova, denied that gift was meant to attract the attention of religious Muslims.

"It was a mere coincidence, this action did not have any special purposes," she told IWPR. "We do not divide our citizens into Muslims, Christians or other groups. For us they are all the same, we work for everyone, and it's wrong to single out Muslims in the election."

Saliev disagreed, adding, "The fact that politicians are actively displaying their religiosity during the election campaign shows that religion is a serious indicator of support, or vice versa, lack of support.

"Sometimes, this can be a determining factor. If an ineffective politician portrays himself as a religious figure, his weaknesses are overlooked."

Chubak azhy Zhalilov, a former mufti of Kyrgyzstan and still an influential religious leader, agreed that "playing on the feelings of believers will be evident in the upcoming presidential and later parliamentary races".

"For example, I believe that there have been and will be attempts to win the votes through the use of religious figures," he continued.

Zhalilov noted that after he proclaimed his intention to join a party and run for office during the 2015 parliamentary election campaign, almost all the country's major parties had approached him. He subsequently decided against it.

Although it remains illegal in Kyrgyzstan to set up a faith-based party, Zhalilov has claimed that the constitution allows him to run for president, although he has made clear he will not run this year.

He said that it was important for people to understand that a religious figure, like any other citizen, had the right to seek political authority.

"But it does not mean that if a mullah comes to power, he will be able to work well," he conceded. "There may be those among them who would pursue the wrong policy, go in the wrong direction or would not know anything in politics, and such persons should not be allowed to power."

Prominent politician Ulukbek Ormonov argued that the new interest in religion among the political class was sincere, and simply reflected a countrywide trend.

"But I don't think that politicians, once they become religious, automatically become clean, start working honestly," he continued. "It takes time, it's not a quick process."

Saliev agreed that professions of faith did not necessarily translate into more ethical governance.

"I have not seen how the internal religiosity [of politicians and officials] has encouraged them to fight for the independence of the justice system so that it really works. Such sincere faith should have pushed them for such actions. Unfortunately, our understanding of religionhas more personal interests."

BALANCING ACT

Current president Almazbek Atambaev has walked a fine line between religion and secularism.

He sometimes refers to the Koran and Islamic principles in his speeches, and in 2015 presented a large plot in a desirable part of Bishkek to build a mosque dedicated to the memory of those killed during the April 2010 revolution.

But the tension between ideologies has remained. In 2011, the opening of an Islamic prayer room in Kyrgyzstan's parliament raised questions about the principle that state and religion should be kept separate.

(See Kyrgyzstan: Parliamentary Prayer Room Meets With Resistance).

Then last year, controversy erupted after an initiative by lawmakers to formally extend the lunch break for civil servants so that they could take part in Friday prayers.

After consulting religious figures as well as opponents of the initiative, Atambaev finally vetoed the plan on the grounds that would violate the secular nature of the state.

(See also Islam and Secularism Clash Again).

Saliev said that the state needed to take responsibility for this growing interest in Islam, having failed to deliver justice and decent living conditions. Although Kyrgyzstan is Central Asia's most democratic state, corruption is rife and official institutions have little authority.

"Ordinary people hope that one day a sector of intellectuals with a sense of conscience will appear, and politicians who will honestly fulfil their duties will emerge. Religion gives hope," he said.

Despite Islam's growing influence on public discourse, experts say that it has yet to have much of a tangible impact.

"Politicians and officials are mostly secular," said Tamerlan Ibraimov, director of the Centre for Political and Legal Studies. "There is no sign that Islamic principles are being lobbied for in state bodies."

"It's hard to say whether these trends might lead us to the Malaysian [or] Indonesian model of the state," Ibraimov continued. "It depends on a number of factors. If we happen to have a technological trend here, an innovative model of business and economic development, then the Islamisation of the population will not have a significant impact on the state or its policy."

Saliev agreed that Kyrgyzstan was still in the early days of a process.

"It is too soon to say that the increased religiousness of society has made secular institutions surrender their positions," he said. "We must understand that the modern, global system of law and economy is still secular and we will not avoid it. We are part of this system and we will keep being part of this system for a long time."

It was down to the state, he argued, to demonstrate the effectiveness and stability of secular governance if it wanted to halt the trend towards religiosity.

"If secular representatives of our society are really worried and want to preserve this system, this system should be fair and effective for all members of society, not just for a certain group of businessmen and oligarchs," Saliev said. "If the secular scenario does not prove its effectiveness, it will begin to vanish and unfortunately no one will notice."

For his part, Zhalilov insisted that the effect of Islam playing a larger part in public life had been misunderstood.

"It does not mean, as some people believe, that we will start wearing Pakistani [religious clothing]," Zhalilov warned. "I believe that a good Muslim country would be the country where we live now, but with no place for corruption, theft, violence. There would be justice in law, freedom of speech and religion."

Copyright notice:  Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Kyrgyzstan: Stop legislative harassment of Zanoza.kg and its journalists

Publisher Article 19 Publication Date 1 August 2017 Cite as Article 19, Kyrgyzstan: Stop legislative harassment of Zanoza.kg and its journalists, 1 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59885cdc4.html [accessed 13 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

ARTICLE 19 and the Institute of Media Policy condemn the Kyrgyz government's continuing legislative harassment of the independent online news site, Zanoza.kg, and its journalists. We call for the lawsuits brought against the website to be withdrawn, assets returned and the travel bans on its journalists lifted.

In March and April 2017 a total of five defamation lawsuits were brought against Zanoza.kg for the publication of articles which prosecutors view as defamatory to Kyrgyzstan's President, Almazbek Atambayev. These included articles which referred to Atambayev's lavish lifestyle and contained allegations that he was involved in corruption. On 30 June 2017, the Oktyabrskiy court in Bishkek ordered Zanoza.kg, its parent company, ProMedia, co-founders and journalists, Dina Maslova and Narynbek Idinov (pen-name 'Naryn Aip'), and activist, Cholpon Dzhakupova to pay a total of 27 million Kyrgyz Som (around 300,000) in damages.

On 25 July, following a lengthy and absurd copyright lawsuit, Bishkek's Pervomaiskiy district court also ruled that Zanoza.kg should no longer be allowed to use its name and logo. Idinov, a journalist and Zanoza.kg's co-founder, believes these lawsuits together represent a 'mass attack on Zanoza on all fronts'. In a press conference last week, Atambayev said the lawsuits would not be dropped and that they would serve as a 'lesson' to Zanoza, who he also claimed had caused the deaths of both his mother and brother through their'defamatory' reporting.

"These lawsuits represent a politically-motivated attack against critical media and reporters ahead of the October 2017 presidential vote in Kyrgyzstan", said Katie Morris, Head of Europe and Central Asia at ARTICLE 19. "They pose a serious threat to the continuing existence of Zanoza.kg and the work of the journalists and human rights defenders charged alongside it."

Background

The lawsuits were filed under Article 4 of Kyrgyzstan's civil legislation on 'Guarantees of the activities of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic' which obliges the Prosecutor General to take legal action on behalf of the president if disseminated information has defamed the president's honour and dignity. While Kyrgyzstan's 2010 constitution decriminalised defamation, Article 4 of the law on 'Guarantees of the activities of the President' continues to provide a legal framework to bring defamation lawsuits against individuals and institutions who are critical of Atambayev, requiring them to pay huge sums in damages.

Article 4 is considered by many to be in contradiction to Kyrgyzstan's 2010 constitution, which redefined the status of the President and General Prosecutor in such a way that the General Prosecutor should no longer have the legal right to raise libel lawsuits on the President's behalf. On 3 May Klara Sooronkulova, a lawyer and former judge in the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan, submitted a petition to the Chamber to appeal the constitutionality of Article 4. According to Sooronkulova, Article 4 is unconstitutional as "honour and dignity are personal characteristics of a person, and the President is an institution [] no one should personify him".

However, on 30 June 2017 the Chamber declared Article 4 to be constitutional with the result that the libel lawsuits against Zanoza.kg and its journalists have been upheld.

International standards

The proper raison d'etre of defamation laws is to protect individuals against false statements of fact that cause damage to their reputation and not to protect feelings or interests. According to international standards as outlined in ARTICLE 19's Principles, defamation laws cannot be justified if their effect is to prevent legitimate criticism of officials or public figures or the exposure of official wrongdoing or corruption. The Principles also make clear that courts should take into consideration the clear distinction between statements of fact and statements of opinion in defamation lawsuits.

"Under no circumstances should special legal protection be granted for heads of state or other public officials, whatever their rank or status," said Katie Morris. "Moreover, under international law the state has no right to bring a civil lawsuit of any kind on behalf of someone else, it is therefore deeply problematic that the General Prosecutor has initiated these lawsuits on Atambayev's behalf."

ARTICLE 19 and the Media Policy Institute call for the government of Kyrgyzstan to withdraw the lawsuits against Zanoza.kg, ProMedia, Maslova, Idinov and Dzhakupova, return their assets and lift travel bans imposed against them. The authorities should review Article 4 of the lawon 'Guarantees of the activities of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic'and bring the country's legislation in line with international standards.

Copyright notice: Copyright ARTICLE 19
Vietnam: Immediately free human rights blogger Tran Thi Nga

Publisher Article 19 Publication Date 1 August 2017 Cite as Article 19, Vietnam: Immediately free human rights blogger Tran Thi Nga, 1 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59885d2e4.html [accessed 13 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

ARTICLE 19 calls for the immediate and unconditional release of human rights defender and blogger Tran Thi Nga who has been sentenced to nine years in prison and five years' probation on charges of "spreading propaganda against the state" under Article 88 of the Penal Code. The verdict runs counter to international human rights standards on freedom of expression. We urge the government to repeal Article 88 and stop criminalizing political dissidents.

Tran Thi Nga, also known as Thuy Nga, was sentenced on 25 July 2017 in the People's Court of Ha Nam Province after six months of incommunicado pre-trial detention for posting a number of videos and articles critical of the government. The verdict ruled that Nga produced and posted online videos on her personal blog, Facebook and Youtube accounts. The videos had highlighted state violations of human rights and called for pluralism in Vietnam. International monitors, fellow activists and her family were not allowed to attend the court proceedings, which has raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of the trial.

The harsh sentencing of Tran Thi Nga is the most recent attack targeting the mother of two. Before her arrest, she had been victimized for years by officials, and faced intimidation, harassment and physical assault. According to her lawyer, despite her deteriorating health one month prior to the trial, her requests to seek medical treatment at a hospital were rejected.

As a prominent human rights activist in Vietnam's online space, as well as a member of the executive board of Vietnamese Women for Human Rights Group, Tran Thi Nga has been a vocal actor in exposing trafficking, police brutality and land confiscation. She has persistently exhibited her support for peer bloggers and activists, and visited the houses of political prisoners to show solidarity. Most recently, she actively participated in protests against the Chinese presence in the South China/East Vietnam Sea, the environmental catastrophe caused by the Taiwanese steel plant Formosa, as well as assisted the affected community in filing lawsuits.

The sentencing of Tran Thi Nga comes less than one month after the trial of another well-known female human rights activist and blogger Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, also known as "Mother Mushroom" ("Me Nam"). The detention and trial of Tran Thi Nga, Nguyen Ngoc Nhu Quynh, among other peaceful political dissidents run contrary to Vietnam's international and domestic commitments. Vietnam ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1982, Article 19 of which guarantees the right to freedom of expression. This fundamental right has been echoed in Article 25 of Vietnam's 2013 Constitution. However, Article 88 of the Penal code is often evoked to charge human rights bloggers for propaganda, defamation, and making or storing of materials against the state with up to 12 years imprisonment. This provision falls far outside the permitted limitations to freedom of expression established under Article 19 of the ICCPR. Worryingly, this article has not been changed in the revised Penal Code, which has been recently passed by the National Assembly and will come into effect in 2018.

ARTICLE 19 urges the Vietnamese government to quash the conviction of Tran Thi Nga and unconditionally free her from prison. Moreover, the government should take immediate steps to repeal all laws that criminalize voice of the opposition, and end its ongoing crackdown on political dissidents in all forms.

Copyright notice: Copyright ARTICLE 19
South Sudan: Time for humanitarians to get tough

Publisher IRIN Author Simon Little Publication Date 7 August 2017 Cite as IRIN, South Sudan: Time for humanitarians to get tough, 7 August 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59885e344.html [accessed 13 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.

As a humanitarian at what point does one start to think the unthinkable? To question the impact of the aid provided, or perhaps even wonder if it's doing more harm than good? Having served as an aid worker for over 20 years, deploying to countless emergencies, I've rarely had cause to question the primacy of humanitarian aid.

However, South Sudan turns logical thinking on its head. It blurs the distinction between right and wrong. It raises serious questions as to whether some of the $2 billion of humanitarian assistance delivered over the past 18 months is simply fuelling the war economy and prolonging the conflict.

Before outlining the challenge of working in an environment where aid is routinely co-opted or misused, it's worth reiterating the appalling dimensions of the crisis in South Sudan.

An increasing number of people (roughly six million or half the population) are considered acutely food insecure. Of these, 1.7 million are thought to be on the brink of famine. One-third of the population has been displaced, either internally or across the region as refugees and 17,000 cases of cholera have been reported in the worst and most prolonged outbreak since independence in 2011.

The humanitarian crisis has been caused and compounded by a vicious conflict in which the protagonists flagrantly disregard humanitarian law, principles and space. The upshot is a conflict characterised by industrial levels of killing and the use of rape as a weapon of war.

The gratuitousness of the conflict translates into appalling levels of need. In global terms, the $1.6 billion sought through the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan is third only to Syria and Yemen.

In 2017, more than $850 million has already been committed by the international community and delivered as food, medical, nutritional and water and sanitation support.

Without such levels of support the number of acutely malnourished children, or cases of cholera, may well have been far higher.

But, conversely, had parties to the conflict not deliberately interfered with the flow of aid, or targeted humanitarian workers and assets, the situation may have been significantly better.

Most dangerous place for aid workers

Here's the rub. South Sudan is the most dangerous place in the world to be an aid worker. Fifteen humanitarians have been killed this year and 84 since the conflict erupted in 2013.

The UN's emergency aid coordination body, OCHA, has catalogued 492 "access" related incidents so far this year. Half of all incidents have been accompanied by violence directed against either personnel or assets.

June was the most brutal month yet with threatening letters written to national aid workers, and 24 humanitarian compounds broken into and goods looted.

This disregard for humanitarian action follows a depressingly familiar pattern which culminated in the criminal attack by government forces on aid workers sheltering in the Terrain hotel, Juba during fighting in July 2016.

In this terrible incident female aid workers were raped, others were mock executed, most were beaten and, tragically, a South Sudanese journalist working for the Internews agency was killed. The Terrain incident was the devastating low point in a conflict where there is little safe ground for humanitarians.

The targeting of humanitarian workers and assets is compounded by a raft of ever changing and venal bureaucratic impediments whose express purpose is to exact tribute from the very agencies seeking to offer lifesaving assistance.

This is nothing new. The co-option and misappropriation of aid has a long history in South Sudan with supplies delivered through Operation Lifeline Sudan routinely diverted and/or redirected by the then rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA).

Aid as a resource

In the years either side of independence, the aid budget was largely overlooked in favour of more sizeable oil revenues that offered the means to lubricate and control influential patronage networks.

Petro-dollars propped up the state post-independence and afforded it the shard of economic legitimacy. But the fall in global oil market prices led to the tanking of the South Sudanese economy.

Attenuating oil revenues prompted rent-seekers to look elsewhere, and with few areas of the economy open for exploitation, the aid budget once again became an attractive option.

As part of this, government and opposition has sought ingenious ways to raise revenue by taxing humanitarian partners. A notorious recent example was the proposed introduction of a $10,000 work permit fee per individual aid worker which was only abandoned following strong diplomatic pressure.

No matter, the government changed tack and swiftly introduced a sevenfold increase in international NGO registration fees obliging partners to pay a $3,500 levy to maintain their lifesaving operations.

Further problems stemmed from the re-division of the state apparatus in December 2015, which increased the number of states from 10 to 28. While most commentators agree this was primarily an attempt to shore up the political centre (and with it patronage networks), it also provided the framework for poorly funded state administrations to raise revenue through opportunistic subnational taxation.

This continues with humanitarian agencies regularly requested to pay taxes on the movement of goods and personnel.

Impact on response

The movement and flow of humanitarian aid continues to be co-opted by parties to the conflict and appropriated in the interests of military objectives. The government's National Security Service has repeatedly blocked the delivery of humanitarian supplies to Kajo Keji in Central Equatoria state thereby denying potentially lifesaving assistance to a population that it considers supports the opposition.

Similar examples of aid being diverted or denied have been recorded in opposition-controlled areas.

The humanitarian situation in South Sudan is the worst I've known in two decades, and unless assistance can be predictably and safely delivered, the return of famine cannot be discounted.

However, the insecurity of the operating environment, coupled with the direct targeting of humanitarian action, and predatory bureaucratic processes, compromises the pace, scale and effectiveness of the overall response.

This is of course entirely unacceptable. Humanitarian partners deserve the protection and support of those they are seeking to assist, and government and opposition forces have responsibilities under International Humanitarian Law to both protect civilians, and facilitate the delivery of lifesaving assistance.

We need to toughen our political posture and defend humanitarian principles and space, so that dedicated humanitarian partners are able to get on with the job without fear for their safety.
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Last September, a sudden surge in coal prices caught China's government by surprise, forcing it to boost production at a time when it had ordered the industry to cut back.



This year, China's economic planners have been surprised again as prices neared record levels in July, triggering more production despite government orders to close surplus mines.



The two episodes are the result of different circumstances, but they both point to policy problems and pollution concerns with China's heavy reliance on coal.



Last year, prices spiked when stockpiles at coal-fired power plants ran low before the start of the winter heating season after China's top planning agency pressured mines to move faster on cutting excess production capacity.



The short-term needs, sparked by growing demand for electricity and steel, clashed with the government's longer-term goal of curbing China's production overcapacity, which had depressed prices and profits for years.



Responding to the crisis, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) authorized mines to increase output, in some cases at pits that had just been idled or closed.



According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), coal production officially fell 9.4 percent in 2016. But production rose sharply from month to month throughout the year, while northern cities were smothered by clouds of coal-fired smog.



This year, coal prices and production have been on the rise once more, and the government claims that cuts in excess capacity are ahead of schedule again.



On July 17, Reuters reported that benchmark thermal coal prices briefly touched 614.6 yuan (U.S. $90.81) per metric ton, soaring far into the "red" zone established under an NDRC regulatory plan announced in January.



Under the plan, the agency has tried to keep prices within a "green" range of 500-570 yuan (U.S. $74.06-84.42) per ton, considered acceptable for most producers and industries.



In the "blue" range of 570-600 yuan (U.S. $84.42-88.87) or 470-500 yuan (U.S. $69.62-74.06), the NDRC enhances "market supervision" and offers "guiding measures," the official Xinhua news agency said.



In the red zone, the government can order "adjustment" of "abnormal prices" and production levels. The zone also applies to low prices under 470 yuan per ton.



With high prices and production adjustments, China's coal production rose 5 percent in the first half of this year, including monthly double-digit increases in May and June, according to the NBS.



Combination of factors



This year's coal squeeze is the result of a combination of factors including high economic growth rates and a 6.3-percent rise in first-half power consumption, driven in part by heat waves and air conditioning demand.



Alternating dry spells and floods have added to the problems of keeping coal-burning and prices under control.



Despite expectations that high water levels would lead to more hydropower and less coal consumption, the opposite has proved true.



Hydropower output was down 4.2 percent at midyear, while coal-fired generation was up 7.1 percent from a year before.



Philip Andrews-Speed, a China energy expert at National University of Singapore, said that cleaner hydropower has suffered from both drought and flooding so far this year.



"Drought lowered reservoir levels earlier this year, then heavy rains and floods led the government to order the dams to store the water to prevent exacerbating the flooding downstream," Andrews-Speed said by email.



In July, flooding forced cuts in generating capacity by as much as two-thirds at the Three Gorges and Gezhouba hydro plants to ease downstream pressure on the Yangtze River, Reuters reported.



As power demand increased, coal production rose 9.9 percent in April from a year earlier, 12.1 percent in May and 10.6 percent in June, the NBS said.



The increases threatened to break a string of reported annual declines in coal production and consumption, which have been hailed by environmental groups.



Sketchy data



While China has won praise for its progress on reducing coal use, the supporting data has been sketchy at best.



In March, the NBS said in its annual statistical communique that coal consumption dropped by a substantial 4.7 percent last year, without citing a tonnage figure.



The omission raised doubts, in part, because the China National Coal Association (CNCA) said consumption fell 1.3 percent from 2015, according to a Shanghai Daily report on Feb. 22.



The claims of reduced coal use have been hard to reconcile with last winter's increased outbreaks of smog.



In a rare update of consumption data, a National Energy Administration (NEA) official said that first-half coal use stood at 1.83 billion tons, accounting for 59.8 percent of total energy, Xinhua reported on July 22.



The official said the share was down by 0.6 percentage points from a year earlier but did not say whether coal consumption rose or fell.



The apparent reluctance to release complete and consistent data on coal consumption suggests that revisions may be in the works. The NBS has made major retroactive adjustments in the past.



The lack of consistent data poses a problem for climate researchers, since conclusions about greenhouse gas emissions may rely on China's official coal consumption reports.



But gaps in the data may also be causing problems for the coal market and regulatory efforts, which frequently seem blindsided by consumption conditions and demand growth.



Late reactions



While the causes of the price spikes last year and this year may differ, regulators appear to be in the dark until power plants complain about coal costs or supplies run low.



Regulatory reactions often come too late to avoid setting off a complicated chain of effects.



On July 19, for example, Reuters reported that at least six provinces had raised coal-fired power prices after the government cut surcharges for their environmental programs to help generators cover the higher coal costs. The cut left the provinces to fund the programs with their own rate hikes instead.



Partial data also appears to be a problem for the government's plans to reduce mining overcapacity.



The industry is believed to have so much excess capacity that it can meet the government's annual targets for cuts without affecting its ability to raise output as needed to meet sudden increases in demand.



That may be the case, but two years of price spikes in a row suggest that the NDRC cannot effectively manage the capacity cuts, production increases and prices at the same time.



Last year, the price crisis started after the agency complained that mines were moving too slowly on shutting down surplus capacity, spurring a rush of capacity cuts.



By the end of the year, the industry had eliminated 290 million tons of capacity, overshooting its annual target of 250 million tons. By then, coal prices had jumped by over 70 percent.



This year, the NDRC appears to be repeating the process.



Last month, the agency said the industry had achieved 74 percent of its 2017 target for cuts by midyear, eliminating 111 million tons of capacity. Shanghai Daily said the pace was "worsening the supply shortage to drive up the coal price sharply."



Effects of regulation



The effects of regulation are hard to assess, since the government does not disclose regular estimates of China's total coal production capacity.



In 2015, the official English-language China Daily cited a CNCA overcapacity estimate of 1.5 billion tons, including "around 4 billion tons" of existing capacity, 1.1 billion tons more under construction and annual imports.



According to past NDRC figures, China consumed 3.96 billion tons of coal in 2015.



If that estimate holds true, China may have used 3.77 billion tons last year, based on the NBS statement, while overcapacity could still exceed 1.2 billion tons.



Despite the annual cuts, the NDRC expects production capacity to rise by a net 200 million tons this year as increases at more "advanced" mines exceed shutdowns of outmoded facilities, Argus Media said.



But without better estimates, the NDRC may still be focused on managing short-term production levels while running the risk that overcapacity cuts will keep upsetting the market.



"If the government chooses to control coal prices by limiting production, then any sharp rise in prices will result in an order to raise production," said Andrews-Speed.



"In this case, rising demand for electricity and a temporary suspension of some hydro capacity has created the problem, but all sorts of other 'unexpected' events could trigger such a situation," he said.
Hun Vannak, an activist with Mother Nature Cambodia, holds photos of three of his colleagues  Try Sovikea, San Mala, and Sim Somnang  who were jailed in 2015 on charges related to a protest against a company accused of illegal sand dredging, in an undated photo.

Cambodian authorities detained and questioned a youth activist from the domestic environmental nongovernmental organization Mother Nature Cambodia on Monday for allegedly "inciting a community to protest" and for illegally flying a drone, a domestic human rights group and provincial official said.

Hun Vannak had gone to Koh Kor village, Rorka Khpuos commune, in southeastern Cambodias Kandal province by invitation to monitor a meeting with Saang district authorities, commune and village officials, and representatives of a sand-dredging company, according to a statement issued by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR).

"CCHR has received information that Mr. Vannak is being questioned in relation to allegedly illegally inciting the community to protest, and for allegedly illegally flying a drone," the statement said. "The exact nature of the alleged offenses is yet to be confirmed by the authorities."

Saang District authorities picked him up in the village at 12:30 p.m. local time and questioned him for several hours before releasing him at 8 p.m., CCHR and villagers said.

About 20 police officers and uniformed representatives of the Leng Chin Group Company Ltd. intercepted him as he walked to buy lunch after meeting with roughly 200 villagers affected by sand dredging in the Tonle Bassac River, they said.

The villagers had gathered to protest against the Leng Chin Group, the company conducting the sand-dredging operations, to demand that it stop its activities and compensate them for lost and damaged property.

The officers forced Hun Vannak into a police vehicle and took him to the Ta Kmao police station for questioning, CCHR and villagers said.

Those who witnessed his apprehension told RFAs Khmer Service that authorities had said there would be no arrests during the meeting.

Several villagers waited outside the police station for news about the activists release.

Hun Vannak was brought in to the police station for questioning regarding the status of his organization and the purpose of his presence at the location where he was detained, Khem Chankiri, deputy provincial governor of Kandal province, told RFA.

Last week he even flew a drone illegally, so he has been detained for questioning only, he said.

Hun Vannak flew the drone over areas affected by sand dredging on Aug. 5.

After he was released, Hun Vannak told RFA that authorities questioned him about his involvement in helping the 200 villagers organize their protest.

The police threatened him during the interrogation because they said his activities were illegal, he said.

Hun Vannak argued with them that his activities to help educate people about their rights and peaceful protest were not illegal, he said

He also told police that he educated the villagers about the roles and responsibilities of the authorities and the Leng Chin Group.

Before police released him, he said he had to agree to not fly drones in Koh Kor village, to stay out of the village, to not interfere in the administrative matters of local authorities, and to refrain from engaging in any protests that incite disorder and unrest.

Determined to fight

Villagers said members of Mother Nature, including Huy Vannak, came to Koh Kor to tell them about their rights and give them instructions for conducting peaceful protests to voice their concerns about that sand-dredging activities that destroyed their homes during a riverbank collapse.

Villagers told RFA that they are determined to continue fighting against the sand dredging.

They also said officials from the Ministry of Mines and Energy had met with Leng Chin Group representatives to ask the company to stop dredging sand too closely to the riverbank and the villagers homes.

The company agreed to dredge sand at least 50 meters (164 feet) from the riverbank per the villagers request with approval from the ministry.

Initially, the Leng Chin Group complied with the terms, but soon it moved its dredging vessels as close as 25 meters (82 feet) from the riverbank, prompting the villagers to protest, they said.

Sand dredging operations have been conducted in Koh Kor village for more than seven years.

Villagers have been meeting almost daily to discuss the dredging and to plan advocacy activities, although the meetings are routinely been disrupted by district-level authorities and police, CCHR said.

This is not the first time that authorities have detained or harassed members of Mother Nature.

On June 11, police repeated asked activist Thun Ratha to produce his identification card while he was staying with the villagers affected by the sand dredging in the same village.

Fearing for their safety, the activist and 20 villagers turned to the United Nations human rights office in Cambodia for help.

In another related sand dredging event in southwestern Cambodias Koh Kong province, three other Mother Nature activists were arrested and jailed.

Try Sovikea, 28, San Mala, 26, and Sim Somnang, 31, were detained for 10 months before receiving 18-month sentences in July 2016 for threatening to destroy a barge belonging to the sand-dredging company Direct Access in 2015.

They were released when a judge suspended the last eight months of their sentences, and they subsequently filed an appeal against a $25,000 fine they were ordered to pay.

After filing that appeal, however, they fled the country in late January 2017 to boycott the appeal process because they feared that the court would issue an unfair ruling.

San Mala returned to Cambodia two months later, saying that he felt it was safe for him to come back.

In February 2015, Cambodian authorities refused to renew the visa of Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson, Mother Natures director, and expelled him from the country.

Reported by Sel San for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
Seven ethnic minority Kazakhs who hold Chinese passports are in hiding in Turkey after their political asylum applications were rejected by Kazakhstan, with two others now incommunicado after being repatriated to China from Egypt, sources told RFA on .



The Kazakhs were among some 200 ethnic minorities with Chinese passports targeted last month by Egypt's secret police in an operation activists said was requested by Beijing.



More than 200 students, many of them religious students at Cairos Al-Azhar Islamic University, have been detained since , 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 at the time.



A Kazakh source currently in Turkey told RFA on that he was among a group of seven ethnic Kazakhs who had fled Cairo once the crackdown began, for fear of being repatriated to China, where authorities are targeting ethnic minority groups with overseas links.



They are currently applying for visas to travel to Kazakhstan, on the grounds of needing political asylum, the man said.



"We submitted our visa application at the Kazakhstan embassy in Egypt to a visa official called Yelshat," he said, adding that the group had fled after the applications were rejected.



He said four other Kazakh students have been incommunicado since being repatriated to China in the crackdown.



A second Kazakh source said the four included two brothers who had been studying at al-Azhar, but had returned home because of threats to their parents back home in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in China's troubled western region of Xinjiang.



"There were two brothers studying in Egypt, but they had no choice, because their parents were being terrorized [by the authorities in China] so they went back to Xinjiang," the source said.



"I was in touch with them the whole time they were traveling home via Turkey, but I haven't heard anything from them since they got back to Xinjiang," he said. "I don't know where they are."



Blanket controls on Uyghurs

Shih Chien Yu, senior journalism lecturer at Hong Kong's Chu Hai College, said the ruling Chinese Communist Party regards any Xinjiang residents with overseas connections, including grown children studying overseas or relatives with overseas passports, as a potential security risk.



"China is very worried about a flow of [ethnic minority Muslim] Uyghur soldiers coming back to the country after being in Syria," Shih told RFA in a recent interview.



"So they are stepping up blanket controls over Uyghurs overseas."



Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the exile group World Uyghur Congress, said Beijing is extending its oppression of Uyghurs and other ethnic minority groups overseas under the banner of fighting "terrorism."



"They have oppressed [minorities] to the point where violent clashes occur, and these forms of resistance also result in further oppression," Raxit said.



"Sometimes oppressed people are just shot dead, and some are on the run," he said. "But China uses extreme and violent forms of oppression, and there is a lack of transparency around which terrorist acts are at issue."



Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu recently announced that the country wouldn't tolerate "anti-China" activities on its soil, prompting concerns that Uyghur activists and pro-independence campaigners who have long sheltered there will no longer be safe.



"Will Turkey support Chinas security by approving Chinas corrupt requests, abiding by the Chinese governments unlawful terms and conditions?" exile Uyghur leader Rebiya Kadeer said in a recent statement.



"Or will it take a path that utilizes the Turks commonalities with the Uyghurs  language, culture and history  to play the role of a bridge, showing China the root of its security issues and stopping Chinas oppression of Uyghurs ... through diplomatic means?" she said.



She said the activities of Uyghurs in Turkey represent the group's struggle for human rights and self-determination, and are "in compliance with international law and the laws of the states where they reside."



Kadeer, who is aligned with a non-violent campaign for an independent state of East Turkestan in Xinjiang, added: "We worry that statements like these will embolden Chinese authorities ... to carry out even more violent oppressive activities."



Reported by Qiao Long and Xin Lin for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Cayatano (left) meets with his North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong Ho, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum conference in Manila, Aug. 7, 2017.

Pyongyangs missile tests and Beijings expansionist moves in the South China Sea dominated a regional security meeting in the Philippines on Monday, with the United States and two other powers urging ASEAN to take a robust stance on both issues.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano met Monday in Manila with North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho to personally drive home a collective message of consternation from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations about the communist states recent nuclear and missile tests that defy a slew of U.N. resolutions.

The statement was not borne out of lost friendship but is because of frustration that there seems to be no opening for discussions or dialogue to address the impasse on the issues in the Korean Peninsula, Cayetano told Ri, referring to grave concerns about Pyongyangs nuclear program that were articulated in an unusually strongly worded joint statement by ASEAN two days earlier, according to a press release.

The Philippines and the nine other ASEAN nations all have diplomatic ties with North Korea, including five that maintain embassies there. But in recent days and months, the United States has led international calls for Pyongyang to be isolated on the world stage because of its stepped-up nuclear weapons testing program.

Last week, the U.S. even suggested that North Korea be suspended from the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), whose annual meeting this year took place Monday in the capital of the Philippines, this years chair of ASEAN. North Korea is one of 27 members of ARF.

The encounter between the top Filipino and North Korean diplomats occurred on the sidelines of the ARF meeting. Cayetono said that, on behalf of ASEAN, he wanted to convey to Ri the importance of engaging North Korea in dialogue through the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), but it was equally important for Pyongyang to reciprocate and be open to lowering tensions centering on the Korean Peninsula through diplomatic means.

[T]here is a sentiment across ASEAN that for this engagement to be truly productive and beneficial not just to ASEAN but to our region and the world, we need to ensure that there is a mutual openness and communication amongst us, Cayetano said.

We say this in the spirit of our common goal of maintaining peace and security for our peoples, he added.

Trilateral statement

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson praised the tone of the very strong statement sent out by from ASEAN over the weekend. He said it demonstrated the blocs commitment to supporting a denuclearized Korean Peninsula and that it was a statement thats probably stronger than any weve seen from ASEAN in terms of a view on this particular issue, according to a transcript from the State Department.

However, Tillerson and his counterparts from Australia and Japan on Monday issued a trilateral statement calling on the international community to implement strictly U.N. Security Council resolutions that have placed North Korea under sanctions for its nuclear and missile tests.

They asked other countries to make stronger efforts to persuade Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program, and urged ASEAN member states to maximize pressure on North Korea.

Australia, Japan, and the U.S. also condemned in the strongest terms North Koreas recent ballistic missile activity.

These actions blatantly violate multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions and clearly demonstrate that North Korea increasingly poses new levels of threat to regional stability and global security, it said.

A legitimate option for self-defense: North Korea

Ri, Pyongyangs top envoy, said his country fully understood ASEANs concerns, but signaled that it was not ready to sit down with talks with its rival South Korea, according to an account of the Filipino-North Korean meeting as reported by Yonhap, Seouls official Yonhap news agency.

He apparently was referring to Seouls recent offer to hold military-to-military talks to ease tensions.

South Koreas offer lacks sincerity, Ri Yonhap said during his discussion with Cayetano.

At the plenary session of the ARF meeting, Ri defended his government against international criticism over its nuclear weapons program, particularly from the United States.

The DPRKs [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] possession of nukes and ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) is a legitimate option for self-defense in the face of a real and clear nuclear threat posed by the U.S. against DPRK, Ri said, according to a statement issued by North Korean officials to reporters in Manila.

Ri blasted the U.S. for having allegedly rigged up several sanctions resolutions at the Security Council, to make it appear that the issue was between two Koreas, which have been technically at war since 1953.

He alleged that the development of nuclear weapons was meant to deter the U.S. from invading North Korea. Its Korean Central News Agency at the same time stepped up its angry anti-American rhetoric.

We are ready to retaliate with far bigger actions to make the U.S. pay a price for its violent crime against our country and people, it warned on Monday, two days after the Security Council approved new sanctions against the country in response to two intercontinental ballistic missile tests carried out last month by the regime in Pyongyang.

The sanctions include a stop on North Korean exports of coal, a vital revenue stream for Pyongyang. The resolution was the eighth of its kind in 11 years, since Pyongyang conducted its first nuclear test.

South China Sea

In their trilateral statement, Australia, Japan, and the U.S. also expressed concerns over maritime disputes in the South China Sea, and vowed to continue with sailing and flights over the contested region.

The ministers voiced their strong opposition to coercive unilateral actions that could alter the status quo and increase tensions, it said.

China, Taiwan, and four members of ASEAN  the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei  all have territorial claims in the sea, and overlapping claims have been a source of tensions. The sea is strategically important because it is home to a third of the worlds shipping lanes.

The statement called on all claimants to the potentially rich sea region to refrain from land reclamation, construction of outposts, militarization of disputed features, and undertaking unilateral actions that cause permanent physical change to the marine environment in areas pending delimitation.

It said it acknowledged a consensus that was struck over the weekend between China and the ASEAN countries to reach a framework for a code of conduct in the disputed region.

But Australia, Japan and the U.S. also urged both the Southeast Asian bloc and China to ensure that a code be finalized in a timely manner, and that it be legally binding, meaningful, effective, and consistent with international law.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
The ASEAN bloc called Saturday on North Korea to refrain from carrying out more nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, saying these contributed to escalating tensions in Asia.



At an annual meeting in Manila, foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations expressed their collective grave concerns about a slew of missile tests carried out by Pyongyang, including two ICBMs launched in July, and a pair of nuclear tests it conducted in 2016.



These developments seriously threaten peace, security and stability in the region and the world, the foreign ministers of ASEAN countries  which include the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand  said in a joint statement.



In this regard, we strongly urge the DPRK [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] to immediately comply fully with its obligations under all relevant U.N. Security Council Resolutions, the statement added, referring to resolutions that ushered in international sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear weapons program.



The ASEAN ministers called for a complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and for all parties to exercise self-restraint to deescalate the tensions and create an atmosphere conducive to talks.



We support initiatives to improve inter-Korean relations towards establishing permanent peace in the Korean Peninsula, their statement said. ASEAN stands ready to play a constructive role in contributing to peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

Later on Saturday, the Security Council in New York unanimously passed a resolution that imposes even tougher sanctions aimed at depriving the communist state of up to $1 billion in annual revenue from exports of coal, iron, iron ore and other products, news reports said. The resolution was drafted by the United States, a permanent member of the council.

Engaging Pyongyang in dialogue

The meeting of Southeast Asian ministers in Manila took place two days before the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the regions only security forum, which North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho was expected to attend and defend his countrys nuclear weapons tests.



Apart from the 10 ASEAN members, North Korea is one of 17 other countries including China, South Korea and the United States that participate at ARF meetings.



But ASEANs statement on North Korea stopped short of endorsing calls that Pyongyang be suspended from the ARF, as officials at the U.S. State Department had suggested this past week.



Robespierre Bolivar, spokesman for the Philippine foreign ministry, said the statement was consistent with the regional blocs position on the Korean Peninsula.



ASEAN wants North Korea to know ASEAN is concerned, but also wants to engage North Korea, he said, adding he hoped this dialogue will deescalate tension.



On U.S.-led calls to expel Pyongyang from ARF, he said the forum operated on consensus and, for that to happen, all of its 27 members had to be on board.



This is an expression of concern over the developments in the Korean Peninsula, Bolivar told a news conference. Foreign ministers want to give ASEAN a strong voice on this issue.



At a meeting in Washington in May, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pressed his ASEAN counterparts to fully implement and adhere to U.N. sanctions on North Korea. Beforehand, he had called at the Security Council for countries to cut diplomatic and financial ties with Pyongyang.



All 10 countries in ASEAN have diplomatic relations with North Korea, including five that have embassies in Pyongyang. Malaysia, however, downgraded bilateral ties in February following the assassination on Malaysian soil of the half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.



Apart from the North Korea issue, the ministers touched on the regional terrorist threat, climate change and diplomatic wrangling on overlapping claims in the South China Sea during Saturdays two-and-a-half hour closed-door meeting, Bolivar said.



The ministerial meeting, however, had very limited time for more in-depth discussion of the issues raised, but the Philippines, as this years chair of ASEAN, wants to see a legally binding code of conduct in the disputed sea region.



Tensions on the Korean Peninsula and the other security-related issues are expected to be discussed at other meetings between ASEAN and members of ARF in Manila that run through Monday.



North must stop continuous provocations



Ahead of the meetings, outspoken Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte branded Kim Jong Un as crazy for playing with dangerous toys that endangered the entire region.



The United States, whose Secretary of State, Tillerson, was expected to meet with Duterte on the sidelines of the Manila meetings, had earlier warned that all concerned countries had limited time, and said that the North Korean threat necessitated a strong response.



On Saturday, South Korean Foreign Minister Tang Kyung-Wha said he would like to meet his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho and tell him that they must have a dialogue and that the North must stop the continuous provocations.



Moreover, I will tell him that to build a peace system  North Korea must respond to the two proposals we recently suggested, he told reporters in Manila on Saturday.



He apparently was referring to his governments proposal of holding military and humanitarian talks with the north that contrasted with the more hardline U.S. position of stepping up sanctions and military pressure on the isolated communist state.



Should those talks occur, they would be the first military-to-military dialogue in three years. South Korea is hoping these will ease tensions along the border.



The fundamental reason for THAAD deployment is for our national interest and for the sake of our national security, Tang said, referring to Seouls Terminal High Altitude Area Defense supplied by the U.S.



Seoul had recently tested the missile shield successfully amid tests carried out by North Korea.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
Startup Virginia, a startup business incubator in Richmond, said Monday it had named two people to leadership positions, one on an interim basis.

Local entrepreneur Bryan Bostic will serve as interim executive director of Startup Virginia while the nonprofit conducts a national search for a permanent one.

ChamberRVA veteran Richard Wintsch also has been named to the senior leadership team for Startup Virginia, where he will focus on programs and engagement with the local entrepreneurial community.

Bostic is managing director of Spanish Moss Holdings LLC and has been a co-founder and CEO of several companies in the Richmond region, such as 2B Technology and Smartbox Portable Storage. He serves on Startup Virginias board of directors and has been part of the search for an executive director.

Brad Cummings, a founding board member for the incubator, said the search committee has considered a number of good candidates for the full-time job, but none with exactly the right mix of attributes.

With this role being so pivotal  being the very first executive director of SVA  we didnt want anything short of perfect, Cummings said in a statement. We are therefore beginning a national search for our ongoing executive director.

Wintsch has worked for ChamberRVA for 14 years, most recently as vice president of leadership programs. Cummings said he is the ideal candidate to serve as a liaison between Startup Virginia, the growing companies it supports and the community.

Startup Virginia is planning to move into a building at 1717 E. Cary St. that was acquired in March by Capital One Financial Corp. The building is under renovation.
New position: chief human resources officer at accounting firm Cherry Bekaert LLP

Previous position: vice president of human resources in the Virginia market for HCA Inc.

Birthplace: Bristol, Tenn.

Education: bachelors degree, Radford University, 1997; masters degree, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2013

Career: For over half my career, I consulted with SESCO Management Consultants out of Bristol, Tenn. They are a human resources consulting firm serving small mid-market clients nationwide. The last many years, I was with Hospital Corporation of America Inc. I had the opportunity to work both on the acute-care side of the business operating HR for several large hospitals, as well as lead HR for a four-state division of physician practices owned by HCA. My experience as an external advisor, combined with my operational capabilities, has well prepared me to lead human resources for Cherry Bekaert.

Best career move: For me, it was completing my MBA after consulting for many years and while with a large public employer. It helped me coalesce my experience as an external thought partner with a myriad of companies, while being able to practically apply my learning in very real, strategic ways. By sharpening my greater business acumen, I became even more prepared to help solve the very real people and talent challenges facing employers today.

Career goals: My goal has become to make a positive and meaningful impact on the people and companies I serve and be a mentor to others.

The best advice she ever received: The best advice I ever received was say yes; stay open to new experiences, new learning and be OK outside of your comfort zone.

The most difficult situation faced on the job: Personnel actions that undermine the companys values or mission are very disruptive  to individuals and the company.

Career tip for students: Be kind  to yourself and others. You will have moments of great success, and moments of doubt and disappointment. You will learn from both, and it will make you a better employee, leader and person.

What motivates her? I am motivated by two things. First, my children; I strive to always be a positive role model for them and ensure that they always feel loved. Second, to make things better for the associates we employ and their families.

Role model: My grandmother, Ruby. At 96, she learned to do all her banking online and joined Facebook. She had a love for learning and was one of the most confident women Ive known.

Family: my biggest supporter, my husband, Bill Neal; children, Jack, 4, and Kate, 2.

Pastimes: boating, swimming, relaxing on the lake, photography.

The most memorable book or movie: Any biography, autobiography or general business book. I just read Own It: The Power of Women at Work by Sallie Krawcheck.

Favorite food or restaurant: In Richmond, it has to be Rappahannock restaurant. Oysters and a fun bar; whats not to love?
Dead-of-winter music sometimes hits the spot at the height of summer. The Richmond Chamber Players may have been counting on that, as they devoted most of the opening concert of their Interlude summer series to two somber Russian works.

The more explicitly downcast selection was Sergei Rachmaninoffs Trio elegiaque in G minor, played by pianist John Walter, violinist Catherine Cary and cellist Neal Cary. This one-movement piece from the composers teen-age anticipates his later compositions, in a virtuosic piano part and a big, high-romantic tune that could easily fit into one of the piano concertos or symphonies.

Walter summoned plenty of tone from Bon Air Presbyterian Churchs Bechstein and ably negotiated Rachmaninoffs rich textures, while the Carys emphasized the melodic soulfulness of the piece.

The Carys, violinist Susy Yim and violist Stephen Schmidt faced a subtler challenge in Dmitri Shostakovichs Quartet No. 4, a work cast entirely in middling tempos (three allegrettos and an andantino) and, outside of a couple of expressive climaxes and a dance sequence, voiced in a kind of urgent whisper.

When he wrote the quartet in the late 1940s, Shostakovich was under fire from Josef Stalins cultural gatekeepers for formalism  composing insufficiently accessible music. He also risked the dictators ire in drawing inspiration from Jewish song and dance, notably a klezmer-style dance in the finale of the piece.

The four string players captured the works repressed emotion and dusky atmospherics, and brought out a remarkable variety of inflections in music whose tempos and dynamics vary so little.

This concert was dedicated to the memory of Allan Blank (1925-2013), the longtime Virginia Commonwealth University professor who for years was Richmonds most prolific composer. Yim and Walter played Blanks Duo for violin and piano (2011), a piece the violinist characterized as thinking aloud about a simple figure.

Blank was a violinist, and his familiarity with the instrument and the technical feats a capable violinist can achieve are audible throughout this short piece. Yim managed its array of challenges almost flawlessly.

The program opened with a premiere, sort of. Frank Zindler, a New York-based composer, wrote his Valse melancolique as an anniversary gift for his wife. After her death in 2012, he shared a recording of the piece with Neal Cary, who suggested that he adapt it for cello and piano. That new version was introduced in this concert.

Zindlers waltz  actually, a waltz spiked with a mazurka  recalls his wifes love of Chopin, and does not depart tonally from the music of the early and mid-19th century. Its expressive voice suits the cello nicely. Cary, accompanied by Walter, played it stylishly and affectionately.
Lawmakers in Virginia have the power to help mitigate the tobacco-related cancer incidences in the state but are not acting on it, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network claims.

In a new report titled How Do You Measure Up? the lobbying arm of the American Cancer Society highlights the ways in which 12 Southern states  including Virginia  fail to implement laws and policies that, the group claims, would reduce the rate of cancer related to tobacco.

Virginias best opportunity to save lives and save health care costs would be implementing evidence-based solutions, which would reduce tobacco products, said Brian Donohue, director of government relations in Virginia for ACS CAN.

The groups explanation for the states reluctance to implement laws and policies that do not favor tobacco use: the states tobacco heritage and its reluctance to hurt the tobacco industry.

The legislature has historically been overprotective of the tobacco industry here in Virginia, Donohue said.

The greatest leverage the state has in tobacco cessation, he said, is the tobacco tax.

We know from other states that if we increase the tobacco tax, the use of tobacco declines, especially among young people, he said.

Virginias tobacco tax is 30 cents per pack, compared to the national average of $1.65 per pack. Just raising the tobacco tax alone, Donohue argues, would dissuade the 35,000 Virginia high school students who use tobacco products from doing so.

ACS CAN estimates that raising the tobacco tax to the national average would also lower the number of current adult smokers by over 50,000.

Though it is the most widely known, lung cancer is not the only cancer that can result from tobacco use. It is linked to 14 kinds of cancer, including bladder and colorectal.

Virginia spends $3.11 billion annually on tobacco-related health care costs and $8.3 million on tobacco prevention.

For every pack of cigarettes sold, $20 worth of health care costs go with it, and if you look at who tends to be in the smoking group, its the poor counties within Virginia where they do not have Medicaid coverage because we didnt choose to expand Medicaid, and theyre in a state that does not spend a lot of money in tobacco cessation programs, Donohue said.

For every dollar Virginia spends preventing tobacco use, the tobacco industry spends $47.10, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

In its How Do You Measure Up? report, ACS CAN gives Virginia red ratings  indicating it falls short  for not only its cigarette tax rates but also its smoke-free laws, Medicaid coverage of tobacco cessation, and its tobacco prevention funding.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends Virginia spend $91.6 million on tobacco control, but the state spends only 9.1 percent of that recommendation.

The smoke-free law category applies to state laws that make all public places such as workplaces, restaurants, bars and casinos 100 percent smoke-free to protect workers from secondhand smoke. Virginia has no such law.
One of four gang members from North Carolina who drove to Virginia to rob someone in a marijuana ripoff pleaded no contest to murder and firearm charges for his role in the slaying of a Chesterfield County man, who was shot after being drawn out of a storage shed in a botched robbery.

Darrius A. FreshyBeatz Ellis, 22, an L.C. Bird High School graduate who was living in Salisbury, N.C., at the time of the killing, entered his pleas Monday to charges of second-degree murder and felony use of a firearm in the Nov. 21 slaying of Jon-Eric Schwarz IV, 30. In exchange for his pleas, prosecutors withdrew a third charge of attempted robbery.

Chesterfield Circuit Judge Edward A. Robbins Jr. accepted his pleas and set sentencing for Oct. 2. He faces up to 43 years in prison.

Schwarz, who formerly was Ellis partner in selling marijuana, was found with a gunshot wound to his stomach about 5:30 a.m. He was resting against a riding lawn mower near where he was living in a shed behind a house in the 2900 block of Galena Avenue, a block west of Jefferson Davis Highway. He died after undergoing surgery at VCU Medical Center.

According to a summary of evidence by Chesterfield prosecutor Kenneth Chitty, Ellis met with his three co-defendants  Daeshun R. Ghost Hargrave, 17; Najee T. G Palmer, 18; and Jamaria S. Chop Crawford, 17  on Halloween last year at Hargraves house in Salisbury.

Ellis originally advised his friends that he wanted to drive to Virginia to hang out with some teenage girls. But in subsequent interviews, the co-defendants told police that Ellis said he wanted to jug someone after driving to Virginia. The three teens interpreted the slang word as meaning a robbery.

Acquaintances of Ellis and Schwarz told police that Ellis also had advised them in text and Facebook messages that he planned to travel to Chesterfield to purchase some marijuana, according to court papers.

All four defendants then got into Ellis vehicle and made the 3-hour trip from Salisbury to Chesterfield on Nov. 1, arriving shortly before midnight, Chitty said.

They initially checked into a motel on Jefferson Davis Highway and called various people in an attempt to set up a marijuana deal, Chitty said in his summary. But it was also their intention to rob anyone who agreed to meet them at the motel, the prosecutor said.

The defendants gave up on the plan after no one would come to the motel, so they drove to a residence in the 2700 block of Perlock Road, about a block from the victims home. They hung out there for about five hours with three teenage girls, one of whom was Ellis former girlfriend.

The girls told Ellis where Schwarz was living, and Ellis instructed one of the girls to call Schwarz.

After getting no answer, two of the girls walked to Schwarzs shed along with three of the co-defendants. The girls went inside and talked with Schwarz while the young men waited in the backyard, according to court papers.

The girls told Schwarz that Ellis wanted to meet with him in the street, and Schwarz became upset because they had revealed where he was living. The girls and the three co-defendants then made a second trip to the shed and left, according to court papers.

The four young men then began circling the neighborhood in Ellis car. During the drive, Ellis egged on Crawford, who was carrying a handgun he jointly owned with Hargrave, to carry out their robbery plan, Chitty said.

Moments later, Chitty said Crawford, Hargrave and Palmer got out of Ellis car and with Crawford in the lead, they approached Schwarzs shed. While Hargrave and Palmer hung back, Crawford reached the sheds door with the gun. Schwarz apparently saw him, got up and began walking to the door when Crawford opened fire, hitting Schwarz in the abdomen, the prosecutor said. The single shot severed his aorta.

Defense attorney Russell Watson told the court that immediately after the shooting, Ellis disavowed any responsibility for what happened by speeding away. But after driving down Galena Avenue past the house where Schwarz was killed, Watson said Ellis reinserted himself into the crime by turning his car around and stopping near the house, where he waited for his friends.

They all fled back to North Carolina, where they were arrested eight days later. Police said all four were affiliated with the Grape Street Crips in North Carolina.

Watson also told the court that one of the four defendants told police in a second interview that it was his belief that Crawford was nervous and shot Schwarz unintentionally out of fear.

Hargrave and Palmer are also set to be tried this week, on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, but prosecutors said their cases may be continued. Crawford, the alleged shooter, is set to be tried Aug. 14.
Newsome signs four-year contract with Petersburg

PETERSBURG  Marcus J. Newsome signed on to a new contract as chief of Petersburg Public Schools through June 30, 2021, last week.

Newsome came out of retirement after leading Chesterfield County Public Schools to help turn around the struggling district last year.

Petersburg School Board Chairman Kenneth L. Pritchett applauded Newsomes commitment in a release announcing the contract.

We believe Dr. Newsome is the key to putting our schools and students on the path to success, Pritchett stated.

During his first year in Petersburg  despite the citys financial crisis that led to millions of dollars being taken from schools  Dr. Newsome and his leadership team have done a remarkable amount of work to lay a strong foundation for future achievement.

Newsome was superintendent of Newport News Public Schools and worked in the public schools in Prince Georges County, Md., before coming to Chesterfield.

Our work in Petersburg is progressing, but there is more to do, Newsome stated in the release. We are setting high expectations and creating processes and practices to help every student achieve those high expectations.

Millwood School names second head of school

CHESTERFIELD  The Millwood School, a private, independent college preparatory school for students in junior kindergarten through 12th grade, has named Christopher Ryan the institutions second head of school.

Ryan comes to Millwood from Carrollwood Day School in Tampa, Fla., where he was principal of the upper school, according to a release.

He and his wife, Christine, have two sons, Luc, 6, and Finn, 8.

His personal and professional experiences demonstrate his exceptional commitment to the mission of Millwood School: Challenge the Intellect, Develop the Body and Foster Moral Values, a release states.

The Board is confident and enthusiastic about his ability to honor the foundation laid by our founding Head of School, Dr. Louise Bagwell-Robinson, and also to move us forward as a strong, vibrant independent JK-12 school.

McEachin to hold forum at MLK Middle School

RICHMOND  U.S. Rep. A. Donald McEachin, D-4th, has scheduled a Know Your Rights: Parent Power educational forum for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School.

The event was scheduled after an announcement this spring that the U.S. Department of Education had launched a civil rights investigation of Richmond Public Schools at the request of advocacy groups that said the districts disciplinary policies discriminate against black students and students with disabilities.

The congressmans education task force organized the event, billed as an opportunity for parents to speak with and hear from educations advocates, experts and professionals.

The event will feature a keynote speech, panel discussions, workshops and a resource fair, according to a release.
Cedar Mountain, or Slaughters Mountain, was one of the two largest Civil War battles to take place in Culpeper.

It occurred on the afternoon of Aug. 9, 1862, when Confederate troops under Gen. Stonewall Jackson attacked Federal troops commanded by Maj. Gen. John Pope, whose army was occupying the town of Culpeper at the time.

The battle started about 2 p.m. and continued until nightfall. Union casualties numbered 2,381 men (killed, wounded and missing) while Jackson lost 1,207 men.

Although Jackson withdrew his forceS back across the Rapidan River after the fight, the Confederate leader considered the Battle of Cedar Mountain a victory.

Union forces remained in control of Culpeper, with almost every home between the battlefield and the town becoming a field hospital following the fight.

Many of the injured were cared for at the Virginia Hotel on Main Street (now Culpeper Music).

Ten days later, however, Jackson re-crossed the Rapidan and sent the Federals packing. Culpeper was a Southern town again.

For a century and a half, the battlefield at Cedar Mountain lay unmarked. But restorative efforts during the past decade have established educational trails and commemorative markers to educate visitors.

In addition, efforts continue to make Cedar Mountain and Brandy Station battlefields state parks because of their historical significance.

These photos were taken by Timothy OSullivan (who worked for Matthew Brady) before and following the battle and show the carnage that enveloped Culpeper and parts of the South during the bloodiest war in American history.
In a small conference room at the Library of Virginia last week, three college professors sat around a table with about two dozen strangers and genially debated the significance of Richmonds Confederate memorials.

Predictably, there were sharply varied opinions regarding Mayor Levar Stoneys plan to add signage to tell the real story of our monuments, which, in his words, were erected to lionize the architects and defenders of slavery.

But in contrast to the vitriol and turmoil thats cropped up in other communities that have endeavored to address the issue, there were no raised voices in Richmonds first public meetings. No one tried to talk over anyone else. People listened and asked thoughtful questions of each other.

To Ed Ayers, one of the history professors who led the discussion and one of 10 people Stoney appointed to his Monument Avenue Commission earlier this summer, the experience was striking.

I believe the city is going to actually rise to the occasion, he said. Thats what I think.

The commission held its first official gatherings last week. Four work groups of the larger committee met to discuss various aspects of their charge, which is to study what new signage around the statues might say and what new statues the city should consider adding to the avenue to broaden its historical scope.

Members say theyre not sure how long the civility theyve encountered thus far will hold when the full commission meets Wednesday for its first public hearing. But theyre cautiously optimistic.

There are a lot more voices to add, said Julian Hayter, who, like Ayers is a University of Richmond professor and historian, but, he added, hopefully this is a microcosm of whats going to happen.

The relatively subdued reaction is no doubt partially a feature of the moderate approach staked out by Stoney. While other localities  most notably Charlottesville and New Orleans  have pursued removing Confederate memorials altogether, prompting intense protests in the process, Stoney has said he doesnt support taking down the monuments.

Instead, he called for adding context, and tasked the committee with coming up with recommendations for what that might look like.

Thats not to say Stoneys decision to broach the issue hasnt generated tension.

Even within the committee, some members have privately said they were caught off-guard by the narrow scope of their charge. At least two said they didnt learn Stoney had taken removing the statues off the table until they were standing behind him as he made a speech announcing the commission.

Since, groups on both sides of the issue have expressed discontent with Stoneys approach.

The Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice and Equality, a group thats advocated for a slavery memorial park in Shockoe Bottom, called on Stoney to publicly declare that taking down the statues is one of the options to be considered, and to broaden the commission to include people who have publicly supported the idea.

The Richmond Free Press, the citys largest black-owned media outlet, derided Stoneys approach as ridiculous and said in an editorial that he should be ashamed: What context can possibly change the statues meaning and message from what was meant when they were erected following a bloody Civil War fought to keep black people in bondage? And what can possibly change their present context as tributes glorifying racist, un-American traitors ...?

On the other side of the issue, Confederate heritage groups have come out in droves to argue against additional statues and the addition of any plaques.

A representative of the Virginia chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, B. Frank Earnest Sr., has said it should be clear to everyone that the statues are simply commemorations of people who made sacrifices during a war fighting for their beliefs: Not some silliness about Jim Crow and trying to bring back slavery or whatever silliness they think it is.

Stoney gave no indication last week he planned to change course. He said hes pleased by the conversations so far and hopes Richmond will emerge as a model for other localities grappling with similar issues.

Ive been in the middle of this whole debate since I did my press conference and stated that I want to explain who these individuals were, why they got there and how they got there, Stoney said. Ive been in the middle. Ive had folks on the left who called for removal, folks on the right who say Im trying to rewrite history. At the end of the day, I want Richmond to be the center of truth and tell the complete story. Thats all Im asking for us to do.

All sides were represented during the meeting with the professors at the library, which was called to provide additional historical background on existing monuments and information on community-proposed additions to Monument Avenue.

Ron Moore, a local artist and member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans who lives on Monument Avenue, called Stoneys proposal inflammatory.

Whats your objection? wondered Roxanne Grandis, a teacher with bright red hair.

If you put up signage that states white supremacy, racist, youre dividing the community forever and ever, Moore said. What will inevitably come next is people will rally to remove them.

Thats interesting, thank you, Grandis said.

Jackie Springs, a 60-year-old house painter recovering from an injury, wondered aloud about how other statues have been treated following war.

Saddam Hussein, that guy had a bloody statue everywhere, and in modern times, the people tore the statues down, he said. If someone wants to buy private property and take the statues there, God bless, he said, kissing two fingers. But this is everybodys city.

Of the four meetings held, it was the most attended and brought together the widest range of views on the topic.

The first meeting the commission held saw only two members of the public attend and none offered public comment. It had been called to discuss how other localities that have addressed the issue have handled it.

Likewise, the final meeting, held to discuss how the larger forum will be formatted and how much time speakers should be given, didnt draw significant interest.

A meeting called to discuss what other monuments might be added was well attended, with about a dozen people in attendance. The topic at hand, however, was barely touched upon.

Instead, the roughly 20 people in attendance  nearly all of whom voiced some level of opposition to Stoneys plan  focused on their overall concerns about what they had heard, including a recurring theme: suspicion that the city might take down the monuments rather than just add signs around them.

Is there any discussion at all of removal of any monuments? asked a man who declined to provide his name to a reporter after the meeting.

No, said Christy Coleman, the CEO of the American Civil War Museum and co-chair of the commission.
Small downpours have dodged past Richmond so far this afternoon, but heavy rain could fall in more parts of the region by the evening.

An approaching cold front will trigger more widespread rain by 9 p.m. to midnight.

The atmosphere is loaded with lots of water vapor, so storms may produce rainfall rates of 2 to 2.5 inches per hour, according to a recent discussion by the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center.

The showers across central Virginia are currently moving along to the east at 25 to 35 mph, but they might align like cars on a train and bring repeated downpours to some areas over the next several hours.

The result could be some localized 2 to 4 inch rainfall totals in parts of eastern Virginia, particularly east of Richmond. Most areas will not see that much, but it is a reasonable high-end scenario for some.

A flash flood watch is posted for the Northern Neck through Tuesday morning.

Severe weather chances are beginning to drop this evening and it should be a remote chance for any violent storms overnight.

The severe ingredients are still in place around the Eastern Shore, where rotating storms have not been uncommon over the past several hours.

A tornado apparently hit near Salisbury, Maryland shortly after 1:30 p.m., which damaged some cars and utility poles according to reports from local rescue crews and media outlets.

During the late afternoon, tornado warnings were issued for parts of Accomack and Northampton County, but there were no confirmed sightings of a funnel.

Rain will taper off in both coverage and intensity after midnight, but showers could linger in central Virginia until daybreak.

Though it may start with clouds, Tuesday is likely to be dry and comfortable with highs in the lower 80s.

This story will be updated as the weather evolves this evening, and more frequently if severe weather threatens the Richmond area.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality warns that disruptive behavior during pipeline-related public hearings this week could precipitate early adjournment.

The DEQ knows emotions run high about the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline. Thats partly because the agency itself has been criticized about its approach to reviewing the projects potential impacts to water quality.

Rural property owners reliant on wells and springs, managers of public drinking water sources, environmental watchdogs, regional state legislators  both Democrats and Republicans  and the general manager and brewmaster for a Salem-based craft brewery have been among those expressing concerns that the pipeline could do lasting damage to the regions water quality.

A July 27 letter to DEQ Director David Paylor from State Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, referenced these fears.

Many citizens in this region rely heavily on the pristine, fresh mountain spring water for drinking water, Edwards wrote. Contamination of well water would be an extreme threat to health and safety and cause long term damage to the environment.

Edwards noted too that pipeline-related sediment and pollution pose threats to the Roanoke River watershed, an important source of drinking water.

DEQ has responded to critics by asserting that its environmental review of the proposed 42-inch diameter buried pipeline  which would transport natural gas at high pressure  will be unprecedented and thorough.

This week, DEQ will hold two public hearings to solicit comment about draft conditions the agency might recommend if the State Water Control Board grants Mountain Valley Pipeline the Clean Water Act 401 water quality certification it needs to proceed with construction.

The first hearing is scheduled for 6 to 10 p.m. Tuesday at Radford University. DEQ said it chose Radford even though the city is not on a pipeline route because the university offered a venue with sufficient seating capacity. The Bondurant Auditorium in Preston Hall seats 1,500. The second public hearing will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Wednesday in Chatham at the Chatham High School auditorium, which seats 500.

Participants must sign up to speak. Each speaker will be limited to three minutes.

An anti-pipeline group called Walking the Line plans to hold peaceful protests outside both hearings, alternating silence with singing. It hopes large crowds will turn out to demonstrate to DEQ the breadth and depth of worries about water quality.

If I told you someone was walking toward your well with poison in their hands, you would get up and go out there, right? asked Kay Ferguson, an organizer of the event.

DEQ also will participate Thursday in two informal meetings. Paylor will speak and field questions about the agencys review of the Mountain Valley project.

These meetings, hosted by Del. Greg Habeeb, R-Salem, and Del. Joseph Yost, R-Giles County, will be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Newport Community Center in Giles County and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Cave Spring High School.

Spoken comments offered during these two meetings will not be recorded by DEQ, so Habeeb and others recommend that people who want to ensure their comments are accepted by DEQ should either speak at a public hearing or submit written comments.

Certification with conditions?

Pipeline opponents have hoped DEQ would determine that the Mountain Valley project is destined to exceed water quality standards, a conclusion they believed might lead the agency to recommend against granting certification. In New York, the states Department of Environmental Conservation has twice denied water quality certification to interstate natural gas pipeline projects; those decisions have been appealed by the pipeline companies.

Yet DEQs brochure about the upcoming public hearings includes a statement that seems to suggest the agency is unlikely to advocate for denying certification: DEQs preliminary decision is to recommend issuance of a Section 401 Certification with conditions.

Proposed conditions would limit removal of streamside vegetation in areas not directly associated with construction activities, require a vegetation buffer between surface waters and vehicle fueling and storage of hazardous materials, develop plans for spill prevention control and water quality monitoring and require dye tracing where indicated to identify the direction of flow of aquifers in karst landscapes characterized by sinkholes, caves and sinking streams.

DEQ is working separately on plans to control erosion and sediment for the Mountain Valley project, which would cross hundreds of water bodies, climb and descend steep slopes and travel through thousands of acres of soils classified as having the potential for severe erosion. The agency said this weeks hearings are not intended to gather comments about erosion and sediment controls.

DEQ spokeswoman Ann Regn said DEQ will accept input on the erosion and sediment control plans through Oct. 13.

The agency says its erosion and sediment plans and stormwater management review will address every foot of land disturbance related to pipeline construction, including access roads and construction lay-down areas for both the Mountain Valley Pipeline and the separate but similar Atlantic Coast Pipeline. DEQ hired a consultant to help with these reviews and anticipates related costs will total about $2.2 million, an expense the pipeline companies ultimately will cover.

As proposed, the $3.5 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline would travel about 303 miles from Wetzel County, West Virginia, to terminate at the Transco pipeline in Pittsylvania County. Its 106-mile path through Virginia would burrow through Giles, Craig, Montgomery, Roanoke and Franklin counties.

As an interstate pipeline, it needs approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. On June 23, FERC released a final environmental impact statement for the project. Mountain Valley and FERC have reported that the pipeline would not have significant long-term effects on surface waters, groundwater or wetlands.

DEQ came under fire in May after the department reported it had miscommunicated when advising that it would scrutinize each wetlands and stream crossing by the two pipelines. The agency clarified that it will rely on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permitting process to examine stream and wetlands crossings. DEQ said it would focus instead on potential threats to water quality from other aspects of pipeline construction and operation.

Critics responded that the Corps Nationwide Permit is a streamlined blanket permit process that would not effectively evaluate long-term and cumulative effects to streams and wetlands.

A paramount concern

Meanwhile, Edwards and others, including Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, contend that DEQ should suspend the water quality certification public comment period, currently scheduled to end Aug. 22, until the agency has more information in hand.

Both Edwards and Rasoul cited a recommendation last year from the Virginia Department of Health for a survey examining areas within 1,000 feet of the pipeline to identify people and properties that use local and regional groundwater and surface water for recreation or human consumption. Dwayne Roadcap, a division director for the department, observed in December that protecting water quality for these property owners is a paramount concern.

An Aug. 1 letter to Paylor from Roanoke Countys board of supervisors also referenced the survey recommended by the Department of Health. The board asked DEQ to extend the public comment period by 45 days to allow time to complete that survey.

FERCs final environmental impact statement for the Mountain Valley project included a condition that the company identify the location of all water wells, springs and other drinking water sources within 150 feet of construction work areas and above-ground facilities. In karst landscapes, FERC recommended the distance for identifying water sources increase to 500 feet.

On July 20, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation observed that the 500-foot criteria was arbitrary because unanticipated releases in karst landscapes have the potential to travel more than 500 feet and impact wells, cave streams and springs.

DEQ said it will review public comments about the water quality certification and present recommendations to the State Water Control Board at the boards November meeting.
NEW CASTLE  Ben Breaux, 17, has non-speaking autism, but Camp Easter Seals recognizes his eloquence and wisdom.

AT EASTER SEALS CAMP YOU ARE ACCEPTED FOR WHO YOU ARE AND NOT EXPECTED TO BE WHAT SOCIETY NEEDS OR TRYS TO MAKE YOU BE, Breaux said by pointing to a letter board with a pencil as his mother, Sara Breaux, transcribed for him.

Breauxs mother said the Craig County camp focuses on its campers can-dos instead of their cants.

I LOVE THE FREEDOM TO BE MYSELF HERE, Breaux letter-boarded. THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE WITH VERY WONDERFUL PEOPLE. I JUST LOVE COMING HERE EVERY SUMMER WITH MY FAMILY.

Imagine living inside a body that cant keep up with your mind. Ben Breaux produces magazine-featured artwork, and has an inspirational blog where his daily experiences come to life, but he cant control a lot of what his body does, much less tell society hes anything but simple.

Hes not simple, said camp Director Alexander Barge. Hes quite complex.

The camp is celebrating its 60th anniversary of providing a place where kids with special needs dont have to hide who they are, Barge said. If a campers behavior is not normal at any given point, no one stops and stares.

Andrew Fay, father of 13-time returning camper Max Fay, 17, from Northern Virginia, said they knew they were in the right place when they saw the camps reaction to a boy throwing food during a meal.

Nobody batted an eye, Fay said. The counselors cleaned up the mess, and camp went on.

Last week, Fay got to see his son muster the courage to hike to the top of Roaring Runs Falls, something he hadnt been able to do any of his previous years at camp.

Counselor Matt Hanson, 18, from New Zealand, said Max didnt even want to go on the outing, but then he hiked right to the top and was so excited.

Activities like horseback riding, canoeing, archery and swimming are accessible to campers of any age and ability level, Barge said. There are lifts to help campers into the pool and canoes, and a raised platform from which to lower campers onto horses. Even the archery bows allow campers to shoot using just one finger.

There are several beloved camp traditions, like kissing the moose, which calls for campers to kiss a trophy head of a moose in the dining hall after conquering a fear, or just because.

After meals, theres a time for campers to challenge each other to do something silly, like run all the way down to the infirmary and back, and during parents week, each cabin takes turns setting a trend for the day, such as wearing inside-out socks.

Every camper has one or two counselors, and the counselors have a passion for working with people with disabilities and a year of college or experience behind them, Barge said.

He feels like hes with someone that enjoys being with him, Breauxs mother said of the staff.

Paige Brugh of Salem said its nice to come during parents week to be with families that understand their lives.

When youre a special needs family, its different, said Brugh .

Brugh said with the counselors assigned to her family, shes able to spend more one-on-one time with her two children, which doesnt happen often back at home.

During parents week, each family is provided with their own cabin and counselor during their stay.

Its nice for the whole family, Brugh said. You dont have to worry about being judged.

During weeks that are just for campers and not the whole family, the site hosts 40 to 60 campers, Barge said. The cost is $1,000, but the camp offers need-based aid. Most campers stay for one week, but some stay for two or even four weeks.

Different weeks are tailored to different special needs; for example, one week is specifically for the visually impaired, while another is for kids with autism and Down syndrome.

Weve done stuff here as a family that wed never done ourselves like that, Sara Breaux said, pointing to the zip line her son had just flown down. After landing safely on the ground, Ben Breaux wanted to share his experience.

IT FEELS LIKE HAVING WINGS AND BEING ABLE TO FLY AWAY FROM THE WORLD OF AUTISM, he letter-boarded.
Bob Cowell wanted to be Roanokes next city manager badly enough that he turned down another job offer on a gamble hed land the job here.

It worked out. On Monday, the Roanoke City Council unanimously approved Cowell, 49, deputy city manager in Amarillo, Texas, to succeed Chris Morrill, who left in May.

Cowell, an urban planner by training, arrives from Texas with a reputation for being calm, steady and collaborative, said Councilman David Trinkle, chair of councils personnel committee which selected Cowell.

He starts work in Roanoke on Sept. 5 at an annual salary of $200,000. He left a news conference Monday afternoon to meet a real estate agent in hopes of locating a home in Roanoke quickly for him, his wife, Ellen, and their three basset hounds.

Morrill announced in February he was leaving to become executive director of the Government Finance Officers Association in Chicago after seven years as city manager.

Roanokes two assistant city managers have taken turns serving as the interim city manager since Morrills departure, Brian Townsend from April 15 to June 30 and Sherman Stovall since July 1.

Cowell had been a finalist for city manager jobs in three other cities recently, including Amarillo, Tacoma, Washington, and San Marcos, Texas, where he turned down the job in July in hopes hed be hired in Roanoke.

He bested 71 candidates from 30 states who applied for the job, according to Colin Baenziger, the consultant the city hired for the job search. Trinkle said the council took seven as finalists.

Cowell comes from a city with twice Roanokes population and an annual budget of $330 million and 2,100 employees, compared to Roanokes budget of $282 million and about 1,600 employees.

Trinkle said Cowell, son of an elementary school teacher and a principal, impressed with his work in developing Amarillos first multi-year capital improvement plan, its first transit plan and downtown revitalization. He also served as interim city manager for a time last year.

Previously, Cowell was director of planning and development in College Station, Texas, where he helped plan the citys Biocorridor with Texas A&M University, a research and development hub for vaccines similar to but much larger than Roanokes joint innovation district project with Carilion Clinic and Virginia Tech.

Council members were uniformly impressed by how prepared Cowell was for his interviews and how knowledgeable he was about Roanoke already.

You knew more about us than we know about each other, Councilman John Garland told him Monday.

Councilwoman Michelle Dykstra praised Cowells attention to detail, his passion for process, and his calm under pressure.

Councilman Ray Ferris talked of the importance of regional cooperation here, telling Cowell, You get it.

Vice Mayor Anita Price lauded his ability to identify challenges Roanoke is facing.

During a news conference, Cowell said Roanoke has had great momentum and growth recently.

But, he added, not everyone has benefitted equally from that. How do you help the other folks that are in the community to be able to realize the benefits of all that growth?

He said expanding economic opportunities will be a focus, along with succession planning. Preparing for the loss of aging leaders is a staple of local government management everywhere, he said.

For his first year, however, my priority really is to learn, Cowell said.

While Garland noted Cowell was known in Amarillo for always being the smartest person in the room, Cowell said, Right now Im the least learned person in the room about anything to do with Roanoke.

According to press reports, Cowell was well thought of by the city council in Amarillo, though they chose not to hire him as their chief executive.

Amarillo Mayor Ginger Nelson called Cowell a superstar and a calm and stabilizing force, in a May story in the Amarillo Globe-News. Councilman Mark Nair said in the same story that Cowell is the key person that makes the city work.

Cowell said Roanokes council was one of the aspects of Roanoke that impressed him most and fueled his desire to come here. They were friendly and collegial with him and with one another, he said.

Despite their being elected officials, Cowell said, there was no politics in the room with them.

He said he was humbled by their comments Monday.

Thats a good way to start, he said, and its also a tall order, so I intend to live up to that with them.
RICHMOND  Richmond police are attributing a quick arrest in the homicide of an 18-year-old man in Gilpin Court on Saturday night to tips from residents they said made all the difference.

The death was the result of one of four separate shootings that took place over a four-hour period late Saturday into early Sunday morning.

Police said 24-year-old Garland Davis was located by the U.S. Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force and charged in connection to the shooting three hours after officers responded to the scene just before 9:20 p.m.

The victim, Nyjai Johnson, of the 500 block of Bancroft Ave. in Providence Park, was found lying on the ground suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He died later at a local hospital.

With valuable information given to us by members of the community, we were able to quickly identify the gunman, Major Crimes Lt. Donald Davenport said in a statement.

Davis, of the 1000 block of St. Paul St. in Gilpin Court, the same block as the victim was found, is charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Police said additional charges are pending.

Police said no suspect descriptions were provided in the three non-fatal shootings that followed. The shootings are not thought to be related, though two took place on the same street in north Richmond.

Lt. Ken Roane said the first call came in at about 10:30 p.m.

The second shooting was reported just before 12:40 a.m. Sunday . The third shooting was reported at 1:36 a.m.

No arrests have been made in any of the three non-fatal shootings and police are not yet releasing the victims names.
LYNCHBURG  The Bedford Area Family YMCA is under investigation by the Virginia Department of Social Services following one mothers concerns her daughter may have been shocked by an electrical outlet while at day care there.

Shannon Dominguez said teachers at the Bedford Area Family YMCA day care notified her of an incident report regarding her 3-year-old daughter, Paloma, when picking her up from her last day there July 27. They told her Paloma may have been shocked by inserting keys into an outlet, but no one had witnessed her being shocked, she said. Paloma had told her mother she had screamed, a teacher had told her to stop screaming and then saw she couldnt remove the keys from the outlet, according to Dominguez. She said a YMCA worker had left their keys out, and her daughter was not supervised properly at the time of the incident.

She took Paloma to Bedford Memorial Hospital that day and was told by nurses her daughters electrocardiogram, or EKG, was normal. After that, she said she spoke with Department of Social Services personnel about the incident. She received a call the following day from a cardiologist who had reviewed the EKG and found an abnormality but later was told that everything was fine after a follow-up examination.

Julie Ferguson, licensing administrator for the Virginia Department of Social Services Piedmont Division Licensing Office, stated Thursday there is an ongoing, complaint-related investigation into the Bedford Area Family YMCA, and the department cant release any more information about it at this point. Any results will be posted on the departments websites once that inspection is complete. According to Ferguson, the inspection in progress is because of a report of alleged violations of licensing standards resulting in the alleged electrical shock of a child.

I just want the problem to be corrected so it doesnt hurt other people, Dominguez said.

Bedford Area Family YMCA officials did not respond to calls seeking comment.

The Virginia Department of Social Services website states in a disclaimer, a compliance history is in no way a rating for a facility.

Ferguson stated in an email facilities can report a plan of correction for violations found during investigations, including a date by which the correction will be made. Social Services also can impose administrative sanctions when appropriate in order to ensure prompt correction of violations involving noncompliance with state law or licensing regulation.

Ultimately, any violation of law or standards could initiate an administrative sanction if assessed at a significant level of risk to the health, safety and welfare of a child, Ferguson stated.

Sanctions imposed could be civil penalties or even revocation of a child day center license, according to Cletisha Lovelace, Virginia Department of Social Services public relations and media specialist. The Bedford Area Family YMCA has had no complaint-related inspections in the past five years.
In a small conference room at the Library of Virginia last week, three college professors sat around a table with about two dozen strangers and genially debated the significance of Richmonds Confederate memorials.

Predictably, there were sharply varied opinions regarding Mayor Levar Stoneys plan to add signage to tell the real story of our monuments, which, in his words, were erected to lionize the architects and defenders of slavery.

But in contrast to the vitriol and turmoil thats cropped up in other communities that have endeavored to address the issue, there were no raised voices in Richmonds first public meetings. No one tried to talk over anyone else. People listened and asked thoughtful questions of each other.

To Ed Ayers, one of the history professors who led the discussion and one of 10 people Stoney appointed to his Monument Avenue Commission earlier this summer, the experience was striking.

I believe the city is going to actually rise to the occasion, he said. Thats what I think.

The commission held its first official gatherings last week. Four work groups of the larger committee met to discuss various aspects of their charge, which is to study what new signage around the statues might say and what new statues the city should consider adding to the avenue to broaden its historical scope.

Members say theyre not sure how long the civility theyve encountered thus far will hold when the full commission meets Wednesday for its first public hearing. But theyre cautiously optimistic.

There are a lot more voices to add, said Julian Hayter, who, like Ayers is a University of Richmond professor and historian, but, he added, hopefully this is a microcosm of whats going to happen.

The relatively subdued reaction is no doubt partially a feature of the moderate approach staked out by Stoney. While other localities  most notably Charlottesville and New Orleans  have pursued removing Confederate memorials altogether, prompting intense protests in the process, Stoney has said he doesnt support taking down the monuments.

Instead, he called for adding context, and tasked the committee with coming up with recommendations for what that might look like.

Thats not to say Stoneys decision to broach the issue hasnt generated tension.

Even within the committee, some members have privately said they were caught off-guard by the narrow scope of their charge. At least two said they didnt learn Stoney had taken removing the statues off the table until they were standing behind him as he made a speech announcing the commission.

Since, groups on both sides of the issue have expressed discontent with Stoneys approach.

The Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice and Equality, a group thats advocated for a slavery memorial park in Shockoe Bottom, called on Stoney to publicly declare that taking down the statues is one of the options to be considered, and to broaden the commission to include people who have publicly supported the idea.

The Richmond Free Press, the citys largest black-owned media outlet, derided Stoneys approach as ridiculous and said in an editorial he should be ashamed: What context can possibly change the statues meaning and message from what was meant when they were erected following a bloody Civil War fought to keep black people in bondage? And what can possibly change their present context as tributes glorifying racist, un-American traitors ... ?

On the other side of the issue, Confederate heritage groups have come out in droves to argue against additional statues and the addition of any plaques.

A representative of the Virginia chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Frank Earnest , has said it should be clear to everyone that the statues are simply commemorations of people who made sacrifices during a war fighting for their beliefs: Not some silliness about Jim Crow and trying to bring back slavery or whatever silliness they think it is.

Stoney gave no indication last week he planned to change course. He said hes pleased by the conversations so far and hopes Richmond will emerge as a model for other localities grappling with similar issues.

Ive been in the middle of this whole debate since I did my press conference and stated that I want to explain who these individuals were, why they got there and how they got there, Stoney said. Ive been in the middle. Ive had folks on the left who called for removal, folks on the right who say Im trying to rewrite history. At the end of the day, I want Richmond to be the center of truth and tell the complete story. Thats all Im asking for us to do.

All sides were represented during the meeting with the professors at the library, which was called to provide additional historical background on existing monuments and information on community-proposed additions to Monument Avenue.

Ron Moore, a local artist and member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans who lives on Monument Avenue, called Stoneys proposal inflammatory.

Whats your objection? wondered Roxanne Grandis, a teacher.

If you put up signage that states white supremacy, racist, youre dividing the community forever and ever, Moore said. What will inevitably come next is people will rally to remove them.

Thats interesting, thank you, Grandis said.

Jackie Springs, a 60-year-old house painter recovering from an injury, wondered aloud about how other statues have been treated following war.

Saddam Hussein, that guy had a bloody statue everywhere, and in modern times, the people tore the statues down, he said. If someone wants to buy private property and take the statues there, God bless, he said, kissing two fingers. But this is everybodys city.

Of the four meetings held, it was the best attended and brought together the widest range of views on the topic.

The first meeting the commission held saw only two members of the public attend and none offered public comment. It had been called to discuss how other localities that have addressed the issue have handled it.

Likewise, the final meeting, held to discuss how the larger forum will be formatted and how much time speakers should be given, didnt draw significant interest.

A meeting called to discuss what other monuments might be added was well attended, with about a dozen people in attendance. The topic at hand, however, was barely touched upon.

Instead, the roughly 20 people in attendance  nearly all of whom voiced some level of opposition to Stoneys plan  focused on their overall concerns about what they had heard, including a recurring theme: suspicion that the city might take down the monuments rather than just add signs around them.

Is there any discussion at all of removal of any monuments? asked a man who declined to provide his name to a reporter after the meeting.

No, said Christy Coleman, the CEO of the American Civil War Museum and co-chair of the commission.

Good, the man said. I had heard rumors.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoneys Monument Avenue Commission will hold its first public meeting 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Virginia Historical Society, 428 N. Boulevard.

A second public hearing is planned for Sept. 13 and will also take place at 6:30 p.m. at the historical society.
Checking the mail:

Historian David Turk wrote to follow up on a column about loyal Unionist sentiments during the Civil War among citizens of three Western Virginia counties including Craig and Alleghany.

Turk is the author of the 1994 study The Union Hole: Unionist Activity and Local Conflict in Western Virginia, a major part of the source material for the column.

Turks examination focused on the Jarvises of the Paint Bank area of Craig County, a region whose wartime leanings prompted the nickname that provided the books title. Some of the research involved interviews with older family members with direct knowledge of the activities of previous generations.

Two factors were significant in persuading some of the Jarvises to side with the north in opposition to many of their neighbors, Turk wrote in his email reacting to the column.

The first motivation was a strong belief in federalism that followed from the familys support for the policies of the old Whig party.

My Grandfather believed this belief system factored into the decisions of Field A. Jarvis during the War. He felt the country could not survive in a separated state.

The other motivation in support of the Union was simple economics relating to the slavery question.

As for slavery, mountain farmers had little use or means for the system  that is simply fact.

Turks grandfather was the youngest of 10 children and he listened to all the family history.

Unionist sentiment was by no means unanimous among Turks forebears. Turk thus was uncertain about what would be the reaction of modern family members when the book was published.

My family had split loyalties, and writing the Union Hole was not easy.

Another reader from a different part of the readership area also had a family connection to dissenters among residents of the old Confederate states.

I too have a Union soldier in my ancestry, Roger Dalton of Bedford wrote in an email. My great-great grandfather, John H. Epperson, from Patrick County  volunteered for the Union Army, serving in the 6th United States Volunteer Infantry, Company C. He was discharged and buried in Arlington Cemetery.

The readers email included images of the burial document and Eppersons headstone at Arlington.

Jim Glanville, a Blacksburg columnist specializing in local history, wrote with suggestions for further reading on the Unionist movement in Western Virginia.

One was the 1997 Virginia Tech masters thesis by Paul Randolph Dotson, Jr., Sissons Kingdom: Loyalty Divisions in Floyd County, Virginia, 1861-65.

The thesis was used as source material for a column in this space about troubles in that county during the war. It is an outstanding study.

Glanville also recommended Adam Matthew Jones 2014 thesis, The land of my birth and the home of my heart: Enlistment Motivations for Confederate Soldiers in Montgomery County, Virginia, 1861-1862.

A third suggestion was Kenneth W. Noes Southwest Virginias Railroad: Modernization and the Sectional Crisis in the Civil War Era (University of Alabama Press, 1994).

Roger Harris, a Roanoke reader who asked about the origins of Fort Lewis in what is now western Roanoke County, wrote again to offer additional thoughts about reasons that two other frontier forts that had also been proposed for nearby were never built.

A recent column here speculated on that question in the absence of other information.

For starters, Harris pointed out, it would be inaccurate to say that Fort Lewis was the only Roanoke Valley fort because Fort Vause in nearby present-day Shawsville was on the south fork of the river and thus part of the valley drained by the watershed.

As for the other two forts that were never built in what we now refer to as the Roanoke Valley, on Back Creek and near modern Peters Creek Road, Harris theorized there may not have been a sense of urgency to building the other two forts.

The forts that werent constructed were in areas in which the neighbors may have felt the area was populated to the degree that they didnt feel threatened, Harris wrote. In fact, they werent attacked even though the forts werent built.

Harris pointed out that militia members from Lunenburg County who had refused to help work on Fort Vause without pay could have lacked motivation because they were from a part of the colony not threatened by the Indians and their French patrons.

Along those lines, Harris observed that frontier forts of that era were often staffed by militia from less dangerous areas because frontier locals were otherwise occupied providing for their families or moving them out of harms way.

Harris suggested additional reading on the topic of frontier forts, including Glenn F. Williams Dunmores War: The Last Conflict of Americas Colonial Era and biographies of Andrew Lewis and William Preston.

If youve been wondering about something, call Whats on Your Mind? at 777-6476 or send an email to whatsonyourmind@roanoke.com. Dont forget to provide your full name (and its proper spelling) and hometown.
CHICAGO -- News headlines are screaming about how fearful Latinos are due to moves the Trump administration is making toward stepping up deportations. These are valid concerns for many Hispanics, a majority of whom have acquaintances or family members who could be at risk.

Yet Hispanics always seem to look on the sunny side of life when things are tough. Countless research studies have found they feel better about the economy, their potential to be healthy and their family's long-term financial health than either whites or blacks. This even when they are targeted for abuse or strident discrimination by people with hatred for anyone who they think could be an immigrant.

And there's plenty of those incidents, that's for sure. The very latest I've found was in Lansing, Michigan, where a 47-year-old Hispanic man was allegedly beaten by two white men who stapled a note to his back. The incident is being investigated as a hate crime.

These types of crimes -- and lesser abuses, as evidenced by videos of Hispanics getting yelled at to "go back to Mexico" or to "speak American" that have gone viral in the past few months -- have increased since Donald Trump's election as president.

Writing in The New Yorker, the novelist and journalist Hector Tobar nailed the zeitgeist this way: "Today, Trumpism hangs over all things Latino. We seek to be, as [W.E.B.] Du Bois wrote of African-Americans, 'a co-worker in the kingdom of culture.' But whether we like it or not, the accomplishments of our valedictorians, our mayors, and our veterans are weighed against the crimes that Donald Trump and Bill O'Reilly attribute to our 'alien' fathers and sons."

And still, Latinos hold their heads high.

According to a new national survey by Pew Research Center, while most people find it stressful and frustrating to talk politics with those who differ politically, Democrats feel more negative than Republicans do about talking with people who hold opposing opinions about Trump.

Even more interesting, however, is that white Democrats and Democratic-leaners are more likely (74 percent) than black (56 percent) and Hispanic (61 percent) Democrats to say it is stressful and frustrating to talk to people with different opinions of Trump.

Among Democrats and Democratic-leaners, whites, college graduates and liberals are among the most likely (40 percent) to say knowing a friend voted for Trump would strain their friendship. Only 28 percent of black Democrats and 25 percent of Hispanic Democrats said the same.

Incredibly, the people who are most affected by the ugly, abusive rhetoric that Trump has inspired in some -- and here I can only refer to Hispanics, since the Pew Research Center did not break out numbers for Muslims -- are the least likely to carry around the fear and bitterness that can alienate those who don't share their politics.

How can this be?

It's pretty simple, actually.

Immigrants from Latin America have, on the whole, escaped desperately poor or violent conditions cultivated by failing or corrupt governments that provide no hope for a decent future for themselves or their children.

Here, if they get the worst, smelliest, grossest, most humiliating jobs but are able to eke out a living that includes a home with bare necessities and a decent education for their children, things are looking up.

Those who are U.S.-born have seen their parents overcome unbelievable hardships, work miserable hours and toil with little respect to provide the basics of the American dream. Mindful of their parents' sacrifices, they know their lives amount to far more than the pettiness -- and even evil -- that occasionally comes their way from misguided souls who think Latinos are to blame for their own unrealized potential.

Hispanics have been a thriving part of the American tapestry since the country was founded. We've served in wars, contributed to the economy and helped shape popular culture, so we're not going to let post-election anti-immigrant rhetoric, the wall or Trump's executive orders get us down.

We're looking forward.

According to Florida Atlantic University's most recent quarterly Hispanic Consumer Sentiment Index, more than three-quarters of Hispanics (78 percent) said they expect to be financially better off over the next year compared with 60 percent in the previous quarter. When asked about the economic outlook of the country in the next five years, 51 percent said they expect good times, up 8 percentage points from the previous quarter.

Sounds like old-fashioned American optimism, and that can-do spirit that is precisely what made our country great.

Cepeda is a columnist for The Washington Post Writers Group.
CEDAR RAPIDS  Can we talk?

Thats what a group that delivered petitions signed by more than 700 northeast Iowa voters to U.S. Rep. Rod Blums office Monday is asking the congressman.

Theyre concerned the Dubuque Republican is not providing equal access to them and other U.S. House 1st District voters who might not agree with him, according to Amy Adams, a Cedar Rapids teacher and member of the Indivisible Iowa advocacy organization.

Adams and about 10 others delivered the petitions to Blums Cedar Rapids office in an effort to get Blum to schedule office hours while hes back in the district during the August congressional work session.

The petitions asks Blum to hold published office hours during the recess so voters can discuss issues with him.

Weve followed the requests weve been given, weve done the online questionnaire, filling in the blanks for dates and times to meet with him, weve written letters to him, Adams told Blum staffer Michael Keefer, who accepted the petitions.

However, Blum has met with other groups, such as a gun rights group, she said.

We feel he is sort of picking and choosing the people he wants to see and it seems to be people who are Republican, people who are his donors, people who are a friendly audience  not that we arent friendly, Adams said. We feel average Joes like us dont have equal access.

Keefer explained that the gun rights event was not a public event because it wasnt Blums. He was a guest of the sponsoring groups.

Members of the Indivisible network have been in communication with Blum for months, but only through staff members or written communications.

We would like some feedback from Congressman Blum, said Cindy Garlock. Its so one direction now. We would like some feedback about these issues.

Keefer committed to passing the petitions on to Blum.

Ill let him know, he said. I will make sure that he gets it in the next few days. Sometime this week hell have them in his hands.

He also said he would relay information that four potential Democratic challengers have agreed to meet with Indivisible at their weekly coffee shop meetings.

Indivisible Iowa describes itself as a non-partisan group that is committed to resisting the Republican congressional and executive agenda and among its goals is to take back our state in 2018.
MASON CITY | A Mason City man faces two felony charges after threatening officers and damaging a padded jail cell, law enforcement says.

Mason City Police officers were dispatched to the 500 block of South Illinois Avenue at 1 a.m. Aug. 5 for a report of a person carrying a large pipe, knocking on doors and telling a resident to open their vehicle.

Police said in a criminal complaint they located Stephen Louis Bartling, 32, carrying a large kitchen knife and a breaker bar. They say he refused to put the weapons down or give his name and threatened officers.

Bartling walked towards patrol cars in an aggressive manner, yelling and making threats, the complaint said. Bartling stated, You are going to have to shoot me.

He was taken into custody when a Taser was pointed at him about 15 minutes later, according to the criminal complaint.

While at the Cerro Gordo County Jail, officers said Bartling caused approximately $3,000 in damage to a padded cell around 6:13 p.m. the same day.

Bartling is accused of peeling and pulling the padded floor and sub-floor, making the cell unusable, the criminal complaint says.

Bartling, who is being held on a $15,000 bond, has been charged with interference with official acts and second-degree criminal mischief.

He is scheduled to appear in Cerro Gordo County District Court at 8:30 a.m. Aug. 11.
De Beers auction sales business is set to conduct its next two polished diamond auctions between 10 and 24 August, according media reports.

It first conducted polished diamond auctions last June and customer response was said to be positive.

Mining Weekly reports that stones to be placed under the hammer included a 15 carat internally flawless fancy vivid yellow rectangle brilliant and a 2 carat fancy pinkish purple cushion.

Weve been encouraged by the early reaction to auctions of our own polished diamonds and to our third-party exceptional auction sales, De Beers auction sales vice president Neil Ventura was quoted as saying.

He said that the uptake of goods in the auction of De Beers dual-certified polished diamonds showed that there was healthy demand for products with this additional layer of assurance.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished




Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. announced the results of its recently completed sixth diamond sale. According to company, the value realized per carat in the sixth sale was US$87. The Companys sixth sale represents the highest volume sale to date and cumulative sales at tender now exceed 1.18 million carats. Competitive bidding and strong prices were realized on the fancies and specials and high-end parcels, and prices realized on the remainder of the lots were in line with expectations.

Said Reid Mackie, the Companys Vice President Diamond Marketing, Following on from a very strong June sale, the July tender was well attended and bidding performance remains high. Repeat customers won 83% of lots, consolidating our view that the rough market is now fully engaged with the Gahcho Kue product and its positive performance at manufacturing.

Mountain Province Diamonds is a 49% participant with De Beers Canada in the Gahcho Kue diamond mine located in Canadas Northwest Territories. Gahcho Kue is the worlds largest new diamond mine and projected to produce an average of 4.5 million carats a year over a 12 year mine life.



Alex Shishlo, Editor of the Rough&Polished European Bureau in Brussels




The Indian Commodity Exchange Ltd (ICEX) is set to facilitate trading and delivery of smallest tradeable polished diamonds on its platform.

The Exchange, a Reliance ADAG-anchored platform, is scheduled to launch futures trading by the end of August. This is to attract the smallest players in the value chain.

With a first-of-its-kind diamond future contract in the world, the ICEX will allow futures trading and delivery in 1 cent (1 cent =100th particle of a carat) size with ex-Surat as its delivery centre.

The exchange has kept the trading and delivery size low to attract participation by all types of business units in the value chain including rough importers, brokers, sight holders, traders, processors, suppliers, stockists and retailers like jewellery manufacturers.

The exchange has zeroed in on Surat as the only delivery centre as of now with the trading price exclusive of the goods and services tax (GST) and other levies.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished




Rescue teams continue their search for eight miners remaining underground in Mirny

07 august 2017 News

There are still eight people left in the Mir Mine and rescue teams continue their search on mine levels 210 and 310 assisted by loading and transportation equipment working there, which helps people to clear mining tunnels from silt brought by water, construction debris and large blocks of ore. This was reported by the company in its press release received by Rough&Polished in the early morning on Monday. On some of the mine levels there is no passage. Over the past 24 hours, rescuers have cleared more than 200 meters of excavations and managed to explore more than 7,000 meters of tunnels during this special operation.

This Monday at 06:00 am local time, a group of industrial mining climbers of ALROSA continued the work started on Sunday. At the moment (12:00 local time), they managed to pass several hundred meters of pit dumps and made significant progress towards accessible wells and galleries. During the day, the climbers are expected to make an attempt to send a signal through a drainage pipe to the places where the blocked people are supposed to be.

Electricity is supplied to mine levels 210 and 310. The gas situation at the mine is normal, there is no excess of gas content by the mining standards. The ventilation installations are functioning well and there is no threat of gas contamination. Oxygen is fed to the mine in normal mode.

ALROSA President Sergey Ivanov ordered to pay double salaries to those employees who during their shifts go down to the mine to ensure safety of the rescue operation.

Two pumps with a capacity of 1,250 cubic meters of water per hour are being urgently installed to facilitate proper work of mine rescuers on level 210 and prevent its flooding. Their launch is scheduled by tomorrow evening. Simultaneously, another pump of the same capacity is being installed below level 210. First of all, these measures are aimed to minimize the risks of flooding the sites where the search for the missing miners is going on. Two loading and transportation machines are being moved to level 210 to speed up the removal of rock mass and silt brought by water. In addition, four powerful quarry pumps are put in standby mode to prevent the water level from rising in the quarry. The water level and the state of the quarry are constantly monitored by the companys mine surveyors conducting hourly measurements by laser scanners and tacheometers.

The system for determining the location of miners saved the lives of dozens of workers. The miners themselves acknowledge this. According to them, the alarm sounded in the mine even before the water poured into the workings and this allowed many to escape.

In the first hours after the disaster, 142 workers from 151 being underground were raised to the surface. Alisher Mirzayev, who was saved on Saturday, was also spotted to be on the 410th mine level due to his radio location mark. Thanks to these radio location marks, the rescuers established the supposed location of the eight missing miners at the time of the accident.

The Emergency Alert and Selective Calling System is needed to notify miners, engineers and technicians in underground workings about accidents and to call every one of them selectively. The system is used in underground mine workings and is operational within a mine field extending horizontally up to 10 km and to a depth of 1 km. In essence, this is a system of constant monitoring the location of people in mine workings, which is part of the emergency warning complex.

On Monday morning, the relatives of miners who remain blocked underground arrived by plane to Mirny. They were accommodated in a city hotel. Their flight and residence costs are taken by the company. At the moment, people are given professional psychological assistance by the specialists of the Ministry for Emergencies. The social service of ALROSA is also taking part in this work. During the day, the management of the company and that of the rescue operation will meet with the miners relatives.




MASON CITY | A Mason City woman has pleaded guilty to a sex offender registration violation and has had her probation revoked.

Elizabeth Ann Howard, 25, will face an up to two-year suspended prison sentence to be served consecutively with two previous charges. She was also fined $625.

Howard had been on probation for a domestic abuse assault conviction.

Brandon K. Woodside allowed Howard to have custody, control of or unsupervised access to a child on May 27, 2016, after being made aware Howard was a registered sex offender, according to the criminal complaint from the Mason City Police Department.

Howard, who was not the child's parent or legal guardian, was convicted in Grundy County for lascivious acts with a child. She was 16 when the offense took place, according to the Iowa Sex Offender Registry's website.

In July 2016, Woodside pleaded guilty to misdemeanor child endangerment in Cerro Gordo County District Court.

 Courtney Fiorini
Texas Department of Transportation

Rail specific and rail related projects across six states have been selected to receive grants as part of the Fostering Advancements in Shipping and Transportation for the Long-term Achievement of National Efficiencies (FASTLANE) program.

The grants are authorized under the Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and have been submitted to Congress for a 60-day review before they are finalized.

The rail project awards total $56.57 million, representing more than 70 percent of the $79 million in projects selected by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

The largest grant of $9.9 million will go toward the Northern Columbia Basin Rail Road Project at the Port of Moses Lake in Grant County, Wash., to provide rail access to the port, which currently has none. The $30.3-million project will construct a new 4.5-mile route, reroute aging existing rail infrastructure to the new route, upgrade and modernize three miles of existing rail line and construct three miles of new rail to link industrial sites.

The Ports of Indiana was selected for a $9.85-million grant to construct a series of efficiency-enhancing improvements, which includes a new rail connection and west-side rail yard, that will allow the port to increase its cargo handling capacity.

Taylor County Florida will receive $8.67 million for the Competitiveness & Employment by Rail Project, which will rehabilitate the Georgia & Florida Railway. The project includes upgrading approximately 19 grade-crossing warning devices, rebuilding 90 crossings, work to harden 16 bridges, installing 70,000 crossties and resurfacing approximately 80 miles of rail line.

The Texas Department of Transportation was selected for a $7-million grant to repair the Presidio-Ojinaga International Rail Bridge and rehabilitate approximately 72 miles of South Orient Railroad. The line rehabilitation work includes replacing approximately 15,000 crossties, repairing 38 bridges and rebuilding 37 grade crossings.

The city of Akron, Ohio, will receive a $5.72-million award for the Evans Avenue Railroad Grade Separation Improvements project. The $9.53-million project realign a short section of Evans Avenue and build two bridges over existing CSX and Akron Metro Regional Transit Authority rail lines. The two at-grade crossings see approximately 4,000 vehicles and 42 passenger and freight trains per day.

As reported on Friday, the Maine Department of Transportation has been awarded a $7.89-million FASTLANE grant for the Maine Railroad Bridge Capacity project in northeastern Maine and the North Central Mississippi Regional Railroad Authority was awarded a $7.54-million grant for improvements and repairs to a rail line between Grenada and Canton.

The projects selected are part of the Small Project Fiscal Year 2017 FASTLANE grants. USDOT is accepting applications until Nov. 2 for FY2017 Large Project grants and FY2018 Large and Small Projects under the Infrastructure Rebuilding America (INFRA) Grants program.
Unpatriotic or not, many U.S. companies opt to outsource part or all of their manufacturing overseas, mostly to China.

These companies either own factories, or have contract factories producing their products in China. Some keep outsourcing statistics confidential to a certain degree, but a close look shows America's biggest firms are on the Orient Express to cheaper goods.

Manufacturing in China keeps costs low for companies, enabling them to earn higher profits and sell goods at a cheaper price than would have otherwise been possible. Lower labor rates are not the only reason. China has the high numbers of skilled labor required to turn out large volumes. Apart from this, many businesses find totalitarianism to be an advantage.

There are no labor unions to worry about, neither are there elections that might produce an unfriendly government. Moreover, incentives offered by the Chinese government include tax breaks, low import duties, low cost land and low construction costs. The mix of cheap labor, stable prices and stable is what U.S. companies find appealing.

On the flip side, companies doing in China complain of unpaid bills, piracy, counterfeiting and theft of ideas and technologies. Chinese insist that the foreign companies share their technology secrets. They then learn from these secrets and produce cheaper products that compete with those of the foreign company.

Some companies complain that pirated or counterfeited copies of their products appear within a couple of months after they begin production in China. Companies manufacturing in China are often required to pay fees and taxes without warning and explanation.

CLICK HERE for the 10 U.S. Giants With Massive Operations In China

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Business News
(Agencia CMA Latam) - Colcap, the main index of the Colombian Stock Exchange, fell 0.10%, closing at 1,476.47 points Friday amid low trading volume.

Felipe Espitia, an analyst at Alianza Valores, said that the day was characterized by a low volume of trading as market players wait for the second quarter's corporate results by Bancolombia, Ecopetrol, and Interconexion Electrica ISA, expected for the this week.

The shares of BVC (+1,61%), Canacol (+0,75%), Bancolombia (+0,31%), Exito (+0,13%) and Nutresa (+0,07%) rose, while Cemargos (-0,94%), Sura (-0,93%), Davivienda (-0,83%) and EEB (-0,51%) fell.

The locally traded US dollar closed at 2,987.00 Colombian pesos, increasing by 1.08%, on good labor market data in the United States. Daniel Escobar, an analyst at Global Securities, said that job creation in the United States exceeded market expectations.

by Agencia CMA Latam

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Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA (FMS), a provider of dialysis products and services, Monday said it has signed an agreement to acquire NxStage Medical, Inc. (NXTM), a U.S.-based medical and services company.

Fresenius Medical Care intends to acquire NxStage through a merger for $30 per share, thus the transaction would be valued at approximately $2.0 billion.

The merger, which has been approved by NxStage's board, is subject to approval of NxStage stockholders, receipt of regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Fresenius Medical Care currently expects the closing to occur in 2018.

NxStage, which just like Fresenius Medical Care North America, has its headquarters in the Boston, Massachusetts area, was founded in 1998 and has approximately 3,400 employees. In 2016, NxStage delivered $366 million in revenue.

The transaction would be cash and debt financed. An initial net cost synergies potential of approximately $80 to $100 million p.a. before tax over three to five years is expected.

Fresenius Medical Care expects the acquisition to be accretive to net income and earnings per share within three years from closing.

Rice Powell, Chairman and CEO of Fresenius Medical Care, said, "The acquisition supports our 2020 strategic initiative of driving growth in the core with innovation, better clinical outcomes through Care Coordination and improving the patient experience. Combining our two companies would strengthen and diversify our business in the U.S. and help meet the evolving needs of our patients."

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Business News
Agroson's LLC of Bronx, NY is recalling 2,483 boxes of Maradol Papaya Cavi Brand, grown and packed by Carica de Campeche, as a precaution because other brands that also buy from this farm have been tested positive for Salmonella.

Agroson's LLC, was notified by the FDA, on August 2, 2017, that several brands of Maradol Papaya from the farm, Carica de Campeche, had tested positive for Salmonella. Agroson's said it has ceased importing papayas from the grower, Carica de Campeche.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Product was distributed to wholesalers in the following states NY, CT, and NJ, from July 16 to 19, 2017. The papayas were available for sale until July 31, 2017 and can be identified with PLU sticker, cavi MEXICO 4395.

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Business News
NxStage Medical Inc. (NXTM) announced Monday morning that it has agreed to be acquired by Fresenius Medical Care for approximately USD 2.0 billion.

NxStage Medical has gapped open sharply higher this morning and is now up 6.51 at $29.65 on the highest volume of the year. The stock has leaped to a 3-month high.

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Business News
While President Donald Trump has questioned the U.S. intelligence community's conclusion that Russia sought to interfere in last year's elections, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson seemed to indicate his support for the assessment in remarks on Monday.

Tillerson told reporters during a press conference at the ASEAN Regional Forum in the Philippines that Russian meddling in the elections was "certainly a serious incident."

The nation's top diplomat said he discussed the issue of alleged Russian interference in the elections during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

"We talked about it in the discussion we had with Minister Lavrov yesterday and trying to help them understand just how serious this incident had been and how seriously it had damaged the relationship between the U.S., the American people, and the Russian people," Tillerson said.

He added, "That this had created serious mistrust between our two countries and that we simply have to find some way to deal with that."

Tillerson and Lavrov also discussed Russia's demand that the U.S. cut its diplomatic staff in the country by 755 people.

"I told the foreign minister that we had not made a decision regarding how we will respond to Russia's request to remove U.S. diplomatic personnel," Tillerson said.

He added, "I asked several clarifying questions just to ensure I understood kind of their thinking behind that diplomatic note we received, but told him we would respond by September the 1st."

The move by Moscow came after Congress passed legislation imposing new sanctions on Russia. President Donald Trump later signed the bill but was highly critical of the legislation.

Tillerson said the administration has a very pragmatic view of U.S.-Russian relations, suggesting the two countries need to work together on areas of serious national security interest.

"The fact that we want to work with them on areas that are of serious national security interest to us while at the same time having this extraordinary issue of mistrust that divides us, that's just what we in the diplomatic part of our relationship are required to do," Tillerson said.

"So I don't think it is useful to just cut everything off over one single issue," he added. "I think, again, these are two very large countries, and we should find the places that we can work together."

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Business News
After 200 days in the White House, President Donald Trump lags far behind his predecessors in terms of staffing his administration.

Tracking by CNN and the non-partisan Partnership for Public Service found Trump has made 277 nominations for positions in his administration, with 124 confirmations.

In comparison, President Barack Obama had 433 nominations and 310 confirmations and President George W. Bush had 414 nominations and 294 confirmations at the same point.

CNN noted the Partnership for Public Service has identified 577 executive branch positions as being particularly essential, but Trump has only successfully filled about a fifth of them.

Trump's rate of nominees confirmed is also well behind his predecessors, which the president has blamed on Senate Democrats.

Forty-five percent of Trump's nominees have been confirmed compared to 72 percent for Obama and 71 percent for Bush.

Democrats have used procedural tactics to slow down some nominations, although they can no longer filibuster presidential appointments.

CNN said part of the slowness has also been due to difficulty getting paperwork in for many of the nominees, and some announced nominations were not formally transmitted to the Senate for months.

Partnership for Public Service President Max Stier told CNN that Trump should be prioritizing filling positions if he wants to execute his agenda.

"While the pace of nominations for political appointees has picked up in recent weeks, critical leadership positions remain vacant at almost every agency and department," Stier said. "The President must prioritize getting his full team in place."

He added, "Doing so will strengthen his ability to run the government, achieve his priorities and deal effectively with the inevitable crises that will take place in our complicated and dangerous world."

Senators confirmed more than five dozen outstanding nominees before leaving for the August recess last week, which CNN said roughly doubled the number of nominees Trump has had confirmed.

(Photo: Gage Skidmore)

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Business News
Japan will on Tuesday release June figures for current account and July numbers for bank lending and the eco watchers survey, highlighting a modest day in Asia-Pacific economic activity.

The current account is expected to show a surplus of 860.5 billion yen, down from 1.653 trillion yen in May. Bank lending is expected to hold steady at 3.3 percent on year.

The eco watchers index for current conditions is expected to show a score of 50.2, up from 50.0 in June. The outlook is pegged at 51.0, up from 50.5.

China will provide July numbers for imports, exports and trade balance. Imports are expected to jump 18.0 percent on year after gaining 17.2 percent in June. Exports are called higher by 11.0 percent, slowing from 11.3 percent in the previous month. The trade balance is expected to show a surplus of $45.0 billion, up from $42.75 billion a month earlier.

Australia will see July results for the nosiness confidence and conditions indexes from NAB; in June, their scores were +9 and +15, respectively.

Taiwan will release July data for consumer and wholesale prices; In June, they were up 1.0 percent on year and down 1.68 percent on year, respectively.

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(Agencia CMA Latam) - Mercosur's founding countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) decided to suspend Venezuela from the bloc due to the "breach of the democratic order" by Nicolas Maduro's government.

Foreign ministers from the four Mercosur founding countries met on Saturday in Sao Paulo to discuss the implementation of the Ushuaia Protocol, which affirms the commitment of the bloc's members to democracy and provides for penalties if there is disrespect for democratic institutions.

"Any rupture of the democratic order constitutes an unacceptable hurdle to the continuity of the integration process [to the bloc]," says a statement released by the Brazilian Foreign Ministry. "Consultations with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela have proved unsuccessful because of the government's refusal to hold them."

Venezuela's suspension will only be reversed when there is a "full restoration of democratic order" in that country, the statement added.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Aloysio Nunes described the government of Maduro as a "dictatorship" and defended the Brazilian position in favor of the suspension of Venezuela.

by Agencia CMA Latam

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Doug Rozendaal has been flying airplanes for more than four decades, but when he took off from Mason City Airport on Friday it was a first for
(Agencia CMA Latam) - The Pacific Alliance's High Level Group and Mercosur delegates agreed to achieve greater integration in Latin America in a meeting held on Friday at the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) headquarters, in Uruguay.

At the meeting, parties agreed to study local barriers on trade and productive chains to exchange information and experiences. The same will be made to promote meetings and develop trade promotion events. Likewise, both blocs delegates agreed to hold meetings to implement actions aimed at facilitating, streamlining and making faster the customs procedures.

Friday's meeting was chaired by Colombia, as Pro Tempore President of the Pacific Alliance, and Brazil, as Pro Tempore President of Mercosur.

by Agencia CMA Latam

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(Agencia CMA Latam) - Urgent measures should be taken in Venezuela to prevent the situation from deteriorating further, said a UK government spokesman, who also

called on the South American country's government to respect democracy and human rights.

"It is a tragedy that so many people have lost their lives in the protests in Venezuela. We are sure that urgent measures must be taken to prevent the situation from worsening," said the British spokesman.

"The United Kingdom has repeatedly called on [Nicolas] Maduro government to work with the opposition, release political prisoners and show respect for democracy and human rights," he said.

Last week, in a statement, the British Foreign Office urged its diplomatic staff in Venezuela to leave the country and recommended its citizens not to travel to the interior of the country, unless necessary.

After four months of protests carried out by the opposition to Nicolas Maduro's government in Venezuela, at least 120 people died in violent episodes.

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.
(Agencia CMA Latam) - Venezuela's National Constituent Assembly dismissed the country's attorney general Luisa Ortega Diaz, in its first decision after the Supreme Court of Justice suspended her for "serious misconduct in duty."

Also, while investigations remain in place, Diaz "will not be able to leave the country and her assets and accounts will remain frozen," the Venezuelan Justice said in a statement.

Despite criticism from foreign countries and local opposition and allegations about manipulation of votes in the July 30 election, President Nicolas Maduro installed the Constituent Assembly on Friday.

Some countries and international organizations criticized specifically the dismissal of Diaz. The secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, said that he does not recognize the attorney general's removal. The Mexican government issued a statement reiterating "support and solidarity" for Diaz and called on the Venezuelan government to cease "harassment and use of public force against state institutions."

"Luisa Ortega's dismissal is the first dictatorial act of an illegitimate constituent. We reiterate solidarity with the Venezuelan people," wrote the Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Twitter. Likewise, the president of Chile Michelle Bachelet said that this ANC's decision is "one more step in the democratic breach and does not contribute to the peace of the Venezuelan people."

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.
Americas infrastructure is aging and in dire need of modernization. The American Society of Civil Engineers, in its latest Infrastructure Report Card, graded the condition of our nations infrastructure as a D-plus overall. The report also estimated that government needs to invest $2 trillion over current spending levels for the next 10 years to modernize the system.

These challenges are significant, but they are not insurmountable. Its promising that the Trump administration has been vocal about the need to rebuild and vastly improve our infrastructure, and Congress has also indicated its willingness to get to work on solutions. Without a doubt, its time for our leaders in Washington to take charge and tackle the problem with stable funding and a long-term plan.

For years, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has supported meaningful action to reinforce our once-unequalled infrastructure, and weve continued to offer a slate of potential solutions to prove it. Now comes the tough part: In order to turn ideas into action, America needs to make a significant commitment and investment. So how do we pay for it?

There are a number of answers to that question, including direct federal funding, revolving loan programs, tax-preferred financing, and public-private partnerships (known as P3s). The best infrastructure funding solution would make use of all of these options. And lets not forget about the gas tax. It hasnt been raised since 1993. It will take courage on the part of lawmakers to raise it, but its a common-sense option that should be on the table. Moreover, a long-term, sustainable source for funding the Highway Trust Fund should serve as the anchor for any plan.

Outside of increased federal investment, there is a great opportunity to encourage more successful private investment. From the I-495 Capital Beltway High-Occupancy Toll Lanes project in Fairfax County, Va., to the Port of Miami Tunnel, to the Eagle Public Transportation project in Denver and the 91 Express Lanes in Orange County, Calif., examples of successful, entrepreneurial, public-private projects abound.

Many nations understand that, in a globally competitive marketplace, private investment is a linchpin for economic development and innovation. Countries such as Saudi Arabia and Australia have expressed an interest in investing in American infrastructure. Unfortunately, according to Prequin, at the end of the first half of 2016, funds focusing on North American assets were sitting on $75 billion, still unused.

For now, we need to better leverage the tools that we have as we get down to business and develop policies that get this kind of equity off the sideline.

We have quite a few tools in our toolbox:

Federal Loan Programs: Direct federal loans are a critical tool to bringing private capital to the infrastructure market. The most successful loan program, the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, makes loans to highway and transit projects. With more resources in the Transportation Departments Build America Bureau, more project sponsors will find it easier to use the program.

Private Activity Bonds: Private Activity Bonds allow private-sector project sponsors to issue tax-exempt bonds when financing public-benefit infrastructure projects. There is currently a $15 billion cap on these issuances, but increasing or eliminating this cap will provide further incentive to increase private-sector investment in surface-transportation projects.

Tax-Credit Bonds: There are several competing proposals to leverage private-sector investment by creating a new category of bonds, including Build America Bonds and Transportation and Regional Infrastructure Project Bonds. Many of the proposals would provide a tax credit in lieu of paying the bondholder interest. These can be used as an additional tool to supplement other financing and funding sources.

Project Streamlining: By expediting permitting, modernizing procurement practices, promoting innovation and committing to project analysis that focuses on long-term risk management, the federal government can provide private investors greater certainty in the planning and approval processes. These critical reforms can also serve to encourage further private investment.

Heres the bottom line: A long-term federal infrastructure modernization program, followed by greater investment by state, local and private actors, can engender the partnership necessary to ensure our nation has a 21st-century infrastructure network. But without a serious commitment from federal lawmakers, its going to be difficult to make the kind of progress demanded by the challenges were facing.

Private investment can and should be an important component of a plan to ensure that our nations infrastructure  and our economy  continue to grow and flourish.
As if he doesn't have enough controversy to contend with, President Donald Trump created yet another distraction last week.

He's banning transgender people from the military.

Or so he tweeted.

He didn't bother to let the Joint Chiefs of Staff know about his intentions. And his Secretary of Defense James Mattis, who received a day's notice while on vacation, is reportedly appalled.

Trump's stated goal is to prevent disorder among the ranks. But his tweet did just the opposite  it caused disruption.

Several thousand transgender service members  some of whom are fighting for their nation in war zones, risking their lives  suddenly wondered if they were going to be discharged because of who they are.

Military leaders responsibly tried to calm the unnecessary chaos created by the commander in chief. They said their policy of allowing transgender troops to serve openly, which began last year, will continue until the president formally issues his directive to Mattis, who will have to draft and implement guidelines.

In other words, Trump has no plan for how to proceed and hasn't given his military leaders time to develop protocols. Trump also undercut Mattis, who announced a six-month study on the issue in June. Mattis insisted he wasn't presupposing the outcome of the study. But obviously Trump has.

In a series of tweets Wednesday, Trump said he "will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military," which "cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that ... would entail."

But a government report counters those assumptions. Allowing openly transgender people to serve has a "minimal" financial impact, according to a RAND Corp. study. It estimated the additional expense for transgender-related health care and readiness at "between $2.4 million and $8.4 million annually"  out of a Pentagon budget of more than $500 billion. And just 29 to 129 active-duty personnel would seek gender transition-related services  out of 1.3 million members.

Trump's claim that transgender soldiers cause disorder is the same excuse that was used to bar blacks, then women, then gays from serving their country. The American military needs the best people it can recruit and retain, not a discriminatory policy aimed at a tiny minority of patriotic and proven troops.

That includes Erika Stoltz of Sun Prairie, whom State Journal reporter Steven Verburg profiled in Friday's newspaper. Stoltz has completed four combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and continues to serve in the Army reserves.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, was one of many lawmakers critical of Trump's tweets last week. Hatch said the military shouldn't discriminate against anybody.

"Look, people who are transgender, they don't choose to be transgender," Hatch said. "They're born that way. And why should we hold that against them? And they're human beings, and many of them are extremely talented human beings."

Hatch is right. Trump  again  is wrong.

The military should continue to treat all of its brave soldiers with respect, even if the president does not.

This editorial appeared in the July 30 edition of the Wisconsin State Journal, another Lee Enterprises publication.
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COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT / REGULATED INFORMATION / INSIDE INFORMATION



IRVINE, CA, and HERSTAL, BELGIUM - 07:00 CEST, August 7, 2017 - MDxHealth SA (Euronext: MDXH.BR) today announced the appointment of Paul Marr as Executive Vice President of Sales for North America in conjunction with the expansion of its US sales force to 50 representatives.

Expansion of the US sales force to 50 representatives has been timed to address the Company's mounting market opportunity for its robust portfolio of molecular diagnostic tests for urology, including its lead product ConfirmMDx, its new SelectMDx(TM) liquid biopsy test, and its recently launched liquid biopsy bladder cancer test, AssureMDx(TM). Following the inclusion of ConfirmMDx in the NCCN guidelines in 2016, the recent award of the Government Services Agreement in 2017 and in preparation for the effective date of the unique CPT billing code in 2018, the Company will be well-positioned to drive broader market adoption and revenue growth. Additionally, with a large and growing customer base, SelectMDx and AssureMDx are expected to gain rapid market adoption, so the expanded sales force will enable increased frequency of client visits to drive and support growth.

Mr. Marr is a senior healthcare executive with more than 20 years of sales leadership experience in clinical diagnostics. Most recently he served as Vice President of Sales, North America at Beckman Coulter, a Danaher Company. Previously, Mr. Marr has served in senior leadership positions in several multi-national diagnostic companies, including Hologic, Gen-Probe, Leica Biosystems, Bayer Diagnostics and Siemens Healthcare where he consistently achieved revenue growth. Mr. Marr started his career serving 8 years in the United States Navy, concluding his service as a Naval Special Operations Officer.

"This is a remarkable success story, with an impressive portfolio of best-in-class proprietary molecular diagnostic products, MDxHealth has established itself as a market leading brand in the field of urology," stated Paul Marr, EVP of Sales, MDxHealth. "The management team has built a solid foundation, so I am excited to help the Company capitalize during this new phase of growth."

"This is an exciting period for MDxHealth and I am very pleased to welcome Paul to our US Executive Leadership Team," commented Dr. Jan Groen, CEO, MDxHealth. "Paul's success in leading large sales teams, coupled with his experience in medical diagnostic sales in the North American market, will be invaluable as we take the business to the next level and capitalize on the $3 billion market opportunity in urology."

About MDxHealth

MDxHealth is a multinational healthcare company that provides actionable molecular diagnostic information to personalize the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The company's tests are based on proprietary genetic, epigenetic (methylation) and other molecular technologies and assist physicians with the diagnosis of urologic cancers, prognosis of recurrence risk, and prediction of response to a specific therapy. The Company's European headquarters are in Herstal, Belgium, with laboratory operations in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and US headquarters and laboratory operations based in Irvine, California. For more information, visit mdxhealth.com and follow us on social media at: twitter.com/mdxhealth, facebook.com/mdxhealth and linkedin.com/company/mdxhealth.

For more information:

Shalon Roth, EVP Corporate Communications

MDxHealth

+44 (0)7393 906278

shalon.roth@mdxhealth.com

This company announcement contains forward-looking statements and estimates with respect to the anticipated future performance of MDxHealth and the market in which it operates. Such statements and estimates are based on assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which were deemed reasonable but may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict, may depend upon factors that are beyond the company's control, and may turn out to be materially different. MDxHealth expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this announcement to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based unless required by law or regulation. This company announcement does not constitute an offer or invitation for the sale or purchase of securities or assets of MDxHealth in any jurisdiction. No securities of MDxHealth may be offered or sold within the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or in compliance with an exemption therefrom, and in accordance with any applicable U.S. securities laws.

NOTE: The MDxHealth logo, MDxHealth, ConfirmMDx, SelectMDx, AssureMDx, PredictMDx and UrNCollect are trademarks or registered trademarks of MDxHealth SA. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.
Dear Editor

On June 13th, 2016, I left my home, for the ARMY. Without a clue of what was going to happen. No inkling of exactly how it would feel, how I would be treated, what to expect. I left my home, my place of security, my haven, for the ARMY.

To defend. To serve. To be a part of the 1% of Americans who have raised their right hands and swore an oath to be a part of the greatest fighting force in the world.

I was scared. I was worried. I was coming into something totally new to me. All I had with me was my faith and the support and prayers of my parents, family, friends, and people to help me through whatever I was about to undertake.

Becoming a soldier is something I have always wanted to do. Ever since I can remember, I wanted to follow in my uncles footsteps and serve. I wanted to be in the Army.

I always hid it from everyone because I was scared to admit it and I was embarrassed. For over a decade of my life I have lived as a Transwoman. A Faafafine in my culture. Accepted in our role as women in our families, churches, and community. Being young and foolish makes one think such.

As I got older, the NEED and WANT to serve grew stronger. As I grew older, I had more reasons to want to join the Army and do what I needed to progress in life.

There was no other option for me to get where I needed to be, but to join the ARMY. There was no other branch. Not the Navy, Not the Air Force, definitely not the Marines, but the ARMY.

I wanted to be like my Uncle Ed Custodio Jr. A retired 1st Sgt. with the U.S. Army. I wanted to be where my sister, Nafanua Connie Auvaa Tilei, was. She served her country honorably. My cousins, who are like siblings to me, Utumoeaau Stephen Tuimalealiifano and Priscilla Kazaka, served their country proudly too.

My Great Grandfather Anthony Custodio is a war veteran. My grandfather Ed Custodio is a Navy Veteran. My Late Uncle Alaipalelei Moreli is a war veteran. My first cousin Christian Auvaa proudly serves in the Air Force and so many more of my family members, my flesh and blood, have served this country and many more are still serving this country.

My friends, my classmates from kindergarten, elementary school, to high school & college are all in the ranks as military members.

My brothers and sisters of my childhood. My brothers and sisters of my church.

My brothers and sisters of my village and my island paradise are all in the ranks serving the people of the United States of America and Why not me? I kept asking myself why cant I do it? Why am I not serving?

So I took the test, and I joined the ARMY.

I did the unimaginable. At the age of 30, to the surprise of my parents, family , friends, the blonde actress of American Samoa, a pageant hostess, an event Emcee, and a child of the night life, joined the ranks.

And here I am today, a proud soldier. Ive never felt morecomplete in my life than with what I am doing today. After 10 weeks of brutal training in BCT and an exhausting 14 weeks of AIT, bald headed, and 30 lbs lighter, I, Haserota Edward Auvaa Jr, better known as Princess Arrianna Sese Auvaa, the Faafafine son of Terry Custodio Auvaa and Haserota Auvaa of Malaeloa became an American soldier.

Was it easy to leave home? No. It was heart-wrenching to see my parents, my family, my friends, my village, my community cry as we bid farewell. They werent crying for the transgender person who was leaving them. They were crying for the American soldier that they just might never see again.

It wasnt an easy transition, I wasnt the best trainee, but I made it. Thirteen (13) months and a few weeks later, I am still standing strong.

Ill never forget my Drill SERGEANTS. Ill never forget my battles from basic to AIT, and those who are now standing with me not just as soldiers or battle buddies, but as friends that share a common interest of values, & to serve. I have come to love what I am doing here in the ARMY. I have come to love being in the ARMY. I have come to love the ARMY. I am living my truth.

I am more than just a SOLDIER. I am a transgender soldier. It does not make me special. It doesnt make me any different. It doesnt make me better than the next soldier that will follow. It doesnt make me any less of a soldier from the ones I follow.

I am treated the same way as every other soldier, whether Straight, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Tri-sexual, or Closeted. The ARMY and my leadership do not look at me and treat me any differently because I am a transitioning soldier.

They do not see me for my choices in regards to my sexual identity.

They do not look at me and see the color of my skin. The only colors they see on a soldier are the ARMY colors. They see the Soldier. They treat the Soldier as the Soldier performs! There is no color, there is no specific religion, no specific culture, None. The ARMY is an assimilation of people. From what I have come to learn, the ARMY is a melting pot of people. ALL kinds of people, from ALL different walks of life on this earth.

I am a soldier. I am a transgender. I am proud of who I am. I am proud of where I am at, and what I do. To serve. To protect. It brings me contentment and happiness that I give my family honor. Ive made my FATHER proud of me. My grandparents. My family.

The ARMY says It doesnt matter that I am transgender. It doesnt matter that anyone is transgender. From male to female, and female to male, It does not matter. Who we are as individuals does not matter. What matters is that we stand in UNIFORM, TOGETHER. We are ONE team. We fight ONE fight.

Reading the Presidents Tweet was devastating. Threatening to take away something I have come to love is utterly disheartening. This heartbreaking news besmirches us, what we have sacrificed to serve our country and what we want to do for our country. I have sisters and brothers who have served in days past. I have brothers and sisters who will serve still. Serving to protect this LAND OF THE FREE, or so I thought  and yet hope, it still is.

I pray for better days. Not just for the #TransSoldiers but for all soldiers. For all military personnel serving. Days of darkness lie ahead of us; we are already divided by hatred and misunderstanding, having forgotten that unity is our strength.

Do not discredit our Service. Let us continue to Serve. Let us continue to Protect. Do not tell me I am not worth it to fight. Do not tell me I am not fit to fight. Join me on the PT field and then tell me if Im not worth it. Face me one on one in combat training, then tweet if I am worth it or not!

How I want to serve will not deter how well I will carry my weapon, how I will aim that weapon, and how I will shoot that weapon. My gender will not affect how I will fight the enemy. I will fight the enemy regardless of my gender identity. I will fight for my country and my people alongside my battle buddies, and die if I must, as an American Soldier.

The enemy will not know what my gender identity is when Im on the battle field. The enemy will not pick or choose who to kill based on sexual preference. The enemy will only KNOW that there are American soldiers in the war zone. American heroes who will DIE in combat, fighting to protect ALL Americans and the land of the free.

An Active duty friend of mine and transgender sister serving in Germany, Mimi Pereira, has said to ME, this Ban on Transgenders will not stop me from serving. I will continue on with my transition, whether the ARMY pays for it or not, and I will continue to do what I have pledged to do. To serve.

To quote another fellow soldier, I am proud to be part of the legacy of the LGBTQ community who have served and are serving to protect this great nation. Despite the ignorance and hate of those who we protect. Shame on you for thinking we are any less Cassidy Laolagi Richards- U.S Navy retiree.

I humbly ask you, to SPEAK for us. You, my friends, my family, my village, my people. Help us be seen and help us be heard. Join our voices! Join my voice even if it be muffled by hatred and bigotry. Speak for me. Speak for us. I cry out to our leaders, fight for us. This is something bigger than us, and we are reaching out to you to speak for us. Alone, we cannot be heard, together, we will prevail.

America the Great, is under threat from so many countries and it saddens the heart to know that we can be threatened from within by our own leaders and people.

I do not know what will become of us, transgender soldiers. Will we be removed or do we continue to fight? Will other trans people be given the same privilege to join us in the ranks and serve with us? We do not know.

All we know now is, our leader, the Commander in Chief does not see us fit to defend this country, and to protect him. But yet, here we are, trained and ready, willing to let our blood spill, the same blood we all carry in our veins, ready to lose a limb, ready to lose our lives, to serve and protect this great nation, our Commander in Chief, & our people  come what may.

As for myself? I will continue to honor the soldiers creed:

I am an American Soldier.

I am a warrior and a member of a team.

I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.

I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.

I am an AMERICAN SOLDIER. I am TRANSGENDER. I am HUMAN. I am READY & WILLING to serve. I want to be ALL I CAN BE. #ARMYSTRONG #HOOAH

PFC AUVAA (Arriana Princess Auvaa)
Meet Savelio Fiamate from Vaitele-Uta.

The most important thing in the world is family and love, he told the Village Voice.

Savelio works at Samoa Breweries Limited and the money he earns from his salary contributes a lot to his family from week to week.

When I finished school at Chanel College a few years ago, I started looking for a job, he said.

As Ive mentioned before, the money Ive earned really helps a lot to my family.

I know these days, it is very hard to live, if you dont have a job.

Not only that, you dont know where to turn to, to get money when family faalavelave comes. But having a job to rely on, really helps.

I mean no matter how much I contribute at least I have something to give back to my parents.

Savelio believes that the road to success is not easy to achieve.

But with hard work, drive and passion, its possible, he said.

I thank God for the job, because to be honest I dont want to stay home and do nothing.

I want to help my family in whatever way I can.

As to the future?

Right now, I dont have any plans but to continue to help my family, Savelio said.

Savelio understands why we should prioritise our family.

I believe thats where my blessings come from  by putting my family first.

We all know that no matter what happens in life or what struggles were going through, its imperative to never lose connections with our family especially our parents.

Thats why we need to take care of them first for they are a gift that were given at birth, and nothing should ever come before the relationships that we have with our family.

He thanked his parents.

Everything I have done thus far in my life, I can proudly say that my family has been there every step of the way.

They have done everything possible to raise me to be the best individual I can be and Im so lucky to have them in my life.
Think a minuteYou may have heard the famous true story of the Mutiny on the Bounty. English sailors rebelled against their captain, William Bligh, in the South Pacific. They took over his ship and put him and his few loyal men adrift on a small row boat out in the middle of the vast Pacific.

These rebel sailors knew that they had committed one of the worst crimes possible with the punishment of death. So they escaped to a lonely island named Pitcairn. There they sank their own ship to hide from the world for the rest of their lives.

Less than 20 years later only one of those rebel sailors was still alive. Their little island paradise had become a living hell. They had fought so much among themselves that they killed each other one-by-one.

When the last Bounty mutineer was finally discovered he had completely changed. Instead of the alcoholic thief and murderer he had been, he was now a gentle, loving father.

The British government was so impressed by the change in this old rebel sailor, that instead of executing him they pardoned him for his horrible crimes.

So what happened to completely change the heart and character of that drunken rebel and criminal? He had become so depressed and miserable from all the fighting and killing of his former shipmates that he became a hopeless alcoholic.

Finally, one day he was prepared to kill himself when he came across Captain Blighs old Bible. He began to read about Gods mercy and love for him, so he asked Jesus to forgive Him and help him start changing. From that day forward he was a different man.

Maybe you also have rebelled and lived your own sinful way. You might even feel like a castaway, rejected by certain people and especially by God. But the truth is that you can never become too wrong and sinful for God to love, forgive and accept you.

He will never cast you away and reject youno matter what you have done! Right now, Jesus is waiting for you to ask Him to forgive you and start completely changing your heart; because only then can you start enjoying your new life that He died to give you. Why wait? Just think and pray a minute
Clean water and electricity are among some of lifes most basic necessities in this day and age.

For a middle-income developing country like Samoa, we shouldnt even have to mention it. These things should be a given.

Unfortunately the reality is quite different on the ground.

And none more where this is so obvious than the pages of the Village Voice every day where we see the perennial struggle not just for water but also for electricity and other very basic needs.

Now we accept that life is difficult and some of these problems are not confined to Samoa. We get that.

But no water? No electricity?

Now thats a shocker. Indeed in this day and age, its hard to imagine people living in Samoa without such basic utilities.

Besides the fact weve been politically independent now for 55 years, our country graduated from the least developing country status a couple of years ago so that today everyone should at least be able to access water and electricity of all things.

But clearly that is not the case.

Folks, not a day goes by on the Village Voice section of your newspaper where we dont see families calling for help in terms of water and electricity. Even in the newspaper you are reading today, there are families calling for help.

Come to think of it, we can publish an entire book with their stories about how they dont have access to these things.

And yet we believe we are merely scratching the surface. Keep in mind that the Village Voice mostly concentrates on Upolu and at this stage; we havent done as much in Savaii as we would have liked. It would be interesting to see how Savaii fares.

In some cases, there are families who have never known what it feels like to have running water and electricity. These families either live way inland that they are far from the public supplies or in some cases they simply dont have the means to connect.

Surprisingly some of these areas are relatively close to the Apia Township.

There are other causes as well. This includes families who are negligent in terms of their spending where they have failed to pay their water as well as electricity bills. Those cases are different.

To be fair to the government, there are a high number of such cases as well.

These are the families who are quite happy to spend money on bingo and mobile phone credits while they deliberately dont pay their water bills until their water is disconnected. These families are not the ones we are talking about today. We believe there is a need to educate these people about getting their priorities right. Basic needs first before any luxury spending  including the donation on Sunday. If you have to choose between paying your water and the donation, we suggest you pay your water bill. Everyone has a responsibility to pay their water. Its just the way it is.

Now the good news is that a number of wonderful promises are being made in Apia as we speak. Coming from our leaders, its the sort of stuff that inspires, makes us all feel good and remain hopeful.

Last week, efforts to make electricity affordable was on the agenda when more than 250 officials gathered to attend the 2017 annual Pacific Power Association, (P.P.A) meeting.

This week, the attention turns to water with the 10th annual conference of the Pacific Water and Wastewater Association (P.W.W.A) officially starting today. Close to 300 people are in the country for the meeting guided by the theme of Water supply in a Changing Environment.

According to the organisers, the gathering of all these officials hopes to improve the understanding of the specific risks and challenges in the Pacific region, while also fostering collaborative efforts in building the capacities of the Pacific community, public utilities and organisations to better serve the water and sanitation needs of the people of the Pacific.

Well thats a noble goal, isnt it? We wish them the best for their meeting.

We also gently remind about the plight of the poor and village folks who have yet to experience what it feels like to turn on a tap and taste clean drinking water.

Have a beautiful Tuesday Samoa, God bless!
A series of regional meetings are being held at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat as preparations for the 48th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting next month in Apia, Samoa enters its final stages.

The Smaller Island States (S.I.S) Officials Meeting and the Pacific A.C.P Officials Meeting (P.A.C.P.O.M) began today.

The two-day Forum Officials Committee meeting begins tomorrow, August 8 which among other items, is expected to discuss proposed key priorities for Forum Leaders consideration and decision when they meet next month.

The week will end with the Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting this Friday, 11 August.

The S.I.S Officials Meeting will mark the first annual progress report on work that has commenced in the five priority areas identified by the SIS Regional Strategy 2016-2020; the Strategy was endorsed by SIS Leaders in Palau in 2016.

Discussions during the P.A.C.P.O.M will primarily be around preparations for a successor to the Cotonou Agreement.

The Cotonou Agreement was signed in 2000 between the A.C.P Group of States and the European Union ends in February 2020; negotiations for a successor arrangement should begin by August 2018.

The Forum Foreign Ministers meeting will discuss current geopolitical trends and what they mean for the Pacific region.

Foreign Ministers will also discuss how they can work together to advance the Forums foreign policy priorities, and to strengthen the voice of the Pacific in international affairs.

The meeting of Forum Foreign Ministers will be chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa, Fiame Naomi Mataafa.
Pop quiz: Which of the following does the law consider all or part of a uniform?

A. A fast casual restaurants slip-resistant shoes.

B. A tropical-themed restaurant waiters floral shirt and rugby pants.

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C. A nurses white uniform.

D. A video store workers blue shirt and khaki pants.

This is an open-book quiz. Heres the law that governs the answer to the question.

California law requires an employer to pay the cost and maintenance of an employees work clothes not generally usable in the employees occupation. The duty comes from Labor Code section 2802, which requires an employer to pay expenses an employee incurs in direct consequence of performing his or her job.

The wage orders that guide enforcement of California wage and hour laws require employers to provide and maintain any uniform an employee is required to wear as part of the job. The term uniform includes wearing apparel and accessories of distinctive design or color. It is not the employers responsibility to provide items of clothing that are usual and generally usable in the employees occupation. An employer is entitled to set general dress standards without paying for what its workers wear.

So whats the answer to the quiz question?

The answer is B. Courts or regulators have concluded that the other three are not uniforms. That includes the nurses white uniform because, according to a 1991 advice letter from a California regulator, nurses can wear their white uniforms wherever they work, and the employer, consequently, need not pay for them. The same is true for slip-resistant shoes worn by Dennys workers and the blue shirt and khaki pants that used to be worn by employees of Blockbuster Video.

By contrast, a restaurant owner who wants to create a tropical theme must pay for his employees flowery shirts and rugby shorts, even if such attire is currently in fashion, because servers at other restaurants dont typically dress that way. A regulator observed in a 1990 advice letter that most restaurants would look askance at waiters or waitresses who came to work in tropical attire which included floral shirts and rugby pants.

Some clothing retailers, such as Abercrombie & Fitch, have a written look policy that requires sales staff to dress in the style of the employer-retailers clothing, though explicitly not requiring that employees exclusively wear the retailers own clothes at work. Written policies of non-exclusivity are undercut where the employer pressures its employees to buy the retailers clothes. Such unwritten policies violate Labor Code section 450, which bars an employer from coercing or compelling any employee, or applicant . . . to patronize his or her employer, or any other person, in the purchase of any thing of value.

Employers that violate these uniform rules must repay the employees for the out-of-pocket cost of the clothing plus the cost of maintaining it. Where the violation results from a formal, or widespread informal, company policy, an employer may face a suit by a class of numerous employees seeking compensation.

Employers also may have to pay each employee a penalty of 30 days wages. That is because the California court of appeal has ruled that payment for employee work uniforms is a part of the employees compensation and should be considered like any other payment of wages, compensation or benefits. Willful failure to pay such costs is the equivalent of failing to make timely payment of any other form of compensation.

Every employee wears a workplace uniform of sorts, even the informal get-up of the entrepreneurial workplace or the business suit of the professional services firm. If that uniform is suited only for the workplace, the employer must pay for it.

Dan Eaton is a partner with the San Diego law firm of Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek where his practice focuses on defending and advising employers. He also is an instructor at the San Diego State University Fowler College of Business where he teaches classes in business ethics and employment law. He may be reached at eaton@scmv.com. His Twitter handle is @DanEatonlaw.
When it comes to why there are so few women in tech, Silicon Valley is in the midst of an ideological battle.

The latest conflict is at Google, where a male engineer suggested that women dont get ahead in tech jobs because of biological differences.

His widely shared memo  titled Googles Ideological Echo Chamber and published in full on tech news site Recode  also criticizes Google for pushing mentoring and diversity programs and for alienating conservatives.

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Googles just-hired head of diversity, Danielle Brown, responded with her own memo, saying that Google is unequivocal in our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success. She said change is hard and often uncomfortable.

The dueling memos come as Silicon Valley grapples with accusations of sexism and discrimination. Google  a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.  is also in the midst of a Department of Labor investigation into whether it pays women less than men. And Ubers chief executive recently lost his job amid accusations of widespread sexual harassment and discrimination.

Leading tech companies, including Google, Facebook and Uber, have said they are trying to improve hiring and working conditions for women. But diversity numbers are barely changing.

The Google employees memo, which gained attention online over the weekend, begins by saying that only honest discussion will address a lack of equity. But it also asserts that women prefer jobs in social and artistic areas while more men may like coding because it requires systemizing.

The memo says biological differences between men and women are why we dont have 50% representation of women in tech and leadership.

The employee has been described in news reports as a software engineer.

Ari Balogh, Googles vice president of engineering, also pushed back against the ideas in the memo. Questioning our assumptions and sharing different perspectives is an important part of our culture, he said in a message to employees, but we cannot allow stereotyping and harmful assumptions to play any part.

Although the memos views were broadly and publicly criticized, they echo the 2005 statements by then-Harvard President Lawrence Summers, who said there are fewer female scientists at top universities because, in part, of innate gender differences.

Brande Stellings, senior vice president of advisory services for Catalyst, a nonprofit advocacy group for women in the workplace, said the engineers viewpoints show how ingrained, entrenched and harmful gender-based stereotypes truly are.

Its much easier for some to point to innate biological differences than to confront the unconscious biases and obstacles that get in the way of a level playing field, Stellings said in an email.

Google, like other tech companies, has far fewer women than men in technology and leadership positions. Of its workers, 56% are white and 35% are Asian; Latino and black employees make up 4% and 2% of its workforce, respectively, according to the companys latest diversity report.

Tech companies say they are trying, by reaching out to and interviewing a broader range of job candidates, by offering coding classes, internships and mentorship programs and by holding mandatory unconscious bias training sessions for existing employees.

But, as the employees memo shows, not everyone at Google is happy with this.

Here are the full responses from Brown and Balogh.

Memo from Danielle Brown, Googles vice president of diversity, integrity and governance

Affirming our commitment to diversity and inclusionand healthy debate

Googlers,

Im Danielle, Googles brand new VP of Diversity, Integrity & Governance. I started just a couple of weeks ago, and I had hoped to take another week or so to get the lay of the land before introducing myself to you all. But given the heated debate weve seen over the past few days, I feel compelled to say a few words.

Many of you have read an internal document shared by someone in our engineering organization, expressing views on the natural abilities and characteristics of different genders, as well as whether one can speak freely of these things at Google. And like many of you, I found that it advanced incorrect assumptions about gender. Im not going to link to it here as its not a viewpoint that I or this company endorses, promotes or encourages.

Diversity and inclusion are a fundamental part of our values and the culture we continue to cultivate. We are unequivocal in our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success as a company, and well continue to stand for that and be committed to it for the long haul. As Ari Balogh said in his internal G+ post, Building an open, inclusive environment is core to who we are, and the right thing to do. Nuff said.

Google has taken a strong stand on this issue, by releasing its demographic data and creating a company wide OKR on diversity and inclusion. Strong stands elicit strong reactions. Changing a culture is hard, and its often uncomfortable. But I firmly believe Google is doing the right thing, and thats why I took this job.

Part of building an open, inclusive environment means fostering a culture in which those with alternative views, including different political views, feel safe sharing their opinions. But that discourse needs to work alongside the principles of equal employment found in our Code of Conduct, policies, and anti-discrimination laws.

Ive been in the industry for a long time, and I can tell you that Ive never worked at a company that has so many platforms for employees to express themselves  TGIF, Memegen, internal G+, thousands of discussion groups. I know this conversation doesnt end with my email today. I look forward to continuing to hear your thoughts as I settle in and meet with Googlers across the company.

Thanks, Danielle

Memo from Ari Balogh, Googles vice president of engineering

Id like to respond to the pc-considered-harmful post. Questioning our assumptions and sharing different perspectives is an important part of our culture, and we want to continue fostering an environment where its safe to engage in challenging conversations in a thoughtful way. But, in the process of doing that, we cannot allow stereotyping and harmful assumptions to play any part. One of the aspects of the post that troubled me deeply was the bias inherent in suggesting that most women, or men, feel or act a certain way. That is stereotyping, and it is harmful.

Building an open, inclusive environment is core to who we are, and the right thing to do. Nuff said.

Times staff writer Paresh Dave contributed to this report.

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UPDATES:

11:25 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with additional context and background information.

8:25 a.m.: This article was updated with the full text of the memos from Danielle Brown and Ari Balogh.

This article was originally published at 5:20 a.m.
La Mesa resident Pat Wright, who runs a group looking to make ferrets legal pets in California, will be asking the City Council on Tuesday to declare La Mesa a Ferret Sanctuary City.

For more than 20 years, Wright and Legalize Ferrets, a group of California ferret owners and supporters, have been lobbying across the state to have the animal taken off the restricted species list of the California Fish and Game Commission.

They have not been successful  and so they are now looking for local support. Wright will speak to the effort at the 4 p.m. La Mesa City Council meeting.

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Wright has been working to bring attention to the cause and said that asking La Mesa for support so that it might get the movement some credibility to move a legislator to get on board.

City Councilwoman Kristine Alessio said she has been following the Legalize Ferrets campaign for years, and she backs the groups efforts.

It is a ridiculous law, she said. In my utopia, I would change the rules. I hope that by speaking, the group will gain attention, whether it is La Mesa, the county of San Diego, wherever  whatever helps their cause without breaking any laws.

I dont think we can exactly say sanctuary, but we can say separately we think the law is stupid. I thats enough said.

The group is nearing 2,000 signatures on its change.org petition at https://tinyurl.com/yatn8fdt

Ferrets are members of the mustela family, which starting in 1933 in California were deemed wild and prohibited to be kept as pets.

The Fish and Game Commission maintains that animals like ferrets pose a threat to native wildlife, the states agricultural interests, and public health and safety.

The department permits ferrets, but only under special circumstances, such as medical research or to take confiscated or rescued ferrets out of California.

The animals are legal in 48 states. Hawaii has also banned them because of concerns of the animals being potential carriers of rabies. The animals are restricted by some individual cities, including Washington, D.C., and since 1999, New York City.

Legalize Ferrets started a ballot initiative in 2015 with a goal of 92,000 signature but didnt collect enough to move it forward. They have been pushing for regulation changes in the state since 1995.

California has more ferrets than any other state, Wright said. We know 24 percent of the nations ferret supplies are sold to Californians.

Ferrets are the only domestic animal regulated by Fish and Game, and Wright believes the issue should instead belong under the under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture.

They are typically 20 inches long, including their 5-inch tails and weigh anywhere between 2 and 4 pounds. They can live for up to 10 years.

In 2004, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed amnesty legislation for what was then estimated by Fish and Game to be 500,000 California ferrets. Wright said he is not sure how many are in California today.

karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.com
The former headmaster of a Carlsbad military boarding school was sentenced Monday to 48 years in prison for repeatedly molesting a ninth-grade cadet starting in 1999.

It was the maximum punishment for Jeffrey Barton, 59, who proclaimed his innocence during his sentencing hearing in a Vista courtroom, saying his accuser had lied and that he was a victim of a witch hunt.

I cannot feel remorse for crimes I never committed, Barton told Superior Court Judge Harry Elias during a roughly 30-minute statement in which he tried to rebut minutia of case and said the accusations were prompted by people gunning for money.

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God knows I didnt do the crimes, Barton said.

After the hearing, Deputy District Attorney Patricia Lavermicocca, who had asked for the maximum term, said Bartons lengthy prison sentence is what he deserves to bring justice to these kids who have suffered for many years.

He may want to deny it for the rest of his life, but we know what happened, the prosecutor said. Forty-eight years is a small measure of justice.

Barton did not react when he heard the length of his sentence. He will not be eligible for release until he is in his 90s.

In June, a jury found Barton guilty of molesting the Army and Navy Academy student from 1999 to 2001, both on campus and during out-of-town trips. The victim said the abuse started when he was 14 and a cadet at the seaside academy where Barton lived and taught.

The accuser did not disclose the alleged abuse until 2013, but the prosecution offered corroborating evidence, including contemporaneous suspicions from adults at the school, and other accusers dating back decades at different schools.

Barton was not charged with molesting accusers from out-of-state schools; however, trial testimony from two of them was offered as corroboration.

In handing down the sentence Monday, Elias said Barton is a serious danger, and that a key aggravating factor for him was Bartons position of trust as a faculty member and a mentor  not just for the accuser from the Carlsbad school, but also for two other men who said Barton had molested them decades ago.

I believe there is evidence that shows that these offenses were committed in a serial manner over a significant period of time, the judge said.

Related

Ex-headmaster convicted of molestation

After the allegations from the former Carlsbad cadet arose in 2013, Barton resigned after working 18 years at the private college-preparatory academy, the only military boarding school in California. In his final year at the academy, Barton had served as head of schools, which is the administrator in charge of academic and residential programs.

An Army and Navy Academy spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment following Bartons sentencing. When Barton was convicted in June, the school noted that his actions had happened long ago, under a different school administration and board of trustees.

Bartons conviction came in his second trial. In 2015, another jury deadlocked on the charges involving the main accuser, known in court as John Doe.

The victim, Doe, was in court and did not speak during Mondays hearing, but rather submitted a statement read aloud by prosecutor Lavermicocca. The victim wrote that Barton sexually abused me many times, taking advantage of my youth, inexperience and vulnerability, forever altering the trajectory of my life.

He is a danger to society, and should spend the remainder of his adult years in prison, the statement read.

Barton used his own statement to the judge as a chance to rail against his accusers, saying they had lied and that Doe was chasing money.

The former cadet is suing Barton and the school. Trial is set for March.

Later, as Barton was led from the courtroom at the end of the hearing, he yelled out Enjoy your millions, bud.

(Earlier this summer, the law firm representing Doe had represented another former cadet who had accused a different former Army and Navy employee of wrongdoing. The North County jury awarded that ex-cadet $1.9 million.)

Before the current case, Carlsbad police had twice before investigated Barton, once in 2000 and again in 2010, after adults reported suspicious behavior with particular cadets. In each instance, the cadets  including Doe  denied abuse, and the investigations fizzled.

When Doe came forward in 2013, his delayed disclosure prompted a new police investigation, one in which six more former students from boarding schools in a total of three states came forward with allegations that Barton had abused them decades earlier.

Among the new accusers was a man who said he had never spoken of the abuse until he read of Bartons arrest in October 2013 online. The man, now in his 40s, testified that he threw up, then drove home from work to tell his wife what had happened to him at a South Carolina boarding school in the 1980s. He later paid his own way to testify against Barton.

The other out-of-state accuser said Barton had molested him during an overnight trip in the early 1990s, and that he had reported the incident to his mother the next day. That report eventually led Barton to leave a Tennessee school, but he was not criminally charged.

In the current case, Barton was charged only with molestation involving former cadets at the Carlsbad school.

At the end of his first trial, in fall 2015, a North County jury cleared Barton on four charges alleging he drugged and molested two middle-school cadets during a 1997 ski trip. But the jury deadlocked as to all counts related to Doe.

Barton was retried this year solely on the charges involving Doe.

Doe testified that Barton began molesting him not long after his mother shipped him off to the Carlsbad military boarding school in 1999, with promises the boy could come home if he did not misbehave during the school year. The accuser . who had been small, scrawny and reportedly bullied by other cadets  said that Barton had groomed him with gifts and special attention, and said that Barton threatened to tell his mother he was making trouble if he did not comply with the molestations.

Elias, in explaining his findings behind the hefty sentence Monday, said that the psychological injury that John Doe suffered showed callousness from Barton.

I think the psychological impact of the relationship between Mr. Barton and the victim is tantamount to at least a psychological threat, the judge said.

On Monday, Elias also heard from the two out-of state accusers via video phone calls. Both asked for Barton to receive a lengthy sentence, and both spoke of guilt for either for not coming forward or for not pressing the matter further many years ago.

Other children were hurt because I didnt stand up, said the man who had attended the Tennessee school.

Bartons second trial was not without controversy. During deliberations, one of the jurors was removed from the panel after other jurors accused her of refusing to deliberate. After an alternate juror was in place, the jury reached its verdicts, finding Barton guilty of six counts of molestation, and acquitting him of five other counts.

Barton has indicated that he will appeal his conviction.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4945

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUT

UPDATES:

7:05 p.m.: This story was updated with additional details. It was initially posted at 11:15 a.m.
Dr. Bronners, the Vista company famed for its peppermint liquid soap and all one God faith mantras printed on every bottle, has pledged $1 million toward an Oceanside autism learning center.

The family-owned natural soap company announced on Monday that it will donate $250,000 in each of the next four years to the Oceanside nonprofit TERI. The money will be used to expand TERIs Campus of Life, which serves children and adults with autism and special needs.

Michael Milam, chief operating officer of Dr. Bronners, said in a statement that he brought the idea of supporting TERI to the rest of the companys executive team after realizing how well TERIs mission fit with Dr. Bronners corporate philosophy.

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The work that TERI does is so deep and powerful, one visit is really all you need to want to support their mission, Milam said.

Company President Michael Bronner said TERI has the same life force and spirit as his late grandfather, company founder Emanuel Emil Bronner.

TERI isnt just an organization that helps people with special needs lead a better life, its a place that gives them a zest for life. Their advanced holistic programming for individuals and their families is effective, much-needed and life-affirming at the same time, Bronner said in a statement, adding that he hopes his companys donations will encourage other business leaders to step up.

The 20-acre Campus of Life will serve as a hub for TERI programs, specifically designed to advance the standard of care for children and adults. Specifically, the campus will offer career certification programs in fields such as culinary arts, food service, agriculture, sustainability and the arts.

TERI  an acronym for Training, Education, Research, Innovation  was founded in 1980. It serves more than 650 individuals and their families. The clients it serves have autism, intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, brain trauma, severe behavioral disorders, dual diagnoses, and learning disabilities. TERI also trains professionals and agencies in seven countries.

One in five children are born with developmental or learning disabilities, and there are families desperate for services to fill the gap in whats provided, says Cheryl Kilmer, chief executive officer for TERI. The Campus of Life will take our mission to the next level as we work to change the way the world views and helps children and adults touched by special needs.

Third-generation soapmaker Emil Bronner immigrated to the U.S. from his native Germany in 1929 to escape persecution for his strongly Zionist views. In 1948, he began hand-bottling his organic peppermint soap, which became famous for its label, which is covered in fine print with his personal and political philosophies. Bronner died in 1997. His grandsons Michael and David now lead the firm, which now makes a range of products including lip balm, lotions, toothpaste and hair products.

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com
The only event of its kind in Chula Vista that showcased Native American tradition was canceled for the second consecutive year, and it may be gone for good. That is, says event organizer Susan Johnson, unless someone else steps up.

Johnson had led event efforts since inception of the South Bayfront Powwow in 2012. She also helped establish the South Bayfront Artists, the group that came up with the idea for the powwow.

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The free event celebrated Native American culture and entertained attendees with a weekend of traditional music, dance, arts, crafts and food.

This years event was scheduled for July 29 and 30.

While Johnson said the event gained popularity with attendance growing from 1,000 the first year to 3,000, interest from volunteers began to stagnate and donations from contributors, such as casinos fell away.

The South Bayfronts Powwow last run was in 2015, during which time Johnson decided to focus more on helping her husband, Don, run their nonprofit, South Bayfront Sailing Association.

Despite not taking the lead this year, Johnson offered to help secure an annual grant from the Port of San Diego, as well as help in other ways.

The Port agreed to provide seed money for the event and waive service fees through its tidelands activation program, with the idea that over time its financial contribution would decrease and the event would become self-sustaining.

Between 2012 and 2015 the port gave $37,670. The district was scheduled to give another $16,320 for 2016 and 2017 combined.

In turn, the South Bayfront Artists would pick up the cost of putting the event on, with the exception of the cost of the talent.

South Bayfront Artists supports local artists by finding venues for their work and organizing shows to promote the arts in Chula Vista and the surrounding area.

Johnson said that a handful of Native Americans from within the artist group thought the bayfront would be a good place to have an inter-tribal powwow.

Chula Vista doesnt really have a Native American group, the people organizing it basically come out of National City, Johnson said.

At some point the same Native Americans who were part of the group moved out of town, according to Johnson.

The South Bayfront Artists cant organize a powwow without input and help from the Native American community, she said. Everyone else was just way too busy.

Chula Vistas Cultural Arts Manager Lynnette Tessitore said the event gave more exposure to Chula Vista as tribes from all over the Southwest would come to the city to participate in the powwow.

Organizers estimated that roughly 2,000 people attended the 2015 event, including members from about 30 tribes, including the Chippewa to the Yaqui.

We think its a wonderful event and were sorry that it didnt gel, Johnson said. We hope that someone will pick up the ball and make it happen next year.
The Marine Corps has launched an investigation into the death of a serviceman during a Saturday morning accident at sprawling Camp Pendleton.

Authorities said Monday that Lance Cpl. Cody J. Haley, 20, of Hardin, Iowa, was crushed by a falling tree while he was engaged in routine morning physical training. Emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene at 9:29 a.m. on Saturday.

Haley was assigned to 1st Battalion, 4th Marines. He deployed with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in early 2016. His awards include the National Defense Service medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service medal and the Sea Service Deployment ribbon.

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We are heartbroken at the tragic loss of a member of the Marine Corps family, and we will do all we can to comfort the family, friends and colleagues of the deceased, said 1st Marine Division spokesman Lt. Paul Gainey.

Haley was the fourth Marine to die in a training accident over the weekend.

On Sunday at 3 a.m. local time in Australia, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps suspended search and rescue efforts for three Marines missing in Saturdays mishap involving an MV-22 Osprey in Shoalwater Bay, an Australian military training area off the Capricorn Coast of Central Queensland.

Late Monday, the Marines named the three victims: 1st Lt. Benjamin Cross, Cpl. Nathaniel Ordway and Private 1st Class Ruben Velasco.

Cross, 26, of Bethel, Maine, was the pilot of the aircraft and Ordway, 21, of Wichita, was his crewman. Velasco, 19, was a field artillery fire control Marine from West Covina in Los Angeles County.

Cross and Ordway were assigned to the Dragons of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 265, a unit that operates out of Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Japan.

Velasco was assigned to the Patriots of 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines, which is headquartered at Camp Pendleton.

 An Australian Navy survey ship has located a U.S. military aircraft that crashed off the Australian northeast coast. Erica Ferrari reports.

On Monday, the Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diving team embarked about their hydrographic survey vessel Melville to begin searching near the crash site. In conjunction with sailors and Marines aboard the Americans amphibious warship Bonhomme Richard, the dive team plans on deploying a remote robot vehicle in the evening.

Australian sailors aboard the Melville used hydrographic sensors to locate the wreckage of the lost Osprey on Sunday, according to both Australian and American authorities.

I want to thank the Australian Defense Force, and the crew of the HMAS Melville in particular, for their assistance in the search and recovery effort of our MV-22 that went down off the coast of Australia, said Lt. Gen. Lawrence Nicholson, the commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force on the Japanese island of Okinawa, in a prepared statement.

They volunteered their help before we could even ask, demonstrating their friendship and value as international partners. The crew of the Melville and its assets have been invaluable in the recovery effort. On behalf of the Marines, sailors, and families of III MEF, I thank you for your support.

Marine and Navy rescuers saved 23 service members on Saturday after the Osprey crashed shortly after takeoff from the Bonhomme Richard but failed to find the other three aboard the aircraft.

The Marines are probing the cause of that accident, too.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
In the middle of a prescription painkiller overdose crisis in the United States, a San Diego VA study finds that veterans with chronic pain would be well-served to put down the pills and pick up a yoga mat.

After six months of twice-a-week yoga sessions, San Diego veterans reported a significant drop in back pain  one of the signature complaints of a demographic that suffers higher rates of chronic pain than the general population.

Also, the number of patients in the study on opiate-based pain pills dropped from 20 percent to 8 percent. Its a potentially important finding, as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs weans its members off of long-term addictive painkillers such as hydrocodone and fentanyl.

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One of the study participants was Joe Sturdivant, a 52-year-old retired Marine.

After 22 years in uniform, and miles and miles of patrols carrying heavy packs, Sturdivants back was a mess.

In the Marine Corps, you learn to suck stuff up. So I just dealt with it, he said. I thought it would go away. But I guess it was more severe than I expected.

One day, his back flared up and Sturdivant had to drive himself to the emergency room  unable to even crawl out of his truck once he arrived. Orderlies had to come collect him on a stretcher.

That experience pushed the tough Marine to become open to the yoga study last year.

I thought yoga was for women, he said. I always see women with the yoga pants on.

The San Diego study published last month in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine showed that the yoga-mat veterans also reported less fatigue and improved physical functioning.

The connection between yoga and the pill reduction is murky, in part because the San Diego researchers didnt intend to study that factor when they got funding for the study six years ago.

The opiate overdose epidemic in the United States only emerged in the past few years.

Overprescribed: Veterans and the painkiller problem 

Patients in the non-yoga control group also reduced their pill use, leading to the conclusion that people participating in the study were generally motivated to go off painkillers.

However, researchers see some hope because veterans reported a significant drop in pain despite decreased pill use.

Lead researcher Erik Groessl said his findings should open the door to more yoga being offered at the VA. He hopes his manual for a gentle, stretching-focused yoga regime is picked up nationally.

Many physicians already believe in yoga and suggest it as one option for their patients. But we need to offer more classes, make it available to more people, and were working to do that nationally, Groessl told The San Diego Union-Tribune.

It might be available in a psychology clinic, or an inpatient substance-abuse clinic. But that doesnt mean its open to back-pain patients or a broader group of patients, said the VA researcher, who is also an associate adjunct professor at the University of California San Diego.

Other large studies in the civilian population have shown results with yoga for back pain. But the San Diego VA researchers wanted to see if the same held true for their patients  a largely male, blue-collar group who might be a harder sell for yoga.

The VA does serve more people who are in need. They have more chronic back pain and more severe back pain, as well as other health problems, Groessl said. We wanted to make sure we could recommend this as a treatment for our patients.

The average age in the study was 53. Nearly one in five reported being homeless in the past five years. The average length of back pain was 15 years.

Sturdivant, who is a VA employee, admits he had some trepidation when he showed up for the first class.

I didnt know what to expect. Im looking around like, these movements, these positions, I dont have that kind of flexibility, he said.

I saw other guys there, so I said, if these guys can do it, I know I can do it. I accepted the challenge because I like challenges.

The study included 150 San Diego veterans. Half did the yoga program immediately. Their pain ratings were compared to those who hadnt yet started any yoga.

Groessl, the lead San Diego researcher, said hed like to next do a longer term study that follows veterans to see if they can keep up the yoga and if it continues to reduce pain.

Some people stop and get out of the habit, he said. We definitely want to study that.

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
There was celebration in the air. Anxiety, too.

About 60 people who came to San Diego from Somalia  refugees, immigrants, naturalized citizens  gathered in a conference room in City Heights for their weekly meeting. Its an opportunity to work out problems, strengthen community bonds, share food. This time, Friday morning, they applauded those among them who had just completed a six-month program to learn how to read and write English.

And they worried.

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Two days earlier, President Trump had endorsed a radical shift in the nations immigration policy. The bill would eventually cut in half the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country every year, currently more than 1 million, and it would take a decades-old system that favors family ties and turn it into one that is merit-based, giving preference to those with college degrees, job skills and the ability to speak English.

This legislation will not only restore our competitive edge in the 21st century, but it will restore the sacred bonds of trust between America and its citizens, Trump said at the White House. This legislation demonstrates our compassion for struggling American families who deserve an immigration system that puts their needs first and that puts America first.

Almost immediately, critics on both sides of the political aisle found fault with the plan and gave it little chance of passage. They disputed the claims that low-skilled immigrants are taking jobs from Americans and driving down wages, and they said the new restrictions would hurt the economy by shrinking the number of foreign-born workers at a time when the native population is decreasing.

To the Somalis gathered in City Heights, the new proposal felt mostly like more of the same. Trump made immigration reform a centerpiece of his presidential campaign, and since taking office in January hes moved to build a wall on the Mexican border, increase deportations, stem the influx of refugees and curtail visitors from certain Muslim-majority countries.

What hes telling us is were not welcome here, said Said Osman Abiyow, 34, president of the Somali Bantu Assn. of America, an aid organization he founded after arriving in 2003. This is not what America stands for around the world, where it has a great reputation as a place of freedom and peace.

Like many others in the room, Abiyow has relatives in Somalia he would like one day to bring to the United States. Now a U.S. citizen, hes hoping his sister can join him. But he said shes been caught up in the ban the administration put in place for newcomers from six predominantly Muslim countries (Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Iran, Syria and Yemen). He doesnt know when she might be allowed to come.

If the proposed changes go through, maybe never.

There were 44.7 million immigrants living in the United States in 2015 (the most recent year for which numbers are available), which was 13.4% of the U.S. population, according to the Pew Research Center. An estimated 11 million of those are believed to be here illegally. In San Diego County, Health and Human Services Agency figures show about 21.5% of the population is immigrants.

Under current policy, American citizens and permanent residents can sponsor spouses, minor children and parents for an unlimited number of green cards, and siblings and adult children for a limited number of visas. Thats how most lawful immigrants arrive here. In fiscal year 2015, for example, about 65% of the green cards went to relatives.

The new bill, sponsored by Republican Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia, would still allow the spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens and permanent residents to come in, but it would end the preferences for siblings and adult children.

That left San Diego newcomer Rukiya Bare concerned during Fridays weekly meeting of the Somalis.

She came here with her husband and four children 10 months ago. But their 25-year-old daughter, Natesho, had to stay behind. Now shes trying to join the family and is currently in Saudi Arabia, Bare said. When her three-month visa there expires, shell have to leave the country or risk jail.

I worry about her all the time, Bare said through an interpreter. At night, during the day  it hurts my heart, the stress of not having her with us.

Several of the Somalis said they came to the U.S. because of the immigration-policy emphasis on family unity. The Somalis are a tightknit group (there were 3,534 in the county in 2015) and family connections can be crucial to helping them survive in new surroundings, Abiyow said.

Sado Moh, 29, misses her mother. Moh arrived in San Diego four months ago after spending 10 years in a refugee camp and is hoping her mother, father and four siblings will be able to come, too. That was already uncertain because of the other immigration initiatives pursued by the Trump administration, she said, and the latest proposal seems to her the most threatening yet. It would cap the number of refugees admitted annually at 50,000, about half of what it has been.

I ran away from civil war and came here to build a new life, Moh said through an interpreter. But without my family, what I feel mostly is lonely. I want them to come here and have the same chance for a new life. Then I will be happy.

Lawful immigrants are more likely to be of working age (18 to 64) than native-born U.S. citizens, according to Pew  76% compared with 60%.

The occupation with the largest percentage of immigrant workers, about 20%, is farming, fishing and forestry. Many of those workers are drawn to San Diego County, which has more than 5,700 small family farms (most of them less than 10 acres). Nationwide, the county is first in avocado and nursery-crop production; third in honey production; fifth in lemons; and ninth in strawberries.

About 11,000 people are employed as farmworkers in the county, and most are immigrants  a mixture of people who are here both legally and illegally.

Under the new immigration legislation, preference for green cards would be determined by a point system for attributes like education, English-language ability, high-paying job offers, entrepreneurial initiative and achievements (such as a Nobel Prize). Although that would seem to suggest limited opportunities for farmworkers, supporters of the bill said it will help bring up wages, perhaps making the jobs more attractive to native-born workers.

Wilkens writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com
Azim Khamisa said forgiving his sons murderer was an act of faith and one of the defining moments of his life.

Khamisa urged attendees of an interfaith conference on Monday to live compassionate lives, one of the steps that he believes leads to peace, both for individuals and for communities.

Peace is possible, he told the audience of about 60. How do I know that? Because I am at peace.

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After the death of his son, Tariq Khamisa, who, at age 20 was fatally shot while delivering pizza in 1995 by a 14-year-old gang member in North Park, Azim Khamisa worked to forgive the boy, Tony Hicks.

Sometimes in tragedy there is a moment of clarity, Khamisa said. God left me with the wisdom that there are victims at both ends of the gun.

He said that just as his son had been Hicks victim, Hicks had been societys victim.

He described the moment when he locked eyes with Hicks when he visited Hicks in prison for the first time several years after his sons death.

I looked into his eyes to try and find a murderer, and I couldnt find it, Khamisa said. He had done the worst possible thing that you can do. That did not make him inhuman.

Khamisa, who is Muslim, met with Hicks grandfather, who is Baptist, and they formed the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, a nonprofit that teaches peacemaking and nonviolence programs in middle schools.

Rev. Stephen Albert, organizer of the event, said that stories like Khamisas, in which people of different faith backgrounds coming together in harmony, are what the annual North American Interfaith Conference is all about.

We have fears for no reason other than somebodys told us you have to watch out for them. Whos them? Albert said. How do we create harmony with people who, according to the media, were at war with?

For Albert, and many in the interfaith community, the answer to that question starts with conversations. This weeks conference, held at the University of California San Diego, emphasized conversations between those of different faith traditions as well as those of different ages.

There are places you can come that perpetuate oneness rather than separation, Albert said. People really want to be at peace with others.

Following Khamisas talk, attendees listened to a young adult scholars panel address questions about interfaith work, inclusion and diversity and current political issues.

For Miranda Hovemeyer, who works in Washington D.C. and was one of the panelists, interfaith work is not a simple exercise.

Its the hard work of saying, We dont all believe the same thing, and thats beautiful. How can we use that? Hovemeyer said.

Tahil Sharma, another member of the panel and a religious director at the University of Southern California, talked about the ways in which interfaith work relates to political activism.

He recalled attending a counter-protest to an anti-Sharia law demonstration where the two sides were yelling at each other. One of the anti-Sharia law protesters danced near him with her dog.

He asked her if he could pet the dog, he said, and casually began a conversation.

She told him that she was against having Sharia law in the U.S. and that she did not have a problem with Muslims being in the country, he said. He pointed out to her that many of the signs on her side of the protest were hateful toward all Muslims and were not specific to Sharia law.

Youre right, he recalled her telling him.

A lot of times, you have to address the opposite of what you believe to see where the conversation can begin, Sharma said. We can be at the same table to figure out how to fix our communities.

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Three people were seen fleeing an abandoned Bayliner early Sunday morning at Tourmaline Beach in La Jolla, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

A witness called 911 around 1:30 a.m. to report seeing three people getting off the 18-foot vessel and running up a nearby access staircase at Sea Ridge Drive.

San Diego fire officials said they found three gas containers inside the boat.

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection is investigating the incident.
An off-duty sheriffs deputy was shot three times in a scuffle with a gunman in downtown San Diego early Monday, police said.

Deputy Jason Philpot was walking with several people when they were confronted by a man on Island Avenue near Sixth Avenue about 1:15 a.m., officials said. Two off-duty Escondido police officers were also in the group.

When the man brandished a gun, Philpot tried to wrestle it away from him and was shot in the shoulder, police said. The deputy was conscious and breathing when paramedics arrived and was rushed to a hospital with injuries that werent considered life-threatening.

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Sheriffs spokesman Ryan Keim said Sheriff Bill Gore and Philpots friends and family were with the deputy shortly after the shooting. He is expected to recover.

One of the bullets also hit a nearby man in the arm. He drove himself to a hospital in Coronado but was later transported to a trauma hospital as well, police said.

We know there was a confrontation, but what was said, we dont know exactly,' Lt. Ernesto Servin told reporters at the scene.

The shooter was last seen fleeing south on Fifth Avenue and then east on K Street. He was described as black, in his 30s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and about 165 pounds. He was wearing black shorts and a long-sleeved shirt.

Another man was also seen running from the area, but its unclear if or how that person was involved.

In the wake of the shooting, officers scoured the area in search of evidence and found a handgun. Police suspect the shooter used a revolver, since no shell casings were found.

Officers also interviewed nearly a dozen witnesses, including Philpot. The 11-year veteran is a member of the Sheriffs Departments emergency services division, which includes the bomb/arson and SWAT teams.

Police are also reviewing footage of the incident captured by nearby surveillance cameras.

Its unclear what the group was doing prior to the shooting. A Metallica concert was held Sunday at Petco Park, which is several blocks away from where the incident occurred.

Stretches of Sixth and Island avenues were closed for hours while authorities investigate.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
A 29-year-old man believed to be the godson of Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman was indicted on drug smuggling charges in San Diego federal court Monday.

Damaso Lopez Serrano, who turned himself in to U.S. authorities amid a bloody power struggle over the Sinaloa cartel, and five close associates are accused of doling out drugs to smugglers and smuggling drugs into the United States themselves from about May 2005 to August 2016.

Court documents dont specify the exact amount of drugs they are accused of funneling into the country, but state it was more than a pound of methamphetamine, more than two pounds of heroin and more than 11 pounds of cocaine.

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They are also are suspected of laundering money into the United States with the intent to promote the distribution of controlled substances, court records said.

Lopez Serrano, also known as Mini Lic, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin intended for importation, conspiracy to import meth, cocaine and heroin, and conspiracy to launder money. The five associates, including 29-year-old Nahum Abraham Sicairos Montalvo, who goes by Kinceanero, face those same charges.

The indictment is just one piece of a massive five-year investigation that has resulted in charges against more than 125 people and has had a significant impact on one of the worlds most prolific, violent and powerful drug cartels, said Kelly Thornton, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Today marks another important step in the dismantling of the Sinaloa cartel and is a reflection of law enforcements focused efforts these last several years to put an end to this most powerful drug trafficking organization, Acting U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson in a statement.

Lopez Serrano was also charged with drug smuggling charges in a separate case being handled in Virginia, Thornton said. His father, Damaso Lopez Nunez, who was arrested in Mexico earlier this year, was also named in the indictment.

Lopez Serrano surrendered to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers on July 27 at the U.S.-Mexico border crossing in Calexico, officials said.

Mexican authorities had been looking for Lopez Serrano in nearby Mexicali, according to the Mexican news wire service EFE.

He is thought to be the highest-ranking Mexican cartel leader to self-surrender in the United States. Lopez Serrano is the son of  and got his nickname from  Damaso Lopez Nunez, who goes by El Licenciado or the graduate. The father was reputed to be one of Guzmans top leaders in the Sinaloa cartel.

The younger man has a playboy reputation and often posted images of his lavish lifestyle on social media. His Instagram is littered with pictures of scantily clad women, men with guns, gold-plated weapons and exotic pets including a tiger.

After Guzman was arrested in Sinaloa in January 2016, Lopez Nunez allegedly launched an effort to wrest control of the cartel, especially from the drug lords two sons, who go by Los Chapitos, according to news reports.

The friendly relationship Lopez Serrano and Guzmans sons once shared apparently deteriorated as the struggle for power escalated.

In May, Lopez Nunez was arrested by Mexican authorities at a high-rise tower in Mexico City. His sons surrender to U.S. authorities soon followed.

Other high-level targets close to Guzmans empire have often been nabbed along this stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Last month, Guzmans alleged mistress and a former Mexican legislator, Lucero Guadalupe Sanchez Lopez, was taken into custody while trying to enter San Diego at the Cross Border Xpress airport terminal.

She has been indicted on a conspiracy charge of helping the cartel launder money and will be tried in Washington, D.C.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com
A June court ruling could spell the demise of New York City's severely depleted smut industry after decades of litigation, according to an attorney representing dozens of porn book and DVD shops.

"This latest decision from the court, if it is upheld and we do not obtain further judicial relief, it would mean virtually all book stores in NYC that have some level of adult material and viewing booths would have to close," said attorney Erica Dubno, who has been representing NYC smut shops since 1995 and is currently appealing an early June State Appeals Court decision.

The same would likely go for New York City's remaining strip clubs and peep shows, many of which were snuffed out during former mayor Rudy Giuliani's quality-of-life crusade in the mid-1990s. A 1995 law, first enforced in 1998 after multiple court stays, required shops and clubs to shutter in most commercial and residential neighborhoods, including Times Square, which bears little resemblance to its former porn-and-strip-hub self.

Remaining establishments, including Mixed Emotions and Show World Center in Midtown, took advantage of a loophole that allows them to stay open so long as adult materials and offerings amount to less than 40 percent of business. According to Dubno, there are currently roughly 25 smut book and video shops with private viewing booths left in New York City, down from a mid-90s peak of close to 100.

The June 6th ruling, if upheld, will reinstate a 2001 City Council decision that closes the 60/40 loophole and limits porn businesses to a select few remote districts, the Associated Press reports this week. If Dubno's July appeal fails, she predicted, "Shops would have to break leases, fire employees, and put people out of work. And the most important thing is that it infringes on the First Amendment because it silences expression."

Real estate lawyer Ed Rudofsky, who is representing gentlemen's clubs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"We are pleased with the Court of Appeals decision," a City Law Department spokesman stated to Gothamist. "The city's approach was reasonable and lawful to protect our quality of life. The amendments enacted at the time [in 2001] were intended to stem the widespread circumvention of zoning regulations."

Dubno said that while she'd rather the de Blasio administration had let the issue lie, City Hall has proven more "decent" than the Giuliani administration.

"To be completely honest with you, the de Blasio administration has been extremely decent and fair to the First Amendment businesses and they have agreed to stay enforcement on the proceedings while we seek a final resolution," she said. "During the Giuliani administration, he said he was running out and buying padlocks to shut the places down. And I think de Blasio recognizes the importance of waiting for a true and final decision before taking action against businesses."

If Dubno's appeal fails, she'll try for the Supreme Court. Asked if she's concerned how the case might fare in President Trump's Washington, Dubno laughed knowingly and declined to comment.
El Cajon City Councilman Ben Kalasho has been named in a San Diego Superior Court lawsuit alleging fraud, defamation, unfair business practices and other claims related to his fall election campaign and to a beauty pageant he runs with his wife.

The elected official did not respond to multiple telephone messages left at City Hall and on his cell phone, or to emails sent by U-T Watchdog. In a statement to the San Diego Reader, which first reported the lawsuit, Kalasho rejected the allegations and predicted victory in court.

We will protect our brand and reputation at all costs and will not yield to publicity stunts and erroneous allegations whereby ulterior motives and a chance for fame or hunger for money are the clear and evident reasons for such dispute, he told the weekly newspaper.

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Filed in May and amended last month, the complaint accuses Kalasho and his wife, Jessica, of defaming Zhala Tawfiq, the 2016 winner of the Miss Middle East Beauty Pageant, in part by posting photos with her likeness on the bodies of naked women on social media.

The images appeared shortly after Tawfiq raised questions about the legitimacy of the pageant, and were tagged in order to make sure she became aware of them, the complaint alleges.

Kalasho, 35, also is accused in the lawsuit of creating fake social media profiles to publicly criticize a business that refused to display a campaign sign last fall and a lawyer who prevailed in an earlier case against him. He also allegedly rigged results of the 2016 pageant after one contestant refused his sexual advance, the lawsuit claims.

This conduct is outrageous as detailed herein and is worthy of exemplary damages under California law, the lawsuit contends.

The 19-page complaint was filed by Tawfiq and three other plaintiffs  pageant participant Paris Kargar, attorney Lina Charry and 3 Brothers Taco Shop Inc. The suit seeks a jury trial and unstated punitive damages.

Tawfiq, who was subsequently stripped of her crown, said in the lawsuit that she never received all of the promised contest prizes  $2,000 in cash, clothing, cosmetic dentistry and commercial auditions, among others  and instead was handed an unreasonable and onerous employment contract.

In his statement to the Reader, Kalasho denied the charges.

While it is an unfortunate circumstance, Tawfiqs allegations are easily disproved and we too look forward to exposing her allegations to the bright light of proof at trial, he wrote. As the founder and president of the largest ethnic pageant in the world, The Miss Middle East Beauty Pageant USA, we take pride in following all the legal necessary steps of executing binding contracts, of which we have in fact in the case at bar.

According to court records, Kalasho is represented in the case by Stephen Liosi, a family law attorney in Pasadena. Liosi did not return emails or telephone messages left by U-T Watchdog.

The amended complaint accuses Kalasho of commenting lasciviously on Kargars physical appearance during the 2016 Miss Middle East rehearsals. It also contends that he denied her a fair opportunity at the title after she refused to accept his invitation to join him in his hotel room.

You stay here tonight with me and you win tomorrow, the lawsuit contends that he told the contestant.

Kalasho also is accused of creating at least four fake profiles on social media sites, then using the accounts to criticize business rivals.

According to the complaint, Kalasho and his wife attacked 3 Brothers after an owner refused to allow a Kalasho campaign sign to be placed inside the business. Two days later, the Middle Eastern Chamber of Commerce, a business group founded by Kalasho and run by his wife, posted a poll seeking solicitations on the best local Mexican eatery, the lawsuit claims.

On October 17, 2016, the Chamber publicly posted a large graphic with the alleged results of their 48-hour poll, ranked 15 restaurants and proclaimed 3 Brothers the worst Mexican food in El Cajon, the complaint alleges.

Other allegedly fake social media profiles posted comments claiming they were sickened by food served at 3 Brothers, which does business as Tres Taqueria, the lawsuit claims.

I ate at Tres and got really sick, someone claiming to be Robert Forbes posted on the chamber Facebook page. I dont know how Hollywood Casino Jamul-San Diego has them in their food court area. Dont think they will last long.

San Diego lawyer Lina Charry alleged a similar experience after prevailing in a court case against Kalasho. Charry was singled out with a bogus poll as the worst lawyer in San Diego County, the complaint alleges.

The Kalashos utilized their fake profile Mr. George to further defame Charry by posting that she was seen performing fellatio in public, the lawsuit claims.

Attorney Jimmie Parker filed the plaintiffs case against the El Cajon councilman, his wife and the nonprofit groups that operate the beauty pageant and chamber of commerce.

The evidence will prove that the Kalashos have weaponized social media and used perceived online anonymity to attack and defame innocent individuals, he told the Watchdog via email. This conduct is antithetical to American notions of a free democracy and it is of paramount importance that the public has access to the facts regarding these claims in order for justice in this matter to be served.

Kalasho, who was born in Iraq and migrated to San Diego County as a boy, was elected to the El Cajon City Council in November after a failed campaign in 2012.

He has not yet filed his formal response to the Superior Court complaint. The lawsuit is scheduled for a case-management conference next month.

Watchdog Videos On Now Sexual misconduct accusers worry deputy is being protected 6:16 On Now City funded $2-million waterfront bathroom 1:26 On Now Public water district charges customer for legal work, response to records request On Now Video: Tiny homes won't be reused amid housing, homeless crisis On Now Attorney General seeks documentation for Miss Middle East On Now Rep. Hunter probe covers possible fraud On Now Video: SDG&E delaying solar credit for some low-income housing tenants On Now Video: Former San Diego Junior Theatre teacher sentenced for sex with teen girl 0:24 On Now Video: Shelter volunteers believe they were fired for finding a dog a home 0:49 On Now McKamey Manor is leaving San Diego 3:35

jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald
The sun was shining high in 2015, the day Mayor Kevin Faulconer announced his ambitious plan for San Diego to go solar: Hundreds of photovoltaic panels would be installed on top of public buildings from Carmel Valley to San Ysidro.

The project would drive Faulconers continuing efforts to make the city government more innovative and efficient, the Mayors Office news release said  and save tens of millions of dollars to boot.

This is about using our infrastructure to its fullest potential and using public resources to save taxpayer money, Faulconer said then. Libraries, recreation centers and police and fire stations are hubs for community engagement, and now they will be hubs for green energy.

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Under the program Faulconer announced in October 2015, the city would allow SunEdison to develop the solar panels on top of city buildings and in other public spaces.

Once the equipment generated electricity, officials agreed, the city would purchase the power at a contracted rate that is lower than what it pays San Diego Gas & Electric.

The mayors original estimate had the city saving up to $22 million over the first two decades, with construction complete by the end of 2016.

But the mayors bet on renewable power has yet to generate even a spark of solar electricity.

Instead, the effort was hobbled by a bankruptcy declaration many experts saw coming, a spate of canceled contracts and delays that stymied construction plans for nearly two years.

City officials say the first two of 25 long-planned projects have just started construction and will be completed this year. They are solar panels to be installed on top of the Carmel Valley Recreation Center and a fire department repair facility on Kearny Villa Road.

They also say the delays allowed the city to negotiate a better rate for the electricity it eventually will buy, and they may collect damages from SunEdison for energy savings it missed out on under the initial agreement.

Were thrilled to be moving forward with more solar installations at city buildings, which will save millions in energy costs and help meet our long-term goal of using 100 percent renewable energy citywide, mayoral spokesman Craig Gustafson said in a statement.

The first six project agreements were terminated by the city last year, after SunEdison filed for bankruptcy. City and company officials had previously said the court filing would not affect the solar installations.

Those agreements are now being re-bid, so it is not clear when those projects may be completed or even when construction will begin.

The 19 other sites are moving ahead under another contractor, Onyx Renewable Partners, the city said.

Correction: This story was amended on Aug. 14 at 10 a.m. to correct its description of the conditions under which Onyx Renewable Partners took over the solar work.

The most current installation schedule calls for five additional projects to begin construction by Aug. 15, with completion dates before the end of November. Ten other sites will begin by the end of the month and two others will start in September.

Before the end of 2017, the city expects all 19 sites to be generating lower-cost electricity. Combined with its existing portfolio of solar projects, the city expects to have a total generation capacity of 6 megawatts.

In California, a single megawatt of solar electricity can power 250 homes, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

At the time Faulconer reached the agreement with SunEdison, in November 2015, the company already was struggling financially.

By early 2016, SunEdison announced it was borrowing $725 million in order to restructure it debt. When it filed for bankruptcy that April, a company spokesman told The San Diego Union-Tribune it would meet its obligations.

These projects are expected to move forward as planned, SunEdison spokesman John Lamontagne said then. We have every intention of meeting the commitments we made with the city of San Diego.

City officials have yet to calculate the amount of any damages they might collect from the contractor.

Liquidated damages are determined at the end of construction, as is done with all public works contracts, the Environmental Services Department said in a statement. This way the final change order accounts for all damages resulting from construction.

The city could wrestle a significant amount of cash out of the contractor  perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars  if it enforces the liquidated damages provisions of its agreements as aggressively as possible.

Watchdog Videos On Now Sexual misconduct accusers worry deputy is being protected 6:16 On Now City funded $2-million waterfront bathroom 1:26 On Now Public water district charges customer for legal work, response to records request On Now Video: Tiny homes won't be reused amid housing, homeless crisis On Now Attorney General seeks documentation for Miss Middle East On Now Rep. Hunter probe covers possible fraud On Now Video: SDG&E delaying solar credit for some low-income housing tenants On Now Video: Former San Diego Junior Theatre teacher sentenced for sex with teen girl 0:24 On Now Video: Shelter volunteers believe they were fired for finding a dog a home 0:49 On Now McKamey Manor is leaving San Diego 3:35

jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald
North Korea has issued what it called a stern warning after being hit with sanctions from the United States government and the United Nations a few days apart from one another.

Three days after President Donald Trump signed sanctions that the lawfare blog called a sophisticated approach to coercive financial measures, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved even stricter measures in response to North Koreas continued missile threats and expanding nuclear power. Business Insider reported that the U.S.-drafted resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood and could slash by a third the $3 billion annual export revenue of Kim Jong Uns nation.

This resolution is the the single largest economic sanctions package ever leveled against the North Korean regime, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said. This is the most stringent set of sanctions on any country in a generation.

What did President Trump say about the sanctions?

He also called President Moon Jae-in of South Korea to discuss the sanctions on Sunday.

President Trump and President Moon welcomed the new United Nations Security Council resolution that unanimously passed 15-0, said the White House readout of the call. The leaders committed to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well.

How did North Korea respond to the U.N. sanctions?

We will make the U.S. pay by a thousand-fold for all the heinous crimes it commits against the state and people of this country, said a statement from North Koreas government on Monday.

A resolute action of justice is on the way, it said.

At the ASEAN Regional Forum in the Philippines on Monday, North Koreas Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho was vocal about North Koreas anger, saying it has no intention of using nuclear weapons against any country except the U.S.

The Washington Post obtained a copy of prepared remarks from Yong Hos closed-door speech at the forum, which said North Korea wont stop its use of ballistic rockets under any circumstance.

Neither shall we flinch even an inch from the road to bolstering up the nuclear forces chosen by ourselves, unless the hostile policy and nuclear threat of the U.S. against the D.P.R.K. are fundamentally eliminated, Yong Ho said.

So what will happen next after all this saber-rattling?

Will the sanctions bring the country to the negotiating table, which is what U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson wants?

Monday, North Koreas foreign minister specifically said, we will, under no circumstances, put the nukes and ballistic rockets on the negotiating table.

Pyongyang would teach the U.S. a severe lesson in response to any military intervention, he added.

North Korea insists the technology needed to launch a missile to strike the U.S. mainland is ready to go. After two recent tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles in July, analysts are starting to believe thats true.

Will the sanctions make any difference?

Because the sanctions count on countries who were the recipients of those $1 billion worth of exports to uphold them, the pressure is on them to uphold their end of the bargain. That includes neighboring China, whose U.N. ambassador signed the sanctions, as did Russia.

The Associated Press outlined what it called a dizzying display of fast-paced diplomacy that occurred Sunday in the Philippines as countries worked together to build the foundation for the sanctions to take effect.

It reports that South Koreas foreign minister met with her counterparts from the U.S. and Japan in the Philippines, that the U.S. and Japan met with Australia and that South Korea held a rare meeting with the top diplomat from North Korea.

Tillerson said there might be a lag period before any financial impact is seen.

I think perhaps the more important element to that is just the message that this sends to North Korea about the unacceptability the entire international community finds what theyre doing to be, he said.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin
NORTH COUNTY  The manufacturer of a machine meant to helpidentify people who are lying has agreed to a settlement with threeyoung Escondido men who alleged that the device led two of them tomake false, incriminating statements to police investigating thedeath of 12-year-old Stephanie Crowe.

The amount of money included in the settlement is confidential,attorneys in the case said Tuesday.

Stephanie was stabbed to death in January 1998 in her bedroom ather familys Escondido home.

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Her older brother, Michael Crowe, 14 at the time, and two of hisfriends, Joshua Treadway and Aaron Houser, both 15 at the time,were questioned, arrested and charged with the crime. The chargeswere based largely on incriminating statements Crowe and Treadwaymade to police, statements that the boys later argued werefalse.

More than a year after Stephanies death, the murder andconspiracy charges against the three youths were dismissed afterDNA tests showed Stephanies blood on the shirt of a transient,Richard Raymond Tuite, who was seen in the Crowe neighborhood thenight of the killing.

Tuite was later convicted of voluntary manslaughter forStephanies death.

Before the charges against Michael Crowe and his friends weredismissed, the three youths and their families filed a federallawsuit against police, prosecutors and others involved in theinvestigation that led to their arrests.

The National Institute for Truth Verification, which makes theComputer Voice Stress Analyzer police used when they questionedeach of the three boys, was among the named defendants in thelawsuit.

The companys Web site states that the voice-stress analyzermeasures tiny frequency modulations in the human voice, whichautomatically change when someone is lying.

All three of the boys took the voice-stress tests during theirquestioning, and all three boys were told by police that they hadfailed the tests.

Stephanie and Michaels mother, Cheryl Crowe, said Tuesday thatshe did not know the details of the settlement, but the amount ofmoney involved was not important.

Settlement means they know theyre wrong, Cheryl Crowe said."Hopefully, theyll change their practices. Its just a step in theright direction.

Kimberly Oberrecht, an attorney for the National Institute forTruth Verification, said the company did not admit liability andstands by its product.

About 1,400 state and federal law enforcement agenciesnationwide use the Computer Voice Stress Analyzer, including theOceanside and Carlsbad police departments, the San Diego CountySheriffs Department and the California Highway Patrol, accordingto the National Institute for Truth Verifications Web site.

In court documents, Milton Silverman, the Crowe familysattorney, has called the machine a fraud and has said it has noscientific validity whatsoever.

The lawsuit alleged that the voice analyzers manufacturers wereliable for the harm Michael and his friends suffered when they werearrested, charged and prosecuted in a highly publicized murder caseand that the product led the boys to make false and misleadingstatements to police.

Michaels attorney argued that the use of the machine causedMichael to doubt his memory, and ultimately prompted the boy totell police that he must have killed his sister, even though hecould not remember doing so.

Attorneys for the National Institute for Truth Verification haveargued that the results of the tests did not play a part in thecharging and jailing of the three boys, and that there are no factsto support the theory that the boys confessed because of themachine.

U.S. District Court Judge John Rhoades twice rejected theinstitutes requests to rule in its favor without having a trial.In his most recent ruling in April, Rhoades wrote that a jury wouldhave to decide whether the boys confessed to murder, whether thevoice-stress analyzer played a role in causing the boys to falselyconfess and whether the boys were arrested as a result of falseconfessions.

Oberrecht, the attorney for the National Institute for TruthVerification, said attorneys in the case told Rhoades at a hearingMonday afternoon that a confidential settlement had been reached. Astipulation to dismiss the case against the institute will be filedas a result.

Silverman, the Crowe familys attorney, and Robert Francavilla,the Treadway familys attorney, could not be reached for commentTuesday.

Dennis Schoville, the Houser familys attorney, said all federallawsuits go through a mandatory settlement process and that itmakes sense to resolve cases in a way that is " to the mutualbenefit of plaintiffs and the defense.

We were able to reach a resolution agreeable to all concerned,"Schoville said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact staffwriter Scott Marshall at (760) 631-6623 orsmarshall@nctimes.com.
ZARZIS, Tunisia (AP)  The fishermen of this small North African port are used to catching sea bass and sea bream in their nets, but lately theyve been hauling in something else: shipwrecked migrants fleeing war-ravaged Libya on flimsy boats.

Chamseddine Bourassine, a Tunisian fisherman in his 50s, and his colleagues are on the front lines of a growing humanitarian disaster as waves of migrants take to the sea bound for Italy. They do their best to save who they can, but Bourassine says theyre quickly being overcome by this years flood of African and Middle Eastern migrants seeking a new life in Europe.

The fishermen, who are risking both their lives and livelihoods to rescue the migrants, often cite a saying by the Prophet Muhammad: Who saves a life, saves all of humanity.

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Today I have the means to bring back 107 people, but Ill lose 3,000 Tunisian dinars ($1,750), Bourassine says. Tomorrow I might not be able to. I have people who work with me. If I interrupt work once, twice, three times, it becomes a heavy burden on my shoulders.

He estimates he has saved more than 1,000 migrants on four separate occasions while out in his fishing boat, twice since the Libyan uprising in 2011.

Bourassine and other fishermen dont take any rewards for saving the migrants and he understands why they are trying to leave. But he says its not his job to save them and he feels theres been a lack of support from rescue organizations and governmental authorities.

Mansour Ben Chouikha, a fifty-something fisherman, paused while cleaning his rustic blue-and-white fishing vessel to describe the horrific scenes he has witnessed on the calm, peaceful waters off Zarzis, only 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Libyan border. He says he has seen floating bodies decomposing in the Mediterranean, some missing their heads.

We find them dead but we dont declare it, said Chouikha. "(If) there is a body in the water and we are six or seven hours from the land, we cant get them on board.

The fishermen dont keep track of the number of migrants they recover  dead or alive. But they are unanimous in saying the numbers are rising. Last week two bodies were pulled out the water off the nearby coastal resort of Djerba.

The other day, with my boat, I brought back 107 people, three or four died before my eyes, they fell in the water and they didnt know how to swim. My stability (of the boat) didnt allow me to act. One hundred and seven people represent a great danger for my crew, Bourassine said.

The fishermen complain that the authorities are turning a blind eye.

Unlike the media storm that followed the October 2013 migrant disaster off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa  in which roughly 400 migrants died when their boats capsized  similar catastrophes go unmentioned in Tunisia.

The fishermen say theyve seen up 30 boats of migrants leaving each day for Italy, each with a capacity of between 50 and 250 people, but its difficult to get exact numbers. Organizations such as the Red Crescent are trying to help some of the migrants picked up by the Tunisian Coast Guard. A Tunisian Red Crescent official told The Associated Press they have looked after around 400 rescued migrants but that doesnt reflect the true number out in the sea.

The Italian navy has stepped up their rescue efforts since Lampedusa. On Monday they announced they had rescued more than 93,000 migrants since the start of the year.

Despite the risks, migrants see the journey as their only option.

Abou Bakr Boudjan is a Gambian who found his way to Libya last year. Two months ago, he took a boat trying to reach Europe but was caught by the Coast Guard at sea. Now he is stuck in Zarzis trying to file for asylum with the support of the Red Crescent.

His dreams are simple: having a normal life and a job, whatever country he ends up in.

Anywhere I can now have freedom is OK. Here, Libya, Italy, anywhere, Boudjan said.

___

Keller reported from Paris.
Amy Schumer is heading to the Great White Way: The comedian will make her Broadway debut in Meteor Shower, a new comedy by Steve Martin that opens in November.

Also starring in the play are Keegan-Michael Key (currently in the Public Theater's production of Hamlet; "Luther"); Tony winner Laura Benanti (beloved Broadway star and part-time Melania); and Alan Tudyk, the voice behind Heihei:

A press release describes Meteor Shower thus: "Its a hot night in Ojai, California, and Corky (Schumer) and her husband Norm (Tudyk) are having another couple over for dinner. Laura (Benanti) and Gerald (Key), though, aren't looking for a casual evening of polite small talk with new friends. Eventually, the two couples find themselves in a marital free-fall matched in velocity and peril only by the smoldering space rocks tearing through the sky."

The play premiered in San Diego last year; the LA Times savaged it but Variety called a subsequent New Haven production a "loopy satire of marriage, sex and the inner id" in a more positive assessment.

Martin recently tried his hand at Broadway with the musical Bright Star.

Meteor Shower, which is directed by Tony winner Jerry Zaks, will begin previews Wednesday, November 1 and open on November 27.
Noon Belize Time:

It was just over a year ago when Category One Hurricane Earl made landfall in Belize with 85 mile per hour winds. He made landfall south of San Pedro (about 30 miles south) near Belize City and caused fairly extensive property damage. Many of the docks were down on Ambergris Caye and rivers and low lying neighborhoods flooded. (You can see many pictures of the damage here.)

That was August 4, 2016fast forward to today. August 7, 2017 and we are watching another storm move in our direction. This wasnt supposed to happen! Ive been here 10 years and Earl was my first view of real damage from a storm.

But here he is  Tropical Storm Franklin. Upgraded late yesterday afternoon, he intensified again over night and is NOW projected to hit just north of Mahahual, Mexico (about 75-85 miles north of us).

And now, according to NEMO (the National Emergency Management Organization of Belize) we are under Tropical Storm Watch.

And alcohol sales have been banned!

Also note that if you live on Ambergris Caye, SAGA is looking for temporary shelter for the dogs housed at Fort Dog  there are 20 dogs that need housing for 1 to 2 days.

Many business are closing at mid-day Monday  the gas station in town at 4pm and south of town 7pm.

Graphic from the National Hurricane Center (all links are set up to go to TS Franklin)

Its currently cruising over the coast of Honduras  just north of the Bay Islands (Roatan, Utila and Guanaja). You can see them just south of the yellow area. I checked in with my friend Kendall down there in Roatan and hes reporting relatively calm rain free weather so far this morning.

View in Roatan.

Lets hope it stays that way.

Satellite Image from Wunderground

So far, on North Ambergris Caye, we have been getting heavy bands of rain and lightning. The resort next to us is packing up all the beach furniture and anything loose that is around. Many are moving their boats to the lagoon side of the island  to stay away from potential surge and high winds. One resort, that I know of, is moving guests to the units in the back of the property  away from those units close to the ocean.

Track from Navy site

Here is a look northward.

I am getting quite a few emails and questions about flights/vacations  I can not answer that! But here are some sites that I will be watching.

And for specific information, please talk to your hotel and airline.

US Navy Tracking

Stormpulse

Tropical Storm Franklin Wunderground

National Hurricane Center

For Belize specific information:

NEMO Facebook page for important announcements

San Pedro Sun facebook page for updates

My Facebook page and this page for updates and photos

If you are in San Pedro, Channel 20 Reef TV  announcements and information

Ill be posting updates thru the day. Please let me know if you have any additional questions or information to post!
Photo by via Mayor's Flickr

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Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2022. Donate today
Garrison Keillor continues a career in satirizing and venerating small-town life after his long stint on the radio waves.

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Last year Garrison Keillor recorded his final show as host of A Prairie Home Companion, the little variety radio program-that-could. Keillor conceived the radio show in 1974 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, featuring musical acts and folksy sketch comedy.

The Posts 1986 article Lake Wobegon: The Little Town That Time Forgot, describes the first recording of A Prairie Home Companion in the Janet Wallace Auditorium at Macalester College in Saint Paul: There was an audience of 12 in the 400-seat hall, and the total gate ($1 for adults, 50c for children) was less than $8. For those still unfamiliar with the nationally-broadcast program  likely a minority, especially among public radio listeners  Keillors two-hour-long, weekly production weaved live music with tales of Guy Noir, Private Eye, News from Lake Wobegon, and The Lives of the Cowboys. Keillor wrote several collections of stories about the fictional Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average, starting with Lake Wobegon Days in 1985.

Keillors last show was recorded at Californias Hollywood Bowl to an audience of 18,000 people on July 1, 2016. Companion continued, though, on October 15th with its new host Chris Thile of musical groups Nickel Creek and Punch Brothers. Garrison Keillor still produces the radio program, and he began writing a column for The Washington Post in 2016.

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We caught up with Keillor last year, and he gave Post writer Jeanne Wolf his thoughts on the presidential election, retirement, and the dividing country.
U.S. Marines landed on Guadalcanal on August 7 in an epic battle that changed the direction of the Pacific Theater in World War II.

By- Frank, Richard B., Guadalcanal, the Definitive Account of the Landmark Battle, (1990), Penguin Group, ISBN 01401.65614, between pages 306 and 307 states that the source of the photo is the U.S. National Archives without providing additional author or date information., Public Domain, Link

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Eight months after being attacked at Pearl Harbor, the U.S. finally sent ground forces up against the enemy. The site was a steaming, disease-ridden equatorial island northeast of Australia called Guadalcanal.

The U.S. Navy had already engaged the Japanese at the Battle of Midway and inflicted heavy damage on their navy. Now the Marines and Army troops, along with the Navy, would confront the ground forces of Japan at Guadalcanal.

The Japanese had seized the Solomon Islands in the summer of 1942 and begun building a key airfield on the island. When completed, it would give the Japanese air force control over the shipping lanes between the U.S. and its Australian ally.

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Intending to take the airfield from the Japanese, U.S. Marines landed on Guadalcanal on August 7. They met little opposition at first as they marched inland to seize the airfield. But the commander of the assault force grew concerned that he might lose his fighter cover, so he pulled back his supply ships and withdrew, taking away 2,000 men that the Marines were counting on.

Left short of artillery, food, men, and air cover, the Marines remained surrounded by Japanese forces for the next four months. In Washington, there were understandable concerns that Guadalcanal would turn into another Corregidor, where besieged American troops had surrendered to the Japanese.

Over the months that followed, naval and ground forces waged fierce battles for control of the island. The Marines held Henderson Airfield and kept it open for air support despite continual Japanese bombardments and attacks. The Navy fought costly battles that culminated in November with what Admiral Ernest King called one of the most furious sea battles ever fought.

In Guadalcanal  1942, Pulitzer Prizewinning historian Samuel Eliot Morison describes the desperate naval engagements that were a crucial part in the victory of this seven-month-long conflict.

Today, the Guadalcanal campaign is memorable for two reasons. First, it was the closest the U.S. came to losing the war in the Pacific, but second, its victory put America on the offensive against Japan for the rest of the war. It was, as Winston Churchill said, not even the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

Read the Posts profile of World War II veteran Roy Roush, who fought at Guadalcanal.

Featured image: USMC Archives
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August 7 marks the 75th anniversary of one of the most brutal battles of World War II, the Battle of Guadalcanal. World War II veteran Roy Roush recalls his experiences as a member of the 2nd Marine Division during frontline action at this critical campaign.

Roush enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on July 4, 1942, the day after the end of his junior year of high school.

Now 92 years old and one of only two people still alive from his company, Roush remembers how he survived: The reason we were so successful is because we were all teenagers. Out of 175 men in our company, 90 percent of us were teenagers. Teenagers think they can do anything, and they always did.

After the surprise attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, they set out to take over the South Pacific islands to prevent a retaliatory attack by the United States. When the Japanese military began to build an airfield in 1942 in the Solomon Islands, U.S. forces saw a target, and one of the most important battles of World War II was fought here.

The United States forces landed in the Solomon Islands on August 7, 1942  eight months to the day after Pearl Harbor  and the six-month battle that followed ended Japans eastward advance. The fighting conditions were gruesome on both sides, with lack of clean water, insufficient supplies, and mosquitoes causing many soldiers to suffer dysentery and malaria.

Rousch recalls his experience in Guadalcanal: [I] walked up to the front line from the beach, and it was about five miles carrying a browning automatic rifle (BAR) and nearly one hundred pounds of ammunition and gear. It was a jungle hell where nothing was accommodating. We were thirsty, tired, covered in scratches from the jungle. There was never enough food or water. You could not sleep at night because of the mosquitoes and infiltrating Japanese.

Rouschs 2nd Marine Division landed in the Solomon Islands at Kukum Beach near Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. Roush says that he would rather return to all three of the other campaigns he served in later in the war  on Tarawa, Saipan, and Tinian  than go back to the conditions at the Battle of Guadalcanal.

The Guadalcanal operation holds the record as the longest and largest of all beachheads ever secured by Marines, but victory came at a price, and the territory was as unwelcoming as the opposition. The water they drank was so dirty, Roush strained it through his teeth to keep from choking on it. His company had to hack its way through the jungle with machetes and bayonets. The soldiers all lost weight; Roush went from 175 pounds to 130 pounds from lack of supplies, illness, fatigue, and the jungle heat.

When Roushs battalion left the Solomon Islands for Wellington, New Zealand, on February 19, 1943, nearly all the members were hospitalized for severe malaria; two died, and some had to be medically discharged. Roush was in the hospital in July 1943 when Eleanor Roosevelt visited the ward and said, My husband, the President of the United States, has asked me to say hello to you all and to say how much we appreciate what you have done.

The Solomon Islands Campaign cost the Allies approximately 7,100 men, 29 ships, and 615 aircraft, according to the National WWII Museum. The Japanese lost 31,000 men, 38 ships, and 683 aircraft. Despite the odds, Roush made it home from World War II and chose to serve again during the Korean War as a fighter pilot.

After an honorable discharge from the Air Force in 1954, Roush moved to Los Angeles, where he now lives with his wife in a house with floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors overlooking the San Fernando Valley. He earned both a Masters and Ph.D. in archeology and wrote the book Open Fire! about his personal story of frontline combat.

Roush was knighted by the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem and has a purple heart. He was a hero to our country during battle, and he continues to serve as an inspiration. Roush proves that if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything. As he says in the first line of his book, We were just a bunch of American kids, led by some good officers who thought that we could do anything, and somehow, we always did.

Read Jeff Nilssons Post Perspective on Guadalcanal, The Battle of Guadalcanal: The End of the Beginning.
New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/07/2017 -- Nail Polish Consumption Market:



Executive Summary



Nail polish, also called nails enamel or nails lacquer, has evolved throughout the centuries thanks to scientific research. Most nail polishes on the market today are non-toxic, yet contain chemicals to help with application, drying, glossiness and long-lasting adhesion to the nail. Current nail polish is sold in fluid shape in little containers and is connected with a minor brush. Inside a couple of minutes after application, the substance solidifies and shapes a sparkly covering on the fingernail that is both water-and chip-safe. For the most part, a covering of nail clean may most recent a few days before it starts to chip and tumble off. Nail polish can likewise be expelled physically by applying nail polish "remover," a substance intended to separate and disintegrate the clean.



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The Global Nail Polish Consumption Market Report is an expert and top to bottom investigation on the present condition of the Nail Polish Market.



The report gives an essential review of the business including definitions, groupings, applications and industry hierarchy structure. Improvement approaches and designs are studied and examined as well as addition producing procedures and cost structures are likewise investigated in detailed. This report additionally states import | export utilization, free market activity Figures, cost, value, income and gross edges. The report at that point compare the worldwide Nail Polish market measure (Volume and esteem), the sales fragment showcase is additionally talked about result sort, application and area. The prima Nail Polish market (counting GREECE, Russia, Bulgaria, Romania, and so forth.) is investigated, information including market size, import and export, deal section advertise by item sort and application. At that point we estimate the 2015-2020. Nail Polish market size of the Nail Polish. The report concentrates on worldwide significant driving brand giving data, for example, organization profiles, deals, deals income, piece of the overall industry and contact data. At that point the Nail Polish OEM market and Nail Polish creation showcase position is talked about.



The report provide further overall manufacturing cost structure analysis for Nail Polish market which is segmented into various department such as raw material requirement for the production, the Suppliers demand, equipment requirement and supplies price analysis, Labor Cost and Other Costs. Then report further provides details about nail polish price by region, type, application worldwide. Report highlight major key points SWOT analysis for nail polish market what would be the challenges, opportunities, demand for market from competitors and new entrant.



Global Nail Polish Capacity, Production, Price, Cost, Revenue, Supply, Import, Export and Consumption for various region are discuss in reports United States,EU,China, Japan.



Some key players in the market are OPI, ZOTOS ACCENT, Maybelline, Dior, Chanel, ORLY, ANNA SUI, Revlon, Sally Hansen, MISSHA, CND, Butter London, and Kiko.



CONTINUED



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New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/07/2017 -- WiseGuyReports published new report, titled "South Korea Renewable Energy Policy Handbook".



"South Korea Renewable Energy Policy Handbook 2017" is among the latest country specific policy reports from the industry analysis specialist that offers comprehensive information on major policies governing renewable energy market in the country.



The report provides the current and future renewable energy targets and plans along with the present policy framework, giving a fair idea of overall growth potential of the renewable energy industry. The report also provides major technology specific policies and incentives provided in the country.



The report is built using data and information sourced from industry associations, government websites and statutory bodies. The information is also sourced through other secondary research sources such as industry and trade magazines.



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Scope



- The report covers policy measures and incentives used by South Korea to promote renewable energy.



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Key points to buy



The report will enhance your decision making capability in a more rapid and time sensitive manner. It will allow you to 



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- Be ahead of competition by keeping yourself abreast of all the latest policy changes.



Table of Contents



1 Table of Contents 2

1.1 List of Tables 3

2 Introduction 4

2.1 Renewable Energy Policy 4

2.2 Report Guidance 4

3 Renewable Energy Policy, South Korea 5

3.1 Renewable Energy Market, Overview 5

3.2 Major Policies 6

3.2.1 Green Growth Policy 6

3.2.2 Subsidy Program (Renewable Energy Demonstration and Deployment) 6

3.2.3 Research Funding for the Development of Renewable Energy Sources 6

3.2.4 Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership 7

3.2.5 The Promotional Law of New and Renewable Energy Development, Use and Dissemination 7



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New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/07/2017 -- Talc is a mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate and is an important industrial and commercial mineral. It has broad applications as an industrial mineral due to its resistance to heat, electricity and acids and oil and grease adsorption. Talc has extensive commercial use because of its luster, softness, purity, fragrance retention, softness and whiteness. It is the softest known mineral and has a rating of 1 on the Mohs hardness scale. It can be scratched by a fingernail and is also sectile that means it can be cut by a knife. It has a specific gravity of 2.5 -2.8 and has clear luster. Talc is slightly soluble in dilute mineral acids and insoluble in water. It is a metamorphic mineral and occurs due to metamorphism of magnesium minerals such as olivine, amphibole, serpentine and pyroxene in presence of water and carbon dioxide. Talc is a tri-octahedral layered mineral and has a similar structure to that of pyrophyllite.



To access full report @http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/talc-market.asp



Talc can be used as an ingredient in paints, roofing materials, ceramics, insecticides, rubber, talcum powder and insecticides among others. It is also used by the cosmetics industry, pulp and paper industry and food industry. Talc is often used to manufacture laboratory countertops and electrical switchboards due to its resistance to heat, acids and electricity. It is used by the cosmetic industry as a lubricant and as a filler by the pulp and paper industry. Talc is extensively used to make astringent baby powders that prevent rashes covered by a diaper. Talc is used by the pharmaceutical industry as a glidant (a substance that is added to powder to improve its flow ability) and by the food industry as an additive. In the European Union the additive number is E553b. In medicine, talc is used as a pluerodesis agent to prevent pneumothorax or recurrent pleural effusion. Talc is also an effective dispersing agent and anti caking agent and helps fertilizer plants and animal feeds to function efficiently and can be used for fertilizers.



A sample of this report is available upon request @ http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/4609



The paper and pulp industry remains the largest global end market for talc and is the key driving factor for the talc Industry. The automotive industry, ceramics industry and the paint and coatings industry are the other major consumers of talc. The use of talc as a filler in the paper industry is declining today but the use of talc for the manufacture of under the hood automotive parts is substantially increasing that has further lead to surge in demand for talc by the automotive industry.



Asia Pacific is the largest market for talc with China, India, Japan, Bhutan, and South Korea being the key markets in this region. The Indian talc industry is the world's third largest and continues to grow due to increase in domestic consumption. North America and Europe are other regions with a substantial market share of talc. Austria, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and United Kingdom are the major consumers of talc in Europe.



To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ http://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/toc/4609



Some of the major companies dominating the talc market are Imerys talc, Mondo Minerals, Golcha Group, American Talc, IMI FABI, Nippon Talc, Minerals Technologies Inc, the Jai Group, Aihai Talc, Behai Talc, Shuiquan Talc, Xin Talc, Haumei Talc, Guiguang Talc and Xin Talc among others. Imerys talc is the world's leading producer of talc followed by Mondo Minerals.



Key geographies evaluated in this report are:



North America

U.S

Canada

Europe

France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK

Eastern Europe

CIS

APAC

China

India

Japan

Australia

Others

Latin America

Argentina

Brazil

Others



Key features of this report



Drivers, restraints, and challenges shaping the Talc market dynamics

Latest innovations and key events in the industry

Analysis of business strategies of the top players

Talc market estimates and forecasts(2015 -2021)



About Persistence Market Research

Persistence 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.



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Atlanta, GA -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/07/2017 -- The National Trial Lawyers is pleased to announce that Andre C. Ramsay of the Cochran Firm -- Atlanta has been selected for inclusion into its Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers in Georgia, an honor given to only a select group of lawyers for their superior skills and qualifications in the field. Membership in this exclusive organization is by invitation only, and is limited to attorneys in each state or region age 40 or younger who have demonstrated excellence and have achieved outstanding results in their careers in either civil plaintiff or criminal defense law.



The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40 is a professional organization comprised of the premier trial lawyers from across the country who have demonstrated exceptional qualifications in criminal defense or civil plaintiff law. The National Trial Lawyers provides accreditation to these distinguished attorneys, and also provides essential legal news, information, and continuing education to trial lawyers across the United States.



With the selection of Andre C. Ramsay by The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40, Mr. Ramsay has shown that he exemplifies superior qualifications, leadership skills, and trial results as a trial lawyer. The selection process for this elite honor is based on a multi-phase process which includes peer nominations combined with third party research. As The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40 is an essential source of networking and information for trial attorneys throughout the nation, the final result of the selection process is a credible and comprehensive list of the most outstanding trial lawyers chosen to represent their state or region.



To learn more about The National Trial Lawyers, please visit: http://thenationaltriallawyers.org/.



The Cochran Firm Atlanta

100 Peachtree St NW Ste 2600 Atlanta, GA 30303

404-222-9922

http://cochranfirmatlantaworkerscompensation.com/



Contact:

Cinnamon Denise, Digital Marketing Specialist

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678-435-9373
In a paper published in the August 3, 2017 issue of the journal Nature, physicists with the ALPHA collaboration, a multinational project based at CERN, report the first detailed observation of spectral lines from an antihydrogen atom, the antimatter counterpart of the simplest atom, hydrogen.

Matter and antimatter are believed to be mirror images of one another, and so the spectral lines of antimatter atoms should be precisely the same as those of their normal atom counterparts. Whether or not this is true is unknown.

Until now, physicists have only had glimpses of antimatter spectral lines, and comparisons with normal matter spectral lines have been coarse.

The existence of antimatter is well established in physics, and it is buried deep in the heart of some of the most successful theories ever developed, said co-author Professor Mike Charlton, from Swansea University.

But we have yet to answer a central question of why didnt matter and antimatter, which it is believed were created in equal amounts when the Big Bang started the Universe, mutually self-annihilate?

We also have yet to address why there is any matter left in the Universe at all. This conundrum is one of the central open questions in fundamental science, and one way to search for the answer is to bring the power of precision atomic physics to bear upon antimatter.

The ALPHA collaboration has made antihydrogen by replacing the proton nucleus of the ordinary atom by an antiproton, while the electron has been substituted by a positron.

One of the challenges we face is that matter and antimatter annihilate when they come into contact with one another, said co-author Justine Munich, a PhD candidate at Simon Fraser University.

We have to keep them apart. We cant just put our anti-atoms into an ordinary container. They have to be trapped or held inside a special magnetic bottle.

In 2016, the physicists used UV light to detect the so-called 1S-2S transition between positron energy levels.

Now, they have used microwaves to flip the spin of the positron. This resulted not only in the first precise determination of the antihydrogen hyperfine splitting, but also the first antimatter transition line shape, a plot of the spin flip probability versus the microwave frequency.

The data reveal clear and distinct signatures of two allowed transitions, from which we obtain a direct, magnetic-field-independent measurement of the hyperfine splitting, the researchers said.

From a set of trials involving 194 detected atoms, we determine a splitting of 1,420.4  0.5 MHz, consistent with expectations for atomic hydrogen at the level of four parts in 10,000.

By studying the properties of anti-atoms we hope to learn more about the Universe in which we live, said co-lead author Professor Michael Hayden, also from Simon Fraser University.

We can make antimatter in the lab, but it doesnt seem to exist naturally except in miniscule quantities.

Why is this? We simply dont know. But perhaps antihydrogen can give us some clues.

_____

M. Ahmadi et al. 2017. Observation of the hyperfine spectrum of antihydrogen. Nature 548: 66-69; doi: 10.1038/nature23446
A stunning new image of Jupiter captured by NASAs Juno robotic orbiter shows a huge storm called the North North Temperate Little Red Spot 1 (NN-LRS-1), the third largest anticyclonic storm on the gas giant.

An anticyclone is a weather phenomenon with large-scale circulation of winds around a central region of high atmospheric pressure.

They rotate clockwise in the northern hemisphere, and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere.

As well as the Great Red Spot, Jupiter sometimes presents one or more anticyclonic Little Red Spots, often seen in the North North Temperate Zone.

NN-LRS-1 is the third largest anticyclonic oval on the planet, typically around 3,700 miles (6,000 km) long.

It has been tracked at least since 1993, and may be older still.

NN-LRS-1s color varies between red and off-white (as it is now), but the new image shows that it still has a pale reddish core within the radius of maximum wind speeds.

The image was taken on July 10, 2017 at 9:42 p.m. EDT (6:42 p.m. PDT), as Juno performed its seventh close flyby of Jupiter.

At the time the image was taken, the spacecraft was about 7,111 miles (11,444 km) from the tops of the clouds of the gas giant at a latitude of 44.5 degrees.

Citizen scientists Gerald Eichstadt and Sean Doran processed the image using data from the JunoCam instrument.

The image has been rotated so that the top of the image is actually the equatorial regions while the bottom of the image is of the northern polar regions of the planet.
[NEW DELHI] Warming due to climate change may have caused some 59,000 suicides over the last three decades in India, says a new study which statistically links temperature spikes to crop failures and farmer distress and suicides.



Published July in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the analytical study focused on India  where one-fifth of the worlds suicides occur  to demonstrate that climate factors, particularly temperature rise, influence a growing suicide epidemic.



These are deaths which would not have occurred had the warming weve observed in the historical record not taken place, says Tamma Carleton, researcher at the University of California and lead author of the study.

It appears that crop losses are the key culprit linking temperature during the growing season to annual suicides. Tamma Carleton, University of California

It appears that crop losses are the key culprit linking temperature during the growing season to annual suicides as reductions in agricultural income can lead to poverty and distress, causing some individuals to cope by committing suicide, says Carleton.



Temperature rise could partly explain why suicide rates have been on the rise in India since 1980, claiming an average of 130,000 lives annually. Some 70 per cent of Indias 1.3 billion people are directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.



Carleton tested the links between climate change, crop yields and suicides by pairing the numbers for India's reported suicides in each of its 32 states between 1967 and 2013, using a dataset prepared by the Indian National Crime Records Bureau, along with statistics on India's crop yields and high-resolution climate data.



To isolate the types of climate shocks that damage crops, Carleton focused on temperature and rainfall during Indias summer monsoons in JuneSeptember, a critical period for crop productivity.



Carleton found that for temperatures above 20 degree Celsius, increase by just a degree in a single day causes roughly 70 suicides, on average. Warming by five degrees Celsius has five times that effect.



This effect occurs only during Indias agricultural growing season, when heat also lowers crop yields. I find no evidence that acclimatisation, rising incomes, or other unobserved drivers of adaptation are occurring, she says.

This analysis does not have the data required to make specific policy recommendations regarding suicide prevention, Carleton admits. However, the finding that crop losses appear to be the key culprit linking the climate to suicide suggests that policies like crop insurance could be successful in reducing suicides.Environmental economist Joyashree Roy, professor of economics at Jadavpur University and member of the IPCC2007 Nobel Peace Prize winning panel, says that she has several reservations with the analysis particularly in making spurious correlation.Any two numerical dataset can always show very close togetherness, but causality is something which needs deeper analysis by establishing a relation between the variables, Roy says. While the study has done due diligence with data analysis, it lacks any kind of socio-economic deeper analysis to explain a complex behavioural decision like committing suicide.This piece was produced by SciDev.Nets Asia & Pacific desk.

This article was made possible with support from Monsanto.
Sport

Shoaib's photos with Pakistani actress go viral, spark divorce rumours

As per multiple media reports, all is not well between Sania and Shoaib for quite some time now and they are heading toward divorce. The reports also claim Ayesha Omar is the reason for the breakdown of Shoaib and Sania's marriage.
Europe is experiencing the impact of a new heat wave called "Lucifer". On Friday the temperature measured more than 40-degree Celsius in several parts of the eastern and southern Europe.

The two worst affected states by the heat wave in Europe are the Balkans and Italy. Areas of another state Poland also exposed to this abnormal temperature. According to Reuters, Meteoalarm, the European weather hub, has already issued "red" warnings for ten countries.

Many people were admitted to hospitals after suffering from sunstroke and different heat-related problems. Due to the extreme temperature in Europe, two people also died one person in Poland and another person in Romania. Another European state Albania craved for emergency help from the European Union. This state battled to control 75 forest fires as three hundred firefighters, and soldiers tried their best to tackle the situation.

Firefighters were busy in other states in Europe, like Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, and Serbia. According to Mail Online, Macedonia and Greece have already declared a state of emergency. Several wildfires in these two parts are still out of control. Authorities have asked people to drink more water as the temperature could remain the same 40-degree Celsius in the next week.

The Red Cross volunteers visited the elderly and homeless persons across the Europe. Health Coordinator for the important International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies in Europe, Jeya Kulasingam, uttered significantly about this situation. He said that this tremendously hot weather must be very dangerous for the people with several health problems, like high blood pressure, asthma, heart problem. The situation is crucial for the children and the older people.

Due to severe heat in Europe, the Italian wine growers are facing a stiff condition because of this high temperature and started the grape harvesting. Famous founder of the International Slow Food movement, Carlo Petrini, stated in the newspaper La Stampa that he never saw this act so early. He wrote that the important grape harvest never started before Aug. 15.

The Italian authorities have already issued warnings related to weather risk for 26 important cities that include Rome and Venice. On Friday the authorities shut down the popular Uffizi art galleries because the essential air-conditioning system could no more work properly. Polar bears at the Budapest Zoo in Hungary were provided big ice block and watermelon that were ice-cold. In a word, several states in Europe are experiencing the wrath of the "Lucifer".

The Italian authorities also reported three deaths due to the violent storms as a result of the heat wave. Around fifty percent lower rainfall was measured in Italy, and the increasing temperature has engulfed the entire country. It seems Lucifer is engulfing the south Europe with its increasing heat wave.

This extreme heat wave affected the Bosnian agriculture that covers ten percent of the state's economic output. Serbia also faced the same situation, and experts opined that drought could hamper the soybean and corn production. The temperature reached to 32-degree on Friday morning on the Adriatic coast in Croatia that includes Dubrovnik, a vital tourist hub. It is quite clear that the Europe swelters under the grip of the severe heat wave "Lucifer".
An important meeting took place on Sunday between Iran and Spain. Both the countries have agreed to expand their cooperation in various important fields.

The Spanish Senate President Pio Garcia-Escudero expressed his pleasure after attending the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's inauguration, Iran Front Page reported. The Spanish Senate President also interacted with the Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in an important meeting in Teheran. The Spanish Parliamentarian highlighted the relation between Spain and Iran. He also revealed that Madrid is eager to expand the cooperation with this Islamic Republic in several fields.

Pio Garcia-Escudero reported that the JCPOA or the Joint Comprehensive of Action explored many opportunities to enhance the commercial and trade exchanges. He uttered that the positive outcomes are clearly visible in the economic relations between Spain and Iran. On the other hand, President Rouhani also said about the friendly ties between the two countries.

President Rouhani highlighted the important role of the European Unions' in implementing Iran's nuclear deal successfully. He even stressed on the effective measures by the EU in protecting this important deal. Rouhani asked Spain to use the best opportunities in various important fields of energy, tourism, transportation, MEHR News Agency reported. He even told Spain to use the opportunities to proceed with the investment.

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, pointed to the artistic and the cultural relation while interacting with the President of the Senate of Spain. Zarif stressed on the enhancement of the bilateral ties with the cooperation in the said fields. The Iranian Foreign Minister mentioned the country's geographical location, good human resources, cheap price of energy. According to Zarif, peace and the stability in Iran are two great features.

He uttered that these two features with all the said factors have made the proper ground for the investment of the foreign firms. President of The Spanish Senate delivered the message of the Spanish King that includes the King's Congratulations over the re-election of the President Rouhani. Spain and Iran both the nations stressed on the promotion of the economic cooperation, and removal of the barriers in maintaining this collaboration.
Officials with the Butte Rescue Mission said Sunday they have secured 6.6 acres of land in a non-residential area of Butte where portable housing units could serve as a new homeless shelter.

They said the land is south of Hart's RV, which is located at 5200 Harrison Ave., in south Butte, and that they need a variance from the county's zoning board to locate a shelter operation there.

The news came two weeks after the mission announced it had purchased the housing units and about 24 hours before the county and others are scheduled to hold a much-publicized public meeting and panel discussion on homeless issues in Butte.

Mission officials said Sunday they would be in the audience at the meeting set for 7 p.m. Monday at the Copper King Hotel and Convention Center but said they were not invited to be part of the panel discussion.

The Christian-based mission operated a homeless shelter for 40 years in a house at 1204 E. Second St., but fire officials found numerous fire hazards and code violations in January and forced the shelter to close in early April.

The shelter's closing and the mission's unsuccessful attempts to relocate to residential areas in Butte prompted initial discussions on having a community meeting about serving the homeless.

A variance is needed for a shelter at the site off of South Harrison because the area is zoned C-2  "community commercial"  and permission would be needed in any zone except C-3, or "central commercial," said Rocky Lyons, the mission's executive director.

Mission officials said they had all the necessary paperwork completed to make the land purchase but they do not have to finalize the deal unless they get the zoning variance. There are only a couple of houses in the area, the closest at least a few acres away, Lyons said.

She said the mission did not get the arrangements done in time to get on the zoning board's Aug. 17 agenda, so they will ask county officials to set a special meeting so they don't have to wait until the following meeting in late September.

Mission President Paul Buckley says they want to get a shelter up and running by October, when cold weather starts settling in.

"If the zoning variance is passed, we hope to be serving the homeless community in full capacity by the end of October," Buckley said in a statement Sunday.

"The land and new facility will give us plenty of room to provide programming that will help folks to become successful and independent."

The portable housing units are in Watford City, North Dakota, where they were common housing during the oil boom of recent years in the Bakken Formation area. Drilling activity has slowed significantly because of low oil prices.

They could be transported to Butte by truck and connected so that meals, services, and shelter can be given to as many as 56 homeless people per night, even more in the winter, mission officials say.
A 42-year-old Missoula man charged with two counts of negligent homicide in a Saturday crash on Interstate 90 east of Missoula that killed two people and injured seven others was on probation at the time.

James William Bayford received a deferred sentence two weeks prior to the crash for a pair of felony convictions for assaulting his 13- and 11-year-old nephews.

Bayford also is charged with six counts of criminal endangerment from this weekends single-vehicle wreck. At his initial court appearance Monday, Justice of the Peace Marie Andersen set Bayfords bail at $200,000.

According to court documents, the Montana Highway Patrol was called to a rollover crash near mile marker 111 on I-90 around 8 p.m. Saturday. Bayford was a passenger in a Jeep Wrangler that was being used to shuttle people to and from the Testicle Festival in the Rock Creek area.

Bayford allegedly became upset with the driver and grabbed the steering wheel, causing the Jeep to lose control and roll in the median.

Two passengers, 33-year-old Vannessa Anderson (also known by the last name Batt) and 36-year-old Donny Barlow  who are both from Missoula  were ejected and declared dead. The other seven occupants were injured and hospitalized. Barlow was initially misidentified because he was in possession of another person's identification, Undersheriff Rich Maricelli said.

When he was interviewed by a trooper, Bayford allegedly gave a breath test of a 0.209 blood-alcohol content, and said he had been kidnapped. The other passengers said Bayford had been kicked out of the festival.

Bayford was not supposed to be drinking as a condition of probation from a sentence that was imposed on him two weeks earlier.

On July 25, Bayford was given a three-year deferral of sentence on a pair of felony assault on a minor convictions by Missoula County District Court Judge Robert Dusty Deschamps after entering into a plea agreement with prosecutors. The charges from that case were filed at the start of the year from a late December incident where Bayford and his twin brother  both intoxicated  assaulted Bayfords 13-year-old and 11-year-old nephews after a dispute about using the bathroom at a Seeley Lake home.

On Monday, Andersen said Bayford could be screened for pretrial supervision, but if released must be monitored for alcohol use.
The outlook for LNG shipping continues to be positive, with significant year-on-year LNG supply increases as new projects come online and ramp up production, particularly in Australia and the US, GasLog ceo Paul Wogan said in its Q2 results call.

The first half of 2017 saw an 11% growth in global LNG imports to 141m tonnes. The largest increase was seen from China with a 35% jump in LNG imports more an than an additional 4m tonnes making it the third largest consumer of LNG in the world.

The world's two largest consumers Japan and South Korea also saw good growth with 10% and 18% increases respectively.

Wogan saw particular promise in the growing China market where there is a srtong push towards clean energy.

The Chinese government has set a target for gas to make up 10% of the country's energy mix by 2020 from around 6% today. We expect this additional gas will come from a mix of increased domestic supply, imported pipeline gas, and most importantly, LNG imports, particularly for the large coastal markets, he said.

China is expected to have 70m tonnes of regasification capacity by 2020 more than double its forecast imports of LNG for 2017.

Wogan in particular noted the possibility for Chinese imports of US gas given an agreement signed in May by the two countries to promote US gas and China's 2018 demand expected to exceed contracted volumes of LNG. Imports of US gas to China would be good for the tonne mile equation with voyages significantly longer than the historical average of 4,000 miles.

In the US, while we only have the data for Sabine Pass cargoes, the average voyage has been around 7,500 miles, almost double the global long-term average, he explained.

Whilst it's premature to extrapolate this data for other US projects currently under construction, the diversity of destinations and demand for US LNG is clearly positive for future shipping demand, as long as sailing distances take available shipping capacity has in the market.

Meanwhile the demand supply balance for LNG carriers is starting to look more positive with just 15 newbuildings ordered over the last two years, with four of those for Yamal LNG in Russia.

Based on approximately 120m tonnes of new LNG coming on stream from the beginning of this year through 2020 and using this vessel multipliers, leads to a requirement of around 140 ships or four ships over the current orderbook, Wogan said. Adding Sabine Pass in the US to equation increases the number of vessels required to 60 over the current orderbook.
The Master of the 30,700 dwt Shansi was arrested after the pilot helping bring the vessel into Northport Harbour thought the Captain appeared to be drunk, the Northern Advocate reported.

The pilot reported the incident to Maritime NZ who in turn asked for help from the Whangarei police.

The police helped with breath testing the 53-year old Master who was reported to have an exceptionally high reading. The Master was charged with an offence under New Zealand's Maritime Transport Act.

The limit for a 'seafarer' is 250 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath and breaching the limit carries a 12 month term of imprisonment or a NZD10,000 ($7,400) fine.

The man appeared in Whangarei District Court on Saturday morning and was remanded on bail, and was due to appear in court again on Monday.

The vessel had been waiting a number of days to berth to load logs.
The driver, who was killed, was Cynthia Boone, 61, of Coeur dAlene, Idaho. Two children also died. They were Olivia Tavares, 12, and Lexi Manish, 10. According to Montana Highway Patrol Captain Gary Becker, hometowns of the children were not available.

The accident occurred six miles south of Deer Lodge at 12:15 p.m. when the vehicle apparently went into the median. The driver apparently over-corrected, Becker said, and the vehicle rolled, coming to rest on its wheels on the right side of the roadway. Although the occupants were listed as wearing their seat belts, one of the victims was ejected from the vehicle and another was partially ejected.
An Equality Act exception means that in schools with a religious character religious discrimination is allowed in appointments.

The provisions governing staff in faith schools are found in Sections 58 and 60 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (SSFA). The rules vary according to the type of state school involved.

Voluntary Controlled and Foundation faith schools can apply religious requirements on up to a fifth of their teachers, including the head teacher. Voluntary Aided faith schools, in contrast, can in theory impose religious requirements on all teaching staff, whatever their duties. Academy schools are governed by similar rules to those governing Voluntary Aided faith schools.

The laws states that "preference may be given in connection with the appointment, remuneration or promotion of teachers, to those whose religious beliefs or religious practice is in accordance with the tenets of the school's religion or religious denomination or who give or are willing to give religious education in accordance with the tenets of the faith." In addition, teachers can be disciplined or dismissed for conduct which is "incompatible with the precepts of the school's religion".

The extent to which faith schools can discriminate is highly contentious. It has been the subject of a European Commission investigation after we raised concerns over its incompatibility with a Directive which establishes a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation.

Ostensibly, the SSFA permits blanket discrimination in voluntarily aided faith schools. In other contexts, away from education, religious organisations are only permitted to discriminate against staff on grounds of religion where a genuine occupational requirement to be of a particular faith can be established. This means discrimination is only permitted where it is proportionate to do so.

We think all teaching and leadership positions in publicly funded schools should be free from religious discrimination. The levels of discrimination permitted by the SSFA certainly go well beyond what could be considered reasonable. If the Government intends religious discrimination in this area to be subject to a proportionality test, it should change the law to reflect this.

If you feel you have been discriminated against and would consider a legal challenge, we'd like to hear from you.

For more information see our page on employment discrimination at faith schools.
Press Release

August 7, 2017 Barangay officials' appointment unconstitutional - De Lima Senator Leila M. de Lima today said she is opposed to a move in Congress to postpone anew the barangay elections and allow President Duterte to exercise his executive power of appointing a new set of barangay officials nationwide. De Lima, who chairs the Senate committee on electoral reforms and people's participation, maintained that the mandate of barangay officials comes from the people through the electoral process, and not through political appointments. "Let me remind my colleagues in Congress that the Constitution defines barangay officials as elected officials with terms of office defined by law. The only thing that can be changed is how long barangay officials are allowed to serve," she said. "Barangay officials must be selected through the electoral process, and not through political endorsements," she added, citing Article 10, Section 8 of the 1987 Constitution that governs the election of barangay officials. Upon President Duterte's prodding, Congress postponed the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections last year to October this year due to allegations that drug money would be used to fund the village polls. Earlier this year, the President pushed for the appointment of officers-in-charge at the barangay level in lieu of holding elections this year, after making the same allegations that drug money will be used to fund village candidates. De Lima pointed out that the impending political appointment of officers-in-charge at the grassroots level is a desperate tactic of the administration to strengthen its political machinery which is self-destructing due to its murderous war on drugs. "The so-called appointment of officials for barangays is a desperate move of the administration to solidify its control of the branches of the government. It's their way of gaining full affirmation for its bloody campaign against illegal drugs," she said. "Instead of empowering the people at the grassroots by giving them the choice to elect their leaders, a system of patronage or palakasan will prevail. This kind of culture is what destroys our democratic institutions," she added. The Senator from Bicol also urged her colleagues to reconsider their positions on the matter in view of the existing loopholes and weaknesses in existing policies of the government. It can be recalled that De Lima filed Senate Resolution No. 339, calling for an inquiry into the Duterte's plan to postpone the 2017 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections and appoint barangay officials or officers-in- charge upon expiration of the incumbent terms.
Press Release

August 7, 2017 GORDON CONDEMNS JUDGE'S KILLING, CALLS FOR SPEEDY PASSAGE OF HOUSE VERSION OF MOTORCYLE PLATES BILL Following the assassination last Saturday of Butuan City Regional Trial Court Judge Godofredo Abul Jr., and of former Business World editor Michael Marasigan and his brother Christopher last Thursday, Senator Richard J. Gordon reiterated the need to take a bite out of crime, especially the assassinations perpetrated by riding-in-tandems. Condemning the assassination, Gordon called on the House of Representatives for the immediate passage of their version of Senate Bill No. 1397 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act of 2017, pointing out that imposing bigger and more easily readable plate numbers on motorcycles would ensure that witnesses would be able to better read and CCTV cameras pick up plate number of motorcycles used in the commission of crimes. "I condemn Judge Abul's assassination, which also left his wife critically injured. The judge's killing, along with the recent killing of Mike, only underscoreS the need to take a big bite out of riding-in-tandem assassinations. Bigger and more easily readable plate numbers would take a very big bite out of crimes committed by persons riding in tandem on motorcycles," the senator said. "Over the past seven years, the PNP (Philippine National Police) have recorded more than 10,000 shooting incidents committed by persons riding in tandem on motorcycles. But this has been going on far longer. In fact, for more than two decades now, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, and journalists have fallen victims to riding-in-tandem assassins and most of their cases have remained unsolved to this day. It is high time that we do something to stop these killings!" he added. A list from the Supreme Court showed that in the 16 years from 1999 to 2015, 22 judges have died due to gunshot wounds: Hon. Celso F. Lorenzo, Sr.; Hon. Geminiano A. Eduardo; Hon. Ariston L. Rubio; Hon. Eugenio R. Valles; Hon. Oscar Gaby M. Uson; Hon. Pinera A. Biden; Hon. Paterno G. Tiamson; Hon. Voltaire Rosales; Hon. Milnar T. Lamnawin; Hon. Henrick F. Gingoyon; Hon. Sahara U. Silongan; Hon. Nathaniel C. Pattugalan; Hon. Orlando C. Velasco; Hon. Roberto A. Navidad; Hon. Edimer DC. Gumbahali; Hon. Andres Q. Cipriano; Hon. Reynaldo A. Lacasandile; Hon. Henry D. Arles; Hon. Reynerio G. Estacio; Hon. Jude Erwin U. Alaba; Hon. Wilfredo T. Nieves; and Hon. Reynaldo M. Espinar.
Press Release

August 7, 2017 HONTIVEROS ON TRO THREAT AGAINST ANTI-HOSPITAL DEPOSIT LAW: PATIENTS RIGHTS AND LIVES ARE NON-NEGOTIABLE "The rights and lives of emergency patients are non-negotiable." This was the statement issued today by Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros in response to the threat issued by the Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAP) to file for a temporary restraining order (TRO) before the Supreme Court to block the implementation of Republic Act No. 10932 or the Strengthened Anti-Hospital Deposit Law. Hontiveros, who is the principal sponsor and author of the law, said that there is nothing objectionable in the said law. She said that the enhanced law is widely supported by different sectors of society and the national and local government units. "Pati ba naman ang buhay ng mga pasyente gusto pang pagdebatehan sa Korte Suprema? Common sense and basic humanity dictate that lives are more important than profit. Buhay muna bago kita. Ang deposito mababayaran, ang buhay na nawala ay hindi na mapapalitan," Hontiveros said. However, Hontiveros said that she is confident that majority of the country's hospitals are compliant with the law and contributing to address the public health care gap. "I think those who are opposed to this law are few. Maliwanag ang layunin ng batas. Hindi rin ito bago. Bagkus, pinalakas at ginawa natin na mas tumutugon ang batas sa araw-araw na realidad ng mga emergency patients. pinalawig din natin natin ang depenisyon ng kasong emergency para isama ang panganganak," she explained. Incentives for compliant hospitals Hontiveros, who is also the Vice-chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, said that the law provides for incentives to compliant hospitals. She said that the cost of the basic emergency care incurred shall be tax deductible in favor of the said hospital or medical clinic that has given basic emergency medical services to the poor and indigent patients. "While we address the abusive practices of some hospitals, we will also make sure that those that are compliant with the law are duly recognized and rewarded," Hontiveros said. The new law, which was signed last Friday, provides for stricter penalties to hospitals that demand any deposit or other forms of advance payment as a pre-requisite for admission or medical treatment of an emergency patient. This include four to six years of imprisonment and fines ranging from Php100,000 to Php1,000,000. The law also gives authority to the Department of Health (DoH) to revoke the license of a health facility after three repeated violations committed pursuant to an established policy of the hospital or clinic or upon the instruction of its management. It also calls for the establishment of a Health Facilities Oversight Board tasked to probe the claims of patients who were denied treatment and services during emergency situations due to their inability to pay hospital deposit. It was reported that PHAP Spokesperson Rustico Jimenez said that they will challenge the constitutionality of the law and seek a TRO to block the enhanced law.
Press Release

August 7, 2017 Koko moves to protect balikbayan boxes from taxes, unreasonable inspections Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III filed a bill that would reduce the worries of OFWs sending gifts to their families back home by exempting one balikbayan box per month per OFW from taxes and duties, and generally prohibiting Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel from opening the boxes. Senate Bill No. 1168, if passed into law, would remove all taxes and duties on the contents of one balikbayan box measuring 24 by 24 by 30 inches sent each month by a Filipino overseas worker to his or her family, as well as setting stringent conditions on when these boxes can be opened by agents of the BOC. "The balikbayan box is the symbol of love of OFWs for their families, its contents the fruits of their labor. I find it distasteful to consider these boxes as mere sources of revenue after all the sacrifices of our OFWs and their contributions to the economy", said Pimentel. According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), overseas Filipinos' cash remittances amounted to $26.899 billion for 2016, from a total estimate of 2.2 million OFWs from the 2016 Survey of Overseas Filipinos by the National Statistics Authority. Pimentel's proposed law allows only non-intrusive means of inspection, such as x-rays, to be used on balikbayan boxes, which can only be physically opened for inspection if the consignor's export declaration and packing list are not attached to the balikbayan box, or there is information from other government agencies or a sworn statement from private sources that the box contains banned, prohibited, or regulated import commodities under Philippine laws. The Senate President's bill proposes to exempt balikbayan boxes from all duties and taxes under the National Internal Revenue Code and the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines. Pimentel said, "The value of the contents of the balikbayan boxes is not the concern of the Bureau of Customs. What is important is that each OFW is entitled to one balikbayan box per month for his or her family."
Press Release

August 7, 2017 Sen. Grace Poe's co-sponsorship speech on the Balik Scientist Bill Mister President, I would like to extend my full support for Senate Bill Number 1533 under Committee Report Number 143, otherwise known as the proposed Balik Scientist Act. As one of the authors and advocates of this measure, I would like to thank Senator Bam for prioritizing it among the many, many measures referred to his committee. Mister President, a great man once said "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." That man was Isaac Newton, whose contributions to mathematics, physics, and astronomy made the modern world possible. Indeed, scientists are the unappreciated giants on whose shoulders we stand, and whose contributions are rarely appreciated. Mister President, in economic terms, various academic papers estimate that a 1 percent increase in Research and Development ("R&D") expenditures leads to GDP increase between 0.2-0.7 percent, depending on the countries compared. Many of the comforts we enjoy today--light bulbs, the internet, and air-conditioning--would not have been possible without the hundreds of scientists, engineers, and innovators who worked on them. In financial terms, it is a small investment with long-term returns. Unfortunately, we are far beyond our ASEAN neighbors in terms of R&D investment. According to a paper by Dr. Jose Albert, we spend around 0.11 to 0.14% of our GDP on R&D. In contrast, Thailand spends around 0.21%; Malaysia spends 0.65 to 1%; and Singapore spends close to 2%. Mister President, we have a substantial shortage in science and technology personnel due to our investment in R&D. According to the Department of Science and Technology, the presence of Research and Development personnel in the Philippines stands at 165 scientists per a million Filipinos - way below the (UNESCO) recommendation of 380 scientists per million persons. Even worse, outbound Science and Technology ("S&T") workers in the Philippines have increased 148% from 9,877 in 1998 to 24,502 in 2009. It is clear that urgent intervention is needed to stop the "brain drain" of Filipino scientists from our country. These days, the phrase "Filipino scientist" is often accompanied by the words "working abroad." This trend must be reversed, and it will not do so by itself. Mr. President, the proposed "Balik Scientist" is the first step towards welcoming our Filipino scientists back. In sum, it proposes a core set of incentives for all Filipino scientists, and additional incentives depending on their terms of engagement with the country. I think it is a good thing that the proposed incentives are too long to be mentioned here. The proposed terms of engagement range from 15 days to 6 months for the "Short-Term" engagement; 6 months to 3 years for the "Medium-Term" engagement; and up to 5 years for the "Long-Term" engagement. If this measure is enacted, it will be another game changing social legislation which will bolster the legacy of the 17th Congress. I therefore call upon my colleagues in this chamber to throw their full and unconditional support to this bill. Let us be the first to roll the red carpet for our scientists. Our scientists deserve nothing less.
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Firefighters contained a blaze that broke out in a Berkeley apartment building Sunday evening.

The three-story structure at 1420 Addison St., near Acton Street, was reported around 7:15 p.m. Neighboring residents were evacuated as a precaution, according to the Berkeley Fire Department.

As of 8:11 p.m., the fire was fully contained, said Berkeley Fire Chief Gil Dong.

As many as 40 residents of the building were evacuated, and at least one was injured, Dong said. Residents were allowed back into the building after the fire was extinguished, he said, adding that it was difficult to tackle because it was 200 feet from the street.

The building, which has 27 apartments, is at the end of a long driveway. Two units were damaged  one on the third floor near the back of the building and another with water damage on an unspecified floor.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

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.

All I did was grab my cat and run for it, Liz Sale, 32, who lives on the first floor of the building, said as she cradled her feline, Fernando, outside the building.

Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn
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California has far more electric cars and plug-in hybrids plying its roads than any other state  about 300,000 so far. But theyre still just a tiny fraction of auto sales.

Now, legislation in Sacramento is designed to juice the market, just as a new generation of long-range electric cars hits showroom floors.

A bill from Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, would revamp and expand Californias existing rebate program for people who buy electrics or plug-in hybrids. The bill, a version of which has already passed the Assembly, would devote $3 billion to clean car incentives. The money would come from the states cap-and-trade system for controlling greenhouse gas emissions.

The new rebates would start big  how big has yet to be determined  and then shrink over time, as plug-in cars become more common and affordable. Eventually, the rebates would disappear altogether.

Its the same approach California used 10 years ago to kick-start sales of rooftop solar arrays. That rebate program helped create the states solar industry.

Even in eco-conscious California, sales of battery-powered cars have not accelerated as quickly as state officials wanted, due to relatively low gasoline prices and the limited range of most electric vehicles.

But late last year, General Motors started selling a $37,500 car  the Chevy Bolt  that can go 238 miles on a charge, long enough to handle even brutal Bay Area commutes. Tesla just debuted its $35,000 Model 3, whose base model gets 220 miles per charge. And Nissan is expected next month to introduce the long-awaited redesign of its electric Leaf, offering similar range.

Its time to be even more aggressive, Ting said. The reason were doing this now is there really hasnt been electric vehicles for the mass market before. Most (electric vehicles) get 80 miles, and even if you live in San Francisco and youve got a 30-mile commute, you can get range anxiety pretty quickly.

California has set ambitious goals for slashing its greenhouse gas emissions and has stuck to those goals even as the federal government under President Trump moves to gut federal climate-change efforts.

State law calls for cutting greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030. That cant happen, however, unless drivers switch to cleaner cars.

Transportation accounts for 37 percent of all the states greenhouse gas emissions, more than any other sector of the economy.

Theres no way to meet our climate goals without dramatically reducing emissions from transportation, said Don Anair, deputy director of the clean vehicles program at the Union of Concerned Scientists public policy group. Were not going to get there by continuing to burn oil in our cars.

Gov. Jerry Brown wants 1.5 million electric cars on the states roads by 2025.

Ting just bought a Bolt, which he can drive from San Francisco to Sacramento and back on a single charge (although he usually tops off the battery at work). This is a major shift, he said. Now you have cars that fit most consumers needs.

Paul Chinn/The Chronicle

The current state rebate system offers $5,000 for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, $2,500 for electrics and $1,500 for plug-in hybrids. More than $439 million in rebates have been handed out so far, with about 38 percent of the money going to Bay Area drivers. The popular program often runs out of money during the year, forcing rebate applicants to sit on a waiting list until the Legislature appropriates more cash.

Tings bill, AB 1184, would make several significant changes. Rebates would be handed out at the point of sale and would be tied to a dedicated, ongoing funding stream. Dealers would be able to factor the rebates into their advertised prices for cars, something they cant do now without potentially misleading buyers.

The bill also calls for pegging the size of the rebate to the price difference between an electric car and the cost of the most frequently sold compact car in the state. The goal is to eliminate the higher up-front cost of electric cars as a reason for people not to try them, but the idea is only vaguely sketched out in the bill draft available online.

I have no idea what that language means, said Gene Erbin, a lobbyist representing the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, at a July meeting of the Senates Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications.

The bills fate is far from certain, and elements of it remain subject to change.

Many of the key details  such as the size of the rebates and the exact method of calculating them  would need to be hashed out by state regulators, should the legislation pass. Some critics say it favors electric cars over plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles, issues Ting says he wants to address.

An analysis prepared in June for a Senate committee questioned many of the bills details, including its recommendation that the program receive $500 million each year from the proceeds of the cap-and-trade program until the $3 billion total is reached. Cap and trade, the analysis noted, generated $850 million in revenue last year, of which $510 million was already appropriated to other programs.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

In addition, the bill faces criticism that it is meant to help Palo Altos Tesla, whose first three models  before the Model 3  generally cost more than $100,000. Tesla buyers currently can take advantage of both the state rebate and a $7,500 federal tax credit. But the federal credit for any automakers customers phases out when the number of electric cars sold by that automaker in the U.S. reaches 200,000. Tesla is expected to hit that number within the next year.

Steve Chadima, senior vice president of Advanced Energy Economy, which represents businesses pushing for a low-carbon economy, said the bill had nothing to do with Tesla.

The word Tesla never passed anybodys lips the entire time we were talking about how to construct this bill, he said.

Even if Tings bill passes, electric vehicles still have a long road ahead, including in California.

As of May, California drivers had registered 153,737 pure electric cars  just over half of all electrics nationwide  as well as 143,473 plug-in hybrids, according to the Auto Alliance, an industry group. While the numbers are growing, those cars together represent just over 3 percent of Californias new car market. Many consumers dont want to deal with a new technology and the routine of figuring out when and where to charge up their cars, particularly when gasoline prices are relatively low.

Youre asking people to adopt different behavior  its not exactly seamless with the way they behaved before, said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of industry analysis at the Edmunds auto information service. I used to live in a condo, and I cant imagine asking the HOA to install a home charging system.

David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF

California clean-car rebates

California already offers rebates to drivers who buy electric cars, plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles. Much of that money has gone to the Bay Area.
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One of the three men charged in the ruthless slaying of William Sims walked out of the Martinez Detention Facility last week.

But Daniel Porter-Kelley isnt a free man  yet.

No, hes just out on bail.

He faces trial on murder charges in the killing of Sims, 28, a Richmond native who was found beaten and with a gunshot wound to his forehead on the street outside a pool hall in El Sobrante in November.

But heres the thing about Porter-Kelleys trial: Since he was arrested on Nov. 16, his attorney has fought to have a speedy trial. California law allows the district attorney up to 60 days to start a trial if a defendant wants to expedite the process, a rare defense request in murder cases.

Instead Mark Peterson, the then-Contra Costa County district attorney who resigned in June after pleading no contest to one count of perjury for making false statements on state campaign disclosure forms, repeatedly delayed the trial.

Porter-Kelley spent seven months in jail before his family was able to pay his $1.08 million bail, pooling together the nonrefundable 10 percent fee charged by bail-bond companies to get suspects released after an arrest.

He was almost speechless, Colin Cooper, Porter-Kelleys attorney, said of the moment his client walked out of the detention facility on July 28.

Cooper recalled that more than five motions just to have bail set were previously denied by the judge.

It seemed surreal that he was finally out, that he was able to go home, Cooper said.

The killing made national headlines and disquieted El Sobrante, an unincorporated town of about 13,000. Sims, a well-liked local musician, was black. A sheriffs sergeant discovered Sims with his face battered and bloodied outside of the Capri Club on Appian Way.

The Contra Costa district attorneys office originally charged Porter-Kelley, 31, of Richmond, with murder with a hate-crime enhancement. The other two suspects  Ray Simons, 32, of Hercules and Daniel Ortega, 31, of Novato  were charged similarly, and the district attorney sought to put the three men on trial together.

Investigating officers believe it was Simons, while sitting in the back seat of a car that was leaving the pool hall, who fired the shot that killed Sims. Ortega was in the front passenger seat of the car that was driven by Dina Herrera, who is a witness for the prosecution, according to Cooper.

From the interview transcripts and police affidavit that Ive read, and from the testimony at preliminary hearings that Ive heard, the case against Porter-Kelley is feeble. Cooper says Porter-Kelley left the Capri Club before the shooting.

Still, the lack of compelling evidence hasnt stopped the district attorney from letting Porter-Kelley rot in jail. The district attorney hasnt yet explained to the public Porter-Kelleys role in Sims death  and why he deserves to be charged with murder. And now that Peterson, who pleaded no contest to committing crimes himself, is out, Im curious to see how the district attorneys office will proceed.

Theres no wonder why Cooper has been frustrated with the treatment of his client.

Porter-Kelleys trial was first scheduled for February, but on the last day possible for the trial to start, the district attorneys office, which had previously been granted two one-week extensions, dismissed all charges.

And then the district attorney refiled, linking the three cases together.

In another attempt to delay Porter-Kelleys request for a speedy trial, the district attorney convened a criminal grand jury in April. But the move backfired because while the grand jury returned murder indictments against Porter-Kelley, Ortega and Simons in the death of Sims, it rejected the hate-crime enhancement.

So whats next?

A source told me that the district attorneys office wants to meet with Porter-Kelley. Maybe a possible deal in exchange for testifying against Simons and Ortega will be discussed. Cooper declined to confirm a meeting had been scheduled. Chris Walpole, the deputy district attorney who has been handling the case in court, didnt return my call.

Porter-Kelleys trial is now scheduled to start Dec. 4. Until then, hell try to get reacquainted with his life, including playing with his son, who recently celebrated his 4th birthday while his father was behind bars.

He will go back to work and continue to live the law-abiding, productive life hes always led, Cooper said. We are confident he will be exonerated. The forces arrayed against him have done nothing but treat him unfairly.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr
In his signing statement on the Russia sanctions bill passed overwhelmingly by both houses of Congress, President Trump defiantly declared: The Framers of the Constitution put foreign affairs in the hands of the President. He added, This bill will prove the wisdom of that choice.

Trumps characterization of the framers allocation of foreign affairs powers is wrong. Demonstrably wrong. Fake news.

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention, the records show, expressed a deep-seated concern about the exercise of unilateral executive power in foreign affairs. Thats why the framers vested the lions share of the nations foreign policy powers in Congress, a reflection of their preference for collective, rather than individual, decision-making.

The framers unanimously agreed that the war power  the authority to initiate military hostilities on behalf of the American people  was vested solely and exclusively in Congress. They gave Congress a panoply of sweeping powers, including the sole authority to regulate foreign commerce  a grant of full discretionary constitutional authority that allows legislators, not the president, to decide whether and when to impose sanctions on a nation of its choice.

Delegates to the convention granted the president very few powers in foreign affairs.

He does share with the Senate the authority to make treaties and appoint ambassadors, but possesses only two exclusive roles in foreign affairs.

And while the president is commander in chief, that title, the framers concluded, carried with it no authority to initiate hostilities. In this capacity, the president would wage war, as Alexander Hamilton explained, once authorized or begun. If Congress authorized war, then the president was expected to conduct it but, as the Supreme Court held in 1804, he was required to obey instructions and directions imposed by Congress.

If the nation were attacked, then the president, as commander in chief, James Madison explained, would be empowered to repel the invasion.

The only other exclusive role assigned to the president in foreign affairs was the duty to receive Ambassadors, and other public Ministers. That role was conceived by the framers as a clerk-like, administrative function, devoid of discretionary authority, one often performed in other nations by ceremonial heads of state.

Those roles exhaust the presidents authority in the realm of foreign affairs. The powers vested in the president by the framers were, indeed, lean and meager.

Of course, executive power in the conduct of foreign policy has far surpassed the framers allocation of foreign affairs powers, principally through a combination of presidential usurpation of power, as well as Congress abdication of its powers and responsibilities. The rise of the imperial presidency is also a function of judicial acquiescence in the face of presidential aggrandizement.

But these institutional shortcomings are not the fault of the framers who, contrary to President Trumps false assertion, did not place in the hands of the president the authority to formulate, manage and conduct American foreign policy.

David Gray Adler is president of the Alturas Institute, which advances the Constitution, civic education and gender equality.
Northbound traffic across the Golden Gate Bridge on weekends can be abysmal. Hundreds of motorists line up along the curb lane, waiting to get into a very limited number of parking spaces at Vista Point, which bogs down traffic for everyone else trying to get across the bridge. The good news is that Caltrans has just granted the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District permission to close Vista Point parking lot for the upcoming weekends in August and over Labor Day weekend.

We share in that Bay Area-wide sigh of relief.

That traffic congestion on summertime weekends typically backs up well into San Francisco, significantly impacting travel on the west side of San Francisco. Frustrated drivers have repeatedly asked the bridge district to solve the problem, and were pleased to tell drivers we now have a solution for the next several weeks.

It hasnt been simple. Vista Point is not a part of the Golden Gate Bridge and is not under the jurisdiction of the bridge district. Vista Point is a State Roadside Rest Area and is under the jurisdiction of Caltrans. As such, we cant unilaterally make changes in the way Vista Point is managed.

Last summer, on a trial basis, the bridge district received permission from Caltrans to restrict access to Vista Point during the busiest hours on predictably congested holiday weekends. During these restricted times, only tour buses were allowed to enter Vista Point. These restrictions were implemented by bridge district staff at our expense and occurred after extensive public outreach.

The restricted access was very successful in improving traffic flow across the bridge. After that small triumph, we became ardently interested in seeing these parking restrictions expanded to all summertime weekends and holidays.

Our view is not universally shared by all affected agencies, though.

The diversion of vehicles away from Vista Point has caused some new congestion and traffic problems to occur in other areas, most notably in the National Park Service lands to the north of the bridge. Because of these collateral effects and because of the costs and agency resources associated with managing these secondary problems, there is no consensus among the various stakeholder agencies as to whether more frequent or even permanent restrictions on personal vehicle access to Vista Point is a reasonable long-term solution.

So, for the coming several weeks, we look forward to easing northbound traffic congestion across the Golden Gate Bridge; however, the district believes the best policy is to keep traffic flowing as smoothly and predictably as possible.

If Caltrans will allow it, the district will manage closures of Vista Point based on actual traffic conditions and at our expense. This will allow the Golden Gate Bridge to best serve its purpose as a vital artery across the San Francisco Bay.

Sabrina Hernandez is the president of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District Board of Directors.
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Two suspects have been arrested in the shooting death of a 71-year-old photographer on Twin Peaks in an apparent robbery attempt last month, police said Monday.

Arrested after an investigation into the early-morning July 17 killing were Fantasy Decuir, a 20-year-old San Francisco resident, and Lamonte Mims, a 19-year-old resident of Patterson (Stanislaus County), police said.

After the shooting, the assailants ran to a dark-gray Honda Accord and fled the scene, according to police. A nearby jogger heard the gunshot and performed CPR on Edward French until paramedics arrived to take him to San Francisco General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Decuir was charged with homicide, robbery and using a firearm to commit a crime, officials said.

Mims was booked on Monday on suspicion of homicide, robbery, being a principal in commission of a crime and using a firearm in commission of a felony, police said. It was not immediately clear whether Mims had been charged by prosecutors.

Investigators said they linked Decuir and Mims to the killing of the photographer and film scout when probing an unrelated robbery.

That investigation, into an armed robbery near the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption at Geary and Gough streets on the morning of July 28  an area that teems with visitors throughout the day  pointed police to Decuir and Mims in the Twin Peaks killing, authorities said.

In the St. Marys robbery, a 53-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were robbed of cameras and wallets at gunpoint, police said.

Filipa Ioannou and Michael Bodley are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: fioannou@sfchronicle.com, mbodley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @obioannoukenobi, @michael_bodley
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If you weren't paying close attention to BART's Twitter account Friday afternoon  it was Friday, after all, so it's understandable  you may have missed a bit of wholesome fun. It blossomed out of a BART rider's complaint about ... a man shaving during his commute.

Chris Watters was riding BART on Friday morning and posted two photos of a man who placed a bowl of "watery oatmeal" on a seat before proceeding to shave on the train.

The incident caught the attention of a few media outlets  and fellow outraged riders  and in response to the photo, BART's social media team seemed inspired enough to pen a thoughtful limerick.

Despite BART's recent crime issues, BART's social media team has won a number of fans in the past year with its unique Twitter style. After an impromptu (and frank) Twitter conversation about the limitations of the BART system, the communications team has had quite a year fielding questions during a Twitter town hall and even celebrating the Warriors' Game 5 win this year.

BART riders seemed to react positively to the limerick, and since it seems BART and Metro Los Angeles were overdue for a poem challenge  the two Twitter accounts engaged in a haikus-only transit poetry slam last year  BART's Twitter account again started some inter-state competition. With its next limerick, the transit system decided to target BART etiquette, this time dealing with riders who smoke marijuana on the train.

"To keep things from going amiss

On BART please don't smoke cannabis

It stinks up the train

Maybe you can explain

This best @metrolosangeles"

Los Angeles Metro's Twitter handlers gamely jumped in with their own marijuana-themed "not on our transportation system" limericks and spawned replies from riders, reporters and even other transportation agencies.

Los Angeles Times transportation writer Laura J. Nelson also jumped in the fray of transit limericks and was declared winner of the "contest" by BART. Nelson's Twitter followers continued the fun, tagging the writer with limericks of their own. Check out a few of the replies here, and click through the slideshow above to see how the limerick contest evolved Friday afternoon.

SFGATE reached out to BART's communication officer for comment on the limerick contest and will update if they respond.
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Firefighters contained a blaze that broke out in a Berkeley apartment building Sunday evening.

The three-story structure at 1420 Addison St., near Acton Street, was reported around 7:15 p.m. Neighboring residents were evacuated as a precaution, according to the Berkeley Fire Department.

As of 8:11 p.m., the fire was fully contained, said Berkeley Fire Chief Gil Dong.

As many as 40 residents of the building were evacuated, and at least one was injured, Dong said. Residents were allowed back into the building after the fire was extinguished, he said, adding that it was difficult to tackle because it was 200 feet from the street.

The building, which has 27 apartments, is at the end of a long driveway. Two units were damaged  one on the third floor near the back of the building and another with water damage on an unspecified floor.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

All I did was grab my cat and run for it, Liz Sale, 32, who lives on the first floor of the building, said as she cradled her feline, Fernando, outside the building.

Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn
Michael Macor/The Chronicle

The cities of Vacaville and Oakland were the sites of odd meteorological occurrences early Friday morning: intense, brief heat spikes.

Right around midnight in Vacaville, temperatures in the city surged 15 degrees, from 80 degrees to a hot 95  but only for a few minutes, as local publication The Reporter noted.
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NEW YORK  Debut novelist Yaa Gyasi and longtime author-activist Nancy Mercado are among this years winners of American Book Awards for contributions to diversity in American literature.

Gyasi was cited Friday, Aug. 4, for her acclaimed novel, Homegoing. Mercado, a key member of the Nuyorican literary movement, was given a lifetime achievement prize. The awards are presented by the Before Columbus Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 by author-activist Ishmael Reed and dedicated to promoting multiculturalism.

In 2009, Gyasi, then a rising junior at Stanford, received a grant to work on a novel in Ghana, the country of her birth, which she had last seen when she was a child.

She visited the Cape Coast Castle, which was once used an a colonial outpost for European slavers.

I just found it really interesting to think about how there were people walking around upstairs who were unaware of what was to become of the people living downstairs, Gyasi told The Chronicle in 2016.

Gyasis experience in the dungeons of the Cape Coast Castle became the genesis for Homegoing, her debut novel. Gyasis novel follows the descendants of two half sisters  Effia and Esi  who are born in 18th century Ghana. While Effia marries an English commander of the Cape Coast Castle, Esi is captured and sold into slavery in Alabama.

Other winners Friday include such nonfiction authors as Flores A. Forbes for Invisible Men and Patrick Phillips for Blood at the Root. Poet Solmaz Shariz was honored for her debut collection Look and Randa Jarrar for her story collection Him, Me, Muhammad Ali.

Previous recipients of the awards include Toni Morrison, Louise Erdrich and Sherman Alexie.
In a screed that rocketed around Silicon Valley this weekend, a software engineer at Google blasted the companys efforts to increase the number of minorities and women in its ranks and leadership positions.

The essay, reported by Motherboard and posted by Gizmodo, was posted on an internal Google forum by a male software engineer and titled Googles Ideological Echo Chamber.

The author has not been publicly identified, but his words have sparked a backlash. Critics say his sentiments reflect a tech company culture thats unwelcoming or even hostile to women and minorities. Another fear: The engineers words reflect the unspoken thoughts of many others in an industry dominated by white men.

Google, which has announced efforts to increase diversity and is being investigated over allegations of gender pay inequality, did not respond to a message seeking comment Sunday. The company did address the essay in an internal letter to employees.

The essay argues that Google should stop its campaigns to increase gender and racial diversity and focus instead on ideological diversity. It says the reason women dont make up half of the companys technological and leadership positions is because of genetic differences in their preferences and abilities.

These differences may explain why we dont see equal representation of women in tech and leadership, the engineer wrote. We need to stop assuming that gender gaps imply sexism.

The author says the companys diversity efforts have created a politically correct monoculture that maintains its hold by shaming dissenters into silence and makes it easier for extremist and authoritarian policies to take root.

He says Googles efforts to achieve more equal gender and race representation  special programs for historically black colleges and universities for example, or coding camps for girls  have led to discriminatory practices, specifically against conservatives.

In the essay, the author says he has received support from others in the company for bringing up these very important issues, which others would never have the courage to say or defend because of our shaming culture and the possibility of being fired.

The essay comes as the Mountain View company has been trying to increase the stubbornly unbudging percentage of women and minorities in its ranks and is being investigated by the Labor Department for a disparity in pay between men and women.

Responding to the essay in a message to Google employees, Danielle Brown, the companys new vice president of diversity, integrity and governance, said the essay advanced incorrect assumptions about gender.

Diversity and inclusion are a fundamental part of our values and the culture we continue to cultivate, Brown said. We are unequivocal in our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success as a company, and well continue to stand for that and be committed to it for the long haul.

Slack engineer Erica Baker, whom CNBC called an outspoken critic of systematic bias in the tech industry, said the engineers diatribe was shocking but not surprising.

Google has seen hints of this in the past, with employees sharing blog posts about their racist beliefs and the occasional internal mailing list question, innocently asking if Black people arent more likely to be violent, she wrote on her blog Saturday.

The most important question we should be asking of leaders at Google and that they should be asking of themselves is this: Why is the environment at Google such that racists and sexists feel supported and safe in sharing these views in the company?

Cleve R. Wootson Jr. is a Washington Post writer.
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Editor's note: SFGATE is exploring how people's lives change after leaving the Bay Area, for better or for worse, in a new series. Today we're focusing on those who have relocated to the Canada. We'll explore other relocation areas in future articles, so keep checking back.

Lena Dunham said she'd do it. So did Bryan Cranston, Ne-Yo, Larry Flynt and Chloe Sevigny. It's been more than six months since President Donald Trump took office, and thus far, no major celebrities have moved to the sprawling country up north.

Oh, Canada  that beacon of liberalism and political cooperation, where the winters are brutal and the prime minister amicable. It's easy for those disappointed with a presidential election to threaten defection, but what is it actually like calling our northern neighbor home?

SFGATE spoke to folks who left the Bay Area for Canada, and most don't have plans to return.

See all of their responses in the above slideshow.

"Everyone agrees that Canada is the best place on earth right now," said JaShong King, a PhD candidate in Ottawa and a self-proclaimed expert in the "cross-border experience."

King, 37, left the Bay Area 12 years ago for a job in Toronto. He stuck around, and now considers himself more Canadian than American.

"After Trump got elected there was a decisive shifting in my identities," said King, who was born in Taiwan but immigrated to the U.S. as a child. "I decided to put America even beneath Taiwan."

Mass migration? Not so much

Like the U.S., Canada has a strict immigration policy, permitting about 250,000 global immigrants to enter its borders each year. In 2015, fewer than 3,200 Americans applied for permanent residency status, according to data from Canadian Immigration and Citizenship, which hardly denotes a mass northern migration exodus.

"It's very difficult to immigrate to Canada right now if you don't have a job offer in advance, and to get a job offer in advance is a very difficult thing if you don't already live in Canada. It's a Catch-22," said Nuri Katz, president of Apex Capital Partners, a migration firm that assists those emigrating from the U.S.

To become a permanent resident, one must live in the country for at least two years and undergo a lengthy application process, which according to estimates from the Guardian, can cost upwards of $4,000 in legal fees. As a permanent resident, one enjoys all the fruits of Canadian citizenship, including universal health care, but can't vote or run for public office.

RELATED VIDEO: Trudeau encourages openness as U.S. and Britain 'turn inward'

SFGATE spoke to Americans who moved north for jobs, college or spouses, like Katie Barnell, 23, who left her native Santa Rosa to study.

"[As an international student], I paid triple of what Canadians pay for university," she said, "but it was still cheaper than what I'd be paying in the States."

The same, but different

Having spent her life in Northern California, Barnell said she found Vancouver "pretty much the same."

"The West Coast is the West Coast," she said.

That can certainly be said of the comparable cost of living in Vancouver and the Bay Area. Vancouver recently ranked third in the 2017 Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey, which lists the most unaffordable cities for housing in the world. San Jose came in fifth place and San Francisco was ninth.

The high cost of living in San Francisco inspired Jay Rosenthal, 43, and his family to leave their cramped San Francisco home. They landed about 2,700 miles east of Vancouver in Toronto, called there by the idea of urban living  and, of course, affordable health care and education.

"People here have trouble understanding that you can go bankrupt seeing a doctor in the States," he said. While he acknowledges that Canadians have plentiful other concerns, "health care and education are not two of them."

King has a pre-existing condition and has navigated the ups and downs of Canada's universal health care system. It's not just the price but also the approach that appeals to King.

"The health care system operates as effectively and cheaply as it can," he said, admitting that doctors are often hesitant to prescribe drugs, which aren't covered by universal health care. He perceives American medical culture as one that over-prescribes medication, more apt to throw pills at a problem than address its underlying causes.

That may be so, but for those requiring life-saving medication, Canada's universal health care system only stretches so far. In an article titled "Canada's Drug Problem," the Radio-Canada decried the fact that its citizens face the second-highest prescription drug prices in the world.

Which country ranked first? The United States.

A tale of two mythologies

Rosenthal admits he didn't move to Canada for political reasons, but he's astonished by how effectively the country runs.

"It's like northern Europe in its approach to government and services," he said, "But not in terms of having a homogenous population."

Nearly 20 percent of the Canadian population identify as members of a visible minority group, according to 2011 census data. In Toronto, often deemed one of the most multicultural cities in the world, 30 percent of residents speak a language other than English or French at home. The country is getting more diverse, too, having welcomed more than 40,000 Syrian refugees since 2015.

King, who studies how empires gain and retain their power, believes the country functions as a diverse cultural hub because of its founding mythology. "The U.S. was founded on violent revolt," he said. "The Canadian system was founded on negotiation."

While she agrees her adopted country is "politically welcoming," Barnell says a political system rooted in consensus has an unexpected side effect: "pretty boring" news.

According to the young ex-pat, "Just not that much happens here." Undoubtedly, many Americans wish they could say the same.
Theres a new era under way at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music in Santa Cruz, but that doesnt mean all that much has changed. Cristian Macelaru, the Romanian-born maestro who took over the music directorship this season from Marin Alsop, seems determined to carry on in precisely the direction Alsop laid down over the course of her distinguished 25-year tenure.

During the opening weekend of the two-week festival  a pair of ingratiating, sometimes stirring, orchestral concerts in the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium  you sometimes had to look carefully at the program book to be sure the handoff had actually taken place. Macelarus maiden season is populated by just the kind of accomplished, mainstream composers that Alsop always favored. Even his podium style  physically emphatic, energized, full of sweep and precision  is markedly similar to that of his predecessor.

This is not a bad thing, obviously. It seems clear that the judgment was made  defensibly, in my view  that the festival aint broke, and that Macelaru was tasked with not fixing it.

Yet theres still room to hope that in the coming years Macelaru, who has had a long and by all accounts accomplished relationship with the Philadelphia Orchestra, will find a way to put his own stamp on the proceedings at Cabrillo. If nothing else, he can surely dig up some unfamiliar compositional voices to put a new and different spin on the festivals artistic character.

In the meantime, though, Macelaru and the orchestra delivered two nights of fiery, tender and technically excellent music-making. Whatever the diverse merits of the works on offer  and lets face it, any collection of recent music is inevitably going to be a qualitatively mixed bag  the level of passion and precision achieved on a tight rehearsal schedule was remarkable.

Those qualities were lavished most tellingly on an old favorite  Aaron Jay Kernis Second Symphony from 1991, which concluded Fridays opening concert in a dark and thrillingly eloquent performance. For a listener who had been floored by the expressive power of this piece when it was new, it was wonderful to find that the music hasnt lost an iota of its weight or vitality.

What has changed, at least somewhat, is the extent to which the symphony hangs on its extramusical inspiration. Written as a cry of anguished outrage during the first Persian Gulf War, it now sounds more universal than ever  an inventive, superbly wrought three-movement work in the symphonic tradition of Mahler and Shostakovich.

Fridays performance perfectly caught both the specific details and the broad expressive arc of the piece, from the fierce, hard-edged rhetoric of the opening movement through the luminous, mournful scales of the slow movement, right up to the clangorous cymbal crash that dissolves the final moments into a burst of despair. This is a work that by rights belongs in the repertoire of any major American orchestra.

If nothing else during the opening weekend attained quite that level of brilliance, there were still rewards aplenty to be had. Gabriela Lena Franks Three Latin American Dances  by turns zippy and delicately poignant  got Saturdays concert off to a delightful start, and the tuneful bounty of James Stephensons Violin Concerto, subtitled Tributes, drew a lovely, gracefully pyrotechnic performance from soloist Jennifer Frautschi. Cindy McTees orchestral diptych Double Play worked a couple of melodic and rhythmic ideas almost past the breaking point, but did it with considerable charm.

There were also a number of commissioned world premieres to mark the changing of the artistic guard, beginning with Michael Gandolfis Points of Departure: Cabrillo, an orchestral version of a 1988 chamber work whose essential sweetness shone through even in its new, beefier dimensions. Evelyn Glennie was on hand as soloist for Ad Infinitum, Clarice Assads percussion concerto that attempted to shoehorn an entire lifespan (from womb to death) into 30 minutes of busy music, and David T. Littles three-movement The Conjured Life paid tribute to the Lou Harrison centennial with a few blandly repetitive stretches.

Harrison, who died in 2003, was a key player in the Cabrillo Festivals early history, and an example of the shaggier and more experimental ethos that once held sway here. It might not be a terrible thing for the festival to reclaim a little of that energy.

Joshua Kosman is The San Francisco Chronicles music critic. Email: jkosman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JoshuaKosman

Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music: Through Aug. 12. $37-$65. Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, 307 Church St., Santa Cruz. (831) 420-5260, www.cabrillomusic.org
Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

The manufacturer of a ride that malfunctioned at the Ohio State Fair last month said excessive corrosion led to the catastrophic failure in which one person was killed and several others were injured.

The Fire Ball, a carnival ride that swoops like a pendulum and swings in a circle, collapsed July 26 at the state fair in Columbus. Tyler Jarrell, 18, was killed after he was thrown as a row of seats appeared to smash into a metal structural support beam. The accident left seven others injured, some of them critically, in what Ohio Gov. John Kasich called the worst tragedy in the history of the fair.
1 Severe storm: A tornado in Tulsa, Okla., early Sunday injured as many as 30 people, knocked out power to 11,000 customers, heavily damaged businesses and blew debris through the streets. No deaths were reported after the storm struck shortly after 1 a.m., according to Tulsa spokeswoman Kim Meloy. National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Teague said the tornado was rated an EF2 with wind speeds of 111 to 135 mph and that two smaller tornadoes with winds of 65 to 85 mph were seen shortly afterward on radar near Inola and Claremore.

2 Wildfire: Crews stopped the growth of a wildfire that burned at least five buildings and drove people from their homes in a town of about 2,200 people in the southern Sierra Nevada. Kern County Fire Capt. Tom Ellison said firefighters gained the upper hand on the blaze and were working to reach full containment Sunday. The 50-acre fire threatened Wofford Heights, a town north of Lake Isabella and near the Sequoia National Forest.
1 Minimum wage: Voters in Kansas City, Mo., will decide Tuesday whether to raise the citys minimum wage above the state minimum, even though a new state law forbids cities from making their own rules on the issue. The proposal would set a minimum wage of $10 per hour and increase it annually, eventually reaching $15 per hour in 2022. Missouris Republican-led legislature in May passed a measure barring local governments from enacting minimum wages different from the state, which is $7.70 per hour.

2 Invasive species: A federal report released Monday proposes a $275 million array of technological and structural upgrades at a crucial site in Illinois to prevent invasive Asian carp from reaching the Great Lakes and its vulnerable fish populations. The report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers analyzes options for upgrading the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, a complex on the Des Plaines River that is considered a bottleneck where defenses could be strengthened to prevent carp populations in the Mississippi River watershed from migrating into Lake Michigan. Scientists say if the voracious carp become established in the Great Lakes, they could devastate its $7 billion fishing industry. Among technologies the report endorses is an electric barrier that would repel fish.
MUKWONAGO, Wis.  With a dysfunctional Congress on recess, House Speaker Paul Ryan has turned his focus back home, touring flood-damaged areas and visiting local businesses in Wisconsin. But he cant escape the questions about why Republicans in charge of Washington arent delivering.

And though hes won re-election easily for years, Ryan faces the prospect of challenges from left and right and an energized Democratic base in next years midterm elections.

We have a majority in the House and Senate, and it feels like nothings getting done, James Hulsey, 32, said before Ryan recently toured his workplace.

Sensing the angst, Ryan has been much more visible in his southeast Wisconsin district as Republicans failed to deliver on their promise to scrap the health care law and new poll numbers show the speaker is less popular among Republicans in Wisconsin than President Trump. Trump won Wisconsin by less than a percentage point, but he carried Ryans district by 10 points.

In the remaining months of the year, Ryan and the Republican-led Congress are determined to deliver major legislation, elusive so far due to GOP infighting, and the top priority is overhauling the nations tax code. Failure to produce could cost Republicans their House majority in the 2018 midterms and, for Ryan, his job as speaker.

This is the third time in 100 years weve had this alignment of government that weve got to get it done or else I really worry our country will continue down a bad path, Ryan said after his tour of a wire manufacturer in Mukwonago.

Republican Keith Ketzler, 62, worries that the GOP will pay politically next year. Democrats need to flip 24 seats to regain control.

Everybody that voted Republican is getting very frustrated, Ketzler said, after prodding Ryan about why Congress hasnt achieved more. People crossed the line last time, but theyre not going to stay crossed if they dont get things done.

Ryan angered some conservatives during the campaign with comments critical of then-candidate Trump. But in the first six months of Trumps term, Ryan has been far less critical of the president than other Republican lawmakers who have challenged a number of Trump moves, including his criticism of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a former senator.

Ryans Republican primary challenger last year, Paul Nehlen, initially won the backing of then-candidate Trump, who later switched to Ryan. Ryan beat Nehlen by 70 percentage points in the primary. But Nehlen, who is running again, thinks 2018 will be more difficult for Ryan, arguing that he hasnt done enough to appease Republican Trump supporters.

President Trump has given Paul Ryan way more opportunities to stand up and back him and what he has done is really undermine him, Nehlen said.

Democrats are pinning their hopes on Randy Bryce, an Army veteran and union iron worker. Bryce is trying to capitalize on disenchantment over Ryans role in the health care bill as he mounts a long shot campaign.

Scott Bauer is an Associated Press writer.
Senate Republicans are willing to consider a bipartisan approach to strengthening the individual insurance market under Obamacare, even as President Trump is deciding whether to end payments for it.

We have got a destabilized market where insurance rates are going to go up 20, 30, 40 percent next year, GOP Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said on ABCs This Week on Sunday. Anything that we can do to prevent that and the damage that that will have on people who need health care I think is something I have to look at.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also said Saturday that he would be open to the attempt, which follows the collapse of Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, according to the Associated Press.

And last week, the leaders of the Senate health committee  Republican Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Democrat Patty Murray of Washington  said they would begin bipartisan hearings in early September on stabilizing and strengthening the Affordable Care Acts individual insurance market.

Trump has tweeted to his 35.2 million followers that senators, who are away from Washington for their summer recess, shouldnt vote on anything else until theyve completed the effort to revamp President Barack Obamas signature health law.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said July 30 that no decisions been made on whether to continue key subsidies under the law to health-insurance companies, but that the administrations job is to follow the law of the land.

The payments, called cost-sharing reductions, help insurers offset health care costs for low-income Americans. Trump has repeatedly suggested ending the payments. The next payment is due on Aug. 21.

The cost-sharing reductions over time need to be eliminated, Tillis said. But we cant just all of the sudden pull the rug out from underneath an industry that has had this in place for about seven years.

Appearing together on CBS Face the Nation on Sunday, Republican Gov. John Kasich of Ohio and Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado said both parties should work to find a solution.

Republicans are going to have to admit that there is a group of people out there who will need help, Kasich said.

Ben Brody is a Bloomberg News writer.
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Calls seeking help from BART police shot up in the first six months of the year at all but two of 46 train stations, keeping pace with a 35 percent increase in robberies and a 27 percent jump in assaults compared with the same period in 2016, agency figures show.

But while misdemeanor arrests were up through the end of June, along with citations for offenses such as fare evasion, felony arrests dropped 23 percent year to year.

BART officials say crime within the Bay Areas backbone transit system remains relatively low, and there hasnt been a homicide since January 2016. But the latest numbers  released to The Chronicle in response to a public records request  underscore a recent surge in crime that has alarmed riders and prompted officials to boost patrols.

The data provide a clearer picture of the challenges faced by the agency, which swore in a new police chief, Carlos Rojas, in late May.

The increase in crime this year has been heavily concentrated in a handful of stations in Oakland and San Francisco, stations that not only are busy hubs but are located in neighborhoods with relatively high crime rates. A recent unsettling attack happened on a train coming into Embarcardero Station on Saturday night. A girl in a group of 10 juveniles pepper-sprayed a couple in an attempted robbery and vanished through the station onto city streets just before 9 p.m.

Coliseum Station in Oakland  the site of a pair of violent robberies by groups of teenagers, one in April and the other in June  saw 23 robberies in the first half of the year, up from 17 in the same period in 2016. Assaults and batteries rose from eight to 17 at the station. Calls for police service there exploded, from 728 to 1,281, while average police response time to calls slowed considerably.

At Fruitvale Station to the northwest, robberies jumped from five to 16, year to year, and assaults and batteries rose from seven to 12. At Powell Station in San Francisco, assaults and batteries increased from 11 to 18. At nearby Civic Center Station, calls for service went from 1,405 to 2,285, a 63 percent climb.

Crime is always very serious, and the BART Police Department is taking actions with the resources we have, said Chris Filippi, an agency spokesman. When you look at it with the context  an average of 430,000 people ride BART a day  the number of crimes that occur relative to that number is small.

BART officials said that, according to their calculations, 1.6 robberies took place for every million passenger trips in 2016  a number that could increase by a tenth of a percentage point this year.

But crime on BART has shaken many riders, including 73-year-old Berkeley resident Judy Grether. She said a friend was recently attacked by a man who had been aggressively panhandling at 12th Street/Oakland City Center Station.

I think its outrageous, she said. So much of this could be prevented. It makes me afraid to ride BART. Especially at less busy times of day.

She wants to see BART officers and other personnel become a more visible presence at stations.

It makes a woman, or a child, or a person who is disabled, very vulnerable, she said. If I were to ride BART alone, I would be very watchful.

Overall, police calls increased 29 percent in the first half of the year, rising at every station except North Concord and Glen Park in San Francisco. The drastic change, which may explain slower police response times to most stations, appears to be driven by more than criminal activity.

One potential cause for the increase in calls, officials said, is more people using the BART Watch app, which premiered in August 2014 and has since been downloaded by nearly 40,000 people.

BART Watch is playing a big role in our calls for service, Filippi said. But there are multiple factors. Certainly BART crime has gotten a lot of attention in the media. The increase in calls reflects a greater awareness, and thats something we encourage.

There were six rapes reported in the first half of the year, up from one in the same period in 2016. Property crimes, including bike thefts and car break-ins at BART lots, went up 7 percent, while the number of stolen cars dropped by the same percentage.

Police arrested 132 people for felony crimes across the system though June 30, compared with 171 in the first six months of 2016.

Misdemeanor arrests, however, went up 10 percent, and citations rose 13 percent  an apparent reflection of high-profile efforts to cut down on fare cheats.

While dealing with the crime surge, BART has drawn criticism over how transparent it has been about the problem. The agency did not immediately publicize either of the mob robberies at Coliseum Station, which were revealed by The Chronicle.

Soon after Chief Rojas was sworn in, BART police stopped issuing daily summaries of crimes it had emailed to news agencies, replacing the logs with a online crime-mapping tool that offered few details of incidents. Facing criticism, officials resumed issuing the daily bulletins on July 18.

Meanwhile, BART scrambled to install security cameras inside all of its trains after The Chronicle revealed that most trains were equipped with decoys. The $1.42 million project was completed June 28.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky

Girl pepper-sprays pair at Embarcadero

A juvenile pepper-sprayed two BART riders Saturday night in an attempted robbery at Embarcadero Station, BART police said.

Officers who responded to the incident around 8:50 p.m. were unable to find the attacker, who was described as a female wearing a pink shirt and denim shorts. She was one of a group of 10 juveniles on the train, according to the police report.

The two people who were sprayed with Mace, a man and woman, were not injured in the incident. BART police had no further details Sunday.

In recent months, there have been two reports of large groups of teenagers staging robberies on BART. In the most recent incident in late June, a group of teens tried to steal an iPhone from a passenger at Coliseum Station in Oakland, but she got it back when another passenger intervened. In April, a group of teens robbed and assaulted riders at the same station.

Theres no indication, based on the little information available, that Saturdays incident was a similar group robbery.

 Ryan Kost
The Illinois Festival Queen, Junior Miss, Pre-Teen and Princess Pageant was hosted at the Civic Center during Decatur Celebration on Sunday.

Morgan Miller was crowned as the 2017 Illinois Festival Queen. First runner-up was Brittany Rader and second runner-up was Cassidy Tucker.

Sarah Buckner was crowned the 2017 Illinois Festival Junior Miss with Mia Brandenburg first runner-up.

Grace Moeller was crowed as the 2017 Illinois Festival Pre-Teen and Brooklynn Syrcle was first runner-up and second runner-up was Andrea Dehart.

All girls in the 2017 Illinois Festival Parade of Princesses received a trophy and prizes.

 Tony Reid

Gas leak

Firefighters blocked off Mill Street in Decatur Sunday afternoon while they dealt with a gas leak within 100 yards of the downtown Decatur Celebration.

The leak was caused about 4:30 p.m. when a woman trying to park her car rammed a gas meter and broke the pipe below the valve. Decatur Police helped firefighters clear the road and fire crews monitored the air until Ameren Illinois crews arrived within 45 minutes to shut the gas supply off.

"Our concern was preventing any type of spark that could set the gas off before we got the leak shutdown," said Decatur Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike McGeehon.

 Tony Reid

Scream change

The Decatur Celebration board already has changes in store for future events.

One of the Celebration's fall fundraiser, The Scream Haunted Adventure, is moving to the old Sears in the Hickory Point Mall this year. Sturgill is happy about the move.

There is a lot of logistical things out there for us, she said. For example, the new facility will have better parking.

She believes the activities at the haunted house will go more smoothly at the mall. The owner of the building on Eldorado Street has other plans for the area allowing for the move.

It made sense, Sturgill said. And it was time for us to go.

 Donnette Beckett

Year-long trek to prize

Would you be willing to wear a Celebration wristband for a year if there were the chance of a good-sized prize at the end of 12 months?

That's a question WSOY radio host Aric Lee asked, and he has 20 competitors who have pledged to do just that.

A selection of entrants to a spontaneous Celebration 365/NowDecatur.com contest have been selected, after answering a series of Lee's questions. Most specifically, potential entrants were asked if they were sure they were willing to have their Celebration VIP wristbands on for a year.

One guy responded, 'I've worn this wedding ring for 13 years, so one year will be nothing', Lee said.

The contestants have been instructed to provide pictures throughout the year to show they still have it on. I want to see something from a family Thanksgiving dinner, Lee said, or a wedding.

The prize to the contest's winner is $1,000 cash and a Celebration prize package valued at $400. As long as the wristbands stay on, contestants will receive additional perks throughout the year.

 Tim Cain

Free sunglasses

Nothing moves faster than free stuff at Decatur Celebration.

Decatur company Morse Driveways Inc had the inspired idea of laying down a trail of good publicity by handing out free pairs of wraparound sunglasses emblazoned with the company name.

Five gallon buckets of the glasses were delivered to gate checkpoints in the newly fenced Celebration and the shades flew away like a cloud across the sun. Oh, they go really, really fast, said Celebration gate volunteer Teresa Weybright. People hear 'free' and they're all over them.

Weybright was working the William Street Celebration entrance with trusty assistant Hailey Sellers, 14, as part of a fundraiser for the Elite Energy Show Choir. Sunglasses, mused Weybright. It's a fantastic idea to get your name out there  and they're nice glasses, too.

 Tony Reid
DECATUR  The Mueller and Staley names are forever linked with Decatur's past. Both businesses were founded by family patriarchs with their offspring often mingling together in Decatur's social circles. Their lineage would overlap with marriages between the two families.

More than 90 years later, the connection continues.

The histories of both industries are accessible in museums devoted to the businesses and families. Laura Jahr is director of the Staley Museum, located in the family mansion on N. College St., and assistant director of the Hieronymus Mueller Museum, on Eldorado St.

I have a really cool job, she said.

When David Lee Allen proposed marriage to Jahr in September 2016, the couple didn't have to look far for the ideal wedding location. The Staley mansion had been the backdrop for three of the family's daughters.

And the house has a beautiful staircase and fireplace, Jahr said. When I started thinking about all the Staley girls that got married here, I thought this is where we should do it.

Not only were her mind on the house, her heart was in it too. Jahr lived on the third floor of the home while it was being remodeled for the museum, which opened in 2016.

This is like home to me because I lived here for three years, she said. This is a project I worked really hard on. And Dave was right there with me.

The couple was married on Saturday, July 29, in the Staley mansion, surrounded by close friends and family. Jahr has a passion for history and vintage items. So she asked her guests to dress in vintage clothing appropriate to the style of the house. The couple was driven to their Beach House reception in a 1930 Model A Ford.

They admit their two personalities are different, but complimentary. I'm vintage and history. He's pop culture, modern and high-tech, Jahr said. But when it comes to having fun, we do that really well together.

Allen is known throughout the area as the owner of the local Coca-Cola museum and David Lee's Party Time DJ Service.

But she is the voice for Decatur history, Allen said about his new wife. In just seven years, she has made a name for herself.

I wouldn't say that about myself, Jahr said. I'm just really happy to be a part of it.

Allen and Jahr have a history and a story of their own. The two were a couple while in junior high school.

He was my first real boyfriend and first real kiss,she said.

During their freshman year in 1978, Allen's mother sent him to school in Maine. He called Jahr often wanting to come home. After a year, Allen returned to Decatur, attending Eisenhower High School with Jahr. She introduced him to some new and old friends. Jahr was always fond of the young man, but had her own plans for the future.

I was on the fast track to getting out of Decatur and traveling the world, she said. I love Decatur. I just wanted to see the world.

They went their separate ways, but always had a friendship. They even danced together at the 10-year reunion, although they had each married other people.

So it was nothing romantic, Allen said.

Our friendship was just always there, Jahr said.

Jahr had lived in Madrid, Spain, for nearly 30 years, raising her three children. Each year she made summer trips home to visit family. In 2010, Jahr moved back to Decatur while planning a divorce. Her elderly parents were still living in Decatur, which drew her back to town.

Allen had been single for nearly 20 years, but hadn't found anyone to match the connection he later found with Jahr.

I had girlfriends, but nothing was ever right, he said.

As she slowly created her new life in Decatur, Jahr realized she felt the a similar connection.

There were things for me to do on my own. He waited and was supportive, she said. Dave was an answer to my prayers.

The couple honeymooned in Orlando, Fla. with three of their four children, ages 20 through 28, visiting Universal Studios and a Coca-Cola national convention.

Eight hundred people just like me, Allen said about the convention.

The couple used the convention to get better room rates as well celebrate Jahr's son's graduation from Bradley University.

The wedding is an excuse to put it all together, Allen said.

The couple will continue their careers working in museums: her Staley and Mueller museums and his Coca-Cola museum. Now they can add their own history.

We like telling a story, Jahr said. And that's what museums do, they tell a story.
SPRINGFIELD  Lawyers for Alan Beaman will ask the Illinois Supreme Court to review an appellate court ruling in favor of the town in Normal and three former police officers accused of conspiring to frame Beaman on murder charges that were later dismissed against him.

"Alan Beaman suffered a terrible injustice. He spent his youth in prison for a crime he manifestly did not commit. We plan to ask the Illinois Supreme Court to review the decision," David Shapiro, one of Beaman's lawyers, said on Monday.

Thomas DiCianni, one of the lawyers for the town and its former officers said "on behalf of the officers sued in this case, we are very pleased that the Appellate Court agreed with our position. We hope this is the end of the litigation for all involved.

Beaman was exonerated in 2008 of murder charges in connection with the strangling death of his former girlfriend, Illinois State University student Jennifer Lockmiller of Decatur. Lockmiller was found dead in her apartment near the university in August 1993.

Beaman was convicted two years later and served about 13 years of a 50- year sentence before the Illinois Supreme Court reversed the conviction based on what the court found to be "tenuous" evidence against the Illinois Wesleyan University graduate.

Beaman, now married with two children and living in Rockford, also was given a certificate of innocence and pardoned by former Gov. Pat Quinn.

So far, efforts by Beaman's Chicago legal team to bring Beaman's accusations of malicious prosecution to court have been unsuccessful at both the federal and state court levels.

Several civil lawsuits filed since his release have been rejected in rulings that favor the town and the three former officers. McLean County and former prosecutors James Souk and Charles Reynard, who both went on to serve as judges, were dropped from federal lawsuits filed by Beaman.

Friday's ruling by the Fourth District Appellate Court leaves in place a ruling by 6th Judicial Circuit Judge Richard Brock Jr. to dismiss the lawsuit against Normal and now-retired officers Tim Freesmeyer, Dave Warner and Frank Zayas. Beaman alleged the officers failed to adequately consider evidence against another potential suspect, instead focusing all of their attention on Beaman.

The appellate court found no evidence that the three investigating officers pressured or tried to influence Souk and Reynard's decision to prosecute Beaman.

The court also rejected the most serious allegation made by Beaman's lawyers against Freesmeyer, including that he lied to a grand jury and provided prosecutors with false information from two time trials he performed to show how long it may have taken Beaman to travel from Rockford to Lockmiller's apartment.

As to Warner, the court concurred that Beaman's claims were insufficient to support an accusation that the former officer deliberately withheld inconclusive polygraphs results from a second suspect.
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Good morning from the Bay Area, and happy Monday!

More electric and plug-in hybrids ride around Californias roads than any other state  but even here they are still just a tiny fraction of auto sales. Assemblyman Phil Ting proposed a bill that intends to juice this market through a new rebate program.

Chronicle reporter David Baker has more details on the legislation here.

ICYMI

A Google engineer wrote a 10-page memo criticizing the companys efforts to hire more minorities and women. The reason behind the current lack of diversity, in the engineers opinion? Biological differences.

Silicon Valley was not happy.

Heres a taste of the memo that circulated around the company: Differences in distributions of traits between men and women may in part explain why we dont have 50% representation of women in tech and leadership.

Read the whole memo on Gizmodo.

Market movers

WeWork pours $500 million into its Southeast Asia expansion ambitions. TechCrunch has the details.

Outsed Uber CEO Travis Kalanick tries to make his way back into the company, reportedly asking former colleagues if they would support him, according to The Information.

By the Bay

Hoodline: Going to Outside Lands this weekend? Hoodline has everything you need to know.

San Francisco Chronicle: CleanPowerSF, San Francisco Public Utilities Commissions green energy program, nabbed tech giant Salesforce as one of its customers.

Startups to watch this week:

Every week, we write about five Bay Area startups that are getting extra attention on Crunchbase, a startup database, and try to figure out why they are trending.

This week were looking at:

Next Future Transportation: Attempts to create self-driving buses, made up of detachable pods.

Beyond Pricing: Helps renters determine the best price for their listings.

HackerRank: Where developers can impress potential employers by completing programming challenges

AltspaceVR: A virtual reality company that shut down due to unforeseen financial difficulty  a common Silicon Valley tale.

Placecast: Uses location data to help marketers target audiences.

 Trisha Thadani

Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: TThadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani
Free school textbooks will be distributed to students attending schools in many border communities throughout the provinces of Tavoush, Gegharkouniq, Vayots Dzor and Ararat this September.

The free textbook policy, according to a Ministry of Education press release, was ordered by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.
I am a

Canna



What Flower

Are You?



table width="145">"You stand up for what you believe in, even if it gets in the way of what other people think. You are proud of yourself and your accomplishments and you enjoy letting people know that."
When someone commits a crime, they must serve the time. However, once some individuals are released from jail, they struggle to acquire the skills they need to find gainful employment.

Meanwhile, dairy producers are struggling to find capable employees to work on their farms.

A new educational partnership between Moraine Park Technical College and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) may create a win-win situation for both parties. A recent graduation celebration was held for the inaugural class of inmate workers completing the Dairy Worker Certificate Training.

The training program was developed for prisoners working at the DOCs Waupun State Farm. The certificate is a two credit transferable credential that includes instruction in milking, feeding, reproduction, calf care, and farm maintenance skills. The Bureau of Correctional Enterprises also runs a transition program to help ex-offenders find employment after their release.

A total of 60 inmate workers manage a herd of more than 500 cows, 50 dry cows, and 600 heifers on five farms in Wisconsin. The milk, ice cream, and sherbet produced are sold to correctional facilities in Wisconsin and Minnesota, while the cream is sold to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for making ice cream.

For many of these ex-offenders, they want to do better and be better after prison and just need a second chance. Perhaps dairy farms could be just the place for these individuals to plant their feet on solid ground again. And with proper training, these employees could be just what some dairy farms are looking for.
Ive always been proud of where I came from. Growing up on a farm is a unique experience that not every child gets the opportunity to have. While it may be a different lifestyle, farm kids get to live their parents occupations day in and day out, which inspires many of them to become involved in agriculture. Read here to see how common it is for farm kids follow their parents occupation of being farmers and ranchers.

This summer while interning at Hoards Dairyman, I have been able to reflect more on where I came from and realize the things I miss about living on a farm. Time at home is where I fell in love with the agriculture industry . . . irrigating with my dad, talking about current trends in crops with my mom, and spending each summer showing dairy cattle with my siblings.

I am thankful for my years growing up on a farm that taught me many life lessons. As this summer is the longest I have been away from the orchard rows and Brown Swiss cows that I call home, I have noticed a few of the things that standout to me about myself and the youth who share the same upbringing as me.

From my summer travels to dairy farms in Ohio, Iowa, Michigan, and North Carolina, I learned that not all farms are run the same, but each dairy farmer finds ways that work for them. This has put our nations diverse dairy industry into perspective for me. It also makes me appreciate the way my familys farm is operated and the daily business decisions they make.

Those of us who grow up on farms have developed a love for caring for livestock. Whether it is having the patience to feed a newborn calf colostrum or waking up at dawn every day of the week to tend to the daily chores, I miss the responsibility of taking care of cattle. In addition, the problem-solving and critical thinking skills I acquired on the farm have become helpful throughout my college education and internship.

If youre a young adult living away from your home farm for the first time, you might relate to what I am experiencing. For me, each time I pull back into my home driveway from now on, my outlook will be different than it was before this summer: thankful.
A Houston man is seeking $200,000 from a former Tinder date he claims defamed him online and cost him his job.

Joseph Lazarus, 32, broke up with the woman he matched with on Tinder in 2014 and since then, he claims the woman has spread lies about him online and to two former employers, according to Harris County District Court documents filed Wednesday by Lazarus' attorney Joseph Mathew.

The name of the woman is being withheld because she had not been notified of the lawsuit against her at the time of publication. A request for comment has been made with the woman.

Story continues below...

VINDICATED: Houston teacher cleared in revenge porn case

Lazarus' relationship with the woman lasted about three months after the two matched on Tinder. During that brief time, he called their interactions normal. The two would go out to dinner and even attended a Houston startup convention together since Lazarus was working at an oil startup at the time and she was an aspiring entrepreneur.

Lazarus claims the two just didn't hit it off, so he decided to break up with her in person. She wanted to remain friends; he did not. Within a few months after the breakup, Lazarus said he started receiving threatening messages from her. At one point he received a message from her demanding $10,000 from him or she would tell people he raped her.

The threats became even more real in the fall of 2016. That's when Lazarus was called into his bosses office. Lazarus was working for a high end automobile broker in Houston at the time. The boss had seen posts about Lazarus on thedirty.com, a user-submitted gossip site, and couldn't risk his company's reputation.

READ MORE: Katy teen charged with blackmailing woman with sex video in 'revenge porn' case

The posts called Lazarus "creepy" and someone who "would have sex/rape fat chicks just to amuse his friends."

Lazarus was fired that day.

"I feel terrible. I feel like I'm living in a nightmare I can't escape," Lazarus told Chron.com.

One of the first things he did was retain legal counsel. The court documents filed Wednesday include text messages the woman allegedly sent to one of Lazarus' friends. The messages claim that Lazarus would buy her dildos instead of flowers and that he was a "rapist, liar, cheater."

"I don't know what she's talking about. I certainly didn't mail her any sex toys," Lazarus said.

READ MORE: Woman successfully sues ex-boyfriend for posting 'revenge porn' online

Mathew has taken on more than a dozen revenge porn cases in his six-year career. This is the first he's had where the alleged victim was a man.

"There's no way Joe Lazarus can defend himself against these baseless allegations," Mathew told Chron.com. ""If anybody finds themselves in a similar situation and I encourage them to speak out and find legal representation. Everybody has the right to be left alone. That's all Joe Lazarus is asking, it to be left alone."
Espionage has been a part of United States history since before there was a legitimate United States  when then-Gen. George Washington created the first organization for secretly gathering military intelligence. Then we made the first spymaster the first president.

So the capital that bears his name today has carried on the grand tradition pretty much since it became the seat of power, through civil wars, world wars, cold wars, computer wars and everything in between.

Fortunately, while the realm of spies historically has been a shadowy underworld rarely witnessed by the public, there are enough historical sites worth visiting around the District  including a few with great drinks and cuisine  as well as a captivating museum dedicated to the topic and the mysterious people and practices involved.

Heres one way to spend a day following in clandestine footsteps.

 Spud Hilton, shilton@sfchronicle.com

Exploring the town

MORNING

Grab breakfast  maybe even the vaguely appropriate eggs Benedict  at the Mayflower Hotel, where supposedly FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover ate lunch daily for 20 years (the restaurant is now called Edgar). Because of its proximity to the White House, the Mayflower has plenty of brushes with presidential history  Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman both lived there. The more relevant history: The CIA in the 1960s often tested and practiced the brush pass in a lobby, a method of exchanging documents without being seen.

Check out a bike from one of the 440 Capital Bikeshare stations ($2 for trips under 30 minutes) for getting around town. (There are maps at some stations showing the 20-minute ride out to the site of a mailbox that CIA officer Aldrich Ames used to communicated with Soviet contacts  except the current mailbox is a replacement.) Sites in the area include the Wok and Roll Restaurant, once Mary Surratts boarding house where John Wilkes Booth plotted with his confederates to assassinate Abraham Lincoln and two others. Fords Theatre is a couple of blocks away.

Spud Hilton/The Chronicle

MIDDAY

Also drop by the Pullman House, a Beaux Arts mansion built by the family of Pullman railcar fame, but that for decades was the Embassy of Russia or the Soviet Union (until 1994). A massive radio antenna on the roof for years allowed officials there to listen in on scores of secret transmissions.

Grab lunch at the Occidental, a popular dining spot for politicians, celebrities, deal-makers and, apparently, spies. Photos of the restaurants more famous diners cover the walls  supposedly you can tell a lot about Washington from how the photos are rearranged. Legend has it that a deal that averted the Cuban Missile Crisis was struck at a table at the Occidental. Check out the Whos Who of photos (but dont bother other diners to do it).

Spud Hilton/The Chronicle

AFTERNOON

Save the entire afternoon for the International Spy Museum, a sprawling collection of artifacts, displays and history about espionage, as well as exercises for would-be spies looking to hone their skills (memorize a cover story and be tested on it).

The museum is organized by historical era, as well as by technology and popular culture; dont miss displays of assassination tools, secret listening devices, the most notorious spies and an entire section on James Bond. (Theres even a small display recognizing famed chef Julia Child, who worked for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II.) Save a little time for the museums gift shop, an enormous collection of trinkets, books and gadgets for would-be spies.

Spud Hilton/The Chronicle

EVENING

Head out to Georgetown for drinks and dinner at Mr. Smiths of Georgetown, formerly Chadwicks, a popular pub near the Potomac River where in 1985, Aldrich Ames, handed about 7 pounds of secret documents to Soviet diplomat Sergey Chuvakhin, including a list of Soviet citizens gathering information for the CIA. At least 10 of them were executed. Fortunately, you dont need Ames traitor-padded bank account to afford the classic American dishes and pub grub.

Finish the night a few blocks up Wisconsin Avenue at Martins Tavern, a corner lounge known to be a favorite spot of Nathan Gregory Silvermaster, a U.S. government economist who was said to have operated a ring of communist spies and was a member of the Soviet secret police. The casual hangout no longer features the Spytini cocktail it created to acknowledge the history (made with Stolichnaya, of course), but there are plenty of other cold drinks to loosen lips.

More information

Martins Tavern: 1264 Wisconsin Ave., NW; (202) 333-7370; www.martinstavern.com.

International Spy Museum: 800 F St., NW; (202) 393-7798; www.spymuseum.org.

Occidental Grill and Seafood: 1475 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, (202) 783-1475; www.occidentaldc.com.

Mr. Smiths of Georgetown: 3205 K St., NW, (202) 333-3104; www.mrsmiths.com.

Capital Bikeshare: www.capitalbikeshare.com.

The Pullman House: 1125 16th St., NW.

The Mayflower Hotel: 1127 Connecticut Ave., NW; (202) 347-3000.

Book: Spy Sites of Washington, D.C., by Robert Wallace and H. Keith Melton (2017, Georgetown University Press).
MANILA  Chinas top diplomat said Sunday that talks for a nonaggression pact aimed at preventing clashes from erupting in the disputed South China Sea may start this year if outside parties dont cause a major disruption.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the start of talks for a code of conduct in the disputed waters may be announced by the heads of state of China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations at their annual summit in the Philippines in November if Beijings conditions are met.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  A fire broke out Sunday at another high-rise tower in the Dubai Marina, just days after a blaze struck one of the worlds tallest residential towers in the same neighborhood.

Authorities quickly extinguished Sundays fire at the Tiger Tower and said no one was injured. But it rattled nerves after Fridays inferno at the Torch Tower, which is across the street.
JERUSALEM  Israel said Sunday it plans to ban Qatars flagship Al Jazeera news network from operating in the country over allegations it incites violence, joining Arab nations that have shut down the broadcaster amid a separate political dispute.

Communications Minister Ayoob Kara said he plans to revoke the press credentials of Al Jazeera journalists, effectively preventing them from working in Israel. Kara said he has asked cable and satellite networks to block Al Jazeera transmissions and is seeking legislation to ban them altogether. The minister gave no timetable for such measures.

Doha-based Al Jazeera did not respond to a request for comment. Its Arab and English channels reported the news.

Al Jazeera, a pan-Arab satellite network funded by the Qatari government, already has been targeted by Arab nations now isolating Qatar as part of a months-long political dispute over Dohas politics and alleged support for extremists.

Jordan and Saudi Arabia have recently closed Al Jazeeras local offices, while the channel and its affiliate sites have been blocked in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain.

Lately, almost all countries in our region determined that Al Jazeera supports terrorism, supports religious radicalization, Kara said. And when we see that all these countries have determined as fact that Al Jazeera is a tool of the Islamic State (group), Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, and we are the only one who have not determined that then something delusional is happening here.

Israeli officials have long accused Al Jazeera of bias against the Jewish state.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based advocacy group, criticized the move. Censoring Al Jazeera or closing its offices will not bring stability to the region, but it would put Israel firmly in the camp of some of the regions worst enemies of press freedom, said Sherif Mansour, the committees Middle East and North Africa program coordinator.

Isaac Scharf is an Associated Press writer.
MANILA  Armed with extraordinary new U.N. sanctions, nations raced Monday to ensure that North Koreas biggest trading partners actually carry them out, an elusive task that has undercut past attempts to strong-arm Pyongyang into abandoning its nuclear weapons.

North Korea reacted angrily, vowing to bolster its arsenal and mount revenge against the United States. In a reprise of the Norths frequent, bellicose broadsides against the U.S., Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said Washington alone was to blame for the crisis and added his country was ready to teach the U.S. a severe lesson with its nuclear force.

We will under no circumstances put the nukes and ballistic rockets on the negotiating table, Ri said in a speech to an Asia regional gathering in the Philippines.

As President Trump demanded full and speedy implementation of the new penalties, his top diplomat laid out a narrow path for the North to return to negotiations that could ultimately see sanctions lifted. Stop testing missiles for an extended period, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, and the U.S. might deem North Korea ready to talk.

Well know it when we see it, Tillerson said. This is not a give me 30 days and we are ready to talk. Its not quite that simple. So it is all about how we see their attitude towards approaching a dialogue with us.

Even as they celebrate a diplomatic victory in persuading China and Russia to sign on to cutting new sanctions, the U.S. and other countries are deeply concerned that failure to rigorously enforce them could significantly blunt their impact. Since Saturdays U.N. Security Council vote, Washington has put Beijing in particular on notice that its watching closely to ensure China doesnt repeat its pattern of carrying out sanctions for a while, then returning to business as usual with the pariah nation on its border.

Such concerns were on display Sunday in a dizzying display of fast-paced diplomacy spanning multiple continents.

South Koreas foreign minister joined her counterparts from the U.S. and Japan for a meeting in the Philippines in which Tillerson touted efforts to persuade nations to stop using North Korean labor. The American and Japanese diplomats held another three-way session with Australia. The South Korean envoy held a rare but brief meeting in Manila with North Koreas top diplomat, who also spoke by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who had discussed the sanctions with Tillerson a day before.

In a phone call requested by Seoul, Trump and newly installed South Korean President Moon Jae-in committed jointly to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well, the White House said. Moons office said that he and Trump had agreed to apply the maximum pressure and sanction.

The penalties, approved unanimously Saturday by the Security Council, aim to cut off roughly one-third of North Koreas estimated $3 billion in annual exports, ostensibly starving Kim Jong Uns government of funds for its weapons programs. All countries are now banned from importing North Korean coal, iron, lead and seafood products, and from letting in more North Korean laborers who sent remittances back into the country.

Yet already, there are signs that nations with the strongest ties to North Korea may fall short of the stringent enforcement that Trump and others seek. Although Russia voted for the sanctions, its U.N. ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, told the Security Council that sanctions cannot be a goal in itself and shall not be used for economic strangling of North Korea, according to the Russian state news agency Tass.

Josh Lederman is an Associated Press writer.
MANILA  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte met Monday with Americas top diplomat, where he voiced solidarity with the U.S. amid global concerns over North Koreas nuclear program and angrily dismissed media questions about human rights abuses by his government.

Duterte and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met in Manila at a regional Asia gathering. It was the highest-level interaction to date between a member of President Trumps administration and Duterte, accused by human rights groups of flagrant abuses in his bloody war against illegal drugs.

If the two leaders discussed those or other U.S. concerns about Dutertes government, they didnt do so in public. Instead, the two focused on the alliance between the two countries and on the North Korea issue as reporters were allowed in briefly for the start of their meeting.

Entering an ornate, wood-paneled hall in the Philippine leaders palace, Tillerson was introduced to members of Dutertes Cabinet, shaking hands with each. Duterte welcomed the American and said he said he knew the U.S. was concerned about Pyongyangs missile program.

You come at a time when I think the world is not so good, especially in the Korean Peninsula, Duterte said.

Earlier, as they shook hands, the two ignored a shouted question about whether theyd discuss human rights. And at a news conference after their meeting, Duterte bristled but didnt answer directly when asked whether human rights had come up.

Human rights, son of a bitch, Duterte said, arguing he shouldnt be questioned about alleged violations given the challenges hes facing. Policemen and soldiers have died on me. The war now in Marawi, what caused it but drugs? So human rights, dont go there.

But ahead of the meeting, Dutertes presidential spokesman, Ernesto Bella, said the topic would indeed come up, along with other pressing matters such as global terrorism threats, economic cooperation and security in Marawi, the city that has been under siege by pro-Islamic State group militants for more than two months.

We also welcome the opportunity to address concerns such as human rights if and when raised, Bella said in a statement.

The U.S., too, said ahead of the meeting that human rights would be among the topics on the agenda.

Human rights groups have questioned the Trump administrations willingness to engage with Duterte. But Tillerson argued theres no contradiction presented by the U.S. decision to help his country fight the militants.

Josh Lederman is an Associated Press writer.
SHANGHAI  A Trump Organization company has applied for four new trademarks in the Asian gambling hub of Macau, including one for casinos, public records show.

The applications highlight the ethical complexity of maintaining the family branding empire while Donald Trump serves as president and are likely to stoke speculation about the organizations future business intentions in Macau.

The applications for the Trump brand were made in June by a Delaware-registered company called DTTM Operations LLC. They cover gambling and casino services, as well as real estate, construction and restaurant and hotel services. The applications were first reported by the South China Morning Post.

The new applications are identical to four marks applied for in 2006, and granted, but lapsed earlier this year. It was not clear from public records why, though under Macau law trademarks can be forfeited for non-use. There are currently no Trump-branded businesses in Macau.

Trumps trademarks have been a source of concern to ethics lawyers and Democratic officials, who fear they can give foreign governments the opportunity to try to influence the White House. China has approved dozens of Trump trademarks since the president took office.

Three U.S. lawsuits against the president contend that the Chinese marks constitute gifts from a foreign state and stand in violation of the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution. Trump and his lawyers reject that argument and contend that trademarks are a crucial defense against squatters seeking to exploit his name.

Macaus six casino operators, including Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts, face renewals for their licenses starting in 2020. The government of the former Portuguese colony, now ruled by China, has released few details on the renewal process, which will be the first since it ended a decades-long casino monopoly and opened bidding to foreign companies in 2001.
The Cap Times interviewed Epic Systems CEO Judy Faulkner for our cover story Her Way this week. Reporters Katelyn Ferral and Erik Lorenzsonn sat down with Faulkner for 30 minutes at Epics campus on March 29 to ask her about her interest in healthcare and her early management decisions at the company. She also spoke to Epics impact on the local community, her personal mentors and philosophy when it comes to hiring, considering the lack of women in the STEM fields.

The interview has been lightly edited for grammatical clarity.
RAMALLAH, West Bank  Jordans king flew by helicopter to the West Bank on Monday  a rare and brief visit seen as a signal to Israel that he is closing ranks with the Palestinians on key issues, including a contested Jerusalem shrine.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Abdullah II met for about two hours, after a red-carpet welcome for the monarch at the Palestinian government compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

The two leaders discussed the recent showdown with Israel over the Muslim-administered shrine, including confronting alleged Israeli attempts to expand its role there, said Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki.

This evaluation is very important for us to prepare for the coming stage we expect from Israel and from (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu personally, Malki said.

Israel has denied allegations by Muslims that it was trying to encroach on their rights at the holy site, which is also revered by Jews.

Abdullahs visit to the West Bank, his first in five years, came at a time of rising Israeli-Jordanian and Israeli-Palestinian tensions over the shrine, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount.

The crisis erupted when Israel installed metal detectors at gates to the compound after Arab gunmen killed two Israeli policemen there in mid-July. The measures triggered protests by Muslims.

Israel removed the devices after a few days, after intervention from the United States, Jordan and others. The step was seen by many in Israel as a capitulation and by Palestinians and the Arab world as a victory.

The shrine, a sprawling 37-acre esplanade rising from Jerusalems walled Old City, is the third holiest site of Islam and the most sacred one in Judaism. It is central to rival Israeli and Palestinian religious and national narratives and has triggered major confrontations in the past.

Jordan serves as the Muslim custodian of the site, home to the Al-Aqsa and Dome of the Rock mosques. Jordans ruling Hashemite dynasty has drawn much of its legitimacy from that role. On Sunday, Abdullah told lawmakers in Jordan that without the Hashemite custodianship and the steadfastness of the Jerusalemites, the holy sites would have been lost many years ago.

Our success requires one stand with the Palestinian brothers, so that our cause wouldnt be weakened and our rights would be maintained, he said.

Karin Laub and Iyad Moghrabi are Associated Press writers.
Gorge bridge hit-and-run arrest

Deputies in Taos County have arrested a 22-year-old man after they say he drove his car into a 74-year-old tourist at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, possibly severing one of the older man's legs and breaking the other. It happened Saturday afternoon, and while witness reports didn't hang together at first, deputies tracked down the car early Sunday. Juan Rodelas faces felony charges. The victim is in what the sheriff called serious but stable condition.

Constitutional context

State lawmakers and the governor are still suing each other over a string of vetoes she delivered in the waning days of the last regular legislative session. Legislators say the fact that the vetoes didn't arrive with explanations violates the state Constitution. They say it's the same case with vetoes that arrived past the allowable deadline. The governor says she followed the rules. There's a hearing this week on the matter. The bills in question impact horse racing, hemp research, broadband access and other issues.



Read this

School districts in Santa Fe and Albuquerqueand their nearly 100,000 studentswere left off the funding list for the governor's Reads to Lead learning program next year. Smaller districts, many in more conservative parts of the state, made out pretty well. This is the fourth time in seven funding cycles that the state has changed the application process for one of the governor's signature reading programs.



Half now, half when you wake up

A new policy at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center means patients have to clear non-emergency surgeries with the hospital's financial staff before they go under the knife. Low-income health care advocates say the policy is confusing, because the hospital requires a 50 percent payment in some cases. But the hospital says medically urgent cases don't need a down payment and low-income patients are still able to get the procedures they need.

School suit decision looms

After two months of testimony, arguing and evidence, state District Court Judge Sarah Singleton, who is close to a planned retirement, will now dig in on a lawsuit that claims New Mexico's failure to properly educate vulnerable student populations such as Native Americans and English-language learners is unconstitutional. The groups who filed the action say the state refuses to acknowledge the gravity of the problem. The state says low achievement is definitely not a desirable outcome, but it isn't unconstitutional.



New developments

The Camino La Tierra interchange on Highway 599 could look a lot different if the man who developed Las Campanas has his druthers. Lyle Anderson wants to more than double the allowable homes on a 300-acre tract north of the highway. The developer says Santa Fe County changed the land use code on him, and that the project, which also includes planned commercial properties, should get the green light. Opponents say similar developments in Aldea and Rancho Viejo still have store vacancies and plans need to change.

What kind of a sick...

Shooting cattle with a high-powered rifle. What is that? It's wrong, for one thing. If you've lived in New Mexico for any length of time, you know that it happens and that it's cruel to the animals and the families raising them. It's been happening a lot in Eddy County recently and the sheriff down there is wondering if all the shootings this year are connected.

Poultry excuse

Kenny Grubbs of Portales says West Texas sheriff's deputies arrested him at a private poultry show last month. He faces felony cockfighting charges, though, because deputies say if it was a private poultry show, then it was also a razor blade show. Like the kind you attach to roosters' legs when you fight them. And there were cages and a ring and 100 birdsfive of which were dead.



Thanks for reading! The Word thinks that if the US could have found a way to keep Ed Snowden in the Moscow airport, he'd be home right now. Being stuck in an airport is purgatory, but more cruel. That said, we're kinda glad ol' Ed is still sticking it to the intelligence-gathering community.



Subscribe to the Morning Word at sfreporter.com/santafe/signup.

Santa Fe Reporter
A group of kiwifruit growers has taken the government to court, in a landmark case where it claims negligence by the Ministry for Primary Industries allowed the Psa virus into New Zealand in 2009, devastating the industry.

In Wellington's High Court today, the group of 212 growers, led by Strathboss Kiwifruit and Seeka, claimed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) - which became part of MPI when that ministry was formed in 2012 - was negligent under the Biosecurity Act, which made it responsible for controlling the importation of "risk goods".

In opening submissions today, the kiwifruit grower group's lawyer, Davey Salmon, said MAF had known for many years that Psa was a significant pest and would cause economic harm to kiwifruit.

"They should not have allowed imports of kiwifruit pollen without carrying out an analysis of the risks, including the risk of introducing Psa," Salmon said. "The conditions imposed for pollen imports were wholly inadequate. On any view, there was a failure to exercise reasonable care."

The bacteria infected 80 percent of kiwifruit orchards nationwide and is estimated to have cost the industry up to $930 million in lost exports. When Seeka joined the class action in 2014, it estimated the Psa bacteria had cost it more than $45 million, and prompted it to slash its workforce by 40 percent to mitigate the impact of the outbreak. The country's kiwifruit marketing body, Zespri International, has not joined the action, and has urged others against it.

The grower group is calling hostile witnesses from Kiwi Pollen New Zealand, who imported kiwifruit anthers from China which it says was the source of the Psa outbreak. It says MAF was negligent in allowing Kiwi Pollen to import pollen, as its risk analysis was insufficient and the conditions "wholly inadequate to the risk" of Psa.

The government's lawyers aren't set to give their side until mid-September after the kiwifruit growers have concluded. However, in the amended statement of defence published online by MPI, its lawyer Jack Hodder QC argues that the ministry acted appropriately, and it's inconclusive exactly how Psa entered New Zealand.

MPI's actions were "reasonable on the basis of the scientific knowledge at all relevant times", Hodder said, and there was insufficient scientific evidence that Psa could be transmitted through pollen until experimentation in 2013 and 2014.

The agency also says it has statutory immunity from civil proceedings taken under the Biosecurity Act, and any liability it has for losses is covered by a statutory compensation scheme, through which the government offered $25 million after the 2010 outbreak.

The grower group says in 2009, Kiwi Pollen imported two shipments from China; the first of 4.5 kilograms of kiwifruit anthers, the pollen-bearing part of a male flower's stamen, from an orchard outside Xi'an in Shaanxi Province, China. It says DNA evidence shows the strain of Psa found in New Zealand is nearly identical to a strain isolated in Shaanxi in 2010, and an element of the main chromosome in the New Zealand strain has only been found in one other strain in the world - the Shaanxi strain.

"The plaintiffs say they can now show that the site of those cross-referenced markers is only 40 kilometres from where Jill Hamlyn [of Kiwi Pollen] sourced this shipment," Salmon said.

The case is set down for about three months.

(BusinessDesk)

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The New Zealand unit of World Wide Sires - the marketing arm of US-based Select Sires - says the Ministry for Primary Industries has confirmed there is no evidence imported bovine semen has developed a resistance to antibiotics used to treat cattle disease mycoplasma bovis.

In July, MPI said the disease had been detected in a dairy herd in South Canterbury, the first known outbreak in New Zealand. Mycoplasma bovis is commonly found in cattle globally, including Australia. It does not infect humans and presents no food safety risk, according to MPI. The ministry took steps to contain the disease and is carrying out extensive testing to establish where the disease is present. So far, it has only been detected on two of 16 farms belonging to the Van Leeuwen Dairy Group farms.

"New Zealand has been importing semen for many decades without incident and at this time there is no evidence that resistance has developed or that standard hygiene practices have been breached," according to an email from Angela Snell, a senior advisor on MPI's animal imports team, cited by World Wide Sires. MPI officials were not immediately available for comment.

World Wide Sires New Zealand general manager Hank Lina said the company  along with other importers of bovine semen  has been working with MPI to isolate and identify the source of the outbreak.

"We sell more than 19 million straws of semen to 80 countries around the world and, over several decades, have developed semen production and processing procedures which are amongst the most rigorous in the world," he said.

Lina said that the Select Sires cooperative initiated research on fresh semen nearly two decades ago and sponsored research on mycoplasma bovis and "no evidence of mycoplasma bovis was found in any of Select Sires' 1,700 bull team either during the research programme or since," said Lina.

"Along with other semen companies, we were required to provide batch numbers and details of all bovine semen imported to New Zealand and potentially supplied to the Leeuwen group. No stone was left unturned meaning their eventual validation was well received  but the investigation also provided insight to the disciplines and expertise which exist in this country to protect our industry from incursions of disease which have affected so many other countries around the world, Lina added.

Based in Plain City, Ohio, Select Sires Inc is comprised of nine farmer-owned and -controlled cooperatives.

(BusinessDesk)

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New Zealand shares rallied, with more volume through politically-driven sectors as the September election draws closer. A2 Milk Co rallied to another record, while Xero gave back some gains.

The S&P/NZX50 Index rose 25.45 points, or 0.3 percent, to 7,771.57. Within the index, 27 stocks rose, 14 fell and nine were unchanged. Turnover was $160 million.

Jacinda Ardern became leader of the Labour Party on Tuesday, taking over from Andrew Little, and the positive reaction to her ascent has been dubbed the 'Jacinda Effect', with the Labour Party reporting an upsurge in volunteers and donations while international media have covered Ardern's response to sexist questioning.

"Everyone's just positioning themselves for the results, you've seen reasonable volumes in the leaders again - perhaps I'm drawing a long bow, but it could be the 'Jacinda Effect'," Rickey Ward, at JBWere said. "Markets are potentially looking at some sectors - carbon, construction, electricity. A week or so ago, people were dismissing a potential change in government, and perhaps that's changed with Jacinda. It has focussed people back on some of the potential policy they might campaign on.

"Fletcher Building is recovering from Friday's sell-off, that's infrastructure spend, and there's good volume going through the electricity sector - all those sorts of things which seem to be big on the agenda for the left," Ward said. "There does seem to be reasonable volume going through these names in what is a quiet day."

Fletcher Building gained 0.9 percent to $7.95, while Metro Performance Glass gained 0.7 percent to $1.44. Chorus gained 0.5 percent to $4.48, while Contact Energy dropped 0.6 percent to $5.34 and Genesis Energy fell 0.4 percent to $2.43.

A2 Milk was the best performer, up 3 percent to $4.80, its second consecutive record. On Friday, the milk marketer released a statement, in conjunction with Synlait Milk, saying the two are confident with the progress of their application to export a2 Platinum infant formula to China from Jan. 2018. Sales of the formula currently comprise about 8 percent of A2's total infant formula sales.

"It just keeps breaking new highs, a lot of analysts upgraded their numbers over the last month. It's a stand-out story, no doubt about it," Ward said. "Most analysts have come out believing they can extend their Chinese success to other parts of the world, there's a lot of support for it."

Xero was the worst performer, down 1.2 percent to $27.02. The stock has gained 56 percent this year amidst positive earnings, but has fallen back over the past two sessions after reaching a three-year high on Friday.

"You can always find cynics when they rally high, naturally people take a bit of a breather and this is nothing more than that, I suspect," Ward said.

Spark New Zealand dropped 0.8 percent to $3.84 and Z Energy fell 0.8 percent to $7.83.

(BusinessDesk)

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Mainfreight Half Year Financial Results 30 September 2022


Critics ask: What's the financial fallout if Foxconn fails to live up to 'the hype'?
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.
Kevin Nicholson, a former Marine and past president of a national college Democratic group, has launched a Republican bid for the U.S. Senate in Wisconsin.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Three more Staten Island schools, including troubled Dreyfus Intermediate (I.S. 49) will be getting "Community School" status when classes resume in a few weeks.

According to the Department of Education, PS 46, South Beach; PS 57, Clifton, and Dreyfus Intermediate will be added in the borough. They will join PS 78, Stapleton, and Curtis and Port Richmond high schools, which received the designation in 2014.

Community schools will get help with everything from attendance improvement to school counseling for students and families, through community-based partnerships with non-profits and other neighborhood-based organizations.

The Community Schools initiative is one of the priorities of Mayor de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina's education agenda. The idea behind it is to support social, emotional, physical and academic needs of students, to support learning.

Each new Community School will get a full-time in-school "Community School Coordinator" position. According to the DOE, the Community School coordinator's role is "to customize and organize the delivery of supports to students such as mentors, mental health professionals, academically enrichment services during and after the school day, optometrists and dental services, as needed."

In addition, the DOE's Office of Community Schools (OCS) will provide support and partners with other DOE departments, city agencies, and non-profits.

City Councilwoman Debi Rose (D-North Shore), was among those calling for Community School designation for Dreyfus Intermediate, after the Stapleton school was named one of only two "persistently dangerous" schools in the five boroughs by state officials.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- If at first you don't succeed, try and try again.

But it still remains to be seen whether repeat felon Carlo Dipadova, who's facing a potential lifetime sentence for three alleged armed holdups last year, will be able to convince a justice to lower his bail far enough for his family to post it.

Maxwell Gould, Dipadova's lawyer, asked state Supreme Court Justice Stephen J. Rooney on Monday to decrease the defendant's bail to $500,000 bond or $250,000 cash.

"I believe $500,000 over $250,000, if the family was able to make it, would assure he'd come to court," said Gould.

Prosecutors opposed the application, saying nothing in the case has changed.

Rooney said he would need to review the file before ruling on the request and instructed both sides to return to court on Sept. 20 for a decision.

The judge has already decreased bail once. In May, he lowered it from $1 million bond or cash to $1 million bond or $250,000 cash.

Gould at that time had called Dipodova's bail "excessive" and requested dropping it to $100,000 bond or $50,000 cash.

Dipadova, 58, had pleaded with Rooney then to allow him to spend some time with his family before he either goes to trial or accepts prosecutors' offer of a sentence of 16 years to life in exchange for a guilty plea to second-degree robbery.

The defendant said he has been addicted most of his life and has serious health issues. He said he'd submit to random drug tests and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet if set free on bail.

Dipadova faces a minimum sentence of 20 years to life if convicted of first-degree robbery, the top charge against him. He could potentially be sentenced to three consecutive terms if found guilty at trial of all three counts of first-degree robbery lodged in an indictment against him.

Dipadova did not address the court on Wednesday.

Prosecutors allege Dipadova brazenly stuck up three stores at gunpoint shortly before last Christmas.

He struck at GameStop, 2875 Richmond Ave., New Springville, on Dec. 7; New York Man Suits, 2555 Richmond Ave., New Springville, on Dec. 12; and Payless shoe store, 2955 Veterans Road West, Charleston on Dec. 13, said prosecutors.

Dipadova netted less than $1,000 for the three heists, officials said.

Cops nabbed him after the final robbery and recovered a .380-caliber handgun he allegedly brandished during the robberies. Officers also found crack cocaine, said police.

Online records of the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision show Dipadova has served three state prison stints for robberies in Brooklyn dating to 1979.

Most recently, he was paroled in November 2008 after serving a sentence of 10 years to life.
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A Canberra woman charged with stealing thousands from ActewAGL customers faced court on Monday charged with a fresh offence.

Jessica Kate Anderson, 29, was working as a contractor at the energy company when it's alleged she and a co-accused, Taylor Jade Geoghegan, 20, found accounts in credit before transferring the money to bank accounts belonging to Ms Anderson.

It's alleged more than $13,000 was taken this way.

Court documents tendered on another occasion suggest the pair had quit their jobs working the telephones at ActewAGL and on the same day booked flights for a Las Vegas holiday.

Both women were arrested but have since been released on bail.
The woman was 24 with an IQ of 40 and the man 40 years her senior when he started to take advantage of her.

He had known the woman since she was 9, and he was fully aware of her intellectual limitations, a court has heard.

Her intellectual disability meant she could not consent to sex.

"Masquerading as a quasi-carer, the offender took advantage of [the woman] for over three years to satisfy his own sexual appetite," sentencing judge Michael Elkaim said.

The 74-year-old man pleaded guilty in the ACT Supreme Court to 13 charges; five of rape and eight of an act of indecency.
Paris: France is working with Germany and other partners to plug loopholes that have allowed US tech giants like Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon to minimise taxes and grab market share in Europe at the expense of the continent's own companies.

France will propose the "simpler rules" for a "real taxation" of tech firms at a meeting of European Union officials due mid-September in Tallinn, Estonia, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said in an interview in his Paris office on Friday.

"Europe must learn to defend its economic interest much more firmly  China does it, the US does it," Mr Le Maire said.

"You cannot take the benefit of doing business in France or in Europe without paying the taxes that other companies  French or European companies  are paying."
On other fronts, there have been improvements in the proportion of 20-24 year olds completing year 12 education or above, and in the proportion of adults whose main income was from employment - although in both these fields there is still a long way to go. But there has been little or no change in levels of family and community violence. Worse, levels of psychological distress, hospitalisations for selfharm, and substance misuse are increasing. Capping it all, the justice system has all the appearance of a debacle with the adult imprisonment rate increasing by 77 per cent between 2000 and 2015, and the juvenile detention rate is still 24 times the rate for nonIndigenous youth.

On the latest available figures, progress in closing the gap in Aboriginal health has stalled. Up until the 1990s, the mortality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people was not only much higher than for Indigenous people in other countries, but the rate of improvement was at best small and uncertain, and less than for the total Australian population, so that the "gap" was increasing. Since the late 1990s however, there have been significant declines in the all-cause mortality rate for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. But the rate of reduction in mortality for both populations up until 2008 was essentially the same, and Indigenous rates remained about 70 per cent higher than non-Indigenous rates. Of even greater concern is that Indigenous mortality rates have plateaued since at least 2012, possibly since 2008, and the gaps may now be widening again.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull with Ngunnawal elders at an Indigenious function on the eve of the Closing the Gap report in February. Credit:Andrew Meares

There is always a lag time between announcement of a new program and the availability of data to show its impact. So these results generally indicate what was happening on the ground in the time since the early 2000s. They do not necessarily indicate that the Closing the Gap initiative has been some kind of failure, as the results of that program would only start to be reflected in data available from 2018 onwards. But the flat lining since 2008 in key health indices is deeply troubling and indicates the need for a new approach and much more vigorous action in health, education, housing, employment, the justice system and other fields.

A lot hangs on the developing Implementation Plan for the National Aboriginal Health Plan, and whether or not it will effectively grapple with service gaps, and the underlying issues of culture and racism.

Internationally, while comparisons are fraught with technical difficulty, it appears that the health of Australia's Indigenous population still lags behind that of the Indigenous peoples of Canada, New Zealand and the USA. It has often been noted that there are treaties for the Indigenous population of the three countries most like Australia, but not for Australia. The value of a treaty depends in part on its content, but also whether or not governments abide by the provisions of the treaty, (a somewhat variable and uncertain proposition, particularly in North America). Associated levers to give legal force to the provisions of the treaty such as the establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal in 1975 and in the United States, the Snyder Act which set up the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service as part of that Government's interpretation of its Treaty Obligations, have proved critical. It is evident however, that treaties, though not solving all issues, have played a useful and constructive role in those three countries.

A related issue is that of an Indigenous voice on all these matters. In Australia, governments have struggled with this issue and though some progress has been made, there has been a penchant for government selected and appointed Indigenous membership of bodies essentially created by and for governments. While Indigenous participation in advisory bodies has improved, as have consultation mechanisms, it remains an unequal process with governments having most of the resources for policy making though the expertise is generally considerably greater amongst Indigenous bodies. The Prime Minister's commitment to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and their communities across Australia is important, as is his acknowledgment of the wisdom of "doing things with us not to us".
The other day an American friend told me something rather disconcerting: when he travels to Europe later this year, he expects to be treated like "a visitor from a planet that has been taken over by wild beasts".

Why? Because Donald Trump  with all the chronic chaos and plain weirdness he brings to the White House  has dealt a huge blow to America's global standing.

And yet my friend, like many friends of America, takes solace in assuming Trump is an aberration. Normal programming will resume, they say, whenever the 71-year-old buffoon leaves office and a more conventional president reaffirms American global leadership that upholds the multilateral rules-based order.

Perhaps. But what if the decline of US prestige and influence that has accompanied Washington's freak show is a sign of things to come? What if America's crisis of confidence goes beyond Trump?
My aunt and her sister were marched to Ravensbruck sometime in 1943. I never knew much of the detail nor did we get them last Friday. My own parents, like so many Holocaust survivors, did not wish to remember. Another aunt had tattooed numbers on her forearm but we didn't speak about that either. Still, that detail and the effect of the Holocaust, were embedded in my life. As a young girl, I was rarely out of my mother's sight. Then, when my own eldest daughter was 10, she had to write a history of an elderly relative. I left the two of them to it. And two hours later, I returned to a 10-year-old daughter changed forever.

Jewish services for the dead are Spartan yet comforting. There are no endless eulogies, just a brief summary of the facts as we know them.

My aunt was buried last Friday, the last of her generation in my family. We were not close but out of respect for her son, my cousin, I went along to the service.

Just two minutes from the end, the kindly rabbi asked us not to congregate on the footpath while my aunt's coffin was delivered to the hearse. He said something like, the council thinks it's a security risk. That morning, I'd read a news report that said the same local council had banned construction of a synagogue in Sydney's Bondi because it could be a terrorist target. This week, I'm reading insane commentary about that decision.

We are security risks. When I told both Muslim and Jewish friends I was writing this, they all had their stories. Stopped incessantly at airports. Frisked. Stopped again. A friend who is Jewish but doesn't "look" Jewish is constantly being asked to show identification at her child's school.

Over centuries, Jews have been marginalised. Our Muslim siblings experience the same. We are being made different and even our places of worship aren't safe. Instead of banding together, there's a continued attempt to set us against each other; assisted by people who would never consider themselves racist. They don't know history or politics but they are deadset allies of brown people. At least the ones they can tell are brown. Sounds more like Andrew Bolt than I care to imagine.

Here are three actual events in my life. One young woman telling me Asian Australians never experienced the level of racism that Muslim Australians currently experience (but of course she mustn't have studied the White Australia policy). Another young woman assures me "non white" people are more aware of microracisms but refuses to acknowledge anyone else's experience. And a third "ally" suggests that "people of colour" are the only ones who experience what culture studies theorists call Othering. These are people in their 20s and 30s who say these things.

But this is not about my right to say I experience racism  it's about what we need to do to fight it. And fight it we must if Australia is to make itself whole again, to atone for the bitter lives of Indigenous Australians, to stop the murder on Manus, to ensure we have an Australia where Jews and Muslims and whoever else wants to, can farewell their relatives in peace.
Referring to the recent census results, the patient said that half of Australia's population was not born in Australia (this is not true ), but "...I mean I think it's good that we all look a bit different. I think it's good that you look Chinese."

I'm an Australian community pharmacist with Chinese heritage and that's what one of my regular patients said to me one day.

To some, this probably seems like a very strange exchange. In community pharmacy, it's par for the course. Another example - after counselling an elderly patient on her blood pressure medications, the lady looked at me, patted my hand and said, smiling, "You speak English so well for an Asian."

I often compare the way language is used by everyday people to the way language is used in the media. The media constitutes a profession that is generally highly educated (some would say, a part of the "elite" class). They have to think about the language they use a lot more than the average person. Let me ask you - which do you think is a more apt description - "illegal immigrant" or "asylum seeker"?

The Australian Press Council recommends journalists use the term "asylum seekers" in most circumstances. The Howard government liked to say "illegal maritime arrivals," whilst the subsequent Labor government preferred "irregular maritime arrivals." Tony Abbott brought back "boat people," a term from the 1970s that originally described refugees fleeing Vietnam after the fall of Saigon. It's a strikingly anachronistic term in the vein of "Chink," "Abo" or "Wog", and shows how much we - and our use of language (at least in public) - have really changed.

The truth is, the language that you use probably gives away how you feel about an issue. The press council warns the word "illegal" may unduly imply "criminality or other serious behaviour", instead emphasising that most people who come here without authorisation are seeking a legal right to stay in Australia as refugees. But some think that "asylum seeker" deliberately avoids the fact these people are entering Australian borders illegally. They are frustrated the media's obsession with political correctness has made it impossible to "call a spade a spade".

Censoring language, however well-intentioned, can be subversive. The Rotherham child sex abuse scandal in the United Kingdom, where at least 1400 children were abused between 1997 and 2013, ignited a firestorm over the problem of institutionalised political correctness. Most of the perpetrators were of Pakistani heritage, but police and officials were blasted for deliberately failing to acknowledge obvious ethnic and community ties for fears of being accused of racism.
1. Australia will have same-sex marriage, sooner rather than later, and there is nuttin' the Libs can do about it. The Libs can obfuscate, prevaricate and agitate 'til they're blue in the face  and here's a special cheerio to you, Senator Abetz  but when they decline to pursue the obvious course to simply legislate, it is all so much wasted effort.

2. A postal plebiscite with no teeth to it  and of dubious legal standing  is a ludicrous option and it damn nigh defies belief that this is the best option the Brains Trust of the Libs can come up with.

3. Whatever the Prime Minister says, however much he tries to sell it, once more he is seen to be pushing something that he clearly doesn't believe in. While the strength of one of his predecessors, John Howard, was that he was a "conviction politician", willing to stick by his convictions through thick and thin  something the electorate respected him for, even while often strongly disagreeing with those convictions  somehow, Malcolm Turnbull is once again being seen to sell something he doesn't actually believe in. Seemingly hamstrung by whatever commitment he made to the Conservative wing of his party before becoming Prime Minister, it means that once more he is not out in front of events, leading the nation forward, but jumping in front of what has just happened.

4. The Libs' once fabled "broad church" these days is not quite broad enough to accommodate so many widely differing views. The admirable Warren Entsch and Senator Abetz, I suspect, might be able to agree that it's Monday, but beyond that are likely to "only have in common, their right to trial by jury", to adapt the famous quote from Fran Lebowitz. Ditto Tony Abbott and Trent Zimmerman. It is too early to say that the Libs can no longer hold such hairy-chested Hard Line Conservatives and outspoken small 'l' liberals in the same ranks, but there has to be some chance this decision will be regarded as the moment when their broad church began to collapse.

5. Despite the derision hurled his way, and his inability to do what he clearly wants to do by taking Malcolm Turnbull's job back off him, Tony Abbott and his supporters still have the power to derail the whole Liberal program, from the course the Prime Minister actually wants them to pursue.
There is much to trouble Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten in the findings of focus groups conducted for Fairfax Media in recent days, but more for their dispirited constituency.

The research found a consensus that Malcolm Turnbull lacks the political strength or will to prosecute his agenda. Voters could not name a single achievement of his government that had positively and demonstrably affected their lives. "Do something," lamented one voter over the government's impasse over same sex marriage. "Just do something."

Justice Party senator Derryn Hinch. Credit:Andrew Meares

The research revealed an hostility at the government for failing to address housing affordability, particularly in key western Sydney seats, but also in suburban Melbourne.

But the perceived failure of the Turnbull government to act on behalf of voters did not translate to support for Bill Shorten. Though Labor has announced policies designed to cool the housing market including a pledge to limit negative gearing  the focus groups remained unaware of Labor's stance and unimpressed with its leader.
Rosa* is a typical international student. She's 21 and in Sydney studying English. She hopes to become an engineer. To afford to live in Sydney's rental market, she has to work part-time, so Rosa responds to a notice on Gumtree for cleaning work. Via text message she is told she will be paid $15 an hour for her work and given the access code for an office that she has to clean. She is paid this time, but next time she is told there will be a delay  but don't worry, she will get paid soon. After doing several more shifts, Rosa starts asking about her pay and the employer stops responding. Rosa has nothing apart from a phone number and the first name of her employer. She's also worried because she's worked more than the permitted 40 hours within the last fortnight.

We see clients like Rosa every week at Redfern Legal Centre, where we run weekly advice nights for people who need help with employment law, and for international students with any legal issue. Both nights present a depressingly regular theme: workers with reduced bargaining power for various intersecting factors  including language, education, disability and visa status  working for little or no money and facing significant hurdles to recover their entitlements.

Some workers who can only communicate with their boss by text find their attempts to get paid are frequently ignored. Credit:Mauro Grigollo

This targeting and exploitation of marginalised workers in Australia is now so widespread it appears to have become a business model, contributing to inequality. So how can we solve it?

Calls to introduce "wage theft" as a criminal offence are increasing, reflecting growing frustration with current sanctions protecting the legal rights of workers. Unions NSW recently released a report on the issue, Lighting up the Black Market, enforcing minimum wages. Last weekend, NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley announced that NSW Labor would make the deliberate failure to pay wages and other entitlements a criminal offence.
In a major retail coup, Hilldale Shopping Center has wooed one of the regions busiest retailers away from the citys largest shopping mall.

Apple has announced that it will move its Apple Store out of West Towne Mall to the south end of Hilldale. The store, believed to be between 8,000 and 10,000 square feet and scheduled to open Saturday at 10 a.m., is between University Book Store and a 15,000-square-foot L.L. Bean store scheduled to open in spring 2018.

The Apple Store move has been rumored for months, but officials at West Towne and Hilldale had declined to comment. Apple made no indication of the move until it recently updated its website for its West Towne location and last week unveiled an Apple logo on the facade of its Hilldale location. On Monday, the Apple website said An inspired move. Come see us at Hilldale on August 12 at 10 a.m.

The addition of the Apple Store to Hilldale will bring an instant increase in traffic to the shopping center that over the past 10 years has undergone a remarkable transformation. The owner of the mall, WS Development, has reconfigured 55,000 square feet of retail space on the shopping centers south end to create an outdoor courtyard, create entrances that open to the street and provide more visibility.

The project took away about 10,000 square feet of retail from the mall but created a new entrance for the AMC Dine-In Madison 6 movie theater, previously known as Sundance 608 Cinema. It also relocated University Book Store and has created a space for a restaurant that has not yet been announced.

Its going to be one ... sexy store, said Don Van Wart, who co-owns Twigs, a womens clothing store at Hilldale across the street from the new Apple store location. Its going to be huge. From (the movie theater) to Macys has been dead for over a year, and now its just going to be new life and new energy. The Apple Store is going to be spectacular.

Eric Slivka, editor in chief of MacRumors.com, told the Wisconsin State Journal in April that he wouldnt be surprised by the move to the shopping center that is owned by WS Development.

Its a small store (at West Towne), and Apple has been methodically renovating, expanding, and moving its stores to convert them to the companys next-generation designs, Slivka wrote in an e-mail. Hilldale seems like it would be a good option. ... Apple has also worked with WS Development in a number of other cities, so theres already a good relationship there.

The West Towne Apple Store opened in July 2007 and was the third store in Wisconsin, joining Milwaukee-area stores at Bayshore Town Center in Glendale and at Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa. Apple has not added any stores to the state since but has nearly 500 stores in 22 countries.

In addition, Foxconn, a major contractor for Apple, has proposed building a $10 billion, 20 million-square-foot manufacturing plant in southeast Wisconsin. The Taiwanese company is also looking for a 20-acre site in the Madison area on which it can build a 700,000-square-foot manufacturing plant that could employ as many as 650 people over the first five years of operation.

Tiffany Bernhardt Schultz, marketing director for West Towne, said in an e-mail Monday that the West Towne Apple Store will close Friday.

Its unfortunate that Apple is closing, but the 4,800-square-foot store is well located within the center and there has already been strong demand for the space, Schultz wrote. Callisters Christmas will be taking the space for the holiday season, and moving in shortly after Apple departs.

The redevelopment of the south side of Hilldale nears completion just over two years after the grand opening of a $15 million, 53,000-square-foot redevelopment between Macys and Metcalfes Market that created an open-air corridor on the shopping centers north end. That project included the relocation of New Balance shoes and the addition of kitchen retailer Sur la Table, clothiers Kate Spade, Mes Amies and Michael Kors, LUSH cosmetics, Pier South, Home Market and Cafe Hollander.
Labor and Coalition senators have crossed the political divide to call on the Reserve Bank to embrace bitcoins as an official form of currency or risk the future competitiveness of Australia's $145 billion a year financial services industry.

The push from Labor senator Sam Dastyari and Liberal senator Jane Hume comes after the digital currency soared to an all time high of $4070 per bitcoin on Monday, up from less than 10 per coin in 2010.

Senator Dastyari said when he first raised bitcoin in the Senate, one of his colleagues came to him and said: 'I don't get what the issue is, don't they just melt all the coin bits they don't use?".

He said the digital currency had now become a serious financial player and Australia risked being left behind if it did not pursue developing its own official currency and blockchain to use on the market.
And that's it from me. What happened?

a two hour party room meeting rejected any changes to the Turnbull government's same-sex marriage policy ;

rejected any changes to the Turnbull government's ; the plebiscite legislation - which has already been knocked back by the Senate once - will be brought before Parliament again;

- which has already been knocked back by the once - will be brought before again; it is unlikely to be passed because key crossbenchers say they are still opposed to the idea of a plebiscite ;

say they are ; if that happens, the government says it will pursue a postal vote on marriage equality ;

; what happens after that will be discussed by a meeting of Liberal and National Party MPs tomorrow.

My thanks to Andrew Meares and Alex Ellinghausen for their work and to you for reading and commenting.

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Alex, Andrew and I will be back in the morning. Until then, good evening.
Reporter: Are you going to hold that by a specific time, by the end of the year, or is that to be decided? Cormann: The specifics in terms of the process from here will be a matter for the joint party room tomorrow. Reporter: If the plebiscite is defeated does that mean no public vote? Cormann: If the public determines they are not in favour of changing the law to allow same-sex couples to marry, then the government will not be facilitating consideration of a private members' bill to change the law. Reporter: MPs have expressed frustration that this issue is distracting from your main agenda. Doesn't this resolution tonight mean that it will continue to be a distraction for the government.

Cormann: The Liberal Party party room today had a very good meeting. We had a very courteous, respectful and professional meeting to deal with an issue on which there is a diversity of strongly held views on both sides of the argument. The reason there is a diversity of strongly held views in our party room is because the Liberal Party party room and the Coalition party room for that matter is a reflection of the many views across the community, and that is, of course, why in the lead-up to the last election, the Liberal/National Coalition went with a promise to the election to give the Australian people a say on whether or not the definition of marriage should be changed. So we as a government are committed to maintain that promise to the Australian people, to keep faith with the commitment that we made to the Australian people in the lead-up to the last election. Reporter: How quickly can a postal vote be conducted, given you want a vote in the Senate this week on the original plebiscite plan? Cormann: Well, the purpose of the meeting today - the purpose of the Liberal Party party room meeting today was to determine whether or not our policy that we took to the last election should be changed or whether it should be maintained. The Liberal Party room determined that it should be maintained. Obviously there will be further announcements - well, further discussions and further decisions - and ultimately further announcements on next steps in due course. Reporter: How do you pay for a postal plebiscite if there's not an appropriation bill to Parliament and if you have legal advice to that effect can we see it? Cormann: As I said to you, the government believes that there is a legal and constitutional way for the government to facilitate a voluntary, non-legislated postal plebiscite and this is now a matter that is, of course, a matter for consideration by the joint party room meeting at the appropriate time, and these matters will all be able to be addressed when we are in the position for further announcements.

Reporter: Can we see your legal advice? Cormann: We deal with these matters in the usual way. Reporter: If there was a 'no' vote to the postal plebiscite, what would happen then? The government wouldn't facilitate any bill in the House? Cormann: As I've indicated in response to a previous question, the government is committed to give the Australian people a say on whether or not the definition of marriage should be changed in the Marriage Act. Our preference is to do this through a compulsory attendance plebiscite. If that were not to be able to get through the Senate, the government's view is that there is a legal and a constitutional way forward, keeping faith with the commitment that we made, giving the Australian people a say through a voluntary postal plebiscite. Whichever form the plebiscite is, whether it is a compulsory attendance plebiscite or a voluntary postal plebiscite, if the verdict of the Australian people is that they do not want the law on - and the definition of marriage in the law changed - then the government will not be facilitating a private members' bill to change the law. Reporter: But if there was a private members' bill, would members still be bound?

Cormann: I think that I very clearly expressed the position of the government. Reporter: What's the cost of the postal vote? There have been figures of $40 million, $100 million - is there a guide? Cormann: Again, these are still matters that are subject to consideration in the joint party room tomorrow. Depending on the decisions made by the joint party room tomorrow, there will be further announcements and we will be able to answer all of these questions in due course. Reporter: How do you persuade Labor and the crossbench and is there any room to trade or horse trade here, short of shaming them? Is there any other options the government has? Cormann: Well, we believe - we are certain in our commitment to the Australian people before the last election - we want people to have a say on whether the definition of marriage in the Marriage Act should be changed. The government is committed to keep faith with the promise we made at the last election. It is now up to others in the Senate, who may have voted against the plebiscite in the past, and make a decision on whether they prefer a compulsory attendance plebiscite or whether they prefer a postal voluntary plebiscite. If there are concerns about a voluntary postal plebiscite, then I would encourage those senators who are so concerned to consider supporting the government's bill for a compulsory attendance plebiscite.
In most jobs, refusing to undertake a core function for which you were employed - even as conscientious objection - would dissolve the contract. The honourable path is resignation.

But not the pseudo-accountable world of representative politics, where internal loyalties trump responsibility to electors, and where the rules can be sidestepped at one's convenience.

Take the MPs pleading ignorance of their own family heritage when they signed their nomination forms. Try that with your next tax return.

Yet politicians believe there's one set of rules for the public, and another for them.
One of Hollywood's favourite pairs, Chris Pratt and Anna Faris, have announced they are "legally separating" after eight-years of marriage.

In a joint statement released on their social media accounts the actor couple, who married in 2009, said they have "tried hard for a long time," before asking for privacy for the sake of their four-year-old son Jack.

Anna Faris and Chris Pratt were the celebrity couple we could all see ourselves hanging out with in real life. Credit:AP

"Anna and I are sad to announce we are legally separating," the statement on Pratt's Facebook reads.

"We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed. Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward. We still have love for each other, will always cherish our time together and continue to have the deepest respect for one another."
When I read about the Mayfield-based masseur who took photos of his female clients to post in a secret Instagram group, I felt a little sick.

And I nodded in agreement when a former client of his talked about not wanting to speak up when he gave her a full body massage after requesting only a neck massage.

'It is never OK for anyone, even a health professional, to touch without consent and a plausible explanation of their request': Matt Garrett, psychologist at Relationships Australia NSW. Credit:Stocksy

She said she felt he was the expert so what he was doing must be "normal". I had the same experience several years ago when an unregistered therapist "massaged" my breasts.

I wanted him to stop but I remained silent. I was the "patient" and he was the health professional. And this wasn't the first time this had happened to me.
In a last-ditch move, Nikola's doctors weaponised the very thing that had failed to protect him in the first place. He was given two rounds of genetically-modified T-cell immunotherapy grown in Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR). This time he was given the all clear. "It's incredible. This thing has been a part of our lives for so long and now it's not. It's going to take a while to get used to it," Ms Stamenkovic said. For the first time in Australia a clinical trial is paving the way for patients with leukaemia and lymphoma to access a potentially-life-saving immunotherapy treatment. A team of researchers at WIMR and Westmead Hospital has been given the go ahead by the Therapeutics Goods Administration to conduct a phase 1 trial.

Launched on Tuesday, the CARTELL trial will recruit 20 leukaemia and lymphoma patients, children and adults, whose disease has returned despite having bone marrow transplants. The chance of survival for these patients at five years is roughly 10 per cent. Immunotherapy has become a promising new frontier in cancer treatment that harnesses the power of the immune system to find and attack cancer cells has yielded remarkable results in clinical trials overseas. "The results have been incredible, there is no other way to describe it," said Professor David Gottleib, group leader of the Bone Marrow Transplant and Cell Therapies Group at WIMR and senior physician at Westmead Hospital. "People have been blown away by the amazing response rates in people with leukaemia who had very few other choices," he said of the research field still in its infancy.

A small number of eligible Australian cancer patients have spent an estimated $500,000 - $700,000 to access treatment in US trials, on top of the cost of travel, hospital accommodation costs for themselves and their support people. Professor David Gottleib at the Westmead Institute of Medical Research. The exorbitant cost and limited trial places means the experimental treatment is beyond their reach for most patients. "The long term goal is to make CAR T-cells affordable and widely accessible to Australian patients as quickly as we can," Professor Gottleib said. "But there is still a long way to go before we can regard it as routine."

Trial participants will receive genetically modified donor T-cells fitted with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that can identify and kill cancerous leukaemic and lymphoma cells. Published trials overseas have used a viral system to insert the receptors into the cells, stripping away the dangerous components of a virus. The exhaustive process to ensure the alter virus is safe costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. But the method used in the Australian trial will bypass the viral delivery system, Professor Gottleib said. "We essentially take two pieces of DNA and cut and paste the receptor into the DNA," he said. "It means we'll be able to manufacture the cells quickly and more affordably."

The technique could reduce the cost of commercial T-cell treatment from roughly $300,000 to about $50,000, he said. But it will need to be rigorously tested. "We don't know the answer to the efficacy question. That's why we're doing the trials," Professor Gottleib said. "But how you get the receptor into the cells, one has no reason to think the end results should be different," he said. The researchers will be on high alert for side effects seen in trials overseas, including the potentially fatal cytokine release syndrome, in which the T-cells become overactivated and release inflammatory chemicals that damage healthy cells.

The treatment can also cause neurotoxicity that damages the nervous system, which can cause confusion, memory loss, convulsions and other cognitive dysfunctions. "We'll definitely be looking for those sorts of problems," Professor Gottleib said. The new trial is part of a series of trials conducted by the WIMR researchers, aimed at strengthening immunity to infection in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and other toxic treatments. They hope to apply for a second trial using participant's own T-cells to create the CARs among leukaemia and lymphoma patients who have not responded to chemotherapy. The CARTELL trial is expected to run for 18 months to two years.
The tactical response from police officers confronted with a knife-wielding man who was shot in northern NSW before dying in hospital followed "textbook" procedure, police say.

Three officers found a man armed with a knife after responding to reports of a disturbance at a Grafton unit on Sunday afternoon.

"Both taser and OC spray were deployed prior to police having to shoot the individual," NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Northern Region Max Mitchell said on Monday.

Residents nearby the Turf Street unit heard police yelling at the man to "drop the knife".
Two brothers of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim, Michael Ibrahim and Fadi Ibrahim, have been arrested in Dubai as police smash an alleged long-running organised crime syndicate.

The pair are among 14 people arrested, including John's son, Daniel Ibrahim, and underworld figures Mustapha Dib, who was also arrested in Dubai, and Rock Ahmad, who was taken into custody at his Bankstown home.

The arrests relate to long-running syndicates that have been allegedly smuggling drugs and tobacco into Sydney for decades.

More than 25 homes are also being raided, including the Dover Heights house belonging to John Ibrahim.
It's the curious case of a NSW minister planning to help a political opponent fundraise.

Plans for Finance Minister Victor Dominello be the star attraction at a $120-a-head parliamentary cocktail fundraiser seem unremarkable until it become clear the beneficiary was a woman planning to run against Mr Dominello's own party and on his home turf in September's Ryde Council elections.

Amy Lee (right) decided against running on Saturday despite fundraiser plans.

But the case of Amy Lee and another "independent" running for Ryde Council is fuelling rampant speculation that a party on-the-nose with voters wants to win with the support of bogus "independents".

"The Liberal party knows it is on the nose and is setting up phoney independents to fool voters into getting [mergers] through," said one Liberal.
DETROIT  Chinese news outlets are reporting that Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn will build a research and development center in Michigan.

The company, which builds display panels for televisions and cellphones, announced 10 days ago that it would invest $10 billion in a manufacturing plant in southeastern Wisconsin, with the assistance of up to $3 billion in incentives from the state.

Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou plans a Michigan R&D center because of its proximity to the automobile industry, the China Daily reported.

I cant say it is a sure thing, but we are indeed in discussion with several other states and the details will be announced soon, Gou said, according to China Daily.

Gov. Rick Snyder met Saturday with Gou during his trade mission to China.

We had a very productive dialogue about the importance of talent in manufacturing and the future of autonomous driving in addition to a tour of Foxconns world-class products and manufacturing facility, Snyder said in a statement released Monday morning. Michigan is where innovation happens. We are leading in mobility and the transformation of manufacturing, and the rest of the world is clearly taking note. I believe we have a strong future with Foxconn, and while I dont have an announcement to make today, I think there are very exciting things to come in the future.

Foxconn officials have visited Michigan at least three times and have looked at sites in Romulus, a southwestern Detroit suburb, and Lyon Township, an exurb on the metro areas western edge.

Two weeks ago Snyder signed a package of bills that would provide significant tax incentives for companies like Foxconn. The lure of the huge investment from the foreign manufacturer was one of the primary selling points for the Legislature to approve the bills last month.

The bills would:

Allow businesses that expand or relocate to Michigan to receive up to a 10-year, 100 percent abatement on the personal income-tax withholdings of new employees if at least 250 new jobs are brought to the state, at wage rates that are at least 125 percent above the average for the region.

Make the incentive a five-year, 50 percent abatement on those withholdings for companies that bring in at least 500 jobs that pay the average wage for the region.

Allow companies that bring up to 3,000 jobs to the state at average wages in the region to qualify for the 100% incentive for up to 10 years.

Require that eligible companies make a good-faith effort to hire Michiganders for the new jobs in the state.

Prohibit eligible companies from using jobs obtained through a merger or acquisition of another company as a qualifier for the incentive.

End incentives in 2019 and lower the maximum amount of tax incentives at any one time to $200 million.

Foxconns announcement about the investment in Wisconsin came on the same day that Snyder signed the bills. In Wisconsin, the $10 billion Foxconn investment comes at a big price. Wisconsin is kicking in $3 billion in tax incentives for the company.

Foxconn chose Wisconsin over a number of other states offering the company a larger incentive package, Gov. Scott Walker said last week.

Officials have said the plant in Wisconsin is expected to create 3,000 manufacturing jobs, 23,000 indirect jobs and 10,000 construction jobs to build the sprawling Foxconn campus in Kenosha or Racine counties. The full-time workforce could grow to 13,000, with an annual payroll of some $800 million, state officials have said.
A man has been charged after allegedly taking pictures and video of children in Gold Coast shopping centre bathrooms during the past two weeks.

It will be alleged a man who worked at a business in a Biggera Waters shopping centre followed a 15-year-old boy into the bathroom and photographed him without consent on Sunday.

The man was set to appear in Southport Magistrates Court. Credit:Chris Hyde

Police said the boy noticed the phone and told his father, who detained the man allegedly responsible until officers arrived.

It will be further alleged detectives from the Gold Coast Child Protection Investigation Unit found videos of two other children on the man's phone, filmed in a Southport shopping centre bathroom on June 26.
Red fire ants have broken containment lines and reached new ground, after nests found west of Brisbane were confirmed to be the imported insects.

The nests were found on vacant land in Lowood in the Somerset region, meaning they have stretched more than six kilometres outside the biosecurity zone designed to restrict them.

A total of 10 red fire ant nests have been found for the first time in the Somerset Regional Council area. Credit:Fairfax Media

It was also the first time fire ants have been detected in the Somerset Regional Council area, with the 10 nests destroyed by National Red Imported Fire Ant Eradication Program officers.

Surveillance operations have also been undertaken within a one-kilometre radius of the discovery, and work was continuing on attempting to determine the cause of the outbreak.
With all the focus on the hotch potch NBN rollout, I admit I overlooked the fact that many people still can't rely on their mobile phone at home. It's not just an issue in regional and remote Australia, mobile black spots also plague metro areas  with some people getting no coverage at all and others needing to stand outside to get a reliable signal.

Australians can't hang up on their home phones when the mobile networks are still full of black spots even in the cities. Credit:Jessica Shapiro

Last week I asked when Aussies would retire their home phone service , while admitting that I still have one as a security blanket even though I barely use it. The overwhelming response from readers, both online and in the paper, was that a fixed-line phone remains essential because Australia's mobile coverage is so unreliable.

The problem with black spots is so bad that 14% of respondents say they simply can't rely on their mobile phone when they're at home. Their fixed-line phone is their only reliable link to the outside world, yet once the NBN reaches them they'll likely be stuck with a home phone that dies when the power or internet goes out.

Plans to offer every home a battery backup for their NBN home phone have been abandoned with the switch to the Multi-Technology Mix rollout. If your home is hooked up to fibre to the premises you might be able to use the UNI-V voice port on your NBN modem, otherwise you're lumped with a VoIP-powered home phone that dies if your internet access drops out.

That's bad news if you can't rely on your mobile phone in an emergency. Even people who can get a mobile signal at home during a blackout might not be able to make calls when everyone else floods the local mobile towers because their home phones are dead.

If you struggle to get a decent mobile signal at home then you might consider a booster or femtocell to improve your indoor coverage  unlicensed boosters are illegal but some telcos like Telstra and Optus sell them, plus you can look to authorised third-party providers like Cel-Fi. Of course these gadgets also rely on power, so they're not going to save you during a blackout without some kind of battery backup.

To be fair, the government is working to improve mobile coverage with its Mobile Black Spot Program, while Optus and Vodafone have also committed to billion-dollar network upgrades  but these efforts are primarily focused on regional areas. No-one begrudges countryfolk their long overdue upgrades, but if you live within sight of the city yet can't reliably use your mobile phone at home then you might not see any improvement in the near future.
Several current and former Google employees are publicly criticising an employee-written memo that suggested the lower numbers of women in the tech industry are due to biological differences, a view that sparked outrage at the internet giant and inflamed tensions over sexual harassment and discrimination in Silicon Valley.

The unnamed engineer asserted in the 3000-word document that circulated inside the company last week that "Google's left bias has created a politically correct monoculture" which prevented honest discussion of the issue.

"Distribution of preferences and abilities of men and women differ in part due to biological causes and that these differences may explain why we don't see equal representation of women in tech and leadership," he wrote.

The memo stoked the heated debate over treatment of women in the male-dominated Silicon Valley that has boiled for months following sexual harassment scandals at Uber and several venture capital firms.
Women with breech babies may be forced into having caesareans because of a shortage of doctors experienced in bottom-first births at Victoria's public hospitals.

This comes amid controversy over the closure of the state's only specialist breech clinic, at the Royal Women's Hospital, with fears about the risks of breech births reportedly behind a decision not to advertise for a replacement clinician.

Renee Wijesinghe with four-month-old Charlie, who was a breech baby. Credit:Daniel Pockett

Women who recently visited the hospital with a baby in a breech position said they were told the hospital no longer did planned vaginal breech births.

Another said she was booked in for a caesarean "without any mention of the option of a vaginal birth".
Beijing: Mean tweets and the veiled threat of a trade war put aside, China is preparing to host US President Donald Trump on a visit this year.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi confirmed China is preparing for Mr Trump's first trip to Beijing after speaking with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Manila. Just last week Mr Tillerson said the US-China relationship was at a "pivot point" and he hoped they could avoid conflict.

US President Donald Trump is threatening tariffs and other measures to rebalance his country's trading relationship with China. Credit:AP

Mr Wang said in his meeting with Mr Tillerson that China and the US had avoided conflict for 40 years but acknowledged "some sensitive problems".

With Beijing also set to stage the 19th Party Congress, a key meeting of the Communist Party leadership, in October or November, analysts expect Mr Trump's visit, with the unpredictability it could entail, to come later in November. He is due to visit the Philippines and Vietnam in November.
Paris: A woman, whose skull was cracked and face partially torn off by an exploding whipped cream canister, has been awarded 1.1 million ($1.8 million) by a French court.

The case comes just months after a French lifestyle blogger died in an incident involving a whipped cream canister made by the same manufacturer.

Rebecca Burger a French blogger and Instagram star, died in June after a similar whipped cream canister exploded.

A court in Montauban has ruled that Emilie Lada deserved the payout after the accident in 2013 left her with permanent disabilities, including memory failure and the loss of her senses of taste and smell.

Mrs Lada, then 30, was preparing a mousse at her home when the cream canister she was holding exploded and the plastic lid shot into her face.
Jerusalem: Political cartoons depict flames licking at the foundations of the fortress-like household of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Commentators say the noose is tightening around his neck.

For months, Netanyahu has been under investigation in two separate, leak-ridden graft cases involving illicit gifts from wealthy friends and back-room dealings with a local newspaper magnate in a bid for favourable coverage. The latest blow came just before the weekend, when the Israeli police signed a state's witness deal with Ari Harow, Netanyahu's former chief of staff and once one of his closest confidants.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem on Sunday. Credit:AP

A day earlier, in a legal document pertaining to the negotiations with Harow, the police said in writing, for the first time, that Netanyahu was suspected of bribery, as well as fraud and breach of trust.

In light of these developments, analysts say, it appears likely that Israel's longest-serving prime minister after David Ben-Gurion will ultimately face charges, injecting his fourth term with a new level of turbulence and intrigue. The question now, his critics say, is how long he can stave off what they view as his looming political demise.
PDQ has told the state that it will lay off the majority of its 313 employees the week of Oct. 9, but its unclear if those stores will remain open or close temporarily as they are converted to Kwik Trip stores.

Kwik Trip announced July 19 that it was buying all 34 of Middleton-based PDQs Wisconsin stores, the vast majority of which are in Dane County. La Crosse-based Kwik Trip has said it hopes to finalize the purchase of PDQ in October and spend $30 million to $35 million to re-image all of the newly purchased facilities into Kwik Trip-branded stores.

Kwik Trip spokesman John McHugh could not be reached late Monday for comment on how the transition would take place and if stores would be closed or remain open during the conversions.

When it announced the purchase, Kwik Trip said about 1,000 jobs would be created after the sale is finalized in October because the company will double and in some cases triple the number of people that PDQ employs at each store.

None of the current PDQ employees is assured of a job with Kwik Trip, but they have been encouraged by the company to apply.

In a filing Monday with the state Department of Workforce Development, PDQ officials detailed the companys plan to lay off its employees, but the document did not include six PDQ locations in the Milwaukee area.

It was not clear late Monday when those stores would close or the number of employees who would be terminated.

PDQ said that on Oct. 9, it will close six stores affecting 55 employees in Madison, Fitchburg, Waukesha and Kenosha. On Oct. 10, PDQ will close six stores with 52 employees in Middleton, Madison and Waukesha; on Oct. 11, seven stores will close and 93 employees will lose their jobs in Madison, Middleton and Kenosha; on Oct. 12, five stores will close with 60 people losing their jobs at stores in Madison and Middleton while on Oct. 13, three stores in Madison will close with 25 people being put out of work.

The filing with the DWD also said that 28 people who work at the PDQ corporate offices in Middleton will lose their jobs between Oct. 13 and Jan. 31, 2018.
James Krauseneck maintained his innocence at the sentencing Monday and was supported by his daughter, Sarah, who was 3 at the time and saw her deceased mother, Cathleen Cathy Krausneck, 29, a Macomb County native.
Everything you need to know about No. 20 Notre Dame's game vs. Navy Saturday in Baltimore
The coffee bar 5th Element Coffee on University Avenue closed Sunday after two years, the victim of a better-known coffee shop moving in across the street, its owner said.

"It just came down to circumstances that we couldn't control with someone moving in directly across the street," said 5th Element co-owner Todd Allbaugh.

Allbaugh is referring to the eighth location for the local chain Barriques, which opened in May at 2505 University Ave.

5th Element opened in June 2015 at 2510 University Ave., in the same development as Oliver's Public House on what is known to longtime Madisonians as "old University Avenue."

It sold "true, single-origin, farm-to-cup coffee," of which Allbaugh was proud. Allbaugh's partner in the coffee bar, Alejandro Mendez, is from San Salvador, El Salvador.

Mendez is a 2011 World Barista Champion, and became the first barista from a coffee-producing country to win the prestigious competition, now in its 17th year. The contest features about 60 winning baristas from around the world and tests their coffee-making skill, knowledge, creativity and presentation.

5th Element Coffee took advantage of Mendez's direct relationship with coffee from El Salvador and his coffee roastery, 4 Monkeys Coffee Roasters.

Allbaugh said the opening of Barriques was "the absolute determining factor" in the closing of 5th Element.

Matt Weygandt, who owns Barriques with partner Finn Berge, said in a State Journal story in January, that the location had been in the works for more than three years.

Meanwhile, Allbaugh and Mendez are looking at ways to keep the Salvadoran coffee from 4 Monkeys coming to Madison.

Above all, Allbaugh said he wants to thank his devoted customers. "The encouraging thing is that there are a great core of people in Madison who understand that true, fine, single-origin coffee is as valuable as fine wine."

The coffee growers in El Salvador deserve to be paid fair wages, he said, and that meant the coffee he sold went for 75 cents up to $1.50 more per cup than at other coffee shops.

"There are a lot of people out there who realize and appreciate that, and want to participate in that. And that's very encouraging," Allbaugh said.

He said it's been "humbling, gratifying and rewarding" to pursue his life's dream and have others buy into it.

Allbaugh said he's made many wonderful relationships he'd like to continue, whether it's selling online or doing occasional pop-ups. "I have a feeling that people have not heard the last of 5th Element Coffee in the city of Madison."
A Democratic legislator from northwestern Wisconsin announced Monday that hell challenge Republican Gov. Scott Walker next year.

Rep. Dana Wachs of Eau Claire said he believes government has devolved into a payback mechanism for special interest groups and that he wants to be a voice for regular folks.

I think Im something different, he said. We can make people the focus of government policy rather than special interests.

Wachs could face a crowded primary next year. A host of Democrats have either declared their candidacy or are mulling a run.

Milwaukee businessman Andy Gronik and political newcomer Bob Harlow have already announced their candidacies. Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, State Superintendent Tony Evers, state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, political activist Mike McCabe and former state Rep. Brett Hulsey, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2014, are all considering runs.

The 59-year-old Wachs holds a law degree from Valparaiso University in Indiana and served three years on the Eau Claire City Council. He was elected to the Assembly in 2012 and currently sits on the chambers university, judiciary and transportation committees. Republicans have controlled the chamber since 2011, and have control of the Senate and the governors office. Like most of his Democratic colleagues, Wachs hasnt been able to pass any significant, signature legislation.

Campaign finance reports show his Assembly campaign committee raised $41,190 over the first six months of the year. He had $13,497 on hand at the end of June. Harlow raised $8,324 and had $650 on hand. The Wisconsin Ethics Commission website didnt show any filings for Gronik, who joined the race in mid-July.

Walker hasnt announced hell seek a third term but is widely expected to formally declare his candidacy later this summer. Whoever emerges from the Democratic primary would face a formidable opponent in the incumbent governor.

His campaign committee amassed $3.5 million over the first half of the year and had $2.4 million on hand. The states unemployment rate is at its lowest mark in nearly 20 years and the governor just secured a deal with electronics giant Foxconn that calls for the company to build a massive plant in southeastern Wisconsin that could employ thousands of people.

Asked for comment on Wachs candidacy, Walker campaign manager Joe Fadness responded with an email saying Wisconsin families recognize that Walker has moved the state in the right direction.

Alec Zimmerman, a spokesman for the state Republican Party, issued a statement Monday calling Wachs a liberal trial attorney. Zimmerman criticized him for representing a UW-Eau Claire student who sued the Board of Regents in 1993 after a classroom stool she was sitting on collapsed. The case was eventually dismissed.
MUKWONAGO  With a dysfunctional Congress on recess, House Speaker Paul Ryan has turned his focus back home, touring flood-damaged areas and visiting local businesses in Wisconsin. But he cant escape the questions about why Republicans in charge of Washington arent delivering.

And though hes won re-election easily for years, Ryan faces the prospect of challenges from left and right and an energized Democratic base in next years midterm elections.

We have a majority in the House and Senate and it feels like nothings getting done, 32-year-old James Hulsey said last week, just before Ryan toured Banker Wire, a manufacturer in Mukwonago where Hulsey works.

Sensing the angst, Ryan has been much more visible in his southeastern Wisconsin district as Republicans failed to deliver on their yearslong promise to scrap the health care law and new polling numbers show the speaker is less popular among Republicans in Wisconsin than President Donald Trump. Trump won Wisconsin by less than a percentage point, but he carried Ryans district by 10 points.

In the remaining months of the year, Ryan and the Republican-led Congress are determined to deliver major legislation, elusive so far due to GOP infighting, and the top priority is overhauling the nations tax code. Failure to produce could cost Republicans their House majority in the 2018 midterms and, for Ryan, his job as speaker and Republican leader.

This is the third time in 100 years weve had this alignment of government that weve got to get it done or else I really worry our country will continue down a bad path, Ryan said after his tour of the wire manufacturer.

He later told the State Journal, If we dont do our job, we will depress turnout. I am frustrated as well.

Republican Keith Ketzler, 62, worries that the GOP will pay politically next year. Democrats need to flip 24 seats to regain control.

Everybody that voted Republican is getting very frustrated, Ketzler said, after prodding Ryan about why Congress hasnt achieved more. People crossed the line last time, but theyre not going to stay crossed if they dont get things done.

Ryan angered some conservatives during the campaign with comments critical of then-candidate Trump. But in the first six months of Trumps term, Ryan has been far less critical of the president than other Republican lawmakers who have challenged a number of Trumps moves, including his criticism of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a former senator.

Ryans Republican primary challenger last year, Paul Nehlen, initially won the backing of then-candidate Trump, who later switched to Ryan. Ryan beat Nehlen by 70 percentage points in the primary. But Nehlen, who is running again, thinks 2018 will be more difficult for Ryan, arguing that he hasnt done enough to appease Republican Trump supporters.

President Trump has given Paul Ryan way more opportunities to stand up and back him and what he has done is really undermine him, Nehlen said.

Beating Ryan will not be easy.

No Democrat has represented the district since 1995. Ryan has cruised to re-election ever since he joined Congress in 1999  winning by 35 percentage points last year. He has $11.5 million in the bank and is a familiar face in Janesville where he was born and raised and still lives with his wife and three children.

Democrats are pinning their hopes on Randy Bryce, an Army veteran and union ironworker with the nickname Iron Stache. He appears to have walked out of Hollywood central casting  complete with a dark mustache, thick biceps, faded blue jeans and a promise to fight for the working man. Bryce is trying to capitalize on disenchantment over Ryans role in the health care bill as he mounts a long-shot campaign.

Bryce generated excitement among Democrats both in Wisconsin and nationally for his announcement video in June that has now been viewed more than 550,000 times. It begins with a clip of Trump praising Ryans attempts to undo Democrat Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act and then shows Bryce getting emotional as his mother details her struggle with multiple sclerosis.

You can come work the iron, the hardhat-wearing Bryce challenges Ryan, and Ill go to D.C.

Bryce raised $430,000 in the first two weeks after the spot ran.

Ryan has tried to shift the conversation from the collapse of the GOP health care effort and toward tax overhaul and the news that Taiwanese iPhone manufacturer Foxconn plans to invest $10 billion on a factory in his congressional district that could employ 13,000 people. Ryan launched a series of campaign-style online ads highlighting the news that the plant was coming near abandoned automobile factories in his hometown of Janesville and nearby Kenosha.

But Ryans involvement doesnt seem to be resonating quite yet with voters in his district.
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DANBURY  The STEM advisory board put together by U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-5th, is already paying dividends, but the congresswomen is equally as excited about what the board will accomplish in the future.

During a meeting of the group held Monday at Belimo headquarters in Danbury, leaders of the various subgroups outlined the progress made since the last meeting. Several recurring themes, such as getting women and minorities more involved in math and science careers and the need for frequent retraining of todays manufacturing workers, came up in several presentations.

Its very beneficial to see the extent to which people are coming up with similar themes in looking at ways to meet the needs of the current work force as well as future needs, Esty said. Theres a real urgency to this. It reinforced what I had heard anecdotally.

Esty said a different mind-set regarding education is starting to take shape as learning beyond high school or college becomes necessary to compete in todays work force. Manufacturing workers, for instance, need to keep up with technological advances and also learn how to operate machines that are now run by workers who will soon be retiring.

It reflects the needs of the modern economy, she said. Its a big change that is happening. We have a big opportunity to do better now. We see it coming as we look ahead to the future.

Belimo was an ideal setting for the meeting as it employs 175 factory workers at its new 200,000 square-foot facility in west Danbury. Belimo specializes in making actuators for HVAC equipment. Actuators are motorized devices that control the flow of air or water in buildings.

Knowledge and training is big to our success, James Furlong, president of Beliimo Americas, told the group of 20 board members. Its a good labor force here (in the Danbury area). Weve never had a reason to disrupt our operations and look elsewhere to find a good labor force.

Furlong said Belimo has hired 19 people this year. He agreed that continuing education for adults in the work force is a growing trend that is likely here for good.

Were constantly evolving, he said. The ability to be retrained will be a given as we move forward.

Jason Teal, chairman of economic development for the state NAACP and the leader of the STEM advisory boards industry subgroup, said many students are still disinterested in STEM studies because they feel it is not applicable to their daily lives.

Gary Mala of the education subgroup agreed and said teachers and employers need a tool kit to help promote STEM and make it relevant to peoples everyday lives.

As we all know, STEM goes beyond what STEM stands for, he said, referring to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Esty has made promoting the importance of STEM training a major focus of her four years in office. Esty earlier this year had two STEM bills signed into law by President Trump. Esty said they were first two bills introduced by a Democratic member of Congress that were signed by Trump. The bills were co-authored by Barbara Comstock, a Republican from Virginia.

Both bills involve helping women launch careers in STEM fields.

Esty launched the STEM advisory board in 2015 because the U.S. is slipping in our (science and math) leadership. The members are seeing needs and creating solutions to fix them.

cbosak@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3338
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BRIDGEPORT  More than 150 people took part in a swim across Long Island Sound from Port Jefferson, N.Y., to Captains Cove in Bridgeport on Saturday.

The event was organized by St. Vincents SWIM Across the Sound, a 30-year-old nonprofit organization run by St. Vincents Medical Center Foundation in Bridgeport.

The swim spanned the 15.5 miles between West Beach in Port Jefferson, N.Y., and Captains Cove Seaport.

Ron Bianchi, who founded SWIM Across the Sound, said he was amazed at the progress made in 30 years.

You can do anything you want if you put your heart behind it, Bianchi said.

This year, there were eight solo swimmers, two relay teams with two people, and 24 relay teams with four to six people, for a total of 153 swimmers.

The Bullsharks, a relay team organized by St. Vincents Medical Centers security and emergency departments, had a massive support presence on the dock.

Stratford residents George Ilioff and his teenage daughter, Rebbecca, were among those supporting the Bullsharks.

Ilioff, who works for the security department at St. Vincents, praised his co-workers.

They were incredible with fundraising and training, he said.

More Information -Each solo swimmer was required to raise $1,500. -Each two-person relay team was required to raise $3,500. -Each four- to six-person relay team was required to raise $7,500. See More Collapse

His daughter said she hopes the event will bring more people out each year.

People should come out, donate or support the teams, she said.

Rebbecca said though she didnt participate this year, she hopes to in the future.

Volunteers manned about 85 boats on the Sound, serving as guide, escort and medic vessels during the swim.

Since it started in 1987, SWIM Across the Sound has raised millions of dollars to help people battling cancer pay for amenities that insurance companies dont necessarily cover.

Sue Amaro, a St. Vincents employee from Trumbull, said she was happy to support her co-workers swimming on the Bullsharks team.

Its amazing how many people showed up, Amaro said.

Kim Cavallo Daniele, manager of communications at St. Vincents and a Bridgeport resident, said it was a remarkable event for the city.

Its great to see everyone out here for a good cause, she said.

The swimmers began to arrive at Captains Cove around 5 p.m. Saturday.

A memorial service to celebrate the lives of people lost to cancer is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Sunday at Captains Cove, rain or shine.

The service will include a reading of the names of people who died of cancer, followed by participants scattering sunflowers into the Long Island Sound.

Fairfield First Selectman Mike Tetreau praised the event, saying it brings together community members from different towns to unite against cancer.

Cancer doesnt recognize town lines, Tetreau said. Cancer doesnt recognize age or gender.
STAMFORD  The citys Historic Preservation Advisory Commission shot down a request to rezone the High Ridge Office Park as preservationists look for a way to save the historically significant campus.

The zoning text change request, which would add a health club use to the citys office-park zones, would allow for the property owner at High Ridge Office Park to replace one of its buildings  left empty after Frontier Communications relocated its headquarters to Norwalk  with a Life Time Fitness, a high-end health club chain.

While the property owner, George Comfort & Sons, is not yet requesting to tear down the vacant building, the text change request before HPAC last week is the precursor to seeking demolition permission, William Hennessy of law firm Carmody, Torrance, Sandak & Hennessey told the commission last week.

In a letter dated Aug. 3 to the citys Land Use Bureau, HPAC chairwoman Lynn Drobbin said the commission unanimously opposed the change, which will be considered by the Planning Board Tuesday, because it may open the door to demolition of this important building.

It may also advance demolition options for the other important buildings in this office complex, as well as similar C-D districts in the community, she wrote.

HPACs land use function is purely advisory. Its decisions are sent to the Land Use Bureau for consideration by the Planning Board and Zoning Board.

The High Ridge Office Park was designed by famed architect Victor Hanna Bisharat, designer of the Landmark Square building in downtown Stamford.

The former Frontier building that could come up for demolition was built sometime between 1967 and 1975.

The State Historic Preservation Office weighed in on the office parks historic significance last month, naming the property as a possible candidate for the National Register of Historic Places.

HPAC would like to note that this building, which is eligible for National Register listing, would qualify for State and/or federal tax credits, Drobbin wrote in her letter to the Land Use Bureau. The commission also recognizes that there may be other options for the owners and encourage renovations and compatible uses that may preserve this building.

While HPAC was laser-focused on saving the Bisharat building, and less concerned with the overall impact of a zoning text change, the application is expected to meet more scrutiny by the Planning Board.

The request is presented as an adaptive re-use under the Mixed Use Campus section of the citys master plan. The Master Plan, a guideline for development in the city, recommends adding new uses to office park districts north of downtown as property owners struggle to rent or sell office space.

Hennessy, the attorney, told HPAC that the property owner has struggled to lease the space since Frontier left, and it has sat mostly empty for about two years. He said the building would require extensive renovations and repairs to make it competitive in the current commercial-office market.

A recent text-change application under the same re-use category that asked to add residential uses to these office parks was shot down by the Planning Board in June.

The application is on the Planning Board agenda for Tuesday. The board will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria on the fourth floor of the Government Center.

nnaughton@stamfordadvocate.com; @noranaughton
The following headline and articles appeared in the Stamford Advocate decades ago on Aug. 7:

10 years ago

On the prowl: Fisher cat sightings rise

in Connecticut

The rustling of leaves caught the attention of Grace LeVander as she had dinner with her husband, Carl, in the screened gazebo outside their North Stamford home one evening last month.

It was about 7 p.m. when Grace spotted what appeared to be a fisher cat about 30 feet away. When Carl moved closer to get a better look, he discovered two more fisher cats.

"They moved like a weasel, like a mink," said Carl, 77.

"It was startling because we've never seen anything like that before," said Grace, who has lived in the house with her husband for nearly 40 years.

The animals disappeared into the woods as suddenly as they appeared, the LeVanders said.

Fisher cats are large, secretive, carnivorous members of the weasel family that gorge on small mammals, such as squirrels, mice, chipmunks and sometimes house cats, but rarely fish. Distinguished by their wedge-shaped snouts and dark bodies, fishers have retractable claws and can rotate their hind paws 180 degrees, allowing them to grasp limbs and climb down trees head first.

20 years ago

Signs of promise:

New markers in Cove warn off criminals

Its a sign of the times in the Cove section of Stamford.

City workers posted 45 neighborhood watch signs on streets throughout the area, warning potential criminals that their presence will not be tolerated. The move comes in response to a two-year spate of 18 arsons set in the Cove, primarily between 3 and 6 a.m.

30 years ago

Woman found dead

on picket fence

The body of a woman was found caught on a wooden picket fence at the rear of an East Side house, but Stamford police said the cause of her death and her identity remain mysteries.

The woman, wearing a skirt and blouse, was hooked to the fence by her belt, according to Deputy Police Chief George Mayer. Her underwear was ripped and there were bruises on her body, but police said it did not immediately appear the woman had been raped.

Mayer said detectives were not certain how the woman wound up on the fence behind 94 Frederick St., not far from the intersection of Shippan Avenue and Cove Road.
July 26 is a significant day in American military history. Sixty-nine years ago, on July 26, 1948, President Harry Truman signed an executive order abolishing racial segregation in the Armed Forces allowing African-Americans to serve in all branches of the military.

Fast-forward. July 26, 2017 will go down in military history for a different reason. On that day, President Donald Trump sent out a tweet bringing discrimination back to the Armed Forces by banning all transgender troops from military service.

In an early morning tweet that blindsided members of Congress, White House staffers and the Secretary of Defense, Trump declared that, effective immediately, transgender Americans would not be allowed to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military. Why? Because, Trump argued, the military cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.

Note the key word: disruption. Sound familiar? It should. Because its the exact term previously used to deny blacks, women and gays the right to serve in the military. It was phony then, and its phony now: nothing but the same, old, lame excuse for discrimination, just with a different face.

Truman shot down that argument in relation to African-Americans. But in the 1990s it was back, aimed against women by men who argued either that women didnt belong in the military at all because theyd be too big of a distraction for male soldiers, or that they should not be allowed in combat because, as then-Speaker Newt Gingrich explained: Females have biological problems staying in a ditch for 30 days because they get infections, and they dont have upper-body strength.

President Bill Clinton resolved the women-in-combat issue, only to fall for the phony argument that gays shouldnt be allowed to serve openly in the military, either. Having gay and straight soldiers serve side by side meant the introduction of sexual attraction, one general warned Congress, and could lead to combat deaths.

It took President Barack Obama to end Dont Ask, Dont Tell and to roll out the welcome mat for transgender Americans  a policy now reversed, less than a year later, by Donald Trump, who would not allow them to serve in any capacity: not in combat; not even as chefs, clerks, mechanics, engineers, truck drivers, intelligence officers or any other vital job in the military.

No matter how you look at it, Trumps hissy fit has no basis in fact. Take the numbers. In 1948, writes the New York Times, ...there were about 62,000 black soldiers in the Army ... about a tenth of the total. Today, there are between 1,000 and 7,000 transgender service members on active duty, of 1.3 million in total. Thats hardly enough to undermine military readiness.

Most important, those transgender soldiers are serving our country with valor and distinction around the globe, in Iraq and Afghanistan, in combat and support missions. What happens to those brave transgender now in uniform? Do they stay or will they be tossed out of the military? The White House says they have no idea. They havent figured that out yet. We should not be chasing transgender men and women out of the military, we should be thanking them for their service  as, in fact, 18 other countries do, including the UK, Australia, France, Germany and Israel.

As for the tremendous medical costs involved, thats a phony argument, too. As Politico first reported, thats what triggered the surprise Trump tweet. Conservative House Republicans initially tried to amend the defense appropriations bill by blocking the military from paying for surgery or hormone therapy for transgender soldiers. Based on a 2016 Rand Corp. study that found trans-related medical care amounts to only $2.4 million to $8.4 million, out of an overall Pentagon health care budget of $49.3 billion, 24 Republicans joined 190 Democrats in voting against that amendment.

Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows then warned the White House that, without this provision, conservatives would kill the entire defense bill, which  guess what?  includes money for Trumps pet project, the border wall. Whereupon, to save his sacred wall, Trump decided to throw transgender Americans under the bus: not only by refusing to pay their health care, which is all conservatives wanted, but by banning them from the military altogether.

And, of course, he did so in the middle of what the White House was calling American Heroes Week. Only Trump would honor heroes by firing them. Sad!
As an entrepreneur, you probably have a gift for big-picture thinking. You can set goals and plot a general path to achieving them; and you know how to shift course when challenges and obstacles inevitably pop up along the way. But, to be successful, you have to take a step back from big-picture thinking and cultivate the ability to think small.

Being able to make small improvements to the way you approach problems or tasks could very well make the difference between starting a successful business or, joining the 80 percent of new businesses which, as has often been reported, dont survive past their first year of operation.

In business as in life, the devil is in the details.

Related: Why Billionaires Focus on the Smallest Details

I started my company using the same formula that most entrepreneurs use: In short, we identified a major pain point that wasnt being addressed by current technology or resources. In our case, that meant the pain of modern renters, who make up much of the American population. We thought we had some smart solutions, but we also knew it would take more to create a movement. Its taken serious hard work and daily positive microshifts to make our idea real and profitable.

Youll need to put in the same effort and focus on incremental improvement to make your own business successful, regardless of the industry.

Put some power in the process.

Long ago, Nike gave us a tagline that might as well have become the tagline for all entrepreneurs: Just do it.

Since then, motivational speakers such as Tony Robbins, Gary Vaynerchuk and countless others have reminded us to focus on our goals and work hard to make them real.

The problem is that these motivational speakers are often just pitching the end result. They get us amped up and inspired to go out and just do it, but very quickly, we run into a huge question: How?

The answer is pretty straightforward. Each day, we make a series of decisions, some of them quite small, that will affect our future. In fact, the decisions any of us made last year, last week and last night have all determined who we are today. Rather than focus on the end goal, we need to place a heightened focus on those smaller daily decisions -- whether to make a phone call, take a meeting, tell someone no, eat right, get more sleep, read more or separate ourselves from a toxic person.

Related: These Mindset Shifts Will Transform Your Life Forever

In other words, we need to focus on the microshifts that must take place for us to get closer to reaching our end goals, whatever those may be.

Just microshift it.

As entrepreneurs, we all face many of the same daily choices, even if we work in wildly divergent industries. Here are five microshifts all entrepreneurs must make -- consistently -- to be successful:

1. Stop trying to convince others of your worth. You are looking for believers. Theyre out there, and the sooner you stop wasting your precious time trying to convince others of your ability to create change, the sooner youll start attracting the people who already share your beliefs and want to help you win.

In your business and your life, the people you surround yourself with matter. If youre surrounded by negative, cynical people, you'll find it harder to believe in yourself and your ideas when you need to the most. In contrast, by hanging out with people who are positive and supportive, youll be able to achieve greater self-confidence and higher levels of creativity. Plus, youll be happier. And, according to a Harvard study, happiness is contagious, so youll attract more of these types of people into your life and business.

2. Stop making excuses. Excuses are lies we tell ourselves to avoid action. If youre spending lots of time telling stories about why something isnt working, youre avoiding the truth. Netflix did this in 2015 when it blamed the introduction of the chip card versus the swipe card for its low U.S. subscriber growth.

Other companies, like Macy's and J. Crew, have made similar excuses for their poor sales; such execuses are a well-established habit. But instead of coming up with stories to explain your failure, work on being "present." Fully dive into the experience youre having right now, no matter how boring or mundane. That's all that really matters.

3. Refocus negative energy immediately and often. A 2016 study by Georgetown University found that a consistently negative co-worker affects co-workers up to seven times more than a positive one. You dont want to be that negative co-worker -- but you also dont want to be the miserable person stuck with a negative coworker.

Remember: What you choose to focus on will ultimately consume you. Rather than focusing your energy on pity, retaliation or procrastination, focus on making small changes that can move you in a positive direction. Focusing on the positive often means cutting out the negative, such as toxic relationships, clients or habits. This can be hard, but its absolutely critical.

4. Be a relentless self-promoter. You should always be your best friend and biggest cheerleader. No one will ever promote you as well as you can promote yourself. Why? Because no one cares about what youre doing and who youre becoming as much as you do. So stand on a rooftop and yell, write a blog post or publish a press release. Of course, do it tastefully. Be like all those YouTube influencers: The way they make it to the top is through self-promotion, but promotion that's authentic and relatable.

5. Celebrate your tiny wins. Take time to acknowledge even the smallest wins. You cleaned out your inbox today -- win. You made an appointment 10 minutes early -- win. You went to the gym or a yoga class for the first time in months -- win. Teresa Amabile, a Harvard Business School professor, analyzed thousands of diary entries by working professionals; she was searching for a common thread that made some more likely to succeed than others.

She found it and later reported that experiencing a sense of progress is essential to cultivating long-term creativity and productivity. Small wins can lead to a huge difference in performance over time.

Related: 7 Mental Shifts That Allowed Me to Become a Millionaire at 22

Microshifts work only when you're fully aware of their power. You can work tirelessly day in, day out, plugging away at your business and never really feel successful. This perceived lack of success happens because we tend to dwell on the negative -- an angry client email or rejection from an investor -- when the reality is, were moving forward all the time.

By taking small steps every day to acknowledge the positive elements of our lives, we can microshift our way toward realizing this reality. It took me 20 years to become an "overnight success." Each day of those two decades was filled with challenges and failures, but through them all, I remained focused on the small steps forward. You should do the same.

Related:

Why Thinking Small Is Key to Entrepreneurial Success

5 Mental Shifts That Allow You to Do Less But Accomplish More



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


D ame Helen Alexander, who died on Saturday, will be remembered for the calm wisdom she brought to a plethora of big boardrooms, from Rolls-Royce to Centrica. She will be hailed for being the first woman in that ultimate ambassadorial gig  running the CBI.

But we shouldnt forget that all those worthy non-executive posts in the latter stages of her career would never have been were it not for her quiet yet brilliant stint as a hands-on operator at The Economist.

She joined the marketing department in 1985, going on to run the company for over a decade until 2009. In that time, she turned a magazine publisher that, by brutal business logic, should have foundered on the shores of the great internet dumb-down into one that saw sales of the printed mag surge year in, year out.

By the time Alexander left, it was shifting 1.3 million a week. She achieved that by recognising, amid the clamour for quick, brainless clicks from other media companies, there was a big and growing market for witty, intelligent journalism and analysis. And that readers, from the UK and Europe to the US and India, would happily set aside an hour a week, plus a fair bit of cash, to enjoy it, both in print and online.

Her ability to spot that demand and invest in it, at a time when many media players were spraying millions on fruitless new internet gimmicks, bore testament to her trademark ability to think calmly and analytically when under pressure. As she once put it, she was never one to be throwing the typewriters around the office.

There may not be many typewriters at the Economist these days, but thanks to Alexanders cool head during the internets unruly early years, it is a business with one of the soundest futures in media.

A legacy to be proud of.

Right medicine

Dame Helen climbed the corporate tree when there were few women at the top. Sadly, there are still barely any, despite her best efforts.

However, at GSK, in Emma Walmsley, the cause has found a new champion. Not that Walmsley wants to be known as a female CEO, as she tells todays FT, but because she is making the right first steps since landing the job.

For far too long, as vast, old businesses are wont to, GSKs drugs development arm has lacked entrepreneurial focus. That has translated into billions spent bringing medicines to markets too small to justify the effort. From 2006 to 2015, its 18 new drugs made peak sales of less than half the industry average.

Walmsley today pledges that will change. Its early days, but thats just what investors wanted to hear.
T he multi-millionaire architect of the biggest merger in UK bookmaking, Paddy Power Betfair boss Breon Corcoran, unexpectedly quit today, sending the online bookie plunging to the bottom of the FTSE 100.

The 46-year-old Irish businessman is stepping down as chief executive after five years in charge, firstly as Betfair boss from 2012 then leading the combined business from 2015.

Prior to that, he joined Paddy in 2001, rising to chief operating officer.

Corcoran owns 140,000 shares in the company worth 10.5 million and options over 431,000 worth 32 million.

The boss, who resigned last night and will stay on for up to 12 months longer, said: There is no good time, no easy time to leave a great business. But its been 16 years and it will be 17 before Ive finished.

"This is a great platform, but Ive just worked in one industry and I want to minimise the probable regret if I dont try something else.

Ive got a lot of emotional investment in the business and it is important that we do a proper transition.

Paddys 2015 merger with Betfair paved the way for a series of mega-mergers in the industry including Ladbrokes tie-up with Coral and GVCs swoop for bwin.partygaming.

Corcoran has been working intensely for the past two years integrating the technology platforms of the two businesses and will be replaced by the UK boss of payments firm Worldpay Peter Jackson, who has sat on the Paddy Power Betfair board for the past four years. There is benefit there in terms of continuity, Corcoran added.

The board began its search for a successor last December after he made clear his intentions to leave.

Shares in the bookie sank 7% on the news, 560p to 7360p. Peel Hunt analyst Ivor Jones said: Hes tremendously highly thought of. People who have worked with him say that his grasp of the detail is quite extraordinary.

Other factors weighing on the bookie included a short preview of tomorrows results, which showed underlying profits up 21% in the first half of the year and trading in line with expectations when some City watchers were holding out for an upgrade.

There is also speculation that online betting duties, at 15%, could rise if the Department of Culture Media & Sport follows through with its plans to cut maximum stakes on controversial crack-cocaine betting machines to 2, as the Treasury looks to recoup lost revenue.

As a major online player, that could hurt Paddy Power Betfair disproportionately.

Paddy Power Betfairs shares are down 16% this year and 30% since their peak above 105 in February last year as some analysts also stressed its vulnerability to regulatory changes and improved competition, while leaning on slower growth markets.
O n the face of it, the question of where Manchester University chooses to shelve the books in its library might not seem to command national interest. But, hold up. Manchesters librarians have been criticised for resisting pressure to remove the works of the revisionist historian David Irving to closed shelves, or adding disclaimers to them warning that they are works of Holocaust denial.

A campaign for universities to do so has been led by Dr Irene Lancaster, a scholar of Jewish history, and Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury and now Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge. Id like  with the very greatest of respect for Drs Lancaster and Williams  to disagree with their position and back Manchesters librarians.

Theres perhaps a case that, in an airport bookshop context, works by David Irving ought to come with disclaimers, or ought not to be stocked at all. Im not persuaded this should be a matter for the law of the land; rather, the intellectual integrity of publishers and the moral decency of the people who run airport bookshops.

But an academic library is a different thing altogether. Every book in the ideal library of Alexandria is connected to every other by myriad invisible filaments of argument, rebuttal, endorsement, citation in footnotes and entries in bibliographies. David Irvings books do not sit on open shelves in isolation, for any student to chance on and have his or her mind poisoned. You pay them an unwarranted compliment to imagine they do.

Whats the likelihood that any undergraduate in any history course in the land will alight on an Irving book and present it, unchallenged, as a primary source in a discussion of the Holocaust? And if they did, what would the likely reaction to this unlikely event be? That undergraduate would learn  or more likely be  history, and sharpish.

What I mean is that Irvings books already come with disclaimers. They are already discredited as history. Leave even Google aside. No student will come to an Irving book except through a citation in another book. And how many scholarly citations of his books, over the past two decades, do we reckon present him as a respectable source?

The system, in other words, works. To decide that certain items of knowledge are institutionally beyond question, or certain authors beyond the pale, and to take special measures to quarantine them, is not to affirm the strength of the system but to betray a fear about its weakness, and to betray the system itself. Academic progress is the history of error and its correction (usually by more error); and every scholarly library will contain a number, probably even a majority, of books that are wholly or partly in error. We show our workings, and we keep our notes. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Where Irving is unusual is that he has been not only found in error but he has been convicted, by the forensic examination of his distortions in open court when he sued Deborah Lipstadt for libel, of something more poisonous to academic discourse: writing in bad faith. Yet even then, scholarship plays the ball and not the man. We dont need to play the man. His ball is already entirely deflated. (For related reasons, I hesitate to think a single paragraph by a Sunday Times columnist, be it never so foul, should permanently exclude everything else he writes from the public sphere for all time.)

There is a practical point, too. As the late Christopher Hitchens did not tire of reminding us, Irving was not persecuted for his Voltairean courage in professing his beliefs. Rather, he sought to use the law of libel to suppress legitimate criticism of his work. And that, deservedly, blew up in his face.

Yet he half-succeeded, subsequently, in presenting himself as a poster boy for free speech. Quite some chutzpah. Lets not give him the chance to do it again.

Diana  a sacrifice for the royal family

I fretted here last week that we havent got any more grown-up about Diana, Princess of Wales, right, in the 20 years since she died. We present the invasion of privacy as a sacred duty to the historical record; prurience as appreciation; gross and self-delighting sentimentality as a compliment to her wonderful soul. That is the spirit in which last nights documentary was offered.

If the royal family was, as it certainly seemed to be during her lifetime, guilty of treating a suffering and vulnerable human being as an embarrassment to be hushed up, the media and public have had the opposite instinct. We treat a suffering and vulnerable human being as a sort of mythological soap star, even two decades after shes dead. Its grotesque.

And yet, out of the friction between those two positions  the stiff and uncaring, the voraciously soppy  came about an unprecedented transformation of the royal family for the media age. Diana did change history: not by doing so much as by being, and by suffering. She really was a sort of blood sacrifice after all.
T he man accused of kidnapping British model Chloe Ayling is a dangerous fantasist, according to Italian officials.

Lukasz Pawel Herba, 30, allegedly part of a gang that abducted Miss Ayling and threatened to sell her as a sex slave, was reported by officers in Italian media to be "a dangerous person with traces of mythomania".

The term mythomania describes an abnormal tendency to tell lies or exaggerates things.

On July 18, police arrested the Polish national, who lives in Britain, was said by Milan deputy prosecutor Paolo Storari to have given "barely credible" accounts of what happened.

'Kidnap ordeal' model recalls terrifying experience

Miss Ayling was reportedly snatched on July 11 by a group calling itself Black Death while she was attending a photo shoot at a "recognised studio" in the city centre, her agent Phil Green said on Monday.

She was then allegedly tied to furniture at a remote farmhouse near Turin while her kidnappers auctioned her for more than 230,000 on the dark web.

Model Chloe Ayling was allegedly kidnapped in Italy by a sex slave gang / Instagram

However, after six days she was suddenly released. Black Death, the organised crime group suspected to be behind Miss Aylings kidnap, claimed to have released her after finding out she has a two-year-old child.

On Monday, Mr Green, of Supermodels Agency, said she was taken to the British Consulate in Milan after the "horrific ordeal", but could not return home to London for almost three weeks.

"Chloe had her passport detained by Italian police who would not let her return to the UK until she gave evidence at a pre-trial hearing on August 4," he said in a statement.

"Today she is debriefing Met Police and the Foreign Office, and has requested to spend the rest of the day in privacy with her mother," he added.

Chloe Ayling, 20. / Instagram

Miss Ayling spoke out for the first time on Monday after escaping the gang and returning to her mothers home in Coulsdon, south London.

She said: "Ive been through a terrifying experience. Ive feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour.

"Im incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release."

In her police statement, published in Italian media, Miss Ayling recalled the moment she regained consciousness after being drugged  reportedly with horse tranquiliser ketamine  and abducted.

When I woke up I was wearing a pink bodysuit and the socks I am wearing now," she said.

I realised I was in the boot of a car with my wrists and ankles handcuffed, adhesive tape on my mouth. I was inside a bag and was only able to breathe through a small hole.

Il Giornale, an Italian newspaper, reported that she was set to be sold outside of Europe.

The Telegraph reported she said: He [one of the alleged kidnappers] told me ... That he alone had earned more than 15m (13.5m) in the last five years and explained to me that all the girls are destined for the Arab countries.

When the buyer gets tired of the girl bought by auction (they) can give them to other people, and when it is no longer of interest they are to become a tiger meal.

Investigators said they found a letter after searching a computer belonging to Black Death which demanded a $50,000 bitcoin payment for her release.

It also said kidnapping her was a mistake because a young mother should in no circumstances be lured into kidnapping.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said it has been assisting with the investigation.

A spokesman said: "The NCA and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (Emsou) have been working closely with the Italian authorities since the kidnap was reported.

"NCA officers in Italy and specialists from our anti kidnap and extortion unit are also providing support to the Polizia di Stato as part of the ongoing investigation.

"A house in the Oldbury area linked to Lukasz Pawel Herba was searched on July 18 by Emsou officers with assistance from West Midlands Police.

"Computer equipment seized is being forensically examined."
A man has been jailed for life after setting fire to a busy south London gay bar for the second time.

Jason Fossett, of Norwood, piled rubbish against the fire exit of the Two Brewers in Clapham before setting it alight and fleeing on March 20.

The 46-year-old pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life at Inner London Crown Court  saying he could not remember starting the fire after having a couple of drinks.

He was sentenced to life in prison on Friday with a minimum sentence of three years and 244 days.

Fossett started a blaze in the fire exit of the Two Brewers / Met Police

Fossett was seen by the pubs manager loitering outside in the alleyway moments before the fire was started.

The fire was spotted in its early stages, which prevented further damage to the pub and potential injuries.

The arsonist was then traced through his bank card after CCTV footage showed him buying two drinks at the bar on the night of the arson.

Fossett caught on CCTV setting alight to the pile of rubbish / Met Police

Officers searched his home and found receipts from the Two Brewers for that night, as well as a red leather satchel which matched that seen on the CCTV.

In 2004, Fossett was jailed for eight years for targeting the same venue in an arson attack.

Police said there was no suggestion the attacks were hate crimes, although Fossetts motivation is not known.

Bin bags on fire in the fire exit of the Two Brewers / Met Police

PC Paul Waterman said: "Fossett is clearly a dangerous character who deliberately went out of his way to set fire to the bar in a carefully calculated attack.

"It was sheer luck that the fire was spotted in its early stages to prevent any further damage or anyone sustaining any injuries.

"By working with my colleagues in Lambeth CID and with the cooperation and assistance of staff from the Two Brewers, we ensured that Fossett was brought to justice and has been put behind bars.

"I hope Fossett uses his time behind bars to reflect on his actions."
E ye doctors are fast-tracking efforts to improve stem cell transplants to save the sight of people blinded in Londons acid attack epidemic, the Standard can reveal.

Research at The Royal Free Hospital aims to boost success rates, particularly where cells are taken from deceased donors  at present, three-quarters of such transplants fail.

Corneal stem cell transplants have been used for some time on acid victims, including model Katie Piper.

But they are difficult and risky to perform, with doctors hampered by a shortage of donated eyes.

They are most successful when one eye is damaged and cells can be transplanted from the healthy eye. This works in about seven out of 10 cases.

The success rate is about 25 per cent when both eyes are damaged and cells are harvested from the eye of a deceased donor.

Research: consultant Alex Shortt, right, and student Harley Buck at The Royal Free Hospital

Consultant ophthalmic surgeon Alex Shortt, who is carrying out the research at the Royal Frees institute of immunity and transplantation in Hampstead, said the aim was a success rate of 95 per cent. The work is being funded by the Wellcome Trust and Moorfields Eye Charity.

A total of 454 acid attacks were reported to the Metropolitan police last year, almost three times the number in 2014. Mr Shortt said: The last six to 12 months has seen demand for these treatments rise hugely.

He said the challenge was to remove scar tissue without creating a new scar as the eye healed. A sample of healthy corneal stem cells are grown in the laboratory to form a sheet, which is attached to the surface of the damaged eye to enable the cornea to regenerate.

The success rate is about 68 per cent. It fails in three out of 10 people. They regrow a scar and they go blind again, Mr Shortt added.

We are trying to move to the point where we can use donor cells and prevent the body from rejecting them. Then we can treat patients more cheaply, and have a bank of cells ready to go as soon as we see a severe injury.

Next week NHS rationing body NICE is due to decide whether to approve an 80,000 Italian stem cell treatment, Holoclar, that works for seven in 10 patients. However, it is only effective where cells can be taken from the patients undamaged eye.

NICE is likely to require patients to undergo a cheaper treatment first.

Medics are also appealing for more people to donate their corneas after death. NHS Blood and Transplant said more than one in 10 donors place restrictions on the use of their eyes, the most for any organ.

About 70 corneas a week are needed but 50 are donated. Hundreds of corneas are imported from the US and Europe.
T he countrys top prosecutor today warned that individuals responsible for the Grenfell Tower disaster could face criminal charges carrying lengthy prison sentences as she vowed to do everything possible to obtain justice for the victims.

Alison Saunders said that although investigations were at a very early stage gross negligence manslaughter was among the offences that prosecutors will consider if police find enough evidence.

The crime carries a maximum life term and, under sentencing guidelines, a starting point of at least 12 years for offenders with a very high level of culpability.

Ms Saunders, the director of public prosecutions, said prosecutors would also consider using health and safety legislation and other criminal laws as they work with police to uncover evidence that will justify charges.

She emphasised that it could take months before charging decisions could be made and, urging patience, insisted that it was better to take time to build strong cases rather than rushing to court with inadequate evidence.

But she added that all of us want to see justice done.

Ms Saunderss words, in an interview with the Evening Standard, are her first public comments on the Grenfell fire.

Justice: Director of public prosecutions Alison Saunders / PA

They follow the publication of a Scotland Yard letter stating that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that corporate manslaughter offences have been committed by Kensington and Chelsea council and the Kensington and Chelsea Tenancy Management Organisation.

That crime can only be punished with a fine and the letter prompted some, including the London MP David Lammy, to raise fears that those responsible for the disaster could escape adequate penalties.

Ms Saunders said today, however, that all options remained open and that individual offenders would be prosecuted if police found enough evidence.

It is one of those tragedies where everybody will want to do as much as they possibly can in order to help both those who continue to be residents and those who died in the fire, the DPP told the Standard.

We have been talking to police and assisting them with some early advice. We havent seen any evidence yet so it is far too early for us to say what offences we would be looking at. But there are a whole raft of offences against both individuals and possibly companies that we could be looking at depending what the evidence shows.

Inside Grenfell Tower 1 /13 Inside Grenfell Tower Water is sprayed on Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building PA Fire service personnel inside Grenfell Tower in west London PA A view inside the Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building PA Sniffer dogs were sent inside to the tower today PA Fire service personnel inside Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building PA Part of the scorched facade of the Grenfell Tower in London as firefighting continue to damp-down the deadly fire AP Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building PA A view inside the Grenfell Tower in west London after a fire engulfed the 24-storey building PA

If there is sufficient evidence then we will be prosecuting. She warned that swift action was unlikely, however, because rushing could undermine the prospects of securing convictions.

These [cases] often take quite a long time, she said. It is better that we do it properly. Thats what we want to do  make sure that if we are going to prosecute we build strong cases, as opposed to rushing. I quite understand that people want to have answers, want to know whats happening, but these things are very complicated.

It was shocking, a terrible tragedy, so many people. You cant imagine what it must have been like for those involved and the aftermath of it. We are human and we all feel for the tragedy.

You cant help but watch what happened and feel absolutely devastated and compassion for everyone involved, but when we get the evidence we have to uncouple that and look at it dispassionately.

"All of us want to see justice done, but we need to make sure that we do it in accordance with the law.
A rented Lamborghini supercar which vanished without a trace after being driven from Switzerland to London has miraculously been found.

The 250,000 car had disappeared from GPS tracking systems in an Ikea car park in north London after a woman rented it and drove it 600 miles from Zurich.

Managing director of Scheiwiller Automotive Luxury Car Rental in Zurich, Adriano Scheiwiller, has confirmed to the Standard that the black Lamborghini Huracan Spyder was found earlier this month by a private investigator.

He said it was about to be shipped from the UK to West Africa when it was discovered in a shipping container along with other luxury vehicles.

A GPS tracker shows the route taken from Zurich to London

He told Swiss newspaper Blick: "It's a miracle that the investigator found my Lambo. If a bit more time had passed, it would have been gone."

The investigator had reportedly been hired by someone else to find a stolen Audi.

Mr Scheiwiller added: "My Lambo was in the same container as the Audi. He knew my car from the media. It was an absolute coincidence.

He previously told the Standard that a smartly dressed woman with an Irish passport hired the Lamborghini on Friday, July 14.

An identical Lamborghini was photographed in Brompton Road / Willem Duijff/@wdcarphotography

He said she told him the car was needed to drive to a business meeting in Strasbourg and that she would return it a few days later.

However when she failed to return the car, the company traced it all the way to London using its in-built GPS.

The tracker later went dead while the car was in the car park of Ikea off Angel Edmonton Road in north London.

The passport provided by the woman who hired the car

Mr Scheiwiller said he was very disappointed and angry that his vehicle had been stolen.

He said: She drove to London with the car and stole my Lambo.

She was between 45 and 50 years old as in the passport photo. And very well dressed and a good character apparently, so she could play Hollywood with us.

He offered a reward to 10,000 Swiss francs (a little under 8,000) to anyone who was able to help him find the car.
A waitress at an exclusive London club says she was sacked for trying to take home a piece of lasagne she hadn't had time to eat during a busy double shift.

Silvia Mecati said she wrapped the meal in tin foil and put it in her bag after she was given it by the Oxford and Cambridge Club in Pall Mall.

But the 43-year-old, from Camberwell, south London, was stopped by security on her way out and accused of stealing it.

The club, whose members have included Oxbridge graduates such as Stephen Fry and former Prime Minister Clement Atlee, dismissed her for gross misconduct at a disciplinary hearing.

The exclusive Oxford and Cambridge club / Daily Mail

Miss Mecati, who worked at the club for three years on a zero hours contract, told The Daily Mail: "As I was leaving the night manager asked to check my bag.

"They had never checked my bag in three years.

"I told him, 'I have my lunch with me because I didnt have time to eat it and wanted to take it home.

"He replied, 'Did you have written or verbal permission from the chef or a manger to take your lunch home?' I answered 'no'."

The Italian, who has lived in Britain for four years, is appealing after she was fired on July 6.

She had earned just 8.30 an hour, below the London Living Wage, and has been left struggling to pay rent.

The Oxford and Cambridge club declined to comment when approached by the Standard.
J eremy Corbyn today faced growing pressure to break his silence on the Venezuelan crisis as he returned to work from his summer holiday.

The Labour leader has so far failed to condemn president Nicolas Maduro, whose socialist regime he once described as a cause for celebration.

Critics said he must use his first day back at work after his break in Croatia to toughen his stance on the country, where yesterday Mr Maduros troops used military vehicles to help put down an apparent attempted uprising.

The Conservatives have spent days highlighting his past praise for the South American state.

Today Greg Hands, the minister for London, told the Standard: Jeremy Corbyn must condemn the dangerous regime that has led to chaos and tremendous suffering for the Venezuelan people. Venezuela might seem a million miles away but its closer than you think. This socialist regime is lauded by the far-Left in the UK, from Jeremy Corbyn to John McDonnell to Diane Abbott. Labours top team have been better adverts for Venezuela than the countrys own tourist board.

Mr Maduro last night vowed to give anti-government fighters who attacked one of the countrys army bases the maximum penalty as his administration continues to root out his enemies. Troops killed two of 20 intruders at the Paramacay base who were apparently intent on starting a military uprising against the regime.

In an address on state television, Mr Maduro said: We know where they are headed and all of our military and police force is deployed.

The seven men detained in the city of Valencia  around 100 miles west of capital Caracas  were expected to be tried in military tribunals.

The South American country has been in the throes of a political crisis and economic meltdown with protests that have left more than 100 dead, nearly 2,000 wounded and over 500 detained. Opposition leaders and protesters accuse the government of trying to establish a dictatorship.

Last month pro-government militias attacked opposition politicians with wooden sticks and metal bars in Venezuelas congress building.

Mr Corbyn praised Mr Maduros regime in June 2015 when he said the states achievements in health and education were a cause for celebration. He was also a long-standing supporter of Mr Maduros predecessor, Hugo Chavez.
A n app which pays trendy young people to attend Hollywood parties and drink free alcohol is reportedly coming to the UK.

The Surkus app allows promoters to fill their event with the desired crowd in order to pull in more genuine punters.

Its members can earn between $10 (7.50) and $150 (115) for dancing in a nightclub or attending restaurant openings and fashion launches. Some members were paid to attend the Playboy Super Bowl party in San Francisco, for which tickets cost $1,250 (958).

Since Stephen George, former head of operations at Groupon, launched the app 18 months ago, more than 150,000 members have attended 4,200 events, the Times reported.

The apps purpose is to generate a buzzing atmosphere at the start of events as other guests arrive, and to keep it going through to the end when people begin to flag.

Users sign up with their Facebook profiles and are then matched with specific events by age, gender, social media following and other criteria.
A Google employees memo blaming biological differences for the lack of women in top jobs has sparked a backlash at the firm.

The internal memo, written by a male software engineer, argues the under-representation of women in the technology sector is not simply due to bias and discrimination.

Instead, he writes: We need to stop assuming that gender gaps imply sexism.

The employee at Googles headquarters in California goes on to say that women are generally more interested in people rather than things.

The 10-page memo, published by tech website Gizmodo, adds: We always ask why we dont see women in top leadership positions, but we never ask why we see so many men in these jobs. These positions often require long, stressful hours that may not be worth it if you want a balanced and fulfilling life.

Status is the primary metric that men are judged on, pushing many men into these higher paying, less satisfying jobs for the status that they entail.

The author adds: "On average, men and women biologically differ in many ways. These differences arent just socially constructed."

The unnamed author also claims women generally "prefer jobs in social or artistic areas" while "more men may like coding".

The opinion has been widely criticised but the author has also reportedly received many messages of support from fellow Google employees.

The tech giants new head of diversity, integrity and governance, Danielle Brown, criticised the memo with her own post. She said the document made incorrect assumptions about gender.

"Diversity and inclusion are a fundamental part of our values and the culture we continue to cultivate," she said.

"We are unequivocal in our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success as a company, and we'll continue to stand for that and be committed to it for the long haul."

The memo has been slammed on Twitter, with people debating the limits of free speech in the workplace.

Journalist Jamil Smith wrote: It scares me that there are a lot of people who agree with this Google employee. This memo is looney tunes.

But another Twitter user, Danny McLean, wrote: Matters addressed in the google memo are beyond sexist rhetoric and solidarity fem platitudes. The writer isn't anti women. He's pro reality.

The Standard has contacted Google for comment.
F ormer Prime Minister David Cameron has been caught on camera posing for a photograph with a brightly dressed Jeremy Corbyn fan while at a music festival.

Holding a drink and with a cigarette in his hand, the ex-Tory PM was pictured at this weekends Wilderness music festival in Oxfordshire.

He appears to have been ambushed by Lucy Edwards, who is wearing a glittery jacket with a neon pink heart on the back emblazoned with the word Corbyn.

Mr Cameron was also spotted among the festival crowd in the background of another persons photograph.

The former PM was pictured enjoying a glass of wine when he was hugged by a festival-goer

Ms Edwards posted the photograph on Instagram and said: Couldnt have even planned it.

Big Dave C in the house, shame he cant read.

She later wrote: He was so mad when he saw me walk off with what was on my back.
O ne of Scotland Yards most senior counter-terrorism officers says critics of the Governments anti-radicalisation strategy Prevent have failed to understand the fantastic results it has achieved in protecting the public.

Commander Dean Haydon said the programme  where those vulnerable to radicalisation are referred to the authorities  was about keeping people safe, not spying, as opponents allege.

Mr Haydon, head of the Mets counter-terrorism command, added that it had stopped some people from being radicalised and others from travelling abroad to join other extremists.

He also said the programme applied to all forms of extremism and a third of cases involved people suspected of far-Right activity or sympathies.

Some of the criticisms come from sections of the community that just dont want Prevent to work in the first place, said Mr Haydon in an interview on the BBCs Asian Network.

Prevent is not just about the Muslim community. It goes across all communities. I have seen the positive work of Prevent, which has stopped people from being radicalised or going abroad. Its a fantastic tool and its here to stay.

Mr Haydon added that critics dont understand properly how Prevent works. Home Secretary Amber Rudd is reviewing the strategy and has conceded that there is a need to do more to convince some Muslims that it is not discriminatory.

Police have said they are encouraged by the increasing willingness of Muslims to raise concerns about friends or family vulnerable to radicalisation and that the strategy remains critical to counter-terrorism.
S upermarket giant Tescos decision to scrap 5p plastic bags has been cheered by environmental groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.

Campaigners said they hoped other shops would follow suit and replace single use carriers with more sustainable alternatives.

Tesco will be getting rid of 5p bags from August 28, meaning customers cheapest options will be a 10p Bag for Life.

Greenpeace said it was "great to see major retailers moving away from disposable plastic".

Louise Edge, senior campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said: "For too long we've seen plastic as something to be used once and thrown away.

"But there is no such place as 'away' and millions of tonnes of plastic are ending up in our rivers, beaches, streets and in the sea every year, harming marine life."

Friends of the Earth campaigner Henry Chown said: Were delighted Tesco is replacing disposable bags with bags for life  we hope other retailers follow suit.

This initiative builds on the tremendous success of the governments bag charge, which has seen a dramatic reduction in plastic bags and cut pollution in our towns, seas and countryside.

This shows that shoppers and businesses will take positive action when the government leads. We now need similar moves to tackle disposable coffee cups and plastic bottles.

Tesco has sold more than 700 million carrier bags a year since a mandatory 5p charge was introduced in 2015. The fee lowered usage by 1.5 million bags over two years.

Dr Sue Kinsey, senior pollution officer at the Marine Conservation Society, said: "Charging for bags has proved to significantly reduce the numbers of bags provided by retailers, clearly shown in figures across all four UK nations recently.

"We welcome this move by Tesco to try and reduce bag usage further, and are encouraged that Tesco's brief trial appears to suggest that a significant reduction will be achieved.
J amie Oliver has claimed vegans hate him and raid his restaurants regularly.

The celebrity chef said he had faced backlash after promoting higher meat welfare.

Speaking to the Sunday Times Magazine he said activists had shown pictures of slaughtered animals to diners, including children, at his eateries.

He said: They hate me because we do stories about higher welfare meat, which I am deeply passionate about, but for them it is on or off - there ain't no stepping stones, whereas I'm all about stepping stones.

Vegans do annoy me, but I also do care for them.

Backlash: Jamie Oliver admitted 'vegans do annoy him' / Getty Images

The TV cook described how 20 scruffy, weird-looking fellas [put] iPads of slaughtered animals in front of kids having spaghetti bolognese on a Saturday lunch during one demo.

In March, campaigners in cow costumes stormed the chefs Bristol restaurant after he promoted happy milk on TV.

The group from Bristol Animal Save stormed Jamies Italian over the comments made on Jamie & Jimmy's Friday Night Feast.

The father-of-five also slammed Theresa Mays approach to tackling childhood obesity in the interview and hit out at now-shelved plans to scrap free school meals for infants.

He accused the Prime Minister of keeping her administration team on lock down from ministers and watering down strategies to promote healthy eating among school children.

He said: Look, I have met four prime ministers. They are all very different, but... May's government was completely locked down.
A British mother was shot in front of her husband and three children after they drove into a Brazilian slum by accident.

The 46-year-old - named in the country as Eloise Dixon - was hit twice in the stomach when a gang fired at their vehicle near Rio de Janeiro.

Police say they took a wrong turn after a language mix-up, having asked for directions to a place where they could buy water.

Mrs Dixon was today in hospital having undergone emergency surgery. She was said to be in a stable condition.

Eloise Dixon was shot twice after her family strayed into a favela in Brazil when they got lost

The two men who attacked their car are still on the run.

She was on holiday with husband and three young children in the resort of Angra dos Reis, near Rio.

Police chief Bruno Gilaberte said the family had been on the main road from Rio to Santos yesterday afternoon and ended up in a favela called Agua Santa - Holy Water in Portuguese.

A reporter on Brazilian TV shows bullet holes in the family's car

He said: They mistook the information they were given about where they could find a place to buy water.

Because of the language difficulties, there was some confusion. They ended up going to the Agua Santa neighbourhood where they were targeted by criminals.

They were shot at after failing to understand the order they were given to leave the area.

A bullet hole in the headrest of the family car

Agua Santa is home to drugs traffickers belonging to a Rio de Janeiro-based criminal organisation called Terceiro Comando Puro.

They split from the Terceiro Comando gang in 2002 following a bloody prison massacre.

Terceiro Comando Puro cartel, whose members are thought to be behind the gun attack, are regarded as the second most important criminal organisation in Rio de Janeiro.

The port town of Angra dos Reis, where the family was on holiday

The town of Angra dos Reis is just over 50 miles from the famous state capital, Rio.

It is surrounded by 365 islands and over 2,000 beaches.

The area is a popular getaway for Rio residents.

In the past Angra dos Reis was one of the most important ports on the coast between the states of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

British holidaymakers are warned to be vigilant when they travel to Rio de Janeiro and other parts of Brazil due to high levels of violent crime, including carjackings.

In its latest travel advice the Foreign Office said: Violence and crime can occur anywhere and often involve firearms or other weapons.

It warned of high levels of poverty in favelas and cautioned that they are unpredictably dangerous areas.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: We are in touch with the local authorities in Angra dos Reis, Brazil, following reports of the shooting of a British national.
T his was the moment Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ended up soaking wet after failing to climb into his kayak.

The popular leader was about to take an impromptu trip off the waters of Sidney Spit, in British Columbia, when he lost his balance.

Photographers were on hand to record the entire incident as he tumbled into the shallow water at the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.

"I'm just happy the national media was there to capture that," he told CTV.

Photographers capture the moment Canada's Prime Minister ends up soaking wet / REUTERS

Meanwhile, his wife Sophie Trudeau slipped into her kayak without any mishap, before the pair headed off to epxlore.

Mr Trudeau, 45, previously took to his kayak in order to speak to families about climate change on World Environment Day.
A n advert showing female flight attendants wearing nothing but scarves has been criticised as "disgustingly" sexist.

The promo video, for Kazakhstan travel company Chocotravel.com, features seven actors speaking directly to the camera about the company.

One blows a kiss as the shot pans to show the nearly nude women in full length, their blushes spared only by a search bar and hats which they are holding to protect their modesty.

The ad drew quick and angry responses from users on Facebook, who labelled it disgusting and cheap. One wrote: Im sick of this sh*t.

But the companys director Nikolay Mazentsev defended the video in a Russian Facebook post.

According to Russia Today, he said: The video is bold and shocking, but we did not want to hurt anyone's feelings, and regret it if it happened.

The advertisement shows exactly as much as you can see on any beach or in the pool. You do not attack girls in short skirts and people in swimsuits?

The company has also released a similar video showing nearly naked men in the same way.

On Twitter, user Bec Brideson wrote: Is something not sexist because you release a naked male version too? We're going to say no @chocotravel.

The Evening Standard has approached Chocotravel.com for further comment.
A London model has told of her terror after allegedly being kidnapped in Italy by a gang who threatened to auction her online as a sex slave.

Chloe Ayling, 20, has spoken out for the first time after escaping the gang and returning to her mothers home in Coulsdon, south London.

The glamour model was allegedly drugged and bundled into the boot of a car after being lured to a fake photo-shoot in Milan.

She was then allegedly tied to furniture at a remote farmhouse near Turin while her kidnappers auctioned her for more than 230,000 on the dark web. However, after six days she was suddenly released and taken to the British consulate in Milan.

Black Death, the organised crime group suspected to be behind Ms Aylings kidnap, claimed to have released her after finding out she has a two-year-old child.

Chloe Ayling, 20. / Instagram

She said: "Ive been through a terrifying experience. Ive feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour.

Im incredibly grateful to the Italian and UK authorities for all they have done to secure my safe release.

I have just arrived home after four weeks and havent had time to collect my thoughts. I am not at liberty to say anything further until I have been debriefed by the UK police.

In her police statement, published in Italian media, Ms Ayling recalled the moment she regained consciousness after being drugged  reportedly with horse tranquiliser ketamine  and abducted.

When I woke up I was wearing a pink bodysuit and the socks I am wearing now," she said.

I realised I was in the boot of a car with my wrists and ankles handcuffed, adhesive tape on my mouth. I was inside a bag and was only able to breathe through a small hole.

Il Giornale, an Italian newspaper, reported that she was set to be sold outside of Europe.

The Telegraph reported she said: He [one of the alleged kidnappers] told me ... That he alone had earned more than 15m (13.5m) in the last five years and explained to me that all the girls are destined for the Arab countries.

When the buyer gets tired of the girl bought by auction (they) can give them to other people, and when it is no longer of interest they are to become a tiger meal.

Milan: The inside of the house in Italy where police say the kidnapped British model was held. / Reuters

Investigators said they found a letter after searching a computer belonging to Black death which demanded a $50,000 bitcoin payment for her release.

It also said kidnapping her was a mistake because a young mother should in no circumstances be lured into kidnapping.

A Polish man, who lives in Britain, was arrested on July 18 on suspicion of kidnap and extortion, state police said.

Officials have released a mugshot of the suspect, named as 30-year-old Lukasz Pawel Herba.

A photo from the Italian police shows the inside of the house where the British model was held captive. / AFP/Getty Images

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said it has been assisting with the investigation.

A spokesman said: "The NCA and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (Emsou) have been working closely with the Italian authorities since the kidnap was reported.

"NCA officers in Italy and specialists from our anti kidnap and extortion unit are also providing support to the Polizia di Stato as part of the ongoing investigation.

"A house in the Oldbury area linked to Lukasz Pawel Herba was searched on July 18 by Emsou officers with assistance from West Midlands Police.

"Computer equipment seized is being forensically examined."

Polish man Pawel Lukasz Herba, who was arrested in Milan on suspicion of orchestrating the abduction of a British model. / AFP/Getty Images

Aylings lawyer, Francesco Pesce, said: I hope they find them soon as this could be very dangerous for other girls.

"This was a massive investigation that was carried out quickly; the police have worked very hard. The only mystery now is why this person [one of the suspects] went to the consulate with her.

She suffered a lot. It was an awful experience ... and to believe that she would never see her family again. I was so encouraged to see how strong she was [when she revisited the house], a 20-year-old who had been through a terrible ordeal.

Now she is home and its important that she has time with her family and is left alone.
D ramatic video today emerged of a German schoolgirl being dragged from the clutches of Islamic State in the Iraqi city of Mosul.

Linda Wenzel, 16, ran away from her home in Pulsnitz to join the fanatics after being groomed online by an IS recruiter.

She flew to Istanbul, was smuggled into Iraq, marred a Chechen fighter who was killed and ended up in Mosul where an estimated 25,000 Isis volunteers died in the battle to retake the city.

The 16-year-old Jihadi bride was filmed by an Iraqi soldier when she was dragged, filthy, dazed and wounded in her arm, from the IS stronghold that took nine months to capture.

The video was aired on the German newspaper Bilds website for the first time today.

Footage emerged today of the teenager being dragged from a ruin in Mosul

In the video two men can be seen escorting Linda who seems to wince in pain from a wound. She looks at the ground and cries miserably as she is led away.

She converted to Islam as a 15-year-old schoolgirl last year

Germany is negotiating with Iraqi authorities to get her back home where she faces charges of belonging to and supporting a terrorist organisation.

It is unclear exactly what role she performed for the group in Mosul, but if she fought and killed for it she could be facing a long jail term.

One German magazine, citing Iraqi security sources, said she and the four German women she was found with in the rubble of Mosul last month worked for the Islamic States morality police responsible for women adhering to strict dress codes.

Germany is negotiating with Iraqi authorities to get Linda back home

Thos who did not obey faced a whipping - or worse. Whether Linda Wenzel was involved in brutalising anyone is unclear.

Two of her compatriots come from the western city of Mannheim, identified as 50-year-old Lamia K. and her 21-year-old daughter Nadia, both Germans with Moroccan roots. They attended a radical Salafist mosque in the city before leaving their homeland for the so-called Caliphate of Islamic State.

Both were involved in recruiting women to join Islamic State and made several videos online.
C hina today hit out at US arrogance over North Korea after President Trump tweeted he was very happy with a United Nations vote imposing tough new sanctions on the rogue regime.

The attack came just hours after Beijing joined the US in calling on Kim Jong-uns government to halt its missile and nuclear tests.

The move was seen as progress in Mr Trumps efforts to enlist Chinas help in putting the squeeze on Pyongyang.

But Chinese state media today said the US needed to curb its moral arrogance over North Korea and stressed the limits of the new sanctions.

Beijing also called for Washington and Seoul to help lower tensions by reining in their military activities and drills on the peninsula, and by withdrawing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system.

The attack came as North Korea vowed thousands-fold revenge against the US over the adoption of the UN sanctions imposed after its intercontinental ballistic missile launches.

The threat carried by state media came two days after the UN Security Council unanimously approved measures to punish the North including a ban on coal and other exports worth over one billion US dollars (770 million).

It claimed the sanctions were caused by a heinous US plot to isolate and stifle North Korea and said the country will take action of justice, but did not elaborate.

Mr Trump did not comment on Chinas admonishment - but took to Twitter to tell of his delight at the sanctions vote.

Just completed call with President Moon (Jae-in) of South Korea. Very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions, he wrote.

The White House later issued a statement saying the two leaders were committed to the sanctions and urged other nations to follow suit to combat the grave and growing direct threat North Korea poses to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world.

Kim Jong-Un signs documents for a test missile launch / AFP/Getty Images

North Korea has accused the US and South Korea of escalating tensions by conducting military drills.

At the weekend, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, meeting with North Koreas top diplomat in Manila, urged the North to maintain calm.

Do not violate the UNs decision or provoke international societys goodwill by conducting missile launching or nuclear tests, he urged.

Foreign ministers from North and South Korea also briefly met at the regional security forum in Manila before a dinner last night.

US President Donald Trump welcomed the sanctions / AFP/Getty Images

Mr Wang said he hoped North and South Korea could improve relations, and that he felt that the Norths foreign minister did not entirely reject proposals voiced by his South Korean counterpart.

But today China - North Koreas biggest economic partner - insisted that while it is committed to enforcing the sanctions they must be targetted so ordinary people are not hurt.

The West should be reminded to exercise restraint. If it believes it is only North Korea rather than the US and South Korea as well to blame for the nuclear issue, this ill-fitting mindset will not help solve the crisis, wrote the Global Times, which is published by the Communist Partys official Peoples Daily.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley called the latest sanctions a gut punch to North Korea.

Were prepared to do whatever it takes to defend ourselves and defend our allies, Ms Haley told CNN. The ball is in North Koreas court. They now have to decide where they want to go from here. We hope that they will go the route of peace and security.
Life is lived in cycles. There are cycles due to changes in our personal lives and those of our families. Elected officials are not immune to these cycles. At the end of this term in 2019 I will have served 12 years in the general assembly  6 years representing the 49th district and 6 years before that representing the 95th district. Before I was sworn in as a state representative I served 12 years in elected office with the City of West Chicago  6 years as mayor and 6 years as alderman before that. It has been my honor to serve the public at both the state and local level, but after many months of reflection I have decided that it is time for this cycle to end, and I will not run for reelection in 2018.

WEST CHICAGO - State Rep. Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago) announced Monday morning that he will not be seeking re-election in 2018 - another in a growing list of state lawmakers who have decided not to run again.

As a state representative I have been privileged to use my experience in local government, science and technology to help the people of Illinois. I led the effort to improve our electric power by allowing municipalities to buy power on behalf of their residents. I have been successful in protecting our privacy from unauthorized video recording and unauthorized use of passwords on social media. This year I was successful in helping to negotiate major improvements to the way we recycle electronic equipment, and to improve access to voting registration through automation. However, none of this would have been possible without the support of the people I represent and my colleagues in the legislature. Twelve years ago a door opened for me when my predecessor decided to seek another position. With this announcement I can open a door to a successor, who I hope will enjoy the same support and success I have in public office.

Fortner was among those that voted to override Governor Bruce Rauner's budget veto last month, and led the charge for a controversial automatic voter registration plan.

Last week, Republican State Rep. Patti Bellock announced her retirement. Before that, State Rep. Chad Hayes (R-Catlin), State Rep. Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) State Rep. Bob Pritchard (R-Hinkcley) and Democrats Elain Nekritz (D-Northbrook) and Emily McAsey (D-Lockport) announced they would not return to the Illinois House. State Senator Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) resigned effective immediately, and State Senator Tim Bivins (R-Dixon) and State Senator Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon) are not returning after their current terms.

More on those possible successors to Fortner coming ...
Although Landons time here on earth was very short, he inspired a huge amount of love and happiness in his family and their friends, as well as all the doctors and nurses who cared for him in the NICU. He was truly blessed to be a blessing to us all and has inspired many acts of kindness and love for his family, and to all the families who will benefit from all the memorials donated. A Memorial service was held at the Hyde Park Presbyterian Church in Tampa, Florida. There is nothing, innocent or good, that dies and is forgotten. There is not an angel added to the host of heaven but does its blessed work on earth in those that loved it (him).  Charles Dickens
As many as 754 people called on Monday between 8:00 a.m. and 18:00 p.m. at the Bucharest - Ilfov Ambulance Service (SABIF), service manager Alis Grasu told Agerpres. "Since morning till 18:00 hrs, 754 people needed the ambulance in Bucharest and Ilfov. Of these, 446 cases were code red and code yellow emergencies. Of these, 101 people felt unwell in a public place, 26 were heat-related dizziness cases and 14 cases of fainting. There is a 18.36 percent increase compared to the same period last month," said Alis Grasu.

The National Meteorological Administration issued on Monday several Code yellow and Code orange atmospheric instability and sizzling heat warnings effective for August 7 - 8 for various parts of the country, as well as a thermal discomfort alert for Tuesday. The heat wave will persist in Oltenia, Muntenia and Dobrogea, where the thermal discomfort will be particularly significant. Temperature lows will stay above 20 degrees Celsius. In the counties of Dolj, Olt, Teleorman, Giurgiu, Ilfov, Calarasi, Ialomita, Constanta and particularly in the lower parts of the Mehedinti county as well as in Bucharest temperature highs will reach between 36 and 39 degrees Celsius, and the temperature - moisture index will be between 82 - 84 units.
The National Weather Administration (ANM) on Monday, issued code yellow and code orange advisories of unstable weather and heat, valid for August 7 and 8 in different areas of Romania, as well as a thermal discomfort warning for Tuesday.

Thus, on Monday, until 20:00hrs, the code orange of excessive heat is in force in nine south and southeast counties. The heatwave will persist in Oltenia, Muntenia and Dobrogea, where thermal discomfort will remain particularly high. Lows will not drop below 20 degrees Celsius. In Dolj, Olt, Teleorman, Giurgiu, Ilfov, Calarasi, Ialomita, Constanta and particularly in the lowland parts of Mehedinti and Bucharest City, highs will range between 36 and 39 degrees Celsius, with the temperature-humidity index (THI) expected to exceed critical 80.In the same timeframe, the western, northern, central and northeast regions and the highlands will be under code yellow of atmospheric instability including strong winds, torrential rain showers, frequent lightning and hail. Precipitation will exceed 20 l /sq.m. and 40 to 50 l /sq.m. Extreme weather should occur in the evening in the southern regions as well, but over smaller areas.On the other hand, in northern Oltenia, as well as Muntenia and Dobrogea highs will range between 34 and 36 degrees Celsius, while the temperature-humidity index (THI) will be around critical 80.According to the weather service, August 7, 20:00hrs - August 8, 08:00hrs, 23 counties in southern and eastern Transylvania, most of Moldavia, eastern and southern Carpathians, and the northern half of Muntenia and Oltenia, atmospheric instability will generate high winds, thunderstorms, strong gales and hail. Precipitation will exceed 20 l /sq.m. locally and 40 l /sq.m. over restricted area. Such phenomena are also expected in Dobrogea, southern Oltenia and Muntenia but over smaller areas.Also, on Tuesday, August 8, a thermal discomfort warning will be in place in most regions. In Oltenia, Muntenia and Dobrogea on Tuesday afternoon, thermal discomfort will be high, with the temperature-humidity index expected to exceed critical 80. At the same time, in southern Oltenia and southwest Muntenia the highs will generally be between 34 and 36 degrees Celsius, and thermal discomfort will also be high.According to the ANM maps, four southern counties - Mehedinti, Dolj, Olt and Teleorman - will be under code yellow of heat on August 8.Starting Wednesday, August 9, the heatwave will gradually expand and intensify.ANM says it will update its advisories to take into reelect the latest weather developments.

AGERPRES.
The bill says simply,

Sec. 3. Barack Obama Day. August 4th of each year is designated as Barack Obama Day, to be observed throughout the State as a day set apart to honor the 44th President of the United States of America who began his career serving the People of Illinois in both the Illinois State Senate and the United States Senate, and dedicated his life to protecting the rights of Americans and building bridges across communities.

The wording could have been more accurate had it said that Barack Obama chose Chicago, and specifically the home of Leftist radicals Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, as the place to launch his political career after attempting to organize the city's depressed SouthSide. And that his career was spent serving Chicago Democrats - not the "People of Illinois" - in the Illinois State Senate and the United States Senate (for less than one term).

The holiday is meant to be commemorative, not a legal state holiday, in which government employees are allowed a paid day off. The other commemorative state holidays are listed here.

On the other hand, since 2002, Illinois also celebrates every February 6th "Ronald Reagan Day" noted in the same statute as

Sec. 2. Ronald Reagan Day. February 6th of each year is designated as Ronald Reagan Day, to be observed throughout the State as a day set apart to honor the 40th President of the United States of America who came from humble beginnings in Illinois and worked throughout his life serving the cause of freedom and advancing the public good.

President Reagan was born in Tampico, Illinois, raised in Dixon, Illinois, attended college in Eureka, Illinois before moving to Iowa and finally to California, where he became governor and settled after his two terms as President in Washington D.C.
Defence Minister Adrian Tutuianu thanked war veterans for their struggles and sacrifices. "I respectfully bow to our veterans, common people who have unflinchingly undertaken responsibilities in the operations carried out by the Romanian Army. I listen to them talking about their country without noticing a shred of regret. They are shy and never ask for anything. I consider that no effort on our part is too great, no measure in the veterans' aid can be ignored or postponed. Beyond gratitude, they need palpable support, which I assure you, we will not hesitate to provide. I thank them for their struggles and sacrifices. 2017 was declared by the Romanian Government 'Marasti, Marasesti, Oituz Year - 100'. Beyond statistics, the centenary is full of stories. Stories of courage and tenacity of those who have taken on the freedom and the sacrifice, sometimes with the price of their lives, so that we build today, on solid principles, our future. Our children's, the generations' to come after us," Adrian Tutuianu wrote on his Facebook page.

The Defence Minister said that the dream of Greater Romania was conceived at Marasesti. "July 24/August 6 to August 21/September 3, 1917, the greatest warfare on the Romanian front! Here is where our history was written. Here is where the dream of Greater Romania was conceived. The Marasesti battle was the most important military operation carried out by the Romanian Army during World War I. 5,125 Romanian servicemen died fighting, they fought bayonet in hand, counter-attacking 61 times!!! Owing to these heroes, known and unknown, we are today a free and democratic nation," further said Adrian Tutuianu.
A boat out to sea in the UK, containing 4 Romanians, has collided with another craft on the night between Saturday and Sunday, leaving one member of the group dead, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) informed on Sunday, quoting information obtained from British authorities.

Another person is under medical care at a hospital in Worthing, being currently out of danger, while another two are missing, a press release remitted by MAE to stiripesurse mentions.

The Coastguard has ample searches underway in order to find the two other Romanian citizens.

Romania's consul with the Romanian Embassy in London has traveled urgently to the medical unit where the injured Romanian is admitted in order to find out additional details about his status. The diplomatic mission and the consular office maintain their attention on the case, as well as on the status of the searches for the two missing Romanians and are in contact with local authorities, being prepared to offer consular assistance and support, the release mentions.

MAE also relayed sincere condolences to the family of the Romanian citizen deceased following the naval accident.

British newspapers claim that two small vessels collided around 2 miles from the coast of the town Shoreham-by-Sea, one of them sinking. The latter craft had four persons on board.

A 45-year-old man was saved by fishermen, who found him clinging to a buoy. Another was initially saved by specialized crews, but later died from his injuries, while the other two are presently sought.

According to a witness on the scene, navigation conditions were poor and visibility low.
President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron will pay a visit to Romania on August 24 at President Klaus Iohannis's invitation, the Presidential Administration announced on Monday in a press release sent to Agerpres. According to the quoted source, the discussions that will take place at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace will focus on the development and strengthening of the Strategic Partnership bilateral relation, as well as on the main topics on the European, international and security agenda.

At the end of the meeting, the two presidents will hold a joint press conference. The visit was agreed upon at the two officials' meeting on the sidelines of the European Council meeting on June 23, when Emmanuel Macron accepted Klaus Iohannis' proposal to pursue the dialogue in Bucharest, the Presidential Administration says.
An expansion of charter schools and publicly funded vouchers is likely to move forward in Wisconsin as legislators hammer out a biennial budget over the next few weeks. Republican majorities in both houses of the state legislature are also mulling a boost to online e-schooling and limitations on local referenda that raise school funding through property taxes.

The proposals are taking shape in response to long-term trends in both education and politics. Local observers are split on their merits, with debate intensifying around two proposals in particular. One would raise the income cap for participation in a statewide voucher program, potentially extending access to middle-class families. The other would dramatically extend the reach of a state agency charged with authorizing new charter schools.

Meanwhile, statewide elections over a year away are already beginning to influence lawmakers calculations. [Republican Gov. Scott] Walker is up for re-election, and hes trying to fix areas of perceived weakness, says Dan Rossmiller, director of government relations for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards. I imagine school funding is one of those.
WASHINGTON  The Interior Department on Monday scrapped an Obama-era rule on coal royalties that mining companies had criticized as burdensome and costly.

President Donald Trump's administration put the royalty valuation rule on hold in February after mining companies challenged it in federal court. Officials later announced plans to repeal the rule entirely. The final repeal notice was published Monday in the Federal Register and takes effect Sept. 6.

Repealing the rule "provides a clean slate to create workable valuation regulations," said Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, adding that the repeal will reduce costs that energy companies would otherwise pass on to consumers.

The decision reinstates rules in place since the late 1980s governing royalties paid by energy companies for coal and other minerals produced on federal and tribal lands.

Interior remains committed to collecting every dollar due, Zinke said, noting that public lands are assets belonging to taxpayers and Native American tribes.

The valuation rule, crafted under the administration of Democratic President Barack Obama, was aimed at ensuring that coal companies don't shortchange taxpayers on coal sales to Asia and other markets. Coal exports surged over the past decade even as domestic sales declined.

Federal lawmakers and watchdog groups have long complained that taxpayers were losing hundreds of millions of dollars annually because royalties on coal from public lands were being improperly calculated.

Interior disputed that, saying in the Federal Register notice that the prior  and soon-to-be-reinstated  regulations "have been in place for more than 20 years and serve as a reasonable, reliable and consistent method for valuing federal and Indian minerals for royalty purposes." As evidence, the agency noted that the Obama-era rule would have increased royalty payments by less than 1 percent a year.

Rules in place since the 1980s have allowed coal companies to sell their fuel to affiliates and pay royalties to the government on that price, then turn around and sell the coal at a higher price, often overseas. Under the now-repealed rule, the royalty rate would have been determined at the time the coal is leased, with revenue based on the price paid by an outside entity, rather than an interim sale to an affiliated company.

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop, R-Utah, hailed the repeal, saying it would encourage more responsible energy development and spur investment in federal and Indian lands.

But conservation groups criticized the action, calling it a "sweetheart deal" for the industry that will deprive states of much-needed revenues. About half the coal royalties collected by the federal government is disbursed to states including Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico.
Suppose a bunch of economists were to show up in the Virginia town of South Boston to preach the benefits of free trade. How would local people react?

In an old, red-brick tobacco warehouse near the Dan River, W.W. "Ted" Bennett Jr. ponders the question. The former state delegate looks over his shoulder, squints a bit, then says with Southern understatement: "I think it would be pretty rough."

After decades of hewing to free-market fundamentalism on everything from trade to deregulation, mainstream economists are waking up to the distributional consequences of the policies they've championed. In towns such as South Boston, the profession's newfound empathy is probably too little, too late.

The community of about 8,000 people in Halifax County lost manufacturing jobs, of course, but that's not all. One source of family income after another disappeared. Some of the results are visible at street level: closed car dealerships, empty downtown storefronts. Others aren't: a shrinking workforce (in Halifax County, down by almost one-quarter since the early 1990s) and tax base; missed payments to hospitals and stores.

In effect, a rolling recession that's lasted the better part of two decades.

Both American political parties held power during that time, and both pursued a policy mix-endorsed by cutting-edge economics that's become known as neoliberalism. Welfare budgets were cut, social programs were scrapped, big finance was given free rein. Above all, the economy was opened up to trade with China and Mexico.

Washington think-tanks pushed trade as a panacea. It would create "prosperity that benefits every citizen," the Heritage Foundation wrote in a memo for policymakers in 2000, amid negotiations to bring China into the World Trade Organization.

The perspective in South Boston is different.

"They threw us to the wolves; we didn't count for anything; they didn't care," says Tom Raab, South Boston's town manager.

No wonder the county swung to Donald Trump. It was a vote by the aggrieved against Washington dogmas and the politicians who parroted them. And people in South Boston are closely watching the chaotic stalemate that's ensued in the capital. If tangible fixes don't arrive, the district could be up for grabs again.

The presidential election "was not about a party," said James Halasz, the county administrator in Halifax, whose office is near a Burlington Industries Inc. plant shuttered by the textile maker in 2002. "It was about: Did we think the government solved the question of what comes next for rural America  small towns and cities, declining communities," he said. "The answer was a resounding no."

In the years after the North American Free Trade Agreement came into effect in 1994, jobs in Halifax County were annihilated. While national unemployment was trending toward a three-decade low, the rate in Halifax County spiked to 13.9 percent. The pattern was repeated a few years later after China's entry into the WTO.

While all this was going on, economics mostly turned a blind eye  to its lasting discredit, according to a couple of Nobel prizewinners.

Economists always understood that trade would create losers, Joseph Stiglitz told the National Association for Business Economics in March. There's even a theorem for it. But, as part of the effort to generate political momentum for trade deals, science gave way to sloganeering. "If you dared to question the belief in free trade, you would lose your union card as an economist," Stiglitz said.

Paul Krugman, who won the Nobel for his work on trade theory, said the best economic models don't predict a win-win outcome from trade deals. "But the public thinks that's what economists say"  and with good reason: "All too often, in the public sphere, that is what they say."

Two hours drive from South Boston, at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, John McLaren was among the small school of economists worrying that overall gains from trade were smaller than his colleagues suspected  and the local impact much worse. His work showed that when a wave of imports arrives, job losses spread far beyond the directly affected industries.

The problem, McLaren said in an interview, was that it was difficult to get a hearing for such ideas. They were drowned out by "the missionary school."

Since well before Trump's shock election win, the missionaries has been coming under challenge. There are many causes and symptoms; underlying them all is the simple, glaring fact that income distribution in the U.S. continues to get worse.

The global crisis of 2008 exploded the credibility of mainstream economists who didn't see it coming. "Capital in the Twenty-First Century," a 2013 book by France's Thomas Piketty that described the skew between labor income and returns to capital, was an unlikely bestseller. The International Monetary Fund, a citadel of market orthodoxy, published an essay last year co-authored by deputy director Jonathan Ostry and titled "Neoliberalism: Oversold?"

The Federal Reserve has gotten in on the act. Minutes of the June 2016 policy meeting referred to black and Hispanic unemployment rates for the first time. They continue to do so. In the past year, the Philadelphia and Minneapolis Feds have set up institutes to study inequality and social mobility.

In November, the Peterson Institute for International Economics  Washington's most reliable advocate of trade liberalization  co-hosted a conference on inequality and inclusive growth. "Inequality denial is basically in retreat," said Jason Furman, a Peterson senior fellow who was President Barack Obama's chief economist.

South Bostonians might ask: So what?

Some economists may be changing their tune, but much of Washington is still singing the old one. The Republican Party remains in the thrall of fiscal austerity, so the question of how to compensate or retrain workers usually leads to a dead end. Most Democrats stand by the trade deals signed on their watch.

The repair job underway in Halifax County owes little to political ideology, or to economists. It's a patchwork of self-help.

Authorities scraped together money wherever they could find it-state and federal aid, tobacco settlement funds, private donations. Town leaders reached into their own pockets.

Some manufacturers are still around, from sports-car maker TMI AutoTech to Swiss industrial giant ABB. Both received incentives after expanding investment and adding jobs, the county industrial development authority said. The companies' long-term plans for the region might hinge on whether the local workforce has the right skills; so South Boston and the county turned two former tobacco warehouses into a higher education center, offering college courses and vocational training, from nursing to welding to IT. Technicians trained there are getting hired at Microsoft's data center in a neighboring county.

"There is a huge desire to succeed and establish a better quality of life for people in the region," said Tommy Nelson, executive director of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Foundation.

It might be working. The jobs gap has closed. Halifax County now has 5.1 percent unemployment, only slightly above the nationwide rate of 4.3 percent, though emigration has helped bring the figure down.

According to one version of neoliberalism, the emigrants had the right idea.

In a March 2016 article, the conservative National Review magazine analyzed the problems of "poor white America," from family breakdown to drug abuse. "The truth about these dysfunctional, downscale communities is that they deserve to die," it concluded. The people who live in them "need real change, which means that they need U-Haul."

Nelson's family owned a tobacco warehouse in South Boston, steps away from his office, for three generations. The entrepreneurs of an earlier era  small plot farmers  showed up here with their leaf, which was then put up for sale by chanting auctioneers.

The building has been converted to apartments. A basket that once carried the dried leaves is on display in the large, open lobby, which preserves the original wood floors and beams.

Globalization is sometimes celebrated for the "creative destruction" it brings. South Boston's residents and leaders have had enough destruction. They're trying to transform their community instead-one enterprise, one worker, at a time. Nelson, speaking about his family's tobacco warehouse, could be speaking about the town.

"I remember my mother saying, 'Tommy, whatever you do, don't let them tear it down,"' he said.

Bloomberg's Catarina Saraiva contributed.


Tom Price, Secretary of Health and Human Services



By Tim Huelskamp, President, The Heartland Institute -

After Donald Trump and nearly every Republican candidate in 2016 promised a full repeal of Obamacare, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) headed down a separate path: a three-phase process to repeal and replace Obamacare. Last week, phase one failed miserably. Looking back, it is safe to say that President Donald Trump and congressional conservatives were right: Anything less than full repeal was destined for failure. But let us not forget the other phases in the Ryan plan. READ MORE
Some folks are having a laugh at a brochure touting the Two Twelve Clayton luxury apartments now leasing on South Meramec Avenue.

Promotional material available in the lobby of the building boasts the benefits of living in the 26-story tower, saying it is "where you want to live."

"A new indulgent way of living" and "in the desirable Clayton neighborhood" are but small bits of the brochure's blurbage.

And to illustrate that desirability, pages 5 and 6 of the brochure greet you with photos of nearby cool places to hang out  mostly in University City.

With the headline "Right in the Desirable Clayton Neighborhood," a nine-photo collage clearly shows six University City locations: Blueberry Hill; Fitz's; the Delmar Loop sign; and three street scenes along Delmar.

A seventh image shows the Washington University law library, which is in unincorporated St. Louis County.

The collage does manage to show two bona fide Clayton businesses: The Libertine restaurant and a Pickelman's, a chain of delicatessens that started in Columbia, Mo.

"Sounds like Two Twelve Clayton wishes it were in U City," said Saundra Lowes, a proud University Citian.

"The brochure says to live there so you can 'spend more time doing the things that matter,'" she said. "I guess they mean like going to The Loop."

The brochure does include, on later pages, a map of Clayton with numerous city businesses pinpointed.

Last month, residents began moving into the 250-unit, 26-story tower, a joint venture between two Chicago firms, CA Ventures and White Oak Realty Partners. Monthly rent tops out at more than $4,400.

The building's manager was unavailable for comment.
UPDATED: St. Clair County prosecutors dropped the criminal charge in this case on March 8, 2018.

A man, 22, was charged Friday in connection with a carjacking that led police on a high-speed, bistate chase.

Romello S. Bland, of the 8400 block of Short Street in Berkeley, was charged with hijacking a vehicle with a firearm, according to court records.

Police believe Bland was one of two men who stole a 2009 Pontiac G8 from a woman at gunpoint about 11:30 p.m. Aug. 1 on the edge of Belleville.

The woman, 23, told police that the carjackers let her get her two small children out of the car before they took off in the 2600 block of Eastview Drive.

The St. Clair County Sheriffs Department tracked the car using its GPS system, and it was spotted by police on Interstate 70 in Glen Carbon the next afternoon, according to St. Clair County Capt. Bruce Fleshren.

It fled west into Missouri across the Chain of Rocks Bridge at speeds that reached more than 100 mph, Fleshren said.

The car was found abandoned a short time later near Soulard Market.

The suspects apparently got in a different car and were tracked to Granite City. A man and woman were arrested there Wednesday in the 2200 block of Washington Avenue.

So far Bland is the only person who faces charges in connection with the carjacking, but police continue to investigate possible other accomplices, Fleshren said.

Blands bail was set at $150,000, and he was listed as an inmate in the St. Clair County Jail on Monday morning.
Voters in the north St. Louis County city of St. Ann will decide Tuesday whether to approve a 1-cent sales tax hike earmarked to repair roads and sidewalks.

In Overland, the city is asking for a property tax hike to fund city police pensions.

And Greendale and Moline Acres want the power to collect sales taxes from residents who make major out-of-state purchases.

They are among a series of proposed tax hikes, ballot initiatives and races for local vacancies in Missouris special election Tuesday.

St. Louis city has nothing on the ballot, but various communities in the surrounding region do.

In St. Ann, officials say infrastructure such as streets and sidewalks has deteriorated over the years to such a degree that the 1-cent sales tax hike is needed to catch up. The increase would fund a transportation development district for ongoing infrastructure work.

In the cities of Greendale and Moline Acres, voters will decide whether to approve use taxes on out-of-state purchases in the same amounts as the cities local sales taxes.

The use taxes, payable on city residents tax returns, would apply to those who buy more than $2,000 worth of goods annually from out-of-state vendors.

Such local use taxes are becoming more common throughout Missouri and elsewhere as online purchasing has increasingly pulled sales away from local businesses, depriving local municipalities of those sales taxes.

Bel-Ridge has two ballot measures before voters Tuesday. One would more than double the current commercial property tax rate in the city  which hasnt been raised since 1990  and the other would assess a $15-per-space annual fee on commercial parking lots.

Income from both measures would be used for police costs, road and sewer repair and other city services.

In Warrenton, voters are being asked to approve a proposed $7.5 million bond issue that would be used to pay for a new park and recreation-and-aquatic facility aimed at replacing the towns aging public pool. A two-thirds majority is required for it to pass.

In Overland, a ballot measure asks residents to double their current property tax rate  which hasnt been raised since 1987  to go to the citys police pension fund. The same ballot initiative failed by a wide margin in April.

Among election races being conducted Tuesday include a nonpartisan runoff election for village trustee in Uplands Park, between Onva Burke and Kenneth Williams. The seat is a two-year term.

In Maplewood, three candidates  Jenny Schmidt, Steve Terelmes and Kristen Spencer  are vying to fill an unexpired City Council term ending in April 2019.

In St. Charles, Dan Gould and Bart Haberstroh are running to fill an unexpired City Council term that ends in April 2019.

Polls are open Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
JEFFERSON CITY  A Missouri state lawmaker from Oakville is traveling to Washington D.C. later this month to discuss how she might bankroll a potential bid for U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskills seat.

Rep. Marsha Haefner, a Republican, will be in the nations capital on Aug. 21 to help her determine if she can get the backing to run in what could be a crowded GOP primary, she told the Post-Dispatch Monday.

I am very seriously considering it, Haefner said. Im very optimistic, but I am also realistic.

Haefner would be the lone woman in a Republican contest that has already drawn interest from Attorney General Josh Hawley, Rep. Paul Curtman of Pacific and Libertarian activist Austin Petersen of Peculiar.

McCaskill, a Democrat, is viewed as a potentially vulnerable incumbent after the 2016 election saw Donald Trump win by 19 percent.

Haefner, 66, is in the final of her four terms in the House and had been considering running for U.S. Rep. Ann Wagners congressional seat if Wagner had decided to run against McCaskill.

I really have nothing to lose, said Haefner, who has focused on health care issues and the state budget during her tenure.

She said despite a high-profile effort by prominent Republicans to recruit Hawley, her decision will be based on whether she thinks she can raise enough money to be competitive.

I have to be realistic about finances, Haefner said.

Among those seeking to draft Hawley are four former Republican U.S. senators, including John Ashcroft, Kit Bond, Jack Danforth and Jim Talent.

Hawley last week announced he was forming an exploratory committee to begin assessing a possible bid for the office.
More than 100 local businesses have pledged to continue paying workers at least $10 an hour, despite a law taking effect this month that will override a minimum wage raise for more than 30,000 workers in St. Louis.

Apotheosis Comics, Spoked Bikes, Nixta and Local Harvest are among dozens of restaurants and stores that will continue paying minimum wage workers a rate of $10 an hour, a rate workers won after two-year legal fight against business groups who challenged a 2015 city ordinance authorizing an increase.

But this year, Missouris GOP-led Legislature and Gov. Eric Greitens pushed for a new law banning cities from setting their own minimum wages, arguing that sticking to a statewide standard of $7.70 an hour would mean more consistency for businesses.

In response, small business owners, low-wage workers and city aldermen have signed on to a Save the Raise campaign to persuade local employers to disregard the change. Those that dont could face protests or boycotts, organizers said.

The City of St. Louis enacted the minimum wage ordinance in 2015 to lift up working families, bolster the local economy, and foster a stronger and safer community. Despite years of obstruction by corporate lobbyists and this newest attack on fair pay by Republican politicians in Jefferson City, that vision is still within reach, said 16 members of the St. Louis Board of Alderman, including the boards president, Lewis Reed, in a joint statement. All employers still have the power to do the right thing and continue to pay the fair wage.

Employers that agree to keep the $10 minimum can display signs showing their support and will be lauded on the Save the Raise campaign website.

Businesses that will reverse the pay hike include Schnuck Markets Inc., the Maryland Heights-based grocery chain. A Schnucks spokesman said all eight St. Louis city stores would return to the pay scale agreed to in employees union contracts. Baggers begin at $7.75 an hour and all other employees start at $8.50, he said.

Republicans argue that the higher wage forces employers to cut workers and hours, making the raise detrimental in the long run.

It will kill jobs, Greitens said of the increase. And despite what you hear from liberals, it will take money out of peoples pockets.

Greitens has opted to let the law take effect without his signature on Aug. 28.

Minimum wage workers in the city are entitled to be paid the higher wage until then, and can file a complaint if their employer has refused to do so, said Koran Addo, spokesman for Mayor Lyda Krewson.

Businesses that havent paid the higher rate for the past four months risk prosecution in municipal court and the revocation of their business licenses or occupancy permits, he said.

Those that continue to pay their employees $10 an hour even when they arent required to do so have made the whole fight worthwhile, Krewson said in a recent sit-down with the Post-Dispatch.

My thought about this is, those companies that stick with the $10 minimum wage are going to get better employees than the guy next door who is paying $7.70. Because theyre going to get to be choosier, Krewson said.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Schnuck Markets Inc. would revert to a minimum wage rate of $7.70 an hour. Baggers at the grocery chain begin at $7.75 an hour, while other employees start at $8.50 an hour.
Teresa Mull, Townhall -

Randi Weingarten, the notorious president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), said at a recent AFT convention she and her cronies are going to say hell no to the Trump administration because of its support of education choice. If only saying hell no were enough to make organizations we didnt like cease to exist! Parents have been saying hell no to teachers unions for ages, and the fact that Weingarten declared the current administration the first  to say hell no to public education indicates their voices are finally being heard. READ MORE
Theres a kernel of truth in the Trump administrations new proposal to curb legal immigration  strange as it is that a president who based his campaign on halting illegal border-crossers now wants to block the very people he used to praise, those who arent breaking any laws, and have waited in line, properly filled out all the paperwork, and seek to enter the correct way.

As White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller explained last week, a flaw in the current immigration system allows legal permanent residents, or green card holders, to invite close family members to join them in this country. When those family members also get green cards, theyre allowed to invite more family members. The immigrant numbers can expand geometrically, adding pressures to education, health care and labor networks.

That will merit scrutiny if Congress ever summons the courage to address true immigration reform. But its not even close to ranking among the biggest issues facing the U.S. immigration system, which is why Millers explanation raised so many eyebrows.

Every year, we issue a million green cards to foreign nationals ..., but we do so without regard to whether that applicant has demonstrated the skill that can add to the U.S. economy, whether they can pay their own way or be reliant on welfare, or whether theyll displace or take a job from an American worker, Miller told reporters.

He blamed the policy for depressing blue-collar wages and massive displacement of African-American and Hispanic workers.

Wage stagnation remains a pernicious problem. But immigration isnt the culprit; increasing automation and persistently low retail demand are. Republican state legislatures have steadily weakened organized labor and fought efforts around the country, including St. Louis, to force employers to pay higher minimum wages.

The Trump administration last week celebrated the latest figures showing that joblessness reached a 16-year low of 4.3 percent. But when the chronically unemployed and part-timers seeking full-time work are added, total unemployment remains stubbornly high at 8.6 percent.

Employers feel little pressure regarding pay, mainly because theres still an abundant supply of underemployed workers available to fill lower-wage jobs.

Try as Miller might to blame immigrants, hes off base. Restricting legal immigration wont fix an economy thats undergone massive structural change.

Meanwhile, the Republican attorney general of Texas is threatening to sue the Trump administration if it doesnt revoke the protections afforded to undocumented immigrant youths under President Barack Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

These combined actions signify an unnecessarily mean twist to the Republican immigration debate. They divert public attention from the main problems driving illegal immigration. Instead of addressing them piecemeal, the time is ripe for a full-throated, comprehensive immigration reform package that addresses them all, head-on.
Available at a only a select few stores, Tatuaje built on the success of last years Frank with two more limited release Halloween cigars in 2009: Boris (a Frank out of costumei.e., with a different, less green wrapper) and the Drac.

Drac is a fang-shaped torpedo (6.75 x 52) with a simple red and black band around the foot. Only 1,300 boxes of 13 cigars each were made of the habano maduro-wrapped Nicaraguan puro.

Individual cigars sold for $13 each, if not a few dollars more due to the high demand for the smokes. I was fortunate enough to land a pair of the sought-after sticks from a friend of a friend who had gotten his hands on a box.

In response to some issues with those boxes, Tatuaje maker Pete Johnson put out a special bulletin on the Tatuaje website recommending that people put the cigars in their humidor without the box for a few weeks. It seems that since the coffin-shaped boxes were delayed, they smelled of fresh paint when the cigars were boxed. So Johnson recommended waiting for that odor to dissipate.

I didnt notice any paint smells from the samples I smoked, which had spent enough time in the humidor before they were smoked. But the Drac did have a distinct aroma of sweet licorice and it left a notable bready flavor on my lips when I drew on the unlit cigar. The dark brown, matte wrapper had a few prominent veins and was slightly spongy to the touch.

The Drac opened up with an interesting combination of raisin and prune flavors mixed with a bit of chalk and subtle mint. It was also peppery on the lips. As the cigar progressed, it became leathery, occasionally to the point of some bitterness. In the final third, dry woody notes were added to the lively flavor profile.

Construction was quite good, with an exceptionally sturdy light gray ash. The torpedo produces plenty of smoke, although at times the deliberate draw bordered on tight.

This is an interesting cigar, with many twists and turns and a very unique and complex combination of flavors. The Tatuaje Drac earns four stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

Patrick S



photo credit: Stogie Guys
Youve got to hand it to Pete Johnson, the creator and owner of Tatuaje. His annual Monster Series release is pure marketing genius. Every year, Tatuajes growing army of devotees seeks out the Halloween limited release, many buying an entire box before trying a single cigar.

Back in 2011, Cigar Aficionado wrote an article about the distribution nightmare the Monster Series had become. Back then, the release was only in its fourth year, with production at 22,000 cigars; the latest release, called the Krueger, clocked in at just shy of 60,000 cigars.

For the uninitiated, Tatuaje has released an annual Monster Series smoke since 2008, each celebrating a character from the horror genre, including The Frank, The Drac, The Face, The Wolfman, The Mummy, The JV13 (Jason), The Jekyll, The Hyde, and The Krueger. The MSRP is always $13, and there are typically 666 dress boxes of 13 cigars made available to 13 unlucky retailers (Johnson also releases plain boxes of 10).

I didnt have a chance to get my hands on The Krueger when it came out last fall. Thankfully, I spotted a stash at my local tobacconist and picked up a handful. As the name would suggest, The Krueger honors the Freddy Krueger character from A Nightmare on Elm Street. Its recipe calls for a Mexican San Andres wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos.

Typically, wrapper leaf is judged by both taste and appearance. A testament Johnsons aforementioned marketing genius is his ability to use ugly, scary-looking wrapper leaves that, while tasty, certainly wouldnt qualify for most $13 cigars. Indeed, The Krueger is a dark, rough, and rugged box-pressed torpedo (7 x 48). Its dry surface is characterized by plenty of veins, lumps, and tooth. There are hardly any oils to be found. It is slightly spongy and the cold draw is moderate.

After setting an even burn, pungent pre-light notes of earth, cocoa, and hay transition to an initial profile thats balanced and medium- to full-bodied. Flavors include coffee bean, roasted nuts, leather, black pepper, and sweet cream. That earthiness (some might say dirtiness, or grittiness) so emblematic of San Andres tobacco creeps in as the first inch is concluding.

As the midway point approaches, the profile remains consistent, but the flavor settles a bit as the cigar takes a more balanced and nuanced stance. The sweetness ramps up with the addition of chocolate, and the leather and roasted nuts become more pronounced. The final third is marked by a reprise of the intensity from the outset, plus heavy notes of leather and a sour meatiness.

With solid construction from light to nub, The Krueger is a fine, well-built cigar with loads of rich flavor and ample changes throughout to keep things interesting. That said, I dont believe it quite stands up to the lofty expectations set by its Monster Series predecessors (and its price and pedigree). Perhaps that will change with some age. For now, the most fitting rating for this Tatuaje creation is three and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

Patrick A



photo credit: Stogie Guys
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Cannabis smoker Stephen Bryson has been handed a suspended prison sentence after he started selling the drug to friends.

The 41-year-old shared the drug with his mates but began charging them and made a modest amount of money.

He told police the cash would help pay for Christmas, support his children and fund utility bills.

Now Bryson has been sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 months, at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Prosecutor Peter Gilmour said police executed a warrant at the defendant's home in Warren Road, Chell Heath, at 8.20pm on December 1.

Mr Gilmour said: He was in the kitchen. Ten bags of cannabis weighing 15 grams were found in a drawer. They were worth 100. A further amount weighing 98 grams and worth 700 was found in a tin in a cupboard.

Police also seized a mobile phone which contained a message indicating a degree of supply. It read, 'Any chance you could drop me one round before you shut up shop'?"

In his police interview, the defendant admitted selling cannabis, saying it would pay towards Christmas, his children and the utility bills.

Bryson, of Warren Road, Chell Heath, pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis with intent to supply.

His plea was on a basis that he started sharing the drug with friends but then asked them for payment.

Stuart Muldoon, mitigating, said the defendant, who has no previous convictions, was sharing cannabis with a friend but was being exploited and was being left with none of the class B drug for himself.

He added that Bryson is still smoking cannabis on a daily basis but would appreciate help from the probation service so he can give up the habit completely.

Recorder Andrew Easteal sentenced Bryson to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with a rehabilitation activity requirement for 20 days and a three month electronically-monitored curfew from 9pm to 6am.

The judge said: You are a user of cannabis. You had been sharing with other friends but that escalated into selling which is commercial supply. That makes you a drug dealer. In law, that is what you had become. That is why it is so serious.

There came a point where you thought you could make a bit. It was on a very modest scale."
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Martin Lambert chose to lose weight for a number of reasons  he had low self-esteem, often felt very lethargic and was taking tablets daily for his high blood pressure.

Martin, who lives in Waterhayes Village with his wife and daughter, explained: I needed to be honest, I was the heaviest I had ever been and felt very uncomfortable. I had a lack of motivation among other things and above all I had high blood pressure, for which I was taking four tablets every day.

The 53-year-old, who is a self-employed gas engineer and plumber, added: Since losing the weight my medication has been reduced to one a day, with a review planned within the next month to try to come off the meds altogether.

After researching various healthy eating options, Slimming World ticked all of the right boxes for him so he found his local group and both he and his wife Julie joined in March 2016.

The group made us feel very welcome and at ease. Most of my weight loss was achieved through the food optimising plan  before I would eat cheese, bread, savoury snacks and drink lager, but now I enjoy more fresh fruit and vegetables, trim the fat from all meats and I no longer have any butter, margarine or bread.

As the weight reduced, my exercise increased. We love the Lake District and visit the area as and when we can with our very close friends Steve and Andrea Clark. Both myself and Steve enjoy walking and have previously been fortunate to complete Scafell Pike, Helvellyn via Striding Edge, Haystacks and Fleetwith Pike as well as Snowdon twice. And in July 2017, we both were able to reach the summit of Ben Nevis in Scotland, the highest mountain in the British Isles.

After around 16 months, Martin has dropped more than five-and-a-half stone and is still shedding the pounds.

I havent set a final target, but it has been an incredible journey for me so far. I can honestly say that the plan does work 100 per cent, just keep your book close by so you can refer to it and you can achieve great results.

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My family and friends have been, and still are, very supportive of my weight loss. In fact my wife Julie lost two-and-a-half stone herself and became a Slimming World consultant, and our daughter Lucinda just over three stone  its become a real family affair.

Ive gone from a waist size 44 and chest 52 to a waist size 36 and a chest size 44 or 46. I never enjoyed shopping when I was big just in case the biggest size would not fit, but Im loving it now because I can wear more trendy stuff and it fits.

Martins wife Julie commented: When my husband was at his heaviest he would come home from work, or even at the weekends if he was not working, and he would just fall asleep most of the time, he had no get up and go.

He would easily get out of breath and perspire even just walking up the stairs. The difference it has made to his life is amazing. He has so much more energy and his confidence has gone up. Not only that, he has been able to come off some medication. He has also climbed Ben Nevis which is an achievement in itself.

I am very proud of him, how far he has come and what he has achieved along the way. He is an inspiration and Im loving my new look hubby too.

Martins Slimming World group meet at Audley Community Centre in Audley at 7pm every Tuesday. Other sessions run from this location on the same day at 9.30am and 5pm. For more information or to join contact Slimming World Consultant Clare Cope on 07808 192011.

Weight before - 20st 11lbs

Weight after - 15st 2.5lbs

Total loss - 5st 8.5lbs

Top tip - Stick to plan 100% and you will get the results you desire. Also planning is key too and staying to group for image therapy, even if the scales have gone up then this is where you need all the help from the consultant and group, this is where the magic happens.
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Two people have been arrested on suspicion of arson after a nightclub fire left a teenager fighting for his life.

The suspects - a 24-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy - are currently in custody following the incident at Hanley's Desire nightclub.

The fire broke out at the Trinity Street venue at 4am on Saturday.

A 19-year-old suffered 'severe burns' in the incident and is currently in a 'critical' condition at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Birmingham.

A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "A full investigation is now underway and we are working with Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service to establish the cause of the fire."

Anyone with any information about the fire should call the police on 101, quoting incident number 140 of August 5.
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Rafa Benitez is like a bottle of pop ready to go off, apparently, over Newcastle's lack of transfer activity this summer.

So says The Mirror and this could have implications for Stoke, of course, following their recent offer for Joselu which insiders at the bet365 described as derisory.

If Stoke City are looking over their shoulder right now then they might spot that Brighton, according to The Sun, are about to break their transfer record by forking out 6m for PSV Eindhoven Davy Propper.

The Alexis Sanchez saga just won't go away and everyone will have an opinion about why he was sat in the stands at Wembley yesterday.

The Mirror claims he is now prepared to accept Arsenal's apparent intransigence and sit tight for one more year, but The Star reckons Manchester City are still circling.

Crystal Palace boss Frank de Boer is poised to move for fellow Dutchman and one-time Newcastle loanee Luuk de Jong from PSV Eindhoven.

Palace and Everton are also interested in Newcastle keeper Freddie Woodman, possibly on loan, before the window shuts.

Finally, there's nothing like planning ahead... David Silva is apparently negotiating to join Las Palmas back in his native Gran Canaria once his Manchester City contract expires in two years.
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Thief Richard Olah swiped a mobile phone from a man's jacket pocket  as the victim went to get a drink at a casino bar.

But the 33-year-old was caught on CCTV at Hanley's Genting Casino where he stole the device before selling it on the streets for 50.

Now the defendant has been told to pay the victim compensation after admitting the theft at the city centre business.

Magistrates were told how the victim was at the Etruria Road venue on July 9. Steve Knowles, prosecuting, said: The victim took his coat off and left it on a chair when he went to get a drink.

He says he returned a few minutes later and noticed his mobile phone was missing along with his house and motorbike keys."

North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard how the victim had valued the Samsung Galaxy at 280 and also went on to pay 135 to have his locks changed.

Mr Knowles said: The defendant was interviewed in relation to his matter and fully admitted being at the casino and didn't plan to do anything or steal anything.

But he saw the coat unattended and searched both pockets and found the mobile phone which he took and then left the casino.

The defendant said there were no keys in the pocket and he didn't take anything else."

Police also presented Olah, formerly of Castlefield Street, Shelton, with CCTV footage and he identified himself. Mr Knowles added: It showed him searching through the pockets belonging to the injured party.

The defendant said he sold the phone on for 50."

Lee Yates, mitigating, said: He had been in the casino for some time and was by a group of men on some of the machines. When one got up and went to he bar he left his jacket on a stool. The defendant accepts he looked in the pockets and took the mobile phone. He then leaves and it's in the early hours of the morning. He said he saw someone on the streets who was prepared to pay 50 for it.

At the time he was at a low ebb financially and was in financial difficulty. At the time of his arrest he was trying to run his own household and was relying on temporary employment.

He found himself going through a period of time with no income and was in financial difficulty.

He's had to give up his tenancy and now lives with his mother. He is also relying on agency work."

Magistrates accepted there was no proof Olah had not taken the victim's keys.

He was given a six month conditional discharge. He was told to pay the victim 280 compensation, court costs of 135 and a 20 victim surcharge.
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Reports in Holland say Stoke City have finally reached an agreement to sign Bruno Martins Indi from FC Porto.

The Dutch star was also being courted by Crystal Palace, now managed by his compatriot Frank de Boer.

But De Telegraaf report that Stoke City was always his preference and now an agreement has finally been struck between Stoke and FC Porto.

Porto were hanging out for 12m euros, but De Telegraaf say a figure of 8m euros (approx 7.24m) has now been agreed between the two clubs.

That will end a long-running saga after Stoke declared their desire to re-sign Martins Indi well before the end of last season.

That followed a hugely successful season-long loan for Martins Indi here in the Potteries.

He will return to a club now boasting much greater competition at centre half, however, following the recent acquisition of Chelsea centre half Kurt Zouma on a season-long loan.

But Martins Indi's arrival does strengthen the option for playing three centre halves and wing backs with skipper Ryan Shawcross and the ever adaptable Geoff Cameron also in the mix.
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Stunned Philip Henry has spoken of his shock after a councillor called him an 'Irish t**t' at a town's train station.

Now councillor Allan McCulloch, who is vice chairman of Stone Rural Parish Council, has been fined at court and is expected to resign as a community leader.

The incident happened outside Stone Railway Station on January 18 when Philip claims the councillor shouted the abuse at him after he moved out of the way of McCulloch's reversing car.

The 48-year-old, who lives in Stone and is originally from Belfast, said he'd approached him to ask that he be more careful.

But Philip said he retorted: 'Yeah, thanks for that. Now get out of my way, you Irish t**t."

He said: I was just totally shocked and appalled by Mr McCulloch's racist remarks. I was simply reminding him to be more careful in his driving  and for that he felt justified to call me an 'Irish t**t'  a phrase I still can't get out of my mind."

Philip, who recorded part of the incident, then saw councillor McCulloch park up and enter the station and decided to confront him.

He said: I had absolutely no idea he was a councillor and that he was about to join several colleagues for a formal meeting.

I politely requested that I speak to their colleague and so he followed me into the adjoining room. As we walked to the next room I reminded him that he called me an 'Irish t**t'."

Immediately afterwards Mr McCulloch replied at least four times, 'Yes, because you are,' and firmly pressed his index finger into my chest and repeatedly started to push and poke me around, which made it very difficult for me to remain upright."

McCulloch was later charged  and pleaded guilty to  racially aggravated harassment and assault. Following a hearing at Cannock Magistrates Court he was told to pay a 576, 60 compensation, 57 victim surcharge and 185 costs. He was also handed a 12-month conditional discharge.

Philip added: The impartial support offered by the police officers of Staffordshire reassured me that racism has no place in our community."

Brian Fletcher, who is chairman of Stone Rural Parish Council, said: I understand it is the intention of councillor McCulloch to resign his position."
Prominent cleric and head of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Tahirul Qadri, on his return to Pakistan on Tuesday, said that the he had come back to seek justice for victims of the 2014 Model Town incident and their families.

In June 2014, seven people, including members of the PAT, were killed during a clash between PAT protesters and policemen in Lahore.

At least 80 others were injured in the clashes that had broken out when police went to the party's headquarters in Model Town and PAT activists resisted their operations.

Addressing the media at Lahore airport, Qadri said that he had not expected the Supreme Court's verdict in the Panamagate case that disqualified former prime minister Nawaz Sharif under Article 62 of the Constitution.

He added that after the Panamagate verdict, getting justice for the victims of the 2014 incident appeared to be a possibility.

Qadri's has returned just as Pakistan is gearing up to elect a new prime minister after Nawaz Sharif's disqualification by the Supreme Court in the Panamagate case.

The PAT chief had spent a few weeks in Pakistan in June and left the country on July 1 to visit Egypt, UK and Norway.

On July 13, after the report of the joint investigation team that probed allegations of money laundering against the Sharif family surfaced, Qadri had said that he may return to the country at any moment and had demanded that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif quit because his crime now stands proven.

Seperately, on July 14, an Anti-Terrorism Court in Islamabad moved to seize properties belonging to Qadri and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan after the two repeatedly failed to appear in hearings of the Asmatullah Junejo case, which pertains to an attack on a policeman during the 2014 sit-in in Islamabad.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday directed Sindh Minister for Law Ziaul Hasan Lanjar to record statement with National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in ongoing investigation against him on corruption charges.

Today an SHC bench headed by Chief Justice heard application for bail before arrest by Sindh Law Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar.

During the hearing, NAB prosecutor told the court that Lanjar was not cooperating with the Bureau in investigation.

He further told the court that Lanjar was facing serious allegations of corruption but he did not appear before the Bureau when summoned.

The court reprimanded the minister for not cooperating with NAB in investigation. The Chief Justice reminded the minister that he was on interim bail and on non-cooperation his bail could be cancelled.

Securing bail does not mean that one should not cooperate in investigation, the CJ SHC remarked.

Justice KK Agha warned Lanjar if he had not recorded his statement his interim bail would be revoked.

The court directed Lanjar to record statement with NAB. The court also sought progress report on the cases within three weeks.

Lanjar, who belongs to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), had obtained interim pre-arrest bail on May 29 anticipating arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in connection with corruption charges.
The United Nations has strongly condemned the latest Saudi airstrikes against Yemen in which at least 12 civilians, including children, lost their lives, stressing that the aerial attacks are an example of the brutality of the Yemeni conflict and disregard for civilians' safety.

All parties to the conflict continue to show a disregard for the protection of civilians and the principle of distinction between civilians and combatants in the conduct of hostilities, the UN's Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen Jamie McGoldrick said on Sunday.

McGoldricks remarks came two days after three women and six children from the same family were killed in a Saudi airstrike on their home in Yemen's northwestern province of Sa'ada.

The head of the local health department, Dr. Abdel-Ilah al-Azzi, said the attack on Friday dawn targeted the family home of Taha al-Dharafi in Mahda district on the southwestern outskirts of Saada city, located 240 kilometers north of the capital Sana'a, also left three other people injured.

Three people were also killed in a Saudi airstrike on a private vehicle in the same Yemeni province.

Ahmed Ben Lassoued, a spokesman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Yemen, has described the Saudi aerial and naval blockade on Yemen as one of the main causes of the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen, stressing that the measure has disrupted the import and export of food, fuel and medical supplies as well as humanitarian aid.

Last month, the UN announced that more than 17 million people in Yemen are currently food-insecure, of whom 6.8 million are severely food-insecure and in need of immediate aid.

It underscored that the Yemeni conflict has left 18.8 million people in need of assistance, including 10.3 million who require immediate assistance to save or sustain their lives.

Saudi Arabia has been incessantly pounding Yemen since March 2015 in an attempt to reinstate Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh, and to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement. The Riyadh regime has, however, failed to reach its goals despite suffering great expense.

The military aggression has claimed the lives of more than 12,000 people, mostly civilians.
Venezuelan authorities have suppressed a military rebellion near the central city of Valencia, a ruling official said.

Less than two days after President Nicolas Maduro formed a legislative superbody internationally condemned as a power grab.

Socialist Party deputy Diosdado Cabello made the announcement shortly after the release of a video showing a group of men in military uniform announcing a rebellion and calling for a broad uprising.

One witness in the area of a military base in the town of Naguanagua reported hearing gunshots before dawn, but Cabello said the situation had been brought under control.

Officials said the rebels, whom they described as terrorists, were trying to steal weapons and that seven people were detained after the attack on the base.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, agreed to apply maximum pressure and sanctions on North Korea in a telephone call, while China expressed hope that North and South Korea could resume contact soon.

The U.N. Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Saturday aimed at pressuring Pyongyang to end its nuclear program.

The U.S.-drafted resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood following Pyongyangs two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July.

It also prohibits countries from increasing the current numbers of North Korean laborers working abroad, bans new joint ventures with North Korea and any new investment in current joint ventures.

During the hour-long phone call, Moon and Trump said they would continue cooperating to rein in North Korea, particularly ahead of a regular joint military drill set for late August, South Korean presidential office spokesman Park Su-hyun told.

Moon was also cited as saying there was a need to show North Korea the door to dialog ue is still open, should Pyongyang give up its nuclear program.

In a separate statement, the White House said the two leaders affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world.
Collectors Desk fifth edition takes a look at our iconic 43 Group View(s):

Considered the forefathers of Sri Lankan Modern Art, the 43 Group has contributed immensely to the recognition of local art internationally. Characterised by their adaptation of the European art movement of the early 1900s, this collective of iconic artists presented Sri Lankan living through their distinctive style, which will be one of the critical components presented by Saskia Fernando and Azara Jaleel at the fifth edition of Collectors Desk on August 11 at the Residences at One Galle Face, Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts.

Collectors Desk, a collaboration between ARTRA Magazine and Saskia Fernando Gallery in partnership with the Residences at One Galle Face, Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts aims to educate and entertain its audience through a series of moderated conversations on art appreciation, investment and exhibitions of art and design.The growth of any art scene takes place alongside economic development and Collectors Desk is curated to address professionals from all industries.

This edition of Collectors Desk will approach the significance of the 43 Group within the context of Sri Lankan and South Asian art together with its appreciation in value in the global art market. Followed by the presentation will be an exhibition of selected works by all members of the 43 Group contributed by the members of Collectors Desk at the show-suite apartment. A collection of wearable art of modernity and luxury by Khiard Fine Jewellery will also be exhibited.
Odissi: An odyssey in search of the sublime Reviewed by Mrinali Thalgodapitiya Anugamana held on July 31 at the Russian Cultural Centre, Colombo View(s): View(s):

Anugamana, (the ongoing journey) presented by the Indian Cultural Centre, Colombo at the Russian Cultural Centre recently, was an offering of Odissi dance showcasing the talent of Sri Lankan-born Nritta Ganeshi Manoharan and two senior exponents of the Odissi dance form, Leena Mohanty and Daisygarani Vijayakumaran.

This debut performance in Sri Lanka, comprised five items choreographed by Leena Mohanty, with music composed by Sri Dheeraj Kumar Mohapatra, and was especially momentous for Nritta as it was her first in her motherland. Nritta is the daughter of a leading proponent and teacher of the Bharata Natyam dance form, Shangitha Namasivayam.

The event was graced by the Leader of the Opposition R. Sambandan, and the Acting Head of the Indian High Commission, Arindam Bagchi, and the audience included members of the public, well-wishers, friends, and well known names in Sri Lankan dance Khema and Upekha, Haridevi Jayasundara, Vasuki Jagatheeswaran and Nirmala Benedict.

The evening opened with Mangalacharan, a salutation to Goddess Saraswati, the bestower of all boons who can take any form. Mangalacharan was performed by Nritta and Daisy. Nritta has that rare quality in a dancer that transcends the exposition of technique, drawing her audience into the sheer pleasure of her performance. Her fluidity of movement and grace were in deep contrast to Daisys technically perfect and precise expression. The second item, Pallavi, was performed by Leena and Nritta. This elaboration on a melodic-rhythmic theme built gradually into complex patterns and variations, capturing the mood of the monsoon with Leena Mohantys choreography beautifully expressing the Raag Madhyamadi and Taal Ekatali on which Pallavi is based. Leena and Nritta were in delightful harmony as they performed the duet. Leenas choreography brought to life the Gita Govinda, a work composed by the 12th-century Indian poet, Jayadeva, which describes the relationship between Krishna and the gopis (female cow herders) of Vrindavana, and in particular one gopi named Radha. The item was performed by all three dancers to the music of Guru Rama Hari Das and was a compelling demonstration of the strengths of each performer.

A star is born, said Swami Shantanand Saraswati when he saw Nritta perform at the age of five; and expectations were high when she stepped out onstage alone. Nrittas solo performance of Chamunda Stutee was a complete revelation of the breadth and depth of the talent of this young dancer. Gone was the graceful, genial, beauty and in its place, despite no costume change and lack of props, was a compelling and credible  Chamunda. Chamunda, one of the chief yoginis and the slayer of the demons Chanda and Munda, is closely associated with Maa Kali  the fearsome aspect of Devi. In Nrittas dance one could envision the garland of severed heads or skulls, the drum, trident, sword held in her hands, the snake, skull-mace, thunderbolt, the severed head and drinking vessel or skull-cup filled with blood. The dancers strong, sharp movements made believable that she stood on the corpse of a thwarted demon or man. Her facial expressions complemented her movements and this was the most enthralling performance of the evening. It dazzled.

The evening ended with Jaaga Maheshwara danced by Leena and Daisy, evoking Lord Shiva as Nataraja who is worshipped as the king among dancers: He is described as the greatest yogi who wears the sky as his garments, balancing on his solitary foot, totally poised. A well-executed finale to a grand evening of Odissi dance.

Anugamana was indeed a fitting title  as this is but one performance in these dancers ongoing journey in their search of the sublime and perfection in the execution of Odissi Dance. The evenings Odissi was in the style of Guru Deba Prasad Das, which is known for its pristine qualities and immaculate compositions, and his fascination for exploring and deriving inspiration from tribal dance movements culminating in a hallmark vigour and verve in execution.Leena Mohanty is a direct disciple of Guru Deba Prasad Das and Guru Durga Charan Ranbir, and is the torch bearer of this style.

Nrittas name translates to pure dance, and she has chosen to express her natural gift for dance through Odissi since her early childhood, blazing her own trail around the world as one of the youngest and most promising stars of the dance form. She has delivered outstanding performances to rave international reviews which have prompted invitations from India and Orissa, home of Odissi, where her pure expression of the dance earned her accolades from the dance fraternity. Nritta was selected by Singapore as one of six Wonder kids of Asia for her academic performance and her excellence in Odissi. She has also been named as one of the top ten young Odissi talents in India. Nritta is currently pursuing a degree in Engineering at the University of Newcastle, Australia whilst continuing to seek perfection in dance under the tutelage of great teachers such as Guru Durga Charan Ranbir and Leena Mohanty. She is currently also in her final year of a Masters programme in Odissi with the Pracheen Kalakendra in India.

Leena Mohanty is one of the leading exponents of Odissi dance. She was the recipient of the first Ustad Bismillah Khan Youth Award in 2006 from Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi and has been awarded the prestigious Mahari award. She is the artistic director of Bansi Bilas, an institution devoted to training young and upcoming dancers of Guru Deba Prasad Das School of Odissi, and of the Trinayan Dance Theater, New York City, USA. She also heads the Odissi Department of the Kalpana Dance Theatre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Leena is a celebrated dancer with a strong and impeccable command of technique marked with clarity, graceful intricacies, eloquent expressions, and precision evoking the Rasa with its full lustre and essence.

Daisygarani Vijayakumaran has been involved in Bharata Natyam and Odissi dances for the past 30 years. A senior dancer with wide performing experience, she has trained for many years with the artistic director of the Kalpana Dance Theater, Shangita Namasivayam. Daisy combines perfect technique with beautiful lines and is one of those rare dancers blessed with angasuddha or perfect form. Ever the student, she is intensely desirous of exploration within the deeply inspiring realm of classical dance.

A dance-drama genre of performance art Odissi, also referred to as Orissi in older literature, is a major ancient Indian classical dance that originated in the Hindu temples of Odisha  an eastern coastal state of India. Odissi, was performed predominantly by women, and expressed religious stories and spiritual ideas, particularly of Vaishnavism, but performances have also expressed ideas of other traditions such as those related to Hindu gods Shiva and Surya, as well as Hindu goddesses.Odissi is traditionally a dance-drama genre of performance art, where the artist(s) and musicians play out a mythical story, a spiritual message or devotional poem from the Hindu texts, using symbolic costumes, body movement, abhinaya (expressions) and mudras (gestures and sign language) set out in ancient Sanskrit literature. An Odissi performance repertoire includes invocation, nritta (pure dance), nritya (expressive dance), natya (dance drama), and moksha (dance climax connoting freedom of the soul and spiritual release). The dancers are colourfully dressed. The sarees worn by Odissi dancers are brightly coloured, and usually of local silk (Pattasari) made up with pleats, to allow maximum flexibility. The jewellery includes silver pieces, and the hair is tied up, and typically drawn into an elaborate bun resembling a Hindu temple spire, and decorated with Seenthi, and a moon shaped crest of white flowers. The dancers forehead is marked with Tikka, and the eyes are ringed with Kajal, while the ankles are decorated with a leather piece on top of which are bells (ghungroo). The dancers palms and soles may be painted with red coloured dye called the Alta.
Lankas master tailors leave for world conference View(s):

A delegation from Sri Lanka is attending a convention of the World Federation of Master Tailors (WFMT) in Taipei, Taiwan. The Sri Lankan team for the 37th convention of the WFMT is headed by Chaandana Wijesekera of the old-established Bristol Tailors. The convention is an occasion for leading craftsmen in tailoring from around the world to share their experiences and expertise. Through this network, Sri Lanka has drawn the expertise of internationally renowned master tailors to train local tailors. Sri Lankas delegation left on July 30.
Having a new baby can leave you feeling overwhelmed and tired beyond belief. Trying to decide whats for dinner? can be one of the hardest things to deal with every day.

A local group helping to keep bellies full for families with newborn babies and young children struggling with illness is celebrating the delivery of its 5000th meal this month.

Bellyful Tauranga was established in 2012 and is one of the busiest branches of the organisation in the country, having assisted almost 1000 families from Katikati to Te Puke at one of the most hectic and stressful times in their lives.

Simple, home-cooked meals are made in bulk at monthly cookathons at Tauranga Boys College  about 140-150 at a time  frozen and packed into plastic take-away containers and delivered free to families with newborn babies and young children struggling with illness.

Branch coordinator Jenny Whiting says Bellyful is not a food bank, however.

The gift of food and the support that comes with it is what Bellyful is all about. Our service is appreciated by working parents as well as those at home. As an organisation we believe that its important to acknowledge that parenting a newborn can be really hard and its more than okay to ask for and accept help.

Jenny says the appreciation from families who use the service is heart-warming.

Its incredible. You receive hugs and tears of appreciation. Weve had comments like This is amazing. Weve had tomatoes on toast at 10 oclock for two weeks in a row for dinner.

Jemma Singh, who has recently given birth to her fourth son, is one of the grateful recipients of Bellyfuls frozen meals.

With four boys aged nine, five, three, and three months, life is pretty full-on.

She says she was super-mum up until baby number four came along and she found juggling her busy household a bit of a struggle. Her Plunket nurse recommended Bellyful and Jemma self-referred via their website.

I thought it would just be two or three meals but they dropped off three lots of lasagne, three lots of Bolognese and three lots of mac and cheese. It lasted several nights and my husband even got to take some leftovers for lunch. It was so cool.

Bellyfuls monthly cookathons involve grating 8kg of carrots and chopping 5kg of onions which are then combined with 20kg of mince and 40 jars of pasta sauce.

Twenty litres of milk, 2kg butter and 8kg grated cheese make up the cheese sauce. Six kilograms of macaroni is added to make macaroni cheese and 4kg of lasagne sheets to make a beef lasagne layered with cheese sauce.

Meals are provided for three nights for the number of people in each family. Included with the delivery are heating instructions, a packet of spaghetti, baking done by volunteers and snack bars or other treats supplied by Food Rescue.

Referrals to Bellyful come from Plunket, midwives and anyone else who thinks a family needs a helping hand. Families can also refer themselves via the Bellyful website www.bellyful.org.nz

Its mainly for people who lack a good support network and thats pretty typical now of young families moving into Tauranga  a lot dont have family in the area, says Jenny.

Bellyful Tauranga has a volunteer base of around 40 people, including cooks, deliverers and fund-raisers.

We get no government funding but we are very lucky to have the Legacy Trust support us. We also had a grant last year from Acorn Foundation and support from local Z stations as part of their Good in the Hood programme, says Jenny.

From this month if you purchase a 10 cent plastic bag at The Warehouse in Tauriko or Tauranga Central, you can support Bellyful by putting a token in the Bags for Good donation boxes. If, at the end of six months, Bellyful has the most tokens, it will receives the proceeds of the bag sales.
Tauranga will soon get a new boutique cinema as part of a major new development in the rapidly-growing suburban area of Golden Sands.

Construction has begun on the second stage of the Excelsa Centre, located on the corner of Golden Sands Drive and Papamoa Beach Road.

The developers, Bluehaven Management, say the two-storied complex will open next year with a highly contemporary design and modern facilities, aimed at serving the areas booming catchment.

Among the new buildings confirmed tenants are a gastro restaurant and bar, a 135-seat upstairs boutique cinema, a Mediterranean grill and other various bespoke eateries.

These will complement the first stage of Excelsa, located nearby, which opened early last year. Tenants there include a medical centre, dentist, pharmacy, cafe, a Four Square supermarket and two childcare facilities.

When completed, the total Excelsa Centre will offer 4400 square metres of leased space, more than 220 car parks, and employment for more than 100 people. The stage currently under development will contribute 117 car parks towards the total and 14 new tenants.

Bluehaven Management Chief Executive Nathan York says he is delighted at the quality of tenants that have committed to Excelsa.

Golden Sands has experienced very strong residential growth, and the Excelsa Centre will continue to provide an invaluable amenity for our growing community.

Its also important to note that Excelsa underpins a number of other exciting commercial developments that were planning for the future in Golden Sands.

Established in the mid-1990s, Bluehaven is one of the largest land developers in the Bay of Plenty, and in particular the Golden Sands area.

High-quality housing stock and proximity to the beach has seen Golden Sands become one of the fastest-growing suburbs in New Zealand. New properties there typically sell for around $720,000.

The new Excelsa development will open in stages between March and August next year.
The time to start planning for the 2018 New Zealand Dairy Awards is now, say Carlos and Bernice Delos Santos of Rotorua, who were runners-up of the 2017 New Zealand Share Farmer of the Year Award.

Entries for next years awards open in October, and Carlos and Bernice say gathering information and records takes time so the earlier potential entrants begin preparations, the better, and they should be starting now.

Because we entered several times in the Share Farmer of the Year competition, we can differentiate the amount of preparation we did from when we didnt make it, to when we became finalist to third place and then becoming the regional winner, explains Bernice.

When we won the regional title this year, the planning started soon after the previous award dinner. We said to ourselves, we want to win next year, so subconsciously, everything we were doing was leading up to the presentation for the next years awards.

The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards encompass the Share Farmer of the Year, Dairy Manager of the Year and Dairy Trainee of the Year competitions and are supported by national sponsors Westpac, DairyNZ, DeLaval, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra Farm Source, Honda Motorcycles, LIC, Meridian Energy and Ravensdown, along with industry partner Primary ITO.

Carlos arrived in New Zealand in 2001 with Bernice immigrating in 2007. Gaining employment within the dairy industry was difficult in the beginning, but perseverance paid off, and the couple have worked their way through the industry, with Carlos a joint winner of the 2007 East Waikato Dairy Trainee of the Year.

The couple are now 50/50 sharemilkers and won the 2017 Central Plateau Share Farmer of the Year, also collecting four merit awards and going on to be named the 2017 Runners-up New Zealand Share Farmers of the Year in May, as well as winning the Ecolab Dairy Hygiene Award.

They believe the awards and recognition helped them to be more confident. Having those titles certainly makes a difference on our CV, say the couple. Entering the competition also made us review and scrutinize our management system and make necessary changes to make sure we do the best practice in all aspect of our business.

The Delos Santos New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards journey has been extremely positive. We wanted to get our name out there for future employment possibilities and to get our story out there, explains Carlos. We were overwhelmed by the amount of publicity that this competition brings.

Carlos and Bernice believe they are living proof the dairy industry provides opportunities for everyone if they work hard, as that is what they have done over the years. When you start with nothing, its always hard and difficult but when you get the ball rolling, it somehow gets easier, says Bernice. It still requires hard work and sacrifices but with the experiences we encounter, we learn different things, and different ways to cope with difficulties.

They dont believe there is any special secret to their success. They have continually analysed the bigger picture and learnt not to worry about the small stuff. All weve done over the years is to try and improve whether thats from farm management, financial management, people management and so forth.

We have met a lot of people from entering the awards, from previous winners to the finalists and winners this year, as well as other contacts within the dairy industry that we wouldnt have been able to do if we hadnt entered the competition.

The couple have some simple but sound advice for those just starting out in the industry: Learn as much as you can, gain those qualifications, look after your reputation and save as much as you can.

Without a doubt, winning the regional competition, as well as runner-up in the national competition, is something I am most proud of, says Carlos. I used to just dream of winning the regional title when I was still a worker, wondering how long it will take me to get there. It seemed like forever waiting for this moment but now I can tick it off as one of my accomplishment.

Entries for the 2018 New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards open in October. More information can be found at www.dairyindustryawards.co.nz
The Bay of Plentys young fruit grower champion is set to battle it out in Christchurch next week for the national title of Young Grower of the Year 2017.

Erin Atkinson, 30, Technical Advisor for Apata Group Ltd in Te Puke, triumphed over five other young fruit growers to take home the Bay of Plenty title back in February.

On August 16 and 17, at the Sudima Airport Hotel in Christchurch, she will test her horticultural skills and knowledge against the other finalists to compete for both the national title of Young Fruit Grower of the Year and Young Grower of the Year 2017.

The competition is run by industry representative Horticulture New Zealand and sponsored by the Horticentre Trust and is now in its 11th year. In the national competition, one vegetable grower is pitted against four fruit growers to vie for the Young Grower of the Year title. One of the four fruit growers is also named Young Fruit Grower of the Year.

During the competition, Erin will compete in a series of practical and theoretical challenges designed to test the skills needed to run a successful export-focused horticultural business. All finalists also take part in a leadership panel discussion, before delivering a speech in front of the judges at a dinner event, where the winner is announced.

Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Mike Chapman says the aim of the competition is to foster excellence amongst young growers and future-proof what is a $5.6 billion industry that exports 60 per cent of total production to about 124 countries.

The competition is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our exceptional young growers while also supporting them in their futures. Erin is a great example of the young people who are passionate about the industrys future and their role in it. She has such a promising career ahead of her.
A contingent of New Zealand Defence Force soldiers are in Tonga, helping a platoon of marines from that country hone their jungle and night-fighting skills.

The training is part of an assistance programme between the two militaries.

Major Tom McEntyre, who is leading the NZDF contingent of 40 infantry soldiers, says members of the Royal Tongan Marine Infantry were getting training on specialist marksmanship, night shooting, patrolling in the jungle and operating as a platoon.

The training aims to boost the capability and confidence of His Majestys Armed Forces (of Tonga) and to strengthen our defence cooperation, says Major McEntyre.

One aspect of the training taught Tongan soldiers how to operate effectively in the bush, using stealth and observation skills, he says.

The activity also enables our soldiers to practise operating in a tropical jungle environment.

The week-long training was being held in Tongatapu, the main island of Tonga, and was scheduled to finish on 8 August, he says.

The Tongan soldiers being trained will take part in Exercise Southern Katipo, the NZDFs biennial military exercise, later this year.

Soldiers from the Delta Company 2nd/1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment are conducting the training, after taking part in Exercise Tafakula, a bilateral exercise between the United States Marine Corps and His Majestys Armed Forces of Tonga.
A former Otumoetai College Deputy Head Boy is a long way from home taking on civil war and famine.

Lieutenant Colonel Tony Downey is working as part of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, and has his work cut out for him in a country beset by civil war and famine.

The New Zealand Defence Force officer, who is Deputy Chief Planner at the Force Headquarters of the United Nations Mission Force in the Republic of South Sudan, has seen up close the extreme living conditions and hardship experienced by the people who have been displaced by the civil war.

The impact of uncertainty and war on the population was evident, he says.

But the people are extremely resilient and their will to survive is inspiring.

Lieutenant Colonel Downeys job entails planning operations, providing advice on crises management and helping train key support elements.

With South Sudan torn by a vicious three-year civil war and parts of the country experiencing famine, being a planner was very challenging given the volatile situation, he says.

Although there is so much uncertainty, we stay hopeful that peace and security will be restored some day.

Based at the UNMISS headquarters in the South Sudanese capital of Juba, Lieutenant Colonel Downey is part of a nine-member team from eight countries that advises the UNMISS Force Commander and staff on crisis management and how to mitigate security challenges.

Several countries, including New Zealand, contribute to the 12,000 troops and 1600 police personnel that make up the UNMISS Force.

Lieutenant Colonel Downey is also the NZDFs Senior National Officer in the African country, supervising three other NZDF officers posted in the region.

Lieutenant Colonel Downey enlisted in the New Zealand Army in 1981, after graduating from Otumoetai College in Tauranga, where he was a Deputy Head Boy.

I decided to give a career in the Army a go after attending a recruiting expo at school. I thought it would be an opportunity to challenge myself in something that seemed outside the box at that time.

He was assigned as a Storeman All Arms at the Royal New Zealand Corps of Transport after finishing initial training.

He has served previously in Angola, Lebanon, Syria and Timor-Leste, and was the Commanding Officer of the Army depot in Waiouru for three years before he was posted to South Sudan in March.

I hope that our work here in South Sudan is helping make a difference towards achieving peace and security for the civilian population, says Tony.

Smiles of gratitude from the people have been the biggest reward.
Ngati Rangitihi and Tuhourangi have confirmed the settlement of their joint purchase of Waimangu Volcanic Valley Limited.

In late June, Te Mana o Ngati Rangitihi and the Tuhourangi Tribal Authority, supported by Te Puia | New Zealand Maori Arts and Crafts Institute, made a conditional offer for the business and assets of Waimangu Volcanic Valley Limited.

This was conditional on the transfer of existing lease arrangements.

The Department of Conservation has now confirmed those lease arrangements will be transferred to Te Mana o Ngati Rangitihi and the Tuhourangi Tribal Authority and remain in place until 2056.

Te Mana o Ngati Rangitihi Chairman Leith Comer says ownership of Waimangu will bring important strategic and commercial benefits for the iwi.

This is a significant milestone for both Ngati Rangitihi and Tuhourangi and provides a strong platform to enable the continued success and growth of our people, he says.

The purchase also provides an opportunity to build on the work undertaken by Waimangu kaitiaki, the late Harvey James.

We feel a keen sense of responsibility to build on Harveys vision, and were looking forward to working with his wife Trudi through this transition.

Harvey, who passed away in February this year, was an award-winning environmental tourism leader and the recipient of a Rotorua District Council community leadership award for his work with the natural environment. His work will be celebrated with a maumahara (remembrance) at Waimangu.

Trudi James said her husband would have been thrilled to transfer his lifes work and passion to a partnership of Ngati Rangitihi and Tuhourangi.

We are very confident we have chosen the perfect partners to continue Harveys vision of leading New Zealand in sustainable environmental tourism and his commitment to preserve the valley for future generations to study and enjoy.

Tuhourangi Tribal Authority Chair Alan Skipwith says the confirmation of the purchase also marks the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship between Ngati Rangitihi and Tuhourangi.

Tuhourangi and Ngati Rangitihi have strong whakapapa hononga and an integrated mana whenua.

Weve realised that its time to work together for the benefit of our people and to ensure that an important element of the regions tourism landscape stays in iwi hands. Lets not forget that it was iwi who led New Zealands first tourism venture when hosting visitors at the Pink and White Terraces.

More broadly, this purchase is about helping both our iwi reconnect with their tribal lands.

The new ownership structure will involve a joint partnership between Te Mana o Ngati Rangitihi and the Tuhourangi Tribal Authority, which will be supported by Te Puia.

The new company, Waimangu Volcanic Valley (2017) Limited, will have a board consisting of two representatives from Te Mana o Ngati Rangitihi, one from Te Puia and one from the Tuhourangi Tribal Authority  with a revolving chairmanship starting with Tuhourangi Tribal Authority Chair Alan Skipwith.
August 6, 2017: Jeff East Attending Ultra-Con in Yorkshire, England

by Neil Cole

Superman fans in the United Kingdom will have an opportunity to meet actor Jeff East who will be appearing as a featured guest at the upcoming Ultra-Con which takes place Sunday, October 1st at the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.

East is best known for his role as a young Clark Kent in the 1978 blockbuster "Superman: The Movie". Prior to Superman, East starred in his first feature film "Tom Sawyer" in 1972 where he played the character of Huckleberry Finn. East went on to make around 40 films for the big screen and TV including starring roles in "M*A*S*H", "Pumpkinhead", and "Doogie Howser, M.D.".

For more information on the convention, please visit the officialUltra-Con Facebook Page.




While Gibraltar is well known for its World War II heritage, it's a little known fact that La Linea also boasts its fair share of bunkers, military tunnels and pillboxes.

Although there are several well-preserved bunkers just a short walk from the border between Spain and Gibraltar in Princess Sofia Park and along the beaches of the isthmus, the largest concentration can actually be found nestled atop the Sierra Carbonera, behind La Linea.

In fact more than 100 German World War II bunkers, countless pillboxes and a 500 metre-long military tunnel connecting both sides of the peak can be found on Charcoal Mountain.

And unlike the structures in La Linea town centre which are sealed to keep the public out, the bunkers and tunnels on Sierra Carbonera have been left as they were, complete with 1940s graffiti that is still readable on the walls.

To highlight these fascinating historical remnants of the 1940s, the tourism department of San Roque has launched three new guided tours of the area.

Carlos Jordan, San Roque tourism coordinator, who helped design the tours, takes visitors inside several of the better preserved bunkers, before walking them through the military tunnel that connects the eastern and western sides of the Sierra Carbonera mountain.

He told SUR in English: We are privileged to have a lot of singular historical sites and noticed a growing interest in the Second World War all over the world and particularly in Europe. People may not know that the Campo de Gibraltar area has the highest concentration of World War II fortifications and installations in Spain [over 500 bunkers]; the other main area fortified was the Pyrenees.

Over the last few years local historians Alfonso Escuadra, Angel Saez and Cesar Sanchez de Alcazar had written books about the bunkers in the Gibraltar area and the Strait. We thought it was time to set up sightseeing tours as a lot of local bunker enthusiasts go out into countryside on walks and taking pictures of the bunkers and there are several Facebook pages in the area about these military installations.

Carlos added that the most interesting part of the tour is crossing the 500-metre tunnel connecting the San Roque side of Sierra Carbonera and the La Linea side, as well as the views of Gibraltar, the Bay of Gibraltar, Ceuta and Morocco.

He explained: If you use your imagination a bit, it can take you back to 1940-1945 and [you can] imagine what it would like to be one of thousands of Republican prisoners of war working around the clock to prepare Spain for a potential Allied attack or Spanish involvement in the war if the Germans had succeeded in capturing the Suez Canal.

History

The origin of the bunkers stems from when France fell in 1940, leaving Gibraltar as the only place on Continental Europe opposing the Axis Forces.

Franco, who was sympathetic to the Axis powers of Germany and Italy, feared that Britain and France might try to invade Spanish soil via Gibraltar or Morocco.

The view of La Linea de la Concepcion and Gibraltar from the bunker. / A. Bolton

This led to the German and Spanish intelligence services joining forces to spy on the military and naval facilities in Gibraltar, which they saw as important strategic targets for sabotage.

The Spanish dictator, with the help of the Germans, built roughly 650 bunkers between 1940 and 1944 between Conil de la Frontera and San Enrique de Guadiaro.

This was done using up to 15,000 Republican prisoners of war, and although the highest concentration are on or under the Sierra Carbonera mountain, many more bunkers can be seen in towns like Tarifa and Algeciras or resorts such as Alcaidesa, Sotogrande or San Roque Club.

This is why the Strait of Gibraltar is the only place in Spain to feature World War II period bunkers, apart from the Pyrenees and the Canary Islands.
This popular festival is one of the biggest gatherings of 'bears' in Spain and the event is attended by people from all over Europe. Last years festival attracted more than 6,000 visitors and organisers are expecting this years event to be even bigger.

The festival got under way on Wednesday and runs until 16 August. It is organised by the Madrid-based group, Mad.Bear, and Torremolinos town hall. The event is sponsored by the Hotel Ritual - the first hotel aimed solely at the gay community - who will also be hosting special events during the proceedings.

The seven-day festival will welcome some of the most celebrated national and international DJs, who will perform at organised beach parties during the day, and nightly anything goes events at the towns gay clubs in La Nogalera.

The festival will also include the Mr Mad Bear 2017 competition, which will be held in the Eden Bar on Bajondillo beach.

A list of all participating venues, programme of events and ticket prices are available from the Mad Bear Facebook page, or the website of the Hotel Ritual.
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After Elon Musk took over as the CEO of Twitter, he introduced a host of sweeping changes to the micro-blogging platform, one of which was asking users to pay a subscription of $8 dollars a month for the blue tick visible on verified accounts. However, it has not been a smooth ride for the billionaire as he had to roll back the decision after many fake handles got the verification or the blue tick after paying for a subscription.
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Re: Kolkata Monsoon Meet - 6th Aug, 2017



It was nice catching up with a lot of faces, old and new. Avoiding to take any specific names here with the risk of being unfair to anyone I might stupidly miss out. We interact quite a bit through the forum/threads/posts/PM's, seeing those faces live was awesome.



Coming to my favourite characters, the cars. It was surely great catching up with a few oldies, like the U-VA and Shuvc's Baleno, takes quite a bit of passion and stubborn determination to keep them in prim shape. The general crowd that we encounter today hardly see a point in spending or moving around in a pristine older car, infact many ridicule us for being downright "foolish".



Those Esteems, how beautifully they complement the new cars, especially the sound from the Free-flowed Esteem was fabulous.



The Momo Rims on the Vento, the overall car just speaks of pure class! Or maybe the car is to exact taste of mine. (I was so surprised with it, that I went to check the rear to see if its been de-badged!)



However, just named a few, each car was clean, maintained to the glass area. Just goes to show, that we must be doing something right in this community!



Apologies for not making it earlier, was working till late night (early morning) and then was reminded about the unwritten clean car expectation/tradition for the meets, that, probably I myself was partly involved in setting up. Had to take Marengo, because of an OTR that we were heading to from there, and the dirt on it, neither qualified as "recent Long distance/OTR earn" or "fresh smear on a car that started clean from the garage". A lot of people might curse an imaginary someone having to wash-out their vehicles, particularly in this season when its sure to get mucked soon, the collective Karma surely found its proper destination!





Quote: Samfromindia Originally Posted by Missed some senior Bhpians Hi Folks,It was nice catching up with a lot of faces, old and new. Avoiding to take any specific names here with the risk of being unfair to anyone I might stupidly miss out. We interact quite a bit through the forum/threads/posts/PM's, seeing those faces live was awesome.Coming to my favourite characters, the cars. It was surely great catching up with a few oldies, like the U-VA and Shuvc's Baleno, takes quite a bit of passion and stubborn determination to keep them in prim shape. The general crowd that we encounter today hardly see a point in spending or moving around in a pristine older car, infact many ridicule us for being downright "foolish".Those Esteems, how beautifully they complement the new cars, especially the sound from the Free-flowed Esteem was fabulous.The Momo Rims on the Vento, the overall car just speaks of pure class! Or maybe the car is to exact taste of mine. (I was so surprised with it, that I went to check the rear to see if its been de-badged!)However, just named a few, each car was clean, maintained to the glass area. Just goes to show, that we must be doing something right in this community!Apologies for not making it earlier, was working till late night (early morning) and then was reminded about the unwritten clean car expectation/tradition for the meets, that, probably I myself was partly involved in setting up. Had to take Marengo, because of an OTR that we were heading to from there, and the dirt on it, neither qualified as "recent Long distance/OTR earn" or "fresh smear on a car that started clean from the garage". A lot of people might curse an imaginary someone having to wash-out their vehicles, particularly in this season when its sure to get mucked soon, the collective Karma surely found its proper destination!Thanks for confirming that you don't consider Me/Shuvc as senior enough, despite the uncontrollably increasing silver streaks and family pack abs. Quite a heartening sign!!
The Ministry of Finance said that the jump in figures for Income Tax returns filed this year "demonstrate the positive results of the government's commitment to fight the menace of black money".

There has been a surge in the number of Income Tax returns filed till August 5. Photo: PTI.

By India Today Web Desk: After the last date for filing Income Tax returns was extended to August 5, the Ministry of Finance today said that the number of returns filed for financial year 2016-2017 has gone up by 24.7 per cent as against previous year.

According to the Ministry of Finance data, the number of Income Tax returns filed till August 5 stood at 2,82,92,955 against 2,26,97,843 returns filed in the corresponding period last year.

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The number of Income Tax returns filed by individuals has jumped to 2,79,39,803 till August 5 as against 2,22,92,864 returns filed last year. This is an increase by 25.3 per cent over last year.

The government has credited the increase in number of Income Tax returns filed to demonetisation and Operation Clean Money.

Advance Tax collections of personal income tax (other than Corporate Tax), as of August 5, has shown a growth of 41.79 per cent over last year. Personal Income Tax under Self Assessment Tax (SAT) has jumped by 34.25 per cent over last year.

The Ministry of Finance, in a press note, said that the jump in figures for ITR "demonstrate the positive results of the government's commitment to fight the menace of black money".

"Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is committed in its resolve to eradicate tax evasion in a non-intrusive manner and widening of tax base," the note adds.

Initially, the last date for filing Income Tax returns was set as July 31, but following complaints from people over not being able to access the online portal of Income Tax department, the last date for filing returns was extended to August 5. The Income Tax returns were filed for the financial year 2016-2017.

While linking of Aadhaar with the Permanent Account Number (PAN) was made mandatory this year for filing Income Tax returns, the Ministry of Finance later said that the actual linking can be done before August 31. Tax returns, however, will not be processed until Aadhaar is linked with PAN.

ALSO READ:

Is black money menace under control? India slips to 88th position in money parked with Swiss banks

I-T raids on Karnataka minister Shivakumar: Rs 300 crore recovered in undisclosed income

Union Budget 2017-18: Income Tax rate halved to 5 per cent for Rs 2.5-5 lakh slab

ALSO WATCH: Congress protests in Bengaluru against I-T raid on Karnataka Power Minister

--- ENDS ---
On November 11, the EU announced the renewal, until November 14, 2023, of the sanctions against officials linked to the Administration of Nicolas Maduro. | Read More
By India Today Web Desk: It was earlier this year that the news of Aanand L Rai being miffed with his Tanu Weds Manu actor Kangana Ranaut started doing the rounds. Buzz has it that filmmaker was upset with Kangana set for claiming that the he is penning down a story for her and would be working with her again.

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In fact, there were reports that the Queen actor gave Rai some tough time during the shooting of their 2015 film Tanu Weds Manu Returns. And since then, things haven't been smooth between the two.

Talking about his alleged fight with Kangana, Rai in an interview with Mumbai Mirror clarified that the two are still friends. And there is no animosity between the two. He told the daily, "Kangana and I are still good friends who care for and call on each other. But we'll wait till we find a happy, meaningful space to work together."

He added, "During Tanu Weds Manu Returns, she was a better actor and I guess I was a different director too. I don't know if it was she or me who got more complicated, but the synergy was different. I won't say there were conflicts but she understood life differently from me. We made a good film and have never said we won't work together again, but there needs to be a little gap before we feel we have something to say together."

On the work front, Aanand is currently working on a film with Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif.

ALSO READ: Kangana Ranaut, the Queen of fights, has fallen out with YET another B-Towner

ALSO READ: People mistake my genuine dislike for them as arrogance, says Kangana Ranaut

ALSO WATCH: SRK-Anushka-Katrina in Aanand L Rai's film, Priyanka's Holocaust Memorial selfies face backlash

--- ENDS ---
Twenty Twenty boss Tim Carter is set to join ITV Studios factual label Shiver as Managing Director.



He will lead Shiver, which has offices in London, Manchester and Leeds, overseeing approximately 300 hours of production a year including: Come Dine With Me, Paul OGrady: For The Love of Dogs, Peston on Sunday and The Martin Lewis Money Show, along with recent commissions including Last Laugh in Vegas.



Carter will join Shiver next year once a successor has taken over his role at Twenty Twenty, where he is currently CEO of the Warner Bros. owned production company.

Twenty Twentys output includes Channel 4s First Dates and The Choir franchise for the BBC, as well as Worlds Strictest Parents, The Hoarder Next Door and Garrows Law.



Julian Bellamy, Managing Director, ITV Studios said: I couldnt be more delighted that Tim will be joining Shiver  hes doing a brilliant job at Twenty Twenty, is a fantastically talented creative and business leader and I cant wait to start working with him. Im sure Shiver will continue to thrive and grow under Tims expert direction.



Carter added: "Over the past few years, ITV Studios has set the pace for dynamic and creative growth and Im looking forward to being part of this success story. Shiver has scale and creativity, a powerful combination and the foundations to continue to grow. Ive had a great time at Twenty Twenty, and remain committed to the company until I assume my post at Shiver."

ITV announced in April that Shiver md Alex Gardiner was leaving the company after 22 years at ITV.

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By PTI: CRPF (Eds: Repeating after correcting officers rank in para 12)

Jammu, Aug 7 (PTI) A heightened level of alertness and a strong multi-tier security set up prevented terrorists from disrupting the annual 40-day Amarnath yatra in the Jammu region, a senior CRPF official said today.

While the yatra ended peacefully in Jammu, a terror attack on a bus on July 11 in Anantnag district of Kashmir left eight devotees dead and several others injured.

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"Barring the July 16 road accident near Banihal which claimed the lives of 17 pilgrims and left 26 injured, the yatra ended peacefully here and it is because of coordinated efforts by all security agencies," Inspector General of the CRPF (Jammu sector) Abhay Vir Chauhan told reporters here.

He said there were intelligence reports about a possibility of terror attacks but the terrorists could not succeed due to the alertness of the Army, CRPF, police and other agencies.

"No such thing (terror attack) was witnessed in the Jammu region, but we were fully prepared to deal with any situation," the CRPF officer said.

He said the government reposed faith in the force and gave it the added responsibility of securing the entire route from the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here to the base camps in Kashmir.

More troops were deployed and gadgets were used this year as against previous years in view of the intelligence inputs "suggesting a determined attempt by terrorists to target the yatra", Chauhan said.

The pilgrimage began from here on June 28, a day ahead of its commencement from the twin routes of Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district.

A total of 2.60 lakh pilgrims performed the yatra, which ended today. The pilgrimage concludes on the festival of Raksha Bandhan every year.

He said adequate steps were taken for the peaceful conduct of the pilgrimage "but theres still a place for improvement".

Timely departure of devotees from the Bagwani Nagar camp will help them reach their destination in time before dusk, he said.

"Ensuring timely departure of convoys was a major challenge. Traffic snarls were another cause for concern. If the pilgrims could leave the camp early, we could avoid traffic congestion on the highway," the CRPF rpt CRPF IG said.

"At times, convoys reached the base camps in Kashmir after dusk, which is not good from the security point of view," he said, adding the delay was due to unavoidable circumstances.

He said the Bhagwati Nagar base camp, which was his area of responsibility, was fully fortified.

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"The CRPF, for the first time, used unmanned aerial vehicles to keep a close watch on everything. Where naked eyes could not see, we deployed UAVs," Chauhan said.

While CRPF and police personnel were deployed on road opening duties on the highway, the Army secured the hills overlooking the arterial roads.

"Landslides is not in our control but we were prepared to deal with such a situation to ensure normal traffic movement on the highway.

"The personnel, who were to be deployed in landslide- prone areas, were given a special one-week training at Nagrota," the CRPF officer said.

The force also set up a booth at the railway station for helping pilgrims out. PTI TAS AB GVS

--- ENDS ---
urgent

Three lanes? Four lanes? Divided highway? Here's a refresher on when to stop for school buses
On Monday afternoon Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards will tour several New Orleans areas damaged Saturday by flash flooding.

Edwards' tour will begin around 3 p.m. in Treme. He'll also visit parts of Lakeview. Planned stops include Willie Mae's, Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, Broad Theater and Mondo.

Meteorologists, the Sewerage & Water Board and city of New Orleans officials reported estimates of between 1 and nearly 10 inches of rainfall over a few hours in many places Saturday.

City officials said some neighborhoods saw rainfall amounts equaling a so-called 100-year event, or one with only a 1 percent chance of occurring in any year.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu was attending a conference on security in Aspen, Colorado, during the flood. His staff said he closely monitored the situation while he was away.

It was the second time in 15 days that a major storm had caused flood water to inundate some city streets. The July 22 storm saw minimal damage, however; Saturday's was much worse  and for some residents, much more frightening.
The midair turbulence, which American Airlines Flight 759 encountered, left at least 10 people injured. The flight was heading to Philadelphia from Athens with 287 passengers.

By India Today Web Desk: At least 10 people were hospitalised after a Philadelphia-bound American Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence midair on Saturday. The impact was such that it left sending drinks and people flying.

Lol guys there's coffee inside the lights. INSIDE. God I smell terrible. pic.twitter.com/lcQ2GawaR8&; Jessica Huseman (@JessicaHuseman) August 5, 2017

The airline said Flight 759 was heading to Philadelphia from Athens with 287 passengers and a dozen crew members when it briefly encountered severe turbulence shortly before landing. American says the fasten seat belt sign was on at the time.

Some passengers are injured as well. We all used our fleece blankets to mop the ceiling of the plane down after drinks went flying.&; Jessica Huseman (@JessicaHuseman) August 5, 2017

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After the flight landed at 3:10 pm (local time), three passengers and seven crew members were taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Back in NYC. Turbulence on flight was so insane and unexpected a flight attendant dislocated his shoulder.&; Jessica Huseman (@JessicaHuseman) August 5, 2017

American says it wants to "thank our team members for keeping our passengers safe."

According to a report on Washington Post, American Airlines didn't provide details about the 10 people hospitalised but said all had been released by Sunday morning.

-With inputs from agencies

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'I will be watching you', American Airlines attendant told Muslim man

American Airlines jet catches fire at Chicago airport, minor injuries reported

--- ENDS ---
The autopsy for the 22-year-old man who was found dead Saturday morning in a Coy Avenue apartment was killed by blunt-force injuries to his head, said Dr. Beau Clark, the East Baton Rouge coroner.

Tercero Jhoel Brisuela had suffered skull fractures and bruises of the brain, Clark said, as determined in the Monday autopsy.

Brisuela's name was originally spelled by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office as Jhoel Steven Brizuella, but Clark said the updated spelling is from the Honduran birth certificate.

Brisuela was found dead about 10 a.m. Saturday, said Sheriff's spokeswoman Casey Rayborn Hicks.

Man killed in Coy Avenue apartment Saturday morning, sheriff says A 22-year-old man has been discovered killed in his Coy Avenue apartment, said Casey Rayborn

Clark would not estimate how long the man was dead before he was found Saturday.

There have been no arrests in the homicide.
The state's top school board plans to hold a closed door discussion Aug. 16 on state Superintendent of Education John White's contract, officials said Monday.

The conversation, which was added to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education's agenda announced Saturday, may be the extent of talks on White's future.

While BESE members could take a vote on the superintendent's contract after the executive session, no such tally is planned now.

White, who is paid $275,000 per year, has been operating on a month-to-month agreement for the past 18 months.

Backers do not have enough votes to extend the contract, and critics do not have the support to fire him.

Last month Kathy Edmonston, a member of BESE, said she wanted the 11-member panel to vote on White's contract.

Education Superintendent John White's job expected to spark debate at BESE meeting in August A member of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education said Monday she wants the 

Edmonston, who lives in Gonzales, said the board has been remiss in not tackling the issue, and she said her constituents do not generally back White.

But Edmonston and others critical of White's tenure have said any move to remove him would likely fail, possibly on a 7-4 vote.

White has said he plans to remain in the job as long as BESE wants him to do so.

BESE sets policies for about 700,000 public school students statewide.

The superintendent is in charge of carrying out those policies.

White is already set to undergo his annual evaluation in executive session on Aug. 16.

He has won favorable reviews in his four previous job checks.

The other item for that closed meeting is "personnel matters regarding the state Superintendent of Education."

BESE President Gary Jones, who lives in Alexandria, said Monday he has not seen any changes in White's standing with BESE.

"From my perspective it looks like everything is pretty much as it has been," Jones said.

Edmonston could not be reached for comment.

White, who has been superintendent since 2012, is considered an ally of those who favor major changes in education, including vouchers, charter schools and teacher reviews.

He has often clashed with traditional public school groups, including Louisiana's two teacher unions and the Louisiana School Boards Association.

Gov. John Bel Edwards is also a longtime critic of the superintendent.

The governor has three appointees on BESE.

The board is set to hold its annual retreat on Aug. 14.

Committee meetings are set for Aug. 15, with full board action the following day.
"I'm so sorry about all of your equipment."

That early morning text from a customer was how Kelly Emery learned her business had flooded last August. The president and owner of Emery Equipment Sales & Rental had done a last-minute check of the property before leaving for the day. Ward's Creek was rising, but Emery wasn't worried. The company had been at the Airline Highway location nearly 50 years; the creek had never overflowed there.

Yet, the building took on about a foot of water in the unprecedented flood. In some parts of the yard, where the company kept its and its customers' equipment, the water was waist-high.

"Even when you're watching it come in, you think that that's as high as it's going to get. Every hour I would look and it would be higher and higher and higher," Emery said.

Across town in nearby Baker, Scevera F. Alexander was trapped by rising water that didn't enter his house, while his restaurant on Plank Road, Big Buck's Snack Shack, drowned.

The building took on about 2 feet of water, "just enough to ruin everything," Alexander said. All of his cooking supplies and equipment, including a meat cooler upended by the high water, were lost.

Granted, the small take-out business had struggled to find a steady clientele, but pre-flood Alexander thought he could hang on until things picked up. The flood put an end to that plan.

Emery was lucky. Her business is well-established and was able to absorb a big loss. Emery Equipment was only closed for a day.

Her company's survival a year after the flood appears to be far from isolated, despite Alexander's and others' unfortunate experiences.

Can't see the video below? Click here.

Although the National Flood Insurance Program has estimated that 40 percent of flooded businesses never reopen, local business licensing numbers suggest the Baton Rouge area is bucking the depth of that trend.

Economists say two things have helped: the strength of the area's economy, which has been bolstered by billions of dollars worth of industrial projects, and billions in repairs spending, which has been fueled by personal savings, federal assistance and insurance settlements.

For now, exact figures on the number of area businesses that flooded and stayed open or flooded and closed remain hard to come by. No single agency or group tracks those figures. Estimates of the number of flooded businesses have ranged from 6,000 to as many as 12,000, with the bulk of those in more populous East Baton Rouge Parish.

Based on the typical 40 percent closure rate after a flood, 2,400 to 4,800 area businesses would be closed.

Numbers that do exist point to far fewer closures.

In East Baton Rouge Parish, 6 percent of firms that had occupancy licenses have closed since the flood, about 800. In the 12 months before the flood, nearly twice as many closed. Only a fraction of the post-flood closures, about 120 of them, were in inundated areas.

In harder-hit Denham Springs and Livingston Parish, about 20 percent of businesses failed to renew their occupancy licenses this year  nearly 550 combined. It's possible the numbers may improve. A number of businesses continued to renew their licenses after a March 31 deadline. And some of the companies that had yet to renew were operating when contacted by The Advocate.

While East Baton Rouge Parish tracks business closures and Livingston Parish and Denham Springs track business licenses, Ascension has neither available. That said, Ascension's numbers would have to be unimaginably huge  a range of 1,000 to 3,500 failures  to push the area to a 40 percent closure rate.

Stephen Barnes, director of LSU's Economics & Policy Research Group, said one reason the business closure rates are much lower here is the expansion and industrial activity along the Mississippi River.

That has provided a strong, underlying economic base that propped up local businesses, he said.

Businesses also are benefiting from the "recovery economy" that follows any major disaster, when enormous sums are spent on repairs and replacement of belongings, Barnes said.

"That kind of boost is something you see hitting at the retail level, people buying home goods, people buying building materials," Barnes said. "But all of that increase in activity in the construction sector spills over toward general spending in the economy, generally helping to keep businesses across a broad set of sectors humming along and busy."

For the first five months of this year, consumer and business spending in East Baton Rouge Parish is up more than 9 percent to $5.1 billion, on the heels of double-digit gains that came in during the four post-flood months that ended 2016.

George Jones, president of Baker Hardware, said his business has increased its customer base by 30 percent and nearly made up the $100,000 lost in inventory from the flood.

Baker Hardware took on about 28 inches of water. A third of its inventory was ruined. If the water had been 8 inches higher, the store would have closed, he said. Instead, Baker Hardware reopened 10 days after the flood.

"We had people beating down the doors to get in," Jones said. "We opened up and threw away probably $100,000 worth of inventory and went from there."

Just a few hundred feet away, Major Eye Clinic never reopened. Albert Langlois, who owns the property, said his tenant abandoned the shop.

The damage was worsened by a tractor-trailer rig that plowed through the high water on Plank Road. The wake blew out four of the six windows in the building and pushed in the window frames, Langlois said. Restoring the building is costing $30,000 to $40,000, although Langlois is doing the work himself. On the plus side, he has a new tenant lined up.

Purdue University Agricultural Economics Professor Maria Marshall said her research shows the number of business closures is usually overestimated.

Marshall studied Hurricane Katrina's impact on small and medium-sized businesses in Mississippi.

About 25 percent of the businesses closed, but only 10 percent were directly caused by Katrina, she said. The overall percentage included retirements, deaths and people selling their companies.

Marshall said the numbers are affected by when the closure estimates are done. Some businesses remain closed for months, even years.

Whitney Bank's Greenwell Springs branch, for example, celebrated its grand reopening on Thursday.

In general, larger businesses fare better after disasters. Bigger companies have more resources. Experts say mom-and-pop shops' slimmer margins mean they can't afford to close the doors for more than a few days.

Pamela May, manager of Denham Springs' business license department, said lots of the businesses that didn't renew were based in people's homes.

"When their houses flooded, their businesses closed," she said.

Alexander, the owner of Big Buck's Snack Shack, thought about making a comeback. The obstacles were too daunting. In addition to losing his cooking equipment and supplies, the building's wiring was affected.

"I still tried to play with it for a minute  but you just had to run too many extension cords, and I just didn't do it," Alexander said.

His landlord didn't want to invest the money to rewire the building and make other repairs. He wanted to sell. Alexander wasn't ready to buy.

The Snack Shack drew most of its customers from the neighborhood, but many of those people were gone. And so was Alexander's business.
Video: N.O. construction worker fired after speeding through flooded streets in company truck

Video: N.O. construction worker fired after speeding through flooded streets in company truck
Jaitley came down heavily on the spree of violence against RSS-BJP members, which the Right-wing have been claiming as the handiwork of the Left cadre of Kerala.

By Mail Today Bureau: While the RSS-BJP is trying hard to nationalise the issue of murders of its cadre allegedly by the ruling Left workers in Kerala, Union minister Arun Jaitley's visit to the family of a recently slain RSS volunteer was followed by severe criticism by the CPI(M).

Jaitley came down heavily on the spree of violence against RSS-BJP members, which the Right-wing have been claiming as the handiwork of the Left cadre supported by the state government and perpetrated by the connivance of local police. While the Union minister accused the Left of using its cadres to eliminate rival party workers, he said the RSS and BJP could not be suppressed through violence.

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He said this at a condolence meeting after visiting the family members of slain RSS worker Rajesh Edavakkode. SL Rajesh (34) was hacked to death on July 29 in Thiruvananthapuram. His left arm was chopped off while he was stabbed nearly 100 times with sharp weapons such as knives and swords.

His face too was cut up and badly disfigured. He was the RSS Edavakkode basthi karuyavah and was returning after attending a 'shakha' when he was attacked by around 15 people. The minister questioned the complete silence of those who otherwise spoke against similar incidents in other parts of the country.

"If the prime concentration is to use the cadres of the ruling party to eliminate political opponents and create an environment of violence, then the party in power has to seriously introspect," he said. CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, however, alleged that the political violence had increased in the state after the visit of BJP president Amit Shah in early June.

He said the BJP is implementing Shah's plan in the state by allegedly attacking party strongholds. "I have come here to express the solidarity of the central leadership with karyakartas. Those who perpetuate violence must remember that our organisation, our political party, and other sympathetic organisations have survived through generations despite these kinds of assault. This kind of violence will neither suppress the ideology, nor scare our workers and cadres," Jaitley said.

"It is the responsibility of the state government to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book and a deterrent punishment is slapped on them. Police too are expected to be fair," he added. Meanwhile, ahead of Jaitley's visit, relatives of 21 CPI(M) cadre, killed in attacks allegedly by RSS and BJP workers, began a 'satyagraha' in front of Raj Bhavan.

ALSO READ:

Arun Jaitley condemns RSS man's murder in Kerala, says even enemy of India not this barbaric

Arun Jaitley on Kerala killings: Incidents of violence increase when LDF gets power

WATCH: Arun Jaitley on RSS worker's murder: Every time LDF is in power, violence increases

--- ENDS ---
The head of an Australian National University-affiliated college has apologised for "insensitive" comments made on the results of a large-scale university sexual assault survey after facing a backlash from students and a survivor advocacy group.

John XXIII College students spoke out against comments made by Geoff Johnston to The Canberra Times in which he said the Human Rights Commission's survey captured "only 2.9 per cent of all students in Australia, and it wasn't a random sample".

John XXIII president Lauran Clifton is speaking out against comments made by college head Geoff Johnston. Credit:Jamila Toderas

College residents' association president Lauran Clifton said she read the comments with "disappointment and disgust" before speaking with Mr Johnston about her concerns.

"Whether he believes they're valid or not, there's evidence to suggest there is an issue and our focus at this point in time should not be whether the results are valid or not," she said.
The Commonwealth Bank of Australia board is under mounting pressure to hold highly-paid executives to account over an alleged breach of anti-money laundering laws, with calls mounting for action to go beyond bonus cuts and to potentially include dismissing senior staff.

As CBA's directors met on Monday ahead of this week's results announcement, investors debated how the board led by Catherine Livingstone should respond to last week's explosive allegations the banking giant repeatedly breached anti-money laundering laws.

Financial intelligence agency Austrac last week alleged criminals laundered millions of dollars through CBA's ATMs, and the bank repeatedly failed to properly report and monitor suspicious transactions.

That action has CBA facing hefty fines as well as long-term damage to its reputation. Management bonus cuts are widely expected but given the seriousness of the allegations, some are pushing for tougher action.
Commonwealth Bank says a string of failures in its automated reporting system may be only one breach of the law, which would mean any fine facing the bank over allegations it broke anti-money laundering laws would be drastically lower than speculated.

It came as chief executive Ian Narev said the board of directors would take "very serious account" of the latest scandal to hit the bank when it was deciding on executive bonuses for the year, in board meetings on Monday.

The country's largest bank is embroiled in a fresh scandal after the financial intelligence agency, Austrac, last week alleged it failed to inform authorities about suspect cash deposits at its ATMs.

Some of the transactions were made by criminal gangs laundering millions of dollars, and even some possible terrorists, Austrac alleges.
Australia needs tougher laws to tackle foreign bribery and company directors should be held responsible for serious corporate crime, a federal inquiry has heard.

On Monday the Senate economics references committee, which is holding an inquiry into foreign bribery, heard that Australia's enforcement efforts were failing, with just two corporate convictions achieved since 1999 when foreign bribery laws were enacted.

Labor senator Chris Ketter said he was concerned by evidence that Australia was seen as a "soft touch" when it came foreign bribery.

"Almost all witnesses acknowledged that Australia lags behind the US and UK when it comes to preventing foreign bribery," he said.
Current debate about the future of the Victorian Heart Hospital, which when completed will be Australia's first cardiac hospital, focuses on issues such as cost and contracts. And, in these tight economic times, it is right to ask these questions.

However, Australia's first dedicated specialist heart hospital will be so much more. The hospital will be in the same league as some of the great cardiac hospitals, such as the Barts Heart Centre in London and the Montreal Heart Institute in Canada.

One of the VHH's core research areas will be stem cell research. Credit:Peter Braig

More Victorians, men and women, die from heart disease than any other cause. People are living longer  long enough to have, and survive, heart attacks that may become heart disease and heart failure further down the line.

In the catchment area that will feed into the Victorian Heart Hospital the population projections for people at risk of heart disease are even worse. About one-quarter (or eight out of 31) of the metropolitan local government areas with above average heart attack rates fall into the catchment area of the new hospital. This is an area whose population needs a facility like this.
When a focus group was asked to discuss politics, the assortment of mostly younger undecided voters from marginal seats did not mention Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull or Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in an entire hour.

Perhaps one reason Mr Turnbull and Mr Shorten do not seem to register as much as they might hope is voters are sceptical about politicians' ability to ameliorate a housing-cost crisis exacerbated by insufficient public transport, schools, community facilities, commerce and hospitals.

Like other participants in recent work for Fairfax Media by polling organisation Ipsos Research, the potentially decisive voters in that focus group resoundingly presented housing unaffordability as the most potent issue. In the land of The Great Australian Dream  home ownership  disquiet about ever owning a home is surging. The proportion of people renting because they can not afford anything suitable is rising. A decade ago, five Melbourne suburbs had a median house price of $1 million. There are now 121.

Support for mainstream political parties is at historical lows across the world. Fresh parties and independents have been the primary beneficiaries. In the US, the UK (Brexit) and France, mainstream disillusionment with mainstream parties has driven dramatic change.

The Fairfax research suggests Australia's established parties face further leakage of support. Undecided former Liberal and Labor voters were united in the view that government is failing them. People are unsurprisingly tired of infighting, posturing, waste, entitlement and inaction as they ponder not being able to afford a house while sitting in stationary traffic on the way to a job they are getting paid less to do.
Lyn Mitchell, Black Rock Perhaps his actions are who he is That voters should believe the Prime Minister is "gutless" and does nothing (The Age, 6/8) is hardly surprising. This reaction partly responds to a massive campaign by the media that as PM he would be a small "l" liberal, progressive on social issues. The corresponding excuse given for not fulfilling this hope is that he made a written agreement with the conservatives in the party not to pursue policies such as same-sex marriage and climate change mitigation. But it is highly possible he is acting in a manner consistent with his own beliefs about what government should do. For people such as him who believe that government primarily exists to support the interests of the corporate world, the function of government is to step back and let everything take care of itself.

After all, he worked for some years for Goldman Sachs, probably the most successful public relations firm in the world in its advocacy of the free market as the dominant institution in society. It would be better for all concerned if the media began to see the Prime Minister for what he really is: another right- wing politician pushing the barrow of small government wherever he can. Greg Bailey, St Andrews FORUM Railroaded in Seaford As a long-term resident of the Seaford area could I suggest to Premier Daniel Andrews that he redirect the $50 million he is prepared to spend on beautifying Carrum and "Trench the Rail" instead  this would include keeping Eel Race Rd open for traffic.

No one can produce plausible statistics to support the claim of it being dangerous and congested. The recent unrealistic waits at level crossings are being seen for what they are  mind games. Seaford Road can be trenched also. Plans for Edithvale and Aspendale have been turned around and so can this section of the Frankston Line. We have a voice down here, Mr Andrews. Ros Daly, Seaford An A for courage Jessica Irvine ("An F in economic literacy", The Age, 7/8) worries that there are not enough people studying economics to lead our future economic fortunes. There may be some room for more economists, but the best leaders are those with common sense and the courage to follow their political agendas.

One of our greatest treasurers who totally brought Australia into the 21st century was Paul Keating who left school at 14. His legacy is one that has kept Australia competitive for the past couple of decades. Alan Inchley, Frankston People, not goods Surely it is time to call the disgraceful proposal to swap refugees on Manus Island and Nauru with America's unwanted human trafficking. These people are Australia's responsibility and the planned exchange deals with them as goods and chattels. As Malcolm Turnbull pointed out, there is nothing wrong with these people. They just came by boat. It is no crime to arrive by boat in any country and seek asylum  this is protected by the UN Refugee Convention. This week another Iranian died on Manus Island. Could both parties please step back, lose a little face, and bring these people here by plane.

Di Cousens, Mt Waverley Ethical failure A refugee is dead on Manus Island. Suicide or foul play? It hardly matters. The only relevant fact is Australia's ethical and political failure to provide care for a human being who had the right to expect it. Shane Edwards, Peterhead, SA Private not better

When Jeffrey Kennett was premier he was determined to reduce the number of councils and to cut the costs incurred in providing council services such as kindergartens, roads, parks, street cleaning and waste management. Funding was cut across the board to facilitate this ideological obsession of "private does it better". Councils were amalgamated and placed under administrators. The current scandal of "waste mismanagement" can be sheeted back to the transfer of the operation of waste services from the public sector to the private sector and the refusal to properly fund the policing of regulations. The reality exposed is that private does not do it better and will do it much worse if not closely regulated. Ken Rivett, Ferntree Gully Market forces

Your report on the scandals in waste management ("The tipping point", The Age, 7/8) describes yet another triumph for privatisation. The Kennett government in 1994 introduced compulsory competitive tendering for the services provided by local government authorities, while at the same time cutting LGA funding, forcing them into the hands of the lowest bidders. At the time most waste management fill sites were controlled by a small number of operators and LGAs feared that that they might soon lose their bargaining power and become price takers in future contracts. Now we see that the market has operated even more successfully than could have been imagined at that time. New entrants into the waste management industry have smashed the cartel-like barriers to entry and helped LGAs to even better contract savings. John McCombe, Merrijig

Her race is over Australia was so blessed in the 1950s with our three greatest women track and field athletes ever: Marjorie, Shirley and Betty. Now Betty has left, leaving only Marjorie, but Betty will forever be in the hearts and minds of those of us who saw her compete at the Melbourne Olympics. Carl Keeney, Sunshine North Torquay calling Can all our politicians move to Torquay. Obviously the air there promotes clear and logical thinking. Thank-you Mark Kelly (Letters, 7/8) for a fabulous list. If only.

Janeen Edward, Apollo Bay What's the bother? I wonder if those who are so opposed to same-sex marriage think that changing the law will make it compulsory. Why else would it bother them so much? I'd like to reassure them that once the law changes, they will still have the freedom to choose who they want to marry. And once they understand this, perhaps they'd be willing to accord that same freedom to everyone else. Jill Rosenberg, Caulfield South Wrong terms

Suicide was decriminalised in Victoria in 1958. That there has long been no criminal sanction for committing suicide, however, does not lessen the lingering stigma for many Victorians. Many people of religious faith have also long been told suicide is a sin. It is regrettable and, indeed, shameful that the opponents of voluntary assisted dying legislation should resort to using the terms "physician-assisted suicide" and "assisted suicide legislation" to make their case. The Victorian Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill will aim to alleviate (along with extended suffering, loss of control and dignity) any additional anxiety associated with the traditionally negative social connotations of suicide. Assisted dying happens when a competent, adult, terminally-ill patient administers himself or herself with a life-ending drug with the assistance of a medical practitioner. Australians consistently express high levels of support for dying with dignity law reform, with rates as high as 80 per cent in favour from multiple polls over the past decade. This is simply a fact that opponents of legislation which would give any hope for individualised end-of-life autonomy to the terminally suffering, should accept. Michelle Goldsmith, Eaglehawk

Rites and wrongs Central to whether voluntary assisted dying should be legalised is the question of whether people have the right to try to minimise the harm they must suffer. Opponents either deny that such a right exists, or seek to prevent people from exercising it. Proponents acknowledge the existence of the right, possibly on the grounds that it is something that people need to be able to do. They agree that the need should be satisfied, subject to tightly defined criteria, including safeguards against abuse and error. Grievously ill people who consider the harm they are experiencing to be worse than death deserve legal recognition of their right to choose against it. Peter Hotchin, Ashwood

Freeway jam I agree with the Eltham Community Action Group ("Lungs v lanes", The Age, 7/8) over a highway through our beautiful treed suburbs. This continuous attempt to solve Melbourne's gridlock of traffic congestion is futile, by the time these freeways, ring roads, tunnels etc are completed we will always be back to square one as thousands more cars flood onto our roads every year. Enough is enough, we must control our population, no way is Melbourne the world's most livable city, it is a nightmare now on our roads and our overcrowded public transport system. Someone has to stand up and make some hard decisions regarding population control before it is too late. Carol Wilson, Wantirna South Don't call it marriage Any genuinely held views opposing same-sex marriage are too often labelled as religious bigotry or homophobia. In fact, most opponents, married anywhere from maybe 10 to 60 plus years, are concerned about the perceived undermining and devaluing of the status of not just their own marriage, but the institution of marriage as a whole.

They have no problem with two people of the same sex pledging commitment to each other and living together as a loving couple. However, although equal in love and commitment, same-sex partnerships differ in essential ways from those in heterosexual relationships and cannot be regarded as identical. Referring to same-sex marriage, the plea from those in a traditional marriages is simply, "Don't call it marriage." Isabel Schofield, Mt Waverley AND ANOTHER THING

Turnbull How a leaked telephone conversation could reveal so much political dishonesty is beyond belief. Gary Bryfman, Brighton If Malcolm Turnbull had joined the Labor Party, then he would have got some things done. John Russell, Bonbeach

If the Prime Minister can marry the person of his choice, why can't gay people? David Francis, Ocean Grove That phone call showed us that Malcolm Turnbull is a conservative in liberal clothes. Phil Lipshut, Elsternwick Malcolm Turnbull man of action  eye ball to eye ball. Really!

Marie Hodgens, Burwood "You are worse than me." Donald Trump finally got one right. Ian Maddison, Parkdale Other matters Gas companies: administrators of winter toxic shock.

Ross Curtis, Wantirna South In relation to "Answer me this" (Letters, 7/8), the answer is "Bro, because this is Australia." Kishor Dabke, Mount Waverley Where's the innovation without education? Roger Lambie, Ferntree Gully

The Commonwealth Bank branches to be rebadged as My Beautiful Laundrette. Greg Curtin, Blackburn South It is time the AFL reviewed all the rules, particularly tackling. Players are more important than the AFL hierarchy. Bruce Dudon, Woodend A little bit of global warming would not have gone astray in Melbourne over the weekend. Brrr!
An asylum seeker in Australia's immigration detention network on Manus Island has died, with local police suggesting the man may have taken his own life.

Hamed Shamshiripour, a 31-year-old Iranian with a history of mental illness, was found dead on Monday near the Refugee Transit Centre in East Lorengau. He was the fifth man to die under Australia's supervision on Manus Island.

Manus provincial police commander David Yapu said a crime scene had been established but was unable to provide further details on Monday.

The precise time and location of the death are unclear but it is understood Mr Shamshiripour had been ordinarily living at the transit centre.
By PTI: (Eds: Incorporating fresh developments)

Mumbai, Aug 7 (PTI) Sixteen hours after the BEST buses went off the city roads as employees of the transport body went on a strike, the stir was withdrawn this afternoon following Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackerays intervention.

The BEST workers union had decided to go ahead with the bus strike from midnight to press for their demands, including timely payment of salaries.

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However, the stir was called off around 4 pm, after Thackeray, whose party is at the helm of affairs in Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), assured that the budgets of the civic body and the BEST would be merged.

Talking to reporters at his residence Matoshree here after his meeting with the BEST union representatives, Thackeray said, "One of the main problems the BEST workers were facing was their salaries, which they did not get on time. I assure them that their dues would be paid to them by the 10th of every month."

He added that in order to solve other problems being faced by the BEST employees was that the budgets of the BMC and the transport body will have to be merged.

"We will try to do it at the earliest. However, for that to happen, we have to approach the state government, move certain amendments in the law. Once it is done, automatically, all the problems faced by the workers will be addressed," he said.

Meanwhile, Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray tweeted that the strike was called off after the unions met the party president for talks.

"Uddhav Thackeray ji has assured the unions that all the BEST staffers will get their salaries on time, which was the main concern. Uddhav Thackeray ji also discussed and assured the restructuring of the BEST, along with the merger of BMC & BEST budgets soon," he said in a tweet.

"Measures to restructure the BEST with regard to the BMC are a Manifesto for @ShivSena and we will fulfil it," he said in another tweet.

A union representative, who was also present for the press briefing along with the Sena president, said that BEST decided to call off the strike after the Sena chief agreed to take responsibility of the public sector undertaking.

"Strike was our last resort after all the other options failed. We are happy that the demands of workers who work tirelessly all year will be finally met," the union representative said.

BJP legislator Narendra Mehta took a dig at the Sena and said the party failed to meet the demands of BEST workers.

"It is the Sena that is responsible for the BEST strike and Mumbaikars had to face problems commuting on the day of Raksha Bandhan" the BJP MLA told reporters.

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He added that while the BJP was fighting for real development, for the Sena, it was all about "its own development".

Nearly 36,000 BEST employees went on strike since midnight, putting lakhs of commuters to inconvenience, especially as Raksha Bandhan is being celebrated today.

The BEST operates around 3,700 buses on 483 routes, ferrying over 30 lakh passengers every day. Its transport wing is facing daily losses of over Rs 2 crore.

The BEST employees and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have been at loggerheads for the past few days over several issues, including irregular payment of salaries.

In a bid to provide some relief to the commuters, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) ran additional 75 buses on major routes, while the Central Railway (CR) opened additional booking windows. The Western Railway (WR) also ran four more services between Churchgate and Virar.

An MSRTC spokesperson said, "We operated 73 buses from Kurla to BKC (Bandra Kurla Complex), Thane to Mantralaya, Mantralaya to Panvel and Dadar to CSMT (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus), etc. But it is obvious that 73 buses can not do the job of 3700 buses."

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Many autorickshaw drivers refused to ferry short-distance passengers, and aggrieved commuters took to social media to vent out their anger.

"Not a single Ricksawala ready to ply to Veera Desai from Andheri West Railway Station #beststrike @MumbaiPolice #incredibleindia," tweeted Siddhesh Sardesai.

Vatsal Surotia reacted, "It is possibly THE worst day to travel by road in #Mumbai today. Rakshabandhan traffic plus BEST strike plus rains." PTI MM APM NP

--- ENDS ---
In fashion circles, we call this weekend the calm before the storm.

After hibernating for most of June and July (unless you were one of the people flooding my Instagram from Europe), the industry officially welcomes summer in early August, when the department stores showcase their summer ranges.

Ruffle up ... Jesinta Franklin perfects the new romantic trend in Macgraw. Credit:David Jones

Despite retail having more struggles than Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian, the major department stores are both going bigger than Ben Hur, with David Jones hosting a Dior-inspired dinner on Wednesday (which ties to its sponsorship of the upcoming 70th-anniversary retrospective at Melbourne's National Gallery of Victoria), and Myer following on August 17 with a two-part extravaganza on Sydney's eastern beaches.

According to David Jones' head womenswear buyer, Teneille Ferguson, there are four dominant trends for summer: Midnight Glam, New Romantic, Artesian Boho and Club Tropicana. Yes, the '80s are still back.
A friend's daughter had a similar experience when a little boy threw sticks at her in the playground. The teacher on duty told her that the boy probably liked her  she even told the girl that she should be flattered. Why are we teaching kids that it's totally fine to pin someone down against his or her will? That they should just accept it when someone hurts them? Follow this attitude through to its natural conclusion and the Australian Human Rights Commission report isn't very surprising. We're really missing a trick. If we stop trivialising things that happen in every day schoolyard games and start using them to teach kids about consent we might be able to turn the tide of sexual harassment that has become so shockingly normal. The more I thought it over the more I realised how disturbing it was that the teacher and I had both automatically trivialised her experience.

Last year a report by the Women and Equalities Committee (in the UK) found that a third of 16 to 18-year-old girls have experienced unwanted sexual touching at school, while nearly three-quarters of all 16 to 18-year-old boys and girls say they hear terms such as "slut" or "slag" used towards girls on a regular basis. Writing for The Conversation, Nancy Lombard, Reader in Sociology and Social Policy, Glasgow Caledonian University, notes that too often teachers are dismissive in their handling of complaints. "I discovered that some girls as young as nine would tell their teachers about the physical or emotional abuse they had received, only to be dismissed," she says. "And this lack of validation results in girls accepting and minimising their own victimisation, while boys learn to normalise such behaviours as an acceptable and every day part of their interactions with girls." In addition to this, psychologist Jocelyn Brewer tells me that trivialising complaints from kids about unwanted attention (whether that comes in the form of kisses or sticks) could make a child stop reporting incidences altogether. "Kids rely on [parents and teachers] to listen to them and protect them. So if we don't validate or listen then their trust in us starts to wither away." A sobering conclusion of this erosion of trust can be seen in the Australian Human Rights Commission report: 94 per cent of students that were sexually harassed and 87 per cent of students who were sexually assaulted did not make a formal complaint to their university.

New research from the journal Sex Education has also found that teachers are dangerously ill-equipped to deal with problematic sexual behaviour in schools. Lesley-anne Ey, a lecturer in child development, educational psychology and child protection at the University of South Australia, said she was surprised to discover that 40 per cent of teachers involved in the research reported witnessing problematic sexual behaviour; such as simulated intercourse and attempts to coerce other students into sexual contact. While teachers in the study felt confident about their mandatory reporting requirements, they were less confident about how to deal with children displaying worrying behaviour. Clearly something has to change. Deanne Carson is co-founder of Body Safety Australia, a social enterprise that provides abuse prevention and sexuality education to students from kindergarten to year 12. She tells me that as a society we need to reframe the conversations we're having about consent in order to create a "consent culture". "We can put that into action in every situation  whether it's friends or family or professionals like doctors and dentists. It should be normal for people to ask first (whether it's 'do you want to play kiss chasey?' or 'can I put my stethoscope on your back?') and respect a 'no'," she says.
Hi Nicole, Your consumer Q&A is so insightful that Fairfax Media should give you a pay rise (yes dear readers, I've been driven to write a letter to myself this week). You remember taking that quick ski trip to America 1.5 years ago to celebrate our husband's 40th the one where he already had a respiratory infection then fell, fractured a rib or two, and was compelled to see a US doctor? It was nothing major  he may say otherwise  but we've never felt more grateful for Medicare. The GP visit, a puffer and a nasal spray cost some $US500 and we've been trying to claim the comparatively tiny amount on the automatic credit card policy ever since. Beyond the (always involved) initial form, there have been eight subsequent emails and at least four conversations roughly one a month. Regardless, over and over the insurer sends an identical (automated?) email requesting a $693 invoice for an Australian hotel stay seven months prior to that holiday. Which you and I have provided, though it's irrelevant. Help! Medical bills in the US can be steep, so ensure you have adequate travel insurance. Credit:Alex Fenlon Nicole, Sunshine Coast Hi Nicole, what a great letter! In all seriousness, it's only that this has gone on so long and become so ludicrous that I've been prompted to play the I'm-a-consumer-advocate-in-the-paper card after all, I sort with relative ease such issues for readers every week. I also feel ethically obliged to report that action  and the outcome  to you.

Probably unsurprisingly, the insurer has apologised profusely, approved my small claim, waived the excess and apparently tracked the problem to one initial employee error. Of course, I'm relieved. But for one  input?  mistake to cause that much obstruction for a consumer is curious. Months ago a phone consultant assured me I could ignore the invoice inquisition as it had been erroneously earmarked as my eligibility for the policy. This particular, popular, policy requires you to put $500 per person of flights, accommodation or other holiday expenses on your credit card to automatically qualify for some pretty decent insurance. (As an aside, ixnay on the apres: a big potential trap of such insurance is that it rarely covers you if you've been drinking; paid insurance carries much more lenient "intoxicated" exclusions). Anyway, I've repeatedly cited the reference number for that call. I have also asked twice for the claim to be escalated to a superviser receiving in return the word-for-word same demand for the same invoice. I can't help but wonder if this really was an innocent system stuff-up or a cynical ploy to get people who are less financially, well, obstinate to give up.
The dismantling of an encampment of homeless people in Martin Place will begin as early as Tuesday morning after the City of Sydney lord mayor, Clover Moore, announced an agreement had been successfully negotiated with the camp's organiser.

Cr Moore told a press conference on Monday that an immediate temporary 24-hour "safe space" would be established where those currently living in tents in Martin Place would be relocated.

Cr Moore said the City would contribute $100,000, and she expected the Department of Family and Community Services to also contribute $100,000 to establish a permanent 24-hour facility that provided food, showers and laundry facilities, as well as links to homelessness services.

The $100,000 funding contribution was passed at the city's council meeting on Monday night.
Ex-Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale will appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday. Credit:Tammy Law

The court heard the former counsellor remained in a mental health facility and was not in a fit state to be questioned by authorities.

Embattled former Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale has missed his first court date on fresh charges of attempting to pervert justice and been ordered to show up next month.

Former Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale is due to face court on Tuesday over two counts of attempting to pervert justice.

Last week, the Crime and Corruption Commission issued the legal representative of a 65-year-old Ipswich man with a notice to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court court over the charges, the CCC said in a statement.

Fairfax Media understands one of the charges relates to calls Mr Pisasale made to his former driver Steve Potts, allegedly offering to help Mr Potts find a job if he recanted his allegations that Mr Pisasale had misused his mayoral car.

Last month, Fairfax Media revealed claims by Mr Potts that Mr Pisasale had used his official car and driver for chauffeur-driven trips to brothels and frequent visits to massage parlours.

Mr Pisasale is already on bail on one charge of extortion and two other charges.
A man fatally attacked at a train station in Melbourne's west on Saturday night was a cousin of the woman found dead at a hotel buck's party last month.

Marcus Rowley, 24, had returned from his cousin's Perth funeral only three days before he was attacked at Tottenham station in West Footscray.

Australian soldier Natasha Rowley was found dead in the shower of a Melbourne serviced apartment on July 16.

As police on Monday took a 35-year-old Avondale Heights man into custody over the death, Mr Rowley's former partner revealed the tragic family connection.
Option A Travels directly south through Heidelberg and Bulleen to the Eastern Freeway. This option would be 11 kilometres in length and include a tunnel up to four kilometres long travelling under the Banyule Flats parkland and Heide gallery before surfacing to a full motorway on Bulleen Road. It would carry up to 120,000 vehicles a day. Potential cost: $7 billion

 Option B Would follow the path of power transmission lines through Greensborough and Lower Plenty before linking to the Ringwood Bypass. This 24-kilometre link would have tunnels for almost three quarters of its length, and carry up to 110,000 vehicles a day. Potential cost: $19 billion

Option C This would extend along an existing freeway reservation in Eltham North and pass through sensitive green wedge land in Eltham and Warrandyte. The 26-kilometre route would have just over half its length in a tunnel, and carry as little as 50,000 cars a day and up to 110,000. Trucks would find it hard to use this route because of the undulating terrain.

Potential cost: $18 billion. Option D Also extends along an existing freeway reservation in Eltham North but then forges a new 40-kilometre loop through sensitive environmental and heritage areas in Kangaroo Ground and the Bend of Islands, before meeting EastLink in Wantirna. About 40 per cent of this route would be in tunnels, and as few as 45,000 vehicles a day would use it, and up to 90,000.

Potential cost: $23 billion The most likely route to be selected by the government by the end of this year, Option A through Heidelberg and Bulleen, was already selected by then roads minister Tim Pallas in 2008 as the location for the road without any other options presented. At the time, Mr Pallas  who is now treasurer  said building the tollroad would cost $6 billion. Mr Pallas that year committed $15 million for planning the project, saying Labor was "taking action on transport".

The money was never spent. "Detailed planning was not commenced," a VicRoads spokeswoman said on Monday. "The funding was re-prioritised to other VicRoads projects." The Premier on Monday declined to put a price tag on any of the new options presented. Mr Andrews said he expected the project to cost "around $10 billion".

Heidelberg community group Resolve Rosanna Road wants to see something done to fix the badly congested road, which is choked with traffic from morning to night. It carries more than 45,000 cars a day. Resolve Rosanna Road spokeswoman Natasha Reifschneider said the road was too dangerous to wait a decade to make safer. "We need solutions now," she said. The government on Monday confirmed the new road would be tolled. Ms Reifschneider said any tollroad that went through the area "has to be cheap enough to encourage use or Rosanna Road will continue to [be] a default freeway".

Figures presented at a press briefing by the North East Link Authority did not put a specific price tag on each route, but based on the authority's per-kilometre costs for tunnelling and above-ground freeway construction, the final option via Kangaroo Ground could cost between $18 billion and $23 billion. Last week, government agencies briefed affected parties that the price tag for any of the tollroad options ranged from $6 billion to $16 billion. Labor MPs from Melbourne's north whose seats cover the areas the four options run through  Anthony Carbines, Vicki Ward and Danielle Green  declined to say which corridor options they preferred, arguing the ultimate design should be up to the community. Opposition leader Matthew Guy said the Coalition supported building the North East Link, and that option A appeared "the most sensible" route. The Opposition would wait to see the final costings and environmental impacts of the four proposed routes before making a call, he said.

But Mr Guy said it was folly to build a road that would "funnel 100,000 vehicles a day onto the Eastern Freeway" without also building the East West Link. "There is no use building a North East Link if you don't have an answer for the end of the Eastern Freeway  you'll just create a north-east car park," Mr Guy said. Reviving the East West Link remains the Coalition's first priority, he said, although it would consider building it and the North East Link in tandem. Opposition Roads spokesman Ryan Smith said Labor had condemned the eastern suburbs to stew in congestion by scrapping the East West Link, and its promise to build the North East Link in isolation could make things worse. "It would be laughable if it wasn't so serious to think that, just three years ago, $1.2 billion was spent to scrap an important part of the road network, and just a year out from an election the premier is now asking Victorians to trust him to build this important piece," Ms Smith said.

The Andrews government's first major act upon taking power was to cancel the $6.8 billion East West Link project, which would have connected the end of the Eastern Freeway in Clifton Hill with CityLink in Parkville. Cancelling the contract cost the state more than $1 billion. More than 200 homes and business premises were compulsorily acquired to make way for the road, only to be put on the market again by the Andrews government. Loading Mr Guy would not say on Monday if the road would follow the same route, and require the same acquisitions as last time.
He is also a man allegedly capable of violence himself. He's been named as a suspected killer in two coronial inquests, but denies any involvement in impropriety and has never been charged. He's also a handy political fund-raiser, helping the Liberal Party raise tens of thousands of dollars between 1998 and 2014, a vast chunk of which appears to have been aimed at getting his brother Francesco a visa. In 2015, police commissioner Ken Lay banned Tony Madafferi from Crown Casino on the basis of his alleged organised crime connections. That same year, Fairfax Media and Four Corners travelled to Frank and Tony's home town of Oppido Mamertina as part of a major investigation into the Madafferis' political activity. To get Francesco his visa, Tony Madafferi and other donors enlisted the help of multiple senators and MPs and raised donations of at least $50,000. Alleged Melbourne Mafia boss Tony Madafferi. Credit:Jason South

Francesco Madafferi was granted a visa by the Howard government, despite the furious protests of police. Months later, he was implicated in a drug trafficking syndicate involved in Australia's biggest ecstasy bust. A confidential 2013 police report describes the donations and lobbying preceding the visa decision as indicative of "the insidious ways that N'drangheta Transnational Australian Group enter the social or professional world of public officials and through legitimate processes achieve influence". The bad press and the commissioner's casino ban (Mick Gatto and Tony Mokbel are also banned from the casino) appeared to some in the Calabrian community to have closed off Madafferi's political access. Suddenly, no political fund-raisers wanted his money. Senior Liberal politician Bruce Billson claimed publicly that he'd been deceived into assisting in the Madafferi visa case after false representations were made to him by a Liberal donor close to the Madafferi family. Politicians who had previously rubbed shoulders with Tony Madafferi claimed to have been ignorant of the allegations swirling around him.

The Fairfax Media and ABC Four Corners investigation detailed a 2013 fund-raiser hosted by Madafferi at a Docklands venue he part-owned with his drug trafficking brother Francesco. Then Victorian planning minister Matthew Guy was the special guest, although he claimed to have had no idea that Tony Madafferi was at, or hosting, the event. Senior Labor politician Luke Donnellan didn't buy this, accusing the Liberals in the Victorian parliament of taking "blood money stained with misery and crime". Tony Madafferi hit the headlines again in 2016, when his lawyer stated in an affidavit aired in court that police had falsely accused Tony Madafferi of placing a $200,000 contract on the life of Madafferi associate Joe Acquaro. Acquaro was later gunned down by an unknown assailant outside his Lygon Street gelateria. There is no suggestion Tony Maddafferi is involved in this unsolved murder, with his legal team describing the allegations of a contract as fanciful, and its correlation with Acquaro's later murder as a coincidence.

But Madafferi's alleged Mafia involvement and proclivity for violence - allegations he vehemently denies - were once again the subject of intense public scrutiny. If he wasn't already, Tony Madafferi appeared by 2016 to be political poison best avoided by those in public office. Not all on Spring Street, though, shared this view. On a warm summer evening earlier this year, the balding, diminutive green grocer walked into a suburban lobster restaurant with three of his relatives, all Liberal donors. The restaurant, the Lobster Cave, is close enough to Beaumaris beach that diners can sometimes smell the ocean from the footpath tables. One of Tony Madafferi's dining companions was his cousin Frank Lamattina, who had donated to and lobbied politicians about Francesco's visa years earlier. Another of Madafferi's companions was Vince Doria, who part owned the Docklands venue with the Madafferi brothers when they opened its doors to the Liberals, free of charge, to host Matthew Guy at the 2013 fund-raiser. Madafferi's fourth Lobster Cave dinner companion, Bruno Diaco, is related to Madafferi by marriage. It was about 7.30pm when the four men walked past several fish tanks to a table near the back of the restaurant. The table had been selected by a Liberal party official because he wanted to avoid drawing attention to the special guest, who was yet to arrive. A few minutes later, a chauffeur driven car with government number plates pulled up. One of the diners enjoying the warm air at an outside table, and who spoke to Fairfax Media on the condition his identity was not revealed, immediately recognised the small-set man who alighted as a politician seeking to be Victoria's next premier: Matthew Guy.

He, too, entered the restaurant, striding past the fish tanks towards the table at back of the room. Once there, Guy eased into a seat and joined the alleged head of Melbourne's Mafia for a meal of lobster and Grange. Another person at the restaurant who closely observed Guy and his dining companions (two other Liberal party identities were also at the table) says the meal was not paid for by the Liberal Party. This is a minor detail. More pressing is the question of why Matthew Guy chose to chew lobster with a man once filmed by federal police meeting drug traffickers in a park and who Victoria Police's Chief Commissioner believes is not fit to enter the state's casino and race tracks. (Tony Madafferi is fighting the casino ban, just as he has previously contested court allegations that he was a Mafia hitman). This question, and whether the answer has anything to do with the lure of donations for a cash-strapped Liberal Party, is likely to haunt the ambitious politician, particularly since he was so heavily criticised for his previous brush with Madafferi. Guy, through a spokesman, said the dinner was much larger than the intimate gathering described by other sources, and has denied that donations were sought. He's also denied that he knew in advance that Madafferi would be at the Lobster Cave that night, where only the perfectly legitimate topic of the fruit and vegetable market was discussed.
Around 36,000 BEST employees from nine unions stayed off duty, stranding nearly 30 lakh residents of Mumbai.

Around 36,000 BEST employees from nine unions are off duty.

By India Today Web Desk: Nearly all of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST)'s 3,800 buses went off the roads in Mumbai today as the transport utility's workers launched a strike to press for salary demands, among others.

Around 36,000 BEST employees from nine unions stayed off duty, stranding nearly 30 lakh residents of Mumbai who depend on the public transport buses for their daily commute.

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With BEST buses remaining parked in their depots, autorickshaws and taxis were making a killing, charging exorbitant fares even for short rides. App-based cab services like Ola and Uber too were in demand.

The BEST Employees Union President Shashank Rao said that the employees had demanded that their salaries should be paid on time and a written undertaking should be given, but the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) administration failed to provide it.

News agency IANS reported that hectic efforts are underway with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray attempting to resolve the strike, which has also hit neigbouring districts like Thane and Raigad, where BEST's long-distance services ply.

The Maharashtra State Roads Development Corporation (MSRDC) has deployed its own ST buses in some key sectors to tackle the commuter rush, while the state government has permitted private buses to carry regular commuters.

The state government has threatened to invoke the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act, 2011, against the striking employees.

-With IANS inputs

ALSO READ |

Mumbai: BEST employees on strike from today

Hyderabad: Strike against Ola, Uber intensifies, IT employees hit hard

--- ENDS ---
Kabul: Insurgents attacked a village in the northern Afghan province of Sar-e Pul, killing as many as 50 people, including women and children, officials said on Sunday.

Zabihullah Amani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said the fighters, who included foreign militants, attacked a security outpost in the Mirza Olang area of Sayaad district overnight, torching 30 houses.

An Afghan policeman stands guard near to the site of a suicide bomber struck at a NATO convoy in Kandahar southern of Kabul, Afghanistan on August 2. Credit:AP

He said fighting was still going on but as many as 50 people, including children, women and elderly men, most of them members of the largely Shi'ite Hazara community, may have been killed, according to local village elders.

"They were killed in a brutal, inhumane way," he said. Seven members of the Afghan security forces were also killed as well as a number of insurgents.
Brigitte Macron, wife of French president Emmanuel Macron. Credit:AP "The drop is serious. It's a warning signal," Fourquet said in an interview. "The causes of this discontent are deep. It is touching on some important elements in Macron's agenda," he added, pointing out that Macron had angered all sides of the political spectrum. Nobody denies that Macron, 39, already has a roster of accomplishments, even before the coming summer break. French President Emmanuel Macron poses for selfies as he visits the MSC Meraviglia cruise ship at the STX shipyard site in Saint-Nazaire, western France. Credit:AP Parliament -- in his hands and largely beholden to him -- has given him the go-ahead to proceed with an overhaul of France's stultifying labor code, which Macron and many economists say is necessary to break high unemployment.

The representatives, elected on his ticket, have passed a significant ethics law that bars deputies from employing family members and regulates parliamentary expense accounts. And he has set in motion a tough new anti-terrorism law, widely criticised by civil libertarians. While opposition politicians have pounced gleefully on the shrinking poll numbers, much of the drop may simply have been waiting to happen. Macron avoided crowd-pleasing promises during his campaign, with one significant exception, a cut in the housing tax. He did not promise lavish spending initiatives or to hire thousands of new civil servants, like several of his opponents. "The problem with a very presidentialised system is that the president takes everything on his shoulders, and he pays the price," said Gerard Grunberg, an emeritus political scientist at Sciences Po, a university in Paris. "Discontent fixes itself very quickly on the president," Grunberg added. "It's even more for Macron because he's had this image of being the providential man. So that at the first disappointment, it all shrinks very quickly."

His vow to pare down the French state was bound to anger significant constituencies in a country where state spending is 56 per cent of gross domestic product, the highest among the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's advanced economies. Then the discovery after his election of a $US9.5 billion budget shortfall left by his predecessor, combined with Macron's vow to make the deficit conform to European Union norms at 3 per cent of gross domestic product, led inevitably to promises of further cuts, including $US1 billion in military spending. But some of the wounds are self-inflicted. Previous vulnerabilities are coming to the fore. A product of France's elite schools, the Olympian Macron doesn't have the common touch, was never previously elected to anything, and since his election has preferred high-tech salons to trips to France's struggling provinces. He was booed by workers when he visited a threatened auto-parts factory in central France, not helping himself there by proclaiming that he was no "Father Christmas." His abrupt handling of de Villiers, a man nearly 30 years his senior -- the president let it be known that he was furious at the general's criticism of cuts to the military budget -- was seen as "authoritarian," a word that recurred in French press accounts.

Bewilderment greeted the government's vagueness about when the promised housing tax cut, destined for nearly 80 per cent of French households, would be put in place: The prime minister first said it would be phased in gradually, but the outcry prompted officials to correct themselves a week later, promising a rollout by 2018. "This was one of Macron's signature issues. And then it was announced that this cut would only happen slowly. People said, well, it was just a campaign promise after all," Fourquet said. A 5-euro aid cut to low-income renters was met with groans and cries of unfairness. Then, the president coupled television images of himself posing with military -- on a submarine and with French troops in Mali -- with the military budget cut. "The risk is that an excess of Hollywood-style communication produces an opposite result to the one intended," Fourquet said. Le Monde wryly noted that the Assemblee canteen, used to doling out glasses of wine at night sessions, now had to get used to orange juice and Coca-Cola. But these young men and women are now the ones in the driver's seat.

"It's normal, when you're at the controls, that expectations are very high. Plus there is a very strong desire to change France," said Matthieu Orphelin, a newly elected member of parliament in Macron's movement, La Republique en Marche, or the Republic on the Move. "This should encourage us to persevere in what we are trying to do, to go fast in transforming the country," Orphelin said. Besides, he said, "Our work is not based on the polls. We are working on the program." Francois Patriat, a senator from Burgundy in Macron's political movement, said: "He went up very high, and now he is back to normal. The French are coming back down to the nitty-gritty." Loading But Macron's progress so far "proves that breaking the left-right barrier, which he wanted, is finding results."
Eldoret, Kenya: Fake news. Odd plot twists. Tit-for-tat accusations. One candidate calling another "crooked".

Those political phenomena, familiar to voters in the United States and Europe, have surfaced in Kenya before a tightly contested presidential election on Tuesday. But in a country with a history of election violence, the addition of such toxic behavior has further fanned fears about whether the country can pull off a credible and peaceful vote.

A supporter of Opposition Leader Raila Odinga wears a headdress of oranges, the party's symbol and colour. Credit:AP

Two previous elections were marred by violence amid widespread claims that they had been rigged; in 2007, the disputed vote plunged Kenya into bloodshed that left at least 1,300 people dead and 600,000 displaced from their homes.

Just in the past week, there was a break-in at the country estate of the Vice President, which ended after an 18-hour siege. Then, a senior election official in charge of crucial voting technology was found dead. His body, disposed of in a forest outside Nairobi, the capital, showed signs of torture.
By India Today Web Desk: Popular reality show Bigg Boss will soon make a comeback on Indian television. While the premiere date of the show has not been revealed yet, there have already been rumours regarding the tentative list of contestants on the new season.

Now, according to a report in SpotboyE, Bigg Boss 10 contestant and Bhojpuri actress Mona Lisa's husband Vikrant Singh Rajpoot might be a part of the show.

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Vikrant and Mona Lisa had tied the knot on Bigg Boss' tenth season. It has also been reported by SpotboyE that Mona Lisa is preparing Vikrant for his big TV debut.

Vikrant, who is also a Bhojpuri film actor like his wife, is reportedly preparing for his big break on Hindi television.

Bigg Boss 11 will be hosted by Bollywood star Salman Khan.

Also read: Bigg Boss Tamil: Popular contestant Oviya quits the show

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The PIL is in reference to the rising in number of cow vigilantism cases.

By Vidya : Bombay High Court has issued a notice to Mumbai Police and Maharashtra director general of police in a public interest litigation case seeking 24-hour helpline for the "protection of life of citizens for trade and transport". The notice seeks a reply within two weeks.

The PIL is in reference to the rising in number of cow vigilantism cases

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The petition has also sought that government should collect information about the cow vigilant groups and that all police stations should have a list of all gaurakshaks in their jurisdiction. According to the petitioners the police stations should know who are the so called gau rakshaks who conduct illegal raids.

The PIL has been filed by social activist Shadaab Patel who fears that there will be more such attacks as the festival of Bakri Eid is close approaching. Making mumbai police commissioner as well as the Maharashtra director general of police as parties, the petitioners have said that it is the duty of the state government to protect its citizens. The PIL prays for direction from the state to come up with guidelines for the purpose of safety, protection of the citizens.

The petition sites various incidents from Akhlaq's lynching in Dadri to Junaid Khan's lynching in a train from Ballabgarh to New Delhi.

Also Read

Cow vigilantes defy PM Modi yet again, attack drivers transporting cattle in Assam

Cow vigilantes or extortionists? India Today exposes Maharashtra's cow saviours

--- ENDS ---
Texas A&M researchers are looking to prevent power outages the next time a storm comes into town with a model that crunches data on past grid failures.

The model is a few years in the making and the work of Mladen Kezunovic, a decorated professor in Texas A&M's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

"It's not a simple concept, but in simple terms, you look at historical data about what has been happening in a given service area," Kezunovic said. "You look at the history of outages, the history of weather, events that were coinciding with outages, and then the mathematical model -- based on the history of what has been happening -- is predicting what might happen in the future."

Kezunovic said he and his team of graduate students are testing the model on Texas A&M's campus, but he is also in talks with electric companies that might test it in their service areas.

The research comes at a time when engineers across the nation are stressing the importance of maintaining the electric grids, Kezunovic says, citing a recent congressionally mandated report put out by the National Academy of Engineering.

Report authors press the importance of making a the U.S. electric grid resilient, stating that prolonged outages -- whether from natural disasters or malicious attacks -- can cost the U.S. billions of dollars and result in deaths. With no single group responsible for ensuring power grids are resilient, report authors surmise that state, federal and private groups need to take on a more coordinated approach to predicting larger grid disruptions.

Kezunovic said his research is about helping find ways to make the grid more resilient by locating and efficiently prioritizing what equipment needs attention first. He said the goal with his research and in the industry is to prepare for even the most surprising scenarios.

"If you have rare weather conditions that affect the grid, the grid should still operate," he said. "So you should have solutions that allow that to happen."

His specific model looks at data on deteriorating equipment and weather conditions. To prevent outages, he says, there has to be a systematic way of looking at how both of these factors relate.

"Let's say the outage was in this part of the system, under those particular weather conditions," he said. "Then obviously by tracking the weather, which is available from various sources of data that are collected for other purposes, you can say if the same or similar weather conditions occur in a given area, would there be an outage?"
Im pretty much out of tears. I spent them on Charlie Gard, the little British boy whose parents fought like the Spartans at Thermopylae to hold back the army of brutal utilitarians who came to steal their child away. It wasnt a disease that robbed Chris Gard and Connie Yates of their baby. It was every person who, feigning compassion, argued for a swift and bloodless death. Tragic doesnt begin to describe it.

But the one good thing that pushed itself out of this bitter mess, like a tiny, green shoot between the cracks of dirty concrete, was the example of parental love we saw in Charlies mum and dad. They were unstoppable, heroic and united in a fight that would have shattered the bodies and souls of lesser creatures. We always will have that memory of them, and of their son.

The Gards were still in my mind when, skimming through the news on Tuesday, I saw the story of a woman named Erica Avila-Lopez. According to the report, Avila had abandoned her 7-month-old baby in a motel room in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. The room was filled with narcotics and drug paraphernalia, and authorities estimate that the child had been left alone for at least 20 hours.

Court records show that Avila-Lopez has a long rap sheet, including convictions for aggravated assault against a police officer, another for assault, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct, and yet another for auto theft and DUI. In this case, shes been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, possession of a controlled substance, and felony marijuana possession with intent to deliver.

When police finally caught up with her Monday, she was in a hospital. They wouldnt release her condition or the details of how she got there.

And, frankly, that last part is irrelevant. I dont really give a damn about Avila-Lopezs health. What matters is that a mother abandoned her daughter in a drug-strewn motel room for almost an entire day, and had it not been for some conscientious motel staff, that child still would have been in that room. There is a description for the sort of person who does that sort of thing, and my editors wont let me use it in this paper.

Had I not been through almost a month of watching, hoping and praying along with hundreds of thousands of people around the world for a miracle to happen in London, the story of Erica Avila-Lopez might not have produced such nausea. I might have flipped through to the next article talking about the opioid crisis and how tragic it is that we are losing so many people to drug overdoses. There have been so many of them, inviting us to feel anger at a system that forces people with drug addictions to limp along, hopelessly, along train tracks in Kensington and elsewhere in our godforsaken neighborhoods.

Ill admit Ive felt a twinge of compassion for those who found themselves addicted, without even seeing it coming, to painkillers. Ive been educated by professionals about the powerful nature of drugs such as OxyContin and the insidious way they can grab hold of your soul while youre not looking.

But Im getting a little tired of being told that anyone who feels pity for the collateral damage caused by those with addictions is mean-spirited and cruel. Facebook is fertile ground for the do-gooders who see only one victim in this scenario: the junkie. Oh, and Im not even supposed to use that word, because its dehumanizing. But when we mention the inhumane acts that these people commit against their parents, siblings, lovers, friends, employers and society at large, were told to shut up.

But this time, I dont really give a damn. This mother, who apparently cared more about a fix than about her baby, has a history of doing bad things. She probably is addicted, definitely a convicted criminal and obviously a child abuser. If were going to go after pedophiles and rapists  and, of course, we should  we have to be honest enough to call this mother who left her baby in a veritable drug den an abuser, too.

When I posted these sentiments on social media, I was happy to see that most people agreed with me. I expected a flood of comments about how we need to sympathize with the agony of the addicted and try to help them come back to civilization. Its the same story, repeated over and over again, about waiting for the prodigal sons and daughters to atone for their mistakes and come home.

The thing is, they rarely do. And if they do, its usually after theyve destroyed the lives of everyone who loved them, fought for them, prayed for them and died a little inside for them.

After I saw what Baby Charlies parents did for him, Im in no mood to feel anything but anger toward an addict who abandoned her baby in a motel room.

As I said before, my tears are all dried up.
Quality pre-K can set children on a road to future success

The article on July 28, "Grant funding drying up in Bryan-College Station for high-quality pre-K standards," showed the immediate local consequences of the Texas Legislature's decision not to continue funding quality pre-K.

As a Army general, I would like to add that this loss of funding has long-term consequences for our future national security. According to the nonprofit Mission: Readiness, of which I am a member, 73 percent of young Texans today cannot qualify for military service due to poor education, being overweight, or having a record of crime or drug abuse. A Pentagon report shows that 71 percent of all 17 to 24 year olds in the U.S. do not qualify for military service. This number should concern every one of us who wants to see a safe and secure nation for our children and grandchildren.

Research shows that high-quality pre-K addresses these three major disqualifiers for military service. It can prepare children to start school with critical early math and reading skills, improve student performance, boost graduation rates, deter youth from crime, and even reduce obesity rates by instilling healthy eating and exercise habits at a young age.

It is very disappointing that our Legislature decided not to continue funding high-quality pre-K, particularly when studies show such programs provide the best results.

While I recognize that state funding is limited, I also must acknowledged that the Bryan and College Station school districts put this money to good use.

In the future, I strongly encourage the Texas Legislature to provide adequate funding for quality pre-K so we can prepare our youth for success in school and in life, including in the military for those who choose to serve.

DARREN G. OWENS

Bryan
Duncan Vick was stationed in Kuwait when he learned his wife was pregnant with their first child. Neither of them saw this news coming.

Vick of Franklin County was serving overseas in a deployment of his National Guard infantry division.

When he arrived home in July after eight months, he got an even bigger surprise  a baby girl.

I was away for the whole pregnancy, but I made it back just in time, Vick said. I got back 48 hours before our baby was born.

Vick is an assistant commonwealths attorney to A.J. Dudley. Vick was hired by Dudley in February 2016.

Vick is a native of Richmond, and attended Virginia Tech for his undergraduate degree. He later graduated law school from The University of Richmond in 2010.

Three years later, Vick decided to join the U.S. National Guard where he is now a captain.

In November 2016, he was forced to make preparations for his very first deployment with the 29th infantry division. Approximately 450 soldiers from Virginia and Maryland would accompany Vick overseas.

The deployment lasted eight months. The first six weeks, the group was stationed at Fort Hood, in Texas. Then they moved to Kuwait.

We were ready to go to Kuwait after our six weeks in Texas, Vick said. We were in training to make sure that we were ready for the deployment, and we didnt have much freedom.

Once they arrived in Kuwait, the mission was to provide stability and deter aggression in the region.

Now that Vick is back at home, hes trying to settle back into the swing of things. He started his job again on July 17 and has been trying to re-familiarize himself with his duties.

My boss, A.J., has been so supportive, Vick said. He never complained, and he kept in touch with me. This whole office has been 100 percent supportive, and that makes it so much easier.

Vick does plan to stay in the military, but he does not see any further deployments in his future. He is now transitioning to the traditional National Guard status.

I really like Franklin County and the people that I work with, Vick said. Thats one of the reasons that it was so hard to leave.
Victim-shaming should be declared the national sport of India. It remains the foremost reason why women, and sometimes men, do not come forward to report crimes.

By Vivek Surendran: No one likes to be harassed, abused, attacked and raped.

No one, regardless of gender and age, steps out of their homes to invite trouble. In fact, they step out with the belief that situation in the country is not so bad that they would be attacked by someone in the middle of the road in the middle of the night.

This, unfortunately, is until they themselves, or someone close to them, endure such a harrowing experience and choose to speak about it. When that happens, everything changes. Because what follows is mindless VICTIM-SHAMING.

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Varnika Kundu, the woman who accused Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala's son Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar of stalking her, with a possible intent to kidnap, on August 5 on the streets of Chandigarh while she was driving home, would agree.

Varnika made a detailed Facebook post about the incident and it soon made national headlines. Vikas and Ashish were arrested on August 6 after Kundu filed a complaint against them but were soon allowed bail, thanks to the cops who dropped two charges out of five, that were non-bailable. By today, just two days after the crime, reports have it that CCTV footage from areas where the alleged crime occurred is missing.

Kundu's father Virender Kundu, an IAS officer, wrote a Facebook post to make the family's stand on the matter clear. In his post, he said, "We promise all the people and the groups supporting us that WE SHALL NOT, EVER, BACK OUT OR STAND DOWN, irrespective of hardships or pressures."

THEN BEGINS VICTIM-SHAMING...

Victim-shaming, like we mentioned, should be declared the national sport of Indians. Whatever be the incident, majority of Indians, thanks to years of social conditioning, figure out a way to blame and shame the victim. This is true even in the most brutal cases of rape as well.

After the Nirbhaya case sent shiver down almost every Indian's spine, there were people who asked, "Why was she out on the streets at that time?", forgetting the fact that it was around 9 PM she boarded the bus in which she was raped. Some asked "Why was she with a male friend?" Had she been alone, question would have been, "Why was she not in the company of at least one man?"

When a colleague, to her luck, averted a situation that could have turned worse, she, courtesy her gender, had to face the similar questions. "Why were you out on the streets at that time?" "If you could call your friend, and if we could reach on time when you did, why didn't you ask him to drop you to your place in the first place?"

Instead of condemning the acts of his colleague's son and his friend, the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders are resorting to the same tactic - victim-shaming. Haryana BJP Deputy President Ramveer Bhatti said, "The girl should not have gone out at 12 in the night," and wondered "Why she was allowed to stay out so late."

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"Why was she driving so late in the night? The atmosphere is not right. We need to take care of ourselves," Bhatti said.

VICTIM-SHAMING CONTINUES ON SOCIAL MEDIA...

Prashant P Umrao, whose verified Twitter account bio says he is a Supreme Court advocate, tweeted, "So called victim daughter of IAS from Chandigarh with Vikas Barala. This story is as true as like Jasleen Kaur of Delhi & of Rohtak Sisters", along with a photo of Varnika with two of her friends.

The lawyer not only resorted to ridiculing the complainant referring to her as "so-called victim", he shared an image of hers without her consent with an intention to malign her character, because in our country, still, a woman who hangsout with men is looked down upon. Not stopping there, he claimed that Kundu's version of what transpired on August 5 midnight is false and compared it to the infamous Jasleen Kaur case of 2015, and Rohtak Sisters case of 2014.

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Meanwhile, Varnika said that the men in the picture, being widely shared on social media, are not the accused but two of her friends, and she is sad that her friends are being branded as perpetrators and some people are spreading "blatant lies".

The fact is that even she knew Vikas Barala from before, how does that matter? If someone stalked her and harassed her, they should be punished by law. The argument that even if she knew Barala from before she can't complain is only as good as saying people who were lynched did carry beef.

In a consecutive tweet, in bad English, the lawyer said, "Corrupt Bureaucracy is upset with Honest CM Khattar. That IAS Kundu is close to Hooda. BTW, Why no medical of Girl, was she also drunked?" Here, Kundu's and her father's political inclination/affiliation is being blamed or brought to the forefront rather than addressing the actual issue. He also wanted Varnika to undergo a medical examination to be sure she was not drunk.

This brings us to the set of photos of Varnika that is now doing the rounds on Indian social media. First photo is what Umrao shared, second is a close-up of hers in which her eyebrow piercing is visible, another one where Varnika could be seen sitting with three glasses, possibly with alcohol in it, and one where she is seen with two friends, one male and one female. One of the tweets with these four photos closely translates to, "I am neither a supporter of Subhash Barala nor of the BJP, but take a look at these photos of the "decent" woman who's accused Barala's son."

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The message is clear. Varnika drinks and hangs out with male friends, and these are two reasons as per Umrao and all those who are sharing these set of photos, for her to be harassed, abused or even raped in the middle of the night by anyone.

We hope these people get this clear, once and for all - whatever a woman does, drink, smoke, have physical relationships with multiple men at different times or at the same time, abuse in public, roam around on foot, or in a car, at midnight, hangout with men, strangers or friends, hangout with women, THEY DON'T ASK FOR IT.

Senior BJP leaders are tight-lipped about the incident but Shaina NC, Maharashtra BJP's Treasurer and Spokesperson, lifted and shared the photo Umrao shared, and along with the image, lifted his words too.

Her tweet has now been deleted and she's claimed that her account was hacked.

Not surprising, those who understand social media and how it is being used lately, multiple accounts, both on Facebook and Twitter are now sharing the photo of Varnika with her friends saying she knew Barala from before. Despite the fact that the victim knowing the accused from before is not a matter of significance in this case, some Twitter users did put in effort to debunk the false claims made by many like Umrao and Shaina on Twitter.

Twitter user who goes by the handle @ironyofindia_ shared an image to prove the man in the photo shared widely looks significantly different from Vikas Barala.

Photo: Twitter (ironyofindia_)

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Smith Mountain Lake's pursuit to have the most people floating in a line last year did not make it into the record books after all. Organizers with the Franklin County Family YMCA's SML location recently were informed by Guinness World Records that the attempt did not meet qualifications.

"It took a lot to attempt this record, and we were so close," said Lauren Acker, the YMCA's branch director.

On Aug. 6, 2016, 1,259 people gathered on the beach at Bernard's Landing in Scruggs to break the world record, an event that was also part of the lake's 50th anniversary celebration.

Participants floated on inflatables for almost two hours, holding hands with those floating next to them as drone videographers and photographers collected proper documentation.

Despite the effort, it was not enough.

It appears that participants are surrounded by (and surrounding) guide ropes, wrote Guinness World Records management team. Even if not physically connected, in the spirit of the record it is important that no one be touching any of these ropes.

Guinness World Records also cited evidence that some floats appeared to touch personal watercraft that were nearby to monitor floaters, and noted a portion of the line of floaters appeared to be broken.

To approve the record per the GWR [Guinness World Record] guidelines, well require additional evidence that no one was touching any of the guide ropes, Jet Skis and additional high-res [resolution] photo of the attempt clearly showing a continuous single line of floaters who are not touching anything other than each other, Guinness wrote.

Becky Rowe, one of the event organizers, said although she was disappointed, she was grateful for the support from the community.

I cant tell you how many people still say to me that they were so glad to be a part of this event, Rowe said. For those of you who participated, a heartfelt thank you.

Bill Piatt, chairman of the lakes 50th anniversary committee, said he too was disappointed by the news, but still enjoyed the event. So what if we didnt break the record; we had a good time.

The question now is whether the community will be interested in attempting the record again.

I would do it again in a heartbeat, Piatt said.

While the number to beat then was 634 people floating in a line, the record has since grown to 2,088 people. It was achieved in Australia in 2012; however, its not clear why YMCA organizers werent informed of the new number.

Acker said shes already exploring the possibility of another world record attempt next year.

We will work toward a similar event in August 2018 if there is enough interest, she said.

- Jason Dunovant, BH Media News Service

Despite the effort, it was not enough.It appears that participants are surrounded by (and surrounding) guide ropes, wrote Guinness World Records management team. Even if not physically connected, in the spirit of the record it is important that no one be touching any of these ropes.Guinness World Records also cited evidence that some floats appeared to touch personal watercraft that were nearby to monitor floaters, and noted a portion of the line of floaters appeared to be broken.To approve the record per the GWR [Guinness World Record] guidelines, well require additional evidence that no one was touching any of the guide ropes, Jet Skis and additional high-res [resolution] photo of the attempt clearly showing a continuous single line of floaters who are not touching anything other than each other, Guinness wrote.Becky Rowe, one of the event organizers, said although she was disappointed, she was grateful for the support from the community.I cant tell you how many people still say to me that they were so glad to be a part of this event, Rowe said. For those of you who participated, a heartfelt thank you.Bill Piatt, chairman of the lakes 50th anniversary committee, said he too was disappointed by the news, but still enjoyed the event. So what if we didnt break the record; we had a good time.The question now is whether the community will be interested in attempting the record again.I would do it again in a heartbeat, Piatt said.While the number to beat then was 634 people floating in a line, the record has since grown to 2,088 people. It was achieved in Australia in 2012; however, its not clear why YMCA organizers werent informed of the new number.Acker said shes already exploring the possibility of another world record attempt next year.We will work toward a similar event in August 2018 if there is enough interest, she said.Jason DunovantBH Media News Service
In a fierce yet emotional Facebook post, Virender Kundu, father of the woman who was allegedly stalked by Vikas Barala, the son of Haryana BJP chief, made the family's stand on the matter clear.

By India Today Web Desk: "We promise all the people and the groups supporting us that WE SHALL NOT, EVER, BACK OUT OR STAND DOWN, irrespective of hardships or pressures."

IAS officer Virender Kundu, father of Varnika Kundu, the woman who accused Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala's son Vikas Barala, and his friend Ashish Kumar, of stalking her on the streets of Chandigarh and attempting to kidnap her, started his Facebook post making his family's stand clear on the matter.

The incident happened midnight last Friday, and Varnika chose to make a Facebook post describing the incident on August 5. Her post that started with, "WAS ALMOST KIDNAPPED ON A CHANDIGARH ROAD LAST NIGHT", has been shared over 3,500 times and garnered media attention. The two men, who were driving an SUV, were allegedly drunk at the time and, according to Varnika, tried to force her to stop her car several times.

Varnika filed a complaint against the two men after which Chandigarh Police arrested Vikas and Ashish. The two men, who were initially charged under five different sections of the Indian Penal Code, however, were released on bail from the police station itself since two two sections (IPC Sections 365 and 511) related to kidnapping, were dropped on Saturday.

Latest update said that the Chandigarh Police was unable to recover any CCTV footage from the road stretch where the incident happened.

It could be all these that compelled Varnika's father Virender Kundu to make a Facebook post to make their stance clear. In the post, Kundu said, "We will not interfere with the investigation or the prosecution, just as we do not want the accused to influence the investigation in any way. The police and prosecution should be allowed to do their job. We will join investigation whenever required by the police. We will contest in the court if we feel the charges are diluted or inadequately framed."

Stating it is rather unfortunate that the families of the accused have to face hardship and that Kundu and his family do not hold the families of the accused responsible for the act of their children, Kundu said, "We want them [accused] to be punished for the offences they have actually committed, and awarded punishment commensurate with their culpability. Not over punished, but definitely not under punished either."

He ended the post saying the issue is not just about his daughter. He asks, "The issue is, does our country allow a woman to live as a free and equal citizen, and if she is wronged, does it give her enough confidence to even claim justice?"

Here is his full Facebook post:

"I would like to make our stand clear on the case.

We promise all the people and the groups supporting us that WE SHALL NOT, EVER, BACK OUT OR STAND DOWN, irrespective of hardships or pressures.

We will not interfere with the investigation or the prosecution, just as we do not want the accused to influence the investigation in any way. The police and prosecution should be allowed to do their job. We will join investigation whenever required by the police. We will contest in the court if we feel the charges are diluted or inadequately framed .

Our target is to ensure that the guilty are brought to book. They are adult men, students of law, who are fully aware of the consequences of their actions, and hence must be appropriately punished. We want them to be punished for the offences they have actually committed, and awarded punishment commensurate with their culpability. Not over punished, but definitely not under punished either.

It is unfortunate that the families of the accused have to face hardship. We do not hold them responsible for the crimes of these men.

We firmly believe that after 70 years of independence and democracy, the legal system of our country is mature and geared up to deliver justice. Dispensation of justice should not require anything from the complainant except that she speak the truth at all times, and does not back out. We promise that. The protection and prevention system of chandigarh police works, and Varnika is alive and safe today as a proof of its working. We expect the judicial system to work just as well.

In a cut and dried case like this, where there is nothing hazy or unclear in terms of actions or identities, if the system fails to deliver justice, then there is something deeply rotten in our society, our government and our country. Then we all need to look into ourselves, question our honesty as well as patriotism, and see where we have led our country to.

In my mind, the issue is not of Varika being assaulted or two specific criminals to be punished. The issue is, does our country allow a woman to live as a free and equal citizen, and if she is wronged, does it give her enough confidence to even claim justice? If not, we are no better than a lawless, barbaric society."

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ALSO READ:Chandigarh stalking: CCTV footage that could have nailed Vikas Barala is missing

Chandigarh stalking: Before granting bail, police dropped charges against Vikas Barala

CM Manohar Lal Khattar on Chandigarh stalking: Can't punish Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala for his son's crime

WATCH : Chandigarh woman stalked by Haryana BJP chief's son narrates ordeal to India Today

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The fear and suspicion of ideas and intellect rest on historical foundations buried deep in the American consciousness. Many Americans, in fact, have long disparaged the life of the mind, and populist democracy has increasingly required an appeal to vulgarity and ignorance

The mistrust of ideas and intellect that has long prevailed among a substantial number of Americans likely originated in reaction to the Progressive movement and to the modern variant of liberalism that it engendered, although the lineaments of this attitude reach back to the early history of the Republic. Certainly George Washington Plunkitt, a stalwart of Tammany Hall during the late nineteenth century, regarded the emphasis on ideas and intellect that he associated with Progressive reform as the principal enemy of the American way of life. What good were learning and thinking to the practical business of politics?, Plunkitt asked. A young man who extolled his academic prowess had no future in that rough-and-tumble world. If, eager to launch a political career, he should ever approach a representative of the Tammany organization only to boast that he had taken first prize at college in Aristotle and that he could recite all Shakespeare forwards and backwards, and, finally, that he was well versed in science and oratory, the response he received would be: I guess you are not to blame for your misfortunes, but we have no use for you here. A college education had its place, Plunkitt conceded, as long as theres book-worms but added that erudition dont count in politics. By the same token, preventing a man from being rewarded for his political loyalty unless he could answer a lot of fool questions about the number of cubic inches of water in the Atlantic and the quality of sand in the Sahara desert was madness, guaranteed to breed malcontents, socialists, and anarchists.

Whatever else it may have been, Progressivism was a revolt against politics or, more specifically, as Plunkitt recognized, a revolt against politics as usual. Seeking to impose order on chaos, Progressive thinkers believed that only scientifically-trained expertsthat is, the very intellectuals for whom Plunkitt voiced such contemptcould engineer the more stable, more efficient, more productive, and more disciplined society that they envisioned. In an increasingly complex world, the Progressives reasoned that ordinary men and women could no longer manage their own affairs, let alone direct society and government. To make responsible decisions and informed choices, ordinary Americans required experts to tell them what to think, what to believe, and what to do. Without such guidance, they would come to grief, discovering that even daily life had become nearly impossible to navigate. Surviving piecemeal on their wits, tormented by uncertainty, confusion, and fear, Americans, the Progressives were convinced, would react irrationally to problems that were beyond their capacity to solve, and perhaps would at last resort to violence against what they had neither the power to control nor the capacity to understand.

Progressives such as Thorstein Veblen, Herbert Croly, and Walter Lippmann, to name but a few, advocated a new class of social engineers and technicians to wrest the government, society, and economy from the dominance of politicians and businessmen more focused on advancing their private interests than on promoting the general welfare. Technocratic reformers identified social engineering as the means to attain both the prosperity and the stability that they cherished. They determined to fashion a new civilization in the United Statesan organizational societythat rendered obsolete the older values of individualism and competition, which they considered irrational and inefficient. In those exalted days of technocratic promise, many Progressives acclaimed Henry Ford as the quintessential American hero. Considered a viable candidate for president, Ford had won such accolades by imposing both productive efficiency and labor discipline on his factories. Fords accomplishments inspired the Progressives, who wished to extend the same efficiency and discipline to society at large. Their aim was to create men and women able and willing to adjust, and then to readjust, to the rigors of the new industrial order.

How did Progressives reconcile this vision with the American traditions of freedom, democracy, and individualism? The short answer is that they did not. Their hope to fashion a rational society and an omni-competent state had more in common with totalitarianism than they might have cared to admit. Progressive thinkers called not only for better government. They also called for more government, with men of learning and intellect firmly holding the reins of power.

Intellect and power were not always at odds. Most of the Founding Fathers, after all, were men of incomparable learning and culture who moved with ease and grace among the worlds of scholarship, science, business, law, and politics. Not expert in any single occupation or pursuit, they were rather imaginative and resourceful, applying their broad knowledge to answering the questions and solving problems of the day. Yet, such an example was not enough to persuade their countrymen, past or present, that men of intellect could excel at politics. Many Americans, in fact, have long been suspicious of ideas and disparaged the life of the mind, which they have thought interfere with the exercise of common sense.

The rise of democracy did not by itself explain the decline of respect for intellect. The partisan conflicts of the 1790s did as much damage. Alleging conspiracies to aid revolutionary France, designs to undermine Christianity, and plots to restore monarchical government, members of the founding generation employed any rhetorical strategy, however indecent or dishonest, to discredit their rivals. Although few were immune, Thomas Jefferson was the first serious victim of the comprehensive assault on intellect. When, in 1796, it appeared that Jefferson had positioned himself to succeed George Washington, William Loughton Smith, a Federalist congressman from South Carolina, published a pamphlet denouncing Jeffersons qualifications for office. Smith lamented that Jefferson was a philosopher with a skeptical and speculative mind, which had rendered him an atheist who possessed neither faith nor morals. As an even more damning criticism, Smith asserted that Jefferson was a poser, not a genuine philosopher at all. His learning was sophistical, inferior, and debased. As a consequence, his mind displayed a want of steadiness, a constitutional indecision and versatility, visionary, wild, and speculative systems, and various other defective features. As president, Jefferson was almost certain to be abstract and theoretical, timid and arbitrary, impractical and frivolous, indecisive yet doctrinaire, hardly the qualities of mind or character to inspire confidence in a head of state. I am ready to admit, conceded another Federalist critic, that he is distinguished for shewy talents, for theoretic learning, and for elegance of his written style. Jeffersons abilities better suited him for a professorship than for the presidency.

The campaign against Jefferson, in conjunction with the Alien and Sedition Acts that targeted dissidents and foreigners, revealed that the patrician Federalists had abandoned their commitment to tolerance and freedom. That occurrence alone justified, or at least helped to explain, the popular rejection of the Federalist Party after 1800. At the same time, the advocates of democracy compiled an equally uninspiring record. By the 1820s, the democratic movement was lapsing into a rabid populism that was antagonistic to the scholar, the man of letters, and the gentleman. Lauding the virtues of the common man, democratic populists were apprehensive about the intentions of the propertied and cultivated to dominate government. In time, what had originated as prudent anxiety devolved into a suspicion of learning itself. As early as 1788, Amos Singletary, a delegate to the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention, had objected that:

Men of learning, and money men, that talk so finely, and gloss over matters so smoothly, to make us poor illiterate people swallow down the pill expect to get into Congress themselves; they expect to be the managers of this Constitution, and get all the power and all the money into their own hands, and then they will swallow up all us little folks, like the great Leviathan. This is what I am afraid of.

Not only the power of wealthy, but also the power of educated, men had to be confined within strict limits if the independence of ordinary citizens were to be preserved. For learning, like property, was an expression of class status. It was, in other words, an instrument of privilege, reserved for those who enjoyed the luxury to live without working.

To diminish, and preferably to eliminate, the advantages of wealth and education, populist movements, such as the coalition that formed around Andrew Jackson, declared war on intellectual sophistication and high culture. Only by curtailing the power of the elite could democracy prevail, and the people at last govern themselves. The innate wisdom of the common man would enable Americans to dispense with informed leadership, which had become as unnecessary as it was disagreeable. The finest statesmenat least the most reliably democratic statesmenarose from among the untutored masses. The determination to supplant entrenched privilege, and the belief that the procedures of government were simple enough that virtually anyone could execute them, thus characterized the Jackson movement from the outset.

John Quincy Adams represented the antithesis of the unrefined intelligence and unerring judgment that his Jacksonian opponents thought inhered in every true American heart. The elections of 1824 and 1828 were not only studies in contrasting political styles and ideals between two increasingly bitter adversaries. They were also, at the same time, efforts to articulate different visions of the American future and to define the very meaning of America itself.

To his critics, the patrician Adams demonstrated the imprudence of entrusting learned men with political office. Fluent in seven languages, accomplished in rhetoric, which he had once taught at Harvard, and practiced in mathematics and science, Adams hoped to use the resources of government to advance a national program of learning, exploration, and scholarship. In his first annual message to Congress, delivered on December 6, 1825, Adams recommended the founding of a national university at Washington, D.C., the establishment of a naval academy, the creation of a national observatory, the dispatch of an expedition to survey the Pacific Northwest, and the appropriation of public monies to fund scientific research. In addition to endorsing a vigorous agenda of economic development, Adams also sought to inaugurate an era of intellectual progress in the United States.

Adams elaborate proposals met with derision and antipathy both in Congress and among the American people. His cosmopolitan world view, expressed, for instance, in his praise of European accomplishments in literature, art, and science, offended Americans conviction of superiority to the Old World. Adams further outraged public opinion by suggesting in his annual message that elected officials not slumber in ignorance or fold up our arms and proclaim to the world that we are palsied by the will of our constituents, thereby seeming to thwart the democratic will. Unlike Adams, the majority of Americans during the 1820s rejected even the trace of a European inheritance. Europe was decadent, corrupt, and barbarous. Andrew Jackson, Adams foremost opponent in the elections of 1824 and 1828, embodied the alternative to European depravity. In his military exploits against the Indians and the British, Jackson brought to life the native vigor and the natural wisdom that distinguished the American character. Educated in the school of nature, Jackson had escaped the taint of formal instruction, affording him a pristine, robust, and original mind uncontaminated by the trifling nonsense that routinely beguiled academicians.

This unlettered man of the West, as the historian, diplomat, and cabinet secretary George Bancroft described him, little versed in books [and] unconnected by science with the tradition of the past would fashion a unique wisdom from the oracles of his own mind. Jackson was a rustic sage, Adams merely a glorified schoolmaster. During the campaign of 1828, Jacksonian partisans decried Adams intellectual sophistication as much as they condemned his rumored aristocratic self-indulgence and belittled his vast political experience. The outcome of the election was a foregone conclusion. Jackson won fifty-six percent of the popular vote (687,502) to Adams forty-four percent (508,064), and dominated the Electoral College, 178 to 83. Adams was a man of the past, Jackson a man of the future. In 1828, Americans embraced the homespun wisdom of the common man and his capacity to act over what they regarded as the sterile intellect of the aristocrat and his fondness for meaningless deliberation.

Although ideas and those who traffic in them have from time to time come again to the forefront of American politics, the election of 1828 cast suspicion on, if it did not permanently taint, the value of intellect in the public life of the nation. Critics of education voiced a reasonable grievance when they objected that its benefits were not fairly distributed, and accrued predominantly to the rich and well-born. Not content to seek redress for a palpable injustice, they went too far in their disdain for learning itself and in their unreserved faith in the common sense of the common man. From that day to this, populist democracy has increasingly required an appeal to vulgarity and ignorance, and more recently to truculence and resentment.

Do you remark how lamentably destitute the country is of men in public station of whom we may speak with any pride?, the Maryland statesman, novelist, and former Secretary of the Navy John Pendleton Kennedy asked in a letter to his uncle, Philip Pendleton. How completely has the conception and estimate of a gentleman been obliterated from the popular mind! Politicians knew best not how to govern, but instead practiced every deception to excite the passions, animate the prejudices, and confuse the judgment of their constituents. Witnessing the failure of the political system during the late 1850s, Kennedy lamented in another letter to his uncle that those who occupied political office were a miserable array of charlatans and make believe statesmen, little clap-trap demagogues and mock statesmen, manufactured out of blackguards. As early as 1835, Alexis de Tocqueville remarked on the vulgar demeanor of the United States House of Representatives, the members of which body do not always know how to write correctly. Tocqueville attributed this circumstance to the zeal and bias of an electorate that could vote directly for congressmen, whereas senators, appointed by state legislatures, reflect only the lofty thought and generous instincts of the nation, not the petty passions which often trouble or the vices that disgrace it.

Tocqueville erred perhaps only in his too-generous assessment of the Senate. Fifteen years later, writing in the midst of the unruly debate on the Compromise of 1850, Francis Bowen, editor of the North American Review and McLean Professor of History at Harvard, protested that both houses of Congress have been virtually transformed into noisy and quarrelsome debating clubs, to the almost entire neglect of their proper business of legislation. Bills that were debated were not enacted; bills that were enacted were not debated. Giving only scant attention to the interests of the people and welfare of the country, Congress, Bowen declared, had attained the unenviable fame of being the most helpless, disorderly, and inefficient legislative body which can be found in the civilized world. The United States would not suffer, and its reputation would certainly be increased, if Congress should adjourn to the next century. With equal credibility, Bowen might just as well have been describing the conduct of political life that at present thrives on Capitol Hill.

Since the early nineteenth century, generations of Americans have conceived of access to political office as a means to elevate the common man and to bestow upon him a share of power. Such opportunities seemed the essence of the American democratic promise. As a result, although perhaps without intention, character, intelligence, and, in the end, even minimal competence came to matter less, or not at all. More recently, exaggerated partisanship has once more given rise to additional complications. Francis Bowens observation in 1850 that the greatest danger to which our republican institutions are now exposed proceeds from this inclination on the part of the discontented few to obstruct all action whatever, and rather to have no government at all, than a government that in some respects is distasteful to them remains applicable. More deliberative, less agitated minds would likely not entertain such an option.

It is stupid to kill people for their ideas. But it is equally stupid to think that ideas are inoffensive and harmless. Those Americans who now consider the life of the mind to be a subversive influence at least implicitly understand that ideas have consequences and that it is often difficult, if not impossible, to predict what those consequences will be. Perhaps without realizing it, they share John Deweys admission that every idea, every thinker imperils a stable world. Questioning orthodoxy and illusion, exposing fraud and deceit, condemning injustice and oppression, thinkers and ideas may seem to be only and ever disruptive. They bring not enlightenment, assurance, and hope; rather, they intensify confusion, anxiety, and despair.

The fear and suspicion of ideas and intellect rest on historical foundations buried deep in the American consciousness. Americans have long associated the life of the mind at once with diabolical cunning and naive impracticality. Moreover, intellectual distinction, perhaps even more vividly than differences in wealth, violates the American commitment to equality. It is inherently undemocratic and inegalitarian. Nor has the restlessness attendant upon American life favored a more reflective or philosophical habit of mind. Having fled Europe, Americans continued westward, trying always to outdistance the encroachments of civilization. This quest for the open spaces, for the distant frontier, for the trackless wilderness brought with it an embrace of the simple, the natural, and the primitive. Nowhere more than in America has the longing to shuffle off the complex arrangements of an advanced culture recurred with such frequency. The hope, wrote Jacques Barzun, is that getting rid of what is will by itself generate new life.

Early in the history of the United States, then, learning came to be associated with useless pursuitsat best a mere adornment to the serious business of life, at worst an unaffordable luxury or a thoroughgoing impediment. Intellectual excellence often isolated its beneficiaries, depriving them of the common touch and placing them at a conspicuous disadvantage. But if learning has bred arrogance and condescension, it has also encouraged a humility of mind and a discipline of the soul. Such an awareness may yet prompt skeptics to reconsider the life of the mind, viewing it not as a menace but as a complement to character, practicality, and common sense. If they refuse to do so, then ignorance and vulgarity may come to be as important in marking American distinctiveness as the commitment to independence, freedom, equality, and opportunity. So much so that the purpose of America itself may be transformed to show the rest of the world how muchor how littlea people can accomplish without a decent respect for intellect, learning, and culture.

The Imaginative Conservative applies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politicswe approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please consider donating now.
Dear Annie: When my moms husband died, we moved her from another state to an assisted living facility a few miles from our house.

We run errands for her, handle her bills and occasionally take her out for a meal, and we have her over one day every week for a home-cooked meal. After several years, she has never offered to buy us a meal, not even for a special occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary. There has been no acknowledgment of our new normal. She does say thank you for each task.

My moms daughter, a half sibling of mine, lives in another state. She has never sent us a gift card for our efforts. Money is not a barrier for either of them; they are well-off. We feel that we would never treat a family caregiver this way. But are we expecting too much from Mom and my half sister? Its really the thought, not the money, that counts.

 Underappreciated

Dear Underappreciated: Im sure Mom treated you to many meals the first 18 years of your life. Think of this role reversal as a chance to repay her. Perhaps shes not offered to chip in for any meals because shes on a limited income or living off savings.

Your half sister, though, really ought to step up more. Perhaps you could talk to her and express how much you would appreciate her help in caring for Mom. You shouldnt feel guilty for asking this. Shes her mom, too, and she should want to help her.

Lastly, if youre simply seeking some acknowledgment that what you are doing is good and kind, let me say: It is. And deep down, your mom probably appreciates it more than words can say.

Dear Annie: Thank you for encouraging the young woman who wrote about living with her alcoholic father to connect with Alateen. Its a powerful program  one that has helped many young people and their families.

Seeing as the young woman also said she is connected to her church, Id encourage her to talk with her pastor, her youth leader or some other responsible and caring adult in the congregation. Alcoholism and other addictions and mental illnesses so often result in the isolation she is experiencing, and her faith community could be part of the web of support she needs.

A responsible faith leader  who can keep confidences  can be a good ally, both as a listening ear and as a resource person if the situation with her father escalates.

In addition, knowing whats going on in a family can help the pastor, youth leader or other responsible adult pay better attention, even without taking any kind of direct action. Finally, it can remind the faith leader to lift up in prayer, without naming specific individuals or families, everyone whose life is touched by addiction or mental illness. Just as we pray for those dealing with physical illnesses, such as cancer and heart disease, we need to pray for those living with mental health or addiction issues and those who love and care for them.

Again, thank you for your care for the young woman and all who write to you  and especially for the good advice you offer them.

 Rev. Talitha Arnold

Dear Rev. Arnold: Thank you for your thoughtful letter. Because she mentioned her involvement with her church, I should have thought to recommend her faith leaders as an additional resource. That was a missed opportunity. Ive passed your message along to Sick and Afraid, and Im printing it here for any young person in a similar situation.

Dear Annie: I would like to reiterate your advice to Motherless in the Midwest, whose mother seems to hate her. I hope that your sentence, Your mom has her limitations, for whatever reason; this is as much as she can give you, resonated with the writer so that she can find peace.

My mother was verbally and physically abusive. I severed the relationship in my early 20s despite all my friends saying, But shes your mother!

The anger I carried controlled my life until my early 40s, when, through counseling, I finally accepted that my mother did the best she knew  as she was abused as a child. However, I wouldnt keep a friend who treated me as my mother did, so it was the right decision for me to walk away and finally let go of all the hurt and disappointment.

Im happy to say that I have done much better with my own daughter  not without our own struggles  but we have a very close relationship.

 Been There, Too

Dear Been There, Too: In the face of persistent toxic behavior, detachment is often the best and only option. Though Im sure it wasnt easy, Im glad you were able to make the right decision for yourself and forge a healthier relationship with your own daughter. Im printing your letter here for anyone trying to find the courage to do as you did.

Annie Lane, a graduate of New York Law School and New York University, writes this column for Creators Syndicate. Email questions to dearannie@creators.com.
HASTINGS  The Hastings College Student Education Association (SEA) received the Nebraska Education Associations Local Excellence in Social Justice Award during the National Education Association Student Program Summer Leadership Conference in Boston, Mass.

The award honors the chapters active application of social justice efforts and service learning initiatives.

I started to get excited when they began to announce the programs and service learning projects the winning school did. When they said the association even finds a way to pay for a students SEA membership fees if they need assistance, that was when I was certain it was us, said Ann Auten, instructor of teacher education.

As the SEA advisor, Auten submitted an essay detailing the chapters definition and practice of social justice as part of the application for the award. Nebraska SEA leaders encouraged Hastings College to enter the competition. The teacher education departments fair is not equal, fair is providing what is needed for an equal chance at success mindset, combined with a record of SEAs volunteerism in the Hastings community, helped portray the colleges real-world social justice efforts.

In 2016-17, the Hastings chapter of SEA made 1,000 sandwiches for the Open Table community sack lunch program; donated four totes of canned goods to the Food4Thought backpack program; volunteered at Big Brother Big Sisters bowling events, the local Special Olympics and the Royal Family Kids Camp Chili Kickoff; and painted the playground at Doniphan-Trumbull Elementary School, among a variety of other service learning projects.

All of our education majors at Hastings College are required to be a part of SEA, so its important for them to take advantage of chapter activities like this, Auten said. Some of these activities are encouraged through the classroom, and SEA would not be a strong organization at Hastings College without this full support from our teacher education faculty.

Hastings Colleges Local Excellence in Social Justice Award was one of three recognitions given to Nebraska at the national conference. Tahj Willingham of Denver, Colo.; Casey Molifua of Hastings; and Steven Dunham of Midwest City, Okla., accepted the award on behalf of Hastings College.

Willingham, Molifua and Dunham also attended meetings for the Ethnic Minority on a national committee for developing strategies to recruit students of various ethnicities for the teaching profession.

Theres a stat that says black students who have just one black teacher during their elementary school years have a lower risk of dropping out, Willingham said. But so many students never had a teacher that looked like them, so theyve never even considered becoming a teacher themselves. The discussions we had at the conference were focused on finding a solution to this lack of diversity among teachers.
A few hundred people stood near the railroad crossing at Oak and South Front Streets as the Nebraska150 Express rolled down the tracks Sunday.

The whistle-stop in Grand Island Sunday was one of seven made by the Nebraska150 Express to celebrate Nebraskas 150th birthday.

This is one of 13 key programs and events that we planned to celebrate the sesquicentennial. We started the celebration in January, said Regan Anson, executive director of the Nebraska150 Celebration. The train trip is an opportunity for us to go across the state and celebrate statewide in communities all across Nebraska. Its been so much fun stopping in these communities and meeting with Nebraskans. Every route has been different.

As the Nebraska150 Express stopped at the crossing, Gov. Pete Ricketts, First Lady Susanne Shore and Union Pacific Corp. CEO Lance Fritz waved to the crowd from a caboose at the end of the train. Mayor Jeremy Jensen greeted them before they gave a few remarks to the crowd.

Its not very often you get to go to a birthday party where something is 150 years old, Jensen said. There is no cake because we couldnt get a cake that big. So what we did instead was we thought wed just invite Gov. Ricketts, First Lady Susanne Shore and their team here to help us celebrate.

In her remarks, Shore told the crowd she was impressed by the number of people who showed up for Sundays rally. She added this made her proud, considering the planning that went in to make the event a reality.

We have been planning (Nebraska 150 activities) all year long, Shore said. Weve been having lots of activities. Our goal was to bridge communities and individuals and build upon those connections.

Ricketts said he felt it was appropriate for Fritz and Union Pacific to be at Sundays rally as it grew up with the state and helped to bind not only our country together, but out entire country together. Fritz echoed Ricketts in his comments.

In an interview with The Independent after Sundays rally, Jensen said he was proud Grand Island had the ability to help the state celebrate its sesquicentennial. He added Union Pacific played not only a significant role in the development of Nebraska, but Grand Island as well.

When you look back at the history of Grand Island, the railroad has played a tremendous part of that, Jensen said. You look at the Burlington Northern Santa Fe tracks bisecting the Union Pacific tracks here and all of the history that is there. It is certainly the reason we are a community the size that we are.

Also at Sundays rally, Shore presented Jensen with a sesquicentennial medallion at the rally, which Fritz said was a gift from Union Pacific. Jensen said he plans to display the medallion at City Hall.

Marvin Webb, equipped with a Union Pacific hat, said his father was employed with the railroad in North Platte for 30 years. He said he chose to attend Sundays rally to cherish his childhood and family history with Union Pacific.

It is something that I think is really important to recognize with the 150th anniversary of the state and how the railroad was part to that building of Nebraska, Webb said.

Pam Clausen said she chose to attend the rally because it provided a rare opportunity for her to witness a whistle-stop.

Its kind of a historical event that is meaningful to the town, she said. I thought it would be fun to see the kids come out and play in the band, as well as to see what a whistle-stop is like.

The Grand Island Northwest High School band and the Grand Island Senior High cheerleaders performed prior to the Nebraska150 Express arrival.

Lori Lary, a server at Kinkaider Brewing Co. walked the crowd, hoping to lure people into the business with its specials and special menu devoted to the Nebraska150 Express stop in Grand Island. She added she hoped to see an increase in business from the whistle-stop that was a few blocks away from Kinkaider.

Those in attending the rally said they were impressed not only with the rally, but also with the size of the crowd. Jensen said he was impressed with how many people showed up for the rally.

Its exciting, he said. Any time you have an event like this, you hope that it creates enough buzz and excitement that people want to be involved, but you never really know for sure until you actually show up. Looking out from the stage and seeing so many faces, it certainly is an honor for me to represent our community with our states dignitaries.
Mitch McConnell is helping the Trump presidency fail. Thats not the outcome the Senate Republican leader intended, of course. But thats what he achieved last week when he presided over the apparent collapse of his partys seven-year campaign to repeal Obamacare.

Presidents succeed when they deliver on their core campaign promises, and tend to fail when they dont. A president who thinks strategically tries to begin his tenure with a legislative victory, to bolster an image of competence and strength.

Instead, President Trumps first big legislative effort just ended in a stinging loss. Theres plenty of blame to go around, but McConnell, the owlish Kentuckian with a now-dented reputation as a legislative wizard, was the man in charge.

What went wrong?

First, McConnell and his Republicans had no plan  in part because they never expected Trump to win the presidential election. That meant many GOP senators had never done the hard work of figuring out what kind of Obamacare replacement they wanted, and what compromises they might accept if they ever had a chance to negotiate. There was no consensus about the kind of policy outcome they were seeking, beyond something they could call repeal.

Second, McConnell didnt use the regular legislative process. Instead of sending health care to Senate committees for deliberation, he assembled a panel of 13 GOP senators, all white men, to write a bill behind closed doors.

That had two effects. It locked Democrats out of the process. And it offended Republicans who werent included.

There was a pragmatic reason for the backroom process. McConnell and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan decided to make Obamacare part of a budget bill that would need only 51 votes to pass. That, they thought, meant they wouldnt need any Democratic help, so they didnt even try to take a bipartisan approach. The strategy would also allow them to make the bill a vehicle for cutting taxes.

But the strategy backfired. Sen. John McCain of Arizona complained that the leadership produced a proposal behind closed doors in consultation with the administration, then (sprang) it on skeptical members, trying to convince them its better than nothing  a direct rebuke to McConnell.

Finally, the process went from bad to worse, culminating in a grotesque proposal  the skinny repeal  that McConnell promised would never become law. He asked Republican senators to ignore its substance and vote for it as an act of pure party loyalty. Three of them  McCain, Lisa Murkoswki of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine  refused.

McConnell was not the only architect of this failure. Trump helped. Although the president exhorted Republicans to pull together behind something, it was clear he didnt really care what the something was. His lobbying effort consisted largely of warning GOP dissidents that hed punish them if they didnt fall in line. And the bluster didnt sway the three holdouts.

Indeed, its hard to avoid believing that McCain relished the chance to defy a president who had not only derided him for being captured during the Vietnam War, but accused him of neglecting veterans.

The impact of this failure is bigger than just Obamacare. It hampers the prospects for the rest of Trumps ambitious legislative agenda  including the centerpiece of the administrations economic program, a massive tax cut.

On the coming tax bill, just as on health care, Trump and GOP legislators havent settled on specific goals. Just as on health care, they hope to pass the measure with only Republican votes. In other words, they plan to try the same strategy over again, hoping for different results.

Right now, that doesnt seem likely to work. For one thing, Democrats have been emboldened to resist. And Democratic base voters, energized by the Obamacare fight, will demand that they do.

For another, as the Trump administration careens sideways, Republican legislators are feeling freer to push back. Last week, for example, they passed a bill imposing new sanctions on Russia that the White House initially opposed.

Who can blame them? Theyre dealing with a chaotic White House that cant seem to manage internecine staff squabbles, much less a legislative strategy. They seem less enthusiastic than before to defer to the wishes of a president whose popularity may still be sinking.

McConnell is famous for rarely displaying emotion. But on Friday, as he announced at nearly 2 in the morning that his effort to repeal Obamacare had failed, the Kentuckians voice wavered and nearly cracked.

This is a disappointment, he said. A disappointment indeed.

He was mourning more than merely the failure of one attempt to repeal Obamacare. He was seeing an entire legislative program heading into danger.

Without a victory somewhere, McConnell, Ryan and Trump wont have much to show voters in 2018. Theyll rail at Democrats for obstruction, of course. But theyll have only themselves to blame.
The Chandigarh Police has recovered CCTV footages from five cameras.

Even as political pressure mounts on Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala to quit post after his son was allegedly found stalking a woman in Chandigarh, the defiant minister has refused to step down.

A senior Haryana IAS officer, Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Eish Singhal said: "We are investigating the case with an open mind. If any section has to be added at a later stage, we will do it."

A party leader from the state also questioned what the victim was doing out so late at night. Why did she step out at midnight, Ramveer Bhatti, a leader from the BJP's state unit, asked.

BJP leader Shania NC also received a lot of flak for her tweet about the incident. However, she deleted the controversial tweet later.

Reacting on the incident, Lieutenant Governor Puducherry, Kiran Bedi said, "My response is strictly according to media coverage of Chandigarh stalking case, my assessment is that the accused should not have been allowed to be let out on bail without due verification and interrogation. His custody ought to have been sought to verify the allegations. Also should have sent him/ them for a medical check up if they did not. I do not know. Rest then would have fallen in place. Police would have played a more JUST role in sensitive crime as of stalking and alleged attempt to kidnap."

Earlier today, Kuldeep Barala, nephew of Subhash Barala, used the social media to target Varnika raising questions over her character. Interestingly, Kuldeep himself is accused of abducting a minor girl and a case was registered against him on May 8, 2017.

BJP Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy said that he is going to file a public interest litigation (PIL) in the case of "attempted abduction of a IAS officer's daughter by two drunk goons" in Chandigarh.

Varnika Kundu and her IAS officer father Virender have vowed to fight for justice, saying that they will not bow down under any pressure.
It is tempting to bask in the daily dose of palace intrigue these days at the Trump White House, but the running narratives of who reports to whom are not ultimately important. What matters is the path forward for the presidents agenda, and whether it is helped or hindered by the ever-changing cast of characters.

Change itself is not usually helpful. The ideal is to see a team selected, then watch it harmoniously coalesce on a smooth, sure path toward its goals.

Thats not this presidency. But in fairness, thats not any presidency. Every administration has its sharp-elbowed infighting; this one simply has a special talent for putting it in a display window.

Amid turnover of this dizzying pace, the first question is: Are we upgrading at every position?

Sean Spicer to Sarah Huckabee Sanders as press secretary? Yes. Reince Priebus to John Kelly as Chief of Staff? Yes. Anthony Scaramucci to his successor as communications director? Without even knowing that successor yet? Yes.

Scaramuccis arrival and exit both warrant examination. His arrival showed Donald Trumps desire to work with people who resemble him. His departure shows Trumps unwillingness to work with people who embarrass him.

This is where the Trump haters step up to suggest theres irony in someone as brash as Trump possibly being embarrassed by the language of anyone in his sphere. But no Trump tweet or other public comment comes close to the reckless, inexplicable idiocy of Scaramuccis vulgar rant to a New Yorker reporter. The president likes fighters, but will not tolerate underlings who mortify critics and supporters alike for no reason.

So does the arrival of a retired Marine general as chief of staff bring instant discipline? It brought Scaramuccis instant departure and delivered an instant message. From here on out, its anybodys guess. Kelly will almost surely enforce a certain decorum among the ranks, but do not expect him to constrain the instincts of his boss.

Nor should he. The Trump tweets are the engine that inspires and delights his base, even as enemies float withering tales of Russia collusion.

But even the most loyal portions of that base are eager to see some actual results. The Obamacare repeal failure has not been his fault, and there is no doubt that the half-year of Trump has ushered in an America that feels very different in terms of borders, the economy, energy and various social issues, just for starters. Those changes have been welcomed by the vast majority of voters who sought exactly this type of change.

But as John Kelly plugs in to whip the troops into shape toward goals like tax reduction and regulatory reform, history observes that chiefs of staff are rarely famous and rarely long-serving; Barack Obama had four in his first term. The best evidence that Kelly is doing his job will be how seldom he appears in the headlines.

That will be a challenge in a carnivorous media environment that will obsess at the slightest whiff of a West Wing soap opera. The best thing Kelly can do is enforce message discipline around the Oval Office while the man inside figures out what his daily or hourly passions are.

At no point will this come to resemble a White House akin to what any of Trumps 2016 rivals might have rolled out. At no point will it resemble any White House, ever.

John Kelly is a welcome asset who can be of great value, but the direction of the Trump administration will not be dictated by anyone but the president himself.
In 1969, President Richard Nixon formally declared a war on drugs that would be directed to combat the use of illicit drugs in the U.S. This and other wars, such as the war on gangs or war on cancer have come to signify major efforts by the federal government against something they perceive as a threat.

In past articles in this column I have written about concerted efforts by some groups and conservative media to diminish funding for higher education, defame college education as a passport to better standards of living, portray colleges and universities as liberal nests out of control, and promote anti-intellectualism. But now, in the last two weeks, we have seen signs of major efforts by the federal government to undermine some of the basic tenets of how colleges and universities, both private and public, operate.

In addition to efforts by state legislators in Iowa and Missouri to eliminate tenure in public institutions, now the federal government is working on weakening policies and practices against sexual violence and harassment on campuses and defying efforts by many colleges and universities to provide educational opportunities to people traditionally underrepresented in higher education.

Among the few things that were mentioned during the last presidential campaign about higher education policy from the Republican side was criticism of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. Since virtually all colleges and universities in this country receive some kind of federal financial support, that means that this law applies to almost all of them.

Just two weeks ago The New York Times published a statement from Candice E. Jackson, acting assistant secretary for civil rights in the Department of Education, in which she said that 90 percent of campus sexual-assault complaints "fall into the category of we were both drunk, or 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." Jackson did not cite the source of the 90 percent figure. She later retracted her statements after an overwhelming negative reaction in social media by victims of sexual assaults on campuses and from Title IX administrators at colleges around the country.

Then, last week, the same newspaper published the contents of an internal memo from the Justice Department indicating that it would begin redirecting resources from other efforts in order to investigate, and potentially sue, colleges and universities over admissions decisions that are perceived as discriminating against white applicants. The story reported that the departments new effort was likely to be run out of its front office, which is staffed by political appointees rather than career department officials.

Again, the reaction was swift and intense from campus advocates and legal experts, especially because the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed colleges and universities to implement practices to increase ethnic diversity through admissions policies because it deemed that diversity on campuses has an educational value. It was also seen as an action aimed at scaling back the role the Justice Department has had traditionally in protecting civil rights. On the other hand, representatives from conservative groups welcomed the news because it fits into their long-held narrative that whites, males, and Christians are persecuted in this country.

A Justice Department official later sent The Chronicle of Higher Education  the main publication reporting on issues in higher education a written statement saying that the memo was a personnel posting that did not reflect a new policy or program or any changes to longstanding DOJ policy. The statement added that whenever theres a credible allegation of discrimination on the basis of race, the department will look into it.

Jackson, the Department of Education official mentioned earlier, also told The Chronicle that the Trump Administration was not pursuing any social agenda. Jackson has expressed in the past that she herself had been the victim of racial discrimination for being white.

What are the tools that the federal government has to push its political agenda? For one thing, it can randomly choose colleges and universities to demand extensive data supporting their limited use of race in admissions. Although institutions of higher education are supposed to compile such evidence already, scrutiny and fear of litigation may create an additional burden on those institutions. The government could then use the data gathered to sue the college in question and to attempt to re-litigate the case against race-conscious admissions before the Supreme Court in order to get a more favorable outcome for their agenda. This scenario would likely become a reality if the Trump administration gets to appoint new justices to the Supreme Court.

An even scarier tool the government has is its ability to withhold federal funding to those institutions that violate its agenda, crippling them in areas such as student aid and support for scholarly activities.

If we put all this information in the context of the current political climate in this country, with the Justice Department already threatening p to hamper financial aid to cities that have declared themselves sanctuaries against federal government actions to massively deport undocumented immigrants; its plans to curtail legal immigration to those who, among others, already speak English; its incessant efforts to control womens bodies through legislation and the belief that some women ask to be raped by the way they dress, then you can see what kind of political agenda is behind all this.

The question is, who will speak in favor of those colleges whose policies are aimed at being fairer toward women and minorities? Besides statements by some little-known experts, we dont hear voices from the higher education community such as college presidents, partially because they are afraid that the federal government will retaliate against their institutions.

If the federal government war on higher education has begun, where are the leaders to defend colleges and universities from its abuse?

Dr. Aldemaro Romero Jr. is the Dean of the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences at Baruch College-CUNY. He can be contacted through his website at: http://www.aromerojr.net.
The Edwardsville Police Department and Edwardsville High School are proud to announce that we have recently partnered with the Anderson Softwares P3Campus mobile app, to provide a seamless and efficient way for students, staff, and community members to offer information to help prevent tragedy and bring mental health needs to light.

Through the use of the Alliance Text-a-Tip program, Edwardsville High School students will be able to report a wide range of concerns, from mental health issues to threats of violence, all while remaining anonymous. The app also allows students to attach photos, screenshots, videos, documents or audio recording to their reports, in addition to engaging in two-way dialogue with a real person. Members of the Edwardsville Police Department School Resource Officer Program, EHS school administrators, and mental health professionals will work together to ensure every students needs are met.
Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala refuses to step down.

The police has also denied any kind of political pressure. Not under any pressure, if we were why would we register FIR on very first day?," Eish Singhal, SSP Chandigarh said.

The police also said they are analysing the CCTV footage. "We are investigating the case from every angle, all cases are different and should not be compared," Eish Singhal.

A party leader from the state now questioning what the victim was doing out so late at night. Why did she step out at midnight, Ramveer Bhatti, a leader from the BJP's state unit, asked today in response to the Chandigarh stalking case.

The victim Varnika Kundu and her IAS officer father Virender have vowed to fight for justice, saying that they will not bow down under any pressure.

Sources told India Today that footages of the CCTV cameras installed at Sector 9 market from where the accused allegedly bought the liquor, petrol pump and Sector 7 market where the accused consumed liquor and started chasing the victim, are missing.

The CCTV footage from the cameras installed on the traffic lights of Khalsa College at Sector 26, transport lights, Kalakram lights and also Housing Board lights is also not available. The accused, driving an SUV, passed through all these places.

Varnika Kundu, the daughter of a senior IAS officer, complained that Vikas Barala and his friend Ashish Kumar stalked her on the streets of Chandigarh while she was in her car, on her way back home.

The two men, who were driving an SUV, were allegedly drunk at the time and, according to Varnika, tried several times to force her car to stop. While speaking to India Today, Varnika said there also was an attempt to abduct her.
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Linkedin Henry Kusuma Adikara (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 15:26 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abbcc28 3 Opinion digital-economy,Indonesia,financial-technology,fintech,#fintech,economic-outlook,economic-growth Free

In 2015 the government launched the 2020 Go Digital Vision campaign to boost the countrys digital economy. Among key targets are helping one million farmers and fishermen to go digital, creating 1,000 local tech startups valuedat a total of US $10 billion, and becoming the largest digital economy in Southeast Asia by 2020.

McKinsey in its report titled Unlocking Indonesias digital opportunity in 2016 predicted that digital economy would contribute to the national economy to the tune of $150 billion annually by 2025. Google and Temaseks study in 2016 also revealed that Indonesia would become Asias digital economic powerhouse.

To unleash the digital economy potential, several initiatives have been done by the government.

For example, the national e-commerce roadmap was set up to support the development of the local e-commerce ecosystem, to fund the e-commerce startups, to protect consumers, and to double down on cybersecurity.

Further, the e-commerce entrepreneurs are being eased in processing business licenses as they just need to register their business with startup associations, such as the Indonesia E-Commerce Association (idEA), instead of applying through a government business registration office. Another initiative is to increase the broadband networks all over Indonesia.

However, despite huge potential and its governments supportive initiatives, the countrys digital market still face challenges.

To start with, limited access to technology is still persistent. The data from the Internet Live Stats indicates that until 2016, internet penetration in Indonesia still stood at 20.4 percent. The rate is less than one-third that of Malaysia which was 68.6 percent in the same year.

Internet access is mostly enjoyed in the capital and provincial capitals such as Surabaya in East Java, Bandung in West Java, Medan in North Sumatra, Padang in West Sumatra and Makassar in South Sulawesi,. Access is still poor in smaller cities, and even worse in remote areas. Despite the government support of the digital ecosystem, such as the Palapa Ring project, we have yet to see the real outcome in far-flung parts of the archipelago.

Secondly, Indonesia still lacks digital competitiveness. The Harvard Business Reviews recent release titled 60 Countries Digital Competitiveness, Indexed showed that Indonesia still has to work hard to increase its digital competitiveness.The release was based on the joint research between Harvard Business School, the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and Mastercard, creating the Digital Evolution Index 2017.

The index maps out the reviewed countries into four zones with the descending order, namely Stand Out, Stall Out, Break Out, and Watch Out. In ASEAN, Indonesia is standing on the Break Out zone, and still far behind Singapore in the Stand Out zone, and even behind Malaysia, among leaders in the Break Out zone. As a Break Out country, Indonesia is still held back by relatively weak infrastructure and poor institutional quality.

Thirdly, heavy reliance upon cash transaction would definitely diminish Indonesias digital competitiveness. The above McKinsey report showed that e-commerce businesses in Indonesia are constrained by the absence of diversified financial products and heavy dependence oncash payment.

Also, according to Mastercard, as of 2013, non-cash payments accounted only 3.1 percent of the total value of consumer payments in Indonesia, and were far behind those of Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, accounting for 69 percent, 45 percent, and 41 percent respectively, out of the total value of consumer payments, in their respective countries.

In fact, to maximize the digital economy potentials in Indonesia, the use of cashless mobile payment should be heightened.

What to do next?

To address the major challenges, the government should apply strategic yet sweeping measures.

First, focus on creating quality instead of quantity-based digital economy. Indonesia must change its own perception to no longer create more and more e-commerce, but focus more on quality digital business.

Indonesia has to learn from countries focusing on quality digital economy that have proved themselves to be more competitive and indexed higher digitally than Indonesia worldwide. Take Malaysia. Why does Malaysia, with a smaller population compared to that of Indonesia and India, become one of the leaders in the Break Out zone, not them? Because it has more quality digital competitiveness, such as better internet penetration, digital infrastructure, more accessible cashless infrastructure, and advanced tech-savvy society.

Second,creating a gradual cashless society. Indonesia must strive its best to build a conducive ecosystem for more non-cash payments. They have to educate and stimulate public, small and medium enterprises, and technopreneurs to start doing business using digital transactions. However, care and prudence must be applied when implementing it to prevent public confusion; lets learn from Indias radical cashless transaction policy.

Without implementing an integrated and holistic approach to achieving the vision, the governments current digital initiatives will only act as a drag on reaching the 2020 Go Digital Vision.

---------------

We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to community@jakpost.com.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 09:38 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97ababea2 4 Books Literature,Asean-literary-festival,Kota-Tua,Indonesian-writers,Book,writers,tolerance,freedom-of-expression Free

During the ASEAN Literary Festival, which took place over the weekend at West Jakartas famed Kota Tua heritage site, a number of talks took place on the freedom of expression in literature in countries where writing anything remotely subversive may mean the end of ones career.

To encourage literary freedom, writers need to be assured of the power of words, whether through fictional stories or work in the media sector, in shaping society.

Many of the seminars at the festival focused on the plight of writers in surviving and navigating the Indonesian writing landscape. Writers tend to run into social barriers, such as the increasing amount of religious intolerance and heightened sensitivity, while those working in the media have largely been affected by these barriers in disseminating proper news stories.

Future writers: Children attend the 4th ASEAN Literary Festival in Kota Tua, West Jakarta. (ASEAN Literary Festival/File)

Currently working on a book titled Shoot the Messenger, veteran Australian journalist Andrew Fowler shared his experiences in working with global whistleblower organization WikiLeaks and with fellow Australian journalist Julian Assange.

In a talk at the festival on Saturday, he discussed working as a journalist, saying that, while he acknowledged that the fate of print journalism was being challenged by page view-oriented  and therefore content-jeopardizing  digital outlets, mainly from aggregators such as Facebook and Google, he remains hopeful that print journalism will continue to stay grounded, as it tends to not emphasize page views.

The most important factor of journalism is being heard, he explained, while the point of the job is to, above all, deliver truthful and accurate information. But Fowler also said that it did not hurt to have slight sensationalist tendencies to attract readers or make stories engaging.

In the end, you cant lecture your audience. You need to entertain. But dont let that be the main point of your journalism, said Fowler, a correspondent for Australian Broadcasting Corporation investigative journalism television program Four Corners.

Having recently reported on the East Timor crisis, Fowler commented on how it was fascinating to see discussions take place about the plight of writers in Indonesia in a manner that was much more open than in years past.

Malaysian writer Faisal Tehrani (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

In another talk that highlighted the issues of literary freedom, Malaysian author Faisal Tehrani spoke of his experiences as an outspoken writer in a conservative country.

The 42-year-old Tehrani has seen six of his books be banned in Malaysia, with the most recent instance occurring in 2014, when the Malaysian Home Ministry banned the publication of his book Perempuan nan Bercinta at the request of Malaysias Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM). The book has feminist undertones, following a female main character who fights for womens rights in Malaysia.

In his lecture titled Why I Resist, Tehrani said that progress toward human rights in his country ultimately fell in the hands of dissident writers like him.

I write because I demand to have my rights as a writer that were taken away from me by my government, which should be the one upholding my rights, he said in the talk.

The festival also emphasized the importance of inclusiveness in literature for all ages and groups of people, mainly as a way to foster faith in written works ability to make a change.

This year, the festival introduced a program called National Literature Jamboree, which involves volunteers and ASEAN literary figures who hold seminars, competitions and workshops attended by hundreds of schoolchildren, encouraging them to write.

The programs coordinator, Aqmarina Andira, said that it was a step toward tapping into the potential of the Indonesian youth and fostering critical thinking, social awareness, empathy and creativity through writing.

The festival wrapped up on Sunday with a number of workshops and seminars  some of which involved young poets  on feminism, travel stories, politics and society.
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Linkedin Donny Syofyan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 09:21 1924 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abab3ad 4 Art & Culture Literature,Indonesian-writers,books,#literature Free

Current global literary attention toward and appreciation of Indonesian literature is completely different from, say, 10 years ago. Hamsad Rangkuti, in his capacity as an awardee of a Khatulistiwa Literary Award, got a fellowship to go to England administered by the British Council in the 2000s.

In London, he attempted to publish his manuscript, translated into English by Harry Aveling. Unfortunately, publishers turned down the manuscript.

In responding to this case, an Indonesian publisher said that it was simply a matter of strategy. Others were of the notion that there was something else behind the strategy: British publishing houses were not attracted to Indonesian literature, which is often deemed to be literature from an insignificant part of the world. Going beyond marketing issues, Budi Darma, a professor of English literature at the State University of Surabaya and a senior national literary figure, named it a problem of cultural pride and prejudice.

A long time ago, foreigners were generally interested only in exotic Indonesian novels written by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Ahmad Tohari, Iwan Simatupang and YB Mangunwijaya. The current trend is the other way around. Andrea Hiratas bestselling 2005 semiautobiographical novel, Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Warriors), won the General Fiction Category at the 2013 New York Book Festival. It was also released as a motion picture in 2008 and has been translated into 30 languages in 100 countries.

Despite the soaring trend to go international, it brings another consequence: the problem of quality and quantity. In this world laden with competition and where literature is a commodity in the context of industrialization, productivity is the main goal. Productivity without solid themes will of course crumble.

This basically suggests that literary growth turns East internationally. American literature, for example, had reached its peak so that it was difficult to pinpoint rightly who actually was the great writer after Hemingway, except, probably, Saul Bellow and Toni Morrison. They were, unfortunately, according to James Atlas, actually rhetoricians. New blood is needed, and this blood must also come from outsiders. Derek Walcott from the Caribbean; Bharati Mukherjee from India are refreshing additions to the scene.

Before John F. Kennedy got involved in politics, he wrote Why England Slept, pinpointing the fact Britain was undergoing decline. Even though Kennedy did not talk about literature, English literature was actually in the process of stagnancy. New blood then came, represented by Salman Rushdie and Hanif Kureishi from India, Kazuo Ishiguro from Japan, Timothy Mo from Hong Kong and VS Naipaul from Trinidad.

The turn-to-East inclination of literature is also visible as many travelers and migrant authors write about other countries. Take, for example, the case of I am Malala by Christina Lamb and My Name is Parvana by Deborah Ellis. Christina Lamb is a British journalist and novelist who lived in Pakistan and Afghanistan and Deborah Ellis is a Canadian who also lived in both countries.

I am Malala is about a girl, a victim of Taliban atrocities in Pakistan, while My Name is Parvana is about a girl, also a victim of Taliban atrocities, in Afghanistan. Applying a comparative approach, the findings will be the same: the cruelty to children committed by the Taliban in Pakistan from the point of view of a British author and a Canadian author.

Yet the emergence of Eastern literature should not be seen as the death knell for Western literature. Rather, it refers to fresh life of globalization in that localism does not die and the aspirations of locality has become even stronger.

Have a look, for instance, at the metropolitans throughout the world: each metropolitan has so-called pockets of communities that strive to maintain the cultural identity of the community.

Unlike in the past, for instance, where writers from the UK refused to be considered English writers, because today they identify themselves as Irish, Welsh, Scottish and British writers.

For Indonesian authors, again, the soaring Eastern literature is not surprising considering the current global appreciation for and acknowledgement of recent Indonesian authors. Along with Andrea Hirata, numerous Indonesian writers have succeeded in stepping into the spotlight for their great work, like Eka Kurniawan and Laksmi Pamuntjak. Their next challenge is how to make their work original.

In The Zahir, Paulo Coelho, a Brazilian novelist, wrote that the majority of writers put more emphasis on style rather than content. As a result, their work becomes tedious just because they want to look original. Struggling for style but not for ideas is like a signpost indicating a shortage of themes. Nothing more to dig for and, thus, there is no equal balance between form and content.

***

The writer, a lecturer at Andalas University, is a doctoral student at Deakin University, Australia.
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Linkedin A. Kurniawan Ulung (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 10:49 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abb0744 4 Lifestyle East-Nusa-Tenggara,women-empowerment,gender-equality,photobook Free

Lusiana Yosefa lost her father when she was 6.

She was raised by her mother, who bakes cakes for a living on Lembata Island in NTT.

Now 19, Lusiana still remembers when her father physically abused her mom.

Blood was streaming down the side of my mothers head. Her clothes and marriage certificate were burned. I still cannot accept or tolerate what he did. However, this does not mean that I hate him, she said.

These bitter memories have made her stronger, motivating her to pursue education beyond high school to get a better life and help others.

Besides helping her mother sell cakes in Lembata, Lusiana, who is now studying Physics Education at Nusa Cendana University in Kupang, also works to promote eco-friendly and energy sufficient tools such as lamps, stoves and water filters.

Lusiana and 10 other women aged 15 to 27 from the province share their stories in a photobook entitled Yang Terbit Bersama Matahari: Kisah Perempuan Muda NTT Menuju Kesetaraan (Rise with Sun: Stories of Girls from NTT Reaching Equality). The book was created by Youth Coalition for Girls organization.

Story from the east: A woman enjoys the photo exhibition for Yang Terbit Bersama Matahari (Rise with Sun) at the Senayan City shopping mall in Jakarta in July. (JP/A. Kurniawan Ulung)

The 11 women are participants in a youth empowerment program provided by Plan International Indonesia, an independent humanitarian organization that advances childrens rights and equality for girls.

Photographed by Dwinda Nur Oceani, Hana Sayyida and Valentino Luis, the photobook features over 40 color shots and was exhibited at the Senayan City shopping mall in Jakarta recently. The book shows off girl-power in NTT.

Unlike Lusiana, Elizabeth was abandoned by her boyfriend who ran away after impregnating her when she was a 19-year-old university student.

She still remembers the pain of social stigma as her neighbors ridiculed and scorned her for getting pregnant out of wedlock. She then dropped out of university. However, after giving birth to a baby boy, Elizabeth rose up.

To earn a living, she works as a book-keeper at the furniture shop of her brother. Early in the morning, she sells wrapped rice at traditional markets. She is also studying at a new university where she is known as a bright student.

Juggling university and workplace commitments might sound challenging, but Elizabeth uses it as a way to grow to become a tough and independent woman.

In NTT, discrimination against women has forced many girls to drop out of their 12-year compulsory education program.

Yang Terbit Bersama Matahari: Kisah Perempuan Muda NTT Menuju Kesetaraan (Rise with Sun: Stories of Girls from NTT Reaching Equality) (Plan International Indonesia/File)

Gender discrimination can occur in many forms, ranging from segregation due to out-of-wedlock pregnancy to early and forced marriage.

According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), 27 percent of all senior high school male students in NTT graduated in 2016, compared to 25 percent of female students.

Of people aged 19 to 24 accessing higher education, men outnumber women.

In 2015, 19 percent of women aged 20 to 24 got married before they turned 18.

Another participant in the youth empowerment program, Adelina Tefa, said since Plan International had promoted gender equality and advocated against discrimination against women at her village of Fatulunu in Timor Tengah Selatan in 2014, early marriage had been forbidden.

In my village, there is a regulation that parents have to pay a fine if they wed their underage children, she said.

In Fatulunu, parents will not let their children marry if they have yet to prove that they are financially independent and have life skills.

Every girl must be able to weave fabric, while every boy must know how to farm. We have mastered weaving skills since fourth-grade. If we cannot do that, we may not marry, Adelina said.

In her village, the 22-year-old is busy weaving and developing a farmers group, in which she leads young people to plant vegetables on unused land.

For two years, Adelina has been in charge of monitoring and supervising development projects, such as the maintenance and repair of roads and dams.

The 11 girls in the book have proven that they deserve equal rights and access to economic resources.

The number of unemployed women is bigger than that of unemployed men in the province, which is home to 5.2 million people.

We often see, hear and witness discrimination against girls just because they are girls. For example, they quit school because they are forced to marry, get pregnant out of wedlock, are bullied by schoolmates or are sexually violated, said Sanita Rini, the vice president of the Youth Coalition for Girls, which held the photo exhibit.

This book aims to make more people understand what girls experience in NTT. We hope people will be inspired to promote gender equality, she added.

Through the photobook, the girls roar.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 18:01 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abc4285 1 Art & Culture band,Krakatau-Reunion,Moscow,Performance Free

Indonesian pop/jazz band Krakatau Reunion rocks the audience at the Indonesian Festival in Moscow, Russia on Sunday.

Trie Utami, vocalist of the six-member band, even greeted the audience by saying 'spasiba', Russian for thank you, to thank the audience for their overwhelming support and enthusiasm. Krakatau Reunion is very honored to have been able to perform in Moscow, Trie said as quoted by tempo.co.

The other five members of the band include Indra Lesmana and Dwiki Darmawan on the keyboards, Gilang Ramadhan on the drums, Donny Suhendra playing guitar, and Pre Budhi Darma playing the bass.

In keeping a fun, playful atmosphere on stage, Trie opens the show by apologizing to the Russian audience for not being able to speak Russian, before playfully saying a quick prayer asking that the audience will be able to learn and speak Indonesian soon.

The band played in Hermitage Park, where they were sent by the Boyolali administration in Central Java to represent the region at the Indonesian Festival.

Read also: Bali Blues Festival set to attract music enthusiasts

#festivalindonesiamoscow2017 #gamelan #krakatau #krakataureunion #Repost @julianikit with @insta.save.repost    A post shared by Krakatau Reunion (@krakataureunion) on Aug 6, 2017 at 4:31pm PDT

On stage, they played a number of songs, including "Perjalanan" (Traveling), "Mata ke Mata" (Eye to Eye), "Anyer", "Pengharapan" (Hope), "Kau Datang" (You Came Along), and "Seraut Wajah" (One Face). In addition to the number of songs that featured Trie's mesmerizing voice, the band also played some instrumental pieces that had hints of both jazz and ethnic influences.

Originating from Bandung, the band was formed in 1986; their name inspired by the Krakatau mountain that lies in the Sunda Strait. The mountains eruption had been so powerful that its dust even reached Europe in 2013. The name ended up becoming something beyond mere inspiration, but it also became prophetic.

Krakatau played shows all the world, traveling to countries across Asia, Europe, North America, and even South America.

Dwiki explains that they had actually performed in Moscow eight years ago, in celebration of the anniversary of the Indonesia-Russia bilateral relationship. This was back when they were known as Krakatau; before the band disbanded and got back together, rebranding themselves as Krakatau Reunion, in 2013. (tha/kes)
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Linkedin Karyn Nishimura-Poupee (Agence France-Presse) Fujisawa, Japan  Mon, August 7, 2017 17:07 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abc067f 2 People coding,programmer,developer,Japan,elderly,technology,Masako-Wakamiya Free

When 82-year-old Masako Wakamiya first began working she still used an abacus for maths -- today she is one of the world's oldest iPhone app developers, a trailblazer in making smartphones accessible for the elderly.

Frustrated by the lack of interest from the tech industry in engaging older people, she taught herself to code and set about doing it herself.

The over 60s, she insists, need to actively search out new skills to stay nimble.

"As you age, you lose many things: your husband, your job, your hair, your eyesight. The minuses are quite numerous. But when you learn something new, whether it be programming or the piano, it is a plus, it's motivating," she says.

"Once you've achieved your professional life, you should return to school. In the era of the internet, if you stop learning, it has consequences for your daily life," Wakamiya explains during an AFP interview at her home near Tokyo.

She became interested in computers in the 1990s when she retired from her job as a bank clerk. It took her months to set up her first system, beginning with BBS messaging, a precursor to the internet, before building her skills on a Microsoft PC, and then Apple's Mac and iPhones.

She asked software developers to come up with more for the elderly, but a repeated lack of response led her to take matters into her own hands.

Wakamiya learned the basics of coding and developed 'Hinadan' one of Japan's first dedicated app games for the over-60s -- she is now in such demand that this year Apple invited her to participate at their prestigious Worldwide Developers Conference, where she was the oldest app creator to take part.

Read also: Ten-year-old coder of Indonesian descent amazes Apple CEO

'Source of inspiration'

Masako Wakamiya using the app game 'Hinadan' she developed in her home in Fujisawa, Kanagawa prefecture. (AFP/Kazuhiro Nogi)

'Hinadan' -- 'the doll staircase' -- was inspired by the Hina Matsuri, a doll festival which takes place every March, where ornamental dolls representing the emperor, his family and their guests are displayed in a specific arrangement.

In Wakamiya's app, users have to put them in the correct positions -- a task which is harder than it sounds, requiring memorisation of the complex arrangements.

The app, which is currently only available in Japanese, has been downloaded 42,000 times with hundreds of positive comments from users.

And while these figures are relatively small compared to Japan's big-hitting apps which are downloaded in their millions, 'Hinadan' has proved popular enough that Wakamiya plans to release English, Chinese and possibly French versions of the app before next year's festival.

Its success has propelled her on to the tech world stage, despite the industry's reputation for being notoriously ageist

In Silicon Valley, workers in their 40s are considered old by some firms and according to media reports citing research firm Payscale, the median age for an employee at Facebook is 29 and at Apple is 31.

But international tech firms and start-ups are slowly waking up to the economic potential of providing for silver surfers, and Wakamiya has already met with Apple's chief executive Tim Cook.

Wakamiya recalls: "He asked me what I had done to make sure that older people could use the app. I explained that I'd thought about this in my programming -- recognising that older people lose their hearing and eyesight, and their fingers might not work so well."

"Mr Cook complimented me," she says proudly, adding that he had hailed her as a "source of inspiration".

Read also: New skills to learn via online courses

No time for sickness

Wakamiya concedes that she finds "writing lines of code is difficult" but has a voracious appetite to learn more.

"I want to really understand the fundamentals of programming, because at the moment I only learned the elements necessary for creating Hinadan," she explains.

More than a quarter of Japan's population is aged 65 and above, and this is projected to rise to 40 percent by 2055. The government is struggling to ensure its population remains active and healthy -- and so also see the dynamic octogenarian as an inspiration.

"I would like to see all Japanese elderly people have the same motivation," one official told AFP.

Wakamiya says her ultimate goal is to come up with "other apps that can entertain older people and help transmit to young people the culture and traditions we old people possess".

"Most old people have abandoned the idea of learning, but the fact that some are starting (again) is not only good for them but for the country's economy," said Wakamiya, who took up the piano at 75.

Hinting that her good health is down to an active mind and busy life, she adds: "I am so busy everyday that I have no time to look for diseases."
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Linkedin Maria Magdalena Bhoernomo (The Jakarta Post) Kudus  Mon, August 7, 2017 09:16 1924 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abaab85 4 Art & Culture short-story,#shortstory,life,death Free

Mr. Sanjaya suddenly remembered a scripture: Every living person will surely die.

And perhaps because looking at death is so important, in ancient times the kings left a testament before dying to his heirs. The contents of the testament is essentially a funeral order in a place that has been prepared.

In the history of the world, the tomb is very important. All kings and people who have had great power and wealth, both religious and nonreligious, are fond of preparing the tomb for themselves and their relatives with their luxurious things.

In fact, before or after death, everyone does not know how his fate in the afterlife. Nor will it ever return to the mortal world, after death. While fate in the afterlife, will not be determined by the circumstances of his grave. And no science or religion ensures that a beautiful tomb will determine the beauty of the afterlife or as a reflection of heaven.

But why does everyone think tombs are so important and after death want to have beautiful and even sacred tombs? This question is increasingly worrying Mr. Sanjaya. As a successful entrepreneur, death is considered very important and therefore he does not want to be buried in a public cemetery complex.

I must immediately buy a piece of land that is safest and beautiful for my funeral complex. Mr. Sanjaya murmured as he sat in a rocking chair in front of his wide-open bedroom window. He was getting older and his health was getting more and more disturbed. Every moment, death is getting closer.

Mr. Sanjaya then pictured a small hill near the forest, away from the crowds of the city. It feels like a hill fit for a funeral complex. The hill is still green and cool. When he was a teenager he often shot a bird on that small hill.

Yes, I must prepare the burial complex at the little hill. Ill buy that little hill, whatever it costs and how ever. Mr. Sanjaya mumbled again. Then he ordered his wife and children to buy that little hill. And because the hill is state-owned, the easiest way he chooses is to bribe a number of state officials. Then with a rent system, the little hill can already be officially owned.

Find the best architect to design a beautiful cemetery complex. I and all my relatives must be buried in a beautiful cemetery complex, so that in the future many pilgrims will be visited. Mr. Sanjaya spoke in front of his wife and children; all his relatives deliberately gathered to discuss the construction of the funeral complex he had coveted. All agreed and supported the construction of the funeral complex.

A United States graduate architect is entrusted with designing and realizing a beautiful cemetery complex on a small hill. And after the miniature of the burial complex was completed, it was immediately shown to Mr. Sanjaya.

Mr. Sanjayas eyes widened at the miniature of a beautiful cemetery complex on a small hill. Mr. Sanjaya agrees that although the cost required for the construction of the funeral complex reaches dozens of billions of rupiah. Mr. Sanjaya drained his deposit at several banks. He hopes the construction of the funeral complex will be completed before death picks him up.

How happy it would be if before he died he could see the beautiful cemetery complex that would be the residence of his corpse forever. Mr. Sanjaya is now relieved, because the process of building the funeral complex has already started. Every day he is watching over the workmen who work. They seem very skilled.

After six months, the construction of a beautiful cemetery complex on a small hill was completed and ready to be unveiled. But what is the most appropriate way to inaugurate a funeral complex if the one to be buried is still alive?

In confusion, Mr. Sanjaya got a new idea to inaugurate the funeral complex.

I will hold a party inside the funeral complex by inviting all the local officials, religious leaders and journalists. In that way, journalists will surely report it in their respective media. So my funeral complex will be famous. The public will talk about it and want to visit it. Mr. Sanjaya mumbled as he sat in the rocking chair in front of his open bedroom window.

***

After the opening ceremony of the beautiful cemetery complex on the small hill, the next day the local newspaper published the story. Mr. Sanjaya saw a picture of a funeral complex in the newspaper proudly.

Now I feel ready to die. Mr. Sanjaya murmured with a beaming face. His wife suddenly approached with a glass of honey mixed with herbs.

Every morning, in turmeric, his wife always tells him to drink herbal medicine mixed with honey so that he remains healthy and mighty in his old age.

From now on I do not want to drink herbs mixed with honey again, Mr. Sanjaya refused the beverage.

Do not deliberately refuse to keep fit. This beverage is very nutritious and suitable for you.

But Mr. Sanjaya still refused to drink herbal medicine mixed with honey. He wanted to get sick and quickly die after inaugurating a beautiful cemetery complex on his little hill. Now, for him, life is no longer attractive. He wishes to die soon and then be buried in a grand and solemn funeral procession. He imagined the funeral procession will be covered by a number of print and television journalists then broadcast widely and became the talk of all levels of society.

But its been a year since he inaugurated a beautiful cemetery complex on a quiet, cool little hill and Mr. Sanjaya is getting tired of waiting for death.

One sunny morning, Mr. Sanjaya sat in a rocking chair as he flipped through the newspaper that had just been delivered to him.

He was surprised to see the picture of his funeral complex now increasingly crowded by young people at night. They are paired and often seen making out inside the funeral complex. According to some eyewitnesses, some of the visitors are caught making love inside the complex.

The news made Mr. Sanjaya angry. Soon a discussion was held with his wife and children and relatives who would be buried in the beautiful burial compound if they died.

You must try to keep our funeral complexes in a good image, not a filthy place. The news must be rectified. Call the journalist who wrote it tell him to write another news to rectify the news, Mr. Sanjaya instructed.

Not long after, however, Mr. Sanjaya decided to close the funeral complex to the public. Guards are stationed there day and night to make sure there are no unwelcome visitors.

The next day, Mr. Sanjaya was shocked again to read the public response in the paper. A number of concerned citizens were asking the government to immediately dismantle the funeral complex that has clearly become a morally corrupt place.

The next day, local officials made a statement in the paper that the funeral complex was private and not a local government property. And if it turns out the funeral complex is a morally corrupt place, the blame should not rest with the owner of the complex.

Mr. Sanjaya is getting worried. He began to feel a sense of remorse for having built a beautiful cemetery complex on the small hill, but he was alive and do not know when death will come for him. It was only natural that the empty funeral complex was then visited by young lovers looking for a quiet place to be with each other.

I wonder if my death is delayed because I have prepared the burial complex? Mr. Sanjaya suddenly remembered the myth of delayed death.

In the midst of Javanese society, there has always been a myth about delayed death by the preparation of death. The myth is so popular, so many Javanese who want to live long deliberately prepare the shroud and tombstone for themselves to be used for when death arrives. And it turns out many Javanese live a long life, as if the act of preparation actually keeps death further away.

***

Ten years on, Mr. Sanjaya now feels natural to believe the myth of postponement of death by the preparation of death. After all, he is still alive.

Indeed, his wife and children and all his relatives who would later be buried in the vicinity of his tomb are all still alive. And now, the myth is often the subject of conversations in the community.

Suddenly, almost everyone he knows are imitating his act of preparation. They build burial complexes for themselves and their loved ones. Many community plantation and paddy fields are bought by businessmen and officials to be used as sites for the beautiful cemetery complexes.

The poor are also preparing the tombs for families around their own homes. Some are deliberately making a hole with a burrow in front of the house, or behind the house, in preparation for death that is believed to be able to delay death.

Mr. Sanjaya suddenly felt sad, because he has become a pioneer in the construction of a funeral complex that was followed by many people. Now everyone considers it important to immediately build a funeral complex, or at least build a tomb as a form of preparation for death that can come at any time.

Now more and more people think that building a tomb is more important than building educational facilities to improve human resources and various means to improve the prosperity of living.

I do not think I should feel guilty. The kings and royals of ancient times are to be blamed, said Mr. Sanjaya.

In the following days, Mr. Sanjaya likes to sit in a rocking chair in front of his wide-open bedroom window. Mr. Sanjaya dreams of the coming of death someday soon.

***

Maria Magdalena Bhoernomo is a writer of short stories, poems, essays and novels. She lives in Griya Pena Kudus, Central Java.

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shortstory@thejakartapost.com

We are no longer accepting short story submissions for both online and print editions. New submissions towill not be published.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 10:18 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abad598 1 City HIV-AIDS,HIV,jakarta Free

The Jakarta office of the National AIDS Commission (KPAP) has revealed that the number of people living with AIDS in Jakarta has increased by 563, rising from 8,093 people in December 2015 to 8,656 in December 2016.

Most of the new cases were people who had previously been reluctant to be tested for HIV and went on to develop AIDS , said KPAP's head of prevention promotion for Jakarta, Kristina Suharto.

They didnt know they had HIV and therefore were not on antiretroviral treatment. By the time they finally had themselves checked, they had AIDS symptoms, Kristina said.

Kristina said that despite the increase, the KPAP was optimistic that the spread of HIV/AIDS in Jakarta could be curbed by 2020.

In 2016, the commission started a campaign through its program Fast Track City 2020-Ending the AIDS Epidemic.

The fast-track program aims for 90 percent of people with HIV to be aware of their condition, 90 percent of people diagnosed with HIV to be receiving antiretroviral therapy and 90 percent of people receiving antiretroviral therapy experiencing viral suppression by 2020.

The Health Ministry estimates there are 92, 920 HIV cases in Jakarta. By 2015, it had identified 47,440 cases and expects to identify the remainder by 2020.

Until then we will encourage people to have themselves checked so we can identify those with HIV who aren't unaware of their status, Kristina said. (hol/wit)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 19:25 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abc7322 1 City ahok,basuki-tjahaja-purnama,Buni-Yani,trial Free

Former Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama may not attend a court hearing on Tuesday, in which Buni Yani  the man who edited the subtitles in a video showing Ahok making comments about Islam  will be tried for allegedly spreading hate speech.

Ahok was found guilty of blasphemy against Islam on May 9 based on a video of his speech taken in the Thousand Islands regency, North Jakarta, on Sept. 27, 2016.

Ahoks lawyer, I Wayan Sudirta, said that his client had not mentioned Bunis trial, nor had he received an invitation letter.

To my knowledge, Ahok did not receive the letter [from the Bandung court in West Java, where the trial would take place]. Even if he did, he should have shown it to [his lawyers] and we would then give our opinion, Wayan said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com, adding that the last time he had met Ahok was Friday.

Wayan said that if Ahok did decide to attend the hearing, safety would be a primary concern as previous reports suggested that the former governor  who is serving a two-year prison sentence  had received a number of death threats.

Prosecutors indicted Buni for allegedly spreading an edited video of Ahok making a speech in which he warned residents against parties who used Quranic verses for political gains.

The video triggered uproar, with many accusing Ahok of insulting Islam.

General prosecutor Andi M. Taufik said last month that Ahok would be among four witnesses presented at Bunis trial. (fac)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 17:17 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abc1088 1 Business antam,Showa-Denko,joint-venture Free

The partnership of state-owned diversified mining company PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) and Japanese Showa Denko K.K. has gone into limbo as the latter wants to quit a joint venture company, PT Indonesia Chemical Alumina, while Antam wants to divest some of its shares.

The joint venture company established a chemical grade alumina (CGA) plant in Sanggau, West Kalimantan that has been in operation since 2014.

According to the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), the total investment for the plant reached US$352.2 million.

Antam Finance Director Dimas Wikan Pramudhito said the company owned 80 percent of PT Indonesia Chemical Alumina shares while the rest was owned by Showa Denko.

In 2016, Antam offered some of its shares to Showa Denko but the transaction could not be materialized as some of the terms and conditions were not met.

In July, the Japanese company stated it would quit the joint venture and had written a 10 billion yen (US$90.3 million) loss in investment in their balance sheet.

"After some of terms and conditions were not met, Showa Denko decided to quit, but it had to follow the process. There must be replacement in the joint venture," Dimas explained at Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) on Monday.

Now Antam and Showa Denko have to find themselves a third party buyer to take over Showa Denkos shares and buy some shares owned by Antam that would be divested.

Both companies declined to explain the details of the problem they faced. (bbn)
Haryana police have said that the CCTV footage that could have nailed Vikas Barala in the Chandigarh stalking case, is missing.

By Manjeet Sehgal: The CCTV footage of the surveillance cameras installed along the roads on which a woman was allegedly stalked by Haryana BJP chief Subhash Barala's son Vikas and his friend has been found to be missing.

This has come as a major setback to the police investigation in the high profile stalking case, which involves the son of a powerful Haryana politician and the daughter of a senior IAS officer.

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The Haryana police have already been under public scanner for having released the two accused after dropping charges under two IPC Sections which were more serious in nature.

Now the police has said that the investigating officers failed to get the footage of the CCTV cameras. The police have now written to the department concerned to retrieve the footage.

CCTV FOOTAGE MISSING: THINGS TO KNOW Sources told India Today that footages of the CCTV cameras installed at Sector 9 market from where the accused allegedly bought the liquor, petrol pump and Sector 7 market where the accused consumed liquor and started chasing the victim, are missing. The CCTV footage from the cameras installed on the traffic lights of Khalsa College at Sector 26, transport lights, Kalakram lights and also Housing Board lights is also not available. The accused, driving an SUV, passed through all these places. "The CCTV cameras were switched off or were not functioning. No CCTV footage is available at the moment .Efforts being made to retrieve the same," a source aware of the development said. The CCTV footage could have been crucial in establishing the crime. It might have helped the police make a stronger case against the accused. Non availability of the footage has not only out a question mark on the functioning of the police but also added weight to the speculations and allegations that the police was diluting the case apparently in a nice to save the guilty . Police officials were not available for comment on the issue. The officials were said to be busy in a high-level meeting.

ALSO READ |

Chandigarh stalking: Why was she out so late, asks BJP leader

Chandigarh stalking: Before granting bail, police dropped charges against Vikas Barala

ALSO WATCH | Chandigarh woman stalked by Haryana BJP chief's son narrates ordeal to India Today

--- ENDS ---
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Linkedin News Desk (The Japan News/ANN) Tokyo  Mon, August 7, 2017 19:53 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abc8f13 2 World #Tokyo,#Japan,#Olympics,#Osaka,#OlympicGames,#Paralympics,#ParalympicGames,#hotels Free

The boom in new hotel openings that is under way in Tokyo, Osaka and other big cities ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games is now being felt in regional areas as well.

In particular, foreign luxury hotel chains have been opening new branches in provincial areas, driven by expectations that the surge in foreign visitors to Japan will bring more wealthy travelers and others seeking luxury accommodations.

On July 28, US hotel chain Marriott simultaneously opened five new hotels in five locations including Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture; the Shuzenji area of Shizuoka Prefecture; and the Nanki-Shirahama area of Wakayama Prefecture.

Previously, the hotels had been operated by major real estate developer Mori Trust Co. under the brand name Laforet. Mori Trust, a partner of Marriott, undertook a large-scale refurbishment of the hotels to ensure the quality of the guest rooms and the level of service met the Marriotts requirements and enabled a fresh start.

The five hotels have about 830 guest rooms combined. About 30 percent of the rooms are equipped with onsen hot spring facilities, and one of the hotels, beside Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, even has a planetarium.

The hotels are operated by a subsidiary of Mori Trust. At a press conference on July 26, Mori Trust President Miwako Date said, The interests of foreign tourists to Japan are shifting from things like shopping to the pursuit of fulfilling experiences.

Among other hotel chains, the Park Hyatt group is scheduled to open a new hotel in Niseko, a famous ski resort town in Hokkaido that is popular with foreign skiers.

The Ritz-Carlton chain, meanwhile, plans to open a new hotel in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, in 2020 in a partnership with Tobu Railway Co. The chain already operates hotels in Tokyo, Osaka, Okinawa and Kyoto prefectures.

Behind the series of new hotel openings across Japan is the short supply in accommodation facilities nationwide due to the rapid increase in foreign tourists. According to statistics of the Japan Tourism Agency, the number of foreign visitors who stayed at least overnight in Japan in 2016 increased 5.8 percent from the previous year to 69.38 million. The annual figure was the highest on record.

If the number of foreign tourists reaches the governments goal of 40 million in 2020, experts predict there will be a shortage of hotel guest rooms. An official of Mizuho Research Institute said the shortage would amount to 44,000 rooms mainly in Tokyo and Osaka if the figure is reached.

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This article appeared on The Japan News newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 10:37 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abaf1ae 1 Business BPKH-Haj-Fund-Management-Agency,investment,sukuk,bonds Free

The newly established Haj Fund Management Agency (BPKH) has pledged to match the performance of its Malaysian counterpart -- Tabung Haji (the Pilgrims Management and Fund Board) -- that was established in 1963 and managed Rp 180 trillion (US$13.52 billion) worth of assets in 2015.

The BPKH will manage Rp 99.3 trillion in haj funds, garnered from 3.4 million people who have paid deposits to go on the haj, by investing in sharia-compliant instruments.

The agency aims to be the worlds largest haj fund manager within 10 years through diversified investment with an 8 to 10 percent annual return, said BPKH supervisory board chairman Yuslam Fauzi over the weekend.

Currently the funds are invested only in bonds, sukuk and state securities with a return of between 5 and 6 percent. We believe we can catch up with them [Tabung Haji] in only 10 years, he said in a discussion in Jakarta on Saturday.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo last week inaugurated the executive board of the BPKH, which is tasked with taking over management of the haj fund from Religious Affairs Ministry.

The agency, which is independent according to Law No. 34/2014, is expected to be more capable of managing the fund by selecting more profitable, yet sharia-compliant investment instruments.

Indonesia has sent more than 200,000 people to Mecca on the haj. The waiting list for the haj is 15 to 20 years. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 12:27 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abb403d 1 Business Luhut-Binsar-Pandjaitan,Iran,visit,oil-and-gas-industry Free

Indonesia is seeking a commitment from the Iranian government over an agreement signed by state-owned energy company Pertamina and its Iranian counterpart, National Iran Oil Company (NIOC), in August last year on the exploration of the Ab-Teymour and Mansouri oil and gas fields in Iran.

Pertamina and NIOC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to carry out a preliminary study on the oil and gas fields.

"The discussion about two oil blocks that have around 3 billion barrels of oil reserves have been on and off. We want to know if they will give them to us or not," said Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan over the weekend

Luhut is on an official visit to Iran from Saturday to Monday. He represented President Joko Jokowi Widodo at the inauguration of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday.

Another issue to be discussed during the visit is another MoU between state-owned electricity company PLN and Iranian enterprise Mapna Group signed in February, Luhut added.

"It is about a plan to create an electricity turbine, developed and licensed by Siemens and costing 40 percent less than the one made in Indonesian, he said.

Indonesia and Irans trade balance stood at US$221.31 million between January and October last year, roughly $10 million less than that recorded in the same period in 2015. (dis/bbn)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7 2017

Indonesians fond of jamu  the traditional health drink with a strong and sometimes bitter taste  will feel the loss as one of their favorite brands has gone out of circulation.

PT Nyonya Meneer, the oldest jamu manufacturer and one of the most senior local companies, has met its bitter end after the Semarang Commercial Court in Central Java declared the firm bankrupt on Thursday, putting an end to 98 years in business.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 16:04 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abbe3a9 1 Business JICT,workers,strike Free

The Jakarta International Container Terminal (JICT) management has issued a warning letter to demand the workers to end their strike, a senior JICT executive has said.

We have issued the first warning letter (SP1) to call on workers to return to work, because the strike does not favor any party, JICT vice president director Riza Erivan said in Jakarta on Sunday as reported by kompas.com.

The SP1 is part of the human resources management system and if it is ignored or unheeded, a company can issue second and third warning letter that could end with the workers dismissal.

The workers, who have been on strike since Aug. 3, plans to end their action on Thursday.

Riza said the workers who wanted to resume working were required to complete and to sign a form prepared by JICT management that could be submitted by email or through the company's WhatsApp group.

Riza said the management also guaranteed the safety of those workers who returned to work. We have sterilized the office. They can return to work on Monday (Aug. 7), he added.

The workers had question the payment of US$80 million in rental fees to state-owned seaport operator PT Pelindo II, which they claimed had caused a drop in their annual bonuses.

Riza explained that payments started in 2015, when an agreement between the two companies went into effect.

Meanwhile, JICT finance director Budi Cahyono said JICT management had paid Rp 47 billion ($3.53 million) of the 2016 bonuses in May 2017. (bbn)

Topics : JICT workers strike
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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 14:04 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abbb0ce 1 Business Silangit-airport,Lake-Toba,tourism,Angkasa-Pura-II,Muhammad-Awaluddin Free

State airport operator Angkasa Pura (AP) II is scheduled to finish renovating Silangit Airport in North Sumatra in September to welcome international flights to boost tourist arrivals in the promotion of Lake Toba as a prime destination.

The renovation includes extension of the runaway to 2,650 meters from 2,400 meters, the expansion of apron capacity and the airport terminal with a total investment of Rp 369 billion (US $27.7 million).

The new apron will be able to accommodate two Boeing 737-500 planes and four Boeing 737-900 ER planes, while the renovated terminal will have an increased capacity of 1 million passengers from 36,500 passengers annually.

"The renovation of Silangit Airport will help increase air connectivity to support economic and tourism growth at Lake Toba," AP II president director Muhammad Awaluddin said in an official statement.

As an international airport, Silangit Airport will also be equipped with customs, immigration and quarantine offices.

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia and private carrier Sriwijaya Air and Lion Air Group have expressed interest in flying to international destinations from the airport, said Awaluddin, possibly to Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, to attract tourists, especially from China.

The number of passengers flying to and from Silangit increased threefold in the first half of the year to 124,071 passengers from same period last year. (bbn)
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Linkedin Nethy Darma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura  Mon, August 7, 2017 18:32 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abc56cb 1 National Papua,shooting,Deiyai,Deiyai-shooting-incident,Boy-Rafli-Amar,human-rights,human-rights-abuse Free

Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Pol Boy Rafli Amar has stripped First. Insp. HM. Raini of his position as Tigi Police chief following a fatal shooting incident implicating police personnel in Deiyai regency, Papua, on Aug. 1.

Yulianus Pigai, 28, was found dead with several gunshot wounds to his body while at least nine others sustained injuries when police personnel tried to disperse an angry crowd that had destroyed a construction camp of a contractor firm near the Oneibo River.

Boy has also retracted the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel from Tigi.

They will arrive in [provincial capital of] Jayapura today for further investigation at the Papua Police headquarters. A new Tigi Police chief will be installed in the next few days, the former National Police spokesman said in Jayapura on Monday.

An investigation team led by Papua Polices internal affairs division head has been scheduled to hold a case screening with the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to examine facts and evidence, Boy added.

Read also: Pressure mounts on police over Deiyai shooting

On Sunday night, civil societies and activists held a candle light vigil at the Perumnas II Waena residential complex in Jayapura as an expression of concern over the incident.

The shooting has tarnished Indonesias independence day that will be celebrated this month, rally coordinator Abner Waine said.

Timika Bishop John Saklil also condemned the shooting, calling it an abuse of state apparatus to attack civilians and a cruel crime against humanity.

All perpetrators must be held to account and tried in the human rights court, he said. (bbs)
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Linkedin Fachrul Sidiq (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 15:46 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abbcd8b 1 City Green-Pramuka-City,Dispute,ITE-Law Free

The Jakarta Police have completed a case dossier on a standup comedian who complained about Green Pramuka City apartments in Cempaka Putih and will submit the file to the Central Jakarta Prosecutor's Office on Monday.

The charges against Muhadkly, popularly known as Acho, 31, have sparked concern among right groups and apartment residents, who say his complaints represent their voices.

The suspect is at the Jakarta Police headquarters and the case will be handed over to prosecutors, Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono told The Jakarta Post on Monday morning.

Acho has been named a defamation suspect for writing a complaint on his personal blog after he said he had been repeatedly disappointed by the response to his complaints to the management of Green Pramuka City, where he resides.



In the blog entry posted in March 2015, Acho complained about high parking fees at the apartment compound and the lack of deeds residents should have been given after purchasing apartments. He also advised people to be cautious when considering purchasing an apartment there.

Should prosecutors declare the case dossier complete, Acho will stand trial.

Apartment management firm PT Duta Paramindo Sejahtera reported Acho to the police, accusing him of online defamation. Acho was named a criminal suspect in June and was charged under the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law, which carries a maximum four years' imprisonment.

Members of the public have set up an online petition to urge the developer to drop the case.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Sydney, Australia  Mon, August 7, 2017 14:00 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abba706 2 World refugee,Australia,PNG,human-rights,Nauru Free

Rights groups called Monday for an independent inquiry after another refugee was found dead at a detention camp in Papua New Guinea in a tragedy they said was preventable.

Australia sends anyone who tries to enter by boat without a visa to remote processing facilities in Nauru and on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island. Even those subsequently found to be genuine refugees are barred from settling in Australia.

The Refugee Action Coalition said the Iranian man was found hanging from a tree, although this was not confirmed and it is unclear whether it was suicide.

"This death is yet another bleak tragedy to arise out of the ongoing suffering and tensions on Manus Island," Amnesty International Australia said.

"There must be an independent, impartial, prompt and effective investigation into his death."

The Human Rights Law Centre said the man was the fifth held on Manus to die since Canberra's offshore regime began in July 2013.

"This man deserved to be treated with basic decency and respect. He deserved a chance to rebuild his life in freedom and safety," said Daniel Webb, director of legal advocacy at the law centre.

"Instead, our government chose to be cruel, imprisoning him indefinitely on a remote island in truly awful conditions."

Conditions in the camp, and the other one on Nauru in the Pacific, have been widely criticised by refugee advocates and medical professionals, with reports of widespread abuse, self-harm and mental health problems.
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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 17:20 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abc1acd 1 Business AirAsia,IPO,expansion Free

Low cost carrier AirAsia Group CEO and co-founder Tony Fernandes has announced its plans to push its Indonesian arm, PT Indonesia AirAsia, to have an initial public offering (IPO) this year.

"The IPO is hopefully this year. It's based on the growth of AirAsia Indonesia," he told reporters on Monday.

He declined to elaborate on the expected proceeding from the IPO but he stated that it would depend on the market condition.

The proceeding will be used to expand aviation in Indonesia.

"Buy more planes, basically, and invest in new destinations," he said.

Next year, the Indonesian arm is expected to welcome eight new A320 aircraft, in addition to three A330s for its international legs operated by Indonesia AirAsia X. (bbn)

Topics : AirAsia IPO expansion
Is China trying to win a war without actually fighting one? Is it resorting to playing mind games? The Dragon has a history of using the 'Three Warfares' tactic to win battles. Here are the tactics decoded:

By Pankaj P. Khelkar: China's three-pronged approach to hide its illegal activities and then justify them, all this for its hunger for land and resources and increasing its military might.

While there is still no resolve in the Indo-China Doklam standoff that erupted earlier last month, a new act of transgression by the Dragon has come to the fore - this time encroaching upon the sovereignty of Bhutan.

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The Indian Army was informed by the Bhutan counterpart about the illegal road construction by the Chinese PLA by intruding upon the Bhutanese area so as to gain a strategically important location in Doklam area.

To China's consternation, India did not give in and stood firm to protect Bhutan's land, which China is dubbing as "unnecessary meddling by India in China-Bhutan relations".

Bhutan does not have an Ambassador posted in China and always communicates with the Dragon through the Indian Embassy. But having proclaimed itself as Big Brother in the region, India's stand of protecting Bhutanese land is sure to have angered and upset the Dragon.

With India not ready to listen, China is now resorting to its "Three Warfares" tactic, popular as "San Zhong Zhanfa" in China. This tactical approach is practised on the lines of mass (mis)information sharing so as to misguide and demoralise the opponent's defence forces and its population.

The Think Tank behind this unusal approach is the CMC - The China Military Commision. The CMC had first approved the use of such a move for the PLA - People's Liberation Army in 2003.

The 'Three Warfares' tactics are based on three mutually reinforcing strategies:

MEDIA WAR

Using Chinese Media to misguide their own public and shape international opinion about the present situation, by lying about how China's wrong stand is right, while at the same time garnering support of the international community, so as to justify if PLA takes any military action, China's acts should not be viewed as transgressions but rather as valid responses by the international community.

That is why China is bombarding the media with daily press briefings through its official media. China's nervousness is exhibited by regular and venomous threats by mouthpieces like Global Times and Xinhua.

PSYCHOLOGICAL WAR

With the audio-visual and photos released by Chinese media in the past few weeks of PLA war exercises, China is trying to create an impression that PLA is in such a position that it can assimilate the entire Indian Army in its Indo-China Border. This approach is to undermine Indian defence forces and their motto is to deter, and demoralise Indian military so that they are psychologically on a back foot. At the same time, the morale of the civilian population is also crushed. An example of this is China trying to remind India about the 1962 war while at the same time China says it will interfere in Jammu and Kashmir as well as liberate Sikkim.

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LEGAL WAR

Talking on the Legal Warfare tactic, Lt Gen (retd) Shekatkar said that China's policy is that while dealing with its enemy on a land dispute, it will not leave the rival's area which China has intruded, instead it will demand more land from the enemy in the adjacent area, by bullying it. "This bullying strategy in practise by the Chinese is not only against India but all of its surrounding nations. Only this time it is Bhutan's turn to face the Dragon".

As far as Doklam is concerned, China can respond anywhere militarily, but the Indian government disapproving the Dragon's threatened act has behaved in a composed manner with a balance in military, diplomatic and political channels which the world has considered as a professional approach and this might have further rattled the Red Dragon.

And thus the Chinese have come up with the power of "Three Warfare Tactic" concept. China has designed it to do this to India and India's befitting reply to China should be a united stance as a whole, which means the ruling party, the Opposition, the media and the citizens need to come together to counter it effectively and swiftly.

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ALSO READ | China may conduct military operation to expel India from Doklam, Chinese daily warns

ALSO READ | Doklam border standoff: Will there be an India-China war?

--- ENDS ---
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  Mon, August 7, 2017 18:20 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abc4f06 2 World migrant-workers,Malaysia,lawmaker,ASEAN,human-rights Free

Southeast Asian lawmakers on Monday urged Malaysia to halt a crackdown on migrant workers that has seen more than 6,000 foreigners detained and sparked alarm among rights groups.

Relatively developed Malaysia is a magnet for migrant workers from across Asia in sectors ranging from construction to agriculture, but several million are believed to be undocumented.

Authorities started rounding up illegal workers after an official programme to register undocumented foreigners ended on June 30.

The latest official figures show 6,038 undocumented workers have been arrested in raids. The two largest groups represented were from Indonesia and Bangladesh, with substantial numbers also from Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam.

MPs from a group that brings together Southeast Asian lawmakers pushing for better human rights visited Malaysia on a fact-finding mission, and at the end of the trip made a plea for authorities to end the crackdown.

"This inhumane action must be halted," Philippine Congresswoman Emmi De Jesus told reporters in Kuala Lumpur at the end of the visit.

"Many migrants are living in constant fear. Poor treatment by law enforcement, including indefinite detention in abysmal conditions, are urgent concerns."

The group, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, urged all Southeast Asian governments to adopt a binding regional treaty on migrant workers, aimed at protecting workers and their rights.

Leading Malaysian migrant rights group Tenaganita said it was "upset to see such large numbers of undocumented workers including refugees being handcuffed, arrested, criminalised, sent to prisons and detention centres".
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Melbourne, Australia  Mon, August 7, 2017 16:52 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abbfa72 2 World Australia,accident,beach,Melbourne,emergency-call Free

An Australian teenager emerged from a night-time dip in the ocean with blood streaming from his feet and ankles in a gruesome mystery that doctors have struggled to explain.

Sam Kanizay waded waist-deep into the water at Brighton Beach in suburban Melbourne on Saturday evening, standing still for about 30 minutes. When he came out of the sea he was bleeding profusely from the calves down.

"The cold water numbed my legs. I felt what I thought was pins and needles but maybe it wasn't just pins and needles," the 16-year-old told 3AW radio Monday.

Washing the blood off his legs in the shower did little to stem the flow from what his family believed was an attack by sea lice.

"It sort of looked like hundreds of little pin holes or pin-sized bites distributed all over my ankle and the top of my foot," he said.

Kanizay, who was rushed to hospital, said doctors could not explain what had caused the injury.

"We had a few people guessing that it was sea lice, but no one really had any ideas."

His father went as far as scooping some of the tiny critters from the ocean and posting a film online of them devouring small chunks of meat.

Some reports cited experts pointing instead to stingrays or jellyfish as the suspected culprits.

But Jeff Weir, from the Dolphin Research Institute, said the injury was likely caused by opportunistic amphipods, a tiny crustacean that latches onto decaying plant or animal matter to help break it down.

They are not there to eat us, but sometimes they might take a little bit, like mosquitoes and leeches and other things out there in the environment," he told AFP.

"He (Kanizay) must have been very, very cold and he wouldn't have felt it," added Weir, who experienced a similar injury on his forehead after a night dive 40 years ago.

The veteran marine researcher said Kanizay's injury was much like a graze and he should not fear returning to the water.

"I don't think there has been anything that has changed, there just aren't that many people that stand really still for that long."
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Kabul, Afghanistan  Mon, August 7, 2017 15:58 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abbd121 2 World Taliban,ISIS,Afghanistan,security,war,cooperation Free

The Taliban and Islamic State group jointly massacred dozens of civilians in an Afghan village, officials said Monday, highlighting rare co-operation between the insurgents that could increase the strain on Afghanistan's beleaguered security forces.

The fighters killed more than 50 men, women and children in the remote Sayad district of northern Sar-e Pul province on Saturday after overrunning the Afghan Local Police (ALP) -- a government-backed militia -- in a 48-hour battle, according to local officials.

"It was a joint operation by Daesh (IS) and Taliban fighters. They had recruited forces from other provinces of the country and attacked Mirzawalang village," Zabihullah Amani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, told AFP.

The spokesman alleged that dozens of Taliban and IS group fighters under the command of Sher Mohammad Ghazanfar, a local Taliban commander who Amani claims pledged allegiance to IS, launched a co-ordinated attack on the area on Thursday.

"The fighters overran the area and it led to the massacre of innocent and defenceless civilians," he said.

Most of those killed were shot but some were beheaded, Amani said.

Verifying information from poor, mountainous areas of Afghanistan made inaccessible by fighting and with patchy communications is difficult, and AFP was not able to access the village.

Mohammad Noor Rahmani, head of Sar-e-Pul's provincial council, said 44 of the 50 victims were believed to be civilians, with the ALP militia also suffering casualties.

"This is not the final toll. It might change because the area is inaccessible and no telephone networks are working to get an update," he told AFP.

The Taliban and Islamic State fighters have regularly clashed since the latter gained a foothold in eastern Afghanistan in 2015, as the two vie for supremacy in the war-torn country.

Topics : Taliban ISIS Afghanistan security war cooperation
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Linkedin Agus Maryono (The Jakarta Post) Purwokerto, Central Java  Mon, August 7, 2017 19:23 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abc691d 1 National MuhadjirEffendy,Five-day-school,NU,Purwokerto,Banyumas,rally,demonstration,Education-and-Culture-Ministry Free

Thousands of members of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the countrys largest Islamic organization, flocked to Purwokerto town square in Banyumas regency, Central Java, on Monday, demanding that President Joko Jokowi Widodo replace Culture and Education Minister Muhadjir Effendy.

They claimed the minister had neglected mounting calls for the annulment of his controversial five-day school policy.

Read also: NU says full-day school threat to its mission

Under the planned policy, which was temporarily halted pending a final say by Jokowi, all schools must shorten their students weekly attendance to five days a week (from the previous six days) and extend their hours to eight hours a day.

Our demand is clear: annul the policy or else Muhadjir must be dismissed, Maulana Ahmad Hasan of Nus Banyumas chapter said during the rally.

Thousands of Nahdlatul Ulama members and Islamic school students sign a large white banner during a rally at Purwokerto town square in Banyumas, Central Java, on Monday. They demanded the annulment of the controversial five-day school policy issued by Culture and Education Minister Muhadjir Effendy. (The Jakarta Post/Agus Maryono)

He said that the policy could prevent thousands of high school students in Banyumas from studying at madrassa diniya, or traditional Islamic schools, after school hours.

How could they study Islam at the madrassa, which normally starts at 3 p.m., while under the new policy, school hours would end at 6 p.m., Hasan said.

Read also: Education and Culture Ministry, KPK cooperate to combat corruption

Rally coordinator Taofik Hidayat said the demonstration was also joined by members of NUs women's wings Muslimat and Fatayat, NUs youth wing GP Ansor and Banser, the Indonesian Islamic Students Movement (PMII), as well as the NU Students Association (IPNU) and the NU Female Students Association (IPPNU). (bbs)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 17:27 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abc2241 1 City Bekasi,lynching Free

The Jakarta Police have arrested two individuals allegedly involved in a sadistic lynching in the district of Babelan in Bekasi, West Java, where a man was burned to death for purportedly stealing three amplifier units.



We have arrested two perpetrators, and they are currently being intensively interrogated. We will look for other perpetrators, Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono told reporters during a visit to the Depok Police headquarters in West Java on Monday.



A 30-year old man, identified only as MA, was beaten by a mob, who then poured gasoline over him and set him on fire on Tuesday last week. They accused him of stealing three amplifier units from a mosque. He reportedly prayed at the mosque prior to the attack.

MA died at the scene. The body, bearing 80 percent burns, was taken to the Kramat Jati Police Hospital in East Jakarta. (fac)

Topics : Bekasi lynching
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Linkedin Sebastian Partogi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 8 2017

Fifty years after it was established on Aug. 8, 1967, ASEAN has transformed into an economic force with vast potential. Originally intended as a platform for cooperation between its inaugural member states, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, ASEAN has expanded into a community with 10 member states, with the addition of Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

ASEAN has achieved significant growth over the past 50 years, eventually leading to the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), an agreement on which was signed in 1993. After 14 years, the agreement evolved in 2007 into a blueprint for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), with an ambitious goal, namely full regional economic integration among its 10 member states.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Purwokerto  Tue, August 8 2017

Thousands of members of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the countrys largest Islamic organization, flocked to Purwokerto town square in Banyumas regency, Central Java, on Monday, demanding that President Joko Jokowi Widodo replace Culture and Education Minister Muhadjir Effendy.

They claimed the minister had neglected mounting calls for the annulment of his five-day school policy, which would require all schools to shorten their students weekly attendance to five days a week (from the previous six days) and extend their hours to eight a day.

Our demand is clear: Annul the policy or else Muhadjir must be dismissed, Maulana Ahmad Hasan of NUs Banyumas chapter said.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 8 2017

The NasDem Party is looking for support from mid-sized parties to team up in nominating popular Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil as a candidate in the upcoming West Java election, after two fellow pro-government parties signaled they would oppose NasDem in the gubernatorial race.

NasDem is currently pursuing intense talks to convince the Democratic Party, the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB) to form an alliance to support Ridwan, said NasDem executive Irma Suryani Chaniago.

The plan was mulled after the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Golkar Party signaled a collaboration to challenge Ridwan in next years gubernatorial election in West Java, the province that has the biggest number of eligible voters in the country.

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Linkedin Mech Dara (The Phnom Penh Post/ANN) Phnom Penh  Mon, August 7, 2017 16:05 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abbf235 2 SE Asia #cambodia,#election,#Elections,#CambodiaPolitics Free

Social Affairs Minister Vong Soths remarks last week that anyone protesting the results of next years national election would be attacked with bamboo were not meant as a threat, but simply as a reminder of how the government would deal with dissent, the ministry insisted in a statement.

Speaking at a ceremony last Monday, Soth said that Prime Minister Hun Sen had made it clear to any would-be post-election opposition protesters that the bottom end of the bamboo will hit their heads, and they will not be allowed to have the right to protest.

The following day, Cambodia National Rescue Party lawmaker Cheam Channy described the remark as a threat against the people, but in a statement on Thursday, the Social Affairs Ministry maintained that Soth was simply describing the governments stated policies.

Vong Soths remark was not a threat, and it was just a reminder for the extremists who always cause disruptions to the peoples happiness through their protests against the results of the election, like in the past, the statement said.

Moreover, the leaders remark was encouragement for the security and safety of the upcoming elections in Cambodia, without allowance for opportunists to cause instability and destroy Cambodias peace.

The CNRP led months of protests after the July 2013 national election, which it said was marred by mass irregularities. The protests dovetailed with a nationwide strike of garment workers but the demonstrations were violently suppressed in January 2014.

Topics :

This article appeared on the Rasmei Kampuchea Daily newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Berlin  Mon, August 7, 2017 12:52 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abb5442 2 News tourists,China,Hitler,Berlin,Germany Free

Two Chinese tourists were detained in Berlin for making the straight-armed Hitler salute for photos in front of the Reichstag parliament building, a police spokeswoman said on Sunday.

The holidaymakers were spotted by officers on a routine patrol Saturday snapping smartphone pictures of each other posing with the banned gesture outside the historic landmark in the heart of the German capital.

"A probe on suspicion of using the symbols of anti-constitutional organisations was opened against the two Chinese men, aged 36 and 49," the spokeswoman told AFP.

The pair were questioned at a local police station and released after paying 500 euros (US$589) bail each.

Using the symbols of anti-constitutional organisations, a charge frequently levelled against members of far-right groups, can carry a sentence of up to three years in jail sentence or a fine.

Read also: Chinese tourists manners improving: Study

The spokeswoman said the men could leave the country during the investigation and that if a fine is handed down, the bail money they had already paid would likely cover it.

The Reichstag housed the assemblies of the German Empire, the inter-war Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany until it was destroyed by a suspicious fire in 1933.

In the wake of the blaze, Adolf Hitler consolidated his power over Germany, eventually unleashing World War II, which claimed an estimated 20 million lives in Europe, and the Holocaust, in which millions of victims including six million Jews were systematically slaughtered.

Refurbished after Germany's 1990 reunification by British architect Norman Foster, who added an iconic glass dome to symbolise open democracy, it has since 1999 housed the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag.

Topics : tourists China Hitler Berlin Germany
By PTI: London, Aug 6 (PTI) People with kids are more likely to have conflicts with their in-laws as compared to couples who are childless, a study has found.

Researchers at Academy of Finland studied how being a parent is linked to conflicts between family generations.

They used survey data from Finland with over 1,200 respondents. They studied conflicts that couples reported having with their own parents and their in-laws.

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The team found that people reported higher conflict occurrence with their own parents than with their in-laws.

Compared to childless couples, couples with children were as likely to report conflicts with their own parents. However, they were more likely to report conflicts with their parents- in-law, researchers said.

The results took into account how frequently family members were in contact with each other and how emotionally close they felt, as well as other sociodemographic factors.

Previous studies have shown that in-laws become more "kin-like" to each other when a grandchild unites kin lineages.

Treating an in-law almost as biological kin can make the adults involved feel closer to each other and help each other more, what has been called a "kinship premium."

The study also found evidence of a "kinship penalty." As in-laws become more kin-like through the presence of a grandchild, their mutual conflicts increase, researchers said.

Childcare provided by grandparents is of great help to parents of young children, but may also be a source of conflicts.

"Daughters-in-law were more likely to report conflicts when their mother-in-law provided more grandchild care. This indicates that the increase in conflicts between in-laws are related to grandchild care," said Mirkka Danielsbacka, researcher at Academy of Finland.

The study was published in the journal Evolutionary Psychological Science. PTI APA MHN MHN

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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 11:15 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abb12b1 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Angkasa-Pura-II,award,Airport Free

Transportation minister Budi Karya Sumadi encourages every Indonesian citizen to vote for state-owned PT Angkasa Pura II at the International Airport Review Award 2017.

Lets support AP II to win the International Airport Review Award 2017 where its being nominated for three categories, said Budi, who is also the former president director of PT Angkasa Pura II.

The award itself consists of nine categories, and AP II is being nominated in passenger experience, airside operation and air traffic center (ATC)/air traffic movement (ATM) categories.

Read also: Angkasa Pura II nominated for International Airport Review Award 2017

We support tourism development in order to reach the tourist arrival target, Budi added.

Tourism minister Arief Yahya said that the award can become a stepping stone to reach a higher goal.

I believe that if we are united for Merah Putih [Indonesian national flag], theres nothing that we cant do, said Arief.

The voting process runs from June 16 to August 31 and people can vote on http://www.internationalair portreview.com.

One email address or IP address is only allowed to vote once. To make it easier for voters, AP II has also integrated a voting feature into the Indonesia Airports mobile app.

AP II is competing against other institutions such as Brazil Civil Aviation Secretary, Leidos, Imtradex, Nats, Swiss International Airlines, Zurich Airport, Gatwick Airport and Airport Advisors.

Read also: Riding subway tops list of things-to-do in Seoul

AP II has previously earned the most improved airport 2017 award from Skytrax World Airport Survey and four awards at the Asia  Pacific Stevie Awards 2017 in June.

The awards that weve won will improve our position in the international scene, said PT Angkasa Pura II president director Muhammad Awaluddin.

If we win this, Indonesia, a country with 250 million people, will be remembered on a global scale. The worlds confidence in our citizens will be stronger, Muhammad added.

Winners will be announced on Nov. 1 online and at the 20th anniversary of International Airport Review. (asw)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Mon, August 7, 2017 13:43 1923 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97abb9c7e 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,sleman,photography,Darwis-Triadi Free

Sleman tourism department is set to hold a photography workshop on August 9 at Omah Kecebong, Sendari. The workshop will feature renowned photographer Darwis Triadi to share his knowledge as well as discussing the photography competition titled Capturing Sleman's Beauty and Heritage Thru The Eyes of Photography.

Darwis Triadi's visit is hoped to spark the interest amongst youngsters in Yogyakarta and Sleman to explore more tourist destinations in the area through photography.

Read also: Darwis Triadi: Capturing the human spirit through photography

The photography competition is part of the Sleman Fashion Festival (SFF) that aims to promote Sleman as a shopping destination for batik and fashionable items.

The SFF event features seminars and workshops that are related to batik, fashion and creative industry such as The Development of Instrument and Technology in Natural Coloring seminar on August 7.

The Looking Confident and Make Up and Hair Styling workshops are scheduled to be held on August 9.

Scheduled events on August 10 will feature The Importance of Intellectual Rights for Creators seminar, Why You Need to Sign Up for HAKI discussion, Marketing Digitalization of Lifestyle Industry seminar, How to Broaden the Market using Digital Marketing as a Platform to Sell and Promote seminar and Toward an Independent Village Industry workshop. (asw)
On Friday, the U.S. Attorney filed a request to retry former Lower East Side Assemblyman Sheldon Silver on federal corruption charges in the spring of 2018.

Just a day earlier, a federal appeals court announced that Silvers retrial would be delayed to give the onetime speaker of the New York State Assembly time to take his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The original guilty verdict was thrown out last month.

Given the logistical challenges associated with scheduling a month-long trial, prosecutors wrote, the Government requests that the Court set a tentative re-trial date in March, April or early May 2018 to permit the parties and the re-try this case in a reasonable time period should the Supreme Court deny the defendants petition. Acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim accuses Silvers legal team of using delay tactics that could jeopardize the governments case. The prosecutions star witness, cancer doctor Robert Taub, is 81.

Silver was convicted in connection with a $4 million bribery scheme and sentenced to 12 years in prison. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the conviction due to improper jury instructions.
By PTI: Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 7 (PTI) The CPI today sought immediate intervention of the Centre and state governments to settle an indefinite hunger strike by Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar to safeguard the people living in Madhya Pradeshs Narmada Valley.

Kerala CPI secretary Kanam Rajendran said the world renowned social activists health was deteriorating and it was not ideal for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to "ignore" the agitation.

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Patkar is on a hunger strike since July 27, demanding proper rehabilitation of thousands of families living along the banks of Narmada river in Barwani, Dhar, Alirajpur and Khargone districts of Madhya Pradesh, whose houses would face submergence once the gates of the Sardar Sarovar dam in neighbouring Gujarat were closed.

Rajendran said efforts to suppress peoples agitation against the governments "laxity in ensuring rehabilitation for those evicted in the name of dams is condemnable".

"A grand alliance should be evolved to counter the administrations fascist agenda to suppress people by sowing the seeds of fear," he said. The CPI state council also expressed solidarity with the agitation led by Patkar in the Narmada Valley, a party statement said. PTI LGK APR SRY

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A memo spread internally at Google has sparked debate after questioning the companys diversity policies.

The memo, entitled Googles Ideological Echo Chamber, was written by a male employee at the company and suggests that biological differences in men and women determine the distribution of preferences and abilities in relation to careers. He then linked this to why there is not equal representation of women in tech and leadership.

The author went on to state that while men have a higher driver for status and as a result take up the majority of leadership positions, women in contrast relatively prefer jobs in social or artistic areas due to a stronger interest in people.

Women are also said to be more agreeable and therefore have a harder time negotiating salary, asking for raises, speaking up, and leading.

The point of the memo was to outline the problems with Googles current diversity initiatives that are striving to see more women in tech positions.

Googles new Vice President of Diversity, Integrity and Governance, Danielle Brown, promptly responded to the memo assuring people that this was not a representation of either her or the companys views.

She wrote, in an internal email, that Diversity and inclusion are a fundamental part of our values and the culture we continue to cultivate.

This comes at a time when tech companies are coming under increasing scrutiny for their measures set to tackle diversity in the workplace, particularly with regards to gender. Recent statistics show that women only fill 25% of leadership roles at Google and fewer than 20% are in technical jobs such as coding.

However, companies including Netflix and Buffer have made strides along with Google to address the diversity issues present in Silicon Valley.
Nasa has been praised for taking the time to reply to a young boy who applied for its Planetary Protection Officer vacancy.

The US space agency has received a lot of attention since advertising the role  one that has existed since the 1960s  given the jobs inspiring and very important sounding name.

The job listing caught the attention of self-proclaimed guardian of the galaxy Jack Davis, who figured hed be pretty perfect for the role.

So, the nine-year-old sent this letter to Nasa HQ, and got a pretty great response from Nasas Planetary Science Director Jim Green.

(Nasa)

Jack, who lives in New Jersey, wrote: I may be nine but I think I would be fit for the job. One of the reasons why is my sister says Im an alien. Also I have seen almost all the space and alien movies I can see.

The fourth-grader also gave being great at video games as a reason, as well as his young age meaning he still has the time to learn to think like an alien.

But despite Nasa presumably receiving hundreds of letters from children throughout the year, Green took the time to write back.

We are always looking for bright future scientists and engineers to help us, so I hope you will study hard and do well in school. We hope to see you here at Nasa one of these days! the response said.

The agency also went a step further, getting Planetary Research Director Jonathan Rall to give Jack a ring and congratulate him on his interest in the position.

(Nasa)

At Nasa, we love to teach kids about space and inspire them to be the next generation of explorers, Green said.

Think of it as a gravity assist  a boost that may positively and forever change a persons course in life, and our footprint in the universe.

The correspondence has won Nasa a legion of fans online.

This is how you inspire dreams in children and what a beautiful way to go about doing so. Well done NASA!  Marco A. Islas (@TheMarcoIslas) August 4, 2017

This!! This is why we CAN have nice things!! Keep up the great work #NASA #STEM  Colin T (@Triben008) August 4, 2017

Presumably Ralls call to Jack included a bit about what being a Planetary Protection Officer entails, with the letter describing the post as cool and very important work.

The role does include protecting Earth from alien life, as Jack suspected  but rather than the types of aliens were used to seeing in Hollywood films, its more to do with avoiding biological contamination in human and robotic space exploration.

Essentially, the successful candidate will be tasked with promoting responsible space exploration by preventing the microbial contamination of other planets and our own.

And if Jack studies hard, theres no reason why one day it couldnt be him doing that.
Access to higher education has been deemed the predominant factor that divided voters in 2016s Brexit election, a new study suggests.

Carried out by Dr Aihua Zhang of the University of Leicester, the study entitled New findings on Key Factors Influencing the UK's Referendum on Leaving the EU used "multivariate regression analysis" to determine the main factors that affected the outcome of last years referendum.

The study found that a 3% increase in British adults' access to higher education could have swayed the result in favour of the Remain vote, whereas a decrease of overall voter turnout by 7% would have also seen a different outcome.

This can be visualised in the below map provided by Dr Zhang. It can be seen that no areas where

34% of the population or above do not have access to higher education voted Remain, whereas the majority of regions with above 34% access, such as Brighton and Hove, did.

According to Dr Zhang, gender also played a more significant role in the referendum than first thought. The study revealed that "geographical areas with a higher proportion of British male adults" had a "higher percentage of leave votes".

Dr Zhang said that simple data analysis examining individual factors failed to accurately predict the outcome of the election, hence much of the shock at the overall result. She also notes that the voter turnout of 72.2%, the highest in a British election for over a decade, was an unexpected factor that came as a surprise to most observers.

The study's findings were also reflected in the recent general election, as Zhang argues that "elements of the population with a higher education were mobilised more effectively to vote and so had a measurable effect on the eventual result." This can be seen through the significant Labour gains that were made in student areas.
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Let us examine some of the arguments in its favour. First, the argument from history: that the present ought to conform to the past. This is a logical fallacy. If historical precedent were a measure of truth, one would have thought the litany of wars, famines, executions, and constitutional crises ample reason to abandon the monarchy. Implicit here is the assumption that monarchy is tried and tested, republicanism new and infantile. But this is historically illiterate. After Prince Alberts death in 1861, for instance, there were persistent calls for republicanism from intellectuals, journalists, and politicians. Were it not for the disruption of two world wars they might have acquired more. It was only in 1923 that the Labour Party voted on motions that would havetheir official stance, and it was only in 1991 that Tony Benn introduced the Commonwealth of Britain Bill for a secular republic with a written constitution. That these motions were ever proposed reveals that a contempt for the hereditary principle remains part of British politics, particularly given Jeremy Corbyns proximity to Number 10. Second, the argument from pragmatism: there are no revolutions, the Queen is doing a good job, therefore we ought to keep the monarchy. I grant that this argument holds now. Given last years vote to leave the European Union, and given Junes hung parliament, any attempt to undermine the monarchy now would be anarchical. But when the Queen dies, the question of monarchy will ariseespecially given Prince Harrysthat no one in the family wants "the top job". Assuming Charles become king, however, the real questionthird, religion.The point and origin of monarchy is a religious one. Kings have always assumed God-given authority, if not called themselves gods. Without religion, the hereditary principle loses its only real source of validity, besides the shallow and temporal pragmatic justification. Widespread agnosticism and atheismstrike at the root of monarchys validity. As it happens, Britain is now one of the most irreligious countries in the world, often ranking alongside the Nordic countries and the Netherlands in levels of agnosticism.of our population attend Church of England services on a weekly basis.And it is worth reflecting on Charles for a moment. He has shown more than a passing interest in Christianitys most influential plagiarism, Islam. Will this mean a multi-faith state religion, a defender of all faiths? Besides breaking the rule of non-contradiction (the worlds monotheisms make mutually exclusive moral and metaphysical claims), it would also be a denial of the worlds most mistrusted minority, a minority which in the U.S. enjoys less approval than rapists, namely atheists. I have yet to be convinced, therefore, that Charles, with his piddling black spider letters, will appear to the Government and to the people as anything but naked. Unemployed, Charles would enjoy greater freedom with which to pursue his other redundancies:and inter-faith (not to mention inter-shrubbery) dialogue. The more the monarch is relevant, the less it is welcome. A parliament which was born in contempt for the monarchy, and was until recently dedicated to the secular European project, would not take kindly to an intrusive king. A more serious argument is not a positive but a negative one that questions whether a secular replacement is axiomatically better. The state materialism of Stalinism is often raised. However, given Stalins own deification, and the States assertion of Lenins immortality, and the Orthodox Churchs frequent collusion with the Stateand religions role in the USSR, North Korea, and indeed Cuba, it emerges not as separate but complicit. Never forget that the Nazi Partys first act in power was the Reichskonkordat. There is, in other words, no logical connection between secular republicanismwhich in its Jeffersonian forms prohibits any involvement with religionand state materialism, which is an out-datedpersecution of religion. In a secular state, all religions are better protected than under a state with an official religion. It is the reason thousands of Europes persecuted religious minorities fled to the new United States: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Let us turn to another aspect of this argument. It is about our. Most of the rights the British system originated are either unwritten or buried in many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten law, as Poe might say. Our right to the freedom of speech is largely negative. The many exceptions to the rule make it ambiguous whether one is exercising ones right or committing a hate crime. Statute law, common law, conventions, and works of authority are not usually contained in a written constitution. All the latter need achieve is the collection of those principles from which the political structure gets its legitimacy. It should enshrine the most fundamental laws on the statute booksthose pertaining to freedoms and the rule of lawand outline the principle of parliamentary government, parliamentary sovereignty, and the Unitary State. Imagine, if you will, the strength and the pride we invest in the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights bound in a single volumea volume which would in time acquire considerable gravitas given the achievements contained therein. We should indulge this countrys growing taste for the codified and the secular. Abolishing the monarchy is a necessary first step.
This seventh season is to be set in the present day, in the aftermath of the last US Presidential election, though its not yet been revealed what role the Girls star will play. However, this announcement has caused significant backlash from online communities, once again reminding us how divisive a figure Lena Dunham has proved to be in recent years.She has been particularly controversial in branding herself a proud feminist, yet making comments that greatly undermine what the movement stands for. She received backlash over a comment she made that she wished shed had an abortion in order to remove her internalised stigma towards it, making light of a deeply emotional decision many women are forced to make. She has repeatedly displayed prejudices and made subtly  and sometimes not so subtly  racist comments, the most infamous of which was her post about Odell Beckham Jr., in which she ascribed to him misogynistic thoughts whilst presenting herself as the oppressed and Beckham Jr. as the one in a position of privilege. Simultaneously, she has also played into repressive stereotypes about black mens perception and treatment of women, and was oblivious to the often violent history of the over-sexualisation of black male bodies, as well as false accusations by white women toward black men - an implication she only acknowledged in a later apology. Those who jump to Dunhams defence will support her status as a feminist icon because she created and starred in a show led by sexually liberated women; a show in which she herself shows the camera what a real womans body looks like - an apparently revolutionary act in an industry that pressures women to squeeze themselves into a very strict, and unrealistic, mould of conventional beauty. The issue comes when these progressive acts are used to excuse Dunhams racist or otherwise problematic remarks and behaviours. It can feel uncomfortably anti-feminist to call out and shame a woman who is attempting to partake in her own liberation, and who with good intentions tries to popularise the branding of feminist. But Dunhams statements do not exist in a vacuum, and she again and again perpetuates a toxic system without facing, or often even acknowledging, the consequences. Her apologies are defensive, as she tries to rationalise her actions and undermines the reactions of those who suffer from her statements, essentially forgiving a culture that systematically oppresses minorities by excusing wilful ignorance.Now, call-out culture becomes dangerous when it results in the demonization of individuals who are attempting, whether successfully or not, to rectify the status quo into a freer, more egalitarian society. It is important to monitor one another when the feminism being practiced is exclusionary, but punishment is counteractive to this, for it can create self-imposed censorship when people become too afraid of saying the wrong thing and being ostracised for it, and thus stop saying anything, which halts progress entirely. That being said, calling out such comments as those repeatedly made by Dunham in a manner that is educatory and helps build an intersectional narrative is crucial. Doing so does not undermine the good Lena Dunham has done in creating a show that despite its lack of a serious class and race consciousness address[es] other feminist issues currently in play, among them body image, abortion, relationships within a social media age, and street harassment - which in Girls become everyday topics, as Kerensa Cadenas points out. Where we become at fault is when we herald the likes of Lena Dunham as a feminist icon. It tells society that such behaviours are acceptable, and misrepresents and weakens the feminist cause whilst playing into an oppressive system. The dangers that come with having female celebrities like Lena Dunham as the drivers of feminism are two-fold. One, the great majority of these women endorse white feminism, as opposed to an intersectional feminism; Two, these celebrities often engage in what Andi Zeisler coined marketplace feminism, which does very little to promote real change. White feminism is a form of feminism rooted in the experiences of middle-class white women, whilst failing to address the distinct forms of oppression experienced by women of colour, and women lacking other privileges. This kind of one size fits all ideology, assumes that every womans experience is like that of an economically-secure, heterosexual, cisgendered, able-bodied white woman. Critical race theorist Kimberle Crenshaw wrote that the exclusion of black women from feminist theory would require more than their inclusion into existing theory, but a rewriting of the analytical structure. She explains that because the intersectional experience is greater than the sum of racism and sexism, any analysis that does not take intersectionality into account cannot sufficiently address the particular manner in which black women are subordinated. We hence cannot separate multiple oppressions, because they are experienced intersectionally. Therefore, arguments that this kind of catch-all feminism is one that unites all women under the same banner - because supposedly they focus on the common ground between women - are wrong. One size fits all feminism is erasing, not inclusive; it fails to acknowledge unique issues that disproportionately affect specific groups of women. In doing so, not only does it focus the movement on those who are already most privileged, but keeping issues vague and all-encompassing for the sake of unity, and treating women as a homogenous group, means we fail to recognise the need to dismantle other intersectional oppressions. Feminism is not just about putting an end to sexism, it is about dismantling all interconnected systems of oppression that affect women in various ways. Many prominent celebrities like Lena Dunham engage in ideology-as-a-brand, which involves simplifying feminism to perilous extremes to make it as catch-all and appealing as possible, and white feminism is the easiest brand of the movement to sell. This falls hand in hand with the increasing corporate exploitation of feminism highlighted by Andi Zeisler, in which this brand of marketplace feminism is depoliticised. This kind of joyous, feel-good style of feminism deals with very superficial, symptomatic issues, without ever undertaking the difficult task of dismantling deeply entrenched systems of inequality. Marketplace feminism is about defiant attitudes, clothing choices, catchy slogans, and positive body image. It uses the word empower as though inequality can be resolved by the oppressed changing their outlook and behaviour, and ignores the change needed in reforming patriarchal power structures. Zeisler desires that we turn our attention back to systems, not individuals. The idea of the feminist fallacy, explained and undermined by Marjorie Ferguson, implies that changes in media messages translates into changes for women in the real world, when in reality this isnt the case. Marketplace feminism does nothing to attempt fundamental, political change, because it is being encouraged by a power system that has every interest in appearing as though its changing, whilst really its commodifying feminism to its own advantage. Feminism today, due in part to the likes of Lena Dunham, has become an identity to avow, rather than action to be taken. For too many people, the assumption stands that feminism begins and ends with whatever self-proclaimed feminist celebrity is in the spotlight at that moment. Such women are entryways to feminism, but not the movement itself. They can broaden the message of feminism, but too often this focus on beautiful celebrities avoids doing the real, political work of feminism, or causing real change to this culture.
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By PTI: New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) The CPI(M) today condemned the alleged high-handedness with which social activist Medha Patkar, fasting for rehabilitation of Sardar Sarovar oustees, was removed from the protest site in Madhya Pradesh by the state police.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury also accused the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in the state of focusing on arrests of the protesters than taking steps to rehabilitate people whose villages will be submerged due to the dam.

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The All India Kisan Sabha, a farmers body backed by the Left party, charged the government with "forcefully" removing Patkar and 11 other protesters and said the action was taken "purposefully" to influence the Supreme Court.

The AIKS, in a statement said that the apex court is set to hear tomorrow a petition filed by eminent citizens and the project affected people (PAP).

The farmers body also questioned the Centres "silence" on the "precarious" situation being faced by the PAP.

"We condemn the high-handedness with which protests are dealt with. Far from addressing issues, protesters get lathi- charged in BJP-ruled MP.

"State government is focused on arrests instead of taking steps to rehabilitate people whose villages will now be submerged. @medhanarmada," Yechury tweeted.

The AIKS alleged that the state government did not take any initiative to engage in a dialogue with the agitators and instead resorted to the "authoritarian and violent" attack on them, which was "unacceptable".

The farmers body has claimed that 40,000 families were affected by the project and the Chouhan government not rehabilitated all the PAP before gates of the dam were lowered in Gujarat, another beneficiary state of the project. Maharashtra is the third beneficiary state.

The Centre had last month said that 18,063 families were affected by the project in Madhya Pradesh. As on July 31, 6,724 of these continued to live in the submergence area. Of these, 884 project affected families (PAFs) were in the process of shifting and all the PAFs had been given resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) package as per the Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal (NWDT) award and a February 8 Supreme Court order.

The government had also said that there were no PAFs remaining in the submergence areas in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Patkar and 11 others were today taken by the police to hospitals from Chikhalda village of Madhya Pradeshs Dhar district, where they have been sitting on an indefinite fast since last 12 days.

Patkar, the founder of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, and her associates had launched the fast on July 27, demanding "proper" rehabilitation and resettlement of those affected by the Sarovar. PTI ENM SMJ

--- ENDS ---

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While the changing of the guard continues to overshadow the Donald Trump presidency, the quest for a health care plan that corrects the flaws of Obamacare must remain a priority for Republicans  with or without Democratic support.

Democrats who defamed Trumps attempt to repeal segments of Barack Obamas failing Affordable Care Act remain mum that Obamas milestone health plan will hit policyholders with skyrocketing costs in 2018.

That includes Michigans individual health care paying working middle class.

The latest scene in the U.S. Senate was a jolt to the GOP when its attempt to get a skinny repeal of Obamacare was shot down by John McCain when the senator joined two other Republicans in casting nay votes. McCains thumbs down nay vote caught most senators by surprise after having been led to believe his attendance was to force a favorable tie breaking vote by Vice President Mike Pence.

The ailing Arizona senator faces several weeks of medical treatments to stunt the growth of a cancer tumor in the brain.

But in his reasoning at not supporting the repeal, McCain called on both sides to work at correcting the flaws of Obamacare. Or was he just hitting back at the president to avenge Trumps downplay of words that captured soldiers arent his kind of heroes. McCain was a POW during the Vietnam War when his plane was shot down over Hanoi.

Hopefully the GOP and Dems will now agree to bury the hatchet and work for all Americans. Most importantly to remove the Obamacare debt-laden backpacks off middle class working Americans liberal Democrats ignored in its adoption. It was Democrat Nancy Pelosi who said we have to vote for it to find out whats in it.

We sure did.

As for the shuffling of cabinet officials, Trump will continue to hurt his agenda if he persists to announce his actions in morning tweets. In naming Gen. John Kelly to succeed Reince Priebus as chief of staff, Trump must refrain from tweeting messages that cabinet staffers must downplay or attempt to correct.

The time has come to act presidential. His tirade on politics while speaking at the Boy Scouts Jamboree was an example for a reset to save his presidency.

Liberals love it and they jump with joy at his outbursts.

Trumps cadre of followers are hoping the former Marine general will get the president to clear future tweets.

If he fails, Trump will even turn off his middle class working Americans who backed his candidacy.

Though Trump has taken some responsible stands for America, he must accept the reality of life. After draining the swamp, you must still negotiate to find the path to legislative success. During the Obama era, it was solely his way or else. If you differed on his agenda, he and his liberal cohorts dealt the race card.

Trump will admit he has a long path to track if his presidency accomplishes some of his campaign pledges. But he cant if each week, a new controversy gives liberal opponents the ammo to smear the Trump administration.

If Gen. Kelly is allowed to guide Trump and the GOP through the 2018 mid-term election then theres hope the president will be more than a one-term office holder.

Trump needs to face true life reality while in the White House.

Hes our president because Hillary Clinton lost it.

She alone must fathom the reality. She lost. Plain and simple.

Liberal media endorsers of Hillary are still fuming their chosen princess lost to Trump.

Now she plans to share the blame in a book that pins the loss on former FBI Director James Comey, the Russians, sexism, the DNC, the New York Times, and on and on.

The memoir will be titled What Happened.

Sen. Chuck Shumer said it the best. The Democratic Senate leader said Hillary lost because she did not resonate with middle America. And that it was time to move on in life.

As for heeding his advice, Hillary refuses to accept her loss and wants to blame everyone else, including college-educated women who did not buy her claim that the presidency was hers to take. And that she was the chosen one to be the first woman to crack the glass ceiling of the White House.

It was Hillarys false mindset that led to her loss. And thats how Trump won the electoral college votes in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Florida and Michigan, while losing the national vote.

Clinton brushes aside the lies of her past, from approving the sale of uranium to Vladimir Putin and the Russians with payback grants to the Clinton Foundation plus use of a personal email server to carry out government work and 30,000 missing emails. But it was her crack at Trumps deplorable Americans that led to her stunning loss in what was billed as a slam dunk victory.

The deplorable voters and young college-educated women turned their backs on Princess Hillary.

Now its up to Gen. Kelly to straighten the Trump presidency. If he fails, then Trump will be a one termer who won because Hillary Clinton lost it.

Allen Park resident Mitch Kehetian is a retired editor of The Macomb Daily, a sister publication of The News-Herald Newspapers, and a former board trustee at Central Michigan University.
Home >The Revolt > Camera Destruction > France, Latvia: Speed Camera Blacked Out, Burned Out
Owaisi was reacting to senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar's call for a boycott of Chinese products in the backdrop of the Doklam stand-off.

By Ashish Pandey: After senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar called for a boycott of Chinese products, Hyderabad MP and All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaddudin Owaisi called it the saffron wing's "hypocrisy."

Indresh Kumar's comments came in the backdrop of the Doklam stand-off.

Owaisi told India Today that rather than asking people to boycott Chinese products, the RSS ideologue and his organization should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi to cut bilateral ties with China.

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"This is the hypocrisy of RSS. If he really believes what he is saying, then let him and his organization RSS go and tell the Prime Minister Mr. Modi - who (has) also been a Swayamsevak - to immediately cut all bilateral trade with China," he said.

He also pointed out that the BCCI and IPL have Chinese sponsors, and asked whether the BJP-led Centre - which has a strong ideological connect with the RSS - will ask them to do way with those.

The MP alleged that the RSS and BJP were trying to divert the focus from the failures of the Narendra Modi government.

ALSO READ

Is China trying to win a war without fighting it? Dragon's tactics of warfare decoded

Chinese media thinks PLA can annihilate Indian Army. Can they? A fact check

ALSO WATCH

Doklam standoff: Will conflict with India be disastrous for China?

--- ENDS ---
India is far ahead of China in space exploration capabilities and also in alternative nuclear energy technology. But, these are not the only areas in which India is the leader.

By Prabhash K Dutta: The ongoing Doklam standoff has brought sharp focus on India and China. The two countries are being intensely compared in respects of not only military, economy and technological advancements.

In early 1980s, India and China were roughly of same size in their economies and technological advancements. But, thereafter China made rapid progress while India looked lagging behind.

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The gap was not too wide at the eve of liberalization in India. In terms of GDP, Indian economy was about 4 per cent of the US economy in 1990 while Chinese was 9 per cent. But, in 2014, while India's economy stood at 11 per cent of the US GDP, China was 60 per cent of the world's biggest economy.

Yet, there are many sectors where India is way ahead of China.

GDP GROWTH RATE AND WEALTH DISTRIBUTION

Since 2011 China is slowing down. It is battling hard to keep its economy grow at the previous double-digit or high single digit GDP rate but, the economy is just showing signs of fatigue.

In 2014, India finally caught up with China's GDP growth rate. Chinese economy grew at 7.3 per cent that year compared to India's GDP growth rate of 7.2 per cent. During the next two years, China's GDP growth rate declines first to 6.9 per cent in 2015 and 6.7 per cent in 2016. On the other hand, India's GDP grew at 7.6 per cent each of two years.

Chinese economy has taken a mammoth proportion on the back of stupendous growth of its manufacturing sector. Its high GDP growth rates had been driven by bulging manufacturing sector of China. On the other hand, India's economic growth model has been more balanced and hence growth has been steadier.

The latest data for industrial growth shows the two sides of the story. In 2016, China's industrial growth rate was 6 per cent, while India registered industrial growth rate of 7.4 per cent. The reforms, especially, the GST is likely to push the industrial growth rate further high in India.

The skewed developmental trend in China is also reflected by the Gini index, which shows the distribution of income in the country - bigger the number (coefficient) greater the inequality.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India's Gini coefficient was 45 in 1990 which rose to 51 in 2013. In China's case, Gini coefficient rose from 33 in 1990 (less inequality compared to India) to 53 in 2013 (more inequality than India).

DEMOGRAPHIC DIVIDENDS

All economists agree that the outlook for India's long-term growth is positive due to a young population base, low dependency ratio, healthy savings and investment rates. The median age for India is 27.6 years while its 36.1 years of China.

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While India failed to control its population during 1960s-1980s which complicated its problems, but with the opening of economy and greater integration of it within and without, it has reached a stage to reap rich dividends of what essentially was its folly till 30 years ago.

On the other hand, China's "one-child policy" - which was relaxed last year - has made it one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Elderly dependency ratio for China is 13 while its only 8.6 for India.

SPACE TECHNOLOGY

India has taken giant steps in the field of space technology. Its GSLV and PSLV have set umpteen records in launching satellites from all over the worlds into space with impeccable accuracy. The entire world is showering lavish praise on Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

While China has failed to send its satellite to Mars, India remains the only country in the world to successfully launch its Mars Mission in the first go without any hiccups. China is still has a trick or two to learn from India in space technology.

Moreover, India's space experiments are least expensive in the world. At Rs 450 crore, its Mars Mission was the least expensive Mars orbital mission ever commissioned.

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Similarly in remote sensing technology, India is the world leader. Till not long ago, India was dependent on American satellite data for information about flood, cyclone and similar natural phenomena. In 1999, about 20,000 people died in Odisha cyclone. This became the turning point.

India worked on its space technology and now in the field of remote sensing India has leapt far ahead of the US. India is, in fact, helping other countries by providing accurate data about weather pattern and assessment of natural resources.

The strength of India's space capabilities can only be gauged by the fact that in January last year Vietnam requested India to set up a satellite tracking and imaging centre to keep an eye on China.

NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY

China has been blocking India's entry into the exclusive nuclear suppliers group (NSG). But, it may come back to haunt China as for the world Uranium remains the primary nuclear fuel. But, India ranks number one in the development of Thorium-based fast breeder reactors.

There is a desperation among the nuclear powers to find a replacement for Uranium as a fuel for their reactors. China is one among them. India has the largest reserve of Thorium.

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HIGH MOUNTAIN WARFARE

High mountain warfare is another area, where Indian Army is considered as matchless in the world. While China lies on the northern side of the Himalaya where Tibet plateau provides it a rather flat surface, Indian Army is trained to fight in the rugged terrain of the highest mountains of the world.

Indian expertise in high mountain warfare is so much appreciated that the US, the UK and Germany send their soldiers for specific training at the High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian Army has already been manning the highest military base in the world at Siachen.

One reason why China is circumspect in challenging India in the high mountains despite hyperbole from its leadership and state-controlled media over Doklam standoff is the degree of expertise of Indian Army in high mountain warfare.

ALSO READ |

Doklam: What China stands to lose if it goes to war with India

China's 'salami slicing': Why Doklam must unite world leaders against Beijing

Don't underestimate resolve to defend territorial sovereignty: Chinese media

ALSO WATCH | China's public statements on border situation a sign of bullying?

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Afghanistan: Meet

New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) Economic development is an important factor in ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan, a meet to explore confidence building measures (CBMs) on commercial opportunities in the war-torn country felt today.

The eighth meeting of the regional technical group of CBMs on trade, commerce & investment opportunities under the Heart of Asia?Istanbul Process also shared the view that Afghanistan acted as a natural bridge in promoting regional connectivity and economic integration.

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"There was consensus that economic development was an important factor in ensuring peace and stability in Afghanistan and the Heart of Asia Region. In this context, the participants shared views on various measures and steps to promote transit and trade and realising reliable and robust connectivity, with Afghanistan as the hub," a release by the external affairs ministry said.

The meet recognised a need to make the existing transit and trade agreements more inclusive and comprehensive by expanding them both northwards and southwards to connect South Asia with Central Asia; strengthening growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and involvement of women in economic development, including through women entrepreneurship; and simplifying customs procedures, it said.

Hosted by India, the meeting was co-chaired by acting director general of economic cooperation department in Afghanistan foreign minister Hassan Soroosh, and joint secretary in the MEA Deepak Mittal.

Attended by representatives of 17 participating countries and supporting international organisations, including Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, UAE, Australia, Egypt, Germany, the UK, the US, the EU and the UN, the release said.

"The steps taken for development of transit and transport through Chahbahar Port involving India, Afghanistan and Iran, TAPI gas pipeline, CASA-1000, TAT railway line, Lapis Lazuli corridor were assessed positively. All sides agreed on the value of such connectivity and economic integration projects to overall growth, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan," it added.

The release said the recent establishment of the air freight corridor between India and Afghanistan was welcomed as providing fast and assured access to farmers of Afghanistan to the large markets in South Asia and beyond was acknowledged positively as also New Delhis assistance for capacity building and training of Afghan officials.

Indias initiative to develop a web portal for exchanging information on regional markets, trade and investment opportunities, and facilitating networking between businesses for the participating countries was appreciated, the release added. PTI PYK ZMN

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Ahmedabad, Aug 7 (PTI) After weeks of dramatic political developments, Gujarat looks set for an on the edge of seat contest in the Rajya Sabha elections which will decide among others the fate of Ahmed Patel, the influential political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

It is after a gap of about two decades that a contest is happening in Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, where official nominees of major parties used to get elected unopposed, after the BJP fielded a Congress rebel against Patel, who is seeking a fifth term.

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The ruling BJP has fielded party chief Amit Shah, Union minister Smriti Irani, and Balwantsinh Rajput, who till recently was Congress chief whip in the House, for the three RS seats.

While its first two candidate will sail through, the BJP will have to manage extra votes to enable Rajput beat Patel.

Ahmed Patel, who met Congress MLAs after they returned from their Bengaluru sojourn, said he was confident of his victory.

"This poll is not at all about anyones prestige. I have full faith in my MLAs. Apart from these 44 (Congress) legislators, two of NCP, one of JD-U would vote for me," Patel told reporters.

These MLAs have now been hosted at a resort in Anand district.

The Congress, which has been out of power in the state for over a decade-and-a-half now, was rattled by the surprise exit of party stalwart Shankarsinha Vaghela recently.

It was jolted further when its six MLAs, including Rajput, a relative of Vaghela resigned from the Asssembly. Three of them later joined BJP, setting off alarm bells in the party in Gujarat where Assembly elections are due later this year. The beleaguered Congress flew its 44 MLAs to Bengaluru to ward off any threat of "poaching" by the BJP.

However, six of the 51 MLAs still in the Congress, apart from Vaghela, have not put their cards on the table. They were not among the MLAs packed off to Bengaluru.

Vaghela, who resigned from the party and as the leader of the opposition, has not quit the House yet, giving the Congress a major cause for worry.

The Congress had faced a major embarrassment in the presidential election when joint opposition candidate Meira Kumar could manage 49 votes when the partys strength then was 57.

A candidate will require 45 votes for a straight win in the poll, and the BJP with 121 MLAs can secure easy victories for Shah and Irani. The party will be left with 31 surplus votes for Rajput, who will require the backing of rebel MLAs of the Congress and smaller parties to win. For now, Ahmed Patel looks like having the clear backing of 44 Congress MLAs, but even if none of them cross-votes or uses NOTA (None of the Above) option, the Congress candidate will require one additional vote for his victory.

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The Congress is also banking on the support of two NCP MLAs, and one each of JD(U) and Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP).

However, NCP leader Praful Patel yesterday said his party had not yet made up its mind on whom to support. The NCP and JD(U) MLAs had accompanied Patel when he filed his nomination.

JD(U) MLA Chotubhai Vasava has been saying he will only support those who will give something to his constituency.

Keeping his cards close to chest, Vaghela today chose to maintain silence on his choice of candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls, but said Congress nominee Ahmed Patel remained a "friend."

"Each and every voter is the owner of his vote. The vote is the personal property of an MLA (for the RS polls). Therefore, I do not want to reveal whom I will vote for," Vaghela told reporters.

The 77-year-old veteran said he was no longer in touch with the Congress and dismissed the talk that he was in contact with the BJP.

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According to Election Commission officials, a candidate would require one-fourth of the total number of votes plus one to get elected. This would mean a contestant has to muster 45 votes.

The MLAs have to give their preferential votes indicating first choice, second, third, fourth (as per number of candidates) or they can choose NOTA, they said.

Meanwhile, Amit Shah, who has helmed the party to spectacular victories in several elections since 2014, is camping in Gujarat strategising on how to get all three BJP nominees win. PTI PD NRB GK NM SK SK

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Eds: Adds Supriya Sules comments

Ahmedabad, Aug 7 (PTI) After weeks of dramatic political developments, Gujarat looks set for an on the edge of seat contest in the Rajya Sabha elections which will decide among others the fate of Ahmed Patel, the influential political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

It is after a gap of about two decades that a contest is happening in Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, where official nominees of major parties used to get elected unopposed, after the BJP fielded a Congress rebel against Patel, who is seeking a fifth term.

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The ruling BJP has fielded party chief Amit Shah, Union minister Smriti Irani, and Balwantsinh Rajput, who till recently was Congress chief whip in the House, for the three RS seats.

While its first two candidate will sail through, the BJP will have to manage extra votes to enable Rajput beat Patel.

Ahmed Patel, who met Congress MLAs after they returned from their Bengaluru sojourn, said he was confident of his victory.

"This poll is not at all about anyones prestige. I have full faith in my MLAs. Apart from these 44 (Congress) legislators, two of NCP, one of JD-U would vote for me," Patel told reporters. These MLAs have now been hosted at a resort in Anand district.

Even as Patel asserted the two NCP MLAs would vote for him, a legislator of Sharad Pawars party claimed the two lawmakers have been instructed to back BJPs Balwantsinh Rajput.

The NCP, it appeared, was divided on the issue, with Pawars daughter Supriya Sule, an MP, saying the party would back the Congress candidate.

NCP MLA Kandhal Jadeja told reporters in Gandhinagar that he and Jayant Patel, another party lawmaker, have been asked to cast their first preference votes in favour of Rajput.

"As per our partys directive, we have to give our vote to BJPs Balwantsinh Rajput. He will be our first preference," said Kandhal, who has openly admitted in the past that he was Vaghela.

However, Sule said the NCP MLAs would vote for the Congress candidate "to the best of my knowledge".

"To the best of my knowledge its Congress (that NCP MLAs would vote for)," she said, responding to a text message when asked to comment on reports that the NCP leadership has decided to back BJP in the polls.

The Congress, which has been out of power in the state for over a decade-and-a-half now, was rattled by the surprise exit of party stalwart Shankarsinha Vaghela recently.

It was jolted further when its six MLAs, including Rajput, a relative of Vaghela resigned from the Asssembly. Three of them later joined BJP, setting off alarm bells in the party in Gujarat where Assembly elections are due later this year. The beleaguered Congress flew its 44 MLAs to Bengaluru to ward off any threat of "poaching" by the BJP.

advertisement

However, six of the 51 MLAs still in the Congress, apart from Vaghela, have not put their cards on the table. They were not among the MLAs packed off to Bengaluru.

Vaghela, who resigned from the party and as the leader of the opposition, has not quit the House yet, giving the Congress a major cause for worry.

The Congress had faced a major embarrassment in the presidential election when joint opposition candidate Meira Kumar could manage 49 votes when the partys strength then was 57.

A candidate will require 45 votes for a straight win in the poll, and the BJP with 121 MLAs in the truncated 176- member Assembly following the resignation of six Congress legislators, can secure easy victories for Shah and Irani.

The party will be left with 31 surplus votes for Rajput, who will require the backing of rebel MLAs of the Congress and smaller parties to win. Now that he has the support of two NCP MLAs, his task would become a bit easier. For now, Ahmed Patel looks like having the clear backing of 44 Congress MLAs, but even if none of them cross-votes or uses NOTA (None of the Above) option, the Congress candidate will require one additional vote for his victory.

advertisement

The Congress is also banking on the support of two NCP MLAs, and one each of JD(U) and Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP).

However, NCP leader Praful Patel yesterday said his party had not yet made up its mind on whom to support. The NCP and JD(U) MLAs had accompanied Patel when he filed his nomination.

JD(U) MLA Chotubhai Vasava has been saying he will only support those who will give something to his constituency.

Keeping his cards close to chest, Vaghela today chose to maintain silence on his choice of candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls, but said Congress nominee Ahmed Patel remained a "friend."

"Each and every voter is the owner of his vote. The vote is the personal property of an MLA (for the RS polls). Therefore, I do not want to reveal whom I will vote for," Vaghela told reporters.

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The 77-year-old veteran said he was no longer in touch with the Congress and dismissed the talk that he was in contact with the BJP.

According to Election Commission officials, a candidate would require one-fourth of the total number of votes plus one to get elected. This would mean a contestant has to muster 45 votes.

The MLAs have to give their preferential votes indicating first choice, second, third, fourth (as per number of candidates) or they can choose NOTA, they said.

Meanwhile, Amit Shah, who has helmed the party to spectacular victories in several elections since 2014, is camping in Gujarat strategising on how to get all three BJP nominees win. PTI PD NRB ND GK NM SK SK

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Several public meetings this week in Watertown

Here's a look at who's meeting this week and what they'll be discussing.
If the polls are more a prestige issue for the Congress, the BJP sees in the contest a chance to humiliate the grand old party even in the Upper House.

By Sweta Pal: Never has a Rajya Sabha election witnessed such a nail-biting contest as the one coming up in Gujarat on Tuesday. In the high-pitched political drama, the Congress is seen as scrambling not just for the requisite numbers but also to salvage its fast eroding confidence and esteem.

If the polls are more a prestige issue for the Congress, the BJP sees in the contest a chance to humiliate the grand old party even in the Upper House. On Monday, as the Congress shifted its 44 MLAs from a resort in Bengaluru to one in Anand district, Gujarat, the seven party legislators who had refused to be shuttled around, continued to give the party leadership a harrowing time.

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CONGRESS ON TENTERHOOKS

Though these seven legislators have pledged their vote in favour of Patel, they are seen as loyalists of former chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela. Vaghela, who parted ways with the Congress recently, has kept the party on tenterhooks refusing to pledge his vote to anyone.

"The BJP started this foul play," AICC general secretary and state in-charge Ashok Gehlot told Mail Today. "Never before has such a thing happened where a fourth candidate has been propped up for just three seats. At least not in Gujarat. Our MLAs are being costantly threatened."

The 182-member Gujarat legislative assembly has 176 MLAs and each of the contenders need to score one fourth of the total membership plus one vote, which makes it 45, to win. The Congress has the strength of 51 in the House but it cannot bank upon the seven MLAs who refused to go to Bengaluru.

The Congress had received positive feelers from NCP chief Sharad Pawar and one MLA each from JD(U) and Gujarat Parivartan Party but NCP leader Praful Patel on Sunday maintained that the party is yet to take a final call. The three heavyweight candidates, BJP chief Amit Shah, Union minister Smriti Irani and Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, would have sailed smoothly to the Upper House but for the BJP's last minute game changer - Balwantsinh Rajput, former chief whip of state Congress.

MLAs MOVED TO BENGALURU

Rajput and five others resigned from the party last month, leaving Patel's prospects and the Congress state unit haywire. Caught unawares and with no definitive plan to secure 45 votes for Patel's comeback to Rajya Sabha, the Congress made arrangements to shift its debilitated strength of 51 MLAs to Bengaluru.

However, seven of them refused to be shifted to Bengaluru to "protect" them from BJP's alleged intimidation and "lure of Rs15 crore per MLA". "Congress never had to resort to something like holding back its MLAs. It was the BJP's way of pressurising its MLAs to follow the party line, be it in Jharkhand or Uttarakhand.

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In Rajasthan, on many occasions, Vasundhara Raje forcibly made her MLAs camp at one place and on the day of voting, would personally go with them for polling. We have been forced to do it this time as the BJP is trying to weaken the country's democracy," Gehlot said.

CONGRESS AGAINST NOTA

The Congress is also fighting against the None Of The Above (NOTA) provision in the polls apprehending turncoats in its own fold. Shankersinh Vaghela's son and sitting MLA Mahendrasinh dismissed Gehlot's charge against BJP as finger-pointing. "If you trust your MLAs then why use force on them? The Congress is sharply divided and it is entirely the doing of its central leadership. Had it listened to the state unit earlier, we would have never come to this," Mahendrasinh told Mail Today.

As the party's central leadership kept a close watch on the developments, a senior party functionary said, "Vaghela is trying to teach the Congress a lesson for not fielding him as the chief ministerial face in the upcoming Assembly polls, while the BJP is making hay while the sun shines."

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ALSO READ:

Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections: Setback for Congress after NCP decides to vote for BJP

Gujarat Rajya Sabha elections: Why Shankersinh Vaghela's curious silence is making Congress jittery

WATCH: NOTA in Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat: Congress up in arms in Upper House

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The Congress, which seems to have the support of 44 MLAs in today's Rajya Sabha election, faces a very real danger of failing to get Ahmed Patel elected. The party needs at least 45 first-preference votes to ensure Patel's election.

Former Congress veteran Shankersinh Vaghela has kept mum over his support to Congress candidate Ahmed Patel. (File Photo)

By Sahil Joshi: The Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat scheduled to be held on Tuesday (August 8) has become a battle of prestige between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief strategist Amit Shah and Congress president Sonia Gandhi's 'chanakya' Ahmed Patel .

The elections for three seats of the Upper House from Gujarat, where Assembly polls are due later this year, have gathered huge interest with BJP president Amit Shah and Union Minister Smriti Irani entering the fray and the Congress putting up its heavyweight Ahmed Patel.

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Stakes are high for both the ruling BJP and the Congress. However, more than the BJP it is the Congress which is feeling the heat particularly after the dramatic revolt in its state unit which saw the party shifting 44 MLAs to Bengaluru to prevent them from being 'poached'.

But why are the Rajya Sabha polls in Guajarat important exactly? Here is the maths:

Gujarat has strength of 182 MLAs. Six Congress MLAs have resigned, so the strength of the House is now 176. The Gujarat Assembly can elect three MPs to Rajya Sabha at one time. Rajya Sabha has preferential voting, as of now there are four candidates (1 from Congress, three from BJP). MLAs have to give their preferential votes indicating first choice, second, third, fourth (as per number of candidates) or they can choose NOTA. As per the present strength of the House, a candidate needs 45 first preference votes to get elected. The Congress, which earlier had 57 members, has only 44 MLAs with it. Six of the party MLAs resigned recently. MLAs resigned. Veteran leader Shankersinh Vaghela is keeping cards close to his chest.

WHAT CAN HAPPEN

FIRST SCENARIO

Congress gets all 44 votes plus two from NCP and one each from the JDU and GPP. If Patel gets 48 first preference votes, he will to go the Rajya Sabha along with Amit Shah and Smriti Irani.

SECOND SCENARIO

In case Congress doesn't get 45 first preference votes then second preference votes will be counted. The BJP with 121 MLAs in the House can easily get its two candidates elected. But for the third candidate, Balwantsinh Rajput, it has just 31 votes going by the party tally.

The Congress' strategy is to atleast get 45 votes to send Ahmed Patel to Rajya Sabha and get much needed impetus ahead of the crucial state Assembly elections.

VAGHELA MAINTAINS CURIOUS SILENCE

Shankersinh Vaghela, who recently announced that he asked to leave the party by Congress leadership, has maintainede a curious silence on his choice of candidate for Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat, but said Congress nominee Ahmed Patel remained his 'friend'.

The former Gujarat chief minister said he was no longerin touch with the Congress leadership and dismissed the talks that he was in contact with the BJP members over voting in the election to the Upper House of Parliament.

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"Each and every voter is the owner of his vote. The vote is the personal property of an MLA (for the Rajya Sabha election). Therefore, I do not want to reveal whom I will vote for," Vaghela told reporters reporters in Ahmedabad.

ALSO READ:

How Shankersinh Vaghela's expulsion spells doom for Congress ahead of Gujarat Assembly polls

Shankersinh Vaghela will support Ahmed Patel, says Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia

Who is Shankersinh Vaghela? A look at his illustrious political journey

All eyes on Vaghela as BJP seeks to checkmate Ahmed Patel in Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls

WATCH: Congress expelled me 24 hours ago, says Shankersinh Vaghela

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Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel expressed confidence and claimed all the MLAs of the party stand united while Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that the BJP will win all the three seats while Patel will "definitely lose".

By India Today Web Desk: Senior Congress leader and close Sonia Gandhi aide Ahmed Patel, who is contesting for a Rajya Sabha seat from Gujarat, today said he is sure of his victory.

Patel, political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, is seeking a fifth consecutive term. He expressed confidence and claimed all the MLAs of the party stand united.

"We are confident, it can be seen on MLAs' faces. We are sure of victory," he said.

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Another leader Shaktisinh Gohil said, "All of us are united. The BJP can't threaten any MLA... horse trading not possible with those who are with us now."

In the wee hours today, all the 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs who were holed in Karnataka's resort as a result of the alleged horse-trading by the BJP ahead of the August 8 election, returned back to the state.

As soon as the MLAs landed at Gandhinagar, they were taken to the Neejanand Resort in Gujarat's Anand district, located 77 km from Ahmedabad, ahead of the election for three seats. Their family members will visit the resort for the Raksha Bandhan festival later today.

After reaching the Anand resort, Patel will meet the 44 party MLAs. Six Congress MLAs deserted the Congress recently, three of them joining the BJP ahead of the high-profile election.

On Tuesday, the Congress legislators will directly go to Gandhinagar from Anand to vote for the party's Rajya Sabha nominee Ahmed Patel.

On the other hand, while celebrating Raksha Bandhan in Gandhinagar, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that the BJP will win all the three seats while Patel will "definitely lose".

"People are dying in flood and MLAs are enjoying in resort. Their (Congress) MLAs are not under their control. They don't trust them," Rupani told news agency ANI.

The BJP has fielded party president Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani, and former Congress leader Balwantsinh Rajput against Patel.

Also read:

Bengaluru to Anand, resort to resort: Congress MLAs back in Gujarat

Why Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat isn't just a personal battle between Ahmed Patel and Amit Shah

Who is Shankersinh Vaghela? A look at his illustrious political journey

Also WATCH: Congress cries foul after IT raids at Karnataka minister's properties

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Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan on Sunday revealed that he and his wife Kiran Rao are down with swine flu.

The Dangal actor, along with his wife, were scheduled to attend the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup, organised by their NGO Paani Foundation, in Pune on Sunday but could only address the attendees via Skype.

"It's a happy day but we are very sad because after working so hard for a year, when the time came for us to celebrate with you, we got this illness. And the disease we are suffering from is one which spreads rapidly. It's called H1N1 or swine flu in common usage," the 52-year-old Aamir, who looked haggard, said in a video message Aamir said, though Kiran smiled and tried to appear cheerful.

"The problem with swine flu is if I go anywhere, I will give it to other people so we have been forced to stay at home for a week. And that is why we can't be there with you and we're very sad about it."

Aamir asked Shah Rukh Khan to fill in for him who agreed, Smriti Kiran, who was at the event with Anupama Chopra as Kiran Rao's friend and collaborator on MAMI, posted on social media.

"Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao both have swine flu, so couldn't make it for the finale. Both plug into the event via Skype and say that today is Friendship Day, so they requested Shah Rukh Khan to represent them at the Paani Foundation Cup finale," she said.

Anupama Chopra also tweeted: "Big props to SRK for being here! Aamir Khan said today (Aug. 6) is Friendship Day so he reached out to a friend and asked him to take his place.!"

Among the guests at the event were Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Nita Ambani, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Ashutosh Gowariker, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Ram Madhvani and Nagraj Man Jule.

Maharashtra is among the worst-hit states by swine flu, which has claimed the lives of over 300 people since January, including almost 150 during the current monsoon.

Among the affected regions are Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik where many patients are also currently under treatment in various hospitals.
India and Iran assessed progress in implementation of joint projects, including development of the Chabahar Port, as Road Transport, Highway and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari visited Iran.

The minister was in Iran on a two-day visit from Saturday, to attend the inauguration of the Hassan Rouhani in his second tenure as Iran's President.

An official statement said Gadkari interacted with President Rouhani, called on the First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri and held detailed exchange of views with Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi.

Both sides, in a series of meetings, reviewed and assessed the progress in implementation of the decisions taken during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Iran last year, including the progress in the development of Chabahar Port, a statement said.

"Both sides reiterated their commitment to complete and operationalise the Port at the earliest that would contribute to bilateral and regional trade and economic development and also provide alternate access to landlocked Afghanistan to regional and global markets," the statement said.

Gadkari also handed over to Rouhani as letter from Modi felicitating him and inviting him to visit India.

Chabahar port is located in the southeastern Sistan-Balochistan province, on the Gulf of Oman.

In May 2016, India and Iran signed a bilateral agreement in which India would refurbish one of the berths at Shahid Beheshti port, and reconstruct a 600 meter long container handling facility at the port

The port, intended to provide an alternative for trade between India and Afghanistan, is 800 km closer to Afghanistan than Pakistan's Karachi.


As reports of the border stand-off between India and China continue to hog headlines, one of the concerns raised is whether this would have a bearing on the solar sector in India because local project developers are dependent on solar cells and modules imported from China.

Of the $2.34 billion worth of solar equipment brought into India in 2015-16, a staggering $1.96 billion (83.61 per cent) worth of solar cells and modules were produced in China, Energy Minister Piyush Goyal told Parliament in November 2016. India imported solar and photovoltaic cells worth about $826 million from China during the April-September period of 2016-17.

Those in the industry feel border tensions will not affect the sector. "I don't think the current political situation will have an impact on the trade because whatever China exports, Indian trade is just a fraction of that," Indrajeet Dudile, co-founder and director, Sunshot Technologies, told indiaclimatedialogue.net. "Our trade with China will not be more than $60 billion vis-a-vis Chinese net exports, which is more than $2.5 trillion."

"Even if the tension is there, I don't foresee any issues till the time the Government of India takes a stand that imports from China will be stopped for all the sectors. It cannot be specific to renewables," said an official at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

"The rise in the cost of solar is a phenomenon that needs to be seen separately than that of the tension between India and China. An increase in prices will be due to the demand and supply considerations. It should not be linked to any kind of dispute between India and China. If the market signals are such that the demand for solar is increasing to the extent that it has an impact on the cost of solar, then this is a generic phenomena, which is not specific to the India-China dispute."

Sunil Jain, CEO and Executive Director, Hero Future Energies, believes that irrespective of the tensions, imports had to be impacted since the Indian government is already working on an anti-dumping duty petition filed by domestic manufacturers.

"China already has anti-dumping measures across Europe and the US. So, this had to come logically in India and it will definitely impact the imports, but I believe the impact will be partial as our back-end for domestic manufacturing is not ready yet; we are still importing wafers and cells from China," he noted

"India has around 4 GW of solar panel assembly lines and around 1 GW of cell lines. With new technology, some of these cell lines would need an upgrade. At best, we can stop import of panels, but wafers and cells still have to be imported, and if China increases the prices of wafers and cells, are we ready for it? Backward integration of domestic manufacturing has to be in place, if we are serious about curbing imports from China," he added.

"Till the time there is no specific issue of this nature that India should stop buying from China, it will not impact imports because it is not specific to solar modules. There are many other things which are being imported from China, including for the mainstream power sector and machinery," the MNRE official explained.

The last two years have witnessed an impressive growth of the solar sector. While India added 4 GW of solar power capacity in 2016, the generation capacity of solar rose from 2,650 MW on May 26, 2014, to 10,000 MW on March 10, 2017. However, in order to achieve its longer-term goal of 100 GW of solar PV capacity by 2022, India will have to bolster its domestic manufacturing capacity, which currently stands at around 6.5 GW for modules and 1.6 GW for cells, as per data from MNRE.

"In the absence of manufacturing, India will need to import $42 billion of solar equipment by 2030, corresponding to 100 GW of installed capacity," warned a report by KPMG.

The MNRE official said that the capacity of solar modules in India is 8,000 MW, while for cells it is 1,500 MW and this is not sufficient to achieve the government's aims.

"Some amount of import will be there because we have set ambitious targets, and therefore, we will have to import till the time we have manufacturing capabilities," he said.
After holding millions of commuters to ransom on Raksha Bandhan Day, around 37,000 employees of the Bombay Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) called off their 16-hour-long bus strike here on Monday.

The withdrawal came after the intervention of Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray, who met leaders of the nine BEST employees unions leaders, including Shashank S. Rao, at his residence.

Thackeray is understood to have given a commitment that the employees demands will be met, including payment of salaries on time.

The strike was to press for various demands, including irregular payments of salaries by the the BEST, run by the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corp (BMC).

Mumbaikars, including three million commuters who use BEST buses daily as their lifeline, faced a harrowing time as the entire fleet of nearly 3,800 buses remained in bus depots across the city as employees belonging to nine unions didn't work.

However, the strike proved a boon for auto-rickshaws and taxis which were in huge demand to ferry people going from one place to another or railway stations.

Many unscrupulous ones made a killing, charging commuters exorbitantly even for short rides, while some commuters opted for 'share' cabs. Others relied on the app-based cab services.

Rao said the employees had demanded that their salaries should be paid on time and a written undertaking should be given but the BMC administration failed to provide it.

The strike also affected transport in neighbouring districts like Thane and Raigad.

A commuter, M.N. Bose, complained he spent Rs 200 for a ride from Kalina to Santa Cruz which normally cost around Rs 50. Another, Senal B.U., paid Rs 250 to go from Kandivali to Dahisar to her brother's home for Raksha Bandhan, compared to the usual Rs 70.

The Maharashtra State Roads Development Corp deployed its own buses in some key sectors to tackle the commuter rush while the state government permitted private buses to carry regular commuters.

The situation was expected to normalize in the next few hours as the buses start rolling out on various routes.
Since the beginning of the tenure of President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen, the government has been working towards the implementation of a number of initiatives in order to revitalise Taiwan's economy and enhance relations with its neighbouring countries.

One of these is the New Southbound Policy (NSP), targeting South East and South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand as potential strategic partners for regional social and economic cooperation.

Taiwan is currently going full steam ahead in implementing the NSP, which is aimed at deepening bilateral relations in all sectors including arts, economy, science and technology.

It is under this policy that the Da-Guan Dance Theater of the National Taiwan University of Arts (NTUA) ~ at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (ROC) ~performed in New Delhi as part of the Taiwanese government's efforts to promote cultural exchanges.

The dance troupe's performance, named Splendor of Taiwan, presented to the Indian audience the diversity and sophistication of Taiwan's rich culture and contemporary arts. The Da-Guan Dance Theater, established in 2005, has been invited to various international events across the world, winning positive reviews for its successful choreographic integration of Western and Eastern elements and innovative multimedia applications including drama, music and fine arts. The troupe performing in India comprised of 15 young performers from NTUA.

Presenting a repertoire on the theme, the dance troupe performed 14 pieces featuring glove puppetry, modern dance, traditional Chinese folk dance and choreography from Taiwan's indigenous tribes. During the show, the troupe explored a wide range of subject matter such as the relationship of the Taiwanese with Nature as well as the Taoist temple festivals and philosophy.

Before the performance, Ambassador Tien Chung-Kwang, explaining the work of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India, said that such events can facilitate mutual understanding. He added that he hopes audiences and performers seize the opportunity to connect and exchange knowledge on each other's cultures.

Vanlalhuma, Deputy Director General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), an important partner for the event, commenting on the history of robust artistic and cultural exchanges between India and Taiwan said, "In recent years, interaction between India and Taiwan has grown in numbers and frequency. India and Taiwan have a very good understanding of each other, including issues and strengths. I look forward to many more such activities in the future."

The NTUA's educational philosophy has always been to inspire students' passion in creating dance aesthetics as it also encourages them to incorporate the perceptions and ideals in their daily life into performing arts, vital for the overall development and growth of an individual. Artistic Director for the Da-Guan Dance Theater Tseng Jao-Hsun explained that the aim of the performance was to introduce the Indian audiences to this very important philosophy, besides of course enthralling them with the grace and elegance of the craft.

Surely, the universe knows no boundaries. These are created by us, and the onus lies on us to eliminate them.
The Congress on Monday said it was confident of party nominee Ahmed Patel's win in Tuesday's Rajya Sabha polls from Gujarat, despite the BJP's attempts to lure MLAs through money, power and threats.

"BJP, by adopting cheap methods, is conspiring to turn minority votes into majority in Gujarat," the Congress said.

"They can make all attempts to insult the people's mandate But we are confident that Ahmed Patel is going to be victorious," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala while briefing reporters.

"People have rejected them. It will be proven in the assembly elections. BJP is worried about the loss in Gujarat, therefore they are trying their best to further lower the level of politics.

"However much they (BJP) try to conspire, Congress will walk the path of truth and will win," he added.

Asked about NCP leader Praful Patel's comment about his party yet to decide about its support in Gujarat, Surjewala said: "When NCP chief (Sharad Pawar) had already made it clear then we don't think we should comment further on any other leader's remarks."

Surjewala said: "Congress MLAs and other MLAs, who belong to the ally parties will vote in favour of Ahmed Patel." Patel, political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, is seeking a fifth consecutive term.

Forty four Congress MLAs from Gujarat, who were flown to Bengaluru to prevent "poaching" by the BJP ahead of Tuesday's polls, returned to Gujarat on Monday.

They were then lodged in the Nijanand Resort near Anand. They will directly go to state capital Gandhinagar to vote on Tuesday.

Of the 57 party legislators in the 182-member Gujarat assembly, six quit the party on July 26 and three of them joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on July 28.
Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya has sought External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's intervention to rescue a local woman who has allegedly been detained at Doha in Qatar by her "sponsor" with whom she worked as a domestic help.

Dattatreya told Swaraj that husband of the woman, identified as Macha Manjula, on Sunday told him that an agent escorted his wife from Hyderabad to Doha promising her employment with a huge salary, according to the release issued by the minister's office.

"The agent collided with a Kafil (sponsor) and the woman, who worked as a domestic maid for three months at her Kafil's residence, was detained by him. Her mobile phone was also seized by her Kafil," it said.

In the representation submitted to Dattatreya, the woman's family members appealed to Swaraj for her intervention.

"Swaraj acted swiftly and entrusted the job of rescuing Manjula and also for her early and safe deportation to Mrudul Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs," the release said, adding that Kumar has alerted the embassy officials in Doha and requested them for necessary action.


A Pakistani Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant was killed in a gunfight with the security forces on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, police said.

"The encounter took place in Pampore town's Sambora area. The victim has been identified as Umer from LeT's Abu Ismail faction," police officials said.

"One AK-47 rifle was recovered from the encounter site."

On Sunday, the police confirmed the Abu Ismail group's involvement in the July 10 attack on an Amarnath Yatra bus in which eight pilgrims were killed.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is discussing with Bangladesh the issue of laying a pipeline for carrying natural gas from Chittagong to Tripura to meet the crisis of cooking gas (LPG) in the North-eastern region, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said today.

We are laying a pipeline for transportation of diesel from Siliguri in West Bengal to Parvatipur in Bangladesh. There is pipeline for carrying diesel from Numaligarh oil refinery in Assam to Siliguri.

In exchange, we have given the proposal for a gas pipeline from Chittagong to Tripura. We are pursuing the matter diplomatically and I would also visit Bangladesh soon, Pradhan told reporters here.

The pipeline if approved by the Bangladesh government would be laid by the side of the rail lines which pass near the Indo-Bangla international border, he said.

Pradhan launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in Tripura here and distributed LPG connection to 20 below poverty line (BPL) families .

In Tripura 9.22 lakh households are having LPG connections and efforts are on to bring 100 per cent coverage in the days to come.

The Oil minister also laid the foundation for a new grassroots bottling plant here with 60 TMTPA capacity with an estimated cost of Rs. 143 crore which would be completed by 2019.

Pradhan said, now about 4.5 lakh households are covered by the existing bottling plant out of total 9.22 households having LPG connection.

With the completion of the new bottling plant the capacity of supplying LPG would be doubled and most of the households would be covered, he added.
Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has appointed Saifullah Khalid, senior leader of the JuD, as the president of his political outfit.

By Hamza Ameer: Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed today formally entered Pakistan politics launching his party - Milli Muslim League (MML). The MML aims to contest 2018 general elections in Pakistan.

Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, has appointed Saifullah Khalid, senior leader of the JuD, as the president of his political outfit.

Interestingly, Saeed has kept himself and JuD's second -in -command Abdul Rehman Makki out of MML's command and control system.

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The party will soon announce new faces and contenders for the 2018 general elections which has now assumed much significance in the wake of Pakistan Supreme Court verdict disqualifying Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from holding public office over corruption allegations.

The MML said it would raise the Kashmir issue with full force at both provincial and federal levels.

The newly formed party also said that it will also raise its voice against the increasing liberal and secular culture being promoted across Pakistan.

Hafiz Saeed is known to have close relations with the Pakistani Army and the ISI.

Hafiz Saeed has been placed under house arrest since January 31, when he was initially interned for 90 days. His house arrest was subsequently extended for another three months which expired on July 27. But, now the provincial government has extended the curbs on his movement for another two months.

Hafiz Saeed is accused of masterminding several terror strikes in India including the Mumbai 26/11 attacks and fomenting violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

ALSO READ:

Hafiz Saeed to register Jamaat ud Dawah as political party, renames it as Milli Muslim League Pakistan

Pakistan bans Hafiz Saeed's new terror front Tehreek-e-Azad-Jammu Kashmir

Want peace with India, but New Delhi not responding: New Pakistan foreign minister

Hafiz Saeed spreading terrorism in name of jihad, says Pakistan

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Security system the world over may be stronger than before with the advancement of technology and better manpower. Yet, crime incidents at all levels continue to rise and trouble the society.

Recently,Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party president Subhash Barala's son is accused of stalking the daughter of a senior IAS officer  Haryana Additional Chief Secretary VS Kundu.

While many factors are responsible for the demonic behavior and mindset among criminals and law-breakers, a new study point to culture as a possible key role in shaping criminal mindset among the younger generation.

"Whatever the biological, or neurobiological, factors that might contribute to criminal behaviour, culture and social structure apparently play as great, or greater role," said Yunmei Lu of the Pennsylvania State University.

The finding could possible explain the different features of places. While some places are considered safe and peaceful to reside, others are said to be unsafe and dangeorus to live in.

"It also suggests a greater amount of plasticity for humans, including during their adolescence," Lu added.

The societal norms related to youth and adults also may play a large role in age-crime patterns, the researchers stated.

"Different societies may have differences in age-graded norms and integration of youth with adult society in ways that lead to differences in extent of adolescent crime and the age-crime association," explained Hua Zhong, Associate Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The team that carried out the study analysed age and patterns of teenage crime in the US and Taiwan in Asia. Their study, which was published in Crininology, suggests that cultural factors may also be important influences on criminal behaviour.

In the US, where the society is more individualistic, crime cases tends to peak in middle to late teenage, while it is not the case in Taiwan, which culture is more of a collective one. Involvement in crimes tend to peak in the late 20s or early 30s.

(With inputs from agencies)
Pakistan has on the face of it maintained continuity in government, but it is hard not to wonder whether the shots are still being called by the disqualified Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, from his residence in the hill station of Murree. While the country and the world were given to understand that brother Shahbaz, currently Chief Minister of the dominant Punjab province, would step into the Prime Ministers Office, post the by-election on 17 September, subsequent developments point to a very different scenario. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who was sworn in as PM four days after Sharifs ouster, seems set to continue as head of government for the remaining ten-month tenure of the PML (N).

It would appear that the ousted Prime Minister is loath to rock the Punjab boat quite yet. Hence the signal that Shahbaz will be retained in the Chief Minister's office in Lahore, instead of being elevated to the prime ministerial pedestal in Islamabad. The former PM is yet to spell out the reasons for the change in plans, but the meeting of the leading lights of PML (N) was convened to take a call on extending the tenure of the interim Prime Minister, whose appointment he had endorsed. In his hour of defeat, he had also indicated the choice of the next incumbent. In a matter of days, both the critical decisions have come in for review, making it more than obvious that it is he who plays a pivotal role in matters governmental. Is there a rift in the PML(N) lute? For, as reports suggest, the Nawaz Sharif camp is not readily agreeable to Shahbaz at the Centre. Punjab, they contend, is very important to the party and cannot be left to an inexperienced hand. They would rather that Abbasi continues to helm the national government, while the country's most crucial province is left to the devices of Shahbaz.

Didnt such calculations weigh in Nawaz Sharifs plans in the immediate aftermath of the Supreme Court verdict? As it turns out, Sharif has deferred to the wishes of the PML(N) leaders who have been able to convince him that it would not be a wise move to elevate Shahbaz and thus deprive the province of a leader of his stature. The leadership has drawn a fine distinction between party affairs ~ Lahore is the nerve-centre of PML(N) ~ and the compulsions of national governance ahead of the general election in 2018. There is little doubt that developments over the past week have created a flutter in the ruling partys roost, and the family no less.

Sharif has reportedly declined to nominate Shahbazs son, Hamza, as the next Chief Minister of Punjab, a reluctance that has also been articulated by Nawazs daughter, Mariam. Clearly, there is opposition within the family to the father helming the national government and the son governing the most important province
Ten Taliban militants were killed and seven others injured in airstrikes in Afghanistan's Faryab province, police said on Monday.

The strikes were conducted by Afghan security forces in Ghormach and Khawja Sabzposh districts on Sunday night, a senior police official told Xinhua news agency.

"However, there were no civilian casualties or injuries," he said.

Two militant bunkers were destroyed in the strikes.


Singapore Parliament Speaker Halimah Yacob resigned on Monday in a bid for the presidential office in the election scheduled for next month, making her the first woman to do so in the country's history.

Yacob said on her Facebook page that she had informed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a letter of her decision to quit as a member of Parliament and member of the ruling People's Action Party, reports Efe news.

This year's presidential election is reserved for candidates of Malay ethnicity, according to laws approved in 2016 with the aim of maintaining the multicultural nature of Singaporean society.

If there is no President from a particular ethnic community  Chinese, Malay, Indian  for five consecutive terms, the next election is reserved for candidates from that community.

The last Malay origin person to hold the office was the country's first president, Yusof Ishak, who served from 1965 to 1970.

Yacob, 62, has been in public service for 40 years and, in January 2013, became the first woman to occupy the position of Parliament Speaker.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Sunday renewed calls on the UN to dissolve the US-led anti-terror coalition over crimes against civilians in Syria, according to the state news agency SANA.

"The US systematic massacres against Syrian civilians constitutes a flagrant violation of the International law," the ministry said, urging for "the immediate dismantling of the coalition that has been formed without the request of the Syrian government and outside the framework of the UN."

The ministry referred to several incidents where civilian casualties were caused by the airstrikes of the US-led coalition, saying the US has used white phosphorus in its attacks on civilians in the northern city of Raqqa, Xinhua reported.

It also said the attacks destroyed houses and hospitals in Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State (IS) group.

The ministry noted that the coalition's "crimes" were repeated in the provinces of Hasakah, Aleppo and Deir al-Zour.

The condemnation comes a day after US-led airstrikes killed 43 civilians in the several areas in Raqqa.

Over the past two months, the US coalition has upped its attacks on Raqqa, coupled with the ground offensive of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which captured half of Raqqa from IS.




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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 ...
By PTI: By Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Aug 7 (PTI) Pakistans banned militant outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa today launched a political party, days after authorities extended its chief and Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeeds "house arrest" for two months fearing threat to public order.

Saifullah Khalid, closely linked to Saeed, announced the formation of Milli Muslim League in Islamabad following weeks of campaign in Punjabs provincial capital Lahore.

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"We would soon file application with Election Commission of Pakistan for its registration," Khalid, who claimed to be the president of the new party, said.

Khalid said the new party will strive to make Pakistan a "real Islamic state" and demanded the immediate release of Saeed, who is under "house arrest" since January.

The party, political observers said, seems as an effort to set up a front which is acceptable to moderate Pakistanis.

However, there appears to be little chance of electoral success for religious parties in Pakistan as the share of such political outfits have have gradually shrunk in parliament.

Currently, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal of Maulan Fazlur Rehman is one of the largest such party with about a dozen elected members in the National Assembly, whereas the Jamaat- e-Islami has about half a dozen in the 342-member house.

In a notification issued on July 28, the Punjab governments Home Department said that on the recommendation of the federal interior ministry, the detention of Saeed has been extended for another 60 days.

It said Saaed and others detention expired on July 27 after his house arrest was extented for another 90 days.

He was initially put under house arrest on January 31.

The JuD is believed to be a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba, the group behind the 2008 deadly attacks in Mumbai in which 166 people were killed by 10 terrorists who came from Pakistan. PTI SH ABH

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A BJP leader in Haryana has been blamed for the death of a man after he held up an ambulance that hit his car.

By India Today Web Desk: A man in Haryana's Fatehabad died allegedly because a local Bharatiya Janata Party leader held up the ambulance that the man was in.

Relatives of the deceased - identified as Navin - claim that Darshan Nagpal, the BJP leader, got into a fight with the ambulance driver after the emergency vehicle hit Nagpal's car.

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The family says they kept pleading with Nagpal to allow the ambulance to pass as Navin's condition was deteriorating quickly. The pleas fell on deaf ears, however, and Navin died later on.

The family has filed a complaint in the matter. A police inspector said that both sides have been called in for further investigations. The inspector also said that the ambulance is believed to have been held up for around 30 minutes.

Fatehabad is around 200 kilometers from Chandigarh, where the BJP is involved in another controversy. Vikas Barala, the son of Haryana BJP chief Subhash Balara, has been accused of stalking and harassing a woman on the streets of Chandigarh.

While probe into the matter is on, Chandigarh Police has been accused of attempting to protect Vikas under pressure from the BJP.

ALSO READ | We shall NOT back out: Chandigarh stalking victim's father makes stand clear in Facebook post

WATCH | Haryana: BJP leader holds up ambulance, blamed for patient's death

--- ENDS ---
But the tribe has a long way to go
As the key figure in the balance of power between the government and the Reserve Bank of India, former RBI Governor Y.V. Reddy once contemplated resignation, and had to even offer an unconditional apology to the minister, his autobiography reveals.

Former RBI Governor Y.V. Reddy | PTI

In 'Advice and Dissent: My Life in Public Service', being released on Tuesday, Reddy, who was RBI Governor between September 2003 and September 2008, describes his differences of opinion with then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram. These led him to also think of putting in his papers.

The issue concerned opening the banking system to foreign ownership, which came to a head with Chidambaram in 2008.

Reddy narrated his meeting where the Finance Minister told him: "Governor, this is a national commitment made to global financial community. How do we justify reversal of such a policy? Is it just because there is a change in the incumbency of the government? Do we review our commitments every time a governor or the RBI changes?"

Reddy, according to the book, told him that "it has serious irreversible consequences. I believe it is better to go back on our comitment at this stage, in national interest."

"But I believe that it is in our national interest," Chidambaram was quoted as telling the RBI Governor.

Reddy writes that he confided his troubles to then Economic Affairs Secretary Rakesh Mohan.

"'Rakesh,' I told him, 'it is better I leave this job. I believe that the issue is very critical to our national interest. I think opening up of foreign banks should not be done at this stage at all. Still, if the government feels that this has to be done, it has to be done. But I will not be able to put my heart in it'," Reddy said.

"So, better I quietly leave the job," Reddy added.

He writes that despite Chidambaram's unwillingness to relieve him as Governor, "I felt that there was a growing distance between us as months passed by. His (Chidambaram) image as a reformer pushing for double-digit growth was, in his view, being dented by my caution to the extent of resisting implementation of some of his policies," Reddy wrote.

"At one stage, he said that he was cancelling his foreign tour because he could not face them with nothing to report on reform. His frustration was confirmed later, I think in early 2008," Reddy wrote.

When he met the minister, Chidambaram said the RBI was not adequately reciprocating by progressing with reforms. "I expressed my unconditional apology to him and conveyed that I would keep in mind the issue of being supportive," Reddy said, describing how the matter ended.

However, on the overall experience of working as RBI Governor "closely" with Chidambaram for over four years, Reddy writes: "Most of our tensions could be described as constructive or as discord that ultimately gave rise to better ideas or outcomes."

Another contentious issue was that of farm-loan waivers, that continues to be controversial.

"I opposed the proposal made in February 2008 to write off loans to farmers amounting to Rs 60,000 crore. I argued my case before the Finance Minister, and at one stage before the Prime Minister accompanied by the Finance Minister. Economic logic including preservation of credit culture was in favour of RBI's position," Reddy says.

However, "I could see the government was acting out of broader concern for the welfare of farmers. I suggested that the government should pay the money to the banks on behalf of the farmers."

Thus, a differnt aspect of the situation dawned on Reddy.

"I believe that as governor, I could advance arguments from the point of view of money and credit, but I had no legitimacy to question the judgement of the government on social order," he said.

In fact, the autobiography sets out Reddy's unique perspective as a central banker on the government-RBI relationship.

"It is hard to find the government's version of dealing with the central banks. Since I worked in the government also, and dealt with the RBI, a part of the story relates to this," he writes in the introduction.

Reddy, who famously described the RBI as "totally free, within the limits set by the government", has served as the Union Finance Secretary and was the Chairman of the latest 14th Finance Commission in 2013-14.

Farm loan waivers have only added to the gigantic non-performing assets (NPAs), or bad loans, of banks. Reddy has emphasised elsewhere that there is no "political economy consensus" on tackling the mounting problem of bad loans of banks, which cannot be resolved by their simple recapitalisation.

(The NPAs of state-run banks at the end of March 2016 were Rs 5.02 lakh crore, according to an answer given by Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar in the Lok Sabha. Care Ratings said these NPAs went up to Rs 6.97 lakh crore by December 2016).

Speaking of the government-RBI relationship in a recent short history of the RBI called 'Dialogue of the Deaf', economic journalist T.C.A. Srinivasa Raghavan says the balance of power has been in favour of the government because monetary policy has had to be subservient to fiscal policy in independent India.
Air India's global expansion plans, along with the induction of more aircraft and pilots, would not be hindered by the government's recent decision to divest its stake in the national carrier, the airline's top official has said.

The "painful decision" of divestment would "open doors to a better future for the airline and its employees", Ashwani Lohani, Chairman and Managing Director of Air India, told IANS in an interview here.

Lohani said he had been in "constant touch" with employees to allay their apprehensions over the divestment process.

"I have been in touch with employees through WhatsApp, e-mail, and by having one-on-one interactions. I have asked themwhy should we slacken from our end? We should continue to do our best," he said.

"As and when a decision is taken on the divestment we will make sure that employees' genuine interests are put forth to the government," Lohani added.

Elaborating on the company's international and national expansion plans at its New Delhi-based HQAirlines HouseLohani said: "Our expansion plans are on track. We will start a new destination each month till October. A new route to Stockholm will be started in August, followed, a month later, to Copenhagen. In October, we will start our New Delhi-Los Angeles flight operations."

"We also plan to start operations to Tel Aviv in Israel and Dallas and Houston in the US. Last year, we started operations to four new destinations and this fiscal we plan to introduce seven new flights," Lohani said.

On Friday, the airline commenced flight operations from pilgrimage destination Varanasi to Colombo, Sri Lanka. In July, it had started a direct connection between New Delhi and Washington.

Last year, the airline added four new international destinations, including New Delhi-San Francisco, Delhi-Vienna, Delhi-Madrid and Ahmedabad-London.

According to Lohani, the airline might consider starting a flight to Nairobi, Kenya. Also on the cards are commercial operations on the Guwahati-Bangkok and Guwahati-Kunming (China) routes.

At present, Air India has a network of more than 30 destinations across the US, Europe, Australia, Far-East and South-East Asia, and the Gulf regions. It gets over 65 per cent of its revenue from overseas operations and has deployed most of its assets on foreign routes.

In addition to its international expansion plans, the airline hopes to introduce what is being touted as the "Necklace" or "Garland" flight on the domestic network from September-October.

The flight will start from Kolkata in the morning to Raipur from where it will head out to Indore and then on to Ahmedabad and Jaipur. Its final port of call will be New Delhi in the evening.

When asked about the extra aircraft and crew required for the current expansion drive, Lohani said: "We have already hired around 250 pilots and more are being inducted. The same is the case with inducting cabin crew. Aircraft acquisition on lease basis is also going according to plan."

The airline hopes to add around 15 more aircraft to its fleet via the lease model by this fiscal-end. Most of these aircraft will be turbo-prop planes which will be used to connect the hinterland with metropolitan cities.

Currently, the airline has more than 115 aircraft in its fleeta mix of wide-body Boeing B777s, B747s, B787 Dreamliner aircraft, and the narrow body Airbus A321s, A320s and A319 planes, apart from turbo-props.

The AI chief said that cost-saving measures undertaken, along with aggressive focus on international markets and route rationalisation efforts, are expected to raise the operating profit of the airline to around Rs 150 crore from Rs 110 crore in 2015-16.

"These figures might be inconsequential, but the significance they hold is the fact that a turnaround is taking place," the airline's chief said.

The airline might be experiencing a "slow-but-sure" turnaround; however its massive debt of over Rs 50,000 crore accumulated over the years has been one of the biggest obstacles to its financial viability, besides an ill-planned merger.

Lohani said: "We would have been in a much, much better position, if the debt situation was not so. The situation would have been different."

Lohani maintained that employees remain the most important element for success. Outside his office, which is studded with priceless pieces of art that have been collected by the airline over years, a slew of employees from cabin crew to pilots await their turn to meet him.

The airline has over 11,000 employees, whereas at the group level, including its subsidiaries, the number of staffers goes up to about 20,000.

-IANS
Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and now Tripura. The Bharatiya Janata Party is eyeing this tiny state in Northeast, which has been the lefts bastion for last two decades, to begin its ruling.

Six MLAs of Trinamool Congress have defected to join the BJP. One Congress MLA has also reportedly showed his interest to join the saffron party.

The lone Congress legislator Ratan Lal Nath had voted for Ram Nath Kovind during the presidential election defying his party's nominee. Its a matter of time for me to leave Congress, said Nath.

Sudip Roy Barman, the disgruntled TMC legislator who led the coup in TMC, has also declared that around seven CPI(M) legislators are with him.

We will definitely break the CPI(M) and other Left parties. Next year election, we will give a befitting reply to the CPI(M) and it would be wiped out of Tripura, Barman told THE WEEK.

Barman and others had defected to Trinamool Congress last year when Congress and CPI(M) allied before the West Bengal assembly election.

He said before joining the TMC the legislators had a talk with BJP president Amit Shah but they decided not to join the saffron party considering its caste and religious order.

But the UP election turned the table, which showed that BJP even could get votes from the Muslim majority areas.

When we saw Mamata Banerjee joined hands with CPI(M) to defeat Ram Nath Kovind, we decided to severe all track from her. She is an opportunist politician, said he.

Sources told THE WEEK that the BJP used Mukul Roy, a Trinamool Congress MP, who has been indicted in both Saradha and Narada scam.

Mukul Roy refused to pick up the phone call. But a leader of the Trinamool Congress has confirmed that BJP leaders in Delhi held several rounds of meetings with Roy.

We fear Roy might engineer split in the party in Bengal as well, said the leader.

BJP sources have confirmed that the party has already begun its mission to grab power in states which go to poll in 2018. Odisha and Tripura are up on the list.

The party would not like to project chief ministers in these two states but will look for more leaders from each of these states to join them. While they have Dharmendra Pradhan in Odisha, they would be missing right person to lead the election in Tripura.

However, senior leader and national secretary Rahul Sinha said that there would be no dearth of leaders in Tripura.

We fight election based on ideology. Leaders will ultimately come and with existing leaders we will win election, said Sinha.

Tripura will be the litmus test for the BJP. If BJP could grab the power from left in this largely Bengali speaking state, it would create a new hope for them. The saffron party understands its acceptance among the Bengalis and would jump to conquer Bengal in 2021.

The North East Democratic Alliance, led by the Congressman-turned-BJP leader and deputy chief minister of Assam, Himant Biswa Sharma, with the advice of Ram Madhav, is speeding up the process of unifying the BJP with many other like minded parties in Tripura.

But many believe it would be a difficult nut to crack. Especially when the man in the opposite side is Manik Sarkar, one of the longest serving chief ministers of India.
Finding an opening in the matter of alleged transfer of slum dwellers' building rights to a major builder in Mumbai, the Congress is hoping to corner the BJP- Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra on the issue of corruption.

Raising the issue from the AICC podium in Delhi on Monday, senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said the alleged scam involves a serious case of corruption in which illegal benefit to the tune of Rs 500- Rs 800 crore was given to a builder in wilful violation of rules.

"Prakash Mehta, who is the minister of housing in Maharashtra, illegally approved transfer of slum dwellers' building rights to a major builder in a slum development project in Tardeo in south Mumbai," Chavan alleged.

The former chief minister of Maharashtra further said that while sanctioning the proposal, Mehta used the name of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and overruled specific objections by his Secretary. The decision, he said, would have generated a windfall of around Rs 500- Rs 800 crore to the builder. The issue has rocked the state assembly. The chief minister on his part has ordered an enquiry against the minister.

Chavan, in an apparent effort to link the issue to the top leadership of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asked what was stopping the chief minister from sacking the minister, a prominent member of the Gujarati community in Mumbai.

"Is the chief minister protecting the minister with special blessings of the BJP high command?" the Congress leader asked, and said the prime minister should make good his election promise to end corruption.

The Congress has demanded that Mehta be dropped from the cabinet, a judicial enquiry be conducted, all 137 files cleared by the CEO of the Slum Redevelopment Authority be reviewed and all the current projects of the builder in question be investigated.

According to a senior Congress leader, the party is planning to raise the issue in Parliament. He said the only way the Congress could counter the BJP was by raising the issue of corruption. "This is a golden opportunity for us," he said.
Forty-four Gujarat Congress MLAs, who were in a hideaway in Bengaluru, returned home on Monday to cast their votes in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.

All the MLAs who were staying at Bengaluru's Eagleton Resort arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport in the wee hours of Monday.

"All our MLAs have returned and they have been taken to a resort in Anand," Congress party chief whip and senior leader Sailesh Parmar told reporters in Anand.

The MLAs were whisked away from the airport here and have been kept together at one Nijanand resort on the outskirts of Anand town.

"All our MLAs have decided not to go to their home even on this day of 'Rakshabandhan' and be loyal soldiers of the Congress party. They will stay together and they will go to vote for the Rajya Sabha polls tomorrow (to Gandhinagar) from Anand," Parmar said.

"Ahmed Patel and state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki will come to Anand to meet them," he said adding they have not taken police security at the resort.

The Gujarat Congress had sent 44 of its MLAs here on July 29 to fend off "poaching" attempts by the BJP, ahead of the August 8 Rajya Sabha polls, in which Ahmed Patel, the political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, is contesting. "We have the numbers. The BJP don't have the numbers. We will see to it that Patel wins the poll," said Congress spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil.

Congress MP D.K. Suresh on Sunday said the Gujarat Congress is united and all the 44 MLAs are ready to vote for Ahmed Patel in the election scheduled for August 8. "All of them are happy... they might leave tomorrow or day after tomorrow," said Suresh, adding, "Gujarat Congress is united, MLAs want to vote Ahmed Patel and will get back seat of Congress."

Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar had said, "To ensure that BJP is not successful in its mission, 44 of us Congress MLAs are leaving from Gujarat for Bengaluru. To hide their failure, the saffron party is trying to make sure our MLAs resign by offering money and through police pressure."

Earlier, Gohil had alleged that it was the BJP which was spreading "canards" that the Congress MLAs would first be flown to the national capital to meet Gandhi.

He also alleged that the saffron party was spreading "false reports" that the MLAs would use the 'NOTA' option in the polls to defeat Patel.

The Congress has objected to the 'NOTA' option in the Rajya Sabha polls, which is being seen as a prestige battle for the party in Gujarat.

Gohil asserted that all the Congress MLAs were "united" and that they would vote for Patel in the August 8 election.

Six of the 57 Congress MLAs in Gujarat have quit the party recently, with three of them joining the BJP on July 28.
The countdown to Rajya Sabha election for three seats from Gujarat has begun with 44 opposition Congress MLAs returning to their state early morning today from Bengaluru.

The opposition MLAs have been put up at Nijanand Resort in Anand, about 100 kms away from Gandhinagar where the voting will take place. They will be directly taken to Gandhinagar tomorrow morning to vote.

The Congress MLAs have also been not allowed to go to their respective constituencies and are celebrating Rakshabandhan with their family members at the resort. Security arrangements have been beefed up at the resort after Congress leader Shailesh Parmar wrote to the top police officials that they felt threatened.

On July 29, the Gujarat Congress had moved 44 of its state legislators to Eagleton Resort near Bengaluru, following claims from some of them that the BJP was using money and muscle power ahead of the RS elections due on August 8. The BJP has denied these allegations.

In the 182-member assembly, the BJP has enough numbers for their two candidates to win the poll easily. The Congress also has enough numbers for one candidate to win.

The drama unfolded on July 21 when senior leader Shankersinh Vaghela, who had been unhappy with the Congress for quite some time, quit the party on his birthday. This was soon followed by six Congress MLAs' resignation from the party. To make matters worse for the Congress, the BJP declared Balwantsinh Rajput, one among the three who defected, as its RS nominee. The other nominees include BJP national president Amit Shah and Union Minister Smriti Irani.

Tenures of Irani and Dilip Pandya (both from the BJP) and the Congress' Ahmed Patel will end in August.

As the six MLAs who resigned are now not eligible to vote, the current strength of the assembly is 176. The BJP has 121 MLAs, the Congress 51 and the NCP has two, while the JD(U) and Rashtriya Parivartan Party has one each.

With six Congress MLAs having quit and some more likely to follow them, the fight is likely to be a photo finish in the state. In any case, a defeat for Patel, political adviser to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, will be an embarrassment for the party. It will also affect the morale of the party rank and file ahead of the crucial assembly elections, which is due the year-end.

The option of NOTA has also added to the problem. Congress, in its whip has already asked its MLAs not to use NOTA. During their stay in Bengaluru, the Congress MLAs were given training on various issues related to public life. Most importantly, they were also explained the numbers, according to sources.

While the Congress is trying its best to keep its flock together and is claiming that the party has enough numbers, the BJP's state spokesperson Bharat Pandya exuded confidence that all their three candidates would win.

The BJP's top leadership in Gujarat is meeting later in the afternoon after which party chief Shah would address the MLAs. In the meeting, Shah is also expected to make them understand the finer details of the elections.

The election results will be out by late afternoon on August 8.

A win for the BJP will also mean that its claim of internal fighting within the state Congress would stand vindicated.

Despite having 51 MLAs, the Congress is counting on just 44 votes, in light of the recently concluded Presidential election, during which 11 Congress MLAs had cross voted in favour of BJP nominee. However, the state Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki is confident of Patel's victory.

Interestingly, Vaghela, despite having quit from the party, too has given his conditional support to Patel.

Meanwhile, the Congress has received flak from the masses, especially from the flood-ravaged north Gujarat area, over the whole episode of MLA ferrying. The BJP has been using the Bengaluru episode to its advantage by highlighting that the Congress MLAs enjoyed their stay in Bengaluru at a time when they were supposed to be in their constituencies.

The Congress in its defense has said the party MLAs were the first ones to reach their constituencies during the calamity.
Intelligence reports had earlier suggested that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might carry out attacks in some parts of the state to divert the attention from the party's medical college scam, said Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

"The government had intelligence reports that the BJP might carry out attacks in some parts of the state to divert the attention from BJP's medical college scam," Vijayan said in the Kerala assembly today. In a recent political development, Kerala BJP general secretary M.T. Ramesh's name had figured in the report of a medical college scam. It was alleged that the owner of a medical college in Thiruvananthapuram had paid Rs 5.60 crore as bribe to Kerala-based BJP leaders for influencing the Medical Council of India.

Vijayan added that the government had taken precautionary measures to control any mishappenings in light of the intelligence reports and is ready to handover the case of the RSS worker's murder to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if necessary.

He also informed that the internal probe report conducted by the BJP will also be considered by vigilance investigation team.

This comes amid chaos in the state over the killing of an RSS worker.

Earlier on Sunday, Union Minister Arun Jaitley met the grieving family members of RSS worker Rajesh Edavakode, who was killed during political clash in Kozhikode.

Addressing a gathering after meeting Rajesh's kin, Jaitley condemned the dastardly attack and said that "even enemies would not be as brutal as those who are involved in the murder".

"I visited the family of our deceased karyakarta, who was slaughtered in the most barbaric manner... he was an ideal karyakarta... this kind of violence will neither suppress ideology in Kerala nor it will be able to scare our workers. It will only increase their determination to work harder against those who are perpetuating this operation," he added.

"He belonged to the weaker section of the society... Rajesh belonged to a poor family and now his family has no means of a livelihood. He was stabbed mercilessly and there were 70-80 wounds inflicted on his body, even enemies would not be as brutal as those involved in the murder. In the past few months party officers are being attacked, our workers are being attacked and their houses are being set ablaze," he added.

A series of clashes between CPI(M) and BJP-RSS activists had rocked Thiruvananthapuram last month in which the 34-year-old RSS worker was murdered in Kozhikode.
By PTI: (Eds: Adding quotes after para 9) New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) India and South American nation Peru would start formal negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) from this week, a senior official said today.

The FTA aims at liberalising norms for trade in goods and services with a view to further boost bilateral economic ties between the countries.

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"This will be the first round of negotiations," the official said.

The two-day deliberations would focus on contours of negotiations and decide on structure of different working groups such as goods, services and investments.

Approval for the talks was given by the Union Cabinet earlier this year.

A joint study group, constituted by both the sides had agreed to carry forward the discussions on the proposed agreement.

In an FTA, two countries significantly reduce or eliminate duties on most of the goods traded between them besides relaxing norms and rules to promote trade in services and increase bilateral investments.

Peru ranked third among export destinations for India in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region during 2015-16.

The bilateral trade between the nations increased to USD 1.8 billion in 2016-17 from USD 1.52 billion in 2015-16.

The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) said that trade with Peru is growing by 25 per cent year-on-year and a trade agreement will further push the two-way commerce.

"An FTA with Peru can push the trade growth to 50 per cent or more with massive export opportunities in sectors like automobile, auto components, textiles, pharma, chemicals, plastics and rubber," FIEO Director General Ajay Sahai said.

Latin America is one of the important markets for Indian exporters.

India has recently expanded preferential trade agreement with Chile.

Chile is the fourth largest trading partner of India in LAC region after Brazil, Venezuela and Argentina. PTI RR CS MR

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An unidentified Lashkar-e-Taiba militant was today killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Kashmir.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in village Samboora late last night following information about presence of militants there, a police official said.

The search party of forces was fired upon by militants triggering a gunbattle, the official said.

One militant was killed in the encounter, he said adding that the identity and group affiliation of the slain ultra was being ascertained.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue Rakesh Sinha on Monday compared the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to Taliban. "The kind of attack and violence the CPI (M) are perpetuating in Kerala makes them no different than talibanis," Rakesh Sinha told ANI.

Claiming that the pattern of killings that have been happening in Kerala is distinct, Sinha said the CPI(M) are killing dalit activists because they are dejecting them and coming to RSS. "Attack against Rajesh is not a mere killing of an RSS worker, but a message to dalits, who constitute 9.2 per cent of Kerala's population, that they cannot choose party and ideology according to their choice," he added.

Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday met the grieving family members of RSS worker Rajesh Edavakode, who was killed during a political clash. A series of clashes between CPI (M) and the BJP-RSS activists had rocked Thiruvananthapuram last month.

Earlier, the RSS urged the central and state governments to take strict actions towards bringing the series of murders to an end in Kerala. "Centre must intervene in state sponsored violence in Kerala," said the RSS Joint General Secretary.

RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale also passed a resolution in RSS Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal meet regarding these attacks on the RSS by CPI(M) cadres in the state.

Eight suspects were detained in connection with the murder. Earlier, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had condemned the murder and called for an all-party meeting on August 6 regarding the same.

He said that party offices and workers' houses can't be attacked and political parties should be more vigilant and ask workers to keep away from such incidents. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had called on Vijayan to nab the perpetrators and bring them to justice expeditiously.

He even requested the chief minister to curb the political violence in the state and said, "I expect that the political violence in Kerala is curbed and that the perpetrators are brought to justice expeditiously."

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on July 4 issued a notice to the Kerala government over growing incidents of political violence in the state and sought a report on the issue within four weeks.

The commission also asked the state chief secretary and DGP to take effective measures to stop such incidents.
Two months ago when Aishwarya Raghunathan completed her board exams, she dreamt of a career in medicine and believed that the government in Tamil Nadu will help her achieve her dreams. But her dreams remain shattered now. She has given up all her hopes of getting into a medical college and is considering other options.

I could not clear NEET (National Eligibility and Entrance Test) as I did not prepare well in advance. I believed our state government would save us. I have decided to do B Pharm. But MBBS always is close to my heart, she says.

Aishwarya is just one of the several thousands of medical aspirants who moved from the CBSE board to the state board two years ago when she joined plus one, only with an aim to get a high score which will help get into a medical college. As the state government is still arguing its case with the Centre and in the courts to get exemption from NEET, time is running out for students like Aishwarya who have been caught in an inconvenient spot. I cannot afford to wait till this month end as the admissions in other colleges too will close, says Aishwarya.

In a state where there are more than 8,000 students vying for the 3,000 odd MBBS seats in medical colleges across Tamil Nadu, NEET continues to remain as a cause of worry. Last week, when a court order struck down the 85 per cent reservation for Tamil Nadu state education board students in medical colleges across the state, it appeared getting into medical colleges will be a challenge for the students from the state board.

Even as the state is fighting the matter, the students have lost all hopes. In fact, with the counselling already under way for those who have cleared NEET, the students from the state board, despite scoring well, may not be able to make it to the medical colleges. We have been continuously demanding the Centre to exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET. Our health minister has even camped in Delhi, requesting for exemption from NEET, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy told the media when asked about the concerns of the students.

Unlike Aishwarya, for students like Vedavalli Paranthaman, a student from the CBSE board, the states indecisiveness might cost career. We do not know what the state government is up to. If NEET will be exempted we can continue to wait. Else students like me can at least apply in the medical colleges in other states. Time is running out for all India seats, she says.

In Tamil Nadu which has around 22 state run medical colleges and 10 self financing medical colleges, the 85 per cent government quota was on the basis of nativity. According to the data submitted by the state government in the Madras High court, at least 2,000 state board students and 520 CBSE students had chances of getting medical seats based on their NEET score. But with NEET in place, the students from other states securing MBBS seats through the government quota will go up from 47 in 2016 to at least 500 this year.

It was on July 31 that the Madras High Court dismissed an appeal filed by the state. A single judge bench had earlier ordered reserving 85 per cent of MBBS and BDS seats to state board students and only 15 per cent for CBSE and other boards. The July 31 judgment quashing the government order of 85-15 per cent quota for state and other boards respectively, noted that it amounted to discrimination among equals.

A division bench of Madras High Court comprising Justices Nooty Ramamohana Rao and M Dhandapani upheld the July 14 order of Justice K. Ravichandrabaabu which quashed the government order. The bench further directed the Tamil Nadu state government to take necessary steps expeditiously from now on to accomplish the task of filling up the seats in MBBS and BDS courses before the August 31 deadline.

However, with the government indecisiveness and shuttling between courts, the medical aspirants are left in the lurch.
A day after making a courtesy call on superstar Rajinikanth, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha president Poonam Mahajan on Monday addressed a protest rally in Chennai against the Edappadi K. Palanisamy government in the state. The MP's meeting with the actor and the rally assume significance as they come at a time when the saffron party is trying hard to expand its footprints in the state amid the ongoing political crisis.

The protest rally called the March to the Fort was held demanding prohibition, civic polls and improvement of education in government-run schools.

Addressing the rally, Mahajan said, "The sun is setting and the leaves are falling aparta reference to the party symbols of both the DMK and the ruling AIADMK.

Invoking the "Tamil pride", she highlighted the welfare initiatives undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Tamil Nadu fishermen and asserted that the time was ripe for the lotus to bloom "everywhere in the state".

Mahajan listed the Centre's recent initiatives, including a Rs-1,500 crore plan to convert bottom trawlers into deep sea long- liners for the fishermen of the state.

Beginning and ending her speech with Vanakkam, the BJP leader said she would try and speak in Tamil the next time and be a "Tamil sister".

BJP Tamil Nadu unit president Thamizhisai Soundararajan said: "This rally shows our strength. The state will go for civic polls. The BJP is all set to face it".

Poonam Mahajan with superstar Rajinikanth at his residence in Chennai on Sunday | PTI

Mahajan's meeting with Rajinikanth on Sunday has sparked off speculations in the political circle as the actor had recently hinted that he might consider joining politics.

The saffron brigade has been vociferous and seemingly very active in the state for quite a while, especially after the demise of former chief minister and AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa. However, the party has accelerated its campaign in the recent months, apparently to cash in on the political instability in the state following the fragmentation of the ruling party. It seems that the saffron party is hoping that it could fill the political vacuum created after the death of Jayalalithaa and retirement of DMK chief M.Karunanidhi from active politics.

With just 2.8 per cent vote share in the last state elections, BJP has no legislators in the assembly. The party, however, has one MP from the stateUnion minister Pon Radhakrishnan.

The party's Vistarak Yojana programme and the scheduled visit of its national president Amit Shah on August 22 add more spice to its future plans in the state. Sources in party's state unit say that Shah will oversee the programmes' progress and get connected with the party workers to build a strong organisational structure for BJP in Tamil Nadu.

It may be recalled that in March this year, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), the highest decision making and policy formulation body of the RSS conducted a grand rally in the state for the first time in its 92-year-old history. Also, Venkaiah Naidu's visit to the state secretariat, when he was a Union minister, to oversee the implementation of central schemes on the day of metro rail project launch in Chennai indicated BJP's desperation to make inroads in the state. Now the BJP's rally and Poonam Mahajan's meeting with Rajinikanth, too, gain political importance in this background.

(With inputs from agencies)
The recent arrest of Abdullah by the Uttar Pradesh Anti Terror Squad (ATS) indicates that western UP is again becoming a safe haven for terrorists backed by Pakistan and Bangladesh. ATS claimed he is a terrorist and has association with Bangladeshs terror outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), which is in active touch with many Pakistan-based terror outfits.

UP ATS had arrested Abdullah from Charthaval yesterday, and Inspector General Aseem Arun revealed that he had been staying there since 2011 under a fake identity and had plans to carry out terror activities in western UP and NCR on Independence Day.

Abdullahs main task was to recruit youths for terror activities and prepare sleeper modules in the state by giving them a fake identity.

This is not for the first time that western UP is in the news for similar reasons. In the past, alleged terrorist have been caught from the districts of Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Meerut, Rampur and even Bareilly.

On July 10, Sandeep Sharma alias Adil was arrested from Kashmir. According to cops, he is a resident of Muzaffarnagar and has links with Lashkar-e-Taiba. A few months ago, cops arrested Aizaz, an alleged Pakistan spy from Meerut. Around the same time, police had arrested about a dozen suspected terrorists from different places in western UP.

Police arrested Firoz Manjhi and Kamraan, who were allegedly smuggling important military documents and supplying it to Pakistan.

In April this year, the ATS, in a joint operation with the special cell of the Delhi Police, CI cell Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra ATS and police force from Punjab and Bihar, held many youths from across the country, including Bijnor in western UP. According to the UP police, these youths were recruiting others to carry out terror activities and were a being backed by the ISI.

Sambhal district is also on the radar of the ATS and UP police as it is suspected that Sambhal has become a haven for many alleged members of the dreaded outfit Al Qaeda.
The case of the ten-year-old rape survivor in Chandigarh is only one among several recent ones where girls and women have turned to courts to seek abortion. But, why do such cases end up before courts?

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971, does not allow termination beyond 20 weeks, unless there is a risk to the womans life. In cases where the foetus is detected with abnormalities, or if the pregnancy has resulted from rape, women are compelled to go to courts. In some cases, the courts have allowed abortion.

The legal option is most often a womans last resort. But, there are several other issues involving the abortion process in our country. Lack of early access to safe abortion is one, say medical experts. When performed by skilled providers using correct medical techniques and drugs, and under hygienic conditions, abortion is safe. But, owing to several hindrances, women often end up visiting quacks and illegal clinics, resulting in medical complications, and, at times, even death, says advocate Sneha Mukherjee, who has handled many pleas for abortion in the Supreme Court.

According to the health management information system of the Union ministry of health and family welfare, 7,26,993 abortions took place in India between April 2016 and April 2017. But, experts say the actual number is much higher. Estimates by Delhi-based Ipas Development Foundation (IDF), an organisation that works on safe abortion services, suggest that ten women die every day because of unsafe abortions in India. Eight per cent of maternal mortality is due to unsafe abortions, according to IDF.

We just do not have enough health workers in the country, especially in rural areas, to provide safe abortions, says Mumbai-based Dr Atul Ganatra, former chairman of MTP committee, Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India. Also, there is a lot of stigma when it comes to unmarried girls and women. If a 15-year-old is pregnant, she will hesitate to tell her parents, or go to a primary health care centre. Often, crucial time is lost in the process. The 20-week limit, he says, needs to be raised because in many cases, foetal anomalies, especially those related to the heart, are detected after 20 weeks.

The change in the age of consent, from 16 years to 18 years (regardless of marriage), as defined in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, has compounded the problem. If a young woman under 18 comes to me asking for abortion, I have to inform the police. This deters young women from going to safe abortion providers, says Ganatra. Also, doctors say Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994, deters them from performing genuine abortions. Sex of the foetus can be determined at 13-15 weeks of gestation, and, hence, abortions, especially in the second trimester (beyond 12 weeks), could be seen as sex selective, they say.

Procedural delays also play the villain, as they did in the case of a 35-year-old destitute woman from Bihar who was denied abortion by the Supreme Court in May. The woman, who is HIV positive, had wanted to abort her pregnancy of 17 weeks, a fact that was communicated to the hospital in January. However, she was asked to get the consent of her father and brother, despite no such provision in the law, says noted lawyer Vrinda Grover, the counsel for the woman. Still, the hospital did not terminate the pregnancy, and the woman went to the Patna High Court, pleading that since she had been raped and was also HIV positive, she should be allowed to abort. By then, she had already crossed the 20-week ceiling, and her plea was rejected. She then approached the Supreme Court. But, by then she was 26 weeks pregnant, and it had become risky to abort the foetus. Her plea was turned down, but her counsel managed to get the government to pay her compensation. Not many women can afford to go to courts though, say lawyers and activists.

Many of these issues can be addressed through the proposed amendments to the MTP Act. For instance, one of the changes proposes to extend the gestational limit for abortion beyond 20 weeks, if foetal abnormalities are detected. This amendment would mean that abortion is available at any time during pregnancy if the foetus is diagnosed with severe abnormalities, which require major medical interventions or are incompatible with life. These services will, however, be available only at medical colleges in the public sector and at other large private-sector institutions that may be accredited by the state for this purpose, says Vinoj Manning, executive director, IDF.

The other change is to extend the gestation limit to 24 weeks for vulnerable women, including rape and incest survivors, single women (unmarried/divorced/widowed) and those with disabilities. It is also being proposed that the cadre of legal service providers for safe abortions during the first trimester (up to 12 weeks) be expanded to include medical practitioners with bachelors degree in ayurveda, siddha, unani and homoeopathy and those working in the public health sector.
That's not how you should be doing it, Jhanvi.

By Shivani Chhabra: From pounding the pavements to anxiously waiting for that turning point in their career, that would make 'stars' from being just artists, things were not easy for actors until a decade ago. With the advent of technology and access to social media, every star-kid is already a 'celeb' without having really earned the status, thanks to the generous, curious fans.

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Taking a case on point, Jhanvi Kapoor is the upcoming star kid, who already has fans swooning over her, without actually her having made an official Bollywood debut.

Also Read: Jacqueline Fernandez in this peach outfit is what dreams are made of

While fans already admire the way this young lady dresses, we spotted her in a disastrous airport outfit that left us baffled.

The Kapoor scion was spotted in an eye-pinching pair of pink shorts that were just the opposite of trendy. We haven't been able to get over how weird the length of her neon-pink shorts were, which weren't long enough to be dungarees, but weren't too short to be called shorts either.

Photo: Yogen Shah

With a length as confusing as that, and an unflattering fit, it's hard to come to terms with the fact that she chose to wear neon-pink velvet shorts in this atrocious weather.

Also Read: Karisma Kapoor's shiny outfit is really hurting our eyes

Like the shorts weren't enough to leave us scarred, she teamed it up with a pair of white, chelsea boots that didn't make sense at all. How is a pair of not-so-short velvet shorts supposed to look spiffy with chelsea boots in this humid weather?

Photo: Yogen Shah

If there was something we weren't really taken aback by, it was her baby-pink sweatshirt. However, it was mismatched like the rest of the ensemble.

Photo: Yogen Shah

Carrying a blue, box-bag, Jhanvi Kapoor wasn't even close to being the fashion-inspo that B-town needs.

You could really take some cues from the queen of velvet outfits, Kendall Jenner, Jhanvi.

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(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)

For the first time since the recent Har Habayis violence, King Abdullah of Jordan is meeting with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) in Ramallah. According to Jordanian media reports, the king will be meeting with Abu Mazen on Monday to discuss matters pertaining to Jerusalem and al-Aqsa.

Members of Abu Mazens Fatah Central Committee signal the meeting is a most significant one as they will discuss coordination between the various involved parties in light of current political challenges.

Jordan views itself as responsible for Har Habayis and the Waqf Authority, and while Israel and the Hashemite kingdom maintain good relations, those relations were and remain strained surrounding the recent Har Habayis events. Jordan was among Israels most audible critics after PM Netanyahu decided to place metal detectors for visitors to the site. They all since been removed to the exclusion of the metal detectors used to check Jews visiting the site.

Gedolei Yisrael over the generations and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel prohibit visiting Har Habayis, which they explain carries the punishment of kares.

In the accompanying photos, we see King Abdullah arriving in Ramallah and receiving an official diplomatic welcome.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo Credit:    via Media Resource Group)
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has announced he backs a Communications Ministry plan to shut down Al-Jazeera Israel after determining it promotes the agenda of extremist Islam. Communications Minister Ayoub Kara, in his announcement on Sunday, 14 Menachem Av, cited while the ministry will fight to defend and protect freedom of the press, in this case, we are dealing with a threat to national security as Al-Jazeera regularly incites against Israel and advances the agenda of Islamic Islam. Kara explained this was the case following the recent shooting attack on Har Habayis that claimed the lives of two Israeli policemen.

Kara plans to shut down Al-Jazeeras office in the capital as well as revoking the press cards of its employees. He also plans to bar the stations broadcasts on Israeli cable and satellite TV.

ACRI (Association for Civil Rights in Israel) was first in line to decry the move, true to its extreme left-wing agenda, insisting the ministers decision is a violation of freedom of the press and expression.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Jordan has prevented the return of the Israeli diplomatic staff to the Israeli Embassy in Amman following the shooting incident involving an embassy security agent that left two Jordanians dead. Jordan is waiting to hear the outcome of Israels investigation into the shooting incident.

Interestingly, PA (Palestinian Authority) officials are demanding the immediate reopening of the Embassy as hundreds of Jordanian passports remain in the embassy, passports that were being reviewed for entry to Israel. When the shooting occurred and embassy staff left, the passports were left in the building, which remains closed as Jordanian officials will not permit the return of the ambassador and his staff.

King Abdullah on Monday flew to Ramallah to meet with PA Chairman Abbas and while it was reported the will discuss matter dealing with Har Habayis and Jerusalem, the matter of the embassy reopening may be on the agenda as well.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
By India Today Web Desk: It's been six months since Karan Johar became a dad to twins - Yash and Roohi, via surrogacy. But the 44-year-old filmmaker cannot get enough of this overwhelming feeling. From chat shows to social media, Bollywood's newest daddy has never hesitated to talk about his two bundles of joy.

Be it talking about how much he adores them or how they arrival has changed his perspective on life, KJo can never never stop gushing about his munchkins. And he did exactly the same when he recently penned a heartfelt letter for his twins in Vogue.

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"I was 44-years-old when you were born to me, and almost immediately you made me as sentimental as a Hallmark greeting card. I spout cliches on how magical the two of you are, how you have filled the vacuum in my life and how you made my house a home, but it's true," he wrote.

He added, "You've changed my life completely, and I'm not complaining. I worry a lot more than I ever did - I have these strange thoughts about my insurance premium, my will, even the division of my assets. I stay awake some nights wondering who I can appoint your guardian if something happened to me."

For the first time, the filmmaker openly talked about his dreams, his insecurities related to his twins. He said that he has been receiving millions of guidelines about parenting but he is going by his instincts. "I am learning to rely more on my instincts and I'm learning to accept the fears, apprehensions, and insecurities that come with being a dad. I've already started imagining things like your first day at school, your first words and even your first acknowledgment of me. To tell you the truth, every single day I whisper 'papa, papa, papa' into your ears because I'm petrified that your first words will be in Malayalam (all our four nurses are from Kerala)!," said the filmmaker.

Talking about his dreams, he also added that his kids won't ever be pressurised to make a name in Bollywood, they would be free to choose and do whatever they wish to when they grow old. "My second dream of what I wish for the two of you is, strangely, a reaction to all those who will ask us: 'Will your kids take your legacy forward?' My father never forced me to do what I'm doing. In fact, he did not want me to do what I'm doing. He wanted me to branch out of the industry, so, likewise, I don't want you to do what is expected just because I have a company and have built a legacy. You don't have to take my company forward if you are not inclined towards the film business. Instead, I wish that I bring you up to become people who are fiercely independent in your choices, opinions and your individual lives. The legacy, if any, I want to pass on is the independence that I was given," said the 44-year-old filmmaker.

Read the full letter HERE

ALSO READ: I'm the mother of my children, says Karan Johar

ALSO READ: Karan Johar shares first photo of twins Yash and Roohi

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ALSO WATCH: I am the mother of my children, says Karan Johar

--- ENDS ---
A Santander 123 current account customer who has been defrauded to the tune of 3,140 has been refused a refund from the bank, despite police evidence.

Paresh Patel, from Harrow, discovered 18 unusual cash machine withdrawals from his account at a local Barclays branch and a Costcutter shop.

When he unearthed the transactions, he contacted Santander who cancelled the card. Meanwhile he contacted the Metropolitan Police, which found CCTV evidence of withdrawals.

ATM fraud: Mr Patel says that 18 cash withdrawals were made fraudulently from his 123 current account

This footage, it is claimed, found that withdrawals were made by a number of different people, none of whom are Mr Patel, nor anyone he knows.

But despite this and taking the case to the Financial Ombudsman Service, he has been declined a refund and remains thousands out of pocket.

The transactions were all for between 100 and 250. Mr Patel noticed the unusual activity - which happened between 24 September and 23 October 2015 - on 12 November 2015.

He says the reason for the delay was the fact he hadn't received a paper bill and it was the first time he had logged on to check his statement online for a while.

Like thousands of others, Mr Patel used the 123 current account as a savings account as it offers a competitive rate of interest, rather than as a normal current account. Up until recently, it offered three per cent on balances up to 20,000.

He says he's only used the debit card once outside of a Santander branch - to pay for a visa to India at a India Visa Application Centre - and that was just before the fraud started.

Apart from that one use, and some use inside a Santander bank for ID purposes to withdraw cash, the card was always locked in a safe.

Mr Patel insists he has always been in possession of the debit card and has never divulged personal or security information to anyone.

The Metropolitan Police wrote to Santander separately with the findings of their investigations.

At the end of his tether, he appointed a fraud expert to help fight the case, but the banking giant still refused to budge on its stance.

Meanwhile, after investigating, the FOS told Mr Patel it had turned down his claim because it decided that it did not have sufficient evidence to say Santander are at fault.

Banking regulations in the UK state: 'Banks can only refuse to refund a customer if he or she has acted fraudulently or had been grossly negligent.'

It means the burden of proof lies with the bank and it's up to them to show that the customer authorised a payment or failed to protect their debit card details or Pin.

Police evidence: Despite the Met Police getting involved, Santander still refused to refund saying that there was 'no feasible explanation to how a third party got his card and Pin'

A Santander spokesman told This is Money: 'Mr Patel first raised this complaint with us in November 2015.

'Following an initial investigation we turned down his claim and, after an appeal, reached the same conclusion.

'In 2016 further investigations were carried out following new contact from Mr Patel and the claim was again declined in December 2016.

'Mr Patel then contacted the FOS whose adjudication agreed with our findings.

'The money has not been refunded to Mr Patel as there is no feasible explanation as to how a third party could have obtained both his card and Pin without his knowledge.

'Mr Patel kept his card in a locked safe which only he and his wife had access to. His Pin was not written down and had only ever been shared with his wife.

'Additionally, Mr Patel did not use his card so there would have been no opportunity for "shoulder surfing".

'We have investigated this case thoroughly and are satisfied with our conclusions. If Mr Patel has further evidence we will happily look at this.'

This is Money asked Santander whether it studied the CCTV evidence sent in by the Metropolitan Police - Mr Patel says it hasn't discussed the footage with him at all. However, the bank chose not to answer.

It is also not clear whether the bank has concrete proof his debit card was used to make the transactions and not a clone.

As pointed out, the onus should be on the bank to prove Mr Patel is at fault  but it has no concrete evidence to show this, or if it does, this hasn't be shared.

This is Money is of the view that if Mr Patel has acted fraudulently or negligently, the likelihood of him contacting the police, FOS and national press to highlight his wrongdoings are slim.

This is Money and Money Mail had an investigation earlier in the year where we raised serious concerns about fraud at Santander, and its policy to often reject refunds.

If you have been a victim of fraud at Santander, or any other financial firm, get in touch: lee.boyce@thisismoney.co.uk
The chief executive of Paddy Power Betfair Breon Corcoran is to step down after 16 years with the bookmaker.

Shares in the bookie fell this morning by 6 per cent to 7,445p as the news hit the market.

Paddy Power Betfair was created in a 7 billion merger of the the bookie with online betting exchange Betfair last year.

The boss of Paddy Power Betfair Breon Corcoran is to step down after 16 years with the bookmaker.

The FTSE 100 listed gambling giant will announce its half-year results on Tuesday, and is expected to report revenue growth of 9 per cent and underlying earnings up 21 per cent.

It will also confirm trading is in line with expectations and provide guidance for full-year 2017 underlying earnings of between 445 million and 465 million.

The Irish businessman said: 'This was a very difficult decision to make, and there is never a good time to leave.'

'But this is the right decision for me and my family, and following the successful completion of the merger integration it is an opportune time for the business too.'

Paddy Power Betfair is the UK's largest bookmakers

The company announced that following a 'rigorous and extensive succession process', Worldpay UK chief executive Peter Jackson will succeed Corcoran

Jackson has been in a non-executive director role at Paddy Power Betfair since last year.

He was previously chief executive at Travelex Group, Banco Santander and held a series of roles in the retail bank at Lloyds Banking Group and HBOS.

Rival bookmaker William Hill also turned to Worldpay to fill one of its senior positions earlier this year, nabbing the payment processor's chief operating officer Ruth Prior, as its new chief financial officer.
Controversial Thames Water could soon sever its links with the Cayman Islands as it seeks to repair its reputation.

Bosses think the firm, which has paid no corporation tax for a decade, might soon be able to relocate its two subsidiaries incorporated in the tax haven.

The restructure is part of a wider rethink for England's biggest water firm under chief executive Steve Robertson, who joined last September.

The group has been under fire, including from the industry regulator, for paying out vast dividends while loading the company up with 10billion of debt and polluting UK waterways.

Tax haven: Thames Water could soon sever its links with the Cayman Islands (pictured) as part of a wide rethink for England's biggest water firm under chief executive Steve Robertson

Bosses stress the two Cayman subsidiaries are not there for tax reasons, but a source said: 'They are cognisant of the fact that having a holding company and the word 'Cayman' does not look good.

They are exploring ways of being more open  addressing the corporate structure is very much a part of that.'

The Universities Superannuation Scheme, one of the UK's largest pension funds, bought an 11 per cent stake last month and said it has 'set out clear expectations in terms of both governance arrangements and customer service.'

Critics say holding Thames Water to account is made more difficult by its murky corporate structure of nine linked companies, including the finance company and holdings company incorporated in the Cayman Islands.

Thames Water says it paid 177million in taxes over the last year, including through national insurance, business rates, and fuel duty.

The company was bought in 2006 by Australian bank Macquarie, which shared about 1.2billion in dividends with other investors during its ownership.

It gradually sold stakes to foreign investors with the final 26.6 per cent going in May to Kuwaiti and Canadian investors.

In June water industry regulator Ofwat made an unprecedented demand for change at the company after opening a probe into why it had missed its leak targets.

Chairman Jonson Cox's demands included 'transparency and clarity about financial returns to the company's investors each year.'

That same month it was fined 8.6million for missing leak reduction targets by 47million litres per day.

That followed its record 20.3million fine in March for polluting the River Thames with 1.4billion litres of raw sewage  behaviour slammed by a judge as 'shocking and disgraceful'.
MANZINI  After a lot has been said about the arrest of about 30 sex workers in the city, the Royal Swaziland Police (RSP) said it would continue conducting inspections day and night.



Manzini Regional Crime Branch Officer (RCBO) Superintendent Clement Sihlongonyane said their main aim was to make the city a sex work-free. On Thursday, this publication reported that all 30 sex workers had pleaded guilty to selling their bodies and they were sentenced to four months imprisonment with an option of a E400 fine each.



The arrests and convictions sparked a debate where people who included Manzini South Member of Parliament and Minister of public Service Owen Nxumalo who said these sex workers should be brought to him. The minister said there was about E1.5 million that could be used in his constituency to empower those who were willing to leave the sex trade.



Nxumalo, who also lauded the police for arresting the sex workers, stated that his constituency would not be only empowering those who wanted to leave sex work but also the ones who stayed there and had life skills as means to curb sex work.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Sihlongonyane said he was disappointed by the people who had condemned such arrests and stated that it was unlawful.

Who says such arrests would not eradicate prostitution? Ever since the sex workers were apprehended in all the targeted corners of the city, Manzini is super clean, he said.

The police are making random checks in all those places and we must say, so far so good. We will continue arresting sex workers whenever they are found in those points loitering for the purposes of prostitution, Superintendent Sihlongonyane said.
MANZINI  The University of Swaziland (UNISWA) was saved by the Royal Swaziland Police (RSP) when it was about to release funds amounting to E2.9 million to a con womans account.



The woman, Lenhle Ntulu (27), is said to have been in a love relationship with a lecturer at the university, Patrick Mkhonta, who has since died.

After his death and funeral service earlier this year, the woman, is said to have approached the university with fraudulent documents which included a seven-month old childs birth certificate and a hospital card with all the lecturers particulars and submitted them.



It was gathered that after the university had verified everything, including the documents, the pension fund department at the university decided to call the lecturers family at Mshingishingini, Hhohho to confirm if they knew the woman and also the child.

We just had to get the link between the families. when we discovered that the family was not aware of the said child, we started conducting our investigations.



The family started making means to get hold of the woman and she was eventually found while we held on to the process of releasing the money, a source within the department, who preferred anonymity, said.

The Mkhonta family allegedly met with the woman and requested her to bring the child to their family as per Swazi tradition.



Reliable sources who were present during the meeting revealed that after meeting the child, most of the family members were not convinced that the child was indeed part of them. During the period when the child was conceived to the time the mother gave birth, our brother was already ill and there was no way he could have fathered the child.
SITEKI  With only a week left before schools close for the second term, a severe food shortage has reportedly hit some schools yet again.



This comes barely a month after government supplied schools countrywide with food, following a month-long food crisis.

The food crisis has reportedly prompted some schools to close early for the second term while others have reportedly been forced to downsize break time meals for pupils.



The resurgent food crises are a result of the small quantity of food that was supplied by government in schools, head teachers say.

We got 11 bags of rice but all that was consumed within weeks. Fortunately, we had received the Free Primary Education (FPE) grants, so we were able to purchase some maize last week, said Lubuli Primary School Head teacher Joseph Ndzimandze.



He stated that the school would face a severe food shortage next term if government did not supply additional food.

We cant downsize the quantity of a meal we give to each pupil because our pupils come from poor homesteads and, as such, they rely solely on the food they get from the school. We give them enough food so that they may have the stamina to learn. he added.



Ndzevane Primary School Head teacher Jabulile Dlamini said the school had already closed for the second term due to the food crisis.

She said the school received only nine bags of rice yet it needs a bag of rice per day to prepare break-time meals for pupils.

The food was very little, in just nine days it was finished, she stated.



Mphaphati Primary School Head teacher Busi Lukhele also said the food which the school received was insufficient.
By PTI: Bengaluru, Aug 7 (PTI) Karnataka minister D KShivakumar today appeared before the Income Tax department officials at the IT office here in connection with the raids conducted at various properties linked to him last week.

After being grilled by the officials for three consecutive days in connection with an alleged tax evasion case, the state power minister was issued summons to appear beforethe Income Tax department today for questioning.

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Shivakumar, who appeared along with his brother and Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh, said the officials mightcall him again, whenever required.

"The Income Tax authorities have every right to summonand question any assesse, businessman or individual. I have come here several times earlier also. They had asked me toappear anytime after 11 am, so I have come here," he said.

He added that the IT officials discussed his earlier statement and treated him "very respectfully".

"They are guiding me for my good," said Shivakumar.

He added that the officials did not ask him to come tomorrowor the day after and said they would inform him whenever required.

In a swoop down that has stirred a political controversy, the IT department, on August 2, began raiding various properties linked to Shivakumar, who hosted 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs at a resort on the city outskirts, to thwart the "poaching" attempts by the BJP ahead of tomorrows Rajya Sabha polls in that state.

Ahmed Patel, the political secretary to Congress chiefSonia Gandhi, is a contestant in the election to the Upper House of Parliament from Gujarat.

During the IT raids at about 66 places across the country, the officials said they had seized cash and jewellery, worth over Rs 15 crore.

The IT department is yet to make an official statement regarding the outcome of the raids.

Asked about the panchnama (seizure list) and details of the reported recoveries made by the IT sleuths, Shivakumar said, "I have asked for it. My auditor has to apply for it...they (IT officials) have asked us to apply in accordance with the procedure. I will ask my auditor to collect it."

Not divulging any details of the raids, Shivakumar, soon after the raids ended on Saturday, had said he would speak to the mediain detail, only after getting the panchnama.

Astrologer Dwarakanath and MLC S Ravi, considered close to the minister, also appeared before the IT officials for questioning today. PTI KSU RA RC RC

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Article 35A accords special power to Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for framing laws to give privileges and rights to the residents of the state. It entitles the Assembly to define Permanent Residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

By Prabhash K Dutta: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah is angry over Centre's response to a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court.

Farooq Abdullah has warned that if the Centre does any tinkering with the existing arrangement concerning Jammu and Kashmir, there would be a huge protest, much bigger than what was seen during the Amarnath Shrine land controversy when his son Omar Abdullah was the Chief Minister of the state.

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Farooq Abdullah is miffed with what he sees as an attempt change the demographic composition of the Kashmir Valley. And, this has come in the wake of a PIL challenging Article 35A in the Supreme Court. Article 35A has the most intricate relationship with Article 370.

Repealing Article 370 has been on the agenda of the BJP and RSS for decades. For long the BJP said that the day it came to power in New Delhi on its own, it would resolve the Kashmir issue. Its pet prescription has been doing away with Article 370 of the Constitution, which was inserted in after the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir signed the instrument of accession with India in 1947 following invasion by Pakistan.

Now that the BJP is heading the strongest government at the Centre in 30 years after having secured majority of its own in the last Lok Sabha elections, the clamour for repeal of Article 370 has been growing in the Sangh parivar. But, it is easier said than done.

So, it seems, the focus has shifted to another provision of the Constitution - Article 35A. It was inserted in the Constitution by a Presidential Order in 1954. Article 35A did not have the assent of Parliament. Hence, it was placed in the Appendices of the Constitution. But, Article 35A has formed an important link between New Delhi and Srinagar.

WHAT IS ARTICLE 35A?

Article 35A accords special power to Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for framing laws to give privileges and rights to the residents of the state. It entitles the Assembly to define Permanent Residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

Such laws framed exercising the powers under Article 35A cannot be challenged for being in violation of fundamental right to equality of Indian citizens from other states.

WHO ARE PERMANENT RESIDENTS?

Exercising its powers under Article 35A, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly defined Permanent Resident as a person who was a state subject on May 14, 1954 or who had been a resident of the state for 10 years and has "lawfully acquired immovable property in the state."

A person who is not a permanent resident of Jammu and Kashmir is not allowed to vote in state Assembly election or contest election to the state Assembly.

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The state also framed laws exercising powers granted by Article 35A to bar an outsider from buying property in or from settling in Jammu and Kashmir. Such a person cannot get a job in the Jammu and Kashmir government.

In effect, Article 35A has given Jammu and Kashmir its present demographic composition making it the only Indian state with Muslim majority. The RSS believes that the Kashmir issue can only be resolved by changing the demographic composition of the state, effectively of the Valley.

SO, WHAT HAS HAPPENED?

Article 35A has become the point of debate after the Supreme Court recently decided to set up a three-judge bench to hear the constitutionality of the Presidential Order, 1954, which has been amended over 40 times since.

The Supreme Court is likely to hear the matter later this month. The matter reached the Supreme Court through a PIL that was filed in December, 2015 by an RSS-linked NGO 'We the Citizen'. The petitioner sought repeal of Article 35A on the ground of constitutionality.

While responding to the Supreme Court notice on the matter, the Centre has said that it involves complex issues of constitutionality. The government also said that it was open for debate on the issue as it has no view on the matter. The Centre further suggested that it would appropriate for the Supreme Court to decide the matter.

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Jammu and Kashmir, however, had taken a different view saying that since Article 35A had been in use for over sixty, it was as good as an established law.

WHAT IF ARTICLE 35A IS REPEALED?

Repeal of Article 35A - by Supreme Court verdict or Parliament's decision - may have some far reaching implications. It will immediately nullify all the 41 subsequent Presidential Orders.

Prior to insertion of Article 35A, the Governor and the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir were addressed as the Sadr-e-Riyasat (President) and Wazir-e-Azam (Prime Minister). Its repeal would lead back to the same arrangement.

The jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India would also be curtailed. The legal control of the Centre over Jammu and Kashmir would be limited to only in the matters of Defence, External Affairs and Communication.

ALSO READ

How 2 PILs are helping RSS agenda of Uniform Civil Code, Article 370

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By Bill Parry

A community leader in Astoria is strongly opposing construction safety legislation that is currently enjoying wide support in the City Council.

Intro 1447 is making its way through the legislative process and is already co-sponsored by 47 of the 51 Council members. Bishop Mitchell Taylor, the co-founder and CEO of Urban Upbound, is warning the measure could have an averse effect on minority hiring, however, particularly at the Hallets Point construction site at 26-01 1st St., right next door to the Astoria Houses.

The bill is part of a larger package of legislation called the Construction Safety Act, which critics say would result in the exclusion of non-union workers from employment opportunities.

Urban Upbound is a non-profit organization that serves public housing residents and other low-income New Yorkers in order to break the cycle of poverty by providing residents with the tools and resources they need to achieve economic mobility and self-sufficiency.

One way we achieve that is by helping residents gain employment on new construction projects, Taylor wrote in a letter to City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside). These jobs are a lifeline that can enable the people we serve to better provide for their families or even avoid becoming homeless.

Taylor fears Intro 1447, originally called the apprenticeship mandate, would require that all workers on a construction site must complete at least 59 hours of safety training.

Workers currently need just 10 hours of safety training from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Urban Upbound has been able to connect residents with jobs at the Hallets Point site as well as projects underway in Jamaica and Far Rockaway, but it believes Intro 1447 would have a negative impact on the organizations ability to secure construction jobs.

Implementing this legislation would also mean that residents we have placed in jobs may no longer be qualified for employment, even if they have already received safety training, Taylor wrote. As a result, it could become virtually impossible for our organization to continue working with developers on local hiring for new construction projects.

Van Bramer has been out front on the issue after recent construction collapses injured workers in Long Island City and Astoria. Last week, he demanded greater workforce training at a rally with members of Build Up NYC.

I fundamentally disagree with the Bishop on this issue, Van Bramer said. I believe he presents a false choice that you can either have safety for workers or you increase diversity among workers. I support Intro 1447 because it does both. It makes all workers safer while also increasing paths and opportunities for a more diverse workforce.
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By Naeisha Rose

Elected officials, members of the city Department of Transportation, the MTA, transit police and the Taxi and Limousine Commission were on a town hall panel in Jamaica last week to discuss transportation issues in the southeast Queens area.

The DOT manages 6,000 miles of roadway, 12,000 miles of sidewalks and 800 bridges, according to Polly Trottenberg, the agencys commissioner.

DOT is putting together a citywide transit plan, she said. We wanted to come to communities like this one that has a lot of transportation challenges to get your input.

On the DOTs docket was fixing the Jamaica Bus Depot, which is located at 165th Street, according to Councilman I. Daneek Miller (D-St. Albans), who is on the Councils Transportation Committee with Richard Donovan (D-Laurelton).

There is $300 million in the capital budget to rebuild Jamaica Depot, which is responsible for 75 percent of the bus transportation in southeast Queens, Miller said.

Another highlight of the event, held at the Robert Ross Family Life Center on 172-17 Linden Blvd., was the MTAs Subway Action Plan.

The MTA wants to start to grapple with 79 percent of the problems that have been making travel difficult for straphangers in the next year. This includes track and signal maintenance, seat capacity, cleanliness, integrated communication systems and establishing a management group to monitor incidents in real time, said Simone Price, who represents the MTA for the southeast Queens area.

We take transportation issues very seriously, Price said. We are here to hear your concerns and hope you will be pleased with the results.

In the next few weeks, Phase Two plans will present ways to work on modernizing the subway system.

The other issues discussed that were lightly touched upon at the town hall were reducing grand larcenies on subways, decriminalizing low-level transit offenses, and finding better ways to enforce rules and legislation involving for-hire vehicle operators, especially with the rise in app-based transportation, according to Dianna Penetti, the chief of enforcement inspection for TLC.

We have more for-hire vehicles with the app-based transportation, Penetti said.

According to Venetti, there are 170,000 for-hire vehicles, but fewer than 200 taxi and limousine enforcers who make sure those operators are following the rules. More than 63,500 of these vehicles are app-based.

Soon, the number of enforcers will change.

We are planning a new academy class for the fall and next year to increase our staff by another 100, Penetti said.
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By Bill Parry

Mayor Bill de Blasio called President Donald Trumps decision last week to ban transgender troops from military service both fundamentally un-American and unconscionable. The commander in chief announced the policy change in a series of tweets last week.

The United States should be leading the way on inclusivity and diversity, not running away from it, de Blasio said. The brave Americans who chose to dedicate themselves to serving this nation deserve dignity and respect, regardless of their gender identity. There is no doubt that our military is only made more mighty when it embraces the inclusivity and diversity at the bedrock of our nation.

At an unrelated Long Island City press conference hours after the presidents July 26 tweet, the mayor turned over the microphone to City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), who celebrated his fifth wedding anniversary with husband Dan Hendrick last week.

Hendrick joined the U.S. Navy as a teenager before he was out of the closet, and on the mere suspicion he was gay, he was removed from the military, before his parents knew his orientation, Van Bramer explained.

We have left that time behind and now appreciate the courage and the willingness of every American to serve our country, and even risk their life, for our country, Van Bramer said. This president is a bully. This president is using his presidency to take the most vulnerable among us, and separate them from us, and deny them their heroism and their courage when they want to serve our country and they want, and are willing to risk their lives so that we can be free. It is outrageous. It is disgraceful.

A total of 56 retired generals and admirals warned that the presidents anti-transgender tweets, if implemented, would degrade military readiness in a joint statement issued by the Palm Center, an independent research center.

This proposed ban, if implemented, would cause significant disruptions, deprive the military of mission-critical talent, and compromise the integrity of transgender troops who would be forced to live a lie, as well as non-transgender peers who would be forced to choose between reporting their comrades or disobeying policy, they wrote.

As a result, the proposed ban would degrade readiness even more than the failed dont ask, dont tell policy. Patriotic transgender Americans who are serving  and those who want to serve  must not be dismissed, deprived of medically necessary health care, or forced to compromise their integrity or hide their identity.

The American people seem to agree. In a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released last Friday, when asked to weigh in on the debate, 58 percent of adults agreed with the statement: Transgender people should be allowed to serve in the military. Twenty-seven percent said they should not, while the rest answered dont know.

Everyone should be angry that this president is willing to do that to the transgender community, Van Bramer said. They are, in fact, very good and effective servants and soldiers and warriors  just as good as anyone else. And for him to say  in these ridiculous, silly, juvenile tweets  that somehow our people are going to endanger the ability of our military to be effective and forceful and victorious is a disgraceful attempt to label the trans community as not having valor. Its absolutely outrageous, its disgraceful, and we should all be outraged.
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
Two people were killed and scores injured in a powerful blast in Lahore's Bund area. The Punjab province capital has witnessed a series of blasts in the recent past.

By Hamza Ameer: At least 2 people were killed and 35 injured in a truck blast in Lahore's Bund road area today evening.

Initial reports indicate that a truck loaded with fruits got tangled with high tension wires which caused the explosion. Police suspect that the truck contained explosives. Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) personnel are on spot to conduct a search operation.

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Official sources told PTI that the explosives were placed in the truck laden with fruits on the Out Fall Road - the route former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif is to take on his return to his hometown for the first time since the Panama Papers scandal verdict on July 28.

Sharif was initially scheduled to travel to Lahore from Islamabad via the famous Grand Trunk Road on Sunday, but the rally was postponed to Wednesday.

"It appears the explosive device was to target Sharif's cavalcade," the sources said, adding that Sharif is now likely to review his Wednesday's planned march through the route.

The truck was parked there for the past three days, police said citing initial reports they had received.

"It appears to be a message for Nawaz Sharif to cancel or defer his planned rally on coming Wednesday," the sources said.

The PML-N has planned a "million march" against Sharif's disqualification by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case. Opposition leader Imram Khan has expressed concern over the ousted prime minister's plan to travel to Lahore with a cavalcade, terming it "a deliberate attempt to undermine the Supreme Court" and its judgement in the high-profile scandal.

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said Sharif's travel plans were making Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders anxious.

"Khan's is afraid of the strong solidarity that will be demonstrated by the masses for the ousted prime minister, who is now emerging as the people's prime minister," Iqbal said.

The injured were rushed to nearby Mian Munshi Hospital and Mayo Hospital, where an emergency was imposed. Due to a power breakdown following the blast, hospital authorities are facing problems in carrying out emergency operations, Dawn news reported.

Scores of vehicles parked nearby were damaged in the powerful blast. The roof of a nearby house collapsed due to the intensity of the explosion, while the windowpanes of nearby buildings were also shattered.

Police and rescue officials have cordoned off the area. "At least 35 people have been injured and admitted to hospitals. An injured minor girl is stated to be critical," he said.

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DIG Haider Ashraf confirmed that it was a bomb blast and said that the blast has created a huge crater. "We have launched investigation on all aspects," he said.

Azim Hanif, an eyewitness, said he was going to the parking area when the powerful blast took place.

"Due the impact of the blast, I fell on the ground. After a couple of minutes when I gained my senses, I saw some people injured," Hanif said.

The explosion shattered the windows of nearby buildings.

Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province, has seen a string of blasts in recent days.

On July 24, at least 25 people were killed in a blast claimed by Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

In early April, a suicide attack on an army census team that killed at least six people and wounded 18 in Lahore was also claimed by the Pakistani Taliban.

After a series of attacks in February, including two in Lahore that killed over 20 people, Pakistan's powerful military began a nationwide crackdown on militants.

ALSO READ:

Lahore suicide bombing death toll rises to 28, at least 57 hurt

Pakistan: 62 killed, 100 injured in multiple attacks on eve of Eid

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Pakistan's ISI behind Kabul blast which killed 90: Afghanistan govt to India

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Apple supplier Foxconn, which recently announced plans to build a $14 billion flat panel display factory in Wisconsin, is now seriously considering Michigan for a research and development center.

Various media outlets are reporting the news after Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder was on a trade mission in China.

If true, Michigan would be the second state won by Trump in 2016 to get a Foxconn facility.

New York has reportedly been in the running for a Foxconn flat panel screen facility as well, although it is unclear if it was seriously in contention for the research facility.

New York had been pitching two sites to Foxconn - the Marcy Nanocenter outside Utica that is owned by SUNY Polytechnic Institute, and a 1,250-acre site in Genesee County known as the Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park, or STAMP.

Steve Hyde, president and CEO of the Genesee County Economic Development Center, which owns STAMP, confirmed to the Batavia Daily Times last week that STAMP had been under consideration by Foxconn for the $14 billion flat panel screen factory.

But Hyde told the newspaper that the STAMP, which is undergoing $40 million in infrastructure upgrades, is not sufficiently ready for such a large-scale project at this time.

"We have a full sales funnel, but some of the market feedback we're hearing is that STAMP is a great site, we're ready to go after biggest of global projects, but our timelines are too long," Hyde told the Daily Times.

Foxconn is based in Taiwan but has many of its factories in mainland China.

Snyder met with Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou during his visit to China, and Michigan recently rolled out business incentives that make the state attractive for new businesses.

Foxconn's new research center there would reportedly focus on self-driving car technologies.

"We had a very productive dialog about the importance of talent in manufacturing and the future of autonomous driving in addition to a tour of Foxconn's world class products and manufacturing facility," Snyder said in a statement.
ALBANY  U.S. Rep. John Faso, R-Kinderhook, left for Israel on Monday for a week-long fact-finding trip of the region that will include meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, his office said.

Faso, who is on the trip with other members of Congress, is set to be in Israel from Monday through Aug. 13 as part of the American Israel Education Fundation Israel Seminar. AIEF is paying for all expenses, Faso's office said, and no taxpayer money is being used for the trip, which was approved by the House Ethics Committee.

Faso's office said the delegation will visit strategic sites that include the Gaza Border, Golan Heights on the Syrian border and the border with Lebanon. The group is set to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an undisclosed representative from the Palestinian Authority and other leaders from the region.

The goal is to learn firsthand about complex challenges the region faces, according to Faso's office.

In a recent interview with Jewish Insider, Faso said a two-state solution "sounds good" in theory.

"But, in order for there to be a two-state solution, there needs to be a state on the other side of Israel that is capable of actually functioning and negotiating," he told the publication. "Right now, the Palestinian Authority for the last number of years I have become increasingly dubious that they have the capacity to seriously negotiate on behalf of Palestinians and to be able to enforce any kind of agreement."

He added: "The Palestinians have had multiple opportunities for peace and stability and they have failed to ever take up the cause seriously."

He said the main solution to the regional conflict for Israel "is to continue to be a beacon of democracy and economic opportunity in that part of the world."

"I think the status quo is what we are going to have to deal with until such time that the status quo changes," Faso said.

mhamilton@timesunion.com  518-454-5449  @matt_hamilton10
ALBANY  Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget director says upstate Thruway tolls will not be necessary to build and operate the new Tappan Zee Bridge.

In a letter to the editor sent to the Times Union, state Budget Director Robert Mujica wrote that tolls from the Tappan Zee  renamed the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge  also subsidize the rest of the Thruway system, most of which is upstate.

"Just as no upstate toll revenue was necessary to support the Tappan Zee Bridge, no upstate tolls are necessary to build and operate the new bridge," he wrote in the letter, a response to a Times Union editorial that he said "paints an incomplete picture when it claims that upstate Thruway motorists will have to pay for reconstruction of the new bridge."

Mujica's letter comes less than two weeks after Cuomo said toll revenue "from the entire system" would help finance the $4 billion bridge project after 2020.

"It's part of the Thruway Authority, all the tolls are frozen through 2020," Cuomo said July 27 at an Association for a Better New York event. "We have used cash to pay for part of the bridge over the past two years and the remainder after 2020 will be paid with toll revenue from the entire system."

Toll revenues from across the state are pooled into the Thruway Authority's account, according to the Division of Budget. Money from those revenues is used by the authority for projects systemwide.

Mujica noted in the letter that $2 billion from settlements with banks related to the mortgage foreclosure crisis has been used to keep tolls flat through 2020 and to improve the system, including helping build the new Tappan Zee and to rehabilitate roadways and bridges along the system.

In addition, the Thruway Authority also has a $1.6 billion federal loan, for which repayments don't begin until 2023, and is expected to issue bonds for remaining costs. The Thruway Authority won't need to repay the bank-settlement funds, but will have to cover future debt-service costs.

"Going forward, tolls on the bridge will cover all of the remaining costs of its construction," Mujica wrote.

Cuomo's statements at the ABNY event were met with backlash in some corners of the state. The governor did not say Thruway toll hikes would be necessary although they've been predicted to happen eventually, given that the last increase was in 2010. Some have been critical of the details in the financing plan that's emerged.

"Naturally, infrastructure projects cost money and are necessary," Assembly Republican Minority Leader Brian Kolb said in a statement last week. "But, they must be funded equitably and openly. From construction costs to the recent re-naming, the governor has made every effort to keep the public away from the details of his bridge plans. He should make the same effort to keep upstate drivers away from picking up the tab."

Yet Mujica said the Tappan Zee's toll revenues account for roughly 20 percent of the Thruway's total toll haul, helping subsidize the rest of the system.

It's unclear if that subsidization will continue.

"When the thing is done, assuming there's no other magical source of cash, at the end of the day, you still have to service a little over $2 billion in debt," said E.J. McMahon, director of the Empire Center, a fiscally conservative think tank. "Ideally, if you do that totally off of the bridge toll  and they're going to need a fairly significant increase in the bridge toll  the rest of the system has capital needs that need to be paid for, and the only way to pay for them is either with a budget subsidy or a toll increase."

The bridge carries 140,000 vehicles per day on average. Cash tolls for regular passenger vehicles are $5. E-ZPass tolls are $4.75.

Tolls are collected only from those traveling east/south from Rockland County into Westchester County.

The first span of the new bridge is set to open on Aug. 25. Both spans are set to be open next year.

mhamilton@timesunion.com  518-454-5449  @matt_hamilton10
ALBANY  A Rochester-area man who called a veterans help line last summer and said he would "kill everybody" at Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany was sentenced to time served Thursday.

Robert J. Seifert, 59, of Canandaigua has been in jail for the 12 1/2 months since he threatened the mass shooting and will face three years of post-release supervision when he is freed.

Seifert, who made the threats three days after a mass shooter killed 49 people and wounded 53 others at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., admitted to a charge of making an interstate threat to injure another on March 31  days before his trial in U.S. District Court was scheduled to begin.

He had faced two additional counts of threatening to assault and kill a U.S. official before pleading guilty.

On June 15, 2016, Seifert called a Veterans Crisis Line operator in Portland, Ore., and detailed his plans for carnage, according to a pre-trial brief filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett.

"I got an Uzi and I wanna kill everybody at the Albany VA. And I'm not playing games with you," Seifert told the operator.

"Watch what happens when I get to the Albany VA with my Uzi and I start shooting people up."

"OK," the operator replied. "Well, you're going to go to the Albany VA with your Uzi? Do you have an Uzi?"

"Know who the (expletive) this is?" Seifert answered. "My name is Robert Seifert. And I'm ..."

"Sorry. Your name is Robert?" the operator asked.

"And I'm going to (expletive) kill everybody there. Bye," Seifert said.

"Robert?" the operator asked.

Seifert did not reply.

Moments later, Seifert called the Stratton VA, spoke to a nurse and warned: "I am trying to get to the VA hospital before I blow," adding, "If I blow before I get there, I am coming in shooting."

The nurse transferred Seifert to a VA police officer whom Seifert threatened to kill. Seifert told the officer "he was coming to the Albany VA and would shoot and kill many people, and that he would make bigger headlines on CNN than the shooting that had just happened," which the officer recognized as a reference to the Orlando shooting.

Seifert's threat led the hospital to lock down mode. Hospital police set up a perimeter around the hospital and restricted movement in and around the facility at all entrances.

Authorities remained in a heightened state of alert until Seifert was found later that day in a park in Amsterdam, court papers said.

Police took Seifert for evaluation at St. Mary's Hospital in the city, where he told State Police he had made the threats to Stratton. Seifert said it was a cry for help, that he was drunk at the time and said he threatened the hospital because he did not believe it was helping him. He was arrested July 14.

In September 2015, Seifert made similar threats to a VA Hospital in Canandaigua, was arrested and served nine months in jail for aggravated harassment.

A year later, after his arrest for threatening the Albany VA hospital, Seifert wrote a letter to U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel Stewart apologizing for his threats. He wrote he was heavily drunk when he went to St. Mary's.

"I do not under any circumstances mean anything that I allegedly said," Seifert wrote the judge last September. "I am a confused one but not a bad one by (any) means."
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MILTON  Supervisor candidate Barbara Kerr said 25-30 of her roadside signs for the upcoming primary have been stolen.

The town board member, who is facing Republican pick Scott Ostrander in a September primary, said she doesn't know who is stealing her signs, but she will report the thefts if she finds out.

"I'm reporting it to the Sheriff," Kerr said. "All of my signs in Rock City Falls are gone and two are gone on Greenfield Avenue."

She most angry about her large 3- by 5-foot sign that was framed and then posted into the ground across from the Town Hall on Geyser Road. That sign alone cost her $100.

"I can't believe it," said Kerr who has run and won for the town board twice.

During her last campaign, some of her signs were run over by cars.

"We were able to salvage them. This time, they are gone," she said.

The sweep of her signs comes during a contentious battle to win the Republican line on the November ballot for town supervisor.

Ostrander is the pick of both resigning supervisor Dan Lewza and the town's Republican Committee. When Kerr didn't get the nod from the Republicans, she vowed to challenge Ostrander in a primary.

Ostrander, who also sits on the town board, was the Republican's pick last winter to replace resigning board member Bruce Couture.

New York State Police said stealing a lawn sign could lead to misdemeanor larceny charges. A sign snatcher, if convicted, would likely face a fine.
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JOHNSTOWN -- Women's rights pioneer Elizabeth Cady Stanton grew up in Johnstown where she started an education in a century when few women could obtain one.

This Friday, her hometown will dedicate a plaque in her honor. There will be an afternoon celebration organized by the ECS Women's Consortium, which includes Democratic and Republican women's clubs.

Stanton's great-great-great granddaughter Coline Jenkins will speak. Consortium officer Melinda Grube will act the part of Stanton. Johnstown mayor Vern Jackson and city councilwoman Helen Martin, who applied for a grant to get the plaque, will kick off events at 4 p.m. in the West Main Street Park band shell.

"Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand emailed the consortium that she would be needed on the Senate floor Friday but she would like to celebrate the plaque so she'll tour the Johnstown Historical Society & Museum's Stanton exhibit Thursday morning," consortium spokesperson Elizabeth Russo said. "We're nonpartisan. We have events and speakers of interest to both Republican and Democratic women."

More for you Presbyterian church notes 250 years of service

In the past, Russo said the consortium's events focused on topics such as childcare for working women, how women's organizations were working to end lack of access to clean water around the world and even how women leaders responded to floods that ravaged the Capital Region.

"We try to learn how women work together to solve problems," Russo explained.

There will be light refreshments and wrap up with live music at the celebration.City Historian Noel Levee will also be there. Grube will read Stanton's Declaration of Sentiments, a document presented at America's first women's rights convention in 1848. Sentiments listed examples of female inequality, always referring to American politicians collectively as a man.

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"He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice," Sentiments declared. "He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns ... After depriving her of all rights as a married woman, if single and the owner of property, he has taxed her to support a government which recognizes her only when her property can be made profitable to it...He has denied her the facilities for obtaining a thorough educationall colleges being closed against her."

Male journalists of the 19th century as well as female writers of the time argued over whether Stanton, a wife and mother of seven children, helped the suffrage movement with Sentiments or hurt it by scaring men with such a revolutionary declaration.

Historians still debate that today.

Stanton's plaque will be placed in front of the historic Fulton County Court House where her father, Judge Daniel Cady, practiced law.
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New York Army National Guard Lt. Col. Robert Giordano of Rexford, an Iraq War veteran, received a New York State Long and Faithful Service Award upon retirement from the National Guard after 34 years of service.

Giordano served as an anti-terrorism and force protection officer for the New York National Guard.

He joined the New York Army National Guard in 1983 and served while attending college as a Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet. In 1988 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant upon graduating from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

During his career, Giordano has served in a number of positions including mortar platoon leader, company executive officer, company commander, public affairs officer, battalion operations officer, battalion commander, and provost officer for the 42nd Infantry Division.

Giordano deployed to Tikrit, Iraq with the 42nd Infantry Division in 2005 and served as a public affairs officer. He also was part of the New York National Guard response to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and participated in numerous emergency response missions in support of state and local governments. He deployed to the Southwest Border in 2006 as part of a New York National Guard task force mobilized to increase border security and also deployed to Egypt in 2007 to participate in joint U.S.-Egyptian Bright Star exercises.

He has earned a Meritorious Service Medal, an Army Commendation Medal, and an Army Achievement Medal.

In civilian life Giordano is senior vice president of business development for Renaissance School Services.

He earned a bachelor of science degree from Rochester Institute of Technology and master of public administration from Marist College. He is also a graduate of the Army's Command and General Staff College.

New master sergeant

Michael Blass of Maplecrest, Greene County, veteran of the war in Iraq, has been promoted to master sergeant in the New York Army National Guard.

Blass, who serves full time as the senior Army assistant inspector general for the New York National Guard, was promoted during a ceremony at New York National Guard Headquarters in Latham.

Blass enlisted in the Army Reserve in 1991 and served with the 327th Quartermaster Battalion as a supply sergeant.

He left the service after eight years and re-enlisted, joining the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

In 2003 he accepted a position as a full-time active Guard and Reserve soldier with the New York Army National Guard's Recruiting and Retention Battalion. He transferred to the 104th Military Police Battalion in 2005 as senior human resources sergeant and deployed with the battalion to Iraq in 2006-2007. In 2012 he transferred to the 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry and served as a platoon sergeant and readiness sergeant until being assigned to the 42nd Infantry Division. He moved into his current position at New York National Guard headquarters in 2016.

Blass has earned a Bronze Star Medal, two Meritorious Service Medals, and two Army Achievement Medals.

Soldiers advance

Jude Mulvey of East Greenbush was promoted to colonel while serving with New York Army National Guard's Headquarters and Headquarters Support Company, 42nd Infantry Division.

Michael Murphy of East Greenbush advanced to colonel while assigned to Headquarters and Support Company, 42nd Infantry Division.

John Harder of Nassau was promoted to major while serving with Headquarters, 53rd Troop Command.

Forest Thrush of Ballston Lake was promoted to captain while on duty with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation.

Erica Harris of Schenectady advanced to sergeant first class while on duty with Intelligence and Sustainment Company, 42nd Infantry Division.

Kenneth Hennessy of Schenectady was promoted to staff sergeant while assigned to Joint Force Headquarters.

Sergeant: Daulton Bull, Lake George, 1427th Transportation Company; Andrew Long, Clifton Park, 1108th Ordnance Company (Explosive Ordnance Disposal); Christopher O'Neil, Ballston Spa, Intelligence and Sustainment Company, 42nd Infantry Division; Kenneth Panetta, Schenectady, Joint Force Headquarters; Joshua Slish, Colonie, 2nd Civil Support Team (Weapons of Mass Destruction); and Casey Taylor, Delmar, 2nd Civil Support Team (Weapons of Mass Destruction).

Specialist: Angel Ayalanavedo, Menands, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry; Kimberlee Fariss, Brant Lake, Signal Company, 42nd Infantry Division; Mason Fountain, Loudonville, 1156th Engineer Company; Edward Lugo, Hudson, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry; Brandon Martinez, Scotia, 206th Military Police Company; Christopher Northrop, Ballston Spa, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry; and Adam Towers, Saratoga Springs, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry.

News of your troops and units can be sent to Duty Calls, Terry Brown, Times Union, Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212 or brownt@timesunion.com.
New York

At first glance, the preservation battle over the nearly century-old synagogue on a tree-lined block of West 93rd Street on the upper West Side of Manhattan looks familiar, even tired. One group wants to save the stately granite building, emphasizing its history, neoclassical architecture and towering stained glass windows. Another group wants to turn it into a high-rise condominium.

But in a twist, it's the synagogue that is fighting for the change.

Across the city, financially strapped religious congregations, facing dwindling attendance and shrinking donations, are looking for other sources of revenue. Increasingly they are turning to their most valuable asset: location, location, location (and, in some cases, the air above it).

The state attorney general's office, which must approve all sales of religious properties in New York, received 165 sale petitions in 2016; so far in 2017, it has received 124. The number of petitions has been increasing in recent years, said Doug Cohen, a spokesman for the office.

In New York City's fevered real estate market, the pace of such deals  and opposition to them  have become especially frenetic, said Renato Matos, a lawyer who advises religious organizations on real estate transactions.

"There's a tremendous amount of activity," Matos said.

And in some places across the city, neighbors are cobbling together neighborhood associations and legal alliances to fight the proposed sales.

"I'm surprised that the board of trustees and congregation doesn't really value the history and beauty of the building enough to find a different kind of resolution for the problems they're facing," Ronna Blaser, a founder of the West Nineties Neighborhood Coalition, said of the synagogue, Shaare Zedek, which was dedicated in 1923.

The synagogue's leaders plan to sell the property to a developer, who would replace the building with a 14-story condominium tower. The synagogue would own and occupy the first three floors.
ALBANY  Edwin Ferrer, age 44, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced Monday to 63 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a handgun, ammunition, and crack cocaine.

The evidence presented at trial showed that on December 18, 2015, Ferrer was driving his Cadillac SUV in Schenectady when he accidentally shot himself in the leg with his Smith & Wesson pistol. Investigators searched his SUV and recovered the pistol, six rounds of ammunition, and approximately a quarter of a gram of crack cocaine. As a felon, Ferrer was prohibited from possessing the pistol and ammunition.
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LOUDONVILLE  After nearly two years of negotiating, Siena College's non-tenured professors are hoping this will be the summer they reach a deal on their first-ever union contract.

Adjunct and visiting faculty voted to unionize in June 2015, and joined the SEIU Local 200United. They started negotiating with college management three months later, but nearly two years later are still without a deal. On Monday, they rallied outside the college to gain attention for their cause.

"First contract negotiations tend to take some time but this has been a particularly protracted process," said Sean Collins, lead organizer of the effort.

The main sticking point has been wages for adjunct faculty. Adjuncts are currently paid $2,500 for every three-credit course they teach. Union members are pushing for what they consider to be a living wage  about $4,675 per course  but have encountered resistance from college management, who offered a 32 percent pay bump per course instead ($3,300).

"Adjuncts are significantly underpaid, here and everywhere," said Amy Santos, an adjunct professor who teaches a quantitative business course at the college. "That's why colleges use adjuncts, because they can pay them less than their tenure-track faculty."

The small, private college in Loudonville currently employs about 120 adjunct professors and 40 visiting professors, who together are known as "contingent" faculty.

The plight of contingent faculty has gained national attention in recent years, as many have taught for years at local colleges on low incomes and without any job security. Many teach courses at multiple colleges each semester in order to make ends meet.

There has been some progress on the Siena contract.

There are currently tentative agreements in place to provide greater job security to adjuncts and visiting faculty, who are hired on a semester-to-semester and yearly basis, respectively. The agreements would grant them longer, three-year appointments and provide faculty with more office space to meet privately with students.

College officials said Monday they feel they are making progress toward contracts that will be "fair and equitable" and are optimistic that any remaining issues can be resolved before the start of the fall semester. The plan, said spokeswoman Lisa Witkowski, is to meet with union representatives every week of August.

"Discussions have been fruitful regarding appointments for visiting faculty, as well as the grievance and arbitration procedure, a management rights clause and more," she said. "Discussion is continuing on wages and the definition of a bargaining unit...we're looking forward to continuing what we believe to be civil and respectful discussions with union representatives."
In the joint operation conducted by RPF, ATS and the Thane police, the forces recovered at least 10 kg ammonium nitrate and nine detonator sticks.

By Divyesh Singh: The Maharashtra ATS today detained three people and recovered huge cache of explosives from a garage at Mumbra in Thane. In the joint operation conducted by the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Thane police, the forces recovered at least 10 kg ammonium nitrate and nine detonator sticks.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) at the Kalyan railway station received a tip off that large amount of explosives and gelatine sticks were stored in a vehicle at a garage in Mumbra. Since Independence Day is upcoming, the RPF informed Anti Terrorism Squad and Thane police and a joint raid was conducted in the Gausiya compound area.

Maharashtra: Thane police & ATS raided a scrap yard in Mumbra, seized 15 Kg Ammonium Nitrate & other explosive materials, apprehended 3 men pic.twitter.com/4LPc7Qsb4d&; ANI (@ANI_news) August 7, 2017

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Ten kilograms of ammonium nitrate and 9 gelatine sticks used as detonators were recovered from a SUV parked inside a garage at a premise owned by MS Developers in the Gausiya compound area of Mumbra. Three persons were detained in connection with the seizure whose names were Ismail Shaikh, 55, his son Abdulla Shaikh and on Mahendra Naik who owns the premises.

As per orders of DCP Dr Swami, the case has been handed over to Daighar police station for further investigation. The Daighar police station along with ATS officials are now investigating the case. The Daighar police while questioning the three detainees felt that something was fishy and the three could be innocent.

"We went back to the source of information and found from the RPF that the information was received from one Shahalam Shaikh, 32 who claimed to be a police informer. Shahalam had specific details about the explosives and location of the parked SUV in Ismail's garage at Gausiya compound. He was picked up and questioned and finally he spilled the beans," said Additional Commissioner of Police, Satyanarayan Chaudhary from Thane.

He added "Shahalam and Ismail were business partners earlier and dealt with second hand cars, they had a falling out and Shahalam claimed that Ismail owed him some money. When Ismail refused to pay, Shahalam alongwith his accomplices Mahisa Gannur, 40 and Arif Khan, 23 planned to get him trapped in a police case to teach him a lesson."

Shahalam along with Gannur and Khan bought the ammonium nitrate illegally from a dealer dealing into explosives for quarries at Dombivali. He then brought a vehicle and sent it through his accomplices to get the vehicle repaired at Ismail's garage. It was then that somehow Shahalam's accomplices managed to sneak the explosives and detonators in the SUV and then as per their plan tipped off the Kalyan RPF.

The three have confessed to their crime and the Thane police will be probing about the source of the explosives as ammonium nitrate and gelatine sticks are permitted and sold only to those having an explosives license.

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One of Ireland's most successful bands, Kila, has been lined up as this year's headline act for Terryglass Arts Festival, which kicks off on August 16.

Described by the BBC World Review as one of the most beautifully euphoric live experiences, Kila will perform in Terryglass Church on Friday, August 18.

Famed for their energetic performances, Kila has played in over 30 countries at notable festivals including the Montreux Jazz Festival, Glastonbury and The Electric Picnic.

The band has also had the privilege of playing at the Special Olympics Opening Ceremony and at Possibilities, the event that welcomed the Dalai Lama to Ireland.

Formed at school in Dublin's late 1980s, Kilas unique and ever evolving sound, while rooted in tradition, is inspired by a myriad of influences from all around the world. Sometimes described as contemporary Irish world music, Kila fuse Gaelic lyrics and traditional Irish folk instruments woodwinds with djembe, congas, drums, mandolins, brass, bass, acoustic and electric guitars.

Kila's eight members come from the differing musical backgrounds of traditional, classical and rock. The result is always a fresh blend of freewheeling instrumentals, furious jigs, and primal rhythms that transcend the traditional boundaries of Irish music.

Festival chairperson Emma Pearce said she was looking forward to welcoming Kila to Terryglass Arts Festival.

Kila has made headlines all over the world for their endless energy and passion, attracting praise from world leaders including the Mayor of London, Sadiq Kkan. I know that Terryglass audiences will enjoy a wonderful evening of exhilarating music and we are very much looking forward to welcoming Kila to our village, said Ms. Pearce.

The concert starts at 8.30pm. Tickets, 25, are available at www.terryglassartsfestival.ie

Meanwhile, the festival celebrates its 19th year with over 100 offerings from the world of film, music, literature, theatre, visual arts, street arts, cruises with a difference, historic walks and an extensive workshop programme.

Among those taking part is artist Jenny Fox, the first ever artist-in-residence for the festival.

Born in Canada and brought up in Mayo, Jenny lives and works in Cloughjordan.

She will create an installation entitled The Places In Between, based on two interlinked areas an exhibition, containing finished paintings; and a re-creation of her studio  which she calls the engine room for my work.

My studio contains all you might expect: paintings at various stages, my notes, sketch pads - the blueprints for all my work - photographs, writing on the wall, collected objects of interest, hand cream and other bits and bobs. As I will be in-situ, throughout the festival, audiences will be welcome to come in, look through my sketchpads and ask me questions about my work, said Jenny.

Her exhibition takes place in the Old Church from 11.00am  5.00pm daily.

Tipperary-based Lynn Kirkham will host two drop-in workshops on Augsut 18 and 19 to create artworks based on plant life. Plants, flowers and fluorescent paint will be installed on to large-scale canvases to create beautiful nature images that will be lit with back lights at night throughout the village for a magical effect.
Dromineer-based Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat was caled out twice over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

The first incident happened on Friday, August 4, at 7.20pm, when Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNL to assist six people after their 38ft cruiser ran aground at the Goat Road, on the eastern shore of Lough Derg.

At 7.40pm the lifeboat launched with helm Eleanor Hooker, Dean OSullivan and Kevin Dooley on board. Winds were westerly, Force 3. Visibility was good.

The lifeboat located the cruiser inside the Goat Road. and the navigation buoy E. The lifeboat took soundings and came in alongside the cruiser. All six passengers were found to be safe and unharmed and were requested to don their lifejackets.

An RNLI volunteer transferred across to the vessel and checked that it was not holed. He set up a bridle and tow and told the passengers what to expect as the boat was taken off the rocky shelf.

The lifeboat made made numerous attempts to take the cruiser off the rocks, but it was stuck fast.

The owner of the cruiser had arranged for two marine engineers to attend the cruiser on a motorboat. The lifeboat crew made contact with the engineers and advised them that they were taking all passengers and the RNLI volunteer off the cruiser to lighten its load, and agreed that the two experienced engineers would take the cruiser off the rocks with their vessel.

The lifeboat informed Valentia Coast Guard of the plan, and that it would stand by until the cruiser was afloat.

At 9.26pm, the cruiser was afloat, but as night was falling, the lifeboat took the passengers across the lake to the closest harbour at Rossmore, whilst one of the engineers helmed the cruiser.

On Sunday, August 6, t 11.36am while on a training exercise, Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat to assist six people after their 25ft motorboat fouled its propellers on a line and suffered engine failure. The boat was reported to be near Coolbawn, at the northeastern shore of Lough Derg.

The lifeboat, with helm Peter Clarke, Owen Cavanagh and Kevin Dooley on board, responded immediately. Winds were southwesterly, Force 5. Visibility was fair with frequent heavy squalls. They located the vessel at 11.50am.

All six passengers were found to be safe and unharmed and wearing their lifejackets.

The motor boat had fouled its propellers whilst wake-boarding, and then suffered engine failure. The skipper dropped anchor to prevent being pushed onto rocks.

An RNLI volunteer was transferred across to the vessel, where he cut away the lines caught around the propellers of both engines.

He set up a bridle in preparation for a tow, and after he weighed anchor, the lifeboat took the boat and her passengers under tow to Coolbawn Quay.



Liam Maloney, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat Station, advises all boat users on the lake, to bring up to date charts of the lake and plan your passage before leaving harbour, and do not to stray off the navigation route.

He further advised boat users to make sure ropes are clear of engines and carefully stowed when not in use.
The Customer in Control: The Evolution of Customer Experience Management

In recent years, technology has enabled a shift when it comes to the customer experience during a business transaction  no longer are businesses driving the relationship, it is the customer who is now in control. Businesses that fail to embrace new technologies will have even less control of the customer journey and will miss out on future sales.

When we look at how things have changed, its clear the technologies that customers and businesses have access to, such as social media, data analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT) etc., have changed how transactions and communication between the two take place. So, in this new world of customer experience, what key shifts must businesses be aware of in order to thrive?

Access granted  the new power to access

The power to access has shifted from the enterprise to the consumer in recent years. In the days of walk-ins, enterprises had a lot of say in the time and manner of access and controlled this almost entirely, but now channels such as mobile devices and social media mean consumers are choosing when and how. As a result, businesses need to completely rethink how they interact with customers and what to say to them  and ensure they are available when the consumer does want to interact.

Listen to me, now! The power to be heard

Customers have also become a lot more vocal; just think about how consumers now choose to review businesses and how this has put a huge amount of information about the performance of a business into customers hands. Now, brands are being talked about more and more on social media and specially designed review sites  both positively and negatively. This highlights the importance of managing the online reputation of a business; even small amounts of negative publicity can affect sales. Although digital marketing has already arrived, digital and social customer care is becoming increasingly important. A report published by Nielsen showed that, on average, 47 percent of social media users engaged with brands over social channels  highlighting the need to monitor, analyze and communicate with customers effectively across all channels.

Customer is king  the power to demand

Another key shift centers on the availability of information about both businesses and customers, and how businesses need to treat customers differently as a result. Businesses must also harness the advent of high speed, high volume, and high velocity analytics which will help them to respond more quickly  which is vital given customer expectations for a response to a complaint is already less than an hour on social media. Marketers are calling this a segment of one; in short, every consumer is the center of a universe and businesses end up treating them accordingly by listening to every word they share.

The new world  the power of the IoT

The rise of IoT is also seeing the physical consumer world merging with the digital one, and data from both are likely to play a pivotal role in the future. Increasing numbers of connected devices  such as home automation systems like Amazons Alexa and Googles (News - Alert) Echo  are enabling new ways of communicating with manufacturers, brands and service providers. In the future, businesses could be constantly receiving data from these devices and through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, know or predict what customers want without them having to communicate with the organization directly. Essentially, businesses will anticipate what a customer needs through the interpretation of data. As a result, businesses must learn how to communicate and create experiences with their customers through devices and communication platforms, rather than directly to the customer.

Today, consumers are already choosing how to control their relationships with businesses, which is forcing organizations to innovate their Customer Experience Management (CEM) approach. Enterprises must start to use new technologies  such as advanced CEM platforms, automation, and advanced analytics, to ensure they can track and communicate with customers  regardless of the channel being used. Those that do will reap the rewards by being able to communicate effectively and even predict future needs or demands from customers  thus ensuring they stay customers rather than leaving for a competitor.
[August 06, 2017] Sansan Raises US$38 Million in Series D Funding

SINGAPORE, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sansan Inc., Japan's leading provider of cloud-based business card management services, announced today US$ 38 million (S$ 52 million) in Series D funding, with participation from new investor Future Creation Fund, which is backed by leading corporations such as Toyota Motor Corp and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. This round of funding also saw continued investment from global venture capitalist firm, DCM Ventures, and cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform, Salesforce.com. This new round of funding will support Sansan Inc.'s aggressive growth into new cities in Asia including India, and extend its market dominance through its business card management services for professionals and corporates. Eight for Professionals Come September 2017, Sansan Inc. will introduce and market the English version of "Eight" to Asia. Eight is a business SNS (Social Network Service) to help professionals digitalise and manage their business cards data. Started in Japan in 2012, it is one of Japan's largest business network based on business cards, with an established reputation for quick and accurate data registration that combines advanced scanning technology and manual input of business cards. For Corporates In addition, Sansan Inc. plans to leverage the funds to accelerate its business card management service - known as Sansan - for corporate users and organisations. The business card management and sharing contact information service, has a wide and impressive portfolio of ntional and international corporate users, including the Japanese Government (METI), Intel, Japan Post, Mizuho Bank, SAP, Seven & i Holdings, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Tokyo Gas, and Toyota. Sansan expanded into Singapore in October 2015 and currently works with Singapore-based clients such as Ngee Ann Polytechnic.



This Series D funding of US$38 million is the largest amount raised in the company's history. This brings the total to US$ 76 million (S$103 million), of which approximately 40% has come from investors outside of Japan. About Fundraising Sources *In random order

Future Creation Fund (Minato-ku, Tokyo)

DCM Ventures(California, U.S.)

Salesforce.com Ventures (California, U.S) About Business Card Application Eight Eight is one of Japan's largest business network based on business cards. It has an established reputation for quick and accurate data registration that combines advanced scanning technology and manual input of business cards. To facilitate usage of its business network that continues to expand daily through exchange of business cards, the app is equipped with features such as Feed, which enables business information to be exchanged; Message, for easy communications; and Profile, for expressing personal information not contained on a business card. After business cards have been exchanged, users can regularly share recent updates and information, and communicate with each other easily at any time. About Sansan Service Sansan's unique cloud-based business card management solution helps companies to use the data in their business cards to enhance their business prospects, share and manage connections across geographies. Sansan currently has over 6,000 corporate users, and 81% market share in Japan (2016) and has been expanding its market into Singapore and Asia Pacific region under the concept of "Business Card Management for your company, Better teamwork and sales, start with a simple scan". About Sansan Inc. Since its founding in 2007, Sansan has focused on delivering its cloud based contact management service to customers in Japan and beyond. Sansan is setting the standard in Japan for cloud-based contact management, with annually doubling numbers of users from over 6,000 premium corporate users including the Japanese Government (METI). Sansan Inc. is based in Tokyo, Japan and has its subsidiary Sansan Global PTE.LTD in Singapore since October 2015. The company began offering its business card app Eight in 2012. It has over 1.5 million registered users as a new business network that incorporates a social media framework to transform business cards into business connections. Founded: June 11, 2007

URL: https://www.corp-sansan.com/

Address: Aoyama Oval Building, 13F, 5-52-2, Jingu-mae Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-0001

Business scope: Planning, development, and sales of cloud-based business card management services

Sansan for business users: : https://sansan.com

Eight for individual users: https://8card.net Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170807/1914741-1logo SOURCE Sansan Inc.

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[August 07, 2017] Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson Joins Dignitaries for $16K Check Presentation to Nonprofit 2nd Saturday CDC

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30) will join representatives from the office of U.S. Senator John Cornyn (TX), the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas), TBK Bank and 2nd Saturday Community Development Corporation (CDC) for a $16,000 check presentation to 2nd Saturday CDC. The event will take place at 10:00 a.m., Monday, August 7, 2017, at the nonprofit's future headquarters located at 2428 Pine Street, Dallas, Texas, 75215. The media is encouraged to attend. The 2nd Saturday CDC began in 2009 as a volunteer home improvement project. Today, the nonprofit serves low-income seniors and disabled residents of west and south Dallas neighborhoods. 2nd Saturday CDC focuses on two areas of impact: meeting home repair needs and growing 2nd Saturday Industries, an enterprise that annually employs and empowers 10 to 15 ex-offenders and reinvests all profits into the community. 2nd Saturday CDC will use the PGP (News - Alert) grant to purchase tools, equipment and training curriculums, as well as implement new case-management software. PGP awards provide grants up to $12,000 to community-based organizations (CBOs). The funds may be used for research, organizational capacity-building, grant- and funding-application assistance, or contractual services. Through PGP awards, FHLB Dallas matches a member's contribution to a CBO of $500 up to $4,000 at a 3:1 ratio. The grants are offered via a lottery system once a year through FHLB Dallas members. In 2017, FHLB Dallas awarded $300,000 in PGP funds through 31 member institutions to assist 30 CBOs. Combined with the $104,550 contributed by FHLB Dallas members, a total of $404,550 was awarded to the organizations. For more information, visit fhlb.com.







WHAT: Check Presentation WHEN: 10:00 a.m., Monday, August 7, 2017 WHO: The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson, U.S. Representative, TX-District 30 Collin McLochlin, North Texas Regional Director, Office of U.S. Senator John Cornyn (TX) Kamal Fulani, North Texas Deputy Regional Director, Office of U.S. Senator John Cornyn (TX) Ray Sperring, Executive Vice President, TBK Bank Keith Shepelwich, Vice President & CRA Officer, TBK Bank Scott Sillers, Assistant Vice President, Commercial Lending, TBK Bank Todd Fields, President & CEO, 2nd Saturday CDC Marcus Toussaint, Vice President, 2nd Saturday CDC Brandi Dunn, Philanthropy Specialist, TBK Bank Linley Pisano, Marketing & Events Specialist, TBK Bank Bruce Hatton, Vice President & Affordable Housing Program Manager, FHLB Dallas Eric Haar, Vice President, Government and Industry Relations, FHLB Dallas Steven Matkovich, Sr. Affordable Housing Analyst, FHLB Dallas WHERE: 2nd Saturday CDC Future Headquarters 2428 Pine Street Dallas, Texas 75215

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170807005026/en/

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[August 07, 2017] Bruker Acquires Company XGLab with Unique X-Ray Detection Technologies and XRF Instruments for Art & Conservation Markets

BERLIN, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bruker today announced that it has acquired XGLab S.r.l., a company that develops and manufactures analytical instruments for applications in the field of X-Ray spectrometry and imaging, as well as advanced electronics for X-Ray and Gamma radiation detection. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Located in Milan, Italy, XGLab was established in 2009 as spin-off of the Politecnico di Milano, one of Italy's leading technical universities. The company originates from a research group with a history of innovation in the field of nuclear electronics and radiation detectors. XGLab introduced its portable small-spot X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer ELIO in 2012, followed by the macro-XRF scanner CRONO in 2014. Both instruments, as well as the recently introduced combined XRF and Raman analyzer, XRAMAN, serve the need for in-situ characterization in art and conservation science, forensics, material science and process control. XGLab also supplies the CUBE, a highly innovative and unique preamplifier based on CMOS technology for various X-Ray and Gamma Ray detectors. Thomas Schuelein, President of the Bruker Nano Analytics Division, stated: "We are very pleased to welcome the XGLab team to our division. Their instruments perfectly fit into our portfolio of handheld and mobile spectrometers for elemental analysis and imaging, and will allow us to serve our customers in many application fields even better, particularly in art & conservation and materials research. In addition, XGLab's expertise in detector electronics and customized spectrometers will enhance our technology base and help us drive further innovation in X-Ray detection and analysis." Tommaso Frizzi, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of XGLab, commented: "XGLab's team is proud to become part of Bruker. This is the logical next step of what we started in 2009, when we decided to transfer the results of our academic research to industrial products and services. We believe that Bruker is a very good environment for XGLab to continue to innovate, and that XGLab's and Bruker's customers will benefit from our synergies." XGLab will continue to operate under its current name and management, and is also looking forward to expand its read-out and signal processing OEM business with existing and additional partners. About Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ: BRKR) For more than 55 years, Bruker has enabled scientists to make breakthrough discoveries and develop new applications that improve the quality of human life. Bruker's high-performance scientific instruments and high-value analytical solutions enable scientists to explore life and materials at molecular, cellular and microscopic levels. In close cooperation with our customers, Bruker is enabling innovation, productivity and customer success in life science molecular research, in applied and pharma applications, in microscopy, nanoanalysis and industrial applications, as well as in cell biology, preclinical imaging, clinical research, microbiology and molecular diagnostics. For more information, please visit: www.bruker.com.







Investor Contact: Media Contact:

Miroslava Minkova Veronica Fernandez

Bruker Head of Investor Relations Bruker Nano Analytics MarCom

T: +1 (978) 663-3660 x1479 T: +49 (0)30 670990-8593

E: [email protected] E: [email protected]



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[August 07, 2017] Toshiba Leads Sessions and Demos on New Advances in Memory, SSD and Architecture Technologies at Flash Memory Summit

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- WHAT: Flash Memory Summit 2017 WHEN: August 8-10, 2017 WHERE: Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA WHO:

Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC) will demonstrate groundbreaking memory and storage technologies in several different applications in booth #407 at the Flash Memory Summit (FMS) this week. Toshiba employees will also be featured presenters on various technologies and topics around SSDs, new flash technologies and applications. Demonstrations and theater presentations will take place in Toshiba's two-level booth (#407) on the show floor at the Santa Clara Convention Center from August 8-10. Featured Keynote Presentation

TITLE: "Flash Memory is Going Places We Have Never Been Before"

SPEAKERS: Steve Fingerhut, senior vice president and general manager of storage products and Shigeo (Jeff) Ohshima, technology executive, SSD application engineering

DATE: Tuesday, August 8th

TIME: 12:10 - 12:40 p.m. Sessions and Panels

Toshiba was selected by FMS organizers to present in the following sessions and panels: TITLE: "Avoiding Costly I/O Latency Variations in SSDs Through I/O Determinism" (Forum B-11)

SPEAKER: Steven Wells, Toshiba fellow, data center architecture

DATE: Tuesday, August 8th

TIME: 8:30 - 10:50 a.m. TITLE: "NVM Express (NVMeTM1) BGA: NVMe in a Small Form Factor" (101-A)

SPEAKER: Balaji Venkateshwaran, director of strategic marketing

DATE: Tuesday, August 8th

TIME: 8:30 - 9:35 a.m. TITLE: "Ballooning Demand for NAND in Autonomous Vehicles Beyond 2020" (Invited talk T-11)

SPEAKER: Hrishi Sathawane, senior staff storage engineer/analyst

DATE: Tuesday, August 8th

TIME: 8:30 - 10:50 a.m. TITLE: "TCG3 + NVMe Security" (Forum A-11)

SPEAKER: Jeremy Werner, vice president, marketing and product planning

DATE: Tuesday, August 8th

TIME: 10:30 - 10:50 a.m. TITLE: "Achieving Optimized, Dynamic Storage Provisioning with NVMe-oF (NVM Express over Fabrics)1" (Forum C-12)

SPEAKER: Joel Dedrick, systems architect, NVMe-oF

DATE: Tuesday, August 8th

TIME: 3:40 - 6:00 p.m. TITLE: "Device Architectures to Best Enable PCIe2 Gen 4" (Forum B-12)

SPEAKER: Rob Sykes, distinguished engineer

DATE: Tuesday, August 8th

TIME: 3:40 - 6:00 p.m. TITLE: "NVMe SSD with Persistent Memory Region" (Forum M-31)

SPEAKER: Chander Chadha, senior technical product engineer

DATE: Wednesday, August 9th

TIME: 8:30 - 9:45 a.m. TITLE: "Emerging Solutions for Persistent Memory" (Session X-103)

SPEAKER: Tom Friend, Director of Industry Standards

DATE: Wednesday, August 9th

TIME: 3:00 - 3:50 p.m. TITLE: "All Flash Edge Computing Platform for IoT" (Forum W-32)

SPEAKER: Ram Johri, system architect

DATE: Thursday, August 10th

TIME: 9:45 - 10:50 a.m. TITLE: "Flash-Based Edge Computing System for IoT" (Invited Talk IT-10)

SPEAKER: Atsuhiro Kinoshita, Flashmatrix project lead

DATE: Thursday, August 10th

TIME: 1:30 - 3:40 p.m. Toshiba will also be leading sessions and forums on many technology and application topics. TITLE: Consumer Applications: Session 101-A

SPEAKER: John Geldman, director, SSD industry standards

DATE: Tuesday, August 8th

TIME: 8:30 - 9:35 a.m. TITLE: Enterprise Storage: Forum D-12

SPEAKER: Steve Garceau, senior product marketing manager, enterprise SSDs

DATE: Tuesday, August 8th

TIME: 3:40 - 6:05 p.m. TITLE: PCIe-NVMe Issues: Forum A-21

SPEAKER: Maulik Sompura, director of product management, data center and client SSDs

DATE: Wednesday, August 9th

TIME: 8:30 - 10:50 a.m. TITLE: Flash Storage: Session 202-B: "The Performance Story: An Independent Evaluation of Flash Storage"

SPEAKER: John Geldman, director, SSD industry standards

DATE: Wednesday, August 9th

TIME: 9:45 - 10:50 a.m. TITLE: Flash and Big Data: Session 204-C: "Flash in Big Data Applications"

SPEAKER: Mark Carlson, principal engineer, industry standards

DATE: Wednesday, August 9th

TIME: 4:40 - 5:45 p.m. TITLE: Application Acceleration: Session 303-C

SPEAKER: Aaron Behman, senior director of marketing, FlashmatrixTM 4

DATE: Thursday, August 10th

TIME: 1:30 - 2:45 p.m. TITLE: Flash and IoT: Session 304-A: "Flash and the Internet of Things"

SPEAKER: Nidish Kamath, architect, enterprise SSDs

DATE: Thursday, August 10th

TIME: 3:00 - 4:15 p.m. Toshiba Booth (#407) Demos









Demo Description Client SSDs: BG and XG Series The new ultra-mobile, single package BG3 NVMe Client SSD using HMB (Host Memory Buffer) will be demonstrated live. Toshiba's high-performance XG5 M.2 NVMe Client SSD will also be on display. Enterprise NVMe SSDs: CM5 Series The most comprehensive, feature-rich NVMe SSD available, Toshiba's CM5 is the first5 enterprise SSD with 3D TLC flash. NVMe over Fabrics A technology demonstration that validates NVMe-oF's ability to provide DAS-like performance as local NVMe, over the network, in demonstrations with Lenovo and Mellanox. Enterprise SAS SSDs: PM5 Series The fastest6 SAS SSD 12Gbit/s SAS series available for enterprise server and storage systems, built on 3D TLC flash. Enterprise SATA SSDs: HK Series Optimized for high performance and low power in data center applications, Toshiba's HK Series has been put through independent third-party testing by Storage Review  and it emerged the clear leader among competitors. IO Determinism Lightning systems will demonstrate IO Determinism (IOD). QoS latency improvements will be shown through firmware enhancements using the theory of IOD on a standard Toshiba NVMe PCIe drive. Client SSD OEM Solutions A showcase of mobile computing products that utilize Toshiba's cSSDs. cSSD, eSSD and Memory Product Samples Toshiba's broad lineup of flash solutions will be available to view at the reception desk. FlashMatrix 1000 Toshiba's 'superconverged' edge and analytics platform will be shown running Red Hat7 Enterprise Linux8 (RHEL), on 24 processors, with all 24 processors able to read and write from and to the entire 24TB memory space. Through Silicon Via (TSV) Technology Performance comparison between BiCS FLASH and BiCS FLASH TSV. Demonstrates significant improvement in sequential write performance using TSV technology. BiCS FLASH 3D Flash Memory Holographic image showing structure of the industry's first9 96-layer 3D flash memory enabling a 1TB single package.

NOTES

1: NVMe-oF and NVMe are trademarks of NVM Express, Inc.

2: PCI Express and PCIe are trademarks or registered trademarks of PCI-SIG

3: TCG: Trusted Computing Group

4: Flashmatrix is a trademark of Toshiba Memory Corporation

5: As of August 7, 2017, based on industry-published specifications

6: As of August 7, 2017, based on industry-published specifications in comparison to PM5 SAS SSD with 3,350 MB/s of sequential read and 2,720 MB/s of sequential write in MultiLink mode and 400,000 random read IOPS in narrow or MultiLink mode. Read and write speed may vary depending on the host device, read and write conditions, and file size

7: Red Hat and RHEL are registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc.

8: Linux is a Registered Trademark of Linus Torvalds

9: As of February 22, 2017. Toshiba survey *About Toshiba and Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC)

Through proven commitment, lasting relationships and advanced, reliable electronic components, Toshiba enables its customers to create market-leading designs. Toshiba is the heartbeat within product breakthroughs from OEMs, ODMs, CMs, VARs, distributors and fabless chip companies worldwide. A committed electronic components leader, Toshiba designs and manufactures high-quality flash memory-based storage solutions, solid state drives (SSDs), hard disk drives (HDDs), discrete devices, custom SoCs/ASICs, imaging products, microcontrollers, wireless components, mobile peripheral devices, advanced materials and medical tubes that make possible today's leading smartphones, tablets, cameras, medical devices, automotive electronics, industrial applications, enterprise solutions and more. Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. is an independent operating company owned by Toshiba America, Inc. For over 140 years, Toshiba Corporation has contributed to a sustainable future by applying innovative technologies to value creation. Today, our business domains are centered on the essential infrastructure that supports modern life and society. Guided by the principles of The Basic Commitment of the Toshiba Group, "Committed to People, Committed to the Future", Toshiba promotes global operations that contribute to realization of a world where generations to come can live better lives.

To find out more about Toshiba, visit www.toshiba.co.jp/worldwide/about/index.html 2017 Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. All rights reserved. Information in this press release, including product pricing and specifications, content of services and contact information, is current and believed to be accurate on the date of the announcement, but is subject to change without prior notice. Technical and application information contained here is subject to the most recent applicable Toshiba product specifications. MEDIA CONTACT: COMPANY CONTACT: Dena Jacobson Rebecca Bueno Lages & Associates Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. Tel.: (949) 453-8080 Tel.: (949) 462-7885 [email protected] [email protected] View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/toshiba-leads-sessions-and-demos-on-new-advances-in-memory-ssd-and-architecture-technologies-at-flash-memory-summit-300500074.html SOURCE Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc.

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The Marathas will be organising a rally on Wednesday claiming it would be their biggest show of strength in a year.

By Kiran Tare: In what it could be called as a damage control exercise the Shiv Sena has offered a helping hand to the Maratha community which is all set to take out a march in Mumbai on Wednesday pressing its demand of 16 percent reservation to the community in government jobs.

The march will begin at Veermata Jijabai Zoo at Byculla at around 10 in the morning. The protesters will march towards Azad Maidan in south Mumbai.

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Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has instructed the party workers at each of its 227 units to serve water and food to the protesters who are expected to throng in large number via buses and railway. "The protesters will be from all parts of Maharashtra. We will ensure that they feel comfortable in Mumbai," Yuva Sena chief Adtiya Thackeray told India Today.

Political observers believe that Shiv Sena is trying to bridge the gap with the community by offering the helping hand. The party had faced a wide criticism last year when its mouth piece Saamna published a derogatory cartoon on the Maratha march.

A source in Shiv Sena claimed that the party also has offered to carry the burden of funds required to organise the march. However, there was no confirmation on this from the organisers of the march. Kedar Suryawanshi, one of the organisers, said that the march will be apolitical. "We are going to accommodate everyone who is willing to join us," he said.

Surywanshi, however, refused to predict on the number of protestors likely to join the march. "It is difficult to predict the number. One thing is sure. This march will be the biggest till date," he said.

The first Maratha march was taken out on August 9 last year protesting the killing of a teenager Maratha girl after brutal rape at a village Kopardi in Ahmednagar district. The protestors gradually turned their demands from punishment to the guilty in Kopardi case to reservation to the community in government jobs and educational institutes. The community has so far taken out 57 marches across the state in a year.

Also Read

Maratha protest intensifies, silent march to be held in Navi Mumbai today

--- ENDS ---
[August 07, 2017] TSS, Inc. To Report Second Quarter 2017 Results On Monday, August 14, 2017

ROUND ROCK, Texas, Aug. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TSS, Inc. (Other OTC: TSSI), a data center and mission critical facilities and technology services company, will report financial results for the second quarter of 2017 on Monday, August 14, 2017. The Company will conduct a conference call at 4.30 p.m. eastern time that day. To participate on the conference call, please dial 1-877-691-2551 toll free from the U.S., or 1-630-691-2747 for international callers. The conference ID number is 45376153. Investors may also access a live audio web cast of this conference call under the "events" tab on the investor relations section of the Company's website at http://ir.totalsitesolutions.com/events.cfm.



An audio replay of the conference call will be available approximately one hour after the conclusion of the call and will be made available until September 13, 2017. The audio replay can be accessed by dialing 1-888-843-7419 in the U.S., or 1-630-652-3042 toll free then enter access ID number 4537 6153#. Additionally, a replay of the webcast will be available on the Company's website approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call and will remain available for 90 calendar days. About TSS, Inc.

TSS provides a comprehensive suite of services for the planning, design, deployment, maintenance, refresh and take-back of end-user and enterprise systems, including the mission-critical facilities they are housed in. TSS provides a single-source solution for enabling technologies in data centers, operations centers, network facilities, server rooms, security operations centers, communications facilities and the infrastructure systems that are critical to their function. TSS's services consist of technology consulting, design and engineering, project management, systems integration, systems installation and facilities management. www.totalsitesolutions.com View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tss-inc-to-report-second-quarter-2017-results-on-monday-august-14-2017-300500346.html SOURCE TSS, Inc.

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[August 07, 2017] Macy's Hosts 12th Annual Shop for a Cause Event to Benefit the March of Dimes

Macy's invites customers to participate in its 12th annual Shop For A Cause charity event benefitting the March of Dimes, beginning on Thursday, Aug. 10 through Sunday, Aug. 13. Macy's Shop For A Cause is a four-day shopping event created to support the fundraising efforts of nonprofit organizations. Since 2006, the program has helped raise tens of millions of dollars for thousands of charities across the country. New this year, Macy's partnered with the March of Dimes to produce a short film titled, "First Hug," which can be viewed online at macys.com/SFAC. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170807005601/en/ For the seventh year, Macy's has designated the March of Dimes, the leading nonprofit organization in support of pregnancy and baby health, as its national in-store and online beneficiary of Shop For A Cause. Customers will be invited to give $5 to the March of Dimes at any Macy's register or online at macys.com and receive a savings pass valid for 20 to 25 percent off select regular-priced and sale items all weekend long. Exclusions apply and offer differs online, visit macys.com/SFAC for details. Customers who give $5 in-store may also enter for a chance to win a $500 Macy's gift card, and customers can visit participating stores for details and the official rules. As part of Macy's support for the March of Dimes mission to give every baby the healthiest start in life, Macy's is inviting shoppers to write a letter of hope and support to a family of a baby in a hospital Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at macys.com/SFAC. Shoppers can also write a letter by visiting select Macy's stores from Aug. 10 through Aug. 13. Following the Shop for A Cause campaign, Macy's and the March of Dimes will deliver these messages to families in communities nationwide. "Macy's has supported the work of national and local charities through our Shop For A Cause program for more than a decade," said Lauren Anania, Macy's director of cause marketing. "Together with our associates and customers, we are deeply proud to again raise much-needed funds for the March of Dimes in support of families across the country, while offering shoppers four days to enjoy great savings." Macy's has also partnered with the March of Dimes to produce a short film titled, "First Hug," which shares the morning routine of a mother whose baby is in the NICU, reminding viewers that not all first hugs are the same. With 380000 babies born prematurely in the United States each year, this video illustrates just one aspect of what those families experience. The video will premiere online at macys.com/SFAC, where customers can also pen their letter to families.



"Macy's associates and customers are going the extra mile to show their compassion for families with babies born too sick or too soon by writing letters to encourage and inspire, and sharing our 'First Hug' short film to raise awareness of the March of Dimes mission," says Stacey D. Stewart, president of the March of Dimes. "For the past 20 years, Macy's associates and customers have raised $25 million to support March of Dimes research and programs that help give every baby the chance to survive and thrive." In addition to the March of Dimes, more than 1500 local charities have signed up to participate this year in Macy's Shop For A Cause Charity Challenge hosted by CrowdRise, the world's largest crowdfunding platform dedicated exclusively to charitable fundraising. By giving $5 to their favorite participating local charity, customers will help their favorite cause compete for cash prizes, and as a thank you, they'll receive the Shop For A Cause savings pass to enjoy special discounts on a great selection of merchandise. For a list of participating organizations, visit crowdrise.com/shopforacause.

For more information about Macy's Shop For A Cause or to view "First Hug," visit macys.com/SFAC. About Macy's Macy's, the largest retail brand of Macy's, Inc. (NYSE:M) delivers fashion and affordable luxury to customers at approximately 670 locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, as well as to customers in the U.S. and more than 100 international destinations through its leading online store at macys.com. Via its stores, e-commerce site, mobile and social platforms, Macy's offers distinctive assortments including the most desired family of exclusive and fashion brands for him, her and home. Macy's is known for such epic events as Macy's 4th of July Fireworks and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows and celebrity appearances. Macy's flagship stores - including Herald Square in New York City, Union Square in San Francisco, State Street in Chicago, and Dadeland in Miami and South Coast Plaza in southern California - are known internationally and are leading destinations for visitors. Building on a more than 150-year tradition, and with the collective support of customers and employees, Macy's helps strengthen communities by supporting local and national charities giving more than $54 million each year, plus 180,000 hours of volunteer service, to help make a difference in the lives of our customers. For Macy's media materials, including images and contacts, please visit our online pressroom at macys.com/pressroom. About March of Dimes The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from March of Dimes research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs. For the latest resources and health information, visit our websites marchofdimes.org and nacersano.org. If you have been affected by prematurity or birth defects, visit our shareyourstory.org community to find comfort and support. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170807005601/en/

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[August 07, 2017] Seqirus Announces Major Advances in Pandemic Preparedness

Seqirus, a global leader in the prevention of influenza, announced today that the accelerated development of cell-based manufacturing technology at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina, has delivered a four-fold increase in seasonal influenza vaccine output in just two years, strengthening the United States' capacity to respond to pandemic threats. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170807005950/en/ Seqirus marked the 10th anniversary of their pandemic partnership with the U.S. Government by hosting Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Tom Price at the Holly Springs, N.C. production site. From left to right: Dr. Rick Bright, Director, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA); Dr. John Anderson, Vice President, Operations, Seqirus; Dr. Tom Price, Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Gordon Naylor, President, Seqirus. (Photo: Seqirus) The announcement was made on the 10th anniversary of a pandemic partnership with the U.S. Government, which was marked by a visit to the Holly Springs site by Health and Human Services Secretary, Dr. Tom Price. The partnership was established in 2007 in response to the emergence of the H5N1 avian influenza virus as a serious pandemic threat. The Holly Springs facility was completed in 2012 and promptly designated as critical national infrastructure for pandemic preparedness in the U.S. It harnesses promising cell-based technology as a modern, efficient and highly scalable alternative to traditional egg-based manufacturing that also offers the potential to avoid possible mismatch scenarios in influenza seasons. Additionally, the facility produces the Seqirus proprietary adjuvant, MF59, which ca have a dose-sparing effect, thereby further boosting the output of influenza vaccine during a pandemic emergency.



Seqirus acquired the Holly Springs facility in 2015 and has successfully accelerated development of the technology, quadrupling seasonal influenza vaccine output from 5 million trivalent (three-strain) doses to around 20 million quadrivalent (four-strain) doses in just two years. At this capacity, Seqirus is able to produce 150 million doses of adjuvanted pandemic vaccine within the first six months of a pandemic declaration, and is also well advanced in delivering surge capacity programs to increase output to 200 million pandemic doses.

"With a global influenza pandemic remaining a real and constant threat, Seqirus is committed to continuing to work with the U.S. Government to realize the full potential of our cell-based manufacturing technology at the Holly Springs site," said Gordon Naylor, President of Seqirus. "We're proud of the advances we've made in a relatively short period of time, and are confident in our technical ability to deliver significant additional influenza vaccine capacity that can be rapidly utilized during a pandemic emergency." During his visit to the Holly Springs site, Dr. Price met with Seqirus executives, spoke with scientists and engineers and toured production areas. Following an address to Seqirus staff, the Secretary said, "The Holly Springs facility plays a critical role in our national pandemic strategy and is a real asset in U.S. biosecurity. We continue to appreciate and are reassured by the progress being made by companies like Seqirus that contribute to the nation's preparedness capabilities." Seqirus was established in 2015 when parent company, CSL Limited, acquired the influenza vaccine business of Novartis. It has a rich heritage in influenza and operates major manufacturing facilities in the U.S., U.K. and Australia. Today, Seqirus is the world's second largest influenza company and a global leader in pandemic preparedness and response. "With the emergence of H7N9 and other avian influenza viruses with pandemic potential, we are seeing renewed focus on pandemic preparedness by governments around the world," said Mr. Naylor. "As a result, we are leveraging our global manufacturing network to supply pandemic stockpiles and other preparedness services to governments in multiple countries." Seqirus also recently committed to the World Health Organization in supplying 10% of its influenza vaccine output in real time for use in developing countries in the event of a pandemic. About Seqirus Seqirus is part of CSL Limited (ASX:CSL), headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. The CSL Group of companies employs more than 20,000 people and has operations in more than 60 countries. Seqirus was established on 31 July 2015 following CSL's acquisition of the Novartis influenza vaccines business and its subsequent integration with bioCSL. As the second largest influenza vaccine provider in the world, Seqirus is a major contributor to the prevention of influenza globally and a transcontinental partner in pandemic preparedness. Seqirus operates state-of-the-art production facilities in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, and manufactures influenza vaccines using both egg-based and cell-based technologies. It has leading R&D capabilities, a broad portfolio of differentiated products and a commercial presence in more than 20 countries. For more information, visit www.seqirus-US.com View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170807005950/en/

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[August 07, 2017] INVESTOR ALERT: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Reminds Investors of an Investigation Involving Possible Securities Fraud Violations by the Board of Directors of TechnipFMC plc

Levi & Korsinsky announces it has commenced an investigation of TechnipFMC plc ("TechnipFMC" or the "Company") (NYSE:FTI) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws. On July 24, 2017, TechnipFMC announced that its "unaudited interim condensed consolidated U.S. GAAP financial statements as of March 31, 2017 and for the three months ended March 21, 2017 included in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and prior year period prepared and included in the Company's Quarterly Report for comparison purposes for the quarter ended March 31, 2017" must be restated and that these statements could no longer be relied upon. TechnipFMC concluded that errors existed "within certain rates used in the calculations of the foreign currency effects on certain of its engineering and constructin projects" As a result, the net income attributable to the Company in the quarter ending March 31, 2017, was overstated by $209.5 million. To obtain additional information, go to:



http://www.zlkdocs.com/FTI-Info-Request-Form-5964 or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at [email protected] or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972.

Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, California, Connecticut and Washington D.C. The firm's attorneys have extensive expertise in prosecuting securities litigation involving financial fraud, representing investors throughout the nation in securities and shareholder lawsuits. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170807006071/en/

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Rex Early, longtime Republican leader in Indiana, has died

Rex Early was chairman of the Indiana Republican Party and led former president Donald Trump's campaign in Indiana in 2016.
The three expressed serious concerns over the long-seething sea disputes and called for a halt on land reclamation and military actions in the South China Sea.

By AP: The US, Australian and Japanese foreign ministers on Monday called for a halt on land reclamation and military actions in the South China Sea and compliance with an arbitration ruling that invalidated China's vast claims to the disputed waters.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Japan's new top diplomat, Taro Kono, also called on their Southeast Asian counterparts to rapidly negotiate a legally binding maritime code with China aimed at preventing an escalation of conflicts in one of the world's busiest waterways.

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In a joint statement, the three expressed serious concerns over the long-seething sea disputes and "voiced their strong opposition to coercive unilateral actions that could alter the status quo and increase tensions."

They urged rival claimant states in the South China Sea "to refrain from land reclamation, construction of outposts, militarization of disputed features, and undertaking unilateral actions that cause permanent physical change to the marine environment in areas pending delimitation."

CLARIFY THE CLAIMS

The contending states should clarify their claims peacefully in accordance with a 1982 maritime treaty and international law, according to the three, who met on the sidelines of annual meetings of Asia-Pacific foreign ministers in Manila, including those from China and Russia.

Their remarks, which are aimed at taming aggression in the disputed waters, are considerably stronger than a joint statement of concern issued by their counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a 10-nation bloc whose economies depend heavily on China.

Their stance contrasts with that of China, which opposes what it calls meddling by the United States and other Western governments in the Asian disputes. Beijing wants the disputes to be resolved through one-on-one negotiations.

China's territorial disputes in the strategic and potentially oil- and gas-rich waterway with Taiwan and ASEAN member states Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam intensified after Beijing built islands in the disputed waters in recent years and reportedly started to install a missile defense system on them, alarming rival claimant states as well as the US and other Western governments.

Also Read

Full-scale India-China war likely soon, Washington will back New Delhi: Meghnad Desai

China's 'salami slicing': Why Doklam must unite world leaders against Beijing

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AND WE'RE BACK!!!

Downtown According To Troy

City manager: KC's vibrant core radiating development successes - Kansas City Business Journal During Friday's celebration of the progress on Two Light, the $120 million apartment high-rise in the Kansas City Power & Light District, City Manager Troy Schulte urged the crowd to look out as well as up at the 24-story tower.

City Hall Warning

KCMO.gov " Get alerts and community messages with AlertKC Individuals may begin registering now for AlertKC by completing the form below, texting their zip code to "888777", or by visiting nixle.com and providing their address or nearby intersection, a cell phone number and an email address by which to receive notifications.

Big Dead-Tree Cheeser

A smart city need not be ugly For now, it's the sort of stuff that's both in plain view and largely invisible unless you're looking for it. Smart-city gear - Wi-Fi antennas, various sensors, video cameras - are gradually blooming on streetlights, traffic signals and light poles across the urban landscape.

Celebrate Cowtown Tech Marriage

Kansas City Startup Foundation, CEED, Startland News merge, receive $1M donation Increasing its ongoing support of entrepreneurs, Affinity Worldwide has donated $1 million to the (KCSF), a nonprofit championing and connecting the local startup ecosystem. Kansas City Startup Foundation As part of the donation, Kansas City-based Affinity is also donating ownership of the Center for Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development (CEED) - the parent organization of Startland News - to the foundation.

Urban Core Taste Test

Order Up | Paleterias Tropicana's Paletas Order Up | Paleterias Tropicana's Paletas

New Hope For Kansas City Royals

Catcher Cam Gallagher shines in Royals debut KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Jake Junis had great stuff in the Royals 9-1 win over Seattle on Sunday. Paired with his Omaha batterymate Cam Gallagher, Junis tossed a career best 7 strikeouts in 8 innings of work. It was Gallagher's MLB debut. Both he and Junis were drafted together and have come through the Royals pipeline.

Midtown Kansas City Glory Days

South Hyde Park block once had a grocery store The block of South Hyde Park bounded by Holmes, Kenwood, 41 st and 42 nd is now composed of mostly single-family bungalows. But from the 1920s to the 1940s, the block also held a grocery store and was home to the Meiners grocery family.

Hottie, check some of the more important midday news links:And this is thefor right now . . .
The military farms were started nearly 130 years ago by the British to supply the India Army with milk products.

The Indian Army runs 39 Military Farms across the country and the farms occupy nearly 20,000 acres. (File photo for representation)

By Sudhi Ranjan Sen: Amid the Doklam standoff between the Indian and Chinese troops, the Indian Army faces yet another sensitive issue - how to deal with about 25000 cattle which were housed in the Military Farms. The Government has ordered closing down of all the 39 Military Farms.

Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha will chair a meeting tomorrow to decide on the issue.

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The Ministry of Defence has asked the Army to shut down these farms by October end. The decision to close down the farms are part of the exercise to make the Indian Army more lean and nimble reducing the non-combat component of the force.

The Ministry of Defence is exploring possibilities and in touch with the Ministry of Agriculture and Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries to work out a plan.

Earlier, between 2013-2015 a few farms were closed, the remaining will be closed in the next few months.The Indian Army runs 39 Military Farms across the country and the farms occupy nearly 20,000 acres.

The military farms were started nearly 130 years ago by the British to supply the India Army with milk products. Over the years, however, the utility of the farms have diminished. They now contribute a mere 14 percent of about 210 million litres of milk annually consumed by 1.3 million-strong Indian Army.

The farms are located in places like Delhi, Jabalpur, Ranikhet, Jammu, Srinagar, Kargil and Udhampur Ahmednagar, Gwalior, Mhow Secunderabad, Jhansi, Dimapur, Guwahati, Jorhat, Panagarh, Kolkata, Ambala, Jalandhar, Agra, Pathankot, Allahabad, Lucknow, Meerut, Kanpur among others.

By closing down the farms - some of which occupy prime defence land - the Indian Army will be freeing up land that it desperately requires to set other infrastructure like housing for its men and officers. Earlier, portions of the Military Farm in Panagarh - where the Mountain Strike Corps is stationed - was taken away by the Indian Army to build an aviation complex.

The military farm has about 19 officers and about 1,500 and 2,000 civilians. And it cost the Indian exchequer Rs 300 crore to maintain these farms.

ALSO READ:

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--- ENDS ---
Kansas City police say an armed man has died following being shot by two police officers. The authorities are investigating a shooting that happened at 34th and Montgall around 12:30 p.m. The person who called police said there was a disturbance between a man and a woman.
An Independence Police Department police cruiser has crashed into a mobile home during a chase into Kansas City. Independence Police confirm officers were chasing a pick-up truck Monday morning. At one point during that chase, officers fired shots at that suspect. The suspect was shot and taken to an area hospital for treatment
- Mayor Sly touts his 100k Twitter account as a component of his leadership success . . . In much the same way that the Prez is also the covfefe Commander-in-Chief.





- Prez Trump complains about illegal voters but has difficulty verifying his claims while Mayor Sly's hard-fought streetcar winning has been forged by way of voter suppression.





- The Mayor has a penchant for brash statement and empty promises in much the same way the Prez talks a big game . . . Meanwhile, voters would be wise not to hold their breath waiting for the improvements in every day life vowed by either politico.

Kansas City protesters have been raging against Prez Trump since his election night victory against Hillary Clinton. Meanwhile, public resentment against Mayor Sly has also been gaining momentum since he decided to finish his term by working mostly for the interest of Burns & Mac. Comparisons betwixt the two shouldn't be immediately written off by both fans and detractors . . . Given so many similarities.There are silly complaints about "secrecy" betwixt the these politicos but the two have much more in common when it comes to swagger.For better or worse, both Mayor Sly & Prez Trump seem like opposite sides of the same coin. The Prez pledges he'll work against corporate interests and put America First while Mayor Sly holds his insider relationships dear and praises economic benefit led by developers.The reputation of the Prez is hanging on stock market in a precarious manner very much likewhilst toy train streetcar hype is the engine behind Mayor Sly's success. Meanwhile, Americans without significant stock holdings or Kansas City denizens faraway from the toy train line might struggle to see the merits of the achievements credited to these politicos.You decide . . .
Every Greek island has its own personal characteristics. There are cosmopolitan as well as deserted Islands. Some have an intense night life, while others are calmer and more suitable for family holidays. There are those who offer a variety of exhilarating water sport activities, those that give off an artistic flair, as well as the ultimate ones for relaxing. Escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and visit the peaceful Greek Islands where you can enjoy the serene seascape, the hilly or not landscapes, the strong sunlight, the azure blue and rejuvenate yourself.

Ikaria

Ikaria island is a place with rich mythological past and has connected its name with the mythical figure of Icarus. Sandy beaches, running waters, mountains and lush green hillsides compose the majestic relief of the island. Ikaria is also famous for its worldwide unique thermal springs because of their water composition. Moreover, the unparalleled local lifestyle with a unique work-rest schedule, the renowned festivals with traditional dances, the local manners and customs are just some features that will impress yo

Kythnos

Kythnos is very close to Attica but yet less crowded than the other islands of the Cyclades. The islands harbour Merihas and capital Hora as well as Loutra and Dryopida villages are located in the Northernmost side of the island while the southernmost areas are in a large number uninhabited. The Cycladic Style is present all around; the classic use of the colours white and blue, the bare and arid hills, the stone walls and the scattered picturesque chapels will look amazing in your pictures. The small villages are filled with whitewashed houses, cobbled stone streets and alleys, churches and windmills. This under the radar island has preserved its natural beauties through the years and will satisfy your needs for relaxing holidays.

Alonissos

Alonissos is an island ideal for those who want to unwind; enjoy leisure walks surrounded by pine forests, olive groves and orchards, drink in the view of the rugged natural landscapes and the small scattered islands around the archipelago, swim and sunbathe in countless beautiful beaches with clear blue waters. The island is the most remote of the Northern Sporades island group, and plays host to the National Marine Park of Northern Sporades, a refuge for rare seabirds, dolphins and the Mediterranean monk seal monachus monachus. Enjoy the laid-back atmosphere of this serene island and mingle with the locals, who passionately preserve their customs and traditions.

Ithaca

Ithaca is worldwide famous as the home of Odysseus and symbolises discovery, fulfillment and return to the haven. The sentimental longing of Odysseus in returning home, the nostalgia, has granted a unique charm to this island. It is a quiet Greek island; its wild, rugged yet peaceful landscape compose a scenery you wouldnt want to miss. Create your perfect holidays with a soothing poetic backdrop by visiting Ithaca with its traditional villages, white pebbly beaches, deep blue waters, hidden caves, lush sheltered bays, windswept headlands and archaeological treasures.

Patmos

Patmos is known as a Holy Island for it is the place where Saint John wrote the Book of Revelation and is also a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1999. The island is ideal for nature lovers thanks to its lace-like coastline, sheer cliffs and volcanic soil. Experience the islands rich history and enjoy your laid-back, off-the-beaten-track holiday on Patmos Island.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Valeria Casali License: CC-BY-SA

Source: protothema.gr
India and Iran have expressed commitment to operationalise the strategic Chabahar Port at the earliest, with the aim of boosting bilateral trade and ties, said a report.



India's Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari, who was in Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Hassan Rouhani's second term as the President of Iran, extended an invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Rouhani to visit India, added the Iran Daily News report.



He also handed over a letter of felicitation to him and held talks with him and other Iranian officials.



In the meetings, the two sides reviewed and positively assessed the progress in implementing the decisions taken during Modi's visit to Iran last year, including the progress on the development of Chabahar Port, Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.



Both sides reiterated their commitment to complete and operationalise the port at the earliest that would contribute to bilateral and regional trade and economic development and also provide alternate access to landlocked Afghanistan to regional and global markets, added the statement.



Hopeful of rolling out infrastructure projects in Iran and Afghanistan, Gadkari said that once Chabahar port in Iran becomes operational, there will be no looking back as it will be a gateway to golden opportunities.
Top industry experts, thought leaders and officials will gather to discuss and gain exclusive insights into the latest trends driving growth in the fertiliser market at the upcoming Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) Fertilizer Convention, next month in Bahrain.



The 8th edition of the convention will take place under the theme New beginnings: Return to growth, and will run from September 26 to 28 in The Ritz Carlton.



As changing market dynamics in the fertiliser industry create new business opportunities, the three-day event will offer exclusive insights into the impact of current market changes on fertiliser trade, as well as key drivers behind future growth, said a statement.



This year, the event will kick off with a welcome address from Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Oil for Bahrain.



It will also feature senior executives from the industry including Dr Abdulrahman Jawahery, president, Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) and chairman, Fertilizer Committee, GPCA; Khalid Al Mudaifer, president and CEO, Maaden; Charlotte Hebebrand, director general, International Fertilizer Association (IFA) and Peter Huang, CEO, China National Chemical Information Center (CNCIC) Consulting, among many others.



In line with the GPCAs drive to equip a new generation of aspiring students and future industry leaders with the requisite knowledge and skills to succeed, as well as enabling access to industry platforms, a student seminar will also take place during the convention, as part of the GPCAs Leaders of Tomorrow initiative.



During the 10-year period between 2006 and 2016, GCC fertiliser production capacity almost doubled in size, growing from 19.4 million tonnes to 37.8 million tonnes. 2017 is set to be another encouraging year, as GCC fertiliser production capacity is estimated to reach 42.3 million tonnes, with Saudi Arabia continuing to take the lead in GCC fertiliser production, raising its total capacity by almost a third to 21.5 million tonnes in 2017 from 16.8 in 2016.



Against the backdrop of increasing food demand in the region, coupled with a need for more fertiliser imports, the convention will explore themes for market stabilisation, global and regional megatrends, specialty fertilisers, resolving environmental and technical challenges and competition in major supply markets, said a statement.



Dr Abdulwahab Al Sadoun, secretary general, GPCA, said: As the first industry to be set up in the GCC, the fertiliser sector has grown exponentially over the years, delivering exceptional value to the Arabian Gulf region and markets across the globe.



The convention has established itself as the Middle Easts leading platform to network, share best practices and exchange ideas for the future in a highly dynamic business landscape, he said.



As a unique and must-attend forum for market-leading insights, the convention will open doors to future opportunities, help regional exporters establish a firm foothold in new markets and adapt to a new era of competitiveness, he added.



Dr Abdulrahman Jawahery, president, Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) and chairman, Fertilizer Committee, GPCA, said: We at GPCA are proud to host this important conference, focused on the latest developments of this strategic industry, for the very first time in Bahrain.



The convention brings together the industrys elite and gives us the opportunity to learn more about the challenges and solutions facing the fertiliser industry regionally and globally. Like previous editions, we are dedicated to this years success, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Shell Oman has launched its annual summer internship programme this year hosting 24 Omani students from various local and international colleges and universities, in line with its efforts to being a model for successful local talent development.



The internship programme is part of Shell Omans annual corporate social responsibility strategy, said a statement from the company.



It aims to develop the future leadership potential of Omani youth through practical platforms and live projects that help build on their theoretical knowledge, it said.



The interns are placed in different classes of business structures within the company across the sectors of retail, lubricants, marine, bitumen, aviation and commercial fuel.



Shell Oman Marketing Company SAOG is a publicly listed company on the Muscat Securities Market. And for over half a century, Shell Oman has been committed to meet the sultanates growing energy demands, and contribute to its prosperity in an economically, environmentally and socially responsible manner by operating safely and sharing benefits with the local community.



Essam Al Busaidi, human resources and administration manager, said: The Omani interns get the opportunity to grow their competencies, skills and enterprise knowledge through a proven business model that is backed by access to global knowhow and pioneering products and services.



Besides the tremendous learning experience, these interns benefit from continuous and extensive knowledge-transfer as well as safety culture, communications, trainings and technology support from their peers in Shell Oman to help them in their pursuit of employment opportunities upon the completion of their studies, Al Busaidi added.  TradeArabia News Service
Bahrain Duty Free continues to engage travellers with its phased beautification programme as French luxury house Dior unveils a chic new departures offering.



The elegant three-in-one space, which encompasses fragrances, make-up and skincare, now occupies a total of 28-sq-m. Travellers will be able to purchase travel retail exclusives to get the perfect Dior gift. They can also find adapted travelling formats like Jadore, Miss Dior or Sauvage Travel Sprays.



Dior invites the travellers to discover their personalised signature within a wide range of perfumes showcased on the fragrance bars. Ladies will be offered a touch up to their make-up before their flight at a dedicated make-up station.



The Dior opening is the fifth new counter to be unveiled in 2017. We are delighted with the positive response from travellers and our brand partners to the exciting new offering at Bahrain Duty Free. Visually and experientially, this is another milestone moment for us, and for the airport, said Bassam Al Wardi, general manager, Bahrain Duty Free.



The expanded departures store, with its distinctive black and white branding, acts as a clear beacon for travellers in search of their favourite Dior products. The use of space has been cleverly maximised to offer the best shopping experience, as customers journey through the wide collection offered by the brand. - TradeArabia News Service
UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention is reminding travellers to avail health services and medical consultations before taking a trip abroad.



UAE citizens and residents can avail these services at the Traveler Health Clinics in the preventive medicine departments across the Emirates throughout the year.



Provided free of charge to all Emiratis and at an affordable price for UAE residents, the services are also available at Al Muhaisna Centre and Etihad Centre.



The Ministry of Health and Prevention believes in the importance of educating travellers about the health risks that they may be exposed to when visiting other countries. It encourages them to visit screening centers before leaving the country so that they may take necessary vaccinations as a precautionary measure, said Dr. Fatma Al Attar, Family Medicine consultant, head of Travelers Clinic team.



"Many travellers do not realise the importance of the medical aspect of traveling, which is essential and important when choosing their destinations, added Dr. Al Attar.



The Ministry has launched the Travelers Health Clinics to offer information and services before travelling abroad.



The Travelers Health Clinics offer a range of quality health and preventive services based on the guidelines of the World Health Organization and relevant scientific studies. The services include raising awareness about the importance of visiting these centers before traveling to assess health risks, determine their health status, and take vaccinations and other preventive medications required by the country of destination.



The Ministry of Health and Prevention also reiterated that travellers must take precautions and take note of travel tips to avoid acquiring any type of diseases and other health-related concerns while out of the country.



Vaccinations

Make sure to consult a doctor in order to receive necessary vaccinations ahead of time at least a month before traveling overseas in order to prevent certain infectious diseases such as yellow fever, meningitis, typhoid fever, hepatitis, pneumococcal pneumonia, influenza etc. The necessary vaccinations are determined according to World Health Organization (WHO) guideline for the destination of travel and will be advised by your doctor.



Malaria prevention

Medications can be used to prevent malaria when travelling to affected areas. Travellers can protect themselves from the disease by taking the recommended dosages prescribed by the doctor ahead of time prior to travelling.



Time difference and Jet lag

Passengers suffer from a jet lag during long journeys, resulting in alteration in body clock. A passenger may experience disturbance in their sleeping patterns and bowel function, as well as reduced mental performance and general malaise.



The Ministry has advised travellers to take enough sleep and rest during long trips, drink plenty of fluids, avoid drinking coffee and tea, and eat healthy food.



Motion Sickness

Motion sickness is the result of a conflict between human senses and excess movement, causing dizziness, exhaustion, nausea, headache, and vomiting. These symptoms may be relieved by changing ones seating location, for example transferring to the front or over the wings of an airplane. Also, passengers are advised to avoid eating during the start of the trip and chew gum or mint candy instead. A doctor may prescribe a medication to address motion sickness.



Deep vein thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs especially in the lower leg during prolonged immobility. Travellers are thus advised to walk in the plane approximately every three hours or do some foot exercises while sitting every hour. They can ask their doctors about DVT for more information. Wearing loose clothing and drinking adequate amount of fluids can also help lessen its occurrence.



Insect or animal bites

UAE citizens and residents are also warned of touching animals when traveling. They should consult their doctors immediately when exposed to insect and animal bites, and to rinse the affected area with a sterile solution. Travellers are instructed to cover all body parts when going to insect-infested areas and avoid rabid animals and walking barefoot. Preventive measures can also help such as the application of skin protection creams especially during nighttime.



Sunstroke, heat exhaustion or extreme cold

Exposure to extreme weather may cause some travellers to experience serious health problems. Holidaymakers are advised to avoid exposure to direct sunlight for a prolonged period of time, apply skin protection creams, cover their heads, hands, and feet, and consume fluids to avoid dehydration.



Food poisoning and waterborne diseases

During vacation, travellers may also be exposed to contaminated food and water, causing diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, fever, and vomiting. When travelling, they are advised to drink bottled mineral water, refrain from consuming street food, minimise salad intake, and avoid under-cooked food. Vaccinations taken prior to travel could also prevent food poisoning and waterborne diseases. - TradeArabia News Service


Oman National Transport Company (Mwasalat) and the National Ferries Company (NFC) are launching a new land-sea route between Muscat and Khasab, starting from August 24.



The new Muscat-Shinas-Khasab route provides a unique experience through using Mwasalat buses by land, and then moving to ferries.



There will be four weekly round trips at various times.



The trip duration does not exceed the length of the current ferry journey from Muscat to Khasab, said a statement. Besides, this route will provide the flexibility to start or end the trip in other cities in the sultanate without incurring costs or additional means of transport.



There will be two trips on Muscat-Shinas-Khasab route on Sundays and Thursdays. The trip will start on these days at the same time from Muscat at 12:15 pm. The ferry will leave Shanas at 4:30 pm and arrive at Khasab at 7:30 pm. There will be two trips on Khasab-Shinas-Muscat route on Saturdays and Tuesdays. The ferry will depart on these days at the same time from Khasab at 1:00 pm and the bus will leave Shanas at 4:50 pm and arrive in Muscat at 8:20 pm.



Tickets will be available through the channels of the two companies during the coming period with a promotional offer for this service.



"The new route is an important step to facilitate access to Musandam Governorate by connecting land and sea services of the two companies," said Mehdi bin Mohammed Al-Abdoudani, CEO of National Ferries Company.



Ahmed Bin Ali Al Balushi, chief executive officer of Mwasalat said: "The new route is a continuation of the company's efforts to provide and facilitate service to its customers." - TradeArabia News Service
The Pakistani teenager's testimony, a copy of which has been seen by Reuters, describes a web of radical seminaries and training and bomb making facilities stretching from eastern Afghanistan to southern Sindh province.

A policeman in plain clothes walks out of a damaged house, which witnesses said belonged to Hafiz Brohi, the most wanted man in connection with bombings in Shikarpur, Pakistan. (Photo: Reuters)

By Reuters: The confession of a Pakistani teenager who was captured moments before carrying out a suicide attack has given police a rare glimpse into a militant network they say is behind the recent surge in sectarian violence.

Usman's testimony, a copy of which has been seen by Reuters, describes a web of radical seminaries and training and bomb making facilities stretching from eastern Afghanistan, where the young man was recruited, to Pakistan's southern Sindh province.

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Hundreds of people have been killed in attacks on Pakistan's small Shi'ite community, heightening fears in the Sunni-dominated country of an escalation in sectarian bloodshed that has been a persistent threat for decades.

Pakistani police believe the network, which Usman says aided him on his 2,000 km journey, has also helped Islamic State spread its extremist agenda in South Asia, even without proven operational links with its core in the Middle East.

The Pakistani network brings together several known jihadists belonging to extremist groups that have targeted religious minorities for decades, police said, providing fertile ground for Islamic State's ideology to spread.

Usman's confession does not name Islamic State directly, but police say they believe the network that recruited and trained him was behind five deadly sectarian bombings in Pakistan, four of which have been claimed by the group based in Syria and Iraq.

"ISIS (Islamic State) has no formal structure (in Pakistan). It works on a franchise system and that is the model that is being used in Pakistan," senior Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officer Raja Umer Khattab told Reuters.

By that he said he meant Islamic State could claim attacks as its own, even if it had no direct role in coordinating them.

Usman, 18 at the time of the thwarted attack, is currently on death row in the town of Shikarpur, where he was caught.

Reuters was unable to contact him for this story, but Usman's court-appointed lawyer said the family had shown no interest in the case.

"I am not sure if an appeal has been filed against the sentence, since no one from his family ever turned up to even meet Usman," advocate Deedar Brohi told Reuters, adding that his client had been sentenced by an anti-terrorism court in March.

Police say the network emerged relatively recently - the main suspects became known to police over the last two years - but it is not clear whether it is acting alone or on the orders of other groups like Islamic State.

'YOU SHOULD JOIN JIHAD'

Under interrogation, Usman, arrested last September, described his recruitment in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, where US and Afghan forces have been fighting a local offshoot of Islamic State estimated to number a few hundred fighters.

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Originally from the Pakistani valley of Swat, his family fled to Nangarhar after his father, a member of the Pakistani Taliban, was killed in a drone strike.

Usman told investigators he came home one day to find his brother sitting with an older man.

"My brother said that you should join jihad. You should become a suicide bomber," Usman said in the confession.

He left that day and travelled with the older man by bus to the Afghan province of Kandahar, where they crossed into Pakistan's Baluchistan province.

From there, they rode a motorcycle to the remote desert town of Wadh in southern Baluchistan, where Usman began his training and stayed at the home of a man called Maaz.

"In our room, Maaz took out explosives from a bag and prepared two suicide jackets," Usman told investigators.

Police suspect Wadh is where several militant movements, including al Qaeda, the Pakistani Taliban and other local banned groups, have been active.

The media wing of Pakistan's military did not respond to requests for comment for this article, including how militants could use Wadh as hub.

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An intelligence official, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the press, denied Wadh was part of a militant network.

"No training camp in Wadh or safe (haven) for militants now," the official said in a WhatsApp message.

After about a month in Wadh, Usman said he travelled by motorcycle with an escort on dusty back roads to Shikarpur. A few days later, he was dispatched with his explosives vest to attack a prayer meeting attended by Shi'ite Muslims.

The attack failed when one worshipper spoke to Usman in the local Sindhi language, which he could not understand. A crowd gathered and grabbed him before he could reach his detonator.

CENTRAL SUSPECT

Police investigators, who spoke about the case on condition of anonymity, said Usman's confession helped them identify several key militants including a suicide vest maker and the man who oversees the network - a former Pakistani intelligence services asset named Shafiq Mengal.

"Our intelligence shows that he has 500-1,000 militants working under him and is living in the mountains," said a senior police official.

Reuters was unable to contact Mengal or independently confirm the assertions of the police official. But his father, a prominent Baluch politician during the military regime of General Zia ul Haq in the 1980s, said his son had no links with militant networks.

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"Shafiq has not given shelter to any terrorist outfit and their activities," former Baluchistan chief minister Naseer Mengal told Reuters.

However, the older Mengal added that his son had been active in supporting Pakistani security forces in battling Baluch separatist groups.

"Shafiq fought against those elements who challenged the writ of State and were involved in target killings of innocent people and security forces," he said.

An internal police profile of Mengal seen by Reuters said he attended an elite school in the eastern city of Lahore before completing his education at a madrassa.

According to the document, prepared by a Baluchistan police official, Mengal "was set up by the intelligence agencies to counter separatist Baloch militants" that fight the government in Baluchistan.

The report said that, more recently, it appeared Mengal shifted his efforts to helping jihadists.

The intelligence official said Mengal no longer had any association with the military.

The armed forces have launched several major offensives against groups including al Qaeda and the Taliban in recent years, but they have also been accused of using militants as proxy fighters in Kashmir and Baluchistan - a charge they deny.

'HATE-FILLED SERMONS'

Police said another important suspect in the network was Hafeez Brohi, already on Pakistan's wanted terrorist list. He comes from Shikarpur, and it was at Brohi's residence that they said the teenager stayed before the failed attack.

Usman did not name Brohi directly but said a man named Umer Hafiz, who police officials say was actually Brohi, took him from Wadh to Shikarpur by motorbike.

Usman's police case file also identifies Brohi as one of the main suspects in the failed bombing. Case files seen by Reuters on several other sectarian attacks in Shikarpur also single him out.

The town itself, some 250 km east of Wadh but several times that distance by road, is seen as an increasingly important centre of sectarian extremism, according to officials from the counter terrorism department.

Two local Shi'ite mosques were targeted by attacks in 2015.

Several new madrassas have been built in the area in recent years, and members of the Shi'ite minority suspect that they are used by Sunni hardliners to spread religious intolerance.

"The madrassas are concentrated in remote villages," said Syed Atta Hussain Shah, the imam of the Shi'ite mosque in Shikarpur. "Preachers show up from elsewhere and stay in these madrassas and deliver hate-filled sermons."

Police officials said they suspected Brohi was the point man for the network in southern Sindh province and was involved in the bombing at Sehwan Sharif shrine that killed 90 people - the most deadly attack in Pakistan claimed by Islamic State.

Brohi has been in hiding for the last three or four years, according to CTD officials.

Usman was sentenced to death in March along with 10 militants in absentia, including Brohi.

ALSO READ |

Saudi security forces foiled suicide attack on Mecca mosque: Interior Ministry

US: Explosion rocks Minnesota mosque, no casualties; FBI launches probe

Suicide bomber kills 30 in Iraq, Islamic State hand suspected

--- ENDS ---
An ambulance was made to wait to allow Tamil Nadu chief minister's convoy through near Tambaram in Chennai.

A video shared on Facebook on July 27 went viral today showing an ambulance waiting on the Tambaram-airport road to let chief minister's convoy pass.

An angry man also stuck in traffic can be seen shouting in the video, "Why should the ambulance and public wait till the chief minister's convoy moves. He is still talking to the media inside the airport and we can't wait."

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Even the Opposition parties hit out at Edappadi Palanisamy government.

AIADMK's OPS faction IT wing secretary Ramachandran said, "Amma was a people's leader. She wanted to help people. But EPS government is not even humane to help the patients in the ambulance this is not acceptable. We condemn this."

However, Chennai traffic police had a different story to narrate. Additional commissioner of police (traffic) K Periaiah told India Today, "The ambulance was not made to wait. There was also a human chain protest by the DMK that day. They had blocked the road on both the sides. When the sub-inspector heard about this ambulance, who let it off immediately. We cannot go only by what the Facebook post says. We have clear instructions that ambulance should be given priority."

Another such instance was reported from Haryana today where a man died in the ambulance, allegedly because a local Bharatiya Janata Party leader held up the ambulance that the man was in.

Also Read

Haryana BJP leader holds up ambulance, blamed for patient's death

Also Watch: Chennai: Ambulance stopped to allow CM Palaniswami's convoy to pass

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: displaced people

(Eds: With updates, quotes of Medha Patkar, MP CM)

Dhar/Bhopal, Aug 7 (PTI) Social activist Medha Patkar and other protesters were today hospitalised by police on the 12th day of the indefinite fast over rehabilitation of the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) oustees, even as the Madhya Pradesh government assured to look after the well-being of the displaced people.

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Patkar, the leader of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, and her associates had been on a hunger strike at Chikhalda village of Madhya Pradeshs Dhar district since July 27.

"Patkar and other protesters were removed by the police from the spot as their condition deteriorated," Indore Divisional Commissioner Sanjay Dube told PTI.

Patkar has been taken to a private hospital in Indore.

"She was hospitalised because her medical report said there was danger to her life due to the fasting," Dube said, adding, "She was conscious and in a condition to speak".

The protesters, including Patkar, were taken in different ambulances and admitted to different hospitals, he said.

"Doctors advised immediate medical attention for @medhanarmada ji & her colleagues due to high ketone & sugar posing threat to their lives (sic)," chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan posted on Twitter.

Moving them to the hospital was required to ensure their well-being and long life. The authorities had to take this decision in the best interest of the protestors, he said.

"We reiterate that we have completed R&R work as per directions of Supreme Court and are committed to continuing the work wherever needed.

"As a Pratham Sevak of the state, it is my commitment to looking after the wellbeing of people of MP, particularly of displaced families," Chouhan said, in a series of tweets.

However, Himshi Singh, an activist, claimed, "Of the 12 agitators, six, including Patkar, were taken from the protest site, while remaining six were not removed."

According to Singh, Patkar, before police took her away, said in a recorded message that the MP government had replied to her agitation by arresting all of them.

"This was their reply to a non-violent agitation on the issue. There is no space for serious dialogue in the regime of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

"It was a murder of Mahatma Gandhis dreams by those who dont have faith in Babasaheb Ambedkars constitution," Singh quoted Patkar as saying.

"The country has to decide that in future no development will take place by displacing people," Patkar said in the message.

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Singh claimed that police baton-charged the protesters and dismantled the tent where Patkar was on fast.

Additional Director General of Police, Indore, Ajay Sharma said that no force was used by the policemen while taking the protestors to hospitals.

"However, some protesters reacted aggresively, resulting in injuries to some policemen," ADG Sharma said.

Divisional Commissioner Dube said some official vehicles were also damaged as some of the protesters turned violent, adding the situation at the protest site was under control.

Congress leader Ajay Singh condemned the "lathi-charge on protesters".

Thousands of families along the Narmada river in MPs Barwani, Dhar, Alirajpur and Khargone districts are at risk of getting displaced with the closing of gates of Sardar Sarovar Dam in neighbouring Gujarat and the resultant rise in water level in its catchment area.

The Centre recently gave the nod for closing the gates.

The water level in the catchment area reached 121.90 metres today, nearing the danger mark set at 123 metres. The dam is likely to be filled to its capacity by August-end. PTI CORR MAS HWP KRK KIS

--- ENDS ---

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Tribune News Service

Mohali, August 6

Taking action against protesting members of the BEd Unemployed Teachers Union, the local police detained five persons, including four women, under preventive measures here today.

These included union president Poonam Rani, Anju Fazilka, Rajwant Kaur, Harpreet Kaur and Baldev Singh.

The protesters, who blocked the airport road in front of the water tank opposite to Gurudwara Singh Shaheedan in Sohana village for the entire day, claimed that Poonam Rani tried to slit her wrist while Anju Fazilka too had poured petrol and tried self-immolation. Both were stopped forcibly by the fellow protesters, said the agitators.

The police on the pretext of taking them to hospital shifted them to the Mataur police station and detained them, they alleged.

Station House Officer of the Mataur police station Gurmeet Singh Sohal confirmed that some of the protesters were detained under the preventive measures and later shifted to the jail.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 6

The 8th edition of the Model United Nations conference organised by Bhavan Vidyalaya concluded on a vibrant note here on Sunday. This year, the theme of the conference was Asadoma Sadgamaya: From Untruth to Truth.

Dr Harish Khare, Editor-in-Chief, The Tribune Group of Publications, was the chief guest on the occasion. The other distinguished dignitaries to grace the occasion were RK Saboo, Chairman Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chandra Mohan, Vice-Chairman, PR Aggarwal, Honorary Secretary and Madhukar Malhotra, Associate Secretary.

Bhavan Vidyalaya Model United Nations conference witnessed participation of 370 student delegates from 74 renowned schools. This year, the school played host to teams from Marefat, Afghanistan, NIMS, Dubai, and DPS, Kuwait.

The eight committees simulated under the Bhavan Vidyalaya Model United Nations conference included the United Nations General Assembly (DISEC); United Nations Economic and Social Council, (ECOSOC); United Nations Security Council (UNSC); United Nations Human Rights Council; Democratic National Meeting (USA) 2017; Simla Conference (1945); Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs and Internal Review Committee on the Future of State Ideology (Soviet Union).

The conference witnessed some mind-grueling sessions where committees debated on some major issues plaguing the world. Establishing a global framework for the use of nuclear technology, review of the responsibility to protect under International Legal Jurisprudence, impact of global economic and financial crises on universal realisation and effective enjoyment of human rights; provisions of the Wavell Plan (1945), examining Indias relations with P5 nations and the future of Marxism and state policy were the issues discussed.

The ceremony commenced with convener Shreya Sharmas report. Following it was a medley lauding the resilience and strength of human spirit sung by Saniya Segal and accompanying her were Ranauq and Vividh. After this, a soulful rendition by Ishaan and Aakarshan accompanied by Praful, Theerthankar and Ranauq enthralled the audience.

A riveting dance performance, which was a synthesis of Bharatnatyam and Kathak, was also performed.

While addressing the gathering, chief guest Dr Harish Khare said, Each generation defines its own rules and principles. The present generation is smart enough to understand the present day demand. He asked the students to remain engaged and have fun, because beyond fun was creativity.

RK Saboo, in his speech congratulated the delegates, organising committee and the staff for making the conference a success. He particularly thanked the schools senior principal Vineeta Arora, Vice-principal Suparna Bansal, executive board and the faculty members for their unpatrolled leadership and dedication. In his speech, he stressed that MUN was self-education and a part of development which would help make the participants the leaders of tomorrow.

The conference concluded with the award ceremony for which the delegates had been waiting with bated breath.

Results: The best delegation award was bagged by Step by Step School, Noida. The other awards included United Nations General Assembly (DISEC)-Best Delegate: Shaswat Mimani of Mayo College, Ajmer; United Nations Economic and Social Council, (ECOSOC)-Best Delegate: Dev Gupta of Banyan Tree, Chandigarh; United Nations Security Council-Best Delegate: Anchit Jasuja of GMSSS Sector-16, Chandigarh; United Nations Human Rights Council-Best Delegate: Aastha Chopra of Saupins School, Chandigarh; Democratic National Meeting-Best Delegate: Srinjon Gupta of DPS International, Saket; Simla Conference-Best Delegate: Alaya Purewal of Step by Step School, Noida; Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs: High Commendation 1-Best Delegate: Himanshu Kumar of DPS International, Saket; Internal Review Committee on the Future of State Ideology (Soviet Union)-Best Delegate : Bharat Gangwani of Mayoor School, Ajmer.

The conference ended with the secretary general Pranay Goyal offering a vote of thanks and declaring the meeting closed by striking the gavel.

Finally, the Secretariat and the entire organising committee were introduced to the audience and given a standing ovation by everyone present.
Tribune news service

Chandigarh, August 7

The Chandigarh chapter of the Congress supported the young woman who has filed a stalking case against Haryana BJP president Subhash Baralas son Vikas Barala by forming a human chain at the Tribune Chowk here today.

Pradeep Chhabra, Chandigarh Congress president, accused the police of working under pressure. The protesters raised slogans against BJP leaders and said they were pressurising the police to release the accused. Chhbara demanded an inquiry by a sitting High Court judge to find out the truth. He hailed the woman for her courage and said the Congress would support her in the fight for justice.
By PTI: New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) This Raksha Bandhan was a special one for 103-year-old Sharbati Devi as she got a chance to tie a rakhi on the wrist of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

She was invited for the same by the prime minister himself.

Devi lost her brother about 50 years ago, and would always miss him, especially on Raksha Bandhan, the PMO said.

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Her son wrote to the prime minister who invited the elderly woman and her family to his residence today.

Sharbati Devi was extremely delighted to meet the prime minister and tie a rakhi. They had a wonderful interaction, the PMO added.

Earlier, some young girls also tied rakhis on the prime ministers wrist. PTI AKK SMN

--- ENDS ---
Tribune News Service

Mohali, August 6

The Union Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr Harsh Vardhan, encouraged scientists and students to exploit the biotechnological tools to address the problems related to quality of food and malnutrition with full enthusiasm and zeal.

He urged them to take inspiration from the legacy and contributions of champions in the field of science and technology.

The minister was in the town to inaugurate the new administrative and research buildings of two national institutesNational Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) and Centre of Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB) under the administrative control of the Department of Biotechnology, Union Ministry of Science and Technology, Sector 81, here today.

The other dignitaries, present on the occasion, included Dr K Vijay Raghavan, Secretary, DBT, Arun Kumar Grover, Vice-Chancellor, Panjab University, Chandigarh, Dr TR Sharma, Executive Director, NABI, and Dr Rajender Singh Sangwan, Chief Executive Officer.

While expressing his pleasure in dedicating both the institutes to the nation, Dr Harsh Vardhan urged both the institutes to address the problems of hunger and malnutrition and bring nutritional revolution in the country through biotechnology research and innovation for food and nutrition security.

He also emphasised on the need for quality research work and output with optimal utilisation of the state-of-art equipment and infrastructure that can reach common man in a form that can be easily perceived in proper perspective.

NABI is the first agri-food and nutritional-based biotechnology institute set up by the Department of Biotechnology in the Knowledge City, Sector 81, Mohali. CIAB has been set up adjacent to NABI and is the first institute dedicated to generation of secondary agriculture bio products through value addition to unutilised and under-utilised biomass. The campus comprises of laboratory buildings, 15 acres of land for field experiments, a large glass house, transgenic net houses, office area, housing, guest house, research scholar hostel, utilities and other requisite services. Total area of the campus is 50 acres.

Fact file

Dr Harsh Vardhan urged the scientists and students to address the problems of hunger and malnutrition and bring about nutritional revolution in the country through biotechnology research and innovation for food and nutrition security. He also emphasised upon the need for quality research work and output with optimal utilisation of the state-of-art equipment and infrastructure that can reach the common man in a form that can be easily perceived in proper perspective.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 7

Even as Friday nights high-profile incident involving the daughter of an Additional Chief Secretary-rank IAS officer of Haryana and the son of Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala led to a political slugfest and put the issue of stalking in the cross hairs of national attention, questions are being raised over the police action in the case.

A perusal of the FIR, a copy of which is with The Tribune, registered at the Sector 26 police station revealed that the victim, a DJ, had clearly mentioned in her police complaint that, To me it was very clear that these boys intended to abduct me, even tried to open the door

However, the FIR was initially lodged under Section 354-D of the IPC (stalking) and Sections 341 of the IPC (wrongful restraint) and 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act (driving by a drunken person or by a person under the influence of drugs) were added to the case.

What has raised many an eyebrow is the fact that despite the complainant alleging bid to abduction, no such offence was added to the FIR.

Fighting back charges that the UT police were being partial, UT SSP Eish Singhal today claimed that it was conducting a fair investigation into the case and legal opinion was being sought whether kidnapping charges could be added to the case.

Surprisingly, Sub-Inspector Satnam Singh, who registered the FIR (156), noted, received a complaint of harassment, attempt to kidnap and outrage the modesty of a girl against two boys in white Tata Safari bearing registration number HR 23G 1008.... However, he concluded, after perusal of the complaint, a case under Section 354-D of the IPC is made out and registered against Vikas Barala, son of Subhash Barala of Bidhari Khera village in Tohana tehsil of Fatehabad district, and Ashish Kumar, son of Surender Kumar of Barsi village in Bhiwani district.

Legal experts divided over charges

Some say police right, others differ

"Men may speak lies, but not the circumstances. At that time, the girl was under shock and was tortured at night throughout her way. She could have banged her car somewhere and the injuries could have proved fatal for her. Or it could be death due to shock or she could have attempted suicide to save herself. It is a case of attempt to murder. The police here have made it a simple matter of stalking, which is not the case."  AS Sukhija, Senior Lawyer

"As per the case, she was followed in the car and was restrained. However, there was no physical touch or attempt to kidnap or otherwise. How can we assume that they wanted to abduct her. It could be that by knocking at the window, they wanted to say something or, maybe, abuse her. Also, it is the right of the police to study the sequence of the case. And the statement recorded under Section 164 of the CrPC supports the fact it is not attempted kidnapping. Even if she has said something in her complaint, it has to be verified first."  Rabindra Pandit, Senior Criminal Lawyer

"If the girl has mentioned in the FIR it was an attempt to abduct and outrage her modesty, the police should have added the Sections concerned. It is the complaint that is considered first while recording of statement under Section 164 of the CrPC comes later."  Harish Bhardwaj, Senior Advocate

"The claim of the complainant has to be verified first. Kidnapping has to have some intention, which does not seem to be the case. It is not that since high-profile people are involved and the matter has been highlighted so whatever Sections are there should be added. I do not think the Section pertaining to attempted abduction is made out."  Terminder Singh, Senior Lawyer
Amit Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 6

I want justice to prevail so that such youths all over the country get a lesson that they cant go scot-free, said the IAS officer whose daughter was stalked by two youths, including the son of Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala.

Vikas Barala (23), an LLB student, and his friend, Ashish Kumar (22), a law graduate, were arrested for stalking and wrongful restraint after they tried to block the victims way, who was driving a car, and also chased her before being nabbed by the police at one of the light points.

This incident is not just about my daughter, but about the safety of all girls in the city, said the IAS officer.

The bureaucrat, who is firm on his daughters decision to pursue the case, said he would take the case to its logical end. He said it should not be treated as a tussle between a bureaucrat and a politician. I visited the police station as a father, not as a bureaucrat. As a citizen of this country, I have the right to seek justice, he said.

Asked about both accused being granted bail, the IAS officer said he would not like to comment on whether the bail should have been granted but wondered what the police would have done had the same thing happened with their daughters.

The victims father said both accused, being law students, were aware about the repercussions of such an act, but still went ahead with it.

The accused apologised to the victim after learning that she was a bureaucrats daughter. However, neither the victim nor her father heeded their requests.
Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, August 6

After Chandigarh Tribune highlighted the plight of students of Morni villages (read the story), who have to cross the swollen Ghaggar during the rains as their is no connecting road or bridge, the Panchkula district administration today swung into action. Deputy Commissioner Gauri Parashar Joshi wrote to the Western Command, Chandimandir, seeking the Armys help in the construction of temporary bridges over the Ghaggar at five locations.

After the Deputy Commissioners letter, a joint team of the Panchkula administration and the Western Command, including ADC Rajesh Jogpal, today visited the Bhojkoti area in Morni and it was decided to construct a foot overbridge there so that students, villagers and even two-wheelers can easily cross the Ghaggar. Army officials took the measurement of the area and it was decided that if the project worked successfully, it would be replicated at other dangerous spots as well.

Earlier today, the Deputy Commissioner wrote to the Administration Commandant, Western Command, Chandigarh, saying, The situation warrants immediate redressal. A number of hamlets and some villages in Morni have no access to road and villagers, including school students, have to cross the river bed to reach their destinations. The Ghaggar is prone to flash floods and at present, the level of the river is 3 to 4 ft. There is a warning of heavy rain in Himachal Pradesh, which will further increase the water level of the Ghaggar. To avert any untoward incident and loss of life, the district administration requests for help -- both in resources and technical expertise -- urgently.

Villagers appreciate move

Sanjay Singh, a resident of Morni, appreciated the move of the Panchkula administration. He said they were now hopeful that the Army would soon construct foot overbridges, which would ultimately help the villagers, especially children and the elderly.

Students lost lives in the past

Villagers said a few years ago, three students of schools in Bijlag and Raji Tikri villages lost their lives on the way to their schools as they drowned while crossing a swollen rivulet.
Sushma Ramachandran

Sushma Ramachandran

Tensions between the two Asian giants have sent ripples all over the world. The standoff between India and China at Bhutans border has been accompanied by a frenzied global diplomatic campaign by both countries to project their point of view. Indias hard line on the issue of protecting its smaller neighbour has apparently taken the Chinese by surprise, hence the aggressive public posturing.

The question is: will this long-drawn border spat affect the diverse economic relations between the two countries which have become deep and longstanding over the past two decades?

Before answering this question, one must recognise that the scenario is vastly different from the time of the last major India-China border conflict in 1962. At that time, India-China relations were more at a political level with Hindi Chini bhai bhai slogans being exchanged in the backdrop of the Panchsheel Agreement. Economic ties are immeasurably vaster in 2017. And they have less to do with public image or slogans and much more with the hard-headed self-interest of both countries.

First, one must take a look at bilateral trade. Two-way trade between the two countries amounted to 25 billion dollars in 2006-7 and a decade later has crossed 71 billion dollars. Imports from China rose from $17.48 billion in 2006-07 to $61.29 billion in 2016-17. Exports to China were pegged at 10.8 billion dollars in 2016-17 as against 9 billion dollars a decade ago. These had risen to a peak of $18 billion in 2011-12 but dipped again in recent years. This leaves a huge deficit of 51.09 billion dollars in trade with China.

At the same time, the wide trade gap ensures that the Indian industry is not likely to be affected greatly by any sudden break in the economic relationship. In fact, the Chinese industry has much more to lose in case of a stoppage of trade flows as India remains a huge market for their manufacturing giants.

The Chinese presence in domestic markets is unmistakably visible even to the ordinary consumer. Shops are flooded with numerous products that were earlier made by small-scale units but are now imported at a much cheaper rate from the northern neighbour. These include decorative lights and electrical fittings, locks and even religious idols. The largest share of the import basket is electronic equipment, including mobile phones and laptops.

The other big buys include machinery, organic chemicals, fertilizers, iron and steel, and plastics. India, on the other hand, supplies mainly raw materials like cotton and copper along with gems and jewellery to the Chinese markets.

The second major issue is investment flows. According to a leading industry chamber, CII, as many as 142 Chinese companies have invested 27 billion dollars over the last 13 years in various industries in this country, including auto components and consumer electronics. These include Huawei, ZTE, Alibaba, and Xiaomi.

Over the same period, 139 Indian companies have invested 12 billion dollars in China, largely in the software and information technology sector. Official data shows much lower investments by China but in any case, there is clearly a surge of interest in the large Indian market. This is visible even to consumers seeking to buy white goods, mobile phones or computers.

In other words, the engagement of the two economies is far greater than ever before in history. Not only that, tourism between the two countries is growing rapidly. A package tour for the average tourists was a rarity about ten years ago. Now it is commonplace for Indians to go on holiday to China and traverse all over the country without any hindrance, barring Tibet, which remains a difficult terrain.

Thirdly, one needs to examine the cooperation between India and China on the international stage in a wide array of multilateral fora. Despite China playing a spoiler in the entry of India in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, it stands alongside India in supporting the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

In addition, India and China recently circulated a joint paper at the World Trade Organisation emphasising the trade-distorting nature of subsidies by the U.S. and the European Union. It has pointed to the fact that the Asian economies provide little support to their farmers compared to the enormous subsidies given by the developed world. Preparatory meetings are also being held ahead of Septembers BRICS summit meeting by the participants  Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa despite the Doklam standoff.

At the same time, it would not be correct to say all is well on global economic issues between the two countries. India just recently rebuffed China's One Belt One Road initiative. The OBOR conference was attended by all other South Asian countries but this country remained steadfastly away due to the China-Pakistan economic corridor passing through Indian territory. The OBOR is a massive infrastructure highway project that aims to follow the ancient Silk Road merchant routes and is Chinas pet diplomatic project right now.

At any rate, it is clear that the economic relationship between India and China moves on a separate footing and this will go on uninterrupted to a large extent despite the tensions over strategic border issues. The intertwining of the Indian and Chinese economies is not only complex but looks difficult to unravel at this stage by both countries. Even as there is a ratcheting up of aggressive postures by the Chinese side, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman goes to Beijing to discuss routine issues like the trade deficit, meetings of the joint economic group, trade disputes between the countries and preparation for the BRICS summit. This is indeed all to the good. Economic self-interest of countries should ultimately be accorded higher priority than skirmishes over distant borders.

Much will depend, however, on whether China wants to resolve the current border stand off by diplomatic means or whether it wants to continue aggravating tensions by going on the offensive publicly. Fortunately, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has eschewed any warlike stance and has emphasised the need for a diplomatic resolution to the problem. Hopefully this should ensure that the economic engagement between the two countries is not only uninterrupted but deepens and becomes more meaningful over the coming years.
Naveen S Garewal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 7

The Varnika Kundu stalking case has again thrown up the callous attitude with which Haryana treats misbehaviour with women. The state that has till date refused to acknowledge the Murthal rapes is attempting to brush aside the hounding of a petrified braveheart and has raised fingers at the girl being out of the house so late. The most shocking statement has come from none other than Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar who has brushed aside the demand for resignation of the state BJP President terming the occurrence as an individual incident.

There are voices of dissent within the party that have started dominating the situation, leaving little defence for Haryana BJP President Subhash Barala, whose son Vikas and his friend Ashish stalked and wrongfully restrained the girl in Chandigarh on Friday night. At least two party MPs Raj Kumar Saini (Kurukshetra) and Ashwani Chopra (Karnal)has demanded Baralas sacking.

On the other hand, Haryana that gave the nation the slogan of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (save and educate the girl child) is attempting to brush aside the incident as if nothing happened. Barala met the Chief Minister and sought his support today following which the CMs OSD Jawahar Yadav quoting BJP state in charge Anil Jain said there was no need for Baralas resignation as the sons actions have nothing to do with the father.

It may be well worth recollecting that the BJP had sought late Chief Minister Beant Singhs resignation when the Katia incident involving his grandson happened in 1992. Again, the BJP asked for Venod Sharmas resignation in Jessica Lals case thrice over, once as Chandigarh Congress Territorial Committee chief and twice as a minister in Haryana.

Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy on Monday announced the filing of a PIL in the matter. Apprehensions of political interference have already begun to surface after the Chandigarh Police declared that none of the CCTV cameras along Madhya Marg was functional.

Swamys associate lawyer in Chandigarh said they would file a PIL depending upon the action the police would take within the next 72 hours . With my associate lawyer AP Jagga on attempted abduction of an IAS officers daughter by two drunken goons, I will file a PIL in Chandigarh, he wrote on Twitter.

Kurukshetra MP Saini has in fact invited the ire of the party by asking Barala to submit his resignation suo motu. How can Barala be absolved of what his son did as the nature of the fruit depends on the plant, he told the media in a candid interview. Though, senior leaders like Saini have got away with their remarks, junior functionaries have already faced the axe. Six BJP workers who burnt Baralas in Panipat were expelled from the party for six years within minutes of the action.
Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, August 7

Crops in large agricultural tracts in several villages of this district are getting damaged as these are waterlogged. The power department has allegedly refused to provide electricity to drain out water from the fields using pump sets to save the standing crops. Instead, farmers have been asked to arrange their own generator sets to run pump sets.

The agricultural fields in Shikarpur, Mirzapur, Raipur, Khokha, Kharkhari, Ghiray, Ladwa, Dabra and Satrod villages adjoining this town are submerged with rainwater.

Led by sarpanch Surender Kumar, residents of Shikarpur village met the Deputy Commissioner today and demanded that immediate steps be taken to drain out rainwater accumulated in the fields. The sarpanch informed that the DC directed the power officials over the phone to do the needful and asked them to meet the officials concerned. However, power officials told us that the panchayat should have made its own arrangement to drain out water. Though the Irrigation Department has provided pump sets but these are lying defunct for want of electricity supply, the sarpanch said.

He maintained that the entire locality of BPL families in the village was flooded with rainwater. Residents of the locality have shifted to safer places. Some left for their relatives places while others are putting up at the panchayat sachivalaya building in the village, said Surender Kumar.

The sarpanch said around 1,200 acres of kharif crops, including cotton, had been completely damaged due to rainwater. A farmer of Bahbalpur village, Ramdhari Singh, said, While the standing crops have rotten, we would not be able to sow wheat for the rabi season if the water is not flushed out of the fields at the earliest.

RK Garg, Superintending Engineer, Operations, DHBVN, said it was the responsibility of the Irrigation Department to tie up with them and get power connections. Instead, they asked the villagers and panchayat to approach us, which is not the right way, he added.

Vinod Kumar, Executive Engineer, Irrigation, said they had installed pump sets in these villages and also requisitioned power supply from the DHBVN. But villagers complain that power supply is not round the clock and prolonged power cuts slowed down water drainage. We would take up the issue with the power officials to supply round the clock power in the affected villages, he said.

Farmers to start jail bharo tomorrow

Hisar: Farmers under the banner of Rashtriya Kisan Mahasang would start a jail bharo agitation across the country on August 9 when they would court arrest in support of their demand of implementation of the Swaminathan Commission recommendations. State president of Bhartiya Kisan Sangharsh Samiti Suresh Koth said here today that they would start the stir from Uklana town of Hisar where farmers from Bhiwani, Fatehabad, Hisar and Jind districts would gather to court arrest. The Rastriya Kisan Mahasang comprises 62 non-political organisations in the country already on the warpath over issues concerning farmers. On August 9, Mahatma Gandhi had started Quit India Movement against the British and we too would start our stir on the farmers issues against the BJP-led NDA government on this day. Since the BJP has failed to keep its promise of implementing the Swaminathan Commission recommendations, we would seek Prime Minister Narender Modis resignation, Koth said. TNS

Janata Akali Dal seeks MSP hike

Kurukshetra: The Janata Akali Dal (JAD), led by Jagdish Singh Jhinda, will hold a series of demonstrations from the next week to highlight the plight of the farming community. Jhinda said a memorandum of demands addressed to the President would be handed over to the Panchkula district administration on August 16 and similar protests would be held at various districts later this month. He said the Centre should make details public about the parameters for fixing and increasing minimum support price (MSP) of various crops. Jhinda said JAD did not support loan waivers or free electricity to farmers but profitable MSP for various agricultural products. He said the party welcomed taxing farmers if they were guaranteed higher price for their crops. TNS
Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 7

Overwhelmed by the support pouring in from all quarters and buoyed by the realisation that they are not fighting a lonely battle, the Kundus at their Panchkula home are battle ready as they dismiss the idea of any compromise in the high-profile stalking case in which two youths, including state BJP chief Subhash Baralas son, have been booked by the Chandigarh Police.

On a day when the BJP came out strongly in Baralas defence even as he met Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar to explain his position before going underground with all his phones switched off, a slander campaign against the victim, Varnika Kundu, too, was rolled out on the social media only to be offset by the immense response the family has been getting from all quarters.

DJ Varnika Kundu, from a stalked, terrified and shaken victim, after being chased by two boys in an SUV on the night of August 5 and hoping against all odds to get away alive, has metamorphosed in to a way bolder version, committed to taking her fight to a logical end with her family staunchly with her.

Asked if he feared a backlash of any kind for pursuing the case since the BJP is in power in the state where he lives and works, IAS officer Varinder Kundu said he had only advised his family members to be extra careful when they leave the house.

As far as my job goes, Im fine with whatever posting I get. On the home front, I have asked everybody to be a little more cautious, he said, adding that though there had been no direct offer for a compromise, an attempt was made on the night of the incident.

We reached home from the police station and a person known to me called me up at 3.30 am. As soon as the call came, I knew what it would be about and dealt with him accordingly, telling him pointedly not to say whatever was on his mind. Since then, there has been nothing. A compromise is out of question, he asserts.

Admitting that this battle is a lot bigger than he had bargained for when he first heard of the stalking from his daughter, Kundu explains, We did not know who the boys were when we went to file the FIR. All we knew was that it was the handiwork of rich brats but we made a deliberate choice to raise our voice and take up the struggle. The added political dimension will make this tougher, but we hope that justice will be delivered.

Maintaining that the support pouring in from all quarters has given them hope, the officer refuses to doubt the dilution of the sections slapped on the boys. I believe what needs to be done will be done. There is nothing wrong with our systems, it is the people manning these systems who do not conform to ethics. However, truth shall prevail, he said, adding that the parents of the accused should not be dragged into any controversy unnecessarily.

Meanwhile, in Baralas defence, Haryana in charge Anil Jain said that there was no reason for Barala to quit since he had committed no crime. Quelling all rumours around Baralas resignation as party chief of the state unit, he said there was absolutely no need of that and the police investigation would bring out the truth.

Meanwhile, state Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, too, visited the Kundus during the day to express solidarity with the family while questioning the working of the Chandigarh Police. Appreciative of the presence of mind displayed by Varnika, Tanwar assured them that the Congress was with them in their fight for justice.
Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 7

The stalking incident in which his son Vikas Barala was arrested and later released on bail is not the first criminal act of his kin to have become cause of embarrassment for state BJP president Subhash Barala.

On May 7, Vikram Barala, alias Vicky, a grandson of Baralas elder brother, was booked for kidnapping a minor girl from Badhai Khera village in Fatehabad district, the ancestral village of the state BJP chief.

The girl had gone out of her house at 8 pm on the pretext of performing puja in a temple when Vicky allegedly took her away on a motorcycle.

Villagers had blocked the Hisar-Chandigarh road the next day demanding the girls recovery after one of them noticed Vicky going to a dhani on the outskirt of the village with the girl, but the duo slipped out from there when the villagers reached there.

While the villagers were still blocking the road on May 8, the police informed them that the girl had been sent to Nari Niketan in Karnal on the order of the court.

The police had said that the girl had given a statement before the court that she had gone on her own and she did not want to go to the house of her parents, but the clandestine manner in which the police produced the girl before the court and then took her to Karnal left serious question mark on its functioning.

Villagers had alleged that the police worked under Baralas influence to save Vikram.

Barala himself had tried to distance himself by saying that Vikram was only remotely related to him. Later, the police registered an FIR against several villagers for blocking the national highway.

Last month, another case of causing hurt, wrongful restraint and criminal intimidation was registered against Vikram Barala when he was found taking away a youth in his cars dickey after thrashing him badly.

Pardeep Kumar, SHO, Tohana Sadar police station, confirmed that a case under Sections 323, 341, 506 and 427 of the IPC was registered against Vicky 20 days back. However, the police were yet to arrest him, he said.

Regarding the alleged kidnapping of a minor girl, the SHO said that the FIR still stood against Vickys name.
Dinesh Manhotra & Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Chandanwari/Jammu, Aug 7

The last batch of pilgrims performed the final puja at the holy Amarnath cave shrine on the auspicious occasion of Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan), marking the conclusion of this years yatra.

The 40-day-long yatra started on June 29 on the occasion of Purshotam Purnima from the Chandanwari and Baltal routes and concluded today with a special puja at the cave with the holy mace (Chhari Mubarak). After performing the daylong puja, devotees started their return journey towards Panjtarni for a halt.

Umang Narula, Chief Executive Officer, and Jitendra Kumar Singh, Additional CEO, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, prayed at the holy cave for sustained peace, harmony, progress and prosperity in the state.

Moreover, despite the terror attack on the yatra and a tragic road accident this year, devotees showed strong faith and over 2.6 lakh pilgrims paid obeisance at holy cave shrine, located at an altitude of 3,880 m in south Kashmir.

Attacks or accidents cannot let down our faith in Lord Shiva and the holy Amarnath shrine. We were coming, we are coming and we will keep coming to pay obeisance at the cave shrine every year, said Randhir Kumar, a pilgrim from Delhi.

The yatra has become smoother and easy for pilgrims in the last five-six years. The management of the shrine board is remarkable, which is encouraging more pilgrims to visit the shrine, he added.

This years Amarnath yatra also witnessed advanced technology being used by the authorities to ensure safety and security of the pilgrims, who reach from distant parts of the country and abroad, to pay obeisance.

Meanwhile, the pilgrims, who returned after performing the yatra, were all praise for the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) for providing adequate facilities this year.

I performed the yatra for the first time this year, but I am surprised and delighted to see the arrangements made by the shrine board at such a difficult terrain, Ravi Shrivatsva, a pilgrim from Lucknow, said.

Governor NN Vohra, who is also the chairman of the shrine board, had made it sure to maintain effective coordination among different agencies to provide all facilities for the Amarnath yatra.

The Governor had himself offered prayers inside the cave shrine marking the formal start of the pilgrimage on June 29 this year.

Governor chairs review meeting

Governor NN Vohra, chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, chaired a review meeting with Umang Narula, Chief Executive Officer, and other officers concerned on Monday evening. The CEO informed that as many as 2,60,003 lakh yatris paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine during this years pilgrimage. The Chief Executive Officer even inspected sanitation and cleanliness at the holy cave, Panjtarni and Baltal camps. The Governor directed him to ensure that no camp director leaves unless the cleaning work had been completed at all the locations as per the approved Sanitation Action Plan for 2017.
By PTI: Bhopal, Aug 7 (PTI) Social activist Medha Patkar and 11 others were today taken by the police to hospitals from Chikhalda village of Madhya Pradeshs Dhar district, where they have been sitting on an indefinite fast since last 12 days.

Patkar, the founder of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, and her associates had launched the fast on July 27, demanding "proper" rehabilitation and resettlement of those affected by the Sardar Sarovar Project.

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All of them, including Patkar, were taken to hospitals by the administration as their health was deteriorating, Indore Divisions Commissioner Sanjay Dube told PTI, without disclosing which hospitals.

They were taken in different ambulances, he said, adding six policemen suffered injuries in the process.

Thousands of families along the Narmada river in MPs Barwani, Dhar, Alirajpur and Khargone districts are at risk of getting displaced with the closing of gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in neighbouring Gujarat and the resultant rise in water level in its catchment area.

The Centre recently gave the nod for closing the gates.

The water level in the catchment area reached 121.90 metres today, nearing the danger mark set at 123 metres. The dam is likely to be filled to its capacity by August-end.

Yesterday, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti had urged 62-year-old Patkar to end the hunger strike while expressing concern over her health.

Patkar, in response, had urged the minister to support her in saving Narmada river. PTI MAS KRK KIS

--- ENDS ---
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 7

Five unidentified militants were killed in a gunfight as Army on Monday claimed to have foiled a major infiltration bid in north Kashmirs Kupwara district.

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Army said the infiltration bid was foiled along the Line of Control in Machil sector, when militants were trying to sneak into valley.

#indianarmy Infiltration bid foiled in Machhil Sector (Kupwara) . Five armed intruders killed. Ops in progress @adgpi  NorthernComd.IA (@NorthernComd_IA) August 7, 2017

The group was challenged and they opened fire triggering a gunfight. So far five terrorists have been eliminated and five weapons recovered, Srinagar-based defence spokesman, Col Rajesh Kalia said.

He said combing operation is the thick forest was still underway.

In a separate incident of ceasefire violation by Pakistan, an army jawan was injured in Uri in north Kashmir.

Meanwhile, a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant from Pakistan was killed in south Kashmirs Pampore in a gunfight late on Sunday, the police said.

The gunfight erupted at Samboora Pampore, some 17 km from Srinagar, when joint teams of the police, Army and CRPF launched an anti-militancy operation after an input about militant presence.

As the joint team intensified the search operation, the militants opened fire, triggering a gunfight. In the encounter, a militant was killed, a police officer said.

One AK-47 rifle was recovered from the encounter site.

A police spokesman identified the slain militant as Umer of the Abu Ismail group of the Pakistan-based Lashkar.

The role of Umer in different crimes committed by the Abu Ismail group is being ascertained, the spokesman said.

There were also reports of stone pelting in the area when the gunfight broke late on Sunday.
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 7

A Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant from Pakistan was killed in south Kashmirs Pampore in a gunfight late on Sunday, the police said.

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The gunfight erupted at Samboora Pampore, some 17 km from Srinagar, when joint teams of the police, Army and CRPF launched an anti-militancy operation after an input about militant presence.

As the joint team intensified the search operation, the militants opened fire, triggering a gunfight. In the encounter, a militant was killed, a police officer said.

One AK-47 rifle was recovered from the encounter site.

A police spokesman identified the slain militant as Umer of the Abu Ismail group of the Pakistan-based Lashkar.

The role of Umer in different crimes committed by the Abu Ismail group is being ascertained, the spokesman said.

There were also reports of stone pelting in the area when the gunfight broke late on Sunday.
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 7

Continuing its offensive, a suspected Pakistani Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed in a gunfight in south Kashmirs Pulwama district late on Sunday. Two militants, including an injured ultra, escaped from the encounter site.

The police said an anti-militancy operation was launched in Akram Dar Mohalla in Samboora Pampore, some 17 km from Srinagar, late on Sunday after getting an input about the presence of three militants, including two foreigners in a house.

A joint operation was launched by the Awantipora Police, along with 50 Rashtriya Rifles, 110 Battalion CRPF and the locality was cordoned off.

As the joint party was combing, the hiding militants opened fire and tossed grenades with an aim to break the cordon. The forces retaliated the fire and in a brief gunfight, one militant identified as Umar was killed and two militants escaped from the encounter site, one among them was injured, police sources said. We followed the blood trail up to a neighbouring area and we suspect that the injured militant boarded a vehicle to flee the area. We are not sure as to whether Ayub Lelhari (local militant) or Rehman (a foreigner) was injured.

The police said one AK 47 rifle was seized from the spot.

A police spokesman said the slain militant was a Pakistani national and was a member of the Abu Ismail group of the Lashkar. The police had blamed Ismail for masterminding the attack on Amarnath pilgrims last month.

A shutdown was observed in Pulwama where clashes broke out over the killing of the militant. With the killing of Umar, the security forces have gunned down 120 militants this year  the highest during the period in recent years.
Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 7

After over-a-month-long investigation into terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir, which has led to the arrest of middle-rung Hurriyat leaders, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has found some links between narcotics trade and subversive activities.

Noting that the investigators are preparing to expand the scope of their investigation into the terror funding case, sources in the NIA have revealed that it was found during the probe that the money trail had some linkages to contraband trade in the Valley.

Since the trade has its origin in Pakistan, once the smuggled narcotics reach Kashmir, the handlers get patronage of a few Hurriyat leaders and mainstream politicians, the probe indicated, said an NIA sleuth involved in the investigation.

Trade in narcotics in Jammu and Kashmir was mostly promoted by Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence and its terror affiliates like the Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen.

The drug cartel served the dual purpose as the same network was being used to generate money for subversive activities and intelligence gathering, the sources said.

The NIA sources said the latest intelligence input, which the Intelligence Bureau had shared with them, made them believe that Pakistani agencies were fast learning the Chinese modus operandi. The latter had long been exploiting drug couriers on Indias eastern flank for their covert operations, they said.

In recent years, a lot of drug consignments had been seized from the trade route through the Line of Control. Trade through the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route had been suspended following seizure of drugs worth Rs 300 crore being smuggled in a truck from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir last month.
Mona

It was one unfortunate August 8, the day when the world of Kanwars came crashing down. Their son Major Sandeep Shankhla, leading the troops in Kupwara, eliminated nine terrorists before making the supreme sacrifice for his country. Manju, asi lut gaye, were the words that Lt Col JS Kanwar (retd) uttered upon receiving the newsthe aged couple recalls; sitting in the same house in Sector 2, Panchkula. Not far away is all thats left of their son  Major Sandeep Shankhla memorial where Manju walks to have a heart-to-heart with her son.

Howsoever proud they are of their son, recipient of the highest civilian honour Ashok Chakra, posthomously, there has been void that this couple hasnt been able to fill. However, the tragedy did not crush their indomitable spirit. I wanted my younger son Suraj to join the Indian Air Force, but somehow that was not to be, she shares, holding back her tears.

Patriotic fervour

While the Army and the government stood by the bereaved parents during the initial years, with time the old couple had to fend for themselves. Initiating that patriotic streak, that feeling to live and die for the nation, is what they aim at with their grandkid (their younger son Surajs son, who lives in Australia) or anyone who comes their way. Pained they were to see the Memorial not maintained for a while and urge everyone reading this story to work towards making India live up to its true potential. All of us are fortunate to be living in a country as great as ours; even prouder of our armed forces. It is about time that we take our responsibility to make India shine in every walk of life, says the old couple, who would love to have people over to fill in their lonely days.

Feeling of pride

Gurbinder Singh was all but seven when his father Havildar Vikram Singh came back home, in Kubaheri, Mohali, wrapped in the Tricolour. Eighteen years on, he still struggles to stop the tears from trickling down remembering the day, July 6, 1999, the last day he had with his father, Heart-rending it was; life has not been the same ever since, he says.

It was tougher for his mother, Paramjit Kaur, who had a 22-day-old Gaganpreet in her lap. Today, Gurbinder is thankful that at least his education did not suffer, Milkha Singh ji took me and put me in Shivalik Public school hostel. An employee of Post Office-17, Gurbinder is these days on night shift because his mother is undergoing regular physiotherapy in PGI for a back problem. While the days are spent tending to his mother, night is work. Gaganpreet is finishing school and looking back, Gurbinder mentions, There is this certain feeling of pride for how my father earned a Mention in Disptaches, a military honour, despite our irreparable loss.

Havildar Vikram Singhs unit has been supportive of the family over the years. In our family everyone remembers how my father would help everyone around when on leave, thats been my motto for life, he beams.

Deep respect

An Army wife by choice, Rupinder Pal was happily tending to his three-month-old son when the news that shattered her world came in  Major Harminder Pal Singh, Shaurya Chakra, had laid down his life during a daredevil operation in Kashmir. Nineteen years on, his son Navteshwar is a splitting image of his dad and there never is a day when his mums eyes dont get moist remembering Major Harminder.

Absorbing the shock, Rupinder gave day and night to her son; and supported by encouraging parents from both the sides, she accepted a job in the food and supplies department although her background was that of a teacher. Her unit, 18 Grenadiers, stood by her over the years and accepting the familys wish, Rupinder resettled with Major Harminders younger brother, making sure that she and child always had a home in the same family.

Rupinder, currently deputy director, food and supplies department, Ferozepur feels fortunate for all the support she had. I wish to work in the Sainik Welfare Board; there is so much one can do to help the bereaved cope up with life, says Rupinder, who strongly believes that naming roads and making monuments doesnt serve the real cause. The true respect to a martyr would be that each of us has a patriotic streak and works towards the growth of the nation, she says.

Navteshwar has recently got Major Harminder Singhs Bullet revamped and wishes to follow in his fathers footsteps. I have no memory of him. All I have is a picture that I have built piece by piece hearing from others how he was, shares the boy, who aims to serve the Indian Army.

mona@tribunemail.com
Amarjot Kaur

Much before he became a core team member of architects assisting Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret in the making of Museum and Art Gallery of Chandigarh, Shiv Dutt Sharma struggled to earn a couple of 'annas' at refugee camps after the country's Partition.

The then 16-year-old Shiv had covered a long journey of pain and separation, first from Sialkot to Pasrur, and then from Dera Baba Nanak to Amritsar where he took up his first job-that of a labourer.

What he had known as home in Montgomery, where he lived with his parents and three brothers, was now in Pakistan. But that was not the only loss he suffered. At his office in Mansa Devi Complex, Panchkula, 86-year-old Sharma looks back at Partition days and recalls, "It was in July of 1947 when an announcement on the radio sent shivers down our spines and created panic that lasted for months, in fact, years to follow. For the ones who worked with the government, arrangements were made well in advance. The ones left to suffer were those who didn't have any strings to pull or those who chose to stay back thinking it would all be over soon."

Sharma was born in a middle-class household. His father taught in a private school. "DAV, actually," he remembers. "We were in Sialkot, visiting our relatives. On hearing the announcement, we all ran, without any money, or even clothes. My brother and I went with our mother, hiding in villages near Sialkot. The other two brothers accompanied my father. We had to split up to be safe," he reckons.

Nostalgia brings with it an expression of devastation that Sharma manages to balance while rearranging his spectacles, in a heavier baritone, he carries on. "We didn't even have utensils to have food on. After days, at a rivulet flowing through Sialkot, I saw my father and brothers standing on the other side. That was the beginning of our journey."

"I carried my father's elder brother, who was sick, on my back and walked five kilometres to reach Pasrur. With every step we took, the fear grew. We were to board a train to Dera Baba Nanak that very evening but it was impossible for a frail 16-year-old boy to tear through the mob. We decided to stay in the hall at the railway station."

Elaborating on the night at the station, Sharma shares, "There were around 40 to 50 people in that hall, too scared to go out and attend even nature's call; so the hall was also serving as a makeshift toilet. Each time we heard the beating of drums, we thought the blood-thirsty mobs were coming for us. The fear of getting killed kept us awake all night. The crack of dawn brought along a train that we boarded that morning. Thankfully, the Gorkha regiment was travelling in that train. They assured us of our safety till Dera Baba Nanak."

At the Dera, he says, they took refuge in a house abandoned by a Muslim family that moved to Pakistan. He says, "It was right next to the railway platform. Day in and day out, I saw trains loaded with bloodied corpses, some with their limbs chopped off, and brought many of them with my own hands to the dispensary where very few doctors attended to them. Meanwhile, my uncle's health continued to deteriorate and he succumbed to his illness. We didn't even have wood for his pyre, I tore batons from abandoned houses and performed his last rites at night. We did not even wait for his ashes to cool and picked his asthies as we left for Amritsar the same day."

A two-month stay at Dera Baba Nanak made way for Sharma and his family to enter Amritsar and then Jalandhar. "I picked up odd jobs, from being a labourer to a shopkeeper's helper, just to make enough money to study further. At one of the refugee camps, PUSA Institute Delhi was offering a two-year professional diploma, a stipend, and a hostel to live. I took it up. My cousin brother landed a job in Delhi with whom we stayed at Lodhi Colony-13 of us in a mumtee. All this while, I'd been wearing the same clothes I'd worn when we all left from Pakistan."

Sharma didn't land a job immediately. He was not 18 by the time the diploma got over. He had to start at the lowest rank. In 1963, he met Corbusier and in 1973 he left architect's office to take over as a chief architect in Department of Space at Bangalore to return again to Chandigarh. There, he served for ten years and rubbed shoulders with the likes of Abdul Kalam. "I wonder if life would be different had the partition not happened. For me, the adversity I braved back then only made me stronger," he signs off.

amarjot@tribunemail.com

But in seven weeks it was done, the frontiers decided, A continent for better or worse divided  WH Auden on sir cyril radcliffe

As India celebrates 70 years of Independence, its time to look back at the haunting memory of Partition. The men and women affected by the agonising displacement may have come to terms with the trauma, yet memories can never be erased. Beginning today, we bring you a series on their bitter-sweet experiences
Our Correspondent

Khanna August 6

The SGPC will constitute a six members committee of Sikh Intellectuals to make reforms in the educational institutes.

This committee will make a report about shortcomings and needed steps for the betterment of working of educational institutes. It was said by the SGPC President, Kirpal Singh Badungar, while addressing a meeting at Shri Guru Hargobind Sahib, Public Kottan.

He also said intellectuals and heads of educational institutes will be inducted into six members committee who will work out for more steps and reforms in the SGPC run education institutes. He said the SGPC will start Na Ko Warry Nahi Begana campaign in educational institutes and the students will be made instrumental in Dharam Parchar Lehar.
Srinagar, August 7

Five unidentified terrorists were killed in a gunfight as the Army foiled a major infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Machil sector of north Kashmirs Kupwara district today.

In Uri, meanwhile, an Army jawan was reportedly injured in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control.

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Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said, "A group of militants was challenged in Machil sector. They opened fire and a gunfight ensued. So far, five terrorists have been eliminated and five weapons seized." A combing operation was still underway in the forest area, he added.

The identity and the group affiliation of the slain terrorists could not be established immediately.

Defence sources said the group was intercepted by soldiers during the day after which they were challenged.

We noticed suspected movement of terrorists near Z-Gali in Machil sector during night and soldiers kept a watch on them. A contact with them was established this evening and the exchange of fire continued for hours, sources said. This is the first infiltration bid to be foiled this month in the Kashmir region.  TNS
Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 7

The Army is in the middle of a socially sensitive issue. With its military farms slated to be shut within three months, it does not know what to do with more than 25,000 head of cattle at these farms. Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha will chair a meeting tomorrow to deal with the issue of allocating the cattle to the Agriculture Ministry for further use by the Animal Husbandry Department.

Some of the cattle at the 39 military farms across the country are of a specific high-yield variety. These farms meet 14 per cent of the 210 million litres of annual milk supply needed for the 1.3 million strong Army. The rest is procured through various coops.

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These farms, started by the British in1889, have outlived their utility as milk supply is no more an issue. The farms are spread over 20,000 acres of prime Defence land that is now needed for new projects, such as upcoming ground-based missile storage, aviation, new raisings and for housing for jawans.

The decision to close down the military farms was in fact taken in 2013 after a meeting of Army Commanders. While 29 farms were to be shut between 2013 and 2015, the remaining 10 were to be closed by 2017. However, there were some hiccups in implementing the decision and the MoD handed over 30 acres of land under the Military Farm Meerut to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for developing a cow breed.

Earlier, the cantonments were largely isolated from towns and cities. But with rapid urbanisation, most cantonments are now located within population clusters. The white revolution in the seventies changed everything and now milk availability is a non-issue. On June 1 this year, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh reeled out figures at a public function, saying India is a world leader in milk production for the past 15 years... milk production is (now) 465.5 million tonnes.

The military farms are located in places like Ahmednagar, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Secunderabad, Mhow, Jhansi, Dimapur, Guwahati, Jorhat, Panagarh, Kolkata, Ambala, Jalandhar, Agra, Pathankot, Allahabad, Lucknow, Meerut, Kanpur, Ranikhet, Jammu, Srinagar, Kargil and Udhampur.

Personnel at the military farms, including more than 20 officers, will be progressively transferred to other wings and departments.
Ahmedabad, August 7

Gujarat looks set for an on-the-edge-of-seat contest in the Rajya Sabha elections tomorrow which will decide, among others, the fate of Ahmed Patel, the influential political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.

It is after about two decades that there will be a contest for the Rajya Sabha poll in Gujarat (official nominees of major parties would get elected unopposed) after the BJP fielded a Congress rebel against Patel, who is seeking a fifth term.

The BJP has fielded party chief Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani, and Balwantsinh Rajput, who till recently was Congress chief whip in the House. While its first two candidates will sail through, the BJP will have to manage extra votes for Rajput to beat Patel.

Patel, who met Congress MLAs after they returned from their Bengaluru sojourn, said he was confident of his victory. I have full faith in my MLAs. Apart from these 44 (Congress) legislators, two of the NCP and one of the JD-U will vote for me, he told the media. However, even as Patel claimed the two NCP MLAs would vote for him, Sharad Pawars party instructed its two Gujarat lawmakers to back BJPs Rajput. NCP MLA Kandhal Jadeja told mediparsons in Gandhinagar that he and Jayant Patel, another party lawmaker, had been told to cast their first preference votes in favour of Rajput.

As per our partys directive, Balwantsinh Rajput will be our first preference, said Kandhal, who has openly admitted in the past that he is with Vaghela, who quit the party recently. Congress six MLAs, including Rajput, a relative of Vaghela, resigned too. Three of them later joined the BJP. The beleaguered Congress flew its 44 MLAs to Bengaluru to ward off any threat of poaching by the BJP.

However, six of the 51 MLAs still in the Congress, apart from Vaghela, have not put their cards on the table. Vaghela, who resigned from the party and as Leader of the Opposition, has not quit the House yet, giving the Congress a cause for worry.

A candidate will require 45 votes for a straight win and the BJP, with 121 MLAs in the truncated 176-member Assembly following the resignation of six Congress legislators, can secure easy victories for Shah and Irani. The party will be left with 31 surplus votes for Rajput, who will require the backing of rebel MLAs and smaller parties to win. Now that he has the support of two NCP MLAs, his task has become easier.

For now, Patel seems to have the clear backing of 44 Congress MLAs, but even then the Congress candidate will require an additional vote for his victory.  PTI
By PTI: (Eds: Repeating with correction in intro)

Bhopal, Aug 7 (PTI) Social activist Medha Patkar and 11 others were today taken by the police to hospitals from Chikhalda village of Madhya Pradeshs Dhar district, where they were sitting on an indefinite fast since last 12 days.

Patkar, the founder of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, and her associates had launched the fast on July 27, demanding "proper" rehabilitation and resettlement of those affected by the Sardar Sarovar Project.

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All of them, including Patkar, were taken to hospitals by the administration as their health was deteriorating, Indore Divisions Commissioner Sanjay Dube told PTI, without disclosing which hospitals.

They were taken in different ambulances, he said, adding six policemen suffered injuries in the process.

Thousands of families along the Narmada river in MPs Barwani, Dhar, Alirajpur and Khargone districts are at risk of getting displaced with the closing of gates of the Sardar Sarovar Dam in neighbouring Gujarat and the resultant rise in water level in its catchment area.

The Centre recently gave the nod for closing the gates.

The water level in the catchment area reached 121.90 metres today, nearing the danger mark set at 123 metres. The dam is likely to be filled to its capacity by August-end.

Yesterday, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti had urged 62-year-old Patkar to end the hunger strike while expressing concern over her health.

Patkar, in response, had urged the minister to support her in saving Narmada river. PTI MAS KRK KIS

--- ENDS ---
Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, August 7



The Bombay High Court on Monday struck down its earlier order imposing a height restriction of 20 feet for pyramids built by revellers during dahi handi celebrations.

Hearing the matter afresh on the orders of the Supreme Court, Justice Bhushan Gavai and Justice Makarand Karnik of the HC said matters pertaining to restricting the height of pyramids during dahi handi celebrations were best left to the legislature. If we enter into that arena we would be encroaching on the domain of the legislature, the court said.

Earlier, the Maharashtra government submitted before the court that it would bar the participation of children below the age of 14 in the celebrations. Additional solicitor-general Tushar Mehta who represented the state government said the ban on participation of children below 14 would be as per provisions of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act.

The court was hearing two public interest litigations over the safety of participants or Govindas who build pyramids to break a pot constructed at a height. In 2014, the HC had banned the participation of children below 18 in the pyramids. The height of the human pyramids was also restricted to 20 feet or four layers.

The HC, however, took into consideration the governments assurances given to the Supreme Court that safety measures to reduce the risk of accidents to the participants would be strictly implemented.
New Delhi, August 7

Pakistani-origin woman Qamar Mohsin Shaikh, who has been living in India for the past 35 years, is in awe of her rakhi brother Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She credits him for everything she is today.

Currently living in Ahmedabad, Shaikh travelled to Delhi on Monday to tie the thread of sibling bond on Modis wrist, the way she says she has been doing for the past 23 years.

I have been tying rakhi to Narendra bhai for the past 23 years. I am extremely excited to be able to do it this time too, Shaikh, who came to India from Pakistan after her marriage, told a news channel in Delhi.

What made this years Rakhi special for her was the fact that she had thought Modi would be too busy and she would not get to meet him.

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But to her surprise, Shaikh said she got a call two days back from Modi and I was very happy to know that and I started preparing for Raksha Bandhan with the Prime Minister.

She said Modi spent a few seconds with each visitor who had come to greet him and tie rakhi, but I was surprised and extremely happy that he spent more time with me.

I told him whatever I am today is because of him. He put his hand on my head to bless me. He asked me about my son Sufian and my husband Mohsin. I feel like the luckiest and happiest person in the world.

Shaikh said her first Raksha Bandhan with Modi was when he was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker.

When I first tied rakhi to Narendra bhai, he was a karyakarta but with his sheer hard work and vision, he has become the Prime Minister, she said.

This relationship is now 23 years old. I am proud to be a sister of Prime Minister Modi, Shaikh told Zee News.

She said she was apprehensive when she came from Pakistan and married an Indian. But life became easier when I got a brother like Narendra bhai. He has never made me feel that I dont have my brother around.

Asked what gift she wanted from Modi on Raksha Bandhan, Shaikh said: I just need his blessings. His blessings are what count the most. His blessings are with me and that is why I am here. I will always remember him. His hand is behind my every success.

She also shared how Modi would express the desire to see the paintings drawn by her husband and how he would also joke with his son who, she says, is a swimmer and calls the Prime Minister maama. IANS
Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, August 7

Employees of the civic-owned Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking on Monday called off their indefinite strike after Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray promised to ensure that their salaries will be paid on time.

Leaders of several unions met with Thackeray at his residence Matoshree to discuss their grievances.

Thackeray assured the striking employees that their salaries would be disbursed before the 10th of every month.

For the past several months, the financially troubled undertaking was paying salaries nearly a month late.

BEST employees were also demanding that the budgets of the BEST and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation be merged so that funds for the undertaking could directly be provided from the civic bodys coffers.

Thackeray assured the unions that a decision on this would be taken in a couple of months.

Following the decision to call off the strike, BEST buses began to pull out of depots and hit the roads.

Union leaders said it would be some hours before services would return to normal.

Earlier today, the indefinite strike left lakhs of Mumbaiites struggling to reach work on time.

Across the city, commuters spoke of auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers charging way above the metered fare during the morning peak hours.

App-based taxi providers Uber and Ola were also reported to be charging surge pricing.

Though it is a Raksha Bandhan holiday in many offices, trains are full today, Arjun Sawant, commuting from Borivli in the suburbs to downtown Churchgate, said.

BESTs 3700 buses ferry more than 30 lakh passengers in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai.

Most of the passengers take the iconic red buses to the railway station though students and senior citizens often make use of the long-distance services of the buses.

A ballot held by the co-ordination committee of several BEST employees union had 97 per cent of the staffers supporting the strike.

The state government had also asked owners of private buses and school buses to ferry commuters as an emergency measure.




Ahmedabad, August 7

Congress MLAs from Gujarat, who were camping in Bengaluru ahead of the Rajya Sabha poll, returned to the state on Monday morning and were taken to a resort in Anand district, party leaders said.

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Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel is in fray for the Rajya Sabha poll which will be held on Tuesday. Patel is also the political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

All our MLAs have returned and they have been taken to a resort in Anand, Congress party chief whip and senior leader Sailesh Parmar told reporters in Anand.

The MLAs were whisked away from the airport here and have been kept together at one Nijanand resort on the outskirts of Anand town.

All our MLAs have decided not to go to their home even on this day of Raksha Bandhan and be loyal soldiers of the Congress party. They will stay together and they will go to vote for the Rajya Sabha polls tomorrow (to Gandhinagar) from Anand, Parmar said.

Ahmed Patel and state Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki will come to Anand to meet them, he said, adding that they have not taken police security at the resort.

Election to three Rajya Sabha seats will be held Tuesday, in which Patel is pitched against BJP candidates, including party chief Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani and former Congress party chief whip Balwantsinh Rajput who recently joined the BJP.

A pitched battle is on between the two parties to win the Rajya Sabha election after senior Gujarat Congress leader Shankarsinh Vaghela quit the party.

In a jolt to the Congress, six of its MLAs quit the party on July 27 and July 28.

In the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, the strength of the Congress has gone down to 51 from 57.

Subsequently, the rattled Congress tucked away 44 of its MLAs to a Bengaluru resort to insulate them from alleged poaching attempts by the BJP. PTI
Sandeep Dikshit

Tribune News Service

Beijing, August 7

China has assumed an air of perplexity over the border standoff by claiming there should have been other reasons for the ingress by Indian troops in Doklam because it had twice notified the South Block about its intention to build a road, but received no response.

China claims it first notified India of its intention to build a road on March 18, a day after an Indian military delegation visited the 3rd Garrison Division of the Peoples Liberation Army on the outskirts of Beijing, as a goodwill gesture. It again told India a fortnight before PLA troops arrived with bulldozers, but did not get a reply from the Indian side, Senior Colonel of the PLA Ren Guo Qiang told a select group of Indian journalists here today. It is rare for the PLA to host Indian journalists at a time when it is confronting Indian troops.

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Senior Colonel Ren as well as his counterpart at the 3rd Garrison Division were firm in their demand that India must unilaterally pull out its troops while refusing to acknowledge that the site of the standoff was a disputed territory and hence required talks to sort out the issue.

The burden of the Chinese argument is that India should not have jumped into the fray when the party complaining about a developing security headache should be Bhutan. The Chinese officials dismissed the concerns raised by Bhutans Parliament and a statement by its Foreign Office as an outcome of arm-twisting by India.

Asked why China notified India about its intention to construct the road when it claims the matter is between Thimphu and Beijing, Senior Colonel Ren said this was done out of a gesture of goodwill.

They were also unwilling to accept that Indias security concerns could have dictated the standoff when both sides arrived at the same spot with bulldozers and armed soldiers. India is unwilling to let the Chinese build a road up to a ridge that overlooks, just like Kargil, a vulnerable corridor connecting the mainland of the country to its North-East.

The Chinese military officers emphasised the seriousness of the current standoff as compared to the earlier ones in Demchok and Chumar, both in the eastern sector of Ladakh.

In the earlier cases, cartographic confusion had led to the confrontation between the two armies. In this case, Tibets border with Sikkim, from where the Indian troops descended to confront the Chinese, was delineated by a 1890 treaty that had held for 127 years.

Dismissing Indias argument that it was trying to safeguard its own and Bhutans security, the Chinese want to ask why Indian troops crossed a boundary whose sanctity had been observed for over a century.

The officers also reiterated the earlier statements from the Chinese foreign and defence ministries that talked of its armys resolve to undo the territorial violation of its territory. But they dismissed the shrill pitch by their strategic experts and online sites and pointed out that it is the official statements that count.
New Delhi, August 7

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday recalled the crucial role played by noted author and journalist Khushwant Singh in defusing tension in Punjab after Operation Blue Star.

The Congress leader was in the national capital to release a book on the popular author titled Khushwant Singh: In Wisdom and in Jest.

The book is co-authored by Vijay Narain Shankar and Onkar Singh.

Amarinder recounted several interactions with Khushwant and said a general feeling of bitterness prevailed in Punjab post-Operation Blue Star in 1984.

A team was appointed to bring down tempers with Khushwant Singh being a prominent member of it, he said.

The Congress leader said the celebrated author believed in truth and wrote it, adding that his books would live in the hearts and minds of people.

In response to a question on Khushwants decision to support the imposition of Emergency and sterilisation programme by the then Indira Gandhi government, Amarinder said one could agree or disagree with the methods adopted at that time, but the fact is that population is a matter of serious concern.

The Punjab Chief Minister was joined by former Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee.  PTI
Washington, August 6

Cutting across party lines, various people in the US have called for combating racism, intolerance and violence during the fifth anniversary of the tragic Oak Creek massacre that killed six innocent Sikhs five years ago.

Paul Ryan, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, said: Over the last five years, the people of Oak Creek have proved theyre stronger than hate and division. Ryan represents the Congressional district in Wisconsin where a white supremacist went on a shooting rampage at a Sikh Gurdwara on August 5, 2012.

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Five years ago, Oak Creek was rocked by a heinous attack on the Sikh Temple, and today we look back on that act of violence with solemn remembrance of those who were lost, he said in a statement. The Sikh community is in our thoughts on this fifth anniversary of the Oak Creek attack, said Senator Ron Johnson.

Eminent Indian-American from Indiana Gurinder Singh Khalsa said the Oak Creek tragedy was a wakeup call for the Sikh community. The community needs to engage, educate and empower. Sikhs need to do more on the awareness front, said Khalsa, founder and head of the Sikhs Political Action Committee.

At a time when divisive rhetoric has taken over our country, Sikhs have to remain vigilant while still staying in steadfast to their beliefs and principles, said Baldev Singh from the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 7

Claiming that over 20 persons had lost their lives in the past year due to tantriks shady practices, Sikh organisation Ek Noor Khalsa Fauj today demanded that the state government should bring a law to ban superstitious acts.

During a press conference here, Harjinder Singh Bajeke, a representative of the organisation, said the Constitution envisaged that it was the fundamental duty of every citizen to develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry. He said unscientific activities such as black magic were against the spirit of the Constitution.

Bajeke said there were several incidents in the recent past in which children had been offered as human sacrifice on the pretext of ensuring the prosperity of the tantriks clients.

He said the cases of braid-chopping were linked to irrational behaviour, particularly of poor and uneducated people in rural areas.

Ek Noor Khalsa Fauj had approached Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and then Leader of the Opposition HS Phoolka in June and handed over a draft of the Punjab Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Bill, 2017.

BJP MLA Som Parkash had also demanded a ban on such superstitious activities and announced to table a Private Members Bill in the Assembly session in June. However, the Speaker allowed only a call-attention motion. There is rampant exploitation of the poor by these tantriks in Punjab. A law is the need of the hour. I will try to table the Bill in the next Assembly session, he said.

Three more braids cut

Muktsar: With three more incidents of braid-cutting reported on Monday, the total count of such incidents in Muktsar district has reached 14. A daughter-mother duo from Gidderbaha, 12-year-old Jashandeep Kaur and 32-year-old Jaswinder Kaur, alleged that their braids were chopped on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, respectively, at their residence. Similarly, 22-year-old Rajpal Kaur of Bhullar village alleged that her braid was cut in the washroom at 9.30 pm on Sunday night. The trio had seen some shadow that cut their braids, they claimed. TNS
IT will be remembered that the Times blamed the Government of India for its exodus to the Hills as this retreat led to the "gravest evils of the Indian system." The Mesopotamia Commission has even stronger condemnation for Hill-top Government and a Times' correspondent has subsequently pointed out that "it was Simla that plunged us into the crime of the first Afghan War" and again it was Simla that was responsible for the Karachi troop-train disaster. While asking for a Parliamentary enquiry into the abuses of Hill-top Government, the correspondent writes:-" The station (Simla) is so remote that the influence of what little public opinion there is in India is hardly felt by the Government during its long seclusion there." He points out that Simla is the regular "retreat of a host of avowed pleasure-seekers who go there on leave and, having no work to occupy them, pass their time in a long round of frivolity and gaiety in which the idle and the unemployed expect that those who are there 'on duty' shall be as much at leisure as themselves."
Seoul/Beijing, August 7

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart Donald Trump agreed to cooperate and apply maximum pressure on North Korea in a telephone call on Monday, as Chinese media warned of the limits of new UN sanctions.

The United Nations Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Saturday that could slash its $3 billion annual export revenue by a third.

The US-drafted resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood following Pyongyangs two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July.

It also prohibits countries from increasing the current numbers of North Korean labourers working abroad, bans new joint ventures with North Korea and any new investment in current joint ventures.

During the hour-long phone call, Moon and Trump said they would continue cooperating to rein in North Korea, particularly ahead of a regular joint military drill set for late in August, South Korean presidential office spokesman Park Su-hyun told a media briefing.

Moon was also cited as saying there was a need to show North Korea the door to dialogue is still open, should Pyongyang give up its nuclear programme.

In a separate statement, the White House said the two leaders affirmed that North Korea poses a grave and growing direct threat to the United States, South Korea, and Japan, as well as to most countries around the world.

The leaders committed to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well, the White House said.

In a Titter post, Trump said he was very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on the sanctions.

Manila meetings

North Korea has accused the United States and South Korea of escalating tensions by conducting military drills. North and South Korea are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The standoff has been in focus at a weekend regional security forum in Manila. The South Korea and North Korean foreign ministers ran into each other on Sunday evening at a waiting zone for a gala dinner, according to a South Korean foreign ministry official.

They had a brief exchange where South Koreas Kang Kyung-wha asked the North to swiftly respond to the Souths proposals to improve ties with North Korea, the official said.

North Koreas foreign minister Ri Yong Ho momentarily paused then said Seouls proposals lack sincerity when South Korea is imposing sanctions on the North with the United States, the official added.

Key to the new UN sanctions will be China, with which North Korea does the vast majority of its trade.

China has said it is committed to fully enforcing sanctions, but that sanctions are not a lasting solution.

In a front page commentary on Monday, the overseas edition of the ruling Communist Partys official Peoples Daily said North Koreas open flouting of UN rules with its missile launches meant that it had to be punished, but sanctions had to be targetted.

Sanctions to the greatest possible extent must avoid causing negative impacts to ordinary people and to third countries, and avoid bringing disaster to the country in questions normal and legal trade and business exchanges with the outside world, peoples normal lives and the humanitarian situation, it wrote.

A precision blow is the essential part of sanctions. China has also called for Washington and Seoul to help lower tensions by reining in their military activities and drills, and by withdrawing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system.

The influential Global Times, published by the Peoples Daily, said it an editorial that the United States needed to curb its moral arrogance over North Korea.

The West should be reminded to exercise restraint. If it believes it is only North Korea rather than the U.S. and South Korea as well to blame for the nuclear issue, this ill-fitting mindset will not help solve the crisis, the strongly nationalist publication said.

The US should aim for peace and co-existence rather than geopolitical dominance. Reuters
The BJP has been fishing in the troubled waters of Tamil Nadu. Part of its strategy has been a concerted attempt to woo the iconic film star.

By India Today Web Desk: The BJP Yuva Morcha's National president and MP Poonam Mahajan met Tamil superstar Rajinikanth at his residence in Chennai on Sunday, a meeting that sources in the party immediately clarified was "not political".

Mahajan is a Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Mumbai North Central constituency. "One of the most humble couples I have ever met... Lathaji and Thalaiva @superstarrajini ji," she tweeted on Sunday.

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Rumours about Thalaiva - as the 67-year-old star is known in Tamil Nadu - joining or launching his own party have been doing the rounds since late last year after Tamil Nadu's politics plunged into a major crisis following the death of J Jayalalithaa and the subsequent succession battle within the ruling AIADMK.

(Photo: ANI)

Since then, the BJP has been fishing in the troubled waters of Tamil Nadu, a major southern state where the party does not have a significant presence. Part of the BJP's strategy in its Mission Tamil Nadu has been a concerted attempt to woo the iconic film star.

Rajinikanth, on his part, has been denying any political ambitions.

"God decides what we have to do in life at every phase. Right now, he wants me to be an actor and I'm fulfilling my responsibility. If God willing, I will enter politics tomorrow. If I enter, I will be very truthful and will not entertain people who are in this to make money. I won't work with such people," he had said earlier this year.

ALSO READ | Subramanian Swamy calls Rajinikanth illiterate, says Thalaiva unfit for politics

ALSO WATCH | BJP MP Poonam Mahajan meets Superstar Rajinikanth in Chennai: Not political, says party

--- ENDS ---
Seoul, August 7

South Korean prosecutors today demanded the heir to the Samsung empire be jailed for 12 years over his role in a corruption scandal that brought down the countrys last President.

At the final hearing in the trial of Lee Jae-Yong, the vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics, prosecutors called him the ultimate beneficiary of crimes committed in the scandal, which culminated in the impeachment and dismissal of President Park Geun-Hye.

Lee and four other executives are accused of bribing Parks powerful confidante with millions of dollars to win presidential favours and ease a controversial 2015 merger deal. The defendants were closely tied to power and sought personal gains, the prosecutors said.They sought a 12-year sentence for Lee, and terms ranging from seven to 10 years for three of his co-accused.

Lee, 49, has effectively been at the helm of the vast Samsung group, the worlds biggest smartphone maker and a sprawling business empire, since his father suffered a heart attack in 2014.

Taking the stand for the first time in his defence last week, Lee claimed he had no role in decision-making at the wider Samsung group and mostly listened to other executives. His lawyers say the allegations were unjustified and the defendants never sought anything in return for the money that was donated. The verdicts are expected later this month.  AFP
Seoul/Manila, August 7

North Korea today responded robustly and in traditional fashion to fresh UN Security Council sanctions, saying the moves were unwarranted, and that it would not negotiate over nuclear arms and was ready to teach the US a severe lesson if it launched an attack.

This comes as South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart Donald Trump agreed to apply maximum pressure and sanctions on North Korea in a telephone call on Monday, while China hoped that North and South Korea would resume contact soon.

In a transcript of a statement by Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho, Pyongyang called new UN sanctions fabricated and warned there would be strong follow-up measures and acts of justice. It said the resolution showed the United Nations had abused its authority.

The UNSC unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Saturday aimed at pressuring Pyongyang to end its nuclear programme.

The US-drafted resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood following Pyongyangs two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July. It also prohibits countries from increasing the current numbers of North Korean labourers working abroad, bans new joint ventures with North Korea and any new investment in current joint ventures.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the support of China and Russia for the latest sanctions sent a strong message to North Korea about what was expected of it. When the conditions are right, then we can sit and have a dialogue around the future of North Korea so they feel secure and prosper economically, Tillerson told reporters at a regional security forum in Manila.

The best signal that North Korea can give us that they are prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches, said Tillerson, adding that other means of communications were open to Pyongyang.

North Korea said the UN sanctions infringed on its sovereignty, and vowed to take righteous action, according to the Norths official news agency. We will not put our self-defensive nuclear deterrent on the negotiating table and will never take a single step back from strengthening our nuclear might, it said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said North Koreas statement on the UN sanctions was expected given the Norths position. China will for sure implement that new resolution 100 per cent, fully and strictly, Wang told reporters.  Agencies

Trumps tough posers on Afghan mission

Manila: US President Donald Trump has asked his advisers "tough questions" about American strategy in Afghanistan and is not willing to continue on as before, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. The White House has launched a review of the US plan for Afghanistan after 16 years of war, and reports suggest Trump's national security team is divided on whether to send more troops or to pull out.

US response to Russian expulsion by Sept 1

The Trump administration has yet to decide how to respond to Russias move to expel US diplomats, but plans to deliver a response to Moscow by September 1, Tillerson said. He said he had asked clarifying questions about the Kremlins retaliation announced last month following new sanctions.
The lackluster stock market debuts of social media company Snap and Blue Apron, the meal-kit delivery service, have splashed a dose of cold water on an initial public offering season that appeared to be heating up.

The two companies share several similarities. Both are closely watched upstarts that showed genuine promise for disrupting in their respective industries and making a name for themselves in a new category of business. Both are beginning to face their serious response from potential rivals. Both companies had yet to report regular profits.

The result has become a cautionary tale in an otherwise red-hot stock market, a lesson for a host of technology and commercial darlings that have been lining up for their day on the public markets. Names like file-hosting service Dropbox, digital media player Roku and subscription fashion service Stichfix have all signaled their interest in going public, part of a wave of IPOs that may one day include the likes of Airbnb and Uber.

After Snap launched its IPO in March with an opening price of $17, it saw its shares closed at a low of $12.52 on Wednesday, the same day Facebook reported that users under the age of 25 spend an average of 32 minutes a day on its Instagram app, demonstrating its success with a demographic Snapchat heavily targets. Snapchat released similar data in February when it originally filed its IPO. Some analysts said Snap's shares could fall further when a so-called lockup period ends that currently bars insiders from selling.

Blue Apron initially priced its shares in June at around $10 a share; by Wednesday, the stock had closed at $6.25, off more than 30 percent from its original price (which itself was lower than the company had hoped). The meal-delivery service was a victim of unfortunate timing. It went public shortly after Amazon.com announced its purchase of Whole Foods, leading to speculation the online retailer might accelerate its own meal delivery plans. (Amazon chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos also owns The Washington Post.)

Snap and Blue Apron "are kind of 'me too' companies in a way," said Kathleen Smith, manager of IPO exchange traded funds at Renaissance Capital. "There's a lot of Blue Apron kinds of companies that have been funded. Your confidence gets shook when you see there's a lot of competition by others that do the same. Snap was a fairly unique company but ever since Snap has been public, its revenue growth was light, suggesting that Facebook was penetrating its market."

Snap and Blue Apron's struggles comes as the IPO market has been showing some life. In 2016, just 105 companies went public, the lowest number since the recession in 2009, according to Renaissance Capital, an IPO research and investment firm. So far this year, 86 companies have gone public, a 65 percent increase from a year ago. That's a healthy improvement, but hardly a pace likely to generate enough IPOs to top the annual tally in 2014 when 275 companies went public.

So what's prompted the renewed interest?

"It's a perfect storm," said Jared Carmel, a managing partner of Manhattan Venture Partners, an investment bank and fund manager that is focused on late-stage, pre-IPO technology companies.

The stock market has been trading at record highs at a time when many of the companies, built with investor cash, have become mature enough to make a move. In some cases, the early investors are eager to start reaping their rewards for helping get the young companies on their feet.

"The overall market is the driver that's causing companies to come off the sidelines," said Alan Jones, a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers International's Deals practice.

And the government is trying to help companies in it its own way.

On July 10, the SEC put in place a new rule allowing companies to confidentially submit registration documents related to IPOs in an attempt to ease their regulatory burden. The benefit only used to be offered to smaller companies; now others can take advantage, and many of them are.

Smith said the new rules can be a mixed bag for investors. The lack of information about a company can increase the risk of buying a particular share. But making it easier for good companies to go public can be a benefit for investors and the companies seeking to raise money.

"When investors make money that opens the way for other companies to go public," she said.

To be sure, Snap and Blue Apron have been more the exception than the rule this year. Many technology start-ups have had successful offerings, and new shares for the real estate brokerage Redfin soared on its debut late last month. And beyond the stock price, Jones said going public can be a major marketing and branding coup, validation that a company has arrived in the big leagues.

With Roku, Dropbox and StichFix all looking to go public by the end of the year, Carmel doesn't expect to see a pullback any time soon.

"We're going to see a lot more IPO activity through 2017 and the first half of 2018," he said. "I don't know where the second half of 2018 lies but in the meantime I think we'll see a lot more liquidity acts that people don't know are ready to go out."
A Kialegee Tribal Town attorney told Muscogee (Creek) officials that the Kialegees will resist any interference in their development of a piece of land for a restaurant and possible casino in Broken Arrow, according to a letter sent to the Creek attorney general.

Penny Coleman sent the letter Wednesday in response to a June 6 letter to landowner Bim Steve Bruner from Attorney General Kevin Dellinger warning of the legal repercussions of unlicensed gaming at the Red Creek site, south of the Creek Turnpike near 121st Street and 129th East Avenue.

Dellingers letter warned that the Muscogee (Creek) Nation had jurisdiction over the land and would intervene if it learned that gaming unlicensed by the tribe was occurring at the site, which will host the Embers Grille restaurant.

Given the Kialegee Tribal Towns professional and thorough approach to this project, it goes without saying that any (Creek Nation) interference with the Kialegee Tribal Towns development of the Bruner allotment will be resisted, Coleman wrote.

The letter outlines Bruners membership in the Kialegee Tribal Town and says federal law denotes that the tribal town shares jurisdiction over all lands within the former Creek Reservation, including Bruners allotment.

That  in addition to the tribal towns federally approved gaming ordinance, its gaming compact with Oklahoma, and a to-be-submitted historical analysis of the tribal towns place in the Creek Nation and pertinent treaties  proves that it has shared jurisdiction of the land and can provide gaming oversight, Coleman wrote.

Muscogee (Creek) officials didnt respond to requests for comment on Colemans letter by press time.

Dellinger wrote the initial letter shortly after Creek officials learned that Red Creek representatives had inquired about gaming machines and other casino-related equipment and advertised for Red Creek Casino jobs on Indeed.com.

On Tuesday, Red Creek officials posted 30 new openings on the website for jobs in Broken Arrow. The jobs include casino services manager, drop count specialist, casino supervisor and other food- and drink-related positions.

All job postings require the applicants to obtain a KTT gaming license, which Red Creek Holdings LCC principal Luis Figueredo said refers to the Kialegee Tribal Town.

Figueredo denied that the job postings indicate the groups imminent intent to open a casino at the site.

Part of the overall process of getting to that position (to open a casino) is having the right people in place, he said, reiterating that the group was seeking people with casino qualifications in case they decide to transition to gaming after they open Embers Grille.

Colemans letter came a day after the Broken Arrow City Council approved a resolution opposing illegal gaming at the site.

At the meeting, City Manager Michael Spurgeon said the resolution was a pre-emptive move to prepare city officials to contact Creek officials if they learn of gaming at the Red Creek facility.

When asked for comment, Figueredo said that if gaming were to occur at the site, it would be legal.

As far as the Kialegee Tribal Town is concerned, we are going to comply with federal law. We are complying with federal law, he said.
Affirmative action on college campuses was a hot topic last week when The New York Times reported the Trump administration planned to have the Department of Justice investigate race-conscious admissions policies.

The Times reported Tuesday it obtained a document showing the plan to redirect resources in the departments civil rights division toward investigating and suing universities over affirmative action admissions policies deemed to discriminate against white applicants.

Civil rights groups responded with outrage Wednesday, and Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores issued a statement calling the press reports inaccurate.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that universities can use race as one factor among many in evaluating an applicant.

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Update (6:36 p.m.): City streets in the area of 41st and 51st streets between Memorial Drive and Sheridan Road, and 41st Street between Yale Avenue and Sheridan Road, will remain closed overnight Sunday and into Monday after a tornado passed through the area.

The city announced the closure in a press release Sunday evening, adding motorists should avoid the area during the Monday morning commute.

City crews should have most streets cleared of downed trees and debris by 10 p.m., except for those affected by downed power lines and not under city control, the statement read.

An early-morning tornado injured at least 30 people and caused extensive damage in parts of Tulsa on Sunday.

The National Weather Service on Sunday confirmed an EF2 tornado  with winds of 111-135 mph  touched down in midtown Tulsa.

Most of those hurt had lacerations and other injuries, but most were treated and released, a hospital spokeswoman said.

No deaths were reported.

The area that received the most damage is 41st to 51st streets from Harvard to Mingo. The shopping corridor at 41st and Yale is closed currently. The city of Tulsa has closed 41st-51st streets between Memorial and Sheridan, and 41st from Yale to Sheridan.

Deputy Mayor Michael Junk, who is acting mayor while Mayor G.T. Bynum is out of state, said the emergency operations center was activated about 1:25 a.m.

Junk said the storm's severity apparently caught the National Weather Service off guard and no tornado sirens were activated.

Junk said he and other city leaders left the emergency operations center about 7 a.m. as the sun came up to survey damage.

"Most of the residential stuff is isolated to trees and roof damage," Junk said. "It's gets a little more intense around commercial properties around 41st and Yale and 41st to 51st on Sheridan."

Junk said he plans to meet with city staff in the next few hours to discuss a plan for tree removal and other needed response.

Thirty people were treated early Sunday for storm related injuries at the trauma emergency center at Saint Francis Hospital, said Lauren Landwerlin, executive director of corporate communications.

Of those, only three people remained hospitalized late Sunday morning, none of whom were in critical condition, she said.

Most patients were treated and released, she said.

"Our team did a great job triaging," she said.

A spokeswoman at St. John Medical Center would not say if or how many patients were treated there for storm-related injuries.

EMSA transported 13 patients with storm-related injuries to multiple Tulsa hospitals, a spokeswoman said. Eight came from a TGI Fridays near 41st and Yale, while four came from a nearby Whataburger.

Businesses and homes reported extensive damage and as many as 15,000 customers were without power in the Tulsa area due to downed power lines. The number had been reduced to about 3,400 customers as of about noon Sunday, according to AEP-PSO.

The National Weather Service in Tulsa sent a team to survey damage in the midtown area and to confirm if a tornado did touch down and its intensity, said meteorologist Brad McGavock. Results of the survey showing the tornado's path will be available either late Sunday or early Monday, he said.

Many homeowners near Whiteside Park, just six blocks west of Promenade Mall, slept through the storm, waking up Sunday morning to find their neighborhood in shambles.

Fallen trees are blocking roads and some landed on cars or rooftops, with downed power lines also making some streets impassable.

The neighborhood lost power before the tornado touched down, leaving a lot of people unaware of the storm warnings, said resident Rachel Anderson.

"A lot of people, like me, went back to sleep and thought everything was OK," she said. "But they're waking up this morning to realize that everything is not OK."

A neighbor's tree collapsed on top of Sam Yell's cars, an SUV and Honda Civic parked his driveway near Whiteside Park.

A storm alert popped up on his phone, but only after the damage had already been done, he said.

"The lights flickered and then the tree came down," he said. "The house seems to be OK."

Businesses on 41st Street between Yale and Sheridan reported substantial damage.

Promenade Mall, at the intersection of 41st and Yale, received structural and roof damage, though owner Mike Kohan doesn't believe there was much product loss.

The storm left the mall without power, meaning they will be closed for the last day of Okahoma's tax-free weekend. Kohan said the mall stands to lose thousands of dollars in sales.

We missed a lot of tornadoes, but this time, I guess, were not lucky enough, he said.

The mall will likely be closed until Tuesday.

The storm impacted the BOK Financial operations center near 41st Street and Sheridan, downing their online bank system, automated telephone service and mobile app, according to a statement they released Sunday.

Crews are working to restore the services. Most ATMs should still be operational, the statement read.

Store employees and volunteers evacuated thousands of animals  including many hundreds of fish alone  from a Petco near 41st Street and Yale Avenue, where roof damage was causing major flooding inside the building.

No animals were injured, however, and all will be taken to safety at other Petco locations, said manager Jenny Wells.

"It could have been a lot worse," she said.

Two bakers were inside Panera Bread when the storm hit, but escaped uninjured.

"One was in the restroom and one was sitting down to eat in the Cafe on his lunch break," said Erin Barnhart, community relations for Panera's Tulsa locations.

"The one in the bathroom said it sounded like an explosion  like something exploded."

Debris littered the resultant's floor.

The baking had been done for the night so employees took baked goods to the police officers and PSO workers.

The employees hung out in the cafe until firefighters came to get them.

"We were devastated, unfortunately," said Linda Waddle, the manager of Cartec automotive services near 41st Street and Interstate 44. The storm smashed the entire south side of the business, along with the adjacent Panera Bread restaurant.

No one was inside Cartec when the storm hit, Waddle said, but the damage left her shaken.

"It's amazing, really," she said. "A lot worse than I expected."

The storm also blew half the roof off a Whataburger in the area, in addition to some siding. A nearby Chipotle was also hit, and an overturned car with a busted windshield sat in its parking lot Sunday morning.

Remington Tower, an 18-story building located near 41st Street and Skelly Drive, was severely damaged by the store, and as of Sunday morning was without power and considered unstable, officials said.

According to the weather service, the storm dumped two to three inches of rain per hour in some places with a maximum of about five inches of rain in some.

McGavock said a severe thunderstorm warning was issued for all of Tulsa County at 1:08 a.m. and a tornado warning was issued for the eastern part of the county at 1:25 a.m.

Damage reports, however, began several minutes before the warning was issued, as the storm rapidly intensified as it crossed the metro area.

The weather conditions "made things REAL interesting in the Tulsa metro earlier tonight, in the form of at least one probably tornado," according to a 4:14 a.m. National Weather Service discussion.

Traffic lights are down at 41st Street and Yale Avenue and at 46th Street and Memorial Road.

Interstate 44 at 41st Street and Sheridan Road was closed Sunday morning because of debris but has since reopened.

i44 at 41st and Sheridan has re-opened as most of the debris has been removed 08/06/2017 338 hours gh  Okla. Highway Patrol (@OHPtraffic) August 6, 2017

Check back at tulsaworld.com for more information as information becomes available.
BROKEN ARROW  A special ceremony is planned to officially welcome to town the 2017 Purple Heart Truck Run.

The ceremony is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Broken Arrows Veterans Park, 1111 S. Main St., and is open to the public.

City and state leaders will attend the event, which is hosted by Chapter 589 of the Military Order of the Purple Heart.

The ceremony will also serve to recognize Broken Arrow as an official Purple Heart City.

Featured will be a mobility equipped, 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor truck, adapted to suit combat-wounded veterans who are paralyzed or have lost limbs.

As part of the Truck Run, the truck is crisscrossing the country driven by a disabled veteran, and is intended to raise awareness of the costs of war.

There are an estimated 1.8 million Purple Heart recipients who have transitioned back into civilian life, organizers said.
All the 44 Congress MLAs after reaching Ahmedabad have left for resort Nijanand in Anand. The MLAs will cast their votes in state Rajya Sabha elections tomorrow.

By India Today Web Desk: Gujarat Congress MLAs from Bengaluru landed in Ahmedabad early morning today. All of the 44 Congress MLAs, who were staying in a Bengaluru resort for the past few days, left for another resort, this time in Nijanand in Anand, after they reached Ahmedabad.

The Congress had taken the legislators to Bengaluru on July 29 over allegations that the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Gujarat state machinery was attempting to poach them ahead of the Rajya Sabha election, which will be held on Tuesday.

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Heavy security arrangements have been put in place for the MLAs. Ahmedabad police commissioner AK Singh, Ahmedabad Crime Branch Joint CP JK Bhatt, Ahmedabad Rang IGP RB Bhrambhatt, DG intelligence Shivanand Jha, with more than 95 security persons will escort the Congress MLAs.

More than 10 IPS officers and other security persons will also hold guard. Every MLA will get two police inspectors with arms for security. 52 police cars will be put to use for MLAs' security.

The MLAs were staying in the resort owned by Karnataka energy minister DK Shivakumar, whose properties were raided over the course of four days. Officials said they recovered around Rs 300 crore of undisclosed income.

The Congress had sent its 44 legislators here on July 29 to fend off what it alleged were "poaching" attempts by the BJP. The Opposition party had resorted to this step after six MLAs quit from the party within days of each other, three of whom joined the BJP. Thus reducing the Congress tally to 51 in the 182 seat Gujarat Assembly.

There was a rebellion within the party after former leader of opposition in the state Assembly Shankersinh Vaghela resigned from his post, on being told that he would not be party's chief ministerial candidate.

Congress had also alleged that the raids on Shivakumar's properties were organised by the BJP for hosting the MLAs.

Speaking about the raids and MLAs departure, Shivakumar today told news agency ANI,"Definitely they have to go and have their voting done. All of them are happy, numbers are good."

This Rajya Sabha election might prove to be the toughest challenge faced by Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Patel has been a Rajya Sabha member since 1993 and he is trying for his fifth re-election in the Upper House this year. Losing in his home state could hamper Congress' chances in the Assembly elections scheduled for December.

Contesting against him is BJP president Amit Shah who is contesting for a Rajya Sabha seat for the first time, Union minister and sitting Rajya Sabha MP Smriti Irani and former Congress MLA Balwantsinh Rajput, who had joined the saffron party a week ago.

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The MLAs will be staying at a resort near Ahmedabad reported news agency ANI.

Also read

Why Rajya Sabha election in Gujarat isn't just a personal battle between Ahmed Patel and Amit Shah

Who is Shankersinh Vaghela? A look at his illustrious political journey

Also WATCH: Congress cries foul after IT raids at Karnataka minister's properties

--- ENDS ---
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)  When Randy Gamel and his husband were looking for a retirement home, a six-bedroom fixer upper in the tiny western Oklahoma town of Hitchcock caught their eye.

They bought it in 2014, and Gamel moved to the quiet community from Fort Worth, Texas, to start upgrades. He set out to make himself a part of the agricultural community of a little more than 100 residents. He befriended neighbors, took an interest in town politics and soon became the town clerk.

But it wasn't long before Gamel began feuding with longtime locals over how the town should be run. Many town leaders and employees are related, and Gamel says he has a reputation for speaking up, vociferously, when he sees a problem. The local sheriff from the nearby county seat of Watonga was soon being called to the town routinely to settle disputes involving Gamel and other townsfolk.

Tension erupted in flames in May when a suspicious fire ripped through Gamel's home, burning the two-story structure to the ground.

Gamel, 59, suggests in a federal lawsuit filed this week in Oklahoma City that community leaders tried to force him out because he was gay and because he and his partner brought a black child into the nearly all-white town. Others, including a sheriff's official named in the lawsuit, say it was Gamel's behavior, not homophobia or racism, that led to problems. A criminal investigation into the fire is pending.

The civil rights lawsuit names Blaine County Sheriff Tony Almaguer, Undersheriff David Robertson and seven residents of Hitchcock, alleging that they conspired to drive him from his town office and denied him equal protection under the law. The lawsuit lays out allegations of death threats against Gamel and his son, physical assaults, an anti-gay sign posted in town and local law enforcement refusing to take any action. When the fire broke out, Gamel said firefighters from the volunteer force with whom he had feuded dragged their feet and that some townspeople sat in lawn chairs to watch it burn.

"I think once I became clerk, and they found out they had a queer clerk with a black kid running the city, it just drove them crazy and they couldn't take it. They tried everything to get me to quit. Once the house was burned ... I just couldn't put my son through any more of it," said Gamel, who now lives in El Paso, Texas.

Gamel acknowledges that before moving to Oklahoma, his criticism of staff and teachers at his son's Fort Worth elementary school became so heated that district officials prohibited him last year from visiting the school.

Phone messages left Friday for the fire chief, mayor and several defendants were not immediately returned. But Robertson, the undersheriff, strongly disputed Gamel's allegations. He said the feuds were real, but described Gamel as a "bully" who sought to impose his will on the town and was constantly alleging wrongdoing by town officers.

"I got to know him very well from all the complaints and allegations that he made, and I cannot find one person who made any racist statements against his child or against him for being a homosexual," Robertson said. "We don't take too kindly to being called racist and homophobic, because we're not."

Robertson said separate investigations into the fire are being conducted by his office, an insurance company and the state fire marshal's office, but that Gamel's story about the blaze is inconsistent with the evidence. Gamel claims he heard a window break and that the fire started in the garage, but Robertson said evidence suggests it started in the living quarters while Gamel was the only one in the home.

No charges have been filed in connection with the fire, and Gamel says any suggestion he is involved is outrageous.

"We lost everything from 27 years," said Gamel. "Everything that we had is gone."
Listen Up: Arizona Musical Instrument Museum to Feature UNC Faculty Exhibit

August 7, 2017

Above: Professor Don Finan attaches a custom-designed 3D printed ear to the museums mannequin.

An exhibit being developed by University of Northern Colorado faculty will take up permanent residence in the same museum that displays instruments from the likes of Elvis Presley and John Lennon.

UNC Audiology & Speech-Language Sciences professors Don Finan and Deanna Meinke are collaborating on the project for the Musical Instrument Museum, which boasts a collection of 6,500 instruments including those from a host of legendary artists including the King and the famous Beatle.

The interactive, stand-alone exhibit on the properties of sound will feature an instrumented mannequin, known as Jolene.

A custom designed and built Jolene will be the heart of the exhibit, allowing museum patrons to measure the sound level at which they typically listen to music, Finan said. The sound level (in decibels) will be displayed on a large computer monitor along with a dynamic display of associated safe listening time per day based on that specific sound level.

Finan said he and Meinke are working with museum personnel in addition to scientists and engineers from 3M to develop accompanying educational materials and displays based upon the Dangerous Decibels program (www.dangerousdecibels.org). Our goal is to teach the science of sound and equip the museum patrons with the knowledge to safeguard their hearing for a lifetime of music enjoyment, said Meinke. In addition, Finan and Meinke have developed a new custom 3D-printed ear that will be used with Jolene.

The two will travel to the Phoenix museum Aug. 10 for the installation.

Since 2007, these UNC faculty and their students have been building mannequins equipped with sound-level meters and realistic silicone ears to measure the sound produced by personal music players. They have taken the mannequins to classrooms and health fairs to raise awareness and promote prevention of noise-induced hearing loss. The mannequins have also been produced for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Health System (NHS) in London, UK.

About MIM

The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) enriches the world by collecting, preserving, and making accessible an astonishing variety of musical instruments and performance videos from every country in the world. MIM offers guests a welcoming and fun experience, incomparable interactive technology, dynamic programming, and exceptional musical performances. MIM fosters appreciation of the worlds diverse cultures by showing how we innovate, adapt, and learn from each other to create musicthe language of the soul. Find MIM at MIM.org
Sitaram Yechury could easily have become the first CPM member to enter the Rajya Sabha for third term. But, the party that Yechury heads did not allow him to file nomination for the Rajya Sabha polls with the backing of the Congress.

By Prabhash K Dutta: Elections for nine Rajya Sabha seats will be held tomorrow. Six of them are from West Bengal, which was once the strongest bastion of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

But, now, the CPM does not have enough numbers in the West Bengal Assembly to send its general secretary Sitaram Yechury to the Upper House of Parliament.

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However, not having requisite numbers in the West Bengal Assembly is not the only reason for losing its strongest voice in Parliament. The West Bengal state committee of the CPM is slated, over next two days, to discuss the issues that eventually scuttled Yechury's renomination to the Rajya Sabha.

FACTIONALISM VERSUS OPPOSITION UNITY

Ever since the Lok Sabha elections that propelled the BJP to numero uno position in the national politics thanks to a groundswell in favour of Narendra Modi, the Opposition parties have been striving to put up a united front against ruling NDA. But, all such attempts have failed till date.

The latest and possibly the biggest blow to Opposition agenda was delivered by JD-U president Nitish Kumar who switched sides to join hands with the BJP-led NDA last month.

The infighting in Opposition parties has further weakened their strength. The Samajwadi Party is only short of a formal split. The Congress is passing through a very rough phase as several regional lieutenants are openly questioning the central leadership.

The CPM-led Left Front was seen rock solid in its internal functioning as the party leaders took on the Narendra Modi government on almost every single issue right from Ghar Wapasi, demonetisation, surgical strike to mob lynching. And, in all this, Sitaram Yechury remained in the forefront. Yechury has been the strongest voice of the Left Front in and outside Parliament.

But, tussle between the West Bengal unit and Kerala unit of the CPM made sure that Yechury did not get renomination for the Rajya Sabha. This betrays CPM internal contradictions.

CPM CHECKMATES YECHURY

The CPM has eight members in the Rajya Sabha - three each from West Bengal and Kerala and one each from Tripura and Tamil Nadu. Of the three members, Yechury's tenure would end on August 18. This will reduce CPM's representation in the Upper House to seven.

While West Bengal legislators will be choosing six members of the Rajya Sabha tomorrow, the CPM members are likely to vote for Padip Bhattarcharya of the Congress. Sitaram Yechury's hope for a third term was crushed by the Kerala unit of the CPM.

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Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and former CPM general secretary Prakash Karat shot down the proposal to send Yechury to Rajya Sabha from West Bengal with Congress's support. Earlier, they had refused to nominate Yechury from Kerala.

The Kerala unit of the CPM, over which Prakash Karat has almost full control, cited Yechury's responsibility as the party general secretary for denying him the Rajya Sabha ticket. It also said that there was a general rule that no party leader was nominated to the Rajya Sabha for more than two terms. Yechury will be completing his second term in 10 days.

Pinarayi Vijayan is understood to have told the party politburo and the central committee - Kerala unit has majority in both the top decision making bodies of the CPM - that as general secretary Yechury is expected to travel across the country and do a lot of party related work. He suggested that doing justice with the party chief's position would not be possible for Yechury if he went to the Rajya Sabha.

Vijayan is also learnt to have rejected the suggestion that Yechury's presence in the Rajya Sabha gives the Opposition a strong voice against the policies of the government. Vijayan apparently rebuffed the argument saying CPM did not have numbers of its own and taking support of the Congress would be against party's stand.

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IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN EASY WIN FOR YECHURY

Interestingly, the Congress was ready to support Yechury's candidature from West Bengal. In fact, the party had not announced its candidate till the very last moment.

For a candidate to get elected to the Rajya Sabha from the West Bengal Assembly, s/he needs to get 43 votes. Given the present strength of the parties in the West Bengal Assembly, the Trinamool Congress can easily send five members as it has 211 MLAs and support of a few dissidents in other parties.

The CPM-led Left Front has 32 MLAs in the Assembly. Yechury could have been elected to the Rajya Sabha with the support of the Congress which has 44 MLAs - including five legislators who switched sides to the TMC. One Left MLA also crossed over to the TMC. But they haven't resigned from their parent parties.

While the West Bengal unit of the CPM is lobbying with other state units to raise the Kerala faction's blocking of Yechury's nomination in the 22nd party congress in April next year, the Opposition in Parliament feels disheartened. Yechury has been a key Opposition strategist and instrumental in preparing floor strategy to corner the Narendra Modi government and build an alternative narrative in the media.

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--- ENDS ---
Varnika Kundu, a disc jockey and daughter of a senior IAS officer, who was allegedly harassed and stalked by Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala's son Vikas Barala and his friend, was alert and called the police immediately, leading to their arrest. What happens next will determine the fate of the case.

Women take out a protest march on the first anniversary of Nirbhaya gang-rape. Photo: Reuters.

By Kritika Banerjee: With evolving times, many are questioning society's need to protect women, especially on days like Raksha Bandhan, when they can very well do it themselves, like Chandigarh's Varnika Kundu.

Varnika Kundu, a disc jockey and daughter of a senior IAS officer, who was allegedly harassed and stalked by Haryana BJP president Subhash Barala's son Vikas Barala and his friend, was alert and called the police immediately, leading to their arrest.

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However, the accused, booked on bailable charges, were granted bail soon after. The Chandigarh police reportedly dropped three serious charges against Vikas Barala and his friend in the stalking case.

The police registered the FIR under IPC Sections 354 D (stalking) and Section 185 of the Motor Vehicle Act. They reportedly dropped Sections 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully confine person) and 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) from the FIR registered against Haryana BJP chief's son and his friend.

LOW CONVICTION RATE

Varnika Kundu's father said, "As a father of two daughters, I feel compelled to take this matter to its logical conclusion. The goons must be punished, and the law must take its course."

Yet, a look at recent figures show that nearly 11 lakh cases of crimes against women were pending for trial by the end of 2015.

According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures for 2015, 27,844 cases ended in conviction during the year--at a conviction rate of 21.7 per cent.

The NCRB figures for 2011-2015 show a spike in number of rape cases registered in 2013-2015. Against 24,206 cases of rape registered against women in 2011, the number went up to 36,735 in 2014 and 34,651 in 2015.

Cases of kidnapping and abduction of women have also correspondingly gone up, from 35,565 in 2011 to 59,277 in 2015. In 2015, 6,266 cases of stalking (under Section 354D of the IPC) were reported across the country.

The NCRB data notes that while chargesheets were submitted in all cases of custodial gang-rape, low chargesheet rate, 70.4 per cent, was seen in cases of kidnapping and abduction of women.

REFORMS IN PIPELINE

The NCRB figures are probably just the tip of the iceberg, considering many cases of crimes against women still go unreported.

According to The World's Women 2015, a study by United Nations, less than 40 per cent of the women who experience violence of any kind seek help, and of them only 10 per cent seek help from police.

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Women make up for less than 35 per cent of police personnel in countries that are trying to collect data on violence against women.

In the aftermath of the Nirbhaya rape case, the Justice Verma Committee report listed out a slew of reforms needed for managing cases of crimes against women.

These included police training on dealing with sexual offences appropriately and increasing number of female police personnel on patrol and at police stations so that "females feel comfortable in complaining of sexual harassment or threats of a sexual nature" to the police.

Lack of gender-sensitising measures and not having enough women police personnel on board to record cases of crimes against women are some of the issues that continue to vex the Indian system.

According to an IndiaSpend report of August 2016, women constitute 6.4 per cent of the police force across the country.

The police reforms are surely coming about, but many may argue that pace is not satisfactory. In such a scenario, it is a long way before India can claim to be safe for women.

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ALSO READ:

Was almost kidnapped on Chandigarh road: Girl stalked by Vikas Barala reveals midnight ordeal

Meet the men who came to rescue bleeding Nirbhaya on the fateful December night

Be harsh in cases of crime against women on social media: Prasad to IPS officers

ALSO WATCH: Chandigarh woman stalked by Haryana BJP chief's son narrates ordeal to India Today

--- ENDS ---
According to the faculty members of Ramjas College, the investigation is lacking substantial evidence, which is available with faculty members.

By Arpan Rai: Six months after clashes erupted in Delhi University's Ramjas College on February 21, not a single FIR has been filed by the college administration, which in turn has a significant impact on the investigation, claims the college faculty.

According to the faculty members of Ramjas College, the investigation is lacking substantial evidence, which is available with faculty members.

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"The incident took place in the vicinity of Ramjas College but multiple FIRs filed with Delhi police talk about incidents from law faculty or the vice-chancellor's office. Not a single version of the college authorities, where the clashes erupted, has been registered with Delhi Police," said Surender Singh, president of Ramjas College Staff Association.

PC Tulsian, acting principal, Ramjas College, refused to comment, calling the matter sub-judice, but mentioned that the college administration is willing to fully cooperate in the police investigation with every piece of evidence. Calling it a long pending demand of the staff council that witnessed destruction of college property of such magnitude for the first time, Singh added that faculty members have been continuously raising the demand to lodge a formal complaint by the college authorities with Delhi police.

"Our demand for filing an FIR was discussed in an emergency meeting called on February 25. It is important to document the damage Ramjas as an institution had to suffer," he said, adding that the due demand will be raked up again in the upcoming staff council meeting.

Delhi Police confirmed receiving 45 complaints in the ongoing investigation, out of which eight were from ABVP supporters and 37 from AISA supporters, but not a single FIR from the Ramjas College administration. The Ramjas College Staff Association has listed the demand of a formal complaint to report destruction of public property and violence on the college campus, which shook the university's academic atmosphere for over a week, as a unanimous resolution in the staff council meetings.

"The epicentre of controversy, that is, Ramjas College, is replete with evidence significant to police investigation, but it has not been taken into consideration so far," said another professor requesting anonymity.

ALSO READ:

Ramjas violence: Campus politics turning colleges into battlegrounds, hurting academic freedom?

Ramjas College violence: Students, teachers plan counter-rallies to ABVP's Tiranga March

WATCH: ABVP takes out Tiranga March in Delhi University

--- ENDS ---
Published: August 07, 2017

Senior's Research Aims to Keep Frogs from Croaking

Theres nothing quite like walking through a river at night in the Panamanian rainforest listening for frog calls. Ask Nichole Laggan 18 and her professor and research partner, Taegan McMahon, assistant professor of biology; last summer they spent several weeks in Gamboa, Panama, intensively researching frog decline and nematodes, an alternative host of a fungus that is contributing to the extinction of frogs.



McMahon and Laggan study a contagious (to frogs) pathogen in the jungle. Try keeping frog catching in a sterile environment  wearing a raincoat and gloves, holding all of the equipment out of the water, taking measurements and swabbing samples.



We wear protective gear, which is extremely hot but important, and we always walk with large snake sticks to make sure the path is clear in front of us. We walk along clear, open trails, not through brush, explained McMahon. The frogs come to the edge of the trails and rivers and call for mates. They breed often in these rainwater pools that collect in the trails. The rain creates huge mud troughs that we walk through. We also walk down the center of the rivers listening for frog calls.



This summer, Laggan is down in Panama again, this time performing the research on her own as the recipient of the Biology Department Summer Fellowship. Working in Gamboa, she is collaborating with graduate student Leah Joyce 15, and researchers Ximena Bernal and Roberto Ibanez at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI).



Theres a chytrid fungus called Bd for short, or Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. It impacts frogs globally and has had major impacts on populations in a super negative way, Laggan said. Frogs are definitely becoming extinct, they are dying off and the fungus is a really big player in that.



Amphibians have semi-permeable skin. The spores can burrow into the skin and infect the epithelial layers, causing the frogs to have a very severe reaction that ultimately results in death, Laggan said.



In other hosts of the fungus, infection may not result in death, but if its another host that the fungus can live on in an environment, then it just means more fungus in the environment, and more opportunities to infect amphibians, Laggan said.



Laggans research focuses on these non-amphibian hosts. In Panama, she is collecting small, flying insects in an eight-week experiment.



This is a really new and exciting line of research for this particular field, McMahon said. Most people dont work with other hosts or alternative hosts to the fungus.



When Laggan came to UT, she wanted to study marine science. She didnt anticipate working on a research project with frogs facing extinction.



It was a way for me to study the ocean without it being freezing cold, said Laggan of Woolwich, ME. I thought that marine science was the route I wanted to take, especially being in Florida, but frogs down here are more of a tropical study too, which is also really interesting to me. Plus, were talking about frogs that are going extinct, which is something that struck me as really important, a big deal, and Id be honored to study.



Laggan, now a senior, had Taegan McMahon as her professor in the first biology course she ever took at UT. After McMahon talked about her research in class, Laggan was so excited that she emailed her teacher immediately.



I asked if I could do some shadowing with her in the lab and with her other research students, Laggan said, which McMahon welcomed. I came in  met her lab and worked with some frogs. I emailed her back, hoping shed want me to come back again. And shes been stuck with me ever since.



In addition, Laggan, McMahon, Megan Hill 18 and Caitlin Nordheim 19, are presenting their research on the fungus at the Ecological Society of Americas (ESA) 2017 research conference in Portland, OR, this week, Aug. 6-11. The trip was funded with the help of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry and the Evan Chipouras Fund.



Laggans research is a good example of the types of undergraduate research the University has made a priority. As part of UTs Quality Enhancement Plan, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry works to advance the implementation and utilization of undergraduate research, experiential education and creative/artistic inquiry.



Laggan, a genetics and biology laboratory mentor, wants to pursue graduate work and now, because of her experience with McMahon, is considering teaching in higher education.



I hadnt thought of myself as a professor before, but the opportunities you get in an environment like this  being able to work with people, inspire students and also be able to conduct all of your research  is how I want to further my career in science, she said. Also, the way the biology department feels for me, which is like home at this point. I want other people to feel that way and share this experience.





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UW, State Department of Corrections Receive National Award

Wyoming Pathways from Prison (WPfP), a collaborative program involving University of Wyoming faculty, staff, and students and the Wyoming Department of Corrections that provides educational opportunities to incarcerated persons, has received national attention.

Betty Abbott, Wyoming Department of Corrections education programs manager, recently accepted the Austin MacCormick Award, an honor that recognizes best practices in correctional education that can be replicated nationwide. UW Gender and Womens Studies Program Associate Professor Susan Dewey co-presented with Abbott on their ongoing work, where the award was presented at the annual Correctional Education Association Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

Dewey says their presentation was received with much interest and fanfare.

I am so proud that this collaboration between the Wyoming Department of Corrections has been nationally recognized for its innovative spirit and hard work in developing WPfP. We are now a model for university-corrections partnerships nationwide, Dewey says.

WPfP, co-coordinated by Dewey, Katy Brock, Rhett Epler and Alec Muthig, and in consultation with Abbott and other Wyoming Department of Corrections staff, is a transdisciplinary and transprofessional statewide program that promotes higher education and helps develop life skills for currently and formerly incarcerated persons in the state.

Since summer 2016, WPfP has consistently offered high-quality college courses at no cost to incarcerated women and men, and will continue to grow, Dewey says. Wyoming Pathways from Prison maintains a strong partnership with the Wyoming Department of Corrections.

Dewey is a public anthropologist whose research focuses on the intersections between violence and the feminization of poverty in womens criminal justice system involvement.

The program stemmed from a research project that was developed in 2014 through August 2015. Leading the project were UW Gender and Womens Studies Program Professors Dewey and Cathy Connolly, former UW Professor Bonnie Zare and Rhett Epler, UW marketing graduate student.

Team members conducted in-depth, semistructured interviews with 71 women currently and formerly incarcerated in Wyoming. Their work indicated great potential for success in providing increased educational opportunities to incarcerated women, Dewey says.

UW provides a regular rotation of faculty, staff and supervised students to teach at multiple state correctional facilities through in-person and remote instruction conducted via technology.

WPfP has had a successful peer tutoring initiative, Dewey says. The foundation of the peer tutoring program is to provide educational mentorship within the incarcerated population, while assisting to increase their individual literacy skills, family literacy skills, communication skills and relationship skills, which will transfer to higher academic achievement, employability and social confidence. The peer tutoring program was led by Brock, a UW doctoral student whose work focuses on providing educational opportunities for underserved and diverse populations. To date, 29 women in the Wyoming Womens Center (WWC), in Lusk, have been trained as peer tutors.

In the spring of 2017, Brock also taught a successful course at WWC, titled Women in Society. The course was designed to explore the social and familial roles of American women, and how those roles have evolved over time.

This fall, Brock will lead WPfPs first for-credit class at the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution in Torrington. The class, Survival: What Lies Within, is designed to help students understand that, while surviving physically in the wilderness or unforeseen circumstances is a fantastic feat, surviving life emotionally and mentally in everyday life is equally as impressive, Brock says.

The program co-coordinator, Muthig, a UW Information Technology training program manager, is assisting with expanding remote teaching technologies into Wyoming correctional facilities and developing infrastructure to foster continued growth of the program.

He collaborated with members of UWs Department of Philosophy this summer to co-teach a successful stoicism program to 33 incarcerated men at the Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp and Wyoming Boot Camp facilities.

Since the inception of the program, WPfP has offered six college credit courses, with all courses having many more applicants than can be accommodated. Since the summer of 2016, 172 college credits have been earned by women living in the Wyoming Womens Center, Brock says.

Dewey and Epler also helped organize the 2016 National Conference on Higher Education in Prison held in Nashville, Tenn.

For more information about WPfP, visit the website at www.uwyo.edu/wpfp/ or email Dewey at sdewey3@uwyo.edu.
UWs Jenkins Leads Gannett Peak Student Excursion

Students in a course led by UW writer-in-residence and adventurer Mark Jenkins practice climbing techniques at a couloir near Medicine Bow Peak earlier this year. The group has begun a weeklong capstone excursion to the top of Gannett Peak, Wyomings tallest mountain. (Mark Jenkins Photo)

Since joining the University of Wyoming as a writer-in-residence in 2008, Mark Jenkins has brought the world to Wyoming by lecturing around the state about his expeditions to off-the-beaten-path locations in Nepal, Cambodia, Congo, Burma, Vietnam and Central Asia.

This week, Jenkins takes a group of UW students to Wyomings highest point, remote Gannett Peak, for their own firsthand adventure.

As part of a five-credit summer course instructed by Jenkins, the seven students are taking part in a weeklong excursion to the top of the 13,809-foot mountain in the Wind River Range. They began the 25-mile hike to the base of Gannett Peak Sunday, planning to walk about 10 miles, and theyre scheduled to cover about the same distance today.

If all goes as planned -- and thats no guarantee, considering forecasts for snow on the peak this week -- the group expects to reach the summit Wednesday or Thursday.

When the university asked me to teach a class, I said I could do it -- but not in a classroom, says Jenkins, a renowned mountaineer, UW graduate and field staff writer for National Geographic. As a field person, I took a look and decided to teach something thats not taught at anywhere else, because theres no place like this in all of the United States.

Because of its distance from a trailhead, Gannett Peak is the most remote of all of the 50 states high points -- even more than Alaskas Denali, the tallest U.S. peak at 20,310 feet above sea level. In addition to the lengthy hike carrying 50-pound packs on the Glacier Trail that begins near Trail Lake above Dubois, the group must traverse the Gannett and Gooseneck glaciers and employ ice axes, crampons and other gear to reach the summit.

The students are:

-- Elizabeth Bentley, psychology and sociology major from Laramie.

-- Jenny Berchenbriter, psychology major from Casper.

-- Andrew Flaim, geology major from Cheyenne.

-- Austin Jensen, geography major from Tie Siding.

-- Jordan Jensen, graduate student in anthropology and environment/natural resources from Canton, S.D.

-- Marshall McFarland, finance major from Laramie.

-- Cedar Wiseman, mathematics major from Cheyenne.

In addition to Jenkins, the group will be accompanied by guide Bridget Belliveau of Beartooth Mountain Guides in Red Lodge, Mont. But, the students will pack and cook their own food, and haul their own camping and climbing gear.

The goal of the course is for students to develop the skills, knowledge and competency to camp and travel safely and swiftly in snowy, mountainous terrain, entirely self-supported.

This is a good team, a vetted team, says Jenkins, noting that some students who originally signed up for the course were unable to complete it. This group understands the reality of mountaineering and is ready for it.

The course began in April, with six days of intensive training -- including cartography, alpine ecology, glaciology and geomorphology. Other classroom instruction topics included the history of the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Wilderness Act, the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act.

The group practiced climbing and orienteering techniques at Vedauwoo and in the Snowy Range, and some members have done some climbing on their own on Colorados 14,000-plus-foot peaks this summer.

For the past 10 weeks, with oversight from Associate Professor Derek Smith in the Division of Kinesiology and Health, the students have taken part in rigorous individual physical training. That has included running stairs and hills carrying packs.

During the excursion, the students are keeping journals -- because of the remote location, of course, theres no way to provide online or digital updates of their progress. After they return, theyre required to each give a 10-minute presentation that describes what they got out of the course.

Those who complete it successfully will receive three credits from the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR 4890/5890: Gannett Expedition) and two credits from the Division of Kinesiology and Health (KIN 4074/5587: Independent Fitness Training). The UW Outdoor Program also has contributed to the effort.

Jenkins -- who has climbed Mount Everest, Denali and many other of the worlds tallest peaks -- says there is something special about taking a group of UW students to one of Wyomings natural wonders.

This is something in my own state thats special, and these are students from Wyoming who are prepared, Jenkins says. We can do it together, even though it looks like the weather will make things real challenging.
Buzz has it that Salman Khan has given his nod to Race 3.

By India Today Web Desk: Salman Khan is on a roll. From Dabangg 3 to Dancing Dad to Tiger Zinda Hai, Bollywood's Bajrangi Bhaijaan has a number of films in his kitty. And if latest reports are to be believed, Salman has been approached for the third instalment of the popular franchise Race.

According to a report in DNA, the 52-year-old actor has given his nod to Race 3. Producer Ramesh Taurani was keen to cast Salman in Race 3, and after chasing him for almost four years, Taurani finally made Salman agree to come on board. However, the actor has one condition. He wants Remo D'Souza to direct him.

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And Remo, who was earlier set to direct Salman in Dancing Dad, has put his film on the backburner, and wil work with him on Race 3 now.

This is for the first time that Remo and Salman will work together as director and actor. The film is set to go on floors some time next year.

Apart from this, Salman is currently busy wrapping up Tiger Zinda Hai with Katrina Kaif. The film is set to hit the screens this Christmas.

ALSO READ: Is Salman Khan no longer doing Remo D'Souza's dance film with Jacqueline Fernandez?

ALSO READ: Salman Khan confirms working with Jacqueline Fernandez in Remo D'Souza's next

ALSO WATCH: A look at Salman Khan's controversial life

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By Vidya : Cross-examination of Indrani Mukerjea's driver Shyamwar Rai continued for the second day on Monday.

Although Rai complained of being unwell, judge JC Jagdale was of the opinion that questioning can continue for a while. Rai was questioned about how and when he disposed off the arms that Indrani had allegedly handed to him.

Rai told the court that he had walked from his house in Vakola to Carter road in Bandra West to dispose off the cartridges and gun. Not able to recollect the route he took, Rai said that he walked for approximately. He had planned to throw the arms in the mangroves at Carter Road but got scared when he spotted the police.

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Rai could not even remember if the gun was loaded or not and what was it wrapped in.

Indrani's lawyer Pasbola asked Rai if he had ever asked Indrani for any money which she refused to give him. Rai said no but Pasbola pointed out the Rai's statement recorded by Khar police station had mentioned this. The document was to be put across to Rai to recognise it.

However the court assistants could not find it after which judge Jagdale had to order the investigating officers of both the CBI and Khar police station to produce it before the court. The defense advocates had a copy of the document but a xerox cannot be used as an evidence.

Just last week the court records also did not have a letter written by Rai to the magistrate court when he had wanted to make disclosures in the court. Now Rai's cross examination will continue of August 11.Also Read

Indrani Mukerjea to be shifted out of Mumbai's Byculla jail where she was beaten up

Indrani Mukerjea booked for rioting in Byculla jail. What happened inside women's prison

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The public is invited to a four-day celebration marking the official grand opening of Magical Memories Featuring Disney Fine Art at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace August 10 -13. More than a traditional gallery, Magical Memories is an interactive experience of images and sounds.

For its multi-day grand opening, the flagship visual art venue presents a public celebration featuring a salute to the 25th anniversary of the original animated film Beauty and the Beast. Fans of all ages are invited to meet original voice cast members including Paige OHara (voice of Belle), Robby Benson (voice of the Beast), Richard White (voice of Gaston), director Gary Trousdale, background artist James Coleman, and Mark Henn, animator of Belle, who will be appearing throughout the weekend at multiple events.

The celebration begins Thursday, Aug. 10 with a free animation class from 12 p.m.  2 p.m., followed by a Grand Opening party with the cast and crew from Beauty and the Beast from 6  8 p.m., benefiting Make A Wish and including a wish reveal.

On Friday, August 10, learn to draw with Disney Fine Artists from 11 a.m.  2 p.m. In the evening, from 6  8 p.m., another opening party with the Beauty and the Beast cast and crew benefiting Candlelighters will be held.

Additional grand opening events include; artist meet and greets, opportunities to see artists Dave Bossert, James Coleman,Tennessee Loveless, James C. Mulligan, Tim Rogerson, John Ramirez, Michelle St. Laurent and Paige OHara at work creating art in the gallery, a Q & A with the creative team of Beauty and the Beast, book and art signings, raffles to win a piece of Disney Fine Art, ribbon and cake cutting ceremony and plenty of photo opportunities.

Bringing the beloved stories and characters to life for families and fans of all ages through innovative art products and experiences, Magical Memories featuring Disney Fine Art is the premier dealer of a diverse portfolio of limited edition giclees, serigraphs, mixed media prints and original paintings inspired by the rich artistic heritage of Disney.

This leading gallery also features a wide selection of new and vintage animation-related collectibles and publications spanning the portfolio of all Disney and other animation studios.

Located on the Terrace Level of The Forum Shops near the top of the iconic spiral escalator and near the top of the Neptune escalator, Magical Memories featuring Disney Fine Art, is now open.


House of Blues Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino together with Carlos Santana announce the extension of Santanas residency, An Intimate Evening with Santana: Greatest Hits Live, into 2018. Tickets for the newly announced performances will go on sale Friday, Aug. 11 at 10 a.m. (Photo credit: Erik Kabik / www.ErikKabik.com)

For 40 years and as many albums later, Santana has sold more than 100 million records and reached more than 100 million fans at concerts worldwide. To date, Santana has won ten GRAMMY Awards and three Latin GRAMMY Awards. He won a record-tying nine GRAMMYs for a single project for 1999s Supernatural (including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for Smooth) as well as three Latin GRAMMYs. He has also received the Billboard Century Award (1996), was ushered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1998), received the Billboard Latin Music Awards Lifetime Achievement honor (2009), and was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors Award (2013).

Among many other honors, Carlos Santana has been cited by Rolling Stone as #15 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. And, with the 2014 release of Corazon, Santana surpassed the Rolling Stones and is one of only two music acts in Billboard history to score at least one Top Ten album for six consecutive decades from the 1960s on. April 15, 2016 marked the release date of Santana IV, the wildly anticipated studio album that reunited the revered early 70s lineup of Santana. Santana IV debuted at No. 5 on Billboards Top 200 Chart and marks Santanas fourteenth Top 10 album.

In the fall of 2014, Carlos Santana released his memoir The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light. In 2017, Carlos Santana and Cindy Blackman Santana joined forces with The Isley Brothers (Ronald and Ernie) to release Power of Peace, an album celebrating the timeless sounds of funk, soul, blues, rock, jazz, and pop. Santana is currently headlining a multi-year residency at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

House of Blues Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay has been home to Santanas live concert since 2012. Fans have partied all night within a few feet of the musical icon with the La Zona Fiesta tickets. The popular VIP packages will again be available for purchase with customizable experiences that include limited edition photos and specialty dining/beverage packages featuring stage-side dining.

A portion of all tickets sold will be donated to The Milagro Foundation. Milagro (Miracle) is a charitable foundation supporting underrepresented and vulnerable children and youth in the areas of arts, education and health. The Milagro Foundation was created in 1998 by Carlos Santana and his family to benefit children worldwide.

Another contribution will be made to the House of Blues Music Forward Foundation. Founded in 1993, Music Forward Foundation accelerates real-life skills for youth using music as the bridge to success. By channeling the power of music, we help kids create pathways to productive, sustainable, and fulfilling lives. Through music industry mentorships and access to music education, we are removing the barriers between need and success. Learn more at www.hobmusicforward.org
Figures show bilateral trade values between Viet Nam and ASEAN the in 2006-17 period.-Source: ASEAN Secretariat General Statistics Office of Viet Nam

Economically, ASEAN has moved from a less developed region to a much more prosperous and dynamic region and become a global trade and investment hub. This is reflected in the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) at the end of 2015 as one of three key pillars of the grouping.

The AEC is an initiative to transform ASEAN into a single market and production base, allowing free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labour, and a freer flow of capital. It will help promote member nations presence in the global production and value chain, and allow them to enjoy more benefits from regional trade and investment.

In general, the implementation of commitments to build the AEC has brought about many benefits to the Vietnamese economy.

Opportunities

The creation of a single market of 630 million consumers - half of them under 30, presents a huge economic opportunity. ASEAN General Secretary Le Luong Minh said that the group has a combined gross domestic product of nearly US$2.6 trillion, which makes it the sixth largest economy in the world and the third in Asia, only after China and India.

Since Viet Nam signed the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA), ASEAN has become Viet Nams second trading partner, with an average growth rate of 14.5 per cent over the past decade. Two-way trade between Viet Nam and ASEAN has grown from about US$19 billion in 2006 to $41.36 billion in 2016.

As a result, ASEAN is Viet Nams third largest market and also the third largest supplier of goods and raw materials for production of Vietnamese businesses.

ASEAN is also an important source of FDI in Viet Nam with total registered capital rising by 116 per cent in the 2006-2016 period to $64 billion, accounting for 18 per cent of total FDI inflow. ASEAN is also the bridge for many investments from multinational companies located in the region.

Still, the opportunity brought by the AEC is not just the ability to access ASEAN markets, but also the markets outside the grouping, like China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand, through separate free trade agreements (FTAs) between ASEAN and each of these partners. The market will be much larger and more attractive when the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), under negotiation now, is established in near future. Trade and investment flows between ASEAN and EU and the United States are also crucial for both sides.

The removal of tariffs and non-tariff barriers under the free trade agreements will enable businesses to cut cost of imports, lower production costs, increase competitiveness, and boost exports.

In addition, with the advent of the AEC, the grouping, including Viet Nam, has become an attractive destination for foreign direct investment. Vietnamese businesses with large financial capacities also have a chance to expand their investment to other ASEAN member states. Over the past few years, Viet Nam has witnessed large national corporations venturing abroad, like Viettel, Vinamilk, BIDV and FPT.

Challenges

However, it should be noted that the establishment of the AEC at the end of 2015 does not mark an end to the ASEAN integration process. ASEANs AEC Blueprint 2025 sets out broad, extensive economic directions and strategic measures to be taken over the next decade, with a focus on economic integration. It wont be an easy task. Deeper and wider integration into the AEC in the coming period means more challenges for Viet Nam. It means more work needs to be done.

Challenges first come from the awareness of Vietnamese business communities. In a recent conference on the AEC and opportunities for Vietnamese businesses, a representative of Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) said that some surveys showed that only about 16 per cent of enterprises actually understood the AEC.

Businesses can only take advantage of the AEC when they actually join the ASEAN market and become real players, according to the representative. Businesses are not just beneficiaries but also participants who set the rules and take the initiative to play a greater role in shaping ASEAN and the AEC for their own benefit.

More importantly, Vietnamese firms may lose their competitiveness against rivals in the bloc in terms of product quality and market size due to the economy being based on cheap labour, exploitation of natural resources and low technology.

A single market and production base means that other ASEAN companies also have the same opportunities to access the huge market, not to mention the fact that ASEAN countries have comparative advantages similar to those of Viet Nam, leading to similarities in the export structure of many ASEAN members.

Therefore, without investment in human resources and innovation to produce high-quality products and services, Vietnamese firms will lag behind in competition with regional rivals in not only the domestic market, but also in the markets of fellow ASEAN members.

In fact, only 25 per cent of Vietnamese exports to ASEAN market can get the important certificate of origin (C/O) under AFTA requirements, which leads to low utilisation of the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) regime. The percentage has increased from 8 per cent in 2007, but remains low. The CEPT is the mechanism by which tariffs on goods traded within the ASEAN region, which meet a 40 per cent of ASEAN content requirement, will be reduced to 0-5 per cent.

Looking forward

To adopt a positive perspective, the pressures mentioned will force the Vietnamese Government and businesses to change their mindsets and enhance their performance.

Vietnamese firms should shift from price competition to non-price competition, taking into serious account factors like quality, brand name and supporting services to produce more value-added complementary goods and differentiated goods.

They should increase awareness of international agreements and commitments as well as Governments policies so that they can make timely adjustments to production and business plans.

ASEAN commitments demand Viet Nam to improve its own market institutions in compliance with international economic integration, minimise adjustment costs, macroeconomic instability and social risks during integration process.

Integration is more than just eliminating all barriers. As it eventually seeks to enhance socio-economic development, the integration process should incorporate adjustment in a way that improves peoples participation.

ASEAN has proved its vital importance to Viet Nam and the AEC is a work-in-progress. Still, Viet Nam also has to confront several common issues in the region to further economic integration while addressing its own problems as a low middle-income economy. These problems have persisted for quite some time. In this regard, the successful integration experience over the past several years is just a start. The country has room for more meaningful integration.

Viet Nam is at a decisive point in time when it comes to transforming its development patterns and accelerating its transition to a market-oriented economy. Completing AEC tasks can be seen as a catalyst for needed reforms.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh talks VIRs Thanh Tung about the positive effects that ASEAN membership has had on Vietnam in these years, and vice versa.

What impacts has the ASEAN Community had on Vietnams expanding trade and in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI)?

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), which is one of the ASEAN Communitys three major pillars, is the realisation of the end goal of regional economic integration of the 10 ASEAN economies. It facilitates the free flow of goods, capital, services, investment, and skilled labour.

AEC has created a single market home to a population of over 600 million people, with a GDP of about $3 trillion. ASEAN is now the worlds seventh-largest market. In terms of investment, Vietnam has received strong investments from ASEAN member states. This was seen not only after ASEAN became a community, but also before the community was born, thanks to the blocs agreements on fostering trade and investment.

Regarding trade, since the community was established, the trade volume among ASEAN member states has soared. But this has not been the case for Vietnam, which has seen its trade with other ASEAN markets reduced by 7-8 per cent.

This reflects the fact that Vietnam has yet to pay much attention to trading with these markets, and we must seriously consider this issue.

Do you think the main reason is that made-in-Vietnam goods are less competitive than those produced in other ASEAN markets?

Yes, there are many reasons, including the competitiveness of Vietnams goods. We should pay more attention to these markets, which have great potential, and also to improving the quality of our goods.

At a more macro angle, what is your comment on the role and contributions of Vietnam to ASEANs co-operation and development since its accession in July 1995?

Over the past 22 years, as a member state of ASEAN, Vietnam has been making positive and responsible contributions to the blocs development.

First, Vietnam contributed to the expansion of ASEAN, from a five-member bloc to its current 10 members.

Second, Vietnam also contributed to the official formation of the ASEAN Community on December 31, 2015. Though this community was established by the efforts and contributions of all the member states, Vietnam has had positive initiatives for the community, such as the Hanoi Action Plan, which is the first in a series of plans of action building up to the realisation of the goals of ASEANs broad vision for the year 2020. This sees ASEAN as a concert of Southeast Asian nations, outward looking, living in peace, stability, and prosperity, bonded together in a partnership for dynamic development and in a community of caring societies.

We have built up and implemented many goals for the ASEAN Community. So far, Vietnam is one of the pioneers in realising the communitys goals, with 95 per cent of the lines of actions having been successfully fulfilled by Vietnam.

Third, in the countrys role as a co-ordinator of co-operation mechanisms between ASEAN and its partners, such as China, the EU, and India, Vietnam has helped connect and expand relationships between ASEAN and these partners.

Fourth, Vietnam has taken the initiative to broaden the membership of the East Asia Summit (EAS) by boosting the admission of Russia and the US. In 2010, when it acted as ASEAN chair, Vietnam organised the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+) for the first time.

These mechanisms are very important to connecting intra-ASEAN co-operation and co-operation between ASEAN and other nations. This has enhanced ASEANs position in the international arena.

Fifth, Vietnam twice acted as ASEAN chair in 1998 and 2010, helming many contributions and initiatives highly commended by its member states.

In addition, in response to ASEANs challenges, Vietnam has also made concrete contributions to the compilation of the Declaration on Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), in a bid to maintain peace and stability.

These are the important contributions of Vietnam as a responsible ASEAN member.

After 22 years of membership, Vietnam has taken its place as an indispensable member of the ASEAN Community, Photo: Le Toan

What are you expecting from the future of ASEAN, with Vietnams ongoing contributions?

ASEAN has built up its vision until 2025, under which ASEANs goal is to continue to further cement its intra-political links, economic connectivity, and the sharing of social responsibilities.

This means that ASEAN takes peoples benefit as a base for its development policies, and takes the law as firm groundwork for its activities. ASEAN has its own charter, which will continue to serve as a firm foundation for its future activities.

One of the most important things is that in the future, Vietnam will, together with other member states, further cement the blocs solidarity. This is vital to ASEANs existence. If solidarity is maintained, ASEANs central role will continue.

Over the past 50 years of co-operation and development, the biggest successes of ASEAN have been to create its own prestige and position in the international arena, despite differing development levels and political systems among its members.

What about challenges for Vietnam, and ASEAN as a whole?

As of July 20, 2017, Vietnam attracted 3,299 valid investment projects from ASEAN member states, registered at $65.35 billion and accounting for 21.34 per cent of the countrys total FDI, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Vietnam witnessed a $3.7 billion trade deficit with ASEAN in the years first seven months.

Over the past 50 years, ASEAN has been faced with numerous challenges. One of which is the different levels in economic development among the member states. Also, ASEAN is being faced with strategic competition from powerful countries. Besides, ASEAN has also had to cope with traditional challenges, and non-traditional challenges like terrorism.

Additionally, though the ASEAN Community has been established, the awareness about the communitys benefits of people and enterprises in general remains limited. Thus, all the member states including Vietnam must be responsible for raising their awareness about the benefits that the community has and will bring about, otherwise the community will be significant on paper only.

For example, when people well understand the benefits, they can enjoy convenient travel, exchange, and employment within the community, while enterprises can enjoy more tariff cuts and removal of trade barriers thanks to a shared production base created by the community.

ASEAN is strategically important to Vietnam, and is a priority in the foreign policy of our Party and state. A more people-oriented, closely-linked, affluent, and strong ASEAN, with greater solidarity, will contribute to ensuring the long-term benefit of all of its member states, and for the people in the region.
Household appliances produced at LG Electronics Viet Nams plant in northern Hai Phong Province. Foreign-invested firms will be subjected to regular and sudden examinations. - VNA/VNS Photo Lam Khanh

The decision regulates joint inspections of FDI businesses, regarding asset values of land and real estate, machinery and other tangible assets, as well as intangible corporate assets (i.e. licensing, lease, franchise agreements or employment contracts).

This is considered a step up from the usual treatment of regulated annual examinations and notifications from Vietnamese authorities towards FDI firms. This is intended to expose and stop perceived malpractice by FDI firms,

State agencies may conduct regular or sudden examinations and oversight of the implementation of FDI projects by foreign investors, covering the legal compliance of FDI enterprises, their commitments to the Vietnamese government, and the firms actual implementation and achievements.

Decision 1381 states that annual examinations should take place in October, while the Agency of Corporate Finance under the MoF will join forces with the MoFs Inspectorate to compose next years inspection plan, which will then be submitted to the MoF and the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) before November 30 of the same year.

Vietnamese authorities will now also be able to examine the use and purpose of imported goods under tangible assets owned by those exempt from import tax, the disbursement of commercial bank loans and corporate bonds, or devaluation of tangible assets based on exchange rate fluctuations.

Some other areas in need of inspection include FDI firms implementation of capital transfer between stakeholders within the same firm and division of turnover from State capital.

Further investigations are included for other corporate responsibilities such as environmental protection, labour rights and social insurance, as well as safe and sustainable use of land and resources in accordance with the national legal framework.

Effective use and commitment to agreed technological transfer will also be included to ensure that the FDI firm in question may continue to receive the preferential treatment given under the projects contract.

The Foreign Investment Agency reported that as of July 20, up to US$21.93 billion in FDI has flown into Viet Nam, up by 52 per cent against the same period last year.

The FDI sector is a key exporter for the country, as during the last seven months overseas shipments from the sector have been valued at $83.05 billion, representing a year on year surge of 20.3 per cent and accounting for 72 per cent of total export turnover.
By PTI: By Gurdip Singh

Singapore Aug 7 (PTI) Singapores Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob will contest for presidential election next month, becoming the first woman to run for the highest office.

Halimah, 62, will step down as speaker, a post she has held since 2013, and as an MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, The Straits Times reported.

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She will also resign from the Peoples Action Party, where she is a member of the central executive committee.

Announcing her decision, Halimah, who had been in public service for 40 years, told residents and grassroots leaders that, "Taking part in the presidential election would allow me to continue with my service to the people of Singapore."

The upcoming election is reserved for Malay candidates, following changes to the law last year to ensure the presidency reflects Singapores multiracial society.

She will also resign from the ruling Peoples Action Party, where she is a member of the central executive committee.

"It was a tough decision to make," Halimah, with her 62- year old husband Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee alongside her, told reporters.

She has been the speaker since 2013 and participated as Malay community leader in the 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2015 general elections.

This years presidential election will be held in September. Applications opened on Jun 1 and will close five days after the writ of election is issued sometime this month. PTI GS AJR

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Former DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman said the work environment becomes less fair for women as they move into the top levels of corporate leadership AFP/Paul Morigi

Ellen Kullman, Meg Whitman, Mary Barra, Indra Nooyi, Marissa Mayer, Irene Rosenfeld, Sheri McCoy and Ursula Burns all have led large, publicly-traded companies. And Burns was the first black woman to serve as CEO of a major company.

These women led DuPont, HP, General Motors, PepsiCo, Yahoo!, Xerox, Mondelez and Avon Products, but they also all have been in the crosshairs of influential Wall Street investors, activists who succeeded in pushing Kullman, Burns, Rosenfeld and McCoy to the exit.

To save their jobs, others gave in to the critics: Whitman agreed to split HP in two, while Barra agreed to dividend payments for GM shareholders.

Do male CEOs really outperform their female counterparts or are the women simply easy targets for investors trying to throw their weight around in search of bigger returns?

A "SIGNIFICANT GENDER EFFECT"

That question has taken on greater importance at a time when Silicon Valley tech companies face accusations of sexism and are under pressure to increase their racial and gender diversity.

Of the 500 corporations included in S&P's Wall Street stock index, just 27 firms, or 5.4 percent, are led by women.

"Above and beyond all other factors we might use to explain why these firms are being targeted, we found very large and significant gender effect," said Christine Shropshire, a professor of management at Arizona State University.

Shropshire studied the demands that so-called activist investors made of corporate leadership between 2003 and 2013.

Among companies with similar financial results, those that had put a woman in charge faced a disproportionate share of investor pressure, she told AFP.

"Investors perceive these women CEOs to be weaker, to be less confident, less competent, less able. And then they target their activism accordingly."

In an interview with The New York Times, former DuPont chief Kullman said the workplace becomes less fair for women as they reach the highest rungs of the corporate ladder.

"We are never taught to fight for ourselves," she said.

A 2013 study by PwC found women had a 38 percent chance of leaving the CEO position within 10 years compared to only 27 percent for men.

But in most cases the performances turned in by women CEOs surpassed the industry average.

Shares in women-led businesses have produced 25 percent annual returns since 2009 compared to only 11 percent for the MSCI World index of large and mid-cap companies, according to a study of 11,000 companies in 27 developed countries that was produced this month by Nordea Bank AB.

Activist investor Nelson Peltz has faced criticism after campaigning to remove Nooyi, Kullman and Rosenfeld through his investment firm Trian Partners.

PELTZ AND WOMEN CEOS

Trian rejects the idea that gender played any role in the firm's actions.

"To suggest that Trian targets women CEOs is tired rhetoric," a company spokesperson said, adding that female leadership in Trian's portfolio companies had actually grown.

"Furthermore, when we join boards, we are strong proponents of diversity at all levels."

Out of 28 investor campaigns launched by Trian since its creation in 2005, three have targeted women-led companies, meaning 89 percent targeted male corporate leaders, including Jeffrey Immelt of General Electric, who recently stepped down.

Dan Zacchei, managing director at Sloane & Company, which advises activists and companies, said investors should take care to avoid creating an impression that women CEOs are being "targeted disproportionately."

"Having a reputation for gender discrimination could not only alienate the press and institutional investors but a fund's existing investors as well," he said.
FPT the sole skimper

A report by the Public-Utility Telecommunication Services Fund shows that from 2015 to June 2017, telecommunications operators have contributed VND4.1 trillion ($180.36 million). In 2015, 28 out of 29 companies completed their financial obligations to the fund. However, FPT Telecom JSC did not register a plan, report its financial data nor complete its payment, and only contributed a temporary payment of VND210 million ($9,238).

In 2015, 27 telecommunication companies registered and completed their contributions to the fund in the first six months. FPT Telecom is the only one that has not reported its data and registered its contribution as per regulations.

According to the funds representative, since FPT has not reported its earnings from telecommunications services, the fund has not been able to determine the exact amount it owes. However, with a revenue of VND5.57 trillion ($245 million) in 2015 and VND6.66 trillion ($293 million) in 2016, that amount is sure to be much larger than their temporary payment.

Despite huge revenue, FPT Telecom is the only company that has yet to pay the compulsory public telecommunications contribution

According to Pham Van Dung, director of the fund, written communications and delegations were sent to try and resolve the issue, but FPT Telecom has been constantly making excuses.

Dung believes that while every other telecommunications company has made their contribution in full, FPT is deliberately avoiding its financial obligations, creating inequality in the industry.

FPT recommends terminating the fee

In Decision No.1168/QD-TTg dated July 24, 2015, approving the programme of public telecommunications services supply by 2020, the prime minister stated that telecommunications companies have a financial obligation to contribute 1.5 per cent of their turnover from telecommunications services to the Public-Utility Telecommunication Services Fund. The fund will be used to invest in the development of broadband telecommunications infrastructure nationwide, with priority on remote and isolated areas, disadvantaged areas, border areas, and islands. The fund will also generalise public telecommunications services, ensuring an equal right to access for every people and household. The fund will be used to ensure the communication for search and rescue, the direction and operation of natural disaster prevention and control, as well as the availability of broadband internet access in educational institutions, hospitals, and the peoples committees of communes nationwide.

At the dialogue on digital economy at Vietnam Private Sector Forum (VPSF) 2017 on July 31, Bui Quang Ngoc, deputy chairman of the board and CEO of FPT, recommended to remove the public-utility telecommunications fee.

Ngoc also said that FPT has sent competent agencies many written recommendations to remove this regulation or asking them to switch to a voluntary contribution model.

In response to this recommendation at VPSF, Nguyen Thanh Hung, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, said that it is impossible to abolish the public-utility telecommunications fee now because the fund is being used to build telecommunications infrastructure in rural and remote areas, creating a balance and shortening the development gap between regions.

Hung affirmed the public-utility telecommunications fee cannot be removed, we can only minimise the amount companies have to contribute. The government needs the fund to balance the development disparity between urban and rural areas.

Previously, on October 3, 2016, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Pham Hong Hai has sent official dispatches to the Vietnam Internet Association and FPT Telecom, affirming that the establishment and operation of the Public-Utility Telecommunication Service Fund have been shown clearly in the Law on Telecommunications and government Decree No.25/2011/ND-CP. The programme of public telecommunications services supply by 2020 was created with the cooperation and recommendations of many ministries and sectors, as well as experience learned from other countries and input from telecommunications companies.

The dispatches stated, The Public-utility Telecommunications Programme is a major initiative of the Vietnam Communist Party and the government, and has been operating for many years. As such, FPT Telecom needs to follow regulations on contributions to the fund.
A 2016 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport model introduced to the market in late 2016. - Photo autodaily.vn

Of the recalling campaign, there are 943 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport units with model-year 2014-2016 and 3,275 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport units, manufactured from 2011 to June 2016.

According to a recall message issued by the Vietnam Register, in the rear hatch door filled with gas, the cover of the outer rear door hanger can rust due to insufficient corrosion resistant coating. If it continues to be used in a corrosion-resistant rear door, the cover of the outer tube against the rear door may break as the tube expands during rusting.

In the worst case scenario, a person standing around the back door may be injured because the outer tube of the rear door protector ruptures when the back door is opened or can cause the vehicles rear door to fall suddenly.

For imported vehicles, owners can enjoy service from MMV if receiving confirmation from Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.

The recall will take place at all agents and authorised dealers of the MMV nationwide from August 1 to July 31, 2019. The check and fix will be free of charge.
The PJICO-SFMI co-operation helps raise the two firms financial capacities

According to the latest news from Petrolimex Insurance Corporation (PJICO  PGI), in the first six months of 2017, the insurer recorded positive financial results, confirming PJICOs solid standing.

Total insurance premiums hit VND1.21 trillion ($55 million), up 8 per cent year-on-year. Pre-tax profits reached VND97.2 billion ($4.4 million), increasing by 21 per cent when compared to the same period last year. This profit growth reflects PJICOs strategy of focusing on quality, safety, and efficiency.

As of June 30, PJICOs earnings per share (EPS) reached VND 1,120 (5 cents), while its return on equity (ROE) ratio sat at 9 per cent, which is the highest among non-life insurance companies in the market.

PJICOs net technical reserves increased to nearly VND1.9 trillion ($86.4 million), a figure that is 2.56 times its chartered capital.

Last weekend, the private deal between PJICO and Samsung Fire and Marine Insurance Co., Ltd. (SFMI) won the title of Archetypical Investment and Distribution Deal from the 2017 M&A Vietnam Forum. In this deal, SFMI used roughly VND530 billion ($24 million) to purchase 17.74 million shares, equivalent to 20 per cent of PJICOs chartered capital, a move which was approved by the State Securities Commission.

Since the domestic financial-insurance market still struggles to attract capital from big foreign enterprises, SFMIs willingness to pay VND30,000 ($1.36) per share for 20 per cent of PJICOs charter capital demonstrates the attractiveness of the Vietnamese insurance industry and PJICO in particular.

SFMI is Koreas leading insurance company with more than 60 years of non-life insurance experience. According to the latest rankings from A.M Best Credit Ratings, SFMIs financial capacity was rated A++ and its credit rating was AA+.

According to experts, the co-operation between the two leading insurance companies not only helps to strengthen the financial capacity and liquidity ratio of both firms, but it also increases their ability to help customers.

A PJICO representative said that the positive business outcome achieved in the first six months of 2017 will greatly help the company reach its 2017 targets.
Tran Tuan Anh, managing director of Shopee Vietnam

After your first year of operation, how would you evaluate Shopees development?

We have grown tremendously over the past year and our performance has far exceeded our wildest expectations. Since our local debut in August 2016, the firms app has been downloaded five million times and its listings have increased by 133 per cent, with a total of four million listings to date. Consequently, Vietnam is now our key market in the region, with the third-fastest user growth rate following Taiwan and Indonesia.

Shoppe celebrated the first birthday in Vietnam with performance "far exceeded our wildest expectations"

We see terrific potential in the Vietnamese e-commerce sector due to the rising middle-class and high connectivity. With rising disposable income and wealth, Vietnamese consumers are willing to spend more, and thanks to high connectivity, e-commerce now has greater room for growth. In particular, Vietnamese consumers are increasingly connected with smartphones outgrowing computers as the main connectivity tool.

We expect that the market share of online retail in Vietnam will continue to rise, so we target double-digit growth in the next two years. To facilitate this goal, we plan to gain more consumers, educate the Vietnamese market about e-commerce, and bring more e-commerce benefits to locals.

With the increasing popularity of smart phones and tablets, a variety of online retailers have set up shop in Vietnam. How do you see competition and what strategy will you use to expand your customer base?

Trust is one of the top concerns for online consumers. From our end, we has launched several initiatives, like Shopee guarantee, free shipping, and lowest price guarantee, to woo Vietnamese customers. Shopee aims to attract early adopters and gradually expand to the tech-savvy.

"Trust is one of the top concerns for online consumers"

We have also offered daily Flash Sales to feed the frenzy of digital bargain hunters. The programme targets price-sensitive consumers looking to reduce costs. Meanwhile, we have teamed up with several brands, such as Samsung, Oppo, FPT, and Unilever, to serve a broader buyer segment who value product safety, quality, and authenticity.

Moving forward, Shopee aims to expand its user base around the nation. We want to cater to every buyer and seller across the country. With our robust and well-integrated platform, we are confident that we can provide an easy and hassle-free shopping experience and be the one-stop shopping destination in the country.

With the emergence of foreign brands, there is real concern that domestic products are losing their place on the store shelvesa trend that may spread to online retail as well. How does Shopee aim to support local sellers?

More entrepreneurs and retailers are flocking into e-commerce sites to connect with consumers. In the past year, Shopee has facilitated their online business by offering strong logistical support and an efficient payment system. The app also has a chat feature to help sellers keep in contact with consumers. All of these efforts aim to ensure that sellers are able to sell their products and receive payment across the country.

In addition, we believe that a healthy e-commerce system cannot exist without a thriving seller community. Shopee has been striving to maintain a strong seller community through several activities, especially an education session known as Shopee University. During the session, we share with sellers the predominant market trends and ways to sell online, like packing goods, taking pictures, and responding to buyers queries.

Furthermore, Shopee has enhanced the Seller Centre tool to allow sellers to self-manage their own products, pricing, and campaigns. Additionally, we provide advertising features, such as Paid Ads, which sellers can use to improve their visibility in search results and further boost their shops. Through these initiatives, Shopees seller base has increased by over three times during the past year.

Shopee must work hard to compete with foreign brands

How does Shopee contribute to the rise of online shopping in Vietnam?

The Vietnamese e-commerce sector is in the initial stage of development, so operators might face some challenges associated with payments, logistics, and infrastructure. Indeed, Vietnam is very high on cash-on-delivery (COD) which causes a lot of issues over cash handling. Therefore, Shopee will bring in new technology and solutions to digitalise the economy.

In addition to our plan to educate the market, we will bring in best practices from mature markets to create a seamless online shopping experience for consumers. We will build a local workforce for e-commerce by investing in our employees growth. Shopee created various training programmes to ensure that employees are prepared for their tasks. Additionally, Shopee established a Trainee Programme to hire and train the best talents, and hopes to become one of the top employers of choice for the young and energetic generation.
How important is Vietnams market to Singaporean investors, particularly after the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) more than one and a half years ago? Do you see any signs of notable new Singaporean investments into Vietnams property, manufacturing, and processing sectors in the time to come?

Vietnam is one of the key markets of interest in Southeast Asia for Singaporean companies. Singapore is currently the third-largest foreign investor in Vietnam, with registered cumulative investments of $41.6 billion in 1,894 projects. Singapore is also Vietnams top investor among ASEAN countries, accounting for about 60 per cent of ASEANs total foreign direct investment (FDI) into Vietnam.

Singaporean companies tend to take a long-term approach when investing in Vietnam and have continued to explore business opportunities across a variety of sectors. In recent years, Singaporean investors in Vietnam have also diversified from a traditional focus on Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi into other regions such as the Mekong Delta region, Danang in central Vietnam, and Haiphong in the north.

Manufacturing continues to be a very viable sector in Vietnam, especially after the establishment of AEC. Vietnam has successfully established itself as an attractive manufacturing location and has become Asias new manufacturing hub.

With a young and skilled labour force and abundant natural resources, Vietnam remains an attractive market for Singaporean manufacturing players in the apparel, consumer electronics, and food sectors.

Vietnams rapid urbanisation also provides opportunities in urban development and management, especially in the construction, energy, and utilities sectors. These are areas where Singaporean companies have strong capabilities and experience in. They can customise solutions to meet Vietnams rising needs, especially in the areas of water treatment, alternative energy, and urban planning.

Singapore has a vibrant ecosystem of water companies that spans the entire value chain including water treatment, equipment OEMs, and project development. Thus, Singaporean companies are keen to co-operate with Vietnam in the water sector, such as water treatment facilities in sanitation projects to provide drinkable water to municipalities, as well as water supply for industrial applications.

With the growing middle class in Vietnam generating greater demand for modern services, Singaporean businesses seem keen to expand into newer areas such as banking, healthcare, and telecommunications. Could you explain why?

Beyond manufacturing and urban solutions, Vietnams over-90-million population with a fast growing middle class presents opportunities in the consumer sectors. Vietnams growing consumer sophistication and receptiveness towards foreign brands have attracted Singaporean investments from sectors including food and beverage, retail, and banking. Singaporean businesses believe that these sectors are strong growth drivers for Vietnam and are keen to contribute to the development of these sectors.

Another trend we have observed is the fast growing tech startup community in Vietnam, which has attracted a wave of foreign investors such as venture capital funds and co-working space providers to come and shape the ecosystem. Besides setting up their tech bases in Vietnam, there are also untapped opportunities in e-services and e-fulfilment for Singaporean investors.

In a bid to attract more investment capital, the Vietnamese government has been boosting its efforts to equitise state-owned enterprises (SOEs). What merger-and-acquisition (M&A) opportunities do you think will catch the eyes of Singaporean investors?

Vietnam has continued its push to reform and equitise SOEs, opening up certain sectors that have been traditionally limited to SOEs to competition. This has attracted attention from international investors.

Singaporean companies are looking at M&A and strategic investments as viable entry modes into the Vietnamese market. Consumer-related sectors, such as food, retail, telecommunications, healthcare, and education, which tap into the rising urban income, are expected to appeal to foreign investors, including those from Singapore.
Shopee, a Singapore-based mobile marketplace startup, has expanded its operations in Vietnam under the support of Sea  formerly known as Garena  Southeast Asias largest internet platform provider.

Last week, Shopee Vietnam celebrated its first anniversary. Since its local debut, the firms app has been downloaded five million times and its listings have increased by 133 per cent, with a total of four million listings to date. Regionally, Shopee has achieved an annualised gross merchandise volume of over $3 billion, with its mobile market app having been downloaded on over 40 million devices.

In the past year, Shopee has advanced online shopping in Vietnam by expanding its range of product listings, providing buyers with a fast and integrated delivery system, and offering buyers more competitive prices.

Pine Kyaw, managing director of Shopee Vietnam, said, Vietnam is the firms key market in the region, with the third-fastest user growth rate following Taiwan and Indonesia. We have grown tremendously over the past year and our performance has far exceeded our expectations.

Moving forward, Shopee aims to expand its user base nationwide. We want to cater to every buyer and seller nationwide. With our robust and well-integrated platform, were confident that we can provide an easy and hassle-free shopping experience and be the one-stop shopping destination in Vietnam, he said, adding that Shopee has plans to achieve double-digit growth in the Vietnamese market.

In addition to e-commerce platforms, Singaporean logistics firms are also tapping into the delivery side of the e-commerce sector.

Julien Brun, managing partner of CEL Consulting, said that Singaporean firms realised that there is no dominant player in Southeast Asia for last-mile delivery, and by being early entrants into core markets in Southeast Asia, they can gain an advantage.

Singapores Ninja Van is known to strategically target burgeoning markets, where large e-commerce giants like Lazada and Qoo10 are operating. Founded in 2014, Ninja Van is the fastest growing last-mile logistics company in the region. Ninja Van has expanded its services to most markets in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam.

Brun further noted that Singapore, the regional headquarters of many multinational companies in Asia, is more advanced in terms of technology, which is a major bottleneck in the Vietnamese logistics sector.

Following the deregulation of share ownership constraints in various sub-sectors  including warehousing and express delivery services  the trend towards mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in the Vietnamese logistics sector is on the rise.

As most local logistics firms are lagging in technology and investment, they view partnerships with foreign companies, including those from Singapore, positively as a chance to upscale their current businesses which have been solely relying on organic growth. M&As with local companies can help foreign investors shorten the market entry process, reduce costs, and take advantage of current networks and local business know-how, Brun said.

Vietnam-based Indo-Trans Logistics Corporation (ITL) has benefitted from its partnership with Singapore Post. Last year, ITL established the courier company SpeedLink to serve the rising demand for e-commerce logistics.

Kimberly Oanh, deputy general director of ITL, said, Singapore Post has offered us know-how and best practices for e-commerce logistics, international operation standards in expanding network and service qualities, and global e-commerce logistics.

SpeedLink has plans to consolidate its presence in the market by increasing its e-commerce customer base. The company is extending its local network, targeting countrywide coverage by the end of 2017. SpeedLink has recently added new vehicles in 12 provinces in northern Vietnam.

Kyaw noted that many tech companies are entering Singapore to pilot new services  most recently, Amazon has begun a pilot programme in Singapore. Being located in Singapore allows you to learn from other tech companies and avoid repeating their failures in other markets, he said.

Singapore is small so the cost of failure is small. If you invest in big countries like Indonesia or Vietnam, the cost will be huge. What we learn in Singapore we will transfer to other countries. Over the next few years, the percentage of online retail in Vietnam will peak. We will continue our efforts to digitalise the economy and attract more consumers online, he added.

According to CEL Consulting, Vietnams e-commerce market was valued at $5 billion in 2016, accounting for about 3 per cent of total retail trade. Although this percentage is modest at this stage, the sector is quickly developing, with many e-commerce companies reporting double-digit growth. The e-commerce market size is expected to double by 2020.
Super Typhoon Noru is seen from the International Space Station over the north-western Pacific Ocean, on August 1, 2017 AFP/Randy BRESNIK

Super Typhoon Noru is seen from the International Space Station over the north-western Pacific Ocean, on August 1, 2017 AFP/Randy BRESNIK

TOKYO: Strong typhoon Noru brought heavy rain and strong winds to southwest Japan, killing two people, local officials said on Sunday (Aug 6) as they warned of landslides and floods.

A man in his 60s on the remote island of Yakushima died Saturday after strong gusts made him fall hard and hit his head, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.

A man in his 80s on neighbouring Tanegashima island drowned Saturday after he went to check on his boat and was swept into the water, according to the agency and the Kagoshima prefecture government.

As of 3pm (0600 GMT) Sunday, Noru was located just off the main southern island of Kyushu, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Noru, with gusts up to 162 kilometres (100 miles) per hour, was slowly moving northeast and was on course to make landfall in southwest Japan, possibly at Shikoku island, by early Monday.

The agency warned of possible landslides, floods, heavy rain, strong winds and high waves in the southwest.

"Because the typhoon is moving very slowly, some areas are facing increased risk of landslides and other disasters," it said.
VietCham drives bilateral and multi-lateral trade and investments in five countries

On August 19, VietCham Singapore will host a workshop entitled Singapore as a launch-pad for Vietnamese businesses in Ho Chi Minh City, aiming to help local firms expand their horizon and move beyond boundaries (www.vietcham.org.sg/be-phong-singapore-cho-doanh-nghiep-viet).

The workshop will focus on establishing and operating company in Singapore, taxation, multilateral trade, banking facilities, capital mobilisation, initial public offerings, and mergers and acquisitions in both Singapore and Vietnam.

Over the years, VietCham Singapore has been supporting various Vietnamese firms to reach out to regional and global market through Singapore gateway.

According to Dr. David Nguyen Quang Vu - VietCham Singapores president, his organisations goal is to enable Vietnamese businesses with setting up and maintaining companies in Singapore, obtaining all necessary licences and certificates, product distribution and marketing, exhibition, tradeshow and roadshow, business matching, market research and business intelligence, trademarks and intellectual property protection, wealth and asset management, deal-making, M&A and corporate advisory.

In Singapore, most procedures and applications can be processed online, helping to save time and travel. Businesses may acquire Singapore business licences within 24 hours, Vu said at a recent workshop on export promotion via Singapore in the Mekong Delta region this April.

VietCham Singapore also successfully hosted the first-ever Vietnam Products and Cultural Fair in Singapore last year, and has started receiving registration from Vietnamese firms to participate VietCham Expo  Singapore 2018 (www.vietchamexpo.sg).

Through this active engagement, Vietnam startups seeking investment fund and market expansion opportunities in Singapore through VietCham has jumped more than five-fold in 2016 as compared to the year before. The Vietnamese Association in Singapore and VietCham Singapore have also established the Vietnam Business Incubator

-R.I.C.H.V.A.S (www.richvas.com), under the umbrella of the association and Vietnamese investment fund Regulus Investment and Capital Holdings (www.regulus.sg). The incubator will help Vietnam startups save significantly on operating costs, while receiving valuable advices, consultation and mentorship on how to establish and operate businesses effectively in Singapore.

The Vietnam Business Incubator in Singapore provides excellent opportunities for business startups, particularly Vietnamese startups that need local support and investor outreach in host country said Luong Hoang Hung, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Entrepreneurs Scientific Union. Businesses at the incubator will have chance to access to various grants from Singapore government, as well as other incentives in tax and support policies on intellectual property.

VietCham Singapore has been actively supporting many investment projects in sustainable development domain. Vu stressed that while exporting Vietnamese products to the global market, VietCham always prioritises on those brands that make an effort to develop and manufacture their products in a sustainable way.

Gentraco JSC is among those pioneers that VietCham Singapore has championed for its sustainability. Though not the largest rice exporter in the Mekong Delta, the company has invested intensively in its rice products and sustainable agriculture.

Under Miss Can Tho brand, Gentracos rice products have made forays into the worlds most demanding markets. The company has also acquired Halal certification, opening its access to huge Islamic markets.

In May 2017, through VietCham Singapore, the Vietnam International Group (VNI) received $1 million fund from Singapore-based investment fund World Gold Investments.

World Gold said it would co-operate with VNI to jointly develop business activities, particularly in consumer business projects, traceable foods, and restaurants. World Golds total investment into VNI is expected to reach $15 million by 2019, if projections bear out.

VietCham Singapores mission is to represent the common interests of Vietnamese businesses in promoting bilateral trade, services and investments between Vietnam, Singapore and the region. VietCham creates value for its members by providing connections, advocacy and business insights.

VietCham has offices in five countries including Singapore (headquarters), Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, and the US.
A Mumbai court had earlier convicted 15 Somalian pirates. The Navy and Coast Guard had nabbed a total of 120 pirates between January and March 2011.

Nearly 120 Somalian pirates were arrested by Indian agencies between January, March 2011.

By Vidya : A Mumbai court today convicted 16 more Somalian pirates sentencing them 7 years rigorous imprisonment. The Somalian pirates will now be spending the remaining few months of their sentence in jail before being deported to their country.

The Navy and Coast Guard had nabbed a total of 120 pirates between January and March 2011.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

The case pertains to a complaint filed by commanding officer of INS Suvarna when it was on an anti-piracy patrol off the coast of Lakshadweep from on March 25, 2011. While on patrol the Commander of the ship received a message from headquarters that a merchant vessel Maersk Kingston has come under attack by pirates. The pirates had two skiffs and a bigger vessel named Morteza which had been hijacked off Seychelles. The pirates were armed. They first pretended to surrender but opened fire at INS Suvarna when it approached them. In the exchange of fire, Morteza caught fire and it was abandoned by pirates who got into the skiffs. INS Suvarna then rescued the people on board the skiffs and the ship. Apart from the pirates there were 12 Iranians and 4 Pakistani civilians who were rescued from Morteza. The pirates first pleaded not guilty but later confessed to their crime. None of the Iranian and Pakistani witnesses came forward to support the prosecution case against the pirates. The convicts have already spent over six years in jail like the 15 others who were convicted last week by the Sessions Court.

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15 Somali pirates arrested in 2011 get seven years in jail

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Jan Aiello of Jeannette shows some of the skin care products she has purchased from QVC. She hopes that QVC and the Home Shopping Network will keep their separate identities after they merge.
Photo-Illustration: Maya Robinson/Vulture and Photos by Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Getty Images and ABC Pictures

Perhaps youve just been betrayed by a friend, rejected by a lover, or unceremoniously fired by the leader of the free world on a global stage. Whatever the reason may be, were all occasionally in the mood for some good, old-fashioned vengeance at the movies, whether that comes in the form of gritty Korean thrillers, tales of petty high-schoolers plotting to upend the social hierarchy, or Bette Midler singing Lesley Gore in a white pantsuit.

In celebration of cinematic name-takers and receipt-keepers, Vulture has assembled a viewing guide to some of our favorite revenge movies in Hollywood history. Queue them up on a day when you just dont have it in you to take the high road.

Related Stories Director Park Chan-wook: Six Movies to Watch

Oldboy (2003)

The hallway fight scene. The tongue excision. The live-octopus consumption. Incredibly taboo sexual themes. This modern vengeance classic has it all. (If you like what you see here, investigate the rest of Park Chan-wooks Vengeance Trilogy, which rounds out with Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance.)  Jordan Crucchiola

I Saw the Devil (2010)

When just one revenge climax wont suffice, turn to this savage thriller from Korean director Kim Jee-woon. After a sadistic bus driver (Choi Min-sik) kills a motorist stranded in the snow, the victims secret-agent husband (Lee Byung-hun) dedicates his life to finding the murderer and making him pay. The twist of Devil is that the hero doesnt just catch his prey once; he catches and releases him over and over again, prolonging the abuse. At two-and-a-half hours long, this movie is an endurance test for both its viewers and its subjects.  Jordan Crucchiola

Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (2003 and 2004)

The first part has the Crazy 88 and an A-plus use of the Green Hornet theme, but the second has Uma Thurmans Bride literally punching her way out of a grave. Shes not roaring and rampaging against anything but six feet of dirt, and wed still argue its one of the most victorious revenge scenes in history.  Emily Yoshida

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

If, for some reason, youre really in the mood to watch a bunch of fascists get their comeuppance.  Nate Jones

The First Wives Club (1996)

Vengeance in the movies doesnt always have to include a bloodbath. Sometimes, vengeance looks like mature, adult women humiliating the exes who took them for granted and stole their youth. In First Wives Club, three old college friends (who happen to be played by legends Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, and Diane Keaton) reunite when their fourth former bestie, trapped in a life of empty wealth and loneliness, kills herself by jumping off an Upper East Side terrace. Each encourages the others to strike back at their own lackluster ex-husbands in the name of all womankind. Remember: You. Dont. Own. Me.  Jordan Crucchiola

Lady Snowblood (1973)

When someone wrongs you and you dont have the tools to remedy the injustice yourself, just raise your offspring with the specific purpose of serving vengeance on your behalf. Thats the lesson of Lady Snowblood, Yuki Kashima (Meiko Kaji), and her blade of retribution. Yuki doesnt choose to walk the road of most resistance  she was born specifically to do so: Her mother, gang-raped by the men who killed her husband, ends up in a womens prison, where she seduces a guard to help her conceive a child who will one day become the instrument of her revenge on the men who ruined her life. Inspiring!  Jordan Crucchiola

The Count of Monte Cristo (1934)

Despite being set in the early 1800s, Monte Cristo is an evergreen story. After all, cant a bad job or bad relationship or long-standing feud with a frenemy feel like youve been locked away in an island prison for 20 years, wasting away while all your loved ones believe youre dead? If you have those very specific kind of blues, Edmond Dantes feels your pain  and hell motivate you to put your own long-con plans into place (no murdering, though).  Jordan Crucchiola

Revenge (1990)

In this early-90s romantic thriller, Kevin Costner plays a recently retired U.S. Navy pilot who goes to visit a friend in Mexico and ends up having sex with his wife (Madeleine Stowe). Theres infidelity, violence, a crime kingpin, torture, imprisonment, and even a dead dog. (For some reason, the vengeance genre is the deadliest of all for canine companions.)  Jordan Crucchiola

Ms. 45 (1981)

On her way home from work one day, the shy, beautiful, and mute Thana (Zoe Tamerlis Lund) is raped twice, once in an alleyway and then once again almost immediately after getting home. Shes able to kill the second rapist, spurring a rapid transformation in Thana: girl goes from mild to full-on vigilante wild. After a lifetime of silent oppression, she takes to the streets looking for trouble  and for every man who would hit on, threaten, leer at, catcall, or otherwise look at her sideways. Now 36 years old, Ms. 45 feels scandalous and subversive even today. This is earned misandry, weaponized.  Jordan Crucchiola

The Handmaiden (2016)

There may be no auteur more skilled in the art of cinematic vengeance than Park Chan-wook. The Handmaiden tells the story of a young Korean girl (Kim Tae-ri) who goes to work in the service of a Japanese heiress (Kim Min-hee) with the intention of stealing her fortune out from under her. The scheming here has layers: The handmaiden is working under the thumb of a devious con man, and the heiress is living as a prisoner of her creepy, authoritarian uncle. The movie is told in three parts, each one pulling viewers further into the mystery and setting up truly startling reveals.  Jordan Crucchiola

13 Assassins (2010)

Takashi Miikes dirty bakers dozen set in the final days of feudal Japan has all you want from the prolific director: imaginatively gruesome violence, 1-on-100 fight scenes, and one-liners so tough you get the vapors. Nothing is cooler than Koji Yakusho unrolling a bloody scroll that reads TOTAL MASSACRE, before he and his dudes slice their way through the army of a murderous aristocrat.  Emily Yoshida

Jawbreaker (1999)

Chokers, spaghetti-strap tank tops, miniskirts, candy-colored everything, and exposed midriffs abound in this campy tale of murder and retaliation in snow-white suburbia. As queen mean girl Courtney, Rose McGowan turns in an all-time teen-villain performance, and the payoff moment in the finale truly is peachy fucking keen.  Jordan Crucchiola

The Equalizer (2014)

This is basically John Wick starring Denzel Washington, which means the protagonist is a stoic paternal figure with an almost divine sense of purpose: avenging the violent mistreatment of a young woman, played by Chloe Grace Moretz, at the hands of Russian gangsters. It actually came out the same year as Wick, but since it didnt reinvent the revenge romp with breathtaking gun-fu, it didnt get as much attention. Equalizer is more old-fashioned, with Washington defining his character in the tradition of Charles Bronson or Liam Neeson (or, as our chief film critic David Edelstein put it, hes Gandhi with a Glock).  Jordan Crucchiola

Carrie (1976)

One of the greatest horror films of all time doubles as one of the most memorable revenge stories. At this suburban high school, nobody breaks a tiara into pieces so everyone can share it. Theres no adult with strong morals to step in and rescue Carrie (Sissy Spacek) from her bullies, or from her insane zealot of a mother (Piper Laurie). Theres just one increasingly uncontrollable, telekinetic girl whos had enough of being put down.  Jordan Crucchiola

Let the Right One In (2008)

This Swedish supernatural thriller changed the face of screen vampires, and is arguably the key predecessor to todays high-brow horror boom. At its core, Let the Right One In is a touching story about friendship between outsiders; who better to empower you to stand up to your bullies than the cute vampire girl next door?  Jordan Crucchiola

The Princess Bride (1987)

One of the most beloved films of its generation, The Princess Bride stars a giant (Andre the Giant), a dreaded pirate (Cary Elwes), rodents of unusual size, and Fred Savage  and has a timeless romance at its core. Most memorable, though, is its dialogue, including Mandy Patinkins classic, My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. Westley and Buttercup may be destinys children, but Inigos passion for justice rivals the intensity of their love. And did you catch the part where we said its Mandy Patinkin, playing a Spanish fencing master with long, wavy hair? (This is one of those gifts you dont appreciate when youre watching this at 11, but it really gives the movie new life as an adult.)  Jordan Crucchiola

Unforgiven (1992)

Is there a genre that lends itself to vengeance more readily than the Western? How about a Western directed by Clint Eastwood, a figure who has sought retribution onscreen for the past half century? This Academy Award winner for Best Picture was directed by and starred Eastwood as a reformed outlaw who agrees to take on one last dirty deed for a large bounty in order to save his familys farm. Only one mans five-oclock shadow is up for this job.  Jordan Crucchiola

Memento (2000)

Were pretty sure this is a revenge movie, but we cant find the tattoo that tells us whom its necessary to seek vengeance against, or what they did.  Jordan Crucchiola

Mean Girls (2004)

How to take down the Plastics, in three steps: Target Aaron Samuels (the better half of the high schools reigning power couple), plant a few Kalteen bars, and sow some major distrust in the so-called army of skanks. There are no fight scenes or bar brawls, but Mean Girls does include a deliciously vicious rendition of Jingle Bell Rock. Vengeance is sweet, and its also, like, 16 and has mathlete practice.  Hunter Harris

Get Carter (1971)

If the first thing you think of when you hear Michael Caines voice is dutiful house man Alfred from Christopher Nolans Batman movies, or something like The Cider House Rules, then do Mr. Caines legacy a favor and watch him avenge his brothers death in Get Carter.  Jordan Crucchiola

Punisher: War Zone (2008)

This isnt the new Punisher with Jon Bernthal, or the 1980s Punisher with Dolph Lundgren, or even the mid-2000s Punisher with Thomas Jane that tried unsuccessfully to start an anti-hero franchise right before big studios actually knew how to make great superhero movies. No, this is the other Punisher, the one starring Ray Stevenson, thats probably the closest road map for Marvels current incarnation of the character on Netflix. Stevenson was actually a good choice for the role, and War Zone was definitely a product of the Christopher Nolan School of Gritty Comics Adaptations (i.e., it includes Frank Castle saying, Sometimes Id like to get my hands on God).  Jordan Crucchiola

Cape Fear (1962)

Max Cady doesnt get enough credit for being one of the most disturbing movie villains of all time. This movie was terrifying both times it was made, but we will refer you to the original, starring Robert Mitchum as a convicted rapist who gets out of prison after eight years, then conspires to track down and ruin the life of the lawyer who got him sent to jail (Gregory Peck). If you have time for a double feature, check out the Scorsese remake from 1991, starring Robert De Niro as Cady.  Jordan Crucchiola

Straw Dogs (1971)

This drama from Sam Peckinpah was part of a wave of highly violent cinema that surged in the early 1970s (think A Clockwork Orange and The Godfather). Straw Dogs was especially controversial for its brutal climactic scene and depiction of rape. Its easy to exact revenge in movies with guns, but Dogs rolls out the boiling oil, fire irons, and bear traps. Dustin Hoffman has rarely been so vicious.  Jordan Crucchiola

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Khaaaaaaaaaan!  Jordan Crucchiola

Blue Ruin (2013)

Most revenge movies conclude with the desired act of vengeance, or at least something close to it. Not Jeremy Saulniers Blue Ruin, which understands that revenge is often part of a larger, more enduring cycle; vengeance itself will have to be avenged. And this rarely works out well for anyone.  Kevin Lincoln

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

One of the great parables about religion  and, in particular, about those men of the cloth who loom so large in the American spiritual psyche  Charles Laughton and James Agees The Night of the Hunter ends with a revelation, one that necessitates an attempt at revenge by the misled flock. But, as the movie goes to great pains to point out, no man or men can take the place of God  or nature, or fate, or however you prefer to view the larger forces at work in this world. Whether it comes at the hands of a mob or the executioner doesnt matter.  Kevin Lincoln

Legally Blonde (2001)

Who can forget the moment when Reese Witherspoons Elle Woods is awarded her a spot as Victor Garbers law intern?

Its half war cry, half mantra: Legally Blonde starts out as a movie about a woman trying to win back a boneheaded ex, but turns into a nicely packaged revenge fantasy, wherein women reclaim the accomplishments that are rightfully theirs. With bends and snaps instead of bullets, its sisters doin it for themselves.  Hunter Harris

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

George Millers chrome-and-blood-soaked masterpiece is, essentially, one big chase scene, meaning its conclusion is even more hard-earned, visceral, and satisfying than your standard revenge film. As Vultures film critic David Edelstein wrote, You dont just watch it, you rock out to it. Its triumphant overthrowing of the patriarchy feels particularly poignant and necessary now.  Ethan Sapienza

The Virgin Spring (1960)

Leave it to the maestro, Ingmar Bergman, to illustrate the emotional calculus of revenge in one perfect, crystalline image: Max von Sydow, maybe Bergmans greatest instrument, trying to rip a tree out of the ground after the rape and murder of his daughter. Its the kind of senseless animal rage that tends to exist in the real world, not cinema, but Bergman is willing to look straight on at the ineffable. When the act of revenge ultimately follows, its been so undermined by the pathos and despair of this moment that we know, just as well as von Sydow does, how empty and hollow it is. This might sound super depressing, but you dont become one of the greatest filmmakers of all time by making things easy.  Kevin Lincoln

The Revenant (2015)

The Revenant is more than a mere tale of vengeance; its an epic story of resurrection. As Hugh Glass, Leonardo DiCaprio digs himself out of a snowy grave to cross the American frontier and kill the man who put him in the ground. Are you even serious about revenge if youre not willing to sleep inside the carcass of a freshly dead horse to stave off freezing to death? Check your priorities.  Jordan Crucchiola

Ex Machina (2014)

When humans invent machines that are stronger, smarter, and more resilient than us in every way, it almost never works out well. (See: Skynet.) So what happens when a man with a massive God complex makes a superior machine-being, imbues it with an awareness of emotional processing and sexuality, and tries to keep it locked in a glass prison? Oscar Isaac doing the best onscreen dancing youll find in any movie, ever, is one thing that happens  and the machine outfoxing its creator is another.  Jordan Crucchiola

The Great Silence (1968)

When was the last time you brushed up on your FrenchItalian spaghetti Western co-productions? Heres an opportunity: Jean-Louis Trintignant plays a gunslinger who goes by the name of Silence (because a pair of bounty hunters killed his parents and cut his throat when he was younger) and is contracted by a woman to kill the gang leader who murdered her husband. Its the best film by director Sergio Corbucci, and in the conversation for best Western of all time. If you can find a copy with the original ending, even better.  Jordan Crucchiola

Point Blank (1967)

Theres something special about revenge movies in which the hero is left for dead, but then rises to bring down holy hell on his or her assailant. In this crime noir from director John Boorman, a man named Walker (Lee Marvin) is double-crossed by his literal partner in crime, Reese (John Vernon), who shoots him down on Alcatraz, steals his money, and makes off with his wife, too. Once Walker is back from the dead, he not only has Reese to contend with, but a whole organized crime ring. Sounds like hed have a lot to talk about with John Wick.  Jordan Crucchiola

Hard Candy (2005)

Before Ellen Page was Kitty Pride or Juno, she was Hayley Stark, a vigilante teenager baiting potential pedophiles with the intention of raining harsh justice down upon them. Hard Candy also marks Patrick Wilsons first film after Phantom of the Opera, and just his fourth feature credit overall, meaning Page was much more of a Hollywood veteran at this point  and it remains her most disarming role to date. The films supersaturated tones add intensity to the steady manipulation and torture that Hayley exacts on her mark, making the whole experience more stressful as you consider the did he or didnt he? question hovering over the typically dreamy Wilson.  Jordan Crucchiola
Baldwin and his wife, Hilaria, at the Trophy cocktail party for the Hamptons International Film Festival. Photo: Mark Peterson

Saturday in the Hamptons, the hedgerows are trimmed, the hydrangeas are bushy, and the sun is at peak performance. Outside Jacks Stir Brew Coffee in Amagansett, a group of men and women in luxury sportswear are gathered, and the air fills with the soothing sound of high-end gossip. Chappaqua  We stayed there  His first wife  Adirondack chairs  The best  Chappaqua.

But all is not right with the world, one is reminded, as a new figure trudges up the path. Its Alec Baldwin, clad in a navy-blue blazer, a grim look on his face. The smooth jazz of conversation slows, then stops.

As in the city, the unspoken rule out here is that celebrities are to be left alone, but as Baldwin approaches the door, one of the women leans over and addresses him with profound urgency. Saturday Night Live, she blurts wildly. It needs to come back early. We need you!

An eternal second passes as everyone registers the breach of protocol. Probably it will be okay, they hope. Out here, Baldwin isnt a celebrity. Hes one of them. A figure in the community. A player of charity softball games, an actor in local theater productions, a supporter of Guild Hall and other area cultural institutions. This very night, in fact, hes attending an event for the Hamptons International Film Festival, a cocktail party and screening for Trophy, a documentary about lion and rhinoceros hunting. (Baldwin is actually a festival co-chair, and has been on the board for nine years. Hell be moderating a talk with the directors after the film.) Then again, he is also known for his irascibility, especially when it comes to his privacy. He once wrote a letter to the local paper decrying vermin who casually invade the privacy of people out in public by taking constant photos. At 59, hes not unlike a rhino: cute from a distance, but up close, prone to goring.

Not today. Baldwin manages a half-smile and a nod before beelining into the coffee shop. This is something he gets a lot, he says as he studies the bagel selection, people imploring him to impersonate Trump like its his patriotic duty, especially these days, with Saturday Night Live on hiatus and the world where Donald Trump is president maddeningly continuing to spin. Its a narcotic for people, he says. Not just me but anyone who does anything that mocks Trump. It kind of assuages their fear and anxiety.

Baldwins tone suggests he may not entirely approve of this kind of soporific indulgence. The amusement factor, thats gone now, he says sorrowfully as he moves down the line, bagel in hand. Theyre out of lox; he opted for the Mediterranean tuna salad.

Its just a nightmare, a living nightmare. At the register, Baldwin picks up a paleo cookie. Hes like a guy who is, like, I would rather crash the plane into the ground than have the wrong people get their hands on it,  he says of Trump. Its like a suicide mission, but the government is the vehicle. He grabs a second paleo cookie. Why not? Were all going to die anyway.

Baldwin has threatened to quit playing Trump in the past, citing, among other things, the physical toll the lip-puckering has taken. But hes signed up to make several appearances this fall season. Its a yuge success, he says. (Hes also writing  with Kurt Andersen, former editor of Spy  a satirical book in the voice of Trump.)

Plus, he points out once were seated at a picnic table, he doesnt have to dig deep into his bag of acting tools. Its not some finely etched rendering, he says. Its like a Patrick Oliphant or Barry Blitt caricature. Its the kind of reference you might make if you were doing a caricature of Alec Baldwin.

Given his antipathy for the 45th president, it feels awkward to mention it, but one reason Baldwin might find it easy to slip into the soul of Trump is that they have a lot in common, starting with their pronunciation of the word yuge. Two New Yorkers who found success in Manhattan in the 80s and became creatures of tabloids, thanks to their marriages to and messy divorces from glamorous blondes. Like Trump, Baldwin is a blusterer, a brawler, whose willingness to take on even the puniest of enemies (he recently got into it on Twitter with, as he put it, a bitter and obscure Trump impersonator). He seems to feel perpetually misunderstood, particularly by The Media, which on the whole adores him but to his mind invariably fails to treat him with respect. I end up mumbling something about how Baldwin must have an understanding of Trumps milieu. Manhattan is a small island; the one they reside in is even smaller.

But according to Baldwin, they barely interacted. No one knew him, he says, tearing open a paleo cookie. I always say Trump survived in New York because no one was close to him. He was never a dinner guest; he was never a tablemate. You never sat down and talked to Trump about what was on his mind. He was a drive-by figure. He had the tux on, photo, photo, photo. Then he was gone. And he could do that, because making money in New York matters.

Hes animated. Many people I know feel with Trump that something is wrong with him neurologically, psychologically. That may be so. But I think more than anything, he doesnt think things through. He ran for president out of spite, and he won because its rigged. And now hes miserable. He unwraps the second cookie. Now people spit on him and mock him, and his supporters are not his crowd. What is he going to do, go to a barbecue in West Virginia every day with a bunch of unemployed people?

Over the years, Baldwin has threatened to run for various political offices, but it hasnt happened. In his memoir, which came out this spring, he suggests that shame over some of his behavior  specifically, an audio recording of a nasty voice-mail he left his older daughter, leaked to the press in 2007 by, he claimed, his ex-wife and her lawyer  may have been a reason.

Now that recent events have indicated unflattering leaked audio recordings are no barrier to the highest office in the land, will he change his mind? Id consider it if I thought Id win, he says. But I think Trump is going to slam the door on nontraditional candidates. A bigger obstacle is his new family. Like Trump, Baldwin ended up marrying a younger brunette, Hilaria, a now-33-year-old yoga instructor with whom he has three children under the age of 4. She has already told me she doesnt want to put our kids through that, he says.

His phone buzzes. Hilarias picture appears on FaceTime, and while I cant be positive, I think I see Baldwin sneak the cookie wrapper off the table before answering. They make arrangements to pick her up for the Film Festival event, where most people, he expects, will want to talk to him about Trump. I dont think hes going to make it till the end of the year. I think he cant take the ridicule. I think hell resign.

Come fall, hell be doing his part to make that happen, but to his fans, its not nearly soon enough. At the party that night, I see a woman approach him. Im really glad to see you, she says. But I wish you were on Saturday Night Live tonight.

*This article appears in the August 7, 2017, issue of New York Magazine.
Are you ready for a flashback episode? Are you ready to vaguely understand the origins of Roller and Desnas relationship during historys worst road trip? If so, this is the episode for you! I realize the show has to show some action between Desna and Roller when theyre trapped in the car, but are those the best moments to show for their relationship? Most of them are just Desna and Roller sitting on a couch looking into each others eyes. Theyre basically doing that in the car, but now theres a gun between them.

The first moment is when the gang meets Roller for the first time, and it is  uneventful. Well, theres a little more to the story, but well get there. The first time Desna met Roller, she wasnt impressed with him at all. She was just trying to make some good tips because her car was broken down and she was struggling to make rent and payroll. So much of Desnas story has always revolved around money. When we cut back to the present, Desna is being forced to drive by Roller to what might be both of their deaths. Roller needs to clean out a bunch of bank accounts all over Florida, and Desna just wants to call Uncle Daddy. Roller plans to make it look like Desna has been involved in everything and killed herself from the guilt.

Roller forces Desna to call the salon and tell everyone that shes hiding out with the sexy Haitian doctor for a few days. Desna gets Virginia on the phone and tells her that shes going to hide out with the doctor for a little bit, eat ambrosia salad, and fall on his cock. When Virginia passes along the message, Polly and Jen are immediately suspicious because Desna never says cock. I was surprised that TNT allowed for the word cock to be repeated so much. (Also, if youve seen The Queens of Comedy, Monique has an extended bit about how black women never say cock.) Virginia is relieved because Desna says that Roller has decided to let the whole I was almost murdered thing go and drop it. Virginia doesnt question a thing. Polly is also on edge because Dr. Ken is outside trying to woo her with gifts, and telling her that she doesnt have to convert to be with him. Ugh, okay, I guess shell deal with that later.

Desna and Roller are arguing because Desna thinks they can just call Uncle Daddy and hell solve everything. Roller is upset that hes been replaced by Bryce and Desnas sexy doctor boyfriend. Desna knows that Roller is jealous and maybe he still cares a little bit about her.

We flashback again to the first day that Desna and Roller meet, and the rest of the Nail Artisans gang are giggling about how cute he is. Desna is not interested, and Polly and Jen wonder if its the whole pink dick thing. Again, were just saying dick all on TNT. Jen says that in the dark, all dicks are black. I dont think thats the phrase, but I like it. Police show up at the salon ready to arrest Polly. She freaks out and tries to run, but the cops are waiting at the back door for her. Roller is sitting in the background with his paraffin hardening.

Desna and Roller go into a bank, and hes got a firm grip on her neck as she makes a withdrawal. The teller asks her what church she goes to and the initials of her fake church spell H.E.L.P., and the teller even says it aloud without noticing. Roller smacks Desna and shuffles her out of there.

Meanwhile, Ann and Arlene are rolling around in bed, and a beautiful glass dildo rolls under the dresser. Ann sees that Arlene is keeping a folder connecting Desna to the Koons murder, and now shes all conflicted about it. Bryce goes to visit Uncle Daddy to convince him to go after the Russians for what they did, and Bryce is WIRED. Uncle Daddy agrees and has Bryce call the boss in Georgia.

Then we get the first of a scene were gonna see like five times throughout the episode. Desna and Roller are in the car and she tells him to call Uncle Daddy, and then theres a flashback of Desna talking about a financial problem and Roller flirting with her. In this particular instance, they get a flat tire and Roller ties Desnas hands to the steering wheel before he gets out to fix it. Desna says that whats happening isnt Rollers fault and they can figure this out, and Roller snaps that she is the one responsible. Desna says that Virginia was the one who shot him because she was protecting Desna. But Roller wants to know  who protects Roller? A cop rolls up while Roller is changing a tire, but once he sees who is tied up and who Roller is, he lets them go. The cop is working with Uncle Daddy and looks the other way.

Ann comes in and spills the beans to Polly. Arlene is going to arrest Desna for setting up the Koonses. Shes got the fake nail and some paperwork from DCF. Ann refuses to deal with Arlene because theyre in love. Theyre talking about children and spending their lives together. Polly reminds Ann of everything Desna has done for them, and Ann volunteers that Arlene has a DUI. Polly can work with that.

Its time for Uncle Daddy and Bryce to have their little meeting with the Boss, Ted. In person, hes a lot less intimidating. Hes got some scraggly hair and a tie-dye shirt, and insists that they can only talk when holding the sharing stick or hell beat them with it. Ted doesnt think this is a smart time to attack the Russians, and they cant have the cops running around. Ted lashes out at Bryce for snapping at him and beats him with the sharing stick. As he turns to leave, Bryce shoves Ted and he cracks his face open on the steps of the strip-club stage.

Roller gets a text that the location of the drop off has changed, and he thinks that means hes going to be killed, so hes taking Desna out with him. She finally tells him that she told Riva everything, and Riva is going to retaliate. This isnt going well at all. Meanwhile, Polly is trying to get Dr. Ken to give her a few benzos, but he only wants to talk about their relationship. UGH. She agrees to see him one more time in exchange for his secret stash. He gives her an orgasm in Uncle Daddys outdoor shower, and she gives him a kiss as she leaves. I think these crazy kids are gonna make it. Ann slips one of the pills into Arlenes coffee. When Arlene drives home, shes swerving like crazy and runs her car into the median, and is pulled over by another police officer. When Ann is done, she rushes into the back of the salon to the back office and screams.

Desna convinces Roller to let her say good-bye to Dean. He asks her for her blessing to propose to Virginia because they love each other and he really loves sex. Desna starts to cry and gives her blessing, and tells Dean where to find a box of money to buy a ring. When Dean goes to the salon and tells Polly that hes going to propose, Polly instantly knows SOMETHING IS WRONG. She asks Virginia to repeat the phone message, and Virginia says Desna was going to eat some euphoria salad. Polly recognizes that as their code word for trouble from Pollys prison days.

When Roller and Desna arrive at the drop spot, two tracksuit-wearing thugs show up, and Roller throws them a bag of money. One reaches for his gun, so Roller shoots them both and Desna takes off running. Roller catches her, and shes forced onto her knees and begs for her life. They loved each other. Suddenly, Roller hears someone approaching, and when he turns to scope it out, Desna bolts!

GASP!
Photo-Illustration: Maya Robinson/Vulture and Photos by Paramount Pictures, MGM and Warner Bros.

Growing up, I was lucky to witness wildly different, but equally engaging action heroines. I obsessed over the religious and loyal Kira Nerys, played with panache by Nana Visitor from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; the stoic Gina Torres in the purely bonkers Cleopatra 2525; the cool, self-assured Lucy Liu in the revamped Charlies Angels; and of course, the titular Buffy the Vampire Slayer. After my adolescence, the age of cinematic female badasses ebbed and flowed, but right now, the action heroine is having a bit of a resurgence, offering a more complex crop than ever before. With Atomic Blonde, Charlize Theron adds to an ongoing canon of bruised and bruising women cutting their way to cinematic glory. The women on this list arent necessarily my favorites, but, in their own way, each has pushed the cultural conversation forward, continue to inspire adoration (and in some cases, arguments), or were crucial to the standing of the actresses who played them. There are several others Id like to mention, including Jennifer Lawrences work in The Hunger Games and Daisy Ridleys emergence in Star Wars, but those listed below I feel speak most to the action heroines evolution.

1. Sigourney Weaver, Aliens (1986)

No conversation about action heroines is complete with mentioning Sigourney Weavers Lieutenant Ellen Ripley. While Ridley Scotts 1979 film Alien wallowed in existential dread and body horror, its 1986 sequel pushed its iconic final girl  the resourceful Ripley  into bold new territory. Its impossible to overestimate Ripleys influence. Every action heroine that has come since owes her a debt. Shes spawned countless imitators and inspired generations of filmmakers with her keen wit and sharp survival instincts. One of the reasons Ripley has endured  and what has made her stand out from the women whove come after  is her surprising normalcy. Ripley isnt a hero with impossible strength or an expertly trained assassin  shes a relatively normal woman thrust into an abnormal situation. If anything, we need more action heroes like Ripley, whose strength comes not from the training of her past or chosen-one status, but an internal drive that neither destructive aliens nor hypercontrolling corporations can easily extinguish.

2. Linda Hamilton, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Looking at the landscape of action heroines, their physicality is often similar  theyre lithe, model-esque even. Sometimes that makes sense. When youre preternaturally gifted or a demigoddess, musculature is beside the point. But at the same time, this lack of body diversity nods to the issues that plague women when it comes to representation  namely, that they have to be desirable in a very specific way. As Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Linda Hamilton is ripped. Her body communicates the physical labor and toil necessary for the survival of both her and her somewhat annoying son, which lends her character a distinct, steely quality.

3. Pam Grier, Foxy Brown (1974)

Pam Griers work in blaxploitation films came before many of the other women on this list. And while there have been women of color who have found their groove as action heroines since  most notably the Afro-Latina actress Zoe Saldana  Griers impact lingers. She was alluring, tough, and whip-smart. The women in blaxploitation films were required to be sexy and stripped down in ways that may raise the ire of some modern viewers, but that doesnt mean Grier should be discounted. Just check out this clip from Foxy Brown. She pulls a gun out of her Afro! Thats not the kind of dame that should be messed with. Taraji P. Henson as the titular assassin in Proud Mary, Kelly Marie Tran in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and the women of Black Panther demonstrate that the progress that has long benefited white women in Hollywood may finally be happening for black and brown women a bit more often. Id like to think Grier would be proud of being a forerunner of this lineage.

4. Scarlett Johansson, Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014) and the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

No character represents the contradictory place of women within the superhero genre better than Scarlett Johanssons Black Widow, a.k.a. Natasha Romanoff. Her hair changes as often as her characterization does. She seems less like a cross between a super-spy and a femme fatale than a plot device (save for her friendship with Chris Evanss Captain America). But that doesnt mean she isnt fun to watch  Johansson ascended to bona fide action star status for good reason. She brings a history to her characters in her physicality, even if the scripts shes handed remain lacking. She can be wryly humorous in ways that add texture to a role that could be a bit weightless if not for these touches. She was especially engaging in Captain America: Winter Soldier, but despite the fandom around the character, Johanssons (somewhat dented) marketability, and the great stories in Black Widows canon, its unlikely shell get a movie of her own  which says a lot about what it takes for female superheroes to get the opportunity to be headliners.

5. Milla Jovovich, The Fifth Element (1997)

Theres something to be said about an actress who knows her angles. Modeled turned actress Milla Jovovich definitely does, and proves as much in Luc Bessons The Fifth Element. The 1997 space opera is a gorgeous visual feast full of humor, weird plot turns, and amazing costuming by Jean Paul Gaultier. But its Jovovich I often remember first when I think of the film. Her character shouldnt work. Shes a chosen one with great power who speaks nonsensically, wears very little, and has boundless energy. But Jovovich makes her a thrill to watch. Its no wonder shes carved a steady career as an action star in the Resident Evil franchise  although nothing has quite matched The Fifth Element.

6. Michelle Rodriguez, the Fast and Furious Franchise

The Fast and Furious franchise best demonstrates the sheer glory that can be found in an action film that embraces its silliness without pretense. Theres a reason these films have found success consistently. A big draw is Michelle Rodriguez as Letty, the franchises longest-running female character. Rodriguez brings a no-nonsense quality to the role that makes her a focal point even when there is ridiculous mayhem happening around her. She also has a quality that cant be underestimated in roles like this: She knows how to give and take a punch, putting herself fully into the action in a way that adds to the rhythm of the scenes. Rodriguezs standing as an action star also highlights the dearth of roles for Latinas that allow them to cut loose and have fun, particularly in action films.

7. The Women of Kill Bill Vols. 1 & 2 (2003 and 2004)

I have mixed feelings about Kill Bill, but its an entry thats hard to ignore given the way it invigorated the careers of several cast members and put star Uma Thurman in a new light as the vengeful Beatrix Kiddo, a.k.a. the Bride, who targets the former allies responsible for the massacre that landed her in a coma. Thurman is fun to watch, but the real reason Im listing Kill Bill is for the women around her, especially Vivica A. Fox and Lucy Liu, who were stone cold badasses in the film, each with their own distinctive style. Liu (giving me Lady Snowblood vibes) is a striking mix of cunning, determination, and maybe a bit of insecurity given her background, while Fox lends a fierceness and take-no-prisoners attitude that actually made me want her to best Thurmans Beatrix.

8. Gina Carano, Haywire (2011)

Its not Gina Caranos screen presence that makes her character as memorable as the others on this list  its the former MMA fighters physicality. Steven Soderberghs Haywire doesnt fully work, but there is something about Carano as the expertly trained and vengeance-minded operative Mallory Kane that intrigues. Rarely are action heroines allowed to show the physical effects of what happens from all those intense fights theyre mired in. This puts Haywires lead in the same lineage as Sarah Connor and, more recently, Therons turn in Atomic Blonde. In this genre, the aftermath of violence (physically and mentally) is as worthy of study as the action scenes themselves.

9. Angelina Jolie, Tomb Raider (2001) and Wanted (2008)

You cant talk about action heroines of the modern age and not mention Angelina Jolie. The actress made an especially beguiling action heroine. Her presence was charismatic to the point of being vampiric. She was sexy, frightening, entrancing, and endlessly fun to watch. She also proved several times over that women could build their careers on being action stars. There have been many women to follow in her footsteps, from those on this list to Daisy Ridley in Star Wars: A Force Awakens and Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games trilogy. As conversations around female actions stars ramp up in the wake of Atomic Blonde, I find myself missing Jolies work in the genre. Her films were never great, but they were intriguing star vehicles that let her flex her considerable charisma and physicality in ways I continue to long to see onscreen.

10. Charlize Theron, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Charlize Therons work as Furiosa  a one-armed, fiercely skilled lieutenant that saves Immortan Joes wives from sexual slavery in this dystopian future  has become beloved for its mix of feminist ethos, intelligence, and brutality. And for good reason. For Furiosa there is no pretense, no weird beauty politics. Heres a woman who protects those she cares for and knows how to get the job done. Theron aces the mix of savagery, protectiveness, and cunning that has granted the character a considerable fandom. More broadly, Therons performance as Furiosa feels like a revelation for the action genre, considering the characters upfront feminism and complete disregard for the male gaze. Shes the physical manifestation of a particular strain of righteous female fury so incisive, I remain in awe of her work here.

11. Gal Gadot and the Women of Wonder Woman (2017)

It has been 76 years since William Moulton Marston set out to create Diana of Themyscira, known more commonly as Wonder Woman. Her first live-action leading role on the big screen highlights all the glorious contradictions and delights of the character  shes a paragon of peace and beauty who can win nearly any battle she finds herself in. The film is more of a coming-of-age tale with superhero sensibilities than a straight-up action film, but nonetheless, its a pivotal entry in the action heroines history. Just like her comic counterpart, Gal Gadot carries herself with a quiet strength, curiosity, and compassion that is unlike any heroine weve seen in awhile. She isnt just bolstered by movie-star charisma  she seems to have an internal light source of her own that brings warmth and buoyancy even to films darkest terrain. The first act of the film also features a variety of women, from the fearsome Antiope, played with gusto by Robin Wright, to the formidable Artemis, played by real-life boxer Ann Wolfe. Many of the Amazons training Wonder Woman in the films early scenes are over 40, and some are also women of color. Id argue DC/Warner Bros would be wise to give them their own film. From this lens, Wonder Woman presents a number of roads for the action heroine to continue down. She can be naive or seasoned, sharp-tongued or stoic. The possibilities are endless. Lets hope filmmakers realize that.
Photo: FX Networks

Dont like commercials interrupting the chills and thrills of American Horror Story? If you get FX via Comcast cable, youll soon be able to skip annoying ads altogether. Expanding on a concept introduced earlier this summer by AMC and Comcast, the countrys top cable provider is now partnering with FX on a subscription service that allows customers the ability to watch commercial-free versions of FX series on demand at the same time said shows are airing (with ads) on FXs linear channel. Dubbed FX+ and launching September 5, the new offering differs from the similar AMC Premium in one big way: In addition to the new stuff, itll offer access to the full streaming libraries of more than a dozen past FX series, including The Shield, Nip/Tuck, Sons of Anarchy, and Rescue Me. TV nirvana wont come cheap, however.

As with AMC Premium, Comcast subscribers who want the deluxe version of FX will have to pay an extra charge  $6 per month  on top of their usual cable bill. Thats a buck more than the AMC service, but as noted, FX+ will include access to more than 1,100 episodes of library titles, while AMCs series offerings are limited to current seasons of existing shows. (AMC Premium does offer a curated selection of movies and some behind-the-scenes extras.) FX Networks CEO John Landgraf says the new platform represents the next step in building a consumer experience as good as our original programming brand, while also moving the network closer to a future in which it might be offered directly to consumers without a cable or satellite middleman. This initiative represents the first of its kind for an ad-supported cable network, and begins to put us on equal footing with premium networks and streaming services, Landgraf said.

To be clear, FX has given no formal indication that its ready to begin selling itself directly to cord-cutters and cord-nevers. Youll need to pay for a cable subscription in order to get FX+. But as with AMC Premium, this new initiative is a step toward the likely eventuality of stand-alone FX. While advertising and fees from cable providers such as Comcast remain integral to FXs business model, both revenue streams  particularly ad monies  have either been shrinking or, at least, not growing as rapidly as they once did. As consumers raised on Netflix, ad-free Hulu, and even ad-free CBS All Access grow used to TV content served up sans advertising, FX and AMC are realizing they need to find a way to supply their programming to audiences the way they want to consume it. Right now, that often means selling their shows to an Amazon, Hulu, or Netflix. This gives networks and studios a big cash infusion, but it also dilutes the networks own brand, since the streaming service becomes more identified with the show than the network on which it originally aired. FX+, because it will serve up so many hours of current and past FX content, is a bid by the network to reclaim its identity.

This wont happen all at once, however. While most of FXs past shows will be available on FX+ by early next year, right now just two of the networks current shows (American Horror Story and Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia) will have their full library of episodes available on demand. Subscribers to the new service will have to settle for current seasons only of other big hits, including Atlanta, Fargo, and American Crime Story. Thats because FX has already sold streaming/on-demand rights to those shows to various streamers. Its quite possible FX will try to get back rights to those shows, or at least figure out a way to share them with the streamers. Doing so might mean giving up a lot of revenue: Netflix, for one, pays very handsomely for streaming exclusivity. But FX clearly believes its future depends on controlling its content forever, the way HBO has for decades. And while FX+ (and AMC Premium) are not quite yet the equivalent of an HBO Now  or even a CBS All Access  theyre both significant steps toward TVs unbundled future.
Jeremy Clarkson. Photo: Jo Hale/Redferns

Amazons The Grand Tour seems to be fighting against some sort of curse from the heavens. This Friday, co-host Jeremy Clarkson was admitted to the hospital while on a family vacation in Mallorca. On Sunday, the former Top Gear host revealed that he has been diagnosed with pneumonia, noting that Ill be out of action for quite some time apparently. Its really really annoying because Ive never had one day off work since I started in 1978.

According to Deadline, production had already begun on season two of Amazons auto series, and Clarkson was supposed to return to shooting next week. Earlier this year, his co-host Richard Hammond was hospitalized after a car crash in Switzerland, though he claimed that would not significantly affect the shows shooting schedule. As Hammond and Grand Tours third host James May poked fun at Clarkson on social media, Clarkson shared a photo of May, the only functioning member of the Grand Tour team right now. God help us.
By PTI: Colombo, Aug 7 (PTI) Sri Lankan police today claimed that they have arrested the leader of a group in Tamil-dominated Jaffna blamed for the increasings incidents of gang violence in the north.

The Terrorist Investigation Division (TD) said at least 6 of them have been arrested three each from Jaffna and Colombo. Among them is Nisha Victor who is believed to be the leader of the group known as the Ava Group.

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They have been blamed a series of sword attacks including the hacking of two policemen in Jaffna last week.

Police chief Pujith Jayasundera said that police would crackdown on the group with increased patrolling as the LTTE in their formative years had carried out similar violent attacks. PTI Corr NSA

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The Union government during the last hearing of the cases challenging the article in SC on July 17 had let the cat out by opening it to interpretation and had referred it to a larger bench for the purpose.

By Siddhartha Rai: The special status of Jammu and Kashmir is under siege now. The backbone of the privileges that the "permanent residents" - which is but a small affluent section - of the state might be decided upon as petitions challenging Article 35A, called the soul of Article 370, come up for hearing on August 14.

The Union government during the last hearing of the cases challenging the article in SC on July 17 had let the cat out by opening it to interpretation and had referred it to a larger bench for the purpose. The Attorney General said "a conscious decision has been taken not to file any counter-affidavit in this case, because the issues which are raised for adjudication, are pure questions of law".

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Also, the order said: "Post for hearing before a three Judge Division Bench, after six weeks, for final disposal." The fine print which is politically operative and significant is that the government refrained from filing any answer in the matter. "On July 17, both petitions, one from 'We the Citizens' and the other from the 'Jammu Kashmir Study Circle' had come up for hearing on July 17.

The Union through AG said there was no need to file a counter-affidavit as this pertained only to interpretation of the law. It was referred to a larger three-judge bench. Charu Wali Khanna belongs to J&K and has filed a petition challenging Article 35A and section 6 of the state Constitution.

This came up in the court of Deepak Misra. "We told the court about the July 17 order. The court then posted it for July 14 and SG is to review if this case also pertains to our case," said advocate Sanjay Tyagi, representing JKSC. The case is going to come before the new Chief Justice of India, Justice Deepak Mishra.

"An affidavit or counter-affidavit filed by government can become controversial. But when the AG, as the first law officer of the government argues a case of legal interpretation, he or she might present a legal point which might go against the thumb-rule that any government upholds any statute," said a JKSC functionary.

Therefore, the right wing is quite hopeful that they will land a favourable judgment. JKSC is a Delhi-based think tank and is close to the RSS.

"Article 35A is the cornerstone of discrimination in Jammu and Kashmir. It was added to the Constitution of India through an Executive Order. It was a constitutional amendment signed straight away by the President in 1954 without the knowledge of Parliament, which has the sole right to amend the Constitution. It was a fraud that Jawaharlal Nehru pulled on the people of India." media director of JKSC Abha Khanna told Mail Today.

ALSO READ:

Why Farooq Abdullah is angry over Article 35A and how it will impact special status of Kashmir

How 2 PILs are helping RSS agenda of Uniform Civil Code, Article 370

WATCH: Serious ramifications if J-K special status is tinkered: Mehbooba Mufti

--- ENDS ---

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Schalan Mohtares

December 16, 1961 - August 4, 2017

Schalan Mohtares, 55, of Dallas, died Friday, August 4, 2017, at her residence. Services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, August 9, at Cook-Gerngross-Green-Patterson Funeral Home in Rosebud, with the Rev. Brett Horvath officiating. Burial will follow in Powers Chapel Cemetery near Rosebud. Visitation will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, August 9.

Mrs. Mohtares was born on December 16, 1961, in Amarillo, to Harrell and Mattie Lynch Kessner. She grew up in Robinson and graduated from Robinson High School and McLennan Community College. She worked as a legal assistant in Dallas.

She was preceded in death by her father.

She is survived by one son, Dimitri Mohtares of Dallas; one daughter, Kaela Thurman and husband, Jason, of Liberty Hill; her mother, Mattie Kessner of Mound; grandmother, Ruby Lynch of Rosebud; two sisters, Marla York of Belton, and Kara Lin Kessner of Waco; and one grandchild, Lane Thurman.
Howard Lee Smith

February 13, 1928 - August 5, 2017

Dr. Howard Lee "H.L." Smith, M.D., F.A.C.S., of Marlin, Texas passed away on Saturday, August 5, 2017, he was 89 years old.Known to many as of his friends as "H.L." Dr. Smith was born in Marlin, Texas, on the 13th of February, 1928, and was the only son of Dr. Howard Owen Smith, Jr., of Hamilton, Texas, and Mary Ashley Smith (nee Lee) of Galveston, Texas.

H.L. graduated from Marlin High School with the class of 1944. In the autumn of that year, he matriculated with the class of 1948-B to the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, where he graduated Bachelor of Science (pre-med) on the 8th of June, 1948, and received his commission in the Army Reserves as a Second Lieutenant.

Howard Lee was accepted to Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore, Maryland earning his MD in 1952; he went on to complete his residency and training as a general surgeon at the University of Michigan's Medical School in Ann Arbor.

His inherent sense of duty, coupled with the promise of a position on the staff of the Torbett Hospital brought him back to Marlin, in 1957, where he had the opportunity to work alongside his father. He eventually became Torbett's Chief of Staff and served in that capacity some thirty years before joining the Veterans' Administration Hospital in 1988, practicing in Marlin and Waco until his retirement in 2008.H.L. was a man of many talents and was passionate for a multitude of hobbies. Generations of Marlin youth were entertained by "Howard the Magician" at birthday parties and hospital beds. He raced S.C.C.A. during the late fifties and early sixties, driving in and winning dozens of events in his Triumph TR3-A, Lotus 11 and Lola MK1. He was an active water skier and could still slalom well into his seventies. He lived for his annual trips to Aspen, Co and carving those long - sweeping turns on blue runs as recently as 2007. He earned his pilots certificate in 1948 in a Piper J-3 Cub and would eventually become a certified flight instructor who taught many in the local area to fly and imbued them with a passion for aviation. Howard Lee owned and operated his own aircraft, a 1967 Mooney and was still flying around 100 hours a year until 2013.

Howard Lee is survived by his "long-suffering wife" (joking of course) Patricia Ann Smith (nee Thomas) of Palestine, Texas; and their two sons, Michael Owen and his wife, Tina, of Conroe, Texas, and Thomas Albert and and his wife, Andrea, of Hastings, Michigan.Dad had five beautiful grandchildren: Cora Ashley, Cannon Lee, Xoe Beatrix, Thomas Jackson "T.J.", and Gus Ulysses. H.L. and Pat were married on June 9, 1962, and recently celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 9, at St. John's Episcopal Church in Marlin, Texas, with a "Celebration of Life" following at The Palace Theatre, Marlin.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to the Marlin Palace Theatre and/or St. John's Episcopal Church.
A fresh plea has been filed on the ground that the provisions under Article 35A were discriminatory towards women natives of the state.

By Harish V Nair: The debate on validity of Article 35A of the Constitution, which confers special status to Jammu and Kashmir, is set to get louder. Three weeks after the Modi government told the Supreme Court, in regard to two petitions seeking scrapping of the clause, that it wanted a "larger debate" on the issue, a fresh plea has been filed on the ground that the provisions under Article 35A were discriminatory towards women natives of the state.

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Petitioner Charu Wali Khanna, a Supreme Court lawyer and a native of Kashmir, stated: "Article 14 of Constitution gives a fundamental right to equality before law. But 35 A is heavily loaded in favour of males because even after marriage to women from outside they will not lose the right of being permanent residents.

DISCRIMINATORY WOMEN

A woman from outside the state shall became a permanent resident on marrying a male permanent resident of the state but a daughter who is born state subject will loss the right on marrying an outsider.

Married out of her caste and settled outside the state, Wali Khanna became a non-permanent resident. "Despite being a Kashmiri Pandit by birth, the state does not recognise me as its citizen," Wali Khanna told Mail Today.

"I desired to build a home in Jammu and Kashmir in order to re-discover my roots but I was barred by the peculiar, discriminatory law in doing so," she said. "Unreasonable classification between males and females and between females and females is against the spirit of Article 14 of the Constitution."

NON-PERMANENT RESIDENTS DENIED RIGHTS

Article 35A allows the Jammu and Kashmir legislature to define the list of 'permanent residents' of the state, who are eligible to vote, work for the state government, own land, secure, public employment and college admissions etc. Non-permanent residents are denied all these rights.

Wali Khanna contended that the rules restricted the basic right of a Kashmiri woman to marry a man of her choice by not giving her children any right to property if the husband is not holding a Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC). "Even the children of such a couple are also denied a permanent resident certificate - thereby considering them illegitimate," she said.

Wali Khanna also argued that Article 35A can be struck down on the sole ground that it was incorporated in the Indian Constitution through a Presidential Order on May 14, 1954, bypassing Parliament. She has challenged the notification dated April 20, 1927 issued by the Maharaja Bahadur of Kashmir. "Look at the irony. I can work and buy property anywhere in India, in fact the world, except in Jammu and Kashmir to which me and my ancestors belonged to," she said.

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A bench of justices Dipak Misra and A M Khanwilkar sought the Centre's view and kept the petition for detailed hearing on August 14. The BJP in its election manifesto had promised to scrap or at least dilute the special status to the state given under Article 35 A.

The RSS too favours abolition of the special status to change the state's demographics. A petition in this regard filed by RSS-backed think tank called the Jammu and Kashmir Study Centre is already pending in the SC. The RSS has termed the Article a recipe to several conflicts.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, on the other hand, has said that those seeking a debate on the special status accorded to J&K were "playing with fire" as the issue is linked to the state's accession to India.

"How can you debate special status of Jammu and Kashmir without debating accession? You can't. They are two sides of the same coin. J&K acceded to India on the special status that was granted to it," Omar had said.

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ALSO READ:

Why Farooq Abdullah is angry over Article 35A and how it will impact special status of Kashmir

How 2 PILs are helping RSS agenda of Uniform Civil Code, Article 370

WATCH: Serious ramifications if J-K special status is tinkered: Mehbooba Mufti

--- ENDS ---
Archie Wayne Watley Sr., age 70, of McGregor, Texas, passed away August 4, 2017, at St. Catherine's surrounded by family. Funeral services will be 1 p.m., Wednesday, August 9, at the First United Methodist Church in Clifton, Texas. Interment will follow at Oswald Cemetery with full military honors under the direction of Foss Funeral Home and Cremation Center.
Another fantastic AirVenture Oshkosh is in the books, and 2017 broke a number of records according to the EAA. For starters, the attendance was at an all-time high for the show, with roughly 590,000 people visiting, but we will let the EAAs press release speak to those details. AirshowStuff.com has kindly provided photos and video to allow those who did not attend AirVenture. Enjoy!

AirVenture never fails to bring rare and even unique acts and events, and so it was this year as well. For warbird enthusiasts, perhaps the biggest of these was the long-anticipated Boeing B-29 Superfortress formation flight between the Commemorative Air Forces B-29 FIFI and Docs Friends B-29 Doc. After a week practicing formation flying together, the two iconic bombers performed a majestic formation pass right in front of the crowd on the Saturday. History was made!

Another historic flight that probably hasnt happened in the USA since the 1940s was the glorious three-ship Bell P-63 Kingcobra formation. It would have been a Cobra four-ship, but unfortunately the CAFs P-39 had mechanical issues and couldnt join the other three Bell fighters. The Kingcobra Flight comprised the CAF Dixie Wings recently restored P-63A (piloted by Mark Todd), John Bagleys P-63C-5 and the Kingcobra from the CAF P-63F Sponsor Group (piloted by Craig Hutain). The P-39Q flew only on Wednesday for a photo mission with the other two CAF Kingcobras. The airplane is operated by the CAF Central Texas Wing.

Lt Col Dick Cole, the last living veteran of the famed Doolittle Raiders mission of April 1942 was on hand at Oshkosh to help celebrate the missions 75th anniversary. As part of the commemoration, a significant number of North American B-25 Mitchell bombers, the type used in the Doolittle Raid, were also in attendance at AirVenture. On Wednesday at least nine Mitchells parked on Warbird Alley, arranged in a specific pattern to resemble the way they would have been placed on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet back in 1942. Lt Col Cole waved at each crew as the bombers taxied by on their way to the runway for the air show act representing the raid.

It really was a fantastic year for warbirds specifically

From the EAAs press release EAA Chairman Jack Pelton stated, What an incredible year it was at Oshkosh. From the U.S. Navy Blue Angels and Apollo reunion, to new aviation innovations on display and two B-29s flying formation as part of 75 years of bombers on parade, it was a week filled with OnIy at Oshkosh moments. You could feel the energy as thousands of airplanes arrived early and stayed longer, pushing aircraft camping to capacity for most of the event. The aviators and enthusiasts who attended were engaged, eager, and passionate, demonstrating how Oshkosh is the best example of why general aviation is so vitally important to the country. I believe its the best AirVenture week that Ive ever seen.

The number of visitors, approximately 590,000, is an increase of five percent over 2016. Pelton remarked,The combination of our features and attractions, along with great weather for six of the seven days, made for an excellent week. That kind of success also created challenges in parking, camping and traffic, but Im proud of the determination and ingenuity of our 5,000 volunteers who rose to tackle those difficulties and create an event where unforgettable aviation experiences can happen.

More than 10,000 aircraft arrived at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin. At Wittman alone, there were 17,223 aircraft operations in the 10-day period from July 21-30, which is an average of approximately 123 takeoffs/landings per hour.

The total number of aircraft visiting the venue was 2,991 (up 5 percent over 2016)  this included 1,107 homebuilt aircraft (second straight year over 1,100), 1,162 vintage airplanes (up 12 percent), 351 warbirds, 168 ultralights and light-sport aircraft, 79 seaplanes, 54 rotorcraft, 60 aerobatic aircraft, and 10 hot air balloons.

More than 11,600 sites in aircraft and drive-in camping accounted for an estimated 40,000 visitors throughout the week.

Commercial exhibitors: 881.

Forums and Workshops: A total of 1,050 sessions attended by more than 75,000 people.

Social Media, Internet and Mobile: More than 15.4 million people were reached by EAAs social media channels during AirVenture (double the 2016 total); EAA AirVenture app had 1.7 million screen views; EAA video clips during the event were viewed 2.1 million times; and EAAs 1,900 photo uploads were viewed more than 9.8 million times. Also, EAA web streams were accessed more than 500,000 times by viewers in 192 countries, who watched more than 110,000 hours of activities from the AirVenture grounds.

Guests registered at International Visitors Tent: A record 2,527 visitors registered from a record-tying 80 nations. (Additional unregistered international visitor counts push the total higher.) Top countries represented by registered visitors: Canada (583 visitors), Australia (346), and South Africa (204).

Media: 906 media representatives on-site, from six continents.

Whats ahead for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018 (July 23-29, 2018)? Comment from Pelton:

q Were already talking to people about the possibilities for 2018 in all areas, from aircraft anniversaries to new technology and innovations. We saw new programs, such as the Twilight Flight Fest following the afternoon air show, attract big crowds and show a bright future. Well be announcing these features and attractions as they are finalized. Were also going to continue working hard on the visitor experience to maintain EAAs high standards. Were excited for the future and whats ahead for next year!

Here are more photos and videos provide by Scott Slocum, UFlyTV, Ryan Sundheimer and AirshowStuff.com

Bomber Parade! B-2/B-1/B-52/B-29/B-17/B-25 Formation Flybys  EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017





WWII Fighters Formation and Solo Flybys  EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017

USAF Heritage Flight (F35/A-10/P-51s) and Missing Man for Vlado Lenoch  EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2017



More photos

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One of the supreme acts of corporate sacrifice went unnoticed last month, when Qantas chairman, Leigh Clifford, handed in his resignation as a board member of Equestrian Australia.

Barely a year after joining the board, Clifford found that "his existing commitments, in particular as chair of Qantas," had prevented him from devoting the time required to his new gig.

Qantas chairman Leigh Clifford and Alan Joyce. Credit:Quinn Rooney

But let's face it. It had been a big year with the Rio Olympics, and then the world class post-Olympics slanging match with John Coates, head of the Qantas-sponsored AOC.

Given Qantas is Clifford's only ASX-listed board role, CBD thought it sent out a wonderful message to other corporate titans who collect board seats like a kid collecting show bags at the Easter Show.
Here's how your favourite TV stars are going to celebrate Raksha Bandhan today.

By India Today Web Desk: It is Raksha Bandhan aka Rakhi today, the Hindu festival that celebrates the bond of a brother and sister. While everyone is gearing up for the big day, your favourite television stars are equally excited about this special day.

Suyyash Rai

Darkness and then LIGHT AND ONLY LIGHT ??? #lifesgood #gratitude Outfit by : @mr.special.6548 A post shared by Suyyash Ranjana Rai (@suyyashrai) on Jun 25, 2017 at 2:15am PDT

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Suyyash, who is currently seen in Sony TV's controversial show Pehredaar Piya Ki, recently revealed what important meaning Rakhi holds for him.

"My sister is very special to me. She is my life line. We do'nt need a specific day to celebrate but we enjoy every day and occasion together. For Rakhi we surprise each other and spend some good time with each other. Rakhi for me is family time."

Aneri Vajani

God Gives Us Only Wht We Can Handle, Apparently God Thinks Im A Bad Ass ;)! A post shared by Aneri Vajani (@vajanianeri) on Jul 12, 2017 at 9:45am PDT

Aneri, currently wowing everyone with her performance on Beyhadh, also spilled the beans about her plans for the day.

"My brother has shifted to Delhi recently. So he is coming home for Rakhi celebrations. We are going to enjoy the occasion with cousins."

Tejasswi Prakash

And one day she discovered that she was fierce, and strong and full of fire, and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears #fearless A post shared by tejasswi Prakash (@tejasswiprakash) on Jul 11, 2017 at 7:49am PDT

The actress, currently playing the female lead in Pehredaar Piya Ki, said, "For me, Rakhi is family time, my brother Pratik owns me for the day, we enjoy together, from eating food to shopping and surprising each other, we do everything together. Every Rakhi we make good memories, and we will continue with the tradition this year too.

Karan Veer Mehra

Ready from boot to Voot ... A post shared by KaranVeerMehra (@karanveermehra) on Oct 3, 2016 at 7:26am PDT

The TV, Biwi, Aur Main actor said that his younger sister has always been his partner in crime, and that he plans to treat her with a special gift this Rakhi:

"I still so vividly remember the day she was born, I was 4 years old then. I was asked to hold her in my arms. I was not ready to let go of her. Later in life I was told that I am the elder brother, the one who protects. But believe me, she is my elder brother, friend, partner in crime, and mother, if need be. She is the one who always protects me. On Rakhi, she buys me a gift and I am so mean that I always forget to buy her one. But this year I promise to buy her a real good gift."

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Manu Punjabi

Men in red.. Main manU hooN A post shared by Manu Punjabi (@manupunjabim3) on Jul 18, 2017 at 5:26am PDT

The Bigg Boss 10 finalist said that he will be celebrating the festival by spending the entire day with his sisters.

"For the occasion of Rakhi I'm visiting my sister's place and spending good time with her. She owns a very big place in my heart. Before I ask something for myself from God I always pray to keep her happy, blessed and fulfilled."

Also read: Suyyash Rai defends his show Pehredaar Piya Ki after Karan Wahi slams it on social media

--- ENDS ---
Tending to our financial affairs had been neglected on the household to-do list for too long. As the parents of three small children, we could put it off no longer: we found an independent financial adviser.

The task, sadly, wasn't finding a high-yield investment opportunity for excess funds. (You may recall I have written previously about the eye-watering sums we have forked out for childcare over the years so "excess funds" is something of an anomaly around these parts.)

Our objective was modest and critical. We wanted to review our respective super accounts, and ensure we had adequate insurance in the case of death, injury or loss of income.

Contemplating these scenarios is bleak, but it's bleaker still to imagine financial distress compounding any ordeal.
In the past we've heard of state police concerns that individuals involved in serious and organised crime were regularly travelling under assumed identities. This made it difficult for police to adequately investigate the movement of persons of interest.

At the moment Australia's domestic air passengers aren't required to show photo identification in order to check in and board an aircraft.

At the moment Australia's domestic air passengers aren't required to show photo identification to check in and board an aircraft. Credit:AAP

Mr Turnbull last week said the government had to be "constantly upgrading and improving our security services". Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has backed photo ID checks, as has the Australian Airline Pilots Association.

There's been serious discussion among senior government figures that travellers could be forced to show photo identification before boarding domestic flights.

It's not clear if any proposed identity checks should be undertaken by a government official, or perhaps if you don't have photo identification travellers might be required to sign a statutory declaration confirming their identity.

To date we haven't seen any real cost benefit analysis that would support such a measure. It's hard to see how such a measure would deter a terrorist, although it may assist in tracking one after any security incident; arguably this could be done using video camera footage from airports. It's a requirement that obviously isn't likely to worry a suicide bomber.

For the police, having passengers present photo identification may assist in tracking criminals across state borders rather than contribute directly to enhancing aviation safety. If it's warranted for planes, what about interstate buses and rail as well? For these benefits to be realised, connectivity between airline check in staff and police and security databases will need to be achieved.

But photo identification won't really help identify people who want to hide their true identity. Such a measure may in fact only encourage a greater trade in bogus identification documents and so expand the capabilities of organised criminals or wannabe jihadis.

The measure will be of only limited benefit for law enforcement and almost no benefit for aviation safety and security. It will, however, introduce additional delays at airports and so add to the inconvenience of travellers.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's calling of an emergency party room meeting today says a lot about the state of Australian politics. The meeting is not in response to an economic crisis or national security threat, but how to respond to community support in favour of same-sex marriage. The task of achieving this reform has somehow tied the government in knots.

Party room meetings on same-sex marriage have not been kind to the Coalition, or conducive to making good policy. The last major discussion produced the idea of holding a plebiscite. This is despite a plebiscite being unnecessary and wasteful of tens of millions of taxpayers' dollars. In addition, no other group in the community has been forced to have their right to equality endorsed by a national vote.

Any move to hold a postal vote on same-sex marriage is likely to be challenged in the High Court. Credit:Rohan Thomson

The only explicable reason for the government's plebiscite policy is to frustrate the move to same-sex marriage. In this, the evidence shows that it has been a remarkable success. No group of conservative politicians from a like country has been as effective. The Coalition came into office in 2013, and from that year same-sex marriage has been recognised in a raft of nations including New Zealand, France, Brazil, Uruguay, the UK, Finland, Ireland, the US and Germany.

The plebiscite policy has delayed the recognition of same-sex marriage in Australia, but it has also thrown up intolerable tensions within the Coalition. It is not a plausible path to achieving change, and runs counter to parliamentary traditions. Coalition MPs have understandably pushed for an ordinary vote in parliament.
Universities would be hit with $1.2 billion in funding cuts under the Turnbull government's higher education changes, with new data showing some institutions are set to lose up to $57 million over the next four years.

The figures, compiled by peak body Universities Australia, provide the first breakdown of how each university in the country would be affected over the budget forward estimates if the government's proposals pass the Senate.

The University of Melbourne is the top-ranked Australian university with an overall rank of 32, followed by the Australian National University at 48. Credit:Louie Douvis

NSW universities would lose $341 million in base funding between 2018 and 2021 while Victorian universities would lose $294 million.

The cuts would hit universities already in deficit and those with large numbers of disadvantaged students as well as the elite sandstone universities in Sydney and Melbourne.
"I was scared of him. If I ever was not obedient he would threaten to take my kids away. I was scared of being humiliated. "It was hell for 16 years." Ms Jaffar now supports migrant women as a case worker at the Community Migrant Resource Centre in Parramatta. Shame, secrecy, silence and fear were keeping many new migrant women in the dark about their own sexual and reproductive health, found a recent study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior. Cultural and religious beliefs were major barriers to many women accessing health services, warned the researchers who held focus groups with 169 single, married, divorced and widowed women who arrived in Australia or Canada from Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, India and Latin America within the past six years.

Migrant and refugee women had higher rates of sexual health problems, said lead researcher Professor Jane Ussher at Western Sydney University's Translational Health Research Institute. "Many of the women in the focus groups were not allowed to talk or even think about sex before marriage," said Professor Ussher of the study participants, who were aged between 18 to 70 years old and of various religions including Islam (66 per cent), Christianity (20 per cent), Hinduism (7 per cent), Sikhism (2 per cent), and Buddhism (1 per cent). A woman who spoke about sex was tarred as a "whore", "vulgar", or "not a good girl", several women told their focus groups. "Any knowledge that these women have about sexual health issues is often pieced together from female friends, relatives and the media," Professor Ussher said. Their wedding night was often a frightening experience; one Iraqi woman said: "I thought he was doing the wrong things, and I started screaming."

"After the first night, I felt like running back home to my mother," a Tamil woman said. Professor Ussher said there was "a lot of shame around sex and very little knowledge about sexual desire". "They either had no experienced desire or if they had they were not allowed to express it," she said. The exceptions were some Islamic women, whose beliefs dictated a husband must please his wife, but women were still not permitted to ask for sex. Pain and discomfort was a common complaint, but the women felt they could not tell their husbands or stop the encounters.

"I hurts every time," one Afghani woman said. A Sudanese participant said: "I have to keep quiet. In my culture it's shame to talk about this pain, it is considered a normal [part] of having sex." Many said they felt they had no consensual rights and couldn't say no "because God or the angel would punish them", Professor Ussher said. Several women said they were shocked and frightened when they got their first period, thinking they were sick, injured, or they were being punished for some unknown wrongdoing. "I thought I must have ripped something in my belly," one Afghani woman said.

A Somali woman said: "I couldn't look at my father and mother faces [sic]." Many women felt too ashamed to use contraception or feared the contraceptive pill would cause cancer or make them permanently infertile. They had very little knowledge about cervical cancer, or the need for cervical screening. Some believed a pap smear would affect their virginity, and the human papillomavirus vaccine was not considered important for young women. Most women had never heard of STIs except for HIV/AIDS and believed if they were faithful to their husbands they would be safe from infection.

Despite many participants reporting having had urinary tract and yeast infections, they avoided or put off seeing a doctor because they did not know they should and, instead, used home remedies or put their health in the hands of fate or God's will. Many women were too shy to seek out additional information, and there was a lot of fear around talking to health professionals and not knowing what they could offer. Sexual rebellion But several women had found ways to resist control and embrace their sexuality in subtle ways. When they were in the mood, they would put on perfume and acceptably alluring clothing, Professor Ussher said.
Flying cars could be one step closer thanks to a study on dark matter and energy conducted by Australian and international scientists.

The researchers were part of an international team that included 400 scientists across six continents.

This Hubble Space Telescope composite image shows a ghostly "ring" of dark matter in the galaxy cluster. Credit:NASA/ESA

The Dark Energy Survey led to the creation of the most accurate map of universe and supported the theory that 26 per cent of the universe was dark matter and energy.

Dark matter has never been observed and researchers only knew what it was not, but the theory of its existence would explain anomalies which have puzzled scientists.
London: A British model has described how she was drugged, handcuffed, gagged and put in a bag in the boot of a car by kidnappers who then tried to sell her as a sex slave in an online auction.

Chloe Ayling, 20, has given an account of her week-long ordeal after she was taken by balaclava-clad men and chained to a chest of drawers in a remote Italian farmhouse.

As she returned to Britain on Sunday, Miss Ayling, who works as a glamour model and has posed for page three in a tabloid newspaper, said that she feared for her life "second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour".

Her captors claimed to be part of an online organisation called "Black Death" and threatened to sell her on the "deep web" if her agent failed to pay a ransom of $US300,000 ($350,000).
By PTI: Agartala, Aug 7 (PTI) The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has taken up with Bangladesh for laying a pipeline for carrying natural gas from Chittagong to Tripura to meet the crisis of cooking gas (LPG) in the North-eastern region, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said today.

"We are laying a pipeline for transportation of diesel from Siliguri in West Bengal to Parvatipur in Bangladesh. There is pipeline for carrying diesel from Numaligarh oil refinery in Assam to Siliguri.

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"In exchange, we have given the proposal for a gas pipeline from Chittagong to Tripura. We are pursuing the matter diplomatically and I would also visit Bangladesh soon," Pradhan told reporters here.

The pipeline if approved by the Bangladesh government would be laid by the side of the rail lines which pass near the Indo-Bangla international border, he said.

Pradhan launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana in Tripura here and distributed LPG connection to 20 below poverty line (BPL) families .

In Tripura 9.22 lakh households are having LPG connections and efforts are on to bring 100 per cent coverage in the days to come.

The Oil minister also laid the foundation for a new grassroots bottling plant here with 60 TMTPA capacity with an estimated cost of Rs 143 crore which would be completed by 2019.

Pradhan said, now about 4.5 lakh households are covered by the existing bottling plant out of total 9.22 households having LPG connection.

With the completion of the new bottling plant the capacity of supplying LPG would be doubled and most of the households would be covered, he added. PTI JOY RG

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By PTI: Karachi, Aug 7 (PTI) Pakistans Sindh Police has killed three militants and arrested four others as they were planning a major terrorist attack here, officials said today.

They were planning to bomb Jamaat Khanas (houses) of the Shia Ismaili Aga Khan community and other Imambargahs and shrines, counter-terrorism departments superintendent of police Raja Khatab said.

"The raids were conducted on intelligence inputs since Karachi has seen a rise in terrorist attacks in the city in recent times. Sleeper cells were destroyed in the raids. Three terrorists were killed in Machar Colony after they opened fire on the police," the officer said.

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He said Kalashnikovs, rifles, pistols, home-made bombs were recovered during the raids.

Police suspect that one terror group is behind the recent killing of police officials in the city.

Khatab said the terror group could have militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Jundullah group.

"They are operating under a new outfit using the name of Ansar al-Sharia," he said.

Senior police official Sanaullah Abbasi had said that this group comprises educated and media-savvy individuals.

Police said that they were equally concerned, not only with their targeting of police officials, but also with winning public perception and de-legitimising the state.

According to Abbasi, the outlawed TTP has established at least five different groups in the country to carry out terror attacks. PTI CORR CPS

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The World Customs Organization (WCO) and UNCTAD embarked on a joint mission to Liberia, as part of a pilot to implement a Performance Measurement system, jointly funded by UNCTAD and the WCO-Norad Customs Capacity Building Project.

The mission, which was conducted in Monrovia, 19-23 June 2017, was the final in the programme of support. A WCO expert in performance measurement assessed the impact of the implementation of the ASYCUDA Performance Measurement Module (ASYPM), namely the utilization of the performance management system on the strategic performance indicators identified during the previously conducted pilot. The WCO expert also observed and assessed the communication and effectiveness of the monthly management meetings to discuss and make decisions based on these indicators.

Thanks to figures produced through the performance measurement system, some administrative decisions have been taken by the commissioner of customs, including the change of certain procedures. In addition, the transparency due to the system has reduced the asymmetry of information between the senior staff and the grassroots officers. The results are notable improvements in revenue collection, the dwell time and elimination of some bad practices.

The WCO-Norad Customs Capacity Building Project 2012-17 aims at delivering technical assistance to seven countries: Timor-Leste, Liberia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Tanzania and Vietnam. For more information, please contact the Project Manager, Ms. Andrea Hampton (Andrea.Hampton@wcoomd.org)
The third Policy Dialogue between the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was held on 2 August 2017 at JICA headquarters in Tokyo. WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya expressed his appreciation for JICA's support in organizing the Global Conference on Transit held in July 2017 at WCO headquarters. JICA President Shinichi Kitaoka welcomed the cooperation between the two Organizations, given the important role played by Customs in economic development. They reviewed and welcomed progress with the WCO-JICA joint project launched in July 2016 and which aims to support trade facilitation in Africa, including the implementation of One Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) and other capacity building initiatives along the various trade corridors in Africa.

On the same day, Secretary General Mikuriya also gave a special lecture to the WCO scholars from ten different countries studying strategic management and intellectual property rights at Aoyama Gakuin University (AGU). His lecture focused on the WCO priorities addressed at the Organizations recent Council Sessions. During the discussions which followed, Dr. Mikuriya answered questions and listened to comments by the scholars. He made frequent reference to the situation in the WCO scholars respective countries, while explaining the WCOs contribution to promotion of information exchange and to implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement. He also touched on the scope of WCO instruments, the role of Customs in the development and management of Single Window, and issues related to e-commerce and protection of cultural heritage. On behalf of the Faculty, the Dean of AGUs School of Business, Dr. Yumiko Mimura, expressed her appreciation for Dr. Mikuriyas intervention. In turn, Dr. Mikuriya commended the initiative taken by AGU to provide Customs officials from developing countries with an opportunity to pursue Masters level studies in Strategic Management and Intellectual Property Rights.
At the invitation of the African Union (AU), the WCO participated in the 4th AU Customs Technical Working Group Meeting on Interconnectivity of Computerized Customs Clearance Systems that was held under the Chair of Zimbabwe from 31 July to 2 August 2017, in Yaounde, Cameroon. Member participants were Cameroon, Comoros, Cote DIvoire, Ghana, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Togo and Zimbabwe. The following regional economic communities (RECs) and International Organizations also participated in the workshop: East African Community (EAC), Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), African Alliance for Electronic Commerce (AAEC), the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the WCO Regional Office for Capacity Building for Eastern and Southern Africa (ROCB ESA).

In his opening remarks, Mr. FONGOD Edwin NUVAGA, Director General of Cameroon Customs, laid emphasis on the topic and stakes of interconnectivity of computerized Customs systems in the continent and recalled that trade-related hurdles could be efficiently eliminated through increased computerization, an indisputable guarantor of speed, transparency, security and prosperity.

The WCO made a presentation on the interconnectivity of Customs IT Systems and associated standards for the exchange of information, outlining strategic imperatives and key enablers including, for example, legal framework, business process mapping, data harmonization and protection, technical and semantic interoperability, and governance structure. He explained related WCO tools, in particular the SAFE Framework of Standards; Digital Customs; Globally Networked Customs; WCO Data Model and Single Window environment as well as ongoing work together with some good working initiatives in the area of paperless trade interconnectivity, leading to regional integration.

Responding to comments and observations from delegates, the WCO assured the meeting of its continued support based on members national and regional needs including the easy accessibility to all WCO instruments and tools. He also invited delegates to participate in the relevant WCO meetings, especially the Data Model Projects Team and Information Management Sub-Committee. It was suggested to enhance collaboration with RECs and the AUC in providing targeted support to respective Membership on the implementation of interconnectivity and other WCO instruments such as the WCO Data Model by leveraging synergies.

In addition to the IT experts from the Members States of the AU, representatives from the AAEC, EAC, ECCAS, ECOWAS, and IGAD also shared their perspective and work being done by them at this Meeting.

Based on the discussions and inputs shared by delegates, the Meeting reviewed the Roadmap and Strategy on Interconnectivity of Computerized Customs Clearance Information Systems in Africa with a goal of achieving full interconnectivity by 2025 through a 4-phased approach.

This Meeting made a good progress in consolidating the ongoing work with a clear roadmap and well-defined roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders including the expectations from the WCO. The WCO is committed to providing all necessary support going forward.
Following the National Mercator Plan for Zimbabwe, designed to provide multi-year, interactive and results-oriented capacity building support to enable effective implementation of the WTOs Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA), the WCO facilitated a workshop to strengthen the Zimbabwe Revenue Authoritys (ZIMRA) capacities on Post Clearance Audit (PCA). The workshop was held in Harare on the 24 to 28 July 2017 and was delivered in the framework of the HMRC-WCO-UNCTAD Programme, financially supported by the Government of the United Kingdom through Her Majestys Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

In total 15 representatives from various PCA regions and other Customs units including Risk Management and Enforcement teams, participated in the workshop. The participants were introduced to the WCO PCA concept of measuring and improving compliance and gained an increased understanding of the importance of PCA as an integrated part of customs Risk Management strategy and processes, in order to increase efficiency of controls and promote trade facilitation. The workshop also provided an opportunity for participants to practically implement PCA using a system based audit approach focusing on targeting methodologies, sampling selection, data and information gathering methods. Through role plays and case studies examples, participants were able to practice interview techniques to better understand auditable business processes and systems used by large multinationals.

The workshop also included a fruitful discussion with the PCA management of ZIMRA around developing an action plan to assist the Administration in enhancing their PCA function. The participants showed willingness to continue improving their skills and understanding of PCA techniques in line with the WCO Guidelines and international best practices. The WCO looks forward to continuing its collaboration with Zimbabwe in line with the tailor-made track of the Mercator Programme.
Naidu today offered prayers at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala, which he has been visiting since he was thirteen.

Venkaiah Naidu with his wife after offering prayers at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala of Andhra Pradesh.

By Ashish Pandey: Vice President elect M Venkaiah Naidu today offered prayers at the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala of Andhra Pradesh.

"I hail from a farmer's family. It is because of the love of the people and the benign blessings of Lord Venkateswara that I have become the Vice President of the country today. I will begin a new chapter as I take over the august post, which is the second highest position of the Indian constitution," said an elated Naidu while offering prayers to Lord Venkateswara.

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He was accompanied by his family and stayed at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) guest house on the hills on Sunday.

Naidu also offered prayers at Vedasirvachanam in Ranganayakula Mandapam.

I have been visiting the Tirumala temple since I was in class 8. Everything that I have attained in my life is with the blessings of Lord Venkateswara. I get new energy and inspiration each time I offer prayers here," said Naidu while addressing the media outside the temple.

Vice President elect Venkaiah Naidu offering prayers to Lord Venkateswara.

Venkaiah Naidu thanked everyone who supported him and said he loves to be with the people. "Even after I assume charge as the Vice President of India, I will try to reach out to the people as per protocol. I prayed to the almighty for nation and its people," he added.

Naidu, the NDA nominee, was on August 5 elected as India's next Vice President, receiving an overwhelming two-third votes against opposition candidate Gopalkrishna Gandhi. He secured 516 votes as against 244 got by Opposition candidate.

Naidu will take oath of his office on August 11 as the term of incumbent Hamid Ansari ends on August 10.

ALSO READ |

Venkaiah Naidu elected Vice President of India, beats Gopal Gandhi by 272 votes

Before taking oath as Vice President, Venkaiah Naidu gives new definition of INDIA

Decoding Venkaiah Naidu's easy win in vice-presidential election: Will 2019 Lok Sabha elections be a boring affair?

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The new Pakistani foreign minister on Sunday said that India had failed to respond to peace overtures made by Islamabad.

By India Today Web Desk: Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Pakistan's new foreign minister, on Sunday suggested that India was to blame for the deterioration in relations between New Delhi and Islamabad, Pakistani media reported.

Asif was speaking in Sialkot at his maiden press conference since taking charge of the Pakistan foreign ministry. Asif said that Pakistan has always wanted to have good relations with India and Afghanistan but the two countries had failed to give a "positive response" to Islamabad's peace overtures.

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"It's high time for both India and Afghanistan to come forward as good neighbours and give positive response to Pakistan's peace initiatives and end the blame game," Asif was quoted as saying by Dawn.

At the same time, Asif, who previously was in charge of defence in ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's cabinet, linked lasting peace between India and Pakistan to a resolution to the Kashmir issue.

"We know how to secure our borders, however, lasting peace can only be attained through solving the Kashmir issue," the foreign minister was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.

Asif went on to reiterate Pakistan's traditional position that Islamabad that the people of Kashmir have a right to self-determination.

ON TERRORISM

In his press conference, Asif also spoke about terrorism. Dawn reported him saying that his country was playing a crucial role in battling militants and claiming that the international community at large had shown appreciation for Pakistani efforts to combat terror.

"Pakistan has been fighting the war on terror for a long time now and the threat has decreased now owing to the great sacrifices made by the Pakistan Army," he was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.

Notably, Asif's comments on terrorism came just a day after the United States, once again, asked Pakistan to end its 'selective' support for certain terror groups. The US National Security Adviser Gen HR McMaster told American media that President Donald Trump wanted a "change in behavior" from those involved in Afghanistan, particularly Pakistan.

ALSO READ | US keeping Pakistan on safe haven of terrorists list is extension of Modi-Trump's joint statement

ALSO READ | Pakistan China's new colony? Leaked papers reveal Beijing's stake in economy, key projects

ALSO WATCH | Shahid Abbasi takes over as Pakistan's interim Prime Minister

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By Bill Hughes

Aug. 07, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY

By Bill Hughes Aug. 07, 2017 | 02:48 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Former Ballard County Judge-Executive Vickie Viniard will learn her sentence for fraud and other charges in a few months.



Viniard, who is 61, appeared before Judge Thomas B. Russell in Paducah's Federal Courtroom on Monday with her attorney, Butch Bradley. She pleaded guilty to bank fraud, wire fraud, and two counts of making false statements on loan applications.



In court, Viniard admitted that she took out five loans on behalf of the county without the permission of the Ballard County Fiscal Court, and lied to bank officials in order to get the loans approved. The loans totaled around $450,000.



Viniard was indicted in November, along with former Ballard County Treasurer Belinda Foster, who pleaded guilty in December. The borrowed money was concealed from County Magistrates by Foster, who put it back into the budget as payroll tax receipts. In court, Judge Russell made it clear that Viniard took none of the money for herself.



The maximum sentence for Viniard's charges is 110 years in jail, $1,250,000 in fines, and 5 years' supervised release. Combined, both women will have to pay at least $21,000 in restitution.



Foster's sentencing had been postponed until after Viniard's trial, but with the plea agreement, Judge Russell announced that Viniard will be sentenced on November 16 at 11 am.



Assistant U.S. Attorney Nute Bonner, who represented the government in the case, said it's possible that both women will now be sentenced at the same time.



While leaving the courthouse Viniard was asked if she was glad the ordeal was over. She nodded her head but did not speak as she and her husband walked over to friends who were waiting on the sidewalk.



Viniard was elected Ballard County Judge-Executive in November 2006 and served until she retired in June 2017. Prior to that, she served eight years as a Magistrate on the Fiscal Court.
Alec Baldwin sues to 'clear his name' in movie set death
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By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 07, 2017 | 12:24 PM | MARSHALL COUNTY, KY

A Marshall County man faces charges following a one-car wreck on Sunday.

The Marshall County Sheriff's Office says the crash occurred at the intersection of Aurora Highway and Olive Creek Road. Deputies said a vehicle driven by 31-year-old Wesley Henson, of Hardin, veered off the roadway and struck a creek bed.

Henson's passenger, Tammy Morefield, was transported by Marshall County EMS to Baptist Health Paducah for treatment of her injuries. Henson was transported to Murray Calloway County Hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Henson was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs with aggravating circumstances and 1st degree wanton endangerment. He was lodged in the Marshall County Detention Center.
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Eighty days to travel around the world is, of course, not such a feat in these times of super quick plane travel. What is a bit of a feat, however, is taking Jules Verne's complicated, 1873 story about a stuffy Englishman, colonialism, national identity and adventure - featuring 125 characters, numerous brawls and an elephant - and turning it into a two-hour stage-yarn suitable for ages 7-plus. The night I saw it there was not a twitchy bum in sight.

Much like the characters in the book itself, Theresa Heskins' production - being revived here for a UK tour - rolls up its sleeves and works with exactly what it's got. And what it's got is pure bolshie bravado, imagination and oodles of charm. Though it's hard to fill the cavernous (but beautiful) Cadogan Hall - the acoustics also aren't made for lo-fi theatre - the results are nevertheless a wonderfully warm, action-packed delight, which relies on the cast's physical prowess and a lot of silly slapstick.

Beginning with a demonstration of Phileas Fogg's boringly precise daily life, we are introduced to a London of top hat wearers and flower sellers. It's in Fogg's Reform Club that he rises to a wager that he can't travel the world in 80 days. Never one to refuse a bet, especially when he knows it's possible, Fogg sets off to prove his whist colleagues wrong with the help of his new French valet Passepartout.

The many fights are ingenious in this show. The have an air of comic book violence, using sound effects and witty physical turns to create a whole lot of choreographed, over the top spectacle. Most punches are thrown by Passepartout whose adversaries mime his blows landing in the manner of a slow-mo scene from The Matrix. With the Adam West-style 'kapows' accompany the exact movement they are an absolute giggle to watch whether you're old or young.

When Fogg and his troupe get stuck outside Bombay and are forced to ride an elephant, the beast is created with the help of nothing but some grey material draped over an actor. Turn that elephant round and the actor's tassled hat suddenly becomes dumbo's tail. There are many more DIY moments throughout this production, all of which shine with the unique nous of the company.

Michael Hugo's Passepartout is a total treat. He plays to the audience in moments that will have the kids screeching with laughter. When he is drugged in an opium den by the dastardly Inspector Fix, he calls upon the front rows to help him crawl off stage. He's fun, silly, friendly and makes the entire audience feel involved.

But all the cast pull their weight in this ensemble production, from Simi Egbejumi-David's impressive acrobatics to Andrew Pollard's remorselessly stiff upper-lipped Fogg. And this is what makes it work. Laura Eason's smart adaptation also manages to offer opportunities for a bit of a geography and history lesson without bashing us round the head with it. And even the slightly dated colonialist politics are used as a way of demonstrating how rich other cultures can be and how no-one deserves to be governed by force. It may take Phileas and his friends 80 days, but these two hours fly by.

Around the World in 80 Days runs at Cadogan Hall until 2 September and then tours the UK.
Im pretty much out of tears. I spent them on Charlie Gard, the little British boy whose parents fought like the Spartans at Thermopylae to hold back the army of brutal utilitarians who came to steal their child away. It wasnt a disease that robbed Chris Gard and Connie Yates of their baby. It was every person who, feigning compassion, argued for a swift and bloodless death. Tragic doesnt begin to describe it.

But the one good thing that pushed itself out of this bitter mess, like a tiny, green shoot between the cracks of dirty concrete, was the example of parental love we saw in Charlies mum and dad. They were unstoppable, heroic and united in a fight that would have shattered the bodies and souls of lesser creatures. We will always have that memory of them, and of their son.

The Gards were still in my mind when, skimming through the news on Tuesday, I saw the story of a woman named Erica Avila-Lopez. According to the report, Avila had abandoned her 7-month-old baby in a motel room in Bensalem, Pa. The room was filled with narcotics and drug paraphernalia, and authorities estimate that the child had been left alone for at least 20 hours.

Court records show that Avila-Lopez has a long rap sheet, including convictions for aggravated assault against a police officer, another for assault, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct, and yet another for auto theft and DUI. In this case, shes been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, possession of a controlled substance, and felony marijuana possession with intent to deliver.

When police finally caught up with her Monday, she was in a hospital. They wouldnt release her condition or the details of how she got there.

And, frankly, that last part is irrelevant. I dont really give a damn about Avila-Lopezs health. What matters is that a mother abandoned her daughter in a drug-strewn motel room for almost an entire day, and had it not been for some conscientious motel staff, that child would have still been in that room. There is a description for the sort of person who does that sort of thing, and my editors wont let me use it in this paper.

Had I not been through almost a month of watching, hoping and praying along with hundreds of thousands of people around the world for a miracle to happen in London, the story of Erica Avila-Lopez might not have produced such nausea. I might have flipped through to the next article talking about the opioid crisis and how tragic it is that we are losing so many people to drug overdoses. There have been so many of them, inviting us to feel anger at a system that forces people with drug addictions to limp along, hopelessly, along train tracks in Kensington and elsewhere in our godforsaken neighborhoods.

Ill admit Ive felt a twinge of compassion for those who found themselves addicted, without even seeing it coming, to painkillers. Ive been educated by professionals about the powerful nature of drugs such as OxyContin and the insidious way they can grab hold of your soul while youre not looking.

But Im getting a little tired of being told that anyone who feels pity for the collateral damage caused by those with addictions is mean-spirited and cruel. Facebook is fertile ground for the do-gooders who see only one victim in this scenario: the junkie. Oh, and Im not even supposed to use that word, because its dehumanizing. But when we mention the inhumane acts that these people commit against their parents, siblings, lovers, friends, employers and society at large, were told to shut up.

But this time, I dont really give a damn. This mother, who apparently cared more about a fix than about her baby, has a history of doing bad things. She is probably addicted, definitely a convicted criminal and obviously a child abuser. If were going to go after pedophiles and rapists  and, of course, we should  we have to be honest enough to call this mother who left her baby in a veritable drug den an abuser, too.

When I posted these sentiments on social media, I was happy to see that most people agreed with me. I expected a flood of comments about how we need to sympathize with the agony of the addicted and try to help them come back to civilization. Its the same story, repeated over and over again, about waiting for the prodigal sons and daughters to atone for their mistakes and come home.

The thing is, they rarely do. And if they do, its usually after theyve destroyed the lives of everyone who loved them, fought for them, prayed for them and died a little inside for them.

After I saw what Baby Charlies parents did for him, Im in no mood to feel anything but anger toward an addict who abandoned her baby in a motel room.

As I said before, my tears are all dried up.
WASHINGTON  That sound you hear is the wall of elected Republican support for Donald Trump beginning to crack.

There was Sen. Lindsey Graham warning that firing special counsel Robert Mueller would be the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency. There was Sen. Charles Grassley warning that if Attorney General Jeff Sessions were fired there is no way that the Judiciary Committee would consider a replacement this year. And there was Sen. Ben Sasse warning Trump that if he were considering a recess appointment to replace Sessions, he should forget about it. Added Sasse: The presidency isnt a bull, and this country isnt a china shop.

All of these responses to future abuses of power are important as preventive measures. But no major elected Republican has provided a comprehensive critique of Trumpism itself. Until now. Sen. Jeff Flakes new book, Conscience of a Conservative, is a white-hot indictment of Republican cowardice in the face of a hostile, ideological takeover. It also represents the single largest act of political bravery of the Trump era.

The book has gained a buzz for its, well, forthright description of Trump himself. He is guilty of erratic behavior, unmoored from principle, and a fly off the handle approach to governance. He is impulsive and lacking in coherent economic analysis. He is willing to heap praise on dictators and to speak fondly of countries that crush dissent and murder political opponents and to undermine confidence in our democratic elections.

As an author, Flake has the ability to employ language like a legal but damaging body blow. Seemingly overnight, he writes, reckless, outrageous, and undignified behavior was excused and countenanced as telling it like it is, when it was actually just reckless, outrageous and undignified. And: We degrade our politics enough as it is without turning our democracy over to carnival barkers and reality television.

I would pay to witness the next meeting between the Senate Republican caucus and Trump, just to see the interaction between Flake and the barker in chief.

Flakes ideological critique is libertarian in content (Friedrich Hayek and Barry Goldwater figure prominently) but moderate in application. He defends free trade and views globalization as a fact and an opportunity. But he actually apologizes for opposing the TARP bank bailout in 2008, a vote that he self-diagnoses as an act of cowardice.

The passion of Conscience of a Conservative, however, comes from Flakes deep, religiously rooted outrage at the dehumanization of vast groups of people based on nationality or ethnicity. This is what led him to visit a mosque in a show of solidarity when candidate Trump proposed a Muslim travel ban. This is what led Flake, during the first meeting of Senate Republicans with Trump after the election, to question Trump about his characterization of Mexican immigrants as rapists.

Flakes view of Mexican migrants was conditioned by their work  hard, reliable work  on his family ranch in Arizona. I have always said that I could never look at these migrants and consider them criminals. And the moral center of the book is the moving story of two doctors  one a Palestinian, the other an Afghan  who saved the life of Flakes father after a ruptured aorta. Neither might have been allowed into America, says Flake, had we restricted visas from countries compromised by terrorism.

Flake is a Mormon, and one explanation for the skepticism of many people of his faith about Trump is surely their focus on personal character and rectitude -areas where the president is defiantly lacking. But another is their own history as victims of persecution. Mormons, explains Flake, have had foundational and horrifying experience with some of these worst impulses of mankind and became both refugees and immigrants in our own land. And so when someone starts talking of religious tests and religious bans, we know better. ... When we say No Muslims or No Mexicans, we may as well say No Mormons. Because it is no different.

History tends to honor those who are the first to speak with moral clarity in a muddy time. Read Hubert Humphreys speech on racial equality to the 1948 Democratic convention: My friends, to those who say that we are rushing this issue of civil rights, I say to them we are 172 years late.

It was admirable to be for equality in 1964. It was courageous and visionary in 1948. Flakes party is different, but his role is comparable.
Documents show government employees alleged that their boss, Sauk Countys former highway commissioner, repeatedly misused his position to benefit himself and friends at the expense of taxpayers.

The documents, recently obtained in response to a public records request, outline the allegations that prompted a personnel investigation of Sauk County Highway Commissioner Steve Muchow.

Officials dropped the probe in April after Muchow gave notice of his intention to retire. Details of the employees complaints have remained murky until now.

The clearest summary is contained in an April 25 report that Madison accountant Marty Mathias, who specializes in fraud investigation, provided to Sauk County Administrative Coordinator Alene Kleczek Bolin. Mathias was hired to look into the matter, but he never finished his work.

The report outlines Mathias interviews with six Highway Department employees. It details allegations that Muchow repeatedly used county property for personal reasons, misrepresented financial information, manipulated bids, misused his relationships with private businesses and falsified timecards.

Muchow, who became highway commissioner in 1992, has denied any wrongdoing and said he was not aware of the investigation when he decided to retire April 27.

Personal pit

Three employees reported that the Highway Department has stored equipment and inventory, such as topsoil and gravel, at a pit Muchow owns in the town of Ironton. They said county-owned material has disappeared from the property, and they suspect Muchow may have used it himself.

A highway patrol superintendent who provided officials with a dated log of allegations said Muchow had two buildings from a decommissioned county nursing home moved to his pit in 2011.

Kleczek Bolin, the countys administrative coordinator, confirmed in a June 16 email that the buildings were indeed moved to Muchows pit, but she said the county didnt want them any more.

This does not follow the proper county procedures for disposal of unwanted property, Kleczek Bolin said. It is not property that has any value to the county.

The employees log outlines numerous other instances in which Muchow allegedly used county equipment for personal reasons, or had county employees do work for his friends.

Financial manipulation

Two employees who worked directly under Muchow and had access to financial records suspected that he manipulated financial information to keep expenses from exceeding a $30,000 limit on his purchase authority.

One employee pointed to a pickup truck Muchow purchased for his on-the-job use as an example.

County policies dictate that the Sauk County Boards five-member Highway and Parks Committee must seek approval from the full board for purchases over $30,000.

Meeting minutes show that on Jan. 11, the committee authorized Muchow to purchase the truck for just under that amount. The panel approved spending $29,525.

But expense reports show that a month later, the Highway Department paid Ewald Motors of Oconomowoc $30,154 for the Chevy Silverado.

In a June 15 phone interview, Muchow said the cost of the truck itself was under the $30,000 limit. It was after he purchased the vehicle, Muchow said, that he decided to buy a bed cover for it, and thats why reports show a higher cost.

That was a totally separate purchase, he said.

Documents show the auto dealer billed the county for the truck and the bed cover on two separate invoices. But the invoices are both dated Feb. 3 and include the same transaction number.

Misuse of vendor relations

One employee provided Mathias with documents that reportedly showed Muchow made personal purchases from a company that does business with the county. The purchases looked as though they were made for the Highway Department, but the items were to be sent to Muchows home address.

Muchow allegedly paid for the items with his personal PayPal account. However, the employee said the business provides a discount to the county, for which Muchow may have received an inappropriate benefit.

Mathias, the accountant, who declined to comment for this story, also reported that two of the invoices suggest Muchow did not pay sales tax.

In another instance, the employee alleged, Muchow contacted at least four companies that do business with the county to ask for their assistance in getting tickets to a Las Vegas NASCAR race he wanted to attend.

Bid manipulation

The same employee alleged Muchow manipulated bid processes to ensure that deals went to businesses he was friendly with.

The employee told Mathias that the county recently awarded a bid for the purchase of oil to a company that employs Muchows friend, even though it was not the low bidder. Muchow allegedly told his oversight committee that the losing bidder had liability issues regarding the transport of oil, even though that was not the case.

The losing bidder allegedly had no such issues and was never asked to comment on this when providing the bid specifications, Mathias wrote in his report.

The employee alleged the Highway Department has purchased tractors from a business owned by another Muchow friend since 2014, even though the tractors did not meet bid specifications that the losing bidders appropriately included in their bids.

One of the two employees with access to financial records described an incident in which the county took an unexplained $10,000 loss on a $50,000 batch of seal coating chips.

The chips were maintained at the business that sold them to the county. In 2014, the employee said, the county learned that $25,000 of the inventory was gone, but the business only refunded the county for $15,000 worth.

(The employee) questions why the county would have to recognize a loss for these seal chips, Mathias wrote in his report.

Another allegation included in Mathias report details an already-substantiated claim that a $136,000 budget overrun on a construction project Muchow managed was never reported to his oversight committee.

The Baraboo News Republic requested records related to the highway commissioner investigation on May 19. Two months later, on July 19, Sauk County Principal Assistant Corporation Counsel Deb ORourke provided 97 pages of documents that did not include Mathias report.

The newspaper followed up, asking in a July 21 email why no records generated by the private accountant were included. ORourke emailed a copy of the report 10 days later, saying she thought she had included it in the initial batch of documents.
Opinions on President Donald Trump vary sharply, but we think theres one thing upon which all Americans can agree: The 45th president is not a fan of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

He says it is hurting people, that it is imploding, and that we should let it implode.

Whats problematic is, in his apparent desire to let it implode, he has suggested that he might not enforce the laws provisions.

On July 29, in apparent frustration over the previous days failure by the Senate Republican majority to pass a bill repealing parts of the Affordable Care Act, Trump tweeted: If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!

These arent bailouts, Mr. President. These are payments to insurance companies required under the law.

The subsidies, known as cost-sharing reductions or CSRs, total about $7 billion a year and help reduce deductibles and copayments for consumers with modest incomes, the Associated Press reported.

It is true that the payments are the subject of a lawsuit brought by House Republicans over whether the law specifically included a congressional appropriation for the money, as required under the Constitution.

But in the meantime, there are Republicans and Democrats who are fearful of what a withholding of the CSR payments would do to the insurance marketplace.

The Senates Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer of New York, said such a step will make health care even more expensive.

If the president refuses to make the cost sharing reduction payments, every expert agrees that premiums will go up and health care will be more expensive for millions of Americans, Schumer said July 29 in a written statement. The president ought to stop playing politics with peoples lives and health care, start leading and finally begin acting presidential.

On Wednesday, a bipartisan panel of U.S. governors urged the president to maintain CSR funding.

The Administration has the opportunity to stabilize the health insurance market across our nation and ensure that our residents can continue to access affordable health care coverage, said a statement by the Health and Human Services Committee of the National Governors Association.

The committee is led by Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican. Earlier this year, the governors sent a letter calling on Congress to fully fund the cost-sharing payments.

Some Congressional Republicans have joined Democrats in urging Trump to continue the payments, Reuters reported. Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, chairman of the Senate Health Committee, said Aug. 1 the president should pay the subsidies through September while lawmakers work on bipartisan legislation to fund the outlays for another year.

The president, like any other American, is free to express himself, to give his opinions on any matter he chooses.

However, as president and the head of the executive branch of the federal government, he must enforce all federal laws, regardless of his opinions about them. When the two houses of Congress send him bills to repeal or alter existing laws, he has the choice of signing the bills into law or exercising his veto power.

If an ACA repeal bill is delivered to his Oval Office desk, President Trump can sign it into law; we have reason to believe hell do just that. Until then, hes obligated under Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution  he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed  to enforce Obamacare.
Just as we urge state officials and legislators to be careful with the financial aspects of the deal that could bring Taiwan manufacturer Foxconn to southeast Wisconsin, so we urge them to be careful on the environmental aspects.

Yes, some breaks under the special electronic manufacturing zone the state will create for Foxconn are warranted, especially those designed to merely streamline the process. But dont let that streamlining result in relaxing the states standards on air and water quality to the point where serious environmental harm could occur. As with the finances, dont give away the farm on a deal that could fail to meet expectations.

State Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, co-chairman of the Legislatures budget committee, told Journal Sentinel reporter Lee Bergquist that the overarching goal is to speed up the states environmental review of the project so it can get started quickly.

To be clear, they still have to meet all the federal guidelines, Nygren said.

And a DNR spokesman said Foxconn would still fall under state environmental regulation.

The bill does not give a company within electronics and information technology manufacturing zone a free pass on the environment, spokesman Jim Dick said in a statement.

State and federal air, water quality, solid and hazardous waste standards are required to be met.

But environmental groups have started raising objections to the legislative package that would exempt Foxconn from some environmental regulations, Bergquist reported Tuesday.

The measures exempt the company from state wetlands regulations and an extensive environmental analysis that some other large projects are subject to, Bergquist reported. The analysis, known as an environmental impact statement, could add up to a year to the companys timetable.

Rolling back environmental protections to encourage business development in Wisconsin, thats a red flag for us, Jonathan Drewsen, a spokesman for Clean Wisconsin, told Bergquist.

Both Clean Wisconsin and Midwest Environmental Advocates said the package would weaken protections and limit transparency for the project, which is expected to cover 1,000 acres.

They worry that allowing Foxconn to be exempted from state regulations could leave the company free to destroy wetlands that are only regulated by the state  those that are isolated and not connected to a stream, lake or river that is navigable, Bergquist reported.

But the fact that Walkers proposal boosts the amount of wetlands compensation the company would be required to make is good news. State officials say Foxconn would be required to create new wetlands as a ratio of 2 to 1  2 acres of wetlands would be created for every 1 acre lost. Under current law, the ratio is 1.2 acres created for every acre lost.

And, of course, where the facility will be built will make all the difference. Foxconn has yet to choose a site.

Although much remains to be settled, lawmakers should pay attention to the environmental concerns. And its best to address those concerns while the special legislation is being created.

No one wants to stop Foxconn from bringing thousands of jobs to the state. But the governors office and lawmakers need to ensure that, as with any other company and any other project, there is no irreparable damage to the environment.
Juneau County has a new advocate for public health.

Tara Noye was hired as the South Central Wisconsin Tobacco Free Coalition Coordinator recently, replacing MacKenzie Vinz  who left the county health department to pursue other interests last month. Noye began her tenure July 24 and is excited to help Juneau County residents make healthier choices.

Noye, a Reedsburg native, graduated from UW-La Crosse in 2015 with a degree in community health education. Noye previously worked as a volunteer coordinator for Habitat for Humanity for Sauk, Columbia and Iowa counties. Through her new position, Noye coordinates tobacco-free efforts in Juneau, Adams, Sauk and Richland counties.

I really wanted to work with health disparities and more with the sociological side of our health, Noye said. There is a lot of environmental stuff, especially with the soft targeting of tobacco to certain groups based on your living conditions, socio-economic status and education level that really plays a factor in health and I dont think people are aware of it.

Jennifer Froh, a health educator with the county, thinks Noye is the right fit for the position.

Tara seems really outgoing and energetic and really has a passion for what the SAFE Coalition and what the Tobacco Free Coalition are working towards, Froh said. It was something MacKenzie (Vinz) spearheaded and it just continues to grow and build.

The passion to decrease health disparities led Noye to pursue a career in government health. She believes Juneau County has its share of health concerns which need to be addressed. Being a rural, low-income area, the county has plenty of unique challenges.

We have to be so much more strategic about how were using our resources, Noye said. Juneau County is having a lot of issues with maternal and prenatal smoking. In general, we have higher rates than surrounding counties. If there is a strategic way we can bring resources into these rural counties, we need to be a part of that because they get overlooked a lot.

Noye realizes overseeing programs in four counties will be challenging, but shes prepared to bring health education and resources to the rural communities. Specifically, in Juneau County, Noye will collaborate with the SAFE Coalition, a group of health educators and community members working to decrease the use of tobacco, alcohol and prescription drug abuse among county residents.

Its only been around for a couple years and I will be working with the Tobacco Free Coaltion, Noye said.

With the Tobacco Free Coalition, Noye works with area retail stores to make sure theyre not selling tobacco products to minors. The coalition chooses a youth member every year who attempts to purchase tobacco from stores to see if they will sell to someone younger than 18.

Noye also runs two FACT clubs in Mauston and Baraboo. Through FACT, youth members learn about the effects of addiction and practice positive ways to steer clear from drugs, tobacco and alcohol.

If you really want to prevent addiction, you need to start young and teenagers dont want to hear it from their parents or teachers, Noye said. If we can get other teenagers to help change that culture of acceptance, thats when you start making an impact in reducing addiction rates.

In the future, Noye especially wants to connect with pregnant mothers to reduce prenatal smoking rates. Noye said expecting moms sometimes dont realize the risks theyre putting their unborn babies through by smoking. And the addiction of nicotine is hard to break.

How do we make it OK to get help and seek help too? Noye said.

Its definitely a big problem (in Juneau County), Froh said.

For area youth, Noye said cigarette smoking is declining, but vaping and chewing tobacco use is on the rise. She said chewing or dipping is more prevalent in rural settings, especially farms. A recent study showed smoking rates have fallen in the general population, but cigarette use among persons with lower incomes has increased.

Smoking rates have been at an all-time low for the past three decades but were seeing more targeting to lower-income groups, Noye said. Especially with minorities and were seeing more targeting to youth with colorful and flavorful new tobacco products. The scary thing with that is theyre not as regulated by the USDA.

Froh said Noye will strive for additional grant funding to help promote the missions of SAFE, FACT and the Tobacco Free Coalition.

Shell be a great asset to our program and helping it move forward, Froh said.
The Columbia County Boards Human Resources Committee on Friday talked at length about, but made no decision on, two matters that will affect about 500 county employees in the coming year.

More information is needed, committee members said, before making a decision on whether most county employees should get an across-the-board pay increase (and if so, how much), and which company will provide health insurance to participating employees.

At last months HR Committee meeting, the committee decided to seek proposals for health insurance, citing customer service problems with the Wisconsin Counties Associations Group Health Trust. The county switched from Dean Care to GHT effective at the beginning of 2017.

Breanna Hellenbrand, account executive with the countys insurance broker, M3, said she has put together a request for proposals, and that multiple companies are interested in securing Columbia Countys health insurance coverage.

But GHT also is interested in keeping Columbia Countys business, she said, and there have been productive conversations between officials of M3 and GHT about ways to improve their service.

GHT has a one-year contract with Columbia County, with an option to renew for an additional year at a cost increase not to exceed 7.5 percent.

However, Hellenbrand said, the percentage and amount of the increase that GHT will actually propose is not yet known.

Committee member Adam Field of Portage said he hoped to have the proposals from GHT and other health insurance companies before the HR Committee next meets on Sept. 1, so that he can have time to compare the proposals and make an informed decision.

HR Director Joseph Ruf said the companies, at least initially, will want to keep their proposals quiet so that competitors dont find out their proposed services and costs. However, the committee members will be given time to study the information.

We dont want to come to the committee and give you an $8.5 million decision with just 30 seconds to make it, Ruf said.

In Columbia County, employees pay 15 percent of their health insurance costs and the county pays 85 percent.

As for an across-the-board pay hike, committee members also have questions before making a decision for inclusion in the countys 2018 budget.

One of those questions, Field said, is how many employees will be eligible for longevity-based step raises under the countys pay grades.

Step raises, amounting to about 2.5 percent, are given to employees on the anniversary of their county employment annually until the employee reaches step 6; then the step raises occur every other year. There are 11 steps in most employees pay grades.

An across-the-board increase  which this year amounted to 1 percent for Columbia County employees covered by the countys compensation system  would boost the pay by the same percentage at all points on the pay scale.

For most county employees, wages are determined by a scale set up by the Madison consulting firm Carlson Dettmann. Sworn sheriffs deputies are represented by the Wisconsin Professional Police Association and negotiate their employment contract annually with the county. And elected constitutional officers  sheriff, clerk of courts, register of deeds, county clerk and county treasurer  have their compensation set, in advance of their election, by the County Board.

Ruf said the guidelines and forecasts for pay increases in the public and private sector vary greatly. For example, the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission has established a 1.84 percent increase in the cost of living, and Wisconsins non-public safety employees still represented by unions cant get a pay increase at a higher percentage than that. (In Columbia County, no employees except the sheriffs deputies are represented by unions, as a result of the 2011 state law commonly called Act 10.)

But the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics is looking at a potential cost of living increase for Social Security recipients of 2.1 percent, Ruf said, although that rate has not yet been firmly set.

Since the HR Committees next regular session falls on Sept. 1, any decisions on the insurance and potential across-the-board pay increase made at that meeting will be in time for the Finance Committees 2018 budget deliberations, which will start in mid-September.
Donut worry if you see a police officer on a Dunkin Donuts rooftop Aug. 11.

That day, law enforcement officers in Wisconsin will take their levels of commitment to new heights as they stake out 50 Dunkin Donuts rooftops to support the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Wisconsin.

Officers are expected to hit the roofs for the sixth annual Cop on a Rooftop beginning at 6 a.m., with high hopes to top last years donation total of $60,500 from 46 Dunkin Donuts rooftops.

In return for the police officers doing time at their restaurants, Dunkin Donuts will donate $5,000 to the Law Enforcement Torch Run. In addition, each guest who visits a Cop on a Rooftop location that day and makes a donation will receive a free medium hot or iced coffee coupon.*

Cop on a Rooftop is an event we look forward to every year, said Amish Patel, CEO of Milwaukee Coffee Hospitality Company, which operates Dunkin Donuts restaurants in Wisconsin and Illinois. Its a fun and unique way to support Special Olympics athletes and their families and call attention to the kind of good will police officers bring to our communities every day. We truly are honored to participate.

Rooftop Cop Melissa Sommers of Eau Claire County Sheriffs Office adds, What more can a girl ask for? Supporting a cause Im truly passionate about and donuts! Its a win-win for a cop!
Approximately 100 Wisconsin Dells families will start the new school year soon with at least one burden lifted, thanks to a generous, anonymous donor.

The donor recently gave more than $2,200 to the districts food services department in order to pay off all of the debts owed to the department for student meals, according to District Food Services Director Greg Heller.

The generous donation cleared debts for approximately 100 district families, which means approximately 120 students will begin the year with no debt on their food service accounts.

I thank the donor, the school district thanks the donor and Im sure all the families who got their balances paid off thank the donor, Heller said recently.

The donor contacted Heller last spring to inquire as to whether any of the districts students had negative accounts with the food services department. Heller confirmed that indeed there were such arrearages.

The donors response was, Id like to make a donation and cover all of those, Heller recounted.

The donation was especially helpful to families whose debt load had become prohibitive, the long-time food services director said.

Some of these balances were to the point, for some of these families, its overwhelming to pay these balances once they get to a certain point, he said. There was no way they were going to come up with even $20 to pay it off.

The donation came just as the district recently was required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish and set forth a policy for administering meal program debts, according to Heller. The new policy will not allow a student to receive a reimbursable meal if their account is empty.

When that happens, a meal will continue to be provided, Heller said, but it wont be as extensive as the full, reimbursable meal.

We will continue to feed them, we wouldnt let anybody go hungry around here, he said. If they dont have funds, they will be getting something for lunch regardless. Well do everything in our power to let parents know if their balance is getting down.

Assistance is available for anyone truly needing it to help to pay for lunch, Heller said.

Anybody in this school district who cant afford to pay for their school lunches, we have programs out there to take care of that for them, he said.

Students at Spring Hill School will receive their meals beginning this fall from brand new serving tables, which the school acquired via a National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grant of almost $12,000.

The food services department applied for the grant last fall because the incumbent serving tables were outdated, in Hellers words, and becoming increasingly costly to maintain and repair.

These new tables will ensure the hot food is served at the right temperature, theyre safer and more energy efficient, he said.

The two new tables already have been installed in the Spring Hill lunchroom.
Corena Ricks did not set out to become downtown Wisconsin Dells interactive summertime artist-in-residence, but the nature of Ricks art apparently gave her little choice during the past two summers.

The local artist and business owner recently completed two of a series of four downtown mosaics, installed atop the new seat walls occupying the citys cafe zones on Broadways 200 block.

As was the case a year ago, when she painted the 3D painting at the Duchess Plaza on Oak Street Ricks work on the mosaics have captured the attention of many a passerby this summer.

Ricks is not only asked questions about the artwork  which utilizes pieces of stained glass and tile and stones of varying shapes and sizes to evoke the flow of a river  theyve offered feedback about some of the potential artistic choices intrinsic to the effort.

Some of that feedback has made its way into the finished product, Ricks said, the effect of which is an ongoing collaborative process between artist and audience.

Doing it onsite, when you have people around  that really brings it to life, she said. Its almost like Im busking, because it (the art-making) draws attention. The process is pretty fascinating because they (the onlookers) seem pretty into it.

This interactive art experience is likely to continue the rest of the summer and into the fall, as Ricks completes the third and fourth mosaics still to be done on the north side of Broadways 200 block and then turns her attention to a combination mosaic and painted mural.

The mural will go up along the concrete wall next to Showboat Saloon on Broadways zero-hundred block.

The mural also evokes the flow and energy of the nearby Wisconsin River, in keeping with the citys efforts to bring the river downtown.

The committee considered four potential color schemes for the mural, choosing the blue tile-dominated Water Whirl design. Ricks will present a final version of the design to the committee at its August 28 meeting.

The first two of the four planned street-side mosaics took almost three weeks two complete, Ricks reported, and her husband and business partner Kevin and son Braden lent a hand throughout the effort.

The artist searched far and wide for a grout that would take a pounding, both from people sitting on the mosaics as well as winter-time elements.

She chose two different colors of grout to make it more interesting and also added blue coloring to some areas, she said. Ricks also added the occasional man-made object  such as a single penny and a compass  to the mix.

In other business during RAD committees July 31 meeting, the RAD discussed various downtown facades as possible future mural or water feature locations and possible mural topics.

Facade possibilities  that would require the respective building owners permission and cooperation  included the east-facing facades of the Dells Boat Tours building and the Helland building in the zero-hundred block and the west-facing facade of the Wally World building next to the Duchess Plaza on Oak Street.

Subject-matter possibilities for murals include the history of the river, from the Ho-Chunk who first populated the area to H.H. Bennetts photography and the growth of tourism. The committee also debated the merits of various potential media for mural-sized works of art, including scenes painted directly onto walls and giant printed canvases stretched around the buildings.

Committee member Danielle Rodwell suggested the possibility of a downtown recreation of the sandstone landforms that give the city its name. The landforms could work for photographic purposes as well as to answer, that seemingly eternal question from visitors: What is a dell?

The committee will embark upon its 2018 budget planning process during the Aug. 28 meeting, Chairman and Alderman Mike Freel said.
History will judge you

Open letter to MPs on the motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma taking place in Parliament on August 8.

You stand at the cusp of history where a momentous decision has to be made, perhaps one of the most significant in the short life of our democratic nation. There have of course been other symbolically important moments in the parliament of democratic South Africa - the election of the first democratic president, the adoption of the Constitution, the resignation of the second democratic president -- but none have been such a real test to the nation's representatives where they have been called to truly act in difficult circumstances in the fulfillment of their fundamental mandate.

This is a different moment from any other. Don't make the mistake by thinking it is not. Yes, there have been previous motions of no confidence. But none have taken place under these circumstances. Not only is this motion of no confidence preceded by a debate in the NEC where a similar motion was deliberated on, but it is also accompanied by an unprecedented rebellion within the ANC's party ranks at the sheer scale of the looting, the President's irresponsible behavior and decisions on cabinet appointments and dismissals, and the emergence of evidence indicating the capture of the Presidency and other parts of the state by a single family, all of which has aggravated the economic and social crisis in our society.

The Gupta emails and the relentless and fearless coverage of them ensures that no one today, especially a Member of Parliament (MP), can plead deniability arguing that they did not know about the scale of the problem. You are now required to fulfil your oath of office to hold accountable a leader who has repeatedly failed to uphold his, one who repeatedly handed the decision making of his office to those that have not been elected by this country's citizens. It is a difficult moment, I know because you are being asked to act against one of your own, one who has fought in the trenches with you.

But his violation is not a minor infraction but a fundamental betrayal of not only his oath of office but also the very essence of our liberation struggle. It is an abrogation of the ideals of a once proud liberation movement. And it is worth noting that when this had happened previously in the history of the ANC, the collective had the courage to rise to the occasion to correct the deficit within it. Now you are being asked to do the same for the nation as a whole.

It should be remembered that history is a harsh judge on those who fail in their fundamental responsibility when the moment arises. Think of the German prison guards of the gas chambers who claimed that they were simply following orders or the priests in Rwanda who refused to protect those being hunted in the genocide, or even some of our fellow white citizens who claim that they were unaware of the atrocities of apartheid. They all have been harshly condemned by the scribes of history, and all have to hide their complicity in these acts. It is a fate you want to avoid for yourself.

There are some like Secretary General Gwede Mantashe who argue that your responsibility is not to act in line with your conscience but in accordance with the party leadership's decision. Clearly, he has very little understanding of how a proportional party system works in the South African constitutional framework. Let me enlighten him in this regard. A proportional party system in our framework does not require an MP to subject his conscience to the whim of the party leader. This would be a violation of our Constitution.

Rather, it requires the appointment of MPs whom the party has confidence in, and to whom it gives the authority and autonomy to deliberate in Parliament on the issues before them and make an individual decision in the best interests of the nation. Yes, they are allowed to debate, consult, collectively deliberate, and even caucus, but ultimately each has to make an individual decision, in accordance with their conscience, and in the interests of the nation as a whole. Otherwise, there is no purpose to Parliament. We might as well get party leaders to pronounce on the matter at hand.

Jackson Mthembu similarly suggests that to vote with the opposition would be tantamount to enabling the collapse of the ANC government. Again, he clearly is not particularly au faire with his responsibilities, and so it may be useful to enlighten him. First, once a motion is tabled, it is the responsibility of every MP to reflect on the merits of the matter at hand. If not, then the convening of the house would be a pointless exercise. Second, if the motion of no confidence were to carry the day, then cabinet does indeed collapse.

But it is immediately reconstituted when a new leader is appointed by Parliament. This would inevitably be someone chosen from the ranks of the ANC, and most probably the Deputy President should be put forward by the ruling party, simply because of the overwhelming representation of the ANC in both houses of parliament.

Of course what Mthembu has not said is that he fears that members of the Zuma faction may not vote for a new ANC leader simply out of spite. But again, he does not understand ordinary political party dynamics. Once Zuma falls as president in the legislature, his party base will most likely abandon him to reposition themselves within the new political conditions. But even if this does not fully happen, opposition parties will most likely allow the new party leader to be chosen from the ANC.

Julius Malema is already on record as saying that the EFF will enable the ANC to continue to govern until 2019 because this was the democratic will of the people. It is not very often where I get to agree with the leader of the EFF, but on this issue, he is entirely correct. While the DA has not as yet made a similar pronouncement, it would be very harshly judged by the electorate if it were to try and subvert the democratic will prior to 2019. Given all of this, the threat that the ANC government would not be allowed to reconstitute itself is mere political posturing and has no basis in reality.

There is also another reason why acting with one's conscience is so necessary in this case. Essentially MPs will be establishing a precedent in a young democracy to ensure that accountability is ingrained in our political system. If they decide to act with their conscience, they will ensure that no other family or group of individuals will ever behave with such arrogance or impunity as to believe that they are beyond the law and can enrich themselves at the nation's expense.

In this sense, their decision will reverberate for generations to come and be spoken of in awe as a precedent setting in establishing an accountable political system. But it will also cross party boundaries to influence the opposition benches. Opposition leaders are too complacent, but they too are as guilty as Mantashe and Mthembu of wanting to constrain MPs from acting with their conscience and in the national interest. A precedent here will thus not only reverberate down the generations but also across party boundaries.

ANC leaders are often fond of talking about party leaders -- Tambo, Sisulu, Madiba, Kotane, First and others -- in reverential terms. Much of this is well deserved. But it would be wise to remember that their reverential reputations were forged not by being party apparatchiks, but because when the moment required it, they rose to the occasion, saw the bigger picture, and placed the interests of the nation first. Kotane was utterly incorruptible and stood as a bulwark against it, as Dadoo so memorably described him in his funeral oration. First was always critical of the party's refusal to allow dissent and often challenged the leadership.

Tambo rose to the occasion in both Morogoro and in Kabwe, where on both occasions, he enabled a dissenting opinion to emerge and influence the ANC's policies. Mandela, of course, rose to his statesmanlike stature at the moment of Chris Hani's assassination, where he placed the nation at the centre of his focus and used the moment to chart a path to democracy. If you are to honour the memory of these compatriots and act to consolidate their legacy, then voting with your conscience has to be mandatory. Tuesday, 8 August 2017, is your Morogoro and Kabwe, and may you act in accordance with your soul and in the interests of a nation.

The future of this beloved country lies in your vote!

This article first appeared online on http://www.huffingtonpost.co.za. Professor Adam Habib is a political commentator and Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Witwatersrand.
A bullet train departed Hohhot East Railway Station for Ulanqab marking the start of high-speed rail services using Inner Mongolias first newly-laid high-speed railway on Aug 3.

As part of the Zhangjiakou-Hohhot railway, the Hohhot-Ulanqab route stretches 126 kilometers with an average running speed of 250 kilometers per hour, shortening the journey time to only 40 minutes.

The new route starts from Hohhot and then passes through stations in Qixiaying, Zhuozi, and Ulanqab in Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The Zhangjiakou-Hohhot railway line, which has an overall length of 287 km, is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in 2018.

In the near future, the route will be connected to the Beijing-Zhangjiakou rail line, giving it an overall length of 174 kilometers with trains able to travel at speeds of up to 350 km/h, forming a rapid transport network for North China.

A train driver prepares to operate Inner Mongolias first high-speed train on Aug 3, 2017. [Photo by Yuan Hui/China Daily]




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Becoming A Citizen Of A Different Country

People report lots of reasons for becoming citizens in a country other than where they were born. These range from escaping political instability to reuniting with family. Sometimes becoming a citizen of a different country involves living there for years because of a work assignment and during this time, the individual establishes their permanent life in the new place. Other times, making this decision is prompted by a business or investment opportunity. Generally speaking, being the citizen of a country makes entrepreneurial and investment endeavors easier to carry out. Some countries have relatively lenient citizenship requirements, while others are more difficult. Similarly, some citizenship paperwork comes with a significant cost, while in other countries, the cost is minimal.

Economic Citizenship Programs

As previously mentioned, one of the ways people can become citizens in a different country is for business or investment purposes. To respond to this demand, the immigration services of many countries offer investment, or economic, citizenship programs. These programs offer interested parties the option to make a pre-determined donation or investment in exchange for citizenship. Anybody with enough money is eligible for this type of naturalization program and may choose to pursue this investment in order to obtain a more powerful passport for traveling purposes, to increase business opportunities, or to avoid paying taxes. This pursuit of naturalization in a different country is particularly popular with Russian, Middle Eastern, and Chinese citizens. This article takes a closer look at the economic citizenship programs of some of the countries around the world.

Why Do Governments Offer Economic Citizenship?

The benefits of having a second passport or dual citizenship are clear, but why do governments offer economic citizenship programs in the first place? Providing a naturalization or citizenship option to investors and entrepreneurs increases investment activity within a country, which works to improve its economy. Additionally, these individuals often open businesses within their new country, which creates local jobs and helps to increase the employment rate of an area. When more people are employed, the average median household increases. This increase means that people have more money to spend in the local economy.

Research suggests that approximately $2 billion are spent around the world in investment opportunities every year. By providing residency and citizenship to investors, governments are able to capitalize on some of these investments, steering the money into the local economy. In some countries, the investments made by these individuals make up a significant percentage of the national gross domestic product (GDP). For example, the investments made in Saint Kitts and Nevis, an island nation in the Caribbean, made up roughly a quarter of the total 2013 GDP.

Least Expensive Citizenship

Dominica, a Caribbean island nation, has the least expensive economic citizenship program (without a qualifying period) in the world. For an investment of only $100,000, a face-to-face interview, and a waiting period of between 4 and 6 months, anybody can become a citizen of this country. Interviews here take place only once per month, however, which can slow down the process. Additionally, the passport of Dominica was recently updated to allow visa-free travel to the Schengen region of Europe, making this a valuable citizenship to hold for many people.

Most Expensive Citizenship

France, as a member of the European Union, is a very attractive country for investors looking to gain an additional passport or increase their access to business opportunities. Because of this value, France is also one of the most expensive places to buy citizenship. Additionally, it has one of the lengthiest processes. Applicants must make a nearly $11.65 million investment in a long-term commercial or industrial project in order to obtain a 10-year residency permit in this country. After 5 years of qualifying residency, individuals may apply for citizenship.

Countries That Offer Immediate Citizenship

In some countries, with the right amount of money, interested parties may be able to obtain citizenship immediately. Economic citizenship programs with this immediate citizenship opportunity (and the minimum investment requirement) include: St. Kitts and Nevis ($250,000), Grenada ($250,000), Dominica (previously discussed), Cyprus ($2.9 million), and Antigua and Barbuda ($250,000).

Of these countries, only Antigua and Barbuda has a residency requirement. In this Caribbean island nation, applicants must spend at least 5 days every 5 years on Antigua and Barbuda territory in order to maintain residency and at least 35 days of the first 5 years to meet citizenship requirements. Applicants have several options under this economic citizenship program, including: a $1.5 million business investment, a $400,000 real estate investment, or a $250,000 donation to the government. Another option is to hold a $400,000 share in a $5 million business investment. Citizenship here is particularly appealing to individuals who need to travel to Canada, as holding a passport from Antigua and Barbuda offers visa-free travel to this country.

Countries That Have a Citizenship Qualifying Period

In most countries, economic citizenship programs have a citizenship qualifying period that applicants must meet before being eligible for citizenship. This requirement generally means that residents must first hold a permanent residency for a certain amount of time before applying for citizenship. Countries with a citizenship qualifying period (and the minimum investment requirement) include: the US ($500,000), the UK ($1,3 million), Switzerland (between $170,000 and over $1 million), Spain ($582,375), Singapore ($1.83 million), Portugal ($582,375), New Zealand ($1.11 million), Malta ($1.34 million), Latvia ($40,766), Ireland ($582,375), Hungary ($291,187), Greece ($291,187), France ($11.65 million), Canada ($280,000 or $640,000 depending on the province), Bulgaria ($582,375), and Australia ($3.97 million).

Of these countries, Switzerland has the longest citizenship qualifying period at 12 years. This country is highly desired for its political stability, high standard of living, and developed status. Additionally, it is considered a top retirement destination by many. Applicants are suggested to have a minimum of $1 million available before applying and has 2 options: to start a company or to pay an annual residency tax. Depending on the area of residence within this country, the annual tax may range from $170,000 to just over $1 million. If residents choose this option, they are not required to declare their income or financial assets. This process usually takes between 3 to 4 months to complete.
Natural disasters are an unfortunate fact of life on Earth. Earthquakes are no exception, especially in areas of the world that are more susceptible to them. They occur when blocks of the planets layers move past each other, as they have done throughout the worlds history. While we are only 20 years into the 21st century, more than 657,000 people have already been killed by earthquakes. Many more have been injured and made homeless.

Earthquakes are very difficult to predict and impossible to prevent. They can also trigger other natural disasters, such as tsunamis and landslides. Tragically, earthquakes often occur in countries that are least prepared to deal with such disasters. Here are the ten deadliest earthquakes of the 21st century.

1. Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami, 2004

Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia, December 31st, 2004. Image credit: Frans Delian/Shutterstock

The worst earthquake in the 21st century thus far took place on December 26, 2004. The epicenter of the quake was in the Indian Ocean. It was not the quake, however, that resulted in the deaths of 227,898 people, but the massive tsunami that followed it. The quake had a magnitude of 9.1 on the Richter scale, one of the strongest earthquakes on record. It triggered a massive tsunami that hit coasts from Indonesia in Southeast Asia, all the way to the east coast of Africa.

In just a matter of hours, hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives. In fact, in one of the hardest-hit cities, Banda Aceh, located on the northern tip of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, 100,000 people were killed instantly when the tsunami hit the city with waves measuring 100 feet high (30.5 meters). Also hard-hit by the tsunami were the countries of Sri Lanka, Thailand, and India. The local populations of these countries were not the only ones who sustained casualties. In Thailand, for example, around 2,000 tourists were also killed. In addition to the multitude of lives lost, hundreds of thousands of others were left homeless.

2. Haiti, 2010

Valley of broken houses and debris on August 28, 2010 in Port-Au-prince, Haiti. Image credit: Arindambanerjee/Shutterstock.com

On January 12, 2010, a strong, 7.0-magnitude earthquake rocked the country of Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere. The epicenter of the quake was just 15 miles (25 km) southwest of the countrys capital and largest city, Port-au-Prince. It was the strongest earthquake to hit the country since the 18th century. Strong aftershocks also followed the initial tremor. When it was all over, at least 160,000 people were dead, with some estimates even higher than that. Because of the rush to bury the dead to put efforts towards cleanup and recovery, a more exact count of the dead is not possible.

An already impoverished country, much of Haiti was reduced to ruins by the quake. Many buildings collapsed with ease as the country lacked adequate building codes, let alone proper reinforcement for earthquakes. Port-au-Prince, where much of the carnage took place, was still recovering from tropical storms and hurricanes that lashed the country less than two years prior. It is estimated that 3 million people, about one-third of Haitis population, were affected by the quake. One million were made homeless. To make matters worse, it was extremely difficult for aid to come in and be distributed in the country. In fact, much of that aid was mismanaged, and ordinary Haitians were made to suffer as a result.

3. Sichuan, 2008

Wenchuan, Sichuan, China. Image credit: meteorlau/Shutterstock

Sichuan is a province of the Peoples Republic of China and is located in the countrys southwest. On May 12, 2008, an earthquake with a 7.9 magnitude hit the central region of the province. The epicenter of the quake was Dujiangyan, a city with a population of over 660,000. When it was over, about four-fifths of the structures in the affected area were flattened. Entire villages and towns were destroyed.

The total number of people killed by the quake was 87,587. This figure includes 5,300 children, many of whom were killed as they were studying in school. Nearly 375,000 people were also injured in the disaster, and millions were made homeless. The quake also caused flooding and landslides. In fact, it was landslides that were blamed for killing 200 relief workers. The monetary value of the damage caused by the Sichuan earthquake was pegged at $86 billion.

4. Kashmir Earthquake, 2005

On the morning of October 8, 2005, a strong, 7.6 magnitude earthquake rocked northern Pakistan. The epicenter of the quake was in a city called Muzaffarabad, the capital of the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir. Total casualties numbered 87,351. An additional 38,000 people were injured in the disaster, and millions were left homeless. In addition, approximately 780,000 buildings were either totally destroyed or damaged beyond repair. These buildings included schools and hospitals near the epicenter.

Animals were also not spared by the quake. In fact, 250,000 farm animals died, and another 500,000 large animals required immediate shelter due to harsh winter conditions. In some cases, it was difficult to get relief aid to some affected areas, as the quake severely damaged road networks and land connections to certain areas were cut off. Utilities like water and power were also cut off, though most of them were restored in a matter of weeks. It was estimated that about 3.5 million people were directly or indirectly affected by the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake.

5. Bam Earthquake, 2003

Iran is no stranger to earthquakes, and on December 26, 2003, one took place in the city of Bam, home to approximately 97,000 people. The quake, with a magnitude of 6.6, was the strongest to hit the country in 30 years. Casualties from the disaster totalled 26,271, though some estimates put this number much higher, at upwards of 43,000. The quake also destroyed all the hospitals and health centers in the area, where up to 30,000 people were injured. In addition, 75,000 people were made homeless, and 5,054 children were orphaned. Experts have blamed poor building methods and lax regulations for the high number of casualties.

6. Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, 2011

Fukushima, Japan, April 30, 2011. Image credit: Fly_and_Dive/Shutterstock

The Tohoku earthquake was the strongest ever to hit Japan in the countrys recorded history. The quake struck on March 11, 2011 with a whopping 9.0 magnitude. The epicenter of the tremor was not on land, but in the North Pacific Ocean, 81 miles (130 km) from the Japanese city of Sendai, located in the northern part of Honshu, Japans largest island. The quake triggered a tsunami with waves of up to 132 feet high.

In the end, 20,896 people lost their lives, and 450,000 were made homeless. The quake and tsunami that followed it also triggered another disaster in the form of a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daichii Nuclear Power Plant. This meltdown released toxic, radioactive material into the environment. It also forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes and businesses.

7. Gujarat Earthquake, 2001

Gujarat is a province of India, and is located in the northwest of the country, on the border with Pakistan. On January 26, 2001, the same day people in India celebrate Republic Day commemorating the creation of the Republic of India in 1950, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake hit the province.

The epicenter was a town called Bhuj, located on the Indian side of the India-Pakistan border. It was felt in northwestern India and parts of Pakistan. The quake killed 20,085 people and injured more than 150,000 others. Hundreds of thousands of people were also made homeless, many of whom were still living in makeshift shelters a year later.

8. Nepal Earthquake, 2015

Durbar Square, Kathmandu, Nepal, April 29, 2015. Image credit: think4photop/Shutterstock

Nepal is a small country sandwiched between India in the south and China to the north. On April 25, 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the countrys capital, Kathmandu, killing 8,964 people and injuring thousands more. The quake also triggered an avalanche on Mt. Everest that killed 19 climbers and stranded hundreds of others. More than 600,000 structures in the capital were damaged or destroyed. Initial damage from the quake was estimated to be between $5 and $10 billion. This was the worst earthquake in Nepals history since 1934, when a magnitude 8.0 quake killed around 10,600 people.

9. Yogyakarta Earthquake, 2006

On the morning of May 26, 2006, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit the Indonesian island of Java. The epicenter was located about 15 miles (25 km) south of the city of Yogyakarta. The area is one of the most densely populated places on Earth. It is no surprise, then, that there were mass casualties.

The initial death toll was around 3,500 but it ended up totalling 5,782 people when it was all said and done. The quake destroyed homes, hotels, and government buildings in less than a minute. Much of the areas infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and utilities were destroyed. Images of people crammed into vehicles trying to get to hospitals or simply evacuate the area filled TV screens.

10. Sulawesi Earthquake and Tsunami, 2018

Palu, Sulawesi, Indonesia, October 6, 2018. Image credit: Herwin Bahar/Shutterstock

The most recent earthquake on our list occurred on September 28, 2018. The epicenter was located in the waters off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, 48 miles (77 km) north of Palu, in which about 330,000 people lived. The quake triggered a tsunami measuring ten feet high (3 m), which hit the coastal areas of western Central Sulawesi (Indonesian province), including Palu and Donggala, which had a population of 275,000. The final death toll of the disaster sits at 4,340. Another 60,000 people lost their homes.
Boise is the capital of the US state of Idaho. It originally began in the early 19th century as a trading post, then grew into a city, thanks to gold discoveries in the area. The city became the territorial capital and eventually became the state capital when Idaho was admitted into the Union in 1864. When the gold boom went bust, the people of Boise turned to agriculture, and their city continued to grow. Today, Boise is a thriving, outdoor-friendly city of more than 200,000 residents.

Geography Of Boise

The Boise River flowing through Boise.

Boise is located in an area of southwestern Idaho known as Treasure Valley. The city is 68 km east of the border with Oregon and 177 km north of the border with Nevada. Boise's metropolitan area lies on a broad, flat plain descending to the west. Mountains rise to the northeast, stretching from the far southeastern tip of the Boise city limits to the nearby town of Eagle. Locals call these mountains the Boise Foothills, and they are sometimes described as the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The smaller towns of Eagle and Meridian border Boise to the west. The Boise River bisects Boise. Most of the city is on the western side of this river. A series of canals also runs through the city, as do several smaller rivers, including Crane Creek, Cottonwood Creek, and Freestone Creek, all of which flow through the city's eastern part. The total area of Boise is 207.33 sq. km, of which 205.54 sq. km is land, and 1.79 sq. km is water.

Population Of Boise

Downtown Boise, Idaho.

Boise has a total population of 229,993, making it the largest city in Idaho. More than 89% of the city's population is white, of which 83.2% are non-Hispanic, and 6.07% are Hispanic. Asians comprise the next most populous group at 2.81% of Boise's total population, while people of mixed racial backgrounds comprise 2.67%, Other Hispanics 1.75%, and African Americans 1.75%. Boise also boasts the largest Basque community in the entire United States, numbering about 15,000. About 90% of Boise residents speak only English, while 4.7% speak Spanish. More than 93% of the city's population was born in the United States, and 44.89% were born in the city itself.

Economy Of Boise

The average household income in Boise is $82,424, and the city's poverty rate is 13.75%. Boise's unemployment rate is 4.5 %. The largest industries in the city, in terms of number of employees, are healthcare & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing. Boise hosts the headquarters of several major companies as well as major manufacturing facilities. The city also boasts a sizeable hi-tech sector. The top 5 employers in Boise are St. Luke's Health Systems, Micron Technology, Saint Alphonsus Health System, Albertsons, and Walmart.

History Of Boise

Before the Europeans arrived, the area in which Boise now sits was the domain of Native Americans from the Shoshone and Bannock peoples, who lived in the area for thousands of years. Europeans began exploring the region in the early 19th century. Among them were French Canadian fur trappers, who came upon the Boise River Valley after traveling through desert terrain for a long time and exclaimed, "Les bois! Les bois! (The woods! The woods!)." Boise, pronounced in French, Boise, literally means "wooded." In fact, to this day, Boise is known as the City of Trees.

In 1834, the Hudson's Bay Company established a trade post northwest of present-day Boise, along the Oregon Trail on the Snake River. They called the outpost "Les Bois," referencing the words used by the fur-trappers to describe the area. Thousands of people passed through this area on their way to Oregon. About 30 years later, gold was discovered in the area, bringing many prospectors. The Hudson's Bay trade post proved to be a convenient supply point for the mining camps. In 1864, Boise was incorporated as a city and made the territorial capital. Its prosperity continued to be fueled by continuing gold discoveries.

Old Idaho State Penitentiary in Boise, Idaho.

Eventually, however, the gold boom did end, and the city's population began to decline. To halt their city's decline, Boise's residents turned to farming. They planted crops, developed irrigation systems, and mapped out a town with shady green streets along the Boise River. The growth of irrigated agriculture in southwestern Idaho ultimately led to the tripling of the population in Boise between 1900 and 1910. In 1925, the first railroad to run through the area was built. Before World War II, several dams and reservoirs were constructed to improve agriculture in the city. Boise became an important city for the US military during WWII. The military established the Gowen Field in the area for flying and training.

Elevated view of an earthen Dam on the Boise River.

The 1960s was another boom time for Boise. Whereas the city's population was 34,481 in 1960, it more than doubled ten years later to 74,990. The 1960s was also the decade that saw the birth of what would become Boise State University. It began in 1965, when Boise Junior College expanded from a two-year to a four-year college, ultimately becoming Boise State University in 1974. The 1970s and 1980s witnessed the growth of a high-tech sector in Boise, as Hewlett-Packard built facilities in the city and Micron Technologies was founded. Between 1990 and 2012, Boise's population increased from around 82,000 to almost 208,000.

Attractions In And Around Boise

Arguably, Boise's best attraction is its natural environment. The Boise River, for example, is well-used by locals and visitors who enjoy being on the water. The Boise area also hosts 199 trails on which people can hike or bike. Several nature reserves are located in and around Boise, including the 734-acre military reserve, which has an archery range and is expected to open a new bike park and dog park soon. Other reserves and recreational areas include Oregon Trail Reserve, Polecat Reserve, Shafer Butte Area, and Table Rock Area.

The Capital building in Boise, Idaho.

Boise's other sites or landmarks include the Idaho State Capital Building, which was completed in 1920, following 15 years of construction. The building contains 50,000 square feet of marble and is a great place to learn about the history of the state of Idaho. Another important landmark in Boise is the Old State Penitentiary, home to some of the West's most notorious criminals beginning in 1872. Visitors to the prison can see old cell blocks and gallows.
What Is the Capital of Massachusetts?

Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, which borders the Atlantic Ocean and the states of Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, and Rhode Island. It was named after the Massachusett people, who inhabited the area in the past. It is the most populous state in the New England area, with a population of about 6.8 million people. The capital and the most populous city in Massachusetts and the larger New England region is Boston. The majority of the population (80%) lives in the Greater Boston Metropolitan area. Boston, together with the other cities in Massachusetts, has played a major commercial and cultural role in the history of the US.

Boston

Boston is the seat of Suffolk County and the capital of Massachusetts. The area covered by Boston is about 48 square miles, and it has a population of about 673,000, the highest in the New England region, and one of the most populous cities in the US. The Greater Boston area has a population of about 4.8 million residents, making it the 10th largest metropolitan area in the US. Boston is one of the oldest cities in the US, founded in 1630 by the Puritans. It was a strategic city for several key events of the American Revolution, such as the Siege of Boston and the Boston Massacre. Boston is not only an economic and cultural base, but also an international center for education. Boston is one of the most expensive cities in the US, characterized by its high cost of living.

Geography and Climate

Boston covers an area of approximately 89 square miles, including land (48 square miles) and water (41 square miles). The city sits 19 feet above sea level, with its highest point being Bellevue Hill at 330 feet, and the lowest point being sea level. Boston is situated onshore of the Atlantic Ocean, making it the only state capital in the contiguous US with oceanic shoreline. The city experiences a humid continental climate, characterized by warm to hot summers and cold or rainy winters. July is Bostons hottest month, with temperatures rising to 23 degrees Celsius, while January is the coldest month, with temperatures as low as -1.70 degrees Celsius.

Economy

Boston is a global city, ranking among the most economically powerful cities not only in the US, but in the world. The Greater Boston Area is among the top ten largest economies in the US and top 15 in the world, encompassing over $360 billion. The regions economy is boosted by the colleges and universities in Boston. The city attracts over 350,000 students from around the world who contribute about $5 billion to the economy of Boston annually. These institutions are also major employers and centers for innovation. Tourism is a major contributor to the economy of Boston, with over 20 million domestic and international visitors spending billions of the US dollars each year. Boston is also a financial center, with financial services such as mutual funds and insurance playing an important role in the city.

Government and Politics

Boston has a council government system headed by a mayor elected every four years. The mayor has executive powers. The Boston City Council, elected every two years, is made up of 9 district seats and 4 citywide seats. Several commissions and state authorities function alongside the city government. Boston also has several federal facilities, including federal buildings, post office, banks, and courts. As the capital of Massachusetts, Boston plays a significant role in the politics of the state.
Port Moresby is the capital city of Papua New Guinea as provided for by the nations constitution. Port Moresby is also the largest city in Papua New Guinea as well as the most populous city in the nation with a population of over 364,000 residents. Port Moresby is the economic and commercial hub of the country with many major corporations having their headquarters in the city.

History Of The Capital City Of Papua New Guinea

The city of Port Moresby has a long history that is intertwined with the history of the island. The site on which the city is situated has been inhabited for hundreds of years and was an important trading center of the Motu ethnic group who are native to Papua New Guinea. Port Moresby was one of several maritime trading ports in the traditional Hiri trade cycle where the Motu conducted their annual trade voyages. The Motu established stilts over the harbor of Port Moresby many of which still exist to date. Captain John Moresby (whom the city is named after) became the first European to visit the port in 1873 and according to his journals, was impressed by the work ethic exhibited by the Motu people. The island later became a British colony in 1888 as British New Guinea, and Port Moresby was established as its capital city. Soon afterward, the colonial government under the stewardship of Sir William MacGregor established several administrative institutions which included the citys local government as well as the police force. This period also saw the colonial government develop infrastructural projects in the city. Papua New Guinea later gained independence in September 1975 and adopted its constitution which proclaimed Port Moresby as the nations capital city.

The Transport System In Port Moresby

Jacksons International Airport, located in the Saraga suburb of Port Moresby is the largest airport in the country. The airport has one asphalt-covered runway which stretches 9,022 feet. Jacksons International Airport is made up of two terminals one servicing domestic flights and the other servicing international flights. Air Niugini, Travel Air, Qantas, PNG Air, Philippines Airlines and Virgin Australia all have flights to and from the airport connecting the city to Tokyo, Sydney, Brisbane, Manila, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The city also has an extensive road network connecting the city to the rest of the country. The most popular mode of public transport is through minibuses domestically known as PMVs.

Economy Of The Capital Of Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is famed for its natural resources with the country having mineral deposits located all around the country. However, Port Moresby is not endowed with such mineral wealth with the citys economy being primarily based on the service sector. The city is home to the biggest shopping malls in the country, and all the key local banks have their headquarters situated in Port Moresby. Jacksons International Airport is another important sphere of the citys economy and has been redeveloped in recent years to cater for increased passenger numbers.

Administrative Regions Of Papua New Guinea

Besides being the capital city of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby is also the administrative capital of the National Capital District. Port Moresby is divided into three administrative regions known as Local Level Government areas of LLGs. These LLGs include; Moresby South, Moresby North-West, and Moresby North-East. The city is also segmented into neighborhoods or suburbs and these include; Waigani, Vabukori, Tokarara, Tatana, Saraga, Sabama, Newtown, Morata, Moitaka, Matirogo, Boroko, Kila, Hohola North, Gordon North, Korobosea, Touaguba Hill, Gabutu, Ensisi Valley and Badili. The suburb of Boroko was traditionally the commercial center of the city, but in recent years most of the shops have relocated to other suburbs.
Yemenia operates as Yemen's national airline from its base in Sana'a. The airline's networks are local as well as in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The airline is among the members of the Arab Air Carriers Organization. Yemenia had to halt its operations in 2015 because of the bombings in Yemen which caused damage to the international airport in Sana'a.

History

Ahmad bin Yahya, who served as the King of the Yemeni territory from 1948 to 1962, founded Yemen Airlines in the latter half of 1940. Yemen Airlines was given a new airline license in 1962 upon proclamation of the Yemen Arab Republic. The airline signed cooperation with the United Arab Airlines in 1967, and until 1972 it was called the Yemen Arab Airlines. The company was nationalized in 1972, and it was branded the Yemen Airways. The term Yemenia was adopted on July 1, 1978. South Yemen's Alyemda was merged with Yemenia on the integration of the two territories to create the current Yemen. The merger, completed in 1996, resulted in the loss of jobs for a significant number of employees contracted by the two airlines.

Recent History

The European Union has implemented several safety actions against the airline since 2008 and attributed them to the alleged non-satisfactory standards in the country. France, for example, suspended the airworthiness certifications of two of the airline's Airbus A310 aircraft whose registration was done in the country. Yemenia was forced to halt its operations to Europe when the European Aviation Safety Agency suspended the maintenance approval awarded to the airline. Yemenia aircraft are routinely inspected once they park in any EU airports. Britain suspended its operations with the airline in 2010 over terrorist activity in Yemen. Yemenia's head office situated in Sana'a has been damaged by fire twice. Yemenia had to halt its operations on March 30, 2015, due to military conflict.

Destinations

The airline resumed services to Aden International Airport in August 2015, with the initial flight flying from Saudi Arabia. The airline flies to King Khalid and King Abdulaziz International Airports in Saudi Arabia. Yemenia also flies to Jordan, Egypt, and India. Some of the routes included in the airline's previous operations remain suspended. Yemenia's network is extended via codeshare flights which are operated by Felix Airways.

Fleet

Yemenia is in possession of an all-Airbus fleet and two Airbus A320-200s in addition to two Airbus A310-300s operated as of March 2015. Yemenia agreed to a 2008 contract for the acquisition of ten Airbus A350-800s. This contract was followed by an MOU between the airline and Airbus for a total of $700 million for ten Airbus A320s, an order which was confirmed at the beginning of 2010. One Airbus A320 joined the airline's fleet in April 2011.

Incidents

The most notable of the airline's accidents took place on June 30, 2009. The Yemenia Flight 626 plunged into the Indian Ocean. The flight was destined for Comoros, and the crash occurred off Grand Comore's north coast. Rescue teams arriving at the scene discovered a lone survivor out of the total 153 people on board. The accident's trigger was traced to an aerodynamic stall.
Vietnam Airlines is the country's flag carrier. The airline has its headquarters in Long Bien District in Hanoi, and its hubs are at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat International airports. Vietnam Airlines has routes covering 52 destinations in 17 countries. The carrier occupies an integral part of Vietnam's economy as it is involved in passenger transport.

History

The airline's history is traced to January 1956 when the Vietnam Civil Aviation was created by the North Vietnamese government. The airline developed until the end of the Vietnam War, and its initial international destination was Beijing and then Vientiane in 1976. The airline subsequently expanded its pool of destinations to include Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Manila. It was not until 1993 that the airline was inaugurated as Vietnam's flag carrier when it became a state enterprise. The airline began phasing out its Soviet planes in 1994 when the US lifted the trade embargo instituted on the nation allowing the airline to purchase Western-made aircraft. The airline and several other aviation-related companies were incorporated to give rise to the Vietnam Airlines Corporation on May 27, 1995. Over time, the airline has expanded its fleet as well as its destinations.

Destinations

Vietnam Airlines has built a destination network in Southeast and East Asia, Europe, and Oceania. The airline operates nearly 300 flights on a daily basis, and its local destinations include Chu Lai, Da Nang, Dien Bien Phu, Dong Hoi, Haiphong, Pleiku, Quy Nhon, and Vinh. The bulk of the airline's international flights heads to Asian nations including China, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Cambodia, Laos, Taiwan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Singapore. Other flights are destined for Germany, Russia, the UK, France, and Australia. Vietnam Airlines adds its local capacity to meet the spike in demand for local travel during the yearly Tet celebration. The celebration falls between late January to mid-February, and it is identified as the country's most notable celebration. In 2013 for example, the airline added 174,000 extra seats during the festivity, 82,000 of which were added on the trunk route between its main hubs. The airlines began participating in SkyTeam from June 10, 2010. The carrier has made codeshare agreements with airlines like Cathay Pacific, Czech Airlines Finnair, Kenya Airways, and Qantas among others.

Fleet

The airline's fleet constitutes a total of 83 aircraft. The fleet includes 57 Airbus A321-200, 7 Airbus A350-900, 8 Airbus A330-200, and 11 Boeing 787-9. Vietnam Airlines operates an air freight branch of Vietnam Airlines Cargo through which it offers cargo services to Oceania, Europe, Asia, and North America by use of its passenger fleet as well as those of its partners. Throughout its history, the airline has used Soviet, European, and American aircraft and it currently has Airbus, ATR, and Boeing aircraft.

Future Trends

The airline aims at operating 170 aircraft by 2020, and it is implementing programs to enable it to become Southeast Asia's second-biggest full-service carrier. The airline is projected to fly to 53 destinations including African cities, Perth, Nanjing, Prague, Hangzhou, Adelaide, Mandalay, Amsterdam, Dalian, and Milan. The carrier further plans to move the bulk of its international operations to the planned Long Thanh International Airport. Vietnam Airlines also plans to boost its yearly revenue to $7 billion. There are plans to restructure the carrier and partly privatize it to facilitate better service delivery.
One of the world's oldest civilizations, the Inca Empire was a pre-Columbian empire located in the western part of South America. By 1527, the Inca Empire spanned an area of about 770,000 sq mi (2,000,000 km2), making it one of the largest empires in the world during the 16th century. The Inca Empire covered parts of the modern-day countries such as Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru. The Inca Empire existed from the 15th to 16th century.

About the Inca Empire

Within its boundaries, the empire was a symbol of diversity, both geographically and demographically. Several cultural groups lived within the empire, practicing various religious and social traditions. The geographical and cultural diversity of the empire allowed for a central government where local leaders operated under the supervision of Inca officials. The Inca officials answered to the ultimate power, the Emperor. Before the coming of the Spanish, the Inca represented the royal ruling class. The Spanish used the name to refer to both the ruling class and the subjects. The Incans are credited for the discovery of terrace farming which made possible the cultivation of crops in mountainous regions.

Rise of the Inca Empire

The rise of the Inca Empire is explained by several myths and oral traditions. The Inca are believed to have settled in Peru in the 12th century. Manco Capac established the first Inca dynasty (the Kingdom of Cusco) with Cuzco (today a UNESCO World Heritage Site) as the capital. The regional growth of the Inca dynasty began during the 14th century under the leadership of Mayta Capac. In the reign of Pachacuti-Cusi Yupanqui, the Inca Empire attacked neighboring villages conquering through violence and sometimes peacefully assimilating other tribes. He entreated rulers of neighboring tribes to peacefully join his empire with the promise of abundant wealth. Refusal of his requests resulted in military conquests of the desired territory.

Arrival of the Spanish

The growth of the Inca Empire continued until the 16th century with the coming of the Spanish. With his team of conquistadors, Francisco Pizzaro received the royal approval from the Spanish queen to conquer the Inca Empire. The coming of the Spanish into Inca led the spread of diseases, particularly influenza and chickenpox, which decreased the output of the working class as well as the nobility. The worst effect was the death of the Incan emperor leaving sons contesting for the throne. Succession disputes between the ruling family, unrests in the newly conquered territories, and the spread of chickenpox further weakened the Inca Empire against external attacks. Disputes between the sons of Emperor Huayna Capac triggered the Incan civil war giving the Spanish conquerors an upper hand in acquiring support from the local leaders.

Fall of the Inca Empire

The Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire lasted for 40 years from 1532. Several battles were fought between the Incas and the Spanish who worked together with the native allies. These battles include the Battle of Cajamarca in 1532, in which Atahualpa was captured and executed. After his death, Manco Inca served as the emperor until his death in 1544. The Spanish empire had superiority over the Incas regarding their military knowledge and tactics as well as support from native tribes who sought to end the rule of the Inca dynasty. Later, the struggle between the Spanish and the Incas involved a shift in allegiance with parties avenging the deaths of their leaders or rising in rebellion against Spanish rule. The fall of the Inca Empire ended with the execution of all the Incan rulers and their families in 1572.
Success Again For Wrexham Business Students

This article is old - Published: Monday, Aug 7th, 2017

AS level Business Studies students from Coleg Cambria have been successful once again in another competition 

this time the Making Business Happen Awards.

George Wilbraham, Gugulabazali Ndlovu and Tushar Bhatia (pictured above) who are all students at Yale Sixth, Coleg Cambria in Wrexham formed a company called the Original Health Company and put themselves forward for the Awards which were held in the University of South Wales with Natwest. The team produced a sophisticated business plan which they presented before judges from the business world.

The Awards, now in their third year, are designed to highlight young entrepreneurial talent, rewarding groups and individuals for their commitment and approach to developing an effective or innovative business idea. This year saw 30 entries from students across the UK. Only 10 entrants were shortlisted and invited to the event so the team knew they were up against the toughest competition possible.

The team came second in the finals and are donating 500 of their prize money to Coleg Cambria to set up an Enterprise Committee which will run student-led enterprise activities. The College will also receive a comprehensive business support and mentoring package from the University of South Wales Business School.

Coleg Cambria Business Studies Lecturer, Mel Henry said, Theyve done exceptionally well. Their commitment, passion and maturity throughout this experience has been exceptional.

Deputy Director for Learner Experience and Enterprise at Cambria, Rona Griffiths said, This is a huge achievement for such a young group. This is the same group of students who came 2nd at BigIdeasWales Celebrated in March and won the Wales Enterprise Skills competition in April.

I cant wait to see what they have planned for next year!

A spokesperson told us: This is just the entrepreneurial behaviour that Coleg Cambria are keen to promote and develop, having joined with 300 leaders from across Wales for the launch of #BeTheSpark at Motorpoint Cardiff the very same week.

If you would like more information on how to get involved with the entrepreneurial journey at Coleg Cambria, people are advised to contact via rona.griffiths@cambria.ac.uk
500 Residents Sign Petition Backing Rights of Siblings to Attend Same School

This article is old - Published: Monday, Aug 7th, 2017

A 500-strong petition supporting the rights of brothers and sisters to go to the same school has been handed to council leaders in Wrexham.

The petition was launched by mum of three, Clare Roberts, whose second son Dion was refused a place at Ysgol Bro Alun with his older brother Osian.

From September she now faces the prospect of having to get her two older children to two separate schools at the same time. The same applies at the end of the school day.

She launched the petition to help ensure that other parents didnt face her nightmare in the future.

Clare, who lives in Little Acton, said: My summer is filled with dread and anxiety for September. It should be a happy time, looking forward to your child starting school. But because they wont be going to the same school all I feel is worry and upset that my children will be going to different schools.

From September, Clare will face having to take and collect her boys to Bro Alyn and Plas Coch schools. She also has concerns for the future with her new baby Elis: I worry about what the future holds for Elis as he could potentially end up in a different school.

Councillor for the Grosvenor ward, Marc Jones, has worked with Mrs Roberts on the petition.

He said: The situation Clare finds herself facing is not unique. Every year, brothers and sisters are getting separated because of council regulations. This petition is a simple plea to ensure they are kept together at a key part of their education.

Its important for their development but also important for the family, which is juggling two sets of primary schools rather than just one. Its virtually impossible for a parent to get both children in such a situation to school at the required time.

The situation is particularly acute in Welsh-medium schools and, as demand grows, we want to ensure that nobody has to go through this again in the future.

Issues surrounding school places in Wrexham have been well-documented for sometime, particularly the problems faced with provision in Welsh-medium schools.

Earlier this year Wrexham.com reported that a number of parents across the county borough had been left frustrated and upset after their child was refused a place in their desired Welsh medium primary school.

Speaking this week, Cllr Phil Wynn, Lead Member for Education, said: Admissions to Wrexham schools are processed consistently through the Councils published admissions criteria, which gives priority to the closest school over siblings.

The Council is generally very successful in allocating a place to a parents first preference, as evidenced by the data for September 2017, where of the 1610 applications to the Reception class, 98% received their first preference , with these being 97% for English medium and 99% for Welsh medium.

In respect of Nursery places, 95% were offered their first preference to English medium provision and 91% to Welsh medium provision. Of those not allocated a first place across both English medium and Welsh medium, there were 12 refusals for siblings, which represents 0.8% of the entire cohort.

The Council recognises and understands the difficulties for parents when children attend different schools and that this is further compounded by the distances between schools, particularly in respect of Welsh medium provision. The Council, through its Welsh in Education Strategic Plan, is committed to increasing provision to meet demand and to the growth of Welsh medium education in the County Borough.

Having accepted the petition, I will examine the request raised within it and respond in due course, after discussing the matter with senior officers in the Education Department.
WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - The Florida Highway Patrol said a Crestview driver and her passenger suffered injuries when her car left US 319 and collided with another car on US 98.

Carolyn Myler, 74, of Crestview, was charged with careless driving and received minor injuries in the accident Friday evening, an FHP news release said.

Myler's passenger, Joshua Myler, 28, of Crestview, received serious injuries.

Troopers said Carolyn Myler's car was traveling northeast on US 319 just west of US 98 while a car driven by Louann Clark, 31, of Crawfordville was traveling south in the southbound lane of US 98 just north of US 319.

Carolyn Myler's car left the northbound lane of US 319 as it curves right and entered the southbound lane of US 98 just ahead of Clark's car, troopers said. Myler's front bumper collided with Clark's bumper.

Clark was not injured, FHP said.

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BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - A UPS driver got a surprise when making a delivery in a Baton Rouge neighborhood off Essen Lane.

In security footage of the delivery, the UPS employee approaches the front door with no clue that a snake is lurking behind a nearby plant. When the snake emerges, it sends the deliveryman running. In his mad dash for the road, he drops packages and even jumps over a flowerbed.

Colin Luke posted the video online, after the camera on his porch captured the delivery-gone-wrong.

I'm not sure who was scared more, because the snake darted off at an alarming rate, Luke said. I knew I had a good video after I saw him take off and drop the packages.

Luke said he was at work when the UPS driver first arrived on his porch. Almost immediately, his security camera sent a notification to his phone.

I'm not sure why I continued to watch through the first 15 seconds, but I did, Luke said. It was a good catch.

He posted the clip on YouTube. In one week, it has gotten more than 50,000 views. It even appeared nationally on the Today Show.

Luke said he is not mad at the UPS worker  nothing was broken in those packages  but he still really wants to meet him.

I was hoping during the next few deliveries he could have made here, that I'd be home so I could open the door and talk to him and show him the video, Luke said.

And hopefully this time, the driver will not run off.

Copyright 2017 WAFB. All rights reserved.

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Tallahassee Police Department has identified a man who died in one of three weekend shootings.

TPD said Monday that Travis Wilson died in an incident that began Saturday morning in the parking lot of Waffle House at 1939 West Tallahassee Street.

Police were contacted about shots fired near Call Street and Stadium Drive around 3:30 a.m. Saturday.

Now the police say Wilson was killed and three others were hurt in that shooting.

Just hours later, officers were called to an apartment complex on East Magnolia Drive for reports of shots fired.

Police say that shooting and one on Lake Bradford Road may be connected.

A local mother says she believes the key to ending this violence starts with the community's kids.

No arrests have been made in these two shootings.

Police are searching for a suspect who pulled the trigger in these cases.

In another shooting, a man arrested after a meeting set up on a mobile app to discuss buying and selling a cell phone led to a teenager being shot in the leg has been released on his own recognizance.

Daniel Sierra, whose bond was set at $125,000, was released Sunday.

His first appearance, which was to have been Monday morning, has been reset because he is no longer in jail.

Lorenzo Winford, 18, was shot in the leg Friday night after an argument broke out with Sierra, 20, and another man.

Police say Sierra shot at the vehicle Winford was in, trying to flee the incident at 475 Appleyard Drive. The car's driver flagged down an ambulance in the 400 block of West Tennessee Street for help.

Winford was taken to a nearby hospital, his condition remaining unknown, and Sierra was taken to the Leon County Jail.

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The job is dangerous enough for the less vulnerable people, because porters have to contend with extreme weather conditions and uneven terrain. They are also targeted by the State Security Force, as the Iranian regimes laws criminalize the work of a porter which is punishable by prison or a fine.

On July 30th, some porters were attacked by border police at a village near the city of Sardasht, western Iran, who killed one, and left two others seriously wounded. The next night, July 31st, Irans forces opened fire on another group of porters. Azad Mina-Abduli, one of the porters, was seriously wounded.

Previously, on June 25th another porter by the name of Karim Mohammad Aminzadeh, also from the city of Sardasht, lost his life when forces opened fire. Mohammad Ahmadiyan, a second porter, was seriously wounded.

Two more porters from the cities of Sardasht and Piranshahr were also seriously wounded on June 29, when forces opened fire and a landmine exploded.

These porters are attacked and shot as they work to support their families. This, at a time when $25 billion worth of goods are smuggled each year, according to Iranian MP Hossein-Ali Haji Doleigani. This amount of money is three times the countrys entire construction budget.

According to a story published by state-run media onJune 19, 2016, smuggling goods and currency has led to 800,000 people being unemployed. These contracts are controlled by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and other security and intelligence entities.

On March 7th, at a press conference in London, the Iranian Resistance revealed that 90 ports, meaning 45% of all of Irans ports, are used for smuggling. These ports are mainly placed at the IRGCs disposal.

Solidarity with the victims families is called for by The Iranian Resistance. They urge all the people, especially the youth in border areas, to support the hardworking porters. Strong condemnation of the regime for its crimes against Irans hardworking laborers is also called for, from all international labor organizations, by The Iranian Resistance.
Even though the Palestinians halted their security coordination with Israel, it didn't stop the return Friday of the bodies of four terrorists to their families for burialwhich requires security coordination.

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The transfer of terrorists' bodies is done by the Civil Administration's Communication and Coordination officers and their counterparts on the Palestinian side.

It appears, therefore, that despite Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's declaration he was severing ties with Israel over the crisis surrounding the Temple Mount, the security coordination continues on the ground and done by the lower ranks and at a smaller scale.

Funerals of two of the terrorists in Tuqu'

X

The security coordination is also required when IDF forces enter Area Awhich is under full Palestinian controlto carry our arrests. In such instances, the Palestinian security forces are asked to leave the area to avoid clashes with the Israeli troops.

But since Abbas's declaration two weeks ago, the IDF has carried out dozens of arrestssome of them in Area Awith no clashes reported.

The bodies returned Friday were of a Palestinian who carried out a shooting attack and killed in a fire exchange when Israeli forces came to arrest him near the village of Nabi Salih, as well as three other Palestinian attackers who attempted to carry our car ramming and stabbing attacks and were killed when they were neutralized.

Funeral of terrorist in Tuqu'

During the funerals of two of the terrorists on Saturday afternoon, Palestinian youths clashed with Israeli forces in the village of Tuqu'. Dozens of rioters hurled stones at the Israeli troops, who responded with crowd dispersal measures.

An IDF soldier was lightly hurt and was evacuated to the hospital for treatment.
Saturday evenings protest at Petah Tikvas Goren Square was the 37th protest near Attorney General Avichai Mandelblits home. It was the largest, youngest and, I believe, the happiest protest so far. On the other side of the square, the Likud party organized its own protest . A well-manicured piece of grass and a large police force separated between the protestors. One square; two protests; two different worlds.

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The demonstrations began as a protest campaign outside Mandelblits home. The protestors argued he wasnt doing his job when it came to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and to governmental corruption in general.

More than eight months have passed, and the world has turned upside down in some sense. Now the police, in coordination with the State Attorneys Office, are describing Netanyahu as a suspect. It seems Mandelblit will soon be able to come out of his apartment and join the protestors. Its not unlikely they would applaud him. On Saturday evening, the protestors spoke less and less about Mandelblit and more and more about Netanyahu.

Protesters urging AG to push forward with PM's investigations (L) facing Netanyahu supporters accusing the Left of a launching a coup attempt (Photos: Motti Kimchi)

The Likud leadership, on the other hand, realized the Saturday protests in Petah Tikva are no longer an unimportant episode, and a counter-protest must be staged. Coalition Chairman David Bitan called on the ministers, on the Knesset members and on their assistants to come to Petah Tikva on Saturday evening, and showed up there himself. The result, so far, was pathetic. Likud is capable of much, much more than that.

The people were not there, neither on the one side of the square nor on the other side. Not yet.

Between 2,000 to 3,000 people arrived at the oppositional side of the square. The increase in the number of protestors can be attributed to the numerous reports last week about the corruption cases involving Netanyahu, as well as, perhaps, the reports on Likuds counter-protest.

In the audience, I noticed about 10 young people from the New Likudniks group, wearing white T-shirts with the following caption in blue: Likudsaying no to corruption. One of them, Yaron Ben-Nun, the son of Major-General (res.) Avihu Ben-Nun, got on the stage against the backdrop of a large sign reading Corruption.

I want to say hello to all my Likudnik brothers who have come here. David Bitan, did you bring Avi Fahima, the electrician who works on Yom Kippur? Did you bring Nathan Eshel? Ari Harrow? Ezra Seidoff, are you there? Shlomo Filber? Theyre all loyal Likudniks. Loyal to who, to Likud? Dont make me laugh, gentlemen. Theyre opportunists.

Likud supporters (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

The audience booed at every name mentioned. Hon, shilton, olam tachton (capital, government, the underworld), they chanted. At the end of his speech, people approached and thanked him excitedly. On the other side of the square, only the applause could be heard.

By 9pm, there were only 200 people at the Likud protest. One of the reasons was the Shabbat ending time. The religious people arrived at 9:30pm, after the protest on the other side had already ended. Children arrived wrapped in a flag of Israel. Leftists, go home, the man in charge of the microphone shouted at the sight of the emptying square. Only Likud, he added.

The signs were prepared in advance. There was a professional hand involved in their wording and design. The messages pointed to the defense line taking shape against the anti-corruption campaign. First of all, its the Left; second, its a putsch, a coup attempt; third, its hypocrisy. Weve had enough of hypocrites. Netanyahu was mentioned in one sign: Loving Netanyahu, protecting democracy.

After quite a few protests in which the Left accused Likud of destroying democracy, it suddenly turns out that democracy is Likuds hearts desire.

I didnt see a sign claiming there will be nothing because there was nothing. I may be putting the cart before the horses, but there seems to be a movement from Netanyahu to Likud: There may be a need to replace Netanyahu, but we must remain in power. Bibi, Bibi, the man with the microphone called out. There was no response. Bibi, king of Israel, one person started singing. The reaction was silence. Instead, they playedagain and againLikuds election jingle.

Why all this hatred? asked Kobi, a contractor from Petah Tikva and an ardent Likud supporter. We have had enough of hatred. He meant every word he said. But when one of the protestors crossed the road from the other side, he was driven away with shouting.
The Education Corps and the Personnel Branch of the IDF are currently advancing an initiative to, for the first time, send Israeli draft orders to teens in 11th grade during attendance at their pre-military preparation week.

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The first to experience the combination of these two experiences are thousands of high school students who are scheduled to spend the military prep weekin Israel known as Gadnaat the Hahava Alon base in the Galilee in the coming school year.

High schoolers during Gadna week

If the pilot succeeds, the army will expand the initiative to Gadnas in other IDF bases.

If the change take effect on a broader basis, the future soldiers will not be required to report, in the middle of their daily lives as high school students, to attend interviews, examinations and other forms of sorting processes.

The IDF explained that the initiative was pushed for several reasons.

First, to enable the future draftees to arrive at the initial tests more prepared and willing during the days of their stay at the Gadna base.

Second, to avoid pulling them out of their daily lives, sometimes forcing them to miss a school day, or a day of preparation for the matriculation exams.

Third, to reduce the pressure on old-fashioned induction centers, some of which are undergoing extensive renovations at this time.

Fourth, to avoid the common scenario where draftees "skip out" on their first summons and come to the induction center only after they receive their second or third summons.

"Instead of the youth coming to us, the army wil come to them," the IDF explained. "The Gadna non-commissioned officers will encourage the youth to serve in a meaningful manner and will explain to them the importance of their first induction center testing and its influence on their future in the IDF."

Every year about 28,000 high school students are hosted in the IDF during the Gadna weeks. The demand to participate in this weekly activity increases from year to year in schools, but some are rejected by the army because of the lack of facilities to host them in. Some high school students maintain high motivation for combat units and therefore their students are not sent to Gadna.

In the past year, the IDF began to carry out special Gadna courses in combat bases, in which more than 1,200 high school students have participated. This move is expected to expand in light of the high demand alongside special Gadnas that are opening this year for Arab youth, both Muslims and Christians.
The Military Advocate General is expected to oppose Elor Azaria's request to postpone his prison sentence until he receives a response from Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot on his clemency request in a response to the Military Court of Appeals on Monday.

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President of the Military Court of Appeals, Maj. Gen. Doron Piles, is expected to either rule on the issue or set a date for a hearing on the request.

Azaria is scheduled to begin his 18-month sentence at Prison 4 in Tzrifin on Wednesday after being convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a neutralized Palestinian terrorist in Hebron in March 2016.

Photo: Reuters and Ohad Zwigenberg

The Military Advocate General issued a statement, saying, "There is no basis in reality to Azaria's claim that the ruling becomes final sooner if a request for clemency is submitted earlier. Military justice states that serving a prison sentence is immediate and delaying that execution of sentence here is an exception to the rule.

"The immediacy of punishment is based here on the discipline upon which the military establishment rests. There is no justification for Azaria's case to be different than those of other soldiers who request clemency; soldiers who only do so after they begin serving their sentences."

The Military Advocate General also indicated that acquiescing to Azaria's request risks setting a precedent in which soldiers due to serve prison sentences can delay their punishment until they receive a response for clemency requests.

Eisenkot will only be able to discuss Azaria's request after September 7, when the verdict becomes peremptory.

For this request to be taken into serious consideration, Azaria would need to both express remorse for his actions and take responsibility for them, neither of which he has done thus far, not even in his request to the IDF chief.

Regardless, if such a request is submitted, Eisenkot is obliged to consult with the Chief Military Advocate General, Brig. Gen. Sharon Afek, for a legal opinion first and only then may he respond.
After criticism from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and threats from Coalition Chairman MK David Bitan, more and more of Likud's senior minister have begun defending their party leader in the media.

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Netanyahu is under investigation in two criminal cases: the so-called Case 1000 revolves around suspicious he and his family members received illicit gifts from wealthy donors, while the so-called Case 2000 concerns talks he had with Yedioth Ahronoth owner Arnon Mozes seeking more favorable coverage in return for weakening Yedioth's rival newspaper Israel Hayom.

Netanyahu's former chief of staff and close confidant Ari Harow signed a state witness agreement on Friday, further implicating the prime minister.

Netanyahu at a Likud party meeting (File photo: AFP)

"I want to thank those who gave interviews," Netanyahu said with clear cynicism at a Likud ministers meeting on Sunday.

Culture Minister Miri Regev rushed to his support, saying, "We're all united under you."

Netanyahu's comment, as well as threats made by close confidant MK David Bitan on Saturday that "We'll settle the score" in the primaries with those who don't publicly back the prime minister, have led many of the Likud party's senior ministers to action.

Ministers Yisrael Katz, Yuval Steinitz and Ofir Akunis, as well as Deputy Minister Tzipi Hotovely, have all posted support messages on their Facebook pages.

A Likud official said the ministers who were "on the fence" have now realized which way the wind was blowing from the chatter on social media and so rushed to jump on the support bandwagon.

However, the official said, some of the messages of support were forces and were done "out of internal party considerations."

Bitan said Sunday that he was "ashamed of the ministers who did not come out to Netanyahu's defense. It's simply a disgrace."

He also announced a support event on Wednesday evening at the Tel Aviv Convention Center, and said he expected all of the ministers to attend. It's unclear whether Netanyahu himself will be in attendance.
Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of a militia, said last week that he wanted Hashed al-Shaabi to demobilise. Al-Sadr is known for being very anti-American and is popular among the poor people in urban Baghdad.

He is calling for the dismantling of Hashed al-Shaabi  a paramilitary organisation that enjoys heavy support from Iran that has over 120,000 troops.

These comments came during a speech he was giving to supporters in the Iraqi capital after visiting the Saudi crown prince, one of Irans biggest enemies in the region.

Others clerics in Iraq are calling for the same thing with many urging authorities to take the arsenal off all armed groups.

Shiite Sheikh Fadil al-Bidayr is another leading cleric that wants to see the group dismantled. He was one of the leaders that issued an urgent call to arms in 2014 at the time when the Islamic State group swept through the north and the west of the country and managed to obtain Mosul when the countrys army collapsed.

Speaking to the press, Bidayri said that it was inevitable that Iran would use the call to arms to further its own agenda in Iraq, reiterating that there was no other choice at the time. However, he said that the military is coming back together and Mosul has been recaptured, so now is the time to disband Shiite militias and expel Iran from the country. This, he said, is essential if sectarian tensions are to ease.

Like his fellow nationalists, the sheik is getting fed up of Irans involvement. He said that Iran has taken every opportunity to expand its influence in his country.

The operations to take back the cities of Fallujah and Tikrit, and many other fights against the Islamic State in the past, have involved many sectarian killings and persecution of the Sunnis. Leaders of certain militias have said that there were abuses, but the people responsible have been held responsible and punitive measures have been taken.

Hadi al-Amiri, one of the leaders of the Badr Brigade, a powerful Shiite militia in Iraq, said that the insurgent capabilities of the Islamic State is a long-term security threat to the country so his forces have no choice but to stay. He said: The Hashed will remainand our relationship with Iran will remain.
The intra-Palestinian split, which has been going on for about a decade now, points to the Palestinian leaderships weakness and creates political dynamics of violence and uncertainty, affecting the nature of the relationship with Israel as well.

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From a historical perspective, this is one of the worst moments in the history of the Palestinian national movement. The political-geographical split is making it difficult for the PLO leadership to navigate through the diplomatic route toward the two-states-for-two-people solution, as it committed to in the Oslo Agreements. The alternative Hamas tried to present in the form of jihad collapsed too, leading to a serious humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Mohammad Dahlan. The local identity could serve as a renewed stepping stone to a national leadership position (Photo: Shaul Golan)

The crisis the two leadershipsthe PA and the Hamasare experiencing obligates them to find solutions that could give the young generation a sense of hope. Naturally, the weakness of the national system and party affiliation makes it possible to create political alliances based on alternative identities. So far, it seems the key for creating change in Palestinian society can be found in the creation of communal alliances around strengthening the regional-geographical connection while bolstering the national connection as well.

Thats the background for the recent Egyptian-brokered unnatural affair between Mohammad Dahlan, who was expelled from Fatah in 2011 but sees himself as Mahmoud Abbas's future successor, and Hamas's newly elected leader, Yahya Sanwar. Dahlan, the former head of the Palestinian Preventive Security Force, was described by the Hamas leadership on the eve of the military takeover of the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2007 as a corrupt person damaging the values of Islam.

From refugee camp to political meetings in Cairo

The parties have surprisingly moved closer not just thanks to a political meeting of interests, but due to traditional cultural identity components, led by the interpersonal connection and the local identity. Sanwar and Dahlan grew up together in the Khan Younis refugee camp, share the refugee mindset and the same background. In addition, there is no history of bad blood between them. Dahlan and Sanwars ways parted in the beginning of the first intifada. Since then, until their recent meeting in Cairo, there has been no animosity between the two, but perhaps yearning.

The personal acquaintance and the local identity shared by Dahlan and Sanwar is seen as an asset by Egypt too, which is interested in severing the ties between Hamas's military wing and Islamist organizations in the Sinai Peninsula.

Yahya Sanwar upon his release from Israeli prison as part of the Shalit deal

The creation of an economic-political dependence system, which passes through Dahlan and is backed by Sanwar, will make it possible for Egypt to achieve these goals. Thus, the local Gazan identity, which receives a lot of legitimization from Egypt, allows Hamas to find a formula that would make its political survival possible.

For Dahlan, the local identity could serve as a renewed stepping stone to a national leadership position. The purpose of the alliance between Dahlan and Hamas is to lead joint moves that would create a better day-to-day life for the strips residents, who are suffering from a shortage of electricity, water and basic civilian infrastructure. Dahlan and the donation money from the Gulf are supposed to fill the void left behind by Abbas. The Palestinian president chose to withdraw funds to harm the Gaza Strips bureaucratic systems and civilian infrastructure in an attempt to subdue Hamas, following Sanwars efforts to create an alternative government that would neutralize the influence of the Palestinian Authoritys government offices in the Gaza Strip.

Abbas refusing to reconcile

Beyond the rivalry between Fatah and Hamas, the internal Fatah battle between Abbas and Dahlan is personal and filled with bad blood. In the past, Abbas rejected Egyptian attempts to reconcile between the parties, and he is determined to block Dahlans way back into Fatah and prevent him from reaching an influential position in the future.

As part of his attempts to try to thwart Dahlans return to a political position of power, Abbas initiated last week a meeting with the Hamas leadership in the West Bank, led by Nasser al-Din al-Shaer. The meeting between the Fatah and Hamas leaderships in the West Bank focused on the efforts to reach an intra-Palestinian reconciliation and a solution to the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Abbas, like Dahlan and Sanwar, is using communal-regional politics to advance issues of national importance and shape a political agenda.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Photo: AP)

From the West Bank, the message reached the Gaza Strip. One of the Hamas leaders, Salah al-Bardawil, in response called for a return to the reconciliation path. He said Hamas was willing to cancel the alternative government workers council in exchange for setting a general election date and implementing a reform in the PLOs structure.

Fatah, Hamas and Dahlan are using the local identity to make some gains in the Palestinian national political arena. Local, clan and tribal identity components are usually seen as an obstacle to the national pattern of action. In the Palestinian case, the communal-regional politics is being painted in national and Islamic colors and serving as a future engine of growth, which will have a future key role in the inheritance battles in the post-Abbas era.
In honor of Tu B'Av, the Jewish Valentine's Day, which is marked Monday, the Central Bureau of Statistics has released a series of data on marriage in Israel.

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According to the data, rates of marriage in Israel are much higher than most European countries, albeit at a later age. In recent decades, the average age of marriage has increased, especially among the Jewish population.

In 2015, 53,579 couples were married in religious institutions in Israel, about 73 percent of whom were Jews. In the same year, 9,299 weddings were held abroad, with at least one partner being registered with the Population and Immigration Authority.

Photo: Shutterstock

In terms of the ages of both the bride and the groom, the average age of grooms stood at 27.5, while the average age of brides was recorded as 25.2.

When examining only the Jewish population, the average of grooms in 2015 was 28. This compared to 1970, when the average age was 25. Similarly, for Jewish brides in 2015, the average age was 26.1, while in 1970, that number stood at 21.8.

As a result of the increase in marriage age in the Jewish population, the percentage of single Jewish men between the ages of 25-29 rose from 28% in 1970 to 62% in 2015. Similarly, the same measure of single Jewish women between the ages of 25-29 rose from 13% in 1970 to 46% in 2015.

Photo: Shutterstock

In turn, as a result of the increase in marriage age amongst the Jewish population, an increase in unmarried Jewish men and women has also been observed. For example, the percentage of unmarried Jewish men between the ages of 45-49 in 1970 stood at only 3%, while in 2015, that number has jumped to 12%. Similarly, the same measure for unmarried Jewish women increased from 2% in 1970 to 9% in 2015.

The Jewish population in communities with over 10,000 residents, such as Even Yehuda, Kiryat Tivon and Tel Aviv-Jaffa, is characterized by a high percentage of single men and women aged 25-29 in relation to the total Jewish population. Comparatively, Modiin Illit, Beitar Illit, Elad and Bnei Brakall religious communitiesare characterized by a low percentage of never-married men.

Despite increases in the age of marriage among the Jewish population, Israel has a high marriage rate.

Worldwide, marriage rates are measured by the number of weddings per 1,000 people (gross marriage rate). Among the general population in Israel, the rate is 6.4 on average6.2 among Jews, 8.5 among Muslims, 7.4 among Druze and 5.3 among Christians.

The gross marriage rate in Israel is one of the highest in OECD countries, where rates range from 3.1 in countries such as Portugal and Slovenia, to 7.8 in Turkeythe country with the highest marriage rate among the OECD countries. Turkey is followed by Lithuania, Cyprus, the United States, Latvia and Israel.
Jordan's King Abdullah met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Monday for the first time in five years to discuss Temple Mount tensions and wider political developments.

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While the two leaders meet fairly frequently in Amman and other regional capitals, Abdullah has not visited Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, since December 2012.

King Abdullah arrives in Ramallah ()

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King Abdullah and PA President Mahmoud Abbas (Photo: AFP)

The king arrived by helicopter, with the visit coordinated with Israeli authorities which control all entrance and exit points to the West Bank, including its 150 km border with Jordan and the air space above.

The visit comes two weeks since a surge in violence in Jerusalem after Israel installed metal detectors at Muslim entrances to the Al Aqsa mosque compound, following the killing of two Israeli policemen during a terror attack.

The change in security led to days of protests and clashes between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli security forces before Israel, after consultations with Jordan, decided to remove the metal detectors and other measures.

Jordan has been the custodian of Jerusalem's Muslim holy sites since the 1920s. The compound, which sits on a tree-lined plateau in the Old City, is also revered by Jews, who call it Temple Mount, the site of two ancient Jewish temples.

Palestinian officials provided little detail on what Abbas and Abdullah discussed, but said the situation at Al Aqsa and broader political concerns were touched on.

Photo: Reuters

"The visit comes in the course of continued consultation and coordination on all levels," said Nabil Abu Rudainah, Abbas's spokesman.

"They will also evaluate the current incidents happening in Jerusalem and in particular what happened at Al Aqsa mosque and the efforts exerted to resolve the crisis."

According to the Jordanian Petra News, during the talks, both leaders stressed the need to preserve the historical and legal status quo on the Temple Mount. Changes to the arrangement, both men noted, will have negative consequences for the region as a whole.

King Abdullah reiterated that Jordan, in keeping with the Hashemite guardianship of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, continues to protect the holy sites in the city, through working with the international community and in all forums.

Jordan, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994 and has growing, if little discussed, economic ties with its neighbor, often plays a mediating role in the region.

With a large percentage of Jordan's population made up of Palestinians, and Jordan sharing a border with the West Bank, which the Palestinians want for their own state together with east Jerusalem and Gaza, its position is sensitive.

Abbas and Abdullah also discussed US-led efforts to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, which have been suspended for the past three years.

During the talks, Abdullah stressed the importance of working with the US administration to advance the peace process and re-launch serious and effective negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis based on the two-state solution.

President Donald Trump's regional envoy, Jason Greenblatt, has made several trips to Amman, Ramallah and Jerusalem this year to try to find common ground, but there is little sign of enthusiasm on anyone's part to start negotiating again.

Photo: Reuters

Abdullah emphasized Jordan's full support for the rights of the Palestinian people and stressed his support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.

Abdullah is also playing a role in liaising with Egypt and others to see if long-standing differences between Abbas's Western-backed Fatah party and the rival Hamas Islamist movement can be resolved.

Hamas, which won the last parliamentary elections held in the Palestinian territories in 2005, seized full control of Gaza after a violent struggle with Fatah in 2007.

Over the past several months, Abbas, as head of the Palestinian Authority, has stepped up pressure on Hamas, cutting off salaries for civil servants in Gaza, limiting payments for electricity imports and some medicines.

The aim appears to be to oust Hamas from power, but there is little sign of that happening and efforts are being made by regional powers to resolve the internal fighting.
Foreign Ministry officials in Jerusalem confirmed Monday that Nada Amin, the Iranian journalist who was granted political asylum in Israel , remains in Turkey, and said they were looking into reports she was arrested trying to leave the country.

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Interior Minister Aryeh Deri granted Amin political asylum Sunday after reports surfaced that Turkey was planning to deport her to Iran. Amin was scheduled to fly from Turkey to Israel, but did not board her flight from Istanbul to Tel Aviv.

Amin, 32, ran afoul of Iranian authorities earlier this decade for a series of articles critical of the regime, and eventually fled the country in 2015 after her book Zenjir (The Chain) was banned.

Neda Amin

Since then she has lived with refugee status in Turkey, but her work for the Jerusalem-based Times of Israel website has raised eyebrows in both Turkey and Iran. According to the UN Watch NGO, Turkeys National Intelligence Organization (MIT) has followed Amin for a long time, with at least five or six phone calls and an interrogation me at the foreigners branch directorate. Arabic-language media reported Monday that Amin has been indicted on several counts of treason stemming from her work for Israeli media, a capital crime in Iran.

They (Turkish authorities) kept asking me why I wrote for an Israeli newspaper and with whom I have connections in Israel. Although I repeatedly said I am only a journalist, they accused me of being a spy for Israel, Amin told UN Watch.

On July 5 Ankara informed Amin she would no longer be afforded refugee status and given 30 days to leave the country, leading her to publish a plea for asylum last week to countries in the Mediterranean region.

She fears she would be deported to Iran and face prison or even the death sentence were she to return to the Islamic Republic.

It is not clear why Turkey is planning to expel Amin, who has lived in Turkey since fleeing Iran in 2014, but it might be related to Ankaras aggressive hostility to the media, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

More than 30 percent81 out of 259of the journalists currently imprisoned around the world have been jailed in Turkey, including the prosecution last month of 17 journalists for the daily Cumhuriyet newspaper who were accused of aiding and abetting terrorist organizations.

This is a journalist who has a real danger posed to her life, only because of writing columns on an Israeli news website, said Deri.
BERLIN -- German authorities say far-right activist Ernst Zundel, who was convicted of Holocaust denial in Mannheim after his deportation from Canada, has died. He was 78.

Marina Lahmann, a spokeswoman for the community of Bad Wildbad in Baden-Wuerttemberg where Zundel lived, told The Associated Press on Monday he died over the weekend but she had no further information. His wife was quoted by media in Canada as saying he had died of a heart attack on Sunday.

Born in Germany in 1939, Zundel emigrated to Canada in 1958 and rose to nationwide notoriety for his neo-Nazi beliefs and writings, including "The Hitler We Loved and Why."

He was deported in 2005 from Canada and convicted in 2007 of Holocaust denial, a crime in Germany. He was released from prison in 2010.
There is a foul smell coming from the biblical Kidron Valley. It's so bad that King David and Jesus, who are said to have walked there thousands of years ago, would today need to take a detour to reach Jerusalem.

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For decades now a quarter of Jerusalem's sewage has flowed openly in the Kidron valley, meandering down the city's foothills and through the Judean desert to the east. At its worst, the pollution leaks into the Dead Sea.

The stream runs back and forth between land under Israeli and Palestinian administration, making a fix hard to find. But finally it seems a solution has been reached.

Shony Goldberger, director of the Jerusalem district in Israel's Environmental Protection Ministry speaks during an interview with Reuters as sewage flows in the Kidron Valley, on the outskirts of Jerusalem July 6, 2017 (Photo: Reuters)

Authorities on both sides have agreed to drain the valley of sewage. According to the plan, a pipeline will be constructed carrying the wastewater directly to new treatment facilities. Each side will fund and build the section that runs through its territory.

Until that happens, however, about 12 million cubic meters of sewage continue to flow through the valley each year.

"Of course it's damaging the environment and the ecological system," said Shony Goldberger, director of the Jerusalem district in Israel's Environmental Protection Ministry.

"It's dangerous and hazardous to the health of the people in many ways."

Added to Jerusalem's sewage along the stream's 30 km descent through the West Bank is effluent from Bethlehem and nearby Arab villages.

Sewage is seen in the estuary of the Kidron Valley close to where it leads into the Dead Sea in the West Bank August 2, 2017 (Photo: Reuters)

Plants grow anomalously in what should be a dry wadi, animals come to drink, and mounds of baby wipes flushed down thousands of toilets sporadically coagulate along the banks. Sewage seeps into the earth, risking contamination of ground water.

Towards the end of the journey it gathers in a makeshift collection pool and much is used to irrigate date trees, which have a high tolerance for pollutants. But every so often gravity pulls the refuse towards the lowest spot on earth, the Dead Sea.

"It's like a brown stain," Goldberger said. "It stays disconnected from most of the salty water of the Dead Sea."

With Israeli-Palestinian peace talks at an impasse, projects that require even minor cross-border coordination seldom get done. Israel captured the West Bank in the1967 Six Day War, but under interim peace deals the Palestinians exercise limited self-rule in part of the territory.

Israeli border police officers guard as sewage flows in the Kidron Valley, on the outskirts of Jerusalem July 6, 2017 (Photo: Reuters)

"After decades of not being able to solve the problem, for a thousand and one reasons, professional and political, we reached an agreement for building a pipeline in the valley," Major General Yoav Mordechai, the coordinator of the Israeli government's activities in the West Bank, told Reuters.

The Palestinian Water Authority said the agreement was reached out of an "interest to clean the area," but emphasized the two sides were working separately.

While they are both are optimistic, some skepticism remains, since similar plans in past never gained traction.

Photo: Reuters

"We were talking about it, planning it, every time it took two, three, four years. You think you have it, and then the light at the end of the tunnel turns out to be a truck coming at you," said Goldberger.

"I hope this solution will reach the stage where it is built."
The Taliban rejected reports they used foreign fighters and cooperated with Islamic State in fighting at a remote village in northern Afghanistan this weekend where officials said dozens of local police and civilians were killed.

The Taliban, fighting to install sharia in Afghanistan and drive out foreign forces, said the claims were intended to discredit it. The movement sees Islamic State, which is fighting to create a global caliphate, as a hostile force.

However, Afghan government officials quoted villagers as saying as many as 600 fighters, who appeared to include both Taliban and Islamic State militants, had overrun Mirza Olang village in the northern province of Sar-e Pul on Saturday.

They said that many of the fighters appeared to be foreigners, speaking Turkmen, Uzbek and Punjabi, a language spoken in the Punjab region of Pakistan.

The reports appeared to offer support to claims that the Taliban have been using foreign fighters, but in a region with a patchwork of different ethnicities and national borders close by, establishing a true picture is difficult.

"The Afghan government and its foreign masters are making false claims that we are working with Daesh (Islamic State) just to discredit us in the local community," one Taliban commander said.
Passersby in Jerusalem's Zion Square were surprised on Monday morning, when they discovered a large sculpture at the center, composed entirely of the inscription "I  JLM." The new sculpture allowed the capital of Israel to join a number of world hubs that have placed similar sculptures at their center.

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The 'I  Jerusalem' statue in Zion Sq. (Photo: Gal Arbel)

Photo: Gal Arbel

"I was pleasantly surprised, it looked good and impressive," said a resident of the city. "It's really true, I do Love Jerusalem."

The statue was placed in the Zion Square just in time for the Jewish holiday of love, Tu B'Av, which fell on Monday. The sculpture is about two meters high and six meters long, and was created by Jerusalem designer Yarel Yair for the Jerusalem Municipality and the Jerusalem Development Authority and Moriah Company.





Photo: Gal Arbel

Photo: Gal Arbel

"The idea behind it is that Jerusalemwhich has a glorious past and history and is rooted in the pastfaces the future and receives new influences, welcomes them, takes them in and looks ahead," said Yair. "I am a Jerusalem artist who grew up in the graffiti era, which used to be subversive and then slowly became mainstream, as is was studied and influenced an entire generation.

Photo: Gal Arbel

Photo: Gal Arbel

"It was the culture of quiet artistic protest, which allows for a social and communal stage. Graffiti was the Facebook of the 1970s.

The statue before it was painted and set up at Zion Sq.

"All the streets around the installation are historical," added Yair. "Streets where armies passed through, and now the present and the future are marching through them."

Photo: Gal Arbel

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat responded to the sculpture's installation by saying that "everyone loves Jerusalem, and Jerusalem loves them all. The new installation symbolizes Jerusalem's unique place for each and every one, and I invite the city's residents, visitors and tourists to visit Jerusalem, enjoy themselves in it and photograph themselves at the special installation."

Photo: Gal Arbel

For the love of giant statues

The new Jerusalem sculpture is reminiscent of many others around the world, all of which have become major tourist attractions. One of the more famous among these sculptures is the "I Amsterdam" near the Rijksmuseum, considered to be one of the more photographed spots in the Netherlands capital.

The 'I Amsterdam' statue (Photo: Shutteratock)

As the I  JLM sculpture was placed in Jerusalem on the occasion of Tu B'Av, it also conjures up the image of the famous "Love" sculpture by US artist Robert Indiana. Although its original version was erected at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and another stands in Philadelphia, the most familiar of them was already on display in 1970 on Sixth Avenue and 55th Street in New York City. The famous Hebrew version of the sculpture can be found at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

The 'Love' statue in NYC (Photo: Shutterstock)

Tel Aviv had a similar statue erected for its 2015 Pride parade. The temporary statue was set up on the city's breakwater and attracted the attention of many locals and tourists. Unfortunately, the winds coming in from the sea proved to be too strong, eventually toppling the sculpture over.
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the prime minister will give the dates of his talks with the owner of Israel Hayom Sheldon Adelson and the newspaper's former editor-in-chief Amos Regev. The court's petition was filed by Channel 10 News journalist Raviv Drucker.

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The Supreme Court ruled: "These are talks between the prime minister and the two most important position holders in Israel Hayom newspaperthe controlling shareholder of the newspaper and its (thened) editor-in-chief.

Sheldon Adelson (L) and Benjamin Netanyahu (Photos: Rueters, AFP)

"Although the claim is that the requested information relates to private conversations and not to newspaper conversations, the existence of a personal connection between the prime minister and the controlling shareholder and the editor-in-chief of the newspaper, and the intensity of such a connection, is of great public interest.

"It should be added that this is not a mere matter of gossip over the connection between a member of the government and the owner or editor of a newspaper. The connection between the prime minister and Israel Hayom, a popular and influential daily newspaper, has been on the public agenda and has preoccupied the public and the political establishment almost since the newspaper was founded in 2007.

"The intensive public discourse on the question of the essence of the connection between the prime minister and the newspaper, as well as the goals behind the founding of the newspaper, led, inter alia, to the State Comptroller's review of the petition to the chairman of the Central Elections Committee ahead of the elections to the 20th Knesset, with some even believing that this led to the elections being expedited."

The Supreme Court also explained that weight must be given to the fact that, at the time, Netnayahu "also held ministerial powers in other ministries, including the Ministry of Communications."

Furthermore, the court stressed that "thosew seeking information are not merely a 'curious citizen,' but rather a senior journalist and a central media outlet who conducted an investigation into the relationship between the prime minister and the newspaper Israel Hayom and its owner, in which the newspaper was presented as 'a mouthpiece for promoting the prime minister's positions and interests,' and sought to deepen and corroborate the findings of their investigation."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a post on Monday in which he referred to a report in which Palestinian sources said they hoped that the investigations against him would lead to his downfall. "Won't happen," Netanyahu wrote on his Facebook page.

On Friday, an agreement was signed with Netanyahu's former chief of staff, Ari Harow. The police said that the arrangement was signed with the approval of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan.
The report, however, does not mention the Irans terrorist activities in Europe. which have largely remained unaddressed, while it advances its presence and resources in Europe, especially in the Balkans.

In 2016, when an Iranian cleric in Kosovo was charged with financing terrorism and money-laundering through a nominally non-governmental organization he operated, the Iranian regimes Balkans-centered efforts came under scrutiny. Hasan Azari Bejandi,, ran five Shiite organizations with links toTehran, according to Kosovar authorities. He was charged on July 26, 2016.

The Al-Mustafa International University, headed by Ayatollah Alireza Aarafi, a member of Irans Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and a Friday Prayers leader in the holy city of Qom, appears to be affiliated with an umbrella group for the Iranian regime in Europe, including Kosovo. Al-Mustafa International University is reported to be owned and run by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In Germany last week, non-government organizations and the German media warned the government about the activities of Al-Mustafa-linked organizations in the country. Katarina Barley, the Federal Family Minister in Germany, was alerted about an Al-Mustafa workshop in Germany that was wrongly funded under the guise of a workshop of the Islamic Community of the Shiite Communes of Germany (IGS) by her ministry. She called the event off.

The news media in the Balkans reported on March 9, that American security agencies saw expanding activities from Iranian intelligence services over the Balkan area.

A report compiled by The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) warning of increased activities of Iranian intelligence services in Bosnia and Herzegovina, contains around 650 names of members, mostly from of Irans Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). The report is mainly based on information gathered by the Intelligence and Security Agency (OSA) of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and covers 15 years of Iranian intelligence agents activities.

First on the list of Iranian intelligence agents according to the report, is Hassan Jawad, Deputy Minister of Intelligence in Tehran. Jawad was the IRGC chief for southeastern Europe, and then became head of the Department of Central Asia and the Caucasus, according to OSA, during the Bosnian war of the 1990s. He is also a member of the Iranian-Bosnian Friendship Association Board of Directors, but is allegedly active in intelligence work and recruiting.

Iran began extending its influence in Bosnia back in 1990 as communism collapsed in Yugoslavia. Iranian spies were said to have been seen visiting the jihadist colony at Gornja Maoca in northeastern Bosnia. Despite police raids, the colony has reportedly operated as training camp for jihad-minded radicals.

Albania appears to be another Balkan country that Iran has targeted. Reza Shafa, an Iran expert, has called it a a foothold in the European continent. As in Bosnia, Iran has allegedly attempted infiltration of Albania by setting up charities and cultural organizations that serve as front organizations for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Ministry of Intelligence.

Despite its efforts, Iran draws is gaining little foothold within the general population. Albanias government and Parliament were in unanimous agreement to allow a large number of members of Irans democratic opposition group, MEK, to settle in Albania last year.

The international community must be vigilant and join the U.S. sanctions against the IRGC, especially in Europe.
POLK COUNTY - Members of the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) SWAT team and deputies from multiple sheriffs offices and police departments worked together to arrest two men after a pursuit Saturday that involved a suspect firing several rounds at Polk County Sheriffs deputies.

The pursuit began Saturday evening, Aug. 5, when a Polk County Sheriffs deputy attempted to stop a vehicle whose plates did not match the vehicle. The people in the vehicle fled and during the pursuit the passenger of the car fired several rounds at the deputies, striking one patrol car, according to the state patrol.

The vehicle went into a ditch near 129th and B Roads in Polk County and two people fled on foot. Shortly thereafter, the driver of the vehicle, Douglas Burke, 38, of Clarks, surrendered to authorities. The vehicle was determined to be stolen and the passenger, Derek Hobbs, 25, of Omaha, had an active felony warrant from Omaha for terroristic threats, theft by unlawful taking ($1,500-$5,000), and use of a firearm to commit a felony.

NSP SWAT, along with deputies from the Polk, Merrick, Butler and Hamilton County Sheriffs Offices and officers from multiple local police departments, searched the area and located Hobbs in a cornfield early Sunday morning. Hobbs was in possession of a loaded weapon, the patrol said.

Both men were taken to the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center in Lincoln. NSP is continuing to assist the Polk County Sheriffs Office with the investigation. Charges will be determined pending further investigation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-06 22:13:51|Editor: ying

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TOKYO, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Japan said on Sunday that it has asked the United States to refrain from flying the contentious Osprey aircraft in Japan, following an accident of the tilt-rotor aircraft off Australia a day earlier which left three U.S. Marines missing.

Japan's new Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters that Japan has urged the U.S. to disclose information about the accident and to take measures to prevent such accidents from recurrence.

"We will continue to ask the U.S. (to refrain from flying Ospreys) until we receive a solid explanation" about the accident, said Onodera.

He also said that Japan plans to discuss with the U.S. whether it would be appropriate for Ospreys to take part in joint training between the two countries scheduled between Aug. 10 and Aug. 28 in Hokkaido.

The U.S. military has deployed dozens of Osprey aircraft in its Futenma base in Okinawa, which has caused serious concerns from local people for a long time due to the American military tilt-rotor aircraft's record of fatal accidents.

A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey aircraft belonging to the Futenma base in the city of Ginowan made a water crash-landing off Okinawa in December 2016, leaving two crew members injured.
New Delhi: A Pakistani charity that the United States accuses of being a front for anti-India militant group that staged the 2008 Mumbai attacks has entered politics by forming a new party, charity officials said on Monday.

The new Milli Muslim League party will follow the ideology of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which the U.S. says is a front for banned militant group Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) and is run by Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 attacks that killed 166 people.

"We have decided to make a new political party, so that Pakistan is to made a real Islamic and welfare state," said Milli Muslim League President Saifullah Khalid.

Tabish Qayoum, a JuD activist who will work as spokesman for Milli Muslim League, said the charity had filed registration papers for a new party with Pakistan`s electoral commission.

"It is now need of the hour to get your message to the grassroots," Qayoum told Reuters.

JuD officials have always denied the charity is a front for LeT, and tout the group`s humanitarian work as an example of Islamic charity.

Qayoum said Saeed, who missed the launch event as he remains under house arrest in Lahore, and other senior JuD figures are unlikely to be involved in the new party that will adhere to JuD`s ideology.

"We demand an immediate release of Hafiz Saeed. Once he is released we will seek his guidance and ask what role he wants in this political party," added party chief Khalid.

In the past, Saeed has often denounced democracy and the electoral process, saying it is not compatible with Islam.

The United States has offered $10 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Saeed, who Reuters could not contact for comment.

But he has always denied involvement in the Mumbai attacks of 2008 that brought the neighbours Pakistan and India to the brink of war.

In the attacks, 10 gunmen swarmed across targets including two luxury hotels, a Jewish centre and a train station in a rampage that lasted several days.

Saeed has been under house arrest since January after years of living freely in Pakistan, one of the sore points in the country`s fraying relationship with the United States.

The U.S. State Department`s country report on terrorism for 2016 issued last month said the LeT and its wings continued to make use of economic resources and raise funds in Pakistan.

Ayesha Siddiqa, a security analyst, said the new party was designed to give militants better cover amid pressure from the international community on Pakistan to crack down on LeT and JuD.

"The making of a party indicates the need of JuD to hide itself further so to avoid criticism," Siddiqa said.

Western countries have for decades accused Pakistan of harbouring Islamist militant groups and using them as proxies to project power in the region. Islamabad denies having such a policy.
Sydney: An Australian teenager emerged from a night-time dip in the ocean with blood streaming from his feet and ankles in a gruesome mystery that doctors have struggled to explain.

Sam Kanizay waded waist-deep into the water at Brighton Beach in suburban Melbourne on Saturday evening, standing still for about 30 minutes. When he came out of the sea he was bleeding profusely from the calves down.

"The cold water numbed my legs. I felt what I thought was pins and needles but maybe it wasn't just pins and needles," the 16-year-old told 3AW radio on Monday.

Washing the blood off his legs in the shower did little to stem the flow from what his family believed was an attack by sea lice.

"It sort of looked like hundreds of little pin holes or pin-sized bites distributed all over my ankle and the top of my foot," he said.

Kanizay, who was rushed to hospital, said doctors could not explain what had caused the injury.

"We had a few people guessing that it was sea lice, but no one really had any ideas."

His father went as far as scooping some of the tiny critters from the ocean and posting a film online of them devouring small chunks of meat.

Some reports cited experts pointing instead to stingrays or jellyfish as the suspected culprits.

But Jeff Weir, from the Dolphin Research Institute, said the injury was likely caused by opportunistic amphipods, a tiny crustacean that latches onto decaying plant or animal matter to help break it down.

"They are not there to eat us, but sometimes they might take a little bit, like mosquitoes and leeches and other things out there in the environment," he told AFP.

"He (Kanizay) must have been very, very cold and he wouldn't have felt it," added Weir, who experienced a similar injury on his forehead after a night dive 40 years ago.

The veteran marine researcher said Kanizay's injury was much like a graze and he should not fear returning to the water.

"I don't think there has been anything that has changed, there just aren't that many people that stand really still for that long.''
Kolkata: FMCG major Britannia Industries plans to set up its largest plant at Ranjangaon Food Park in Maharashtra with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore, a company official said on Monday.

"The company is planning to set up its largest plant at the Ranjangaon Food Park...," company Chairman Nusli Wadia told shareholders at the 98th Annual General Meeting here.

Addressing a press conference here, the company`s Managing Director Varun Berry later said: "We have made application to Maharashtra government and we are looking at a mega food park."

"It (plant) would be made with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore and the investment would go in for four to five years."

To start with, the plant will have six biscuits lines, one cake line and one filled croissants line, Berry said.

The biscuit maker is also looking at putting up a plant in Nepal and Rs 55 crore would be invested in the Himalayan country, he said.

The company entered into a joint venture agreement with Chipita S.A., a Greek company, for the manufacture and sale of ready-to-eat filled croissants which is a very large category in certain countries demographically similar to India.

According to the company`s latest annual report, it will continue to scout for many such profitable growth opportunities to ensure that it stays ahead of the market while transforming itself into a total foods company.

Wadia said that the focus of the company would be on investments on new products and cost reduction. He also said that the company was planning to set up a dairy project.

Berry said progress in the dairy project was to the tune of 85 percent.

"If we have dairy back-in, it is going to be Ranjangaon," he said adding that the belt is known as the highest cow milk producer across the country.

According to Berry, the company acquired 96 acres of land for the Ranjangaon project and is looking at another 48 acres.

The company remains committed to the strategy of strengthening its position in bastion categories - biscuit, cake, rusk and bread, the report said.

Wadia said the company has the higher ratio for own manufacturing as compared to third party manufacturing.

Presently, own manufacturing constitutes about 55 percent and in two years` time, it is expected to be 65 percent.

The report also said a greenfield plant was underway in Assam.

To improve the company`s competitiveness in the international market, a greenfield project in the Mundra Special Economic Zone was being put up and was expected to be commissioned in the coming year, it added.

Berry said the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has had short term impact in June and July.
Madrid: More than 100 migrants stormed a border post between Morocco and the Spanish territory of Ceuta on Monday, careering through with agents unable to stop them, police said.

They started running from the Moroccan side, crossed the border posts and reached Spanish soil, a spokesman for the Guardia Civil police force told AFP, in the latest incident there.

Ceuta and Melilla, another Spanish territory on Morocco`s northern border, have the EU`s only land borders with Africa.

As a result, they are entry points for migrants desperate to get to Europe and who regularly try to climb the high border fences, swim along the coast or hide in vehicles crossing the frontier.

The police spokesman, however, said this type of border-crossing attempt  sprinting through manned posts  was very rare.

"It`s been a long time since we`ve had any attempt of this kind here," he said, adding that the migrants who reached Spanish soil were taken to a reception centre in Ceuta, which would later give the exact number of people who crossed across.

Last week in Ceuta, about 200 migrants stormed the high border fence, with 73 managing to get through using wire cutters and mallets.

Ceuta is ringed by a double wire fence eight kilometres long. The six-metre high fence also has rolls of barbed wire.
Ahmedabad: A day prior to the Rajya Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it is confident that it will acquire all three seats in Gujarat.

Addressing a press conference here, BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said all members of the party are in the state to support the three candidates.

"All leaders of the party, from our party head to our state president," he said.

He also said that all MLAs in the state will be briefed with a presentation about the Rajya Sabha elections that will take place tomorrow.

Pandya said, All MLA`s have come. Only a few could not come because of personal reasons.

BJP chief Amit Shah, Union Minister Smriti Irani, and former Congress party chief whip Balwantsinh Rajput are contesting on BJP tickets, while Congress has fielded Ahmed Patel for a seat.
New Delhi: Sharbati Devi, a 103-year-old widow, tied rakhi on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wrist on this auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

Devi was extremely happy and delighted to meet Prime Minister Modi when she visited his official residence at Delhi's Lok Kalyan Marg . She had lost her brother 50-years-ago whom she misses dearly.

Earlier, her son had written a letter to Prime Minister Modi expressing his mother's desire to celebrate Raksha Bandhan with him which subsequently led to Prime Minister Modi inviting Devi with her family at his residence.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi had also met few widows from Vrindavan and students who tied home-made rakhis.

On this special occasion of Raksha Bandhan, Prime Minister Modi took to twitter and wished on social media.

"On the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan, congratulations to the nation. Greetings on Raksha Bandhan," he posted.
New Delhi: In the Dokalam stand-off between India and China, there's one thing that foreign experts are sure of. Neither party wants a war. China, especially, will not even spare a small-scale military operation despite its aggravated stance.

As the Dokalam stand-off continues, another sharp act of transgression by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has emerged. This time around, the Chinese army tried to gain strategical access in Doklam area by illegally constructing a road in Bhutan.

Bhutan, which does not have an Ambassador in China, communicates with China through the Indian Embassy. India, acting as the big brother, stood afirm to protect Bhutan's land  a move deemed as "unnecessary meddling by China.

So to unnerve India, China is now resorting to its famed Three Warfares or san zhong zhanfa tactic, reports India Today. The concept is based on three strategies:

(1) Strategical psychological operations

(2) Media manipulation

(3) Legal warfare to manipulate policies and perceptions of audience abroad

In strategical psychological operations, the state-controlled Chinese media released audio-visuals and photographs of PLA war exercises. The idea was to intimidate the Indian Army and demoralise our civilians. For instance, China trying to remind India about the 1962 war.

In the second approach, China is manipulating the international outlook and it's own citizens by using the media to justify it's incorrect stand and procuring support. China is constantly bombarding the media with threats which are then published by local news outlets.

And finally comes the legal warfare tactic where China tries to enter the surrounding areas of its rival, demanding more land from the enemy by bullying.

Interestingly, while China seems to be speaking up on Dokalam stand-off, it's citizens are least interested in the topic. News on Dokalam rarely trends in China as civilians prefer not to talk or write on diplomatic issues because of lack freedom of speech. Chinese have no access to international media, except for those living abroad.
Katlicherra: The police on Sunday arrested Faizuddin Laskar, a teacher in Assam's Hailakandi district, who earlier posted obscene pictures with his student online.

Laskar, a faculty member of Model High School was allegedly clicked in objectionable poses with his student, a minor girl, which were then posted online. Condemning the teacher's inappropriate behaviour, Leader of Opposition in Assam and Congress Party leader Debabrata Saikia demanded strict action from the government.

Taking it further, Saikai lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for improper implementation of their 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme.

"This sort of behaviour is very unfortunate. It is surprising that the state government and education departments have not reacted upon the case. This kind of incident will only further discourage girls from pursuing education. Even the Centre has not reacted upon this. I think the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' will remain as just a slogan, rather than a constructive move," Saikai told ANI.

While it is unclear as to who clicked the photographs, the pictures reveal that they were taken within the school premises itself, and the teacher was willing posing for the pictures with the minor student.
New Delhi: In a bid to chalk out a strategy for Mayawatis exit, 16 outfits of Dalits, Muslims and OBCs, led by former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leaders held a day long meeting in the national capital at Constitution Club on Sunday.

As per the reports of Indian Express, Naseemuddin Siddiqui, once the closest confidante of Mayawati, brought these outfits together on a single platform. After being expelled from BSP, post party's humiliating defeat in 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Siddiqui formed a National Bahujan Alliance and a Coordination Committee with former BSP MP Pramod Kureel as convener. Talking to the daily Kureel said," He is still in the BSP but wants to oust Mayawati (as its leader).

Since Mayawati had expelled Siddiqui from BSP, there has been speculation about his next move. Some BSP MLAs who want to oust Mayawati. as well as sources close to Siddiqui informed the daily that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is in touch with them.

Talking to IE, post-meeting, Siddiqui said,"Sixteen political and non-political outfits from several states gathered today. The Committee will soon hold another meeting and we will form a joint front of Sarv Samaj and contest elections."

On being asked about the anti-Mayawati alliance, former BSP MP Pramod Kureel said, The aura of Mayawati has been exposed now. Many leaders have left her in recent years but they are not organised. They all call themselves followers of Kanshi Ramji, but work alone. Hence, there was a need to bring them together. Our main aim is to give an identity and alternative to the Bahujan samaj.

Kanshi Rams Bahujan Sangharsh Party, Indian National League, the Bahaman Mukti Morcha, film actor Rajpal Yadavs Sarv Sambhav Party, a sister organisation of the All India Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation, or BAMCEF were the outfits present at Sundays meeting.
New Delhi: The Delhi police on Monday filed a culpable homicide case after the tragic death of three sanitation workers. The Delhi Jal Board, on the other hand, has denied that the cleaners were hired by them for the job.

"They were not our staff. However, we have ordered a probe to find out how these men entered the sewer without authorisation," a DJB official told PTI.

The incident took place yesterday at around 1 PM when the workers reportedly hired by Delhi Jal Board were cleaning a sewer line in Lajpat Nagar near the Kabir Ram temple. If reports are to be belived, They had gone inside the sewer inhaled toxic fumes and were later found unconscious there.

The workers were immediately rushed to the AIIMS Trauma Centre where the doctors declared them brought dead. Two of the deceased were identified as Joginder (32) and Annu (28), while the identity of the third victim was yet to be ascertained, police said.

Following the incident, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari slammed the Delhi government over the deaths and asked Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal for a probe into the incident.

Earlier in July, four sanitation workers died when they had entered a septic tank to clean it in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj. As per the reports, they too had inhaled toxic gases inside the tank. Two persons were arrested in connection with the deaths.

(With inputs from agencies)
New Delhi: Devotees across the nation are flocking towards temples to offer their prayers on the last Monday of 'Sawan' month.

Devotees fast on the Mondays of the month to impress Lord Shiva. This year it had five Mondays, which is being considered as a rare event.

According to the Hindu Mythology, Lord Shiva is called ' Mahadev' because he saved the universe by drinking the poison that rose from the 'Samudra Manthan' in Sawan.

'Samudra Manthan' is an occasion when Gods and Demons churned the ocean of milk for 'Amrit'. A gem was produced from the churning was poison, which could have destroyed the entire universe; therefore, Shiva drank the poison to save the living beings.
New Delhi: The Centre has declared entire Assam as a "disturbed" area under the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for one more month, citing various violent activities by insurgent groups ULFA, NDFB, and others.

The Union home ministry also declared Meghalaya's border areas adjoining Assam, and three districts in Arunachal Pradesh as "disturbed" under the AFSPA for two more months with effect from August 3.

In separate gazette notifications, the home ministry said the entire Assam, has been declared "disturbed" under the AFSPA with effect from August 3 till August 31.

The ministry said the 20 km belt in Meghalaya bordering Assam will also continue to be a "disturbed area" under the AFSPA with effect from August 3 to September 30.

It has also declared as "disturbed" under the AFSPA three districts of Arunachal Pradesh -- Tirap, Changlang and Longding - and areas falling within the jurisdiction of 14 police stations in nine other districts of the state with effect from August 4 to September 30.

The 14 police stations fall under the districts of Papumpare, West Siang, East Siang, Lower Dibang Valley, East Kameng, West Kameng, Namsai, Lohit district, Lower Subansiri in Arunachal Pradesh.

A home ministry official said there were 75 incidents of violence in Assam in 2016 in which 33 people, including four security personnel, were killed and 14 others were abducted.

The violence were perpetrated in Assam by insurgent groups like ULFA, NDFB and others, the official said.

AFSPA has been continuing in Assam since November 1990.

The official said continuing violence perpetrated by NSCN(IM), NSCN(K), ULFA, NDFB, and others were key reasons for continuing with AFSPA in Arunachal Pradesh.

The AFSPA has been in force in the three Arunachal Pradesh districts of Tirap, Changlang and Longding since January, 2016.

Meghalaya too has been witnessing violence by ULFA, NDFB militants in the recent past.
5 TV shows and films on homosexuality and same-sex marriages - IN PICS
New Delhi: Central varsity Jamia Millia Islamia will no longer be a minority institution. The Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) will soon file an affidavit claiming that declaring the university a religious minority institution was an error as it was set up by an Act of Parliament and is funded by Centre. The government will withdraw support.

According to an Indian Express article, the MHRD in the affidavit will state that its support for the order of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) on February 22, 2011, declaring Jamia a religious minority institution, was an error in its understanding of the legal position.

Earlier, Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi had advised Smriti Irani-led MHRD that the ministry is entitled to change its perspective in court and revert its stand on Jamia being a minority institute, and that to respect the ruling of NCMEI was not in accordance with the law.

The government will rely on the Supreme Courts decision in the Azeez Basha case, which declared that Aligarh Muslim University was not a minority university since it was established by the British legislature and not by the Muslim community.

Observing the 2011 NCMEI order, Jamia has already discontinued reservation for SC/ST and OBC students and reserved 50% seats in each course for Muslim candidates  30% for general Muslim applicants, 10% for Muslim women applicants and 10% for Muslim Other Backward Classes and Scheduled Tribes as notified under the Central government list.

The order has previously been challenged by the UPA government under the then HRD minister Kapil Sibal.
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has been appreciated time and again on social media for rescuing those who've reached out to her on Twitter. A few days back Swaraj had helped 24-year-old Osama Ali of Rawalakot in PoK, who had been diagnosed with a tumour in the liver by providing him with a visa.

But recently, a Twitterati while watching Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma's recently released film 'Jab Harry Met Sejal', sought Sushma Swaraj's help and asked her to rescue him as soon as possible. Taking to the micro-blogging site, the Twitterati named Vishal Surywanshi wrote,"Mam, I'm watching Jab Harry Met Sejal at Xion cinema Hinjewadi, Pune. Please rescue me as soon as possible."

@SushmaSwaraj mam, I'm watching #JabHarryMetSejal at Xion cinema Hinjewadi, Pune. Please rescue me as soon as possible August 5, 2017

This tweet is going viral on social media as it has grabbed 1994 likes and 1266 retweets.

However, this was not the first time when Swaraj has been asked to intervene into a mundane issue. Earlier a twitter user named Venkat wrote to Swaraj and Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan and had sought their help in replacing a defective refrigerator. In a series of tweets, Venkat had tweeted the product number as well as the serial number of the Samsungh refrigerator.

Swaraj, who is known for quick responses tweeted Venkat back. "Brother I cannot help you in matters of a Refrigerator. I am very busy with human beings in distress," the External Affair Minister had tweeted then.
New Delhi: Rock band concerts and quizzing based on patriotic theme will be organised at institutes and universities across the nation from August 9 to 13 as part of the celebration of 70th Independence Day.

The human resource development (HRD) ministry in collaboration with the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued a notification asking institutes like Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and Delhi University to conduct a couple of events on freedom struggle and Quit India movement.

Evidently, the initiative is aimed at infusing patriotism among the aspiring pupils.

One crore students are expected to participate in the quiz from across the nation. Also, the top 10 winners will get an opportunity to meet the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"A number of rock bands have been identified by the information and broadcasting ministry, and 100 institutions that have adequate space to accommodate at least a thousand persons will be selected. All institutions have been asked to participate in the event," the Hindustan Times quoted a senior ministry official as saying.

He further added, "Institutions will be sent questions related to the quiz and they will organise it within the campus. Out of these, a final selection will be done and 10 students will get a chance to meet the Prime Minister."

Reportedly, the UGC notification also stated that the faculty should be requested to plan guided tours for students to memorials of freedom fighters, places or houses of any martyr from the military, paramilitary and police, who helped to preserve the integrity of the country, in the vicinity of the institution in order to acquaint students about the contributions of freedom fighters.
New Delhi: The election to the three Rajya Sabha seats in Gujarat will be held on Tuesday with both BJP and Congress exuding confidence even as the poll has become a major prestige issue for the two parties.

The ruling BJP has 121 MLAs in the 182-member Gujarat Assembly while the Congress strength has plummeted to 51 after over half a dozen members quit the party in a fast-paced recent political development in the state.

Veteran Congress leader Shankarsinh Vaghela along with six party MLAs had resigned last month citing differences.

The development forced the party to go in back-foot as it feared more defections and shifted all its MLAs to Bengaluru ahead of the crucial polls.

Congress has blamed the BJP for desertions, calling it a "poaching" attempt.

The election has become a high-stake contest with both sides fielding heavyweights like Amit Shah, Smriti Irani and Ahmed Patel.

The Congress is reportedly herding its 44 MLAs at a resort near Anand to prevent "poaching" by the BJP ahead of the election.

They had only returned to the state from Bengaluru today and will directly go to Gandhinagar on Tuesday to vote for the party's nominee Ahmed Patel.

"All our MLAs have decided not to go to their home even on this day of 'Rakshabandhan' and be loyal soldiers of the Congress party.

They will stay together and they will go to vote for the Rajya Sabha polls tomorrow from Anand," PTI quoted party chief whip Sailesh Parmar as saying.

Expressing confidence of winning Tuesday's election, Patel said, Despite BJP's attempts and the numbers will surprise everyone."

Patel, who is Congress president Sonia Gandhi's political secretary, is seeking a fifth consecutive term in the Upper House of Parliament.

Congress needs 45 votes to secure a win for Patel. Hence, it is banking on NCP, JD(U) and GPP. It is also hoping to win back a few of its rebel members.

However, rebel leader Vaghela on Monday chose to remain silent on his choice of candidate, saying "Each and every voter is the owner of his vote. The vote is the personal property of an MLA. Therefore, I do not want to reveal whom I will vote for."

He said that Congress nominee Ahmed Patel is still his friend. "We have been friends since then and we remain friends till now. Even today, we talked over phone. Our relationship is not limited to politics."

He also said he was no longer in touch with the Congress leadership and dismissed reports that he was in contact with BJP for the election.

Meanwhile, the BJP is confident of acquiring all three seats in Gujarat.

Addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad on Monday, BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said all members of the party are in the state to support the three candidates.

"All leaders of the party, from our party head to our state president," he said.

He also said that all MLAs in the state will be briefed with a presentation about the Rajya Sabha elections.

Pandya said, All MLA`s have come. Only a few could not come because of personal reasons.

Former Congress party chief whip Balwantsinh Rajput is also contesting on a BJP ticket.
Srinagar: Indian troops on Monday foiled another infiltration bid by Pakistan-based terrorists, killing at least five of them in the process, media reports said.

The incident took place in Machil sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district.

The troops reportedly opened fire when the militants tried to cross the border.

Five terrorists were gunned down in the ensuing gunbattle, ANI reported.

The security forces have also recovered weapons from the spot. The identity of the terrorists is being determined.

Late last month, the army had foiled another attempt by Pakistani militants to breach the international border, killing at least three of them.

The incident had taken place in Jammu and Kashmir's Gurez Sector.
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday accepted Maharashtra government's statement that it would not allow children below the age of 14 years to participate in the 'Dahi Handi' festival.

A division bench of Justices B R Gavai and M S Karnik, however, refused to impose restrictions on the height of human pyramid formations during the festival.

"It is not for the high court to impose restrictions on the age of the participants and height of the pyramids as this falls exclusively in the domain of the state legislature," Justice Gavai said.

"We accept the statement made by the state government that it would ensure children below 14 years of age would not participate in the Dahi Handi festival," the judge said.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, told the court that as per the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, children below 14 years of age will not be allowed to participate in the festival since the government had in August last year declared 'Dahi Handi' as an adventure sport.

The court was on Monday hearing two petitions filed by city residents, raising concerns over the participation of minors in the festival and lack of safety measures, due to which several untoward incidents occur.

In 2014, the high court had passed an order saying children below the age of 18 years cannot participate in the festival, and had also imposed a height restriction of 20 ft for the pyramids.

The state government had then appealed in the Supreme Court, which on August 1 this year referred the matter back to the high court directing it to hear the petitions afresh.
Mumbai: A court on Monday sentenced 16 Somali pirates to seven years in jail for hijacking a fishing vessel which had sailed from Iran in 2011 and taking its Iranian and Pakistani crew hostage.

"Sessions judge J C Jagdale sentenced the accused to seven years in jail for conspiracy, attempt to murder, kidnapping and offences under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act," said special public prosecutor Ranjeet Sangle.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 14,000 on each of them, while directing the government to deport them to Somalia after they serve their prison terms.

The judge, however, acquitted them of the charges of 'kidnapping for ransom' (for which the maximum punishment is death), murder and offences under the Arms Act.

Indian naval ship Suvarna, on anti-piracy patrol off the coast of Lakshadweep, was informed on March 26, 2011 that Maersk Kensington, a merchant vessel, was attacked by pirates operating from MV Morteza, a hijacked vessel, and two skiffs.

INS Suvarna rushed to the spot and directed the pirate vessel to stop engines. However, the pirates opened fire.

The retaliatory fire by the Navy led to a blaze on MV Morteza. The Navy rescued its crew members - 12 Iranians and four Pakistanis - and took 16 Somali pirates into custody.

MV Morteza had set sail from Chah Bahar in Iran with 18 crew members. It was hijacked near Seychelles and taken to Somalia by the pirates, who rigged it up as a 'mother vessel' for launching piracy attacks.

The crew were kept captive on board, and witnessed several piracy attempts, the prosecution said.

One of the crew members committed suicide due to torture by the pirates, while another was shot dead by the pirates when INS Suvarna was approaching it.

The Navy and the Indian Coast Guard had nabbed a total of 120 pirates between January and March 2011. All of them were handed over to the Yellow Gate police in Mumbai, and tried in a court here.

One of them died during the trial. All others pleaded guilty.

On August 2, the court had sentenced 15 pirates to seven years' imprisonment. Judgements in remaining two cases are awaited.
Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan on Sunday revealed that he and his wife Kiran Rao are down with swine flu.

The Dangal actor, along with his wife, were scheduled to attend the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup, organised by their NGO Paani Foundation, in Pune on Sunday but could only address the attendees via Skype.

"It's a happy day but we are very sad... because after working so hard for a year, when the time came for us to celebrate with you, we got this illness. And the disease we are suffering from is one which spreads rapidly. It's called H1N1 or swine flu in common usage," the 52-year-old Aamir, who looked haggard, said in a video message Aamir said, though Kiran smiled and tried to appear cheerful.

"The problem with swine flu is if I go anywhere, I will give it to other people so we have been forced to stay at home for a week. And that is why we can't be there with you and we're very sad about it."

Aamir asked Shah Rukh Khan to fill in for him who agreed, Smriti Kiran, who was at the event with Anupama Chopra as Kiran Rao's friend and collaborator on MAMI, posted on social media.

"Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao both have swine flu, so couldn't make it for the finale. Both plug into the event via Skype and say that today is Friendship Day, so they requested Shah Rukh Khan to represent them at the Paani Foundation Cup finale," she said.

Anupama Chopra also tweeted: "Big props to SRK for being here! Aamir Khan said today (Aug. 6) is Friendship Day so he reached out to a friend and asked him to take his place.!"

Among the guests at the event were Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Nita Ambani, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Ashutosh Gowariker, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Ram Madhvani and Nagraj Man Jule.

Maharashtra is among the worst-hit states by swine flu, which has claimed the lives of over 300 people since January, including almost 150 during the current monsoon.

Among the affected regions are Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik where many patients are also currently under treatment in various hospitals.
New Delhi: In an attempt to win the battle against the frauds pertaining to holding multiple PAN cards so as to avoid paying taxes, the central government has deactivated nearly 11.4 lakh PAN cards by July 27 of this year.

The linking of the PAN with UIDAI-linked Aadhaar was made compulsory by the government for filing income tax returns. Also, Aadhaar had become mandatory in order to avail a PAN card, effective July 1.

As the rules suggest, a person can only have one PAN number. Earlier, the government had probed cases of fake PAN cards with fabricated information about themselves.

Here's how you can check your PAN's validity:

1- Log on to https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in, which is the official website to file income tax returns.

2- Select "Know Your PAN" option provided on the home page of the website in the left hand column under the heading 'services'.

3- Enter your registered mobile number on the page. Fill out all the required details, which include your first name, surname, Pan status, gender, Date of Birth and mobile number used to register the PAN card. Click on "Submit" option. An OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number.

4- Given that you have multiple PAN numbers registered under your name, a notice will pop up- "There are multiple records for the query. Please provide the additional information." After which you will be directed to a new page to notify you about the validity of the PAN card.

Active PAN cards will be notified as "Active".
Boston: Scientists have developed a new artificial intelligence system that can monitor a person's sleep using ambient radio waves, without sensors attached to the body.

The device analyses the radio signals around the person and translates those measurements into sleep stages - light, deep, or rapid eye movement (REM).

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Massachusetts General Hospital in the US have devised a new way to monitor sleep stages without sensors attached to the body.

"Imagine if your Wi-Fi router knows when you are dreaming, and can monitor whether you are having enough deep sleep, which is necessary for memory consolidation," said Dina Katabi, professor at MIT, who led the study.

"Our vision is developing health sensors that will disappear into the background and capture physiological signals and important health metrics, without asking the user to change her behaviour in any way," Katabi said.

Researchers had previously developed radio-based sensors that enable them to remotely measure vital signs and behaviours that can be indicators of health.

These sensors consist of a wireless device, about the size of a laptop computer, that emits low-power radio frequency (RF) signals.

As the radio waves reflect off of the body, any slight movement of the body alters the frequency of the reflected waves.

Analysing those waves can reveal vital signs such as pulse and breathing rate.

"It's a smart Wi-Fi-like box that sits in the home and analyses these reflections and discovers all of these changes in the body, through a signature that the body leaves on the RF signal," Katabi said.

The approach could be useful for monitoring sleep, which is currently done while patients spend the night in a sleep lab hooked up to monitors such as electroencephalography (EEG) machines.

"We have this technology that, if we can make it work, can move us from a world where we do sleep studies once every few months in the sleep lab to continuous sleep studies in the home," said Mingmin Zhao, an MIT graduate student.

To achieve that, researchers had to come up with a way to translate their measurements of pulse, breathing rate, and movement into sleep stages.

Recent advances in artificial intelligence have made it possible to train computer algorithms known as deep neural networks to extract and analyse information from complex datasets, such as the radio signals obtained from the researchers' sensor.

However, these signals have a great deal of information that is irrelevant to sleep and can be confusing to existing algorithms.

The MIT researchers had to come up with a new AI algorithm based on deep neural networks, which eliminates the irrelevant information.

Using this approach in tests of 25 healthy volunteers, the researchers found that their technique was about 80 per cent accurate, which is comparable to the accuracy of ratings determined by sleep specialists based on EEG measurements.

"Our device allows you not only to remove all of these sensors that you put on the person, and make it a much better experience that can be done at home, it also makes the job of the doctor and the sleep technologist much easier," Katabi said.
Mumbai: Devotees of Lord Shiva in Northern India (Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar) are celebrating the last Monday or Somwar by visiting temples and offering their prayers. The holy month of Shravan is of great significance for the Hindus.

In the month of Shravan, devotees observe fast, take part in charitable activities and remain devoted to the divine.

The Twitter handle of ANI tweeted some of the images from the famous temples in the country. Check them out here:

#MadhyaPradesh: Devotees offer prayers at Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar Temple on the last Monday of 'Sawan' month. pic.twitter.com/lgqjEHGuo6  ANI (@ANI_news) 7 August 2017

#Delhi: Devotees throng Gauri Shankar Temple to offer prayers on the last Monday of 'Sawan' month. pic.twitter.com/yZ0wFuw5xa  ANI (@ANI_news) 7 August 2017

Interestingly, for devotees in Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have a different set of significant days in the month of Shravan because they follow the Amavasyant calendar.

So according to the Amavasyant calendar, for people residing in the aforementioned states, its the third Somwar.
London: Producers of processed lithium - an essential element for batteries used in electric cars - are agreeing long-term contracts with their customers to fund the investments needed to address a looming shortfall.

Demand for battery-grade lithium compounds is expected to skyrocket in the next decades in tandem with soaring demand for electric cars as governments and individual consumers try to reduce their carbon footprint.

Although there`s plenty of lithium around, the proteblem is ensuring there is enough capacity to process it.

Battery makers and other end-users such as car manufacturers will need to sign multi-year deals that encourage large producers to invest more, and faster, industry sources say.

Some of that is already happening.

"We`ve established the timeline for our own expansion based on the commitments our customers are making with us," said Tom Schneberger, global business director at U.S.-listed FMC Lithium, one of the world`s top four producers.

"Our first priority will be to provide the adequate supply of the high quality products upon which (our strategic customers) rely," he told Reuters.

Expansion plans by Chile`s Sociedad Quimica Y Minera (SQM), another of the top four, for next year are also based on long-term agreements, the company told Reuters.

The production and use of electric cars is projected by Morgan Stanley analysts to rise to 2.9 percent of 99 million new vehicles in 2020 and to 9.4 percent of 102 million new vehicles in 2025, from 1.1 percent of 86.5 million this year.

By 2050, 81 percent of 132 million new auto sales will be electric, Morgan Stanley says.

LIMITED VISIBILITY

The lithium-ion batteries needed to power electric cars use lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide, but the industry typically talks in terms of lithium carbonate equivalent which contains both.

Two types of lithium deposits dominate.

One is hard rock as found in Australia, for which ready-to- go capacity to produce battery grade lithium can take up to three years. The other is brine, mostly found in Chile and Argentina, which can take seven years or more.

China has reserves of both.

Consultants Roskill estimate 785,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent a year will be needed by 2025, amounting to a 26,000-tonne shortfall from anticipated supply, compared to 217,000 tonnes of demand versus 227,000 tonnes of supply this year.

Others expect an even larger deficit.

"There`s limited visibility into where we`re going to get the last 200,000 tonnes of lithium if we hit the numbers Roskill is expecting for 2025," said Seth Ginns, a managing director at Jennison Associates.

Jennison manages more than $164 billion of investment and is a top 10 investor in both FMC and U.S.-listed Albemarle, another of the top four producers.

"We estimate the lithium industry is going to need between $4-$5 billion of investment out to 2025," said Simon Moores, managing director at Benchmark Minerals Intelligence.

Price projections out to 2025 are not available, but Benchmark estimates prices of lithium carbonate will average $13,000 a tonne over the 2017-2020 period from around $9,000 a tonne in 2015-2016.

Demand for lithium hydroxide, preferred over carbonate as it allows greater battery capacity and longer life, is expected to grow at a faster pace. Benchmark predicts the price to average $18,000 a tonne between 2017-2020 against $14,000 in 2015-2016.

FOUR COMPANIES DOMINATE

Top producers are looking at a bonanza if they can ramp up investment fast enough with end-user commitments in hand.

"There are four names that dominate and that is likely to be the case for the next five years," said Jeremy Kent, a portfolio manager at Allianz Global Investors.

Roskill managing director Robert Baylis estimates FMC, Albemarle, SQM and China`s Tianqi Lithium Corporation together accounted for 66 percent of the world`s lithium carbonate equivalent last year. Wood Mackenzie consultant James Whiteside puts the figure at 78 percent.

FMC`s lithium hydroxide capacity rose 80 percent in 2017 to 18,000 tonnes a year, and it has plans to boost that to 30,000 tonnes by the end of 2019. After that, capacity will be expanded as required by demand, FMC`s Schneberger said.

Albemarle is planning to expand its lithium carbonate equivalent capacity to 165,000 tonnes by 2021 from 89,000 tonnes this year, a spokesperson said. "We anticipate spending $700 million and $1 billion over the next 5 years."

SQM said in an email it was planning to invest $50 million to expand its lithium carbonate capacity in Chile to 63,000 tonnes by 2018 from 48,000 tonnes currently. It also has joint ventures in Argentina and Australia to develop deposits.

Tianqi Lithium declined to comment on its investment plans.

Another company actively investing is Australia`s Orocobre, which planned to produce 17,500 tonnes a year of lithium carbonate at its Olaroz facility in Argentina.

Severe weather cut this year`s production to 11,700-11,800 tonnes, however.

Whiteside said Orocobre`s difficulties were typical of many smaller players, noting that the Olaroz facility was the first new major brine operation started in 20 years.

"Because the number of brine operations has been so few historically, there are very few technically experienced chemical engineers to assist these junior companies," he said.

"There are people out there promoting brine projects with plans that are not as robust as they should be."
Etah: A man was arrested for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl in Sakeet area of the district, police said on Monday.

The accused barged into the girl's house yesterday when she was alone and committed the misdeed, they said.

Hearing the girl's cries, neighbourers rushed to her help and got hold of the accused, police said, adding the man was arrested and charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Investigation is underway, they said.
Long Beach: Twelve dock workers and a firefighter sustained minor to mild injuries after a container ship leaked a hazardous material in the Port of Long Beach.

City Fire Department spokesman Brian Fisk said a 6,000- gallon container on the Harbour Bridge ship began leaking the liquid yesterday morning.

The Coast Guard identified the liquid as propyl acetate, primarily used as a solvent. It's unclear how much spilled or what caused the leak.

Fisk says the leak was contained and a 1,000-foot perimeter was established as a precaution.

Eleven dock workers were treated for minor injuries at the scene while one was taken to a hospital with mild injuries.

A firefighter was injured in a fall at the scene. Local and federal officials are investigating the spill and monitoring cleanup efforts.
Islamabad: A petition was filed in the Supreme Court on Monday challenging its move to appoint a judge to oversee proceedings of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) references against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family.

Chief Justice Saqib Nisar has appointed Supreme Court`s Justice Ijazul Ahsan to oversee the proceedings against the Sharif family and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

The Express Tribune reported that barrister Zafrullah Khan of the Watan Party in his plea filed before the Lahore registry of the top court had submitted that every citizen had the right to a fair trial, and therefore, appointing a judge to monitor the proceedings, violated this right, he added.

He further submitted that every citizens reserved the right to appeal a court`s decision and the higher judiciary should ensure that everyone was granted their basic rights.
Bogota: A police officer was injured today in an attack on a UN mission monitoring the disarming of FARC rebels in Colombia as part of the group's peace deal with the government, authorities said.

Assailants attacked the location where the FARC rebel group had a weapons stash in the southwestern town of Caloto, in Cauca department, according to police, who said a splinter group of the Marxist rebels or the smaller National Liberation Army (ELN) could have been behind the violence.

But Cauca police general Edgar Rodriguez said the ELN was to blame. The ELN is currently the only group fighting the Colombian government, though it is seeking to negotiate its own peace deal.

The United Nations said in a statement that a team of their observers, national police and former FARC rebels were ambushed in Caloto.

The disarmament, mainly in June, 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. It was signed last November.

The conflict left a quarter of a million Colombians dead, about 60,000 unaccounted for and seven million displaced.

The FARC was born in May 1964 from a peasants' revolt. Its ranks were made up mostly of country dwellers who rallied behind the group's Marxist-Leninist ideology, with land reform its focus.
New York: Google found itself at the center of controversy after an employee in a leaked internal document claimed "biological causes" explained the lack of women in tech industry leadership roles.

The screed  dubbed "sexist" by US media  revived the simmering debate over a culture of sexism and lack of diversity in tech sectors.

"I'm simply stating that the distribution of preferences and abilities of men and women differ in part due to biological causes and that these differences may explain why we don't see equal representation of women in tech and leadership," read the 3,000-word fulmination by an anonymous male software engineer.

According to the author, natural aptitudes of men allow them to become better computer programmers. Women, he said, have more "openness directed towards feelings and aesthetics rather than ideas"  meaning they "prefer jobs in social or artistic areas."

In response to the leaked memo, Danielle Brown, Google's new Vice President of diversity, told employees in an email that "it's not a viewpoint that I or this company endorses, promotes or encourages".

"Changing a culture is hard, and it's often uncomfortable," she said.

Brown added, however, that "part of building an open, inclusive environment means fostering a culture in which those with alternative views, including different political views, feel safe sharing their opinions."

The controversy comes as increasing numbers of women are going public with complaints of gender-based discrimination in Silicon Valley.

Uber's embattled chief executive Travis Kalanick resigned earlier this year under pressure from investors seeking to clean up the company's allegedly toxic corporate culture.

His departure capped a rocky period for the global ridesharing giant, which has been roiled by disturbing reports of cutthroat workplace conditions, harassment and discrimination.
Nairobi: Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta urged peace Monday on the eve of tense elections in which his battle with rival Raila Odinga is seen as too close to call.

Kenyatta, 55, who is seeking a second and final term in office, gave a televised speech in a bid to assuage tensions after a final campaign week marred by the murder of a top election official and accusations of rigging by the opposition.

He urged the 19 million registered voters to turn out in great numbers, but to "do so in peace".

"After you cast your ballot, please go home," he said

"Go back to your neighbour. Regardless of where he or she comes from, their tribe, their colour or their religion... Shake their hand, share a meal and tell them `let us wait for the results,` for Kenya will be here long after this general election," said Kenyatta.

His historic rival Odinga also addressed voters on Monday, again raising fears about rigging, and warning that the deployment of at least 150,000 security forces across the country was meant to intimidate voters.

However he congratulated his "worthy opponent" on his campaign.

"May the stronger candidate win tomorrow," he said.

The polls are seen as a litmus test of Kenya`s progress since a disputed 2007 election sparked two months of violence which left more than 1,100 dead and 600,000 displaced.

Elections in 2013 were largely peaceful, although Odinga did accuse Kenyatta`s Jubilee Party of poll fraud after massive glitches with the electronic voting system.

On Tuesday Kenyans will cast ballots in six different elections, choosing governors, lawmakers, senators, county officials and women`s representatives in local races also rife with tension.
Islamabad: The only panacea to achieve peace between Pakistan and India is finding a solution to the Kashmir issue, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said on Sunday.



"We know how to secure our borders, however, lasting peace can only be attained through solving the Kashmir issue," he said while speaking to media in Sialkot, according to Express News.



The former Defence Minister said Pakistan`s options become limited if India was not willing to meet us halfway.



"We want to dissipate tensions with India but they are not willing to do the same," he added.



Pakistan, he added, wants friendly relations with Afghanistan as well but India must also play a part to make it a reality.



"Pakistan has been fighting the war on terror for a long time now and the threat has decreased now owing to the great sacrifices made by the Pakistan Army," he said.



Asif said peace between the two countries was intertwined with Kashmir dispute and in light of the UN agreement, the people of Kashmir want the right to vote for self determination.



"Our foreign policy will be in accordance with the wishes of the people, and in view of what is in the best interest of Pakistan," he said. "Both countries want the continuity of the Indus Waters Treaty, however, any violation would worsen relations even further."
Islamabad: A Pakistani man decapitated his wife for not quitting her job as a labourer, the media reported on Monday.



The police said 37-year-old Nasreen, a mother of three and a resident of Lahore, was found dead on Sunday by her children with her head severed, Dawn news reported.



According to a senior police official, Nasreen was killed by her husband Afraheem who did not like her job and had ask her to quit.



Despite opposition, Nasreen continued with the job, the official said.



She was attacked with a chopper.
Manila: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday he had told his Russian counterpart that Moscow's meddling in the US Presidential Election had created "serious mistrust" between the two countries.

After meeting Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Manila, Tillerson said he had also warned him Washington was deciding on a response to the Kremlin's decision to order a cut in the size of the US mission in Moscow.

"Russian meddling in the elections was certainly a serious incident. We talked about that in the discussion that we had with Mr Lavrov yesterday," Tillerson told reporters.

"And trying to help him understand just how serious this incident had been and how seriously it had damaged the relationship between the US and the American people and the Russian people, that this had created serious mistrust and that we simply have to find some way to deal with that."

Russia has furiously denied reports, endorsed by US intelligence agencies, that it attempted to swing last year's US Presidential in favor of the eventual victor, President Donald Trump.

Trump has played down the allegations, but the ongoing controversy cast a pall over already tense ties, which most recently saw President Vladimir Putin order the US diplomatic mission in Moscow cut 755 personnel.

"I told the foreign minister that we have not made a decision about how we would respond to the Russian request to remove US diplomatic personnel," Tillerson said.

"I asked several clarifying questions, just to describe the thinking behind that diplomatic note that we received, but I told them we would respond by September 1," he said, referring to Moscow's deadline to shrink the mission.
Riyadh: A Saudi Arabian court on Sunday sentenced a member of the Islamic State militant group to 20 years in prison for plotting terror attacks, local Alyaum online news reported.

The person was accused by the court in Riyadh of planning terror attacks targeting foreign embassies, officials and the Arar airport in the northern border of Saudi, Xinhua reported.

The person has taken part in the IS camps in Syria and Iraq, before returning to Saudi for terror acts.

The court also issued a 20-year-travel ban on him.

The tough sentence is part of the measures taken by the Saudi government to punish extremists and terrorists, following a number of bloody blasts that erupted in various parts of the country in recent years.
Kabul: Police in Afghanistan`s eastern Ghazni province have revealed that young Afghans are being taken illegally to Pakistan`s south western Baluchistan province to study in religious seminaries or madrassas to learn the ways of the Taliban.

According to a New York Times (NYT) report, the objective this secret exercise is to enforce the same rigid interpretation of Islam practiced by the Taliban before returning them to their homeland to put into practice what they have learnt.

While the Afghan police are describing it as child trafficking, the parents of these "kidnapped" children reportedly want them to study in Pakistan and are willingly sending them to Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, widely considered the headquarters of the Taliban leadership council a.k.a. the "Quetta Shura."

The NYT report quotes an Afghan counter-terrorism official, as saying on condition of anonymity, that Afghan intelligence has identified 26 madrassas in Pakistan where they suspect future generations of Taliban are being trained, and in some cases, instructed in how to carry out suicide bombings.

Several of the 26 madrassas he identified were in Quetta. The Sheikh Abdul Hakim madrassa was among the Quetta schools the Afghan official identified as a Taliban recruitment center, but one of its teachers, Azizullah Mainkhail, when contacted, denied affiliation with the Taliban or Pakistan`s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

In the last month or so, Afghan police prevented about 40 children from being trafficked into Pakistan.

The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission claims that war, poverty, insecurity and a lack of understanding by families of the dangers awaiting their children, all combine to drive the child trafficking trade in Afghanistan.

Parents, it says, are often fooled into believing that their children will be educated or will get a good job, but they end up getting thrashed into submission, are forced to work as cheap labor and then taken by Taliban as new recruits.

The NYT quoted senior police official Fazlur Rahman Bustani, as saying that the movement of children is a business and a dangerous one.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 7, ARMENPRESS. Iran calls on the Nagorno Karabakh conflicting sides to reach the conflict settlement through dialogue and negotiations, Iranian foreign ministrys spokesperson Bahram Qassemi told reporters in Tehran, reports Armenpress.

We are two neighbors in the north. We have Azerbaijan which is really important for us, we had good relations with that country. We also have friendly and close relations with Armenia. The conflict, the differences of their stances over the Karabakh issue long exist, and tension increases from time to time. We hope they will overcome the problems facing in the region, Bahram Qassemi said.

He expressed hope Armenia and Azerbaijan can assist in establishing stability and security in the region. According to him, peace and stability in South Caucasus can have an impact on broader region.

We carefully follow the developments in the region, especially in our border parts. We follow our borders and will not allow the conflict to cause damage to our people of bordering regions, Qassemi said.

We have constantly negotiated with the two countries, exchanged views, and we hope diplomacy and dialogue will eventually lead to other approaches and methods, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 7, ARMENPRESS. High temperature is expected in Armenia on August 8-12, the ministry of emergency situations told Armenpress.

In the daytime 4041 degrees above zero, 42 degrees at separate parts and a high risk of fire are expected in the valleys of Syunik province, in Yerevan and Ararat Valley.

The daily average air temperature will be 5-7 degrees higher than normal.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 7, ARMENPRESS. The August 6 meeting between President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan and President of Iran Hassan Rouhani was important both from political, economic and regional security perspectives, Armen Israyelyan  expert on Iranian studies, told Armenpress, adding that since independence Armenia continues deepening the bilateral relations with Iran as a friendly state.

During the meeting a clear message was addressed by Armenia according to which Yerevan is determined and committed to its statements on developing the ties with Tehran and they have and are going to have practical manifestations. Armenias participation at a high level in Rouhanis inauguration ceremony was very important and this factor was highly appreciated in Iran both by the Iranian TV channels, news agencies and print media, he said.

The expert said at the meeting a number of issues were touched upon and in particular importance was attached to developing the bilateral ties in the economic field.

In my opinion, the two countries will soon put a great emphasis on deepening the cooperation especially in the economic field. And this is being realized at the recent period: the agreements reached between the two countries are being implemented. One of them is the operation of Norduz-Meghri gate. Another important factor was the elimination of visa regime by Armenia for Iranian citizens since Tehran over the past years has become one of its foreign policy priorities: Iran highly appreciated the elimination of visa regime, Israyelyan said.

Another important component, according to the expert, is the coincidence of interests of the two countries in security field.

Armenias policy in South Caucasus is very important for Tehran. The importance attached to security by Tehran was seen after the April war, the developments in the region and the recent terror attacks in Iran during which the country felt the direct security threat in its territory. Thus, Tehran revised its policy in South Caucasus by deepening the ties with Yerevan, Israyelyan said.

According to him, Iranian President Rouhanis statement over the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement had a very important message.

In addition to the call to settle the Nagorno Karabakh conflict through political means, Rouhani addressed a very important message that Tehran will no longer allow destabilization within its border. I think this message was first of all addressed to Azerbaijan which in recent periods consistently tries to escalate the situation in the border. In this sense as well the interests of Armenia and Iran coincide, Israyelyan said.
YEREVAN, 7 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 7 August, USD exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 478.74 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 3.87 drams to 564.96 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.03 drams to 7.96 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 4.97 drams to 624.85 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 161.29 drams to 19358.33 drams. Silver price up by 3.52 drams to 257.04 drams. Platinum price up by 152.99 drams to 14868.52 drams.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 7, ARMENPRESS. Various issues have emerged in the bilateral relations between Iran and Azerbaijan during the recent years, as a result of which Iran reconsiders its policies in the South Caucasus, expert of Iranian studies Armen Israelyan told "Armenpress". According to him, in a short period of time some economic activation between the two states could be seen, but the political issues between Iran and Azerbaijan were so deep that this cooperation couldn't be continued.

"Azerbaijan never stopped its anti-Iranian activities, never stopped its insulting policy against Iranian clerics and ambitions towards Iranian territories. Iran just slightly changed and reconsidered its policies in the South Caucasus after 2013, and political issues with Azerbaijan were put aside. Tehran priritized the economic aspect, but the geopolitical realities devloped in a way that economic cooperation with the exiswting problems was no longer possible", Israelyan said.

He consitions this fact with the gradually deepening relations of Azerbaijan with Saudi Arabia, which is a direct threat for the national security of Iran.

According to the expert, the Azerbaijani president did not participate in the inauguration of the President of Iran Hassan Rouhani purposefully, to show that there are unsloved issues between the two states, and Azerbaijan steps back from the agreements reached between the two states.

"The website in Iranian language financed by Azerbaijan boast that Rouhani invited Aliyev to be present at his inauguration ceremony, but Aliyev refused", Israelyan said, adding that this was a clear message to Tehran. According to him, Iran will reconsider its policies in the South Caucasus, where Armenia will have an important role.
TAMPA, FL  Clips4Sale is returning to Fetish Con as the Diamond Event Sponsor for the 2017 show running Thursday, August 10 through Sunday, August 13 in St. Petersburg, FL.

Since 2006, Clips4Sale has been the main event sponsor, and its booth encompasses the entire Main Stage of the main showroom. Clips4Sale has a line-up of models and producers set to sign at the booth, including spokesmodel Ashley Fires, along with Kimber Haven, Nadia White, Lelu Love, Sasha Foxxx, Kimmie Kaboom, Cory Chase, Brandon Areana, Kimber Lee, and KidDynamite. In addition, Anastasia Pierce and Rubber Doll will be doing special signings at the booth over the weekend.

Fetish Con is one of our favorite tradeshows during the year, say Darius, Clips4Sales General Manager. "Were excited to be in our 11th year of exhibiting, and were thrilled when they honored us with a 10-year plaque for sponsoring the show last year. If youre in the area, come down for some kinky fun. We have a diverse group of fetishists signing for us, and theres something for everyone.

The Fetish Con Awards Show is Sunday, August 13. Clips4Sale producers are up for multiple nominations in the Best Fetish Short Film or Clip category, as well as Fan Favorite, Best Female and Male Fetish Performer, and Best Fetish Producer/Production Company. Last year, Clips4Sale owner Neil was honored with the Industry Innovator Award.

For tickets and more information about the event, go to FetishCon.com.
CHEYENNE, Wyo.Goddess Jasmine Mendez, a fetish model for iWantClips, is a guest on the latest episode of the Manwhore podcast, now streaming on iTunes and ManwhorePod.com.

Goddess Jasmine is a true superstar whose following has only grown since her arrival at iWantClips, said iWantClips Vice President Jay Phillips. As a model and true fetish enthusiast, Goddess Jasmine brings a unique voice and passion to the podcast that will truly enrich listeners and hopefully dispel any misconceptions about BDSM!

The buxom brunette appears in Episode 172 of show, offering her take on the BDSM lifestyle, the appeal of and the often-misunderstood world that mixes pleasure and pain as well as her thoughts on her own popularity with fans. To listen, click here.

Goddess Jasmine Mendez is a longstanding figure in the FemDom world with legions of fans around the globe. Having been introduced to fetish lifestyle early on, Mendez has been shooting fetish clips for more than 10 years before joining iWantClips. A frequent traveler, she will be visiting Tokyo and Dubai before returning home and launching her new website BostonDungeon.com.

To visit her online store, click here.

The Manwhore podcast is hosted by comedian Billy Procida who interviews guests about dating, sex, relationships and more while blending comedy, sincerity and even awkward moments. For more, visit ManwhorePod.com.

Known as a leading amateur, fetish and porn star clip site, iWantClips offers a truly elite experience for consumers. The innovative clip and custom clip platform attracts top models thanks to its high model payouts, state-of-the-art interface, vanity URLs and its ability to promote its models extensively.

iWantClips also operates its popular sister site iWantCustomClips.com which offers users the ability to direct their ultimate fantasy by choosing the model, and then designing an entirely custom clip experience.
High street coffee chain Costa has introduced its new summer menu, which it claims is the biggest and boldest summer selection yet.

Available from today (4 May 2017) in stores nationwide, the menu includes a wide variety of drinks, including a Double Chocolate Cookie Mocha Frostino and a Coffee Banoffee Frostino, each priced at 3.50.

As well as the new drinks range, the revamped menu includes a variety of breakfast options including a new and improved bacon roll, a toast selection such as fancy fruit toast, multiseed toast and a toasted fruit cake.

Kirstey Elston, head of marketing at Costa, said the company was excited to bring its customers the biggest and best summer range yet.

Were celebrating the fabulously fluctuating and oh-so-British summer with a range to suit every occasion this season, Elston said. We know that some customers look for something fruity and refreshing, others love our rich and creamy Frostinos and some want to stick with their favourite hot coffee.

Whatever the British summer has in store for our customers, well have a drink thats bursting with flavour and sure to hit the spot.
Burns the Bread is preparing to unveil its seventh site on the premises of a former charity shop.

The third-generation family-run Somerset bakery plans to open the 60sq metre unit in West Street, Somerton on 14 August.

Speciality bread lines, freshly prepared sandwiches, cakes, pasties and sausage rolls will be among the items sold, along with the companys speciality Torsy Moorsy luxury fruit cake.

Established in 1983 by Bob Burns, the business also has outlets in Street, Wells, Castle Cary and three shops in Glastonbury.

Weve been looking to open in Somerset for a couple of years and had previously planned to move into premises that hadnt been built, Casey Stoddart, retail support manager and the founders grandson told British Baker.

Its a nice town, we like to be part of the community, and thought wed fit in quite well.

Last year, Bob Burns was awarded an MBE for his services to charity and the community he lives in. His baking classes have helped raise tens of thousands of pounds for a wide range of charities over the years, including the local St Margarets Hospice.

He is also involved in the Rotary Club, three local schools - including one where he is a governor, the Childrens Society and Guide Dogs charity.

At the time, his daughter Terri said: He also does lots of other things which he never even mentions to help people.

In 2012 Bob Burns took the title of Baker of the Year at British Bakers Baking Industry Awards.
Contact: Attila Nemecz

Attila Nemecz Attila.Nemecz@beaufortccc.edu

WASHINGTON, N.C. Supporters of the Connect NC Bond will soon start seeing results at Beaufort County Community College's campus. The highest priority for the campus was to increase accessibility of the campus to people with disabilities. A second, and considerably larger, undertaking is the Emergency Training and Workforce Complex. Both projects are moving through the planning process.The accessibility project will update frequently used doors with push buttons. While all BCCC buildings are accessible, not every door has a push button, meaning that students sometimes have to seek another entrance. This project will affect Buildings 1, 5 and 9.The project will also create road crossings and sidewalk improvements to help people move around campus safely and efficiently. The contract for the design of the sidewalk improvements has been awarded to JKF Architecture, the same firm that constructed the digital welcome sign. The construction contract has been awarded to A.R. Chesson Construction."While all of our buildings are up to code, we want to go beyond that so that our students with disabilities can get to their classes using the most direct route," said Jason Squires, director of campus operations.said college president Dr. Dave Loope.As part of the accessibility project, BCCC is repairing both of its elevators on campus. The elevator in Building 1 was overhauled by Southern Elevator in the spring, while the one in Building 5 has had initial repairs, but required the elevator shaft be resealed before repairs can continue. College officials hope to have the repairs complete by early August.said Squires.The much larger Emergency Training and Workforce Complex is currently in the design phase. Stewart-Cooper-Newell Architects is designing both the driving pad and the building for the complex. The firm was chosen by the BCCC Board of Trustees because of its experience building emergency services complexes.said Loope.In 2016, North Carolina voters passed the Connect NC Bond to support facilities upgrades at universities, colleges and state parks. BCCC proposed a slate of projects totaling $6.5 million that are now working their way through the implementation process.Prior to the passage of the bond, Beaufort County and the BCCC Foundation purchased 13 acres of farmland adjacent to BCCC for use by public safety programs. Since the purchase, the college has built the Fire Training Facility and conducted extraction exercises for vehicular collisions. The Connect NC Bond will fund the construction of a driving pad for emergency vehicle driver training and a new building for emergency personnel training.
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.
From Evergreen State University in Washington to Yale University in Connecticut, campaigns to punish or fire professors accused of thinking or saying things outside the bounds of political correctness seem to crop up with disturbing regularity.Often, we've seen these attacks coming from students, faculty, and administrators on the Left. Sometimes, however, conservatives have similar knee-jerk reactions to professors and campus speech they find offensive. I should know-I actively engaged in an effort to stifle a professor while an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.In 2015, a UNC freshman wrote a College Fix article drawing attention to the course "English 72: Literature of 9/11." On paper, this class seemed troubling. It covered a variety of readings that appeared to give only the perspectives of terrorists, terrorist sympathizers, comics criticizing the nationalist fervor following the attacks, and critics of the Iraq invasion.Media outlets descended on Chapel Hill. Many people called for the course to be canceled. Some called for the professor, Neel Ahuja, to be fired. As chairman of the UNC College Republicans, I met with the chancellor and administrators and insinuated that someone who taught such a class should not be employed, though I hadn't taken the class or read, in depth, the assigned readings.The controversy died down after administrators opted to not offer the course the following semester. And in another gesture, they hosted a "9/11 Never Forget Exhibit" on campus. As for Ahuja, he was not fired, although he did eventually find a new position at UC Santa Cruz.As I've learned more about academic freedom and the importance of intellectual diversity, I've come to see error in the way events unfolded and in my initial reaction to the course. I've spoken to students who took the class. I've studied its assigned readings. The picture painted after an in-depth look at the course is different from the one painted after reading only its short description. The material was in my view one-sided, but the instruction and discussion weren't.Ahuja apparently challenged the more offensive, problematic readings. He hadn't shut down debate and views critical of the course materials, according to self-identified conservative students who took the class. And according to students, he even showed the film Zero Dark Thirty, which portrays Navy SEALS and CIA agents on their mission to kill Osama bin Laden. fact sheet released by Chapel Hill provides further nuance about the course often overlooked at the height of its controversy. This was a literature class, after all-an environment in which, we would hope, students foster appreciation for complexity and the gray areas of human existence, as well as an ability to understand ideas they may not agree with. The 9/11 attacks had far-reaching cultural and political ramifications, and resulted in countless poems and novels. There clearly is value in studying such literature with a scholarly, objective eye.I've come to realize that I and like-minded individuals unfairly judged a book by its cover, so to speak. It's as if we discovered that a professor had assigned Nabokov's Lolita to his students, and then condemned him for supporting child molestation and abduction. And in criticizing the 9/11 course without fully understanding it, we fomented the same unthinking intolerance of opposing views shown by the Left in recent years on campuses across the country.I still believe the course was in some instances one-sided and disrespectful to families that lost loved ones in the September 11 attacks. The course would have been better if it had included works criticizing the perspectives of the terrorists. But that doesn't justify my response.When Yale students demanded the firing of professors Nicholas Christakis and Erika Christakis for questioning a university email urging students to avoid wearing offensive (that is, non-PC) Halloween costumes, conservatives were outraged. When Evergreen State students began a crusade against professor Brett Weinstein for criticizing their racist call to have white people leave campus for a "Day of Absence," conservatives were outraged.Yet when some Chapel Hill students, albeit more peacefully, lambasted Professor Ahuja and his course, many conservatives were quick to join the side of the students.When a course is offered that we feel seriously disrespects the nation we love, people we identify with, or those who have given their lives to protect us, it is tempting to simply call for its cancelation and the professor's removal. But does doing so make us any better than the students at Evergreen State or Yale engaging in witch hunts against their professors?Hostility to opposing views often comes from the Left, but there are signs that it may soon become a problem on the Right as well. For example, a recent Economist poll revealed that over 47 percent of Republican voters are in favor of the government "punishing biased or inaccurate news media, even if that means limiting freedom of the press." Combating this kind of mentality is something liberals and conservatives need to work on.The next time a professor teaches a contentious class, or an administrator or academic says something politically incorrect or radical, we must stop ourselves from becoming a firing squad intent on making that person unemployable. In the long run, that kind of reaction will do little to counter campus extremism, or bring about greater intellectual diversity on campus.Class readings, etc., should still be questioned (at public universities especially), but criticism should focus on ensuring that courses are fair in terms of covering subject-relevant material, not that they are necessarily free of ideology or controversial opinions. I had liberal professors over the years, and while their views were often well-known in the classroom, most (there were exceptions ) didn't become overbearing or hinder students' ability to learn or debate ideas.In this era of "outrage culture" and hostility to free speech, we should take it upon ourselves to create an intellectual environment ripe for the pursuit of knowledge and truth, wherever that may lead. In terms of higher education, that means emphasis should be on putting bad or ill-conceived ideas in front of the firing squad, not professors' jobs and academic freedom.
Expansion in Lee County will build on research developed at UNC-Chapel Hill

Contact: Ford Porter

Ford Porter govpress@nc.gov

RALEIGH: Pfizer Inc., one of the world's premier biopharmaceutical companies, has selected Lee County for a new expansion of its manufacturing facilities as the company prepares to produce new gene therapy medicines. Governor Roy Cooper announced the company plans to invest $100 million in its Sanford facilities, creating 40 jobs and building upon a technology first developed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Governor Cooper said.The Pfizer expansion in Sanford will focus on gene therapy, a potentially transformational technology for patients, focused on highly specialized, one-time treatments that address the root cause of diseases caused by genetic mutation. The technology involves introducing genetic material into the body to deliver a correct copy of a gene to a patient's cells to compensate for a defective or missing gene.Governor Cooper visited Pfizer's Sanford facility last week to take a tour and meet with the company's senior leaders.states Lynn Bottone, Site Leader at Pfizer Sanford.Gene therapy is an important area of focus for Pfizer. In 2016, the company acquired Bamboo Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company based in Chapel Hill focused on developing gene therapies for the potential treatment of patients with certain rare diseases related to neuromuscular conditions and those affecting the central nervous system. Pfizer also committed $4 million to support postdoctoral fellowships in North Carolina universities for training in gene therapy research.said North Carolina Commerce Secretary Anthony M. Copeland.The North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of N.C. (EDPNC) were instrumental in supporting the company's investment decision.Pfizer will add a variety of jobs with this expansion, delivering a total payroll impact of more than $3.9 million each year to the community, once all positions are filled.A performance-based grant of $250,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help facilitate Pfizer's expansion in Lee County. The One NC grant will formally be awarded to Wyeth Holdings, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pfizer Inc. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and to create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. All One NC grants require a matching grant from local governments and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.said Carol Folt, Chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.said N.C. Representative John Sauls.In addition to North Carolina Commerce and the Economic Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in the project include the North Carolina General Assembly, the North Carolina Community College System, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Duke Energy, Lee County, and the Sanford Area Growth Alliance.
By Andrea Shalal BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrats on Sunday rejected NATO's target of spending 2 percent of national output on defense and accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her conservatives of kowtowing to the demands of U.S. President Donald Trump. With Germans set to vote in a national election next month, SPD leader Martin Schulz and Thomas Oppermann, who heads the center-left party in parliament, issued their strongest criticism to date of Merkel, the NATO spending target and Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen. "We say a clear no to the 'two-percent target' of Trump and the CDU/CSU," the two leaders wrote in an essay for the Funke Mediengruppe newspaper chain, referring to Merkel's Christian Democrats and their Bavarian sister party. "It's not only unrealistic, it is simply the wrong goal," they said, in comments aimed at differentiating the SPD from Merkel's conservatives after four years in a "grand coalition". The comments put the SPD on a collision course with U.S. officials, who began pressing Germany long before Trump's election last November to increase its military spending. The SPD leaders, whose party is lagging Merkel's Christian Democrats in the polls by 15 percentage points, said Germany would have to nearly double current defense spending from 37 billion euros to meet the NATO target. That would make it the largest military power in Europe - a goal they said "no one could want" given Germany's Nazi history. Instead, they said, Germany should focus on building a strong European defense union and, ultimately, a European army - a stance that may resonate with a deeply pacifist German public that remains skeptical of military engagements. TRUMP'S "PROVOCATIONS" "Merkel and the CDU/CSU make themselves small vis-a-vis Donald Trump when they answer his provocations around the two-percent target by saying, 'Okay, fine, we'll put in more money,' as if we didn't have any better ideas what to do," they wrote. They said increased military spending should be matched by higher outlays for diplomacy, humanitarian aid and crisis prevention. Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, a former SPD leader, has also questioned the NATO target, but the Schulz-Oppermann essay was far more explicit, driving a further wedge between the parties in Merkel's right-left coalition. Merkel, who is poised to win reelection on Sept. 24, insists that Germany is committed to reach the two percent target. She has also chided Gabriel pointedly, noting his predecessor signed off on the NATO commitment when it was first made years ago. Merkel's conservatives have about 38 to 40 percent support in the polls, and hope to form a coalition government with one or more of the smaller parties, after the election. Political analysts say the SPD's tougher stance on military projects could help lay the groundwork for a post-election coalition with the pro-environment Greens and the Left party. But Sevim Dagdelen, a leading member of the Left party, said it was deceitful to call for more spending on European defense projects as the money would still probably come at the expense of social programs. In June, the SPD also reversed course and rejected plans to lease Israeli drones that can carry weapons to protect German soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Mali, sparking sharp criticism from von der Leyen and the top officer in the German air force. The essay also criticized von der Leyen's leadership as defense minister since late 2013, citing continued problems with equipment, a lack of planning, and challenges in recruitment. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Mary Milliken and Gareth Jones)
Cloud Computing

Berkeley College Deploys Rubrik for Backup Reliability in Microsoft Azure

To help IT staff manage applications and data growth within the cloud, Berkeley College recently switched over to using Rubrik for backup, disaster recovery, replication, cloud archival and other workflows. As a result, the college has cut costs by 33 percent, reduced recovery time objective (RTO) to nearly zero and archived data to Microsoft Azure for long-term retention.

The private college has approximately 8,000 students across nine campuses located in New York and New Jersey. IT staff members were previously using an outdated backup solution that was not built for the cloud era, according to an interview between Chief Information Officer Leonard De Botton, Director of Infrastructure Joseph Pagano and Rubrik. We were protecting data with old age backup when we had new age virtualized servers, De Botton told the Palo Alto-based software company.

Therefore, backup administration used to be complex and time intensive. Some backups would take around three days for one server, and these were usually unstable with constant failures. Additionally, replication was cumbersome and complex, requiring us to manually configure processes, while tape was highly inefficient, expensive and time consuming, the interviewees said.

De Botton and Pagano began searching for a data management solution that would enable cloud backup every two hours, restoring data that might be affected by ransomware and other disruptions. They went with Rubriks Cloud Data Management platform  not just for disaster recovery, but for data archival to Microsoft Azure with redundancy, replication, high availability and data protection.

As a result, restoring data is now easy and fast for IT staff, reducing RTO from days to seconds, according to a new case study. In addition, Berkeley College is experiencing a 33 percent reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO) due to consolidating tape, servers and hardware to a single platform, Microsoft Azure, and freeing up time for employees. (See infographic below.)

"With Rubriks platform, we can meet these objectives while freeing up our time to use its solution for use cases beyond backup. We have the flexibility to spin up applications on Rubrik in a matter of minutes, De Botton said.

To learn more, view the full case study on the Rubrik site.
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Bangkok, August 7, 2017A Filipino journalist was shot and killed today while riding a motorcycle in the town of President Quirino, on the southern island of Mindanao, news reports said. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the killing and called on Philippine authorities to identify the assailants and swiftly bring them to justice.

Leonardo Diaz, a columnist at the local Sapol News newspaper and volunteer reporter at Radio Mindanao-Cotabato, was shot multiple times near the towns Kalanawi II village at around 9 a.m., the reports said. Senior Police Inspector Joan Resurrecion said Diaz died on the spot, the reports said. Two companions who were with Diaz were injured and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, reports said. News reports gave conflicting accounts on whether there were one or two assailants, who fled the scene by motorcycle.

Authorities must quickly apprehend the perpetrators and determine the motive behind the murder of journalist Leonardo Diaz, said Shawn Crispin, CPJs Southeast Asia representative. Until President Rodrigo Duterte shows he is serious about protecting journalists, these types of brazen killings will continue in an unbroken cycle of impunity.

Diazs murder is at least the second attack on a journalist in the country in recent weeks. On July 28, an unknown assailant shot and critically wounded radio commentator Julito Orillandea in the town of Marihatag, also in Mindanao. Police have not announced any suspects or arrests in that crime, according to press reports.

On December 19, an unidentified gunman shot and killed newspaper publisher Larry Que at his office in Catanduanes provinces town of Vivac, according to media reports. Que was shot soon after his newspaper published a column he wrote alleging official negligence over an illegal methamphetamine laboratory that police raided in the island province, news reports said. CPJ is investigating to determine if his murder was in direct retaliation for his work.

The Philippines ranked fourth on CPJs latest Impunity Index, a measure of countries worldwide where journalist are killed and the murderers go free.
[August 07, 2017] Askey Computer Selects Sequans' LTE-Advanced Chipset to Design Broadband Wireless Access Devices

LTE chipmaker Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS) announced that Askey Computer (News - Alert) Corporation, leading provider of wireless communication devices, has selected its Cassiopeia LTE-Advanced platform to design broadband data devices for the global market. The first product to be delivered by Askey is an indoor CPE (model number RTL0012W). "We chose Sequans' Cassiopeia platform because of its high performance capabilities, including highly flexible carrier aggregation and LTE (News - Alert) Cat 4/6 expansion," said Alan Kao, VP of sales and marketing, Askey. "Cassiopeia gives us the flexibility to design and build CPE with unique features, customized for target markets." Askey is using Sequans' Cassiopeia LTE-Advanced platform, which is compliant with 3GPP Release 10 specifications. Cassiopeia supports highly flexible dual-carrier aggregation that allows the combination of any two carriers of any size up to 20 MHz each, contiguous or non-contiguous, inter-band or intra-band. Cassiopeia also supports other Release 10 enhancements such as new MIMO schemes, enhanced inter-cell interference coordination (eICIC) schemes for heterogeneous networks (HetNets), and improvements to eMBMS (evolved multimedia broadcast multicast service) or LTE broadcast. Cassiopeia features Sequans' advanced receiver technology for improved performance. Cassiopeia can support additional optional features, including envelope tracking and secure boot, at customer request. "Askey's new CPE is an elegant, powerfl device and we are proud to see Cassiopeia inside," said Hugues Waldburger, VP of Sequans' Broadband business unit. "The new Askey CPE is state-of-the-art, providing customers with the latest advances in broadband connectivity, including ultra high throughput."



Forward looking statements About Sequans Communications (News - Alert)

Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS) is a leading provider of single-mode 4G LTE semiconductor solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) and a wide range of broadband data devices. Founded in 2003, Sequans has developed and delivered seven generations of 4G technology and its chips are certified and shipping in 4G networks around the world. Today, Sequans offers two LTE product lines: StreamrichLTE, optimized for feature-rich mobile computing and home/portable router devices, and StreamliteLTE, optimized for M2M devices and other connected devices for the IoT. Sequans is based in Paris, France with additional offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Visit Sequans online at www.sequans.com; www.facebook.com/sequans; www.twitter.com/sequans About Askey Founded in 1989, Askey Computer Corp. specializes in manufacturing communication devices and creating solutions and ecosystems for today's demanding customers who want the best in smart connected environments. Since its creation, Askey Computer Corp. has been the preferred partner for major communications providers as well as telecom operators worldwide. Askey Computer Corp. is based in New Taipei City, Taiwan and has factories in Wu-Jiang, China. For more information, please visit: www.askey.com.tw or contact: [email protected] View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170807005241/en/

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The Maldives will be ready to carry out the first executions in more than 60 years next month, President Abdulla Yameen declared Sunday amid growing international concern over the reintroduction of the death penalty.





By Gods will, when the time comes in September, when the Supreme Court concludes [cases] to the point where the death penalty can be enforced, our mechanisms and arrangements will be complete enough to do it with the advice of the Islamic council and the word of the heirs, Yameen said at an event held to welcome new members to the ruling party.





The president also reiterated his vow to reinstate capital punishment in a speech on Thursday night.





Three young men are presently on death row after the Supreme Court upheld their sentences last year. Rumours of their imminent executions in late July prompted Sir Richard Branson, a British billionaire and philanthropist, to warn that the move would send the Maldives back to the Dark Ages of human rights.





Branson wrote: As a responsible global citizen, I care about where my money is spent and how I conduct my business. President Yameen can still back away from the damaging path he has chosen for his country. If not, I hope the international community  governments and business alike  will react accordingly. The wonderful people of the Maldives deserve better than this.





More recently, Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions urged the government to maintain the de facto moratorium on the death penalty.





The resumption of executions in the Maldives after more than 60 years would be a great setback for the country and entire region, and would run counter to international trends towards abolition, she said.





The Maldives should instead take a leading role in human rights promotion and protection, and move towards officially abolishing the death penalty.





Citing concerns over the fairness of the murder trials, the Special Rapporteur called on the government to halt the planned executions.





The death penalty is the most severe and irreversible form of punishment. States have an obligation to avoid miscarriages of justice, she said.





To implement the death penalty after flawed trials would constitute arbitrary executions in clear violation of international law.





International human rights groups Amnesty International and Reprieve have meanwhile been collecting signatures for petitions against the death penalty.





President Yameen must be told that unless he pulls back from this reckless course of action, putting the Maldives on the wrong side of history when it comes to the death penalty, this island nation may become known less for its natural beauty and more for his cruelty, Biraj Patnaik, Amnesty Internationals South Asia Director, wrote in a widely-read commentary in The Independent.





Dr Shashi Tharoor, a globally renowned public intellectual and prominent Indian politician, echoed Patnaiks concerns on social media.





To break a moratorium on executions that has held for half a century would be a wanton, destructive and futile act by a President seeking to distract from the turmoil in his own government, said Maya Foa, director of Reprieve.





Resuming executions now will do nothing to make the Maldives safer  and amid serious fears over the fairness of trials and the independence of the courts, it could lead to grave miscarriages of justice. President Yameen must urgently heed the warnings from Maldivian experts and the countrys international friends, and halt these ill-advised executions.





In July last year, the UN Human Rights Committee asked the government to halt the execution of Hussain Humam Ahmed pending the outcome of a review of his case. The 22-year-old was found guilty of murdering Dr Afrasheem Ali in October 2012.





According to Amnesty, the UN body issued the same requests last month in the cases of the two other men, Ahmed Murrath and Mohamed Nabeel, who are also facing execution.





In late July, Tariq Ramadan, a renowned Islamic scholar, renewed his appeal for the president to reconsider moving ahead with the executions.





In recent years, Maldivian civil society organisations have reported a serious erosion of human rights in the Maldives, he wrote.





Nowhere is this declining standard more glaring than in capital trials; where there is a systematic failure to uphold constitutional safeguards and the fundamental guarantees of Islamic law such as protection from coerced confessions, the right to appoint legal counsel, and the right to have a case proved beyond reasonable doubt.

 | 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



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Britain continues to firmly reject American chicken and any free trade agreement that would allow imports of the product, despite the pending move to leave the European Union and the need to negotiate trade deals with other countries.

This is because most American poultry is disinfected in a chlorine dioxide or chlorite-based rinse designed to protect consumers from undesirable microorganisms. These pathogen reduction treatments face opposition, particularly from the European Union.

UK Secretary of State for Environment Michael Gove insists that any future trade agreement is contingent on prohibition of chlorine-washed chicken, or else, he suggested, we can kiss goodbye to [a] trade deal. But how unsafe are American poultry products? After all, pathogen reduction treatments (PRTs) have been mandated for most American meat products since 1996.

Although the EU banned PRTs in 1997, these products have not been shown to cause harm. Americans consume about 156 million chickens every week. The Codex Alimentarius Commission, an international food regulator, determined that U.S. safety procedures have reduced salmonella prevalence from 14 percent to 2 percent.

Despite standing PRT restrictions, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has determined that for treated chicken to be considered unsafe, people would have to consume more than 5% of their body weight in chicken per day. For someone weighing 200 pounds, that is 10 pounds of chicken, an unlikely amount.

Drinking water poses a far more significant risk, as it contributes 99% of the average Americans daily chlorine byproduct intake. The maximum threshold for health to be unaffected by chlorine in drinking water is 4 parts per million (ppm). For context, a liter of water which weighs one million milligrams would require more than four milligrams of chlorine to be unsafe. Most chlorinated drinking water currently contains between 0.2 and 1 ppm (at most a quarter of the allowable amount.)

Treated chickens, however, are usually soaked in chilled water with a concentration of up to 50 ppm, then rinsed in water with a much lower concentration so as to maintain compliance with the 3 ppm limit of residual chlorination.

The UK is also voicing concerns regarding the inclusion of hormone-treated beef in potential trade agreements. The EU introduced a ban on hormone-treated meat in 1981, which has since been amended to prohibit fewer types of hormones. Research from non-EU governments as well as from the private sector has repeatedly produced evidence indicating that there is no real threat to health from consumption of hormone-treated beef.

Why are American chicken and beef a problem for Britain? Agriculture lobbies in both the United States and the UK historically wield an enormous amount of political power. This power has been used to end meat and agriculture-safety regulation proposals, discourage genetically-modified foods, acquire or reform farm subsidies, and influence trade deals. By restricting most American chicken and beef from entering UK markets, the UK agricultural business successfully deters competition , which could undercut their prices.

Regardless of the agricultural lobby, the UK cannot afford to sacrifice a post-Brexit trade deal with the United States. America is the United Kingdoms largest export partner and second largest import partner. Nearly 1.4 million Britons are directly employed by U.S. affiliates. Exports to America from the UK have an estimated value of $54 billion and contribute significantly to UK employment.

Trade between Britain and the rest of the EU supports around 3.6 million UK jobs. While Brexit does not guarantee closed doors, there are likely to be trade ramifications to trimming political ties, some of which may already be present.

The UK ought to rethink its stipulated PRT and hormone prohibitions. A successful UK-US free-trade agreement would expand UK trade. Furthermore, lifting the ban on these products would allow the UK to tap into markets that are not available as EU members.

Opening the door to American chicken and beef does not mean that all British consumers will buy these products. The beauty of free trade is letting people make their own choices.

Haley Skinner is a contributor to Economics21.

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The same week as the Labor Department announced the creation of 209,000 jobs in July and a decline in the unemployment rate to 4.3 percent, some Republicans want to reduce legal immigration by 50 percent over the next decade. With the job market already tight, further limits on immigration will constrain economic growth because employers will not be able to get the workers they need.

One rationale for the proposal is that immigrant households rely on welfare at much higher rates than households headed by native-born citizens. A report from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) concludes that more than half of immigrant households receive welfare benefits, compared to about 30 percent of native households. The implication that immigrants are a net fiscal drain on the United States is one of the justifications for the bills move to limit immigration.

As Alex Nowrasteh of the Cato Institute has detailed, the CIS reports methodology makes the disparities between immigrants and native-born citizens look much larger than they are. The fiscal disparity is not nearly as large as the benefit receipt rates would imply. To its credit, the report does include a number of controls that inject substantially more nuance than the topline numbers cited in the press.

The reports use of households as the main unit of analysis muddies the waters. The average immigrant household was almost 3.4 people in 2015 compared to 2.5 people for native-born households. Households with more people would naturally have higher rates of benefit receipt. When controlling for number of children, immigrant households had a lower amount of benefit receipt than native households for one child, two children, and three or more children. Only childless immigrant households received more means-tested welfare.

One problem with even this analysis is that in many of these cases, it is only the children who are eligible and receiving these benefits, and many of these children are American citizens. Immigrants are ineligible for many of the programs included for several years after their arrival. A comparison benefit receipt rates or amounts per individual would be more informative.

An earlier study from George Washington University scholars Leighton Ku and Brian Bruen analyzed welfare receipt rates and benefit amounts at the individual level. They found that public benefits used by noncitizens cost less than public benefits used by native-born Americans. For example, average annual SNAP benefits per household member were $1,091 for native adults, compared to $825 for non-citizen adults.

The share of native-born households receiving some form of welfare has increased in recent years, as many states have expanded Medicaid through the ACA. The merits of this expansion are outside the scope of this piece, but it is clear that expansions to the welfare state over the past decade have reduced the differences in recipient rates between immigrant and native-born households.

This is especially pertinent because differences in Medicaid payments account for more than two-thirds of the reported difference between immigrant and native-born households.

One of the largest differences in benefit receipt rates is for school lunches, with 30 percent of immigrant households participating in the program compared to only 12 percent of native-born households. Average benefit amounts for this program are relatively small and would not be a primary contributor to the net fiscal effect of an immigrant household. Furthermore, many of these children were born in the United States, and in many schools eligibility for free and reduced price lunch is determined at the school level through the Community Eligibility Provision.

An analysis of the fiscal effect of immigrant and native-born households that does not account for Medicare and Social Security does not encompass the full picture, as these are the two largest federal programs and the biggest reason the countrys long-term fiscal outlook is bleak. In Social Security, more prime-age immigrants and their children will reduce the deterioration in the programs dependency ratio that contributes to its unsustainable trajectory.

Those children that are eating the free-lunches will be paying millions of dollars into the failing Social Security and Medicare programs.

Virtually every native-born American who reaches retirement will benefit from those two programs, many of them far in excess of whatever contributions they made throughout their working lives.

While immigrant households may have had higher rates of benefit receipt for the programs included in the analysis of program participation in 2012, this comparison does not give a full picture of the net fiscal effect of immigrant households. Policies that expanded U.S. welfare programs have substantially increased the share of native-born households receiving benefits since 2012, so the difference between immigrant and native households is smaller.

Higher rates of welfare benefit receipt by immigrant households should not be a reason to reduce legal immigration. It would be less harmful to the economy to reduce welfare, or limit its availability to immigrants, than to substantially reduce levels of immigration. With economic growth increasing and unemployment declining, America needs more legal immigrants rather than fewer.

Charles Hughes is a policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute and author of the new report The Energy Bottleneck: Why America Needs More Pipelines. Follow him on twitter @CharlesHHughes.

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Barcelona City Hall has spent two years fighting problems associated with the massive rise of tourism in the city. The battle started in 2015 when left-wing mayor Ada Colau announced a one-year moratorium on accommodation projects including hotels, student residences and hostels  a move that came in the context of a huge surge in the number of beds for visitors in the city: from 23,719 back in 1991 to 69,128 in 2013.

Aerial view of Barceloneta, Barcelona. C. R.

A process of measured and careful reflection as to the nature of the citys tourism model starts now, said Colau after declaring the moratorium.

This was the first of several measures taken to mitigate some of the effects of mass tourism in the city, a problem many residents feel is the citys most serious, according to a recent survey carried out by authorities.

The objective should be that Barcelona benefits from tourism, not that tourism benefits from Barcelona Xavier Font, Tourism expert

Two years on  and in the wake of a recent incident in which masked individuals stopped a tour bus in the Catalan capital and sprayed it with graffiti  the business community and opposition parties are accusing Colaus administration of tourism-phobia. They argue City Hall is failing to support a sector that generates 15% of Barcelonas GDP and provides 120,000 jobs.

But the city councilor for business and tourism, Agusti Colom, has defended the administration. We are working toward a sustainable tourism industry, and one that is compatible with the life of the city. This is the best way that we know to combat tourist-phobia, he said.

This idea is what lies behind the citys official tourism planning strategy, known as PEUAT, which Colau hopes will rein in mass tourism in Barcelona. Under that plan, approved in January of this year, Barcelona is divided into three zones depending on their interest as tourism destinations, the number of visitors they already receive and the existing relations between residents and the number of beds for tourists. Critically, the plan also involves a new moratorium on tourism accommodations in the city.

Before the plan was green-lighted, authorities were looking at 107 applications for tourist accommodations. Of those, 74 have now been given the go-ahead because they already had the necessary paperwork before the moratorium was announced. These establishments will open their doors in 2019 at the latest.

However, after that date, the supply of tourist accommodations in the city will stagnate  a situation that has benefited the hotel sector: the value of rooms in four-star establishments has risen from 239,000 to 300,000 according to the consulting firm Bric. Hotels in Barcelona have already seen their assets rise in value by 21%.

Vacation rentals

Barcelona City Hall has also gone out aggressively against illegal vacation rentals, as a constant tussle against vacation rental site Airbnb has shown. A year ago, authorities sent a letter to residents of Barcelona asking them to lodge formal complaints if they knew of the existence of unlicensed vacation apartments.

The illegal offering of this [tourist] service generates speculation and promotes the underground economy, and could damage neighborly relations in the premises where they [illegal accommodations] are located, the letter read.

Barcelonas tourist tax Barcelona approved a tourist tax in 2011 with City Hall receiving 34% of all proceeds. To date, half of that 34% has gone toward promoting the city but Ada Colau has now set a limit of 4.5 million on that spending. From 2012 to 2015, Barcelonas tourist tax brought in 66 million. People staying in five-star hotels pay a tax of 2.25 per night. In four-star hotels that figure is 1.10 and in other establishments the amount paid is 0.65 per night.

In December 2016, only 60% of the vacation apartments in Barcelona were legal. To rectify this situation, City Hall stepped up inspections  although these too have been criticized  and the authorities called on sites such as Airbnb to remove listings for illegal properties. However, the situation is still tense. Recently, a woman was forced to illegally occupy her own apartment after the tenant she had rented it to listed the property without her knowledge on Airbnb.

Sustainable tourism expert Xavier Font argues Barcelona must look carefully at the kind of tourism it is promoting, citing the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana as an example of best practice.

They have reinvented themselves. They have improved the quality of the experience of those who visit and in this way they have improved the quality of life of residents, Font explains.

When it comes to Barcelona, Font praises the city for its proactive stance but believes some of the measures are playing to the gallery.

The objective should be that Barcelona benefits from tourism, not that tourism benefits from Barcelona, he adds.

English version by George Mills.
In some areas of Spain, wine production could be down by two-thirds.

Icy conditions in April, hail, and  above all  drought, have meant wine produced in Spain this year is scarce but excellent. That is the conclusion of Spains winemakers weeks out from the start of the 2017 harvest.

All predictions point to a total harvest of 36 million hectoliters against 44 million hectoliters in 2016. This will result in rising prices given the slight uptick in internal demand and strong exports.

Frost in the spring destroyed between 40% and 60% of all wine production in areas with small but high-quality harvests in the north and northeast of Spain. In the Rioja Alta region, losses were estimated at more than 50%.

Prices for La Rioja and Ribera de Duero wines are expected to shoot up after several years of stagnation

Meanwhile, in the Ribera del Duero region, which produces more than 120 million kilograms of grapes, that figure is thought to be around 30%, according to Jose Manuel Perez Ovejas, wine expert with Vina Pedrosa cellars. But Perez Ovejas says there is a silver lining: the grapes that have survived are set to produce an excellent wine.

In the Castilla-La Mancha region, production will be down from 24 million tons to 22 million tons, industry groups believe. But this is not just because of the drought and the hail that battered the region in June. The regional government also decided to cut the permitted grape yield per kilometer from 40,000 kilograms to 30,000 kilograms.

The regional agricultural minister, Francisco Martinez Arroyo, justified this decision saying the region was opting for quality over quantity and to ensure that winemakers were getting their moneys worth when buying grapes from growers. The ministry is also restructuring the industry with the aim of getting wine growers to choose high-quality grape varieties over high-yield types.

Poor weather conditions have affected grape growers across Europe, especially Spains chief competitors in Italy and France. Overall wine production in the European Union is expected to be 10% lower this year for a total of 148 million hectoliters.

As a result, producers are convinced that prices of wines from quality-controlled Denomination of Origin areas including La Rioja or Ribera de Duero will shoot up after several years of stagnation. Grape prices are forecast to be 2 per kilogram against 1 last year. In areas of mass production such as Castilla-La Mancha, prices are set to at least match those of 2016.

The poor harvests expected in other European countries are also expected to drive up exports of Spanish wine. France has brought up to five million hectoliters of Spanish wine, most of that of lower quality. However, the average price of those exports is up 6.5% to 1.20 a liter.

English version by George Mills.
Long security lines at El Prat on Sunday Albert Garcia

Security staff at Barcelonas El Prat airport resumed their partial strike on Monday morning, causing delays of up to an hour for passengers boarding at both terminals. Representatives of Eulen, the company that employs the security staff, as well as labor union delegates, were due to meet with officials from AENA, the Spanish airports authority, at 11am for a third round of talks.

The partial strikes began on Friday and were resumed on Sunday. They involve one-hour stoppages at 5.30am, 10.30am, and 4pm and 6.30pm every Friday, Sunday and Monday.

Security staff are striking for better pay and conditions and began a slowdown at the end of July that created lines of more than two hours on some days. They say they will continue with the partial strikes, and if a solution is not found by August 14, they will go on a 24-hour strike.

The strike committee is calling for a further 50 security staff to be hired

Among their grievances are lack of personnel, poor training and a failure by the company to pay a bonus to workers in charge of scanners. The lack of personnel often leads to extra work for existing workers, some of whom are putting in 16-hour workdays filled with stress, say employee representatives.

They blame AENA for awarding the airport security contract a year ago to the bidder who offered the lowest price. Under the previous contractor, Prosegur, employees were earning around 1,300 a month. With Eulen, workers who were transferred from Prosegur make 1,100, while new workers earn no more than 800 or 900, meaning they are obliged to work overtime to make up the difference. The strike committee is calling for a further 50 security staff to be hired.

Talks have progressed slowly. After the first meeting on Friday, security staff said that Eulen had not made a quantifiable proposal. Staff are calling for a 31% pay increase, which their employer says is unacceptable, offering 3%. After Sundays meeting, Eulen offered a 7.7% increase, along with 155 on top of the lowest salaries.

Travelers at El Prat over the summer could face further problems if workers responsible for patrols and security checks of airport staff and crew, as well as scanners used for checked luggage, follow up on a threat to call an indefinite strike on August 16.

An employee with Ilunion Seguridad told EL PAIS that if talks do not progress, we will go on strike on August 16. This would mean stoppages between Monday and Friday. Staff at the security firm are demanding a 350 wage hike, as well as calling on the company to hire new personnel.

English version by Nick Lyne.
Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau called a surprise press conference on Sunday, in a bid to offer her assessment of a series of incidents related to the citys tourism sector. She did so after a week of silence, despite strikes at the Catalan capitals El Prat airport causing widespread delays, and reports of mounting protests against the effect that the burgeoning tourist trade is perceived to be having on locals.

Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau in a file photo. Albert Garcia

Speaking to reporters, Colau roundly condemned the recent attacks, stating that they had been reported and they would be investigated, and adding that the culprits will be brought to justice.

At the end of July, an attack was carried out against a tourist bus in the city by a radical group called Arran, which is linked to the tiny, radical-left CUP party, which in turn plays a key role in the municipal and regional governments. Then last week, a video was released by the same youth group, in which they were seen on July 22 bursting into an upscale restaurant, setting off firecrackers and throwing confetti at diners.

Colau came in for harsh criticism from opposition parties and economic sectors linked to tourism

Then on Friday, news broke about the puncturing of tourist bicycle tires and deliberate vandalism of locks on tourist establishments, in this case on the part of Endavant, a collective that is also close to the CUP.

Last week, Colau came in for harsh criticism from opposition parties and economic sectors linked to tourism after she lukewarmly condemned the attack on the bus, and then kept silent after the other incidents came into light.

Speaking on Sunday, Colau explained that last week she had been on vacation with her family and that she had left the mayors office covered perfectly by councilor and deputy mayor Jaume Collboni, as interim mayor, and the councilor for tourism. The mayor went on to state that she had been in constant contact with her team, as well as with representatives from hotel associations and representatives from the tourist board.

The culprits will have to answer before the law Mayor Ada Colau

The appropriate response has been forthcoming and the council has been on the frontline roundly condemning actions that are unacceptable, and the city of Barcelona rejects the violence and defends that any debate should be held via dialogue and proposals, Colau told reporters. The mayor pointed to the fact that the attacks are isolated and are not representative of the reality of Barcelona, but she warned that the mayors office was aware of the seriousness of the incidents. They have been properly reported and they will be investigated, and the culprits will have to answer before the law.

Directly addressing the Arran and Endavant collectives, Colau called for reflection and insisted that these actions are not shared by the council nor citizens, and that one thing is a debate on the tourism model [in the city] and another is attacks that scare people and ruin property such as buses or bicycles. [] If they are worried about the effects, they must bear in mind that citizens do not place any value on [the attacks] but rather they expect proposals, she said.

Addressing the rest of the city, the mayor also called for prudence when generating alarm that does not exist regarding tourism-phobia. Lets not magnify these incidents because that is what ends up in the international press, she said. These are completely reprehensible actions that we do not share. But we should not magnify an isolated incident, and we should remember that, fortunately, social coexistence is the norm.

Colau pointed out the measures her administration has put in place to deal with the negative effects of tourism

Colau also used the occasion to point out the measures that her administration has put in place to deal with the negative effects of tourism, insisting that no other mayor had done the same. These actions include stepping up the fight against illegal tourist apartments, regulating the growth of the hotel sector, and spending funds from a so-called tourist tax on the citys neighborhoods and public transport.

Before running for mayor in the 2015 municipal elections, Ada Colau was well known as a social activist, working closely with the Mortgage Victims Platform (PAH), which campaigned to stop people being evicted from their homes. Colaus party, Barcelona en Comu, includes members of Initiative for Catalonia Greens, United Left and anti-austerity group Podemos, among others.

English version by Simon Hunter.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.7

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The US is unlikely to apply sanctions irrespective of the European Unions position, Charles Ellinas, CEO of Cyprus-based energy consultancy e-CNHC told Trend.

On August 2 US President Donald Trump signed into law the legislation that levies new sanctions against Russia.

The new sanctions bill hits Russia's energy and defense sectors, and also includes fresh sanctions against Iran and North Korea.

The sanctions also include a provision that the US will consult its allies before applying the sanctions. In addition, the European Commissions president made it clear that the EU is prepared to defend its economic interests. As a result, I do not see the European companies changing their approach to Russian energy projects immediately. However, this might change if the US applies sanctions irrespective of the EU position. But I do not expect such a situation will be allowed to develop, said Ellinas.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 7

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

UAEs Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) will open its office in Azerbaijan this year, the Arab media reported Aug. 7.

The new AFZ global offices this year will be also opened in China, Switzerland, Canada and Hong Kong.

Over the years, the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) of AFZ as an investment destination have been acknowledged by global investors, especially for new entrepreneurs who would like to have a scalable platform to grow their business, said Mahmood Al Hashemi, director general at the AFZ.

Our international offices help us reach out to potential investors on a sustainable basis, he added.

AFZ was established in the UAE in 1988.

AFZ now houses over 22,000 enterprises from different parts of the world. Exemption from personal income tax, from import and export duties, as well as other taxes is among the advantages of the AFZ.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 4

By Seba Aghayeva  Trend:

Several Hungarian pharmaceutical companies intend to expand their activity on the Azerbaijani market, by increasing supply of products.

Pharmaceutical production, one of the major areas of the Hungarian economy, is the main direction of Hungarys exports to the east, including Azerbaijani market.

Hungary supplies 135 kinds of medicines to Azerbaijan, but there is even bigger potential for the development of cooperation in this sector.

Hungarian companies intend to present their offers during the meetings to be held in October of 2017, as a part of the scheduled meeting of the intergovernmental commission on trade and economic cooperation between two countries.

Previously, the Hungarian side proposed to establish cooperation between the Azerbaijani government and Hungarian Gedeon Richter Company.

Specific projects and proposals will be discussed during the meeting of the intergovernmental commission.

Official delegation led by Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev, co-chairing the commission from the Azerbaijani side, will leave for Budapest to attend the meeting.

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto is the co-chairman of the commission from the Hungarian side.

Current bilateral economic relations and prospects for expanding economic cooperation will be discussed during the meeting.

Azerbaijan and Hungary outlined promising areas of cooperation during the negotiations at the level of foreign ministers, within the framework of Azerbaijani foreign ministers official visit to Budapest last week.

The sides expressed interest in amplifying cooperation in such areas as transportation, agriculture, industry, education, pharmaceutics, etc.

According to the Azerbaijani Customs Committee, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Hungary amounted to $16.308 million in January-June of 2017, $361,900 out of that amount accounted for exports from Azerbaijan, $15.95 million  for import.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 11

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

Azerbaijans banking sector is able to continue active lending to the countrys economy, Zakir Nuriyev, head of the Azerbaijan Banks Association (ABA), said in an interview with Trend.

He said that despite the decline in activity, banks continue to lend to both economy and individuals, as well as legal entities.

"If one looks at the figures for the last six months of 2017, one can see that the activity of banks lending to the economy has slightly decreased, but the banks continue this process," Nuriyev said. "The volume of loans issued by the banking sector in January-June 2017 amounted to 2.2 billion manats. This shows that banks continue lending to the economy, individuals and legal entities, but the volume of demand on the part of economy doesnt grow. The decrease in the volume of external debt and funds raised by banks abroad also shows that the demand on the part of the economy and population itself decreased."

He added that the main reason for the decline in lending is the reduction in demand on the part of the economy.

"To date, funds on correspondent accounts of Azerbaijans banks amount to 1.5 billion manats, and about 700 million manats of them are placed in the notes of the countrys Central Bank and government bonds of Azerbaijans Finance Ministry," he noted. "If one looks at foreign currency correspondent accounts, the funds on them amount to over 4.5 billion in manat equivalent."

"This shows that Azerbaijans banking sector has a sufficient number of liquid assets," he said. "However, due to low throughput and insufficient activity of the transmission mechanism of the economy, the countrys banking sector isnt able to allocate loans to the economy in the planned volumes."
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 7

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) shipped 31.74 million tons of CPC Blend oil from Russias Yuzhnaya Ozereevka  2 terminal in January-June 2017, as compared to 25.6 million tons in the same period of 2016, reads a message posted on the consortiums website.

At month-end July 2017, 42 tankers with almost 4.47 million tons of crude oil were loaded at the Consortium Marine Terminal.

Based on submitted shipper nominations, the 2017 pumping target is 65 million tons. In particular, Kazakhstan shippers account for 54 million tons, including 11 million tons from Kashagan, and Russian shippers account for 11 million tons, including 5.4 million tons from the Filanovsky and Korchagin fields.

The consortium shipped 44.3 million tons of CPC Blend oil from Yuzhnaya Ozereevka  2 terminal in 2016, as compared to 42.76 million tons in 2015.

CPC shareholders are Transneft (24 percent), KazMunaiGas (19 percent), Chevron (15 percent), LUKARCO (12.5 percent), Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company (7.5 percent), Rosneft Shell Caspian Ventures Ltd. (7.5 percent), CPC Company (7 percent), BG Overseas Holdings Limited (2 percent), Eni (2 percent), Kazakhstan Pipeline Ventures (1.75 percent) and Oryx Caspian Pipeline (1.75 percent).

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Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
Baku, Azerbaijan, August 7

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Liberalization of Russian gas export would be highly beneficial for both Russia and Europe, Edward Chow, a senior fellow in the Energy and National Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told Trend

So far, Russian gas export policy liberalization has been limited to a couple of projects involving liquefied natural gas (LNG). Far more important would be liberalization of the export of pipeline gas, which would be highly beneficial for both Russia and Europe, said the expert.

For Russia, it will allow to tap abundant associated gas which are currently wasted for lack of market access and for Europe, it would lead to more competitively priced gas, Chow believes.

LNG makes sense for Russia where gas is located in remote locations with access to the sea, such as in Sakhalin and Yamal peninsula. It does not make sense for gas in remote landlocked locations, such as western and eastern Siberia where pipelines have to be the primary mode of transportation for taking gas to market. Since this is where the bulk of Russian gas resources are located, pipeline gas will remain Russia's comparative advantage, he added.

The Russian Security Councils inter-agency commission for security in the economic and social spheres has encouraged the countrys government to boost liberalization of gas export, meaning that the export monopoly of Russias state-owned energy giant Gazprom might be terminated.

Gazprom is the only company that currently has the right to export pipeline gas from Russia. Other states and private companies are only authorized to export LNG.

The commission recommended the government to determine the priority directions of the state policy for development of the LNG industry, coordinate a strategy for [gas deliveries] to target markets, conditions for liberalization of gas export with the consideration of existing risks for economic security [of Russia] as the structure of energy demand [in the world] is changing, the meetings protocol read.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 7

By Kamila Aliyeva  Trend:

Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Erlan Abdyldaev held talks with his Kazakh and Turkmen counterparts Kairat Abdrakhmanov and Rashid Meredov in Tehran on August 5, Kabar news agency reported.

During the bilateral meeting, the foreign ministers of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan discussed topical issues of reciprocal cooperation.

The sides also exchanged views on cooperation within the framework of international organizations and integration associations.

During the talks between Abdyldaev and Meredov, the sides discussed a wide range of issues of Kyrgyz-Turkmen relations in bilateral and multilateral formats, including planned visits and events at the highest levels.

Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan are involved in a big project for the delivery of Central Asian gas to China, primarily from Turkmenistan.

The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has been purchasing natural fuel in this region since 2009, after the first two branches of the gas pipeline (A and B) from Turkmenistan through the territories of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan were launched. The third branch (C) has been commissioned recently, which also runs along this route.

Currently, work is underway to build the additional fourth branch (D)  on a new transit route  through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Aug. 7

By Demir Azizov  Trend:

Uzbekistans resident population has increased by 224,500 people (0.7 percent) since early 2017 and totaled 32.345 million people as of July 1, the Uzbek State Statistics Committee said in a report.

Some 50.6 percent of the total population lives in towns, while 49.4 percent lives in the countryside, the report said.

According to the report, 311,900 people were born in Uzbekistan in the first half of 2017.

Some 78,800 deaths were registered in the country during the reporting period.

In January-June 2017, some 82,500 people arrived in Uzbekistan, while 91,000 people left the country.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Aug. 7

By Demir Azizov Trend:

Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover rose by 11.1 percent up to $12.072 billion in January-June of 2017, compared with the same period of 2016, the State Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan reported.

Uzbekistan has increased export operations by 13.1 percent up to $5.97 billion, imports  by 9.2 percent up to $6.102 billion in January-June of 2017.

Foreign trade turnover with the CIS countries was ascended by 12.6 percent up to $4.45 billion.

Export from Uzbekistan to the CIS countries was boosted by 14.8 percent up to $2.375 billion in January-June of 2017, while the import from these countries was increased by 10.2 percent up to $2.075 billion.

Foreign trade turnover with other countries was ascended by 10.2 percent up to $7.62 billion, $3.59 billion of this amount accounted for export, $4.027 billion  for import.

The share of the CIS countries in Uzbekistans foreign trade turnover has reached 36.9 percent, while other countries - 63.1 percent.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 7

By Kamila Aliyeva  Trend:

Uzbek Foreign Ministry hosted a meeting with the Political Director of Serbias Foreign Ministry, special representative of the President Zoran Vujic, who arrived in Tashkent, heading Serbian delegation, according to the information published on the ministrys website.

The issues of bilateral relations were discussed at the meeting.

Meeting focused on promising directions of cooperation in political, trade-economic, investment, cultural-humanitarian and other spheres.

Substantive talk on the course of joint work on the formation of the legal and contractual platforms for Uzbek-Serbian cooperation was held.

The Serbian side was invited to the forthcoming international conference "Central Asian Renaissance in the history of world civilization" and "Central Asia: a common past and a common future, cooperation for sustainable development and mutual prosperity", scheduled for August and November of 2017.
Tehran, Iran, Aug. 7

By Mehdi Sepahvand  Trend:

French automaker Renault signed 660 million worth agreement with Industrial Development & Renovation Organization of Iran (IDRO), Trends correspondent reported from the event.

The sides would establish a joint venture, with 60 percent Renaults stock, to manufacture automobiles in Iran.

The Industry, Mine and Trade Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh said during the ceremony that the agreement is the first phase of IDRO- Renault cooperation with worth of 660 million. The sides are negotiating on sealing the second phase of the agreement, aimed, in the framework of phases 1 and 2, to produce 150,000 autos per year in Iran.

He said that car production in the framework of the first phase will start next year, adding that the second phase, currently in the final stage of negotiations, would start in 2019 and the relating production line would be commenced in 2022.

He didnt elaborate on how many cars would be produced in the frameworks of first and second phases separately.

Iran has already resumed cooperation with the French company, but only in auto and auto parts import.

Renault sales in Irans car market registered a huge rise by 100.3 percent in the first half of 2017, the company said July 17.

The companys share in Irans market increased to 9.8 percent during the 6-month period year-on-year thanks to the success of Tondar and Sandero models.

The automaker has sold 68,365 units in Iran in the first half of 2017. The companys sales in January-June stood at 1.88 million units, up by 10.4 percent compared to the same period of 2016 and four times the rate of the global auto market's 2.6 percent expansion.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug 7

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Two leading state-run carmakers, Iran Khodro and SAIPA, are struggling to maintain their dominant roles on the Islamic Republics marketplace, but a new joint venture with French Renault is here to challenge the state-backed car makers.

After almost one year of negotiations, Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran (IDRO) cemented a 660 million worth deal with French automaker Renault for launching the joint venture in the Middle Eastern country on Monday.

The JV deal stands out, as a foreign company, for the first time in Irans history, is going to manufacture and supply its products without any links to the domestic giants, who have grabbed the lions share of the countrys car market in the absence of any international rivals.

Irans automotive industry and shortcomings

Iranian policymakers over the past four decades have given a top priority to the automotive industry due to the industrys capability of creating new job opportunities and also a high level of demand in the domestic market, Akbar Mirza-Hosseini, car industry expert and the Vice-chairman of the board of directors at Iran's Rakhsh Khodro Diesel Company, told Tend, commenting on the need for boosting the automotive industry.

Akbar Mirza Hosseini believes that, the involvement of state players in the management of the leading Iranian carmakers is among the main shortcomings for the countrys largest non-oil sub-sector of economy.

Landscape of Irans auto industry

About a year and half after the world powers removed nuclear related sanctions on Iran, including a bill that banned exporting car parts to the Islamic Republic, the Middle Eastern nations automotive industry has witnessed a fresh surge in its output.

Nonetheless, the flow of foreign cars to the Iranian market has also dramatically hiked over the past year. According to the latest statistics by the Industry Ministry, domestic carmakers, over the first four months of the current Iranian year (starting March 20), produced over 434,000 vehicles, indicating 17.6 percent increase year on year, with the lions share going to Iran Khodro and SAIPA who largely enjoy the state support.

Nevertheless, a large part of the domestic cars were manufactured in cooperation with foreign carmakers.

French Peugeot accounts for 32.4 percent of domestic cars produced in collaboration with Iranian carmakers. In the meantime, China has a 14.9 percent share in Irans domestic production with Renault, which has already grabbed a 10.4 percent share of Irans domestic production.

On the other hand, those foreign carmakers that cooperate with Iran play a key role in increasing the volume of car imports to the Islamic Republic.

According to the customs statistics, Iran has imported 23,000 cars in the first four months of the current fiscal year, up 55 percent compared to same period of time last year.

Those carmakers who plan to launch JVs in Iran, first export their products to the Middle Eastern nation in order to examine the market.

However, most of the agreements on forming JVs are too slow pushing forward.

Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Renault, Citroen, Scania AB and Hyundai Motor Company were among those automobile manufacturers who reached business agreements with Iranians and some others such as Volkswagen and Skoda Auto made breakthroughs in negotiations to enter countrys huge car market.

Foreign producers say that their obligation to produce 40 percent of the required car parts in Iran has slowed the efforts aimed at launching their JVs, claiming that Iranians are incapable of producing highly quality spare parts in the country.

Renault Joint Venture

JV in the first phase is expected to add 150,000 units to Renaults annual production volume in Iran, with an estimated investment of 660 million euros. The first products of the joint venture would hit the market by early 2019.

Some 60 percent of the shares of the JV belong to Renault and 40 percent to Iran, which is equally owned by IDRO and private sector partners.

Under the contract the production of gearboxes, chassis and other spare parts will be carried out in Iran and under a separate contract with a Belgian company the production of automatic transmission systems will take place in the country as well.

The joint venture contract, which is projected to create about 3,000 job places, has envisaged exporting 30 percent of its output.

The Renault brands of New DUSTER and New SYMBOL will form the main output products of the joint venture.

The agreement urges the French carmaker to help Iranian car part markers to improve the quality of their output.

Meanwhile, Renault is expected to launch a research and development hub in Iran, aimed at the development of nations human resources.

Impact of joint ventures on Irans car industry

Although Akbar Mirzahosseini criticizes the leading carmakers for assembling the cars of foreign giants and failing to manufacture their own brands, he believes that setting up joint ventures with international leading companies would play an important role in boost of the industrys performance through the acquisition of new technologies.

Whatever the outcome of Irans cooperation with the French carmaker will be, it will very likely have a positive and lasting impact on the nations automotive industry, as a third player emerges in the Islamic Republics automotive industry.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug 7

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Iran has managed to secure 25 million euros agreement on the refinance credit line with France, aimed at importing raw materials from the Europe, an official with Export Development Bank of Iran said.

Darioush Yousefi has said that, the agreement will be implemented through Export Development Bank of Iran, IRNA news agency reported.

According to the official loans will be settled under the four percent interest rate.

He further urged the clients to use the finance for importing staple products including medicines.

Following the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA aka nuclear deal) Iran has made great efforts to expand its banking ties with the world. Nevertheless, Iranian officials accuse US of failing to meet their commitments under the deal and creating difficulties for Iran to establish banking ties with the leading European banks.
Husch Blackwell has appointed Kyle Gilster managing partner of its Washington, DC office. A partner in the firm's Financial Services & Capital Markets group and its Public Policy, Regulatory & Government Affairs practice, Gilster advocates for client interests before the U.S. Congress and federal regulatory agencies to help them achieve their federal public policy goals. In addition, he provides campaign finance and election law counsel to clients that have interests in both political action committees and the local, state and federal election process.

Gilster joined Husch Blackwell in 2004 after working on Capitol Hill for six years, notably as legal counsel for the House Financial Services Committee under Chair Mike Oxley of Ohio and Subcommittee Chair Doug Bereuter of Nebraska. Gilster also worked in the Nebraska Attorney General's Office, the Nebraska State Legislature, and the U.S. House of Representatives.

A Nebraska native, Gilster earned his B.A. with distinction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1994) and his J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law (1997). He is a member of the American Bar Association, the District of Columbia Bar Association, the Nebraska State Bar and National Association of Manufacturers.
Tehran, Iran, Aug. 7

By Mehdi Sepahvand  Trend:

Irans missile test does not violate UN Security Councils Resolution 2231, Spokesman of Foreign Ministry Bahram Qasemi said on Aug.7.

Missile program is Irans internal and security issue, aimed to defensive purposes, said Qasemi during a press conference in Tehran, according to the Trends correspondent reporting from the event.

Qasemi said that the distrust between Iran and US is not related to the latest missile test. Washingtons latest steps have raised the level of distrust, he said.

On July 27 Iran had launched its domestically-manufactured Simorgh carrier, with the mission of delivering Iranian satellites into the orbit.

Simorgh satellite carrier has capabilities to put satellites weighing as much as 250 kilograms into an orbit of up to 500 kilometers from the Earths surface.

US, UK, France and Germany issued a declaration then, which urges Iran to stop missile tests.

On August 2 US President Donald Trump signed into law the legislation that imposes new sanctions against Irans missile program.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia - plus Germany have signed the JCPOA on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.

All nuclear-related sanctions on Iran were removed, based on UN Security Councils Resolution 2231 and Iran put restrictions to its nuclear activities.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 7

By Emil Ilgar  Trend:

Iranian soldier has shot and killed four co-servicemen, Mehr reported.

The incident happened in Hahrizak garrison Aug. 6. 12 other soldiers were injured as well.

One of the killed servicemen was army colonel, rest  privates. Murdering soldier was shot and killed by his colleague, the report said.

This is the second incident of a sort happening in the Iranian Armed Forces.

Last month another soldier killed three and injured six servicemen in Qazvin garrison.

Murderer was arrested. Initial reports suggested psych problems as the reason of the incident.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 7

By Emil Ilgar  Trend:

Irans security services have arrested 27 people claimed to be affiliated with the Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) terrorist group in Razavi Khorasan province, Intelligence Ministrys official website announced.

The report added that 10 of the arrestees were apprehended outside of Iran.

Prior to this, Hassan Heidari, deputy Prosecutor of Mashhad city said on July 9 that, so far 27 people, including Iranian and Afghan citizens linked with the Islamic State terrorist group, have been arrested in various cities of the province.

In case if the latest reported group of arrestees is not the previously reported one, the total number that Iran has arrested would comprise of 54 people up until now.

Two separate attacks rocked the capital city of Tehran on June 7, leaving at least 17 dead and 54 injured.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 7

By Kamila Aliyeva  Trend:

Well see a renewed interest in the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project once the LNG prices go up, Danila Bochkarev, a senior fellow at the EastWest Institute and expert in energy issues, told Trend.

At this moment, the success of TAPI is fully conditioned by the security situation in Afghanistan, according to the expert.

Stability and increased security in Afghanistan is the key pre-condition for the success of this project, he said.

Bochkarev further noted that global 'gas glut' reduces interest of Pakistan and India in TAPI as both countries have access to (relatively cheap) LNG, which can compete on the price-level with the supplies from TAPI.

Last, but not least - financing of the pipeline might pose some challenges for the realization of this project, he added.

The expert noted that he would expect some delays in the construction of TAPI.

However, we'll see a renewed interest in the project once the LNG prices go up. The gas from the trans-Afghan pipeline will regain its competitiveness, he said.

TAPI will make it possible to deliver gas from Turkmenistan, which ranks fourth in the world for its gas reserves, to large and promising markets of South and Southeast Asia. The pipeline will run from Galkynysh  the largest gas field in Turkmenistan  through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar, and finally reach the Fazilka settlement located near the India-Pakistan border.

Annual capacity of the gas pipeline will reach 33 billion cubic meters. Total length of the TAPI pipeline will be 1,814 kilometers. The project's preliminary cost is estimated at $10 billion. The Turkmen government said earlier that the state concern Turkmengas would be the main investor for the TAPI project.

Turkmenistan started construction of its section of TAPI in December 2015 and is expecting to finish it within three years. Time frame of the Afghan and Pakistani sections construction of the TAPI pipeline has not yet been determined.

Nevertheless, the TAPI Pipeline Company Limited consortium developing the project has signed a contract with German ILF Beratende Ingenieure GmbH for the provision of services for the preliminary design and management of the project in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The technical work in the territory of these states has already started.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 7

By Kamila Aliyeva  Trend:

There are various factors, which may have certain impact on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India natural gas pipelines prospects, Muhammed Iltaf, Regional Head of Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), told Trend.

The expert noted that Chinas interests in the pipeline are of high importance for the projects implementation.

Introduction of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a part of China's One Belt - One Road (OBOR) initiative has brought Pakistan and China closer, he said.

Therefore, due to Chinas influence in Pakistan as well as Afghanistan, it needs to be ascertained what interests China has in TAPI and how it is going to influence the projects prospects, according to the expert.

At the same time, Pakistan and India are investing heavily in their LNG import infrastructure, thus their urge and enthusiasm to complete the project soon is getting diminished, he added.

TAPI will make it possible to deliver gas from Turkmenistan, which ranks fourth in the world for its gas reserves, to large and promising markets of South and Southeast Asia. The pipeline will run from Galkynysh  the largest gas field in Turkmenistan  through the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar, and finally reach the Fazilka settlement located near the India-Pakistan border.

Annual capacity of the gas pipeline will reach 33 billion cubic meters. Total length of the TAPI pipeline will be 1,814 kilometers. The project's preliminary cost is estimated at $10 billion.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 7

By Kamila Aliyeva  Trend:

Relationship between Iran and North Korea is not of a strategic character, but is based on "the moment's needs, therefore US sanctions will not affect this relationship, Dr. Ali Pishro, expert in American and Canadian studies at the University of Birmingham, has told Trend.

Political Geography of Islamic Republic, which has a massive oil and gas reserves, will make Iran's international isolation difficult. Therefore, Iran does not need to make further efforts to bring it closer to North Korea, he said.

The expert noted that since 1979, the United States has been sensitive to the relationship between Iran and North Korea and the sale of North Korea's weapons of mass destruction, as well as nuclear technology to Iran.

One of the important indicators of Iran-North Korea's cooperation is the collaboration between the two countries on nuclear and missile technology. It was also confirmed that, they have renovated three modified Scud missiles. This certification reflects the cooperation of Pyongyang and Tehran in the development of ballistic missiles, he said.

Pishro stressed out that, one of their common points is the similar hostile stance against the United States; however, insistence on demonstrating a strategic relationship between the two countries is meaningless.

This cooperation cannot be called a strategic relationship, as these communications are based on the urgent needs of both countries, he said.

Furthermore, Iran's society is more open and vibrant than North Korean, according to the expert.

Iran has an educated middle class and Iranians want to join the international community. Iran and North Korea have geographical, cultural and historical differences, and their government structure is different, he added.

Pishro underlined that Iran, in comparison with North Korea, is a much larger country with far more advanced economy and has wider relations with the world, which would requires much more work in order to isolate Iran.

Iran, like Japan, Germany and Brazil, is pursuing a nuclear program that shows to all countries of the world that, despite the ability to build nuclear bombs, it will not do so, but, if a military attack takes place or it will face a serious threat, the county can build and test a bomb in the shortest possible time, he said.

While Iran is a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, North Korea uses the pattern of nuclear warfare to deter the military intervention from enemies and answers every threat or embargo with a nuclear and missile test, according to the expert.

A lot of efforts are being made by a number of hardliners in Iran and a number of other analysts to bring North Korea and Iran as part of a nuclear core. This is a good thing for a group of radicals in Iran, because, in order to cover their basic and root problems, they are seeking to spark Iran's nuclear threat and undermine the diplomatic approach towards Tehran, he concluded.
Russia has no intention to maintain dialogue with Poland and the normalization of bilateral relations depends on Moscow, Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski told RIA Novosti in an interview.

"There is absolutely no objection from Poland to keep the dialogue with Russia. There is no inclination from Russia to keep dialogue with Poland. I have been a minister for 21 months and I have not got an invitation from [Russian Foreign] minister [Sergey] Lavrov to visit Moscow and to talk to him So, all the keys to improve relations between Poland and Russia are in Moscow, not in Poland. All the problems which are created between Russia and international community, were not initiated by Poland, but initiated by Russia" Waszczykowski said.

According to the minister, immediately after the Law and Justice party came to power in Poland in January 2016 a deputy foreign minister was sent to Moscow with the aim to start the bilateral dialogue.

"And a few days ago another deputy from my ministry went to Moscow to start the dialogue on future cooperation in the framework of the Security Council of the United Nations. I accepted with great pleasure the letter of minister Lavrov last month when he congratulated me when we were elected to the Security Council of the United Nations," Waszczykowski added.

In March, Waszczykowski said that Poland was ready for constructive cooperation with Russia and was taking steps in this direction

The so-called Russian-Polish Group on Difficult Issues was established in 2002. Its purpose was to explain the "white spots" in bilateral relations in the context of historical events without politicizing them. The work of the group was halted in 2015 when the groups head, Adam Rotfeld, left his post.

In February 2017, the Polish Foreign Ministry expressed the intention to resume the work of the group. The initiator of the move was Ambassador of Poland to Russia Wlodzimierz Marciniak.

Relations between Russia and Poland further deteriorated in 2014 amid the crisis in Ukraine, when the European Union introduced several rounds of sanctions against Moscow over its alleged meddling in the conflict. Russia denied the accusations.
Congolese security forces killed at least 14 members of separatist sect Bundu dia Kongo (BDK) on Monday during clashes in the capital Kinshasa and southwestern city of Matadi, Reuters reported.

At least one police officer also died, police said.

The clashes followed an attack by BDK members on Kinshasa's main prison and demonstrations by other members against Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila in Kinshasa, Matadi and the southwestern city of Boma, witnesses and security sources said.

A series of large-scale prison breaks across Congo in the past few months has aggravated insecurity since Kabila refused to step down after his mandate expired in December.

Assailants wearing red headbands characteristic of BDK members staged the attack on the high-security Makala prison but did not make it past the front door, said a witness inside the prison.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 7



By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:

Due to the fact that Turkey is the only country that can stop the refugee inflow to Germany, Berlin needs an immediate open dialogue with Ankara, Gungor Gokdag, columnist of the Turkish ZedLife newspaper told Trend.

He was commenting on the growing tensions between Germany and Turkey.

Due to the fact that Germany is the most economically developed state in the EU, most of the refugees from the Middle East region and particularly, from Syria and Iraq, prefer to get to this country, said the expert.

According to him, the refugee inflow to Germany can create serious social problems in this country and also contribute to the growth of Islamophobia in the German society.

Gokdag outlined that, along with the economic role of Germany, Berlins political activity in the European Union also should be noted, which when complied makes this country the EUs locomotive.

Existing disagreements among the EU members also force Germany to play a more active role in this organization, and all of this is reflected in the countrys foreign policy and its relations with other countries, he added.

Prior to that, Turkish Minister for EU Affairs Omer Celik said that, Turkey doesnt see the grounds for preserving the migration agreement with the EU.

According to the minister, Turkey has fulfilled all obligations under the agreement, while EU hasnt fulfilled any promises so far.

Turkey can change the migration agreement at any time and in any format, noted Celik. I am sure that the time has come to revise the agreement, and I dont think that there are reasons to uphold it, he added.

The heads of states and governments of the EU member countries had agreed on a joint plan to battle the migration crisis with Turkey in mid-March 2016. It envisages, in particular, the return of illegal migrants arrived in Greece from Turkeys territory back to the latter and accommodation of legal migrants-Syrians entered from Turkey by EU on a one-for-one basis.

As part of these arrangements, in May 2016, the European Commission offered the European Parliament and the EU Council to lift visa restrictions for Turkish citizens if Ankara would fulfill the remaining conditions for the abolition of visas by the end of June. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in turn, threatened EU with an exit from the migration agreement, if the European Union doesnt provide citizens of his country with a visa-free regime.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 7

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Iran, Turkey and Russia will discuss the Syrian crisis in Tehran, Turkish media reported Aug. 7 referring to countrys diplomatic sources.

The parties meeting on the settlement of the Syrian crisis will take place August 8-9, 2017, according to the report.

The name of Turkeys representative, who will take part in the Tehran meeting, is not disclosed.

Syria has been suffering from the armed conflict since March of 2011, which, according to the UN, has claimed over 500,000 lives.

Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The IS, YPG and PYD are the most active terrorist groups in Syria.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Lincoln Industries' Quality Director Mark Sneed is pleased to announce the promotion of Matt Carper to senior quality engineer. Carper joined Lincoln Industries in 2014 as a quality engineer. In his role as senior quality engineer, he will be responsible for developing relationships with Lincoln Industries customers to understand their expectations and challenges, and conveying that message to the Lincoln Industries team to ensure customer expectations are met.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 7

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

China has declared 2018 as the Turkey Tourism Year, the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies said in a message Aug. 7.

In order to expand ties in the sphere of tourism, Beijing and Ankara plan to hold a number of events that contribute to the increase of tourist flow from China to Turkey, according to the message.

Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said during his visit to China that Ankara is interested in attracting tourists from China.

Cavusoglu noted that Turkey expects to receive at least 3 million tourists from China in 2018.

It should be noted that 313,000 tourists from China visited Turkey in 2016.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
KYODO NEWS - Aug 6, 2017 - 10:20 | Feature, All, Japan

Hiroshima marked the 72nd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing on Sunday at its annual memorial ceremony, with Mayor Kazumi Matsui calling on the Japanese government to help realize a treaty banning nuclear weapons.

This year's ceremony at the Peace Memorial Park near Ground Zero follows the adoption by 122 United Nations members of the world's first treaty to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons.

The pact's preamble uses the Japanese term "hibakusha" in its mention of the "the unacceptable suffering" of survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings that killed an estimated 214,000 people by the end of 1945.

But Japan refused to participate in the treaty, along with the world's nuclear weapon states and other countries under the U.S. nuclear umbrella.

In the city's annual Peace Declaration, Matsui stopped short of demanding that Japan join the treaty, but urged the government to "manifest the pacifism in our Constitution by doing everything in its power to bridge the gap between the nuclear weapon and non-nuclear weapon states, thereby facilitating the ratification."

He said the countries that adopted the treaty "demonstrated their unequivocal determination to achieve abolition," and that now is the time for all governments to "strive to advance further toward a nuclear weapon-free world."

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe avoided any mention of the ban treaty in his speech at the ceremony.

"For us to truly realize a 'world without nuclear weapons,' the participation of both nuclear weapon states and non-nuclear weapon states is necessary," he said.

"By firmly maintaining our three non-nuclear principles (of not producing, possessing or allowing nuclear weapons on Japanese territory) and continuing to appeal to both sides, Japan is determined to lead the international community," he said.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of about 80 nations plus the European Union. The nuclear states Britain, France, the United States and Russia were scheduled to attend, as well as India, Israel and Pakistan, which are known to possess atomic weapons but are not signatories to nonproliferation treaties.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for all states to work toward a world free of nuclear weapons "in their own ways" in a message read on his behalf by Izumi Nakamitsu, U.N. undersecretary general and high representative for disarmament affairs.

"Hiroshima's message of peace and the heroic efforts of hibakushas have reminded the world of the devastating humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons...The United Nations stands with you in our shared pursuit of a world free of nuclear weapons," the message said.

A moment of silence was observed at 8:15 a.m., when a uranium-core atomic bomb named "Little Boy" dropped by a U.S. bomber exploded about 600 meters above Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, killing an estimated 140,000 people by the end of that year.

A second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on Aug. 9 and Japan surrendered six days later, bringing an end to World War II.

The combined number of "hibakusha," people who survived either bombing, stood at 164,621 as of March, down 5,530 from the year prior. Their average age was 81.41.

Matsui demanded in his speech that the government give more compassionate assistance to the aging hibakusha, as well as to "the many others also suffering mentally and physically from the effects of radiation."

According to city officials, "the many others" include people affected by the March 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster triggered by a devastating earthquake and tsunami.

This year's anniversary is the first to follow the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, whose predecessor Barack Obama last year became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima.

Trump had suggested before his election that Japan and South Korea might acquire nuclear weapons in the future, and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson refused to rule this out in an interview with U.S. media in March, according to U.S. media reports.

Braving high temperatures from the early morning, young and old visited the park ahead of the ceremony to remember those who died in the bombing and to wish for peace.

Hiroshima native Masaharu Masuda, 70, offered a prayer as he does every year in memory of his parents, who both experienced the bombing. The midsummer heat reminded him of how his older sister always wore long sleeves when they were younger to hide keloid scars on her arms.

Masuda said he is disappointed by the Japanese government's "half-hearted" response to the ban treaty, and worries that the world is losing interest in Hiroshima's message.

"People used to say with feeling, 'No More Hiroshimas,' but I hear it less and less these days," he said.

Naomi Miyamoto, 56, came from Tokyo to place flowers at the memorial and renew his commitment to peace and nuclear abolition.

"I don't have confidence that the way Japan and other countries deal with each other will change any time soon, but one thing individual people can do is educate themselves about what happened here in Hiroshima," he said.
ISLAMABAD: The newly appointed Foreign Minister of Pakistan Khawaja Asif has invited India to discuss Kashmir issue. Asif told Pakistani media that try to resolve the two countries issue for peace in Kashmir.

We want to remove the tension on the border, but India is not ready for it. It may be recalled that this country has made it clear that will not, along with terrorism and dialogue.

It is notable that Pakistan Foreign Minister Khwaja Asif, who turned hostile on Sunday, said that peace will prevail in the area only after solving the Kashmir issue. But if India is not ready for talks then we have fewer choices.

We want to remove the tension on the border. The External Affairs Minister said that for peace, the two countries must resolve the issue together by keeping the United Nations Convention in mind. Asif also advocated the right of Kashmiris to give their right to make their own decision.

Explaining on this occasion, the Pak Foreign Minister assured that our foreign policy will fulfil the wishes of the people in Pakistan's right. Both the countries want to continue with the Indus Water Agreement. Any kind of violation can lead to further worries. Pak wants a friendly relationship with Afghanistan, in which it is expecting help from India.

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MarketWatch

The sudden collapse of FTX, the worlds third-largest cryptocurrency exchange, underlines how important it is for any investor to learn about the risks taken when money is parked with a lightly regulated firm. Sam Bankman-Fried resigned his position as CEO and was replaced by John J. Ray III, a lawyer who has worked on the bankruptcies of Enron, Nortel Networks and many other companies. FTX, based in the Bahamas, held about $16 billion in customer assets but had lent about $10 billion of that to Alameda Research, a trading firm also run by Bankman-Fried and headquartered in Hong Kong, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
American International Group Inc.'s new CEO, appointed in May amid pressure from activists including Carl Icahn, is getting rid of specific stock-buyback targets to focus on investment in the business's growth.

The strategy marks a shift from predecessor Peter Hancock, who had promised in early 2016 to return $25 billion to shareholders while resisting Icahn's pressure to break up AIG to escape stricter oversight after a $182 billion government bailout during the financial crisis.

Over the past 18 months, the insurer has returned $20 billion to investors through buybacks and dividends, including $2.7 billion in the three months through June. While it's authorized to repurchase another $2.5 billion, it will be "opportunistic" in deciding how much of that to spend, Brian Duperreault told investors in his first earnings call as CEO on Thursday, Aug. 3

"My priority is to take this capital and find ways that we can increase the franchise value of this company," he said. "If we can't, obviously we would return it. But that would be something I would prefer not to do if I can find something better to use it for."

Ideally, executives would invest money in "acquisitions that are strategically complementary," he said. "I have a track record of building value through acquisitions. And you can expect that I bring that experience and philosophy to AIG."

Citing his experience in acquisitions, Duppereault pointed out opportunities internationally, in personal coverage, life insurance and the small to middle markets in the U.S.

"We don't want to double down on things we already do," he said. "We want to balance what we're doing with other things. So I'm going to be primarily looking for strategic balance that gives us ways to deploy capital when the things we do have issues."

While it's important for any businesses the company purchases to add profit, they must deliver more than just that, he said.

"I also like accretion in terms of people and capabilities and spread," Duperreault explained. "And so that accretion has to be more than just a number. Can't just be the profit. It better give us a whole lot more capability than we have now."

Story continues

Any deals AIG makes are likely to be "bolt-on" purchases that round out its product mix rather than transformative takeovers, Cathy Seifert, an analyst with CFRA Research, said in a telephone interview.

In the meantime, AIG's s higher-than-expected profit in the second quarter illustrates the value of its existing array of businesses, Duperreault noted, reiterating statements when he took the job that he doesn't intend to break up the company.

Operating income after taxes totaled $1.53 a share, topping the $1.20 average estimate from analysts surveyed by FactSet. Net income, including $69 million in capital losses, dropped 41% to $1.13 billion, the company said in a statement.

Quarterly profit at the New York-based firm was driven by a 33% gain in earnings at its consumer business, which benefited from cost cuts combined with strong personal insurance results and higher policy fees in group and individual retirement, the company said.

Earnings in the smaller commercial division, which offers products from management liability coverage to marine and aerospace insurance, dropped 24% to $716 million as property-insurance losses increased.

Companywide revenue dropped 14% to $12.5 billion. "Though weak top line results and mixed underwriting trends temper our view, we applaud AIG's restructuring progress," Seifert said in a note to clients.

Seifert, who boosted her 12-month price target by 7.1% to $75, has said Duperreault -- a former lieutenant of legendary AIG chief Maurice "Hank" Greenberg -- is one of the few people capable of completing the company's restructuring.

AIG has already shed United Guaranty, a Turkish insurance operation, a 20% interest in Ascot Underwriting Holdings and a 95.3% interest in NSM Insurance.

The company's stock rose 16 cents to $66.06 in New York trading on Thursday, widening a previous gain of 8.1% since Duperreault's appointment that outpaced the broader S&P 500.

The CEO's predecessor at AIG announced his departure in March, citing a lack of support from stockholders. While Hancock had resisted Icahn's break-up proposal, he eventually offered Icahn and hedge fund manager John Paulson board seats to head off a proxy fight.

Paulson has since left the board, though Icahn's designee, Samuel Merksamer, was re-elected to his seat in June. Icahn held a $3 billion stake in the insurer as of the end of the March.

The drumbeat of calls for a breakup "has died down a little," Seifert said in the interview. Duperreault "comes in with a high degree of credibility," she said, and has likely convinced the company's activist investors to give him some time "to articulate and put out a strategy."

Updated from 5:35 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017.

More of What's Trending on TheStreet:

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Tim Cook Apple Campus 2

Apple employees are moving into Apple Park, the company's new $5 billion headquarters in Cupertino, California.

Everything about the so-called spaceship campus has been carefully considered, according to a slew of press features on the office building.

Entryways were designed so engineers wouldn't need to slow down while walking, and the campus has custom-designed banisters, tables, and even a four-story glass door.

But there will be one big change to how rank-and-file Apple engineers work at the spaceship: Apple Park has an open floor plan, WSJ Magazine reported last month. That means a lot of engineers will work on long tables with other engineers instead of in cubicles or offices.

Now there are rumors that some teams and executives are not fans of the shiny new office complex's open office plan.

The latest was shared by John Gruber, an Apple podcaster and blogger who frequently cites Apple insiders as "birdies."

He passed on the rumor in a podcast published on Sunday  the discussion of Apple's new campus starts at about 1:10, and the quoted part starts at about 1:24:

"Here's the story I heard that I cannot confirm because it was thirdhand. I cannot confirm it. It could be totally false. But it sounds true to me. And I think it could be easily checked, because if it's true, people will know about this.

"I heard that when floor plans were announced, that there was some, I don't know, meeting  Johny Srouji's team. He's in charge of Apple's silicon, the A10, the A11, all of their custom silicon. Obviously a very successful group at Apple, and a large and growing one with a lot on their shoulders.

"When he was shown the floor plans, he was more or less just 'F--- that, f--- you, f--- this, this is bulls---.' And they built his team their own building, off to the side on the campus. So they're not even in  not only are they not going along with the open floor plans, but Srouji's team is in their own building. Maybe internally they're saying it's for security, or that's there's a logical reason for it, but my understanding is that that building was built because Srouji was like, 'F--- this, my team isn't working like this.'"

Story continues

apple park photo 1 building trees

This is the second report of a big group inside Apple passing on a spot at Apple Park.

Apple's cloud services teams under Eddy Cue have claimed Apple's old headquarters, Infinite Loop, as employees vacate it to move to Apple Park, according to Bloomberg. That report, from 2016, said that Apple employees used to privacy and a quiet work environment might be upset by the open floor plans.

Apple's top executives, including CEO Tim Cook, will have offices on the fourth floor of Apple Park.

Plenty of corporate Apple employees won't end up in the spaceship, which will hold 13,000 employees. Apple has about 25,000 employees in Silicon Valley, according to an estimate recently cited by the city of Cupertino.

Do you know anything about the open offices at Apple Park? Email the author at kleswing@businessinsider.com or on Twitter DM. Signal, PGP, and Telegram are available upon request.





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The airline providing government-subsidized service to three Nebraska cities has declared bankruptcy and has begun the process of shutting down those routes.

Alaska-based PenAir announced Monday that it has filed to reorganize under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

As part of its reorganization plan, PenAir said it plans to shut down its Denver and Portland, Oregon hub operations.

From Denver, PenAir provides air service to Kearney, North Platte and Scottsbluff through the federal Essential Air Service program.

The company said it is filing a request with the Department of Transportation to end service on those routes and others out of its Denver and Portland hubs.

PenAir said that process likely will take anywhere from 30-90 days.

In a statement on its website, the city of Kearney said it plans to start working with the Department of transportation immediately to do another bidding process to find another carrier.

"The City of Kearney continues to be committed to obtaining a viable and long-term air service provider for our citizens," the statement said. "In the next few weeks we will know more information about our options moving forward."

PenAir won the contract to serve all three cities in May 2016 and started service Nov. 1.

In announcing its selection of PenAir, the Department of Transportation said the airline was "fit, willing and able to operate as a certificated airline, and capable of providing reliable Essential Air Service at Kearney, North Platte, and Scottsbluff, Nebraska."

However, it became apparent after a few months that wasn't the case.

The airline had problems with cancellations that got worse the longer it operated. Things got so bad that Scottsbluff airport officials last month asked the federal government for permission to get out of the two-year contract more than a year early. Through May, PenAir was averaging nearly 15 delays and 20 cancellations a month, according to the Scottsbluff Star-Herald.

The Essential Air Service provides subsidies to ensure small cities that are far from a large airport can maintain air service. There are seven EAS-eligible airports in Nebraska. The others are Alliance, Chadron, Grand Island and McCook.
Fish & Richardson presented full scholarships to 33 students and their teacher chaperones from across the country to attend the U.S. Space & Rocket Center space camp in Huntsville, Alabama, this summer.

According to a press release, the goal of Fish & Richardson's Space Camp Scholarship program which the firm has run for 19 years is to get middle school students excited about the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Fish launched the Space Camp Scholarship program in 1999 and has since sent almost 500 students to Space Camp on full scholarships.

Fish & Richardson attorneys select the scholarship winners based on a written application and an in-person interview, according to the firm. All of the students are from schools in economically disadvantaged areas in the 11 U.S. cities where Fish & Richardson has offices: Atlanta; Austin, Texas; Boston; Dallas; Houston; Minneapolis/St. Paul; New York; San Diego; Silicon Valley; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington.

The scholarship winners who receive full tuition, round-trip airfare and accommodations will spend six days at space camp experiencing simulated space shuttle missions, participating in programs on space exploration and learning about mission control, according to the release.




kayleigh mcenany pro Trump TV

Former CNN commentator Kayleigh McEnany hosted a flattering news segment on President Donald Trump's Facebook page on Sunday, one day after she left the cable network.

"Thank you for joining us as we provide the news of the week from Trump Tower here in New York," McEnany said at the top of a roughly 1.5-minute segment, called "News of the Week," that was posted to Trump's official Facebook page.

It's unclear whether McEnany is being compensated by the Trump campaign, the Trump Organization, or another source. McEnany did not return a request for comment.

During the segment, McEnany touted the most recent jobs report and unemployment statistics, adding, "President Trump has clearly steered the economy back in the right direction."

It was the second news-style segment posted to Trump's Facebook page in the past week  the first was spearheaded by Trump's daughter-in-law Lara. She similarly praised the president throughout her segment, and she ended by saying she had brought the "real news" to the American people.

Since the series launched, it has been compared to state-run media outlets in countries such as Russia and Syria, both notorious for their mistreatment of independent journalists and crackdowns on press freedom.

"Wow. Feels eerily like so many state-owned channels I've watched in other countries," the former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul wrote.

In her video, McEnany touched on the Trump administration's newly unveiled Raise Act, rolled out Wednesday. The controversial proposal would slash legal immigration by 50% over the next decade and suggests allowing immigrants into the country based on merit and proficiency in English.

"For decades, a steady rise in immigration has depressed the wage of American workers," McEnany said. She added: "The Raise Act will increase wages, decrease poverty, and save the taxpayers billions. Americans deserve a raise, and President Trump is finally putting the American worker first.

Story continues

[Money Basics: What is a robo-advisor?]

McEnany also mentioned last weeks Medal of Honor ceremony, during which Trump honored Vietnam War hero James McCloughan, and other actions she said Trump had taken to reform the veterans healthcare system.

"Thank you for joining us, everybody," she concluded. "I'm Kayleigh McEnany, and that is the real news."

The segment was filmed in front of a backdrop emblazoned with Trump's campaign logo and the name of his website. A message at the bottom of the screen urged viewers to subscribe to future updates, and a separate bar told viewers to stay updated via social media and to "Make America great again."

NOW WATCH: The 9 best memes from Trump's first 200 days in office





More From Business Insider




President Donald Trump sent out a series of tweets on Monday morning attacking Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal's credibility minutes after the Democrat criticized the president and his administration on CNN.

"Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con artist!" Trump wrote just before 8 a.m., referring to reporting in 2010 that Blumenthal repeatedly either stated or implied that he served in Vietnam, when in fact he obtained five military deferments and ultimately served in the reserves, never going overseas.

Trump's tweets came immediately after the senator's cable news interview, in which he accused the administration of "politicizing" the Department of Justice and argued that the investigation of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia "must be pursued."

donald trump

"Never in U.S. history has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal," Trump continued. "He told stories about his Vietnam battles and conquests, how brave he was, and it was all a lie. He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child. Now he judges collusion?"

This is not the first time the president has attacked the senator. In February, Trump accused Blumenthal of misrepresenting remarks that Neil Gorsuch, then a nominee for the Supreme Court, made to the senator concerning Trump's attempts to delegitimize a federal judge. Trump retaliated against Blumenthal on Twitter, bringing up his "major lie" about his military record.

In May, Trump attacked Blumenthal again after the senator criticized his decision to fire former FBI Director James Comey. Repeating his attacks, Trump accused Blumenthal of devising "one of the greatest military frauds in U.S. history" and argued the senator "should be investigated for his acts."

Story continues

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

NOW WATCH: Rob Goldstone, a man with cringeworthy Facebook videos, could bring down the president's son





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The New York Times reported Tuesday that the Trump administration plans to direct Justice Department resources toward investigating universities that have used affirmative action admissions policies to discriminate against white applicants. In reaction, Roger Clegg, a former deputy assistant attorney general in the Reagan and Bush administrations and now president of the conservative Center for Equal Opportunity, praised the initiative, saying, [I]t is frequently the case that not only are whites discriminated against now, but frequently Asian-Americans are as well.

This divisive strategy was further cemented by the Justice Departments response Wednesday that the internal document the Times obtained only pertained to the investigation of one lawsuit filed by a coalition of 64 Asian American associations in 2015, which claimed that Harvard University had discriminated against Asian American students in the admissions process.

We have been here before. Asian Americans and the issue of affirmative action have long been used to drive a wedge between communities of color and obfuscate the real purpose of the program, which brings opportunity to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

What affirmative action opponents and the media tend to get wrong is this: These singular cases obscure the fact that 64% of Asian American voters support affirmative action programs, of which they have been direct beneficiaries for the past 50 years, with affirmative action helping to significantly increase Asian representation at elite schools. Affirmative action continues to uplift the Asian community, particularly young people from traditionally disadvantaged Asian groups, such as Southeast Asians and low-income families.

The Asian American Federations 2014 report on The State of Asian American Children shows that the model minority myth, which has plagued the pan-Asian community since the 1960s, obscures the reality that, while college attendance rates among East and South Asian groups are high, other Asian groups are less likely to be enrolled in college or graduate school than the general population of 18- to 24-year-olds, with the lowest rates among the Bhutanese, Burmese, Laotian, Cambodian, and Hmong communities. Similarly, Southeast Asians and low-income Asian students are more likely to attend community colleges and less selective institutions and are less likely to attain a degree. In fact, the Asian communitys enrollment in community colleges as a whole has been increasing at a faster rate than the communitys enrollment in four-year colleges, due to limitations of social class and English proficiency.

Story continues

Affirmative action opened the door to higher education for the pan-Asian community in the aftermath of the Chinese Exclusion Actwhich was in force from 1882 to 1943and Japanese American internment during World War II, at a time when systemic racism barred our grandparents and parents from accessing a better life for themselves. Now more than ever, when 12% of Asian Americans in the U.S. live in poverty and more than a quarter of Asian New Yorkers live below the poverty line, we must remember that our community as a whole made advances through affirmative action programs. Most of us have succeeded because of admissions policies that took our race, class, and unique experiences as immigrants and children of immigrants into consideration.

For that reason and especially during this challenging time, we must keep the doors of opportunity open for those who need a little more help to achieve their goals, as well as for the generations to come.

Jo-Ann Yoo is executive director of the Asian American Federation.
Before a telecom company can expand into what it sees as the more lucrative cable or content production markets, it needs scale. The never-ending story of a potential merger between Sprint Corp. (NYSE:S) and T-Mobile US Inc. (TMUS) may be the necessary first step before a third competitor can take a meaningful run at Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) or AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T).

Sprint and Charter Communications Inc. (CHTR) broke off merger negotiations last week. The result was similar to the talks about a possible tie-up between Sprint and Comcast Corp. (CMCSA).

ALSO READ: Analyst Says Jump on These 4 Top Stocks on Any Weakness

That leaves T-Mobile. If a deal between Sprint and T-Mobile is announced, the number three and four players in the U.S. wireless market are likely counting on a different result than the one they received in 2014 when the Obama administration's Justice Department squashed the deal.

Could Sprint still stand on its own? CEO Marcelo Claure thinks so, but he also believes that combining with another wireless carrier or a cable company would make a stronger company. Trouble is, there are no cheap deals here.

Every time there's talk of Sprint being acquired, the share price goes up. Same with T-Mobile. As for Softbank acquiring a company like Charter, such a deal would drive the Japanese firm's debt levels to well above nosebleed levels and, for that reason alone, a deal has little chance actually happening.

ALSO READ: RBC Has 6 Top Tech Stocks to Buy for the Rest of 2017

Sprint stock traded flat Monday morning, at $8.70 in a 52-week range of $5.83 to $9.65. The consensus 12-month price target on the stock is $7.28.

T-Mobile shares traded up about 0.2%, at $64.62 in a 52-week range of $44.35 to $68.88. The consensus price target is $71.04.

Related Articles
French English

PARIS, France, July 27, 2017: EURO Ressources S.A. ("EURO") (Paris: EUR) today announced that on July 26, 2017, IAMGOLD Corporation ("IAMGOLD") released an updated Reserve and Resource estimate for its Rosebel gold mine in Suriname. This estimate is calculated as at June 30, 2017.

According to IAMGOLD's news release, at June 30, 2017, and compared to the end of 2016,

Proven and probable reserves increased by 80% to 3.7 million ounces (on a 100% basis).

Measured and indicated resources increased by 55% to 9.3 million ounces (on a 100% basis).

Inferred resources increased by 322% to 2.7 million ounces (on a 100% basis).

Average reserve grade remains unchanged at 1.0 g/t Au., but now includes dilution.

Increased reserves extend Rosebel mine life to 2028.

For more details, please refer to the corresponding news release of IAMGOLD available on its website (http://www.iamgold.com/English/investors/news-releases/).

The terms "proven reserves", "probable reserve", "measured resources", "indicated resources" and "inferred resources" refer to those terms as they are recognized and required by Canadian regulations.

About EURO

EURO is a French company whose principal asset is a royalty payable by IAMGOLD related to the gold production of the Rosebel gold mine in Suriname (the "Rosebel royalty"). The Rosebel gold mine is 95%-owned by IAMGOLD, and is operated by IAMGOLD. EURO has approximately 62.5 million shares outstanding. IAMGOLD France S.A.S., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of IAMGOLD, owns approximately 89.71% of all issued and outstanding shares of EURO.

Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information: Some statements in this news release are forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be those anticipated by management.

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to a U.S. person absent registration, or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

Additional information relating to EURO Ressources S.A. is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Further requests for information should be addressed to:
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kretschmar Premium Meats & Cheeses has joined forces with SHOP n SAVE and country music star Easton Corbin to donate $1,000 to Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Kretschmar made the donation at Corbins concert at the 40th annual EQT Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta on Friday as part of its Legendary Wishes campaign, which helps Make-A-Wish grant wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ac341731-a4ad-4287-bca1-04dd49bf4769

Corbin, three-time American Country Award winner and Kretschmar brand partner, invited wish kid David backstage before his performance, and presented a donation of $1,000 to Make-A-Wish. David is living with chronic kidney disease. He loves country music and was excited to meet Corbin, receive this check, and enjoy Corbins performance.

It was an honor to present Make-A-Wish with a check for $1,000 to help bring more wishes to children, said Corbin. Im proud to show my support for this cause. This is something really special that Kretschmar is doing across the country to make wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Corbin hit the music scene in 2009 with a #1 single, A Little More Country Than That and won several Breakthrough Artist awards. Since then, he has released three hit albums with songs including Roll With It, Lovin You is Fun, and All Over the Road. Corbin has a full touring schedule in 2017 and is currently working on his fourth studio album.

We so appreciate Kretschmar and SHOP n SAVE for supporting our mission and helping us to grant wishes to Pittsburgh children with critical illnesses like David, said Stephanie Pugliese, Make-A-Wish Director of Development.

Since 2012, Kretschmar has contributed more than $650,000 to Make-A-Wish nationally, and sponsored more than 12 wishes with local chapters through the brands Legendary Wishes campaign.

With the help of retail partners, Kretschmar has raised more than $85,000 through sales of Make-A-Wish paper stars sold at stores registers for $1 donations, employee donations, and sandwich fundraisers. The brand gives these funds to local Make-A-Wish chapters to grant more wishes.

Make-A-Wish has positively impacted the lives of so many children and their families as they endure the challenges of battling a life-threatening medical conditions, said Michael Baughman, Smithfield Foods director of marketing. Everyone at Kretschmar is incredibly grateful for Make-A-Wish, and their efforts to grant wishes and change lives. We are privileged to have the opportunity to make more unforgettable experiences possible with help from our friends at SHOP n SAVE.

For more information about Kretschmar Deli and its involvement with Make-A-Wish visit www.KretschmarDeli.com or www.Facebook.com/KretschmarDeli.



Kretschmar is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Kretschmar

Kretschmar Premium Deli Meats & Cheeses has meant quality since 1883. Our hams are made with a unique hardwood smoking process. Kretschmar poultry and beef are hand-trimmed using the finest cuts. Our full line of Off-The-Bone deli meats are delicately sliced from the leanest, most tender cuts. And our premium Wisconsin cheeses repeatedly win in competitions world-wide. Try the Legendary Taste of Kretschmar today. For great recipes and more, like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/kretschmardeli or visit our website at www.kretschmardeli.com.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the worlds largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathans Famous, Farmland, Armour, John Morrell, Cooks, Kretschmar, Gwaltney, Curlys, Margherita, Carando, Healthy Ones, Krakus, Morliny and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About Make-A-Wish

Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia is a non-profit organization that grants wishes to children, aged 2  to 18, with life-threatening medical conditions. Currently, the local chapter is one of the most active in the country, having fulfilled more than 17,500 wishes. For more information, please call Make-A-Wish at (800) 676-9474 or visit its Web site at greaterpawv.wish.org.

About SHOP n SAVE

There are more than 100 independently owned and operated SHOP n SAVE stores in Western Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Ohio, and West Virginia. SHOP n SAVE offers customers everyday low prices on name brand and private label products. For more information, visit www.shopnsavefood.com.
Dashboard 1



1.I have gathered the data of these 17 schools only & will add new schools if required

Cranfield, ESADE, HEC-Paris, IE, IESE,

IMD, Insead, Ivey, Judge, LBS, Mancheser,

McGill, Queens, Rotman, Said, Schulich, SDA Bacconi.



2. There are currently six areas of information that are presented in the form of graphs. The new information points can be added depending on your suggestions.

3. The data is taken from Business Week website.

4. Comaprison can be seen for 4 schools at a time.



1.I have gathered the data of these 17 schools only & will add new schools if requiredCranfield, ESADE, HEC-Paris, IE, IESE,IMD, Insead, Ivey, Judge, LBS, Mancheser,McGill, Queens, Rotman, Said, Schulich, SDA Bacconi.2. There are currently six areas of information that are presented in the form of graphs. The new information points can be added depending on your suggestions.3. The data is taken from Business Week website.4. Comaprison can be seen for 4 schools at a time.

Dashboard 2



1.Individual school info is presented.



2.Four categories are there showing the information regarding "total applicants vs enrolled class", "male vs female", "under grad majors" & Post MBa job functions of the most recent MBA classes of each school.



3.No comparison is shown here, instead all the info can be seen against a single school at a time.

1.Individual school info is presented.2.Four categories are there showing the information regarding "total applicants vs enrolled class", "male vs female", "under grad majors" & Post MBa job functions of the most recent MBA classes of each school.3.No comparison is shown here, instead all the info can be seen against a single school at a time.

Business School Rankings



1.Forbes global mba rankings of this decade have been presented in the last sheet.

2.Two options are there, a single school ranking or ranking comparison between two schools can be viewed.

3. I was considering FT's and other rankings as well, but there was no uniformity in their data for the last 10 years.





1.Forbes global mba rankings of this decade have been presented in the last sheet.2.Two options are there, a single school ranking or ranking comparison between two schools can be viewed.3. I was considering FT's and other rankings as well, but there was no uniformity in their data for the last 10 years.

Quote:

I was unable to find the "under graduate majors" of most recent classes of Judge, LBS and Manchester business schools. The "post graduate job functions" of recent graduated class of LBS and Said were also unavailable. If anyone can provide this info, that will be a great help.

I hope you will find this dashboard useful & will share your valuable feedback with us.

Hi team, here we go for the MS Excel based dashboard of Int. business schools. After a great response on US schools dashboard, I was asked and was thinking myself too to work on the same data for non-US schools. Though the required info was a challanging task, as non-US schools dont share as much info as US schools do, I am able to finalize and present the required dashboard after googling various websites and contacting some current students.Attached dashboard file is the first version and based on your suggestions, I will be plugging in some more info in the near future. Summarized info is shown below for your referenceCheck this link for opening the file in xls format (2003 version)._________________
I am an engineer with 2+ years of work experience in the technology industry. I was not sure of applying this year as it was early however I decided to take a crack at it and if I did not succeed I would apply again next year with more experience.Initially I started with a US consultant but after the first few sessions, I was not sure what value I was getting or what to expect. I was talking to a student at Kellogg and she mentioned reaching out to Rajdeep Chimni and Admissions Gateway to get some advice. When I spoke with Rajdeep during our intro call, his approach and expectations were exactly what I were looking for. I appreciated that they made time for me even though I was a client. Rajdeep suggest using the tips and working with my US consultant and also how to get more out of the engagement. However after the call I then did a lot of research and after talking to many students I gave up my $3500 deposit with the US firm and joined AG. Rajdeep encouraged me to write to the counsellor asking for a refund as not much had been done but that did not materialize. This whole episode was a slight setback but I looked to the future and carried on. My advice would be to do counsellor selection very carefully and be sure of your decision.School selection and execution:Since I was an early stage candidate I decided to apply to a mix of top-10 and top-5. Wharton, Kellogg, Ross, Darden and Cornell in round 1. This gave me a shot at my dream school while giving me enough chances to get into a top-10.The resume building process was key as I learnt to look at things from a managers perspective and articulate the big picture. A must do for early stage candidates as you come across as mature for your experience.For the behavioural essays the resume building really helped. I know new my examples and the situations challenges and courses of actions I wanted to depict. Here again I focused on showing what I did rather than telling and tried to give an insight into how I work.For schools research I reached out to students, alumni and the Admissions Gateway network and really dug deep into what I want from the school and what I can contribute.Research is key as it really show on paper that someone has the interest and passion to go to a certain level with their research.I would focus a lot on interviews. I got 4 of them together and they were difficult to handle. Feel free to request a new time that works for you and dont rush in unprepared. Kellogg, Ross, Darden and Cornell. The resume and essays had already made me understand my pitch and examples so now I practiced those and the interviews went fairly well.Round 1 resultsI got admission to:Darden - $65,920Ross - $20,000Cornell - $20,000I was very happy to get top-10 admits with scholarships! At the same time I wanted more (thats the way it works) . So for round 2 we focused on Booth, Stanford and MIT.Round 2 results:I got interviews from Booth, Stanford, and MIT. I felt my creative skills really helped me out for the Booth ppt and all the work on my applications came together for Stanford. I finally got into Booth with a $40,000 scholarship!I find AG to be one of the very few counsellors out there who are good at channelling their energies into doing their job well rather than trying to impress students with fancy branding, promises, and complicated administrative procedures. I needed an admissions counsellor to help take the emotion out of the strategy and process, be critical, give me ideas that I could not have come up with by myself, and to not hesitate to tell me stuff that I wouldnt like to hear but needed to hear. With AG, I got exactly what I signed up for.I can say that, I did nearly as much research in choosing a consultant as I did in choosing a B-School, and I havent seen any other firm even close to AG in their network of students, and their expertise in handling the entire cycle of admissions. Whether I went to Rajdeep for advise on navigating waitlist, interviewing, or scholarship discussion, he always had a very structured holistic approach up his sleeve  usually the best that helps us stand out of the pool of applications. And that completely changed my application and how I presented myself to the adcom. I believe that working with AG was one of the crucial components that helped my stand out of the application pool. In the nearly one year time span that I worked with AG, I noticed that their commitment to helping me get the best possible school was un-paralleled. This meant working irrespective of weekends and late nights, helping on schools that are out of scope, personally ensuring that I am fully prepared the day before interview, connecting me with their students and alums network, and much more! Almost for every school deadline, Rajdeep was awake late until night to make sure that we submit best versions of our apps. I couldnt have asked for more from an admissions counsellor, and above all that, our association genuinely improved my thought process, writing, networking, interviewing, and decision making abilities  skills which I feel already place ahead of the crowd as I confidently step into the B-school of my dreams with scholarship!
Three people were arrested in connection with a stabbing at the Lancaster County Super Fair on Saturday night, but police Monday were asking for the public's help in the search for the culprit.

Off-duty police officers working at the fair saw a fight break out in the carnival area just after 9 p.m. and found a 24-year-old man with multiple stab wounds to the torso, police said.

That man was taken to Bryan West Campus, underwent surgery and is expected to recover, police said.

Investigators believe the fight stemmed from a feud between rival gangs that were at the fair, Officer Angela Sands said.

Three people were arrested immediately after the fight broke out, Sands said Monday.

One of them, Jessy Gomez, 25 of Wichita, Kansas, was arrested on suspicion of being an accessory to a felony and disturbing the peace, Sands said.

Officers found a bloody knife in Gomez's pocket, she said, but don't know if he stabbed the victim.

The other two people were detained on suspicion of disturbing the peace, failing to comply and resisting arrest.

As of Monday, police were still trying to identify a suspect, she said.

Lincoln police are asking for any fairgoers with cellphone video of the fight or stabbing to call 402-441-6000 and speak with investigators.

Witnesses can also make an anonymous report through Lincoln Crimestoppers at 402-475-3600.

"Any video before or after (the stabbing) can help," the agency said in a social media post.

Amy Dickerson, managing director of the Lancaster Event Center, said she was pleased with the response from off-duty officers at the scene.

Dozens of off-duty police and state patrol officers oversee the fairgrounds, including the carnival and beer garden, Dickerson said. The fair is staffed more heavily during times of high foot traffic.

The fair usually sees about 140,000 visitors during its 10-day run.

Saturdays stabbing was the second response to a fight at the fair this year, according to Lincoln police. Thursday, police ticketed two teenage girls for disturbing the peace after they pulled each others hair.

Dickerson said Monday she wanted to assure families and parents the fair is a safe place.

Im a mother myself, she said. And I have no qualms about my daughter visiting the fair. I want all parents to know that there couldnt be better security out here and theyre here to make sure everyone has a good time.
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
Two men were arrested after one of them fired at Polk County Sheriff's deputies and struck a patrol car during a pursuit Saturday evening, according to a Nebraska State Patrol release.

Douglas Burke, 38, of Merrick County was driving a stolen car with plates that did not match when a sheriff's deputy tried to pull him over in Polk County.

Burke sped off and passenger Derek Hobbs, 25, of Omaha, fired several shots at deputies in pursuit, striking a patrol car.

The men's car crashed into a ditch near 129th and B roads in Polk County, where Burke surrendered to authorities, while Hobbs fled.

State patrol SWAT and deputies from Polk, Merrick, Butler and Hamilton county sheriffs' offices, along with multiple local police departments, searched for Hobbs overnight.

He was found with a loaded gun in a cornfield early Sunday morning where he was arrested, the release said.

Hobbs had active felony warrants in Omaha for terroristic threats, theft, and use of a firearm to commit a felony.

Burke and Hobbs were taken to the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center in Lincoln. Charges have not been determined.

State patrol and Polk County Sheriff's Office are still investigating the incident.
According to the BBC, Jeremy Clarkson will have to take a break from work for quite some time after contracting pneumonia, as he said in a statement.

The Grand Tour presenter was admitted to hospital on Friday after falling ill while on a family holiday in Majorca.

The 57-year-old posted a message on social media saying: To keep you up to date, Ill be out of action for quite some time apparently.

He said it was really annoying as he had never had a day off work.

Clarkson also thanked fans for all the good wishes.

On Sunday, it was confirmed the former Top Gear host was being treated in a hospital on the Spanish island.

Clarkson shared a photograph of tubes in his arm and his hospital identity tags around his wrist, writing: Not the sort of bangles I usually choose on holiday.

Not the sort of bangles I usually choose on holiday   Jeremy Clarkson (@jeremyclarkson1)  5 2017  6:20 PDT

He had been due to return to filming his new Amazon Prime series next week. Clarkson is the second Grand Tour host to be admitted to hospital this year.

In June, Hammond, 47, was flown to hospital in Switzerland after crashing an electric super car in Switzerland.

Clarkson also posted a photo of third co-presenter, James May, was wrote that he is the only functioning member of the Grand Tour team.
VOA Learning English presents Americas Presidents.

Today we are talking about Benjamin Harrison.

His family name may sound familiar. That is because he was the grandson of President William Henry Harrison. That situation is unique in U.S. history so far.

Harrison played an unusually active role as president at a time when most chief executives saw themselves as simply administrators. As a result, American writer and intellectual Henry Adams said Harrison was the best president since Lincoln.

But most Americans remember little about him, except his connection to the previous President Harrison, who himself died after only a month in office.

Early life

Benjamin Harrison grew up on a farm in the Midwestern state of Ohio as one of eight children.

His grandfather was not the only famous political Harrison.

His great-grandfather signed the Declaration of Independence. And his father had been a congressman.

Young Benjamin Harrison respected these men and believed he had a role to play in history, too. He received a good education, and even outside of school he read many books.

His hard work and intelligence carried him to Miami University in Ohio, and then to a career as a lawyer.

Along the way, he married a woman he had known since he was a teenager, Caroline Lavinia Scott. The couple settled in another Midwestern city, Indianapolis, Indiana, and had a son and daughter.

Over time, Harrison steadily built a career as a public official. But his political path was interrupted by the American Civil War.

Harrison rose to the rank of general in the Union Army. He fought under General William T. Sherman, and was one of the first soldiers to enter Atlanta, Georgia after the city surrendered.

After the war, he returned home to Indiana and continued his legal and political career. In 1881, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. But six years later he lost his seat when Democrats came to power in his state.Reports say that Harrison was an excellent soldier. But he did not enjoy fighting or find war romantic.

Harrisons loss of his Senate seat soon turned to a victory. The Republican Party nominated him as their candidate to run against Grover Cleveland in the 1888 presidential election.

Clevelands economic policies had become unpopular, and Republicans worked hard to support their candidate. They succeeded. Although Cleveland won the popular vote, Harrison won the Electoral College.

In 1889, he followed his grandfathers footsteps all the way to the White House.

Presidency

Harrisons election was a major victory for his Republican Party. In addition to winning the White House, Republicans gained seats in the House of Representatives, held a majority in the Senate, and appointed several Republican justices to the Supreme Court.

Harrison and other Republican lawmakers used their power to take action on issues at home and internationally.

One act was to preserve forests. Harrison identified 17 protected natural areas, and helped create Yosemite National Park in California.

His government also established Ellis Island in New York to make immigration to the U.S. a more orderly process.



Internationally, Harrisons administration sought to build ties with Latin American countries. His government established what would, in time, become the Organization of American States.

His administration also increased the United States global trade  as well as the countrys navy.

But, for the most part, the most pressing issues of the day were economic. The federal government at that time had an unusually large surplus. Some argued that the surplus was hurting business. In answer, Harrisons government placed a high protective tariff on imported goods. The legislation was known as the McKinley Tariff of 1890.

Officials also aimed to limit the power of large corporations to control important markets in the U.S.

Finally, they agreed to require the government to buy silver to use as currency.

These actions pleased some of his supporters. But, they may have contributed to the severe economic depression that followed Harrisons term.

And in general, voters disapproved of the amount of money Republican lawmakers were spending. Although the country was at peace, the 51st Congress appropriated $1 billion. At the midterm elections, many lawmakers paid for all the spending with their seats.

Two years later, voters turned Harrison out of the White House, too. They returned Grover Cleveland to the presidency.

Harrison did not express much disappointment. He had worked hard to become president like his grandfather. But he found he did not like being the chief executive. He said when he left the White House, it was like being released from prison.

Legacy

Among U.S. presidents, Harrison does not have one of the most dramatic biographies. The facts of his life show an intelligent, disciplined man who tried to live by his beliefs.

But he was not considered passionate about many things, except perhaps his enjoyment of nature. And he did not have an easy way with people. Even his staff called him the human iceberg because he could be aloof and act coldly toward people.

Yet Harrisons family brought some warmth to his administration. His wife, Caroline, was known to be a lively, social person. She was the first to install a Christmas tree in the White House.

Some of Harrisons grandchildren also lived in the White House. Harrison permitted them to play on the grounds with their pet animals. During Harrisons term, the family kept a goat, which the children called Old Whiskers.

Harrisons time in the White House saw sorrow, too. Toward the end of her husbands term, the first lady became seriously ill with tuberculosis. For months, Benjamin Harrison divided his attention between his wife and his job, and yet in the end lost both.

After his term as president ended, Benjamin Harrison returned to his home in Indianapolis. He did some work as a teacher and lawyer, and kept a good public image in his community.

He also re-married. His second wife was a widow herself, as well as his first wifes niece.

He and Mary Scott Lord Dimmick Harrison had a daughter together. The child was only four when Harrison died from pneumonia at age 67.

Im Kelly Jean Kelly.

Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Listening Quiz

Check your understanding by taking a listening quiz. Play each video, then choose the best answer.

Quiz - America's Presidents: Benjamin Harrison Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

role - n. a part that someone or something has in a particular activity or situation

interrupt - v. to cause (something) to stop happening for a time

romantic - adj. not realistic or practical : not based on what is real

appropriate - v. to get or save (money) for a specific use or purpose

passionate - adj. having, showing, or expressing strong emotions or beliefs

aloof - adj. not involved with or friendly toward other people
The United States, Japan and Australia have expressed "serious concerns" over disputes related to the South China Sea.

The three countries are calling for a halt to land development and military actions in the area that could increase tensions or cause permanent environmental damage.

The countries released a joint statement Monday after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held talks with the foreign ministers of Australia and Japan. The talks took place in the Philippines, during a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The three countries called on China and the Philippines to honor an arbitration ruling made last year. The International Court of Arbitration in The Hague denied much of China's territorial claim to the South China Sea.

The waterway is also claimed, in part, by Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

The statement also appealed to ASEAN members and China. It noted that they have talked about developing rules of behavior for countries with claims to the South China Sea. The statement urged them to make sure such a code of conduct be "legally binding, meaningful, effective, and consistent with international law."

The code of conduct would be aimed at avoiding accidents as the claimant countries fish, explore for oil and gas or develop some of the estimated 500 islands.

Chinas government has resisted calls to make the agreement legally binding.

In a statement on Sunday, ASEAN ministers said they "warmly welcome improving cooperation" with China. The ministers also said they are ready to begin substantive negotiations on the code of conduct, but made no mention of making it a requirement for the claimant countries.

The ASEAN ministers also noted concerns expressed by some members about land reclamations and noted "the importance of non-militarization."

Im Jonathan Evans.

Chris Hannas wrote this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted his report for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

arbitration  adj. officially confirmed as real or true

binding  adj. forcing or requiring someone to do something

consistent  adj. always behaving in the same way; always the sam

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.
Han Hyun-Min is a 16-year-old South Korean model. He has lived in Seoul all his life and only speaks Korean.

But, people in South Korea often think he is from somewhere else.

Hans mother is Korean and his father is Nigerian.

He is the first black-Korean model to take part in South Koreas fashion shows.

Agence France-Press news agency spoke with Han and his agent, Youn Bum, last month. An agent is someone who helps models get jobs by contacting fashion designers and magazines.

Youn signed Han as a model after seeing Hans Instagram photos and his electrifying walk, AFP reported. However, he knew that signing Han was a risky move because of his darker skin.

A dark-skinned fashion model like Han was unheard of in South Korea, Youn told AFP.

At first, many Korean fashion designers and magazines dismissed Han and Youn because of Hans dark skin. But a few designers liked his looks.

Since he started modelling, Han has been in more than 30 fashion shows during two Seoul Fashion Weeks. That is a high number for a beginner.

Despite Hans success, people still question whether he is Korean. That is something that many Koreans with dark skin experience.

Mixed families

Lily Lee is from South Korea. She has two daughters named Yuri and Dasomi. Her children are biracial. Lees husband, James, is from Kenya.

Lee publishes videos on YouTube about her biracial family.

Lee said James was the first black person that she and her parents ever met. She said her mother did not want her to marry James.

She was always like just date, but dont think about getting married, Lee said of her mother.

Lee said her parents worried that if she had children with James, the children would have a difficult life.

She said, The reason that they were being against (our relationship) was (because) our children will be discriminated (against). Definitely. Because the skin color and also (James is) from Africa.

In Korea, people often stared at Lees daughters. She said it is hard since I look different from them.

One of Lees daughters once told her that she wished she had a yellow face like her mother.

I dont think she hates her skin, Lee said. Its just she wanted to be like me.

In 2012, Lee and her family moved to the United States for her husbands education.

What is Korean-ness?

Foreigners make up less than 4 percent of South Koreas population.

Africans and African-Americans are a small percentage of South Koreas foreign-born population.

Khiana Robinson lives in South Korea with her family. She and her husband have taught English in Daejeon for seven years. They are African-American.

Robinson said that her family has experienced racism in South Korea. But she said it is usually because of ignorance  or a lack of knowledge and experience. She said the only time most Koreans have ever seen a black person is on television. Because of that, she says, many Koreans view Africans as poor and African-Americans as violent.

Robinson said that in Korea, people are considered either Korean or foreign.

Lee said that having Korean blood is very important in South Korea. Someone who is not Korean by blood is seen as the other, she explained.

Were proud of being just one tribe, one blood, Lee said. If you see someone else looking different then he cant be Korean. He cant be Korean. Theyre just not Korean basically.

South Korean foreign workers

South Korea is a very modern country with a strong economy.

According to the Financial Times, it also has a highly educated population. This has led to a shortage of unskilled workers in the country. In order to fill factory jobs, South Korea gives visas to workers from Asian and African countries.

Lee said foreigners in South Korea with darker skin often work in factories, while foreigners with lighter skin often work as English teachers. She said many Korean people make judgments about people based on their skin tones.

Robinson said people with darker skin in South Korea experience discrimination. She said some companies only want to hire people who are lighter-skinned. That gives people with darker skin fewer chances to get a good job.

Youn Bum, Han Hyun-Mins agent, told AFP that many designers and magazines would tell him, We dont do dark-skinned models, or, For us, non-Korean models means white models with blue eyes and blond hair.

Both Lee and Robinson have traveled to many other countries. They both said that South Korea is not the only country where people view darker skin negatively.

Looks and beauty

Lee is not raising her daughters in South Korea. However, when her family visits South Korea, she said people often bring attention to her daughters appearances. They mostly react positively.

However, she said, They dont think that they can be KoreanLike there has to be something else, you know. Not Korean.

Lee said she hopes people can change their thoughts about what it means to be Korean. And she hopes that the idea of Korean-ness can include biracial Koreans, too.

Lee said Han Hyun Min, as South Koreas first biracial model, is leading the way.

I feel like he (identifies) himself more culturally and everything like being Korean, she said.

And she hopes that Hans Korean identity will cause people to actually accept more and more biracial people, she said.

I'm Ashley Thompson.

And I'm Olivia Liu.

Olivia Liu wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

fashion - n. a popular way of dressing during a particular time or among a particular group of people

electrifying - adj. causing great excitement

biracial  adj. a person whose parents are of different races, ethnicities or nationalities

date  n. a meeting between two people which may result in a romantic relationship

stared  v. to look at someone or something for a long time

hire - v. to give work or a job to (someone) in exchange for wages or a salary

tones  n. a shade of color
Download Lesson 42

Speaking

Pronunciation

Conversation

Guy: We are talking with this woman.

Guy: She saw the crime during her lunch break. It looks like she hurt herself while she was trying to stop the crime.

Guy: Tell us your name.

Anna: Hi, Guy. I'm Anna.

Guy: Anna, what did you see and what happened to your arm?

Anna: Guy, I was minding my own business. See, I work over there.

Guy: Um-hum

Anna: I left work to get some lunch. Then suddenly, I heard a woman yelling. She was yelling like this ... Help! Help!

Guy: Um-hum

Anna: Two robbers were grabbing her bag like this. She was hitting them with her umbrella.

Guy: Is that when you hurt your arm?

Anna: No. At that time, I was not fighting the robbers.

Guy: Um-hum.

Anna: See. I was too far away and I didn't have my own umbrella.

Guy: So, what happened next?

Anna: They grabbed her bag and ran away! So, I grabbed her umbrella and ran after the robbers.

Guy: Then that is the time that you hurt your arm?

Anna: No. I was yelling, Stop, robbers! Stop! She was yelling, Hey, come back with my umbrella!

Guy: Were you afraid?

Anna: I had no time to be afraid, Guy. Well, I had time while I was resting on a bench. I had a lot of time.

Guy: Then what happened?

Anna: The robbers got on a bus. So, I ran after the bus.

A VO: While I was running, I tripped and fell.

Guy: And that is the time that you hurt your arm?

Anna: No. While I was lying on the ground, someone stepped on my arm!

Guy: Ouch. Thats too bad.

Anna: Yeah. And they didnt apologize. Well, then the robbers got themselves kicked off the bus.

Guy: Why?

Anna: They didnt pay. You've got to pay when you get on a bus. The police came and took them away.

Guy: And thats when you hurt your arm!

Anna: No.

Guy: Then, when did you hurt yourself?

Anna: Well, Guy, by this time, I was feeling very hungry. So, I went to my office to get a snack.

C: Anna, I'm calling for help right now.

C: (on the phone) Hello? Yes, please come right away. My co-worker is stuck in a vending machine.

Guy: You hurt your arm in a vending machine buying a bag of chips?

Anna: I was really hungry and the bag was stuck. I had to -

Guy: Thats all from News Channel XYZ. This is Guy Newsman saying goodbye.

Guy: Okay, we have to find ourselves another story, guys.

Anna: Until next time! Hi Mom!
Inside the daily packages received by the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center is a Styrofoam tray neatly dividing a portion of cow liver, a tiny cross-section of spleen and a big chunk of lung tissue, along with a brief description explaining the how.

Owner found cow dead after 2 p.m. this afternoon, read the pathologists report. Was fine four hours previous. No sign of struggle at time of death. Two incisors of four found loose. Chest multifocal. Dark firm masses present in lungs, pus draining from heart.

But what the pathologists, microbiologists and lab technicians at the vet diagnostic center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are searching for is the why.

The new, $45 million center will play a key role in speeding up that rate of discovery for meat animal producers around the state and across the country, according to university scientists.

Largely funded through state tax dollars, with 10 percent secured in private funding, the new diagnostic center replaces a 1975 building rendered obsolete by increased demand from producers, accreditation agencies and new regulations imposed by the federal government.

As things progressed and the diagnostic lab became more widely used and responsibilities increased, we kind of grew out of that space, said Bruce Brodersen, a pathologist and case coordinator at the lab.

UNL shut down its Panhandle Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Scottsbluff and its West Center Veterinary Science Laboratory in North Platte in 2002 during the last major budget crunch faced by the university, leaving the Lincoln facility the last of its kind in the state.

There were a lot of ticked-off cowboys in the state, said Pete MyClymont, the executive vice president of the Nebraska Cattlemen, who make up more than half of the caseload taken on by the diagnostic center at any given time.

In 2012, then-Sen. Tom Hansen asked the Legislature to fund a new state-of-the-art diagnostic center, that along with three other projects became the Building a Healthier Nebraska initiative.

The diagnostic center is the third leg of the initiative to open after the Health Science Education Center at the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2015 and the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha earlier this year.

The last piece of the initiative, a College of Nursing project under construction at UNL, is set to open next year.

McClymont said the new veterinary diagnostic center will play a key role in supporting the states largest economic sector. When the Nebraska Cattlemen learned of the project and its need for funding, he said support was nearly unanimous.

I have never seen our membership give to a brick-and-mortar project like this, he said. We usually give to scholarships or other things, but our state organization and 42 local affiliates stepped up and did amazing things.

The centers staff of 30 began moving into the new facility last week, Brodersen said, and work processing new cases has already begun.

Future veterinarians at UNL's East Campus will also call the new center home beginning this fall as they study microbiology, pathology and parasitology in their second year before transferring to Iowa State University as part of a joint program.

Just inside the main entrance is the Dennis and Glenda Boesiger Family Learning Center, a state-of-the-art classroom space with projection screens and adjustable furniture named for the Lincoln business owners, while a teaching lab has stations for up to 32 students.

Down a hallway from the classroom are offices for faculty and veterinary residents the center hopes to hire in the future to provide expertise on specific issues, Brodersen said.

But its the second-floor labs where the bulk of the veterinary diagnostic centers mission takes place.

Two receiving areas are responsible for documenting the 50-80 samples the center creates new case numbers for each day, or for managing postmortem examinations on animals that have succumbed to disease.

Vets across the country mail a variety of samples to the center each day, such as organ tissue from diseased cattle or hogs and tumor biopsies from companion animals such as cats and dogs.

Not far away is a two-story necropsy lab complete with freezers and smaller examination rooms capable of receiving whole animals of varying sizes  even something as tall as a giraffe, if necessary  from a vehicle loading dock for postmortem study.

Once the center is fully operational, Brodersen said, staff will use bar codes on each sample to track the samples progress throughout the bacteriology and virology labs using displays resembling an arrival and departure schedule at an airport.

When the sample is received into the Veterinary Diagnostic Centers system, technicians can quickly prepare it for study under a microscope using a series of specialized instruments in the histology lab before the sample goes to the joint virology and bacteriology labs.

Brodersen said the two labs were once separate, but with new high-tech equipment needed by both, they now share wide space filled with work benches and lab hoods.

Other labs used by the diagnostics staff include a biosafety level 3 lab to isolate animals with potentially lethal diseases, and a molecular diagnostics lab used to extract and amplify genetic material for study.

As part of the $45 million price tag, the new facility is outfitted with new equipment that will expand the diagnostic centers potential, Brodersen said.

Some of the pieces of equipment will provide more rapid turnaround time for results, Brodersen said. What used to take two or three days to get a result will take a day instead, so those veterinarians whose livestock are sick can implement treatment protocols more quickly.

The quick turnaround could make all the difference to producers, McClymont said.

A diagnosis and treatment that keeps your herd alive and healthy is the difference between a profitable year and possibly even just staying in the business, he said.
Everyone, including members of Congress and Native American tribes, wants fewer wild horses on Western lands and tribal reservations. But there is little agreement on how the number should be reduced.

The wild horses come from horses that were brought to America from Spain in the 16th century.

By 1971, the number of wild horses had dropped sharply. So Congress passed a law to save them. Since then, the number of wild horses has increased three times in size. Experts predict there will be 115,000 wild horses by 2020.

An average adult wild horse eats more than two-and-a-half kilograms of grass and drinks 75 liters of water a day.

As a result, non-native plants begin growing in the affected areas. The horses actions have also caused soil erosion around water sources, threatening water quality.

Gillian Lyons is a wildlife expert at The Humane Society of the United States.

She said, Originally, when the 1971 act passed, it allowed the [Bureau of Land Management] to destroy healthy horsesif populations grew too large.

Since 1994, except for one year, the BLM has been prevented from destroying wild horses. The agency now captures and places them in holding facilities. A few horses are adopted, but not many. It costs about $50 million a year to care for the captured animals.

President Donald Trump wants to cut the BLM budget by $10 million in 2018. If Congress approves the plan, the BLM would have to find other ways to manage horse populations.

Theyre going to do that in a couple of ways, said Lyons. One is by reducing any use of fertility control, which they use barely any of now. And the other way is by getting rid of horses in holding facilities.

Recently, a House committee voted to permit the BLM to kill the horses. But a Senate committee voted against another bill that would lift the ban on horse killing.

Native American tribes have struggled with the problem for years. Some support capturing the animals. But others, including leaders of the tribes, say the animals should be treated well and not killed.

The Northwest Tribal Horse Coalition is made up of five small groups and tribes in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. It says in the short term controlling the number of wild horse births will not stop overgrazing. It supports the slaughter of horses at humane facilities.

An estimated 48,000 wild horses live on the Navajo Nations 7,000 square kilometers in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.

Duane Chili Yazzie is the president of the Nation in Shiprock.

Yazzie has started a horse capture program he considers more humane. The program would euthanize sick and old wild horses and sterilize healthy ones before returning them to the wild. He is also looking to train them as farm animals.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Correspondent Cecily Hilleary reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

reservation  n. an area of land in the U.S. that is kept separate as a place for Native Americans to live

erosion  n. the gradual destruction of something by natural forces (such as water, wind, or ice); the process by which something is eroded or worn away

overgraze  v. to eat too much of the grass or other plants that are growing in a field, pasture, etc.

humane  adj. kind or gentle to people or animals

euthanize  v. to kill an animal that is very sick or injured in order to prevent any more suffering

sterilize  v. to make (someone or something) unable to produce children, young animals, etc.
A mining company has announced plans to sell a collection of what it says are the most valuable diamonds ever cut in Russia.

The largest in the collection is a 51.38-carat round cut diamond. It was produced by Russias Alrosa company as part of a special collection called Dynasty.

The state-run Alrosa said the five-piece collection was named after the Romanov dynasty, which ruled Russia for 300 years. It is also meant to honor Russian ruler Peter the Great, who built the city of St. Petersburg. The company said Peter the Great started the countrys first diamond factory early in the 18th century.

Alrosa calls the biggest piece the purest of all large diamonds manufactured throughout Russian jewelry history. The 51.38-carat diamond is 2.5 centimeters in diameter.

The Dynasty collection was created from one 179-carat rough diamond discovered in 2015 in Russias far eastern republic of Sakha. It took a team more than a year and a half to complete the five polished diamonds.

The project marked progress for Alrosa. The company is known for discovering rough diamonds, but not cutting and polishing them. It said the process combined modern technologies with the secrets of jewelers of the Russian Imperial Court.

Russia is considered the largest diamond producer in the world. Alrosa and British-based diamond company De Beers produce about half of the world's rough diamonds.

Alrosas president said at a launch event in Moscow that the collection is expected to go on sale as a set in an online auction in November.

The company expects to get at least $10 million for the diamonds, which are currently being shown in Moscow.

The collection will also travel to Israel, Hong Kong and the United States to give possible buyers the chance to get a close look.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn adapted this story for Learning English based on reports from Reuters and other sources. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

carat  n. unit for measuring the weight of jewels and the purity level of gold

diamond  n. extremely hard, clear stone that is very valuable and often used in jewelry

dynasty  n. a series of rulers from the same family

polish  v. rub something to make it smooth and shiny

auction  n. public sale at which things are sold to people who offer the most money
In 1996, the United States Congress passed the Communications Decency Act (CDA) to protect minors from pornography over the internet. The law also protects website owners from being held responsible for users opinions or comments on their pages.

In 2016, two women brought a lawsuit against the website backpage.com. They said that as teenagers they were bought and sold for sex on backpage.com.

In the lawsuit, one of the women said her pimp chose to run ads on backpage because he said they could avoid getting caught.

He also told her backpage.com would make him the most money, the lawsuit said.

The federal court in Massachusetts said that the website backpage.com had made sex trafficking easier. But the court also said the Communications Decency Act prevented the court from taking the sex ads down from the website.

U.S. Congress to act

Now, 25 senators and over 100 members of the House of Representatives are proposing to change that law.

Senator Rob Portman is a Republican from Ohio and the lead sponsor of the bill. He said it was never the intention of the CDA to allow websites to run advertisements for sex with underage children.

Imagine, if you will, that your daughter is missing. You do everything you can do to find her. Finally, you see her picture on the internet, and she is being sold for sex. That may sound like a horror movie to you, but it is very real, Portman said.

Portman said the court in Massachusetts found Backpage had acted immorally. But the court decided it could not stop the website from running sex ads unless Congress changed the 1996 law.

That is who we are, Portman said. We are the legislators. The court of appeals said: Congress, do your job.

Senator Heidi Heitkamp is a Democrat from North Dakota and a co-sponsor of Portmans bill. She said she finds it disgusting that a law passed by Congress is being used to protect human trafficking.

Portman and other sponsors of the bill are hoping a recent movie, I Am Jane Doe, will bring more information about the issue of human trafficking to the public.

It tells the stories of young women victimized by human trafficking and their efforts, along with their parents, to stop websites from advertising sex with underage children.

Backpage did not comment on the new Senate bill.

But in a court document last month, backpage asked another federal court to stop an investigation of its advertising by Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley.

It said Hawley should know courts have blocked every effort to shutdown websites. The companys lawyers also said the company works with law enforcement when requested to help investigations into sex trafficking. If it is stopped from running such ads, others would step in and not act as responsibly as backpage, the company said.

Hawley said his investigation would continue. He said it is clear backpage knows traffickers are using its website to sell sex with underage children. And backpage wants to keep making money from sex trafficking, Hawley said.

A 2017 U.S. Senate report said backpage reportedly receives 80 percent of its money from sex advertising in the United States.

Industry group has problems with bill

Michael Beckerman is president of the Internet Association. The association represents large internet companies, such as Google, Facebook, Amazon and Twitter.

Beckerman said association members regularly work with law enforcement to stop sex trafficking. But he said the new Senate bill goes too far.

It will lead to unfair actions against internet companies and will not help the fight to stop human trafficking, Beckerman said.

Portman said such criticism is false.

The new bill would only take away protection from material on websites that assist or support people violating federal sex trafficking laws, Portman said.

He said the bill protects internet freedom. What it will do, Portman said, is help children victimized by sex trafficking.

A report last month by the State Department said holding human traffickers responsible for their actions is difficult. It said that there were fewer than 10,000 convictions for trafficking worldwide in 2016.

But it noted estimates of the number of victims of human trafficking remain in the tens of millions.

I'm Jill Robbins. And I'm Bruce Alpert.

Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. Do you know any victims of human trafficking? What help do you believe governments and people can do to help them?

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Words in This Story

pornography - n. movies, pictures, magazines, etc., that show or describe naked people or sex in a very open and direct way in order to cause sexual excitement

pimp - n. a person who makes money illegally by getting customers for prostitutes

sex trafficking - n. is modern-day slavery and involves the use of force or fraud to get people to work in the sex trade

sponsor - n. a person who is the lead backer of a bill in a legislature

advertisement - n. something such as a short film or a written notice that is presented to help sell a product or service

disgusting - adj. to find something very upsetting

conviction - n. finding someone guilty of a crime


The American Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says North Korea could signal that it is ready for talks by halting its missile tests.

On Monday, Tillerson said, Weve not had an extended period of time where they have not taken some type of provocative action by launching ballistic missiles.

The top U.S. diplomat went on to say that the strongest signal North Korea could send would be to just stop these missile launches.

Tillerson spoke in Manilla, the Philippines, where he was taking part in a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

His comments follow a United Nations Security Council vote on Saturday. All members of the council, including China and Russia, voted to place additional sanctions on North Korea for its missile tests on July 4 and 28.

China, a North Korean ally, urged the country to halt its missile and nuclear tests saying the North should not provoke international societys goodwill.

The vote, Tillerson said, showed that the international community finds North Koreas actions unacceptable. He said he hoped that North Korea would choose a different pathway that would enable talks in the future.

When the conditions are right then we can sit and have a dialogue around the future of North Korea so that they feel secure and prosper economically, he said.

In a statement late Sunday, the White House said President Donald Trump spoke to South Koreas president Moon Jae-in by telephone. The statement said the two leaders agreed that they would fully carry out the sanctions. They urged the international community to do so as well. They also agreed that North Korea poses a grave threat to their countries and Japan.

North Korea voices anger over new UN restrictions

On Monday, the North Korean government denounced the new UN restrictions. North Korean state operated media said the North threatened to take revenge on the U.S. Through its media, North Korea also restated its position that sanctions will not force it to negotiate over its nuclear program. The country also threatened to take an action of justice although it did not say what that would be.

The sanctions approved by the U.N. Security Council aim to cut about $1 billion from North Koreas $3 billion in yearly export income.

The UN Security Council resolution bars North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. It also bans nations from increasing the number of North Korean workers that they permit in their respective countries. The resolution says the move is to punish North Korea for using its economic gains to develop its weapons programs.

The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Nikki Haley, said the resolution was the single largest economic sanctions package ever leveled against North Korea. And the top U.S. diplomat for Asia, Susan Thornton noted the importance of China continuing to carry out the sanctions.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke to North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho at the ASEAN meeting in Manila.

Chinese foreign minister Wang said that he advised North Korea to seek a double suspension plan to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula. Such a plan calls for North Korea to stop its nuclear and missile tests in exchange for a suspension of joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea.

However, Thornton said the U.S. is not considering ending its training exercises with South Korea.

Im Mario Ritter.

Chris Hannas and Ken Bredemeier reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English with additional material from AP. Hai Do was the editor.

____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

Provocative adj. causing thought, argument or dispute

Unanimously adv. agreed to by everyone

Sanctions n. actions meant to force a country or group to obey international laws usually by limiting trade

Dialogue n. talks or discussions between groups

Prosper v. to be successful

Level v. to direct at or against a person or group

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Dr. Ravindra Kolhe, breast and molecular pathologist and director of the Georgia Esoteric & Molecular Labs LLC in the Department of Pathology at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University Credit: Phil Jones

IBM's Watson beat real-life contestants on Jeopardy. Now researchers are hoping this icon of artificial intelligence will help people with cancer win as well by providing a rapid, comprehensive report of the genetic mutations at the root of their specific disease and the therapies that target them.

"We have to change our whole behavior in looking at tumors. We are missing too much and too often treatment does not work for patients," says Dr. Ravindra Kolhe, breast and molecular pathologist and director of the Georgia Esoteric & Molecular Labs LLC in the Department of Pathology at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.

"With Watson, all oncogenes become targets," says Kolhe, who is giving an update on Watson Genomic Analysis during the international Cancer Genomics Consortium Aug. 7-9 in Denver.

As an example, today a pathologist would analyze a melanoma biopsy for a single variation of the BRAF gene, which is present in about 50 percent of melanomas. There are drugs that directly target that mutated gene but if they don't find BRAF, the patient will receive a more broad-spectrum chemotherapy regimen.

Watson, on the other hand, has the ability to rapidly identify multiple variations in BRAF along with variations in nearly a dozen other genes known to contribute to the skin cancer as well as the therapies to target them, Kolhe says.

"The majority of the time, we just tell patients they have a cancer," Kolhe says. "Watson can help us provide more comprehensive, personalized care to patients."

He first worked with Illumina, a California-based biotech company that makes and markets systems to analyze genetic variations and biological functions, to validate the TruSight Tumor 170 Panel that gives Watson a broader cancer genomics perspective.

The panel provides Watson information on amino acid mutationsamino acids are a major component and factor in the function of the proteins our genes make and so their normal and cancer-promoting functions. It also provides known gene fusions or mutations, like those with BRAF, which can transform previously inactive genes into oncogenes on eight common cancers, like lung, colon, breast, prostate as well as melanoma. Many of these genes are a player in multiple cancer types, including those not currently on list.

Kolhe sequences DNA and RNA from a patient's tumor, feeds the information to Watson, a question-answering computer system that, unlike traditional search engines, can gather evidence and analyze data but also generate knowledge.

"In about 20 minutes, Watson looks at what is abnormal in the sample, then takes the abnormalities and looks all around the world to see what are the drugs already used against them, what studies are underway against them, even other drugs out there that might be useful," Kolhe says.

He likens the broadened perspective to the difference between looking down through a traditional microscope and up through a Hubble space telescope.

"At this moment we are looking at one thing at a time: a single amino acid and single gene fusion. Each gene has hundreds of amino acids and we're looking at 170 genes so there is a tremendous multiplier effect," he says.

Decisions about treatment clearly are still in the hands of physicians and patients, where they belong, Kolhe says, but Watson can make unprecedented information immediately available to make decisions about what treatment is best for an individual patient.

As an example, as one of many test runs, Watson provided Kolhe a 30-page assessment of a patient with a rare soft tissue sarcoma, that included mutations on seven genes, where the mutations are, what they are known to do and options for targeting them.

There also was a list of gene alterations that have no known therapies as well as gene mutations that were present, but their contribution to disease aren't currently known. It is those unknowns Watson comes across that might help researchers like Kolhe also identify new genetic contributors to a variety of cancers and make Watson a valuable scientific tool as well.

This type of comprehensive report might take 10 people 10 days to generate, if ever, Kolhe says.

In these early stages, Kolhe's lab team and the IBM team are actually doing the labor-intensive work of manually combing databases like clinicaltrials.gov/ and ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ to double check Watson's findings. "He is doing great," Kolhe says. "We feed him good information and let him go on that."

He hopes to start testing on current patients in September and the Illumina panels should be available to other pathologists about the same time.

"That is one of the frustrating parts about pathology. You can tell by looking that you have a cancer but we don't know the oncogenesis or the way this malignancy happens," he says, particularly when the current standard is one gene at a time.

"This is not getting to the cause, because something caused the mutations, but to the source - and hopefully the best treatment - of the tumor cells."

Kolhe and Illumina have already developed a more extensive 500-gene panel that will take Watson many months to learn. Neither Kolhe nor the university will be compensated for the collaborations unless patentable discoveries, like new cancer causing genes, are made.
An economic experiment to inform policymakers considering Medicaid expansion shows small cash incentives to low-income people with new health care coverage can promote primary care visits that may significantly reduce costs overall. The study, by Cathy Bradley, professor of health systems management and policy at the Colorado School of Public Health at CU Anschutz, published today in the August issue of Health Affairs.

"This shows a potential for cost savings for a very small amount of money," Bradley said. "Access to primary care does not necessarily mean a visit will occur. Establishing a primary care relationship with an initial visit helps prevent chronic conditions, avoids hospitalizations and use of emergency departments and provides better care to the patient."

Some employers use cash incentives to encourage healthy behaviors among workers and the Affordable Care Act expanded the use of such incentives to public insurance programs.

"At the time this experiment began, Medicaid expansions were happening across the US," Bradley said.

Previous studies reported that low-income patients could be especially responsive to financial incentives like cost-sharing responsibility for emergency department use.

"An emergency room visit would treat the patient's immediate acute need and discharge them," Bradley said. "A primary care doctor will do all the things that improve their well-being and prevent a medical crisis."

In a randomized controlled trial with subjects in Virginia living 100 percent below the federal poverty level, researchers studied low-income adults newly covered by a primary care program to determine if a cash incentive could encourage them to make an initial visit to a primary care provider. Among four total participant groups, three were given a baseline survey by telephone and then either $50, $25 or $0 to visit their provider within six months. A control group received no incentive or contact from the researchers.

The findings also suggest that interaction with a health care program coordinator who shows low-income enrollees through the system may also encourage primary care visits without further cash incentives. In the $0 incentive group, more people sought and received care than the unpaid control group.

"It shows that for a small amount of money and a conversation you can get a person to obtain primary care," Bradley said.

Subjects in the $50 and $25 incentive groups were more likely to see a primary care provider (77 percent and 74 percent, respectively) compared to the $0 group (68 percent). In the control group, 61 percent received care.

Study subjects were identified and enrolled through a community-based primary care program from a safety-net health care provider in Virginia serving low-income patients. All were newly enrolled in a health care program and had not seen a primary care provider or specialist in the previous nine months.

Overall, 1,228 participants were included in the three incentive groups and completed the baseline interview. There were 414 in the control group.

Bradley said the biggest limitation to the study was recruitment. A significant amount of potential subjects did not have stable phone connectivity, were homeless or incarcerated, making study enrollment a challenge.
Credit: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute

Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) scientists have shown a new approach to genetic analysis could greatly improve diagnostic rates for children with baffling and often fatal mitochondrial diseases.

Mitochondrial diseases are devastating conditions affecting babies, older children and adults. UK baby Charlie Gard suffered from a form of the condition called mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome, which ultimately cost him his life.

Mitochondria are the power plants of cells, breaking down molecules from sugars, fats and proteins to generate energy for the human body, like burning coal to produce electricity.

Until recently, diagnosis for mitochondrial diseases has been very slow with only about a quarter of patients receiving a genetic diagnosis. Current treatments are also unsatisfactory  for example, an unproven therapy for mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome was behind a UK court's decision for preventing Charlie Gard's family from travelling to the US to access the treatment.

However, new diagnostic methods like whole exome sequencing  which can quickly and cheaply sequence a person's entire genetic blueprint  means up to two-thirds of affected children can now be diagnosed.

However other approaches are needed to identify the difficult cases that continue to elude diagnosis.

Research led by MCRI PhD student Nicole Lake found a new cause of mitochondrial disease, which affects the ability of the mitochondria to operate as the body's power plant, converting food into energy.

Ms Lake said the research she led identified mutations in a gene called MRPS34, in six patients with the most common form of childhood mitochondrial disease, Leigh Syndrome, from Australia, France and the USA.

"A key approach was using quantitative proteomics. This process involves sampling all the proteins in a cell at once to identify any problems with the cellular machinery," said Ms Lake.

"Using this technique, you get a snapshot of what's happening in cells."

The MRPS34 gene is one of 80 components of the mitochondrial protein synthesis machinery, known as the 'mitoribosome'.

Co-lead author Dr David Stroud at Monash University carried out the quantitative proteomics technique, examining cellular proteins in the patient's cultured skin cells, versus healthy skin cells. This showed one half of the mitoribosome fell apart, meaning cells could not make the key proteins encoded by mitochondrial DNA.

It also showed that this led to two of the five major components of the power plants falling apart, causing the machinery that fuels the body's energy to break down.

MCRI Chief Investigator, Professor David Thorburn said MRPS34 was the 25th mitochondrial disease gene discovered by scientists at MCRI and one of the first in the world to show that quantitative proteomics could play a key role in improving diagnostic rates to closer to 100 per cent.

"This approach will therefore help to end the diagnostic odyssey for families with children suspected of mitochondrial and other inherited diseases," he said.

"Early diagnosis improves the chance for early intervention. It can also provide the opportunity to enrol patients with mitochondrial diseases into clinical trials to test many new promising therapies that are in the pipeline, but not yet proven."

Sean Murray, CEO of the Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (AMDF), said that this was an exciting development, which boosted one of the AMDF's major aims in improving diagnostic rates for families affected by mitochondrial disease. "I'm particularly thrilled to see an outcome like this, as it has been partly supported by the hard work of AMDF fund-raisers through activities such as our 'Bloody Long Walks' and demonstrates the value of researchers engaging with the patient community."

The research was published on Friday in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

More information: Nicole J. Lake et al. Biallelic Mutations in MRPS34 Lead to Instability of the Small Mitoribosomal Subunit and Leigh Syndrome, The American Journal of Human Genetics (2017). Journal information: American Journal of Human Genetics Nicole J. Lake et al. Biallelic Mutations in MRPS34 Lead to Instability of the Small Mitoribosomal Subunit and Leigh Syndrome,(2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2017.07.005
Racial disparities in asthma tied to residential segregation, which traps minority kids in unhealthy neighborhoods, according to a new Princeton University study. Credit: Egan Jimenez, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University

Researchers have had trouble explaining why black children are much more likely than other children to suffer from asthma. A new study by Princeton University strongly suggests that much of the answer lies in persistent residential segregation, which traps minority children in unhealthy, polluted neighborhoods.

In the United States, black children are twice as likely as other children to develop asthma. Past research has attributed some of this difference to low birth weight, as black children are also more likely than others to be born at a low weightdefined as less than 2,500 grams, or about 5.5 poundsand low birth weight is a risk factor for developing asthma.

Yet even when comparing only low-birth-weight children, said Janet M. Currie, who is the Henry Putnam Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, black children are still more likely to develop asthma. The racial disparity in asthma rates is so strong that some researchers have even concluded that "being black" is a risk factor for asthma.

But when Currie and her co-author, Princeton Ph.D. Diane Alexander of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, compared low-birth-weight children of all races and ethnicities who lived in "black" ZIP codes in New Jerseyin which half or more of the residents are African Americanthe racial disparity in the association between low birth weight and asthma disappeared completely. In other words, all low-birth-weight children in these ZIP codes, whatever their race, had the same elevated risk of asthma, compared to children born at a normal weight.

Low birth weight may predispose children to asthma, but by itself it doesn't cause the disease. A physical trigger is required. Thus it appears that something about the neighborhoods where the low-birth-weight children live, regardless of their race, is causing them to develop asthma. "This distinction is important," Currie said, "because unlike race, it is possible to change neighborhoods, either by finding and remediating the hazards that are causing higher asthma prevalence or by helping vulnerable children to move."

Currie and Alexander's study couldn't say definitively what exactly about the neighborhoods in "black" ZIP codes is triggering asthma in low-birth-weight children. But they speculated that air pollutionboth indoor and outdooris to blame.

New Jersey neighborhoods with a majority of black residents are on average twice as close as other neighborhoods to major industrial sources of air pollution, the researchers found, and more likely to be near busy highways that produce high concentrations of harmful particulate matter. Housing in these neighborhoods is on average seven years older than elsewhere, and older buildings are more likely to harbor mold spores and fecal matter from rodent and insect infestations. Finally, mothers in these neighborhoods are somewhat more likely to smoke indoors.

Not only can indoor and outdoor air pollution trigger asthma in susceptible children, Currie and Alexander notedthey can also cause women to have low-birth-weight babies in the first place.

To conduct their study, which appeared as a working paper on the National Bureau of Economic Research website, Currie and Alexander combined two sets of datarecords of all children born to mothers who lived in New Jersey from 2006 to 2010, and records of all New Jersey hospital emergency room visits from 2006 to 2012.

Because the birth records included mothers' addresses, they were able to see which children were born in predominately black neighborhoods, as organized by ZIP code. These ZIP codes included about 63 percent of the state's black children, but also about 16 percent of the state's other children. The emergency room records let the researchers determine whether or how many times each low-birth-weight child was treated in an emergency room for asthma during the study period.

"The United States continues to be highly racially segregated," Currie said, "with African-American neighborhoods suffering higher poverty, lower average educational attainments, higher unemployment, higher exposure to pollution, and other ills." Black Americans of any age also tend to be in worse health than their white counterparts, by any number of measures. Currie and Alexander's study suggests that the characteristics of highly segregated neighborhoods may be a major factor behind such persistent racial health disparities.

More information: Diane Alexander et al. Is It Who You Are or Where You Live? Residential Segregation and Racial Gaps in Childhood Asthma, NBER (2017). Diane Alexander et al. Is It Who You Are or Where You Live? Residential Segregation and Racial Gaps in Childhood Asthma,(2017). DOI: 10.3386/w23622
A doctor's racial preference does not necessarily mean he or she will order more or fewer diagnostic tests or treatments based on race. That is the primary indication of a study to be published in the August 2017 issue of Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM), a journal of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

The study, by Dehon, et al., found the prevalence of implicit racial bias among physicians to be at levels similar to the general population and comparable across all medical specialties.

The lead author is Erin Dehon, PhD, an assistant professor of clinical psychology in the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MI. Dr. Dehon's study suggests that while no evidence was found of a direct relationship between physician bias and disparate treatment decisions, physician bias may indirectly contribute to healthcare disparities and therefore further studies are needed.

Ian B.K. Martin, MD, MBA, FACEP, professor and chair, Department of Emergency Medicine. West Virginia University School of Medicine commented:

I commend Dehon et al for tackling such an important topic as the impact of implicit racial bias on clinical decision-making in Emergency Departments and in other clinical settings. Interestingly, in their rigorous systematic review of the topic, the authors conclude that while many physicians across specialties have an unconscious preference for white patients their bias does not seem to impact their clinical decision-making. These conclusions are dubious given the use of simulated, "not-real-life" cases to measure the impact of racial bias on physician clinical decision-making. As is often the case, this manuscript raises more questions than it answershighlighting the need for more research in this important area of clinical medicine.

More information: Erin Dehon et al. A Systematic Review of the Impact of Physician Implicit Racial Bias on Clinical Decision Making, Academic Emergency Medicine (2017). Journal information: Academic Emergency Medicine Erin Dehon et al. A Systematic Review of the Impact of Physician Implicit Racial Bias on Clinical Decision Making,(2017). DOI: 10.1111/acem.13214

Provided by Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
The photo on the left shows the 3-D printed smartphone attachment that uses the phone's camera to review the results of the assay. The photo series on the right shows the process to administer a blood sample onto the D4 assay. Credit: Daniel Joh, Duke University

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have created a portable diagnostic tool that can detect telltale markers of disease as accurately as the most sensitive tests on the market, while cutting the wait time for results from hours or even days to 15 minutes.

Created by inkjet-printing an array of antibodies onto a glass slide with a nonstick polymer coating, the diagnostic tool, called the D4 assay, is a self-contained test that can detect low levels of antigens, the protein markers of a disease, from a single drop of blood. By creating a sensitive, easy-to-use "lab on a chip," the researchers plan to bring rapid diagnostic testing to areas that lack access to standard lab-based diagnostic technologies.

The platform is described August 7, 2017 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Beyond detecting diseases, healthcare workers use diagnostic tools to assess the severity of an illness, plan an effective treatment strategy, and track an individual's response to treatment. While some tests, like the lateral flow test, are fast, portable and easy to use, they aren't usually sensitive enough to provide information beyond the presence or absence of a particular biomarker, so healthcare workers often need to use quantitative methods to determine how severe an infection is.

Currently, the gold standard for quantitative diagnostic tests is the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which identifies how many specific antigens are present in a biological sample. While ELISA is among the most sensitive immunoassay tools on the market for detecting diseases like Zika and HIV or tracking hormone levels in the blood, it requires trained researchers or liquid handling robotic devices to follow a series of time-consuming steps to ensure that no unwanted proteins stick to the assay and muddy the results. The test also requires bulky laboratory instruments for data analysis, making it ill-equipped for use in resource-limited settings.

As an added complication, the ELISA platform can take up to 24 hours to show test results which often means a delay in treatment even as the disease continues to spread.

The D4 assay allows clinicians to avoid these problems without sacrificing sensitivity or accuracy. The new assay can identify a disease biomarker in as few as 15 minutes, and results can be read using a tabletop scanner or 3-D printed smartphone attachment that uses the phone's camera to read the results, enabling the tool to be used in point-of-care settings for rapid diagnosis.

Like the ELISA platform, the D4 assay uses a matched pair of antibodies to detect and capture a target protein in a blood sample. The array contains two types of antibodies immobilized capture antibodies and soluble detection antibodies which are tagged with a fluorescent marker to allow the researchers to identify how much of the antigen is present. When a drop of blood is placed on the slide, the detection antibodies dissolve, separate from the array and bind to the target proteins in the blood. These fluorescing antibody-protein pairs then attach to the capture antibodies that are still on the slide.

But unlike other diagnostic tests like the ELISA or lateral flow test, D4 assay's antibody array is printed on a novel polymer brush coating. When a sample is placed on the slide, the coating works like Teflon to prevent the non-target proteins from attaching to the surface of the slide. By preventing unwanted proteins from binding to the assay, the polymer brush makes it easier to detect low levels of target proteins by getting rid of the 'background noise' on the chip.

"The real significance of the assay is the polymer brush coating," says Ashutosh Chilkoti, chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Duke and senior author on the paper. "The polymer brush allowed us to store all of the tools we need on the chip while maintaining a simple design."

Using the D4 assay, researchers don't need to follow a complicated workflow to clear non-target proteins from their slide, as with the ELISA test. Instead, they simply need to wash the slide in a buffer solution to remove any extraneous particles.

As a proof-of-concept for the accuracy of their assay, the research team conducted a clinical trial to measure the serum leptin levels in patients at Duke University Medical Center and compare them to those observed with the clinical ELISA platform. A previous study from Michael Freemark, a professor of pediatrics at Duke University School of Medicine and a senior author on the paper, showed that low serum leptin levels could predict mortality and complications in severely malnourished children. Leptin levels are typically measured using ELISA, but the researchers recognized that if they could use the D4 assay to accurately test for leptin levels, the tool could be used to plan better treatment for those suffering from malnutrition in resource-limited settings. The study found that the results from the D4 assay were on par with those from the ELISA test.

"What's cool is that our assay can achieve comparable sensitivity to the ELISA within 15 minutes, and if further sensitivity is needed, longer incubation times can be used," says Daniel Joh, an MD-PhD student in the Chilkoti lab and co-author of the paper. "This device can also be compared to a lateral flow test, which is quite fast as it takes less than five minutes to get a reading, but that test isn't as sensitive. This is really the best of both worlds."

Unlike the ELISA, the D4 assay is a highly portable tool, as the dry slides don't need to be refrigerated during transport. The design is also cost-efficientJoh and his collaborators estimate that the D4 chips will cost less than one dollar and the mobile phone attachment developed at the University of California, Los Angeles will be less than $30 when they are produced in bulk.

Next, Joh and Angus Hucknall, co-author of the paper and a senior researcher in the Chilkoti lab who previously developed the polymer brush technology with Chilkoti, will also conduct a field test of the prototype tool in Liberia, screening participants' serum leptin levels to gain a better understanding of how diagnostic results from the D4 assay can be used to monitor and plan treatment strategies for malnutrition. The team also plans to study how they can use the tool to perform a wider array of diagnostics.

"The D4 assay enables us to conduct high-performance diagnostic testing with minimal resources, making it a promising platform for increasing access to sensitive and quantitative diagnostic tools," says Hucknall.

More information: Daniel Y. Joh el al., "Inkjet-printed point-of-care immunoassay on a nanoscale polymer brush enables subpicomolar detection of analytes in blood," PNAS (2017). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Daniel Y. Joh el al., "Inkjet-printed point-of-care immunoassay on a nanoscale polymer brush enables subpicomolar detection of analytes in blood,"(2017). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1703200114
Tsetse fly. Credit: International Atomic Energy Agency.

Pietro Ceccato remembers his first trip three years ago to a Maasai village located a two hour's drive south of Arusha, Tanzania. He was there with a team of public health researchers to learn more about the dynamics of trypanosomiasis, a parasitic disease carried by tsetse flies which threatens millions of people in communities across sub-Saharan Africa.

What he remembers most from that trip, however, was what some of the community members held in their hands.

"Smart phones, which I thought was remarkable given the remoteness of the location and the minimal infrastructure," he says.

Ceccato is a remote sensing expert at Columbia University's International Research Institute for Climate and Society. He develops tools based on IRI's Data Library and Google Earth Engine to visualize massive climate and environmental data sets derived from satellites along with on-the-ground disease surveillance data. His goal is for these tools to improve public health decision making and thereby lower the risks of infection and transmission of trypanosomiasis and other diseases.

Human African trypanosomiasis, better known as sleeping sickness, occurs in 36 sub-Saharan countries, disproportionately affecting those who live in remote rural areas and base their livelihood on raising animals, such as the pastoralist Maasai. People get sick primarily from the bites of certain tsetse fly species. Symptoms of those infected can initially be flu-like, but if left untreated the disease progresses to the central nervous system and is fatal. (Another form of trypanosomiasis known as Chagas disease occurs in Latin America, but it's transmitted by a different bug.)

According to the World Health Organization, trypanosomiasis infections have decreased sharply in the last decade. WHO estimates the number of annual cases now to be well below 20,000. However, the distribution of tsetse flies overlaps with land that 65 million people call home. Population displacement, wars, poverty and perhaps changing climate conditions keep the threat of infections and epidemics a concern to health officials.

Trypanosomiasis also occurs in forms that infect animals, including cattle, the primary source of food and income for the Maasai, for whom milk is a staple food. Infected animals are weaker, have a reduced growth rate and produce less milk. Most eventually die as a result of infection. Locally, this causes financial and nutritional hardship in Maasai communities. Across the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, cattle deaths from trypanosomiasis can cause billions of dollars of production and economic losses.

In those smartphones, Ceccato recalls, he saw the potential to bring powerful information directly into the hands of the Maasai, so they could take action to reduce their chances of coming into contact with infected flies.

Credit: Columbia University

"My goal was to see if we could bring the monitoring power of NASA satellites in space down to a village level," he says.

Three years later, thanks to funding from NASA-SERVIR, the World Health Organization and the International Development Research Centre, Ceccato and his collaborators have achieved that goal.

In 2014, WHO's Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO-TDR) asked Ceccato to see how climate and environmental information could be used in the effort to reduce infection risk of trypanosomiasis.

As with mosquito-borne malaria, Zika and dengue, the trypanosoma parasite depends on an insect vector to survive and spread.

"We were fairly sure that temperatures and other environmental conditions have an impact on tsetse populations," Ceccato says. "And so we set out to understand how changes in these variables as well as habitat might affect the transmission of trypanosomiasis."

Such an understanding, the reasoning went, would lead to better targeting of spraying with insecticides and other measures to control the fly population.

Ceccato worked with researchers at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NMAIST) in Arusha, Tanzania, who travel regularly to rural areas to locate and trap flies and look for the presence of the parasite in order to determine infection rates.

He mapped their data along with Landsat images and other information using a prototype platform that he developed using Google Earth. The satellite images allow him to see changes in vegetation and water bodies at extremely high resolution. He and his colleagues can then compare these changes to changes in tsetse fly locations.

Credit: Columbia University

Animal herds will travel to areas where there's water, and, unfortunately, where the tsetse flies are waiting. "The flies seek shade and shelter in trees during the hottest parts of the day," Ceccato says. "They fly to the water bodies in the morning and evening to bite animals that are drinking, as well as any people who are there with them."

Ceccato also incorporated rainfall and temperature data as well as a vegetation index to analyze the impact of these variables on the movements and distribution of the flies over many months.

"When we first discussed this project, we were excited about the idea of having a mapping interface product for decision making and for preparedness programs that addresses vector-borne diseases and climate change," says WHO-TDR's Bernadette Ramirez. "It's great to see that this idea is now a reality!"

Using this platform, members of the Maasai community will be able to identify grazing and drinking areas free from populations of infected tsetse flies. This is especially critical during the dry season, when drinking holes are scarce.

The fly data will also help authorities target where to spray insecticides to control the population of these biting insects.

"Now the research communities, pastoral Maasai communities, and any other interested parties can access environmental and health information easily in way that was never before possible," Ceccato says.

This summer, his research partner Paul Gwakisa, from NMAIST and the Sokoine University of Agriculture, revisited that original Maasai village to demonstrate the tool to community leaders and discuss the various kinds of decisions they could make based on the online maps.
Lunar eclipse brings red moon to Spain on Monday



ARCHIVED ARTICLE

The moon will appear reddish from sunset until 23.00 in much of Spain

The second lunar eclipse of this year is due for the evening of Monday 7th August, when just after the sun sets and the moon rises the latter will take on a reddish-brown colour as the Earth positions itself between its satellite and the sun.

The effect will be visible from 21.10 until approximately 23.15, gradually decreasing as time passes, although in parts of Africa the eclipse will be complete and the moon is likely to appear bright red. In this country the phenomenon will be most pronounced in the Canary Islands, while in the Balearics and the far east of mainland Spain there will be no sign at all of anything out of the ordinary.

This is not a very unusual astronomical event, and in fact is the second of its kind this year, following another lunar eclipse on the night of 10th and 11th February.

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Communications Minister Ayanda Dlodlo has reiterated her commitment to see all South Africans migrating from analogue to digital television by December 2018.

I have full appreciation of the impact that the digital migration project is set to have on the economy of this country. I therefore have no intention to delay the process, Minister Dlodlo said on Sunday.

The International Telecommunications Union has prescribed countries to switch over from an analogue television signal to a digital terrestrial television signal which will allow for the radio frequency spectrum to be freed up and allowing for faster mobile data services.

South Africa has on a several occasions missed its deadline for migration due to legal process over the encryption of set-top boxes, as well as legal battles.

Following the Constitutional Court ruling of June that favours non-encryption for government-subsidised set-top boxes (STBs), Minister Dlodlo has been driving the Digital Migration process forward.

Among others, the Minister set up a meeting of key stakeholders in the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) migration process consisting of broadcasters and mobile operators.

The meeting  which for the first time included mobile operators  was held last month and gathered ideas from the industry on how they can contribute in fast-tracking the DTT process. Representatives of SABC, Etv, Multichoice, Cell C, MTN, Vodacom, Liquid Telecom (formerly Neotel), Telkom, Star Sat and USAASA attended the meeting.

According to the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), all parties at the meeting pledged their full support to the Minister and expressed a willingness to partner with government in taking the process forward, including providing any resources that may be required.

The main area of cooperation is on public education and awareness to ensure that people understand the digital migration process and its benefits.

One of the key decisions made at that meeting is the formation of the Digital Migration Advisory Committee driven by both government and industry players. It was agreed that the Committee will develop a comprehensive project plan indicating timelines and resources required.

GCIS said the Ministry has since received names of members of the advisory committee from industry players. This team is set to meet soon to consider the project plan that will see the finalisation of the DTT process.

In addition to this, Minister Dlodlo has had further meetings with industry players who have pledged financial support.

The Department of Communications is also currently working with the Free State government on the DTT roll-out focusing on district municipalities such as Lejweleputswa, Matjhabeng, Nala, Tswelopele, Tokologo and Masolonya.

Today the department is commencing with the awareness and registration campaign programme.

SA News

Now read: Kodi box seller pleads guilty to money laundering in the UK
A number of South African online stores accept payment in Bitcoin, but most brick-and-mortar retailers only accept cash or card.

Cryptocurrency holders looking to spend their digital tokens without converting them to fiat currency, however, can do so with a debit card linked to a virtual wallet.

There are services that act as cryptocurrency wallets and instant exchanges, allowing you to spend your virtual currency at compatible points of sale.

Companies which deliver these debit cards, and have partnered with VISA or Mastercard, can be accessed by South Africans  as detailed below.

Bitcoin  Cryptopay

Cryptopay is an online Bitcoin wallet which allows users to purchase and transfer Bitcoin.

The company also offers a VISA debit card, which can be loaded with Bitcoin and used to purchase items or draw fiat currency from ATMs.

The card can reflect either GBP, EUR, or USD amounts, and can be funded by Bitcoin transactions.

Users can order the Cryptopay Bitcoin debit card online through the official website for $15, and the company offers free delivery worldwide.

The physical card also has a monthly service fee of $1.00 and a 1% loading fee.

Additionally, drawing or spending money using the card in South Africa could subject users to the following fees:

International ATM Transaction Fee  $3.50

Foreign Transaction Fee  3.00%

The card can be used without submitting any identity verification documents beyond your billing address, although you will need to verify your identity to remove the transaction and withdrawal limits.

The Cryptopay card can take up to six weeks to arrive in SA, and can be used at any VISA-compatible points of sale.

If you would like to shop online using a Bitcoin debit card, and dont need a physical card, you can set up a virtual card using the Cryptopay web interface or iOS app.

Other cryptocurrency card providers which function similarly to Cryptopay include Xapo and WireX.

Ethereum  TenX

An option for cryptocurrency holders looking to spend their tokens is the TenX platform, which aims to support a wide range of cryptocurrencies.

TenX provides an online wallet with support for multiple cryptocurrencies  including Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Dash.

The wallet can be created by downloading the Android app and setting up an account.

Users can order a TenX debit card through the smartphone app, and the application can be set to display your remaining cryptocurrency balance in rand.

TenX cards come with lower fees than competing services, but you will have to pay 10 per year if you spend less than 1,000 a year using the card.

Transaction and issuing fees for the card are:

Card Issuing Fee (includes shipping)  15

ATM Fee  2.75

Foreign Transaction Fee  0%

Users can link the card to their online cryptocurrency wallet and use it to pay at any VISA-compatible points of sale.

Identity verification beyond a billing address is not required to use the wallet and card, although submitting identity documents will upgrade your withdrawal and spending limits.

TenX also rewards its card users with PAY tokens, which can be traded on the open market for other cryptocurrencies.

The TenX app beta is available in the Google Play Store.

Now read: The one big difference between Bitcoin and Gold
I followed the steps of my family, says architect Ara Zaryan, who is the son of architect Armen Zaryan and grandson of renowned Armenian writer Gostan Zaryan.

The history of the three generations of this family has invariably been linked with two countriesArmenia and Italy. Gostan Zaryan taught his native Armenian language at Mkhitaryan Congregation in Venice. His sons studied at Murad Rafaelian college. In 1991, Ara Zaryan came to Venice from Armenia to work in the Center for Study and Documentation of Armenian Culture established by his father and uncle. But since 2011, he has been visiting Armenia every year along with fresco restorer Christine Lamugue. These two people, who are in love with their work, look for fresco traces in medieval Armenian churches during their vacation and restore them at their own expense.

''The culture of Armenia is unique in its kind. The history and culture of Armenian frescoes is studied very little. I was lucky to know Ara, since my Armenian starts and finishes with the phrases ''Barev dzez'' (Hello) and ''Tstesutyun'' (Bye). We have a common passion for frescoes. The Armenian frescoes are a complete discover for me as a specialist. I decided to dedicate my vacation to Armenian frescoes and I am not sorry about that. The main conclusion which we have arrived at is that frescoes were a traditional and standard phenomenon in the Armenian churches of 7th and 8th centuries,'' Christine Lamugue says.

This has already been her eleventh visit to Armenia. Frescoes in Dadivank, Lmbatavank and Vorotnavank have all been restored. This year Ara Zaryan and Christine Lamugue worked in Karmravor church in Ashtarak town, as well as in Surb Hovhannes (St. John) church in Mastara village.

Ara and Christine visited Surb Hovhannes for the first time this year. They saw that the walls were plastered here, and consequently there might be a fresco on them. They cleaned the wall in several parts and came across an image of a hand holding a horse harness. According to Ara Zaryan, they turned to the Armenian Ministry of Culture to get a permission for studying the church and began doing that after receiving it.

The church was established in the 5th century. In the late 6th and early 7th centuries it got the appearance, which it has today. ''This is one of the wonders of the Armenian architecture. The dome of the church is in the center, while its sphere dome turns into a cube of lower premise thanks to four trumpet vaults. This is such a dimensional solution that inside you wonder how great the church is, whereas form outside it is a very compact building, as if graved from one piece of stone,'' Zaryan says.

The hand with harness proved to be a fragment of an image of a saint riding a horse. Allegedly saint, since his head with the halo hasn't been preserved, Zaryan adds. ''But we know [other] holy knightsSargis, Gevorg,'' he noted. Two figures and an inscription can be seen to the right of the knight.

Part of the letters has been worn away. It was supposedly written 'Archangel Gabriel' here. ''He has no wings, since the lower part of the plaster has completely dropped, that is we cannot confidently claim that this is Gabriel, but we can suppose,'' Zaryan says.

In the place where Christine Lamugue is working now, one can see two figuresone is barefoot, while the other wears shoes: this is perhaps a high-ranking church dignitary.

In Zaryan's words, the church is in quite a dire state. It used to be a storage in the Soviet period: corns were stored here. The walls of the church were covered with new layer of plaster then for the storage not to be humid. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, people decided to restore the old appearance of the church and scratched off the Soviet plaster with whatever they could, spoiling the layers and frescoes under it. Apart from this, it can be seen that the faces of the saints are intentionally scratched on the frescoes. This was done before the Soviet plaster but it is hard to establish the period and purpose of this act.

Currently, the arches under the dome are painted in blue. According to Zaryan, this color has nothing to do with the Christian Armenian culture.

The church could have been restored that way in the period of the conquest of the Caucasus by the Russian Empire in the 1800s, when tsar's deputy arrived here. ''This is my hypothesis. This kind of blue color is characteristic of the Russian Orthodox Church. A sample of the paint can be taken to understand more precisely what period it belongs to, Zaryan says. In fact, they have already taken samples from frescoes for research in Italy.

The choir stalls are the heritage of another Christian culturethe Catholic one. They were most likely constructed by FrancsArmenian-Catholics, whose main spiritual center was the city of Gyumri located not far from Mastara.

Zaryan assures that all the walls of Surb Hovhannes church were initially covered with frescoes, Christine's and his research proving this. ''These were not separate paintings but ones with plot and thematic image on the entire surface. Unfortunately, there are neither written testimonies nor any illustrations regarding this. But our research allows making such a conclusion,'' he says.

Next to the church Ara Zaryan shows us a premise with a roof constructed by Armenian hazarashen technique. This ancient wooden building now serves as a barn for one of the local residents. The logs of the roof are covered with a cobweb, while a pole moved out of its location is supported by a pot lid.

Whereas hazarashen is such a rare ethnographic phenomenon in Armenia now...
Germany withdraws from Energy Charter Treaty

Is Jordan country that has not supplied arms to Armenia?: 'The press usually has reliable information'

European Commission approves nationalization of Russian Gazprom's German subsidiary

Pashinyan: If the state interferes with the exchange rate unnecessarily, the economy will only suffer

U.S. to work with strategic coalition of Southeast Asian countries

Armenian PM: To reform army, it is necessary to make military service more attractive

Putin and Raisi discuss topical issues of the bilateral agenda

Blinken: Ukraine must decide on timing and content of any talks with Russia

Body wear and tear due to stress increases risk of cancer death

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)

Study shows how amount of income affects depression

Sweden to not permit deployment of nuclear weapons on its territory after joining NATO

Real president considering option of signing up Mourinho after Ancelotti

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

Neymar: Level of this World Cup is going to be very high

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

Armenia medical workers testing process starting

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

Messi: Its incredibly important to start World Cup right, get first 3 points

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

Guardiola says they are happy with Man City squad they have which will remain unchanged

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

Luis Enrique: I am best coach on face of earth

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
Supporters and critics have sounded off at a Nebraska Board of Education meeting on a proposal to include the teaching of climate change in Nebraska public school science classes.

Nearly 70 people crowded Friday into a meeting room and overflow room in Lincoln as the board discussed plans to adopt new science standards.

For the first time, the standards would specifically include the teaching of climate change. However, the wording of the latest draft calls on students to "evaluate the reliability and validity" of climate models before making a projection of future climate trends.

That's a change from an earlier draft in May that treated climate change as settled science. But some people argue the new language isn't strong enough.

Doug Kagan, representing Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom, said there is a "furious ongoing debate within the scientific community about the actual role that humans play in global warming."

David Harwood, a geology professor with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, countered: "Climate change is happening," he said. "It is caused by human activity." Harwood is member of the standards writing team and urged the board to retain climate change, along with evolution, in the draft standards.

Michael Fryda, an Omaha high school science teacher and the 2010 Nebraska teacher of the year, also urged the board to adopt the climate change-inclusive standards.

The board is set to vote on the new standards next month.
Grant Funding Offered to UK Water Rescue Services

Local water rescue services could use the money to purchase lifesaving equipment such as boats, life jackets, and safety gear. They have until Sept. 6 to submit their bids to the Department for Transport.

Britain's Department for Transport is offering 1 million in funding (about $1.3 million in U.S. dollars) to help local water rescue services. The money is coming from the inshore and inland rescue boat grant scheme and can be used to purchase lifesaving equipment such as boats, life jackets, and safety gear.

Services have until Sept. 6 to submit their bids to the Department for Transport, which is running the scheme with advice from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Royal Yachting Association.

"We value and support the lifesaving work that goes on every day by our dedicated local waterway rescue services. Their commitment and skills keep our rivers, lakes and inshore areas safe," Maritime Minister John Hayes said. "The additional funds provided by the scheme will ensure that these tireless volunteers and charities can get the boats, equipment, and other resources they need to provide round-the-clock lifesaving services."

Since the funding source was created in 2014, it has helped more than 80 charities.

Earlier this year, Portsmouth and Southsea Voluntary Lifeguards used a lifeboat funded by the grant scheme to save the lives of those on board two vessels off the coast of Portsmouth.
DEKRA Seeking Safety Champion Submissions

The 2017 Awards will recognize the best projects, processes, and solutions in Germany in three categories  safety in transport, safety at work, and safety at home.

DEKRA is seeking entries for its 2017 Awards, which recognize the best projects, processes, and solutions in Germany in three categories  safety in transport, safety at work, and safety at home. The company's contest is done in partnership with WirtschaftsWoche, a leading German economics magazine. Companies and initiatives can apply until Sept. 15, 2017.

Information and application forms are available at www.dekra-award.de.

"DEKRA has set itself the task of creating greater safety, even in a digital world that is becoming increasingly complex," said Stefan Kolbl, chairman of the Management Board of DEKRA e.V. and DEKRA SE. "To do so, we have established a global network of expert services and laboratory facilities for the digitalized future. As the global partner for a safe world, we are seeking and providing long-term support to outstanding ideas, initiatives, and processes that help make the world a safer place."

For the DEKRA Award, a panel of internal and external experts will identify best practice projects across the country that make a sustainable contribution to improving safety among all the applications based on a list of criteria that focus on effectiveness, simplicity, efficiency, innovation, sustainability, transferability, and acceptance. The Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy is a patron on the award, with the award ceremony will take place Oct. 24, 2017, in Dusseldorf.

Previous winners have included companies such as Airbus, Axa, Eaton Industries, and Volkswagen.
IAFC Welcomes New President

Chief Tom Jenkins of the Rogers, Arkansas, Fire Department, was installed July 27 as president and chairman of the board. He has promised to better lead, educate, and serve fire chiefs across the world, saying IAFC "will do this through improved outreach, better social media interaction, strategic political advocacy, and by continuing to elevate our annual conference, Fire-Rescue International."

Chief Tom Jenkins of the Rogers, Arkansas, Fire Department, was installed July 27 as president and chairman of the board of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). He will lead the association's 18-member board of directors, serve as IAFC's primary spokesman on national and international issues, and testify on behalf of the organization at congressional hearings, among other duties.

During his inaugural address at Fire-Rescue International 2017, Jenkins promised that, during the next year, IAFC will try to better lead, educate, and serve fire chiefs across the world. "We will do this through improved outreach, better social media interaction, strategic political advocacy, and by continuing to elevate our annual conference, Fire-Rescue International," he said. "Research, data, and technology are tools that must be harnessed by fire chiefs to be successful. We cannot be allergic to change and evidenced-based decisions. Therefore, our association will push forward in finding ways to harness, disseminate, and improve these cutting-edge initiatives."

The 2018 FRI conference is scheduled for Aug. 8-11, 2018, in Dallas.

Jenkins has been fire chief in Rogers since 2009 and previously was deputy chief for the Sand Springs, Oklahoma Fire Department. He has a bachelor's degree in fire protection and safety engineering from Oklahoma State University and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Oklahoma and is a 2006 graduate of the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Md., according to IAFC.

Chief Gary Curmode of the Copper Mountain (Colo.) Fire Department was installed as the association's first vice president and Chief Dan Eggleston, fire rescue chief for Albemarle County Department of Fire Rescue (Va.), was installed as second vice president. Chief John Sinclair, IAFC president 2016-2017, will continue to serve on the IAFC executive committee and board of directors for 2017-2018 as immediate past president.
Severe erosion in Guam's savanna grasslands causes expansive barren scars to develop. Most native plants are unable to reestablish on these inhospitable scars. Credit: Thomas Marler

A healthy global debate has occurred concerning the benefits of using non-native trees for restoring some aspects of ecosystem function in degraded habitats. In many cases, the stresses associated with establishing seedlings disallow most native tree species from becoming successfully established in harsh planting sites. The tolerant non-native trees enable successes that would otherwise be unachievable.

A recent study from the Micronesian island of Guam has added to this global debate, and the results appear in the current issue of the Journal of Coastal Zone Management. The University of Guam research focused on the established use of non-native Acacia trees to re-vegetate barren scars in savanna grasslands.

"Most of these sorts of government-sponsored projects that use non-native trees are very mindful of the issue of invasiveness," said author Thomas Marler. "Non-native species that have proven restoration attributes are only used in restoration projects if they exhibit no signs of invasiveness."

In the Guam case, the Acacia trees are pursued to restore barren scars because these degraded soil surfaces do not become re-vegetated by the grass species that comprise the savanna vegetation. The barren areas are prone to increases erosion and sedimentation over time and often have the surface soil horizons completely removed. The chemistry of Guam's volcanic subsoil is inhospitable for root growth of most plants. When these subsoils become the surface soils after erosion in the barren scars, very few plants can become established.

According to Marler, the use of Acacia trees has been enticing because the species that have been used are adept at becoming established in the inhospitable sites. And their positive influence on erosion control has been proven throughout decades of projects. But no case studies have been conducted until now to shed light on what these non-native trees are doing to Guam's soil traits.

The results indicated the soil chemistry and root-zone nutrient budgets have been altered by the Acacia tree cover, and the trajectory of change is in a direction that does not conform to any of the naturally vegetated sites from Guam. As expected, the various components of the nitrogen cycle were among the traits that were most altered by these alien legume trees.

This Guam research contributes to the ongoing global discussions about the role of afforestation for revegetating tropical degraded habitats. Some restoration ecologists consider tropical grassland habitats off limits for tree-planting projects. These unique changes in Guam's tropical volcanic soils reveal one means by which non-native trees perpetrate collateral ecosystem deviations within the habitats being restored. These soil deviations often go unnoticed during restoration projects, and exemplify yet one more human activity that inadvertently alters the natural biogeochemical cycle.

More information: Thomas E Marler, Soil Chemistry Following Afforestation of Barren Coastal Soils in Southern Guam Does Not Conform to that of Continuously Vegetated Surfaces, Journal of Coastal Zone Management (2017). DOI: 10.4172/2473-3350.1000444
The Barred Grass Snake (Natrix helvetica), newly recognized as a separate species, occurs in England, France, the Benelux countries, Switzerland, Italy and Western Germany. Credit: Wolfgang Bohme

Together with an international team, Senckenberg scientists identified a new species of snake in Europe. Based on more than 1,600 snakes, the researchers were able to show that the barred grass snake, whose range includes Western Germany, France, Great Britain, Switzerland and Italy constitutes a distinct species. In their study, published today in the journal Scientific Reports, the team examined two contact zones  in the Rhine region and in eastern Germany  where different genetic lineages of grass snakes meet.

The grass snake is among the most common and widespread snakes in Europe  yet relatively little is known to date about the genetic identity of these non-toxic reptiles, which can reach a length of up to one meter.

"We studied two areas where different genetic lineages of the grass snake come into contact. We discovered that the barred grass snake, previously considered a subspecies, is in fact a distinct species (Natrix helvetica). The barred grass snake is widely distributed throughout Great Britain, Switzerland, Italy and France, and also occurs in the western part of Germany. Thus, the number of European snake species has increased by one," according to Professor Uwe Fritz, Director of the Senckenberg Natural History Collections in Dresden.

In the course of an international study led by Fritz, the professor's doctoral student, Carolin Kindler, examined the genetic identity of more than 1,600 grass snakes  many of them scientific museum specimens. "This showed once again how valuable these  in part very old  collections can be," explains Fritz, and he continues, "Modern methods such as genetics make it possible to gain entirely new insights from the collection specimens."

The range of the Eastern Grass Snake (Natrix natrix) extends from Germany across the Balkans, Eastern Europe and Turkey to Central Asia. Credit: Melita Vamberger

Two "contact zones" of grass snakes were examined more closely by the scientists from Dresden: One of the zones is located in the Rhine region, the other extends from Central Germany down to the southern Balkans. In these zones, different genetic lineages of the grass snake meet, which in part had previously been thought to represent different subspecies. Such contact zones are viewed as natural laboratories for evolution, since they allow the study of hybridization and speciation.

The two contact zones examined in this study represent different stages in the speciation process: The eastern contact zone reveals a complete mixing of the involved genetic lineages over hundreds of kilometers. In the Rhine region, on the other hand, the hybrid zone is less than 50 km wide, and the admixture is very limited and unidirectional, primarily with barred grass snakes cross-breeding with Eastern Grass Snakes, but rarely the other way around. "This indicates the presence of reproductive barriers," explains Fritz. They arise during the speciation process to prevent mismatched pairings among different species. These reproductive barriers and the narrow hybrid zone show that the barred grass snake constitutes a distinct species.

This conclusion is not without consequences. Grass snakes are under special protection in Europe and are considered threatened or highly threatened in some countries. "We now have to pay close attention to which species of grass snake is involved in each case, in order to be able to assess whether one of them may be more threatened than previously thought," Fritz points out.

More information: Carolin Kindler et al. Hybridization patterns in two contact zones of grass snakes reveal a new Central European snake species, Scientific Reports (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07847-9 Journal information: Scientific Reports
FIU researchers take samples of deep sediments in Florida Bay. Credit: Florida International University

Seagrass meadows are great absorbers of carbon dioxide from the air. But the algae, animals, corals and plants that live among them release large amounts of carbon dioxide, according to newly released research. The scientists are now identifying seagrass locations with fewer emitters to target for conservation.

Scientists at Florida International University examined seagrass meadows in Florida Bay, some of the largest on Earth, where waters are warm and plant and animal abundance is high. They compared these ecosystems to those in southeastern Brazil where meadows are smaller, waters are cooler, and plant and animal abundance is lower. They found, although Florida Bay's seagrasses act as carbon sinks, the organisms living among them offset the benefits of seagrass carbon storage by releasing carbon dioxide.

"In seagrass meadows, these two processes happen simultaneously and have opposite effects on carbon sequestration," said Jason Howard, researcher in FIU's Marine Education Research Initiative and lead author of the study. "If we want to mitigate the most carbon dioxide emissions, we need to understand these competing processes and choose conservation sites accordingly."

The world's seagrasses are disappearing at alarming rates because of grazing, overfishing, pollution and poor management. The findings could aid decision-makers in identifying seagrass meadows with greatest overall carbon dioxide storage potential, so they can target conservation efforts and maximize sequestration.

Scientists studying seagrasses have traditionally focused on the role of organic carbon in the carbon storage cycle. As seagrasses turn sunlight into energy, they take in carbon dioxide to make plant tissue. When they die, the tissue decomposes and organic carbon accumulates in the soil. This organic material is the basis of carbon storage inventories and mitigation plans. At the same time, the organisms living in seagrass beds build their skeletons and shells with calcium carbonate, which is made up of inorganic carbon. When the inorganic carbon is considered in carbon storage inventories and mitigation plans, the seagrass ecosystems of Brazil store more carbon dioxide than those in Florida Bay.

"The results of this study were totally unexpected," said James Fourqurean, director of FIU's Marine Education Research Initiative and co-author of the study. "They could influence the way seagrass carbon stores are inventoried at the national level, as required by international climate change mitigation treaties."

Fourqurean has dedicated his career to seagrasses. His research provided the first global analysis of carbon stored in seagrasses. He has presented worldwide and testified before the European Union championing for Blue Carbon, a global initiative that allows regulated sources to buy credits for greenhouse emissions, and help restore and preserve seagrasses for mitigation. The money is used to preserve the world's seagrasses, mangroves, marshes and other resources that naturally store carbon.

Most seagrass research is done in areas with big seagrass meadows, including south Florida, the Mediterranean and southeast Asia. South America has been overlooked because of its lack of seagrass coverage and species diversity. Since the ability of seagrasses to store carbon varies from place to place, the researchers call for more thorough studies on the relationship between seagrasses, the local environment and the carbon cycle.

FIU's Marine Education Research Initiative is housed in the Institute of Water and Environment. FIU launched the institute in 2016 to address global water and environmental issues. It brings together some of FIU's top centers and programs to expand research and community engagement in the face of growing environmental threats, including the Center for Aquatic Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Sea Level Solutions Center and Southeast Environmental Research Center, as well as Everglades programs and international water programs.

The study was recently published in Limnology and Oceanography. It was done in collaboration with the State University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

More information: Jason L. Howard et al. CO2 released by carbonate sediment production in some coastal areas may offset the benefits of seagrass "Blue Carbon" storage, Limnology and Oceanography (2017). DOI: 10.1002/lno.10621
Having only a few people with most of the wealth, motivates others. This theory is actually wrong according to research. Credit: Aakkosia sosialistien lapsille (1912)/Flickr, CC BY-SA

A world where a few people have most of the wealth motivates others who are poor to strive to earn more. And when they do, they'll invest in businesses and other areas of the economy. That's the argument for inequality. But it's wrong.

Our study of 21 OECD countries over more than a 100 years shows income inequality actually restricts people from earning more, educating themselves and becoming entrepreneurs. That flows on to businesses who in turn invest less in things like plant and equipment.

Inequality makes it harder for economies to benefit from innovation. However, if people have access to credit or the money to move up, it can offset this effect.

We measured the impact of this by looking at the number of patents for new inventions and then also looking at the Gini coefficient and the income share of the top 10%. The Gini coefficient is a measure of the distribution of income or wealth within a nation.

How inequality reduces innovation

From 1870 to 1977, inequality measured by the Gini coefficient fell by about 40%. During this time people actually got more innovative and productivity increased, incomes also increased.

But inequality has increased in recent decades and it's having the opposite effect.

Inequality is preventing people with less income and wealth from reaching their potential in terms of education and invention. There's also less entrepreneurship.

Credit: The Conversation, CC BY-ND

Inequality also means the market for new goods shrinks. One study shows that if incomes are more equal among people, people who are less well off, buy more. Having this larger market for new products, incentivises companies to create new things to sell.

If wealth is concentrated among only a small group of people, it actually increases demand for imported luxuries and handmade products. In contrast to this, distributed incomes means more mass produced goods are manufactured.

What's been driving inequality since the 1980s is changes to economies - countries trading more with each other and advances in technology. As this happens old products and industries fade while new ones take their place.

These changes have delivered significant net benefits to society. Reducing trade and innovation will only make everyone poorer.

The declining number of people in unions has also contributed to inequality, as workers lose collective bargaining power and some rights. At the same time, unions can adversely affect innovation within firms.

Unions discourage innovation when they resist the adoption of new technology in the workplace. Also if innovation creates profits for firms but some of these are taken up by higher wages (lobbied for by unions), these reduced profits provide less incentive for firms to innovate.

Where workers' jobs are protected, for example with union membership, there's often less resistance to innovation and technological change.

Credit: The Conversation, CC BY-ND

Giving people access to credit could change this

Most countries have much higher levels of inequality than the OECD average. This combination of high inequality and low financial development is a major obstacle to economic prosperity.

When financial markets work well, everyone gets access to the amount of credit they can afford and can invest as much as they need. We found that for a nation with a credit-to-GDP ratio of more than 108%, low income earners are less discouraged by not having a share of the wealth. There's less of a dampening affect on innovation.

Unfortunately, most countries (including many in the OECD) are far from this threshold. In 2016, the credit-to-GDP ratio averaged 56% across all countries, and only 28% for the least developed. Until 2005, Australia was also below this threshold.

This means governments should look at providing more people with more access to credit, especially to the poor, to stimulate growth.

For financially developed nations like Australia, increased inequality actually has less of an effect on innovation and growth. So tackling inequality might not be as easy as increasing access to credit.

Spending and taxing are already historically high and growing inequality makes it harder to further raise taxes. Countries like Australia are not unequal societies in the sense of having significant barriers to people improving their income.

Australia is a relatively egalitarian nation. In 2016, the top 1% owned 22% of the wealth in Australia, compared to 42% in the USA, and 74% in Russia.

Governments in more developed nations can instead try to maintain a stable financial sector to improve growth or by training and education.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
Prof. Dr. Harald Groger is working in ONE-FLOW on a way of producing chemical compounds through combination of bio- and chemocatalysis in flow reactors. The chemical reactions are conducted for example in modules with flow tubes (see picture). Credit: Bielefeld University

Mostly, the chemical industry still follows very extensive procedures when producing active pharmaceutical ingredients and other complex substances. Often, each intermediate has to be produced in a separate fashion within large reactor vessels. Chemists at Bielefeld University are working on an alternative together with international project partners: the flow method. This combines the production stages and proceeds in microreactors in which the desired substance can be produced without intermediate isolations. The European Union's research programme is funding the project 'ONE-FLOW' with a total of four million Euros. Bielefeld University has now succeeded in gaining a scientist from the renowned Keio University (Japan) for the project. Dr. Yasunobu Yamashita has started his work on the project at the beginning of August.

Professor Dr. Harald Groger from the Center for Biotechnology (CeBiTec) and Chair of Organic Chemistry I of Bielefeld University is the head of the German ONE-FLOW sub-project. The Bielefeld scientist is active in the field of 'green chemistry' aiming to develop environmentally friendly chemical reactions. Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands) is coordinating the entire ONE-FLOW project with eight partners. Groger's research team is working particularly closely with Professor Dr. Volker Hessel's team from Eindhoven. Hessel is the project coordinator and an expert on micro-reaction technology and flow chemistry.

Economically attractive and sustainable production

'Because of the many stages in production, the current batch reactor-type vessel technology is particularly time-consuming. A further disadvantage is that work-up and isolation of intermediates lead to many waste products. Hence, the technology does not use raw materials efficiently,' says Groger. After every stage in production, the intermediate typically is purified. This might require significant amounts of solvent that then become waste products. 'The flow method offers a way to reduce resource requirements and save waste, thus making production not only economically more attractive but also more sustainable,' says the chemist and biotechnologist.

Groger and his colleagues' take their inspiration for the flow technology from nature. In biological cells, chemical processes proceed concurrently and as so-called 'domino reactions'  and they carry on doing this constantly. The conditions in cells remain the same all the time: the pressure, the temperature, and the solvent (water). In the cells, enzymes ensure that the reactions are initiated and concluded. 'We want to apply the principles of the cell to production in microreactors,' says Groger.

The production volume is easy to increase

A further advantage of the new production method is that it requires far less energy and space than the conventional way of producing the desired chemicals. As microreactors, the researchers mostly use plug-flow reactors with 'flow tubes' with an average diameter of markedly less than one millimetre. 'What's special is that we can also produce large amounts of material on a small scale. This enables us to gain the substance at a specifically desired amount without great effort,' says Groger. 'If we want to increase the amount, we simply add extra microreactors. Hence, problems with upscaling disappear.'

Reactions control themselves thanks to catalysts

Before things reach this stage, Harald Groger, his new co-worker Yasunobu Yamashita, and their colleagues have some preparatory work to do. In order to conduct several reactions concurrently in the miniaturized flow tube, these must not interfere with each other. 'We are developing methods that will ensure that each reaction is shielded,' says Groger. To initiate reactions, the chemists are using catalysts. Although these particles are part of the reaction, they return to their initial state at the end of the process. As a result, they can be used repeatedly. One of Yasunobu Yamashita's goals in the project is to work out how to ensure that these particles will perform its optimal activity under the chosen reaction conditions. Groger's research team is specialized in the combination of bio- and chemo-catalysts. In nature, biocatalysts are found in the form of enzymes. Chemocatalysts, in contrast, are developed artificially. 'By combining chemo- and biocatalysts in a flow reactor, we want to efficiently produce pharmaceutically relevant products at room temperature and thereby produce them in a more sustainable and specific mode,' says Groger.
Imperial Valley Conservation Research Center's Jeanette Lucero is helping operate the Sandia National Laboratories Project floway. Algae grown in the system is visible in the foreground. Credit: Jules Bernstein

Sandia National Laboratories is testing whether one of California's largest and most polluted lakes can transform into one of its most productive and profitable. Southern California's 350-square-mile Salton Sea has well-documented problems related to elevated levels of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural runoff. Algae thrives on these elementsa fact that causes environmental problems but could also be a solution to those problems.

Sandia intends to harness algae's penchant for prolific growth to clean up these pollutants and stop harmful algae blooms while creating a renewable, domestic source of fuel. Algae can be easily converted to fuels and chemicals using a Sandia Labs-patented fermentation process.

The Department of Energy's Bioenergy Technology Office (BETO) estimates the U.S. can produce at least 1 billion tons of feedstocks for biofuels every year, and doing so would have positive social, economic and environmental impacts. That amount equates to about 30 percent of our nation's need for fuels that would not have to be imported. Among these feedstocks, algae are unique in that they grow exponentially: in other words, under the right conditions, doubling every day.

BETO is funding Sandia's Salton Sea Biomass Remediation, or SABRE, Project because it will help determine whether algae can be a viable part of the solution to our nation's need for diverse energy sources.

After only a few months, Sandia biochemist Ryan Davis is enthusiastic about the prospects. "The early results we're already getting from the Salton Sea appear to be superior to results from similar algae systems. It's really promising."

Testing the effectiveness of a newer algae-growing system

When state and local officials gathered by a tributary of the Salton Sea one bright, hot morning in late May, it was to mark the kickoff of the project's second phase. During the first phase, Sandia partnered with Texas A&M AgriLife Research to test whether a newer method of farming algae could be as productive as an older, more established method.

Traditionally, companies grow single species of algae in racewaysstructures vaguely resembling small race tracks or giant bathtubs. The raceways produce algae well suited for making high-value nutritional products like spirulina or beta carotene, as well as other nutraceuticals. Raceways also offer growers a lot of control. But there are a few drawbacks. They are generally high maintenance, requiring trained technicians, expensive fertilizers, carbon dioxide and high-quality water.

Additionally, an estimated 30 percent of production on algae farms can be lost each year due to pest-related pond crashes. Sandia is currently doing research to minimize crashes, including testing strains of algae for resistance to various predators and diseases, and learning to detect the signs of an imminent pond crash.

The newer farming method is called an "Algal Turf Scrubber" floway system, used for growing a collection of native algae species. To the untrained eye, the system looks like a free-standing rain gutter. It gurgles quietly as water is pulsed in waves across a sloped floway. The algae consume the nutrients, and clean water emerges from the lower end.

The system operates using solar-powered pumps, requiring almost zero maintenance, except for periodic algae harvesting which can be done using common farming equipment. Sandia designed the renewable power pump system that provides water to the floway. The technology and components of the floway were developed by a company called HydroMentia Technologies LLC.

Sandia National Laboratories chemical engineer Anthe George with a handful of benthic algae growing in the Salton Sea Biomass Remediation, or SABRE, Project floway system. Credit: Photo by Jules Bernstein

Based on early results of the testing in Texas, turf scrubbers can produce a quantity of algae comparable to raceways. And they are a perfect fit for places with acres of inexpensive real estate, nutrient-rich water (no need for additional fertilizer) and tons of sun, like the Salton Sea.

The kind of turf system being tested for the SABRE Project has other benefits. It is growing algae that is native to the area, so it is naturally more resistant to attacks from local pathogens and predators. The algae's thick texture also lends itself to easy harvesting.

One of the criticisms lobbed at algae as a biofuel source is that it uses too much water. Davis disagrees with this criticism. "There's water and then there's water," he said. "We've shown that we can grow algae in turf scrubber systems using water full of nasty components. And it still thrives." In other words, there isn't much that can be done with this water until the pollutants are removed.

Growing algae to control wild, unchecked algae growth

Algae blooms can grow so large that they are visible from outer space, as is the case in Lake Okeechobee, Lake Erie, the Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Blooms are not directly toxic to fish, but under certain conditions they can become harmful to marine and human life. When blooms die off, the decay process can leave waterways with "dead zones," low-oxygen areas that cause fish to suffocate. If ingested, certain harmful algae species can also cause flu-like symptoms in people and death in pets, according to congressional testimony.

Algae blooms also occur in the Salton Sea. Davis explains that the sea is the accumulation point for all agricultural runoff water from one of the largest farming areas in the United States. Nitrogen, phosphorus and other elements from fertilizers are continuously deposited into the sea. The presence of these elements feed algae blooms, with negative consequences that can cascade throughout the ecosystem.

Thousands of asphyxiated, dead fish are visible on the shores of the Salton Sea each year. The smell has not done anything positive for businesses in the area, according to a study prepared by Tourism Economics for the Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau. Additionally, studies suggest that the death of birds in the area may be related to strains of algae which produce toxins.

"Release of untreated chemicals into open waterways has broad ecological impacts," Davis said.

Ironically, farming algae could eliminate the harmful effects of unchecked natural algae growth. Water from one of the three major tributaries of the Salton Sea flows into the 900-foot SABRE Project turf scrubber. Algae growing inside the scrubber system feed on and remove the chemicals in the water as it passes through. As the water passes from the system back into the tributary, Sandia's team hopes the elements that kick-start algae blooms will have been removed in significant quantities.

Should the SABRE Project prove successful, it could provide a model of remediation for algae blooms nationwide. There are hopes that the Imperial Valley would benefit as well. By covering thousands of acres of dry, receding Salton Sea shorelines with algae crops, turf scrubber operations could reduce widespread air pollution from toxic dust. Algae refineries could also provide new economic opportunities.

Sandia partnered with the Imperial Irrigation District to help get the SABRE Project off the ground. "A proponent of renewable energy and an advocate for the Salton Sea, the district believes projects like this have the potential to make a meaningful difference," said the district's Officer of Media Communications Specialist, Marion Champion. "We are very hopeful that this project will yield good, clean renewable energy while providing a natural and safe process to remove chemicals, protecting area wildlife for generations to come."
The graphene tattoos retain their full function for about two days, but can be peeled off by a piece of adhesive tape if desired. Credit: Shideh Kabiri Ameri et al. 2017 American Chemical Society

Researchers have designed a graphene-based tattoo that can be directly laminated onto the skin with water, similar to a temporary tattoo. But instead of featuring artistic or colorful designs, the new tattoo is nearly transparent. Its main attraction is that graphene's unique electronic properties enable the tattoo to function as a wearable electronic device, with potential applications including biometric uses (such as measuring the electrical activity of the heart, brain, and muscles), as well as human-machine interactions.

The researchers, led by Deji Akinwande and Nanshu Lu at the University of Texas at Austin, have published a paper on the new graphene electronic tattoo in a recent issue of ACS Nano.

In some ways, the graphene electronic tattoo is similar to commercially available electronic devices for health and fitness tracking: both kinds of devices are capable of heart rate monitoring and bioimpedence (a measure of the body's response to an electric current). But because the ultrathin graphene tattoos can fully conform to the skin, they offer medical-grade data quality, in contrast with the lower performance of the rigid electrode sensors mounted on bands and strapped to the wrist or chest. Due to the high-quality sensing, the researchers expect that the graphene tattoos may offer promising replacements for existing medical sensors, which are typically taped to the skin and require gel or paste to enable the electrodes to function.

"The graphene tattoo is a dry physiological sensor which, because of its thinness, forms an ultra-conformal contact to skin, resulting in increased signal fidelity," coauthor Shideh Kabiri Ameri at the University of Texas at Austin told Phys.org. "Conformability results in less susceptibility to motion artifacts, which is one the biggest drawbacks of conventional dry sensors and electrodes for physiological measurements."

The new tattoos are made of graphene that is coated with an ultrathin backing layer of transparent polymer poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). During fabrication, the graphene/PMMA bilayer is transferred to a piece of ordinary tattoo paper, and the bilayer is then carved into different patterns of serpentine ribbons to make different types of sensors. The finished tattoo is then transferred to any part of the body by bringing the graphene side in contact with the skin and applying water to the back of the tattoo paper to release the tattoo. The tattoos retain their full function for around two days or more, but can be peeled off by a piece of adhesive tape if desired.

Since the researchers previously showed that, theoretically, a graphene tattoo must be less than 510 nm thick to fully conform to human skin and exhibit optimal performance, the tattoo they fabricated here is just 460 nm thick. Combined with graphene/PMMA bilayer optical transparency of approximately 85%, and the fact that the tattoos are more stretchable than human skin, the resulting graphene tattoos are barely perceptible, both mechanically and optically.

Tests showed that the graphene electronic tattoos can be successfully used to measure a variety of electrophysiological signals, including skin temperature and skin hydration, and can function as an electrocardiogram (ECG), electromyogram (EMG), and electroencephalogram (EEG) for measuring the electrical activity of the heart, muscles, and brain, respectively.

"Graphene electronic tattoos are most promising for potential applications in mobile health care, assisted technologies, and human machine interfaces," Kabiri Ameri said. "In the area of human machine interfaces, electrophysiological signals recorded from the brain and muscles can be classified and assigned for specific action in a machine. This area of research can have applications for the internet of things, smart houses and cities, human computer interaction, smart wheelchairs, speech assistance technology, monitoring of distracted driving, and human-robot control. Recently we have demonstrated the application of graphene tattoos for sensing human signals to wirelessly control flying objects. That demonstration will be reported in the near future."

More information: Shideh Kabiri Ameri et al. "Graphene Electronic Tattoo Sensors." ACS Nano. DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.7b02182 Journal information: ACS Nano

 2017 Phys.org
Credit: Sergio Rola

Making our homes greener and more energy efficient is crucial if Europe is to realise its environmental targets and ambitions. But securing financial fuel to retrofit existing properties is tough, with investors often wanting to inject their cash into projects that deliver relatively quick returns

Just because your home was built in the 1950s or 60s doesn't mean it can't be green. Retrofitting  the process of modernising properties using the latest technologies  can save energy and reduce CO2 emissions.

But with more than 50 percent of Europe's residential properties owned by private, single owners, it can be a hard sell. "When there are small developments, it's all about making the owners aware of the advantages of retrofitting," explains Dr Sergio Olivero, Head of Energy and Security Research at the Higher Institute on Territorial Systems for Innovation (SITI) in Italy.

"With those who own larger numbers of homes, financial reliability is a crucial factor. The ability to create business plans which have the capacity to reach investor thresholds is important. Other investors are attracted to the clustering of thousands of homes, but that can mean more complexity unless the properties are owned by one entity."

Olivero stresses that financial incentives are key to attracting investment. He points to Italy, where he says up to 75 percent of funding for retrofit projects can be offered over a period of up to 10 years. "In Italy, there are 18 million homes which are primary residences, and 70 percent of them were built in the 1950s, 60s, 70s and early 80s, so regeneration is required to maintain both their market value and their ability to be sold  owners need an opportunity to protect their asset value," he says.

But energy efficiency measures are often based on public funding, made available directly to customers who invest in small, single initiatives with limited scope for wider take-up.

SITI is collaborating with the European BuildHeat project, which is aiming to lever larger private and public investments in urban regeneration, through the green retrofitting of multi-family properties. It hopes to bring new technologies to the market, along with more attractive business models for investors.

"Instead of the term 'retrofitting,' we should 'active and passive measures to make buildings become prosumers,' in other words users and producers of energy," says Olivero. "This can be achieved by combining active measures such as thermal panels and electric storage with passive measures such as new windows. In this perspective, we can talk of energy-driven urban regeneration, where cities become networks of smart prosumers."

Joris Pauwels, a Senior Associate at London-based Zaha Hadid Architects, says the secret of unlocking funds is to get forward-thinking investors on-board  those who are prepared to take an element of risk to support new ideas and thinking.

"There is obviously a cost attached to sustainable measures. But if you go away from the here and now, and you look at the overall projected lifetime and life cycle of buildings, and you calculate the costs on that long-term span, then you save that cost down the line in terms of energy consumption of buildings, in terms of water consumption, electricity and so on," he explains.

"We all know where the world is going and that harsh measures are needed. I think there's a lot of research and innovation that can lead to making specific solutions more mainstream. We need to develop measures that allow us to build more sustainably."

Milan-based renowned architect Stefano Boeri, stresses the process is not necessarily more expensive than a new construction  and can be the only option in many cases. "Sometimes it is the only possible way of acting in buildings that are part of a country's architectural heritage and that need to be updated in terms of energy performance, quality of living and contemporary requirements," he says. But, of course, future retrofitting is dependent on funds flowing in from investors who can see the longer-term gains of going green.
Scientists try to beat nature at the camouflage game by bending light. Credit: Kdsphotos / Pixabay

Two research teams have made structures that could help conceal objects from daylight  taking the next step towards making the visible, invisible. Recent progress draws on advances in so-called metamaterials, which are microscopic structures that bend light in unnatural directions.

Metamaterials have already managed to reroute microwaves, infrared radiation and, given the right circumstances, visible colours, so that they go around metal obstacles and living creatures.

'These experiments have demonstrated the underlying physics of a cloaking device,' said Professor Costas Soukoulis from the Foundation for Research and Technology in Heraklion, Greece, who is also working to develop this technology through a research project called PHOTOMETA, funded by the EU's European Research Council (ERC).

But Prof. Soukoulis acknowledged that existing invisibility cloaks still fall short of the standards set by Perseus or Harry Potter and said that 'most metamaterials still struggle to bend light that is visible to the naked eye'.

An additional shortcoming is the tendency of metamaterials to absorb part of the light that shines through them, which casts a recognisable shadow. Most are also cumbersome to carry and impractical to manufacture.

However, Dr Patrice Genevet from the CRHEA research centre in Valbonne, France, is hoping to address these challenges by using light materials and visual techniques from the electronic display industry.

As part of his ERC-funded research, FLATLIGHT, Dr Genevet is coating flat lenses with skin-thin layers of gallium nitride, the material that emits blue light in LED displays.

The gallium nitride is then carved into pillars that are small enough to create delays in how light waves flow through them. Having studied how different-shaped pillars distort light, Dr Genevet can now design lenses that force light in any direction, looping it sideways or backwards on demand.

All metamaterials can pull off similar feats, but electronic materials like gallium nitride are unusual in that they do so with visible light. The material's properties provide the potential of someday developing a real-life cloaking device.

'If you want to bend light around sharp angles, you have to use materials that cannot be found in nature,' said Dr Genevet.

While conventional metamaterials tend to be ill-suited for moving around unnoticed, Dr Genevet fashions his pillars in thin layers that could, in principle, be deposited on flexible surfaces and incorporated into stealth suits.

He has also reduced light absorption by optimising the design of his pillars, increasing the optical transmission of his flat lenses from 60 % to almost 90 %, and is now investigating whether gallium nitride can replace the remaining losses by emitting light of its own.

These refinements are at an early stage of development, but the technology is already finding applications in other markets where weight is an expense.

For example, on board the European Space Agency's space observatory, the Gaia spacecraft uses similar materials in its efforts to split light and help measure the composition of stars more precisely.

Dr Genevet expects that working with established techniques will ultimately make it possible to mass-produce flat lenses more economically than the three-dimensional metamaterials available today.

Camouflage

For all their merit, gallium nitride pillars share one design flaw with most other metamaterials. Each array of pillars only works within a narrow range of colours, meaning that the object it cloaks remains visible in all others.

Meanwhile, Prof. Soukoulis is working on strategic solutions to fundamental questions of this nature. Earlier this year, he revealed a strontium-titanium alloy that changes the frequency of light and can guide it depending on the ambient temperature.

'This chameleon approach would still only cloak an object to one colour at a time, but we could pick that colour on demand,' he said.

Given the current pace of progress, Prof. Soukoulis is convinced that ongoing research into cloaking devices will continue to surmount technical hurdles, but he is excited by what discoveries may arise along the way.

'Using the same techniques, metamaterials could guide light around sensitive organs during laser surgery, and collect signals from sources as faint as live viruses,' said Prof. Soukoulis.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A summer 'vortex' of cold air over the Karakoram mountain range is causing the glaciers in the region to grow in spite of global warming, scientists have shown.

Publishing their findings today in Nature Climate Change, the team from Newcastle University, UK, have identified a large scale circulation systemor vortexcentred over the Karakoram, a large mountain range spanning the borders of Pakistan, India, and China.

In winter, the vortex affects the temperature over the whole 2,000 kilometre mountain range, but in the summer the vortex contracts and has an effect only over the Karakoram and western Pamir.

This induces an anomalous cooling in summer which is different to the warming seen over the rest of the Himalaya.

Co-author Professor Hayley Fowler, says this Karakoram vortex goes some way to explaining why the glaciers in this region are behaving differently to those in most other parts of the world.

"While most glaciers are retreating as a result of global warming, the glaciers of the Karakoram range in South Asia are stable or even growing," explains Professor Fowler, Professor of Climate Change Impacts at Newcastle University.

"Most climate models suggest warming over the whole region in summer as well as in winter.

"However, our study has shown that large-scale circulation is controlling regional variability in atmospheric temperatures, with recent cooling of summer temperatures. This suggests that climate models do not reproduce this feature well.

"We don't know how climate change will affect this circulation system and what the effect of sudden shifts might be.

"But the circulation system is currently providing a dampening effect on global warming, reducing glacial melt in the Karakoram region and any change will have a significant effect on ice melt rates, which would ultimately affect river flows in the region."

The Karakoram anomaly

Usually, glaciers oscillate between growth and retreat.

Snow falls on the peaks and gradually compacts and turns to ice while lower down the glaciers lose ice to melting and evaporation.

If snowfall equals snowmelt, the glacier is in equilibrium but global warming has tipped the balance so that most of the world's glaciers are shrinking.

The Karakoram anomaly was first described in 2005 and since then, scientists have been trying to determine what might be causing the expansion of glaciers in the region - which includes the world's second largest mountain K2.

Acting like a counter-weighted temperature control, the unique summer interaction of the Karakoram vortex and the South Asian Monsoon causes temperatures in the Karakoram and Pamir to cool while those in the Central and Eastern Himalaya are warming, and vice versa.

Over recent decades, these vortex-monsoon interactions have resulted in stormier conditions over the Karakoram.

"This vortex provides an important temperature control," explains Newcastle University's Dr Nathan Forsythe, lead author of the study.

"It is therefore important to look at how it has changed and influenced temperature over the last century so we can better understand how a change in the system might affect future climate.

"This is of huge importance in terms of food security because of the large populations that rely on water resources from snow and ice melt from the mountainous catchments to grow their irrigated crops in the Indus Plains of the Sindh and Punjab states and provinces of Pakistan and India."

More information: Karakoram temperature and glacial melt driven by regional atmospheric circulation variability, Nature Climate Change (2017). DOI: 10.1038/nclimate3361 Journal information: Nature Climate Change
An archaeologist entering the Kirschbaumhohle (Cherry Tree Cave) in the Franconian Alps, where the remains of the dog that lived 4,700 years ago during the Neolithic period were found. Researchers were able to sequence the animal's complete genome. Credit: Timo Seregely, University of Bamberg

By analyzing the DNA of two prehistoric dogs from Germany, an international research team led by Krishna R. Veeramah, Ph.D., of Stony Brook University in the USA has determined that their genomes were the probable ancestors of modern European dogs. The study also suggests that all contemporary dogs have a common origin and emerged through a single domestication process of wolves 20,000 to 40,000 years ago. Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) also participated in the study, the results of which recently have been published in Nature Communications.

Dogs were the first animals to be domesticated by humans. The oldest remains of dogs that can be clearly distinguished from those of wolves originate from what is now Germany and are about 15,000 years old. Unfortunately, the archaeological record is ambiguous, with claims of ancient domesticated dog bones from the most varied locations as far away as Siberia.

Only last year were researchers able to sequence the genome of a 5,000-year-old dog from Ireland using the latest paleogenomic techniques. The results of the study led the research team at the University of Oxford to suggest dogs were domesticated not once but twice. In addition, the research team also hypothesized that an indigenous dog population domesticated in Europe was replaced by incoming migrants independently domesticated in East Asia during the Neolithic period.

"Contrary to the results of this previous analysis, we found that our ancient dogs from the same time period were very similar to modern European dogs, including the majority of breed dogs people keep as pets," explained Veeramah, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University. "This suggests that there was no mass Neolithic replacement that occurred on the continent and that there was likely only a single domestication process for the dogs observed in the fossil record from the Stone Age and that we also see and live with today."

The skull of the 4,700-year-old Neolithic dog was found in the Kirschbaumhohle (Cherry Tree Cave), here still in situ before whole genome sequencing. Credit: Timo Seregely, University of Bamberg

In their article "Ancient European dog genomes reveal continuity since the Early Neolithic," Veeramah and his colleagues used the older 7,000-year-old dog to narrow the timing of dog domestication to the 20,000 to 40,000 years ago range. They found evidence that the younger, 4,700-year-old dog represents a mixture of European dogs and a population that resembles current Central Asian/Indian dogs. This finding may reflect people migrating from the Asian steppe to Europe at the beginning of the Bronze Age, bringing their own dogs with them.

"Our study shows how the analysis of entire ancient genomes can help us to gradually understand complex processes, such as dog domestication. Only direct insights into the past like this enable us to disentangle the effects of the many parallel and successive events that are involved, including targeted breeding by humans as well as population movements and admixture of multiple populations," added Dr. Amelie Scheu, one of the primary authors of the article and a research assistant in the Palaeogenetics Work Group at the Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

Overall, however, the question where exactly dogs were first domesticated in geographic terms remains a mystery, although Krishna R. Veeramah expects that the sequencing of additional ancient Eurasian genomes will help to eventually solve the issue.

The skull of the 4,700-year-old Neolithic dog found in the Kirschbaumhohle (Cherry Tree Cave) in the lab, shortly before the animal's entire genome was sequenced. Credit: Amelie Scheu, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

More information: Laura R. Botigue et al, Ancient European dog genomes reveal continuity since the Early Neolithic, Nature Communications (2017). DOI: 10.1038/ncomms16082 Journal information: Nature Communications
Credit: NASA

On Monday, August 21, 2017, all of North America will be in the path of a solar eclipse, which occurs when the sunlight reaching Earth is blocked by the moon.

These phenomena occur somewhere on Earth about once every 18 months, but for the first time since June 1918, a total solar eclipse will be visible from coast to coast in the United States. From Oregon to South Carolina, those with clear skies in the "path of totality" can experience one of nature's most awe-inspiring events - the moon passing directly between Earth and the sun to completely cover our star.

For this historical occasion, NASA has created a tactile guide, "Getting a Feel for Eclipses," to allow everyone to learn more about the upcoming eclipse  including people who won't be able visibly experience it. Indeed, the book is designed to depict basic concepts about the interaction and alignment of the sun with the moon and Earth during a solar eclipse.

This book will help sighted as well as visually-impaired people better understand the science of eclipses by adding the sense of touch to their learning process.

"NASA is privileged to help bring this historic eclipse to a segment of our population who have previously not had an opportunity to enjoy these celestial phenomena," said Greg Schmidt, deputy director of NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. "We feel strongly that everyone should have a part to play in exploring our universe."

Credit: NASA

Over 5,000 copies of the eclipse book have been sent to schools and libraries for the blind, science centers and museums, state libraries, NASA centers and other institutions. The books are also being distributed at this summer's National Federation of the Blind Conference. The project team is working with park rangers to take advantage of opportunities to engage the public using these books for the blind.

The eclipse tactile guide is the latest in a series of space-related braille books, following "Getting a Feel for Lunar Craters" and "Exploring Mars," as part of a larger effort to get students excited about science and math.

The development of the books is managed by the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, or SSERVI, at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, with funding from the agency's Science Mission Directorate.

Provided by NASA
Intergenerational relations include various forms of help and support, but also introduce tensions and conflicts. Although relations with in-laws are the subject of many anecdotes and proverbs across cultures, they remain little studied in contemporary societies. A new study investigates how being a parent is associated with conflicts between family generations. The research is part of the Generational Transfers in Finland, a research project led by Professor Anna Rotkirch and funded by the Academy of Finland.

Using survey data from Finland with over 1,200 respondents, the authors studied conflicts that couples reported having with their own parents and their in-laws.

Overall, Finns reported higher conflict occurrence with their own parents than with their in-laws. Compared to childless couples, couples with children were as likely to report conflicts with their own parents. However, they were more likely to report conflicts with their parents-in-law. The results took into account how frequently family members were in contact with each other and how emotionally close they felt, as well as other sociodemographic factors.

Previous studies have shown that in-laws become more "kin-like" to each other when a grandchild unites kin lineages. Treating an in-law almost as biological kin can make the adults involved feel closer to each other and help each other more, which has been called a "kinship premium." This study documented evidence also of a "kinship penalty." As in-laws become more kin-like through the presence of a grandchild, their mutual conflicts increase.

Childcare provided by grandparents is of great help to parents of young children, but may also be a source of conflicts. "Daughters-in-law were more likely to report conflicts when their mother-in-law provided more grandchild care," says researcher Mirkka Danielsbacka. "This indicates that the increase in conflicts between in-laws are related to grandchild care."

More information: Mirkka Danielsbacka et al, The "Kinship Penalty": Parenthood and In-Law Conflict in Contemporary Finland, Evolutionary Psychological Science (2017). DOI: 10.1007/s40806-017-0114-8
Inside the Super-Kamiokande neutrino detector. Credit: Imperial College London

New results show a difference in the way neutrinos and antineutrinos behave, which could help explain why there is so much matter in the universe.

The results, announced today by the international team of scientists including large group from Imperial College London, suggest there could be a difference between the behaviour of matter and antimatter.

The T2K Collaboration of scientists studies the properties of neutrinos and their antimatter counterparts, antineutrinos. Neutrinos are fundamental particles that make up our universe and are among the least understood. Yet every second around 50 trillion neutrinos from the Sun pass through your body.

Understanding whether neutrinos and antineutrinos behave differently is important, because if all types of matter and antimatter behave the same way, they should have completely wiped each other out shortly after the Big Bang. If this were the case, our universe would not exist.

Neutrinos and antineutrinos can both change between three 'flavours' as they travel, named electron, muon and tau neutrinos. Changes between the three flavours are known as oscillations.

To explore these oscillations, the T2K experiment fires a beam of neutrinos or antineutrinos from the J-PARC laboratory on the eastern coast of Japan. When the beam reaches the Super-Kamiokande detector, 295km away in western Japan, scientists then look for a difference in the oscillations of neutrinos and antineutrinos.

The latest experimental results looked at oscillations that resulted in the appearance of electron neutrinos and antineutrinos. There was a higher-than-expected rate of appearance for electron neutrinos compared to appearances of electron antineutrinos.

Testing new fundamental physics

Dr Morgan Wascko, international co-spokesperson for the T2K experiment from the Department of Physics at Imperial College London, said: "The current T2K result shows a fascinating hint that there's an asymmetry between the behaviour of neutrinos and antineutrinos; in other words an asymmetry between the behaviour of matter and antimatter. We now need to collect more data to enhance the significance of our observed asymmetry."

he T2K Collaboration is an international team of around 500 physicists from 63 institutes in 11 countries including the UK, Japan, the US, Canada, France, and Switzerland. A large team from the Department of Physics at Imperial, led by Dr Yoshi Uchida and Dr Wascko, was involved in producing the latest result, including students and postdocs.

Dr Patrick Dunne, one of the lead analysers of the result, said: "The role I and several others at Imperial play is doing the statistical analysis to bring all this work together into a final result. We spend months checking that we've accounted for everything about our detector and our model of how the neutrinos interact.

"After all this is complete, one of the great privileges of being one of the people who does this final step is getting to know the result a little bit earlier than everyone else, which is really exciting.

"Hopefully these indications tell us that the current setup, and the experiments that we're planning to follow it, will be able to perform precise measurements of these matter-antimatter differences. Compatibility with these measurements will be a very important test for new fundamental theories of physics to pass."

From super to hyper

Although this work is promising, there are still systematic uncertainties, so the T2K team is designing an upgrade to the detector to enhance its sensitivities.

Dr Phillip Litchfield, who led Imperial's review of the analysis, said: "The future experiment Imperial is most involved in is Hyper-Kamiokande, the upgrade to the Super-Kamiokande detector.

"This will achieve much more precise (and therefore also more definitive) results simply by virtue of being bigger and observing hundreds of times more neutrinos than we have collected to date. In this respect it's rather like getting a better picture of nature by having a better camera.

"But another possibility we are actively involved in is to place a second detector module much further away on the same beamline, in South Korea rather than Japan. This in effect allows us to observe the same phenomena from a different angle."

Although the team might have to wait for upgrades and new experiments to confirm their result, Dr Litchfield notes that the science is moving forward much faster than anticipated. He said: "It is very exciting that we are able to produce these results so quickly.

"T2K has been in some sense lucky in that when we discovered electron neutrino appearance in 2013, the observed effect was much larger than expected when we designed the experiment. If you'd asked me in 2010 when we would be seeing the current result, I would have guessed sometime in the mid-2020s.

"The terrific speed at which we are finding these results is a challenge in itself  we have to look at all of our models and analysis techniques and ensure that they are detailed enough and robust enough to make this more complicated measurement, not the simpler one we imagined we might still be working towards in 2017."
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Nibble pink biscuits under the gaze of the Smiling Angel while shopping for a chateau

By Elsa Court

The obvious reason to live here is in the name. If you are thinking about moving to the worlds sparkling-wine mecca, world heritage and sweet treats await.

Walk in the footsteps of French kings and Joan of Arc

Reims, the capital of Champagne, is also known as the City of Coronations. Thirty-three French kings, from the middle ages to the Bourbon restoration (1814-1830), have been crowned in the citys cathedral. The crowning of Charles VII in 1429 by Joan of Arc is celebrated every spring for two days throughout the city, and the square in front of the cathedral hosts festivities and a medieval marketplace. Notre-Dame de Reims front portal boasts the largest number of sculpted figures of any cathedral in Europe after Chartres, including the iconic Smiling Angel in the north portal of the west facade.

Entry arch of Notre-Dame de Reims

Culture for all generations

The medieval citys vibrant cultural scene invites international exchange and intergenerational participation. Every summer, the Flaneries Musicales de Reims meets for a three-week festival of classical music and holds events in some of the citys three Unesco World Heritage sites as well as an open-air picnic concert. You can attend the organisations international conferences on music history throughout the year, which welcomes distinguished academics from all around the world.

Buy a chateau

Reims is a 90-minute drive from Paris and under three hours from Calais, and while the city attracts many tourists from around Europe to savour grand gastronomy and heritage for a weekend, the Champagne-Ardenne region is also a prime location for historical properties. For just under a million euros you can acquire your own chateau in a quiet part of the north-eastern French countryside and within proximity of the A5 motorway and other important axes of transport.

If you are a modernist at heart, youll find your happiness in the Art Deco buildings of the trendy Boulingrin neighbourhood in town.

Dont skip dessert

The Champagne region has a biscuit-making tradition that dates back to the 17th century. Reims in particular is famous for its pink biscuit, also known as the champagne cookie. The reason? Twice baked, the champagne cookie is hard enough to dip in bubbly wine without softening.

Arnaud Lallements three Michelin-star restaurant LAssiette Champenoise serves champagne throughout the meal and a variety of mignardises, local post-dessert nibbles ranging from praline chocolate to miniature lemon tarts.

Reims also has a wide array of independent shops and confectionery artisans. You can find its finest champagne biscuits and other pastel-coloured treats such as macaroons at the famed Fossier.

Fossier, the biscuit maker

Get bubbly

Touring the vineyards and cellars of Champagne is a good excuse to get away from the city and survey some of the regions postcard-perfect hills and valleys, from the Massif de Saint Thierry and the Ardre Valley to the Montagne de Reims. The special advantage of living locally is free delivery of the best champagne from the citys cavistes (try Cave des Sacres, a short walk from the cathedral) or directly from the vignerons.

Montagne de Reims

Ruinart, the regions oldest maison de Champagne, opens its cellars to private events and caters for the most exceptional dinner parties. Champagne is served  with expert commentary  from aperitif all the way through to dessert.

Photographs: Artjazz/Dreamstime; Nlphotos/Dreamstime; CW Images/Alamy; Tacna/Dreamstime; Alain Julien/AFP/Getty Images

Related article: How To Spend It: The irresistible reinvention of rose champagne
One month after the election, President-elect Donald Trump made a "victory tour" of states that had helped deliver his surprise win.

In Fayetteville, North Carolina, Trump introduced his choice for Secretary of Defense, Gen. James Mattis, and pledged the following: "We will stop racing to topple foreign regimes that we know nothing about, that we shouldn't be involved with. Instead, our focus must be on defeating terrorism and destroying ISIS, and we will."

He appears to be fulfilling the second part of that pledge, less so the first. Think North Korea, Iran, Russia, and now even Venezuela, which has had new sanctions placed on it following fraudulent elections giving dictatorial power to President Nicolas Maduro.

While Venezuela is no threat to America and Russia is a major headache, North Korea and Iran are clear and present dangers. These two rogue regimes are committed to developing nuclear weapons capable of reaching U.S. cities no matter what we do.

Clearly this cannot be allowed to happen, but the question is how to stop them short of all-out war that has the potential to kill millions and create a doomsday scenario reminiscent of Cold War movies like "Fail Safe," "Dr. Strangelove" and "On the Beach."

The best offense really is a good defense. When Ronald Reagan proposed his "Strategic Defense Initiative" in a nationally televised address on March 23, 1983, many on the left mocked him. They called his proposal science fiction and unworkable, derisively labeling it "Star Wars."

They're not mocking that proposal now. The Defense Department has had several successes with its Terminal High Altitude Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system, but only at targets that represent medium-range missiles. In May, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency also "'successfully intercepted' an intercontinental ballistic missile during the first test of its ground-based intercept system." That's not science fiction.

Readers should revisit Reagan's speech as a template for dealing with modern threats. In that address from the Oval Office, Reagan said the risk of war is lessened when the U.S. has a strong deterrence, which he defined as "making sure any adversary who thinks about attacking the United States, or our allies, or our vital interests, concludes that the risks to him outweigh any potential gains. Once he understands that, he won't attack. We maintain the peace through our strength; weakness only invites aggression."

Reagan said the strategy of deterrence had not changed, but what it takes to deter had changed. While acknowledging it might take decades to achieve SDI, Reagan said he wanted to take the first step.

He concluded his address: "I am directing a comprehensive and intensive effort to define a long-term research and development program to begin to achieve our ultimate goal of eliminating the threat posed by strategic nuclear missiles. This could pave the way for arms control measures to eliminate the weapons themselves. We seek neither military superiority nor political advantage. Our only purpose -- one all people share -- is to search for ways to reduce the danger of nuclear war.

"My fellow Americans, tonight we're launching an effort which holds the promise of changing the course of human history. There will be risks, and results take time. But I believe we can do it. As we cross this threshold, I ask for your prayers and your support."

President Trump should emulate his predecessor, making his first televised address from the Oval Office during which he explains to Americans why North Korea and Iran pose an immediate, or ultimate, threat to the United States. He should announce a fast-track effort to escalate THAAD so it can destroy ICBMs. A space-based, anti-missile system should then complement our defenses in order to protect America and our allies from nuclear attack.

As Reagan noted, weakness encourages tyrants. Tehran and Pyongyang must be encouraged at what appears to be instability in the Trump administration. A credible missile defense system would send them a message more powerful than words.
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WestRock Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides fiber-based paper and packaging solutions in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It operates through two segments, Corrugated Packaging and Consumer Packaging. The Corrugated Packaging segment produces containerboards, corrugated sheets, corrugated packaging, and preprinted linerboards to consumer and industrial products manufacturers, and corrugated box manufacturers. It also provides structural and graphic design, engineering services and custom, and proprietary and standard automated packaging machines, as well as turn-key installation, automation, line integration, and packaging solutions; distributes corrugated packaging materials and other specialty packaging products, including stretch films, void fills, carton sealing tapes, and other specialty tapes; operates recycling facilities that collect, sort, grade, and bale recovered paper; and provides lithographic laminated packaging products, as well as contract packing services. The Consumer Packaging segment manufactures and sells folding cartons that are used to package food, paper, beverages, dairy products, tobacco, confectionery, health and beauty, other household consumer, and commercial and industrial products; and express mail packages for the overnight courier industry. It also offers inserts and labels, as well as rigid packaging and other printed packaging products, such as transaction cards, brochures, product literature, marketing materials, and grower tags and plant stakes for the horticultural market; and secondary packages and paperboard packaging for over-the-counter and prescription drugs. In addition, this segment manufactures and sells solid fiber and corrugated partitions, and die-cut paperboard components principally to glass container manufacturers and the automotive industry, as well as producers of beer, food, wine, spirits, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. WestRock Company is based in Atlanta, Georgia.
The following companies are subsidiares of Eli Lilly and: 1096401 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, ARMO BioSciences Inc, ARMO Bioscience, Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Alnara Pharmaceuticals, Alnara Pharmaceuticals Inc., Andean Technical Operations Center, Applied Molecular Evolution Inc., AurKa Pharma, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc., ChemGen, CoLucid Pharmaceuticals, CoLucid Pharmaceuticals Inc., Dermira, Devices for Vascular Intervention(DVI), Disarm Therapeutics, Dista Ilac Ticaret Ltd. Sti., Dista S.A., Dista-Produtos Quimicos & Farmaceuticos LDA, ELCO Dominicana SRL, ELCO Insurance Company Limited, ELCO Management Inc., ELCO for Trade and Marketing S.A.E., ELGO Insurance Company Limited, Elanco Animal Health Ireland Limited, Elanco Switzerland Holding Sarl, Eli Lilly (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Eli Lilly (Philippines) Incorporated, Eli Lilly (S.A.) (Proprietary) Limited, Eli Lilly (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Eli Lilly (Suisse) S.A., Eli Lilly Asia Inc., Eli Lilly Asia Pacific SSC Sdn Bhd, Eli Lilly Australia Pty. Limited, Eli Lilly B-H d.o.o., Eli Lilly Benelux S.A., Eli Lilly Bienes y Servicios S de RL de CV, Eli Lilly CR s.r.o., Eli Lilly Canada Inc., Eli Lilly Cork Limited, Eli Lilly Danmark A/S, Eli Lilly Egypt for Trading, Eli Lilly European Clinical Trial Services SA, Eli Lilly Export S.A., Eli Lilly Finance S.A., Eli Lilly Ges.m.b.H., Eli Lilly Group Limited, Eli Lilly Holdings Ltd., Eli Lilly Hrvatska d.o.o., Eli Lilly Interamerica Inc., Eli Lilly Interamerica Inc. y Compania Limitada, Eli Lilly International Corporation, Eli Lilly Ireland Holdings Limited, Eli Lilly Israel Ltd., Eli Lilly Italia S.p.A., Eli Lilly Japan K.K., Eli Lilly Kinsale Limited, Eli Lilly Nederland B.V., Eli Lilly Nigeria Ltd., Eli Lilly Norge A.S., Eli Lilly Pakistan (Pvt.) Ltd., Eli Lilly Polska Sp.z.o.o. (Ltd.), Eli Lilly Regional Operations GmbH, Eli Lilly Romania SRL, Eli Lilly S.A., Eli Lilly Saudi Arabia Limited, Eli Lilly Services Inc, Eli Lilly Services India Private Limited, Eli Lilly Slovakia s.r.o., Eli Lilly Sweden AB, Eli Lilly Vostok S.A. Geneva, Eli Lilly and Company, Eli Lilly and Company (India) Pvt. Ltd., Eli Lilly and Company (Ireland) Limited, Eli Lilly and Company (N.Z.) Limited, Eli Lilly and Company (Taiwan) Inc., Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Eli Lilly de Centro America S.A., Eli Lilly do Brasil Limitada, Eli Lilly farmacevtska druzba d.o.o., Eli Lilly y Compania de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Eli Lilly y Compania de Venezuela S.A., Glycostasis Inc, Greenfield-Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Heart Rhythm Technologies Inc, Hybritech, Hypnion, ICOS Corporation, ImClone GmbH, ImClone LLC, ImClone Systems Holdings Inc., ImClone Systems LLC, Imclone Systems, Irisfarma S.A., Ivy Animal Health, Kinsale Financial Services Unlimited Company, Lilly (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd, Lilly Asia Ventures Fund I L.P., Lilly Asia Ventures Fund II L.P., Lilly Asian Ventures Fund III L.P., Lilly Cayman Holdings, Lilly China Research and Development Co. Ltd., Lilly Deutschland GmbH, Lilly France S.A.S., Lilly Global Nederland Holdings B.V., Lilly Global Services Inc., Lilly Holding GmbH, Lilly Holdings B.V., Lilly Hungaria KFT, Lilly Japan Financing G.K., Lilly Korea Ltd., Lilly Nederland Finance B.V., Lilly Nederland Finance B.V. - GCC, Lilly Nederland Holding B.V., Lilly Pharma Ltd., Lilly Portugal - Produtos Farmaceuticos Lda., Lilly S.A., Lilly Suzhou Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Lilly Trading Co. LTD, Lilly USA LLC, Lilly Ventures Fund I LLC, Lilly del Caribe Inc., Lilly ilac ticaret limited sirketi, Lohmann Animal Health, Loxo Oncology, Lylly Centre for Clinical Pharmacology PTE. LTD., Novartis Animal Health, OY Eli Lilly Finland AB, Origin Medsystems, PT. Eli Lilly Indonesia, Pacific Biotech, Pharmaserve-Lilly S.A.C.I., Physio-Control, SGX Pharmaceuticals, SGX Pharmaceuticals Inc, Spaly Bioquimica S.A., UAB Eli Lilly Lietuva, Valquifarma S.A., and Vital Pharma Productos Farmaceuticos.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen France SAS, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Suzhou Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel Ireland Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Brooks Instrument Shanghai Co. Ltd, Buell Industries Inc., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS Australia Pty Limited, CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures Australasia S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Coeur Shanghai Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Denison Mayes Group Limited, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., E2M Production B.V.., E2M Technologies B.V.., E2M Technologies Inc.., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO Holding AG, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, Exhibit 21, FEG Investments L.L.C., Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Filtertek SAS, GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech Taicang Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Belgium B.V., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart International Singapore Pte. Ltd., Hobart Japan K.K., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components Chongqing Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components Langfang Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium B.V., ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS UK Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW China Investment Company Limited, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Construction Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Services Manila Inc., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Contamination Control Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Deutschland GmbH, ITW Diagraph GmbH, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW EU Holdings Ltd., ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.L., ITW European Finance Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Thailand Ltd., ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France Luxembourg S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW Materials Technology Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Ningbo Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology China Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion Shenzhen Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Illinois Tool Works Chile Limitada, Illinois Tool Works ITW Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Inc., Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, Instron Shanghai Ltd., Instron Thailand Limited, International Leasing Company LLC, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., Itw Spraytec, KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems Canada Inc., Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MTS 2 LLC., MTS 3 LLC., MTS China Holdings LLC, MTS Europe Holdings LLC, MTS Holdings France S.a.r.l., MTS Japan Ltd.., MTS Korea Inc.., MTS Systems China Co. Ltd., MTS Systems Corporation, MTS Systems Danmark ApS., MTS Systems Europe B.V., MTS Systems Finance C.V.., MTS Systems Germany GmbH, MTS Systems Holding B.V.., MTS Systems Hong Kong Incorporated, MTS Systems Limited, MTS Systems Norden Aktiebolag, MTS Systems S.r.l, MTS Systems., MTS Systems.., MTS Sytems Do Brazil, MTS Testing Solutions India Private Limited., MTS Testing Systems Canada Ltd., Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology Suzhou Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited Enping, Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners Shanghai Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., R&D Engineering A/S., R&D Prague s.r.o., R&D Steel ApS., R&D Test Systems A/S., R&D Tools and Structures A/S., RDGDK Engineering Private Limited, Ramset Fasteners Hong Kong Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco Japan Inc., Simco Nederland B.V., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques  SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes B.V., Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Hong Kong Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Shanghai Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stokvis Tapes Taiwan Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Tianjin Co. Ltd., Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Subsidiaries, Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek China Limited, Teknek Japan Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Kunshan Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta Global Limited, Vesta Guangzhou Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil South Africa Pty Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, and Zip-Pak International B.V..

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Hilltop Holdings Inc. provides business and consumer banking, and financial products and services. It operates through three segments: Banking, Broker-Dealer, and Mortgage Origination. The Banking segment offers savings, checking, interest-bearing checking, and money market accounts; certificates of deposit; lines and letters of credit, home improvement and equity loans, loans for purchasing and carrying securities, equipment loans and leases, agricultural and commercial real estate loans, and other loans; and commercial and industrial loans, and term and construction finance. This segment also provides treasury management, wealth management, asset management, check cards, safe deposit boxes, online banking, bill pay, trust, and overdraft services; and estate planning, management and administration, investment portfolio management, employee benefit accounts, and individual retirement accounts, as well as automated teller machines. The Broker-Dealer segment offers public finance services that assist public entities in originating, syndicating, and distributing securities of municipalities and political subdivisions; specialized advisory and investment banking services; advice and guidance to arbitrage rebate compliance, portfolio management, and local government investment pool administration; structured finance services, which include advisory services for derivatives and commodities; sells, trades in, and underwrites U.S. government and government agency bonds, corporate bonds, and municipal bonds, as well as mortgage-backed, asset-backed, and commercial mortgage-backed securities and structured products. This segment also provides asset and liability management advisory, clearing, retail, and securities lending services. The Mortgage Origination segment offers mortgage, jumbo, Federal Housing Administration, Veterans Affairs, and United States Department of Agriculture loans. Hilltop Holdings Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The company offers personal deposits, such as chequing, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases. It also provides credit cards and payments; real estate secured lending, auto finance, and consumer lending services; point-of-sale payment solutions for large and small businesses; wealth and asset management products, and advice to retail and institutional clients through direct investing, advice-based, and asset management businesses; and property and casualty insurance, as well as life and health insurance products. The company also provides capital markets, and corporate and investment banking products and services, including underwriting and distribution of new debt and equity issues; advice on strategic acquisitions and divestitures; and trading, funding, and investment services to corporations, governments, and institutions. It offers its products and services under the TD Bank and America's Most Convenient Bank brand names. The company operates through a network of 1,061 branches and 3,381 automated teller machines (ATMs) in Canada, and 1,148 stores and 2,701 ATMs in the United States, as well as offers telephone, digital, and mobile banking services. It has a strategic alliance with Canada Post Corporation. The Toronto-Dominion Bank was founded in 1855 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
We, the members of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents, have 75 years of combined experience in publicly elected leadership.

Weve governed the university. Weve led cities and schools. Weve created and run businesses. Weve served in Congress, and weve been on countless community boards.

Our years of service have taught us this: When your elected representatives dont focus on the big picture, Nebraska loses.

Its been suggested recently that the university is not sufficiently transparent with regard to how it spends taxpayer money.

The leaders of this state could certainly debate whether taxpayers should be able to see exactly how many of their dollars paid for paper clips at the university or whether students should be able to know exactly how much of their professors salary was supported by their tuition dollars.

We could argue about whether the university should report the granular details of its spending, even if that knowledge would do little to inform public policy. This would require major new investments in infrastructure and people, but it could be done, if it were the will of the Legislature.

Or, we could join together and ask the questions that we think the people of Nebraska elected us to ask.

What activities should be funded by the state and what shouldnt the state support?

What are the best opportunities to use valuable taxpayer dollars to grow Nebraskas economy and quality of life?

What do we want the future of our state to look like?

The University of Nebraska must be a key part of that conversation. Your University, which provides affordable and outstanding education to 52,500 students each year, is one of the states most important engines for growth.

NUs annual economic impact exceeds $3.9 billion. We produce the next generation of teachers, farmers, doctors and entrepreneurs. We are a premier destination for cancer care and research, agricultural innovation and advancements in national security. We are a model for expanding access for young people and leveraging partnerships with the private sector that allow us to do more together than would be possible alone.

We hope the Legislature agrees. The state and its university have been close partners for almost 150 years, and Nebraskans have benefited enormously from the affordable excellence our partnership allows. Were grateful that state leaders have long recognized the indisputable value of a vibrant university system.

In return for the states investment, its up to the elected Board of Regents to fulfill its constitutional responsibility to hold the university to rigorous standards for accountability and transparency. We owe the very best due diligence in accounting for every dollar we receive to the students, parents, legislators and taxpayers who entrust us with their precious resources.

Nebraskans have every right to decide whether our bar is high enough.

That thousands of pages of budget and salary documents are widely available for public inspection may not be enough for some. That we go well beyond minimum state and federal reporting requirements may not matter to those who want to hold the University to a different standard of accounting. That the Boards Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee carefully monitors the Universitys financial statements and internal audit function may not be compelling.

Our hope is that we can have the conversations Nebraskans expect us to have.

The challenges were up against  hunger, poverty, disease, security  are as pressing as they have ever been. The global marketplace has never been more competitive. The workforce demands more college graduates than were supplying today. The citizens of the state deserve our most innovative, collaborative, forward thinking.

In our view, theres no question Nebraska needs the creativity and talents of its university to grow for the future. The fiscal challenges facing our state only add to the urgency of moving forward together.

Its time to get focused on where we want to go. Were ready to get to work. We hope all Nebraskans will join us.
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.

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Speaker of Parliament and prospective presidential candidate Halimah Yacob at a National Day celebration event on 6 August. PHOTO: Safhras Khan/Yahoo News Singapore

Speaker of Parliament and Marsiling-Yew Tee Member of Parliament Halimah Yacobs intention to run for President of Singapore, which requires her to resign from both positions, has thrown up an important question: is a by-election needed to fill her position in the Group Representation Constituency (GRC)?

I will ask the Prime Minister to ensure that there are proper replacements for me quickly, especially in the Marsiling division, so that there is no disruption to you, the residents in Marsiling, said Halimah when she announced her candidacy at the Marsiling National Day Celebration event on Sunday (7 August). The other MPs in her GRC are Lawrence Wong, Ong Teng Koon and Alex Yam, with Halimah serving as the minority MP.

Is the government constitutionally required to hold a by-election in her ward? The issue was seemingly answered by Minister in the Prime Ministers Office Chan Chun Sing in February, when he told Parliament that if a minority MP were to leave a GRC to run for president, a by-election would not be called.

But academics and residents in Halimahs Marsiling ward whom Yahoo News Singapore spoke to were divided on the issue.

Dr Kevin Tan, an adjunct professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS) law faculty, noted that the necessity of a by-election hinges on two pieces of legislation: section 24(2A) of the Parliamentary Elections Act and Article 49(1) of the Singapore Constitution.

Article 49(1) says, Whenever the seat of a Member, not being a non-constituency Member, has become vacant for any reason other than a dissolution of Parliament, the vacancy shall be filled by election in the manner provided by or under any law relating to Parliamentary elections for the time being in force.

Meanwhile, section 24(2A) states, In respect of any group representation constituency, no writ shall be issued under subsection (1) for an election to fill any vacancy unless all the Members for that constituency have vacated their seats in Parliament.

Story continues

Tan said that the government has interpreted section 24(2A) to qualify Article 49(1), such that in respect of a GRC, no by-election need to be called unless all the seats in the GRC are vacated. For this reason, there was no by-election when former Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Balaji Sadasivan passed away in 2010, he pointed out.

I believe this reading to be erroneous, Tan added.

The wording of Article 49(1) is clear, according to Tan. It specifies the vacancy of the seat of a Member  which must necessarily refer to a single seat, and to a collection of seats as in a GRC. Article 49(1) requires a BE to be carried out whenever a single seat is vacant, and section 24(2A) of the Parliamentary Elections Act cannot qualify it.

Practical considerations

Law lecturer Benjamin Joshua Ong took a different view from Tan. While the matter has not been authoritatively settled by the courts, I am of the view that the law leans in favour of the position that a by-election cannot, or at least need not, be held.

Ong pointed out the two possible ways to hold a by-election in Marsiling-Yew Tee. One would be to remove all MPs and call a by-election to fill their seats, or to call a by-election to fill only the seat of the MP who has left. The former runs the risk of upsetting the established scheme as regards the timing of elections.

With the latter, one may argue that this is undesirable too because a voter has voted for a particular set of MPs, and that if one MP steps down then the remaining set of MPs is a different set from what voters voted for. The issue would be further complicated if the MP elected in a by-election is from a different political party than the remaining MPs.

Ong added, It does not follow that holding a by-election will lead to a result that will be more in line with the principles of representative democracy, compared to simply allowing the seat to remain vacant. It may well be that not holding a by-election can, in principle, be the best way to maximise the level of representativeness of the set of MPs in a GRC.

Ong noted that only the courts can provide an authoritative interpretation of the relevant laws to determine whether the past practice was correct. He also pointed to the 2008 parliamentary debate following the death of Jurong GRC MP Ong Chit Chung, when the House voted to reject NMP Thio Li-anns proposal to change the law to make a by-election compulsory in certain circumstances, including the vacation of a seat in a GRC by a minority MP.

In 2013, following a case brought by Hougang resident Vellama Marie Muthu, the Court of Appeal also ruled that the law requires the prime minister to call a by-election to fill a seat vacated by an elected MP within a reasonable time  but this applies only to single-member constituencies.

What do Halimahs residents think?

Residents in Halimahs Marsiling ward were also divided on the issue of whether a by-election is needed. While some said that a by-election was not necessary as the other MPs could cover her duties, others felt that it was about having a choice on who their MP should be.

Retiree Sandaran Segaran, 70, said, We like Halimah very much. If Halimah goes, there should be a by-election. They must let us decide who we want to be the next MP. We need good people to come to this place, and they must be as good as Halimah.

Segarans friend Mohan, 61, who has been living in Marsiling Drive for 25 years, agreed on the need for a by-election. If there is no BE, the PAP will just nominate someone to come into this area, and we have to accept it. (Her replacement) can be any race. As long as they can understand the constituencys problems and help people, we will be fine with it.

One middle-aged Chinese resident, who declined to be named, said with a shrug, I have no interest in politics. We have no control over it anyway. Maybe as Singaporeans, we are too used to it.

Related stories:
Spain will not make its recovery of Gibraltar a condition in the Brexit taks, its foreign minister said in an interview Sunday that could ease tensions over the disputed British territory. Nestled on Spain's southern tip, Gibraltar has been under British control since 1713 but Madrid has long wanted it back. Authorities in the tiny rocky outcrop fear Spain will influence the complex negotiations between the EU and Britain in order to try to gain authority over Gibraltar. But in an interview with Spain's conservative daily ABC, Alfonso Dastis said he didn't want to "jeopardise" the deal by demanding that Gibraltar change its status -- a stance that Britain would likely never accept". "I won't make an agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom conditional on recovering sovereignty over Gibraltar," he said. He added that Spain's proposal of joint sovereignty over the Rock, which would see people in Gibraltar get Spanish nationality on top of the British one, still stood. "We will try to convince the Gibraltarians that this is a route worth exploring and that it would benefit them too," he said. Spain has argued this will allow Gibraltar to stay in the 27-member bloc, but authorities there categorically reject the idea. Gibraltarians had already rejected such a proposal in a 2002 referendum, and they want to stick with the Union Jack despite voting by 96 percent to remain in the EU. Following Dastis's comments, a spokeswoman for Britain's foreign ministry said the government is committed to "fully involving Gibraltar" as tough Brexit negotiations are under way. "The UK stands by its assurances to Gibraltar never to enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes," the spokeswoman said. But Britain will still have to wrangle over a clause inserted into the EU's negotiating position which states that post-Brexit, Spain will have the right to veto any future relationship between the 27-member bloc and Gibraltar. This clause caused huge tensions when it was unveiled in March, prompting British Prime Minister Theresa May to say she would "never" allow Gibraltar to slip from British control against the wish of Gibraltarians.
Two journalists have been shot dead in two days in separate incidents in the Philippines, reinforcing the country's image as one of the world's most dangerous for media workers, officials said Monday. Broadcaster Rudy Alicaway and columnist Leo Diaz were the third and fourth journalists to be killed since President Rodrigo Duterte, a vocal critic of the press, took office last year, said Dabet Panelo, secretary-general of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP). In both cases the victims were riding motorcycles when gunmen on another motorcycle came up behind and shot them dead. Diaz, 60, a correspondent of Manila tabloid Balita (News) and a columnist for a community newspaper, was killed in the southern town of President Quirino on Monday, said Fort Yerro, a Balita consultant. Diaz, a former policeman, had covered stories on political corruption, illegal gambling and drugs, said Yerro, but added that he did not know of any threats against him. Alicaway, 47, who hosted a weekly community affairs show on DXPB radio station, was killed in the town of Molave on Sunday, a police report said. Rocel Navarro, manager of the government-run station where the victim's show aired, said he had not covered controversial issues. "We are asking ourselves why this happened to him. He had no enemies as a broadcaster," Navarro told AFP. Both killings took place on the southern island of Mindanao, where Islamic militants, communist guerrillas and political warlords are active. "This again highlights the culture of impunity, in the attacks against and killings of Filipino journalists that have remained unabated despite an international outcry," the NUJP said. Last week Michael Marasigan, a respected former newspaper editor, was shot dead in a Manila suburb. A study by the International Federation of Journalists said last year that 146 journalists were killed between 1990 and 2015, making the Philippines the second most dangerous country for the media after Iraq. Duterte, who took office last year, has lashed out at journalists over critical coverage of his anti-drug war that has claimed thousands of lives. Shortly before taking office, Duterte made comments widely interpreted as justifying the murder of some journalists. "Just because you're a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, if you're a son of a bitch," he said.
Its National Farmers Market Week this week, from August 6 to 12, 2017.

Last Thursday U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue signed the Proclamation designating this week as National Farmers Market Week. This is the 18th year the U.S. Department of Agriculture has supported National Farmers Market Week.

The goal of National Farmers Market Week is to encourage families to purchase from farmers and other vendors at local farmers markets.

Another important part of the goal is to support the small farmers and agricultural producers that use farmers markets as sales outlets.

According to USDA figures, farmers markets and other direct agricultural sales contribute $9 billion to the U.S. economy.

And a piece of that $9 billion is directly attributable to small businesses and family farms. Farmers markets provide necessary infrastructure to support their agricultural commerce.

As a business owner or farmer, if you are looking for a farmers market to sell at, the USDA maintains a National Farmers Market Directory. Consumers can also search the directory to find a local farmers market to shop at and visit.

But farmers markets do more than help farmers and producers. Farmers markets have a broad impact on communities. Farmers markets build community connections through urban and rural linkages. They also stimulate local business development and job creation.

National Farmers Market Week Celebrations

Celebrations will occur this week at farmers markets across the nation.

The week will culminate Friday August 11 with activities at the USDAs flagship Farmers Market in Washington D.C. Special events are planned on the National Mall at 12th Street and Jefferson from 9 a.m.2 p.m. There also will be a special Night Market from 4 p.m.8 p.m. VIP guests include the official chef of the Washington Capitals Robert Wood, and the U.S. Army Band.

Dont forget to participate on social media. You can also get potential shoppers excited by sharing photographs of items you are selling at farmers markets. Be sure to also add the hashtag: #FarmersMarketWeek. That hashtag is very active on Instagram and Twitter right now.
Both Japanese and Slovaks are hardworking and diligent; good chemistry may exist for cooperation in industry and innovation, says Japanese Ambassador to Slovakia Jun Shimmi.

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Slovakia remains an attractive destination for Japanese investors mostly due to the diligence of its workforce. But the authorities seem to be more interested in attracting foreign investors than attracting foreign tourists. A little bit of creativity in promoting tourism would suffice to get the interest of rich Japanese tourists, says Ambassador of Japan to Slovakia, Jun Shimmi, who claims Bratislava is among his two favourite cities where he has served as a diplomat.

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The Slovak Spectator (TSS): Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak visited Japan in early July. What was the main message of his visit?

Jun Shimmi (JS): Minister Lajcak visited Japan three times in the past two years. This July, he was invited to Japan as an official guest of the Japanese Foreign Minister Kishida. As Mr Lajcak will serve as the next president of the United Nations General Assembly from this September, the main topics discussed by him and his Japanese counterpart concerned UN affairs. They also discussed the positive aspects of bilateral relations between Japan and Slovakia, such as increasing investment from Japan to Slovakia, and people to people exchanges, which included the introduction of a working holidays programme last year as well as the agreement on social security this year. Mr Lajcak also paid a courtesy visit to Princess Takamado and had a constructive meeting with Prime Minister Abe. He was the Slovak ambassador to Japan almost 20 years ago. At that time, he was the youngest and said to be the most handsome ambassador among the diplomatic corps in Tokyo. Since then, the minister has been a great connoisseur of Japan and the Japanese society.

TSS: What does Japan expect to be achieved by the UN General Assembly under his supervision?

JS: Japan believes that the reform of the United Security Councils is high on the agenda for global governance. Despite the profound changes in global realities, the basic structure of the Security Council has not changed significantly from its original form in 1945. Many states, including Japan, have strongly advocated the formation of a more legitimate, representative, effective and efficient council, including an increase in both the permanent and non-permanent seats. The UN is also facing many challenges, like regional/global security including the issues of North Korea, peacekeeping/building, sustainable development, public health, or the global environment. We expect Mr Lajcak to take a leading role as the president of UNGA on these challenging agendas.

TSS: Preparations for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo are underway in Japan. As part of the Host Town Initiative, Slovak athletes can prepare in the city of Gifu. Why was this city selected for Slovaks?

JS: The Host Town Initiative aims to promote human, economic and cultural exchange between local authorities and participating countries by offering training facilities on the occasion of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Through this initiative, we also hope to make Japan a Sports Nation, encouraging globalisation, revitalization of local areas and promoting inbound tourism. With Minister Lajcaks recommendation, the Japanese Gifu City answered the call for candidates for the Host Town of Slovakia as part of its efforts to deepen the friendly relationship with Bratislava. Gifu City is located at the centre of the main island (Honshu) of Japan, and has a long history and rich culture in tradition. It is located alongside a big river and is famous for its old castle on top of a mountain. It has many similarities with the city of Bratislava.

TSS: When Slovak Education Minister Peter Plavcan met with his Japanese counterpart Matsuno Hirokazu in April, they agreed on expanding their cooperation in science. What will be the main focus of this cooperation?

JS: Slovakia as well as other V4 countries and Japan have been cooperating together in scientific research since 2015 in the field of the Advanced Material. It is expected that this cooperation will lead to an innovative development. Scientists and organisations involved in this cooperation will determine the next main focus or field. The cooperation in the area of scientific research is an important element of the relationship between Slovakia and Japan, and is indispensable when working on common and global social issues through promotion of excellent research to enhance industrial competitiveness.

TSS: Minister Lajcak said during his visit that Japan is a source of investment for Slovakia due to its high potential in innovation. How can Slovakia learn from Japan in these terms?

JS: From our humble experience in Japan, education is the most important factor for developing an innovative economy. It is the young generation that creates and develops the high-level innovation. A comprehensive and sustainable educational system is a must for the development of innovative technology in a country. Japan has a long history of placing importance on education in our society. The Japanese company, MinebeaMitsumi, which started the construction of its new factory in Kosice in May, is planning to have a research and development centre in its new factory, through employing more than 100 Slovak engineers and researchers for technology innovation, in cooperation with the Technical University of Kosice. This is only an example of our possible future cooperation in the high-tech field. Slovak and Japanese people have many similarities. Of course our appearances are different. But both of us are diligent, hard-working, not so ego-centric, and many of us are a bit shy. We could be a good natural partner and have good chemistry, in developing our industrial-innovation cooperation.

TSS: Several investments have come from Japan recently, among them Asahi and beer (Topvar), and Minebea in eastern Slovakia. Why is Slovakia attractive for Japanese investors?

JS: Japanese companies that are operating or are going to operate in Slovakia often cite the membership in the EU and the eurozone, the location of Slovakia in Europe, the foreign-investor-friendly approach of the Slovak government, and Slovak workers diligence as the main reasons for why they decide to invest in Slovakia. Although Slovakia is losing its advantage in labour costs, we still think it is competitive, especially by diligent and hard-working people. We understand that there are several Japanese companies that are interested in investing in Slovakia and are examining their feasibilities below the surface.

TSS: Your embassy has been very active in promoting Japanese culture in Slovakia, many events are taking place, including the Nipponfest, Comics Salon, or a major anime festival. What are the most interesting elements of Japanese culture for Slovaks?

JS: Japan is a far-east country for Slovakia, and the interests of most of the Slovak people in Japan is something economic or exotic. I want to make it deeper, broad, comprehensive. I am very delighted to find, since I came to Slovakia in April last year, that there is a sizable number of Slovak people who are interested in and involved in Japanese culture, such as Okinawa-Karate, Karate, Aikido, Judo, Jujutu, Kendo, Japanese swords, Bonsai-Suiseki, Japanese tea-ceremony, Shogi, Igo, Zen, and so on. Japanese pop culture as TV Manga, comic-strip, TV game, and cosmetic-play (Cos-play) are also come to be popular among young people. They are the core for spreading the charms of Japanese culture to other Slovak people.

The number of Slovaks learning Japanese is also increasing. There is a major for Japanese studies at Comenius University and around 50 Slovak students study Japanese languages and society.

Another nice surprise for me was that many Slovaks are interested in Japanese cuisine. Gastronomy is definitely a soft power of Japan in this country. In this regard, I am very lucky as Japanese ambassador, since four new Japanese restaurants with Japanese chefs have opened in Bratislava since I came here.

TSS: One of the points of the agreement between ministers Peter Plavcan and Matsuno Hirokazu was that Slovakia will actively contribute to the selection and participation of student art ensembles in the cultural part of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. What could be the most attractive part of Slovak culture to be presented in Japan?

JS: Classical art like philharmonic orchestra, opera, and ballet could be a charming part of Slovak culture to be presented in Japan. I am very impressed to find that there are many Slovaks who love classical music. Not only in Bratislava but also in major local cities, there are beautiful concert halls and opera theatres which offer high quality of performances. The State Opera of Banska Bystrica visits Japan every year and receives a lot of applause from Japanese audience. I really hope that the Lucnica folklore ensemble visits Japan in 2020. They visited Japan in 1970, 1996 and 2012, always with great success. Slovak folklore could be definitely one of the most charming parts of Slovak culture for Japanese people.

TSS: You have been in your post since June 2016. How has your time in Slovakia been so far, what are your impressions of Slovakia?

JS: My wife and I moved to Slovakia from Japan in April 2016. Since then we have really enjoyed our life in this beautiful country. I call Bratislava a compact city which has greenery and historic views. We go to Horsky Park every morning for a walk with our Japanese dog. I go trekking in Zelezna Studnicka every weekend. Food and wine are delicious and people are sympathetic. In my diplomatic career, I had lived in Montpellier (France), Brussels (Belgium), Bangkok (Thailand), New York (US), Washington DC (US), Djibouti (Africa), and now Bratislava. Among them, my most favourites are Bratislava and Washington DC. Both of them are not big capitals, but rich in nature and history. My only frustration here goes to the fact that I cant speak Slovak. I am taking private lessons with my wife every week.

TSS: What, in your opinion, could be interesting for Japanese tourists who would like to come and spend their holiday in Slovakia?

JS: These are three barriers which hamper a measurable increase of Japanese tourists in this country: Slovakia is a relatively new country in Europe and not yet well known among most Japanese people. Most Japanese tourists visiting Slovakia make just a day trip to Bratislava from Vienna, and dont stay overnight; most of the UNESCO heritage sites are located in the eastern part of Slovakia and it takes too long for many of the Japanese tourists visiting Bratislava to get to these sites. In other words, if the Slovak authorities in tourism try harder, there is a big potential to attract many rich Japanese tourists in Slovakia. It is said that eating, sightseeing, shopping are three important factors for tourists. Slovakia should further strategise its tourism policies and clarify what is worth to eat, shop, and sightsee in this country.

Since my coming to Slovakia as Japanese ambassador, I have approached several government and local tourist authorities to discuss this matter. But I have an impression that they seem not to be as enthusiastic in attracting foreign tourists as they are in attracting foreign investments. Slovakia can do many things for promotion of tourism.

For example, I am surprised that there is no Michelin guidebook (red one for gastronomy, green one for sightseeing) covering Slovakia. Michelin Guide of France is the most authorized guidebook in the world, and is translated into many languages including Japanese. It covers almost all European countries and even Japan. If I were Slovak, I would approach to Michelin to issue its guidebook about Slovakia.

Another thing: Slovak food is very delicious but its portion can be too big for most of the Asian tourists. If I were Slovak, I would try to create nouvelle Slovak cuisine which is smaller in portion, and easier and healthier to eat.

As for the souvenirs, one of the most popular souvenirs which Japanese tourists buy at the Vienna airport are the Mozart Balls, small chocolate balls wrapped in foil paper decorated with a printed face of Mozart. It is just an ordinary piece of chocolate, but the brand-image of Mozart works!
The companies made efforts to become innovative, to find other solutions to existing problems, according to the European Centre of Economic Diplomacy.

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Economic diplomacy can help put unique ideas and investment intentions into practice. This is one of the goals of the European Centre of Economic Diplomacy (CIDIC) residing in Brussels.

During a two-day visit to Bratislava in mid-October 2016, the representatives of the centre decided to award three Slovak companies that focus on innovations: AeroMobil, Neulogy and Rokosan, the TASR newswire reported.

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These companies made efforts to become innovative, to find other solutions to existing problems, said Frederic de Pryck, chair of the CIDIC executive committee, as quoted by TASR. They made something better than other firms; they are innovative and search for new possibilities to modernise the product in order to achieve better results.

CIDIC picked the three companies based on the proposals submitted by the Slovak Economy Ministry, the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO), the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SOPK), and Club 500.

I think that to award the innovative companies in Slovakia is important as this is the kind of business we want to support, said Dusan Jurik from the Economy Ministry, as quoted by TASR.

AeroMobil received the award for its flying car, while Neulogy was rewarded for its complex solutions and services for research and development institutions, as well as the commercialisation of research and development of small technological companies.

The last awarded firm, Rokosan, focuses on production of organic, organo-mineral and amino-acid fertilisers, TASR reported.
RACINE  Racine police are investigating the homicide of 20-year-old Dashaun Jordan, found shot to death early Monday in an alley south of 16th Street between Phillips and Murray avenues.

Police responded to the area at midnight on a report of shots fired when they located Jordan, who lived in Racine.

Investigators closed the alley until about 8:30 a.m. Monday to collect evidence.

Deep Dhaliwal, the owner of A D United Petroleum, 1917 16th St., said he gave police video from surveillance cameras mounted on the corner of his building, which may have captured the crime scene on the night of the shooting.

Jordans cousin, Orience Carothers, said Jordan was walking home from a fish fry late Sunday night and decided to go down the alley behind a boarded-up house when he was shot.

His uncle told him not to go that way; 16th is a bad area. He ended up getting shot, Carothers said.

Carothers said he has no idea what happened.

He minded his own business. He would always tell us to watch your surroundings. For real. He never got in trouble, Carothers said.

Planning for the future

Carothers said Jordan had just finished summer school and earned his graduation certificate from Park High School through a program with the Racine Alternative Education School.

He just got it, too. A week ago, Carothers said.

Carothers said hes going to miss the cousin he called his big cousin.

He was smooth. He would tell you about yourself. He was funny, Carothers said. We used to play basketball all summer long. Then football (season) would come and wed play football.

Jordans family friend, Lasheky Hill, who lives near the scene, was distraught by the news of his death.

He was a good boy. He didnt deserve that, Hill said.

Hill said Jordan was an up-and-coming rapper who stayed out of trouble.

He rapped. He had dreams, Hill said. I want to move. This stuff is too close to home.

The incident is being investigated as a homicide. No other details have been released.

Racine Police investigators are interested in any additional information that anyone may have about this crime.

Any witnesses, or citizens with information, are urged to call the Racine Police Department Investigations Unit at 262-635-7756. Those who wish to remain anonymous may contact Crime Stoppers at 262-636-9330, or text 274637 (CRIMES). Text message should begin with RACS.
Slovak foreign affairs minister was invited to Tokyo in early July on the occasion of his election as the president of the 72nd UN Assembly.

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In a more globalised world and complicated security situation it is necessary to coordinate international efforts to solve problems effectively, particularly at the UN. In this respect, Japan is an active member of the international community and it is necessary to continue in developing mutual cooperation, Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak agreed with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

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Lajcak was invited to Tokyo in early July on the occasion of his election as the president of the 72nd UN Assembly.

The world needs a platform that is solid, effective and ready to solve problems of the 21st century, Lajcak said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. The UN creates such a platform, but it is necessary to strengthen, reform and revitalise it in order to move forward. We need the UN more than anytime before.

The Slovak foreign affairs minister also appreciated Japans efforts to secure peace in the world.

The threat posed by North Koreas nuclear and ballistics programme was also among the discussed topics.

We have to exert pressure on Pyongyang to stop ballistics tests that only escalate tension in the region and insist on the country to observe the respective UN Security Councils resolutions, Lajcak said, as quoted by TASR. Its not possible that a country with clear international commitments decides not to respect them.

Lajcak also met with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, with whom he discussed the possibilities to extend the cooperation within the UN and ways to increase its quality. The Slovak foreign affairs minister presented his priorities as UN Assembly president, focusing on maintaining peace and preventing conflicts. They also talked about potential cooperation when preparing the so-called migration compact at the UN, and support when working on the UNs budget for years 2018-2019.

As for the bilateral collaboration, Lajcak appreciated the political dialogue at top levels, and successful economic cooperation.

We will celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries next year, Lajcak said, as quoted by TASR, adding the period was typical of the intensive cooperation in which they want to continue.

Japanese companies are perceived in Slovakia as serious and trustworthy partners, and Slovakia is ready to support and help to broaden the Japanese investments in the country, Lajcak said.

In the eyes of Slovakia, Japan is interesting as a source of direct foreign investments but also for its top research and innovative potential, TASR wrote.
Alternative media produced a variety of hoaxes last week.

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Slovaks pay more taxes than Austrians is a hoax

A picture with a calculation comparing the price of work and payroll taxes in Slovakia and Austria has been shared among Slovak Facebook users.

The calculation claims that the same gross salary results in a 300-higher actual salary for Austrians than for Slovaks. This is alleged to be a result of the payroll taxes Slovak employees have to pay: 500 on payroll taxes for Slovaks earning 1,237.07, compared to 174 in Austria.

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This information is a hoax: while the Slovak calculation is made with the price of work, the Austrian one is made with gross salary.

The price of work is the overall sum that the employer pays for an employee, the so-called super-gross salary that also includes payroll taxes paid by the employer.

If gross salary, rather than super-gross salary, were considered in the calculation, the Austrian employee would have approximately 1,050 net, while the Slovak would have 928. Thus, the difference in net salaries is closer to 120, not 300.

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Nearly 25 percent of Ukrainians feel as if they are Soviet citizens

One in 20 Ukrainian citizens consider themselves to be Russian, and one quarter of all Ukrainians feel as if they are Soviet citizens.

This data has been published by the Russian TV channel Zvezda, under the Russian Defence Ministry, citing a poll from the Ukrainian Groshenin Institute. The poll did take place, but the data that it returned is quite different, according to the stopfake.org website

The website shows that the poll returned results of 92.6 percent citizens saying they were Ukrainian, 5.5 percent Russian, and 3 percent another nationality.

When asked how they would identify themselves, 81.1 percent said Ukrainian, while 5 percent said Soviet citizens.

The mathematics of the Zvezda channel probably comes from the fact that 24.8 percent of the respondents who said they were of Russian ethnicity identified themselves as Soviet citizens (and thus one quarter of the 5.5 percent).

EU sanctions against US are a hoax

The EU will introduce sanctions against the US as a response to the sanctions that Washington passed against Moscow. This will mean limited access of US companies to European banks.

This is another piece of information that the Zvezda TV channel has been broadcasting, citing an anonymous source from Brussels. This has been pointed out by stopfake.org.

The EU is not planning to introduce any sanctions. The article is based on the statement of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who said that Europe is ready to act in case the sanctions threaten its energy interests.

The US sanctions could threaten the investment of several European corporations in the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

Russian state media repeatedly exaggerate the events or statements of European politicians to make them sound more favourable toward Russia. This was the case for the Izvestija news outlet that wrote that Slovakia may leave NATO by 2020.

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The Council of Trent that took place in 1545  1563 imposed on bishops the obligation to regularly visit parishes in their diocese.

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During visits, the official visitor was meant to notice the overall situation in the parish, and to make a written record of it. Thanks to canonical visitations  the name of such visits  we have now access to much interesting data. The first impression may suggest that in some cases, these are unimportant details. However, an attentive reader can put together quite a realistic and graphic image of the life and situation in the parishes at that time.

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One of the canonical visitations was organised in 1562 in the municipality of Devin near Bratislava. We learn that by that time, Devin had the statute of a small town and belonged to the Bathory family. The local church was burnt down by Ottomans during one of their raids, but was repaired in the meantime. The cemetery had a brick fence.

The married priest with flaws

The priest in Devin was Bartolomej (Bartholomew) Justipolitanus. The visitor recorded that he had credential documents which confirmed his priestly status. Remember, that the visitation took place in times of intensifying reformation, and the Catholic Church tried to have good knowledge of whether or not priests were influenced by it. The parishioners and also strangers confirmed that Justipolitanus served all the sacraments according to the rules of the Holy Roman Church. So far, everything was alright with the Devin priest.

However, it was not right that some received both kinds of communion, that he neglected Latin as a liturgic language (he probably preached in German, as in Devin, that was the language mostly spoken), and the fact that he was married did not help much to improve his evaluation, either.

The visitor also wrote down that people in Devin were mostly Catholic but affected by some heretic errors, which he did not specify however,

The Devin parish and its parishioners did not receive the best assessment  as was true of many other parishes, too. The Archbishop thus admonished them, ordered them to improve and let themselves be led by their conscience. It is not known which way their conscience led them  let us hope that it was the right way. In this postcard from the first years of the Czechoslovak Republic (established in 1918), we see the Devin rock with the castle ruin from the Austrian side.
The exhibition of human bodies delivered by the Chinese police, which is to take place in Bratislavas Incheba complex, is drawing protests from various groups even before its opening.

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The exhibition has been criticised by doctors associations in Slovakia and in the Czech Republic, where the exhibition started in February. The Slovak Institute of Medical Ethics, for example, issued a statement claiming that the Human Bodies exhibition violates the law and called state authorities to take action. Head of the Czech Medical Chamber, Milan Kubek, says that the exhibition is a defamation of corpses. The anatomy of the human body can be exhibited also as plastic models, he opines, as quoted by the Sme daily.

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A Chinese man by the name of Huang Wanqinq recently submitted a criminal lawsuit against the exhibition, claiming his brothers body is in it, Sme wrote on August 5. The exhibitions organiser, the JVS Group, is keeping silent about the origin of the bodies, though it is possible that they belong to the dissidents-critics of the Chinese communist regime, who did not approve for their bodies to be posthumously exhibited.

Protests mount from several sides

The exhibition, which already was exhibited once in Incheba, is unethical and unlawful, the extra-parliamentary Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), claims as cited by the TASR newswire. They are also calling for it to be banned, KDH spokesman Stano Zupa said on August 6. KDH will also call on the government and MPs to adopt a ban on using mummified human bodies for commercial purposes.

Slovak doctors and the Slovak Bishops Conference (KBS) have also taken up a critical stance against the exhibition, KDH claim.

The exhibition human bodies is unethical and morbid, Zupa said. We can invoke the defamation of corpses when they are treated like this. The dead human bodies displayed at the human body exhibition are the real bodies of people; people who were once alive, who had families, their own life stories. We dont know who these people are. We have no idea whether they wanted to become exhibits.

The Christian Democrats indicated not only the ethical aspect but the legal one, claiming that the exhibition is unlawful. This exhibition is illegal. According to currently valid legislation, a human body should be buried within 96 hours of death, but no sooner than within 24 hours of death, KDH stated.

The legal solution

Parliament should adopt an amendment to the burial law that would explicitly stipulate that mummified human bodies cannot be used for commercial purposes, the movement also added.

Erika Jurinova and Anna Veresova, MPs for the opposition movement OLaNO, from the Minorities and Human Rights Committee of the Slovak Parliament, condemn the upcoming exhibition. The exhibition violates basic human rights and pushes the boundaries of moral standards, they said, as quoted by the SITA newswire. Today, at a time of modern technologies and 3D printers, we can get faithful and detailed replicas of the human body, without the misuse of dead human bodies. The commercial presentation of a dead human body grossly violates basic human rights and human dignity. In France, Israel, and many US states, they have banned similar exhibitions, they said in a statement. The MPs share the view of experts from the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University and the Slovak Medical University.

This human body exhibition was first held in Slovakia in 2012, when it caused critical reactions, not only among conservative politicians. The next exhibition of this kind, entitled Bodies: The Exhibition, is set to open August 24 and last till November 25.
The Dutch eggs containing the remains of pesticides have not appeared on the Slovak market as of now. The experts say, however, that people have to be very careful.

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Meanwhile, the European Commission has started dealing with the food scandal that began in the Netherlands and has impacted several European Union countries. The remains of the toxic substance Fipronil were found in eggs at several Dutch farms. The producer was adding the substance to the licensed product for delousing the chickens. The substance is Dega 16, used in the Netherlands, France, Italy, Germany, and Poland, the Pravda daily wrote on August 5. The shops in the Netherlands and Germany responded by withdrawing the eggs from their shelves.

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Slovak eggs checked well

The Slovak Agriculture Ministry says that the contaminated eggs have not been delivered to Slovak shops. However, Agriculture Minister Gabriela Matecna advises people to be careful when buying eggs or other poultry products, especially close to the border with Poland. She also stresses that Slovak poultry breeders and food producers are checked strictly by the State Veterinary and Food Administration during the entire production process.

Slovak eggs are safe and flawless, head of the Union of Poultry Farmers, Timotej Husar, assured the public, as quoted by Pravda. In our farms, we use no chemicals, no insecticides, he said. Neither in the clutch, nor outside it. All the scandals and problems that have occurred originate in other countries. Not in Slovakia. Everything is strictly checked here. Slovak eggs on the domestic market are branded SK.

The European Commission is closely following the case of the Dutch eggs. Finpronil can mean health risks for children and in bigger doses, it can also cause skin and eye irritation, sickness, vomiting or headaches in adults. Long-term consumption of large amounts of such eggs can damage the liver, kidneys or thyroid gland, Pravda wrote.
The fire at Krasna Horka Castle cut down the number of visitors, and thus, the nearby mausoleum is striving to win them back by adding new services.

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More information about travelling in Slovakia

Please see our Please see our Spectacular Slovakia travel guide

In the village of Krasnohorske Podhradie in the Roznava district, a parking lot with spots for 15 cars will be built and a visitors centre established, the TASR newswire wrote on July 28. This will enhance the availability and attractiveness of the mausoleum of the married Andrassy couple.

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This will increase the rate of visitors to the mausoleum, the average spending of a visitor, and prolong the time of their stay in this locality, Lenka Vargova Jurkova, CEO of the Kosice Region Turizmus/Kosice Region Tourism board told TASR. According to her, a new job position will also be created and knowledge of the mausoleum will be improved.

In the long term, the Andoras civic association is striving to create an additional exhibition that would tell more  including the very end  about the story of the mausoleum and its builders, including the mysterious statue of a their dog.

video //www.youtube.com/embed/t6etdvg6iLE

Total expenses for implementing the project are 45,460, while several institutions and authorities will contribute: the Kosice Region, the Slovak National Museum  Museum Betliar (which operates the mausoleum) and the Andoras civic association.

The Kosice Region can, thanks to the Terra Incognita programme, also support those tourism subjects which cannot vie for a grant, a subsidy or financing through other schemes, Vargova Jurkova said. She added that the reconstruction of Krasna Horka Castle has negatively impacted the tourism in the village and the whole region. Thus, it is necessary to support projects with the potential to create another, alternative offer for visitors who come to the region or who are already there.
PM Fico finds the Dankos move absurd and convened a session of the Coalition Council for Tuesday

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Speaker of Parliament and leader of the co-governing Slovak National Party (SNS) Andrej Danko withdrew from the coalition agreement on August 7. He explained this move as an absolute necessity to reset rules and adjust relations within the ruling coalition. He also cited the need to set completely new priorities that would be reflected within the process of drafting a new budget.

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The favourable socio-economic situation of 2017 shows the need to focus on new challenges and priorities that need to be reflected in the coalition agreement and the new Government Manifesto, said Danko, as cited by the TASR newswire. When the countrys economy is doing well, citizens themselves must feel it too.

Smer, SNS and Most-Hid parties signed the current coalition agreement on September 1, 2016, after the fourth party in the coalition, Siet of Radoslav Prochazka, disbanded.

The opposition sees Danko's move as an effort of SNS to cover up the scandal involving the distribution of EU funds by Education Minister Peter Plavcan.

Danko denied the accusations and recalled that the system for drawing on EU funds in the education sector was set up in December 2015, when Smer nominee Juraj Draxler was at the helm of the education department.



As Danko said in an interview given prior to his party's withdrawal from the Coalition Agreement, the biggest mistake made by Education Minister Peter Plavcan (SNS nominee) was that he did not make a comprehensive change in the drawing of EU funds and continued along the line of his predecessors, who unfortunately had seen the absorption of EU funds as a competition between private companies and universities.

"This then degraded into a war among private companies," Danko said, as cited by the SITA newswire. "I do not find this fortunate. The absorption of EU funds should have been set directly into universities."

Prime Minister Robert Fico and the leader of the strongest ruling party, Smer, finds Dankos move absurd. He is convening a session of the Coalition Council for Tuesday, August 8, where it is expected that Danko will explain his withdrawal from the coalition agreement.

He [Fico] expects that the SNS chair will explain to his partners the absurd decision by the Slovak National Party which doesnt introduce peace and stability into society, said Beatrice Szaboova, the prime ministers spokesperson. She added that Smer will act responsibly towards voters and the country as a whole at the session.

The Most-Hid party expects that Danko would arrive at the coalition meeting with a tangible proposal of what he needs to change in the coalition agreement. The party also expects an explanation as to why he decided to withdraw from the agreement. Bela Bugar, the leader of Most-Hid, said this after the partys leadership session on Monday evening.

This is an issue that needs to be discussed at the Coalition Council, said Bugar on Monday. We will require explanations. There are things that are solvable, while there are things that are not.

Bugar considers the situation to be serious, adding that he does not know exactly what Danko requires.

SNS vice-chair Jaroslav Paska indicated that the cabinet may collapse and that the current situation may even lead to an early election.

President Andrej Kiska met Danko following the announcement that he was withdrawing from the coalition agreement. Kiskas spokesman, Roman Krpelan, told TASR that the president thinks it the task of the leaders of the three governing parties  Smer, SNS and Most-Hid  to discuss the issue among themselves at coalition sessions.

What the opposition thinks

The opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party also sees Dankos withdrawal as an effort of SNS to divert the publics attention from the scandal involving the distribution of EU funds for science and research by the Education, Science, Research and Sport Ministry, which is led by Peter Plavcan, a nominee of SNS.

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Therefore, hes provoking a seemingly serious conflict within the coalition, reads a statement signed by SaS leader Richard Sulik, vice-chairs Lubomir Galko and Jana Kissova and chief of the SaS caucus Natalia Blahova.

SaS believes that Danko would like to get rid of the Education Ministry.

Hes obviously found out that this is a sector where a lot of real work needs to be done for students, teachers, for Slovak society, rather than stealing, they said.

If this transparent August game by the SNS leader leads to the break-up of the government, SaS is ready for early elections and ready to take power. It still views itself as the sole realistic alternative to Smer and the current coalition.

The opposition OLaNO-NOVA said that dividing the loot of EU funds for science and research is so important to SNS that its head is ready to cause chaos in Slovakia for it.

Responding to Dankos withdrawal from the coalition agreement, Veronika Remisova and Igor Matovic of OLaNO-NOVA said that the action taken by the SNS head is proof that the coalition is unable to govern together and that instead of addressing the main issues in Slovakia, like education and health care, it will now quarrel about spheres of influence.

Andrej Danko has failed in managing our country and has shown that he is unable to communicate, said Remisova and Matovic. After the coalition council session on Thursday [August 3] he pretended that everything was fine, but today hes sending paper notes to his coalition partners as if they werent members of the government but classmates at primary school.

They added that this move wont help Danko cover up the scandal concerning the distribution of EU funds for science and research.

A political scientist weighs in

Political scientist Juraj Marusiak said that it is difficult to assess the situation at the moment, as the formulation of the withdrawal from the coalition agreement is very extensive. He believes that coalition partners will try to negotiate in a way that allows the coalition to continue.

It seems that Danko is not satisfied with the SNSs position within the ruling coalition, said Marusiak, as cited by TASR, adding that tensions between Smer and SNS have already been growing for some time. We will see. The strengthening of the position of SNS will probably be in question. I also think that Danko sees this as a way to cover up the situation that has arisen surrounding the education minister and the scandal with the distribution of EU funds.
Telecom Argentina S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services in Argentina and internationally. The company offers telephone services, including local, domestic, and international long-distance telephone services, as well as public telephone services; and other related supplementary services, such as call waiting, call forwarding, conference calls, caller ID, voice mail, itemized billing, and maintenance services. It also provides interconnection services, such as traffic and interconnection resource, dedicated Internet access, video signals transportation in standard and high definitions, audio and video streaming, dedicated links, backhaul links for mobile operators, data center hosting/housing services, dedicated links, layer 2 and layer 3 transport networks, video links, value-added services, and other services. In addition, the company offers mobile telecommunications services, including voice communications, high-speed mobile Internet content and applications download, online streaming, and other services; and sells mobile communication devices, such as handsets, Modems MiFi and wingles, and smart watches under the Personal brand. Further, it provides internet connectivity products, including virtual private network services, traditional Internet protocol links, and other products; data services; and programming and other cable television services. The company was formerly known as Cablevision S.A. and changed its name to Telecom Argentina S.A. in January 2018. Telecom Argentina S.A. was founded in 1979 and is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Freeport-McMoRan Inc. engages in the mining of mineral properties in North America, South America, and Indonesia. The company primarily explores for copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, and other metals, as well as oil and gas. Its assets include the Grasberg minerals district in Indonesia; Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona; Tyrone and Chino in New Mexico; and Henderson and Climax in Colorado, North America, as well as Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra in Chile. The company also operates a portfolio of oil and gas properties primarily located in offshore California and the Gulf of Mexico. As of December 31, 2021, it operated approximately 135 wells. The company was formerly known as Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. and changed its name to Freeport-McMoRan Inc. in July 2014. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.
The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 13125882 Canada Inc., 211 E. Russell Road LLC, 4458664 Canada Inc., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES ASIA PTE. LTD., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES BORROWER S.C.A., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES LLC, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES MIDDLE EAST FZE, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES SERVICES LIMITED, ASTRUM IT GmbH, Accudyne Industries Acquisition S.A r.l, Accudyne Industries Canada Inc., Accudyne Industries S.A r.l., Air Dimensions, Air Dimensions Inc., Albin Pump SAS, BOC Edwards Global Low pressure Air business, CISA S.p.A., Cameron-Centrifugal Compression, Comercial Ingersoll-Rand (Chile) Limitada, Comingersoll-Comercio E Industria De Equipamentos S.A., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Dosatron International SAS, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Proprietary Limited, FlexEnergy Holdings LLC, Frigoblock Grosskopf Gmbh, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First (UK) Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings II Inc., GD Global Holdings Inc., GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., GPS Industries, Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp (Canada), Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Limited, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica SL, Gardner Denver Inc., Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver International Inc., Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Investments Inc., Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan Ltd., Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte. Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia s.r.o., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH (f/k/a ILMVAC GmbH), Gardner Denver Thomas Inc., Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Ghh-Rand Schraubenkompressoren Gmbh, HASKEL EUROPE LTD., HASKEL HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, HASKEL INTERNATIONAL LLC, Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, Haskel France SAS, Haskel Sistemas de Fluidos Espana S.R.L., Hibon Inc., Highspeed Newco LLC, Hingerose Limited, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, INGERSOLL RAND ITS JAPAN LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHANG ZHOU) TOOLS CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHINA) INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND CHINA LLC, INGERSOLL-RAND COMERCIO E SERVICOS DE MAQUINAS E EQUIPAMENTOS INDUSTRIAIS LTDA., INGERSOLL-RAND DE PUERTO RICO INC., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL COMPANY B.V., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL SP. Z O.O., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL U.S. INC., INGERSOLL-RAND PHILIPPINES INC., INGERSOLL-RAND SPAIN S.A., INGERSOLL-RAND U.S. HOLDCO INC., IR HPS Holdco. Inc., ITO Emniyet, Ingersoll Rand Cyprus Investments Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Finance LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Investments LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Ventures LLC, Ingersoll Rand Hong Kong Investments Limited, Ingersoll Rand Inc., Ingersoll Rand Investments (SG) Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Investments B.V., Ingersoll Rand Schweiz Investments Gmbh, Ingersoll Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (Australia) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (China) Investment Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Guilin) Tools Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Hong Kong) Holding Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (India) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Ab, Ingersoll-Rand Air Solutions Hibon Sarl, Ingersoll-Rand Beteiligungs Und Grundstucksverwaltungs Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Colombia S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited (Uk), Ingersoll-Rand Company South Africa (Pty) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Cz S.R.O., Ingersoll-Rand De Mexico S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Equipements De Production S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Industrial Ireland Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International (India) Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Italia S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Italiana Manufacturing S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Korea Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Korea Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments II S.A R.I., Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Luxembourg Industrial Company S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Machinery (Shanghai) Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Malaysia Co. Sdn. Bhd., Ingersoll-Rand S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Services And Trading Limited Liability Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Singapore Enterprises Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand South East Asia (Pte.) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Superay Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technical And Services S.A.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Technologies And Services Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Tool Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Trading Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Vietnam Company Limited, Instrum Rand JSC, Interflex Datensysteme, Ir Canada Holdings Ulc, Ir Canada Sales & Service Ulc, Ir France Sas, Kryptonite corp, Lawrence Factor Inc., LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MILTON ROY (HONG KONG) LIMITED, MILTON ROY (UK) LIMITED, MILTON ROY EUROPA B.V., MILTON ROY EUROPE SAS, MILTON ROY INDUSTRIAL (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD., MILTON ROY LLC, MILTON ROY US PURCHASER INC., MP Pumps Inc., Maximum AG Technologies Inc., Maximus Solutions, Mb Air Systems Limited, Nash Elmo, Officina Meccaniche Industriali Srl, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Plurifilter D.O.O., Pt Ingersoll-Rand Indonesia, Robuschi, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, SEEPEX, Seepex (M) SDN, Seepex Australia Pty Ltd, Seepex Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung, Seepex France S.a.r.l., Seepex GmbH, Seepex Inc., Seepex India Private Ltd., Seepex Italia SRL, Seepex Japan Co. Ltd., Seepex Nordic A/S, Seepex OOO, Seepex Pumps (Shanghia) Co. Ltd., Seepex UK Ltd., Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Shanghai Ingersoll-Rand Compressor Limited, Shenzhen Bocom System Engineering Co., Superay, Syltone, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, Tamrotor Marine Comp AS Norway, Tecno Matic Europe s.r.o., Thomas Industries Inc., Trane Technologies, Tri-Continent Scientific Inc., Vacuum and Blower Systems division, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zaxe Technologies Inc., Zeks Compressed Air Solutions Llc, Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, Zinsser NA Inc., and crayon interface.

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The Progressive Corporation, an insurance holding company, provides personal and commercial auto, personal residential and commercial property, general liability, and other specialty property-casualty insurance products and related services in the United States. It operates in three segments: Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, and Property. The Personal Lines segment writes insurance for personal autos and recreational vehicles (RV). This segment's products include personal auto insurance; and special lines products, including insurance for motorcycles, ATVs, RVs, watercrafts, snowmobiles, and related products. The Commercial Lines segment provides auto-related primary liability and physical damage insurance, and business-related general liability and property insurance for autos, vans, pick-up trucks, and dump trucks used by small businesses; tractors, trailers, and straight trucks primarily used by regional general freight and expeditor-type businesses, and long-haul operators; dump trucks, log trucks, and garbage trucks used by dirt, sand and gravel, logging, and coal-type businesses; and tow trucks and wreckers used in towing services and gas/service station businesses; as well as non-fleet and airport taxis, and black-car services. The Property segment writes residential property insurance for homeowners, other property owners, and renters, as well as offers personal umbrella insurance, and primary and excess flood insurance. The company also offers policy issuance and claims adjusting services; and acts as an agent to homeowner general liability, workers' compensation insurance, and other products. In addition, it provides reinsurance services. The company sells its products through independent insurance agencies, as well as directly on Internet through mobile devices, and over the phone. The Progressive Corporation was founded in 1937 and is headquartered in Mayfield, Ohio.
Block, Inc. is the parent company to a host of digital financial solutions including Square. The company was founded in 2009 by Jack Dorsey (also founded Twitter) and Jim McKelvey as a solution to a problem faced by McKelvey. Mr. McKelvey was unable to complete a transaction because he was unable to accept credit cards and that provided inspiration for Mr. Dorsey. The firm was founded in St. Louis but now has no official headquarters, instead choosing to do most work remotely or from one of several key hubs. That decision was made in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic when it became clear telecommuting was a solution that worked.

The original Square app provides a multitude of payment and POS solutions that include hardware and software. The hardware includes the iconic Square card mag-stripe reader that can be plugged into any tablet or smartphone as well as many other solutions. The software enables sellers to turn their smart devices into POS on a temporary or permanent/dedicated basis.

The company went public in 2015 when it IPOd on the NASDAQ stock exchange and then later decided to change its name to Block to better represent the business. Today, Block, Inc. operates as a network of businesses that are working together to expand access to the economy. The core brands are Square, CashApp, AfterPay, Weebly, Tidal, Spiral, and TBD.

The Square brand encompasses all the core business including but not limited to hardware and its related software. The CashApp business is a money transfer solution that is working to make money more available and universally acceptable. Afterpay is a buy-now-pay-later service. Weebly is an eCommerce and web hosting service for small and medium-sized businesses. Tidal is a platform for musicians and artists to connect with fans and monetize their brands. Spiral is the firm's cryptocurrency division and TBD is a division focused on crypto, specifically building a crypto platform.

Block, Inc. stunned the market in 2020 when it began to purchase Bitcoin. Then Square, the company purchased Bitcoin in two transactions for a total of $210 million. The holdings amount to 8,027 Bitcoins which were worth $154.75 million in October 2022. The purpose of Spiral is to fund open-sourced applications that encourage and facilitate the use of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Mr. Dorsey remains the CEO and chairman of Block, Inc. The company employs more than 8,500 individuals across its footprint and netted $17.66 billion in revenue for 2021. Mr. Dorsey is also the companys largest shareholder with about 10% of the shares.
Tonight, the Racine Unified School Board is set to go into special session to discuss changes to the Racine Unified employee handbook.

From recent history, we know this could be a contentious meeting.

One of the biggest topics of contention has been to what extent employees should be involved in the handbook decision-making process.

The handbook at present is likely illegal, in light of changes to collective bargaining rights for public-sector union members under Act 10.

The employee handbook states the Board of Adjustments, which meets quarterly, will be comprised of equal representation of the district and the authorized representative of the teaching staff.

It also states that deliberations will be guided by the shared need to maintain the districts financial viability and to maintain a competitive compensation package. Any changes in insurance will be by a vote of 50 percent plus one of the Board of Adjustments membership and will be implemented as soon as feasible thereafter without further action by the parties.

At a July 10 work session, Unified School Board Vice President Dennis Wiser questioned the legality of the language.

I would also point out that I am 99.9 percent certain that the existing language of the Board of Adjustments was illegal. To give a single bargaining group the right to legal benefits with the whole district population has to be out of compliance with the law, Wiser said.

While the current setup appears to be illegal, involving staff in decisions is not illegal. Unified officials have said they will continue to involve staff.

Julie Landry, chief of human resources for Unified, said there will still be a process for employee feedback.

I think we do a great job in taking our employee input and feedback on lots of initiatives and things that go on in this district, Landry said. I just dont see how an organization can function without communicating with its employees and valuing their opinions.

The district has a lot of positive developments in progress, including plans to revamp the middle schools and, at the high school level, the Academies of Racine program and its emphasis on career pathways. It doesnt need to be stuck dealing with legal headaches that could arise from a handbook that may be in violation of the law.

Given recent history  with the state Legislature having stepped in to resolve a 2015 stalemate regarding a vacant seat on the School Board  it seems likely that the Legislature would intervene and make the district change its handbook before any legal challenges progressed.

But handbook changes shouldnt have to be forced upon RUSD by the Legislature. The School Board should make the changes necessary to be in compliance with state law.
The following companies are subsidiares of Becton, Dickinson and: Accuri Cytometers, Accuri Cytometers Inc., Alverix Inc, Alverix Inc., Atto Bioscience Inc, BD Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., BD Infection Prevention BV, BD Kiestra BV, BD Kiestra Total Lab Automation, BD Rapid Diagnostic (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., BD San Luis Potosi S.A. de C.V., BD Switzerland Sarl, BD Ventures LLC, BD West Africa Limited, BDX INO LLC, Bard (Thailand) Limited, Bard ASDI Inc., Bard Access Systems Inc., Bard Acquisition Sub Inc., Bard Australia Pty. Limited, Bard Benelux N.V., Bard Brachytherapy Inc., Bard Brasil Industria e Comercio de Produtos Para a Saude Ltda., Bard Canada Inc., Bard Chile S.p.A., Bard Czech Republic s.r.o., Bard Devices Inc., Bard Dublin ITC Limited, Bard EMEA Finance Center Sp.z o.o., Bard European Distribution Center N.V., Bard Finance B.V. & Co. KG., Bard Financial Services Ltd., Bard Finland OY, Bard France S.A.S., Bard Global Holdings I LLC, Bard Global Holdings II LLC, Bard Global Holdings III LLC, Bard Healthcare Inc., Bard Healthcare Science (Shanghai) Limited, Bard Hellas S.A., Bard Holding SAS, Bard Holdings Limited, Bard Holdings Netherlands B.V., Bard Hong Kong Limited, Bard IP Holdings Inc., Bard India Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., Bard International Holdings B.V., Bard International Inc., Bard Istanbul Healthcare Limited Company, Bard Korea Ltd., Bard Limited, Bard MRL Acquisition Corp., Bard Malaysia Healthcare Sdn. Bhd., Bard Medica SA, Bard Medical Devices (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Bard Medical R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Bard Medical SA (Proprietary) Limited, Bard Mexico Realty S. de R.L. de C.V., Bard Norden AB, Bard Norway AS, Bard Pacific Health Care Company Ltd., Bard Peripheral Vascular Inc., Bard Poland Sp. z.o.o., Bard Productos Plasticos e Medicos Ltda., Bard Reynosa S.A. de C.V., Bard S.r.l., Bard Sdn. Bhd., Bard Shannon Limited, Bard Singapore Private Limited, Bard Sourcing Office Singapore Pte. Ltd., Bard Sweden AB, Bard UK Newco Limited, Bard de Espana S.A., Becton Dickinson (Gibraltar) Holdings Ltd., Becton Dickinson (Gibraltar) Limited, Becton Dickinson (Gibraltar) Management Limited, Becton Dickinson (Mauritius) Limited, Becton Dickinson (Pty) Ltd., Becton Dickinson (Thailand) Limited, Becton Dickinson A.G., Becton Dickinson A/S, Becton Dickinson Argentina S.R.L., Becton Dickinson Asia Holdings Ltd., Becton Dickinson Asia Limited, Becton Dickinson Austria GmbH, Becton Dickinson Austria Holdings GmbH, Becton Dickinson B.V., Becton Dickinson B.V. Saudi Limited Company, Becton Dickinson Benelux N.V., Becton Dickinson Biosciences Systems and Reagents Inc., Becton Dickinson Canada Inc., Becton Dickinson Caribe Ltd., Becton Dickinson Croatia d.o.o., Becton Dickinson Czechia s.r.o., Becton Dickinson Dispensing Belgium BVBA, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Denmark A/S, Becton Dickinson Dispensing France SAS, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Ireland Limited, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Norway, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Spain S.L.U., Becton Dickinson Dispensing UK Ltd., Becton Dickinson Distribution Center N.V., Becton Dickinson East Africa Ltd., Becton Dickinson Euro Finance Sarl, Becton Dickinson Europe Holdings S.A.S., Becton Dickinson France S.A.S., Becton Dickinson GSA Beteilgungs GmbH, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings I Inc., Becton Dickinson Global Holdings II LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings IV LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings V LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings VII LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings VIII LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Services Centre Sdn. Bhd, Becton Dickinson GmbH, Becton Dickinson Guatemala S.A., Becton Dickinson Hellas S.A., Becton Dickinson Holdings Limited, Becton Dickinson Holdings Ltd., Becton Dickinson Holdings Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson Hungary Kft., Becton Dickinson India Private Limited, Becton Dickinson Industrias Cirurgicas Ltda., Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy AB, Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy Holdings UK Limited, Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy Systems Inc., Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy Systems Inc. S.A. de C.V., Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy UK, Becton Dickinson Insulin Syringe Ltd., Becton Dickinson International Holdings II Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson International Holdings III Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson International Holdings Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson Israel Ltd., Becton Dickinson Italia S.p.A., Becton Dickinson Ithalat Ihracat Limited Sirketi, Becton Dickinson Korea Holding Inc., Becton Dickinson Korea Ltd., Becton Dickinson Ltd., Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Finance S.a.r.L., Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Global Holdings Sarl, Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Holdings II S.a.r.L, Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Holdings III S.a.r.L, Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Holdings V S.a.r.L., Becton Dickinson Malaysia Inc., Becton Dickinson Management GmbH & Co. KG, Becton Dickinson Matrex Holdings Inc., Becton Dickinson Medical (S) Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Devices (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Products Pte. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Technology (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Netherlands Global Holdings II C.V., Becton Dickinson Netherlands Holdings B.V., Becton Dickinson Netherlands Holdings II B.V., Becton Dickinson Norway AS, Becton Dickinson O.Y., Becton Dickinson Overseas Services Ltd., Becton Dickinson Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd., Becton Dickinson Penel Limited, Becton Dickinson Philippines Inc., Becton Dickinson Polska Sp.z.o.o., Becton Dickinson Portugal Unipessoal Lda., Becton Dickinson Pty. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Research Centre Ireland Limited, Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany GmbH, Becton Dickinson Rowa Italy Srl, Becton Dickinson S.A., Becton Dickinson Sample Collection GmbH, Becton Dickinson Scot Financing L.L.P., Becton Dickinson Scot Financing L.P., Becton Dickinson Sdn. Bhd., Becton Dickinson Slovakia s.r.o., Becton Dickinson Sweden AB, Becton Dickinson Sweden Holdings AB, Becton Dickinson Switzerland Global Holdings SarL, Becton Dickinson Technology Campus India, Becton Dickinson U.K. Limited, Becton Dickinson UK Financing I Limited, Becton Dickinson UK Financing II Limited, Becton Dickinson Venezuela C.A., Becton Dickinson Venture LLC, Becton Dickinson Verwaltungs GmbH, Becton Dickinson Vostok LLC, Becton Dickinson Worldwide Investments Sa.r.L., Becton Dickinson Zambia Limited, Becton Dickinson and Company Ltd., Becton Dickinson de Colombia Ltda., Becton Dickinson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Becton Dickinson del Uruguay S.A., Bee IT Solutions, Benex Ltd., Biometric Imaging, Bridger Biomed Inc., C. R. Bard (Portugal) - Produtos e Artigos Medicos e Farmaceuticos, C. R. Bard Do Brasil Productos Medicos Ltda., C. R. Bard GmbH, C. R. Bard Inc., C. R. Bard Netherlands Sales B.V., C.R. Bard Inc, CME America LLC, CME Ltd., CME Medical (UK) Limited, CME UK (Holdings) Limited, CRISI Medical Systems, CRISI Medical Systems Inc., Caesarea Medical Electronics, Cardal II LLC, Care Fusion Development Private Limited, CareFusion (Barbados) SrL, CareFusion (Shanghai) Commercial and Trading Co. Limited, CareFusion 213 LLC, CareFusion 2200 Inc., CareFusion 2201 Inc., CareFusion 302 LLC, CareFusion 303 Inc., CareFusion Asia (HK) Limited, CareFusion Corporation, CareFusion Corporation., CareFusion D.R. 203 Ltd., CareFusion France 309 S.A.S., CareFusion Israel 330 Ltd., CareFusion Italy 312 S.p.A., CareFusion Manufacturing LLC, CareFusion Mexico 215 S.A. de C.V., CareFusion Netherlands 328 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands 503 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands 504 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands Financing 283 C.V., CareFusion Resources LLC, CareFusion S.A. 319 (Proprietary) Limited, CareFusion Solutions LLC, CareFusion U.K. 244 Limited, CareFusion U.K. 305 Limited, CareFusion U.K. 306 Limited, Carmel Pharma AB, Carmel Pharma Inc, Cato Software Solutions, Cell Analysis Systems Inc, Cellular Research, Cellular Research Inc., Clearstream Technologies Group Limited, Clearstream Technologies Limited, Clontech Laboratories Inc, Corporativo BD de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Critical Device Corporation, Cubex, Cytognos, Cytopeia Inc, DLD (Bermuda) Ltd., DVL Acquisition Sub Inc., Davol Inc., Davol International Limited, Davol Surgical Innovations S.A. de C.V., Difco Laboratories Incorporated, Distribuidora BD Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dutch American Manufacturers (D.A.M.) B.V., Dymax Corporation, Embo Medical Limited, Enturia de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Enturican Inc., FJ International Inc., FlowCardia Inc., FlowCardia LLC, FlowJo LLC, Franklin Lakes Enterprises L.L.C., GSL Solutions, Gamer Lasertechnik GmbH, GenCell Biosystems, GenCell Biosystems Ltd., GeneOhm Sciences Canada ULC, GeneOhm Sciences Inc, Gentest Corporation, Gesco International Inc., Gesco International LLC, Glentech Inc, HandyLab Inc, HandyLab Inc., IBD Holdings LLC, Iontophoretics Corporation, JoHome LLC, Kabushiki Kaisha Medicon (Medicon Inc.), Liberator Health and Education Services Inc., Liberator Health and Wellness Inc., Liberator Medical Holdings Inc., Liberator Medical Supply Inc., Limited Liability Company Bard Rus, Loma Vista Medical Inc., Loma Vista Medical LLC, Luther Medical Products Inc, Lutonix Inc., Med-Design Corporation, Med-Design Investment Holdings Inc., Med-Safe Systems Inc, Med-Safe Systems Inc., MedChem Products Inc., Medafor Inc., Medegen LLC, Medinservice.com Inc., Medivance Inc., NAT Diagnostics Inc., NAT Diagnostics Inc., NOW Medical Distribution Inc., NOW Medical Distribution LLC, Navarre Biomedical LLC, Navarre Biomedical Ltd., Neomend Inc., Nippon Becton Dickinson Company Ltd., Omega Biosystems Incorporated, P.R.C. (Isialys) Societe a responsabilitie limitee, PT Becton Dickinson Indonesia, PharMingen, PharMingen., Plasso Technology Ltd, PreAnalytiX GmbH, Pristine Access Technologies Inc., ProSeed Inc., Procesos para Esterilizacion S.A. de C.V., Productos Bard de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Productos Para el Cuidado de la Salud S.A. de C.V., Puls Medical Devices AS LC, PureWick Corporation, Roberts Laboratories Inc., Rochester Medical Corporation, Rochester Medical Ltd., Saf-T-Med Inc, Safety Syringes Inc., Scanwell Health Inc., Sendal S.L.U., SenoRx Inc., SenoRx LLC, Shield Healthcare Centers Inc., Sirigen Group Limited, Sirigen II Limited, Sirigen Inc., Sistemas Medicos ALARIS S.A. de C.V., Specialized Cooperative Corporation, Specialized Health Products Inc., Specialized Health Products International Inc., Specialized Health Products International LLC, Staged Diabetes Management LLC, Straub Medical AG, Straub Medical AG, Surgical Site Solutions Inc., TVA Medical Inc, TVA Medical Inc., Tepha Inc, Tepha Inc., Tissuemed Ltd., Tri-County Medical & Ostomy Supplies Inc., TriPath Imaging Inc., Tru-Fit Marketing Corporation, Vas-Cath Incorporated, Vascular Pathways Inc., Velano Vascular, Velano Vascular Inc., Venclose Inc., Venetec International Inc., Venetec International LLC, Visitec, Y-Med Inc., Y-Med LLC, and ZebraSci Inc..

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Church & Dwight Co., Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets household, personal care, and specialty products. It operates through three segments: Consumer Domestic, Consumer International, and Specialty Products Division. The company offers cat litters, carpet deodorizers, laundry detergents, and baking soda, as well as other baking soda based products under the ARM & HAMMER brand; condoms, lubricants, and vibrators under the TROJAN brand; stain removers, cleaning solutions, laundry detergents, and bleach alternatives under the OXICLEAN brand; battery-operated and manual toothbrushes under the SPINBRUSH brand; home pregnancy and ovulation test kits under the FIRST RESPONSE brand; depilatories under the NAIR brand; oral analgesics under the ORAJEL brand; laundry detergents under the XTRA brand; gummy dietary supplements under the L'IL CRITTERS and VITAFUSION brands; dry shampoos under the BATISTE brand; water flossers and replacement showerheads under the WATERPIK brand; FLAWLESS products; cold shortening and relief products under the ZICAM brand; and oral care products under the THERABREATH brand. Its specialty products include animal productivity products, such as MEGALAC rumen bypass fat, a supplement that enables cows to maintain energy levels during the period of high milk production; BIO-CHLOR and FERMENTEN, which are used to reduce health issues associated with calving, as well as provides needed protein; and CELMANAX refined functional carbohydrate, a yeast-based prebiotic. The company offers sodium bicarbonate; and cleaning and deodorizing products. It sells its consumer products through supermarkets, mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs, drugstores, convenience stores, home stores, dollar and other discount stores, pet and other specialty stores, and websites and other e-commerce channels; and specialty products to industrial customers and livestock producers through distributors. The company was founded in 1846 and is headquartered in Ewing, New Jersey.
CBS Accidently Stumbles On

Harsh Truth About Gun Laws

By Tom Knighton. August 5th, 2017

It's safe to say that CBS and other mainstream media organizations aren't precisely friends of the Second Amendment. A recent story about gun violence in Chicago appears to keep up that trend when it's announced, "The problem we heard -- and saw -- over and over again, was guns."

The firearm enthusiast community would be easily forgiven for simply rolling their eyes at the post and not thinking anything of it. After all, a mainstream media story blaming guns for violence? That only happens on days that end in the letter "Y", right?

In the midst of the standard fear mongering about guns, however, CBS accidentally exposes a truth that they might not have intended to. .......

There we have it -- as any law abiding gun owner knows -- criminals have their own sources for firearms. They always have had and always will have. It's a constant and frustrating fact that anti-gun proponents never seem to differentiate between legal guns and illegal -- guns are all dumped in the same category and the media is regularly to blame for helping maintain this skewed distortion. Perhaps just for once here - the media has almost inadvertently acknowledged the fact that armed criminals are by definition, illegal gun owners!

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M/I Homes, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a builder of single-family homes in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The company operates through Northern Homebuilding, Southern Homebuilding, and Financial Services segments. It designs, constructs, markets, and sells single-family homes and attached townhomes to first-time, millennial, move-up, empty-nester, and luxury buyers under the M/I Homes brand name. The company also purchases undeveloped land to develop into developed lots for the construction of single-family homes, as well as for sale to others. In addition, it originates and sells mortgages; and serves as a title insurance agent by providing title insurance policies, examination, and closing services to purchasers of its homes. The company was formerly known as M/I Schottenstein Homes, Inc. and changed its name to M/I Homes, Inc. in January 2004. M/I Homes, Inc. was founded in 1976 and is based in Columbus, Ohio.
National Fuel Gas Company operates as a diversified energy company. It operates through four segments: Exploration and Production, Pipeline and Storage, Gathering, and Utility. The Exploration and Production segment explores for, develops, and produces natural gas and oil in California and in the Appalachian region of the United States. As of September 30, 2021, it had proved developed and undeveloped reserves of 21,537 thousand barrels of oil and 3,723,433 million cubic feet of natural gas. The Pipeline and Storage segment provides interstate natural gas transportation and storage services through an integrated gas pipeline system in Pennsylvania and New York; and owns and operates underground natural gas storage fields. This segment also transports natural gas for National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation, as well as for other utilities, industrial companies, and power producers in New York State; and owns and operates the Empire Pipeline. The Gathering segment builds, owns, and operates natural gas processing and pipeline gathering facilities in the Appalachian region, as well as provides gathering services to Seneca Resources Company, LLC. The Utility segment sells natural gas or provides natural gas transportation services to approximately 753,000 customers in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Jamestown, New York; and Erie and Sharon, Pennsylvania. The company markets gas to industrial, wholesale, commercial, public authority, and residential customers primarily in western and central New York, and northwestern Pennsylvania. As of September 30, 2021, the company also owned approximately 95,000 acres of timber property; and managed approximately 2,500 additional acres of timber cutting rights. National Fuel Gas Company was incorporated in 1902 and is headquartered in Williamsville, New York.
The following companies are subsidiares of Rite Aid: 1515 West State Street Boise Idaho LLC, 1740 Associates LLC, 4042 Warrensville Center RoadWarrensville Ohio Inc., 5277 Associates Inc., 5600 Superior Properties Inc., Advance Benefits LLC, Apex Drug Stores Inc., Ascend Health Technology LLC, Bartell Drugs, Broadview and WallingsBroadview Heights Ohio Inc., Design Rx Holdings LLC, Design Rx LLC, Design Rxclusives LLC, Drug Palace Inc., EDC Drug Stores Inc., Eckerd Corporation, Edgehill Drugs, Elixir Holdings LLC, Elixir Insurance Company, Elixir Pharmacy LLC, Elixir Puerto Rico Inc., Elixir Rx Options LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions of Nevada LLC, Elixir Savings LLC, Envision Pharmaceutical, First Florida Insurers of Tampa LLC, GDF Inc., Genovese Drug Stores Inc., Gettysburg and Hoover-Dayton Ohio LLC, Grand River & Fenkell LLC, Harco, Harco Inc., Health Dialog, Health Dialog Services Corporation, Hunter Lane LLC, ILG  90 B Avenue Lake Oswego LLC, JCG Holdings USA Inc., JCG PJC USA LLC, K&B Alabama Corporation, K&B Incorporated, K&B Industries, K&B Louisiana Corporation, K&B Mississippi Corporation, K&B Services Incorporated, K&B Tennessee Corporation, K&B Texas Corporation, LMW  90B Avenue Lake Oswego Inc., Lakehurst and Broadway Corporation, Laker Software LLC, Maxi Drug Inc., Maxi Drug North Inc., Maxi Drug South L.P., Maxi Green Inc., Munson & Andrews LLC, Name Rite LLC, P.J.C. Distribution Inc., P.J.C. Realty Co. Inc., PCS Health Systems, PDS-1 Michigan Inc., PJC Lease Holdings Inc., PJC Manchester Realty LLC, PJC Peterborough Realty LLC, PJC Realty MA Inc., PJC Revere Realty LLC, PJC Special Realty Holdings Inc., PJC of Massachusetts Inc., PJC of Rhode Island Inc., PJC of Vermont Inc., Perry Distributors Inc., Perry Drug Stores Inc., RCMH LLC, RDS Detroit Inc., READs Inc., RediClinic, RediClinic Associates Inc., RediClinic LLC, RediClinic US LLC, RediClinic of DC LLC, RediClinic of DE LLC, RediClinic of Dallas Forth-Worth LLC, RediClinic of MD LLC, RediClinic of PA LLC, RediClinic of VA LLC, Richfield Road  Flint Michigan LLC, Rite Aid Drug Palace Inc., Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Corp., Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Funding Inc., Rite Aid Lease Management Company, Rite Aid Online Store Inc., Rite Aid Payroll Management Inc., Rite Aid Realty Corp., Rite Aid Rome Distribution Center Inc., Rite Aid Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Rite Aid Transport Inc., Rite Aid of Connecticut Inc., Rite Aid of Delaware Inc., Rite Aid of Georgia Inc., Rite Aid of Indiana Inc., Rite Aid of Kentucky Inc., Rite Aid of Maine Inc., Rite Aid of Maryland Inc., Rite Aid of Michigan Inc., Rite Aid of New Hampshire Inc., Rite Aid of New Jersey Inc., Rite Aid of New York Inc., Rite Aid of North Carolina Inc., Rite Aid of Ohio Inc., Rite Aid of Pennsylvania LLC, Rite Aid of South Carolina Inc., Rite Aid of Tennessee Inc., Rite Aid of Vermont Inc., Rite Aid of Virginia Inc., Rite Aid of Washington D.C. Inc., Rite Aid of West Virginia Inc., Rite Investments Corp., Rite Investments Corp. LLC, Rx Choice Inc., Rx Initiatives LLC, Rx USA Inc., The Bartell Drug Company, The Jean Coutu Group PJC USA Inc., The Lane Drug Company, Thrift Drug Inc., Thrifty Corporation, Thrifty PayLess Inc., and Tonic Procurement Solutions LLC.

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Nabors Industries Ltd. provides drilling and drilling-related services for land-based and offshore oil and natural gas wells. The company operates through five segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. It provides tubular running, wellbore placement, directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling (MWD), equipment manufacturing, and rig instrumentation services; and logging-while-drilling systems and services, as well as drilling optimization software. The company also offers REVit, an automated real time stick-slip mitigation system; ROCKit, a directional steering control system; SmartNAV, a collaborative guidance and advisory platform; SmartSLIDE, an advanced directional steering control system; and RigCLOUD, which provides the tools and infrastructure to integrate applications to deliver real-time insight into operations across the rig fleet. In addition, it manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and other drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools; and provides aftermarket sales and services for the installed base of its equipment. As of December 31, 2021, the company marketed approximately 301 rigs for land-based drilling operations in the United States, Canada, and in 20 other countries worldwide; and 29 rigs for offshore platform drilling operations in the United States and internationally. Nabors Industries Ltd. was founded in 1952 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
The following companies are subsidiares of TransDigm Group: 17111 Waterview Pkwy LLC, ARA Deutschland GmbH, ARA Holding GmbH, Acme Aerospace, Acme Aerospace Inc., Adams Rite Aerospace GmbH, Adams Rite Aerospace Inc., Advanced Inflatable Products Limited, Aero-Instruments, AeroControlex Group Inc., Aerosonic, Aerosonic LLC, Air-Sea Survival Equipment Trustee Limited, Airborne Acquisition Inc., Airborne Global Inc., Airborne Holdings Inc., Airborne Systems, Airborne Systems Canada Ltd., Airborne Systems Group Limited, Airborne Systems Holdings Limited, Airborne Systems Limited, Airborne Systems NA Inc., Airborne Systems North America Inc., Airborne Systems North America of CA Inc., Airborne Systems North America of NJ Inc., Airborne Systems Pension Trust Limited, Airborne UK Acquisition Limited, Airborne UK Parent Limited, Aircraft Materials Limited, AmSafe, AmSafe Aviation (Chongqing) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Private) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport Ltd., AmSafe Global Holdings Inc., AmSafe Global Services (Private) Limited, AmSafe Inc., Angus Electronics Co., Arkwin Industries, Arkwin Industries Inc., Armtec Countermeasures Co., Armtec Countermeasures TNO Co., Armtec Defense Products Co., Auxitrol SAS, Auxitrol Weston Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Auxitrol Weston Services China Ltd., Auxitrol Weston Singapore Pte. Ltd., Auxitrol Weston USA Inc., Aviation Technologies, Aviation Technologies Inc., Avionic Instruments LLC, Avionics Instruments, Avionics Specialties Inc., AvtechTyee Inc., Beta Transformer Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Beta Transformer Technology Corporation, Beta Transformer Technology LLC, Breeze-Eastern Corporation, Breeze-Eastern LLC, Bridport Erie Aviation Inc., Bridport Holdings Inc., Bridport Ltd., Bridport-Air Carrier Inc., Bruce Aerospace Inc., Bruce Industries, CDA InterCorp LLC, CEF Industries LLC, CMC Electronics Aurora LLC, CMC Electronics Inc., CMC Electronics ME Inc., Champion Aerospace LLC, Chelton Avionics Holdings Inc., Chelton Avionics Inc., Chelton Limited, Cobham Aero Connectivity, Cobham CTS Limited, Cobham Defence Communications Limited, Cobham Defense Products Inc., DART Aerospace, DDC Electronics K.K., DDC Electronics Ltd., DDC Electronics Private Limited, DDC Electronique S.A.R.L., DDC Elektronik GmbH, Darchem Engineering Limited, Darchem Holdings Limited, Data Device Corp., Data Device Corporation, Dukes Aerospace Inc., EST Defence Company UK Limited, Edlaw Limited, Electromech Technologies LLC, Elektro-Metall Export GmbH, Elektro-Metall Paks KFT, Esterline, Esterline Acquisition Ltd, Esterline Europe Company LLC, Esterline Foreign Sales Corporation, Esterline International Company, Esterline Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Esterline Technologies Corporation, Esterline Technologies Corporation, Esterline Technologies Europe Limited, Esterline Technologies France Holding SAS, Esterline Technologies French Acquisition Limited, Esterline Technologies Global Limited, Esterline Technologies Holdings Limited, Esterline Technologies SGIP LLC, Esterline Technologies Unlimited, Esterline do Brasil Assessoria e Intermediacao Ltda, European Antennas Limited, Extant Components Group Holdings Inc., Extant Components Group Intermediate Inc., GQ Parachutes Limited, Guizhou Leach-Tianyi Aviation Electrical Company Ltd, Harco, HarcoSemco LLC, Hartwell Corporation, Hytek Finishes Co., ILC Holdings Inc., IRVIN AEROSPACE LIMITED, IrvinGQ France SAS, IrvinGQ Limited, Janco Corporation, Johnson Liverpool LLC, Kirkhill Elastomers, Kirkhill Inc., Korry Electronics Co., Kunshan Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Leach Holding Corporation, Leach International Asia-Pacific Ltd, Leach International Corporation, Leach International Europe S.A.S., Leach International Germany GmbH, Leach International Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., Leach International UK Ltd, Leach Mexico Holding LLC, Leach Technology Group Inc., MarathonNorco Aerospace Inc., Mason Electric Co., Mastsystem Int'l Oy, McKechnie Aerospace, McKechnie Aerospace (Europe) Ltd., McKechnie Aerospace DE Inc., McKechnie Aerospace DE LP, McKechnie Aerospace Holdings Inc., McKechnie Aerospace US LLC, Mecanismos de Matamoros S. de R.L. de C.V., NAT Seattle Inc., NMC Group Inc., Norco, Nordisk Asia Pacific Limited, Nordisk Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Nordisk Aviation Products (Kunshan) Ltd., Nordisk Aviation Products AS, Nordisk Aviation Products LLC, North Hills Signal Processing Corp., North Hills Signal Processing Overseas LLC, Norwich Aero Products Inc., Palomar Products Inc., Pexco Aerospace, Pexco Aerospace Inc., PneuDraulics, PneuDraulics Inc., Pressure Systems International Ltd, Schneller, Schneller Asia Pte. Ltd., Schneller LLC, Schneller S.A.R.L., Schroth Safety Products, Semco Instruments, Semco Instruments Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Signal Processing Matamoros S.A. de C.V., Skandia, Skandia Inc., Skurka Aerospace, Skurka Aerospace Inc., Symetrics Industries, Symetrics Industries LLC, Symetrics Technology Group LLC, TA Aerospace Co., TA Mfg Limited, TDG Bavaria GmbH, TDG ESL Holdings Inc., TDG France Ultimate Parent SAS, TDG Germany GmbH, TEAC Aerospace Holdings Inc., TEAC Aerospace Technologies Inc., Tactair Fluid Controls Inc., Takata Protection Systems, Telair International, Telair International GmbH, Telair International Services PTE Ltd, Telair US LLC, TransDigm (Barbados) SRL, TransDigm Canada ULC, TransDigm European Holdings Limited, TransDigm Ireland Ltd., TransDigm Receivables LLC, TransDigm Technologies India Private Limited, TransDigm UK Holdings plc, Transicoil (Malaysia) Sendirian Berhad, Transicoil LLC, Wallop Defence UK Limited, Weston Aerospace Ltd, Whippany Actuation Systems, Whippany Actuation Systems LLC, XCEL Power Systems Ltd., Young & Franklin, Young & Franklin Inc., and exas Rotronics Inc..

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Juniper Networks, Inc. designs, develops, and sells network products and services worldwide. The company offers routing products, such as ACX series universal access routers to deploy high-bandwidth services; MX series Ethernet routers that function as a universal edge platform; PTX series packet transport routers; wide-area network SDN controllers; and session smart routers. It also provides switching products, including EX series Ethernet switches to address the access, aggregation, and core layer switching requirements of micro branch, branch office, and campus environments; QFX series of core, spine, and top-of-rack data center switches; and juniper access points, which provide Wi-Fi access and performance. In addition, the company offers security products comprising SRX series services gateways for the data center; Branch SRX family provides an integrated and next-generation firewall; virtual firewall that delivers various features of physical firewalls; and advanced malware protection, a cloud-based service and Juniper ATP. Further, it offers Junos OS, a network operating system; Contrail networking, which provides an open-source and standards-based platform for SDN; Mist AI-driven Wired, Wireless, and WAN assurance solutions to set and measure key metrics; Mist AI-driven Marvis Virtual Network Assistant, which identifies the root cause of issues; Juniper Paragon Automation, a modular portfolio of cloud-native software applications; and Juniper Apstra to automate the network lifecycle in a single system. Additionally, the company provides software-as-a-service, technical support, maintenance, and professional services, as well as education and training programs. It sells its products through direct sales, distributors, value-added resellers, and original equipment manufacturers to end-users in the cloud, service provider, and enterprise markets. The company was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California.
United Technologies Corporation provides technology products and services to building systems and aerospace industries worldwide. Its Otis segment designs, manufactures, sells, and installs passenger and freight elevators, escalators, and moving walkways; and offers modernization products to upgrade elevators and escalators, as well as maintenance and repair services. The company's Carrier segment provides heating, ventilating, air conditioning, refrigeration, fire, security, and building automation products, solutions, and services for commercial, government, infrastructure, residential, and refrigeration and transportation applications. This segment also offers building services, including audit, design, installation, system integration, repair, maintenance, and monitoring. Its Pratt & Whitney segment supplies aircraft engines for commercial, military, business jet, and general aviation markets; and provides aftermarket maintenance, repair, and overhaul, as well as fleet management services. The company's Collins Aerospace Systems segment provides electric power generation, power management, and distribution systems; air data and aircraft sensing systems; engine control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems; engine components; environmental control systems; fire and ice detection, and protection systems; propeller systems; engine nacelle systems; aircraft lighting, seating, and cargo systems; actuation and landing systems; space products and subsystems; avionics systems; flight controls, communications, navigation, oxygen, and training systems; food and beverage preparation, and storage and galley systems; and lavatory and wastewater management systems. The company offers its services through manufacturers' representatives, distributors, wholesalers, dealers, retail outlets, and sales representatives, as well as directly to customers. United Technologies Corporation was founded in 1934 and is headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut.
4 cops hurt in ambush

Four police personnel were injured when an armed group detonated an improvised explosive device targeting a patrol van at Surunga Municipality-5 in Saptari on Saturday night.
450 leaders, cadres quit Chand-led party

At least 450 district leaders and cadres have defected the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal. The defection was announced at a press conference organised by Rafat Sanchar Club in Bhaktapur today.
The attack happened near Angra dos Reis on the Costa Verde, a popular coastal destination (Rex)

A British woman is in hospital after her family was shot at when they mistakenly entered a Brazilian favela.

Eloise Dixon, 46, who was with her three young children and husband, was shot twice in the abdomen after taking a wrong turn near the coastal resort of Angra dos Reis, according to reports in the country.

Police said the family were travelling were about 150km (90 miles) west of Rio de Janeiro on the Costa Verde when the incident happened.

The oldest of the three children was four years old, Rio newspaper O Dia reported. The rest of the family was unhurt in the attack.

Police said the assailants opened fire after approaching the car and telling the family to get out. It is believed the family was looking for somewhere to buy water.

Eloise Dixon, 46, was shot twice (Facebook)

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Local police chief Bruno Gilaberte told O Globo said: This whole confusion seems to have happened partly because of the language barrier.

They ended up driving towards the Agua Santa community where they were challenged by criminals.

Because they didnt understand the order they received to leave the area, they just carried on and were shot at.

According to local reports, the area they entered is controlled by the Terceiro Comando Puro gang, a notorious drug faction in Brazil.

The family is thought to have entered a favela accidentally. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

A UK Foreign Office spokesman said: We are in touch with the local authorities in Angra dos Reis, Brazil, following reports of the shooting of a British national.

Dixon, who is from Darford but lives in Bromley, is being treated at a hospital but police did not release her condition.

In July last year, video footage emerged of child criminals robbing tourists in Rio de Janeiro.
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Qt Visual Studio Tools Updated for Cross-Platform C++ Development

The Qt Company has updated its Qt Visual Studio Tools extension for C++ development in Microsoft's flagship IDE, offering a new beta version compatible with Visual Studio 2017.

In true cross-platform development, the venerable C++ language is championed for its close-to-the-metal performance, despite its oft-maligned complexities.

For hard-core programmers painstakingly optimizing for speed, it's still one of the top choices, underlying the critical functionality of many of the world's most popular applications (including Visual Studio itself), while less-important functionality is handled by more modern, developer-friendly languages.

Now, for those hard-core coders and anyone else daring to dip into C++ development (and who don't want to use Microsoft's bevy of C++ tools), a new beta version of Qt Visual Studio Tools that supports Visual Studio 2017 is available on the Visual Studio Marketplace. Its description there reads: "The Qt Visual Studio Tools allow developers to use the standard development environment without having to worry about any Qt-related build steps or tools."

Its main features are listed as:

Wizards for creating new Qt projects and classes.

Automated build setup for the Meta-Object Compiler (moc), User Interface Compiler (uic), and Resource Compiler (rcc).

Import and export of Qt project files (.pro) and project include files (.pri).

Automated conversion of a Qt VS Tools project to a qmake project, or the other way around.

Integrated Qt resource management.

Integrated Qt documentation.

Debugging extensions for Qt data types.

While the extension is provided by Finland-based The Qt Company, which develops a fully commercialized version of the cross-platform application framework, open source development of Qt is governed by the Qt Project.

The Qt Company yesterday announced version 2.1.2 beta for the Visual Studio extension, which is now compatible with Visual Studio 2017.

"We have released a new beta of the Qt Visual Studio Tools, corresponding to version 2.1.2," the company said. "It is available in the Visual Studio Marketplace and can be installed directly from within Visual Studio 2017 (through the 'Tools > Extensions and Updates ...' menu). Alternatively, it can be downloaded from this page."

Support for Visual Studio 2017 was a feature requested by developers, as can be seen in the extension's Q&A. Visual Studio developers have downloaded the extension (which appears with a "2015" reference) more than 49,000 times. The Qt Company claims an ecosystem featuring some 1 million developers.

The extension has been reviewed by 11 developers, who have awarded it a 3.9 average rating (out of 5).

"So great!" reads one comment. "I'm a C++ programmer, I often use Qt framework to create my GUI applications and have to use Qt Creator to write this applications. But I really prefer to use Visual Studio, because that supports me to code strongly. I really like this tool that has helped me to use Qt framework easily on Visual Studio."

Several others, however, voiced complaints, some concerning various problems when trying to use the extension with Visual Studio 2017, though it targeted Visual Studio 2015.

The company itself provided some caveats about using the new beta for VS 2017.

"For the moment, version 2.1.2 is only available for Visual Studio 2017," it said. "There is also one noteworthy issue: Qt projects will be configured with version 8.1 of the Windows SDK, and building will result in an error if the SDK is not installed. The status of this issue and description of a workaround can be found here.

"We will continue working on this and other issues and suggestions reported through bugreports.qt.io with a view to providing an official release of the Qt Visual Studio Tools, which will also be available for Visual Studio 2013 and 2015."

Just as C++ is a top choice for mission-critical applications, the 22-year-old Qt framework is often a top choice for using C++.

Here's what careers site Dice said about it last year: "This older framework has reinvented itself with its latest incarnation, Qt 5, which is used in everything from mobile apps to automobiles and medical devices. One of its big strengths is the windowing system, which lets you create user interfaces, and includes advanced features such as displaying charts, data visualizations and maps from third-party providers. Qt Version 5 now handles touch as well as mouse and keyboard handling, and you can add virtual keyboards on X11 and Windows. On KDE Linux, Qt is the native GUI library, so if you are developing for KDE platforms, then you should consider Qt."
While popular with conservation groups, coastal easements that prevent development in order to protect marshland are not favored by property owners, according to researchers from Virginia Techs College of Natural Resources and Environment and the University of Connecticut.

Findings from a study published this week in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences offer broad implications for how to best design programs to mitigate climate change effects. The study recognizes that private landowners will be critical partners in efforts to save coastal marshes in the face of climate change and rising sea levels.

Based on the results of a survey of more than 1,000 owners of Connecticut coastal properties, landowners harbor skeptical attitudes about granting easements, based on concerns that they will not be offered a fair price in exchange for keeping land as open space where marshes can migrate as sea levels rise. They also worry that environmental organizations that obtain the easements might not act fairly or transparently in their efforts to encourage tidal marsh migration, the researchers write.

The findings strongly suggest that relying on education about sea-level rise and the ecosystem benefits of marshes alone will not protect land from changes brought on by storms and climate change, said Ashley Dayer, assistant professor of human dimensions in the Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environments Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation. Instead, conservation strategies for marsh migration inland in the face of sea-level rise will need to be attractive to private landowners and encourage their voluntary participation.

In the study area  the Connecticut coast  there are an estimated 30,000 landowners in the zone projected to become tidal marsh by 2100, and millions of people globally live near tidal marshes. Whether landowners decide to leave room on their land for marshes to move inland or instead build seawalls that harden shorelines means either protecting tidal wetlands and their many ecological, economic, and recreational benefits, or losing them altogether.

As both coastal communities and tidal marshes deal with increased flooding, the responses of landowners will likely constrain marsh migration across large swaths of coastline, said lead author Christopher Field, a post-doctoral fellow in the University of Connecticuts Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. This finding hints at big challenges ahead for a variety of coastal ecosystems that may not have many places left to go to escape accelerating sea-level rise.

The survey was conducted following two major storms  Hurricane Irene in 2011 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012  so the results are a valid measure of whether that experience influences attitudes about taking action to lessen future risks, according to researchers.

While landowners whose properties flooded during Hurricane Sandy were 1.4 times more likely to say they may be willing to sell their vulnerable land outright, this result may overstate what people would actually do. For example, although the study did not investigate past landowner behavior, the researchers note that fewer than 100 properties in the study area were acquired during federal buyout programs implemented after the recent hurricanes, though many more were eligible.

If land protection agreements with nonprofits and government agencies arent the answer, what offers more promise for the future of marshes?

Surveyed landowners responded favorably to the idea of restrictive covenants, even though they typically do not include financial incentives. Under restrictive covenants, an entire neighborhood agrees to forgo building seawalls and other shoreline armoring structures. These armoring strategies can be damaging in the long run, because they can divert erosion and flooding to adjoining properties and natural habitats.

Coastal landowners also liked the notion of future interest agreements. Under these programs, private landowners agree to accept fair market value of their property at the time of signing if future flooding reduces the value by more than half. That future flooding would allow dry upland to turn into coastal marsh.

Coastal flooding is increasing in many places along the U.S. east coast, with repercussions not only for the people who live there, but for the natural resources that many people value, said Chris Elphick, professor with the University of Connecticuts Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Several species of birds that live in coastal marshes, for example, have declined dramatically in recent years, and extinctions are likely if we dont find ways to protect their habitat.

In sum, our findings indicate that current conservation strategies may not interest enough landowners to allow marsh migration at the scales needed to mitigate losses from sea-level rise, concluded Dayer, who is affiliated with the Global Change Center, housed in Virginia Techs Fralin Life Science Institute. Less common strategies that have more support from landowners will need to be considered. This is yet another example that incorporating information about human interests and behaviors into conservation planning is essential to securing conservation outcomes.

This study was funded by Connecticut Sea Grant, the University of Connecticut, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation.

For a copy of the study, Landowner behavior can determine the success of conservation strategies for ecosystem migration under sea-level rise, send a request to pnasnews@nas.edu.

Ashley Dayer can be reached by contacting Heidi Ketler, interim director of communications, Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment, at heidik1@vt.edu or 540-231-6157. Christopher Field can be reached at christopher.field@uconn.edu. Chris Elphick can be reached at chris.elphick@uconn.edu (best option) or 860-985-4347.
A recent staff reorganization will bring a trio with close to a centurys worth of service at Virginia Tech to the Office of the President.

As part of a strategic alignment announced last month, Kim ORourke was named vice president for policy and governance and will also serve as secretary to the Board of Visitors, Dwight Shelton was tapped as interim senior vice president for operations and administration, and Lisa Wilkes was called on to become interim vice president for human resources.

We're very pleased to have leaders who bring a wealth of intuitional knowledge and commitment to these positions at such an important time for Virginia Tech, said President Tim Sands. As higher education is redefined, these changes will position us to thrive in a dynamic environment and lead the way among our peers.

A 39-year Tech employee, ORourke began her career at Tech when she relocated to Virginia from New York in 1978. During her tenure, shes held numerous administrative positions in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, the Cook Counseling Center, and the College of Veterinary Medicine, while also working to earn a degree in accounting and her MBA. She subsequently served as a budget analyst and then assistant to the vice president for development and university relations until being named the presidents chief of staff in 2000.

ORourke takes on the newly created position, vice president for policy and governance, after serving 17 years as chief of staff in the Office of the President. Among her duties in her former role, she served as both Secretary of the Board of Visitors and Secretary to University Council with responsibility for managing the universitys governance infrastructure and extensive involvement in policy development.

In her new role, ORourke will be able to give greater focus to enhancing the governance process, creating a system to manage more than 500 Presidents Policy Memoranda and university policies, and provide consultation and training for the university community. She will also continue in her capacity as Secretary to the Board of Visitors.

Shelton joined Virginia Tech in 1979 and has served as the director of internal audit, university controller, university budget director, and associate vice president.

Prior to joining Tech, Shelton was a manager with the accounting firm of Ernst & Whinney. He holds a B.S. in accounting and an MBA, both from Virginia Tech.

Most recently, Shelton has served as vice president for finance and chief financial officer, a role that charged him with, among other things, providing the primary support to university leadership in identifying, obtaining, and allocating the resources need to achieve the universitys mission.

While continuing in that position, Sheltons new role, interim senior vice president for operations and administration, will also task him with the oversight of university operations, policy and governance, and human resources.

Wilkes began her career at Virginia Tech as a graduate student intern in 1995. She has held multiple positions during her 22-year tenure with the university ranging from manager of leadership development and administrative services to her most recent posting as the associate vice president for administration, which she began in 2015 and tasked her with the oversight of 13 university departments whose annual operating budgets were around $40 million.

She has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Radford University and a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech.

As interim vice president for human resources, Wilkes will be the principal steward of the universitys human resources and will be tasked with providing strategic leadership and service aimed at establishing, promoting and supporting the universitys mission. She will provide management oversight of Equity and Accessibility, Human Resources, and University Organizational and Professional Development.

Two searches will be launched to permanently fill the two interim positions this year. The first  called the senior vice president for operations and administration  will fill an existing position on the presidents leadership team. The new position, the vice president for human resources, will report to the senior vice president.

Written by Travis Williams


EVMs essential to conduct both elections together: EC

Election Commission (EC) officials have underscored the need for using electronic voting machines if the elections of both federal assembly and parliament are to be conducted together.
Devon Energy Corporation is an independent oil and gas company headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The company was incorporated in 1971 by John Nichols and his son J. Larry Nichols and later went public in August 2000. The company has since grown to be included in the S&P 500 and is one of the first energy companies to introduce resolutions requiring the company to monitor its impact on global warming. One time a major player in the global oil market, Devon has since sold off its offshore holdings in an effort to focus on US production and its transition to a lower-carbon future.

Devon Energy merged with WPX in early 2021 in an all-stock merger of equals. The new company is primarily engaged in the exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the US midwest. The company operates more than 5,100 wells in Oklahomas Delaware Basis, Eagle Ford Group, and the two locations in the Rocky Mountains. As of late 2022, the company laid claim to 1.625 million barrels of reserves including 44% petroleum, 27% natural gas liquids, and 29% natural gas. Daily production was running in the range of 300,000 BPD in petroleum liquids, 125,000 BPD in natural gas liquids, and 920 million cubic feet of natural gas.

Rick Muncrief, formally CEO of WPX, is now the head of Devon Energy. Mr. Muncrief comes to the table with more than 40 years of experience including 27 years with one of the US Big Three Oil Companies. WPX Energy (Williams Production and Exploration) brought properties in the Williston and Permian Basins to the combined company. Its proven reserves were roughly 527 million barrels of oil and equivalents. The company also owns and operates a midstream network of pipelines and storage facilities it uses to market and deliver its products.

Devon Energy Corporation has pledged to reduce its GHG impact to net zero by 2050. This will be done by a variety of methods that include improving efficiency and leakage, a reduction in flaring, and the electrification of its operations. Near-term goals include a 50% reduction in GHG by 2030 including a 65% reduction in methane release and a 100% reduction in flaring. The company is also focused on reducing its environmental impact by relying on recycled water wherever possible and plans to reduce freshwater usage by 90% in the most active areas. Total greenhouse gas emissions have been in decline since 2018 and fell 17% between 2018 and 2020 alone.
Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company worldwide. The company's Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, indirect lending, including auto financing, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses. This segment offers financial products and services through branches, automated teller machines, and mobile sales network. Its Wealth Management segment provides a suite of advice-based solutions and strategies to high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, and institutional clients. The company's Insurance segment offers life, health, home, auto, travel, wealth, annuities, and reinsurance advice and solutions; and business insurance services to individual, business, and group clients through its advice centers, RBC insurance stores, and mobile advisors; digital, mobile, and social platforms; independent brokers; and travel partners. Its Investor & Treasury Services segment provides asset servicing, custody, payments, and treasury services to financial and other investors; and fund and investment administration, shareholder, private capital, performance measurement and compliance monitoring, distribution, transaction banking, cash and liquidity management, foreign exchange, and global securities finance services. The company's Capital Markets segment offers corporate and investment banking, as well as equity and debt origination, distribution, advisory services, sale, and trading services for corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, private equity firms, and governments. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
The following companies are subsidiares of Quanta Services: (De) Lazy Q Ranch LLC, 1 Diamond LLC, 1Diamond AS, 618232 Alberta Ltd., 8246408 Canada Inc., Advanced Electric Systems, Advanced Electric Systems LLC, Advanced Utility Testing & Maintenance LLC, Alexander Publications LLC, Allteck GP Ltd., Allteck Limited Partnership, Apprenticeship Programs Inc., Arby Construction, Arcanum Chemicals LLC, Arnett & Burgess Oil Field Construction Limited, Arnett & Burgess Pipeliners (Rockies) LLC, Arnett & Burgess Pipeliners Ltd., B&N Clearing and Environmental LLC, Banister Pipelines Constructors Corp., Banister Pipelines Constructors GP Ltd., Banister Pipelines Limited Partnership, Brent Woodward Inc., Brink Constructors Inc., Brink Constructors Inc. A Corporation Of South Dakota, Brown Engineering and Testing, CAT SPEC Ltd., CAT-SPEC Limited Partnership, CAT-SPEC Limited Partnership (Regd Name) CAT SPEC Ltd., CAT-Spec Limited Partnership, Canadian Utility Construction Corp., Cat Spec Limited LP, Cat Spec Ltd, Cat Spec Ltd. L.P., Cat Spec Ltd. LP, Cat Spec. Ltd. LP, Cat-Spec Ltd (A Domestic limited Partnership), Cat-Spec Ltd LP, Cat-Spec Ltd., Cat-Spec Ltd. L.P., Cat-Spec Ltd. LP, Cat-Spec Ltd. Limited Partnership, Catalyst Changers Inc., Chatham Electric, Citadel Industrial Services L.P., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd. L.P., Citadel Industrial Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Coe Drilling Pty Ltd., Computapole, Conam Construction Co., Consolidated Power Projects Australia Pty Ltd, Conti Communications Inc., Crux Subsurface Canada Ltd., Crux Subsurface Inc., Cutting Technology - 1 Diamond LLC, DB Utilities Inc., DE Lazy Q Ranch LLC, DNR Pressure Welding Ltd., Dacon Corporation, Dashiell (DE) Corporation (Dashiell Corporation), Dashiell Corporation, Dashiell Corporation DBA Dashiell (DE) Corporation, De Mears Group, De Mears Group Inc., Delaware Quanta Technology LLC, Delaware Underground Construction Co., Didado Utility Company Inc., Digco Utility Construction L.P. Digco Utility Construction Limited Partnership, Dorado Specialty Services L.P., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd. L.P., Dorado Specialty Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Dorado Specialty Services. Ltd. L.P., Driftwood Electrical Contractors, EHV Power ULC, ELITE PIPING & CIVIL L.P., ELITE TURNAROUND SPECIALISTS LTD, Elite Fabrication Ltd. Elite Fabrication LP, Elite Piping & Civil Limited Partnership, Elite Piping & Civil Limited Partnership, Elite Piping & Civil Lp, Elite Piping & Civil Ltd L.P., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd. L.P., Elite Piping & Civil Ltd. Limited Partnership, Elite Piping and Civil L.P., Elite Turnaround Specialists L.p., Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Lp, Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Partnership, Elite Turnaround Specialists Limited Partnership, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd Lp, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd., Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. L.P., Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. LP, Elite Turnaround Specialists Ltd. Limited Partnership, Energy Consulting Group LLC, Enscope, Enscope Pty Ltd, FIC GP LLC, Field Personnel Services LLC, First Infrastructure Capital Advisors LLC, First Infrastructure Capital GP L.P., Five Points Construction Co., G-Tek, G-Vac, GEM Engineering Co., Grand Electric Inc., Great Lakes Line Builders, Grid Creative Inc., Grid Manufacturing Corporation, Grid Training Corporation, H.L. Chapman Pipeline Construction Inc., Haverfield Aviation, Haverfield Aviation Inc., Haverfield International Incorporated, Heritage Midstream LLC, IM Electric Inc., IUC ILLINOIS LLC, IUC Nebraska LLC, InfraSource Construction LLC, InfraSource Field Services LLC, InfraSource Services LLC, InfraSources Construction LLC, Infraestructura ETP de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V, Infrasource Engineering Company PC, Infrasource Iowa Underground LLC, Infrasource Of Pa LLC, Integracion Tecnologica del Peru SAC, Intermountain Electric Inc., Intermountain Electric Inc. A Corporation of Colorado, IonEarth LLC, Irby Construction Company, Irby Construction Company Inc., Iron Mountain M.J. Electric LLC, Island Mechanical Corporation, J.C.R. Construction Co. Inc., J.C.R. Utility Construction Co., J.W. Didado Electric Inc., J.W. Didado Electric LLC, J.w. Didado Electric, JBT Electric LLC, Kingston Contracting Inc., Lazy Q Ranch LLC, Lazy Q Training Center LLC The Lazy Q Lineman School, Legend Foundation Services, Lex Engineering Ltd., Lindsey Electric L.P., Logical Link, Longfellow Drilling, M. G. Dyess Inc., M. J. ELECTRIC LLC IRON MOUNTAIN, M. J. Electric LLC, M. J. Electric LLC - Iron Mountain, M. J. Electric LLC DBA M. J. Electric Iron Mountain LLC, M.J. Electric LLC DBA M.J. Electric Iron Mountain, M.J. Electric LLC Iron Mountain, MTS Field Services, MTS Field Services (Richmond Co), MTS Quanta LLC, Manuel Bros. Inc., Marathon Construction Services, Mears Canada Corp., Mears Equipment Services LLC, Mears Group Inc., Mears Group Pty Ltd, Mears Installation LLC, Mearsmex S. de R.L. de C.V., Mejia Personnel Services LLC, Mercer Technical Services, Microline Technology Corporation, Mid America Energy Services Inc., NACAP Niugini Ltd., NC Northstar Energy Services Inc, NGI Construction, NGI Construction Inc., NGI Construction Inc. (FN), NLC CA. Inc., NLC FL. Inc. Northwest Lineman Center, NLC ID. Inc. Northwest Lineman College, NLC TX. Inc., NPC Energy Services LLC, Nacap Australia, Nacap PNG Limited, Network Communication Services, North Houston Pole Line L.P., North Houston Pole Line Limited Partnership, North Sky Communications, NorthStar Energy Services Inc., Northern Powerline Constructors Inc., Northstar Energy Solutions LLC, Northwest Lineman Center, Northwest Lineman College, Northwest Lineman Training Center, Northwest Lineman Training Center Inc., Nova Constructors LLC, Nova Constructors LTD, Nova Equipment Leasing LLC, Nova Group Inc, Nova Group Inc (CA), Nova Group Inc., Nova Group Inc. DBA NGI Construction, Nova NextGen Solutions LLC, O. J. Pipelines Canada Corporation, O. J. Pipelines Canada Limited Partnership, O.J. Industrial Maintenance, O.J. Pipelines Canada, One Call Locators Canada Ltd., P.D.G. Electric, PAR Electrical Contractors Inc., PDG Electric Co., Par Internacional S. de R.L. de C.V., Performance Energy Services Guyana Ltd., Performance Energy Services L.L.C., Phasor Engineering Inc., Phoenix North Constructors Inc., Phoenix Power Group Inc., Potelco Inc., Potelco Incorporated, Power Delivery Program Inc., Price Gregory International Inc., Price Gregory Services LLC, Probst Construction Inc., Probst Electric Inc., QEPC, QEPC Power Solutions LLC, QES GP LLC, QP Energy Services LLC, QPS Engineering LLC, QPS Engineering LTD., QPS Engineering PLLC, QPS Environmental, QPS Flint Construction, QPS Flint Tank Services, QPS Global, QPS Global Services, QPS Global Services (Richmond Ci), QPS Professional Services, QPSE, QS Mats, QSI Engineering Inc., QSI Finance (Australia) Pty Ltd., QSI Finance (Cayman) Pvt. Ltd., QSI Finance Canada ULC, QSI Finance GP (US) LLC, QSI Finance I (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., QSI Finance I (US) LP, QSI Finance II (Australia) Pty Ltd., QSI Finance II (Lux) S.a r.l, QSI Finance II (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., QSI Finance III (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance III (Lux) SARL, QSI Finance IV (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance IX (Canada) Limited Partnership, QSI Finance V (US) L.P., QSI Finance VI (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance VII (Canada) Limited Partnership, QSI Finance VIII (Canada) ULC, QSI Finance X (Canada) ULC, QSI Inc., QSN Lux Holdings I SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings II SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings III SCSp, QSN Lux Holdings IV SCSp, QTSL LLC, QUANTA FOUNDATION SERVICES, Quanta APL GP II Ltd., Quanta Asset Management LLC, Quanta Associates L.P., Quanta Aviation Services LLC, Quanta Canada GP ULC, Quanta Canada Holdings III Limited Partnership, Quanta Canada Holdings LP, Quanta Canada III GP Ltd., Quanta Capital GP LLC, Quanta Capital LP L.P., Quanta Capital Solutions Inc., Quanta Cares, Quanta EPC Services, Quanta Electric Power Construction LLC, Quanta Electric Power Construction Management Inc., Quanta Electric Power Services LLC, Quanta Electric Power Services West LLC, Quanta Energized Innovations Ltd., Quanta Energized Services U.S. LLC, Quanta Energized Services of Canada Ltd., Quanta Energy Services LLC, Quanta Environmental Solutions, Quanta Equipment Company LLC, Quanta Government Solutions Inc., Quanta Holdings I (Netherlands) B.V., Quanta Holdings II (Netherlands) B.V., Quanta Infraestructura de Chile SpA, Quanta Infrastructure Services LLC, Quanta Infrastructure Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Quanta Inline Devices LLC, Quanta Inspection Services, Quanta Insurance Company Inc., Quanta International Holdings (US) LLC, Quanta International Holdings II Ltd., Quanta International Holdings Ltd., Quanta International Limited, Quanta Kingsvale LP Ltd., Quanta Lines Pty Ltd., Quanta Maine Services LLC, Quanta Middle East LLC, Quanta Pipeline Services Inc., Quanta Power Australia Pty Ltd, Quanta Power Generation Inc., Quanta Power Inc., Quanta Power Solutions India Private Limited, Quanta Resource Development, Quanta Services Africa (PTY) Ltd., Quanta Services Australia Pty Ltd., Quanta Services Chile SpA, Quanta Services Colombia S.A.S., Quanta Services Costa Rica Ltda., Quanta Services Guatemala Ltda., Quanta Services International Holdings II LP, Quanta Services International Holdings LP, Quanta Services Management Partnership L.P., Quanta Services Netherlands B.V., Quanta Services Panama S. de R.L., Quanta Services Peru S.A.C., Quanta Services Puerto Rico LLC, Quanta Services of Canada Ltd., Quanta Subsurface Canada Ltd., Quanta Subsurface LLC, Quanta Tank Services, Quanta Technology Canada ULC, Quanta Technology LLC, Quanta Technology UK Ltd., Quanta Tecnologia do Brasil Ltda., Quanta Telecom, Quanta Telecom Services, Quanta Telecommunication Services, Quanta Telecommunication Services LLC, Quanta Telecommunications Services LLC, Quanta Underground Services, Quanta Underground Services (Culpeper Co), Quanta Underground Services (Spotsylvania Co), Quanta Underground Services Inc., Quanta Utility Engineering Services Inc., Quanta Utility Installation Company Inc., Quanta Utility Operation LLC, Quanta West LLC, Quantecua Cia. Ltda., R. R. Cassidy Inc., RMS Holdings LLC, RMS Holdings LLC (Delaware), RMS Welding Systems, RMS Welding Systems LLC, Ranger Directional, Realtime Engineers Inc., Realtime Utility Engineers Inc., Redes Andinas de Comunicaciones S.R.L., Riggin & Diggin Line Construction, Rms Welding LLC, Rms Welding Systems LLC, Road Bore Corporation, Ryan Company Inc. The, Ryan Company Inc. of Massachusetts, Ryan Company Inc.(The), Seaward, Seaward Corp, Seaward Corporation, Service EC (DE) Inc., Service Electric Company (DE), Service Electric Company Inc., Service Electric Company of Delaware, Servicios Par Electric S. de R.L. de C.V., Servicios de Infraestructura del Peru S.A.C., Southwest Trenching Company Inc., Specialty Tank Services L.P., Specialty Tank Services LP, Specialty Tank Services Limited Partnership, Specialty Tank Services Limited Partnership, Specialty Tank Services Ltd., Specialty Tank Services Ltd. (LP), Specialty Tank Services Ltd. L.P., Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, Specialty Tank Services Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold General LLC, Stronghold Holdings (BVI) Limited, Stronghold Inspection L.P., Stronghold Inspection Limited Partnership, Stronghold Inspection Limited Partnership, Stronghold Inspection Lp, Stronghold Inspection Ltd L.P., Stronghold Inspection Ltd., Stronghold Inspection Ltd. L.P., Stronghold Inspection Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Limited Partnership, Stronghold Ltd., Stronghold Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Management Holdings LP, Stronghold Specialty General LLC, Stronghold Specialty Ltd., Stronghold Specialty Ltd., Stronghold Specialty Ltd. Limited Partnership, Stronghold Tower Group LP, Stronghold Tower Group Ltd LP, Stronghold Tower Group Ltd., Stronghold Tower Group Ltd. LP, Stronghold VI LLC, Subterra Damage Prevention Specialists Ltd., Summit Line Construction, Sumter Utilities Inc., T. G. Mercer Consulting Services Inc., TA Construction, TC Infrastructure Services Ltd., Taylor Built, Texas Specialty Tank Services Ltd. LP, The Aspen Utility Company LLC, The ComTran Group Inc., The Hallen Construction Co. Inc., The Massachusetts Ryan Company Inc., The Ryan Company Inc Of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Inc., The Ryan Company Inc. (Massachusetts), The Ryan Company Inc. of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Incorporated of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company Of Massachusetts Inc., The Ryan Company of Massachusetts, The Ryan Company of Massachusetts (FN), Tom Allen Construction Company Inc., Tom Allen Construction Company of Delaware, Trans Tech Electric, TurnKey Automation Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Ltd., TurnKey Automation Ltd. Limited Partnership, TurnKey Automation Ltd. Limited Partnership, TurnKey I&E Ltd., Turnkey Automation Ltd. L.P., Turnkey Automation Ltd. LP., UCC Underground Construction Co. Inc., Ucc - Underground Construction Co., Underground Construction Co. Inc., Underground Construction Co. Inc. (Delaware), Underground Electric Construction Company LLC, Utilco Inc., Utility Fleet Services, Utility Line Management Services Inc., Utility Testing & Maintenance LLC, Utility Training Services Corporation, VALARD Polska sp. Z o.o., Valard, Valard, Valard Construction (Ontario) Ltd., Valard Construction (Quebec) Inc., Valard Construction 2008 Ltd., Valard Construction Australia Pty Ltd, Valard Construction LLC, Valard Equipment (AB) Ltd., Valard Equipment GP Ltd., Valard Equipment Limited Partnership, Valard Geomatics (Ontario) Ltd., Valard Geomatics BC Ltd., Valard Geomatics Ltd., Valard Mechanical Ltd., Valard Norway AS, Valard Sweden AB, Valard Zagreb d. o. o., Wade D. Taylor Inc., West Coast Communications, Winco Helicopters, Winco Inc., Winco Inc. an Oregon Based Corporation, Winco Powerline Services, Winco Powerline Services Inc., Winco Powerline Services Inc., Winco Services Inc., World Fiber Inc., and mmit Line Construction Inc..

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The Mosaic Company, through its subsidiaries, produces and markets concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients in North America and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Phosphates, Potash, and Mosaic Fertilizantes. It owns and operates mines, which produce concentrated phosphate crop nutrients, such as diammonium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, and ammoniated phosphate products; and phosphate-based animal feed ingredients primarily under the Biofos and Nexfos brand names, as well as produces a double sulfate of potash magnesia product under K-Mag brand name. The company also produces and sells potash for use in the manufacturing of mixed crop nutrients and animal feed ingredients, and for industrial use; and for use in the de-icing and as a water softener regenerant. In addition, it provides nitrogen-based crop nutrients, animal feed ingredients, and other ancillary services; and purchases and sells phosphates, potash, and nitrogen products. The company sells its products to wholesale distributors, retail chains, farmers, cooperatives, independent retailers, and national accounts. The Mosaic Company was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
Flu scare: Schools in Palpas Kaseni closed for three days

In view of the growing cases of seasonal influenza in Kaseni area of Mathagadhi Rural Municipality-3 in Palpa, an all-party meeting on Sunday decided to close the local schools for three days.
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.
The following companies are subsidiares of Textron: AAI Corporation, AAI Services Corporation, ALSTOM Gears, Able Aerospace, Able Aerospace Services Inc., Able Engineering & Component Services, Aeronautical Accessories LLC, Airborne Tactical Advantage Company LLC, Arctic Cat, Arctic Cat ACE Holding GmbH, Arctic Cat France SARL, Arctic Cat GmbH, Arctic Cat Inc., Arctic Cat Production LLC, Arctic Cat Production Support LLC, Arctic Cat Sales Inc., Arctic Cat Shared Services LLC, Arctic Cat UK Ltd., Arkansas Aerospace Inc., Avco Corporation, Aviation Service servis letal doo Ljubljana, Aylesbury Automation, B/K Navigational Equipment sro, BELL TEXTRON ASIA (PTE.) LTD., Beech Aircraft Corporation, Beech Holdings, Beechcraft Defense Support Holding LLC, Beechcraft Domestic Service Company, Beechcraft Germany GmbH, Beechcraft International Holding LLC, Beechcraft International Service Company, Beechcraft New Zealand, Bell Textron Canada International Inc., Bell Textron Canada Limited/Limitee, Bell Textron Co. Ltd, Bell Textron Inc., Bell Textron Korea Inc., Bell Textron LLC, Bell Textron Miami Inc., Bell Textron Prague a.s., Bell Textron Rhode Island Inc., Bell Textron Services Inc., Bell Textron Supply Center BV, Bell Textron Technical Services Inc., Benzlers, Brazaco Mapri Industrias, Burkland, Cessna Aircraft Company, Cessna Citation European Service Center SAS (99.9%; 1 share  Textron France SAS), Cessna Dusseldorf Citation Service Center GmbH, Cessna Finance Corporation, Cessna Finance Export Corporation, Cessna Mexico S de RL de CV, Cessna Spanish Citation Service Center SLU, Cessna Zurich Citation Service Center GmbH, Citation Parts Distribution International Inc., Cushman Inc., Datacom Technologies, David Brown Group, Doncaster Citation Service Centre Limited, E-Z-GO Canada Limited, Energy Manufacturing, Flexalloy, HBC LLC, Hawker Beech de Mexico S de RL de CV, Hawker Beechcraft Argentina SA , Howe & Howe Inc., Howe and Howe Technologies, Industrial Technology Inc., InteSys Technologies, International Product Support Inc., KSB Annecy SAS, Kautex (Changchun) Plastics Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Chongqing) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Guangzhou) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Pinghu) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Shanghai) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Wuhan) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex Corporation, Kautex Craiova srl, Kautex Germany Holding GmbH, Kautex Inc., Kautex Japan KK, Kautex Shanghai GmbH, Kautex Textron (UK) Limited, Kautex Textron Benelux BVBA, Kautex Textron Bohemia spol sro, Kautex Textron CVS Limited, Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG, Kautex Textron Iberica SL, Kautex Textron Management Services Company de Puebla S. de RL de CV, Kautex Textron Portugal  Produtos Plasticos Sociedade Unipessoal Lda., Kautex Textron de Mexico S de RL de CV, Kautex Textron do Brasil Ltda., Kautex of Georgia Inc., Kaywood Products Corp., Klauke, LCI Corporation International, LLC Textron RUS, Maag, McCord Corporation, Mechtronix, Medical Numerics Inc., Midland Industrial Plastics, MillenWorks, MillenWorks Themed Technologies, MotorFist LLC, OPINICUS Simulation and Training Services LLC, OmniQuip International, Opinicus, Optical Boring Co., Opto-Electronics, Opto-Electronics Inc., Overwatch Systems, PEINER Umformtechnik, Pipistrel, Pirelli Tyres - General Rubber Goods (GRG) division, Premiair Aviation Maintenance Pty Ltd, Progressive Electronics, Ransomes, Ransomes Inc., Ransomes Investment LLC, Ransomes Jacobsen France SAS, Ransomes Jacobsen Limited, Ransomes Limited, Ransomes Pensions Trustee Company Limited, Replacement Part Solutions LLC, Response Technologies LLC, Rotor Blades Limited, Sukosim Verbindungselemente, TRU Simulation & Training Spain SL, TRU Simulation + Training Inc., TRU Simulation + Training LLC, TekGPS Engineering Srl, Textron Airland LLC, Textron Atlantic LLC, Textron Aviation Australia Pty. Ltd., Textron Aviation Canada Ltd., Textron Aviation Defense LLC, Textron Aviation Finance Corporation, Textron Aviation Inc., Textron Aviation Prague Service Center sro, Textron Aviation Rhode Island Inc., Textron Aviation Services de Mexico S de RL de CV, Textron Capital BV, Textron Communications Inc., Textron Far East Pte. Ltd., Textron Finance Holding Company, Textron Financial Corporation, Textron Financial Corporation Receivables Trust 2002-CP-2, Textron Fluid and Power Inc., Textron France Holding SAS, Textron France SAS, Textron Global Services Inc., Textron Ground Support Equipment Inc., Textron Ground Support Equipment UK Limited, Textron IPMP Inc., Textron India Private Limited , Textron Innovations Inc., Textron International Inc., Textron International Mexico S de RL de CV, Textron Limited, Textron Management Services Inc., Textron Motors GmbH, Textron Motors North America Inc., Textron Outdoor Power Equipment Inc., Textron Realty Corporation, Textron Shared Service Centre (Canada) Inc., Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc., Textron Sweden AB, Textron Systems Australia Holding Pty Ltd, Textron Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Textron Systems Canada Inc., Textron Systems Corporation, Textron Systems Electronic Systems UK (Holdings) Limited, Textron Systems Electronic Systems UK Limited, Textron Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Textron UK Pension Trustee Limited, Textron Verwaltungs-GmbH, Turbine Engine Components Textron (Newington Operations) Inc., United Industrial Corporation, Westminster Insurance Company, Williams Machine & Tool, and Zhenjiang Bell Textron Aviation Services Limited.

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Valley National Bancorp operates as the holding company for Valley National Bank that provides various commercial, retail, insurance, and wealth management financial services products. It operates through Commercial Lending, Consumer Lending, and Investment Management segments. The company offers non-interest bearing, savings, NOW, money market, and time deposit accounts; commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, residential mortgage, and automobile loans; loans secured by the cash surrender value of life insurance; home equity loans and lines of credit; and secured and unsecured other consumer loans. It also invests in various securities and interest-bearing deposits with other banks; and provides international banking services, such as standby and documentary letters of credit, and related products, as well as foreign exchange transactions, documentary collections, foreign wire transfers services, and transaction accounts for non-resident aliens. In addition, the company offers investment services for individuals and small to medium sized businesses; and trusts and custom -tailored investment strategies for various retirement plans. Further, it provides trust services, such as living and testamentary trusts, investment management, custodial and escrow services, and estate administration to individuals; tax credit advisory services; property and casualty, life, health, and title insurance agency services; and health care equipment lending and other commercial equipment leasing services, as well as owns real estate related investments. Additionally, the company offers online, mobile, and telephone banking services; and overdraft, drive-in and night deposit, automated teller machine, remote deposit capture, and safe deposit facility services. As of December 31,2021, it operated 232 branch offices in New Jersey, New York, Florida, and Alabama. The company was incorporated in 1927 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Govt to extend Rs150m in districts facing scant rainfall

The government has finally decided to address the problem of scant rainfall faced by eight eastern and central Tarai districts during the ongoing rice plantation season, as it has introduced a relief package worth Rs150 million to purchase various equipment to irrigate dry paddy fields.
Louisiana-Pacific Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and markets building products primarily for use in new home construction, repair and remodeling, and outdoor structure markets. It operates through four segments: Siding; Oriented Strand Board (OSB); Engineered Wood Products (EWP); and South America. The Siding segment offers LP SmartSide trim and siding products, LP SmartSide ExpertFinish trim and siding products, LP BuilderSeries lap siding products, and LP Outdoor Building Solutions; and engineered wood siding, trim, soffit, and fascia products. The OSB segment manufactures and distributes OSB structural panel products comprising LP TechShield radiant barriers, LP WeatherLogic air and water barriers, LP Legacy premium sub-flooring products, LP FlameBlock fire-rated sheathing products, and LP TopNotch sub-flooring products. The EWP segment provides laminated veneer lumber and other related products; and LP SolidStart I-joists, which are primarily used in residential and commercial floorings, roofing systems, and other structural applications. The South America segment manufactures and distributes OSB structural panel and siding products. This segment also distributes and sells related products for the region's transition to wood frame construction. It also offers timber and timberlands and other products and services. The company sells its products primarily to retailers, wholesalers, and homebuilding and industrial businesses in North America and South America, Asia, Australia, and Europe. Louisiana-Pacific Corporation was incorporated in 1972 and is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.
Cenovus Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas in Canada, the United States, and the Asia Pacific region. The company operates through Oil Sands, Conventional, Offshore, Canadian Manufacturing, U.S. Manufacturing, and Retail segments. The Oil Sands segment develops and produces bitumen and heavy oil in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan. This segments Foster Creek, Christina Lake, Sunrise, and Tucker oil sands projects, as well as Lloydminster thermal and conventional heavy oil assets The Conventional segment holds assets primarily located in Elmworth-Wapiti, Kaybob-Edson, Clearwater, and Rainbow Lake operating in Alberta and British Columbia, as well as interests in various natural gas processing facilities. The offshore segment engages in the exploration and development activities. The Canadian Manufacturing segment includes the owned and operated Lloydminster upgrading and asphalt refining complex, which upgrades heavy oil and bitumen into synthetic crude oil, diesel fuel, asphalt, and other ancillary products, as well as owns and operates the Bruderheim crude-by-rail terminal and two ethanol plants. The U.S. Manufacturing segment comprises the refining of crude oil to produce diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, asphalt, and other products. The Retail segment consists of marketing of its own and third-party refined petroleum products through retail, commercial, and bulk petroleum outlets, as well as wholesale channels. Cenovus Energy Inc. was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Some sparks could fly at regulatory hearings on Public Service Co. of New Mexicos latest request for a rate hike, which begin today in Santa Fe, but the flaming conflicts that consumed PNMs last rate case in 2015 wont be repeated this time around.

Thats because every intervenor in this case, with the exception of one, either directly supports or doesnt oppose PNMs request for a 9 percent hike in base rates. That includes more than a dozen intervening parties who signed a settlement agreement with PNM in May to resolve most conflicts in the case, which PNM filed with the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission last December.

The settlement agreement lowered PNMs requested rate hike from 14 percent before to 9 percent now. And it paved the way for consumer advocates and environmental groups to begin negotiating other, more-contentious issues next year, such as PNMs complete pullout from coal-fired generation in coming years, and new rate-making proposals that could allow the utility to recover lost revenue from energy efficiency programs.

We have all but one intervenor on board or not opposed, said PNM Resources Chairman, President and CEO Pat Vincent-Collawn. Its a compromise that we think fairly balances the needs of shareholders and ratepayers.

The one lone wolf, New Energy Economy of Santa Fe, could throw a wrench in the works. But even that group doesnt oppose the whole settlement outright. Rather, it objects to rate recovery for PNM investments in the coal-fired Four Corners Power Plant and some costs associated with the nearby San Juan Generating Station.

Were not opposed to the entire stipulation, said NEE Executive Director Mariel Nanasi. We have very specific challenges against those investments. Thats the main thing were fighting in this case.

NEE could face a steep uphill battle to gain support at the PRC. The hearing examiners will make a recommended decision to PRC commissioners, who will rule on the case later this year.

Coal-related investments constitute the bulk of PNMs rate request. Its seeking $62.3 million in new annual revenue, down from $99.2 million before the settlement.

About $44 million of that is for expenses connected to shutting down two of the four generating units at San Juan next year, plus PNMs share of costs for new pollution controls and other operation and maintenance costs at Four Corners, where it has a 13 percent ownership stake.

The rest is mostly for new investments in things like transmission and distribution, and to recover revenue for operating the grid that PNM lost when it lost wholesale distribution contracts with three electric cooperatives. Theres also a slight increase to the fixed charge on monthly bills for residential and commercial customers.

If approved, average rates for all customers would increase by 9 percent, phased in over two years, in 2018 and 2019, to mitigate the impact on ratepayers. Average monthly residential bills would actually only go up about 7 percent over those two years because the hike only applies to base rates on bills, not the costs for fuel that PNM buys to generate electricity.

NEE opposes any recovery of investments at Four Corners. It claims PNM never conducted a prudent financial analysis that might have shown pulling out of the plant in 2013  when it signed a new coal and co-ownership agreement to remain there until 2031  would be less expensive than staying in the plant.

We want to show that PNMs investment in Four Corners was made recklessly, and ratepayers should not be burdened with its unsound business judgments, Nanasi said.

But thats an argument NEE and others lost in last years rate case, when PNM sought recovery for the new Four Corners coal contract. The PRC approved that coal contract as part of a 7.6 percent average rate increase that took effect last October.

Chuck Noble, attorney for the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy, said losing that argument convinced his group not to pursue it again.

We lost that at the PRC, so were focusing now on trying to make sure Four Corners is shut down in the future, Noble said.

In fact, most environmental groups in the current case support the settlement agreement because it helps pave the way for PNM to pull out of Four Corners by 2031, if not sooner, while shutting down all of San Juan by 2022. PNM will review a full San Juan pullout next year, and then analyze the possibility of abandonment of Four Corners in 2020.

In addition, in the settlement, PNM agreed to only recover costs for installing new pollution controls at Four Corners, forgoing any profits on that investment.

NEE says thats capitulation to PNM.

(Other parties) didnt challenge the prudence of the Four Corners investment, and they accepted crumbs through a slight reduction in pollution control costs, Nanasi said.

But Noble and others say compromise is key to achieving long-term goals.

In a lot of circumstances, we can achieve better outcomes by working with all parties, including PNM, Noble said.

Steve Michel, chief counsel for Western Resource Advocates, said forgoing pollution-control profits at Four Corners was an important concession by PNM.

All consumer advocates in the case have concluded thats a fair resolution, Michel said.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

A woman and her lawyer husband are suing a private Motor Vehicle Division affiliate for denying her drivers license renewal because her Social Security card was laminated and, as a stay-at-home wife her whole adult life, she didnt have the required alternate employment documents.

Nancy Roehl, 66, laminated her card for her first job when she was a teenager in Hawaii. If she hadnt laminated it, it would be in tatters now, her husband Jerrald Roehl said.

In July, the Roehls went to the MVD Now office on Fourth and Montano with all Nancys documentation in order, but she was denied, and the staff told them Social Security on its website suggests you dont laminate the card for security reasons, Jerrald said.

But that wasnt part of the law. Somebody just willy-nilly said thats what were going to do, and I thought that is completely improper, Jerrald said.

As alternative documents, Nancy could have provided the office with her 1099, W-2 or other documents from employment.

Shes a stay-at-home mom, she doesnt get a 1099 or a W-2, thats why I thought it was discriminatory, Jerrald said.

So he filed a lawsuit on his wifes behalf  and possibly on behalf of all women in the state who are stay-at-home moms who have to go through this procedure because they have a laminated Social Security card.

A judge would have to agree to make the lawsuit a class action suit. A hearing in the case has not been set.

MVD Now declined to comment.

Meanwhile, the state Motor Vehicle Division, which sets the policies private affiliates must follow, is trying to figure out its stance on laminated cards.

In November 2016  seven months before Roehls frustrating visit  an MVD spokeswoman told the Journal that altered cards are not accepted at state and thus at affiliate offices.

That same month, the division changed its policy and started accepting laminated cards, MVD spokesman Ben Cloutier said last week.

But on Friday, in response to Journal requests for how that decision was communicated to affiliates, Cloutier said MVD has accepted laminated cards since 2007.

Cloutier said that MVD communicated the policy of allowing laminated Social Security cards to MVD partners, first in late 2007 and again in early 2015. In 2015, the division issued a Policy Quick Update (PQU) which was posted on MVDs Intranet, accessible by all MVD employees and partners, advising that laminated Social Security Cards are acceptable.

He also said that MVD made an effort to keep laminated cards sanctioned as part of the Real ID Act, which is a federal standardized and Department of Homeland Security-sanctioned identification card.

Cloutier said MVD and affiliates dont check the security features found in the paper of the card, the parts of the card the Social Security Administration says are obscured by laminating. The MVD process at all locations is just to check the Social Security number in a database, and that can be done whether a card is laminated or not.

We do accept Social Security cards that are laminated. We can do that because we automatically use a computer system, Cloutier said.
Health insurance bill in House

The Health Ministry on Sunday presented the Health Insurance Bill-2017 for parliamentary approval.
A city firefighter who resigned after hanging up on a 911 caller attempting to save a wounded friend has filed a lawsuit alleging he was terminated days into a new job with the Bernalillo County Fire Department when a commissioner expressed concern over his hiring.

Matthew Sanchez was a 10-year veteran of the Albuquerque Fire Department when he fielded a call June 26, 2015, from a frantic teenage girl attempting to render aid to Jaydon Chavez-Silver. The popular Manzano High School athlete had been fatally shot in a drive-by shooting, and the teen was attempting to keep him alive, at times cussing at the 911 operator, Sanchez. After the teen swore, Sanchez told her to deal with this yourself before hanging up.

The 911 tape made national headlines.

A year later, he was hired as a firefighter for the county, which triggered media coverage and assurance from the fire department that he would be judged based on his merits in the academy, he says in his lawsuit filed in state District Court last week.

Following the media coverage, Commissioner Wayne Johnson sent an email to the county manager, fire chief and a deputy county manager for health and public safety, saying that Sanchez had proven that he doesnt have the temperament to handle stressful situations, Johnson told the Journal in an interview Wednesday.

Three days into the county fire departments academy, Sanchez was told by a county official that he was being fired and that the decision was out of his control, according to his lawsuit.

Sanchezs attorney Leon Howard says Johnson unlawfully inserted himself into the countys hiring and firing decisions by sending the email. The lawsuit alleges the email was sent to the countys human resources department, in clear violation of county policy.

Johnson, one of eight candidates running for mayor of Albuquerque, says he didnt pressure anyone to fire Sanchez.

Im expressing concern about a hire, and I think thats appropriate, Johnson said. At no point did I direct the manager to take action.

Sanchez, in his breach of contract lawsuit against the entire county commission, is seeking compensatory, consequential and punitive damages. No hearings have been scheduled.

Howard said that during his clients tenure at AFD, which included time as a firefighter and as a dispatcher, Sanchez received awards from the mayors office. He said Sanchez never intended to work as a dispatcher again but wanted to return to fire fighting, which is what he does best and is passionate about.

Its really time for this community to give one of our heroes a second chance and direct their anger toward the people who were behind the drive-by shooting, Howard said. He made a horrible lapse in judgment.

For now, Sanchez is doing construction work.
Kathleen Chavez is a single mom, a small-business owner and an outspoken recipient of Medicaid who worries she may lose health insurance if congressional efforts to repeal Obamacare are successful.

A photo of Chavez, in heart-shaped sunglasses, her arm around her son, is printed on the side of the Drive for Our Lives bus, which stopped for a rally at the National Hispanic Cultural Center on Sunday afternoon.

The bus is traveling to more than 20 states in a five-week tour to tell the stories of the millions of Americans whose coverage was threatened under Congressional Republicans disastrous health care repeal bill and are still threatened by efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act, according to a news release.

As a fashion designer whose home business fluctuates, Chavez said some years she is eligible for Medicaid only through the expansions. It has provided her and her 9-year-old son with great coverage, she said, and she looks forward to a day when her company is large enough to pay for her insurance.

The goal of a business owner is always to expand your business, right? Chavez said. Its like, I dont want to be on Medicaid but I am. Its nice to have the help, its nice to have the support, I dont want the rug pulled out from under me.

Chavez worries that Congress will cut Medicaid and end the expansion that made her eligible for health care. And on top of that, she worries that insurance providers wont be required to cover people with pre-existing conditions, which she and her son both have.

She said she agreed to speak at Sundays event, in front of around 50 people, in hopes that her message would inspire others to contact their legislators.
Albuquerques Oct. 3 municipal election is nonpartisan, but thats not stopping the state Democratic Party from taking aim at Republican mayoral candidate Dan Lewis over a shootout fundraiser for his campaign.

The Sporting Clays Shootout is slated to take place on Aug. 26.

The Democratic Party of New Mexico issued a news release on Saturday blasting Lewis for his shocking lack of sensitivity for Albuquerques crime crisis, noting the citys high murder rate.

When crime is on everyones mind in Albuquerque, its sickening to know that Dan Lewis would host a shoot out,' state Democratic Party chairman Richard Ellenberg said in the release. Dan Lewis lack of consideration for families who have lost a loved one to gun violence or to folks who dont feel safe in their communities demonstrates how unprepared he is to tackle the challenges facing New Mexicos largest city.

Democrat Party leaders cant even tell the difference between lawful rifle owners competing in a clay target shoot and the cop killers and murderers who plague our city, Lewis said Sunday.I know the difference, and as mayor we will get violent, career criminals off our streets without disarming our citizens.

As a refresher, the fact that city races are nonpartisan merely means that party affiliations will not appear on the ballot.

Speaking of outrage, mayoral candidate Michelle Garcia Holmes boycotted a forum held by the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce in late July.

The leadership of the Chamber of Commerce is out of touch with the citizens of Albuquerque, Garcia Holmes said during a Facebook speech recorded outside of the chambers Downtown offices. The GACC Forum today is a closed board meeting where only the board members and mayoral candidates are invited, and I watched every one of the candidates walking in today and I am the only candidate who is not there today.

The chamber tweeted the forum.

Garcia Holmes, a former chief of staff for the state Attorney Generals Office and retired Albuquerque police detective, criticized the chamber in a written statement, distributed to media for the fake Excellence in Public Safety award it gave to Mayor Richard Berry in June. She called on the chamber board to bring in new leadership.

Chamber CEO Terri Cole has said Berry was honored for several initiatives he launched to help fight crime.

Berry, meanwhile, has been heavily criticized by mayoral candidates for the way he has run the city.

But WalletHub released a study last month on the best- and worst-run cities in America, and Albuquerque ranked as the third best-run city with a population over 500,000. The study focused on each citys operating efficiency, essentially comparing the quality of services residents receive against the citys budget.

Martin Salazar: msalazar@abqjournal.com
MANILA, Philippines  Armed with extraordinary new U.N. sanctions, nations raced Monday to ensure that North Koreas biggest trading partners actually carry them out, an elusive task that has undercut past attempts to strong-arm Pyongyang into abandoning its nuclear weapons.

North Korea reacted angrily, vowing to bolster its arsenal and mount revenge against the United States. In a reprise of the Norths frequent, bellicose broadsides against the U.S., Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said Washington alone was to blame for the crisis and added his country was ready to teach the U.S. a severe lesson with its nuclear force.

We will under no circumstances put the nukes and ballistic rockets on the negotiating table, Ri said in a speech to an Asia regional gathering in the Philippines.

As President Donald Trump demanded full and speedy implementation of the new penalties, his top diplomat laid out a narrow path for the North to return to negotiations that could ultimately see sanctions lifted. Stop testing missiles for an extended period, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, and the U.S. might deem North Korea ready to talk.

Well know it when we see it, Tillerson said. This is not a give me 30 days and we are ready to talk. Its not quite that simple. So it is all about how we see their attitude towards approaching a dialogue with us.

Even as they celebrate a diplomatic victory in persuading China and Russia to sign on to cutting new sanctions, the U.S. and other countries are deeply concerned that failure to rigorously enforce them could significantly blunt their impact. Since Saturdays U.N. Security Council vote, Washington has put Beijing in particular on notice that its watching closely to ensure China doesnt repeat its pattern of carrying out sanctions for a while, then returning to business as usual with the pariah nation on its border.

Such concerns were on display Sunday in a dizzying display of fast-paced diplomacy spanning multiple continents.

South Koreas foreign minister joined her counterparts from the U.S. and Japan for a meeting in the Philippines in which Tillerson touted efforts to persuade nations to stop using North Korean labor. The American and Japanese diplomats held another three-way session with Australia. The South Korean envoy held a rare but brief meeting in Manila with North Koreas top diplomat, who also spoke by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who had discussed the sanctions with Tillerson a day before.

In a phone call requested by Seoul, Trump and newly installed South Korean President Moon Jae-in committed jointly to fully implement all relevant resolutions and to urge the international community to do so as well, the White House said. Moons office said that he and Trump had agreed to apply the maximum pressure and sanction.

The penalties, approved unanimously Saturday by the Security Council, aim to cut off roughly one-third of North Koreas estimated $3 billion in annual exports, ostensibly starving Kim Jong Uns government of funds for its weapons programs. All countries are now banned from importing North Korean coal, iron, lead and seafood products, and from letting in more North Korean laborers who sent remittances back into the country.

Yet already, there are signs that nations with the strongest ties to North Korea may fall short of the stringent enforcement that Trump and others seek. Although Russia voted for the sanctions, its U.N. ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, told the Security Council that sanctions cannot be a goal in itself and shall not be used for economic strangling of North Korea, according to the Russian state news agency Tass.

Still, the key concern is over China, the Norths economic lifeline and biggest trading partner.

John Delury, a China and North Korea expert at Yonsei University in Seoul, noted that the Chinese population that lives along the 800-mile (1,300-km) border with North Korea is already struggling financially. Triggering an economic meltdown in North Korea would inevitably produce a spillover effect in China, he said.

Theyre almost going from sanctions to embargo and really trying to slam the North Korean economy, Delury said. If you really start to go down that path, Im not sure how far the Chinese will go down with you.

The other mounting concern: that by the time the sanctions really start cutting into the Norths economy, potentially changing the governments thinking about the wisdom of pursuing nuclear weapons, it may be too late.

Two unprecedented tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles by North Korea last month were the latest signs that its weapons program is approaching the point of no return. While the North now boasts missiles it says can reach major U.S. cities, it is not believed to have mastered the ability to cap them with nuclear warheads, but that step may not be far off.

Tillerson conceded there would likely be a lag period before the sanctions actually have a practical bite on their revenues.

I think perhaps the more important element to that is just the message that this sends to North Korea about the unacceptability the entire international community finds what theyre doing to be, he said.

___

Associated Press writers Teresa Cerojano in Manila and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report.

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Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP
NEW YORK  Netflix says it made its first acquisition, comic book publisher Millarworld, with plans to turn its characters into new films and shows for the video streaming service.

Millarworlds graphic novels Kick-Ass, Wanted and Kingsman have already been turned into movies by major studios.

Los Gatos, California-based Netflix didnt disclose on Monday how much it paid for Millarworld.

Netflix already has made a hefty commitment to comic-book series with Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, among others based on Marvel characters. The streaming service ventured outside the Marvel universe with the recently announced series based on The Umbrella Academy, published by Dark Horse Comics.

Netflix has been spending heavily for original movies and shows in all genres, such as House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black, to attract new viewers and stand apart from rival services.

It reported in July that it had more than 100 million subscribers worldwide.
Santiago Aveles, 31, of Las Cruces pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to charges arising out of a scheme to obtain immigration status for Chinese nationals in the U.S. illegally through fake marriages.

Aveles and five co-defendants  Yi Lee, 44, a naturalized U.S. citizen residing in Santa Fe, and Chia-Jung Chang, 39, Dan Zheng, 32, Lian Xiang Deng, 42, and Xiao-Yin Le, 50, all Chinese nationals illegally in the United States  were indicted on April 19, the U.S. Attorneys Office said in a news release.

They were charged with participating in a conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. The indictment also charged Aveles and Zheng with committing marriage fraud for the purpose of evading the federal immigration laws.

The scheme involved having U.S. citizens enter into fraudulent marriages with foreign nationals in return for financial gain, according to the release. Lee allegedly facilitated the conspiracy by arranging meetings between foreign nationals and U.S. citizens and assisting them in obtaining marriage licenses, working permits and green cards for the foreign nationals who paid Lee and the U.S. citizens.

According to the indictment, Lee allegedly attempted to arrange fraudulent marriages between certain of his co-defendants and undercover law enforcement agents.

In entering his guilty plea, Aveles admitted that from Jan. 2016 through April 30, 2017, he and others conspired to commit marriage fraud. Aveles also admitted that he entered into a sham marriage for the purpose of evading immigration laws and in exchange for a monetary payment.

Aveles faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

Aveles co-defendants have entered pleas of not guilty to the charges in the indictment. This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of HSI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin C. Segovia and Marisa A. Ong of the U.S. Attorneys Las Cruces Branch Office.
NEW YORK  A memo written by a male engineer at Google about gender differences sparked a quick rebuttal from Google after it circulated widely online.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai denounced the memo in an email on Monday for advancing harmful gender stereotypes and said he was cutting short a vacation to hold a town hall with staff on Thursday. The engineer, James Damore, was fired, according to Bloomberg , which cited an email from him. An email sent to an address believed to be used by Damore was not immediately returned; Google declined to comment.

The engineers widely shared memo, titled Googles Ideological Echo Chamber, criticized Google for pushing mentoring and diversity programs and for alienating conservatives.

Googles just-hired head of diversity, Danielle Brown, responded earlier with her own memo, saying that Google is unequivocal in our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success. She said change is hard and often uncomfortable.

The battling messages come as Silicon Valley grapples with accusations of sexism and discrimination. Google is also in the midst of a Department of Labor investigation into whether it pays women less than men, while Ubers CEO recently lost his job amid accusations of widespread sexual harassment and discrimination.

Leading tech companies, including Google, Facebook and Uber, have said they are trying to improve hiring and working conditions for women. But diversity numbers are barely changing .

The Google employee memo, which gained attention online over the weekend, begins by saying that only honest discussion will address a lack of equity. But it also asserts that women prefer jobs in social and artistic areas while more men may like coding because it requires systemizing.

The memo, which was shared on the tech blog Gizmodo, attributes biological differences between men and women to the reason why we dont have 50% representation of women in tech and leadership.

While the engineers views were broadly and publicly criticized online, they echo the 2005 statements by then-Harvard President Lawrence Summers, who said the reason there are fewer female scientists at top universities is in part due to innate gender differences.

Brande Stellings, senior vice president of advisory services for Catalyst, a nonprofit advocacy group for women in the workplace, said the engineers viewpoints show how ingrained, entrenched and harmful gender-based stereotypes truly are.

Its much easier for some to point to innate biological differences than to confront the unconscious biases and obstacles that get in the way of a level playing field, Stellings wrote in an email.

Google, like other tech companies, has far fewer women than men in technology and leadership positions. Fifty-six percent of its workers are white and 35 percent are Asian, while Hispanic and Black employees make up 4 percent and 2 percent of its workforce, respectively, according to the companys latest diversity report .

Tech companies say they are trying, by reaching out to and interviewing a broader range of job candidates, by offering coding classes, internships and mentorship programs and by holding mandatory unconscious bias training sessions for existing employees.

But, as the employee memo shows, not everyone at Google is happy with this.

___

Technology Writer Ryan Nakashima in Menlo Park, California, contributed to this report.
MANILA, Philippines  Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte met Monday with Americas top diplomat, where he voiced solidarity with the U.S. amid global concerns over North Koreas nuclear program and angrily dismissed media questions about human rights abuses by his government.

Duterte and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met in Manila at a regional Asia gathering. It was the highest-level interaction to date between a member of President Donald Trumps administration and Duterte, accused by human rights groups of flagrant abuses in his bloody war against illegal drugs.

If the two leaders discussed those or other U.S. concerns about Dutertes government, they didnt do so in public. Instead, the two focused on the alliance between the two countries and on the North Korea issue as reporters were allowed in briefly for the start of their meeting.

Entering an ornate, wood-paneled hall in the Philippine leaders palace, Tillerson was introduced to members of Dutertes Cabinet, shaking hands with each. Duterte welcomed the American and said he said he knew the U.S. was concerned about Pyongyangs missile program.

You come at a time when I think the world is not so good, especially in the Korean Peninsula, Duterte said.

Earlier, as they shook hands, the two ignored a shouted question about whether theyd discuss human rights. And at a news conference after their meeting, Duterte bristled but didnt answer directly when asked whether human rights had come up.

Human rights, son of a bitch, Duterte said, arguing he shouldnt be questioned about alleged violations given the challenges hes facing. Policemen and soldiers have died on me. The war now in Marawi, what caused it but drugs? So human rights, dont go there.

But ahead of the meeting, Dutertes presidential spokesman, Ernesto Bella, said the topic would indeed come up, along with other pressing matters such as global terrorism threats, economic cooperation and security in Marawi, the city that has been under siege by pro-Islamic State group militants for more than two months.

We also welcome the opportunity to address concerns such as human rights if and when raised, Bella said in a statement. We have always included this issue in our discussions and engagements with foreign governments, particularly Western democracies.

The U.S., too, said ahead of the meeting that human rights would be among the topics on the agenda.

Human rights groups have questioned the Trump administrations willingness to engage with Duterte. But Tillerson argued theres no contradiction presented by the U.S. decision to help his country fight the militants, whose insurgency in the Philippines has stoked global fears about the Islamic State group exporting violence into Southeast Asia and beyond.

Nearly 700 people have died in the intense fighting, including 528 militants and 122 soldiers and policemen, since hundreds of black flag waving gunmen stormed into buildings and homes in the business district and outlying communities of mosque-studded Marawi, a center of Islamic faith in the southern third of the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.

I see no conflict  no conflict at all in our helping them with that situation and our views of the human rights concerns we have with respect to how they carry out their counter narcotics activities, Tillerson told reporters before the meeting. He added that it appeared the Philippines was beginning to get that situation under control.

To that end, Tillerson said the U.S. has been providing the Philippines with surveillance capabilities, training, information and aircraft to help it fight the militants. He said the equipment includes a few Cessna aircraft and a few drones.

The real challenge is going to come with once they have the fighting brought to an end how to deal with the conditions on the ground to ensure it does not re-emerge.

___

Associated Press writer Jim Gomez contributed to this report.
The New Mexico Supreme Court affirmed Senovio Mendozas first-degree murder and armed robbery convictions from five years ago, the state Attorney Generals Office announced Monday.

Mendoza had been smoking meth and then drove from his home in Carlsbad to Artesia with two other men to demand money from Timothy Wallace, according to a news release. Mendoza concocted an armed robbery plan whereby the men bought knit caps and then stormed Wallaces house proclaiming to be the Pecos Valley Drug Task Force. Mendozas co-defendant shot Wallace to death in his own home and then they robbed him.

Keeping the most dangerous, violent offenders in New Mexico behind bars is our priority, and Im thankful for the work of our law enforcement partners in Eddy County, said Attorney General Hector Balderas said in a statement.

Mendoza appealed his conviction claiming the state provided insufficient evidence that he possessed the mens rea required for a felony-murder conviction and challenged the expert status of a bloodstain witness who testified in the case.

The Supreme Court rejected both challenges and affirmed the convictions, originally secured by the Fifth Judicial District Attorneys Office.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas  Authorities say a South Texas woman has pleaded guilty to sex-trafficking a 9-year-old girl.

Maria Candelaria Losoya appeared Aug. 1 before a federal judge and admitted she was responsible for the assault of the victim in exchange for money.

The 55-year-old remains free on bond pending sentencing scheduled for Nov. 16. Losoya faces up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine and also must register as a sex offender.

Authorities say the abuse began in Brownsville in 2012 and lasted roughly three years.

Losoya later traveled with the victim three hours from Brownsville to Rockport so the assault could continue.

David Wills, a former Rockport resident accused of assaulting the victim, was arrested in July and released on a $5 million bond.
Drug trader Khatri killed in 'encounter' with cops in Kusunti

Notorious illegal drug trader, Prabin Khatri, was killed in what was said to be a 'confrontation' with police at Kusunti, Lalitpur on Monday.
Albuquerque-based TriCore Reference Laboratories has established a new executive role to focus on research, the company announced.

David Grenache, Ph.D, who currently is a clinical professor of pathology at the University of Utah School of Medicine and medical director in the chemistry division at ARUP Laboratories in Salt Lake City, will serve as TriCores first chief scientific officer.

TriCore said Grenache will begin his job in September.

In his new role, Grenache will be responsible for oversight of the core labs strategic direction and planning, as well as contributing to the leadership of the TriCore Research Institute. A core lab is a diagnostic facility where more complex testing is conducted, as opposed to the rapid response testing done at a TriCores hospital sites. TriCores core lab performs 10.5 million clinical tests each year.

In addition to its core lab operations, TriCore, a not-for-profit, has 30 patient care centers throughout New Mexico.

TriCores executive team hailed the new appointment.

I have been fortunate to know Dr. Grenache for many years through the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, where he has served in multiple capacities, said Dr. Michael Crossey, TriCores chief medical officer. He is widely known as a leading expert in maternal/fetal clinical chemistry issues and one of the best clinical chemists and medical educators I know.

Khosrow Shotorbani, TriCores president and CEO, said New Mexico is gaining a new healthcare executive with true international expertise, and the company should profit as a result.

Grenaches reearch interests are focused on reproductive biochemistry and emerging biomakers of disease.

Co-sponsored by Presbyterian Healthcare Services and University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, TriCore currently has 1,300 employees in the state.
With Indians the world over celebrating Raksha Bandhan today, how can stars of the countrys popular soaps stay behind? Television stars share how they are celebrating this festival of sibling love and what Raksha Bandhan means to them. For them, Raksha Bandhan also invokes memories of childhood.

who plays the title role of Sethji said, Yes, I do celebrate Raksha Bandhan. I do not have a real brother and would celebrate the occasion by tying a rakhi to my cousin brothers. Now I have been blessed with two children, a girl and a boy, so for the past two years Rakhi has been celebrated in a huge way at home. We try to make it special for our children by explaining the importance of Raksha Bandhan and instilling in them the thought that its not just tying a rakhi but a promise that the brother will always look after his sister and vice versa.

who plays Tejaswini in Aisi Deewangi Dekhi Nahi Kahi said, I have an elder sister who is also a godmother to me, she is my guardian, my biggest confidant, the person I fight the most with and the one I love deeply. She is always there, no matter what. I remember during my holidays I would go to visit her while she was studying in Chandigarh and she would take care of me like a mother. After my mother passed away, she has actually stepped in and looked after the entire family. So Raksha Bandhan is very special to me because though I am a girl myself, I am more like a brother to my elder sister and I am very protective about her. I usually send her a lot of gifts on Raksha Bandhan.

who hosts Indias Best Judwaah said, Rakhi is very special for me. My fondest memory of Rakhi is I always had my hand full of rakhis during Raksha Bandhan as we stayed in a joint family. I have very fond memories of Raksha Bandhan. Be it waking up early and getting ready, hiding the gifts before the Pooja from my sisters and then the Rakhi ceremony, the day has always been wonderful. I share a very special bond with my sister Meenakshi, she has been very protective and loving. She was always stronger and more aggressive than me. She would protect me instead of me protecting her. This year also, I am planning to do something special for her.

who plays Pooja in 'Piyaa Albela', shares on Raksha Bandhan, Raksha Bandhan is very special for me since my best friend is my sister only and I am glad that she has always been there for me. We are very very close and we understand each other completely. My cousin brother and sister have always surprised on Raksha Bandhan. Initially they would call me saying that we cant come this year but later they ring the door bell and surprise me with gifts and chocolates. Main Teri Raksha Karunga was the promise always made by my brother to me and in return,I promise him the same.

said,I have two sisters - Dr Sangita Khanna and Priti Ghai. As I am still going be here in Indonesia. I won't be able to meet my sisters in person. One of my sisters is in Texas and the other one is in Mumbai. Mostly we'll celebrate through a video call. The most memorable incident in my mind which is imprinted since many years, is how we used to have a very big get together of all sisters and brothers. Now, we are in different places, so it has become tough. I miss those get togethers. The best thing about my sisters is that they are very friendly and caring. Although they still treat me like a small kid because. they know how mischievous I was. So, their advice mode is always on.

, said My sister Reema Pawa is based in Kolkata. I had crazy times with her in childhood years. I am always just a phone call away from her. I am going to Kolkata to celebrate Rakhi with her. It is always a good feeling to celebrate festivals with her. Elder sisters are always protective and concerned. I wait for Raksha Bandhan every year.
The gender divide is fast dissipating in every sphere of business. There are several women business leaders today, leading from the front and inspiring an entire generation of young women to take up the mantle of leadership.

English Business News Channel BTVi - Business Television India has endeavoured to bring women thought leaders under one platform, celebrating their success stories, thereby motivating the millennial with their show, Women Mean Business. The second season of the show went on air on June 17, 2017 and airs every Saturday @ 8pm on the channel. The guests on the show this season will range from Media baron to Renowned Restaurateur, from award winning Gemologist and Jewellery Designer to Globally acclaimed artist.

Born to French parents in a small village in Pondicherry, Kalki Koechlin has had an interesting upbringing. Kalkis parents, devotees of Sri Aurobindo, had come to India as hippies in the 1970s and settled there after they fell in love with India. Fluent in Tamil, English, French, and now in Hindi, Kalki impressed with her first film role  Chandramukhi (Chanda) in Dev.D (2009). Since then she has won acclaim for her unconventional body of work. She is the recipient of a National Film Award, a Filmfare Award and two Screen Awards, among other accolades.

To watch full video click here.

How do you know you want to be a part of a script or a project?

There are many elements. There are times when I read the script and I like it in one go, and then there is also a fact whether I have played this character before, doing something that I havent done before. Am I challenging myself? Is this a film where I wont get edited out? But yes, mainly its the script.

However, there is an exception. If its a really brilliant director like Dibakar or Anurag, I dont even think about the script and just go for it. Sometimes there are some amazing directors you want to work with, but when its not that, then its the script.

You are hungry when it comes to diversity of genre. How does it actually workout on the ground?

I get both commercial and independent offers for films and I am lucky to get both. I am lucky in some way or the other to indulge in something very creative or get a bigger audience to watch me and so both are very important. I dont want to be stereotyped. Even when it comes to commercial cinema, theres a way to make the character more human even if it is a stereotyped character. There is a way to bring about a sense of understanding to the character and I try to do that as much as possible.

How do you describe a good director?

A good director is somebody who can be completely prepared for every accident. I always think that a director has to be a brilliant actor, because in a way the director has to manipulate the actor a little bit to get what they want from the actor. But at some times if it is obvious manipulation, the actor is going to sense it and back away. So, it has to be an empathetic understanding of where the actor is coming from and still say that this is what I want from you, while understanding who you are and what you bring as an actor.

Does gender bring in any kind of difference in the directorial style?

Of course, gender makes a huge difference. Your experiences of who you are as a person come out in cinema. So if you are a woman, you have different experiences just because of the world we live in that we are not equal in the way we are in the present society.

But its not necessarily feminine; I know women who direct in a muscular way and so its just that definitely is a part of who you are and you cant deny it.

Which have been your most challenging roles?

Obviously Margarita with a Straw was extremely tough and I was really worried about getting the authenticity of this character. Not just physical transformation, but what it feels like emotionally and mentally to be disabled all your life and also how the outside world looks at you, and so that was a huge challenge. Of course, I am really grateful to have gone through the process and learn so much from it. A Death in the Gunj was challenging for me because its based in the 70s and my character is a very put together, poised, slightly manipulative, sexy woman, and more like Aditi from Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani.

How do you really get into the skin of the character?

For Margarita with a Straw, just because of this huge physical transformation, I needed to practice and rehearse a lot. It is really important when you are bringing this kind of change in your body. The habits, the mannerisms have to look like they have been there all your life. Six months was the minimum that was required for me to get in the character. During this period I met people with disabilities everyday and worked towards adapting the sense of disability.

Where does theatre come into all of this?

Theatre is my first love. I studied Drama and Theatre in London for 3 years when I was 18 and thats where my foundation started. I always go back to theatre because I love it and I get a lot from it. It helps me work on my body and my voice. It is like an actors gym, where you sharpen your tools. When you are on the sets you dont really get time to rehearse, you just have to get it done. When you are off the set, working on your own or with other actors bouncing off each other, you really get to work, and theatre really provides that for me.

When it comes to writing, how often do you do it? And how does it keep you going?

Initially, I need some inspiration to fall on my lap. I just cant look at a blank page and start writing, its very intimidating for me. I think thats the art of a real writer  to be able to look at your blank page everyday and write something. I havent reached that stage yet. Once I have that one click in my mind and I have an idea, then I get down to it. I like making drafts and rewriting and also perform and do it out loud, which is why I do a lot of poetry slamming and poetry spoken word, because I enjoy being an actor in the process of writing.

Where did this writing, arts and creativity come from while growing up?

I grew up speaking Tamil and French and didnt speak English till I was 5. When I went to the boarding school, my English was really weak. But I had this really beautiful teacher who sent me a whole lot of books in English that I had to read during my holidays when I was about 8 years old. That changed things in a huge way and my English became so strong after that. So I really have to thank my teacher for that. My mom has kept all my poems from when I was a little kid.

You have been using social media as a platform for expression. How precarious do you think that position is, because it puts you in direct interface with people?

Yes, social media is a funny and useful tool in todays world because it cuts out the middleman; it allows people to put out their points of view, which sometimes result in fake news, trolling and many other stuff. I started using it as a platform for a lot of my alternative and creative work and to give my opinion on things that I care about. I dont pay attention to the negative stuff, because if you start doing that, you get stuck in arguments with strangers who are more interested in provoking you. So, it is better to let your work speak for you on social media.

How do you feel when someone addresses you as an outspoken actor?

I actually take it as a compliment. It means that I am speaking my mind and thats what we do as actors  we put our emotions and thoughts out for people to accept it and do whatever they to do with it.

Are you a person who follows news and developments very closely?

Sometimes. But I also go through bubbles during my shoots, where I get completely cut off from current news.

According to you, what have been some interesting influences in your character  right from a shy girl to an outspoken, talented Kalki Koechlin?

You dont choose to be shy. According to me, everyone wants to be the centre of attention, funny, and entertaining, but are not always capable of doing that. Being a clown and acting funny was my way in school to cover up the fact that I was painfully shy, and even today in some interviews I use that goofballness to get over my shyness and the same thing I use on my dates. Basically, we live with these contradictions which make us humourous.

Are you a person who basically likes humour and does not have fear when it gets into the darker side as well?

I think life is dark because we are deaf; we all are going to die one day. We all come in the world alone and will die alone, yet we constantly create these permanents in our lives  whether its our relationships, our loved ones or the art that we do, we always want a blast and want to be immortal. So, that contradiction is dark and messed up, but on the other side its also funny if you can embrace the contradiction and that is the best way we can answer life. I am very fascinated by this and thats why I did the Living Room, which is a dark comedy. I love those kinds of films.

Do you think Cinema in India is changing to being more comedy-oriented, giving new answers to the storytelling?

Its hard to say, because while I might say that Cinema is changing, but at the same time if I talk to actors like Rajat Kapoor and Naseeruddin Shah, they would say, No, it has always been the same.

To watch full video click here.

Do you think there is enough freedom for expression when it comes to the landscape?

I think that we are in a place where we are censored more than ever. Although, we have social media to put things out there, but today out of many countries we are censored more.

What is your dream commercial role?

I want to do a rom-com. I would also love to do action films, where I can play a superhero role.

How do you navigate through the territory while selecting your movies?

The only ambition in my life is to be relevant, and the only way for this is to keep on learning.

Anything you are planning to do in order to keep yourself updated or self-improvisation?

I am constantly learning things. I have to learn a little bit of Portuguese and DJing for a role in a web series that I am doing called Smoke, where I am portraying a Portuguese-Goan DJ. Again, for fun I am learning to play the guitar right now. My experience of directing a play last year was the biggest learning that made me understand my directors much better. These days I am concentrating more on reading, because I feel like I need some inspiration.
Augmented reality in the medical field is not an entirely new concept, but one Indiana surgeon by the name of Paul Szotek has taken the idea to new heights. After first being introduced to Google Glass in 2012 while he was working as an on-site physician at the Indy 500, Dr. Szotek has escalated his own use of AR technology and championed its use by his coworkers to the point that he now uses it during hernia surgeries at the clinic where he works, and even relies on it to train student surgeons.

During surgeries, offsite consults are usually called on the phone, and cant look directly at the surgery in progress. ODG augmented reality specs are able to record the surgery and stream it to an outside party in high definition, up to 4K with the most premium model, and can give the wearer a digital, reactive display at the same time. This means that Dr. Szotek can use AR technology to show outside consults exactly whats happening during a surgery, and get advice in real time, or even annotated images. That same technology can be used to show the surgery to trainees as its happening, and allow Paul to explain to his trainees exactly what hes doing, why hes doing it, and what the expected and possible results are. Essentially, its the next best thing to actually learning by doing.

While current tech allows for revolutionary practices, Dr. Szotek envisions something a bit more advanced in the near future. One example he named is being able to see your patient, the view from a laparoscopic camera, and the patients chart, all at the same time. Unfortunately, experiments thus far in combining AR streams have proven too unstable for any real-world use, let alone to be used in something as precise and time-sensitive as surgery. Google Glass in particular has found new life outside of the consumer space, but high-end applications like what Szotek is doing may require somewhat more high-tech solutions. Google Glass is fairly minimal, and while handy for displaying some information in a heads-up-display format, its camera resolution is somewhat low and it does not have a large enough display for some more advanced uses.
Indian users of Google-branded smartphones may now use applications without downloading them through the Instant Apps feature. Google started testing the service on a limited scale back in January but now, the search giant seems ready to expand the service to more countries. The Instant app feature works after the user clicks on a link. The browser checks if there is an instant app available for the website and then loads it instead of a web page. The downloaded applications are stored in the browser cache for a short period of time, usually for around a few hours, before it is deleted.

In order to activate the feature, people will have to go the settings of the device and then proceed to the Google section. An Instant apps screen will then appear, prompting the user to tap on the toggle located in the upper right-hand. Another set of options will be displayed and the Yes, Im In button should be pressed to fully activate the feature. Right now, only those who own the Google Pixel, the Google Pixel XL, the Nexus 6P, and the Nexus 5X have this feature. There is no word yet on when other Android-powered devices will take advantage of the new service from the search giant.

Google previewed the Android Instant Apps back at Google I/O last year. This was developed in an effort for people to discover applications without the need to wait for the download and installation process to be completed. Developers could also benefit from Googles offering, as Instant Apps may lead to either increased content consumption or higher rates of download and installation from users. Some developers have even reported double-digit download growth due to Instant Apps. Since the preview, the search giant has started testing the feature using a handful of applications back in January. The Mountain View-based company has also released tools that help developers tailor their applications to the new service. Among the tools that could help developers is the SDK for Android Instant Apps. The SDK could assist the developers in separating the essential parts of the applications and let these portions work independently.
Samsung Group Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee was reportedly close to tears while giving his final statement in a high-profile case that saw him charged with corruption in the form of bribing government officials for personal gain, embezzlement of corporate funds, and perjury. On Monday, the prosecutors in charge of the case requested a 12-year prison sentence for Mr. Lee due to his involvement in the political scandal that shook the entire Far Eastern nation and resulted in the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. The recommended sentence will become the largest one ever issued to a conglomerate executive in South Korea if the court agrees with it.

While speaking in the courtroom of the Seoul Central District Court earlier today, Mr. Lee once again denied any wrongdoing and claimed that he didnt bribe or made any attempt to bribe former President Park and her associate Choi Soon-sil in any capacity and for any purpose, including the one alleged by the prosecutors. The authorities claim that Samsungs heir sanctioned over $37 million in bribes paid to several organizations connected to Ms. Park and Ms. Choi, as well as the latters daughter Chung Yoo-ra. He was charged with doing so in an effort to ensure a 2015 merger of two Samsung Group-owned companies that streamlined succession proceedings within the South Korean chaebol and transitioned more management power to the part of the conglomerate controlled by the founding Lee family, a notion that the defendants legal team labeled as being entirely constructed by the prosecutors.

Mr. Lee previously said that any donations paid by Samsung Group were sanctioned by the head of the companys Future Strategy Office and its chief Choi Gee-sung who previously confirmed that claim, though prosecutors only requested a 10-year prison sentence for Mr. Choi, explicitly stating that they believe Samsung Group Vice Chairman was the one who orchestrated the deal. The competent court is expected to announce its verdict on Friday, August 25, two days before Mr. Lees arrest warrant is set to expire. The Seoul-based conglomerate and its flagship division Samsung Electronics are still doing more than well despite the fact that their top executive has been absent since February, though industry watchers remain skeptical regarding their long-term prospects if Mr. Lee is to be given a lengthy prison sentence.
The Chicago Police Department recently started testing a number of technologies based on predictive algorithms that allow it to anticipate crimes in certain areas of the city with some degree of certainty, Reuters reported on Saturday. One of the solutions utilized by local officials is called Strategic Subjects List, which is essentially a database of people that may be involved in future shootings. The technology was created by the Illinois Institute of Technology, though its specifics remain unclear.

The HunchLab platform is an equally mysterious solution thats currently utilized by the 7th District, providing officers with predictive software that attempts to anticipate crime based on existing crime records, socioeconomic data, gang affiliation database, weather, and a wide variety of other factors that have been statistically proven to affect crime rates. The vague description of the solution provided by the Chicago authorities implies that it relies on some sort of artificial intelligence (AI), though the local police remain unwilling to detail it much further. HunchLab was confirmed to have been developed by Azavea, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based software firm that continues to maintain it to this date. The platform relies on eight factors to rate every individual in its database with a score between zero and 500, with the latter implying the highest possible risk that the person will commit a crime, Chicago police revealed.

The existing solutions utilized by the local authorities arent blindly followed and are simply meant to help the police allocate their resources and manpower more efficiently by deploying officers in areas where they believe a crime is more likely to occur. While similar predictive approaches have been utilized by police forces all over the world for decades, the addition of predictive algorithms and other technologies to the equation allows Chicago authorities to anticipate crimes in a more accurate manner. Another solution utilized by the police in the third most populated city in the United States is a gunfire detection platform developed by ShotSpotter Inc. The system is also currently being utilized by the 7th District, though its currently unclear how many of its sensors are deployed throughout Chicago. Shootings in the 7th District became less frequent year-on-year after the local authorities started implementing technology into their everyday operations, with the frequency of such crimes dropping by 39 percent in the last 12 months, though the number of murders in the entire Chicago is still on the rise, having increased by three percentage points over the same period.
Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn Technology Group is joining the self-driving car race, as the New Taipei-based company has reportedly announced that it is building a research and development facility in Michigan, according to South China Morning Post. Although the size of the facility is not currently unknown, the report suggests that this could be a multi-billion dollar investment.

According to Foxconn founder Terry Gou, the United States is ahead of China in the self-driving tech segment, though the investment isnt meant to imply that the Taiwanese conglomerate isnt also interested in pursuing autonomous driving ventures in the Far Eastern country. If its plan to make advancements in the self-driving car industry in the U.S. ever materializes, the company is expected to take on tech giants like Waymo, Tesla, Uber, and Apple. Waymo is one of the main division leading Alphabets latest valuation growth, with analysts from Morgan Stanley estimating that Waymos business could alone be valued between $70 billion and $140 billion in the near future. Ride-hailing firm Lyft also started pursuing autonomous driving solutions more actively this year, having announced a new collaborative self-driving facility in Palo Alto, California. Then theres Uber, which partnered with Daimler earlier this year to use its fleet of vehicles in Ubers self-driving car network, in addition to pursuing a number of other initiatives. Uber and Waymo are currently wrapped in a legal dispute over supposed theft of self-driving tech on Ubers part, though both companies are still expected to make significant contributions to this emerging field in the near future.

Foxconn is not the only company from China that aims to jump in the autonomous vehicle market, as more firms from the Far Eastern country are also actively pursuing self-driving technologies. One such company is Baidu which has launched a partnership with NVIDIA last month, stating that the two will invest in a variety of artificial intelligence-related endeavors, including self-driving cars. Mr. Gou recently mentioned that Foxconn is also interested in AI and deep learning technologies in particular, without elaborating on the matter. The Taiwanese company is expected to disclose more details on its future endeavors in the coming months.
Marcus Hutchins, a 23-year-old cyber security expert who helped stopped the spread of the notorious WannaCry malware earlier this year, has been officially charged with creating another malware designed for stealing information from banking websites, as revealed by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Mr. Hutchins, a British national, was detained by the Las Vegas police last week, shortly after attending the latest iteration of Def Con, one of the largest hacker conventions on the planet. The circumstances leading to his arrest werent immediately clear last week, though Gregory Haanstad, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, clarified on the matter shortly after he was detained, noting how charges against Mr. Hutchins were brought after a two-year federal investigation into the origins of Kronos.

The federal grand jury signed a six-count indictment against the digital security researcher that currently works for Kryptos Logic and is also known by his online handle Malwaretech. The Kronos trojan started circulating the Internet circa 2014, infecting computers and stealing usernames and passwords of banking websites in the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, and a number of other countries. Mr. Hutchins wasnt accused of being the initial creator of the malware but is facing charges for updating and disseminating it, according to the DOJs press release on the matter. The trojan was reportedly being sold for up to $7,000 on the Russian black market and a strain of it designed to infect point-of-sale terminals emerged online following the spread of the initial version of the malicious software.

Mr. Hutchins is alleged to have been working on Kronos together with another individual, according to the DOJ. His supposed partner is currently unnamed, though its unclear whether the authorities have identified them or not. The defendant is now held in the FBIs Las Vegas office and was reportedly without a representative shortly after his arrest. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is currently trying to get in touch with Mr. Hutchins, presumably in an effort to provide him with legal representation. The U.K. National Crime Agency is aware of the situation but isnt planning to intervene in any capacity, Forbes reported last week.
New details have been by revealed by Uber, pertaining specifically to statements made by the companys previous CEO, Travis Kalanick, during a deposition in the ongoing court battle between the ride-sharing giant and Googles Waymo. For those that havent been following along, Waymo has taken Uber to task over the alleged theft of company secrets taken to Uber by former Google employee Anthony Levandowski. Kalanick recently stepped down from his position amid the many controversies happening at the company, though he plans to return at some undefined point. Levandowski, on the other hand, has been removed from any role at Uber and the company has publicly stated that any actions he took were not at the behest of Uber and maintains that Uber did not make use of any of Googles intellectual property (IP). The case itself started back in February

During his deposition  which lasted around 6 hours  Kalanick reasserted that Uber did not actually want any Google documents or files at all. Rather, according to a spokesperson for Uber, the company wanted to build its technology from the ground up. In fact, according to Kalanick, Levandowski was even asked directly whether any of the files the former Google engineer had downloaded had made it to the company. Levandowski claimed that they had not. Kalanick went on to further indict Levandowski by claiming that he had downloaded the documents as insurance to an expectation that Levandowski held about receiving a bonus while still working for the Alphabet-owned search giant. Kalanick saw the move as improper, according to the deposition, and pressed Levandowski, expecting Levandowski to cooperate with the courts and with Ubers internal investigation  though he has now remarked that the expectation was stupid.

It isnt immediately clear whether or not Kalanicks 92-page deposition will have any effect on Waymos case against Uber. It does appear that Uber never intended to participate in IP theft and at least three of Googles claims against the company have been dropped over the course of the deliberations. Kalanicks testimony could, if truthful, bring at least some resolution to the matters still withstanding or the case could drag on indefinitely.
A new law being proposed today by the British government could allow consumers to erase their personal data from the Internet. For a number of years, internet giants were allowed to collect data without question, but in recent years governments and consumers have fought for the right to be essentially erased from the World Wide Web under certain circumstances. Now, though, it appears that the UK government is hoping to enact a law so that any citizen will have the right to ask for all of their data to be erased.

As part of the proposed law, any UK citizen will be able to ask for any personal data, such as pictures, videos, or other personal information such as browsing data that is held by the likes of Google, Facebook, and Twitter to be deleted. This would give users much more control over their online presence. Such a law would also allow parents more control over the data collected on their children, while all companies would be forced to stop collecting data on users by default as UK citizens would have to opt into any data collecting programs. The new law is another big step in personal data protection efforts on the Old Continent after the EUs initial decision in 2014 that gave consumers the right to be forgotten in certain scenarios. Due to the UKs exit from the EU, though, it appears that the local government has taken data protection laws into its own hands in order to guarantee these rights to its citizens once Brexit is concluded in early 2019. The majority of tech companies affected by such regulations previously argued that these laws are a form of online censorship.

Unfortunately for Google, French regulators want the law implemented worldwide, something that would give consumers the ability to be erased from every search results, not just local ones. For now, this law is only a proposal and nothing is set completely in stone. Nonetheless, the proposal is clearly a new step toward online data protection and many consumers are expected to be pleased with the idea. The UKs newly proposed law still needs to be approved by the Parliament and may be enacted by early 2018, if not sooner.
Maoist, NC take out victory rally in Bharatpur

The CPN (Maoist Centre) and the Nepali Congress (NC) on Sunday organised a victory rally in Bharatpur Metropolitan City following the triumph of their mayor and deputy mayor candidates in the re-election held on Friday.
Gilbert + Tobin (G+T) has won a landmark decision for an Australian citizen in the UN, which has found Australia in breach of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.The UN Human Rights Committee found Australia in violation of Article 26 of the covenant for denying Dr Fiona Kumari Campbell the ability to obtain a divorce in Australia. Campbell married her same-sex partner in Canada in 2004, but the two are now separated.The committee said Australia failed to persuade it of the reasonableness, objectivity, and legitimacy of distinguishing same-sex marriages from other types of foreign marriages and giving it differential treatment.Australia argued that it could not grant access to its divorce mechanisms for same-sex marriages that happened abroad, since this type of marriage is not recognised in the country. However, the committee pointed out that parties of other types of foreign marriages, such as polygamous marriages which are also not recognised in Australia, are being given access to the countrys divorce framework.Gilbert + Tobin is very proud to have acted in this matter for our client for over five years to get this landmark decision for her. As the debate over same-sex marriage continues in Australia, same-sex couples who have married overseas are left in legal limbo by their inability to divorce. This decision goes another step closer towards recognising marriage equality as an international human rights issue, said Michelle Hannon, G+T pro bono partner.Campbell said that the decision has restored her faith in international law. She also urged the government to act on the ruling.After a long wait the Human Rights Committee has restored my faith in the international law system to deliver justice given the absence of an Australian Bill of Rights. The decision legitimises the reality of my marriage and my experience of being treated differently because of the sex of my marriage partner. It acknowledges the incongruence between the dissolution of my marriage in real life and the law. I hope that the government will act to ensure a divorce remedy is available so I can get on with my life and have a consistent marital status irrespective of where I go, Campbell said.In addition to Hannon, G+Ts team included lawyer Ghassan Kassisieh, who said that the committee again affirmed the fundamental principle that laws cannot discriminate against same-sex couples without compelling reasons, even in divorce.In the five years we worked on this case, decision after decision has affirmed that principle in the field of marriage and divorce and now the international human rights system is slowly moving closer to that view too, he said.Clancy King, who has since transferred to DLA Piper in Sydney as a senior associate, also worked on the case. DLA Piper also recently won a landmark case in the committee
White & Case has helped the Kingdom of Bhutan open its first-ever law school.The Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law (JSW Law), which is charted by the current king, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, formally opened at the end of July, marking a milestone in the nine-year collaboration of the elite Wall Street firm and the South Asian country.JSW Law is named after the current kings father, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. Princess Sonam Dechan Wangchuck, the kings sister and a Harvard LLM graduate, has been appointed as president. The schools governing council is chaired by the countrys chief justice, Tshering Wangchuk, while respected educator Sangay Dorjee has been appointed dean.This day has been many years in the making, said Hugh Verrier, White & Case chair. We are honoured to have worked together with the Royal Government of Bhutan. The firms involvement stems from our ongoing commitment to legal education around the world. This law school will play a crucial part in advancing Bhutans inspiring transition to democracy.White & Case first began collaborating with Bhutan in 2008, with the firm fielding a cross-border team to establish the countrys first law library with Princess Sonam. White & Case has been providing pro bono legal as well as administrative and fundraising assistance for the new law school.The BigLaw firm also recruited two American scholars, Michael Peil and Judy Stark, who have been appointed vice dean and associate dean of the school, respectively. The new school has 13 faculty members, eight of whom are from Bhutan and four from the US.The school has accepted 25 Bhutanese students after a competitive application process over the past year. The students, who will pay no tuition to study, will need to complete five years of study to earn a Bhutanese law degree.The first Bhutanese Law School Admission Test was taken by 132 students who were selected from a pool of nearly 500 high school graduates. The 13 women and 12 men who make up the schools first class were selected from 50 finalists who were interviewed by JSW Laws admissions committee.These law students will benefit from a carefully constructed curriculum that keeps Bhutans proud history and traditions at the forefront, said Jacquelyn MacLennan, White & Case partner and global pro bono practice leader. We hope they will become lawyers who can play a leading role in Bhutans continuing development, through their understanding of international legal practice and principles as well as Bhutans particular position.JSW Law is also supported by India, the Austrian Development Agency, and the US-based Karuna Foundation.
Xterra and Terrano . Nissan has a thing for this sort of nameplates for its sport utility vehicles, and given these circumstances, filing the trademark for Terra seems natural for the Japanese automaker. The motoring media goes one step further, suggesting Terra is the name of Nissans next-generation electric SUV.
The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has ordered Air Transat to explain why passengers were driven to call 911 for help as they sat in packed aircraft for up to six hours on a hot afternoon and evening in Ottawa. The agency, an independent quasi-judicial body that rules on complaints about air, rail and marine transportation services, heard from people aboard the aircraft, who were supposed to land in Montreal but were diverted for weather. The packed A330 that had already spent seven hours in the air coming from Brussels sat on the ramp for another six hours with the doors shut tight on the more than 300 passengers and crew on board. The water supply ran out and the air conditioning was shut down when the aircraft ran low on fuel. At least one passenger called 911 and police, fire and ambulance personnel responded to treat people with breathing problems and other disorders associated with the heat.

Air Transat blamed the Ottawa Airport, saying it didnt have enough services for all the aircraft that were diverted there. Ottawa Airport begged to differ and there were some tense tweets and countertweets going back and forth. Meanwhile, the CTA says it will sort through everyones stories and figure out how to avoid similar issues in the future. This inquiry will determine, based on the evidence and the law, whether the treatment of passengers on the two flights was in line with the airlines obligations  and if not, what corrective measures should be ordered, CTA Chair and CEO Scott Streiner said in a statement.
The Marine Corps has abandoned hope of finding alive three Marines missing after their MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft went down off the northeast coast of Australia on Saturday. The other 23 personnel aboard the Osprey were rescued and only one of them had to be admitted to the hospital. The aircraft was taking part in a training exercise with Australian forces when the mishap occurred. At first, the Marines and Australians mounted a massive search but after about 14 hours it became a recovery mission.

The transition comes after teams led continuous sustained search efforts supported by aircraft and ships, the III Marine Expeditionary Force, based in Okinawa, Japan, said in a statement. As the sea state permits, recovery efforts will be conducted to further search, assess and survey the area  they said in a statement. Next of kin of the three missing Marines have been notified.
President Donald Trump has approved the sale of 12 Embraer Super Tucano light attack aircraft to Nigeria. Although the aircraft was designed in Brazil, the aircraft is being assembled in Jacksonville, Florida, and the weapons and sensor systems integrated by Colorado-based Sierra Nevada Corp. The supply chain was initially established for Embraer to supply the single-engine turboprop to the Air Force for use in counterinsurgency missions in the Middle East. This may be the first export of the U.S.-built counterinsurgency version of the aircraft for use by another military organization. The training version has been sold to Lebanon and Afghanistan as a trainer and is competing for other trainer contracts.

The sale to Nigeria is potentially controversial because of the countrys poor reputation on human rights and democratic process. Isaac Ikpa, executive secretary of Nigerias Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET), praised Trump for ignoring the fraudulent mainstream medias accounts of Nigerias various transgressions against its own citizens and allowing it to buy the potent weapons system. On the strength of our work in Nigeria, we testify that the Nigerian military has reformed while its human rights record has tremendously improved under the current leadership, a development that was never acknowledged by Amnesty International and the international media circuit, Ikpa said. He said the aircraft will be used to fight the terrorist group Boko Haram but the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) claimthe aircraft will be used for aerial bombardment and mass murder of Biafrans.
U.S. commanders are preparing American troops to confront the Russian military threat in Eastern Europe, including reintroducing Cold War-era tactics, the NYT reports.

The training shift for the U.S. Army includes working in smaller operating groups that are harder to target, using camouflage to avoid surveillance drones and rocket attacks, repainting battle tanks from desert-tan to dark green to match the terrain, and launching military exercises to learn and prepare for Russian tactics. Last month, 25,000 American and allied forces practiced tactics, including nighttime aerial assaults, across Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria over 10 days.

Several of the officers leading the effort were originally trained to counter Soviet operations, transferred to counter non-state actors, and now are returning to their roots.

Countering the threat: The U.S. and its NATO allies have positioned thousands of soldiers in the three Baltic States as well as in Poland to deter Russia, and ramped up air, sea, and underwater patrols from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea.

The U.S. and its NATO allies have positioned thousands of soldiers in the three Baltic States as well as in Poland to deter Russia, and ramped up air, sea, and underwater patrols from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. One new challenge: But there's many fewer soldiers there now (30,000) than during the Cold War (300,000), which means the Army is focusing efforts on how quickly troops and equipment can assemble in areas of need.

Context: This comes in response to Russia's increased aggression, particularly in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin has been investing in modern infantry forces, tanks, and artillery, and has modernized surveillance drones that coordinate strikes from afar, not to mention Russia's cyberwarfare capabilities. Russia has scheduled an exercise for next month on the edge of NATO territory that could involve as many as 100,000 troops.
7 August 2017 10:29 (UTC+04:00)

By Steven J. Klees

The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals represent a remarkable commitment by the international community to eliminate poverty and improve health, the environment, education, and much more in all countries by 2030. The SDG for education is straightforward: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Unfortunately, we are a long way from achieving this goal, particularly in developing countries. More than 250 million of the worlds 1.6 billion children are not in school, and 400 million lack basic literacy.If current trends continue, by 2030 half of all children will not have the basic skills needed for employment.

The main problem is a shortage of resources. While developing countries can finance more than 90% of what they need to ensure universal access to quality primary and secondary education, there is still a large funding gap  approaching $40 billion in 2020, and $90 billion by 2030  that must be filled by international aid.

Solving this problem has been the goal of the International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity (the Education Commission), chaired by Gordon Brown and comprising luminaries in business, government, and academia. But the Education Commissions two principal recommendations are wrongheaded, and should be replaced by two other solutions. Both will be politically difficult to achieve, but are necessary for financing the SDGs.

The Education Commissions first proposal is to count on philanthropists, corporations, and charitable organizations to increase their annual aid contributions from $2 billion today to $20 billion by 2030. This is unlikely to happen. More to the point, charity is not a responsible way to finance public policy. As one recent study shows, charitable education-reform efforts tend to be short-sighted, uncoordinated, and self-interested, ultimately contributing little to advancing education priorities.

The Education Commissions second proposal is to form an International Finance Facility for Education, to be overseen by the World Bank and various regional development banks. Under the proposed IFFEd, development banks would borrow from capital markets to increase their annual investments in education to $10 billion by 2020, and to $20 billion by 2030.

The principal problem with this approach is that the World Bank has no business spearheading education reform. In fact, as my own research shows, the World Bank has already been misdirecting education reform in developing countries for three decades, by pushing for increased privatization and narrowly defined educational outcomes and accountability based on excessive testing.

The World Banks market-fundamentalist approach to education (and other sectors) resembles that of right-wing think tanks such as the Cato Institute or the Heritage Foundation. But while these are recognized as partisan organizations pursuing an ideological agenda, the World Bank makes a pretense of objectivity and inclusiveness. Moreover, unlike Cato and Heritage, the World Bank is a public, tax-financed entity that wields vast influence around the world through its grants, loans, and policy recommendations.

Future generations will be aghast at how we have allowed banks to determine educational and other priorities. Rather than handing institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund more power, we need a new Bretton Woods conference to make them democratically accountable and less ideological.

As things stand, the World Bank is the 500-pound gorilla of the international-aid establishment, and the proposed IFFEd would put the gorilla on steroids. It would also make coordinating aid to education an administrative nightmare. In addition to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), which focuses on low-income countries, and the recently established Education Cannot Wait (ECW) fund, which focuses on countries with humanitarian emergencies, we would have a third body focusing on lower- and middle-income countries.

It makes no sense to have three multilateral institutions competing with one another for funding. As Columbia Universitys Jeffrey D. Sachs has long argued, we need just one Global Fund for Education to work toward the education SDG, and it can be a revamped GPE. Whereas donors will dominate IFFEd decision-making, the GPE operates more democratically, with equal representation of donor and recipient countries and strong participation from civil-society organizations. While the GPE is still too dependent on the World Bank, which supervises 80% of its grants, that can be changed.

Instead of the proposed IFFEd, we need two things. Wealthy countries need to honor the commitment, made in 1970 and repeated ever since, to allocate 0.7% of GDP toward ODA. While a few countries already do this, most fall far short. Just by keeping past promises, wealthy countries could close the education-funding gap  and cover all of the other SDGs financing needs, too. The Education Commission, by contrast, lets wealthy countries off the hook, by asking them to commit just 0.5% of GDP to ODA, and not until 2030.

Second, we need a global approach to taxation. As my colleague and I point out in a report for the Education Commission, corporate-tax reforms could eliminate tax avoidance and evasion, which are costing the global economy more than $600 billion every year. To achieve the needed reforms, we need to increase the UNs capacity instead of relying on the OECD, which has proposed only minor changes.

We also need to institute a global wealth tax, as economist Thomas Piketty has proposed. It is obscene that the worlds eight richest people hold as much wealth as the poorest 50%. Like corporate-tax reform and fulfilling past promises to fund ODA, a 1% global wealth tax could finance all of the SDGs combined.

The SDGs, even more so than the Millennium Development Goals that preceded them, represent an extraordinary global commitment. But if the international community is serious about meeting them, it must do something even more unprecedented: put its money where its mouth is.

Copyright: Project Syndicate: Financing Universal Education

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7 August 2017 16:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Many see real estate as one of the best ways to make money and build wealth.

When you buy a share, the only way you can make money is if the stock appreciates in value, and you sell it at the good time. As for real estate you can make money in many ways, including renting and increasing equity.

Today investment in residential real estate in large cities is of particular interest and value, as business in large metropolitan areas thrives much faster. That is why buying apartments, houses and other commercial premises that are located in the capital is much more profitable than buying more luxurious and expensive real estate, for example, somewhere in the province.

The real estate market has gradually started to gain momentum again in the capital of Azerbaijan. The period of low real estate prices affected by the crude price decrease in the world is left behind and now the situation has become more stable, which opens up more opportunities for investing money in real estate.

Rise in prices on the real estate market of Baku is inevitable, believes Nusret Ibrahimov, General Director of the MBA Group consulting company.

Currently, the market continues to experience stabilization, which is confirmed by insignificant price fluctuations. In June, prices in the real estate market of Baku decreased by 0.59 percent.

Usually, when the market sees a growth for several months in a row, then there may be a slight decrease within a following month or two, he told Trend. A similar situation is observed in our country. After the market demonstrated growth for several months (since the beginning of the year property prices rose by 0.56 percent and in May the growth was 1.37 percent), in June prices fell by 0.59 percent. This is normal, and it shows that the market is gradually stabilizing, and the subsequent rise in prices in the real estate market is inevitable.

Ibrahimov said that a number of factors have a positive effect on stabilizing the situation on the market, thanks to which the market revived after a sharp decline of prices last year (in 2016, prices on the Baku real estate market fell by 31.53 percent).

Factors such as construction of social housing, restoration of the activity of the Azerbaijan Mortgage Fund, implementation of a number of state projects, and restoration of bank lending, contributed to the stabilization of prices on the market. Thanks to these factors, the market began to show growth again and since the beginning of the year prices have risen by 0.56 percent, he explained.

Earlier, Ibrahimov said that in 2017 the real estate market could grow by ten percent, which can also contribute to the gradual adaptation of the population to the current situation.

Since early 2017, the market as a whole has grown by 0.56 percent, although the indicators in some segments of the market showed a decline.

Last year, prices in the real estate market of Baku in dollar terms decreased by 31.53 percent.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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7 August 2017 11:42 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

A representative office of Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) will be opened in Azerbaijan this year, along with others in China, Switzerland, Canada and Hong Kong.

The opening of offices will allow the UAE-based AFZ to strengthen its ties with foreign investors and to increase the attraction of new investments, the Arab media reported on August 7.

AFZ has sourced considerable overseas investment into the free zone, out of which a substantial share is FDI [foreign direct investment] sourced by the free zones nine global offices across the world. Over the years, the unique selling points of AFZ as an investment destination  particularly its investor-friendly smart solutions have been widely acknowledged by global investors, stated Mahmoud Al Hashemi, Director General of the AFZ.

AFZ, founded in 1988, now houses over 22,000 enterprises from different parts of the world. Among the benefits of AFZ is the exemption from income tax, customs duties and other taxes.

In May 2017, AFZ opened its office in Cyprus. The Moscow office was opened in November last year.

Over the past year, the UAE and Azerbaijan have boosted the bilateral relation, including the trade ties.

Azerbaijan regards the UAE as one of its most important partners in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. At the same time, Azerbaijan considered to be the most important partner of the Emirates in the Caucasus.

Mainly Azerbaijan imports goods from the UAE, which are, in fact, re-exported from other countries. It is mostly metallurgical and chemical products, textiles, building materials, tobacco products, and household equipment. Azerbaijan mainly exports to the UAE fruits, juices, nuts, metal semi-finished products and so on.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates amounted to $5.29 million in January-March 2017, according to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee.

In early June Azerbaijan has appointed its trade representative (Elnur Aliyev) to the UAE, the main mission of which is to take measures to expand Azerbaijan`s economic and trade relations with foreign countries, protect economic interests of Azerbaijan, increase export of Azerbaijani goods and services, promote Azerbaijans business environment and investment opportunities.

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NOC deliberately ignored procedure

The parliamentary Industry, Commerce and Consumer Welfare Committee has declared that Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) decided unilaterally and ignored procedure when buying land to build storage plants at four locations.
7 August 2017 14:42 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Hungarian pharmaceutical companies intend to expand their activity on the Azerbaijani market, by increasing supply of products.

Pharmaceutical production, one of the major areas of the Hungarian economy, is the main direction of Hungarys exports to the east, including Azerbaijani market.

Hungary supplies 135 kinds of medicines to Azerbaijan, but there is even bigger potential for the development of cooperation in this sector. Hungarian companies have previously voiced readiness to participate in the development of pharmaceutical production in Azerbaijan and setting up joint ventures.

Hungarian companies intend to present their offers during the meetings to be held in October of 2017, as a part of the scheduled meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on trade and economic cooperation between two countries, according to Trend.

Specific projects and proposals will be discussed during the meeting of the intergovernmental commission.

An official delegation led by Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev, co-chairing the commission from the Azerbaijani side, will leave for Budapest to attend the meeting.

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto is the co-chairman of the commission from the Hungarian side.

Current bilateral economic relations and prospects for expanding economic cooperation will be discussed during the meeting.

Azerbaijan and Hungary outlined promising areas of cooperation during the negotiations at the level of foreign ministers, within the framework of Azerbaijani foreign ministers official visit to Budapest last week.

The sides expressed interest in amplifying cooperation in such areas as transportation, agriculture, industry, education, pharmaceutics, etc.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Hungary amounted to $16.308 million in January-June of 2017, $361,900 out of that amount accounted for exports from Azerbaijan, $15.95 million  for import, according to the Azerbaijani Customs Committee.

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7 August 2017 15:37 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

Azerbaijan Deposit Insurance Fund (ADIF) has paid compensations worth over 747.79 million manats ($439.67 million) to depositors of Parabank, Zaminbank, Dekabank, Kredobank, Caucasus Development Bank, Atrabank, Bank of Azerbaijan, Gandjabank, Texnikabank, United Credit Bank and Bank Standard.

Banks Volume of paid comp.(million manats) Volume of insured deposits(million manats) Volume of compensated deposits(million manats) Volume of paid comp.(million manats) Volume of paid comp. out of the total volume (pct) Volume of unpaid comp.(million manats) Parabank 87,601 50,714 43,885 43,222 98,5 0,662 Zaminbank 77,116 75,574 72,675 72,196 99,3 0,479 Kredobank 30,191 29,159 27,91 27,914 99,9 0,122 Dekabank 5,36 3,684 3,127 3,088 98,7 0,039 Atrabank 31,024 26,995 14,614 14,35 98,2 0,263 Caucasus Development Bank 11,996 6,617 2,09 2,004 95,8 0,086 Bank Standart 596,499 554,593 441,154 437,608 99,2 3,545 United Credit Bank 3,55 3,23 2,099 1,807 86 0,292 Bank of Azerbaijan 124,732 122,366 24,937 24,191 97 0,746 Ganjabank 3,177 1,553 1,039 0,976 93,9 0,063 Texnikabank 163,154 161,796 122,642 120,458 98,2 2,183

Receiving applications for compensation from insured depositors of Bank of Azerbaijan has been suspended since January 27, Gandjabank - since February 4 and Texnikabank - since February 12.

Payment of compensations to depositors of four closed banks - Dekabank, Kredobank, Parabank and Zaminbank, was completed from August 1.

The licenses of all 11 banks were withdrawn in 2016 due to the discrepancy of their total capital with the minimum requirements [50 million manats-$29.4 million] and default to the creditors.

Currently, 31 banks are implementing their activities in Azerbaijan.

ADIF was founded on August 12, 2007 after the Law on Deposit Insurance was adopted by the Parliament [Milli Majlis] of Azerbaijan.

The purpose of establishing the Deposit Insurance Scheme is to prevent the risk of losing money deposited by individuals and to ensure the sustainability and development of the financial and banking system whenever banks and local branch offices of foreign banks become insolvent.

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7 August 2017 18:37 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijans National Fund for Entrepreneurship Support (NFES) has started receiving investment projects on priority development areas of Saatli region.

Following the business forum in Tazakend village of Ismayilli region, the NFES has launched accepting entrepreneurs' proposals for financing investment projects on creation of large sowing and horticultural farms, small greenhouses, farms of livestock breeding, as well as milk processing and bread production enterprises, the Economy Ministry reported on August 7.

Entrepreneurs can apply to the Fund through authorized credit organizations, in accordance with the rules for using the funds of the NFES. At the request of entrepreneurs, small projects can be fully financed through concessional loans.

The NFES, created in 1992, issues loans to entrepreneurs through authorized banks and non-bank lenders. During the first half of the year, the Fund contributed to the creation of 2,300 new jobs in Azerbaijan.

The main goal of NFES is to provide preferential loans from the state budget for small and medium business, in order to develop entrepreneurship in the country.

In general, about 150 million manats ($89 million) will be issued for granting preferential loans to entrepreneurs in Azerbaijan until the end of 2017.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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7 August 2017 13:19 (UTC+04:00)

In the course of history, Prince Dmitri Kantemir also the Prince of Moldavia, Prince of the Russian Empire, Prince of the Holy Roman Empire and Imperial Chancellor to Peter the Great of Russialived in forced exile for 22 years. He became a great writer, statesman, scientist, and composer of Ottoman music. His children were prominent in Russian history: Antioch Kantemir became Russias first satirist and Maria Kantemir was the last love of Peter the Great.

Centuries later, American Ella Kantemir, a direct descendant of the Kantemir dynasty, in researching her ancestry, makes a startling discovery: her father was hunted by the KGB; a number of Kantemir Palaces were confiscated; a stolen heirloom is housed at the Metro- politan Museum of Art in New York.

Aside from missing castles, art, jewels and land, Ella discovered that she had a living sister in Azerbaijanand who shares her same name! And, that her own true identity is that of a Princess: Her Serene Highness Eleonora Borisovna Kantemir.

What other secrets did the Kantemir dynasty harborand why do mystifying incidents still follow Princess Eleonora Borisovna into the twenty-first century? From the Ottoman Empire to the charms of Moldavia, to the raw romances of Czarist Russia, and the exotic country of Azerbaijan, IRON BLOOD chronicles 300 years of the Kantemir familys intriguing history.

The book by Princess Eleonora Borisovna Kantemir is available on Amazon.com.

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7 August 2017 10:53 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijani film "Nabat" has been screened in Italy within the Ariano International Film Festival.

The Ariano International Film Festival aims to enhance the art of cinema in all its forms and stylistic modes, promote and disseminate culture.

It includes reviews and awards to prominent artistic proponents, social and cultural development, as a contribution to a better knowledge of the history of Italian and International cinema.

Employee of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Italy Elmar Bagirov and President of Italy-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce Manuela Traldi, addressing the screening, informed about cooperation between Azerbaijan and Italy in various spheres, including culture, Trend Life reported.

The speakers informed the participants about Azerbaijans rich cultural heritage.

There were also shown videos reflecting countrys tourism potential.

Next, the feature film "Nabat filmed by the film studio "Azerbaijanfilm" was screened.

The film "Nabat" was shot in 2014 and dedicated to Karabakh war, which resulted after Armenia's unjustified territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

Elchin Musaoglu decided to make this film after being impressed by a true story told by one of his friends.

The story revolves around a village's residents who are forced to leave their homes because of an ongoing battle. But there is an old woman who refuses to leave her family members buried in the village. The full-length film was nominated for Oscar in 2014.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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7 August 2017 17:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

Togrul Narimanbekov, one of the greatest Azerbaijani painters was recognized early in his own lifetime as a supremely great painter, and his reputation has in the intervening years never suffered a decline.

Togrul Narimanbekov was born on August 7 in 1930 to a respected family from the town of Shusha in Karabakh. Togruls father, Yaqub Farman bey, was one of the students sent to study abroad by the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1919. Yaqub studied engineering in Toulouse, where he met and married Togruls mother, Irma, a young Frenchwoman from Gascony.



They returned to Azerbaijan, but Yaqub was arrested during Stalins terror on 31 December 1937, on charges of espionage. Irma, Togrul and his brother Vidadi were exiled to the historic city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan.

His father was released after completing his sentence and the family was allowed to move back to Azerbaijan, but not to Baku. They lived in Mingachevir until 1956 when his father was rehabilitated under Khruschev and the family could return to the capital.

Togrul Narimanbekov studied at the Azim Azimzade School of Art in Baku, then at the Lithuanian Higher School of Art in Vilnius where he described the education as global in content.

The first picture "Dawn over the Caspian", created in 1957, and presented at the exhibition in Moscow, made him famous. The painting fascinated art lovers with an unconventional approach to the topic of work, a romantic uplift, distinctive individual pictorial language, sincerity and intimacy of the captured images.

His triumph continued at exhibitions abroad. The "Dawn over the Caspian" followed by other works, including "All the farther into the sea," "Overpass," "Stronger than the storm".

The master of brush gained worldwide fame for his works in all genres of fine arts. His bright works created in various fields such as landscapes, portraits, monumental paintings, illustrations and theater painting are characterized by genre diversity, aesthetic perfection and a unique style.

Togrul Narimanbekov loved to paint very large canvases and murals, some of which can be seen at the State Puppet Theatre and Parliament in Baku. He also designed sets for ballets by Azerbaijani composers and did a magnificent set of illustrations for a 1988 edition of the Turkic epic The Book of Dada Qorqud.

Togrul Narimanbekov synthesized East and West in his works, combining the decorativeness of eastern miniatures with the intellectuality of western art.

He always admired French Romanticism, while his favorite artists were Eugene Delacroix and Gustave Courbet. Cezannism also played an important role in his artistic career.

However, the rich traditions of Azerbaijani art played an important role in Narimanbekovs paintings, which are defined by their vibrant color, bold brushstrokes and impasto. One can describe Narimanbekovs drawings as a fairy tale, inviting one to a far away wonderland.

Despite the pressures on Soviet artists to conform to Socialist Realism, he remained true to his own expressive, emotional style.

The leitmotif of the works of Togrul Narimanbekov was his great love for his native country. With special tenderness and trembling he drew the Old City, the Maiden Tower, minarets of ancient mosques.

The rich traditions of Azerbaijani art, samples of antique miniatures and carpet weaving played a great role in the development of Togrul Narimanbekov, as a great master.

People of creative work, poets, writers, artists, creators of Azerbaijans culture are subjects of Narimanbekovs portraits. Externally simple and unpretentious, they are full of inspiration, desire and ability to create.

The activity of Togrul Narimanbekov has affected formation of artistic and aesthetic vision of several artists generation. Being a wonderful school for young artists with a rich heritage, he played an important role in the formation of their professionalism.

One of the biggest achievements of the artist is his contribution to the creation of Azerbaijani classical painting, helping the country to define its cultural identity and originality.

Togrul Narimanbekov received many awards throughout his life. He became a Peoples Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR in 1967 and received the state prizes of the Azerbaijan SSR and USSR. National Leader Heydar Aliyev conferred on him the Azerbaijan Republics Order of Independence (Istiqlal) in 2000, and President Ilham Aliyev the Order of Honour (Sharaf) in 2010.

The prominent artist died in 2013 at the age of 83 in Paris, leaving behind an astounding long legacy in contemporary art.

The artist's daughter, Asmar Narimanbekova, also devoted herself to the art.

Asmar Narimanbekova's works are featured in many prestigious galleries and museums not only in Azerbaijan, but also in America, France, Germany, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Finland, and China.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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7 August 2017 16:54 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be among the topics to be discussed at the next session of the UN General Assembly.

Draft resolutions on "The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan" and "Protracted conflicts in the GUAM area and their implications for international peace, security and development" have been included in the agenda of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly.

The final version of the agenda has not yet been approved, APA reported on August 7.

Although both issues had previously been included in the agenda of the 71st session of the UN General Assembly, they were not tabled for discussion.

The 72nd session of the UN General Assembly will be held on September 12-25 at the UN headquarters in New York. Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia are expected to meet within the framework of the session, with participation of the OSCE Mink Group co-chairs.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a lengthy war that ended with signing of a fragile ceasefire in 1994. Since the war, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.

While the OSCE Minsk Group acted as the only mediator in resolution of the conflict, the occupation of the territory of the sovereign state with its internationally recognized boundaries has been left out of due attention of the international community for years. Today, Armenia ignores four UN Security Council resolutions on immediate withdrawal from the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, thus keeping tension high in the region.

Baku has repeatedly expressed its consent to come to the negotiating table with Yerevan to resolve the conflict by peaceful means, but Armenia continues to play for time and avoids substantive negotiations in order to preserve the inadmissible status quo in Nagorno-Karabakh.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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7 August 2017 12:17 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The International Army Games  2017, bringing together 150 teams from 28 countries, continues with various spectacular contests held among national armies.

The Sniper Frontier contest was held at Otar military base in Kazakhstan within the Army Games on August 4.

Azerbaijani snipers, participating in the competitions of sniper pairs within the contest, achieved success and made their way to the next stage of the competition.

Along with Azerbaijani snipers, those from Russia, Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh and Mongolia also reached the next stage of the competition. However, snipers from Armenia, Iran, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Zimbabwe, India, Thailand and the Republic of South Africa finished participation due to the weak results achieved during the competitions.

Meanwhile, the episode Artillery firing at a floating mine was fulfilled within the Sea Cup - 2017 international contest on August 5.

The Sea Cup - 2017, bringing together the Navies of Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran and Kazakhstan, is held within the Army Games in the coastal waters of Baku.

Based on the results of the fulfilling of the episode, the crew of the small rocket ship Grad Sviyazhsk of the Russian Navy became first with a score of 50 points. The crew of the G-124 patrol ship of the Azerbaijan Navy was second with 48 points, while the crew of the rocket and artillery ship Sariarka of the Kazakhstan Navy took the third place with a score of 46 points. The crew of the missile boat Joshan of the Iranian Navy was fourth with 44 points.

On the next day, crews of warships of Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran and Kazakhstan participating in the Sea Cup carried out artillery fire at sea targets.

Firing was carried out from a distance of 3.5 kilometers according to the contest rules, and the international judging panel confirmed the fact that the exercise was successfully conducted.

The referees will set the final score for the exercise today, taking into account the speed of each ship for covering the certain distance during the firing.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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7 August 2017 13:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

The Icherisheher Historical and Architectural Reserve, one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world, has joined the Mayors for Economic Growth program within the framework of the Eastern Partnership initiated by the European Union.

Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG), an EU initiative launched in October 2016, aims at strengthening local authorities capacity to implement smart local economic development through enhanced local governance, better planning and more efficient municipal management.

Through the initiative, the joining cities should develop and implement local sustainable economic development plans with technical assistance and scientific support from the EU. The champions will receive grant support for implementing pilot projects that should also serve as models of local economic development actions.

The Administration of the Icherisheher Historical and Architectural Reserve become the first entity from Azerbaijan joining the M4EG.

The honorary certificate of Mayors for Economic Growth for the contribution to the development of the economy of the Old City, improvement of conditions, and improvement of infrastructures, was handed to the director of the Scientific and Cultural Center under the Administration, Javid Kazimov, by Eastern Partnership Culture program coordinator Zviad Archuadze.

The presentation ceremony was also attended by Project Team Leader Peter Korsby, and the regional director of the communications department Julia Dzingalio.

Icherisheher, the pearl at the heart of Azerbaijans cultural heritage, has a history of thousands of years and is located in the historic centre of ancient Baku. This unique historic ensemble has been called the Acropolis of Baku, Old City or Inner City. There are hundreds of historical-architectural structures in an area no bigger than 22.5 hectares, surrounded by the fortress walls. Four of them are of international and twenty-eight are of national significance.

In 2000, Icherisheher, together with Maiden Tower and the Shirvanshahs complex, were added to the World Cultural Heritage list and are being preserved by UNESCO as a historical-architectural reserve.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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7 August 2017 17:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

One more diplomatic representation of foreign state has opened in Azerbaijan.



Now, the Embassy of Costa Rica is operating in Baku, while the number of diplomatic offices in the country reached 64.

The head of the state protocol department at the Foreign Ministry, Parvin Mirzazade, met with the newly appointed charge d'affaires of Costa Rica in Azerbaijan, Jairo Lopez Bolanos.

The diplomat conveyed the letter of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Confession of Costa Rica Manuel Gonzalez Sans to Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadyarov in connection with his appointment and the opening of the Costa Rican Embassy in Baku.

During the meeting the sides exchanged views on the prospects for the development of friendly relations between the two countries.

Over 20 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Costa Rica and Azerbaijan, the two countries have systematically developed relations and a political dialogue, which facilitated the intensification of mutual visits, playing a huge role in strengthening the friendly relations and cooperation between Costa Rica and Azerbaijan.

The most important point for strengthening the relations between the two countries is Costa Ricas decision of establishing an embassy in Baku, which must give an additional impetus to the strengthening of mutual cooperation and contribute to an increase in the tourist flow from Azerbaijan to the Latin America.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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Politicians hand-pick bureaucrats so that they can work together for personal gain

Recently, a number of incidents have revealed the troubling levels of corruption and collusion that are currently plaguing Nepal, resulting in poor state of governance.
7 August 2017 09:53 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

One PKK terrorist was killed in a counter-terrorism operation in Turkeys eastern province of Bingol on Sunday, Anadolu reported.

The operation was carried out in Adakli districts Ceribas area, the statement said.

In a later statement, the governors office said another PKK terrorist surrendered to the security forces in Yayladere districts Kalkanli village.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization also by the U.S. and the EU -- resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015.

Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of some 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including a number of women and children.

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7 August 2017 09:54 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Russia has no intention to maintain dialogue with Poland and the normalization of bilateral relations depends on Moscow, Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski told RIA Novosti in an interview.

"There is absolutely no objection from Poland to keep the dialogue with Russia. There is no inclination from Russia to keep dialogue with Poland. I have been a minister for 21 months and I have not got an invitation from [Russian Foreign] minister [Sergey] Lavrov to visit Moscow and to talk to him So, all the keys to improve relations between Poland and Russia are in Moscow, not in Poland. All the problems which are created between Russia and international community, were not initiated by Poland, but initiated by Russia" Waszczykowski said.

According to the minister, immediately after the Law and Justice party came to power in Poland in January 2016 a deputy foreign minister was sent to Moscow with the aim to start the bilateral dialogue.

"And a few days ago another deputy from my ministry went to Moscow to start the dialogue on future cooperation in the framework of the Security Council of the United Nations. I accepted with great pleasure the letter of minister Lavrov last month when he congratulated me when we were elected to the Security Council of the United Nations," Waszczykowski added.

In March, Waszczykowski said that Poland was ready for constructive cooperation with Russia and was taking steps in this direction

The so-called Russian-Polish Group on Difficult Issues was established in 2002. Its purpose was to explain the "white spots" in bilateral relations in the context of historical events without politicizing them. The work of the group was halted in 2015 when the groups head, Adam Rotfeld, left his post.

In February 2017, the Polish Foreign Ministry expressed the intention to resume the work of the group. The initiator of the move was Ambassador of Poland to Russia Wlodzimierz Marciniak.

Relations between Russia and Poland further deteriorated in 2014 amid the crisis in Ukraine, when the European Union introduced several rounds of sanctions against Moscow over its alleged meddling in the conflict. Russia denied the accusations.

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7 August 2017 10:22 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The permanent population has increased by 224,500 people (0.7 percent) since early 2017 and amounted to 32.345 million people in Uzbekistan as of July 1, 2017, the Uzbek State Statistics Committee said in a report.

Some 50.6 percent of the total population accounts for towns, while 49.4 percent accounts for the countryside, the report said.

According to the report, some 311,900 people were born in Uzbekistan in the first half of 2017.

Some 78,800 deaths were registered in the country during the reporting period, according to the report.

Some 82,500 migrants arrived in Uzbekistan in January-June 2017, while 91,000 people left the country, the report said.

The number of people engaged to work in the economy reached 14.162 million people in Uzbekistan in January-June 2017, which is 1.7 percent more than in the first half of 2016, the report said.

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7 August 2017 13:49 (UTC+04:00)

By Ali Mustafayev

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that the United States are willing to work with Russia and it is pointless to cut off the ties over their disagreements.

We should have places we can work together... In places we have differences were going to have to continue to find ways to address those, said Tillerson during press conference following the meeting with the Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov in Manila according to Reuters.

The meeting was the first since President Donald Trump signed into law the sanctions that Russia assessed as a full-scale trade war.

A range of issues were discussed during the meeting between the US Secretary of State and Russian Foreign Minister, including the reasons and details of Moscows decision regarding contra measures towards American diplomatic staff in Russia.

Lavrov earlier said he believed his U.S. colleagues were ready to continue dialogue with Moscow on complex issues despite tensions.

We had a long conversation with Rex Tillerson, said Lavrov. He was primarily interested in, what he started the talk with, the details of the decisions which we had to make as a response to the law with the anti-Russian sanctions adopted in the US Congress. We provided these explanations.

Both countries expressed their willingness to continue the dialogue on common issues, including Syria and Ukraine and hope for the future regulation of the current conflict.

The relationship between Russia and the USA have become strained after the information given by the US intelligence agencies about Russian interference to the US elections in 2016. The House of the Representatives and the US Congress legislated the sanctions law which was signed by President Donald Trump.

The Russian government as a response seized two American diplomatic properties in Russia and ordered the United States Embassy to reduce staff by September.

In late 2016, President Barack Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats and seized two estates in response to Russias interference in the presidential election the month before.

Moscow did not respond at that time in a bid to achieve better relations with Washington under Trump.

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7 August 2017 14:23 (UTC+04:00)

By Ali Mustafayev

Representatives of Russia, Turkey and Iran will meet in Tehran to discuss Syrian crisis. Among the wide range of issues the strengthening of the de-escalation zones will be considered.

The tripartite meeting on the settlement of the Syrian crisis will take place on August 8-9, 2017, according to the report.

The process of the preparation to the meeting was discussed during the meeting in Manila between Foreign Ministers of Russia and Turkey, Sergey Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu.

"With the Turkish counterpart, we discussed the situation with the fulfillment of the agreements as part of the Astana process and discussed preparations for a new meeting of the representatives of Russia, Turkey and Iran, which will take place in Tehran on August 8-9, said Lavrov according to TASS.

Syria has been suffering from the armed conflict since 2011. The conflict erupted between President Bashar al-Assads government along with its allies and forces opposing the government.

Militants from various armed groups are confronting the Syrian government troops. The IS, YPG and PYD are the most active terrorist groups in Syria.

Over 600,000 people became victims of this conflict, according to UN. These figures confirm that Syrian civil war is one of the most tragic events of the 21st century.

Astana, the capital city of Kazakhstan, hosted several rounds of Syrian talks since January 2017, which have resulted in a memorandum of understanding on creation of de-escalation zones in Syria.

Russia, Turkey and Iran, are sponsoring the negotiations in Astana, dubbed as the Astana Process.

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7 August 2017 17:08 (UTC+04:00)

By Ali Mustafayev

Turkey and Qatar have completed join naval drills held as part of two-stage joint exercises amid the ongoing diplomatic crisis between Doha and several other Arab states.

Qatari Brigadier Hadi Rashid Al Shahwani, commander of the exercise, said that the "Iron Shield" included training of leaders to assess the situation, planning, control and coordination between the two forces, the Qatar New Agency reported.

Skills for the prevention of the attempts to seize strategically important objects, the return of the control over the regions, coordination of the two armies actions, planning and assessment of the situation have been practiced during the exercise, according to Al Shahwani.

Over 250 Turkish soldiers participated in joint exercise in order to strengthen Qatars defense capability.

The exercises are part of a mutual agreement aimed at strengthening the defense capabilities of both countries, as well as boosting efforts to combat armed groups and maintaining stability in the region, according to Anadolu Agency.

The joint exercises took place amid political tension among Gulf countries.



Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and a number of other countries recently cut ties with Qatar, accusing the emirate of supporting terrorism. Doha refused the accusations, announcing that measures imposed by its Gulf neighbors amount to a blockade.

The list of 13 demands, including withdrawal of Turkish military base is still being refused by Doha, stating that it is a matter of its internal policy and the intervention is not permissible.

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7 August 2017 17:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The State Customs Committee (SCC) of Uzbekistan and the National Nuclear Security Administration of the United States Department of Energy (DOE/NNSA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), which ensures cooperation between the two agencies, according to the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan.

The document was signed by Pamela Spratlen, head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Uzbekistan, and Bakhtiyar Raimov, first Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Committee.

The document will make it possible to strengthen the customs committees abilities to detect radioactive substances, and this will ensure Uzbekistans security from radioactive substances and lay foundation for future cooperation, according to the diplomatic mission.

In addition to technical assistance, MoU will make it possible for the DOE/NNSA to render assistance for sustainable development and share best practices.

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7 August 2017 17:49 (UTC+04:00)

By Ali Mustafayev

Tomato imports remain a contentious issue between Russia and Turkey, despite Ankara and Moscow have achieved impressive progress on a number of diplomatic issues.

The countries' relations have been strained since Turkey shot down a Russian millitary jet in November 2015. Sanctions ensued, on both sides.

Russia dropped restrictions on Turkish citrus fruits in late 2016 and both nations signed a memorandum agreeing to lift the vast majority of the bilateral trade restrictions laid down in 2015. However, the Russian ban on Turkish tomato imports still remains in place.

Russian Agriculture Minister Alexander Tkachev announced that the country is not going to resume import of tomatoes from Turkey.

Tkachev, in an interview with the TV channel "Russia 24", named the support to Russian agriculturists, who invested a large amount of money this year, as a main reason for this refusal.

We gave a serious signal at that time to the native business regarding enrichment of our Russian market with tomatoes and generally with vegetables, including cucumbers and many other kinds of vegetables. Of course public funds were spent and the business responded. I am talking about credit resources and risks. And of course it would be wrong and unfair in regard to the local producers to turn back. We are not only unprepared for this, but we also wont do this, said Tkachev, according to TASS.

The minister further mentioned that the production of vegetables in Russia from 2014 to 2017 increased by 30 percent. "These are hundreds of thousands of tons, this is an entire industry, these are factories for the production of vegetables, these are jobs. We are very determined, "he concluded.

Previously, Moscow announced that Russia and Turkey agreed to lift the product ban but there are still some products which cannot be imported at current time for a number of reasons, including significant amount of loans taken by the local agriculture producers who started a long production cycle.

Russia was the largest agriculture export market for Turkey. Of Turkeys overall $1.9 billion worth of fruit and vegetable exports in 2015, $875 million worth was sold to Russia, the Daily Sabah reported.

Turkey sold $259 million worth of tomatoes to Russia in 2015, but only $87,000 in 2016.

Only in 2016, an export ban for Turkish goods and food to Russia caused Turkeys economy a $550 million loss.

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Raksha Bandhan 2020: Why Do We Celebrate Brother Sister Bonding? Festivals oi-Lekhaka

The unique bond between a brother and his sister cannot be described in words. We Indians just need a reason to celebrate and therefore, like other festivals, Raksha Bandhan also holds a great significance for all of us. This year the festival will be celebrated on 3 August.

The festival is not restricted to people of Hindu communities but it is celebrated across India with great zeal and fervour. The festival falls on the day is rejoiced on the day of the full moon, according to the Hindu calendar, in the Shravana month, which is usually in the August month, according to the Gregorian calendar.

Raksha Bandhan And It's Meaning

Raksha Bandhan is a Hindi term and consists of two words- "Raksha" and "Bandhan", where Raksha means "protection" and Bandhan mean "bond". Therefore, the name Raksha Bandhan means the everlasting love and bond that brothers and sisters share between themselves.

The festival is not only meant people who are brothers and sisters by blood, but it is also for those who are brothers and sisters by the bond. Moreover, with time, there were also changes in the tradition and customs and now this beautiful festival is not restricted to siblings, but people tie rakhis to their loved one as well such as to our cousins, emphasizes on tying Rakhi to Bua (aunt), Bhabhi (sis-in-law) and Bhatija (nephew) as well.

Why Do We Celebrate Raksha Bandhan?

The festival of Rakhi is not only celebrated to strengthen the bond between the siblings, but it also rejoices for various other religious as well as mythological reasons as well, which are as mentioned below. Take a look-

a. Mythological Reasons To Celebrate Raksha Bandhan-

In Bhavishya Purana, which is a mythological Hindu text, it is mentioned that once Guru Brihaspati suggested Indra Devta to tie a Rakhi to protect himself from enemies, while he was being defeated by Vritra Asura. Thus, Sachi Devi (Indra's companion) tied Rakhi to Lord Indra.

According to another mythological legend, Raksha Bandhan was the festival to worship Lord Varuna (the Sea God). Thus, ceremonial bathing, gifting coconut and organizing fairs at the sea-shores are some important features of this festival. This festival is widely rejoiced by the fishermen who present Rakhi and coconut to Varuna. This occasion is also called "Narial Purnima" by some.

It is also believed by some that Goddess Lakshmi tied a Rakhi to King Bali and revered him as her brother to save her husband Vishnu from Bali's clutches. After accepting this Rakhi, Bali made Lakshmi his sister and set Vishnu free.

2) Historical Reasons To Celebrate Raksha Bandhan

Historical evidence says that once Purushottam (the King of Punjab) was about to gain victory over Alexander. During that time, Alexander's wife tied Rakhi to King Purushottam in order to save her husband from being killed.

According to another historical saga, during the rule of Humayun, the queen of Chittor - Rani Karnavati - had tied Rakhi to the great Humayun to save her kingdom from the evil attack of Bahadur Shah. Despite not being a Hindu, Humayun had respected her wish and went to help her.

There are many religions in India that have different significance or meaning for Raksha Bandhan. For example, for the Jains, this festival is rejoiced by receiving a thread or woven bracelet from their priests. Raksha Bandhan is celebrated as Rakhari or Rakhadi by the Sikh community.

Thus, we see that Raksha Bandhan is celebrated all over India and in other countries for various reasons. The sister ties a Rakhi to his brother and prays for his health, prosperity and well-being. In return, the brother bestows her with gifts and blessings and promises to safeguard her from any kind of harmful situation. It is the duty of a brother to protect his sister and stay by her side in any kind of bad circumstances throughout her life.

Happy Raksha Bandhan to all!
Rana splits RPP to form new party

Nine months after unification, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the fourth largest force in Parliament, faced another split on Sunday with senior leader Pashupati Shumsher Rana applying for party registration at the Election Commission.
Renus victory fails to impress Maoist leaders

Renu Dahals victory as the mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City has failed to impress many CPN (Maoist Centre) leaders who feel that the incident of tearing up ballot papers has disgraced the party.
Sino Zimbabwe sales boosted by housing developments

07 August 2017

Sino Zimbabwe Cement realised a 10 per cent YoY increase in sales volumes in the second quarter of 2017 driven by housing developments across the country.



Yong Wang, managing director of the local cement producer, told Business Chronicle (Zimbabwe) that the company has been facing a number of challenges including liquidity constraints and the alleged smuggling of cheap cement imports, especially from South Africa. However, he noted that there has been progress, mainly due to housing developments underway as Zimbabwe strives to reduce its housing backlog.



Mr Wang noted that he hoped the market will further improve so the company can increase capacity utilisation.



Sino-Zimbabwe Cement Co is a joint venture between the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe (IDC) and Chinas CBMC. The company has a 0.7Mta plant, 40km southwest of Gweru. The company has spent US$1m on building storage space for raw materials and transport infrastructure improvements and in 2015 completed a US$5m upgrade to double its storage capacity.

Published under
Holcim Indonesia half-year sales decline 10% YoY

07 August 2017

Holcim Indonesia reported a 10 per cent decline in sales to IDR4288bn in the first half of 2017 due to tough market conditions exacerbated by the timing of Ramadan, the company said in a statement.



The subdued domestic economy and oversupplied market environment continued to suppress prices. However, the cost of sales was down by nearly two per cent reflecting the implementation of cost efficiency programmes by the company.



Domestic cement consumption over the first six months of 2017 declined by 1.2 per cent YoY to 29Mt, with the slowing housing sector depressing demand. We expect an improvement in the second half of the year as construction projects materialse, supported by positive sentiment from both the government and private sector, Holcim Indonesia said.



Meanwhile, the company has company recently signed a groundbreaking MoU concerning a municipal waste management facility for refuse-derived fuel located in Cilacap, Central Java. The project is

expected to serve as a role model for managing municipal waste while improving the environment in

Indonesia.

Published under
Siam City sees weaker domestic demand

07 August 2017

Siam City Cement Co recorded an 80 per cent decline in second-quarter net profit with the fall being attributed to rising costs and weaker demand in its home market of Thailand.



Revenue during the 2Q17 rose by 39 per cent to THB10.8bn (US$324.4m) compared to the same period of last year but net profit fell to THB246m from THB1.2bn a year earlier.



For the first half of the year, total revenue was up by 34 per cent to THB21.4bn. President and chief executive of SCC Siva Mahasandana said the rise in sales in the first quarter was a result of recent acquisitions in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. However, net profit in the first half was also down by 69 per cent to THB796m, dragged down by the second-quarter performance.



Our performance was also affected by the non-recurring cost of approximately THB600m, which included restructuring costs, non-operating asset write-offs, plant breakdowns, consulting fees, and accounting and financing charges associated with recent acquisitions," the Bangkok Post quoted Mr Siva as saying.



Expectations for the second-half of this year are better, as continued rises in sales revenues from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are expected to achieve healthy growth rates. The company has also launched a comprehensive Business Transformation Plan to address revenue generation and optimise cost structure to sustain competitiveness, Mr Siva said.



Furthermore, SCCCs joint venture plant under construction in Cambodia, Chip Mong Insee Cement, is expected to be commissioned in the final quarter of this year.

Published under
Vietnam considers cutting export tariff to aid cement oversupply

07 August 2017

Vietnams Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has proposed the export tariff be reduced to aid cement exports from the country.



Domestic cement manufacturers have been struggling to export cement to ease the domestic oversupply. However, with the changes in tax policies, the clinker export cost has increased to US$4.5/t and the cement export cost US$7.5/t. This puts Vietnamese cement producers at a competitive disadvantage with rivals from China, Thailand, Indonesia and Japan, industry sources state.



Local press reported yesterday that the MPI has now proposed the export tariff be eased and allow cement manufacturers to deduct input VAT to facilitate further trade.



More than any other country in the region, Vietnams cement industry is export-focussed with shipments reaching around 20Mt in 2014 before falling back to a still-considerable 16.2Mt in 2015 and 17.5Mt in 2016.

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RJP-N teams to talk about polls

A confused Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal has divided around 1,000 participants into 30 groups to discuss whether to participate in the upcoming phase of local level elections in Province 2 as the RJP-Ns central committee meeting kicked off in the Capital on Sunday.
Accountability: Why We Need Other Believers To Experience Freedom From Struggles

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

James 5:16

"No man is an island." We've all heard the saying and it gets kind of old, but the truth it packs is something we never outgrow. There is power in remaining in fellowship for many reasons, one of the most vital being the opportunity to walk in accountability with one another.

Accountability is defined as the act of being held responsible for ones thoughts, actions and decisions. Christian accountability applies at so many levels - from an organizational level to a personal level. We are to grow in accountability when it comes to how we lead others or even our own personal lives.

Accountability is important for the obvious reason that it helps us grow, but I'd like to go a little deeper than that today by sharing three ways accountability helps us grow and why we are to catch every opportunity to build accountability with fellow believers.

Power of Collective Healing

One of the most important ways that accountability applies is in the area of changing sinful patterns. We want to become of spiritual nature, but the sinful nature drives us away from God's good, perfect and pleasing will. Accountability with fellow believers helps us keep check and holds us responsible for the sins we commit.

Although confession to one another is not what redeems, the correction, edification and instruction that comes as a result of it is God's way of applying His loving discipline to us. The guidance and impartation from others becomes God's extension of applying growth into our lives.

Remembering Who We Follow

When Jesus called people to follow Him, He did so with the pretense that we would follow Him as a group, not as disconnected individuals. So many times, Paul calls for unity in the body of Christ for the very reason that it brings a level of accountability amongst one another to always remember who we are following.

We do not follow programs, pastors or doctrines per se, but the chief end we strive for is Christ Himself. When we walk with others, we are easily reminded of that call to follow nothing else except Christ and remain on course. A ship that sails alone can easily lose it's way, but one that shares a course can easily keep it.

Affirmation of Our Call

When walking in accountability, it can be very helpful to follow with people of the same call or with people who understand your call. That way, we are given friendly shoves every single time we get off course. In space exploration, pinpoint accuracy in coordinates are everything. Throw off a course for the sun from earth by an eighth of an inch and we'll end up in Jupiter.

In a spiritual sense, we don't want to end up in "Jupiter" when God calls us to shoot for the sun. We want to be where God wants us to be and accountability helps us do that.
Christian worshippers at Greenbelt can learn Islamic worship chants

Christian worshippers at this year's Greenbelt Festival will have the opportunity to learn Islamic worship chants  thanks to an organisation which says its primary aim is to 'guide seekers of Allah'.

The Ansari Qadiri Rifai Tariqa  which describes itself as 'an international non-profit spiritual organization... in service to the Divine'  will be teaching 'basic universal Sufi chants' which it says 'are rhythmic, healing and a unique form of worship' according to the Greenbelt website. Festival-goers are invited to 'come, enter in, learn and participate'. The invitation continues: 'Here is healing'.

The Ansari UK website says its mission is to promote Sufism which is 'founded on the Holy Quran, the Holy Scriptures and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and other Prophets (peace be upon them)'. And on the Greenbelt website the organisation says its 'primary mission' is 'to be available to guide seekers of Allah'.

Other Muslim contributors are also featuring at the festival. One is Ahmad Ikhlas, a British born Jamaican convert to Islam, who according to the Greenbelt website 'has used his heritage and love for the Prophet (pbuh) to generate an expressive unique style of music and poetry'.

Another is Abdalhamid Evans, a British Muslim convert, who will be participating in a discussion entitled 'Scriptural Reasoning Remixed' which is described as a 'a fun and thoughtful conversation around the music and lyrics that move us as spiritual people'.

The Greenbelt website reveals it has 'received funding from Amal'  a project aimed at promoting a diversity of Islamic cultures and arts  'to produce a brand new venue and programme at Greenbelt this summer, showcasing Muslim art, culture, thought and spirituality'.

Explaining the vision for the new initiative, Greenbelt's Creative Director, Paul Northup, told Christian Today: 'Being able to introduce this new venue and programme feeds into Greenbelt's commitment to help build better religious literacy, and is a continuation of Greenbelt's programming about the Muslim faith at previous festivals. We want to play our part in dismantling the extremist stereotyping and narrative the Muslim faith and community have laboured under, and to provide a space of welcome and conversation.

He added: 'In a world that can even entertain the idea of a Muslim travel ban  freedom of movement being curtailed based on religious identity  and where identity politics more generally seem to trump all, it's important for us to make room to bring people of different faiths and understandings together and to respectfully allow them to demonstrate how they worship.

'It is because we are Christian that we do this. Not because we want to dilute or deny our faith. It's because we want to be true to our faith and to continue to live and express it dynamically, creatively and generously. In a world which seems ever-more divided, then we want to build bridges not barriers.'

Writing on the Greenbelt website, Northup stresses the festival's Christian basis: 'While we have the chance to experience more deeply and richly what artistry, thinking and spirituality flourishes within a progressive Islamic cultural context... we will also have the chance to remember ... our own Christian heritage and worldview; and Greenbelt's role as a distinctively Christian festival with a distinctively integrated view of life, faith and culture.'

This aspect will be highlighted during the inaugural John Peck Memorial Lecture at Greenbelt. John Peck was a Baptist minister and theologian who died last year and who played a pivotal role in developing Greenbelt's spiritual ethos. Former Greenbelt trustee Steve Shaw will seek to introduce John Peck's 'founding theological vision to a new festival audience of Greenbelters'.

Northup concludes: 'Amal at Greenbelt is just another step in our long journey to model inclusivity and engagement. To listen to and to learn from different religions, cultures and philosophies... For me, it's this open-mindedness that characterises Greenbelt at its best. It is also what is most distinctively Christian about the festival.'

Greenbelt is a festival attended by many thousands of people which began in 1974. It takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend at the Boughton Estate in Northamptonshire.
'Comfort ye, my people': How Isaiah's words speak to Jews today

After the destruction of the two Temples commemorated last week on Tisha B'Av through fasting and prayer, Jewish people now embark on the Seven Haftorahs of Consolation leading up to Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year), the birthday of the world.

All seven weekly Bible readings from now until then are taken from the last section of the Prophet Isaiah.

Saturday's reading opened with the famous passage of Isaiah 40, 'Comfort ye my people', well known even to secular people from Handel's Messiah.

Handel wrote a great deal of music on Jewish themes, but this was in an era when Christians admired the Hebrew Bible, took it seriously and celebrated it wherever possible.

We no longer live in such an age. Many no longer regard the Jews as a 'light unto the nations', but as an embarrassment, while others view us as the 'enemy'.

The twin political powers of religious terrorism and puerile un-religion are the chief forces to be reckoned with: Jew-baiting is on the increase and Jewish schools and colleges are being guarded around the clock.

Isaiah tries to comfort the Jewish people by informing them that 'all flesh is grass' and 'the nations are like a bitter drop from the bucket'. He bucks them up with the good news that 'the time of [our exile] has been fulfilled.'

And at first glance this consoling thought appears to be true: the State of Israel 'in the desert [has] clear[ed] the way of the Lord'.

So why does the world revile the Jewish people all the more?

Isaiah goes on to describe the Jewish people as 'a light unto the nations'. Surely not, when her own light has gone out in Europe and many are hiding from the scourge and humiliation of being G-d's 'chosen people'.

However, it is still important to behave as a 'light unto the nations' even in the throes of despair. But where does one start?

Many Jews look around and see that their own values are no longer the values of their neighbours. Nothing is stable. On the one hand: murder and massacre in the name of religion. On the other hand: post-family, post-gender and post-truth.

It states in the Talmud: 'When the Temple was destroyed, the Messiah was born', meaning that when Jews lost their country and had to disperse, they knew they would suffer in exile.

But suffering is there for a purpose. If used positively it can bring about redemption.

Through the sufferings of Exile, redemption may be ours, as well as comfort, and this is also known as 'the Days of the Messiah'.

Dr Irene Lancaster is a Jewish academic and author who has established university courses on Jewish history, Jewish studies and the Hebrew Bible.
Diana would have married Dodi, says priest who talked to her before fatal crash

A priest close to Princess Diana has said she asked him whether two people of different religions could marry shortly before she died. The priest is convinced that Diana would have gone on to marry Muslim boyfriend Dodi Fayed.

Father Frank Gelli was an Anglican priest who was close to Princess Diana before the tragic Paris car crash that claimed her life on August 31, 1997. He told the Sunday Express: 'She wanted to know if it was possible for two people of different religions to marry. I told her it was.'

Gelli said: 'As we spoke her telephone rang. It was obviously Dodi. Her eyes lit up. As she was leaving she asked me if I would be able to perform the service when she got married. Her love was obvious.'

Gelli was the curate at St Mary Abbots church in Kensington, West London, near the Princess' former home at Kensington Palace. He said that Diana had sometimes visited his church and quietly prayed at the back to avoid attention.

The princess was due to meet with Gelli after her Mediterranean cruise on Mohammed Fayed's yacht. During the cruise Diana had called the priest to tell him she had good news and would meet with him at Kensington Palace. However, the fatal Paris crash took place just days later, killing both Diana and Dodi.

'I feel sure that if Diana and Dodi had not been killed, they would have married,' Gelli said. He said that Diana was happy, in love with Fayed and excited for their future.
European parliamentarian: Pakistan must end abuse of Christians

A leading European Parliament member is calling for a Pakistan's blasphemy laws to be repealed and a 'safe place' found for Christians.

Marijana Petir, a Croatian member of the European Parliament, cites Asia Bibi's treatment in an article for EP Today, the monthly magazine of the parliament, and says this 'cruel reality' is what Christians and other religious minorities face every day.

Known for her outspoken Catholic faith, Petir is also a member of the committee on women's rights and gender equality and did not hide her disdain for Pakistan's leadership.

'Successive Pakistani governments have allowed radicalised extremist forces to thrive, drastically reducing tolerance within society and depriving minority religious groups the right to live safely and with dignity,' she writes for the European Parliament's own news site.

'School textbooks are replete with content that inculcates religious bias in young minds, thereby preparing a future generation that will be rooted in bigotry and intolerance.'

The hard-hitting article comes after a 16-year-old Christian boy became the latest victim of the blasphemy laws. Shahzad Masih, who works as a hospital cleaner in the city of Dinga, was arrested last month after his colleague accused him of insulting Mohammad.

Petir says Christians, who make up 1.6 per cent of Pakistan's population 'live in constant fear of persecution, are denied their basic right to education and livelihood, and forced to live in their own restricted ghetto-like neighbourhoods'.

She adds: 'Apart from facing social discrimination and isolation, Christians are also a regular target of extremist Islamic groups. Over the years, Christian localities have witnessed terror attacks, and their churches vandalised.'

She concludes by calling for the repealing of the blasphemy law and a 'complete transformation of key institutions in the country, starting with education'.

She writes: 'While the international community can only support this endeavour, it is for Pakistan to find a place safe for its Christians and minority groups to live in.'
Shahi to talk to Chinese envoy about contractor

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has appealed to Energy Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi to talk to Chinese Ambassador Yu Hong about the Chinese contractor for the hydro and electro mechanical works of the Kulekhani 3 Hydropower Project who has repeatedly missed the construction deadline.
Nigeria: Leading evangelical kidnapped and ransom demanded

A Nigerian evangelical leader has been kidnapped by Fulani gunmen and a ransom demanded, his denomination has claimed.

Rev John Moses, the Christian Education Director at National Headquarters of Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), one of the largest Church denominations in Nigeria with about five million members and more than five thousand local congregations, was captured on Friday evening in central Nigeria.

His kidnappers have demanded N100m (210,212) for his release, general secretary of the ECWA, Yunusa Nmadu, said.

His driver was shot and is receiving treatment at a nearby hospital, Nmadu added.

In a statement he said: 'The kidnappers were seven Fulani boys; they were below 20 years. The incident happened on Friday night between 8 and 9pm.

'Reverend Jen Moses was on his way from Jos to Abuja around Jere-Bwari Road. The kidnappers are demanding N100m ransom,' he added according to Nigeria's Daily Post.

'The vehicle in which he was traveling was also seen on the checkpoint because his driver had a gunshot. The driver was advised to obtain police report before he was treated. I am aware that the incident was reported in a police station somewhere in Bwari Area Council.'

However a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) police spokesperson, Anjuguri Manzah, said he had yet to receive any report on the kidnap.

It comes amid a series of attacks on Christians by Fulani herdsmen with Rev Yunusa Nmadu, head of Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) in Nigeria describing the incidents as an 'ethno-religious cleansing'.

He has previously told Christian Today there can be little doubt that Christians are being deliberately targeted and massacred by the Islamist gunmen, some of which have links reaching through to Islamic State.

'These attacks started in 2010, when some Fulani gunman invaded a village in Plateau State and sacked the whole community and killed about 500 people  children, women and men  in one night.

'Usually what they do is come into a commmunity in the night while people are sleeping. A few of the gunmen go into the centre of the village and begin to shoot sporadically. When people wake up they are rounded up, and people who try and run away are killed because they have gunmen stationed on the outskirts of the village.'
South Carolina bishop on 'grievous' court decision in favour of TEC

Leaders of the breakaway South Carolina Diocese in the US are meeting today with the diocese's lead legal counsel in the wake of last week's decision against them by the state's Supreme Court.

The diocese, which contains around 50 churches and 20,000 parishioners, left The Episcopal Church (TEC) in 2012 over its liberal attitude to gay marriage and other doctrinal issues and is now part of the conservative Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).

The ruling meant the diocese, which dates back to 1785 and was one of the first to join and form The Episcopal Church, will not be allowed to keep its $500million worth of Church property.

Dozens of churches will be faced with returning their property to TEC.

The diocese's Bishop Mark Lawrence wrote to churches on Saturday saying: 'Frankly, it is a grievous decision for us on so many levels. Perhaps you, as do I, have to fight despondency as I consider its many ramifications for us as a diocese, and especially for our congregations and clergy. For make no mistake, if this ruling stands how we carry out God's mission and the ministries he has given us will dramatically change.'

He referred to the prayers of those who had in the past 'walked away from their church buildings, buildings they built and maintained, and in some cases, where their families worshiped for centuries. Some left by choice; others after years of litigation.'

But he continued: 'I do not mention the latter, however, as if the legal issues in our case are fully resolved. They most certainly are not, though they are clearly challenging. Rather, I want you to know the sort of Christians who are praying for us; and while holding us in prayer, many are fasting. They have paid a price to follow their Lord. We are part of a provincial body of Anglican Christians and they are walking this hard road with us.'

Further meetings are planned this week with diocesan deaneries and clergy.

Lawrence said he was 'honoured to be your bishop', and that he had responded to an email asking when he was leaving town by saying, 'I'm not leaving town.'

He concluded: 'In favorable and unfavorable rulings from human courts, Christ is still Lord, he will come again to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will have no end.'
Theresa May under pressure from Christians to crack down on betting terminals

Theresa May is under pressure to surge ahead with a crackdown on highly addictive betting machines  dubbed the 'crack cocaine' of gambling  despite reports of a row with chancellor Philip Hammond.

A government review into fixed-odd betting terminals (FOBTs) has been delayed repeatedly as the Treasury was forced to deny suggestions it had ordered the plans to be scrapped.

The rise of the machines in high-street betting shops has been blamed for fuelling addiction, crime, debt and family breakdown as users can wage 100 every 20 seconds.

They are responsible for 96 per cent of all losses above 1,000 in betting shops and campaigners such as Christian charity CARE say they are concentrated in poorer areas of the country, deliberately targeting those most vulnerable.

The Treasury takes home 400m from the 1.8bn gambled on them each year and one Whitehall source warned cutting the maximum stake to 2, as campaigners have called for, would be 'financially crippling'.

But Paul Morrison, policy advisor for the Joint Public Issues Team, a coalition of Baptists, Methodists, the United Reformed Church and the Church of Scotland, said their tax income 'should not overshadow the overwhelming evidence that these machines are deeply harmful'.

He told Christian Today: '1.8 billion a year - around 5million a day - is lost on these machines yet the Government's review has already faced substantial delays.

'Action to curb the damage caused by companies operating these machines is long overdue.'

CARE's chief executive Nola Leach joined the pressure on May to press ahead with the plans, saying she was 'alarmed' by suggestions they could be shelved.

'Theresa May's government was supposed to be defined around the idea of creating a Britain that works for everyone, but it's clear that FOBTs do not fit into this narrative. FOBTs may work for the bookmakers and the taxman  but not for problem gamblers, their families or society as a whole.

'If additional revenues need to be raised then we urge the Prime Minister and Chancellor to find other means of doing so that do not depend on the exploitation of vulnerable people.'

CARE joins calls from Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson who said a failure to act now would be highly controversial.

'If the Treasury has insisted the review is shelved then the chancellor has ridden roughshod over his cabinet colleagues and overwhelming public evidence about the danger these highly addictive machines pose,' he said according to the Times.

The proposals to cut the maximum stake to 2 is supported by the government's formal ally, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), as well as by Labour and the Lib Dems so any plans to do so would be certain to pass through the Commons.
US Archbishop hits back at Pope Francis allies over Catholics' 'ecumenism of hate' with evangelicals

An American Archbishop has hit back at allies of Pope Francis who recently attacked US conservative Catholics and evangelicals for their 'ecumenism of hate,' with the Archbishop arguing that the groups are 'merely for fighting for what their Churches have always held to be true'.

As Christian Today reported last week, Antonio Spadaro and Marcelo Figueroa condemned 'Manichaean language that divides reality between absolute Good and absolute Evil' in an article they wrote together on the 'surprising ecumenism' between the two groups.

Spadaro is a Jesuit priest who edits La Civilta Cattolica and Marcelo Figueroa is a Presbyterian pastor who is editor-in-chief of the Argentinian edition of L'Osservatore Romano. Spadaro's paper is considered the official voice of the Vatican and its contents are approved before publication by the Vatican secretary of state.

Now the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Charles Chaput, has written that the article was 'an exercise in dumbing down and inadequately presenting the nature of Catholic/evangelical cooperation on religious freedom and other key issues'.

Writing on Catholicphilly.com, the Archbishop argued that 'progressives' who are 'wary' of religious liberty that religious freedom is what allows faith communities to serve the poor and 'those in need'.

He wrote: 'The divide between Catholic and other faith communities has often run deep. Only real and present danger could draw them together. The cooperation of Catholics and evangelicals was quite rare when I was a young priest. Their current mutual aid, the ecumenism that seems to so worry La Civilta Cattolica, is a function of shared concerns and principles, not ambition for political power.

'It's an especially odd kind of surprise when believers are attacked by their co-religionists merely for fighting for what their Churches have always held to be true.'

Chaput noted that earlier this month, one of the main funders of the LGBT movement said that he wants to 'punish' those who oppose the pro-gay agenda.

'It doesn't take a genius to figure out whom that might include,' he wrote. 'Today's conflicts over sexual freedom and identity involve an almost perfect inversion of what we once meant by right and wrong.

'There's no way to soften or detour around the substance of Romans 1:18-32, or any of the other biblical calls to sexual integrity and virtuous conduct,.'

Romans 1:18-32 says that the wrath of God is 'revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness'. The passage laments those who 'exchanged the truth of God for a lie and revered and worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever' and goes on to talk about 'males' having given up 'natural relations with females and burned with lust for one another. Males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity'.

Chaput wrote that trying to 'soften or detour around the substance' of that message 'demeans what Christians have always claimed to believe'. 'It reduces us to useful tools of those who would smother the faith that so many other Christians have suffered, and are now suffering, to fully witness.

'This is why groups that fight for religious liberty in our courts, legislatures, and in the public square  distinguished groups like the Alliance Defending Freedom and Becket [formerly the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty]  are heroes, not "haters",' he continued.

Chaput concluded that if these groups' 'efforts draw Catholics, evangelicals and other people of good will together in common cause, we should thank God for the unity it brings'.
Why has this Norwich church decided to run a pub?

A pub in Norwich, England is being reopened and revitalised by a local church cultivating a 'public home' for the community.

The Mitre pub, which reopens this Sunday, is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK. Christian Today spoke with Ian Dyble, vicar of St Thomas Norwich  the pioneering church behind the project.

'I went on holiday, and went into a pub one evening and the local vicar was behind the bar,' he says. This stirred Ian to think, 'If the locals don't come to the Church then I'll go out and meet them.' He hoped that one day he might use a public house as a means of connecting a community.

After The Mitre pub changed hands a couple of times, when it became vacant again in 2015 St Thomas' decided, with the backing of the congregation, to purchase it for 500,000.

Dyble says he sees the project more as a 'public home, not a public house... a place where we can engage with the community, find out what their needs are and journey through them together'.

He adds: 'We have the best message in the world but people aren't coming into churches to hear it.' He hopes not only to cultivate a new, approachable context to share that message, but also to engage and facilitate community growth.

The Mitre will serve as a hub for engaging the community in social action projects, and funds raised from its business will also go towards funding local initiatives such as serving the poor, welcoming refugees and supporting those who have recently left prison.

In addition, Dyble hopes the building can function as a 'resource and need bank', connecting community needs with those who can help, so that the church can become a 'facilitator for community growth'.

The Mitre will operate as a pub, bistro and cafe, and will sell craft ales by the bottle. It opens in its new form this Sunday after a celebration and thanksgiving service as St Thomas Norwich, which is just next door to the pub on Earlham Road.

Dyble notes that the name of 'Mitre' is appropriate to keep given that a bishop's mitre is often thought to represent to coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

He adds: 'We're not selling spirits, we're just hoping people will engage with the Holy Spirit.'

Dyble reports a 'really positive' reaction to the project from the local community. He insists that this isn't a purely middle-class venture but is for all in the community across the social spectrum, whether as a meeting venue or through the projects it supports.

'It's not by any means a coffee shop for the trendy', he says. 'This is a community facility for everybody.'
The New York Times and the Washington Post ran breathless stories last week about an investigation being launched by the Justice Department under Attorney General Jeff Sessions into college-admission practices. The Trump administration, proclaimed the Times, is preparing to redirect resources of the Justice Departments civil rights division toward investigating and suing universities over affirmative action admissions policies deemed to discriminate against white applicants, (emphasis added), citing an internal job posting for the new project that had apparently been leaked to the paper. The Posts opening line used the same language about policies that discriminate against white applicants to describe the initiative.

The articles each mention Asian students only once, in passing. The Times quotes former Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush civil rights official and affirmative-action critic Roger Clegg as stating that not only are whites discriminated against now, but frequently Asian-Americans are as well. The Post, in its last line, notes that two pending federal court cases, against Harvard and the University of North Carolina, allege that race-conscious admissions policies result in discrimination against Asian American applicants.

The Post should have led its article with that detail. In fact, as a Justice Department spokeswoman explained in a statement terming the articles inaccurate, the investigation pertains solely to a parallel administrative complaint against Harvard, modeled on the court suit, charging the university with discriminating against Asian-Americans applicants. The investigation does not reflect any initiative, or policy related to university admissions in general, she stated.

The administrative complaint in question was filed with the Justice Department and with the Department of Education (DOE) by a coalition of 64 Asian-American organizations in May 2015. The DOE and the Justice Department have concurrent jurisdiction with the courts over the civil rights laws governing colleges; the DOE dismissed the complaint due to the pending court action, but the Obama administration Justice Department never acted on it.

In a grudging follow-up story on Thursday, the Times conceded that its earlier article had framed the new project as apparently being about hunting for practices deemed to discriminate against white people. But it quibbled that skepticism about the more limited scope of the project claimed by the Justice Department was in order because the personnel announcement said it was seeking multiple lawyers to work on investigations, plural rather than a single investigation. Of course, the singular and plural forms of this word are often used synonymously by both prosecutors and the press. Special Counsel Robert Muellers commission is to conduct an investigation of Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election, but he doesnt seem to be confining himself to the singular, and the Times is hardly urging him to.

Putting both quibbles and counter-quibbles aside, though, the Times is correct to fear that the challenge to Harvards admissions policies by Asian Americans could lead to an eventual Supreme Court prohibition of racial preferences in college admissions. The federal lawsuit is quite explicit about this goal, and Court observers have long seen the case as a vehicle to overturn earlier decisions allowing the use of such preferences. But what the Times cant bring itself to acknowledge is that the reason that the Harvard case may play this role is because it starkly illustrates that the burden of these preferences now falls squarely on another historically marginalized racial minority. Studies by Princeton professor Thomas Espenshade have shown that Asians applying to selective private schools need SAT scores 140 points higher than whites, 270 points higher than Hispanics and some 450 points (out of 1600) higher than blacks to be admitted, and that racial preferences for blacks and Latinos at elite colleges come almost entirely at the expense of Asian-Americans rather than whites: if affirmative action were eliminated, [n]early four out of every five places . . . not taken by African-American and Hispanic students would be filled by Asians.

The Times itself, in another follow-up story on Thursday, let slip that [t]he data, experts say, suggests that if Harvard were forbidden to use race as a factor in admissions, the Asian-American admissions rate would rise, and the percentage of white, black and Hispanic students would fall. Thus, the investigation that the Times presented as a reactionary initiative to preserve white privilege would, if advanced to its logical conclusion, actually hurt white applicants. Such are the ironies of racial preferences in a multiracial age. As I wrote in City Journal last year on this topic, affirmative action, the flagship policy of multiculturalists, has foundered on multiculturalism itselfand its time to pull the plug on it.

Photo by Glen Cooper/Getty Images
The Charities Aid Foundation distributed over half a billion pounds to charities in 2016/17 for the first time, its latest annual report has shown.

CAF paid 539m to charities in the UK and worldwide last year, with donations via CAF reaching a record 611m, its accounts for the year ending April 2017 have shown.

In the year ending April 2016, CAF had paid 462m to charities, and received 523m in donations and legacies.

CAF manages donations on behalf of wealthy philanthropists, 2,500 businesses and more than 250,000 people. Many donations are paid right away to tens of thousands of good causes, while some use their CAF accounts to grow philanthropic funds over time.

The charitys total income was 491.8m (423.3m in 2016), and total expenditure was 417m (373.5m in 2016).

The charitys CAF Donate online fundraising service grew by 10 per cent over the year, achieving an additional 2.3m to charities, slightly above the organisations expectations.

Overall giving increased and consequently the groups unrestricted, restricted funds and depositors balances grew during the year. Total charitable funds increased from 1,119m to 1,285m.

CAF also received 4.8m in legacy income into unrestricted funds.

CAF spent 70,000 on redundancy and termination costs  up from 45,000 last year. The average number of full-time equivalent employees in group grew by 27 to 487.

The number of employees earning over 60,000 grew by one to 32. For the year ending April 2017 there were no members of staff earning over 170,000, compared to one in the previous year. Two charity employees earned over 160,000.

John Low, CAFs chief executive, said: We are overwhelmed by the level of generosity among the people and businesses who work through CAF to support the causes they care about.

Despite economic uncertainty, we have been able to help our donors give well over 500m to charities, amazing resources that will strengthen communities and transform lives all over the world.

And we are delighted that so many philanthropists trust CAF to steward and grow their major donations so they can continue giving strategically long into the future.

As a charity that exists to support civil society, we are proud to be able to grow our services for colleagues across the sector, both here in the UK and around the world. As well as our work in the UK, our colleagues in America, Canada, India, Brazil, Russia and Southern Africa are building civil society, making it easier for people to give across borders and helping support the development of the voluntary sector around the world.

CAF corporate donors gave more than 98m to charities, up from 76m, and CAF Banks lending grew to 72m from 46m, with a further 14m of loans and overdrafts committed but not yet drawn at the end of the year.
Even as reporters at The New York Times produce scoop after scoop in what Vanity Fair recently called the last great newspaper war, several of the papers legendary voices are headed for the exits. Two months after the Times announced it would offer buyouts to its employees in an effort to restructure the newsroom, the toll of the cuts is becoming clear.

While the buyouts primarily targeted the editing ranks, reporters and others in the newsroom could also apply. An anthology of the best work of those on the way out would measure up against any collection of great journalism. It would include Pulitzer-winning investigations, haunting portraits of New York life, and some of the best arts criticism on record. Poynter has done a great job tallying those who have chosen to take the buyout, and the list includes several big names.

Below, weve gathered examples of notable work from some of those whose bylines will no longer grace The Gray Ladys pages.

N.R. Sonny Kleinfield, joined the Times in 1977

U.S. ATTACKED; HIJACKED JETS DESTROY TWIN TOWERS AND HIT PENTAGON IN DAY OF TERROR, September 12, 2001

Sign up for CJR 's daily email It kept getting worse. The horror arrived in episodic bursts of chilling disbelief, signified first by trembling floors, sharp eruptions, cracked windows. There was the actual unfathomable realization of a gaping, flaming hole in first one of the tall towers, and then the same thing all over again in its twin. There was the merciless sight of bodies helplessly tumbling out, some of them in flames. Finally, the mighty towers themselves were reduced to nothing. Dense plumes of smoke raced through the downtown avenues, coursing between the buildings, shaped like tornadoes on their sides.

ONE YEAR LATER; Still New York, in All Its Pain and Glory, September 11, 2002

New York has not disconnected from itself and devolved into a trembling mass of paralysis. It has not been unmade but remade. Its sense of control and invulnerability is gone, but New York has become a city of regeneration. From its white-gloved neighborhoods to its downbeaten corners, it is a city pulsing with added exertion to be normal  its own kind of normal. But it breathes a different psychological air, and lives with an indefinite urgency. It is a city with its fingers crossed. Its citizenry hangs in delicate equipoise between faith and fear. Much of the abiding hope of the city is invested in time  the amount of time that passes without something else seismic happening. Every day free of interruptions beyond the anomalies of urban life fosters more faith. Every day an agitated metropolis seems to feel a little better. This is New York. This is Sept. 11.

The Lonely Death of George Bell, October 17, 2015

They found him in the living room, crumpled up on the mottled carpet. The police did. Sniffing a fetid odor, a neighbor had called 911. The apartment was in north-central Queens, in an unassertive building on 79th Street in Jackson Heights. The apartment belonged to a George Bell. He lived alone. Thus the presumption was that the corpse also belonged to George Bell. It was a plausible supposition, but it remained just that, for the puffy body on the floor was decomposed and unrecognizable. Clearly the man had not died on July 12, the Saturday last year when he was discovered, nor the day before nor the day before that. He had lain there for a while, nothing to announce his departure to the world, while the hyperkinetic city around him hurried on with its business.

Michiko Kakutani, joined the Times in 1979

A Country Dying of Laughter. In 1,079 Pages. On David Foster Wallaces Infinite Jest, February 13, 1996

Itshows off the 33-year-old Mr. Wallace as one of the big talents of his generation, a writer of virtuosic talents who can seemingly do anything, someone who can write funny, write sad, write serious, write satiric, a writer whos equally adept at the Pynchonesque epic and the Nicolson Bakeresque minute, a pushing-the-envelope postmodernist whos also able to create flesh-and-blood characters and genuinely moving scenes.

Quirky, Sassy And Wise In a London Of Exiles. On Zadie Smiths White Teeth, April 25, 2000

White Teeth, by the young British writer Zadie Smith, is not one of your typical small, semiautobiographical first novels. Its a big, splashy, populous production reminiscent of books by Dickens and Salman Rushdie with a nod to indie movies like My Beautiful Laundrette, a novel thats not afraid to tackle large, unwieldy themes. Its a novel that announces the debut of a preternaturally gifted new writer  a writer who at the age of 24 demonstrates both an instinctive storytelling talent and a fully fashioned voice thats street-smart and learned, sassy and philosophical all at the same time. This, White Teeth announces, is someone who can do comedy, drama and satire, and do them all with exceptional confidence and brio.

Quoting Himself on His Lofty Dream. On Norman Mailers The Spooky Art, January 22, 2003

The effect of reading the book straight through is like going on a very long bus ride over a very bumpy road, sitting next to a garrulous raconteur who never takes a nap and never pauses for breath, and who seems to have no internal editor or censor in his head. There are moments when youre blown away by your traveling companions energy and candor, and moments when youre utterly benumbed by his self-absorption, his defensiveness, his capacity for wacky mumbo jumbo.

William Grimes, joined the Times in 1989

It Came. It Clucked. It Conquered. March 21, 2001

The protagonist of this story has no name. It is known simply as the Chicken, a nonname that seems right, considering its obscure origins. How it came to a small backyard in Astoria, Queens, remains a matter of conjecture. The chicken made its first appearance next door, home to a multitude of cabdrivers from Bangladesh. My wife, Nancy, and I decided that they had bought the chicken and were fattening it for a feast. That hypothesis fell into doubt when the chicken hopped the fence and began roaming around our yard. It began pacing the perimeter of the yard with a proprietary air, sizing things up with a shiny, appraising eye that said, Ive seen better, but Ive seen worse. We now had a chicken. Very nice. But what next?

Christopher Drew, joined the Times in 1995

Fear Exceeded Crimes Reality in New Orleans, September 25, 2005

After the storm came the siege. In the days after Hurricane Katrina, terror from crimes seen and unseen, real and rumored, gripped New Orleans. The fears changed troop deployments, delayed medical evacuations, drove police officers to quit, grounded helicopters. Edwin P. Compass III, the police superintendent, said that tourists  the core of the citys economy  were being robbed and raped on streets that had slid into anarchy.  A month later, a review of the available evidence now shows that some, though not all, of the most alarming stories that coursed through the city appear to be little more than figments of frightened imaginations, the product of chaotic circumstances that included no reliable communications, and perhaps the residue of the longstanding raw relations between some police officers and members of the public.

SEAL Team 6: A Secret History of Quiet Killings and Blurred Lines, June 6, 2015

They have plotted deadly missions from secret bases in the badlands of Somalia. In Afghanistan, they have engaged in combat so intimate that they have emerged soaked in blood that was not their own. On clandestine raids in the dead of the night, their weapons of choice have ranged from customized carbines to primeval tomahawks. Around the world, they have run spying stations disguised as commercial boats, posed as civilian employees of front companies and operated undercover at embassies as male-female pairs, tracking those the United States wants to kill or capture.

Lizette Alvarez, joined the Times in 1995

With Anger and Shame, a Child Is Buried, November 30, 1995

Their faces tinged with sorrow, rage and shame over the grisly death of 6-year-old Elisa Izquierdo, 300 relatives, friends, politicians and strangers filed quietly into St. Josephs Patron Church in Bushwick yesterday. They watched and listened, some of them unflinchingly, others with downcast eyes, as the Rev. Gianni Agostinelli gazed solemnly at the congregation and posed the heartbreaking questions so many New Yorkers have asked themselves in the last week. Who are the silent partners of this tragedy? Father Agostinelli asked in a soft but stern voice. Elisa was not killed only by the hand of a sick individual, but by the impotence and silence of many, by the neglect of child welfare institutions and by the moral mediocrity that has intoxicated our neighborhoods.

In a Corner of the Everglades, a Way of Life Ebbs, June 16, 2016

As the airboat skimmed across the shallow water, scattering blue dragonflies and launching a heron into the air, Keith Price squinted into the sun and relished the isolation of Floridas unrivaled river of grass. Then he cut off the deafening motor, making the silence in the park all the sweeter, turned his one working ear my way, and asked, Isnt this beautiful? No answer was required, but the question itself was a kind of lament.

James Risen, joined the Times in 1998

Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts, December 15, 2005

Months after the Sept. 11 attacks, President Bush secretly authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for evidence of terrorist activity without the court-approved warrants ordinarily required for domestic spying, according to government officials.

Fernanda Santos, joined the Times in 2005

Vindicated by DNA, but a Lost Man on the Outside, November 15, 2007

As a boy, Jeffrey Mark Deskovic could swim the length of a pool underwater without coming up for air. On sultry days at the Elmira state prison, where he spent most of his 16 years behind bars for a rape and murder he did not commit, Mr. Deskovic would close his eyes under a row of outdoor showers and imagine himself swimming. For months after his release in September 2006, he had been yearning for a chance to dive in, to test his endurance, to feel that familiar sensation of pushing his body through the water, to get to the other side.

Charles Duhigg, joined the Times in 2006

In China, Human Costs Are Built Into an iPad, January 25, 2012

In the last decade, Apple has become one of the mightiest, richest and most successful companies in the world, in part by mastering global manufacturing. Apple and its high-technology peers  as well as dozens of other American industries  have achieved a pace of innovation nearly unmatched in modern history. However, the workers assembling iPhones, iPads and other devices often labor in harsh conditions, according to employees inside those plants, worker advocates and documents published by companies themselves. Problems are as varied as onerous work environments and serious  sometimes deadly  safety problems.

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Pete Vernon is a former CJR staff writer. Follow him on Twitter @ByPeteVernon.
Margaret Talev ran for president of the White House Correspondents Association in 2015, long before Donald Trump became a serious contender for the Oval Office. But for her, it didnt matter who the president was. I just knew I wanted to continue to serve the board and lead the organization, and thats still true, she says. But who the president is and who the administration is certainly has an impact on the day-to-day working relationship with the press corps. Talev, the senior White House correspondent for Bloomberg, took over from her predecessor, Jeff Mason of Reuters, two weeks ago; the position rotates every year.

So far, the relationship between the press and the Trump White House has been rough, from the on-again, off-again decision on cameras in press briefings to the heated exchanges between administration staff and reporters (most recently, Stephen Miller and CNNs Jim Acosta). And, of course, the president continues to lob insults at journalists, routinely framing them as purveyors of fake news.

When someone gives a speech and they tell the American public they shouldnt trust the press, thats not only very frustrating for reporters doing a good job, but its always worrisome in terms of undermining peoples trust in a pillar of society, Talev says.

ICYMI: I dont tweet. I dont care.

Its a new dynamic, and Talev is still learning how to navigate it. Its raised questions about the role of the association in this political climate. Some journalists have criticized the WHCA for failing to fight back hard enough against the Trump administrations attempts at delegitimizing the press. For Talev, the story isnt about journalists. When there are tensions, of course, theres an instinct to fight, but thats not our job, she says. Our job is to report.

Talev spoke with CJR about working the White House beat, Trumps attitudes toward the press, and what it all means moving forward. The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

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When Trump was elected in November, you knew youd be taking over as president of WHCA later in the year. What were your initial thoughts about how you would approach the role?

We knew some of the challenges were going to be to advocate as we normally do for access, day-to-day, writ large while taking into account that candidate Trump and, at that time, President-Elect Trumps public criticism of the press was such a signature part of his campaign. The obvious question was: When he transitions from candidate to governing, how will that impact the way we cover the White House? There are so many lofty topics you think about when you think about covering the White House: the First Amendment, freedom of the press, independent news organizations, the ability to do fair and critical coverage. But day-to-day what the correspondents association does is to make sure stuff works. Is there access to a bill signing? Are we working with the travel office to get the visas we need for a foreign trip? Thats a completely different thing, but actually one of the most important things operationally in terms of the system working. Its a lot of corralling people.

Considering candidate Trumps attitudes towards the press, was there a moment when you thought, I dont want this role anymore, or did it not matter who the president was?

I never had that moment. I thought Im really glad to be part of this, and to have the team in place that we do. We have a number of members who have covered the White House for many years, and they understand the ins and outs of the big principles at stake here.

How has the role of the press corps shifted in this administration?

I think the purpose is the same as its always been, which is to inform people about what the presidents doing, what the governments doing, to cover the news as it happens but to also go beyond it and talk a little bit about context. There are two factors that are special to this time, one specific to the Trump administration, one specific to media and technology. Social media has meant that there are new news organization covering the White House, and that everybody is producing news all the time. That was going on before November 8 and wouldve taken place regardless of who the president was. But this presidents instinct to tweet and to get news out there himself adds something new to the whole thing.

Then there have been the challenges of navigating his rhetorical message to his base while keeping the eyes on the prize of what we do. One thing thats been interesting to me is the Correspondents Association, for many years, was a largely behind-the-scenes organization that the public didnt think about except for the dinner. Since the election, a lot more members of the public seem to be interested in the association and what it does. I think thats great, but among some camps, theres been a real call for the WHCA to be making statements all the time, making demands all the time. But the group is really a combination of public education [and a] member organization. Thats a dual track mission to figure out: What are the moments when its important to call out the principle? What are the moments to keep the channels of communication open and make sure theyre working?

What has been one of those moments where you had to call out the principle?

The membership, individually and collectively, feels very strongly that its important for people to know critical coverage doesnt mean the coverage is inaccurate, it just means its critical. But I also think sometimes the important thing to do is just to work and let the work speak for itself.

Some members of the White House press corps (like April Ryan or John Gizzi) have gone viral. What do you think it means for the press corps to become more visible outside the briefing room?

I think its to some degree a reflection of the administration and a reflection of the times, of social media, and the rise of the personal brand. Its our job to represent all of our members, including the people youve never heard of. We have about 350 regular members; there are a ton of people who cover the White House. Theres been a real uptick in interest because of this president but also because its a new administration and theres always a wave of new interest. I dont really have a judgment on whether more household names are a good thing or a bad thing. I just think its great when people can do fulsome reporting on the White House. Were here to support their ability to do it, whether [theyre a] household name or not.

ICYMI: Photos reveal medias softer tone on opioid crisis

There have been a lot of stories coming out of the White House in recent months, but what stories are the White House press corps missing?

There is a ton of gov[ernment] coverage happening at all levels, from reporters who work that beat day-to-day inside that building to reporters who dont go to the building to cover the White House but who look into coverage at individual organizations. Im not sure its a question of news that isnt being covered. You might be asking about how much air time different news is getting. I think thats a different question than whats being produced, [which includes coverage of] everything from the effect of the administrations policy on regulations to detailed stories on elements of foreign policy to whats happening in public education during Trump administration. This is true of every administration. One or two stories take hold, and other stuff is there, but its a little bit harder to find.

In the last month, Sean Spicer resigned, Reince Priebus and Anthony Scaramucci got fired, and John Kelly was hired as chief of staff. How has the constant turnover of White House personnel affected the work you do?

Were just working all the time. You have a press corps thats really tired. Im sleeping most nights less than five hours, trying to catch up on weekends. Thats not just me, thats everybody. The coverage is literally nonstop. After the first 100 days, things usually ease up a bit. Not in this case. The changes have affected the pace at which people need to report, what theyre reporting on, and how to report it. But unquestionably its an interesting time to be covering the White House, and theres no shortage of news.

There have also been a lot of tense moments in the White House briefings, most recently between Trump senior advisor Stephen Miller and Jim Acosta of CNN. Has that tension always been present or is that something new?

The press briefings are always criticized as [being] pure theater. It is true the dynamic you often see play out if you watch a televised briefing is a little bit different than the dynamic that plays out when the cameras are off and when youre in a one-on-one or group setting instead of a room full of 100 people. I think theres still a lot of value in those briefings. Its a chance once a day or several times a week for journalists to ask the administration about the issues that are driving the news and issues Americans really care about. Its the administrations attempt to answer those questions. To look at the briefing and assume thats whats happening all the time is not to see a complete picture. Its more nuanced than that. I think what you see in the briefing room is part of the dynamic thats playing out day-to-day.

Everyones been talking about John Kellys appointment as the new chief of staff and what that will mean for the Trump administration. How do you think his appointment will affect the way the administration and the press interact moving forward?

Its a great question and a question I dont know the answer to yet. Several days [into] the job, its been about putting some order and rules of the road internally, whether its closing the door to the Oval Office, doing a couple of initial firings, sending signals about how he wants processes to work. My sense is that this is his first priority. I expect Sarah Huckabee Sanders to remain as press secretary. Some of what youre asking may depend on who is put in place as communications director.

Since January, what moment or moments best capture the dynamic between the White House press corps and administration?

One was the second day of the administration and that infamous first briefing with Sean Spicer and the discussion of inaugural crowd sizes. The signal it sent was [that] the challenge for the press would be to manage the imperative of reporting against the rhetorical engagement of the administration.

Number two was actually having a sit-down interview with President Trump in which he was completely different than when you hear him at a large rally talking about the press or other things. He was cordial, welcoming, any question was on the table. I really got to see a different side of him, which was really interesting.

A while ago, the president stopped at the Boeing plant on the way down [to Mar-a-Lago] to give a speech about job creation, manufacturing. Then he was going to big rally in Orlando at an airport hangar. On his way to Orlando, towards the end of flight, he came to the back of the plane to say hi to the press corps. Many of us on the flight hadnt covered the campaign so many of us hadnt met him yet. So we introduced ourselves. He goes to the back of the plane, shakes our hands, says, Nice to meet you. We ask him, Well, what are you going to talk about? He says, In the speech, Im going to talk about how almost all of us are unified in the country with one exception. We were like, Okay great. When he gave his speech, we realized we were the exception. He was setting us on fire, but 15 minutes before, he was in the back of the plane saying, Great to meet you guys.

ICYMI: Politico embarrasses WSJ

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Meg Dalton is a freelance journalist and audio producer based in Connecticut. She's reported and edited for CJR, PBS NewsHour, Energy News Network, Architectural Digest, MediaShift, Hearst Connecticut newspapers, and more. Follow her on Twitter: @megdalts. Find her on Twitter @megdalts.
Speaker directs govt to respond to minors death

Speaker Onasari Gharti has directed the government to furnish its response to Parliament in its next meeting to the deaths of four children on Saturday in a pit dug up during road expansion at Garuda of Rautahat district.
This story is being co-published with BuzzFeed News.

A secret spy plane operated by the US Marshals hunted drug cartel kingpins in Mexico. A military contractor that tracks terrorists in Africa is also flying surveillance aircraft over US cities. In two stories published last week, BuzzFeed News revealed the activities of aircraft that their operators didnt want to discuss.

These discoveries came not from tip-offs from anonymous sources, but by training a computer to recognize known spy planes, then setting it loose on large quantities of flight-tracking data compiled by the website Flightradar24.

Heres how we did it.

Surveillance aircraft often keep a low profile: The FBI, for example, registers its planes to fictitious companies to mask their true identity.

So BuzzFeed News trained a computer to find them by letting a machine-learning algorithm sift for planes with flight patterns that resembled those operated by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. Last year, we reported on aerial surveillance by these planes, mapping thousands of flights over more than four months from mid-August to the end of December 2015.

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First we made a series of calculations to describe the flight characteristics of almost 20,000 planes in the four months of Flightradar24 data: their turning rates, speeds and altitudes flown, the areas of rectangles drawn around each flight path, and the flights durations. We also included information on the manufacturer and model of each aircraft, and the four-digit squawk codes emitted by the planes transponders.

Then we turned to an algorithm called the random forest, training it to distinguish between the characteristics of two groups of planes: almost 100 previously identified FBI and DHS planes, and 500 randomly selected aircraft.

The random forest algorithm makes its own decisions about which aspects of the data are most important. But not surprisingly, given that spy planes tend to fly in tight circles, it put most weight on the planes turning rates. We then used its model to assess all of the planes, calculating a probability that each aircraft was a match for those flown by the FBI and DHS.

(See here for details of the machine learning, and notes on the candidate planes it identified.)

The algorithm was not infallible: Among other candidates, it flagged several skydiving operations that circled in a relatively small area, much like a typical surveillance aircraft. But as an initial screen for candidate spy planes, it proved very effective. In addition to aircraft operated by the US Marshals and the military contractor Acorn Growth Companies, covered in our previous stories, it highlighted a variety of planes flown by law enforcement, and by the military and its contractors.

Weve been watching these aircraft, and others registered to the same organizations, ever since. Here are five of the most intriguing examples.

1. State and local cops, featuring the Palm Beach County Sheriffs secret plane

Some of the algorithms top matches were aircraft operated by state and local law enforcement: The top 20 candidates included aircraft registered to the cities of Mesa and Phoenix in Arizona, the sheriffs of Orange and Los Angeles counties in California, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. In July of last year, the Ohio plane showed up above Cleveland during the Republican National Convention, where it watched for suspicious persons in immediate proximity to secure areas, a patrol spokesperson told BuzzFeed News at the time.

The algorithm also highlighted a plane registered to a company called Five Point Aerial Survey, which seems to be a front for the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office in Florida. The fake companys name recalls the sheriffs badge, and the planes registration number, ending in the letters RB, is consistent with other planes registered openly by the office. The Palm Beach County Sheriff has reserved other registration numbers in the same format, giving an address for an outfit called Eagle Eye Investigations.

The Five Point plane carries a surveillance camera and augmented-reality system, able to superimpose information onto live video, which is often used on law enforcement planes. But Teri Barbera, the sheriffs director of media relations, would neither confirm nor deny that the Five Point aircraft belonged to the sheriffs office  which denied a request for documents mentioning the plane, citing an exemption from state records law covering law enforcement surveillance and undercover personnel.

Over the past couple of years, the Five Point plane has regularly circled locations around Palm Beach and patrolled off its coast.

2. Eavesdropping at the border: Global Geo Mapping

We werent expecting to find covertly registered DHS aircraft, given that the department registers dozens of surveillance planes quite openly. But our algorithm flagged a plane registered to Global Geo Mapping that Federal Aviation Administration documents revealed is actually a front for US Customs and Border Protection, part of the DHS. Global Geo Mapping gives an address at the Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and its aircraft mostly patrol along the southern border.

FAA documents describing modifications to these planes reveal the installation of surveillance cameras and equipment for LETC, which stands for Law Enforcement Technical Collection. Operated from fixed listening stations along the border, as well as from DHS aircraft, LETC involves federal agents listening in on radio communications, such as two-way radios, to detect suspicious chatter.

Christiana Coleman, a spokesperson for the CBP, told BuzzFeed News by email that the aircraft do not carry equipment to track cell phones  which requires a warrant under DHS rules that also prohibit eavesdropping on conversations. But the federal government is able to intercept other radio signals without a warrant. So if you use a walkie-talkie near the border with Mexico, there is a chance that a CBP agent flying overhead is listening.

A privacy assessment published in 2014 noted: LETC users may listen to or record radio frequency communications between individuals engaged in activities with no law enforcement nexus. Agents are allowed to retain an audio recording and keep notes only if the conversation relates to ongoing law enforcement activity, however.

The FAA registration documents for Global Geo Mapping included a contact phone number thats actually a spoof: Its owned by Universal Studios and used in movies.

We also found a second front for the DHS called Midwest Aerial Imaging, which flieshelicopters that usually watch over Chicago, Detroit, and other Midwestern cities. Its choppers have also provided security for major events, showing up when BuzzFeed News tracked the surveillance aircraft that monitored the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in July 2016, and President Donald Trumps inauguration in January of this year.

3. The military: Air Force Special Ops, Big Safari, and Air Cerberus

Most military aircraft dont have civilian registrations and arent recorded on commercial flight-tracking websites. But a number of military spy planes nevertheless showed up in the Flightradar24 data.

We were initially baffled by some of the aircraft the algorithm flagged: They included one plane that identified itself as a powered parachute, and another as a small drone owned by a photographer.

The location of their circling paths, and some digging into the history of the aircraft registrations, solved the mystery. They were U-28A spy planes operated by US Air Force Special Operations Command from its base at Hurlburt Field in the Florida Panhandle. These planes are modified from civilian Pilatus PC-12 aircraft by the Sierra Nevada Corporation, a major defense contractor. Flying for the military, some were still transmitting the identifying code linked to their old civilian registration numbers, which had since been recycled.

Another aircraft in the algorithms haul belonged to the Air Forces 645th Aeronautical Engineering Systems Group. Known as Big Safari, this secretive unit is based at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, and has run special operations overseas. At home, it flies a C-146A Wolfhound aircraft that is a test bed for electronic surveillance equipment. We saw this plane circling over Raleigh and Fayetteville in North Carolina (near the Fort Bragg Army base), and near Denver.

Widening the search to other aircraft registered to Big Safari, we spotted a Pilatus PC-12 that mostly circled near Denver. This appears to be one of 18 planes prepared by the Sierra Nevada Corporation for transfer to the Afghan armys Special Mission Wing to spy on Taliban insurgents.

Big Safari declined to comment in detail on its operations. To preserve our technical advantage over any adversary, we do not discuss specific capabilities or testing, Emily Grabowski, a spokesperson for the US Air Force, told BuzzFeed News by email.

Across California and Nevada, a plane registered to a company called Air Cerberus, formerly a front for the Air National Guard, circled multiple locations. This was an RC-26 surveillance aircraft, part of a nationwide fleet that has been used to support federal, state, and local law enforcement counter-drug operations since the late 1990s. The aircraft are also used in military training and to help combat wildfires, using thermal imaging cameras to look for hot spots.

Seven RC-26 planes linked to Air Cerberus had their civilian registrations canceled in May and June of this year. They had actually been switched to the military registration some years before, Michael Houk, a spokesperson for the Air National Guard, told BuzzFeed News by email.

4. The drug cops: Silver Creek Aviation and Chaparral Air Group

After the DHS and the FBI, the largest fleet of federal law enforcement aircraft belongs to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA is also the federal agency that has made the greatest effort to hide its planes from public view. According to records obtained by BuzzFeed News under a Freedom of Information Act request, in 2014 the DEA requested that the FAA remove 95 of its aircraft  mostly registered to front companies  from the feed of air traffic control data provided to commercial flight-tracking websites, including Flightradar24.

Nevertheless, a few DEA planes have slipped through the net, and two registered to the front companies Chaparral Air Group and Silver Creek Aviation Services were flagged by our algorithm in the Flightradar24 data. Other DEA aircraft still show up on ADS-B Exchange, a website that is entirely crowdsourced by aviation enthusiasts detecting aircraft transponder signals using their own antennae. ADS-B Exchange does not filter its display using the FAAs list of blocked aircraft, and its data revealed that DEA planes and helicopters have been watching over many US cities over the past year.

The DEA declined to comment on its aviation operations. The DEA aviation section supports numerous operations that are law enforcement sensitive, spokesperson Melvin Patterson told BuzzFeed News by email. Sharing such information would allow criminals to use this to their advantage.

5. The contractors: where things got weird

Our algorithm also flagged a number of contractors that either fly or modify planes for the military, or make equipment that military spy planes use for surveillance. These included a plane owned by the Sierra Nevada Corporation, and another owned by a firmthat helps train combat pilots.

Things took a strange turn, however, when we contacted a company called SciFly, based in San Diego. The company was contracted by Naval Special Warfare Command  which includes the Navy SEALs  to support military training, and its plane circled repeatedly over locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area in October 2015.

When BuzzFeed News approached SciFlys CEO, Eddie Kisfaludy, he denied the flights were conducted for the military, and said the plane had been watching harbor porpoises. It was a pilot project for planned studies of the endangered vaquitathe worlds rarest marine mammal, found only in the northern reaches of Mexicos Gulf of CaliforniaKisfaludy said.

Buzzfeed News verified that SciFly was collaborating with the Marine Mammal Center, just north of San Francisco, on the porpoise project. But the center said that the dates didnt match, and Kisfaludys explanation for these particular flights didnt make much sense, as most of the circling was over land.

US Special Operations Command, which oversees the militarys special forces units, later confirmed that both the October 2015 San Francisco Bay flights and circling by SciFlys plane over the island of Santa Catalina off southern California in April 2016 were run to support naval special operations training.

Another company, the SRT Group, reacted indignantly when asked about regular circling by one of its aircraft to the north of its headquarters in Davie, Florida, near Fort Lauderdale.* Photos of the plane appear online, on a page promoting surveillance and other services offered by SRT Aviation. But it is not a surveillance aircraft, Vincent Costagliola, SRTs vice president for law enforcement technology, told BuzzFeed News by email. Looking ahead, your email gives the impression that you may try to mischaracterize us, and may also involve an attempt to obtain our proprietary information, he added.

Costagliola wrote that the aircraft was used to test the wireless networking equipment that SRT manufactures. No matter what product is on board, he wrote, the plane is not used to collect or store any data on any person.

SRTs products include Windjammer, a device used to track or deny service to satellite phones, and Lanshark, which can survey Wi-Fi networks from the air. BuzzFeed News has found that both of these devices are installed on aircraft operated by a military contractor tracking suspected terrorists in Africa. We asked SRT whether any of its flights over Florida were run to test Windjammer or Lanshark, but the company declined to comment.

With additional reporting by Christian Stork and Charles Seife.

*Davie is near Forth Lauderdale, to its west. And earlier version of this article indicated incorrectly that it is north of the city.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Peter Aldhous is a Science Reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in San Francisco.
UN Security Council members vote on a US-drafted resolution toughening sanctions on North Korea, at the UN Headquarters in New York on August 5, 2017.

The U.S.-drafted resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood following Pyongyang's two intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July . It also prohibits countries from increasing the current numbers of North Korean labourers working abroad, bans new joint ventures with North Korea and any new investment in current joint ventures.

The United Nations Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on Saturday that could slash its $3 billion annual export revenue by a third.

Chinese state media on Monday stressed the limits of new United Nations sanctions on North Korea , and also slammed the United States for its "arrogance", saying Washington needed to understand it also has a role in lessening tensions.

In a front page commentary, the overseas edition of the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily said North Korea's open flouting of U.N. rules with its missile launches meant that it had to be punished, but sanctions had to be targetted.

"Sanctions to the greatest possible extent must avoid causing negative impacts to ordinary people and to third countries, and avoid bringing disaster to the country in question's normal and legal trade and business exchanges with the outside world, people's normal lives and the humanitarian situation," it wrote.

"A precision blow is the essential part of sanctions."

Donald J. Trump tweet: Just completed call with President Moon of South Korea. Very happy and impressed with 15-0 United Nations vote on North Korea sanctions.

China has repeatedly said that while sanctions need to be imposed, they cannot bring a final resolution to the North Korea issue, which has to be addressed by talks.

China has also called for Washington and Seoul to help lower tensions by reining in their military activities and drills on the peninsula, and by withdrawing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system.

The influential Global Times, published by the People's Daily, said it an editorial that the United States needed to curb its "moral arrogance over North Korea".

"The West should be reminded to exercise restraint. If it believes it is only North Korea rather than the U.S. and South Korea as well to blame for the nuclear issue, this ill-fitting mindset will not help solve the crisis," the strongly nationalist publication said.

"The U.S. should aim for peace and co-existence rather than geopolitical dominance."
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends a press conference of The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation on April 18, 2017 in Beijing, China.

China's foreign minister said on Sunday new U.N. Security Council sanctions on North Korea were the right response to a series of missile tests, but dialogue was vital to resolve a complex and sensitive issue, now at a "critical juncture".

Wang Yi, in what he described as "very thorough" bilateral talks on Sunday with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho at a regional meeting in Manila, said he had advised him to calmly assess the U.N. resolutions and not carry out nuclear tests that would only stoke tensions.

The U.N. Security Council on Saturday unanimously imposed the new sanctions on Pyongyang over its two July intercontinental ballistic missile tests, a move that could slash North Korea's $3 billion annual export revenue by a third.

Wang said diplomatic and peaceful means were now necessary to avoid tensions and an escalation of the crisis.

"We call on all sides to take a responsible attitude when making judgements and taking actions," Wang told reporters.

"We cannot do one and neglect the other. Sanctions are needed but sanctions are not the final goal," Wang said.

North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions since 2006. The new measures were a response to five nuclear tests and four long-range missile launches.

The United States, which has long maintained that China has not done enough to rein in North Korea, negotiated with China for a month on the new resolution before putting it to the Security Council.
The Shanghai Stock Exchange is zeroing in on any corporate actions that may present financial risks to the market, official state media Xinhua reported Saturday. One particular area of focus is to keep companies from obscuring the real reason behind deals by employing tricks like complex agreements to transfer ownership, the report said.

China continues to step up oversight of its financial system in efforts to rein in threats to market stability.

That comes after a recent deal between private conglomerate Dalian Wanda and publicly-listed real estate developer Sunac used an unconventional deal structure, raising questions in industry and government. Beijing has been working to strengthen regulatory oversight to boost investor confidence after a giant stock market crash in 2015 wiped out trillions in market value.

Meanwhile, China's slowing pace of growth has challenged market stability. Analysts expect that downward growth trend to continue, which would likely affect company performance.

"China's economy is showing signs of peaking as the positive factors  exports, industrial investment and property investment  supporting the economic rebound in 2017 may start to lose steam in 2018," Credit Suisse analyst Vincent Chan wrote in a recent note. "We believe the earnings upgrade cycle is coming to an end."

Greater regulation is also coming amid massive capital outflows, which can affect volatility in the yuan. Much of that scrutiny has come after Chinese companies expanded quickly abroad, spending around $200 billion in outbound deals last year, according to Dealogic. Beijing has moved to crack down on those acquisitions abroad to restrict the amount of money flying offshore and to control risks related to the debt involved.

Many of those firms investing internationally are private with publicly listed subsidiaries, which means what the parent company does can at times be unclear to the investing public. That's yet another cause for regulators' concern.

Last week, an industry group controlled by the country's securities regulator also banned more than 1,000 funds and individuals from investing in IPOs for up to a year  part of wider efforts to crack down on market manipulation.

Still, experts say more needs to be done to shore up China's markets in the long run.

Liu Shiyu, the head of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, "has so far slow-rolled or watered down the most promising reforms," Christopher Beddor, who covers Asia for consultancy Eurasia Group, said in a note.

The Shanghai composite edged down in early trade on Monday.
Hundreds of millions of Chinese households like Cao and her husband have fundamentally changed China's economic and financial landscape over the past decade. The rising wealth of urban residents, based upon an almost uninterrupted property boom , and the growing debt levels in Chinese households are also set to shift the global economic balance.

"Home prices rose so scarily in the past year that we are afraid we could never afford a unit in Beijing," the 30-year-old said, explaining their decision to take on so much debt.

But Cao said she felt lucky they bought their own flat in the Chinese capital because just a few days after their deal was completed, the city government imposed more restrictions on property purchases.

The studio flat in downtown Beijing emptied the couple's 400,000 yuan (US$59,000) life savings and they also incurred a debt of 1.35 million yuan to parents, colleagues and classmates to muster the remainder of the 35 per cent down payment. The rest of the purchase was financed by bank loans, with monthly mortgage repayments of about 20,000 yuan for 30 years.

But that all changed at the start of this year when Cao and her army officer husband decided to buy a flat in Beijing.

Bonnie Cao, a PR worker for an investment company, used to be a typical Chinese saver, putting half her monthly income into a bank deposit account.

Shortly after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 brought the global financial crisis to a peak, US economists including Harvard professor Kenneth Rogoff began to ask how things had gone so wrong. A key finding was that emerging markets, led by China, had "saved too much", making it possible for the United States to borrow cheaply.

That was contested by the Chinese government, which argued there were historical and cultural reasons for China's high savings rate. In a speech in 2009, central bank governor Zhou Xiaochuan said Chinese "valued thrift" and opposed extravagance, and that Chinese families had to save a lot because the health care and pension systems were underdeveloped.

Since then, however, China's massive money supply, urbanisation and a mortgage loan boom have resulted in a hefty rise in household debt, which is now equivalent to 44.4 per cent of national gross domestic product, triple the level in 2008, according to the Bank for International Settlements.

The net savings of Chinese households, defined as total outstanding deposits minus total outstanding loans, have stagnated or even begun to fall, showing that Chinese people are saving less and borrowing more.

More from the South China Morning Post:

Just how high is the level of debt within China's economy?

Chinese think tank raises alarm over 'poisonous' debt, with no quick fixes in sight

Chinese developers leave a trail of unease in Singapore

Although China's household debt level is still low compared to the 79.5 per cent of GDP in the US and 62.5 per cent in Japan, it has risen too steeply to be safe, according to a research report by the Institute for Advanced Research at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics which was published last month and led by former central bank statistics chief Sheng Songcheng.

"The speed of China's household debt accumulation ... has exceeded that of US household debt accumulation before the subprime crisis," it said, warning that the rapid growth would squeeze consumer spending and might lead to dangerous scenarios.

"As early as in 2020, the ratio of mortgage payments and disposable incomes in China will match the peak level in the US before the financial crisis," it concluded, adding that the rising debt burden would "restrict China's economic growth to some extent".

Cao and her husband are rich on paper: their flat is now worth more than 5 million yuan, but they still live in a frugal life. They've let the flat out 6,000 yuan a month and she lived with her husband at his army quarters. To make sure they can repay their debts and make ends meet, she has minimised discretionary spending on restaurant meals, clothing and travel.

The impact of rising household debt has been most obvious in China's major, tier-one cities, where property prices are chasing those in Hong Kong, London and New York. Uniqlo, a mass-market Japanese casual wear brand, is now a favourite of middle class Chinese, who also shop online in search of bargains.

Meanwhile, property has become the only reliable investment channel in China.

"Property has become a de facto carrier of wealth in China ... and the ultimate choice for investors given its high return in the past decades," said Jin Li, deputy dean of Peking University's Guanghua School of Management.

That's lifted China's rate of private property ownership to 89.68 per cent according to a survey by Chengdu's Southwestern University of Finance and Economics  among the highest in the world and up from close to zero two decades ago. By way of comparison the rate in the US is only 65 per cent and that in Japan just 60 per cent.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects the long-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12 (Mars-12) in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 15, 2017.

A Japanese foreign ministry spokesman on Sunday welcomed tougher U.N. sanctions on North Korea over its missile tests and said it was time to exert more "effective pressure" on Pyongyang rather than to pursue dialogue.

"Now is not the time for dialogue but the time to increase effective pressure on North Korea so that they will take concrete actions towards de-nuclearization," deputy foreign ministry spokesman Toshihide Ando told a news conference in Manila, ahead of a regional security meeting attended by all parties involved in the standoff.

He also said Japan was gravely concerned about China's building of what he called "large-scale outposts" in the South China Sea.

China's foreign minister had earlier stressed that dialogue was needed as well as sanctions on North Korea.
Pence was responding to a New York Times report that some Republicans were moving to form a "shadow campaign" as though President Donald Trump were not involved. It said multiple advisors to Pence "have already intimated to party donors that he would plan to run if Mr. Trump did not."

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday denied that he is preparing for a presidential election run in 2020, saying the suggestion is "disgraceful and offensive."

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence looks toward the north from an observation post inside the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Paju, South Korea, April 17, 2017.

The report said Pence had not only kept a full political calendar but also had created his own independent power base, including a political fund-raising group called the "Great America Committee."

But Pence called the article "fake news" and said his entire team was focused on advancing Trump's agenda and seeing him re-elected in 2020.

"The allegations in this article are categorically false and represent just the latest attempt by the media to divide this Administration," Pence said in a statement.

The Times stood by its coverage. "We are confident in the accuracy of our reporting and will let the story speak for itself," New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said in an email.

Pence has good relations with conservative political groups and some of the Republican Party's big donors, including billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.

He is also a Trump loyalist, and there is typically little distinction between his public statements and the policies of the president.

But as investigations deepen into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. election and possible ties to members of Trump's campaign, Pence has put some distance between himself and the president on the best way to approach Moscow.

On a trip to Eastern Europe last week, Pence condemned Russia's presence in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, with which Moscow fought a brief war in 2008. He also said ties with Russia would not improve until Moscow changed its stance on Ukraine and withdrew support for countries like Iran, Syria and North Korea.

The U.S. Congress recently passed a bill imposing new sanctions on Russia with overwhelming bipartisan support, but Trump signed it into law last week with reluctance.

"Our relationship with Russia is at an all-time & very dangerous low," Trump wrote on Twitter after signing the bill. "You can thank Congress."

Trump has described probes into his campaign's ties to Russia, including those under way in Congress and a Justice Department investigation headed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, as a "witch hunt."

The president has also sent mixed messages on whether he agrees with U.S. intelligence agencies' conclusions that Russia tried to intervene in the 2016 election to boost his chances of beating Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

White House senior counselor Kellyanne Conway on Sunday also dismissed the idea that Pence was looking at running for president in 2020.

"It is absolutely true that the vice president is getting ready for 2020 - for re-election as vice president," Conway told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday.

"Vice President Pence is a very loyal, very dutiful, but also incredibly effective vice president, and active vice president," said Conway, adding that she had worked for Pence for a decade as his pollster and senior advisor.
Yak dairy products find market in China

Dinesh Ghale of Tipling in Dhading district spends most of his days attending to his herd of yaks. Yak farming has been his family profession and he has not been able to abandon it.
When the team at NASA posted the job listing for Earth's "planetary protection officer," they likely expected applications from top physicists, mathematicians and engineers  not a 9-year-old.

The planetary protection officer, as the job description details, would be responsible for ensuring humans don't contaminate space, and in turn, that extraterrestrial contaminants and organisms, if they exist, don't contaminate Earth.

But 9-year-old Jack Davis, a self-proclaimed "Guardian of the Galaxy," found the job description, parts of which read like something out of a science fiction novel, fascinating.

He promptly sent in a handwritten cover letter to apply.
MKM analyst Rob Sanderson hiked his price targets for three popular stocks, Alphabet, Facebook and Twitter, on Monday, forecasting double-digit gains over the next 12 months.

On Alphabet , Sanderson said the stock is a buy and is going to reach the $1,210 a share within 12 months based on a forecast for higher revenue.

He said YouTube's contribution to the bottom line was probably unnaturally low last quarter due to advertising disruptions as large corporations voiced concerns over some of the videos where their ads were running.

The $1,210 price target is 28 percent above Alphabet's current price, at $945 a share.

MKM, however, said there are risks associated with this trade, including "potential for further fines from the European Commission." In June, the EU smacked a $2.7 billion fine on the internet search giant for antitrust practices.
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note traded lower at 2.258 percent in New York, while the yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was lower at 2.838 percent. Bond yields move inversely to prices.

Yields had risen on Friday following a stronger-than-expected jobs report. The U.S. economy added 209,000 jobs last month, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

The strong number has some investors betting the Fed will raise rates once more later this year. But some are skeptical about whether the central bank will be able to raise rates given recently weak inflation metrics. Market expectations for a rate hike in December are around 50 percent, according to the CME Group's FedWatch tool.

St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said in prepared slides that the Federal Reserve can keep interest rates where they are now. Despite strong jobs numbers, Bullard said that the Fed will scrutinize weak inflation metrics over the next few months.

"The current level of the policy rate is likely to remain appropriate over the near term," Bullard said.

The personal consumption expenditures (PCE), the Fed's preferred gauge of inflation, has been running at a lethargic 1.5 percent. Bullard noted that measure of inflation is forecast to rise only to 1.8 percent even if the U.S. unemployment rate falls to 3 percent from the current 4.3 percent.

Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari also spoke on Monday at a Sioux Falls Rotary Club event. Kashkari addressed President's Trump recent plan to reduce immigration to the United States in his comments.

"Do we want economic growth, or not? That's what it comes down to," Kashkari said, arguing that reductions in immigration would yield reductions in economic growth.

Last week, President Trump announced his support of a bill that would aim to make job skills a priority for people to obtain legal permanent residency rather than family connections. It would also slash the number of refugees coming to the U.S.
Tiny fragments of gold could be used in the fight against cancer, according to scientists at the University of Edinburgh.



Researchers found that the precious metal could be used in such a way so that it increases the effectiveness of other drugs prescribed to treat lung cancer cells.

Microscopic pieces of the precious metal  known as nanoparticles  were encased in a chemical device and used to accelerate other chemical reactions.

While the medical study involved zebrafish, the team of researchers said they were hopeful a similar technique could be applied to develop human treatments.

"We have discovered new properties of gold that were previously unknown and our findings suggest that the metal could be used to release drugs inside tumors very safely," said Dr Asier Unciti-Broceta, from Cancer Research U.K.'s Edinburgh center.

"There is still work to do before we can use this on patients, but this study is a step forward. We hope that a similar device in humans could one day be implanted by surgeons to activate chemotherapy directly in tumors and reduce harmful effects to healthy organ," Dr Unciti-Broceta added.

The method used by the team of researchers at the University of Edinburgh aims to reduce the side effects of current chemotherapy treatments by specifically targeting the diseased cells without damaging healthy tissue.
IN THE NEWS TODAY

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said tough sanctions imposed against North Korea over its intercontinental ballistic missile tests would be carefully watched and the resolution sends a strong message that North Korea needs to understand what the world expects of it. (CNBC)



*UN slaps North Korea with new sanctions in effort to punish country's export sector (Reuters)

*North Korea denounces UN sanctions, says will take 'righteous action' (Reuters)

The Trump administration has yet to decide how to respond to Russia's move to expel hundreds of American diplomats. But Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. plans to deliver a response to Moscow by Sept. 1. (AP)

Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday denied a New York Times report that he is preparing for a presidential election run in 2020 amid an investigation into Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. election. He called any suggestion "disgraceful and offensive." (Reuters)

President Nicolas Maduro vows that a band of anti-government fighters who attacked a Venezuelan army base will get the "maximum penalty." Troops killed two of the 20 intruders who slipped into the base early Sunday, apparently intent on fomenting a military uprising, Maduro said on his weekly radio address. (AP)

The city of Chicago will file a lawsuit today, alleging it is illegal for the federal government to withhold public safety grants from so-called "sanctuary cities." Mayor Rahm Emanuel says Chicago won't "be blackmailed into changing our values, and we are and will remain a welcoming city." (AP)

Taiwan's Foxconn, one of Apple's primary iPhone makers, will open a multibillion-dollar research and development plant in Michigan, the South China Morning Post reported on Sunday. The Michigan facility will be focused on autonomous vehicles, the SCMP said, citing Foxconn founder Terry Gou. (CNBC)

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Jay Lee, on trial for charges ranging from embezzlement to perjury, fought back tears and denied wrongdoing today as prosecutors sought a 12-year jail term. The charges included bribing the former president to help cement control of the South Korean tech giant. (Reuters)

STOCKS TO WATCH

Rockwell Collins (COL) is among our stocks to watch this morning, following a Reuters report late Friday that United Technologies (UTX) was weighing a bid for the aircraft component maker. United Technologies told CNBC that it did not comment on rumors or speculation.

Apple (AAPL) will release a version of the Apple watch later this year that can directly make calls on cellular networks, according to a Bloomberg report. Current versions of the watch need to be connected to an iPhone to have cellular capability.

Berkshire Hathaway (BRKB) reported a 15 percent decline in second quarter profit, falling below analyst forecasts. The decline was led by smaller investment gains and insurance underwriting losses.

Tesla (TSLA) lowered the price of its Model X SUV by $3,000 to $79,500, noting improved profit margins on that vehicle.

General Motors (GM) is recalling nearly 800,000 pickup trucks to deal with an issue that could affect power steering. The affected models are 2014 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 trucks.

Sprint (S) has resumed discussions T-Mobile US (TMUS) about a possible merger, according to a Bloomberg report. Masayoshi Son  the billionaire who leads major Sprint shareholder Softbank  is said to be seeking consolidation to reverse customer losses.

WATERCOOLER

Google employees and Silicon Valley pundits are reacting with outrage to a 10-page document written by a Google engineer that criticizes the company's "left leaning" culture, taking aim at company policies meant to foster a more diverse workplace. In response, Google's VP of diversity said in part the document "advanced incorrect assumptions about gender." (CNBC)
Earnings season continues on Monday, with a number of major companies set to report.and, will be some of the names to publish earnings.andboth reported earnings before the bell.

U.S. stock index futures pointed to a flat-to-higher open on Monday, as investors geared up for more earnings releases.

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on January 31, 2014 in New York City.

On the data front, the consumer credit data is set to come out at 3 p.m. ET on Monday. Markets are also likely to get a boost in sentiment during trade, following Friday's stronger-than-expected jobs report.

In the previous session, U.S. stocks finished on a high note, after the economy added 209,000 jobs in the last month, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

In the political sphere, investors will be keeping a close eye on tensions surrounding North Korea. On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korea's President Moon Jae-in jointly agreed in a call, to apply maximum pressure and sanctions on North Korea, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, North Korea responded to the United Nations' latest sanctions imposed on the country, stating that it would infringe the country's sovereignty; Reuters said citing the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Two leading officials from the U.S. Federal Reserve are set to speak on Monday. St. Louis Fed President James Bullard will be in Nashville and Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari will be at a Sioux Falls Rotary Club event.
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Elon Musk's car company Tesla appears to be leading the "arms race" for lithium-ion batteries  for now. Musk recently announced plans to build the world's biggest lithium-ion battery storage project in South Australia. Meanwhile, construction of the company's highly anticipated 35-gigawatt-hour (GWh) "Gigafactory 1" is still underway. "There's a kind of arms race on batteries around the world. We know that Elon Musk with Tesla has got this Gigafactory. The Chinese are racing to overtake him; they'll have three times the capacity. And then in Germany, we've just heard announcement of a new plan for a $1 billion factory on batteries," Giles Keating, chairman at investment consultancy Werthstein Institute, told CNBC Monday. A report published by Bloomberg Intelligence in June said factories planned by Chinese companies could have the capacity to produce more than 120 GWh by 2021  enough to supply 1.5 million Tesla Model S vehicles. And a German consortium of companies led by Frankfurt-based start-up TerraE Holding GmbH is preparing to set up its own 34 GWh lithium-ion battery cell production facilities, touted as Germany's answer to the Gigafactory.

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Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable batteries. When they are connected to a charger, lithium ions move in an opposite direction to when they are being used, restoring the battery for reuse. The batteries are thought to be a sustainable alternative to petroleum and diesel, as they can be recharged rather than burned. Battery storage is fundamental to the renewable energy sector. Tesla's Gigafactory is used to produce batteries for solar-powered homes, utilities and the Tesla Motors brand of electric cars. As well as an energy efficient alternative to burning fossil fuels, lithium is now a sought-after commodity for investors.

Big automakers 'in denial'

Keating, a former Credit Suisse research chief, said big automakers such as Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen have been "in denial" about the force of electric cars. "I think Tesla was always all about electric cars, whereas I think the conventional auto manufacturers, they were in denial. They just kind of almost wanted batteries to be weak so that they wouldn't have to go that route so that their existing route of business can continue, if I'm brutal about it," he said.

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He added that the batteries these carmakers develop were "miserable," and that the push to pass diesel emissions tests rather than invest heavily in electric technology meant manufacturers avoided having to innovate. "For most conventional manufacturers it was about beating the emissions rules rather than about trying to revolutionize stuff," Keating added. Last week, executives from BMW, Daimler, Opel and Volkswagen came to an agreement with politicians to cut emissions by updating the software of 5 million cars. Volkswagen in particular has come under pressure ever since the infamous "dieselgate" scandal. The auto giant's software allowed it to cheat pollution standards during test conditions, but not when actually out on roads.

WATCH: Here are 5 electric alternatives to Tesla's Model 3
Taiwan's Foxconn , one of Apple's primary iPhone makers, will open a multibillion-dollar research and development plant in Michigan, the South China Morning Post reported on Sunday.

That makes the second politically critical state to receive such a commitment from the multinational  which is sure to be seen by many as a gargantuan political success for President Donald Trump.

The Michigan facility will be focused on autonomous vehicles, the SCMP said, citing Foxconn founder Terry Gou.

"Automotive development in the U.S. is still more advanced than China," Gou was quoted as saying. "Besides self-driving technology, I'm also interested in artificial intelligence and deep learning technology."

No details into the investment amount were provided.

The news comes nearly two weeks after Foxconn announced a $10 billion Wisconsin plant. That's expected to create 3,000 American jobs, with the potential to eventually expand to 13,000 jobs.

Trump, whose presidential campaign was focused in part on job creation, is likely to welcome the development with open arms as his administration deals with a number of challenges, including a chaotic White House and an investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

In his 2016 presidential contest against Hillary Clinton, Trump "flipped" a number of U.S. states that had gone to Barack Obama, but none surprised political analysts more than Michigan and Wisconsin. Both were once reliably Democratic, but they lined up behind Trump in the face of manufacturing job losses. Clinton was criticized for failing to recognize economic anxiety in either state.

Read the full South China Morning Post story.
Software stocks have crushed the market this year and a Wall Street analyst believes the industry's strong performance will continue. The sector has rallied 23 percent year to date versus the S & P 500 's 10 percent return, according to Credit Suisse's research. Cloud-oriented software stocks are up even more with a 30 percent gain in the same time frame. Here are three outperform-rated companies in the industry recommended by Credit Suisse analyst Michael Nemeroff in a note to clients Monday, along with the firm's current price targets. 1) Shopify (SHOP) Nemeroff has a $110 12-month price target on Shopify shares, representing 14 percent upside from Friday's close. "The SHOP juggernaut continues  SHOP's Q2 surprised positively on almost every metric, blowing away merchant additions (now greater than > 500K), which sets the stage for faster than expected growth in all areas of the business over the next few qtrs, at least, including breaking through the profitability barrier, which we view as one of the final frontiers for the Shopify juggernaut." 2) Paycom (PAYC) The analyst has a $78 12-month price target on Paycom shares, representing 12 percent upside from Friday's close. "PAYC posted its 13th consecutive beat and raise qtr. Revenue upside in the qtr stemmed from strong recurring revenue growth despite a tough comp. Additionally, the company achieved its highest sales week for new business signings in July, which has historically been a seasonally weak period. We believe this momentum validates mgmt's approach in opening new sales offices over time." 3) Callidus (CALD) Nemeroff has a $30 price target on Callidus shares, representing 20 percent upside from Friday's close. "CALD reported strong Q2 results. Specifically, SaaS revenue growth accelerated to +32%, as CALD continues to see traction penetrating new customers and its existing base, and as markets like EMEA, where CALD has recently increased investments, show signs of improvement."

An Apple iPad with the Shopify app is displayed at the entrance to the company's headquarters in Toronto, Ontario. Kevin Van Paassen | Bloomberg | Getty Images
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Carl Icahn's bet on an obscure biofuel credit is going south and threatens to leave an energy company he controls with a big unpaid bill. The wager is remarkable because Icahn's role as a special advisor to President Donald Trump has directly influenced the price of the credits he is betting on. The fact that Icahn's gamble is going bad is due at least in part to his inability to convince the Trump administration to change a policy that disadvantages one of his investments. Icahn was betting the cost of the biofuel credits would fall, and it did initially. But through Aug. 1, the credits have rallied nearly 200 percent from the February low.

As a result, CVR Energy , the company through which Icahn is making the bet, has booked a nearly $280 million liability. If things keep going this way, the liability could eat into CVR Energy's cash pile, leaving it with less money to distribute to shareholders. That would likely dent its stock price, which is down 25 percent this year [though it is still up 35 percent over the past 12 months.] The policy Icahn hoped would change requires companies that refine fuel to blend biofuels such as corn-derived ethanol into gasoline. Refiners that meet their obligation generate credits called renewable identification numbers, or RINs. They sell those credits to smaller merchant refiners that don't have the capacity to blend biofuels into gas. Icahn's strategy concerns some analysts who cover CVR Refining , the Sugar Land, Texas-based refiner controlled by CVR Energy. CVR Refining "is managing its RIN obligations far differently than other U.S. refiners," said Chi Chow, an analyst at energy investment bank Tudor Pickering Holt, referring to the biofuel credits. "Sustained lower RIN prices may produce a cash windfall that could be used to ramp distributions, but any material increase in prices could push its liability even higher," he wrote in a research note. Chow wrote that note in May, just as the tide started to turn against Icahn.

Betting against biofuels

Former President George W. Bush's administration created the Renewable Fuel Standard to reduce American dependence on foreign oil shortly before U.S. crude output started booming. The system inherently disadvantages merchant refiners like CVR Energy, in which Icahn Associates holds an 82 percent stake. Icahn has long called for the requirement to blend biofuels to be scrapped. He argues that speculators drive up RIN prices, putting small refiners at risk of bankruptcy, which raises concerns about U.S. energy security.

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More recently, Icahn has advocated for passing the burden of mixing ethanol onto fuel blenders, which would let CVR Energy off the hook. This is called changing the "point of obligation" in industry jargon. RIN prices fell last winter after Trump announced he would nominate Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, a longtime fossil fuel ally, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, fueling speculation that the EPA would change the Renewable Fuel Standard in a way that would benefit refiners. RIN prices fell further after Trump announced Icahn would advise him on regulatory policy. Changes in RIN prices reflect the market's outlook on how many of the credits refiners will need to buy. In the first part of the year, the market was betting demand was going to dry up. CVR Energy appeared to be making the same bet, according to Chow. "[M]anagement is clearly speculating on the price of RINs  a practice that they heavily criticize as a reason why the market is so apparently manipulated," he said in his May note.

Running up a tab

While CVR Refining does not offer much detail on its RIN purchases, analysts say it appears that the refiner stopped buying the credits last year, and perhaps even sold some  a strategy that would pay off if RINs prices fell. "[T]he proportional growth in the current liability over time suggests that the company has purchased few, if any, RINs to cover the obligation incurred since" the second quarter of 2016, FBR Capital Markets analyst Benjamin Salisbury wrote in a recent research note. Not buying RINs is like running up a bar tab  that is, if the cost of beer fluctuated wildly and your final bill was calculated based on the price of suds on the day you settle up. The EPA allows refiners to run a deficit for a while, but they must eventually meet their full obligation. CVR Energy was essentially betting it could buy up cheap RINs before a deadline to meet its obligation in the first quarter of 2018.

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CVR Energy declined to comment for this story. Icahn Associates did not respond to a request for comment. Icahn acknowledged in March that CVR Energy was delaying its RIN purchases for a year, which is allowed under the program. "I'm not selling 'em, I'm not buying 'em," Icahn told Bloomberg. "Hey, this is what I do in the market. I'm taking a chance." Icahn said the bet is about beating speculators. He maintains that he is only an informal advisor to Trump and the president is under no obligation to take his advice. He is not a government employee so he is not required to divest his assets  an arrangement that some call a conflict of interest.

A flawed trade

Icahn's wager initially went his way, with RINs falling to as low as 30 cents in the first quarter, 34 cents below the lowest level in the year-ago period. They hit the low after a report that a U.S. biofuels trade group backed Icahn's plan, and that the deal was being sent to Trump. "That was an Icahn drop," said Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at Oil Price Information Service. But the market made a critical error in assuming the deal between Icahn and the trade group would bear fruit at the EPA, Kloza said. A little research showed that it was unlikely that Trump and the EPA would execute Icahn's plan, he said. It would have made the regulation more complicated and exacted a political toll in the corn-producing parts of the U.S. that voted for Trump. "That whole notion that they would change the point of obligation and it would change immediately, that was so flawed," Kloza said. "Saying it was flawed was like saying the Pacific Ocean is moist." The market may have also been overestimating the impact of Icahn's plan to change the point of obligation. Shifting the responsibility for blending ethanol away from refiners and onto blenders would have changed who is responsible for buying RINs, but it would not have significantly transformed supply and demand for the credits, said Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates. "There are a lot of people participating in this market that don't understand the underlying regulations," he said.

The tide turns

By May, it began to appear that the EPA would leave the amount of biofuel that refiners were required to blend into gasoline mostly unchanged in 2018. RIN prices began to rise steadily, bumping higher as the EPA indeed proposed keeping levels steady. Later that month, a federal appeals court ruled the Obama administration had erred by setting blending levels below previously determined levels. That raised concerns blenders would have to buy more RINs, further supporting prices. CVR Energy's stock fell about 8 percent and CVR Refining shares tanked more than 15 percent in one day. Last week, reports surfaced that the EPA would not take Icahn's suggestion to shift the burden of buying RINs from refiners to blenders. That cut off the primary path for Icahn's bet to pay off. This comes as CVR Refining reported a liability of $279.9 million tied to its biofuel blending obligation through the second quarter. That obligation jumps to $321.6 million based on the recent high RIN price of 88 cents, FBR Capital Markets calculated in a research note. If CVR Refining does not start covering its RIN obligation, its liability could balloon to $390 million, the investment bank said. To be sure, RIN prices could yet fall, shrinking CVR Refining's liability, if it gets regulatory relief from the EPA on another front, or if market conditions change. Kloza, however, believes RIN prices have likely reached stasis around the 90-cent level, and Lipow believes they could head higher from Friday's prices around 86 cents. "Based on the renewable fuel standard of 2017 and 2018, I expect that RIN prices are going to be drifting up during the course of 2017," Lipow said.

WATCH: Icahn may buy thousands of auto-repair shops
Most young people will be doing jobs in the future that currently do not exist, a top executive from one of the world's largest recruitment agencies has told CNBC.

Mark Cahill, the U.K. managing director at Manpower, told CNBC that as much as 65 percent of the jobs that the next generation of workers will have do not exist today. He explained that technology is and will keep changing workplaces but .

"Typically technology creates more work for all of us; different types of work and that's what we've got to think about. Be curious about what it is we might want to be doing and what employees are going to be needed to be doing," Cahill told CNBC Monday.

Analysis from management consultancy McKinsey earlier this year showed that 25 percent of a CEO's current job can be handled by robots and 35 percent of management tasks can be automated. The automatization of the labor market is of course changing it, but also creating other opportunities, experts say.

In April, a Bain report said that by the end of 2027 teams will be "self-managed, leading to a vast reduction in the number of traditional managers." But a new type of leadership will emerge, the report said, where people will not have bosses but formal mentors who help guide their careers from project to project.

Meanwhile, McKinsey's research added that while less than 5 percent of all occupations can be automated entirely using demonstrated technologies, about 60 percent of all occupations have at least 30 percent of constituent activities that could be automated. Thus suggesting that more occupations will change rather than being automated into non-existence.
As sisters Jenae and Jasmine Harris watched their subscription boxes full of disappointing, unused and expensive cosmetics pile up, they realized something: All the mainstream beauty box services they'd been ordering were aimed at white women, not African Americans like themselves, or other women of color. "I was tired of receiving boxes every month that didn't have a majority of products I could use," Jasmine Harris, tells CNBC Make It. "If it was makeup, the coloring would be off," Jasmine explains to MPR News. "Lipstick, the shades would be inappropriate for my skin tone, or [the] hair products were not made for kinkier textured hair, like mine." Frustrated, the sisters decided to do something about it. Last fall, they launched HuesBox, a subscription service "by people of color, for people of color  not just African-Americans," their mom, Robin Harris, who is also involved with the company, tells MPR News. The Harrises are tapping a huge but under-served market. According to Women's Wear Daily, black women alone spend $7.5 billion a year on beauty products. They spend 80% more on cosmetics and two times as much money on skin care as general consumers. "We were trying to think less about what was already out there, and more about what we would want," Jasmine tells CNBC Make It. Subscribers fill out a profile and HuesBox customizes the monthly product haul. But HuesBox doesn't send customers big brand products  instead the Harris sisters hunt down the best finds from small businesses run by people of color.

Source: Huesbox

"What you'll see in our box you won't see in a store," Robin tells MPR News. Boxes, which cost $15 each, include about four to six items, such as an oil, a henna tattoo and a cosmetic, plus a non-beauty item, like tea, along with a card that describes that products' cultural origins. For instance, subscribers received a tool for Gua Sha, a traditional East Asian practice often used to relieve pain and stimulate blood flow. The Harrises are also committed to supporting the small business owners they work with, many of whom may be operating out of their homes or on a very small scale. They do so by paying the vendors for their product samples, Janae says. Many subscription services don't. "Most boxes are on a model that is similar to ours, which is where brands work with them as a part of a bigger marketing strategy," says Delali Kpodzo, co-founder of Onyx, a beauty subscription service for black women. "It's a great way to introduce their products to an audience that is eager to work for them." Indeed, the reach, data and access to consumer feedback provides a marketing value for brands, says Birchbox spokesperson Jenna Martin Hilzenrath to CNBC Make It. Birchbox did not compensate for samples when it first started in 2010, but now that it requires larger volumes of product, agreements can vary, says Hilzenrath. Jasmine, a professor, and Jenae, a lawyer, initially fronted payments to vendors with their own money, but now use revenue from sales. "As small businesses we're not in a position to have the resources to partner with the major brands," says vendor Jen Rightler-Mahone of J'Elaine Cosmetics, which is based in Florida. "HuesBox makes it very easy because they're willing to compensate you for your samples."

Huesbox founders Jasmine, Robin & Jenae Harris Source: Jasmine Harris
Comments are pouring in over an internal memo an unnamed male software engineer at Google sent to co-workers on Friday challenging some of the tech giant's diversity efforts, such as mentoring programs open only to people of a certain race or gender. Gizmodo posted the memo on the internet on Saturday and it since has gone viral. The memo contains such provocative statements as:

"Women, on average, have more: Openness directed towards feelings and aesthetics rather than ideas. Women generally also have a stronger interest in people rather than things, relative to men (also interpreted as empathizing vs. systemizing). [] These two differences in part explain why women relatively prefer jobs in social or artistic areas. More men may like coding because it requires systemizing and even within SWEs (software engineers), comparatively more women work on front end, which deals with both people and aesthetics." (Read 10 of the most shocking quotes from thememo.)

Many inside and outside of Google have called for the man's dismissal. However, there are at least three ways the law may keep the company from imposing any discipline.

First, federal labor law bars even non-union employers like Google from punishing an employee for communicating with fellow employees about improving working conditions. The purpose of the memo was to persuade Google to abandon certain diversity-related practices the engineer found objectionable and to convince co-workers to join his cause, or at least discuss the points he raised.

In a reply to the initial outcry over his memo, the engineer added to his memo: "Despite what the public response seems to have been, I've gotten many personal messages from fellow Googlers expressing their gratitude for bringing up these very important issues which they agree with but would never have the courage to say or defend because of our shaming culture and the possibility of being fired." The law protects that kind of "concerted activity."

Second, the engineer's memo largely is a statement of his political views as they apply to workplace policies. The memo is styled as a lament to "Google's Ideological Echo Chamber." California law prohibits employers from threatening to fire employees to get them to adopt or refrain from adopting a particular political course of action.

Danielle Brown, Google's newly installed vice president of Diversity, Integrity, & Governance, made it clear that the engineer's memo does not reflect "a viewpoint that I or this company endorses, promotes or encourages."

An employee does not have free reign to engage in political speech that disrupts the workplace, but punishing an employee for deviating from company orthodoxy on a political issue is not allowed either. Brown acknowledged that when she wrote that "an open, inclusive environment means fostering a culture in which those with alternative views, including different political views, feel safe sharing their opinions."

Third, the engineer complained in parts of his memo about company policies that he believes violate employment discrimination laws. Those policies include support programs limited by race or gender and promotional and hiring scoring policies that consider race and gender. It is unlawful for an employer to discipline an employee for challenging conduct that the employee reasonably believed to be discriminatory, even when a court later determines the conduct was not actually prohibited by the discrimination laws. In other words, the engineer doesn't have to be right that some of Google's diversity initiatives are unlawful, only that he reasonably believes that they are.

Brown is correct that an employee has no right to engage in workplace discourse that offends anti-discrimination laws; employees may not engage in unlawful harassment under the guise of protected concerted activity or political grievances.

The lawful response to this software engineer's memo, however, appears to be continuation of the dialogue he started rather than termination of his employment.

Commentary by Dan Eaton, a partner with the San Diego law firm of Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek, where his practice focuses on defending and advising employers. He also is a professor at the San Diego State University Fowler College of Business where he teaches classes in business ethics and employment law. Follow him on Twitter @DanEatonlaw.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
Everyone knows that Republicans have political problems, from their failure to repeal Obamacare to President Trump's erratic tweets to his sputtering efforts to make populism a governing philosophy. But what about Democrats? While their problems don't get as much media attention, Democrats are now both the minority party and a toxic brand to much of middle-class America.

Take last Friday, when Governor Jim Justice of West Virginia announced he was becoming a Republican. "The Democrats walked away from me," he told a Trump rally in Huntington. "Today I tell you as West Virginians, I can't help you any more being a Democrat governor."



"I think it's a sign of the times," Jose Gonzalez, a 37-year-old project manager at a local steel plant, told the Washington Post at the rally. "The Democratic Party used to look out for the downtrodden, but more and more working people are going for Republicans."



More from National Review:

What's the matter with Democrats?

The Fusion Party: Democrats and the progressive media

Al Franken, un-funny man of the Senate

Trump certainly broke the mold in 2016. He did better among low-income whites than among upper-income whites  the first time a Republican has done that at the presidential level. He won 62 percent of the vote among white voters without a college degree who make less than $30,000 a year. In 2012, Mitt Romney had only won 52 percent of votes in that group. They made the difference in key working-class states that Trump won, carrying them for the GOP for the first time since the 1980s  Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. Republicans now control the White House and both houses of Congress and have complete executive and legislative control in 26 states.



Since the November election, Trump's popularity has largely held with those voters. Concerns about his lack of focus have been assuaged by the recent growth in jobs and wages. Democrats have not improved their position  in part because of their obsession with leading the "resistance" against Trump. A Washington Post/Abc News poll published July 19 found that 52 percent of Americans don't believe the Democratic party stands for anything beyond opposing Trump. Even 42 percent of nonwhite voters agree that Trump-bashing is all the party is focused on.

The Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic party is convinced it has a solution: have the party move left. "People are looking for a populism, but a multi-racial populism," Heather McGhee, of the leftist voting-rights group Demos, said on Meet the Press this morning. "They're looking for candidates who say, 'I'm willing to take on the wealthy and powerful, and also I'm not willing to let the wealthy and powerful divide us from each other so that they can have the spoils of our great nation.'"



But that's not what the polls taken by Democrats themselves are showing. The House Majority PAC last month released an exhaustive survey. McClatchy's Alex Roarty summarized the findings as "white voters without a college degree still view Trump relatively favorably, their opinion of Democrats is in the dumps, and they reject some of the party's favored economic initiatives."
Two oil-exporting nations could decide the future of a historic deal to drain a worldwide glut of crude oil, according to Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets.

It's not top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia, the architects of the accord, but conflict-plagued Libya and Venezuela, a petrostate on the brink of collapse.

Oil producers are meeting in Abu Dhabi on Monday and Tuesday to figure out how to improve compliance with a deal struck by OPEC and other exporters to keep 1.8 million barrels a day off the market. Analysts say top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia have limited options to convince producers to pump less.

The compact has been undermined by surging supply from U.S. drillers, as well as OPEC members Libya and Nigeria, which were exempt.

OPEC initially gave Libya a pass because the northern African nation was still restoring its oil supply after years of civil conflict. But output has surged about 50 percent to 852,000 barrels a day between November, when OPEC signed the deal, and June.

While Nigeria recently agreed to cap its output in the future, Libya has not yet made any commitments.

"They were never part of the deal. They're going to have to be brought into the deal to make this thing work going forward," Croft told CNBC's "Closing Bell" on Monday.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's production has slumped about 13 percent this year as its economic and political crisis worsens. International oil companies have begun pulling their workers out of Venezuela, Croft noted.

A further drop in production from Venezuela, a major crude oil supplier to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries, could be the secret to removing more barrels from the market and boosting stagnant oil prices.

"What actually could save OPEC is probably going to be Venezuela," Croft said.
Further nuclear aggression from Pyongyang and heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington are widely expected following fresh economic sanctions on the rogue state.

Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasong-14 is pictured during its second test-fire in this undated picture provided by KCNA in Pyongyang on July 29, 2017. KCNA | Reuters

In the aftermath of July's two intercontinental ballistic missile tests, the United Nations on Saturday hit North Korea with "the most stringent set of sanctions placed on any country in a generation," according to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley. Previous U.N. penalties have resulted in Pyongyang expressing its displeasure and demonstration of its iron-clad nuclear ambition through more missile tests, and analysts said there may be a repeat performance. Beijing's participation in the latest punishment is significant given President Donald Trump's repeated criticism of Chinese President Xi Jinping for failing to contain North Korean belligerence. But it remains to be seen if the world's second-largest economy will properly enforce Saturday's measures  a potential catalyst for deteriorating U.S.-China relations.

Another test?

An unpredictable White House and the installation of advanced missile defense technology on South Korean shores have raised the stakes in the current North Korean crisis. Still, Kim isn't seen backing down. "Given increased missile activity this year and past responses to U.N. sanctions, it seems very likely that North Korea will launch a sequence of short-range missiles in the coming days or weeks," Kyle Ferrier, director of academic affairs and research at the Washington-based Korea Economic Institute, told CNBC on Monday. The pariah state has been under U.N. sanctions since 2006. "There are concerns that North Korea could respond with more defiance: further tests of missile technology that would get the regime close to its goal of mounting a nuclear warhead on an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)  or another nuclear test," echoed Jean H. Lee, global fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and former Pyongyang bureau chief at the Associated Press.

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It's very unlikely that Kim will let Saturday's news go unanswered, added Scott Seaman, senior Asia analyst at consultancy Eurasia Group. "This regime has shown no desire to bend to the will of the international community  everything that's thrown its way is something Kim feels the need to respond to." However, now that Kim has accomplished one of his goals  an ICBM capable of striking the U.S.  there could be a window of opportunity for negotiations, continued Lee, who said she'll be watching for statements from Kim's administration that could signal restraint. "We can reasonably expect a military response from North Korea, such as another missile test, but whether or not it exceeds the level of seriousness compared with previous tests remains to be seen," said Anthony Rinna, analyst at research group SinoNK. North Korea, he added, "still has to be careful not to provoke the U.S. or its allies' further. "

Estimating the economic pain

Saturday's developments, anticipated to slash a third of North Korea's $3 billion export revenue, could "severely hit" foreign exchange inflows into the country, which would widen the trade deficit and erode limited foreign exchange reserves, Rajiv Biswas, Asia Pacific chief economist at IHS Markit, said in a note. Following a surprising 3.9 percent rise in North Korea's 2016 economic growth, negative numbers are now expected this year, according to Biswas. "Around 34 percent of the total economy will be experiencing output declines, while the remaining manufacturing, services and construction sectors will also be weak," he added. Depriving North Korea of its trade partners, which include various African and Southeast Asian economies, will amount to a revenue loss of "a low hundred million dollars," which will hurt the Kim regime, said Liang Tuang Nah, a research fellow at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.

Geopolitical implications

Saturday's new punishments focused on two non-military financial pipelines crucial to Pyongyang's coffers: exports and income from overseas laborers. Sales of coal, minerals and seafood in addition to remittances not only prop up the fledgling economy, they are also suspected of supporting the nuclear program.

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North Korea said Monday it will launch "thousands-fold" revenge against the United States, after the United Nations imposed new sanctions on Pyongyang for its nuclear and missile programs.

The statement came after the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved tough new U.S.-drafted sanctions Saturday, including a ban on coal and other exports worth over $1 billion.

"We are ready to retaliate with far bigger actions to make the U.S. pay a price for its crime against our country and people," the reclusive nation warned via the official Korean Central News Agency.

It said it would take a "stern action of justice."

More from USA Today:

US-North Korea tensions mount over tough new sanctions at Manila meeting

UN Security Council imposes sanctions on North Korean exports

Kim Jong Un is cruel and dangerous but not crazy: experts

North Korea regularly makes flamboyant threats against the U.S. and the West.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho both attended a meeting of foreign ministers in Manila on Sunday, but avoided any direct contact. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi publicly admonished North Korea to abide by the new sanctions.

"Do not violate the U.N.'s decision or provoke international society's goodwill by conducting missile launching or nuclear tests," Wang said he told Ri.

Ri did not respond publicly. North Korea's Rodong Sinmun news website published a commentary dismissing the sanctions as "cooked up by the U.S.," adding that "the U.S. mainland is on the crossroads of life and death."

The sanctions ban North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood; and also prohibit countries from increasing existing numbers of North Korean workers employed outside the country. The sanctions also ban new joint ventures with North Korea and new investment in existing joint ventures.

President Trump tweeted after the sanctions were imposed: "The United Nations Security Council just voted 15-0 to sanction North Korea. China and Russia voted with us. Very big financial impact!"

@realDonaldTrump The United Nations Security Council just voted 15-0 to sanction North Korea. China and Russia voted with us. Very big financial impact!

Chinese state media said North Korea had to be punished for its missile tests, but criticized the U.S. for its "arrogance" Monday. China is North Korea's most important ally.

In a front-page commentary in its overseas edition, the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily newspaper wrote: "Sanctions to the greatest possible extent must avoid causing negative impacts to ordinary people and to third countries, and avoid bringing disaster to the country in question's normal and legal trade and business exchanges with the outside world, people's normal lives and the humanitarian situation."

The Global Times, published by the People's Daily, said United States must reign in its "moral arrogance over North Korea."

"The West should be reminded to exercise restraint. If it believes it is only North Korea rather than the U.S. and South Korea as well to blame for the nuclear issue, this ill-fitting mindset will not help solve the crisis," the editorial said.

North Korea has launched more than a dozen test missiles this year. Concerns were heightened last month when Pyongyang test-fired two intercontinental ballistic missiles analysts said were capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

Contributing: John Bacon and Thomas Maresca
In a vaguely worded explanation, Singapore's government expelled a prominent Chinese-born American academic from the country.

It's an unusual move for the city-state, which reportedly may not have taken the step for decades.

Huang Jing, who had been granted permanent residency in Singapore, was high profile: He was the director of the Centre on Asia and Globalisation, a professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and an independent director on the board of property player Keppel Land.

But on Friday, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs said in a press release that Huang was an "undesirable immigrant," for engaging in "activities inimical to Singapore's national interests."

The MHA alleged that Huang had knowingly interacted with intelligence organizations and agents of a foreign country and worked with them to influence Singapore's government policy and public opinion in the city-state by offering "prominent and influential Singaporeans" what he described as "privileged information."

The press release said Singapore's government declined to act on that information, without providing details of the information or what country Huang was alleged to have cooperated with.

The MHA said Huang's wife, Shirley Yang Xiuping, would also be expelled for being aware of her husband's alleged actions. After leaving the country, both will be permanently barred from re-entry, the MHA said.

Huang denied the allegations in comments to the South China Morning Post over the weekend. Reuters reported on Tuesday that Huang and his wife, who were still in Singapore, have appealed the decision.

"It's nonsense to identify me as 'an agent of influence'for a foreign country," he said, according to SCMP. "And why didn't they identify which foreign country they're referring to? Is it the U.S. or China?"

"How can they treat me like this? If they have evidence, they should take me to court," he added, according to the SCMP report.

James Chin, director of the Asia Institute at the University of Tasmania, said it was "quite normal" for countries to not provide a formal reason for expelling a noncitizen.

He said it wasn't the first time Singapore had taken that step, pointing to the city-state's move to expel a U.S. diplomat in the late 1980s.

In that incident, Singapore had expelled a U.S. diplomat it accused of meeting with "dissidents" to encourage them to campaign against the ruling party.

Chin said Huang's alleged actions, although not the details were disclosed, might not have been unusual in other countries, but may have concerned authorities in the city-state.

"It is taken for granted that there is no such thing as academic freedom in Singapore. In other countries, an academic being involved in policy is normal," he said. "In Singapore, it's unacceptable."

Chin hypothesized that Huang was acting on behalf of the U.S., saying there were rumors the actions were related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings held over the weekend.

But he added that any storm would likely pass over quietly as long as whoever Huang was working with didn't offer any official confirmation.

The MHA declined to comment when CNBC requested more details about the expulsion and how often it takes that measure.

It's not clear that Huang, who wrote for China state-owned publication Global Times, would have acted on behalf of the U.S.

In an op-ed in the Global Times, published in June, Huang said the current U.S. government was in a "state of chaos," but he warned that impeaching U.S. President Donald Trump would "ignite" internal conflicts there.

In that column, Huang added that China's President Xi Jinping was showing "China's sense of reasonability as an emerging major power."

Huang has resigned from the board of Keppel Land, the property developer said in a filing with the Singapore stock exchange.

His profile has been removed from the website of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Over the weekend, a National University of Singapore spokesperson told the Straits Times that Huang had been suspended without pay.

"This is a matter of serious concern, and LKYSPP is cooperating fully with MHA," an NUS spokesperson said in a statement provided to CNBC. "NUS does not tolerate such acts of foreign interference, even as we continue to value and uphold the diverse and international character of our University. As this matter relates to national security, the University is unable to comment on the details of the case."

Last year, Huang also briefly gained some local notoriety when a taxi driver alleged the professor had asked him to step out of the taxi and "show some respect;" when the driver refused, Huang allegedly refused to exit the car, according to a local media report.

The driver called the police, who advised the two to "keep the peace," local online publication The Independent reported at the time.




If you haven't read the full, 10-page anti-diversity memo written by a male Google employee that has now gone viral, here's your CliffsNotes version. In the piece, entitled "Google's Ideological Echo Chamber," a software engineer who works at the Mountain View, California, headquarters tries to make the case that women are underrepresented in tech because of biological differences. (The original memo reportedly uses sources from Wikipedia to The Estonian Centre for Behavioural and Health Sciences to WordPress blogs to The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal.) The document has been met with a lot of public anger, but the author says he has received many secret notes of gratitude, too, from fellow Google employees afraid to express their similar perspectives. Here are 12 of the most divisive quotes, though there are plenty more where these came from. 1. "Differences in distributions of traits between men and women may in part explain why we don't have 50 percent representation of women in tech and leadership. Discrimination to reach equal representation is unfair, divisive, and bad for business." 2. The author says Google leans toward liberal and that "political orientation is actually a result of deep moral preferences and thus biases." He breaks down those "prejudices" as follows: "Left Biases: Compassion for the weak, Disparities are due to injustices, Humans are inherently cooperative, Change is good (unstable), Open, Idealist. Right Biases: Respect for the strong/authority, Disparities are natural and just, Humans are inherently competitive, Change is dangerous (stable), Closed, Pragmatic."

3. "On average, men and women biologically differ in many ways. These differences aren't just socially constructed because: They're universal across human cultures, they often have clear biological causes and links to prenatal testosterone, biological males that were castrated at birth and raised as females often still identify and act like males." 4. "I'm simply stating that the distribution of preferences and abilities of men and women differ in part due to biological causes and that these differences may explain why we don't see equal representation of women in tech and leadership." 5. "Women, on average, have more: Neuroticism (higher anxiety, lower stress tolerance). This may contribute to the higher levels of anxiety women report on Googlegeist and to the lower number of women in high stress jobs." 6. "We need to stop assuming that gender gaps imply sexism." 7. "Women on average show a higher interest in people and men in things." 8. "Women on average look for more work-life balance while men have a higher drive for status on average. Unfortunately, as long as tech and leadership remain high status, lucrative careers, men may disproportionately want to be in them. Allowing and truly endorsing (as part of our culture) part time work though can keep more women in tech." 9. "I strongly believe in gender and racial diversity, and I think we should strive for more. However, to achieve a more equal gender and race representation, Google has created several discriminatory practices: Programs, mentoring, and classes only for people with a certain gender or race, a high priority queue and special treatment for 'diversity' candidates, hiring practices which can effectively lower the bar for 'diversity' candidates by decreasing the false negative rate." 10. "We're told by senior leadership that what we're doing is both the morally and economically correct thing to do, but without evidence this is just veiled left ideology that can irreparably harm Google." 11. "My concrete suggestions are to: De-moralize diversity. As soon as we start to moralize an issue, we stop thinking about it in terms of costs and benefits, dismiss anyone that disagrees as immoral, and harshly punish those we see as villains to protect the 'victims.'" 12. The author runs through several other suggestions on how to solve the current culture of, as he sees it, intolerance to conservative ways of thinking about gender dynamics at the Google: "Be open about the science of human nature. Once we acknowledge that not all differences are socially constructed or due to discrimination, we open our eyes to a more accurate view of the human condition which is necessary if we actually want to solve problems."

You have just created a textbook hostile workplace environment. Yonatan Zunger former Google executive
The second quarter earnings period has been a dud for small caps, and that could be a warning for large cap names, which have seen a surprisingly strong quarter with profit growth near 12 percent.

"The large cap multinationals are getting a tailwind from currency and they're getting better growth outside the U.S., and small caps are more domestically focused," said Steven DeSanctis, small- and mid-cap analyst at Jefferies.

In contrast to the double digit gains for company profits, DeSanctis said the small cap S&P 600 was expected to see earnings decline 2.5 percent, a number that could be closer to flat, when counting companies that have already reported.

"I'm thinking the best we're going to do for the quarter is maybe flat," said DeSanctis. According to Thomson Reuters, the profit growth for the large cap S&P 500 for the second quarter is near 12 percent, when including those companies that reported along with estimated results.

Even though the small cap Russell 2000 is up just 4 percent for the year, the index is trading on an earnings multiple of 20 times forward earnings. DeSanctis expects the Russell 2000 to end the year at 1410. The Russell closed Monday at 1414.

"They're hovering very close to our overall target. We got to 1,430 and then they pulled back. I just don't see the upside in small, given the earnings numbers. You're going to need sustained earnings growth because we have a multiple of 20 times. You can see performance tracing earnings growth, but there is no earnings growth," DeSanctis said.

Credit Suisse U.S. equity strategist Lori Calvasina notes that the divide is clear, and small cap companies are also lagging mid caps. Of medium cap companies, 74 percent have beaten earnings forecasts, but just 61 percent of small cap Russell 2000 stocks have beaten.

"We think this is at least partially explained by the more positive impact of a weaker dollar on mid and large caps, which have higher international exposure than small caps," Calvasina wrote. Of small and large cap companies, she said, 70 percent of the companies with high international exposure beat consensus sales expectations, compared to 59 percent of domestically focused companies.

"The only way you get double digit earnings growth for small cap is the economy grows closer to 3 percent [GDP] growth, and we just don't see that," DeSanctis said. He said the small cap names usually beat estimates by three to four percent, but that's not happening this quarter, and it could weigh on the group.

"You think you're out of this earnings recession, and you look at Q2 and small cap has fallen back into an earnings recession. The question is, are they the canary in the coal mine, where their earnings slowed in the last two quarters, relative to large and does large start to face that same thing?" said DeSanctis.

He said earnings growth was in the mid-single digits, compared to about 15 percent for the S&P 500 in the first quarter. Third quarter forecasts are coming in at about 3 percent growth, but they were about 8 percent in June, he said.

Calvasina said reporting season has been challenged for small cap energy in particular, but the results for financials were solid. The companies left to report in small and mid cap this week are largely consumer, dominated by retail, industrials, tech and health care, especially biotech, she noted.

In a recent note, Barclays analysts said they expect earnings growth and fundamentals to improve for small caps, as the year goes on. They have a target of 1440 on the Russell 2000, saying that top line growth should be helped by a recent pickup in capital spending and leverage.

DeSanctis said small cap ETFs last week saw inflows of over $2 billion , reversing outflows in three prior weeks. But he expects to see outflows again based on earnings, and also on possible volatility due to Washington this fall.

Like the broader stock market, small caps could feel the ill effect of any budget battle when Congress returns from its break in September. The debt ceiling also needs to be raised, and it's yet to be seen whether there will be drama around that.

On the other hand, if Congress were to work on tax reform, that could potentially be a positive for small cap companies.
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As much as U.S. technology stocks have climbed this year, their Chinese counterparts have surged far more as investors are drawn to the world's second-largest economy. Among the big Chinese tech stocks traded in the U.S., messaging app Momo , e-commerce site JD.com and its bigger rival Alibaba have each gained nearly 80 percent or more this year, far more than Facebook , which is up 49 percent as the best-performing of the U.S. FANG stocks. "Tech has been an outperformer this year. Global has been an outperformer this year. Chinese tech stocks combine those two themes," said David Russell, senior manager at online broker E-Trade. FANG refers to Facebook, Amazon.com , Netflix and Google parent Alphabet , the group of stocks whose dramatic surge has dominated the U.S. stock market's gains. This year, U.S. tech stocks overall remain market leaders, up 23 percent as the best-performing sector in the S&P 500. However, the MSCI China Information Technology Index has more than doubled that performance  soaring 56 percent this year in terms of Chinese yuan. "The big takeaway here is China's a rising, affluent economy," Russell said. "We're seeing a complete rise of the consumer based on e-commerce."

Online shopping is a much bigger business in China than the U.S., and growing faster. Chinese online sales of physical goods leaped 28.6 percent in the first half of the year, to 2.37 trillion yuan ($350 billion), increasing their share of China's total retail sales to 13.8 percent from 11.6 percent in the first half of 2016, according to official Chinese reports. In contrast, U.S. e-commerce sales grew 14.7 percent, to $105.7 billion in the first quarter, accounting for 8.5 percent of total retail sales, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. Given the growth opportunity, Chinese tech giants such as Alibaba and Baidu are "becoming more internationally recognized," said Peter Donisanu, global research analyst at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute. He said that attention is attracting "investors who want to get in on the ground on the next GM, the next Apple  the next multinational that's about to break out." U.S. investors are also getting more sophisticated in how they play the Chinese tech stock trade. E-Trade's Russell found that options volume jumped in the last month for five of the largest Chinese tech stocks.
Canndescent's Instagram page looks like that of a luxury lifestyle company. It features chic people doing yoga, painting, working out, surfing, partying and reading in the bathtub. Canndescent is a cannabis company. It grows and sells weed. Adrian Sedlin, a graduate of Harvard Business School and the founder and CEO of Canndescent, wants to make pot sophisticated. "Call us the Courvoisier of cannabis or Hermes of cannabis. We're going after that high-end adult use," Sedlin says to Marcus Lemonis in CNBC's special episode of "The Profit," "Marijuana Millionaires," premiering Tuesday, Aug. 8 at 10 pm EST/PST.

Headquartered in Desert Hot Springs, California, Canndescent is part of a new wave of start-ups looking to capitalize on the recent law change in the state. In November 2016, California passed Proposition 64, legalizing the sale and use of marijuana for recreational purposes, which goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2018. Currently, marijuana is only legal for medical purposes.

Cannabis is also still illegal according to federal law. It's part of what stops big companies from investing in the industry. Entrepreneurs, though, like Sedlin, are enamored by the potential. Right now, Canndescent nets 65 pounds of dried cannabis flower each time it harvests, which is every 10 days. Canndescent sells the cannabis to dispensaries for $3,000 a pound, which is on the expensive side. Typically, a dispensary pays between $1,500 and $2,500 a pound. Sedlin justifies the high-end price tag with sophisticated branding (the boxes look like fancy teas) and he claims to sell a superior-quality product. There is no chemical burning smell to Canndescent weed, says Sedlin, and when you break the flower, it snaps perfectly, ensuring a "perfect smoke."

Canndescent founder and CEO Adrian Sedlin

Canndescent sells five varieties of cannabis, with names based on emotional states: Calm, Cruise, Create, Connect and Charge. "It's making it accessible. It's giving people analogies in their life," says Sedlin. "Your purchase becomes a reflection of who you are."

Call us the Courvoisier of cannabis or Hermes of cannabis. We're going after that high-end adult use. Adrian Sedlin founder and CEO of Canndescent

Lemonis, the star host of "The Profit," agrees the chic packaging is smart. "I give Adrian a lot of credit for simplifying the approach to marketing the product," he says. "I think the name is interesting. I think the packaging is fantastic. And to simplify things like 'calm,' 'create,' 'charge'  those are words that, I guess, yoga enthusiasts can relate to. It has a Whole Foods-esque packaging to it," he says.

Even so, Lemonis is skeptical of the luxury price point. "I'm not fooled by sexy packaging and sexy marketing," he says. "And maybe not to him but to most people, marijuana may be a commodity now, and so price will matter. Margin will matter. Whole Foods, you know that you are getting a superior product. Is the product really superior here? I don't know." If Sedlin is right about the business's potential, he says Canndescent will be selling $52 million worth of weed per year by 2019. In 2016, sales were $228,000, in 2017 they will be $5.1 million and in 2018, Sedlin predicts sales of $17 million. And that's just a small sliver  by 2020, the cannabis market is expected to reach $6.46 billion, according to The ArcView Group's 2016 California State Profile report.

Sedlin isn't alone in hoping the weed business does well in California. The nascent market is already bringing economic prosperity to the local economy, which desperately needs it. Desert Hot Springs, where Canndescent is based, went bankrupt in 2001 and almost did again in 2014. Then, the town decided to become the first place in California to allow indoor pot farming on an industrial scale. The once impoverished town has experienced a renaissance. "Well, make an example, the city bought a piece of property in 1980 for $5,000, one acre. We just went into contract to sell that for $378,000," says Scott Matas, the mayor of Desert Hot Springs. Sedlin says his weed business is good for the town. "I mean look, we pay our taxes. We're good corporate citizens. We conform to California law. Every municipal law that we have," he says. "And guess what? I'm gonna be employing 280 people within 18 months."
Google and Uber mulled teaming up on self-driving car technology, but the relationship iced over, former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said in a deposition published this weekend.

The deposition centers on an ongoing lawsuit between Alphabet's self-driving car unit Waymo (formerly all under Google) and Uber. The tech giants are fighting over whether a star self-driving car engineer, Anthony Levandowski, stole and used a Google technology at Uber.

But the hours-long deposition also sheds light on the disintegration of the relationship between Uber and one of its biggest investors, Google. Google Ventures reportedly about $250 million in Uber in 2013, one of its largest deals at the time, giving Kalanick wide range to do whatever he pleased.

Since then, though, Uber and Google have shifted from partners to a "cold war." The companies are not only involved in this lawsuit, but Waymo recently agreed to team up with Uber's arch-rival, Lyft, to help bring self-driving cars to market.

Here are some events that Kalanick said splintered the relationship between the two companies:

Google told Uber it was getting serious about ride-sharing. David Drummond, a senior vice president at Google and former board member at Uber, agreed to "recuse himself from board meetings" around October 2014, according to Kalanick.

"He said that Google is intending to compete with Uber in the ridesharing space. And that the efforts were substantive enough and serious enough that he felt compelled to tell us that that was happening."

Kalanick continued, "I don't remember my exact words, but I remember feeling disappointed a little bit, a little burned by the relationship."

Kalanick was concerned that a start-up called Argo AI, founded by an ex-Googler, was trying to collect intel to feed back to Google. Uber began talking to Anthony Levandowski, a star Google engineer, in late 2015, and Levandowski started spending more time with him in early 2016.

During the same period, Uber was also looking at acquiring another start-up run by an ex-Google employee with the last name "Salesky," (presumably Brian Salesky of Argo AI, which later took a big investment from Ford, although the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment).

"Lots of people were looking to leave Google at this time. And most of their top people were leaving," Kalanick said. But Kalanick said he was "quite worried" that Salesky was still in communication with Google co-founder Larry Page.

"Because Salesky was  my understanding  again, I've never met him, but my understanding of the meetings they had with him, you could never quite trust him. And so he was talking to us about working with us in some way. We weren't sure if he was talking to us about working with us or talking to us and then going back to Google and telling him  telling them everything that he learned by talking us," Kalanick said.

Waymo exec sent an e-mail trashing the engineers Uber acquired with Otto. When Uber ultimately decided to acquire Levandowski's start-up, Otto, in 2016, Kalanick said that his then-deputy, Emil Michael, received a "lowbrow" email from Waymo CEO John Krafcik, insulting the qualifications of the former Google employees that Uber had acquired.

"It's strange for a leader to talk trash on the people that he hired just because they leave and work somewhere else," Kalanick said.

Waymo and Alphabet were cool to a partnership. Nonetheless, Drummond, Krafcik and Kalanick met in Mountain View during the same summer that Otto was acquired to see if they could put a partnership together between Waymo and Uber, according to Kalanick.

"I think it was the first time we were meeting Krafcik. He gave us a tour of the -- some of the facility, and then we spent the conversation with us talking -- you know, myself and Emil talking about our ideas for how we could partner. And Krafcik really sort of not deeply engaging in the -- in the conversation," Kalanick said.

Kalanick said he was "constantly making a pitch to partner with them," something that Drummond had advocated for.

"He was a big believer it was the right thing. I was a big believer it was the right thing. I could get my company behind that. David couldn't get  couldn't get, you know, Larry [Page] and other folks and just Google, essentially, behind that notion," Kalanick said.

Larry Page got paranoid about Uber stealing their IP. In October of 2016, Kalanick said he asked Page to call him to talk about "flying cars," an area of technology that Uber is interested in, and that Page has invested in through a start-up called Kitty Hawk.

But Kalanick said he also wanted to discuss partnering on driverless cars.

Kalanick's pitch was "was very similar to all the considerations I have had over the years, which is: You guys have -- you guys have been working on this quite a while. You have great expertise. We have developing expertise, but we haven't been in this industry as long. We certainly have a lot of ridesharing things going on. There could be a really interesting .... potential in partnering those two efforts."

But Page still didn't seem interested, and was a bit upset, suggesting they could discuss it again at the beginning of 2017, according to Kalanick.

"[W]hat he kept talking about us taking his IP," Kalanick said. "And I kept responding and telling him that hiring his people is not taking his IP. .... And he kept not understanding that, but not explaining himself either. He wasn't getting into details or in any way sort of helping me understand his issue. .... I told him, we will open up our facility if you think we have taken IP. Like, come take a look. We will have your people take a look. We will dig deep and make sure. But we were very confident about the process of acquisition and the process we have in hiring people."

It was just strange," Kalanick said. "He  he kind of just kept repeating the same thing. This is what I remember. I don't remember the specific words, but it was like he was repeating the same thing over and over."
Donald Trump addresses his supporters during a rally at the Charleston Civic Center on May 5, 2016 in Charleston, WV.

The company that manages the Donald J. Trump brand has moved to protect the name in Macau, a part of China that long ago surpassed Las Vegas to become the world's largest gambling market.

The moves do not necessarily indicate that President Trump or the Trump Organization will eventually open a Trump hotel or casino there. But the ongoing efforts to expand Trump trademarks overseas have raised questions about whether they fall afoul of a constitutional prohibition on receiving economic benefits from foreign governments.

Since winning the presidential election, Mr. Trump has turned over control of his businesses to his adult sons, and his legal team has said the business would no longer pursue new foreign deals.

More from New York Times:

In China, Trump wins a trove of new trademarks

From Trump to nationalist, a trail of global trademarks

FX strikes deal with Comcast for ad-free premium service

DTTM Operations, a New York company that holds Trump trademarks, applied in June for rights to the Trump name in casinos, construction, hotels and real estate, according to Macau government filings. It is not clear whether the applications were for new trademark protections or to renew similar trademarks dating back to 2006 that had expired.

The company already holds more than a dozen trademarks in Macau. Last year Trump won a legal battle with a Macau company that had registered to use the name "Trump" in coffee shops and restaurants.

A Trump Organization representative did not respond to a request for comment on Monday. The South China Morning Post reported on the filings on Sunday.

Macau, a former Portuguese enclave on China's southern coast that returned to Chinese control in 1999, is the only part of China where casino gambling is legal. After it opened up its gambling monopoly in 2001, new casinos and an influx of visitors from mainland China led to a full gambling boom, attracting American companies like Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts. The tiny enclave surpassed the Las Vegas Strip for total revenues in 2006.

Mr. Trump began operating casinos in Atlantic City in the 1980s, eventually running four that held as much as about 30 percent of the city's gambling market in the 1990s. His casino companies sought bankruptcy protection multiple times, and he quit the board in 2009.

Trump trademark applications in Macau go back to 2006 and include "Trump," "Donald J. Trump," "Trump Tower," "Trump International Hotel and Tower" and "Chun Pou"  a Cantonese version of Mr. Trump's name.

The licenses issued after Macau opened up its gambling monopoly will soon begin to expire, which could open the market further.

"Gaming concessions for the six casino operators in Macau will expire between 2020 to 2022," Desmond Lam, an associate business professor at the University of Macau, said by email. "The industry is still somewhat unclear what will happen to these concessionaires after that. Recently, there have been some rumors that the Macau government may allow a seventh operator to enter this market."

The Trump business has picked up efforts to protect its name in mainland China as well. China approved a Trump trademark for the use of his name in construction services in February, shortly after he acknowledged he would maintain American policy toward Taiwan, a key issue for China's leaders. The president's critics said the episode showed how his company's overseas endeavors create a perception problem and expose him to potential conflicts.

The Trump business now holds at least 125 registered or provisionally approved trademarks in mainland China for a variety of services and products. Last month a trademark for the Trump name in relation to hotel restaurants was officially registered. Mr. Trump has no businesses in China, but the trademarks give some protection of his name in a country where knockoffs are commonplace.

The Trump Organization says those trademarks are registered with an affiliate and have nothing to do with Mr. Trump.

After denouncing China and its large trade gap with the United States during the presidential campaign, Mr. Trump eased off his criticism in hopes Beijing would be able to help curb North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons program.

But in recent weeks Mr. Trump has declared China's efforts to constrain Kim Jong-un, the North's leader, a failure, declaring last month on Twitter he was "very disappointed in China."
President Donald Trump should not impose a tax increase on the wealthiest Americans, media mogul and two-time GOP presidential candidate Steve Forbes told CNBC on Monday.

Axios reported last month that top White House advisor Steve Bannon is pushing for a tax increase "on the wealthiest Americans to pay for steep middle and working-class tax cuts."

"That kind of populism Ronald Reagan would have choked on," the Forbes Media chairman and CEO said on "Squawk Box." "What people want is a vibrant economy. They don't care if Bill Gates gets richer. They want to know: 'Is my paycheck going up? Are my prospects improving?'"

Axios said Trump's chief strategist told colleagues he wants the highest income tax bracket to "have a 4 in front of it" and believes this is a "potent populist idea."

Today, the top bracket is 39.6 percent for single Americans who bring home $418,401 or more annually and for married individuals filing jointly who make $470,701 or more.

Trump and Republicans in Congress have called for major tax cuts for businesses and individuals, saying that lower tax rates would drive the economy and grow jobs.

The White House and some conservative groups are targeting red-state Democrats in hopes of winning support for a tax overhaul, and Senate Democrats have offered to work with Republicans on a bipartisan package. The last time Congress passed major tax reform in the U.S. was 1986.

Forbes said Americans will get tax cuts soon but it's too late for a tax overhaul. "They botched that," he said. "Save the heavy lifting updating the code after next year's election."

Forbes unsuccessfully sought the GOP presidential nomination in 1996 and 2000. He ran on a platform for a flat tax to apply consistent rates across all brackets.

Late last month, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said the Trump administration wants the biggest and most aggressive tax reform legislation that can pass. He said passing tax reform by the end of the year is "absolutely doable."
So is Donald Trump really about to trigger that trade war with China?

That was certainly the fear emanating from Washington last week when news emerged that the White House was engaged in serious discussions over using another long-dormant trade tool  Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974  to retaliate against China over its controversial intellectual property policies.

Section 301 is, as the Financial Times makes clear in an editorial published today, a blunt instrument in trade policy. And its use would be provocative:

"The use of a tool such as Section 301  the trade diplomacy equivalent of a wooden club  to batter China into submission may be counterproductive. Under the 301 statute, which has not been widely used since the 1995 creation of the WTO, the US would in effect act as judge, jury and executioner on any grievance that it identifies. The use of such an uncompromising weapon would probably be seen by the Chinese as an extreme provocation, thus risking a full-blown trade war."

But it's also worth pausing to consider a few realities that mean war may not be imminent. The first is that, as has been the case with other provocative Trump trade proposals, some form of moderation may lie ahead. Remember the 45 per cent tariff on goods from China? Or the border tax? Or the president's campaign pledge to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement?

The first two haven't materialised and may never do so, while the once-mooted exit from Nafta has turned into a renegotiation aimed at "modernising" the pact with Canada and Mexico. A more recent push for a broad tariff on steel imports in the name of US national security, which in June seemed days away, has morphed into a trade technocrat's dream: an elaborate system of tariffs, quotas and exceptions that looks like it will take months to construct and may never even see the light of day.

Why is that relevant to the Section 301 move now being discussed? The answer lies in the way the law works. What Mr Trump appears ready to announce, possibly in the coming days, is not the immediate imposition of tariffs. It is the launch of an investigation into China's intellectual property policies, much like the national security ones he ordered earlier this year into US steel and aluminium imports. That will rightly generate headlines if it happens. But the real provocation won't come until the end of that investigation, which could take a year, and a decision on what remedies to punish China with.

In the meantime, you can expect plenty of negotiations with Beijing, lobbying by industry groups and debate within the administration. And we have seen some of that already, which also gets at the second reason a trade war may not be imminent: geopolitics.

A push by the administration to get Chinese backing for new UN sanctions on North Korea resulted in an expected announcement of the launch of the Section 301 investigation on Friday being postponed. It also saw the president proclaiming a diplomatic victory  and hailing China's support  after the Security Council voted to impose those sanctions on Saturday.

The message was a notable change from the frustration with China that Mr Trump had expressed in recent weeks after earlier this year establishing China's potential co-operation on North Korea as a reason for holding back on his promised trade attack on Beijing. After the weekend UN vote, it is worth asking whether that logic may hold again for some time, especially with China's leadership preparing for this autumn's 19th party congress and the unveiling of a new top team.

The third important reality is that Mr Trump and the China hawks in his administration are not the only ones calling for a reset in trade relations with Beijing. China was not surprisingly the main target in a new trade manifesto unveiled by Senate Democrats last week. But the calls go beyond politics and across party lines.

Between chasing 301 whispers last week, I had conversations with half a dozen former senior US trade officials from both Republican and Democratic administrations  people who had made China policy and prosecuted major China trade cases. All of them agreed that US trade policy toward China has not worked and that it is time for Washington to get more aggressive. Many in the business community feel the same way. The only real question is what tools Washington should use and when.

Those conversations led me to a simple conclusion. This may or may not be the week that Donald Trump launches his trade war with China. But it is very hard to see how some sort of conflict isn't likely before long. The mood in Washington is calling for it.
President Donald Trump's latest plan to take action against China over trade issues has some watchers worried about a trade war.

Others say Trump is on the right track in his efforts to retaliate against the United States' largest trading partner for alleged violations.

"I don't think he's been tough enough ... and in fact, I don't think he's been smart enough," Alan Tonelson, founder of RealityChek, said on Monday.

"What he's been trying to do, it seems to me, has been to try to develop responses that haven't been tried in the past and already failed. I give him a great deal of credit for that, although certainly the actual implementation has been lacking," Tonelson said on CNBC's "Power Lunch."

Last week, the White House reportedly engaged in serious discussions about implementing a trade tool, Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, to retaliate against China. Section 301 allows the president to impose steep tariffs on imports, rescind licenses or take other measures against a trade partner if an investigation finds it imposed burdensome or unfair restrictions on American commerce. This move can be implemented without the World Trade Organization's approval.

Section 301 has yet to be widely used since the creation of the WTO, and many worry implementing the move could result in a trade war.

"[With a 301 move], the U.S. identifies what the problem is, crafts a solution and implements it" unilaterally, Dan Ikenson, director of the Cato Institute's Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, said on "Power Lunch."

"That would violate our own WTO commitments and that would, in my view, set up a trade war because the United States would be abandoning its commitments and showing the rest of the world that the WTO is not worth anything, and it really is worth quite a lot," Ikenson said.
Wells Fargo is feeling the heat and will disclose all outstanding legal matters, not just updates, in its quarterly regulatory filings, according to Evercore ISI.

The bank's stock fell 1 percent Friday after the company revealed in an SEC filing it may find a "significant increase" in unauthorized accounts after a new review of its consumer sales scandal.

Wells Fargo shares have underperformed the market this year after multiple controversies involving the unauthorized opening of accounts in customers' names and improper charges for auto insurance customers didn't seek. Its stock had declined 4.1 percent year to date through Friday versus the S&P 500's 10.6 percent return.

"Wells Fargo flagged several items in its 10Q filed on Friday, which together, weighed on the stock in late afternoon trading.  On our follow-up call, mgmt noted that as Wells Fargo tries to improve its transparency, it has adopted a policy whereby it will disclose all outstanding legal matters (and not just updates) in its 10Q filings, going fwd," Evercore ISI analyst John Pancari wrote in a note to clients Sunday. "Visibility into the regulatory and legal issues at Wells remains limited, and earnings momentum appears to be suffering somewhat."

Pancari reiterated his outperform rating and 12-month price target of $62 for Wells Fargo shares, which is 17 percent higher than Friday's closing price.

He said Wells Fargo admitted its legal costs could be more than the current high-end $3.3 billion estimate.

"On our follow-up call, mgmt confirmed there has been no change to RPL [reasonably possible potential losses] since the 2Q earnings call and the filing of the 10Q. Notably, Wells Fargo acknowledged that due to the uncertain nature of legal outcomes, actual losses may be in excess of the RPL," Pancari wrote.

An analyst told CNBC on Friday he didn't expect Wells Fargo would need to raise additional capital in order to meet its legal costs.

"Wells, just like everyone in the banking system today, are so overcapitalized that thought wouldn't even enter our heads," Gerard Cassidy, banking analyst at RBC Capital Markets, said on "Closing Bell."

Last September, Wells Fargo reached a $185 million settlement with regulators for creating what the bank then said could be as many as 2.1 million accounts in customer names without their permission.



Sen. Elizabeth Warren pressed Fed Chair Janet Yellen on July 13 to remove all of the Wells Fargo's directors who were on the board when the fake accounts scandal came to light.

Wells Fargo sent the following statement in response to this story:

"The disclosures included in our filing [Friday] reflect the company's continued commitment to transparency. Our top priority is to rebuild trust, and this work includes an ongoing effort to identify and address other areas or instances where customers may have experienced financial harm. We remain focused on making things right for our customers, team members, community partners and shareholders and on building a better Wells Fargo."

 CNBC's Michael Bloom and Evelyn Cheng contributed to this story.
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L.L.C., Aramark/Dasko Restaurant and Catering Services S.A., Aramark/GM Concessions Joint Venture, Aramark/Giacometti Joint Venture, Aramark/Globetrotters LLC, Aramark/Gourmet HE-1 LLC, Aramark/Gourmet HE-2 LLC, Aramark/HF Company, Aramark/HMS LLC, Aramark/Hart Lyman Entertainment LLC, Aramark/Martin's Stadium Concession Services OPACY Joint Venture, Aramark/QHC LLC, Aramark/SFS Joint Venture, Avendra, Avendra Canada Inc., Avendra Gaming, Avendra Replenishment, Avoca, Avoca Handweavers Designs Limited, Avoca Handweavers Limited, Avoca Handweavers NI Limited, Avoca Handweavers Shops Limited, Avoca Handweavers UK Limited, Beijing Golden Collar Dining Ltd., Boompjes Hotel BV, Brand Coffee Service Inc., BuyEfficient, CDR Mantenimiento Integral S.A., Campbell Catering (Belfast) Ltd., Campbell Catering (N.I.) Ltd., Campbell Catering Holdings Limited, Campbell Catering Limited, Campbell Catering Ltd., Campbell Catering Services, Canadian Linen and Uniform Service Co., Canyonlands Rafting Hospitality LLC, Catering Alliance Limited, Caterwise Food Services Limited, Central Multiservicios S.R.L., Central de Abastecimiento Limitada, Central de Restaurantes Aramark Limitada, Central de Restaurantes Aramark Multiservicios Limitada, Central de Restaurantes S.R.L., Centrapal S.R.L., Centro de Innovacion y Servicio S.A., Cliff House Hospitality, Comertel Educa SLU, Comertel Residencia SLU, Comertel SA, Complete Purchasing Services Inc., Corporate Coffee Systems LLC, Crater Lake Hospitality, D.G. Maren II Inc., Delicious on West Street LLC, Delsac VIII Inc., Distributor JV Limited, Dongguan Best Property Management Co., Doyon/Aramark Denali National Park Concessions Joint Venture, Effective Partnerships Limited, Filterfresh Coffee Service, Filterfresh Coffee Service LLC, Filterfresh Franchise Group LLC, Fine Host Holdings LLC, Food JV Limited, Freedom Ferry Services, GTB Gastro Team Bremen GmbH, Gestion de Alimentacion y Limpieza Colectivadades SLU, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Concessions LLC, Glen Canyon Rafting Hospitality, Glenrye Properties Services Limited, Golden Collar, Good Uncle Services, Gourmet Aramark Services LLC, Guaranty Energy Group 1981, HPSI Purchasing Services LLC, Harrison Conference Associates LLC, Harrison Conference Services of North Carolina LLC, Harry M. Stevens Inc. of New Jersey, Harry M. Stevens Inc. of Penn., Harry M. Stevens LLC, Hunters Catering Partnership Limited, Institutional Processing Services, Instituto ICS S.A., Inversiones Aramark Chile Limitada, Inversiones Centralcorp Limitada, Inversiones Palm Limitada, Inversiones en Aseo y Mantenimiento S.A, Irish Estates (Facilities Management) Limited, L&N Uniform Supply LLC, Lake Tahoe Cruises LLC, Landy Textile Rental Services LLC, Lifeworks Restaurant Group LLC, Lotus Facilities Management, MESA, Masterplan, Medical Equipment Solutions & Applications Sagl (MESA), Mill Mount Weavers Limited, Muir Woods Hospitality, MyAssistant Inc., New Aramark LLC, Nissho Linen, North Rim Hospitality, Old Time Coffee Co., Olympic Peninsula Hospitality LLC, Orange Support Services Limited, Overall Laundry Services Inc., Paradise Hornblower LLC, Pelican Procurement Services Limited, Philadelphia Ballpark Concessions Joint Venture, Prem Hospitality Limited, Premgroup Franchise Services Limited, Premier Management Company (Dublin) Limited, Premier Partnership (Catering) Limited, Quebec Linge Co., ReMedPar, Restaura Inc., Rocky Mountain Hospitality LLC, Rushmore Hospitality LLC, SeamlessWeb, Seguricorp Servicios S.A., South Rim Hospitality LLC, Spokesoft Technologies Limited, Stuart Cabeldu Catering Limited, Sun Office Service Inc., Tarrant County Concessions LLC, The Aramark Foundation, The Original Food Company Limited, Travel Systems LLC, Trinity Hospitality Services GmbH, Trinity Hospitality Services SARL, Trinity Purchasing N.V., Vector Environmental Services Limited, Vector Workplace and Facility Management Limited, Veris Plc, Veris Property Management Limited, Veris UK Limited, WearGuard, Wilderness River Adventures, and Yosemite Hospitality LLC.

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Truist Financial Corp. operates as a financial holding company, which engages in the provision of banking services to individuals, businesses and municipalities. The firm offers a variety of loans and lease financing to individuals and entities, including insurance premium financing, permanent commercial real estate financing arrangements, loan servicing for third-party investors, direct consumer finance loans to individuals, credit card lending, automobile financing and equipment financing. It also markets a range of other services, including deposits, life insurance, property and casualty insurance, health Truist Financial Corp. operates as a financial holding company. It engages in the provision of banking services to individuals, businesses and municipalities. The company operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking and Wealth; Corporate and Commercial Banking; and Insurance Holdings. The firm offers a variety of loans and lease financing to individuals and entities, including insurance premium financing, permanent commercial real estate financing arrangements, loan servicing for third-party investors, direct consumer finance loans to individuals, credit card lending, automobile financing and equipment financing. It also markets a range of other services, including deposits, life insurance, property and casualty insurance, health insurance and commercial general liability insurance on an agency basis and through a wholesale insurance brokerage operation, merchant services, trust and retirement services, comprehensive wealth advisory services, asset management and capital markets services. The company was founded on December 6, 2019 and is headquartered in Charlotte, NC. insurance and commercial general liability insurance on an agency basis and through a wholesale insurance brokerage operation, merchant services, trust and retirement services, comprehensive wealth advisory services, asset management and capital markets services. The company was founded on December 6, 2019 and is headquartered in Charlotte, NC.
The following companies are subsidiares of Fidelity National Information Services: 11601 Roosevelt Boulevard Realty LLC, AFSF II AIV Investors D-LP, AGES Participacoes Ltda., AKC Insurance Company LLC., Advanced Portfolio Technologies Ltd., Alphakinetic Ltd., Armed Forces Financial Network LLC, AssetExchange, Automated Securities Clearance LLC, Best Payment Solutions Inc., Bibit Spain S.L.., C&E Holdings Luxembourg S.a.r.l., CPRS Holdings Inc., Capco, Certegy Canada Company, Certegy France Limited, Certegy SAS, Chex Systems Inc., Clear2Pay, Clear2Pay APAC Pte. Ltd., Clear2Pay APAC Pty Ltd., Clear2Pay BV, Clear2Pay Belgium BV, Clear2Pay France SAS, Clear2Pay Germany GmbH, Clear2Pay Limited, Clear2Pay Nanjing Co. Limited, Clear2Pay Nederland BV, Clear2Pay Poland Sp. z o.o., Clear2Pay Scotland Holdings Limited, Clear2Pay Scotland Limited, Clear2Pay Shenzhen Company Limited, Clear2Pay Spain S.l., ClearTwoPay Chile SpA, Complete Payment Recovery Services Inc., Compliance Coach, Credit Management Solutions, Decalog UK Limited, Direct Debi Pty Ltd., Envoy Services Ltd. Asia SDn BHD, Envoy Services South Africa Pty Limited, F.I.S. Systems Middle East Limited, FIS Ambit Holdings Pty Ltd, FIS Apex International Limited, FIS Apex UK Limited, FIS Asia Pacific Inc., FIS AsiaPacRim Holdings Ltd., FIS Australasia Pty Ltd., FIS Banking Solutions UK Limited, FIS Bilgisayar Hizmetleri Ticaret Limited Sirketi, FIS Brokerage & Securities Services LLC, FIS Capital Markets UK Limited, FIS Capital Markets US LLC, FIS Card Services Thailand Co. Ltd., FIS Consulting Services Ireland Limited, FIS Consulting Services UK Limited, FIS Denmark ApS, FIS Derivatives Utility Services LLC, FIS Derivatives Utility Services Singapore Pte. Ltd., FIS Derivatives Utility Services UK Limited, FIS Energy Solutions Limited, FIS Financial Solutions Canada Inc., FIS Financial Systems France SAS, FIS Foundation Inc., FIS GCS LLC, FIS Global Business Solutions India Private Ltd., FIS Global Execution Services Ireland Limited, FIS Global Execution Services Limited, FIS Global Holdings S.a.r.l, FIS Global Solutions Philippines Inc., FIS Global Trading Deutschland GmbH, FIS Global Trading Hong Kong Limited, FIS Global Trading Iberica S.L. Unipersonal, FIS Global Trading Nederland B.V., FIS Global Trading Portugal Unipessoal Lda, FIS Global Trading Singapore Pte. Ltd., FIS Global Trading Suisse SA, FIS Global Trading UK Limited, FIS Healthcare Trustee Limited, FIS Holdings Limited, FIS Holdings Mauritius, FIS International Subsidiaries Holdings LLC, FIS Investment Systems UK Limited, FIS Investment Ventures LLC, FIS Investor Services Germany GmbH, FIS Investor Services India Private Limited, FIS Investor Services LLC, FIS Investor Services Poland Sp . Z o.o., FIS Japan KK, FIS Kingstar Cayman Islands Limited, FIS Korea Ltd., FIS Management Services LLC, FIS Management Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., FIS Merchant Solutions Mexico S.A. de C.V., FIS Norway AS, FIS Pakistan Private Limited, FIS Payment Solutions & Services India Private Limited, FIS Payments Ireland Limited, FIS Payments LLC, FIS Payments UK Limited, FIS Pensions Limited, FIS Romania SRL, FIS SG International Holdings LLC, FIS SG Italia S.r.l., FIS SG Systems Philippines Inc., FIS Sherwood Systems Limited, FIS Solutions India Private Limited, FIS Solutions LLC, FIS Solutions Software India Private Limited, FIS Switzerland SA, FIS Systeme GmbH, FIS Systems Hong Kong Limited, FIS Systems International LLC, FIS Systems Kenya Limited, FIS Systems Limited, FIS Systems Luxembourg S.A., FIS Systems Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., FIS Systems NZ Limited, FIS Systems Pty Ltd, FIS Systems Singapore Pte. Ltd., FIS Systems South Africa Pty Limited, FIS Systems de Colombia S.A.S., FIS Technology Beijing Co. Limited, FIS Technology Services Poland Sp. z o.o., FIS Technology Services Singapore Pte. Ltd., FIS Technology Services Tunisia SARL, FIS Treasury Centre Limited, FIS Treasury Systems Europe Limited, FIS Treasury Systems UK Limited, FIS Tunisia I SARL, FIS Tunisia II SARL, FIS UK Holdings Limited, FIS Vietnam LLC, FIS Worldpay Jersey Limited, FIS Worldpay Malaysia Sdn Bhd, FIS Worldpay South Africa Pty Ltd, FIS Worldpay Thailand Co. Ltd., FIS-SG Holding Corp., FNIS Istanbul Danismanlik Limited Sirketi, FV General Partner LLC, Fidelity Holding Ltda., Fidelity Information Services Front Arena AB, Fidelity Information Services GmbH, Fidelity Information Services Hong Kong Limited, Fidelity Information Services Iberia S.L.U., Fidelity Information Services India Private Limited, Fidelity Information Services International Holdings Inc., Fidelity Information Services Israel Ltd., Fidelity Information Services LLC, Fidelity Information Services Limited, Fidelity Information Services Operations GmbH, Fidelity Information Services SARL, Fidelity Information Services Slovakia s.r.o., Fidelity Information Services South Africa Pty Ltd., Fidelity Information Services Thailand Limited, Fidelity Information Services de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fidelity International Resource Management Inc., Fidelity National Global Card Services Inc., Fidelity National Information Services Inc., Fidelity National Information Services Netherlands B.V., Fidelity National Participacoes e Servicos de Informatica Ltda., Fidelity National Servicos de Tratamento de Documentos e Informatica Ltda., Fidelity National Servicos e Contact Center Ltda., Fidelity Participacoes e Servicos Ltda., Financial Insurance Marketing Group Inc., GL Settle Limited, GL Trade CMS Thailand Limited, GL Trade Software DOO, GL Trade Solutions CMS Thailand Limited, GL Trade South Africa Proprietary Limited, Glesia S.r.l., GoCart LLC, Information Services Luxembourg S.a.r.l., IntegraPay LLC, IntegraPay Holdings Pty Ltd, IntegraPay Ltd, IntegraPay Pty Ltd, Integrity Treasury Solutions Europe Limited, Integrity Treasury Solutions Inc., Integrity Treasury Solutions Limited, Integrity Treasury Solutions Pty Limited, Link2Gov Corp., LinksPay Inc., LinksPay Ltd, LinksPay Pty Ltd, Memento, Metavante Technologies Inc, Metavante Technologies Limited, Minorca Corporation NV, Monis Software Limited, NYCE Payments Network LLC, Oshap Software Industries Ltd., PSG-A III Blocker 5 L.L.C., PT FIS Systems Indonesia, PT Fidelity Information Services Indonesia, Panther Holdco 2 Inc., Panther Holdco Inc., Payment Brasil Holdings Ltda., Payment Chile S.A., Payment Trust Limited., Payments Technology Services Limited, Paymetric Inc., Payrix, Payrix AUS Blocker LLC, Payrix Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, Payrix Canada Corp., Payrix Holdings LLC, Payrix Intermediate LLC, Payrix LLC, Payrix Solutions LLC, Pazien Inc., People's United Merchant Services LLC, Platform Securities Holdings Limited, Platform Securities International Limited, Platform Securities International Nominees Limited, Platform Securities LLP, Platform Securities Nominees Limited, Platform Securities Services Limited, Proservvi Banco de Servicos, RealNet Payments LLC, Reech Capital Limited, Reliance Financial Corporation, Reliance Financial Corporation., Reliance Integrated Solutions LLC, Reliance Trust Company, Rocket Partners Holdings LLC, Secondco Limited, Ship Holdco Limited., Ship Luxco 2 S.a.r.l., Ship Luxco 3 S.a.r.l., Ship Midco Limited, Solutions Plus Consulting Services Limited, SunGard, SunGard Data Systems Beijing Co. Ltd., SunGard Global Services Tunisia III, SunGard Global Trading Australia Pty. Ltd., SunGard India Sales Private Limited, TP Technologies N.V., Tayvin 346 Limited, Trax BV, Valuelink Information Services Limited, Valutec Card Solutions LLC, Virtus Fund Services, Virtus Group LP, Virtus LP Holdings LLC, Virtus Partners Fund Services Ireland Limited, Virtus Partners Fund Services Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Virtus Partners Holdings, Virtus Partners Ireland Ltd., Virtus Partners Ltd., Virtus Trade Settlement LLC, WebTone Technologies, Worldpay, Worldpay AP Ltd., Worldpay Argentina SRL, Worldpay B.V., Worldpay Canada Corporation, Worldpay Cayman Holdings Limited, Worldpay Company LLC, Worldpay Do Brasil Instituicao de Pagamento Ltda, Worldpay Finance Limited, Worldpay Gaming Solutions LLC, Worldpay Governance Limited, Worldpay Group Limited., Worldpay HK Limited, Worldpay Holdings Barbados SRL, Worldpay Holdings Brasil Participacoes Ltda, Worldpay ISO Inc., Worldpay India Private Limited, Worldpay Integrated Payments Canada LLC, Worldpay Integrated Payments LLC., Worldpay Integrated Payments Solutions Inc., Worldpay International Group Limited, Worldpay International Holdings Limited, Worldpay International Limited, Worldpay International Payments Limited, Worldpay International Solutions Limited, Worldpay K.K., Worldpay LLC, Worldpay Latin America Limited., Worldpay Limited., Worldpay Marketing Consulting Shanghai Co. Limited, Worldpay NZ Limited, Worldpay Payments Barbados SRL, Worldpay Pte Ltd., Worldpay Pty Ltd., Worldpay S.a.r.l., Worldpay Services Company, Worldpay Services SRL, Worldpay Solutions SRL, Worldpay Technology Bucharest S.R.L., Worldpay Treasury Solutions SRL, Worldpay UK Limited, Worldpay US Inc., Worldpay eCommerce LLC, Worldpay eCommerce Limited., Xpede, YES-Secure.com Limited., YESpay International Limited., Zenmonics Inc., Zenmonics Software Private Limited, eFunds Corporation, eFunds Holdings Limited, eFunds International Limited, i DLX International B.V., and mFoundry Inc..

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Fortune Brands Home & Security, Inc. provides home and security products for residential home repair, remodeling, new construction, and security applications. It operates in three segments: Plumbing, Outdoors & Security, and Cabinets. The Plumbing segment manufactures, assembles, and sells faucets, accessories, kitchen sinks, and waste disposals under the Moen, ROHL, Riobel, Victoria+Albert, Perrin & Rowe, and Shaws brands in the United States, China, Canada, Mexico, Southeast Asia, Europe, and South America directly through its own sales force, as well as through independent manufacturers' representatives to wholesalers, home centers, mass merchandisers, and industrial distributors. The Outdoors & Security segment offers fiberglass and steel entry door systems under the Therma-Tru brand; storm, screen, and security doors under the Larson brand; composite decking and railing under the Fiberon brand; and urethane millwork under the Fypon brand. This segment also manufactures, sources, and distributes locks, safety and security devices, and electronic security products under the Master Lock and American Lock brands; and fire resistant safes, security containers, and commercial cabinets under the SentrySafe brand. It serves home centers, hardware and other retailers, millwork building products and wholesale distributors, specialty dealers, and remodeling and renovation markets, as well as locksmiths, industrial and institutional users, and original equipment manufacturers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Central America, Japan, and Australia. The Cabinets segment manufactures custom, semi-custom, and custom cabinetry, as well as vanities for the kitchen, bath, and other parts of the home directly to kitchen and bath dealers, home centers, wholesalers, and builders in North America under the AOK, Diamond Brands, Homecrest, Kitchen Craft, Omega, and EVE brands. The company was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois.
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..

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Trinity Industries, Inc. provides rail transportation products and services under the TrinityRail name in North America. It operates in two segments, Railcar Leasing and Management Services Group, and Rail Products Group. The Railcar Leasing and Management Services Group segment leases freight and tank railcars; originates and manages railcar leases for third-party investors; and provides fleet maintenance and management services. As of December 31, 2021, it had a fleet of 106,970 owned or leased railcars. This segment serves industrial shipper and railroad companies operating in agriculture, construction and metals, consumer products, energy, and refined products and chemicals markets. The Rail Products Group segment manufactures freight and tank railcars for transporting various liquids, gases, and dry cargo; and offers railcar maintenance and modification services. This segment serves railroads, leasing companies, and industrial shippers of products in the agriculture, construction and metals, consumer products, energy, and refined products and chemicals markets. It sells or leases products and services through its own sales personnel and independent sales representatives. Trinity Industries, Inc. was incorporated in 1933 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Lord Flight is Chairman of Flight & Partners Recovery Fund, and is a former Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

The continuing flow of US fines on British banks for regulatory breaches prompted me to enquire as to the total fines levied on British banks by US Authorities and vice versa. The House of Lords Library kindly investigated the figures for me, including all fines issued by the various Regulatory or Justice authorities in the UK against banking institutions headquartered in the US and again vice versa.

The cumulative totals cover the period 2012  2017. The cumulative total imposed by UK Regulators against US-headquartered banks was 737,246,200. The cumulative total imposed by US Regulators against UK-headquartered banks was $9,541,000,000  approximately ten times the fines imposed by UK Regulators.

I view this as outrageous. A major cause of the 2007-08 financial crisis was reckless mortgage lending, encouraged by the legal requirements of the US Government. Much of the mortgage lending was packaged into anonymous collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) and sold on to the banking system throughout Europe. At the time, the Bank of England estimated that UK banks would need to write off 123 billion against CDOs, with continental European banks needing write off 628 billion.

Actual figures have been larger than these estimates. Securitised packages of CDO mortgages were structured to include good and bad loans, and were cut and diced so that some packages included different parts of the mortgage obligations. There was no transparency  the instruments were mostly owned by off balance sheet financing vehicles. The banks were foolish to buy them, because they had AAA credit ratings.

The origin of this toxic US mortgage lending was Bill Clintons extension of the Community Redevelopment Act, designed to encourage minority home ownership. This obliged Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac to provide large and easy mortgage lending terms to underprivileged Americans, and led to the creation of the market in high risk, sub-prime securitised mortgage loans, on a massive scale. Both the US Government and Central Banks encouraged the securitisation of these mortgage loans, which was seen as both a way of spreading banking risk and making such mortgage loan financing packages more liquid.

After two years of falling US house prices, the more prudent US and UK banks began to realise in the summer of 2007 that many of the CDO packages they held contained a significant element of bad lending, which was unlikely to be repaid. The banks had bought them on the basis of their mistaken AAA credit agency ratings, and frequently did not fully understand the risks which they contained. The inter-bank market in CDOs then went illiquid, in turn putting pressure on the overall liquidity of the banking system in both the US and the UK.

Given that the US was largely responsible for the 2007-08 financial crisis, it is surely wholly inappropriate that it has levied ten times the volume of fines imposed by the UK authorities. The US Regulators have, in effect, helped themselves to 7 billion of British banks capital and British pension funds investments in British banks. In addition, highly doubtful CDOs packaged and sold by US banks to European banks contained over 1,000 billion of losses.

It surprises me that the UK Government and UK Regulators appear to have accepted what has happened, where they might at least have considered imposing fines at a similar level to the US and considered pursuing US banks or, potentially, US Government Agencies, for the massive losses to the banking system resulting from highly suspect US CDOs sold from the US to EU banks.

Lets all work together to keep Corbyn and McDonnell out of government

For any sensible citizen  a category that includes a lot of sensible Labour MPs  the crucial political objective must be to keep Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell out of Government. They would wreck our economy and as has been witnessed already, their supporters behave in an undemocratic fashion.

For the Conservative Party, and in particular the Cabinet and MPs, the task is blindingly obvious  to get on with negotiating a sensible Brexit and to shut up feeding hungry journalists divisive stories. Theresa May both deserves sympathy and respect for what she has been through and has the support of Conservative MPs to get on with the job of being Prime Minister. Foolish tittle-tattle can only benefit Messrs Corbyn and McDonnell and their gang.
Nadhim Zahawi is MP for Stratford On Avon.

For the last few weeks, two international crises have dominated news coverage in the UK. The first of which is the continuing and troubling efforts of the North Korean regime to develop nuclear weapons.

We have seen test after test of ever more advanced weaponry from Kim Jong Un, and the most recent test indicated a range that could threaten most of the United States mainland. Despite efforts from America, South Korea and Japan to demonstrate their defensive capabilities, and diplomatic attempts to pacify the regime, the threat only seems to intensify. The regime has responded by promising more tests, which will only condemn the region to an ever worsening security situation. And it will increase the pressure on Donald Trump to respond.

The other crisis attracting the attention of international observers has of course been the terrible situation in Venezuela. The countrys people are starving and hospitals have run out of medicine, while Nicolas Maduro, the President, marches away from the difficulties of democracy, and brutally crushes any form of dissent against him. We in the UK have a particular interest in the situation. After all, the leader of the Labour party has frequently held Venezuela and Maduro up as showing another way  an alternative to austerity, and has yet to consider even the smallest criticism of him, even as his regime murders protesters.

It is understandable that these issues are keeping us occupied. However, there is another key international situation that we should perhaps be paying a bit more attention to. Right now, two armies from nuclear-powered nations are squaring off on a high plateau in the Himalayas, in response to the proposed building of a new road on those disputed lands. And the situation appears to be getting worse by the day.

China and India are countries with numerous outstanding border disagreements that they usually manage to largely ignore. But in a region known as Doklam in Bhutan and India, and as Donglang in China, we are seeing one of the worst disputes between these nations in decades. The essence of the crisis is that, although they both view the territory as their own, Bhutan and China have a long-standing agreement to maintain peace and the status quo in the region.

Now China is trying to build a new road, which has been seen as an attempt to alter the status quo. And although India does not have their own claim on the territory, they do support their close ally Bhutans claim  so in June it sent troops to halt construction. Indias view is that China has crossed Bhutans border, and illegally started building a road. Meanwhile, China says that India has sent troops onto its own territory. Now both sides have troops stationed just metres apart, and there appears to be little imminent solution. Diplomatic statements from both sides have become increasingly aggressive, and China has started to make veiled threats of war.

This aggressiveness about disputed territories, and attempts to shore up territorial claims through bulldozers and construction, has become a feature of Chinas foreign policy in recent years. Weve previously seen it in the South China sea, where China has artificially expanded tiny islands and built military bases to further excessive claims. Whenever smaller countries try to push back they are bullied, and when the US Navy sails through what should still be international waters they are threatened. The evidence is mounting that China, coupled with an ever more fervent domestic nationalism, is seeking to become a much more aggressive and dominant player in Asia.

There was much disappointment when Barack Obama announced his pivot to Asia, and even described himself as the first Pacific President. Some have claimed that it was his biggest foreign policy mistake, as he took his nations eye off the ball in the Middle East, and ignored an ever more manipulative Russia. However, he was right that we must be aware of what China is doing, and awake to the consequences. We must devote resources both to understanding their motives, and to mitigate the impacts on their near neighbours interests and our own. International order requires states willing to preserve the status quo  and that is what is under threat.

Indeed, this was a partial reason behind the planned Trans Pacific Partnership (although preliminary negotiations started under George W.Bush), which Trump was short-sighted in immediately scrapping. The Wests allies in Asia need to be looked after, and they need to have a firm political and economic commitment to their wellbeing from us all, now and in the future.

Whether it is disputed islands or disputed highlands, the Chinese government is increasingly willing to threaten a more aggressive stance to get their way. The nations of that region deserve our protection, and they also deserve to be free from intimidation. In conjunction with our allies, we need to start getting a strategy together about how to maintain the status quo in Asia. Its in all of our best interests.
Channel programs News

The Top 100 Executives Of 2017

CRN Staff

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With digital transformation in full swing, the leaders making the grade in the 2017 CRN Top 100 class are adept at making big, bold technology bets and then executing on those gambits in the sales trenches.

That kind of leadership is particularly evident in the choice of Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell, the onetime PC pioneer and technology whiz kid turned industry disrupter, as the No. 1 executive on our Most Influential list.

Dell pulled off the biggest acquisition in the history of the IT business and then distinguished himself this year by expertly managing the integration of storage market leader EMC into Dell and personally leading the sales charge of the combined company.

Partners say Dell's hands-on role driving the channel sales engine has been a critical factor in the success of the $67 billion blockbuster acquisition of EMC. With the one-year anniversary of the deal on the horizon, partners say Dell is delivering big time for customers and the channel.

Douglas Grosfield, CEO of Five Nines IT, a Kitchener, Ontario, strategic service provider that is driving digital transformation with a portfolio of recurring revenue services, says leaders like Michael Dell are thriving in the digital transformation era because of their ability to buck the status quo.

"Michael is a different breed," said Grosfield. "He has that desire to do something different rather than stick to the old ways of thinking and business. He is truly merging together products and services at Dell that makes it a wholly different company than it was a year or two ago. Michael had the foresight to look ahead, go to where the puck is going and then roll up his sleeves and do the hard work to make it happen. I think his shareholders are going to see the benefits of his foresight in the next few years."

Grosfield, who sold his MSP business nearly two years ago to start Five Nines as a new-era strategic service provider, said Dell is the perfect role model for the digital transformation era. "Service providers have had to do the same thing when it comes to reinventing their own business," he said.

It's not just Dell that has exhibited the technology and digital transformation skills that are driving a dramatic shift to the strategic service provider business model in the channel.

Our No. 1 choice in the Disrupter category -- Keerti Melkote, the co-founder of Aruba Networks, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise subsidiary -- is a technology visionary who continues to drive robust double-digit sales growth in the channel trenches. At the same time, Melkote continues to push the software technology envelope with a new core network switch and operating system and an upcoming SD-WAN offering.

Our top Innovator, Hewlett Packard Enterprise President Antonio Neri, a 22-year HPE veteran who remains an engineer at heart, has put HPE at the top of the next-generation infrastructure pyramid with game-changing acquisitions like SimpliVity and Nimble and then backed it up with an all-out HPE channel sales offensive.

In the Sales Leader category, our choice for No. 1 is still Bill Lipsin, the driving force behing a robust increase in NetApp's channel business in the past two years, who is leaving the company effective Aug. 18. Lipsin, a 12-year channel sales eteran, provided the channel and technology leadership at a time when NetApp had fallen behind its peers in both product development and sales.

Grosfield says it is the businesses and customers that embrace digital transformation that will thrive in a market that is moving at an ever faster and faster clip.

"I have been in this industry 25 years and built several companies and I have never seen this business move faster than it is now," he said. "I have never seen the absolute requirement to adapt to change as quickly as I am today in the strategic service provider era"

"Those companies not embracing digital transformation are destined to die a 'death by a thousand cuts,'" said Grosfield, whose sales are up 400 percent this year with profits more than double the traditional solution provider business model.

"You have to lead customers to the promised land in spite of their reluctance to do so," added Grosfield. "Their businesses depend on being able to embrace emerging technologies to gain competitive advantage. The hard reality of business is you have to evolve or you get left behind. The businesses that evolve are going to shape our world for the next several decades. Executives like Michael Dell are on the leading edge of this change."

The 25 Most Influential Executives Of 2017

Here we present this year's class of the 25 Most Influential individuals in the technology industry.

The Top 25 Disrupters Of 2017

As part of the Top 100 Executives Of 2017, CRN looks at 25 execs that are throwing a curveball at the technology world.

The Top 25 Innovators Of 2017

As part of the Top 100 Executives Of 2017, CRN looks at 25 execs that are setting the tone in the technology world.

The Top 25 Channel Sales Leaders Of 2017

As part of the Top 100 Executives of 2017, CRN looks at 25 channel sales executives that really stood out as they worked to bring success to their partners.
American Cruise Lines announced it will be adding a new itinerary to its 2018 cruise schedule. The 11-day American Revolution Cruise visits the most historically significant ports along the Chesapeake Bay, according to the company.

The new American Constitution will offer the sailing.

The itinerary features several new ports: Washington D.C., Chestertown, MD, and Mt. Vernon, VA. In the nations capital, guests can enjoy a guided tour of the National Mall or private tours of any of the Smithsonian Museums. In Chestertown, guests can visit the Schooner Sultana, a replica of the Royal Naval Frigate Sultana that served in the British Navy from 1768 to 1772. At Mt. Vernon the lines experts guide visitors through George Washingtons Estate.

Guests will also travel to the last battlefield of the Revolutionary War in Yorktown and the first English settlement in Jamestown.

The Chesapeake Bay has an incredibly rich history and we are excited to offer an itinerary that showcases these great cities that shaped our nation, said Timothy Beebe, Vice President of American Cruise Lines.

In addition to the onshore enrichment, Americans onboard expert will be Dr. Harold Cones, a distinguished Professor of Biology, Emeritus at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA, where he worked for 40 years. Overall, he is a broadly trained naturalist, consultant, and nature writer that arranges and conducts outdoor travel experiences while developing, arranging and leading tours as a study leader for the Mariners' Museum in Newport News.

The new cruise will sail round-trip from Baltimore for guests convenience. Cruises will begin in the spring of 2018 aboard the brand new American Constitution. Available dates are April 28, May 8, October 29, and November 8, 2018 and reservations are now being accepted.
NAFCU President and CEO Dan Berger on Friday wrote House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight Chairman Ann Wagner, R-Mo., to correct the mistruths and half-truths asserted to the lawmaker last week by the Independent Community Bankers of America about credit unions.

The ICBA, referencing the fees the NCUA has paid in its legal contracts, asserted in a letter to Wagner that this burdens taxpayers. The group then proceeded to restate its long-running complaints about the tax-exempt status of the nations not-for-profit, member-owned credit unions, credit union powers generally and credit union member business lending in particular.

Berger pushed back on those claims, noting first that credit unions and their members  not Treasury and taxpayers  pay for the NCUAs costs. But he welcomed the notion of another look at credit union powers. The ICBA did get one thing right: Congress does need to take a look at the Federal Credit Union Act, he wrote. We support Congress modernizing credit union powers and ensuring that the agency has the tools and flexibility it needs to help credit unions continue to thrive in the 21st century.
As many of you are aware, the Kindness Rock Project has been circulating throughout the country with a simple goalto promote random acts of kindness to unsuspecting recipients. My project is to take this one step further and incorporate our credit union message and awareness on the rocks. This is a fun way to invite your community together and inform them about the credit union difference. Our rocks will display messages such as Join Today, I Love My Credit Union, People Helping People. We will write positive messages on them along with our office location and invite people to become a member to experience the credit union difference. This is a fun and inexpensive way to promote credit union awareness. We can place them throughout our credit union locations and in our serving counties to promote membership growth. We will share member testimonies and encourage others to share their credit union stories. I am excited to be a part of the credit union movement and would like to spread awareness to our local communities in which we serve as well as encourage other credit unions to join in on the fun and share the same messages.

Some fun ideas that I will be incorporating into my project is holding a Family Fun Day at our local parks in the counties that we serve. This will be open for the entire community to attend, including members and non-members. Several stations will be set up to allow the kids and their parents to participate in the rock painting. Along with the rocks that are painted by the community, I will include Special Rocks. The Special Rocks will be hidden throughout the community. When the rock is found, they can return it to Long Reach Federal Credit Union and we will make a donation of $25.00 to their charity of choice or provide them with a membership if they are not currently a member. They will also receive a credit union promotional item of their choice. Financial Literacy and information about the credit union will also be available for handouts. This will provide a list of products and services that we offer and an invitation to encourage them to join the credit union if they arent currently a member.
Sasol Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated chemical and energy company in South Africa. The company operates through six segments: Mining, Gas, Fuels, Chemicals Africa, Chemicals America, and Chemicals Eurasia. It offers acetate, acrylate monomer, ammonia, carbon, chlor alkali, explosive, fertilizer, glycol ether, hydrocarbon blend, inorganic, ketone, mining, polymer, and wax chemicals, as well as lacquer thinners, light alcohols, and phenolics or cresylic acids. The company also markets and sells brick, electrical, engine, hand, non-ferrous, and window cleaners, as well as parts wash products and super soaps; degreasers; bitumen, fuel oils, lubricants, motor fuels, and gas-to-liquid fuels; and other fuels, such as illuminating paraffin, light cycle and distillate oils, light straight run fuels, and synthetic paraffinic kerosene. In addition, it wholesales diesel and petrol; operates coal mines; offers engineering services; and develops lower carbon solutions. Further, the company explores, develops, produces, markets, and distributes natural gas and related products through pipelines. It serves adhesive, agriculture and forestry, automotive and transportation, aviation, burner fuel, chemical, construction and material, corrosion protection, electrical and electronic, flavor and fragrance, furniture, health and medical, household and consumer goods, industrial product, lubricant, manufacturing, mining, packaging, paint and coating, personal care, pharmaceutical, plastic and polymer, publishing and ink, pulp and paper, rubber and tyre, specialty graphite, steel and foundry, textile and leather, water treatment, and other industries. Sasol Limited was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Cross-border payment network Earthport announced on Monday that it partnered with Access Bank , one of Africa's foremost financial institutions, to provide delivery of cross-border payment services into Nigeria.

The AIM-traded firm described Access Bank as one of Nigeria's leading financial institutions, and had a strong focus on servicing the Nigerian diaspora.

It is with great pleasure that Access Bank is partnering with Earthport, a reputable global payment network, to meet the needs of our customers who require a sound and reliable international payment platform, said Access Bank Nigeria executive director Victor Etuokwu.

As a top player in the remittance industry in Nigeria, our wide branch network and large customer base will be invaluable to this partnership and we are confident that this relationship will be a mutually beneficial one to both parties.

This alliance also supports the bank's vision of being 'the world's most respected African bank' and our mantra of speed, service and services.

Earthport said the new payment channel had been created in direct response to the need for more effective servicing of remittances and low-value payments sourced from outside the country, which now totalled an estimated $19bn per year, representing 4.7% of the country's GDP.

The partnership was part of Earthport's longer term strategy of expansion into the African continent.

We are delighted to be partnering with Access Bank to extend our global payment network into Nigeria, which is undergoing a rapid transformation, said Earthport CEO Hank Uberoi.

With this comes a growing demand for efficient cross-border payment services, which Earthport will deliver to this important market, together with innovative solutions for financial inclusion.

This is also a significant step in the expansion of Earthport's global footprint.
The UK's was accused of being a bit absent from Brexit negotiations, a former head of the Foreign Office said.

Sir Simon Fraser, head of the diplomatic service at the Foreign Office until 2015, told the BBC initial formal talks on Britain's departure from the European Union had not started well due to infighting among cabinet ministers.

"The negotiations have only just begun, I don't think they have begun particularly promisingly, frankly, on the British side," he said.

"We haven't put forward a lot because, as we know, there are differences within the cabinet about the sort of Brexit that we are heading for and until those differences are further resolved I think it's very difficult for us to have a clear position."

"I think so far we haven't put much on the table apart from something on the status of nationals, so we are a bit absent from the formal negotiation."

Fraser said the government needed to make public its position on matters such as future customs arrangements and the Northern Irish border in the coming weeks.

"I think we need to demonstrate that we are ready to engage on the substance so that people can understand what is really at stake here and what the options are," he said.

Downing Street was forced to deny weekend reports that Britain is prepared to pay a do-called divorce bill of up to 36bn, to kick-start the exit talks.

The EU has insisted it will not discuss future trade until substantial progress has been made on the financial settlement, EU citizens and Northern Ireland.
Analysts at Barclays Research stuck to a 'positive' stance on European Aerospace & Defence names, but again sounded a cautious note on Rolls Royce and BAE Systems , although they revised their target price on shares of the former higher.

Acting as a bakckdrop, over the first half of the year expectations had moderated with respect to the overarching growth prospects for Defence companies, they said, as seen by the more compressed multiples for BAE, Leonardo and Qinetiq.

In the civilian space, stronger-than-expected traffic figures had yet to have a meaningful impact on after market-exposed names, they explained.

Meanwhile, in original equipment manufacturers continued headlines around US rival Pratt & Whitney's geared turbofan (GTF) and strength in the single currency had triggered profit-taking after a "good" nine-month run.

However, that meant the analysts were now even more convinced about the long-term merits of stock in Airbus, in particular. Barclays also reiterated its 'overweight' recommendation on shares of Meggitt and GKN.

Their target prices for those two names were kept at 540p and 390p, respectively.

Regarding GKN, Barclays said the downside risk to the shares from a worsening auto market was now "more than in the price".

"The strategy of trying to operate with competitive advantage via leadership positions or significant share in chosen markets is sound in spite of the groups conglomerate structure which lacks synergy."

For Rolls Royce, the analysts raised their target after deciding to maintain their 8% yield on the shares (instead of 5% like the rest of the market), which they said was more appropriate for such a volatile name. The new target was also now premised, like the market view, on the company's guidance for free cash flow of about 1bn in 2020.

However, they cautioned that FCF in that year looked more likely to be a "sweet spot in time" (assuming Boeing produced its new mid range aircraft with an entry into service date of around 2025), instead of a "bedrock from which cash builds thereafter."

Nevertheless, the target price for Rolls went up from 480p to 600p.

On Airbus, they expected free cash flow generation to compound "materially" after 2020, as the A350 moved into breakeven and the A320 mix continued to improve.

In their opinion, the pan-European aerospace giant merited a 5% yield, which implied a 122 share price - for roughly 70% of potential upside.

With a 12-month view, Barclays upped its target on Airbus shares from 78 to 86.

On a related note, it said that "while the UK mid cap names of Qinetiq, Ultra Electronics and Chemring imply comparable upside to Airbus, we believe these are deserving of a small-company discount given higher earnings volatility."
Tuesday continues a much quieter week as a minority of companies report while their rivals are sunning themselves on the beach, including Standard Life, InterContinental Hotels, Bellway and Rotork.

Standard Lifes merger with Aberdeen is due to complete on 14 August, so Tuesday's interims will be the last set of numbers produced on a standalone basis.

In May, the company said it had assets under administration as of 31 March of 361.7bn, up from end-December's 357.1bn.

By the end of June, total group AuM from continuing operations are expected to be 365.8bn, UBS forecast, with total inflows of 0.9bn. IFRS operating profits are forecast to rise 2% to 347m driven by the investments arm driving fee revenue growth and UK and Europe, with Pensions and Savings net inflows seen as stable. An interim dividend of 7.0p was estimated.

Deutsche Bank predicted profits of 344m compared with 341m in the first half last year, on the assumption of declining profits from the groups spread-based businesses to 29m from 63m, which investors are expected to ignore both because of the one-off nature of any positive / negative surprises and the fact that these operations are in the long-term non-core. Deutsche's view is that "the shares now need material evidence of recovering net inflows or imminent M&A to justify the current rating" of more than 12 times 2019 earnings. "Another possible driver of the recent share price strength is the increased index weighting of the combined group if this is the case, then we would expect some weakness post 14th August as the index buying is satisfied".

InterContinental Hotels is also putting out its half-year results, with its shares slowing their rise but still enjoying upward momentum. IHG last updated the market on trading in early May, when revenue per available room was up 2.7% globally.

Since then, noted broker Numis, market data for the US shows a slight deceleration from 3.2% to 2.4%. "In our view demand is relatively robust (c.2%) but supply growth has started to pick up and is now running at just over 1.8% US-wide and at double

digit rates in certain markets As a result RevPAR growth is starting to normalise, which is unsurprising for a hotel cycle now into its 8th year of positive growth," analysts wrote, forecasting EBIT growth of 5%, enhanced at the EPS line by the $1.9bn cumulative capital return from the last two years.

UBS forecast revenues of $882m with revpar growth of circa 3%, EBIT of $369m and net income of $224m (up from $203m last time).

Bookmaker Paddy Power Betfair already released the top-line figures of its results after pre-announcing that chief executive Breon Corcoran was stepping down after 16 years in the job. The company said revenue growth would be up 9% and underlying EBITDA up 21% when it reports on Tuesday. Guidance was given for full year 2017 underlying EBITDA, including the impact of the acquisition of DRAFT, of between 445m and 465m.

Housebuilder Bellway has already guided for volume growth to approach 10% year-on-year and low single digit average selling price growth for full year results. Furthermore, Bellway had guided for EBIT margins in excess of 22%.

Numis predicted the main focus of the statement will be on current trading trends and the strength of the order book. "We suspect that the group will have continued to trade well and a continuation of such trends would make our FY2018 estimates look very cautious. In our view Bellway remains one of he most attractive housebuilders in the sector given its conservative guidance, strong profit growth, strong balance sheet and it's rating discount to the wider sector."

Paysafe, which is currently subject to an preliminary offer from CVC/Blackstone, is also due to report interim results. Any update on the takeover "will be key", said UBS, "particularly whether we will get any visibility on what value is being generated from the Asia Gateway". Regarding results themselves, analysts expect the focus to be on organic growth and EBITDA margins, with the company having guided for margins to expand slightly on a full year basis.

Pets at Home will report a trading update for the first quarter, with much focus likely to be on the impact of price investment on the Merchandise division. At the preliminary results stage management highlighted a positive response to the pricing initiative with a 1.0% like-for-like improvement in the initial period. Analysts at Shore Capital said they were forecasting a fairly conservative quarter "as we feel it is very much early days in terms of how management strategy is shaping trading", but the merchandise developments "could ease recent sentiment on the core business and also give management the confidence to extend the depth of its strategy".

Rotork reported an in-line first quarter, with order input up 2.7% on constant currency while sales were down 1.4%. This suggested a slightly slow start to the year on deliveries, said UBS, noting that oil & gas remained challenging in downstream, while upstream/midstream improved, power and industrial markets were good and water flat. Management have guided for an second-half bias to profits for the full year with margins expected to be down in the first half. "The focus will be on outlook for H2, as well as an update on end-market trends, especially in the context of the recent weakening of the oil price from its highs," UBS said.



Synthomer also is due to update on its first half performance, having issued full year guidance for resilient trading in Europe and Asian nitrile continuing to be affected by additional industry capacity, although partially offset by a full year of Performance Adhesives & Coatings and 10 months of Perstorp Belgium. Deutsche forecast H1 underlying PBT to be up 15% to 70m, driven by FX, growth in Europe & North America and the Hexion and Perstorp Belgium acquisitions.

Tuesday August 08

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

Balance of Trade (GER) (07:00)

Current Account (GER) (07:00)

FINALS

Hargreaves Services

INTERIMS

Clarke (T.), InterContinental Hotels Group, IWG , Mereo Biopharma Group, Morgan Sindall Group, Mporium Group, Paddy Power Betfair, Paysafe Group , Polypipe Group , Quarto Group Inc., Rotork, SIG, Standard Life, TP ICAP, Verona Pharma, Worldpay Group, Zotefoams

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENT

Bellway, Henderson Group, IWG , Mereo Biopharma Group, Pets at Home

GMS

Milestone Group

AGMS

Frutarom Industries Ltd GDR (Reg S), Tata Steel Ltd GDR (Reg S)

TRADING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Bellway, Clarke (T.), Pets at Home Group

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

VP

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

JPMorgan Asian Investment Trust
News that the Chinese government had asked steel producers in the country's four northern regions to cut output during the winter stoked gains in steel and iron ore prices.

Officials in Beijing asked the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Shandiong and Henan - alongside existing curbs in Beijing and Tianjin - to slash production by half during the peak winter heating months, lasting from late November to end February, in order to curb their emissions.

The Shanghai Futures Exchange's most active rebar contract rose by its daily limit of 7% at one point during the session to 4,013 yuan ($811 a tonne) - its loftiest mark since April 2013.

That dragged iron ore futures on the Dalian Commodity Exchange higher as well, with the most heavily traded contract gaining as much as 7.3% to 587.50 yuan a tonne - its highest level since 21 March.

Monday's headlines pushed shares of Anglo American, Glencore and BHP Billiton all higher.
Fresh sanctions handed down to North Korea by the United Nations have been swiftly denounced by Pyongyang, as it threatened action of its own against the US.

The UN Security Council agreed on imposing the new sanctions in response to the acceleration of the regimes missile programme.

The resolution will ban North Korean exports and limit investments in the country as tensions rise further between the regime and Western powers.

In a statement via state media on Monday, the regime led by Kim Jong-un said it would not negotiate with the West when it comes to its nuclear programme so long as it was being threatened by the US.

"There is no bigger mistake than the United States believing that its land is safe across the ocean," the statement posted to state news site KCNA added.

The resolution will ban North Korean exports and limit investments towards the country

US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley had said during a Security Council meeting that Washington would continue to conduct joint military exercises in neighbouring South Korea, adding that the problem was growing more dangerous.

"We should not fool ourselves into thinking we have solved the problem. Not even close. The North Korean threat has not left us, it is rapidly growing more dangerous," Haley said.

Following a meeting of a regional security group in Manila on Monday, the US, along with Japan and Australia, urged the international community to strictly implement the new sanctions.

It was estimated that the bans on exports of coal, iron, lead and other North Korean products would subtract as much as $3bn from the countrys annual export revenues.
Most European stock benchmarks had moved slightly into the red come midday are trading as the single currency staged a small bounced back despite strength in miners' shares.

As of 1205 BST, the benchmark Stoxx 600 was off by 0.19% or 0.74 points to 381.79, alongside a dip of 0.03% or 1.76 points to 5,201.68 for the Cac-40, although Italy's FTSE Mibtel was ahead by 0.16% or 34.34 points at 21,969.25.

On Friday, stronger-than-expected reading on the state of the US jobs market for July led to a sharp bounce in the US dollar, albeit from the more than two-year lows at which it was trading at the time. Yet come Monday morning that recovery appeared to be fizzing out, despite the release of weak German industrial output figures.

"The wider question with respect to Fridays rebound is whether it will materially alter sentiment surrounding the US dollar which has gone from being overwhelmingly bullish at the beginning of the year to overwhelmingly bearish in a short space of time.

"This heavy bias towards the downside could result in a squeeze of US dollar short positions and prompt some relief for European equity markets over the next few days, however it is unlikely to change the longer term direction for the US dollar, which unless the Trump administration gets its act together, could well have further to fall," said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

From a sector standpoint, the Stoxx 600's gauge of Basic Resource companies' shares was among the best performers, rising 1.20% to 420.51 on the back of renewed gains for steel and iron ore prices during Chinese trading hours.

Overnight, Beijing asked the provinces of Hebei, Shanxi, Shandiong and Henan - alongside existing curbs in Beijing and Tianjin - to slash their production of steel by half during the peak winter heating months, lasting from late November to end February, in order to curb their emissions.

That saw iron ore and rebar futures jump by their daily limit at one point during the Chinese trading session.

In economic news, German industrial production fell by 1.1% month-on-month in June, missing forecasts for growth of 0.2% and almost fully reversing a gain of 1.2% in the previous month, according to Federal Office of Statistics.

Yet analysts at Capital Economics said they continued to expect German industry to perform well, pointing to forward-looking indicators and gains for industrial orders over the preceding two months to back up their case.

Traders were also keeping a close eye on the start of a two-day meeting of representatives from OPEC nations to analyse member countries' compliance that began on Monday.

In the States, the spotlight will be on Fedspeak, with St.Louis Fed chief James Bullard set to deliver a speech at 1500 BST, followed by his counterpart at the Minneapolis Fed, Neel Kashkari, at 1925 BST.

Fresenius Medical Care announced the purchase of American home dialysis equipment maker NxStage for $2bn in cash.

Year-to-date, European aeronautics champion Airbus had clinched 205 net aircraft orders, the company announced.

Italy's Saipem was expected to come away with an approximately $800m contract for part of a project to construct a refinery in Oman, Reuters reported citing a source with knowledge of the matter.

According to Il Sole 24 Ore, on Monday Vivendi would have to respond to a request from the country's regulator, Consob about whether it had control of Telecom Italia.
Stocks are trading on a slightly mixed note as the single currency bounces back with strength in miners shares helping to offset weakness in exporters.

As of 0906 BST the benchmark Stoxx 600 was off by 0.08% or 0.32 points to 382.21, alongside gains of 0.18% or 9.53 points to 5,211.77 on the Cac-40 and a 0.08% or 15.33 advance in the FTSE Mibtel to 21,953.12.

The Stoxx 600 gauge of Basic Resource companies' shares was among the best performers, rising 1.32% to 420.99 on the back of renewed gains in steel and iron ore prices during Chinese trading hours.

During the previous trading session, stronger-than-expected reading on the state of the US jobs market for July led to a sharp bounce in the US dollar, albeit from the more than two-year lwos at which it was trading at the time. Yet come Monday morning that recovery appeared to be fizzing out, despite the release of weak German industrial output figures.

"The wider question with respect to Fridays rebound is whether it will materially alter sentiment surrounding the US dollar which has gone from being overwhelmingly bullish at the beginning of the year to overwhelmingly bearish in a short space of time.

"This heavy bias towards the downside could result in a squeeze of US dollar short positions and prompt some relief for European equity markets over the next few days, however it is unlikely to change the longer term direction for the US dollar, which unless the Trump administration gets its act together, could well have further to fall," said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

German industrial production fell by 1.1% month-on-month in June, missing forecasts for growth of 0.2% and almost fully reversing a gain of 1.2% in the previous month, according to Federal Office of Statistics.

Yet analysts at Capital Economics said they continued to expect German industry to perform well, pointing to forward-looking indicators and gains for industrial orders over the preceding two months to back up their case.

Traders were also keeping a close eye on the start of a two-day meeting of representatives from OPEC nations to analyse member countries' compliance that began on Monday.

In the States, the spotlight will be on Fedspeak, with St.Louis Fed chief James Bullard set to deliver a speech at 1500 BST, followed by his counterpart at the Minneapolis Fed, Neel Kashkari, at 1925 BST.

Fresenius Medical Care announced the purchase of American home dialysis equipment maker NxStage for $2bn in cash.

Year-to-date, European aeronautics champion Airbus had clinched 205 net aircraft orders, the company announced.

Italy's Saipem was expected to come away with an approximately $800m contract for part of a project to construct a refinery in Oman, Reuters reported citing a source with knowledge of the matter.

According to Il Sole 24 Ore, on Monday Vivendi would have to respond to a request from the country's regulator, Consob about whether it had control of Telecom Italia.
Traders were expected to nudge the top flight index higher on the back of a further dip in the US dollar, amid positive news on the geopolitical front.

The FTSE 100 was being called to start the session 19 points higher at 7,530 as the US dollar index slipped 0.14% to 93.41 points.

Commenting on Monday's market backdrop, CMC Markets UK's chief market analyst, Michael Hewson, said: "The wider question with respect to Fridays rebound is whether it will materially alter sentiment surrounding the US dollar which has gone from being overwhelmingly bullish at the beginning of the year to overwhelmingly bearish in a short space of time.

"This heavy bias towards the downside could result in a squeeze of US dollar short positions and prompt some relief for European equity markets over the next few days, however it is unlikely to change the longer term direction for the US dollar, which unless the Trump administration gets its act together, could well have further to fall."

At the weekened, the United Nations slapped fresh sanctions on Pyongyang which might reduce the country's export earnings by a third.

In parallel, foreign ministers of the ASEAN group of nations reached agreement on a framework to negotiate a code of conduct in the South China Sea, although some market commentary described the news as a 'stalling' tactic on the part of Beijing.

On the domestic front, no major UK data releases are scheduled for Monday.

However, The Sunday Telegraph reported that Westminster was leaning towards paying a 36bn (40bn) divorce bill as the price of leaving the European Union.

It would reportedly be paid in three yearly tranches of 10bn after the UK left the bloc in March 2019, with the remaining amount to be finalised alongside detailed trade talks.

In the States, the spotlight will be on Fedspeak, with St.Louis Fed chief James Bullard set to deliver a speech at 1500 BST, followed by his counterpart at the Minneapolis Fed, Neel Kashkari, at 1925 BST.

Defence specialist sees 2017 weighted towards backhalf

Ultra Electronics's top and bottom lines were little changed at the half-year stage, but the company sounded a confident note on the full-year outlook, pointing to a "strong" order intake during the final part of the reporting period. Over the six months ending on 30 June, the defence and security electronics specialist saw revenues dip by 0.1% to 366.4m, which led to a 0.2% fall in its underlying profits before tax to 52.3m. However, the company's book-to-bill ratio rose slightly, by 1.5% to 1.07 with company boss Rakesh Sharma saying that the board was "pleased" with its current order position.

Betting group Paddy Power Betfair said interim revenue growth would be up 9% and underlying EBITDA up 21% when it reports on Tuesday, adding that Breon Corcoran would be stepping down as CEO after 16 years in the job. It will also confirm that trading is in line with expectations and provide guidance for full year 2017 underlying EBITDA, including the impact of the acquisition of DRAFT, of between 445m and 465m.

Health and safety group Halma has completed two overseas acquisitions in its medical business for the equivalent of 12.1m and 3.4m. The larger is Cardios, a Brazilian specialist in ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, while the other purchase was of a range of non-invasive blood pressure devices.

NewRiver REIT announced on Monday that its chief executive David Lockhart would shortly be undergoing an elective procedure that will require him taking a leave of absence. The FTSE 250 firms board said that during that time, the day-to-day executive responsibilities of the company would be shared between the companys property director Allan Lockhart and its chief financial officer Mark Davies.
Visa 's Consumer Spending Index for the month of July showed a fall in consumer spending for a third consecutive month, the longest such streak since February 2013.

Consumer spending saw an overall annual drop of -0.8% following declines in May and June.

E-commerce transactions increased 3.6% year on year, better than the 2.9% through the same period last year, but expenditures at traditional brick and mortar retailers went down -3.7% on 2016's figures.

The figures were seemingly in line with spending patterns as a whole. Josh Beer, of the Illustrious Pub Company in Cambridgeshire said, "As expected, its been a quieter month for us, with sales down 3% on last year. Were changing our business to accommodate the shift in consumer spending habits and anticipated a slight dip."

The heaviest hit markets were transport and communication, which registered a -6.1% slide in spend, and clothing and footwear which dipped -5.2%.

Annabel Fiddes, Principal Economist at IHS Markit, who conducted the study on behalf of Visa, said: "The Visa UK CSI figures show that consumer spending trends continued to deteriorate in July. Total expenditure fell -0.8% on the year, after similarly marginal reductions in May (-0.9%) and June (-0.2%), to mark the longest period of decline since early-2013."

"Reduced spending comes at a time when the UK economy has been expanding at a relatively modest pace, while households have been facing strong increases in living costs, and a slowdown in earnings growth. Notably, the latest ONS figures show total real pay falling at the quickest pace for nearly three years.

Alongside the renewed squeeze on household budgets, uncertainties linger over the direction of the economy and the outcome of the ongoing Brexit negotiations, which is weighing down consumer confidence. All this makes it seem unlikely that consumer spending will recover in the current challenging conditions, and adds to expectations that the Bank of England will not hike rates anytime soon.
Ultra Electronics's top and bottom lines were little changed at the half-year stage, but the company sounded a confident note on the full-year outlook, pointing to a "strong" order intake during the final part of the reporting period.

Over the six months ending on 30 June, the defence and security electronics specialist saw revenues dip by 0.1% to 366.4m, which led to a 0.2% fall in its underlying profits before tax to 52.3m.

However, the company's book-to-bill ratio rose slightly, by 1.5% to 1.07 with company boss Rakesh Sharma saying that the board was "pleased" with its current order position.

According to Sharma, the company's performance would be more weighted towards the second half of 2017, due to delays in approving the Federal US budget and the impact of the recent UK general election - which had impacted progress on some contract awards.

"Nevertheless, following the strong order intake in the final part of the period, which has continued through July, we are pleased with our current order position," Sharma said.

On a per share basis, underlying profits before tax were ahead by 0.3% to 58.3p.

Sharma also flagged some additional export opportunities which had arisen, such as that for Indian defence systems, which he said was edging closer to closure.

Company efforts to drive greater efficiencies were also ongoing.

Assuming the firm's exchange rate forecasts of 1.30 for the sterling-US dollar exchange rate, management's expectations for the full-year were unchanged.

Over the reporting period, Ultra's debt pile reduced from 2.29 times the company's EBITDA one year ago to 1.78.

The interim dividend was raised by 2.8% to 14.6p.
Sainsburys is taking the axe to more than 1,000 jobs at its head office as part of a giant 500m cost-cutting drive. It is understood that a team of top consultants from McKinsey have been parachuted into the supermarkets headquarters to draw up a staff reduction plan. - The Sunday Telegraph

Brexit negotiators have been accused of trying to "ram through" a 36bn divorce bill while most of the Cabinet is on holiday amid a furious backlash from ministers and senior eurosceptic Conservatives. The Sunday Telegraph yesterday disclosed that senior Whitehall officials have concluded that the offer is the only way to break the deadlock in negotiations and push ahead with discussions on a future trade deal. - The Sunday Telegraph

Some of the Citys biggest banks have been hired by the owners of a mobile phone infrastructure operator to lead what could be a 6bn stock market flotation. Barclays, Goldman Sachs, HSBC and JP Morgan have been appointed to prepare a London listing of Arqiva as its Australian and Canadian backers move ahead with their plans to float the company or sell it to a trade buyer. The Sunday Times

As the latest car figures show that uncertainty over Brexit is helping to drag down sales, motor manufacturers fear the industrys revival over the past couple of decades could be put at risk by Britains departure from the European Union. Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said: A lot of people have spent the best part of decades turning round the industry, when you think back to how it was characterised in the 70s, 80s and into the 90s. It is very different now. It has had very difficult times and it is a cyclical industry, and there is a fear that that success could be put at jeopardy. - Guardian on Sunday

Miners are drawing up proposals for a new charter in South Africa after rejecting the governments latest effort as a dead duck. In a bid to break the deadlock that has gripped the industry, miners are using regular forums to "proactively" feed elements for a new charter to South Africas Chamber of Mines, which has been leading resistance to the governments plans. The dispute has weighed on the share prices of London-listed companies such as Anglo American, Lonmin, South32 and Glencore, which have extensive operations in South Africa. - The Sunday Telegraph

Amec Foster Wheelers North Sea exit is expected to open the door to an influx of American giants into the region. A source close to the British company said its North Sea business will be sold off as a block to quickly clear the way for Wood Groups 2.2bn swoop. Last week, the regulator expressed concerns that the tie-up would strangle competition in the market-hit oil basin. In anticipation of these fears, Amec Foster Wheeler is understood to have approached around 20 likely buyers earlier this summer, shortly after a landslide shareholder vote in favour of the deal. - The Sunday Telegraph
Carr's Group has acquired US nuclear engineering firm ESI Holding Company for up to $20m.

The Carlisle based group saw the purchase as an opportunity to move into the US nuclear market through ESI's vested interest in NuVision Engineering.

NuVision, based in Charlotte, North Carolina is a technology and applications engineering firm focusing on commercial nuclear and power plant facilities, government waste remediation facilities and waste clean-up.

Carr's will pay an initial $11.5m cash, with a further $8.5m payable depending on financial performance, with the initial consideration financed through new and existing debt facilities, and the contingent consideration from NuVision's future retained earnings.

NuVision lists the US Department of Energy as among its clients along with several other nuclear energy suppliers, public utility companies and international governments.

When commenting on the acquisition, chief executive Tim Davies said, "This acquisition lays the foundations for growth into the USA and wider international nuclear markets and provides us with access to specialised IP and a strong pipeline of long term contract opportunities. Additionally, this presents a significant opportunity for us to expand our existing remote handling operations into the USA market."

As of 0825 BST, shares had remained stable, down just 0.50p to 141.00p.
Home Four wheelers Hyundai To Conduct Feasibility Study To Introduce Mini Electric SUV In India oi-Kennedy Paul

India has set itself an ambitious target to go all-electric by 2030. Every carmaker in India is developing cars which will help the country to reduce its carbon imprint on the environment.

Hyundai, India's second largest carmaker, will conduct a feasibility study to introduce a mini electric SUV in India by the middle of 2018. Also, the South Korean company will look at the option of introducing electric versions of the Grand i10 and i20 compact cars as reported by ET Auto.

"Electric cars are a focus for us. We have to go by the government's policy and norms," said Hyundai India MD Y K Koo.

Recommended Video

2018 Hyundai Verna Indian Model Unveiled - DriveSpark

As for the electrifying the Grand i10 and i20, he said "It's better to implement electric cars on lower-segment products. For example, the Grand i10 and i20, small cars are more convenient, more easy, and more practical for electric than bigger-sized vehicles when it comes to the Indian market."

He also said that there is no estimate can be confirmed now on the possibility of setting up an electric vehicles' portfolio in the country. "Hyundai has the electric technology globally. We will consider the next course of action only after completion of the feasibility study."

When asked if the entire portfolio of Hyundai will be electrified, Mr Koo said it's hard to move the whole fleet to electric by 2030; however, he said that several key segments could be upgraded.

"Public transport, ride-sharing and cab aggregators, and some private customers can surely transition to electric."

Also, he added that there is a need for robust infrastructure like charging stations for electric vehicles.

Other manufacturers like Tata Motors have already begun developing electric vehicles in their portfolio. The company is looking at introducing an electric version of its popular Tiago hatchback.

DriveSpark Thinks!

While the 2030 target seems to be stiff and challenging, carmakers should look to develop vehicles which are more accurate to India and the need to reduce the carbon imprint on the environment.
If everything goes to plan, Alex Bellini could become the first person to live on an iceberg, where temperatures hover between 5 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit and gale-force winds blow.

The 38-year-old Italian public speaker and adventurer, who crossed two oceans alone on a row boat and ran across the U.S. in 70 days, recently spoke about his project, Adrift, a years-long ambition to live in a survival capsule on a Greenland iceberg.

Once a suitable iceberg is selected, Bellini plans to conduct research on climate changes affect on ice sheets and to test the limits of human endurance and survival.

Im not in love with Greenland, and Im not personally in love with ice, even though I was born in the mountains, Bellini told IFL Science. [The reason Im doing this] is exploring, knowing, trying to understand how you can cope with unpredictable situations.

According to the Adrift mission website, sensors and devices will be placed on the iceberg to collect real-time data about ice structure and its evolution as it drifts.

This data, never collected before, will help scientists to understand important issues about climate change on Planet Earth, the site states.

Bellini plans to stay in a specially-designed aluminum capsule for up to 12 months or until the iceberg flipsa natural phenomenon that occurs from melting ice and an imbalance in frozen water.

The capsule was developed by a Seattle-based company called Survival Capsule, which designed its patented personal safety system to protect against tsunami events, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and storm surges.

According to a 2015 Outside article, the capsule will carry 300 to 400 kilograms of food, a wind generator, solar panels, and an EPIRB beacon if rescue is needed. It will also be equipped with Wi-Fi, a work table, electronic panels and a foldable bed so Bellini has room to exercise.

Bellini expressed confidence that the product would be strong enough to survive storms or getting crushed by icebergs.

I fell in love with the capsule, he told Outside about the three-meter, ten-person version he selected. Im in good hands.

Other than living in an inhospitable climate and flipping off an iceberg into open waters, the adventurer said that boredom could be his one of his greatest challenges.

As IFL Science reported, Bellini initially wanted to kick off the mission around winter 2018. However, funding issues have stalled the project, and more than $500,000 still needs to be raised.

Learn more about the project in the video above and this FAQ link here.
Costa Rica wants to become the worlds first country to achieve a comprehensive national strategy to eliminate single-use plastics by 2021.

The Central American nation intends to replace these wasteful, ocean-clogging itemssuch as plastic store bags, straws, coffee stirrers, containers and plastic cutleryfor biodegradable or water-soluble alternatives, or products made of renewable materials (think plant starches).

The initiative is led by Costa Ricas Ministries of Health and Environment and Energy with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and from local governments, civil society and various private sector groups.

Costa Rican government officials announced the countrys ambitious plan on June 5, World Environment Day.

Being a country free of single use plastics is our mantra and our mission, according to a joint statement from Environment and Energy minister Edgar Gutierrez, Health minister Maria Esther Anchia, and Alice Shackelford, resident representative for UNDP Costa Rica.

Its not going to be easy, and the government cant do it alone, the statement continues. To promote these changes, we need all sectorspublic and privateto commit to actions to replace single-use plastic through five strategic actions: municipal incentives, policies and institutional guidelines for suppliers; replacement of single-use plastic products; research and developmentand investment in strategic initiatives.

We also need the leadership and participation of all: women, men, boys and girls, the statement notes.

Costa Rica has emerged as an global environmental leader, with its frequent 100 percent renewable energy streaks and its 2021 goal of becoming carbon neutrala deadline set a decade ago.

However, the officials point out in their statement that Costa Ricas impressive environmental record still has room for improvement.

Although the country has been an example to the world by reversing deforestation and doubling its forest cover from 26 percent in 1984 to more than 52 percent this year, today one fifth of the 4,000 tonnes of solid waste produced daily is not collected and ends up as part of the Costa Rican landscape, also polluting rivers and beaches, they explain.

Single-use plastics are a problem not only for Costa Rica but also for the whole world, they add. It is estimated that if the current consumption pattern continues, by 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than fishmeasured by weight. For this reason, we began our journey to turn Costa Rica into a single-use plastic-free zone.

Its a win-win for all: Costa Rica, the people and the planet.
By Carey Gillam

As agrochemical giant Monsanto Co. faces a growing wave of U.S. lawsuits over its top-selling Roundup herbicide line, among its key defense arguments is that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has long backed the safety of the weed-killing products.

And indeed, the EPA has been a stalwart supporter of Monsanto Co.s claims of safety, assuring the public that there is nothing to fear from the companys cocktail of chemicals. But internal agency documents, released in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, indicate that as recently as last year, the agency had holes in its data files when it comes to the actual Roundup formulations used by consumers, farmers and others around the world. The documents also raise questions about how and why regulators for years have failed to require robust testing on what is the worlds most widely used weed killer.

'Secret Docs' Show Monsanto's Attempt to Influence Writers, Bribe Scientists https://t.co/0AqIfexG1R  Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) August 3, 2017

The EPA documents show that only a little more than a year ago, in March and April of 2016, EPA officials were scrambling to gather data on ingredients Monsanto has commonly used to formulate its herbicide products. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup brands as well as hundreds of other herbicides, and the agency has a deep database of studies submitted by Monsanto regarding that specific chemical. But in the EPA records from 2016, the agency is seen urgently asking Monsanto for any studies it could provide analyzing the safety of its fully formulated products and seeking to understand the make-up of formulations used for decades. Even though Monsanto has been selling Roundup herbicides for more than 40 years, the internal agency documents indicate the agency had only sparse information about those formulations.

The EPAs interest in scrutinizing formulations came after the agency was poised to issue an updated favorable risk assessment of glyphosate in 2015. The agency only delayed finalizing that assessment after the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reported in 2015 that there was enough peer-reviewed, published research to classify glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. IARC also noted in its report that there was research showing risks with formulations.

The EPA appeared to be playing catch-up in March of last year when agency officials requested information from Monsanto on the inert ingredients in popular U.S. and European formulations of glyphosate used in the present day and also dating back to the 80s. EPA was particularly interested in information on how glyphosate formulations have changed over time in the last 20-30 years.

The EPA records also show a certain level of double-talk about that lack of data. Even as the agency was working to gather details on the Roundup formulations, the agency was at the same time assuring the public that there was no reason for concern because the EPA had the information needed to gauge the safety of those formulations.

Consider this statement from the agency:

Often, glyphosate products contain water, dyes, and/or surfactants that help facilitate movement of glyphosate into the plant EPA Chemical Review Manager Khue Nguyen wrote in January 2016 to an 83-year-old homeowner who had read about Roundup concerns and written to the agency seeking answers. While manufacturers of pesticide products do not always disclose all other ingredients on their labels  they are required to disclose those ingredients to EPA. Inert ingredients in a product such as Roundup are not of concern for the consumer when pesticide products are used according to the label.

Contrast those public assurances about the EPAs knowledge of Roundup ingredients with an internal discussion documented by Nguyen three months later. In an email dated April 6, 2016, Nguyen reminded five Monsanto executives that the EPA had a time sensitive information requestit needed data, and the notes attached to the email show a particular need for data on glyphosate formulations:

In an effort to resolve questions about the potential toxicity of glyphosate, glyphosate formulations, and any co-formulants (inert ingredients and surfactants), EPA was interested in any data or information Monsanto may have on how the formulations may differ from data on the active ingredient and surfactants independently of one another, the notes attached to Nguyens email state. The notes go on to ask for information about changes in Monsantos Roundup formulation over the years.

The notes state Monsanto indicated that up until 2000, nearly all glyphosate products on the market were its Roundup formulation which used some form of tallow amine as a surfactant. Afterwards, the properties of surfactants used and the ratio of surfactant to active ingredient were changed in most formulations EPA suggested that Monsanto provide in writing any information that documents the changes of glyphosate formulations over time and across the globe.

Subsequent to that meeting, Monsanto did send over some data, and in a follow-up email dated April 18, 2016, an EPA scientist sought clarification about what to look for. Just to be clear on our strategy here, we want to see which of these we have or dont have, and we also want to see if there are any formulation studies that will help our analysis. Does that sound right?

It is heartening that EPA is starting to pay attention to questions about the safety of Roundup formulations, but such evaluations are long overdue and the agencys public assurances of safety despite the lack of data is such hypocrisy, said Michael Hansen, senior staff scientist with the Consumers Union. And its an admission that this is a big problem.

These mixtures, or formulations, have raised concerns with certain independent scientists who say laboratory studies show the combinations of glyphosate with other substances used in Roundup are more toxic that glyphosate alone, and can possibly cause cancer or other health problems. Some research has indicated the formulations can be endocrine disruptors, meaning they have the potential to trigger serious diseases such as cancers, reproductive and developmental problems, and birth defects.

The EPAs knowledgeor lack thereofabout formulated Roundup products is also potentially important to litigation pending against Monsanto. Thousands of people around the United States are suing the chemical company, alleging that not only did Roundup exposure cause them or their loved ones to get cancer, but that Monsanto knew the Roundup formulations could be harmful but covered up the evidence. They also allege that certain EPA officials colluded with Monsanto in the handling of safety assessments, and the EPAs Office of Inspector General (OIG) has confirmed it is probing those concerns.

One ingredient traditionally used in Roundup has been the focus of particular scrutiny as some research has shown that this added ingredient, polyethoxylated tallow amine (POEA), can be extremely damaging to human cells. POEA is a surfactant that helps glyphosate adhere to the leaves of plants. European regulators became so concerned with POEA that in 2016 they agreed to ban it from use as a co-formulant in glyphosate-based herbicides after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), in a 2015 report, said there was insufficient data available to perform a risk assessment on POEA. EFSA stated: Its genotoxicity, long term toxicity/carcinogenicity, reproductive/developmental toxicity and endocrine disrupting potential should be further clarified.

In part of the April 18, 2016 email string with the EPA, a Monsanto executive confirmed the widespread use of POEA in its products, telling the EPA the surfactant system used almost exclusively in Roundup agricultural herbicide formulations globally throughout these two decades (the 1980s and 1990s) contained a polyethoxylated tallow amine surfactant

Monsanto says on its website that tallowamine-based products do not pose an imminent risk for human health when used according to instructions and points out that in 2009 the EPA exempted the surfactant from legal limitations on residues in food, because there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result to the general population

Still, the company itself has admitted a lack of extensive safety tests on its formulated products. In an internal Monsanto email from December 2010, a Monsanto chemistry regulatory affairs manager noted that with regards to the carcinogenicity of our formulations we dont have such testing on them directly The manager went on to explain that the company has extensive testing on glyphosate and some extensive tox testing on the surfactant and should be able to address questions about the safety of its formulations in a confident manner. That email and hundreds of others were obtained by plaintiffs as part of discovery in the lawsuits against Monsanto.

In a 2002 email also obtained as part of discovery in the court case, a Monsanto scientist writes to a colleague, we are in pretty good shape with glyphosate but vulnerable with surfactants. What Ive been hearing from you is that this continues to be the case with these studies  Glyphosate is OK but the formulated product (and thus the surfactant) does the damage. In another 2002 email between the same Monsanto colleagues, the scientist writes, Even though no testing requirements have been implemented for several years now, this damn endocrine crap just doesnt go away, does it.

And in a 2003 email, a Monsanto toxicologist writes, you cannot say that Roundup is not a carcinogen  we have not done the necessary testing on the formulation to make that statement. The testing on the formulations are not anywhere near the level of the active ingredient. We can make that statement about glyphosate and can infer that there is no reason to believe that Roundup would cause cancer.

An EPA spokesman confirmed that the agency does not routinely require long-term toxicity studies for pesticide product formulations as it does for active ingredients like glyphosate. He added, however, that all inert ingredients in pesticide products, must be approved for use by EPA and each component of an inert mixture must be supported by a battery of toxicity data and must be approved for use by EPA.

Further, the EPA spokesman said, If there are data to indicate risk for a formulated mixture, EPA evaluates the potential effects in our risk assessments. The human health risk assessment process is conservative thus ensuring that when a pesticide is used according to the label, people are well protected.

The EPAs recent interest in pursuing questions about formulated glyphosate products was also seen in September 2016, when the agency stated that it was collaborating with the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Division of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to develop a research plan that would evaluate the role of glyphosate in product formulations and the differences in formulation toxicity. The agency acknowledged that currently, the publicly available information regarding non-cancer endpoints for glyphosate and glyphosate formulations is limited.

The status of EPAs involvement in that collaboration is unknown but the NTP confirms on its website that it is undertaking additional research to investigate the potential genetic and mechanistic toxicity of glyphosate and glyphosate formulations.

Still, CropLife America, the lobbying group for Monsanto and other agrochemical industry players, have made it clear such an inquiry is not welcomed. In a letter dated October 2016, CropLife questioned why EPA would collaborate and develop a research program with the National Toxicology Program (NTP) without input from the registrant. That registrant, Monsanto, would be the appropriate source for data EPA might need, CropLife wrote.
Palm oil is not only disastrous for forests and its inhabitants butas it turns outit can also blight our waters and harm marine life.

More than 9,000 tons of palm oil leaked from a cargo ship after a collision in mainland Chinese waters last week, prompting the closure of at least 11 beaches in Hong Kong, sightings of dead fish washing up on beaches and reports of rancid odors wafting from the rotting, congealed mess.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the collision occurred on Thursday but mainland authorities waited until Saturday to report the incident. Hong Kong residents only learned of the spill on Sunday because of the beach closures.

Environmental experts are questioning why the notification was delayed by two days.

For some marine life, two days could be too late, Dr. Tsang Po-keung, an associate professor of science and environmental studies at the Education University of Hong Kong and a member of the governments Advisory Council on the Environment, told SCMP.

Palm oil is an edible form of vegetable oil that comes from pulping the fruit of oil palms. The product is found in everything from ice cream and crackers to detergents and cosmetics. But production of the ubiquitous oil is also known as one of the leading causes of rainforest destruction and among the biggest threats to iconic wildlife species, such as the Sumatran orangutan.

Gary Stokes of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society explained that the palm oil spill in Hong Kong is not hazardous to humans, but the bacteria-laden globules could be harmful to dogs if swallowed.

The start of a red tide event mixed with palm oil, a cocktail that we certainly do not need. Raw palm oil chunks that have been washing up on HK shorelines after a collision in the Pearl River Delta caused a spill of allegedly 9,000+ tons of raw palm oil. Gary Stokes / Sea Shepherd Global

The long-term ecological consequences could also be troublesome. While the substance will break down over the next few days, it is a magnet to bacteria, Stokes wrote on Facebook Sunday.

Problem will be that it will remove oxygen from waters as it breaks down in much the same way as red tide so a big threat to fish and other marine life, he pointed out.

In another post today, Stokes detailed how the leak could affect the larger food chain:

Red tide events do happen, and are brushed off as natural yet these events occur when extra nutrients (sewage) are in the water. Adding palm oil to this cocktail that we call HK Waters begs to question what the outcome will be. What we can guarantee is that its not going to be good for the marine life or environment. Small fish eating raw palm oil, seabirds and dolphins/porpoise eating the small fish as well as the bigger fish that will be eaten by humans. Good time to become a vegetarian/vegan.

Conservationist Robert Lockyer, a resident of Hong Kongs Lamma Island, told the Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) that the leak caused the surrounding beaches to look like winter came early as the white, sticky blobs clung to shorelines.

Just looking at Yung Shue Wan: if this was winter time, you would say that it had snowed. The beach is white. All the sand and all the rocks are covered in white balls of oil. The oil thats out there on the sea has melted, forming a slick on the ocean, he said.

Clumps of palm oil litters Hong Kong beach after spill. Andy Stokes

Lockyer also expressed concerns about the spills risks to marine life.

The oil floating on top of the water is reducing [the] oxygen absorption of fish, meaning that more are dying than usual, he said. Another concern is about the birds: herons and other water birds that dive into the water to catch fish. If they get stuck in the oil, or it coats their wings, these birds may end up drowning.

Cleaning up the mess appears to be a daunting task. Lockyer told HKFP that government workers are struggling to clear the beaches.

They have been out in 35+ deg heat with shovels and bags cleaning Nga Kau Wan Beach, Lockyer wrote on Facebook today. All these workers for two days and yet still only cleaned about 10% of this one beach.

Tomorrow we need as many people as we can to attend Nga Kua Wan Beach on west Lamma, locally known as Tannery Beach. There is still tonnes of it, 80% of the beach still needs cleaning, he added.

Several local organizations have since organized ongoing cleanup operations.
By Andy Rowell

Two months after Donald Trump announced that he intended to pull America out of the Paris agreement, last Friday the State Department submitted the formal notification to the UN to that effect.

We know Trump is walking the wrong way into the history books on this. For all his policy failures and the continuing chaos around the West Wing and the White House, his total disregard for the future of this planet and for future generations is beyond comprehension to anyone but his fossil fuel cronies.

There is no doubt that the decision by the U.S. to pull out of the Paris agreement is what Ed Crooks, the energy correspondent in the Financial Times, called at one level momentous.

It is staggering to say the least that, as Crooks noted, The worlds largest economy and second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases is quitting a deal that the governments of leading European countries have described as a vital instrument for our planet.'

However, here comes the important part: In terms of the consequences for the global energy industry, however, its impact has so far been negligible.

He added, The most important reason for that is that moves towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions are going with the grain of energy markets, regardless of political decisions.

As I have written before, Trump may have wanted the world to follow in ripping up the Paris agreement, in a collected suicide for future generations, but the opposite has happened.

Indeed, former Vice President Al Gore said on television Friday, When he made his speech pulling out of Paris, I really was concerned that some other countries might use that as an excuse to pull out themselves. But the very next day, the entire rest of the world redoubled their commitment to the Paris agreement, as if to say, Well show you, Mr. Trump.'

Gore is not alone in thinking this. As one solar bog noted Monday, A number of political figures and businesses around the U.S. have committed to meeting the Paris accord greenhouse gas targets, despite the withdrawal of the Trump administration from the agreement.

It is not just politicians but the market, too. The market has moved on without Trump. Renewables are overtaking fossil fuels in electricity generation. As I noted on Friday, according to a new analysis of data, last year solar was the star performer in terms of new electricity generation, as renewables once again outstripped fossil fuels.

Not only are renewables rapidly changing the energy market, but the need to act over climate is changing the oil market. Oil companies are now suddenly worried about stranded assets, the reserves of oil and gas that we can no longer afford to burn.

Andrew Grant from Carbon Tracker Initiative, which has worked with Oil Change International and others to put forward the concept, told the Financial Times that suddenly oil companies, after years of resistance, are listening. They are now pushing at an open door.

Just as fossil fuel assets are becoming stranded, so too Trump has become a stranded politician. The New York Times editorial board summed it up nicely last month in a strong editorial, when they said Trump is a climate change loner. And after Fridays formal withdrawal he has even fewer friends, even less respect and even less relevance.
New Delhi: Now China is probably trying to make diplomatic pressure, seeing the threats of war on Indian soldiers lying in the dock. In this order, the New Delhi position, the Chinese diplomats have told Nepali officials about their position on this issue. Discussing this dispute with China in Nepal is very important for two reasons. The first thing is that India shares a triangulation with China and Nepal in a disputed area. Secondly, for the last few days, India is struggling to make an impact on its neighboring Nepal.

Diplomatic sources told that the Chinese Deputy Chief of Mission talked about their Nepali counterpart on the issue of Doklam. The Chinese officer apprised the newly appointed Nepali official about the stand of China. However, this meeting was called courtesy. Similar meetings were held in Kathmandu and Beijing in China and Nepalese officials.

India has not told publicly that it has given information of its stand on other issues to the other. However, a few weeks ago the issue was discussed with American diplomats. Nepal has not sought any information from the Indian authorities till date. However, the intellectual classes of Nepal believe that the long-standing dispute between India, China and Bhutan is not in their interest.

Indeed, Nepal shares two trigons with China and India. One is in West Nepals Lipukhal and the other is located in the eastern part of Jansing Chuli. In the past, Nepal has been concerned about the script. It falls in the disputed Blackayan area, on which both India and Nepal have been claiming. In 2015, PM Narendra Modi decided to increase trade with China through Lipukhal pass. Nepal was quite upset with this move. In his Parliament, there was a demand that the mention of the script should be removed in the Joint Statement of India and China as it is against international rules. The Nepalese Parliament also wanted to know whether the agreement between India and China, whether sovereignty or regional integrity of Nepal had diminished?

Incidentally, big leaders of India and China will tour this month in Nepal. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will go to BIMSTEC next week to attend the meeting. At the same time, the Deputy Prime Minister of China will also be in Nepal on August 14 to meet top leaders. It is expected that the issues related to the debate between Sushma and the Chinese Deputy Prime Minister will be discussed. Indian officials know that there is a big anti-India section in Nepal. Officials know that former PM KP Sharma Oli supporter can present India as an intruder on the issue of the issue. The sight of the Chinese Deputy Prime Minister will also be observed because the way ahead of Nepals decision to join Chinas One Welt One Road (OBOR) project may be set. Despite opposition from India, Nepal agreed to join the OBOR.
BEER-SHEVA, Israel...August 7, 2017 - Early term deliveries impact babies' long-term health with increased risk of diabetes and obesity-related illnesses as well as a shortened life span, according to a new study by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers.

"Early term" is defined as delivery between 37 and 39 weeks. Pregnancy is considered at full term when gestation has lasted between 37 and 42 weeks. Babies born between 39 and 41 weeks of gestation have better outcomes than those born either before or afterward.

In the study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the researchers investigated hospitalizations of children up to age 18 to determine the impact that early-term versus full-term gestation had on pediatric health and hospitalizations. A population-based cohort analysis was conducted of 54,073 early-term deliveries and 171,000 full-term deliveries.

"We found that hospitalizations up to the age of 18 involving endocrine and metabolic morbidity were found to be more common in the early-term group as compared with the full-term group, especially at ages five and older," says Prof. Eyal Sheiner, M.D., Ph.D., a vice dean of the BGU Faculty of Health Sciences (FOHS) and head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Soroka University Medical Center. What's more, "Obesity was significantly more frequent among the early term."

The researchers also discovered that children older than five exhibited significantly higher rates of type I diabetes mellitus when born early term.

"Pregnancies ending at early term were more likely to be complicated by hypertensive disorders and maternal diabetes (both gestational and pre-gestational). Deliveries were more often cesarean, and mean birthweight was significantly smaller," Dr. Sheiner says. "Babies delivered at early term were also more likely to be low birthweight -- less than 5.5 pounds (2.5 kilograms)."

These diseases may increase the likelihood of other associated maladies with a detrimental long-term impact on one's health and well-being, increased lifetime healthcare expenditures and a shorter life span, the researchers conclude.

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Other researchers who participated in the study include Dr. Tamar Weinstock, Dr. Daniela Landau and Ruslan Sergienko of BGU's School of Public Health. Dr. Dorit Paz and Dr. Asnat Walfisch are affiliated with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Soroka University Medical Center.

About American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU) plays a vital role in sustaining David Ben-Gurion's vision: creating a world-class institution of education and research in the Israeli desert, nurturing the Negev community and sharing the University's expertise locally and around the globe. As Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) looks ahead to turning 50 in 2020, AABGU imagines a future that goes beyond the walls of academia. It is a future where BGU invents a new world and inspires a vision for a stronger Israel and its next generation of leaders. Together with supporters, AABGU will help the University foster excellence in teaching, research and outreach to the communities of the Negev for the next 50 years and beyond. Visit vision.aabgu.org to learn more.

AABGU, which is headquartered in Manhattan, has nine regional offices throughout the United States. For more information, visit http://www.aabgu.org.
WASHINGTON (Aug. 7, 2017) -- In a Journal of the American College of Cardiology state of the art review published today, researchers from the division of cardiology and the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at the New York University Medical Center in New York City, examine evidence and guidelines for the prevention of heart disease in Type 2 Diabetes patients.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is one of the leading risk factors for heart disease and the most common cause of death in patients with Type 2 Diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in 3 U.S. individuals may have Type 2 Diabetes by 2050. These patients will comprise an increasingly large portion of the heart disease population. However, less than 50 percent of U.S. adults with Type 2 Diabetes meet recommended guidelines for heart disease prevention.

The researchers wrote, "cardiovascular risk reduction is critically important for the care of patients with diabetes, with or without known CVD and CV risk factors." They state the use of proven medical therapies, such as statins, aspirin and glucose lowering therapies, should be considered along with lifestyle management including exercise, nutrition and weight management, for all Type 2 Diabetes patients. This has the potential to significantly reduce the burden of heart disease among these patients.

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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.

The Journal of the American College of Cardiology ranks among the top cardiovascular journals in the world for its scientific impact. JACC is the flagship for a family of journals--JACC: Cardiovascular Interventions, JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, JACC: Heart Failure, JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology and JACC: Basic to Translational Science--that prides themselves in publishing the top peer-reviewed research on all aspects of cardiovascular disease. Learn more at JACC.org.
Most cancer-related deaths are the result of post-surgical metastatic recurrence. In metastasis, cells of primary tumors travel to other parts of the body, where they often proliferate into inoperable, ultimately fatal growths.

A new Tel Aviv University study finds that a specific drug regimen administered prior to and after surgery significantly reduces the risk of post-surgical cancer recurrence. These medications, a combination of a beta blocker (which relieves stress and high blood pressure) and an anti-inflammatory, may also improve the long-term survival rates of patients. The treatment is safe, inexpensive -- two medications similar in price to aspirin -- and easily administered to patients without contraindications.

The research was led by Prof. Shamgar Ben-Eliyahu of TAU's School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience in collaboration with Prof. Steven Cole of UCLA; Prof. Oded Zmora of Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer; Prof. Eran Sharon of Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson; and Prof. Tanir Ellweiss of Kaplan Medical Center. It was published in Clinical Cancer Research.

Deviating from dogma

"We've taken an unconventional approach, deviating from the current medical dogma that refrains from intervening during the short period surrounding a cancer surgery -- no chemo, radio or immune therapy for at least three weeks before or after surgery," Prof. Ben-Eliyahu said. "Even within the medical establishment, we encountered some levels of disbelief and antagonism. But after conducting ample studies in animal models of cancer, and reviewing the medical literature, we came to the firm conclusion that maybe this is the most important period in the prevention of cancer recurrence."

For the study, 38 breast cancer patients at Sheba Medical Center, Kaplan Medical Center and Rabin Medical Center were given a pharmacological treatment -- Deralin (used to reduce blood pressure and anxiety) and Etopan (used to reduce inflammation) -- five days before their surgeries, the day of their surgeries and five days after their surgeries. Blood and tumor tissue samples were then analyzed using whole genome gene expression profiling to identify all the RNAs expressed in malignant cells and leukocytes.

"We found that the drugs were very efficient in reducing biomarkers of metastatic processes," Prof. Ben-Eliyahu said. "For example, we found that the drug treatment reverses EMT -- the process that tumor cells go through to slip out of the primary tumor and enter another organ. It is a crucially important step in the metastatic process. We also looked at indices related to the immune system and were able to improve immune competence and reduce inflammation with the drugs."

The research team has conducted a similar study, which has not yet been published, on colorectal cancer patients and has found similar results.

The researchers are currently considering a larger-scale clinical trial to establish the clinical long-term beneficial effects of this treatment. "Positive outcomes should validate this treatment and lead to its becoming available for most cancer patients," Prof. Ben-Eliyahu concluded.

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American Friends of Tel Aviv University (AFTAU) supports Israel's most influential, comprehensive and sought-after center of higher learning, Tel Aviv University (TAU). TAU is recognized and celebrated internationally for creating an innovative, entrepreneurial culture on campus that generates inventions, startups and economic development in Israel. For three years in a row, TAU ranked 9th in the world, and first in Israel, for alumni going on to become successful entrepreneurs backed by significant venture capital, a ranking that surpassed several Ivy League universities. To date, 2,400 patents have been filed out of the University, making TAU 29th in the world for patents among academic institutions.
Scientists find curbing the overuse of antimalarial drugs often replaced by overuse of antibiotics instead; study also reveals puzzling cases of malaria patients testing positive yet going untreated

Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. (Aug. 7, 2017) -- Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria are reducing overuse of malaria medications but may also produce a range of unintended results, according to a comprehensive new study published today in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. An analysis of more than 500,000 patient visits across malaria-endemic regions of Africa and Afghanistan found that in most settings, introduction of RDTs improved antimalarial targeting, but negative test results prompted a shift to antibiotic prescriptions. Even more concerning: a substantial number of patients who tested positive for malaria appeared to go untreated.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) found that, overall, RDTs are effective at limiting -- though not eliminating -- what had been a common practice: routinely prescribing powerful malaria medications known as artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) to patients presenting with fever but without malaria, which could accelerate the emergence of ACT-resistant malaria.

"But we found that in many places a reduction in the use of ACTs was accompanied by an increase in the use of antibiotics, which may drive up the risk of antibiotic-resistant infections," said Katia Bruxvoort, PhD, MPH, an assistant professor at the London School and the lead author of the study. "We also don't yet understand why some patients who tested positive for malaria were not treated with ACTs."

The scientists believe the shift to antibiotic use after ruling out malaria, which also was explored in a March study in The BMJ that included analysis of some of the same patient visits, may indicate that many patients and providers are not comfortable with what might be the best approach to treating many fevers when malaria has been ruled out: taking a fever-reducing drug (like ibuprofen or paracetamol) and drinking plenty of fluids.

"A key challenge is that we don't currently have a reliable way to determine which fevers are evidence of a bacterial infection that requires a specific antibiotic treatment and which fevers will resolve with supportive care only," Bruxvoort said.

Bruxvoort and her colleagues analyzed drug prescriptions written from 2007 to 2013 in 562,368 patient encounters documented in 10 related studies -- eight from sub-Saharan Africa and two from Afghanistan -- conducted by the ACT Consortium, a global research initiative investigating key issues around anti-malarial drugs.

This expanded analysis also revealed:

In most areas studied, which included clinics in Ghana, Cameroon, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Uganda, antibiotics were given to 40 to 80 percent of patients who had tested negative for malaria.

In many areas, a negative test for malaria was only partially effective at limiting ACT prescriptions. For example, in two areas, Cameroon and Ghana, 39 to 49 percent of patients who tested negative for malaria still got ACTs.

Overall, 75 percent of patients studied left the clinic with either an antibiotic or an ACT.

Even more surprising, the scientists said, was finding that in five of the eight African studies included in this analysis, more than 20 percent of patients who tested positive for malaria were not prescribed ACTs.

"Drug supply issues did not seem to be a problem in most of the areas where these patients sought treatment," Bruxvoort said. "There might be other reasons either patients or providers are not using ACTs in these contexts, but the issue of undertreating malaria, even when there is clear evidence of the disease, is troubling and deserves further study."

Use of RDTs for malaria has soared since 2010 as officials from the World Health Organization have sought to reduce unnecessary prescriptions for ACTs, thought to be a major factor in the rise of drug-resistant malaria in Southeast Asia. In Africa, which accounts for the large majority of the world's malaria infections, ACTs have been a major factor in the 60 percent drop in malaria deaths over the last 15 years. Experts fear those gains could be rapidly reversed if ACT-resistant malaria spreads across the continent.

Meanwhile, overuse of antibiotics is implicated in the global rise of antibiotic-resistant infections that are becoming one of the world's biggest public health challenges. A report last year commissioned by the United Kingdom estimated that 700,000 people die each year from infections caused by drug-resistant microbes.

"In addition to the important concerns raised by this study, it demonstrates the value of researchers who carefully follow the real-world impact of malaria innovations like rapid diagnostic tests," said Patricia F. Walker, MD, DTM&H, FASTMH, and President of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. "The number of patient encounters documented here is extraordinary and provides an unvarnished assessment of why treating a patient who walks into a clinic with a fever remains a complex challenge. Technology alone cannot solve complex health problems; community and provider education, as well as health system changes, must occur hand in hand to improve patient outcomes."

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About the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, founded in 1903, is the largest international scientific organization of experts dedicated to reducing the worldwide burden of tropical infectious diseases and improving global health. It accomplishes this through generating and sharing scientific evidence, informing health policies and practices, fostering career development, recognizing excellence, and advocating for investment in tropical medicine/global health research. For more information, visit astmh.org.

About the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Continuously published since 1921, AJTMH is the peer-reviewed journal of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and the world's leading voice in the fields of tropical medicine and global health. AJTMH disseminates new knowledge in fundamental, translational, clinical and public health sciences focusing on improving global health.
Most of the nuclear reactions that drive the nucleosynthesis of the elements in our universe occur in very extreme stellar plasma conditions. This intense environment found in the deep interiors of stars has made it nearly impossible for scientists to perform nuclear measurements in these conditions - until now.

In a unique cross-disciplinary collaboration between the fields of plasma physics, nuclear astrophysics and laser fusion, a team of researchers including scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Ohio University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), describe experiments performed in conditions like those of stellar interiors. The team's findings were published today by Nature Physics.

The experiments are the first thermonuclear measurements of nuclear reaction cross-sections - a quantity that describes the probability that reactants will undergo a fusion reaction - in high-energy-density plasma conditions that are equivalent to the burning cores of giant stars, i.e. 10-40 times more massive than the sun. These extreme plasma conditions boast hydrogen-isotope densities compressed by a factor of a thousand to near that of solid lead and temperatures heated to ~50 million Kelvin. These also are the conditions in stars that lead to supernovae, the most massive explosions in the universe.

"Ordinarily, these kinds of nuclear astrophysics experiments are performed on accelerator experiments in the laboratory, which become particularly challenging at the low energies often relevant for nucleosynthesis," said LLNL physicist Dan Casey, the lead author on the paper. "As the reaction cross-sections fall rapidly with decreasing reactant energy, bound electron screening corrections become significant, and terrestrial and cosmic background sources become a major experimental challenge."

The work was conducted at LLNL's National Ignition Facility (NIF), the only experimental tool in the world capable of creating temperatures and pressures like those found in the cores of stars and giant planets. Using the indirect drive approach, NIF was used to drive a gas-filled capsule implosion, heating capsules to extraordinary temperatures and compressing them to high densities where fusion reactions can occur.

"One of the most important findings is that we reproduced prior measurements made on accelerators in radically different conditions," Casey said. "This really establishes a new tool in the nuclear astrophysics field for studying various processes and reactions that may be difficult to access any other way."

"Perhaps most importantly, this work lays groundwork for potential experimental tests of phenomena that can only be found in the extreme plasma conditions of stellar interiors. One example is of plasma electron screening, a process that is important in nucleosynthesis but has not been observed experimentally," Casey added.

Now that the team has established a technique to perform these measurements, related teams like that led by Maria Gatu Johnson at MIT are looking to explore other nuclear reactions and ways to attempt to measure the impact of plasma electrons on the nuclear reactions.

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Casey was joined by co-authors Daniel Sayre, Vladimir Smalyuk, Robert Tipton, Jesse Pino, Gary Grim, Bruce Remington, Dave Dearborn, Laura (Robin) Benedetti, Robert Hatarik, Nobuhiko Izumi, James McNaney, Tammy Ma, Steve MacLaren, Jay Salmonson, Shahab Khan, Arthur Pak, Laura Berzak Hopkins, Sebastien LePape, Brian Spears, Nathan Meezan, Laurent Divol, Charles Yeamans, Joseph Caggiano, Dennis McNabb, Dean Holunga, Marina Chiarappa-Zucca, Tom Kohut and Thomas Parham from LLNL, Carl Brune from Ohio University, Johan Frenje and Maria Gatu Johnson from MIT and George Kyrala from LANL.

Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory provides solutions to our nation's most important national security challenges through innovative science, engineering and technology. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
BRAWLEY, California -- Sandia National Laboratories is testing whether one of California's largest and most polluted lakes can transform into one of its most productive and profitable. Southern California's 350-square-mile Salton Sea has well-documented problems related to elevated levels of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural runoff. Algae thrives on these elements -- a fact that causes environmental problems but could also be a solution to those problems.

Sandia intends to harness algae's penchant for prolific growth to clean up these pollutants and stop harmful algae blooms while creating a renewable, domestic source of fuel. Algae can be easily converted to fuels and chemicals using a Sandia Labs-patented fermentation process.

The Department of Energy's Bioenergy Technology Office (BETO) estimates the U.S. can produce at least 1 billion tons of feedstocks for biofuels every year, and doing so would have positive social, economic and environmental impacts. That amount equates to about 30 percent of our nation's need for fuels that would not have to be imported. Among these feedstocks, algae are unique in that they grow exponentially: in other words, under the right conditions, doubling every day.

BETO is funding Sandia's Salton Sea Biomass Remediation, or SABRE, Project because it will help determine whether algae can be a viable part of the solution to our nation's need for diverse energy sources.

After only a few months, Sandia biochemist Ryan Davis is enthusiastic about the prospects. "The early results we're already getting from the Salton Sea appear to be superior to results from similar algae systems. It's really promising."

Testing the effectiveness of a newer algae-growing system

When state and local officials gathered by a tributary of the Salton Sea one bright, hot morning in late May, it was to mark the kickoff of the project's second phase. During the first phase, Sandia partnered with Texas A&M AgriLife Research to test whether a newer method of farming algae could be as productive as an older, more established method.

Traditionally, companies grow single species of algae in raceways -- structures vaguely resembling small race tracks or giant bathtubs. The raceways produce algae well suited for making high-value nutritional products like spirulina or beta carotene, as well as other nutraceuticals. Raceways also offer growers a lot of control. But there are a few drawbacks. They are generally high maintenance, requiring trained technicians, expensive fertilizers, carbon dioxide and high-quality water.

Additionally, an estimated 30 percent of production on algae farms can be lost each year due to pest-related pond crashes. Sandia is currently doing research to minimize crashes, including testing strains of algae for resistance to various predators and diseases, and learning to detect the signs of an imminent pond crash.

The newer farming method is called an "Algal Turf Scrubber" floway system, used for growing a collection of native algae species. To the untrained eye, the system looks like a free-standing rain gutter. It gurgles quietly as water is pulsed in waves across a sloped floway. The algae consume the nutrients, and clean water emerges from the lower end.

The system operates using solar-powered pumps, requiring almost zero maintenance, except for periodic algae harvesting which can be done using common farming equipment. Sandia designed the renewable power pump system that provides water to the floway. The technology and components of the floway were developed by a company called HydroMentia Technologies LLC.

Based on early results of the testing in Texas, turf scrubbers can produce a quantity of algae comparable to raceways. And they are a perfect fit for places with acres of inexpensive real estate, nutrient-rich water (no need for additional fertilizer) and tons of sun, like the Salton Sea.

The kind of turf system being tested for the SABRE Project has other benefits. It is growing algae that is native to the area, so it is naturally more resistant to attacks from local pathogens and predators. The algae's thick texture also lends itself to easy harvesting.

One of the criticisms lobbed at algae as a biofuel source is that it uses too much water. Davis disagrees with this criticism. "There's water and then there's water," he said. "We've shown that we can grow algae in turf scrubber systems using water full of nasty components. And it still thrives." In other words, there isn't much that can be done with this water until the pollutants are removed.

Growing algae to control wild, unchecked algae growth

Algae blooms can grow so large that they are visible from outer space, as is the case in Lake Okeechobee, Lake Erie, the Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Blooms are not directly toxic to fish, but under certain conditions they can become harmful to marine and human life. When blooms die off, the decay process can leave waterways with "dead zones," low-oxygen areas that cause fish to suffocate. If ingested, certain harmful algae species can also cause flu-like symptoms in people and death in pets, according to congressional testimony.

Algae blooms also occur in the Salton Sea. Davis explains that the sea is the accumulation point for all agricultural runoff water from one of the largest farming areas in the United States. Nitrogen, phosphorus and other elements from fertilizers are continuously deposited into the sea. The presence of these elements feed algae blooms, with negative consequences that can cascade throughout the ecosystem.

Thousands of asphyxiated, dead fish are visible on the shores of the Salton Sea each year. The smell has not done anything positive for businesses in the area, according to a study prepared by Tourism Economics for the Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau. Additionally, studies suggest that the death of birds in the area may be related to strains of algae which produce toxins.

"Release of untreated chemicals into open waterways has broad ecological impacts," Davis said.

Ironically, farming algae could eliminate the harmful effects of unchecked natural algae growth. Water from one of the three major tributaries of the Salton Sea flows into the 900-foot SABRE Project turf scrubber. Algae growing inside the scrubber system feed on and remove the chemicals in the water as it passes through. As the water passes from the system back into the tributary, Sandia's team hopes the elements that kick-start algae blooms will have been removed in significant quantities.

Should the SABRE Project prove successful, it could provide a model of remediation for algae blooms nationwide. There are hopes that the Imperial Valley would benefit as well. By covering thousands of acres of dry, receding Salton Sea shorelines with algae crops, turf scrubber operations could reduce widespread air pollution from toxic dust. Algae refineries could also provide new economic opportunities.

Sandia partnered with the Imperial Irrigation District to help get the SABRE Project off the ground. "A proponent of renewable energy and an advocate for the Salton Sea, the district believes projects like this have the potential to make a meaningful difference," said the district's Officer of Media Communications Specialist, Marion Champion. "We are very hopeful that this project will yield good, clean renewable energy while providing a natural and safe process to remove chemicals, protecting area wildlife for generations to come."

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Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia Labs has major research and development responsibilities in nuclear deterrence, global security, defense, energy technologies and economic competitiveness, with main facilities in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Livermore, California.
DURHAM, N.C. -- Biomedical engineers at Duke University have created a portable diagnostic tool that can detect telltale markers of disease as accurately as the most sensitive tests on the market, while cutting the wait time for results from hours or even days to 15 minutes.

Created by inkjet-printing an array of antibodies onto a glass slide with a nonstick polymer coating, the diagnostic tool, called the D4 assay, is a self-contained test that can detect low levels of antigens, the protein markers of a disease, from a single drop of blood. By creating a sensitive, easy-to-use "lab on a chip," the researchers plan to bring rapid diagnostic testing to areas that lack access to standard lab-based diagnostic technologies.

The platform is described August 7, 2017 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Beyond detecting diseases, healthcare workers use diagnostic tools to assess the severity of an illness, plan an effective treatment strategy, and track an individual's response to treatment. While some tests, like the lateral flow test, are fast, portable and easy to use, they aren't usually sensitive enough to provide information beyond the presence or absence of a particular biomarker, so healthcare workers often need to use quantitative methods to determine how severe an infection is.

Currently, the gold standard for quantitative diagnostic tests is the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which identifies how many specific antigens are present in a biological sample. While ELISA is among the most sensitive immunoassay tools on the market for detecting diseases like Zika and HIV or tracking hormone levels in the blood, it requires trained researchers or liquid handling robotic devices to follow a series of time-consuming steps to ensure that no unwanted proteins stick to the assay and muddy the results. The test also requires bulky laboratory instruments for data analysis, making it ill-equipped for use in resource-limited settings.

As an added complication, the ELISA platform can take up to 24 hours to show test results --which often means a delay in treatment even as the disease continues to spread.

The D4 assay allows clinicians to avoid these problems without sacrificing sensitivity or accuracy. The new assay can identify a disease biomarker in as few as 15 minutes, and results can be read using a tabletop scanner or 3-D printed smartphone attachment that uses the phone's camera to read the results, enabling the tool to be used in point-of-care settings for rapid diagnosis.

Like the ELISA platform, the D4 assay uses a matched pair of antibodies to detect and capture a target protein in a blood sample. The array contains two types of antibodies --immobilized capture antibodies and soluble detection antibodies --which are tagged with a fluorescent marker to allow the researchers to identify how much of the antigen is present. When a drop of blood is placed on the slide, the detection antibodies dissolve, separate from the array and bind to the target proteins in the blood. These fluorescing antibody-protein pairs then attach to the capture antibodies that are still on the slide.

But unlike other diagnostic tests like the ELISA or lateral flow test, D4 assay's antibody array is printed on a novel polymer brush coating. When a sample is placed on the slide, the coating works like Teflon to prevent the non-target proteins from attaching to the surface of the slide. By preventing unwanted proteins from binding to the assay, the polymer brush makes it easier to detect low levels of target proteins by getting rid of the 'background noise' on the chip.

"The real significance of the assay is the polymer brush coating," says Ashutosh Chilkoti, chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Duke and senior author on the paper. "The polymer brush allowed us to store all of the tools we need on the chip while maintaining a simple design."

Using the D4 assay, researchers don't need to follow a complicated workflow to clear non-target proteins from their slide, as with the ELISA test. Instead, they simply need to wash the slide in a buffer solution to remove any extraneous particles.

As a proof-of-concept for the accuracy of their assay, the research team conducted a clinical trial to measure the serum leptin levels in patients at Duke University Medical Center and compare them to those observed with the clinical ELISA platform. A previous study from Michael Freemark, a professor of pediatrics at Duke University School of Medicine and a senior author on the paper, showed that low serum leptin levels could predict mortality and complications in severely malnourished children. Leptin levels are typically measured using ELISA, but the researchers recognized that if they could use the D4 assay to accurately test for leptin levels, the tool could be used to plan better treatment for those suffering from malnutrition in resource-limited settings. The study found that the results from the D4 assay were on par with those from the ELISA test.

"What's cool is that our assay can achieve comparable sensitivity to the ELISA within 15 minutes, and if further sensitivity is needed, longer incubation times can be used," says Daniel Joh, an MD-PhD student in the Chilkoti lab and co-author of the paper. "This device can also be compared to a lateral flow test, which is quite fast as it takes less than five minutes to get a reading, but that test isn't as sensitive. This is really the best of both worlds."

Unlike the ELISA, the D4 assay is a highly portable tool, as the dry slides don't need to be refrigerated during transport. The design is also cost-efficient--Joh and his collaborators estimate that the D4 chips will cost less than one dollar and the mobile phone attachment developed at the University of California, Los Angeles will be less than $30 when they are produced in bulk.

Next, Joh and Angus Hucknall, co-author of the paper and a senior researcher in the Chilkoti lab who previously developed the polymer brush technology with Chilkoti, will also conduct a field test of the prototype tool in Liberia, screening participants' serum leptin levels to gain a better understanding of how diagnostic results from the D4 assay can be used to monitor and plan treatment strategies for malnutrition. The team also plans to study how they can use the tool to perform a wider array of diagnostics.

"The D4 assay enables us to conduct high-performance diagnostic testing with minimal resources, making it a promising platform for increasing access to sensitive and quantitative diagnostic tools," says Hucknall.

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The research was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institute of Health, the Wallace H. Coulter Endowment at Duke University, the Duke Global Health Institute, the Humanitarian Innovation Fund and the European Commission.

CITATION: "Inkjet-Printed Point-of-Care Immunoassay on a Nanoscale Polymer Brush Enables Subpicomolar Detection of Analytes in Blood." Daniel Y. Joh, Angus M. Hucknall, Margaret L. Lund, Cassio M. Fontes, Ryan T. Hill, Rebecca Blair, Zackary Zimmers, Rohan K. Achar, Ashutosh Chilkoti, Kelly A. Mason, Michael Freemark, Raluca Gordan, Qingshan Wei, Derek Tseng and Aydogan Ozcan. Proceedings in the National Academy of Sciences, Aug. 7, 2017. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1703200114
ATLANTA -- The brains of aged chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, show pathology similar to the human Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain, according to a new, multi-institution research study.

The findings, in press for an upcoming issue of Neurobiology of Aging, provide the most extensive evidence of AD brain pathology in a primate species to date. The research team includes scientists from Georgia State University, Kent State University, The George Washington University, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Barrow Neurological Institute and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Dementia affects one-third of all people over 65 years old in the United States. The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, a progressive, irreversible brain disease that results in impaired cognitive functioning and other behavioral changes. Humans are considered uniquely susceptible to AD, potentially because of genetic differences, changes in brain structure and function during evolution and an increased lifespan.

Dysfunction of two proteins, amyloid beta (A) and tau, play a role in the development of AD. In healthy brains, A is degraded and eliminated, but in AD, overproduction and disrupted clearance of the protein results in the formation of plaques between brain cells called neurons. A in the form of insoluble plaques and soluble peptides initiates changes in tau, another protein found mostly in neurons, that destabilizes the cell's skeleton. In AD, alterations in tau lead to the formation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and cell death. These neuronal changes result in the onset of dementia.

While A and tau pathology have been identified in species other than humans, these animals typically present with only one lesion type. The only evidence of A plaques and NFT coexisting in the same individual of a primate species had been reported in a single chimpanzee that suffered a stroke prior to death.

"Very few studies have investigated AD pathology in chimpanzees, the species closest in phylogeny and most genetically related to humans," said Dr. Mary Ann Raghanti, senior author, associate professor and chair of anthropology at Kent State. "Brain samples from great apes, particularly aged individuals, are incredibly scarce, so a study of this size is rare."

By examining brain regions most affected by AD pathology in humans, the group demonstrated that A plaques and blood vessels were present in all 20 aged chimpanzee brains. Similar to humans, increasingly larger volumes of A plaques and vasculature were found with greater age.

"Interestingly, though, A deposition was higher in blood vessels than in plaques, and this correlated with increases in tau lesions," said Dr. Melissa Edler, lead author and former doctoral student in biomedical sciences at Kent State. "This suggests that amyloid build-up in the brain's vasculature precedes plaque formation in chimpanzees."

These findings differ from what we see in humans. While about 80 percent of AD patients also have cerebral amyloid angiopathy, or A deposits in the brain's vasculature that increase the risk for stroke and dementia, the predominant A pathology is plaques.

Tau lesions also were found in the forms of NFT and clusters of tau-positive neurites (for example, pieces of dying neurons).

"NFT are observed in AD patients, but the tau-immunoreactive neuritic clusters in the neocortex appear specific to chimpanzees," said Dr. Patrick R. Hof, M.D., the Regenstreif professor and vice-chair of neuroscience at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. In addition, NFT pathology was observed in apes that exhibited plaques and moderate or severe cerebral amyloid angiopathy and in one individual with virtually no A pathology.

"The presence of amyloid and tau pathology in aged chimpanzees indicates these AD lesions are not specific to the human brain as generally believed," Hof said.

"Whether these pathologies play a key role in age-related cognitive decline requires continued investigation of this species," said Dr. Elliott Mufson, professor and the Greening Chair in Aging at the Barrow Neurological Institute.

This research adds to a growing number of studies using an evolutionary perspective to identify differences between humans and their closest living relatives that could lead to potential targets for therapeutic interventions in humans.

"We initiated the Great Ape Aging Project twenty years ago, because we saw an aging chimpanzee population under human care that would need geriatric attention for disorders similar to those affecting aging humans," said Dr. Joseph Erwin, research professor of anthropology at The George Washington University.

"Findings like those reported in this paper provide significant evidence of the value and need for continued behavioral, cognitive and neurogenomic work with this important species," said Dr. William D. Hopkins, professor of neuroscience at Georgia State and associate research scientist at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University.

"This study confirms the value of a "One Health" approach to gerontology and the neurobiology of aging for the benefit of humans and apes," said Erwin.

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Co-authors of the study include Drs. Edler, Chet C. Sherwood, Richard S. Meindl, Hopkins, John J. Ely, Erwin, Mufson, Hof and Raghanti.

This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, James S. McDonnell Foundation, Sigma Xi, Kent State University Research Council and Kent State University Graduate Student Senate.

To read the study, visit http://www.neurobiologyofaging.org/article/S0197-4580(17)30239-7/fulltext.
SEATTLE (7 August 2017)  Suicide, homicide, and sexual assault are increasing much faster in the Eastern Mediterranean Region than any other region in the world, according to a new scientific study. These violent acts, as well as conflicts, accounted for more than 200,000 deaths in the region in 2015.

Intractable and endemic violence is creating a lost generation of children and young adults, said Dr. Ali Mokdad, the studys lead author and the Director for Middle Eastern Initiatives at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. The future of the Middle East is grim unless we can find a way to bring stability to the region.

In addition to violence in the region, there has been a sharp increase in non-communicable diseases and mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Depression and anxiety disorders were the most common mental conditions, according to the study, published today in the International Journal of Public Health. Both affect women more than men.

With globalization and urbanization of most societies, women may be exposed to numerous stressors, which have repercussions on the entire household, and children in particular, said Dr. Raghid Charara, of American University of Beirut and one of the studys more than 500 collaborators.

Mental disorders contributed to nearly 11 million years lived in less than ideal health, also known as years lived with disability, or YLDs. The problem is exacerbated by the lack of both mental health practitioners and funding for services.

Throughout the region, the ratio of practitioners to 100,000 people was about seven on average and was as low as 0.5 psychiatrists per 100,000 people in countries such as Libya, Sudan, and Yemen. By comparison, among European nations the ratio ranges from nine per 100,000 to more than 40.

There must be a comprehensive plan to build on existing expertise and projects addressing health challenges that exist at the nexus of human health, environmental resilience, and social and economic equity, Dr. Mokdad said.

In 2015, nearly 30,000 people in the region committed suicide and another 35,000 died from interpersonal violence, representing increases of 100% and 152%, respectively, over the past 25 years. In other parts of the world during the same period, the number of deaths from suicide increased 19% and interpersonal violence by 12%.

The study found that hanging and poisoning are the most common methods of suicide in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The authors note that statistics on suicide likely are underestimated due to cultural and religious barriers, social stigma, and legal punishments that discourage victims, families, and governments from disclosing such information.

The 15 papers and three editorials that constitute the study are based on the most recent estimates from the annual Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors study (GBD), a systematic, scientific effort to quantify the magnitude of health loss from all major diseases, injuries, and risk factors by age, sex, and population. With more than 2,300 collaborators in 132 countries and 3 non-sovereign locations, GBD examines 300-plus diseases and injuries.

This is the first GBD study to examine trends of HIV/AIDS-related mortality comprehensively in the region between 1990 and 2015. There was a 10-fold increase in HIV/AIDS mortality rates, with most of the cases occurring in three nations  Djibouti, Somalia, and Sudan.

In this region, individuals infected with HIV are dying faster than the rest of the world, said Dr. Charbel El Bcheraoui, an Assistant Professor at IHME. This is a sign that that that that HIV patients are not receiving proper treatment in an era where HIV can be well controlled with the appropriate treatment regimens.

In addition, this study was the first ever to report on transportation-related deaths and injuries in the region between 1990 and 2015. In 2015, these incidents comprised the eighth leading cause of death in the region overall, but were ranked second in Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The percentage of total deaths in Qatar was the highest at 20%, followed by Oman (16%) and UAE (14%), whereas the lowest rates were in Pakistan (1.9%), Lebanon (1.8%), and Somalia (1.5%). Death rates from this cause in the region have not fallen as quickly as they have globally, and, in fact, three countries  Libya, Pakistan, and Egypt  had increases in death rates.

Transportation-related injuries and deaths are just as much a public health issue as HIV or diabetes, said Dr. Mokdad. And like HIV and diabetes, prevention measures, combined with education and treatment, are vital to mitigating this problem.

Other highlights of the report include:

Ischemic heart disease was the leading cause of death in the region followed by cerebrovascular disease. Changes in total deaths ranged from a reduction of 65% for diarrheal diseases to an increase of nearly 140% for diabetes and tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer.

Progress on child survival remains uneven, and total deaths for children under the age of 5 decreased at a slower rate than globally, with about 80% of under-5 deaths occurring in six countries: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen. Three countries  Sudan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan  are among the 10 countries with the highest child mortality in the world.

The top five causes of under-5 mortality were: neonatal preterm birth complications, neonatal encephalopathy, lower respiratory tract infections (LRI), congenital defects, and diarrheal diseases.

Communicable diseases and the health consequences of natural disasters reduced substantially between 1990 and 2015. However, these gains have been offset by the health effects of war, mental health disorders and self-harm.

Among adolescents, tobacco use and high body mass index were common health risks; many countries had high rates of adolescent pregnancy and unmet need for contraception.

Poor diet is the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in the region. People in many countries are suffering from malnutrition and at the same time from poor diet that is leading to disease. In addition, tobacco smoking and high blood pressure are among the top causes of DALYs.

The region also has wide variation in per capita gross national product (GNP), ranging from a high of $134,420 in Qatar to a low of $2,000 in Afghanistan.

The proportion of the population living below the national poverty line, according to World Bank data, is more than 20% in seven EMR countries: Afghanistan (36%), Egypt (22%), Iraq (23%), Pakistan (22%), Palestine (22%), Sudan (47%), and Yemen (35%). In five of these countries, approximately one-third of the population is also food-insecure: Afghanistan (34%), Iraq (30%), Pakistan (30%), Sudan (33%), and Yemen (36%).

Several countries in the region face significant environmental challenges due to lack of water, rising temperatures, and sand storms. The paper calls for renewed efforts to address problems associated with ambient air pollution.

In recent years, many of the health gains for some countries have slowed and several health conditions that were under control are re-emerging, said Dr. Mokdad. This study clearly indicates that the future health of the region is in danger.

The Eastern Mediterranean Region is home to more than 600 million people, representing a diverse group of 22 countries: Afghanistan, Arab Republic of Egypt, Bahrain, Djibouti, Iraq, Islamic Republic of Iran, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Republic of Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic (Syria), Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The complete set of papers and data visualizations are available at www.healthdata.org.

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Media Contacts:

IHME

Dean R. Owen, +1-206-897-2858 (office); +1-206-434-5630 (cell); dean1227@uw.edu

Established in 2007, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is an independent research center within UW Medicine at the University of Washington in Seattle. IHME provides rigorous and comparable measurement of the world's most important health problems and evaluates strategies to address them. IHME makes this information available so that policymakers, donors, practitioners, researchers, and local and global decision-makers have the evidence they need to make informed decisions about how to allocate resources to improve population health. For more information, visit http://www.healthdata.org.
By analyzing the DNA of two prehistoric dogs from Germany, an international research team led by Krishna R. Veeramah, Ph.D., of Stony Brook University in the USA has determined that their genomes were the probable ancestors of modern European dogs. The study also suggests that all contemporary dogs have a common origin and emerged through a single domestication process of wolves 20,000 to 40,000 years ago. Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) also participated in the study, the results of which recently have been published in Nature Communications.

Dogs were the first animals to be domesticated by humans. The oldest remains of dogs that can be clearly distinguished from those of wolves originate from what is now Germany and are about 15,000 years old. Unfortunately, the archaeological record is ambiguous, with claims of ancient domesticated dog bones from the most varied locations as far away as Siberia.

Only last year were researchers able to sequence the genome of a 5,000-year-old dog from Ireland using the latest paleogenomic techniques. The results of the study led the research team at the University of Oxford to suggest dogs were domesticated not once but twice. In addition, the research team also hypothesized that an indigenous dog population domesticated in Europe was replaced by incoming migrants independently domesticated in East Asia during the Neolithic period.

"Contrary to the results of this previous analysis, we found that our ancient dogs from the same time period were very similar to modern European dogs, including the majority of breed dogs people keep as pets," explained Veeramah, Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook University. "This suggests that there was no mass Neolithic replacement that occurred on the continent and that there was likely only a single domestication process for the dogs observed in the fossil record from the Stone Age and that we also see and live with today."

In their article "Ancient European dog genomes reveal continuity since the Early Neolithic," Veeramah and his colleagues used the older 7,000-year-old dog to narrow the timing of dog domestication to the 20,000 to 40,000 years ago range. They found evidence that the younger, 4,700-year-old dog represents a mixture of European dogs and a population that resembles current Central Asian/Indian dogs. This finding may reflect people migrating from the Asian steppe to Europe at the beginning of the Bronze Age, bringing their own dogs with them.

"Our study shows how the analysis of entire ancient genomes can help us to gradually understand complex processes, such as dog domestication. Only direct insights into the past like this enable us to disentangle the effects of the many parallel and successive events that are involved, including targeted breeding by humans as well as population movements and admixture of multiple populations," added Dr. Amelie Scheu, one of the primary authors of the article and a research assistant in the Palaeogenetics Work Group at the Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

Overall, however, the question where exactly dogs were first domesticated in geographic terms remains a mystery, although Krishna R. Veeramah expects that the sequencing of additional ancient Eurasian genomes will help to eventually solve the issue.

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The study and findings are a collaboration between scientists at Stony Brook University and the University of Michigan in the USA, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and the University of Bamberg in Germany, Trinity College Dublin in Ireland, and the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (Aug. 7, 2017) - IBM's Watson beat real-life contestants on Jeopardy. Now researchers are hoping this icon of artificial intelligence will help people with cancer win as well by providing a rapid, comprehensive report of the genetic mutations at the root of their specific disease and the therapies that target them.

"We have to change our whole behavior in looking at tumors. We are missing too much and too often treatment does not work for patients," says Dr. Ravindra Kolhe, breast and molecular pathologist and director of the Georgia Esoteric & Molecular Labs LLC in the Department of Pathology at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.

"With Watson, all oncogenes become targets," says Kolhe, who is giving an update on Watson Genomic Analysis during the international Cancer Genomics Consortium Aug. 7-9 in Denver.

As an example, today a pathologist would analyze a melanoma biopsy for a single variation of the BRAF gene, which is present in about 50 percent of melanomas. There are drugs that directly target that mutated gene but if they don't find BRAF, the patient will receive a more broad-spectrum chemotherapy regimen.

Watson, on the other hand, has the ability to rapidly identify multiple variations in BRAF along with variations in nearly a dozen other genes known to contribute to the skin cancer as well as the therapies to target them, Kolhe says.

"The majority of the time, we just tell patients they have a cancer," Kolhe says. "Watson can help us provide more comprehensive, personalized care to patients."

He first worked with Illumina, a California-based biotech company that makes and markets systems to analyze genetic variations and biological functions, to validate the TruSight Tumor 170 Panel that gives Watson a broader cancer genomics perspective.

The panel provides Watson information on amino acid mutations -- amino acids are a major component and factor in the function of the proteins our genes make and so their normal and cancer-promoting functions. It also provides known gene fusions or mutations, like those with BRAF, which can transform previously inactive genes into oncogenes on eight common cancers, like lung, colon, breast, prostate as well as melanoma. Many of these genes are a player in multiple cancer types, including those not currently on list.

Kolhe sequences DNA and RNA from a patient's tumor, feeds the information to Watson, a question-answering computer system that, unlike traditional search engines, can gather evidence and analyze data but also generate knowledge.

"In about 20 minutes, Watson looks at what is abnormal in the sample, then takes the abnormalities and looks all around the world to see what are the drugs already used against them, what studies are underway against them, even other drugs out there that might be useful," Kolhe says.

He likens the broadened perspective to the difference between looking down through a traditional microscope and up through a Hubble space telescope.

"At this moment we are looking at one thing at a time: a single amino acid and single gene fusion. Each gene has hundreds of amino acids and we're looking at 170 genes so there is a tremendous multiplier effect," he says.

Decisions about treatment clearly are still in the hands of physicians and patients, where they belong, Kolhe says, but Watson can make unprecedented information immediately available to make decisions about what treatment is best for an individual patient.

As an example, as one of many test runs, Watson provided Kolhe a 30-page assessment of a patient with a rare soft tissue sarcoma, that included mutations on seven genes, where the mutations are, what they are known to do and options for targeting them.

There also was a list of gene alterations that have no known therapies as well as gene mutations that were present, but their contribution to disease aren't currently known. It is those unknowns Watson comes across that might help researchers like Kolhe also identify new genetic contributors to a variety of cancers and make Watson a valuable scientific tool as well.

This type of comprehensive report might take 10 people 10 days to generate, if ever, Kolhe says.

In these early stages, Kolhe's lab team and the IBM team are actually doing the labor-intensive work of manually combing databases like clinicaltrials.gov/ and ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/ to double check Watson's findings. "He is doing great," Kolhe says. "We feed him good information and let him go on that."

He hopes to start testing on current patients in September and the Illumina panels should be available to other pathologists about the same time.

"That is one of the frustrating parts about pathology. You can tell by looking that you have a cancer but we don't know the oncogenesis or the way this malignancy happens," he says, particularly when the current standard is one gene at a time.

"This is not getting to the cause, because something caused the mutations, but to the source - and hopefully the best treatment - of the tumor cells."

Kolhe and Illumina have already developed a more extensive 500-gene panel that will take Watson many months to learn. Neither Kolhe nor the university will be compensated for the collaborations unless patentable discoveries, like new cancer causing genes, are made.

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A new study identifies genes that are necessary in cancer cells for immunotherapy to work, addressing the problem of why some tumors don't respond to immunotherapy or respond initially but then stop as tumor cells develop resistance to immunotherapy.

The study, from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), was led by Nicholas Restifo, M.D., a senior investigator with NCI's Center for Cancer Research, with coauthors from NCI; Georgetown University, Washington D.C.; the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; New York University, New York City; and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. It was published online in Nature on August 7, 2017. NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"There is a great deal of interest in cancer immunotherapy, especially for patients who have metastatic cancer," said Dr. Restifo. "The response to immunotherapy can be fantastic, but understanding why some patients don't respond will help us improve treatments for more patients."

Cancer immunotherapy relies on T cells, a type of cell in the immune system, to destroy tumors. Dr. Restifo and his colleagues have previously shown that the infusion of large numbers of T cells can trigger complete regression of cancer in patients. They and others have also shown that T cells can directly recognize and kill tumor cells.

However, some tumor cells are resistant to the destruction unleashed by T cells. To investigate the basis for this resistance, the researchers sought to identify the genes in cancer cells that are necessary for them to be killed by T cells.

Working with a melanoma tumor cell line, the researchers used a gene editing technology called CRISPR that "knocks out," or stops the expression, of individual genes in cancer cells. By knocking out every known protein-encoding gene in the human genome and then testing the ability of the gene-modified melanoma cells to respond to T cells, they found more than 100 genes that may play a role in facilitating tumor destruction by T cells.

Once the team identified these "candidate" genes, they sought additional evidence that these genes play a role in susceptibility to T cell-mediated killing. To this end, they examined data on "cytolytic activity," or a genetic profile that shows cancer cells are responding to T cells, in more than 11,000 patient tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas, a collaboration between NCI and the National Human Genome Research Institute, also part of NIH. They found that a number of the genes identified in the CRISPR screen as being necessary for tumor cells to respond to T cells were indeed associated with tumor cytolytic activity in patient samples.

One such gene is called APLNR. The product of this gene is a protein called the apelin receptor. Although it had been suspected to contribute to the development of some cancers, this was the first indication of a role in the response to T cells. Further investigation of tumors from patients resistant to immunotherapies showed that the apelin receptor protein was nonfunctional in some of them, indicating that the loss of this protein may limit the response to immunotherapy treatment.

Shashank Patel, Ph.D., the first author of the study, said the results show that "many more genes than we originally expected play a vital role in dictating the success of cancer immunotherapies."

The researchers wrote that this gene list could serve as a blueprint to study the emergence of tumor resistance to T cell-based cancer therapies. Dr. Restifo noted that if this set of genes is validated in clinical trials, then this data could eventually lead to more effective treatments for patients.

"If we can truly understand mechanisms of resistance to immunotherapy, we might be able to develop new therapeutics," he said. "In fact, in the future, this knowledge could speed the development of a new category of drugs that can circumvent these escape mechanisms of tumor cells and help patients experience complete responses."

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About the National Cancer Institute (NCI): NCI leads the National Cancer Program and NIH's efforts to dramatically reduce the prevalence of cancer and improve the lives of cancer patients and their families, through research into prevention and cancer biology, the development of new interventions, and the training and mentoring of new researchers. For more information about cancer, please visit the NCI website at cancer.gov or call NCI's Contact Center (formerly known as the Cancer Information Service) at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237).

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit nih.gov.
NASA and the Norwegian Mapping Authority are partnering to develop a state-of-the-art satellite laser ranging station 650 miles from the North Pole that will produce high-precision locations of orbiting satellites, help track changes in the ice sheets and improve the efficiency of marine transportation and agriculture.

The Arctic station will be the latest addition to a global network of space geodetic stations, which measure and monitor the size and shape of Earth, its orientation in space, the exact location of points on its surface and how these locations change over time. Space geodesy has a decades-long history at NASA due to its important role in the positioning and navigation of satellites.

"This partnership with Norway is an important step for NASA and the scientific community in building the next generation space geodetic network," said Benjamin Phillips, program scientist for NASA's Space Geodesy Program in Washington. "This network provides fundamental data for satellite and spacecraft navigation and underpins many of NASA's Earth-observing missions and science."

Under the new agreement signed on August 7, Norway and NASA will build and install a satellite laser ranging facility in the scientific base of Ny-Alesund, Svalbard. NASA will also provide expert consultation on how to operate the instruments. The ground-based laser transmits ultrashort laser pulses aimed at satellites specially equipped with a retroreflector, an array of special mirrors that bounce the pulses back. The system measures the time it takes for the light to travel back to its point of origin, which is used to determine the position of the satellite with respect to the ground station with an accuracy of around 0.04 inches (1 millimeter).

Combined with measurements from other geodetic instruments at the Ny-Alesund Geodetic Observatory and all over the globe, the laser ranging observations will help refine the Global Geodetic Reference Frame, the basis for setting coordinates for all locations on Earth's surface. The reference frame is used to measure the position of objects in space with respect to the Earth, as well as to precisely monitor motions of Earth's crust, changes in sea level, and to support satellite positioning technology like GPS, which is used in many aspects of our daily lives.

"From the NASA perspective, laser ranging is important to understanding where our spacecraft are, as well as where on Earth their measurements are located," said Stephen Merkowitz, space geodesy project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "Laser ranging is needed for satellites that require very precise positioning measurements. Today we're tracking over 90 satellites - not only from NASA, but also from other space agencies - with this technique."

The new Norwegian geodetic station will be the northernmost of its kind and will be invaluable for tracking satellites that follow polar orbits, as many of NASA's Earth-observing missions do.

To make sure the laser ranging system is able to work in Arctic conditions, NASA will use a telescope dome strong enough to open and break the ice that might accumulate on top during Svalbard's frigid winters. The telescope will be mounted on a pointing gimbal that can still move when exposed to very cold temperatures. To be able to work during the Arctic summertime, when the constant sunlight makes it difficult to observe the stars needed to calibrate the telescope, NASA specified that this telescope has to be stable for months at a time.

The Norwegian Mapping Authority started construction work on the new scientific base in 2014. The current goal is to have all systems in operation by 2022.

"This is a major investment for Norway," Merkowitz said. "Norwegians are particularly interested in the global applications. They've taken a leading role in the advocacy and implementation of many initiatives relevant to space geodesy and its applications towards monitoring climate change."

"In Svalbard, we're already seeing the effects of climate change," said Per Erik Opseth, director of the Geodetic Institute of the Norwegian Mapping Authority in Hnefoss, Norway, the agency working with NASA to develop the new laser ranging system. "Setting up this fundamental station in Ny-Alesund will help Earth observations from satellites crossing the North Pole, so we can improve our knowledge of ice cap meltdown, sea level rise in this area and also the melt of sea ice in the basin between Russia and North America."

Continued development of the next-generation space geodetic network that the new station in Svalbard will contribute to is expected to further improve the accuracy of satellite measurements of Earth processes, including changes in polar ice sheets. One such mission is NASA's upcoming Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2, or ICESat-2, designed to measure tiny changes in the elevation of Earth's ice sheets that indicate ice loss or gain.

"With ICESat-2, we want to measure changes in the ice sheets that are on the order of centimeters per year," said Goddard's Scott Luthcke, lead for the ICESat-2 geolocation team. "If we made an error of a few centimeters when positioning the satellite in space with respect to the center of mass of the planet, which is established using geodetic data from the network, that would translate into a very large error in our calculations of the volume change of the ice sheets."

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For more information on NASA's Geodesy program: https://space-geodesy.nasa.gov
FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla. - More bad news for sharks.

A new study using satellite tracking by researchers from Nova Southeastern University's Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI), the University of Rhode Island and other colleagues shows that the fishing mortality rate of the shortfin mako in the western North Atlantic is considerably higher than previously estimated from catches reported by fishermen. These data suggest that this major ocean apex predator is experiencing overfishing, raising serious concerns about whether the current levels of fishery catches in the North Atlantic are sustainable.

The new study has been published in the Journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

"Traditionally, the data obtained to determine the rate of fishing mortality, a key parameter used to help gauge the health of shark stocks, has depended largely on fishermen self-reporting any mako sharks they may have caught," said Mahmood Shivji, Ph.D., senior author of the study and director of the NSU's GHRI. "The challenge is that not all fishermen report the same way or some may underreport or even not report their mako shark captures at all, so the these catch data are known to be of questionable reliability."

Shivji said that near real-time tracking of mako sharks using satellite tags and directly seeing how many were captured allowed researchers to bypass the dependency on self-reporting by fishermen.

"Using satellite tags for makos and possibly other fished species can be a time-efficient way and a fisheries-independent tool for gathering useful fisheries-interaction data, including answering fundamental questions about the levels of fishing survival and mortality," said Michael Byrne, Ph.D., the paper's lead author and postdoctoral fellow at NSU's GHRI when the study was done. "The tracking data also showed these mako sharks entered the management zones of 19 countries, underscoring how critical it is for countries to work together closely to manage and conserve these long-distance oceanic travelers." When the researchers began to gather, compile, disaggregate and review the data, the results were startling.

An unexpectedly high proportion, 30% of the 40 satellite tagged sharks, were captured in fisheries. After modelling the probability that a mako shark would survive a year without being captured (a 72% chance) and calculating the fishing mortality rates, researchers determined that the rate at which shortfin makos were being killed in fisheries was actually 10 times higher than previously believed.

"From a conservation and protection point of view, this is huge," said Bradley Wetherbee, Ph.D., a research scientist from the University of Rhode Island's Department of Biological Sciences and a member of NSU's GHRI. "It's vital that we have the most accurate data possible to aid decision-makers in managing marine life populations sustainably. If they have inaccurate information, it's much more difficult to make the correct decisions for properly managing populations. Everyone wants the populations managed in a sustainable way."

The tracks of the tagged mako sharks, including the ones captured, can be viewed online on NSU's GHRI shark tracking website (nova.edu/sharktracking).

Globally, many shark species have seen significant declines in their numbers, with fisheries overexploitation cited as a major cause. This can happen in many ways -- some shark species are specifically targeted while others are captured by accident (called bycatch.) No matter how sharks are taken from the world's oceans, the fact remains that the current levels of removal for many species are unsustainable.

The researchers stress that the work they are doing has the goal of providing the most accurate information possible to those in positions to take action to manage mako and other shark species. They both say that the goal is create successful fisheries management and conservation - to avoid declining populations, and to do that, we must have as much accurate data as possible.

"We have to have sustainable approaches to fishing," Dr. Shivji said. "Sharks might get a bit of a bad rap in the media, but these apex predators are vital to the overall health of our oceans. You remove them from the equation and, quite honestly, we don't know how far those ripples will be felt. One thing we do know is it won't be inconsequential."

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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. A private, not-for-profit institution, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is 1 of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie's Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education's criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit http://www.nova.edu for more information about NSU and realizingpotential.nova.edu for more information on the largest fundraising campaign in NSU history.

About NSU's Guy Harvey Research Institute: Established in 1999, the Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) is a collaboration between the renowned marine artist, scientist and explorer, Dr. Guy Harvey, and Nova Southeastern University's Oceanographic Center. The mission of the GHRI is to provide the scientific information necessary to understand, conserve, and effectively manage the world's marine fishes and their ecosystems. The GHRI is one of only a handful of private organizations dedicated exclusively to the science-based conservation of marine fish populations and biodiversity. The research, education and outreach activities of the GHRI are supported by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, AFTCO Inc., extramural research grants, philanthropic donations by private businesses and individuals, and NSU. Please visit nova.edu/ocean/ghri/index.html for more information.

About NSU's Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography: The college provides high-quality undergraduate (bachelor's degree) and graduate (master's and doctoral degrees and certificates) education programs in a broad range of disciplines, including marine sciences, mathematics, biophysics, and chemistry. Researchers carry out innovative basic and applied research programs in coral reef biology, ecology, and geology; fish biology, ecology, and conservation; shark and billfish ecology; fisheries science; deep-sea organismal biology and ecology; invertebrate and vertebrate genomics, genetics, molecular ecology, and evolution; microbiology; biodiversity; observation and modeling of large-scale ocean circulation, coastal dynamics, and ocean atmosphere coupling; benthic habitat mapping; biodiversity; histology; and calcification. The college's newest building is the state-of-the-art Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, an 86,000-square-foot structure filled with laboratories; offices; seminar rooms; an auditorium; and indoor and outdoor running sea water facilities. Please visit cnso.nova.edu for more information.
A summer 'vortex' of cold air over the Karakoram mountain range is causing the glaciers in the region to grow in spite of global warming, scientists have shown.

Publishing their findings today in Nature Climate Change, the team from Newcastle University, UK, have identified a large scale circulation system -- or vortex -- centred over the Karakoram, a large mountain range spanning the borders of Pakistan, India, and China.

In winter, the vortex affects the temperature over the whole 2,000 kilometre mountain range, but in the summer the vortex contracts and has an effect only over the Karakoram and western Pamir.

This induces an anomalous cooling in summer which is different to the warming seen over the rest of the Himalaya.

Co-author Professor Hayley Fowler, says this Karakoram vortex goes some way to explaining why the glaciers in this region are behaving differently to those in most other parts of the world.

"While most glaciers are retreating as a result of global warming, the glaciers of the Karakoram range in South Asia are stable or even growing," explains Professor Fowler, Professor of Climate Change Impacts at Newcastle University.

"Most climate models suggest warming over the whole region in summer as well as in winter.

"However, our study has shown that large-scale circulation is controlling regional variability in atmospheric temperatures, with recent cooling of summer temperatures. This suggests that climate models do not reproduce this feature well.

"We don't know how climate change will affect this circulation system and what the effect of sudden shifts might be.

"But the circulation system is currently providing a dampening effect on global warming, reducing glacial melt in the Karakoram region and any change will have a significant effect on ice melt rates, which would ultimately affect river flows in the region."

The Karakoram anomaly

Usually, glaciers oscillate between growth and retreat.

Snow falls on the peaks and gradually compacts and turns to ice while lower down the glaciers lose ice to melting and evaporation.

If snowfall equals snowmelt, the glacier is in equilibrium but global warming has tipped the balance so that most of the world's glaciers are shrinking.

The Karakoram anomaly was first described in 2005 and since then, scientists have been trying to determine what might be causing the expansion of glaciers in the region - which includes the world's second largest mountain K2.

Acting like a counter-weighted temperature control, the unique summer interaction of the Karakoram vortex and the South Asian Monsoon causes temperatures in the Karakoram and Pamir to cool while those in the Central and Eastern Himalaya are warming, and vice versa.

Over recent decades, these vortex-monsoon interactions have resulted in stormier conditions over the Karakoram.

"This vortex provides an important temperature control," explains Newcastle University's Dr Nathan Forsythe, lead author of the study.

"It is therefore important to look at how it has changed and influenced temperature over the last century so we can better understand how a change in the system might affect future climate.

"This is of huge importance in terms of food security because of the large populations that rely on water resources from snow and ice melt from the mountainous catchments to grow their irrigated crops in the Indus Plains of the Sindh and Punjab states and provinces of Pakistan and India."

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Mid-summer corn on the cob is everywhere, but where did it all come from and how did it get to be the big, sweet, yellow ears we eat today? Some of the answers come from carbon dating ancient maize and other organic material from the El Gigante rock shelter in Honduras, according to a team of anthropologists who show that 4,300 years ago maize was sufficiently domesticated to serve as a staple crop in the Honduran highlands.

"Staple crops provide the basis for the development of many complex societies around the world that started developing after about 5,000 years ago," said Douglas J. Kennett, head and professor of anthropology, Penn State. "They are associated with a complete commitment to agriculture."

Maize, or corn in North America, is an important food and fuel crop. The evolutionary history of such a staple is important and archaeological sites with well-preserved maize are incredibly rare, according to Kennett.

The abundance of artifacts and the exceptionally good preservation in the rock shelter that sits on the western escarpment of the Estanzuela River in the highlands of western Honduras make it an ideal site to explore domestication of maize and its transition into a staple crop in the New World. High-precision accelerator mass spectrometry -- radiocarbon dating -- allowed a precise chronology to be determined for the organic remains found in the rock shelter.

"When you walk across the surface of the rock shelter, the floor is covered with corn cobs and lithics," said Ken Hirth, professor of anthropology, Penn State. "We have about 10,000 pieces of maize plants and 1,000 cobs from the site."

Most researchers agree that maize evolved from the teosinte plant somewhere in the Balsas area of the southwestern region of Mexico and appeared around 9,000 years ago. But the original maize cobs had few rows and kernels.

"The maize in El Gigante is interesting because of how large it gets very quickly," said Hirth. "Something is going on in the margins of the area. These cobs are bigger than those known from other areas of Mexico for the same time period."

While a type of teosinte exists in the area of El Gigante, it is not one that hybridizes with maize.

"We hypothesize that the domestication history of maize in Honduras is distinct from Mexico because Honduras is well outside the range of the wild plant that maize was domesticated from," said Kennett. "There is known introgression (hybridization and backcrossing) between teosinte and maize and this could have slowed the domestication process in Mexico."

According to Kennett, based on the small cobs from Mexico, researchers thought that the transition to more complex societies in Mesoamerica 4,000 years ago occurred before maize was a fully domesticated staple crop.

Data from El Gigante now suggests that maize in some parts of Mesoamerica was productive enough to be a staple 4,300 years ago, the researchers report in today's (Aug 7) issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The researchers radiocarbon dated 88 samples of botanical material from El Gigante, creating a statistical chronology over the past 11,000 years. They directly dated 37 cobs that showed the earliest cobs with 10 to 14 rows, a higher number than typically found in Mexico at this time. Dated cobs from 2,360 to 980 years ago were similar, but had larger cobs and kernels and more rows.

Logan Kistler, a researcher at the Smithsonian Institution and a coauthor on this paper, is currently working with the team on an ancient DNA study to determine if the earliest El Gigante maize was fully domesticated. Recent studies on cobs from the Tehuacan Valley dating to approximately 5,300 years ago -- 1,000 years older than the El Gigante cobs -- indicate that those plants were only partially domesticated.

The researchers also are now looking at the diversification of maize at El Gigante in later time periods.

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Working on the project from Penn State are David L Webster, professor emeritus of anthropology; Brendon J. Culleton, research associate in anthropology; and Thomas K. Harper, research assistant. Also on the project are Heather B. Thakar, curator of anthropological research collections, Texas A&M University; Amber VanDerwarker, professor of anthropology, University of California, Santa Barbara; and Timothy E. Scheffler, lecturer, University of Hawaii, Hilo. The National Science Foundation supported this work.
Spikes in crime rates for teens and young adults suggest that biology may primarily drive risk-taking and law breaking, but Penn State criminologists studying crime statistics in other countries indicate that culture may also play a role in shaping teen criminal behavior.

In a study of age and crime statistics from Taiwan, the researchers said that the Asian country's youth crime pattern differs from the model seen in most western countries. In the U.S., which tends to be more individualistic, for example, involvement in crime tends to peak in middle to late teens and then declines, said Darrell Steffensmeier, Liberal Arts Research Professor of Sociology and Criminology. However, in Taiwan, which has more of a collectivist culture with less separation between generations, the crime rate does not dramatically peak as it does in the U.S. Participation in most crimes in Taiwan tends to reach a high point in the late 20s or early 30s, he added.

"There is obviously a relationship between age and crime, but, historically, there have been two competing views," said Steffensmeier. "The overwhelmingly most acceptable view now is that the age-crime association is invariant. It's universal -- crime peaks in late adolescence and then drops -- always and everywhere. But our findings suggest that, in some countries and cultures, the age-crime association is different, so it can't be invariant."

According to the researchers, who released their findings in a recent issue of Criminology, if crime and age patterns are the same across cultures, that would suggest the age-crime relationship is a preprogrammed behavior driven by biology and neurobiology.

"If it's universal, then it implies a biological basis," said Steffensmeier.

He said the idea that biology influences the high teen crime rates may also guide policy making on punishment, crime prevention and rehabilitation.

"Saying that teen brains are wired for crime has become a mantra, in many ways," said Steffensmeier. "Some see this as having policy implications, too. For example, if teenagers are pre-programmed for sensation-seeking, which leads to crime, then it means that they're less responsible and blameworthy. Therefore, people who believe this might say we need to undo this punitive juvenile justice system. Now, it may be that the justice system is too punitive, but the idea that this age-crime relationship is driven primarily by biology becomes a scientific rationalization."

According to the researchers, the differing patterns between Taiwan and U.S. crime rates suggest that cultural factors may also be important influences on criminal behavior.

"Whatever the biological, or neurobiological, factors that might contribute to criminal behavior, culture and social structure apparently play as great, or greater role," said Yunmei Lu, a doctoral candidate and graduate assistant in sociology and criminology. "It also suggests a greater amount of plasticity for humans, including during their adolescence."

In Taiwan, parents are more active in supervising their children, according to Lu. There is also a steep price for nonconforming Taiwan teens.

"In Taiwan, teens are less likely to emphasize autonomy and fun and less likely to engage in behaviors different from, or opposed to, the adults," said Lu. "Taiwan youth are more likely to view deviance as too risky to their future success in attending a good school or finding a good job."

Hua Zhong, associate professor of sociology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, also worked with Steffensmeier and Lu on the study. She emphasized that patterns of parental and school involvement in Taiwan may make the country's age-crime schedule more spread out than in the U.S. for all types of criminal offenses.

"In Taiwan, parental and school supervision and involvement are very extensive during adolescence but would be reduced after those children graduated from high school," she said. "Youth after 18 years old would then have more freedom for exposure to deviant or criminal messages."

Zhong added the age and crime relationship in Taiwan could be linked with its philosophical roots in Confucianism.

According to Zhong, the way societies eventually integrate youth into the world of adults also may play a large role in age-crime patterns.

"Different societies may have differences in age-graded norms and integration of youth with adult society in ways that lead to differences in extent of adolescent crime and the age-crime association," said Zhong.

The researchers used arrest data from the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau of Police Administration Agency. Data on the U.S. arrests came from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program. They examined violent crimes, such as robbery and assault, as well as nonviolent crime, such as theft and fraud.

To understand such diversified mechanisms of the age-crime relationship and provide policy suggestions for reducing the high adolescent concentration of criminal offending in U.S., the researchers plan to study age-specific crime data in other countries in order to provide more cross-cultural comparisons.

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A new type of micropropulsion system for miniature satellites called CubeSats uses an innovative design of tiny nozzles that release precise bursts of water vapor to maneuver the spacecraft.

Low-cost "microsatellites" and "nanosatellites" far smaller than conventional spacecraft, have become increasingly prevalent. Thousands of the miniature satellites might be launched to perform a variety of tasks, from high-resolution imaging and internet services, to disaster response, environmental monitoring and military surveillance.

"They offer an opportunity for new missions, such as constellation flying and exploration that their larger counterparts cannot economically achieve," said Alina Alexeenko, a professor in Purdue University's School of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

However, to achieve their full potential, CubeSats will require micropropulsion devices to deliver precise low-thrust "impulse bits" for scientific, commercial and military space applications.

She has led research to develop a new micropropulsion system that uses ultra-purified water.

"Water is thought to be abundant on the Martian moon Phobos," she said. "making it potentially a huge gas station in space. Water is also a very clean propellant, reducing risk of contamination of sensitive instruments by the backflow from thruster plumes."

Research findings about the new system are detailed in a paper being presented during the 31st AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites, Aug. 5-10 in Logan, Utah. A YouTube video about the work is available at https://youtu.be/zP72l08yD3Q.

The new system, called a Film-Evaporation MEMS Tunable Array, or FEMTA thruster, uses capillaries small enough to harness the microscopic properties of water. Because the capillaries are only about 10 micrometers in diameter, the surface tension of the fluid keeps it from flowing out, even in the vacuum of space. Activating small heaters located near the ends of the capillaries creates water vapor and provides thrust. In this way, the capillaries become valves that can be turned on and off by activating the heaters. The technology is similar to an inkjet printer, which uses heaters to push out droplets of ink.

The research paper was authored by graduate student Katherine Fowee; undergraduate students Steven Pugia, Ryan Clay, Matthew Fuehne and Margaret Linker; postdoctoral research associate Anthony Cofer; and Alexeenko

"It's very unusual for undergraduate students to have such a prominent role in advanced research like this," Alexeenko said.

The students performed the research as part of a propulsion design course.

CubeSats are made up of several units, each measuring 10-centimeters cubed. In the Purdue research, four FEMTA thrusters loaded with about a teaspoon of water were integrated into a one-unit CubeSat prototype and tested in a vacuum. The prototype, which weighs 2.8 kilograms, or about six pounds, contained electronics and an inertial measurement unit sensor to monitor the performance of the thruster system, which rotates the satellite using short-lived bursts of water vapor.

Typical satellites are about the size of a school bus, weigh thousands of pounds and sometimes cost hundreds of millions of dollars. And while conventional satellites require specialized electronics that can withstand the harsh conditions of space, CubeSats can be built with low-cost, off-the-shelf components. Constellations of many inexpensive, disposable satellites might be launched, minimizing the impact of losing individual satellites.

However, improvements are needed in micropropulsion systems to mobilize and precisely control the satellites.

"There have been substantial improvements made in micropropulsion technologies, but further reductions in mass, volume, and power are necessary for integration with small spacecraft," Alexeenko said.

The FEMTA technology is a micro-electromechanical system, or a MEMS, which are tiny machines that contain components measured on the scale of microns, or millionths of a meter. The thruster demonstrated a thrust-to-power ratio of 230 micronewtons per watt for impulses lasting 80 seconds.

"This is a very low power," Alexeenko said. "We demonstrate that one 180-degree rotation can be performed in less than a minute and requires less than a quarter watt, showing that FEMTA is a viable method for attitude control of CubeSats."

The FEMTA thrusters are microscale nozzles manufactured on silicon wafers using nanofabrication techniques common in industry. The model was tested in Purdue's High Vacuum Facility's large vacuum chamber.

Although the researchers used four thrusters, which allow the satellite to rotate on a single axis, a fully functional satellite would require 12 thrusters for 3-axis rotation.

The team built the system with inexpensive, commercially available devices that are integral for the "internet of things," an emerging phenomenon in which many everyday objects such as appliances and cars have their own internet addresses.

"These undergraduate students integrated all the IOT technologies, which, frankly, they know more about than I do," she said.

The inertial measurement unit handles 10 different types of measurements needed to maneuver and control the satellite. An onboard computer wirelessly receives signals to fire the thruster and transmits motion data using this IMU chip.

"What we really want to do next is integrate our system into a satellite for an actual space mission," she said.

The research involved a collaboration with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center through the space agency's SmallSat Technology Partnership program, which provided critical funding since the concept inception in 2013.

A patent application for the concept has been filed through the Purdue Research Foundation's Office of Technology Commercialization. The nozzles for the system were fabricated in the Scifres

Nanofabrication Laboratory in the Birck Nanotechnology Center in Purdue's Discovery Park.

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Writer: Emil Venere, 765-494-4709, venere@purdue.edu

Source: Alina Alexeenko, 765-496-1864, alexeenk@purdue.edu

IMAGE CAPTION:

Purdue University graduate student Katherine Fowee and postdoctoral research associate Anthony Cofer work on a new micropropulsion system for miniature satellites called CubeSats. (Purdue University photo/Erin Easterling)

A publication-quality photo is available at https://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/2017/alexeenko-cubesat.JPG

IMAGE CAPTION:

This tiny engine is part of the new micropropulsion system. (Purdue University photo/Erin Easterling) A publication-quality photo is available at https://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/2017/cubesat-engine.jpg

ABSTRACT

Quad-Thruster FEMTA Micropropulsion System for CubeSat 1-Axis Control

Katherine Fowee, Steven Pugia, Ryan Clay, Matthew Fuehne, Margaret Linker, Anthony Cofer, Alina Alexeenko Purdue University School of Aeronautics & Astronautics, 701 W. Stadium Avenue West Lafayette, IN 47907; (765) 496-1864, kfowee@purdue.edu

The need for compact, low-power micropropulsion systems to increase the maneuverability and lifespan of CubeSats has increased significantly as nanosat missions have become more ubiquitous and complex. The Film- Evaporation MEMS Tunable Array (FEMTA) thruster is a novel micropropulsion technology that exploits thermally controlled microcapillaries to generate micronewton thrust using liquid water as propellant. Here we present the design and testing of four FEMTA thrusters integrated into a 1U CubeSat prototype with the necessary electronics and an inertial measurement unit sensor to monitor the 1U-quad-thruster FEMTA CubeSat Model's attitude. The model was tested in the Purdue University High Vacuum Facility's large vacuum chamber for single-axis control using the FEMTA propulsion system. The experimental data on CubeSat rotation at a slew rate of about 5 deg/sec activated by FEMTA systems with <1 Watt input power show that FEMTA is a viable method for attitude control of CubeSats.
PRINCETON, N.J. -- Researchers have had trouble explaining why black children are much more likely than other children to suffer from asthma. A new study by Princeton University strongly suggests that much of the answer lies in persistent residential segregation, which traps minority children in unhealthy, polluted neighborhoods.

In the United States, black children are twice as likely as other children to develop asthma. Past research has attributed some of this difference to low birth weight, as black children are also more likely than others to be born at a low weight -- defined as less than 2,500 grams, or about 5.5 pounds -- and low birth weight is a risk factor for developing asthma.

Yet even when comparing only low-birth-weight children, said Janet M. Currie, who is the Henry Putnam Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, black children are still more likely to develop asthma. The racial disparity in asthma rates is so strong that some researchers have even concluded that "being black" is a risk factor for asthma.

But when Currie and her co-author, Princeton Ph.D. Diane Alexander of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, compared low-birth-weight children of all races and ethnicities who lived in "black" ZIP codes in New Jersey -- in which half or more of the residents are African American -- the racial disparity in the association between low birth weight and asthma disappeared completely. In other words, all low-birth-weight children in these ZIP codes, whatever their race, had the same elevated risk of asthma, compared to children born at a normal weight.

Low birth weight may predispose children to asthma, but by itself it doesn't cause the disease. A physical trigger is required. Thus it appears that something about the neighborhoods where the low-birth-weight children live, regardless of their race, is causing them to develop asthma. "This distinction is important," Currie said, "because unlike race, it is possible to change neighborhoods, either by finding and remediating the hazards that are causing higher asthma prevalence or by helping vulnerable children to move."

Currie and Alexander's study couldn't say definitively what exactly about the neighborhoods in "black" ZIP codes is triggering asthma in low-birth-weight children. But they speculated that air pollution -- both indoor and outdoor -- is to blame.

New Jersey neighborhoods with a majority of black residents are on average twice as close as other neighborhoods to major industrial sources of air pollution, the researchers found, and more likely to be near busy highways that produce high concentrations of harmful particulate matter. Housing in these neighborhoods is on average seven years older than elsewhere, and older buildings are more likely to harbor mold spores and fecal matter from rodent and insect infestations. Finally, mothers in these neighborhoods are somewhat more likely to smoke indoors.

Not only can indoor and outdoor air pollution trigger asthma in susceptible children, Currie and Alexander noted -- they can also cause women to have low-birth-weight babies in the first place.

To conduct their study, which appeared as a working paper on the National Bureau of Economic Research website, Currie and Alexander combined two sets of data -- records of all children born to mothers who lived in New Jersey from 2006 to 2010, and records of all New Jersey hospital emergency room visits from 2006 to 2012.

Because the birth records included mothers' addresses, they were able to see which children were born in predominately black neighborhoods, as organized by ZIP code. These ZIP codes included about 63 percent of the state's black children, but also about 16 percent of the state's other children. The emergency room records let the researchers determine whether or how many times each low-birth-weight child was treated in an emergency room for asthma during the study period.

"The United States continues to be highly racially segregated," Currie said, "with African-American neighborhoods suffering higher poverty, lower average educational attainments, higher unemployment, higher exposure to pollution, and other ills." Black Americans of any age also tend to be in worse health than their white counterparts, by any number of measures. Currie and Alexander's study suggests that the characteristics of highly segregated neighborhoods may be a major factor behind such persistent racial health disparities.

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The study, "Is It Who You Are or Where You Live? Residential Segregation and Racial Gaps in Childhood Asthma," appeared on the National NBER's website in July 2017. As a working paper, it was not peer-reviewed or subject to the review by the NBER Board of Directors that accompanies official NBER publications. A version of the paper will appear in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Health Economics.
Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine have discovered that defects in the transport of lysosomes within neurons promote the buildup of protein aggregates in the brains of mice with Alzheimer's disease. The study, which will be published August 7 in The Journal of Cell Biology (JCB), suggests that developing ways to restore lysosome transport could represent a new therapeutic approach to treating the neurodegenerative disorder.

Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, with over 5 million Americans currently estimated to be living with the disorder. A characteristic feature of the disease is the formation of amyloid plaques inside the brain. The plaques consist of extracellular aggregates of a toxic protein fragment called -amyloid surrounded by numerous swollen axons, the parts of neurons that conduct electric impulses to other nerve cells.

These axonal swellings are packed with lysosomes, cellular garbage disposal units that degrade old or damaged components of the cell. In neurons, lysosomes are thought to "mature" as they are transported from the ends of axons to the neuronal cell body, gradually acquiring the ability to degrade their cargo. The lysosomes that get stuck and accumulate inside the axonal swellings associated with amyloid plaques fail to properly mature, but how these lysosomes contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease is unclear. One possibility is that they promote the buildup of -amyloid because some of the enzymes that generate -amyloid by cleaving a protein called amyloid precursor protein (APP) accumulate in the swellings with the immature lysosomes.

Shawn Ferguson and colleagues at Yale University School of Medicine investigated this possibility by impeding the transport of lysosomes in mouse neurons. The researchers found that neurons lacking a protein called JIP3 failed to transport lysosomes from axons to the cell body, leading to the accumulation of lysosomes in axonal swellings similar to those seen in Alzheimer's disease patients. The swellings also accumulated APP and two enzymes--called BACE1 and presenilin 2--that cleave it to generate -amyloid. Neurons lacking JIP3 therefore generated increased amounts of -amyloid.

The researchers then removed one copy of the gene encoding JIP3--halving the amount of JIP3 protein--from mice that were already prone to developing Alzheimer's disease. These animals produced more -amyloid and formed larger amyloid plaques, surrounded by an increased number of swollen axons.

"Collectively, our results indicate that the axonal accumulations of lysosomes at amyloid plaques are not innocent bystanders but rather are important contributors to APP processing and amyloid plaque growth," Ferguson says.

Genetic and environmental factors that impede lysosomal transport may therefore contribute to the progression of Alzheimer's disease. For example, traumatic brain injuries, which are thought to be significant risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, are known to disrupt transport along axons and induce axonal swelling.

"The identification of other proteins that function alongside JIP3 in regulating the axonal transport and maturation of lysosomes could ultimately lead to strategies to modulate the axonal abundance of lysosomes for therapeutic purposes," Ferguson says.

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Gowrishankar et al., 2017. J. Cell Biol. http://jcb.rupress.org/cgi/doi/10.1083/jcb.201612148?PR.

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San Antonio - Aug. 7, 2017 - NASA's Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) is peering down through clouds to get an unprecedented view of this year's hurricane activity. Already this season, five tropical storms have formed over the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean has had 20 tropical storms, five hurricanes, and two typhoons.

The constellation of eight microsatellite spacecraft, built and operated by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), was launched into low-inclination, low-Earth orbit over the tropics on December 2016. CYGNSS is spending this hurricane season gathering data to help the weather forecasting community improve existing storm prediction models, said John Scherrer, a program director in SwRI's Space Science and Engineering Division. In recent decades, forecasters have greatly improved models that predict the path of hurricanes, but the ability to predict a storm's rapidly changing intensity has lagged.

CYGNSS remains a research project for now as NASA evaluates the amount and accuracy of wind data it returns to Earth. It could become operational as a near-real-time forecasting tool next season if this year's storm data shows the expected improvement.

"We are measuring wind speed at every spot in the tropics right now for four hours, twice a day," Scherrer said. "That's equivalent to a fleet of 32 hurricane hunter airplanes flying 24-7 throughout the tropics"

Hurricane-penetrating aircraft have limited range and can spend only a short time inside a storm. Also, radar from weather satellites can't penetrate the heavy clouds near a hurricane's center to measure wind speeds and intensity.

CYGNSS, however, works by receiving GPS satellite signals, which can penetrate even the heaviest cloud cover. The miniature satellites, each of which would fit atop a desk, measure how much GPS satellite signals are scattered as they reflect off the ocean surface. Greater scattering indicates a choppier surface due to higher wind speeds, which are a key component of storm intensity.

"During this hurricane season, our team will stress-test our ground operations systems for near-real-time forecasting," said SwRI's Jillian Redfern, the CYGNSS project and mission operations manager. "We will downlink data from each of the eight 'microsats' at every ground station and then flow the data through the operations systems to the science community to minimize the time between 'acquiring' data to 'using' data. We anticipate increasing our ground contacts from the current level of four per day to 35 per day during testing. Fortunately, most of this will be automated."

CYGNSS makes frequent measurements of ocean surface winds to monitor the location, intensity, size, and development of tropical cyclones. Flying in formation, the spacecraft cover an orbital swath that passes over most of the Earth's hurricane-producing zone, up to 35 degrees north and south of the Equator.

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SwRI, which led the engineering development and manages the operation of the constellation, is in Booth 57/58 at the Small Satellite Conference Aug. 5-10 in Logan, Utah. The University of Michigan Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering Department leads the science investigation, and the Earth Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate oversees the mission. SwRI's office in Boulder, Colorado, hosts the mission operations center, which commands the spacecraft, collects the telemetry, and transmits the data to the science operations center at the University of Michigan.
(TORONTO, Canada - Aug. 7, 2017) - Prostate cancer researchers have mapped the impact of an acquired mutation that alters epigenetic identity, the make-up of DNA, in about 50% of patient tumour samples. The discovery also identifies a new opportunity for targeted therapy.

The findings are published online today in Nature Genetics. The research shows how an acquired mutation involving the fusion of two genes (TMPRSS2 and ERG) can change the epigenetic identity of tumours leading to some genes being turned on while others are turned off, says Dr. Mathieu Lupien, corresponding author and Senior Scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, and a member of its Cancer Epigenetics Program, a team focused on breaking the code of cancer.

Dr. Lupien is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Physics, University of Toronto.

The discoveries highlight the power of mutations to influence epigenetics in prostate tumours to change the identity of cancer cells. Dr. Lupien's team exploited this fact to identify mechanisms that drive development of fusion-positive prostate cancer.

"Our findings specifically show that fusion-positive prostate cancer is dependent on the NOTCH signalling pathway, which can be blocked chemically in pre-clinical models," says Dr. Lupien. "This identifies a promising druggable target against fusion-positive prostate cancer and takes us a step closer to providing personalized cancer medicine for up to 50% of prostate cancer patients," he says.

"We're hopeful this research can be translated into clinical care in the near future to offer patients an additional, tailored treatment to complement the current standard of care, based on their fusion profile."

The study team consisted of scientists, pathologists and clinician-scientists involved in the Canadian Prostate Cancer Genome Network (CPC-GENE), the world-leading prostate cancer sequencing program co-led by Dr. Robert Bristow at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Dr. Paul Boutros at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research.

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The research published today was supported by the Movember Foundation through Prostate Cancer Canada, the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research funded by the Government of Ontario, and The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.

About Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network

The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre has achieved an international reputation as a global leader in the fight against cancer and delivering personalized cancer medicine. The Princess Margaret, one of the top five international cancer research centres, is a member of the University Health Network, which also includes Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute and the Michener Institute for Education; all affiliated with the University of Toronto. For more information, go to http://www.theprincessmargaret.ca or http://www.uhn.ca .
Much has been written on the pitfalls of being a helicopter parent, one who insulates children from adversity rather than encouraging their independence.

A new study seems to back up this finding -- in dogs. Researchers showed that doting mothers seem to handicap their puppies, in this case reducing their likelihood of successfully completing a training program to become guide dogs.

The study, published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was conducted at The Seeing Eye, an organization in Morristown, New Jersey, that breeds, raises and trains dogs to guide visually impaired people.

"You need your mom, but moms that are too attentive don't give their puppies a chance to respond to small challenges on their own," said lead study author Emily Bray, a postdoctoral researcher in the Arizona Canine Cognition Center at the University of Arizona's School of Anthropology. "Puppies need opportunities to deal with obstacles without their mom always being there."

Early interactions between puppies and their mothers seem to have lasting effects.

"These puppies were with their mom for only five weeks, and it's having an effect on their success two years later," Bray said. "It seems that puppies need to learn how to deal with small challenges at this early age, and if they don't, it hurts them later."

Bray's results contribute to an understanding of the long-term effects of maternal style and suggest ways that guide-dog-training organizations might better identify dogs who are more likely to succeed.

Observing Mother-Pup Interactions

Scientists have long been interested in the impact of early-life experiences on adult behavior, studying the phenomenon in rodents, primates and people. But hardly any studies had been done in dogs.

Guide dogs presented a useful group to study for several reasons. First, at The Seeing Eye, many puppies are raised in a single location under fairly controlled conditions. Second, the dogs have a clear measure of success: Either they graduate from the program to become a working guide dog or they are released. And third, success as a guide dog isn't easy; the dog must be willing and able to navigate a complex and often-unpredictable environment while remaining obedient and attentive to its owner.

To gather information about the puppies' early-life experiences, Bray and a team of undergraduate research assistants essentially embedded themselves at The Seeing Eye's breeding facility, taking video and closely observing 23 mothers and their 98 puppies for their first five weeks of life.

"We wanted to know if we could differentiate the moms based on how they interacted with their puppies," Bray said. "We documented things like her nursing position, how much time she spent looking away from the puppies and how much time she spent in close proximity to her puppies or licking and grooming them."

Analysis of the data revealed differences across the mothers, with some being particularly attentive and others less so.

When the researchers tracked the puppies a couple of years down the line, they found that those with mothers that were more attentive were less likely to graduate from The Seeing Eye's training program to become guide dogs. In particular, those dogs whose mothers nursed more often lying down, as opposed to sitting or standing up, were less likely to succeed.

"If a mother is lying on her stomach, the puppies basically have free access to milk, but if the mother is standing up, then the puppies have to work to get it," said study co-author Robert Seyfarth, a psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania. "A hypothesis might be that you have to provide your offspring with minor obstacles that they can overcome for them to succeed later in life because, as we know, life as an adult involves obstacles."

Cognition, Temperament Also Predict Success

The study also found that dogs' cognition and temperament were associated with program success or failure.

The researchers conducted a second part of the study after the puppies had gone to live with foster families and then returned to The Seeing Eye for specific guide-dog training. The dogs -- at this point young adults at 14 to 17 months old -- were given tests to measure their cognition and temperament. A test of cognitive problem-solving skills, for example, involved a game in which the dog has to perform a multistep task to reach a treat. Tests of temperament included observing the dogs' reactions, such as how long they took to bark at an umbrella being opened or how they reacted when they entered a room with a mechanical cat they had never seen before.

"We saw that some dogs were calm and collected and solved problems quickly, while others were more reactive and perseverated at the problem-solving tasks," Bray said.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, dogs that did well at the problem-solving tasks and took longer to bark at novel objects were more likely to succeed in the guide-dog-training program.

Although Bray's work underscores the connection between maternal behavior and offspring's behavior later in life, further research is needed to tease out exactly why the attentive mothers were more likely to have puppies that were released from the program, and whether or not genetics could be a factor.

"With mothering, it seems like it's a delicate balance," Bray said. "It's easy to be like, 'Oh, smothering moms are the worst,' but we aren't exactly sure of the mechanisms yet and we don't want to tip too far in the other direction, either."

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The study is based on work Bray did as a student at the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her doctorate in psychology in May. In addition to Seyfarth, her co-authors are Penn faculty members Dorothy Cheney, James Serpell and Mary Sammel.

The study was supported by the University of Pennsylvania and by National Science Foundation Grant 1321851.
Norway is famed for its cod. Catches from the Arctic stock that spawns each year off its northern coast are exported across Europe for staple dishes from British fish and chips to Spanish bacalao stew.

Now, a new study published today in the journal PNAS suggests that some form of this pan-European trade in Norwegian cod may have been taking place for 1,000 years.

Latest research from the universities of Cambridge and Oslo, and the Centre for Baltic and Scandinavian Archaeology in Schleswig, used ancient DNA extracted from the remnants of Viking-age fish suppers.

The study analysed five cod bones dating from between 800 and 1066 AD found in the mud of the former wharves of Haithabu, an early medieval trading port on the Baltic. Haithabu is now a heritage site in modern Germany, but at the time was ruled by the King of the Danes.

The DNA from these cod bones contained genetic signatures seen in the Arctic stock that swims off the coast of Lofoten: the northern archipelago still a centre for Norway's fishing industry.

Researchers say the findings show that supplies of 'stockfish' - an ancient dried cod dish popular to this day - were transported over a thousand miles from northern Norway to the Baltic Sea during the Viking era.

Prior to the latest study, there was no archaeological or historical proof of a European stockfish trade before the 12th century.

While future work will look at further fish remains, the small size of the current study prevents researchers from determining whether the cod was transported for trade or simply used as sustenance for the voyage from Norway.

However, they say that the Haithabu bones provide the earliest evidence of fish caught in northern Norway being consumed on mainland Europe - suggesting a European fish trade involving significant distances has been in operation for a millennium.

"Traded fish was one of the first commodities to begin to knit the European continent together economically," says Dr James Barrett, senior author of the study from the University of Cambridge's McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research.

"Haithabu was an important trading centre during the early medieval period. A place where north met south, pagan met Christian, and those who used coin met those who used silver by weight."

"By extracting and sequencing DNA from the leftover fish bones of ancient cargoes at Haithabu, we have been able to trace the source of their food right the way back to the cod populations that inhabit the Barents Sea, but come to spawn off Norway's Lofoten coast every winter.

"This Arctic stock of cod is still highly prized - caught and exported across Europe today. Our findings suggest that distant requirements for this Arctic protein had already begun to influence the economy and ecology of Europe in the Viking age."

Stockfish is white fish preserved by the unique climate of north Norway, where winter temperature hovers around freezing. Cod is traditionally hung out on wooden frames to allow the chill air to dry the fish. Some medieval accounts suggest stockfish was still edible as much as ten years after preservation.

The research team argue that the new findings offer some corroboration to the unique 9th century account of the voyages of Ohthere of Halogaland: a Viking chieftain whose visit to the court of King Alfred in England resulted in some of his exploits being recorded.

"In the accounts inserted by Alfred's scribes into the translation of an earlier 5th century text, Ohthere describes sailing from Halogaland to Haithabu," says Barrett. Halogaland was the northernmost province of Norway.

"While no cargo of dried fish is mentioned, this may be because it was simply too mundane a detail," says Barrett. "The fish-bone DNA evidence is consistent with the Ohthere text, showing that such voyages between northern Norway and mainland Europe were occurring."

"The Viking world was complex and interconnected. This is a world where a chieftain from north Norway may have shared stockfish with Alfred the Great while a late-antique Latin text was being translated in the background. A world where the town dwellers of a cosmopolitan port in a Baltic fjord may have been provisioned from an Arctic sea hundreds of miles away."

The sequencing of the ancient cod genomes was done at the University of Oslo, where researchers are studying the genetic makeup of Atlantic cod in an effort to unpick the anthropogenic impacts on these long-exploited fish populations.

"Fishing, particularly of cod, has been of central importance for the settlement of Norway for thousands of years. By combining fishing in winter with farming in summer, whole areas of northern Norway could be settled in a more reliable manner," says the University of Oslo's Bastiaan Star, first author of the new study.

Star points to the design of Norway's new banknotes that prominently feature an image of cod, along with a Viking ship, as an example of the cultural importance still placed on the fish species in this part of Europe.

"We want to know what impact the intensive exploitation history covering millennia has inflicted on Atlantic cod, and we use ancient DNA methods to investigate this," he says.

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The study was funded by the Research Council of Norway and the Leverhulme Trust.
An economic experiment to inform policymakers considering Medicaid expansion shows small cash incentives to low-income people with new health care coverage can promote primary care visits that may significantly reduce costs overall. The study, by Cathy Bradley, professor of health systems management and policy at the Colorado School of Public Health at CU Anschutz, published today in the August issue of Health Affairs.

"This shows a potential for cost savings for a very small amount of money," Bradley said. "Access to primary care does not necessarily mean a visit will occur. Establishing a primary care relationship with an initial visit helps prevent chronic conditions, avoids hospitalizations and use of emergency departments and provides better care to the patient."

Some employers use cash incentives to encourage healthy behaviors among workers and the Affordable Care Act expanded the use of such incentives to public insurance programs.

"At the time this experiment began, Medicaid expansions were happening across the US," Bradley said.

Previous studies reported that low-income patients could be especially responsive to financial incentives like cost-sharing responsibility for emergency department use.

"An emergency room visit would treat the patient's immediate acute need and discharge them," Bradley said. "A primary care doctor will do all the things that improve their well-being and prevent a medical crisis."

In a randomized controlled trial with subjects in Virginia living 100 percent below the federal poverty level, researchers studied low-income adults newly covered by a primary care program to determine if a cash incentive could encourage them to make an initial visit to a primary care provider. Among four total participant groups, three were given a baseline survey by telephone and then either $50, $25 or $0 to visit their provider within six months. A control group received no incentive or contact from the researchers.

The findings also suggest that interaction with a health care program coordinator who shows low-income enrollees through the system may also encourage primary care visits without further cash incentives. In the $0 incentive group, more people sought and received care than the unpaid control group.

"It shows that for a small amount of money and a conversation you can get a person to obtain primary care," Bradley said.

Subjects in the $50 and $25 incentive groups were more likely to see a primary care provider (77 percent and 74 percent, respectively) compared to the $0 group (68 percent). In the control group, 61 percent received care.

Study subjects were identified and enrolled through a community-based primary care program from a safety-net health care provider in Virginia serving low-income patients. All were newly enrolled in a health care program and had not seen a primary care provider or specialist in the previous nine months.

Overall, 1,228 participants were included in the three incentive groups and completed the baseline interview. There were 414 in the control group.

Bradley said the biggest limitation to the study was recruitment. A significant amount of potential subjects did not have stable phone connectivity, were homeless or incarcerated, making study enrollment a challenge.

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The study was co-authored by David Neumark, professor of economics at the University of California, Irvine.
The 53-attosecond light pulse breaks the record set by the same team in 2012

A research team at the University of Central Florida has demonstrated the fastest light pulse ever developed, a 53-attosecond X-ray flash.

The group led by Professor Zenghu Chang beat its own record set in 2012: a 67-attosecond extreme ultraviolet light pulse that was the fastest at the time.

At one-quintillionth of a second, an attosecond is unimaginably fast. In 53 attoseconds, light travels less than one-thousandth of the diameter of a human hair.

In the same way high-speed cameras can record slow-motion video of flying bullets, attosecond light pulses allow scientists to capture images of fast-moving electrons in atoms and molecules with unprecedented sharpness.

As reported Aug. 4 in Nature Communications, the pulses Chang has now demonstrated are not just shorter in duration, but also in wavelength. The new light reaches an important spectral region, the so called "water window," where carbon atoms absorb strongly but water does not.

"Such attosecond soft X-rays could be used to shoot slow-motion video of electrons and atoms of biological molecules in living cells to, for instance, improve the efficiency of solar panels by better understanding how photosynthesis works," said Chang, a UCF Trustee Chair Professor in CREOL, The College of Optics & Photonics, and the Department of Physics. Chang is the director of the Institute for the Frontiers of Attosecond Science and Technology (iFAST), located in the Physics Department, where the experiments were carried out.

X-rays interact with the tightly bound electrons in matter and may reveal which electrons move in which atoms, providing another way to study fast processes in materials with chemical element specificity. That capability is invaluable for the development of next-generation logic and memory chips for mobile phones and computers that are a thousand times faster than those in use today.

Producing attosecond X-rays requires a new type of high power driver: femtosecond lasers with a long wavelength. It's an approach that Chang and his team have pioneered.

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Chang's team includes Jie Li, Xiaoming Ren, Yanchun Yin, Andrew Chew, Yan Cheng, Eric Cunningham, Yang Wang, Shuyuan Hu and Yi Wu, who are all affiliated with iFAST; Kun Zhao, who is also affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Michael Chini with the UCF Department of Physics.

The research was supported by grants through the DARPA PULSE program, the Army Research Office, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation.
A healthy global debate has occurred concerning the benefits of using non-native trees for restoring some aspects of ecosystem function in degraded habitats. In many cases, the stresses associated with establishing seedlings disallow most native tree species from becoming successfully established in harsh planting sites. The tolerant non-native trees enable successes that would otherwise be unachievable.

A recent study from the Micronesian island of Guam has added to this global debate, and the results appear in the current issue of the Journal of Coastal Zone Management. The University of Guam research focused on the established use of non-native Acacia trees to re-vegetate barren scars in savanna grasslands.

"Most of these sorts of government-sponsored projects that use non-native trees are very mindful of the issue of invasiveness," said author Thomas Marler. "Non-native species that have proven restoration attributes are only used in restoration projects if they exhibit no signs of invasiveness."

In the Guam case, the Acacia trees are pursued to restore barren scars because these degraded soil surfaces do not become re-vegetated by the grass species that comprise the savanna vegetation. The barren areas are prone to increases erosion and sedimentation over time and often have the surface soil horizons completely removed. The chemistry of Guam's volcanic subsoil is inhospitable for root growth of most plants. When these subsoils become the surface soils after erosion in the barren scars, very few plants can become established.

According to Marler, the use of Acacia trees has been enticing because the species that have been used are adept at becoming established in the inhospitable sites. And their positive influence on erosion control has been proven throughout decades of projects. But no case studies have been conducted until now to shed light on what these non-native trees are doing to Guam's soil traits.

The results indicated the soil chemistry and root-zone nutrient budgets have been altered by the Acacia tree cover, and the trajectory of change is in a direction that does not conform to any of the naturally vegetated sites from Guam. As expected, the various components of the nitrogen cycle were among the traits that were most altered by these alien legume trees.

This Guam research contributes to the ongoing global discussions about the role of afforestation for revegetating tropical degraded habitats. Some restoration ecologists consider tropical grassland habitats off limits for tree-planting projects. These unique changes in Guam's tropical volcanic soils reveal one means by which non-native trees perpetrate collateral ecosystem deviations within the habitats being restored. These soil deviations often go unnoticed during restoration projects, and exemplify yet one more human activity that inadvertently alters the natural biogeochemical cycle.

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Dying early (under age 75) is 20% more likely in northern compared with southern England according to research led by The University of Manchester:

14,333 more premature deaths in the North in 2015

1.2 million more early deaths in the North from 1965 to 2015

The study uncovers a North-South divide in deaths among middle aged adults, which has been rising since the mid-90s and is now at alarming levels:

49% more deaths among 35-44 year olds in the North in 2015

29% more deaths among 25-34 year olds in the North in 2015

The team show that a sharp increase in premature deaths among middle aged adults in the North first emerged in the mid-90s, increasingly quickly but consistently until the end of the study period in 2015.

The study used data from the Office of National Statistics on the whole English population from 1965 to 2015. It was supported by the Health eResearch Centre at The University of Manchester which is part of The Farr Institute and funded through a consortium of ten partners5 led by the Medical Research Council.

Published today in the BMJ's Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, the news raises questions over the effectiveness of government policies and billions of pounds of public investment designed to tackle the problem.

Lead researcher, Professor Iain Buchan from The University of Manchester said: "Five decades of death records tell a tale of two Englands, North and South, divided by resources and life expectancy - a profound inequality resistant to the public health interventions of successive governments."

"A new approach is required, one that must address the economic and social factors that underpin early deaths, especially in younger populations, and one that focuses on rebalancing the wider economy to help drive investment in northern towns and cities.

"The devolution of centralised powers may enable civic leaders to seed the economic growth to tackle this divide, but only if they are given the proportionate northern weighting of funds to do so."

Co-author, Prof Tim Doran from the University of York added: "These important findings were made possible by examining public health data -- held by the NHS and other agencies -- dating back decades. The data, technology and skills now exist to better understand population health and develop public policies to improve it proportionately."

The University of Manchester is a member of the Northern Health Science Alliance (NHSA), a partnership of universities and NHS organisations driving innovations in health science and business growth in the region through initiatives such as the Health North: Connected Health Cities programme. Connected Health Cities is a flagship NHSA project to harness regional data and advanced digital technologies for health science and care.

Chief Executive of the NHSA, Dr Hakim Yadi OBE, said: "Health inequalities between the North and South of the country must be addressed by government as a priority.

"The NHSA wants to harness the North's huge potential in health innovation and life sciences for the benefit of its 15 million population. Research conducted by IPPR North demonstrates the government invests much less in health research funding in the North of England than in the South, despite the huge need, as demonstrated by this research, to address inequalities".

"The Life Sciences Industrial Strategy is one way in which to make the investment needed to readdress the health inequalities these figures so starkly demonstrate."

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WORCESTER, MA - A first-of-its kind payment formula developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical School recommends allocating some health insurance dollars for patients in vulnerable communities and for those subject to social risks, in addition to their medical issues. Adjusting for these risk factors redistributes funds in the health system, which can be used in community settings to address underlying causes that often lead to costly hospitalizations and visits to the emergency room.

"A payment formula that accounts for medical problems but ignores social risk will underpay for treating vulnerable populations, potentially exacerbating already existing inequalities," said Arlene S. Ash, PhD, professor of quantitative health sciences and the study's author. "We describe a model to ensure that plans get more money for enrolling patients with greater medical and social needs.

"These reallocated funds could be used to support innovations, such as purchasing a home air conditioner for someone at high risk of hospitalization for breathing problems, or providing culturally appropriate cooking classes so families can prepare diabetes friendly meals."

MassHealth, the combined Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in Massachusetts providing access to care for the state's most vulnerable residents, is the first to implement a model that adjusts payments to managed care organizations for socially vulnerable patients. Although data for measuring social risk is limited, MassHealth's model now recognizes the additional resources needed for patients with unstable housing, those living in highly stressed neighborhoods, and those with various kinds of disabilities whose needs are not fully captured by their medical diagnoses. MassHealth's current payment model uses existing Medicaid data and reproducible methods to improve payment equity and support care for vulnerable beneficiaries.

"As people put their hopes in alternative payment methods to handle rising health care costs, it's important to have a conceptual framework that does not exacerbate current inequalities," said Ash. "Just as we started adjusting for medical complexity thirty years ago, so that the sickest patients would have access to the care they needed, this study shows how to account for social disparities in health care costs."

Using 2013 data from MassHealth for over 800,000 members, Ash and colleagues scanned enrollment and insurance claims looking for variables such as ethnicity, housing issues, mental health, substance use, disability, and English language limitations, which might be useful for predicting medical costs. A key finding was that people who moved more than once in a year used over $500 more health care dollars than formulas that only accounted for medical risk. The researchers also mapped enrollee addresses to US Census data to calculate a neighborhood-level score that summarizes the prevalence - among near-neighbors - of social risk factors such as very low incomes, no access to a car, single parent households, public assistance and unemployment.

The study found that health costs for residents in the most stressed neighborhoods were about 23 percent higher than those in the least stressed neighborhoods - a differential that was mostly accounted for greater medical risk. However, Ash and colleagues were only able to eliminate the last 5 percent of underpayment for those living in the most-stressed neighborhoods by including the neighborhood stress score in the payment formula.

"We need to build a health system that recognizes and pays for these and other social risks, so as to encourage and enable networks of medical and community-based practitioners to work together to help socially-vulnerable people become more healthy," said Ash. "This study is a first step in that direction."

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About the University of Massachusetts Medical School

The University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), one of five campuses of the University system, is comprised of the School of Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Graduate School of Nursing, a thriving research enterprise and an innovative public service initiative, Commonwealth Medicine. Its mission is to advance the health of the people of the Commonwealth through pioneering education, research, public service and health care delivery with its clinical partner, UMass Memorial Health Care. In doing so, it has built a reputation as a world-class research institution and as a leader in primary care education. The Medical School attracts more than $266 million annually in research funding, placing it among the top 50 medical schools in the nation. In 2006, UMMS's Craig C. Mello, PhD, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and the Blais University Chair in Molecular Medicine, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, along with colleague Andrew Z. Fire, PhD, of Stanford University, for their discoveries related to RNA interference (RNAi). The 2013 opening of the Albert Sherman Center ushered in a new era of biomedical research and education on campus. Designed to maximize collaboration across fields, the Sherman Center is home to scientists pursuing novel research in emerging scientific fields with the goal of translating new discoveries into innovative therapies for human diseases.
Understanding a cybercriminal's backstory - where they live, what they do and who they know, is key to cracking cybercrime, new research suggests.

Online crime is of course online, but there is also a surprisingly strong offline and local dimension. Cybercriminals are often seen as faceless, international, computer masterminds, who are almost impossible to identify or understand as a result. But, according to new Oxford University research, contextualising their threat and motivations is key to stopping them. The culprits exist within certain locations, and understanding these locales and the economic situation of those living in them, would help the police to better understand, investigate and counter cybercrime.

In new research published in the journal Policing, researchers working on the Human Cybercriminal Project in Oxford's Department of Sociology explored the local and offline dimension of cybercrime. The work suggests hubs of cybercrime are underpinned by frameworks that to a degree, explain how the crime has become so prevalent there. Co-author Dr Jonathan Lusthaus, said: "understanding the human aspects of cybercriminals -where they live, what they do, who they know, how they are organised and operate -- is key to addressing the problem in a more complete way".

While cybercrime is a global problem, it is clear that certain regions like Eastern Europe play an outsize role. The study focuses on Romania and certain towns within it. The paper investigates why Internet fraud is such a problem in the country and finds a number of key factors at play. Understanding a country's infrastructure, economic situation and level of corruption, is vital. Considered together, these factors may help make sense of why cybercrime is so rampant in some societies and not others.

A region's economic situation may be a key indicator of the likelihood of high levels of Internet fraud taking place. With an average monthly salary of 398 per month, Romania is one of Europe's poorest countries. Despite this poverty, the country has a number of successful technology companies and is widely known for its IT expertise. For those not in a position to take advantage of job opportunities in the sector, and outside of the country, a career in cybercrime, known to be financially rewarding, is very tempting.

Additionally, with the legacy of communism and its investment in STEM, the infrastructure exists for fast and successful online operations. Finally, corruption is rife in Romanian society. According to Transparency International's 2016 Corruption Perceptions Index (with 100 indicating a country free of corruption), Romania scores 48 out of a possible 100, and only just above the global average of 43.

The researchers themselves were even the target of a scam. During their fieldwork interviews, a purported and 'unsolicited' fixer offered to introduce them to a network of cybercriminals and high-level enforcement agents, in return for a very significant fee.

However, minor investigations revealed that many of the fixer's connections were in fact fake. Taking this incident into consideration against other evidence gathered, the authors found an openly immoral environment to be fertile ground for those who wish to start a career in internet fraud.

Co-author Professor Federico Varese said: 'Understanding cybercrime isn't just about the victims. You have to look at the supply of the activity. For too long the emphasis has been put on cybercrime as a global activity, but it is a very localised issue. Cybercrime thrives in those places where they can operate with less fear of arrest or punishment.

'The people involved are not necessarily sophisticated or even high tech, criminal masterminds. They are everyday people with a motivation and an opportunity. Almost anyone can do it. If we really focus on where this activity is taking place we should see a reduction in crimes committed.'

During their time in the country, the team visited several Romanian cities and towns for interviews, including Ramnicu Valcea which is also known as 'Hackerville' and appears to be the country's most prolific locale for cybercrime. Bucharest comes second on the list. Interviews not only revealed that the criminal activity was widely known about, but that offline activities supported online scams.

The networks of those involved were large, with many people knowing each other personally. Dr Jonathan Lusthaus, said 'one case was spoken about where an entire small community was involved in a particular scam. They said it had spread from neighbour to neighbour 'like a disease.'

Organisers recruit other friends and neighbours to join their scam and perform specific tasks, such as acting as a money mule, or 'arrow', as they are known in Romania. Through this offline dimension, group members are able to meet publically, in social settings and openly discuss operations. In Ramnicu Valcea, there were suggestions that cybercrime might intersect with traditional organized crime, with violence used against those who reported on the phenomenon. Local corruption also appeared to help the growth of the phenomenon.

Professor Federico Varese, said: 'On paper Ramnicu Valcea should be in the middle of an economic downturn, yet it is rather affluent. Those not involved in cybercrime see their friends in their fancy cars, making money, and facing few consequences, and they want to get involved and the cycle continues'. The paper argues that while the victims can be thousands of miles away and of course should be vigilant, cybercrime needs to be tackled in the places where it originates. The case of Romania suggests that fighting cybercrime at its roots is dependent on good local law enforcement and effective governance - a lesson that could be applied elsewhere. The countries where the victims reside cannot win the fight against cybercrime alone, but need the support of international partners. Varese concluded that, 'As part of the EU we have an opportunity to work with Romania in this area, but that window is rapidly closing'.

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Notes to editors:

The full paper citation is 'Offline and Local: The Hidden Face of Cybercrime' by Jonathan Lusthaus and Frederico Varese and it features in the Journal Policing: https://academic.oup.com/policing/article/doi/10.1093/police/pax042/4055914/Offline-and-Local-The-Hidden-Face-of-Cybercrime?guestAccessKey=576254fd-e3e3-4db8-ae5b-b104f870f9ea

Abstract: https://academic.oup.com/policing/article-abstract/doi/10.1093/police/pax042/4055914/Offline-and-Local-The-Hidden-Face-of-Cybercrime
Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy, or AISP, a joint effort between the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice and Graduate School of Education, will launch a training and technical assistance program for state and local governments interested in developing integrated data systems, or IDS.

These systems enable governments to harness data across multiple agencies to improve policy analysis and establish more effective programs. Since its inception in 2009, AISP has fostered the development, use and innovation of IDS for policy analysis and program reform. AISP coordinates an existing network of 16 states and counties with IDS capacity.

The new training program will involve an inaugural stand-alone IDS learning community of eight states and two counties. This community will be guided through a newly developed curriculum based on the expertise of AISP researchers and network practitioners.

"With this new initiative, more than half of the U.S. population will be in a jurisdiction with an integrated data system, bringing smarter, better and faster government policy making, as well as a vast set of opportunities for social science research and program evaluation," said Dennis Culhane, the Dana and Andrew Stone Chair in Social Policy in the School of Social Policy & Practice and AISP co-principal investigator.

The 10 jurisdictions to be part of the inaugural IDS learning community are the states of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island and Utah, as well as Broward County, Fla., and King County, Wash.

The learning community initiative will assist jurisdictions with developing a governance process, preparing a legal framework and creating a data and technology plan. Five more jurisdictions will be chosen later this year to form a second learning community that will launch in 2018.

During the past year, AISP convened experts in key areas of IDS development. They produced four reports, which are being used to create the learning community curriculum. Experts who wrote and prepared the reports include faculty from five schools at Penn: AISP co-principal investigators Culhane and John Fantuzzo, the Albert M. Greenfield Professor of Human Relation at GSE; Penn Provost Wendell Pritchett, a professor in the School of Law; Jeffrey Vagle, an associate professor of computer and information science in the School of Arts & Sciences and lecturer in Penn Law; Andreas Haeberlen from the Department of Computer and Information Science in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Ken Steif, a lecturer in the School of Design.

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The expert panel reports were funded through The Laura and John Arnold Foundation. Curriculum development was further supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The Learning Community will be funded through the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Aug. 7, 2017 -- Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the ancestors of modern humans diverged from an archaic lineage that gave rise to Neanderthals and Denisovans. Yet the evolutionary relationships between these groups remain unclear.

A University of Utah-led team developed a new method for analyzing DNA sequence data to reconstruct the early history of the archaic human populations. They revealed an evolutionary story that contradicts conventional wisdom about modern humans, Neanderthals and Denisovans.

The study found that the Neanderthal-Denisovan lineage nearly went extinct after separating from modern humans. Just 300 generations later, Neanderthals and Denisovans diverged from each other around 744,000 years ago. Then, the global Neanderthal population grew to tens of thousands of individuals living in fragmented, isolated populations scattered across Eurasia.

"This hypothesis is against conventional wisdom, but it makes more sense than the conventional wisdom." said Alan Rogers, professor in the Department of Anthropology and lead author of the study that will publish online on August 7, 2017 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A different evolutionary story

With only limited samples of fossil fragments, anthropologists assemble the history of human evolution using genetics and statistics.

Previous estimates of the Neanderthal population size are very small -- around 1,000 individuals. However, a 2015 study showed that these estimates underrepresent the number of individuals if the Neanderthal population was subdivided into isolated, regional groups. The Utah team suggests that this explains the discrepancy between previous estimates and their own much larger estimate of Neanderthal population size.

"Looking at the data that shows how related everything was, the model was not predicting the gene patterns that we were seeing," said Ryan Bohlender, post-doctoral fellow at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, and co-author of the study. "We needed a different model and, therefore, a different evolutionary story."

The team developed an improved statistical method, called legofit, that accounts for multiple populations in the gene pool. They estimated the percentage of Neanderthal genes flowing into modern Eurasian populations, the date at which archaic populations diverged from each other, and their population sizes.

A family history in DNA

The human genome has about 3.5 billion nucleotide sites. Over time, genes at certain sites can mutate. If a parent passes down that mutation to their kids, who pass it to their kids, and so on, that mutation acts as a family seal stamped onto the DNA.

Scientists use these mutations to piece together evolutionary history hundreds of thousands of years in the past. By searching for shared gene mutations along the nucleotide sites of various human populations, scientists can estimate when groups diverged, and the sizes of populations contributing to the gene pool.

"You're trying to find a fingerprint of these ancient humans in other populations. It's a small percentage of the genome, but it's there," said Rogers.

They compared the genomes of four human populations: Modern Eurasians, modern Africans, Neanderthals and Denisovans. The modern samples came from Phase I of the 1000-Genomes project and the archaic samples came from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. The Utah team analyzed a few million nucleotide sites that shared a gene mutation in two or three human groups, and established 10 distinct nucleotide site patterns.

Against conventional wisdom

The new method confirmed previous estimates that modern Eurasians share about 2 percent of Neanderthal DNA. However, other findings questioned established theories.

Their analysis revealed that 20 percent of nucleotide sites exhibited a mutation only shared by Neanderthals and Denisovans, a genetic timestamp marking the time before the archaic groups diverged. The team calculated that Neanderthals and Denisovans separated about 744,000 years ago, much earlier than any other estimation of the split.

"If Neanderthals and Denisovans had separated later, then there ought to be more sites at which the mutation is present in the two archaic samples, but is absent from modern samples," said Rogers.

The analysis also questioned whether the Neanderthal population had only 1,000 individuals. There is some evidence for this; Neanderthal DNA contains mutations that usually occur in small populations with little genetic diversity.

However, Neanderthal remains found in various locations are genetically different from each other. This supports the study's finding that regional Neanderthals were likely small bands of individuals, which explains the harmful mutations, while the global population was quite large.

"The idea is that there are these small, geographically isolated populations, like islands, that sometimes interact, but it's a pain to move from island to island. So, they tend to stay with their own populations," said Bohlender.

Their analysis revealed that the Neanderthals grew to tens of thousands of individuals living in fragmented, isolated populations.

"There's a rich Neanderthal fossil record. There are lots of Neanderthal sites," said Rogers. "It's hard to imagine that there would be so many of them if there were only 1,000 individuals in the whole world."

Rogers is excited to apply the new method in other contexts.

"To some degree, this is a proof of concept that the method can work. That's exciting," said Rogers. "We have remarkable ability to estimate things with high precision, much farther back in the past than anyone has realized."

###

Chad Huff of the Department of Epidemiology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas also contributed to the study. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (BCS 1638840), the Center for High Performance Computing at the University of Utah and the National Cancer Institute (R25CA057730 and CA016672).
Monday, August 7, 2017

There are many people in the world who offer advice and guidance to people with means, especially when it comes to how one can best make more money. A wide range of specialized experts and advisors will gladly share their insights to make your decision-making process easier. Business consultants may help you set up a family office or expand your personal empire. Wealth advisors and financial planners help you enhance your earnings. Tax advisors help you protect your assets.

These people can all be valuable resources and allies for growing your wealth, but what happens when youre ready to give money away? Distributing wealth is a very different practice from earning it. The core practices and the nuances of philanthropic investments are often a departure from those used for market investments. Thats where a philanthropic advisor can come in handy.

A philanthropic advisor with the right characteristics can make giving away wealth just as effective as investing it. They work with you to identify your philanthropic goals, strategies for meeting them, processes and structures for achieving them and measures for success. And just as with any other professional advisor, youll want to make sure youve found the right fit. Here are six characteristics to consider in your search:

1. Trust. Every successful philanthropic advising relationship is based on trust . You and your advisor will talk about much more than money. Youll talk about issues you care about deeply, your personal motivations and even your personal relationships with other family members. Youll want someone you can trust completely to keep your secrets safe and your best interests at heart.

2. Inspiration. Good philanthropic advisors quickly understand what inspires their clients and find ways to build on that passion. Conversations with your advisor should leave you feeling hopeful, excited and always ready to move forward. If you find yourself feeling deflated or bored after a discussion, it may be time to seek consultation elsewhere.

3. Challenge. As with any kind of advice, a yes-man doesnt cut it. Strong philanthropic advisors help you clarify your goals and bring forward bold new ideas to help you move toward them. As with financial advisors, they take the time to understand your tolerance for risk, but they also encourage you to challenge your beliefs and assumptions as you consider your philanthropic investment strategy. At the end of the day, you should find yourself thinking more deeply and making new connections that you may not have made on your own.

4. Adaptability. If a philanthropic advisor attempts to wow you with her proven five-step method of successful philanthropy, head for the nearest exit. Philanthropy is a highly personalized undertaking, and while an advisor may have a general guiding process, she must first and foremost be willing to adapt that process to your needs. Prepackaged approaches may be great for fast food, but they have no place in philanthropic advising.

5. Experience. When considering an advisors experience, the key is to look for breadth rather than depth. In other words, the more different forms of philanthropy (foundations, donor-advised funds, individual giving, triple bottom-line corporate giving, etc.) in which an advisor has worked, the better. An advisor with 20 years of experience at one foundation in one community will know a lot about that one foundation and that one geography. But no two philanthropies (and no two communities) are alike. Look for an advisor who has worked in many different places and with many different kinds of philanthropy.

6. Collegiality. Your philanthropy will be most effective when your philanthropic advisor is in regular contact with your other advisors. For example, when your philanthropic advisor knows in advance that youre planning to take a distribution from a family business or that a large gift will be needed in the current year to offset an impending tax liability, she can help you plan your philanthropic investments accordingly. She also can work with your business or investment advisors to ensure that your philanthropic investments work hand-in-hand with your business or market rate ones, so that returns align with your overall vision. Look for a true team player whos willing to understand and work within the bigger picture.

Evaluate potential philanthropic advisors with these criteria, and I guarantee youll quickly narrow the field of candidates. Then I encourage you to trust your instincts. In addition to being a financial venture with risks, rewards and metrics, philanthropy is an investment of the heart and soul. Youll want an advisor who truly understands that  and you.

This article was originally written for and published by Forbes.com.

 2017 Kris Putnam-Walkerly. All rights reserved. Permission granted to excerpt or reprint with attribution.

______________________________________________________________________

Kris Putnam-Walkerly, MSW, has helped to transform the impact of top global philanthropies for over 18 years. A member of the Million Dollar Consultant Hall of Fame and named one of Americas Top 25 Philanthropy Speakers. Author of the award-winning book Confident Giving: Sage Advice for Funders, which was named one of The 10 Best Corporate Social Responsibility Books. For more ways to improve your giving, visit Putnam Consulting Group.

______________________________________________________________________

Trusted Philanthropic Advisor

Kris Putnam-Walkerly serves as a trusted advisor to foundation leaders and high-wealth donors across the globe. As an advisor, Kris transfers learning to leaders and their teams so they have the ability to build their own internal capacity to be successful in their work. Kriss clients report immediate and dramatic improvement in both personal performance and philanthropic impact.

Whether you are the CEO of a larger foundation, the sole staff member charged with decision-making, or a high-net worth donor, the questions Kris can address cover a broad spectrum of professional and personal issues. As an advising client, youll have unlimited access to Kris during regular business hours by phone, Skype, email and, when desired, face to face. With over 18 years of experience working with top global philanthropies, Kris understands how to build an impactful organization that integrates your philanthropic passions and the challenges that must be overcome to get there.

Learn more about this and other services offered or contact Kris today to begin a trusted advisor relationship.

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Out of Your Bubble and Into Your Community

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Monday, August 7, 2017

Wherever the military industrial complex resides it co-opts those around it in many ways. This release is mainly an analysis of the Fiscal Year 2015 Defense Spending by State published by the US Department of Defense compared with my own prior analyses of related matters.

Military Concentrations in America

Military concentrations by state always start out with the big four, Virginia, Hawaii, Alaska and the District of Columbia. Then the rest of the top ten are usually Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Connecticut, Alabama and Arizona. I have looked at 1980, 1984, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2010 and 2015 over the years. In 2015 these are all in the top 14, with Kentucky, Maine, and Rhode Island, rising to this top level. Among the big eight population states, California, Texas, and Florida have consistently been in the high military category, while New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan have been consistently low military, a clear South versus North split. Indeed, the nation as a whole tends to follow this North versus South split, with few and rare exceptions, except the coastal corners, Washington and New England. In 1991 dividing the nation into 28 North states and 22 South states, the South had twice the military spending level of the North. In 2015 the 22 high military spending states had half the US population comparable to the 28 low military spending states. But the military spending was clearly split 70% in the high states to 30% in the low states. The lowest military spending region is clearly the Great Lakes states including New York, Pennsylvania, and Iowa. Other than the Eastern two, these are commonly called the industrial Midwest states. This is a common pattern among all the states, where the military is high, the manufacturing is low and vice versa. This is also the common pattern when the military budget is changing, the high military buildup states' economies move in the opposite direction of the low military high manufacturing states. This pattern is well understood in military states but rarely understood in manufacturing states. Manufacturing state economic volatility is greater than military states.

Most Militarized States in America

The 2015 report shows three clear high military spending counties in America. Fairfax in Northern Virginia where the CIA and Pentagon are nearby, San Diego California where the Pacific fleet is based, and Tarrant County Texas where the F-35 aircraft is manufactured by number one defense contractor Lockheed Martin in the Fort Worth western suburb of Dallas. Fort Worth is located in Texas Congressional District 12 of the chair of the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee, while Texas District 13 adjacent to 12 has the chair of the House Armed Services Committee. Former President Bush awarded the F-35 contract to his home state, a very common political practice. But while the $15.3 Billion for San Diego, and the $13.6 Billion for Forth Worth's County look very impressive, the Fairfax Virginia total of $17.0 Billion is just a part of the $25.7 Billion including adjacent Virginia Counties, and the $44.1 Billion in the DC metro area including ten entities in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. No wonder the nation's capital has seven of the nation's richest counties located there, with various studies showing one third higher pay for military contractors: white collar, blue collar, and engineers, compared to other manufacturing. Other studies show defense consultants making multiples of medical doctor pay.

States Ranked by Large Military Complex

1. Virginia (per capita #1) has the largest cluster with $25.7 billion in Northern Virginia with the CIA and Pentagon. It also has the second largest with $16.8 billion in Southern Virginia.for the Atlantic fleet. Virginia has three members sitting on the four key military committees, including the former vice presidential candidate Senator Kaine (D-VA). Senator Warner (D-VA) is ranking member on Intelligence, a key committee looking into the Russian election tampering.

2. California (per capita #23) has the third largest cluster with $15.3 billion in the San Diego base of Pacific fleet. The Los Angeles metro cluster is $14.7 billion including the site of the San Bernadino terrorist attack and Santa Clara Sacramento worth $11.3 billion includes Silicon Valley. California has 10 members on the key four committees lead by Senator Feinstein (D-CA) on Defense Appropriations while Senator Boxer has just retired from Armed Services.

3. Texas (per capita #20) has that famous Fort Worth aircraft factory $13.6 billion ($12.6 billion Lockheed Martin) that Kennedy was on the way to when he died. Johnson had the F-111 rebid twice before taking the bid from Boeing. House Speaker Wright came from that district when the Cold War ended. Texas has both House chairs of the four key military committees and eight members all told including Senator Cruz (R-TX) on Armed Services.

4. Maryland (per capita #5) has $11.2 billion in four counties in the DC area, Lockheed Martin has $1.5 billion and John Hopkins University (foreign policy) has $0.7 billion, two House members on key military committees. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) ranking Foreign Relations.

5. Missouri (per capita #10) has $7.6 billion in St. Louis, Boeing $6.4 billion, where the F-15 was built. Dick Gephart represented that district when he ran for president in1988 and won the Iowa Caucus. Back then St. Louis was the top military spending per capita large metro area in America. Republican House members Hartzler and Graves are on Armed Services, Senator McCaskill (D-MO) on Armed Services, and Senator Blount (R-MO) on Defense Appropriations.

5.5 District of Columbia (per capita #6 if it were a state) has $7.2 billion. No Senators or voting congressperson, no statehood, Georgetown University #1 for CIA internships.

6. Alabama (per capita #4) has Madison County with Huntsville Space Center $7.1 billion. Alabama has seven members on the four key committees, including a Senator on each key committee. Senator Shelby (R-AL) Defense Appropriations is also the chair of the all powerful Senate Rules Committee.

7. Hawaii (per capita #2) has $6.8 billion spent in Honolulu. Four members serve on the key committees including a Senator on each one. Courageous Senator Hirono (D-HI) voted on the key Health Care bill even though she has stage four kidney cancer.

8. Massachusetts (per capita #17) Middlesex County has $6.1 billion (Raytheon $3.9 billion, MIT $1.6 billion). Senator Warren and Congresspersons Tsongas (D-MA) and Moulton all sit on Armed Services. Warren (D-MA) and Moulton (D-MA) have presidential ambitions.

9. Pennsylvania (per capita #27) Philadelphia Counties $6.0 billion, two House Armed Services.

10. Connecticut (per capita #9) has $5.6 billion for United Technologies in Fairfield and Hartford. Senator Blumenthal (D-CT) and Congressperson Courtney sit on Armed Services.

11. Ohio (per capita #35) belt of Southwest Counties $5.5 billion, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is the ranking member on Banking, four House members, two each, on key military committees.

12. Arizona (per capita #12) Puma County has $4.9 billion with Raytheon $4.2 billion of that. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is chair of Armed Services with four House members on Armed Services.

13. Washington (per capita #14) King County $4.7 billion (Boeing $4.1 billion) has Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) former Budget chair sitting on Defense Appropriations with two House members on Armed Services. Research for drones is done principally in Washington.

14. Colorado (per capita #15) has $4.3 billion spent in El Paso County, home of the Air Force Academy. Only two House members (R-CO) on Armed Services.

15. Kentucky (per capita #8) has $4.2 billion in Jefferson County (Louisville) where Humana has $3.8 billion. Senate Majority Leader McConnell (R-KY) on Defense Appropriations with Rogers on House Defense Appropriations. No wonder Leader cares so much about Health Care.

16. Florida (per capita #24), Orange County (Orlando) $3.9 billion, Lockheed Martin $2.5 billion, Senator Nelson (D-FL) sits on Armed Services and is ranking member on Science (Space), one House Defense Appropriations, and two House Armed Services.



17. Illinois (per capita #42) Cook Lake DuPage $3.7 billion, Senator Durbin (D-IL) ranking Armed Services, no other military committees.

17. Georgia (per capita #19), Cobb Fulton Counties (Marietta, Atlanta suburb, Kennesaw State) $3.4 billion, Lockheed Martin $2.6 billion, long gone are the Senator Nunn days for Georgia, today only three people sit on the four key military committees. Senator Perdue (R-GA) sits on Armed Services, House has Graves on Defense Appropriation and Scott on Armed Services.

18. Minnesota (per capita #32), Hennepin County area (Minneapolis) $4.0 billion, United Health Group $2.8 billion, McCollum (D-MN) on House Defense Appropriations, only military.

19. New York (per capita #49), Long Island Counties $2.9 billion, Senator Gillibrand (D-NY) and two House members all three on Armed Services.

20. Oklahoma (per capita #18), $2.7 billion in Oklahoma County area, Senator Inhofe (R-OK) sits on Armed Services, with three in the House: Cole on Defense Appropriations; Bridenstine and Russell on Armed Services.

21. Mississippi (per capita #6), Jackson County (Pascagoula) $2.5 billion, Huntington

Ingalls $2.0 billion, Senator Cockran (R-MS) chairs Defense Appropriations, Senator Wicker (R-MS) on Armed Services, and House Kelly (R-MS) sits on Armed Services.

22. Alaska (per capita #3) Anchorage Borough $2.0 billion, Senator Murkowski (R-AK) on Appropriations and Senator Sullivan (R-AK) on Armed Services, none on House Committees.

23. Rhode Island (per capita #11), Five Counties $1.9 billion, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) is the ranking member of Armed Services and also on Senate Defense Appropriations combines with the state's only congressperson Langevin (D-RI) on House Armed Services.

Michigan (per capita #48), Detroit Counties $1.8 billion, Senator Peters (D-MI) Armed Services.

New Mexico (per capita #13), Bernalillo County (Albuquerque) $1.7 billion, Senators Udall (D-NM) Defense Appropriations, Senator Heinrich (D-NM) Armed Services (Emerging Threats ranking member), none from House.

South Carolina (per capita #16), Charleston County $1.6 billion, Senator Graham on both Armed Services and Defense Appropriations, Wilson on House Armed Services.

Indiana (per capita #33), Marion County $1.4 billion, Senator Donnelly (R-IN) & House Banks (R-IN) Armed Services, Visclosky (D-IN) ranking member House Defense Appropriations.

Kansas (per capita #21), Sedgwick (Wichita) $1.1 billion, Geary (Fort Riley) $1.1 billion, Boeing $0.3 billion, Raytheon $0.2 billion, Senator Moran (R-KS) Defense Appropriations.

Maine (per capita #7), Sagadahoc County $1.1 billion, General Dynamics $1.1 billion, Senators Collins (R-ME) on Defense Appropriations and King (I-ME) on Armed Services, no House.

Wisconsin (per capita #45), Winnebago County $1 billion, Oshkosh Truck $1 billion, Senator Baldwin (D-WI) on Defense Appropriations, Gallagher (R-WI) on House Armed Services.

Summary

High military states lead 80 to 42 in holding key military committee assignments and have about the same share of military spending. Many large Northern states have little or no representation on the key military committees, thinking the defense budget doesn't affect their state. Nothing could be further from the truth as huge amounts of research and capital are drained from manufacturing in the low military states during military buildups. Likewise, upper Midwest industrial states prosper greatly when the military is lowered. But this is the best kept secret around, as few peace studies programs study regional economics. The low military half of America lost three times as many jobs as the high military states in the two years after 9-11-01. Construction was twice as strong in the industrial Midwest states three years after the Cold War ended in 1994. The "Hole in the Donut" nature of military spending is essential to understand how the military economy can boost some local economies while depleting other (mainly inland) regions, depleting all other manufacturing, and slowing the national economy. Here is the link to that story:

https://www.academia.edu/5740273/MIDWEST_and_the_Military_3_pages_2005
Monday, August 7, 2017

I began this year in retrospect by reading a 60-year-old book on the masters of selling. The book, titled Americas Twelve Master Salesmen, was written and published by B.C. Forbes & Sons in 1953.

The book was based on the fact that each one of these master salespeople had one extremely powerful overriding principle or philosophy upon which his or her success was based.

Not that it was their only, but rather were the words they stood for. For example: When you think of Martin Luther King  you think of I Have A Dream. He stood for those words. When you think of Patrick Henry  you think of, Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death. When you think of Richard Nixon  you think Im Not a Crook. (and youd be thinking wrong)

It is amazing how self-truths become self-evident truths after thirty or forty years of exposure  one way or the other.

Back to the book. Suppose you could adopt (or adapt) all of these masters single best characteristic into your own set of capabilities. That would be power.

And so, to challenge your thinking, here are the masters philosophies from 1953. And yes, I have added my own to the list  even though in 1953 I was a mere child.

1. James A. Farley (corporate executive) Principle: Idlers do not last long. Starting as a door-to-door salesman, raising to Vice President of Sales for Universal Gypsum, and ultimately a board of director for several large companies including Coca-Cola, Farley believed that doing several things at once was the key to accomplishment. His secret was doing new things at the same time he was following up and building relationships. Often sending 100 letters a day, he was renowned for making and keeping friends.

2. Max Hess, Jr. (retail store chain owner) Principle: Strive for a specific goals. Hess father used to say, Theres no fun or excitement in just running a store. That way its drudgery. The fun and excitement come out of always figuring ways to stay ahead of the other fellow. He believed in the stimulating power of keeping Hess Brothers forever exciting  exciting not only for the people who shop there but for those who work in the store. Hess made a business plan full of goals. And in a small town environment achieved big city results by working his plan every day, and having a happy army of people (his employees) helping him every step of the way.

3. Conrad N. Hilton (hotel owner) Principle: Make them want to come back. It is our theory that when a hotel is in the top-glamour category you just cant make it too luxurious. You heap it on. You never stop pondering the question, What arent guests getting that they might be getting in the way of elegance and personal attention?' Hilton knew that one hotel is like any other hotel. The difference is in how you treat the guests. All he asked of his employees was to be nice to people so they will want to come back. They have been coming back for nearly 100 years.

4. Alex M. Lewyt (manufacturer of the Lewyt vacuum cleaner) Principle: Believe in your product and love it. So will the world! He was an engineer that was convinced he had built the worlds best vacuum cleaner. Advertised it before production was finished. Created a demand in the market with no product (a market vacuum if you will pardon the pun). When the cleaner finally emerged on the market, it was swept up (sorry again). Four million sales in four years. Lewyt said that having the best product is not enough. You must believe its the best, and share your passion through every marketing and advertising means.

5. Mary Margaret McBride (radio broadcaster and columnist. Influencer of millions) Principle: Honesty is the best policy. If I am convinced in my heart and mind that Im speaking the truth, I approach the job as I would a sale  with zest and interest. And in my heart I know that I am actually performing a service on behalf of my listener  who is, in reality, my customer. Honesty breeds loyal customers. Her values made her a fortune.

GITOMER NOTE ON HONESTY: When you hear a corporate message like: To serve you better or an employee says, Were doing the best we can, no matter how you want to defend those words, theyre lies.

The Orison Swett Marden quote: No substitute has yet been found for honesty, is a benchmark that everyone will read and agree with  yet very few will follow.

OK. Theres five of them. Pretty cool so far, huh? Next week in part two, more of the master salespeople of their time, including Red Motley and Elmer Letterman, will reveal sales insights that will take you to the next level.

Stay tuned

Free GitBit. The author of Americas Twelve Master Salesmen, the late great B.C. Forbes, had a formula for sales. Its yours for the taking. Go to www.gitomer.com  and enter FORBES in the GitBit box.

 2017 All Rights Reserved. Dont even think about reproducing this document without written permission from GitGo, LLC, Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer. 704/333-1112
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As with many other industries and lines of work, the cattle breeding industry is faced with an ever-changing landscape.

Breeders must be equipped to cope with and react to changes both seen and unforeseen in the near and more distant future, and part of that involves the effective development and nurturing of young talent to drive the individual breeds and overarching industry forward.

Since first coming into place in the 1990s, the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society has used its Youth Development Programme (YDP) as a platform for doing exactly that, providing youngsters with vital experience and the chance to work towards an industry recognised qualification in the City & Guilds award through Duchy Agricultural College.

The Youth Development Programme offers young farmers of all levels of ability from the ages of 8-24 a chance to gain hands-on experience in everything from preparing cattle for shows and sales to stockjudging, clipping, halter making and public speaking through their regular workshops and conferences which are run by some of the best stockmen and stockwomen in the business.

These workshops take place one or two times per month up and down the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland, and arent only for those with Aberdeen-Angus backgrounds, offering a great programme for all industry youngsters.

Each year, a YDP participant is also selected to study the Aberdeen-Angus breed abroad, with an official finale competition every year to help select who wins the trip.

The YDP provides a platform to assist the young people in carcase selecting, nutrition, fertility, and gives the opportunity to look around an abattoir and local beef units.

Participants are also chosen to shadow judge at major shows like the Stirling Bull Sales and get opportunities to travel to the World Angus Forums and compete against their peers from all around the world in the youth competition.

'Great platform'

Gayle Bersey is the Aberdeen-Angus YDP Co-ordinator, having held this role since 2009 and being responsible for the organisation of workshops, conferences and qualification opportunities for the young people.

When speaking about the YDP and why it is held in such high regard, Gayle said: "The Aberdeen-Angus Youth Development Programme provides a great platform for youngsters to learn the skills they need for their future careers, whilst having fun at the same time and making long lasting friendships."

Gayle continued: "With the average age of farmers sitting at the late 50s to early 60s, it is essential that we work to encourage the youth of today and provide them with the environment they need to develop and flourish.

"In livestock farming, without those young individuals coming through we cannot move the breed and the industry forward. We also look at more efficient ways of farming to hopefully help our youngsters develop a profitable career path in the future."

The current programme boasts upwards of 300 young people taking part with around 15 workshops throughout the year and a larger weekend event which hosts the finale of the programme, where there is a 2500 cash prize fund and the opportunity for the seniors to win a study trip abroad.

If you are yourself, or know anyone who is between the ages of 8 and 24 and might be interested in taking part in the Aberdeen-Angus Youth Development Programme, you can get in touch with Gayle Bersey directly at gaylebersey@outlook.com.
Agri-chemical giant Bayer and Rothamsted Research have entered into a collaboration that will support the development of more sustainable means of tackling pests, pathogens and weeds.

Building on a track record of collaborations, the partners are forming the strategic alliance to support a digital revolution for detecting and managing biotic threats.

These could be pests, pathogens and weeds, and the agreement would allow more sustainable methods of combatting these threats.

Co-ordinated activities, in the laboratory and in the field, will help the partnership generate the data amd know-how that will help to support a transition to smarter crop protection.

The partners will work together in a number of research areas: from real-time detection of pests in the environment to understanding the evolution of resistance; and from the identification of new modes of action of insecticides to novel approaches to controlling pests.

Stresses

Dr. Adrian Percy, Global Head of Research and Development at Crop Science, a division of Bayer said: Crops are exposed to a wide range of both biotic and abiotic stresses, and we expect our enhanced collaboration with Rothamsted to help us develop a better understanding of how these factors can be more sustainably managed to reduce crop losses worldwide and manage resistance more effectively.

At the heart of our research lies the need to feed a growing world population in a more sustainable manner, said Achim Dobermann, Director and Chief Executive of Rothamsted.

Although research institutions such as ours can contribute much in addressing that challenge, we need to partner with others, including industry, to achieve real breakthroughs and have bigger impacts.

This alliance will provide us with a whole new opportunity to work together on complex challenges, towards making farming more precise, more productive  and more sustainable.

Progress towards more sustainable practices is moving at an unprecedented rate.

The agricultural environment is now one in which data can be collated and accessed electronically to model and forecast quickly how threats are evolving, and so provide farmers with better and more timely guidance.
A farming union has welcomed growing support for its call to agree on a 'sensible timetable' for Brexit, or suffer 'dire consequences'.

Thirteen months after the Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) called for the UK and EU to agree on a sensible timetable for Brexit ... or risk dire consequences for both the UK and the remaining 27 Member States, the union has welcomed growing support for its call by other organisations and bodies.

In early July, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) called for a Brexit transition period, saying it was impossible for all the details of a new EU trade deal to be in place by March 2019, and that UK businesses need a bridge instead of a cliff-edge for the new deal.

And just last week, no less than fourteen farming organisations from across the UK came out in support of an initial transition period being in place for the full duration of negotiations with the EU.

FUW Deputy President Brian Thomas said: Ministers and politicians are also speaking about the need to agree transitional arrangements with the EU, and it is welcome news that the foremost demand outlined in our May 2017 Manifesto is sinking in amongst so many.

However, despite the growing support for that position, we should not forget that such agreement has not been reached, and it therefore remains a priority for both the UK and EU.

'Ignoring immediate dangers'

Mr Thomas also highlighted the unions frustrations with those who had become fixated with developing new post-Brexit policies while ignoring immediate dangers the country faces.

Brexit brings with it many concerns, challenges and opportunities, and it is certainly essential that we consider post Brexit policies and plan for the future."

The FUW has been doing just that through constant consultation with our membership since July last year, but we cannot be sure what an appropriate agricultural policy will look like until we know the details of the agreements currently being hammered out with the EU and others, and the detailed modelling we have called for has been carried out.

Mr Thomas said that without such careful planning, policy proposals may as well be written out on the back of a fag packet on a Friday afternoon.

While the important work of looking to the future must continue, we have kept our feet on the ground, and since 24th June 2016 have consistently called for a realistic and safe timetable for leaving the EU."

We need to recognise the dangers which are just around the corner, and that the immediate focus should be on securing a realistic Brexit transition period"
Farmers could be offered free llamas to protect their sheep from wild lynx under a new scheme.

Conservationists are hoping to reintroduce lynx to Britain, despite fury from farmers over sheep welfare.

Lynx UK Trust has submitted plans to Natural England for permission to carry out lynx re-introduction in Kielder forest, Northumberland.

It is the first ever application made in the UK for the species to be re-introduced.

Lynx UK Trust believes the lynx is a native species that belongs in the UK, having been hunted to extinction around 500-700AD.

The Trust believes reintroduction is vital in re-storing a natural balance in the British countryside.

But farmers are saying the Eurasian lynx are classed as dangerous wild animals under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, and that it would therefore be a 'criminal offence' to keep them without a local authority licence.

Guardian animals

However, Lynx UK Trust has pledged to establish a sheep welfare programme which will provide grants to build fencing, buy outbuildings for lambing and bring in llamas to act as guardians for sheep flocks.

Chief scientific advisor to the Lynx UK Trust, Dr Paul O'Donoghue told The Telegraph: There are some really exciting ideas from other countries, such as guardian animals like llamas, said chief scientific advisor to the Trust, Dr Paul O'Donoghue.

We've seen these successfully used in the Scottish Highlands keeping off foxes, and in an American study they reduced sheep kills from dogs and coyotes by 66 per cent; half of those farms saw predation stop entirely.

Those are astounding results, I'm amazed we don't already see them widely in use; we might be able to reduce all sheep predation by two thirds, just by providing farmers with llamas.

The Trust has also promised to pay compensation to farmers for any sheep killed by lynx.

However, farming union NFU Scotland has labelled lynx reintroduction 'sensationalist and ill-conceived'. The union has called for a 'sensible and proportionate' management of wildlife.
Firefighters have been tackling a large blaze at a newly-refurbished abattoir in Scotland.

Firefighters arrived to find two industrial units well alight after the alarm was raised at 4.06am at Matheson Jess abattoir on Montrose Road, in the Angus town of Brechin.

Scottish Pig Producers (SPP), who process at the abattoir, said they are to make alternative arrangements to process around 6,000 pigs a week at Tulip plants further south.

The police said the fire was being treated as "unexplained" and an investigation was under way to establish the circumstances.

Det Insp Scott Fotheringham appealed for information about the blaze.

He said: "This has been an extensive fire but thankfully, as the premises was shut, no one has been injured.

"Our inquiries will continue throughout the day and I would ask that if anyone has information about the incident, they call police with any details they have."

The facility has recently received 10 million in investment to refurbish.
A farmer has taken to social media to express their anger and emotion after a four-month-old calf was shot twice with a shotgun by thugs.

The young Belgian Blue heifer was shot by criminals at Parks Farm, Conisbrough yesterday afternoon (6 August).

It later died of its injuries today (7 August) after a vet was unable to help due to the seriousness of the wounds.

Farmer Wendy Collins, who farms with her husband Billy Collins, posted on Facebook and explained: "As we were out harvesting, some evil lowlife has come into the farmyard and shot a four-month-old calf at least twice with a shotgun.

"If you hear anything or know anyone who might have been involved, please would you let us know. The police have been and seen her, and they were very shocked that anyone could do such an appalling thing.

"We are determined to catch the person responsible for this despicable crime."

A police investigation into the incident is underway. Armed police were dispatched to the farm when the shooting was reported.

The farming industry has rallied around the Government to take action on the blight of rural crime hitting the UK recently.

The NFU has warned in particular that farmers should not be seen as a 'soft target' for criminals.

Anyone with information should call South Yorkshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.
The Ulster Farmers Union has said that harsh and unfair tactics by processors have led to lamb price cuts.

Ulster Farmers Union beef and lamb chairman, Crosby Cleland, says the decision by processors to pull back lamb prices has gone too far.

He says there is now a pressing need to inject stability back into the market.

Processors have wiped ten per cent off the value of a lamb in the last couple of weeks. These tactics are destabilising the market and undermining producer confidence, he says.

By contrast, live-weight prices in marts in Great Britain have increased by at least 10 pence a kilo this week.

Uncertainty

This has to raise questions as to why processors here have pulled quotes back to 4 a kilo, he says, adding that processors needed to be transparent and explain why prices are lower in Northern Ireland than elsewhere in the UK.

Processors often claim they need more in-spec lambs to meet customer requirements, but theyre not sending out the right signals to achieve this.

Price stability in June and early July gave producers the confidence to pick lambs at the right time. This has now been eroded by price cuts, he warns.

Mr Cleland says the result is greater uncertainty, which will undermine efforts to ensure consistent quality.

This can be reversed if processors take some responsibility and bring stability back into the market.
Scotlands rural affairs minister has written to the UK Government to seek assurances that it will not impose cultivation of GM crops against Scotlands will.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing has sought confirmation that current EU opt-out provisions on the cultivation of genetically modified crops, which have allowed Scotland to adopt its GM-crop free approach, will continue following Brexit.

The letter by Mr Ewing has been sent to Environmental Secretary Michael Gove.

The SNP has previously said it does not want to dismantle Scotlands GM-free status.

But a UK vote held in February to approve EU proposals to authorise the first new GM crops for cultivation since 1998 suggests the crops may be grown across the country post-Brexit.

GM crops are indeed becoming big business. The global area of GM crops rose by 3% in 2016 to 185.1m hectares, according to a report.

Even Princess Anne has said she would be open to growing GM crops on her own land as they have 'important benefits' for providing food.

Science and evidence

However, Mr Ewing said provision to opt-out of GM crops is extremely important for Scotland because of the countrys burgeoning food and drink sector.

He wrote: In your (Michael Goves) speech to the WWF you talk about a Green Brexit and say that you have no intention of weakening the environmental protections we have put in place while in the European Union.

I was also heartened to hear you say recently, in relation to a possible future trade deal with the US, that lowering environmental or agricultural standards would be a deal breaker.

However, you included a number of caveats in your WWF speech. While it did not mention GM specifically, it is these caveats and the amount of emphasis you place on science as being at the root of environmental policy, as opposed to evidence, that concerns me.

Science is indeed an important driver of innovation in delivering agricultural and environmental outcomes However, there are many types of evidence, of which science is one, that are important to consider in any policy development, for example socio-economic evidence.

With this and the lack of any reference to GM policy in the Conservative manifesto in mind, I ask you to confirm that the GM opt out provisions will continue to exist post-Brexit and that the UK government will not attempt to impose the cultivation of GM crops on Scotland against our will.

At the same time, it is vital that the labelling of GM food and feed products is not weakened so that consumers can exercise choice.

What this highlights is that when the UK leaves the European Union, and EU competencies are repatriated, it is vital that competence for agriculture and environmental policy, including approaches on GM, transfer to Scotland.
Young farmers from the EU looking to share their experiences with and learn from their counterparts in China can still apply to take part in the joint EU-China Young Farmers Programme.

The scheme is open to any EU-based famer under 40, and the deadline for applications is 10 September for two study trips to China in November 2017 and June 2018.

The joint programme was announced by EU agriculture and rural development commissioner Phil Hogan and Han Changfu, Minister of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, back in April.

It is designed to help young farmers on both sides to deal with their common challenges by sharing knowledge and information.

The two-week study trips to China will offer young farmers from Europe the chance to see how their counterparts there are dealing with issues as varied as crop diversity, innovation in farming, environmental protection and the ageing farming population.

The Chinese farmers will also take part in two study tours to learn how these and other issues are tackled in Europe.

Young EU farmers wishing to apply can find more information on the programme's aims and selection criteria, as well as the application form, on the programme's website.
Sibling relationships are difficult to comprehend. Brothers and sisters can be difficult at times, but no one can know you better than them. Which is why they are the perfect companion to collaborate with for work. Dont believe us? Just scroll through this list of power brother-sister duos, who have come together in the past. These celebrities prove that no one makes a better partner-in-crime, both in life and at work, than your sibling.



Salman Khan and Alvira Khan Agnihotri: Salman Khan has proven time and again that he is quite easily the best celebrity sibling to have. From supporting his siblings to celebrating their triumphs and accolades spectacularly, he has done it all. But every brother needs a sister to have his back. And Alvira Khan Agnihotri has handled that role perfectly. Apart from producing his 2011 flick, Bodyguard, Alvira has also been monumental in ensuring that her brother looks every bit of his fabulous self onscreen. Shes known to help choose his costumes for his movies.
Allahabad Is Big B's Birth Place

It all happened when Abhishek decided to visit the house where his father lived in Allahabad. The actor reached at the spot along with his wife and daughter but much to his surprise, he was left waiting for someone to open the gate!

Recommended Video Aishwarya along with Aaradhya and Abhishek visits Allahabad to immerse late father's ashes|FilmiBeat

He Kept Calling The Person

Apparently, Abhishek kept calling the concerned person, but the caretaker Krishna Kumar Pandey refused to open the door of the house,after which he returned to Mumbai.

Why Did He Not Let Them In?

According to Dainik Bhaskar, Amitabh Bachchan's spat with the house-owner is the reason, why Abhishek & Aishwarya Rai didn't get permission to get inside the bungalow.

Here's What Had Happened...

Reportedly, many years ago, when Amitabh had come to Allahabad for his conveyance during the election in 1984, he had said the house in question was his house.

The Landlord Of The House Got Angry Owing To Big B's Claim

Angered by this act of Big B, the owner of the bungalow Mr. Shankar Tiwari had said, "I am the owner of the bungalow. Babu ji and Amitabh used to rent here for Rs 16. This house will not be their house just because they were living her as a tenant."

Since Then No One Was Allowed To Enter The House

Since then, Tiwari doesn't let any member of the Bachchan family to enter the house. However, Mr Shankar Tiwari is no longer alive. But his caretaker Krishna Kumar Pandey is still following his rule.

Bachchan Family Is Shocked With This Incident

The entire Bachchan family is indeed shocked with this incident. We wonder what Abhishek or Amitabh Bachchan have to say on the same.

Also See Abhishek's 'Rakhi' Special Post For Shweta Bachchan

On a related note, a few minutes ago, Abhishek Bachchan had shared his adorable picture with Shweta Bachchan and wrote," I'm pretty sure she still thinks I'm that same size and age.... But am also sure that she will always be there for me, as I will for her.#happyrakhi Shwetdi. Love you."
Ranbir On Sanjay Dutt

"With the Sanjay Dutt biopic, he's been so honest about his life," says Ranbir, while talking about Sanjay Dutt.

'We're Portraying A Fraud Man'

He further added, "He's admitting to his mistakes. We're not portraying a Gandhi like character. We're portraying a very fraud man."

Recommended Video Ranbir Kapoor MUSCULAR LOOK goes VIRAL ; Watch | FilmiBeat

He's The Most Controversial

"He's someone who is loved and disliked. He's the most controversial, and to have the ability to tell about your life so honestly, and to make a movie out of it is very brave."

Ranbir On Considering Himself In His Position

"If I was in his position, I don't think I could be this honest about my life, and make myself look like a person who is not nice."

Ranbir Wants Audience To Learn Something From His Life

"If an audience can take something from that and learn something from his life, I think it's a very positive thing," concluded Ranbir.

Ranbir Wants Audience To Learn Something From His Life

"If an audience can take something from that and learn something from his life, I think it's a very positive thing," concluded Ranbir.

Ranbir Has Given His Best To This Movie

From getting into the skin of the character to getting the body language right, the Jagga Jasoos star had to put in a lot of hard work to get every aspect of Dutt correct.

Ranbir On Getting The Look Right

"Getting the look right is very superficial, it is easy as you have help from makeup and computer graphics. To show Sanjay Dutt as a human being, as a biopic only works when you show the human side of a person, and not the glories but the downfall as well (was not easy)."
Nakuul Mehta

"I grew up with full clarity that it's not going to easy being a younger brother to you. And I've a picture to prove it ;-) Love you @pracchimehtashah ! Love to sistaars across saat samudar.. Near & afar!  #RakshaBandhan."

Mouni Roy

Mouni shared an adorable picture and wrote, "Waiting for our rakhi  Taratari aaye  @mukhar_roy #TheBoywithMyFace !"

Mouni Celebrates Raksha Bandan

Mouni shared another picture and wrote, "Rakshabandhan with my dadabhai & ammu bhabhi @aamnasharifofficial @imamitkapoor."

Recommended Video Mouni Roy   Akshay Kumar starrer Gold   select; Watch Video | FilmiBeat

Arjun Bijlani

Arjun Bijlani shared this picture and wrote, "Love u sis @333_roh .meri raksha karti rehna ."

Divyanka Tripathi

Divyanka shared a picture with her brother and wrote, "When your younger bro grows taller and smarter than you!  Love you @aishwaryatripathi380."

Divyanka Gets Luckier!

"From yesterday... When it's a friendship day, your brother surprises you for Rakhi and production surprises you with a sudden holiday...You can't get luckier!"

Nidhi Uttam

"Brothers are like streetlights along the road, they don't make the distance any shorter but they light up the path and make the walk worthwhile.  Loads of love n blessings to all my brothers HAPPY RAKSHABANDHAN Vikalp bhaiyaVedRajat Rishabh KaranNikhil Vaibhav VidhaanAnshulHimanshu Blessed to have so many brother's"

Vishal Singh

"Happy RakshaBandhan Di  I miss you and I wish I was there with you today :( I know your love and blessings are always with me. It's been more than eight years that we haven't celebrated this festival together but I hope next year I'm there with you for rakhi !!! and I hope I get to see you soon I miss you so much."

Krushna Abhishek

Krushna shared a picture of his sister Aarti and wrote, "Happy rakhshabandhan to all. This is my bestest sis arti. Love u loads ."

Shrenu Parikh

"That's the closest we could get this year to celebrate our day! Happy rakshabandhan @shubham201 I miss you!  Wish you all happy Rakshabandhan ."

Rohan Mehra

"To my sisters, No matter what I have said, Here's what I want to say, I will always love you, Be with you till the end, When no one else is around, I will be your friend ...#happyrakshabandhan."

Gautam Rode

Gautam Rode shared a couple of pictures and wrote, "Happy Rakshabandhan friends  I love u Rashu  God bless u ."

Vahbbiz Dorabjee

"Happy Rakshabandhan my Lil one..Rakhi is the perfect time to tell you how special you are and how much you mean to meWishing you Peace,Prosperity and Success this Rakshabandhan.. Wish you were here..Miss you."

Rati Pandey

"Happy Rakshabandhan ....love ..brother sister bonding...partners in crime..thanks for being their in every thick n thin of my life@rakesh04rakesh."

Debina Bonnerjee

"Happy Raksha bandhan! To my little big brother who has grown so big. When you were about to be born I remember I told ma that I want a sister and not a brother!! But thank u god u gave me a brother! "
The inevitable peak in U.S. auto sales has arrived in 2017, and investors braced for another monthly decline last week when automakers reported July sales results, which delivered the seventh consecutive monthly decline. Though July had one fewer selling day than in the prior year, sales declined nearly 7%. Let's zoom in on Detroit's Big Three -- Ford Motor Company (F 2.26%), General Motors (GM 3.47%), and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCAU) -- and compare highlights, and unfortunately some lowlights.

The Blue Oval

Ford arguably had the best sales result of Detroit automakers despite a 7.5% year-over-year total sales decline to 200,212 units. However, this result is better than it appears because the company's retail sales, which are generally healthier than fleet sales, posted a modest 1% decline to 159,492 units, while fleet sales accounted for much of the decline, posting a 26.4% drop to 40,720 units. That is a far healthier sales mix than if the declines were reversed.

The company's most important product, the F-Series full-size truck line, didn't disappoint, either. Total F-Series sales moved 5.8% higher to more than 69,000 units. But the intriguing thing within F-Series sales in July was that the Super Duty, which generally carries a higher price tag, accounted for 53% of F-Series sales, which drove the lineup's average transaction prices (ATPs) $2,500 higher to $45,000 -- the Super Duty's ATPs checked in $4,600 higher, to more than $55,000 per truck. July was merely the latest month in a long history of the F-Series increasing its sales.

Ford's F-Series weren't the only large vehicles to sell well. Ford brand SUV sales increased 2.9% compared to the prior year, and have posted record year-to-date sales through July. July's result was driven in large part by the Explorer and Escape, which posted respective year-over-year gains of 12.9% and 5.5% to 18,763 and 27,716 units.

Detroit's largest automaker

General Motors' total sales checked in 15.4% lower to 226,107 units. Unlike Ford, however, GM had already been working to reduce its fleet sales throughout the year, so this sales decline was driven by retail sales. More specifically, GM's retail sales sank 14.4% in July to 202,220 units and its fleet sales accounted for a surprisingly modest 10.6% of total sales during July -- that's less than GM's year-to-date 18.6% and a little more than half of what Ford's fleet sales accounted for during July, at 20.3%.

Despite retail sales driving its total sales lower, General Motors wasn't shy about noting the reduced focus on fleet sales. "We have strategically decided to reduce car production rather than increase incentive spending or dump vehicles into daily rental fleets, like some of our competitors," said Kurt McNeil, GM U.S. vice president of sales operations, in a press release. "We are working hard to protect the residual values of our new products and growing quality retail and commercial sales, and July's ATPs reflect that discipline."

As industry sales plateau, more focus will be spent on inventory levels and incentive spending. GM appears to have incentives under control, but has work to do on inventory levels. GM's July incentive spending as a percentage of ATPs was 11.5%, which was more than 100 basis points below the industry average and a decline from GM's average level during 2016. On the other hand, GM's inventory was definitely higher than investors would like, with 104 days' supply at the end of July -- Ford's was a far more respectable 77 days' supply. Some of GM's inventory is in preparation for summer plant shutdowns, but it's still a factor GM needs to tackle in the coming months.

A nasty slump

Fiat Chrysler's sales dropped 10% in July to 161,477 units with both fleet and retail sales weakness to blame. FCA's retail sales declined 6% from the prior year, down to 145,391 units, and its fleet sales dropped 35% to 16,086. The story over the past year has been the slowdown of FCA's highly profitable Jeep brand.

For years leading up until the back half of 2016, it wasn't uncommon for the well-known SUV brand to post double-digit gains every month. But then things turned, and FCA's best-selling brand has now posted its eleventh straight month of declining year-over-year sales, dropping 12% to 69,351 units. FCA's other highly valuable brand, Ram, posted essentially flat sales over the prior year, and its Ram pickup sales declined by a meager 101 units down to 39,708 units. Meanwhile, the Dodge and Chrysler brands continue to struggle, with respective sales declines of 12% and 30% last month.

Industrywide, July brought investors a third consecutive month with a seasonally adjusted annual rate below 17 million units -- July's rate fell to 16.78 million -- and, again, the seventh consecutive monthly decline in sales. While sales still remain at very healthy levels, it's clear that automakers are looking to cut back on fleet sales, correct inventory where necessary, and contain incentives. These are all stories very much in progress throughout the rest of the year, and will dictate automakers' earnings going forward. If automakers fail to keep incentives and inventories in check, the industry risks another price war, which would quickly erode bottom-line profits. No investor wants that, and it would make a plateauing industry even more treacherous to navigate in the coming years. Let's hope automakers have learned from their past mistakes.
A heartbroken farmer has told of his devastation after thugs killed a four-month old heifer with a shotgun.

Alan Collins said he discovered the Blue Belgian lying in a pool of blood in a cattle shed at Parks Farm, a 134ha mixed farm in Conisbrough, near Doncaster, south Yorkshire, on Sunday evening (6 August).

Mr Collins said the heifer had been peppered with pellets to its face and parts of its body and was in agony.

Warning: Graphic image of shot heifer

See also: Sheep mutilated and killed in violent attack

He immediately called for the vet, who rushed to the scene and made every effort to save the calf.

However, the animal died from a mix of shock and its injuries in the early hours of Monday (7 August).

Mr Collins told Farmers Weekly he and his brother Billy, who manage the farm together, felt disgusted.

The brothers have offered a 500 reward for any information that leads to the arrest and successful prosecution of the offender.

It makes me feel sick to the bottom of stomach that someone could do this, said Alan Collins.

We look after our cattle. Im proud of the way we care for them. They are always fed, watered and kept on clean bedding.

They are beef cattle. We know that one day they will be sold at market for slaughter. That is part of life.

Im disappointed that someone could come on to my farm in the middle of the day while we are harvesting and open fire on a defenceless cow. I cannot believe what they have done.

Stock monitored

Mr Collins farms 60 cattle, mainly Belgian Blues, and arable crops. He said the heifer was among other youngstock being housed.

The cattle are kept in a shed in the farmyard. They were checked at 7.30am on Sunday and were all fine. They were also monitored throughout the day.

But Mr Collins discovered the injured heifer at 5pm on Sunday. He believes the attackers struck sometime between 12 noon and 1.30pm.

Billy Collins wife Wendy, who posted the pictures of the heifer on Facebook, said: If you have any information at all contact the police or private message me, all information will be treated in confidence.

Thank you all for your kind comments. We are determined to catch the person responsible for this despicable crime.

South Yorkshire Police has urged anyone with information to call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Scotland must retain the right to opt out in the cultivation of GM crops following Brexit, according to rural affairs secretary Fergus Ewing.

In a letter to Defra sectary Michael Gove, Mr Ewing has sought assurances that the UK government will not seek to impose the cultivation of GM crops against Scotlands will.

Mr Ewing said the EU law that currently allowed member states to opt out of growing EU-authorised GMs was extremely important to Scotland.

See also: Scotland to ban farmers from growing GM crops

His letter reflected his concern about the emphasis Mr Gove had placed in his recent speech to the WWF on science being at the root of environmental policy, as opposed to evidence.

Science v evidence

Science is indeed an important driver of innovation in delivering agricultural and environmental outcomes, and the Scottish government is committed to scientific research in Scotland, said Mr Ewing.

However, there are many types of evidence, of which science is one, that are important to consider in any policy development  for example, socio-economic evidence.

Mr Ewing said the commercial success of the food and drinks industry was built on Scotlands reputation for quality, provenance and the natural larder that we are fortunate to have.

He therefore wanted confirmation that the GM opt-out provisions would continue to exist after Brexit and that Scotland would retain the right to implement them.

At the same time, it was vital that the labelling of GM food and feed products was not weakened so that consumers could continue to exercise choice, he said.

Background

The Scottish government announced in August 2015 that it would be taking advantage of new EU rules allowing countries to opt out of growing EU-authorised GM crops.

However, the decision has not been universally popular, with farm leaders warning at the time that it could leave Scotlands farmers at a competitive disadvantage if farmers in England are allowed to grow GMs.
Lenovo K8 Plus with 3GB RAM and Android 7.1.1 Nougat spotted on Geekbench News oi -Abhinaya Prabhu Lenovo K8 Plus could be a variant of the K8 Note to be launched on August 9.

Lately, Lenovo announced that all the upcoming smartphones from the brand will arrive with stock Android OS instead of the brand's Vibe UI.

On August 9 that is this Wednesday, Lenovo is all set to unveil the Lenovo K8 Note smartphone as an Amazon exclusive. One of the earlier reports showed the Geekbench listing of the smartphone revealing its specs. Now, there is another listing on Geekbench via Techook revealing the key specifications of a new device called Lenovo K8 Plus a couple of days before the launch event.

The listing shows that the Lenovo K8 Plus will be based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS. Under its hood, it looks like the smartphone will be powered by a deca-core MediaTek Helio P25 processor clocked at 1.69GHz. This processor appears to be paired with Mali T888 graphics unit and 3GB RAM.

In the Geekbench database, the Lenovo K8 Plus appears to have scored 861 points and 3761 points in the single-core and multi-core tests respectively. In the previous benchmark listing, the device managed to score 1659 points and 4844 points in the single-core and multi-core tests respectively. The listing shows the same OS but with a larger 4GB RAM.

We can expect the Lenovo K8 Note to be launched in two variants - one with 3GB RAM and the other with 4GB RAM. Maybe, the Lenovo K8 Plus will be a toned down variant of the K8 Note.

As announced by Lenovo, the K8 Note will feature the stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS. Eventually, it will give users a cleaner interface, not much bloatware and a smoother experience. The Pure Vibe UI also offers a near stock Android experienced but it has nifty customizations and tweaks made to the same. With the attempt of offering a stock Android experience, the Lenovo smartphone users will get better support with efficient and timely updates.

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After Xiaomi, Huawei to strengthen its offline retail presence in India News oi -Samden Sherpa Since the skew is heavily in favor of going offline, Huawei is now working on strengthening this channel.

After Xiaomi, Huawei is another Chinese smartphone manufacturer that is doing well in the Indian market. Further achieving greater success through its sub-brand Honor and having a strong presence in the online space, the time might be right for the company to explore other ventures as well.

As such, a top company executive has now revealed that Huawei could head into strengthening its offline presence as well in India. The focus to expand would especially be in tier II and III cities.

Xiaomi has setup two exclusive retail stores Mi Home in Bengaluru and even has plans to open a third one while Motorola also recently announced on August 3 that it has launched six Moto Hubs in Delhi-NCR and Mumbai.

"Since the skew is heavily in favor of going offline, we are working on strengthening this channel. Given the growing 4G penetration, we are set to serve tier II and III markets and working towards this on a priority basis," P. Sanjeev, Vice President, Sales, Huawei India-Consumer Business Group, told IANS.

We already know that the Indian smartphone market is the fastest growing market in the world and for Chinese brands apart from their home ground India has become the top destination for registering big numbers. Further market research firm Counterpoint Research has reported that Chinese smartphone brands have already marked a record 48 percent market share worldwide, with India remaining a key focus geography.And with 20 percent overseas smartphones shipments (YoY), Huawei is among the fastest-growing Chinese brands. In India, it recorded 1.5 percent market share in the second quarter this year.

However, as the festive season is coming soon, Huawei along with Honor is focused on enhancing engagement with its customers. "Since Honor is a pan-India brand, our strategy would be two-pronged: Region-specific and national. For the former, we plan to leverage festivals like Onam, which is known for its consumer-buying frenzy (in Kerala), to widen our customer base with special promotions and irresistible offers."

"Similarly, for Durga Puja, we would adopt a focus to tap consumers in the eastern region with schemes specially tailored for that audience," Sanjeev said.

In this, Honor's rich portfolio of smartphone across various price-points led by the recently launched Honor 8 Pro would play a significant role in registering a significant spike.

"What is going to bolster this is the fact that Honor straddles offline and online retail channels, which means we effectively cater to a wide swathe of customers who can avail our festive offers," the executive stated.

Talking about offline presence, Huawei last month also did launch 17 exclusive service centers across the country. According to Sanjeev, with the launch of these service centers, Huawei can now assure best in class after-sale services to its consumers.

Adding to that, in the coming months, Honor has plans to unleash a host of products, in various segments and categories. "India continues to be a priority market for us and, going forward, you will see that new product launches here will be simultaneous with other global geographies. In fact, there could even be instances of launches here ahead of other markets," Sanjeev added.

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News - Audi Audi could cut model variants in Australia New Audi Australia boss flags trimmed down variant line-up but model lines to stay



Speaking at his first media event in Sydney last week since taking the reins in May, Audi Australia managing director Paul Sansom announced that he would take a closer look at the available variants and ensure the best offerings for customers.



Retail is a complex business and its getting more complex, he said. And consumer trends are changing rapidly. We need to change fast with it. But to do that we need to reduce the complexity in our current range here in Australia.



We need to emphasise simple lines with consistent packages that translates into great value for our customers and into our standard customer service levels and providing what our customers want, when they want it and how they want it.



When asked by GoAuto whether that meant there would be fewer variants in each model line, the former Audi South Africa boss said it ultimately came down to what buyers wanted from the brand.



Well, we look at it from two ways, he said. One, you can look at it just from a very simple way, you just look at the data weve got in headquarters, and anything thats got a mix of one or two per cent, whether its an engine variant, transmission variant, a derivative, you might say well, probably no ones going to miss that.So, we'll look at it that way, but first and foremost, were talking to our customers, and weve set up a number of initiatives to get that consumer insight to say what do you want from the brand?&rsquo.



Mr Sansom clarified that it was unlikely that the company would discontinue any existing model lines, and would instead focus on cutting down variants, without specifically nominating any lines that are being looked at.



Left: Audi Australia managing director Paul Sansom



One of the things thats, I think, very obvious at the moment is that when you look into the range  Im not talking about cutting models, Im talking about maybe trimming some derivatives and creating some more clear lines  that at the moment I think is very crowded for Audi. At a glance, Audis key models have a similar number of variants to equivalent models from its direct rivals, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.



The Audi A4 is offered in 10 sedan and wagon variations ranging in price from $55,500 plus on-road costs to $102,611, with the performance flagship RS4 still yet to arrive.



BMW sells 11 versions of its 3 Series sedan and wagon, while Mercedes offers 14 variants of its C-Class sedan and wagon range.



Mr Sansom added that the existing options lists and packages were also adding complexity and often confusing some buyers who do not want to be offered too many options.



There are a lot of different options that a customer can make, he said. I dont think they like that so much.



The early feedback is dont give me so much choice, actually. Make that cleaner. We understand your model lines. Lets understand the derivatives within that and then some clear option packs. So, your technology pack or your comfort back or whatever that might be. Create that for us, and by the way, we want more standard features in the car.Thats pretty much what theyre saying. So, we dont want you to build up a price from an entry level with nothing in it to what I want in it, and then suddenly its $5000, $10,000 more.&rsquo.



Mr Sansom said it would take time for the product strategy to kick in but added that Audi dealers were also keen to see a reduction in complexity of the variants and options.



So, youre not going to see any radical changes, because a product strategy is a slow burning string, you only get so many opportunities to change that, but every opportunity we get, well be simplifying our range, and thats not just from a consumer point of view, our dealers are actually asking us to do that as well, because theyre confused. They cant consume all of the complexity that weve got, and frankly, my own team cant either. They always struggle to keep up with it.



Its the symptom of growth. Youre so busy growing and then theres demand, and you just keep doing what youre doing and then when you get a chance like now to have a fresh look at it, you say actually, if we want to grow again, weve got to take a fresh look at this product strategy, and its got to be clean, its got to be simple, its got to create more value to attract more people to our brand, because weve attracted a lot, and now weve got to attract some more.



So, if were going to grow like we definitely want to grow, then its going to be through a clearer product strategy that offers more value, and at the moment, our consumers are a little bit confused, I think, as to what were offering and how much value they actually get from it.



Mr Sansom said Audi Australia was working on the new product strategy now and added that it would reflect whatever is best for the customer.



So, we just need to streamline a little bit, and weve got to look at that from the consumers point of view. The consumers got to tell us what they want from Audi, how they want to consume. So, theres a really strong piece of work that were a month or so into now thats going to inform our product strategy.



So, Im anxious to get moving, but Im also cautious to not do the wrong thing. Well only do it when were ready. AUDI Australia is considering dropping under-performing variants and available options packages as part of a review of its line-up in a bid to reduce complexity and offer better value to its customers.Speaking at his first media event in Sydney last week since taking the reins in May, Audi Australia managing director Paul Sansom announced that he would take a closer look at the available variants and ensure the best offerings for customers.Retail is a complex business and its getting more complex, he said. And consumer trends are changing rapidly. We need to change fast with it. But to do that we need to reduce the complexity in our current range here in Australia.We need to emphasise simple lines with consistent packages that translates into great value for our customers and into our standard customer service levels and providing what our customers want, when they want it and how they want it.When asked by GoAuto whether that meant there would be fewer variants in each model line, the former Audi South Africa boss said it ultimately came down to what buyers wanted from the brand.Well, we look at it from two ways, he said. One, you can look at it just from a very simple way, you just look at the data weve got in headquarters, and anything thats got a mix of one or two per cent, whether its an engine variant, transmission variant, a derivative, you might say well, probably no ones going to miss that.So, we'll look at it that way, but first and foremost, were talking to our customers, and weve set up a number of initiatives to get that consumer insight to say what do you want from the brand?&rsquo.Mr Sansom clarified that it was unlikely that the company would discontinue any existing model lines, and would instead focus on cutting down variants, without specifically nominating any lines that are being looked at.One of the things thats, I think, very obvious at the moment is that when you look into the range  Im not talking about cutting models, Im talking about maybe trimming some derivatives and creating some more clear lines  that at the moment I think is very crowded for Audi. At a glance, Audis key models have a similar number of variants to equivalent models from its direct rivals, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.The Audi A4 is offered in 10 sedan and wagon variations ranging in price from $55,500 plus on-road costs to $102,611, with the performance flagship RS4 still yet to arrive.BMW sells 11 versions of its 3 Series sedan and wagon, while Mercedes offers 14 variants of its C-Class sedan and wagon range.Mr Sansom added that the existing options lists and packages were also adding complexity and often confusing some buyers who do not want to be offered too many options.There are a lot of different options that a customer can make, he said. I dont think they like that so much.The early feedback is dont give me so much choice, actually. Make that cleaner. We understand your model lines. Lets understand the derivatives within that and then some clear option packs. So, your technology pack or your comfort back or whatever that might be. Create that for us, and by the way, we want more standard features in the car.Thats pretty much what theyre saying. So, we dont want you to build up a price from an entry level with nothing in it to what I want in it, and then suddenly its $5000, $10,000 more.&rsquo.Mr Sansom said it would take time for the product strategy to kick in but added that Audi dealers were also keen to see a reduction in complexity of the variants and options.So, youre not going to see any radical changes, because a product strategy is a slow burning string, you only get so many opportunities to change that, but every opportunity we get, well be simplifying our range, and thats not just from a consumer point of view, our dealers are actually asking us to do that as well, because theyre confused. They cant consume all of the complexity that weve got, and frankly, my own team cant either. They always struggle to keep up with it.Its the symptom of growth. Youre so busy growing and then theres demand, and you just keep doing what youre doing and then when you get a chance like now to have a fresh look at it, you say actually, if we want to grow again, weve got to take a fresh look at this product strategy, and its got to be clean, its got to be simple, its got to create more value to attract more people to our brand, because weve attracted a lot, and now weve got to attract some more.So, if were going to grow like we definitely want to grow, then its going to be through a clearer product strategy that offers more value, and at the moment, our consumers are a little bit confused, I think, as to what were offering and how much value they actually get from it.Mr Sansom said Audi Australia was working on the new product strategy now and added that it would reflect whatever is best for the customer.So, we just need to streamline a little bit, and weve got to look at that from the consumers point of view. The consumers got to tell us what they want from Audi, how they want to consume. So, theres a really strong piece of work that were a month or so into now thats going to inform our product strategy.So, Im anxious to get moving, but Im also cautious to not do the wrong thing. Well only do it when were ready.

Read more 4th of August 2017 Audi Australia boss details brand boosting plans Customer experience, loyalty, new product priorities for Audi Australia: Sansom 12th of July 2017 New Q5 to put Audi in the green Second-generation Q5 expected to significantly improve Audis 2017 sales slump 26th of May 2017 Audi details local leadership switch Sansom era underway at Audi Australia as OBrien move linked to Winklers return 28th of March 2017 Audi Australia names new managing director Sansom to take over from Doyle as Audi Australia boss as OBrien diverted elsewhere 13th of March 2017 More Q SUVs and pure EVs in Audis future Audi boss promises more crossovers to fill Q range, as well as electric small car
Packed house but few fireworks in Meadows town hall

U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows makes a point during a town hall at BRCC.

Protesters held competing signs that said "Thank you Mark" and "Build Bridges Not Walls" outside Thomas Auditorium at Blue Ridge Community College Monday afternoon in the leadup to the first town hall U.S. Mark Meadows has held in the Trump era.

Inside, constituents issued competing cheers and boos and the occasional jeers and derisive laughter but in the end the 90-minute Q&A lacked the kind of anger and fireworks that have ended with a congressman fleeing his constituents. NBC News sent a crew to cover the event but it seemed clear that the event failed to produce the kind of optics that the Huffington Post might gleefully post.

Security was tight, as promised, but the process went smoothly because Sheriff Charlie McDonald flooded the zone with plainclothes and uniformed personnel. Deputies shined flashlights in purses and used security wands to scan the constituents who began lining up for admittance more than two hours before showtime. At 6 p.m. the auditorium, which holds 482 people, was full. Only small signs were allowed.

Sheriff McDonald, a longtime Meadows ally, was the first to speak, at 6:06, giving the ground rules for the question-and-answer: Remain seated, keep aisles clear, observe decorum, respect the questioner.

"Safety's the main concern," McDonald said. "Bottom line, we want you to be able go home having felt like it was a good time and certainly well worth your time being here. From what I've seen so far I'm very encouraged. Please make sure that you respect whoever's speaking."

The lines were drawn from the start when Meadows mentioned that some constituents want Medicare for all  causing a big cheer to erupt  and that some want to repeal and replace Obamacare  provoking another roughly equal outbreak of applause, whistles and cheers.

In opening remarks, Meadows mentioned work he'd like to continue on health care, tax reform, military veterans and immigration. Wearing a charcoal gray suit, white dress shirt and light blue tie, the always well-coifed former developer was earnest and patient as he volleyed questions from an audience that was decidedly more hostile than most he's faced in his five years in office.

One constituent asked whether there would be a chance for followups from questioners.

"As a general rule we can't have an ongoing conversation back and forth between 400 people," Meadows said.

Questions started at 6:17 p.m.

The first one was, "What kind of insurance plan do you have now?" with a followup: "If Congress repeals Obamacare, what kind of insurance will you have?"

The premium for a policy that covers his wife and himself, Meadows said, is a little over $1,000 a month with a $7,500 deductible.

"Actually part of what we were looking to do was fix the Affordable Care Act," he said. "What will get my vote is something that will lower premiums and allow those with pre-existing conditions to be taken care of."

A newer idea is a block-grant proposal advanced by U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham. "For North Carolina," Meadows said, "the block grant would increase the amount that goes to Medicaid because we are not an expansion state."

"Why not?" shouted a vocal and persistent audience member who flouted his anti-Meadows feelings throughout the evening.

A moment later, McDonald intervened to ask for calm. "Please let him finish his answer," he said.

Health care questions dominated the night.

Meadows stressed that he had "made a pledge over and over to not support anything that doesn't lower premiums and cover pre-existing conditions."

Answering a question about the Freedom Caucus, Meadows mentioned that he chairs the Tea Party-oriented faction, setting off a new round of boos and cheers.

More questions

What is your stance on term limits and a constitutional convention of the states?

He's sponsored a bill on term limits. "There is not really the support on either side for term limits," he said. A convention of the states is something he's changed his mind on, now tilting in favor of because "Congress can't get things done."

What do tax cuts have to do with health care (the health care bill passed by the House lowered taxes on the rich)?

"The tax component was tied in with the Affordable Care Act when it passed... If you repeal those taxes it allowed for a much more aggressive tax cut for the middle class," he said.

Will you work with Democrats to reform health care?

"The real discouraging part when we started in on this, Chuck Schumer said he wasn't going to help anyone," he said. "I went to five of my Democrat colleagues" and asked for their input and some got in the House bill that passed. He spoke with one Democrat, Elijah Cummings, about prescription drugs.

Is there any hope that we will get a decent health care plan this year?

"We don't want a bill in Washington, D.C., that's going to create a crisis for anyone. ... For me, I find a free market approach has the best ways to reduce cost. ... If we don't have a bill in September I think it's probably not going to happen."

Every modern nation has health care for all. Why do you believe Americans don't deserve health care or that we're not capable of achieving it?

By choosing a government plan over the free market "you're making a fundamental decision that typically has not proved out."

What have you done to help the economy in the district?

He has worked with state Commerce Department "to make sure we are ready and open and willing for business. ... I've met personally with a number of CEOs who have come to try to make a decision to locate in Western North Carolina." He's worked "to make sure we have a good infrastructure that actually supports that."

What is your rational for supporting gun laws that police officers oppose?

Meadows said he knows of no bill he's supported that police oppose. "If you want someone who doesn't support the Second Amendment you probably want a different member of Congress because I'm not going to yield on that."

Will you vote to raise the debt ceiling?

"One of the things we're really trying to tackle is not to support a debt ceiling bill that is not accompanied by some kind of spending cut or reform that would bend that curve down where we start to spend more responsibly."

What's your position on cutting corporate taxes and closing tax loopholes?

"Everybody's for closing tax loophole until it comes to their tax loopholes, I've found," he said.

Do you support a federal law or state law to require presidential candidates to release their tax returns? (Provoking cheers from Trump opponents)

"I can tell you're not going to like the answer. I'm not in favor of that."

Although you have a national platform now, WNC has unique issues. What are the priority issues for our region that must be addressed?

Jobs, immigration and veterans. "Jobs, No. 1. There are some counties that are doing very well and there are many that are not." Immigration is important, especially to farmers in need of labor. "We've got to address that. Any immigration reform that we do has to start with secure borders. It allows for us deal with the situation on a region by region basis" and to deal with guest workers. Case of veterans is another priority.

How much would you allocate to build the wall?

"I do believe that our immigration policy, whether you're a conservative or a liberal, has to start with a secure set of borders so i believe we have to build a wall." Parts of it will be a wall, parts a virtual fence.

Meadows thanked the audience for being respectful.

"This kind of discourse and even disagreement and lets the Third World countries know that America is different," he said.

EARLIER COVERAGE:

Constituents attending U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows town hall tonight will see national media, heightened security and restrictions on the size of signs in the Thomas Auditorium at Blue Ridge Community College.

Mark promised a town hall every year and thats what were doing, said Wayne King, Meadows deputy chief of staff and district director. We hope folks will be respectful and allow people to get their questions answered. We hope the good Southern nature of people in this community will come out.

Organizers of the countys most active President Trump resistance group, Progressive Organized Women, have been promoting the town hall and will stage a protest before it starts.

Oh gosh, yes, organizer Jayne Jennings said when asked whether her group planned to attend. We hope to have a large turnout. Weve been promoting it widely within our own group. We plan to show up early to protest and then go into the town hall. Were the largest progressive group in Western North Carolina.

The first town hall since Trump was inaugurated, investigations into various facets of his campaign and administration were announced and Republican efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare could feature less friendly questions than Meadows has seen in the past in Republican-dominant Henderson County. Meadows comes home to the 11th District higher ranking than he's ever been and with a national profile. As head of the Freedom Caucus, the powerful conservative faction in the House, Meadows has been a key figure on health care, tax reform and other legislation and is often interviewed on cable news shows.

I think right now health care will be the dominant topic, Jennings said. Its huge on everybodys mind. We want to make sure everybody understands that Mark Meadows is not as loved in this district as everyone thinks. All the media he gets says that everyone in the district loves him and supports him and thats just not really true.

She expects protesters to congregate around 3:30 so they can go through security and get into the town hall starting at 4:30. The town hall starts at 6 p.m.

People will see airport like security checks and a stronger than usual presence of law officers.

Its all about the safety of the people attending, said Maj. Frank Stout, who joined a command staff briefing about the town hall Monday morning.

Signs inside will be limited to 8x11 inches on paper and can't be attached to a stick.

If someone stands up with a large sign it would block multiple people and prevent them from seeing or asking their question, Stout said. He declined to say how many deputies the sheriff planned to deploy. The sheriffs office typically covers Meadows events with several deputies but the raucous nature of some other congressional town halls has triggered a considerable uptick in the security.

The sheriff has been working with us to make sure that the people that come there are safe, King said. Theyre some of the most professional people Ive ever worked with. Were happy to have them assist us for sure.

The town hall format will be the same as it has been in the past, King said. Meadows will open with a few remarks. The staff will collect written questions and Meadows will answer as many as he can get to.

He will kind of kick it off and hopefully some of those questions will be answered during that portion of it, King said. Were not going answer the same question 20 times. But people will have the opportunity to write their questions as we have in the past and we can follow up with them as well. As he has in the past, too, Meadows will promise "a written response from our office if he can't address it on the spot.



Joshua Denton, a Henderson County Democratic Party spokesman, said the party has not planned a protest but has urged Democrats to come out. An email blast said Lets fill the auditorium before the other team gets there.

I know a lot are planning to attend, he said. He predicted that the third third-term Republican would get questions about health care, tax reform and the ongoing special counsel investigation of Trump and the 2016 campaign.
DailyPay Announces 1 Millionth Payment; Launches Emoji Payment Feature

Posted by Press Releases on Monday, 08-07-2017 5:55 am

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Financial Solutions Company Grows 30 Percent Month Over Month and Launches New Product To Reduce the Stigma of Asking for Money to Pay Bills on TimeDailyPay, a financial solutions company that reduces employee turnover and increases retention through instant access to wages, today announced its one millionth payment made through the company's platform. DailyPay experienced a rapid growth trajectory with its customer base growing at 30 percent month over month since launching in January 2016. DailyPay's current customer base represents over $800 million of annual wages across leading employers including national cleaning franchise The Maids, national call center DialAmerica, and disruptive staffing startup Shiftgig. DailyPay's partner employers have reduced their turnover on average by 41 percent. As part of its mission to help employees reach financial security, DailyPay has also announced the launch of a new product feature, which enables a user to request funds instantly through the ...

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Srinagar, Aug 8 (IBNS) : Security forces shot dead a Pakistani national belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group on Sunday night in Samboora area of Pampore in south Kashmiras Pulwama district.

According to reports, army and police cordoned off the area after having inputs about presence of some militants hiding in the Samboora area.

Reports further said that when forces zeroed in on a house where the militants were hiding, shots were fired from inside leading to a fierce gunfight.

The gun battle ended around 3 am ad the body of Lashkar militant, a resident of Pakistan, was recovered.

Two militants are believed to have escaped from the house.

(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)
Ahmedabad, Aug 7 (IBNS): Just a day prior to the Rajya Sabha poll in the state, 44 Gujarat Congress MLAs who were flown to Bengaluru fearing possible defections to the BJP, have returned to Gujarat.

The MLAs were kept at a resort in the capital of Karnataka.

The Congress MLAs landed in Ahmedabad on Monday morning.

However, the lawmakers were taken to another resort some kms away from the city, media reports said.

After the resignation of former Gujarat chief minister and veteran congress leader Shankarsinh Vaghela, and with three party members joining the BJP, the Congress flew 44 of its lawmakers to Bengaluru late last month.

Congress accused the incumbent Gujarat government of trying to lure 22 Congress lawmakers by offering Rs 15 crores and asking them to cross vote during the polls.

Despite keeping the MLAs in protection, the Congress has got things to worry about as Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel said on Monday they are not an ally to any party therefore might not vote for the former.

Image: Official Facebook page of Indian National Congress-Gujarat.
Lorengau, Aug 7 (IBNS): An asylum seeker was found dead inside an Australian-run detention centre in Manus Island, Papua New Guinea, on Monday morning, reports said.

Official at the Australian Immigration and Border Protection department said the Papua New Guinean authorities are investigating the death.

The BBC reported that PNG Police are treating the death as suicide, however, other inmates have expressed doubts.

Though the man has not been identified as of yet, he is said to be an Iranian national.

The detention centre, which has coped up controversy and condemnation from human rights groups, due to lack of hygiene and inadequate facilities, is due to close by Oct 31, later this year.

Image: flickr: DIAC images/Wikipedia
Mumbai, Aug 7 (IBNS): Mumbaikars had a harrowing time on Monday morning when the 3,800 buses operated by Bombay Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) stayed put in the depots to protest against salaries not being paid on time, according to media reports.

BEST employees affiliated to the nine unions have alleged that they have not been paid for the past three months.

BEST workers' union president Shashank Rao, has said that the employees want their salaries on time. He also said that BMC, which governs the civic transport and electricity provider public body, must give an undertaking that the workers will receive their salaries on time, media reported.

According to local media reports, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta and the ruling Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray tried to prevent the strike through discussion on Sunday but failed.

Meanwhile, daily commuters and people out to celebrate Rakshabandhan, had to either submit to enhanced fares charged by autorickshaws and taxis or opt for app cabs.

Image: BEST/FB
New Delhi, Aug 7 (IBNS) : Amid a high drama of political slugfest senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, who is contesting for a Rajya Sabha seat from Gujarat, on Monday said he is sure of his victory as all the party MLAs are united.

Patel, political secretary to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, is seeking a fifth consecutive term which faces challenge with the ruling BJP going all out to scuttle.

"We are confident, it can be seen on MLAs' faces. We are sure of victory," media reports quoted Patel as claiming. .

After days of suspense that involved party legislators, who the Congress believaed were being targeted by BJP for horsetrading to ensure Patel's defeat, all the 44 MLAs returned to the state in the wee hours of Monday after they were kept huddled in a Karnataka resort.

The Congress had whisked them away from the state for a "safer custody" after six of its MLAs deserted the party recently and three of them joined the BJP.

According to reports, they were taken to the Neejanand Resort in Gujarat's Anand district, located 77 km from Ahmedabad, ahead of the election for three seats.

On Tuesday, the Congress legislators will directly go to Gandhinagar from Anand to vote for the party's Rajya Sabha nominee Ahmed Patel.

In the 182-member Gujarat Assembly, the strength of the Congress has gone down to 51 from 57 after the six legislators resigned.

As the Congress alleges, the development was the result of a design by former party heavyweight Shankersinh Vaghela, who quit the Congress last month reportedly on being denied much prominence.

The Congress needs to ensure at least 45 MLAs support Ahmed Patel in Tuesday's vote which could be possible if there is no cross-voting.

Image: Wikimedia Commons
New Delhi, Aug 7 (IBNS): Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Shipping and Road Transport & Highways returned to India on Monday after a two day visit to Tehran.

He was there to represent the Indian Government at the inauguration and oath taking ceremony of HE Dr. Hassan Rouhani as the President of Iran for a second term, on Aug 5.

In an interaction with Rouhani, Shri Gadkari conveyed the Indian Prime Ministers greetings and best wishes for a successful tenure to him.

He also handed over the letter of felicitations from Prime Minister Narendra Modi extending an invitation to the President of Iran to visit India.

Gadkari later held wide ranging discussions on many issues including Indias cooperation in the development of Chabahar Port and proposed rail link between Chabahar & Zahedan. In the meetings, both sides positively assessed the progress in implementation of the decisions taken during the Indian Prime Ministers visit to Iran last year, including the progress of Chabahar Port. Both sides reiterated their commitment to complete and operationalize the Port at the earliest.

Gadkari called on the first Vice President Dr. E. Jahangiri and highlighted the issue of activation of contract of Chabahar Port development and conveyed to him that India Ports Global Limited (IPGL) has finalized procurement of critical equipments such as Rail Mounted Gantry Crane (RMGC), and is close to finalizing orders relating to Rubber Tyre Mobile Crane (RTMC), MT Container Handlers(MTCH), Truck and Tractor Trailers Containers and related equipments.

He also conveyed Indias readiness to aid Iran in taking up operations in Chabahar Port during the interim period between the actual activation of contract.

He requested the Iranian side for an early submission of loan application for Chabahar Port Development to EXIM Bank of India so that the contract agreement between the two countries can be activated.

It may be recalled that the Iranian side had requested India to provide upto 150 million dollar credit and had made it a condition for activation of the Chabahar Port contract. The application for loan to EXIM Bank of India is still awaited.

Later Gadkari met Dr. Abbas Akhoundi, the Iranian Minister for Roads and Urban Development, and conveyed to him the latest update on procurement of equipment for the two terminals - multipurpose and container - that are covered under Chabahar Port Agreement.

He also requested Dr Akhoundi that in the interest of supporting operations of Chabahar Port, the Iranian side should consider waiving off the condition of submission of loan application as it was taking time.

The Iranian side assured that the application shall be presented to EXIM Bank of India early.

The Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Act (FIPPA) application was also presented by the MD, IPGL to the Iranian authorities in the presence of Shri Gadkari and Dr Akhoundi . India has opened an office of IPGL in Teheran.

In his meeting with Dr Abbas Akhoundi Shri Gadkari stressed upon the need for marketing of the Chabahar Port to attract cargo.

He said, Iran and India should jointly organize a workshop at Chabahar for this purpose at an early date.

Gadkari also emphasized the need to develop rail connectivity from Chabahar to Zahedan, and said that the MoU with India in this regard may be extended.

The issue of ratification of the trilateral Transit Agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan was also discussed.

While India and Afghanistan have the agreement, Iran is yet to do the same.

Image: Nitin Gadkari Twitter page
Srinagar, Aug 07 (IBNS): An Indian Army personnel was injured critically on Monday evening after he was hit in the head by Pakistan sniper fire near the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri area of north Kashmiras Baramulla district.

According to sources, on Monday evening both armies exchanged fire along the LoC in Uri in the northern area of Kashmir.

In the incident, an Indian soldier identified as Narendra Singh Bisht received a sniper injury in his head and has been airlifted to Army's 92 base hospital Badamibagh, Srinagar for treatment where his condition is critical.

Earlier, five militants were killed as a major infiltration bid was foiled by Indian army in Machil sector of north Kashmir's Kupwara on Monday.

Firing between the two forces of India and Pakistan, who have fought three wars since their independence in 1947, is fairly common in the recent years.

(Reporting by Saleem Qadri)
Berlin, Aug 7 (IBNS): Two Chinese tourists were arrested by Berlin police from the city's Reichstag building on Saturday for giving the Nazi Salute, reports said.

The detainees were however released later on personal bail of $600.

They are aged 36 and 49.

Nazi Salute along with hate speech are strictly prohibited in Germany and land one in prison.

The two Chinese nationals were charged under use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations," including "flags, insignia, uniforms, slogans and forms of greeting."

Germany witnesses approximately two million Chinese visitors every year.



Image: Mfield/Wikipedia


Kabul, Aug 7 (IBNS): At least two people were injured in an explosion which rocked Kabul city on Sunday evening, local Khaama Press reported.

The incident took place near the 6th police district of the city.

Officials said that a magnetic bomb was used in the explosion, which targeted a police van.

The head of the 119th police center, Humayoun Aini said a police Ranger vehicle was targeted.

He added that the vehicle was damaged after it caught fire following the explosion.

No group has claimed responsibility so far.
Ottawa, Aug 8 (IBNS): The wildfire which was struck in early July scorched more than five lakh hectares in the British Columbia so far.

In a tweet, BC Wildfire Service stated approximately 591, 280 hectares of land were scorched till now.

The update provided by the BC Wildfire also said around 132 wildfires are still burning.

There have been 900 wildfires since April 1, BC Wildfire said.

We're signing off for the night. If there are significant developments through the night, we will post updates as they become available. pic.twitter.com/y4sUbo6VCJ  BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) August 7, 2017

On July 7, the disaster occurred when lightening storm made the fire spread rapidly in the Interior of B.C. An emergency was called immediately after the wildfire.

It continued to grow forcing local people to flee from their homes.

A media report on July 28 suggested around 10000 people were forced to go out of Williams Lake, the largest city in the Central Interior of British Columbia, which was under a high alert.

This year's wildfire has now become the worst since 1958, Global News said.

The record of wildfires are kept since 1950.

In 1958, 8560 sq. kms were burnt due to the wildfire contrary to 4910 in 2017, the latter recording much lesser than the former.

Still, 2017 wildfire is considered to be dreadful as statistically it is the worst in last 59 years.

Meanwhile, the ongoing provincial state of emergency has been extended till August 18.

New Zealand firefighters have extended their helping hands to Canada with an aim to combat the ongoing wildfire in British Columbia.

New Zealand firefighters' support came at a time when around 4000 Canadian firefighters are working to get the situation under control.

On August 3, Fire and Emergency New Zealand took to Twitter to announce their plan of combating the wildfire. "New Zealand firefighters to help combat Canadian wildfires."

New Zealand firefighters to help combat Canadian wildfires #BCWildfire https://t.co/Zvd9d2Gt10 pic.twitter.com/UHX5JGtyX8  Fire and EmergencyNZ (@FireEmergencyNZ) August 4, 2017

(Reporting by Souvik Ghosh)

Images: Official Twitter handle of BC Wildfire.
Ottawa/Quebec, Aug 8 (IBNS): The recent influx of a huge number of asylum seekers over the Quebec border is turning out to be a litmus test for the Canadian government, media reports said.

A massive crowd gathered outside Montreal Olympic Stadium to support the asylum seekers on Sunday.

Earlier, the asylum seekers were sheltered in the stadium of Montreal.

The crowd who gathered to showcase their support for the asylum seekers, comprised of few people who earlier sought the same from the Canadian government.

The City of Montreal said around 300 people are crossing the border to seek asylum each day, according to CTV News.

Report also suggested the present situation is much more driven by the Haitians who were illegal occupants in the US and now crossing the border out of fear that they would be compelled to leave the country due to President Donald Trump's policy.

The present situation has already triggered political battles.

The Opposition accused the Canadian government of failing to discharge their duties.

Conservative MP Blake Richards called the situation "chaos".

Urging the would-be migrants to respect the border with the US, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the country is completely ready to process Quebec asylum seekers.

Trudeau was quoted by CBC News as saying:"We want migration to Canada to be done in an orderly fashion; there's border checkpoints and border controls that we need to make sure are respected."

"The people coming now irregularly will still have to go through all the proper processes" the PM added.

(Reporting by Souvik Ghosh)

Image: Official Twitter handle of Canadian PM (@CanadianPM).
Arts Revolutionary Paintings Tell Myanmars Story

Revolution-inspired paintings by Yangon artist Thoe Hteine / Thet Htun Naing / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  For years, Myanmar lived under dictatorship and authoritarianism. But for artist Thoe Hteine, Myanmar has never been a victim of oppression, rather it is a society of revolution.

An ongoing exhibition at the Bo Aung Kyaw Art Gallery on Bo Aung Kyaw Street reflects his perspective of the country. Titled S8it, the exhibition features the works of eight artists, including Thoe Hteine, until Tuesday, priced between US$100 and $1,000.

Thoe Hteine, a 37-year-old artist from Yangon, was mentored by Myanmars influential contemporary artist Kin Maung Yin.

He is showcasing a series of eight paintings at the exhibition which he says tell a story of Myanmars revolutionary attitude.

The first painting depicts a chair in an old, cobwebbed room. A chair is a metaphor for the position of power in Burmese language, and the painting shows a dictator who is unwilling to leave his chair.

The second painting shows a prisoner in shackles and a newborn baby. Despite the fact that [dissidents] are arrested, the new generation of revolutionaries continues to emerge, said Thoe Hteine.

The third shows poisonous snakes watching a tied Pyit Taung Htaung or Tumbling Kellya traditional Myanmar toy figure that wobbles, but always returns to an upright position.

The fourth painting depicts a pinball machine, which the artist compares to Insein Prison. There are ups and downs, and entry and departure in a revolution, he said.

The ball will get in when the player pushes it in, but it will find its way out. But then, the player will push the ball in again. So, the ball gets in and gets out in an unending circle, the artist said, comparing it to the prison life of so-called dissidents.

The fifth painting shows people protecting themselves rather than being protected by the police while the sixth exhibits the flags of victory in spite of oppression.

A painting titled The Last HopeThe Last Drop of Water comes from Thoe Hteines belief that there is one hope left for Myanmars 50 million people in search of democracy. We need to drink, when there is only one drop of water left, the painting reads.

The final painting shows Myanmar society engaged in a revolution under a vigorous fighting peacock. Myanmar has been a revolutionary country all the way. But it is mainly the fighting peacock that fought the revolution since the struggle for independence, he said.

The other artists featured in the exhibition are: Ang Banang, Ba G, Han Sann, Lwin Oo Maung, Myint Soe Oo, Thu Myat, Wunna Aung.
From the Archive The Heroic Medics of the 8888 Uprising

The iconic photo in which medical student Win Zaw (L) and house surgeon Dr. Saw Lwin carry 16-year-old pro-democracy protestor Win Maw Oo to an ambulance after she was fatally shot on September 18, 1988. / S Lehman / Visions

Twenty-nine years ago, demonstrations across Myanmar (then Burma) demanded an end to Gen Ne Wins military dictatorship. After government troops opened fire on the 8888 Uprising in Yangon (then Rangoon), hundreds were seriously injured. Many doctors and nurses worked around the clock to save the injured.

Win Maw Oo is remembered from the iconic picture of a blood-soaked young woman being carried away by two medics during the 1988 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Yangon. She begged her father not to perform the Buddhist last rites until Burma enjoys democracy. In May 2016, those funerary rites were performed, after Daw Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party assumed power.

YANGON  Twenty five years ago, the streets of Rangoon swelled with hundreds of thousands of protestors demanding an end to Burmas military dictatorship. After government troops opened fire on them, hundreds were seriously injured. Many would have died if it had not been for Dr Myat Htoo Razak and Dr Win Zaw.

Like many doctors and nurses, the young house surgeon and medical student worked around the clock to save the lives of injured protestors during the hectic days of the 8888 Uprising.

Myat Htoo Razak recalled the unforgettable scenes that he witnessed on August 9, 1988, one day after popular, nationwide pro-democracy demonstrations started in Rangoon and other cities across Burma.

Some of them were shot in their chests, arms and legs, he said in a recent interview with The Irrawaddy. Two of them were seriously injured; one was shot in his head and another one shot in his eye.

The then 24-year-old house surgeon and his team had arrived at the Maternal and Child Welfare Association in Rangoons North Okkalapa Township shortly before troops began to fire on crowds of peaceful demonstrators, who had gathered nearby.

One monk who made a speech urging protestors to keep marching was fatally shot. Many protestors ran into the building to flee the gunfire, some were bleeding from bullet wounds in their torsos, arms and legs.

The medical team, which came from North Okkalapa Hospital, had already prepared emergency treatment facilities as they feared that authorities might launch a violent crackdown on the demonstrations. Myat Htoo Razak and three other house surgeons (young doctors who are still undergoing practical training) and nurses started treating the many wounded.

But soon, soldiers surrounded the Maternal and Child Welfare Association and two captains entered building to intimidate the demonstrators. We just used rubber bullets. Or else, you would have all been dead, one of them said looking at injured protestors.

The captains heartless words infuriated Myat Htoo Razak but he tried to cope with his anger for the sake of his patients. The would-be doctor then asked the officers to transport two seriously wounded patients to North Okkalapa Hospital.

In the meantime, more injured people were coming into the building. Myat Htoo Razak and his small team kept treating the injured until late afternoon. When he got back to North Okkalapa Hospital, the troops were shooting right in front of the building.

We didnt even need to go too far to carry patients as they were shooting in front of the hospital. The injured people were just carried into the hospital. Inside, we treated many of the injured people, he said.

While the doctors like Myat Htoo Razak worked ceaselessly to operate on the many wounded, pools of blood covered the hospital floors and numerous bodies arrived at the mortuary. It was a tragic scene to see the dead bodies of our brothers and sisters, he said.

For 10 days, government violence continued and wounded pro-democracy demonstrators filled the wards of hospitals and clinics in Rangoon and across Burma.

When Dr Maung Maung, a civilian, became interim president on August 19 the shootings ended and people from all walks of life joined the demonstrations, which had now spread nationwide, from Burmas big cities to tiny villages throughout the country.

On September 18, the military staged a coup detat and the crackdown worsened. Troops shot down many more demonstrators, including schoolchildren, students, civil servants and housewives. An estimated total of 3,000 people were killed and many more protestors were injured in August and September of 1988.

For the injured, doctors, nurses and house surgeons like Myat Htoo Razak, provided life-saving care at a critical moment in the countrys history.

The 88 pro-democracy movement was the biggest people power uprising that Burma had seen since gaining independence from Britain in 1948. It toppled the countrys oppressive authoritarian regime of military strongman Ne Win and his Burma Socialist Programme Party, which had ruled the country for 26 years.

The military coup and subsequent crackdown on the 8888 Uprising, however, would leave the army in charge for two more decades.

Another medical student who helped treat Burmas brave protestors at the time was Win Zaw.

Doctors, nurses and medical staffs not only treated the injured, but also took part in the demonstrations, and 23-year-old Win Zaw joined a group of medical students who staged a hunger strike on September 18 at Rangoons University of Medicine.

After the army staged a coup at 4 pm that day, it announced that all demonstrators should disperse and leave their camps and the streets.

Win Zaw and his fellow students went to Rangoon General Hospital and spent the night helping doctors in treating hundreds of demonstrators who had been shot by troops as they tried to clear the streets of Rangoon.

The next morning, at about 10:30 am, Win Zaw and doctors got news that the troops had again opened fire on protestors. Win Zaw quickly joined a small team that included a surgeon named Win Ko, two doctors and another house surgeon by the name of Dr Saw Lwin.

They drove through the streets collecting the wounded, putting as many as 15 patients into their small ambulance. After two runs to pick up the victims, they heard that shots had been fired at a demonstration near Sule Pagoda in central Rangoon

As they reached the pagoda, it became clear that the troops had committed a massacre.

It is a scene that I can never forget for the rest of life. There were a lot of bodies and injured people on street, Win Zaw recalled in an interview. A photo of our Bogyoke [Aung San] was on the street, our fighting peacock flag [the symbol of students movement] was also down, sandals were scattered and pools of blood were everywhere.

As they looked among the numerous bodies for protestors who were still alive, Win Zaw noticed one young girl who was breathing faintly. He approached and heard her murmur, Brother, help me.

Win Zaw lifted the girl by her arms while house surgeon Saw Lwin held her legs. Wearing white physician duty coats, they carried her to the nearby ambulance. At that time, he noticed a flash of a camera and heard one of the soldiers bellowing: Dont take pictures! Or else, well shoot!

At that time, Win Zaw had no idea the picture would become an internationally well-known, historic picture that symbolized just how brutal the armys crackdown on innocent protestors had been. Later, he found out that the young girls name was Win Maw Oo, a 16-year-old high school student.

On that dark day, September 19, 1988, Win Zaws team made seven runs to collect the wounded from Rangoons blood-covered streets. Another ambulance team of Rangoon General Hospital conducted a similar number of emergency rescues.

By the evening, he learned Win Maw Oo was being treated at the intensive care unit and that she was still alive after having suffered gunshot wounds in one arm, one leg and a lung. At 5:35 pm, however, she died.

The medical staff also risked their lives by going out and collecting wounded protestors from Rangoons streets. Myat Htoo Razak remembers that at least one medical student was shot and killed, while another required a life-saving operation.

Myat Htoo Razak and a senior surgeon, Dr Kyaw Myint Naing, operated on final-year medical student Moe Thu Win for six and a half hours after a bullet had shredded the main artery in his arm. The doctors thought they might have to amputate the limb, but eventually the operation was successful.

During 10 days of bloody repression in 1988, the doctors continuously treated injured protestors, although some of the wounded didnt dare to come to hospitals out of fear that the military would arrest them there.

For some medical staff, their work would have repercussions later. The military had taken note of Win Zaw and Saw Lwin after the photo of their rescue of the young girl Win Maw Oo became famous the world over.

Four years later, the notorious Military Intelligences unit-6, better known as MI-6, detained Dr Win Zaw for five days and asked him about the details of the events of that day.

For his colleague Dr Saw Lwin the consequences would be far greater, however. The military authorities forced Saw Lwins father to retire from his position as the director of a government department. This pressure on his family caused Saw Lwin to sink into a deep depression. Years later, he committed suicide.

Until this day, Win Zaw said, Saw Lwins family cannot bear to watch the tragic picture of their rescue attempt.

For both Dr Win Zaw and Dr Myat Htoo Razak the events of 1988 were life defining moments, and all these years later both say they are still dedicated to establishing genuine democracy in Burma.

The 88 uprising shaped our lives, said Myat Htoo Razak, who now lives in the United States and has worked on HIV/Aids research and strengthening health care systems in Asia and Africa.

Win Zaw, who is now secretary of the Myanmar Medical Associations General Practitioners Society, said, In fact, we are still waiting to get what we demanded 25 years ago.
From the Archive How Can Burma Begin to Heal the Scars of 88?

An estimated 3,000 people were killed when the so-called 8888 pro-democracy uprising was brutally crushed by the military regime. / Courtesy of the Silver Jubilee 88 Uprising Exhibition

Phone Maw was the first of thousands of martyrs killed during the military crackdown of the 88 uprising.

Twenty-five years after the crackdown on the pro-democracy movement began, this piece, in 2013, demands an answer to the still salient question: who were really responsible for ordering the deaths?

YANGON  On March 13, 1988 Phone Maw was gunned down by government security forces in a compound of Rangoon Institute of Technology (RIT). The 21-year-old engineering student became the first martyr among an estimated 3,000 people killed when the so-called 8888 pro-democracy uprising was brutally crushed by the military regime.

The incident in Burmas history is commemorated by opposition politicians and rights activists as the countys national Human Rights Day, also known as Phone Maw Day. There are religious and political ceremonies held to mark the slaying of the student. But the question remains: who were really responsible for ordering the killing of Phone Maw and thousands of others in 1988?

Until now, there is no proper investigation in Phone Maws case. We still want the government to take action, says Myo Win, a friend of Phone Maw in the RIT, who is now Vice Chairman of All Burma Students Democratic Front, a dissident political group founded on the Thailand-Burma border after the 88 uprising.

Such demands for an official investigation into the former juntas wrongdoing come not only from political activists but also from human rights lawyers.

They must respond to the crimes committed by the former junta, said Min Lwin Oo, a Burmese lawyer at Hong Kong-based Asia Human Rights Commission. But it is not easy at the moment. There are no signs of interest [in an investigation] from the government and neither from the opposition, activists and any other stakeholders, the lawyer said.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma Tomas Ojea Quintana said accountability for decades of rights violations is crucial for healing the wounds in Burmese society and to solidify the countrys reforms, according to a Reuters report on a UN human rights meeting in Geneva.

But he said, This is not on the agenda of any of the stakeholders. Its not on the government agenda, its not on the other political parties agenda and its not on the ethnic minority groups agenda.

Soe Thein, a Minister of the Presidents Office, addressed the issue in Oslo, Norway, during President Thein Sein trip to Europe in late February. We dont want to put this agenda in the priority lists while we are heading for democracy, he said. If you make it a priority the speed of our journey may be delayed. So lets think about it later, he warned.

When the military drafted the controversial Constitution in 2008 it included article 445, which provides immunity for all acts taken by members of the previous military government councils. No proceeding shall be instituted against the said Councils or any member there of or any member of the Government, in respect of any act done in the execution of their respective duties, it states.

And so, is there then no way to hold former junta officials responsible for the crimes they committed? Perhaps Burma needs to follow a South Africa-style Truth and Reconciliation Commission?

This commission invited victims of rights abuses under the former apartheid-regime to give statements about their experiences. Perpetrators of violence could also testify and request amnesty from prosecution.

South African Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu, who played an important role in the successful truth and reconciliation process, visited Rangoon recently. He met with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, 88- Generation Students activist Min Ko Naing and former political prisoners to explain his experience.

But so far, neither the government nor opposition politicians have reacted to his suggestion.

In this situation, what can activists do to hold a meaningful commemoration of Phone Maw and the 3,000 88 martyrs at tomorrows ceremony? Can they just pray for them to rest in peace? Can they just recall the memory of 88 uprising?

This activity is not new. Burmas exile community has marked Phone Maw Day for many years and last year, for the first time in decades, activists commemorated this event in Burma.

However, this year would be the first time that it will be held in Burma in open view of the government, which is led reformist President Thein Sein who has welcomed Suu Kyi into Burmas military-dominated Parliament.

At this years ceremony the activists should discuss whether they want to push for prosecution of crimes committed against the 88 martyrs, or whether they want Burma to organize a truth and reconciliation commission to address the abuses.

Secondly, the activists should rebuild the monument for Phone Maw, which the students built the day after he was killed in the RIT compound. It was later destroyed by the army. If the authority will not allow it to be rebuild the activists should explain that the monument is needed to help heal the emotional wounds of the surviving 88 victims and their families.

Thirdly, they should urge the government to allow for the construction of monuments for the victims of the 88 uprising who were killed in Burmas other states and divisions in March, June, August and September 1988.

The government and Parliament should at least allow these monuments to be erected in order to provide an initial source of solace for the uprisings victims, before it is decided how to officially address the gross rights violations of 1988.

It would also be a good sign if the government could send some officials to tomorrows commemoration event in order to pay their respects to Phone Maw and other 88 martyrs, and to meet with their families.

These initial steps should not delay Burmas important journey to democracy, but should be part of a larger effort to implement speedy democratic reforms and reconcile the country. Providing treatment and support for the victims of the Burmese governments past abuses is an important part of any reconciliation plan.

Htet Aung Kyaw is a former student activist who fled to Burmas ethnic rebel-controlled areas in 1988. He is now a freelance journalist.
From the Archive An Unsung 88 Hero Gets His Due

U Nay Win displays a certificate he was awarded in 2014 for assisting journalists in 1988. / The Irrawaddy

This month marks the 29th anniversary of the nationwide protests in 1988 that launched Myanmars pro-democracy movement. For four months that year, and at great personal risk, U Nay Min served as an unofficial stringer supplying information about the ongoing protests and government crackdowns to foreign journalists. In commemoration of his contribution to the struggle, the The Irrawaddy revisits a profile of U Nay Min published in 2014.

RANGOON  To an old telephone at his home in Rangoon, for four months he received four calls a day, at specified times. Already knowing who was on the other end of the line, Nay Min picked up the receiver to dictate information that he had from newsgathering in a country hardly welcoming of such activities. Outside, students were staging protests against the government of Gen. Ne Win and his heavy-handed tactics to suppress their pro-democracy demonstrations. It was late July, 1988.

For all his efforts to inform the world about demonstrations that would culminate in a nationwide protest known as the 8888 Uprising on Aug. 8, 1988, Nay Min is not among the canonized pro-democracy crusaders who helped topple Burmas single-party rule system more than 25 years ago.

At that time, I had to keep my identity secret for fear of government retribution, the 68-year-old told The Irrawaddy. Plus, I feel embarrassed to say, You see, thats what I did.

But his preference for anonymity suddenly came to an end during a panel discussion at the East-West Center International Media Conference in Rangoon on Monday, when he was surprised by a trio of fellow journalists who honored him with a certificate recognizing his courage and conviction in 1988. For four months that year, and at great personal risk, Nay Min served as an unofficial stringer supplying information about the ongoing protests and government crackdowns to Christopher Gunness from the BBCs World Service, who was based in neighboring Bangladesh as an international correspondent.

Veteran journalist Bertil Lintner, who writes extensively about Burma and was one of the three journalists who honored Nay Min this week, told The Irrawaddy that he felt the Burmese who supplied news from within the country to journalists on the outside should be remembered and honored.

We would not have been able to do our job without their support, Lintner said. U Nay Min was the one who had to suffer the most because of the job he did, therefore we wanted to honor him and the work he did.

Back in 1988, Burma was known as one of the most reclusive countries in the world, and press freedom was nonexistent. Foreign journalists were barred from entering the country.

As much of the outside world remained in the dark on happenings in Burma, public discontent over the regimes mismanagement of the national economy was mounting. University students took to the streets en masse and were brutally suppressed.

The countrys situation at that time was on the brink of explosion, Nay Min recalled.

Trained as a lawyer, Nay Min found himself in early months of 1988 serving as a volunteer advocate for students unlawfully arrested by the regime for their participation in anti-government protests. He had no journalism background, but showed an uncommon aptitude for newsgatheringand discretion.

U Nay Min is also a man of great integrity and would often say, I heard this, but dont use it until I have checked it, the BBCs Gunness told The Irrawaddy.

As anti-government protests gathered steam in late July, Nay Min was contacted by Gunness and managed to send information to him via a land-line telephone. Prior to Aug. 8, and based on Nay Mins work, the BBC reported that there would be a nationwide demonstration against the Ne Win regime on that fateful day, and the predicted protest came to fruition.

As a result, more and more people in Burma tuned into the BBC to glean the latest information on the protest movement. Nay Min even got a personal call from Aung San Suu Kyi, who rang him to clarify rumors that she was leading protests on the streets of Rangoon.

She told me, Please say in your report that Im not taking part in the protests, he remembered.

Gunness acknowledged that Nay Mins eyes and ears on the ground in Rangoon a quarter-century ago were pivotal to the BBC reports closely followed by the Burmese audience in 1988.

When I was in Burma in August [for the Silver Jubilee celebration of the 8888 Uprising last year] people kept telling me about my own role, but the true hero of 1988 is U Nay Min, he told The Irrawaddy in an email.

Of course there were many students and activists of all ages who were brave beyond imagination, but U Nay Mins role was pivotal, as I told journalists and others repeatedly when I was in Burma and as I now say again, the former BBC correspondent said.

But when the government staged a bloody crackdown on demonstrators on the night of Aug. 8 in downtown Rangoon, Nay Min said he faced a moment of deep moral uncertainty.

When I learned about the crackdown, I broke into tears as I felt guilty because it was me who broke the news that there would be a huge protest on that day, he said.

If I hadnt said anything, people wouldnt have known and they wouldnt have joined it.

For his reporting he was arrested twice, spending 16 years in prison and suffering severe torture at the hands of authorities. During stints in solidarity confinement, he slept on a concrete floor and used a plate as a pillow.

I no longer have my molars. They are gone not because of my old age but because of interrogation sessions I went through, he said.

These days, in his late 60s, Nay Min spends most of his time meditating, and said he holds no grudge against the former military government for what its leaders did to him. But, like most other former political prisoners, he insisted that the military government has to admit to their wrongdoing.

Asked to consider the ethics and impact of his actions nearly 26 years ago, he said he believed he had done the right thing, helping to show the world what was happening inside Burma and contributing to the countrys transition from single- to multi-party rule.

Nobody can deny that the single-party rule was toppled by the 88 Uprising, he said.

And all these years later, is Nay Min pleased with Burmas political landscape today?

No. So far weve only got what the government wants to give, from political prisoners [release] to constitutional amendment issues. Its quite despairing.
Burma Daw Aung Sang Suu Kyi Touts Peace Efforts in Visit to Myanmar Heartland

Myanmars State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi talks to the elderly at a peace talk conference in May Tain Kan village, Wundwin, in Mandalay Region, Myanmar on August 7, 2017. / Simon Lewis / Reuters

MYAETINEKAN, Mandalay Region  Myanmar leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi told villagers at the heart of the country on Monday that talks with ethnic rebels must be a priority, after putting peace negotiations ahead of economic reforms in her first months in power.

Suu Kyi inherited the long-running ethnic conflicts when she came to power last year amid a transition from decades of military rule that wrecked rural economies.

The Nobel laureate has come under criticism for putting the complicated talks with myriad armed groupsexpected to last years and unlikely to bring tangible results soonover the economy which has suffered from a drop in foreign investment.

She has hosted two rounds of talks with rebel leaders in the capital Naypyitaw, but significant progress has been elusive.

I want all my citizens to consider that the peace process is a matter for everybody We can maintain development only when we get peace, Suu Kyi told a crowd of hundreds in Myaetinekan village, Mandalay Region.

We dont have peace in our country because there is no mutual trust, love and [there is] conflict among our citizens or ethnicities.

Local and international media were invited by the government to follow Suu Kyis visit and watch the event dubbed a peace talk, the third such exchange with villagers she has held. The event was simultaneously broadcast on state television.

Suu Kyi declined several opportunities to answer reporters questions.

Our national priority is peace, Mandalay Region chief minister Zaw Myint Maung told Reuters. Its a peace talk The context is peace, and then development.

Those who had the opportunity, however, asked Suu Kyi about agricultural concerns like irrigation and the recent electrification of some parts of the village, which had left out some villagers.

Aung Tint, 64, told Reuters he supported Suu Kyis decision to prioritize peace, but said life had changed little in the 16 months since Suu Kyi took office.

To tell frankly, we are farmers, he said. She cant do anything for us so far, because the crop prices are not good.

Suu Kyi passed off specific questions to senior officials also in attendance. Zaw Myint Maung said Myaetinekan was chosen for the visit because it lies approximately at the geographical center of Myanmar and was a typical Myanmar village.

Most residents are rice farmers and belong to the countrys ethnic Bamar Buddhist majority.

Suu Kyis party won handsomely here and elsewhere in the Bamar heartland in the 2015 elections that propelled her to power.

On a short tour of the village, she viewed a Japanese-made transformer that was installed in March to connect the village to the national power grid for the first time.

At weaving factories with machines running off the power, Suu Kyi joked with villagers who offered her homemade snacks and, in one instance, bowed at her feet.
Burma Elephant Killed by Poisoned Bolt in Irrawaddy Region

A wild elephant was killed by poachers in Irrawaddy Region. / The Irrawaddy

PATHEIN, Irrawaddy Region  A wild elephant was hunted and killed with a poisoned boltan arrow shot from a crossbowin the village tract of Tin Chaung in Irrawaddy Regions Ngapudaw Township.

Following a report from locals, a combined team from the Forestry Department, Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department, police, forestry police and administrative authorities searched the forest and found the dying elephant near the village of Yawn Yin on Friday.

After it was reported, we searched for and found the poisoned elephant. It had not died yet and the poachers were likely waiting for it to die. We had to flee at one point when it tried to attack but it died later in the evening, head of Ngapudaw Township Forestry Department U Tin Soe told The Irrawaddy.

The black female elephant was 26 years old, 7.6 feet long, 15 feet in circumference, and its trunk was 4.8 feet long. A 16-inch poisoned bolt was found in its shoulder.

Nine elephants have been killed by poachers in Irrawaddy Region as of January, all by poisoned bolts, according to the Irrawaddy Region Police Force.

Forest reserves in Pathein, Ngapudaw and Thabaung townships in Pathein District are home to wild elephants.

Poachers take the tusks, hide, flesh, and tails from hunted elephants and sell them to smugglers along the Pathein-Mawtin road. From there, smugglers take the items via the Pathein-Monywa road to Mandalay Region, where they smuggle them into China via the Mandalay-Muse road.

The majority of the elephant poachers have been from Minbu, Ngape, and Sidoktaya townships in Magwe Region, according to the Irrawaddy Region Police Force.

Weve opened a case at the police station, and we are working to find the poachers, said U Tin Soe.

Locals have suggested conducting routine security patrols around the forest and installing inspection gates along the route to prevent poaching.

Last year, poachers killed 13 wild elephants in the region and police arrested hunters in four of the cases. They are still investigating six cases and closed three cases, as they could not identify the poachers.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko
Burma Govt Thanks Citizens for Not Supporting Nationalist Protests

Nationalist monks and laypersons protest at Maha Muni Pagoda in Mandalay before Saturday mornings crackdown. / Zaw Zaw / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  The government on Sunday thanked Myanmar citizens for their stance against anti-government nationalist protesters, including monks, who staged sit-ins at religious sites in Yangon and Mandalay as well as in Taunggyi in Shan State last week.

A statement titled Thank You Message to the People released by the office of the State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on Sunday said: People have not supported or participated in the demonstrations  We express heartfelt thanks to the people for their stance and conviction that serve the long-term interest of the State.

Protesters camped near the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon and the Maha Muni Pagoda in Mandalay last week called for the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government to step down as it had failed to protect the countrys race and religion.

Hundreds of nationalist monks and laypersons gathered in Yangon and Mandalay from Wednesday last week while 10 protesting monks joined the Taunggyi camp on Friday.

Rather than attracting support, the protesters calls earned public condemnation for inflaming nationalism and anti-Muslim sentiment and threatening to derail the governments reform process in the country.

The number of protesters in Mandalay and Yangon quickly dwindled to little more than a dozen at each site.

Following the governments crackdown on a camp in Mandalay early morning on Saturday, protesters in Yangon and Taunggyi also shut down their camps.
Burma Human Rights Commission Inspects Shan State Prisons

Members of Myanmar Human Rights Commission are pictured after their inspection of Insein prison in Yangon on March 14, 2017. / Pyay Kyaw / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  Members of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) arrived in northern Shan State to carry out an inspection of jail cells in police stations and courts in Lashio and Hsipaw, as part of countrywide prison reforms in Myanmar.

During their five-day trip, the inspection group, led by the MNHRCs U Yu Lwin Aung, is scheduled to meet with three journalists detained in Hsipaw after being charged with violating Article 17(1) of the colonial-era Unlawful Associations Act for having contact with the ethnic armed group the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

On August 4, the Hsipaw Township court judge rejected the journalists appeal for bail, saying he did not have enough details about the case to make a judgment.

The military arrested seven people in totalThe Irrawaddys Lawi Weng, also known as U Thein Zaw, as well as U Aye Nai and U Pyae Bone Naing from the Democratic Voice of Burmaon June 26 in Namhsan on their way back from covering a drug-burning ceremony in TNLA territory.

We inspected 14 prisons already. The special report of the Commission, which includes the findings of the inspections and recommendations, will be submitted to the government, U Yu Lwin Aung said.

The MNHRC investigation aims to ensure human rights law is not violated in Myanmars prisons and that the UNs standard minimum rules are met concerning the treatment of prisoners.

There are 46 prisons in Myanmar in total. The prison populationincluding pre-trial detainees and those remanded during their hearingswas 74,000 as of Dec. 2016, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

On July 14, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners met with the MNHRC and discussed options for prison reform.
Burma Plaintiff in Myanmar Now Lawsuit Arrested at Trial

U Kyaw Myo Shwe was arrested at Maha Aung Myay Township Court, Mandalay on Monday. / Zarni Mann / The Irrawaddy

MANDALAY  The plaintiff in a lawsuit against an esteemed investigative journalist was arrested when he arrived at the journalists trial in Maha Aung Myay Township Court, Mandalay on Monday.

U Kyaw Myo Shwe was detained for participating in an anti-government protest of nationalist monks and laypersons in Mandalay on Friday. He will appear at Chanmyathazi Township Court under a charge of incitement, according to police.

In March, U Kyaw Myo Shwe filed a lawsuit against Myanmar Now chief editor U Ko Swe Win under controversial Article 66(d) of Burmas Telecommunications Law, accusing the reporter of insulting ultranationalist monk U Wirathu in a Facebook post.

U Kyaw Myo Shwe was late by a few hours to the court hearing of Ko Swe Win on Monday. When he arrived, the defendants lawyer asked the court to call off the trial, as the plaintiff, who was included on an arrest warrant on Friday, was a fugitive.

We could not accept that the fugitive showed up to the court freely. We are not trying to stop his right to be the plaintiff, but we have to question the judicial system and the police for not taking action against the fugitive, said U Khin Maung Myint, the legal adviser of Ko Swe Win.

Ko Kyaw Myo Shwe had remained at home since the announce of his arrest warrant, according to his lawyer, causing the defense of Ko Swe Win to question why the police had failed to take action sooner.

The next court session in the trial of Ko Swe Win was set for August 21. Ko Kyaw Myo Shwe will testify from his detention in Mandalays Obo Prison.
Women The Women of 1988

The Irrawaddy

Of all the social and political upheavals that Myanmar has experienced since 1962, the popular uprising of 1988 is seen by many as the most prominent in the countrys modern history. Over a period of six monthsreaching a peak on the auspicious day of August 8, 1988people across Myanmar took to the streets to defy the dictatorship that had oppressed them for 26 years.

Despite an end to the struggle in a bloody military coup, young people kept the spirit of the 88 pro-democracy movement alivein prisons, in exile, and on borders by defying the regime using whatever means possible. It is believed that their efforts, power and commitment made way for the elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government today.

When Myanmar marks the 29th anniversary of the uprising on Tuesday, we will honor those who dared to sacrifice their lives for the good of the country and their fellow citizens. In commemoration, The Irrawaddy chose to profile seven women who were involved in or inspired by the events of 1988, so as to represent the many more who fought alongside their male counterparts at the forefront of the democracy movement. Most of those featured below continue to be politically active in different sectors, fighting against injustice or serving people in need, and fulfilling legacies 29 years in the making.

Ma Win Maw Oo: The Martyr

When Myanmar Army soldiers indiscriminately opened fire on protesters on September 19, 1988 in downtown Yangon, Ma Win Maw Oo was at the forefront of the column. Witnesses recalled that despite her bullet wounds, the high school student did not drop the picture she held of Gen Aung San until she fell to the ground. Later, her blood-soaked body was carried away by two doctors for emergency treatment, captured in an iconic photograph taken by a foreign journalist. The picture appeared in the Oct. 3, 1988 issue of Newsweeks Asia edition, and 16-year-old Ma Win Maw Oo soon became an icon of the brutality of the crackdown, which cost her her life.

Apart from her sacrifice, Ma Win Maw Oos last words reflected the unbowed spirit of the participants of the 88 uprising. In Myanmar, a deeply rooted traditional belief has it that a persons soul cannot rest in peace until his or her name is called out by the family so that the merit of the living can be shared with the deceased. Her final request was to her father, whom she told not to perform these last rites until her country had become a democracy.

Twenty-eight years later, in May 2016, one month after the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi-led democratically elected government came to power, the last Buddhist funerary rites for Ma Win Maw Oo were performed by her family, to put her wandering soul to rest. Despite her untimely death, she will be remembered along with the other young students who put their lives before the barrels of loaded guns when they took to the streets to defy the dictatorship 29 years ago.

 By Kyaw Phyo Tha

Ma Thandar: The Lawmaker

Twenty-nine years after she took the streets to protest against the authoritarian regime, Ma Thandar finds herself sitting in the Lower House of Parliament, making laws and participating in Myanmars democratic transition.

In 1988, she was a leading student activist in Irrawaddy Divisions Einme Township. After a bloody military coup on Sept. 18, 1988, a warrant was issued for her arrest because of her participation in demonstrations. Ma Thandar had to flee her home and go into hiding. Later, she joined the NLD.

In 2007, she was arrested for her pro-democracy work. She was tortured during interrogations and jailed for six years in Insein Prison.

The long-time activist co-founded the Democracy and Peace Womens Network with other female former political prisoners as a mechanism to fight for justice, womens rights and speak out against land grabs.

Three years ago, Ma Thandar lost her husband Aung Kyaw Naing, a journalist who wrote under the name Par Gyi and who had once served as Daw Aung San Suu Kyis bodyguard. She was in Bangkok to receive a United Nations award for her work when she learned that he had been killed by the Myanmar Army during an interrogation.

Though two soldiers initially implicated in her husbands death were acquitted by a military tribunal, Ma Thandars call for answers prompted the army to make an unprecedented statement admitting the journalist had been shot in custody.

Following the 2015 election, the 48-year-old became the representative for her home region, Irrawaddys Einme Township, and a member of the Lower Houses Citizens Fundamental Rights Committee.

We faced human rights violations and justice has never been done. But if we can protect the next generations from suffering as we did, I would see it as a success. Thats what I want, she said.

 By San Yamin Aung

Hnin Pan Eain: The Supporter

It would have been unimaginably more difficult to survive in Myanmars prisons under the military regime without the moral and physical support of people like Hnin Pan Eain.

Like many other family members of political prisoners who struggled to care for their jailed loved ones, she long supported her husband, Nay Oo, who was imprisoned for eight years for his role in Myanmars pro-democracy movement of 1988.

Hnin Pan Eains preparation for this role unknowingly began in 1969, when she was just three years old, and she first visited her father in jail. He was a journalist and peace activist who was arrested by Gen Ne Wins regime in 1966. It marked the first of hundreds of prison visits that she would make in her lifetime.

Between 1998 and 2005, the years during which her husband was jailed, she made more than 200 visits to the remote Kalay prison where he was held. The journey there was long and arduous, and allowed for just a 15-minute visitation period. She traveled 400 miles by train from Yangon to Mandalay with her five-year-old son. From there, they continued by bus for another 160 miles, through dense jungle to Kalay. Along the way, they had to cross the wild Chindwin River by boat.

After seeing her husband incarcerated in deplorable conditions, Hnin Pan Eain decided to stay in Kalay so that she would be able to make regular visits to the prison and bring him and others food, medicine and necessities every fortnight. She sold fish paste in the town market in order to survive.

She considered family visits a form of physical and mental sustenance for the political prisoners, who she saw as freedom fighters on the front line. In addition to visiting her own husband regularly, she helped family members of other political prisoners make trips to remote prisons.

In 1999, she transformed the hardship of her visits into a series of stories based on her experiences and those relayed to her by other prisoners. Originally called Daw Thandar, she wrote under a pen nameHnin Pan Eainunder which she continues to be known.

Now a well-known 52-year-old writer, she continues helping former political prisoners and their families.

She has facilitated counseling for former political prisoners, their family members, and women in vocational schools, under the outreach programs of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, in order to heal the trauma, depression, and anxiety that haunts the past of so many who survived this era.

 By San Yamin Aung

Nan Khin Htwe Myint: The Legacy

In the same office building once run by her father, Dr. Saw Hla Tun, former head of the Karen State Council under the Anti-Fascist Peoples Freedom League (AFPFL), Nan Khin Htwe Myint serves as the Karen State chief minister under the NLD civilian government.

The 63-year-old has made many sacrifices due to her activism and family history of opposing military rule.

A participant in the political movement since an early age, she was detained for the first time in 1975 for taking part in the student movement. She continued to be imprisoned multiple times throughout the 1990s, including in Insein and Moulmein prisons.

She became a dedicated member of the NLD upon its formation in 1988, following the 1988 uprising. She contested and won a seat in the 1990 general election, in Hpa-an Constituency, the same constituency she represented in the 2015 general election.

Being the daughter of a politician, Nan Khin Htwe Myint fostered a homegrown knowledge of federalism, politics, and ethnic history, and fully committed herself to the movement for a democratic Union.

Her father was a supporter of the federal movements of the 1960s, in which Myanmars ethnic minority representatives suggested amendments to the 1947 Constitution. Later, in the 1962 military coup, AFPFL ministers and active ethnic leaders from the Shan, Kachin, Karenni, Karen and Chin communities were, among others, arrested.

Nan Khin Htwe Myints own family became targets for persecution under the military regime.

A strong believer that women are highly capable of coping with challenges, she has urged other women to increase their participation in politics and current affairs.

We, as women, should never feel nor think that we are weak and cannot do things like others can. I want every woman to think that we can keep abreast of everything, she told The Irrawaddy earlier this year.

 By Nyein Nyein

Dr. Cynthia Maung and Daw Aye Aye Mar: Those Who Bridged the Border

Often referred to as Myanmars own Mother Teresa, Dr. Cynthia Maung has served as a source of strength for vulnerable communities on the Thai-Myanmar border, including migrant workers and ethnic minorities displaced by civil war.

In the aftermath of the 1988 pro-democracy demonstrations, Dr. Cynthia Maung left Karen State and opened a clinic in a dirt-floor building on the outskirts of Mae Sot, on the Thai side of the border. Today the Mae Tao Clinic she founded boasts a staff of about 700 and sees between 400-500 patients each day, according to its website, treating a range of issues, from landmine injuries to facilitating safe childbirths to providing HIV counseling.

Today, Dr. Cynthia, as she is widely known, has been honored with dozens of humanitarian awards, and remains a powerful advocate for decentralized and community-based healthcare in Myanmars ethnic states.

The renowned ethnic Karen physician has inspired many, including Daw Aye Aye Mar, the director of the Social Action for Women (SAW) Foundation, also based in Mae Sot. Following Dr. Cynthias suggestion, she started with a safe house, in order to provide shelter to some of Mae Taos patients and orphans, and then co-founded SAW in 2001, along with other 88-generation women, including Dr. Cynthia.

The organization provides shelter and 24-hour support to orphans, domestic violence and rape survivors, as well as trafficked women and their families. SAW has helped provide in-house care to nearly 300 women and children, runs a learning center, and facilitates health awareness trainings. Some 90 orphans from SAWs shelters receive formal education at Thai schools.

Daw Aye Aye Mar, now 48, had been involved in Myanmars democracy movement since 1988, and was detained in the notorious Insein Prison for one month in 1989. She left her home in March 1990 and joined the once-outlawed student army, known as the All Burma Students Democratic Front.

She also has had a career as a radio broadcast reporter for 19 years, with the Democratic Voice of Burma, then Radio Free Asia, and Voice of Americas Burmese service. She became particularly involved in documenting the plight of female migrant workers.

The political transition over the past five years has contributed to major funding cuts in cross-border aid and has forced many community-based groups on the Thai border to return to Myanmar. Despite financial difficulties and security challenges, migration patterns persist, and Daw Aye Aye Mar continues to provide social services to women and children, just as Mae Tao Clinic founder Dr. Cynthia continues to offer lifesaving healthcare support.

 By Nyein Nyein

Ma Phyoe Phyoe Aung: The Next Generation

Having been born in August 1988 at the height of student-led democracy movement, Ma Phyoe Phyoe Aung said she feels close to the struggle.

It cant be separated from me, she told The Irrawaddy earlier this month, adding that it is important to remember the peoples power, unity, and struggle for democracy associated with that era. These events, she explained, helped to create her own political commitment a generation later.

Ma Phyoe Phyoe Aung was an active leader of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU) organizing committee from 2007 and until November 2016.

She was detained in June 2008 with her father U Nay Win for helping to bury the dead who were scattered after Cyclone Nargis hit the Irrawaddy Delta region in May, killing more than 140,000 people. She was imprisoned for four years after a closed trial in 2009, in which she was charged under sections 6, 7 and 505(b) of the countrys Penal Code, accused of forming an illegal organization, contacting unlawful groups and intent to commit an offense against the State.

Ma Phyoe Phyoe Aung faced a trial and another jail term of 13-months for her involvement in nationwide protests against the national education law in March 2015. She was released in April 2016. She remained a member of the National Network for Education Reform (NNER) and said she would continue pursuing change in the sector.

She is also a 2014 alumnus of the George W. Bush Institutes Liberty and Leadership Forum in the United States.

As the ABFSU elected new leadership in Nov. 2016, she no longer possesses official responsibilities with the organization.

Now a mother of a five-month-old son, she is dedicating her time to her family while contributing to a youth capacity building school called the Wings Institute, cofounded by ABFSU colleagues. Her work focuses on peace building and reconciliation, and discussions of federalism and transitional justice.

 By Nyein Nyein
California-based telco Avaya has entered into a plan support agreement following its filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy in January.

It also announced its preliminary results for the third quarter which saw revenue at between US$802 million and US$804 million, a fall of 9% from the corresponding quarter in the previous financial year.

The chapter 11 filing was done after the company extended a string of 10 years of losses.

In a statement on Monday, Peter Chidiac, Avaya's managing director in Australia and New Zealand, said while the US parent company had been working through the chapter 11 process, business had progressed strongly in the A/NZ region.

This agreement provides a clear and viable path to exit chapter 11 in line with our strategy," Chidiac said. "This is an important milestone as we work to emerge as a strong and competitive company in the coming weeks.

Over the last two years, we have been vocal about the transformation of the A/NZ business; we recognised the need to restructure in order to align to the demands of the A/NZ market and deliver software and services that local organisations need and ensure the success of our customers.

The transformation is proving positive  last year we reported that Avaya A/NZ closed its fiscal 2016 with its strongest quarter in 12 quarters, and the business has continued to build from there.

Avaya also announced a change of leadership on Monday, with Jim Chirico being appointed as chief executive from 1 October.

The preliminary earnings for 3Q were flat compared to the second quarter. The company said that final results would be announced next week.

Avaya is owned by Silver Lake and TPG Capital which took it private after buying the firm in 2007 for about US$8 billion.

The company was originally part of AT&T and sells phones and other telecommunications equipment, plus hardware and software used in call centres.
The Commonwealth Bank has blamed coding errors in a software update for its Intelligent Deposit Machines for its allegedly falling foul of Australian money-laundering and terror-financing laws.

The bank claimed in a media statement today that when the IDMs were rolled out in May 2012, they were working as they should.

A software update later that year led to the machines not providing the correct Threshold Transaction Reports which had to be sent to AUSTRAC.

Last week, AUSTRAC initiated civil action against the bank in the Federal Court, alleging that a total of $77 million had been laundered through the bank.

It claimed that CBA contravened the laws more than 53,700 times. Any transaction over $10,000 is supposed to be reported within 10 days.

CBA said that the error with TTRs became apparent in 2015 and within a month of finding out, it informed AUSTRAC, delivered the missing TTRs and fixed the coding error.

Bank chief executive Ian Narev has been making the media rounds this morning, but has refused to accept blame for the alleged mistakes and step down.
A man who helped spread malware that exploited the OpenSSH software to steal login credentials has been jailed for 46 months and will be deported after serving his term.

Maxim Senakh, a resident of Veliky Novgorod in Russia, was arrested in Finland and extradited to the US in February 2016, according to a statement released in Minneapolis. He pleaded guilty on 28 March to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and violating the US Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

OpenSSH is an implementation of the secure shell protocol; it runs on UNIX and Linux systems and is developed by the OpenBSD project.

The malware in question is known as Ebury and is a backdoor that is used to steal OpenSSH credentials and keep access to a compromised server open.

the security vendor ESET, Ebury includes a malicious library and a patch to the main OpenSSH binaries.

"The malicious library is a modified version of libkeyutils.so. This shared library is loaded by all OpenSSH executables files such as ssh, sshd and ssh-agent," the company said in a detailed explanation.

The defendant and his co-conspirators sought to turn a network of thousands of infected computers in the United States and around the world into their personal cash machines, said US acting assistant attorney-general Kenneth Blanco.

But cyber criminals like Senakh should take heed: they are not immune from US prosecution just because they operate from afar or behind a veil of technology. We have the ability and the determination to identify them, find them, and bring them to justice.

Acting US attorney Gregory Brooker said: Working within a massive criminal enterprise, Maxim Senakh helped create a sophisticated infrastructure that victimised thousands of Internet users across the world.

As society becomes more reliant on computers, cyber criminals like Senakh pose a serious threat. This office, along with our law enforcement partners, are committed to detecting and prosecuting cyber criminals no matter where they reside.

FBI special agent Richard Thornton added: The sentence handed down today sends a strong message to international cyber criminals who mistakenly believe they can prey on the American people with impunity.

The FBI is committed to working closely with our global law enforcement partners to investigate criminal enterprises such as this and hold those responsible to account for their crimes wherever they may be.
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

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Cloud security company Zscaler claims that the amount of malicious content being transmitted over SSL/TLS has more than doubled over the last six months.

However the overall figures are small: 12,000 phishing attempts were blocked each day while there were 300 hits per day for Web exploits, both cases referring to malicious code delivered over secure connections.

The figures were derived from a study done by the company's ThreatLabZ and found that an average of 60% of transactions in the Zscaler security cloud were delivered over SSL/TLS.

The numbers are based on Zscaler customers who use the SSL inspection feature.

Zscaler had the largest share of the cloud security market in Australia, New Zealand and India as of October last year, according to a study done by Frost & Sullivan.

"Hackers are increasingly using SSL to conceal device infections, shroud data exfiltration and hide botnet command and control communications,"said Deepen Desai, senior director, security research and operations.

"In fact, our study found that the amount of phishing attempts per day delivered over SSL/TLS has increased 400% from 2016."
Russian security vendor Group-IB has revealed what it says are the identities behind a hacking group known as the United Islamic Cyber Force which openly supports radical Islamic movements.

The UICF first came to prominence in January 2014 and has had about 40 members over the years, hailing from Pakistan, Indonesia, Morocco, Algeria and Kosovo, the Russian vendor said in a detailed blog post.

It provided a list of five major campaigns in which the group had participated:

#OpFrance: A joint attack on French Internet resources in January 2015 organised along with other groups known as Fallaga Team, AnonGhost and Cyber Caliphate after the terrorist attack on the Parisian editorial offices of Charlie Hebdo.

#OpIsrael: "Hackintifada" directed against Israeli websites and online resources. The first attack occurred on 7 April, 2013, when there were disruptions in the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education, then the attacks became a tradition and occurred every year on 7 April.

#OpIndia: An attack on Indian state resources initiated by the famous group Anonymous because of the blocking of a number of video hosting and file-sharing resources in the country and a crackdown on piracy.

#Free_Palestine: An operation to draw attention to the Israel-Palestinian issue.

#FreeAlAqsa: An attack in response to the Israeli prohibition on visiting the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

Group-IB said the UICF was connected with about 60 other groups. A majority of attacks by the UICK was defacing websites of carrying out DDoS attacks.

It said information about attacks was disseminated on various social media groups.

"Their low level of technical training, a sense of impunity and excessive ambitions cause hacktivists not to pay due attention to their own security, despite the various instructions for ensuring anonymity popular in their milieu," said Dmitry Volkov, head of the Threat Intelligence Department and co-founder of Group-IB.

Members of UICF have been listed on the Group-IB website with details about many members.
Networking veterans have cast doubts on assertions made today that the speed woes experienced by customers on the national broadband network could be eradicated if telecommunications companies paid $9.75 per month for each connection.

The claim, made in The Australian, quoted Launtel chief executive Damien Ivereigh as saying that NBN connections were slow  in many cases slower than ADSL and cable  because telcos were fighting a price war and refusing to buy adequate bandwidth.

But this argument was shot down by Robin Eckermann, an adjunct professor at Canberra University and one of the people behind the TransACT network.

Prof Eckermann told iTWire that based on CVC pricing at $15.25 per month, an additional $6.25 per customer would mean about 400kbps additional CVC capacity per user while $9.75 translated to about 640kbps additional capacity.

"It's difficult to see this doing a lot towards addressing the deficit users regularly see when comparing actual speeds with the nominal speeds they are paying for (12/25/50/100 Mbps etc download speeds) during busy times. The problem is a multi-Mbps problem, not a multi-kbps problem!" he said.

NBN Co technicians installing an FttN cabinet at Cooks Hill in Newcastle. Photo: courtesy NBN Co

RMIT network engineering assistant professor Mark Gregory said the purpose of the NBN was to promote open and fair competition among retail service providers.

"Increased price competition is an indicator that the rationale behind the NBN was sound. However, in an effort to compete, retail service providers are being forced to trade off how much capacity is purchased per customer," he told iTWire in response to a query.

"A fair approach would be to have a single access fee and no capacity charge similar to what is available in New Zealand. The Turnbull Government has made this situation worse by forcing NBN Co to use the obsolete and slow FttN and a broken business model.

"The outcome has been a two-speed NBN. Retail service providers are struggling to offer uniform national pricing at a price that includes sufficient capacity. The cost of broadband in Australia is much higher than in comparative nations and the fault lies with the Turnbull Government."

Rod Tucker, Laureate Emeritus Professor at the University of Melbourne and a member of Labor's Expert Panel that advised on the NBN, said that the solution to the problems faced by NBN Co was not as simple as just having all RSPs pay more, as suggested in The Australian article.

"It is a multi-dimensional problem that needs a multi-dimensional solution. The CVC charge enables each RSP to make a choice as to how to trade off cost versus quality of service. Users could then make a choice if they had enough information to compare RSPs," he told iTWire. "Simply requiring all RSPs to pay more is a sledge hammer approach.

"Having all RSPs pay more would not resolve the uncertainties about the quality of the FttN network."

Prof Tucker said the problem facing NBN Co was that the retail market for NBN services was not working as it should. "If NBN users had more information about the quality of service offered by competing RSPs, they would be in a much better position to pick and choose an RSP that provides the kind of service they want," he added.

While the NBN Co was correct in pointing out that customers needed to be better educated about the meaning of different speed tiers, that did not suffice. "What is needed is publicly available data that compares the speeds that can be obtained through different RSPs, so that users can make informed decisions about their choice of provider," Prof Tucker said.

Prof Eckermann said there were other aspects to the problem.

"First and foremost is affordability. Broadband is becoming very expensive in Australia, and you cannot just keep adding straws to the camel's back without eventually crippling some of the camels. Australians are in love with mobile technology, reflected in one of the highest adoption rates in the world," he said.

"Further, mobile connectivity carries the advantage of any-time, any-where access (unless of course you're in large swathes of regional Australia, but that's another story). My expectation is that if fixed broadband prices continue to rise, a growing proportion of Australians will decide they cannot afford both fixed and mobile access, and decide to forego the fixed broadband. That may mean they have to give up watching streaming video and playing games, but putting food on the table is ultimately more important!"

He said a second aspect was the fact that largely artificially-contrived constraints on CVC capacity were not the only bottleneck in end-to-end connectivity.

"Often there are other capacity limitations, many of them driven by the cost of bandwidth. A perfect example is the connectivity between the mainland and Tasmania, where low competition translates into high pricing - and there are undoubtedly other backhaul routes between RSP nerve centres and NBN POIs where similar premiums apply.

"Finally, for a small number of Australians, the 'last mile' connection itself may currently be a limiting factor - typically only those a long distance from the node in FttN areas. As a side note, I have watched with interest the recent installation of an NBN FttN cabinet in my area of Canberra, and by my estimation (admittedly not knowing the precise routing of Telstra copper), I will end up being well over a kilometre from the cabinet.

"As a result, I have a reasonably bleak expectation regarding the speed potential of that circuit. Fortunately I will probably never need to find out, because I am closer to a TransACT VDSL2 node where the copper is newer and the last 300 metres is data-grade cabling. Best of all, should TPG ever decide to reinstate the original TransACT FttK (aka FttDP) configuration, I will have the potential to achieve a last mile speeds into the hundreds of Mbps."

Prof Tucker pointed out that there was a further complication to the issue  the fact that the speed of a service to a customer could be affected by the particular NBN technology connecting the premises.

"If it is FttN, then the speed of the service will depend on a number of factors associated with the copper,including the distance from the node to the customer. NBN Co works out a theoretically achievable speed for each customer, but this information is not publicly available," he said.

"The ACCC is planning to measure NBN speeds into about 2000 homes, but this programme has not yet begun, and it is not clear if the ACCC's data will be able to resolve questions about where speed bottlenecks are occurring. It is also not clear how much information the ACCC will release. It is not their role to provide customers a comparative analysis of competing RSPs. Either way, the ACCC's analysis might be too little, too late."

Prof Tucker said ACMA had been asked by the federal government to look into NBN customer complaints, but without access to the kind of data that the ACCC was planning to gather, it might be difficult for ACMA to find out the root cause of the problems.
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

This Saturday, a Bloomington, Minnesota mosque was attacked with an improvised explosive device, which destroyed an office with fire and blew out windows but luckily no one was injured. Some members of the congregation were shaken up pretty badly.

On Sunday, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton visited the complex, and said,

What a terrible, dastardly, cowardly terrible act this was that was committed yesterday.. . As someone said in the meeting, if the roles were reversed, it would be called a terrorist attack. And thats what it is, an act of terrorism.

I admire the hell out of Mark Dayton, who voted against the Iraq War when he was in Congress. He did the right thing in visiting the damaged house of worship. So in analyzing his words I am not criticizing him at all.

But note that he quoted someone at the meeting, possibly a member of the congregation, as saying that if roles were reversed . . . . it would be terrorism. That is, if a Muslim had, God forbid, bombed a Christian church, then it would immediately be labelled terrorism in our society.

In other words, it is usually only terrorism in todays America if the perpetrators are brown and/or Muslim.

To his credit, Gov. Dayton cut through this bigotted b.s. and said, that is what this attack was, it was terrorism.

And that became a headline this morning. The corporate media hadnt really reported on this story much. There were few national organs that wrote a headline about the actual mosque bombing. But the headline on Monday at USA Today, WaPo and other news outlets was, Governor calls bombing of mosque terrorism.' It is as though they were amazed he would say such a thing.

As usual, the Tweeter-in-chief stayed silent about this issue, even though he tweets on every act of terrorism that is brought to his attention. The message seems to be that it is all right for Muslims to be attacked for no good reason.

Back in the 1990s the US Federal Code defined terorism as a non-state actor committing violence against civilians in order to achieve a political purpose. By that definition, the mosque bombing was definitely terrorism.

After 9/11, terrorism became politicized. One state prosecutor tried to charge a set of bank robbers with terrorism along side criminal charges. The judge rightly threw it out. Robbing a bank scares the teller and the customers, but it isnt terrorism because it does not have an obvious political motive.

Then terrorism became racialized, so that white people typically arent charged with terrorism. A white supremacist terrorist cell in Kansas busted for planning a massive mosque bombing was rolled up last year by law enforcement. The discourse around them was not that of terrorism.

Dayton reversed this trend. He insisted that mosque-goers are human beings. Kudos!

But it is sad that his statement itself is so newsworthy.



Related video added by Juan Cole:

WCCO CBS: Terrible, Dastardly, Cowardly: Dayton, Ellison Condemn Mosque Bombing
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TeleSur |  

Israeli occupation authorities have escalated the illegal plunder of land belonging to the Palestinian people, defying international opinion.

Israeli illegal settlement activities in Occupied Palestine have skyrocketed in recent months, almost tripling in 2017 compared to the number in the same period last year, according to a newly published report from the Palestinian National Office for the Defense of Land and Resistance of Settlement.

The report reveals the striking extent to which occupation authorities under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have escalated support to Israeli settlements  which are considered illegal under international law and even Israeli law  while allowing the expansion of illicit settlements built on privately-owned Palestinian land, which is considered unconstitutional by the occupation authoritys courts.

In a clear pattern of defiance against international public opinion, Netanyahu has plowed forward with the plunder and pillaging of land belonging to the Palestinian people. On Thursday, Netanyahu bragged of his administrations support for the illegal activities while laying the foundation stone for a new 1,000-home district in the city-sized illegal settlement Beitar Illit south of Bethlehem, where 50,000 Zionist settlers live.

No other government has done as much for settlement in the land of Israel as the government which I lead, Netanyahu said, referring to the biblical term for Palestine. Our generation has succeeded in achieving what past generations only dreamed about  We have returned to our home land, and have turned it once again into a land of milk and honey.

The visit was the first major settlement inauguration in eight years  which settlers have credited to U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration has provided unparalleled support for the Israeli settler-colonial project.

With U.S. President Donald Trump as a friend in the White House, Israel signed off on the construction of 2,500 new illegal settlement homes in the occupied West Bank in January. This came after an earlier announcement approving the construction of another 566 illegal settler homes in East Jerusalem.

The Palestinian report, connected to the Fatah Movement-aligned national office, cited the visit as proof of the Israelis disregard for the international communitys condemnation of settlement activity.

In spite of increasing international consensus regarding the illegal nature of Israels settlements and the egregious human rights violations undertaken to enforce the occupation, the United States has also remained steadfast in supporting Israel.

Israel receives more than US$3 billion in annual U.S. military support.

Via TeleSur

-

Related video added by Juan Cole:

Al Jazeera English: Israeli settlers seize Palestinian family homes in Hebron
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By Trita Parsi | (FPIF) | (Originally published in Lobelog) |  

Trump is committed to finding a way to claim Iran has violated the nuclear accord, regardless of the facts  just as Bush did with Iraq.

Something extraordinary has happened in Washington. President Donald Trump has made it clear, in no uncertain terms and with no effort to disguise his duplicity, that he will claim that Tehran is cheating on the nuclear deal by October  the facts be damned.

In short, the fix is in. Trump will refuse to accept that Iran is in compliance with the international pact and thereby set the stage for a military confrontation. His advisers have even been kind enough to explain how they will go about this. Rarely has a sinister plan to destroy an arms control agreement and pave the way for war been so openly telegraphed.

The unmasking of Trumps plans to sabotage the nuclear deal began a few weeks ago when he reluctantly had to certify that Iran indeed was in compliance with its end of the deal. Both the U.S. intelligence as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency had confirmed Tehrans fair play. But Trump threw a tantrum in the Oval Office and berated his national security team for not having found a way to claim Iran was cheating.

According to Foreign Policy, the adults in the room  Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, and National Security Adviser H. R. McMaster  eventually calmed Trump down, but only on the condition that they double down on finding a way for the president to blow up the deal by October.

Prior to the revelation of Trumps Iran certification meltdown, most analysts and diplomats believed that Trumps rhetoric on Iran was just that  empty talk. His bark was worse than his bite, as demonstrated when he certified Irans compliance back in April and when he renewed sanctions waivers in May. The distance between his rhetoric and actual policy was tangible. Rhetorically, Trump officials described Iran as the root of all problems in the Middle East and as the greatest state sponsor of terror. Trump even suggested he might quit the deal.

In action, however, President Trump continued to waive sanctions and admitted that Iran was adhering to the deal. As a result, many concluded that Trump would continue to fulfill the obligations of the deal while sticking to his harsh rhetoric in order to appease domestic opponents of the nuclear deal  as well as Trumps allies in Saudi Arabia and Israel.

But now, assessments are changing. The tangible danger of Trumps malice on the Iran deal  as well as the danger of the advice of the adults in the room  became further clarified this week as tidbits of the reality TV stars plans began to leak.

How to Wreck a Deal

Recognizing that refusing to certify Iran would isolate the United States, Trumps advisers gave him another plan: Use the spot-inspections mechanism of the nuclear deal, they suggested, to demand access to a whole set of military sites in Iran. Once Iran balks  which it will, since the mechanism is only supposed to be used if tangible evidence exists that those sites are being used for illicit nuclear activities  Trump can claim that Iran is in violation, blowing up the nuclear deal while shifting the blame to Tehran.

Thus, the advice of the adults in the room  those who are supposed to restrain Trump  was not to keep the highly successful nuclear deal that has taken both an Iranian bomb and war with Iran off the table. Rather, they recommended killing it in a manner that would conceal Trumps malice and shift the cost to Iran.

According to The New York Times, the groundwork for this strategy has already been laid. Senate Foreign Relations Chair Bob Corker (R-TN) calls this strategy radical enforcement of the deal. If they dont let us in, Corker told The Washington Post, boom. Then he added: You want the breakup of this deal to be about Iran. You dont want it to be about the U.S., because we want our allies with us.

This is a charade, a rerun of the machinations that resulted in the Iraq war. It doesnt matter what Iran does or doesnt do. If it were up to Trump, hed never have accepted that Iran was in compliance in the first place. He admitted as much to the Wall Street Journal. If it was up to me, I would have had them [the Iranians] non-compliant 180 days ago.

Sounding supremely confident of the radical implementation strategy, Trump added that I think theyll be noncompliant [in October]. In so doing, he further confirmed doubts that the process is about determining whether Iran is in compliance or not. The administration is committed to finding a way to claim Iran has violated the accord, regardless of the facts  just as George W. Bush did with Iraq.

Potential for Backfire

But Trumps confidence may be misplaced on two levels.

First, abusing the inspection mechanisms of the deal may prove harder than Trump has been led to believe. The inspections are the cornerstone of the deal, and Irans ability to cheat on the deal is essentially non-existent as long as the integrity and efficiency of the inspections remain in tact. But if Trump begins to abuse the mechanism to fabricate a conflict, he will end up undermining the inspections regime and actually enhance the ability of those in Iran who would like to pursue a covert nuclear program. Precisely because of the commitment of Europe and others to non-proliferation, they are likely to resist Trumps efforts to tinker with the inspections.

Second, by revealing his hand, Trump has displayed his duplicity for all to see. That includes the American public, whose anti-war sentiments remain strong and are a key reason they supported the nuclear deal in the first place.

The American public knows the Iraq playbook quite well. Trumps own supporters remain enraged by the disastrous war with Iraq. They know how they got played. Its difficult to imagine why they would allow themselves to get played again by a president who has left little doubt about his intent to deceive.

Trita Parsi is the president of the National Iranian American Council and author of Losing an Enemy  Obama, Iran and the Triumph of Diplomacy.

Via Foreign Policy in Focus

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Related video added by Juan Cole:

Democracy Now! Is Trump Trying to Sabotage the Nuclear Deal to Lay Groundwork for War With Iran?
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Human Rights Watch |  

New Law Offers Protection, but Needs Funding

(Tunis)  The law on violence against women, including domestic violence, approved by the Tunisian parliament on July 26, 2017, is a landmark step for womens rights, Human Rights Watch said today. Tunisian authorities should ensure that there is adequate funding and political will to put the law fully into effect and to eliminate discrimination against women.

Women face high rates of domestic violence in Tunisia, with at least 47 percent of women experiencing domestic violence in their lives, according to a 2010 survey from the National Family Office. However, until the passage of the Law on Eliminating Violence Against Women, there had been no specific law on domestic violence. The new law also includes provisions on harassment in public spaces and economic discrimination.

Tunisias new law provides women with the measures necessary to seek protection from acts of violence by their husbands, relatives, and others. The government should now fund and support institutions to translate this law into genuine protection. Amna Guellali, Tunisia office director at Human Rights Watch

Tunisias new law provides women with the measures necessary to seek protection from acts of violence by their husbands, relatives, and others, said Amna Guellali, Tunisia office director at Human Rights Watch. The government should now fund and support institutions to translate this law into genuine protection.

Tunisian womens rights organizations have campaigned for a domestic violence law for decades. Their lobbying also persuaded legislators to eliminate from the penal code a provision that allowed a rapist to escape punishment if he married his victim, striking a blow against impunity for rape.

The law includes elements that are essential to prevent violence against women, protect domestic violence survivors, and prosecute abusers.

The law defines violence against women as any physical, moral, sexual or economic aggression against women based on discrimination between the two sexes and resulting in damage or physical, sexual, psychological or economic suffering to the woman, including threats of such aggression, pressure or deprivation of rights and freedoms, both in public and private life. It includes the key elements of the definition of domestic violence recommended in the United Nations Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women.

The law introduces new criminal provisions and increases penalties for various forms of violence when committed within the family. It also criminalizes sexual harassment in public spaces, and the employment of children as domestic workers, and fines employers who intentionally discriminate against women in pay.

The law includes preventive measures, such as directing the Health Ministry to create programs to train medical staff on how to detect, evaluate, and prevent violence against women and educators on requirements under Tunisian and international law for equality, non-discrimination and how to prevent and respond to violence, to help them deal with cases of violence in schools.

The law includes requirements to assist domestic violence survivors, including providing legal, medical, and mental health support. Significantly, it allows women to seek restraining orders against their abusers without filing a criminal case or divorce. The orders can, among other things, require the suspected offender to vacate the home, stay away from the victim and their children, and refrain from violence, threats, damaging property, or contacting the victim. UN Women, the UN entity for gender equality, considers such orders among the most effective legal remedies to protect women from violence.

The law calls for establishing family violence units within Tunisias Internal Security Forces to process domestic violence complaints, and assigning a public prosecutor in each governorate to handle such complaints. The law also provides for criminal liability for any agent of the specialized unit who exercises pressure or any other form of coercion against a woman to force her to abandon her complaint or to change it.

While the law requires authorities to refer women to shelters if they are in need, it provides no mechanisms for funding either governmental or nongovernmental shelters. It also does not set out provisions for the government to provide women with timely financial assistance to meet their needs or assistance in finding long-term accommodation. The law, in sum, does not stipulate how the state will fund the programs and policies it brings into being.

To further combat entrenched discrimination against women, the government should also address discriminatory provisions in the personal status law. Although Tunisia has one of the most progressive personal status laws in the region, the code still designates the man as the head of the household and denies Tunisian daughters an equal share of an inheritance with their brothers, and in some cases with other male family members.

While Tunisias Personal Status Code sets equal marriage conditions for both men and women, a 1973 administrative directive forbids the registration of a marriage of a Muslim woman to a non-Muslim man. It includes no such restriction on Muslim men.

By enacting this new law, the Tunisian authorities have shown a commitment to the rights of women and are setting a standard that many others would do well to follow, Guellali said. But other steps are needed for full equality.

Via Human Rights Watch



Related video added by Juan Cole:

CGTN: Tunisia parliament passes law to protect women, girls from abuse
Fuel embargo excluded; Kim Jong-un not on target list

By Yi Whan-woo

The new U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions imposed on North Korea will be successful in plugging loopholes of the previous resolutions, analysts said Sunday.

However, some experts raised doubts over their effectiveness, citing China's failure to impose a fuel embargo on Pyongyang and the absence of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the new sanctions list.

They said the Resolution 2371, passed Saturday, still may fall short of preventing Pyongyang from mastering intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) technology because it will take time before the toughest-to-date resolution has a financial impact on the recalcitrant state.

"The new resolution is expected to deal a blow to North Korea," said Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong Global University. "The UNSC did a good job this time in filling the loopholes of the past sanctions exploited by Pyongyang."

Resolution 2371 imposes a complete ban on exports of coal, while the previous sanctions allowed the North to sell limited amounts for livelihood purposes.

The new sweeping measures also ban North Korea's other primary exports, including iron, lead and seafood products.

Citing a statement from the office of U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, Yang Uk, a senior research fellow at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, said, "I agree with the idea that sanctions will slash the cash-strapped regime's annual export revenue of $3 billion by more than a third."

"The UNSC has effectively pressed North Korea with the message that it should return to the negotiation table." Yang added.












Science is a systematic and logical approach to discovering how things in the universe work. It is also the body of knowledge accumulated through the discoveries about all the things in the universe.

The word "science" is derived from the Latin word "scientia," which means knowledge based on demonstrable and reproducible data, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. True to this definition, science aims for measurable results through testing and analysis, a process known as the scientific method. Science is based on fact, not opinion or preferences. The process of science is designed to challenge ideas through research. One important aspect of the scientific process is that it focuses only on the natural world, according to the University of California, Berkeley . Anything that is considered supernatural, or beyond physical reality, does not fit into the definition of science.

The scientific method

When conducting research, scientists use the scientific method to collect measurable, empirical evidence in an experiment related to a hypothesis (often in the form of an if/then statement) that is designed to support or contradict a scientific theory .

"As a field biologist, my favorite part of the scientific method is being in the field collecting the data," Jaime Tanner, a professor of biology at Marlboro College, told Live Science. "But what really makes that fun is knowing that you are trying to answer an interesting question. So the first step in identifying questions and generating possible answers (hypotheses) is also very important and is a creative process. Then once you collect the data you analyze it to see if your hypothesis is supported or not."

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

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The steps of the scientific method go something like this, according to Highline College:

Make an observation or observations. Form a hypothesis  a tentative description of what's been observed, and make predictions based on that hypothesis. Test the hypothesis and predictions in an experiment that can be reproduced. Analyze the data and draw conclusions; accept or reject the hypothesis or modify the hypothesis if necessary. Reproduce the experiment until there are no discrepancies between observations and theory. "Replication of methods and results is my favorite step in the scientific method," Moshe Pritsker, a former post-doctoral researcher at Harvard Medical School and CEO of JoVE, told Live Science. "The reproducibility of published experiments is the foundation of science. No reproducibility  no science."

Some key underpinnings to the scientific method:

The hypothesis must be testable and falsifiable, according to North Carolina State University (opens in new tab) . Falsifiable means that there must be a possible negative answer to the hypothesis.

. Falsifiable means that there must be a possible negative answer to the hypothesis. Research must involve deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning is the process of using true premises to reach a logical true conclusion while inductive reasoning uses observations to infer an explanation for those observations.

An experiment should include a dependent variable (which does not change) and an independent variable (which does change), according to the University of California, Santa Barbara (opens in new tab) .

. An experiment should include an experimental group and a control group. The control group is what the experimental group is compared against, according to Britannica (opens in new tab) .

Hypothesis, theory and law

The process of generating and testing a hypothesis forms the backbone of the scientific method. When an idea has been confirmed over many experiments, it can be called a scientific theory. While a theory provides an explanation for a phenomenon, a scientific law provides a description of a phenomenon, according to The University of Waikato (opens in new tab). One example would be the law of conservation of energy, which is the first law of thermodynamics that says that energy can neither be created nor destroyed.

A law describes an observed phenomenon, but it doesn't explain why the phenomenon exists or what causes it. "In science, laws are a starting place," said Peter Coppinger, an associate professor of biology and biomedical engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. "From there, scientists can then ask the questions, 'Why and how?'"

Laws are generally considered to be without exception, though some laws have been modified over time after further testing found discrepancies. For instance, Newton's laws of motion describe everything we've observed in the macroscopic world, but they break down at the subatomic level.

This does not mean theories are not meaningful. For a hypothesis to become a theory, scientists must conduct rigorous testing, typically across multiple disciplines by separate groups of scientists. Saying something is "just a theory" confuses the scientific definition of "theory" with the layperson's definition. To most people a theory is a hunch. In science, a theory is the framework for observations and facts, Tanner told Live Science.

A brief history of science

This Copernican heliocentric solar system, from 1708, shows the orbit of the moon around the Earth, and the orbits of the Earth and planets round the sun, including Jupiter and its moons, all surrounded by the 12 signs of the zodiac. (Image credit: Oxford Science Archive/Print Collector/Getty Images)

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The earliest evidence of science can be found as far back as records exist. Early tablets contain numerals and information about the solar system, which were derived by using careful observation, prediction and testing of those predictions. Science became decidedly more "scientific" over time, however.

1200s: Robert Grosseteste developed the framework for the proper methods of modern scientific experimentation, according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (opens in new tab) His works included the principle that an inquiry must be based on measurable evidence that is confirmed through testing.

1400s: Leonardo da Vinci began his notebooks in pursuit of evidence that the human body is microcosmic. The artist, scientist and mathematician also gathered information about optics and hydrodynamics.

1500s: Nicolaus Copernicus advanced the understanding of the solar system with his discovery of heliocentrism. This is a model in which Earth and the other planets revolve around the sun, which is the center of the solar system.

1600s: Johannes Kepler built upon those observations with his laws of planetary motion. Galileo Galilei improved on a new invention, the telescope, and used it to study the sun and planets. The 1600s also saw advancements in the study of physics as Isaac Newton developed his laws of motion.

1700s: Benjamin Franklin discovered that lightning is electrical. He also contributed to the study of oceanography and meteorology. The understanding of chemistry also evolved during this century as Antoine Lavoisier, dubbed the father of modern chemistry , developed the law of conservation of mass.

1800s: Milestones included Alessandro Volta's discoveries regarding electrochemical series, which led to the invention of the battery. John Dalton also introduced atomic theory, which stated that all matter is composed of atoms that combine to form molecules. The basis of modern study of genetics advanced as Gregor Mendel unveiled his laws of inheritance. Later in the century, Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen discovered X-rays , while George Ohm's law provided the basis for understanding how to harness electrical charges.

1900s: The discoveries of Albert Einstein , who is best known for his theory of relativity, dominated the beginning of the 20th century. Einstein's theory of relativity is actually two separate theories. His special theory of relativity, which he outlined in a 1905 paper, "The Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies (opens in new tab)," concluded that time must change according to the speed of a moving object relative to the frame of reference of an observer. His second theory of general relativity, which he published as "The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity," advanced the idea that matter causes space to curve.

In 1952, Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine , which reduced the incidence of polio in the United States by nearly 90%, according to Britannica . The following year, James D. Watson and Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA , which is a double helix formed by base pairs attached to a sugar-phosphate backbone, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute .

2000s: The 21st century saw the first draft of the human genome completed, leading to a greater understanding of DNA. This advanced the study of genetics, its role in human biology and its use as a predictor of diseases and other disorders, according to the National Human Genome Research Institute .

Additional resources

This video from City University of New York (opens in new tab) delves into the basics of what defines science.

delves into the basics of what defines science. Learn about what makes science science in this book excerpt from Washington State University (opens in new tab) .

. This resource from the University of Michigan  Flint (opens in new tab) explains how to design your own scientific study.

Bibliography

Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Scientia. 2022. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scientia

University of California, Berkeley, "Understanding Science: An Overview." 2022.  https://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/0_0_0/intro_01

Highline College, "Scientific method." July 12, 2015. https://people.highline.edu/iglozman/classes/astronotes/scimeth.htm

North Carolina State University, "Science Scripts." https://projects.ncsu.edu/project/bio183de/Black/science/science_scripts.html

University of California, Santa Barbara. "What is an Independent variable?" October 31,2017. http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=6045

Encyclopedia Britannica, "Control group." May 14, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/science/control-group

The University of Waikato, "Scientific Hypothesis, Theories and Laws." https://sci.waikato.ac.nz/evolution/Theories.shtml

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Robert Grosseteste. May 3, 2019. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/grosseteste/

Encyclopedia Britannica, "Jonas Salk." October 21, 2021. https://www.britannica.com/ biography /Jonas-Salk

National Human Genome Research Institute, "Phosphate Backbone." https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Phosphate-Backbone

National Human Genome Research Institute, "What is the Human Genome Project?" https://www.genome.gov/human-genome-project/What

Live Science contributor Ashley Hamer updated this article on Jan. 16, 2022.
Sarah Myhre is a Seattle-based climate and ocean scientist who is also a passionate science communicator. Myhre contributed this article to Live Science's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

We are witnesses to a modern migration of women scientists into the fraught and partisan landscape of political leadership. As women, and as scientists, we are here to stand up for public truth-telling and the value of the lives of all women  and all marginalized people.

You might ask, why have women stepped up now? Put simply, because today's political climate necessitated it. The election of a man who openly bragged of sexually assaulting women into the most powerful public office in the United States is, for me and many other women across this nation, an unbearable crisis. His reduction of women into categories of "hotness" is nauseating. He has publicly bullied women in leadership and seems to have a vendetta against women's health care. All of these things fuel a horror and rage felt by many women across the country. Put mildly, it is a hard time to be a woman in the United States.

Now, imagine that you are not only a woman, but also a scientist. This presidential administration's war on basic evidence  indeed, on truth telling in public  is an abomination of both public leadership and accountability. If scientists lied in our professional capacity 4.6 times a day, we would be, at the very least, out of a job. The president, however, has done just that, as fact checkers at The Washington Post have shown.

This presidential administration, which publicly attacks the safety of women's bodies and the intellectual currencies of our scientific professions, is the fuel behind emergent scientific activism. We see clear evidence of women scientists' activism in the organization 500 Women Scientists. (I am a board member of this group and a founding organizer of the Seattle-based pod.) Across the nation and world, we are coming newly to the causes of social justice, activism, and community organizing, because of the unendurable reality of living as a woman and a scientist under the administration of President Donald Trump. [In Photos: The Best Signs from the 2017 March for Science]

Galaxies of scientific expertise

Science is demonstrably strengthened through intellectual diversity and inclusionary principles. As scientists, our professional identities are dynamic. We can be molecular ecologists, astrophysicists, computational social scientists, geochemists, paleoceanographers, atmospheric modelers  the list goes on and on. Science is a multidisciplinary enterprise these days  and that collaborative approach to the building of new knowledge is not going away.

For example, we would never say, "You biologists, you have no value here. You're dismissed," or, "Geochemists, you are no longer important. Get out of the room." Why? Because in modern science, we are part of a galaxy of intersecting, interconnected fields, and the sum of all of those unique scientific fields represents our working body of knowledge. We are a galaxy of unique scientific identities  and the same is true for the people who constitute the living scientific community that undergirds this knowledge. Scientists are also galaxies. [10 Amazing Women That You Won't Find in History Books]

As Tamika Mallory, co-president of the National Women's March, said recently in a speech to the National Women's Political Caucus, "[I]t is necessarythat our policy platforms, our conversations, our money and everything that we are doing be based upon the experience of the whole and not just the few. The few gets us in trouble every time." That is right  and this is true not just in human life, but also in science. Science is intersectional.

Identity and inclusion through intersectionality

Now, I am a straight, cis-gendered (my personal identity and gender match my birth sex), white woman. I'm also a mother, skier and scientist from the Pacific Northwest. These are the building blocks of my identity. I am not just one of those things; I am the sum of all of them. I intersect, or share, parts of my identity with other women scientists, with other Seattleites, and with other mothers.

However, I do not share, or intersect with, other aspects of many of my female colleagues' identities. LGBTQ women, women of color, women immigrants, disabled women  I do not share their experiences. But that doesn't mean my identity is any more valid than those of my colleagues. It doesn't mean, either, that I cannot extend myself compassionately to better understand the lived experiences of other people.

Intersectional feminism requires us to clearly see the galaxy of intersecting identities around us. And it calls upon us to not align only with our narrow silo of identity  which has historically, shamefully, abysmally come in the form of white women aligning with only other white women. Rather, feminists are called on to align themselves with the galaxy of intersecting identities and lived experiences within which they are nested, and to appropriately frame justice and public policy not only through gender, but also through, for example, race, sexual orientation and class.

For me, the horror of the election of white power, hate and misogyny into the highest public office of the nation fractured and broke through the narrow, privileged paradigm of feminism within which I was trapped. This is a good thing  although I carry around some necessary shame for my latent arrival to the table of human rights and justice. There probably aren't many people who want to hear my story about getting woke. To be sure, as a middle-class white woman, my first job is not to center my experience in the timeline of history, but rather to step back, shut up and listen.

Now, as a scientist and a citizen, it is my job to listen to the people who have never been safe in this country  to the people experiencing racialized violence and institutional racism. To the people and communities pushed aside by white privilege and classist resource hoarding. The work of social justice is not a state of arrival, but rather a difficult, painful and rewarding path. I am trying to walk that path  and so are many of my scientific colleagues.

Privilege of science and public leadership

The value of human life is priceless. The people of this country deserve public leadership that values the lives of everyone, not just straight, white, affluent men. In turn, science too is priceless, and people are inseparable from science. The United States needs public leadership that will make decisions using evidence, data and information, not dogma, innuendo and conspiracy.

Because I have the privilege of writing in public, I will use it to say this: It is worth it to do the right thing. It is worth it to show up for the big problems that have been laid at the world's feet: racism, misogyny, climate change, poverty, disease and violence. A better world is possible.

So, when you see the next woman scientist putting herself on the line to stand up to this administration, maybe you will think, "Ah, here is a great manifestation of the truth of intersectional feminism." Or maybe you will think, "Wow. It is hard and it is worth it to do the right thing." Either way, stand up and follow that woman, because she is what public leadership looks like.

Follow all of the Expert Voices issues and debates  and become part of the discussion  on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher.

This article was originally published on Live Science.
WASHINGTON  A sense of humor could help you snag a date, a new study suggests.

Funny people who participated in a speed-dating study were deemed more attractive than those with less of a sense of humor.

"Humor is influential," said lead study author Daniel Doerksen, who completed the research when he was an undergraduate studying psychology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. If people are funnier, it makes them seem more attractive, and that in turn makes others more romantically interested in them, Doerksen said. [5 Ways Love Affects the Brain]

Previous studies have suggested that when a person is attractive, others think of them as being more humorous than less attractive people, Doerksen told Live Science. But there isn't any research showing the opposite, that being funnier makes a person seem more attractive, he said.

To see how a person's sense of humor affected how attractive they appeared to others, researchers had about 50 male college students and 50 female students participate in a speed-dating event. To measure each person's physical attractiveness before the dates started, researchers rated photos of the people in the study and averaged the results. Importantly, the researchers rating the photos had no interactions with the individuals, so they couldn't make any judgements about their personalities or senses of humor.

Then, the speed-dating began.

The students in the study went on five to 10 dates lasting 4 minutes each with members of the opposite sex. After each speed date, the students answered a few questions about the encounter, including how attractive they found the person, how funny the person was and if they were interested in the person romantically.

When the daters' attractiveness ratings were compared to the ratings generated by the researchers, the more humorous people's ratings were higher than their ratings from the researchers, the study found.

And for men, the effect was more pronounced, Doerksen said. "The relationship was stronger for men as rated by women" than women rated by men; in other words, humor increased men's attractiveness to women more than it increased women's attractiveness to men, he said.

In addition, people who were deemed less funny were also found to be less attractive than their ratings from the researchers.

"If you weren't funny, you were definitely perceived as being less attractive, so that's a word of warning," Doerksen added.

He noted that the study involved only heterosexual individuals.

The findings were presented here Aug. 4 at the American Psychological Association's annual meeting. They have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Originally published on Live Science.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, August 7, 2017

Starting this month, Android users in Russia will begin to see a screen in the Chrome mobile browser that gives them the chance to select their preferred search engine.

When the Chrome app launches, the screen will prompt users who have the most recent version of Chrome Mobile, v.60, to select their default search engine such as Google, Mail.ru or Yandex. Future updates of the app, as well as new devices, will also have a choice screen.

Whether or not this sets a precedent in other countries such as the United States remains unknown, but as consumers become more dependent on their mobile devices for finding information, Yandex executives are excited that Russian users now see a screen that gives them a choice.

Google is Yandex's biggest rival in Russia. The move to add a screen that allows users to choose their search engine is part of a settlement that fined Google $7.8 million and prevented Google from forcing phone manufacturers such as Samsung to only pre-install the Google search engine on devices running Android OS.

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The antitrust battle between Google and the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) led by Russian search rival Yandex came to a close in April. Google reached an out-of-court deal.

In late July, Yandex reported that its share of the Russian search market -- including mobile -- fell slightly to 54.3% in second-quarter 2017 compared with 54.7% in the previous quarter. The data came from Yandex.Radar, a search traffic and browser use analytics tool based on Yandex.Metrica data.

The company reported that in the second quarter of 2017, search queries in Russia rose 5% compared with Q2 2016. Paid clicks on Yandex's and its partners' websites, in aggregate, rose 10% compared with 2016, average cost per click grew 9%, respectively. The number of Yandex.Taxi rides grew 425% year-on-year compared with second-quarter 2016.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, August 7, 2017

Global digital agency CI&T is acquiring Comrade, a strategy and customer experience design agency in the San Francisco Bay Area. Terms werent disclosed.

CI&T, based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is acquiring Comrade as part of an ambitious growth plan (its posted 30% organic revenue growth in recent years) that includes expanding its U.S. footprint. The acquisition also combines CI&Ts digital transformation expertise with Comrades strategy and design know-how.

Comrade has clients in the technology, healthcare, and financial services sectors including Chase, BlackRock, and Bank of the West.

CI&T, established 20 years ago, is the biggest tech agency in Brazil and now has 2,500 staffers worldwide. In addition to Brazil it has operations in the U.S., UK, Australia, Japan and China. It counts on its client roster such blue-chip brands as Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, AB-InBev, Itau Bank and Motorola.

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Bruno Guicardi, President and Co-founder, CI&T. cited Comrades deep ties with Silicon Valley which he said was an important factor for enterprises seeking digital transformation.  And Comrades expertise in working with the U.S. financial services sector offers new and exciting opportunities for future growth.

Clients need one partner they can trust for strategy, design and technology, added Thelton McMillian, who founded Comrade in 2006 and serves as the firms CEO. Together we can deliver speed at scale for organizations who need to go faster while delivering high-quality products and experiences.

As a CI&T company Comrade will retain its brand and continue operating as a strategy and design agency serving global clients.
by Steven Rosenbaum , Featured Contributor, August 7, 2017

In the past few years, Ive been on the lookout for virtual reality experiences that cross the line into believable experiences. Ive demod Microsoft HoloLens and explored Vive, Oculus, and Samsung Gear.

They all have their place, but none of them took me out of this world, and into another -- except one.

Two years ago, I was one of the first people to demo a new technology platform called The Void at the TED conference in Vancouver.

The Void describes Itself as hyper-reality": a whole-body, fully immersive VR experience.

I wore a haptic vest that uses sound and vibration to ramp up the sense of realism for explorers. I was transported to an ancient temple. From there, I walked down the stone-lined pathways, solving puzzles to open a door into the next chamber. On the wall, a torch was burning, and a voice in my headset suggested I take it along with me.

The plot was carefully choreographed to play out from room to room, with actual walls and stone chairs that drove the sense of reality. The floors shook and the walls felt cold to the touch.

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Then a floor dropped away and a lake emerged with a rumble, and a massive serpent rose up and moved in for the kill. Thankfully, I had my torch to keep the serpent at bay.

The Utah-based startup has developed a proprietary head-mounted display, the haptic vest, a tracking system and software called Rapture.

TED's Katherine McCartney said The Void "is pioneering a new form of cinematic virtual reality.

Because The Void is both digital and physical, it takes your mind places that just images and sound cannot. The images of the waves crashing on the shore are combined with a mist of water -- and that little physical clue takes you there. Its not fake, its real. And it felt to me then as if id seen a glimpse into the future.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, August 7, 2017

The software company AnchorFree brags that its virtual private network, Hotspot Shield, offers consumers the ability to browse the web "privately." But despite its marketing boasts, the company allegedly shares data about users' activity with ad networks and other third parties, the group Center for Democracy & Technology alleges in a Federal Trade Commission complaint brought Monday.

HotSpot Shield "monitors information about users browsing habits while the VPN is in use," the complaint alleges.

"While insisting that it does not make money from selling customer data, Hotspot Shield promises to connect advertisers to unique users that are frequent visitors of travel, retail, business, and finance websites," the complaint alleges. "These entities have access to IP addresses and device identifiers collected via Hotspot Shield.

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The CDT says in the complaint that it worked with Carnegie Mellon University to test AnchorFree's virtual private network. The school "found undisclosed data sharing practices with third party advertising networks," according to the complaint.

The digital rights group argues that Hotspot Shield's alleged targeted ad program is a deceptive and unfair trade practice.

"Hotspot Shields statements to the media, application descriptions that users 'security and privacy are guaranteed,' ... are misleading and would lead the average user to believe the VPN service is more secure and more privacy-protecting than the reality of Hotspot Shields data practices," the complaint states.

The organization adds that it is unfair for Hotspot Shield to "present itself as a mechanism for protecting the privacy and security of consumer information, while profiting off of that information by collecting and sharing access to it with undisclosed third parties."

In March, when federal lawmakers voted to repeal the Federal Communications Commission's broadband privacy rules -- which would have required broadband providers to obtain users' explicit consent before using their browsing history for ad targeting -- privacy experts advised consumers that using a virtual private network could thwart online tracking.

Hotspot Shield specifically referenced the repeal of those rules in a blog post touting its virtual private network.

"In case you havent heard of it yet, your search history is not safe from being sold by your Internet service provider to advertisers anymore if you live in the US.," the company wrote. "Using a free anonymous VPN such as Hotspot Shield is an effective way to prevent advertisers from showing you targeted ads."

AnchorFree and its representatives haven't yet responded to MediaPost's request for comment.
Most flat steel producers in the country are now accepting orders for October production.

In the first six months of the year, the countrys flat steel production increased, but consumption fell, according to the Turkish Steel Producers Assn (TCUD).

Turkeys flat steel end-product consumption amounted to 8.12 million tonnes in those six months, a 6% year-on-year decrease. Flat steel end-product output reached 6.30 million tonnes, up by 21.20% year-on-year.

Domestic prices

Hot rolled coil, cold rolled coil

Metal Bulletins weekly price assessment for Turkish domestic hot rolled coil (HRC) was $530-540 per tonne ex-works on Friday July 28, up from $510-520 per tonne ex-works on June 30.

The weekly price assessment for Turkish domestic cold rolled coil (CRC) was $620-640 per tonne ex-works on July 28, up from $590-600 per tonne ex-works on June 30.

Demand is very good and stocks are low, so producers keep increasing the prices. And all steel prices  scrap, iron ore, billet and rebar  increased together, so I do not expect prices to fall any time soon, an executive with a steel service centre said on July 28.

Coated coil

Coated coil prices also increased in Turkey over July, in line with the rising HRC and CRC prices.

Demand remained strong for coated steel in the country as stocks were low, and most producers had filled their order books for 2-3 months ahead.

The weekly price assessment for Turkish domestic 0.50mm hot dipped galvanized coil (HDG) was $750-770 per tonne ex-works on July 28, rising from $725-760 per tonne ex-works on June 30.

The weekly price assessment for Turkish domestic pre-painted galvanized iron (PPGI), or colour-coated coil, of 0.50mm gauge, with 9002 colour code, was $860-870 on July 28, rising from $800-845 per tonne ex-works on June 30.

Import prices

Turkish buyers booked HRC from Ukraine and Russia in July, but not many CRC bookings were heard in the month.

HRC was booked from Ukraine at $475-480 per tonne cfr.

The weekly price assessment for Turkish HRC imports was $520-530 per tonne cfr on July 28, rising from $450-460 per tonne cfr on June 30.

And the weekly price assessment for Turkish CRC imports was $589-590 per tonne cfr on July 28, up from $530-535 per tonne cfr on June 30.

HRC exports

Demand for Turkish HRC improved in Europe in July, with several bookings being heard.

Turkey-origin HRC was sold to the region at $540-545 per tonne fob.

The weekly price assessment for Turkish HRC exports was $520-530 per tonne fob on July 28, up from $470-480 per tonne fob on June 30.

Flat steel trade volumes

Turkey exported 387,114 tonnes of finished flat steel in June 2017, which was 74.10% more than the 222,349 tonnes exported in June 2016, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) said.

The total included 242,011 tonnes of HRC, up by 84.80% year-on-year from 130,958 tonnes in June 2016.

In the first six months of 2017, Turkey exported 2,263,297 tonnes of flat steel products, up by 83.31% from the 1,234,687 tonnes exported in January-June 2016.

Of this total, 1,457,275 tonnes was HRC, up by 63.99% year-on-year from 888,649 tonnes in January-June 2016.

Turkeys flat steel imports totalled 676,906 tonnes in June 2017, down by 9.33% year-on-year from 746,599 tonnes in June 2016.

The imported volumes included 402,472 tonnes of hot rolled flat steel, up by 11.63% year-on-year from 360,549 tonnes, according to TUIK.

In January-June 2017, Turkey imported 3,846,450 tonnes of flat steel, 13.85% less than the 4,464,991 tonnes in the corresponding period in 2016.

The country imported 2,174,097 tonnes of hot rolled flat steel in January-June 2017, down by 4.69% year-on-year from 2,281,110 tonnes.


Angels righty Matt Shoemaker is now considering a surgical option as he continues to experience progressive symptoms related to radial nerve compression, the club announced today.

Obviously, a decision on the course of treatment has yet to be made. And its not entirely clear just what procedure  and what sort of outlook and timeline for a return  is under contemplation. Shoemaker had been building back toward the majors after a rest period, but was forced to halt a pen session today, according to Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).

The 30-year-old righty last appeared for the Halos in the middle of June, and it seems increasingly likely that he may not make it back to the majors this year. He hadnt exactly been at his best before that, with a 4.52 ERA over 77 2/3 innings on the year, but was at least giving Los Angeles much-needed innings as they deal with a barrage of pitching injuries.

Rather remarkably, the Angels have stayed in the AL Wild Card picture despite questionable work from the rotation, which has produced middle-of-the-pack results that outpace the peripherals. But the promise of late-season returns from Shoemaker and others  Tyler Skaggs, Andrew Heaney, and Garrett Richards  has held out hope of a real push for a postseason berth.

Shoemakers new status certainly doesnt improve the picture, though theres optimism still regarding the others. Both Skaggs and Heaney are due back soon. As for Richards, he was able to throw twenty pitches off of a mound today, Moura tweets, and says he has no doubt hell return this year as well.
Miss United Nations first runner-up Rebecca Asamoah, who also doubles as Miss Ghana 2015 runner-up and Miss Africa Continent, has asked female porters ('kayayei') around the country to never give up on their dreams.

According to her, they shouldn't consider their job as the end of the road to becoming successful. They should strife beyond that to become better people in life.

The beautiful queen on Friday celebrated her 26thbirthday in a unique way with some 'kayayei' at the Madina market in Accra, where she made the comment.

'Kayayo' is the local name given to the thousands of women and girls from mostly northern Ghana who travel south to find work as porters in city markets. They were at the Madina market in their numbers.

They joined Rebecca and some of her friends who accompanied her to cut her birthday cake and also popped her birthday champagne. She additionally distributed food and soft drinks to the women, and encouraged them to look beyond their current struggles.

Rebecca Asamoah and friends at the event

God created everyone for a purpose. You are all great people and I want to encourage you to keep pushing to be better people. Everyone started from somewhere before they got to where they are now. This could be your starting point, so don't be broken and think that this is where it will end.

Strife for higher heights. Pray to God too for He is the reason we are here. Take the struggling as part of life experience and keep learning something from it. Besides value yourselves and treat one another with respect. See yourselves as sisters, Rebecca added.

She also promised the women that she would come to their aid anytime she can.

Rebecca was crowned Miss United Nations 2017 first runner-up at an international event held in Jamaica in July. She made Ghana proud at the world pageant, beating several other contestants from over 80 countries to come close to winning the ultimate crown which went to Olga Makhlevskaia from Russia.

Upon her return to Ghana, she took the crown to Madam Catherine Afeku, who applauded her efforts and hard work.

Last week, she was also in church with the crown to thank God for how far He has brought her.

The Friday birthday hangout with the porters was put together by GHedocareFoundation to put smiles on the faces of the underprivileged porters. It was under the theme: 'operation feed the kayayo'.

The activity was in line with Miss UN organisation's objective to help better the lives of persons around the world.

By Francis Addo (Twitter: @fdee50 Email: [email protected] )
Abeiku Santana has called on all managers of hotels in the country to use their facilities to promote Ghanaian highlife music and culture.

The Okay FM's Drive Time Programme host also stated that since hotels are a special point of contact for travellers and tourists who visit the country, there is the need to play Ghanaian music and display made-in-Ghana products to create the awareness of the creative industry.

In an interview with Joy News MzGee, Abeiku Santana, who believes that working together with the hospitality industry is a major way of marketing and selling Ghanaian music and culture, declared that if Ghanaian highlife music is played at the hotels in the country, it would help in the promotion of Ghana's rich creative industry to the outside world.

I will plead with MUSIGA to strike deals with the hotels. When one travels to East Africa and South Africa, they perform their local music in all the big hotels, Abeiku Santana reiterated.

He added, MUSIGA can consult the Ghana Tourism Federation, Tour Operators Union of Ghana or Ghana Tourism Authority on how musicians can work together with the hospitality industry because it's also the first port of call we can market or sell our songs.

The radio presenter believes that working together with the hospitality industry will also create opportunity for the stakeholders in the music industry.

They should have selected days to play music, not only African music but once you are a guest in the hotel you should have a feel of Ghana, it must be done in all the 'star-rated hotels', he said.

According to him, MUSIGA should spread it members across and strike a deal with the hotels. Playing local music once a month or week and getting an amount of 300 or 500 is better than nothing.

They need a forum that they can solicit ideas, people they should desist from attacking the union. They should say good things about themselves and change the negative narrative, he observed.
07.08.2017 LISTEN

The human talent we were endowed with were not uniform and there are some better gifted at Talking and some at Doing. Our Western education trained us such that some became good at

1. Analyzing what others have done;

And some were supposed to study subjects that

2. Helped protect, restore and sustain our civil rights and let us learn to live like humans in peace under laws and rules and regulations.

3. Others studied subjects that delve deep into nature's secrets asking why; and then others,

4. After delving to find out natures's secrets, went further to build and refine and improve to make life more comfortable!

And of course there are some subset of the above

5. More trained and endowed with skills at organizing and putting things together with measurements and time and some even to do with their hands.

You all can deduce what professionals I am describing in the above.

In Western societies accommodation and respect and due compensation have been assigned to the studies and doers in these areas of endeavor and how they contribute to society. In the poor nations the few who manage to take power neglect the others and hence the society gets stifled and keeps further behind in poverty. Basic needs like roads and highways, water treatment and sewage systems for the overall healthy living are ignored!

Let us learn to think and ponder on life and why we are in such chaos! (For those who even know they are in chaos).

Religion is a source of some answers to most! But oftentimes the Scientists and Doctors have shown that many answers are revealed to those with eyes (and microscopes) to see! As Jesus once said in the Bible, to them that are without all things come by way of parables!

Judging by the governmental neglect of sanitation, infrastructure, open gutters and filth (efi) in Ghana, it is no surprise that the average Ghanaian gets sick of some ailment at least 1-2 times per year! When ill, it may not even be the devil or the poor old woman in the house you describe as a witch! It may be just a few germs from that rotten food or fly that pecked on the food, or the unwashed fruit, or a virus, if you had eyes to see!

My Sunday morning message.

Enjoy your Sunday. And give the devil a break! Let us bury our filth through underground sewage and get rid of the open gutters and all good health shall be given unto thee! Let the devil rest today in his dungeons!

Some can talk and some can analyze, but we can also plan and we can also execute if we sincerely love ourselves and our nation to build a better more prosperous society for all!

From East Legon,

(enjoying my 48 good hours of electricity with no interruptions!)

Dr. K. Danso ( [email protected] )

Founding President, Ghana Leadership Union (GLU).

Author:

LIFE IS WAR! (2015 Page Publishing)

Leadership Concepts and the Role of Government in Africa: The Case of Ghana (2007, XLibris)
Accra: August 6, 2017: To give a further boost to the realisation of the reforms announced by the Vice President at the Port Efficiency Conference in May 2017, GCNet has commenced paperless operations at Takoradi effective August 1, 2017 and scaled up the process to the Tema port to kictstart on August 7. This came to light at the commencement of a month long sensitisation campaign with all players in the trade facilitation space following a recent government directive to ports operators to ensure that all trade transactions are fully paperless.

According to the Training Coordinator at GCNet, Mr. Agyaaku Nkansah, GCNet had already deployed the infrastructure to give full effect to the pursuit of the paperless transactions regime and reiterated that all activities in the trade facilitation chain at the various ports will be enabled by an electronic system powered by GCNet which was supported by robust data centres across the country.

Following the proposed three prong reforms at the countrys ports which includejoint inspection by all mandated examination agencies and removal of barriers along the trade corridors of the country, GCNet has started sensitisation and refresher sessions for all stakeholders to orient them on the process flow for the new regime expected to kick start on September 1, 2017

The stakeholders covered in the refresher engagement sessions include Customs officials, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Agents, Shipping Lines, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders, the terminal operators, the courier providers, and scan operators among others in the value chainto ensure that this objective is fully realized within the timeframe stipulated.

The sensitisation programme which begun at the Tema Port addressed how the systems deployed would ensure that the policy directive is implemented to the core. It involved the review of the pilot implementation which GCNet spearheaded in 2013 at Takoradi port and 2014 at the Kotoka International Airport. The review involved a gap analysis on the processes to identify the usage of paper in the clearance chain and the e-solutions GCNet had developed to be deployed in response to the gaps identified.

The new clearance process flow would include the attachment of documents in the GCNet system for onward transmission to Customs for further action to be taken on those documents submitted. This would be complimented by a schedule process flow to be utilised by Customs officers to notify relevant government inspection agencies to make themselves available for the joint inspection procedures at the ports. These steps, which are to be automated will be supported by an alert system via sms and emails to all agencies.

Deputy Commissioner of Operations at the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, Mrs. Christine Akoto Bamfo explained that the idea of joint inspection and paperless was to make the clearance process easier for all.

Mrs. Akoto Bamfo advised all stakeholders to embrace the new reforms as outlined by the Vice President to make port management in the country more efficient and competitive.

She was confident that even though there would be challenges at the initial phases of implementation, it was imperative on all stakeholders to make the new system work.

Speaking at the recent edition of the National Trade Facilitation Awards in Accra, Executive Chairman of GCNet, Dr. Nortey Omaboeannounced that in a bid to ensure that the vision to go paperless which GCNet spearheaded in 2011 is fully realised and the benefits accrued to the citizenry, there had been service upgrades on GCNet applications for regulatory agencies and other players in the trade facilitation space to ensure smooth operational environment.

GCNet has gone further to integrate its systems with terminal operators and shipping lines such as the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Meridian Ports Services (MPS), Tema Container Terminal (TCT) and others for the exchange of electronic data.

Prior to the sensitisation sessions, GCNet had earlier met the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, Industry & Tourism to brief the Committee on key measures it had taken in preparedness for the realisation of the directive by the Vice President.

As a follow up, the Committee had paid a working visit to GCNet to learn at first the state of preparedness for the September 1 deadline for the commencement of the full paperless regime in the clearance processes.

His Excellency, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia on at a recent Ports Efficiency Conference held on May 17, 2017 directed that all trade transactions be fully paperless, as well as joint inspection by all regulatory and examination bodies mandated to do and removal of barriers along the trade corridors of the country.

About GCNet

GCNet is a Public-Private Partnership that was incorporated on November 13, 2000. Its shareholders are Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), Ecobank Ghana Limited (EBG), Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) and Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS) of Switzerland. GCNet, an Innovator and Leader in the Provision of e-Solutions to Governments, has developed and deployed Ghanas Single Window Platform for Processing Trade Transactions and Customs Clearances.

The System is made up of a front-end Electronic Messaging Platform (the TradeNet) and a back-end System (the Ghana Customs Management System). The System allows for a 24/7 processing of declarations and is currently deployed at Customs Headquarters and all the key Customs Stations. Ninety-eight (98) percent of Customs revenue is collected through the System.

In addition to GCMS, linkage of other back-end applications (e.g. Automated Registration of Vehicles, Income Tax Declarations, Social Security Declarations etc.) is possible. Close to Forty (40) Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) including the Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB), Ghana Standards Authority, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ghana Investment Protection Centre (GIPC), Ministries of Trade and Finance etc.., access the TradeNet for various operational purposes.
07.08.2017 LISTEN

By Walter Duru, Ph.D

Three weeks ago, the hammer of the worlds watchdog on money laundering and terrorist financing, Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units fell on Nigeria for non-compliance with global best standards. The crux of the matter is the absence of autonomy for the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit-NFIU.

The suspension which was announced at the Egmont Group meeting held in China from July 2nd to 7th, 2017, was following the refusal of Nigeria to make NFIU autonomous in its funding, operations and management of financial intelligence. The failure of Nigeria to pass a law making the NFIU independent is the kernel of the matter.

If Nigeria fails to comply with the groups demand for a legal framework granting autonomy to the NFIU by January, 2018, the country will be expelled from the global body, which provides the backbone for monitoring international money laundering and terrorist financing activities.

When expelled, Nigeria will no longer be able to benefit from financial intelligence shared by the other one hundred and fifty member-countries, including the United States of America and the United Kingdom, while the countrys ability to recover stolen funds abroad will be hampered.

Another major consequence will be the blacklisting of Nigeria in international finance, and this could affect the issuance of Mastercard and Visa credit and debit cards by Nigerian banks. In fact, financial instruments from Nigeria may not be honoured abroad.

It could also affect the international rating of Nigerian financial institutions, restricting their access to some major international transactions. Nigerias membership of the Egmont Group ensured the removal of Nigerian banks from the blacklist of international finance. The blacklisting had prevented the banks from engaging in correspondent banking with foreign institutions and also denied Nigerians access to foreign credit cards.

Joining the Egmont group of FIUs was not easy for Nigeria. It is in fact, one of the greatest legacies of the former President Olusegun Obasanjos administration. The suspension of Nigeria is a heavy blow; a major setback, and If Nigeria is expelled, then the country is in real mess.

Nigeria claims to have its FIU as an autonomous Unit in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission; a situation that has exposed the country to international ridicule and embarrassment. Events over the years clearly show that there is no semblance of autonomy enjoyed by the NFIU.

The constant leaking of sensitive intelligence to Nigerian media, contrary to global best practices and the indiscriminate removal of FIU Directors by successive chairmen of the EFCC say it all.

In 2014, the Egmont Group warned Nigeria that it may suspend her if she refuses to enact a law granting NFIU autonomy. This warning never made any difference, as those opposed to the move worked very hard to suppress information and bend the rules. Now, that which stakeholders tried to avoid has finally happened. The worst- expulsion will certainly happen if we do not call the enemies of the country to order and do the needful.

There are four types of globally acknowledged Financial Intelligence Units. The first is the administrative type-FIU, which focuses on the traditional functions of an FIU- to collect, analyze and disseminate financial intelligence to law enforcement agencies and other authorized entities. This type of FIU does not engage in law enforcement or prosecution.

Next is the law enforcement type of FIU, which performs Police functions of arrest, detention, interrogation, investigation and prosecution; in addition to the traditional functions of an FIU, thereby becoming the custodians of Intelligence, as well as the end users.

The third type is the Judicial FIU, which engages in collation and analysis of financial intelligence, investigation, as well as prosecution of offenders; while the fourth is the hybrid type of FIU, which is a combination of the elements in the three earlier mentioned, depending on domestic preferences.

Nigeria joined the Egmont Group in 2007, opting for an administrative type of FIU. Having registered as an administrative FIU, it must be outside a law enforcement agency. The claim that we have our FIU in EFCC is indeed ridiculous. More laughable is that the EFCC Act describes the EFCC as Nigerias FIU.

The major advantage of an administrative-type FIU is that it focuses on the traditional functions of an FIU and not encumbered with police and prosecutorial duties. Indeed, the mandate of the FIU is different from that of law enforcement agencies such as the police and the EFCC. While law enforcement agencies carry out investigations and also prosecute, FIUs do not. This allows for specialization, separation of powers and responsibilities, checks and balances, transparency and accountability. Concentration of multiple responsibilities in the FIU beyond the traditional duties makes the FIU susceptible to abuse of such powers.

For example, in the United States of America, just like Nigeria, where there is more than one law enforcement agency, the FIU is located in the Department of Treasury/Finance. This is to separate the functions of intelligence collection from police duties (investigation) and judicial functions (prosecution), lest there will be over concentration of powers and abuse of such powers.

Similarly, countries such as Canada, Australia, Belgium and France have their FIUs located in their respective Ministries of Finance.

Of all the 14 countries in West Africa with an FIU, Nigeria is the only jurisdiction that currently domiciles its FIU in a law enforcement agency - EFCC, even when it is registered as an administrative-type FIU. This is a misnomer. Ten of the West African countries have their FIUs domiciled in their respective Ministries of Finance, while two others have theirs domiciled in Central Banks and one in Ministry of Justice.

The surest way out of the countrys present quagmire is the enactment of a law that grants autonomy to the NFIU. This is the exact thing the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Agency/Centre Bill presently being considered by the National Assembly seeks to achieve.

The Nigeria Financial Intelligence Centre Bill will ensure that the NFIU is not tied to any agency but will have adequate measures to build an independent financial intelligence system.

The Bill seeks to establish the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Centre as the central body in Nigeria responsible for receiving, requesting, analyzing and disseminating financial and other related information to all law enforcement, security agencies and other relevant authorities, as well as exchange of intelligence with over 150 FIUs globally.

NFIC is to serve all law enforcement agencies, regulators and other authorized agencies (EFCC, ICPC, DSS, NDLEA, CBN, CUSTOMS, POLICE, NAPTIP, CBN etc) and domiciling it in any of the interested agencies/parastatals will mean giving undue advantage to one over the others.

In Ghana, the FIU has an independent board and Executive Director. It is located under the Ministry of Finance. In Gambia, the FIU is located in the Central Bank; while in Senegal, Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Cote dIvoire, Mali and Togo, it is located under the Ministry of Finance.

More so, the mandate of an FIU is different from that of law enforcement; while law enforcement agencies carry out investigations and also prosecute, FIUs do not.

Nigeria opted for an administrative FIU when it registered with the Egmont group in 2007. Having registered an administrative FIU, the operations have to be outside a law enforcement agency.

Majority of the administrative FIU types all over the world are administrative and none, apart from Nigeria is domiciled in a law enforcement centre. They are mostly domiciled in the Ministry of Finance, Justice or Central Bank.

In addition, it is a misnomer to have an independent Board for the proposed Nigeria Financial Intelligence Centre within an EFCC that has a Board with an Executive Chairman. It will not work, as there will be conflict. There cannot be an independent Board within a parastatal.

Also, it is always best to separate the functions of intelligence collection from Police duties so as to avoid overconcentration of powers and the natural consequence of abuse. NFIC as being contemplated today will address inter agency rivalry.

It is on record that Nigeria applied for membership of the Financial Action Task Force and the FATF assessment team is expected in Nigeria in November, 2017, and without the NFIC law in operation, Nigeria cannot be admitted. The country remains disconnected from the secured Web of the Egmont group of FIUs. Only a truly independent FIU can guarantee a way forward for the country.

In the light of the international obligations and standards imposed by various international instruments, to which Nigeria has acceded to, it is imperative that steps are taken to properly define and establish the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Center, by clearly defining its mandates in the law.

As the National Assembly deliberates on the NFIC Bill, stakeholders must jettison every form of sentiment and support the move to align Nigeria with international best practices, especially, at this critical period of terrorism, which financing is mainly done through money laundering.

Only a truly independent Financial Intelligence Center can address the countrys security challenges through effective money laundering and terrorist financing checks.

Civil Society, Media and all sectors of the countrys economy must join the crusade to save the country by strengthening the legal framework against corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing.

All hands must be on deck!

Dr. Walter Duru is a Public Affairs analyst; Executive Director, Media Initiative against Injustice, Violence and Corruption- MIIVOC and Chairman, Freedom of Information Coalition, Nigeria- FOICN. Reach him on: [email protected]
Twenty-four hours after a 3-day Strategy, Monitoring and Evaluation training, organized by Development Measures in Abuja, participants were seen discussing M & E, as if it was breaking news. The excitement was obvious, but understandable. The rich content of the Workshop made the difference. The outing was indeed, an eye-opener to the endless opportunities that abound in the indispensable area  Monitoring and Evaluation (M and E).

For Jennifer Ukaobasi, a lawyer, it was time well-spent. This training is one of the best things that have happened to me in my pursuit of knowledge. I enjoyed every minute I spent at the Workshop. Monitoring and Evaluation is an indispensable aspect of project implementation. Of all the trainings I have attended, this, I must confess is exceptionally rich. They broke down M & E to the level of understanding of all and you can see; now, I talk M and E; I eat M and E; I have developed love for M and E and I am now an M and E professional. I was taught by some of the best hands in the field in the country and beyond. I would not have forgiven myself if I missed the workshop.

The 3-day Workshop was held in Abuja, Nigeria, from 19th to 21st of July, 2017, with about forty participants in attendance.

Speaking at the event, President, Development Measures Global Network and Monitoring and Evaluation expert, Emmanuel Uche, described Strategy development, Monitoring and Evaluation as essential in every project.

According to him, the training is part of the organisations Institutional strengthening capacity building series, aimed at improving the operational capacity, programme impact and sustainability; targeting non-state actors. The failure of projects in Nigeria is as a result of failure in managing for results.

This training is aimed at building the capacity of participants, sharpening their skills, and deepening their understanding of Monitoring and Evaluation, as well as Managing for Results, for greater productivity.

In his presentation on Managing for Results: Foundational, Logic and the Project Cycle, Uche explained that Managing for Results or Results-Based Monitoring is the collection and analysis of data to determine whether or not projects of programme activities are contributing to the achievement of stated aims and objectives.

He defined Evaluation as an assessment of a planned, ongoing, or completed intervention to determine its relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability.

Also in his paper entitled: approaches to Managing for Results  the PMP, The Log frame and M4P, he made a case for a clear understanding of each of the approaches before they are adopted by professionals; even as he also gave practical examples on developing a Logical Framework.

Speaking on Understanding Evaluation, its triggers and Meta-Evaluation, Uche described effective monitoring of a project as the foundation for effective evaluation of all such projects.

He explained that the essence of monitoring and evaluation is to guide funding decision of projects.

In her presentation on: Understanding Strategy, Dr. Ada Isabella Igbokwe described it as central to the success of every endeavor, without which there may not be proper direction in projects implementation.

Speaking on Strategic Planning Imperatives, Igbokwe argued that strategic planning is an integral part of every programme, if it must be successful.

Presenting a paper on: Understanding Results, Indicators, Baselines and Targets, a Professor of Economics, Onyukwu Onyukwu argued that: over five-decade experience of less than satisfactory effectiveness and efficiency of aid in terms of the achievement of development objectives led to a shift in programming focus at the turn of the millennium. The international community thus shifted its focus from ensuring quality aid activities to ensuring aid development results. This shift produced an increasing demand for thorough planning and evaluation of the development results of aid interventions. The best way to refocus on results and not activities is to determine the organisations/programme key result areas during the planning stage.

On Data Analysis and Reporting, Professor Onyukwu described data collection as an integral part of a monitoring and evaluation system, arguing that performance is better measured through data.

Inferences from analyzed data help to determine if programme goals have been attained; thus, there could be better resource mapping. Data come from various sources and through various instruments and they can be used as advocacy tools.

Other resource persons include: Oduenyi Okonkwo, who spoke on: The Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, Work planning and Operational Plan; Dr. Walter Duru, among others.

Some of the organisations that participated in the event were: Africa Network on Environment and Economic Justice  ANEEJ; Media Initiative against Injustice, Violence and Corruption  MIIVOC; Lawyers Alert, African Center for Human advancement and resource support, Development Measures; Human Support Initiatives, among many others.

Development Measures is a private non-governmental organization, committed to building institutional capacities to effectively manage for results in both public and private spheres.

They have their key competencies in the provision of consultancy services around governance strengthening, strengthening system for accountability and transparency, organizational strategy development and performance management, system studies, research and evaluation.
A strategy-based organisation, Development Measures has lauded the Nigerian Senate for their passage of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Agency (NFIA) Bill.

President of the group, Emmanuel Uche, made their position known, while addressing newsmen in Abuja, weekend.

Uche described the NFIA law as necessary, if Nigeria must be taken seriously in its claim of combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing.

Only a truly independent Financial Intelligence Center can address the countrys security challenges through effective money laundering and terrorist financing checks. The international obligations and standards imposed by various international instruments, to which Nigeria has acceded to makes it imperative that steps are taken to properly define and establish the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Center, by clearly defining its mandates in the law. The fact that Egmont Group of FIUs has suspended Nigeria from her secured web is another indication that we have obvious deficiencies to address. The NFIA Bill clearly addresses the issues.

Continuing, he called on the House of Representatives to take steps to ensure speedy passage of the Bill, in the interest of the country.

It would be recalled that the Egmont group of FIUs, the global watchdog on money laundering and terrorist financing suspended Nigeria for non-compliance with its requirements on autonomy of the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit.
Warri (Nigeria) (AFP) - At least 11 worshippers were shot dead at a church in southeast Nigeria on Sunday, with authorities suggesting the bloodshed was due to a local feud.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack, describing the incident as "an appalling crime against humanity and unspeakable sacrilege," his office said.

Buhari said "there was no justification whatsoever to target church worshippers and kill them in cold blood."

At around 6:00 am (0500 GMT) at least one gunman opened fire at Saint Philip's church in Ozubulu, near the city of Onitsha, unleashing terror on the congregation.

Chukwuma Emeka said he had just stepped out of the church to stretch his legs "when I heard gunshots and screaming and people running inside."

"When the chaos subsided I went inside, I saw my fellow church members dead in a pool of their own blood and many others were screaming in pain."

Attacks on churches are rare in southern Nigeria, where there is a predominantly Christian population.

The country's mainly-Muslim north has been gripped by a violent campaign by Boko Haram jihadists, who specialise in targeting religious centres.

There were varying accounts of what happened in Ozubulu. Witnesses said five gunmen in masks stormed the church, but police said the killing was the work of a lone shooter.

"So far, 12 persons have been confirmed dead and deposited in the mortuary here," a worker at Nnamdi Azikwe University Teaching Hospital told AFP.

Garba Umar, Anambra State police Commissioner, later said 11 people were killed while 18 were injured as a result of the shooting.

Several worshippers with gunshot wounds were also receiving treatment at the hospital, the source said. Witnesses said they feared that up to 20 people may have died.

'Feud'

Umar said the attacker was a gunman who "went on a shooting spree, killing and wounding" worshippers.

He said the violence was the result of a failed murder attempt, tied to a feud within the local community.

Map of Nigeria locating an armed attack on a church in Ozubulu

"The information at the disposal of the police is that the gunman had been hired to kill a particular family person believed to be among the worshippers," he said.

He said the governor of the state visited the scene and promised to pay the medical bills of the injured.

Local rights activist Emeka Umeagbalasi said his information about the motive largely concurred with that of the police version.

The gunmen had gone to kill the son of a local chief but failed to find him at his home, Umeagbalasi said.

The attackers then went to the church to hunt for him, but could not find the intended target and became angry, he said.

They opened "fire on parishioners and shot indiscriminately," he said, adding that the father of the intended target was shot and wounded.

Speaker of Nigeria's House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara called the attack "barbaric... the height of wickedness."

He extended his condolences to families of the victims, assuring them that the government would do everything within its power to track down those responsible.

Hundreds of churches and mosques in Nigeria's north have been attacked since 2009 when Boko Haram began a violent campaign to impose strict Islamic law.

The rebellion has killed at least 20,000 people and forced some 2.6 million others to flee their homes, sparking a dire humanitarian crisis in the northeast.
A former Attorney General and Minister for Justice Martin Amidu says the erstwhile John Dramani Mahama-led government must be blamed for the current conflict between the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei and her deputies.

Mrs. Osei and two of her deputies, Georgina Amankwaa and Amadu Sulley have been trading accusations at each other over the last few weeks. While the deputies accuse their boss of incompetence and arrogance, Mrs. Osei has hit back accusing them of corruption and financial malfeasance.

A petition seeking the removal of Mrs. Osei by unknown staff of the election management body is currently being examined by the Chief Justice.

In his latest epistle, Mr. Amidu claimed that the EC boss was appointed to help the NDC government execute a rigging agenda which failed.

[AD]But as I said time without number during the 2016 elections, she was appointed by a corrupt Government precisely because of her incompetence that made her susceptible for use for an election rigging agenda.

Her appointing Government failed in the rigging agenda despite all the attempts by the Commission to narrow the election to a two-party race to facilitate easy rigging for the incumbent. She has, either on her own or at the instance of her mentor, been trying to recycle herself as a neutral Electoral Commissioner after her Church Papa mediated her peaceful announcement of the election results, he said.

Read full article below



NDC CREATED THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION CHAOS THAT NOW PORTENDS A BAD OMEN FOR THE CONGRESS: BY MARTIN A. B. K. AMIDU

The NDCs precipitate defensive actions, without waiting for the blood to cool and reason to assume its seat, when the petition against their appointed Electoral Commission Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, became public knowledge, may see all the three Commissioners appointed by the Congress or a number of them whipped out of office and new ones appointed by their so called adversaries, the NPP. This is happening because we all remained silent and allowed charlatans and strangers to our values and ideals to hi-jack the NDC and alienate the most committed, selfless and experienced strategic and tactical founding thinkers of the party.

[AD]The last few weeks saw the Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Charlotte Osei, with the conditions of service of a Justice of the Court of Appeal, descending into the gutters and casting aspersion on her two Deputy Commissioners, also with the conditions of service of Justices of the High Court. She completely lost her comportment, decorum, and above all the high moral character and proven integrity of a Justice of the Court of Appeal to exhibit absolute patience in the face of every provocation so as to maintain the honour and dignity of her high office as the Electoral Commissioner and of the Commission as a whole  simply because the constitutional right of petitioning for her removal had been invoked against her.

Come what may, the Chairperson of the Commission had a supreme responsibility to maintain the integrity of the priceless Commission of which she had leadership. She should not have allowed herself to have been baited into fighting and exchanging vituperative words publicly with both Deputy Commissioners and other members of management. Speaking for myself, she once more exhibited her incompetence and lack of leadership skills that in my view rendered her unfit for appointment to the high office of Electoral Commissioner in the first place.

But as I said time without number during the 2016 elections, she was appointed by a corrupt Government precisely because of her incompetence that made her susceptible for use for an election rigging agenda. Her appointing Government failed in the rigging agenda despite all the attempts by the Commission to narrow the election to a two-party race to facilitate easy rigging for the incumbent. She has, either on her own or at the instance of her mentor, been trying to recycle herself as a neutral Electoral Commissioner after her Church Papa mediated her peaceful announcement of the election results.

[AD]The petition to the President for her removal from office by some alleged officers of the Commission made her to welcome support even from the leadership of the NDC in and out of Parliament. They in turn, without producing any evidence charged the NPP Government in several statements and interviews published in the media with witch-hunting her from office. The two Deputy Electoral Commissioners who were also appointed to the Commission by the past NDC Government felt compelled to explain their versions in response to the unusual accusations from their Chairperson in the media, as though they supported the petition against her, Charlotte Osei.

The responses of the two Deputy Commissioners who had been longer on the job than the Chairperson cannot be said to be witch-hunting by the NPP. However, the NDC, which had alienated almost all their experienced and founding strategic and tactical thinking members just could not think very deeply about the consequences of their three appointees fighting each other in public at the Commission. I suspected that once the NDC had openly taken the side of the Chairperson whom we, anti-corruption crusaders, suspected was appointed with a rigging agenda, they threw caution to the wind and could not have the patience of old age to cut their losses.

My fears that the chaos at the Commission would lead the present young crop of the NDC to self-destruct was confirmed when I discovered on 29th and 31st July 2017 respectively that the author of the second petition for the removal of the two Deputy Commissioners was Emmanuel Korsi Senyo, the concerned citizen, who had acted in the past as an NDC surrogate commencing action against the General Legal Council in the Supreme Court in defence of Francis Sosu, who had contested the primaries in my constituency, Madina, for the NDC. The second petition is not, therefore, from any witches from the NPP let alone to hunt the Deputy Commissioners.

[AD]A quick Google search will establish that Emmanuel Korsi Senyo a.k.a Emmanuel Korsi Senyo Kumedzina is a young activist of the NDC and Tutor and Head of Department Social Science at the St Prosper College, Ho who graduated from KNUST sometime in 2009. This discovery made me to find out whether the NDC could blame anybody should the investigations of the three petitions lead to the removal of all three Commissioners and how that was going to be an achievement for the NDC. Certainly, the NPP would then appoint all the three new Commissioners should the independent Committees investigating the allegations contained in the three petitions find all three Commissioners guilty of the charges against them.

What is the political utility to the NDC if the Committees do find even the two Deputy Commissioners guilty as charged? So, I asked my NDC colleagues the question, why did the defence of the Chairperson get the NDC so incensed that their surrogates decided to throw out the baby with the bath water by petitioning against their two other appointees? This could not have happened in the founding NDC because the incompetent and massive looser John Dramani Mahama would never have had the chance to fool the youth to kill all their parents and be without experienced elders to consult for strategic and tactical decision-making. We are now working in the NDC kingdom without fathers which John Mahama created, and with which he massively lost the elections.

Should all the three Commissioners or one or two be removed from office, the NDC can only have itself to blame for its predicament and not any witch-hunters from the NPP after being petitioners ourselves to facilitate the possible removal of all three Commissioners. I hope the NDC has learnt bitter lessons from the John Mahama Governments inept looting and losing leadership style and wish to God that we can collectively reorganize the party to instil that level of integrity and honour that will give us a chance in the nearest future to return to lead a true incorruptible social democratic Government of the people and for the people of Ghana.

Martin A. B. K. Amidu

(Citizens Vigilance for Justice)
Peter Mac Manu, former Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party, (NPP) has been refused entry into Kenya.

Mr Mac Manu was heading to Kenya as an Electoral Consultant for the National Super Alliance (NASA) Opposition Coalition to work with Aristotle Inc, a leading data Mining firm based in Washington DC, to help Kenya's united opposition control the 2017 elections scheduled for August 8th.

Some reports from Kenya indicate that Mr. Manu's denial is linked to his role as Honorary Chairman of the Democratic Union of Africa, an umbrella body of centre-right parties in Africa which includes some opposition parties in Kenya.

However, information gathered by this reporter indicates that Mr. Mac Manu arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi, his Passport was stamped but was detained at the arrival hall before being processed for deportation.

"It is an indictment on the Government of Ghana to send a delegate for a mission only to be deported for being a suspected election fraudster", a top security official in Nairobi told this reporter.

He added that "Mr. Mac Manu's name has been splashed across Kenya's Newspapers as "Ghana's Election Fraudster".

Meanwhile, two other members of the team put together by NASA to work with Mr. Manu have also been deported from the East African nation.

In December 2016, before the declaration of the results of the Presidential election, the Electoral Commission (EC) of Ghana through its chairperson complained of electronic interference in their software used to tally results of the elections. Around this same time, Mr. Mac Manu through a Press Conference issued figures to declare victory for the NPP.

Having used electronic means to secure the 2016 Presidential elections in Ghana, Mr. Mac Manu who led the NPP campaign in 2016 was invited by the National Super Alliance Opposition Coalition to help steer Kenya's Presidential Elections in favour of the Opposition.
Cape Town (AFP) - South Africa will learn Monday if a parliamentary vote of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma will be by secret ballot, a move that could encourage ANC lawmakers to oust him.

Tuesday's vote has become a test of African National Congress (ANC) unity as senior party figures have been increasingly critical of their leader, but it is unlikely to succeed in toppling Zuma.

The president, who came to power in 2009, has been implicated in multiple corruption scandals, while the country's economy has fallen into recession and unemployment has risen to record levels.

The 75-year-old is due to step down as head of the ANC in December, and as president before the 2019 general election -- lessening pressure for his party to seek imminent change.

Parliamentary Speaker Baleka Mbete is due to announce on Monday at 3:30pm (1330 GMT) whether the vote will be held in secret as requested by opposition parties.

The ruling has been subject to a long legal battle, and the vote on Tuesday evening could still be delayed by further court appeals.

Protests by pro- and anti-Zuma groups are planned in Cape Town, home of the South African parliament, on Monday and Tuesday.

The main opposition Democratic Alliance party said the vote was "an opportunity for us all to stand up to corruption and get rid of President Zuma and his cabinet."

A group of ANC veterans from the anti-apartheid struggle also called for lawmakers to vote against Zuma, who was himself imprisoned with Nelson Mandela on Robben Island under white-minority rule.

South Africa is "witness to larceny on a grand scale, leaving the country not only impoverished, but also increasingly in the hands of criminalised and compromised governance," the veterans said in a statement ahead of the vote.

The ANC has fought back, saying it expects its lawmakers to back the president.

Party chief whip Jackson Mthembu said ousting Zuma would "have disastrous consequences that can only have a negative impact on the people of South Africa".

But he acknowledged recent criticism of the ANC, and the impact of a cabinet reshuffle in March when respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan was replaced with a Zuma loyalist.

Gordhan's sacking led to a string of downgrades to South Africa's credit rating as well as causing the rand currency to tumble.

Public support for the ANC, which swept to power under Mandela in the first non-racial elections in 1994, slipped to 55 percent in last year's local polls -- its worst-ever election result.

But Zuma has easily survived several previous parliamentary votes attempting to oust him, due to the ANC holding 249 seats in the 400-seat parliament.
07.08.2017 LISTEN

Europeans eat 6-8 kg, Chinese 100 gr and Ghanaians 500 gr each year of chocolate products. Cocoa Beans are gown in West-Africa and the middle belt of Latin America only. Cocoa beans are a food item and the quality is highest after fermentation and drying, with time the quality degenerates.

During Colonial Times the giant players in the market of dealing and producing chocolate established their wealth and position in this industry. In 1946-48 companies in UK like Cadbury wanted to form a Cartel against the cocoa farmer in Ghana to dictate unto them their prices. Ghanaian cocoa farmer boycotted their idea by refusing to export cocoa beans. It took the intervention of the than UK Government to establish normality between both interest groups. This spirit in the leading producers of today is still very present in the market being reflected in the FairTrade chocolate, an exploitation of the cocoa farmer and depriving them of their moral right to be in charge of this industry and not the white man.

FairTrade means working conditions to modern standards (protective clothes during chemicals application, no child labour among others) and the promise by the FairTrade organizations to give a fair price to the cocoa farmers above the ICCO (re-located to Abidjan, Ivory Coast in 2017 from London, UK)) daily fixed price. These organizations have not produced any credible scientific evidence demonstrating they are the only market player that pays above the ICCO price or higher than a buyer that does not get involved in the logo of FairTrade.

Asking Ghanas 800.000 cocoa farmer which price they would call a fair price, 1, 6 Mio. different prices would be mentioned as each farmer has a wife that wants to see her children attending the best possible school. The FairTrade organizations come to the farmer with their price idea as they claim, any higher price would not be acceptable to the consumer in the developed world, again a statement not based on evidence and facts or the attempt to engage in more creative marketing approach to get the extra money needed from the consumer but their assumption of the market situation. For that reason it is not the cocoa farmer that can ever get a fair price, but a price determined by the FairTrade organizations. In a market situation it can never be established something that honestly can be called a fair price, it is, for various reasons, a power play between seller and buyer, neither fair nor unfair, simply a market price in which the FairTrade Organization is the stronger player.

For a worker in a EU manufacturing company it is the same whether producing chocolate, biscuits, condoms, frozen cakes, beer, spirits or soft-drinks, for Africans it is their identity and future of coming generations. In Germany the minimum salary per Hour stands at approx. Euro 9, 00, in Ghana per Day approx. Euro 2, 00. At the South African Supermarket chain in Accra, 100 gr chocolate bar from Ritter Sport (Germany) and Lindt (Switzerland) cost approx. Euro 3, 00; 80 gr from Cadbury (UK) approx. Euro 1, 80 of conventional quality. In Ghana locally produced chocolate 100 gr from Niche Ltd approx. Euro 1, 80 (simple quality), CPC Ltd approx. Euros 2, 00 (poor quality). The least Ghanaian worker (majority of citizen in the country) works a whole day for one bar of chocolate, his German counterpart 7 minutes only (is this normal and acceptable?). FairTrade chocolate will widen the gap as initiated by the white man until 2020! This chocolate is dangerous as it gives the white consumer the wrong impression about the implications involved for more generations of consumers to come, a sustainable misleading of people wanting to enjoy chocolate in the comfort of their homes in peace.

The consumer in the developed world is not aware of the fact that profit is made in trading and processing of cocoa beans, not the raw material. The production is in Europe or USA, the chocolate bar sold in Africa comes from there and as the manufacturer increase the price of a FairTrade chocolate by the increased price of buying plus a hidden increase in profit margin of the manufacturers, the cocoa farmer in Ghana finds it more difficult to buy for his crying son chocolate for Christmas and Birthday as the White Man standing before his son covered in tears holds up his FairTrade chocolate higher in price than conventional chocolate with a good conscious and pride of higher money paid for the FairTrade chocolate, as the father has no money in his pocket left to anymore buy the Christmas chocolate for the son, only for his birthday as it is the price that makes it impossible in the cocoa farming countries to eat as much chocolate products as in the developed world that do not grow cocoa beans at all but have the monopoly in the processing sector of them.

The increase in price of cocoa beans goes directly into the pockets of the FairTrade organizations, other involved traders and manufacturers; no wonder that this industry, unlike in the natural rubber business, has never ever seen rich farmers.

As cocoa beans are a food item, a production in the countries of origin would ensure the highest quality possible from the freshest beans. 2-3 months transportation from West-Africa to Hamburg/Germany and to the manufacturer in Europe kills many cocoa beans on the way making it wonder in modern days, why consumers in the developed world would like to enjoy chocolate made from old age pensioner beans that spend one months on ships side by side with dead cocoa beans as quite a number of beans are dead when arriving in Hamburg and must be sorted out. What is produced in Europe is produced from second class cocoa beans and appreciated by Millions that have no clue about this industryand pay a high price this days thinking FairTrade chocolate is a good idea while in fact it is stealing Africans of their own business and identity and not telling the consumers back home the truth. So sadso sad.

Africa, you better wake up and take charge of your own future as the white man will not do the job for you!

Author: Dipl.-Pol. Karl-Heinz Heerde, Sakumono, Tema West, Ghana, phone +233(0)265078287, [email protected] , 05.07.2017
 Luschan also asked a Lieutenant Ralf Zurn, stationed in Okahandja, South-West Africa, just after the massacre of the Hereros by the German colonialists begun: If you are aware of any possible way in which we might acquire a larger number of Herero skulls The lieutenant responded that this would be possible since in the concentration camps taking and preserving the skulls of Herero prisoners of war will be more readily possible than in the country, where there is always a danger of offending the ritual feelings of the natives. (1)

Postcard indicating who the addresses of the box were: German museums and universities

We publish below a press release from a German NGO, Berlin Postcolonial on the announcement by German authorities to start preparing African human remains for repatriation.

We were surprised to read that despite all the discussions on human remains from the racist German colonial empire, it is now that the German authorities have announced their intention of starting in October 2017, to start preparations on human remains taken from the German colonies - todays Tanzania, Ruanda and Burundi - in 1885-1918. Readers may recall that we have expressed our views on several aspects of the issue of human remains from German colonies.(2)

We had been under the impression that since the disgraceful incident on 28 September 2011 in which a German Foreign Office official, Cornelia Pieper, walked out of a ceremony of handing over skulls before the Namibian delegation had made a speech, the German authorities had been busy with the issue. Can we now have any confidence that this time they are really working on the issue? Or are they simply playing to gain time?

What worries me more are some of the declarations that accompanied the statement of intention to start work on the issue.

In a press release dated 02.08.2017, the president of the Prussian Foundation for Culture (SPK), Herman Parzinger stated: In order to be able to decide, how we deal with the rest of the human remains, we must know exactly where they come from, especially whether they result from an unjust context. (Unrechtkontext)

What the President of the Prussian Foundation for Culture is saying is that they decide whether the human remains were legally acquired or not. A very bold and amazing statement. The German institution is party to a dispute relating to whether human remains were legally acquired or not and it boldly constitutes itself as judge for determining an issue in which his Foundation is interested.

Given the known facts about German colonialism, the racist pseudo-scientific research of Dr. Erich Fischer and co, supported by Felix von Luschan and others, one is surprised that in 2017 a German official could speculate that some African human remains could have been acquired under legal circumstances. We can assure Parzinger that there could have been no legal situation in which African human remains could have been legally acquired under German colonial rule. German ethnologists could tell him about the values Africans attach to human remains. He should also be informed that the whole German colonial project and especially the attempt to acquire human remains was in an Unrechtcontext. Many laws in German colonies did not even conform to internal German forms and procedures.

The evil Dr.Eugen Fischer whose pseudo-scientific theories of racial purity were practised on Namibians at his desk with photos of African women.



One must go from the presumption that African remains in Germany were illegally acquired unless there a clear evidence to the contrary.

The press release from the Prussian Foundation writes about there being about thousand human remains from the former German East African colonies. Our information about German rule leads us to believe there are thousands and not thousand.

Even more worrying are the statements from the director of the Pilot Project that is going to research the provenance of the human remains, Dr. Bernhard Heeb. In a press release dated 02.08.2017, he states that the Luschan Collection of Skulls amounted at the beginning to some 6.300 skulls but now are almost 5.500. Where have the 800 skulls gone to? The scholar states that we do not know how old they are, where they came from, A great part came from Africa and the Pacific Region. He adds that on the basis of this historical background, the research of their provenance, at least for the almost 1.000 skulls from East Africa, become necessary. Is there here an attempt to throw the African human remains into a large pool of human remains that makes it theoretically difficult to state clearly their origin? In any case, the figure of 1.000 is clearly an understatement. Taking into account all the German massacres against Africans, and remembering that Dr. Heeb himself has said Felix Luschan collected about 6.300, surely the total collection of African skulls in Germany by the end of the 20th century must be estimated in tens of thousands.

Germans have been known for their record keeping and this talent or habit has been attested even in most unbelievable circumstances. Are Dr. Heeb and others now trying to make us believe that Felix Luschan and others interested in human skulls did not keep any records of how many skulls they received, from whom, from where and on what dates? Later on in the same interview Dr. Heeb states that there are in foreign archives relevant documentation. For example, there are in the American Museum of Natural History, New York, documentation of the private collection of Luschan.

To the question for what purposes one needs to-day these skulls, and why they cannot simply be returned, Dr Heeb answered that they could be used for scientific research, they could be used in researching into old diseases such as malaria and resistance thereto. When it is found that the skulls were acquired in an unjust context (Unrechtcontext ) then they will have to be returned.

Asked what would be an unjust context (Unrechtkontext) ,Dr.Heeb replied that there were cases, for example, where the colonial masters carried on summary executions. That would be an illegal context but as far as he knew there was no such case in the Luschan Collection. How can the expert be so sure? It would be interesting to know what opinion Dr. Heeb has of the notorious order from Lothar von Trotha:

"I, the great general of the German troops, send this letter to the Herero people. The Herero are no longer German subjects. They have murdered and stolen, they have cut off the ears and other parts of the bodies of wounded soldiers, and now out of cowardice they no longer wish to fight. I say to the people: anyone who hands over one of the chiefs to one of our stations as prisoner shall receive 1,000 marks and whoever delivers Samuel Maharero will receive 5,000 marks. The Herero people must however leave the land. If the people refuse to do so, I shall force them with the Great Rohr [cannon]. Any Herero found within the German borders, with or without a gun, with or without cattle, will be shot. I no longer receive women or children. I will drive them back to their people or order them to be shot. These are my words to the Herero people.

The great General of the mighty German Kaiser. ( 3)

Would Parzinger and Heeb be looking for Unrechtkontext under such command or presume, as we are suggesting, that all such transfers of human remains from colonial Africa to Germany were in an Unrechtkontext.

When asked why his institute is only now beginning with the provenance research even though the collection had been with the Museum fur Vor-und Fruhgeschichte since 2011, Dr. Heeb said they had been cleaning and taking conservatory measures as regards the skulls when they took them over. They must have a lot of skulls if it took from 2011 to 2017 to clean them.

Questioned about whether there have been any claims for restitution, Dr. Heeb said there had been none. This surprised me since I thought the whole issue came up since there were many claims for restitution. So, what have all the discussions and protests in the last years been about? It appears the German authorities are playing the same games with restitution of human remains as they have been playing with cultural artefacts. The more claims there are, the more they deny there have been any claims.

We expect the German authorities to do quickly what they should have done long ago:

Return African human remains to their countries of origin;

Render full and complete apologies to the peoples concerned;

Pay for the transport and costs of burial for the remains;

Compensate the peoples concerned for the pain and suffering of waiting for so long to bury their ancestors according to tradition.

We find it remarkable that Germans are having to deal with such issues whilst they are trying to improve their image with expensive prestigious projects such as the Humboldt Forum which should be opening soon. Do they relish to recall the very dark chapters of their history?

Perhaps a little more sensitivity towards those they have in past severely mistreated would help.

NOTES.

1.Andrew Zimmerman, Anthropology and Antihumanism in Imperial Germany (2001) p.245.

2. K. Opoku, Bones do not die: Germans to return Namibian skulls...

www.afrikanet.info/archiv1/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id...

Return of stolen skulls by Germany to Namibia: Closure of a horrible ...

https://www.pambazuka.org/.../return-stolen-skulls-germany-namibia-closure-horrible...

Have Germans finally acknowledged the ... - Pambazuka News

https://www.pambazuka.org/.../have-germans-finally-acknowledged-namibian-genoci ..

Namibian bones in European museums  Genocide with impunity ...

www.afrikanet.info/archiv1/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id

For detailed bibliography of German colonial collection of skulls, see: Aussereuropaische anthropologische Schadelsammlungen in Freiburg und Deutschland, http://www.freiburg-postkolonial.de/Seiten/anthropologische-schaedelsammlungen.htm. The long history of fascination with skulls up to present day is well demonstrated in an exhibition in the Reiss-Engelheim Museum, Mannheim, entitled Schadelkult - Kopf und Schadel in der Kulturgeschichte des Menschen. The exhibition catalogue published by the museum in 2011 gives an idea of how widespread is the availability of skulls in Germany. Some 32 institutions lent their skulls for the exhibition. These institutions are located in Bad Buchau, Bad Sackingen, Berlin, Bonn, Frankfurt am Main, Freiburg i.Brisgau, Giessen, Hamburg, Hannover, Heidelberg, Kassel, Konstanz, Koblenz, Koln, Kranenburg, Landshut, Mettmann, Mullenbach (bei Bayern), Munchen, Regensburg, Speyer, Stuttgart, Tubingen, Neu-Ulm, and Weimar.

3.Lothar von Trotha, news.bbc.co.uk;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herero_and_Namaqua_Genocide

Volkermord an den Nama und Herero in Deutsch-Sudwestafrika ab 1904. Dokumentation gegen das Vergessen. http://www.mahali.de/1904/genozid/vernichtungsbefehl.php

Jan-Bart Gewald, Herero Heroes, James Currey, Oxford, and Ohio University Press, 1999; also, The Great General of the Kaiser.

Kwame Opoku.

Berlin Postkolonial e.V.

PRESS RELEASE

2017-08-02



All human remains from colonized countries must be prepared for repatriation

Non-government organization Berlin Postkolonial welcomes the decision of the state-funded Foundation of Prussian Cultural Heritage (SPK) to start provenence research on the more than 1,000 human remains taken for racist researches to Berlin during Germanys colonial rule in todays Tanzania, Ruanda and Burundi, 1885-1918.

We see this decision as a result of our long-term protests against further research on the victims of European and German colonialism.

At the same time we want to emphasize:

that not only the Foundation of Prussian Cultural Heritage but also the Berlin Society of Anthropology, Ethnology and Prehistory (Rudolf-Virchow Collection) is in possession of thousands of human remains from colonized countries That both institutions possess numerous human remains from other regions colonized by Germany and Europe

We call on both institutions to check the provenance of their anthropological collections, to inform the source communities and to offer the repatriation of human remains shipped to Germany.

Tanzanian activist Mnyaka Sururu Mboro from Berlin Postkolonial:

I can hardly believe that the remains of our ancestors are now to be returned. The Foundation has not been active for more than five years despite various promises. Should it come to a repatriation I can only hope that the German government will not return them without an apology. We have never ceased to remember colonialism and the injustice done to our ancestors as well as to ourselves.

Phone Mnyaka Sururu Mboro: 0160 117 4528

Office: buero(at)berlin-postkolonial.de, 01799 100 976

Web: www.berlin-postkolonial.de

Conference on 2017/10/14-15: Prussian Colonial Heritage  Sacred Objects and Human Remains, Centre Francais Berlin, Mullerstra.e 74, 13349 Berlin
07.08.2017 LISTEN

From all indications, the miscreants in the NDC Party may well be behind the recent terroralerts purportedly issued by the UK, Canada, and the USA. NDC had on a number of occasions, insidiously, issued fake advisories, like one released in May of 2016 using forged letter heads from USAID and WACD. That I rebutted with an article as in the link below:

https://www.modernghana.com/news/695976/rejoinder-usaid-and-wacd-ghana-to-become-narco-state-if-a.html

The NDC inhumane cult further sodomised the nation with a dirty article featured in the Africa Watch magazine, an incredulous junk of a publication, also in the latter part of 2016,foolishly misleading the nation about the health status of President Nana Akufo-Addo. It was vexatious, malicious, and derogatory by all means, measures, and standards.

Such false publications had repeatedly debuted in NDCs political discourse, with irresponsible journalists of their ilk muddying the waters, hoping to reduceAkufo-Addos brimming popularity. Thanks be to GOD, all that had had an opposite effect of increasing the peoples urge to change the diaper, hence the shameful ousting of this most insensitive party of bulls and maniacs.

In this regard, let me state unequivocally that it is a dastardly act of crime and treason to engage in such scare mongering with the intent to cause disfavour for the Akufo-Addo government. To corroborate my suspicion about the involvement of the NDC in the recent treasonable act of issuing terror advisories, the liar with sharp teeth OkudzetoAblakwa, jumped onto the airwaves asking that the NPP government respond to these alerts He, also, asserted his defiance in a statement that the empty coconut on his neck was stronger than any terror attack that might happen.

The NDC party has soon forgotten that their devils,MahamaAyariga, OkudzetoAblakwa et al, cooked the fabricated bribery story against Hon BoakyeAgyarko that sought to discredit him. MahamaAyariga was indicted, but allowed to go with a disappointing apology. Left up to me, I would have stripped him off any immunity and thrown him in jail where he belongs together with his comrades as well asWoyome, Ibrahim Mahama, John Mahama, Joseph SiawAgyepong, and other thieves of their lot.

I am not happy that the various Embassies merely issuerebuttals to negate such devious maneuvers by the dying opposition of this country. They should investigate and seek justice in our courts. In fact, now that they have refuted the fake terror alerts, they must deny visas to NDC parliamentarians and anyone believed to be a member of that party.

My advice to the UK Embassy and others is very simple. To identify NDC members, create an intelligence questionnaire. They will definitely fail it because not a single one of them has basic commonsense. In fact, if their general secretary was an inmate at the Pantang sanitarium, it is a direct indication that only mad people elect mad officers to man their mad party. On rare occasions, one might find intelligent mad people, but in the case of the NDC, theirs is so chronic that they are beyond salvation. It is for this reason that I say another CPP comes calling to the shadows of history  an inglorious one by all means, albeit.

I call on the relevant security forces to dig deep into the burrows of the NDC. They just might uncover a whole lot more than just terror alerts. They might be engaged in preparations towards such dastardly criminal activities. I make a passionate appeal to those in charge to stop the NDC criminals in their tracks. Maybe they ought to begin with the perceived terrorist, BrogyaGyenfi, who emphasisedthat there will be turmoil in Ghana if the EC was impeached. The intention was clear in his statement. PLEASE ACT NOW NOW NOW!!!
Former Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Martin Alamisi Burns Kaiser Amidu, believes the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration appointed Charlotte Osei, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), for the purpose of rigging the 2016 general election in favour of the then incumbent administration.

In his latest article, the former Attorney General and anti-corruption campaigner blamed the NDC for the chaos that has erupted in the leadership of the EC, saying it portends a bad omen for the Congress.

It follows claims and counter claims by Charlotte Osei and her two Deputies, Amadu Sulley and Georgina Opoku-Amankwa, of corruption, abuse of office and constitutional breaches at the EC, which smack of incompetence after a petition was sent to President Akufo-Addo for the removal of the EC Chairperson and her deputies.

Petitions sent to the president for the removal of the three commissioners had been delivered to the Chief Justice for action. DAILY GUIDE learnt that the Chief Justice had communicated to the three people for their responses.

According to Mr Amidu, The last few weeks saw the EC Chair, Ms. Osei  with the conditions of service of a justice of the Court of Appeal  descending into the gutters and casting aspersions on her two deputy commissioners  also with the conditions of service of justices of the high court.

He insisted, She completely lost her comportment, decorum, and above all, the high moral character and proven integrity of a Justice of the Court of Appeal, to exhibit absolute patience in the face of every provocation so as to maintain the honour and dignity of her high office as the Electoral Commissioner and of the Commission as a whole  simply because the constitutional right of petitioning for her removal had been invoked against her.

For Mr Amidu, The Chairperson of the Commission had a supreme responsibility to maintain the integrity of the priceless Commission of which she had leadership. She should not have allowed herself to have been baited into fighting and exchanging vituperative words publicly with both deputy commissioners and other members of management.

In view of that, Mr Amidu concluded, She once more exhibited her incompetence and lack of leadership skills that, in my view, rendered her unfit for appointment to the high office of Electoral Commissioner in the first place.

Rigging Agenda

But as I said time without number during the 2016 elections, she was appointed by a corrupt government precisely because of her incompetence that made her susceptible for use for an election rigging agenda, he alleged.

However, he indicated, Her appointing government [referring to the Mahama's administration] failed in the rigging agenda, despite all the attempts by the Commission to narrow the election to a two-party race to facilitate easy rigging for the incumbent.

He wondered why the petition to the president for her removal from office by some alleged officers of the Commission made her to welcome support from the leadership of the NDC in and out of parliament.

They in turn, without producing any evidence, charged the NPP government in several statements and interviews published in the media with witch-hunting her from office.

Mr Amidu observed that the responses of the two Deputy Commissioners, who had been longer on the job than the Chairperson, cannot be said to be witch-hunting by the NPP.

NDC's Role

However, the NDC, which had alienated almost all their experienced and founding, strategic and tactical thinking members, just could not think very deeply of the consequences of their three appointees fighting one another in public at the Commission, he stated, adding, I suspected that once the NDC had openly taken the side of the Chairperson whom we, anti-corruption crusaders, suspected was appointed with a rigging agenda, they threw caution to the wind and could not have the patience of old age to cut their losses.

He therefore stressed the belief that The NDC's precipitate defensive actions, without waiting for the blood to cool and reason to assume its seat, when the petition against their appointed Electoral Commission Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, became public knowledge, may see all the three Commissioners appointed by the Congress or a number of them whipped out of office and new ones appointed by their so-called adversaries, the NPP.

He said that happened because we all remained silent and allowed charlatans and strangers to our values and ideals to hijack the NDC and alienate the most committed, selfless and experienced strategic and tactical founding thinkers of the party.

Interestingly, Mr Amidu said, She [referring to Charlotte Osei] has, either on her own or at the instance of her mentor, been trying to recycle herself as a neutral Electoral Commissioner after her Church Papa mediated her peaceful announcement of the election results.

Worry

Amidu, popularly called Citizen Vigilante for his anti-corruption crusade, wondered why the defence of the Chairperson got the NDC so incensed that their surrogates decided to throw out the baby with the bath water by petitioning against the two other appointees, insisting that this could not have happened in the founding NDC because the incompetent and massive loser, John Dramani Mahama, would never have had the chance to fool the youth to kill all their parents and be without experienced elders to consult for strategic and tactical decision-making.

We are now working in the NDC kingdom without fathers which John Mahama created, and with which he massively lost the elections. Should all the three Commissioners or one or two be removed from office, the NDC can only have itself to blame for its predicament and not any witch-hunters from the NPP, after being petitioners ourselves to facilitate the possible removal of all three Commissioners.

The Citizen Vigilante has therefore expressed the hope that the NDC has learnt bitter lessons from the John Mahama government's inept looting and losing leadership style and wish to God that we can collectively reorganize the party to instill that level of integrity and honour that will give us a chance in the nearest future to return to lead a true incorruptible social democratic government of the people and for the people of Ghana.

By Charles Takyi-Boadu


The Campaign Manager of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Peter Mac Manu, over the weekend had a tug of war with authorities in Kenya after the East African country denied him entry.

He was leading a team of Democratic Union of Africa (DUA) International Observers to monitor Kenya's general election which is scheduled to take place tomorrow, August 8 when the unfortunate incident occurred.

Former President John Mahama, a friend of Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, who was once called 'President of Ghana' in one of Ghana's independence anniversary brochures  is heading a Commonwealth Election Observer's Mission.

Mr. Mac Manu, a vice chairman of the DUA, in the company of his research assistant, Evans Nimako, disembarked at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi but the authorities made sure the two returned with the next available flight.

The Kenyan authorities fear that Mac Manu, who was to monitor the elections, would train the opposition on the parallel collation of results to avoid rigging as the then opposition NPP in Ghana did to thwart the rigging ploy of National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Earlier last week, the alleged tortured body of Chris Msando, the Electoral Commission's IT head responsible for overseeing the electronic transmission of results, was found in a forest outside Nairobi.

The local Kenyan media were inundated with reports that apart from Mac Manu, two United States Embassy officials and a Canadian were also asked to leave the country.

The US Embassy in Nairobi confirmed that two foreign nationals working for the opposition were deported.

In a tweet, the US Embassy in Nairobi said an American and a Canadian had been detained Friday.

They're safe & departing Kenya, it added.

James Orengo, a senior official in the National Super Alliance (NASA)  opposition coalition being led by candidate Raila Odinga  named the two as John Aristotle Phillips, an American, and Andreas Katsouris, a Canadian.

Phillips is believed to be chief executive officer of Aristotle Inc, a Washington-based data mining firm and political consultancy, while Katsouris is a senior vice president in the company.

Orengo described the two men as friends from Canada and the United States, adding, Both of them were sharing their experiences with us.

He said, The police invaded their apartment where they were living in Westlands, a Nairobi neighbourhood.

The deportations and denials of entry come as the opposition claimed police late Friday raided a party tally centre in Westlands where a parallel vote count was due to be conducted.

Mr Orengo alleged that all the incidents are part of a government plan to undermine the opposition's ability to verify results from national elections due on August 8.

This should be seen in the context that yesterday was like an operation, not simply (targeting) this national centre, but looking for everybody who would want to work with us, he noted.

Kenya's police chief has denied that any such raid took place.

Mac Manu returned Saturday morning and was said to have been met on arrival at the Kotoka International Airport by some officials of the NPP.

By William Yaw Owusu
Beleaguered General Secretary of the People's National Convention (PNC), Atik Mohammed, is fighting back to reclaim his position after he was suspended indefinitely by the party recently.

He has caused his lawyers to write to the party, arguing that the decision to suspend him was ultra vires.

A news release issued in Accra recently by Emmanuel Wilson Jnr, the PNC Director of Communications, had said that the decision to suspend Atik indefinitely was taken at a crucial meeting by the National Executive Committee (NEC)  which is the second highest decision-making body  on Saturday, July 22.

The release had said Atik was suspended indefinitely as a result of lack of efficiency and dereliction of duties. He party agreed further that Atik's deputy, Jacob Amoako, should assume the role of acting General Secretary with immediate effect.

But Atik is fighting back through his lawyers, A-Partners @ Law, saying, We start by stating categorically that the decision by a few members of the party's NEC to indulge in the action purporting to suspend our client was/is completely alien to the PNC Constitution and due process of law generally.

According to the lawyers, neither had Atik been charged with any offence nor was the said meeting a disciplinary panel.

The party leader's individual unilateral attempt in the middle of the said meeting to suddenly and illegally alter the advertised and adopted agenda eventually saw the General Secretary, National Chairman, and others leave the said meeting in protest, the lawyers indicated.

According to Atik's lawyers, per Article 67 (3) (a) of the PNC Constitution, an action impugning the propriety of the conduct of a member ought to commence by a petition to the National Disciplinary Committee and not to the NEC.

They said in Article 67 (3) (c) of the PNC Constitution, it was the National Disciplinary Committee and not the NEC that is empowered to determine a member's guilt and issue an order for indefinite suspension.

The lawyers further said the NEC has appellate and not original jurisdiction in such matter as spelt out in Article 67 (4) and added that the PNC elders are supposed to be the appellate body under Article 48 (d).

Atik's lawyers said there was no complaint/petition against their client to the appropriate body and no charges, response or hearing against him either.

Consequently, the purported actions were/are not only ultra vires on two separate levels, but such an egregious assault of the PNC Constitution, due process, good conscience and our client's rights that same be given any regard whatsoever by our client, according to the lawyers.

At the said NEC meeting, the party had also unanimously affirmed Dr. Edward Nasigre Mahama, who was their flag bearer in the December 2017 presidential election as its leader.

The party further served warning to its National Chairman to desist from calling himself the leader following the defeat of Dr Mahama in the 2016 polls.

The party's Chairman, Bernard Monarh, should continue in the capacity as Chairman but must recognize henceforth, the authority of the leader in his execution of duties as National Chairman.

The party supported the recent appointment of Dr. Mahama as Ambassador at Large by President Akufo-Addo when it said in the release that NEC congratulates H.E. Dr. Edward Mahama on his appointment as Ambassador at Large by the President of the Republic of Ghana.

By William Yaw Owusu
07.08.2017 LISTEN

The story is told of an Emperor whose obsession with clothes is second to none. His love for clothes was so much that he spent all his money on being well dressed. He cared less about state functions like warfare, peoples welfare, recreation, going to the theatre, or going for a ride in his carriage, except to show off his new clothes. He reportedly had a coat for every hour of the day, and instead of saying, as one might, about any other ruler, "The King's in a meeting," here they always said. "The Emperor's in his dressing room."

The interesting this about this story, writes Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, in his The Emperors New Clothes, is that, unknown to the Emperor, the Kings council members an equivalent of todays cabinet, for fear of being seen as unfit for their positions, have perfected the art of making the King believe hes always on new clothes. The members of the Council and his weavers who cannot get quality fabric, the Emperor thought he could tell the wise men from the fools.

Incidentally, we have a new Emperor in town in Nigeria today. He has been referred to in different names by his most fanatical supporters. Some have described him as John the Baptist, laying the foundation for the coming of the Lord. Some ridiculous ones have even put him in the place or on equal footing with the Lord Himself. He is regarded by others as the Supreme Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) or the Igbos. He can do no wrong. His word is Law. If he issues any command, such must be obeyed without question. This new Emperors name is Nnamdi Kanu who dreams of leading a nation he calls Biafra!

Kanu, like his supporters, are deluded. His supporters are the most unfortunate. They echo whatever the Emperor says like a chorus. Like Boxer in George Orwells Animal Farm whos never tired of saying, If comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right. Boxer is about the strongest of the animals in the farm, even stronger than Napoleon himself, yet hes one of the least intelligent. It is on the army of this mass that the Emperor derives his power. Their ignorance is his is his wisdom; their poverty, his wealth; and their death, his life; their misery, his happiness; and their loss, his gain!

Few days ago, Joe Igbokwe, one of the few Igbos that refuses to see new clothes on the Emperor published his story in obvious response to Kanu who called him a slave. Joe published his rags to riches story of how he came from his village in Nnewi to Lagos in search of better life and economic prosperity. He explains why he owed everything to Lagos and why he always appreciates the state. He served three different Governors (Tinubu, Fashola and Ambode) in high capacities even though he is Igbo, a feat even indigenous Lagosians cannot boast of.

Rather than his supporters to tell the Emperor he is walking naked and urge him to publish his own story, if he has any, many of them went on to tell Joe to keep quiet. Some of us fell the Emperor should simply have told us how better he is than Igbokwe. He should have told us how he graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He should have told us the businesses the Emperor engaged in while he was in London. We waited patiently to hear the jobs he did before he was appointed as director of Radio Biafra. It appears we will have to wait longer to hear all these. Some things are better kept secret!

Understandably, our Emperors wont give up without a fight. On Friday 4 August 2017, I read an article under the title THE GAPS IN JOE IGBOKWES STORY by one Onyebuchi Ememanka published online by Scan News.

When I saw the captivating title THE GAPS I felt it was time to demystify Joe Igbokwe. I thought it was time to see the lies, or exaggerations made by the APC Lagos image maker. I became more excited I read the writers claim when he said, For starters, I know Engr. Joe Igbokwe personally and I must say that he is a man I respect a lot.

He went further to write, For the seven years I spent in Lagos, I attended the same church with Igbokwe  St. Bartholomews Anglican Church Aguda Surulere, one of the most powerful Anglican churches in Lagos and indeed Nigeria, both in terms of the quality of membership and evangelical depth. A full time Igbo church in Lagos, St. Barths is in a class of its own with one of the most fiery and charismatic Pastors, The Venerable Ben Nwanekwu.

My excitements depreciated as I went on reading Onyebuchis article. There were no real Gaps in Joe Igbokwes Story as the title claimed. There were no exaggerations in Joes story either. The writer also made no attempt(s) to introduce irrelevances into his own story when he brought in a time when Lagos PDP Gubernatorial candidate visited their Church which saw the entire church erupted in applause when he arrived. The question I asked myself was, What gaps in Joes story does this fill?

If Joes offence was that he served in APCs government under three different political administration or that he doesnt make much noise about going home like most people do, in my opinion, he committed no offence and the writer goofed. Is Joe not supposed to be an adult that has the right to freedom of association under the 1999 Constitution? Joe is the spokesman of the party in Lagos. He is the manager of a large government agency in Lagos. He lives, like many of us in Lagos. He has a job to do in Lagos, what do you want him to always say? These are no easy jobs!

For the records, I am Igbomina from Kwara state. My father moved to Lagos before Independence with nothing. By sheer efforts, he built nine houses in Lagos. His only house in Ajase-Ipo was built for his aunt. I was born in Lagos. Apart from my two-year National Diploma (ND) in Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin in 2006, I have not visited the state. Does that make me less Igbomina?

If the Emperors supporters are sincere, they should be able to tell he is naked rather than saying he has new clothes!

Olalekan Waheed Adigun is a political risk analyst and independent political strategist for wide range of individuals, organisations and campaigns based in Lagos, Nigeria. Email: [email protected] , [email protected] . Follow me on Twitter: @adgorwell.

He is the author of the new book, Witnessing The Change.
Kinshasa (AFP) - Sustained gunfire broke out Monday close to the central prison in the Congolese capital Kinshasa, residents and activists said, three months after a wave of attacks and mass jailbreaks began.

"For about an hour, there's been shooting around the Makala prison, there's no more traffic and the avenues are empty here in Selembao," the poor city centre district where the prison stands, Emmanuel Cole, a prisoners' rights activist, said.

"There's shooting with light weapons... the market is closed," resident Philemon Mboko told AFP, adding that a police chief "has been killed".

"I took shelter inside the house. I heard a lot of gunfire next to the Makala prison," another resident, Fiston, said.

"Something is happening in the Selembao area. We are trying to find out exactly what is going on," police spokesman Colonel Pierrot-Rombaut Mwanamputu, told AFP.

Between May and July, a number of attacks and jailbreaks hit the Makala prison, the biggest in Kinshasa, capital of the vast Democratic Republic of Congo.

More than 4,000 detainees were able to escape during those incidents.

Police stations in three Kinshasa districts -- Limete, Matete and Kalamu -- also came under attack, along with the central market, whose chief administrator was targeted and killed.

Police have identified some of the alleged perpetrators as members of the main opposition Union for Democracy and Social Progress party, long led by Etienne Tshisekedi, who died last February aged 84.

Insecurity has deepened in the DRC since December, when President Joseph Kabila refused to quit office in line with the constitution at the end of his second elected five-year term.
The National Orginser of National Democratic Congress (NDC) Kofi Adams has described as gibberish Martin Amidus recent epistle blaming the NDC for the internal wrangling at the Electoral Commission (EC).

That is a very silly thought. Please! Let people use their head, he told Morning Starr host Francis Abban Monday August 7, 2017.

He added, I am quite disturbed and worried, and I think that you in the media must begin to help to expose chaff from the useful feed. Clearly, people just sit somewhere and write anything and when they are called to come and defend they will tell you they wont speak.

Mr. Amidu who was a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice also alleged in his write-up that former President John Mahama appointed the beleaguered chairperson of the EC, Charlotte Osei, to rig the 2016 elections for him.

 As I said time without number during the 2016 elections, she was appointed by a corrupt Government precisely because of her incompetence that made her susceptible for use for an election rigging agenda.

Her appointing Government failed in the rigging agenda despite all the attempts by the Commission to narrow the election to a two-party race to facilitate easy rigging for the incumbent.

She has, either on her own or at the instance of her mentor, been trying to recycle herself as a neutral Electoral Commissioner after her Church Papa mediated her peaceful announcement of the election results, he wrote.

However, Mr. Adams dismissed the allegations as baseless, stressing that Mrs. Osei was not appointed to rig elections for the NDC.

No single person in the commission can rig elections in favour of any presidential candidate, he told Abban Monday August 7, 2017.

There is no way any one person can sit in Accra and decide to change results that have come from close to 29,000 polling stations. If anybody writes that, it tells you thatthe person is so so ignorant about the working of the Electoral Commission and about how results get declared in this country, he added.
Baba Musah, a 21 year-old notorious armed robber based at Awona Nkwana in the Western Region, has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by the Tarkwa Circuit Court.

The convict was recently jailed by the same court for committing a similar offense.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit crime and robbery.

Police Chief Inspector Faustina Celestina Anaman told the court that the complainant, one Mr Ren Jianle, a foreman of China Sing Zhan dynamite company in Awona Nwanta, near Bogoso, lived in the same area with the convict, and his accomplices, Anthony Boafo, 15, and Budo a suspect on the run.

According to the Prosecutor, Musah and Budo visited Boafo in his Uncle's residence at Beppoh and planned to rob the complainants company.

She said Boafo agreed to join them and they all boarded a vehicle to the companys yard.

Inspector Anaman said when Musah and his accomplices arrived at the crime scene they noticed that the main gate leading to the companys premises was locked so they jumped over the fence into the yard.

The Prosecutor said the workers who were then busily going about the days work on seeing them took to their heels for fear of their lives, but the complainant was trapped in a room within the yard and Musah, Boafo and Budo assaulted him with clubs.

They then took away an amount of GHc 1,000, a pump action gun, two mobile phones and a solar scale machine all valued GHc 10,500.

Inspector Anaman said when the police had the information and went to the scene, they found the complainant unconscious with a fractured left leg.

She said the complainant was sent to the El-Shiva clinic at Bawdie for treatment and was later referred to the Effia Nwanta Hospital at Sekondi for further treatment.

The Prosecution said on July 12, at 2300 hours, Musah and Boafo were arrested at Atonsuagya village near Ejura in the Ashanti Region upon a tip-off.

She said when the police conducted a search in Musahs room the solar scale machine was retrieved.

Inspector Anaman said the convict also claimed that he sold the pump action gun to one Ray in Kumasi for Ghc 50.

The Prosecutor said Boafo has also been remanded in police custody whilst efforts are being made to apprehend Budo.




The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) David Asante-Apeatu on Saturday joined hundreds of mourners from all walks of life at the funeral of the late Corporal Robert Kumi Ackah at Axim in the Nzema East Municipality of the Western Region.

The late Corporal Ackah served with the Tamale Rapid Deployment Force.

He was allegedly shot and killed by a fellow police officer mistakenly during a shoot-out with armed robbers on May 28, this year.

The patrol team mistook the deceased, who was in mufti for an armed robber when it arrived at the scene.

The mourners included Commissioner of Police (COP), Prosper Agblor, Director-General Welfare at the Police Headquarters, the Western Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kwasi Mensah Duku and other officers of the Ghana Police Service.

Also in attendance were the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, who is also the Minister for Tourism, Catherine Abelema Afeku and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Frank Okpeyen.

The late Robert Kumi Ackha was born on May 26, 1986 to Mary Kumi, a trader and John Anyimah Ackah, an administrator.

He had his police training in Kumasi and passed out successfully in the year 2012 and was later posted to Tamale for police duties.

His major police operational duty was during the funeral of the late President Atta Mills.

The late Corporal Kumi Ackah met his wife, Hannah Dedo Dun in Tamale and they had a daughter, Mary Nana Tawiah.

Corporal Ackah was escorting an 'OA' passenger with registration number GE 6402-14 when they were attacked by armed robbers in the Northern Region.

A police patrol team, which responded to a distress call, gunned down Lance Corporal Ackah mistakenly.

Police preliminary investigations revealed that at about 2.30am, a patrol team had information that some armed men had blocked the road between Kawampe and Gulumpe.

The team proceeded to the scene and saw about 20 cars parked alongside the road.

They were said to have manoeuvred to the scene where the armed robbers reportedly opened fire on the patrol team. The team also returned fire immediately and moved ahead.

The patrol team shot the deceased in the thigh.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Axim




Ethiopian Airlines Group, a Star Alliance member, has colourfully marked the 20th anniversary of Star Alliance, the largest global airline network.

It also inaugurated its maiden flight to Kaduna, Nigeria at a reception held at Ethiopian main hub Addis Ababa Bole International Airport on August 1st, 2017.

Ethiopian Group CEO, Tewolde GebreMariam and Star Alliance CEO, Jeffrey Goh graced the event; discussing ongoing developments and the Alliance's strategy for the next decade with Ethiopian employees.

While addressing attendees of the celebration, Group CEO Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. GebreMariam remarked, We are glad to celebrate this momentous occasion at Ethiopian, and wish all members of the Alliance a Happy 20thAnniversary. We are sincerely honoured and are very thankful for Mr. Jeffrey for joining us here today. Dedicated to innovation for a thriving customer experience across the Alliance's network, Star Alliance has benefited member airlines and customers with its worldwide reach and seamless connectivity.

In a historic coincidence, the inaugural ceremony of our fifth destination in Nigeria, Kaduna has matched with the 20th anniversary celebration. As a Pan-African airline and a proud member of Star Alliance, we are pleased to avail seamless connectivity to 55 African cities. I strongly believe that the future holds better collaboration and growth for all of us in the Alliance.

Mr. Jeffrey Goh, CEO of Star Alliance, on his part said: One of the founding pillars of Star Alliance is our global network, which strengthens continuously as our 28 member airlines grow their individual networks. Ethiopian Airlines' new flight to Kaduna in Nigeria adds a further destination to over 1,300 already on offer to our customers. As we move into our third decade, our strategic focus is shifting from adding new member airlines to digitalization. We are steadily enhancing our product offering to include the complementary digital services today's customers expect.

Created in 1997 by five airlines as the first global aviation alliance, Star Alliance delivers the world's finest Alliance network experience and Ethiopian Airlines, the largest Aviation Group in Africa joined Star Alliance on December 13, 2011 being the Alliance's third carrier based on the African continent.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament will resume its sitting from today to Friday.

Today, the committee will be meeting officials from the Ministry of Health when it considers the performance audit report of the Auditor-General to ensure safety and quality of medicines in Ghana.

It will also host officials of the Ministry of Education over the performance audit report of the Auditor-General on the governance of the National Apprenticeship Programme by the Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training.

Tomorrow, officials from the Bank of Ghana (BoG) will be facing the committee over report of the Auditor-General on the Statement of Foreign Exchange Receipts and Payment of the Bank of Ghana for the half year ending 30th June, 2016.

On the same day, officials of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) will appear to answer questions on the performance audit report on the implementation of local content in the oil and gas sector of Ghana.

On Wednesday, officials of the Ministry of Finance and the Controller and Accountant-Generals Department will also appear to respond to queries on Public Accounts of the Consolidated Fund for the year ending 31st December, 2015.

On Thursday, a packed hearing will see officials of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing appearing to answer queries on the Public Accounts of Ghana on Ministries, Departments and other Agencies under those ministries for the ending 31st December, 2015

On Friday, officials of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Jusitce, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Roads and Highways, Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovations will also appear to respond to queries on Public Accounts of Ghana on Ministries, Departments and Agencies under them for the year ending 31st December, 2015.

The committee is chaired by the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Member of Parliament for Ketu North, James Klutse Avedzi, who also doubles as the deputy minority leader, while the ranking member is the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Bibiani-Anhwiaso-Bekwai, Kingsley Aboagye-Gyedu, who doubles as a Deputy Minister of Health.

By Thomas Fosu Jnr


The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has denied reports in the media on Wednesday by gas tanker drivers that 7,000 gas tanker drivers would lose their jobs by September this year.

The NPA, in a press statement issued on Friday, said the reports were fraught with a number of false allegations.

Contract with Puma Energy

The publication claimed government had entered into a contractual agreement with Puma Energy Limited to be the sole entity tasked with the supply of gas and LPG cylinders to domestic consumers. This is an outright falsehood perpetuated by the Association. We wish to categorically state that neither Puma Energy Limited nor any other company has been issued a licence to do cylinder recirculation. Puma Energy is a licensed Oil Marketing Company (OMC), whose primary role is to sell petroleum products to bulk consumers and the general public through retail stations and reselling outlets.

Contrary to the claim that the Cylinder Re-circulation Model policy is set to be implemented beginning September 1, 2017, the policy is in a draft stage, which is yet to be finalised and submitted to cabinet for approval before implementation.

The ministerial sub-committee, led by NPA, is currently reviewing the policy and at the same time developing a draft implementation plan.

It disclosed that NPA held two separate meetings with LPG/Oil Marketing Companies to collate their concerns and these have been taken care of in the draft policy implementation plan.

Further consultations will be held with the said companies and other stakeholders, including the gas tanker drivers before the policy is finalized and implemented.

Thousands out of job

It is worthy to mention that while the policy will seek to maintain the existing jobs, it is also going to create more jobs based on the category of licences to be created in the implementation plan. In this regard, the NPA wishes to assure the general public that it is not in our interest to keep the Gas Tanker Drivers Association out of job as being speculated.

As the regulator of the petroleum downstream industry, we have a responsibility to safeguard the interest of all our service providers, as well as consumers.

By Samuel Boadi


The Ghana Ports & Harbours Authority (GPHA) has signed a contract agreement with IBISTEK Limited for a concession to equip the Takoradi Port in the Western Region with a new container multi-purpose terminal to enable it to accommodate more cargoes.

To be executed at a cost of $370million, the project will have the capacity to handle about two million twenty equivalent unit (TEU) containers in line with the GPHA's master plan for the Takoradi Port.

The multi-purpose facility which is jointly financed by African Development Bank (AfDB) and Ghana Infrastructure Development Fund involves the construction and operation of the container multi-purpose terminal at the Takoradi Port for 25 years concession, with 15-year grace period for the repayment of the loan.

The Director General of GPHA, Paul Asare Ansah, stated that the project is intended to enhance efficiency and make the Takoradi Port a competitive one with ports in Cotonou, Abidjan, Benin and Ivory Coast.

Fortunately, we find a very reliable partner in the company of IBISTECK to enhance the status of Takoradi Port. That is going to be the flagship project in Takoradi Port and that is going to lift the port of Takoradi to the level that will rock shoulders with contemporary ports like Tema, Abidjan and Cotonou, he added.

According to him, the Takoradi Port is being well positioned to play a pivotal role in the economic development process of the country.

It is no doubt that the port of Takoradi is going to experience major transformation and going to be an enclave transit and transshipment activities of Takoradi, the GPHA boss mentioned.

He continued that the project is a giant leap for the GPHA and would result in a lot of economic benefits to the country by creating over 2, 000 direct and indirect jobs in the Western Region.

The President of IBISTEK Limited, Kwame Gyan, expressed his excitement about the project, stating that I am committed to ensure that this project works for the benefit of both partners.

We are also very cautious about the confidence GPHA repose in IBISTEK and we are committed ourselves to do what is within our capability to ensure that it is a win-win situation for both partners. We are very happy to be part of this project, he underscored.

From Vincent Kubi, Tema
A 19-year-old boy has butchered four men with a sharp machete, causing serious injuries to them.

Emmanuel Adi aka Oboy Emma, the suspect, also butchered a dog belonging to one of his victims.

The suspect, a senior high school (SHS) graduate, also butchered himself with the same sharp machete after the heinous act.

It is suspected that Oboy Emma was under the influence of some illegal substance like Tramadol, which got him intoxicated.

The unfortunate incident occurred on Friday afternoon around 12:30pm at Ayokoa in the Adanse North District of Ashanti Region.

The victims were identified as Kojo Ampong, 85; Evans Amponsem, 23; Akwasi Nyansah aka Mfante, 76, and John Atta, 45.

They were initially rushed to the New Edubiase Government Hospital, where they were referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.

Oboy Emma, who also suffered serious head injuries, is also receiving treatment at the New Edubiase Government Hospital under police watch.

Chuku Joseph, an eyewitness, told the paper that residents of Ayokoa went for a communal labour on that fateful day.

After returning, he revealed that John Atta was relaxing in his room and suddenly, he heard his dog barking, alerting him that his dog had been attacked.

To John Atta's horror, he came out of his room to see his dog totally butchered by Oboy Emma, who was then holding two sharp-looking machetes.

Before John Atta could ask Oboy Emma about why he attacked the dog, the suspect also started butchering him with full force.

John Atta sustained serious stomach injuries as he was also stabbed. Oboy Emma then left the house and butchered three more people.

The suspect, who was acting strangely, then rushed to a faulty bus, which was parked in the area and started hitting his head into it.

Oboy Emma also hit his head with the machete, causing serious head injuries to him.

He was eventually overpowered by people at the scene and handed over to the police to start investigations into the strange case.

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi




The deportation of the 2016 National Campaign Manager of the governing New Patriotic Party, Peter Mac-Manu from Kenya seems to have created some form anxiety in that country.

Mac Manu who was leading a team of election observers was prevented from entering Kenya which has its election scheduled for Tuesday, August 8, 2017.

Earlier reports suggest that Mac Manu was denied entry because of his role as Honorary Chairman of the Democratic Union of Africa, an umbrella body of centre- right parties in Africa which includes some opposition parties in Kenya.

Meanwhile Godfred Akoto Boafo, a Ghanaian journalist and editor of Business Insider news portal in Kenya told Bernard Avle on the Citi Breakfast Show that rumours suggest that Mr. Manu was deported because he was allegedly meddling in the Kenyan election.

there had been rumours that the governing NPP in Ghana was meddling in the affairs, as has been referred to by the ruling party here in Kenya that they [Mac Manu and the NPP] were helping the party of Raila Odinga in Kenya. This has not been substantiated but a lot of newspapers here have carried stories that somebody like Joe Anokye who had helped the NPP in their strong room during the 2016 election had been flown to Nairobi and this has led to the Kenyan government not being receptive to members of the NPP at the moment. And I think is what contributed to certain members of the NPP being red flagged at the airport, one of them being Peter Mac Manu, he added.

But the NPP had rejected such claims saying Mac Manu was not meddling in the Kenya election.

Click for Godfred Akoto Boafos report:



By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin
07.08.2017 LISTEN

The Deputy Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe Constituency in the Greater Region, Hon. Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah has reiterated government's commitment to put up a health facility as requested by the Chiefs and elders of the Mepe Traditional Area in the Volta Region of Ghana.

According to her, the traditional area will not be left out of government's decision to put new health facilities across the country. The indefatigable Deputy Minister made this assurance during the 63rd Afenorto Annual festival of the people of Mepe traditional area in the North Tongu Constituency of the Volta Region. The Honourable Member in responding to a number of requests made by the chiefs, elders and people of the Mepe Traditional Area, assured them of government's support to provide them with a health facility in the near future.

Hon. Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah who represented the substantive Minster of Health and her boss, Hon. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu and the entire Health Ministry delivered a speech at the occasion on the theme, influencing the health of a traditional area; the role of cultural practices". In her speech, she advised the people of Mepe traditional area to ensure that the positive aspect of their cultural practices or systems conform with modern trends of healthcare practices delivered in the country under the watch of H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of the republic of Ghana.

She also stated that, cultural practices and beliefs such as taboos which are practised without recourse to modern healthcare, threaten the life of people, therefore such practices and beliefs should be frown upon, to ensure that people stay healthy and longer to contribute their quota to advance the development course of this noble country of ours.

The 63rd Afenorto festival of the people of the Mepe area was highly graced by dignitaries across the country. The Member of Parliament for the area which is part of North Tongu Constituency, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa and the Elected DCE for North Tongu District were at the occasion to grace it. The Minister for Chieftaincy and Religious affairs, Hon. Kofi Dzamesi and the first Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra, Prof. Joshua Alabi were at the occasion to grace it as Special Guest of Honour and Chairman respectively.

The former Chief Executive Officer for the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) , Mr. Sylvester Mensah, the MPs for South and Central Tongu Constituencies and Hon. Zenator Agyeman Rawlings, MP for Korle Klottey, among others were at the festival which was celebrated in a grand style.

The Mankrando, Togbe Kwasi Nego VI whose shoulders, the whole occasion lay was seated at the forecourt, flanked by some divisional chiefs of the traditional area at the occasion grounds. The festival was heavily witnessed by natives of the traditional area.

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Kinshasa (AFP) - Twelve people were killed Monday by stray gunfire in a wave of violence in Kinshasa, said a spokesman for the national police.

The toll was a provisional estimate, Pierrot Rombaut Mwanamputu said in an emergency broadcast that interrupted programming on public television.

He also said two police officers had been "lynched" and were in critical condition.

Sustained gunfire had been reported earlier close to the central prison in the Congolese capital, where more than 4,000 people escaped in May, and in the districts of Matete and Ndjili, residents and activists said.

"There has been gunfire around Makala prison for about the last hour. There's no traffic and the streets are empty," Emmanuel Cole, a campaigner for prisoners' rights, said from the nearby district of Selembao.

st-mbb/adm/ri/cw
Former National Health Insurance Authority boss, Mr Sylvester Mensah has cautioned the Akufo-Addo government against the 'unjustifiable sacking of workers in public institutions across the country'.

He observed that 'the indiscriminate dismissal, termination or appointments and proceed on leave orders to workers perceived to be sympathizers of the now opposition NDC does not bode well for the peace and security of the country'.

Mr Mensah these comments in his address last Saturday as a guest speaker at the grand durbar of the 63rd Afenorto festival of the Chiefs and people of Mepe in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region.

According to NDC stalwart, Ghanaians expect a government that is even handed, fair, equitable and responsive to our needs and a government that recognizes the significant size of the youth in today's society and develops action programs to harness their energies, potentials and talents into a productive force for self and nation.'

He thanked the Chiefs and people of the area for the warm invitation extended to him to celebrate the festival with them. The former La Dadekotopon legislator also used the occasion to commend the chiefs and people of Mepe for the continuous celebration of the Afenorto festival for sixty-three years and also praised them for the successes and progress that they have collectively chalked as a community.

He also expressed his gratitude to the people of the area for voting massively for the NDC in the December 2016 elections and assured them of the partys commitment to developing the area more when it comes back to power.

The Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, Mr Kofi Dzamesi; deputy minister of health, Hon Tina Mensah; North Tongu Member of Parliament, Hon Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; and Korle Klottey MP Hon. Zanetor Rawlings graced the occasion.

The occasion was chaired by Prof. Joshua Alabi, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra.

The Afenorto festival, meaning Period of Rest at Home, is celebrated annually to renew the sense of oneness of the Chiefs and people of Mepe. This years climax of the celebration brought together thousands of people who thronged the durbar ground after a rich display of culture by the five clans and their chiefs in a procession through the principal streets of the town.



By citifmonline.com/Ghana
07.08.2017 LISTEN

Some Ghanaians have spoken against government decision to use oil revenue to pay for cost of highly inflated projects, non-existing projects and non-budgeted projects.

They did not understand why oil money would be used to support ongoing project or already completed project when the same money could be used to undertake a completely oil funded projects to openly display the benefits that Ghana is gaining from the oil revenue. They indicated that using oil revenue as counterpart funding for other projects create avenue for public officials and politicians to loot and share them and it becomes difficult for the people to track and monitor them.

They want government to use the oil money to solely fund developmental projects rather than using a portion to assist in completing projects.

This came to light when a team of observers from the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) and the Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists,(IFEJ) inspected some road networks in the Ashanti region which were supposed t have been constructed with oil money .

For instance, it was captured in the 2016 budget that the 10.2 kilometer Anyinasu, Sekyidumasi road had been constructed with oil money. It was however realized that only GHC 6.5 million from the oil revenue was used to support this particular project.

It was also realized the 10.2 Kilometer road project which started in 2010 with an initial contract sum of about GHC17,2 had its figure inflated to GHC 37 million(Thirty Seven Million cedis)over a six year period due to delay in payment, high interest charges on loans acquired by the contractor, cost fluctuations , unexpected variations and additional and unexpected earth works on the project , according to the Ashanti Regional Highway Director ,Mr Christian Nti.

The Municipal Chief Executive of Ejura Sekyedumase Municipal Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Baba in a statement at a forum organized by PIAC in his district said until the team visited them nobody in his district knew that the construction of the Anyinaso-Sekyedumase road was partly funded with oil revenue. He said Though Ghana has been producing oil for the past six years it is clear from the lives of the people that oil has not changed our lives. We must establish an oil revenue development fund with an administrator to undertake its own projects separate from other projects

Besides, some residents of Ejura-Sekyedumase municipality expressed disappointment about the way oil money is being spread thinly. They indicated that projects listed in their areas as petroleum revenue funded projects were completed even before the country commenced oil and gas production and want government to use the oil money judiciously to benefit all Ghanaians.

Nana Adusei Mensah, a community leader in the Ejura Traditional Area questioned why PIAC was presenting financial statement of oil money that had already been spent when they could have done that before the money is spent so they could track and monitor the projects. He therefore encouraged PIAC to do more to ensure that there is oil revenue is properly accounted for .

Dr Steve Manteaw noted that there is a need for oil revenue to be separated from other project since comingling of funds with the oil money is not helping the nation. He said section 42 (2c) of the Petroleum Revenue Management Act indicates that when the Minister of Finance presents his budget , he is required to state the stage of completion of oil funded projects every year. However all the finance ministers since 2011 have failed to abide by the constitutional requirements? He said the current Minister of Finance must be forced to do it to promote transparency.

It was also discovered that the 12 kilometer surfacing of Amantena Wioso Feeder Road which was started in 2008 had long been completed before part of the oil revenue was released to support it.

Engineers from the Ashanti Region Feeder Roads Department informed the team that that the 12 kilometer surfacing of the Amantena Wioso Road Started in 2008 and completed in 2011 and that there were not aware that oil revenue was used to finance the project. They were however informed that government had to rely on the oil revenue to pay the contractor when it could not finance the project from its initial source.

The team could also not locate a six unit class room block said to have been constructed with part of Ghanas oil revenue at a cost of 87,424.21 in Agogo in the Asante Akyem North District of the Ashanti Region. It was however clear the work had been done with regard to the surfacing of the Agogo Town Roads.

The 17 million- cedi Anyinasu-Sekyedumase road was funded with 6.5 million cedis oil revenue. Also, 3.6 million cedis of the oil revenue is said to have been used to complete a 10.2km Amantena-Wioso road in the Asante Akim North district. Surfacing of the Agogo township roads and construction of a 6-unit classroom block at Agogo Savior Primary School have a component of oil revenue but the inhabitants claim they are not aware.

PIAC has thus recommended that oil money should be used to fund projects from foundation to completion for the sake of transparency and easy identification.
07.08.2017 LISTEN

He participated and won a presidential election. The following are my evidence;

1. "In 1960 a plebiscite offered the voters a choice between continuing the system of constitutional monarchy or a republic. In the month of March, 1960 the governments' draft constitutional monarchy were published as a White Paper. The government announced to hold a presidential election for the office of the president simultaneously with the plebiscite, for seeking approval for the draft republican constitution." Tapan Prasad Biswal (1992). "Ghana, Political and Constitutional Developments" Northern Book Centre, New Delhi. page 66.

2." Therefore, the process of representative government was defined in the 1960 presidential election when Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, a Pan-Africanist, won the presidential election." Nwokeafor & Ndolo (2017). "Technology of Integration And Transformation Of Elections In Africa: An Evolving Modality." Hamilton Books. page 34.

3. "For there is nothing really new about the union government; it merely rehashes Nkrumah's proclamation of Ghana as a one-party republic shortly after the 1960 presidential election, during which period Danquah run, ill-advisedly, for president on the ticket of newly-minted Unity Party against Nkrumah and the Convention Peoples Party." Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe Jr (2005). "DR. J. B. DANQUAH: ARCHITECT OF MODERN GHANA." iUniverse Inc. New York Lincohn Shanghai. page 77-78.

4. "Thus during the 1960 presidential elections, a senior party organizer could publicly threaten people voting against Nkrumah." Senyo B-S. K. Adjibolosoo (1995). "The Significance of the Human Factor in African Economic Development." Praeger Publishers. page 31.

5. "On July 1, 1960, Ghana became a republic, and Nkrumah won the presidential election that year." LaVerle Berry (1994). "Ghana, A Country Of Study" Federal Research Division-Library Of Congress-USA, page 33.

6. "The published plebiscite results were decisive. The draft constitution was approved by a vote of 1,008,740 to 13,425; in the presidential election, Nkrumah had 1,016,076 to 124,623 for Danquah." William Burnett Harvey (1996). "Law and Social Change in Ghana." Princeton University Press-USA, page 25.

This list of evidence nullifies the claim by Mr. Paul Adom Otchere that Dr. Nkrumah never contested a presidential election. He contested and won in a presidential election in 1960.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo has said the splitting of the Western Region into two is currently at the consideration stage.

According to him, he has scheduled a meeting with the Council of State on the matter on August 15, 2017.

Akufo-Addo said this on Monday at Bibiani when he met the chiefs and people of the Bibiani Anwhiaso-Bekwai district in Western Region on day one of his three-day tour of the region.

The President said that a referendum will be held after all the internal and constitutional processes is completed.

After the Council of State has written to the presidency on their positive recommendations, a commission of inquiry will come around to seek the views of the people in the region. I will then write to the Electoral Commission to begin the processes for a referendum when your views support the creation. Already, signals I have picked from the Council of state indicate a positive support for the go ahead. A meeting is scheduled to happen on the 15th August, for deliberations on the proposal. We are at the advance stages, President Akufo-Addo said.

He also responded to the request from the paramount chief for the Sefwi Anhwiaso Traditional Area, who is also the president of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II that the Bibiani Anwhiaso Bekwai should be upgraded to a municipality.

The Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima in either September or October announced the start of the processes to uplift the status of the district to a municipality. I am really working on the work you entrusted me with, he added.

President Akufo-Addo, during the election season promised to divide the region into Western North and South.

He also promised to do same for other regions including the Volta Region.



By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The name Francis Arthur Nzeribe must ring a bell in the entire world particularly to the elderly people in Ghana and Nigeria.

The bitter experience in the long journey through life of this popular figure, the world over, particularly in Ghana and Nigeria must serve as a lesson to all especially the young ones. The 78 years old prominent Nigerian had lived and worked in Ghana, Nigeria and Europe and managed to possess a lot of movable and immovable properties including aircrafts, working closely with leaders of the world.

But today this man who became a senator in Nigeria is a pale shadow of himself unable to move around as he did in the past due to sickness and old age

The photograph of the ageing and sick Chief Francis Arthur Nzeribe shows him sitting languidly, with medics around him in the social media. It was not clear who broke into the private home in Orlu Imo State to take the photograph of the former arms dealer, maverick politician and a man believed to have been used by the Ibrahim Babangida military regime to scupper the 1993 presidential election. The photograph is now being shared on many WhatsApp platforms, with commentaries short on sympathy, but replete with lessons on the vanity of life and the enfeebling capacity of old age. Nzeribe who is now 78, had vanished from the limelight since he was defeated in the 2006 primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party to elect a senatorial candidate for his Orlu Imo state constituency. Obviously struck down by illness and weakened by it, he has not been a factor in the Nigerian politics for close to a decade.

His voice had been silent since then. The man who once ran for office as president and was elected a senator in the short-lived Babangida Military-Civilian rule experiment and in 1999 and 2003, re-emerged in the last 24 hours in dispiriting, shocking circumstances. One comment largely shared along with the photograph says: Above is Author Nzeribe living like an invalid at his country home in Orlu, IMO State. At the height of his life, he lived in Nicon Hilton Hotel Abuja Presidential Suite for over 20years. So also Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos.

He rode on Rolls Royce cars in London and Lagos. Had Mansions in major cities of the world. Had private jets. Was one time an enfante terrible of Nigerias Politics. He helped to lead IBB to June 12 imbroglio and Late Abachas attempted transmutation to Civilian President in 1998. Today, he lives a pathetic life at the mercy of aides and Nurses. Life is moving on in Nigeria and the world without him. Money, cars, houses, private jets, and jet life are all Vanities upon Vanity. May God Almighty continue to bless us with Good and sound health, peace of mind and contentment today and forever, Amen. But another commentator chipped in: Francis Arthur Nzeribes body physique today is the natural consequence of ageing, which all of us, if God blesses us with old age, will have to pass through. It has nothing to do with his infamous role as ABN leader.

This is also a lesson to all, that in our journey through life, we should remember that there is God almighty and that one day, we will give account of our stewardship. . Another Nigerian wrote: Let those who have ears to hear, eyes to see learn from Arthur Nzeribes case. Vanities upon vanity all will end one day. Who inherited all of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia properties? Francis Arthur Nzeribe was born on 2 November 1938, in Oguta Imo state. Here is what his Wikipedia biography post says of him: He is the Ogbuagu, Osniji, Damanze Oyimba of Oguta. His second wife is the sister of Hajia Asabe YarAdua, wife of the late General Shehu Musa YarAdua, who was brother of President Umaru YarAdua. He attended Holy Ghost College, Owerri, and then got a scholarship from the Nigerian Ports Authority in 1958 to study marine engineering in England. By 1960 he was selling life insurance to black immigrants in Britain. He met Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana that year and started to work for Nkrumah in public relations.

He bought his first Rolls Royce a year later. After the fall of Nkrumah in 1966 he lost influence in Ghana. In 1969 Nzeribe started up the Fanz Organization based in London, dealing in heavy construction, arms, oil brokerage, publishing and property investment, with much business in the Middle East and Gulf states. By 1979 Fanz had an annual trading turnover of 70 million. In Nigeria, Nzeribe built up Sentinel Assurance and other companies. In 1983 he spent N12m to win a Senatorial seat in Orlu.

In 1993, he was a prominent supporter of the Association for a Better Nigeria, which backed General Ibrahim Babangida. Using the Ibrahim Babangida-supported ABN platform he campaigned for, and dubiously succeeded in the annulment of the fairest and freest presidential election in the history of Nigeria. He continued further his mission to legitimize the dictatorship of maximum ruler, General Sani Abacha, which was resolutely resisted by the Nigerian people and the will of God. Arthur Nzeribe was elected Senator for the Imo Orlu constituency 1999 and was reelected in 2003.

In November 2002, Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim indefinitely suspended Senator Nzeribe due to an allegation of a N22 million fraud. Nzeribe was said to be planning an impeachment motion against Anyim in April 2006 the Orlu Peoples Consultative Assembly, sponsored by the governor of Imo state Achike Udenwa, staged what it called One million March to drum support for Nzeribes recall from the Senate. In the December 2006 PDP primaries for the 2007 Senatorial candidates, he was defeated by Osita Izunaso.
Nairobi (AFP) - Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta urged peace Monday on the eve of tense elections in which his battle with rival Raila Odinga is seen as too close to call.

Kenyatta, 55, who is seeking a second and final term in office, gave a televised speech in a bid to assuage tensions after a final campaign week marred by the murder of a top election official and accusations of rigging by the opposition.

He urged the 19 million registered voters to turn out in great numbers, but to "do so in peace".

"After you cast your ballot, please go home," he said

"Go back to your neighbour. Regardless of where he or she comes from, their tribe, their colour or their religion... Shake their hand, share a meal and tell them 'let us wait for the results,' for Kenya will be here long after this general election," said Kenyatta.

His historic rival Odinga also addressed voters on Monday, again raising fears about rigging, and warning that the deployment of at least 150,000 security forces across the country was meant to intimidate voters.

However he congratulated his "worthy opponent" on his campaign.

"May the stronger candidate win tomorrow," he said.

The polls are seen as a litmus test of Kenya's progress since a disputed 2007 election sparked two months of violence which left more than 1,100 dead and 600,000 displaced.

Elections in 2013 were largely peaceful, although Odinga did accuse Kenyatta's Jubilee Party of poll fraud after massive glitches with the electronic voting system.

On Tuesday Kenyans will cast ballots in six different elections, choosing governors, lawmakers, senators, county officials and women's representatives in local races also rife with tension.
Kinshasa (AFP) - Twelve people were killed Monday by stray gunfire in a wave of violence in Kinshasa, a spokesman for the national police said, accusing a political-religious sect opposed to President Joseph Kabila.

The toll was a provisional estimate, Pierrot Rombaut Mwanamputu said in an emergency broadcast that broke into programming on public television.

"Sadly, we must at this stage give a provisional toll of loss of human life, of 12 people hit by stray bullets," Mwanamputu said as violence struck two days before the start of a planned series of opposition protests.

Opposition supporters are demanding the publication of an electoral calendar, elections and Kabila's departure from office.

Kabila, in power since 2001, is seeking to stay on despite constitutional limits on his terms in office.

Under a transitional deal aimed at avoiding violence in the sprawling, mineral rich country of 71 million people, Kabila, who failed to step down when his second mandate expired last December, will stay in office pending elections later this year.

Mwanamputu said two police officers had been "lynched" and were in critical condition after the Kinshasa attack.

He added two more people had died and three police were seriously injured in further violence at Matadi, a port city on the River Congo in the neighbouring province of Kongo Central.

Sustained gunfire had been reported earlier close to the central prison in the Congolese capital, where more than 4,000 people escaped in May, and in the districts of Matete and Ndjili, residents and activists said.

Violence also hit the district of Tshangu.

"There has been gunfire around Makala prison for about the last hour. There's no traffic and the streets are empty," Emmanuel Cole, a campaigner for prisoners' rights, said from the nearby district of Selembao.

An AFP journalist saw pools of blood outside the prison Monday, as well as a body of a man who had been stabbed to death outside a nearby clinic.

'Hostile slogans'

Mwanamputu accused the Bundu Dia Mayala nationalist group opposed to Kabila of being behind the unrest, describing them as lawless elements.

He said members of the group, sporting red bandanas, had sprung their attack while chanting "prayers and slogans hostile to legally established institutions."

Mwanamputu said Monday's trouble started around 9.50am (0850 GMT) but security forces had dealt with it "in less than two hours by dispersing (the attackers) with tear gas.

"The situation is currently under control, all is back to normal," he said.

In a separate development, a military tribunal in Kananga, in DR Congo's troubled region of Kasai, gave an important procedural ruling on Monday in the case of two UN experts who were killed in March.

Michael Sharp, an American, and Zaida Catalan, a Swedish-Chilean dual national, were found murdered after they went to investigate violence in the region which began to flare in August 2016.

A UN specialist panel in New York said the attack was an ambush and did not rule out that members of the security forces may have been involved.

The tribunal, which is ruling in the case, gave the go-ahead for all parties to go to the scene of the crime.

The visit will take place on August 21, it said.


A group calling itself the Concerned Activists of the New Patriotic Party and some polling station executives in the Chiana-Paga Constituency in the Upper East Region, have called on the National Executives of the Party, not to consider some three Constituency Executives for appointments in the government.

According to the group, they have information and evidence that, the three Constituency Executives they are standing against, worked and campaigned openly against the Partys Parliamentary Candidate, Clement Dandori, which resulted in the Partys defeat in the Chiana-Paga Constituency in 2016.

 the Concerned Activitists of the NPP in the Chiana-Paga Constituency have picked information about the rumoured appointment of the following Constituency Executives into key government offices in the Kassena-Nankana West district. Mark Ayamga, the Constituency Organizer is being considered for the District NADMO Coordinator. Sylvester Atule, the Constituency Youth Organizer is being considered for the District Youth Employment Agency Director, and the Deputy Youth Organizer, Thomas Kwalase is being considered for the District MASLOC Managers position.  We do not hate these three; we are only seeking fairness in the appointment. If they are appointed, many of the Partys youth who worked hard during the campaign period and also saw these three persons working against the Party, will be disappointed and may never support the NPP in the Constituency.

The group raised these concerns at a Press Conference at Mirigu, addressed by it Secretary, Daniel Namooh.

The Party Youth accused, the Constituency Youth Organizer, Sylvester Atule, who they claim is being considered for District YEA Boss, of openly campaigning against the NPP Parliamentary Candidate, Hon. Clement Dandori, because the National Democratic Congress Candidate then, Lawyer Rudoulf Amenga-Etego was the from East and therefore he is his brother.

The Concerned Activists of the NPP in the Chiana-Paga have evidence to the fact that, the three Party Officers were among key Party Executives in the Constituency who were lured with financial and other rewards by the then ruling NDC government, to either campaign against the NPP or not to come out publicly to campaign for the NPP, which they succumbed to.

Again, these three officers have a record of financial mismanagement and as such cannot be trusted with handling of the finances of these 3 strategic offices they are being considered to head. The three Constituency officers were directly in-charge of the very recent Constituency Delegates Conference that took place in Chiana, which was shrouded with allegations of financial misappropriation. The Group said.

They want the National Executives to call for applications from other qualified persons from the Constituency and should not allow themselves to be forced into fulfilling the Campaign promise of appointing Constituency Executives like the three officers, into public positions.

We are aware of other well qualified applicants who have submitted their credentials for these offices and who worked very hard for the Party to come to power. They are also people who understand the Political Terrain of the Chiana-Paga Constituency and are closely in touch with the grassroots base of our Party.  we believe if any of them are selected for these positions, they will be able to motivate people to like the Party and keep the power come 2020.

In the view of the Party Youth and the Poling Station Executives, ensuring fairness in the appointments will address the latent division within the Party in the Chiana-Paga Constituency.

Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Mirigu
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said his seven-month old government is already fulfilling the promises and commitments made in the lead up to the December 2016 elections.

According to him, despite the economic mess inherited by his administration, he will deliver.

He stressed, when we came into office, we were met with huge debts and no money. It is for this reason that we put in place the appropriate measures to strengthen our monetary system, so the development we promised the people can be met.

He noted that the Asempa budget has ensured that the country's finances have been placed on a solid footing, and are gaining strength to ensure the fulfilment of his government's promises.

President Akufo-Addo made this known at a durbar of Chiefs and people at Bibiani, in the Bibiani Anhwiaso Bekwai, on Monday, August 7, 2017, at the commencement of his 3-day tour of the Western region.

A flagship programme of his government, the Free SHS policy, President Akufo-Addo reiterated, will commence in September 2017, made possible by the sound economic policies his government has put in place.

I have been bastardised by several persons who claim the Free SHS policy is a misplaced priority, a lie, and cannot be done. The Free SHS policy, I wish to assure them, will start from September. The first students in the history of our country who are going to benefit from the Free SHS will be doing so as from September this year, he said.

Touching on the dwindling fortunes of the cocoa sector, President Akufo-Addo noted that the policies and programmes instituted by former President John Agyekum Kufuor ensured that the cocoa production hit 1 million tonnes in 2010/2011.

However, cocoa production has since declined, with the 2015/2016 crop season recording a production of 778,000 metric tonnes.

My government is going to increase cocoa production again to 1 million tonnes, and move it to 1.5 million tonnes in the course of my mandate. We will also ensure that cocoa farmers gain their pride of place in our society. We will make the cultivation of cocoa a source of gainful employment once again, he said.

The 1-District-1-Factory policy, President Akufo-Addo noted, will be rolled out in the course of this month, and the construction of the Western Railway lines will also begin shortly, with these two initiatives creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Creation of Municipality

President Akufo-Addo also announced, much to the delight of the Chiefs and people of Bibiani, that the Minister for Local Government, Hajia Alima Mahama, will in September announce the upgrading of Sefwi Anhwiaso Bekwai from a district into a municipality.

On the creation of the proposed Western North region, a campaign pledge he made on 11th August, 2016, the President noted that a petition had been submitted to him demanding the creation of the new region. This petition, the President disclosed, was referred to the Council of State by letter dated 29th June, 2017.

To this end, a meeting of the President and the Council of State has been slated for the 15th of August, where the President will obtain advice from the Council of State on whether there is a need to create the new region.

President Akufo-Addo added that upon receipt of supporting advice from the Council, he is mandated by the Constitution to appoint a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the need for the creation of the new region.

He explained further that should the Commission be convinced that such a need pertains, it will recommend the places and issues for a referendum. The matter will then be referred to the Electoral Commission for a referendum to be held according to the recommendations of the Commission.

From what I have heard Ogyeahorhuor Yaw Gyebi II, the President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, saying this morning, I am confident that the Western North region will soon be created, because he says you are voting 100% in the referendum for the creation of the new region.

For the first time in the history of the Fourth Republic, new regions will be created and it will be under the presidency of Nana Akufo-Addo that this is going to be done, he said

President Akufo-Addo, therefore, appealed for the support of the people of Bibiani, adding that support me fully, so I can work to fulfil the pledges I made to you. Let me reiterate that Ghana is not a poor country. We are a rich nation. With good policies, we are going to bring wealth and prosperity to every part of this country.

-Starrfmonline
Bibiani (W/R), Aug. 7, GNA - President Nana Addo-Danquah Akuffo Addo has said due processes are being followed to heed to the call for a new region to be created in the Western Region.

He said he has already written to the Council of State after receiving various petitions from the paramountcies of the Bekwai-Anhwianso area on the need for the creation of the new region which is the pre-requisite for any action to be made.

President Akufo Addo said this at a durbar of the chiefs and people of the Bibiani-Anhwianso traditional area on the day one of his three day 'Thank You' tour to the Western Region.

He said his office would on August 15, meet with the Council of State members to deliberate on the matter and thereafter set up a commission of enquiry to collate views of the indigenes on the subject.

The President said, 'This is the first time in the fourth Republic that a Region is going to be createdI have received various petitions on the matter, support and would help me to make Ghana workwe are not poor'.

President Akuffo-Addo, whilst expressing appreciation for the overwhelming support given by the people in the area during the 2016 elections, said government was currently bedeviled with various financial difficulties since the assumption of office.

'We are putting things together and revitalizing the economy to enable the government fulfil the numerous promises including free Senior High School, One District, One Factory and the redevelopment of the railways to create more jobs and improve economic livelihoods of Ghanaians', he said.

On cocoa production, the President promised to raise the current production level which stands at around 700,000 to one million tonnes.

The Sefwi-Anhwianso area, the President said, would by September, become a municipality and have a Nursing Training college.

Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, the Paramount Chief of Sefwi-Anhwianso, expressed gratitude to the President for the numerous interventions aimed at placing the Ghanaian economy on track.

GNA

By Mildred Siabi-Mensah, GNA
Accra, Aug. 7, GNA - Dr Joyce Aryee, Chief Executive Officer of Salt and Light Ministry, has called on Ghanaians to rededicate themselves and work tirelessly to ensure the rapid development of the nation.

She said for the nation to be developed, there was the need for the citizenry to cultivate the habit of hard work, which was the bedrock for sustainable development.

Dr Aryee made the call at the Silver Jubilee celebration and Speech and Prize-Giving Day of Royal Daidem School at Dome in Accra on Saturday.

The celebration was on the theme, 'Transforming Lives through Commitment and Hard work''.

Dr Aryee said hard work built confidence, it enabled one to get better and above all, it enabled one to experience gratitude.

She said it also led to self-improvement, motivated and also built one's character to become result-oriented.

Dr Aryee commended the school authorities for their hard work which had made the school what it was today.

She charged the pupils to take their lessons seriously to enable them to grow to become useful citizens.

Reverend Alfred Ocran, Chairman of Legacy and Legacy, urged the pupils to be obedient to enable them to achieve their dreams.

Mrs Margaret Nortey, Proprietress of the school said the School established in 1992 had trained many people some of whom occupied key positions in the society.

She said the School intended to put up staff accommodation, conference room and would also replace all broken down desks with chairs to enhance effective teaching and learning.

'The school aims at building a strong and well-organized Old Students Association, which will have frequent meetings with pupils to motivate them and also organize periodic programmes for the school,'' Mrs Nortey added.

Mr Benjamin Ntim Gyakari, Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association of the School urged the pupils to desist from all forms of negative tendencies that may ruin their future aspirations.

GNA
Koforidua, Aug 07, GNA - A nationwide tuberculosis (TB) survey is to be conducted before the close of the year to create a national database for the eradication of the disease.

This would be carried out by the National Tuberculosis (TB) Control Programme (NTCP).

Dr. Emmanuel Anane Yeboah of the NTCP announced this at the biannual review meeting of the Global Fund New Funding Model for the control of HIV and TB in prisons across the nation.

Under the programme, Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) together with Theater for Change, have been providing HIV and TB prevention and services to inmates of all the 46 prisons.

Dr. Yeboah noted that many people suffering from TB had not been seeking medical attention.

They would just go to the pharmacies and drug stores to buy drugs over the counter, something that has made the micro-bacteria, causing the disease, to develop resistance to current drugs being used for treatment.

He said the NTCP had recommended a second line of drugs for the treatment of patients, who appeared not to respond to the drugs prescribed for them.

He also spoke of the acquisition of a digital machine, which he described as more effective, efficient and could analyze many samples faster to aid early detection of the disease.

Ms. Anne-Marie Afainie-Godwyll, Coordinator of the Global Fund New Funding Model Project, asked that prisoners, who reacted positively to TB test, were promptly referred to hospital for treatment.

She added that discussions were on-going for the establishment of barbering centres in the male prisons, which would be supplied with clippers to stop the practice of inmates sharing blade and other sharp objects for hair cutting.

Mr. Adu Okyere of the PPAG Middle Zone, covering the Eastern, Ashanti and the Brong-Ahafo Regions, called for the Prison Service to engage trained personnel to man the TB Laboratory at the Kumasi Central Prisons.

This, he said, was necessary for collection of samples for TB testing.

He indicated that 27 prisoners at that prison were currently being treated for the disease.

GNA

By Edmund Quaynor, GNA
07.08.2017 LISTEN

Robert Anane/ Gideon Ahenkorah, GNA

Accra, Aug 7, GNA - The church must assist Government to develop the nation by instilling morality in the public, to help mitigate the cankers of corruption and dishonesty in the society.

This would ensure the existence of transparency and accountability in all realms of affairs and propel the efforts of Government to develop the country for the betterment of all.

Mr John Koranteng, a Spokesperson for the New Missionary Training Centre (MTC) of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, said this on Monday, during a media facility tour of the new training centre in Accra.

The media facility tour, which was at the behest of Mr Scott Brubakar, the President of the MTC for Africa West , was aimed at exposing the Ghanaian media to the ultra-modern facility, which seeks to provide in-depth training to the Church's missionaries the world over.

The facility, which has a capacity to contain 320 missionaries, features extensive glass exteriors to maximize the use of natural light and create a sense of openness between the Centre and it surroundings.

It has large meeting rooms, rooms for practical lessons, barbering saloon, laundry, as well as outdoor and indoor study areas designed strategically to provide worthwhile training experience to missionaries. Mr Koranteng said the facility formed part of the Church's mission to provide robust training to full soldiers of Christ who would draw more souls for Christ and bring people into the light of salvation.

'We have been saved by Christ, so there is the need to make all people realise that and draw closer to God. Grooming our generation in the gospel of Christ is what we stand for,' he added.

He said: 'When every family in the community get to know Christ and follow his principles, peace and tranquillity will prevail for the progress of all'.

The Church, Mr Koranteng said, therefore played critical role in ensuring the economic and social progress of the country.

The original Ghana Missionary Training Centre, located in Tema, was built in 2002 and it served up to 100 new arrivals every three weeks.

By the Church's tradition, the missionaries usually spend three to twelve weeks at an MTC, where they receive training in doctrine, conduct, proselytizing methods, and, when required, a foreign language to equip them adequately to spread the gospel.

Elder Renbroe, a Missionary, said the new facility would expose Ghana to the world as people from all walks of life including missionaries would troop into the country for training and other areas of interest, adding that 'Ghana is a special place.'

Ghana is the first West African country to have this facility and this, Elder Renbroe, attributed to the favourable environment the country had created for the Church to thrive, adding that 'the Church currently has 15 Missionary Training Centres worldwide.'

Mr Daniel Kabason, another Spokesperson for the Centre, reaffirmed the commitment of the Church towards assisting the society in the areas of health and social development, adding that it had provided boreholes and toilet facilities for some communities.

He said the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints also organised health campaigns on polio and measles and assisted some victims who suffered the recent Ebola outbreaks in Liberia and other affected countries.

The newly constructed Missionary Training Centre would be opened for public tours from August 8 to 12.

GNA
07.08.2017 LISTEN

Accra, Aug. 7, GNA - The Very Reverend Felix Tawiah Danquah, Minister-In-Charge of the Mount Sinai Society of The Methodist Church, Ghana, has urged Ghanaians to reject all forms of mob justice because it is against human rights of victims.

He said mob justice did not only show disrespect for justice delivery but was also an indictment on the conscience of the public.

Very Rev. Danquah was speaking at the launch of the Glory Producers Conference 2017 at Dome in Accra on Sunday.

The three-day conference, which begins on Wednesday, August 16 to Friday, August 18, is on the theme: 'Glorifying God through Worship and Work''.

It is aimed at building the capacity of the participants and allowing the spirit of God to manifest in the workplace.

Very Rev. Danquah said mob justice, over the years, had never helped the nation and would never reduce crime anywhere in the world adding that everybody deserved the right to be tried through the due process.

On illegal mining, he urged the Government to pursue both Ghanaians and foreigners engaged in such acts to ensure that issues pertaining to illegal mining were settled once and for all.

Very Rev. Danquah also urged the Government to ensure that water bodies polluted and land degraded through illegal mining were restored to leave as legacies to the nation.

He appealed to religious bodies to join the crusade and eliminate the canker since the churches risked importing water for baptism.

He tasked Ghanaians to support the Government in its efforts to further develop the nation.

GNA
Ho, Aug. 7, GNA - Madam Comfort Esi Ablometi, Volta Regional Director, Department of Gender, has called for the introduction of sex education to children above six years in view of the rising incidence of teenage pregnancy in the country.

She said children as young as six years were being exposed to adults' content through modern technology and called for a change in 'parenting style' which considered sex education a 'taboo'.

Madam Ablometi, who was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, said sex education needed to be introduced to children as soon as they started discovering their gender and urged parents to be willing to guide them through that process.

She said a good number teenage pregnancy cases were because parents neglected the subject or misinformed their children on their reproductive health, leaving them to either investigate themselves or resort to neighbours and peers for answers.

'This will lead to trust waning between parents and children and will make the child want to know more from where he feels is a reliable source', Madam Ablometi said.

She said children needed to know the consequences of their sexual interests, and asked that preschools need to revise their curriculum to include sex education.

Madam Ablometi said many girls who fall victims to early marriages had little knowledge of reproductive health and end up with complications during childbirth.

She said puberty rights, which were initially meant to encourage virginity, and portray womanhood, was losing its significance and called for a relook at the practice.

Madam Ablometi said virgin clubs had to be discouraged because members easily become the targets of perverts.

GNA
07.08.2017 LISTEN

Navrongo (U/E), Aug. 7 GNA - The Navrongo Traditional Council in the Upper East Region has pledged to collaborate with 'Our Lady of Mercy Community Services' (OLAM), a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), in the fight against child and forced marriage in the area.

The NGO with funding support from STAR-Ghana is implementing a project dubbed 'Creating awareness on sexual reproductive health rights, child and forced marriages through youth initiatives and community action', in the Kassena Nankana Municipal and the Kassena-Nankana West District.

Mr Arthur Wekem Balinia Addah, on behalf of the Paramount Chief of the Navrongo Traditional Area, Pe Dr Augustine Atudiku Asagipaare I, made the pledge during a town hall meeting organized by the NGO in Navrongo.

It was aimed at soliciting the views and support of stakeholders to effectively implement the project.

The Paramount Chief said the traditional council was amazed and disturbed by the revealing statistics of child and forced marriages in the area adding that as part of the effort in fighting the canker, the council would task all the sub chiefs in the area to work with the NGO to help tackle the phenomenon.

Mrs Anna Kye-eebo, the Kassena Nankana Municipal Director of Education, who attributed the cause of child and forced marriages partly to broken homes, said peace at home is a critical tool for the proper upbringing of children particularly the girl-child.

Mr Emmanuel Atiiga, the Project Director of OLAM, said the strategies to be adopted in tackling the issue include mapping out various communities where child and forced marriages are rampant, creating public awareness campaigns on negative actions and discrimination against the adolescent through town hall meetings and local authority consultations, building the capacity of stakeholders through workshops and using radio programmes for sensitization and education.

He said project would also establish at least three counselling centres in the districts for adolescent counselling and identify part-time counsellors per centre, provide logistical support and undertake outreach programmes to cover 30 Junior and Senior High Schools to establish peer educators clubs termed as 'OLAM Peer Educators Clubs'.

'The project will also offer skills training opportunities in batik, tie and dye, soap making, beads making, dressmaking and ICT for the youth. Our target is to train at least 50 young girls by the end of the project. So far 34 young people are under training using the NVTI Exams'.

He said the project would also select women leaders from the 'OLAM Kaana Manga Women Association', distinguished various women groups, paramount queen mothers, the Municipal District Assembly and other resource persons from various departments.

GNA

By Samuel Akapule, GNA
07.08.2017 LISTEN

Bolgatanga, Aug. 7, GNA - The Intercessory Ministry of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal at the Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish in Bolgatanga has donated some items and offered prayers for the children at the Paediatric Unit of the Upper East Regional Hospital.

Mr Jacob Alhassan, the Co-coordinator of the Ministry, told the Ghana News Agency after members of the group had prayed and interacted with the children and their mothers, that as part of the Ministry's responsibilities, it visited prisons and orphanages to offer prayers for the inmates to seek for God's intervention in their situation.

He said the move was extended to the hospital especially the Paediatric Unit for same reason, and added that 'children are dear to Jesus and dear to us, and so we pray for children and the sick for they are a blessing not to only the family but the nation.'

He said the initiative was also meant to encourage other organizations to come to the aid of the sick.

The group as part of the visit, donated a box of key soap to the patients and an undisclosed sum of money to seven identified needy mothers on admission at the unit.

Miss Sandra Duah, a Nursing Officer and Deputy Unit In Charge, said patients usually derived comfort and joy from such visits by organizations, and described the move by the group as very good.

GNA

By Godfred Polkuu, GNA
'The big truck is still on ...
- The army ambushed some Boko Haram terrorists in a new operation

- They intercepted their food supply and also destroyed an IED factory

- Two soldiers died in one of the operations while some terrorists were killed

The Nigerian Army has intensified its operation against Boko Haram terrorists as its latest ambush led to the killing of some terrorists and recovery of their weapons.

In a statement by Sani Kukasheka Usman who is the spokesperson of the army, he confirmed that on Saturday, August 5, some terrorist were ambushed along Miyanti-Banki Junction.

The food supply of the terrorists was intercepted while some bicycles were also seized.

READ ALSO: Drug barons behind church attack - Governor Obiano

Another operation on the same day along Dukje-Mada road near Gulumba Gana village led to the death of two soldiers after their vehicle stepped on explosives.

Gun recovered from the terrorists Credit: Facebook, SK Usman

Read the full statement below:

"On Saturday 5th August 2017, troops of 151 Battalion, 21 Brigade Nigerian Army, Operation LAFIYA DOLE, sprang an ambush on suspected Boko Haram terrorists along Miyanti-Banki Junction. The gallant troops neutralized 12 Boko Haram terrorists and recovered 18 bicycles, 30 bags of flour, 1 bag of groundnut, 2 bags of salt, 2 baskets of kola nut and 5 torch lights. Other items recovered a carton of mixed juice sachets, 4 rolls of brocade material, 2 packets of sweet, 1 carton of washing soap, 5 packets of cold patch, 2 packet of Maggi cubes 2 pairs of bathroom slippers, 2 packets of yeasts, 4 packets of Vedan, 2 rolls of sewing thread, 4 kegs of herbicide, 14 packets of insecticide, 1 keg of groundnut oil, a bag of pepper and cash sum of Four Thousand Naira (N4,000.00).

The army seized bicycles belonging to Boko Haram Credit: Facobook, SK Usman

"Similarly, troops of 81 Task Force Battalion of 22 Brigade Nigerian Army, on Operation LAFIYA DOLE, on Saturday 5th August 2017, while on patrol cleared Boko Haram terrorists ambush along Dukje-Mada road near Gulumba Gana village. The troops neutralized quite a number of the terrorists' ambush party and recovered weapons. Unfortunately 2 soldiers lost their lives when their vehicle stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) buried along the road, while 4 others sustained injuries. The remains of the gallant soldiers that paid the supreme price and the wounded have been evacuated to Maiduguri.

Food supply belonging to Boko Haram terrorists. Credit: Facebook, SK Usman

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"On the same day too, troops of 22 Brigade Garrison Nigerian Army on patrol to Abdiri village, Dikwa Local Government Area, Borno State recovered 9 primed cylinders from the terrorists Improvised Explosive Devices making factory at the area. They destroyed the factory along with the materials.

"In addition, on Sunday 6th August 2017, troops of 28 Task Force Brigade Nigerian Army also sprang an ambush against suspected Boko Haram terrorists at Kafin Hausa, Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State. They neutralized one Boko Haram terrorist and recovered an AK-47 rifle with registration number 02527 MTD and a magazine."

Meanwhile, the army vowed to carry out the order given by Tukur Buratai to capture the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, dead or alive within 40 days.

According to Channels TV, Brigadier General Sani Usman who is the spokesperson of the army confirmed this in Buniyadi, Yobe state.

Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of the Air Force giving an update of its war on terrorism in the north east:

Source: Legit.ng
Contrary to earlier reports that Igbos were revealed to be Jews based on alleged DNA results read in Nnewi, Anambra state, information reaching Legit.ng claims they are not.

About 5 months into the quest to find out if the Igbos of Nigeria are actually descendants of Israel, with Jewish scientists visiting Nnewi in Anambra state to trace their ancestral lineage, some sort of conclusion has been reached.

Legit.ng earlier reported that there were claims that a DNA result brought by the Jewish scientists revealed the connection between the Israelites and south-eastern Nigerians. New information obtained reveals otherwise.

According to reports, the international president of the Jewish Voice Ministries, Rabbi Jonathan Bernis, said the results of the DNA samples taken in Nnewi returned negative.

READ ALSO: Jewish brothers show Kanu where Igbos are written in Torah (photos)

The members of the Redeemed Israel Community of Nazarene Association (RICON) had reportedly gathered at Uruagu, Nnewi, hoping for a positive result. The results were reportedly read by Rabbi Bernis, from a laboratory in Houston, Texas USA.

He said the 124 saliva samples taken from some random people in Igboland didn't match the ones found in the laboratory's database. Rabbi Bernis and RICON president, Bishop Ignatius Orizu (JP), maintained that this revelation doesn't however stop the claims Igbo people have to Israel, as more research would be done.

READ ALSO: Jewish scientists arrive Anambra, allegedly present DNA proof that Igbos are Israelites

Bishop Orizu's stand is that Igbos have long maintained cultures similar to the Israelites, even before missionaries came to Nigeria. He also said several books have proof of claims of the Igbo-Israeli connection.

He also appealed to the Federal Government to recognise Jewish traditions in Nigeria, urging them to proclaim days of Feast of Passover, trumpets, atonements, tabernacles etc, as official public holidays.

Meanwhile, watch this video to learn how far the Biafra agitation has gone:

Source: Legit.ng
- A Nigerian man simply identified as Hafiz has been discovered as the tallest man in Nigeria

- It was gathered that the young man is seven feet and four inches tall

Legit.ng came across a photo of the young man who is assumed to be the tallest man in Nigeria after it went viral on social media.

Hafiz was given the nickname Agoro because of his height. In Yoruba language the word Agoro is used for people that are exceptionally tall like Hafiz.

Could Hafiz be the tallest man in Nigeria? A year ago, Legit.ng reported the story of a young model Bakare Olalekan who was assumed to be the tallest man in the country.

Meet the 'Hafiz Agoro', the tallest man in Nigeria Photo Source: Twitter

At the time, Bakare Olalekan was six feet and eight inches tall.

READ ALSO: Pretty 41-year-old woman graduates from college (photos)

It is possible that a year or two years from now another man could be discovered as the tallest man in the country.

According to a list made on Wikipedia, there are over one hundred men who are as tall as 7ft and 8ft around the world.

Photos of Hafiz Agoro Photo Source: Twitter

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So it could be possible that there are men who are taller than Hafiz that have not been discovered in Nigeria.

However, for now 'Hafiz Agoro' is reportedly the tallest man in Nigeria. He is 7ft and 4 inches tall.

Meanwhile, meet 20-year-old Nigerian female contortionist.

Source: Legit.ng
The newspapers for Monday August 7, 2017 focus on the killing of some worshippers at St Philips Catholic church, Amakwa Ozubulu in Ekwusigo local government area of Anambra state.

Condemnation has continued to trail a gun attack on St Philips Catholic Church in Anambra state which left about 47 persons dead.

READ ALSO: Drug barons behind church attack - Governor Obiano

The Guardian reports the attack has been condemned by many prominent Nigerians including Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra state among others.

Guardian newspaper for Monday August 7, 2017, photo credit: Snapshot from Legit.ng

According to the newspaper, the attack which occurred on Sunday morning, August 6, during early morning mass surprised the Ozubulu community.

The attacker and his motive are yet unknown but indigenes of the Ozubulu community who spoke to The Guardian said the priest survived the attack, which they suspected was triggered by a gang war originating from South Africa.

A source in the community told the Guardian that the attacker had been on the trail of a famous philanthropist and alleged drug baron in the area, whom he reportedly traced to the church the latter built for the community.

The source added that the gunman had stormed the church in search of Ikegwuonwu after visiting his house, but was not lucky as his target had fled on getting wind of the presence of the attacker.

Infuriated by the miss, the attacker reportedly targeted Ikegwonwus father and stepmother, whom he killed alongside 45 other worshipers.

The Nation newspaper reports that the gunman who carried out the attack was dressed in black.

The Nation newspaper for Monday August 7, 2017, photo credit: Snapshot from Legit.ng

The newspaper stated that the Anambra state commissioner of police, Garba Baba Umar, said 11 persons were killed and 18 injured.

He said some people in the community had been invited for interrogation.

The police commissioner said preliminary investigation revealed that the attack was carried out by people from the area and not by Boko Haram as being speculated in some quarters.

He said: From our findings, it is very clear that the person who carried out the attack must be an indigene of the area.

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We gathered that worshippers for 6 oclock Sunday mass at St. Philip Ozobulu were in the service when gunmen dressed in black attire, covering their faces with fez caps, entered the church and moved straight to a particular direction and opened fire.

The men, after shooting at their targeted victim, still went on a shooting spree, killing and wounding other worshippers.

Reporting on how the attack occurred, the Vanguard newspaper stated that trouble started for worshippers who were in church for the 6.am mass, when at about 6.45am, the gunmen rode into the church in a Lexus SUV, as one of them entered the church and shot at close range an elderly man, later identified as Pa Ikegwuonu, while others remained in the vehicle outside.

Vanguard newspaper for Monday August 7, 2017, photo credit: Snapshot from Legit.ng

An eye-witness told Vanguard that after killing the old man, the gunman opened fire on other worshippers, as those who tried to flee were cut down by the gunmen outside the church.

Meanwhile, many Nigerians have condemned the violence and called for justice for the victims.

This Day reports that among the early commentators who said the perpetrators must be brought to book instantly were Senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki; speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara; Anambra state governor, Willie Obiano; Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige; and president of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Ayokunle.

This Day newspaper for Monday August 7, 2017, photo credit: Snapshot from Legit.ng

Saraki and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, condemned the killings and called on security agencies to ensure that the perpetrator and their collaborators were apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law.

In the video below, Legit.ng TV asked some Nigerians if they consider the police as their friend.

Source: Legit.ng
- A church in Abuja has set itself apart from other churches in Nigeria by this strange custom

- Givers Embassy in keeping with its name does not accept offerings and tithes from church members

- The pastor says the church is dedicated to the service of humanity especially Nigerians who are mostly poor

In a country like Nigeria, where most churches constantly make money off their members, there is a church operating in Abuja which does not collect tithe or offering from its members.

The church is Givers Embassy, aka Home of Consular Generals, which was formally established in Abuja at the conference hall of 3Js Hotel last Sunday, July 30, 2017.

According to the pastor, the church is dedicated to the service of humanity especially Nigerians who are going through economic hardship.

Givers Embassy does not accept tithes and offerings Source: Twitter, GiversEmbassy

The pastor, Edward Olutoke said: Givers Embassy exists to raise Consular Generals for Gods kingdom on earth. We give visas to houses, cars and businesses. Above all, we give visas to things that make life meaningful.

These consular generals would, through their devotion to Gods word, worship, and worthy living, inspire the much needed spiritual and socio-economic transformation in their lives and that of others.

The problem of our society is greed. Its not Boko Haram, its not Biafra. If we can solve the problem of greed in Nigeria, we will be better for it, the pastor of the newly established church, Edward Olutoke said shortly after the first church service.

In Nigeria, we dont give back to the society. People who give back, give peanuts. We dont need to only feed the people who are in poverty, we need to give them life. Instead of giving them fish, we teach them how to catch the fish."

READ ALSO: Catholic priest who resigned recently says he left because the church was limiting his relationship with God

Speaking on why his church doesnt collect tithes and offering, Olutoke said the vision came from God.

God told me that as the owner of the church, he would build and sustain the church. God asked me not to collect tithes and offering. We are to help the needy. God said any member of the church who wants to touch other peoples lives can do it directly to the needy.

The Holy Spirit is leading us and we dont want people to believe that they must bring offering to church before they are blessed, no. If I give offering in the church while a woman close to me is dying of hunger, what have I done?

"As a Christian, I should not allow that woman to die. The God who created the woman wont be happy with me if I packaged an offering to the church while she is suffering."

PAY ATTENTION: Watch more videos on Legit.ng TV

Legit.ng earlier reported that a social media user identified as @ozorchristian, shared a picture of a church's 'special offering' which he claims is from a Ghanaian church.

According to the picture, the church offers as little as $240 (about N86,000) for a 24-hour miracle, and as much as $5,000, (N1.8m) for you to be elevated to a millionaire status.

Watch this Legit.ng video of what recently happened in a church in Ikorodu:

Source: Legit.ng
- Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, calls on security agencies to arrest and prosecute those behind a song propagating hatred against people of Igbo descent

- Atiku warns that the song is reminiscent of the beginnings of the Rwanda Genocide

- The former vice president commiserates with victims of the church killings in Ozubulu community in Anambra state

Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has drawn the attention of security agencies to a song which allegedly wishes people of Igbo ethnic group dead.

READ ALSO: 2 soldiers dead as army ambush Boko Haram terrorists in new operation (photos)

Atiku in a statement issued by his media office, which he personally signed and titled: Nigeria Does Not Need a Rwandan Deja vu, warned that the song currently circulating the song in some parts of Nigeria could result in a major crisis as it happened in Rwanda, Premium Times reports.

The former vice president called on security agencies to arrest and prosecute those behind the song which he said incites hatred against people of Igbo descent.

It has come to my attention that a song disparaging people of Igbo origin, and which wishes them dead, is circulating in some parts of the nation. I totally and unequivocally condemn this development, and I call on all men of goodwill to rise up against this evil, Atiku said.

This song is reminiscent of the beginnings of the Rwanda Genocide. Nigerians need to be aware that the Rwanda Genocide was believed to have been ignited by a song titled Nanga Abahutu (I hate Hutus), sung by Rwandas then most popular musician, Simon Bikindi. God forbid that we should have such a deja vu in Nigeria.

I call on the security agencies to thoroughly and decisively swing into action and apprehend, try, convict and severely punish those behind this ungodly song which incites racial hatred."

The politician warned those igniting hatred against their fellow citizens to remember that they would face the consequences of their action.

He said: Simon Bikindi was convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for igniting and aiding the Rwandan genocide. Thus, let those who think they can treat their fellow citizens so unjustly know that within and outside Nigeria exist mechanisms that will ensure they answer to their crimes.

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I call on all men of goodwill to remember those immortal lines from our former National Anthem though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand.

The effects of hate in any shape or form were made even more evident over the weekend, in a mass shooting incident that left many of us reeling with shock."

Atiku also commiserated with the victims of the church killings in Ozubulu community in Anambra state and prayed that peace will return to their families.

He said: The difference between us as Nigerians is not a difference in our tribe or our religion. It was and remains a difference based on whether we are good Nigerians or bad Nigerians, and I am very certain that the good Nigerians far outnumber the very few bad ones.

Legit.ng recalls that the Foundation for Peace Professionals says it has in its possession, a hate song obtained through the social media and currently circulating in northern Nigeria.

According to Sahara Reporters, the song which was voiced by an unknown female artist in Hausa language, was carefully worded, with the intention of causing deliberate mass incitement of Nigerians from the north against those from the Igbo extraction.

In the video below, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the #Biafra50 event in Abuja said Nigerians we are greater together than apart.

Source: Legit.ng
Editor's note: Mariah Adeboboye, the Legit.ng partner blogger, in this article, explains why every family must consume catfish and unripe pepper soup during this rainy season.

Mariah is an amazing cook, who is passionate about her family and inspires other families to ensure best meals are on their tables on a daily basis.

She is the owner of food bog called Mariellasmenu, the platform she uses to share recipes in order to inspire people to cook for their families.

Mariah could be contacted via: +2348173155778, +2348126766674 or Mariellasmenu.

More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest bloggers.

On the menu today is my delicious catfish pepper soup with unripe plantain. I mean, the weather in Nigeria right now will not permit me to think of anything other than spicy recipes, and rather than eat just pepper soup, I thought to add a staple to make the meal a balanced one thereby keeping my family warm with the spicy broth as well as satiated with the addition of the unripe plantain.

This dish is indeed one to cozy up to the fresh and fragrant aromatic spices and the fact that it is cooked slowly on low heat intensifies the flavors of this dish, making it just right for the weather.

I am a seafood fan and I have been feeling feverish as of late, so having a bowl of this warm spicy broth along with the fish and plantains makes it a wonderfully restorative dish for me this rainy season.

This delicious dish is perfect for a familys supper and it is incredibly easy to make, I will in fact call it a one pot wonder, there's not much fuss to it at all.

Catfish and unripe plantain pepper soup. Source: Mariellasmenu

READ ALSO: See 6 amazing benefits of eating mango fruits

Lets cook!

Ingredients

1) Fresh catfish 1kg

2) Unripe plantains about 500g

3) Blended crayfish 20g

4) Blended dried chillies (as desired)

Ingredients for catfish and unripe plantain pepper soup. Source: Mariellasmenu

5) Fresh scotch bonnets 5g ( I add this fresh at the end)

6) Pepper soup spices (I usually make mine)

7) 3 sprigs lemon grass

8) Seasoning 8g

9) Salt 2g

10) Ginger and garlic 6g

11) Small onion bulb

12) Scent leaf to garnish

Directions

1) Wash the catfish and set into a large bowl, pour hot boiling water over the fish and leave this in for 3 minutes, pour the hot water out, you will find the slimy protective coating washing off, rinse with cold water and set aside

2) Blend all the aromatic spices together in a dry miller and set aside

3) Also blend the ginger and garlic with the onions and set aside too

4) In clean pot, add in 3 cups of water or enough water to cook your fish, add in the unripe plantains, the blended spices, crayfish, dried chilies, lemon grass, ginger and garlic paste, seasoning and salt. Allow this to simmer for 6 minutes or until the plantains are tender.

Amazing! How to prepare catfish and unripe plantain pepper soup

Cooks tip:

This is why I call it a one pot wonder, all of the ingredients go into one pot almost at once, leaving no room for dirty pots and pans lying around and the best part, the dish always comes out delicious!

PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

5) Now add in the fish head into the pot, fish head takes longer to cook, as compared to the other more tender parts of catfish. Give this 5 minutes to simmer slowly on low heat before adding in the rest of the fish parts. Give another 5 minutes and your delicious one pot wonder is ready!

To be honest with you, I cant think of a better way for you to enjoy this chilly season than cosying up with a bowl of this amazing broth with your family.

Be inspired!

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported about wonderful ways to make yam and goat meat pepper soup (Ukodo).

Mariah Adeboboye

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of Legit.ng.

Legit.ng welcomes writers, bloggers, photographers and all sorts of noise makers to become a part of our Bloggers network.

If you are a seasoned writer or a complete newbie  apply and become Nigerias next star blogger.

Send us some info about your career, interests and expertise and why youd like to contribute to the Blogger Network at blogger@corp.legit.ng Also, please send us the link to your blog and three examples of your work.

More details in Legit.ngs step-by-step guide for guest bloggers.

Watch this Legit.ng video to know amazing benefits of taking cucumber:

Source: Legit.ng
- The People of Biafra (IPOB) has condemned the attack on worshipers of Saint Philips Catholic church in Ozubulu, Anambra state

- IPOB said the investigation made by the police over the killing was not true

- The group however urged the police to go into detailed investigation with the view to apprehending the culprits

The People of Biafra (IPOB) has declared that the mass killing of Saint Philips Catholic Church worshipers that happened on Sunday, August 6, was not caused by wrong business deal.

Reports have it that IPOB made this known through a statement signed by comrade Emma Powerful, the group media and publicity secretary.

The statement read: ''Conclusion by the police that the killing was a result of a business gone wrong in far away South Africa was a hasty one and cannot be said to be true.

READ ALSO: See Abuja church where tithes and offerings are not allowed

''It is unfortunate that the Nigeria police who are required to enter into detailed investigation with the view to apprehending the culprits, merely concluded within an hour that they know the cause and the perpetrators of the crime.

''We dont know when Nigerian Police acquired this level of efficiency and excellence that enabled them to conclude their investigations within an hour.

''Does it mean they had prior knowledge of the crime and if so why werent measures put in place to preempt it?''.

The group also said: ''We are alerting the international community, men and women of good conscience to prevail on Nigeria and Anambra state government to constitute an independent and transparent panel of inquiry to ascertain what actually happened because this level of brutality is unheard of in Anambra State and entire Biafranland before now.

''This massacre of our people in Ozubulu as with other indiscriminate slaughter of our people around Nigeria is a constant reminder to us all all of the threat we face each day we delay our exit from Nigeria.

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''Unfortunately for us, these heinous crimes will be visited upon us at predictable intervals until we collectively summon the courage to demand for our right to a referendum that will settle this once and for all time.

''It wont come to us as a surprise if after all the investigations, it turns out that those behind this despicable crime are individuals sponsored by dark forces within Nigeria intent on destabilising the IPOBs relentless march towards the liberation of Biafra and other ethnic nationalities under the yoke of Hausa Fulani Islamic domination in Nigeria.

''We believe that no sane mind can attribute this level of evil terrorist attack on Ozubulu as a direct result of a business transaction gone wrong in far away South Africa''.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Saint Philips Catholic Church in Ozubulu located in Ekusigo local government area of Anambra state was attacked this morning, Sunday, August 6 and several persons have been reported killed by gunmen.

The attackers and their motive have not been established but security operatives are said to have swung into action as investigations have begun.

In the video below, Legit.ng TV asked some Nigerians if they consider the police as their friend:

Source: Legit.ng
The 6th Sustainability in the Extractive Industries (SITEI) Conference  CSR-in-Actions flagship conference that focuses on the extractive industries in Nigeria  held on July 19th  20th in Abuja, and was indeed a success.

The event is a multi-stakeholder meeting now in its 6th year, organised by young Nigerian, Bekeme Masade, along with other passionate youth in her employ, who believe that ethical management of our resources will yield great benefit for all stakeholders; resulting in reduced conflict and equitable division of resources regardless of creed or stature.

A major highlight of the 2-day event was the attendance of the two most senior officers for the industries, the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, and the Honourable Minister for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi; both delivering key insights into the ministries plans for the oil & gas and the mineral sectors, respectively (read here).

The multi-stakeholder event enjoyed active support from industry partners  Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources (FMPR), Federal Ministry of Mines & Steel Development (FMMSD), Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) and Zenera Consulting; and notable sponsors  Aiteo, Ford Foundation, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Petrolex Oil & Gas, Access Bank and Lafarge Africa Plc.

Below are photos from the Conference:

[Sponsored]

Source: Legit.ng
- The presidency said only four protesters turned up at the Abuja House in London without a police permit

- Lauretta Onochie said one of the protesters had no money to return home and was assisted with 5.

Garba Shehu, a spokesperson for Muhammadu Buhari, argued that the president had not committed any offence against the constitution

The Nigerian presidency has said the planned protest against Muhammadu Buharis stay outside the country flopped on Monday, August 7, 2017 in London.

With photographs to confirm that the planned version of the protest in London failed, Lauretta Onochie, an aide to President Buhari said only four people turned up.

Onochie alleged that the protest may have been planned by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since it has the participation of Deji Adeyanju.

Today's Deji Adeyanju-led PDP-sponsored protest at Abuja House London. Four people turned up.

The London street where the protest was scheduled to hold. Credit: Lauretta Onochie

Neighbours called the police. As they had no Police Permit to hold a rally. They took to their heels.

One of them said he had no money to pay his way back home. Our man who was on hand to monitor the situation, gave him 5. He was happy and went home.

Shame on insensitive PDP. Shame on them.

READ ALSO: 2 soldiers dead as army ambush Boko Haram terrorists in new operation (photos)

Thank you Nigerians for your love and prayers for our President, Muhammadu Buhari, the nightmare of corrupt people, Onochie said in a social media post.

Meanwhile, the Punch reports that the presidency has replied the protesters back in Nigeria saying the president had not gone against the constitution to warrant a march against his stay in London on medical ground.

The protesters had asked the president to either return or resign his position.

Garba Shehu, Buharis senior special assistant on media and publicity, was reported as saying in Abuja that the president complied with the provisions of the constitution by handing over to Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

He also reminded the protesters that Prof Osinbajo has been doing well since he took over as acting president.

They (the protesters) are only exercising their rights in line with the constitution of this country.

The Abuja House in London. Credit: Lauretta Onochie

Of what use or value is a democracy in which citizens cannot embark on peaceful protests? So we respect their right to convene or undertake peaceful protest.

On the second issue of whether the president should resign or disclose or whatever, I think they are stepping outside the laws of this country.

Anyone conversant with the constitution of this country would have noticed or seen that Mr President has complied 100 percent with the requirements of the constitution of this country.

He has handed over power to the vice president, relying on the constitution.

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The vice president is carrying on with the affairs of this country. He is undertaking activities of government in line with the constitution in a way that the President himself has given words of commendation.

So, the President has not breached any law. What he has done is perfectly in line with the constitution of this country and people are looking for things to say. I think they should do their research very well, he argued.

Legit.ng had reported that the organisation, Concerned Nigerians on Monday, August 7, converged at the Unity Fountain in Abuja urging the president to either resume duty or resign.

The group said it will march to the Presidential Villa to demand the resignation of the president.

After a visit to President Buhari recently, Governor Ortom of Benue spoke in this video about the development. Watch it here:

Source: Legit.ng
- Governor Obiano expressed sadness over the heinous attack in Ozubulu

- He vowed that the perpetrators of the attack will be arrested

- The governor thanked President Buhari for the call and commiseration

The governor of Anambra state, Willie Obiano, has insisted that the deadly killing that took place in a church in the Ozubulu area of the state was committed by two business partners from the same town.

This is contrary to the position taken by the leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, who alleged that the crime was committed by herdsmen.

In an address to Anambra people on Monday, August 7, Obiano expressed sadness over the heinous crime but vowed that it would be the first and last time it would happen promising that the perpetrators would be apprehended.

The governor also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and acting president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, for calling to commiserate with him and the people of the state.

READ ALSO: See Abuja church where tithes and offerings are not allowed

Read the statement below:

Good morning fellow citizens

Ndi Anambra ekenem unu

With a sorrowful heart, I stand before you today to brief you on the tragic killing of 12 people at St Philips Catholic Church, Amakwa, Ozubulu yesterday.

First, I want to assure you all that what happened in Ozubulu yesterday was a tragic dimension of a long battle between two business partners who are from the same town. I have been fully informed that this dangerous conflict has been going on for a while in the country where they both live outside Nigeria before they decided to bring the conflict home. But let me assure you that Anambra is too hot for them to operate here, going forward.

This explanation, I believe, has erased the fears that the incident may have been caused by either some terrorist organizations or some members of some groups of agitators in the country.

Brothers and sisters, what happened in Ozubulu was neither a terror attack as we know it, nor a violent action by some agitators. We are dealing with a dangerous GANG WAR that has spilled over to Anambra State from another African country. But this is the last time it will happen under my watch!

Fellow citizens, I want to assure you that we are on top of this situation. We are completely in charge here. The people directly and remotely involved in this crime are known to the law enforcement agencies. But no suspect, no matter how highly placed, is above the law. So, we have taken bold steps to bring them to book and restore the peace and tranquility that Anambra State has enjoyed since the past three years.

Sincerely, there is no cause for fear or alarm here. Anambra state is safe. Our churches and places of worship are safe. So, our people should not be discouraged from going to church to serve their God because what happened in Amakwa, Ozubulu is an isolated case. It will not happen again! Ndi Anambra should continue to sleep with both eyes closed because we are staying awake for them. In the words of Wendell Philips, the American abolitionist and liberal activist, the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. We have chosen to stay awake that Anambra may find sleep! I repeat, never again will this type of bloodshed happen in Anambra State under me!

Ndi Anambra, in all our 25-year history, never has a single act of senseless violence consumed so many lives. I strongly condemn this wanton killing of our fellow citizens who left their loved ones in the early hours of Sunday morning to worship their God. I condemn the senseless violation of sacred places of worship by people to whom neither man nor God is worthy of respect or honour. I condemn these people who did not think twice before placing such a heavy burden on our humanity!

READ ALSO: Police make arrest in Ozubulu church attack

All the shadowy characters behind this crime shall account for it. This is the first and the last of this appalling crime!

Fellow citizens, I call on you today, to join hands with me to rid our society of all vestiges of crime and criminality. Nothing else can stand in the way of accelerated development as crime does. We are familiar with this fact in Anambra State. That is why we have fought tooth and nail to usher in the long period of peace we have enjoyed in Anambra State.

To our numerous friends and partners, I want to assure you that Anambra is still Nigerias safest state. Indeed, the Ozubulu killings have only strengthened our commitment to create a safer, business-friendly and prosperous state. We remain focused on our Vision and Mission to this great state. No amount of threats or wholesale destruction can shake our commitment to these ideals.

Ndi Anambra, I have declared today a Day of Mourning in honour of our brothers and sisters that were slain yesterday. We shall observe a minute of silence in their honour at 12 noon today and special prayers shall be offered for them in churches and prayer houses across Nigeria and in the Diaspora. We have also opened a Condolence Register for them in the Government House.

Finally, for the 18 survivors of this carnage who are nursing different injuries in the hospital, my administration shall pick up all their medical bills. I have visited them at the hospital to ascertain their recovery rate. I have also dispatched 50 additional medical doctors to the hospital to ensure that they have access to the best medical care possible. Indeed, all hands must be on deck to save more lives.

PAY ATTENTION: Watch more videos on Legit.ng TV

At this juncture, I want to thank the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari who called me last night from London to commiserate with Ndi Anambra on this tragic incident. I must also thank the Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo who also called last night to condole with us. My gratitude goes to everyone who has called my Team and I to say a soothing word since this incident happened. Your calls have re-affirmed my belief that we are one people under God! It has strengthened my faith in the unity of this country.

Anambra State has survived incredible odds in our modest history. This too shall pass!

God bless Anambra State

God Bless Nigeria

Thank you

Dalunu!

Meanwhile, in a video sighted by Legit.ng, Kanu claimed the massacre was perpetuated by Fulani herdsmen who has the support of the federal government.

The IPOB leader also condemned all political leaders and elders in Igbo land claiming they did nothing for the people.

Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of the political atmosphere in Anambra ahead of the November 18 election:

Source: Legit.ng
By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Democrat Senator Chuck Schumers Better Deal platform has gotten some favorable press, being framed as a populist turn, and Democrats plan to spend the next fifteen months talking about it. Our Revolutions Peoples Platform (#PeoplesPlatform) has gotten far less coverage, the party establishment is silent about it, and its gotten virtually no coverage in the press. (To their credit, Robert Borasage and Katrina vanden Heuvel wrote pieces comparing and contrasting the two, soon after a Better Deal was issued.) In this post, Ill compare and contrast the way the two platforms deliver concrete material benefits[1]. (Ill leave tactical issues like process, framing and voter appeal for another day.) At the end of the post, Ill say a brief word on anti-trust, a key differentiator between the two. Now lets look at the two platforms:

Figure 1: A Better Deal

From the United States Senate Democrats:

Today, Democrats are offering A Better Deal that will focus on three goals: Raise the wages and incomes of American workers and create millions of good-paying jobs: Our plan for A Better Deal starts by creating millions of good-paying, full-time jobs by directly investing in our crumbling infrastructure and prioritizing small business and entrepreneurs, instead of giving tax breaks to special interests. We will aggressively crack down on unfair foreign trade and fight back against corporations that outsource American jobs. We will fight to ensure a living wage for all Americans and keep our promise to millions of workers who earned a pension, Social Security and Medicare, so seniors can retire with dignity. Lower the costs of living for families: We will offer A Better Deal that will lower the crippling cost of prescription drugs and the cost of a college or technical education that leads to a good job. We will fight for families struggling with high monthly bills like childcare, credit card fees, and cable bills. We will crack down on monopolies and the concentration of economic power that has led to higher prices for consumers, workers, and small business  and make sure Wall Street never endangers Main Street again. Build an economy that gives working Americans the tools to succeed in the 21st Century: Americans deserve the chance to get the skills, tools, and knowledge to find a good-paying job or to move up in their career to earn a better living. We will commit to A Better Deal that provides new tax incentives to employers that invest in workforce training and education and make sure the rules of the economy support companies that focus on long-term growth, rather than short-term profits. We will make it a national priority to bring high-speed Internet to every corner of America and offer an apprenticeship to millions of new workers. We will encourage innovation, invest in advanced research and ensure start-ups and small business can compete and prosper.

(OK, I said I wouldnt look at framing, but for those new here I just couldnt help underlining the familiar weasel words; I dont know which Democratic strategist has sold these guys on the Washington Generals-style fight for verbiage, but I wish theyd just stop it. Fighting for and never winning isnt a good look.)

Figure 2: The Peoples Platform

From Our Revolution:

Medicare for All: H.R. 676 Medicare For All Act Free College Tuition: H.R. 1880 College for All Act of 2017 Worker Rights: H.R.15  Raise the Wage Act Womens Rights: H.R.771  Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act of 2017 Voting Rights: H.R. 2840  Automatic Voter Registration Act Environmental Justice: Climate Change Bill  Renewable Energy (More details soon!) Criminal Justice and Immigrant Rights: H.R. 3227  Justice is Not For Sale Act of 2017 Taxing Wall Street: H.R. 1144  Inclusive Prosperity Act

And now lets compare the two. Compared to the #PeoplesPlatform[2]:

A Better Deal is not a serious effort. The Better Deal is a list of bullet points supported by White Papers. The Peoples Platform is a list of actual legislation, which elected representatives can be pressured to support, and around which hearings could be organized. Which is the more serious? (To be fair, you can argue that since bullet points and white papers appeal more directly to the political class, especially the more wonkish elements of the press, A Better Deal is indeed more serious. Ill leave that one up to the judges.)

A Better Deal offers trivial benefits. To caricature  see below on antitrust for a more serious topic  the Better Deal offers cheaper cable, cheaper beer, and cheaper prescription drugs. Well and good, but isnt saving thousands of lives and billions of dollars with #MedicareForAll the truly better deal? Politically and morally? And doesnt the Democrat Partys willful refusal to focus on, or even name this issue, reinforce the never, ever message sent by the Clinton campaign debacle?

A Better Deal delivers many benefits indirectly, through the market. The #PeoplesPlatform delivers the universal concrete material benefits  Medicare for All, free college tuition, raising wages  using government as a vehicle (which is appropriate when benefits are universal; markets dont do universal). The Better Deal, by contrast, focuses on tweaking the market to deliver benefits, in such a way that the role of government is not visible. For example, the Better Deals solution for lower cable and beer prices  the bread and circuses parallel is almost too exact  is better policy on antitrust. Suppose their approach works (see below) and cable bills are lowered by some unknown amount. Will the consumer perceive the benefit as a result of government action? Or as how the benefit will be marketed: A voluntary action freely undertaken by beneficent corporations? If you want to create a virtuous cycle where government action brings perceived benefit, strengthening popular support for further government action, bringing more benefits, how does that happen if the benefit is delivered indirectly, though the market, and imperceptible as a public good achieved by government?

A Better Deal does not address electoral infrastructure issues. The Peoples Platform includes Automatic Voter Registration. The Better Deal does not address expanding the Democrats electoral base at all. That seems odd; one would think the Democrats would wish to bring maximum electoral power to bear on those opposed to their platform.

A Note About Antitrust

A Better Deal has this to say on antitrust:

We will crack down on monopolies and the concentration of economic power that has led to higher prices for consumers, workers, and small business  and make sure Wall Street never endangers Main Street again.

(Once again, Ive helpfully underlined the functional equivalents of fight for.) Thats not very meaningful, so we turn to Schumers Op-Ed:

Right now our antitrust laws are designed to allow huge corporations to merge, padding the pockets of investors but sending costs skyrocketing for everything from cable bills and airline tickets to food and health care. We are going to fight to allow regulators to break up big companies if theyre hurting consumers and to make it harder for companies to merge if it reduces competition.

(Once again.) Leaving aside Schumers odd failure to mention ginormous Silicon Valley monopolies like Amazon, Facebook, and Google, this is still pretty vague, so we turn to the Democrats White Paper (PDF) on this topic. Laudably, the paper proposes standards that seem to be tougher  we await forthcoming legislation  but standards are wind, as they say, so we look for an enforcement mechanism. Here it is:

A new consumer competition advocate: In recent years, antitrust regulators have been unable or unwilling to pursue complaints about anticompetitive conduct. Our new competition advocate would research current market activity, receive consumer complaints , and proactively recommend [3] competition investigations to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). The advocate will consider the full range of potentially anticompetitive behavior, from traditional areas like price fixing to newer challenges like the role that online platforms[4] play in keeping our markets fair and open. The advocates recommendations would be made public, and the regulators would be required, if they choose not to pursue a recommended investigation, to publicly justify why. This office would devote resources to ensuring complaints about market exploitation and anticompetitive behavior are treated seriously and regulators are held accountable. In order to inform the public on the general status of the markets, the office would also compile and publish data regularly on market concentration and abuses of economic power. It would also provide demographic breakdowns , including the impact of market concentration on communities of color.

I hope I dont seem like Im a pro-monopoly curmudgeon if I say that the competition advocate seems like pretty weak tea, to me. Ive helpfully underlined the powers of this new office, and I dont see enforcement there. I grant that a bully pulpit for anti-trust is a good thing, but dont we have a President for that?[5] And Senators, who can hold hearings to perform every single function listed? Critically  once again, a serious effort with legislation would clarify this  the nature of the competition advocates funding is left unstated. Will the competition advocate be independently funded, as through successfully collected fines? Or will the advocate be funded by the very department it is supposed to force to publicly justify its failure to pursue recommendations?

One cannot help comparing the Better Deal proposal with the approach taken by the European Commission to one online platform:

The European Commission has fined Google 2.42 billion for breaching EU antitrust rules. Google has abused its market dominance as a search engine by giving an illegal advantage to another Google product, its comparison shopping service. The company must now end the conduct within 90 days or face penalty payments of up to 5% of the average daily worldwide turnover of Alphabet, Googles parent company. Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: Google has come up with many innovative products and services that have made a difference to our lives. Thats a good thing. But Googles strategy for its comparison shopping service wasnt just about attracting customers by making its product better than those of its rivals. Instead, Google abused its market dominance as a search engine by promoting its own comparison shopping service in its search results, and demoting those of competitors. What Google has done is illegal under EU antitrust rules. It denied other companies the chance to compete on the merits and to innovate. And most importantly, it denied European consumers a genuine choice of services and the full benefits of innovation.

Here are Commissioner Margrethe Vestagers powers. They are, in fact, rather similar to those proposed by the Better Deal white paper, with an important exception I have underlined:

Responsibilities Mobilising competition policy tools and market expertise to contribute, where appropriate, to creating jobs and promoting growth.

Developing the economic and legal approach of assessing competition issues and monitoring the market.

Effectively enforcing competition rules in the areas of antitrust, cartels, mergers and state aid.

Strengthening the Commissions reputation worldwide and promoting international cooperation in competition issues.

David Dayen, in The Quiet Audacity of the Democratic Better Deal,' frames the Competition Advocate as part of a larger, and fresh, Democrat approach to governance. Excerpting the key portions of his thesis:

The Democrats continue to roll out their agenda, and Im noticing a pattern. Want to lower the cost of prescription drugs? Theyve got a price gouging enforcer, the director of a new agency dedicated to investigating drug manufacturers that jack up the cost on their products. How about breaking concentrated corporate power across all fields? Theyve got a consumer-competition advocate who would recommend investigation of monopolistic industries to the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission. [These new proposed agencies] stand out, particularly because the new suggested positions duplicate existing structures within the federal government. The FTC (and, to a lesser extent, the Food and Drug Administration) is supposed to monitor drug prices, as well as other monopolies. . Of course, building new agencies with targeted missions was a hallmark of the New Deal. And like under FDR, these Better Deal agencies are an admission that the current framework is fatally corrupted, unresponsive to public needs.  The Better Deal isnt entirely about building a new government atop the old one. But that tendency stands out, and, while its something of a dodge, its also as quietly radical as anything weve seen recently from a major political party.

OK, grant the validity of this technocratic approach. If you want to build a new government atop the old one because the current framework is fatally corrupted, why leave the enforcement function in the corrupt framework, instead of moving it to the new one? And what about funding? Will that be a function of of the existing, corrupt framework, too?

Conclusion

A famous meme is This is why we cant have nice things. A Better Deal says three things: (1) You may have slightly better things, and (2) You must get those better things through the market, and (3) We will make the market work by adding new layers of complexity atop the system we all know is corrupt. Whether this is a winning strategy is, again, one Ill leave to the judges. For myself, I believe that a platform that delivers universal concrete material benefits, especially to the working class, is the way forward for a Democratic Party, or whatever party succeeds it, if Democrats go in another direction. Considerations of justice and electoral politics aside, a key form of collective brain damage inflicted over the last forty years by neoliberals of both parties is the belief that government cant deliver benefits effectively. (Granted, neoliberals went out of their way to sabotage governments ability to do just that, so the belief has a basis in reality.) I believe the remedy for that brain damage is, unsurprisingly, government that delivers benefits effectively (which is why #MedicareForAll is an important wedge issue, but adopting the simplest and most rugged form of single payer is also important, as opposed to some Swiss Watch-like program with lots of complications and dials and moon phases and such). A government that delivers benefits effectively is also a prerequisite for many other policies, chief among them dealing with climate change.

NOTES

[1] So Im not an anarchist. Sue me.

[2] Id use a #BetterDeal hash tag, but all the usage examples seem to have been invented by random Twitter posters who oppose it. Since Twitter is heavily read by journalists, this also supports the idea that the Better Deal is not a serious effort.

[3] What on earth does proactively recommend mean? Is it opposed to passive-aggressively recommend?

[4] I suppose that online platforms means Amazon, Facebook, and Google, but its hard to say. Unlike AT&T, Time-Warner, Anheuser-Busch, and Luxottica, among others, no online platform is actually named.

[5] President Theodore Roosevelt: We can not tolerate anything approaching a monopoly, especially in the necessaries of life, except on terms of such thoroughgoing governmental control as will absolutely safe guard every right of the public.
Yves here. Cynics may argue that neoliberalism works just fine for the small slice of winners who get to cut and keep a super big slice of the cake. But thats not the full picture. Lots of cake is bad for you. Even people at the top of highly unequal societies pay a price in terms of health and longevity.

By Richard (RJ) Eskow, a blogger and writer, a former Wall Street executive, a consultant, and a former musician. Originally published at Alternet

If a pictures worth a thousand words, whats the value of a single word?

If youre a Democratic Party leader and the word is compete, the answer may be: more than you can afford.

Much of the Democratic Partys rhetoric has been Uberized by a creeping free-market ideology that treats workers as lone competitors in a survival-of-the-toughest economy.

The time has come to reject this language as well as the thinking behind it. The notion that people must compete with each for low-paying jobs undermines worker solidarity and weakens our sense of national community.

Better Than What?

When the Democratic Party rolled out its Better Deal language in July, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi each wrote op-eds promoting an agenda whose subtitle is, Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future.

An earlier version of that slogan  Better Skills, Better Jobs, Better Wages  was roundly criticized when it was leaked to a reporter, and rightly so. That phrase first appeared in an op-ed by Sen. Tim Kaine, who wrote:

Better skills in our people and communities  will make us more competitive in a world where talent is now the most precious resource. We need to double down on retraining people whose jobs are destroyed by shifts in trade.

Those words offer nothing new to the American people. They could have been lifted from a speech Bill Clinton gave in 1993, when he declared that workers in advanced countries must become ever more productive to deal with competition from low-wage countries on the one hand, and high-skilled, high-tech countries on the other.

Since those words were spoken more than a quarter-century ago, millions of American jobs have been lost to bad trade deals that shifted work overseas and wealth upward.

Misguided government policies and greedy business practices ended a thirty-year period in which wages kept pace with productivity growth, resulting in soaring inequality and stagnating wages for American workers. Increasingly wealthy individuals in corporations have, in turn, used their money to hijack the political process.

No retraining program on Earth can prepare workers for jobs that dont exist. And, as long as inequality remains the highest its been since the 1920s, competitive education strategies will do little to improve wages or social mobility. To beleaguered workers, the phrase better skills reinforces the perception that an out-of-touch elite would rather blame the victims of its policies than take responsibility for its actions.

Better jobs, better wages, better luck next time.

Better Than That

The finished slogan was a notable improvement from the beta version. The phrase better skills was gone, replaced by the noncommittal better future.

It was a welcome surprise to see Democrats taking on corporate monopolies and the rapaciousness of Big Pharma as they rolled out the Better Deal platform.

Those fights can energize voters if theyre properly framed and presented  as in,these corporations are so big they think they can do what they want, but were gonna stop em  especially if theyre complemented by strong stands on labor, trade, Medicare and Social Security expansion, and other populist issues.

But it was disappointing to see both Sen. Schumer and Leader Pelosi echo Kaines unsupportable claims for worker retraining in their respective op-eds. Schumer wrote that millions of unemployed or underemployed people particularly those without a college degree, could be brought back into the labor force or retrained to secure full-time, higher-paying work.

The only concrete proposal he offers, however, is a training tax credit for businesses thats unlikely to make a dent in unemployment. It wont reduce inequality, either. As economist Lawrence Mishel wrote in 2011:  workers face a wage deficit, not a skills deficit.

The Ideology of Competition

For her part, Leader Pelosi promises a fresh vision from the Democratic leadership before saying, It is time to ignite a new era of investment in Americas workers, empowering all Americans with the skills they need to compete in the modern economy.

Compete? Democrats need to reject the idea that workers should compete with each other for jobs. That ideologically charged concept gained momentum in the 1990s, as the partys institutional fundraising shifted its emphasis from unions to corporate donors.

Today we see the logical end-point of that ideology in the Uberization of American labor, as increasing numbers of workers are forced to scrabble like crabs in a barrel for low-paying piece work  or worse, as with Uber, are pressured to go into debt for car loans they must assume in order to compete

Its no coincidence that high-ranking Democratic operatives have been associated with both Uber and its major competitor, Lyft.

The ideology of competition owes a great deal to new economy popularizers like Thomas Friedman and economists like Tyler Cowen, both of whom proclaim that average is over. Its a cold-blooded ideology.

In his book of the same name, Cowen argues that we will be led by an elite he calls the hyper-meritocracy (he seems to use merit and income interchangeably), while a majority of people miss out on the benefits of the new economy.

Gone are the days when popular culture celebrated the average Joe or average Jane. In the world of worker-on-worker competition, only those who are exceptionally talented at making money will get ahead. Forget the folks who work for a living, love their kids, and serve their communities.

This ideology demands that we make heroes out of the billionaires who earned their wealth from the Internet, a government-created technology. The merely average, those heroes and heroines of mid-twentieth century films and TV, are left to fight over scraps from the hyper-meritocracys table.

The Language of Community

To be fair, theres every likelihood that Nancy Pelosi was using the political language of her party without considering its origins or rhetorical baggage. She may not have intended to embrace that languages ideological overtones. But language shapes thought, and it must be changed when it bends thought in the wrong direction.

Compete? Candidates compete when theyre applying for jobs, of course. But once theyre hired the competition should end. The history of organized labor  once the bedrock of the Democratic Party  is founded on the realization that individual workers cannot compete with powerful corporations in the fight for economic justice.

Its not a perfect history. But its no accident that the greatest period of shared prosperity in our nations modern history coincided with its highest percentage of unionized workers. Or that, conversely, inequality grew as union membership fell.

Instead of training workers to compete for non-existent jobs, Democrats should create those jobs  by investing in infrastructure, by renegotiating bad trade deals, and by making the government the employer of last resort. And they should do more: they should call us together, by working with outside activists to form a broad coalition for economic and social justice.

Americans are a highly individualistic people in many ways. But we are also a nation with strong communitarian values. Those values can be found in our admiration for those who make sacrifices in times of war. They can be found in our willingness to help one another when disaster strikes. They can be seen in Fourth of July parades, or in clothing drives at the local fire station.

There is a yearning in this country  a yearning to belong to something greater than ones self. Rather than asking workers to compete with each other, the new leaders of the American left should ask them to collaborate  in labor negotiations, in new forms of public service, in acts of selfless devotion to one another and the nation as a whole.

The Democrats should fill out the hazy language of the better deal with concrete proposals to improve peoples lives. Repeating the phrase like a mantra will hurt, not help, unless there is substance behind it. Voters have been burned by vague promises before. Theyll need clear commitments this time around.

But Democrats should also be brave enough to call Americans together again  as working people, as a movement, and as a community. After all, nobody can really offer us a better deal unless they ask us to give our best in return.
By Mine Senses, Associate Professor of International Economics, Johns Hopkins University. Originally published at VoxEU.

Editors note: This column first appeared as a chapter in the Vox eBook, Economics and policy in the Age of Trump, available to download here.

Most Americans agree that some trade is good. It would be a shame, after all, if Alaskans could not eat mangoes just because they happen to have settled in a location where it is impossible to grow them. Public debate on the virtues of trade gets more contentious when the discussion turns to goods that are no longer  or that are increasingly less likely to be  produced in the US, such as textiles, toys, furniture and cars.

Most economists emphasise that trade is a win-win for all countries that participate. Trade, the argument goes, improves welfare, benefiting consumers by lowering prices and by increasing the variety of available goods. Overall productivity improves as each country moves away from producing goods that they are, relatively, not competitive in and towards goods in which they are. Thanks to trade, consumers can buy fuel- efficient Toyotas, sporty BMWs, or large Ford SUVs  and pay a fraction of the cost that they would for Made in America toys, furniture and textiles by buying cheaper versions imported from Mexico, China, or Vietnam. Trade frees the economys workers, capital, and land to specialise in what they are really good at  in the case of the US, advanced manufacturing goods like robots and planes, or services like banking, insurance, and software.

Economists have long-acknowledged, however, that the benefits of trade are unevenly distributed across different segments of the population, and that the destruction and expansion of industries that accompanies trade bears its own risks and costs. Until recently, however, the economic consensus was that these transition costs were likely small, and the gains were large enough to compensate for the losses that some do suffer.

Then came China, with its large population, solid infrastructure, and extraordinary economic growth. China transformed rapidly, moving from 1% of the world GDP in 1980 to 20% in 2010. Chinas accession to the WTO in 2001 locked in access to the US market at low tariff rates, especially in unskilled-labour-intensive industries. Importantly, this status also reduced the threat of future protection levied on imports from China, making firms more comfortable with moving some or all of their production to China.

The rapid entry of a large export-oriented country onto the world scene had more severe consequences for American workers and communities than previous globalisation episodes. The outcome has shifted economists focus away from the overall gains from trade, towards quantifying the speed of the adjustment process and distributional consequences. The findings so far suggest a slow transition process involving large and concentrated losses for some workers and their communities.

During the 1990s and 2000s, the American industries competing with China experienced more factory shutdowns and lower employment growth in factories that survived, relative to less-exposed industries (Bernard et al. 2006). Workers employed in these industries saw lower earnings (Autor et al. 2014) and higher uncertainty associated with these earnings (Krishna and Senses 2014), relative to workers employed in industries facing less direct competition. While high-skilled workers in these sectors  such as lawyers, HR specialists, and administrative staff  were able to transition to other industries without much loss of earnings, less educated and lower-wage workers bore the brunt of the impact. Some of these workers received federal social assistance in the form of Unemployment Insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or Trade Adjustment Assistance. Nevertheless, these benefits fell far short of making up for the severe losses they experienced.

Where a community lost manufacturing jobs, the impact was not limited to the wages and job security of low-skilled factory workers but also extended to non-manufacturing employment in these areas (Autor et al. 2013). When customers have less money to spend, either because they have lost their job or because their level of economic insecurity has increased, local stores, restaurants, barber shops and other businesses also suffer.

The fortunes of a manufacturing factory are further connected to other industries through its supply chain. If a factory that produces furniture shuts down, the adverse consequences spill over to suppliers of wood, plastic laminate, plywood, metal, iron and machinery, and on to companies that store, transport and sell the furniture.

Local governments can play an important role by investing in public services, such as high-quality education and infrastructure, to ensure the competitiveness of workers and firms in their community. The problem is that funding for these public services is highly localised in the US, with a heavy reliance on property and sales tax revenues. Therefore, a decline in the level of local economic activity depresses tax revenues and restricts the ability of local governments to fund public services, precisely at a time when this support is most needed. The outcome is the deterioration of public services that further exacerbates the negative income shock  less spending on public housing, welfare and public transport, higher (property) crime rates, and lower quality schools (Feler and Senses 2017).

Adverse labour market outcomes faced by individual workers, who are in most cases already at the bottom end of the education and wage distributions, and the decline of economic opportunity in their communities, often brings profound personal consequences. A decline in manufacturing decreases the wages of men relative to women, which in turn reduces their attractiveness as marriage partners  the outcome is a plunge in marriage and fertility rates in the hardest hit communities (Autor et al. 2017). There is also evidence of worse health outcomes and higher mortality rates (Pierce and Schott 2016), and an increase in the number of children born out of wedlock and to teens.

Two very important caveats are missing from this particularly bleak narrative.

First, none of these findings suggests that freer trade does more harm than good. None of the studies mentioned above accounts for benefits of trade, not only to consumers in the form of lower prices and more variety, but to firms in services and in advanced manufacturing that benefit from access to the world market by exporting their products and by importing cheap inputs, machinery and raw materials. A decline in prices of tradable goods and a decline in housing prices in exposed localities, at least partially, will curtail the impact on purchasing power.

Second, while trade has been a contributor to these negative trends, especially during the 2000s, by no means has it been the primary contributor. Automation of jobs by computers and robots, although less prone to producing zingy one-liners for politicians than trade with China and Mexico, had a much bigger impact on the adverse economic outcomes that factory workers without a college education have experienced. Its plausible that even jobs whose elimination could directly be linked to Chinas WTO accession would have eventually been replaced by machines instead of by Chinese workers. Fast food CEO and former Labor Secretary nominee Andy Puzder recently described why in an interview with Business Insider: [Machines are] always polite, they always upsell, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, theres never a slip-and-fall, or an age, sex, or race discrimination case (Business Insider 2016). It is unlikely that policies to reverse the trend in which manual labour jobs are replaced by cheaper, faster, and more efficient robots, would gain much traction in Washington.

Alas, with such a bleak economic backdrop, nuanced discussion of trades pros and cons does not resonate, especially in election years. There is some evidence that communities hit hardest by globalisation have shifted away from centrist candidates towards ideologically extreme candidates in the most recent US election. The shift took place in both ends of the political spectrum: more moderate Republicans were replaced by more conservative candidates and more moderate Democrats by more liberal candidates (Autor et al. 2016). Now, the question is: what policies will these officials  who were elected on a promise of turning the tide of globalisation away  implement? And what is the prospect of success for these policies?

Initial signs are worrying. President Trump consistently promised, on the campaign trail, to restrict trade. This will hurt American consumers, in particular those with low incomes as they spend a greater percentage of their income relative to their richer counterparts on the kind of goods that have declined the most in price, thanks to trade (Fajgelbaum and Khandelwal 2016). They will end up paying more for Made in America versions of products previously imported from other countries. This policy will almost certainly trigger retaliation by trading partners, which will result in lower demand for American exports and possibly lead to a global slow-down. Additionally, given the interconnectedness of US and Chinese economies, policies that restrict trade with China will disrupt the supply chains of many American firms which rely heavily on cheap intermediate inputs and raw materials from China.

So far, the only policy implemented on this front is tearing up the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)  a 12-nation trade deal negotiated by President Obama  to which China was not a signatory country. This was an act vigorously supported by the Chinese, as it has the potential to replace Americans with their Chinese counterparts in setting up the rules of the trade relations in Asia.

Importantly, even if Trumps protectionist policies are implemented and manufacturing companies are successfully incentivised to move back to the US, their new factories are more likely to look like the BMW plant in Spartanburg, SC than a 1970s Ford plant in Detroit, MI  that is, located in a Southern right-to-work state without much regulation, with a factory floor populated not by blue-collar workers but by robots and a few relatively high-skill and high-wage workers who are machine operators, technicians and engineers. This is unlikely to help the plight of workers living in trade-impacted communities elsewhere.

Instead of trying to reverse the trends in globalisation and technological development at the expense of the communities, firms, workers, and consumers who benefit from these trends, a more productive approach would involve reducing the harm to those who lost their livelihoods during this process.

First, a well-functioning and adequately funded set of social safety net programmes would buffer against some of the losses faced by these workers and ease their transition to new employment outside their industries.

Expanding eligibility criteria and increasing the generosity of temporary assistance programmes such as Unemployment Benefits, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families would help cushion the initial blow of a job loss.

Second, while a short-term cushion is important in an environment in which trade shocks are more frequent, unanticipated, and harder to insure against, policies that get people back to work as soon as possible are preferable.

This is not only because of the efficiency losses due to unemployment, but because a job is more than just a paycheck for many workers  it helps create a sense of purpose, provides an often-needed structure, gives the sense of a solid place in ones community, and is a part of ones identity.

The cost of losing a job is more than just losing the financial benefits of having a job. Recent research links decline in labour force participation of men, especially of white men without a college degree, to high rates of deaths of despair due to suicide and drug and alcohol abuse (Case and Deaton 2017). Retraining subsidies, federal job guarantees, wage insurance programmes, and subsidised loans for displaced workers going back to college are all policies that could help younger workers transition to new sectors that require a very different set of skills than their old job, and help older workers transition into retirement.

Third, eliminating local government policies that serve as a barrier to migration and incentivising workers to move to more prosperous communities would be beneficial.

One such barrier is artificial restrictions on housing supply, like zoning laws and building restrictions that increase housing prices. These policies tend to place a heavier burden on low-income households who spend a larger share of their budget on housing.

Another barrier to mobility is occupational licensing laws. Currently, about one third of workers in the US need a state-issued license to work. The time and money cost of acquiring a license in a new state varies widely and serves as a barrier to relocating, especially for low-income households with at least one earner working in an occupation with a licensing requirement, such as a hair-dresser, make-up artist or a child-care provider.

Moving towards standardisation of the eligibility requirements for government assistance programmes, making it less onerous to transfer benefits and health insurance across states lines, and providing relocation vouchers for needy households would also incentivise workers to move away from low-opportunity communities by reducing the risk and pecuniary costs associated with moving.

The current administration has so far shown little appetite for expanding government social safety nets and easing the transition cost for displaced workers. One of the first legislative actions of the Trump administration was an attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act  a system designed to insure low-income families and provide an important buffer against loss of employer-provided health insurance following a job loss.

Similarly, Trumps first budget plan involves deep cuts across government agencies and eliminates many federal programmes that assist the poor (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance, Community Development Block Grant Program, Section 4 Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Program, to name a few) and programmes that support education and training (21st Century Community Learning Centers Program, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program, Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Program and the Senior Community Service Employment Program). Also, there is a government-wide hiring freeze in place that is likely to make the implementation of policies already in place more difficult.

One area where there is some possibility of reform is the reduction of existing regulations. If some of these reforms serve to reduce barriers to mobility across localities, they have the potential to speed up the adjustment process. However, it is unlikely that this will be enough to end the American carnage that President Trump described in his inaugural speech.

References can be found in the original post.
The heart health ingredient market is bigUS$1.1 billion in the United States and $2 billion worldwidebut there is still room for growth, given the aging population and the high incidence rate of heart issues in high-income countries. In this podcast, Christopher Shanahan, global director of Frost & Sullivans visionary science research practice, discusses the market and opportunity for heart health with Sandy Almendarez, editor in chief, INSIDER. They cover:

The top heart health ingredients, including omega-3s, fiber, B vitamins and more

The ingredients that are bestselling in supplements, and those that are bestselling in functional foods/beverages

How brands willing to invest in ingredients that benefit the heart, but havent traditionally been marketed that way, can see the biggest reward

Shanahan is covering the heart health market and opportunities in the SupplySide West Workshop, Nutrition for Heart Health on Friday, September 29 at 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. in Las Vegas. This session is underwritten by Nicolas Hall and Companies, Japan Bio Sciences Lab and Natec.
The human blood consists of liquid called plasma that comprises white and red blood cells, and platelets. The antibodies and antigens present in the blood help to identify ones blood group. The proteinaceous substance inside the plasma is called antibodies. Antibodies are a part of body's natural defense.

They alert the immune system by identifying foreign substances, such as microorganisms, and destroying them. The protein molecules found on the surface of red blood cells are called antigens.

Image author: InvictaHOG / commons.wikimedia.org

Major divisions of blood

ABO system defines four main blood groups.

Group A: It contains A antigens in the red blood cells with anti-B antibodies in the plasma.

It contains A antigens in the red blood cells with anti-B antibodies in the plasma. Group B: It contains B antigens with anti-A antibodies in the plasma.

It contains B antigens with anti-A antibodies in the plasma. Group O: It contains anti-A and anti-B antibodies in the plasma, but antigens are absent.

It contains anti-A and anti-B antibodies in the plasma, but antigens are absent. Group AB: It contains A and B antigens, but antibodies are absent.

Sub-types of blood group

These main blood groups are sub-divided into eight types and each can be either RhD negative or RhD positive. One can have any one of these eight blood groups:

A + (A RhD positive) and A  (A RhD negative)

+ (A RhD positive) and  (A RhD negative) B + (B RhD positive) and B  (B RhD negative)

+ (B RhD positive) and  (B RhD negative) O + (O RhD positive) and O  (O RhD negative)

+ (O RhD positive) and  (O RhD negative) AB+ (AB RhD positive) and AB (AB RhD negative)

O blood group

The most common blood group is O, which is found in 48% of the UK population. Hospitals request blood group O very frequently, as half of the donor population has this blood group. The blood group Os red blood cells are compatible and versatile. They are more compatible with other blood groups of the ABO system, but patients of this group can receive red blood cell transfusions only from their own group.

An important blood group is O negative, which is commonly called universal. Red blood cells can be received by patients with blood groups A, B, and O, irrespective of whether they are Rh positive or Rh negative. The O negative red cells are unique and can be safely given to a patient whose blood type is unknown or immediately unavailable.

Therefore, this blood type is necessary in departments such as Emergencies & Accidents; the demand for O negative blood in all hospitals is around 13% but only 7% of the population has this blood.

AB blood group

The AB group is the rarest of ABO, because it is found in only 1 in 25 donors. AB red cells can be transfused to patients with AB blood and so this is the rarest of its form. AB is the least requested blood type by hospitals and so it is important to ensure a close balance between collections and hospital requests. Patients with severe blood loss can be treated with the freshly frozen plasma produced by AB blood group. Hence, donors of AB blood group are given high importance.

Sometimes, in a year, the demand for AB positive rises occasionally. The hospitals rely on the female donor's support to receive blood and blood products during the time of demand. Around 1% of the donor population is AB negative, which is the rarest blood type. Since it is rarest, it is hard and difficult to find new donors and collect sufficient amount of blood.

A blood group

The second most common blood group found in the donor population is group A. The largest blood group does not mean it is all plain sailing, but it is undoubtedly one of the most requested blood groups by hospitals. Balancing the collections and demand is rigorous. Negative donors have a very important role in making platelets. Platelets are one of the blood components that help prevent bruising and stop bleeding.

Around 60% of platelets are used to help cancer patients. Platelets of group A are constantly in high demand, as they can be given to patients of all ABO groups, making them extremely versatile. A higher priority is given to ensuring a regular and consistent supply of platelets, which can last only up to 7 days (compared to 35 days for red cells).

B blood group

Blood group B is found in only 10% of donors. The South Asian (20%) and Black communities (25%) seem to have more group B individuals than the White European communities (9%). To ensure that the patient need for this blood group is met consistently, the clinics encourage new donors from communities such as Black, Asian, and other minorities.

The Black communities are more susceptible to sickle cell anemia and the South Asian communities to thalassemia. During such critical conditions, patients may require multiple transfusions, and sometime throughout their lives. It is important that patients receive blood that is tested extensively to better match their own during regular transfusions.

Around 1 in 7 patients, B negative donors can help Rh positive and negative patients from groups B and AB. The B negative donors are more in demand, as the hospitals depend heavily on them for the required blood.

Further Reading
The protein amyloid beta is believed to be the major cause of Alzheimer's disease. Substances that reduce the production of amyloid beta, such as BACE inhibitors, are therefore promising candidates for new drug treatments. A team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has recently demonstrated that one such BACE inhibitor reduces the amount of amyloid beta in the brain. By doing so, it can restore the normal function of nerve cells and significantly improve memory performance.

Around 50 million people worldwide suffer from dementia. To date, no effective drug is available that is able to halt or cure the disease. Moreover, the exact causes of the disease have yet to be definitively explained. However, there is a greater accumulation of the protein amyloid beta in Alzheimer's patients than in healthy people. As a result, the protein clumps together and damages nerve cells.

Affected cells can become hyperactive. They then constantly send false signals to neighboring cells. In addition, certain brain waves such as slow oscillations spin out of control. These waves play a key role in the formation of memories by transferring learned information into long-term memory.

Brain functions restored in mice

"A successful treatment must take effect as early in the course of the disease as possible. In our experiments, we have therefore blocked the enzyme beta secretase BACE, which produces amyloid beta," explains Dr Marc Aurel Busche, young investigator group leader at the Institute for Neuroscience of the TUM and psychiatrist in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the TUM university hospital rechts der Isar.

The researchers tested a substance that inhibits beta secretase in a mouse model of Alzheimer's. The mice produce large amounts of amyloid beta, which, as in humans, leads to the formation of amyloid beta plaques in the brain and causes memory loss. During the study, the mice were given the inhibitor in their food for up to eight weeks, after which they were examined. For this purpose, the researchers used a special imaging technique known as two-photon microscopy, which allowed them to observe individual nerve cells in the brain.

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As expected, the mice had less amyloid beta in their brain after this period, since its production was inhibited. However, the effect of the substance was much more far-reaching: the animals' brain functions actually normalized. There were fewer hyperactive nerve cells, and the slow-wave brain patterns once again resembled those in healthy mice. A key finding for the scientists was the observation that the animals' memory also improved. The mice were able to locate a hidden platform in a water-filled maze as quickly as their healthy counterparts.

Clinical trial planned

"What really impressed and amazed us was the reversibility of the symptoms. Before the treatment, the mice had a marked clinical picture with amyloid beta plaques in their brain. Nevertheless, the substance was able to restore important brain functions and abilities," explains Aylin Keskin, lead author of the publication. Moreover, the researchers' study showed yet another benefit: "We were also able to demonstrate which neural deficits really are caused by amyloid beta. That was not fully understood with regard to hyperactive nerve cells, for example," Keskin says.

The scientists' findings will soon find its way into clinical practice: A large-scale clinical trial is planned with around 1000 participants to test a slightly modified form of the BACE inhibitor. "Needless to say, we very much hope that the promising discoveries in the animal model will translate to humans", Busche says.
When a receptionist hands out a form to fill out at a doctors office, the questions are usually about medical issues: Whats the visit for? Are you allergic to anything? Up to date on vaccines?

But some health organizations are now asking much more general questions: Do you have trouble paying your bills? Do you feel safe at home? Do you have enough to eat? Research shows these factors can be as important to health as exercise habits or whether you get enough sleep.

Research has begun to show that a persons ZIP code can be as important to her health as her genetic code.

Thats why Shannon McGrath was asked to fill in a life situation form this spring when she turned up for her first obstetrics appointment at Kaiser Permanente in Portland, Ore. She was 36 weeks pregnant. (Kaiser Health News is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.)

When I got pregnant I was homeless, she said. I didnt have a lot of structure. And so it was hard to make an appointment. I had struggles with child care for my other kids; transportation; financial struggles.

The form asked about her rent, her debts, her child care situation and other social factors. Based on her answers, Kaiser Permanente assigned her a patient navigator.

She automatically set up my next few appointments and then set up the rides for them, because that was my No. 1 struggle, McGrath said. She assured me that child care wouldnt be an issue and that it would be OK if they came. So I brought the kids and everything was easy, just like she said it would be.

Her navigator helped McGrath get in touch with local nonprofits who helped her with rent, a phone and essentials for the baby  such as diapers and bottles  all in the hope that making her life easier might keep her healthier and, in turn, keep KPs medical costs lower.

McGrath said her patient navigator, Angelette Hamilton, was a bureaucratic ninja, removing paperwork obstacles that kept her from taking care of herself and her family.

Patient navigators have been around for a while. Whats new is the form McGrath filled out and how hospitals are using the socioeconomic data the forms glean to serve patients. The details now go into a patients file, which means providers such as Dr. Sarah Lambert have more information at a glance.

I find it incredibly helpful because it can be very hard to find out, said Lambert, who is McGraths OB-GYN and works at Kaiser Permanente Northwest. Having it coded right there  we have this problem list that jumps up  really can give you a much better understanding as to what the patients going through.

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Federal officials introduced new medical codes for the social determinants of health a few years ago, said Cara James, director of the Office of Minority Health at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

More providers are beginning to recognize the impact that the social determinants have on their patients, she said.

Nicole Friedman, a regional manager at Kaiser Permanente Northwest, agreed. But she goes one step further.

She hopes giving doctors more information about the home life of each patient will push health care in a new direction  away from more high-priced treatments and toward providing the basics that protect a persons health.

My personal belief is that putting more money into health care is a moral sin, she said. We need to take money out of health care and put it into other social inputs, like housing and food and transportation.

Linking health organizations like KP with nonprofit social services such as the Oregon Food Bank will help governments and medical providers see where their money can make the biggest difference, Friedman said.

For example, spending more on affordable housing for homeless people can also have health benefits  in turn, saving the government money down the line.

Friedman said that when KP started addressing peoples social needs, one study found a 40 percent reduction in emergency room utilization.

McGrath was initially skeptical when doctors offered to help her with things like rent and transportation.

I didnt want someone to see my situation and have it raise alarms, she said.

But ultimately she was glad to have shared that information.

Im able to look at life and not feel overwhelmed or burdened, she said, or like Ive got the whole world on my shoulders.

This story is part of a partnership that includes Oregon Public Broadcasting, NPR and Kaiser Health News.
Herbal remedy plants native to Saudi Arabia are shown to have potential as treatments for cancer.

Researchers from KAUST have been searching locally for plants that have potential for use to combat cancer. Now, three plants used for traditional medicine in Saudi Arabia are shown to be worthy of further investigation for anticancer properties.

Cancer is a leading cause of illness and death worldwide. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) recorded 8.8 million cancer-related deaths, but almost twice as many cases are diagnosed each year. And the WHO predict that the number of cancer diagnoses is likely to continue to increase by about 70% for at least the next two decades due to growing longevity.

Seeking to expand the armory of cancer treatmentsespecially ones that are simple and inexpensive to manufacturea team led by Timothy Ravasi and Christian Voolstra from KAUST has investigated the biological potential (bioactivity) of a range of plants used locally in traditional medicine.

Use of herbal medicines is common in Saudi Arabia, explains Ravasi's PhD student, Dina Hajjar. "However, there are almost no scientific studies," says Hajjar. "Saudi people tend to use information inherited from their families to decide about these plants without validated knowledge of their biological or chemical activity."

The team initially investigated 52 plants before they homed in on three plants that showed promiseJuniperus phoenicea (known in herbal medicine as Arar or Phoenican juniper), Anastatica hierochuntica (known as Kaff Maryam or the Jericho rose) and Citrullus colocynthis (known as Hanzal or bitter cucumber).

The team used cell-based phenotypic profiling via imaging-based high-content screening to assess anticancer activity. This approach followed a technique developed in 2016 by Stephan Kremb and Christian Voolstra that uses a comprehensive marker panel with standardized settingsan efficient process that could potentially be easily adopted by other laboratories. This meant the team compared the cytological profiles of fractions taken from the plants with a set of reference compounds with established mechanisms of action.

This enabled the team to show, for the first time, that these three plants contain potent anticancer substancestopoisomerase inhibitors, which are compounds that can block the topoisomerase enzymes that control changes in DNAthat could be used to develop novel anticancer inhibitors.

There are many steps, however, before these compounds are properly tested and available for clinical treatments for cancer. "The active compounds identified in the study will need to be evaluated and better characterized," says Hajjer. "Also, active compounds need to be synthesized and tested in vivo."

This study proves the power of using imaging-based high-content screening in revealing information about the bioactivity of unknown natural resources. Hajjar adds that it also highlights the opportunity for more exciting discoveries amongst the natural resources of Saudi Arabia.
Researchers have had trouble explaining why black children are much more likely than other children to suffer from asthma. A new study by Princeton University strongly suggests that much of the answer lies in persistent residential segregation, which traps minority children in unhealthy, polluted neighborhoods.

In the United States, black children are twice as likely as other children to develop asthma. Past research has attributed some of this difference to low birth weight, as black children are also more likely than others to be born at a low weight -- defined as less than 2,500 grams, or about 5.5 pounds -- and low birth weight is a risk factor for developing asthma.

Yet even when comparing only low-birth-weight children, said Janet M. Currie, who is the Henry Putnam Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, black children are still more likely to develop asthma. The racial disparity in asthma rates is so strong that some researchers have even concluded that "being black" is a risk factor for asthma.

But when Currie and her co-author, Princeton Ph.D. Diane Alexander of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, compared low-birth-weight children of all races and ethnicities who lived in "black" ZIP codes in New Jersey -- in which half or more of the residents are African American -- the racial disparity in the association between low birth weight and asthma disappeared completely. In other words, all low-birth-weight children in these ZIP codes, whatever their race, had the same elevated risk of asthma, compared to children born at a normal weight.

Low birth weight may predispose children to asthma, but by itself it doesn't cause the disease. A physical trigger is required. Thus it appears that something about the neighborhoods where the low-birth-weight children live, regardless of their race, is causing them to develop asthma. "This distinction is important," Currie said, "because unlike race, it is possible to change neighborhoods, either by finding and remediating the hazards that are causing higher asthma prevalence or by helping vulnerable children to move."

Currie and Alexander's study couldn't say definitively what exactly about the neighborhoods in "black" ZIP codes is triggering asthma in low-birth-weight children. But they speculated that air pollution -- both indoor and outdoor -- is to blame.

New Jersey neighborhoods with a majority of black residents are on average twice as close as other neighborhoods to major industrial sources of air pollution, the researchers found, and more likely to be near busy highways that produce high concentrations of harmful particulate matter. Housing in these neighborhoods is on average seven years older than elsewhere, and older buildings are more likely to harbor mold spores and fecal matter from rodent and insect infestations. Finally, mothers in these neighborhoods are somewhat more likely to smoke indoors.

Not only can indoor and outdoor air pollution trigger asthma in susceptible children, Currie and Alexander noted -- they can also cause women to have low-birth-weight babies in the first place.

To conduct their study, which appeared as a working paper on the National Bureau of Economic Research website, Currie and Alexander combined two sets of data -- records of all children born to mothers who lived in New Jersey from 2006 to 2010, and records of all New Jersey hospital emergency room visits from 2006 to 2012.

Because the birth records included mothers' addresses, they were able to see which children were born in predominately black neighborhoods, as organized by ZIP code. These ZIP codes included about 63 percent of the state's black children, but also about 16 percent of the state's other children. The emergency room records let the researchers determine whether or how many times each low-birth-weight child was treated in an emergency room for asthma during the study period.

"The United States continues to be highly racially segregated," Currie said, "with African-American neighborhoods suffering higher poverty, lower average educational attainments, higher unemployment, higher exposure to pollution, and other ills." Black Americans of any age also tend to be in worse health than their white counterparts, by any number of measures. Currie and Alexander's study suggests that the characteristics of highly segregated neighborhoods may be a major factor behind such persistent racial health disparities.
In the world of health care, the phrase "too much information" -- or TMI -- can be a serious problem. If you Google "How to prevent cancer," for example, you will find list after list of websites claiming to have the winning strategy, with some plans presenting 20-30 steps.

The same situation occurs if one searches for information on quitting smoking, exercising, sleep, and endless other issues. The question becomes this: When does a person receive too much health information? What's the best way for health providers to convey information without consumers skipping over or forgetting key information?

According to a new study from the University of Illinois, the answer lies in the goal of a specific health objective. Dolores Albarracin, professor of psychology, graduate student Jack McDonald, and colleagues at other universities studied the behavior of some 459 people to shine light on this topic that challenges health providers.

One school of thought among health care providers is to give health information in small doses of two or three recommendations at once. Others argue that it's best to give patients the entirety of their options, so as to not skip out on something that may prove useful. The Illinois study, published in Clinical Psychological Science, asserts that it depends on the nature of the recommendations.

According to the researchers, presenting a large amount of information would be appropriate if the goal would be for people to remember a large amount of potentially interchangeable behaviors, but if the goal is for people to remember a complete set of important recommendations, then the best strategy should be to present relatively few recommendations.

"The best number of health behaviors to recommend seems to depend on the goal of an intervention," Albarracin said. "If the goal is to communicate as many recommendations as possible, then go for a long list of behaviors. But if the goal is to implement behaviors, then the best strategy may be to convey a lower number of recommended behaviors."

The researchers, who also included Patrick McDonald at the University of Buffalo and Colleen Hughes at Indiana University-Bloomington (both are former members of Albarracin's research group), came to their conclusion by analyzing the results of experiments in which participants were presented with a list of brief health recommendations (ranging in number from two to 20, with each recommendation being about 33 words long). They were then asked to recall as many recommendations as they could.

Participants were also asked open-ended questions about their intentions to follow the recommendations. Even though more recommendations meant that participants recalled a lower proportion of the total, they recalled and intended to follow more recommendations.

"When multiple health recommendations are necessary, knowing the influence of the number of recommendations on recall and intended compliance is critical," the researchers wrote.

This information can prove useful in many health fields. For example, psychotherapists who want to change the behavior of their patients in specific ways could assign homework, for example, that addresses one behavior. Other health professionals might give recommendations in small bursts (perhaps via text messaging) to help maximize the proportion of recalled recommendations while minimizing the costs to a patient.

Source: http://www.las.illinois.edu/news/article/?id=23382&/news//news/2017/TMIstudy17/
Captain America and the Winter Soldier Special #1 takes Marvel's secret history to a whole new level with a real world historical figure

If you know who Gavrilo Princip is, prepare to be shocked
This month a new high-speed railway line began operating between Paris and Bordeauxreducing travel time from three hours twenty-five minutes to two hours and four minutes. This makes day trips between cities practical, and will further open up southwest France to visitors. Although there are currently multiple daily flights between cities, travel time between city centers and outlying airports can take between 30 and 45 minutes, making the train journey a more rapid alternative to flight.

It took five years of serious civil engineering efforts, and $9.1 billion (7.8 billion Euros) to lay these tracks and infrastructure across 117 communities , according to the Sud Ouest newspaper. This included constructing over 400 structures (including 24 bridges), and employing a fleet of environmental specialists and archaeologists to excavate around villages and cities along the route (such as Potiers and Angouleme) thereby minimizing the impact of the rail and creating hundreds of wildlife crossings.



New high speed train (Train a Grand Vitesse  TGV) between Paris and Bordeaux
As NASA pursues innovative, cost-effective alternatives to conventional propulsion technologies to forge new paths into the solar system, researchers at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, say nuclear thermal propulsion technologies are more promising than ever, and have contracted with BWXT Nuclear Energy, Inc. of Lynchburg, Virginia, to further advance and refine those concepts.

Part of NASAs Game Changing Development Program, the Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) project could indeed significantly change space travel, largely due to its ability to accelerate a large amount of propellant out of the back of a rocket at very high speeds, resulting in a highly efficient, high-thrust engine. In comparison, a nuclear thermal rocket has double the propulsion efficiency of the Space Shuttle main engine, one of the hardest-working standard chemical engines of the past 40 years. That capability makes nuclear thermal propulsion ideal for delivering large, automated payloads to distant worlds.

As we push out into the solar system, nuclear propulsion may offer the only truly viable technology option to extend human reach to the surface of Mars and to worlds beyond, said Sonny Mitchell, Nuclear Thermal Propulsion project manager at Marshall. Were excited to be working on technologies that could open up deep space for human exploration.

An NTP system can cut the voyage time to Mars from six months to four and safely deliver human explorers by reducing their exposure to radiation. That also could reduce the vehicle mass, enabling deep space missions to haul more payload.

Given its experience in developing and delivering nuclear fuels for the U.S. Navy, BWXT will aid in the design and testing of a promising, low-enriched uranium-based nuclear thermal engine concept and Cermet  ceramic metallic  fuel element technology. During this three-year, $18.8-million contract, the company will manufacture and test prototype fuel elements and also help NASA properly address and resolve nuclear licensing and regulatory requirements. BWXT will aid NASA in refining the feasibility and affordability of developing a nuclear thermal propulsion engine, delivering the technical and programmatic data needed to determine how to implement this promising technology in years to come.

The companys new contract is expected to run through Sept. 30, 2019.

Nuclear-powered rocket concepts are not new. The United States conducted studies and significant ground tests from 1955 to 1972 to determine the viability of such systems, but ceased testing when plans for a crewed Mars mission were deferred. Since then, nuclear thermal propulsion has been revisited several times in conceptual mission studies and technology feasibility projects. Thanks to renewed interest in exploring the Red Planet in recent decades, NASA has begun new studies of nuclear thermal propulsion, recognizing its potential value for exploration of Mars and beyond.

In late September, the Nuclear Thermal Propulsion project will determine the feasibility of using low-enriched uranium fuel. The project then will spend a year testing and refining its ability to manufacture the necessary Cermet fuel elements. Testing of full-length fuel rods will be conducted using a unique Marshall test facility.

To date, all nuclear propulsion system designs have been derived from reactors fueled by highly enriched uranium. Recent advances in materials technology may provide a more affordable pathway to development of a nuclear rocket engine. A shift to low enriched uranium (LEU)defined as a concentration of lower than 20 percent uranium-235offers several potential advantages for a nuclear propulsion development program. Security regulations for an LEU system could be less burdensome on the project budget and schedule. Handling regulations for an LEU source are similar to those for a university research reactor, opening up the development effort to partnerships with industry and academia. The ability to affordably produce isotopically pure tungsten would be required for the development of a ceramic-metallic (cermet) fueled NTP system using LEU. This potentially game changing technology is key to the development of a cermet-based LEU NTP engine that could have extensibility beyond the current Mars campaign, and may provide the ability to develop these systems at an affordable level of budgetary commitment.

The overall goal of this game changing technology project is to determine the feasibility and affordability of an LEU based NTP engine with solid cost and schedule confidence. Initial project goals are to demonstrate the ability to purify tungsten to a minimum of 90 percent purity and determine the production costs at that purity level; to determine the technical and programmatic feasibility (pre-phase A level) of an NTP engine in the thrust range of interest for a human Mars mission; and to determine the program cost of an LEU NTP system and the confidence level of each major cost element.

BWXT has refocused its extensive nuclear reactor design, component manufacturing and fuel manufacturing development experience to assist other small modular reactor (SMR) and advanced reactor vendors in the development and deployment of their designs. This transition away from a strategy of developing its own proprietary SMR technology (BWXT mPower ) gives BWXT the opportunity to share its extensive experience and to have the flexibility to pursue new market opportunities.
Viacyte, privately-held, leading regenerative medicine company, announced today that the first patients have been implanted with the PEC-Direct product candidate, a novel islet cell replacement therapy in development as a functional cure for patients with type 1 diabetes who are at high risk for acute life-threatening complications. The first implant procedures of the clinical trial took place at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, and the UC San Diego School of Medicines Altman Clinical Trials Research Institute. The goal of the open-label clinical trial is to evaluate the PEC-Direct product candidate for safety and definitive evidence of efficacy. In the coming months, the company expects to expand the trial to additional centers including the University of Minnesota and other sites in the US and Canada.

The first cohort of type 1 diabetes patients is receiving multiple small-format cell-filled devices called sentinels in order to evaluate safety and implant viability. These sentinel units will be removed at specific time points and examined histologically to provide early insight into the progression of engraftment and maturation into pancreatic islet cells including insulin-producing beta cells. A second cohort of up to 40 patients is expected to begin enrolling later this year to evaluate both safety and efficacy. The primary efficacy measurement in the trial will be the clinically relevant production of insulin, as measured by the insulin biomarker C-peptide, in a patient population that has little to no ability to produce endogenous insulin at the time of enrollment. Other important endpoints will be evaluated including injectable insulin usage and the incidence of hypoglycemic events. ViaCytes goal is to demonstrate early evidence of efficacy in the first half of 2018 and definitive efficacy 6 to 12 months later.

Islet transplants have been used to successfully treat patients with unstable, high-risk type 1 diabetes, but the procedure has limitations, including a very limited supply of donor organs and challenges in obtaining reliable and consistent islet preparations, said trial investigator James Shapiro, MD, PhD, FRCSC, Director of the Clinical Islet Transplant Program, University of Alberta. An effective stem cell-derived islet replacement therapy would solve these issues and has the potential to help a greater number of people.

Patients with high-risk type 1 diabetes complications, such as hypoglycemia unawareness, are at constant risk of life-threatening low blood glucose, said Jeremy Pettus, MD, investigator in the clinical trial and Assistant Professor of Medicine at UC San Diego. The PEC-Direct islet cell replacement therapy is designed to help patients with the most urgent medical need.

The PEC-Direct product candidate is being developed for type 1 diabetes patients who have hypoglycemia unawareness, extreme glycemic lability, and/or severe hypoglycemic episodes. It is estimated that about 140,000 people in Canada and the US have such high-risk type 1 diabetes. In addition to providing an unlimited supply of cells for implantation, the PEC-Direct approach has other potential advantages relative to cadaver islet transplants such as delivering a more consistent product preparation under quality-controlled cGMP conditions, and a more straightforward and safe mode of delivery.

The clinical trial is being supported in part by JDRF, the leading global organization funding type 1 diabetes research. JDRF remains dedicated to accelerating the delivery of beta cell replacement therapies to the T1D community, and we commend ViaCyte in its announcement of the first patients to be implanted with the PEC-Direct islet cell replacement therapy, said Derek Rapp, JDRF President and Chief Executive Officer. JDRF is excited to support this clinical development given its potential to help those people with type 1 diabetes that need it the most  those at high risk of life-threatening acute complications. JDRF and ViaCyte share a continuing commitment to realizing the potential of beta cell replacement strategies to deliver insulin independence without immune suppression for people living with type 1 diabetes, and ultimately, at JDRF we hope this will move us forward in fulfilling our vision of a world without type 1 diabetes.

There are limited treatment options for patients with high-risk type 1 diabetes to manage life-threatening hypoglycemic episodes, said Paul Laikind, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of ViaCyte. We believe that the PEC-Direct product candidate has the potential to transform the lives of these patients and we are excited to move closer to that goal with the initiation of clinical evaluation announced today. This also represents a step towards a broader application of the technology. We remain fully committed to developing a functional cure for all patients with insulin-requiring diabetes. To that end, we are hard at work on next-generation approaches as well, and expect the work with PEC-Direct to further advance our knowledge and drive progress.

In addition to JDRF, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)s Alpha Clinic, the Sanford Stem Cell Clinical Center, the JDRF Canadian Clinical Trials Network (CCTN), the Stem Cell Network, and Alberta Innovates Health Solutions (AIHS) are all providing support for the trial.

About the PEC-Direct Product Candidate

The PEC-Direct product candidate delivers stem cell-derived pancreatic progenitor cells, called PEC-01 cells, in a device designed to allow direct vascularization of the cells in the device. After implantation, these cells are expected to become mature human islet tissue including well-regulated beta cells producing insulin on demand. The direct vascularization of the implanted cells is expected to allow for robust and consistent engraftment but will necessitate the use of maintenance immune suppression therapy.

About ViaCyte

ViaCyte is a privately-held regenerative medicine company developing novel cell replacement therapies as potential long-term diabetes treatments to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia and diabetes-related complications. ViaCytes product candidates are based on the derivation of pancreatic progenitor cells from stem cells, which are then implanted in a durable and retrievable cell delivery device. Once implanted and matured, these cells are designed to secrete insulin and other pancreatic hormones in response to blood glucose levels. ViaCyte has two products in clinical development. The PEC-Direct product candidate delivers the pancreatic progenitor cells in a non-immunoprotective device and is being developed for type 1 diabetes patients who have hypoglycemia unawareness, extreme glycemic lability, and/or recurrent severe hypoglycemic episodes. The PEC-Encap (also known as VC-01) product candidate delivers the same pancreatic progenitor cells in an immunoprotective device and is being developed for all patients with diabetes, type 1 and type 2, who use insulin. ViaCyte is headquartered in San Diego, California. The Company is funded in part by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and JDRF.
Boeing and SpaceX have indicated that they are on track to hit target launch dates in 2018. A July 20 report released by NASA shows that SpaceX is still targeting an unmanned test flight in February 2018 and a crewed flight in June 2018, and Boeing is aiming to launch an unmanned test flight in June 2018 and a crewed flight in August 2018. Boeing also plans to conduct pad abort tests in early 2018.

SpaceX plans to launch its Dragon 2 on an upgraded version of the Falcon 9 rocket known as Block 5, currently in development. The Block 5 iteration of the Falcon 9 should produce more thrust in all engines and have reinforced landing legs. Boeing plans to launch the Starliner on an Atlas V rocket supplied by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Targeted Test Flight Dates:

Boeing Orbital Flight Test: June 2018

Boeing Crew Flight Test: August 2018

SpaceX Demonstration Mission 1: February 2018

SpaceX Demonstration Mission 2 (crewed): June 2018

While SpaceX tends to keep everything close to the chest, there are a few future announcements from Boeing that could indicate progress in its commercial crew program. First of all, ULA will want a preliminary agreement about a launch about a year in advance, so its possible we hear something from ULA about the first test flight of the Starliner sooner rather than later.

Elon Musk recently said the Crew Dragon, which is what NASA calls the Dragon 2, is way more difficult than the cargo version of the spacecraft that is used to take supplies to the ISS.

See more Looking forward to launching @NASA astronauts to the International Space Station next year!https://t.co/qoLtTEP4L8  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 3, 2017
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I have had it, President Trump said on the phone. I have been making these calls all day, and this is the most unpleasant call all day. Putin was a pleasant call. This is ridiculous. He was speaking to:
From The Nation

When a thousand socialists from across the United States gathered in Chicago over the weekend for the biennial convention of Democratic Socialists of America, DSA National Director Maria Svart declared, "What we're seeing today is historic: the largest gathering of democratic socialists in an era."

Since the 2016 election, Svart is delighted to report, "tens of thousands of democratic socialists have come together to build a future for this country in which everyone has the right to a decent job, a good home, a free college education for their children, and health care for their family. For years, we've been sold hope and promised change by Wall Street politicians -- now we're taking matters into our own hands."

DSA got a big boost from the surge of interest in democratic socialism that grew from the Sanders campaign. Bernie upended decades of right-wing histrionics, Democratic Party caution, and media neglect that bordered on malpractice when he showed America that a national contender could embrace the "S" word and survive. "Do they think I'm afraid of the word? I'm not afraid of the word," declared Sanders as he launched his bid for the Democratic nomination. "When I ran for the Senate the first time, I ran against the wealthiest guy in the state of Vermont. He spent a lot on advertising -- very ugly stuff. He kept attacking me as a liberal. He didn't use the word 'socialist' at all, because everybody in the state knows that I am that."

Rather than getting harmed for making an effort to explain how democratic socialism works in places like Denmark, Sanders benefited from the fact that he wasn't just another apologist for the capitalist experiment that has produced market instability, cruel austerity, and scorching income inequality. In particular, young people were excited about alternatives.

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Two Chinese academics have warned India that China is planning a "small-scale military operation to expel Indian troops within two weeks" from the Doklam area while an editorial in the Chinese Global Times on Saturday said that the government of Nerendra Modi is recklessly pushing India into war by adopting a "hard line" towards Beijing.

India and China are engaged in a border standoff in the Doklam area near Sikkim since June 16 when Indian forces tried to resist Chinese attempts to build a road in an area that is claimed by Indian satellite state of Bhutan as its territory.

From Thursday to Friday, two ministries and four institutions, including the Chinese foreign ministry, the defense ministry, the Chinese Embassy in India and the People's Daily, released statements or commentary on the military standoff between China and India in Doklam, Tibet Autonomous Region. The standoff has lasted for almost two months now, and there is still no end in sight.

"The series of remarks from the Chinese side within a 24-hour period sends a signal to India that there is no way China will tolerate the Indian troops' incursion into Chinese territory for too long. If India refuses to withdraw, China may conduct a small-scale military operation within two weeks," said Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.

"China will not allow the military standoff between China and India in Doklam to last for too long, and there may be a small-scale military operation to expel Indian troops within two weeks," Hu Zhiyong, said in an article in Global Times.

Hu further wrote that the "Chinese side will inform the Indian foreign ministry before its operation.

"India, which has stirred up the incident, should bear all the consequences. And no matter how the standoff ends, Sino-Indian ties have been severely damaged and strategic distrust will linger," Hu said.

China notified India about the road works through the border meeting mechanism on May 18 and June 8, but it did not respond, the Chinese foreign ministry said Thursday.



"Road building in Chinese territory is to facilitate border patrols and the lives of herders. But the Indian side has over-interpreted it as a threat to its northeast side. And India, which considers South Asia as its own sphere of influence, dislikes Chinese involvement in the area," Hu said, adding:

"India has adopted an immature policy toward China in recent years. Its development is not at the same level as China's. It only wants to seek disputes in an area which originally has no disputes to gain bargaining chips."

Meanwhile, Zhao Gancheng, director of the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, told the Global Times about recent military drills: "The exercises are a sign that China could use military means to end the standoff and the chances of doing so are increasing as the Indian side is still saying one thing and doing another."

Zhao said that if the current standoff ends in a military clash, bilateral ties would suffer for at least five years, and India may stir up troubles with China, which may cause tensions among China's other neighbors.

Global Times editorial

On the other hand, in a strongly worded article the Global Times of China said Saturday:

"India is publicly challenging a country that is far superior in strength. India's recklessness has shocked Chinese. Maybe its regional hegemonism in South Asia and the Western media comments have blinded New Delhi into believing that it can treat a giant to its north in the way it bullies other South Asian countries.



"Over the past month, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has been on the move. We believe that the PLA has made sufficient preparation for military confrontation. It is a war with an obvious result. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be aware of the PLA's overwhelming firepower and logistics. Indian border troops are no rival to PLA field forces. If a war spreads, the PLA is perfectly capable of annihilating all Indian troops in the border region."





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Franklin Lamb

Oxford University

Part I

For Israel, it's widely predicted 6th war on Lebanon won't be a repeat of June 1967 , June 1973, or July 2006.

These days the US Congressional Israel lobby and its knee-jerk amen chorus are hyping what those still occupying Palestine refer to as its coming "3rd war in Lebanon". Reportedly, Israel is finalizing elaborate plans to once and for all eviscerate Hezbollah while accelerating the collapse of the Iranian theocracy with the claimed support of the White House and the Saudi block among many others.

According to a recent Lebanese public opinion poll, Israel's long expected invasion of Lebanon is also supported by approximately 80% of Lebanon's Sunni Muslims, roughly 60-65 % of Lebanon's Christians and a lesser percentage of Druze and other sects. This, despite the certain massive infrastructure damage and loss of civilian lives that the next war with Hezbollah will entail. The certain widespread death and destruction apparently being an acceptable price to rid Lebanon of what they claim is Iran's colonization and Hezbollah's forced supplication of their country.

In point of fact, when Israel next invades Lebanon it will constitute its "6th war on Lebanon", the earlier ones it chooses to ignore, being the 1978 South Lebanon invasion up to the Litani River, the June 1982 invasion and 18 year occupation of South Lebanon, the July 1993 " Operation Accountability" , a devastating week-long relentless attack on Lebanon, the 1996 Operation Grapes of Wrath invasion of Lebanon and the 34 day July War of 2006. The latter killed more than 1,300 Lebanese and wounded thousands while displacing more than one million Lebanese to Syria and elsewhere. Also killed in the July 2006 "5th Israel-Lebanon war" were 121 Israeli soldiers and 44 civilians.

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From PR Watch



Donald Trump and Mike Pence - Caricature

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When he was running for president, Donald Trump had very harsh words for deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the then-pending Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

He called NAFTA "the worst trade deal in the world" and "a total disaster." He said it had caused "carnage," lumping it in with other "terrible" trade deals like the TPP, which he also called a "disaster."

Consumer advocates spent more than six years trying to stop the TPP. Hillary Clinton turned against it (Bernie Sanders always was), and Trump withdrew America from the pending agreement upon taking office.

But his administration is now resurrecting much of that deal's most troublesome provisions, along with its corporate-friendly drafting process, as it prepares to renegotiate NAFTA.

That's a major reversal for the president, and it's undoubtedly making the Koch Brothers very happy. The Kochs spent millions of dollars lobbying for the TPP, and a Koch subsidiary outsourced thousands of jobs to Mexico, according to the U.S. Court of International Trade and the US Department of Labor.

The Kochs were reportedly prepared to mount a "billionaire resistance" to Trump policies they oppose, but so far that hasn't seemed to be necessary. The president's personnel choices quickly led Politico to dub it "Trump's Koch Administration." The brothers met Trump at Mar-a-Lago in April.

Trump has proved to be equally pliant on policy. Since taking office he has rejected a draft executive order on NAFTA, "softened his stance" on trade, and "reversed" his "closely-held position" on China.

The Kochs were undoubtedly pleased to see Mike Pence, a longtime Koch ally and beneficiary, tapped as Trump's Vice President. David Koch directly contributed a total of $300,000 to Pence's gubernatorial campaigns, while the Koch-backed Republican Governors Association spent $4.2 million backing Pence in 2012 and 2016.

Even before he and Trump took office, Pence was reportedly given a prominent trade role when he was tapped to negotiate with Carrier Corporation to keep its factory jobs in Indiana. The much-publicized deal that resulted turned out to be largely a sham.

Since taking national office Pence has represented the administration on trade issues in meetings with Japan and Canada. And when he was given a platform to discuss trade at the governors' conference, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in attendance, Pence dispensed with tough talk on trade and instead promised "a win-win-win for all of our trading partners in North America."

Other Koch-bought politicians were on hand for Pence's pro-NAFTA remarks, including Wisconsin Governor and Koch favorite Scott Walker. None of the Republican comments cited by the Canadian Press expressed concern for the well-being of American workers, and all of them expressed support for continuing NAFTA without significant changes or concessions.

"I don't think you need to blow it up," Walker said of the job-killing deal. "I think it needs to be improved." Likewise, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin, who spent a weekend cozying up to the Kochs and their friends at a retreat last year, dismissed talk of stronger protections for American workers. "The idea that (trade renegotiations) won't come out in good measure for both parties is preposterous," Bevin said.

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French journalist Renaud Girard recently published an article in Le Figaro announcing the decline of the neoconservatives. What surprises the reader is not his announcement but his description of neoconservative thinking. He sees it as a "messianic democracy". If it is, why should it vanish? Alas, it isn't. It is neither messianic nor democratic. It is brutal and destructive. That's why it is doomed.

In "Toward a neo-Reaganite foreign policy", Bill Kristol and Robert Kagan claim that the "moral goals and fundamental national interests [of the United States] are almost always in harmony". This appraisal does not rest on morality but on raw power. It is no accident that neo-conservatism, as we know it today, came to pre-eminence immediately after the fall of the Soviet Union when the world turned unipolar for a time. In a 1992 Defense Ministry document written by Paul Wolfowitz, one can read: "Our first objective is to prevent the re-emergence of a new rival, either on the territory of the former Soviet Union or elsewhere that poses a threat on the order of that posed formerly by the Soviet Union." There is nothing "moral" in this objective, which postulates a hegemonic vision of the world.

The "re-moralization" of American foreign policy Bill Kristol and Robert Kagan advocate will only fool the gullible reader. What really matters to them is American hegemony. Hence, the call for a new Pearl Harbor in "Project for a New American Empire". It will be 9/11. Those who may find our analysis cynical would do well to remember the Norwood Operation, which envisioned the death of several thousands of Americans to force President Kennedy's hand in Cuba, or the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which precipitated the United States into a violent and useless war in Vietnam, or again Madeleine Albright's statement that the security of the United States was worth the lives of half million Iraqi children. Need it be mentioned Colin Powell's pathetic performance at the United Nations on February 5th, 2003, to convince a skeptical world that Saddam Hussein was in possession of chemical weapons? Iraq was invaded and destroyed but no trace of chemical weapons were ever found. From 1991 onward, U.N. inspections, led by the International Atomic Energy Agency's general manager, Hans Blix, had proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that such arms did not exist.

The United States is an empire -- an extremely violent empire. Witness the Korean War. Once they were convinced they could not subdue the northern part of the country, Americans decided to eradicate it with heavy bombings. A similar policy was applied as in Vietnam with the massive use of an herbicide named "Agent Orange" to hide its horrific effects on the population and the countryside. American history is replete with similar barbaric acts. At the end of World War II, the image of the American soldiers handing out chocolate bars to a famished populace in Europe should not fool anyone. It's a human and spontaneous gesture from "boys" totally disconnected from their leaders.

There is nothing "messianic" or "democratic" in the destruction of Libya, Syria and Yemen that follows the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. These actions were planned before 9/11. Several documents attest to it; e.g., "A new strategy to secure the Kingdom" written by Richard Perle in 1996, or the letter addressed to Bill Clinton in January 1998 by Robert Kagan, William Kristol, Richard Perle, Donald Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz. In his October 3rd, 2007 speech, General Wesley Clark, former head of NATO, tells his audience how he learned quite by accident, ten days after September 11th, that the Pentagon planned to destroy seven countries: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Iran. Since the American people knew nothing about it, Clark didn't hesitate to talk about a "coup". Ten years later, we know this plan has essentially been carried out.

So, is the neoconservatives' hegemonic policy about to vanish? Maybe. Neither Russia nor China stand for it. Worse, it produces the exact opposite of the expected outcome. Iraq is now a de facto Iranian ally -- a rapprochement leading the United States, under pressure from Israel, to envision a "regime change" in Iran. Violence breeds violence but misses the stated goal: replace the Sykes-Picot Agreement by Colonel Ralph Peters' redesigned Middle East map. This objective, which appeared within reach at one time, is now receding unless the United States takes direct action in Syria and Iraq. Putting boots on the ground in Syria would mean entering into a direct confrontation with Russia, according to Joseph Dunford, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in his February testimony at the Senate. An open conflict with Iran is even less likely since it would violate the P5+1 Agreement signed by Iran, the United States, Russia, China, Great Britain, France, and Germany. Only if Iran made a blunder could the United States move in, but this is unlikely. The Iranians know how eager the United States is to take action. They will stay put, even if provoked.

The neoconservatives' foreign policy, so heavily lauded by Bill Kristol and Robert Kagan, is an absolute disaster, especially if one factors in the human and financial cost. It puts the United States' stability into jeopardy as Donald Trump's election demonstrates. It is doomed. Yet, will it vanish in the near future as Renaud Girard is telling us? In spite of its failures, it remains the dominant philosophy in Washington, DC. The vote of new sanctions against Russia by Congress is testimony to its resilience. Empires rarely disappear without staging one last battle.
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Opposition is growing to the Trump administration's new proposal to implement radical changes to U.S. immigration law and slash the number of immigrants allowed into the United States by half. The RAISE Act would create a so-called merit-based immigration system that would favor applicants who speak English, have advanced degrees or can demonstrate job skills.

On Wednesday, CNN's Jim Acosta pressed senior policy adviser Stephen Miller over President Trump's push to admit only English-speaking immigrants in a back-and-forth that lasted for several minutes. Acosta asked Miller about the iconic poem "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus that is inscribed at the base of the State of Liberty, which reads: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." We speak about the woman who wrote those words, Emma Lazarus, with her biographer, Esther Schor, about why Lazarus wrote the poem, how it became one of the most iconic verses about the United States and why she has long been a target of white nationalists.

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: Opposition is growing to the Trump administration's new plan to radically overhaul U.S. immigration law and slash the number of immigrants allowed into the United States by half. The RAISE Act, or Reforming American Immigration for Strong Employment, would create a so-called merit-based immigration system that would favor applicants who speak English, have advanced degrees or can demonstrate job skills.

Since President Trump and Republican senators introduced the proposal on Wednesday, many commentators have noted the proposed policy would have likely blocked Trump's own grandfather, Friedrich Drumpf, from immigrating to the United States, had it been in place in 1885. At the time of his arrival, Drumpf did not speak English, and his immigration record says he had no identifiable skill -- or "calling," as they called it. The great-grandparents of senior policy adviser Stephen Miller would have also likely been refused entry under the proposed plan, since they spoke only Yiddish. Kellyanne Conway's great-grandfather, too, would have likely been barred for speaking only Italian.

Well, on Wednesday, CNN's Jim Acosta, who is the son of immigrants, pressed senior policy adviser Stephen Miller over President Trump's push to admit English-speaking, only, immigrants in a back-and-forth that lasted for several minutes. This is an excerpt.

STEPHEN MILLER: I mean, you really don't know that.

JIM ACOSTA: My father was a Cuban immigrant. He came to this country in 1962, right before the Cuban missile crisis, and obtained a green card. Yes, people who immigrate to this country can eventually--

STEPHEN MILLER: OK. So, Jim--

JIM ACOSTA: People who immigrate to this country through--

STEPHEN MILLER: So, Jim, as a factual question, Jim--

JIM ACOSTA: --not through Ellis Island, as your family may have--

STEPHEN MILLER: Jim, as a factual -- Jim, as a factual question--

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President Donald Trump

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Two months after Donald Trump announced that he intended to pull America out of the Paris agreement, last Friday the State Department submitted the formal notification to the UN to that effect.

We know Trump is walking the wrong way into the history books on this. For all his policy failures and the continuing chaos around the West Wing and the White House, his total disregard for the future of this planet and for future generations is beyond comprehension to anyone but his fossil fuel cronies.

There is no doubt that the decision by the U.S. to pull out of the Paris agreement is what Ed Crooks, the energy correspondent in the Financial Times, called "at one level momentous."

It is staggering to say the least that, as Crooks noted, "The world's largest economy and second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases is quitting a deal that the governments of leading European countries have described as 'a vital instrument for our planet.'"

However, here comes the important part: "In terms of the consequences for the global energy industry, however, its impact has so far been negligible."

He added, "The most important reason for that is that moves towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions are going with the grain of energy markets, regardless of political decisions."

As I have written before, Trump may have wanted the world to follow in ripping up the Paris agreement, in a collected suicide for future generations, but the opposite has happened.

Indeed, former Vice President Al Gore said on television Friday, "When he made his speech pulling out of Paris, I really was concerned that some other countries might use that as an excuse to pull out themselves. But the very next day, the entire rest of the world redoubled their commitment to the Paris agreement, as if to say, 'We'll show you, Mr. Trump.'"

Gore is not alone in thinking this. As one solar bog noted Monday, "A number of political figures and businesses around the U.S. have committed to meeting the Paris accord greenhouse gas targets, despite the withdrawal of the Trump administration from the agreement."

It is not just politicians but the market, too. The market has moved on without Trump. Renewables are overtaking fossil fuels in the electricity generation. As I noted on Friday, according to a new analysis of data, last year solar was the "star performer" in terms of new electricity generation, as renewables once again outstripped fossil fuels.

Not only are renewables rapidly changing the energy market, but the need to act over climate is changing the oil market. Oil companies are now suddenly worried about "stranded assets," the reserves of oil and gas that we can no longer afford to burn.

Andrew Grant from Carbon Tracker Initiative, which has worked with Oil Change International and others to put forward the concept, told the Financial Times that suddenly oil companies, after years of resistance, are listening. They are now "pushing at an open door."

Just as fossil fuel assets are becoming stranded, so too Trump has become a stranded politician. The New York Times editorial board summed it up nicely last month in a strong editorial, when they said Trump is a "climate change loner." And after Friday's formal withdrawal he has even fewer friends, even less respect and even less relevance.


Michael Moore 2011 Shankbone 6 | Michael Moore promoting his. | Flickr680 -- 1024 - 301k - jpg

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"Hard not to hear. Seems to me he's been talking up a storm for a long time." I sipped myself a milk mustache. "What's the sound bite this time?"

"He said the Democrats need to run a celebrity for President in 2020."

"The Republicans ran one in 2016 and look how good that's been for the country," I scoffed.

"No, he meant somebody likeable, like Oprah or Tom Hanks."

"I have to agree. Both are pretty likeable. Tom Hanks is our modern-day Jimmy Stewart."

"So why are you furrowing your brow?"

"Does anybody actually say that in a real conversation?"

Suzy raised a hand. "Okay, you just didn't seem to be on board with Moore's advice."

"Right again. And nothing against Oprah and Tom. Oprah is not only a great actor, businesswoman, and role model, but a passionate advocate for social justice. And Tom, well, Tom Hanks is a national hero. Apollo 13, Miracle on the Hudson, Bridge of Spies, Saving Private Ryan, and those Da Vinci Code movies. The man has saved so many lives--"

"He is a hero," said Suzy, "that's why he'd be a great President."

"Finishing my sentence. On screen." I nodded, "I love Tom Hanks movies, even when he's voicing Woody. He's a wonderful actor, has a charming warmth in such a breadth of roles, drama, comedy, romance, thrillers, you name it. He out-Sully'd Sully. But, if I'm flying to New York, I don't want Tom in the pilot's seat. It's Sully I need there. If I'm not going to the moon, I'd prefer to have Buzz Aldrin at the controls." I swallowed my coffee. "You see my point."

"Well, what about Ronald Reagan?"

"You see my point. In any case, Reagan cut his teeth as a governor." Another sip. "Look, I've met Tom, and he genuinely is a mensch. Enough of one that I wonder if he could go beyond his menschness to doing what our powers that be demand of our presidents, like sending real American soldiers off to war, or launching drone strikes that decimate obscure targets and kill millions in collateral damage." I shook my head. "I wish being President was just about domestic politics--draining the swamp and reversing the corporate plutocracy. Golly gee, I could truly see Tom goshdarning his way to success. Single party payer, he'd sell it. A living minimum wage, affordable housing, tuition-free college? Heck, he could even filibuster his way to saving Social Security by reading the Gettysburg Address. Even without the top hat and the beard."

"But?"

"But that's not what the Presidency is about, is it? At least not anymore. Corruption was Capra's windmill in 1939. Things haven't gotten better, have they, really?"

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The Wall Street Journal reports that "Special Counsel Robert Mueller has impaneled a grand jury to investigate Russia's interference in the 2016 elections." That report diverges from reality when it comes to purpose. Mueller's aim (and therefore the grand jury's real purpose) is to "get" US president Donald Trump and key members of his administration. "Russian meddling" is just the pretext.

Trump's true crime in the eyes of the establishments of both major political parties is that he beat them. First he whipped a large field of certified establishment Republicans in the primaries, then he shut down the "inevitable" Hillary Clinton in last November's general election. For this he cannot be forgiven. But, well, winning a presidential election isn't against the law. So they have to find something else to nail him on.

It won't be hard.

As the Future of Freedom Foundation's Jacob Hornberger points out, Trump's business background is a target-rich environment. He's spent his whole career operating at the intersection of legitimate business endeavor and government favoritism, and that intersection is a mine field. America's complex web of economic regulation is custom-made for "gotcha" prosecution of those who step out of line (upsetting the political establishment's applecart is definitely stepping out of line).

Not that Trump's special in that regard. We're all potentially at risk. Massachusetts attorney Harvey A. Silverglate's Three Felonies a Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent explains that any or all of us are juicy, vulnerable targets for federal law enforcers should we happen to come to their attention (Trump has come to their attention). These days there are more "crimes" than you can shake a stick at. In fact, shaking a stick at them is probably a crime. Maybe one of the three you or I committed today.

And then there's the catch-all: Conspiracy. Mueller doesn't have to catch Trump red-handed delivering an envelope full of cash to a fixer or an envelope full of secrets to Vladimir Putin. Once he starts securing indictments on the people around Trump for offenses large and small, he can hit his real target by theorizing Trump's peripheral involvement in their crimes (or in covering up their crimes).

Trump is, beyond a shadow of doubt, guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors, including but not limited to pursuing wars of aggression (the ultimate war crime) in Syria and elsewhere. He is therefore worthy of impeachment and imprisonment under both US and international law.

But, sadly, he won't be pursued for those crimes. After all, his pursuers are also his accomplices. In fact, part of their problem with him is that he's shown insufficient enthusiasm for that particular variety of criminal enterprise.

The ultimate crime, in his persecutors' eyes, is Trump's reprise of Rodney Dangerfield's role in Caddyshack. He's the loud, brash outsider crashing their sedate, classy club and embarrassing the beautiful people who think themselves the owners of the country. Therefore, he must go.

And it's beginning to look like he will. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.


Jeff Sessions - Caricature

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Six months ago tonight, I went to the Senate floor to speak out about Donald Trump's nominee for Attorney General -- Jeff Sessions.



Nobody wanted to talk about the fact that President Trump had nominated a man that both Democrats and Republicans had decided was too racist to become a federal judge in the 1980s. So I went to the Senate floor to read an old letter from Coretta Scott King. She knew about the way former US State Attorney for Alabama Jeff Sessions had intimidated and prosecuted civil rights workers for helping elderly black citizens to vote, and I wanted the Senate to hear what she'd had to say.



Mrs. King wrote of African-American families visited repeatedly by the FBI. Of people pressured to change their testimony. Of elderly black men and women herded onto buses and driven 180 miles to appear before a grand jury. She talked about fear and the toll it took on people. And she said that Sessions had "used the awesome power of his office to chill the free exercise of the vote by black citizens."



Every senator voting for Jeff Sessions and every person in America needed to hear that letter. When Mitch McConnell threw me out of the Senate for reading it, I was shocked. It wasn't just my voice that was being silenced. No, Coretta Scott King was silenced.





He supported the Texas voter ID law -- the strictest voter ID in the country, meant to stop African Americans and Latinos from voting.





He reversed the Obama Administration directive to stop using predatory, for-profit private prisons.





He reinstated the failed "War on Drugs" with harsh mandatory minimum sentences for low-level, nonviolent drug offenses.





He rolled back investigations of police departments that commit civil rights violations.





He announced a probe on college admissions programs to twist and distort federal civil rights laws.





He promised to withhold federal funding to cities with immigration policies he doesn't like.

But here's the deal: When Mitch McConnell and every one of his Republican colleagues kicked me off the Senate floor that night, he didn't silence me, or Mrs. King, or anyone else. In fact, they made us louder. I went outside to the hallway, pulled out a phone, and read Mrs. King's letter online. Over the next few days, tens of millions of people heard -- or read-- Coretta Scott King's words.



I never expected anything that happened on the Senate floor that night. I never expected "Nevertheless, She Persisted" to become a meme, a t-shirt slogan, a tattoo, or a rallying cry for people all across this country who are tired of being told to sit down and shut up.



This fight isn't about me -- it's about all of us. This is our moment in history. Not the moment we wanted, but the moment we are called to. Donald Trump may call us names. Mitch McConnell might tell us to sit down and shut up. But we will not give up and go home.



We will resist. We will persist. And we will win.



Thanks for being a part of this.
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"The book is very well written...very important in this individualized capitalistic illusory world that enslaves us all within its tentacles and forces us to believe that we are atomized and disconnected beings. Indigenous Lakota people end prayers with "Mitakuye Oyasin...all my relations..." An ancient African proverb states, "A person is a person only because of and with others..." This instructive text is very useful for us living in what we are always told is the modern world, because it reconnects us all and reminds us that ultimately, the endless circle of the Universe binds and connects us all and the Earth is Mother to us with no hierarchy...the ones at the bottom matter the most...like the ants who build mounds and hills, all working in unison and harmony...the book teaches that we were created for community and our destiny is organic community...anything else is doomed..."



Julian Kunnie, Professor of Religious Studies/Classics at the University of Arizona and author of The Cost of Globalization: Dangers to the Earth and Its People
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Fascinating, eye-opening, and extraordinary, Rob Kall's Bottom Up: Tapping the Power of the Connection Revolution explores the emerging paradigm of our age -- bottom-up thinking -- connecting an enormous range of disciplines and topics from systems, chaos, and complexity theories to the evolving role of technology in our lives. Not merely a cogent exposition of contemporary thinking, however, Bottom Up extrapolates from abstract ideas to derive practical, everyday steps we can take to improve our chances of global survival, peace, and prosperity. Following Rob's lead, we can change habits as individuals to deepen our connection with others across the planet."



Wendell Potter, former health insurance executive, co-author of Nation on the Take: How Big Money Corrupts Our Democracy and What We Can Do About It, and Founder of Tarbell.org
Digging through all of Brian Enos recorded history untangles a very specific segment of rocks cerebral, messy, sometimes kooky history. He has famously called himself a non-musician because he considers music not in terms of melody and hooks, but in terms of competing ideas, textures and temperaments. After branching off from Roxy Music, his work in the mid-1970s took the days prominent rock music and developed new techniques of constructing entire atmospheres within and around it. But by the early-80s, and not long into his solo career, Eno saw rock music losing its fearless spirit, declaring, Rock isnt dangerous any more. He stopped touring and stepped behind the curtain to orchestrate albums (and sometimes careers) of bands like U2, Talking Heads and more.

In recognition of Enos remasters of his four rock albums (Here Come the Warm Jets, Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), Another Green World and Before and After Science) that were reissued last week, we decided to dig deep into Enos versatility and legacy, especially through the lens of pop music. Hes been a band member, a solo artist and listed as the primary writer for other artists. Including all those roles, but focusing on the more structured, pop-leaning works hes played a part in creating, here are the 15 best pop/rock moments featuring the brilliance of Brian Eno.



Album: James, Wah Wah

Helming five of the bands albums, James was one of last groups Eno would champion through multiple releases. Although their runaway single Laid misrepresented the band Stateside, the band was known as overbearing studio perfectionists, a side Eno helped break them of when he challenged them to write an entire album based only around improvisations. Tomorrow, the most direct product of those sessions, is a scaled-down arena anthem that connects the thread between two of Enos co-produced pet bands, U2 and Coldplay.



Album: Brian Eno, Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)

Tiger Mountain was an anomaly in a small, already-unconventional catalogue. Eno crafted its plodding, androgynous sound by design, as an anti-rock, anti-political record meant to make fun of political rock records. Burning Airlines capitalizes on a sour riff, cog-like drums and caustically ironic lyrics about spying to make its point about the futility in trying to make a profound political statement through song.



Album: Laurie Anderson, Bright Red

1994s Bright Red found Laurie Anderson, who was one of Enos long-term affiliates in the New York performance-art community, stepping further into a bizarre high-brow/low-brow combination. Skewering her beat-poet delivery with a buzzy, meditative take on pop, Andersons dignified, fluttering alto is accompanied here only by a hushed male harmony and Enos driving, skeletal drum set, a fact that almost passes by without notice given Muddy Rivers melodic power.



Album: Slowdive, Souvlaki

Though Eno turned down the shoegaze bands offer to produce what would become the genres seminal album, he eventually acquiesced to a few studio days with songwriter Neil Halstead. This visitation would propel the band into denser layering, stirring up in the band a dormant interest in the ambient IDM scene that was rising in their native England. Halstead and guitarist Rachel Goswell sound like theyre calling upward to space, their murmurs flickering inside a thick ether of spacious synthesizers.



Album: Brian Eno, Another Green World

During the recording of Another Green World, Eno began developing the Oblique Strategies, a set of flashcards with prompts to stimulate creativity, which he used extensively throughout his 70s work as a solo artist and with David Bowies Berlin Trilogy. The galloping rhythm, splashy honky-tonk style piano and pathetically devotional lyrics of Ill Come Running are sweet and humorously dutiful in their commitment to, as one card dictates, embracing repetitions.



Album: James Blake, Overgrown

Its hard to imagine creating such a hauntingly refined song by nonchalantly hanging out, as James Blake claims, but the pairs natural musical chemistry cannot be discounted. Digital Lion maintains the air of surprise Blakes early dubstep work had thrived in, working in suspenseful pauses and crescendoing layers of chilly keyboards. Enos swirling production balances out the dueling sides of Blakes music: the hypnotic, Sam Cooke-inspired soul that brings the listener in, and the stabbing IDM rhythms that makes them feel unwelcome.



Album: Brian Eno, Before and After Science

By the time Before and After Science was released in 1977, Eno already seemed to be retreating from the frontman role and moving towards collaborator designation, as the album is covered with other musicians fingerprints. Enos charged vocals on this track are reminiscent of mind Devo (who he would go on to produce a few months later), but the songs title is actually an anagram for another partner band, Talking Heads. Still, the energetic clash of robotic tones and crushed out-of-tune piano stabs makes for an artsy beer-hall take on punk.



Album: Owen Pallett, In Conflict

In a rare move so late in his career, Eno seated himself as a core member of the Polaris-winning composers band on In Conflict, adding serenity into the balance of a gorgeous, robustly distressed records. The pulsing whale-call of a synth that introduces the song wash Palletts cantor-like voice in a pale spotlight, enabling lyrics like What are you but a drum and a tube and a wire, black heart? to land with the proper force. Under Palletts auspices, Eno illustrates his knack as a team player throughout a record which claims its power through subtlety.



Album: Talking Heads, Fear of Music

Talking Heads keyboardist/guitarist Jerry Harrison considered I Zimbra to be a hinging point for Talking Heads. The song is a collision of the bands artsy beginnings (the lyrics are pulled from a Hugo Ball poem) and their nascent interest in sub-Saharan polyrhythms, which Eno and Byrne would privately take to an experimental peak on My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. Boasting a wiggling lead, chanting choruses and even a breakbeat towards the end, I Zimbra is a sign of things yet to be perfected on Remain in Light.



Album: David Byrne & Brian Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

Often overlooked, the suburban gospel on Everything That Happens is one of Brian Eno and David Byrnes most accessible works. Strange Overtones is, in a literal reading, about breaking a bout of songwriters block, but the unassuming details Eno and Byrne relish in also seem to show them learning how best to support a partner. Byrnes whimpering, family-man falsetto mingling with the panoramic drums and addictive dance guitars create a late-career confection that found the warmth and vulnerability missing in Enos work of this era.



Album: Brian Eno, Another Green World

As Eric Tamm noted in his book, Brian Eno: His Music And The Vertical Color Of Sound, Eno told a journalist in 1980 that Any music worth anything is born in clumsiness and chaos. Having entered the studios without any pre-written material, the sessions for Another Green World were just that. St. Elmos Fire, a heartrending vignette of wandering lovers, glows underneath Robert Fripps untouchably dynamic solo that consumes the latter half of the track, played to recreate the sensation of lightning tacking across the sky. Filled with the guts and stumbles that give Enos solo work personality, it is the albums most extrasensory experience.



Album: David Bowie, Low

Low is considered David Bowies Another Green World, as the album is what prompted Bowie to recruit Eno and inspired them to switch between electronic instrumentals and to-the-point rock songs. Eno independently composed the bulk of the elaborate Warszawa suite, but its Bowies impressionistic vocals that activate the melody in Enos droning composition. The product is a menacing mixture of baroque, electronics and pop balladry.



Album: Brian Eno, Here Come the Warm Jets

Prior to the release of Warm Jets, Eno predicted he wouldnt understand that his channeling of early rock was from its roots as a product of incompetence by people who knew what the physical function of music was, but they werent virtuosi. Case in point: Needles in the Camels Eye, the musical equivalent of kicking an old machine into function, a frayed rendition of rock. The berzerk, cloudy power-chords and imperfect, visceral harmonies reinforce the songs theme of gleefully accepting the known unknowns.



Album: Talking Heads, Remain in Light

For better or worse, Eno had transformed into Talking Heads resident George Martin by the time they decided to decamp in the Bahamas to write Remain in Light. The session was famously rife with power-struggles, and Eno would later say that though he wished hed had had carte blanche to write whatever he wanted without ursurping [his] compositional role. Still, Crosseyed and Painless bears his marks, tonally minimal with sharp rhythms criss-crossing over each other, filling every subdivided beat with clanging percussion and the bands tightly-grooving eccentricities.



Album: David Bowie, Heroes

Heroes is not only a summary judgment for two titanic artists at their peaks, but a feature of Enos fully enmeshed presence. Rather than hovering above it or selectively identifiable in certain parts, his strobing, grayscale synthesizer and guitar treatments serve as the platform for Bowies howling cries for humanity. Heroes (as well as the three Eno-powered tracks that end the album) is driving, atmospheric and one of the most brilliant straits of music in the Bowie and Eno catalogs.
You could have convinced me to drive all over Englands North Country with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon; youd have met zero resistance getting me to join their lively sojourn along Italys Western shores. But after seeing The Trip to Spain, you would have had to hold a gun to my head to get me to accompany the pair on their tour of Spain. The duos latest road movie is a picture to savor at a distance rather than up close, an exercise in rankling dissatisfaction that you might well feel guilty watching. If The Trip and The Trip to Italy eventually land their leading men in places of warmth, mutual understanding and fellowship, The Trip to Spain takes them to a destination far less certain and more unpleasant, though no less hilarious.

Chafed male relationships are central to The Trip series, of course; Coogan and Brydon have traded barbs over Michelin Star meals on and off since the turn of the decade, each in turn jealous and contemptuous of one another for their successes, whether personal or professional. Conviviality isnt left off the menu entirely; director Michael Winterbottom just prefers to serve reconciliation somewhere between the halfway mark and the end of these films, using moments of good humor as major turning points in Coogans interactions with Brydon. One moment, they communicate chiefly through exasperation. The next, theyre sauntering through Pompei as they quote The Bounty, or gleefully taking the piss out of Art Parkinson and Michael Buble. It doesnt take much for Coogan to surrender his self-seriousness to Brydons indefatigable charm.

Not quite so in The Trip to Spain. Maybe the problem is the fictionalized Coogan, unable or unwilling to let go of his delusions of grandeur regarding his acting career. Or maybe its really Brydon, who no longer feels as obligated to endure Coogans prickly self-aggrandizement. Either way, whoevers to blame, theres an air of unrest that pervades The Trip to Spain, setting the film apart from its comparatively sunnier predecessors. (Aside: The problem may actually lie with the films utterly bananatown ending, though I saw a longer cut of the film at Independent Film Festival Boston, and Im not sure if thats the ending Winterbottom kept for The Trip to Spains theatrical release.) Coogan is more condescendingly cool than normal, and Brydons typical cheer has apparently been deadened in the intervening years since their Italy adventure.

But thats okay. Time goes on, people get older, their circumstances change, and traditions that begin as harmless larks for which were ill-suited become respites from the crushing realities of everyday adult life. That, at least, is what I think Winterbottom means to articulate by opening on a beleaguered Brydon, gratefully accepting Coogans taunting invitation to trek over Spain with him, his youngest child squalling in the background. Where the duos first two trips were just expense-paid journeys to superb restaurants nestled among peerless destination spots, The Trip to Spain is an escape plan. It doesnt matter that Coogan and Brydon lack even a shred of requisite experience for writing restaurant reviews or road trip editorials (beyond that which theyve lucked into acquiring twice before). The driving joke of their previous ventures no longer applies: If this was their first trip, if theyd never been to north England or Italy, theyd be as eager, if not more so, to take on the task.

Thats a bit of a sobering thought for a comedy franchise, and perhaps Im overselling the weight of The Trip to Spains collected ennui. All the same, denying that ennui is nigh-impossible, though if this is a more bitter version of the type of movie Winterbottom has twice made with Coogan and Brydon, its no less rapturous in the height and sheer variance of its humor and its wanton food porn. Granted, Coogan and Brydon are too busy stuffing their faces and giving each other shit to unpack anything meaningful from the incredible array of cuisine set before them over the course of The Trip to Spains running time, but if youre the curious sort you might learn a thing or two about Spains culture and history before Coogan mansplains it to you.

Ultimately, fans of the previous two films will get all they crave from The Trip to Spain, which feels like something of a rarity in franchising: These movies have yet to fizzle out and lose their appeal or run out of creative space to explore, and frankly, because they use the lives of two very real people as their bases, they probably never will. Proteins will be grilled, veggies roasted, sauces blended, and all will be served together to delight the palates of our intrepid, unqualified food critics. Impressions will be offeredof Michael Caine, Mick Jagger, John Lennon, and Roger Moore, among others. James Bond will be the object of our heroes nostalgia, and in point of fact The Trip to Spain has what is arguably the best Bond riff Coogan and Brydon have made to date, this time involving a pair of suspect scallops. (For that matter, it also has the best Roger Moore gag to datethe greatest send-off the late actor could possibly have hoped for from one of his most devoted imitators.)

But along with the components of The Trip to Spain that we most crave, theres an increase in harshness, an acerbic edge thats hard to ignore. The fictionalized personae that Brydon and Coogan adopt in these films always butt heads, always take cheap shots at each other even when they know they probably shouldnt. Jests and japes arent new to their brand. Here, those insults take on less civil dimensions as amicability wilts. Whether this makes The Trip to Spain less satisfactory than its predecessorsthat will depend on your taste.

Director: Michael Winterbottom

Writer: Michael Winterbottom

Starring: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon

Release Date: August 11, 2017

Boston-based critic Andy Crump has been writing about film and television online since 2009, and has been contributing to Paste since 2013. He also writes words for The Playlist, WBURs The ARTery, Slant Magazine, and Birth. Movies. Death., and is a member of the Online Film Critics Society and the Boston Online Film Critics Association. You can follow him on Twitter and find his collected writing at his personal blog. He is composed of roughly 65% craft beer.
Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is advocating a shift in governments approach to dealing with the continuous abuse of Ghanaian female workers in the Middle East.



He says it is about time a high powered Ghanaian delegation, possibly led by the president visited these countries to drum home the need for governments there to protect the rights of Ghanaians.



Countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been criticized over their failure to safeguard the rights of African migrants.



Stories abound about how Ghanaian workers, mostly ladies are beaten, maltreated and raped by their employers.



It was so serious the previous set up a joint ministerial taskforce made up of the Foreign Affairs, Interior Ministeries to find a lasting solution to the problem.



But it doesn't appear there has been any headway.



Mr. Ablakwa told Joy News the situation should not be handled as usual government business.



I am still receiving reports on daily basis of female Ghanaian domestic workers who are subjected to all kinds of abuse from rape to forced labour.



They dont have access to their phones. They cannot call their relatives. They are being treated like slaves.



I think it is time for a high level delegation to leave Accra and visit these countries, he said.



He believes the situation requires urgent approach and if the president cannot make it himself, he should send a high powered delegation to those countries.

Source: myjoyonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The governing New Patriotic Party has described as unfortunate the decision by Kenya to deport Peter Mac Manu, the partys campaign manager in the 2016 elections.



The Acting General Secretary of the party, John Boadu said the action by the Kenyan authorities does not bode well for the democratic development of Africa.



Mr. Mac Manu arrived in Ghana yesterday after he was denied entry into Kenya by authorities of that country.



He was leading a delegation of the Democratic Union of Africa to observe the Kenya elections scheduled for next Tuesday, but was stopped at the airport.



John Boadu says the party considers the incident very seriously.



He told Joy News Beatrice Adu the governing party will investigate the circumstances under which its campaign manager was deported and take a decision.



I had a wind of what happened at the Airport. It is unfortunate that a country like Kenya that has been evolving will engage in something like this.



They were the first country to have experienced the use of law court to settle election dispute.



Mac Manu is a member of the Democratic Union of Africa which is a sub body of the bigger body of the International Democratic Union.



It is rather unfortunate that the Kenya authorities will behave like that, he lamented.



I dont know what the motive was. Whatever it was, it was wrong, he added.

He denied assertions Mac Manu was going to Kenya to cause a regime change.



Especially when Ghanas ex-president is in the same country as an observer, John Boadu said the Kenyan authorities cannot pick and choose which individual they will allow to observe the election.



He said the governing party will take a strong view on the matter.



On Tuesday August 8, Kenyans will go to the polls to decide whether to retain incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta, a Kikuyu, and his long-standing rival Raila Odinga.



It will be a repeat of the 2013 election which saw the same men vying for the top job in a relatively peaceful election.

Source: myjoyonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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James Kwabena Bomfeh, popularly called Kabila, has sought to expose the biased and partisan character of Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye.



Reacting to comments by Prof. Mike Oquaye on a lecture about Ghana's destiny, Kabila was disgusted by what he terms as a "deliberate attempt" by the Speaker and the NPP government to write off the historical legacy of Ghana's First President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.



Delivering a public lecture in Accra on Friday, August 4 on the theme "4th August; Ghana's Day of Destiny", the Speaker of Parliament is quoted to have said the country wasn't founded by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah as widely held in the history books of the country.



According to him, there's the need for the Ghana's history to be told in its entirety; in that J.B Danquah, a Ghanaian statesman and one of the doyens of Gold Coast liberation deserve to be celebrated as playing a major and significant role in founding Ghana.



Prof Mike Oquaye also indicated that the if the Kwame Nkrumah's Convention People's Party (CPP) would survive, they should concentrate on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) because they created rift in the CPP.



The CPP has been penetrated by the newly created NDC . . . and that they have created confusion within the party which was then broken and fragmented into six political parties. And I wrote if the CPP wants to survive, they should not look our way because we are not out to destroy them. They must proceed to extricate themselves from the bowels of the NDC, then they will survive because as at now they are swallowed and as a truism, they know or should know who swallowed them," he said.



But speaking on Peace FMs 'Kokrokoo', Kabila has lambasted the Speaker for delivering a partisan speech on what he believed was supposed to be a national commemoration of the achievement of independence by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.



To him, Prof. Mike Oquaye distorted the facts to suit him and his NPP, and so deliberately chose to take the shine out of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.



He noted that he (Mike Oquaye) shouldn't have been allowed to deliver the public lecture because "he wasn't the right person" for the occasion.



He further said Prof. Mike Oquaye was insisting that J.B Danquah somehow founded Ghana and also went ahead to link him to the establishment of the University of Ghana and Akosombo Dam.



All this, he stated, were false historical accounts to downplay the heroic achievement of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah as the founder of Ghana.



Kabila however commended J.B Danquah and the other big six who helped in Ghana's struggle for independence but he cautioned Prof. Mike Oquaye not to distort and rewrite the country's history.



















Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Amaya Completes Rebrand to The Stars Group

August 07, 2017 Mo Nuwwarah Editor

Say goodbye to Amaya and say hello to The Stars Group.

That's the new name of the parent company of PokerStars, the world's leading online poker room. Plans to rebrand to The Stars Group have been in the works for a couple of months and went official on Monday, according to iGaming Business.

Shareholders voted to approve the move in June. It will now trade publicly as "TSG" and "TSGI."

The company launched a fresh Twitter account portending the move on Aug. 1.

The move will further distance the company from its roots as a start-up under the leadership of David Baazov, the now disgraced and deposed founder and CEO. Baazov built the company up into a global online gaming giant that acquired ownership of PokerStars but was hit with insider trading charges in March of last year.

Baazov stepped away from the company on first a temporary and then a permanent basis, and his bid to recapture it with a cash takeover ended in December.

The Stars Group will move forward out of its new home base in Toronto with Divyesh Gadhia remaining chairman of the board.
Day 2 of the PokerStars Festival Manila Main Event saw the 167 Day 1 survivors from the three starting flights united for the first time to battle it out at the baize when play resumed at 2pm local time (GMT+7).

It took eleven 1-hour levels to whittle the field down to the final 14 when play concluded at 3:25am on Monday 7 August. It was Day 1b frontrunner Michael Falcon, who dominated the majority of the days action to bag up an absolutely monstrous 3.82 million in chips. This is close to a million more than next closest rival Uday Bansal who finished play with 2.95 million.

Falcon shot out of the blocks like an Olympic sprinter, running his 307,100 starting stack up to over 650,000 during the first two levels of play to power into pole position as overall chip leader.

The Dane did not relinquish his stranglehold on the tournament top spot from this point onwards, becoming the first player to join the seven-figure club by level 15 with more than double the chips of next closest rival, Koreas Woohyuk Yang.

Yang took a huge hit at the hands of Finlands Antti Halme as the bubble approached and play went hand-for-hand, moving all-in on the river on a queen-high board in a three-bet pot with pocket jacks.

Halme made the sickest of sick calls with queen-nine offsuit to scoop the monster pot and shoot into second place with a stack of 760,000, but was still over half a million in chips behind Falcon.

The player to earn the unenviable title of bubble boy was the rather unfortunate Vikram Verma at the start of the fifth level of the day. The Indian player made the call for his tournament life from the big blind with ace-king after British poker pro Sam Razavi moved all-in from the small blind with the speculative six-four offsuit.

Unfortunately for Verma, Razavi paired his six, which held to send Verma to the rail empty handed and guarantee all 87 remaining players a 90,000 (~$1,787) payday.

Notables who failed to make the hallowed money spots included Alex Lee, third on Singapores All Time Money List, two former Asia Player of the Year winners in the form of Alan Lau and Pete Chen and WSOP APAC bracelet winner Jun Zhong Loo.

Vermas exit opened the floodgates for a slew of speedy eliminations and 87 players quickly became 45 by the time the dinner break came around just one-hour later with 2017 APOY leaderboard number one Sparrow Cheung the last man to bust before the break.

It took a further three levels of play for 45 to become 25 with the elimination of Victor Chong at the hands of Chi Thinh Nguyen setting up a redraw for the final three tables after the Malaysians ace-king lost a race to Nguyens pocket queens.

A further two 1-hour levels were needed to whittle this down to the final two tables with Michael Falcon doing the honors. Falcon busted Shinji Katsushima in 17th place for a PHP255,000 (~$4,470) payday after the Danes jack-ten won a race against the Japanese players pocket fives to set up yet another re-draw.

Both Thomas Lee and Chi Thinh Nguyen joined Katsushima on the rail shortly afterward as play began to wind down, with the clock was paused with 15-minutes remaining on level 23 and the last five hands announced.

Once again it was Falcon doing the honors, opening the action with a late position raise holding ace-jack offsuit and calling Lees king-nine suited small blind shove.

Lee departed in 16th place for a 285,000 payday (~$5,663) after both players missed the flop by a mile, meaning Falcons ace-high was enough to stack the Dane up to 3.7 million.

However, the man to bring the day to a close was Antti Halme, who eliminated Chi Thinh Nguyen with a one-two combo punch during the last three hands to bring the field down to the final 14.

Halme got three streets of value from pocket aces on a king high-flop against Nguyens ace-king to leave the Vietnamese player with a little over four big blinds.

This ended up in the middle the very next hand with Nguyen getting the last of his chips in with ace-five suited and Halme administering the coup de grace with queen-six offsuit and pairing his six to bring play to a close.

Day 3 Redraw:

Table Seat Player Country Chip Count Big Blinds 1 1 Raphael Gall Germany 430,000 14 1 2 Yo Seb Rhee Japan 1,765,000 59 1 3 empty - - - 1 4 Uday Bansal India 2,950,000 98 1 5 Hoa Thinh Nguyen Vietnam 1,055,000 35 1 6 Andre Peters Germany 1,260,000 42 1 7 Kenneth Buck Australia 455,000 15 1 8 Duc Nguyen Vietnam 150,000 5 2 1 Tien Than Nguyen Vietnam 675,000 23 2 2 Jaehyun Lim South Korea 1,140,000 38 2 3 Michael Falcon Denmark 3,820,000 127 2 4 empty - - - 2 5 Sam Razavi United Kingdom 775,000 26 2 6 Mike Takayama Philippines 745,000 25 2 7 Corbin White United States 620,000 21 2 8 Antti Halme Finland 2,130,000 71

Play resumes on Monday 7 August at 2pm local time and will play down until a champion is crowned so join us then as well see who has what it takes to win the 5,515,000 (~$109,536) first prize and take the trophy and title.
Recently Lion has been made available on Netflix which is the perfect opportunity for you to stream this stunning film.

The competition was stacked for this year's Oscar nominations. Each film bringing something unique to the table, it was definitely a situation where critics selected between excellent and excellent. After the confusion between La La Land and Moonlight, it seems like many of the other Oscar nominees were overlooked, and one in particular that went a little unnoticed was Lion an amazing film under the breakout direction of Garth Davis. Lion was an adaptation of the non-fiction novel A Long Way Home written by Saroo Brierley and Larry Buttrose. The novel is autobiographical of Saroo's life and his efforts to reconnect with his birth family after being separated from them at a very young age.

The film features some astonishing talent, lead by Dev Patel who was most notably seen in Slumdog Millionaire and The Last Airbender. The film also features Oscar nominated actress Rooney Mara as Saroo's love interest Lucy, and Nicole Kidman as Saroo's adoptive mother Sue. The story starts with Young Saroo who is played by young actor Sunny Pawar . Saroo falls asleep one day and is left behind by his elder brother. Through a series of missed connections and mishaps, Saroo ends up in Calcutta where he does not understand the language. A women takes him in and introduces him to a man named Rama who is meant to help him find his way home. The man takes him to the police who unsuccessfully try and trace his roots home and instead place him in an orphanage. Saroo is soon later adopted by Sue and John Brierley and in turn moves to Tasmania. Years later when he is studying in Melbourne, Australia, he decides to begin to search for his birth family. His friends suggest that he use Google Maps to trace his roots. Through noticing familiar terrain from his childhood memories he is able to find his hometown and reunite with his birth family unfortunately finding out that his elder brother Gurru had perished.

Though the film gravitates around the central theme of family and identity, there are other wonderful themes throughout. I thought that the importance of Google Maps in the film was really interesting. Twenty years ago, a film like this would not have existed and it sheds a positive light on technology which so often gets a bad rap. In addition, I think through the conflict that Saroo and his love interest Lucy faces, the film explores that very relatable growing-pain young adults experience while they are coming to their individual fruition but wanting to be together and the tension that creates.

The film is quite visually stunning as well taking place in a number of beautiful locations. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and afterwards was distributed for a limited engagement by the Weinstein Company and then later was granted a general release after much success. While Lion was Oscar nominated in six categories, it did not take any home unfortunately though definitely Oscar-worthy in my opinion. Recently Lion has been made available on Netflix which is the perfect opportunity for you to stream this stunning film. Check out the trailer below!

Follow Lion on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram.




Seventeen airmen from the Guam Air National Guard's 254th Security Forces Squadron received a heroes' welcome after a six-month deployment to Kuwait in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel.

Dozens of family members lined the doors to the A.B. Won Pat International Airport's inbound terminal with signs and pictures of the arriving airmen.

Adrian Arriola, 19, has been to more than his fair share of welcomes for his father, Anthony Arriola, a master sergeant. Adrian Arriola said although his father has been deployed multiple times, it never gets any easier to deal with the absence of a family member.

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"It's always hard when he leaves," Adrian Arriola said. "We have to really come together as a family. We always need our dad around."

In the meantime, he has spent quality time with his immediate and extended family at places like the beach or the Arriola family home, taking as many pictures as possible to send to his dad.

'The whole family pulled together'

The Morrison family was also looking forward to mother Casey's return to civilian life. Shaun Morrison, himself a member of the military, has been deployed before, having to leave Casey Morrison and their children, Kamille Cepeda and Kendall Morrison, in Guam.

"This is my first time staying back. It's pretty hard," Shaun Morrison said. "In both ways, we lost somebody and we have to wait to see each other again."

But Morrison said his family, especially Kamille, has been a major reason for their success while Casey has been deployed.

"It's like the whole family pulled together to try to support this deployment."

Youngest daughter Kendall has also pitched in, lifting their spirits with her jokes.

Floce Hasanon was present to welcome her son Randall Diego back from deployment. Diego had been living with her prior to leaving for Kuwait, and his presence was sorely missed by younger sisters Alana and Shania Manibusan. Diego was someone who spent a lot of time with the two girls, often showing them how to play video games on the PS4.

Shania is "very excited" to have her gaming buddy back.

The mission

Members of the 254th Security Forces Squadron were tasked with the protection of federal property from hazards such as sabotage, espionage, trespass, theft, fire and accident, or willful damage and destruction, according to a Guard release.
Black Pepper Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-07 08:17:51

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Black Pepper is a pungent hot-tasting powder spice prepared from dried and ground peppercorns, used to flavor food. It is also known as king of spices because it contains rich anti-oxidants and other nutrients. The high demand for pepper presents an attractive market opportunity for new vendors to enter the market. In the present market scenario, it is estimated that the new crop of black pepper accounts for nearly 30% to 35% of the market. The high demand is expected to increase the price of black pepper, thereby increasing the profit margin of the vendors in this market.Apart from this, black pepper powder is also used to make medicines. It often used to cure stomach upset, bronchitis, and cancer. It is sometimes applied directly to the skin for treating nerve pain(neuralgia) and a skin disease called scabies. Black peppers are also used typically as a counterirritant for pain.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1274 Black Pepper Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe black pepper market is directly influenced by the growing processed food industry. The rise in consumption of bakery products, confectionery products, and ready-to-eat and ried food in the developed economies is driving the market for the spice. The recent trend of using natural flavor enhancer has also catalyzed the growth of the global market. In the year 2013-15, the global pepper consumption is estimated at around 400,000 tons and has been increasing steadily. Increasing demand from Far East countries, which have started using more pepper in cooking, has been quite significant in driving the global black pepper market. Growth in the cosmetics industry is also directly influencing the pepper market. Due to the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of black pepper, it is often included in skin care products.As stated earlier, that the market is experiencing a major year on year increase in demand for black pepper. But unfortunately, this demand is not backed by adequate supply, which has proved to be a major restraint in this market. This is majorly due to the intensive crop losses in various parts of the world, especially in India & Brazil. Sudden climatic changes and untimely rainfall has significantly led to the fall in the yield of black pepper.Black PepperMarket: SegmentationThe global black pepper market can be broadly segmented on the basis of; type, end use and application. On the basis of type, the market can be further segmented into  organic and inorganic. Based on end use, the market can be segmented into bakery and confectionery products, frozen products, soups, sauces & dressing, beverages, meat & poultry products, snacks and convenience food, and others. Based of application, the black pepper market can be segmented into food & beverages, health care and personal care & cosmetics.Black PepperMarket: Region Wise OutlookGeographically, the global black peppermarket is segmented into seven regions which are ; North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), and Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Japan.Vietnam, followed by Brazil, India & Indonesia are the leading producer of black pepper in the year 2014 globally.India saw a fall in its average production in the same year. The leverage of large scale production and productivity helps Vietnam growers to offer world's lowest price tags.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1274 In terms of export, Vietnam leads the market globally. U.S. market continues to be the largest importer of black pepper from Vietnam. While most markets like India, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Netherlands, Spain have seen an increase in their imports, except Germany. German market recorded a drop in imports from Vietnam. Thus, with a market share of approximately 50% per cent in the global market, Vietnam has been able dominate the market.Black PepperMarket: Key PlayersSome of the major companies operating in global black peppermarket are Baria Pepper, British Pepper and Spice, Catch, Everest Spices, McCormick, MDH, Agri food Pacific, Akar Indo, Brazil Trade Business, DM AGRO, Gupta Trading, Pacific Production, PT AF, Silk Road Spices, The Spice House, Vietnam Spice Company, Visimex, and Webb James, Olam International Limited.
Calcium Gluconate Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-07 08:16:06

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Calcium gluconate is a mineral supplement which is prepared by the neutralization of gluconic acid with lime or calcium carbonate. It is listed as one of the essential medicines on WHOs list of essential medicine. Calcium gluconate is used to treat conditions arising from calcium deficiencies such as hypocalcaemia tetany, hypocalcemia related to hyperparathyroidism and hypocalcaemia due to rapid growth or pregnancy. Apart from being an active ingredient in medicines, calcium gluconate finds its application in various food products as a nutrient supplement. It is a used as a source of calcium, in a variety of food & beverage products, such as; milk, soft drinks, juices, bottled waters, dairy products, soy products, baked goods, and confectionery.Calcium Gluconate Market: Drivers & RestraintsGlobal calcium gluconate market is expected to grow owing to increasing demand from end-use industries such as pharmaceuticaland food & beverages. Sunrise industries like the nutraceutical industry has also largely impacted the global calcium gluconate market, as it finds itself as major ingredient in multiple calcium based health supplements. Increase in the demand for health supplements from the health conscious consumers has largely driven this market globally. More than 75% of Americans are calcium deficient, and more than one in 10 Americans either has, or is at risk of developing, osteoporosis or other bone diseases. This fact is also acting as a driver for the global calcium gluconate market in that region. The segment is anticipated to witness above average growth on account of increasing use of health supplements in developed countries for over the last few years and trend is likely to continue over the forecast period.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1275 Excessive intake of calcium gluconate may lead to various side effects such as nausea, constipationand stomachupset. Rapid intravenous injections of calcium gluconate may cause hypercalcaemia, which can result in vasodilation, cardiac arrhythmias, decreased blood pressure, and bradycardia. This has proven to be a major restraint for this market.Calcium Gluconate Market:SegmentationThe global calcium gluconate market can be broadly segmented on the basis of end use, application, and form available. On the basis of end use, the market can be further segmented into; bulking agent, emulsifier, and thickening agent. On the basis of application, the global calcium gluconate market can be bifurcated into pharmaceuticals, food & beverages, and nutraceuticals. Commercially, calcium gluconate is available in three major form, i.e. gum, liquid, and powder.Calcium Gluconate Market:Region Wise OutlookGeographically, the calcium gluconatemarket is segmented into seven regions which are ; North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Japan.Asia Pacific region is anticipated to witness high growth on account of increasing demand from end-use industries. In addition, increased government spending on infrastructure development is likely fuel market growth over the next six years.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1275 Calcium Gluconate Market: Key PlayersSome of the major global key players in this segments are; Aaron Industries, Inc. American Biorganics, Inc, AKZO Nobel Chemicals Inc, Alfa Aesar, Coyne Chemical , Glucona America, Inc, PMP Fermentation Products, Inc, Noah Technologies Corporation, Westco Chemicals Inc, Mallinckrodt Inc., Spectrum Bulk Chemicals. These companies are developing market strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, Joint Venture, New product development and Expansion to increase their market share in Global Functional Beverages Market. Apart from these big firms, there are multiple new entrants in the market.
Deep Brain Stimulator Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-07 12:27:41

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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.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1338 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.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@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1338 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.
Hepatitis B Diagnostic Test Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-07 12:12:33

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Hepatitis B is an infectious disease associated with the inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis B infection is caused due to the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmitted from one person to other through infectious blood, semen and other body fluids. Hepatitis B infection can be acute and it may develop into chronic infection if not diagnosed and treated at an early stage. Chronically infected Hepatitis B patients eventually develop liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer), fulminant hepatitis B (autoimmune disorder) or suffer from liver failure requiring liver transplant and can even result in death. In 2014, out of the 360 Mn people infected with hepatitis B worldwide, around 1 Mn people died of the disease or other complications associated with it. However, there is a significant decrease in incidence of hepatitis B after introduction of hepatitis B vaccine. Diagnosis of HBV is achieved by performing several tests for serological markers of HBV such as HBsAg, anti-HBs antibodies, HBeAg, anti-HBe antibodies and anti-HBV core antibodies. Currently, nucleic acid testing for HBV DNA is used to detect the hepatitis B viral load. The diagnosis of hepatitis B involves collection of blood samples followed by the detection of viral antigens and antibodies in either serum or plasma.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1332 Hepatitis B Diagnostic Test Market: Drivers and RestraintsIn vitro diagnostics is the vital market for the hepatitis B diagnostic test as the serological markers from blood are tested outside the body in the laboratory. Increasing prevalence and incidence of hepatitis B worldwide and multitude of available tests are the major drivers for the increasing growth of global hepatitis B diagnostic test market. Increasing public awareness and understanding of viral hepatitis, promotion of wider access to monitoring and screening procedures by several countries as a part of national program and introduction of evidence based policies are anticipated to aid the growth of global hepatitis B diagnostic tests market. However, complexity of clinical management and lack of coordination between clinicians and laboratory personnel to decide choice of assay employing appropriate hepatitis B diagnostic test will remain some of the major restraints for the global hepatitis B diagnostic test market.Hepatitis B Diagnostic Test Market: SegmentationThe global hepatitis B diagnostic tests market is classified on the basis of test type, technique end use and geography.Based on test type, the global hepatitis B diagnostic test market is segmented into the following:Hepatitis B surface antigen test (HBsAg)Anti-hepatitis B surface antibody testHepatitis B core antigen test (HBcAb)Anti-hepatitis B core antibody testHBV DNA testOthersBased on techniques, the global hepatitis B diagnostic test market is segmented into the following:PCRRadioimmunoassay (RIA)Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)OthersBased on end use type, the global hepatitis B diagnostic test market is segmented into the following:HospitalsDiagnostic centersClinicsHepatitis B Diagnostic Test Market: OverviewMore than 13 immunoassays are available for the diagnosis of hepatitis B at an early stage. They can also be used to distinguish acute and chronic hepatitis B infections. Global market for HBsAg test is expected to drive the greater revenue generation as it the preliminary test for the detection of HBV in the blood of infected person and also the test is ordered for many of the blood donors prior to blood donation.Hepatitis B Diagnostic Test Market: Regional OverviewGeographically, the global hepatitis B diagnostic tests market is classified into regions namely, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa. North America is expected to be the key region in global hepatitis diagnostic tests market followed by Asia-Pacific and Europe. Availability of good reimbursement policies for diagnostic tests in many of the high income countries in Europe is expected to keep up the market for hepatitis B diagnostic testsin nearest future.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1332 Hepatitis B Diagnostic Test Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players providing diagnostic tests for hepatitis B are MedMira Inc, Abbott Laboratories, Inovio pharmaceuticals Inc., Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Innovita biological technology Co. Ltd., Assure Tech. (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., Nantong Diagnos biotechnology Co. Ltd., Blue Cross Bio-Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., BioGenex., Abnova Corporation etc.
Hepatitis - B Therapeutics Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-07 10:01:36

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variety of different viruses such as A, B, C, D and E. Jaundice is a characteristic feature of liver disease. Hepatitis-B is a contagious liver disease which is results from infection with the Hepatitis-B virus (HBV), which is containing a partially double stranded and circular DNA. The virus interfers with hepatocytes, the liver became inflamed. HBV is transmitted through parenteral contact through body fluids, blood, and sexual intercourse. HBV does not able to cross skin or mucous membrane. People with Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Lymph proliferative disease, and people who are treated with Immuno suppressive drugs and hemodialysis patients are easily develops infection with Hepatitis-B Virus. There are two types of HBV infection Acute and Chronic. Acute Hepatitis B is initial six months of infected with HBV. After certain treatment also the infection remains in human body and leads to a chronic hepatitis. There is no treatment for acute hepatitis B.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1224 Hepatitis - B Therapeutics Market: Drivers and restraintsGlobal Hepatitis - B Therapeutics market can be driven by following drivers, According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Chronic HBV infection occurs majority of the infants, increasing prevalence of Hepatitis-B virus is major driver of the market. The prevalence rate of hepatitis B is increasing gradually, thus propels the Hepatitis B therapeutics market over the forecast period. There are less number of antibiotics are available in the market only antivirals are effectively fight with the HBV. Treatment and medications are highly expensive. These are major bottlenecks for Hepatitis B therapeutics Market.Hepatitis - B Therapeutics Market: SegmentationGlobal Hepatitis - B Therapeutics Market can be segmented as following typesGlobal Hepatitis - B Therapeutics market by Products:By ProductHepatitis B vaccineAnti-Viral DrugsLamivudineFamciclovirAcyclovirFascornetAdefovirEntecavirTelbivudineTenofovirBy Distribution ChannelHospitals PharmaciesPharmacies and Drug StoresClinicsHepatitis - B Therapeutics Market: OverviewIncreasing the demand for advanced technological treatments and novel drug products to treat various rare diseases are provides a robust market growth. According Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), Approximately 1.4 Million patients in the United States are chronically infected with Hepatitis B Virus and the prevalence of hepatitis B virus is high European region followed by United States. The Hepatitis B vaccination and advanced treatment methods to treat Hepatitis B Virus propels Hepatitis - B Therapeutics market over the forecast period.Hepatitis - B Therapeutics Market: Region-Wise OutlookDepending upon the geographic regions Hepatitis - B Therapeutics market is segmented into seven key regions: Those are North America, Latin America, and Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Asia pacific excluding japan, Middle East and Africa (MEA), Japan.North America dominating the global Hepatitis - B Therapeutics market followed by Europe. Increasing awareness among the people towards the use of novel products and technologies to treat the HBV providing lucrative market. Asian Pacific region market is considered to rapidly evolving healthcare infrastructure and research and development, this region is anticipating providing a robust growth of global Hepatitis - B Therapeutics market over the forecast period.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1224 Hepatitis - B Therapeutics Market: Key playersSome of the key players in Market are GlaxoSmithKline, plc. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hoffmann- La Roche, Novartis AG, Merck and Co.
Inositol Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-07 08:21:31

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Inositol, also named cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol, is a simple polyol precursor in a second messenger system important in the brain. Inositol is found in fruits, beans, grains, and nuts and is also made by the body. Inositol is a naturally occurring nutrient found in various forms, the most common being myo-inositol.It also holds some promise as an anti-depressant and against some other conditions associated with anxiety such as panic disorders. Inositol is used to promote the growth of bacteria and yeast for use as food additives. This product is also used in the preparation of a variety of vitamin pills and nutritional amino acid infused products.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1290 Inositol Market: Drivers & RestraintsDemand for inositol has been on the rise, due to the rapid growth in the food & healthcare industry. The Inositol market is expected to grow drastically. The increase in the scope of clinical research is also driving the market.According to a survey carried out by Center for Disease Control & Prevention, 31% of men and 32% of women in this world have high cholesterol level. This has been a major factor for the rise in the demand for Inositol globally.Taking too much inositol might make bipolar disorder worse, which has proved to be its major constraint.Inositol Market: SegmentationThe inositol market is segmented on the basis of form and application. On the basis of form, the inositol market is further segmented into; powder & liquid. On the basis of application, the market is segmented into pharmaceuticals, food & beverages, chemical industry, feed additive, and others.Inositol Market: Region Wise OutlookGeographically, the inositol market is segmented into seven regions which are; North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Japan. The global production of Inositol is mainly concentrated in the China and Japan. China is the worlds largest producer of inositol in terms of capacity, accounting for over approximately 50% of the global capacity.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1290 Inositol Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players across the value chain dominating this market are Zhucheng Haotian Pharm Co., Ltd. , Changzhou Zhonglian Inositol Co., Ltd., Shandong Runde Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Biological Engineering Technology Co., Ltd., Holland & Barrett, Phoenix Herb Company, Mr. Bills Pipe & Tobacco Company, Ronas chemicals ind.co.,ltd ., Charles Bowman & Company, T. J. Clark & Company. These companies are developing market strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, joint venture, new product development and expansion to increase their market share in global inositol market.
Macadamia Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-07 08:41:04

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Macadamia nut was introduced in the early 1960s to the Kenyan highlands from Australia. Macadamia is a member of the family Proteaceae, native to Australia. Australia and Hawaii are the major producing areas of macadamia with others including eastern and southern Africa, and Central and Latin America. Several species of macadamia exist in Australia but only two species such as M. tetraphylla and Macadamia integrifolia and their hybrids are grown commercially. Production of macadamia nuts in Australia is mainly in eastern shore of Australia (northern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland). Currently, Hawaii is the largest producer of global macadamia, accounting for around 70 percent of total macadamia production worldwide followed by Australia, around 22 percent, rest is produced by other countries including Malawi, South Africa, Kenya, Guatemala, Mexico, California, Costa Rica, Brazil, New Zealand and China.Tree nuts include almond, cashew, hazelnut, pistachio, walnut, macadamia, and pecan. Currently, macadamia accounts for around only one percent among all the tree nuts available across the globe. Almond nut dominates the nut segment, accounting for around 34 percent. Increasing health claims for macadamia have witnessed a surge in recent years, which if succeeded is expected to increase the consumption of macadamia nuts among consumers.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1304 Global Macadamia Market Segmentation:On the basis of application the global macadamia market is broadly segmented into food industry, and cosmetics industry. In food industry macadamia is widely used in confectionaries including chocolate bar, chocolate covered candy, ice cream and other baking products. In cosmetics industry it is used in shampoos, sunscreens, soaps and others.Geographically, global macadamia market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa. Currently, North America and Western Europe account for major market share for macadamia however, Asia Pacific excluding Japan is expected to grow significantly in the forecasted years.Global Macadamia Market Dynamics:Owing to increasing variety of applications of macadamia, various workshop are taking places in order to increase the international trade for macadamia and since capitalise the growing demand for macadamia. Adoption of macadamia in chocolate and ice cream among consumers is expected to drive the demand for global macadamia in the near future. The biggest restraint for macadamia market is increasing crop losses due to immature nuts and moldy / rotten nuts. The crop losses due to these type of nuts accounts for around 50 percent of the total macadamia wastage globally. Thereby, reducing inclination of crop growers for macadamia and thus, hampering the market growth.There is a high opportunity to increase the market share of macadamia in terms of revenue across countries such as Mexico, China, South Africa and others. Companies are investing in these countries through promotional activities in order to increase the footprint of macadamia worldwide.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1304 Global Macadamia Market Key Players:Some of the key players operating in the global macadamia market are Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corp., Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company, MacFarms, Wondaree Macadamias, NAMBUCCA MACNUTS Pty Ltd, Golden Macadamias, Royal Macadamia (Pty) Ltd., Kenya Nut Company Ltd. and MWT Foods Australia.
Malt Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-07 08:30:42

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Malt is a product prepared from grains through a malting process, which involves partial germination, to modify the grains natural food substances. Barley is generally used to prepare malt, while rice wheat, corn and rye are used less frequently. The principle use of malt is in brewing beer. Malt is also used for preparation of whiskey and other beverages. Its wide usage in alcohols, beverages and food products makes it an important product in the food and beverage industry. It is also used to make confections such as malted shakes, malt vinegar, flavored drinks such as Horlicks, and Milo, and some baked goods, such as bagels, malt loaf, and rich tea. Malted barley is an ingredient in blended flours specifically used in the manufacture of yeast breads and other baked goods.Malt Market: Drivers & RestraintsThe key driver for this market is the use of malt in the beer industry, which is growing at a fast rate. Its widespread use in the food industry is another impetus for the growth of this market. Opportunities for this market lie in the use of different types of malt extracts in food products. Growing popularity of wine and other beverages acts as a hindrance in the growth of this market, as this would reduce the consumption of beer. Increase in the use of organic malt in making breweries is boosting the growth of the market. The major challenge to this market is the entry of local players in the market. They offer low cost product, and thus are able to generate a broader customer base.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1296 Malt Market: SegmentationThe global malt market can be broadly segmented on the basis of type, application, brewers, and source. On the basis of type, the malt market can be classified into-Dry Extract, Liquid Extract, Malt Flour. On the basis of application, the malt market can be segmented into-Beer Industry, Whisky Distilleries, Food & Beverages, and Pharmaceutical industry. On the basis of brewers, the malt market can be segmented into- Base Malt, Standard Malt and Specialty Malt. On the basis of source, it can be segmented into-Barley, Wheat, Rye.Malt Market: Region Wise OutlookGeographically, the acai berry market is segmented into seven regions which are ; North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), and Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Japan.North America has been the largest market for malts, sharing superiority in both production as well as consumption. Western Europe and Central Europe are also one of the key malt markets. Countries in Asia Pacific such as, China, South Korea and Australia are showing relatively quicker growth and are expected to be the dominant markets over the coming years. Countries in Africa such as, Zimbabwe and Botswana constitute of two of the most promising market potentials followed by Latin America.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1296 Malt Market: Key PlayersSome of the major companies manufacturing malts in the global market are Bairds Malt Ltd, Cargill Inc., Crisp Malting Group Ltd, Malteurop Group, Muntons Malt plc, Simpsons Malt Ltd. Cargill Inc. Bairds Malt Ltd. Crisp Malting Group Ltd., Heineken, Muntons Malt plc and others.
Millimeter Wave Technology Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-07 08:17:06

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Millimeter wave (MV) technology is a special type of electromagnetic wave technology. It is a mature technology and recently has been adopted in various application across industries. In the perspective of wireless communication, the millimeter wave generally occupy frequency range between 30 GHz to 300 GHz.Millimeter Wave Technology Market: Drivers and RestraintGlobal millimeter wave technology market is expected to witness double digit compound annual growth rate over the forecast period. Factors which are driving the growth of global millimeter wave technology market are, rising mobile data traffic and growing demand for bandwidth intensive applications, increasing demand for the high speed data connectivity and high potential usage of millimeter wave technology in consumer electronics application.On the other hand, factors which are restraining the growth of millimeter wave technology market are environmental concerns and limited range. Non-uniform licencing approach is creating a major challenge for the growth of millimeter wave technology marketRequest Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1288 The global millimeter wave technology market is expected to witness great growth opportunity over the forecast period due to technological advances that encourages the adoption of millimeter wave technology across different industrial verticals such as aerospace, healthcare, defence, telecommunication and automobiles.Millimeter Wave Technology Market: SegmentationGlobal millimeter wave technology market is segmented on the basis of product, licence, frequency band, application and region. On the basis of product, the global millimeter wave technology market can be segmented into telecommunication equipment, scanner system, radar & satellite communication system and others.On the basis of license, the global millimeter wave technology market can be segmented into light licence frequency millimeter wave, fully licence frequency millimeter wave and unlicensed frequency millimeter wave.On the basis of application, the global millimeter wave technology market can be segmented into telecommunication, healthcare, military, aerospace & defence, automotive & transportation, consumer electronics and others. In mobile & telecommunication application segment, there is great opportunity for millimeter wave technology. In automotive & transportation application segment, this technology can be used in drivers assistant system and the technology can accelerate the commercialization of unmanned vehicles. Additionally. The millimeter wave technology has significant value in healthcare application segment, where it can be used in scanning and imaging devicesOn the basis of frequency band, the global millimeter wave technology can be segmented into 8 GHz to 57 GHz band frequency, 58 GHz to 86 GHz band frequency and 87 GHz to 300 GHz band frequency.Millimeter Wave Technology Market: Region wise outlookOn the basis of region, the global millimeter wave technology market can be segmented into seven regions which include  North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Japan. Further the market is sub-segmented as per the major countries of each region in order to provide better regional analysis of millimeter wave technology market. Out of all these region, North America is expected to dominate the global millimeter wave technology market. U.S is expected to witness a double digit CAGR growth due to rising applications of millimeter wave technology in mobile & telecommunication industryVisit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1288 Millimeter Wave Technology Market: Key PlayersProminent players in the global millimeter wave technology market are Bridgewave Communications, Inc., Keysight Technologies Inc., Keysight Technologies, Siklu Communication Ltd, MI-Wave Inc., Millitech Inc. among others. Key market players are focusing on launch of new products in order to be competitive in the market. For instance, In October 2015, Bridgewave Communications, Inc. launched wireless backhaul millimeter wave system with highest capacity. Millimeter wave technology is able to fulfil the increasing demand of cost efficient high speed data connectivity due to which original equipment manufacturers of consumer electronics are excited in adopting the technology to enhance the proficiencies of existing applications.
Polyamide-6 Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-07 08:23:42

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# 476 Words

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Polyamide -6 (PA6) is a semi-crystalline polyamide commonly known as Nylon-6. Polyamide-6 is generally produced by polymerization of caprolacta. The strength, durability and elasticity which it offers is widely appreciated in industries. Properties such as ability to withstand high pressure, temperature and various chemical makes it a highly valued material. These physical and chemical properties makes Polyamide-6 suitable for various application sectors. Of all the Polyamides types produced, Polyamide-6 accounts for approximately more than 60% of worldwide production in terms of volume. The global capacity of Polyamide-6 in 2013 is anticipated to be approximately 6.6 million metric tons.Polyamide -6 Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe major drivers for the global polyamide-6 market is its usage is its wide application sectors such as automotive, electronics & electrical, engineering plastics, packaging, wires & cables, textiles, and films & coating and others. Therefore, increasing demand for the above application sectors is expected to have a positive impact on the market in the coming years. The numerous niche applications for PA6 such as its usage in healthcare & music instruments is expected to positively affect the demand for polyamide 6 (PA6) in the coming years.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1291 Though the polyamide-6 (PA6) is regarded as one of the ideal materials for its physical and chemical properties yet some properties such as high shrinkage in molded sections, reaction with strong acids and bases may hamper the selection of PA6. Over specification, such as in automotive industry regarding the safety reasons may drift towards alternative products such as reinforced polypropylene, thereby restraining the growth of PA6. The insufficient flame retardance and significant flammable dripping might affect the use of PA6.Polyamide -6 Market: SegmentationOn the basis of type, the global polyamide-6 market is segmented into:Polyamide-6 (PA6) FiberPolyamide-6 (PA6) ResinOn the basis of application, global Polyamide -6 Market is segmented into:TransportationElectrical and ElectronicsTextileIndustrial ApplicationOthers (includes music, healthcare, coating sector)Polyamide -6 Market: Region Wise OutlookThe consumption of Polyamide-6 is expected to grow at a significant CAGR of more than 5% during the forecast period, globally. Asia Pacific especially China, Japan, Taiwan and India are the major consumers of polyamide-6 since this region offers significant opportunities for Polyamide-6 in various application sectors such as transportation, electrical & electronics, textiles and others. It is estimated that by the end of 2015, China and Taiwan would account for approximately half of the worlds polyamide-6 production in terms of volume. Demand for polyamide-6 in regions such as North America and Latin America is forecasted to grow at a stagnant CAGR.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1291 Polyamide -6 Market: Key PlayersSome of the market participants in the global polyamide-6 (PA6) market are BASF SE, Honeywell International Inc., DuPont, Royal DSM N.V., UBE INDUSTRIES, LTD., Invista, Formosa Plastics Corporation, Gujarat State Fertilizers and Chemicals and others.
Small Animal Imaging (In Vivo) Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-07 12:17:20

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# 736 Words

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,NYunited stateAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Small animal imaging (In vivo) is a technique used for imaging biological processes in living animals which shows the changes in cellular activity to study the effect of drugs and disease progression. Small animal imaging is used in clinical research for drug development. Small animal imaging helps to study the drug assessment on various diseases. The small animal imaging includes whole body scan of small animals which is a cost effective method for regular validation and commercialization of new drugs. Small animal imaging is in vivo classification and measurement of biologic process at molecular level which involves the study of specific targeted molecule. Small animal imaging includes micro CT, micro MRI, digital angiography, micro SPECT, micro PET magnetic particle imaging and x-ray imaging.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1334 Small Animal Imaging (In vivo) Market: Drivers & RestraintsSmall animal imaging market is an emerging due to the advancements in technology and increase in healthcare expenditure. There is an enormous increase in pharmaceutical companies and research institutions elevation in usage of small animal imaging techniques across the globe. Although, high equipment cost and limitation in technology is expected to hinder the market growth of small animal imaging market over the forecast period. Also, surviving in highly competitive market and inaccessibility of radiopharmaceuticals are the main challenges to overcome for small players. Whereas, innovations in MRI imaging techniques as well in other imaging techniques, usage in many applications and emerging markets are some of the favorable factors for small animal imaging market growth. Small animal imaging market is also being affected by some factors such as insufficient infrastructure for research amenities and shortage of skilled personnel in developing regions.Small Animal Imaging (In vivo) Market: SegmentationSmall animal imaging Market is classified on the basis of application, technology and geography.Based on application, the small animal imaging market is segmented into the following:Monitoring Drug Treatment ResponseBio Distribution StudiesCancer Cell DetectionBiomarkersLongitudinal StudiesEpigeneticsBased on technology, the small animal imaging market is segmented into the following:Micro-Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Micro-MRI)Digital AngiographyUltrasoundNuclear ImagingMicro-Positron Emission Tomography (Micro-PET)Micro-Single Photon Emission Computerized Tomography (Micro-SPECT)Optical Imaging (OI)Bioluminescence ImagingCerenkov Luminescence ImagingOthersMicro-Ultrasound ImagingMicro-Computerized Tomography (Micro-CT)Based on geography, the small animal imaging market is segmented into following:North America (U.S., Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil)Western Europe (Germany, Italy, U.K, Spain, France, Rest of Western Europe)Eastern Europe (Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand)JapanMiddle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa)Small Animal Imaging (In vivo) Market: OverviewSmall animal imaging market is expected to grow at a good pace. Enormous increase in number of pharmaceutical companies and research institutions, rise in usage of functional imaging and growing adoption rate for small animal imaging are the factors expected to boost the market growth over the forecast period.The swift progression in technology, many applications and growing base of research are some of the key factors to drive the growth of small animal imaging globally.Emerging countries will be growing with a faster CAGR related to other parts of the world as expenditure in these region on research is growing.Small Animal Imaging (In vivo) Market: Region-wise OutlookDepending on geographic region, small animal imaging market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa.North America contributes the maximum share in small animal imaging market. Eastern and Western Europe will show a good growth as the need for drug development through small animal imaging will be increasing. Asia Pacific is growing with a significant CAGR for small animal imaging market due to increase in healthcare expenditure and investment in research. Amongst the Asian countries, China, India and South Korea will be the more promising because of having a good economy and more expenditure on research.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1334 Small Animal Imaging (In vivo) Market: Key PlayersSome of the key participating global players in small animal imaging (In vivo) marketare Berthold Technologies, Spectral Instruments Imaging, Agilent Technologies, Inc., Aspect Imaging, Bioscan, Inc., Bruker Corporation, Gamma Medica-Ideas, Inc., Genovis Ab, Li-Cor Biosciences, Life Technologies Corporation, Mediso Medical Imaging Systems, Miltenyi Biotec Gmbh, Perkinelmer, Inc., Promega Corporation, Scanco Medical Ag, Siemens Ag, Sofie Biosciences, Inc., Targeson, Inc., Uvp. LLC, Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, Thermo Fischer Scientific.
Tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-07 08:28:50

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# 530 Words

616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesAbhishek Budholiya+1-347-918-3531

Global Tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) Market: OverviewTAED is an abbreviated form of tetraacetylethylenediamine. Tetraacetylethylenediamine is an organic compound with the chemical formula (CH3C(O))2NCH2CH2N(C(O)CH3)2. The common uses of tetraacetylethylenediamine is commonly used as a bleach activator in domestic and household detergents as well as in production of paper pulp. Acetylation of ethylenediamine produces the final product as tetraacetylethylenediamine. The main and the most common use of tetraacetylethylenediamine is in laundry, bleaches and detergents. TAED is usually deployed in detergents and bleaching agents as an activator of hydrogen peroxide when used below a temperature of 60 C. The reaction of TAED with hydrogen peroxide is called perhydrolysis which results in forming peroxy acids which are more easy to use as washing and bleaching agents at low temperatures. Moreover, a small amount of tetraacetylethylenediamine finds its application in bleaching of paper, generation of peracetic acid in disinfectants and textile industry. Tetraacetylethylenediamine is used in the manufacturing of paperboard products and food contact paper.Global Tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) Market: SegmentationThe global tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) market can be segmented on the basis of application and region. On the basis of application, the global tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) market can be segmented into household detergents, bleaching agents and cleaning agents. On the basis of region, the global tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Middle East and Africa and Japan.Request Report Sample@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1294 Global Tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) Market: DriversThe major factor boosting the growth of global tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) market is the increasing use of TAED in household detergents and cleaning agents. Moreover, biodegradable nature of TAED is another key driving factor fuelling the growth of the global tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) market. Low toxicity and low prices and deployment of Tetraacetylethylenediamine in the manufacturing of disinfectants are other factors driving the growth of the global tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) market. In addition, increasing demands of bleaching agent applications and investments from key players in expansion, agreements and partnerships is another aspect driving the overall growth of the global tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) market.Global Tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) Market: RestraintsThe declined usage of TAED in agricultural fields can be a major challenge affecting the growth of the global tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) market. Moreover, limited application areas of TAED and price volatility of raw materials can pose major challenge to the growth of the global tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) market.Global Tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) Market: Competitive LandscapeEurope dominates the global tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) market by more than 50% market by consumption followed by Asia Pacific. North America also plays a key role in consumption of TAED followed by Middle East and Africa. Maximum growth of TAED is expected to be witnessed in Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa.Visit For TOC@ http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1294 Global Tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED) Market: Key PlayersThe major companies involved in the production of TAED globally are AK Chemtech Co. Ltd., Chemsfield Korea Co Ltd. Hongye Chemical Co., Ltd, Idchem Co. Ltd, Warwick Chemicals, Zhejiang Jinke Peroxide Co., Ltd, Weylchem Group Of Companies, Acuro Organics Limited, Shanghai Deborn Co., Ltd., Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, JINKE Company Limited and others.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-08-07 12:21:01

Following strong turnaround & growth since 2015, URSA will now complement Xellas portfolio as a separate business unit

Turnaround under KKR ownership allows for next stage in the companys development

URSA has been part of KKRs $4.5bn investment drive in Spain since 2010 across different investment platforms, supporting leading Spanish businesses to develop and grow their operations, even in challenging market conditions

URSA Becomes Part of the Xella Portfolio

For KKR

UK & International

Victor Mallet

Finsbury

Phone: +44(0)20 7251 3801

E-mail: victor.mallet@finsbury.com

or

Spain

Biel Huguet Albons

Estudio de Comunicacion

Phone: +(34) 915 765 250

Email: bhuguet@estudiodecomunicacion.com

Xella International GmbH, a leading European building materials provider, announced the acquisition of URSA from its shareholders, including funds managed by KKR as majority owners. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Madrid and with turnover of around 450m, URSA is one of the major insulation providers in Europe, focused on mineral wool and extruded polystyrene (XPS) as solutions for insulating residential and non-residential buildings, both new and those being renovated.

The Xella Group develops, manufactures and markets building materials, dry lining panels and lime and limestone products. URSA will complement Xellas portfolio as a separate business unit.

KKR Credit has been a major shareholder in URSA since 2015 and has supported the business in driving sustainable growth in the face of challenging market conditions. Following a sharp decline in the Russian market, KKR strengthened URSA's management team and reorganised and streamlined operations. This allowed the business to pursue growth initiatives, including capacity extensions in various manufacturing sites, and thanks to the operational improvements, significantly increased profitability.

Mark Brown, Co-Head of Special Situations in Europe at KKR Credit, said: "The combination of KKR's long-term capital and an outstanding management team was instrumental in URSA's strong performance over the past years. We would like to thank all of URSA's employees for their tremendous work in delivering this excellent result, and wish them well as part of the Xella Group."

Alejo Vidal-Quadras, Head of Madrid office at KKR, said: "This transaction continues KKR's strong track record of supporting leading Spanish businesses to develop and grow their operations, even in challenging market conditions. We are convinced that the business will continue to flourish and grow as a key part of Xella's broader portfolio."

Pepyn Dinandt, CEO of URSA, said: "KKR's financial support and operational expertise has proven invaluable in the face of challenging market conditions over the last years. We have built a stronger, more stable business that, together with Xella, is perfectly positioned for continued profitable growth."

The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2017. The investment in URSA comes from funds managed or advised by KKR Credit.

KKR Credit was advised by Lazard & Co., Limited on the transaction.

-ends-

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private equity, energy, infrastructure, real estate, credit and, through its strategic partners, hedge funds. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and driving growth and value creation with KKR portfolio companies. KKR invests its own capital alongside its partners' capital and provides financing solutions and investment opportunities through its capital markets business. References to KKRs investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds. For additional information about KKR & Co. L.P. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKR's website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

About URSA

URSA is a leading European insulation provider with the headquarters in Madrid. With approximately 450 Million Euros turnover, URSA is one of the major insulation players in Europe, focused on mineral wool and extruded polystyrene (XPS) as solutions for insulating residential and non-residential buildings, both new and being renovated.

With 13 production sites in 9 countries and a commercial presence in around 40 markets in Europe, Middle East and Northern Africa. URSA employs around 1,800 people in countries such as Germany, France, Russia, Poland, Slovenia, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, Spain, Belgium, UK, etc.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/201708070054
The anti-dote to mass market travel in Bhutan product launch from Snow Cat Travel

Contact

Mark Knowles

***@snowcattravel.om Mark Knowles

End

-- Snow Cat Travel has just added Bhutan to their specialist portfolio of tailor made Himalayan destinations.Renowned for its pristine, magnificent scenery and proudly remaining culturally intact, the tiny Himalayan country of Bhutan is without doubt the REAL Magic Kingdom.Mark Knowles the Sales Manager for Snow Cat Travel said, "Bhutan is special and we'd like to help it keep it that way. So we have intentionally said 'no' to the temptation of offering 'volume style' large group tours, just as we have done in Nepal. Quality not quantity has always been the Snow Cat Travel way".The "Snow Cat Travel way" being a style of intimate, customised, customer focussed travel on an exclusive, private-only basis."Although we love helping to plan our clients holiday 'from scratch', to inspire poeple we've created 16 fully customisable Bhutan itineraries, ranging from challenging Himalayan treks to a total luxury tour of Bhutan", says Mark.He adds, "Bhutan is known for it's colourful, traditional festivals too and some, like the ones at Paro and Thimpu, are now swamped by tourists. So, we've even created a special Bhutan Festivals section that features a lot of lesser known Bhutanese Festivals. There's even one that celebrates the mushroom!".Yet, with one of the world's most responsible approaches towards tourism, Bhutan is experiencing an increase in the number of tourists visiting, particularly on large group tours.But, in Nepal and now in Bhutan, Snow Cat Travel remain proudly and fiercely the opposite.As Mark says, "the travel industry has become just like the supermarket industry. The big companies dominate, but seem to all offer basically the same inflexible thing. Choice becomes limited and for the discerning traveller who wants more than a conveyor belt travel experience, niche travel businesses like Snow Cat Travel provide that choice".Perhaps not unlike Bhutan, where Gross National Happiness is valued more than Gross National Product, Mark concludes, "as we're the opposite of a volume tour operator we value our clients happiness with their travel experience as paramount".See the new range of fully customisable Bhutan itineraries here:For more information, additional high-res images etc, please contact us using the contact info below...
By: ClicFlyer

End

-- With the advancement of the Internet, shopping discount app ClicFlyer has become an inseparable part of the lifestyle. ClicFlyer is a heartthrob app in the whole UAE because it is easy to use, fast and amazingly versatile.The popularity is increasing rapidly, and the app is marking its presence in the middle east. Not only local people, but tourists also find it highly useful and effective.The app has now announced its presence in the great country of Bahrain where shopping is a favorite activity.ClicFlyer correspondent informs that the emergence of ClicFlyer will mark a new era in the shopping world of Bahrain.According to him, the app has already made a big sensation in KSA, UAE & Kuwait, and the shopping crazy people of Bahrain were eagerly waiting for it.With its mind-blowing easiness and ability to bring a whole array of discounts and offers under one roof, it is a useful tool for shopping crazy people.The good news is; you have all renowned stores and malls included in the list. Hence, shopping will be a great pleasure for sure.ClicFlyer has attracted all top retailers and shopping malls.Lulu Hypermarket, eXtra, Ansar Galary, Nesto, Aswaq Al Helli, The Sultan Center, MegaMArt, Ramez; you take the name and it is there in the list.The utility of ClicFlyer makes it the easy and convenient app for finding out the best product in the best shop at the best competitive rate.With ClicFlyer, shopping is a wonderful event. People get updated about the latest saving coupons and special rates applicable.Users can search the most trending things and choose the most exciting offer. With the emergence of this state-of-the-art app, shopping is a pleasurable event.The city of Bahrain happily welcomes ClicFlyer, the app of the modern era. It will surely establish new benchmarks of success.
AP7509252608481

Media Contact

Liviu Dinu

ld@cwgrp.com

+40-744-67-44- 11 Liviu Dinu+40-744-67-44-11

End

-- According to CW Research's (http://www.cwgrp.com/research) "Petcoke Market Data (http://www.cwgrp.com/petcoke-news/petcoke-market-data)", importers have recorded mixed trends in May 2017, production-wise. While Asian markets have increased production, political instability and lower cement production in Brazil has propelled a reduction in demand and production.In India, year-to-date production has recorded a five percent increase of petcoke market volumes until May 2017, when compared to the same period in the previous year. May was also the first month of 2017 when domestic production of petcoke has topped one million tons.As observed by Filipe Gouveia, analyst at CW Group: "In May, petcoke production in India didn't shown signs of slowing down despite the National Green Tribunal's discussions on a petcoke ban. Consumers of the byproduct in the country have increased stocks of the material in preparation for the monsoon season."In China, petcoke production has risen eight percent on a yearly basis. Liaoning and Guangdong were the regions that drove regional output expansion, recording a 63 percent and a nineteen percent increase year-on-year (YoY), respectively. Petcoke production in Shangdong, China's largest producing regional market, has risen to 6.2 million tons in May, up seven percent on a monthly basis.Unlike in the Asian markets, Brazil has registered a downward trend in petcoke production in 2017. Output of petroleum coke has fallen ten percent on a yearly basis in May. A year-on-year decrease of petcoke production was recorded in all regions, with the exception of Sao Paulo, where it rose two percent on a yearly basis to 0.5 million tons in May.When it comes to petcoke exports, Spanish producers benefited from a domestic surge in cement production in 2017. Production of petcoke in Spain has been expanding year-on-year for the third month in a row. In May, petcoke output expanded 38 percent on a yearly basis. From January until May, Spanish petcoke production has surpassed 1.5 million tons.****For more information, placing an order, or interview inquiries, please contact Liviu Dinu, Market Services & Marketing Consultant, CW Group, by phone at +40-744-67-44-11, or e-mail at ld@cwgrp.com CW Research's Petcoke Country Market Data analysis, part of the CW Group's premium PetcokeWeek ( http://www.cwgrp.com/ petcokeweek ) market reporting service, extensively covers petcoke volume trends across the globe. Particular emphasis is given to demand & supply volumes for the largest petcoke producing and consuming markets around the world. Presented in an objective, easy-to-understand format, the Petcoke Country Market Data is an indispensable tool for producers, suppliers, investors and end-users who wish to always be updated on all the relevant petcoke trends.Additional coverage on Petcoke Country Market Data can be found here: http://www.cwgrp.com/petcoke-news/petcoke-market-dataThe Greenwich (Conn.), USA headquartered CW Group is a leading advisory, research and business intelligence boutique with a global presence and a multi-industry orientation. CW Group is particularly recognized for its sector expertise in heavy-side building materials (cement), light-side building materials, traditional and renewable power & energy, petrochemicals, metals & mining, industrial minerals, industrial manufacturing, bulk cargo & shipping, among others. We have a strong functional capability, grounded in our methodical and quantitative philosophy, including due diligence, sourcing intelligence, feasibility studies and commodity forecasting. www.cwgrp.com
Henderson Park acquired two significant and well located UK hotel assets through the purchase of the London and Birmingham Hilton Metropole hotels. This acquisition marks Henderson Park's entry into the hotel market and follows investments into the sector in Paris, where it bought Le Meridien Etoile and the

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HM Revenue and Customs have formally signed an agreement with Orby Investment Ltd to lease Erskine House, on Chichester Street, Belfast for 25 years. They will be taking an estimated 104,220 sq ft of office space, eventually accommodating around 1,600 full-time equivalent employees, the first of whom are expected to

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"We had a record setting August day," said Ben Rybeck, manager of Houston's Brazos Bookstore and one of the founders of Texas Independent Bookstore Day, which was held for the first time on Saturday. The new event is intended to promote the state's independent bookstores and is modeled on the national Independent Bookstore Day held in the spring.

"August slows pretty considerably for us," said Rybeck, "but we had people in the store all day, people from open to close. Our slowest period was our last hour and we had 10 people in store all. Cactus Music [a local independent music store] did a playlist for us. We served coffee, beer came from 11 Below Brewing. Basically, we just threw a party -- we played the music really loud and got people drunk."

Dallas' Interabang Books hosted two authors, E. Dan Klepper and his photography book Why the Raven Calls the Canyon and Dallas local Melissa Lenhardt with her novel, Sawbones. "We had a busy day and people seemed excited to be here in support of indie bookstores," co-owner Jeremy Ellis said.

Books Kinokuniya, despite being part of a bookstore chain, also participated. "There was a great turnout at our Carrollton Store today, and the event was very successful," Shigekazu Watanabe, Texas Carrollton and Texas Plano Store manager at Kinokuniya USA, said. The store hosted Fort Worth author Jim Reeves, who signed his newly revised edition of Dallas Cowboys: The Legends of America's Team, and his local publisher, Barry Shlachter, of Great Texas Line Press. Author Jason Mims also signed copies of his self-published book, Skin Eater.

All participating bookstores "acted independently, as was the plan," Rybeck said. "It's meant to be an event that allows stores to showcase what they do best for their communities."

Reflecting on Saturday's event, he said, "It was just nice to see the bookstores celebrated. Now, we'll take some time, talk to our fellow booksellers, and see how to do it even better next year."

Interabang's Ellis said, "We'll absolutely participate next year. I'm excited to work with the other Texas indies to come up with ways to make it bigger and better."
Barnes & Noble Education continues to diversify its businesses in the college market after reaching an agreement Friday to acquire Student Brands for $58.5 million in cash.

Student Brands is an educational technology company that operates a number of direct-to-student businesses all aimed at helping students to improve their writing. The lack of writing proficiency is one of the most significant challenges in our education system, and Student Brands provides a significant opportunity to serve this market with solutions that improve student performance, said Kanuj Malhotra, COO of digital education at B&NE, about the reason for the purchase.

The company, which operates sites such as 123HelpMe.com, Bartleby.com, and StudyMode.com in the U.S., as well as other sites abroad, has over 20 million unique monthly users, B&NE said. Student Brands generates revenue through both its subscription services and advertising.

The Student Brands purchase follows by five months B&NEs acquisition of MBS Textbook Exchange for $174 million.
Jack Rabinovitch, the Canadian commercial real estate agent who founded The Giller Prize, died on Sunday. He was 87. The Giller Prize was founded in 1994 to honor his deceased wife Doris Giller, a former literary editor at the Toronto Star, and offered a C$25,000 cash prize to the top work of Canadian fiction written in English.

Today, it is considered Canadas preeminent literary prize and the award ceremony is broadcast live on CBC television. Since 2005, it has been sponsored by Scotiabank and now gives C$100,000 ($80,000) to the winner and C$10,000 ($8,000) to each shortlisted author.

The prize was conceived, Rabinovitch said, over a plate of chopped liver at Montreal pub while he was in conversation with the novelist Mordecai Richler. Asked what immediately distinguished the Giller from other Canadian literary prizes, such as the Governor General's Literary Awards, Rabinovitch said " It was an idea that grew out of a relationship with a woman that I wanted to celebrate in a meaningful way. Doris loved parties, and she loved books and authors. The Giller is, more than anything else, a celebration of literature and writers."

On hearing the news of Mr. Rabinovitch's death, Brad Martin, president and CEO of Penguin Random House Canada, said, "Jack has been a great friend to authors and to everyone in the book industry, and he will be greatly missed."

Recent winners of the Giller Prize were Madeleine Thien in 2016 for Do Not Say We Have Nothing and Andre Alexis in 2015 for Fifteen Dogs.
The United States and its allies likely face no greater theater missile threat on earth than in Northeast Asia. As the threat has been developing over the last 30 years, the United States has responsibly deployed missile defenses in Korea to protect its forces already there, its forces that would flow to Korea in wartime, and the people living in South Korea.

During the first nuclear crisis with North Korea, in 1994, the U.S. first deployed Patriot missile defense systems, which were appropriate because most North Korean missiles at the time were Scud or shorter-range missiles that the Patriot interceptors could defeat.

Since then, North Korea has deployed NoDong and Musudan medium- and intermediate-range missiles that require a missile defense able to handle higher missile re-entry speeds like the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Some of these North Korean missiles may well carry nuclear weapons because they could also cover targets in Japan, Russia and China.

The United States has been acquiring about one THAAD battery per year. In 2013, it deployed one battery to Guam to protect major U.S. military facilities there against the North Korean missile threat. It was not until the end of 2016 that the United States had sufficient THAAD batteriessixto easily deploy a second battery outside the United States: Training and troop rotations limit peacetime overseas deployments to roughly one-third of U.S. military forces. The United States selected South Korea for its second THAAD deployment because North Korea poses missile threats greater (in character and likelihood of use) than those the United States faces anywhere else in the world.

There were many reasons for the deployment of THAAD in Seongju, the location chosen for the THAAD battery in South Korea. One leading reason: In a major Korean conflict, tens of thousands of U.S. military personnel would deploy to Korea over time largely through the Pusan port area in southeastern Korea. They would be most vulnerable to a North Korean nuclear weapon attack while in the port area and while assembling to depart from Pusan. Not protecting exposed military personnel from the North Korean ballistic missile and nuclear weapon threat would be irresponsible, the United States concluded.

By placing THAAD in Seongju, the U.S. can also attempt to protect the large South Korean urban areas of Pusan, Kwangju, Pohang, and Daegu, as well as many other cities in the southern part of South Korea. During a U.S. military deployment to protect South Korea, a North Korean nuclear weapon detonating on Pusan might kill thousands of U.S. military personnel arriving in Pusan, but it could also kill a 100,000 or so South Koreans. With this THAAD placement, the United States is trying to prevent such an outcome.

THAAD's successful intercept of an intermediate-range ballistic missile in July demonstrated U.S. ability to potentially stop the North Korean theater ballistic missiles. This should reassure U.S. military forces in Korea, but also the 10 million or so South Koreans who reside in the region covered by THAAD. The initial limited THAAD deployment of only two launcherswith 16 total interceptorswould have forced choices among which cities to protect. The South Korean government's decision to allow the other four THAAD interceptor launchers in Korea to be employed will soon protect more South Korean civilians and U.S. forces.

Lest there be any doubts about the importance of THAAD, consider the fact that China has reportedly deployed an S-400 missile defense system, which is similar to THAAD, on the Shandong Peninsula, between Pyongyang and Beijing. It appears that China put it in place to defend against North Korean missiles. So it is unclear why China is waging economic warfare against South Korea for defending itself with the THAAD system, or why China is unwilling to perform far more serious economic warfare against North Korea for posing an offensive missile threat to both South Korea and China.

China often complains about THAAD's over-the-horizon radar, which can detect targets at long ranges and potentially collect information inside China, but China has reportedly deployed at least two similar radars in the area surrounding the Korean Peninsula. China should recognize that if it needs such long-range radars to defend against North Korean missiles, it is only fair for the United States to put in place similar capabilities to defend South Korea.

Bruce W. Bennett is a senior defense analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation.

This commentary originally appeared on The Korea Times on August 6, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
The Venezuelan telecom authority Conatel has told Telefonicas Movistar to cancel the pay-TV price rises it recently announced.





In the middle of one of the worst political crisis in Venezuelas recent history, financial instability has increased and, as a result, telecoms operators are increasing prices in order to compensate for the loss of international purchasing power. On 1 August, both Telefonica and mobile player Digicel announced new price increases.Conatel is opposed to price increases because it believes they hinder peoples access to telecoms services.Such adjustments have to be reviewed by the authority in order to estimate their potential impact and analyse the reason for such measures, said Conatel
Fifteen entry-level female TV screenwriters from Australia have been selected as part of Endemol Shine Australias Smart for a Girl: ROAR development programme.





The women, chosen from 935 applicants, will work in groups with renowned producer Imogen Banks (Offspring) and screenwriter Alice Bell (Puberty Blues, The Beautiful Lie) on how an idea is developed into a TV series through the processes of a writers room. The programme has received funding from Screen Australias Gender Matters: Brilliant Careers initiative.There was so much promise inside those 935 applications  it was excruciating limiting ourselves to four projects, so weve stretched to five. Gender Matters has unearthed a rich seam of potential and enabled us to tap into it, however lightly. Its been a hugely rewarding experience already and with our first room running on Monday, were about to start the fun part, said Imogen Banks.Alice Bell added: Reading the 935 submissions personally (yes, every single one!) has shown us what we suspected when we set out to create the Smart For A Girl: ROAR initiative  that there is a high level of untapped talent out there. Imogen and I feel privileged to be able to work with these emerging female screenwriters, guiding them into realising their ideas creatively, but also exposing them to the television industry in a nurturing way.The successful applicants and their ideas for development include: Unruly Girls from creator/writer Clare Young, shadow writer Ella Roby and note-taker Lily Daubney is a mini-series inspired by the 1961 riot at the Parramatta Girls Home; tense drama series ID from creator/writer Vanessa Gazy, shadow writer Zuleika Khan and note-taker Katherine Sullivan.The Spoils is a half-hour drama comedy from creator/writer Zoe Pepper, writer Anna Lindner and note-taker Lili Owen about a woman chosen to pioneer a new planet, while Reconciliation Rescue from creator/writer Angelina Hurley, shadow writer Alisha Hnatjuk, and note-taker Matilda Ridgeway is a comedy series, following an Aboriginal woman who finds herself accidentally caught up in bringing the nation together. Finally, Empath from creator/writer Ash Ricardo, shadow writer Imogen McCluskey and note-taker Georgina Love, is a one-hour drama series centering on a woman who accidentally discovers that a revolutionary new medical device can read emotion.The Gender Matters KPI was announced by the Government funding agency Screen Australia in December 2015 in response to the identified gender imbalance in Australias lead creative roles across the screen sector. The KPI aims to have 50% of successful production funding applications led by women by the end of 2018/19.Whilst we are getting close to gender parity across the titles that receive our production funding, the results are uneven with the television and online sectors continuing to do the heavy lifting, said Fiona Cameron, COO, Screen Australia However, successful applications for female-led feature films have jumped considerably to 39% in 2016/17, from a low bar of 22% in 2015/16. Documentary is also slowly inching towards parity, with 42% of successful production funding applications going to projects from female-led teams across the last two financial years.
South Africas Free State province is soon to switch from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT).





According to the Governments communications department, the distribution of subsidised set-top boxes (STBs) to communities in the Free State will follow the start of a DTT awareness and registration campaign programme which begins on 7 August in the district municipalities of Lejweleputswa, Matjhabeng, Nala, Tswelopele, Tokologo and Masilonya.The communications department will work with the South African Post Office to reach communities and to distribute the subsidised television decoders to qualifying households.The department is now enlisting the support of provincial and Government to encourage qualifying residents to register for this benefit. To qualify for these Government-subsidised decoders, television viewing households must be earning less than ZAR3,200 per month, it said.The news comes after Communications Minister Ayanda Dlodlo (pictured) confirmed in June that she will adhere to the African National Congress policy on the issue of STB technical specifications.The department is now progressing on the implementation of DTT in an attempt to meet its revised December 2018 deadline for analogue broadcast switch off . The Government has committed to giving five million subsidised STBs to low income households that own a television.
Having spent the last few months reeling from a concerted effort by Arab states to curtail its activities, Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera has now been hit by a pincer movement by the Israeli Government.





The news channel has long been seen as a thorn in the side of the Israeli Government and now the countrys communications minister Ayoob Kara has announced plans to revoke the press credentials of Al Jazeera journalists and, before totally pulling the plug on its operations, has asked local cable and satellite networks to block Al Jazeera transmissions. While there were no plans as yet to introduce specific legislation banning Al Jazeera outright from Israel, the move would see journalists prevented from working there.In July 2017, Al Jazeera was caught in the wake of demands by the governments of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt to close the Al Jazeera TV network in their respective countries as part of a package of diplomatic sanctions against Qatar.Commenting on the move, Kara was quoted by the Guardian newspaper as saying: Lately, almost all countries in our region determined that Al Jazeera supports terrorism, supports religious radicalisation. And when we see that all these countries have determined as fact that Al Jazeera is a tool of the Islamic State, Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, and we are the only one who have not determined that, then something delusional is happening here.
BAKU -- A former top officer of Azerbaijan's counterintelligence service, Colonel Miraziz Asgarov, has been sentenced to four years in jail on corruption charges.

The Baku Military Court issued the ruling on August 7 after finding Asgarov guilty of extortion, bribery, and abuse of office.

Asgarov led the Department of the Main Directorate for Counterintelligence of Azerbaijan's former Ministry for National Security (MTN).

In December 2015, President Ilham Aliyev dissolved the MTN and created two separate agencies, the State Security Service and the Foreign Intelligence Service.

Some 20 top officials from the dissolved ministry were arrested and charged with corruption at the time.


A grandson of Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Ali Hasanov has been arrested over a fatal traffic accident.

The Interior Ministry said on August 7 that Nail Allahverdiyev has been sent to pretrial detention for a four-month period as the investigation continues.

According to a ministry statement, Allahverdiyev was driving a Mercedes SUV that was involved in an August 3 accident in Baku in which two people were killed and two were injured.

It said the driver of another car that was involved in the traffic accident, Mirmahammat Ismayilov, is also in pretrial detention.

The statement said that "despite serious warnings by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, instances of abuse of office and committing crimes by state officials and members of their families are still taking place."

It said that "the strictest measures will be undertaken towards state officials and members of their families who ignore the known demands by the head of state [and] openly demonstrate disrespect to society and harshly violate laws and regulations."
Russian authorities say five children are among nine people who have been killed in an early-morning house fire in the Republic of Bashkortostan.

The regional Health Ministry said that the fire broke out at a home in the village of Uguzevo at about 2 a.m. local time on August 7.

Firefighters rescued three people, two of whom were hospitalized, the ministry said. It said the fire was put out by 6:30 a.m.

The regional branch of the Russian Investigative Committee said that an electrical wiring defect might have caused the fire.

http://sledcom.ru/news/item/1155375/st

Bashkortostans government declared August 7 a day of mourning for the victims.

With reporting by Interfax and TASS


SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine -- A state prosecutor in Ukraine's Russian-controlled Crimea region has asked a court to convict a prominent Crimean Tatar leader, Akhtem Chiygoz, and sentence him to eight years in prison.

The prosecutor made the sentencing recommendation at the trial in the regional capital, Simferopol, on August 7.

Chiygoz is a leader of the Majlis, the Crimean Tatar assembly that was outlawed by Russia after Moscow's forcible takeover of the Black Sea peninsula.

He has been held by the Russian authorities since January 2015, and is charged with organizing an illegal demonstration in Simferopol in February 2014.

Defense lawyers say the charge is absurd because the demonstration against Russian moves to seize control of Crimea came before Moscow illegally annexed the peninsula the following month, and no Ukrainian laws were violated.

Rights groups say his trial is part of a persistent campaign of reprisals against Crimeans who opposed Russia's seizure of the region.

Russia has been sharply criticized by international rights groups and Western governments for its treatment of members of the indigenous Turkic-speaking Crimean Tatar minority.

Chiygoz, 52, and two other Crimean Tatars charged in connection with the demonstration -- Ali Asanov and Mustafa Degermendzhy -- are recognized as political prisoners by the Russian human rights group Memorial.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and other international organizations have called for their release.

Russia moved swiftly to take over Crimea after Moscow-friendly Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was driven from power by pro-European protesters in February 2014.

Russia seized the peninsula, which is home to a major Russian naval base, by sending in troops and staging a referendum dismissed as illegal by Ukraine, the United States, and a total of 100 countries.

The Russian takeover badly damaged Moscow's relations with Kyiv and the West and resulted in the imposition of sanctions by the European Union, the United States, and several other countries.


Ukrainian officials and local residents moved to stabilize conditions in the freshly recaptured southern city of Kherson, as Russian symbols were being torn down and with the restoration of Ukrainian radio and television service and a new police presence.

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.

The action on November 12 came after months of occupation by Russian forces following their unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February and as Ukrainian and Western officials hailed Kyivs latest extraordinary battlefield success and Moscows strategic failure.

Separately, Russian occupying forces said late on November 12 that they were preparing to leave the city of Nova Kakhovka, the site of a damaged dam on the Dnieper River, to a safer location, according to Russian state-run TASS news agency.

As jubilant Kherson residents awoke the morning following the arrival of the first Ukrainian troops, Ukraines military said it was putting stabilization measures in place to ensure safety.

Ihor Klymenko, chief of the National Police of Ukraine, said about 200 officers were at their posts in Kherson and that checkpoints had been set up. Authorities also began seeking out any evidence of possible Russian war crimes, he said in a Facebook post.



The Ukrainian communications watchdog said national TV and radio broadcasts had resumed in the strategic southern city and officials said aid supplies had begun to arrive from nearby regions.

Social media postings on November 12 showed local residents removing memorial plaques put up by Kremlin-installed authorities during the occupation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other officials warned that while special forces had entered central Kherson, the full deployment of Ukrainian troops was still under way and that some Russian soldiers could have shed military uniforms for civilian clothing and remained in the city.

Even when the city is not yet completely cleansed of the enemys presence, the people of Kherson themselves are already removing Russian symbols and any traces of the occupiers stay in Kherson from the streets and buildings, Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

But he said that medicine, communications, social services are returning. Life is returning.

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.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, speaking to world leaders at an ASEAN summit in Cambodia, warned that the celebratory mood could turn grim with the possible discovery of war crimes evidence in Kherson.

Such evidence was discovered after Russian troops pulled out of the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions months ago.

Every time we liberate a piece of our territory, when we enter a city liberated from the Russian Army, we find torture rooms and mass graves with civilians tortured and murdered by the Russian Army in the course of the occupation of the territories," he said. "Its not easy to speak with people like this. But I said that every war ends with diplomacy and Russia has to approach talks in good faith.

The White House on November 12 hailed Russias withdrawal from 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," U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters as he accompanied President Joe Biden to the ASEAN 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 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.

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.

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?'"

Meanwhile, Pavel Filipchuk, the head of the occupation government in Nova Kakhovka, told administrators and residents that Russian forces will be pullng back from the city on the right bank of the Dnieper River.

He cited concerns that the key dam could be damaged by missiles, which would result in flooding.

Both Kyiv and Moscow have accused each other of planning to blast the dam, which has already been severely damaged.

With reporting by AFP, AP, dpa, and Reuters
Authorities say at least two Russian citizens were killed and 60 were injured as the result of an explosion at a military munitions depot in the village of Primorskoye in Georgias breakaway region of Abkhazia on August 2. A mushroom cloud from the explosion was captured by a witness on a nearby beach. The immediate aftermath was also filmed with a drone shortly after the blast. No audio (videos via Storyful)
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
Afghan authorities in Kabul are increasing security in the area of the capital that houses foreign embassies and government offices after a series of attacks killed hundreds of people in the city and across the country.

Salem Ehsaas, the acting police chief of Kabul, told the Reuters news agency on August 6 that "our priority is the diplomatic area" in the new security plan for the center of the city.

"The highest threat level is in this area, and so we need to provide better security here," he said.

United Nations figures show that 209 civilians have been killed and 777 injured in suicide and other attacks, mostly blamed on the Taliban, in the first half of the year in the Afghan capital.

Among the larger attacks, a massive truck bomb blast in Kabuls diplomatic sector on May 31 killed about 150 people and wounded around 400 others, mostly civilians.

On July 24, a Taliban suicide car bomb killed at least 26 people and wounded 41 others in the western part of the city.

Outside of the capital, up to 50 people, including women and children, were killed after Taliban militants seized control of a village in the Sayad district of the northern province of Sari Pu on August 5.

Underscoring concerns in the capital, Afghan intelligence officials said on August 6 that they had seized a truck in Kabul carrying more than 16 tons of explosives hidden in boxes marked as poultry feed.

"It was loaded with explosives to make bombs, suicide vests. and conduct terrorist activities in Kabul," the National Directorate of Security said.

The new security measures will include 27 permanent checkpoints along 42 roads through the diplomatic zone.

They will be supported by mobile explosives scanners, sniffer dogs, and security cameras.

Trucks arriving in the city will be checked by scanners at four of the eight main entry points. The other four sites will get scanners at a later date, officials said.

Officials estimated that the measures will be fully in place within six months.

With reporting by Reuters and ToloNews
BISHKEK -- Three opposition parties in Kyrgyzstan have announced plans to merge and field a single candidate in the country's October presidential election.

Lawmakers representing the Onuguu-Progress party said on August 7 that its leader, Bakyt Torobaev, Mekenim-Kyrgyzstan (My Land - Kyrgyzstan) party chief Adakhan Madumarov, and Ata-Jurt (Homeland) party co-Chairmen Akmatbek Keldibekov and Kamchybek Tashiev had decided to create a new political party.

The lawmakers said that under an agreement reached by the leaders on August 6, the new party -- which does not yet have a name -- will propose a single candidate for the presidential election scheduled for October 15.

Torobaev, Madumarov, Keldibekov, and Tashiev, who are among the 59 people who have filed documents required to become candidates, are going through other steps before getting on the ballot. The final list of officially registered presidential candidates will be made public on September 10.

President Almazbek Atambaev, who has been in office in the Central Asian country since December 2011, is constitutionally barred from running for a second straight term.


A partial lunar eclipse will be visible over much of the Eastern Hemisphere on August 7, in an advance preview of a total solar eclipse coming two weeks later over the United States.

The partial lunar eclipse will be visible from parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia, with the peak coming at 6:20 p.m. GMT.

A partial lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth moves between the Sun and the moon.

Experts say viewers will see an initial partial reddening of the moon when the lunar eclipse begins.

Maria Borukha, a lecturer at the St. Petersburg Planetarium, said the partial eclipse should be observable over much of Russia, depending on the weather.

Solar eclipses always follow lunar eclipses, usually about two weeks later.

The United States will have the main show on August 21 for the total solar eclipse -- an event that occurs when the moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby blocking out the sunlight and turning day into night for a few minutes.

It will be the first total solar eclipse in 99 years to cross the United States from coast-to-coast, scientists say.

"We're going to be looking at this event with unprecedented eyes," said Alex Young, a solar physicist who is coordinating NASA's education and public outreach.

Based on reporting by Bustle.com, Space.com, TASS, and AP
Russia has already convicted a blogger for videos mocking religion, including one showing him playing Pokemon Go in an Orthodox church.

Now it's convicted another Internet user for reposting satirical cartoons about Jesus Christ.

In the latest case highlighting restrictions on religious speech in Russia, a court in the Black Sea resort of Sochi found a man guilty of offending religious believers' feelings by reposting several cartoons lampooning Christianity's central figure.

Viktor Nochevnov, 32, was fined 50,000 rubles ($832) following his August 2 conviction for the images, which he posted on his page on the popular Russian social-networking site VKontakte, according to a copy of the verdict obtained by RFE/RL.

Nochevnov posted the cartoons over the course of nearly a year beginning in October 2014. He has since deleted the images, according to his lawyer, and they could not be immediately located.

But according to the verdict issued by the Sochi court, they included one of Jesus working out in a gym and another showing a crucified Jesus being carried on the cross with the caption "Let's go!" -- an apparent reference to the phrase Soviet cosmonaut Yury Gagarin uttered as he took off to become the first human in orbit in 1961.

Another cartoon showed Jesus dressed in a Nazi SS uniform with a caption playing on a traditional phrase spoken by Russian Orthodox believers on Easter.

Nochevnov could not be immediately reached for comment. But his lawyer said in a statement released by a rights group that the authorities in Sochi have stepped up prosecutions against nontraditional religious believers and others who don't adhere to Russian Orthodoxy.

"Sochi authorities have recently donned the costumes of inquisitors and are leading a quiet battle for religious sterility," lawyer Aleksander Popkov said in the statement.

Criminalizing Speech

Nochevnov was convicted under a controversial 2013 law that introduced up to three years in prison for those found guilty of public actions committed with the goal of insulting religious sensitivities.

Russian blogger Ruslan Sokolovsky was convicted under that same law in May, resulting in a 3 1/2-year suspended sentence in a case that drew condemnation from international rights groups.

Sokolovsky was arrested in September after posting a video showing him playing Pokemon Go in a Russian Orthodox church in Yekaterinburg. It was one of several videos that he was convicted for.

While he was not sent to prison, Sokolovsky was placed on an official government list of designated terrorists and extremists. His case prompted the veteran Russian journalist and television personality Vladimir Pozner to ask on state television whether atheism was now a criminal offense in Russia.

Aleksandr Verkhovsky, the head of the respected Moscow-based Sova Center, tells RFE/RL that convictions under the law on religious feelings are on the rise, and that almost all of the cases "are simply absurd."

Verkhovsky, whose group tracks the use and abuse of antiextremism legislation in Russia, says that Nochevnov's conviction in Sochi is based on "harmless jokes."

"Of course, someone could have been offended," he says, "but you can't turn every potential insult into a criminal case."

Nochevnov's case comes amid a broad crackdown on online speech by Russian authorities in what is portrayed as an effort to combat extremism. Rights activists say that justification is often used to stamp out constitutionally protected speech.

In an online interview the same day as his conviction, Nochevnov said prosecutors tried to convince him to plead guilty but that he refused, saying he only reposted them on his personal social-media page and didn't create them.

The Sochi court ordered Nochevnov not to leave the city until his conviction takes effect. It called his claim that he did not mean to offend anyone "farfetched" and that there was "no way he could not have known" that the cartoons would offend believers.

Nochevnov's lawyer, Popkov, said he planned to appeal the verdict.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service
Two members of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot were reportedly detained near the prison where a Ukrainian filmmaker is being held. A protest on August 7 took place on a bridge in the Siberian city of Yakutsk, where director Oleg Sentsov is serving a sentence on Russian terrorism charges his supporters say are politically motivated. Two people are seen in a brief video clip wearing the band's familiar balaclavas along with a banner on reading "Free Sentsov!" Band member Maria Alyokhina tweeted that she and Olga Borisova were detained during the protest. (Mediazona video via AP)
Two members of the Russian punk protest band Pussy Riot say they have been detained after staging a protest near the remote prison where Ukrainian filmmaker Oleh Sentsov is incarcerated.

Maria Alyokhina wrote on Twitter on August 7 that she and Olga Borisova were detained outside the prison near the city of Yakutsk, nearly 5,000 kilometers east of Moscow, a day after they hung a banner reading "Free Sentsov" on a bridge nearby.

The two were taken to a police station and faced a court hearing over charges of holding an unauthorized rally, Alyokhina also said.

Borisova later said on Facebook that they were released after a judge found flaws in the case.

They were taken from the station to court, where they waited for several hours before the judge ruled that the police had incorrectly filled out paperwork and both women were released, Borisova said.

Sentsov is from Crimea, the Ukrainian region that Russia forcibly seized in 2014. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of plotting terrorist attacks in 2015, a charge he and supporters say is groundless and politically motivated punishment for his opposition to the Russian takeover.

Alyokhina and fellow Pussy Riot perfomer Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for a stunt in which band members burst into Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral in February 2012 and sang a "punk prayer" against then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who was campaigning for his return to the presidency at the time.

Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova were close to the end of their two-year prison sentences when they were freed in December 2013, under an amnesty they dismissed as a propaganda stunt to improve Putin's image ahead of the February 2014 Sochi Olympics.

They have focused largely on fighting for the rights of prisoners since their release.

With reporting by Mediazona and AFP
WARSAW -- Mikheil Saakashvili, the former Georgian president and ex-governor of Ukraine's Odesa region who was stripped last month of his Ukrainian citizenship, says Russian President Vladimir Putin will eventually face "full international isolation" as a result of tensions between Moscow and the West.

In an interview with RFE/RLs Russian Service on August 7, Saakashvili also predicted that political opposition forces will certainly prevail in Russia.

"In the end, Putin will be in full international isolation. He is going downhill fast," Saakashvili said during a visit to Warsaw.

"There is a serious opposition rising up inside Russia," Saakashvili continued. "I am referring to the youth that we saw in the streets recently following [calls to rally by opposition leader Aleksei] Navalny. They were not those well-to-do people who had come out on Bolotnaya [Square in 2012] for protests that were limited to Moscow and St. Petersburg."

Rather, Saakashvili said, Russia's new "rising" opposition was made up of "poor but well educated and very well informed" people, "millions and millions of residents of Russia. And that is a very big force."

Saakashvili acknowledged that Russia's opposition remained in the minority for now. But he said that together with those who passively support antigovernment protests, the opposition now had the moral support of a majority of Russians, "and they will certainly prevail."

Saakashvili also echoed the concerns aired in the Baltic states about Zapad 2017, the joint military exercises Russia is holding with Belarus in September, saying he thinks Putin will leave thousands of Russian troops in Belarus after the drills to establish a military outpost against neighboring NATO countries.

"I think the most imminent threat [from Russia] is coming up against Belarus, because I think part of the military personnel and equipment will remain in Belarus after the exercises," Saakashvili told RFE/RL.

"It is unlikely they will do anything during the exercises. But any trap might be expected after the exercises. I think they are considering the possibility of the complete occupation of Belarus, and possibly an annexation of that country. That would be yet another big crisis in the region."

A Citizen Of Nowhere

Saakashvili -- a longtime adversary of Putin who resigned as Odesa's regional governor in November 2016 -- was in the United States when Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, his former political ally, issued an executive order on July 26 that stripped him of his Ukrainian citizenship.

Poroshenko's decision effectively left Saakashvili stateless.

The former Georgian president lost his Georgian citizenship in 2015 after becoming Odesa's regional governor -- a post that required him to take Ukrainian citizenship -- because Georgia does not allow dual citizenship.

Authorities in Tbilisi are now seeking Saakashvili's extradition on charges related to the violent dispersal of protesters when he was president and charges related to a raid on a private television station.

He rejects those charges as politically motivated.

Despite the revocation of his Ukrainian citizenship and Tbilisi's extradition requests, Saakashvili told RFE/RL that he was allowed to leave the United States last week and to enter Poland using his Ukrainian passport.

"Obviously, not everyone accepts the whims of some people who have suddenly decided to act in a Soviet, dictatorial way," Saakashvili said.

Saakashvili also rejected the notion that his Ukrainian passport was now "illegal," saying that he planned to challenge Poroshenko's order in a Ukrainian court and at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France.

"It's what Poroshenko did that's illegal," Saakashvili told RFE/RL. "Absolutely, he violated Ukraine's Constitution. He violated the law on citizenship. He violated the [United Nations'] 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. In other words, in a typical Soviet way, he violated everything that is possible to violate."

Saakashvili also said that although he cannot seek political office in Ukraine without Ukrainian citizenship, his "political plans are linked only to Ukraine."

"I must return to Ukraine and win back in court my rights," he said.

But he made it clear that he intends first to travel inside the EU's Schengen zone where, in principle, he will not be required to present any travel documents.

The former Georgian president said he first plans to travel across the European Union to "meet with politicians, journalists, and political analysts" and bolster his case.

"I am preparing for a trial in Ukraine," he said. "We are currently preparing our judicial documents. Together with my lawyers, we are now deciding when I must return, the court where I must file the papers, and I am also consulting with my supporters about how to organize all that properly."

"My goal here [in the EU] is to gain back my right to return to Ukraine," he said. "Of course, I have not forgotten Georgia, but Georgia will never be successful if Ukraine fails to get through. That is why [my plans] are linked to Ukraine, of course. And, of course, I believe that injustice has happened and it is my duty to return [to Ukraine] and claim my right before a court."

Saakashvili told RFE/RL that he was not concerned about the current Georgian government's calls for his extradition to Tbilisi -- efforts that have already included contacts with the authorities in Kyiv and Warsaw.

"No one in the world will ever accept those charges," he said. "The charges are so bizarre that whoever looks at them in detail will see they are totally ridiculous."

"Ukraine's Prosecutor-General [Yuriy] Lutsenko travelled to Georgia himself, where he testified against those cases in court," Saakashvili continued, noting that Lutsenko twice refused to launch investigations against him on grounds that the charges were politically motivated.

Written by Ron Synovitz in Prague
Russians have marked the 80th anniversary of a campaign of deadly political repression by former Soviet dictator Josef Stalin known as the Great Terror. Hundreds of thousands of people were murdered by the Soviet regime beginning in the late 1930s. But one activist says he is being punished by the Russian government for digging too deeply into the country's dark past. (Current Time TV, RFE/RL's Russian Service)
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says he has told his Russian counterpart that Moscow's meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election created "serious mistrust" between the two countries.

Tillerson, speaking on August 7 on the sidelines of a regional forum in Manila, said he emphasized in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that interference in the election was "a serious incident."

He said he tried to help Lavrov "understand just how serious this incident had been and how seriously it had damaged the relationship between the U.S. and the American people and the Russian people, that this had created serious mistrust and that we simply have to find some way to deal with that."

The chief U.S. diplomat also warned Lavrov that Washington was deciding on a response to the Kremlin's decision to order a substantial reduction in the size of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Russia, a move made in retaliation for a new set of sanctions slapped on Russia by the United States.

He asked Lavrov "several clarifying questions" about Moscow's retaliatory moves and warned his Russian counterpart that the U.S. would respond to these actions by September 1.

'Some Willingness'

Nevertheless, Tillerson said the United States still wants to work with Moscow and that it was "not useful" to cut all ties based on one issue.

"We should find places we can work together.... In places we have differences we're going to have to continue to find ways to address those," Tillerson told reporters.

"The fact that we want to work with them on areas that are of serious national security interest to us, and at the same time having this extraordinary issue of mistrust that divides us, that is just what we in the diplomatic part of our relationship are required to do," he said.

Tillerson also told reporters that Moscow had indicated "some willingness" to seek ways to move forward on matters related to Ukraine.

The United States and European Union have imposed sanctions on Russia in response to its seizure of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula in March 2014 and its support of separatist fighters whose war against Kyiv has killed more than 10,000 people in eastern Ukraine.

Tillerson noted that the United States has a new special representative for negotiations on the conflict, Kurt Volker, who traveled to Ukraine in July to assess the situation.

"We appointed a special envoy to engage with Russia but also coordinating with all parties. This is full visibility to all parties," he said. "We are not trying to cut some kind of deal on the side."

Hours earlier, Lavrov said he believed his U.S. counterpart was ready to continue dialogue with Russia on complex issues despite the bilateral tensions and the imposition of new U.S. sanctions.

"We felt the readiness of our U.S. colleagues to continue dialogue. I think there's no alternative to that," Lavrov said after what he said was a lengthy meeting with Tillerson.

On August 3, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Twitter that Washington's "relationship with Russia is at an all-time & very dangerous low."

Those comments came a day after Trump signed off on the new sanctions against Moscow, a move Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said amounted to a "full-scale trade war" against his country.

The U.S. intelligence community issued an assessment in January saying 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 Trump's Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, and helping Trump.

The U.S. Justice Department and U.S. lawmakers are investigating the alleged Russian interference and examining where there was any collusion between his associates. Russia denies meddling, despite what critics say is strong evidence, and Trump denies there was any collusion.

Strong Signal

At the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) forum, Tillerson also told reporters that the execution and implementation of new UN sanctions imposed on North Korea would be closely monitored and that the resolution sends a strong signal to Pyongyang.

On August 6, the UN Security Council approved a U.S.-written sanctions package against the North that could deprive it of $1 billion a year in export revenue.

He said the support of Russia and China for the sanctions was a strong sign to North Korea that the international community was united in its effort to rein in Pyongyangs nuclear and ballistic-missile program.

"It's quite clear in terms of there being no daylight between the international community as to the expectation that North Korea will take steps to achieve all of my objectives, which is a denuclearised Korean Peninsula," he said.

Tillerson left open to the North Koreans the possibility of talks with the United States, but he insisted the regime must first end its missile tests, which are banned under previous UN resolutions.

With reporting by Reuters, TASS, AFP, and AP
Jayash Oswal, a 21 year old biker from Saki Naka, Mumbai was on a cross country road trip. He is an experienced biker who has clocked over thousands of kms till date. About two months ago, he set out on his longest bike trip  to ride across the length and breadth of the country. Sadly, while doing so, he has lost his life in an accident.

Jayashs ride was being tracked by his father Manoj Jain via a GPS. Jayashs helmet was fitted with a GoPro camera. Every stretch of the ride has been recorded by this camera, which police will be examining to find out the exact sequence of events that led to the fatal accident.

His recent updates on his Instagram account.

Jayash reached Nagpur, Maharashtra in the wee hours of Saturday morning (2:00 am). This is when he last spoke to his dad. He also notified his dad that he is not stopping in Nagpur, and will continue riding through the night. A few hours later (5:00 am), the local police patrol at Hudkeshwar found Jayashs body lying in a pool of blood. He died even before he could be taken to the hospital.

Manoj, who was tracking the journey, found something amiss as Jayashs location had not changed for a long time. Family members were trying to get in contact with Jayash when they were informed by the local police about the accident.

A case of accidental death has been registered at Hudkeshwar Police Station and investigation are underway. Jayashs mother Rajeshree reached Nagpur on Saturday night. She stated that Jayash had been running a YouTube channel That Apache Guy since the past one year. He is an avid biker well versed with Indian terrain and road conditions, and was on his onward journey from Nagpur to Chennai when the mishap occurred.

As per police, it is possible that Jayash collided with a stationary truck in the dead of the night. The truck might have been parked on the side of the road without any indicator. After seeing that a biker has collided with his truck, the truck driver fled from the spot along with the truck.

I love to make videos and take photos and travel and rides these are my kinda things  Jayash Oswal.
Tata Power and MG Motor India have joined hands to install 50 kW DC Superfast chargers at MG dealerships

Tata Power has entered into an agreement with MG Motor India with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between both parties today. As per the terms and conditions of the MoU, Tata Power will deploy 50KW DC superfast chargers at select dealerships of MG Motors India across the country and offer end-to-end electric vehicle charging solutions.

Tata and MG has assured that these chargers will be available for use by both owners of the MG ZS EV and for other EV owners. This is on condition that the electric vehicles are compatible with CCS/CHAdeMO charging standards.

It should be noted that Combined Charging System (CCS) and CHAdeMO are two different EV charging standards used globally. Initially, special attention will be paid to key cities in the country and expansion to other cities will be done in a phased manner.

Working of a Fast Charger

MG Motor India already has a network of 10 superfast 50 kW charging stations at its 5 dealerships in New Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. It is in a bid to expanding this charging network to more cities that this tie up with Tata Power has been established. Tata Power has also set up an EV charging network at over 180 point in 19 cities under the EZ Charge brand with a digital platform to enable a smoother and better customer experience.

Through this alliance, Tata Power and MG Motor India expect to involve core values and an operating model according to their existing customer centric approach with the possibility of 2nd lift management of electric vehicle batteries. Tata Group has also announced investment into expanding their network of smart EV charging points from a current 170 to 700 point by FY21 under the brand name of Tata Power EZ Charge.

MG ZS EV was launched earlier this year. It is one of the few electric vehicles on sale in India and booking were initially opened in cities of Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Bookings were further put on hold following outstanding demand which exceeded supply. The second phase of bookings is now open from 1st June 2020, in cities of Surat, Kochi, Jaipur, Chennai, Pune and Chandigarh.

New MG ZS EV is presented in two variants of Excite and Exclusive and priced at Rs.20.88 and Rs.23.58 respectively. Presented in color options of Ferris White, Currant Red and Copenhagen Blue, new MG ZS EV receives a 44.5 kWh battery pack producing 141 hp power and 353 Nm torque. It has a drive range of 340 kms. Acceleration from 0 to 100 kmph is achieved in 8.5 seconds.
Edge-on view of the spiral galaxy named NGC 1055, which lies about 55 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Cetus (the Sea Monster).

The best way to find laser flashes from an alien civilization is to look everywhere, all the time, and a new project aims to do just that.

The SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute in Mountain View, California, has released details of the effort, which it calls "Laser SETI: First-Ever All-Sky All-the-Time Search."

The first flash from the group is that it has launched a crowdfunding drive to support the project via the website Indiegogo, which you can read about here.

Though Laser SETI is cost-effective, astronomy-grade cameras must be purchased and optics fabricated, SETI Institute researchers said. The organization aims to raise $100,000 via the crowdfunding campaign, which runs through Aug. 18.

Aliens: On the air, all the time?

"The universe we call home is vast!" said SETI Institute president and CEO Bill Diamond. "It's also nearly 14 billion years old, so it's very difficult to imagine that we are alone. Yet extraterrestrial life still eludes our efforts to find it. Now you have a chance to be a part of the technology that can change that forever."

For the last 50 years, whether the extraterrestrials are wielding massive radio transmitters or high-powered lasers, astronomers carrying out SETI experiments have assumed that the aliens are on the air, all the time.

"But that might not be right," Diamond said. "After all, would these otherworldly beings relentlessly target our solar system if, like the overwhelming majority of galactic stars, they're more than 100 light-years away  far enough that they haven't learned we're here, because our own signals haven't yet reached them?"

Laser SETI is the first experiment to circumvent this assumption, Diamond adds, "because it's designed to find a very short ping that doesn't stay on all the time  it can detect a laser flash as short as a microsecond, and one that might not repeat for days, weeks, or even longer."

Laser SETI on Indiegogo (opens in new tab) from SETI (opens in new tab) on Vimeo (opens in new tab).

For detailed information on this new SETI effort and the Indiegogo campaign, go to:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/laser-seti-first-ever-all-sky-all-the-time-search-science?bblinkid=53797923&bbemailid=4436799&bbejrid=329876278#/

You can also take a look at this informative video: https://vimeo.com/223656968 (opens in new tab)

Leonard David is author of "Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet," published by National Geographic. The book is a companion to the National Geographic Channel series "Mars." A longtime writer for Space.com, David has been reporting on the space industry for more than five decades. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. This version of this story was posted on Space.com.
The Slooh online telescope service is opening its telescope feeds to the public on Aug. 7, 2017. The company offers feeds from remotely operated telescopes Chile and the Canary Islands, as well as from 25 partner telescopes around the world.

If you're itching to watch a telescope at work, you can now do it for free thanks to astronomy broadcasting service Slooh.

As the 14-year-old service gears up for a live partial lunar eclipse event today (Aug. 7), Slooh announced its live telescope feeds will be opened to the public for free at all times, instead of just during certain broadcasts. The feeds used to be behind a subscription paywall for paying members only at Slooh.com.

"It allows people to watch without them having to have any preconceived desire or knowledge to pull out a credit card and say, 'I want this'," said Michael Paolucci, founder of Slooh, in an interview with Space.com.

Slooh has two paying membership levels, nicknamed "Apprentice" and "Astronomer." These membership levels allow paying members to use Slooh's seven telescopes in the Canary Islands and Chile for their own observations; those observations are also broadcast in real time. (Slooh also has 25 partner telescopes providing feeds.)

The new initiative allows everyone to watch the live feeds, instead of just paying members. However, you will still have to pay if you want to control Slooh's telescopes. "Apprentice" members have limited observations of 500 popular objects in the night sky (allowing for easy telescope targeting), while "Astronomer" members are for people used to working with professional telescopes, and who are interested in more obscure objects.

"Slooh members get to make astronomical observations just as professional astronomers do today, using the same kind of equipment, from some of the same observatory locations." said Paige Godfrey, Slooh's director of research, in a statement. "The public have never before had the opportunity to do astronomy this way."

Slooh also announced it would have a show at 11:45 a.m. EDT (1545 GMT) today to look at a partial lunar eclipse. This eclipse happens only two weeks before the total solar eclipse of Aug. 21 will cross the United States.

The lunar eclipse show can be viewed live on the Slooh website. Viewers can take part on Twitter by tagging @Slooh. The webcast will also be available here at Space.com, courtesy of Slooh.

"Every total solar eclipse brings with it a lunar eclipse either two weeks before or after," said Slooh Astronomer Paul Cox in the same statement. "While it may not be as dramatic, it's a wonderful opportunity to build understanding of eclipses, in anticipation of the big one to follow."

The Slooh show will include several live streams of the eclipse from partner observatories in Africa, the far East and Australia. Special guests (who had not been finalized by press time) will also take part.

Slooh will also provide details soon about how members can take part in a weekend in Idaho celebrating the total solar eclipse. That event, Slooh's Transcontinental Road Trip, runs from Aug. 18 through the total solar eclipse and ends Aug. 22.

Editor's note: Space.com has teamed up with Simulation Curriculum to offer this awesome Eclipse Safari app to help you enjoy your eclipse experience. The free app is available for Apple (opens in new tab) and Android, and you can view it on the web. If you take an amazing photo of the Aug. 21 solar eclipse, let us know! Send photos and comments to: spacephotos@space.com.
Bir-Lehlu, August 6, 2017 (SPS)  President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, has sent a congratulatory message to President Paul Kagame, on the occasion of his re-election as the President of the Republic of Rwanda.

Please accept my warm congratulations on your historical victory with a large majority which has filled me with immense joy and my best wishes for your success as you prepare to take up the responsibilities. I am convinced that the people of Rwanda has chosen your Excellency in this election because they strongly believe in your efforts to build strong democracy and inclusive institutions in order to ensure long-term stability and a democratic, prosperous future for all Rwandans, said the President of the Republic in his message.

As you embark upon your new mandate of responsibilities, I wish to assure your Excellency and the People of the Republic of Rwanda of the continued friendship and solidarity of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

I look forward to working with you not only to develop closer relations between our countries but also to concert our efforts in the cause of peace and the development of our beloved peoples in Africa, added the President of the Republic in his message to the President of the Republic of Rwanda. (SPS)

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Madrid, August 6, 2017 (SPS) - Navarre Vice-President of Social Rights Miguel Laparra underlined the commitment of the Provincial Executive of Navarre to a "peaceful" solution within the framework of Security Council resolutions in Western Sahara.

At a press conference, Mr. Laparra, who launched an appeal for aid to the Saharawi population in the economic and social fields, further recalled that the Provincial Executive signed on 21 November 2016 a protocol of cooperation with The Polisario Front to "express the solidarity of the government of Navarre with the Saharawi people".

This Protocol, he said, is a "qualitative leap that proves that our province has a special relationship with the Sahrawi people that goes beyond the strictly humanitarian aid, intends to translate explicit political support for the rights of the Sahrawi people in the context of the resolutions of the United Nations".

For his part, the Saharawi representative in Navarre, Badadi Benamar, called for a "peaceful solution through a referendum in Western Sahara".

Thanking the Government of Navarre, "its institutions and citizens for their solidarity and support for many years to the Saharawi people", Sahrawi representative also lamented the "grave situation in which his people lives and the constant violation of human rights by the Moroccan occupying forces".

The problem of the Saharawi people is "a political problem", pointed out Mr. Benamar, who recalled "the betrayal of Spain which, he said, is the responsible authority of the holding of the referendum of self-determination and the completion of the process of decolonization of the Sahrawi territory". (SPS)

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S inging superstar Adele has secretly spent some of her multi-million pound fortune on shares in one of Londons hottest music start-ups.

The Hello singer has invested in AIM-listed EVR Holdings, the Evening Standard has learned.

EVRs MelodyVR app, which is in beta mode, allows fans to watch gigs on virtual reality headsets.

The company has signed deals to develop VR content with the music industrys three biggest players: Warner, Universal, and Sony, which owns Adeles American label, Columbia Records.

The London-born star, who has amassed a 125 million fortune, invested in EVR through a nominee account so her name does not show up on the shareholder register, a source said. The size of her investment is not known.

EVRs chief executive Anthony Matchett said he couldnt confirm whether Adele was a shareholder but added: We often hear on the grapevine that well-known musicians and their managers have bought shares, but we rarely have any concrete evidence regarding their holdings as most shares are held within proxy accounts.

EVRs share price rocketed at the end of last year after signing the first of its three big music deals. But since peaking in March, the shares have halved to 6.7p.

A spokesman for Adele declined to comment.
L ike Sports Direct shoppers digging through piles of Umbro tracksuit bottoms for a deal, investors scrambled to follow stock market bargain-hunter Mike Ashley into Goals Soccer Centres today.

Shares in the five-a-side-football-pitches operator were up 6p at 105p on AIM after it emerged that Ashley, the Sports Direct boss and Newcastle United owner, increased his stake in the business on Thursday from 3.8% to close to 4.8%.

Ashley purchased contracts for difference through Sports Direct, allowing his retailer to capitalise on a recovery from the Goals share price, which has more than halved since 2015.

The retail tycoon has a history of dealing in CFDs, having used them to bet on the share price of struggling department stores group Debenhams.

On the main market, the FTSE 100, up 18.29 points at 7530.00, started the week on a high, less than 14 points off its record closing peak reached at the start of June.

With no major financial results or economic data to trade on, traders who werent on holiday were twiddling their thumbs somewhat, in stark contrast to the past fortnight when a wave of company results came at once.

Miners hoisted the blue-chip index higher as the price of iron ore surged in anticipation of a winter shortage of steel in China, which has ordered aluminium producers to slash output in an effort to reduce smog.

Anglo American rose 30.21p, or 2.4%, to 1300.71p and Glencore climbed 6.3p, or 1.9%, to 344.1p.

On the mid-cap table, Tullow Oil outperformed its peers thanks to an upgrade to Buy from Canaccord Genuity.

The broker reckons the oil price wont fall back below $50 a barrel, which makes Tullow the least risky mid-cap oiler around. The shares improved 2.48p to 178.6p.

On AIM, renowned fund manager Neil Woodford saw another of his investments tank.

Having watched AstraZeneca, Provident Financial and the AA tumble in recent weeks, biotech firm Vernalis dropped 1.35p, or 7%, to 17.58p after the US Food and Drug Administration did not approve its cough and cold treatment.

Short-sellers of internet-of-things firm Telit Communications were in the money after it swung to a first-half loss and scrapped the dividend.

More than 11% of the shares are out on loan to short-sellers hoping to cash in on a slump, which materialised as the shares plunged 99.5p, or 39%, to 157p.

Shares in Providence Resources sank a further 0.95p, or 10%, to 8.67p after Fridays disappointing update.

The Irish oil explorer, run by Tony OReilly Jr, the son of the former Independent newspaper owner and Heinz boss, told investors that drilling at its Druid project had hit water rather than oil.
H ere's a tip for those following the Brexit negotiations this autumn: dont follow the money. Its a distraction to the real problem looming for the Government  what do we want in return for the money?

Remember the negotiating timetable that Brussels imposed on us? Before we can even discuss our future relationship with the EU, they (not we) have to agree there has been sufficient progress on three issues: the money Britain owes, the status of EU citizens here and the future of the Irish border. With the clock ticking to our exit, and without any credible plan to leave without a deal, the EU has made sure it holds all the cards.

So how much progress has been made on the three issues? On the money, the answer is quite a lot  at least until yesterday. Theres a shadow dance going on between the British and European negotiators, but as this paper reported a month ago, it is widely accepted in Whitehall now that Britain is going to have to pay 30-40 billion. The German EU Commissioner confirmed these ongoing payments today. Of course, those Brexiteers who crossed the country on a bus last year saying the exact opposite will be exposed. But theyd better get used to that, for their long, painful exposure has only just begun.

The sensible thing for the Prime Minister to have done would have been to say: I never made these stupid claims wed get money back; Im just settling the bills everyone knew wed have to pay if we left. Instead, Downing Street dug itself into a new hole by claiming that the 36 billion bill being talked about over the weekend was inaccurate speculation  when the truth is the opposite. But the inability of our leadership to think more than one step ahead shouldnt obscure the fact that a deal on the money will be done, and we will cough up.

Irish border

Then theres the issue of the status of EU citizens here. Its obvious now well concede full rights to them, after causing them needless anxiety. The fig leaf we might get is that instead of accepting the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice over these rights, were going to set up some joint authority with the Europeans. So British judges will leave the ECJ, only to return to sit alongside the ECJ pooling sovereignty in another transnational court.

Finally, theres the issue of how we preserve free trade across the Irish border. The Brexiteers have told us not to worry about this one but its becoming the trickiest hurdle because it reflects the divisions in the Cabinet. The new Irish PM said this weekend that the hard Brexiteers had had 14 months to come up with a plan and had failed. Hed seen no evidence of the technological solution government ministers here keep talking about.

Leo Varadkar is a new kind of Taoiseach  not just because hes a gay child of an Indian immigrant. Hes worked out that Ireland holds the upper hand in negotiations with Britain because, without Irish consent, the other 26 EU nations wont sign off that sufficient progress has been made in the negotiations. Mr Varadkar said the options for solving the border issue were clear: either Britain stays in the EU customs union, or forms a new customs union with the EU, or in effect rejoins the European Free Trade Association. The Cabinet is split on all these, with hard Brexiteers ruling out all of them.

This points to the larger row now coming. Once the rest of the EU does judge that weve made sufficient progress on the initial issues, it expects us to present our ideal plan for our long-term relationship with the EU. It is this moment that Whitehall now fears. For there is no agreement at all, in a divided Cabinet or hung Parliament, on that future status. When Europe turns to Brexit Britain this autumn and says tell us what you want, our reply will be we dont know. It turns out that handing over the money is going to be easy part.
P ETER Vlachos thinks there would be dancing in the streets if Brexit was cancelled [Letters, August 3].

The UK voted to leave because it was evident that it is impossible to build a less officious, greedy, bullying EU from the inside, as he proposes. Indeed, when he was prime minister, David Cameron tried for weeks and patently failed.

Recent months have demonstrated that those who voted Remain are far more vocal in their opinions than the rest of us, so I am not surprised if they might dance in the streets. However, Mr Vlachos fails to explain why that means their self-interested views should be honoured at the expense of the rest of the UK or, crucially, at the expense of overturning a democratic decision.

Peter Kenwright



I do not agree with Peter Vlachos that there would be dancing in the streets if Brexit was called off. On the contrary, I would predict there would be rioting. This nation has been built on democracy, and his suggestion that the will of the majority should somehow be overturned echoes the EUs scandalous refusal to accept the outcome of previous votes in France, Ireland and the Netherlands.

As for the future of our children, those who agree with Mr Vlachos might do well to reflect on how much the EU has strayed from its intended initial focus  trade  over the past 40 years and imagine what it will look like in another 40.

My wish is to guarantee our countrys democracy for my children and trust that they will manage the rest in fairness and friendship.

James Maxwell



Robert Readman [Letters, August 1], like so many Brexiteers, doesnt seem to understand that democracy moves on. It didnt stand still on June 23 last year when the EU referendum was held, a date that is slowly but surely receding into the past. Just as we were entitled to decide to start the process of Brexit, we are equally entitled to decide at a later date that it was a grave mistake and should be reversed if possible.

That could be done by holding another referendum or simply the Government accepting that to proceed with Brexit without trashing the economy  on which all our public services depend  is a practical impossibility.

Alan Pavelin



Can the UK, as Peter Vlachos assumes, still change its mind and ask Brussels to scrap our application to leave the EU?

If this were possible, would Brussels not regard the UK as a new applicant and require us to join the euro, forgo our rebate and even join the Schengen area? We must ask ourselves the question: is a bad deal better than no deal?

Eric Brown



Volunteers in our night time economy

Further to your article [Summer drinkers caused more 999 callouts than Christmas partygoers, August 2], I would like to highlight the excellent work of volunteers within the night-time economy across London and the UK.

Through projects such as Clapham Junction Night Pastors, Piccadilly and Croydon Club Angels, City of London Pastors and Hillingdon Street Angels, teams of volunteers are out and about most weekend nights helping those who are, or could become, vulnerable within the night-time economy.

These amazing volunteer teams are joined by around 130 more across the UK and overseas under the banner of CNI (Christian Nightlife Initiatives) Network. The frontline support we offer has helped reduce violent crime and anti-social behaviour in many of the communities we operate.

The heart of all that we do is Making City Streets Like New Again, and this becomes a reality through the flip-flops, bottles of water, lollipops, first-aid assistance and general help we offer. We work in partnership with the police and ambulance services and, where we can, offer our help and assistance in situations they are dealing with.

We hope and pray that Londoners will have safe and fun nights out and that the services of our volunteer teams, the police or ambulance wont be needed.

Paul Blakey, founder and CEO, Street Angels



Venezuela's leader has no right to rule

Brendan OBrien misses some key facts in his description of Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro as a rightful ruler [Letters, August 3].

Since winning the election in 2013, Maduros actions have been anything but legitimate. In 2015, the opposition won parliamentary elections in a landslide. But Maduros allies on the Supreme Court first barred some opposition members from taking their seats, then tried to disband the entire assembly.

Another presidential election is due in 2018. No wonder Maduro is desperate to rewrite the constitution before voters can chuck him out.

Ben Casement-Stoll

The author of the letter has been edited from the print version

Join the conversation: #esnewsviews



A chance to stop Heathrow runway

The recently announced delay in the vote on a third Heathrow runway gives MPs and others opposed to this daft scheme a bit longer to organise. For that we must be grateful. One wonders, in fact, if the vote will ever be held given the strength of the opposition and the Governments slim majority.

However, those of us who wish to see a better  rather than a bigger  Heathrow cannot leave things there. The pollution from  and the prices at  the airport are already excessive. Those of us who live near it know the problems created by the noise and fumes from aircraft landing and taking off.

Also, the effective monopoly that Heathrow already enjoys results in the excessive charging of passengers and airlines. All this would become worse if the airport was expanded.

It has to be said, too, that while Heathrow likes to present a neighbour friendly face to the public, the reality is not quite in line with this. The airports recent withdrawal of its partial funding for a local bus route used by airport workers suggests this is an organisation not deeply bothered about its staff, let alone anyone else.

The Rev Andrew McLuskey

Join the conversation: #escleancityviews



Legacy events are too disruptive

Simon Jenkins [Comment, August 1] summarises the problem of events such as RideLondon admirably. Ironically, the Olympic legacy claim he mentions is not far off the mark, if not in the way intended by the claimants.

It was the 2012 Olympic Games that set off this trend to commercialise Londons public spaces to hold events for which they are totally unsuited.

It is high time the Mayor started considering the disruption caused by all these events, on a number of weekends throughout the year, to the people living and working in London. The appropriate place to hold these Olympic legacy events would be at the Olympic Park.

J Grimshaw

Join the conversation: #essportviews
T ributes were paid today to Martin Roth, the award-winning former director of the V&A who brought record audiences to the South Kensington museum, after his death at the age of 62.

Roth, who left last year after five years in charge, died yesterday in Berlin from cancer, having only discovered he was ill after leaving the V&A.

His time in charge at the museum saw the development of its plans to expand to east London, China and Scotland while crowds flocked to its west London home for blockbuster shows on subjects as diverse as engineering, David Bowie and Alexander McQueen.

Its show about the late fashion designer was its most successful ever with almost half-a-million people seeing it and the museum having to open through the night to meet demand.

In 2016, the V&A was named Museum of the Year as the judges praised Roths exceptional accomplishments but only a few months later he left amid reports his fears over the post-Brexit future played a part in his decision. Tristram Hunt, then a Labour MP, was named the new director in January.

V&A chairman Nicholas Coleridge said Roth was a man of prodigious energy and a cultural ambassador with a philosophical turn of mind.

He told Londoners Diary: Six weeks after he retired, he went for a check up and found he had very advanced cancer. He spent 10 months having treatments.

He was a big man  I always thought of him as a senatorial figure. He brought internationalism to the museum. His reason for leaving were the constraints of full-time work. He wanted instead to do projects in Kazakhstan, in Doha, and time to see his children. He wanted to be an international cultural ambassador.

Thats why it was doubly sad that he didnt get the chance. Artist and writer Edmund de Waal, a friend of Roth and one of the museums trustees, called his death a huge loss. He said: He was extraordinary in the sense he was incredibly wide-ranging in his interests and his passions. He was a very profound believer in the place and the dynamism of the arts in the world.

Stephen Deuchar, Director of the Art Fund which organises the Museum of the Year competition, said Roth had a potent combination of confidence, power and affability.

He said: With his predecessor having successfully shouldered the burden of painstakingly reforming and revitalising the museum across the previous decade, Roths exuberance and international panache made him the perfect choice to complete and hone the V&As restored reputation as one of the worlds finest and most important museums.

Amongst much else he secured the groundbreaking David Bowie and Alexander McQueen exhibitions for London - enthused rather than troubled by their populism, and beautifully balanced by the scholarly and ambitious European Galleries 1600-1815 which opened in 2015. He may not have chosen to retire in 2017 only because of Brexit, but it certainly played its part: as a post-war German, he was privately despairing at anything that looked like narrow nationalism.

"He was delighted by the V&A winning Museum of the Year in 2016 and that, perhaps, with his achievements properly recognised, prompted his decision to start a new chapter of life elsewhere. His work on commissioning the artists and theme for the Azerbaijan Pavilion at the 2017 Venice Biennale, following the shocking discovery of his illness, was equally unexpected, but touchingly committed to the principles and ideals of international cultural cooperation to which he had himself contributed so much during his distinguished career.

Mr Roth leaves a widow and three children.
I f theres one thing Brits love to do in the summer, its pack up a hamper and head to a grassy spot for a lunchtime picnic.

Now the best picnic spots in the UK have been named, with the stunning Three Cliffs Bay in Gower scooping the top prize.

The area in rural south Wales is known for its award-winning beach, rocky coves and spectacular scenic views to sea.

And with three grassy limestone cliffs to throw a blanket down on, its the perfect place to stop and tuck into a bite to eat and a thermos flask of tea.

The runner-up was Padley Gorge in the Peak District, a narrow valley with photogenic woodland, babbling rock pools and plenty of quiet places to sit and relax.

In third place was Aberporth in Cardigan Bay. This pretty coastal village has a small headland which is a brilliant place to tuck into a picnic and watch out for dolphins below.

The results are part of a survey by DisneyLife, who asked a panel of parenting and travel experts to create a shortlist of their top family picnic locations across the country.

Judges were asked to consider surroundings, accessibility, facilities and parking, when submitting their vote for the ultimate family picnic spot. This was then put to a public vote of 2,000 British parents to discover the winner.

The Top family picnic spots in the UK 1 /10 The Top family picnic spots in the UK A view of Three Cliffs Bay beach in Swansea, Wales PA Burbage Brook, Padley Gorge, in the Peak District Shutterstock Roundhay Park Shutterstock The Chinese Kyoto Garden looking vibrant in Holland Park Gareth Richman Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park PA Whiterocks Beach in County Antrim. PA Studland Beach Shutterstock Castle Dolbadarn ruins, Llanberis, Snowdonia National Park in North Wales Shutterstock

According to DisneyLife, 85 per cent of us will take an impromptu picnic over the summer holidays, while over a third of British families are happy to drive for more than an hour to find a natural nirvana.

The top 20 family picnic spots in the UK, according to parents, are:

1. Three Cliffs Bay, Gower, Wales

2. Padley Gorge, Derbyshire

3. Aperporth Beach, Cardigan Bay, Wales

4. Roundhay Park, Leeds

5. Kyoto Gardens in Holland Park, London

6. Jubilee Gardens, Beer, Devon

7. Richmond Park, London

8. Whiterocks Beach, Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

9. Studland Beach, Dorset

10. Dolbadarn Castle, Snowdonia, Wales

11. Tarn Hows, Lake District

12. Stone Circles at Avebury, Wiltshire

13. Ashridge Estate, Hertfordshire

14. Flint Castle, Flintshire, Wales

15. Dovedale, Peak District

16. Birches Valley Forest Centre at Cannock Chase Forest, Staffordshire

17. Christ Church Meadow, Oxford

18. Boden Boo woodland, edge of the River Clyde by the Erskine Bridge, Erskine, Scotland

19. Bewl Water, Lamberhurts, Kent

20. Galloway Forest Park, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.
T his is the moment the victim of Londons latest suspected acid attack pours water over his face to soothe the pain.

The man, in his 20s, had been talking to people in a car in Hackney before a scuffle broke out and liquid was squirted in his face.

Footage uploaded to Facebook shows the victim dousing himself with bottled water in front of shocked passers-by after seeking refuge in a nearby mini-market.

Police and paramedics were called at about 5.45pm on Thursday last week to Victoria Park Road.

'Acid victim': the man pours liquid on his face after the incident / Facebook

The man was treated at the scene but was not taken to hospital. There have been no arrests.

The suspected attack comes after a string of assaults involving corrosive acid in recent months across east London.

The man is seen pouring liquid on his face after the incident / Facebook

On Friday the Standard revealed that the Crown Prosecution Service would in future seek to charges carrying a maximum life sentence for those who threw acid  even if it did not hit their target.

A total of 454 acid attacks were reported to the Metropolitan police last year, almost three times the number in 2014.
P olice are hunting two men after a terrifying attempted rape in a west London park.

The men grabbed a 52-year-old woman and carried her to a secluded part of Ravenscourt Park before sexually assaulting her, police said.

They only fled after they were disturbed during the attack, which happened in broad daylight near the nature reserve.

Detective Constable Michelle Newman, of the Met's Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command, said: "This was a terrifying attack on a vulnerable woman committed in a busy park in broad daylight, and there would undoubtedly have been other people in the park who would have seen the suspects and may not have paid them much attention at the time.

An investigation has been launched after the incident, which happened between 3pm and 3.30pm on Friday, June 16, and an e-fit of one of the men has been released.

He is described as being tanned and of eastern European appearance, aged his late 20s or early 30s. He was around 5ft 7in tall, of slim build with dark eyes.

He had stubble and shaggy medium/long hair. He also had a small mole on left cheek, and hairy arms.

He was wearing a white T-shirt, loose-fitting grey trousers and brown leather trainers with a lighter brown stripe.

The other man is also described as of eastern European appearance, in his late 20s or early 30s.

He was around 5ft 10in tall and of stocky build with a bald head and deep voice.

He was wearing a pale blue short-sleeved cotton shirt, dark blue jeans and white trainers.

Det Con Newman added: If you were in the park on that day and the e-fit or descriptions of the men jog your memory, or if you saw anything suspicious that may assist the inquiry, we would urge you to come forward and speak to us."

If you have any information contact detectives via SapphireNW.WitnessAppeal@met.pnn.police.uk or alternatively, call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if you wish to remain anonymous.
D onald Trumps right-hand man Mike Pence has denied a news report suggesting he is preparing a presidential bid in 2020.

Vice President Mike Pence hit back at the story, published in the New York Times on Sunday, which claimed he is planning to try and run for president in 2020 if Mr Trump does not stand.

In a statement released by the White House, Mr Pence called the story disgraceful and offensive to me, my family, and our entire team.

He added the allegations in the article are categorically false and he and his team will "focus all our efforts to advance the president's agenda and see him re-elected in 2020."

The New York Times report details efforts of several Republicans looking ahead to 2020, calling it a "shadow campaign."

It notes the vice president's political schedule and active fundraising, though it also says unnamed advisers have said Mr Pence would only run if President Trump doesn't.

President Trump has not suggested he won't seek a second term. But his first six months in office have been rocky, marked by staff infighting, legislative struggles and a series of investigations.

Speaking to ABC, White House advisor Kellyanne Conway dismissed the report and said Mr Pence is preparing to run for re-election as vice president in three years.

New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said in an emailed statement: "We are confident in the accuracy of our reporting and will let the story speak for itself."

Additional reporting by Associated Press.
B ritish tourists are being waved through at airport security at Spanish holiday resorts in an apparent U-turn on new restrictions which sparked holiday mayhem for families.

Holidaymakers described sailing through security checks in Malaga and the Costa del Sol and guards glanced at their passports over the weekend.

Travellers spoke of their surprise after travel companies issued warnings to customers to arrive three hours early for flights in a bid to avoid four hour queues and missed planes.

Some five million people were expected to be caught up in chaos due to the introduction of new EU security restrictions meaning those living outside the Schengen zone  including the UK  would be subject to stricter checks.

Huge queues at Barcelona airport / Richard Gaisford

Lynn Austin, 49, of Southend, Essex, told the Mirror that an officer didnt check her passport photo.

She said: I could have been anybody. Another tourist said: We handed our three passports over and he just looked at them. He didnt even scan them.

Phil Dixon, 65, of Leeds, added: The police only had a very quick look at my passport when I landed.

The revelations come after passengers were forced to wait in huge queues in Barcelona airport and at hubs across the UK on Thursday.

Passengers may be faced with further delays due to a walk-out by security staff at Barcelona airport on Monday.
A British model may have been kidnapped to order by an crime gang for Middle Eastern buyers, the womans lawyer claimed today.

Chloe Ayling, 20, was allegedly abducted in Milan and detained for six days while her captor tried to auction her online.

Italian police suspect she was drugged and transported in a bag to Borgial, an isolated village near Turin, before being released on July 17.

Ms Ayling arrived back at her home in Coulsdon, south London, yesterday and said she had been through a terrifying experience.

British Model Kidnapped in Milan

She said: I feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour.

oday Ms Aylings lawyer, Daria Pesce, told the Standard that the Black Death gang suspected of masterminding the kidnapping may have targeted her client because she was British.

Ms Pesce said: The organisation has been kidnapping girls for Arabian buyers for years, Italian girls, girls of all nationalities. They may have wanted a British girl so that is why they kidnapped Chloe.

Lukasz Herba, 30, a Polish national, who lives in Britain, has been arrested on suspicion of kidnap and extortion.

A photo from the Italian police shows the inside of the house where the British model was held captive. / AFP/Getty Images

The UKs National Crime Agency (NCA) is assisting the Italian investigation and West Midlands Police officers raided an address linked to Herba in the Oldsbury area, seizing computer equipment.

Ms Ayling was allegedly abducted on July 11 by two men as she attended an arranged photo shoot.

Polish man Pawel Lukasz Herba, who was arrested in Milan on suspicion of orchestrating the abduction of a British model. / AFP/Getty Images

It is claimed the men tried to sell Ms Ayling online on the Dark Web for more than $300,000 (230,000) posting pictures of her and telling her she would be fed to the tigers after her buyers became bored of her.

However Ms Ayling says the gang members changed their minds when they found out she has a two-year-old son.

Milan: The inside of the house in Italy where police say the kidnapped British model was held. / Reuters

Milan police officer Lorenzo Bucossi said: Certainly the author of this very serious crime is a dangerous person ... He was a killer and was working for an organisation on the deep web that is offering mercenary services such as bombing attacks, kidnapping and the selling of girls.
P olice in New York have reportedly boycotted the Dunkin Donuts fast food chain after two officers were refused service.

An employee refused to serve ice cream to two police officers last week, according to the New York Post.

Staff at several outlets in Manhattan told the newspaper officers from the New York Police Department, who are usually regular customers had stopped coming in.

A worker at one branch told the newspaper that the store normally serves coffee and donuts to about 20 police officers a day.

The alleged boycott began after two officers from the 73rd Precincts detective squad entered a Dunkin Donuts in Brooklyn to buy ice cream.

The employee reportedly told them: I dont serve cops, according to a police source who spoke to the newspaper.

Following this, the police detectives union called on fellow members of the New York Police department to launch a boycott.

Dunkin Brands, the donut chains parent company, said a confusing layout had meant the police officers attempted to order at a closed cash register.
G ood Morning Britain viewers have called for Piers Morgan to return to the show after a shouty and annoying Jeremy Kyle hosted in his place.

The presenter, whose talk show usually airs on ITV later in the day, was filling in for usual host Morgan while hes away on holiday.

Viewers werent impressed to find Kyle on in their screens so early in the morning and called for Morgans return.

Others took issue with Kyles shouty interviewing style and constant paper shuffling.

It wasnt all bad though; some viewers felt Kyle was a welcome change to the usual lineup.

Mondays episode saw Kyle and his co-host for week Kate Garraway grapple with Brexit and oversee a surprisingly heated debate on cheerleading.

The two guests, Emily Rutherford from Mana Cheerleaders and journalist Harriet Minter, came to blows while discussing the issue.

Rex Features

Minter branded cheerleading sexist while Rutherford hit back that her comments were ignorant and offensive.

Kyle will be covering for Piers Morgan alongside regular GMB anchor Garraway from Monday, August 7  Wednesday, August 9, and for the following two weeks.

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
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In mid-2017 Germany finally decided to upgrade the first hundred or so Puma IFVs (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) they received in 2015 and 2016. Germany allocated $135 million not just for upgrading the display technology used inside the vehicle (to improve crew situational awareness) but also for development of a new turret-independent secondary weapon system (TSWA) for the Puma, and purchasing new training simulators which will lower the costs of crew training. This Puma upgrade wont be completed until 2023 mainly because TSWA is still in development and it will take time to finish that.

The German Army began receiving its first production Puma IFVs in mid-2015 and all 350 are to be delivered by 2020. The late ones will have the display upgrades built in. The basic Puma model has a remote (from inside the vehicle) control turret equipped with a new 30mm automatic cannon. This type of system has worked well in Iraq, where it was widely used in American vehicles. The Puma armor protection comes in three levels. The Germans have settled on the 31.5 ton version as the standard. This one gives all round protection from 14.5mm machine-guns, and some protection from 30mm rounds.

Puma has a crew of three (commander, gunner and driver) and carries up to eight infantrymen (or cargo) in the rear troop compartment. The Puma is also "digital." Noting the success the U.S. Army has had with equipping their armored vehicles with "battlefield Internet" communications equipment, the Germans did the same with Puma. The Puma is 7.4 meters (24 feet) long and air conditioned. Top road speed is 70 kilometers an hour.

Puma's 30mm cannon can fire computer controlled shells that will detonate inside of buildings or over troops taking cover behind a wall or in a trench. The 30mm cannon can fire up to 200 rounds a minute, and has a range of 3,000 meters. The vehicle carries 400 rounds of 30mm ammo, and over two thousand rounds for its 7.62mm machine-gun. Optional weapons include a guided missile launcher or automatic grenade launcher. The 30mm gun also has an armor piercing round that is also effective against personnel (FAPIDS-T, or Frangible Armor Piercing Incendiary Discarding Sabot - Tracer).

The new TSWA will, if it works, significantly increase protection from infantry or armed civilians. TSWA is expected to be particularly useful in urban environments. TSWA consists of a remotely controlled weapon station mounted on the rear deck of the vehicle where it can be activated without rotating the turret and having to use its main armament. The TSWA fires 40mm grenades out to 400 meters. TSWA can use either lethal (explosive) or non-lethal (like tear-gas or flash-bang) grenades.

The display upgrades will replace the current monochrome (black and white) monitors and gun sight optics with state-of-the-art, high-resolution color displays. This will provide the commander and gunner with a highly detailed view of the surrounding terrain and the current tactical situation which will increase combat effectiveness.

The new simulator will not use an entire vehicle, just the interior spaces where the commander and gunner work from. The displays are driven by software that accurately reflects combat situations. Meanwhile maintenance personnel can practice repair and assembly procedures in a highly effective and highly realistic manner on a separate model of vehicle areas where they would carry out complex procedures. The simulators will be delivered to the Bundeswehr training centers in Aachen and Munster. -- Przemysaw Juraszek
Yemen has become an embarrassment for Saudi Arabia, mainly because an Iran backed force of Yemeni Shia rebels continues to operate on the Saudi southern border for three years and the Saudi military is unable to do much about it. In early 2015 hundreds of Saudi warplanes were tuned loose in Yemen along with several thousand Saudi ground troops. This helped halt and turn back the rebel advance that was all. Although the pilots and troops performed well they were unable to quickly defeat the Iran-backed rebels. At this point Iran saw this as an opportunity, even if the Shia tribes they backed would probably be defeated eventually.

Iran played up (in the mass media) the fact that in Yemen here was another example of how Sunni Arabs, even with greater numbers and superior weapons, are unable to defeat fellow Arabs who just happen to be Shia. This sort of thing is seen frequently in Yemen. For example several hundred Shia rebels crossed the border into Saudi Arabian province of Jizan in December 2015 with the intention of doing as much damage as they could. Saudi ground and air forces responded but after over a week of fighting some of the Yemeni Shia gunmen were still north of the border. At that point the Saudis claimed to have killed over 200 of the invaders but the Yemenis soon withdrew because they were there to inflict damage, not be on the receiving end.

The Yemeni tribes of have long proved too tough for the Saudis to bother with. While the Saudis were able to make peace with and subdue the Shia tribes on their side of the present border in the 1930s they found it prudent to halt and make peace with the Shia tribes further south in British controlled Yemen. That worked until the British left in the 1960s and Iran became a religious dictatorship in 1980s. To further complicate matters Islamic radicals from Saudi Arabia (like Osama bin Laden) and even more from Egypt founded al Qaeda and began demanding that all the governments in Arabia be replaced with Sunni religious dictatorships. Thus by 2010 Saudi troops found themselves facing angry Shia tribesmen and Sunni Islamic terrorists on their southern border.

Nearly all this border violence takes place is in the three Saudi border provinces of Jizan, Asir and Najran. Most of the threatened border is in Najran where most of the half million locals are Shia. Nevertheless these Shia are loyal (so far) to the Saudi king. The provincial capital (also called Najran) has a population of 240,000 and is close enough to the Yemen border to be, since 2015, the target of frequent Yemeni rebel artillery and rocket attacks. The Yemeni Shia do not want to hit Saudi civilians along the border if only because most of these civilians are Shia. So the attacks concentrate on military and economic targets, especially those involved with oil. The Saudis have an easier time concealing military and police losses as well as damage to oil facilities. Security forces and oil facilities have always been well protected, by secrecy as well as more conventional means (well trained and loyal guards and workers). That loyalty is not permanent and is there largely because the Saud family has demonstrated for over a century that it can defend itself, at least inside the kingdom. Anywhere beyond the Saudi borders is another matter.

The current war against rebel Shia tribesmen became a joint Yemen-Saudi campaign against the common enemy during late 2009, when Saudi warplanes used several hundred missiles and bombs on Yemeni rebel targets near the Saudi border. This attack was triggered by an incident on October 14th, when Saudi police caught two al Qaeda members trying to get past a border post dressed as women, and carrying weapons and bomb making material. The two were killed in a gun battle, along with a policeman.

Then, on November 3rd 2009, a group of Yemeni rebels entered Saudi Arabia and attacked Saudi police, killing one of them. One of the rebels was killed, and the rest fled back into Yemen. The rebels demanded that Saudi Arabia stay out of the fighting. The rebels also called on the UN to help negotiate a ceasefire, but the Yemeni army believed it was close to capturing the rebel leaders, and crushing the rebellion. On November 5th, in response to the Yemeni rebel attack, Saudi Arabia sent F-15 and Tornado fighter-bombers across the border to hit suspected rebel camps.

The Saudis believed that al Qaeda members would try to sneak back into the kingdom, rather than risk capture by Yemeni troops. The Saudis feared that the rebels were harboring a number of Saudi al Qaeda members, and that these terrorists were behind an August 28 2009 attempt to assassinate a senior Saudi official. That attempt involved a bomber who hid the bomb in his ass. You can't get much explosives up there, and the attempt failed. But if it were tried in an aircraft, the results might be catastrophic.

In 2009 the Shia rebels had nowhere to turn for help, as Saudi Arabia considers Shias heretics. Iran, however, has long provided moral, and cash, support for the Shia Arab tribes in Yemen. Since the Shia tribes are inland, away from the coast, it's difficult for Iran to deliver anything else. With cash, the rebels can bribe local officials, buy supplies for themselves and their families, and replenish their ammo and weapons from gunrunners. In late 2009 Yemeni troops captured three arms dealers, who were not in the area to dispense charity. The soldiers have made it difficult for anything to get through to the rebels. That worked until 2011, then it didnt.

There are about nine million Shia in Yemen (40 percent of the population) and most belong, like the rebels, to the Zaidi sect. In 2009 only a few hundred thousand Zaidi were up in arms against the government, and not all of them were actively resisting the advancing troops. There are another million Zaidis across the border in Saudi Arabia, where the Sunni majority makes any uprising, or assistance to their Yemeni brethren, highly unlikely. The rebels appeared ready to go down fighting, and have mountain fortresses that have always been difficult to take. By 2010 it was apparent that this all might go on for a while but back then it was believed that this uprising would not end well for the Shia rebels.

The north Yemen tribes, both Shia and Sunni, have long been a problem. Back in 2006 the Yemen government made peace with the northern Shia tribes, and some of the tribesmen soon ignored their promises to behave. By 2009 government began playing hardball, and demanding surrender, before peace talks began. If the tribal rebels could not get pressure from foreigners (the UN, NGOs) to help them out, surrender would be the only option. Instead the rebels got the unexpected 2011 Arab Spring uprising that overthrew the Saleh government in Yemen that they had been fighting for years.

Before 2011 the Shia Islamic militants of northern Yemen wanted to restore local Shia rule in the traditional tribal territories, led by the local imam (religious leader). This arrangement, after surviving more than a thousand years, was ended by the central government in 1962. From 2004 to 2010 several thousand died in this on-and-off war between the Shia tribesmen and the Yemeni security forces. At that time Yemen was supposed to be the new headquarters of Al Qaeda in Arabia" (Saudi Arabia no longer being safe for the terrorists) these Islamic terrorists were keeping their heads down. Other groups in the south want to break away and form their own "Yemen." But in 2010 the government saw the Shia rebels in the north as the bigger threat. The dissident politicians in the south were waiting to see how the war with the Shia tribes played out. And al Qaeda was waiting as well and eventually turned into AQAP (Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula).

Up to 2010 there has been some gunfire from southern separatist groups, but nothing major. Because of that many of the al Qaeda members headed back to Saudi Arabia, fearing that once the tribes were pacified, Islamic terrorists would be next on the target list. They were right, but the Arab Spring and increased Iranian aid for the Shia rebels kept Yemen continuously in turmoil and provided an opportunity AQAP is still taking advantage of.

AQAP also carried out attacks against the Shia rebels. The bin Laden family are Sunnis from Yemen, and al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden was always brutal in his persecution of Shias. By 2010 the battles with the Shia tribesmen were more intense than the skirmishing that began in 2004. Until 2009 things had been quiet for two years. In 2005, nearly a thousand troops and tribesmen died, while in 2004 some 400 died. There have been several truces, but the al Houthi supporters keep breaking them. The rebels kept demanding more concessions from the Saleh government (which was a coalition of Shia and Sunni groups). What is ironic about all this is that the president of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, is a Zaidi. But the rebels consider Saleh a traitor for dealing with the Sunni majority.

The pre-2011 unrest was largely because there were many Yemenis who had a grudge against the government. Most of this could be traced back to the civil war that ended, sort of, in 1994. That war was caused by the fact that, when the British left Yemen in 1967, their former colony in Aden became one of two countries called Yemen. The two parts of Yemen finally united in 1990, but a civil war in 1994 was needed to seal the deal. That fix didn't really take, and within a decade the north and south were pulling apart again. This came back to the fact that Yemen has always been a region, not a country. Like most of the rest of the Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa region, the normal form of government, until the last century or so, were wealthier coastal city states, nervously coexisting with interior tribes that got by on herding or farming (or a little of both). This whole "nation" idea is still looked on with some suspicion by many in the region. This is why the most common forms of government are the more familiar ones of antiquity (kingdom, emirate or modern variation in the form of a hereditary dictatorship.)

The unrest in Yemen would have subsided had it not been for the Arab Spring unrest of 2011 that triggered widespread calls for less corruption and more economic and social progress. That caused a violent backlash, especially by Islamic conservatives who saw 2011 as an attack on Islam by non-Moslems. That in turn gave a boost to Islamic radicals like al Qaeda and their Shia counterparts in Iran. From that we got the current war between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Iran, the largest Shia majority nation in the world, considers the Shia form of Islam superior to the Sunni variants (which over 80 percent of Moslems follow). Iranian media plays up the suffering of Yemenis in general and manages to maintain too low a profile to attract much media attention (outside the Arab world). That angers the Sunni Arabs as well but there are more pressing problems for most Arab countries. First there is the low world price of oil, which appears to be permanent, or at least not short-term. This hurts Iran as well but the Iranians never became as dependent on oil as their Arab neighbors did. That and the more impressive Iranian military and diplomatic history make Iran, ruled by an ambitious religious dictatorship of Shia clerics, the worst possible threat for Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies. Naturally, Iran was immune to the impact of the 2011 Arab Spring and saw it as an opportunity. This turned out to be true for Iran but for Arab nations like Libya, Syria and Yemen all these 2011 reform efforts have brought catastrophe. Thats not unique and characterizes the last thousand years of Islamic history. But thats another story.

An Unwelcome Reminder

The Yemeni government recently announced that there would be closer monitoring of how foreign aid groups used their money. This was another warning to Arab countries providing economic and military aid to do something about their own corruption. It has been the corruption in local Arab nations (Oman, Kuwait and Qatar are often mentioned) that has enabled Iran to continue smuggling weapons to the Shia rebels in Yemen despite an aerial and naval blockade enforced since early 2015. The blockade has not intercepted any arms shipments so far in 2017 yet the rebels are using more Iranian UAVs and ballistic missiles in combat. The missiles are particularly embarrassing as they continue to be fired at targets in Saudi Arabia, including military bases, including more next to the holy city of Mecca.

Earlier in 2017 there were gun battles in the south (Aden) between Arab coalition and pro-government militias because of corruption. Someone had stolen the money meant for the payroll of the tribal militia that has been guarding the airport since 2015. The UAE has been supplying the cash for this and it is still unclear who was responsible (or irresponsible) for the problem. In any event the aggrieved tribal militia closed the airport to pressure whoever to get them paid. The provincial governor wanted to keep the airport open while the payroll problem was handled so he asked the Presidential Guard (stationed in Aden because that is where the national government is temporarily based) to go provide security at the airport. The tribal militia was unwilling to cooperate and the airport remained closed amidst occasional gunfire.

But the main problem is the corruption. Aid groups complain that they have to divert money from buying and importing food to medical supplies in order to deal with the cholera outbreak. Asking donor states (and private foundations or individuals) for more money doesnt work when the destination is a place like Yemen. Because of the Internet donors can more easily exchange information on the success or failure of their efforts. Yemen most frequently comes up on the losing side because of the rampant corruption and banditry.

The UN also steadfastly refuses to address the corruption that triggered the civil war in the first place and continues to make it difficult to deliver essential food and other aid or halt the delivery of Iranian weapons to the rebels (who were supposed to be the champions against corruption). Its the proverbial elephant in the room no one wants to acknowledge much less try to eliminate.

The Cost of Failure

The UN has documented the extent of the disaster in Yemen as much as it can (lacking access to many rebel and Islamic terrorist controlled areas). Since the civil war began in early 2015 the UN has evidence of at least 5,000 civilian deaths and the actual civilian toll may be as high as 11,000. Deaths are more frequent now because of years of food shortages and lack of medical care. Over 40,000 have been wounded so far and more than ten percent of the population (about three million people) has been driven from their homes and are still unable to return. More than half the population is in need of food and medical aid and most of the population is dependent on foreign aid to one degree or another. Yet the UN obtains only a fraction of the money for this from the usual donor nations. The main problem is the chronic corruption in Yemen and the fact that even with so many (over 15 million) Yemenis dependent on food aid, a lot of this aid gets diverted by corrupt officials and local (often tribal) leaders.

Qatar Quagmire

Since June 5th, when Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE (United Arab Emirates) and Bahrain cut diplomatic, economic and military relations with Qatar over problems that had long been kept quiet. In the region it was widely known that Qatar had long provided aid and assistance to the Shia rebels in Yemen. Actually that was no surprise as Qatar, like many of the small coastal Arab states in the Persian Gulf have long survived by being open to work with anyone. What was different this time, according to the Saudis, was that Qatar actively worked with Iran to promote the Yemeni Shia rebellion in 2014 that nearly took over all of Yemen by early 2015. Qatar denies this extreme version but its fellow Arabian states side with the Saudis. Thus on June 5th ambassadors were expelled, borders were closed and Qatar was made to feel very unwelcome. Yemen and several other Moslem nations followed the suit. In addition Qatar was expelled from the coalition that sent forces into Yemen in early 2015. Qatar contributed about a thousand troops, apparently with the understanding that they would not be required to do any heavy fighting. Thus the Qatari troops have been stationed in the north, to guard a usually quiet portion of the border with Saudi Arabia and only reported six of their troops wounded (or injured) during their time in Yemen.

The expulsion comes after years of disagreements over support for Islamic terrorism and the perception among Arab states that Qatar could not be trusted. Cutting ties with Qatar was partly retaliation against the Qatar based and subsidized al Jazeera satellite news network which often reports on real or imagined (depending on who you ask) bad behavior by Sunni Arab security forces, including the Arab coalition bombing campaign murder of civilians and trying to pass that off as a clash with Islamic terrorists. While that happens, al Jazeera also gives sympathetic treatment to Islamic radical and terrorist groups, especially in Egypt and Syria, that hardly anyone else (Moslem or otherwise) has much sympathy for. Qatar also openly supports Palestinian terror group Hamas, although they recently ordered some senior Hamas leaders to leave Qatar for another sanctuary. Al Jazeera reporters have a hard time avoiding arrest (or worse) in Egypt and other Moslem states but they are often abused by Islamic terror groups as well. Qatar is also seen as siding with Iran in the current struggle between Shia Iran and the Sunni Arab nations led by Saudi Arabia. This sort of behavior is not uncommon in the region and the small Arab Gulf states like Qatar, Kuwait and the member states of the UAE have survived for centuries using these methods. One could say Qatar has been too successful and the current unpleasantness is the price of that success. As is the local custom secret meetings will be held, demands discussed and agreements made. How long this takes will depends how much pressure can really be applied to Qatar, which has close ties with Iran, Turkey and the United States.

Red Sea Stalemate

Since late 2015 much of the fighting in Yemen has been in southwestern Taiz province, which has always been heavily fought over mainly because it has a lengthy Red Sea coastline which enabled smugglers to bring in weapons and other aid for the Shia rebels. The most heavily fought over area continues to be Taiz city, near the Red Sea. Government forces have been slowly driving rebels out of the city. For over a month government forces have been pushing inland from the Red Sea town of Mocha (Mokha) to open a land route to Taiz. The major obstacle is the Khalid bin al Waleed military base, which was surrendered to the rebels two years ago by soldiers loyal to the former dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh. The base is 30 kilometers east of Mocha and continues to hold out. Government forces are also advancing from east of Taiz as well in order to surround the Khalid base and force it to surrender. In the north government forces have taken high ground east of the capital (Saana) within sight of the city and established positions to observe and call in accurate artillery and rocket fire when large groups of rebels assemble or move. The fulltime observations posts also make it easier to keep track of the pro-government Sunni militias also operating in the area but not willing to operate like a military unit (and do what the senior army commander wants).

At this point the Shia rebels are largely confined to using the Red Sea port of Hodeida. This has been the main port for the delivery of foreign aid for civilians in rebel held areas and, in theory, government controlled areas. Government forces are closing in on Hodeida and that will make it more difficult for the rebels to smuggle in military supplies. The UN is trying to persuade the Shia rebels to peacefully give up control of Hodeida but the rebels are not interested. Even proposals that Hodeida be turned over to a neutral third party are turned down. This is not a matter of trust, its a matter of keeping control of the key port for handling foreign aid for most people in rebel controlled territory. Then there is the smuggling. The rebels have prevented UN personnel from inspecting aid shipments (for weapons and other contraband) and the government claims the rebels have been seizing aid shipments and preventing UN personnel from verifying that the aid is going to civilians. The rebels are putting up a strong defense around Hodeida and that slows down the advance but cannot stop it. As long as the rebels hold onto Hodeida and Iran still has powerful allies in the UN (mainly Russia and China, who can veto some measures) the smuggling can continue as can the use of food to control civilian populations that are hostile to the rebels.

August 6, 2017: In the northwest (between the port of Hodeida and the Saudi border) government forces have spent the last three days trying to push rebels out of port town of Midi (Medi). This place has been largely surrounded and partially captured since April but minefields and well-fortified rebel positions have prevented numerous airstrikes and ground troops from clearing all rebels out of the area.

August 4, 2017: In the south the Arab coalition drove AQAP out of all the major urban areas in in Shabwa province. This is just north of Hadramawt province and Mukalla (the largest city in the province). This operation has been going on since late 2016 but became more intense in early 2017 when the United States increased its effort to find and kill key AQAP personnel in Shabwa. This was mainly done from the air using UAVs for surveillance and attacks using guided missiles and smart bombs. The American have made over 80 airstrikes in Yemen this year, most of them in Shabwa. There have also been American special operations teams on the ground, mainly to gather intelligence and direct airstrikes. There were two American commando raids in Yemen so far this year, made possible by the more intense intel collecting effort. This disrupted AQAP operations and made it possible for government forces and coalition forces to systematically take back control of all the towns and cities in Shabwa that the Islamic terrorists had long been free to operate in (mainly because a lot of the local tribesmen agreed with the Islamic terrorists).

August 3, 2017: In the southwest (Taiz province) government forces captured a key road junction outside the port of Mocha and cut rebel access to the main road between Taiz city and the Red Sea port of Hodeida. The rebels have surrounded Taiz city since 2015. Government forces are slowly cutting off rebel access between Taiz city and other rebel held areas so that the siege of Taiz city can be broken.

July 27, 2017: Saudi Patriot anti-missile missiles intercepted another rebel ballistic missile fired deep into Saudi territory. This one was intercepted about 69 kilometers south of Mecca and a nearby airbase. Rebels later admitted that the missile was aimed at the King Fahad airbase in Taif province. The Saudi accused Iran of trying to disrupt the annual Haj pilgrimage at Mecca. Examination of the debris indicated it was another Iranian Burkan missile. The Shia rebels captured a number of SCUD and SS-21 ballistic missiles when they moved south in early 2015. Many army units joined the rebels, including troops who knew how to operate these missiles. In 2016 Iran apparently brought in some technical personnel and smuggled in some needed components so that Yemeni Scuds could be modified to increase their range (with a smaller warhead) to at least 800 kilometers. This would make it theoretically possible to his the Saudi capital or one of the larger Saudi bases. These modified SCUDs (called Burkan by the rebels) are not very accurate but they can hit somewhere in a large city or military base, providing the rebels with some positive propaganda. The first Burkan was fired in late 2016 and since then at least six have been fired. All were intercepted.

July 22, 2017: In the Red Sea port of Mocha Shia rebels again tried to attack an Arab coalition ship delivering supplies. This attack, the third so far, used a small boat full of explosives. The attack failed as the explosives detonated when the small boat hit a pier near where a freighter from the UAE was arriving.

In the north Saudi Patriot anti-missile missiles intercepted another rebel ballistic missile fired deep into Saudi territory. This one was aimed at a Saudi oil refinery on the Red Sea coast at Yanbu, which is over 1,000 kilometers from rebel territory in northern Yemen.

July 21, 2017: In the southwest (Taiz province) government forces finally captured the Khalid bin al Waleed military base. The base is 30 kilometers east of Mocha and continued to hold out until today. Government forces advanced from east of Taiz as well in order to surround the Khalid base and force it to surrender.

July 19, 2017: UAE officials accused Qatari troops operating with UAE troops in Yemen of informing local AQAP groups about where UAE forces were going and when and that this led to some AQAP attacks on UAE forces. Incidents like this played a role in the UAE joining other Arab states in severing relations with Qatar in early June.
A dire warning that Korean mud for the Rotorua mud festival could also bring foot and mouth disease into the country is being given by Kiwifruit Claim chairman John Cameron.

John represents the 212 growers who are suing the government for MPIs alleged negligence in letting the kiwifruit disease PSA into the country.

Its just not worth the risk to any of our primary industries for MPI to approve an import of $95,000 of mud from South Korea, which may-be contaminated with Foot and Mouth disease, says John.

Our primary industries are worth billions to our economy every year.

Any outbreak of any diseases could cost people their livelihoods, their farms and jobs and would be devastating to the entire New Zealand economy. Has MPI learnt nothing from the PSA outbreak in New Zealand seven years ago?

Like PSA, foot and mouth is a known disease. Given that South Korea has recently had an outbreak of foot and mouth, MPI needs to be 100 per cent sure that this mud is disease free  if there is any risk at all of that mud being contaminated with foot and mouth, then the import needs to be stopped.

The Kiwifruit Claims case is that the importation of PSA seven years ago was entirely preventable.

MPI should never have allowed kiwifruit pollen into New Zealand, says John. The PSA outbreak would not have happened if MPI had followed its protocols under the Biosecurity Act.

MPI never properly assessed the risks around PSA entering New Zealand from pollen, and failed to carry out its duties to check that the import matched the issued import permit. Growers lives and livelihoods were ripped apart by PSA, and for many the impact is ongoing.

We dont want to ever see this happen to any of our primary industries again.

With PSA, there were growers who were wiped out, and faced with no crops and plummeting values of their orchards, says John. They lost their businesses, and were forced to sell at heavily discounted prices. Those that survived often suffered a complete loss of income, taking on huge additional debts to replant. Many growers are now only just beginning to get back to pre-PSA production levels after seven years.

Given that MPI knows about the foot and mouth outbreak in South Korea, our primary industries need to be re-assured that at the very least, MPI has conducted a full risk assessment, and followed its protocols under the Biosecurity Act over the proposed importation of mud, and be totally accountable for the import. If there is any doubt  dont take the risk, says John.

MPI has sole responsibility for protecting our borders, and the primary industry sector relies heavily on it carrying out that function to the highest standard.

The High Court trial to hold the government and MPI to account for the significant losses suffered by growers from the PSA incursion, begins in Wellington today. MPI denies the claims, but the Kiwifruit Claimants say the negligence is obvious.

The mud in powdered form is being imported by the Rotorua District Council as part of an agreement with Boryeong, South Korea which has a world-renowned mud festival that is being drawn upon by the Rotorua District Council for intellectual property, advice and support  in exchange for the $90,000 mud purchase.

Rotoruas Mudtopia is estimated could attract 9500 to 21,600 attendees over the first five years of its growth and provide a $5m economic impact in its first year, growing to $10m by year five.

It is seen as building on Rotoruas reputation as a geothermal, spa and wellbeing tourism destination, featuring mud-related activities and top music acts.

Rotorua Lakes Council Group Manager Operations Henry Weston says the five tonnes of their mud is sourced from a beach, but it will not be used all at once and will not be used in any mud bath or arena type activity.

It will be used in a hands-on therapeutic experience and can be used for peoples hands, faces and bodies, says Henry.

The South Korean mud will undergo heat and irradiation treatment in South Korea and will need to meet MPI importation requirements. Council has been working with MPI for over a year to ensure all importation requirements are met and the importation will be subject to those requirements being met. Council has also been working with BOP Regional Council to ensure any of its requirements are met. No discharge consent is required. Mud from the festival will be captured, contained and taken away to be disposed of by a contracted waste management company.
Silicon Valley doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to diverse workforces, but a Google employee's leaked "manifesto" that slams the company's efforts to hire more than just white males has been met with shock and anger.

Google admitted that the 10-page document, titled "Google's Ideological Echo Chamber," was written by one of its software engineers. The company has denounced the work, which claims the lack of women in the tech industry is a matter of biology.

"Distribution of preferences and abilities of men and women differ in part due to biological causes and that these differences may explain why we don't see equal representation of women in tech and leadership," it states.

The author goes on to say that men have a higher drive for status, and that women aren't as interested in coding because they prefer jobs in "social or artistic areas." Moreover, the document claims that because women have more "neuroticism," they hold fewer "high stress jobs."

"We need to stop assuming that gender gaps imply sexism," states the manifesto, which Gizmodo has printed in full.

The writer also believes employees with conservative leanings have to "stay in the closet" to avoid discrimination. They say the company needs to be more "open" and let everyone voice their political views without fear of reprisals. There are also claims that Google is more concerned about improving diversity than allowing conservatives to express themselves.

"When it comes to diversity and inclusion, Google's left bias has created a politically correct monoculture that maintains its hold by shaming dissenters into silence," the author writes. "Conservatives tend to be higher in conscientiousness, which is required for much of the drudgery and maintenance work characteristic of a mature company."

The leak comes as the Department of Labor continues to investigate Google over claims of "extreme" gender pay discrimination.

Many women in the tech industry have criticized the document on social media, calling for Google to take action.

The author should be fired by now. Otherwise DOL & the EEOC are going to eat Google's lunch. And everybody sues https://t.co/OigUWmcWUW --- Mikki Kendall (@Karnythia) August 5, 2017

That garbage fire of a document is trash and you are wonderful coworkers who I am extremely lucky to work with. --- Andrew Bonventre (@andybons) August 4, 2017

Google's recently hired head of diversity, Danielle Brown, sent out an internal memo in response to the leak, which was obtained by Recode.

"Diversity and inclusion are a fundamental part of our values and the culture we continue to cultivate. We are unequivocal in our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success as a company, and we'll continue to stand for that and be committed to it for the long haul," she wrote.
The Galaxy Note 8 doesn't arrive until August 23, but people are already talking about it successor's features. The screen-embedded fingerprint sensor, which many thought would appear in Samsung's upcoming flagship, will allegedly arrive in the Note 9, according to a report by KGI Securities.

Evan Blass, aka @evleaks, tweeted images of what will almost certainly be the Note 8's final design last week. Disappointingly, the rear fingerprint sensor location that so many Galaxy S8 users hate has made its way onto the next version of the Note, with its position only slightly altered.

There had been rumors that both Samsung and Apple would introduce under-display fingerprint sensors in their upcoming high-end phones, but it seems that the technology still isn't ready for mass production. Certain technical issues, such as the screen area around the sensor appearing extra bright, have slowed down development.

It was assumed that the technology would instead appear in the Galaxy S9, which is set to arrive early next year. But KGI's report says Samsung does not need to risk implementing it in that handset, especially as the iPhone 8 won't be using the feature. So, it appears we will have to wait for the Note 9 before the Korean firms adds fingerprint sensors beneath a phone's display.

Back in June, Qualcomm demonstrated its screen-embedded fingerprint sensor tech with the help of Chinese firm Vivo at Mobile World Congress in Shanghai. A few days ago, a leak for the upcoming Vivo Xplay 7 indicated that the handset will use the technology, and it'll arrive much sooner than the Note 9.
Following the surprising news of WannaCry hero Marcus Hutchins' arrest in Las Vegas last week, it's been reported that the British security researcher was granted $30,000 bail. Prosecutors claim he admitted to creating the Kronos banking malware, but his lawyer says he denies the six charges linked to its development and distribution.

Federal prosecutor Dan Cowhig tried to block Hutchins request for bail, describing him as a "danger to the public" because he visited a shooting range while in Las Vegas for the Black Hat and Defcon events. Hutchins' attorney, Adrian Lobo, called the claim "garbage."

Lobo explained that the bail money was coming from a variety of sources. "He has tremendous community support, local and abroad, and in the computer world. Many people are trying to put money together and raise the amount for the bond," she said.

Magistrate Judge Nancy Koppe ruled that Hutchins is not a danger to the community and has sufficient community support to not be a flight risk, the Associated Press reported. He's due to be released from detention today as there wasn't enough time to raise the bond money last Friday.

Hutchins will appear in a Wisconsin court tomorrow where he's expected to formally enter pleas of not guilty to all charges, which date between July 2014 and July 2015.

Prosecutors say Hutchins was caught in a sting operation when undercover law enforcement officials bought Kronos from his unnamed co-defendant via the AlphaBay dark web marketplace, which recently closed. Some say the 23-year-old, who helped stop WannaCry by registering a "kill switch" URL he discovered in its code, may have been framed by this co-defendant.

Cowhig said records between the two men show Hutchins complaining about the money he received from the sale of Kronos, which was used to steal online banking login credentials and credit card information.

Speaking about Hutchins' reaction to his arrest, Lobo said: "He was completely shocked, this isn't something he anticipated. He came here for a work-related conference and he was fully anticipating to go back home and had no reason to be fearful of coming or going from the United States."

Hutchins was ordered to surrender his passport and agreed to be monitored by GPS as conditions of his bail. He's also been restricted from accessing the internet.
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. owns and leases freight railroads. It operates through three segments: North American Operations, Australian Operations, and U.K./European Operations. The company transports various commodities, including agricultural products, autos and auto parts, chemicals and plastics, coal and coke, food and kindred products, lumber and forest products, metallic ores, metals, minerals and stone, petroleum products, pulp and paper, waste, and other commodities. It owns or leases 122 freight railroads, including 105 short line railroads and 2 regional freight railroads located in the United States, 8 short line railroads located in Canada, 3 railroads located in Australia, 1 railroad located in the United Kingdom, 1 railroad in Poland and Germany, and 2 railroads in the Netherlands with a total of approximately 16,200 miles of track. The company also operates 6,200 additional miles of track that is owned or leased by others. In addition, it operates deep sea maritime containers and provides bulk haulage, including coal, aggregates, cement, and infrastructure services. Further, the company provides rail service at approximately 40 ports; rail-ferry service in North America, Australia, and Europe; and contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Darien, Connecticut.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Photo: Cheriss May/NurPhoto via Getty Images

In the grand scheme of things, I fancy myself a pretty relatable New Yorker. I am sane. I am friendly. And I prefer sneakers to high heels. This is all it takes, really, in a city where radical individuality is currency, and standing out in the crowd is a means to survive.

It is for this reason that I understand relatability, in any form, as the inextricable result of context. When I travel outside of New York once a year to visit my family in rural Pennsylvania, for example, I have to make a concerted effort to pack a relatable wardrobe, and still dont even come close to fitting in. However, when, say, Donald Trump left his hometown last year on the campaign trail, his billionaire New York bravado was suddenly seen as relatable in comparison to the other more robotic candidates.

And so it came as no surprise last week that Sarah Huckabee Sanders was lauded for her relatability when she was promoted to press secretary after the inflammatory, unfiltered, dressed-to-kill Anthony Scaramucci was removed from his role as White House communications director. Tilda Swinton would have appeared down-to-earth in comparison to Scaramucci and his predecessor, Sean Spicer.

But no matter who is standing at the podium, we shouldnt take relatability at face value. Instead, we need to be asking who it is Sanders is trying to relate to, and what shes really communicating in the process. In the context of the White House, I would argue Sanderss relatability is just as threatening as Scaramuccis actual threats. To be relatable in Trumps administration is to be a wolf in sheeps clothing, and the public has been quick to fall prey.

With Her Disarming Familiarity, Sarah Huckabee Sanders Reminds Us of Lots of People We Already Know, read a Slate headline following Sanderss appointment. Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter posited that she might be the most relatable woman in the West Wing, and lauded her style as being that of a young 30-something professional woman with a real-world figure, dressing on a budget. In other words, she isnt the aspirational Ivanka or Ice Queen Melania; shes here to roll up her sleeves and clean up the mess the boys left behind.

In an email to the Times Style section last week, Sanders explained her aesthetic like this: One of the most important roles  not just as press secretary but in any position  is to convey honesty and transparency to the American people, and thats the image Im most focused on, she wrote. My focus is less on the people in the room [i.e., reporters] and more about the people in America. I try to be relatable and convey the presidents message directly to the people across the country.

In this statement, Sanders acknowledges that her role is to appear honest and transparent, rather than actually do those things that are, in fact, her job. In the same way that Scaramucci used phrases like full transparency to announce that he had deleted his own tweets, Sanders seems to be using her relatability as a way to both distract and detract from the incomprehensibility of the the White Houses actions. Its a red herring, just like letters from small boys named Pickle.

If you want to see chaos, Sanders told a reporter on Friday, you should come to my house early in the morning, when my three kids are running around. Thats chaos; this is nothing. I dont know about your house, but family breakfast is way more complicated than collusion with the Russians.

By definition, relatability is an illusion no matter the subject; a projected idea of how wed like to see ourselves. But in the context of the White House right now, it has been co-opted as a tool to refract the larger Republican agenda, which paints homogeneity as somehow progressive. It perpetuates the idea that in order to achieve the great America that once was, we all should be on the same page about what this means, from Arkansas to Washington to New York. And if you think that sounds like a threat, its because it is. Relate, or get out.

In Trumps America, relatability is neither bipartisan nor neighborly; it is a reflection of our worst aspirations. If youre a New Yorker though, you already knew this: Relatable people should not be trusted.
Moses Ndhaye & Samuel Ssebuliba

The Police says the number of Kenyans crossing into Uganda has continued to grow with just hours to the general elections.

The police spokesperson Asan Kasigye has told journalists that by yesterday police had registered about 30 people crossing to Uganda in anticipation of possible chaos that might erupt during or after tomorrows elections.

He however, says security have been beefed up to maintain peace at the boarder points.

Meanwhile, all police officers deployed to ensure security during tomorrows polls have arrived at their respective stations.

According to the National Police Service over 150,000 officers drawn from the Kenya Police, the Administration Police, General Service Unit and Directorate of Criminal Investigations will help maintain order across the country.

National Police Service spokesman George Kinoti said all is set and has assured Kenyans of adequate security.

He adds that distribution of the police officers has been done with consideration of the perceived threats.
By Felix Ainebyoona & Alfred Tumushabe

President Yoweri Museveni challenged parents to instill religious values in their children saying it builds them morally.

The president was yesterday speaking at a ceremony to commemorate his 70th baptism anniversary at St Luke Kinoni Church of Uganda in Rwampara Mbarara.

Bringing up children under religion builds them morally and young people should not undervalue it. Religious instructions enable you to navigate through life to know what is evil and good, to know what is

useful and useless. If I had no come here (church to be baptized) I dont I would have become the President of Uganda, said Mr Museveni.

According to the church records Musevenis baptism number is 3769, having been baptized on August 3, 1947 when he was two years and 11 months old.

The president gave a Shs 200 million cheque to Mothers Union of Ankole Diocese.

He also gave a cheque of Shs 100 million to the diocese as contribution to Ankole Diocese Millennium Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisation, Shs 10 million cash to St. Luke Church of Uganda, Kinoni Archdeaconry, and pledged Shs 50 million towards completion of the church building that is under reconstruction.
Coconuts seem to be everywhere these days. Whether as water in PepsiCo Inc.s Naked drink range, as milk in Starbucks Corp.s coffees, as shampoo in LOreal SAs products or even as a patty in Beyond Meats vegan burgers, the tropical fruit has captured new markets with a growing reputation as a healthy, natural product.

The popularity has been a boon for prices, with the cost of coconut oil alone more than doubling since its low in 2013. But it hasnt translated into increased production as diseases, natural disasters and aging plantations kept global output stagnant over the past decade.

Thats about to change thanks to a program of replantings and rehabilitation across the tropics. Output of copra, the dried coconut meat thats used to make coconut oil, will jump more than 30 per cent in the decade to 2026 as yields in the biggest growers rebound, according to a July 10 report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

The international market is not only buying the oil, which they purify into cooking oil, Danilo D. Valdez, the managing director of trading company Raco Commodities Phils. Inc., said in July. They also have found out uses for virgin coconut oil, coconut water and those kinds of derivatives products from coconut which are very good for people, that theyve positioned for an organic and healthy lifestyle.

The key to the coconuts popularity comes from the many products that a single nut produces. One package offers a high-energy food, a versatile oil, a nutrient-rich water and coir  a fibre thats used to make rope and bedding. And thats all contained in a water tight package that helped it spread across the globes tropical regions from the Philippines to the Caribbean.

Its versatility has led to the coconut being dubbed the Swiss Army Knife of plants and has made it staple product in many countries. It remains so important in the Philippines, the biggest producer of copra, that the FAO estimates a quarter of its 100 million people are dependent on industries associated with it.

Theres great demand in foreign countries like South Korea and Canada, said Carlito D Villamayor, a coconut farmer in the Philippine province of Quezon whos switched his palms to make coconut sugar rather than copra because prices are higher. Now China is ordering from us, so we have to increase our production.

Investment in production will lift copra output by 1.1 million tonnes by 2026, according to the OECD and FAO report. Plantation yields in Southeast Asia will climb 15 per cent in that time thanks to the replanting of aged palms and rehabilitation of growing areas, particularly in storm-hit parts of the Philippines and Indonesia  which provide almost three-quarters of global copra production between them.

That follows a decline of more than 5 per cent in the 12 years to 2016 due to aged palms, pests and diseases, which effectively neutered the one million hectares of new coconut plantings in the past decade, according to the FAO.

Following Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, a main feature of the rehabilitation program was to make the conditions of the affected coconut farmers better than pre-typhoon conditions, Philip Soliven, the president of Cargill Inc.s Philippine unit said in an interview. Cargill led a replanting program in Leyte province that helped more than 400 coconut farmers. A second phase program should help about 3,300 more in the Philippines and Indonesia.

Coconut palms start bearing fruit about five years after planting, which means supplies may begin picking up soon. Copra production in the Philippines is forecast to rise to two million tonnes this year from 1.9 million tonnes in 2016, Yvonne Agustin, executive director of the United Coconut Association of the Philippines (UCAP), said in an interview from Manila. Exports will likely rise 6.5 per cent this year, she said.

It should be good news for lovers of coconut products, who may get some relief, with that extra production potentially weakening prices. But its potentially bad news for palm oil growers.

Prices of coconut oil had a closing peak of $2,027.50 (U.S.) a ton this year from a low of $745.25 in 2013 before Typhoon Haiyan hit, causing as much as $14.5 billion of damage, according to AIR Worldwide, and affecting 33 million coconut trees in the Philippines Eastern Visayas region alone, according to the FAO.

Coconut oil closed at $1,635 a tonne on Rotterdam on July 31. Palm kernel oil, its rival and closest substitute, peaked at $1,845 a ton in January this year before easing to $1,110 on July 31.

The premium of coconut oil over palm kernel oil is really very high, UCAPs Agustin said. Maybe if prices come down, it may attract demand. There is always a demand for coconut production especially the core demand, where no other oils can replace coconut oil in certain usages. Even with prices now, which is much higher than palm kernel oil, theres still that core demand for coconut oil.

That demand doesnt look like stopping, thanks mainly to Western consumers.

Starbucks in April launched another coconut-infused coffee beverage, indulging customers who want more than just the option of having single-origin coconut milk in their drinks. Toasted Coconut Cold Brew, which is sweetened with flavours of toasted coconut and honey, comes on the heels of its Coconut Milk Mocha Macchiato, which chief marketing officer Sharon Rothstein said lifted sales.

Sales of PepsiCos Naked juice and coconut waters reached more than $1 billion last year. Jamba Inc. has introduced colada fruit smoothies made with coconut water, while in Malaysia, Nestle SA launched a coconut-flavoured coffee mix. Food manufacturers are also rolling out new products such as Beyond Meat vegan burgers made with coconut oil, Dairy Crest Group PLCs dairy-free coconut spread, McCormick & Co.s coconut milk cooking sauces and Mondelez International Inc.s savoury crackers made with dried coconut.

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MONTREALGildan Activewear Inc. has big plans for American Apparel.

Since buying the iconic L.A. brand at a bankruptcy auction earlier this year, the Canadian maker of T-shirts and underwear has rebuilt inventory and ramped up shipments to wholesalers.

Its now preparing to relaunch the e-commerce website, while also aiming to boost exports and explore retail opportunities.

At the end of the day, we will do very well with this brand, chief executive officer Glenn Chamandy said on a conference call last week. This will hopefully be one of the best acquisitions the company has ever made, in terms of return on investment, so were very excited about it.

American Apparel was once a high-flying retailer that peaked at more than $600 million (U.S.) in sales. The revamped website will open in the next two weeks and carry a wide range of products, including jeans, to conform with some of American Apparels historic offerings, Chamandy said. Gildan hung onto a handful of the defunct companys marketing and advertising employees and has set money aside to re-energize the brand, he said.

Read more:

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American Apparel and Montreals Gildan Activewear could be fashions new odd couple

Montreal-based Gildan has built a global production chain, from yarn-spinning to clothes-stitching, that enables the company to lower costs and compete with Hanesbrands Inc. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc.s Fruit of the Loom. Its now using that capacity to produce American Apparel clothes abroad for price-conscious wholesalers, while working with a third-party manufacturer in the U.S. to cater to consumers partial to Made-in-the-U.S.A. apparel.

Chamandy didnt say if the new website would give consumers the option to choose the cheaper, foreign-made products or pay a premium for goods made in the U.S. He detailed such a plan to reporters three months ago.

The company is already boosting overall revenue by selling blank American Apparel basics to wholesalers, who then customize the items. That segment of the screen-printing business is the most lucrative, and Gildan predicts American Apparel will contribute to higher margins.

The acquisition should boost sales by $50 million to $75 million this year, Gildan has said. The company had revenue last year of $2.6 billion.

Were going to continue to focus on our distribution. Were going to focus on our direct to consumer. Were going to expand internationally, Chamandy said about next year. We think that this could be quite big as we go forward.

Gildan bought the brand for $88 million early this year but left the retail stores on the table to later close down. American Apparel founder Dov Charney has since created a new, if much smaller, rival company called Los Angeles Apparel that launched last year as a wholesale business.

Read more:

Dov Charney back in fashion with American Apparel reboot

Gildan didnt seem too worried about the competition.

Good luck to him, Chamandy said. But at the end of the day, were well positioned. We have a significant investment and capital able to support our brand.

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TEHRAN, IRANIran signed the countrys biggest-ever car deal on Monday to build tens of thousands of cars annually under a joint venture with French automobile manufacturer Groupe Renault, buoying its manufacturing industry in defiance of the Trump administrations moves to isolate the country.

The 660 million  or $987 million  deal follows the lifting of the UN and European Union sanctions after Irans 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers to curb its controversial uranium enrichment program, a possible pathway to nuclear weapons.

It also comes just days after new U.S. sanctions on Iran were signed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron over the weekend about ways to counter Irans influence in Mideast conflicts. The U.S. legislation, first passed by Congress, imposes penalties on people involved in Irans ballistic missile program and anyone who does business with them.

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American businesses have been cautious about pursuing business deals with Iran due to U.S. sanctions in place not related to the nuclear program.

Asian and European companies, meanwhile, have raced for a share of Irans sizable consumer market since international sanctions were lifted. Iran, with its population of 80 million people, sits atop the worlds fourth-largest oil reserves and the second-biggest reserves of natural gas. It also has well-established manufacturing and agricultural industries.

Just last month, France Total SA and state-run China National Petroleum Corporation signed a $5 billion agreement with Iran to develop the countrys massive offshore natural gas field in the first such deal since the landmark nuclear deal was struck. Also, Washington granted permission to Chicago-based Boeing and its European competitor Airbus to sell billions of dollars worth of aircraft to Iran in September 2016.

Renault and other European companies are looking to rebuild their presence in Iran following the lifting of international sanctions. Renault says that in the first half of 2017, its sales in Iran increased by more than 100 per cent to 68,365 vehicles  a nearly 10 per cent market share.

The new deal, first reached with Irans government last September, will see Renault produce 150,000 vehicles a year in Iran at a plant located 120 kilometres outside Tehran. The plant will produce Duster and Symbol cars starting in 2018.

Renault, a majority shareholder with a 60 per cent share in the deal, will have its own distribution network in Iran for the first time. The company has been operating in Iran since 2003, though operations were halted when Iran came under international sanctions over its nuclear program.

During the signing ceremony in Tehran, Irans Minister of Industry Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh said the deal with Renault would establish a research and development centre for designing in the country.

A Renault executive, Thierry Bollore, said it would help transfer technology to Iran and reinforce Groupe Renaults position there.

This joint venture will enable an acceleration of our growth in this country, he said in a statement.

The car deal is expected to create about 3,000 jobs for the two Iranian companies involved: IDRO, or the Industrial Development and Renovation Organization of Iran, and the privately-owned Negin Group, which imports Renault products to Iran.

Also last year, French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen reached a deal to open a plant producing 200,000 vehicles annually in Iran. Peugeot was a major player in Irans car market before international sanctions were imposed.

Iran produces about 1,350,000 vehicles a year, though authorities hope that number will reach 3 million annually by 2025. There are around 30 car manufacturers in Iran, most of which assemble Chinese and Korean cars in Iran.

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When Mondelez International Inc. said last Wednesday that chief executive officer Irene Rosenfeld was retiring, it was no surprise that the food company also announced that she would be succeeded by a man.

Since 2009, 19 female CEOs of Standard & Poors 500 companies have stepped down. In only three of those cases was she replaced by another woman, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Rosenfeld, 64, will retire in November and be succeeded by Dirk Van de Put, who currently leads McCain Foods.

It underscores just how truly exceptional it is for a woman CEO to be succeeded by another woman, said Brande Stellings, senior vice-president of advisory services at Catalyst, which tracks diversity in companies. Since we had the first woman CEO in the Fortune 500 in 1972, theres only been 62 women CEOs in total, which is pretty staggering.

Read more:

Number of women sitting in corporate boardrooms across U.S. is rising  very slowly

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Investors are putting pressure on U.S. company boards to improve lacklustre diversity records, particularly this year, when State Street Corp. and BlackRock Inc. voted against hundreds of directors at companies seen as lagging on gender parity and other measures. McKinsey & Co. and other consultants are providing a growing body of research that indicates that companies that shift away from a monolithic white male leadership outperform those that havent changed their complexion. Still, most measures of diversity have been largely unchanged for a decade.

The direction a company takes on diversity comes from its board room, where white men have dominated since the last century. When choosing a new CEO, board members tend to rely more often on people they know than on executives selected by recruiters who screen candidates from a wider field, said Trina Gordon, CEO of executive-search firm Boyden. About 80 per cent of S&P 500 directors are men.

Boards are still not very diverse, and if you dont have diversity at the governance level, theres not a lot of changes that are going to happen, Gordon said.

Women, who make up about half of the U.S. workforce, arent forecast to gain parity in the board room until 2032, according to a June estimate from executive recruiter Heidrick & Struggles.

Debra Crews promotion to succeed Susan Cameron as CEO at Reynolds American Inc. earlier this year was the first female-to-female handover in the S&P 500 in five years, according to data from recruiter Spencer Stuart. The distinction was short-lived because even before she took the job, British American Tobacco (BAT) Plc said it would buy Reynolds. Now Crew reports to BAT CEO Nicandro Durante.

Prior to that transition, the last time a female CEO was replaced by another woman was in 2012, when Sheri McCoy succeeded Andrea Jung at Avon Products Inc. McCoy announced her resignation Thursday from Avon, which is no longer in the S&P 500. A successor hasnt been named.

The third example in recent years was Xerox Corp. CEO Ursula Burns, who replaced Anne Mulcahy in 2009. Burns retired this year and was replaced by Jeff Jacobson, her former chief operating officer.

When female CEOs step down, its typically a man waiting in the wings. Among the 27 S&P 500 companies run by women, most chief operating officers or presidents are men. At PepsiCo Inc., Indra Nooyi appointed Ramon Laguarta as chief operating officer last month, setting him up as her possible successor.

A big issue is that companies often prefer to make a safe choice for leadership, selecting an executive with a track record for running a company or a large unit, and those executives are still overwhelmingly male, Gordon said.

The statistics are daunting, she said. There is a perpetuation of the status quo.

Even as the number of women running the biggest companies falls to 25 from 27 this year  thanks to the departure of Crew and Rosenfeld  it remains a relatively new phenomenon to have so many at one time, Stellings from Catalyst said. Between 1972 and 2000, there were never more than four female CEOs serving at one time, she said.

You could easily fit all of them, in the history of our time, into one room, Stellings said.

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NEW YORKElon Musk of Tesla and Walt Disneys Bob Iger have quit. Jeffrey Immelt of General Electric and JPMorgan Chases Jamie Dimon have dissented.

U.S. President Donald Trumps business brain trust  originally these executives, plus around 50 other chief executive officers chosen to help shape White House policy  has so far come up short on big ideas.

In fact, theres been little activity for the strategy and policy forum and the manufacturing group, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. After initial meetings early in Trumps presidency  which the White House promoted with great fanfare  his administration hasnt convened the groups for months or set firm dates for future meetings, according to the people.

As turmoil has engulfed Washington, some prominent business leaders, including several of these informal advisers, have begun to distance themselves from the president. Musk and Iger went even further, quitting in June after Trump withdrew from the Paris climate accord. Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick quit in February, following Trumps controversial executive order on immigration.

Its a remarkable turnabout for the first CEO president, who pitched himself during the campaign as a savvy dealmaker whod cut taxes and reduce regulations to unleash U.S. companies.

After vowing to impose business discipline on Washington and surrounding himself with executives, hes presided over a chaotic administration thats struggled to deliver business-like results. He has been pushing to cut corporate tax rates  an issue dear to CEOs  but the effort is log-jammed behind the Obamacare battle and multiple investigations of Russias interference in the election, including possible ties to Trumps team.

The manufacturing group spearheaded by Dow Chemical Co. CEO Andrew Liveris hasnt met in five months. And the strategy and policy forum, led by Blackstone Group CEO Stephen Schwarzman, last convened on April 11, despite the president saying hed like it to get together monthly.

The purpose of this group isnt for general discussion, which is OK, Schwarzman said at the first meeting Feb. 3. But the real purpose is to get things done, to advise the government as to areas where we can do things a lot better as a country, for all Americans, and de-bottleneck some things.

Christine Anderson, a spokesperson for Blackstone, declined to comment. A person familiar with the forum said scheduling has been a problem, and the goal is to meet in the fall. Schwarzman and a handful of other CEOs from the group participated in discussions last month between top U.S. and Chinese economic officials and executives. The talks broke up, with the two superpowers unable to produce a joint statement.

Liveris, an outspoken supporter of the president, said after the February manufacturing meeting the executives would come back in two months with solutions ranging from rebuilding infrastructure to regulatory reform.

Rachelle Schikorra, a Dow spokesperson, said in an email the group had a very busy and productive second quarter. Some members contributed subject matter experts and engaged in information exchanges before Trump signed an executive order June 15 to expand apprenticeship programs, which the group discussed. She directed questions about another meeting to the White House, which hasnt made any public announcements recently about either group.

We spent the first few months of the administration meeting with hundreds of CEOs to listen and are now putting those learnings into action, a White House official said. The round tables and council meetings have directly impacted the administrations policies in areas like workforce development, deregulation and tax reform. We will continue to meet with and engage with CEOs across all relevant policies.

A lot has happened since April to sour the presidents relationship with industry chieftains. Namely, Trump announced June 1 that he would withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement on climate, prompting criticism across corporate America. In addition to the departures of Musk and Iger from the strategy and policy forum, other members of the groups also disagreed.

Collaboration is a good thing between nations, JPMorgan CEO Dimon told Bloomberg Television. Obviously the Trump administration felt differently about that, but we wish theyd stayed in.

GE CEO Immelt tweeted he was disappointed with the decision, adding climate change is real and the onus now falls on industry to lead.

Executives who arent in the groups also expressed concern, with Goldman Sachs Lloyd Blankfein taking to Twitter for the first time to deride the move.

Meanwhile, FedEx Corp. CEO Fred Smith  who also isnt in either group  is spearheading creation of an alternative tax-overhaul plan amid divisions in Washington over proposals the administration and Congress have offered.

We at FedEx, like many major U.S. companies, are concerned the window for tax reform is closing, Smith said in a June 26 email. Our current federal tax system is simply not globally competitive, retarding investment and the high-paying jobs that follow.

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MONTREALSeveral hundred people shouted refugees welcome! in Creole as they gathered outside Montreals Olympic Stadium on Sunday to show support for the waves of asylum-seekers crossing the border from the United States.

Members of the group stood on a hill near the entrance to the stadium, waving signs and balloons and chanting messages of welcome.

We are here with them, to support them and to help them establish themselves, organizer Serge Bouchereau told the crowd through a megaphone.

This is a vast, rich country that can welcome many, many people who are in bad situations and cant stay in their own countries.

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Montreals Olympic Stadium becomes shelter as Haitian refugees from the U.S. seek home in Canada

The Olympic Stadium is one of several venues that has been transformed into a temporary shelter to accommodate some of the refugee claimants, whose numbers have soared in recent weeks.

The City of Montreal says between 250 and 300 people are now crossing the Canada-U.S. border to seek asylum every day, up from 50 per day in the first half of July.

Many of those crossing the border, like 32-year-old Adline Tidas, are of Haitian descent.

In the United States, the Trump administration is considering ending a program that granted Haitians so-called temporary protected status following the massive earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010.

Tidas said she had been living in Ft. Lauderdale since 2009 but left the United States last week because she feared being sent back to her home country.

The government gave an extension of eight months, and I dont want to go back to Haiti, she said near the stadium.

She said conditions in the shelter were good and she was feeling optimistic about her future.

(Canada) looks like a good place, Im supposed to be here, she said.

Right now, anything I can do to work, I will do it. But my dream is, I want to be a nurse, to help people because people helped me.

Several in the crowd said they had come to Canada as immigrants themselves and wanted to show their support for the newcomers.

I have a standard of living that is very high because this country accepted me, and I wish it for others as well, said 22-year-old Alexis Audoin, who was born in France.

The event was organized by Solidarite sans frontieres and the Non-Status Action Committee, both of which are calling for open borders and the regularization of undocumented immigrants.

A separate counter-demonstration had been organized to protest against the arrival of the asylum seekers, but organizers announced on Saturday that it had been cancelled.

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CALGARYFrom avoiding burned-out workers to ensuring washrooms have enough toilet paper, documents show how Parks Canada painstakingly prepared for a record number of visitors this year.

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, Ottawa has made admission to Canadas national parks and historic sites free in 2017.

Presentations and memos obtained by The Canadian Press through the Access to Information Act cite traffic snarls, run-ins with wildlife and visitor safety as some of the challenges officials flagged in the months leading up to a projected deluge.

While many Parks Canada places have the capacity to comfortably host more visitors, some of the most popular places are already heavily patronized at peak times, Parks Canada CEO Daniel Watson wrote in a November 2016 memo to Environment Minister Catherine McKenna.

The possibility of increases during peak visitation has the potential for congestion, visitor safety and ecological impact risks. Parks Canada is preparing plans and measures to manage these risks.

The memo noted a potential increase in human-wildlife interactions, especially on roads and highways.

Furthermore, increased visits by non-traditional audiences who may be less familiar with national parks may lead to entry through unauthorized points, use of unofficial trails or behaviours that may require safety interventions, such as visitors getting lost on trails.

One strategy was to try to spread out the crowds by promoting some places with greater capacity more heavily while reducing the profile of others through the media.

Situations where overloads are occurring or can be expected will be clearly communicated, complemented by suggestions of alternative destinations, the memo said. Shoulder season activities and events will be given greater priority.

It said staffing and training would be increased, particularly among janitorial and front-line staff. Seasonal staff were to start their jobs earlier.

Parks attendance had already been rising by six to seven per cent annually in recent years, said Joel Reardon, a spokesman for the agencys Canada 150 plans.

There were 23.2 million visitors in 2015 and 24.6 million in 2016.

As of July, Parks Canada was seeing a nine-per-cent increase from the same time last year across its network, Reardon said.

Some places are busy without a doubt, but nothing out of the ordinary and everything is manageable at this point, he said.

I can tell you all of our planning going into this summer, going into 2017, is paying off.

This years visitor increase to date isnt far off from the 27.3 million Parks Canada was forecasting for 2017-18 in an undated draft report on how the free admission would be implemented.

There is no precedent for free admission at Parks Canada, which creates unique challenges for forecasting 2017 visitation, the agency said in the draft.

While Parks Canada believes that visitation forecasts and planning ranges are reasonable, the agency is nonetheless preparing contingencies for exceptional levels of visitation in 2017.

A chart accompanying the draft delved into how the agency would be affected if visitation exceeded estimates.

For instance, if there were to be 50 million visitors, it could result in significant negative media coverage and reputational impacts, staff burnout, and radical measures to deliver services. It also noted the possibility of increased costs for facilities and all services.

Public washrooms were an area of concern. At Lake Louise, the picturesque Rockies tourist hotspot, the report said there would need to be 25,000 additional industrial-sized toilet paper rolls  a 25-per-cent increase. It also mentioned a new janitorial rapid response team and a bolstered vacuum truck operations schedule.

A document outlining communications initiatives in 2017 touched on the well-being of Parks staffers.

Information on employee support services would be frequently disseminated to assist employees dealing with added stress, longer hours and potentially challenging public interactions.

Banff National Park, Canadas busiest, had just over four million visitors in the 2016-17 fiscal year.

A slide show presentation on Banffs preparations said the park was bracing for as much as a 25-per-cent increase in 2017-18.

But Greg Danchuk, the Banff field units visitor experience manager, said as of the end of July, the park is seeing just a five-per-cent jump from the same a year ago  in line with the annual increases its seen in recent years.

Banff has been offering shuttles from Calgary and between various points within the park to deal with congestion, boosted its staffing levels and encouraged visitors to book campsites early.

Well be able to ensure that people have a really safe experience, but an outstanding experience as well with lots of opportunities to enjoy this wonderful place.

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OTTAWAForeign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland says shes deeply concerned about recent videos that appear to show Canadian-made armoured vehicles being used by Saudi Arabia in a crackdown against its own citizens.

Freeland said she has instructed her officials to urgently investigate the matter and determine whether the vehicles in the videos were in fact armoured personnel carriers made and exported to Saudi Arabia by Terradyne Armoured Vehicles, a company based in Newmarket, Ont.

She said the investigation must be done energetically but also very carefully to be sure Canada is acting on fully reliable information we can stand by.

Shes not saying what action might be taken if the vehicles are proven to be Canadian-made, other than to say we will respond accordingly.

In the meantime, Freeland says Canadas concerns have been conveyed to Saudi Arabia.

Shes also personally spoken to the European Unions foreign minister, Federica Mogherini, about Canadas concern and investigation into the matter.

We are absolutely committed to the defence of human rights and we condemn all violations of human rights, Freeland said Monday in a conference call from the Philippines, where she was attending meetings with her counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

We also are very clear that we expect the end users of any and all exports to abide by the terms of our export permits.

Armoured vehicles have appeared in video in news and social media posts from Saudi Arabias Eastern Province, where the Saudi government is attempting to stamp out unrest among the regions minority Shia population. Some experts have asserted that the vehicles are Terradyne Gurkha APCs.

Almost from the moment Justin Trudeaus Liberals took office, his government has been under fire for allowing arms exports to Saudi Arabia, which is widely denounced as one of the worlds worst abusers of human rights and has been censured by the European Union and a number of western countries.

Canadian export controls prohibit the sale of arms to countries with a persistent record of serious violations of their own citizens human rights. Yet the Trudeau government issued export permits in 2015 for the sale of General Dynamics armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia, a $15-billion deal that had been approved by the previous Conservative administration.

The Liberals argued at the time that it had little choice but to honour the deal made by the Tories.

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A little girl, a stuffed animal and the social media campaign to reunite them.

Calling her daughter heartbroken, a mothers Facebook post imploring for help to locate a stuffed pink dog has been shared on the social media site over 7,130 times.

The family of four visiting Toronto from the U.K. was killing time in the Eaton Centre on Aug. 4 before their flight back home to Exeter.

Phoebe, 6, had her beloved stuffed animal, Sleepy Dog, with her, wrote Julie Letton, Phoebes mother, in an email.

When Phoebe noticed her toy was missing, Letton said her stomach flipped. The family retraced their steps and searched the mall. Phoebe was with me and was inconsolable. She cried constantly for about two hours, Letton said.

The family had to leave without finding Sleepy Dog, despite their search and speaking with staff at the Eaton Centre.

In the taxi on the way to the airport, Letton made her Facebook post, and has since made a Facebook group.

One of the people aiding in the search is Toronto Police Sgt. Wendy Drummond who enlisted the help of Twitter users. We are all pulling together to bring this little guy home, she tweeted.

Drummond was inspired to tweet after she saw Lettons online post. She has children of her own and said she knows what this situation is like with toys that carry meaning.

As adults weve all experienced heart break at some point in our lives, so we know what it feels like, and its awful to see (Phoebe) going through such an emotional time, Letton said. Sleepy Dog has been her number 1 since he came into her life when she was less than a year old.

Phoebe is amazed by the amount of people who are trying to help her, Letton continued. We are all very grateful.

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Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, right, shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during their meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila, the Philippines, Sunday. They assessed that the new sanctions by the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) adopted against North Korea, Saturday, would be effective. / Yonhap



China renews protest against THAAD battery in S. Korea



By Yi Whan-woo

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States agreed to start early negotiations on revising a bilateral missile guidelines agreement to better cope with North Korea's missile threats, an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sunday.

The agreement comes after Washington accepted Seoul's call in late July to rewrite the guidelines to extend the maximum allowable payload of a ballistic missile with an 800 kilometers range from 500 kilograms to 1 ton.

"There was a consensus about launching negotiations in a prompt manner while speeding up working-level discussions to hold Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group talks regularly," the official told reporters after the meeting between Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Manila, the Philippines.

The official, who asked not to be named, accompanied Kang in the bilateral talks.

Current missile guidelines ban South Korea from developing ballistic missiles with a range of over 800 kilometers and a payload exceeding 500 kilograms. The Moon Jae-in administration has sought to double the payload weight limit following North Korea's test-launches of two intercontinental ballistic missiles in July.

Tillerson called on "enforcing" the new U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolution imposed as punishment for Pyongyang's ICBM tests, according to the official.

Kang and Tillerson assessed UNSC Resolution 2371, which was approved Saturday, as highly effective.

They also discussed other issues concerning security on the Korean Peninsula, such as Pyongyang's refusal to respond to Seoul's offer to resume military talks, July 21, and Red Cross talks, Aug. 1.

The ARF, an annual security forum, involves all six members of the dormant talks on Pyongyang's denuclearization _ the two Koreas, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia.

Kang met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi later Sunday and discussed the dispute over the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea.

Wang said he finds it regretful that the Moon government recently decided to have four additional THAAD launchers set up in addition to two launchers already deployed.

"President Moon has been courteous toward the Chinese side and this is a good start for bilateral relations," Wang said "But THAAD-related issues are something that we must point out regardless of the circumstances."












In a few weeks, thousands of Ontario university and college students will start their first full academic year since the province made it mandatory for post-secondary schools to have protocols in place for dealing with allegations of sexual assault.

That legislation was prompted by complex and sometimes fierce debate over the right to decide who knows about a sex assault allegation, the schools legal and ethical responsibilities to keep their communities safe and the fairness and adequacy of on-campus investigations.

Even now, with the new policies in place, that debate continues as sexual assault survivors say the guidelines for reporting, investigating and disciplining sexual assaults have fallen short, while critics insist campus officials are unqualified to take on the roles of police and the courts.

Its a good start, but it doesnt go far enough to guarantee anything that would really change the situation for survivors, said Tamsyn Riddle, a University of Toronto student who reported her alleged sexual assault to school officials in 2015 and thinks Ontarios legislation is too vague.

U of T now has a new policy, but . . . it doesnt change anything in terms of guaranteeing that survivors will be taken seriously or that their cases will be dealt with quickly or that perpetrators will be punished.

Colleges and universities are required to have policies and offer training to staff, but the province does not specify what those policies are or what training should include.

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A Star survey of a dozen large universities across Ontario found that the policies are generally similar in their language about reporting sexual assaults. Students who say they have been sexually assaulted are typically referred to a designated staff member or office, where they can choose to make a formal report.

Then, if the student wishes and/or the school officials deem it necessary, an investigation begins.

At universities surveyed by the Star, those investigations are typically performed by school administrators, external mediators, lawyers, human resource professionals or a combination of those. Decisions about discipline are most often handled by high-ranking university staff or student conduct committees.

Punishments for alleged student assailants can typically range from an apology to mandated training, to restrictions on where they can go on campus, to a full expulsion.

Whats lacking from the new policies is external oversight to ensure complaints are investigated, said Mandi Gray, who told York University officials in 2015 that she had been sexually assaulted by a fellow student.

I have little faith that the legislation will provide a better response to those seeking to report sexual assault on campus, she said.

If a student wants police to get involved in their case, most policies say campus officials will help them through that process. But if the reporting student asks that police not be called, the university will honour that request, barring special situations like an imminent safety risk, most of the policies say.

If a victim does not want to pursue the case, then thats their right. I think protecting confidentiality is a well-regarded principle, said Deb Matthews, Ontarios minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development.

Critics, however, say that regardless of what a complainant asks for, institutions like colleges and universities have a legal and ethical responsibility to report allegations of sexual assault to the police, to prevent future incidents, to bring perpetrators to justice or to ensure that both victims and accused persons rights are respected.

If someone suspects there has been a breach of the Criminal Code, the police should be involved, said Glenn French, president of the Canadian Initiative on Workplace Violence, when asked how employers handle internal sexual assault reports.

A simple consultation with the police might be helpful (to say), Here are the circumstances. Should I be reporting this in a more robust way? rather than saying, No, Im not going to report, and waiting for another assault.

The Toronto Police Service is supportive of whatever choice is made  whether or not they contact police, said a spokesperson, Meaghan Gray.

However, even if a survivor does not want to proceed with a case, we see great value in sharing information with us. (It) could help us identify trends, public safety threats, links to cases from surrounding areas, Gray said. Most importantly, we could use our relationships with community agencies to ensure the survivor gets the support she needs.

But Joseph Neuberger, a Toronto lawyer who has represented three students accused of sexual assault in separate cases at Ontario universities, says schools should always report sexual assault allegations to police. If police ask to interview the complainant, the student can decide at that point whether or not to speak to officers, Neuberger said.

Students accused of sexual assault may not necessarily be afforded the same legal rights during a university investigation as they would during a legal investigation or in court, Neuberger said, though the academic punishments like expulsion can be as serious as being charged with a crime.

In order to protect their own integrity and liability, I think its incumbent upon (universities) to contact the appropriate authority, Neuberger said.

University sexual assault policies seen by the Star all included the caveat that a complainants case may be brought to police if someone involved in the case  or the safety of a member of the university community  is at risk, or if legal investigation is required by law because the victim is a minor.

Thats very rare, said Ryan Flannagan, the University of Windsors associate vice-president of student experience. Under Windsors policy, he would be called upon to take part in investigations into alleged sexual assaults on campus.

It would be fairly extraordinary circumstances where we would not follow the direction of a survivor (and call the police), Flannagan said.

But saying its up to university staff to decide what constitutes a serious risk raises questions about how that decision is made, French said.

What protocols or what means are you using to decide when you do and when you dont report? French asked. If youre not trained to do a robust or comprehensive threat assessment of that individual or that circumstance, then youre just guessing.

Advocates argue sexual assault survivors might not want police or the courts involved in their case for many reasons: They may worry police will not believe them. They may worry about being confronted by myths about how a survivor should react. They may have seen other cases where sexual assault victims have been subjected to tough cross-examination, their characters scrutinized and called into question.

The criminal justice system is failing on the issue of sexual assault, said Lenore Lukasik-Foss, director of the Sexual Assault Centre (Hamilton and Area). And students who have survived a sexual assault are not always looking for the kind of justice that police and the courts can provide.

We have survivors who are looking for alternatives (to police) and some kind of accountability. But we (also) know survivors on campus are looking for ways to be safe and to attend classes and be able to resume their lives, Lukasik-Foss said.

Universities are uniquely positioned to meet some of the specific requests or needs of sexual assault survivors, several sexual assault experts and university officials said.

Often student survivors say, All that I need is to never see this (assailant) again . . . I want to be able to be in my dorm and not be bothered by the individual and be reminded of what happened,  said Gabrielle Ross-Marquette, a spokesperson for an organization called METRAC that works to end violence against women.

Thats not necessarily something that the courts can do, or its a long and arduous process (in the courts) for something that a university could accommodate through different measures.

Asked if she believes university staff could adequately conduct investigations into criminal allegations, Matthews said she was confident schools could put the best possible policies in place.

Theyve got really good capacity to put really good people in those roles that make those decisions. I think campuses really do have the ability to do this as well as can humanly be done, Matthews said.

Even those universities that have had some form of sexual assault policy for years have come under fire from survivors who say their own reports of sexual assault were mishandled in some way by their schools.

At least three human rights complaints have been filed against Ontario universities in the past two years, all relating to the way in which cases were handled by officials.

I have yet to meet someone who feels that their case was handled appropriately (by a university), said Mandi Gray, who recently settled a human rights complaint against York University that alleged, among other things, that the school discriminated against her when she reported being sexually assaulted by a fellow student in 2015.

Even when the perpetrator is found to have committed a sexual assault  rarely does it result in punishment.

Mustafa Ururyar, the man accused of sexually assaulting Gray, was convicted of the crime in 2016. His conviction was overturned on appeal last month. There has been no decision on whether he will face a retrial. Ururyar has said in court that he is innocent.

The University of Toronto took steps to ensure Riddle would not cross paths with her alleged assailant around campus, but the man was allowed by the university to enroll in the same large classes as her and he broke several of the restrictions put in place, Riddle alleges in her ongoing human rights complaint against the school.

Riddle, one of two University of Toronto students who have accused the man of sexually assaulting them on campus, told the Star she was concerned that her alleged assailant might assault someone else in future.

The first university official Riddle spoke with about her assault advised her not to go to police because he had seen students who had done that and it didnt work out well for them, Riddle told the Star.

Riddle chose not to go to police and says that, given the difficulties many survivors have with the criminal justice process, she is glad she did not.

The University of Toronto said it could not comment on any aspect of Riddles human rights complaint and refused to tell the Star whether it had reported the incidents to police.

The man identified by Riddle did not respond to multiple requests for comment by the Star sent to him over the course of several weeks.

Sexual assault policies are expected to be revisited every three years and amended over time, Matthews said.

Im not going to pretend that its going to be perfect the first go round. This is an evolving issue and Im sure that each institution in the next iteration will have changes they want to make based on the experience of the first three years.

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For centuries, South Asia has had its own Khawaja Sira or third gender culture. The community, identifying as neither male nor female, is believed by many to be Gods chosen people, with special powers to bless and curse anyone they choose.

The acceptance of Khawaja Sira people in Pakistan has been held up internationally as a symbol of tolerance, established long before Europe and America had even the slightest semblance of a transgender rights movement.

But the acceptance of people defining their own gender in Pakistan is much more complicated. The term transgender refers to someone whose gender identity differs from their birth sex. This notion is yet to take root in Pakistan and the transgender rights movement is only beginning to assert itself formally. Now, some third-gender people in Pakistan say the modern transgender identity is threatening their ancient third-gender culture.

Kami Choudary has made international headlines and has been billed as Pakistans first transgender supermodel. This year Choudary delivered her first TEDx talk and she makes regular speaking appearances, telling her story and debating transgender rights in university auditoriums. She asserts herself, not as a Khawaja Sira but as a transgender woman. She acknowledges that her experience, as a rising transgender celebrity in Pakistan, is not the norm.

My mother supports me. My boyfriend supports me and my mentors and friends support me, says Kami, who wants transgender people in Pakistan to be more vocal. We have to do something. I am very public so people are always talking about Kami.

Choudary benefits from the privilege of familial support and being able to identify as she chooses. She is educated, English-speaking and from a fairly affluent family. In contrast, many Khawaja Siras are disowned by their biological families. The community is discriminated against heavily, with most Khawaja Siras making a living from performance, sex work or begging. They are simultaneously celebrated as gifted by God and ridiculed for not conforming to the male/female gender roles that society prescribes.

Bindiya Rana is the grand matriarch of the third-gender community in Karachi. She doesnt subscribe to the transgender identity. She is a Khawaja Sira, so revered that she is a guru (teacher) to more than 50 chelahs or apprentices.

This relationship has a parental element and is a cornerstone of Khawaja Sira culture. Each chelah pledges allegiance to their guru, as they did to their guru before them. These family trees provide acceptance, social support and financial backing. Most chelahs give a percentage of their income to their gurus. Its a lifetime commitment that allows the establishment of families that often replaces biological lineage.

But those who identify as transgender, like Choudary, dont subscribe to the guru-chelah system. As a result, Rana and her chelahs view the transgender identity as alien and even immoral.

If you dont have a guru, we dont recognize you. These people who say they are transgender  that concept is just wrong, says Rana. They can never be women. They cannot give birth. Even if they change their bodies they cant change who they are. We are not women. We are what Allah has made.

Such sentiment detracts from the idea that Pakistan has a liberal take on transgender rights. Its more accurate to assert that Pakistan has an established acceptance of third-gender culture. These are two different things.

The clash between transgender women and third-gender Khawaja Siras can be characterized by differences in education, language and age. Increasingly, young Pakistanis who dont identify with the gender assigned to them at birth assert themselves as transgender and not Khawaja Sira.

Qasim Iqbal co-ordinates research into gender and sexuality for the Naz Project in Pakistan. In a survey conducted in 2011, participants were asked if they identified as male or female. Eighty-seven per cent of those questioned said they identified as neither and preferred instead the term third gender. But Iqbal suggests this is now changing.

When the newer generation say they are transgender they are referring to the transgender that the West acknowledges. A lot of the modern transgender women are wearing Daisy Duke shorts and tube tops. They are breaking away from the tradition. They are becoming more hip and modern, says Iqbal.

Even if Khawaja Siras and transgender women identify differently and are part of different cultures, the long-standing acceptance of the Khawaja Sira culture in mainstream Pakistan offers transgender women an umbrella of protection. The idea of boys growing up to identify as Khawaja Sira rather than the gender assigned to them at birth is nothing new in Pakistan. It is accepted  in varying degrees  in every Pakistani village, town and city.

But what if you identify not as a Khawaja Sira, or even as a transgender woman, but as a transgender man? In Pakistans fiercely patriarchal society, the idea of a person whose birth sex is assigned as female growing up to identify as male is almost unheard of.

In Lahore, Mani and his girlfriend, Razia, have worked hard to establish a home together. Mani is a transgender man and is very clearly in love. While looking at Razia, he says, She is a perfect girl. She is a marriage material woman so I cant see my life without her.

The couple eloped from their native Karachi to live as they have chosen. But there has been a price to pay.

My dad said, If you go to Lahore, I will not talk to you again.

Mani now has no relationship with his father although he does speak to his mother and siblings regularly. In a society where relationships are so often public property, leaving home to live with a lover and identifying as a transgender man are both revolutionary acts.

Mani recently had a double mastectomy and plans on ovary removal in the coming year.

I think I am the first transgender man in Pakistan to have this breast removal surgery. I am on hormones. The ovary removal is expensive and we dont have facilities in Pakistan, so it will take some time, he says.

Mani has contacted other transgender men in Pakistan and he believes the community is slowly becoming more visible.

In its 70th year of independence, the discussion of gender in Pakistan is more complicated than its ever been. In some ways, Pakistan is years ahead of Europe, acknowledging and sometimes celebrating a third-gender as part of its established history and future. But the ability to choose gender identity outside of the established third-gender system remains elusive and is almost exclusively the preserve of an affluent, educated minority.

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In The Haida Gwaii Lesson: A Strategic Playbook for Indigenous Sovereignty, journalist Mark Dowie examines the Haida Gwaiis decades-long battle for sovereignty. Its the story of a how a small, remote Indigenous band on the northern B.C. coast organized, lobbied and blockaded over 50 years to gain control from governments and logging companies over their islands and their resources.

Blockades dont work by themselves, a former president of the Haida Nation remarked. There needs to be a legal strategy. But a legal strategy wont work by itself either. We had the courts, our alliances and blockades all working together while we developed and negotiated a land-use plan. Timing was always at the forefront of our minds, and our timing was good.

If its the state that is granting permission to extractive corporations to mine or harvest resources from your land, then the state must be your target as well as the corporation. But where and when to challenge the state becomes the central strategic question. The where is likely in the states own courts, but that only works if their courts have enough power, enough authority, that political leaders and corporate executives will abide by the courts rulings. That is the case in Canada, but by no means everywhere in the world. The when is the all-important question that requires as much deliberation, skill and talent as preparing your case for court.

One aspect of their strategy that the Haida emphasize is carefully assessing the politics of the government you are dealing with, because where the majority of a legislature or a cabinet stands on economic and social issues will inform your strategy. Throughout the Haidas long struggle with the province, British Columbias politics have swung wildly from right to left and back again. As the premier and legislature shifted suddenly from pro-business to pro-union, and from pro- to anti-environment, the Haida had to shift their strategy, sometimes waiting for the election of a more sympathetic majority, or even longer for courts with more respect for aboriginal rights and sovereignty.

For almost a decade, the Haida wanted TFL 39, the tree farm licence awarded to Western Forest Products, quashed. This was no small item as the licence covered one-quarter of the land base of Haida Gwaii, and logging in the area had exceeded sustainable rates for years. But the B.C. court told them they would have to prove title before they could summarily quash it themselves. So in March 2002, the Haida Nation filed a case with the Supreme Court of Canada asserting aboriginal rights and title to the land, inland waters, seabed and sea of Haida Gwaii.

They also demanded compensation for profits, taxes, stumpage, and royalty fees paid to the province, and the withdrawal of all forestry, mineral and other permits and licenses on the islands. The court was also asked to decide whether or not the province was required to consult with the Haida Nation before granting new TFLs or other extraction permits to off-island interests.

In court, aligned against the Haida with Weyerhaeuser and big timber were the governments of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, alongside the Business Council of British Columbia, the Cattlemens Association and several mining companies. In a jointly signed brief, these friends of the court argued that economies would fail and livelihoods would be ruined if they were required to consult with the Haida before proceeding with their work on Haida Gwaii.

One of the wisest things the Haida have done is to send one of their own through law school, and, once accredited, to send her back to Ottawa to press the Supreme Court for title. The cedar tree is our sister, a tall and striking Terri-Lynn Williams told the seven justices before her, providing for and sustaining our culture. Co-counsel Louise Mandell would later comment on the tremendous advantage of having a Haida lawyer, rather than herself, argue this landmark case:

I dont think the court ever had the facts rendered the way she presented them  from a Haida perspective. I couldnt do that. Im not aboriginal. Terri was able to refer to her client, the Haida, her own people, in a personal sense, as in I and we and our, and render the facts from her perspective rather than the way the court is used to. It was a first-time beautiful moment for advocacy, to see an aboriginal attorney speaking about their own rights, their own territory, and their own people, attempting as counsel to persuade the court to see it from their perspective.

As the Haida awaited a decision from Ottawa, the province of British Columbia stepped forward and offered to release 20 per cent of Haida Gwaii to the Haida, in the form of protected areas. In return, the Haida were to relinquish title to the rest of the archipelago. The president of the CHN [Council of the Haida Nation] dismissed the offer as mischief  They are not offering us 20 per cent of their land, he said. They are asking us to give them 80 per cent of our land  Our people come from every part of these islands. There is no place we can give up. The Haida ignored the provincial offer and initiated a Community Planning Forum with industry leaders, the province and island communities.

Discussions went on for 18 months, two to three days per meeting. The purpose of the meetings was to address power imbalances on the islands and decide how power should work there in the future. Twenty-nine people participated, representing 15 different interests and sectors. Nine of the delegates were Haida. In over 40 full days of public meetings, topics ranged from protected areas, to old-growth retention, ecosystem integrity, spiritual and cultural values, economic well-being, cedar, tourism and community.

Also running concurrent to the Supreme Courts deliberations was an event in Vancouver billed as the Turning Point Conference. Thirteen Pacific coastal First Nations, including the Haida, met and signed a declaration which read in part, The connection of land and sea with the people has given rise to our ancient northwest cultures. The life force [of this region] is under threat like never before, and all people must be held accountable. The Turning Point Declaration eventually led to the protection of the Great Bear Rainforest (GBR), the lush, temperate forest that borders the entire coast of British Columbia. It also gave rise to a new coalition called Coastal First Nations (CFN), which remains a powerful negotiating forum for the Haida and their neighbours on the Pacific coast. CFN regards itself as the ultimate guardians of the GBR.

In June 2003, the federal and provincial governments filed separate counterstatements to the 2002 Haida title case. Both argued that the Haidas case was baseless and should be dismissed. Both said that the Council of the Haida Nation had no valid claim to the islands. The provincial government even denied the existence of a Haida Nation, and despite convincing archeological evidence to the contrary, said that prior to 1846 the islands were never occupied or possessed communally and exclusively by a single unified aboriginal group.

The province did admit that people who all spoke the Haida language lived on the islands at the time of European contact, but they lived in small autonomous family groups which were widely dispersed and not politically unified or organized. As if it were some mere coincidence of nature that they spoke the same language. The federal government did recognize the Haida Nations existence, but denied it had claim to the islands.

Title, both governments argued, could only be claimed by an individual village or resource-gathering site held by an autonomous kin group  rather than the Haida Nation as a whole. And title, they said, could never [be] extended to the whole of the Claim Area. Allowing title to individual native settlements  small spots  while denying it to hunting grounds, fisheries, and intervillage space, has been a common practice of imperial governments throughout the world. The Haida contested the idea, on Haida Gwaii and everywhere else, and they are committed to the principle that the land and water between settlements is as vital to island and forest peoples livelihoods as their homes and villages, and thereby deserve to be included under aboriginal title.

Both governments, in Ottawa and Victoria, also argued that because the original inhabitants of [so many of ] these villages abandoned them long ago, their descendants lost any claim to these lands. Virtually none of the vacant villages on Haida Gwaii were abandoned; their entire populations were wiped out suddenly by smallpox. There are mass graves of rapidly buried victims to prove that at most of the village sites, which were never resettled for fear that the virus was still there.

Both federal and provincial governments claimed a legal right to control all resources on the islands, and argued that the Haida people have suffered no hardships as a consequence of their extraction, or of related government actions. Further, the Plaintiffs have, instead of bringing suit in a timely fashion, slept on their alleged rights  i.e., they were late.

The province argued that any financial claims must be against the federal government, because all aboriginal peoples are wards of the Crown, and any responsibility of the Crown to provide for the welfare and protection of native peoples is, as a matter of constitutional law, fundamentally an obligation of the Crown. (The provincial government of British Columbia has no problem describing itself as the Crown when it has need to flex its power.) The federal government disagreed, saying that the province was liable because it received all financial benefits (stumpage) from the extraction of resources on the islands.

For two long years, the Haida assumed that both governments were deaf to their oral traditions and blind to their archeological ruins, thanks to the countrys and provinces disregard of overwhelming evidence that the Haida people had hunted, fished and cultivated the land, water and resources of Haida Gwaii for thousands of years. Canada and its westernmost province were, in effect, refusing to recognize the very existence of a unique and productive civilization, and to acknowledge the resilience, knowledge, capabilities and expertise that qualified the Haida to manage their own land and govern their own nation.

Then, on Nov. 18, 2004, when the Haida truly believed that Ottawa had abandoned them, the Supreme Court of Canada handed down a surprising judgment in Haida Nation v. British Columbia, ruling unanimously (7-0) that the province must consult with the Haida before issuing tree farm licences (or, for that matter, any extractive licences). Put simply, Canadas aboriginal peoples were here when Europeans came, and were never conquered, wrote Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin. Honourable negotiation implies a duty to consult with Aboriginal claimants and conclude an honourable agreement reflecting the claimants inherent rights  Where the government has knowledge of an asserted Aboriginal right or title, it must consult the Aboriginal peoples on how the exploitation of the land should proceed.

And McLachlin admonished the province for presenting an impoverished vision of the honour of the Crown. The Crown, acting honourably, cannot cavalierly run roughshod over Aboriginal interests where claims affecting these interests are being seriously pursued in the process of treaty negotiation and proof  When the distant goal of proof is finally reached, the Aboriginal peoples may find their land and resources changed and denuded. This is not reconciliation. Nor is it honourable.

Terri-Lynn Williams couldnt have worded that opinion better herself. One First Nation chief commended her work and described the outcome as a tremendous victory felt throughout the indigenous world.

The Haida Gwaii Lesson will be in stores Aug. 15, and is available through Inkshares.com.

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CHICAGOAfter a cross-country manhunt, a Northwestern University professor and University of Oxford employee are in custody for the brutal stabbing death of a 26-year-old hair stylist in Chicago. The case has involved peculiar twists, including a cash donation by one of the two suspects in the victims name at a Wisconsin library and a videotaped confession sent to friends. The two men surrendered peacefully in California after eight days as fugitives.

Northwestern microbiologist Wyndham Lathem and Oxford financial officer, Andrew Warren, were wanted on first-degree murder charges for the death of Trenton James Cornell-Duranleau. Lathem is due in court on Monday.

Heres a closer look at the case:

THE CRIME

The body of 26-year-old Cornell-Duranleau was found stabbed to death inside an apartment belonging to Lathem in an upscale neighbourhood near downtown Chicago. The July 27 attack was so violent the blade of the knife believed to have been used in the stabbing was broken, police said.

Authorities said the buildings front desk received an anonymous call that a crime had been committed in the 10th-floor apartment. When police opened the door, they found Cornell-Duranleaus body. He had already been dead for at least 12 hours.

Police said the victim and Lathem had a personal relationship, but they have not elaborated or released a motive.

THE PROFESSOR

The authorities primary target in the investigation has been Lathem, whos been on Northwesterns faculty since 2007. The 42-year-old is an associate professor of microbiology and immunology, though university officials say he primarily worked in a research lab. Published in top scientific journals, Lathem was a sought-after speaker on pneumonic and bubonic plagues.

Over the years, he taught medical students or graduate students, though he was not teaching at the time of the crime, said officials with Northwestern, which has campuses in Chicago and suburban Evanston.

Investigators said Lathem sent a video to friends and relatives apologizing for his involvement in the crime, which he called the biggest mistake of my life. The video raised concern among investigators that Lathem might kill himself.

Lathem was under intensive observation over the weekend in jail, according to authorities.

THE VISITOR

Less is known about Warren, whos British. Warren and Lathem were seen in surveillance video leaving Lathems high-rise apartment building the day of the stabbing, but its unclear what Warrens relationship was to the other two men.

He is in charge of pensions and payroll at the University of Oxfords Somerville College. Chicago police have said hes 56 years old although California authorities booked him into jail at 49 years old.

Warren arrived in the U.S. three days before Cornell-Duranleaus death and after being reported missing in Great Britain, Chicago police confirmed.

THE VICTIM

Cornell-Duranleau, a Michigan native who received a cosmetology licence, moved to Chicago last year. He lived in a neighbourhood just southwest of downtown.

Family members issued a statement asking for time to grieve before commenting further, saying theyre deeply saddened by the loss.

It is our hope that the person or persons responsible for the death are brought to justice, the statement read.

A funeral will be held Saturday in Lennon, Michigan.

ON THE RUN

The day the crime was committed, police say Lathem and Warren drove about 130 kilometres northwest of Chicago to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where one made a $1,000 cash donation to the local library in Cornell-Duranleaus name. Lake Geneva authorities said the man making the donation didnt give his name.

The two eluded police for eight days before their separate surrenders Friday evening in the Bay Area.

Lathem turned himself in at the Oakland federal building about the same time that Warren turned himself in to police in San Francisco, authorities said. A U.S. Marshals spokesman said surrender negotiations through an attorney began late Friday afternoon.

LOOKING AHEAD

Warren is being held at the county jail in San Francisco. It was unclear if he had an attorney.

Lathem was being held without bail in Alameda County and faced a Monday court appearance.

One of Lathems attorneys, Barry Sheppard, in Chicago, said he helped facilitate the peaceful and orderly surrender and expects his client to waive extradition. He said his client is a distinguished scientist with a fantastic record of service.

I hope that the public doesnt engage in a rush to judgment against Mr. Lathem, Sheppard said. The details of the investigation, as they emerge, will hopefully clarify my clients role in whatever did in fact occur.

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JERUSALEMIsrael said Sunday it plans to ban Qatars flagship Al Jazeera news network from operating in the country over allegations it incites violence, joining Arab nations that have shut down the broadcaster amid a separate political dispute.

Communications Minister Ayoob Kara said he plans to revoke the press credentials of Al Jazeera journalists, effectively preventing them from working in Israel.

Kara said he has asked cable and satellite networks to block Al Jazeera transmissions and is seeking legislation to ban them altogether.

The minister, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus Likud Party, gave no timetable for such measures.

Doha-based Al Jazeera did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Its Arab and English channels reported the news.

Walid al-Omari, the broadcasters bureau chief in Jerusalem, said on air that his office has not been informed by Israeli officials of any possible measures the government might take.

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U.S. diplomat meets with Saudi Arabia officials in effort to end Qatar rift

Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy sues former employer Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera, a pan-Arab satellite network funded by the Qatari government, already has been targeted by Arab nations now isolating Qatar as part of a months-long political dispute over Dohas politics and alleged support for extremists.

Jordan and Saudi Arabia have recently closed Al Jazeeras local offices, while the channel and its affiliate sites have been blocked in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain.

Lately, almost all countries in our region determined that Al Jazeera supports terrorism, supports religious radicalization, Kara said. And when we see that all these countries have determined as fact that Al Jazeera is a tool of the Islamic State (Daesh), Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, and we are the only one who have not determined that then something delusional is happening here.

Israeli officials have long accused Al Jazeera of bias against the Jewish state. Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman has likened its coverage to Nazi Germany-style propaganda.

Nitzan Chen, director of the Government Press Office, said press credentials are not issued if security officials deem the cards would be liable to endanger the security of the state. He said Therefore, I have contacted the security echelon and have requested a professional opinion regarding the Al Jazeera network.

A decision will be made after receiving that opinion, he said.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based advocacy group, criticized the Israeli proposal.

Censoring Al Jazeera or closing its offices will not bring stability to the region, but it would put Israel firmly in the camp of some of the regions worst enemies of press freedom, said Sherif Mansour, the committees Middle East and North Africa program co-ordinator. Israel should abandon these undemocratic plans and allow Al Jazeera and all journalists to report freely from the country and areas it occupies.

American viewers became familiar with Al Jazeera after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, when its golden-hued Arabic logo became synonymous with video messages by Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. That sparked frequent complaints by then-President George W. Bushs administration. The station defended its policy, saying the messages were newsworthy.

Al Jazeera was the first Arab satellite news channel to offer a range of views outside of heavily censored state media across the region and extensively covered the 2011 Arab Spring. It also was the first Arab-owned news outlet to host Israeli officials and commentators, which some analysts note coincided with Qatars ties with Israel at the time.

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NEW YORKA dwindling number of peep shows, strip clubs and adult DVD stores have survived New York Citys two-decade legal war on smut and some of the survivors are worried a recent court decision could put them under for good.

In June, New Yorks Court of Appeals reinstated rules dating to 2001 barring any establishment with live performances characterized by an emphasis on certain specified anatomical areas or specified sexual activities as well as sexually explicit videos from all but carefully selected city zones.

It isnt the first time a court has sided with the city, only to have the regulations tweaked or overturned by another court later. But a lawyer who represents several X-rated shops said in an unsuccessful petition to the U.S. Supreme Court last month that if the city went ahead with long-delayed enforcement, it could put her clients out of business.

New York has the tradition of being the freest and most tolerant city in the country, if not the world, said the lawyer, Erica Dubno. And unfortunately, freedom of expression is being restricted and small businesses are in jeopardy.

Several dozen of the adult establishments are still hinging their hopes on freedom-of-speech legal challenges, she said.

For now, theres no urgency to clear out. The city is staying enforcement of the court decision pending a resolution of the legal loose ends.

In a statement, the New York City Law Department said it believed the citys approach to regulating the businesses was reasonable and lawful to protect our quality of life and were intended to stem the widespread circumvention of zoning regulations.

New Yorks well-known efforts to clean up its once booming pornography industry began in the mid-1990s, with regulations barring adult businesses from operating near churches or schools and in most commercial and residential neighbourhoods. The rules shuttered many of more than 170 such establishments around the city, with then-mayor Rudy Giuliani helping rout them out.

Times Square, where porn parlours and strip clubs thrived into the 1990s amid Broadway theatres, now bears little resemblance to its old self.

But a few adult establishments remain, some because they found ways to work around a rule defining a business as adult if it devoted 40 per cent or more of its floor space to the sex business.

Some strip clubs divided themselves in two, with part of the building devoted to hosting private events. One opened a sushi restaurant on one of its floors. Adult DVD and book stores stocked up on titles that had nothing to do with sex, and which often gathered dust. Others did less to diversify, offering coat checks, pool tables or condoms in their non-adult sections.

The city argued that many of these tweaks were a sham.

In 2001, the city council altered zoning regulations to reduce the significance of the 60/40 test. Those changes, and others, were the subject of the court ruling in June.

Dubno said she has asked the state appeals court to reconsider its June decision.

Im nostalgic for the old New York, said Dubno, who represents both businesses. Times Square has become like anywhere else, with the same stores, and New York has lost a lot of what made it so distinct. Thats what makes America great  that people can have their views.

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Amid the buzz over the new film on Dunkirk, the true story of a remarkable Canadian continues to be ignored, as it has been for 77 years.

The evacuation of more than 338,000 Allied troops who were trapped on the French shoreline has been described as nothing short of miraculous. The skies clouded, providing respite from Luftwaffe attacks. The English Channel calmed, allowing the legendary little ships to rescue men from the shallow waters off Dunkirks beach.

What is less known is that most survivors were not evacuated by small boats, a process that was slow, laborious and often chaotic. On Day 3 of the 10-day evacuation the decision was made to try loading men directly onto large ships via the east mole, a narrow wooden pier that extended 1,280 metres into the English Channel.

A major risk in using the mole was obvious: it could become a death trap. While soldiers who were assembled on the beach could scatter when German dive-bombers attacked, troops who were lined along the congested, elevated pier had nowhere to run. Once the Germans realized that the mole was being used for large-scale escape, it would immediately become a prime target. The mole would need a pier-master capable of maintaining order among men who were mentally and physically exhausted, each of whom desperately wanted to be on the next ship home.

The task of pier-master was given to James Campbell Clouston. He was born and raised in Montreal, attended McGill and joined the Royal Navy in 1918. By 1940 he had risen to the rank of commander and was highly regarded by both his subordinates and fellow officers. Since his own ship was under repair, Clouston offered to help with the catastrophic situation unfolding at Dunkirk.

He assumed the role of pier-master on Day 3 and remained at his post near the tip of the mole for the next five days and nights. Armed only with a loud-hailer and a pistol (which he had to employ at least once to restore order) Clouston ushered more than 200,000 onto ships moored next to the precarious mole. A CBC film crew interviewed many evacuees for a 50th anniversary documentary film in 1990. Multiple survivors recalled a remarkable Navy officer who spoke with a Canadian accent and had an uncanny ability to keep everyone calm.

None of this is portrayed by Commander Bolton in the new Dunkirk film. Pier-master Bolton never uses a loud-hailer and consequently has no means to exercise direct control over evacuees, much less calming them while under attack. How our real-life pier-master endured five straight days at the end of the mole is unclear: he apparently napped and ate as opportunity arose.

On Day 7 (June 1, 1940) the exhausted Clouston was sent to Dover to confer with Admiral Ramsay. He rested overnight and when the decision was made to continue the evacuation, Clouston offered to return. There had been trouble on the mole during his absence and as an ex-Montrealer his knowledge of French was an asset: increasing numbers of French troops were being evacuated.

While returning to Dunkirk the following afternoon Cloustons speedboat was attacked by dive-bombers and sunk. Clouston and a dozen sailors eventually succumbed to the frigid water and drowned; two others survived. Campbell was 39 years old, leaving behind a young son and his pregnant wife in England.

Heroism is not rare: we regularly hear stories of rescues and other selfless acts. Although such acts make a huge difference to the rescued individuals, they rarely alter the course of human history. Not so in the case of Clouston: the deliverance of a third of a million experienced Allied troops was a pivotal moment of the Second World War and his steadfast service contributed greatly to that success.

Also, most heroic acts are brief, often a matter of seconds: Cloustons was sustained over several days. Lister Sinclair, who narrated the superb 1990 CBC documentary We Shall Fight on the Beaches! concluded the segment devoted to Commander Clouston by stating, It was said that he should have had the Victoria Cross for his courage . It is rare that a single individual can play such a large role in history.

Despite his exceptional service and sacrifice, Clouston was never awarded a medal and remains virtually unknown, even here in his homeland.

Rick Munroe is a farmer and retired teacher with a keen interest in Canadas role in both world wars.

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Donald Trump likes to portray himself as the victim. The purveyors of fake news, he says, undermine him because they cannot accept that he won the U.S. presidency.

His paranoia isnt entirely misplaced.

Trump doesnt always get a square deal. Actions that would be little-noticed in other presidents can be blown out of proportion if Trump is involved.

Those that fit the dominant narrative  that he is a racist and a boor who won office only because of help from the Russians  are emphasized.

Those that dont fit are downplayed.

Last week, the president made news twice on the immigration front. First he was chastised for throwing his support behind a bill that would cut legal immigration into the U.S. in half over 10 years and give priority to well-educated English speakers.

His critics accused Trump of bias. A Washington Post analysis noted that Trumps German-speaking grandfather might have been barred from entry to the U.S. had these criteria been in place when he first arrived in 1885.

In fact, the immigration bill Trump supports is modelled on Canadian legislation that is generally regarded to be free of racial bias. It would assign points to would-be immigrants for certain skills, including the ability to speak English. Those who pass the point threshold would be eligible to enter.

The aim is to give priority to immigrants who can adapt quickly and who possess skills the country needs.

In Canadas case, the move toward the points system in the 1960s was seen as removing a bias that favoured white European immigrants. But when Trump supports the idea, it is treated as loony nativism. Is that fair?

Later in the week, Trump made news again. His tough line on immigration has been blamed for the surge of Haitian refugee claimants entering Quebec from the U.S.

Here, too, the reality is more complicated.

Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010, both Canada and the U.S. gave temporary refuge to displaced citizens of that country. In the U.S., close to 60,000 Haitians took advantage of this so-called temporary protected status. In Canada, the numbers were much smaller.

In both countries, the program was to be only temporary. Canada ended its version in August 2016, leaving 3,200 Haitians facing possible deportation. The U.S. was to have ended its version this May, but the Trump administration extended the deadline to next January. Some Haitians affected by this decision are crossing into Canada to try their luck here.

Does the presidents decision to end a temporary humanitarian program make him a monster? Perhaps. But if so, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is equally monstrous. Yet that is not the rap he faces.

Finally, another Trump story. This one, from the Washington Post, featured what were said to be transcripts of Trumps phone calls earlier this year to Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The Post refers to Trumps comments as jaw-dropping. In fact, most are not. A full reading of his conversation with Pena Nieto shows the American president acting firmly but politely.

The leaders admit candidly that Trumps insistence that Mexico pay for a wall along the U.S. southern border has put both presidents in a political bind. Pena Nieto cannot agree to pay if he is to have any credibility with Mexican voters. Yet if Trump is to remain credible with his, Mexico must pay.

The solution they reach is classic: They agree not to talk about the wall. They also agree that other issues, including trade between the two countries, are far more important.

Is this nuts?

Trumps conversation with Turnbull is more fraught. Turnbull raises the issue of the 1,250 migrants from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan detained by Australia that former president Barack Obama promised to resettle in the U.S.

Trump replies that he is still against the deal, which he says will make him look like a dope. But, he grudgingly says, he will honour it anyway. The two argue. At one point, Trump notes that his conversation with Turnbull is the most unpleasant telephone call he has had all day.

Still, it ends politely. Turnbull thanks Trump. Trump thanks the Australian leader. The two hang up.

Certainly, it is not the friendliest of interactions. Yet it doesnt hold a candle to the 1965 confrontation between then president Lyndon Johnson and Canadian prime minister Lester Pearson.

Thats when Johnson, angered by Pearsons public criticism of Americas Vietnam War, grabbed the Canadian leader by his lapels and shouted: Dont you come into my living room and piss on my rug.

Trump, for all his many faults, didnt go that far.

Thomas Walkom appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

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Emotional labour is on the way out in certain parts of the economy and roaring back in others. It is how we work now. Its most basic unit is the smile.

It refers to jobs where the skill set is both the absorbing and displaying of emotion. It is ubiquitous. It is draining. In the wrestling ring that is the modern workplace, it leads to burnout.

The great American sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild came up with the phrase more than 30 years ago to describe what she saw in the Delta Airlines Stewardess Training Centre. Oh, she saw smiling. Women  it is still women who do most of this work  were trained to smile, coddle, and endure on long flights with intolerable passengers.

Little has changed. A woman becomes White House press secretary because shes peppy and chirpy and tells stories about a little boy named Pickle. Women have their uses.

In 2012, Hochschild updated her great book, The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling, to cover the coming wave of automation that is killing these jobs and the growth of the personal care sector that is expanding them. Boomers need attendants as they age, but right now they are paying them very little.

Most interestingly, Hochschild refers to the work of toxin handlers, who are complaints clerks, bankruptcy court personnel, home foreclosers, divorce lawyers and parking meter attendants. If they had existed then, she would have described the work of American Airlines staff who police the companys Twitter feed, where they cope with people like Lena Dunham.

Dunham is the distilled essence of people who dont understand emotional labour while abusing those who actually do it. A feminist, she complained about two female employees she overheard having a private conversation that she disliked.

Hi! she direct-messaged American. I heard 2 female attendants walking talking (an acting term) about how trans kids are a trend theyd never accept a trans child and transness is gross ... What if a trans teen was walking behind them?

But a trans teen wasnt. Dunham was.

At this moment in history we should be teaching our employees about love and inclusivity, she told the airline. Dunham reported details about the womens location that might help American track them down and punish them.

Dunham then tweeted the clincher. Heres my takeaway: these days its the little things. A smile. Offering a seat. Respect. It was all very 1962.

Lena Dunham is a rich person who built her career on family connections in the New York arts world and then hired the children of wealthy famous New Yorkers to act in her TV series Girls. Yet she listened in on the private conversation of two ill-paid women clinging to their jobs and snitched.

She referred to our employees, she and American apparently being the rich who can teach workers the proper political stance (hers) on social issues. Worse, she suggested they do more emotion work, smiling and being sweet.

Emotional labour is managing feelings. American Airlines Twitter staff have to manage Dunhams feelings, as well as their own about Dunham. Thanks for the info, Lena.

In Shoppers Drug Mart, I always choose the store clerk over self-service, even though the store rations its cashiers so as to push you to the machines. Automation will win. I used to regret this.

But after Dunham, I wonder if Im wrong. If automation rescues workers from the emotional labour demanded by Dunhams, maybe thats liberating. Bank tellers dont resent ATMs, I notice. Perhaps their interludes with clueless customers do not please them.

Most of us, including Uber drivers, do work that requires emotional labour, Hochschild writes. Economic history cannot be fully understood unless we pay attention to the filigreed patterns of feeling and their management. Id add political history, meaning the Trump White House.

Emotional labour is done by bloggers who marketize their private life, columnists who tell personal stories, pregnancy surrogates, nannies who block out memories of the baby girl they left in their home country and smile gratefully at a $10 Starbucks gift card at Christmas from the wealthy employer who will fire her for disobedience, i.e. faulty housecleaning.

Emotional labour is exhausting and damaging to the soul, because it is a falsity, hard to shake in the off-hours. Emotion workers should get hardship pay.

We are all flight attendants now, working harder, earning less and acting as if we couldnt be happier.

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Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Variably cloudy with snow showers. Low 27F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..

Tonight

Variably cloudy with snow showers. Low 27F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
La Crescent neighbors were easy to spot during the communitys National Neighbors Night Out at Frank J. Kistler Memorial Park.

We came last year on accident. We were attending swim lessons but this year we knew about it, said Nikki Gjere, National Neighbors Night Out attendee. Its nice to see people you recognize in the community. We like to get involved with the community.

Gjeres husband, Chad, and their son spent a portion of the night waiting in line for one of the events many children-oriented festivities: the bouncy house.

Along with the opportunity to fly through the air, the event had a brat supper, first responders vehicle tours, a raffle, a chance to play with the fire trucks water hose and open swim at the La Crescent Aquatic Center.

Im excited to go swimming, said 11-year-old Samantha Fabian.

The Sir Lancer BotsLa Crescent-Hokah High Schools robotics teamtopped off the night with prizes shot into the air from a robot.

This was La Crescents 11th year of neighborly celebrations.

Im excited, said 8-year-old Girl Scout Erin Ready. We might go swimming, but we are going to play in the sprinklers.

The Girl Scouts was one of many other local nonprofits and businesses that not only attended the event but also had an information booth.

This is the first year weve had the booth, said troop leader Sarah Gile. Mostly people have been grabbing stuff and going. We are trying to recruit more girls.

A chance to reconnect with neighbors is only one of the reasons National Neighbors Night Out attracts crowds up to 900 people.

I think its great to bring the community together, said police car tour operator and La Crescent Police Officer Roth Clark. The event brings us together as a community and shows that there is a human side to cops and first responders. It helps build bridges within the community.

La Crescent Police Chief Doug Stavenau was also impressed with the events turn out.

Its a good crowd. Its nice to see a lot of different people in the community come out, he said.

La Crescent Police Officer Mike Ernsters wife, Amy, attended the event with a crowd.

I brought my kids and their friends for the open swim. Thats probably what they are most excited about, she said. Its nice to see all the people that you may not talk to every day.

The event coincided with similar events across the country as part of program began by the National Association of Town Watch. According to NATW, National Night Out is a community-building campaign to promote partnerships between the law enforcement and emergency responders and the communities they serve to make neighborhoods safer.
September is fast approaching, and the summer feels like it's winding down. But it's still not too late to take that summer vacation.

With technically more than left to go, there's still time to pack up and take a trip someplace exciting, and while the world is filled with adventure, sometimes the cliches are cliches for a reason: Europe is great.

Maybe it's visiting the sun-drenched islands of Greece, maybe it means seeing Norway for those few minutes a year when the country isn't covered with and snow. Regardless, not many places can offer better cities for spending a relaxing week or two than the nations of Europe.

So, assuming we've sold you on looking for some of those last minute airfares, where should you start? (First off, you may want to avoid Disney.)

By trying one of these ten great summer destinations, picked with help from InterNations and their Expat Insider survey:

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Shares of Horizon Pharma plc (HZNP) - Get Free Report rose 13.4% to $14.40 in premarket trading on Monday, Aug. 7, after the Dublin firm unveiled better-than-expected second-quarter results and raised its outlook.

Horizon reported non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.41, compared with $0.56 in the year-ago period. Net sales grew 12% year-over-year to $289.5 million. Analysts expected, on average, non-GAAP EPS of $0.10 on sales of $237 million, according to FactSet Research Systems.

For full-year 2017, Horizon upped its net sales guidance to the $1.010 billion to $1.045 billion range, from prior guidance of $985 million to $1.020 billion. It now expects adjusted Ebitda of $340 million to $375 million, compared with its previous guidance of $315 million to $350 million.

In other news, Mylan NV (MYL) - Get Free Report said Monday it received tentative approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration under the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief for its new drug application for Dolutegravir, Lamivudine and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate tablets, 50 mg/300 mg/300 mg. The company said TLD will be available in developing countries as a first-line regimen for people being treated for HIV/AIDS.

Shares of Mylan were changing hands at $31.90, down 3.1%, ahead of the open. The company is scheduled to release its second-quarter results on Aug. 9.

Other biotech movers on Monday include Intellia Therapeutics Inc. (NTLA) - Get Free Report , up 7.1% to $17.25.

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Haven't heard of this Japanese billionaire? We're not surprised.

This secretive Japanese billionaire wants to control your phone and cable bills. Masayoshi Son is the founder and CEO of SoftBank Group Corp. (SFTBY) and is the richest man in Japan with an estimated net worth of $20.5 billion. He now wants to purchase Charter Communications (CHTR) - Get Free Report or form a deal with T-Mobile (TMUS) - Get Free Report .

Son said Monday during the company's first quarter earnings call that he "expects to be able to decide on an integration partner for Sprint in the near future."

This comes after Bloomberg reported earlier on Monday that Sprint is said to have resumed preliminary talks about a merger with Deutsche Telekom-owned T-Mobile US Inc., Bloomberg reported Monday, citing people familiar with the matter, as Sprint attempts to deal with increased competition in the U.S. wireless market.

Softbank's Sprint reportedly started talks after its exclusive negotiating period with Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) - Get Free Report and Charter Communications expired at the end of July, the sources said.

Softbank took control of Sprint in 2013. Softbank shares gained in afternoon trading in Tokyo Monday, after it unveiled better-than-expected earnings for the three months ended in June.

Softbank reported operating profit of 479.3 billion ($4.3 billion) for the first quarter, beating analysts projection of 323.7 billion. Sales came in at 2.19 trillion.

Sprint was one of the company's bright spots, with revenue up 4% to 910 billion in the first quarter.

Son said he is also interested in investing in Uber or Lyft to gain a share in the U.S. ride-sharing market.

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Michigan Governor Rick Snyder met over the weekend with Foxconn (FXCOF) Chairman Terry Gou to discuss the Taiwanese electronics giant building a plant in the state, Detroit Free Press reports.

The move follows Foxconn's announcement that it would bring a $10 billion plant to Wisconsin. It was reported earlier that Foxconn, a manufacturer of Apple's (AAPL) - Get Free Report iPhone, would potentially open a multi-billion dollar research and development plant in Michigan.

Snyder's meeting with Gou provides further credence to the plant's possible opening.

"We had a very productive dialogue about the importance of talent in manufacturing and the future of autonomous driving in addition to a tour of Foxconn's world class products and manufacturing facility," Snyder said. "I believe we have a strong future with Foxconn, and while I don't have an announcement to make today, I think there are very exciting things to come in the future."

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As a child, Michael Ebert of West Salem had an insatiable desire to take to the air and serve his country.

My grandfather flew in World War II, Michael said. I did a history project about him in fourth grade and decided thats what I wanted to do for a living.

This month Michaels dream came true when he left to attend the U.S. Air Force flight school in Texas. There he will learn to fly the T6A-Texan II, a single-engine aircraft that looks more like something out of a war movie than a modern aircraft.

Proud is the best word to describe it, Michaels father Ray Ebert said.

Michael, who graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado this spring, said his dreams of flying jets began after he was assigned a history project focusing on someone from Wisconsin. He chose his grandfather, Edwin Ebert.

By attending the academy, Michael was following in his grandfathers footsteps.

This dream, however, almost didnt happen. Michaels application to the academy was initially denied, and hed resigned himself to joining the Merchant Marines.

I had a chance to go to the academy, which was really cool, but I didnt get in right away, he said. I had a no letter.

He said each academy only has so many slots. Everyone who applies will either be accepted, given a maybe, or declined.

Not every applicants first choice is the U.S. Air Force. Many apply to several academies in case they dont get their first choice. This opened the door for Michael to get into the Academy despite the rejection letter.

They worked through their yeses, they worked through their maybes and they started on the nos, he said. Me and a couple of other guys got to go because of that.

For Michael, joining the Air Force was a natural decision.

Hed grown up in a military family. His father, Ray, now a La Crosse County Board member, spent four-years in the air force before serving the U.S. Coast Guard until Michael was born.

Its good to see someone follow in your foot steps and go even further, Ray said, adding Michael also followed in his fathers footsteps.

Michael said, The military seemed like a good job and what your family did and that became the dream.

Ray said his son is now, living the dream.

Michael, however, didnt attend the academy to learn to fly. Most cadets do very little flying at the academy and only a select few are chosen to instruct the glider program.

But that didnt matter much to Michael, who by this point was already an accomplished pilot. He had received his private pilots license at the beginning of his senior year thanks to his involvement with the La Crosse Civil Air Patrol.

I got the chance in seventh grade to join the civil air patrol, he said. It was a good way to try out the whole military thing.

La Crosse Civil Air Patrol Squadron leader Todd Mandel said he had no doubt Michael would end up in pilot school.

I was there the day he got the call from the Air Force Academy, he said.

Mandel said its not uncommon for cadets to go on to serve in the armed forces, but its much rarer for them to attend the Air Force Academy.

Statewide, we have maybe five cadets in the academy, he said and added cadets like Michael make the Civil Air Patrol special.

Being able to work with young people is the reason I do it, he said.

The Civil Air Patrol allowed Michael to do more than learn how to fly. A few months after joining the Civil Air Patrol, Michael learned that he couldnt really start flying until he was 15.

You have to be 16 to solo an airplane, he said.

Instead, he focused on learning about the planes, the military codes of conduct and the rank structure.

Michael also learned skills like search and rescue.

Fifteen came around and I started to learn to fly with the squadron, he said. My parents decided to foot the bill for me to learn how to fly, because its not cheap, but its a lot cheaper with civil air patrol.

Mandel said Michael has become the poster child for the La Crosse Civil Air Patrol and a role model for new cadets to aspiring to become pilots.

When Ebert left to basic training and later the Air For Academy, he didnt expect to struggle academically. Hed been a good student and had never struggled to get good grades in high school.

He learned just a few months into the Academy that finishing wasnt going to be a cakewalk.

I struggled a lot of my first years at the academy, he said. I was on and off of academic probation.

After two years of hard work learning to study and prepare his classes, Ebert had a choice to make. His first two years had been free, and his second two would be too, as long as he completed the program. If he quit or failed, hed have to pay back the U.S. government.

Once you walk into class the first day of junior year, you sign a piece of paper called commitment that says, I will graduate or I will pay the U.S. government back, either in time as an enlisted person or in cash, he said. The first two years you can walk away no questions asked, take your credits and leave, but the first day of junior year gets really expensive.

After four years at the academy, Michaels conviction remains unchanged. He still wants to spend his life whipping through the clouds faster than the speed of sound.

Im glad I figured out school when I did, he said.

After completing his training on the T6A-Texan II, Michael will be ranked. The top pilots will get first pick to fly either jets, cargo planes and support craft or helicopters.

No matter where he lands, hell be pleased.

Every second I get to spend in the air is a good second, he said.

Hell need to know every system on the air craft if he wants to fly jets.

If it was just about flying, I would have no trouble walking there, he said. Im pretty comfortable with flying; there a lot of academics that go into it too.
Shares of MyoKardia Inc. (MYOK) - Get Free Report were up 83.4%, or $14.30, to $31.45 Monday, Aug. 7 after the South San Francisco biotech announced positive topline data from the first patient cohort of its current Phase 2 study of a key heart disease treatment.

MyoKardia is developing the drug, mavacamten, for use in symptomatic, obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patients as part of the Phase 2 trial. The company's treatments are for inherited cardiovascular diseases like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using a "precision medicine" approach.

Late Monday, MyoKardia announced plans to offer 3.5 million shares of its common stock as well as granting the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase an additional 525,000 shares at the public offering price, less the underwriting discount.

If the offering is priced at Monday's closing price the gross proceeds from the offering would be roughly $127 million. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Cowen and Company LLC are acting as joint book-running managers for the proposed offering. BMO Capital Markets is also acting as a bookrunner.

MyoKardia anticipates using the net proceeds from the offering, together with its existing cash and cash equivalents, to fund research and development activities for its development programs, including, but not limited to, its ongoing and planned clinical trials for mavacamten

Based on Monday's results MyoKardia plans to hold discussions over the next few months with the Food and Drug Administration to help plan its next study, named Explorer-HCM, which it expects to begin by the end of 2017.

"We are very encouraged by the observed physiological effects of mavacamten in this study," said Stephen Heitner, M.D., director of the HCM Clinic at Oregon Health and Science University's Knight Cardiovascular Institute, and the lead investigator in the study, dubbed PIONEER-HCM. "These results continue to build the body of evidence linking the mechanistic hypothesis of mavacamten to potential clinical benefit in symptomatic, obstructive HCM patients."

Mylan Is at Risk From These Insurmountable Sector Headwinds

The first patient cohort of Pioneer-HCM was small--11 patients enrolled and 10 completed the study. A statistically significant improvement was observed in blood flow and aerobic capacity.

Mavacamten also was generally well-tolerated, with one patient with a history of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation experiencing a serious adverse event. In order to participate in the study, this patient had discontinued background beta blocker and disopyramide therapy, both of which are indicated for the management of atrial fibrillation. During the study, the patient experienced a recurrent episode of atrial fibrillation and was cardioverted. The patient had another episode of atrial fibrillation and was hospitalized and successfully treated with anti-arrhythmic therapy. The patient elected to stop study drug at week 4. All other adverse events were mild to moderate.

The company expects to enroll between 200 and 250 patients in Explorer-HCM and initiate the study before the end of this year.

"We are delighted by the positive data released today from Pioneer-HCM," said Marc Semigran, M.D., chief medical officer of MyoKardia. "We believe these results further demonstrate the potential of mavacamten in oHCM and we intend to move decisively and with urgency to develop this potential therapy for patients. We look forward to discussing with FDA the potential for Explorer-HCM to serve as a pivotal study."

The company expects to release topline data from this second patient cohort in the first quarter of 2018.

Heitner will present results from the first cohort at the Heart Failure Society of America's 21st Annual Scientific Meeting on Monday, September 18, 2017 in the "Big Trials of the Last Year" session.

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Healthcare insurer Anthem Inc. undefined announced Monday that it will be withdrawing as an option in Obamacare exchanges in Nevada and Georgia beginning in 2018.

Nevada currently has 14 counties that do not have individual health plans for individuals under Obamacare. That number will not change based on Anthem's decision, however.

"Planning and pricing for ACA-compliant health plans has become increasingly difficult due to a shrinking and deteriorating individual market, as well as continual changes and uncertainty in federal operations, rules and guidance, including cost sharing reduction subsidies and the restoration of taxes on fully insured coverage," the company said in a statement.

Anthem shares were even at $190.33 in afternoon trading on weak volume on Monday.

Editor's note: story has been updated to include Georgia.

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Aviva plc provides various insurance, retirement, investment, and savings products in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and internationally. The company offers life insurance, long-term health and accident insurance, savings, pension, and annuity products, as well as pension fund business and lifetime mortgage products. It also provides insurance cover to individuals, small and medium-sized businesses for risks associated with motor vehicles and medical expenses, as well as property and liability, such as employers' and professional indemnity liabilities. In addition, the company provides investment management services for institutional pension fund mandates; and manages various retail investment products, including investment funds, unit trusts, open-ended investment companies, and individual savings accounts for third-party financial institutions, pension funds, public sector organizations, investment professionals, and private investors. It markets its products through a network of insurance brokers, as well as MyAviva platform. The company was formerly known as CGNU plc and changed its name to Aviva plc in July 2002. Aviva plc was founded in 1696 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.
La Crosse police arrested a woman twice in three days for drunken driving.

A witness spotted Heidi Alberts, 38, driving over a concrete parking block at 1241 La Crosse St. about 12:45 a.m. Thursday. She told police she was just hanging out before picking up her son and admitted drinking vodka while driving, according to police reports.

She quit field sobriety tests because she was pissed off and had a 0.38 percent preliminary alcohol level.

Police arrested Alberts for second-offense drunken driving and transported her to jail. She was later released on a $1,000 signature bond and ordered to report to court on Aug. 31.

About 9 p.m. Saturday, police stopped Alberts for driving without headlights at 921 S. Losey Blvd. She told police she was driving to Kwik Trip for bananas before officers found four empty cartons of wine in the car.

Alberts had a 0.28 percent preliminary alcohol level, according to reports. She is free on a $3,000 signature bond and facing charges of second-offense drunken driving and bail jumping.

Alberts on May 20, 2014, was driving with a 0.49 percent blood-alcohol level when she hit a vehicle parked outside the Arterial Bar & Grill, 1003 S. 16th St., and fled, according to La Crosse police reports.

La Crosse County Circuit Judge Ramona Gonzalez met her outside a restaurant and drove Alberts car when the judge deemed her too impaired to drive, reports stated. Officers stopped the car about 25 minutes after the crash in an alley on Madison Street and cited Alberts for first-offense drunken driving and hit-and-run of an unattended vehicle.
Humana Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a health and well-being company in the United States. It operates through three segments: Retail, Group and Specialty, and Healthcare Services. The company offers medical and supplemental benefit plans to individuals. It also has a contract with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to administer the Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition prescription drug plan program; and contracts with various states to provide Medicaid, dual eligible, and long-term support services benefits. In addition, the company provides commercial fully insured medical and specialty health insurance benefits comprising dental, vision, and other supplemental health benefits; and administrative services only products to individuals and employer groups, as well as military services, such as TRICARE T2017 East Region contract. Further, it offers pharmacy solutions, provider services, and home solutions services, such as home health and other services to its health plan members, as well as to third parties. As of December 31, 2021, the company had approximately 17 million members in medical benefit plans, as well as approximately 5 million members in specialty products. Humana Inc. was founded in 1961 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.
The following companies are subsidiares of Brinker International: BI INTERNATIONAL SERVICES LLC, BI MEXICO HOLDING CORPORATION, BIPC GLOBAL PAYROLL COMPANY LLC, BIPC INVESTMENTS LLC, BIPC MANAGEMENT LLC, BRINKER AIRPORTS LLC, BRINKER ALABAMA INC., BRINKER ARKANSAS INC., BRINKER ASIA INC., BRINKER BRAZIL LLC, BRINKER CANADIAN HOLDING CO. ULC, BRINKER CANADIAN RESTAURANT CO. ULC, BRINKER CB LP, BRINKER CB MANAGEMENT LLC, BRINKER FHC B.V., BRINKER FLORIDA INC., BRINKER FREEHOLD INC., BRINKER GEORGIA INC., BRINKER INTERNATIONAL PAYROLL COMPANY L.P., BRINKER LOUISIANA INC., BRINKER MICHIGAN INC., BRINKER MISSISSIPPI INC., BRINKER MISSOURI INC., BRINKER NEVADA INC., BRINKER NEW JERSEY INC., BRINKER NORTH CAROLINA INC., BRINKER OF BALTIMORE COUNTY INC., BRINKER OF CARROLL COUNTY INC., BRINKER OF CECIL COUNTY INC., BRINKER OKLAHOMA INC., BRINKER OPCO LLC, BRINKER PENN TRUST, BRINKER PROPCO FLORIDA INC., BRINKER PROPERTY CORPORATION, BRINKER PURCHASING INC., BRINKER RESTAURANT CORPORATION, BRINKER RHODE ISLAND INC., BRINKER SERVICES CORPORATION, BRINKER SOUTH CAROLINA INC., BRINKER TEXAS INC., BRINKER VIRGINIA INC., CHILIS BEVERAGE COMPANY INC., CHILIS INC. a Delaware corporation, CHILIS INC. a Tennessee corporation, CHILIS INTERNATIONAL BASES B.V., CHILIS OF BEL AIR INC., CHILIS OF KANSAS INC., CHILIS OF MARYLAND INC., CHILIS OF WEST VIRGINIA INC., Grady's Inc., MAGGIANO'S OF ANNAPOLIS INC., MAGGIANO'S OF HOWARD COUNTY INC., MAGGIANO'S OF KANSAS INC., MAGGIANOS BEVERAGE COMPANY, MAGGIANOS HOLDING CORPORATION, MAGGIANOS INC., MAGGIANOS OF TYSONS INC., MAGGIANOS PROPERTY CORPORATION, MAGGIANOS TEXAS INC., PEPPER DINING HOLDING CORP., PEPPER DINING Inc., and PEPPER DINING VERMONT INC..

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Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. operates as a seaborne shipping and logistics company in North America, Australia, Europe, Asia, South America, and internationally. It focuses on the transportation and transshipment of dry bulk commodities, including iron ores, coal, and grains. The company operates in two segments, Dry Bulk Vessel Operations and Logistics Business. The Dry Bulk Vessel Operations segment engages in the transportation and handling of bulk cargoes through the ownership, operation, and trading of vessels and freight. This segment charters its vessels to trading houses, producers, and government-owned entities. The Logistics Business segment operates ports and transfer station terminals, as well as upriver transport facilities in the Hidrovia region; and handles vessels, barges, push boats, and cabotage business. This segment provides its integrated transportation, storage, and related services through its port facilities, cargo barges, and product tankers to mineral and grain commodity providers, as well as to users of refined petroleum products. As of December 31, 2021, the company's fleet consisted of 36 vessels totaling 3.9 million deadweight tons. Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. was incorporated in 1954 and is headquartered in Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands.
GCI, a Malaysian solution provider with niche focus in health IT, has signed an agreement to implement its solutions across all public healthcare facilities in Jordan.



The six-year country wide implementation will see GCIs solutions implemented in more than 540 facilities, said a statement.



This will be part of the countrys ongoing Hakeem National e-health Program implementation initiative, it added.



Hakeem, under the patronage of HM King Abdullah II, is Jordans National E-Health Initiative. The programme aims to facilitate efficient and improved patient care by providing real-time and up-to-date electronic medical information throughout the public health system.



As part of the Hakeem Project, GCI will be providing core modular solutions focusing on patient management, billing, patient accounting and supply chain management.



This will be GCIs third key foray in the region having done similar countrywide work in Qatar and Dubai over the last five years. GCI also has regional presence in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Abu Dhabi, Iraq and Kuwait.



Zakri Bin Jaafar, the Malaysian Ambassador in Jordan, said: It is a proud occasion for Malaysia as this foray by GCI marks another involvement of yet another Malaysian company in the promising economy of Jordan.



Dr Rami Farraj, chairman of the board of EHS, said: We are proud to partner with the Malaysian company GCI, which has a wealth of experience in implementing these systems in many countries.



We, at EHS, are looking forward to complete the implementation of these systems in a number of medical facilities before the end of this year, he said.



Kana K Thamby, CEO of GCI, said: We are proud to be associated with this mammoth nationwide initiative that is expected to bring immense value to an informed health delivery system and enhanced patient care environment.



On his part, Feras Kamal, CEO of EHS Jordan, the state organization entrusted with the implementation of Hakeem project, stressed that EHS seeks to fully implement the e-health system through these specialized solutions that will enhance the patient experience in hospitals and clinics in Jordan, initially focusing on the public sector.



Hakeem programme, which has been implemented over the past years, includes a number of medical information like: a comprehensive medical and surgical history, physical examinations, procedural and surgical reports, current medications, allergies as well as in-patient and out-patient clinic visit notes. The new systems will be added to help improve work efficiency, in addition to save time, effort and money, Kamal added.  TradeArabia News Service
Updates on African air traffic, cargo (IATA)

African airlines traffic soared 9.9% in June. Capacity rose 7.1%, and load factor jumped 1.7 percentage points to 64.3%, although this still was the lowest among regions. Conditions in the regions two largest economies have continued to diverge, with business confidence in Nigeria rising sharply in recent months, while South Africas economy fell into recession in the first quarter. African carriers had the fastest growth in year-on-year freight volumes, up 31.6% in June 2017 and a capacity increase of 7.6%. This contributed to freight demand growing 25.9% in the first half of 2017  the fastest of all regions. Demand has been boosted by very strong growth on the trade lanes to and from Asia which have increased by nearly 60% in the first five months of 2017. Capacity grew 11.2% in the first half of the year. Seasonally adjusted growth has levelled off in recent months; however growth is set to remain in double digits for the remainder of 2017.

TFTA update (Xinhua)

COMESA Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya said the remaining five countries that are yet to ratify the agreement have made tremendous progress toward domesticating the deal. In addition, two African states have also expressed interest in joining the economic bloc. By the end of the year, Somalia and Tunisia will also come on board to join the Tripartite Free Trade Area, Ngwenya said. Somalia also plans to resume its membership in COMESA, which it lost due to the outbreak of civil war. Now that stability has begun to return to Somalia, the Horn of Africa nation will become a member of COMESA again during the COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit to be held in October, Ngwenya said.

Tarah Shaanika: African countries must even out trade to promote integration (Southern Times)

The impounding of over 400 Namibian, Tanzanian, South African and Congolese trucks by Zambian authorities from February to July 2017 has raised serious questions on two important matters confronting Africa, namely; (i) The need to protect our natural resources with a view to generate maximum commercial benefits from such resources. (ii) The importance of facilitating trade within the continent and with the outside world, in a manner that creates maximum ease of doing business and promotes genuine regional and continental economic integration.

The ease of movement of goods and people remain the most important ingredient for a genuine regional and continental economic integration. Africa needs to trade with itself as much as it trades with the outside world. But intra-Africa trade will be difficult to increase until our governments demolish their trade restrictions behaviours. We cannot want to create an integrated market within the continent but still act unilaterally on business and especially trade matters. We can still protect our natural resources and achieve local value addition without creating unnecessary and self-harming barriers to trade. What happened in Zambia should never be allowed to happen anywhere else in the future. Africa must act as one if it wants to be one. [Shaanika is CEO of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry], [SADC integration under threat as Botswana impounds Zambian trucks]

Kenya exports to Dar drop 34% as standoff persists (Business Daily)

Kenyas exports to Tanzania have dropped by 34% in the first five months of the year raising concerns over negative impacts of the long-running trade standoff. Exports to Tanzania plunged by Sh4.35bn to Sh8.2bn in the period to May compared to Sh12.55bn recorded in similar period last year, shows data released on Friday by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Tanzania has been Kenyas second largest market in the region after Uganda, providing outlet for a range of products that include palm oil, soap, medical drugs, cooking fats, iron sheets, sugar confectionery, and margarine. According to the KNBS data, exports to Uganda have continued to grow, firming up the countrys position as the single largest destination for Kenyas manufactured goods. [For the Jan-May data: see Table 13(a): Major destinations of domestic exports]

Kenya, Tanzania strike deal on wheat and gas imports (Daily Nation)

According to a joint communique issued by the Kenyas Ministry of Trade, the Tanzanian products had been prevented from entering Kenya due to a number of administrative issues. Tanzanian LPG and wheat should flow without restrictions to Kenya with immediate effect, the ministry said on Friday. Kenyas Trade principal secretary Chris Kiptoo said that regarding LPG imports into Kenya, the delay in the implementation of the directive issued on July 28 to allow free flow of LPG from Tanzania was due to an administrative challenge. He added that Tanzanian wheat imports were restricted from entering Kenya due to an existing East African Community legal provision. Therefore, the 26 trucks currently stopped at the border should be released immediately since the legal lacuna has been resolved, Kiptoo said.

Anzetse Were: Ride on imports to grow domestic industrial base (Business Daily)

Kenya is an import economy  imports just about everything from garlic and oranges to construction material and heavy industrial machinery. The general view, which I largely accept, is that an import economy constrains economic growth and development due to several reasons. The first is that an import economy dampens the ability of local manufacturing to meet the needs of the local market: instead foreign nations meet the countrys needs. As a result, imports lock out local manufacturers from benefitting from domestic demand. Secondly, an import economy essentially creates a situation where domestic demand generates jobs and income for foreign countries. As a result, local job creation is muted because the market has been captured by foreign entities. That said, since we are importers it is important to find means through which the situation can be leveraged for economic growth, as there are some benefits to the status quo.

Fears of sugar mills collapse as Kenya opens import doors (Business Daily)

The recent opening of the duty free sugar import window could be the final nail in the coffin of local millers. The May 2017 gazette that permitted cheaper imports without restrictions on the quantity or on specific importers has now sent shockwaves to local industries as it emerges that several sugar shiploads are headed to Mombasa port this month alone. Next month, the quota management for European Union sugar production will end, leaving Kenya - which now accepts imports from outside the Comesa markets - further exposed to more cheap sugar. Millers that are old, inefficient, debt-ridden and facing sugarcane shortage have been depending on handouts doled out occasionally by the government to sustain their operations as they await privatisation, which has been pending since 2014.

Kenya to build high speed expressway to boost Eastern African trade (New Times)

Kenya plans to build a high speed expressway to boost trade in the Eastern Africa region, officials said on Saturday. Kenya National Highway Authority Director General Peter Mundinia said that the 473km expressway will vastly improve the connectivity, efficiency and safety of road transport between Nairobi and the countrys main seaport of Mombasa. It will serve as a central part of Kenyas national transport system, helping to promote trade and development in Kenya and further into Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mundinia said in a statement released in Nairobi. The road will be completed in ten sections in the next six years.

World Poverty Clock data: Kenya trails Ethiopia, Tanzania (Business Daily)

Kenyas economy is lifting only 30 people out of extreme poverty every hour, making it a poor performer compared to neighbouring Ethiopia where 300 people get out of the debilitating condition per hour. Vienna-based World Poverty Clock says 11 million Kenyans are living below the $1.90 (Sh197) per day extreme poverty threshold and accounting for 22.7% of the national population now estimated to stand at 48.6 million. Kenya also trails Tanzania where 66 people are escaping extreme impoverishment every hour.

Uganda, Tanzania start work on construction of $3.5bn oil pipeline (Reuters)

The leaders of Tanzania and Uganda laid a foundation stone on Saturday for the construction of a $3.55 billion-crude export pipeline that would pump Ugandan oil for international markets. The 1,445 km-project - set for completion by 2020 - will stretch from landlocked Ugandas western region, where crude reserves were discovered in 2006, to Tanzanias Indian Ocean seaport of Tanga. The project will become the longest electrically heated crude oil pipeline in the world, said Guy Maurice, Senior Vice President of Africa at Total Exploration and Production. Total is one of the owners of Ugandan oilfields, alongside Chinas Cnooc and Britains Tullow Oil.

Nigeria must now localise its industrial strategies (BusinessDay)

Tony Ejinkeonye is the president of Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry and national vice-president of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA). In this interview with BusinessDays Harrison Edeh, the business leader gives his thought on viable economic models that can support Nigerias industrialisation and revenue diversification.

Nigeria introduces new cabotage policy (Premium Times)

The Director-General of NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside, said that with the NCCS regime, NIMASA would no longer consider applications for grant of waiver on manning for prescribed categories of officers in vessels engaged in cabotage trade. The era of foreigners taking over jobs that Nigerians are qualified for in the maritime sector is over. The NCCS will point a new direction to our cabotage regime as the agency will no longer consider application for grant of waiver on manning requirements for vessels engaged in coastal trade. This is with regards to 2nd officer, 2nd engineer, 2nd mate, down to able seamen, ratings and stewards, he said.

Ghana: GUTA not satisfied with mid-year budget review (GhanaWeb)

The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) has expressed dissatisfaction with the mid-year budget review presented at Parliament on Monday, by Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta. GUTA said the budget failed to capture policies needed to flush out foreign illegal traders in the retail industry, one of the key challenges facing domestic traders. Most of these foreigners, he noted, acted under the mask of the ECOWAS and other international protocols on the free movement of goods and people, which was wrong, as they fail to obey trade laws governing our state. [Ghanas second National Policy Summit on trade and industry will take place on 14-15 August]

India revises draft plan on trade facilitation for services (Mint)

India has moderated the level of ambition in its proposal on trade facilitation for services at the WTO by informing its counterparts that the proposed TFS agreement will only apply to the existing commitments scheduled under the General Agreement on Trade in Services, according to the latest proposal reviewed by Mint. After facing headwinds from both developing countries, including allies such as South Africa, as well as many industrialized countries on the earlier TFS proposal, India has now floated a revised draft proposal which is largely moderated so that it remains as a bargaining chip during the current negotiations on the domestic regulation barriers in services, according to a trade official who asked not to be quoted. In the 18-page restricted job document issued on 27 July, India has maintained that it is in the spirit of constructive engagement.

India caps toor daal imports to 2 lakh MT per annum (Economic Times)

In a move to shore up domestic prices of pigeon pea (toor daal) amid high production, the government on Saturday capped its import at two lakh tonnes a year. The restriction will not apply to governments import commitments under any bilateral/regional agreement, Directorate General of Foreign Trade said in a notification. India is worlds largest importer of lentils and buys pigeon pea from Tanzania, Mozambique, Myanmar and Malawi. Last year, India signed long-term contracts with various countries for import of pulses to augment domestic availability of pulses in India and thereby stabilise its prices.

Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2017 (UN)

The Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2017 foresees that, after two years of contraction, nearly all countries in the region will experience, on average, 1.1% positive growth rates in 2017  except for Venezuela, whose GDP is seen falling -7.2%; and Saint Lucia and Suriname, which is forecast to contract -0.2%. According to the report, as in prior years, different growth dynamics are projected among countries and sub-regions. While the GDP of South America is expected to grow 0.6% this year, the economies of Central America and Mexico are seen expanding 2.5% on average, thanks to an increase in remittances income and improved growth expectations for its main trading partner, the United States. Meanwhile, 1.2% growth is forecast for English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean economies, following a -0.8% contraction in 2016.
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- Raila Odinga took some time off politics to spend sometime with his grandchildren

- The NASA flagbearer shared his days events on his social media to the excitement of Kenyans

- Both Uhuru and Raila are off the campaign trail as it is against policy to engage in campaigns 48 hours to polls

- Uhuru, on the other hand, engaged in prayer sessions in preparation for the polls

NASA frontman Raila Odinga on Sunday, August 6 took some time to unwind away from politics as he prepares to take on President Uhuru Kenyatta in the polls which are less than 48 days away

Raila on the day dedicated his time to his grand-daughters in what looked like a fun-filled Sunday outing.

Photos accessed by TUKO.co.ke highlight the former premier enjoying some quality time with two of his granddaughters at The Hub Karen.

Raila Odinga carrying one of his grandchildren on Sunday, August 6. PHOTO:RailaOdinga/Facebook

READ ALSO: 8 die in Kericho accident

Raila shared his day on his social media, with his trademark analogy of the tedious trip to Canaan.

Raila riding on one of the toys at The Hub alongside one of his grand daughters. PHOTO: RailaOdinga/Facebook

READ ALSO: Uhuru and Raila did not inspire at all in the just ended campaigns

"I had promised my granddaughters the day I get a day off the Campaign Trail it will be "their" day. That Sunday was today and they quickly came to collect! The pictures speak for themselves; we had a great time. I was surprised they let me on their equipment, I guess it's fair to say my early morning fitness training for Canaan is yielding results." A Facebook post belonging to Raila's account read

The seemingly noble gesture from a grandfather who always seems overwhelmed by politics of the nation elicited some excited reactions from Kenyans.

Dickence anaomba sato for someone's sake....big up baba for ur parental care...will vote u in on8

Daretevine Odhiambo Baba that is an indication of a victory.....I just wish u goodluck coz in 2 weeks time ,citizen who normally sleep at Uhuru park due to joblessness will have their dreamz accomplished coz I know your expectation to this great country.

Mary Mweu All the best baba for we really need a change.....Tibim

Lish Lillie I have changed my mind.i was planning to vote for Raila Amollo Odinga on Tuesday at 7:30 am,but now I have changed.I will now vote for Raila Amollo Odinga on Tuesday at 6:02 am!I must be in top 3 first voters for Raila in my polling station!

Wanjiru Muiruri Good job ,family is important.

Gregory Okoth Baba Canaan is real let's go no turning back

Raila caused an upset at the Hub Karen with his presense alongside his grand daughters. PHOTO:Facebook.com/Raila Odinga

READ ALSO: Kenyans mock NASA in hilarious ways after alleged raid on tallying centre

All this took place as his main rival Uhuru Kenyatta attended two separate church services in Eastlands and Roysambu.

Uhuru Kenyatta at a prayer service in Roysambu, Nairobi. PHORO:UhuruKenyatta/Facebook

READ ALSO: Kenyans exiting the city ahead of highly anticipated polls stranded

The August 8 polls will be both Uhuru and Railas last stab at Presidency.

Have anything to add to this article or suggestions? Share with us on news@tuko.co.ke

Watch Uhuru speaking on mass exodus from Nairobi:

Source: TUKO.co.ke
University of Wisconsin System campuses should beef up their engineering programs to train workers at a planned Foxconn facility in southeastern Wisconsin by cutting funding for less popular programs  not by asking the state for more money  a Republican senator said Monday.

Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Cedarburg, criticized UW System President Ray Cross request at a hearing last week for lawmakers to provide additional higher education funding so campuses can hire new faculty members and produce more engineers for Foxconn.

Stroebel said UW should use the state funding it already has to expand engineering programs.

The University of Wisconsin System needs to prioritize needs and wants,  Stroebel said. UW needs to start investing current resources into increasing faculty and staff for engineering, supply chain and computer science degrees.

Perhaps the System should look at decreasing capacity in certain fields that have little demand or relevance.

A spokesman for the senator didnt respond to a question asking which fields he would recommend cutting to fund expanded engineering programs.

We are encouraged by the conversations we are having with legislators about how the UW System can continue to provide a quality education and perform world-renowned research, UW System spokeswoman Stephanie Marquis said.

The 2017-19 state budget, which remains stalled with lawmakers at an impasse over transportation funding, includes $36.2 million in new funding over two years for the UW System. That increase comes after the Systems budget was cut in five of the six prior budgets.
- A bodyguard attached to Mathare MP Steve Kariuki on Saturday, August 5 2017 shot dead a child

- The incident occurred during Steve Kariukis final round of campaigns in Kiamaiko area

- The bodyguard shot the boy as he tried to disperse a crowd by firing shots in the air

A body guard attached to one of Kenyas sitting Member of Parliament is on the spot after shooting dead a three-year-old boy.

TUKO.co.ke has learnt that the bodyguard shot dead the child in an unclear circumstance as he tried to disperse an irate crowd.

The three-year-old boy who has been identified as Mohamed Ache died after he was hit by a bullet on the right side of his chest, stopping just inches from his heart.The boy was rushed to the nearest hospital immediately after the incident in bid to save his life in vain, as he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Mathare MP Steve Kariuki. Photo: BuzzKenya

READ ALSO: Police in Kisumu receive bodybags ahead of election

TUKO.co.ke has learnt that the bodyguard who is responsible for the shooting is attached to none other than Mathare MP Steve Kariuki.

The incident that took place on Saturday ,August 5 2017 at Kiamaiko Ward irked area residents who took to the roads to protest and condemn both the bodyguard and his boss, Steve Kariuki.

According to eye-witnesses, the incident unfolded during the MPs final round of his campaign in the area to retain his seat.

READ ALSO: NASA's elections experts arrested, details

A bullet. Photo: eDaily

READ ALSO: IEBC lists 11,000 polling stations without network coverage and explains how results will be transmitted

One eye-witness who sort anonymity said the bodyguard, known as Oti brandished a gun to scare away irate youth who had surrounded the MP during the campaign tour.

Speaking moments after the incident, another witness said one of the youths was allegedly assaulted by the MPs bodyguards as he tried to make his way to the politician.

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It is at that juncture when other bodyguards who were armed with AK47 riffles started shooting in the air to disperse the crowd.

The incident was confirmed by Nairobi Police boss Japhet Koome who said police have launched investigations to bring the culprit to book.

Have something to add to this article or suggestions? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

NASA publicly names police officers in tallying centre raid;

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- IEBC has spelt out the procedures that will apply during voting, tallying and announcement of results in the general election

- There will be four steps in the voting process

Kenyan voters will on Tuesday, August 8 2017 take to their respective polling stations to elect their preferred politicians for different seats, key among them, the President.

Well, because of this, the independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has in due time spelt out the procedures that will apply during voting, tallying and announcement of results in the general election.

For starters, the electoral body has categorized the polls into three categories-Presidential, County and constituency.

Kenyan voter casting her vote. Photo: Musonye Mike

READ ALSO: Nairobi residents terrified after coffin is dumped in the middle of a busy street (photo)

IEBC has urged all voters to adhere to the set rules and guidelines even as they participate in the much anticipated exercise. There will be four stages through which voters will go through in the entire voting process.

Voters will place their fingers on the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) fingerprint scanner upon arriving at polling stations.

The system will identify the voters by retrieving the images and other important details. Once the system has identified the voters, the clerks will call out their names loudly before issuing them with ballot papers.

READ ALSO: Bishop Margaret Wanjiru's son in trouble after child is shot dead in Mathare

Voter at a polling station. Photo: Musonye Mike

READ ALSO: Police in Kisumu receive bodybags ahead of election

In case the bio-metric machines fail to retrieve voters details in the first round, the clerk will make a maximum of 3 attempts.

The clerk will proceed to undertake an alphanumeric search using the ID number or name or scanning the bar-code of the identification document if the details of the voter are not retrieved in the third attempt.

Voters will also be required to complete the verification Form 32A in the presence of agents before they can proceed to be issued with the ballot papers for the purpose of voting once identified.

Step 1 - The voter places their finger on the KIEMS fingerprint scanner

Step 2 - KIEMS will the identify the voter by retrieving the image and details

Step 3 - Once identified, the clerks will call out the name of the voter loudly

Step 4 - The voter proceeds to be issued with the ballots

Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

Chris Msando tortured? Watch below:

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- Raila Odinga has congratulated President Uhuru Kenyatta for a fair and spirited campaign

- Raila also wished Uhuru all the best in the August 8 polls while saying may the stronger candidate win the much anticipated contest

- The two are facing off for a second time for the country's top seat in a titanic battle that shall be watched by the whole world

National Super Alliance (NASA) presidential candidate Raila Odinga has sent a sweet and warm message to his close rival President Uhuru Kenyatta just hours to the August 8 General Election.

Addressing the media on Monday, August 7, from his Capitol Hill offices in Nairobi, Raila raised a number of concerns on preparations for the big day.

He said NASA has received information that the Jubilee administration has instructed Jubilee voters in their strongholds to vote by midday before the Electronic Voter Identification Devices (EVIDs) are switched off to allow ballot stuffing.

Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka at Uhuru Park Photo: Facebook/Raila Odinga

READ ALSO: NASA exposes yet another rigging plot a day to the General Election

He further claimed that security forces in the country have been deployed in large numbers to NASA strongholds, specifically Kisumu, to intimidate voters.

However, Raila did not miss to congratulate Uhuru for carrying out spirited campaigns that ended on Saturday, August 5.

Raila also wished Uhuru all the best during the polls.

Uhuru Kenyatta at Afraha stadium Photo: Facebook/Uhuru Kenyatta

READ ALSO: Rowdy man jumps on stage and goes straight for Raila, you need to see Mudavadi's reaction (video)

"I want to congratulate my worthy competitor President Uhuru Kenyatta for a fair and wide campaign and I wish him luck tomorrow (Tuesday, August 8). May the stronger candidate win," Raila said.

It will be the second time the two are facing off for the country's top seat. In 2013, Uhuru narrowly beat Raila in a hotly contested election that the latter disputed but the Supreme Court ruled Uhuru won fairly.

Who killed Chris Musando?

Have something to add to this article or suggestions? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- A Kenyan solider has been executed by the al-Shabaab militants after two years in captivity

- David Ngugi Wataati was among several soldiers captured by the militants when they attacked a KDF camp in January 2016

Reports reaching TUKO.co.ke indicate that al-Shabaab militants have executed a Kenyan soldier captured during a raid in Somalia.

The soldier, David Ngugi Wataati was reportedly killed by the terror group on Saturday August 5 after the government failed to negotiate with the militants for his release.

The Kenya Defence Force(KDF) officer was taken as a prisoner of war on January 15,2016 when al-Shabaab attacked a military camp in El Adde,Somalia.

READ ALSO: Kiambu Governor William Kabogo storms IEBC meeting

During the dawn attack which was also captured on camera by the militants, Ngugi lost an eye while more than 100 KDF soldiers were killed.

The Shabaab did incur casualties though but not before they run over the camp and stole military weapons and hardware.

They later forced Ngugi and several other soldiers they had captured to appeal to the government for help through a video posted online.

READ ALSO: Jubilee planning to revert to manual voting- NASA

Terror group al-Shabaab is said to have executed captured KDF soldier.

READ ALSO: Tension in Kisumu over missing names in IEBC list

The al-Shabaab then later released a second video of Ngugi asking the government to negotiate with the terrorists for his release.

The soldier was serving with 120th artillery fleet of the Kenya Army and he joined KDF in 2009.

NASA publicly names police officers in tallying centre raid

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- Another prophet has come forward to reveal his prophesy on the next Kenyan president

- According to prophet William Prince from Mombasa, Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta will be voted in as president for the second time

- His prophesy comes just days after three other prophet predicted Uhurus win in the forthcoming polls

Another Prophet has come out to predict the outcome of the much-anticipated August 8 General Election.

Mombasa-based prophet William Prince has declared that President Uhuru Kenyatta will be retain his seat in the forthcoming polls.

Taking to Facebook, Prophet William Prince revealed that Uhuru Kenyatta will be elected as the President once again in the General Elections.

Uhuru Kenyatta in deep thoughts. Photo: Citizendigital

READ ALSO: Another preacher predict Uhuru will win August 8 elections

In a social media post titled, KENYA 2017 ELECTION PROPHECY , Prophet William Prince said the spirit of the Lord has chosen Uhuru Kenyatta to lead the country.

The spirit of God says I have chosen this man Uhuru Kenyatta for a such a time as this for as Benjamin Netanyahu is to Israel so shall this man be to Kenya. Prophet Prince wrote in part.

READ ALSO: Preacher prophesies who will be elected president between Raila and Uhuru(video)

Prophet William Prince from Mombasa predicts Uhuru's win in August 8 polls. Photo: Prophet William Prince/Facebook

READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about August 8 most expensive elections

Prophet Princes prophesy comes just days after three other Prophet revealed their prophesies on who will be Kenyas President come August,9.

Just recently, Pastor Dr. Thomas Manton IV, Apostle Daniel Wesonga and prophet Owuor declared that the current president, Uhuru Kenyatta will be voted in again on 8th August.

Read the prophet's full prophesy below;

NASA publicly names police officers in tallying centre raid ;

Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- Four election officials have been sacked in Vihiga county for their affiliation to a NASA allied party

- The four included three presiding officers and a polling clerk

- The four were named by Musalia Mudavaid's party as candidates for nomination to the Vihiga county assembly

Four people contracted to oversee elections on Tuesday, August 8, in a number of locations in Vihiga county have been sacked.

The four; three presiding officers and a polling station clerk were booted for their political affiliations after the Progressive Party of Kenya member Governor Moses Akaranga complained about them.

According to reports reaching TUKO.co.ke, the four; Catherine Jayo, Ongadi Mulegi, James Aluda and Akhalakwa Makabuti have strong ties to the National Super Alliance allied party- Amani National Congress.

READ ALSO: Nairobi residents terrified after coffin is dumped in the middle of a busy street (photo)

Amani National Congress party leader Musalia Muavadi (l). Photo: Facebook, NASA Coalition.

READ ALSO: Jubilee party's tempting offer to Kalonzo Musyoka to dump Raila and NASA

Apparently, the four were gazetted among others as candidates for nomination to the Vihiga county assembly by ANC.

Akaranga complained about them, saying they could influence the outcome of the election in Vihiga sub county, Sabatia Sub county, Busali ward and Hamisi Sub county respectively. He complained about them last week and demanded their immediate termination.

READ ALSO: Rowdy man jumps on stage and goes straight for Raila, you need to see Mudavadi's reaction (video

Vihiga County Governor Moses Akaranga complained about the eleciton officials and demanded that their contract be terminated. Photo: Standard.

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According to the Standard on Monday, August 7, the four were sacked and this was confirmed by Deputy County Returning Officer for Vihiga, Charles Avedi.

Kenyans are set to go to the polls in hours to vote for the second batch of leaders since devolution was introduced under the 2010 promulgated constitution.

Kenyans are expected at polling stations on Tuesday, August 8, to vote. Photo: Standard.

READ ALSO: Martha Karua's stylish photos on a bike is the best thing every woman must see today

Reports have it that this is the most contested election in Kenyas history.

Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- Kenya Red Cross has denied supplying body bags to police in Kisumu

- The humanitarian body says it was shocked by the claims

- Police had admitted receiving the body bags ahead of the August 8 polls

The Kenya Red Cross has come out to deny claims that it supplied body bags and other equipment to the police in Kisumu ahead of the Tuesday, August 8 polls.

In a statement, Red Cross said it noted with great concern claims attributed to the police and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) that it supplied the said materials.

This comes after it emerged that police had indeed received body bags and other equipment in anticipation for chaos over presidential results.

READ ALSO: 2017 General Election is here: The key battle-grounds to watch

As reported by TUKO.co.ke, the equipment were received on Friday, August 5 by the Administration Police Commander Joseph Keitany.

They were supplied by a local NGO.

However, Nyanza Regional Coordinator Wilson Njenga has urged Kisumu residents to relax as the body bags were only meant to boost preparedness for big events such as elections.

Nyanzan Regional Coordinator Wilson Njenga (left) Photo: Nation

READ ALSO: Raila's last personal message to Uhuru ahead of titanic battle to lead Kenya

"We will use these kits including the body bags in cases of emergency or accidents or casualties arising from the election," Njega told members of the fourth estate.

"The Kenya Red Cross team are ready with first aid and medical kits, so the police is not an exception. This is a routine exercise," Njenga added.

Who killed Chris Musando?

Have something to add to this article or suggestions? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke
The Airports Authority has successfully carried out a simulation of a crash landing at Piarco.
The State Border Service plans to spend UAH 500 million (about $19.4 million) on the implementation of the Project Wall, a fortified barrier on the Ukrainian-Russian border, in 2017, the new head of the State Border Service, Petro Tsyhykal, has said.

"We have currently received UAH 600 million for 2015-2016, which is about 15% of the total needs. The [initial] plan envisaged the allocation of UAH 2.194 billion for that period. UAH 200 million was allocated in 2017, and changes to the budget added another UAH 300 million. In general, we expect UAH 500 million this year, which is 55% of the funds needed only this year," the media liaisons office of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry quoted him as saying.

Tsyhykal said that 274.6 kilometers of anti-tank ditches had already been dug on the border with Russia, 47.1 kilometers of exclusion zones had been created, 84 kilometers of fences had been installed and 179.9 kilometers of lateral roads had been built.

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The forecast for the gross harvest of grain crops in Ukraine in the 2017/2018 marketing year (MY), depending on weather conditions, is expected at 60.2-63 million tons, the Ukrainian Agricultural Policy and Food Ministry has reported.

"According to preliminary figures from the regions, the forecast for the gross harvest of grain crops in Ukraine in 2017/2018 MY, depending on weather conditions, is expected to stand between 60.2 and 63 million tons," the report says.

Olena Kovaliova, Ukraine's deputy agricultural policy and food minister, said that the country's needs for food grains, for feed purposes and for the processing industry were fully satisfied.

"Exports will exceed domestic consumption," she said.

As of August 4, Ukraine has already collected 30.9 million tons of early grain and leguminous crops from an area of 8.2 million hectares (85% of the 9.7 million hectares).

As reported, according to experts' forecasts, the grain harvest in Ukraine in 2017 will reach 60.4 million tons.

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The German government envoy on decentralization will make a visit to Ukraine in September.

This has been announced by Vice Prime Minister, Minister for Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities of Ukraine Hennadiy Zubko, the Ministrys press service reports

"The visit of the German government envoy on decentralization is another evidence of successful implementation of the reform. Decentralization enjoys the largest support from the EU among other reforms. Germany is our reliable partner in the implementation of both decentralization and energy efficiency reforms. I am confident that the visit and work of the authorized person will deepen our partnership in terms of cooperation between the regions of Ukraine and Germany and development of the infrastructure projects using German experience," Zubko said.

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Militants launched 18 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ATO area in Donbas over the past day.

This is reported by the ATO press center.

The tensest situation was observed in Mariupol direction, where militants used 82mm mortars, grenade launchers and small arms to shell Ukrainian positions near Vodiane (16km north-west of Donetsk). In addition, terrorists fired at ATO troops outside Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) and Pavlopol (30 km northeast of Mariupol), using 120mm mortars.

In Luhansk direction, illegal armed formations launched attacks on Novooleksandrivka (65km west of Luhansk) and Novotoshkivske (53km north-west of Luhansk), using small arms and grenade launchers.

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The exhibition I Want Justice! at the Holocaust Museum examines the history of efforts to hold perpetrators of genocide accountable through court proceedings.

We want people to know the truth of what happened during the Khmer Rouges violent reign and to witness the long-delayed search for justice for the victims now, said Greg Naranjo, the museums special exhibition developer and curator of the Cambodia display when it opened in Washington.

The exhibition features interactive video and audio elements and deals with the United Nations tribunal and other ways Cambodians have tried to heal their trauma.

And, although it focuses on the trials in Cambodia of surviving leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime, it looks at the Nuremburg trials of Nazi leaders in the aftermath of World War II and the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which was established in 2002.

The tribunal

After lengthy negotiations with the international community, Cambodia and the U.N. established the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).

It is a special Cambodian court that receives international assistance through the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials (UNAKRT) and is usually referred to as the tribunal.

In 2007, five top Khmer Rouge figures were arrested and charged with war crimes against humanity, but court proceedings have moved very slowly amid disagreements between the Cambodian and international judges and prosecutors that comprise this unique, hybrid court.

The current Hun Sen government, which includes former, midlevel Khmer Rouge leaders who defected, has been accused of interfering in the court in order to limit the number of defendants.

As of 2017, $300 million has been spent and three suspects have been convicted, while two died in custody before being sentenced.

Court proceedings continue.

Cameron Hudson, the director of the museums Simon Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, said the exhibit on justice for Khmer Rouge victims and other genocide survivors is important because the best ways of seeking redress for such events are still being debated.

Theres no question that international justice is a very expensive proposition. And that the academic research is still rather thin on the degree to which those high-level trials truly help to break the cycle of violence, versus a more grassroots, traditional justice system that tries many more lower-level commanders, he said.

Michael Abramowitz, who was the director of the U.S. Holocaust Museums Levine Institute for Holocaust Education until earlier this year, said the Khmer Rouge tribunals achievement was mixed, yet largely positive.

It seems like a lot of money to spend for a relatively small payoff. On the other hand, it does seem that the people who are most responsible, who are still living, were tried, and I also think that, you know, Cambodians  now have a record in court, he said.

The fact that the Khmer Rouge suspects were jailed after so many years also offers a warning to all those in power, he added.

Its very important to make the point that there is no statute of limitation on crimes against humanity, or on genocide, Abramovitz said. The hope would be that people  would think again and say, I am going to end up in court if I pursue this thinking.

This report originated on VOA Khmer.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday the best step North Korea could take to signal it is ready for dialogue would be to halt its missile tests.

We've not had an extended period of time where they have not taken some type of provocative action by launching ballistic missiles. So I think that would be the first and strongest signal they could send to us is just stop these missile launches, Tillerson said.

He spoke from Manila, where he is taking part in the Regional Forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Tillerson said Saturday's U.N. Security Council vote unanimously adopting new sanctions against North Korea for its ballistic missile tests sends a message that the entire international community finds the country's actions unacceptable, and that the clear expectation is a denuclearized Korean peninsula.

We hope again that this ultimately will result in North Korea coming to the conclusion to choose a different pathway, and when the conditions are right then we can sit and have a dialogue around the future of North Korea so that they feel secure and prosper economically, he said.

North Korea denounced the sanctions Monday in a statement carried by state media, pledging to launch thousands-fold revenge on the U.S. and reiterating its stance that sanctions will not force it to negotiate over its nuclear program. North Korea said it will take action of justice, without elaborating, and said the U.S. would be making a mistake if it believed its mainland is safe because an ocean separates the two countries.

The White House says President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in committed in a phone call to fully implement all relevant U.N. resolutions related to North Korea and to "urge the international community to do so as well.

'Grave threat

The statement late Sunday said Trump and Moon also welcomed the new Security Council resolution and reiterated their belief that North Korea "poses a grave threat" to their countries and Japan.

Trump used Twitter to give his own description of the phone call.

Earlier Sunday, China pressed North Korea to halt its missile and nuclear tests, saying Pyongyang should not provoke international society's goodwill.

China delivers warning

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in a blunt show of support for new United Nations sanctions against North Korea, delivered Beijing's warning to his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ministerial meetings in Manila.

The United States cautiously welcomed China's newfound support of sanctions against North Korea, but said that it would closely monitor China's compliance with the penalties intended to deprive North Korea of $1 billion a year to fuel its illicit nuclear and ballistic missile program.

Susan Thornton, the top U.S. diplomat for Asia, told reporters that in the past China, North Korea's economic lifeline, has supported efforts to curb Pyongyang's weapons development, but then slacked off.

We want to make sure China is continuing to implement fully the sanctions regime, Thornton said, not this kind of episodic back and forth that we've seen.

Trump welcomes support

In a Twitter comment Saturday, Trump welcomed that China and Russia had joined the U.S. in the unanimous U.N. Security Council vote for the sanctions targeting North Korean sales of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore, and seafood.

Very big financial impact! Trump said.

Wang said he advised North Korea to take a double suspension approach to easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, an approach calling for the suspension of North Korea's nuclear tests and the suspension of joint military drills by the U.S. and South Korea.

But Thornton said the U.S. is not considering ending its periodic training exercises with South Korea. She said the U.S. rejects any moral equivalency implied in linking the drills with North Korea's nuclear and missile tests. Arms experts say that North Korea's latest intercontinental missile test showed that Pyongyang might be able to strike much of the U.S. mainland.

No comment from North Korea

North Korea's Ri did make any public statements in Manila. However, the ruling party's Rodong Sinmun newspaper said in a commentary that the U.S. had ignored the warning North Korea sent with its missile tests and was pursuing desperate efforts with the latest United Nations sanctions.

Now the U.S. mainland is on the crossroads of life and death, the commentary warned.

The U.N. sanctions are in response to North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile launches July 3 and 28. The provisions effectively deny Pyongyang one-third of its annual $3 billion in export revenue.

'Prudent defensive measures

UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said the U.S. is taking and will continue to take prudent defensive measures to protect ourselves and our allies from the threat posed by North Korea, which she said is rapidly growing more dangerous.



The resolution also prohibits countries from accepting additional guest workers from North Korea. Pyongyang is notorious for sending its citizens to other countries to work and then confiscating much or all of their salaries, effectively making them slave labor.



The resolution also tightens the enforcement of existing sanctions. The council has imposed several rounds of increasingly tougher targeted sanctions on North Korea since 2006 for its nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches.



In addition to the sanctions, the resolution designates nine North Korean individuals and four entities for asset freezes and travel bans.

Ralph Jennings in Manila and Margaret Besheer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
Wisconsin companies make an impressive and incredibly diverse list of products from ping pong paddles made in Madison, riding mowers made in Horicon, race cars made in Twin Lakes, American flags made in Oak Creek, trolley buses made in Crandon, snow blowers made in Brillion, beef jerky made in Minong, military vehicles made in Oshkosh, outboard motors made in Fond du Lac and there may even be a few clay target machines made in Mayville.

There should be a lot of local, state and national pride over what we make right here in Wisconsin. The problem is that too few people are aware of whats being made in their own community and state. Many of us drive by a manufacturing facility in the local industrial park and have no idea whats going on inside.

As a manufacturer and the board chairman of Wisconsins combined Manufacturers Association and State Chamber, WMC, I want to change that. WMC has partnered with Johnson Financial Group to create the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest. It is designed to celebrate and promote Wisconsins manufacturing prowess by educating the public about all the cool things made right here.

Heres how the contest works. Anyone can begin nominating products at www.madeinwis.com through Sept. 1 at midnight. The first round of voting to whittle the total list of nominees down to 16 will start on Labor Day and end Sept. 11. Those 16 products will then be placed in a tournament bracket with seeding based on total number of votes received in the first round. Youve heard of March Madness, this is Manufacturing Madness.

The second round of voting will begin on Sept. 18 and end Sept. 25. The third round will be Oct. 2 through Oct. 6. The fourth and all important final round will begin Oct. 10 and end Oct. 16. People can vote once per day in each round.

The 2017 winner of the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin Contest will be announced at the State of Wisconsin Business and Industry Luncheon on Oct. 16 at Monona Terrace in Madison.

To win the contest, manufacturers will have to get as many votes as possible. Last year, Johnsonville Sausage enlisted the help of Green Bay Packer standout Clay Matthews to plug them on social media. The Marinette Menomonie Eagle Herald newspaper ran an editorial encouraging its readers to vote for the Littoral Combat Ship built by Fincantieri Marinette Marine. Several state lawmakers plugged their hometown favorite in columns. Other nominees did radio interviews and some sent emails asking their employees, customers and vendors to vote.

Our winner last year  Harley-Davidsons Milwaukee-Eight engine  is out of the running, so this competition is truly wide open. Any product made in Wisconsin has the chance to win, and we think this could be a Cinderella story in the making.

The goal of this contest is to highlight Wisconsins biggest industry and the rewarding careers available. We are proud of our manufacturing heritage and its bright future. We are proud of every cool thing made right here in Wisconsin.

The only question is: Who makes the coolest?

Visit www.madeinwis.com to nominate a product for Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin.
As a steady flow of visitors slowly made their way through the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on a recent morning, some contemplated a special exhibition on the Khmer Rouge terror in Cambodia, which wiped out almost a fifth of the population.

Helen Wedgewood, an American tourist, was among those in the museum. After she studied the images and watched a short documentary film, she could not hold back her tears.

I feel very sad that this happened. I cant imagine that when it was happening nobody knew, and if people knew, that they didnt care enough to intervene, the nurse from Apache Junction, Arizona, said.

Ted Nguyen, a Vietnamese tourist visiting the United States with his family, told VOA Khmer, Even though we are neighbors, I dont know well about this. We need to have more of this kind of exhibition to help the new generation to know and remember this history.

More than 1 million visitors

Wedgewood and Nguyen are two of the roughly 1.2 million visitors who will have seen the exhibition Cambodia: 1975-1979 and a linked exhibition, I Want Justice! since they opened in May 2015, according to the museum. The exhibitions websites have been viewed online more than 200,000 times by about 82,000 visitors, officials said.

The Cambodia exhibitions, which appear alongside the museums permanent exhibition on the Jewish Holocaust during World War II, are scheduled to close Sept. 30, museum officials said.

Genocide: a basic lesson

Cameron Hudson, the director of the museums Simon Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, said the Cambodia exhibitions are helping to inform people that genocide and mass murder occurred throughout the world in the 20th century and could happen again unless actively prevented.

For many Americans who visit the museum, it is the basic lesson of what happened in Cambodia, Hudson told VOA. But most importantly, it delivers a deeper message that genocide did not end with the Holocaust; that the Holocaust was not the only genocide to happen and that we continue to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Part of our museums goal is to highlight  the feeling that governments should prevent and respond, Hudson added.

Greg Naranjo, the museums special exhibition developer and curator of the Cambodia display, agreed that Khmer Rouge-era killings offered an important lesson for Americans and other museum visitors.

Knowledge and awareness is the first and most important thing that we can contribute for the prevention of genocide in general, he said.

Cambodian Americans who visited the exhibitions said they were glad to see a large audience learning their countrys history.

Its a reminder in a good way, for both Cambodians and everyone in the world, said Ben Bao, a 66-year-old Khmer Rouge survivor who is president of Cambodian Community Day, a cultural, educational and social organization in the Washington metropolitan area.

Explaining the terror

Cambodia: 1975-1979 examines the bloodthirsty tactics the Maoist Khmer Rouge forces of Pol Pot used to establish their new state, Democratic Kampuchea, which they envisioned as a self-sustaining, farm-based society.

Soon after the Khmer Rouge took Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975, they forced its 2 million residents into the countryside, where they joined millions of others pressed into forced-labor brigades, building earthworks and rice paddies. The Chinese-backed regime ran dozens of interrogation centers where tens of thousands of people were tortured and killed, often for no clear reason.

About 1.7 million Cambodians are estimated to have died from disease, starvation, exhaustion and murder. Historians continue to struggle to establish a more exact toll  in Cambodia, every family has a story of loved ones who were killed or went missing.

The exhibit I want Justice! examines the efforts to bring the perpetrators to trial. It focuses in large part on attempts in Cambodia to prosecute aging Khmer Rouge leaders at the United Nations-backed tribunal in Phnom Penh, the capital city. It focuses on how survivors have sought justice, be it personal, cultural or historical.

Display organizers

Michael Abramowitz, director until earlier this year of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museums Levine Institute for Holocaust Education, was a key force behind the Cambodia exhibitions.

Abramowitz, the current president of Freedom House, said it was important to have a museum display on the Khmer Rouge horrors.

In terms of the pure numbers, in terms of the percentage of the population, it is really one of the most terrible cases of state-sponsored killings in the 20th century, he told VOA.

I just think it is important for us, with all these cases, to remind ourselves that genocide is always possible, Abramowitz said. We must do everything we can to prevent it in the future by knowing the impacts from the past.

Youk Chhang, the director of the Documentation Center Cambodia (DC-Cam) in Phnom Penh, which provided most of the material for the exhibitions, praised Abramowitzs efforts, adding that former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia Joseph Mussomeli had also played an important role.

Without [them], I do not think the exhibitions would have taken place, Chhang told VOA.

Mussomeli said he had supported the exhibition because it would educate the U.S. public, adding that Cambodians also benefited from such exhibits and other educational initiatives abroad or at home.

We shouldnt get so distracted by our everyday life that we forget the past, because the past is the foundation of the future, Mussomeli said. Cambodians are so long-suffering, so stoic, that they dont like to dwell on the past.  But it is important as a people to face the terrible things that happened. I think that will help Cambodia to become a better, healthier country.

Remembrance in Cambodia

To that end, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been supporting DC-Cam.

Since 2004, when an endowment was established for the center, USAID has donated almost $10 million. In April, USAID provided the latest round of funding, $5.8 million, to anchor the endowment, which will sustain DC-Cam for about another 20 years, Chhang said.

The center was founded in 1995 with a mission to research and collect documents on the Khmer Rouge era. Museums, schools and other institutions have used its findings, as has the U.N. tribunal.

Chhang said DC-Cams main mission was to educate Cambodians and foster understanding and discussions of the horrors, part of a healing process for the country.

One of the most important activities, Chhang said, is developing a high school curriculum.

All the students who studied about genocide know well about the genocide and have the ability to protect human rights and to prevent it from happening again, he said, adding that survivors should also educate their children.

It will heal the nation and it enhances knowledge, because no one can teach about the genocide better than those who have gone through it, he said. I suggest through VOA that parents should at least talk about the life they went through to their children, nieces and nephews.

Reflecting on US response

The U.S. has been a strong supporter of the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, even though there are allegations that the U.S. did little to stop the Khmer Rouge regime when it was in power.

The U.S. and other Western countries agreed to let the Khmer Rouge fill Cambodias seat at the United Nations in order to punish Vietnam, an ally of the Soviet Union, for invading and toppling the regime.

Hudson, of the Simon Skjodt Center, said the exhibition included these U.S. foreign policy decisions from the 1970s, because its also not a proud moment in our history, in terms of the lack of a strong response to try to stop what we knew to be genocide or crimes inside Cambodia.

This report originated on VOA Khmer.
A former general and leader of the Khmer National United Party were arrested on Friday on drug-trafficking charges, officials said.

Nhek Bun Chhay, also a former government advisor and former deputy leader of the royalist Funcinpec party, was arrested Thursday on charges of conspiring to produce and import amphetamines in Kampong Speu province in 2007.

Gen. Khieu Sopheak, an interior spokesman, said the decision to detain Bun Chhay was not political but did not explain why the courts had decided to issue a warrant more than a decade after the alleged crime was committed.

Sopheak added that the drug operation was allegedly run from land in Kampong Speu owned by Bun Chhay.

A former assistant to Bun Chhay was previously sentenced to 25 years in prison for his involvement in the alleged drug ring.

In June, Prime Minister Hun Sens ruling Cambodian Peoples Party cut ties with the KNUP after it was reported that Bun Chhay had contacted Eng Chhay Eang, vice president of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, to discuss cooperation. As a result, Bun Chhay lost his government advisory role.

So Chantha, a political scientist, said the courts were likely again being used as a political tool of the ruling party, given than Bun Chhay had recently fallen out of favor with the CPP. The ruling party declared that he [Bun Chhay] had been unfaithful to them. So it can be said that the arrest is a threat against those who plan to change allegiances.
For more than a decade, Shamil Zhumatov has photographed spacecraft taking off from Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome. After dozens of launches, he says the challenge is to find new and better ways of taking pictures.

The Soyuz spacecraft which blasted off on July 28 carried NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik, Russia's Sergey Ryazanskiy, and Italy's Paolo Nespoli to the International Space Station.

"Most launches lately have taken place in during the daytime, and this one was special, happening on the edge of day and night, about 20 minutes after sunset," Shamil said.

It was already dark on the ground, but the upper layers of the atmosphere were still lit by sun, which created an unusual contrast  and additional technical difficulties.

"I had to change my camera settings from night-time to daylight ones quickly as I shifted from shooting the launch pad to the flying spacecraft," Shamil says.

Photographers don't have a choice of location at Baikonur  everyone shoots from the same position, about 1 km (mile) from the launch pad. Only remotely controlled cameras can shoot from closer distances  and Shamil's routinely gets damaged by rocks which fly in all directions during blast-off.

After the rocket lifts off, photographers keep tracking it until it disappears from sight. A few minutes into the flight, the rocket sheds its four boosters as they exhaust their liquid fuel and can no longer propel the craft.

In daytime, they can be only seen as four tiny dots.

But on July 28, because the unusual lighting made Soyuz's condensation trail  clouds formed by engine exhaust  very bright, it was easy to see the cross-shaped pattern formed by the discarded boosters.

"I snapped the picture after the boosters separated," Shamil says. "From the earth, it looks like a rather slow process."

Soyuz's contrail and further stage separations that day could be seen for hundreds of kilometers and sparked rumors and speculation on social media, especially among UFO enthusiasts.

Shamil says he cannot remember exactly how many launches he has photographed, but reckons he has seen at least 50 crews off from Baikonur or met them as they returned to earth.
Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo say at least 12 people were killed during clashes between police and members of separatist sect Bundu dia Mayala in the capital Kinshasa.

Police spokesman Col. Pierrot Mwanamputu said four of the sect members and eight others were killed by stray bullets.

Witnesses say the clashes followed an attack by Bundu dia Mayala members on Kinshasa's main prison. The group stormed the same prison in May, freeing their leader and scores of others.

Witnesses say this time the attackers did not make it past the prison's main doors.

Gunfire was reportedly heard in a number of Kinshasa neighborhoods early Monday.

Two more people were killed in related violence in Matadi in southwestern Congo.

Hundreds killed in recent months

Last week, U.N. human rights investigators issued a report documenting the killings of more than 250 people, including 62 children, in violence in central Congo over three recent months. U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said the violence could devolve into "wider ethnic cleansing."

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said Monday that the U.N. investigators learned that "Congolese security forces supported, and sometimes even led, the attacks" in Congo's central Kasai province.

"The latest U.N. report sadly documents something we already know: Innocent men, women and children are being brutally killed in the Kasais, and Congolese authorities are doing nothing to stop it," she said.

Growing unrest in the country has raised fears of a return to civil war, which ravaged the DRC for nearly a decade beginning in the late 1990s, leading to the deaths of millions of people.

The country is also facing a political crisis with President Joseph Kabila's second and final constitutional mandate expiring last December.

An agreement reached last year by the president and the opposition said Kabila could remain in office until elections were organized, and it set a deadline of the end of 2017. However, the election commission announced this month that it would not be possible to organize elections by the end of December. Kabila's government has faced a wave of protests in recent months over the election issue.
The Australian navy says it has found the missing U.S. aircraft that crashed into the sea Saturday off Australia's east coast.

Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne said in a statement the submerged aircraft was located "shortly after" Royal Australian Navy survey ship HMAS Melville arrived in Shoalwater Bay.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Navy divers are working with the crew of the Melville at the crash site and are using remotely operated underwater vehicles.

The aircraft had been launched from the USS Bonhomme Richard assault ship and was involved in routine operations when it crashed.

Twenty-three people aboard the MV-22 Osprey were rescued, but three Marines remained missing.

The U.S. military launched a search and rescue effort for the missing Marines, but eventually changed that operation to a recovery effort in coordination with Australian defense forces. The families of the missing Marines were notified.

The aircraft was in Australia after completing a joint U.S.-Australian military training exercise at least two weeks ago in Shoalwater Bay. The biennial exercise involved some 30,000 troops and 200 aircraft. Australian troops are among U.S.-led coalition forces fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Marine Corps did not say what caused the crash, but indicated it is under investigation.

The Osprey is designed to take off like a helicopter and rotate its propellers to fly like a plane. Its development was almost cancelled after 23 marines were killed during a flight test in 2000. The U.S. military grounded its Osprey fleet in Japan last December after one of them crash-landed into the sea, injuring all five crew members on board.

The Osprey is built by Boeing Company and Textron Inc.'s Bell Helicopter division.
The city of Chicago will sue the Trump administration over its threat to cut off certain federal funding to so-called sanctuary cities that provide asylum to illegal immigrants.

Democratic Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the city will file its suit Monday.

"Chicago will not let our police officers become political pawns in a debate," Emanuel said at a news conference on Sunday. "Chicago will not let our residents have their fundamental rights isolated and violated. And Chicago will never relinquish our status as a welcoming city."

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said the Justice Department will withhold a justice assistance grant from cities that fail to comply with new requirements related to immigration. Municipalities known as sanctuary cities are those that refuse to cooperate with federal requests to detain and hold noncitizens under arrest on charges unrelated to their immigration status, until immigration enforcement officers can take custody and possibly deport them.

Chicago has used justice assistance grants in the past to buy equipment for its police department. Sessions announced that any city applying for the program this year must meet new requirements: The should allow Homeland Security officers to enter jails and inquire about inmates' citizenship, and they also would be required to notify federal officers 48 hours before any suspected immigration violator is released from local custody.

The Chicago lawsuit is expected to argue that the Justice Department would be federalizing local jails and requiring city authorities to violate the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, which requires probable cause for an arrest and blocks what it calls unreasonable search and seizure.

The Justice Department has not commented on Chicago's planned legal action.

Sessions has said the actions of sanctuary cities are "designed to frustrate the enforcement of our immigration laws." Mayor Emanuel has answered the attorney general by defending Chicago as a "welcoming city," one that encourages all of its residents to cooperate with police.

Rather than frustrating law enforcement, as Sessions alleged, a spokesman for Emanuel said Chicago "promotes public safety by ensuring that no city resident, regardless of their status, is afraid to cooperate with law enforcement, report criminal activity to the police, serve as a witness in court or seek help as a victim of crime."

President Donald Trump has made immigration reform one of the key goals of administration, arguing that undocumented migrants are making the U.S. less safe. His proposals include building a wall along U.S.-Mexican border and expanding requirements for those who want to emigrate to the U.S. legally.

A federal judge has already blocked a presidential executive order excluding sanctuary cities from consideration for any federal funding assistance. On the separate issue of Trump's attempt to ban for the time being all immigrants from six Muslim-majority countries, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments on the case during the coming weeks.
North Korea vowed Monday to persist in its nuclear weapons development program, rejecting calls from the international community to rein in its aggressive military actions.

Pyongyang's United Nations mission contended that new U.N. sanctions against it for its missile tests were a "flagrant infringement upon its sovereignty," with state media claiming they were the result of a "heinous U.S. plot to isolate and stifle" the communist country.

North Korea told a security conference of key regional leaders in Manila that it would never bargain away its development of nuclear weapons or ballistic missiles, and said that it would teach the United States a "severe lesson" with nuclear strategic force if Washington takes military against it.

Pyongyang said it is a responsible nation state with no intent to threaten any country other than the United States unless they join Washington in military action. But North Korea boasted that its latest missile test in late July showed the world that the "entire U.S. mainland is in our firing range."

Tillerson: Stop testing

North Korea's response to the U.N. sanctions came as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the best step Pyongyang could take to signal it is ready for dialogue would be to halt its missile tests.

"Weve not had an extended period of time where they have not taken some type of provocative action by launching ballistic missiles. So I think that would be the first and strongest signal they could send to us is just stop these missile launches," Tillerson said. He also spoke in Manila, where he is taking part in the regional forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

China, North Korea's economic lifeline, said it is fully committed to enforcing the U.N. sanctions intended to deprive North Korea of $1 billion in annual export money Pyongyang is using to fuel its illicit nuclear and ballistic missile program.

"China will for sure implement that new resolution 100 percent, fully and strictly," Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters on the sidelines of the Manila meeting.

In the U.S., the White House said that President Donald Trump talked with Tillerson and chief of staff John Kelly about North Korea for an hour. Trump has demanded quick implementation of the new sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea's exports of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore, and seafood.

Tillerson said Saturday's U.N. Security Council vote unanimously adopting new sanctions against North Korea for its ballistic missile tests sends a message that the entire international community finds the country's actions unacceptable, and that the clear expectation is a denuclearized Korean peninsula.

"We hope again that this ultimately will result in North Korea coming to the conclusion to choose a different pathway, and when the conditions are right then we can sit and have a dialogue around the future of North Korea so that they feel secure and prosper economically," he said.

Revenge threat

North Korea, in the statement carried by state media, pledged to launch a "thousands-fold" revenge on the U.S. and reiterated its stance that sanctions will not force it to negotiate over its nuclear program.North Korea said it will take "action of justice," without elaborating, and said the U.S. would be making a mistake if it believed its mainland is safe because an ocean separates the two countries.

The White House said Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in committed in a phone call to fully implement all relevant U.N. resolutions related to North Korea and to "urge the international community to do so as well."

The statement late Sunday said Trump and Moon also welcomed the new Security Council resolution and reiterated their belief that North Korea "poses a grave threat" to their countries and Japan.

China urges end to provocation

Earlier Sunday, China pressed North Korea to halt its missile and nuclear tests, saying Pyongyang should not "provoke international society's goodwill."

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang delivered Beijing's warning to his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho on the sidelines of the ASEAN ministerial meetings.

The United States cautiously welcomed China's newfound support of sanctions against North Korea, but said that it would closely monitor China's compliance with the penalties.

Susan Thornton, the top U.S. diplomat for Asia, told reporters that in the past China has supported efforts to curb Pyongyang's weapons development, but then slacked off.

"We want to make sure China is continuing to implement fully the sanctions regime," Thornton said,"not this kind of episodic back and forth that we've seen."
A Pakistani Islamist charity, which the United States designated as a "foreign terrorist organization" three years ago, has formed a new political party with a mission to enter mainstream politics and contest future national elections.

The controversial charity, called Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), is believed to be a front for the banned anti-India Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) organization and is run by Hafiz Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 deadly Mumbai attacks.

Washington has offered a $10-million bounty for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Saeed, who has been under house arrest in Pakistan for the last six months.

Islamabad detained the Islamist leader under international pressure and authorities recently extended his detention for another two months.

Speaking to reporters Monday in Islamabad, Saeed's longtime associate, Saifullah Khalid, in his capacity as president of the newly-formed Milli Muslim League party, explained its mission.

"We have decided to make a new political party, so that Pakistan is made an Islamic and welfare state in the true sense of the word, and also, so that we can find a better solution to the issues faced by our beloved country," Khalid said.

Humanitarian charity

JuD denies it is a front for LeT and calls itself a humanitarian charity. It also denies involvement in the Mumbai carnage that left at least 166 people dead and brought India and Pakistan to the brink of another war.

Khalid said a request has been submitted with Pakistan's election commission to register the party to participate in future elections.

He went on to say that JuD will continue its welfare activities across Pakistan, and the political party will strive to be a "permanent and sovereign" party at the national level.

Khalid promised his party will maintain coordination and cooperation with JuD and other organizations involved in welfare activities.

"God willing, from the platform of the Milli Muslim League, we will continue this work countrywide, right down to the Union Council level," vowed the leader.

Khalid demanded Pakistani authorities immediately release Saeed, and criticized the decision to extend in his detention.

"First of all, Professor Hafiz Mohammad Saeed should be honorably released. There are no charges against him. He has always been found not guilty by the courts. He has been put under house arrest on charges of being innocent," asserted Khalid.

He did not rule out a role for Saeed in the newly-launched political party once he is freed.

Terrorist designation

There was no immediate reaction from U.S or Indian officials to Monday's announcement by the JuD leaders.

Michael Kugelman, a South Asia analyst at Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, said Saeeds move indicates his hope to soften an image that for many in Pakistan is already quite positive.

He likely wants to gain legitimacy for his views and ideas by being seen as a political figure, working from within the system, and not merely as a militant leader dabbling in charitable work, Kugelman noted.

He said it is highly unlikely Hafiz Saeed will sever ties with militant groups that have helped sustain his popularity in recent years.

Pakistan has long been accused of harboring militant groups involved in terrorist attacks in India and Afghanistan.

Islamabad rejects the charges and, in turn, blames New Delhi for sponsoring terrorist attacks on Pakistan soil to destabilize the country.

The United States designated LeT as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in December 2001.

"Shortly after LeT was designated as an FTO, Saeed changed its name to Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JUD) and began humanitarian projects to circumvent restriction. LeT disseminates its message through JUD's media outlets," according to information posted on the State Department website.

The department's country report on terrorism for 2016 said the LeT and its wings continued to make use of economic resources and raise funds in Pakistan.
As President Donald Trump recently stood beside the Lebanese prime minister praising his government for standing up to Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militants were busy demonstrating just how wrong he was. They were clearing the country's eastern frontier from al-Qaida fighters in a sweeping offensive and negotiating a complex prisoner deal with the group.

Far from being an ally in the fight against Hezbollah, the Lebanese government headed by Saad Hariri is based on a partnership with the Shiite group, whose clout and dominance in the tiny country is on the rise.

"Lebanon is on the front lines in the fight against (the Islamic State group), al-Qaida and Hezbollah," Trump said at the press conference in Washington, lighting up social media with comments from Lebanese who ridiculed his perceived ignorance of Lebanese politics.

The Lebanese government headed by Hariri was formed in December following an extended paralysis and a presidential vacuum that lasted nearly three years. Hariri, a Sunni politician squarely opposed to Hezbollah and Assad, was made prime minister only after an overall bargain was reached with Hezbollah that included the election of Michel Aoun, a Christian and Hezbollah ally, as president. Aoun has repeatedly said that Hezbollah's arms complement those of the Lebanese military.

Trump aside, there is much about Hezbollah's role in Lebanon that is sometimes difficult for outsiders to understand.

The Iranian proxy is the single most potent military and political force in Lebanon, with an arsenal surpassing that of the country's army. By many accounts, Hezbollah has brought disaster to the country by engaging in destructive wars with Israel, and, as Trump himself noted, it has fueled the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria where it has sent thousands of its fighters to shore up President Bashar Assad's forces.

But to its many supporters, the group is a stabilizing force in a fragile country with a historically weak central government that has been repeatedly battered by Israel and struggled against Sunni militancy, particularly since the eruption of the Syrian civil war.

The party, founded in the early 80s to fight Israeli occupation of parts of Lebanon, enjoys a support base that extends well beyond its Shiite constituency. It has been a mainstay of Lebanese politics for the past few decades, taking part in governments and offering state-within-a-state services to followers in its strongholds without trying to impose its religious views on the country's pluralist society.

The group has its own secure telecommunications network and a reach that extends across vital Lebanese installations and infrastructure, as well as veto power in the Lebanese cabinet.

Its decision to send fighters to Syria in 2013 remains highly controversial in Lebanon, but the group has to a large extent successfully portrayed its presence as a necessity to protect Lebanon from militant groups including Islamic State and al-Qaida, which proliferated in Syria and overran the border with Lebanon in 2014.

This week, the group took credit for ending the presence of al-Qaida elements in the border area, following a week-long military offensive and then a negotiated settlement that saw hundreds of al-Qaida-linked militants, their families and thousands of civilians, return to Syria. The Lebanese military, which has received more than $1 billion in U.S. security assistance in the past decade, took a back seat in the operation.

Hariri recognized Hezbollah's role - criticized by its opponents in Lebanon - saying that the end result was what mattered and calling it "a big achievement."

"We have our opinion and Hezbollah has its opinion, but in the end, we met on a consensus that concerns the Lebanese people for the (good of) the Lebanese economy, security and stability," he said.

In a clear distribution of roles, the army is now expected to spearhead an upcoming fight in another section of the border, this time against Islamic State group militants.

Declaring victory Friday night, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the army was perfectly capable of winning that fight but offered his support should it be needed.

"We are at the service of the Lebanese army and under its command ... if they ask for any help we will help," he said in a televised speech.

It is this complex relationship between Lebanese governments and Hezbollah that foreigners often find so baffling.

"Both Lebanon and Hezbollah occupy a grey area: Lebanon isn't really a state, and Hezbollah isn't a terrorist group - or isn't only a terrorist group, depending on your view," said Faysal Itani, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, explaining the misperceptions.

"So the American tendency is either to treat Hezbollah as controlling the state of Lebanon, or to see Lebanon as a sovereign entity fighting a terrorist group. Both are false."

Hariri, whose father, former Premier Rafik Hariri was assassinated with a ton of explosives in 2005 in a bombing some blamed on Hezbollah, has a tough balancing act to maintain. Hezbollah and its allies brought down a previous government headed by Hariri in 2011 by resigning while he was in Washington meeting the U.S. president.

During his visit to Washington, Hariri responded to questions about his uneasy coalition with Hezbollah, describing it as necessity to shield Lebanon from slipping into renewed civil war.

Following Trump's press conference, during which he described Hezbollah as a "menace to the Lebanese state" and the entire region, Nasrallah said he would not comment so as not to embarrass the Lebanese delegation headed by Hariri while it was still in Washington.

Hezbollah displayed its clout when it invited journalists on a border tour after ousting al-Qaida militants from the area, parading its fighters, armored personnel carriers and missiles on the barren mountains in surreal displays of confidence that stressed that Hezbollah, and not the U.S., was fighting terrorism.

During the offensive and on the tour, the group repeatedly stuck the yellow Hezbollah flag next to the Lebanese flag, suggesting the two cannot be separated.

Israeli officials have used such displays to emphasize that there's no line between the Lebanese state and Hezbollah, particularly with Aoun's election as president, suggesting the Lebanese state will pay heavily in any future war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Itani said Hezbollah has been infiltrating and co-opting parts of the Lebanese government for over 20 years.
Escalating militia violence and a surge in attacks on aid workers in northern Mali are restricting the delivery of food and healthcare to millions of people, agencies said on Monday.

The Malian army, United Nations peacekeepers and humanitarian groups are regularly targeted by desert fighters who have regrouped since a French-led military operation in 2013 to drive them out of the West African nation's northern towns.

At least 100 peacekeepers have died in recent months, making it the most deadly U.N. mission to date, while the number of attacks on aid workers and their compounds has soared this year.

Aid operations have been disrupted about 70 times so far this year - with agencies hit by arrests, assaults, thefts and break-ins - surpassing a total of 68 incidents in 2016, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

"Aid workers are being targeted for cash, radios, cars and other equipment," Ute Kollies, head of OCHA in Mali, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "The insecurity is having a growing impact on aid operations ... we are worried about the deterioration."

At least 3.7 million people across Mali will need aid this year, up from 2.5 million in 2016, and more than 600,000 urgently need food, according to U.N. data.

The rise in attacks on aid agencies has driven some, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), to temporarily suspend operations.

The latter was targeted four times in June alone, with their offices and housing looted and one of their staff shot at, according to MSF mission head Juan Carlos Cano.

"It is hard for humanitarians to cope with the lawlessness and provide aid in this environment," said Jean-Nicolas Marti, the ICRC's Mali country head, adding that many people were struggling to access healthcare, and that facilities were often low on drug stocks.

At least 250 war-wounded patients  including militiamen, soldiers and civilians  have been operated on by ICRC surgical teams so far this year, up from about 150 last year, Marti said.

French troops and U.N. peacekeepers have been battling to stabilize Mali, a former French colony, ever since France intervened in 2013 to push back jihadists and allied Tuareg rebels who took over the country's desert north in 2012.

Fighting between rival Tuareg factions has intensified in recent months and threatens to derail a 2015 peace deal meant to end years of conflict and instability in the landlocked country.
MADISON  After lawmakers finished grilling members of the Walker administration over the details of a proposed incentive package to bring Foxconn Technology Group to Wisconsin, the mood in Thursdays public hearing audibly changed.

While their questions were still tough, members of the Assembly Committee on Jobs and the Economy took on a decidedly different tone as they listened to leaders of local government and higher education describe why they thought the deal would be good for Wisconsin and its taxpayers.

Those few hours may represent a turning point in the debate over whether Foxconn, the worlds largest contract electronics manufacturer, should get $3 billion in public incentives over 15 years in exchange for a $10-billion investment, 13,000 direct jobs and a supply chain likely to employ twice as many workers.

An inherent skepticism is baked into the mix when the executive branch of state government offers ideas that are subject to legislative scrutiny. That tension has been present with every administration in recent memory, Republican or Democrat, and its no different under Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

Lawmakers are often more willing to listen to others whom they trust, even if the message is identical or nearly so to what they hear from a governors team.

That was the case during Thursdays hearing in the Capitol, where the mood changed when lawmakers heard testimony from leaders of the University of Wisconsin System, Marquette University, the states Technical College System and bipartisan local leaders from Kenosha and Racine counties. Sites in those two counties are where Foxconn will build its 20-million-square-foot plant.

UW System President Ray Cross said he believes the Foxconn project would be transformative for the state and would catapult the state university system into a position of global prominence through partnerships, internships and research opportunities that would build on what is already a strong research base.

His views were supported by UW-Parkside Chancellor Deb Ford and UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone, whose campuses are close to Foxconns proposed sites and would be likely sources of talent and industry partnerships.

UW-Madison Engineering Dean Ian Robertson talked about the need for engineering graduates to fill Foxconn-related jobs, either directly or indirectly, and noted the college must add faculty to meet those demands over time.

Marquette President Mike Lovell described his time in Pittsburgh as that citys economy recovered from the loss of its historic steel industry. That recovery was spurred dramatically with a decision by Google to locate a major facility there, which in turn attracted more tech economy jobs. The same thing will happen in Wisconsin, Lovell predicted, if Foxconn lands here.

State Technical College President Morna Foy was joined by campus presidents from Appleton, Wausau and Kenosha who described the systems ability to produce graduates who are ready to work  and who usually stay in Wisconsin to do so. In fact, the retention rate for tech college graduates and certificate holders is 97 percent, the committee was told.

Local government leaders from Racine and Kenosha voiced their excitement over Foxconns arrival, and described Foxconn leaders as being tough negotiators but fair and legitimately concerned about Wisconsin and their region.

Lawmakers also heard the general manager of Kenoshas water utility, Edward St. Peter, detail how that citys facilities are ready to handle Foxconns enormous water demands and to return clean water to the environment.

Local leaders that included former Democratic legislators Jim Kreuser and John Antaramian suggested some changes in the legislation pertaining to Tax Incremental Financing, but otherwise supported the incentive package.

Other suggested changes that may find their way into the bill before it passes involved a Wisconsin First approach to giving state contractors and suppliers a shot at doing business with Foxconn and more targeted wetlands mitigation rules.

There will still be skeptics, but lawmakers on hand Thursday heard how Wisconsin assembled a team approach to bring the Foxconn opportunity to this point. Its a team that appears poised to finish the job.
Former war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte says she is resigning from the U.N.'s independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria, decrying Security Council inaction to hold criminals accountable in the war-battered country where "everyone is bad."

In comments published Sunday by the Swiss magazine Blick, Del Ponte expressed frustration about the commission and criticized President Bashar Assad's government, the Syrian opposition and the international community overall.

"We have had absolutely no success," she told Blick on the sidelines of the Locarno film festival Sunday. "For five years we've been running up against walls."

Del Ponte, who gained fame as the prosecutor for the international war crimes tribunals that investigated atrocities in Rwanda and Yugoslavia, has repeatedly decried the Security Council's refusal to appoint a similar court for Syria's 6-year-old civil war. Permanent member Russia, which can veto council actions, is a key backer of Assad's government.

"I give up. The states in the Security Council don't want justice," Del Ponte said, adding that she planned to take part in the last meeting in September. "I can't any longer be part of this commission which simply doesn't do anything."

Appointed in September 2012, Del Ponte was quoted by Blick as saying she now thinks she was put into the role "as an alibi."

"I've written my letter of resignation already and will post it in the coming days," she said.

She did not immediately respond to a text message from The Associated Press seeking comment.

In her comments to Blick, Del Ponte described Syria as a land without a future.

"Believe me, the terrible crimes committed in Syria I neither saw in Rwanda nor ex-Yugoslavia," she said. "We thought the international community had learned from Rwanda. But no, it learned nothing."

At first in Syria, "the opposition (members) were the good ones; the government were the bad ones," she was quoted as saying.

But after six years, Del Ponte concluded: "In Syria, everyone is bad. The Assad government is committing terrible crimes against humanity and using chemical weapons. And the opposition, that is made up only of extremists and terrorists anymore."

The commission issued a statement saying it was aware since mid-June of Del Ponte's plans to leave and insisted that its work "must continue" to help bring perpetrators in Syria to justice.

Del Ponte's resignation shrinks the commission to two members after Thai professor and former human rights investigator Vitit Muntarbhorn left last year to become the first-ever U.N. independent expert investigating violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The commission was set up in August 2011 by the Human Rights Council to investigate crimes in Syria, no matter who committed them. Since then, it has compiled thousands of interviews and keeps a list of suspected war criminals under lock and key at the offices of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.

But Del Ponte said that as long as the Security Council didn't put in place a special tribunal for war crimes in Syria, all commission reports were pointless.

The issue of accountability for war crimes in Syria has largely taken a back seat to diplomatic efforts to end the war in recent months.

The commission's relevance has also come into question after the U.N. General Assembly, acting in the face of the Security Council inaction, voted in December to set up an investigative body to help document and prepare legal cases to possibly prosecute the most serious violations in Syria's war that is estimated to have left at least 400,000 dead.
Silicon Valley's efforts to promote workforce diversity haven't yielded many results  unless you count a backlash at Google, where a male engineer blamed biological differences for the paucity of female programmers.

His widely shared memo, titled "Google's Ideological Echo Chamber," also criticizes Google for pushing mentoring and diversity programs and for "alienating conservatives."

Google's just-hired head of diversity, Danielle Brown, responded with her own memo, saying Google is "unequivocal in our belief that diversity and inclusion are critical to our success." She said change is hard and "often uncomfortable."

The dueling memos come as Silicon Valley grapples with accusations of sexism and discrimination. Google is also in the midst of a Department of Labor investigation into whether it pays women less than men, while Uber's CEO recently lost his job amid accusations of widespread sexual harassment and discrimination.

Leading tech companies, including Google, Facebook and Uber, have said they are trying to improve hiring and working conditions for women. But diversity numbers are barely changing .

The Google employee memo, which gained attention online over the weekend, begins by saying that only honest discussion will address a lack of equity. But it also asserts that women "prefer jobs in social and artistic areas" while more men "may like coding because it requires systemizing."

The memo, which was shared on the tech blog Gizmodo, attributes biological differences between men and women to the reason why "we don't have 50% representation of women in tech and leadership."

The employee, whose identity hasn't been released, was described in news reports as a software engineer.

While his views were broadly and publicly criticized online, they echo the 2005 statements by then-Harvard President Lawrence Summers, who said the reason there are fewer female scientists at top universities is in part due to "innate" gender differences.

Brande Stellings, senior vice president of advisory services for Catalyst, a nonprofit advocacy group for women in the workplace, said the engineer's viewpoints show "how ingrained, entrenched and harmful gender-based stereotypes truly are."

"It's much easier for some to point to `innate biological differences' than to confront the unconscious biases and obstacles that get in the way of a level playing field," Stellings wrote in an email.

Google, like other tech companies, has far fewer women than men in technology and leadership positions. Fifty-six percent of its workers are white and 35 percent are Asian, while Hispanic and Black employees make up 4 percent and 2 percent of its workforce, respectively, according to the company's latest diversity report .

Tech companies say they are trying, by reaching out to and interviewing a broader range of job candidates, by offering coding classes, internships and mentorship programs and by holding mandatory "unconscious bias" training sessions for existing employees.

But, as the employee memo shows, not everyone at Google is happy with this.
Before the break of dawn, Muthulakshmi Mariappan slips out of her home and starts running.

In the stillness of the morning, she gasps for breath but eggs herself on to run faster, take longer strides and ignore the thorns piercing her bare feet.

For the 20-year-old spinning mill worker, running fast is a prerequisite to becoming a policewoman - and becoming a policewoman would be her dream come true.

The job would let her break free from a cycle of low-paid drudgery at her spinning mill in Rajapalayam, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and give her new-found stature and the chance to escape a traditional female destiny.

"Clearing the exams and being accepted for police academy training will give me a respectable job and better future," Mariappan said. "My elder sisters worked in the mills and then got married, just like almost every other girl from this area. I want to do something more than just being a mill girl."

Mariappan is one of the estimated 400,000 workers employed in the 1,600 mills in Tamil Nadu that turn cotton into yarn, fabric and clothes.

Working in India's $40 billion-a-year textile and garment industry for the last four years, she earns 270 Indian rupees($4.24) a day.

"Many, many workers do this job only because they don't have other options in this region," said Joseph Raj of the non-profit Trust for Education and Social Transformation.

"Now that is changing. Young workers are looking for ways to come out of the factories. We are drawing up an annual schedule of various competitive exams they can take to get a government job."

Looms to Books

Poomalai Poomari, 22, started studying for the police exam in January. Every day, after long hours at the looms weaving, she would head home, climb onto the kitchen ledge to bring down her books from a cluttered loft and get straight to work.

"Whenever I was not working at the looms, I would study," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "It was not easy because the books, the syllabus, the questions had all changed from the time I went to school. It was difficult to restart."

For three months, Poomari, Mariappan and 11 other women workers - all school dropouts - studied science, maths and psychology, as well as working on their general knowledge.

Using study material from Raj's organization, the girls crammed for a written exam - the first stepping stone to the police department.

"When I first thought about applying for the exam, my friends at the mill dismissed the idea, saying I was only going to fail," Mariappan said. "After we passed the exam, others think it is doable and want to try. Now, they want my notes."

Six of them, including Poomari and Mariappan, cleared the exam in May.

Poomari's mother Maragatham felt relief and happiness.

"I remember her crying bitterly when she had to stop her education and work full time at the looms. I felt bad, but there was no choice then. Now there is some hope that she will go out and do something better."

But there was no time to celebrate, because the next hurdle was the physical exam - and that was the bigger challenge.

Barefoot Shot Put

Trading her traditional salwar kameez for track pants and a T-shirt, Mariappan prefers to train barefoot.

She runs on a 400-meter track, marked out by her brother in an unused field by the railway lines near her home in N Puthur village.

Next she tries her hand at shot put, then long jump.

Years of standing in a mill doing shifts that last up to 10 hours have taken a toll; Mariappan's knees have given way and she is struggling with the run-up to her long jump.

"In my old school, the teachers have agreed to let me practice," she said, massaging her knee. "But my knees are hurting bad(ly). My take-off is not great and I am not clearing the mandated distance. My legs ache when I come back from the mill. Now, the strain is even more."

Many girls employed by the industry are overworked, underweight, anaemic and unfit, doctors and campaigners say.

Muthukutty Mariappan is acutely aware of the fact that her daughter is pushing her limits and low on stamina.

"I am giving her some almonds, milk, more vegetables and fruits to help build her stamina," she said. "Initially we were hesitant but then as a family we decided to support her. We will do what we can to help her."

In Ayanavaram village, Maragatham spends on pomegranates for Poomari and coaxes her to drink milk.

Both girls have taken a few days off work to focus on their fitness ahead of the physical tests, scheduled for August.

It means a loss of salary for both households, but the families are counting on the girls to clear the exams and get the coveted job, even dismissing any thought of getting them married as is the norm in the villages.

"That uniform will bring us some respect," said Poomari, who was confident of making the grade. "Otherwise we are abused, exploited and brushed aside as mill girls. If we become policewomen, people will fear us."

($1 = 63.6300 Indian rupees)
Jordan's king flew by helicopter to the West Bank on Monday - a rare and brief visit seen as a signal to Israel that he is closing ranks with the Palestinians on key issues, such as a contested Jerusalem shrine.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Abdullah II met for about two hours, after a red-carpet welcome for the monarch at the Palestinian government compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

The two leaders discussed the recent showdown with Israel over the Muslim-administered shrine, including confronting alleged Israeli attempts to expand its role there, said Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki.

"This evaluation is very important for us to prepare for the coming stage we expect from Israel and from (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu personally," Malki said.

Israel has denied allegations by Muslims that it was trying to encroach on their rights at the holy site, which is also revered by Jews.

Abdullah's visit to the West Bank, his first in five years, came at a time of rising Israeli-Jordanian and Israeli-Palestinian tensions over the shrine, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount.

The crisis erupted when Israel installed metal detectors at gates to the compound after Arab gunmen killed two Israeli policemen there in mid-July. The measures triggered protests by Muslims.

Israel removed the devices after a few days, after intervention from the United States, Jordan and others. The step was seen by many in Israel as a capitulation and by Palestinians and the Arab world as a victory.

The shrine, a sprawling 37-acre (15-hectare) esplanade rising from Jerusalem's walled Old City, is the third holiest site of Islam and the most sacred one in Judaism. It is central to rival Israeli and Palestinian religious and national narratives and has triggered major confrontations in the past.

Jordan serves as the Muslim custodian of the site, home to the Al-Aqsa and Dome of the Rock mosques. Jordan's ruling Hashemite dynasty has drawn much of its legitimacy from that role.

On Sunday, Abdullah told lawmakers in Jordan that "without the Hashemite custodianship and the steadfastness of the Jerusalemites, the holy sites would have been lost many years ago."

"Our success requires one stand with the Palestinian brothers, so that our cause wouldn't be weakened and our rights would be maintained," he said.

However, the monarch's role in the standoff with Israel was complicated by a July 23 shooting in which an Israeli guard at the Israeli Embassy in Jordan killed two Jordanians after one attacked him with a screwdriver.

The guard was released by Jordan the next day, after a phone call between the king and Netanyahu. A few hours later, the metal detectors were dismantled.

The guard's release, though in line with diplomatic protocol, has inflamed Jordanian public opinion, especially after the shooter was given a hero's welcome by Netanyahu. The king blasted the prime minister's actions as "provocative."

Israeli authorities have since said they would investigate the embassy shootings, meeting a Jordanian demand.

Since the embassy shooting, Abdullah has taken several steps that appeared aimed at appeasing Jordanian public opinion.

He has said he would donate $1.4 million to the Muslim administration of the shrine.

Separately, Abbas has said his self-rule government in the West Bank will allocate $25 million to improve services for Palestinians in Jerusalem.

During the shrine crisis, Abbas said he was suspending security ties with Israel until the metal detectors have been removed.

It is not clear to what extent such ties - mainly cooperation between Israeli and Palestinian forces against the Islamic militant Hamas - has resumed.
The Uganda Red Cross says it has begun registering Kenyans who have fled their country in anticipation of violence surrounding elections set for Tuesday. The Uganda Red Cross says it plans to set up receiving sites at the border towns of Busia and Tororo.

The Uganda Red Cross says it has received and seen a number of Kenyans who crossed the border, fearing for their safety.

Bob Akankwasa is its director of disaster risk management.

Weve seen a couple of hundreds coming through; we are yet to verify their true nationalities and where exactly they are moving in, but these are still the commercial population movements, people who have the capacities and abilities to handle their situations, but we havent seen a significant number that may need significant assistance, he said.

The Uganda Red Cross says so far, it has handled 10 families in need of support but expects even more once the voting is over.

We are making our preparation activities around Busia and Malaba border points, but all our branches across the eastern border are on the alert because some of these people move because they have relatives. As people vote, thats when they tend to move, when they have finished, said Akankwasa.

For at least a week now, people are reported to be leaving Nairobi and other towns for their home villages; some for voting purposes and others because of potential post-election violence.

Opinion polls predict a very close race between President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga.

It is still not clear how many people are fleeing for fear of trouble, but the streets of many towns are reported to be empty ahead of the election.

Kenyans are also reported to have stocked up on items like milk, cooking oil, maize flour and other essential items. The Uganda Police Force has also stepped up security at the border. Asan Kasingye is a police spokesman.



We continue to take all considerable measures to ensure that all people crossing the borders are safe and secure; yesterday we received about 30 people here in Kampala, across the border and even in the past one week, we have been receiving Ugandans coming back, he said.



For many Kenyans, reports of anticipated trouble trigger memories of the 2007 election violence in which more than one thousand people were killed and 500,000 others fled their homes.
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged his country's voters to cast their ballots in peace and make Kenya's founding fathers proud of them.

In one of the most closely watched races on the African continent, Kenyatta is facing off against his longtime rival, opposition leader Raila Odinga, in Tuesday's presidential vote. The race is projected to be tight.

"Ask every single eligible citizen to turn out tomorrow in great numbers to do that which our democracy entities you to do  vote for the candidate of your choice," Kenyatta said in an election-eve broadcast Monday.

He urged citizens to go home after they vote, shake their neighbor's hand, have something to eat and wait for the election results together.

Kenyatta and Odinga ran against each other in the 2013 presidential election, and many Kenyans say the campaign never stopped.

"There's a sense in which the elections have occupied the collective national consciousness of the Kenyan citizen and the voter, so it's a big deal," said Kenyan political writer and commentator Barrack Muluka.

But more than the presidency is on the ballot.



Ipsos research analyst Tom Wolf believes that the 47 county races are generating at least as much attention as the presidential contest, definitely more so than in 2013, he says.

"But maybe Kenyans, and weve seen this in our polling data, did not fully understand or appreciate just how much power or responsibility was being devolved from the center to the regions, for the counties," said Wolf. "So if you go and travel around the counties now, you will see as much, if not more, campaign activity thats associated directly for the contest for governor as there is for the presidency."

The organization of the polls has been a source of tension for more than a year, sparking opposition protests and several court battles.

Complicating matters is the recent killing of the electoral commissions technology chief, Chris Msando. Autopsy results show he was tortured and strangled. Msando was responsible for the electronic voter identification and vote transmission systems.

"Theres every possibility of people tying that passing on to the elections and to the possibility that there could be foul play," said Muluka. "Remember we are not saying that theres definitively anything like that, but the context opens up space for that kind of speculation."



And that hasn't been the only drama in the home stretch of Kenya's campaign season. Someone broke into the vice president's country home on July 29. The opposition said that men dressed in plain clothes raided one of its offices last Friday. Also on Friday evening, two of the opposition's foreign electoral advisers, an American and a Canadian, were seized from their apartments and deported.



Fake news has also been a problem. A GeoPoll survey showed 90 percent of respondents said they have seen "false or inaccurate information" around the elections, and 87 percent viewed such reports as "deliberately false."

For at least a week, people have been leaving Nairobi and other towns for their home villages; some for voting purposes and others for fear of violence.

Lane Bunkers is the country representative for Catholic Relief Services in Kenya. He says that against the backdrop of the election season, Kenyans are still suffering from problems resulting from a regional drought emergency, like food insecurity and high food prices.

"There are a lot of serious challenges facing the people of this country, so Im hoping for a strong outcome with elected politicians who will take their jobs seriously, and really perform for the people who are electing them," Bunkers said.

Young people took to the streets of Eldoret on Friday to march for peace. Kenya's Rift Valley region was the epicenter of post-election violence in 2007 and 2008 that killed more than 1,000 people and displaced over half a million.

Kenyans hope these elections will be free of violence.
Mauritania has voted in favor of a referendum to abolish the senate and change the national flag in what the West African county's opposition says is just a bid by President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to bolster power and extend his mandate.

The referendum won 85 percent of the vote, the national electoral commission said on Sunday, though only a little over half of the population voted.

The opposition, which boycotted the vote, said the referendum would give Abdel Aziz too much power over decision-making and pave the way for him to scrap presidential term limits. It said the vote was marred by fraud.

Capital on high alert

The capital Nouakchott was on high alert before the vote on Saturday due to opposition protests in the week before, though voting went ahead on Saturday without incident. A strong police presence was seen on Sunday, according to a Reuters witness.

Abdel Aziz, who last week described the senate as useless and too costly, has said the move to abolish the governing body would improve governance by introducing more local forms of lawmaking.

Mauritania has never had a peaceful transfer of power and senior officials have spoken in favour of lifting term limits, currently set at two terms.

Abdel Aziz last year said he had no plans to extend the presidential mandate.

Still, police clashed with anti-government demonstrators in a series of protests in Nouakchott last week, and senators on Saturday occupied the senate building in protest.

Abdel Aziz takes power in 2008

Abdel Aziz has been an ally of the West in the fight against Islamists in the Sahara. He first came to power in a coup in 2008 and won a second term in 2014, but is barred by the constitution from running again.

Scrapping term limits would enable Abdel Aziz to follow leaders of more than a dozen other African countries including in Uganda, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and more recently Rwanda and Congo Republic.
"Ditch your car" is one of the first bits of advice from author Edward Abbey, for anyone wanting to visit Utahs vast desert landscapes.

"You cant see anything from a car; youve got to get out of the ... contraption and walk, better yet crawl, on hands and knees, over the sandstone and through the thornbush and cactus," he writes in Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness, based on his two seasons (1956 and 1957) working as a park ranger in Utah.

Abbey was inspired by the western states stunning red rock formations that were shaped into other-worldly spires and dramatic arches by geological forces over millions of years.

Some of the most beautiful can be found at five of Utahs most popular national park sites, known as "The Mighty 5." National parks traveler Mikah Meyer planned to visit all of them.

Superstar of arches

There are more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches at Arches National Park, making up the worlds largest collection, and Mikah must have been thinking about Edward Abbey as he parked his van and took to the parks numerous trails by foot.

He says he could see firsthand why its one of the most visited parks in the state, with 1.6 million visitors last year.

"Even outside of the park and all around Utah, there are these arches that just naturally form from the rock eroding, but in Arches National Park are some of the most magnificent ... either really large, or there's two or three all clustered together, there's a double arch where you can see through two arches at once, and then of course theres Delicate Arch."

The massive, red-hued structure is considered by many the most famous natural stone arch in the world. "It's this perfect arch that seems to come out of nowhere," Mikah said, "because it's essentially on its own on top of a hill with a giant vista and mountains behind it." So its not surprising that visitors "one by one, take their time running or walking into the arch to take their picture," he added.

After his visit to Arches, Mikah accepted a complimentary boat tour on the nearby Colorado River with Canyonlands by Night & Day jet boat company.

"It gives you a perspective of this land which many people describe as Mars with water because its just so arid, and so red and orange looking," Mikah explained. "It's this really cool juxtaposition not only of views, but of the wildlife that survives in the desert."

He saw rattlesnakes, salamanders, chipmunks, frogs and deer in and around the river.

Island in the sky

The massive Canyonlands National Park, the next stop on Mikahs Mighty 5 adventure, has three distinct districts: The Needles, Island in the Sky and the Maze.

The Needles District is home to a large collection of hoodoos, which Mikah described as "giant rock structures that look like giant fingers sticking out of the earth." Visitors are able to hike around them.

But his favorite was the Island in the Sky district, which he reached just in time for sunset.

"This is where you're able to drive along a scenic road that takes you along all these incredible overlooks that give you expansive views of the canyon and of the rivers, and it's a wow moment," he said. "It's the take-your-breath-away, audibly say wow! moment."

Heart of red rock country

From Canyonlands, it was on to Capitol Reef National Park, which Mikah described as "a mix of all the other parks."



"You have some stunning cliffs, some canyon views, some natural rock arches," he said. "Just a nice blend of all the other Mighty 5 parks."

In the coming days, Mikah plans to visit the other two of the Mighty 5 parks  Bryce Canyon and Zion national parks.

'Bloody rocks'

In the introductory remarks to Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey noted that many of the places he wrote about in 1967 were "already gone or going under fast."



"This is not a travel guide but an elegy. A memorial," he wrote. "Youre holding a tombstone in your hands. A bloody rock. Dont drop it on your foot  throw it at something big and glassy. What do you have to lose?"

Mikah has nothing to lose. He plans to continue on his journey to visit all 417 National Park Service sites at full speed, and explore as many of those "tombstones" and "bloody rocks" while he can.

Mikah invites you to follow him on his epic journey by visiting him on his website MikahMeyer.com, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
A Nigerian court has ordered the permanent forfeiture of $37.5 million mansion belonging to a former oil minister facing corruption charges.

Authorities allege that Diezani Alison-Madueke bought the property in 2013 with the proceeds of unlawful activities.



Judge Chuka Obiozor ordered Monday's forfeiture after nobody showed up in court to prove ownership of the property.



This is the second major victory for Nigeria's anti-corruption body against the former oil minister. In February, a Nigerian court ordered the seizure of more than $110 million from his bank accounts.



The commission is also investigating properties in Britain and the United States allegedly purchased with stolen government funds.



Alison-Madueke, who was a powerful member of former President Goodluck Jonathan's Cabinet from 2010 to May 2015, has consistently denied the allegations.
The wife of the former head of South Sudan's army says her husband has been under house arrest for months on the direct orders of President Salva Kiir.

In an exclusive interview Monday, Lucy Ayak Malong, the wife of Paul Malong Awan, told VOA's South Sudan in Focus that her husband has not been allowed to leave Juba since May, when the president fired him.

Health concerns



Malongs health has deteriorated steadily since she last saw him in the capital two months ago, according to Ayak, who is living in Nairobi, Kenya. She refused to disclose her husbands medical history, but said she is deeply concerned about his health under government-ordered confinement.



Ayak wrote an open letter last week to President Kiir requesting he release her husband.



"I cannot lie about the health of my husband because I am the one who knows him very well. He is not feeling well; that is why I have written that letter to the president," Ayak said.



On May 9, Malong left Juba under cover of darkness with bodyguards and a fleet of vehicles. He was headed to his home village in Aweil state via the town of Yirol in Lakes state after hearing he was fired. Days later, Malong returned to Juba after community leaders from Aweil convinced him that he would be safe if he returned to the capital.

The government of South Sudan has denied reports that Malong was placed under house arrest. Presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told a local radio station in Juba last week that Malongs wife is simply seeking international attention. Ayak said Ateny is not telling the truth.



"Ateny just wants to cover up what they have done. He [doesnt] want the world to know that General Malong has been under house arrest for almost three months and they denied him access to medical checkups," Ayak said.



Denied visits



Ayak said government officials have denied her husband permission to see his family in Kenya, adding, "He has to be with his family and kids; his kids need him."



Ayak said their home in Juba is surrounded by soldiers. Ayak said she questions why the government deployed soldiers if her husband is not being confined.

She said community leaders from Aweil state where Malong once served as governor have appealed to Kiir to release him on medical grounds, but said the president has yet to respond.



"We have tried all our best and we are leaving it to the hands of the president to decide because all attempts have failed," Ayak said.



President Kiir appointed Malong as chief of general staff of the military in April 2014, one year after violence erupted in the capital following a disagreement between Kiir and then-deputy, Riek Machar. Malong then become the real power behind the scenes in Juba, according to multiple sources close to Kiir. Malong was fired after several generals resigned, citing a lack of leadership in the army. They accused Malong of forming tribal militias fighting alongside the government against rebels allied with Machar.

The power struggle that started in Juba led to fighting in the capital and other parts of the country. The fighting continues despite efforts by the regional bloc IGAD to broker a truce.
Welcome to Illinois, the cookie crumb state!

If were lucky, were the spillover state!

Illinois, where we survive on economic scraps!

Shrewder states, send us your leftovers!

Ugh. Were trying out unsatisfying slogans now that Foxconn, the Taiwanese tech giant, has picked Southeast Wisconsin as home for a $10 billion investment. Foxconns new LCD panel plant eventually may employ 13,000 people. President Donald Trump says the companys U.S. investment could hit $30 billion.

Foxconn considered Illinois and elsewhere before settling on a site just up the road and across the state line.

The alleged saving grace for dysfunctional and anti-employer Illinois is that this state will get ancillary benefits from its proximity to Wisconsin: Some Foxconn jobs may go to Illinois commuters, while some Illinois businesses should pick up work as suppliers and contractors. There would absolutely be great spillover opportunities, Kevin Considine, president and CEO of Lake County Partners, a nonprofit economic development organization, told the Tribune. A plant like that will have lots of multiplier effects. It will bring supply chain companies with it, so other companies will set up near it and around it, similar to what happens in automotive.

True enough. Yet not nearly good enough for struggling Illinois, which has squandered its reputation as a great place to do business and hire workers. Chicago is vibrant, but the statewide economy is severely hobbled in its ability to attract new investment. Among the reasons: Illinois calamitous fiscal condition, anti-business regulations and rapacious tax policies.

The beauty contest Foxconn ran to pick a location isnt a death knell for Illinois. We dont know all the factors that went into the companys decision. Wisconsin is offering a treasure trove of financial incentives worth $3 billion that Illinois may not have been able or willing to provide. Weve always felt state and local governments are too quick to give up tax revenue and other benefits to woo jobs, though there are circumstances that justify providing perks  especially infrastructure.

The point of focusing on Foxconn is to warn that as other Midwest states move their economies forward, Illinois falls further behind, hobbled by bad fundamentals: State government admits to $130 billion in unfunded pension obligations (Moodys Investors Service says the true total is nearly double that); a bond rating just above junk status; and a stalemate between Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Democrat-controlled Legislature over Rauners proposals to make the state more employer-friendly.

And legislators just raised the individual income tax rate by 32 percent over Rauners veto, which says a lot about the Democrats priorities. If youre running a business, do you run to Illinois so you can pay reparations for these decades of mismanagement? Or do you run away?

The worst of it is that Illinois should be booming. This state, an agriculture and manufacturing center, has a crossroads location and is home to a great metropolis, excellent universities and a highly trained workforce. Yet Illinois is an economic laggard. From 2006-2016, as the nation generated a 1.3 percent average annual growth rate, Illinois growth was an even shabbier 0.4 percent, according to James Broughel of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. The growth rate in Wisconsin was 0.7 percent and in Indiana 0.9 percent. Even those small differences translate into jobs.

Why the miserable Illinois performance? Heres one reason Broughel and his colleagues cite: Illinois saddles businesses and individuals with an onerous level of regulations  in some cases twice as demanding as those of similar states. The researchers used software to analyze legal text and identify words and phrases such as shall, may not and prohibited, which signify obligations and requirements. Broughel tells us Illinois has about 260,000 regulatory restrictions in its code, compared to a preliminary count of 160,000 for Wisconsin.

Thats 100,000 reasons for Foxconn and every other employer to conclude that Wisconsin has a friendlier business climate than Illinois.

Is that why Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou selected Wisconsin over Illinois? Or was it the pension debt here? The lousy credit ratings impact on government costs (and taxes)? The Springfield opposition that thwarts this governors efforts to improve the business climate? The gridlocked major fixes to Illinois workers compensation system? We dont know.

What we do know is that Wisconsin won the kind of fight Illinois used to win. And no matter what this states apologists want to pretend: No, Illinois cant survive on other states crumbs.
Researchers have turned skin cells into blood vessel tissue to save a mouse's wounded leg. They were able to do that simply by tapping the wound with a chip that uses nanotechnology to inject new DNA into the cells.

This step follows a number of significant advances in techniques to turn one type of cell into another. Scientists hope this so-called cell reprogramming can one day be used to regenerate damaged tissue, or cure conditions such as Parkinson's disease.

The research, published Monday in Nature Nanotechnology, combines existing biotechnology and nanotechnology to create a new technique called tissue nano-transfection. The researchers turned skin cells into brain cells, in addition to demonstrating the therapeutic benefit of turning them into vascular cells.

Maintaining blood flow to deliver nutrients around a wound is critical for recovery, so by making more blood vessel cells, researchers found that a mouse's wounded limb was more likely to survive.

A brief electric current causes the chip to eject DNA fragments that reprogram the cells. The particles only enter the very top layer of cells, so L. James Lee, a biomolecular engineer at Ohio State University and study co-author, said he was surprised to find reprogrammed cells deep within the tissue.

"Within 24 hours after the transfection, we actually observed the propagation of the biological functions deep inside the skin," Lee told VOA. "So we were very surprised that it actually works for tissue." Lee said it wasn't yet entirely clear why this was possible.

Masato Nakafuku, who studies cell reprogramming at the University of Cincinnati and was not associated with the research, told VOA that he, too, was surprised "to see very efficient generation of the [vascular] cells."

Nakafuku added a cautionary note: It is not clear that that tissue nano-transfection will work on animals as large as humans, since the treatment would have to reprogram cells much deeper in the tissue in order to be effective.

Lee told VOA he is hopeful that upcoming human trials will prove the real-world effectiveness of tissue nano-transfection.

In theory, tissue nano-transfection should be able to turn any cell in the body into any other cell type. That could make therapeutic applications of cell reprogramming easier and safer, because cells would stay in the body during reprogramming. If cells are removed from the body, reprogrammed and then returned, they could be attacked by the immune system.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has called a meeting the three parties in his ruling coalition after a junior partner, the ultra-nationalist Slovak National Party, unexpectedly announced it is withdrawing from the pact that brought the parties together.

Fico, who called the move "absurd," will meet leaders of the other two parties on Tuesday. He says he expects Slovak National Party chairman Andrej Danko to explain the reasons for the step.

It is not immediately clear whether the move threatens the government's existence. The coalition is made up of Fico's leftist Smer-Social Democracy party, the Slovak National Party and a party of ethnic Hungarians. It was created after last year's parliamentary elections.

The Slovak National Party said it wanted to negotiate new rules for the coalition, but didn't give details.
More than 100 children fleeing areas controlled by al-Shabab militants in central Somalia have arrived in the coastal town of Adale, seeking the government's protection, officials said.

Adale is a key trading town in the Middle Shabelle region, 220 kilometers northeast of Mogadishu.

In an interview with VOA Somali, the town's district commissioner, Muse Mohamed Ahmed, said the fleeing children are resisting new al-Shabab recruitment campaigns.

"Al-Shabab has a large number of old fighters, so they want to recruit children to bolster its ranks. They have started abducting children from local schools, and those who do not want to join them have decided to flee to the government-controlled areas," Ahmed said.

He estimated that more than 500 children have fled villages and towns in central Somalia, mainly in the Galgudud, Hirran and Middle Shabelle areas.

"We do not have the exact number, but our estimation is that more than 500 children, mainly between the ages of 10 to 15, have arrived in the town in the last couple of months," Ahmed said.

"Most of them pass to other government-controlled areas to join relatives, but 100 of them who did not know where to go stay with us here."

He said each of the families in the town has offered to have two or three children stay with them until Somali government and regional authorities decide their fate.

Other sources in the town have confirmed the presence of the youngsters.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who made an emergency visit to Somalia in March, said more than half of the fighters in the militant group may be children.

Somali government officials said children as young as nine are being used in combat.

"We have seen children as young as nine being caught or killed in several fronts fighting along the militants," said Col. Omar Ahmed with the Somali National Army, or SNA.

Al-Shabab continues waging an insurgency against the U.S.-backed federal government in Somalia and the African Union troops deployed there 10 years ago. Al-Shabab, which is allied with al-Qaida, has been fighting since 2006 to overthrow the Somali government and turn the country into a strict Islamic state.
A vote of no-confidence in South African President Jacob Zuma will take place Tuesday via secret ballot.

The vote against the increasingly unpopular and scandal-plagued leader will mark the eighth parliamentary attempt to remove him from power.

After spending more than six weeks deliberating the matter, National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete announced her decision Monday, taking 12 minutes to read it before a packed news conference.

I therefore determine that voting on the motion of no-confidence in the president on the 8th of August 2017, will be by secret ballot, she told the journalists. Mbete then refused to take their questions.

Opposition parties had asked for the ballot to be held in secret in a bid to embolden critics within the famously disciplined ANC to turn against their leader.

Several high-profile party stalwarts, including the former finance minister whom Zuma fired in March, have publicly called on him to step down. Zumas unpopular decision to fire Pravin Gordhan was immediately followed by a downgrade of South Africas credit rating to junk status.

South Africans make no secret of their feelings

Meanwhile, thousands of South Africans made no secret of their wishes as they took to the streets to defend or oppose Zuma. On Monday, thousands of Zuma critics marched outside parliament in Cape Town to demand his ouster. A pro-Zuma protest is planned for Tuesday.

Also Monday, in the city of Durban in Zumas home province, dozens of traditional and faith leaders gathered to appeal to God to save the president. Bishop TB Ngcobo of the National Interfaith Council of South Africa said he thinks a successful no-confidence vote will bring further instability.

We cant afford now more scandal in this country, he said. So people, they must let the president, Zuma, finish the term and then move away and then get the new (president). Because if you can just remove the president now by these processes, it can happen before that president that is coming -- they are going to do this again, this is going to be a trend. So we have to stop the trend. Because the trend might take the country into disrepute.

Some of Zumas critics say the nation is already there, mired in long-simmering corruption scandals that put him at the center. Most recently, some 100,000 leaked emails and documents pointed to improper dealings between the president and a wealthy family.

Activist Vuyiseka Dubula of the #UniteBehind coalition spoke to VOA before she led Mondays anti-Zuma march in Cape Town.

The current president has no interest in addressing our social issues, she said. Instead, we see state resources going into peoples pockets.

If the motion against Zuma succeeds, he and his entire Cabinet will have to step down; but, whether that happens remains a numbers game. In order for the motion to pass in the 400-member parliament, all 151 opposition representatives will have to vote against him - along with 50 ANC members.
South Korean prosecutors said in their closing arguments Monday they want a 12-year prison sentence for Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong on corruption charges related to the political scandal that led to the impeachment and dismissal of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye.

Prosecutors say Lee gave millions of dollars to two dubious non-profit foundations run by Choi Soon-sil, a close friend of President Park, in exchange for a favorable decision by the National Pension Service on the merger of two Samsung affiliates, despite a probable loss of more than $100 million. The merger would have eased Lee's path to take over control of the entire conglomerate from his ailing father.

Lee has denied any wrongdoing.

The verdict is expected later this month.
The presidents of Tanzania and Uganda have laid the foundation stone for a crude oil pipeline project linking their two countries. The project materialized after Uganda abandoned an earlier plan to have the line go through Kenya to the port of Lamu. The pipeline is likely to bring big economic changes for the two countries. Mohammed Yusuf files from VOA's Nairobi bureau with contributions from northern Tanzania by reporter Khaleed Abubakar Famau.
Anti-immigration activists in Europe are trying to disrupt the flow of migrant boats from north Africa to Europe.

A group of Tunisian fishermen do not like that idea and on Sunday prevented a ship carrying the far-right activists from docking at Zarzis, according to a French News Agency, or AFP, report.

It's the least we can do given what is happening out in the Mediterranean, the head of the local fishermen's organization told AFP. Muslims and Africans are dying.

A port official said, What? Us let in racists here? Never.

AFP said the C-Star, a boat chartered for the activists by the extremist group Generation Identity, is moving up the Tunisian coast and is expected to try to dock elsewhere to pick up supplies to continue its mission.

The far-right activists say their goal is to expose collaboration between NGO rescue ships and traffickers who launch boats from Libya packed with migrants.

AFP reports the C-Star briefly tailed a vessel operated by a French NGO in an area of the Mediterranean where deadly immigrant boat accidents have occurred.

Humanitarian groups chalked up the C-Star's activities to a publicity stunt and warn that any attempt to turn back migrant boats could be extremely dangerous and illegal under international law.

Judith Sunderland, the associate director of the Europe and Central Asia Division of Human Rights Watch, said in a report earlier this year that the logic of those who criticize the rescue operations as a pull factor is that the groups should stop rescuing people and let them drown to discourage others from coming. She said, That is no more moral than planting landmines on a border to discourage people from crossing it.
Turkey is building up military forces on the Syrian border, while Turkish President Recep Erdogan steps up his rhetoric suggesting an imminent military operation into Syria. Ankara is reportedly courting Moscow for its support for a possible operation into Syria's Afrin enclave, which is now under the control of the Kurdish YPG militia.

Ankara accuses the YPG, which controls large swathes of Syrian territory along its border, of being an offshoot of the PKK, which is fighting the Turkish state.

We will take important steps to implement the new campaigns in the near future, Erdogan declared Saturday to cheering supporters in the Turkish city of Malatya. We would rather pay the price for foiling plans targeting our future and liberty in Syria and Iraq, than on our own soil.

The prospect of a military operation has been praised across Turkeys pro-government media. "Our greatest advantage is the leadership of a president who sees this threat exactly ... and responds to it courageously, both by discourse and by action, wrote Mehmet Acer in the staunchly pro-Erdogan Yeni Safak. He welcomed "this new attack-based security approach, which we define as the 'Erdogan doctrine'.

Erdogan is courting nationalist voters, with one eye on looming presidential and parliamentary elections which could be held as early as next year.

The rising political rhetoric has been matched by a reported surge in attacks against the YPG in Afrin by elements of the Turkish backed Free Syrian Army (FSA).

Turkish forces, as part of Operation Euphrates Shield, entered Syria backing elements of the FSA against both Islamic State and the YPG. The FSA is on the border with the Afrin enclave but so far further gains have been stalled.

Turkeys Operation Euphrates shield was stopped by moves by both United States and Russia, said retired senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen, who is now an regional analyst. Both Russia and the U.S. deployed military forces as a buffer against further gains by Turkish-backed forces in Syria.



The problem facing Turkey is Russia and the U.S. are stopping Turkey from intervening, said Semih Idiz, political columnist for the Al Monitor website. "They are agreed on an overriding agenda [of] defeating ISIS (Islamic State). Now Turkey has this Kurdish agenda and it does not have support of either Russia or the Untied States ... That is the dilemma facing Turkey."

Moscow has deployed military forces in the YPG-controlled Afrin region, some of them reportedly close to the Turkish border. But, Turkey sees a window of opportunity, said analyst Selcen. Now there is a change on ground between Russia and U.S.

Selcen said Moscow is infuriated by the growing military cooperation between the YPG and the U.S. to drive the Islamic State from its self-declared capital of Raqqa. The YPG makes up a large proportion of the Syrian Democratic Forces seeking to capture Raqqa, an operation that excludes the Syrian regime.

Russian frustrations were heightened in June when a U.S. jet shot down a Syrian government fighter-bomber reportedly targeting SDF forces.

Ankara has stepped up its diplomatic courting of Moscow, having announced plans last month to purchase an advanced Russia air defense system. The Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusolgu, spoke on Sunday with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting in Manila.

Turkish, Russian and Iranian officials are scheduled to hold a two day meeting on Syria beginning Tuesday in Tehran.
Two members of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot were briefly detained Monday after rallying for the release of a Ukrainian filmmaker outside his Siberian prison.

During Sunday's protest in Yakutsk where Oleg Sentsov is serving his sentence, the band members unfurled a banner on a nearby bridge that read "Free Sentsov!"

Longtime Pussy Riot member Maria Alyokhina tweeted that she and Olga Borisova were taken to a police station following their detention earlier in the day and faced a court hearing over charges of holding an unauthorized rally.

Borisova later said on Facebook that she and Alyokhina were released after a judge found flaws in the case. It was unclear if the police would refile charges.

A Russian military court convicted Sentsov, who comes from the Crimean Peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, of conspiracy to commit terror attacks and sentenced him to 20 years in prison.

Sentsov, who made two short movies and the 2012 feature film "Gamer," denied the charges, which he and his supporters denounced as political punishment for his opposition to Crimea's annexation.

The U.S. and the EU have criticized his conviction and called for his release, and numerous cultural figures in Russia and abroad have urged the Russian government to free him.

Pussy Riot is a loose collective and most of its members perform anonymously. The balaclava-clad women rose to prominence with their daring outdoor performances critical of President Vladimir Putin and Russia's ruling elite.

An impromptu "punk prayer" at Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Savior that derided the ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Kremlin got them into trouble in 2012.

Three band members were convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" for the stunt. Alyokhina and another member, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, spent nearly two years in prison.
The United Nations says it is looking into reports insurgents have massacred dozens of people, mostly civilians, in northern Afghanistan in recent days.

Local authorities say the incident took place Saturday after the Taliban attacked and overran Mirza Olang village in the province of Sar-e Pul.

The provincial governor accused the Islamist insurgency of torching houses of civilians and killing more than 40 people, including women and children.

The victims belonged to the minority Shiite Hazara community and some of them were reportedly beheaded.

Our inquiries are ongoing, a spokesperson for the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) told VOA Monday. Liam McDowall added the mission is seeking clarity on "a range of important matters" before issuing public remarks on the incident.

A Taliban spokesman has rejected the official claims as baseless enemy propaganda, saying the group had nothing to do with the incident.

The village is part of the Sayaad district where Islamic State militants are also fighting Afghan security forces.

Some provincial officials say Taliban and IS fighters jointly attacked the villagers.

The Taliban rejected the allegations, saying it considers IS an enemy force and asserted the militants are not present in the Afghan province.

Afghan officials in Kabul say that reinforcements are being dispatched to the conflict zone to evict the Taliban from the area.

Hostilities have intensified across Afghanistan this year, with civilians bearing the brunt of the conflict, according to UNAMA.

The agency documented around 1,700 deaths of Afghan civilians in conflict-related incidents and injuries to nearly 3,600, in the first half of 2017.

US strategy



U.S. President Donald Trumps administration is working on a new strategy for Afghanistan to try to help Afghan security forces reverse insurgent gains and improve national security.

The strategy, however is facing delays in the wake of reported divisions over how to conduct and win the longest war in U.S. history.

Last week, the director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Mike Pompeo, made an unannounced visit to Kabul for more talks with President Ashraf Ghani and other Afghan officials on bilateral cooperation.

Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah informed a routine ministerial council meeting about the CIA chiefs visit but gave no further details.

The U.S. Embassy, meanwhile, announced Monday that Alice Wells, the acting special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, concluded a two-day visit to Kabul.

She met with Ghani, Abdullah and other top government officials to discuss issues of mutual importance and bilateral cooperation, the statement said.

Ambassador Wells underscored U.S. support for Afghanistans economic and political modernization, stability, and efforts to promote national reconciliation, it added.
The United States, Japan and Australia expressed "serious concerns" Monday over disputes concerning the South China Sea, while calling for a halt to land reclamation and military actions in the area that could increase tensions or cause permanent environmental damage.

The three countries issued a joint statement after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono met in the Philippines on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministerial meeting.

They called on China and the Philippines to abide by an arbitration ruling last year that invalidated much of China's territorial claim to the South China Sea, which is claimed in part by Taiwan and ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

The statement also called on ASEAN members and China to ensure that a code of conduct they have pledged to develop regarding the South China Sea be "legally binding, meaningful, effective, and consistent with international law."

The code of conduct would be aimed at avoiding accidents as the claimant countries fish, explore for oil and gas or develop some of the estimated 500 tiny islets. China has resisted having the agreement be binding, and has reinforced its claims to the sea with the construction of artificial islands that the United States and others have criticized.

ASEAN ministers said in a communique Sunday they "warmly welcome improving cooperation" with China and are ready to begin substantive negotiation on the code of conduct, but made no mention of making it binding.

They also noted concerns expressed by some members about land reclamations and emphasized "the importance of non-militarization."
Kenyas Rift Valley was the epicenter of the 2007-2008 post-election violence. While there are few concerns of mounting tensions this year over the ongoing local races, residents have held youth marches and a special church service to remember the victims of 2008 Kiambaa church massacre.

Worshipers sang and prayed for peace in Kiambaa Church in Eldoret in the Rift Valley region of Kenya. It was here Kikuyu men and women ran to after armed Kalenjin youth attacked their homes.

The violence followed them to the church. Children, women, and men were burnt. David Irungu, who was eight at the time, is one of the survivors.

In the church, they ordered us to get out. I was with my mother and sister. When we got outside, we were scared because I thought it was death calling us. When we looked at them, they were really armed I was very much happy because I came out alive. They only allowed mothers and children to get out. I came out with my mother but we left our father inside. I dont know how he escaped in the church. He died outside, he said.

Ten years later Irungu knows why his father and many of his neighbors died.

In 2007 I was eight years old I didnt know what war was like and what was going on but now I have come to understand how war is and the consequences of war. I understand those people targeted us because of our ethnicity, said Irungu.



In 2007 a disputed presidential vote, communities turned against each other. More than 1,000 people died, and 600,000 people were displaced.

Since the post-election violence, many things have changed. The two warring communities have reconciled and now support one candidate for the presidency, the incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto.

In this election that unity will be tested as local races and politics take center stage.

The International Crisis Group has warned of possible violence, saying the creation of new Counties ruled by powerful elected local officials has increased the stakes the political competition.

Twenty-eight-year-old Moses Ndicum a Kikuyu living in Eldoret understands this too well.

We are together up at the top [presidency], but here in the County, we are not together because we have to follow the way they want. It seems we are going to have chaos in our County, he said.

Ndicu was also a victim of 2007 election violence. He lived in an IDP camp for more than two months.

Fred Yego of Mercy Corps says Kenyan politics is about power and resources.

Why the problems are of during election time is because most communities would want to push their people in leadership. The problem we have in Kenya the attitude of winner takes it all. So people believe that whenever somebody from their community is in power, then they are able to access resources and opportunities, he said.

Jackson Mandago is Uasin Gishu County Governor. He says people like Irungu and Ndicu will be safe after Tuesdays vote.

The political temperatures can rise because the competition is stiff, but I want to assure the rest of the world and this country that as a county we are confident we are going to hold our election on Tuesday and the elections are going to be peaceful, he said.

ICG notes the task of reconciling the two communities is not yet complete, and unresolved historical grievances explain the tension that comes with election violence in Rift Valley region.

The call for peace has been growing in this part of the country, and many hope after August 8th polls communities will live in peace.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame has won a third term as president with nearly 99 percent of votes from Fridays election. More than 6.6 million votes were cast for the incumbent president and just over 80,000 cast for the two opposition candidates. Turnout was about 96 percent.

At Rwandas election commission headquarters in downtown Kigali, a Rwandan electoral official reads the results of each district. The commissions executive secretary, Charles Munyaneza, said they were very satisfied with the process of the vote.

"We are satisfied that you can see Rwandans stand up in a very, very high number," he said. "You could see the calmness, you could see the cleanness at the polling stations, you could see people are celebrating."

Indeed, as results started coming in on Friday night, just hours after the polls closed, thousands of Kagame supporters, donors, and fellow party leaders gathered at the national headquarters of the presidents Rwandan Patriotic Front political party. Kagame supporter Ester Kabaera, a 55-year-old businesswoman, said it was obvious he was going to win.

"We came this country when there was nothing and weve made a lot change, weve united Rwandans who have been divided for so many years," she said. "Weve built the nation, weve built the roads, there is infrastructure, schools, university. "

Another Kagame supporter at the event, 30-year-old medical student Fred Namania, said he is extremely happy about the results.

"Of course president Kagame has done a lot of things for this country. He picked this country from ashes. Actually it was a failed state. But now weve seen some progress thats helped all kinds of people, people from all walks of life," he said.



Opposition candidates



Opposition presidential candidate Frank Habineza, of the Green Party, told VOA that some of his partys observers had been denied access to polling stations. At a press conference on Saturday, he admitted the results werent as "pleasing" as he expected but congratulated President Kagame on his victory. He also thanked his supporters.

You demonstrated much love for our manifesto and you believed just like me, that there could be some improvements and changes on what has been done in this country," he said. "You all have given me more courage and confidence to continue a more democratic struggle for our beautiful country.



Jean-Claude Karayenzi, a banker who voted for Kagame, said hes not surprised the opposition fared so poorly.

They had nothing to sell to the country. So maybe thats why people will see the results and maybe thats why people didnt follow them, he said.

International observers



The East African Community sent 45 international observers to monitor the polls. The head of the observer mission, Kenyan Moody Awari, described the election process as really successful.

The elections have been conducted in a peaceful atmosphere within a framework that satisfactorily meets the international, continental, and regional principals of democratic elections, said Awari.

Opposition candidates have until Thursday to contest the election results with the judicial system, before the vote becomes finalized.




Founding president of the Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai, has condemned the beating up of party vice president Thokozani Khupe on Sunday by suspected MDC-T activists, claiming that she is working against an opposition coalition attempting to unseat the ruling Zanu PF party in the 2018 general elections.

Tsvangirai told journalists in Harare today that there is no space for violence in the MDC-T.

"The MDC is a social democratic party whose values include equality, solidarity and the respect of human rights. As such, I unreservedly condemn the violence that happened yesterday, the 6th of August 2017, in Bulawayo where a group of thugs violently disrupted a meeting at our Bulawayo Offices.

"As the President of the party, I condemn in the strongest terms this callous act of violence committed by these people."

He noted that Khupe, together with other members of the national leadership were man-handled by thugs resulting in the vice president having to seek medical attention.

"Her position as the partys vice president, her dignity and her status as a woman, a mother and a role model to many young women, was immensely undermined in the process. This misguided behavior puts the name of the party and our beliefs into serious disrepute both nationally and internationally.

He said on the flip side, one wonders what motivated this callous behavior and whose cause was being advanced as it is now turning out to benefit their detractors. "Only on Saturday, 5 August 2017, we had successfully launched the MDC Alliance, an event that has overwhelming national support. Before sunset, a few misguided elements decided to dampen the national spirit and momentum of our new path way to democracy.

"I understand there are a few culprits who were apprehended by the police and as the leader of the party, I regard this incident as a criminal act and these thugs must face the full wrath of the law. I have since activated our own internal investigations and appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken against the perpetrators or anyone behind them."

Tsvangirai further said the MDC-T has been a victim of state-sponsored violence for many years. "We have never been perpetrators of violence and we have never adopted the ZANU (PF) template of violence. We have lost over 500 of supporters and leaders due to political violence.

"I, for one, have been a victim of violence at the hands of the State, bashed in a police station, in many circumstances left for dead while there been many attempts on my life. We are investigating this incident with the intention of taking stern action against any of our members who may have been involved in this dastardly act. At the same time, we are not ruling out the invisible hand of the State as it had a huge motive to douse the successful script of the Alliance on Saturday."

He urged party activists to remain vigilant in the run up to the general polls.

The MDC Alliance, which was launched on Saturday, was formed by the MDC-T, MDC led by Professor Welshman Ncube, Zimbabwe People First, Zanu Ndonga, People's Democratic Party, Transform Zimbabwe and other opposition groups.

Various civic society organizations have condemned the violent attack saying MDC-T leaders should allow the law to take its course.
The Department of Justices probe into the billing practices at Booz Allen Hamilton is unlikely to wrap up quickly, the McLean government contracting firms chief executive told analysts Monday.

Horacio Rozanski said the criminal investigation could take years to resolve.

The timeline for resolution remains uncertain, but given the complexity of cost accounting issues and the fact that we are still in the early stages of the investigation, we believe it is more likely to be years than months, Rozanksi said in a call with investors.

The company disclosed on June 15 that it is under federal investigation for the way it handled certain elements of the companys cost accounting and indirect cost charging practices, but has offered little information on the scope of the inquiry or what prompted it. Indirect costs are typically items like general administrative expenses or other overhead that may or may not be allowed under a government contract.

Rozanski emphasized Tuesday that his company is cooperating with the investigation and no charges have yet been brought. He said it is too early to estimate how much the company would spend on legal expenses, and he said the company had not yet set aside funds to deal with the matter.

The lack of clarity has investors worried.

The investigation could be [related to] two accounts out of 10,000 or something widespread that is in all of them. We just dont know, said Brian Ruttenbur, an analyst with Drexel Hamilton

Ruttenbur said the firms stock price has been trading about 5 percent below other firms in its industry, and will likely continue to do so until the issue is resolved. The June 15 revelation that the firm is under criminal investigation was enough to cause the firms stock price to drop by 17.8 percent the following day, erasing most of the stocks post-election gains.

The probe comes as the company is still smarting from allegations that employees Edward Snowden and Harold Martin III were involved in national security leaks.

Rozanski insisted Tuesday that the company has so far seen no impact from the investigation on the companys ability to bid on new contracts or service old ones.

Unless its something like fraud, I dont think this would hurt their business per say, said Cai Von-Rumohr, an analyst with Cowen investment bank. It certainly didnt in the first quarter [of 2017]; their bookings were sensational.

If history is any guide, the financial pain is likely to be small. An analysis of seven similar cases conducted by Cowen investment bank found the firms typically settled for less than $9 million. Thats a relatively small sum for a company as large as Booz Allen, which takes in almost $5.5 billion each year.
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President Trumps first 100 days were unprecedented, from his vow to end American carnage to his continued promises to build a Mexican border wall. But if you thought those 100 days were action-packed, recall the outrageous tweets, Russia revelations and health-care squabbling since. Heres what happened in Days 101 through 200, in the words of members of the Trump administration and Post Opinions contributors.

[Revisit Days 1-100 of the Trump administration]

DAYS 101-110

This is what winning looks like!

President Trump, May 2

If Trump, who only recently became Republican, wants to win until were tired of winning, theres an obvious path to consensus. Alternatively, he and the members of the Freedom Caucus can celebrate the virtues of partisan polarity and ideological purity  in a very small room.

Dana Milbank, How did Congress go from compromise one day to toxicity the next? Trump.



What we have is something that is very, very, incredibly well-crafted.

President Trump, May 4

It is beyond sad that this is what passes for a win for President Trump and the Republican majority in Congress.

Editorial Board, Betrayal, carelessness, hypocrisy: The GOP health-care bill has it all

Its the people we love  our children, friends and neighbors  who are the inspiration behind our American Health Care Act, which we passed in the House on Thursday.

Cathy McMorris Rodgers, My son has a preexisting condition. Hes one of the reasons I voted for the AHCA.

Given the bills many other controversial provisions, few in Congress or the media talk much about how the AHCA would cut Medicaid by $839 billion over 10 years.

Allison Wohl, My son has Down syndrome. The GOPs health-care bill scares me to death.



Sally Yates made the fake media extremely unhappy today --- she said nothing but old news!

@realDonaldTrump, May 8

Yatess testimony is particularly damning because it shows she clearly tried to warn the White House that [former national security adviser Michael] Flynn had not only engaged in problematic conduct but also that he had misled [Vice President] Pence, who unwittingly then transmitted those deceptions to the American public.

Sarah Posner, Sally Yates just publicly confirmed important facts about the Trump-Russia story



The president has accepted the recommendation of the attorney general and the deputy attorney general regarding the dismissal of the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer, May 9

Think about this, the sitting president of the United States announcing that he is not a crook  well, in his telling, not a suspected crook  as he fires the man who has been leading the investigation of his presidential campaigns possible involvement with Russia.

Ruth Marcus, Comeys firing should make all of us mildly nauseous

I know of no former senior Justice Department official  Democrat or Republican  who does not view [FBI Director James B.] Comeys conduct in July to have been a grave usurpation of authority.

William Barr, Trump made the right call on Comey

DAYS 111-120

The presidents committed to the thorough review of registration and voting issues in federal elections.

Deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, May 11

Historians will note that this is the first commission, paid for with taxpayer money, that flows directly from a presidents overheated tweets.

Michael Waldman, Trumps commission on election integrity could instead restrict voting



In fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story. 

President Trump, May 11

To wait for the results of the multiple investigations underway is to risk tying our nations fate to the whims of an authoritarian leader.

Laurence H. Tribe, Trump must be impeached. Heres why.



James Comey better hope that there are no tapes of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!

@realDonaldTrump, May 12

Presidential obsessions with tapes are perilous.

E.J. Dionne Jr., The amateurish autocrat



At no time were any intelligence sources or methods discussed, and no military operations were disclosed that were not already known publicly.

National security adviser H.R. McMaster, May 15

By all accounts, the president is impatient with process and study, preternaturally confident in his own knowledge and instincts, and indifferent to, and perhaps contemptuous of, the institutions of government designed to help him succeed.

Former CIA director Michael V. Hayden, Trump proves hes Russias useful fool

Ponder the irony: These geniuses were so appalled by Trump sharing sensitive intelligence with the Russians that they shared even more sensitive intelligence with the media  and thus the entire world  in order to demonstrate that Trump cannot be trusted with sensitive intelligence.

Marc A. Thiessen, Leakers who revealed Israel as intelligence source did far more damage than Trump



It is wholly appropriate for the president to share whatever information he thinks is necessary to advance the security of the American people.

National security adviser H.R. McMaster, May 16

In other words, its appropriate for Trump to say anything he wants. If Trump says it, its by definition appropriate.

Dana Milbank, Trump can do whatever he wants. God help us.



I hope you can let this go.

President Trump to then-FBI Director James B. Comey, according to a memo by Comey, May 16

Todays lesson in How Washington Really Works begins with the 11th Commandment: Thou shalt retain documentation of all communications with the boss.

Charles Lane, Trump may have broken one D.C. Commandment too many



As I have stated many times, a thorough investigation will confirm what we already know  there was no collusion between my campaign and any foreign entity.

President Trump in a White House statement, May 17

As the appointment of a special counsel to investigate the Russia mess has Washington buzzing with nascent impeachment talk, 25th Amendment scenarios and rumors about resignation, it is worth remembering how tenaciously Trump pursued power, along with five key assets he has to maintain his grip on it.

Ronald A. Klain, Dont underestimate Trump

[Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III] brings such credibility that if and when he says there is no there there, responsible media will accept it.

Hugh Hewitt, Republicans should be relieved Mueller will serve as special prosecutor

DAYS 121-130

Were very proud of this relationship that we are embarking on with the kingdom.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, May 20

President Trumps journey to the Middle East illustrated yet again how the country central to the spread of this terrorism, Saudi Arabia, has managed to evade and deflect any responsibility for it.

Fareed Zakaria, How Saudi Arabia played Donald Trump

When it comes to foreign affairs, [President Trump] is heedless of history, susceptible to blandishments and supremely gullible.

Jackson Diehl, China and Saudi Arabia have seduced Trump into being their sweetheart



So many young, beautiful, innocent people living and enjoying their lives, murdered by evil losers in life. I wont call them monsters, because they would like that term.

President Trump, May 23

More interesting is the fact that Trump has had more to say about the Manchester monster than Portlands homegrown right-wing terrorism.

Colbert I. King, Trump called out the Manchester terrorists. What about the one in Portland?



I think what Trumponomics is and what this budget is a part of is an effort to get to sustained 3 percent economic growth in this country again.

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, May 23

President Trumps budget demonstrates the costs of accepting lies as a normal currency in politics, broken promises as a customary way of doing business, false claims of being populist as the equivalent of the real thing and sloppiness as what we should expect from government.

E.J. Dionne Jr., The Trump scandal that has nothing to do with Russia



I have been very, very direct with Secretary [Jens] Stoltenberg and members of the alliance in saying that NATO members must finally contribute their fair share and meet their financial obligations.

President Trump, May 25

Trump was the party guest whom no one really wants to deal with but has to  because he has more money than anyone else. The party guest who shows up and berates the hosts for not paying for their fair share of the defense spending cake.

Karen Attiah, Trumps behavior at NATO is a national embarrassment



Any line of communication to a country like Russia is a good thing.

Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, May 28

Such back channels can add stability and predictability in foreign relations. Whats not okay is when an incoming administration seeks to undermine the policies of the incumbent.

David Ignatius, Back channels are protocol for a president  but not for a president-elect



Whenever you see the words sources say in the fake news media, and they dont mention names it is very possible that those sources dont exist but are made up by fake news writers.

@realDonaldTrump, May 28

Wrong. We dont fabricate sources and these days we dont have to look hard to find them. Right now theyre talking about Jared Kushner  and have nothing nice to say.

Eugene Robinson, Keeping Kushner would make Trumps Russia nightmare permanent

President Trump and his followers are stepping up their attacks on the press. In both word and deed, they have set out to challenge the very assumption that a free press is a crucial and indispensable part of our democracy.

Christian Caryl, With Trumps attack on the press, American democracy approaches a critical moment

DAYS 131-140

I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.

President Trump, June 1

A curious thing happened on President Trumps way out of the Paris climate accord. American mayors, governors, corporate leaders and others immediately committed to meeting the agreements terms anyway.

Kathleen Parker, Trumps Paris decision was an accidental call to action

Trumps actions were mostly symbolic and political. They were grandstanding, intended to impress his core supporters.

Robert J. Samuelson, Trump ignores the messy reality of global warming  and makes it all about him



At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is no reason to be alarmed! 

@realDonaldTrump, June 4

This is vintage Trump  impulsive and cruel, without an ounce of class or human decency.

Jennifer Rubin, With his London tweets, Trump embarrasses himself  and America  once again



The Justice Dept. should have stayed with the original Travel Ban, not the watered down, politically correct version they submitted to S.C.

@realDonaldTrump, June 5

Here is the deal: Sometimes Trump will help the cause, and sometimes he will hurt the cause. Everybody wishes things were different, but here we are.

Ed Rogers, Trumps tweets are here to stay. The GOP must deal with it.

I dont see political genius in the invective coming from Trump these days. I see an angry man lashing out at enemies real and imagined  a man dangerously overwhelmed.

Eugene Robinson, Trump is out of control



I will be nominating Christopher A. Wray, a man of impeccable credentials, to be the new Director of the FBI.

@realDonaldTrump, June 7

Never before has a nominee for FBI director borne such a high burden to show that he will put the FBIs independent application of the law above all other considerations.

Editorial Board, Trumps FBI pick deserves intense scrutiny. Heres what he should be ready for.



I dont believe its appropriate for me to address that in a public session.

Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats, June 7

None of these witnesses invoked executive privilege or national security. They just didnt want to answer.

Jennifer Rubin, Intelligence officials outrageous contempt of Congress



I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.

President Trump to then-FBI Director James B. Comey, according to Comeys written testimony, June 7

These details are red meat for a prosecutor.

Philip Allen Lacovara, I helped prosecute Watergate. Comeys statement is sufficient evidence for an obstruction of justice case.

Trump lives for loyalty but seems incapable of showing it.

Michael Gerson, The Trump-Comey contest is a titanic clash of worldviews

DAYS 141-150

The suggestion that I participated in any collusion ... is an appalling and detestable lie.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, June 13

There was a time when airing unproven allegations of coordinating with the Kremlin was seen as bad form. Now it is common practice in Washington.

Marc A. Thiessen, The Sessions hearing shows whos really colluding with Russia

In short, nothing Sessions said undercut the argument that the president fired his chief nemesis in the Russia scandal, in the ultimate act of obstruction.

Jennifer Rubin, Jeff Sessions wilts on the hot seat



We may have our differences, but we do well, in times like these, to remember that everyone who serves in our nations capital is here because, above all, they love our country.

President Trump, June 14

Mr. Trump struck exactly the right tone.

Editorial Board, The shooting at a GOP baseball practice was an assault on democracy



I am being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director! Witch Hunt

@realDonaldTrump, June 16

Richard Nixon didnt have Twitter, but Donald Trump does.

Paul Waldman, Trumps outburst of rage just sent the Russia scandal hurtling forward



Effective immediately, I am canceling the last administrations completely one-sided deal with Cuba.

President Trump, June 16

In our view, a little more impatience about democracy isnt such a bad thing.

Editorial Board, Dont get too worked up over Trumps Cuba shift. Its just a policy tweak.

DAYS 151-160

Ottos fate deepens my Administrations determination to prevent such tragedies from befalling innocent people at the hands of regimes that do not respect the rule of law or basic human decency.

President Trump, June 19

For its part, the United States is more interested in negotiating an end to North Koreas nuclear weapons program than helping its captive millions.

Fred Hiatt, Why I cant stop thinking about Otto Warmbier



I have no idea whether there are tapes or recordings of my conversations with James Comey, but I did not make, and do not have, any such recordings.

@realDonaldTrump, June 22

Well, yes, there could have been tapes  just as there could have been a legitimate Trump University.

Kathleen Parker, How can you still doubt Trumps intelligence?



Todays unanimous Supreme Court decision is a clear victory for our national security.

President Trump, June 26

A grandmother who helped raise you is dying but you cant go visit her? Pshaw, say the Trumpkins. You lived with your aunt and uncle when your parents were deployed overseas and now cant go to their wedding anniversary party? Too bad!

Jennifer Rubin, The GOP isnt the party of family values

DAYS 161-170

How come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Years Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!

@realDonaldTrump, June 29

The presidents unhealthy obsession with Morning Joe does not serve the best interests of either his mental state or the country he runs. 

Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, Donald Trump is not well

Trumps persistent attacks on women affirm what feminists have been saying all along: that sexism is still pervasive at all levels of American society.

Alyssa Rosenberg, Why Im grateful every time President Trump insults a woman



If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!

@realDonaldTrump, June 30

Trump has now called for total repeal of the Affordable Care Act, with no guarantee of any specific replacement later, or even a guarantee that any replacement would ever materialize at all.

Greg Sargent, Dont sugarcoat this. Trump just called for 32 million people to lose health coverage.



Numerous states are refusing to give information to the very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL. What are they trying to hide?

@realDonaldTrump, July 1

Its goal is nothing less than the supercharging of recent Republican efforts to disenfranchise Democratic voters and permanently tip the scales of elections in the GOPs favor.

Paul Waldman, Why we should be very afraid of Trumps vote suppression commission

If this sensitive data is to be collected and aggregated by the federal government, then the administration should honor its own recent cybersecurity executive order and ensure that the data is not stolen by hackers or insiders.

Michael Chertoff, Trumps voter data request poses an unnoticed danger



#FraudNewsCNN #FNN

@realDonaldTrump, July 2

Trump has been hammering CNN for months and months, calling it fake news and escalating his attacks after the network one week ago announced the resignations of three employees after a screwed-up story on a Trump ally. At the same time, CNN is the very network that has done the most to hire and pay commentators ... wholl do anything to defend the president.

Erik Wemple, CNNs Jeffrey Lord outdoes himself in defending Trumps CNN-beating tweet

Unfortunately, when President Trump accuses the mainstream media of being fake news, too often the journalists being targeted dont ignore it or merely address it internally. Instead, they react with public outrage, their popping veins nearly bursting through their thin skins.

Gary Abernathy, The medias martyr complex is embarrassing



President [Andrzej] Duda and I call on all nations to confront this global threat and publicly demonstrate to North Korea that there are consequences for their very, very bad behavior.

President Trump, July 6

What is wise policy? Even as Trump ratchets up the pressure, he should quietly urge China to take the lead in a diplomatic solution.

David Ignatius, Trump is right about China and North Korea



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?

President Trump, July 6

In front of this monument to unfulfilled expectations of distant allies, this memorial to the horrors of a Europe riven by brutal nationalist struggle, Trump offered his support to a Polish government that is both the most nationalist in Europe and now the most isolated in Europe.

Anne Applebaum, Trump affirms the Polish governments assault on democracy

Trumps words could have been delivered by almost any American president of either party in the past century.

Marc A. Thiessen, Trumps defense of Western civilization is not alt-right



The president pressed President Putin on more than one occasion regarding Russian involvement. President Putin denied such involvement.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, July 7

All new American presidents desire a fresh start, regarding both domestic policies and foreign diplomacy. ... But applying this impulse to Russian-American relations today serves Putins interests, not ours.

Michael McFaul, Why deciding to move forward with Putin is a big mistake



We primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children ... but it was not a campaign issue at the time and there was no follow up.

Donald Trump Jr. statement to the New York Times, July 8

After months of categorical denials, we now have an admission of attempted collusion, at least, involving three top-ranking figures in the Trump campaign.

Eugene Robinson, Donald Jr.s meeting is a legal game-changer

No single event standing alone may prove the case. But when assembled together, those individual bricks may build a wall  a big, beautiful wall  that excludes any reasonable doubt about what happened.

Randall D. Eliason, The latest Russia revelations lay the groundwork for a conspiracy case

DAYS 171-180

Seems we have some time and if its what you say I love it especially later in the summer.

Donald Trump Jr. in a 2016 email, July 11

The Russia scandal has entered a new phase, and theres no going back.

Charles Krauthammer, Bungled collusion is still collusion

An incriminating email chain has made it impossible for the administration to deploy its always flimsy argument of last resort  that the whole story is just fake news. 

Editorial Board, The Russia meddling story is no longer just smoke. Its fire.



No one asked me for any kind of loyalty oath at any point during this process and I sure as heck didnt offer one.

Then-FBI director nominee Christopher A. Wray, July 12

There is good reason to feel uneasy about having anyone appointed by Trump lead the FBI at this moment.

E.J. Dionne Jr., Get off the Trump train before it crashes



I think from a practical standpoint, most people would have taken that meeting.  Politics isnt the nicest business in the world, but its very standard.

President Trump, July 13

No. It. Isnt.

Ruth Marcus, The latest evidence of Trumps unfitness may be the most revolting

All children, except two, grow up: Peter Pan and Donald Trump Jr.

Alexandra Petri, A 39-year-old man is mysteriously still a kid 



With care and professionalism, we plan to develop policies to increase forfeitures.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions, July 17

Mounting opposition to civil asset forfeiture  and the extremely unfair and unjust way it works in practice  has caused legislatures across the country to implement reforms.  And Sessions wants to undo all of that.

Radley Balko, Jeff Sessions supports states rights. Except when he doesnt.



Were not going to own it. Im not going to own it. I can tell you the Republicans are not going to own it. Well let Obamacare fail and then the Democrats are going to come to us.

President Trump, July 18

Has there ever been a more cynical abdication of presidential responsibility?

Editorial Board, Republicans, ignore Trumps call to let Obamacare fail. Do this instead.

A watch it fail approach to Obamacare, when the crisis is real and the consequences for poor children are so enormous, is not just bad politics; it is also immoral.

Hugh Hewitt, Why Ryan and McConnell should go for a big deal with Democrats

DAYS 181-190

Jeff Sessions takes the job, gets into the job, recuses himself  which, frankly, I think is very unfair to the president.

President Trump to the New York Times, July 19

It is vital that the good people who function as the anchors of the Trump administration stay in place and serve for as long as they can.

Ed Rogers, Jeff Sessions and others: Dont quit!

Trump has done no evident reflection on the obligations to the public that accompany the massive public authority that has been entrusted to him.

Greg Sargent, Trumps deeply worrisome New York Times interview reveals a lawless president



I think it is in the best interests of this administration and your presidency that I give these two individuals the opportunity to operate without me in the way so that they have a fresh start, that Im not lurking over them.

Press secretary Sean Spicer, July 21

Scolding the media; lying and relying on bogus facts; stiffing legitimate questions: That inaugural moment in the briefing room said all that you needed to know about his tenure.

Erik Wemple, From his second day on the job, we knew Sean Spicer wouldnt last



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

@realDonaldTrump, July 22

Can a president pardon himself? Four days before Richard Nixon resigned, his own Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel opined no, citing the fundamental rule that no one may be a judge in his own case.

Laurence H. Tribe, Richard Painter and Norman Eisen, No, Trump cant pardon himself. The Constitution tells us so.

If he really did pardon his aides, his family or himself to head off Robert Muellers inquiry, the move probably would be constitutional but ultimately self-defeating for the president.

Jonathan Turley, Yes, Trump can legally pardon himself or his family. No, he shouldnt.



Let me be very clear: I did not collude with Russia, nor do I know of anyone else in the campaign who did so.

Senior adviser Jared Kushner, July 24

Thats the trouble with Kushners defense in the Russia imbroglio. Hes essentially arguing that he isnt corrupt  hes just in over his head.

Dana Milbank, Jared Kushners only excuse: He has no idea what hes doing

Hey, I get it. Financial assets  like meetings with Russian officials  can easily slip ones mind.

Catherine Rampell, Jared Kushner forgets to disclose his assets? Seize them.



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.

President Trump, July 24

Trumps lesson for 30,000 young men was that the bullies are right and that humility and self-sacrifice are for suckers.

Stephen Stromberg, Trump insults everything the Boy Scouts stand for



Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!

@realDonaldTrump, July 25

Tweet to your hearts content, but stop the wildly inappropriate attacks on the attorney general.

Kenneth W. Starr, Mr. President, please cut it out



The United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military.

@realDonaldTrump, July 26

What Trump did was especially galling because transgender Americans now in the military have displayed more courage than their commander in chief, who never served.

Jonathan Capehart, Let me thank Trump for his tweets about transgender personnel



Im not trying to build my own brand off the f---ing strength of the President. Im here to serve the country.

White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, July 27

We dont have to accept Scaramuccis definition of service to the country, nor Trumps understanding of what it means to act presidential.

Fred Hiatt, The most appalling line in Scaramuccis rant contained zero profanity

Trained eyes foresaw something this cataclysmic.

Erik Wemple, Scaramucci puts his convictions on the record, then backstabs the reporter who published them



3 Republicans and 48 Democrats let the American people down. As I said from the beginning, let ObamaCare implode, then deal. Watch!

@realDonaldTrump, July 28

Its remarkable to consider that there was a time not too long ago when the Grand Old Party was known for being serious, sober, a little boring, but above all, responsible.

Paul Waldman, This is what you get when you elect Republicans

To the rescue ... rode two brave women and a war hero stricken with cancer.

Jennifer Rubin, Republicans dream of repealing Obamacare ends



Please dont be too nice.

President Trump, July 28

Trumps approach to crime is the same as his approach to just about everything else. He doesnt have the patience or interest for nuance.

Radley Balko, Trump, policing and the teenage brain



I am pleased to inform you that I have just named General/Secretary John F Kelly as White House Chief of Staff.

@realDonaldTrump, July 28

Kelly, who has rendered extraordinary service and sacrifice to the nation, just signed up for what may truly be an impossible mission: bringing discipline, order and strategic focus to the chaos that is the Trump White House.

John Podesta, The best advice I could have given to John Kelly: Dont do it!

Does President Trump think he needs to fire someone every week in order to maintain viewership?

Alexandra Petri, Priebus, sashay away

DAYS 191-200

Anthony Scaramucci will be leaving his role as White House Communications Director. Mr. Scaramucci felt it was best to give Chief of Staff John Kelly a clean slate and the ability to build his own team.

Statement from press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, July 31

Getting rid of The Mooch was a fantastic way to begin. But heres the problem. The person flooding oxygen into the inferno Kelly is tasked with bringing under control is the man who hired him.

Jonathan Capehart, Scaramuccis firing might be the high-point of John Kellys tenure as chief of staff

Theres nothing clean about the slate that Kelly inherits. It has been sullied and poisoned and spat upon by aide after aide.

Erik Wemple, With ousting of Scaramucci, White House seeks clean slate. Too late for that.



The president weighed in just as any father would based on the limited information that he had.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, July 31

The paternal invocation seeks to harness  it hijacks  the primal ferocity of parental love in the service of political self-preservation.

Ruth Marcus, Parents should be repulsed by Trumps playing of the father card



The Justice Department is looking for lawyers to work on investigations and possible litigation related to intentional race-based discrimination in college and university admissions.

Justice Department internal announcement, Aug. 1

The idea that discrimination against whites is such a significant problem that it demands Justice Department action is positively ludicrous.

Paul Waldman, The Trump administration takes up the cause of oppressed white people



Still, the bill remains seriously flawed  particularly because it encroaches on the executive branchs authority to negotiate.

President Trump in a White House statement, Aug. 2

Its heretical to say so, but he may be right. This legislation limits presidential flexibility at the very time it may be most needed to conduct delicate negotiations with these adversaries.

David Ignatius, On Russia sanctions, Trump has a point

Once again, we see Trumps inability to recognize the danger posed to us by Russia and, worse, his own conduct in forcing Congress to act on its own initiative.

Jennifer Rubin, Trump will blame anyone for anything  except Russia for its conduct



This would be the most significant reform to the immigration system in half a century.

President Trump, Aug. 2

Drastic cuts to legal immigration levels would hurt economic growth and result in fewer jobs for Americans.

Jeremy Robbins, Trump says the proposed immigration bill will raise wages for Americans. It wont.

If he were an immigrant, theres a decent chance hed get kicked out of the country.

Catherine Rampell, Based on the immigration system he endorsed, Trump would not get a green card



The Russia story is a total fabrication. Its just an excuse for the greatest loss in the history of American politics.

President Trump, Aug. 3

Reports that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has empaneled a grand jury in the ongoing investigation of the Trump campaign and potential Russian collusion are entirely unsurprising. This development isnt a nothing-burger, but it doesnt suggest anything we didnt already know.

Randall D. Eliason, Why Muellers use of a grand jury confirms what we already knew
In Kamila Shamsies Home Fire, the shameful legacy of a dead jihadist father haunts his three children, although they never knew him. They have lived in London all their lives, Isma, the eldest, having been forced to take charge of her siblings for the past seven years, since their mothers death. Now, as the novel opens, each of them is pursuing a life apart from the others. The two sisters are anxious about their brother, Parvaiz, who is in Syria training to join the Islamic State. His twin sister, Aneeka, is remaining in London, where she attends university. Isma is free at last to resume her studies, and so she is leaving for America to pursue her deferred dream.

Divided into five sections, with shifting points of view and focus, Home Fire begins with the matter-of-fact sentence, Isma was going to miss her flight. Its an effective, nearly cinematic start, with Isma confined in a small room by the security forces at Heathrow Airport, her suitcase open, her clothes all in a heap. The object of blatant racial profiling, she is cross-examined, condescendingly and relentlessly, by immigration officials who begin with the question, Do you consider yourself British? Isma answers for nearly two hours, managing to keep an even tone and refrain from the temptations of sarcasm or irony as she is quizzed about Shias, homosexuals, the Queen, democracy, The Great British Bake Off, the invasion of Iraq, Israel, suicide bombers, dating websites. An officer clicks through her laptops browser history. He knew that she was interested in the marital status of an actor from a popular TV series; that wearing a hijab didnt stop her from buying expensive products to tame her frizzy hair; that she had searched for how to make small talk with Americans. 

After that prologue at Heathrow, the story begins again with Isma waking up in her grad student life in snowy Amherst, Mass., where she leaves her studio apartment to walk a few blocks to work in her favorite cafe. Shamsie excels at lovely descriptive writing of small moments, and most readers will succumb to Ismas charms sufficiently to forgive the coincidence of the storys inciting event: Isma notices a familiar face across the cafe. He is Eamonn, the handsome half-Pakistani, half-Irish American son of Karamat Lone, a former family friend, now despised. Lone senior  known as the Lone Wolf  has distanced himself from the entire Pakistani British community ever since making his name as a conservative member of parliament for denouncing the backwardness of British Muslims.

Author Kamila Shamsie (Zain Mustafa)

Over a series of flirtatious encounters, Isma gets to know Eamonn without revealing that she knows he is the son of the Lone Wolf. Finally, Eamonn admits it, with the news that his father has just been appointed the new home secretary.

Is it attraction or opportunism that draws Isma to Eamonn? Where can this mismatch go? Not where you think. In another novel, the Lones and Pashas might have been modern-day Montagues and Capulets, but Shamsie is inspired by a much earlier family drama. The novels epigraph is a line from Antigone, translated by Seamus Heaney: The ones we love . . . are enemies of the state.

Shamsie, who was raised in Karachi and now lives in London, is a brilliant and experienced author of prizewinning novels, and there is no doubting that Antigone inspired her, but Home Fire succeeds without forcing this context. While Colm Toibins recent (and extraordinary) novel House of Names is a retelling of Clytemnestras story of murder and revenge, Home Fire treats its source much more distantly. This is a haunting novel, full of dazzling moments and not a few surprising turns, that manages to be suspenseful despite its uneven momentum.

When deep religious and political conflicts get personal in this story, beliefs and choices and agendas are inevitably on a fatal collision course. Home Fire blazes with the kind of annihilating devastation that transcends grief.

Katharine Weber, the author of five novels and a memoir, is a professor of creative writing at Kenyon College. Her new novel, Still Life with Monkey, will be published next year.

On Aug. 24 at 7 p.m., Kamila Shamsie will be at Politics & Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.


A male giant panda is seen at Zoo Parc de Beauval in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher, France. He and another cub were born late Friday, but the other cub did not survive. Huan Huan began nursing the male cub on Saturday. (Zoo Parc De Beauval /European Pressphoto Agency)

French zookeepers and Chinese giant panda experts are working to ensure a panda cubs survival after its twin died shortly after Fridays first-ever birth of the rare animal in France.

Images released Saturday by the Beauval Zoo south of Paris show mother Huan Huan enveloping the cub and zoo handlers feeding it in an incubator with a small bottle.

[National Zoo keepers had their hands full the last time panda Mei Xiang gave birth.]

The pink, hairless male weighing five ounces is tiny compared with its 190-pound mother. She bore twins Friday, but the firstborn was too weak to survive.

Shes a very protective mother, which it makes it difficult for the panda experts to check on the baby and supplement its feedings, said Delphine Delord, director of communications and educational programs at the zoo. Two Chinese panda experts brought early breast milk from panda mothers in China to help in the crucial first week, Delord said.

Panda births are closely watched because they remain rare  there are only about 1,800 pandas in the wild in China and about 400 in captivity worldwide. Zookeepers frequently need to help raise the cubs to ensure their survival.



Huan Huan cradles her newborn, known as Mini Yuan Zi, at the zoo. Zookeepers are supplementing Huan Huans feedings. (Zoo Parc De Beauval /European Pressphoto Agency)

French first lady Brigitte Macron is the babys godmother, Delord said, and she and the Chinese ambassador to France called the zoo Saturday to congratulate it on the birth. Its a big diplomatic moment as well as a zoological event.

Panda cubs born in captivity are often named by China. For now, the zoo is calling him Mini Yuan Zi, after his dad. Brigitte Macron is expected to announce the name officially at a visit to the zoo in a month or two, Delord said.

The zoo had two bits of good news by late Saturday: The baby urinated for the first time, and its mother successfully began breast-feeding, Delord told the Associated Press.

Huan Huan, who turns 9 on August 10, and Yuan Zi, who is 8, are at Beauval on a 10-year loan from China, and any cubs they have officially belong to the Chinese government.



The first few weeks of life are often difficult for panda cubs born in captivity. The French zoo has experts from China, where giant pandas live in the wild, helping to care for the days-old cub. (Zoo Parc De Beauval /European Pressphoto Agency)

If the new cub survives, it will be shown to the French public in about two months. Then after about two or three years, it will be sent to a panda reserve in China.

[Bao Bao leaves Washington for her new home in China.]

While the French zoo is upset by the death of the firstborn twin, Delord said it chose to film the birth and share the images with the public.

We made the choice of transparency, to encourage talking about endangered species, the fragility of their lives, Delord said.

Pandas have long been considered one of the worlds most endangered animals, although last year a leading group, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, lowered its classification to vulnerable thanks to decades of conservation efforts. The Chinese government rejected the groups decision, saying the panda remains at risk.

China for decades gave friendly nations its unofficial national mascot in what was known as panda diplomacy. The United States received its first giant pandas in 1972, when Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing arrived at the National Zoo. In the 1980s, China stopped giving pandas and instead loans them for large amounts of money.

Read more:

Giant panda Mei Xiang isnt pregnant, National Zoo says

Panda keepers switch from being hopeful to having their hands full

Panda babies of the red variety
Eric Bolling of Fox Newss The Five has been suspended while the network investigates a report that he sent at least three female colleagues a lewd text message. (Richard Drew/AP)

Through crisis after crisis, shake-up after shake-up, one thing about Fox News Channel is apparent: Its viewers arent going anywhere.

The network has endured more than a year of firings, lawsuits, management turnover, resignations of its top stars and more changes to its prime-time lineup than a public-access station. And yet it continues to be cables most popular attraction, defying predictions of its decline, let alone its demise.

If recent history is any guide, the latest whiff of scandal at Fox wont make much difference, either. The network on Saturday suspended Eric Bolling, one of its rising stars, following a news report that he texted lewd photos to three female colleagues several years ago. Fox said the allegations are under investigation. In the meantime, it has scrubbed Bolling, Soviet-style, from some of its social media accounts, raising questions about whether hell be back.

The accusation was another iteration of what one former Fox commentator, in an unrelated lawsuit, described as a sex-fueled, Playboy Mansion-like cult at Fox at odds with the networks usual promotion of traditional values.

Since July 2016, the news channel has lost its founder and chief mastermind (the late Roger Ailes, forced out amid sexual harassment allegations); its biggest star (Bill OReilly, same reason); its second-biggest star (Megyn Kelly, alienated by Ailes and OReilly); its fourth-biggest attraction (Greta Van Susteren, contract dispute); and its co-president (Bill Shine, named as an Ailes enabler in harassment complaints). Charles Payne, the host of a Fox Business Network program, was suspended last month amid more sexual-harassment allegations (Payne, Shine, Bolling and OReilly have denied the claims against them, as did Ailes).

Whats more, Fox is still fending off residual harassment lawsuits from the Ailes era, a racial-discrimination class-action claim, and a federal investigation of its accounting of payments to former employees; some of those funds settled harassment claims. (Fox and its parent company, 21 Century Fox, have said they are cooperating with investigators).

And still, its viewers have persisted.

So far this year, Foxs overall ratings have increased 18 percent, according to Nielsen Media Research. Its average audience at any hour (1.54 million) is nearly twice that of its two major competitors, CNN and MSNBC  combined. Fox has beaten CNN and MSNBC for 187 consecutive months, or for about 15 years.

In fact, Fox may be better off without its two erstwhile stars, OReilly and Kelly. OReillys replacement, Tucker Carlson, has drawn lower ratings than OReilly overall, but Carlson has attracted more viewers in the 25-to-54 age group, the key target for news advertisers. Kellys replacement at 9 p.m., The Five, has also drawn fewer viewers but given the saving on OReilly and Kellys enormous salaries, Fox may have profited as a result of their departures.

Amid the tumult, Fox seems to have remained Fox. In its prime-time commentary, the network has continued a supportive attitude toward President Trump (as he has of Fox). Prime-time hosts have remained skeptical of mainstream reporting about him, particularly of allegations that his presidential campaign colluded with the Russian government. Sean Hannity, a leading Fox personality, has even gone so far as to call the various investigations into Trump a silent coup against the president.

Fox declined to comment on the reasons for its steadfast viewership. Spokeswoman Carly Shanahan said in statement Monday, We have an incredibly loyal audience which values both our news and opinion programming.

Fox remains popular in part because it doesnt have an ideological competitor to challenge for its core audience, said Dan Cassino, a professor who has studied Fox. One America, an upstart conservative network, is distributed to less than 30 percent of TV households, making it far too small to attract a broad audience, he said.

Cassino notes that a constant sense of crisis under Trump has compelled viewing of Foxs competitors, too. Both CNN and MSNBC have seen their ratings grow this year, even compared with the elevated levels during the presidential campaign last year. The biggest winner has been MSNBC, which has positioned itself as the anti-Trump network during its prime-time commentary shows; the network remains far behind Fox overall, but has vaulted past CNN overall.

Indeed, MSNBCs Rachel Maddow has become the biggest attraction on cable, outgunning Hannity and Carlson, thanks in part to her relentless anti-Trump focus. The Rachel Maddow Show was the top-rated program among all cable news programs in July, the first time a non-Fox News program has done so since CNNs Larry King Live in October 2001.

But the rest of the news about cable news is about the loyalty of those watching Fox.

No one likes being told that theyre stupid, Cassino said. The conservative base of Fox viewers voted overwhelmingly for Trump, so theres an audience for someone telling them that they did the right thing. Fox has spent 20 years telling viewers that they cant trust other media sources. It shouldnt comes as a surprise that theyve internalized the message.
When Kendra Nelson was in labor with her second child, small gestures from a doula helped her get through the strongest and most painful contractions.

The woman held Nelsons hand and spoke words of encouragement. She guided Nelson through breathing exercises and pulled her hair back in a scrunchie to keep her comfortable.

She was there as a form of support and it made my delivery better, said Nelson, 32.

Now Nelson is working to become a doula herself, in hopes of helping other women experience a healthier pregnancy and better delivery. Baltimore health officials hope she will play a role in helping to reduce the citys infant mortality rate.

The city health department has started a pilot program to train Nelson and four other city residents to become doulas  nonmedical companions who provide emotional support and comfort to women during delivery.

Doulas can also play a guiding role during pregnancy. They help moms develop birth plans, and can work in conjunction with physicians to make sure expectant mothers have the medical information they need to live healthfully during pregnancy.

After delivery, doulas may help moms adjust to the major life changes that come with a newborn.

We really saw the need to have an extra advocate for moms, said Stacey Tuck, director of program operations for maternal and child health for the health department. We felt that we needed an additional person to offer Mom some help that would ease stress levels and also just give extra support.

The pilot program is aimed at low-income moms in the departments BMore Healthy Babies program, which was launched in 2010 to help reduce infant mortality in the city. The idea for the doula program came from a Baltimore doula who serves on a community advisory board to the healthy babies program.

The citys infant mortality rate has fallen 38 percent under BMore Healthy Babies, and sleep-related infant deaths have dropped by more than 50 percent. But the city still suffers far more baby deaths than the rest of Maryland. Seventy-three infants died in Baltimore in 2015. Black infants were twice as likely to die as white infants.

The citys infant mortality rate of 8.4 deaths per 1,000 live births was 1.3 times greater than that of the rest of the state in 2015. A contributing factor was the number of expectant moms who had limited or no prenatal care. Many of the women to be assisted by the doulas are living in poverty, and face other hardships such as past emotional or physical trauma, substance abuse, and mental and physical health challenges. Researchers have found that those types of stressors can have a direct impact on the health of a fetus, and can lead to early delivery and low birth weight.

The term doula was coined by the medical anthropologist Dana Raphael in 1969 from the Greek word for a female servant. She advocated for the development of doulas to help guide mothers during and after childbirth.

Doula use has grown in popularity in recent years. The cost can range from $400 to $1,200 for a delivery and a similar amount for postpartum services. Cost-free, community-based programs such as Baltimores have made doulas more accessible to low-income women.

City health officials hope doulas can help alleviate some of the stress on these moms and make sure the women are seeing the doctor, eating right and taking prenatal vitamins.

Andrea Williams-Salaam, the doula who came up with the idea for the program and is now its coordinator, said giving moms support can help reduce health disparities between minority and low-income women and other women.

It is the intimate conversations and relationship that is built, she said. We work closely with moms so that they can have a successful pregnancy.

For the first group of doulas, the department is drawing on women from the community it intends to serve, in hopes that they can better relate to the expectant or new moms and the challenges they might face. BMore for Healthy Babies used $5,000 of its money for the pilot program, Tuck said, but is looking for other funding to keep the program going and expand it in the future.

The five Baltimore women completed three days of training and now are working on getting certified by the accrediting agency MaternityWise International. The certification process requires them to attend a delivery with another doula. They should begin seeing moms in the next couple of months.

Nelson said she was attracted to becoming a doula so she could help other African American women.

A beautiful birth experience is not usually the dialogue you hear when having a baby, Nelson said. It is usually portrayed as traumatic. I want to make it so women dont feel that way.

Keyona Hough, 32, another trainee, was caught off-guard when her son was born premature eight years ago. She wonders if a doula might have better prepared her, or at least provided some support at the time. She wants to help other moms to be better informed about the choices they have during pregnancy and delivery.

Brittany Williams, a recent nursing school graduate, was also chosen to be a doula. She wants women to know they dont have to go through the difficulties of pregnancy on their own.

Nobody ever knows it all, she said. Theres help out there. You dont have to do it on your own.

Baltimore is joining New York, Philadelphia and other cities in providing community doula services to at-risk women to help drive down infant mortality.

Doulas in the By My Side Doula Support Program, run by Healthy Start Brooklyn, have assisted in 745 pregnancies and 575 births since 2010. It started with four doulas and now has 12  including some who used the service when they were pregnant.

The program targets the six Zip codes in Brooklyn with the highest infant mortality rates. Healthy Start Brooklyn director Mary-Powel Thomas said there is anecdotal evidence that they are seeing fewer early births than other parts of Brooklyn.

Gabriela Ammann, community programs manager for the doula organization, said the doulas have addressed some of the social determinants of health, such as financial problems, that have been linked to unhealthy pregnancies.

These things can lead to chronic stress levels, and there is evidence chronic stress levels lead to low birth weight and other maternal health issues, Ammann said.

A doula program in Portland, Maine, met some resistance from hospitals concerned about liability, founder Rebecca Goodwin said. But the doulas were allowed into birthing rooms with the permission of the participating women.

Keeping the moms healthy leads to healthy babies, Goodwin said.

It helps strengthen the foundation of starting the journey of motherhood, she said. So moms feel like they can make it during labor and that they can succeed at being a mom.
The Region

Apparent tornado hits

Salisbury, flips cars

It was kind of weird, said one resident of Salisbury, Md., after an apparent tornado swept through the Eastern Shore city on Tuesday, flipping cars, damaging buildings and tearing down trees.

The National Weather Service was expected to survey the area and report Tuesday on whether the storm was actually a tornado.

But whatever it was, it was bad, said Salisbury resident Charles Davis.

In his neighborhood, he said, near the campus of Salisbury University, huge trees, which had stood for years, were knocked down, landing on peoples houses.

It was not, he said, the kind of storm people expected to witness in the town of 33,000. But he said he asked a firefighter whether a funnel cloud had been spotted, and was told that one had been.

There was no immediate report of serious injury.

Tommy McManus, a student at the university, was in his apartment when he hard what sounded like a long, constant wind, beating at the doors and windows. Rain fell with such intensity that he couldnt see anything.

When McManus went outside, he said, he saw two cars flipped upside down. One landed atop two others, he said. A building that he said may have been an abandoned warehouse was pretty badly damaged.

A video posted on Twitter showed pieces of debris darting and whirling overhead like birds.

In addition, a water spout, which is akin to a tornado over water, was reported in Tangier Sound, near Smith Island in the Chesapeake Bay, the Weather Service said. In the meantime, Mondays storminess brought high winds and heavy rain to many parts of the Washington region. Washington got almost an inch and a half.

 Martin Weil

Maryland

Man identied in

Mount Rainier death

A man found dead on a sidewalk near the Mount Rainier library has been identified as German Garcia-Paredes, according to Prince Georges County police.

Officers responding to a welfare check call found Garcia-Paredes, 25, of Brentwood, with trauma to the body around 6:15 a.m. Saturday in the 3500 block of Rhode Island Avenue, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. Detectives are investigating.

 Lynh Bui

Arrests in Riverdale

Park fatal shooting

Two men were arrested in the killing of a man in Riverdale Park in July. Marquise Dinkins, 19, of the District and Charles Davis, 30, of Bladensburg, Md., were charged with first-degree murder in the shooting of Cesar Bazan, 26, of Landover Hills, Prince Georges County police said.

The three got into an argument before the shooting July 26 at about 8:30 p.m. in the 5500 block of 54th Avenue, police said.

 Lynh Bui

Apparent tornado hits

Salisbury, flips cars

It was kind of weird, said one resident of Salisbury, Md., after an apparent tornado swept through the Eastern Shore city on Tuesday, flipping cars, damaging buildings and tearing down trees.

The National Weather Service was expected to survey the area and report Tuesday on whether the storm was actually a tornado.

But whatever it was, it was bad, said Salisbury resident Charles Davis.

In his neighborhood, he said, near the campus of Salisbury University, huge trees, which had stood for years, were knocked down, landing on peoples houses.

It was not, he said, the kind of storm people expected to witness in the town of 33,000. But he said he asked a firefighter whether a funnel cloud had been spotted, and was told that one had been.

There was no immediate report of serious injury.

Tommy McManus, a student at the university, was in his apartment when he hard what sounded like a long, constant wind, beating at the doors and windows. Rain fell with such intensity that he couldnt see anything.

When McManus went outside, he said, he saw two cars flipped upside down. One landed atop two others, he said. A building that he said may have been an abandoned warehouse was pretty badly damaged.

A video posted on Twitter showed pieces of debris darting and whirling overhead like birds.

In addition, a water spout, which is akin to a tornado over water, was reported in Tangier Sound, near Smith Island in the Chesapeake Bay, the Weather Service said. In the meantime, Mondays storminess brought high winds and heavy rain to many parts of the Washington region. Washington got almost an inch and a half.

 Martin Weil

THE DISTRICT

Police nd pooch

taken in robbery

D.C. police have recovered a poodle named Diva who was taken during a robbery last week in Southeast Washington, authorities said.

Police arrested a woman Sunday who they said had the dog; they are still looking for two people who took the dog on Aug. 3 and fled in a black sport-utility vehicle.

Diva was being evaluated Monday at the Washington Humane Society.

Police identified the suspect as Tanisha Celestina John-Hope, 21, of Southeast Washington. She was charged with receiving stolen property.

The robbery occurred about 9:25 a.m. in the 5200 block of Fitch Street SE, near the Marshall Heights and Benning Ridge neighborhoods. Police said they found the dog Sunday in an apartment about five miles away.
BLOOD DONATIONS

Blood drives Friday 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Northern Virginia Bahai Center, 21415 Cardinal Glen Cir., Sterling, 800-733-6727; Aug. 15, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., NALC Health Benefit Plan, 20547 Waverly Ct., Ashburn, 800-733-6727; Aug. 18, 1:30-6 p.m., St. James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St., Leesburg, 800-733-6727.

Inova Blood Donor Center Mondays noon-8 p.m., Tuesdays 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Fridays 6 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays noon-4 p.m. Dulles Town Center, 45745 Nokes Blvd., Sterling. 866-256-6372 or inova.org/donateblood.

FIRST AID

First aid/adult, infant and child CPR/AED (Automated External Defibrillator) Fauquier Health Medical Office Building, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. Call for schedule. Registration required. 540-316-3588. $85.

HEARING

Disability Resource Center Technical assistance through the state Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and presentations to businesses, groups and schools. Third Tuesdays 2-5 p.m., Workplace, 205 Keith St., Warrenton. Call for an appointment, 800-648-6324; TDD, 540-373-5890. Free.

MENTAL HEALTH

Counseling for sexual violence survivors Provided by Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice. 703-771-9020.

Crisis Intervention Treatment and Assessment Center Provides emergency mental-health, substance-use and developmental services to Loudoun residents. Daily 7 a.m.-11 p.m. 102 Heritage Way NE, Suite 102, Leesburg. Emergency services are available 24 hours a day at 703-777-0320.

Crisislink Suicide and crisis intervention. Community education, a volunteer crisis response team and CareRing, a telephone outreach program for the elderly and disabled. 703-527-6016, volunteer@crisislink.org or crisislink.org.

Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services This mental-health nonprofit organization is accepting clients ages 16 to 30 for a coordinated services program with Loudoun County to help young people with their first experience of psychosis find hope and recover. For information, call Lisa Beran at 703-388-6572 or go to prsinc.org.

Piedmont Chapter, National Alliance on Mental Illness Serves Fauquier, Orange, Madison and Rappahannock counties. Support group, education classes and events for people living with mental illness and their family members. First Wednesdays 7-9 p.m. Fauquier Hospital, 500 Hospital Dr., Sycamore Room A, Warrenton. 571-426-8213.

Mental health first-aid A public education program offered by the Loudoun County Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Developmental Services to help residents understand mental illness and seek intervention. Go to loudoun.gov/mhfirstaid.

Northern Virginia Chapter, National Alliance on Mental Illness Support group, classes and programs for people living with mental illness and their loved ones. naminorthernvirginia.org.

PREGNANCY, PARENTING

Adoptive family preservation Adoptive families discuss common experiences; registration required. Third Tuesdays 12:30-2 p.m., Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Rd. Call 703-941-9008, Ext. 23, or email jmellario@umfs.org.

Birthright of Loudoun County Free pregnancy tests, baby clothing, transportation and support throughout pregnancy, 823 S. King St., Leesburg. 703-777-7272.

Bond Between Us A nonprofit organization that offers support to birth parents when children have been placed for adoption. Fourth Tuesdays 7:30 p.m. Call for location. 703-771-7844.

Breast-feeding support Mondays 9:30-10:30 a.m., Fauquier Hospital Family Birthing Center, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588.

Dad support New and expectant fathers share ideas. First Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg. 703-858-6360.

For the Childrens Sake A group for separating or divorcing parents to share advice. Four-hour session weekly. Information: 703-391-8599 or fitsfoundation.org.

La Leche League Mother-to-mother support and breast-feeding information. 10 a.m. second Wednesdays in Warrenton, 540-351-6103. Third Fridays 10:15-11:45 a.m., call for location, 703-444-7386. Second Fridays 10:15 a.m., Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Rd., 703-829-0349. Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon, Panera Bread, 43670 Greenway Corp. Dr., Ashburn, lllashburn@gmail.com. Third Fridays 10:15 a.m., Christ the Redeemer Church, 46833 Harry F. Byrd. Hwy., Sterling, 540-338-4637.

Loudoun Fatherhood Program Fathers discuss the joys and challenges of being a parent. Meets every other Saturday for two hours for four months; sponsored by Northern Virginia Family Service. 571-748-2796. Free.

Loudoun Nurturing Parenting Program Positive parenting techniques; children attend with parents. Registration required. Call 703-771-3973, Ext. 27, or email nurturingprogram@lcsj.org. Free.

Mothernet/Healthy Families Loudoun Program links first-time parents with medical, social and educational resources to give children a socially and physically healthy start in life. Family-support workers meet with participants in homes. English-Spanish translation provided. 703-444-4477, Ext. 217, or inmed.org.

New mother support Wednesdays 9:30-11:30 a.m. Inova Loudoun Medical Pavilion, 224 Cornwall St., Leesburg. Babies welcome. 703-858-6360.

Online childbirth education program Inova Loudoun Hospitals Web-based program uses animation, videos and interactive activities to guide users through the basics of childbirth, breast-feeding and caring for newborns. 703-858-6360 or thebirthinginn.org/classes.

Parenting Alone group For parents who have school-age children and have lost a spouse or partner to cancer. Second Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Call 703-698-2536 or email jennifer.eckert@inova.org.

Pregnancy and childbirth support Childbirth Solutions Resource Center, 8393 W. Main St., Marshall. 571-344-0438.

Young parent services Support for teenage parents. Loudoun County Department of Family Social Services, 52 Sycolin Rd., Leesburg. Call for times. 703-771-5375.

SENIORS

Chair yoga Age 55 and older. Mondays 11 a.m.-noon, Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. Wear comfortable clothes. Bare feet or socks encouraged. 571-258-3400. $2 drop-in.

Exercise equipment Age 55 and older. Weights, treadmills, bikes and a cardio-glide. Instruction provided. Weekdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

Eye care LensCrafters staff members clean glasses and make minor repairs. Second Wednesdays 1-2 p.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 703-430-2397. Free.

Inova Loudoun mobile van Blood pressure checks. Second and fourth Tuesdays 9:30 a.m.-noon, Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling, 571-258-3280; first Wednesdays 9:30 a.m.-noon, Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039.

Laughing yoga for seniors Improve flexibility and balance. Thursdays 9:30-10:30 a.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

Loudoun Adult Day Centers For seniors with physical limitations or memory loss, a safe and social environment, therapeutic activities, individualized care and respite for caregivers. Limited transportation. Sliding-scale fees. Weekdays in Leesburg, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 703-771-5334; Purcellville, 571-258-3402; and Ashburn-Sterling, 571-258-3232.

Senior Outreach Services Free and confidential assistance from an Area Agency on Aging case manager. Call for an appointment or sign up at the Senior Center at Cascades. First and third Wednesdays 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 571-258-3280.

Senior Outreach Services Free and confidential assistance from an Area Agency on Aging Elder case manager. Sign up in the Leesburg Senior Center lobby. Second and fourth Thursdays 11 a.m.-noon and 12:30-4:30 p.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

Senior Outreach Services Free and confidential assistance from an Area Agency on Aging Elder case manager. Call for an appointment or sign up at the Carver Center. First and third Mondays, 12:30-5 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 703-737-8741. Free.

Tai chi for seniors Stretching and strengthening movements. Mondays 11 a.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

Zumba gold class Age 55 and older. Wear rubber-soled shoes and comfortable clothing; bring water and a towel. Tuesdays 11 a.m., Tuesdays and Fridays 1 p.m. Senior Center of Leesburg, 102 North St. NW, Leesburg. 703-737-8039. $24 per month.

Zumba For people 55 and older learning Zumba for the first time, or those who prefer a lower-impact version. The fitness program combines Latin and international music with dance. Thursdays 11 a.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 571-258-3280. $12.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Addiction support Tuesdays 7 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. Email sznnodum@gmail.com or 540-935-8148.

Al-Anon Service Center of Northern Virginia A volunteer is available 24 hours with information for spouses, family members and friends of problem drinkers. 703-534-4357 or 877-339-8350. Mondays 8 p.m., Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 125 W. Washington St., Middleburg, 540-554-2747; Tuesdays 7:30 p.m., St. James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St. NW, Leesburg, 877-339-8350; Fridays 8:30 p.m., Grace Episcopal Church, 6507 Main St., The Plains, 800-344-2666; Tuesdays 12:15 p.m., Warrenton Church of Christ, Route 29 N., 540-347-7448; Tuesdays 7 p.m. and Saturdays 8:30 p.m., Warrenton Presbyterian Church, 91 Main St., 800-344-2666.

Alcoholics Anonymous Various meeting times and locations in Loudoun County. 800-208-8649 or 703-876-6166. nvintergroup.org.

Alzheimers caregiver support For those who care for people with Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. Fourth Wednesdays 4-5:30 p.m. The Villa at Suffield Meadows, 6735 Suffield Lane, Warrenton. 540-316-3800.

Alzheimers caregivers support For those caring for people with Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. Second Mondays 7-8:30 p.m. Galilee United Methodist Church, 45425 Winding Rd., Sterling. 703-430-9229. galileeumc.org.

Alzheimers caregivers support Emotional, educational and social support for family members and friends of people with the disease. Third Saturdays 10 a.m. Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging, 20145 Ashbrook Pl., Ashburn. Call 703-771-5407 or email lesley.katz@loudoun.gov.

Alzheimers caregiver support group Fourth Thursdays 3-4 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 540-903-6831 or alz.org.

Alzheimers support First Tuesdays 10-11 a.m. Spring Arbor Assisted Living, 237 Fairview St. NW, Leesburg. 540-338-6520.

Alzheimers support First Wednesdays 4 p.m. Leesburg Adult Day Center, 16501 Meadowview Ct., Leesburg. 703-771-5334.

Alzheim ers support First Thursdays, noon, Lansdowne Woods of Virginia, 19375 Magnolia Grove Sq., Lansdowne. 703-283-6554.

Alzheimers support Fourth Thursdays 3-4 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 571-258-3400.

Talk About Curing Autism A nonprofit organization educating and supporting families affected by autism. tacanow.org.

Autoimmune support Last Thursdays 6:30-7:30 p.m. Jackson Building, 209 Gibson St., Leesburg. autoimmunesupport@hotmail.com.

Bereaved parent support One-on-one counseling is available. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814 or scsm.tv.

Bereavement support Age 18 and older. Third Mondays 1 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. Sponsored by Capital Caring. 703-957-1800.

Breast cancer support For those with new diagnoses or starting treatment. Register if attending for the first time. Fourth Mondays 5-6:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-858-8857.

Breast cancer support Fourth Tuesdays 7-8 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Tower, Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-349-0588.

Breast cancer support For those who have finished treatment, have had a recurrence or have metastatic breast cancer. Register if attending for the first time. Fourth Mondays 6:30-8 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-858-8857. Free.

Breast Cancer Support Assistance Fund Loudoun County residents who have received a diagnosis or have undergone treatment in the past 12 months are eligible to apply for financial assistance. Areas included are wigs, bras, puffs and prostheses, mammograms and medical bills, food and help with utilities, rent or mortgage, and transportation costs. The Pink Assistance Fund has been established by the Loudoun Breast Health Network. lbhn.org.

Cancer support Oncology nurses, social workers and spiritual-care providers offer education and support to patients, families and caregivers. Second Mondays 5:30-6:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Sycamore Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-2273.

Cancer support Life with Cancer, for patients, family members and friends. Second Thursdays 7 p.m. Ashburn Presbyterian Church, Room 202, 20962 Ashburn Rd. 703-729-2012 or ashburnpresbyterian.org.

Caregiver support Emotional, educational and social support. Encourages caregivers to maintain their physical and emotional health while caring for people with dementia or other chronic illness. Fourth Thursdays 3-4 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 540-903-6831.

Caregiver support and resource group Wednesdays 10:30 a.m.-noon (no meeting first Wednesdays), Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814. scsm.tv.

Caring for Aging Parents Support group. Confidential. Fourth Wednesdays 7:30 p.m., Family Focus Counseling Service, 20-B John Marshall St., Warrenton. 540-349-4537.

CHADD parents support For parents of children with ADD/ADHD. Fourth Sundays 3 p.m. KinderCare, 44051 Ashburn Village Shopping Plaza. chadd.novaloudoun@gmail.com.

Chronic illness support Tuesdays 1:30-2:30 p.m. Spiritual Care Support Ministries, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814 or scsm.tv.

Coffee and Conversation Support for those discouraged because of illness, bereavement, caregiving or a loved one in the military. Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814.

Compassionate Friends For parents who have experienced the death of a child. First Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. St. James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St. NW, Leesburg. 540-882-9707.

Creating and Connecting Two-hour art therapy and relaxation workshop for cancer patients. Every other month, 12:30-2:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Call for dates. 703-858-8850.

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of Western Loudoun Saturdays 3 p.m. Purcellville Library, 220 E. Main St., Carruthers Room. Call 703-431-7160 or email kathy@dbsanca.org.

Drop-in grief support Second and fourth Wednesdays 1-2 p.m. St. Davids Episcopal Church, 43600 Russell Branch Pkwy., Ashburn. Sponsored by Capital Caring. 703-597-1781.

Families Overcoming Drug Addiction Support group. First and third Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Sycamore Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. myfodafamily@gmail.com or 540-316-9221.

Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth and parent support A group in partnership with Metro DC PFLAG. Fourth Sundays 4-6 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Church, 22135 Davis Dr., Sterling. 703-328-6518.

Griefshare Open to anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one. Tuesdays through Oct. 3 from 7-8:30 p.m. Purcellville Baptist Church 601 Yaxley Dr., Purcellville. Call 540-338-0918 or email caring@purbap.org. Workbook, $15.

Griefshare Nondenominational seminar and support group. Tuesdays 7:30-9 p.m., and Wednesdays, 1-2:30 p.m. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814. Free.

Grief support Sponsored by Hospice Support of Fauquier County. Individual counseling available. First and third Thursdays 3:30-5 p.m. Hospice Support Office, 42 N. Fifth St., Warrenton. Registration required. Email hospicesupport@verizon.net or call 540 - 347-5922.

Grief support Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814.

Hospice support Free medical-equipment loan facility for Fauquier County residents. Especially needed are donations of wheelchairs, bedside commodes, rolling walkers, electric hospital beds, shower benches and chairs, adult diapers, lift chairs, Ensure and hospital bed mattresses . 540-347-5922.

Look Good, Feel Better For women undergoing or emerging from cancer treatment. Every other month, 6:45-9 p.m., Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Call for dates. 703-776-2820. Free.

Loudoun CHADD support Led by Children and Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Third Thursdays 7 p.m. Leesburg Town Hall, lower-level conference room, 25 W. Market St. 703-669-2445.

Lyme disease support Fourth Sundays 2-4 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Conference Room A and B, Leesburg. Go to natcaplyme.org or email loudounlymeadvocates@gmail.com.

Lyme disease support Third Thursdays 7-9 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. Call 540-341-8245 or email phillipsgeo@comcast.net.

Lyme disease support Age 18 and older. First Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. Email charphealy@yahoo.com.

MADD Loudoun victim support For those who have been affected by drunken driving. Third Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. 210 Wirt St., Leesburg. 540-338-6491.

Man-to-Man cancer support Sponsored by Loudoun Cancer Care Center, for prostate cancer patients and their families. Second Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 703-858-8857 or karen.archer@inova.org.

Menopause support Third Thursdays 6:30-9 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg (second floor, Patient Education Room). 703-858-8060.

Mens grief support Second Mondays at 7 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Sycamore Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 703-568-3346. Free.

Multiple sclerosis support Saturdays 10:30 a.m. Fauquier Hospital Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-349-2826.

Multiple sclerosis support Last Sundays, September-June, 2-4 p.m. Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Pl., Potomac Falls. Call ahead to confirm. 703-771-4256.

Nar-Anon family support For those affected by loved ones with addiction. Meaningful Mondays, 7-8 p.m., Galilee United Methodist Church, 45425 Winding Rd., Sterling. 703-203-9792; Wisdom Wednesdays 7-8 p.m., St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 37730 St. Francis Ct., Purcellville, 703-606-7125; Serenity Thursdays, 7-8 p.m. Leesburg Presbyterian Church, 207 W. Market St., Leesburg, 703-606-7125.

Overeaters Anonymous For fellowship and support. For locations and times, go to oa.org.

Parkinsons social Coffee and conversation. Third Wednesdays 10 a.m.-noon, Tribute at One Loudoun, Welcome Center, 20618 Easthampton Plaza, Ashburn. parkinsonsocialnetwork.org or 703-378-7221. Free.

Parkinsons support Open to those with Parkinsons disease, their family members and caregivers. First Tuesdays 1:30-3 p.m. Call for Ashburn location. 571-442-8851.

Postpartum support Second and fourth Wednesdays 1-2:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Cornwall Campus, 224 Cornwall St., Leesburg. Call 703-909-9877 or email lamckeough@gmail.com. Registration required.

Reach to Recovery Home-visit program for mastectomy and lumpectomy patients. Temporary prostheses, exercise instruction and encouragement. 703-938-5550.

Sexual assault and incest survivors group counseling Services provided by Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice and the Loudoun Abused Womens Shelter are free and confidential. 703-771-9020.

Sexual assault survivors empowerment support Sponsored by Sexual Assault Victims Volunteer Initiative. Child care available with 48 hours notice. Mondays; call for times and locations. 540-349-7720.

Spiritual support group For cancer patients, family members and friends. Third Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-858-8850.

Stroke support First Wednesdays, noon-1:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588. Free.

Stroke survivors and caregivers support Second Wednesdays 11 a.m.-noon, Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg, second floor, Patient Education Room. 703-858-6199 or jill.lieb@inova.org.

Suicide counseling Third Wednesdays 7-8:30 p.m. Leesburg Town Office, Conference Room 2, lower level, 25 W. Market St., Leesburg. 703-587-1618 or survivorsofsuicidelossleesburg@gmail.com.

Widows and widowers support Third Mondays 11 a.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039.

Womens support Sponsored by Services to Abused Families. Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Confidential location. 540-825-8876.

Womens cancer support Woman to Woman, first Wednesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Registration required. 703-858-8850.

MISCELLANEOUS

Brain trauma survivors brown-bag lunch For survivors and caregivers. First Tuesdays, noon-1:30 p.m., Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg, second-floor Patient Education Room. Call 703-737-3150 or email jberg@braininjurysvcs.org. Free.

Child developmental screenings For ages 2-5. Children may not be kindergarten-age-eligible. Sponsored by the Loudoun County school systems Child Find Center. 571-252-2180.

Cholesterol screenings Weekdays, 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Fauquier Health LIFE Center, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-2640. Registration required. $35.

Emergency food supplies Loudoun County residents in need can receive a free three-day supply of groceries. Supplies are distributed Mondays through Saturdays by Loudoun Hunger Relief. Call 703-777-5911 or go to loudounhunger.org.

Fauquier free walk-in medical clinic Call Thursdays from 12:30 to 1 p.m. to register for the clinic, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Patients are seen by appointment Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Fauquier and Rappahannock residents only. Bring proof of address for the first visit. Patients cannot have Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance. Information: 540-347-0394 Tuesdays or Thursdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Fauquier Hospital Bistro Senior Supper Club Nutritious meals and fellowship for people 55 and older. Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30-6:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Bistro on the Hill, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588. $5.49.

Five Cries of Grief seminar Aug. 21-25, 7-9 p.m. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814. Free.

HEROES (Hometown Enabling Relationships, Opportunities and Empowerment through Support) is a program for military families. Support to military members and families, from pre-deployment up to two years post-deployment. Assistance includes financial help, job placement, family care and mental-health services. caring@purbap.org or heroescare.org.

Inova Loudoun Hospital Mobile Health Services Blood pressure screenings, Tuesday 10 a.m.-noon, Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling; Thursday 6:30-8:30 p.m., Leesburg Elementary School, 323 Plaza St., Leesburg; Aug. 17, 11 a.m.-noon, Lovettsville Community Center, 57 E. Broad Way, Lovettsville; Aug. 19, 6:30-10 p.m, Inova Loudoun Hospital, Movie Night Under the Stars, south hospital lawn, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg. Call 703-858-8818 or go to inova.org/mobilehealth. Free.

Loudoun Cares information and referral help line Call 703-669-4636 for help in finding resources for county residents on issues of eviction, utility cutoffs, health care and employment.

Motor skill screenings Birth to 21 months. First Thursdays, Blue Ridge Speech and Hearing Center, 19465 Deerfield Ave., Suite 201, Lansdowne. Call for an appointment. 703-858-7620. Free.

Northern Virginia long-term-care ombudsman Call 703-324-5861 for help with complaints related to long-term-care facilities.

Road to Recovery Free rides to appointments for cancer patients. Call 410-781-6909 or email jen.burdette@cancer.org. Free.

Safe sitter classes For girls and boys ages 11-14. First Saturdays except for holiday weekends. 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg. To receive a Safe Sitter Certificate, students must pass practical and written tests on babysitting and handling an emergency. Take a lunch from home or buy one in the cafeteria. $70, includes handbook and snacks. Registration required. 703-858-8818 or charlene.martin@inova.org.

Seven Loaves Food Pantry Individuals and families can receive a three-day supply of food, distributed Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.-noon. Go to sevenloavesmiddleburg.org or call 540-687-3489.

Tree of Life Food Pantry Serving western Loudoun County. Food is delivered Wednesdays and Saturdays. 703-554-3595.

 Compiled by Sandy Mauck

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Email: ldliving@washpost.com

Fax: 703-777-8437

Mail: Health Calendar, The Washington Post, 104 Dry Mill Rd. SW, Suite 101, Leesburg, Va. 20175

Loudoun County and Fauquier County health calendar
After eight years and more than $20 million in cost overruns, the trouble-plagued upgrade of Loudoun Countys aging financial management systems encountered more problems in a critical test last week.

On Tuesday, county employees were given access to the new automated payroll system so they could view their paycheck information and begin entering data they had previously been submitting on paper time sheets. However, the self-service data entry process was suspended later in the week after a glitch in the system was discovered, county spokesman Glen Barbour said.

Additionally, some employees payroll deductions and holiday pay were calculated incorrectly, Barbour said in an email Thursday. There were also some problems with the interface between the new Oracle payroll system and a separate system used by public-safety employees to enter their time and leave, he said.

Naturally, [any] impact on an employees paycheck is considered very important, so the team is working to address any errors as quickly as possible, Barbour said. The implementation team is confident theyll find solutions by the next payroll.

Public school employees will have to wait even longer to start using the new system. The school board was informed Friday that the planned activation date for school employees has been postponed until Oct. 2, public schools spokesman Wayde Byard said.

Processing the payroll for more than 5,400 full-time, part-time and temporary employees in the general county government and 14,000 in the school system is one of the last milestones in the lengthy process of upgrading the financial management systems.

The county embarked on the project in 2009, when the Board of Supervisors budgeted $25 million to replace the computer systems that handle core functions such as accounting, procurement, assessments, taxation and human resources.

The system upgrade has been plagued by delays, cost overruns and the threat of legal action by the county against AST, a company that formerly managed the project.

Deadlines for completing the last remaining phase of the project  which includes the human resources, payroll and benefits systems  passed years ago. The total cost of the upgrade has swelled to more than $46 million, which is $5 million more than it was in 2013, when longtime County Treasurer H. Roger Zurn Jr. called the overrun totally unprecedented.

In June 2016, the supervisors accepted a settlement offer from AST and contracted with Oracle America to complete the final phase of the upgrade, with a goal of completing the project this summer.

The projects cost crept even higher last month, when the supervisors shifted $443,100 in funding to complete the upgrade.

Project manager Vince Marchesano informed the boards finance committee July 11 that there were several critical issues that might prevent his team from meeting a July 24 deadline to activate the payroll system for the county government.

Marchesano also informed the supervisors that the school system had decided to delay the rollout of its payroll system until Aug. 21 to allow additional time for defect resolution, testing, staff training and [to] reduce overall risk.

Several supervisors were clearly unhappy with the prospect of further delays.

I dont know what else to say, committee Chairman Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said. Its not great news.

After Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) inquired about the nature of the problems, Marchesano replied that there had been issues with the calculation of employee compensation and benefits.

Thats a major issue, Randall replied. This is not good news.

Shortly after that meeting, county staff members decided to try to make the July 24 deadline. At the July 20 Board of Supervisors meeting, County Administrator Tim Hemstreet said staff members in several departments had been working around the clock with a target of going live with the new system early the following week.

For the first pay run using the Oracle system, the countys payroll staff manually entered time sheet information for almost 1,900 hourly employees, Barbour said, adding that they would have to do so again for the next pay run if the problems with self-service data entry that occurred last week could not be fixed soon.
I am here!

Thats the cry of every human being: to proclaim that we exist, that in the great, swirling chaos of the infinite cosmos, certain random molecules miraculously and improbably came together to create . . . us.

But how do we mark this, celebrate it?

We get mail.

Or we used to, anyway. Email has dealt multiple blows to the old kind of mail, the paper kind. But a lot of us still have a fondness for what mail does come these days. We eagerly await the creaking sound of the lid on the mailbox being lifted or the gentle thump of mail as it falls to the floor through the front-door slot.

Occupant. Occupant. Occupant. Ah, John Kelly!

Mail is proof were alive.

Yes, I wish Colonial Williamsburg would stop sending us mail for my mother-in-law, dead these past 10 years, but even that mistake suggests the ability of mail to convey a sort of immortality.

And thats my point. In the history of the universe, we are but the briefest blip, mere mayflies. Some of us achieve a measure of lasting fame: discovering lands, conquering nations, writing symphonies, building cathedrals. The rest of us see our names through the cellophane window of the gas bill.

But, hey, that gas bill is proof of residence.

I remember when I first became obsessed with mail. It was the summer before my senior year in college. I had an internship at a trade association in Northern Virginia, where I did little editorial tasks. Occasionally, I would interview some minor industry figure and write a story that would run in the trade publication.

I started getting mail, news releases mainly. Someone somewhere  a stranger  thought I should be made aware of a new product or a recent promotion. I was added to mailing lists. I had never been added to a mailing list before.

I started making it a habit to amble past the mailroom to see if Id received anything. Im sure the old-timers  anyone whod worked there more than a month  must have found me annoying.

Was I really so starved for attention that I craved the dopamine hit of my name on a mailing label, like Steve Martin in The Jerk exulting over his name in the new phone book?

Yes. Well, sort of. Andy Warhol promised wed all be famous for 15 minutes. Maybe thats true, but here was a fame of a different sort. An entire infrastructure existed solely to collect these paper missives, transport them and deliver them. And if I was just one tiny participant in this colossal mechanism, what of it? It didnt change this fact: I am here.

But thats the analogue world. We increasingly live in the digital one. I guess its no surprise that we can get a similar validation there. Our Facebook posts are liked. Our tweets are retweeted.

I Instagram, therefore I am.

Because zeros and ones move so much faster than postcards or packages, the speed of these transactions has increased. So have the highs and lows that come with them. With mail, that anticipatory roller coaster comes but once a day, and not on Sundays. With social media, its sickeningly nonstop.

What do you mean no one has liked my tweet yet? Let me check again. And again. And again.

Ah, finally.

Imagine a peasant scratching in the earth on the side of a wind-blasted hill. He knows only that hill and the people who live on it with him. Perhaps thats enough. Perhaps he doesnt sweat the big questions  great chaos of the infinite cosmos; certain random molecules, etc.  and is content to live inside his own head.

Now imagine that peasant getting mail. It isnt the mail thats the point. (It was a Lands End catalogue, by the way.) The point is that were all mortal. Time is infinite but life isnt. Glue yourself to the present like a stamp in the corner.

Celebrate life, right up until the letters sent to us start going back marked Return to Sender because we have been.

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.
A painting by Nancy Shanklin Werlich hangs in the Peabody Room of the Georgetown Neighborhood Library. Librarian Jerry McCoy poses with a brick. (John Kelly/The Washington Post)

Ive just been astounded by this painting, Jerry McCoy told me the other day as we stood gazing at a canvas hanging on the wall of the Peabody Room in the Georgetown Neighborhood Library. I get lost in the level of detail.

The painting does not project the sort of image one normally associates with Georgetown. It is not of a tony mansion. It is not of a universitys spire or a canals bucolic, shaded towpath.

It shows a bunch of dirty, snarling hippies bent on mayhem: hurling bricks, dancing atop cars, torching a mailbox.

The painting depicts a real event, a rolling riot that broke out in Georgetown on Oct. 2, 1970. Jerry, the librarian who oversees the Peabody Room, was delighted to get it.

Nancy Shanklin Werlich is the woman in the turtleneck admonishing a hippie not to break a window. (John Kelly/The Washington Post)

Weve got the 1770s and the 1870s, but not the 1970s, he said of the comparably staid artwork that adorns the rest of the space, part of the librarys Washingtoniana collection.

The painting was a gift of Richard F. Driscoll, an art appraiser who splits his time between Washington and Palm Beach, Fla. He purchased it more than 20 years ago from the artist, Nancy Shanklin Werlich.

Shes pictured in the painting, Richard said by phone from Florida. Shes on the right, pleading with a man whos holding a brick.

And there she is, a dark-haired woman in a turtleneck, hands raised toward a man in a red bandanna who wants to toss a hunk of sidewalk through a nearby storefront.

The store was Antiques of Georgetown, on O Street NW. Beyond that is Wisconsin Avenue and the Georgetown Theater, the marquee of which displays the evenings featured movie: The Only Game in Town, starring Elizabeth Taylor.

The riot broke out after what The Washington Post called a Yippie street party devolved into violence. Young antiwar protesters had gathered on P Street Beach to celebrate the fact that South Vietnamese Vice President Nguyen Cao Ky had backed down from his vow to attend a pro-war victory-in-Vietnam rally organized by the Rev. Carl McIntire, a right-wing evangelical preacher.

The demonstrators  some carrying the flag of the communist Viet Cong  surged through Georgetown and up Wisconsin Avenue. Police later said that more than 50 windows were broken and 340 people arrested.

I want to hear from these people, Jerry said. Not to chide them, but to hear what that day was like. He thinks that Nancy Werlich must have taken photos of the disturbance, or made sketches. She undoubtedly was there. Many of the figures in the painting  and there are dozens  look like real people.

A hairy guy dressed in fatigues and holding a tape recorder is a dead ringer for Jerry Rubin. Front and center are a couple: a leering man holding a brick, his female companion grimly holding a Viet Cong flag.

Nancy Werlich exhibited at galleries in the Washington area. She apparently painted the Georgetown scene in 1971. She died in 2002.

I asked Richard Driscoll what prompted him to buy the painting. I liked the color and I liked the action, he said. As for donating it to the library, he said, I just thought it was very important for the history of Georgetown.

Were you part of that history? Go to the Peabody Room and see if you can find your younger self.

Got a Sistine Chapel in you?

Speaking of art and speaking of libraries, the District is looking for someone to paint the ceiling of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. No, not just a coat of eggshell white, but a design for the Grand Reading Room that patrons will find inspirational.

According to the librarys RFQ  request for qualifications  the work should visually represent D.C.s landscape and/or streetscape; create a thematic connection between the third floor Grand Reading Room and the Special Collections area on the fourth floor; complement the architects vision for a light-filled, quiet, relaxing space for reading and solitary study that harmonizes with Mies van der Rohes modernist design; distinguish the Grand Reading Room with an iconic visual feature, with the potential to increase a sense of community connection to the Library and its resources; and honor Dr. Kings legacy and love of books by enhancing spaces for lifelong learning that are welcoming and accessible to all.

That will be quite a painting. The deadline for artists and designers to throw their palettes in the ring is Aug. 31. For more information, visit bit.ly/2h7CByp.

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly
Ernst Zundel, a far-right activist who rose to notoriety over decades of public neo-Nazi activity in Canada and the United States before being deported to his native Germany on Holocaust denial charges, has died. He was 78.

Marina Lahmann, a spokeswoman for the community of Bad Wildbad in Baden-Wurttemberg where Mr. Zundel lived, told the Associated Press that Mr. Zundel died over the weekend. She had no further information, saying the paperwork had not yet been processed.

The news media in Canada quoted a statement from his wife, Ingrid Zundel, saying that he died of a heart attack at his home Aug. 6.

Born in Germany in 1939, Mr. Zundel immigrated to Canada in 1958  allegedly to avoid German military service  and lived in Toronto and Montreal until 2001.

He achieved international notoriety for his neo-Nazi beliefs and writings, including The Hitler We Loved and Why, and operated Samisdat Publishers, a leading distributor of Nazi and Nazi-era propaganda. He also provided regular content for an eponymous far-right website.

Canadian officials rejected his attempts to obtain citizenship in 1966 and 1994.

After leaving Canada, he moved to Pigeon Forge, Tenn., where he had married fellow right-winger Ingrid Rimland.

In 2003, he was deported to Canada for alleged immigration violations. After he arrived in Toronto, he was arrested and held in detention until a judge ruled in 2005 that his activities posed a threat to national and international security and he was deported to Germany, where he was being sought for Holocaust denial.

Denial of the Holocaust is illegal in Germany. Because Mr. Zundels Holocaust-denying website was available in Germany, he was considered to have been spreading his message to Germans.

Mr. Zundel, who portrayed himself as a peaceful campaigner being denied the right to free speech, was convicted in Mannheim in 2007 of 14 counts of inciting hatred for engaging in years of anti-Semitic activities and sentenced to five years in prison.

After he served his sentence, a crowd of some 20 supporters clapped and shouted Bravo as he was released from prison in Mannheim in 2010.

Outside the prison, he refused to comment on his beliefs about the Holocaust, saying only that its kind of a sad situation, theres a lot to say, before adding, Ill certainly be careful not to offend anyone and their draconian laws.
Sunday, AUG. 6

Dale City farmers market 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Dale City Commuter Lot (behind Center Plaza Shopping Center), Dale Boulevard, Dale City. 703-670-7112 ext. 227. pwcparks.org.

Bingo Hosted by nonprofit group Save a Dog, Save a Cat. Proceeds support animal rescue, adoptions, spay/neuter services and a new animal shelter. 2:30-5:30 p.m. Elks Lodge, 14602 Minnieville Rd., Woodbridge. 703-975-4125. Free.

Author David Gilbert A discussion of his book Civil War Battlefields: Walking the Trails of History. 1:30 p.m. Manassas Museum, 9101 Prince William St., Manassas. 703-368-1873. Free.

U.S. Army 257th Band An outdoor concert. 3 p.m. Loy E. Harris Pavilion, 9201 Center St., Manassas. 703-361-7230. harrispavilion.com. Free.

Sunday ballroom dance A samba followed by other music and dancing. 3:30-6 p.m. Center for the Arts at the Candy Factory, Kellar Theater, 9419 Battle St., Manassas. 703-330-2787. center-for-the-arts.org. Lesson and dance $15; open dance $10.

K-Tigers with K-Pop The Korean extreme martial arts touring group performs. 5 p.m. Hylton Performing Arts Center, 10960 George Mason Cir., Manassas. 703-993-7759. $30-$50.

Honor, Courage and Commitment: Marine Corps Art, 1975-2015 The first exhibit in the Combat Art Gallery features 100 works by 22 artists. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. National Museum of the Marine Corps, 18900 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Triangle. 703-784-6107. Free.

Tailor-Made: Vintage Fashions from the Museums Collection Unveiled Curated by Meaghan Reddick, the exhibit looks at the fashion of the first quarter of the 20th century. Through Sept. 24. Manassas Museum, 9101 Prince William St., Manassas. 703-257-8453. Free.

Down the Shore An exhibit of fused glass by David and Dale Barnes, pencil paintings by Tina Kannapel and oil paintings by Steve Myles. Through Monday. Artists Undertaking Gallery, 309 Mill St., Occoquan. 703-494-0584. Free.

Monday, AUG. 7

Bingo Proceeds support local veterans. Doors open 7:30 a.m. Games 9:15 a.m.-noon. American Legion Post 10, 9950 Cockrell Rd., Manassas. 703-369-4900. $16.

Volunteer Monday Wear work clothes and boots and bring water to help clean up the park. 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Leesylvania State Park, 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Dr., Woodbridge. 703-583-6904. Free.

Wrapped Gems by Fred Artist Fred Walker demonstrates wrapping sea glass and other gems. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Art a la Carte, 310 Mill St., Occoquan. 703-496-9540. Free.

Park West Lions Club bingo Proceeds support local sight, hearing and youth projects. Doors open weekly at 4 p.m. Games begin at 7 p.m. Park West Lions Club, 8620 Sunnygate Dr., Manassas. 703-392-0077. pwlions@aol.com. $10.

Bingo Proceeds support Dale City Knights of Columbus activities and charities. Doors open 6 p.m. Games begin 7:30 p.m. VFW Post 1503, 14631 Minnieville Rd., Dale City. 703-491-2378. $9 minimum.

Lake Jackson Mid County Lions Club meeting 6:30 p.m. Great American Steak and Buffet, 8365 Sudley Rd., Manassas. 703-369-6791. Free.

Photography exhibit Christine Grubbs displays her photographs inspired by history. Through Aug. 31. The Hall at City Hall, 9027 Center St., Manassas. 703-257-8456. Free.

Tuesday, AUG. 8

Bingo Proceeds support Veterans of Foreign Wars and Auxiliary programs and community activities. Tuesday and Thursday. Doors open 5:30 p.m. Games begin 7:30 p.m. VFW Post 1503, 14631 Minnieville Rd., Dale City. 703-670-4124. $10 minimum.

Take Out Tuesday Concert Folk Americana guitarist Chris Rall performs. 6 p.m. Loy E. Harris Pavilion, 9201 Center St., Manassas. 703-361-9800. harrispavilion.com. Free.

Wednesday, AUG. 9

World War I Wednesdays World War I uniforms will be on display. Childrens activities are also offered. 10 a.m.-noon. National Museum of the Marine Corps, 18900 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Triangle. 877-635-1775. Free.

Colonial childrens games Learn about games played during the Revolutionary and Civil wars. For children 4 and older. 11 a.m. Leesylvania State Park, 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Dr., Woodbridge. 703-583-6904. Free.

Lake Ridge Toastmasters Club Members 18 and older develop their public speaking and leadership skills. 7:30-9:15 p.m. Tall Oaks Community Center, 12298 Cotton Mill Dr., Lake Ridge. 703-491-3020. contact-8913@toastmastersclubs.org. lakeridge.toastmastersclubs.org. $34-$64 membership fee.

Thursday, AUG. 10

Manassas farmers market Thursday 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and Tuesday 5-8 p.m., Loy E. Harris Pavilion, 9201 Center St. Also Saturday 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Prince William Lot, Prince William Street, Manassas. 703-361-6599. visitmanassas.org.

Dale City Civic Association meeting Socializing and networking at 7 p.m. Meeting at 7:30 p.m. Birchdale Recreation Center, 14730 Birchdale Ave., Dale City. dalecitycivic.org. Free.

Friday, AUG. 11

Revolutionary Readers A book club for students in grades 4-6. This weeks selection is The Courage of Sarah Noble, by Alice Dalgliesh. 10 a.m.-noon. Rippon Lodge Historic Site, 15520 Blackburn Rd., Woodbridge. 703-499-9812. $7.

Pond Play A ranger will use nets to catch animals such as frogs, turtles and fish. 11 a.m. Leesylvania State Park, 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Dr., Woodbridge. 703-583-6904. Free, parking $7.

Prince William County Fair The largest county fair in Virginia has agricultural and livestock exhibits, midway rides and games, wine tastings, food vendors, truck and tractor pulls, a demolition derby, monster trucks, and more. Gates open at 5 p.m. Through Aug. 19. Prince William County Fairgrounds, 10624 Dumfries Rd., Manassas. 703-368-0173. pwcfair.com. $6-$10. Unlimited ride wristbands $18-$22.

American Legion dinner The public is invited to dinner with a different special every week. Proceeds support local veterans and the community. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Woodbridge American Legion, 3640 Friendly Post Lane, Woodbridge. 703-494-4304. vapost364.org. $5-$15.

Summer concert series Bring a blanket or lawn chair for an R&B and rock concert by the Johnny Artis Band. 8-10 p.m. Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center, 15201 Potomac Town Pl., Woodbridge. 703-583-1202. stonebridgeptc.com. Free.

Saturday, AUG. 12

Yoga on the Lawn Vinyasa yoga taught by certified yoga instructor Christopher Glowacki. 9 a.m. Rippon Lodge Historic Site, 15520 Blackburn Rd., Woodbridge. 703-499-9812. pwcgov.org/ripponlodge. $5.

Canoe tour A ranger leads a guided tour on Powells Creek. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Leesylvania State Park, 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Dr., Woodbridge. 703-583-6904. Free, parking $7.

Family Day Girls Make History explores Marine Corps history from 1775 to today with games, hands-on activities, special guests and crafts. Noon-3 p.m. National Museum of the Marine Corps, 18900 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Triangle. 877-635-1775. Free.

District Moods An artists reception for the exhibit of paintings by Nick Aman. 1-4 p.m. Through Sept. 3. The Loft Gallery, 313 Mill St., Occoquan. 703-490-1117. Free.

Xanadu Jr. Lopez Studios stages the musical about a Greek muse who descends on Venice Beach to inspire a struggling artist. 2 and 7 p.m. Hylton Performing Arts Center, 10960 George Mason Circle, Manassas. hyltoncenter.org. 703-993-7759. $30.

Movie Under the Stars Bring a blanket or lawn chair for Storks. 7 p.m. Stonebridge at Potomac Town Center, 15201 Potomac Town Pl., Woodbridge. 703-583-1202. stonebridgeptc.com. Free.

Moana Bring a lawn chair or blanket for the outdoor movie at dusk. Costello Park, 99 Adams St., Manassas Park. 703-335-8872. Free.

Saturday Night Adult Dance Music by the Fabulous Bel Airs. 8-11 p.m. Harris Pavilion, 9201 Center St., Manassas. 703-361-9800. harrispavilion.com. Free.

An Evening of Comedy Rooftop Productions presents a night of stand-up comedy, improv and comedy skits. Cash bar and refreshments available. 8 p.m. Center for the Arts, 9419 Battle St., Manassas. 703-330-2787. $18-$22.

 Compiled by Sarah Lane

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Details: Announcements are accepted on a space-available basis from public and nonprofit organizations only and must be received at least 14 days before the Thursday publication date. Include event name, dates, times, exact address, prices and a publishable contact phone number.
A man found dead on a sidewalk near the Mount Rainier library has been identified as German Garcia-Paredes, according to Prince Georges County police.

Officers responding to a welfare check call found Garcia-Paredes, 25, of Brentwood with trauma to the body about 6:15 a.m. Saturday in the 3500 block of Rhode Island Avenue. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Detectives are investigating Garcia-Paredess death as a homicide, and police are asking anyone with information to call 301-772-4925 or 1-866-411-TIPS (8477).
Police released this image Sunday, saying it shows three persons of interest in the shooting. (Metro Transit Police)

About 20 people were on board a moving Metro car on Sunday when gunshots rang out near the Silver Spring station, leaving a teenager with a wound to the abdomen.

Metro Transit Police on Monday announced the arrest of Jermaine Brown, 18, of Seat Pleasant, Md., who was taken into custody by Metro police at a Capitol Heights motel late Sunday. He was charged with first-degree assault in the shooting.

The 14-year-old victim is Browns half brother and was not the intended target, police said. He was hospitalized and was in stable condition, authorities said.

[Police investigating shooting on board a Metro Red Line train]

According to investigators, Brown was traveling with his half brother on the train about 3 p.m. when a fight broke out between him and three other passengers. Browns half brother tried to assist as Brown attempted to fight off the group, according to charging documents.

Jermaine Brown, 18, of Seat Pleasant, Md. (Metro Transit Police)

Video from inside the train car showed a man identified by police as Brown pulling out a silver-colored semiautomatic pistol and firing several times in the moving car. One of the bullets struck his half brother while two others hit the interior of the car.

The train was traveling south from Silver Spring and approaching the Takoma station when the gunfire erupted. Police determined that the incident happened in Maryland before the train crossed the D.C. line.

Brown and his half brother exited the train after it pulled into the Takoma station, although the 14-year-old collapsed on the platform due to his gunshot wound, according to charging documents. The boy was taken to Childrens National Medical Center in Northwest Washington, where family members later identified Brown in a photo as the alleged gunman.

A Maryland judge on Monday ordered Brown held without bond.

Police released surveillance footage showing three other people exiting the train at the Takoma station shortly after the shooting and boarding a train headed in the opposite direction. The group left the train system at the next stop, the Silver Spring station.

Investigators are working to identify the people involved in the fight that led to the gunfire.

Although shootings on Metro trains are rare, Sundays was the second such incident in the past two years.
It was about 8 p.m. on Feb. 2, 2012, and JaParker Deoni Jones had just left her mothers place and was waiting at a nearby bus stop to catch a ride home.

As she sat at the bus shelter, someone plunged a knife into the side of her head and ran off. A passer-by who thought he had witnessed a mugging gave chase, but was unable to catch the assailant. Jones, 23, died minutes later at a nearby hospital.

About two weeks after the killing, police arrested Gary Montgomery, a man who was a stranger to Jones and who was seen on security video cameras sitting next to her at the bus stop.

Montgomery, 60, is on trial in D.C. Superior Court, where prosecutors have been presenting evidence to make a case that he is guilty of first-degree murder. The defense contends that their client is innocent and that police arrested the wrong man.

The motive remains unclear, but Joness family is convinced she was targeted because she was transgender.

Jones, who worked at a sandwich shop and a hair salon, was the oldest child, with two younger sisters. At 16, Jones began living as a female, her mother, Judean Jones, said in a recent interview. It was then, Judean Jones said, that she began to worry that the teens transgender status could make her a target of hate and violence.

[Family of transgender murder victim seek hate-crime prosecution]

I always told her to be careful. I told her there would be people out there who wont like you just because of who you are, Judean Jones said.

Although prosecutors say it is not clear whether Montgomery even knew Jones was transgender, the killing pushed her mother and stepfather to become advocates for the transgender community. In 2013, then-Mayor Vincent C. Gray signed the JaParker Deoni Jones Birth Certificate Equality Act, which makes it easier for transgender individuals to change the gender on their birth certificates.

The trial, entering its third day of testimony on Tuesday, arrived in court as attention to violence against transgender women has resurfaced nationwide. Late last month, a stand-up comedian on a popular New York-based morning radio program, The Breakfast Club, joked that if a sexual partner turned out to be a transgender woman, he would want to kill her if she hadnt told him beforehand. The comments were denounced by transgender advocates and celebrities on social media.

Joness family also was outraged. Its horrendous for anyone to make a statement like that, said Joness stepfather, Alvin Bethea. It just enables people to hurt trans persons. Or even kill them.

Prosecutors said Jones and Montgomery came upon each other by chance on that February night. Security camera footage shows Montgomery, who has a history of drug use, walking to the bus stop in the 4900 block of East Capitol Street NE.

JaParker Deoni Jones is shown in this photograph released by the U.S. attorney's office. Jones, a 23-year-old transgender woman, was killed at a D.C. bus stop in 2012. ( U.S. attorney's office)

During an on-camera interview with homicide detectives, he repeatedly described Jones as the pretty lady.

Three people identified Montgomery as being at the bus stop before Jones was killed, prosecutors told the jury.

One witness, Attalah Gabriel, 30, testified that she sat next to the two of them and noticed that Montgomery kept staring at Jones with his eyes widened. At one point, Gabriel said, Jones turned away and Montgomery moved closer to her, still staring. But no one ever said anything, she testified. Gabriel also recalled an odor of marijuana, although she did not see anyone smoking.

He kept staring at her and she kept ignoring him, looking at her phone instead, Gabriel testified. She was visibly uncomfortable.

Gabriel said she sat on the bench for about five minutes before leaving to walk to the nearest Metro station. Gabriel described the man at the bus stop as being around 30 years old. Montgomery was 55 at the time.

Another witness, Jermaine Jackson, 41, testified that he and a friend had stopped at a traffic light in front of the bus stop when they saw a man appear to strike Jones. Jackson said they went to check on her and then saw the knife in her head.

Jackson said that he chased the attacker but that person got away. In court, he was not able to identify Montgomery as the man he followed.

Gary Montgomery ran from the scene as Ms. Jones lay dying at the cold concrete bus shelter on East Capitol Street that provided absolutely no shelter from him, Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gorman told the jury.

The defense questioned the strength of the evidence. There was no DNA from Montgomery found on Joness body or the knife. No fingerprints. A coat and a jacket were found at the bus stop but were not linked to Montgomery.

Mr. Montgomery is innocent. He did not kill JaParker Deoni Jones, argued Monica Douglas, one of Montgomerys public defenders. This case is built on assumptions, speculations and shortcuts, and does not rely on any evidence. Mr. Montgomery was not there when she was stabbed.

The case has taken more than five years to make it to trial after an extended back-and-forth as to whether Montgomery was competent to stand trial. Psychiatrists at St. Elizabeths Hospital, the Districts psychiatric facility, said Montgomery suffered from mental illness, including schizophrenia. Judge Lynn Leibovitz determined that the case could go forward.

Waiting for a resolution has been stressful, Joness family said. The family also said they wished prosecutors had added a hate-crime component to the charges.

He sat on the bus bench and stared at my daughter. Stared in her face, Judean Jones said. He knew she was transgender. And thats why he killed her.
Corey A. Stewart unsuccessfuly sought the Republican nomination for governor and says he will now run for the U.S. Senate. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

A dispute over a proposed power line route in Virginia that threatens a historic African American enclave has morphed into a broader battle between the states politically influential electric company and its most controversial Republican politician.

Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey A. Stewart, who is running for the U.S. Senate, is calling Dominion Energy a corporate bully for its plans to build a six-mile-long transmission line through a small community in Haymarket that was founded by freed slaves.

Dominion, already battered by recent opposition to several pipeline and coal-ash pond projects, has swung right back at Stewart, accusing the recent gubernatorial candidate of misrepresenting his own role in setting the power line route.

Why is Corey Stewart putting politics over people? reads a Dominion advertisement in several Prince William County newspapers that highlights Stewarts role in blocking an alternative power line route. The residents of Carver Road should look no further than Corey Stewart for the reason their community was selected.

An opinion piece by Dominion executive Robert M. Blue published in The Washington Post says Stewart is jeopardizing reliable electric service for the people he was elected to serve. Blue oversees Dominion operations in Virginia and North Carolina.

Stewart  who says his bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D) will be partially based on challenging corporate interests like Dominion  is citing the attacks in his fundraising appeals.

If I were to choose an enemy, this would be the one I would have chosen, said Stewart, who nearly upset Ed Gillespie in Junes GOP gubernatorial primary after campaigning on a platform of protecting Confederate monuments and disrupting the political landscape.

Its bringing in people and donors who otherwise wouldnt support a Republican candidate, Stewart said. There are a lot of people in Virginia who are victims of Dominions heavy-handed tactics.

Virginias State Corporation Commission decided in June to locate Dominions new 230,000-volt power lines along Carver Road near Haymarket, where descendants of Livinia Blackburn Johnson have lived for at least 118 years.

Dominion says the lines are needed to serve a data center complex and the growing residential communities around it. (The data center complex is owned by VAData, a subsidiary of Amazon, whose founder and chief executive Jeffrey P. Bezos is owner of The Washington Post.)

Residents who oppose the lines question whether that much capacity is needed. Two residents groups have appealed the commissions decision, and the panel is reconsidering.

Dominion originally wanted to place the lines along a nearby freight railroad line, which would have required using 55 acres of wetlands owned by the nearby Somerset Crossing residential development.

Other options  including a hybrid route along Interstate 66 that would involve partially burying the power lines  were rejected by the state commission as too expensive or too intrusive to surrounding communities.

With the 528-home Somerset Crossing community opposing the railroad route, Stewart engineered a land agreement that enabled the county to acquire the wetlands property as protected open space. That meant Dominion could not seize it through eminent domain.

Dominion petitioned the county for use of the land, warning Stewart and other county officials behind closed doors that the historic Carver Road route was the only other viable option. Stewart later called the conversation an attempt at blackmail.

When he and the other supervisors voted unanimously not to make the wetlands available, the state commission said Dominion would have to build through Carver Road. Amid an outcry from residents, Stewart made a renewed push for the more expensive, hybrid I-66 route.

He is casting the dispute as a battle to preserve an important reminder of the progress made by African Americans in Virginia since slavery  a cause he said is consistent with his focus on protecting local community interests and not at odds with his recent push to protect Confederate monuments.

Dominion had no idea what it was in for when it picked a fight with the Carver Road community, Stewart said during a rally before the county board unanimously agreed to donate $30,000 toward the residents legal efforts last month.

The African American homeowners on Carver Road say theyre grateful for the attention Stewart has brought to their cause.

The fact is, Dominion is responsible for choosing the Carver Road route as an option, so for them to place blame on others is unfair, said Joyce Hudson, who heads the recently formed Alliance to Save Carver Road. Corey, the county and the coalition are all together in the goal of having these transmission lines not affect our community.

Political analysts say the fight reflects a growing willingness among some Virginia politicians to distance themselves from Dominion after years of quietly resenting the companys considerable influence in Richmond.

Dominion has long cushioned itself against outward political attacks by playing both sides of the aisle  splitting about $15 million in donations between Republicans and Democrats during the past two decades. It has never donated directly to any of Stewarts campaigns, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

But dozens of Democratic candidates for state office pledged not to accept donations from Dominion this election cycle, in response to controversies over a proposed pipeline that would run 600 miles through the state and smaller battles over efforts to bury coal ash at Dominion power plants near sensitive waterways.

Stephen J. Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, recalled similar tensions in the 1970s, when Lt. Gov. Henry Howell (D) scored political points by characterizing what was then VEPCO as the Very Expensive Power Company. His taunts prompted the company to focus more on keeping rates low.

Dominion Energy is facing more political trouble right now than it has in 40 years, Farnsworth said. For decades, Democrats and Republicans have quite happily and quite quietly taken money from this power company with few questions asked. To me, this is another example of how contentious politics are getting in Virginia.

Chet Wade, a Dominion spokesman, declined to comment on the companys newly aggressive posture toward Stewart. Wade played down the other controversies as the price of doing business in a changing industry and political climate.

Thats just the world were in right now, Wade said. Were going to keep working to make sure that the lights are on and the generation of energy is cleaner, and more reliable.
Oklahoma

Tornado leaves 2

in critical condition

An apparent tornado near midtown Tulsa on Sunday injured more than a dozen people, including two with life-threatening injuries, knocked out power to thousands of customers, heavily damaged businesses and blew debris through the streets.

No deaths were reported after the storm, which struck shortly after 1 a.m., city spokeswoman Kim Meloy said.

Emergency Medical Services Authority spokeswoman Kelli Bruer said 13 people were taken to hospitals: eight from a T.G.I. Fridays restaurant, four from a Whataburger restaurant, and one person who was in the area.

 Associated Press

Montana

Reservation shooting involved drugs, gangs

Drugs and gang activity were factors in a residential shooting that killed three people and injured two others on Montanas Crow Indian Reservation, the tribes chairman said.

Fridays shootings in the town of Lodge Grass involved methamphetamine, Crow Tribal Chairman Alvin Not Afraid Jr. said. He did not elaborate, the Billings Gazette reported Sunday.

Drugs have a devastating effect on our communities, and yesterdays incident is a reminder of that, Not Afraid told local news media Saturday.

Investigators did not say whether anyone was being sought in connection with the shootings. Lodge Grass is a town of just more than 400 people about 65 miles southeast of Billings.

Terry Bullis, the Big Horn County coroner, on Sunday released the names of those who were killed: Leslie Frank Nomee Jr., 27; Nomees wife, Denise Stewart Nomee, 25; and Nehemiah Brokenrope, 30.

 Associated Press

Downpour overwhelms pump stations: Parts of New Orleans flooded after a heavy weekend rainfall that officials said overwhelmed the citys pump stations. NOLA.com reported that city officials said Sunday that some areas received eight to 10 inches of rain over a few hours Saturday. That was too much for the Sewerage & Water Boards 24 pump stations to cope with even though all were operating.

Boys electrocuted while sailing: Two Texas Boy Scouts were killed and another was critically hurt when their sailboat hit an overhead power line and apparently electrocuted the youths, authorities said. The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department said the accident happened Saturday afternoon at Lake O the Pines near Avinger, 150 miles east of Dallas. Agency spokesman Steve Lightfoot said Sunday that Boy Scouts ages 18 and 16 died at the scene, while an 11-year-old was critically injured and hospitalized in Shreveport, La. Their names werent immediately released.

Ohio ride fell apart due to corrosion: Excessive corrosion on a support beam caused the catastrophic failure of a thrill ride on July 26 at the Ohio State Fair that killed an 18-year-old man and injured seven others, the rides Dutch manufacturer, KMG, said in a statement posted Sunday on Facebook. The company said the spinning-and-swinging ride, called the Fire Ball, was 18 years old. Tyler Jarrell died of blunt-force trauma injuries after being tossed 50 feet into the air when the ride broke apart.

Man on trial for allegedly abusing dog: A man charged with abusing a dog so severely that it had to be euthanized is heading to trial nearly four years after the animal that came to be known as Puppy Doe was found barely alive on a playground. Radoslaw Czerkawski faces animal cruelty charges in the trial scheduled to start Tuesday in Massachusetts.

Heatstroke deaths of children were homicides: Autopsies show that two North Texas toddlers died of heatstroke after, investigators allege, their mother left them in her hot car for several hours to teach them a lesson. A medical examiner determined that the deaths of Juliet Ramirez, 2, and Cavanaugh Ramirez, 1, of Weatherford were homicides. Parker County records show that the mother, Cynthia Randolph, was arrested in June and remains jailed. Officials said that Randolph originally said her children locked themselves in her car. Temperatures were in the 90s. According to an arrest affidavit, Randolph later said her daughter refused to get out of the car, so she locked both toddlers inside to teach them a lesson, thinking they would exit on their own.

 From news services
minnesota

Bombed mosque didnt have security cameras

A Minnesota mosque that was bombed over the weekend didnt have outside security cameras that could have captured what happened, its executive director said Monday.

Mohamed Omar of the Dar Al-Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington said his community, which is made up mostly of Somali immigrants, cant afford security cameras. He also said the mosque didnt receive any threats beforehand or claims of responsibility afterward.

Officials say witnesses saw someone throw something from a truck or van before the blast and saw a vehicle speed away.

Nobody was hurt in the explosion, which happened just before morning prayers on Saturday, but the blast damaged the imams office across the hall from the worship space.

The FBI has not announced arrests or identified any suspects.

 Associated Press

pennsylvania

3 Native American bodies to be returned

Three Native American children named Little Plume, Horse and Little Chief died about 135 years ago while attending a government-run school in Pennsylvania.

On Monday, a team of experts made final preparations to exhume their bodies and take them home to Wyomings vast Wind River Reservation.

The process is expected to begin early Tuesday at the Carlisle Barracks Post Cemetery on the grounds of the Carlisle Barracks, which today houses the U.S. Army War College.

Little Plume, Horse and Little Chief, also known as Hayes Vanderbilt Friday, Horace Washington and Dickens Nor, died in Carlisle in 1882-83 at the ages of 10, 14 and 15.

Seventeen members of the Northern Arapaho tribe, which in January 2016 formally requested the bodies be returned, arrived in Carlisle on Sunday to take part in what is expected to be a week-long process. Their delegation includes tribal elders and young people.

The government-run Carlisle Indian Industrial School, founded by an Army officer, took drastic steps to separate Native American students from their culture, including cutting their braids, dressing them in military-style uniforms and punishing them for speaking their native languages.

The Army is reaching out to all of the nearly 50 tribes whose more than 10,000 children attended the school, and officials expect more exhumations and returns to eventually follow.

 Associated Press

Third Boy Scout dies in boating accident: A third Boy Scout has died from injuries suffered when a sailboat struck an overhanging power line on a lake 150 miles east of Dallas. Texas Parks and Wildlife spokesman Steve Lightfoot says the 11-year-old Scout died Monday. He was hospitalized in Shreveport, La., following Saturdays accident.

9/11 victim identified 16 years later: The remains of a man killed at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, have been identified nearly 16 years after the terrorist attack. The New York City medical examiners office withheld the mans name, citing a request from his family. Its the first new identification made since March 2015. Medical examiners use DNA testing and other means to try to match bone fragments to the 2,753 people killed in the attack. Remains of 1,641 victims have been identified.

 From news services
Elena Silva gripped her cellphone, struggling to convey a sense of urgency to her husband, Brian Woodward, whose response was drowned out by the background din of a suburban Maryland swimming pool on a steamy July afternoon.

You have to bring the kids here  right now, Silva remembers insisting. She believed that the couples long-running quest for a diagnosis of their daughter Gabriela, known as Gg (pronounced Gigi), then 7, hinged on the little girls presence.

Woodward had taken Gg and her older brother Elian to the pool while Silva, hoping to meet researchers and network with knowledgeable parents, was attending a 2014 meeting at the Clinical Center, the research hospital on the grounds of the National Institutes of Health, a few miles from the familys home. Once a year, specialized neurology researchers and families affected by a constellation of rare neuromuscular disorders get together, a confab that is both supportive and aimed at furthering research.

Silva, who had learned of the event only that morning, was mingling with participants when a parent-advocate asked, Wheres your daughter? Why isnt she here?

When Silva replied that Gg was at the pool, the woman advised Silva to get the little girl to NIH  and fast. That way, one of the world-renowned researchers in attendance, preferably Carsten Bonnemann, chief of the neuromuscular and neurogenetic disorders of childhood section at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, could meet her. If Bonnemann took an interest in her case, Gg might be accepted into a study and could receive a diagnosis, something that had so far proved maddeningly elusive.

Gabriela Gg Woodward with parents Brian Woodward and Elena Silva and brother Elian Woodward during the familys cross-country road trip in 2015. (Courtesy of Elena Silva) (Courtesy of Elena Silva/Courtesy of Elena Silva)

Forty minutes later, still wearing their damp bathing suits, Gg, her father and her older brother appeared at the meeting. Silva introduced her daughter to Bonnemann.

Nearly 18 months later, Gg did receive a diagnosis, an occurrence that would have been far less likely without her mothers serendipitous encounter.

I am still completely blown away by this coincidence, Silva said. It turned out to be just the place I needed to be.

Like a noodle

Within minutes of Ggs birth in April 2007, the obstetrician noted that she seemed to have low muscle tone in her arms. A second doctor checked the newborn and told her parents she was a little floppy but that there was no cause for concern.

The couple noticed that Gg was far less active than Elian, three years older, had been. In her mothers words, she seemed weak and floppy and small. Gg had difficulty holding her head up. When placed on her stomach, she couldnt push up using her arms, something most infants accomplish at around 2 months. Her legs seemed to dangle helplessly.

She was like a noodle, recalled her mother, a policy director at New America, a Washington think tank.

When Gg was 6 months old, the pediatrician referred her to Marylands early intervention program for children with developmental disabilities. A physical and occupational therapist made home visits and tested Gg; her gross motor development was clearly lagging.

The next few years were a blur of frequent appointments with specialists in Washington and Baltimore and numerous tests  some painful  as doctors considered, then ruled out, suspected causes of Ggs muscle weakness.

Among the possibilities: Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes short stature, intellectual disability and an insatiable appetite; cerebral palsy, a neurological condition typically present at birth caused by damage to the brain; and various chromosomal abnormalities that ranged in severity.

Everything kept coming back negative, Silva recalled, which is wonderful and not wonderful. You just want to know.

In the meantime, it was clear that Ggs cognitive abilities were unaffected: She talked at a young age and was obviously bright. She continued physical and occupational therapy to try to strengthen her muscles. She crawled at age 2 and began walking by 3, much later than normal.

Whipsawed by advice

But her parents felt increasingly whipsawed by contradictory advice. One prominent specialist in Baltimore seemed unconcerned about Ggs delayed development and diagnosed benign congenital hypotonia  essentially, low muscle tone present at birth  and assured them she would outgrow it.

His advice was diametrically opposite that of specialists in Washington who suspected Gg had a rare but as yet unidentified genetic disorder. Some urged more invasive testing  a torturous experience for Gg and Silva, who said that the little girl was terrified of needles.

Everyone at this point is suggesting everything, Silva recalled. And I was trying to be as involved as I could, trying to figure it out.

Many nights, she said, she would awaken at 3 a.m. unable to sleep, and spend the next three hours on her computer trying to put together the puzzle. She scoured the Internet looking for other children whose disorder matched Ggs, but found none. It was a lonely and largely fruitless search.

Meanwhile, Gg started school and learned to parry the inevitable and sometimes hurtful questions of other children: Why are you so slow? Why cant you run or jump? Whats wrong with you?

By 2013, doctors had largely decided that Gg probably had a form of myopathy, a disease affecting muscle tissue that has a wide variety of causes. Some myopathies are caused by genetic mutations; others result from infections or for unknown reasons. Silva and Woodward had no idea what disorder Gg had, what caused it or how to treat it.

One increasingly likely possibility, based on the extensive testing Gg had undergone, was a congenital form of muscular dystrophy, or CMD. Congenital muscular dystrophy is present at birth or before age 2; the most pronounced symptom is floppiness or a lack of muscle tone. Some forms are progressive and may be accompanied by cognitive disabilities.

One experts intervention

In July 2014 as a result of her Internet research, Silva stumbled upon the annual Cure CMD meeting, which was being held at NIH.

Elena just showed up basically while we were milling around with the families, Bonnemann recalled. About 40 families from around the country were meeting with researchers as part of a study of congenital muscular dystrophy.

After hearing Silvas description of her daughters case and meeting Gg, Bonnemann that day performed an exam that included an ultrasound of her leg muscles. It revealed clear structural abnormalities.

In her case, there was only gross motor delay, said Bonnemann, who found Gg engaging and a very smart little kid.

Silva was elated at what happened next.

He said, Id like to follow her,  she recalled. This was a breakthrough for us.

Gg was enrolled in a study of undiagnosed neuromuscular diseases that Bonnemann was overseeing. Her parents hoped researchers would be able to make a definitive diagnosis.

A muscle biopsy in February 2015 confirmed the presence of a muscle disease. The next step was whole exome sequencing of Gg and her parents  genetic screening that is among the most extensive available. The test uses a blood sample to perform a sophisticated analysis.

In the summer of 2015, the family took off on a long-planned year-long cross-country road trip in an RV. In November 2015, while the family was at Lake Tahoe, Silvas cellphone rang.

A geneticist at NIH delivered the long-awaited news: Gg had inherited two different genetic mutations, one from each parent, affecting one of the bodys largest genes, known as titin, or TTN. Gg had titin myopathy, one of a group of rare disorders first identified in Finland. (Silva said that she and her husband are unaware of any Finnish ancestry and that no one in their families has muscular dystrophy.)

A pretty big moment

The TTN gene provides instructions for making a very large protein called titin, which is essential in muscle function  it allows muscles to stretch  and for proper cardiac function.

Titin myopathies can be dominant and result from a single gene or, as in Ggs case, recessive, occurring in someone who inherits two copies of an errant gene. A single gene means that a person is a carrier without obvious manifestations of the disease, as are Ggs parents and her brother, something they learned after they were screened.

Some titin mutations have also been linked to certain forms of cardiomyopathy, a common disease that affects the hearts ability to pump blood and can lead to heart failure.

Bonnemann, co-author of a 2014 study, said scientists dont yet understand why some kids have heart disease and some dont. Gg shows no sign of cardiac involvement. Hopefully this will be quite stable over the years, he said.

To Silva, the news was portentous  and a relief. It was a pretty big moment, she recalled. I hung up the phone and went into the front room and told Gg what it was and that it came from me and Daddy. I think she was sort of relieved it was both of us.

So was Silva. Theres always a certain amount of guilt, she said, knowing that she passed on a gene, albeit unknowingly, that caused her daughters condition. But theres twice as much relief that it came from both of us.

Because Ggs disease is so rare and recently identified, Bonnemann said, it is not known how common it is, although he noted a recent explosion in the identification of titin-related disorders. In the past three years or so, NIH has seen 20 newly identified titin myopathy patients. Silva said the titin myopathy Facebook group to which she belongs has only about a dozen members.

Treatment of titin myopathy largely consists of managing the associated disorders, including preventing muscle contractures that further restrict movement and result from overly tight joints.

A different kind of childhood

Silva said that although Gg continues to battle muscle weakness, she has exceptionally good balance and coordination. And the disorder does not affect her in the water. Shes like a little seal, Silva noted.

But having a problem that is rare and limits her ability to do what comes naturally to other kids  move  can be isolating. Shes an emotionally sensitive [kid] with a lot of awareness of her condition, and that makes it difficult, her mother said. Shell say, I wish my muscles worked better. I wish that I wasnt different. 

Last month Gg, now 10, spent a week feeling less singular, at a camp for children with muscular dystrophy in Chestertown, Md. Gg, her mother said, had a blast and is looking forward to returning next summer.

While she was away, her mother attended the annual Cure CMD meeting that three years ago proved to be so pivotal.

Silva still marvels at the coincidence that led to her attendance. Wed never know what was wrong if we werent fortunate enough to live near NIH, she said.

Submit your solved medical mystery to sandra.boodman@washpost.com. No unsolved cases, please. Read previous mysteries at wapo.st/medicalmysteries.

Read more

A cascade of missteps nearly killed this marathon runner

Double-booked: Is your surgeon operating on someone else at the same time?
State Rep. Craig Hall of Utah has four redheaded children, lives in the state with the highest rate of melanoma in the country and buys sunscreen in the Costco size. He is an unabashed proponent of sun protection.

But when Hall, a Republican, introduced legislation this year to allow kids to bring sunscreen to school  which starts Aug. 21 in his district  he said his fellow lawmakers were less enthusiastic. My colleagues first reaction to this bill was mostly Seriously? We need a bill for this? 

Like ibuprofen and hay fever medication, sunscreen is considered an over-the-counter drug by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore by almost all schools. That means kids cant bring it to school without a doctors note; even then, they must see the school nurse, who has to supervise its use.

The result: Teachers leading a sunny field trip are free to cover themselves in a thick protective layer of sunscreen. But in most states, children cant follow suit. In Indianapolis, for instance, kids went back to school July 31  the height of summer  but they must have a doctors note to bring sunscreen to school, and visit the school nurse to put it on.

That is beginning to change. In the past four months, Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Utah and Washington have enacted laws declaring that students may use sunscreen in school and at after-school activities, no doctors note required. Those states join California, New York, Oregon and Texas, which already have lifted the ban on sunscreen in school. The laws in Arizona, New York and Washington also stipulate that kids may bring and use sunscreen at summer camps.

Encouraging sunscreen

The legislation is designed to allow school districts to implement policies that encourage kids to use sunscreen and to wear hats and long sleeves in the sun  although, in a nod to school dress codes, the legislation allows schools to ban clothes and hats deemed inappropriate.

Sunscreen legislation is also in the works in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. A sunscreen bill that cleared the Senate in Mississippi died in a House committee, and a bill introduced in Georgia has stalled.

District of Columbia public schools do not allow sunscreen without an authorization form signed by a doctor, according to spokeswoman Janae Hilson.

In Maryland, each school district sets its own policy. For instance, sunscreen is allowed in Harford County schools without a doctors note, but only on field days and only if parents send in labeled nonspray sunscreen and teach the child how to use it beforehand. Virginia also leaves the policy to the discretion of school districts.

Parents, I think, are the best decision-makers about their childrens sunscreen use, said state Sen. Terry Burton, a Republican co-sponsor of the Mississippi bill. It would have required the state education department to write a sun-safety policy for districts to follow. The school should not interfere with that decision that a parent makes to protect their child.

Legislators say they are motivated by angry parents whose children suffered serious sunburns at school events where sunscreen was banned. If you just Google kid sunburned at school,  Hall said, some of the stories are horrifying.

In Rhode Island, state Rep. David Bennett, a Democrat, said the states 2016 law requiring daily school recess makes it more important that kids be allowed to put on sunscreen by themselves. The kids are impatient. Theyve got 20 minutes. Theyre not going to stand in line for 20 minutes while a teacher applies sunscreen, said Bennett, whose bill passed the lower house and is now in the Senate. By the time she gets done with the last kid, the 20 minutes is going to be over.

But Bennett ran into opposition from the Rhode Island Certified School Nurse Teachers Association, which opposes the bill. Unlike other state sunscreen laws, Rhode Islands legislation has no language to address liability for school districts and for school employees who may apply sunscreen. The school nurses group also argues that sunscreen should be kept out of classrooms because of potential allergies among students.

Diane Kowal, president of the Rhode Island association, said two children in her Coventry school district carry EpiPens because of sunscreen allergies.

Parents could be sending their kids to school with sunscreen and a doctors note, which would allow her to dispense the sunscreen, she said  but they dont. While she receives doctors notes from parents to administer ibuprofen and even cough drops, she has not received any to permit sunscreen use, even at field days when she alerts parents to be sure kids are protected from the sun. They all show up with the hats and water bottles, but no sunscreen, Kowal said.

Were not against sunscreen, Kowal said. There just needs to be language to protect everyone, from the person putting it on to the kids sharing it.

Bruce Brod, political advocacy chair for the Pennsylvania Academy of Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery, said a serious allergy risk is unlikely. A kid might be allergic to hair gel, he said. The question is: Where do you draw the reasonable line?

Lobster-red burns

Beyond media coverage of kids with lobster-red sunburns, the legislation has been driven by an advocacy campaign from a coalition of medical groups including the lobbying arms of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, whose members decided in March to push for sunscreen legislation. The surgery group wrote model legislation and earmarked $30,000 in grants for state dermatology organizations to lobby for the bill. The academys lobbying organization also provided advocacy grants to state groups.

The quick results  four state laws in three months  came about because its an issue that doesnt seem to be politically divisive at all, said Terry Cronin, a dermatologist in Melbourne, Fla., and head of the advocacy working group for the dermatologic surgery society. Everybody sees that kids need to be protected from skin cancer and they should be protected with sunscreen.

The medical groups say they are hopeful that Illinois and Ohio will take up sunscreen legislation next.

Some sunscreen laws specify that schoolchildren may put on their own sunscreen and that school personnel may volunteer to help them. Utahs law, for instance, includes a provision that if a child cant apply her own sunscreen, a teacher or school employee may do so, but only with the written consent of the parents. The school and its personnel are not liable for either a reaction to the sunscreen or for not reapplying it.

The real difficulty is a lot of the teachers and nurses are uncomfortable having to apply this on children because they dont want to be seen as handling the child, Cronin said. Sunscreen bills that exempt sunscreen from being administered by school personnel  as medications such as ibuprofen must be  mean that teachers can show students how to put on their own sunscreen.

Sunscreen legislation is appealing because it doesnt require the state to spend money: it simply tells parents they can send sunscreen to school with their children. But just because kids can wear sunscreen doesnt mean they will. Nor will school districts necessarily change their policies.

No note needed here

California was the leader in sunscreen legislation: The state enacted a law in 2002 allowing sunscreen to be used in schools without a doctors note and requiring schools to let students wear hats and protective clothing when outdoors.

Billys Bill for Sun Safety was named for Billy Graham, who died of melanoma at the age of 22; a foundation started by his mother after his death lobbied for the legislation. While many California school districts updated their sunscreen policies as a result of Billys Bill, surveys have discovered that many schools had not changed their practices even though the district had changed its policy, said Jeff Ashley, a dermatologist in Burbank and the president of Sun Safety For Kids, a nonprofit that advocates for improved school policies and that helped write the California School Boards Association sun safety policy.

From passing the bill to actual student behavior  there are a lot of steps in between, said Julia Berteletti of Klein Buendel, a Colorado health communications firm that is working with Ashley to study California school districts compliance with the policy.

Were also finding, anecdotally, that even if a district passes a policy, that doesnt always translate into the principal knowing the policy.

Why might schools be slow to adopt the new approach? This is speculative, but I think schools object a little bit to having to be babysitters. They feel a bit overwhelmed just trying to meet all the educational goals, Ashley said, even though everyone agrees that sun safety is prudent.

Even if school personnel begin promoting sunscreen use with their students, gauging whether children are more protected would be tough because there is little information on how often they use sunscreen now, Berteletti says.

Regardless of difficulties in implementation, the new state laws send a clear message that this is something we take seriously, said Brod, the Pennsylvania dermatologist. We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that sunlight is cancer-causing. It sends that message to the parents, to the teachers. It really is something very important.

Stateline

Stateline is an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts.

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Some days you really do need to keep your kid home from school

Your child is sick and the doctors office is closed. What do you do?
Sgt. Brad Sevier conducts a traffic stop along Interstate 70 in St. Louis. I dont see how it can be detrimental having more law enforcement in an area that really needs more policing, he said. (Whitney Curtis/For The Washington Post)

Sgt. Brad Sevier usually patrols an area of Missouri where there is one farm for every 20 residents. Now the Missouri state trooper commutes an hour to patrol the big city.

On orders from Republican Gov. Eric Greitens, Sevier and about two dozen troopers have laid claim to St. Louis highways that slice through some of Americas most dangerous neighborhoods, a move that has sparked concern among residents wary of heavy policing. Its the first time in decades that state troopers have patrolled the city, Greitens said.

We are looking for anything, Sevier said shortly before pulling over a motorist for an expired license plate near downtown. I dont see how it can be detrimental having more law enforcement in an area that really needs more policing.

Greitens dispatched the Missouri Highway Patrol last month amid a surge in shootings and assaults in St. Louis, part of a nationwide trend of rising violence in some large cities. The killings have rattled neighborhoods and embarrassed city officials, who tend to be Democrats. But now governors  who tend to be Republicans  are sending in their troops to fight urban crime, reopening historical tensions.

The governors actions mirror President Trumps vow to send in federal agents to curb crime in Chicago, which he said in June had reached epic proportions.

Today, we declare that the days of ignoring this problem are done, said Greitens, a former Navy SEAL and competitive boxer, announcing his plan last month to send in state patrolmen to look for criminals in St. Louis. We are rolling up our sleeves and taking strong action to protect people.

Lyda Krewson, the new Democratic mayor of St. Louis, has fierce political disagreements with Greitens on many issues, including gun control and the funding of social services. But Krewson also has an intimate perspective of the citys crime problem: In 1995, she saw her husband fatally shot during an attempted carjacking in front of their home in the citys Central West End.

Krewson supports Greitenss plan.

There are a lot of guns on these highways. There are a lot of drugs on these highways, Krewson said. As long as its done in a responsible way  and I dont have any reason to believe it wont be  I think its a good help.

But in an era of increasingly polarized views on policing, Missouris intervention is unsettling some local residents who question the governors strategies and tone. How elected leaders define a gang, use the word criminal and deputize outside law enforcement agencies are emerging as flash points. The debate threatens to drive another wedge between some officials in heavily Democratic cities and GOP leaders in statehouses and in Washington.

He was heard saying . . . Lets go get them,  said state Rep. Michael Butler, a St. Louis Democrat who was referring to an offhand, salutatory remark Greitens made while rallying Missouri troopers. A lot of folks wonder who them is, and what exactly did he mean.

St. Louis has recorded more than 110 homicides so far this year, which, as of late July, put 2017 on pace to be the citys deadliest year in more than two decades. The trends have been similar in big cities from Baltimore and Nashville to Tulsa and Little Rock, and in response, governors are reviving a role many had embraced from the 1960s through the early 1990s but pulled back from as homicide rates declined.

Last month, after 25 people were shot in a nightclub not far from the governors mansion in Little Rock, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson organized state troopers and FBI agents to respond to a looming cloud of violence in that city.

In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott pledged in spring to use all lawful means to snuff out what he called a serious gang problem in Houston, the states largest city.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster even used warlike language when announcing his plan for more state resources in Myrtle Beach, where homicides in June threatened the citys reputation as a family-friendly beach destination.

There will be a lot more boots on the ground, McMaster said in deploying state troopers.

The governors are all Republicans, and their actions come as Trump has used tough-on-crime rhetoric in response to law enforcement concerns, most recently telling officers in a speech not to be too nice to suspects. Jim Pasco, past executive director and current senior adviser to the president of the National Fraternal Order of Police, said GOP governors know that crime has been a good issue for Trump.

It resonates with the people who elected him, said Pasco. The governors see the reaction he is getting, and it spurs them to action.

But the implementation of the state response can clash with local policing strategies. Some on the left fear a shift away from Obama-era initiatives such as community policing, fewer mandatory minimum sentences and limits on the militarization of police units.

The tension is particularly pronounced in St. Louis, where the 311,000 residents are still navigating the aftermath of the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., a close-in suburb.

For now, Greitenss proposal is fairly limited. For the first time in decades, Missouri state troopers will patrol four major highways in St. Louis, freeing up city police to focus on violent crime that has driven up the homicide rate.

After seven people were fatally shot here over Fathers Day weekend, Greitens decided it was time to act, despite accusations from the community that he is grandstanding to bolster his macho political image.

During his campaign last year, Greitens shocked pundits by airing television commercials showing him firing military-style assault rifles. His ads included him saying he was going to take back Missouri and fire away for reforms.

(Eric Greitens)

Shortly after he was elected, Greitens experienced St. Louiss crime woes personally when his wife was robbed at gunpoint as she left a restaurant.

We go out and do what is necessary to save lives, Greitens, an Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, said in an interview. This is tearing cities apart.

His critics, however, accuse Greitens of using St. Louis as a punching bag by vilifying a city that is about 50 percent African American and has a 25 percent poverty rate.

You got a governor who is probably looking to his next move, so he has got to play to his base, said Sarah Wood Martin, a St. Louis alderwoman. And to them, it looks nice sending in the state troopers to get control of what is made to look like an out-of-control urban area.

Beside politics, activists say there is real fear that Greitenss plan could lead to more racial profiling. African Americans in Missouri are already 75 percent more likely to be stopped while driving than white motorists, according to the data compiled by the state attorney generals office.

Until and unless we start talking about that, there is a concern we are going to get more of the same, said Jeffrey A. Mittman, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, which is seeking state records clarifying how the enhanced state patrols will be carried out.

While looking for expired license plates, unregistered vehicles or speed violators, Sevier stopped a white woman who was arrested for an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court on a previous traffic citation.

Traffic enforcement is a good tool in finding criminals, said Sevier, who had been assigned to Perry County in Missouris southern river delta. That lady was wanted for expired registration but it just as easily could have been a murder warrant or a robbery warrant.

During the first 11 days of the state patrols on about 16 miles of interstate highways that had been only lightly patrolled before, troopers issued more than 900 traffic tickets and made 220 arrests, according to Missouri Highway Patrol data.

St. Louis resident Danielle Shanklin panned Greitenss plan. Her 25-year-old sister, Sigaria, was fatally shot in the head last summer when gunmen opened fire on a car she was in. Shanklins 3-year-old son, who was riding in the back seat, was unharmed.

Greitenss initiative, she said, is nothing more than a way to give out more tickets for speeding.

What they need do is add more funding to do things in the community, Shanklin said, reflecting a widely held view in St. Louis that Greitens cant fight crime and cut spending on social programs at the same time.

That community reaction, both here and in other cities targeted by governors, is putting mayors in a bind as they decide whether to embrace the help and, if so, how publicly.

In Arkansas, Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola (D) supported Hutchinsons plan but followed up on the governors announcement with his own one-hour news conference to call for more investment in inmate reentry programs, job training and neighborhood redevelopment.

We know we cannot arrest our way out of this problem, Stodola said.

Darrel Stephens, executive director of the Major Police Chiefs Association, said the true test of the governors initiatives will come in a few months.

The real problem with this is usually the states cant stay very long, said Stephens, noting states limited budgets as well. And to be effective at policing locally, you just cant jump in and then take off two or three months later.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misidentified Mayor Lyda Krewsons neighborhood. The article has been updated.
Does the nation still need affirmative action? Here is the big picture.

According to Education Department statistics, there has been no dramatic change since the Supreme Court found in 2003 that promoting diversity on college campuses is a compelling national interest. The share of 18- to 24-year-old whites who are enrolled in college stayed about flat between 2003 and 2015, at 42 percent. African American enrollment in that age group changed only a bit, from 32 percent to 35 percent, continuing to lag whites. Though Latinos gained, from 24 percent to 37 percent, they, too, continue to trail whites in the percentage of college-age people enrolled. Over a longer horizon, African Americans progress looks more substantial: College enrollment among black 18- to 24-year-olds in 2015 was up 19 percentage points from 1970. But white enrollment surged a comparable amount over that period, by 15 percentage points.

The typical college campus in the United States is still very white  and the typical university of higher quality, even whiter. In 2014, whites made up the bulk of students in four-year colleges  58 percent. Meanwhile, the four-year college population was 13 percent African American, up only a point from a decade before, and 12 percent Latino, up a few points over a decade. Whites are somewhat less dominant at two-year colleges, making up 51 percent of the population attending those schools. African Americans account for 15 percent and Latinos 23 percent, higher than their four-year figures.

This is the context in which to consider last weeks news that the Trump Justice Department is preparing to investigate and possibly sue universities with race-conscious admissions policies. The New York Times reported that the goal would be to curb ostensible discrimination against white applicants. A Justice Department spokeswoman indicated that the department was interested in investigating one admissions complaint relating to Asian American students.

We hope that is true. Because a wider federal effort challenging affirmative action policies would represent a drastic change in the departments priorities and, if the idea was to protect whites, a perversion of civil rights law meant to protect disadvantaged minority groups. Though the Supreme Court recently reaffirmed that carefully designed affirmative action policies are legal in public university admissions, the court also left some room for lawsuits claiming that colleges race-conscious admissions practices are not narrow enough. If the weight and resources of the federal government are devoted to suing universities, schools could be discouraged from using legal methods to build diverse student bodies.

(Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

In the long term, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. was right when he wrote, The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race. We blame no American who feels queasy about any policy, particularly at state-run institutions, that considers race in any formal or informal way. The possibility that high-performing Asian Americans may face implicit quotas is particularly troubling. But the nation has not yet made enough progress in clearing paths of opportunity for historically disadvantaged minorities or in building college communities that reflect its rapidly diversifying character. It is as important for minority students who benefit from affirmative action as it is for their white peers that the nations universities prepare all of them for citizenship in a polyglot country. The Justice Department should not impede universities efforts to do that.
President Trump seems determined to not certify that Iran is complying with the nuclear deal when that question comes before him this fall. But that would be only the beginning of the story. He could follow such a determination with actions that risk blowing up the deal and the U.S.-Iran relationship. Or he could  as some of his senior national security advisers prefer  adopt a more careful, complicated approach.

Theres a growing push both inside and outside the administration to craft a way to acknowledge what many see as Irans violations of the nuclear agreement without precipitating a crisis. Many worry that provoking the deals collapse would not only risk an unpredictable and dangerous escalation but also hamper the international effort to confront Irans regional expansion, support for terrorism and other mischief.

The question is whether Trumps national security team can persuade him to take a middle approach to a nuclear deal he campaigned against and clearly despises.

In a news conference last week, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson laid out his view that the Iran deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), must not dominate the administrations Iran focus. Tillerson admitted he disagrees with the president on whether the agreement can be salvaged.

The JCPOA represents a small slice of the Iranian relationship, he said, adding, We continue to have conversations about the utility of that agreement, whether it has utility, whether it doesnt have utility.

[President Trump] and I have differences of views on things like JCPOA and how we should use it, he said.

Tillerson argued for certifying Irans compliance when it came up in April and July. Both times, Trump yielded to Tillersons view. But in an interview with the Wall Street Journal last week, Trump suggested he wont again.

If it was up to me, I would have had them noncompliant 180 days ago, Trump said, adding that next time, I think theyll be noncompliant.

The intelligence community believes that Irans violations are minor and do not amount to a material breach. But the presidents view is that Iran is in violation of the spirit of the deal, a senior White House official told me. Under the law Congress passed, the certification is subjective.

Its also unclear what follows non-certification. Trump could continue to waive nuclear sanctions on Iran or stop, effectively reimposing them. The White House admittedly does not know how the Iranian government would react to new sanctions, the official said.

Congress could also reimpose sanctions if Trump does not certify compliance. For many Republicans, having new negotiations with Iran would be nice but is not necessary. They agree with Trump that the deal is probably not worth saving.

I dont think we get much benefit from the deal, so it collapsing doesnt trouble me all that much, said Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). The presidents instincts on Iran are sound.

Tillerson and national security adviser H.R. McMaster argue that if Trump decides not to certify Iranian compliance, rather than scuttle the deal he can work to improve it and increase pressure on Iran in other ways, according to sources involved in the discussions.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo agrees with Tillerson and McMaster that Irans regional threats are the near-term priority. Unlike Tillerson, Pompeo has never supported certifying compliance.

McMasters team is leading an interagency policy review that is sure to call for expanding confrontation with Iran in places such as Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. The Iran deal, if in place, could be used as a pressure point while upping the ante on those fronts, experts argue.

Mark Dubowitz of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and David Albright of Institute for Science and International Security have offered a middle approach they describe as waive and slap, recommending that Trump not certify compliance but continue to waive nuclear sanctions while imposing new sanctions on nonnuclear issues.

Skeptics doubt the Trump team can thread the needle, considering that once Trump declares noncompliance, theres no way to predict what Iran will do. Also, tinkering with the deal or reimposing sanctions could cause new disputes with European allies and other partners, such as Russia and China.

Even if they did a great job, its serious risks, said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association. And for what gain?

If Trump is determined to get the United States out of the Iran deal, nobody can stop him. But if the majority of his national security team gets its way, Trump will repeat what he did with Cuba: make minimal changes to the policy, then declare he has undone Obamas terrible deal and fulfilled a campaign promise.

And if Trump cant bring himself to certify Irans compliance anymore, he should at least minimize the chances his decision will cause a diplomatic crisis and distract the United States from the mission of combating Irans other nefarious activities.

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Political attention here has been focused this summer in two very different directions. There is the Himalayan plateau where Indian and Chinese troops are engaged in the most tense and potentially explosive standoff since a 1962 border war. And there is the din emanating from the Trump administration, which has managed to frighten and confound just about every nation that counts on U.S. global engagement.

The two problems are not directly related: Indians wouldnt want the United States to get involved in their dispute with Beijing, dangerous though it is, even if a more functional administration were in office. But the confluence is nevertheless unnerving. It has meant that India, a country with which President Trump claims to have established excellent relations, has had to grapple with both a dramatic demonstration of the strategic threat posed by China and an incipient crumbling of confidence in the American partnership it has seen as the antidote.

Lets start with the border spat, which resembles Chinas clashes with Japan over a disputed island chain and its invasive construction of islets and airstrips in the South China Sea. It began in June with a unilateral move by Beijing to construct a road in a disputed piece of mountain territory where India, China and Bhutan come together, overlooking the narrow strip that connects Indias northeast to the rest of the country.

Rather than tolerate the intrusion, the government of Narendra Modi, a populist and nationalist who shares Trumps autocratic instincts, dispatched troops to block the bulldozers. Now Indian and Chinese soldiers are deployed just hundreds of yards apart, even as Chinese state media outlets blare angry rhetoric. Though Indian analysts say a shooting war is unlikely  China would be hard-pressed to dislodge the Indian forces from the high ground they hold  they expect the standoff to drag on through Chinas Communist Party congress in the autumn.

The dust-up has served to accentuate growing Indian anxiety about its emerging- superpower neighbor. Watching Chinas initiatives in South Asia, from the construction of ports in Sri Lanka and Pakistan to the hugely ambitious belt and road projects from Central Asia to Africa, Indians need not be paranoid to feel encircled. Their sense of vulnerability has been compounded by the perception that Russia, a traditional ally, has been driven into the arms of China by its growing conflicts with the West.

Indias strategy for balancing China depends heavily on the United States. Though unwilling to conclude a direct alliance, Modi has followed previous Indian governments in moving steadily closer to Washington, conducting joint naval exercises and buying U.S. military equipment. His was one of the few friendly governments to find some cheer in Trumps election: The candidate, after all, had promised to improve relations with Indias friend Russia and get tough on China and terrorism by Muslim extremists.

Instead, what Indians have seen from Washington is contradictions and chaos. Though not the aim of the White House, U.S. relations with the regime of Vladimir Putin are considerably worse now than they were six months ago. Trump, meanwhile, has gyrated between embracing Chinas Xi Jinping and assailing him on Twitter for failing to rein in North Korea. U.S. freedom of navigation patrols challenging Chinese claims in the South China Sea ceased for a while before suddenly starting again.

In Afghanistan, a vital interest for India, the Trump administration at first seemed set to adopt a welcome new policy of beefing up U.S. forces to stop the Pakistan-supported Taliban. Then reports emerged that Trump had rebuffed the plan and was leaning toward abandoning the war.

At a conference on U.S.-Indian relations I attended here last week, one Indian official pressed the Americans representing the administration  including State Department pros serving in lieu of the as-yet-unnamed ambassador and regional assistant secretary  to say whether a White House seemingly sunk in disorder was even capable of focusing on geopolitics.

The vague reassurances they offered convinced few. At this precise moment, the signaling from the U.S. is very confused is the diplomatic way a former Indian ambassador to Washington, Arun Singh, put it to me.

Several Indian officials, including one who participated in Modis visit to the White House in late June, insisted that they remain bullish on the relationship. The president and his staff, they say, were well-prepared to engage with Modi, and the results were better than anyone in New Delhi had expected.

That drew a smile from a former U.S. official, who pointed out that it only confirmed Indias sinking expectations from its would-be strategic partner. They set the bar at one inch, and then cheered when they cleared it by a couple of inches, he said. The truth is the relationship is on hold. For countries looking to Washington for help or leadership, that might be as good as it gets.

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Saudi ambassador to the United States, Prince Khaled bin Salman, arrives on Capitol Hill on July 24. (Andrew Harnik/Associated Press)

Lally Weymouth is a senior associate editor at The Post.

Saudi Arabias new ambassador to Washington is son of the current king and the brother of the new crown prince. Having only recently presented his credentials to President Trump, Saudi Prince Khaled bin Salman talked with The Posts Lally Weymouth last week. Excerpts:

Q. How do you see U.S.-Saudi relations?

A. There is a huge improvement in the Saudi-U.S. relationship under this administration. I think that President Trump is determined to work with his allies in the region to counter Iranian expansionism and terrorism. We are happy with the current policies in the region.

Your country and the United Arab Emirates are leading a boycott on Qatar. Should this be resolved?

I think Qatars policies have been a threat to our national security, especially when they interfere in our domestic politics and support extremists. . . . In Syria, they have supported al-Qaeda affiliates and some terrorist [Shiite] militias in Iraq. We hope Qatar will stop funding extremism.

But nobody is really pure in your region. It is said that families in your country also support extreme groups in Syria?

The Saudi government is on the frontline of fighting terrorism. There might be people from a lot of different countries who support terrorism, but in Qatar the problem is that it is government-funded.

Are there really moderate groups to support in Syria?

There are some moderate opposition groups  for example, the Free Syrian Army. There are a lot of people in Syria who want to free themselves from the dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad. We are working with our allies to help stabilize Syria.

Do you see a way to create a transition so that President Assad can go?

I hope so. He has killed more than 500,000 people. We are working with the U.S. to end the Syria problem.

Wouldnt the best solution be to get rid of Assad?

Of course.

What do you think of the story about how your brother, then-Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, apparently forced then-Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef to resign and promptly took his place?

I think His Highness bin Nayef did an incredible job at counterterrorism. The king made the decision, supported by the Allegiance Council. Prince bin Nayef is in Saudi Arabia and is receiving guests.

We now have a dynamic young leadership, determined to push the country forward and to diversify our economy.

What is your position regarding human rights in Saudi Arabia?

Every country moves forward, and we are. The last two years have been a time of big change in our country. Human rights have been moving forward, womens rights have been moving forward. Saudi youth have been given a chance to play a part in our future.

Will women be allowed to drive? To leave the country without the permission of a male?

Our leadership realizes that women are important to our future and to moving our economy forward. We cant move forward without half of our population.

Will Saudi Arabia one day have a relationship with Israel?

Saudi Arabia has stated that we want to solve the Palestinian-Israeli issue through the Arab peace initiative, and if Israel recognizes Palestine based on the 1967 borders, the Arab world has agreed to do so.

Turning to Iraq  it seems that Mosul has finally been freed from ISIS [also known as the Islamic State].

Yes, I think the success in Mosul shows the determination of the United States administration and also of the Iraqi military.

Isnt now a key moment to be sure the Sunnis are incorporated in Iraqs future?

The Sunnis and [Shiites] have to be incorporated.

If the Sunnis cant participate in the future government in Iraq, wont another terrorist group spring up?

Yes, sectarianism always leads to terrorism. The Sunnis and [Shiites] have to be treated equally as Iraqi citizens. Iran wants Iraq to obey Iran. We support the independence of Iraq.

Is there a solution to the situation in Yemen?

Saudi Arabia has been pushing all parties to the negotiating table.

But Saudi Arabia started this, right?

No, the Houthis started this. They started to march to the capital and take over Yemen before the Yemeni government asked Saudi Arabia to intervene and stop this attack. The ball is [now] in the Houthis court. They have to drop their weapons and become part of Yemen, not part of Iran.

Do you think ISIS is on its way out? Or are they regrouping in Africa and Libya?

We will be glad to see ISIS defeated in Iraq, but they are a threat to our nation and our religion. As Muslims, we in Saudi Arabia need to do whatever it takes to end this once and for all.

Hasnt Iran threatened to close the Persian Gulf?

Multiple times in the past. The whole world, including our government, is worried about that. The Strait of Hormuz is important not just to our economy but to the international economy.

Do you feel the tide is turning now?

Yes, I do. I think the U.S. and its allies realize how big the Iranian threat is to international security, and we are ready to work together to contain Iranian actions and expansionist policies.

Do you feel that Americans associate your country with the Sept. 11 attacks?

We had nothing to do with 9/11. In 1996, Osama bin Laden issued a declaration of war against the United States and Saudi Arabia. In 1994, we took away bin Ladens Saudi citizenship when he was in Sudan. We think the same people who attacked the United States on 9/11 attacked us in Saudi Arabia multiple times.

But 15 of the hijackers were Saudi citizens.

We see them as 19 al-Qaeda because those people represented al-Qaeda. There is a reason why al-Qaeda chose 15 Saudis. They wanted to create a split between Saudi Arabia and the United States.
The Charlotte Immigration Court, for which V. Stuart Couch is a judge, is housed in this office building in East Charlotte. (Logan Cyrus /For The Washington Post)

The July 31 front-page article Asylum seekers cases failing included anecdotes from hearings before U.S. Immigration Judge V. Stuart Couch. For context, it may be valuable to consider Mr. Couchs career record as a Marine Corps officer, state prosecutor, private-practice lawyer, judge on the Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals and military prosecutor at Guantanamo Bay.

Mr. Couch was one of the first military lawyers assigned to prosecute suspected terrorists linked to the 9/11 attacks. Mr. Couch discovered that statements implicating Mohamedou Ould Slahi, suspected of recruiting some of the 9/11 hijackers, and his subsequent confessions had been extracted through physical and psychological torture. Mr. Couch refused to file charges based on government misconduct. Mr. Slahi was released in 2016. In his three-year tour at Guantanamo, Mr. Couch repeatedly found cases undermined by legal, ethical or evidentiary problems. A 2004 memo Mr. Couch wrote for the office of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld warned that the abuse of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and other detainees in CIA custody would create immense legal obstacles to their successful prosecution, a warning that proved prescient.

Mr. Couch took his stands privately, within the military and with no political agenda. He acted on what he saw as his military, legal and Christian obligations to honor human dignity. Having studied Mr. Couchs record, including attending hearings in the Charlotte, immigration court for my book The Terror Courts: Rough Justice at Guantanamo Bay, Im convinced that no litigant could hope for a judge more fair, ethical and conscientious than Mr. Couch.

Jess Bravin, Washington
This photograph distributed by the North Korean government shows what was said to be the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile in North Korea on July 4. (Korean Central News Agency/Korean News Service via Associated Press)

In his Aug. 2 op-ed, How to degrade North Koreas power, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) advocated developing and deploying a space-based interceptor program to address North Koreas nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile program.

Twenty-six years ago, I briefed the commander in chief of the U.S. Space Command on the need for a space-based missile defense tier to address the post-Soviet threats from Iran, North Korea and terrorists. At the end of the George H.W. Bush administration, the program was called Global Protection Against Limited Strikes. Proponents argued that high confidence in negating a light intercontinental ballistic missile attack could not be achieved with only a midcourse intercept system, such as the operational ground-based midcourse system at Fort Greely in Alaska and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, with more than $40 billion expended to date.

The argument for a boost-phase intercept capability was valid in 1991 and is equally valid today. But the space-based solution then, thought to be less than 10 years away, was no more realistic than Mr. Cruzs space-based interceptor solution, which was supposed to be 10 years away in 2011. A space tier is necessary to provide a global boost-phase reach, but it is not necessary to address a geographically limited intercontinental ballistic missile from North Korea; I imagine the Navy agrees.

A space-based interceptor program, like fusion power and flying cars, is always a decade or two away and likely will remain so.

Gerald M. Lerner, Silver Spring
The 2017 Kennedy Center Honorees, from left to right: Actress, dancer and choreographer Carmen de Lavallade; singer-songwriter and actress Gloria Estefan; hip-hop artist LL Cool J; television writer and producer Norman Lear; and musician and record producer Lionel Richie. (Andrew Burton/Reuters)

As a past chair and current member of the Kennedy Center Honors selection committee, I was surprised to read Philip Kennicotts Aug. 4 Style Critics Notebook, The Kennedy Center Honors continue to lean toward pop, at the expense of traditional arts.

Mr. Kennicott bemoaned the fact that only one honoree this year, dancer and choreographer Carmen de Lavallade, represents traditional art. The rest, he claimed  Norman Lear, Gloria Estefan, Lionel Richie and LL Cool J  are simply entertainers who appeal to the masses. This is a false dichotomy. The Honors are not divided between traditional and commercial, with Ms. de Lavallade on one side and everyone else on the other. Instead, our selection reflects the richness of American contributions across the full spectrum of the arts: dance; television production, a medium that shapes our national conversations; Latin-influenced music, a contribution of the United States largest minority community; R&B, a distinctly American style; and hip-hop, a genre that is now 40 years old and has not previously been recognized by the Kennedy Center Honors.

These pop artists have lasting impact on their respective fields. Like Ella Fitzgerald and Gene Kelly, the four performance artists Mr. Kennicott discounted have shaped and influenced art for generations and will continue to do so. They arent more or less deserving because of their popularity.

As stated in our mission, Kennedy Center Honors recognize significant contributions to American culture, with the primary criterion being excellence. This years honorees represent that excellence, and we are proud of our selection.

Cappy R. McGarr, Dallas
Richard Cohens critique of the failure of the film Dunkirk to acknowledge the German aggressors by name was worthwhile, but it missed a more relevant current aspect of the debacle: the slow, hugely inadequate response of the British and the French to Adolf Hitlers initial aggressions [The Brits knew their enemy at Dunkirk, op-ed, Aug. 1]. Had they met their treaty obligations to Poland with a major and timely offensive, rather than dribbling out a few divisions in Britains case and hunkering down behind defensive walls in Frances, many historians believe that the world war would have been averted.

This should be a chilling lesson for all those NATO members who cling to the false notion that they will be protected by their large Western allies. If they think the French and English will spill out of their cafes and pubs to fight Russians in Latvia or Poland, with the Americans right behind them, they are greatly deluded.

Casimir P. Eitner, Castleton, Va.
THE TRANSCRIPT of President Trumps Jan. 27 phone conversation with President Enrique Pena Nieto of Mexico made fascinating reading  especially in light of what has actually happened among the United States, Mexico and their North American free-trade partner, Canada, since the call. Its not a good-news story, but it is a could-have-been-worse story. Instead of slapping tariffs on Mexican goods, as he threatened during both the 2016 campaign and the chat with Mr. Pena Nieto, Mr. Trump agreed to talks, the goal of which is to update the North American Free Trade Agreement, not scrap it, as he has also threatened from time to time. Whats more, the parties have set an expedited negotiation schedule, with the first meeting slated for Aug. 16 in Washington.

The specific negotiating objectives the Trump administration set forth in a July 17 report to Congress were in many respects necessary and proper. NAFTA is basically working as designed, but any quarter-century-old trade pact could use modification to account for new realities. Its reasonable, for example, to seek new understanding on digital trade in goods and services and on cross-border data flows, as the Trump objectives propose. Veterans of negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which Mr. Trump reviled, noted similarities between the approach sketched in the July 17 paper and what had been accomplished in the TPP talks. But if hypocrisy, or reinventing the wheel, is the worst sin Mr. Trump commits on trade, the world will breathe a sigh of relief.

Alas, the administration also specified that the trade deficit with Mexico and the (smaller) one with Canada be reduced as a result of the talks, which isnt possible and wouldnt necessarily be desirable even if it were. Possibly even more counterproductive, Mr. Trumps goals include the elimination of the so-called Chapter 19 dispute-resolution mechanism, which creates a special NAFTA-based forum to challenge a member countrys claims that another is selling exports below cost (dumping). This check against potentially protectionist litigation brought by U.S. industries in U.S. forums was Canadas precondition for joining the U.S.-Canada free-trade agreement, upon which NAFTA was built; and its one reason that exports from Canada and Mexico are far less likely than those of other nations to face penalties in the United States.

Eliminating Chapter 19 probably would be a dealbreaker for Canada. And why would Mr. Trump seeks its elimination? After all, as he said in that call with Mr. Pena Nieto, Canada is no problem . . . we have had a very fair relationship with Canada. It has been much more balanced and much more fair. Perhaps he means the proposal as a bargaining chip, to be traded for some other, more valuable concession. Or perhaps he will be willing to finesse it behind closed doors, just as he pleaded with Mr. Pena Nieto to help him wiggle out of his unwise promise to make Mexico pay for a border wall. We certainly hope the administration can be pragmatic on this point, lest it trigger the trade war with our neighbors that Mr. Trump once promised but so far has sidestepped.
Regarding the Aug. 3 front-page article Trump reluctantly signs Russia sanctions bill:

When President Trump signs into law a bill that he describes as clearly unconstitutional, how is that not a violation of his oath of office, in which he swore to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution? If he is certain that the law violates the Constitution, how does he have any option other than a veto? Sure, Congress would override (because its members obviously dont share his view), but the president would not have betrayed his sworn duty.

As a lawyer, I cant find any example in history where a president has implemented policies that he expressly described as unconstitutional. It is bizarre, huge and unprecedented.

Scott Wallace, Bethesda
Regarding the July 21 Metro article Angry lawmakers question schools chief about alleged grade-inflation scam:

Four Prince Georges County Board of Education members took it upon themselves to play politics with school policy by sending a public letter to the governor  the same one who cut tens of millions of dollars in county school funding at the beginning of his term. In just a few paragraphs, these board members have done extensive damage to economic development in Prince Georges County. Kevin Maxwell, probably the best schools chief our county has had in recent memory, has been attacked because employees were accused of committing child abuse. He was attacked for disciplining those same employees. He was attacked for not paying for everyones Advanced Placement exams, no matter how wealthy students parents are.

Prince Georges Countys graduation rate exceeds those of New York City, Miami, Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, Atlanta, Boston, the District, Cleveland and Newark. Isnt it better to build up our school system and praise student achievement rather than tear it down for political gain?

Joan B. Pitkin, Bowie
Dorothy R. Novick is a pediatrician at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia.

It has been 20 years since Ive had to tell a mother she had no options for insuring her child. At the time, I had been treating a little boy who was born prematurely and required developmental therapies. He toddled over to me from across the waiting room, shouting my name to show that he could. But his mother had found a new job at her aunts hair salon, making her no longer eligible for Medicaid. We were forced to turn them away.

That was my second year of pediatric residency at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. I quickly learned during this time that families who made too much money to qualify for Medicaid but were unable to obtain private insurance often had no access to medical care for their children. But that changed in 1997, when Congress created the Childrens Health Insurance Program, which provides comprehensive, affordable health insurance for low-income children not covered by Medicaid. Quite suddenly, I could care for practically every child who walked through the door.

Unfortunately, funding for CHIP is set to expire in September and requires an act of Congress to be extended. States across the nation are drawing dangerously close to exhausting their federal CHIP funds, placing millions of children at risk of losing this vital resource. The Affordable Care Act is thankfully safe for now. But while Congress and the rest of the nation has been consumed by the recent health-care debate, little attention has been paid to this looming deadline.

CHIP covers more than 8 million children, and since its implementation, the percentage of uninsured children in this country has fallen from 14 percent to 5 percent. Children enrolled in CHIP have improved access to primary care, improved dental care and improved coverage for services such as audiology and hearing aids.

Together, CHIP and Medicaid provide health insurance coverage to 39 percent of our nations children. They cover crucial services for children living with disabilities. They insure more than half of children of color, thereby significantly reducing racial and ethnic health disparities. In addition, they have been shown not only to improve health outcomes but also long-term educational performance and economic stability, both of which I have witnessed firsthand over 22 years of personal experience caring for many thousands of Philadelphias economically disadvantaged families.

Every day I see patients in my practice who stand to lose their health care if Congress does not act to extend CHIP funding. Consider my patient who grew up in foster care, put herself through college and now earns a living as a freelance clothing designer. She is now a mother herself, and I treat her children. Her 1-year-old son has asthma and her 3-year-old daughter has a peanut allergy. They are able to follow up with me every three months and keep a ready supply of lifesaving medications because they qualify for CHIP.

Or consider the dad with a hearing impairment whose wife passed away two years ago. He supports his teenage daughters by working as a line cook during the day and a parking attendant at night. He sends the girls to a parochial school. He lost their Medicaid when he was given extra hours at his restaurant last year. But I still see them because they qualify for CHIP.

Health-care expenses have soared out of control in our country, and we need good solutions to rein them in. But children are the least expensive age group to cover, and numerous studies have shown that uninsured children only increase economic health expenditures in the long run.

Those of us on the front lines of medicine who care for children and families with limited resources remember well the time that we turned children away solely because their families were working hard to raise themselves out of poverty. Continuity and stability of care for children is more important than ever. Congress must act now to extend funding for CHIP for the well-being of my patients and millions of other children in our nation.
President Trumps Mar-a-Lago Club needs to hire 35 waiters for this winters social season in Palm Beach, Fla.

Late last month, the club placed an ad on page C8 of the Palm Beach Post, crammed full of tiny print laying out the job experience requirements in classified ad shorthand. 3 mos recent & verifiable exp in fine dining/country club, the ad said. No tips.

The ad gave no email address or phone number. Apply by fax, it said. The ad also provided a mailing address. It ran twice, then never again.

This was an underwhelming way to attract local job-seekers. But that wasnt the point. The ads were actually part of Mar-a-Lagos efforts to hire foreign workers for those 35 jobs.

About a week before the ads ran, the presidents club asked the Labor Department for permission to hire 70 temporary workers from overseas, government records show. Beside the 35 waiters, it asked for 20 cooks and 15 housekeepers, slightly more than it hired last year.

Two years ago, Jeannie Coleman applied for a housekeeping job at Mar-a-Lago but did not get the position. That year, Mar-a-Lago told the government it needed to hire 20 foreign workers as housekeepers. (Scott McIntyre/for The Washington Post)

To get visas for those workers, Mar-a-Lago, like other businesses that rely on temporary employees each year, must first take legally mandated steps to look for U.S. workers. That includes placing two ads in a newspaper.

Typically, this attempt to recruit U.S. workers is a ritualized failure. Its outcome is usually a conclusion that there are no qualified Americans to hire, justifying the need for the government to issue the visas.

In the past few days, that ritual began again at Mar-a-Lago, Trumps members-only club that opens every winter and has become a frequent destination for the president.

The clubs request for visas stood out because it came in the middle of Made in America Week at the White House, as Trump and his administration sought to highlight his push to remake U.S. trade policy. Even as Trump urged other U.S. businesses to hire American, his business was gathering evidence to prove that it couldnt.

Officials at Mar-a-Lago and at the Trump Organization did not respond to questions for this article. Neither did a White House spokeswoman.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump defended his practice of using foreign workers at his club  even as he blamed immigrants for taking American jobs and keeping wages low for native-born workers.

Its very, very hard to get people. But other hotels do the exact same thing. . . . This is a procedure. Its part of the law, he said during a Republican candidates debate in March 2016, after Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) criticized him for using foreigners at Mar-a-Lago. I take advantage of that. Theres nothing wrong with it. We have no choice.

An ad for employment at Mar-A-Lago that ran in the Palm Beach Post on July 27. It gave only a fax number and mailing address as contact information.

The category of visas requested by Mar-a-Lago is called H-2B, and the visas are intended for workers doing temporary jobs in nonagricultural fields. The number is theoretically limited to 66,000 per year, although that cap is frequently lifted: This year, for instance, the Trump administration added 15,000 visas after employers complained that they couldnt get the workers they need.

The visas are common across the hospitality industry, including at other resorts in Palm Beach, where an influx of visitors for only a few months each year means businesses must find workers willing to take temporary  and, often, labor-intensive  jobs.

Youcheng Wang, a professor at the University of Central Floridas Rosen College of Hospitality Management, said Floridas tourism industry is utterly dependent on these workers.

This is not an easy industry to work in, Wang said. The jobs are typically long hours, with relatively low pay. Its seasonal and temporary, so theres instability in that workforce. If you want to enjoy a balance between work and life, this is not that kind of industry.

Mar-a-Lago has relied on foreign workers since at least 2008, according to government documents. To recruit them, it relies on Petrina Group International, a firm with offices in Ithaca, N.Y., and Romania. News reports have said that Mar-a-Lagos workers have largely been from Romania and Haiti. Representatives for Petrina did not respond to requests for comment.

In the past, Trumps club has followed the same pattern of searching for  and not hiring  American workers. Two years ago, for instance, Jeannie Coleman, who lives in nearby West Palm Beach, applied for a job as a housekeeper.

Mar-a-Lago called back. She had an interview. Then: nothing.

I was very disappointed. At that time, I really needed a job, said Coleman, now 50, who works at a clothing store. I had the qualifications. The interview went great. But they never even did the common courtesy to call me and tell me why I wasnt hired.

The Labor Department says that employers seeking foreign workers must hire any [American] applicants who are qualified and available. That year, Mar-a-Lago told the government it needed to hire 20 foreign workers as housekeepers. The government gave permission.

Now, Trump has resigned from leadership positions at Mar-a-Lago and other Trump Organization businesses. But he still owns them. And he has treated Mar-a-Lago as a second home. Last season, he spent seven weekends there, calling his club the Winter White House.

In determining Mar-a-Lagos visa applications, Labor Department spokesman Egan Reich said the presidents business would be treated like any other. The Department of Labor does not give preference or special treatment to any business or individual, he said.

To immigration critics who have welcomed Trumps calls for tightened border restrictions, Mar-a-Lago presents a missed opportunity for the president to lead by example.

Let wages go up. Offer better benefits. More vacation time. Better working conditions, said Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for lower immigration levels. We dont have a shortage of this kind of workers. You just got to look harder. And I would encourage the president  or whoever makes the hiring decisions down there [at Mar-a-Lago]  to do that.

So far, there is no sign that anything has changed.

Mar-a-Lago has done what is legally required to seek U.S. job applicants  including posting two newspaper ads, on nonconsecutive days, for each of the openings. It also posted the position with a local job-placement agency.

At least two people applied, according to records kept by the state workforce agency.

One was Osther Loseille, looking for a job as a cook. He had 10 years of experience.

He didnt realize that Mar-a-Lago was the presidents club.

On the phone, he said, the Mar-a-Lago people didnt mention it.

Ive been cooking at a country club most of my life, so I was interested, Loseille said. But, after learning more about the job, he turned Mar-a-Lago down. Im looking for full-time work, not seasonal, he said.

By law, Mar-a-Lago needed to search for American workers for 14 days before it could move to the next step in the process of seeking visas for foreign workers. That step is to send documentation to a Labor Department office, attesting to its inability to hire Americans.

Those 14 days ran out last week.

This week, there is a jobs fair in Palm Beach, where big resorts can meet prospective employees in person. Will a Mar-a-Lago representative be there?

At The Washington Posts request, a job-placement center employee checked the list of attendees.

Mar-a-Lago isnt going.

Lori Rozsa reported from West Palm Beach.
A look at the second half of the presidents first year in the White House.

A look at the second half, so far, of President Trumps first year in office

A look at the second half, so far, of President Trumps first year in office

On Saturday, President Trump tweeted his gratitude to a social-media super-fan, Nicole Mincey, magnifying her praise of him to his 35 million followers.

Heres the problem: There is no evidence the Twitter feed belongs to someone named Nicole Mincey. And the account, according to experts, bears a lot of signs of a Russia-backed disinformation campaign.

On Sunday, Twitter suspended the Mincey account, known as @ProTrump45, after several other users revealed that it was probably a fake, created to amplify pro-Trump content.



The incident highlights Trumps penchant for off-the-cuff tweeting  and the potential consequences for doing so now that he holds the nations highest office. Even as the president has railed against multiple investigations into Russias meddling in U.S. politics, he may have become Exhibit A of the foreign governments influence by elevating a suspected Russia-connected social-media user  part a sophisticated campaign to exacerbate disputes in U.S. politics and gain the attention of the most powerful tweeter in the world.

The president doesnt know whether its a Russian bot or not, said Clint Watt, a former FBI agent and fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, using the term for a fake Twitter account pretending to represent a real person and created to influence public opinion or promote a particular agenda. Hes just pushing a narrative, whether its true or false. This provides a window not just for Russia but for any adversary to both influence the president or discredit him.

(Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

As a candidate, Trump became known for amplifying tweets from accounts of dubious origin, including one under the name @WhiteGenocideTM, and for disseminating anti-Semitic memes that bubbled up from some of the darkest corners of the Internet.

As president, not much has changed. Trump still routinely hits the retweet button if a Twitter user echoes his criticism of his adversaries or showers him with praise  regardless of who that user is or what his or her motives may be.

Aides and advisers have hinted that Trump has been urged to tone down his tweeting habits, but the president has shut down those conversations quickly, according to two people who have witnessed such exchanges. He also has on occasion followed bouts of public discourse about his Twitter feed with a rapid-fire tweet storm  perhaps an implicit signal that he has no intention of ceding control of his account to aides now that he is in the White House.

Trumps tweet storms of the past several days, for instance, have followed intense speculation that his new chief of staff, John F. Kelly, might try to exert greater control over the presidents account. The message? Thats probably not going to happen.

During his six-month tenure, Trumps former chief of staff, Reince Priebus, was unable to do much to rein in Trumps social-media rants. Lawyers have tried and failed to impress upon the president the risks of discussing the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion by his campaign associates.

Kelly faces much the same challenge. According to people who have spoken with him, he does not believe that he will be able to change Trumps social-media behavior and believes that being seen as attempting to do so could pose risks, including damaging his relationship with the president.

On Monday morning, marking Kellys second week on the job, Trump blasted out nine tweets, including ones renewing attacks on Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the fake news media, phony fake news polling, and the Fake News Russian collusion story

While Trump continues to dismiss the Russia investigation, bipartisan former national security officials and researchers say that the coordinated, state-backed efforts to spread disinformation during the 2016 campaign were very real.

Nineteen to 20 percent of the messages in the month before the election were originated by bots, said Emilio Ferrara, a researcher at the University of Southern California who conducted research on the impact of bots on the 2016 election. About 400,000 accounts that posted tweets related to the political conversation we believe were bots.

If anything, these accounts have found an even greater foothold since the election among Trumps most ardent supporters online.

In the past week, a virtual army of accounts identified as having ties to a Russia-backed disinformation campaign targeting the U.S. political system zeroed in on efforts among Trumps supporters to attack his national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, over the firing of two Trump loyalists from the National Security Council.

A tool created by a bipartisan group of national security experts and researchers to track Russian-backed propaganda accounts found that the #fireMcMaster hashtag became popular among these misinformation accounts at the same time that several influential, pro-Trump users on Twitter adopted the anti-McMaster position.

By Friday, the clamoring against McMaster had become so loud that Trump issued a public statement defending him.

As a Republican, it raises questions for some on the right who obviously have a difference of opinion on someone like Gen. McMaster, but the reality is there is a foreign power here trying to push an agenda, said Jamie Fly, a former adviser to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) who helped create the Hamilton 68 project, which tracks the influence of Russian-backed propaganda online.

Researchers say the fake accounts sometimes disseminate content from well-known Russian-backed sources, including Sputnik and RT. The content is then picked up by U.S. conservatives. Or the fake accounts might amplify content created by far-right media outlets known for misinformation, including Gateway Pundit and Infowars.

Fly said Trumps liberal use of Twitter has only increased the return on investment for a foreign power such as Russia seeking to sow division within the U.S. political system. Accounts can use Trumps low bar for retweets to their advantage by creating large volumes of content in the hope that he might be drawn to some of it.

His use of Twitter has elevated the platform, Fly said. Its created a situation where its probably even more useful for a foreign power like Russia to try to influence the debate on Twitter.

In the case of the account that was the recipient of an emphatic Thank you Nicole! from Trump on Saturday, Twitter will not say exactly why it was suspended. Online sleuths have posted evidence that the account has changed names several times, including as recently as this weekend. Experts say accounts such as this one often disappear quickly once they are exposed or achieve their objective. No one named Nicole Mincey has stepped forward to say the account is hers.

We do not comment on individual accounts, for privacy and security reasons, a Twitter spokesman said in response to an inquiry about why the account was suspended.

At one point, the account boasted as many at 150,000 followers. According to other Twitter users, it was connected to similar accounts, which experts say suggests a network created to disseminate propaganda. These accounts are often set up as one-stop shops for pro-Trump, anti-Democratic Party memes. The accounts often use stock images doctored to display pro-Trump messages or slogans.

The Trump administration has appeared resistant to addressing the growing problem of Russian online propaganda, which lawmakers and national security experts warn is a continuation of the tactics seen during the 2016 campaign.

Congress has appropriated $80 million to combat Islamic State propaganda and Russian disinformation online, but the State Department has not used the money, prompting bipartisan condemnation from Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), the lawmakers who wrote the legislation establishing the fund.

The challenge of Russia disinformation is not about Donald Trump, its much broader than that, Portman said in a speech at the Atlantic Council late last month. It was a serious problem before him, and its going to continue to be a problem long after his term in office.
After the United Nations voted Aug. 5 to punish North Korea for missile tests, officials from the country lashed out. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

After the United Nations voted Aug. 5 to punish North Korea for missile tests, officials from the country lashed out. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

North Korea spurned harsh new U.N. sanctions Monday and threatened to defend itself with nuclear weapons if necessary, as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson repeated an offer to bargain with the outcast nation under the right circumstances.

There was no sign at a major Asian security conference here that the sanctions hailed by President Trump as a foreign policy achievement would succeed where past efforts have failed in trying to persuade the country to give up its nuclear weapons.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told diplomats that his country will never negotiate away what he called a rational strategic option against the threat of attack from the United States.

We will, under no circumstances, put the nukes and ballistic rockets up for negotiation, Ri said in prepared remarks, adding that the entire United States is within range of its missiles.

He dismissed the U.N. Security Council sanctions approved Saturday as illegal, appearing to rule out talks that the Trump administration, in a diplomatic partnership with China and Russia, is offering North Korea as a way out of its economic and diplomatic pariah status.

(Anna Fifield,Jason Aldag/The Washington Post)

[U.N. imposes tough new sanctions on North Korea]

The best signal that North Korea could send that theyre prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches, Tillerson told reporters Monday at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathering.

The security conference in the Philippine capital was dominated by the rising threat posed by North Koreas rapid advances in nuclear and ballistic missile technology. Those capabilities are already a threat to neighbors and U.S. allies South Korea and Japan. In two tests last month, North Korea demonstrated that it could hit major population centers in the United States, and the country is now working to perfect the technology to allow those missiles to carry nuclear warheads.

The new economic sanctions were approved amid the discussions here. The penalties are the toughest to date against a country that has been under international sanctions for more than a decade, and they carry the symbolic weight of approval by Pyongyangs closest ally, China. They also approximate a trade embargo by targeting some of North Koreas biggest exports, including coal.

[What the new sanctions on North Korea mean ]

The sanctions can work only if North Korean leader Kim Jong Un concludes that he has too much to lose by hanging on to his weapons. Kims calculation has been the opposite  that his weapons and the means to deliver them buy him irreplaceable leverage over the United States, his principal adversary.

China is urging Kim to consider negotiations, and also worked alongside the United States to develop the new U.N. sanctions. Days before the unanimous Security Council vote, Tillerson had made a point of saying that the United States does not consider North Korea its enemy and does not seek to invade the country or unseat Kim. Those reassurances were meant to encourage North Korea to meet at the bargaining table.

At the same time, Washington has issued blunt warnings that the United States will use military force if necessary, and North Korea has answered in kind.

In the printed version of his speech, Ri said Pyongyang will use nuclear weapons only against the United States or any other country that might join it in military action against North Korea.

Ris address here was closed to the media, so it could not be determined whether he stuck to a script delivered to reporters.

Another direct warning was aimed at the United States in a government statement published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

There is no bigger mistake than the United States believing that its land is safe across the ocean, it said.

North Korea will make the U.S. pay dearly for all the heinous crimes it commits against the state and people of this country, the statement said.

Tillerson would not spell out a deadline for North Korea to respond to the diplomatic overture.

Well know it when we see it, he said Monday.

We hope again that this ultimately will result in North Korea coming to a conclusion to choose a different pathway, and when the conditions are right that we can sit and have a dialogue around the future of North Korea so that they feel secure and prosper economically, he told reporters.

Tillerson avoided running into Ri, who attended the related ASEAN Regional Forum. The State Department said he skipped one event where the two men might have met and left another early to attend a scheduled meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

Tillerson and Trump spoke by phone for about an hour Monday, and Tillerson detailed the results of his discussions in Manila, the White House said.

United Nations Resolution is the single largest economic sanctions package ever on North Korea, Trump wrote in a Twitter message Saturday. Over one billion dollars in cost to N.K.

On Monday, Trump complained that the U.S.-led sanctions vote at the United Nations is not getting enough attention, writing, The Fake News Media will not talk about the importance of the United Nations Security Councils 15-0 vote in favor of sanctions on N. Korea!

North Korea rarely attends, or is even invited to, international forums such as the ASEAN meeting. Ri tried to make the most of it, holding meetings with the top diplomats from China and Russia, two countries that trade with North Korea and employ North Koreans as contract workers. China alone is responsible for 90 percent of North Koreas trade.

Moscow and Beijing have proposed a freeze for a freeze approach, in which North Korea would suspend its missile and nuclear testing if the United States and its allies stop conducting joint military exercises in the region. Washington has rejected that.

After meeting with Ri, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on all parties to show maximum restraint to avoid the projection of military power on the Korean Peninsula and immediately start seeking a political and diplomatic resolution to the problems of the peninsula, including its denuclearization.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he told Ri that North Korea should abide by U.N. prohibitions against missile and nuclear testing. But he also said that sanctions, while needed, are not the final goal, and he called for dialogue. Wang urged the United States and South Korea, as well as the North, not to increase tensions, saying the situation already is at a critical point.

Chinese state media on Monday acknowledged that North Korea had to be punished for its missile tests, but criticized the United States for its arrogance.

The effectiveness of the new sanctions depends on how well China, in particular, decides to enforce them, said Michael J. Green of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who was an Asia export in the George W. Bush administration.

More broadly, Green said, the time for effective diplomacy has almost certainly run out. There is little to no chance that North Korea can be talked out of weapons it considers essential, he said.

The North Korea strategy for decades has involved both carrots and sticks. The problem is that the carrots are no longer credible, he said.

Gearan reported from Washington.

Read more

The inevitability of North Koreas nuclear weapons

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A frame grab from a video released on Aug. 3 by a Syrian Kurdish activist media group shows a fighter from the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces firing his weapon during clashes with the Islamic State in Raqqa. (Hawar News Agency/AP)

For three years, the Syrian city of Raqqa was the Islamic States greatest stronghold, featuring heavily in propaganda and providing a launchpad for attacks carried out around the world.

But district by district, the city is now emptying out as U.S.-backed forces inch their way through the extremist groups self-proclaimed capital in Syria. The two sides are locked in a grinding battle of attrition that ranks among the toughest challenges to date for the anti-Islamic State coalition.

Thousands of civilians are believed to have fled Raqqa in recent weeks, often with smugglers under the cover of darkness. It is a perilous escape through the citys narrow streets as the militants dispatch bombers among those fleeing.

The battle for Raqqa is completely different from anything we have fought before. ISIS is defending its capital now, said Mustafa Bali, a spokesman for the Kurdish-dominated militia  known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF  that Washington has backed in the fight.

Previous offensives have ended when the militants retreated in an apparent effort to conserve manpower ahead of more consequential battles. This time, Bali said, there would be no escape.

A Syrian Democratic Forces fighter runs in front of a damaged building in Raqqa on July 27. (Hussein Malla/AP)

Raqqa is completely surrounded, he said. They are fighting to the death.

Col. Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and Syria, said last week that after two months of heavy fighting, the SDF holds 45 percent of Raqqa.

While the Pentagon insists that its proxy force is making daily progress backed by U.S. airstrikes, the Islamic State is booby-trapping houses and sending waves of suicide bombers to ensure that the units pay for each foot of ground. Unlike Iraqi forces that cleared the far larger city of Mosul with tens of thousands of troops and reserves as backup, the SDF has significantly fewer fighters and less heavy equipment.

Reports of civilian casualties from the SDF and coalition efforts are mounting. The United Nations and nonprofit monitoring groups say hundreds have died, although a final toll is unlikely to ever be known.

Brett McGurk, U.S. special envoy for the coalition, said Sunday that about 2,000 Islamic State fighters remain in the city and most likely will die in Raqqa.

[A photographers journey into the dying center of the Islamic State]

Estimates of the number of people remaining in the city vary. The Reach Initiative, a nonprofit survey group, has put the number at between 10,000 and 25,000. According to its latest research, 14 of Raqqas 24 neighborhoods, most on the eastern and western fringes of the city, are almost or completely deserted.

A man and woman flee Raqqa on July 31. (Rodi Said/Reuters)

Doctors Without Borders said last week that its medics treated more than 400 wounded civilians, many of whom were injured by sniper fire or land mines on their way out.

Pediatricians working at internationally supported clinics and displacement camps say they are witnessing signs of shock more severe than anything in their medical careers.

I've never seen 2-year-olds who didnt fight the doctor examining them. But these children did nothing; they just lay there as if it was surrender, said Rajia Sharhan, a doctor with the U.N. childrens agency, UNICEF.

Aid groups have warned that three years under Islamic State control could have far-reaching consequences for children who do escape.

What you see in their eyes is shock. Theyve survived the bombing and shelling. Theyve been bound to their mothers chest on the escape and heard the screams over and over. They have already lost their childhood, Sharhan said.

[Here are some of the toughest battles still to be fought against ISIS]

For those who remain in the city, access to food is critically limited as prices skyrocket and daily airstrikes make trips to the market a terrifying prospect.

Residents say their kitchen shelves fill up only when neighbors flee. A media activist who goes by the nom de guerre Tim Ramadan said the family next door handed him their house key as a parting gift and told him to eat.

Inside he found moldy bread, olives, thyme and dried noodles. I hadnt eaten for days, he said.

State Department officials estimate that it will take months, if not years, to clear Raqqa of unexploded munitions and booby traps after the Islamic State is routed. Much as it did in Mosul, the terrorist group probably has perfected its ability to conceal and plant mines and other devices that will maim and kill people long after the battle is over.

Explosives have been hidden inside doorways, generators and even corpses.

Dillon, the coalition spokesman, said that 80 percent of the attacks on the Syrian Democratic Forces have come from improvised explosive devices, some of which are rigged to collapse entire homes after fighters enter.

The offensive has intensified pressure on the Islamic State as it defends what remains of its self-declared caliphate. In Iraq, the group lost control of Mosul last month after a nine-month battle that destroyed swaths of the city it left behind.

In its Syrian territory, the militants appear to be facing growing manpower problems. Photographs shared on social media last week showed an Islamic State communique announcing mandatory conscription for 20- to 30-year-old men in and around the eastern city of Deir al-Zour.

That raises the prospect that many of the areas remaining tens of thousands of civilians could be coerced into becoming military targets for the SDF and the U.S.-led coalition.

In a WhatsApp message sent late Saturday, a 25-year-old said he was scared of what would follow. We have less than a week to escape from here, he said. Otherwise we will be taken by force.

Gibbons-Neff reported from Washington. Zakaria Zakaria in Istanbul contributed to this report.

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Gantry cranes at the port of Vancouver, British Columbia, last month. Canada is pushing to address its infrastructure problems, including capacity shortfalls at the Vancouver port. (Darryl Dyck/Bloomberg News)

In June, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau traveled to Montreal to announce that his government would be investing 1.3 billion Canadian dollars in a new commuter train network for the city, Canadas second-largest.

It was the usual political event, with Quebecs provincial premier and Montreals mayor in attendance. But sharing the stage with the politicians was Michael Sabia, president of Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, the provinces giant pension fund manager.

Sabia was there because Caisse de Depot, the equivalent of the California Public Employees Retirement System, is spearheading construction of the $6 billion, 42-mile light-rail network and will own 51 percent of the system when it starts operating as planned in 2020. And it expects to make a decent return on the venture.

The decision by one of the countrys biggest pension fund managers to take the lead in developing a transit system from scratch is part of Canadas effort to tackle its infrastructure problems with a two-pronged approach: increasing direct government spending while encouraging the private sector and state-controlled institutional investors such as Caisse de Depot to put cash into projects of the magnitude of the Reseau Electrique Metropolitain, or the Metropolitan Electric Network, as the Montreal system will be known.

While President Trumps campaign pledge to jump-start reconstruction of U.S. highways, bridges and water systems with a $1 trillion infrastructure plan is stalled, the Canadian government is pushing ahead with its program, including the controversial establishment of a Canada Infrastructure Bank. The bank, which was recently approved by Parliament, is due to start operating by years end with seed money of $35 billion.

The 88-year-old, single-span Ambassador Bridge between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, shown in February, is to be replaced by a new Canadian-funded toll bridge being built nearby. (Paul Sancya/AP)

[Minister: Canada will build up its military as the U.S. pulls back from world stage]

Trudeaus Liberal Party campaigned ahead of its 2015 electoral win on increasing Canadas federal deficit through targeted investment, particularly in infrastructure, and has since promised to spend $180 billion over the next 11 years, with an emphasis on local transit, transportation and affordable housing. Much of the money will go to projects jointly funded with provinces and municipalities.

Canada and the United States face some of the same problems, and one of the most pressing is senescent infrastructure that is failing to keep pace with each countrys growing economy and expanding population. According to the World Economic Forums Global Competitiveness Index, Canada ranks 21st in the quality of its infrastructure. The United States  while well ahead of it at 12th place  is far from the top. Switzerland is No. 1, followed by Singapore.

A lot of the infrastructure [in Canada and the United States] was built in the 1970s and the 1980s, and its aging, said Craig Alexander, chief economist of the Conference Board of Canada. Theres an infrastructure deficit.

Alexander cites several examples. Among the most striking: the fact that 25 percent of the value of Canadas trade with the United States flows over a single span, the 88-year-old Ambassador Bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario. (A new Canadian-funded toll bridge is under construction nearby.) Traffic congestion around Toronto, in Canadas booming heartland, is so bad that its constraining growth. And capacity shortfalls at the port of Vancouver are so acute that Canadian exporters are diverting traffic to Seattle.

With an aging population, infrastructure investments are even more important because they can boost competitiveness even as growth slows in the labor force, Alexander added.

He gives the Trudeau government high marks for encouraging broader sources of funding for infrastructure projects such as bridges, highways and ports, which can pay their own way through tolls and other user fees.

Vancouvers busy port in August 2016. (Ben Nelms/Bloomberg)

Trying to crowd in private-sector investment is a great idea, he said. It makes infinite sense because the government doesnt have enough money to invest in all the projects that have merit.

[Ill be in Canada: More students are looking to head north]

Big pension plans, such as the private Ontario Teachers Pension Plan and the state-controlled Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, have become world leaders in infrastructure investments, buying up toll roads in the United States, airports in Britain and ports in Australia to diversify from stocks and bonds in a low-interest environment.

But theyve so far been reluctant to invest in similar Canadian projects, in part because of a shortage of opportunities. The new infrastructure bank is supposed to help fill that gap by matching projects at the municipal, provincial and federal levels with private-sector investors.

Infrastructure spending is popular with Canadian voters, but the establishment of the infrastructure bank has proved divisive. The Conservative Party worries that it will saddle taxpayers with extra debt, while the left-of-center New Democratic Party opposes the measure on the grounds that it would allow private interests too much sway.

And other hurdles remain, including resistance to privatization. The Canadian government has been talking about selling off the nations biggest airports, currently run by local authorities, to investors, but airlines and passengers are concerned that would lead to higher landing fees and more expensive airfares.

When the Ontario government recently sold part of its stake in Hydro One, the provincial electric distribution network, markets cheered. But voters were not impressed, according to public opinion polls, worrying that the sale will lead to higher power rates.

Meanwhile, the Trudeau government is pressing ahead with construction of a $4 billion bridge to replace the rapidly deteriorating Champlain Bridge across the St. Lawrence River at Montreal. The previous government insisted that the bridge should be financed in part by tolls, but Trudeau promised that it would be free if he won the election. The new bridge, due to open next year, will be toll-free.

Bob Blakely, chief operating officer of Canadas Building Trades Unions, the Canadian arm of the U.S.-based North Americas Building Trades Unions, says he thinks Canada is ahead of the United States when it comes to tackling the infrastructure deficit.

Theres lots of talk about infrastructure spending in Washington, he said. But the kinetic isnt there.

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It was March 2020, and the world was closing down as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. At first, the news of...
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/08/2017 (1924 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba RCMP have confirmed an elderly couple from Neepawa have been found safe Sunday evening.

Vera Barber, 83, and her husband Gerald, 92, were reported missing after being last seen leaving the Neepawa hospital Saturday afternoon.

The couple was last seen driving away in their sage green 2012 Honda CRV with Manitoba plate VAA 650.

RCMP HANDOUT Vera and Gerald Barber were found safe Sunday evening.

The couples vehicle had reportedly gotten stuck in a mud road.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 06/08/2017 (1924 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

You wont find the LGBTQ Ghana Pavilion at a school gym or church hall. Its not a place but a group of Ghanaian men wearing pink T-shirts that say Ghana Pavilion on the front with a call for LGBTQ rights now! on the back. Rather than performing a cultural dance at Folklorama, which started Sunday, theyre circulating a petition outside various pavilions to put pressure on Ghana to decriminalize homosexuality.

We need help from the Canadian government, said Sulemana Abdulai, a bisexual man who fled persecution in Ghana.

Its very bad, said Abdulai, 42, who tried to hide his sexual orientation for decades. When somebody finds out, thats when problems started, said the man who wants Canada to give him protection and pressure Ghanas government to strike down its homophobic laws and respect LGBTQ rights. They burned my shop, said the former fashion designer who had to leave Ghana in 2015 because he was outed and under attack. He took off to South America where he began a months-long trek toward freedom in the U.S.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A Caribbean pavilion organizer tells Ghana protesters that they must protest on the sidewalk Sunday. The protesters were gathering signatures against the Ghanaian government's anti-LGBTQ policy.

Ghanas treatment of LGBTQ men is so bad that Saalu Taahiru Osman has the scars to prove it. In August 2014, he was leaving a club in the capital Accra when he was jumped.

These guys thought I was dating their brother. One of the attackers had a knife and hacked at Osman, who was beaten, bloodied and left for dead. He was taken to hospital and treated but couldnt report the attack to police because of his sexual orientation. In Ghana, gay sex is a crime and he would not be treated as a victim. He got a Mexican visa with a plan to seek refuge in the U.S.

Neither Abdulai nor Osman  nor the six other members of the so-called Ghana Pavilion  were granted asylum by the U.S. Far from being a land of freedom where they could be themselves, as soon as they arrived they were handcuffed, shackled and put in detention jails for more than half a year. Without money for a lawyer or resources to make phone calls and obtain documents, they all appeared before judges and all were rejected and released to await their removal from the U.S. The threat of being sent back to Ghana, where in 2015 homophobes had tried to burn him out, terrified Abdulai. I would be dead, he said.

Abdulai and each of the LGBTQ Ghanaians headed north to make the well-worn crossing on foot to Canada near Emerson, Man. After reading about what happened to fellow countryman Seidu Mohammed, who lost his fingers to frostbite last winter, Abdulai said many Ghanaians decided to wait until the weather warmed up.

I saw what happened to Seidu in the news, he said. Seidu Mohammed, who is also bisexual, was granted refugee protection and applied to become a permanent resident of Canada. Mohammed was invited to join the Ghana Pavilion for the opening of Folklorama but the group wasnt sure if he could attend. They planned to start outside the Caribbean Pavilion at the Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain and move to other pavilions throughout the two-week multicultural celebration to collect signatures, said their spokesman, Abdulai.

The asylum seekers from Ghana arrived at various times in recent months and are waiting to get temporary work permits and for their Immigration and Refugee Board hearings. Theyve reached out to the Rainbow Resource Centre and signed up to volunteer at Winnipeg Harvest, said Abdulai. While waiting for hearings, which have been postponed indefinitely because of a major influx of asylum seekers this spring that resulted in a backlog of applications, the Ghanaians had little to do until Abdulai found out about Folklorama online.

They decided that during the Winnipeg festival, they could raise awareness about Ghanas persecution of its LGBTQ citizens with laws that have driven many to seek asylum in Canada and the U.S. The refugee claimants could ask the Canadian government to push for their rights in Ghana with a petition theyd circulate during Folklorama.

That is where I think we can get a lot of people, said Abdulai.

He said he respects that Folklorama doesnt allow politics into its cultural events so he and the other activists wearing the pink shirts designed by him will stick to public sidewalks outside pavilions. All of the Ghanaian men said theyd rather be back in their home country if it was safe to be LGBTQ there.

We love our country, said Faisal Mohammed.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
First Minister Urges You to Get Creative Cymraeg

This article is old - Published: Monday, Aug 7th, 2017

A new fund for creative projects to increase the use of the Welsh language will be launched by First Minister Carwyn Jones at the National Eisteddfod in Anglesey today.

The 300,000 Cymraeg 2050 Grant will fund innovative, short-term projects which aim to increase the use of Welsh. This includes funding to support groups or organisations that have new ideas to create and promote technology which supports the use of Welsh.

Embedding positive language use practices supported by formal and informal opportunities to use Welsh  whether face to face in community settings, in the workplace or through digital platforms  is a key element of the new Welsh language strategy  Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers. In particular, it aims to support efforts to increase peoples daily use of the language.

First Minister Carwyn Jones said: We want the use of Welsh to be a routine part of everyday life so that speakers at all levels feel confident in using it in formal and informal situations. This fund seeks to broaden our horizons to pilot new ideas and work with a wide range of organisations to give everyone the opportunity to use the language.

We are very clear that it is our responsibility as a Government to set the direction and provide leadership for growing the language. This fund is a strong starting point for our Cymraeg 2050 strategy.

As well as the target for the number of Welsh speakers to reach 1 million by 2050, the Cymraeg 2050 strategy also includes a target to increase the the percentage of the population that speak Welsh daily, and can speak more than just a few words of Welsh, from 10% (in 2013-15) to 20% by 2050.

The fund is open to organisations from all sectors, and is not limited to current grant recipients. We particularly welcome applications from new applicants wishing to promote the Welsh language to new audiences.

The application process will be open from today (7 August) until 22 September 2017 and details can be found on the Welsh Government website.
Operation Pallial: Wrexham Man Suspected Of 1970s Child Sex Offences Arrested In Malta

This article is old - Published: Sunday, Aug 6th, 2017

Police in Malta have arrested a man over 40 allegations of child abuse spanning nearly 40 years.

Acting on behalf of the National Crime Agency (NCA), Maltese Police Force officers arrested Bryan Davies, aged 70, from Wrexham, at an address in Gozo  an island in the Maltese archipelago.

Officers from the NCAs Operation Pallial unit, which is the agencys investigation into non-recent abuse in childrens homes in North Wales in the 1970s and 1980s, sought his arrest as part of an on-going investigation.

The warrant lists 38 offences, including 29 contact offences which allegedly occurred between 1976 and 1978.

The other offences are related to alleged indecent images of children and causing or inciting sexual activity with a child between 2007 and 2013.

A Maltese court last week ruled Davies will be extradited to the UK , the pensioner agreed to the extradition, which should happen this week.

Reports from Malta say Mr Davies waived his right to appeal, which his defence lawyer said was not an admission of guilt.
West Virginias Democratic Governor Jim Justice announced August 3 that he was switching his party affiliation to Republican, just eight months after winning the election as a Democrat. Justice, a billionaire coal industry CEO, made the announcement in a brief appearance at a campaign-style rally for President Donald Trump in the city of Huntington Thursday night.

I will tell you with lots of prayers and lots of thinking, today I will tell you as West Virginians that I cant help you anymore being a Democrat governor, Justice declared. So tomorrow I will be changing my registration to Republican. The governor cited difficulties in working with the states legislature, which has been Republican-controlled since 2014. Trump welcomed the announcement, saying Justice showed the country that our agenda rises above left or right.

Justice then embraced Trump on-stage, stating, This man is a good man. Hes got a backbone, hes got real ideas. He cares about America, he cares about us in West Virginia. Trump gushed, Having Big Jim as a Republican is such an honor. Fantastic man, fantastic guy.

According to media reports citing Democratic Party officials, Justice notified neither the party nor his own staff beforehand.

In a rambling statement from the Capitol Friday afternoon, Justice said, The Democrats walked away from me. I didnt walk away from them. On his tax reform plan, he said, What happened? They dove in the ditch; they left me high and dry. The reform in question was a Republican-endorsed plan to eliminate the state income tax, a measure that would enormously benefit the wealthy at the expense of the working class.

During a question and answer session, he justified his switch as an effort to strengthen ties between Appalachian coal production and national security. He suggested nearly incoherent scenarios in which terrorists bombed gas pipelines and disrupted the power supply lines of the western energy companies to the eastern power grid. Justice added that glad-handing in the White House as a Republican would help him promote Appalachian coal as a Homeland Security incentive.

Justice, the states richest man, ran for political office for the first time in 2016. Like Trump, he touted his outsider status and supposed economic savvy as a billionaire businessman rather than a career politician. Both Justice and Trump made expansive campaign promises to revive the coal industry and create thousands of jobs in the state.

Also like Trump, Justice has switched party affiliation depending on the political winds, adapting to whichever party best serves his personal interests at the moment. He was a Republican for 10 to 12 years, a Democrat for 15 to 18, then a Republican again, and most recently became a Democrat again in February 2015, noted an editorial published last year in the Dominion Post.

Although he ran as a Democrat, Justice declined to endorse the partys presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, last year, instead seeking to latch his fortunes to Trump. In his inaugural address, he boasted that he was personally friends with the Trump family and pledged to work with the president to gut Environmental Protection Agency regulations on coal pollution.

It is a testament to the corrupt and rightwing character of the Democratic Party that it is seen by billionaires like Justice and Trump as essentially interchangeable with the Republican Party, depending on their own financial or political self-interest.

It is even more an indictment of all those organizations posturing as representatives of progressive causes or of the working classand in particular the trade unionsthat endorsed Justices candidacy. Both the United Mine Workers and the AFL-CIO tripped over themselves to assure the public that a billionaire coal baron would fight for workers interests. Jims one of the good coal operators, UMW president Cecil Roberts declared in a television commercial endorsing the Justice campaign. After Justices announcement Thursday, AFL-CIO president Josh Sword issued a statement saying he was reserving judgement about the party switch.

West Virginia is among the poorest states in the country, with high unemployment and the lowest labor force participation rate. The state has been in a worsening revenue situation for years, with the collapse of the coal industry pushing down the severance taxes that energy companies pay to local and state governments.

Justice ran for office under slogans such as Tired of being 50th?a reference to the states persistently poor metrics for nearly every indicator of social wellbeingand Jobs, Jobs, Jobsa departure from the national Democratic Partys messaging, which was dominated by questions of identity and lifestyle politics and which insisted that the Obama years had led the nation into economic prosperity.

Since taking office in January, Justice has stocked his administration with lobbyists, relatives of establishment politicians, and other businessmen like himself. The Justice administration has overseen the cutting of key departmental budgets and the appointment of pro-business figures to head agencies intended to regulate industry.

While posing as a populist fighting for the poordangling paltry $150 rebate checks for low-income residentshe has introduced higher taxes on gasoline and vehicle license and registration fees to attempt to increase the extraction of tax revenue from the working class. His approval rating as of late July had fallen significantly as a result of the fighting over budget items with the legislature, according to a poll by Morning Consult, cited by the Charleston Gazette-Mail.

Justice is notorious for unpaid taxes on his many business ventures. In July, Kanawha Countys tax department filed four new liens against the governor for unpaid debts. Tams Management, a Justice-owned coal company in Raleigh County, owes $971,927. On WV MetroNews Talkline program, Justice merely said that he couldnt go into detail, but the bill would eventually be paid. Ive said it a thousand times over, he insisted. Every obligation will absolutely be fulfilled.

Last year, an investigation by National Public Radio found the Justice family owed some $15 million in taxes and fines across several states, a third of it owed to West Virginia. I have done so much for so many, but thats not what you hear all the time, Justice recently complained to the press.
Jean-Luc Melenchons group in the National Assembly is mounting a legal challenge to a bill enabling French President Emmanuel Macron to reform labor legislation unilaterally by decree. With Socialist Party (PS) and French Communist Party (PCF) deputies, it launched an appeal against the bill, now approved by the Assembly and the Senate, to the Constitutional Council.

This is the reaction of Melenchons Unsubmissive France (LFI) movement, of the PS, and of the Stalinist PCF to growing working-class opposition to Macrons reforms. According to an Institute Elabe poll for BFM-TV, 61 percent of French people oppose the presidents proposed reform of labor law. Three months after his election, Macron only has a 36 percent approval rating, according to a YouGov poll; it is the lowest level for a president who has so recently been elected in over 20 years, since Jacques Chirac in 1993.

Melenchons decision to ally with the PSwhich initially presented the reactionary labor law that Macron now intends to propose, but took out the measures Macron is now proposing in the face of mass protestsunderscores that he is laying a trap for the workers. The legal challenge is a cynical propaganda maneuver. The PS has no intention of blocking a measure that it first proposed itself, and that continues the austerity policy it carried out under former PS President Francois Hollande.

The appeal is principally over the lack of clarity on the powers given to the government in the decrees and on the right to a full repayment of damages suffered due to illegal sackings, stated a joint communique published by Melenchon (LFI group), Andre Chassaigne (PCF group), and Olivier Faure (New Left-PS group).

They continue, The adoption procedure of this law was marred by delays and material conditions that prevented the parliament from playing its constitutionally specified role, and tramples in particular on the demand for clarity and sincerity in parliamentary debate. By sowing confusion on the measures being prepared, the lawgives the government full latitude to modify the Labor Code at will, without any guarantee that workers fundamental rights will be respected.

To launch an appeal to the Constitutional Council, at least 60 deputies votes are needed. LFI, the PCF, and the PS rump jointly explained that a joint initiative is the only way to allow our groups to appeal to the Constitutional Council and ensure that the bills voted by the majority are constitutional.

The Constitutional Council now has one month to reach a decision. However, given the overwhelming support within the ruling class for Macrons austerity policies, the appeal has no chance of successfully halting the onslaught of attacks against the working class. Several press reports indicated that the Constitutional Council is expected to rapidly render a judgment, well before the end of the month, in order to eliminate any uncertainty over the fate of the reform.

While proclaiming the death of the left in populist tones, Melenchon is maintaining his ties to the discredited PS and trying to pass it off as an opposition party after it was discredited by Hollandes record. The PS imposed its labor law, attacking the Labor Code, by using emergency powers and without a vote in parliament. It brutally repressed protests last spring and summer, particularly by university and high school students, mobilizing riot police under Frances state of emergency.

When physical repression failed to intimidate the workers and youth, then-Prime Minister Manuel Valls threatened to ban strike protests against the law. This was a fundamental attack on democratic rights, insofar as the right to strike is constitutionally protected. The attack nonetheless reached its goal, as the trade union bureaucracies reacted by immediately calling off further protests, apart from one symbolic protest in the autumn.

While it succeeded in imposing its labor law, the PS had nonetheless taken out certain elements, like limits on fines to employers for unfair dismissal, and the right for companies to violate industry-level accords and the national Labor Code, that Macron now aims to reintroduce by decree.

The decision of the PS to launch a joint appeal with Melenchon does not signify any shift in its position on the points that Macron is now trying to impose again. Thus, the deputy of the New Left/PS group told Le Parisien that he opposed Melenchons criticisms of Macron: We are not certain that we are prepared to accept the tone that LFI takes. And besides, we do not have the same conception of how to oppose the government.

The political character of the opposition movement that Melenchon pledged last month to build against Macron is ever clearer. It is not a question of mobilizing the working class to take power, but to sow illusions and false hopes about the role of the old trade unions and PS bureaucracies, which were discredited by their role under Hollande.

Melenchon plans to exploit certain layers of youth and workers, mobilized under the control of the traditional bureaucracies, to boost the strength of the small, impotent LFI minority in the Assembly. This minority has also sympathized directly with the army, having backed the budget requests of the former chief of staff, General Philippe de Villiers. Melenchon is also seeking to coordinate with the trade union bureaucracies who will organize a few protests, while negotiating the trade union check and other pseudo-legal bribes Macron aims to give them in his decrees.

Melenchons perspective flows directly out of his cowardly role during the presidential election this spring. Melenchon refused to call for a boycott of the election between Macron and neo-fascist Marine Le Pen, to mobilize the working class on an independent line against the incoming government. With this total abdication of his political responsibilities, he implicitly supported a vote for Macron against Le Pen.

Opposed to an independent struggle of the working class, Melenchon then peddled illusions that his LFI party could win the legislative elections and impose its policy on Macron with Melenchon as prime minister. In the event, the PS and Melenchon together are barely able to win a small rump in the Assembly.

The entire strategy of Melenchon aims to control and demobilize the workers. Its central characteristic, as his alliance with the PS shows, is its national and parliamentary orientation. This strategy cannot and will not be anything other than an impediment to the development of struggles that will erupt in France and across Europe in the coming months and years.
Under heavy pressure from the Trump administration, the UN Security Council voted unanimously on Saturday for a resolution imposing punitive new sanctions on North Korea over its two long-range missile tests last month. The sanctions, which will hit North Korea hard, will compound the tense confrontation on the Korean Peninsula that threatens to descend into war.

Unlike previous UN resolutions which were narrowly targeted against Pyongyangs nuclear and missile programs, the latest is broadly aimed at economically crippling the North Korean economy. It imposes outright bans on North Korean exports of coal, iron, lead and seafood which is estimated will slash export income by about $1 billion or a third of the total.

The resolution also prohibits countries from hiring extra North Korean workers and bans new joint ventures with North Korea or any new investment in current joint enterprises. It adds nine individuals and four business entities to the UNs blacklist for travel bans and asset freezes. This includes North Koreas state-owned Foreign Trade Bank that functions as the countrys primary foreign exchange bank.

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley bragged that the resolution imposed the most stringent set of sanctions on any country in a generation, telling Fox News later that we basically gave them a kick in the gut  that they are going to begin to feel right away.

Speaking at the UN, Haley praised China for supporting the resolution, but warned: We should not fool ourselves into thinking we have solved the problem. Not even close. The North Korean threat has not left us, it is rapidly growing more dangerous. Further action is required.

The US dramatically ramped up the pressure on China following North Koreas launch of a long-range ballistic missile on July 28 that could potentially reach the American mainland. President Trump blasted Beijing for doing nothing for us on North Korea and warning that we will not allow this to continue.

The Pentagon carried out one show of military force after anotherjoint live fire exercises with South Korea, including launching missiles into the sea, were followed by despatch of two strategic B1 bombers over the Korean Peninsula. Last Wednesday, the US tested its own intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) over the Pacificits fourth test launch this year.

The US threat of a war on Chinas doorstep was compounded by leaks last week that the Trump administration was preparing trade war measures against China over the issue of intellectual property rights. US trade penalties against China now appear to have been put on hold.

Trump, who is currently on vacation, tweeted his approval of the UN resolution, declaring the sanctions will have a very big financial impact on North Korea. He also praised China and Russia for supporting the new sanctions.

Beijing, however, is continuing to push its own proposal for restarting talks with North Koreaa halt by Pyongyang of its nuclear and missile testing, and, in return, a freeze by the US and South Korea on their major joint military exercises. Washington has repeatedly rejected any halt to these drills, which amount to a rehearsal for war with North Korea.

Chinas ambassador to the UN, Liu Jieyi, also reiterated Beijings opposition to the US deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile system in South Korea. While nominally aimed against North Korea, the THAAD installation allows the US military to peer deep inside Chinese territory. Washington has ruled out any halt to the deployment.

Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi met with his North Korean counterpart, Ri Wong-ho, at the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum in Manila over the weekend. He told the media that he had warned Pyongyang: Do not violate the UNs decision or provoke the international communitys goodwill by conducting missile launching or nuclear tests.

Wang, however, also urged other parties like the US and South Korea to stop increasing tensions. He said that sanctions were not an end in themselves, emphasising that the goal is to bring the Korean peninsula nuclear issue back to the negotiation table and to seek a final solution through negotiation.

At Beijings insistence, the UN resolution called for all sides to return to six-party talks involving the US, China, the two Koreas, Japan and Russia. But these negotiations have been effectively dead since US President George W. Bush undermined a 2007 agreement for North Korea to denuclearise by demanding extra inspections and safeguards. The Obama administration never moved for the resumption of the six-party talks sponsored by China.

Last week, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson suggested that the US might be prepared to negotiate with North Korea. We do not seek a regime change, we do not seek the collapse of the [Pyongyang] regime, we do not seek an accelerated reunification of the peninsula, we do not seek an excuse to send our military north of the 38th parallel [dividing the two Koreas], he told reporters.

At the same time, Tillerson made unmistakeably clear that talks would be possible only if North Korea was prepared to give up its nuclear weapons. Negotiations, he said, could only be achieved by denuclearising, giving up their weapons of mass destruction, and that only then will we be prepared to engage them in talks.

Tillerson, who is also in Manila, met with Wang as well as the South Korean and Japanese foreign ministers. But no official talks took place between American and North Korean representatives at the ASEAN summit. Indeed, the US made a failed attempt to have North Koreas membership of the forum suspended.

As a result, the prospect for talks is slim. North Korea has declared itself to be a nuclear state and insists that it will continue to build a nuclear arsenal. A commentary in the state-owned Rodong Sinmun warned the US to give up its hostile policy and threatened to sink the US mainland in an unimaginable sea of fire if it attacked the country.

Such belligerent but empty threats play directly into Washingtons hands as it exploits the crisis on the Korean Peninsula to accelerate its military build-up in the Asia Pacific aimed not primarily against North Korea, but rather against China, which the US regards as the main challenge to its regional and global dominance.

In an MSNBC interview yesterday, Trumps national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, stated that it was impossible to overstate the danger posed by North Korea and again declared that all options, including military strikes, were on the table. He acknowledged that it would be a very costly war  [in] terms of the suffering of mainly the South Korean people, but did not back off from the threat and noted that the US president had been deeply briefed.
A campaign-style rally was held for President Donald Trump August 3 at Huntington, West Virginias downtown arena. Local reports estimated the 9,000-seat arena was nearly full, and an overflow crowd of supporters occupied a space immediately outside the doors, ringed by police.

Across the intersection, a separate area was filled with approximately 400 protesters, many of them members of Democratic Party-oriented groups. Among the crowd were a number of curious bystanders, unaffiliated individuals opposed to Trump, along with a variety of activist groups. Also present were anarchists, and counter-protesters sporting guns and signs declaring socialism kills.

Signs defending Planned Parenthood, science funding, and the environment commingled with patriotic-themed and belligerently anti-Russian signs. Many of the protesters were repeating anti-Putin slogans, reflecting the impact of the Democratic Partys effort to portray Trump as a stooge of the Russian president.

Trumps appearance in Huntington marked the second time in as many weeks that the president has traveled to West Virginia. It is part of a series of conspicuous visits by high-profile politicians including Bernie Sanders over the past several months, as both the Democratic and Republican parties seek to posture as the defenders of the white working class of West Virginia and the wider Midwest industrial rust-belt.

Reporters for the World Socialist Web Sitespoke to a number of demonstrators about Trumps visit to Huntington.

Amanda Smythers, a 27-year-old graduate student of chemistry at Marshall University in Huntington, explained why she came to the protest. Im a scientist, and I think that the proposed cuts to science will hurt the US for generations. Were at the brink of truly solving some of Americas greatest medical problems.

Cuts to funding, she said, are creating a much worse America for our children. I have a child, and I want my child to grow up and have clean air, clean water, and I want her to, no matter what her life choices are and who she wants to love, to feel like shes part of the United States.

We have in West Virginia this huge economic decline, Amanda explained, and I think it makes the citizens of West Virginia prey to some not-so-ethical political practices.

You usually see the worst of people in the news, and I wouldnt be surprised if West Virginia werent a bit of a joke, both nationally and internationally, and there are really great people in this state who are trying very hard to improve the lives of our citizens, she said.

Even though there is some ignorance, West Virginians overall tend to be hardworking and neighborly people. Thats one of the reasons Ive stayed here. The large turnout for Bernie Sanders in the West Virginia primary, Amanda said, shows that West Virginia isnt one-dimensional at all.

Rebecca, a resident of Huntington, said she was protesting over a large number of issues, not a single issue. The way health care was handled, she said, is not acceptable. Theres separation of powers for a reason. The way Trump interacts with world leaders, not just Putin but all world leaders, is not acceptable and should not be normalized.

Stephanie, also a Huntington resident, said, There is a lot of hate hes spreading and people are beginning to think its acceptable to act on some of the things hes saying.

WSWS reporters asked Rebecca what she thought of the Democratic Partys charges that Russia meddled in the 2016 election. She defended the Democrats and said that the Republicans would be equally vocal if a Democrat had benefited from Russian support.

Cautioning that the sanctions against Russia just approved by Congress were a step closer to war, WSWS reporters asked what Rebecca and Stephanie thought of the wars the US had launched all over the world. Rebecca stated that in countries where ISIS was active, it is really tempting to say were going to take a hard line and bomb them all, but all youre doing is creating another generation of terrorists, from my viewpoint. All youre doing is creating another generation of orphaned children, who may grow up justifiably hating the United States because you just killed their family. We dont solve violence with violence, we really dont.

Rebecca and Stephanie also opposed the Trump administrations xenophobic policies on immigration and advocated accepting more Syrian refugees into the US. Other than an accident of birth, that could have been you over there. Theres nothing that makes us different than them, except that their countrys being ripped apart.

An employee at Cabell-Huntington Hospital told WSWS reporters that she opposed the attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which has expanded Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals and clinics serving primarily poor areas. Cabell-Huntington Hospital is alive and well because of the Medicaid bridge. Unfortunately, we have a lot of opioid patients, and now they have insurance for the first time. A little something for the hospital is better than nothing, and especially for people who have no insurance.

Before the ACA, she explained, In West Virginia, if you made more than $7,000, you could not qualify for Medicaid. With the so-called bridge provided by the ACA to the state, Its now up to $24,000. Could you imagine that gap of people that now have some form of insurance? We are a level-2 trauma center. We see overdoses every single day. She added, We saw those patients before, but we are getting reimbursed now for it.

It would be devastating if we lost that, she said. All these little hospitals all over in the counties would close up shop.
The fate of the U.S. health care system and the Affordable Care Act marketplace is as uncertain as ever following President Donald Trump's threats to withhold federal cost-sharing reduction subsidies, or CSRs, from insurers.

But while eliminating CSR payments could be a crippling blow to the health care marketplace, some analysts believe Trump may be powerless to follow through with his threat.

Trump tweeted about eliminating "bailouts" from insurance companies on July 28.

[See: 7 of the Best Health Care Stocks to Buy for 2017.]

"At the time, we viewed the president's attempt to use CSR payments as leverage in attempting to revive ACA repeal efforts as strong reason to believe August CSR payments are under significant threat of being withheld," Height Securities analyst Stefanie Miller says in a research note on Friday. But there are a number of events that indicate the payments will be continue, she says.

Congress would step in. First, if the president were to withhold CSR payments to insurers, Congress would likely step in and appropriate the payments. In fact, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions has already planned to pass bipartisan legislation allowing Congress to make any withheld CSR payments for at least one year.

The courts would have their say. But even without the threat of being undercut by Congress, Miller says Trump is facing major legal backlash in the courts. On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that individual states could step in and sue the federal government for withholding CSR payments. Insurance companies would likely step in with their own lawsuits as well.

[Read: The Cure for Anxious Health Care Investors.]

In April, the health care group America's Health Insurance Plans sent a letter to Congress saying "the most critical action to help stabilize the individual market for 2017 and 2018 is to remove uncertainty about continued funding for cost sharing reductions." Cigna Corp. (NYSE: CI), Humana ( HUM) and Anthem ( ANTM) are among the group's members.

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There's a new chief of staff. Finally, Miller hopes the president's new chief of staff, General John Kelly, will encourage Trump to think less about politics and more about policy when it comes to health care reform. A less threatening tone might go a long way in easing investors' fears.

Amid all the uncertainty about the future of the U.S. health care system, health care stocks have performed relatively well so far in 2017. The Health Care SPDR exchange-traded fund ( XLV) is up more than 15 percent since January.

Wayne Duggan is a freelance investment strategy reporter with a focus on energy and emerging market stocks. He has a degree in brain and cognitive sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and specializes in the psychological challenges of investing. He is a senior financial market reporter for Benzinga and has contributed financial market analysis to Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha and InvestorPlace. He is also the author of the book "Beating Wall Street With Common Sense," which focuses on the practical strategies he has used to outperform the stock market. You can follow him on Twitter @DugganSense, check out his latest content at tradingcommonsense.com or email him at wpd@tradingcommonsense.com.
Tenerife (Spain) (AFP) - Microalgae blooms proliferating in hot weather in Spain's Canary Islands are irritating beachgoers, who should avoid direct contact with them, local authorities said Monday.

Tenerife in particular is awash with visitors at this time of year but some of those having an Atlantic dip have come out scratching themselves after brushing up against the tiny algae.

The spreading algae have produced a greenish brown hue in the waters off some beaches in the tourist haven.

"Since the end of June, we have seen episodes of massive efflorescence (or bloom) of microalgae, sometimes reaching as far as bathing beaches," Jose Juan Aleman, director of public health for the Canaries, told AFP.

The algae are a type of bacteria, trichodesmium erythraeum, also known as sea sawdust, said Aleman.

"Its proliferation is a natural, temporary phenomenon which is going to disappear" in due course, he added, suggesting global warming was helping the algae spread.

The bacterium "contains a toxin which can lead to skin irritation, dermatitis, hence one must avoid coming into contact with it in the water and on the sand."

With the islands last year welcoming more than 13 million foreign tourists, local authorities were keen to reassure sun-seekers.

"Generally, it has not been necessary to close the beaches," said Aleman.

However, AFP found that several have been closed to swimmers over recent weeks, including the popular Teresitas beach at Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Marta Sanson, professor of plant biology at Tenerife's La Laguna university, told AFP that "ideal conditions are allowing proliferation of these microalgae".

Those include "an increase in water temperature" as well as a "dust cloud sweeping in off the Sahara which is rich in iron, a nutrient which micro-organisms like."
The Tesla Solar Roof is here, and if company CEO Elon Musk has his way, there will be one on most houses within 15 years. But despite its energy efficiency and dazzling looks, clean power doesnt come cheap  and Teslas listed price is a little hazy on some of the details. So how much will it actually cost?

Tesla offers one figure for the cost of its proprietary solar roof: $21.85 per square foot, on average. Musk has said the tiles will cost less than a normal roof. The problem is Teslas messaging and advertising for the roof all factor in 30 years of energy savings from going solar. That makes sense, given three decades is the typical lifetime for a roof, but those arent savings a buyer will see on day one, or even day 1,000. And the initial price is steep.

Whats a normal roof?

On Wednesday, the company released a couple amazing photos of the solar roof installed on a house, a visual reminder that Teslas tiles combine the beauty of slate and the practicality of solar. They were the first actual houses  not ones on the set of Desperate Housewives  to have Tesla roofs that the public has seen.

While the high-end slate tiles looked amazing, the majority of homes in America use a cheaper asphalt shingle roof. Per Teslas own chart, below, asphalt shingle roofs cost, on average, about $5 per square foot to install. DIY installations come even cheaper. So right off the bat, Teslas pricing puts it more in the range of premium roof materials, like tile, metal, and slate.

Their chart doesnt actually include the pre-energy savings cost of the solar roof panel. Well get back to that.

Calling some roofers

Homewyse has an online calculator for a whole host of costs and different installation plans for a shingle roof. Just to give it a shot, I looked at what it would cost to replace the asphalt shingle roof on my family home in the 93651 zip code of California. Its a single-story house with what Id estimate is about 1,800 square feet of roof. According to the Homewyse calculator, Im looking at between $4,900 and $6,200 for a new roof without the cost of taking off the old roof. That breaks down to between $2.71 and $3.46 per square foot.

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Homewyse includes some significant costs that Fresno Roofing didn't.

Homewyse is careful to note that these estimates are not official quotes by professionals. So I called up the Fresno Roofing Company, a local business near my hometown in the hills outside Fresno. Lorn Thompson, an employee there, told me that for an 1,800-square-foot roof, I was looking at about 19 to 20 squares, which roofers use as a unit that describes a 10-foot by 10-foot chunk of roof (100 square feet). For materials alone, I was looking at $75 to $85 per square.

Thompson yelled to Ricky, Fresno Roofings field director, for a quick quote on how much that would cost to be installed: Ricky says its about $30 per square. Totaling up materials and labor, it comes to $2,300 for a new roof ($1.28 per square foot)  significantly lower than Homewyses estimate, which included a bunch of supplementary costs as well. Again, that numbers going to be low, because its not figuring in the cost of taking off the old roof, if necessary. Teslas price estimate does already include the price of removing the old roof.

Whats a Tesla Solar Roof actually going to cost?

Heres where it gets tricky. Tesla has a cost calculator on its website which looks at a homes location, size, and power demands and offers a quote for how much its going to cost. The big factor, it seems is how much of your roof needs to be solar. Something that isnt readily apparent about Teslas roof tiles is that theyre not all solar. In fact, the company estimates that the average house will only need or be able to accommodate about 40 percent solar tiles  the rest will be identical-looking but non-solar glass shingles. A non-solar tile costs $11 per square foot, but the solar-paneled ones are $42 per square foot.

I decided to try it for the same house: foothills of California, 1,800 square foot roof, 40 percent solar tiles.

Wait, what?

Hold up, my solar roof is going to pay me money? That right there is the big sell. The final number on Teslas site is how much money a solar roof is going to make you over 30 years, which is the standard warranty for an asphalt shingle roof. Teslas warranty is infinite, Musk says. The numbers that arent so apparent, however, are the actual costs.

The calculations above show me that, including installation and materials and everything, the solar roof is going to cost me $52,100. Add in a Powerwall battery, which is necessary for the roof setup to work, and thats an extra $7,000  $59,100 right out of pocket. Part of Teslas selling point is the generous tax credits  until 2019, homeowners can deduct a full 30 percent of their purchase and installation costs for solar energy from their taxes. After 2019, it goes down to 26 percent; after 2020, 22 percent; and after 2021 its zero for residential systems, and 10 percent for commercial. Congress could extend those tax credits  they previously did so in 2015  but for now the pressure is on the consumer to go solar ASAP.

A birds' eye view of the solar roof.

Lets break that $59,100 quote down a bit. For my family home, at 1,800 square feet, that works out to $32.83 per square foot. Yes, thats before tax credits, and it includes the Powerwall  but unless Teslas customer base is entirely people who own Tesla vehicles and thus already have those $7,000 batteries installed, and unless they all buy before 2022, all those costs will have to be figured in.

At the TED 2017 conference in April, Elon Musk estimated that it would be unusual to see non-solar roofs as soon as 15 years from now. He may be right, and his technology is certainly on the cutting edge. But his time estimate here, like many of his predictions, is incredibly ambitious. Unless Tesla solar roofs can compete with the upfront cost of an asphalt roof, or get close, its going to be hard for people to switch  not because they dont want to, but because they just cant afford it. Tesla says it hopes to start offering financing later this year, but for now those who cant afford $60,000 up front will have to look into getting a loan. Thats a big financial commitment to take on when an asphalt shingle roof could cost a fraction of that price.

Its worth noting that Musks general business plan has always been a gradual, incremental move toward making its products affordable for everyone. Take Teslas electric cars: first the hyper-expensive Tesla Roadster, then the luxury Model S and Model X, then the mid-range Model 3, and, eventually, maybe a budget option.

For now, customers that do have the purchasing power for a premium roof have another excellent option for making their house as green as possible. Those initial purchases may help bring costs down, so that, 15 years from now, solar roofs are in a place to make Musks predictions come true.

Photos via Homewyse, Tesla

Written by Jack Crosbie

More articles by Jack  Follow Jack on Twitter

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The Trump administrations narrow minded focus on North Korea means its taking its eye off China as a result. Thats a mistake

Isaac Stone Fish is a senior fellow at the Asia Societys Center on US-China Relations

The Trump administrations narrow minded focus on North Korea is worrying for many reasons. Photograph: Damir Sagolj/Reuters

On Saturday, the United Nations security council passed its most sweeping North Korea sanctions yet. The council banned the international sale of coal, Pyongyangs largest export, and other valuable items like iron ore and seafood  a move the White House said could slash North Koreas annual exports of roughly $3bn by a third.

The vote represented the culmination of months of Trumps blandishments, cajolements and threats to Chinese leader Xi Jinping over how to contain North Koreas expanding nuclear weapons and missiles program. And by once again allowing North Korea to dominate US-China relations, it represents a further strategic mistake for the Trump administration.

North Korea is a shadow puppet enlarged by American fears. This desperately poor nation of 25 million people captures Americans attention because of its governments belligerence, missile and nuclear weapons capability, and ability to wreak havoc on South Korea, a key US ally.

China is the nation that matters in US foreign policy. And yet, North Korea remains on center stage

Yet China, which boasts 1.4 billion people, the worlds largest army, and the potential to supplant the US as the most powerful and consequential nation, is the puppeteer.

China has more influence on and leverage over Pyongyang than any other nation. In the extremely unlikely event that Pyongyang makes the suicidal decision to launch nuclear weapons at the US, China will go to war with North Korea  regardless of whether the missiles are successful. The determining factor in that war is the level of support Beijing gives the US  or North Korea.

China is not only a potential threat or ally to the US when it comes to North Korea. The countrys increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea, its tense relationship with Japan and its current border standoff with India are all flashpoints which could exceed North Korea in importance, and all of which could drag the US into a war.

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As Americas largest and most important trading partner, strategic competitor in Europe and Africa, and occasional collaborator in the fight against Isis, China has more influence over the US economy, global standing and national security than North Korea does. China, in other words, is the nation that matters in US foreign policy. And yet North Korea remains center stage.

After the November election, Barack Obama reportedly advised Donald Trump that North Korea should be the top national security priority  a poor suggestion that Trump has seemingly internalized, to the detriment of smart thinking about Chinese-US relations. Over the past several months, when Trump mentions China, he often does so with reference to North Korea.

Like with so many other aspects of his life and ideas, Trumps Twitter feed serves as a barometer for his views on international relations. Since taking office in January, 19 of Donald Trump tweets have mentioned China, and slightly more  27  mentioned Russia.

While most of his Russia tweets serve to deny the Trump teams alleged 2016 collusion with Moscow  sample tweet: Just out: the Obama Administration knew far in advance of November 8 about election meddling by Russia. Did nothing about it. WHY?  the majority of his China tweets mention North Korea; demonstrating how interlinked those two issues are to Trump.

Instead of viewing its relationship with China through the lens of North Korea, the US should see its relationship with North Korea as a part of its relationship with China  a country far more important to the safety and prosperity of the US.



Why is the current situation problematic? For one, it allows Beijing to exploit Trumps focus on North Korea to further expand its interests elsewhere. While North Koreas existence as a buffer state  and the danger of it collapsing  are important to Beijing, the leaders of Chinas ruling communist party likely dont view Pyongyang existential threat to the partys grip on power.

Its unclear what, if anything, the White House secretly traded to Beijing in exchange for more cooperation on North Korea. But it could be something more central to both nations interests  like American support for Japan, or even Taiwan  than Beijing joining US sanctions against North Korea.

More worryingly, the Trump administrations focus on North Korea seems to overlook the (hopefully remote) possibility Beijing would join a war on North Koreas side.

A preventive war is among the many options the US has to curb Pyongyangs missile and nuclear threats, national security adviser HR McMaster recently told MSNBC. In April, Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi ominously warned that if war comes to the Korean peninsula, there will be nothing but losing all round and no could become a winner.

Would Beijing idly allow the US to bomb its neighbor? The answer to that question is unknown, but its a dangerous uncertainty. Defense secretary James Mattis was more accurate when he warned in May that a war with North Korea would be catastrophic and likely the worst kind of fighting in most peoples lifetimes.

Thats not to say Pyongyang isnt a threat, or that sanctions wont work. It is, and they might. Rather, lets not forget that no matter how large it looms, North Korea will never come close to dominating the 21st century. China might.
A group of dissident Venezuelan soldiers claimed to have taken over an army base in the city of Valencia on Sunday, calling on the people to support them in a legitimate rebellion against Nicolas Maduros murderous tyranny.

The attempt appeared to have been quickly put down by the government, which declared it had thwarted an attack on the base by terrorists, and that the army was now back in control.

Two of the attackers were killed and eight were captured, Mr Maduro said on state television, claiming the group of "mercenaries" - whose total number he put at around 20 - had ties to Colombia and the United States.

"We know where they are headed and all of our military and police force is deployed," Mr Maduro said. He said he would ask for "the maximum penalty for those who participated in this terrorist attack."

In a video circulating on social media, a group of men in military uniform purporting to represent the 41st Armoured Brigade in Valencia announced the start of Operation David, which they said was a legitimate rebellion against a government that was was destroying the country.

Venezuela's President Maduro has been accused of behaving like a dictator Credit: REUTERS/Marco Bello/File Photo

Other videos appeared to show people cheering and coming out on to the streets as armoured vehicles circulated around the military base. There were also reports of heavy confrontations, with shots ringing out and clouds of teargas visible in some footage.

The apparent uprising comes two days after the installation of Mr Maduro's controversial constituent assembly, which is empowered to rewrite the constitution and dismiss institutions deemed hostile to the government. On Saturday it fired the country's rebel attorney general, Luisa Ortega Diaz, and appointed a senior Chavista in her place, in a move condemned internationally as dictatorial.

Ms Ortega insisted on Sunday that she remained the attorney general, and could not be dismissed by the "illegitimate" assembly, which she said been elected through "manipulated" results and voter intimidation.

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URGENTE! APOYO RESISTENCIA Con ellos tambien estan Oficiales y tropas retirados, policias y civiles. pic.twitter.com/nd8t3orDKI 42W  Alberto Franceschi (@alFranceschi) August 6, 2017

In the video message, the commander of the group, who identified himself as Captain Juan Caguaripano, called for support from other units, the police and all brave men and women, lovers of freedom of peace in their fight to defend the country's democracy.

We clarify, this is not a coup detat. This is a military and civilian action to reestablish the constitutional order but whats more, to save the country from total destruction, to stop the killers of our young people and families, he said.

Diosdado Cabello, Mr Maduros powerful second in command, said later that they had consolidated total control of the base after the attack by groups of mercenary terrorists. There was absolute normality among the rest of the countrys armed forces, he insisted.

In a statement, the Armed Forces said that they had detained the leader of the group, a known army defector, and several others, who they claimed were civilians in military uniform.

They had revealed they were contracted by "activists from Venezuela's extreme Right, in connection with foreign governments", the statement said.

If serving officers were found to have been involved, it would be the clearest sign yet of a rupture within the Armed Forces, whose loyalties will determine the future of the Maduro government.

Amid conflicting reports on the ground, there were some suggestions that the entire Operation David was a so-called false flag staged by the government in order to justify repression of opponents.

Rocio San Miguel, president of Citizens Control, a civilian watchdog for security, defense and the armed forces, said it smells like a false flag to serve as an excuse for ferocious persecution inside the Armed Forces.

The captain of the group in fact been wanted by Venezuelan authorities since 2014, when he issued a similar video message during a deadly round of protests known as The Salida (The Exit).

Similar questions have been raised over an apparent helicopter attack on the Supreme Court in June, which was claimed by a shadowy faction led by a dissident police officer, Oscar Perez. The now fugitive Mr Perez, who has previously acted in an a movie, continues to publish video messages calling for insurrection.
MANILA (Reuters) - Southeast Asian foreign ministers ended an impasse on Sunday over how to address disputes with China in the South China Sea, issuing a communique that called for militarization to be avoided and noting concern about island-building. The South China Sea has long been the most divisive issue for the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), with China's influence looming large over its activities. Some countries are wary about the possible repercussions of defying Beijing by taking a stronger stand. ASEAN failed to issue the customary statement on Saturday, over what diplomats said was disagreement about whether to make oblique references to China's rapid expansion of its defense capabilities on artificial islands in disputed waters. China is sensitive to even a veiled reference by ASEAN to its seven reclaimed reefs, three of which have runways, missile batteries, radars and, according to some experts, the capability to accommodate fighter jets. The communique late on Sunday takes a stronger position than an earlier, unpublished draft, which was a watered-down version of one issued last year in Laos. The agreed text "emphasized the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint". It said that after extensive discussions, concerns were voiced by some members about land reclamation "and activities in the area which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tension and may undermine peace, security and stability". ASEAN's deadlock over the statement highlights China's growing influence on the grouping at a time of uncertainty over the new U.S. administration's security priorities and whether it will try to keep China's maritime activities in check. Several ASEAN diplomats said that among the members who pushed for a communique that retained the more contentious elements was Vietnam, which has competing claims with China over the Paracel and Spratly archipelago and has had several spats with Beijing over energy concessions. Another diplomat, however, said there was no real disagreement on the contents of the communique and stressed that the initial draft was seen by some members as weak. Also on Sunday the foreign ministers of ASEAN and China adopted a negotiating framework for a code of conduct in the South China Sea, a move they hailed as progress but seen by critics as a tactic to buy China time to consolidate its maritime power. (Reporting by Martin Petty and Manuel Mogato; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - A British tourist was shot and wounded after accidentally driving with her husband and three children into a favela controlled by criminals in a usually idyllic holiday spot near Rio de Janeiro, police said.

The family was holidaying in the seaside resort of Angra dos Reis when they took a wrong turn Sunday while looking for a place to buy water and entered the slum.

Inside the favela, called Agua Santa, "they were confronted by criminals who ordered them to get out and the car was hit by shots from a firearm," local police chief Bruno Gilaberte said.

The woman underwent surgery in the Angra dos Reis hospital and "is in stable, good condition," he said.

According to Brazilian media reports, the woman was due to be transferred to a Rio hospital Monday.

"The bullet went through the whole abdomen but by luck didn't hit major arteries or important organs. She was really lucky," local hospital director Rodrigo Mucheli said on Globo television.

Television footage of the damaged rental car showed how close an escape the British visitors had: one bullet hit a front tire, another the front passenger door and a third the headrest where the victim was sitting.

The Rio area is one of the world's most famous tourist destinations but many favelas -- largely unregulated communities of working class Brazilians -- are effectively no-go areas for outsiders and even for police.

Vinicius Barbosa, the deputy chief executive of the Angra dos Reis government, condemned the authorities' lack of control over high-crime areas "where you can't go in, where the media can't go in, where services can't go in -- this is intolerable."

Rio de Janeiro has become so violent this year in the aftermath of the 2016 Olympic Games that the federal government sent thousands of army troops in July to support police.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel speaks at a naturalization ceremony in Chicago, Illinois: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Chicago is planning to sue the Trump administration over its threats to withhold funding from sanctuary cities.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the decision at press conference, saying: "Chicago will not let our residents have their fundamental rights isolated and violated, and Chicago will never relinquish our status as a welcoming city."

Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently declared that the Justice Department would withhold federal grant money from so-called sanctuary cities  localities that refuse to comply with federal immigration enforcement.

The Justice Department has demanded cities allow immigration agencies unlimited access to their jails, and provide 48 hours notice before releasing anyone suspected of violating immigration laws.

Mayors like Mr Emanuel, however, have taken issue with the Trump administration's increased immigration enforcement activity. In particular, the leaders of many sanctuary cities object to the targeting of undocumented immigrants without criminal records.

"We're not going to actually auction off our values as a city, so Monday morning the City of Chicago is going to court; we're going to take the Justice Department to court based on this," Mr Emmanuel told local news station WLS.

He added: "We find it unlawful and unconstitutional to be, as a city, coerced on a policy."

Chicago is suing the Trump DOJ over its plan to make cities choose between public safety grants and our values as a welcoming city. pic.twitter.com/0B4EW6iw5c  Mayor Rahm Emanuel (@ChicagosMayor) August 6, 2017

Missing out on the federal Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants could potentially cost sanctuary cities millions of dollars. Chicago alone was slated to receive $3.2m from the grant program this year to purchase new police equipment.

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The funding is especially sensitive in Chicago, which Mr Trump frequently criticises for its high crime rate. The Justice Department said in a statement that more Chicagoans were murdered last year than residents of Los Angeles and New York combined.

"It's especially tragic that the mayor is less concerned with that staggering figure than he is spending time and taxpayer money protecting criminal aliens and putting Chicago's law enforcement at greater risk, Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores said.

This is not the first time the Trump administration has been taken to court over its sanctuary city policy. Last month, the court blocked a broader executive order that would have denied even more federal funds to these cities.

Judge William H Orrick sided with Santa Clara County, the city of San Francisco, and other jurisdictions, ruling that denying such funds could be unconstitutional.

The White House condemned the decision as an egregious overreach.

"Today's ruling undermines faith in our legal system and raises serious questions about circuit shopping, the White House said in a statement. But we are confident we will ultimately prevail in the Supreme Court, just as we will prevail in our lawful efforts to impose immigration restrictions necessary to keep terrorists out of the United States.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi shakes hands with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during their bilateral meeting - XINHUA POOL

China has urged North Korea to end missile tests, a rare warning from its traditional diplomatic ally after the UN imposed its strongest sanctions in a generation on the rogue regime.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the demand during a meeting he held with Ri Yong-ho, North Korea's top diplomat, at a regional political gathering in the Philippines.

Mr Wang did not say how Mr Ri responded during their talks on Sunday, a day after a UN unanimously passed a resolution banning North Korean exports and limiting investments in the nuclear armed state.

North Korea has been warned not to provoke the international community Credit: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

The Chinese diplomat said he urged Mr Ri: "Do not violate the UN's decision or provoke the international community's goodwill by conducting missile launching or nuclear tests.

Mr Wang also told reporters that "sanctions are needed, but they are not the ultimate goal as he spoke on the sidelines of the Regional Forum of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

He also warned that that the new sanctions would result in the North Korean nuclear issue entering a very critical phase.

We urge all parties to judge and act with responsibility in order to prevent tensions from escalating, he said, according to Chinas national broadcaster CGTN.

"The goal is to pull the nuclear issue back to the negotiating table and seek a way out through talks until denuclearisation and peace are achieved on the peninsula."

The new sanctions could slash by a third the North Koreas $3 billion annual export revenue.

It bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood and prohibits countries from hiring additional North Korean labourers.

North Korea's nuclear history: key moments

US President Donald Trump praised the resolution as the single largest economic sanctions package ever on North Korea in a Tweet.

He also hailed the fact that the resolution was approved unanimously, meaning that China and Russia abandoned their traditional support for North Korea.

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China and Russia voted with us, he said. Very big financial impact!

China is North Korea's only diplomatic backer and its key economic lifeline, but it has strong concerns over Pyongyangs nuclear ambitions.

Beijing also fears the collapse of its neighbour and the potential flooding of millions of refugees into China's north-eastern provinces.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks to media during the Association of South East Asian Nations Credit: EPA/ROUELLE UMALI / POOL

Officials also worry that US troops could be stationed on China's border following any potential change of regime in Pyongyang.

Mr Trump expressed his frustration that China was not doing enough to pressure North Korea in recent weeks, while there has been suggestions that the US may seek to punish Beijing over trade practices as a means of showing dissatisfaction.

Accusations that China had not done enough were heavily criticised by Chinese media and officials.

The Trump administration has been pushing for greater economic pressure on North Korea Credit: REUTERS/Carlos Barria

But Mr Trump's administration has been praising the rare united show of force between Beijing, Washington and other global powers at the UN.

"It was a good outcome," US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said as he met with South Korea's top diplomat in Manila.

It is thought highly unlikely that Mr Tillerson will hold talks with Mr Ri in the Philippines, but could meet him inside one of the meetings.

Tensions have escalated on the Korean peninsula after Pyongyang carried out two intercontinental ballistic missile tests last month.

Some experts believe Kim Jong-un's regime now has the capability to reach the US mainland.
MANILA (Reuters) - China's foreign minister said on Sunday negotiations between Southeast Asian countries and China on a code of conduct for the South China Sea would start this year, and whatever agreement is made must be adhered to. Wang Yi told reporters on the sidelines of a regional meeting that there had been "really tangible progress" made between the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China towards settling disputes in the South China Sea, and all sides needed to cherish that momentum. ASEAN and China have agreed on a framework for how they will go about drafting a code. Wang said the situation between claimant states was quite different to previous years and was now more relaxed and conducive to stability. (Reporting by Christian Shepherd and Martin Petty; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
Anna Faris and Chris Pratt at Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 screening in London on April 24. (Photo: Rune Hellestad  Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

Black Monday has taken on a new meaning as fans everywhere are in mourning one day after Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced their separation.

In a joint statement, the actors said they were disappointed because they tried hard for a long time to save their marriage of eight years. That was news to many as Pratt, 38, and Faris, 40, seemed like one of the few rock-solid couples in Hollywood. However, in between their adorable social media posts and charming interview anecdotes, there were signs that Chris and Anna were having issues  we just missed them. (Or chose to look the other way).

In late July, Faris stepped out for the Emoji Movie premiere with their 4-year-old son, Jack. Both Chris and her upgraded engagement ring were noticeably absent. Still, she wore a band on her ring finger, and given Pratts hectic schedule it didnt seem too odd.

Now, reexamining an interview Anna gave on the red carpet three weeks ago, its clear something was going on. The actress talked with People magazine about how being a celebrity power couple with Pratt has its challenges.

Anna Faris and Jack Pratt attend the L.A. premiere of Emoji Movie on July 23. (Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)

I dont think thats something, when youre an actor, that youre prepared for, she said, three weeks before announcing their split. There are two different roles that you play  the one on-camera and the one in public.  Thats the tricky part.

Faris added that she and Pratt have a secret emoji they use when they need a break from Hollywood. I send the emoji of an eagle landing to say, Lets get away to the islands,' Faris told the magazine. We both grew up in Washington State, and we have a place up there.

While thats pretty cute, it also touches on what appears to be a big factor in their split: Hollywood.

Over the years, Anna and Chris have been candid about life in the spotlight and the challenges it brings. After all, everything that they loved about each other was about as non-Hollywood as you could get. Anna and Chris grew up 20 minutes away from each other  although they never met  and their Washington roots ended up being just one of the many things they had in common.

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Anna and I are meant to be together. Our relationship has made me believe in divine intervention and destiny, just as much as my crazy career and the way I fell into this life, Pratt revealed in a 2015 Reddit AMA. We both got our start in horror spoofs  we both made our careers playing guileless nitwits for laughs.

Pratt and Faris met in 2007 on set of the film Take Me Home Tonight. They wed two years later.

It was like magnets, Pratt recalled to Elle in 2015. Our personalities meshed, she was a goofball, she liked to have fun, it was impossible to offend her. I just remember thinking, Wow, in another life, thats who I want to be with  we would be so good together, I just know it.

At the time, Faris was married to actor Ben Indra. Anna and Ben wed in 2004, but as her career took off, his stalled. That kind of destroyed my marriage, she confessed to Marie Claire. The divide became too great.

Faris and Indra split in 2007, and soon after, she began dating Pratt. When they wed in 2009 the House Bunny actress was once again the bigger star in her marriage.

Ive had those moments where I was like the guy holding the purse at events and people just looked right through me. And, you know, actors come up and just blatantly hit on my wife in front of me and dont even look at me, Pratt recalled to GQ a few years ago. Im like, What the f***, dude?'

It didnt stay that way for long. Pratt, who played Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation from 2009 to 2015, made the transition to movie star in 2014 with Guardians of the Galaxy. His film career hasnt slowed down since with The Lego Movie, Jurassic World, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 under his belt. As for Faris, she gave birth to their son Jack in 2012 and went from film to TV. Shes been starring in the CBS sitcom Mom since 2013.

Pratt was asked by GQ whether its weird in a marriage like his how the fame balance keeps readjusting itself. Mmm  I think it probably could affect  I think its something you have to manage, he replied.

As Pratts star began to take off in 2015, so too did the cheating rumors. I had always kind of believed that part of the rumors of celebrity couples were sort of true because they had never been part of my life, Faris admitted to Us Weekly in August 2015. This has been blindsiding to us. We have an incredible relationship. It has been weirdly stinging.

Still, Faris attempted to brush them off, adding, I am very lucky that I am with a man [who] values family.

Apparently it was easier said than done to ignore the chatter. During an episode of her podcast Anna Faris Is Unqualified, the actress said that time period was one of their first major challenges as a couple.

We grapple with a lot of the ideas of being a public couple, she said in November 2016. We were in the public a little bit, there were some tabloid rumors about strain on our relationship.  I take pride in how great my relationship is with Chris, but having said that, of course, in this crazy world where hes off doing movies and Im in L.A. raising our child, of course Im going to feel vulnerable, like any normal human would. Even though she knew the rumors were false, Faris said, It made me feel incredibly very insecure.

Still, Faris was always up for playing the role of supportive wife. In December, she accompanied Pratt to the premiere of Passengers  with an upgraded six-carat diamond ring on her finger  and joined him on his worldwide press tour for Guardians 2 earlier this year.

The support didnt go unappreciated by Pratt who thanked his wife on many occasions. Still, with the swoon-worthy love declarations came some sort of mention of challenges.

With every challenge, with every day, week, month, decade, we become more bonded, Pratt said this April at his Walk of Fame Ceremony. You make me laugh like nobody else. Youre very caring, and thank you for your trust and your sacrifice  and for your dedication and your heart. I will do my best to protect it, and in return I will give you all of those things as well, he said. You have my heart, my dedication, my trust.

When introducing her husband, Faris gushed, I know that if our circumstances were different and we werent as fortunate to be standing here and living our Hollywood life, we would be happy in the woods together, I think.

A big Mothers Day kiss and hug across the pond to my darling wife @annafaris and our sweet boy. I miss you both so much. I love you. Due to forced perspective in this picture Jack looks much bigger than Anna. How beautiful are they!? And the azaleas too! Richmond Park in full bloom. #happymothersday A post shared by chris pratt (@prattprattpratt) on May 14, 2017 at 10:34am PDT

Unfortunately, living in the woods isnt the route the two stars have chosen. Pratt immediately went back to filming Jurassic World 2 while Faris shot the Overboard reboot in Vancouver. In May, there were still sweet Instagram posts, but those have tapered off over the summer.

Not surprisingly, the working theory as to the cause of their split seems to be hectic schedules. A source tells People that Faris often seemed unhappy while Pratt was away filming and that the separation proved challenging.

In looking back at their quotes, clearly the signs were there that could be the case.

Read more from Yahoo Celebrity:
On March 20, then-Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly convened a town hall meeting with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) employees amid a tug of war between the administration and federal courts over President Donald Trumps twice-blocked travel ban.

The nearly 15-year-old department is a sometimes awkward melange of hard-power law enforcement agencies like U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and civilian outfits like USCIS, whose mission is to ensure that vulnerable refugees and asylum-seekers are vetted and have a pathway into the country.

At the time, refugee and asylum officers at USCIS felt their vetting work  a lengthy process that involves extensive data cross-checks and in-depth interviews in collaboration with the State Department, the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR), and the FBI  was under attack. The travel ban, initially rolled out in Trumps first week in office, attempted to block travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen for 90 days while vetting procedures were reviewed.

Trump had long been hammering calls for an extreme vetting upgrade, arguing that the current system was woefully outdated and might let potential terrorists disguised as refugees slip through. Critics said the ban was a discriminatory overreach of executive power, with no clear national security purpose. As the court battles raged, many refugee officers tasked with conducting interviews with would-be asylum-seekers at UNHCR refugee camps in Jordan, Kenya, and other countries were brought back to the United States and relocated to support asylum processing at the U.S.-Mexico border.

USCIS employees received little reassurances from their chief at the town hall. One employee asked Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, What do they think were doing wrong? Another invited him to visit them in the field to observe their vetting procedures.

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You can improve any program, Kelly replied, without going into specifics. He said he would try to find a time to visit.

Kelly seemed, according to the person who attended the event, like he didnt appreciate what the roughly 700-strong refugee and asylum corps did or even know where they were stationed. We got the sense there was contempt, the employee said. The visit was never planned, a spokesperson for DHS confirmed.

As Kelly, Trumps newly appointed chief of staff, moves to bring order to a fractious White House, he has also raised hopes that his presence may serve to head off some of the administrations recently floated hard-line proposals, especially when it comes to immigration. But while Kelly may hold different views from his boss, his brief tenure as DHS secretary suggests that he will fall in line with Trumps political priorities.

John Kelly wasnt brought in to lead. He was brought in to make administration officials who step out of line bleed  [Anthony] Scaramucci being the first cut, Alex Nowrasteh, an immigration policy analyst at the Cato Institute, said.

Kellys arrival at the White House just a few months into Trumps term is the latest upheaval for an administration defined by strong personalities with competing agendas. Kelly hit the ground running, immediately firing Anthony Scaramucci, briefly the White House communications director. He also moved to impose a strict hierarchy: He told White House staff that he expects every piece of information or proposed meeting to pass through the chief of staffs desk before making it to the president.

While he has already shaken up the West Wing, he appears unlikely to play a role in steering the Trump agenda on a more moderate course.

His public comments suggest that he is fully on board with Trumps hard-line approach to immigration, with the exception of the border wall, Rosa Brooks, a senior fellow at New America, said. There is no particular reason to think that hes going to be pushing back on [Trumps agenda].

When he took over the reins at Homeland Security, Kelly appeared to hold more nuanced views on immigration than Trump and his inner circle, like chief strategist Stephen Bannon, senior advisor Stephen Miller, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. In his confirmation hearing and in hearings before Congress, Kelly repeatedly downplayed the importance of a physical border wall at the southern U.S. border. Instead, he talked up helping to stabilize Central American countries, expressed support for people brought to the United States illegally as children, and openly disagreed with Trumps perception of Muslims as natural security risks.

Behind the scenes, he tried to deter the president from moving forward with some of the harshest travel ban policies. He also put his foot down against the appointment of Trump advisor Kris Kobach, an aggressive immigration hard-liner, as his deputy and repeatedly flew to Mexico to reassure nervous partners in the drug war.

Yet Kelly also worked to implement Trumps immigration plans, especially in ramping up deportation enforcement.

He has had plenty of opportunities to try to humanize or soften or ameliorate Trumps approach to immigration, and plenty of opportunities to send messages about how ICE agents should be using good judgment, Brooks said. But he hasnt done so. In light of that, I assume he is fully supportive both of what Trump has been saying and of what DHS employees have been doing during his time as DHS secretary.

When the administration reportedly blindsided Kelly with the sudden rollout of the travel ban on Jan. 27, he publicly supported and worked to implement it. His six-month stint at DHS saw at least a 40 percent increase in deportation arrests and a stark drop in unauthorized border crossings. He also considered separating mothers from their children in detention facilities as a deterrence mechanism, before eventually nixing that idea.

Kelly is a soldier, a military guy, and I think the softer parts of DHSs mission [were] a pretty steep learning curve for him, said a former USCIS official, who agreed to be speak on condition of anonymity.

Since arriving at the department, Kelly heaped praise on CBP and ICE law enforcement agents and suggested that they were hamstrung in the previous administration. The men and women of my department have been political pawns, Kelly said in a speech at George Washington University on April 18. My people have been discouraged from doing their jobs for nearly a decade.

In contrast, Kellys warm embrace did not extend to those responsible for vetting refugees and processing asylum claims. As Trump repeatedly attacked vetting standards for refugees and argued that they needed a complete review, Kelly never defended the work of his employees responsible for vetting or even visited them in the field.

We all train together. They look down on us and think were a bunch of huggers. We think they are Gestapo, neo-Nazi types, all vets with PTSD, said the employee who attended the town hall meeting and did not want their name published in order to speak candidly. One thing no one would ever say before Kelly is that we were on a different team.

Yet Kellys heightened focus on rooting out illegal immigration exacerbated long-simmering tensions between the two sides at DHS.

Hes gone to the border, done events with ICE and Transportation Security Administration, and loves spending time with those guys, the employee said. But he made a really frosty and unfriendly environment with us.

Photo credit: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
On Nov. 1, Linn Benton Food Shares warehouse in Tangent received two truckloads of food and household supplies arranged by the local branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Mr Trump tweeted about job figures, breaking a time embargo: REUTERS

Donald Trump has broken an obscure federal rule by commenting on the US' monthly jobs report within an hour of its publication.

Mr Trump violated the 1985 federal rule preventing all executive branch employees, which includes the President, from publicly commenting on important economic indicators before the one-hour embargo is reached.

He jumped the gun at 8.45am local time, just 15 minutes after the US government released the figures that 209,000 jobs had been added in July.

He tweeted: Excellent Jobs Numbers just released - and I have only just begun. Many job stifling regulations continue to fall. Movement back to USA!

The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) releases employment figures and statistics to the White House a day before revealing them to the public. The rule states that the information should not be released early to prevent premature commentaries on it.

The directive, formally known as the Office of Management and Budget's Statistical Policy Directive Number 3, first came into practice during the Nixon administration. Officials were attempting to "preserve the neutrality and objectivity of the statistics, according to the Hill.

Excellent Jobs Numbers just released - and I have only just begun. Many job stifling regulations continue to fall. Movement back to USA!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2017

The intent of the directive is to prevent early access to information that may affect financial and commodity markets, according to the rule published in the Federal Register.

Former press secretary Sean Spicer also broke the rule when he tweeted in March on job figures from February, 22 minutes after the data was released by the Labour Department.

Mr Spicer later admitted his mistake. I apologise if we were a little excited, and were so excited to see so many Americans back to work, he said.

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Heidi Shierholz, from the Economic Policy Institute, was quick to criticise this latest transgression, which doesnt speak well for their respect for rule of law, she said.

Mr Trump was dismissive of constitutional issues, said Lara Brown, an associate professor at The George Washington University, writing in US News & World Report that the President had revealed his knowledge deficit about the US political system.

One of the possible reasons for the breach in protocol is the CEA's lack of a chairman. The top CEA official analyses the latest figures, makes recommendations to the President on economic matters and addresses the media on job statistics.

Mr Trumps nominee, Kevin Hassett, a tax expert and leading figure amongst conservative economic circles, is expected to take office soon, subject to Senate confirmation.
In a Doctors exclusive, Joni shares how her daughter is dealing with a rare gene mutation, which only affects 200 people worldwide, and has caused extreme swelling on her chest and arms.

Joni was ecstatic with the news that she was pregnant with her second child until she was told there was a problem with her baby when they spotted a growing mass on the babys chest. Doctors were initially unsure exactly what was affecting her unborn baby as all the genetic testing came back negative, and she had to wait until she was born to find out what was really going on.

I didnt expect her to look the way she did, Joni says of seeing Madison when she was first born.

Watch: A Toddler's Severe Skin Condition

Three months after she was born, Madison was diagnosed with CLOVES syndrome, which stands for Congenital, Lipomatous Overgrowth, Vascular Malformations, Epidermal Nevi & Spinal/Skeletal/Seizures. The condition causes lymphatic fluid to swell beneath her arms and chest.

There is no cure for the syndrome, but surgery is an option. They have been forced to wait due to the possibly of Madison bleeding out. She is required to take several medications which weaken her immune system, which helps to reduce the fluid that collects under the skin. Due to her immune system being suppressed, she is not able to be around anyone who might be sick or going outside to play in the dirt. Joni says that little Madison has defied the expectations of her doctors and she is able to sit up on her own and walk.

I want to make sure my kids know that it doesnt matter what a person looks like. Its easy to be negative, its very difficult to be positive, Joni says of her approach to dealing any negativity she encounters surrounding her daughter.

Watch: Disorder Causes Random Swelling?

She also shares that in order to help other kids understand what Madison is dealing with, she will sometimes tell them that her dad is The Incredible Hulk.

With surgeries and many hurdles ahead for Madison and her family, The Doctors contacted Fisher-Price, who were generous enough to donate $1000 worth of toys to the family, which should bring hours of fun. The family is also being helped by Hanger Clinic, which is partnering with manufacture Barton Carey, to provide custom compression garments that Madison wears for the next 10 years. The Doctors also welcome from Bianca from First Data, who presents an amazingly generous donation of $10,000 to Joni and Madison in order to make their life a little easier.

The Doctors wish Madison and her family continued health and success with her upcoming surgeries.
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU's executive arm, the European Commission, is concerned that reintroducing a different retirement age for men and women in Poland could violate the bloc's equality rules, according to a letter from Brussels to Warsaw seen by Reuters. Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party and President Andrzej Duda - who comes from the same political grouping - campaigned on promises to undo a 2012 reform that had been gradually raising and equalising the retirement age at 67. The government's change, largely popular among Poles, will take effect from October, reintroducing a retirement age of 65 for men and 60 for women. "Equal treatment between women and men is a key pillar on which our Union is based," top EU officials for justice and gender equality, Vera Jourova, and employment and social affairs, Marianne Thyssen, wrote to Poland's labour minister, Elzbieta Rafalska. "The Commission has concerns about the changes in the Polish statutory pension system which might be incompatible with EU law." Poland's Deputy Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki defended the government's change, saying women should have the right to retire earlier because they have more responsibilities, including raising children. "The role of women must be appreciated and therefore the legislators provided for the possibility of an earlier retirement," Morawiecki told the Catholic Trwam television when asked to comment on the Commission's letter. "What we propose reflects not only social expectations but also different roles for women, different roles for men." Economists have warned the Polish move will hit growth and public finances, at a time when the PiS has already sharply increased state spending. Brussels has already raised the issue in its criticism of separate PiS-sponsored legal moves to put courts and judges under more direct government control. As part of this change - which the rest of the EU as well as democracy watchdogs and Polish opposition parties criticise as undermining the rule of law - male and female judges would be allowed to retire at a different age. The Commission explained in its letter to Rafalska that, while countries were not obliged to legislate for equal retirement ages immediately, a permanent exemption from the general aim of reaching gender equality on social protection was not possible. The case is yet another rift between Poland and the EU because the PiS has already clashed with the bloc over democratic principles, migration, and large-scale logging of the primeval Bialowieza forest. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska in Brussels; Additional reporting by Pawel Sobczak in Warsaw; Writing by Gabriela Baczynska and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
For the second straight season, the Atlanta Falcons will have to wait for cornerback Jalen Collins to serve a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. This season, its going to be a lot longer wait.

Collins, who was suspended for the first four games last season, has been suspended 10 games to start this season. Collins, a 2015 second-round pick, was a regular starter for the Falcons last season. He started six regular-season games after his return and all three playoff games, including Super Bowl LI.

With the suspension came a terse statement from Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff.

We are extremely disappointed that for the second straight season we are dealing with a suspension for Jalen, Dimitroff said. Such are the consequences when certain choices are made. Our decisions going forward will be based on what Dan and I feel is best for the team.

It sounds like Collins is on thin ice with the Falcons.

Atlanta had Collins on the third-team defense at the start of camp, which was unusual. When Collins was asked earlier this week by D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution if there was a situation with the team or the league that led to the demotion, he denied it.

No, no situations, Collins said. Im just trying to make the most of this camp and get everybody ready. We are going to need everybody.

Now we know the full story. The Falcons did a pretty good job avoiding losing any key players this offseason, but then came an unexpected loss of a key defender for 10 games.

More Falcons news from Yahoo

      

Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!


Photo credit: Faraday Future / YouTube

From Popular Mechanics

Faraday Future, a company dedicated to building electric vehicles but often stymied by cash problems, has apparently answered one its biggest questions: where its cars of the future will be built. The company has acquired a 55-year-old former Pirelli factory in Hanford, California, around 200 miles north of Los Angeles.

It's a victory for Faraday, which has seen its share of ups and downs. For every 1,000-horsepower concept car shown on stage, there have been problems getting the cars to self-park. For all the Tesla employees Faraday has poached, the company has yet to produce an actual, mass-produced car. The announcement this year of the FF 91, a four-door sedan with an ability to go from 0-60 mph in 2.39 seconds and an 130-kilowatt battery, is supposed to change that. The new plant should allow them to finally build something.

"The car industry that has made all of us proud for 130 years has to be replaced," said Nick Sampson, a senior vice president, told CNN earlier this year. "We're creating a category of technology that has never existed before, a new species."

That new species was originally supposed to be built in Nevada, where the company had once announced plans for a million-square foot plant. But the plan, which included over 13,000 Nevada jobs, had to be scrapped once the company's CEO, Chinese billionaire Jia Yueting, ran into financial issues.

It's a little funny that Faraday has bought a Pirelli plant, albeit one that's been more or less abandoned since 2001. The two companies have been engaged in a legal copyright fight over the use of the word "zero."

Source: The Verge

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Iranian Deputies try to take selfie with Federica Mogherini - Anadolu

Iranian politicians have been criticised for unprofessional behaviour unworthy of MPs after they rushed to take selfies with a senior female EU diplomat.

Pictures circulated online showed male politicians  some in suits and others in the robes worn by Shiite Islamic clerics  crowding around Federica Mogherini, who was attending Hassan Rouhani's second term inauguration as President.

Discussions emerged at the Iranian Parliament after Iranian Deputies' effort to take selfies with Ms Mogherini Credit: Stringer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

In a green and white checked headscarf, Ms Mogherini, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, looked taken aback at the crowd forming around her in the Iranian Parliament building in Tehran.

The mens actions drew criticism from fellow MPs and Iranians online, who saw their behaviour as an inappropriate sop to the west.

The semi-official Fars News Agency described the mens rush for photos with Ms Mogherini, as strange, accompanying images with the hashtag selfie of shame.

Major reactions to weird behaviour unworthy of MPs, members of Omid faction, upon meeting Mogherini, the agency said, referring to a reformist group of Iranian MPs.

         #_       ! pic.twitter.com/SbsCd69Awk    (@FarsNews_Agency) August 5, 2017

Other social media users mocked the politicians. One compared their attraction to Ms Mogherini to the seven dwarves fondness for Snow White in the classic Walt Disney story, using an image of them lining up at the foot of her bed.

Others published pictures of the incident alongside that of Monica Belluci in the film Malena, in which the actress is surrounded by men offering to light her cigarette. Another commented on the EU diplomats popularity in the Iranian parliament.

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Mogherini was rather popular today in parliament  pic.twitter.com/ObHSRNwQ6L  MishaZand (@MishaZand) August 5, 2017

Reformist MP Ahmad Mazani, one of the men who appeared to ask for a photograph with Ms Mogherini, said on Twitter that they had not been allowed to greet her during the parliamentary session, and hence the reason for their eagerness to approach her afterwards.

But Sadegh Kharrazi, a former Iranian diplomat, called for a unit of ethics and ethics training for delegates in response to the controversial photos.

MP Alireza Salimi, called the behaviour "self-surrender to the West" and said that further complaints against the men could trigger a inquiry into their conduct, according to the BBC. Ms Mogherini released a statement on her trip to Iran but did not comment on the images.

In April the EU extended sanctions against Iran over human rights violations.

Conservatives among the Iranian parliament may have been alarmed at their colleagues willingness to approach a foreign woman, in a country where relations between the sexes remain a significant point of contention.

Only one woman has held a ministerial position in the Iranian government since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to Human Rights Watch.
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel said on Sunday it planned to close the offices in the Jewish state of Al-Jazeera, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Arab satellite news broadcaster of incitement.

Netanyahu had said on July 27 that he wanted Al-Jazeera expelled amid tensions over a sensitive Jerusalem holy site.

"Al-Jazeera has become the main tool of Daesh (the Islamic State group), Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran," Communications Minister Ayoob Kara, a member of the Druze community from Netanyahu's Likud party, told a press conference.

He accused the Qatar-based broadcaster of "inciting violence which has provoked losses among the best of our sons", referring to two Druze policemen who were killed in a July 14 attack near the Al-Aqsa compound in east Jerusalem.

Netanyahu tweeted his congratulations to the minister "who on my instructions took concrete steps to end Al-Jazeera's incitement" in Israel.

The communications ministry said that "nearly all countries in the region including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, have concluded that Al-Jazeera incites terrorism and religious extremism."

It had become "ridiculous that the channel continued to broadcast from Israel".

The ministry said it would also demand the revocation of the credentials of journalists working for the channel and cut its cable and satellite connections.

The closure of Al-Jazeera's offices would come under the remit of security officials.

Israeli authorities would also seek to limit access by the Jewish state's Arab citizens to the station's broadcasts in Arabic, the communications ministry statement said without elaborating.

Arab Israelis, the descendants of Palestinians who stayed after the state of Israel was created in 1948, make up 17.5 percent of the country's population.

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.

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"The Al-Jazeera channel continues to incite violence around the Temple Mount," Netanyahu wrote in a Facebook post, referring to the Haram al-Sharif compound in Jerusalem, known to Jews as the Temple Mount.

Protests erupted at the contentious site after Israel last month installed new security measures including metal detectors, following the shooting dead of the two Israeli policemen by attackers who emerged from the compound.

- Accused of bias -

"I have appealed to law enforcement agencies several times to close the Al-Jazeera office in Jerusalem," Netanyahu said on July 27 in calling for the channel's expulsion.

"If this is not possible because of legal interpretation, I am going to seek to have the necessary legislation adopted to expel Al-Jazeera from Israel."

Israel has regularly accused the broadcaster of bias in its coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in Israeli history.

He has frequently criticised the news media, accusing outlets of seeking to undermine his government.

The latest trouble at the holy site in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured during the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed, followed the July 14 attack.

Palestinians refused to enter the site for nearly two weeks over the new security measures imposed after three Israeli Arabs shot dead the policemen nearby.

That triggered protests which left six Palestinians dead. A Palestinian also broke into a home in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank and stabbed four Israelis, killing three of them.

The crisis ended when the Israeli authorities removed the newly installed security measures, including the metal detectors.

Palestinians, who had viewed the new security measures as an attempt by Israel to assert further control over the compound which houses the revered Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock, then ended their boycott of the site.

The Al-Aqsa compound has frequently been a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Under a decades-old agreement, only Muslims are allowed to pray inside the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, although anyone can visit, including Jews.
On Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Oliver discussed President Donald Trump's plan to increase the number of Border Patrol agents by 25%. Oliver believes a forced hiring of 5,000 agents will be a detriment to the U.S Customs and Border Protection. Oliver describes border agents as, "a mixture between humanitarian work and law enforcement, and not everyone can do it." Oliver cited repeated instances in which the last Border Patrol hiring brought in less desirable agents and rushed them through training. Oliver was especially disappointed that Spanish and physical train would be reduced. The comedian said, "It's like if the training program at SeaWorld left out 'Putting on a wetsuit' and 'Systematically driving carnivorous whales insane.' That's the whole job! Take them away, you are left with nothing else." Oliver also pointed out that the job is incredibly boring, as many agents spend the days by themselves patrolling desolate areas. Oliver made an honest commercial to try and recruit agents saying, "If you are kind, physically fit, impervious to bribery or boredom, and you want to serve your country by enforcing a controversial and ever-changing set of policies and the most humane way possible, then, give us a call. The border patrol. We are hiring!"
On Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Oliver discussed President Trumps plan to increase the number of Border Patrol agents by 25 percent. Oliver says a fast-tracked hiring of 5,000 agents would hurt the U.S Customs and Border Protection agency. Oliver described the role of border agents a mixture between humanitarian work and law enforcement, and said not everyone can do the job.

Oliver cited repeated instances in which the last Border Patrol hiring push brought in less-than-desirable agents and rushed them through training. Oliver was especially disappointed that Spanish instruction and physical training would be reduced.

The comedian said, Its like if the training program at SeaWorld left out putting on a wetsuit and systematically driving carnivorous whales insane. Thats the whole job! Take them away, you are left with nothing else.

Oliver also said the job is incredibly boring, as many agents spend their days alone patrolling desolate areas.

Oliver made a commercial to try to recruit agents, saying, If you are kind, physically fit, impervious to bribery or boredom, and you want to serve your country by enforcing a controversial and ever-changing set of policies in the most humane way possible, then give us a call. The border patrol: We are hiring!

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver airs Sundays at 11 p.m. on HBO.

Watch as John Oliver calls out Alex Jones for making up stories to hawk his overpriced products:

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Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Jordan's King Abdullah II offered support to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas during a rare visit Monday to the occupied West Bank following tensions with Israel over a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site.

Abdullah's first trip to the West Bank in five years was seen as a message to Israel and the United States over the sensitive Al-Aqsa mosque compound and the stalled peace process.

It came less than two weeks after the end of a standoff at the holy site over new security measures, including metal detectors, imposed by Israel following an attack that killed two policemen.

Abdullah stressed to Abbas "the full Jordanian support for the legitimate rights of its brothers the Palestinian people and support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in east Jerusalem", a statement from Jordan's royal palace said.

He backed the need to protect Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound, warning Israeli attempts to change the status quo -- under which Jordan is custodian of the site and Jewish prayer is forbidden -- "would have negative consequences for the whole region".

The Al-Aqsa compound is also holy to Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount as it is believed to be on the site of the first and second Jewish Temples, the latter of which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

Abdullah also "called for the commitment of US President Donald Trump to work to realise peace between Palestinians and Israelis".

The king flew by helicopter to Ramallah and a red carpet welcome from Abbas. He returned to Jordan after a meeting that lasted around an hour and a half. The king did not meet any Israeli officials.

Jordan reacted angrily last month to the new security measures at the mosque compound, which sparked several days of protests and clashes in Jerusalem's Old City, the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Malki told reporters that Abbas and Abdullah on Monday discussed "direct Israeli attacks on the Al-Aqsa mosque".

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Tensions were exacerbated on July 23 when an Israeli security guard shot dead two Jordanians at the Israeli embassy compound in Amman.

One of the two men attacked the Israeli with a screwdriver, and the other was apparently shot dead by accident, Israeli officials said.

The crisis eased on July 27 when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the removal of the metal detectors. He has also promised to investigate the embassy incident.

Abdullah's visit was seen by analysts as a show of support for Abbas, who has been isolated by Israel over his response to the Al-Aqsa row.

- 'Jerusalem is victorious' -

The mosque compound is in east Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in 1967 in a move never recognised by the international community.

The 1994 peace treaty between Israel and Jordan recognises Amman's special status as official custodian of Jerusalem's holy Muslim sites.

About half of Jordan's 9.5 million citizens are of Palestinian origin.

Netanyahu's removal of the metal detectors was seen by Palestinians as a victory.

At Abbas's headquarters a large banner displayed a picture of the Al-Aqsa compound with the slogan "Jerusalem is victorious".

"It appears that King Abdullah wants to show through his visit that he stands with the Palestinian people in the battle for Jerusalem," Palestinian political analyst Abdel Majid Sweilem told AFP.

In a statement on the official state news agency Petra, the king was quoted as saying that without Jordanian "custodianship and the steadfastness of the Jerusalemites, the holy sites would have been lost many years ago".

During the crisis over the metal detectors, 82-year-old Abbas suspended security coordination with Israel, and this has remained suspended despite their removal.

The decision sparked Israeli anger, with accusations he was encouraging violence.

"This visit sends a message from his majesty that he is willing to contribute to removing president Abbas's isolation following his decision to stop the security coordination with Israel," Samir Awad, politics professor at Birzeit University near Ramallah in the West Bank, told AFP.

In January, US President Donald Trump came to power promising to push Israelis and Palestinians towards a peace deal, raising brief hopes among Palestinians that his unconventional approach could achieve results.

But Palestinians have become increasingly frustrated by what they see as his negotiating team's one-sided approach.

Trump's team has yet to publicly commit to the two-state solution, the idea of an independent Palestinian state next to Israel that has been the basis of decades of international consensus.

Malki said Abbas and Abdullah had agreed that for any political process to move forward "there must be recognition of the principle of a two-state solution".
By Hamid Shalizi and James Mackenzie KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan authorities are tightening security in the central area of Kabul housing foreign embassies and government offices after a string of suicide attacks that have caused hundreds of casualties and hit confidence in the Western-backed government. Two months after a truck bomb killed at least 150 people on May 31 in the biggest such attack since the U.S.-led campaign to oust the Taliban in 2001, a series of scanners and cameras have appeared at intersections around the heart of the capital. "In this security plan, our priority is the diplomatic area," Salem Ehsaas, acting police chief of Kabul, told Reuters. "The highest threat level is in this area and so we need to provide a better security here," Underlining the threat, security forces seized a truck in Kabul on Saturday carrying 16.5 tonnes of ammonium nitrate hidden in chicken feed and intended to be used for making explosives, the National Directorate for Security said. The new measures, which come as the U.S. administration wrestles with formulating a new strategy for Afghanistan, show how serious the security situation has become since the NATO-led coalition ended its main combat mission in 2014. Although Kabul has never had a formal "Green Zone" to match the one in Baghdad, over the years the center of the Afghan capital has become an increasingly militarized zone of armed checkpoints and blast walls. The city is now one of the most dangerous places in Afghanistan for civilians, with 209 killed and 777 injured in suicide and complex attacks in the first half of the year, according to United Nations figures. This year alone, attacks have included the main military hospital near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, the Supreme Court, the Iraqi embassy, as well as the May 31 truck bomb, just in front of the German embassy. A number of foreign aid organizations and embassies, including the German mission which was heavily damaged in the attack, have sent some of their international staff home over the raised security fears. The new measures will see 27 permanent checkpoints installed on the 42 roads through the zone, supported by mobile explosives scanners, sniffer dogs and security cameras. Nine other streets will normally be closed and the remaining six roads will be permanently closed to cars. Trucks will be searched at a special external checkpoint and enter the central zone via the main road in from the airport, with around 1,200 police on duty in the area, including special motorbike patrols. The measures will be introduced progressively and should be complete within six months, officials said. Additional checkpoints are unlikely to be popular with motorists who already have to put up with long delays on Kabul's notoriously choked roads but at the same time, there has been a growing clamor for more security. The attacks, added to the thousands of casualties suffered by Afghan troops, have piled pressure on the government of President Ashraf Ghani, leading to street demonstrations and demands by parliamentarians for security officials including the ministers of the interior and defense to be impeached. (Additional reporting by Akram Walizada; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
White House aide Kellyanne Conway referred to

Kellyanne Conway claimed the Obama administration told "big lies" about both the 2012 Benghazi controversy and Obamacare, when pressed on conflicting narratives surrounding a meeting with a Russian lawyer.

Ms Conway was being questioned on ABC's "This Week" programme on Donald Trump Jr's June 2016 meeting with Natalia Veselnitskaya, a lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. The President's eldest son initially said the meeting was to discuss Russia's halt on adoptions of children by US citizens.

He then amended his statement and released a string of emails which revealed that Mr Trump Jr was meeting with Ms Veselnitskaya - at an event that included then campaign manager Paul Manafort and White House aide and Ivanka Trump's husband Jared Kushner - to possibly gain incriminating information on opponent Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia.

The meeting took place in Trump Tower in New York and records indicate the President was in the building at the time.

Donald Trump later referred to his son's meeting as "opposition research" and that any politician would have done the same.

The programme's host George Stephanopolous asked Ms Conway why Mr Trump's surrogates have differing views of the President's involvement and knowledge of that meeting.

Not skipping a beat, Ms Conway said: "You know, let's talk about telling the truth...Let's talk about a president looking Americans in the eye, who are still suffering eight years later, who were lied to. If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor."

She then brought up the September 2012 attacks on US Government buildings in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the death of US Ambassador J Christopher Stevens.

Ms Clinton, who was serving as Secretary of State at the time, came under fire for not providing additional security for Mr Stevens and his staff and for allegedly withholding information to Congress and those investigating the attack by the small, armed group.

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"Benghazi happened because of a video. Go tell the families of those four innocent Americans who were slaughtered in Benghazi that that lie mattered," said Ms Conway.

She said she was not changing the topic from Russia, adding "let's talk about credibility that impacts people...those were big lies".

Ms Conway ended the interview by calling the FBI investigation into alleged ties and collusion between the Trump campaign team and Russia "fabricated" but offered no evidence for her reasoning.
Nairobi (AFP) - Below are key dates since post-election violence in Kenya in 2007-2008 left more than 1,100 dead, the worst violence in the east African country since independence in 1963:

- 2007-2008: post election violence -

On December 27, 2007, outgoing president Mwai Kibaki is proclaimed winner again but his challenger Raila Odinga says the vote was rigged.

Clashes in the following weeks kill more than 1,100 people and force 600,000 from their homes, in a country that had previously been renowned for its stability.

The epicentre of the violence is the Rift Valley, pitting members of the Kalenjin and Luo ethnic communities, who mainly back Odinga, against their Kikuyu neighbours, to which Kibaki belongs.

On February 28, 2008 an internationally-brokered power-sharing agreement is signed under which Kibaki keeps his job and Odinga becomes prime minister.

In March 2010 the International Criminal Court (ICC) authorises the opening of a probe for crimes against humanity over the 2007-2008 violence.

In 2012 its judges confirm accusations against four Kenyans, including Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto.

- 2013: Uhuru Kenyatta in power -

On March 4, 2013, Kenyatta, the son of Kenya's first post-colonial leader Jomo Kenyatta, narrowly wins the first round of the presidential vote with Ruto as his running-mate.

On April 9, Kenyatta is sworn in in the presence of several African heads of state, but in the absence of western leaders. Ruto becomes vice president.

- 2014: First sitting president before the ICC -

On October 8, Kenyatta becomes the first sitting head of state to appear before the ICC. But on December 5, the Court drops its case against him, while denouncing intimidation of witnesses.

The ICC's proceedings against Ruto, also for crimes against humanity for the 2007-2008 violence, are dropped in April 2016 due to lack of evidence.

- 2015: Massacre at Garissa -

Kenya has been targeted by a spate of attacks since its military intervened in neighbouring Somalia in October 2011 to fight Al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab militants.

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On September 21, 2013, gunmen storm Nairobi's Westgate mall killing at least 67 people.

And on April 2, 2015 commandos attack the university at Garissa in eastern Kenya. They separate out Muslims and non-Muslims, killing the latter. 148 are killed in the attack, including 142 students. Shabaab claims responsibility.

- 2017: Violence mounts -

On July 22, 2017, a parliamentarian is arrested for inciting violence at a meeting attended by Odinga. He had already been charged in March for encouraging the invasion of land.

The region of Laikipia, which he represents, has sees periodic invasions of farms by herders seeking pasture for their livestock, against a background of drought.

On July 30, an attack takes place at the country home of deputy president Ruto, who is away. An attacker and a police officer die during a 20-hour siege. A day later a top official overseeing Kenya's electronic voting system, Chris Msando, is found dead, his body showing signs of torture.

Many observers express concerns over violence in the districts of Laikipia and Baringo, in the Rift Valley, which forces inhabitants to flee their homes.
Although the video of former President Harry Truman announcing the bombing of Hiroshima has become etched in history as one of the darkest moments of mankind, most people are unaware that the mastermind behind developing the atomic bomb which wrecked havoc in Japan was  Lieutenant General Leslie Groves.

On the 72nd anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, here is a look at the man who oversaw the event which would go on to destroy generations born to this day, in the Japanese city.

Groves was a United States Army Corps of Engineers officer and the director of the Manhattan Project which was tasked with scientific, technical and process development, security and military intelligence of enemy activities, and researching and planning to use atomic power.

A Target Committee was appointed by Groves which was supposed to make a list of recommended targets for dropping atomic bombs. One of those targets was Hiroshima.

Read: Hiroshima Video Shows Never Before Seen Footage Of City

The official order that handed over the special bomb to General Carl Spaatz, who was in charge of Air Force operations in the Pacific, allowing him to execute it as soon as the weather will permit visual bombing after about 3 August 1945 was signed by Groves, Doug-Long reported.

At a time when the entire world was stunned by the sheer cruelty of the United States, Groves justified Trumans decision to bomb Hiroshima saying: As far as I was concerned, his decision was one of noninterference - basically, a decision not to upset the existing plans.

Leslie Groves

Photo: Getty Images/ Keystone

Groves was born in Albany, New York, on August 17, 1896. He completed his graduation from West Point and enrolled into the Army Corps of Engineers in 1918, Atomic Heritage reported.

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After becoming the deputy to the Chief of Construction in 1940, Groves supervised the construction of camps, depots, air bases, munitions plants, hospitals, and airplane plants. He also oversaw the building of the Pentagon, completing it at a record time of less than a year.

Read: Hiroshima Bombing Anniversary: 71 Years On, Japan Calls For World Without Nuclear Weapons

His ability to undertake complex projects and single-handedly manage millions of people logically made him the best choice to lead the Manhattan Project. He continued to head the project until 1947 after which the reigns to atomic energy affairs were handed over to the Atomic Energy Commission.

His demeanor has been often described as stubborn, egotistic, intelligent and critical. He was a perfectionist who was ready to do whatever it takes to succeed in every mission that he undertook.

Colonel Kenneth D. Nichols, the former district engineer of the Manhattan Engineer District, wrote of Groves: "First, General Groves is the biggest S.O.B. I have ever worked for. He is most demanding. He is most critical. He is always a driver, never a praiser. He is abrasive and sarcastic. He disregards all normal organizational channels.

He is extremely intelligent. He has the guts to make timely, difficult decisions. He is the most egotistical man I know. He knows he is right and so sticks by his decision. He abounds with energy and expects everyone to work as hard, or even harder than he does... if I had to do my part of the atomic bomb project over again and had the privilege of picking my boss, I would pick General Groves," added Nichols, according to the Atomic Heritage report.

After being relieved from the Manhattan Project, Groves was promoted to the status of Temporary Lieutenant General in January 1948. However, he took voluntary retirement after just a month and served as the vice president of the Sperry Rand Corporation and later, as president of the West Point alumni association. He died on July 13, 1970.

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Marriott (MAR), the worlds biggest hotel chain, has a new plan for fending off competition from home-sharing behemoth Airbnb. It involves a newly announced partnership with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba (BABA).

What do people like about home sharing? They like to have local, authentic experiences that really allow them to understand where theyre traveling, said Marriott Global Chief Commercial Officer Stephanie Linnartz. And thats exactly what well be doing for Chinese consumers through this joint venture for Alibaba.

The joint venture will manage Marriotts storefront on Fliggy, which is Alibabas travel service platform. It gives the hotel operator access to Alibabas 500 million mobile monthly active users, many of whom may be seeking the more intimate offerings you dont usually expect from large hotels.

It isnt just about booking reservations, she said. But its about once you get the property how we can create this deep, rich experience by having Mandarin speakers at the hotel to help you plan your trip, to see local sites, to enjoy local restaurants and all the things that are involved in truly experiencing a city where you havent been before. Thats what consumers want and well be able to do it in a way thats very warm and welcoming for the Chinese consumer through this joint venture.

Chinese tourists are expected to take an estimated 700 million trips over the next five years.

Marriott & Alibaba tap into the lucrative Chinese tourism business together.

Marriott, which outbid Chinas Anbang group last year for Starwood Hotels, is looking to further enhance traffic to its 6,200 hotel properties with its online presence. The Alibaba partnership makes it more competitive against traditional peers as well as industry disruptors like the $31 billion giant Airbnb, which has made renewed efforts to capture travelers in China.

[W]e are pairing our hospitality expertise with Alibabas digital travel platform, retail expertise and digital payment platform, Alipay, and driving membership to our loyalty programs, according to Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson.

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Alipay accounts for over half of Chinas $5.5 trillion digital payment market, which is more than 50 times bigger than that of the US.

We have rolled out Alipay at all of our China hotels and were in the process of rolling Alipay out globally, because we want to make this a seamless, easy experience for the Chinese consumer both when theyre online digitally and of course through to the hotel experience, she said.

A big part of that is allowing the Chinese consumer to pay the way they want to pay.



Nicole Sinclair is markets correspondent at Yahoo Finance

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MTV's "Siesta Key" star Alex Kompothecras has come under fire from social media users after being identified as the man who repeatedly shot a hammerhead shark in its gills as it was connected to a fishing rod, according to the Miami Herald.

Kompothecras' shark shooting video went viral as it quickly began to make waves on the internet earlier this week. Social media users were reportedly able to determine Kompothecras' involvement because he sported the same red "Make America Great Again" hat and gray shirt as fans saw depicted on the show's Facebook page. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) announced its decision to launch an investigation into the video upon being alerted to it July 24.

SEE ALSO: FWC Responds To Outrage Over Viral Video Of Shark Shooting

Social media users have provided criticism towards Kompothecras behavior in the comments section of several Facebook posts, including one that was published Saturday. A post was published to the "Siesta Key" Facebook page Saturday with the caption, "Alex invited Madisson to the bonfire, and Juliette is not pleased. How do you think this will play out?" One user wrote in response, "Hopefully with no animals being harmed."

"I think they will makeup and be just fine," another user commented on the girl drama caused by Kompothecras. "Alex Kompothecras will come along and start shooting sharks with a gun to make up for his little... well yea."

A third user added, "Alex will invite both girls on his boat to go fishing. As he is throwing chum and blood in the water to attract sharks, the girls push him overboard and laugh to say thanks for ruining our careers. End of show!"

Kompothecras' actions have also led several Facebook users to announce their decision to "boycott" MTV's "Siesta Key," which has also resulted in the creation of Facebook page Boycott Siesta Key MTV. The Boycott Siesta Key Facebook page has gained more attention than the reality television show's official page, reeling into a total of 12,393 likes and 12,704 follows. MTV's page has brought in 10,450 likes and 10,881 follows.

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SEE ALSO: Graphic Video Shows Shark Shot To Death, Men Laugh At Bleeding Animal

Although Kompothecras isn't featured in the July video of a shark being violently dragged by a speed boat, he's connected to the participants. The reality star is reportedly friends with Michael Wenzel and two other men who allegedly dragged the shark tied by a rope. He spoke with People Thursday about his friends' actions, which he claimed to be against.

"It would be one thing if it was something I'd done and Id gotten caught but this is something I am 100 percent against," Kompothecras told People. "I've been fishing for 15 years in Sarasota and I'm very respectful of the profession. I love the water. I consider it my backyard and I would never consider doing something like that. I don't condone what he did and I was horrified by it."

After Florida's first shark abuse video made waves this summer, Gov. Rick Scott wrote a letter to the FWC July 28 about the steps being taken to prevent further animal abuse incidents surfacing in Florida waters. He wrote, "I encourage FWC to review Florida's fishing regulations and state statues to ensure such inhumane acts are strictly prohibited."

As previously reported, the FWC issued a statement Friday to International Business Times about their investigation plans for the viral shark shooting video. Rob Klepper, a spokesperson for FWC, told IBT, "We take this incident seriously, and share the publics concern."

Klepper and the FWC also appreciate the public's patience as "there can be many complexities with an investigation like this."

Shark

Photo: Getty Images

Follow me on Twitter @dory_jackson

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NASA recently started hiring for its new planetary protection officer position and the agency got an application from a younger, more unconventional candidate.

On Twitter earlier this week, NASA mentioned that Jack Davis, a nine-year old fourth grader from New Jersey, had applied for the job. According to NASA, Davis cited credentials for the job included his sister describing him as an alien, his skill at video games and his self-proclaimed membership as a Guardian of the Galaxy.

Read: NASA Spacecraft To Investigate Ancient Mystery Object  Or Objects

When 4th grader and self-proclaimed Guardian of the Galaxy, Jack, wrote to us about applying for a job, we replied https://t.co/932pj3Q50B pic.twitter.com/RhcGdnzGAw  NASA (@NASA) August 4, 2017

Via NASA, heres Davis full letter:

August 3, 2017 Dear NASA, My name is Jack Davis and I would like to apply for the planetary protection officer job. I maybe nine, but I think I would be fit for the job. One of the reasons is my sister says I am an alien also I have seen almost all the space and alien movies I can see. I have also seen the show Marvel Agents of Shield and hope to see the movie Men in Black. I am great at video games. I am young, so I can learn to think like an alien. Sincerely, Jack Davis Guardian of the Galaxy Fourth Grade

In response, NASA reached out to Davis late last week. Along with a phone call to Davis, the agency sent out a separate letter to the fourth-grader. While Davis is admittedly too young for the role, NASA and Planetary Science Division director James L. Green supported his interest in science in the letter and encouraged him to do well in school in the future.

We are always looking for bright future scientists and engineers to help us, so I hope you will study hard and do well in school, Green wrote. We hope to see you here at NASA one of these days!

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The planetary protection officer wont be flying from planet to planet getting into sci-fi adventures, but the role, which NASA officially posted last week, will still be doing work thats important for Earths safety.

The role will focus on developing ways during planetary travel to prevent alien contamination from reaching Earth, along with avoiding Earth contamination from reaching other alien planets. NASA has also hired past officials to fill the role.

Read: NASA Hire To Prevent 'Alien Contamination'

NASA has also worked on other ways to prevent intergalactic dangers from reaching Earth. Earlier this year, NASA started further development on its Double Asteroid Redirection Test. The project will figure out ways to deflect asteroids in space before they reach Earth in the future.

The agency is slated to test the project on the Didymos asteroid body, which is slated to reach the area around Earth in 2022 and 2024. As part of the test, NASA will have ships collide with the asteroids to shift their flight path and make them avoid Earth.

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The Cooks Creek Watershed Association and Stop the PennEast Pipeline teamed up to erect a billboard in Kintnersville, Pa. (Photo courtesy of Mike Spille)

Jacqueline Evans is a single mother with three young children living on the certified organic farm her family built in rural New Jersey. She keeps sheep, goats, chickens, ducks and honeybees.

A proposed pipeline thats upended her community would go right past her front door in the bucolic town of Stockton, N.J. She fears it would destroy her farmland, ruin her property value and place her children in an incineration zone  that is, if the natural gas in the pipeline catches fire and explodes.

Evans accuses the PennEast Pipeline Companys surveyors of trespassing on her property and harassing her family. She thinks the companys plan to invoke eminent domain for corporate gain is un-American.

They are so aggressive, so mean. They show no respect at all. Theyre intimidating, Evans told Yahoo News. Your home is supposed to be some place you feel safe, and they take that away.

Vince DiBianca, who lives on a farm in Delaware Township, N.J., is frustrated that the pipeline will come right by his driveway, but hes just as concerned for his neighbors.

Many homeowners who would be affected by the proposed pipeline route  including DiBianca and Evans  have banded together to form HALT PennEast, which stands for Homeowners Against Land Taking. Theyre well organized and vocal.

Its disturbing and will permanently scar one of the most environmentally, culturally and historically sensitive areas in the region. Why would they possibly do this? DiBianca said.

Anti-pipeline signs are displayed on a farm in Pennsylvania. (Photo: Courtesy of Mike Spille)

Would you believe its for the money? The roughly 120-mile-long pipeline linking the state to gas fields in Pennsylvania isnt necessary for New Jersey to meet its energy needs, even during peak demand, as the company admits in legal documents. Instead, the companies behind the pipeline stand to profit from building it, whether its needed or not.

Tom Gilbert is the campaign director for energy, climate and natural resources at the New Jersey Conservation Foundation and ReThink Energy NJ, which have been fighting to preserve farmland on their side of the Delaware River for three decades.

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Theres a lot of compelling evidence from credible sources that theres no need for it, Gilbert said. Its one thing to have all these impacts if the project is truly in the publics interests and theres some legitimate public need for the gas. But several experts have concluded thats just not the case on this project

This isnt a hospital or a needed highway, Evans said. Its unbelievable.

The New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel (NJDRC), the independent consumer utility watchdog, conducted an analysis that found no need for the project and concluded it would be unfair to ratepayers. NJDRC reports that New Jersey gets more than 100 percent of the gas it needs from existing pipelines.

This is not something that New Jersey Rates Counsel has ever said before about any other pipeline  and there are numerous proposals in the state  so its a pretty damning position that this agency took in terms of whats really driving this project, Gilbert said.

According to the NJDRC report, the return on investment the companies would receive would be like winning the lottery for the company.

Energy companies stand to profit from owning the pipeline rather than relying on the legacy pipelines from which they already get their gas. The companies involved in PennEast  New Jersey Resources, South Jersey Industries, Southern Company Gas, Spectra Energy Partners and the UGI Corporation  would be both owners and customers of the pipeline, meaning they would essentially be selling to themselves.

The shoreline in the borough of Riegelsville in Bucks County, Pa., is where the pipeline would cross over the Delaware River to New Jersey. (Photo courtesy of Mike Spille)

Mike Spille, whose home abuts the proposed pipeline route in West Amwell, N.J., said the primary buyers of gas from the pipeline are subsidiaries of those very companies. He said PennEast admits in its FERC filings that the pipeline is being built not to meet demand but because they plan on letting their contracts with existing pipelines lapse.

Currently, theres a tariff on the money that they pay the pipeline companies thats going out the door. With PennEast, theyre basically paying the money back to themselves so they have a new revenue stream, Spille said. Thats the real reason theyre doing it  to get a growth strategy for Wall Street. Theyre not doing it to help the region at all.

Michael Heffler, of Lambertville, N.J., is also a member of HALT PennEast. He said hes not opposed to businesses making money when they provide a service to the community. But he takes issue with companies that push through unnecessary and harmful projects solely to make money.

I dont mind profits. What I mind is profits with no value. We dont need the gas. Weve got over 100 percent of the gas we need. If youre getting a profit, you should get value. Theyre providing no value, Heffler said. Its actually worse than them being greedy. Theyre immoral and unethical.

Its a pretty smart move from a corporate perspective, DiBianca said. Its an incredibly damaging move from a community, environmental and homeowner perspective.

Patricia Kornick, the project spokesperson for the PennEast Pipeline, argued that there are many reasons to construct a pipeline other than meeting peak demand: cost savings, supply security, supply diversity and reliability.

Objective observers can understand how accessing one of the most abundant and affordable supplies of natural gas in all of North America  rather than paying 34 percent more for gas transported over 1,000 miles from the Gulf Coast only to return to the Northeastern market from which it originated  enhances reliability, increases supply security and lowers consumer utility costs, Kornick said.

Nearly 100 residents of Bucks County, Pa., and Hunterdon County, N.J., marched across the UhlerstownFrenchtown Bridge on April 29, 2017, to protest the Trump administrations environmental policies and the proposed PennEast pipeline. (Photo: Paul Warchol)

According to Kornick, PennEast evaluated approximately 100 route variations to minimize environmental impact, and the route it chose is largely based on input from landowners, public officials and agencies.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) rejected PennEast Pipelines application for water permits on June 28. The DEP told PennEast that its application did not provide enough information to properly evaluate land use permits.

On April 26, DEP told PennEast that it had 30 days to submit additional information about issues with its application  otherwise it would be deemed incomplete and administratively closed.

The company was not able to provide information for two-thirds of its proposed route  through farmland, preserved space and private property  because people have denied it access.

Critics celebrated this denial as a major setback for PennEast, which needs the water and wetland permits to start construction.

DEP did its job and saw through PennEasts con-game. Under the rules, they had to reject this application because PennEast is missing so much information and was a sham, Jeff Tittel, the director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said in a statement. We are glad DEP denied this worthless permit application.

According to Kornick, however, this administrative rejection was not unexpected and is only a temporary action.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), an independent agency that regulates the transmission of electricity and natural gas, is reviewing the PennEast Pipeline project. FERC issued a final environmental impact statement in early April and concluded that there will be harm to the environment but that it could be mitigated.

The proposed PennEast Pipeline route would travel from Dallas, Luzerne County, in northeastern Pennsylvania to Pennington, Mercer County, in central New Jersey. (Maps4News/Yahoo News)

Based on that final, favorable environmental impact statement, PennEast does anticipate receiving a certificate of public convenience and necessity approving the project, Kornick said. PennEast remains on track to receive a final project approval late this summer. Following federal approval, PennEast will simply resubmit its permit application to the New Jersey DEP.

The proposed gas pipeline would start in Dallas, Luzerne County, in northeastern Pennsylvania, where theres fracking of the Marcellus Shale wells. Then it would traverse the Lehigh Valley and northern Bucks County before crossing the Delaware River into New Jersey, where it would essentially run parallel to the river through Hunterdon and Mercer counties. It would terminate at Transcos pipeline interconnection near Pennington.

Theres a lot at stake here. It really would cut through an incredibly beautiful, historic, environmentally significant area, Gilbert said. When we learned about this proposal that would cut through an area where theres over 4,000 acres of land thats been preserved, we felt we had to come to the defense of those lands.

Environmentalists generally worry that natural gas pipelines will further lock the region into reliance on fossil fuel at a time when the international community is trying to move toward renewable energy. But there are even more immediate concerns.

Many residents were worried that pipeline construction in the regions arsenic-rich bedrock could lead to water contamination.

Tullis Onstott, a professor of geosciences at the University of Princeton, said the design of the pipeline would result in a maximum impact on groundwater contamination if anything untoward happened during its construction or operation.

Supporters from the March Across the River a Rally to Stop PennEast gather in Riegelsville, Pa. (Photo: Courtesy of Ann Marshall)

He is concerned that the pipeline would be particularly damaging because of two underlying factors of the regions geology: high levels of arsenic and uranium, and the low porosity of the rocks.

That means if you mobilize even a small fraction of arsenic thats in that rock into the water, it gets concentrated very quickly at high levels and migrates great distances, Onstott told Yahoo News. Its that combination of the geology and the hydrology that makes it the worst possible site to put this in. And on top of that, they have it oriented in such a way that it maximizes the potential impact it would have. You couldnt design it worse in that regard.

Kornick adamantly denied that the arsenic poses a risk, saying that has absolutely been discounted numerous times. PennEast is promoting a study conducted from 2015 to 2016 by Michael Serfes, a former research scientist at the New Jersey DEP, who accused Onstott of being speculative and alarmist.

He argued that the construction of roadways, sewer lines, housing and commercial developments carry contain the same  if not a greater  risk of arsenic release.

The results of my study clearly demonstrated that, during construction, although some of these freshly broken rock materials will release a relatively insignificant quantity of arsenic initially, the concentrations quickly decrease toward expected natural background levels that will have insignificant impacts to drinking water, Serfes wrote.

The pipeline route will go right past a dam and under the water pipe in Lambertville, N.J., that provides drinking water to the city, according to Michael Heffler. (Photo: Courtesy of Michael Heffler)

Paul Boudreaux, the president of the Morris County Chamber of Commerce, testified at a FERC hearing about the pipeline last year in Clinton, N.J., on behalf of the chambers 930 member companies. He argued that the natural gas supply would be a boon for New Jerseys residential and business consumers, lead to a more reliable electricity grid and put downward pressure on gas prices.

We just look at the whole energy environment, which is fascinating right now. There are so many changes, so much new technology, and we are absolutely in favor of renewables but we dont think they can provide the capacity we need over the next five to ten years at a minimum, Boudreaux told Yahoo News.

PennEast has been promoting the jobs the pipeline would create, but critics say their numbers are inflated and that most of them  being construction rather than maintenance positions  would only last for the six or so months needed to construct the pipeline.

By PennEasts own figures, the ongoing maintenance and operation of the pipeline would create only about 98 permanent jobs in New Jersey and Pennsylvania combined.

But thats not what they tell you. They just say thousands of jobs, Gilbert said. Theyre not telling you that those jobs are just six months in duration. Theyre not telling you that half of those jobs go to specialized workers from other states. So the picture they are painting is a lot rosier than the reality of it. And the fact that small number of jobs and those short terms jobs to not justify or outweigh the incredible environmental damage that would result, especially when theres no evidence that theres a real public need for this project.

The Goodman Group evaluated the economic impact study provided by PennEast and concluded that the organization was overstating the total number of jobs  estimated at 12,160  it would create by at least two-thirds, and that most of the jobs would be short-term in nature: namely, construction jobs lasting between six months and a year.

Despite recent setbacks, PennEast expects to receive final federal approval for the project and plans to resubmit a permit application to the NJDEP this year, Kornick said. PennEast anticipates a construction phase of roughly seven months resulting in an operational pipeline in the second half of 2018.

But the opposition isnt backing down anytime soon.

Its just a mess. It threatens everything that we have, Evans said. And its the gas industrys big push to get as much out of the ground before its over for them. We dont need this. We dont want it. They brought this fight to us.

A closeup of yet another Stop PennEast pipeline sign on Durham Road in Durham, Pa. (Photo courtesy of Mike Spille)

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Wub-wub-wub-wub. Brainwaves are electromagnetic proof that we are alive. Decades of research have shown that these pulses of electrical potential reflect events at the root of our impulses and thoughts. As such, they underlie one of humanitys weightiest moral decisions: Deciding whether or not a person is officially dead. If a person goes 30 minutes without producing brainwaves, even a functioning heartbeat cant convince doctors theyre alive.

But as large as brainwaves loom in our understanding of the brain, not a single scientist has any idea where they come from.

At least one researcher, Michael X. Cohen, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior in the Netherlands, thinks its time to fix that. In an April op-ed in the journal Trends in Neurosciences, Cohen argued that the time has come for researchers to figure out what those brainwaves theyve been recording for decades are really all about.

This is maybe the most important question for neuroscience right now, he said to Inverse, but he added that it will be a challenge to convince his colleagues that it matters at all.

Today, as Facebook races to read your brainwaves, roboticists use them to develop mind control systems, and cybersecurity experts race to protect yours from hackers, its clear that Cohens sense of urgency is justified.

Connecting brainwaves to neuron behavior is the next great challenge in neuroscience.

What we do know about brainwaves is that when doctors stick silver chloride dots to a persons scalp and hook the connected electrodes up to an electroencephalography (EEG) machine, the curves that appear on its screen represent the electrical activity inside our skulls. The German neuroscientist Hans Berger spotted the first type of brainwave  alpha waves  back in 1924.

Researchers soon discovered more of these strange oscillations. Theres the slow, powerful delta wave, which shows up when were in deep sleep. Theres the low spikes of the theta wave, whose functions remain largely mysterious. Faster and even stranger is the gamma wave, which some researchers suspect plays a role in consciousness.

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These waves are at the root of our understanding of the shape and structure of human thought as well as the methods doctors use to figure out how brains break down. Its thought that alpha waves, for example, are a sign the brain is inhibiting certain mental systems to free up bandwidth for other tasks, like sleeping or imagining. But where does it come from in the first place?

So far, theres been no satisfactory answer to this question, but Cohen is determined to find it.

An alpha brainwave resembles a sine wave.

As one of the worlds leading researchers on the brains electrical activity, he hooks people up to EEG machines to figure out how their brains behave when they see a bird, think through a complex decision, or feel sad. But Cohen is the first to admit that whats lacking in his research is context. Not understanding how those patterns relate to the actual meat of the brain  neurons firing or not firing, getting excited or shutting down  leaves a huge mystery right at the center of brainwave neuroscience, he says.

Over time it started bothering me more and more, Cohen told Inverse. Theres so much complexity going on at smaller spatial scales, and we have literally no fucking clue how to get from this big spatial scale to this smaller spatial scale.

Part of the reason why its so hard to understand neuroscience research in the context of the brain, Cohen explains, is because neuroscientists themselves work in discrete, isolated sub-fields, based on how big a chunk of the brain they study. Researchers studying the brain at the smallest level peel open individual neurons and watch the proteins inside them fold. Microcircuit neuroscientists map out the connections between neurons. Cohen zooms out a little further, connecting electrical patterns and human thought, rarely concerning himself with single cells or small groups of neurons.

But as we begin to fully grasp how complex the brain really is, Cohen says, its increasingly imperative to find a way to bridge the research that happens at the macro and micro scales. Finally understanding brainwaves, he says, could be the key to doing so.

Thats because brainwaves pulse at every single level of the brain, from the tiniest neuron to the entire three-pound organ. If youre recording from just one neuron, youll see oscillations, Cohen says, using the scientific term for wobbling brainwaves.

If youre recording from a small ensemble of neurons youll see them. And if youre recording from tens of millions of neurons youll see oscillations.

For Cohen, brainwaves are the common thread that can unify neuroscience. But the problem is, most research deals only with the electrical activity produced from tens of millions of neurons at a time, which is the highest resolution a typical EEG machine can capture without needlessly cutting into an innocent study subjects head. The problem is that this big, rough EEG research in humans isnt very compatible with the intricate, neuron-scale research done in lab rats. Consequently, we have plenty of information about the brains parts but no understanding of how they work together as a whole.

Its the difference between What do Americans like? and What does any individual American like? Cohen said. And thats a huge difference  between what any individual does and what you can say as a generality about an entire culture.

While we know that all that electrical activity is the result of charged chemicals sloshing around in our brains in rhythmic, patterned waves, that doesnt tell us anything about the most important question: Why theyre generated in the first place.

The problem with these answers is that theyre totally meaningless from a neuroscience perspective, Cohen says. These answers tell you about how its physically possible, how the universe is constructed such that we can make these measurements. But theres a totally different question, which is what do these measurements mean? What do they tell us about the kinds of computations that are taking place in the brain? And thats a huge explanatory gap.

Despite some puzzlement from fellow scientists, Cohen plans to collect brainwave data from rodents.

There are a few ways to bridge that gap. Scientists like those at the Blue Brain Project in Switzerland are trying to do so by building a computerized brain simulation thats detailed enough to include the whole organ as well as individual neurons, which they hope can reveal kind of cell activity would cause different kinds of common EEG patterns to appear. The one huge challenge to this approach, however, is that theres no computer that can simulate a brains computations in real time: Just a millisecond of one neurons time in a simulation can take ten seconds of real-world time for a computer to figure out. Its certainly possible, but doing so would cost billions of dollars.

Cohens plan, which relies on real-world experiments, is much simpler.

Since you cant cut open a human brain and start sticking electrodes in there to record activity (even in human rights-challenged places, Cohen says), hes relying on rodents instead. But what makes his work different is that hes hooking those rodents up to EEG machines, which researchers dont usually do. They say, why are you wasting your time recording EEG from rats? EEG is for when you dont have access to the brain, so you record from outside, he says.

But rodents have brainwaves too, and their data can provide much-needed insight into how to bridge the neuron-brainwave divide. His experiments will create two huge data sets that researchers can cross-reference to figure out how neuron function and EEG behavior relate to one another. With the help of some deep learning algorithms, theyll then pore over that data to build a map of how individual sparks of neural activity add up to recognizable brainwaves. If Cohens experiments are very successful, his team will be able to look at a rodents EEG and predict, with what he hopes for more than 98 percent accuracy, exactly how the neural circuits are behaving in its brain.

I think were not that far away from breakthroughs. Some of these kinds of questions are not so difficult to answer, its just that no one has really looked, he said. But he admits that hes worried that the segmentation of neuroscience research will get in the way of this whole-brain approach.

So this is very terrifying for me and also very difficult, because i have very little experience in the techniques that i think are necessary, he said.

Having to admit on his grant applications that his work would employ unfamiliar techniques he had never used made it difficult to get funding, but Cohen ultimately received a grant from the European Union. Now, with the aid of a lab fully staffed with experts in rodent brains, Cohen is ready to get to work.

Soon enough, we might finally get some answers to one of the oldest and strangest mysteries in neuroscience: Where all those wub-wubs really come from, and what they really mean.

If youre interested in learning more about the mysteries of brain science, Inverse reporter Rafi Letzter has proposed a South by Southwest panel, Peering into the Black Box of the Brain, where he will discuss these with leading neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, and psychologists. You can vote for it on SXSWs panelpicker website here.

Photos via Giphy, Gfycat

Written by Rafi Letzter

More articles by Rafi  Follow Rafi on Twitter

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The North says it is ready to give the US a severe lesson if it takes military action against it: AP

North Korea has defended its weapons programme, saying it needs the capability to launch intercontinental missiles at the heart of the United States to prevent an invasion.

It warned that the country was ready to give the US a "severe lesson" with its strategic nuclear force if it takes military action against it, it said in a statement to a regional meeting in Manila.

In a transcript of a statement by the North's foreign minister, Ri Yong-ho, Pyongyang called new UN sanctions "fabricated" and warned there would be "strong follow-up measures" and acts of justice.

"We will under no circumstances put the nukes and ballistic rockets on the negotiating table," Mr Ri said.

The statement said the North's intercontinental ballistic missile tests in July proved that the entire United States was in its firing range, and those missiles were a legitimate means of self-defence.

Mr Ri also said that his country has no intention of using nuclear weapons against any country "except the US".

He said the only way that would change is if another country joined in an American action against North Korea.

On Monday the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held a door open for dialogue with North Korea, saying that Washington was willing to talk to Pyongyang if it halted a series of recent missile test launches.

Mr Tillerson's comments, also from Manila, were the latest US attempt to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear and missile program after months of tough talk from President Donald Trump.

"When the conditions are right, then we can sit and have a dialogue around the future of North Korea so they feel secure and prosper economically," Mr Tillerson told reporters. "The best signal that North Korea can give us that they are prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches."

There was no direct reaction from North Korea to Mr Tillerson's remarks, but North Korea warned it would launch a "thousands-fold" revenge against the US after it introduced tough new UN sanctions.

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The UN Security Council unanimously approved new penalties for the North after its recent test launches of several intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The US-drafted resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood and is aimed to pressuring Pyongyang to end its nuclear programme.

It also prohibits countries from increasing the current numbers of North Korean labourers working abroad, bans new joint ventures with North Korea and any new investment in current joint ventures.
Pres. Barack Obama delivering a speech in Nairobi, Kenya, July 26, 2015. (Photo: Ben Curtis/AP)

Former President Barack Obama encouraged Kenyans to fully embrace the promise of democracy by accepting the results of their forthcoming presidential election without resorting to violence.

In a statement on Monday, Obama said that Kenyas election has already been tarnished by appeals to fear from all sides and called upon the countrys citizens to reject politics that play upon tribal and ethnic hatred. He said the Kenyan people as a whole would be losers if their election were to descend into violence.

I urge Kenyan leaders to reject violence and incitement; respect the will of the people; urge security forces to act professionally and neutrally; and work together no matter the outcome, he said. I urge all Kenyans to work for an election  and aftermath  that is peaceful and credible, reinforcing confidence in your new constitution and the future of your country. Any disputes around the election should be resolved peacefully, through Kenyas institutions and the rule of law.

The election on Tuesday is a major test as to how far the East African country has come since 2007, when widespread violence following a contested election left more than 600,000 displaced and 1,100 dead. The torture and murder last week of a top election official, Chris Msando, has already tarnished this years campaign.

Recent opinion polls show no clear favorite in the contest between the incumbent, Uhuru Kenyatta, who has been in office since 2013, and the challenger, veteran politician Raila Odinga. Both men belong to Kenyas two largest ethnic groups  Kenyatta to the Kikuyu and Odinga to the Luo  and the rivalry between their families dates back over half a century.

Barack Obama, bottom right, greets supporters after delivering a speech at Safaricom Indoor Arena in Nairobi, July 26, 2015. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

Almost two years ago, as president of the United States, Obama visited the East African country. He said Kenyans were standing at a crossroads, a moment of extraordinary promise but also potential peril. He said civil society could work to see that Kenya is defined by the promise of the future rather than divisions of the past.

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Today, those voices  your voices  are needed more than ever, he said.

Obama identifies himself as a friend of the Kenyan people. He recalled witnessing their remarkable progress since his first visit to the country in 1987, before entering Harvard Law School. His father, Barack Obama Sr., who was born and raised in Kenya, played a prominent role in his memoir, Dreams from My Father.

The former U.S. leader urged President Kenyatta, Odinga, and all Kenyans to respect the following proverb: We have not inherited this land from our forebears, we have borrowed it from our children.

The choices you make in the coming days can either set Kenya back or bring it together, Obama said. As a friend of the Kenyan people, I urge you to work for a future defined not by fear and division, but by unity and hope.

Read more from Yahoo News:
There was joy and pain for French zookeepers Friday as their female panda gave birth to twins, but one died soon afterwards.

Huan Huan, on loan to Beauval zoo in central France from China, delivered the first cub at 10:18 pm (2018 GMT) and the second at 10:32.

But soon after birth, the first, which weighed just 121 grams (4.2 ounces), began having problems breathing and died despite the best efforts of zoo staff.

"It was too weak to survive. The Chinese experts, who have experience of this, saw it straight away," zoo director Rodolphe Delord said.

"Our veterinary teams did everything they could to save it, but it was too small, too weak."

But he said the second twin, which weighed in at a healthier 142.4 grams, was in "perfect health".

The youngster has been put in an incubator so vets can give first-time mum Huan Huan a helping hand, zoo officials said.

Nine-year-old Huan Huan and her male partner Yuan Zi arrived at Beauval zoo in January 2012 on a 10-year loan from China after intense, high-level negotiations between Paris and Beijing -- was carrying a single cub.

Breeding pandas is notoriously difficult and this is the first time a cub has been born in France.

The female panda is only in heat once a year for about 48 hours. The gestation period for pandas is a mere 50 days.

Huan Huan (meaning "happy") and Yuan Zi ("chubby") are the only giant pandas living in France.

The pair were brought together in February, in the hope they would mate, but it didn't happen. In the end, the zoo performed an artificial insemination.

If all goes well with the birth, the surviving cub will leave Beauval in the next two to three years to be returned to China.
President Donald Trump on Monday attacked Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal over his military service record minutes after the Democratic lawmaker criticized the Trump administration on CNN.

Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con artist!, Trump tweeted just before 8 a.m. while on a working vacation in New Jersey.

Trump continued his line of attack minutes later, writing that never in U.S. history has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal. He told stories about his Vietnam battles and . . . conquests, how brave he was, and it was all a lie. He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child. Now he judges collusion?

Interesting to watch Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut talking about hoax Russian collusion when he was a phony Vietnam con artist!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017

Never in U.S.history has anyone lied or defrauded voters like Senator Richard Blumenthal. He told stories about his Vietnam battles and....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017

...conquests, how brave he was, and it was all a lie. He cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child. Now he judges collusion?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017

Monday afternoon, Trump sent yet another tweet about Blumenthal, suggesting he take a vacation in Vietnam to verify his claims he had been there.

I think Senator Blumenthal should take a nice long vacation in Vietnam, where he lied about his service, so he can at least say he was there  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 7, 2017

Trumps tweets reference a 2010 New York Times report that landed Blumenthal in hot water over his military record. While Blumenthal had alluded to serving in Vietnam, he never saw active combat there. Instead, he served domestically in the Marine Corps Reserve. At the time, Blumenthal told the newspaper that he had misspoken about his service.

President Trump has also been criticized by some over his history with the military. In 2011, website TheSmokingGun obtained records showing Trump received four deferments in college during the Vietnam War, and a medical deferment after he graduated.

Trumps morning tweets came just minutes after Blumenthal lambasted the White House on CNN. During his appearance, Blumenthal emphasized the need to preserve the independence of Robert Mueller, the special counsel leading an investigation into Russian election meddling and potential ties between the Trump campaign and Moscow. Blumenthal also expressed concerns over the Trump Administrations promised crackdown on leaks, accusing the White House of weaponizing the law for its political benefit.

Mr. President: Your bullying hasnt worked before and it wont work now. No one is above the law, Blumenthal wrote in response to Trumps tweets. This issue isnt about me  its about the Special Counsels independence and integrity.

A representative from Blumenthals office initially said the tweets were standing as the Senators response, but he appeared on CNN after Trumps afternoon tweet.

Sen. Blumenthal reacts to President Trump's Twitter attacks against him: "I will not be distracted by this bullying" https://t.co/HXvuRjMlF5  CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 7, 2017

All I would say is, lets the protect the independence and integrity of the special counsel who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, he told Wolf Blitzer on CNNs The Situation Room. That work is paramount in importance. It really is not about me.
Flake's new book is called 'Conscience of a Conservative': AP

A Republican Senator has said he wished the Republican Party had done more to fight birtherism, the racist conspiracy theory surrounding former President Barack Obamas birthplace.

Jeff Flake of Arizona, who was advertising his new book about conservatism on NBC, was asked if the GOP was afraid to put country over party.

Well, I do think that we've seen more people ready to stand up. And I wish that we, as a party, would have stood up, for example, when the birtherism thing was going along. A lot of people did stand up but not enough, Mr Flake said.

He added that birtherism was particularly ugly.

Donald Trump propagated rumours that Mr Obama was not born in the US, and joined calls to see his birth certificate.

The theory was supported by his wife, Melania Trump, during a television interview.

Last September, two months before being elected as President, Mr Trump said at an event: President Barack Obama was born in the United States. Period.

Mr Flake also told NBC that he regretted the chants of lock her up at rallies and campaign events, referring to Hillary Clinton, and which were encouraged by Mr Trumps proposal to hire a special prosecutor to investigate her alleged misuse of her personal email server.

We shouldnt be the party for jailing your political opponents and anybody at that rally, anybody at those rallies, ought to stand up and say, Thats inappropriate, we shouldnt be doing that, and I wish we, as a party, and elected officials, would do more of that.

Mr Flake has been a longtime critic of Mr Trump, even calling last year for him to withdraw his bid for the White House and claiming that America deserves far better.

In October he tweeted: Republicans should not be okay with @realDonaldTrump threatening to jail his opponent after the election. That is not who we are.

He also tweeted that Mr Trumps suggestion during the campaign that he might not accept the election results, when the polls were leaning in Ms Clintons favour, as beyond the pale.

In his new book, Conscience of a Conservative, Mr Flake argued that his party was in denial about the first few months of Mr Trumps presidency.
(MANILA, Philippines)  U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday that Washington will respond by Sept. 1 to Russias move to force a major reduction in American diplomatic staff, a move that echoed former President Barack Obamas action to kick out Russian diplomats for Moscows meddling in the 2016 American election.

Russia said recently it was forcing the U.S. to cut its embassy and consulate staff in Russia by 755 people. But theres been confusion because the U.S. is believed to have far fewer than 755 American employees in Russia.

Tillerson spoke to reporters during a visit to the Philippines. He said he communicated U.S. plans to respond by that deadline to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov when they met Sunday in Manila. Tillerson said he told Lavrov that the U.S. still hasnt decided how it will respond. He added that he asked Lavrov several clarifying questions about the act of Russian retaliation.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump grudgingly signed what he called a seriously flawed package of sanctions against Russia. The legislation is aimed at penalizing Moscow for interference in the election and for its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria, where the Kremlin has backed President Bashar Assad.

Lavrov told reporters that despite strained relations with Washington, his country was ready for more engagement with the United States on North Korea, Syria, Ukraine and other pressing matters. Lavrov said Russia and the U.S. had agreed to resume a suspended high-level diplomatic channel and Washington would send its Ukraine envoy to Moscow for negotiations.

Lavrovs upbeat assessment came amid what the U.S. has called a diplomatic low point unseen since the end of the Cold War.

We felt that our American counterparts need to keep the dialogue open, Lavrov said. Theres no alternative to that.

Trumps administration has argued theres good reason for the U.S. to seek a more productive relationship. Tillerson has cited modest signs of progress in Syria, where the U.S. and Russia recently brokered a cease-fire in the war-torn countrys southwest, as a sign theres fertile ground for cooperation.

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The Syrian cease-fire reflected a return of U.S.-Russia cooperation to lower violence there. The U.S. had looked warily at a series of safe zones in Syria that Russia had negotiated along with Turkey and Iran  but not the U.S.

Lavrov cited upcoming talks involving Russia, Iran and Turkey about how to ensure the truce in the last safe zone to be established, around the north-western city of Idlib. He predicted it will be difficult to hammer out the details but that compromise can be reached if all parties  including the U.S.  use their influence in Syria to persuade armed groups there to comply.

Tillerson said Russian meddling in the election had created serious mistrust between our two countries. A U.S. Justice Department investigation is moving ahead into Russias election interference and potential Trump campaign collusion. Trump denies any collusion and has repeatedly questioned U.S. intelligence about Moscows involvement.

We simply have to find some way to deal with that, Tillerson said. Now, having said that, we also have very important national security interests in the Middle East, in Syria, and we have important national security interests in Afghanistan and that region of the world, and we have serious needs to begin to address the situation in Ukraine. The Russians have indicated some willingness to begin to talk with us about the way forward on Ukraine.

Word that U.S. special representative Kurt Volker plans to visit the Russian capital was the latest sign that Washington is giving fresh attention to resolving the Ukraine conflict. The U.S. cut military ties to Russia over Moscows annexation of Crimea and accuses the Kremlin of fomenting unrest in eastern Ukraine by arming, supporting and even directing pro-Russian separatists there who are fighting the Kiev government.

In recent days, the Trump administration has been considering providing lethal weaponry to Ukraine to help defend itself against Russian aggression.

In their meeting, Lavrov said, Tillerson agreed to continue a dialogue between U.S. Undersecretary of State Thomas Shannon and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov. That channel was created to address what the U.S. calls irritants preventing the two countries from pursuing better ties. Russia had suspended the talks after the U.S. tightened existing sanctions on Russia related to its actions in Ukraine.

Lavrov and Tillerson met on the sidelines of an Asian regional gathering in the Philippines. It was their first face-to-face conversation since Congress passed new sanctions legislation in July that makes it harder for Trump to ever ease penalties on Russia. Trump signed the bill last week, but called it seriously flawed.

The White House said Trumps opposition stemmed from the bills failure to grant the president sufficient flexibility on when to lift sanctions. Trumps critics saw his objections as one more sign that he is too eager to pursue closer ties to Russia, or to protect the former Cold War foe from penalties designed to punish Moscow for its actions in Ukraine, election meddling and other troublesome behavior.
Iran's President Hasan Rouhani delivers a speech after his swearing-in ceremony: AP

It was always going to be a state ceremony of grandeur and pomp, but the current turbulence in Middle East politics ensured that Hassan Rouhanis inauguration as President of Iran became an occasion of significant resonance.

Iran, its adversaries Saudi Arabia and the Donald Trump administration have demanded, should once again be shunned as a pariah state. The US has imposed tough new sanctions and President Trump is threatening to pull the plug on the nuclear deal between the country and international powers which has been achieved through years of painstaking negotiations. Hawks in his team have talked about instigating regime change in Tehran.

In the event representatives from a hundred countries turned up in Tehran. The likes of Robert Mugabe and Kim Yong Nam, the President of the Supreme Peoples Assembly of North Korea, may be ignored by Washington and Riyadh. But the presence of senior figures from most Western European countries, including Britain's Minister of State for the Middle East Alistair Burt, the European Unions foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and ministers from from Russia, China and India was a clear sign that the attempt to isolate Iran was failing for the time-being.

At his swearing-in ceremony Mr Rouhani warned those present that America was trying to sabotage the nuclear accord. Mr Trumps aggression, said the President, may come to a sticky end: Those who want to tear up the nuclear deal should know that they will be ripping up their own political life.

The USs repeated violations of its commitments and the new sanctions it imposed on Iran have left a negative impact on public opinion here and this will put the nuclear agreement at risk. Iran would not be the first to pull out of the nuclear deal, but it will not remain silent about the US violations, he said.

Earlier, in a meeting with Ms Mogherini, the Iranian President praised the high European representation saying that it showed many Western states were prepared to build bridges with his country despite American pressure. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also reportedly said in the meeting: Mr Trump is trying to destroy the nuclear accord at Irans expense, and Europe should be conscious of this.

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Tehran milked the attendance: the names of all attending countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe were read out at the ceremony in Parliament. While some of these countries too were keen to use the stage to stress their agenda. Qatar, engaged in a bitter confrontation with a Saudi led alliance, sent a delegation headed by the Emir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Russia, another recipient of tough new American sanctions, announced that Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and senior military officers will hold an important meeting with ministers from Iran and Turkey on Syria following the inauguration.

The three countries are guarantors of a series of truces in the civil war. Iranian officials said that one of the key issues under discussion would be the takeover of Syrias Idlib province, one of the areas currently covered by a ceasefire, by extremist jihadists of Hayat Tahrir al Sham and the al-Qaeda affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra, which now calls itself Jabhat Fateh al-Sham.

The US warned of the grave consequences of Idlib being taken over by al-Qaeda affiliates. But the Americans have drastically scaled down backing for the rebels they sponsored and any recapture of territory would be carried out by the Assad regime and its Russian and Iranian allies.

It was, however, Mr Rouhanis agenda of domestic reform, rather than further foreign military commitment abroad, which gave him a landslide victory over his conservative opponent in the election earlier this year. And many of the delegations here are, however, looking at trade possibilities with the Iranian market opening up following the relaxing of sanctions. Lord Lamont of Lerwick, a long-time campaigner for improving relations with Tehran and now the UKs trade envoy to Iran, has arrived along with the MP Richard Bacon, the vice-chairman of the Britain-Iran Parliamentary Friendship Group.

The US manufacturer Boeing has signed an $8bn (6.1bn) deal to sell 80 jets to Iran Air and 30 more to another carrier, Aseman Airlines while its European rival Airbus has an agreement to supply another 100 planes to Iran. Frances Total is in a $2bn agreement to develop a gas field and Britains General Electric is considering a number of highly lucrative business options.

But the shadow of Donald Trump remains as Iran strives to open up for business. The US stipulation on the nuclear deal means the President has to certify that Tehran is complying with the agreement every 90 days. Mr Trump, who had promised to tear up the agreement during his election campaign, grudgingly signed off the first certification after the State Department failed to find any breaches but he complained that the Iranians are not living up to the spirit of the agreement while failing to explain what this actually means. His administration, he says, is carrying out a comprehensive review of Iran policy.

That is still under way as the US administration was again forced to issue the second certification last week that Iran was still complying with its commitments. But, at the same time, Mr Trump said in an interview: If it was up to me, I would have had them non-compliant 180 days ago. Asked whether he expected Iran to be non-compliant next time, he declared: Yes, personally I do.

The agreement remains, theoretically, even if the US pulls out, with the five other signatories, Russia, China, Germany, France and Britain, all saying that they would continue with it. But companies and financial institutions are acutely wary of falling foul of US sanctions and incurring swingeing financial penalties.

I dont see how the agreement can really survive if the US really does say it is no longer part of it was the view of Professor Mohammad Marandi, a Tehran University academic influential in Iranian government circles. "The odds will be stacked against it. While Robert Emerson, a security analyst, said: This is not something which is going to go away from Washington politics; the issue of the nuclear deal and Iran sanctions will be revisited many times in the future by the hardliners led by the US President.

The hundred-strong attendance at the Rouhani inauguration does not mean that Donald Trumps crusade to isolate Iran and push it back into international political wilderness is over.
By Arshad Mohammed and Jonathan Landay WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has the unenviable task of exploring U.S.-Russian cooperation following Washington's latest sanctions on Russia and Moscow's expulsion of U.S. diplomats. Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meet this weekend at a regional forum in Manila, their first face-to-face talks since President Donald Trump reluctantly signed into law sanctions that Russia said amounted to a full-scale trade war and ended hopes for better ties. The sanctions, which passed both houses of Congress by overwhelming majorities despite Trump's objections, in part target the Russian energy sector, with new limits on U.S. investment in Russian companies. In retaliation, Moscow has ordered Washington to cut 755 of its 1,200 embassy and consulate staff in Russia and is seizing two U.S. diplomatic properties there. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Tillerson held out hope for better ties. "There's been no belligerence," he said of his dealings with Lavrov. "I think he is as committed as I am to trying to find ways that can bring this relationship back." Analysts and former U.S. officials were skeptical that much progress is likely any time soon on areas such as reducing the violence in Syria's civil war or calming the conflict in eastern Ukraine, let alone reversing Russia's annexation of Crimea. "The backdrop for that is obviously horrible given the Russian anger over the sanctions bill and the continued day-to-day revelations in the Russia probe," said Carnegie Endowment analyst Andrew Weiss, referring to investigations into potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Russia has denied seeking to sway the U.S. election and Trump has denied any collusion. "The Russians are probably in no mood to even allow us to show progress because if they (did) they would be saying you can go ahead and sanction us without consequences," said a former U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "There is an incentive for them to have a lousy meeting." Tillerson and Lavrov are likely to discuss the "de-escalation zone" the nations agreed to establish in southwestern Syria. Russia and Iran are the main outside backers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad while Washington supports some of the rebel groups seeking to topple him in a six-year civil war. A second former senior U.S. official said he thought the best the two might achieve would be to prevent further deterioration. "Do no harm is the other side of the coin," said the former official who spoke on condition of anonymity, saying he would expect the two men to review those areas such as the arctic, space and arms control where U.S.-Russian cooperation continues. One of the few areas where Washington and Moscow could make progress is on nuclear and conventional arms control, something they have achieved throughout their long history of tensions. Tillerson and Lavrov agreed in principle in April to resume so-called strategic stability talks on disputes ranging from nuclear arms and missile defense to conventional military deployments in Europe. The last formal talks were held in 2012. Last month, the sides agreed to "exchange scheduling proposals in the near future" for that dialogue and for talks on extending New START, a 2010 accord that requires them to cut deployed strategic nuclear forces to 1,550 warheads and 700 delivery systems by Feb. 5 2018. It expires in 2021, but can be extended by five years if the U.S. and Russian presidents agree. (Editing by Yara Bayoumy and Alistair Bell)
By Sam Holmes and Masayuki Kitano SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore said on Friday it had canceled the permanent residence status of a professor at a prominent postgraduate school whom it identified as a U.S. citizen, and accused him of being an agent of influence for a foreign country. The Ministry of Home Affairs said Huang Jing, a professor of U.S.-China relations at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, "knowingly interacted with intelligence organizations and agents of the foreign country" with the aim of bringing about a change in the direction of Singapore's foreign policy. The ruling, which also applied to Huang's wife, Shirley Yang Xiuping, means that if they leave Singapore, they will not be readmitted. The ministry identified the couple as U.S. citizens, but did not identify the country that Huang was alleged to have been working for. A spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department said it was aware of the Singapore announcement but declined further comment, citing privacy concerns. China's foreign ministry said Beijing had no knowledge of Huang's case. "We don't understand the relevant situation," the ministry told Reuters in a statement Hong Kong's South China Morning Post newspaper quoted Huang as denying the allegations. "Its nonsense to identify me as an agent of influence for a foreign country, he said. And why didnt they identify which foreign country theyre referring to? Is it the U.S. or China? Huang said he would seek help from his lawyer and the U.S. embassy in Singapore. My family and my home are all here. I have property in Singapore, too. How can they treat me like this? If they have evidence, they should take me to court, said Huang, who was not given a deadline to leave the island state. 'PRIVILEGED INFORMATION' The home affairs ministry charged that Huang had used his position at the Lee Kwan Yew school "to deliberately and covertly advance the agenda of a foreign country at Singapores expense." "He did this in collaboration with foreign intelligence agents," it added. The ministry said Huang and his wife could appeal, but if unsuccessful, would have to leave Singapore within a grace period. The university said it had suspended Huang without pay while it worked with the ministry on the matter. "As these permits have been canceled, we would not be able to continue with his employment," it said in a statement, adding that it could not comment on the specifics of the case. The ministry said Huang had engaged with prominent and influential Singaporeans, giving them what he claimed to be "privileged information" about the foreign country with which he was interacting. Such information was passed to a senior member of the Lee Kuan Yew School, who conveyed it to the Singapore government, which declined to act on it, the ministry said. Huang's wife was aware of her husband's actions and that he recruited others for his operations, it said. Huang's biography on the school's website said he was previously a senior fellow at the John Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution and had advised exiled Tibetan leaders on China affairs. He is author of the books, "Factionalism in Chinese Communist Politics" and "Crisis and Challenges in U.S.-China Relations." An opinion piece by Huang published in China's Global Times this year titled "U.S. domestic woes have global implications" said U.S. President Donald Trump's administration had eroded U.S. power and soured relations with allies. The column also said Chinese President Xi Jinping's stress on economic globalization and multilateralism "shows China's sense of reasonability as an emerging major power". (Reporting by Sam Holmes and Masayuki Kitano; Editing by Richard Balmforth and Bill Tarrant)
Manila (AFP) - Southeast Asian nations feuded Sunday over how to respond to Chinese expansionism in the South China Sea, with Vietnam insisting on a tough stance but Cambodia lobbying hard for Beijing, diplomats said.

The debates among foreign ministers of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at a security forum in the Philippines were the latest in years of struggles to deal with competing claims to the strategically vital sea.

The ministers failed to release a customary joint statement after meeting on Saturday because of their differences on the sea issue, and follow-up negotiations on Sunday did not end the stand-off, two diplomats involved in the talks told AFP.

"There's still no consensus," one of the diplomats said, adding the disagreements over the wordings on the sea issue were holding up the release of the communique.

"Vietnam is adamant, and China is effectively using Cambodia to champion its interests. But the Philippines is trying very hard to broker compromise language."

Vietnam had insisted that tough language be inserted into the statement expressing concern over "land reclamation", a reference to an explosion in recent years of Chinese artificial island building in contested parts of the waters.

Cambodia, one of China's strongest allies within ASEAN, has firmly resisted, according to the diplomats involved in the talks in Manila, as well as an excerpt of proposed Cambodian resolution obtained by AFP on Sunday.

China claims nearly all of the sea, through which $5 trillion in annual shipping trade passes, and its artificial islands have raised concerns it could eventually build military bases there and establish de facto control over the waters.

Its sweeping claims overlap with those of ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

- No consensus -

Tensions over the sea have long vexed ASEAN, which operates on a consensus basis but has had to balance the interests of rival claimants and those more aligned to China.

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Critics of China have accused it of trying to divide ASEAN with strong-armed tactics and chequebook diplomacy, enticing smaller countries in the bloc such as Cambodia and Laos to support it.

The Philippines, under previous president Benigno Aquino, had been one of the most vocal critics of China and filed a case before a UN-backed tribunal.

The tribunal last year ruled China's sweeping claims to the sea had no legal basis.

But China, despite being a signatory to the UN's Convention on the Law of the Sea, ignored the ruling.

The Philippines, under new President Rodrigo Duterte, decided to play down the verdict in favour of pursuing warmer ties with Beijing. This in turn led to offers of billions of dollars in investments or aid from China.

"It's clear that China's pressure on individual ASEAN governments has paid off with few prepared even to reiterate statements that they have made many times before," Bill Hayton, a South China Sea expert and associate fellow with the Asia Programme at Chatham House in London, told AFP.

"Beijing's task has been made easier because the Philippines holds the (ASEAN) chair this year."

The ASEAN foreign ministers and their Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Sunday adopted a framework for negotiating a code of conduct to defuse tensions in the sea.

Wang hailed this as a breakthrough.

But analysts cautioned not to place too much significance on the agreement on a framework, pointing out it came 15 years after a similar document was signed committing the parties to negotiating a code of conduct.

Philippine foreign ministry spokesman Robespierre Bolivar told reporters the ASEAN joint statement would be released by the time meetings with foreign ministers from other Asia-Pacific nations wrapped up in Manila on Tuesday.

But one diplomat involved in the talks told AFP that Vietnam and Cambodia were holding firm on Sunday.

"The atmosphere is still very tense due to the strong national interests of Vietnam and Cambodia," the diplomat said.
A t-shirt company is looking to reclaim the swastika symbol for "love and peace" and to shake the stigma of the Nazi Party's 20th Century appropriation.

For centuries, the swastika was a positive Hindu, Buddhist cultural symbol and ancient religious icon used in the Indian subcontinent . It would later be twisted and appropriated by the Nazi party to symbolize Nazi Germany in the 1920s-1945. While the ancient symbol once meant good luck, it is now inextricably linked to the oppressive regime of the Nazis who attempted to create an Aryan race and perpetrated the Holocaust on European Jews. One t-shirt company, however, appears to think they can get the symbol back.

The company, KA design, is selling t-shirts and sweatshirts online through Teespring, an online custom clothing retailer, depicting a white swastika on a rainbow background with the word peace below. Another design spells out the word love in white on a rainbow background with the o replaced by a swastika.

READ: Andrew Anglin Neo-Nazi Website Founder Missing After Jewish Woman Filed Lawsuit Over Internet Trolls

The companys tag line is questing boundaries and on their Facebook posted a video explaining their idea.

They took the swastika, rotated it 45 degrees and turned it into hatred, fear, racism and power.

They stigmatized the swastika. They won. They limited our freedom. Or Maybe Not? the video reads. The swastika is coming back together with love, peace, respect and freedom.

The symbol is still banned in Germany after it was used during World War II by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. In the United States, the swastika is considered a hate symbol.

We really like the symbol in its shape and aesthetics, and we would love to share the beauty of this symbol detached from the hatred associated with it, said a representative from the company to Dazed Magazine Saturday. We hope to be able to extend our Swastika line to new design concept and colors, while keeping our current peace message. Our dream is to feel free to use this symbol without any kind of limitation, however we prefer.

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The Facebook page of the company is filled with people who are not fans of what the company is trying to do.

I don't know why it seemed necessary to try and "reinvent" a symbol that caused so much pain and is still so painful for so many, said one commenter on Facebook. Please do not buy this disturbing product. You can not erase the evil this symbol embodies and is a reminder of, no matter what colour you decide to make it.

Another commenter felt that the symbol is gone forever.

READ: Nazi Relics Found Inside Hidden Room In Argentina, Believed To Be Country's Largest Collection

This is inconsiderate. It doesn't matter what this symbol used to be, it has changed for ever, it can never be seen the same way. More than 60 million people died because of Nazism and you think that can be forgotten? Shame on your company! she wrote.

The company has a 1.5 star rating on Facebook.



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By Karen Lema MANILA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday he believes Washington and Russia can find a way to ease tensions, saying it wouldn't be useful to cut ties over the single issue of suspected Russian meddling in the U.S. election. Tillerson said Russia had also expressed some willingness to resume talks about the crisis in Ukraine, where a 2015 ceasefire between Kiev's forces and Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country is regularly violated. "We should find places we can work together... In places we have differences we're going to have to continue to find ways to address those," Tillerson told reporters. Tillerson met his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of an international gathering in Manila on Sunday, where he also asked about Moscow's retaliation against new U.S. sanctions. Tillerson said he told Lavrov the United States would respond to the Kremlin's order for it to cut about 60 percent of its diplomatic staff in Russia by September 1. "We have not made a decision on how we will respond to Russia's request to remove U.S. diplomatic personnel. I asked several clarifying questions...I told him we would respond by September first," Tillerson said. The meeting was their first since President Donald Trump reluctantly signed into law the sanctions that Russia said amounted to a full-scale trade war and ended hopes for better ties. Lavrov on Sunday said he believed his U.S. colleagues were ready to continue dialogue with Moscow on complex issues despite tensions. Tillerson said he discussed Russia's suspected meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election with Lavrov to "help them understand how serious this incident had been and how seriously it damaged the relationship" between the two nations. But Tillerson said that should not irreversibly damage ties. "The fact that we want to work with them on areas that are of serious national security interest to us, and at the same time having this extraordinary issue of mistrust that divides us, that is just what we in the diplomatic part of our relationship are required to do," Tillerson said. The United States sent its special representative on Ukraine, Kurt Volker, a former U.S. envoy to NATO, to Ukraine last month to assess the situation in the former Soviet republic. Washington cites the conflict as a key obstacle to improved relations between Russia and the United States. "We appointed a special envoy to engage with Russia but also coordinating with all parties. This is full visibility to all parties. We are not trying to cut some kind of deal on the side," Tillerson said. (Editing by Martin Petty and Nick Macfie)
Two Chinese tourists were arrested in Germany Saturday after they performed a salute praising Adolf Hitler, which the country has banned.

The tourists were performing the Heil Hitler Nazi salute and taking photos of themselves outside the Reichstag in Berlin, where Germanys parliament convenes. They were both released on $600 bail, according to the BBC, but could have to pay a fine or face a possible three-year sentence in prison.

In 1933, shortly after Hitler had assumed power in Germany, the Reichstag burned down because of an arson attack. The Nazi party blamed the communists, citing it as evidence that there was a conspiracy to precipitate a Nazi downfall, and began implementing laws to curtails citizens civil liberties.

The crackdown on Nazi-era salutes is not new, as they have been banned in Germany shortly after World War II. A Canadian tourist was arrested for performing the same salute in 2011, according to the Independent. The person, who had to pay a fine, was released after several hours in policy custody.
Istanbul (AFP) - Turkey sent artillery units to the border with Syria Saturday, where its army regularly clashes with Kurdish militia, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

A military convoy with at least five howitzers arrived overnight at the southern city of Kilis the scene of recent cross-border fire between the Turkish army and the Kurdish Peoples' Protection Units (YPG).

The new units were there to reinforce rather than replace the artillery already in place, the agency reported, citing military sources.

Across the border from the province of Kilis lies an area of northwest Syria that is controlled by the YPG, which is Washington-backed but deemed a terror group by Ankara.

Turkish troops and YPG have exchanged fire in the region several times in recent months and Turkey has threatened to launch another cross-border offensive.

Turkey considers the YPG as the Syrian arm of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged an over three decade insurgency against the Turkish state.

But the United States works closely with the group as the best ground force in Syria to defeat Islamic State (IS) jihadists. Turkey's NATO allies do not regard the YPG as a terror organisation.

Already in August 2016, Turkey launched a ground offensive into norther Syria to push back IS fighters and prevent the YPG forces linking up their different zones of control.
The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) agreed to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea on Saturday, designed to put economic pressure on Kim Jong Uns government as a form of punishment for escalating its nuclear and missile programs and threatening the safety of its neighboring countries.

Among others, North Korea is looking at a ban on the export of coal, iron, lead, and seafood products which are estimated to have made the country a profit of over $1 billion last year. The UNSC had restricted the export of coal which is North Koreas most exported item to $400 million in November from $1.2 billion that it used to make.

North Korea is also estimated to make $295 million from fish and seafood exports, $251 million from iron, and iron ore exports and $113 million from lead and lead ore exports, ABC News reported.

Foreign companies have been banned from investing in North Korean businesses or issue any more permits to additional permits to North Korean laborers.

Kim Jong Un

Photo: Getty Images/ STR

Read: North Korea Hacking: Neighbors Say Country's Cyber Attacks Target Finances

The U.N. has also blacklisted nine additional North Koreans, who are officials or representatives of companies and banks. It has also frozen the assets of two companies and two banks of the country.

"This resolution is the single largest economic sanctions package ever leveled against the North Korean regime," United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley said. "This is the most stringent set of sanctions on any country in a generation."

The resolution also prepares to give North Korea a taste of its own medicine as more than half of the population of the country suffers from malnutrition and lack of proper medical care.

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"These sanctions will cut deep, and in doing so will give the North Korean leadership a taste of the deprivations they have chosen to inflict on the North Korean people," Haley said. "Revenues aren't going toward feeding its people. Instead, the North Korean regime is literally starving its people and enslaving them in mines and factories in order to fund these illegal missile programs," she added.

Read: North Korea Launches Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Near Japan's Coast

However, Haley said that even after the sanctions are imposed on North Korea, there are no guarantees that Kim would be forced to return to the negotiation table regarding the aggressive missiles program adopted by his country.

"We should not fool ourselves into thinking we have solved the problem  not even close. The threat of an outlaw nuclearized North Korean dictatorship remains ... (and) is rapidly growing more dangerous," Haley told council members after the vote.

Prior to the new sanctions on North Korea, the U.N. had imposed six other rounds of sanctions with similar intentions, but to no avail. The North Korean government continued to improve its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons capabilities, posing a threat to countries across the globe.

Moreover, the U.S. wanted to tie the noose around Kims regime tighter as it has asked the UNSC in July to consider limiting the supply of oil to North Koreas military and weapons programs. It had also asked to impose an additional air and maritime restriction on the country. None of these suggestions were taken up by the council.

Talks of imposing new sanctions started after North Korea tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 4, capable of reaching Alaska. China and Russia also agreed to the plan of implementing sanctions when North Korea conducted another round of testing on July 28, Los Angeles Times reported.

Nevertheless, the tougher sanctions passed by the council is being seen as a definite win by President Donald Trump who tweeted out in elation Saturday:

The following is the White house's official statement on the matter:

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The US Marine Corps Sunday ended efforts to rescue three missing service members after an American military aircraft crashed during an exercise off Australia.

Following the incident involving a MV-22 Osprey -- a hybrid helicopter-turboprop with a chequered safety record -- Japan's defence minister asked Washington to temporarily stop flying them in his country.

Twenty-three personnel were quickly saved following Saturday's incident off the Australia coast.

But three marines remained missing despite an air and sea search.

"Operations have now shifted to recovery efforts. The next-of-kin for the three missing Marines have been notified," US Marines based in Japan said in a statement.

"As the sea state permits, recovery efforts will be conducted to further search, assess and survey the area, in coordination and with assistance from the Australian Defence Force."

Defence Minister Marise Payne said Sunday the Royal Australian Navy was deploying a survey ship, HMAS Melville, as well as a navy dive team to the area to help the recovery operation.

"Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic event and the Australian government stands ready to support the US further in any way we can," she added.

The Marines said the recovery and salvage operations could take several months to complete, while the cause of the crash was being investigated.

The MV-22, which is half-helicopter half-turboprop, has two engines positioned on fixed wingtips that allow it to land and take off vertically. It can travel much faster than a helicopter.

The Japan-based aircraft was in the region as part of the Australian-US joint military exercise Talisman Sabre, which has just ended in Queensland state.

Japan's new Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said Sunday his ministry is seeking more information on the latest accident.

"I believe there are voices of concern in Japan as clear information (about the accident) is not immediately available," Onodera told reporters.

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"I wish to make a request (not to fly the aircraft) on a voluntary basis."

A squadron of Ospreys is based at the Marines' Futenma base on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa.

There have been a series of deadly incidents, mostly in the United States, involving the aircraft.

In April 2000 19 Marines were killed in an MV-22 crash in the US.

Locals on Okinawa have protested against the deployment of the MV-22 to Futenma, which is sited in the middle of a crowded city.

In December a "controlled landing" of the hybrid aircraft just off the coast during a training flight sparked local anger. The aircraft was in pieces after the incident but no one was killed.

Okinawa campaigners who want the base moved off the island say they cannot tolerate the possibility of accidents, as well as noise and crimes committed by US service members.
Chicago (AFP) - A US professor who went on the run following the murder of a Chicago hairstylist will plead not guilty to the killing, his lawyer said Monday.

Wyndham Lathem, a professor at Northwestern University's Chicago campus and Andrew Warren, a university employee from England -- were implicated in the stabbing death of the 26-year-old man found dead in Lathem's apartment.

Police said the victim was stabbed repeatedly and with such force that the blade of the knife used in the crime broke.

The pair went on the run and a nationwide manhunt was launched to find them, before they turned themselves in on Friday in California.

Lathem was scheduled to appear before a judge Monday afternoon prior to his return to Chicago, and his lawyer Kenneth Wine confirmed to AFP that the 42-year-old professor would plead not guilty.

His lawyers have received "dozens of calls and letters of support," Wine said in a statement.

"They all describe him in the same way -- a kind, intelligent and gentle soul," he added.

"What he is accused of is totally contrary to the way he has lived his entire life."

Police said they found Trenton Cornell-Duranleau on July 27 dead of multiple stab wounds.

While on the run, Lathem sent a video message to friends and family apologizing for his role in the murder, police said.

They did not offer a motive for the slaying and have not released much information about how the three men were connected -- aside from revealing that the victim had been living with Lathem in his apartment.

Warren was expected in court Friday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper.
Manila (AFP) - North Korea vowed Monday that tough new United Nations sanctions would not stop it from developing its nuclear arsenal, as it rejected talks and angrily warned the United States of retaliation.

The message of defiance was the first major response to the US-drafted sanctions, which the UN Security Council unanimously approved over the weekend and which could cost North Korea $1 billion a year.

The North's sole major ally China, accused by the United States of doing too little to rein in Pyongyang, piled on the diplomatic pressure by vowing to fully implement the new sanctions.

"We will under no circumstances put the nukes and ballistics rockets on (the) negotiating table," North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho said in a statement released in the Philippine capital Manila where he was attending a regional security forum.

"Neither shall we flinch even an inch from the road to bolstering up the nuclear forces chosen by ourselves unless the hostile policy and nuclear threat of the US against the DPRK (North Korea) are fundamentally eliminated."

In an earlier statement released via its official KCNA news agency, North Korea threatened to make the United States "pay the price for its crime... thousands of times" for drafting the sanctions.

Ri was among two dozen ministers attending the security forum, including Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and top diplomats from other Asia-Pacific nations.

For his part, Tillerson ruled out a quick return to dialogue with North Korea, saying Washington would only consider talks if Pyongyang halted its ballistic missile programme.

"The best signal that North Korea could send that they're prepared to talk would be to stop these missile launches," Tillerson told reporters.

Tillerson did hold out the prospect of US envoys at some point sitting down with Pyongyang, but he refused to say how long the North might have to refrain from testing more long-range missiles beforehand.

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"I'm not going to give someone a specific number of days or weeks. This is really about the spirit of these talks," he said.

The sanctions were in response to the North's two intercontinental ballistic missile tests last month, after which Kim boasted that he could now strike any part of the United States.

- United stance -

Tillerson, who held separate talks in Manila with Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, also sought to emphasise a united stance against the North.

"It's quite clear in terms of there being no daylight between the international community as to the expectation that North Korea will take steps to achieve all of my objectives, which is a denuclearised Korean peninsula," he said.

Wang then followed up by warning North Korea that China, which is Pyongyang's biggest trading partner, would be resolute in implementing the sanctions.

"China will for sure implement that new resolution 100 percent, fully and strictly," Wang told reporters, according to a translator.

Pyongyang's fiery statement via KCNA on Monday hit out at Beijing and Moscow, which has also offered the North diplomatic cover in the past.

North Korea warned that nations which "received appreciation from the US" for supporting the resolution would also be "held accountable".

US President Donald Trump had on Sunday said on Twitter that he "appreciates" Russia and China's cooperation in backing the sanctions. Either of them could have blocked the measures with their UN veto.

Seoul sought to extend an olive branch to the North in a brief and rare encounter on Sunday between South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha and Ri at a dinner to welcome the diplomats to Manila.

Kang urged Ri to accept Seoul's offers of military talks to ease tensions on the divided peninsula and for discussions on a new round of reunions for divided families, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

But Ri immediately rejected the offer and said it "lacked sincerity", Yonhap reported.

Trump and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In spoke on the phone on Sunday and agreed the North "poses a grave and growing direct threat", according to a White House statement.
Vice President Mike Pence introduces President Trump to make a statement on health care at The White House: Chris Kleponis/Getty Images

US Vice President Mike Pence has denied reports that he will run for president in 2020, calling them "disgraceful and offensive".

"Today's article in the New York Times is disgraceful and offensive to me, my family, and our entire team," he said in a statement. "The allegations in the article are categorically false and represent just the latest attempt by the media to divide this administration."

Mr Pence spoke out in response to a Times article that detailed his notable political activity in recent months, including the creation of his own political action committee and meetings with Republican donors at his private residence.

The Times reported that multiple Pence advisers had signalled that he would run in 2020 if Donald Trump did not.

The White House moved quickly to shut down these reports. Pence spokesman Marc Lotter lashed out on Twitter, calling the article "fake news" and "wishful thinking".

Mr Pence released his statement shortly thereafter, condemning the claims as "laughable and absurd".

"Whatever fake news may come our way, my entire team will continue to focus all our efforts to advance the President's agenda and see him re-elected in 2020," he said.

Still, the Vice President has been markedly more active than previous inhabitants of his office, speaking at major Republican events and hiring a competitive political strategist, Nick Ayers, as his chief of staff. (Mr Ayers dismissed the Times report as a "total lie".)

Other Republicans in the field are said to be keeping an eye on Mr Pence's moves.

They see him moving around, having big donors at the house for dinner, longtime Washington lobbyist Charles R Black J told the Times. And theyve got to try to keep up.

...Yet they are unable to name one donor that has ever heard me say that...because I haven't. #shameful #fakenews https://t.co/j3CZQIPFH2  Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) August 5, 2017

Even if Mr Pence doesn't stage a run in 2020, there are plenty of other Republicans who seem eager to step into the ring.

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Senator Tom Cotton, who appeared with the President just last week to promote his immigration legislation, is planning a $5,000-per-person fundraiser in New York next month. He has also frequented Iowa  the site of the first Democratic and Republican presidential caucuses every four years.

Advisers for Senator Ben Sasse, a frequent critic of the President, have reportedly been discussing the formation of an advocacy group to amplify his message across the country. (A spokesperson for Mr Sasse denied any interest in a 2020 presidential run.)

It's possible that these would-be challengers sense a popular backlash brewing against the President, who was never popular amongst establishment Republicans in the first place.

Mr Trump's approval ratings currently hover under 40 per cent, and he is losing ground with independent voters. His failure to sign any significant legislation  including a repeal of Obamacare  and the ongoing investigation of his ties to Russia have raised concerns as to his effectiveness.

[Republicans] see weakness in this president, Senator John McCain told the Times. Look, its not a nice business were in.
Right now China and India are glaring at each other across Doklam, the contested ground along the Sino-Indian frontier high in the Himalayas. It was the Himalayan border that prompted their last serious fight, when Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) dealt the Indians a short, sharp defeat in 1962. But any future war might not be fought on the high mountains, but the high seas.

A Sino-Indian naval war seems improbable, for sure  but so do most wars, before they happen. Its certainly not unthinkable, and so it behooves Asia-watchers to lay out the odds now rather than be guilty of a failure of imagination should the worst transpire.

Bottom line: Dont be taken in by numbers indicating that China would steamroll India in a sea fight. Martial enterprises are seldom that neat.

China has settled its border disputes with most in the region  but it prefers to leave the contest with some of its neighbors simmering, especially India. A spokesman for Chinas defense ministry, Col. Wu Qian, warned Indians not to push your luck in the Doklam dispute. For good measure Wu added that the Indian Army would find it easier to shake a mountain than to shake the PLA. Beyond the present conflict, Chinese and Indian media have a long history of competing to see who can shout By jingo! in the others direction the loudest.

History shows that rancor on land or in the air can easily sprawl out to sea. Or a saltwater conflict could ensue independently of events ashore. Both contestants take a proprietary view of waters off their coasts. China thinks about the South China Sea as a zone of indisputable or irrefutable sovereignty where Beijing ought to make the rules and others ought to obey. In a similar vein, India models its foreign policy and strategy in part on the Monroe Doctrine, and thus regards the Indian Ocean as an Indian preserve.

Such claims should have a familiar ring to Americans. During its own rise to regional and world power, the United States sought to exclude powerful outsiders from the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico  its outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The Monroe Doctrine started off as a joint defense of the Americas against European imperial powers. It ended up with Washington proclaiming that its fiat [was] law throughout these waters, and that it could exercise an international police power there  meddling in fellow American states affairs to preclude European seizures of territory in the Western Hemisphere.

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The sense that nearby seas constitute a rightful mare nostrum  ancient Romans thought of the Mediterranean as our sea  means that Indians and Chinese are predisposed to resent, and oppose, apparent encroachment by outsiders in these seaways. Fishing disputes or undersea drilling take on particular resonance; natural resources concentrate minds in Asian capitals. Indians look askance at Chinas One Belt, One Road initiative, which aims to build infrastructure and aid economic development along Eurasias historic silk roads, land and sea.

And Chinese courtship of South Asian coastal states looks suspiciously like an effort to construct a string of pearls, or network of naval bases in the Indian navys traditional operating grounds. Most recently Beijing negotiated a 99-year lease of the Sri Lankan seaport of Hambantota, lodging itself firmly in the subcontinents environs, while Chinese engineers have fortified their naval station in Djibouti, in the extreme western reaches of the Indian Ocean.

In short, the kindling for marine conflict is increasingly in place while any number of quarrels between New Delhi and Beijing could strike the match. So, who would come out on top in an armed conflict? Well, the two navies are roughly comparable in aircraft-carrier aviation, operating one modest flattop apiece. That parity in numbers appears set to persist for some years, but carrier aircraft arent the whole of naval striking power.

On paper, the Indian Navy looks massively outgunned across the board. Consider: In 2020 the PLA navy will have 73 attack submarines, or attack boats in U.S. Navy slang, in its inventory. Attack boats are subs built to hunt other subs or pummel surface fleets from the depths. The Indian navy will operate 17 such craft in 2020. That looks like a 4:1 deficit for New Delhi.

Chinas navy will also field an increasingly modern mix of 30 guided-missile destroyers (DDGs) by 2020. DDGs act as a carriers shotgun, using their missiles to fend off aerial, missile, or subsurface assault. They can also serve as capital ships in their own right, leading surface action groups against other fleets or shore targets. By comparison, the Indian navy will have a paltry eight DDGs. The PLA navy will have a mix of 92 frigates and corvettes, light combatants for duty in less menacing settings. The Indian navy will have 32 frigates and corvettes.

And so forth. These are overpowering numbers. They imply India will play Bambi to Chinas Godzilla in any maritime conflagration  and we all know what happens when Bambi meets Godzilla. Even Adm. Horatio Lord Nelson, Great Britains virtuoso of sea battle in the age of sail, insisted that only numbers can annihilate.

But numbers seldom if ever tell the whole story in marine combat.

Consider several factors that will blunt what looks on paper like an insuperable edge. First, think about the human factor. A force inferior in numbers can outfight a larger antagonist through superior seamanship, tactical dexterity, and elan. It might escape annihilation. It might even defeat that antagonists aims. The weak can win  and often have in the annals of warfare.

Do Indian mariners command a human advantage? Hard to say. Theres little history by which to judge. Neither modern India nor modern China has fought a major naval engagement. In fact, the 21st century marks the first time in over half a millennium that the twin giants have both fielded formidable oceangoing fleets at the same time.

The historical databank is conspicuously bare as a result. Indian rulers proscribed sea voyages back in the 14th century, ostensibly to prevent scientists and mathematicians from decamping to Baghdad. Chinas Ming Dynasty broke up the worlds largest and most technologically advanced navy, Adm. Zheng Hes treasure fleet, following a triumphal series of voyages to Southeast and South Asia  including full-on gunboat diplomacy in Sri Lanka centuries before the West learned the trick.

Asian powers thus evacuated the sea a historical eyeblink before Portuguese adventurer Vasco da Gama arrived on the subcontinent, ushering in an age of Western maritime dominance that is only now subsiding. Only in recent years, consequently, have Chinese and Indian fleets started jostling against each other, mainly in the Indian Ocean but on occasion in the South China Sea. Sino-Indian maritime competition is something novel, rendering it even tougher than usual to make predictions.

My own guesswork: Both navies would acquit themselves about equally well in action. They have gone out of their way to avoid common pitfalls, such as skimping on peacetime naval readiness for the sake of saving taxpayers money. British Adm. Sir Herbert Richmond warned that denying ships regular upkeep and overhauls, keeping a fleet in port, and curtailing at-sea exercises depletes materiel while rusting officers and sailors proficiency at navigation, engineering, and weapons. After all, sailors only learn seamanship and tactics by going to sea early and often to practice.

To most appearances neither Indias nor Chinas navy has let rust encrust ships or crews. The Indian navy has always maintained a regular presence in Indian Ocean waters. Until recent years the PLA navy tended to stay in port a lot, getting underway only intermittently. That is less and less true of late. China has kept a squadron on station in the Gulf of Aden for pushing a decade now. PLA navy vessels have turned up in expanses as remote as the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, and, most recently, the Baltic Sea. In so doing China has demonstrated its capacity to mount a naval presence in what Chinese strategists term the far seas beyond the China seas and Western Pacific.

What the PLA navy once lacked in training, it is striving to correct  reducing the chances of human or material corrosion. The deep military corruption that once led jingoistic Chinese Maj. Gen. Luo Yuan to make comparisons to the Beiyang Navy  the graft-ridden fleet that failed spectacularly against the Japanese in 1895  appears to have been curtailed in the anti-corruption campaigns since 2012. The Chinese navy, like the Indian, seems ready to fight.

Thats about as far as guesswork takes us. As strategist Edward Luttwak counsels, ships and planes are black boxes in peacetime. Its hard for outsiders to peek inside to see how smoothly their internal workings perform, either from an engineering or a human standpoint. Nor can peacetime maneuvers perfectly simulate the dangers, hardships, and sheer orneriness of war. A force that excels in canned exercises might be just that: a force that excels at exercises. Battle is the true arbiter of combat effectiveness and efficiency.

But if the human factor is a wash, geospatial strategy is definitely on Indias side. Its doubtful in the extreme that any clash between Indian and Chinese forces would take place in the South China Sea or elsewhere in East Asia. The Indian Navy has plenty to do superintending events in the Indian Ocean and a bare minimum of assets to do it with. It has little to spare for extra-regional enterprises. Ergo, any probable naval war would unfold in Indias home region, where the Indian military enjoys interior lines and Chinese expeditionary forces must contend with exterior lines.

What that means in plain English is this: The Indian navy enjoys direct, relatively short routes to potential scenes of battle while the PLA navy must project forces across long, distended, potentially contested sea routes just to reach the fight. Distance favors the defender while debilitating its adversary.

Fighting across vast geographic distances imposes wear-and-tear on hardware while wearying crews. It imposes severe logistical burdens. After all, an expeditionary force must carry all the fuel, stores, and ammunition it needs to reach the scene of action and fight the battle. And fighting at a distance grants the antagonist opportunities to make mischief along the way.

The foe or its allies could harry the expeditionary force, taking up station at key geographic sites  the Strait of Malacca, anyone?  to snipe away. The PLA navy force could suffer losses. At a minimum, a forward defense would compel Chinese mariners to expend scarce resources defending themselves.

In short, powerful Indian forces reside near likely trouble spots, while China must operate along long, convoluted routes just to gain access to the region. It is no simple feat for a faraway great-power navy to overpower a rival naval power  even a weaker one  in that navys home waters. Advantage: India.

Which brings us to geography. India is blessed by favorable nautical geography. The subcontinent juts into the Indian Ocean, adjoining potential battlegrounds in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. Its geographical layout amplifies the advantages of the interior lines. Furthermore, New Delhi is sovereign over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an island chain athwart the western approaches to the Strait of Malacca. Suitably fortified with missiles, aircraft, and ships, the island chain would constitute a barrier to east-west Chinese maritime movement  enfeebling any force that ventures onto Indias turf.

Chinese strategists are acutely conscious of the potential of island-chain warfare. It confronts them every day in East Asia, where U.S. allies occupy the first island chain paralleling Chinas coastline. Back in 1987, Adm. Liu Huaqing, the modern PLA navys founding father, gave an address likening the first island chain to a metal chain barring Chinas access to the Western Pacific. Small wonder Chinese strategists have taken to describing the Andamans and the Nicobars as a metal chain inhibiting Chinas access to the Indian Ocean. The same logic holds.

Geography, then, could represent Indias great equalizer against a more numerous Chinese navy. New Delhi can stage an anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) strategy of its own, harnessing geographic features for strategic gain.

Competing strategic imperatives will encumber PLA navy operations in the Indian Ocean. The overwhelming advantage on paper is misleading. The Indian navy will never feel the full weight of those numbers. PLA navy commanders cannot simply designate the entire battle fleet as an expeditionary force and send it sailing to the Indian Ocean to do battle. Doing so would expose the homeland to a formidable U.S.-Japanese fleet poised at Chinas door.

In short, like statesmen and commanders throughout history, Chinas leadership must juggle competing commitments  apportioning resources to keep the most important commitments while putting lesser commitments on hold or demoting them to secondary status. Martial sage Carl von Clausewitz sets the bar high for undertaking secondary theaters or campaigns: Such an endeavor must promise exceptionally rewarding gains, it must not risk too much in the primary theater or campaign, and therefore strategic leaders should forego it unless they boast decisive superiority of resources in the primary theater. Reward, risk, resources  call it Clausewitzs three Rs for setting and enforcing priorities.

In Clausewitzian parlance, the Indian Ocean constitutes an exceptionally rewarding theater for China. China is a net importer of energy supplies, much of which coming from the Persian Gulf. Beijing sees vital national interests at stake in the region  else it wouldnt bother with pricey ventures such as One Belt, One Road.

The questions surround Clausewitzs second two Rs, risk and resources. Do Chinas armed forces really boast decisive superiority over the U.S. Navy and Japan Self-Defense Forces  which might make trouble in Northeast Asia while the PLA navy was away battling the Indian Navy?

Doubtful. The strategic outlook gets a lot blurrier here. Fighting even an outnumbered Indian navy turns out to entail hidden perils for China. In all likelihood, Beijing would detach whatever fraction of the PLA navy fleet it could spare for action in the Indian Ocean while remaining on guard back home. That way the leadership could allocate resources prudently while keeping risk to a minimum. That portion of the PLA navy  not the PLA navy as a whole  constitutes the standard of measurement for Indian naval adequacy. If the Indian navy can handle the fraction of Chinas navy likely to venture into South Asia, then it meets the standard. If not, rough waters await.

Finally, bear in mind that naval warfare is no longer about navies alone. Chinas military boasts an array of land-based weaponry to make things hard on American or Asian forces steaming within reach of that weaponry. But Indian commanders can tap that same logic when fighting within reach of their own shore-based arsenal of tactical aircraft and missiles. The Indian air force, then, constitutes another implement of Indian sea power. And its an imposing one: American aviators testify to the combat excellence of their Indian brethren. The Indian armed forces, in short, could give PLA navy expeditionary forces a very bad day if they turn all assets at their disposal to advantage.

This should all give PLA commanders and their political masters pause. Bear in mind that maritime expeditionary operations fall outside Chinas traditional military playbook. The anti-access strategy that China deploys in the Western Pacific comports with the Maoist way of war: Its a strategically defensive mode of war-making designed to turn the tables on a stronger foe encroaching on Chinese territory. Far-seas operations involves a role reversal. In dealing with the Indian navy, its China that must assume the strategic offensive, carrying the fight onto a defenders ground. Offense poses a different challenge altogether, and its unclear whether the PLA has yet devised methods for prosecuting an offensive campaign  something it hasnt conducted since the disastrous Vietnamese excursion of 1979.

So, who would prevail in the Sino-Indian naval war of 2020? It looks like a close-run thing. China has numbers on its side, but Indias allies include geography, land-based sea power, and silent partners such as the United States and Japan. Maybe Bambis not such a pushover after all.

Photo credit: ARUN SANKAR/AFP/Getty Images
Rebecca Burger died when a whipped cream dispenser exploded

A woman whose skull was cracked and whose face was partially torn off by an exploding whipped cream canister has been awarded 1.1m by a French court.

The trial comes just months after a prominent French lifestyle blogger died after a similar incident involving a whipped cream canister made by the same manufacturer.

A court in the southern French town of Montauban has ruled that Emilie Lada deserved the payout after the household accident in 2013 left her with permanent disabilities, including memory failure and the loss of her sense of taste and smell.

Mrs Lada, then 30, was preparing a mousse at her home when the whipped cream canister she was holding exploded and the plastic lid shot into her face.

Her husband and their two young children were in the kitchen at the time of the accident.

The woman was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries, but recovered. While medical teams were able to reconstruct the womans face, she was left with permanent disabilities.

These disabilities were considered severe enough to warrant the seven-figure payout by the importer of the canister, F2J, and its insurance provider AXA, the court ruled.

There have been around 60 serious incidents involving exploding whipped cream canisters since 2013, Mrs Lada's lawyer said. Several of these have been with the same canister used by Mrs Lada was using, but there have been incidents with other brands too.

Frances National Consumer Institute (the INC) has warned the public that such canisters are dangerous and may not be able to withstand the pressure of the carbon dioxide inside.

Mrs Ladas lawyer, Emilie Petitgirard, said the unusually high payout was for a life snatched away.

There are serious consequences from the head trauma. She is a young woman who can no longer work, she suffers from memory loss, and has no sense of smell or taste, she said.

The woman is also said to suffer other brain traumas and has organisational difficulties.

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The lawyer said that her client had made an impressive recovery thanks to the remarkable word of the surgeons.

Part of her face was torn off in the explosion, but the surgeons work was amazing and the visible damage is minimal now, Petitgirard said.

The canisters are marketed under the brand name Ard'Time, although it was only the importer and the insurance provider ordered to pay.

On top of the 1.09m for Mrs Lada, they were told to pay 10,000 euros to her husband and two children who witnessed the explosion.

Insurance provider AXA has appealed the courts ruling, adding that French supermarket chain Auchan should also be blamed for selling the whipped cream cannister. The canister was recalled by the manufacturer in March 2013. The court ruled that the supermarket chain was not responsible, however.

The case echoes that of Rebecca Burger, a French Instagram star who was killed in June after a similar whipped cream canister exploded.

The 32-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest after a piece of the exploding device hit her in the chest.

The family of the blogger took to Instagram to share a picture of an offending canister, writing: Dont use this product in your homes! Tens of thousands of the faulty devices are already in circulation.

Its satisfying that all of the victims injuries were taken into account by the court and compensated for fairly, Ms Petitgirard told The Telegraph.

While amount of compensation may seem like a lot, it reflects the extreme injuries that my client has suffered.

She added that the fact that another woman died four years later from the same product by the same brand was scandalous inefficiency.

It shows that it was a totally ineffective recall campaign, she claimed.
Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe has faced pressures to cancel an Africa-Israel summit that the West African nation is due to host in October, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday.

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Various pressures have been placed on the Togolese president to cancel the conference, Netanyahu said at the weekly cabinet meeting. These pressures are the best testimony to the success of our policy, of Israels presence in Africa."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a summit with African leaders in Uganda on July 4, 2016 (Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO)

Gnassingbe will arrive in Israel for a five-day visit on Monday and Togo will be hosting some 25-20 African states for the first Africa-Israel Summit in late October.

The meeting in the Togolese capital Lome will bring together business, economic and security figures from Africa and Israel and will focus on development, trade, technology, counter-terrorism and agriculture.

Of course I will speak with the Togolese president about ways to deepen and expand Israels presence in Africa, the prime minister said.

The October summit will be Netanyahus third visit to Africa in just over a year. Netanyahu said his Africa policy had a clear goal: to bring Israel back to Africa in a big way."

He also noted that last week Cape Verde announced that it would no longer vote against Israel at the United Nations. This is important and it attests to success, the prime minister said.

Meanwhile two Muslim majority African nations Senegal and Guinea will establish diplomatic representation with Israel for the first time this week. Talla Fall, Senegals ambassador to Egypt and Amara Camara, Guineas ambassador to France, will take up positions as non-resident ambassadors to Israel and will present their credentials to President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday.

Article reprinted with permission from

TPS

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Former Tourism Minister and Ambassador to Czech under the erstwhile John Evans Atta Mills administration, Zita Okaikoi has sealed off her remarriage in a private ceremony.

Click here for all the latest arts and entertainment news in Ghana

READ ALSO: Operation Vanguard meet stiff opposition with illegal miners; one life lost

Zita, up until her new marriage was the wife of Parliamentary hopeful on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress for Okakoi North, Mr Andrew Okaikoi.

The former government appointee upon her marriage now is believed to go by the name, Sabah Zita Benson.

READ ALSO: I have more cars than Wizkid; I own a mansion too- Shatta Wale brags about his wealth

Even though she intended to keep the wedding from the glaring eyes of the general public, social media broke the news and some pictures were shared from the ceremony.

READ ALSO: One-time local gospel music giant Kwaku Gyasi has been spotted and he is looking totally different (Photos)

It cannot be confirmed why and when Zitas marriage with Mr Andrew Okaikoi hit the rocks but it can sure be confirmed that the former government appointee has tied the nut with another man.

Some congratulatory messages that were sighted after rumors were rife of the marriage come to confirm the event.

READ ALSO: Pen artist draws hilarious pictures of celebrities on paper (Photos)

Very little information is available concerning the new husband of the former ambassador.

Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition?

Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YENs official Facebook page, or contact us via info@yen.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh
The Macau government and the Alibaba Group, the worlds largest online marketplace, have announced the formation of a strategic partnership, under which the MSAR will employ Alibabas big data processing capabilities and cloud computing technology to enhance its public services.

The agreement aims to further Macaus objective of becoming a smart city  a vision recently formalized in the introduction of Macaus first Five-Year Development Plan.

The plan seeks to accelerate Macaus development in several key areas; namely, tourism, information technology training, transportation management, medical services and urban management.

This will include the adoption of target consumer marketing tools, such as convenient mobile payments and customized online promotions at the airport and popular tourist spots.

The agreement will also pave the way for a smart transportation network to optimize the management of Macaus roads, waterways and air traffic, so as to utilize the citys transportation resources more efficiently.

The agreement will also introduce a new electronic medical system, which will be linked to a global online database of medical information, to assist healthcare providers with decision-making.

It will also launch certificate programs to train professionals in business-to-business e-commerce and cloud computing technology.

The signing was witnessed by Chief Executive (CE) Chui Sai On and Jack Ma, the executive chairman of the Alibaba Group.

Titled Framework Agreement of Strategic Cooperation on Smart City Development, the four-year plan is divided into two phases. The first phase, running until June 2019, will comprise the construction of a cloud computing data center in Macau, as well as the data mapping stage, which will be managed by the government.

The government expects projects in the first phase of the rollout to start producing preliminary results by mid-2018, according to a statement released by the Government Information Bureau (GCS).

The second phase of the agreement covers the period from July 2019 to June 2021. Aside from the continuous improvement of Macaus technological infrastructure, this phase will entail the commencement of projects related to environmental protection, customs clearance procedures and forecasting models for the MSARs economy.

According to the statement, the government chose to partner the Alibaba Group for its experience implementing systems in other developed cities.

GCS said that the government had decided to cooperate with Alibaba Cloud  a unit of the Alibaba Group  after conducting thorough research, a decision influenced by the fact that Alibaba Cloud is the largest provider of cloud computing services in China, with clients in hundreds of cities.

The company is also widely recognized in the Asia-Pacific region for its information security practices, and its systems are compatible with Macaus existing infrastructure, meaning that the government would not need to introduce new systems or change its current ones.

Developing Macau as a smart city is an ongoing government strategy to boost socio-economic development in the MSAR. It will also help the government fulfil its goal of developing information technology services as part of its first Five-Year Development Plan, which covers the period 2016 to 2020.

Smart cities  a relatively new and unconventional concept  use information technologies to manage city-wide assets and deliver services more efficiently.

O Lam, the chief of the CEs Office, was present to sign the agreement and has stated that Alibaba will help the city achieve its long-term development goals.

Also signing the agreement was Alibaba Cloud president Hu Xiaoming, who said that he was confident that Macau would successfully implement its projects by utilizing Alibabas experience in this field. He said that Macau had the potential to become a model smart city for scores of other cities across the Asia-Pacific region.
Chinas top diplomat said yesterday that talks for a nonaggression pact aimed at preventing clashes from erupting in the disputed South China Sea may start this year if outside parties dont cause a major disruption.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the start of talks for a code of conduct in the disputed waters may be announced by the heads of state of China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations at their annual summit in the Philippines in November if Beijings conditions are met.

Wang told a news conference in Manila that those conditions include non-interference by outside parties, apparently referring to the United States, which Beijing has frequently accused of meddling in what it says is an Asian dispute that should be resolved only by the countries involved.

Chinas territorial disputes in the strategic and potentially oil- and gas-rich waterway with five other governments intensified after it built islands in disputed waters and reportedly started to install a missile defense system on them, alarming rival claimant states, the U.S. and other Western governments.

If there is no major disruption from outside parties, with that as the precondition, then we will consider during the November leaders meeting, we will jointly announce the official start of the code of conduct consultation, Wang said.

The situation in the South China Sea should also be generally stable, he said.

China and ASEAN have the ability to work together to maintain regional peace and stability and we will work out regional rules that we mutually agreed upon so as to open up a bright future for our future relations, he said.

A Philippine government spokesman, Robespierre Bolivar, also announced the adoption of the codes framework and consensus on steps to start negotiations on the actual code. He did not mention any preconditions.

The leaders of ASEAN and China are expected to announce the formal start of negotiations on the code at their summit in November, Bolivar told reporters.

Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton said countries locked in the sea disputes should halt provocative moves to foster a diplomatic resolution.

We think all of the countries in the region should agree that while they have this diplomatic process going on that they would stop improving or expanding or militarizing any of their outposts, Thornton said.

China had long been perceived as delaying negotiations with ASEAN for the maritime code to allow it to launch and complete its land reclamations in the South China Sea without any such regulatory restrictions. Wangs mention of the vague conditions can allow China to delay or halt the planned talks for any reason.

While China has had robust economic ties with Southeast Asia, a diverse region of more than 600 million people with a combined GDP of $2.4 trillion, both have tangled for years over the territorial conflicts. Tensions flared alarmingly in recent years over Chinas island-building works in one of the most disputed regions, where U.S. naval and aerial patrols have challenged Beijings claims.

ASEAN foreign ministers failed to promptly issue a joint communique after their annual gathering in Manila on Saturday due to a disagreement on the wordings of chapters pertaining to the territorial rifts and concern over North Koreas intercontinental ballistic missile tests, two Southeast Asian diplomats told The Associated Press yesterday.

One of the diplomats said wordings on the South China Sea issue to be included in the communique had not yet been finalized, with Vietnam reiterating its position that ASEAN should cite regional concerns over Chinas land reclamation and construction of its man-made islands.

China has steadfastly opposed any mention in ASEAN statements of its island-building in the disputed waters, its reported installation of a missile defense system on the new features and an arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijings historical claims to the strategic waters.

Although its not an ASEAN member, China can exert its influence on allies like ASEAN member Cambodia to reject any move it deems inimical to its interest. An unwieldy bloc of democracies, monarchies and authoritarian regimes, the regional grouping decides by consensus, meaning just one member state can shoot down any proposal.

Another diplomat said Cambodia also expressed concern over the ASEAN foreign ministers issuance of a separate statement criticizing North Koreas two ICBM tests last month.

Cambodia wanted its sentiments on the Korean Peninsula better reflected in the ASEAN foreign ministers joint communique, stalling its issuance Saturday, the diplomat said, adding that Cambodias stance may have been influenced by China.

Both Cambodia and North Korea are Chinas allies.

Washington has asked countries, including the ASEAN member states, to help isolate North Korea diplomatically to force it to stop provocative acts. While China agrees with sanctions on the North, Wang, the Chinese Foreign Minister, said Sunday that they should be aimed at forcing Pyongyang to return to negotiations directed at taming its nuclear ambitions.

Sanctions are needed, but by no means the ultimate goal, Wang, who was in Manila for the talks with the ASEAN ministers, said in a statement posted on the Chinese foreign ministrys website.

Bolivar had said the ministers joint communique would be issued promptly on Saturday. He took back the announcement later and said the communique may be made public with other statements today and tomorrow. Teresa Cerojano, Jim Gomez, AP
A Chinese court sentenced the ex-Communist Party chief of a rust-belt province that had been hit by massive electoral fraud to life imprisonment for accepting bribes worth more than USD22 million.

A court in the central city of Luoyang on Friday handed down the sentence to Wang Min, the former party leader of Liaoning province, after convicting him of bribery, corruption and negligence of duty, the official Peoples Daily newspaper said.

Wang was accused of accepted money and valuables worth more than 146 million yuan ($22 million) and abusing his power when he served as a senior official in Jilin and Liaoning provinces between 2004 and 2016, state media reported.

He was also found guilty of negligence that was responsible for serious election fraud including vote buying.

Allegations of electoral fraud led to the removal of many of the Liaoning legislatures nearly 600 members in September last year. The legislature nominally oversees the province, though all key decisions are made by the ruling Communist Party.

President Xi Jinping has made fighting corruption a hallmark of his administration in an effort to bolster his legitimacy. In 2016 alone, prosecutions were reportedly launched against 48 officials at the provincial level and above.

In June, the former head of Chinas statistics bureau was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of taking bribes equivalent to more than $22 million over more than two decades. AP
The Myanmar governments inquiry into violence in northern Rakhine state last year that forced tens of thousands of Muslim Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh and led to U.N. accusations of crimes against humanity by the army has concluded that no such crimes happened.

Speaking at the release of the Rakhine Investigative Commissions final report, Vice President Myint Swe  a former general  told reporters yesterday that there is no evidence of crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing as the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights claimed.

He also denied charges that there had been gang rapes by the military as it swept through Rohingya villages in a security clearance operation. The army was reacting to deadly attacks against border police posts by a previously unknown insurgent group in October 2016 in the Maungdaw area of Rakhine.

The commissions report did accept that some things might have happened that broke the law, attributing it to excessive action on the part of individual members of the security forces.

Rights groups have previously expressed their doubts over the commissions work, saying it lacked outside experts, had poor research methodologies and lacked credibility because it was not independent.

The U.N. has mandated its own fact-finding mission to travel to the Maungdaw area to conduct its own inquiry, but the government has said its members will not be allowed to go.

Zaw Myint Pe, a senior member of the government commission, said the report released by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Of in early February, which included accusations of rights abuses by security forces, had failed to take into consideration violent acts committed by Muslim groups.

The report does not contain forward-looking constructive recommendations but instead accuses Myanmar of committing genocide and ethnic cleansing by killing Muslims and it is terribly affecting our countrys image, said Zaw Myint Pe.

The government has shut down northern Rakhine, where the allegations of right abuses are ongoing, to independent journalists, rights experts and humanitarian workers for almost nine months. The security forces launched an aggressive clearance operation in Rakhine in October 2016 after shadowy insurgents killed nine border guard police officers. Esther Htusan, Yangon, AP
Billionaire James Packers Crown Resorts Ltd. said high-roller casino revenue halved last fiscal year after Chinese authorities clamped down on the promotion of gambling on the mainland.

Crowns VIP program- play turnover in the year ended June 30 slumped 49 percent to AUD33.3 billion (USD27 billion), dragging down revenue at its Melbourne and Perth resorts, the company said in a statement Friday. Profit excluding one-off gains fell 16 percent to AUD343.1 million.

Crowns high-roller business has been rocked since Chinese authorities arrested a group of its staff in October and Chairman John Alexander said Friday the results reflected difficult trading conditions. Since then, the company has sold out of a Macau casino venture, closed almost all its Asian marketing offices and handed back cash to shareholders.

Crown rose 0.3 percent to AUD12.80 at 11:10 a.m. on Friday after it extended a stock buyback, taking the gain since the October detentions to about 15 percent. The company will purchase up to 29.3 million more shares, currently worth AUD375 million.

Crown is now focusing on its domestic resorts in Melbourne and Perth, and the construction of a AUD2 billion luxury hotel and casino in Sydney.

A Shanghai court in June convicted 19 current and former Crown staff of illegally promoting gambling on the mainland and handed out jail terms of as long as 10 months. Angus Whitley, Bloomberg
Casino operators are worried about what the recent land reversion cases in Macau will portend for their upcoming license renewals in 2020.

According to Reuters, the governments seizure of over 100 plots of lands from developers, on the grounds of their non- or under-utilization, has spooked casino executives. The reversion of the land plots proceeded despite protests from the developers, concerned residents and some city legislators.

The news agency has reported that some operators are concerned that the MSAR government might take a tougher stance in the unprecedented negotiations leading up to the license expiry dates between 2020 and 2022.

Its really a warning sign that the government is not backing down for the casino concessions, one senior casino executive, who wished to remain anonymous, told Reuters. Nobody really knows what is going to happen.

Just because you have a licence now doesnt mean you will have one in the future, another casino executive told Reuters. They are setting our expectations that some operators may not continue.

Five of Macaus six casino operators had previously refused to comment on the issue.

Melco, breaking the silence, told Reuters that it hoped it would be able to continue its casino business in Macau, highlighting its connection to the city. Lawrence Ho, the son of casino magnate Stanley Ho, is Melcos chief executive officer and chairman.

The government has rebuked the suggestion that the confiscations over the past four years are connected to the casino license renewals, and maintains that there is no intention to revise the Land Law.

The local authorities have justified the confiscations by saying that developers have been sitting idle instead of developing the plots as agreed in their contacts. They say that the tough stance will reduce corruption and ensure that land  in scarce supply in Macau  will be used for their intended purpose.

However, developers have accused government bureaucracy of stifling development plans, citing burdersome regulations and unresponsiveness from the related government departments.

In the meantime, casino operators are taking pre-emptive action to win favor from the local government. This reportedly includes a drive to hire more local workers and widely-publicized procurement campaigns to support the citys small and medium-sized businesses.

But the upcoming license renewals have also meant caution among the operators and, according to Reuters, have also resulted in shorter-term contracts negotiated for new casino executives.

Its all very sensitive at the moment, said another casino executive. We are just trying to understand what the government wants. DB
Singapores government on Friday declared a scholar of Chinese studies with a prestigious appointment at a local think tank persona non grata, alleging that he has been identified as an agent of influence of a foreign country.

An announcement by the Home Affairs Ministry did not identify the country, but said that Huang Jing, a U.S. citizen, knowingly worked with intelligence organizations and agents of that country to attempt to influence Singapores foreign policy and public opinion.

It charged that from his position at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, he tried to influence opinion in favor of the unnamed country and recruited others to help him.

The ministry said the permanent resident status of Huang and his wife, Yang Xiuping, has been canceled and they are banned from re-entering Singapore.

Hong Kongs South China Morning Post newspaper reported that it spoke to Huang in Singapore and he denied the allegations.

Its nonsense to identify me as an agent of influence for a foreign country, he said, according to the newspaper. And why didnt they identify which foreign country theyre referring to? Is it the U.S. or China?

It cited him as saying he would seek help from his lawyer and the U.S. Embassy in Singapore.

If they have evidence, they should take me to court, it quoted him as saying.

The newspaper said Huang is known for his Beijing-friendly stance in regular articles for international and mainland Chinese publications.

The Home Ministry announcement said Huang engaged prominent and influential Singaporeans and gave them what he claimed was privileged information about the foreign country, so as to influence their opinions in favor of that country. It did not explain the nature of the information.

It said that when Huang gave such information to a senior member of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, it was forwarded to senior members of Singapores government with the intention of changing the countrys foreign policy.

However, the Singapore government declined to act on the privileged information, the statement said.

Huang held two positions at the Lee Kuan Yew School: director of the Centre on Asia and Globalisation and Lee Foundation Professor on U.S.-China relations. He also chaired projects studying China-India relations and the energy policies of China, Japan and the United States.

The Straits Times, a Singaporean newspaper close to the government, said Huang holds a 1995 PhD in government from Harvard University, where he also lectured in 2013-14, and had been a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, D.C.

The newspaper said Huang served on the board of several organizations in Singapore, including the company Keppel Land, part of one of the countrys major conglomerates. AP
Japanese automakers Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda Motor Corp. plan to spend USD1.6 billion to jointly build auto manufacturing plant in the U.S.  a move that will create up to 4,000 jobs, both sides said Friday.

The plant will have an annual production capacity of about 300,000 vehicles, and will produce Toyota Corollas as well as a new Mazda crossover vehicle for the North American market.

Toyota wouldnt say where the plant would be built. But because the new plant will build the Corolla, chances are it will be located near Toyotas current Corolla plant in Mississippi to be close to parts supply companies. The companies expect the plant to begin operations by 2021.

Toyota said it changed its plan to make Corollas at a plant in Guanajuato, Mexico, now under construction, after reassessing the market. Instead it will produce Tacoma pickups there, Toyota President Akio Toyoda said.

President Donald Trump had criticized Toyota and other automakers for taking auto production and jobs to Mexico, saying vehicles for the U.S. market should be built by U.S. workers. Toyoda denied that Trumps views influenced his decision.

Trump welcomed the announcement in a tweet: Toyota & Mazda to build a new $1.6B plant here in the U.S.A. and create 4K new American jobs. A great investment in American manufacturing!

Sales of small cars have slumped in the U.S. amid steadily low gas prices. Corolla sales fell 10 percent through July. But Toyota hopes the market will have shifted by 2021. If not, the plant will have the flexibility to shift to another model, according to spokesman Scott Vazin.

Toyota plans to acquire a 5.05 percent stake in Mazda, valued at 50 billion yen ($455 million). Mazda, which makes the Miata roadster, will acquire 50 billion yen worth of Toyota shares, the equivalent of a 0.25 percent stake.

The companies also plan to work together on various advanced auto technology, such as electric vehicles, safety features and connected cars, as well as products that they could supply each other.

In the past, Toyota was not overly bullish on electric vehicles, which have a limited cruise range. But recent breakthroughs in batteries allow for longer travel per charge. Japanese rival Nissan Motor Co. is allied with Renault SA of France and Mitsubishi Motors Corp., and is the global leader in electric vehicles. Their alliance led world vehicles sales for the first time in the first half of this year.

Toyoda also noted the growing competition from newcomers in the auto industry like Google, Apple and Amazon, stressing he was worried about autos turning into commodities. He praised Mazda as a great partner in that effort.

Fridays announcement builds on an existing partnership. Toyota, which makes the Prius hybrid, Camry sedan and Lexus luxury models, already provides hybrid technology to Mazda, which makes compact cars for Toyota at its Mexico plant.

The sheer cost of the plant also makes a partnership logical, as it boosts cost-efficiency and economies of scale. Working together on green and other auto technology also makes sense as the segment becomes increasingly competitive due to concerns about global warming, the environment and safety.

Given the massive level of competition in the industry, partnerships are no longer a surprise, said Akshay Anand, an executive analyst at Kelley Blue Book.

Politics are another incentive.

The new presidential administration has made it clear investments in the U.S. are a top priority, and this plant may be another nod to that mindset, Anand said.

Mazda, based in Hiroshima, Japan, used to have a powerful partner in Dearborn-based Ford Motor Co., which bought 25 percent of Mazda in 1979, and raised it to 33.4 percent in 1996. But Ford began cutting ties in 2008, and has shed its stake in Mazda.

Also Friday, Toyota reported its April-June profit was 613.0 billion yen ($5.6 billion), up 11 percent from 552.4 billion yen a year earlier. Quarterly sales rose 7 percent to 7.05 trillion yen ($64 billion), as vehicle sales improved around the world, including in the U.S., Europe and Japan.

Toyota stuck to its earlier projection for global vehicle sales for the fiscal year, ending in March 2018, at 10.25 million vehicles.

Tom Krisher and Yuri Kageyama, Tokyo, AP
A global pressure campaign on North Korea propelled by sharp new U.N. sanctions received a welcome boost yesterday from China, the Norths economic lifeline, as Beijing called on the pariah nation to halt its missile and nuclear tests.

The Trump administration cautiously embraced Chinas apparent newfound cooperation, while putting it on notice that the U.S. would be watching closely to ensure it didnt ease up on Pyongyang if and when the worlds attention is diverted elsewhere. But there were no signs the U.S. would acquiesce to Chinas call for a quick return to negotiations.

The diplomatic wrangling sought to build on the sweeping new North Korea sanctions passed by the U.N. Security Council a day earlier  the strongest in a generation, the U.S. said. As diplomats gathered in the Philippines for an annual regional meeting, President Donald Trump was cheering the move from afar. He touted the very big financial impact of the sanctions and noted optimistically that both China and Russia had joined in the unanimous vote. It was a good outcome, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in characteristically understated fashion as he met with South Koreas top diplomat.

For the U.S., it was a long-awaited sign of progress for Trumps strategy of trying to enlist Beijings help to squeeze Pyongyang diplomatically and economically. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, meeting with North Koreas top diplomat during the gathering in Manila, urged the North to maintain calm despite the U.N. vote.

Infusing the diplomatic gathering with dramatic intrigue was the presence of Ri Yong Ho, North Koreas foreign minister, the odd man out at a meeting dominated by concerns about his nations nuclear proliferation. Indeed, the U.S. was floating a proposal to temporarily kick North Korea out of the 27-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum, although other member nations are divided about that idea. Josh Lederman, AP
CHINA-VIETNAM Foreign Minister Wang Yi canceled a scheduled one-on-one meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart in Manila at the last minute yesterday due to a spat over the South China Sea.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA A refugee being held in an Australian immigration camp on the Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea was found dead in an apparent suicide yesterday, sparking outrage from fellow refugees and advocates who say officials failed to treat him despite a long history of mental illness.

INDONESIA said yesterday that it will barter coffee, palm oil and other commodities for 11 Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets, calling U.S. and European sanctions against Russia an opportunity to boost the Southeast Asian nations trade. More on p13

PAKISTAN A government official says a gas explosion in a coalmine in the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir has killed five miners and injured two after a part of the mine collapsed.

SYRIA Opposition activists say government warplanes have bombed a suburb of the capital Damascus where President Bashar Assads forces are fighting insurgents. Yesterdays violence in eastern Damascus comes amid a truce in the area that went into effect last month.

ISRAEL-PALESTINE Jordans king flew by helicopter to the West Bank yesterday  a rare visit seen as a signal to Israel that he is closing ranks with the Palestinians on key issues, such as a contested Jerusalem shrine.

SOUTH SUDAN Government forces have overtaken the rebel-held stronghold and opposition headquarters of Pagak, along the Ethiopian border. The rebels burned their military barracks before fleeing, to prevent government forces from being able to use the ammunition, according to residents.

ITALY Police in Sicily say 15 firefighters are suspected of setting blazes that they were then called to extinguish. Police in Ragusa, Sicily, said yesterday the head of a firefighting squad was put under house arrest and the others under investigation. Auxiliary firefighters like them receive 10 euros per hour from the Italian government to fight fires.

BRAZIL Police say a family of British tourists who made a wrong turn while traveling in a car outside Rio de Janeiro was shot at and a woman was wounded.
RAYWOOD, Texas (AP)  Ray Stoesser rumbled around his quiet green fields in a mud-caked SUV, noting the minute gradations of the land, which is subtly terraced to allow water to flow downhill, irrigating the fields in slow succession.

Were going uphill, believe it or not, Stoesser said. After more than a half century of farming, he knows what each field needs and when, harvest after harvest. Just like taking care of your backyard, he said.

If Stoessers land hasnt changed, the economic conditions have. Rice prices have declined for several years, averaging about 10 cents a pound last year, because of competition from huge rice producers like Vietnam and Thailand as well as increases in agricultural productivity that have boosted supplies. Over the past few decades, hundreds of rice farmers in Southeast Texas have given up the crop entirely.

But in mid-July, the Texas rice industry  which is worth about $100 million per year to farmers  was granted a reprieve: a deal to allow U.S. rice sales to China. The industry estimates that China soon could buy 250,000 tons of U.S. rice per year, out of the 9 million tons it produces, which could boost prices significantly.

Although trade between the two countries had been liberalized when China entered the world trade organization in 2001, trade in rice remained off the table. An agreement to allow exports has been in the making for nearly a decade, with talks launched by George W. Bush, continued under Barack Obama and ultimately concluded under President Donald Trump. The deal sets complex safety standards to prevent pests from entering China with rice imported from America, which, if met, opens a market of more than 1 billion rice eaters to U.S. farmers.

The agreement comes at a critical time as the Trump administration prepares to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, potentially threatening agricultural exports to the rice industrys biggest customer, Mexico.

For the Stoesser farm, selling to China could mean a slightly bigger financial cushion in a business that can see a years income decimated by floods or drought or both.

If we could get to 16 cents instead of 10 cents a pound, it would take a lot of risk out, Stoesser said. Trade is the answer to our problems.

The last few decades have left the Stoessers feeling isolated.

The flat, humid counties east of Houston used to be full of rice fields  in 1968, 70 square miles of Liberty County were planted with the crop. Growing up in the area, Rays son, Neal, always saw the rice business as his future, and he didnt finish college.

I went to the University of Rice Farming, I guess, he said, while piloting a giant combine around the field, gobbling up stalks with a 40-foot-wide reaper and separating them from the grains.

The Stoessers have owned land since Neals great-grandfather came to the area from Germany in the late 1800s, and Neal has been driving a combine since he was old enough to climb up into the cab, as his 8- and 4-year-old sons do now. Over that time, the Stoesser farm has grown to cover several thousand acres as the family bought out surrounding farms.

The rest of Texas rice industry, however, has shrunk to 187,000 acres from more than 600,000 in the 1950s. In Liberty County, the 70 square miles of rice fields is now 8.

I hate to say it, but when I was in high school, there were 70 farmers, Neal said. Now there are just three in Liberty County  Neal, his father and his brother, Grant.

Several reasons are behind the decline, including the encroachment of suburban housing developments, which raised land prices to the point where it made more sense to sell than keep farming. Today, Texas accounts for about 6 percent of U.S. rice production, far behind the leader, Arkansas, which accounts for about half.

But Texas rice farmers have a few things working in their favor. New seed varieties allowed them to nearly double the yield per acre, with the assistance of experts from Texas A&Ms field offices. And federal crop subsidy programs have kept them afloat through thin years, paying out $1.8 billion to Texas rice farmers between 1995 and 2014, according to a database maintained by the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization that opposes farm subsidies.

Meanwhile, the rice industry has tried to expand its market by boosting Americans rice consumption. Stoesser runs the Texas Rice Council, which collects payments from the states rice farmers for joint marketing efforts, such as one that produced a bumper sticker on his Yukon SUV. Eat Rice, it reads. Potatoes make your butt big.

In one regard, theyve made progress. Americans now eat 26 pounds of rice per year on average, which is nearly triple their consumption in the 1970s. But that increase is driven largely by immigrant communities that favor jasmine and basmati varieties, mostly imported from Thailand, India and Pakistan, over American medium and long grain rice.

Back in 2005, Greg Yielding took a trip to China.

Nothing terribly official for the executive director of the Arkansas Rice Growers Association  just a few visits with people like the U.S. Department of Agricultures representative in China and the office of COFCO, Chinas state-owned food importer. At that point, the prospect of selling rice to China seemed like a hopeless quest  The ultimate example of selling ice to the Eskimos, as one California official put it.

But Yielding heard differently. Chinese supermarket executives, he said, thought they could market American rice as a high-end, safer alternative to their own crops, which had suffered waves of contamination. On successive visits, funded by grants from the USDA, Yielding engaged a market research company to have young women hand out samples of U.S. rice at luxury supermarkets in big cities.

I couldnt tell you that there was something better about it, but they tried it, they liked the taste of it, they liked the cooking quality, said Yielding, who soon started working for the U.S. Rice Producers Association, a Houston-based trade group. I just kept making contacts and finding out that the Chinese wanted to buy U.S. rice.

And at the time, China was about to undergo a much larger shift.

For decades, in the name of national security, China had maintained a goal of producing 95 percent of its grain domestically. Around 2012, rocked by food safety scandals, China backed off that target, allowing it to slip to 85 percent.

That 10 percent is big for agricultural exporters, said Luis Ribera, an agricultural trade expert at Texas A&M. The U.S. went from exporting about $100 million in grain and feed from the U.S. in 2007 to a peak of $4.9 billion in 2015.

Rice, however, was still barred entirely, since the two countries hadnt agreed on a common food safety protocol. So, a few years ago, the USDA started facilitating trips by Chinese scientists to visit U.S. farms and rice mills. Ray Stoesser helped shepherd them around in Arkansas.

The Chinese were optimistic about what they saw, he said, extolling the quality and sanitation of U.S. facilities.

The Rice Producers Association, of which Stoesser is a member, wasnt the only group working for market access  the USA Rice Federation, a coalition of farmers and millers, was sponsoring exchanges as well. Rice mills remove the tough husk from rice grains to make it edible. The millers were particularly keen on the Chinese market, since all the rice going there would be milled in the U.S., in contrast to the largely unmilled rough rice that goes to Mexico and South America.

Two years ago, USA Rices executive director, Betsy Ward, said she thought U.S. negotiators had a deal with China. But they could never get it signed by the Chinese, which Ward thinks may have had to do with the Obama administration having other trade priorities  such as the massive Trans Pacific Partnership, which pointedly didnt include China.

After Trumps agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, took office, Ward said her group met with him four times about getting the rice agreement done. Only a few weeks after Perdue visited China to celebrate a deal allowing exports of beef, the rice deal was finally signed.

It was a relief, after more than a decade of work. But the road forward may not be easy.

Its a very complex agreement and gives them room to find problems when they decide they want to, Ward said.

Whatever the Chinese demand, the Stoesser family stands ready to satisfy it. And the local economy in Liberty County has a stake in their success as well: More acres of rice planted mean more seed and fertilizer ordered, more storage used, more people employed. The Stoesser farm employs about 20.

But even China may not be enough, if trade deals with other countries go south. Ray Stoesser is exasperated over the failure of successive White Houses to allow rice exports to Cuba, which was the largest buyer of Texas rice before trade was embargoed in the 1960s. The Trump administration recently rolled back the small steps that Obama had taken to liberalize trade.

Thats a no-brainer, Stoesser said. If we can trade with China, why cant we trade with Cuba?

And now, theres a new worry: The reopening of negotiations with Mexico and Canada over NAFTA. If Trump chose to put tariffs on Mexican manufactured goods, as hes threatened, Mexico could retaliate by limiting its imports of U.S. agricultural products  like rice.

Weve got to have that, Stoesser said, of NAFTA. I dont see Trump taking that away. If he did... he trails off, and looks out the window of the truck, as the fields roll by, one freshly tilled under.

Get a whiff of this dirt, he said. It just smells good.

If we can trade with China, why cant we trade with Cuba? Ray Stoesser, Texas rice grower
SHOSHONE  Hindered by wind, smoke and a vein of lava rock, the Bureau of Land Management Twin Falls District and assisting fire departments fought two fires that blazed across the southern Idaho desert this weekend.

More than 85,000 acres had burned in less than 72 hours, but crews held containment lines throughout Monday and expected to stop both fires progression that night.

The Mammoth Fire north of Shoshone has been re-mapped at an estimated 50,182 acres. The fire was reported Friday afternoon and led to two evacuation orders Friday and Saturday. One house and two minor structures have been destroyed.

Theres hardly any smoke at all, so things are looking pretty good, BLM spokeswoman Kelsey Brizendine said Monday evening.

The fire had spread quickly over a few days as aircraft have been grounded since Saturday afternoon due to low visibility from smoke. Most of the smoke is from Canada, Washington and Oregon fires, Brizendine said.

It was blowing so fast and so hot, there wasnt really much anybody could do, she said.

Firefighters started a backburn at Picabo Desert Road, which helped to contain the most active flank of the Mammoth Fire as it burned northeast.

Multiple short-duration outages were reported in Lincoln County over the weekend because of the fire, Idaho Power Co. spokeswoman Stephanie McCurdy said. But 29 customers in Shoshone and Richfield lost power for six hours or longer Friday evening.

Idaho Power Co. had concerns about losing power to the entire Wood River Valley over the weekend after the Mammoth Fire reached one of two transmission lines, McCurdy said. The other power line had been down for scheduled maintenance, but the power company paused those activities to get that line back up and running in case of an outage.

As it turned out, some poles burned, but there was not enough damage to cause an outage, McCurdy said.

The Mammoth Fire was expected to be fully contained by 8 p.m. Monday and controlled by 8 p.m. Thursday.

Most of whats burning is the interior pockets, Brizendine said earlier in the day. These should not result in additional burned acreage.

There were 24 engines, two initial attack hand crews, one hot shot crew, 20 overhead, four dozers, three water tenders and one camp crew on scene.

BLM firefighters also expected to contain the Shoestring Fire, which was reported Saturday afternoon on Idaho 46 between Gooding and Wendell. The fire burned 35,737 acres in Gooding, Lincoln and Jerome counties. Control was estimated for 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Fire crews have gotten containment lines all around the Shoestring Fire, while interior pockets continue to burn, Brizendine said.

The cause of the Mammoth and Shoestring fires is still unclear.

The BLM expects thunderstorms this week could produce gusty winds up to 40 miles per hour.

The National Weather Service in Boise had issued a red flag warning for thunderstorms Monday afternoon and evening. An air quality advisory had also been issued by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality for Camas, Gooding, Jerome and Twin Falls counties. Outdoor burning restrictions are in effect.
TWIN FALLS  Despite an influx of state money, some south-central Idaho school districts saw a year-to-year drop in the percentage of students reading at grade level.

Thats reflected in scores on the Idaho Reading Indicator, an early reading test for kindergarten through third-graders. The Idaho State Department of Education released numbers last week for the 2016-17 school year.

Educators say ensuring children are reading at grade level is crucial. Research shows if students arent by third grade, theyre likely to fall behind and have a higher risk of becoming high school dropouts.

Really, I feel like we did have a little dip in some of our scores, said Teresa Jones, elementary programs director for the Twin Falls School District.

And overall across Idaho, more students are reading at grade level. By spring, 73 percent were at the benchmark  up from 71.9 percent in spring 2016.

Last year, state legislators appropriated $9.1 million for a new literacy initiative to help elementary schoolers who score below grade level on the IRI.

Its up to individual school districts how they spend the money.

Students who score basic must receive an extra 30 hours of reading help, while those who score below basic must receive 60 extra hours. School officials must also contact parents if their child isnt reading at grade level.

Kindergartners who test below basic cant name three letters of the alphabet in one minute.

In Cassia County, factors behind the overall percentage drop could include the particular group of students or a summer slide in learning that contributes to fall scores, assistant superintendent Sandra Miller said.

Theres generally pretty good growth from fall to spring, she said, but we would like to see greater ability from spring to spring.

Cassia County schools have also seen employee turnover and retirements. Those are all factors that could contribute to it, but ultimately, there is no excuse for us, Miller said.

A committee is reviewing options for a new English/language arts curriculum for kindergarten through sixth grades thats better aligned with Common Core Standards.

The school board will likely make a final decision by April 2018 and new materials will be used for the 2018-19 school year.

In the Twin Falls School District, 56 percent of students were reading at grade level in fall 2016, slightly fewer than the previous year. By spring, 74.2 percent were at grade level, down from 77.9 percent in spring 2016.

A bright spot: There was 18 percent growth in the number of students reading at grade level between fall and spring.

Factors behind the overall drop, though, could include new school attendance zones, shifting employees among schools and opening two new elementary schools, Jones said.

Last school year, the Twin Falls School District received about $370,000 in state literacy money. It was used for literacy training for teachers and a digital intervention program for students.

Jones said she feels the district wrote an excellent plan to improve literacy and expects to see scores increase over time.

Teachers will implement what they learned during training, she said. And new reading intervention materials  which didnt arrive until part-way through last school year  will be used all year.

The district also wants to provide full-day kindergarten at some schools for students who need extra help with reading.

All-day kindergarten and new reading materials

Theres a common theme for the Hansen School District and Heritage Academy in Jerome, which both did well on the IRI.

They have all-day kindergarten and implemented new elementary school reading materials last school year.

Out of all south-central Idaho school districts, Hansen had the highest percentage  82.7 percent  of its student body reading grade level this spring.

But in a small school district like Hansen, with about 400 total students, a handful of students who make gains can have a larger impact on the overall percentage.

Other school districts saw huge improvements in reading proficiency within last school year. One example: Heritage Academy, a charter school.

In fall 2016, only 27.3 percent of its students were reading at grade level. But by spring, that grew to 62.2 percent.

In Hansen, the school district used most of its state literacy money last year to keep all-day kindergarten.

Before that, the district paid for it using its general fund.

We had to give up some other things to make that work, but we always thought that was really important, Superintendent Kristin Beck said.

Another factor behind Hansens success was a new reading curriculum, Journeys, adopted last school year. That had a huge impact, Beck said.

In Jerome, Heritage Academy also has full-day kindergarten.

Many students enter school without many pre-reading skills, Superintendent Christine Ivie said. That all-day kindergarten gives extra time in the afternoon to have more eyes to text. I think thats a critical thing.

Last school year, Heritage Academy also adopted a new reading program, Core Knowledge Language Arts.

Plus, the school spends more time with students on reading and extra help, and monitors students progress each month.

New reading test

Soon, Idaho public schools will transition to a new reading test: a computer-based assessment from Istation.

The Idaho State Department of Education chose 57 schools to pilot the test next school year. About 10,500 students in participating schools will take both the new and old reading tests.

Here in the Magic Valley, that includes Popplewell Elementary School in Buhl, Castleford Elementary School, Filer Elementary School, Hollister Elementary School, Horizon and Jefferson elementary schools in Jerome, Shoshone Elementary School and Wendell Elementary School.
WASHINGTON  The Interior Department on Monday unveiled a plan to protect the threatened sage grouse that gives Western states greater flexibility to allow mining, logging and other economic development where it now is prohibited.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced the strategy for the ground-dwelling bird that has suffered a dramatic population decline across its 11-state range. Zinke insisted that the federal government and the states can work together to protect the sage grouse and its habitat while not slowing economic growth and job creation.

While the federal government has a responsibility under the Endangered Species Act to protect the bird, officials also have an obligation to be a good neighbor and a good partner, Zinke said. The new plan ensures that conservation efforts do not impede local economic opportunities, he said.

The plan comes after a 60-day review Zinke ordered in June of a 2015 plan imposed by the Obama administration. The plan set land-use policies across the popular game-birds 11-state range that were intended to keep it off the federal endangered species list.

Mining companies, ranchers and governors in some Western states  especially Utah, Idaho and Nevada  said the plan ordered by former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell would impede oil and gas drilling and other economic activity.

U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, who co-sponsored a bill earlier this year with his seatmate Mike Crapo to let states implement their own management plans and was supportive of Zinkes review, said Monday he is pleased with the outcome.

It is refreshing to see our Interior secretary listen to the recommendations of those who are the most affected, he said. Ultimately, this will be better for the landscape because the local stewards of sage grouse habitat will have more input into this process.

Lt. Gov. Brad Little also said he was pleased with the result.

So glad to hear the new administration wont interfere with states like Idaho implementing sage grouse management plans that work for rural communities and economies, he posted on Facebook.

Environmental groups said Jewells plan did not do enough to protect the sage grouse from extinction.

The ground-dwelling sage grouse, long associated with the American West, has long pointed tail feathers and is known for the males elaborate courtship display in which air sacs in the neck are inflated to make a popping sound.

Millions of sage grouse once roamed the West but development, livestock grazing and an invasive grass that encourages wildfires has reduced the birds population to fewer than 500,000 across 11 states from California to the Dakotas.

Zinke said in June that state agencies are really at the forefront of efforts to maintain healthy fish and wildlife populations across the country, adding that the Trump administration is committed to ensuring that state voices are heard in decisions affecting land use and wildlife management.

In particular, Zinke said he has received complaints from several Western governors that Jewell ignored or minimized their concerns as the 2015 sage-grouse plan was developed. Republican governors in Idaho, Utah and Nevada all want more flexibility and say the conservation efforts should rely less on land-use restrictions and more on numbers of birds in a particular state, Zinke said.

The new plan is intended to provide flexibility to states instead of a one-size-fits-all solution, he said.

On the other side, Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado and Republican Gov. Matt Mead of Wyoming told Zinke earlier this year they opposed any changes that would move from a habitat-management model to one that sets population objectives for the states.

Hickenlooper and Mead co-chair a federal-state sage grouse task force that worked to develop the 2015 plan, which was backed by more than $750 million in commitments from the government and outside groups to conserve land and restore the birds historic range.

Nada Culver, a senior policy official at The Wilderness Society, denounced the new plan as an attempt to abandon habitat protection for unfettered oil and gas development in the West that puts the entire landscape at risk.

The 60-day review shows a callous disregard for nearly a decade of research and collaborative work by states and agencies, while ignoring the western communities who weighed in with millions of comments and who simply want to see the (Obama-era) plans left to work as intended, Culver said.

States affected by the plan are California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
SHOSHONE  The Mammoth Fire burned aggressively north of Shoshone Saturday night, exploding to 60,000 acres.

Fire officials dont have a timeline for when they think the fire will be contained.

Firefighters are battling the blaze with 20 engines, two type-two initial attack hand crews, one type-one hot shot crew, four dozers, three water tenders, a camp crew, two air attacks, three helicopters and 12 air tankers.

The fire is actively burning grass and brush and wind is causing it to push to the north to the Picabo Desert Road.

Crews are putting in containment lines, and resources continue to build line around the southern flank of the fire.

Officials hoped lighter winds and higher relative humidity Sunday over the fire area would help, but thunderstorms pushing in from Nevada could cause wind shifts.

Its still not clear what started the fire, first reported about 2:30 p.m. Friday. The fire is most active along its southern and northern flanks, where rugged lava rock terrain is making it difficult to control.

One home has been destroyed and other buildings burned to the ground, but evacuation orders have been lifted.

Twin Falls District of the BLM and the Richfield Rural Fire Department are coordinating suppression efforts.

Assistant Chief Jose Loughmiller is in charge of protecting homes and property, and BLM Incident Commander Clay Stephens is directing wildland fire suppression.

Shoestring Fire

The Shoestring Fire north of Wendell has burned 30,000 acres.

The Gooding Rural Fire Department, Notch Butte Rangeland Fire Protection Association, five engines, two dozers, three helicopters, four water tenders, one air attack, four single engine air tankers and one camp crew are among the resources on the fire.

The fire is burning in grass and brush and pushed north Saturday night, causing fire fighters to conduct burn out operations along Highway 26 between Gooding and Shoshone. The Gooding Rural Fire Department stationed engines at nearby structures as a precaution.
TWIN FALLS  The city will decide Monday whether to reduce speeds on a busy road near South Hills Middle School.

City staff have proposed lowering the 45 mile-per-hour speed limit on 3600 North to 35 miles per hour between Washington Street South and Blue Lakes Boulevard South. The road lies just south of the new middle school, which is set to open to students this month.

In addition to this reduction, the Twin Falls School District has asked that speeds be further reduced to 20 miles per hour  using flashing lights  in the area by the school. The lights would activate the school zone in the morning and afternoon when students are returning to or leaving school.

People are much more likely to comply when you have that type of system in place, Superintendent Brady Dickinson said.

Its similar to whats been done at the Lincoln and Bickel elementary schools, he said.

The school district partnered with the citys Traffic Safety Commission and the Twin Falls Highway District to come up with the plan. Also on 3600 North, a school crossing will be made for students wishing to walk who live on the south side of the road.

Anyone who lives on the south side of 3600 will qualify for the safety busing, Dickinson said.

The 20 mile-per-hour limits usually take effect for several hours a day, beginning at a half-hour before school starts and a half-hour before school gets out. They are also planned to go in on Harrison Street by the school.

The City Council will vote on the speed limit reduction for 3600 North at its meeting Monday. The meeting begins at 5 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 305 Third Ave. E.

Also at the meeting, the Council will:

Consider a request to approve accepting a $3.5 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration for the Joslin Field Taxiway A Project.

Consider a request from Twin Falls County to accept a property transfer of a lot in the Castlewood subdivision containing a stormwater retention area. There is no immediate cost to the city, but the parks department would have to maintain the property.

Hear a presentation on the city managers recommended budget for the 2018 fiscal year. The council will also hear about the citys wellness program, and the Employee Recognition Committee will present value awards to employees.

Have a public hearing on a request by Rex Lytle on behalf of REEL LLC to vacate undeveloped right of way along the 100 block of Morningside Drive.
Seniors wellness

The Twin Falls Senior Center will hold a presentation for senior citizens at 12:15 p.m. Monday at 530 Shoshone St. W.

Connie Campbell of Syringa Place will discuss the 15 most common health concerns for seniors.

Free; 208-734-5084.

Weight loss support

TOPS Club (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), a nonprofit weight-loss support group, will meet weekly at several locations.

The Twin Falls chapter will meet at 4:30 p.m. Monday at the Twin Falls Senior Center, 530 Shoshone St. W., 208-734-2641 or 208-734-5300.

Other local chapters will meet at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday at 2025 S. Highway 81 in Malta, 208-645-2438; 9:15 a.m. Thursday at the Jerome Public Library, 100 First Ave. E., 208-324-6693; 9:30 a.m. Thursday at 410 E. Third St. in Rupert, 208-436-6037 or 208-679-3518; and at 5:30 p.m. Friday at 1800 J St. in Heyburn, 208-678-8706 or 208-678-2622.

Hepatitis C support

Hepatitis C Support Group, 6 p.m. Monday at Magic Valley Fellowship Hall, 801 Second Ave. N., Twin Falls.

The meeting offers support for those who have been diagnosed with the Hepatitis C virus. A medical professional will speak about HCV and options for treatment.

Information: Cathy Shaddy, 208-410-2768.

Bariatric support

Magic Valley Bariatric Support Group, 7 p.m. Monday in Oak Room 1 on the lower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley Medical Center, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls.

The meetings are facilitated by licensed bariatric health-care professionals.

Registration isnt required. Information: 208-381-3641.

Yoga

Morning Bliss Yoga, 9 a.m. Tuesday and Saturday at the Magic Valley YMCA, 1751 Elizabeth Blvd. Stretch and strengthen your muscles through yoga.

Alzheimers support

Magic Valley Caregiver Support Group, presented by Alzheimers Association, Greater Idaho Chapter, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Bridgeview Estates, 1828 Bridgeview Blvd., Twin Falls. The group meets on the second Tuesday every month.

Information: facilitator Yolanda Martinez, 208-404-6720.

Yoga

Prenatal Yoga classes, 6:45 to 7:45 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday at Center for Physical Rehabilitation, 754 N. College Road, Suite D, Twin Falls.

All levels are welcome to join and exercise safely. Sami Ashenbrener, doctor of physical therapy at Center for Physical Rehabilitation, is also a certified yoga instructor with specialized training in prenatal yoga.

Equipment is available, or bring your own equipment if desired. First class is free.

Ostomy support

Ostomy Support Group, 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in the cafeteria at St. Lukes Magic Valley, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls.

The meeting is for ostomy patients and their families.

Free; 208-308-6153.

Parkinsons support

The Magic Valley Parkinsons Support Group will meet at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Jerome Library, 100 First Ave. E. This group is available to assist people with Parkinsons disease from throughout Magic Valley and meets every second Wednesday.

The first symptom of Parkinsons is often tremor, but other motor disorders may also be present or be exhibited alone, such as trouble with balance and slowness of movement. A support group can be helpful to families when those suffering from Parkinsons and their spouse or caregiver meet others to discuss and learn methods of coping.

There is no charge for the support group and the monthly meetings include educational speakers, discussion time and socialization. It is managed by volunteers with a purpose to offer support and education for Parkinsons sufferers and their spouses and caregivers.

If you or someone in your family has Parkinsons, you are invited to participate. Information: nfturley@att.net or 208-358-5807.

Alzheimers support

Alzheimers Association, Greater Idaho Chapters Caregiver Support Group meeting, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at DeSano Place Suites, 545 Nevada St., Gooding.

Information: 208-934-4623.

Recovery support

Safe Harbor will hold Al-Anon meetings at 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Recovery group meetings at 7 p.m. Thursdays at 213 Fifth Ave. W. in Twin Falls,

A meal will be provided at 6 p.m. Thursday; donations accepted.

Information: 208-735-8787.

CPR

St. Lukes Magic Valley Education Department is offering a Heartsaver CPR and AED class, 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday at the Learning Center, 840 Meadows Suite 2, Twin Falls.

The course provides training for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and using an automated external defibrillator.

Cost is $50. Pre-registration is required: 208-814-9050.

Anxiety support

Anxiety Support Group, 6 p.m. every Thursday at Magic Valley Fellowship Hall, 801 Second Ave. N., Twin Falls.

Support for those who experience anxiety, panic attacks or depression. Learn about the signs, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and coping skills.

Information: Cathy Shaddy, 208-410-2768.

CPR, first aid

St. Lukes Magic Valley Education Department is offering a Heartsaver CPR, First Aid and AED class, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Learning Center, 840 Meadows Suite 2, Twin Falls.

The course provides training for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid and using an automated external defibrillator.

Cost is $60 and pre-registration is required: 208-814-9050.

Rides for treatment

The American Cancer Societys Road to Recovery program provides free transportation to and from treatments for people with cancer who do not have a ride or are unable to drive. There are several volunteer drivers in the Mini-Cassia area who donate their time and the use of their car so patients can go to their treatments.

To schedule a ride to treatments, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 to be matched with a volunteer driver.

CPR, infant safety

Infant safety and cardiopulmonary resuscitation class, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Aug. 15 in Oak Rooms 2-4 on the lower level of St. Lukes Magic Valley, 801 Pole Line Road W., Twin Falls.

New parents, grandparents and caregivers learn CPR and what to do if an infant chokes. The class isnt a certification course.

Free; no registration required. 208-814-0402.
Commentators who assert revelation of a grand jury in federal court in Washington to investigate possible criminal wrong-doing is no big deal have a point. Technically, this is just one more step in the prosecutorial process, allowing for testimony under oath and subpoenas for documents. We already knew this investigation was no hoax and was anything but fake when Robert S. Mueller III assembled an all-star cast of 16 lawyers. Thats indicative of a major, serious investigation.

It bears repeating that no one as yet has been indicted, let alone convicted, of anything, and everyone, including the president, enjoys a presumption of innocence. However, in some practical and political ways the grand jury is a key milestone.

For one thing, when the grand jury starts taking testimony under oath from witnesses, well have a good sense of where this is going. If the witnesses are largely or entirely people involved in Trump team members representations about their meetings with Russians, the decision to fire James B. Comey and the actions taken thereafter, well know the emphasis is on possible obstruction of justice, lying to the FBI, lying or giving incomplete information to Congress, witness intimidation, etc. (In this regard, using a grand jury in Washington might also be seen as a step a prosecutor would take to prepare for indictments in the jurisdiction in which the alleged crimes were committed.)

Second, while prosecutors and court personnel cannot discuss the grand jury testimony, witnesses are free to do so absent a gag order. Expect a flood of leaks from those with knowledge of the testimony. These will likely come from witnesses/potential defendants and/or their attorneys, who will immediately claim the leaks came from the prosecutor and hence are illegal. (This is Defense Lawyering 101.)

The press will need to decide if and when this arises how to avoid being used in such fashion while providing the public with as much information as readily available. (Sources close to the witnesses or some such designation would seem to be the fairest approach.) However the leaks are spun, well almost certainly hear a lot about what went on inside the grand jury room.

Third, for most witnesses, testifying before the grand jury is terrifying. Under normal rules (more about that in a moment) you cannot bring in your lawyer. A misstatement under oath may have dire consequences. This makes testifying in front of Congress look like a coffee klatch at Starbucks.

Fourth, if Mueller is investigating the presidents role, if any, in obstruction or other similar crimes, in all likelihood he would need to obtain Trumps testimony. We have precedent from the Monica Lewinsky matter for a president to testify to a grand jury. In the case of President Bill Clinton, he was allowed to testify via closed-circuit TV. Trump would be obliged to appear although he might be able to work out the same arrangement that Clinton did whereby he was allowed to have his attorney present and take breaks to consult. (Normally, grand jury witnesses, while not allowed to have attorneys in the grand jury room with them, can stop and consult with their attorneys. Under our arrangement today, your attorneys are here and present for consultation and you can break to consult with them as necessary, the prosecutor conducting the questioning told Clinton in 1998.)

Trump would have the right to take the Fifth, but that would be an extraordinary event without historical precedent. And of course Trumps previous declarations that people do not take the Fifth unless they have something to hide would come back to haunt him. (The mob takes the Fifth Amendment, Trump said during the campaign. If youre innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?) That would have substantial political ramifications, to put it mildly.

Trumps testimony, if he chose not to invoke the Fifth, would be his attorneys worst nightmare. Imagine trying to keep him from inadvertently giving prosecutors all the ammunition they would need. (Think about the Lester Holt interview when he freely admitted he had Russia on his mind when he fired Comey.)

If you are banking on Mueller indicting a sitting president youre probably going to be disappointed regardless of where the facts lead. Mueller would be bound by the existing Justice Department opinion that a president cannot be indicted. (That leaves open options including naming him as an unindicted co-conspiratorto obstruct justice , for exampleif there are other conspirators who could be prosecuted.)

All of that is down the road and will be determined by the evidence the special prosecutors team uncovers. However, with the grand jury plugging away, multiple witnesses including those who have an incentive to make deals with the prosecutor for testimony, the possibility of exceptionally serious consequences for the president have increased. Moreover, with clear warnings from Republicans against firing Mueller, Trumps fate to a very large degree rests with Mueller. No wonder he is trying to smear and discredit him.
President Donald Trumps endorsement of the immigration plan from Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and David Perdue, R-Ga., to slash legal immigration in half underscored the tension between the administrations nativist/xenophobic populism and its economic ambitions.

The Cotton-Perdue bill, we were gladdened to see, provoked a furious backlash not just from pro-immigration groups and liberals but from conservatives and economic growth advocates. The free-market critics, unlike Trump, comprehend that the Cotton-Perdue play to the xenophobic sentiments that lifted Trump to the presidency, if put into actual policy, would doom the goal of 3 percent growth. Put simply, you cannot slash immigration and Make America Great Again.

Much to the chagrin of the cultural nativists who see dilution of white Christian America as the end of civilization as they know it, their desire to seal America off from the world, either by trade protectionism or immigration exclusionism, would doom America to second-class status. William Frey of the Brookings Institution looked at census data and immigration patterns, concluding:

... the annual immigration of foreign born workers and families will be an increasingly significant component of growth as the nations population gets older and fertility remains low. It will become an especially important contributor to population growth in parts of the country that are aging rapidly and sustaining long term domestic migration declines. Immigration has long been the demographic and economic lifeblood in port-of-entry metropolises like New York, Los Angeles and Miami. The fact that, now, well over half of the nations 100 largest metropolitan areas are receiving more of their growth from immigration than from migrants within the US dictates that communities across the country will need to prioritize accommodating new foreign born residents as an integral part of their planning for the future.

No matter how the anti-immigration types strain to demonize immigrants and prove their threat to American workers, the facts are beyond (rational) dispute, David Bier of the Cato Institute explained in The New York Times:

Senator Cotton is trying to connect a slow increase in the immigration rate in recent decades to declining wages for Americans without a college degree, implying that low-skilled workers are facing more competition for jobs than in earlier years. But this correlation is spurious, because it ignores the size of the overall labor pool.

Looking at all new job seekersborn here and abroadactually reveals a significant decline in new workers competing for American jobs. During the postwar period from 1948 to 1980, as incomes rose for all workers, the labor force grew by 76 percent, driven largely by baby boomers and women entering the labor force for the first time. Since then, declining birthrates have led to about half as many new competitors entering the labor force each year, despite many more immigrants.

According to Bier, the real way to diminish both illegal immigration and to accelerate growth is by increasing legal immigration:

Congress should raise the employment-based quotas, which it has not adjusted since 1990when the United States had some 77 million fewer people and the economy was half the size it is now. A smart reform would double green cards and peg future work visas to economic growth, responding to market forces rather than political whims.

Smart reforms, however, require that Congress first understand the basic facts: America has not seen a deluge of immigration. Low-skilled American-born workers have not faced more competition for jobs. Other countries accept more immigrants per capita. Until these facts penetrate the halls of the Capitol, the immigration debate will continue to be mired in ignorant proposals like this.

(While opposition to immigration among many conservatives may be attributable to economic illiteracy, what is the excuse for Cotton, a Harvard grad and self-proclaimed serious thinker? The answer is found in the same blinding political ambition that drives him to be the most eager cheerleader for the worst apologist for Russia and threat to the rule of law ever to occupy the White House.)

Interestingly, Americans, despite all the anti-immigration propaganda, understand that the United States needs immigrants. While not framed purely in economic terms, polling consistently shows the public understands immigrants are good for the country. The Pew Research Center recently found:

For a large majority of Americans, the countrys openness to people from around the world is essential to who we are as a nation. In a new Pew Research Center survey, 68% say Americas openness to foreigners is a defining characteristic of the nation, while just 29% say if America is too open to people from all over the world, we risk losing our identity as a nation.

The belief that openness to people from around the world is essential is widely shared across most demographic groups. However, Democrats and younger people are considerably more likely than others to hold this view, according to the national survey, conducted June 27-July 9 among 2,505 adults.

(Republicans, unsurprisingly in the age of Trump, are split with 48 percent fearing openness and 47 percent saying openness is essential.)

These figures showing widespread, overwhelming support among Americans for immigrants are consistent with a February Pew study in which 64 percent said an increasing number of people from different races, ethnic groups and nationalities in the U.S. made the country a better place to live, compared with 29 percent who said increasing diversity made no difference and 5 percent who said it made the U.S. a worse place to live.

In sum, the United States has been great, prosperous and dynamic in large part because it has been open to those who want a better life for themselves and their families. Thats not merely a historical fact, it is a current reality, as we saw from a recent study that immigrants started more than half of the current crop of U.S.-based startups valued at $1 billion or more. We cannot be closed and prosperous, let alone great, by clinging to the anti-immigrant hysteria whipped up by manipulative politicians.
John T. Wood, in his later years, might have fit right into todays Kootenai County Republican Party.

Almost.

He was a respected professional man, a physician who among other things was the founder of Coeur dAlenes first hospital, and served as mayor. But by 1950, when he was 72 and elected to the U.S. House, his interests ran in other directionsturning to dark conspiratorial theories. He was convinced the United States was about to become a foul fascist state about to be split into seven administrative units governed by dictatorial boards.

But much of his effort in Congress concerned the United Nations which, he believed, was trying to take over the world. The U.N. Charter was designed as an instrument of force, he said, modeled on Soviet governing documents, and the organization itself (as one book summarized his statements in the Congressional Record) was ground zero of a broader conspiracy to use its own self-granted powers to form a one-world government, dominant over the Constitution, and over the laws of every state in the Union. And so on. He served in the House but one term, losing in 1952 to Democrat Gracie Pfost.

If I sound dismissive its because Woods dystopian theories have not, lets say, proven out. But I dont dismiss him entirely, because a succession of sorts to his world view is alive and well in Kootenai County.

Last month the Kootenai County Republican Party blasted Idahos two senators, Mike Crapo and Jim RischRepublicans bothfor their support of sanctions against Russia.

Crapo, in fact, was one of the Senate leaders supporting the measure. He said of it, This legislation signals to the world the United States unflagging commitment to the sanctity of territorial integrity, human rights, and good governance. It also demonstrates our resolve in responding to cyber-attacks against American citizens and entities and against our allies. The Crapo-Brown-Corker-Cardin bill will result in some very powerful, new sanctions against Russia. Nearly every member of Congress, in both parties in both chambers, voted in favor.

Didnt convince up in the Panhandle. The party in Kootenai passed its own measure warning of the emergence of a globalist Davos Culture [that being this decades preferred name for the international conspiracy] comprised of progressive political elites around the world that is distinct from Traditional Western Civilization. Kootenai contended that Russia has become a nationalistic country that is resisting this progressive globalist agenda. And: globalists have recently been agitating against good relations with Russia because they see it as one of the last holdouts against a progressive globalist agenda.

In tone, it sounds a lot like something John T. Wood might have gotten behind.

Except that Wood did get that Russiaor, then, the Soviet Unionwas a hostile power, run as a militaristic dictatorship, was a suppressor of speech, press and religion, active in expanding its hegemony at the expense of the United States and its influence, and  well, on and on. In many ways, it is like that today.

Wood did at least get, more or less, who our friends are in the world, and who arent.

Its a strange thing to say, but John T. Wood from the early 1950s, thrown out of Congress back then by Idaho voters who largely seemed to consider him too extreme, might be a little too mainstream for todays Kootenai County.